NEWS

At least 100 people are involved in search operations at the world’s largest underground copper mine.

Rescue teams in Chile are searching for five miners trapped after a partial collapse triggered by a tremor killed one colleague and halted operations at the world’s largest underground copper mine.

At least 100 people were involved in the perilous search effort, said Andres Music, general manager of El Teniente mine in Rancagua, some 100km (62 miles) south of Santiago.

“So far, we have not been able to communicate with them. The tunnels are closed, they are collapsed,” he told reporters on Friday.

The miners had been working at a depth of more than 900 metres when the collapse happened. Their exact location has been pinpointed with specialised equipment.

“We will do everything that is humanly possible to rescue the five trapped workers,” Maximo Pacheco, the president of Chile’s state-owned mining company Codelco, told a news conference on Friday afternoon.

“All of our experience, all of our knowledge, all of our energy and all of our strength are dedicated to this cause and to seeing this through,” he added.

Codelco cancelled a presentation of its first-half financial results, set for Friday morning, due to the rescue efforts.

Temporary closure

Mining minister Aurora Williams earlier announced the temporary cessation of activity at the mine, which began operating in the early 1900s and boasts more than 4,500km (some 2,800 miles) of underground tunnels.

Last year, El Teniente produced 356,000 tonnes of copper – nearly 7 percent of the total for Chile.

The cave-in happened after a “seismic event” on Thursday afternoon, of which the origin – natural or caused by drilling – is not yet known, according to authorities. The tremor registered a magnitude of 4.2.

“It is one of the biggest events, if not the biggest, that the El Teniente deposit has experienced in decades,” said Music, adding: “We are making every effort to try to rescue these five miners.”

“The next 48 hours are crucial,” the manager said.

The search team included several of the rescuers who participated in successfully surfacing 33 miners trapped in a mine for more than two months in the Atacama Desert in 2010, attracting a whirlwind of global media attention.

Chile is the world’s largest copper producer, responsible for nearly a quarter of global supply with about 5.3 million tonnes in 2024. Its mining industry is one of the safest on the planet, with a death rate of 0.02 percent last year, according to the National Geology and Mining Service of Chile.

It also lies in the seismically active “Ring of Fire” that surrounds the shores of the Pacific Ocean.

India is expelling Bengali Muslims – stripping citizenship, detaining and deporting them to Bangladesh. The crackdown has spread nationwide, prompted by years of BJP propaganda and a news media all too willing to sell the story of a Muslim “enemy within”.

Contributors: 

Shoaib Daniyal – Political editor, Scroll
Fatima Khan – Political journalist
Vaishna Roy – Editor, Frontline magazine
Paranjoy Guha Thakurta – Journalist and filmmaker

On our radar:

The images of starving Palestinians in Gaza have provoked global outrage. Israel has launched a PR campaign to deflect blame. Ryan Kohls reports.

An interview with Alex Shephard

Alex Shephard of The New Republic explains how Donald Trump is putting unprecedented pressure on US media outlets.

After CBS was forced to settle out of court with the president, Trump is now suing the Wall Street Journal and its owner – Rupert Murdoch – as well as politicising the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Featuring:

Alex Shephard – Senior editor, The New Republic

After paving over the Rose Garden and adding gold-filigree decorations to the Oval Office, US President Donald Trump will embark on his most dramatic addition to the White House yet – a new $200m ballroom to be built adjacent to the mansion’s East Wing.

Trump, a former real estate developer, has repeatedly promised to build a “beautiful” ballroom at the White House. In 2016, he offered $100m during Barack Obama’s tenure for the project, which the then-president rejected.

But in a briefing to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the “much needed and exquisite addition” to the White House will be approximately 90,000 square feet (8,360 square metres), with a seating capacity of 650.

Most formal White House functions are currently held in the White House’s East Room, which can seat approximately 200 people. According to Leavitt, construction is expected to be completed “long before” the end of Trump’s term in office in January 2029.

She also said that the president and other donors would pay for the renovations, but declined to give details. Renderings provided by the White House show that the ballroom will be similar architecturally to the rest of the mansion.

Leavitt said the ballroom would be built where the “East Wing currently sits”. When asked whether the project would require knocking down that section of the White House, she said the East Wing would need to be “modernised”.

“The White House has a history of expansion to accommodate the changing needs of the nation’s chief executive,” Leslie Greene Bowman, who has served under four presidents on the Committee for the Preservation of the White House, told BBC News.

So, what have those been?

When and how was the White House constructed?

Construction of the White House began in 1792, based on a design by the Irish-born architect James Hoban. Built by enslaved labourers and European craftsmen, it was first occupied by President John Adams in 1800, though it still wasn’t finished when he moved in.

Enslaved labourers were forced to do physically demanding work on the White House, like quarrying and transporting stone and making bricks. They were typically hired out by their enslavers, who were paid for their labour.

During the War of 1812 (also known as the Second War of Independence), British forces invaded Washington and set fire to the White House in August 1814.

Reconstruction began almost immediately afterwards under President James Madison, again led by Hoban.

President James Monroe moved into the restored building in 1817, and later added the South Portico in 1824. The North Portico followed in 1829 during Andrew Jackson’s presidency, establishing the iconic facade of the White House as it is known today.

Over the course of the 19th century, amendments were made slowly. Running water, gas lighting, and furnishings were gradually added. In 1891, under President Benjamin Harrison, electricity was installed in the White House.

What changes were made to the White House in the 20th century?

President Theodore Roosevelt made one of the most transformative changes to the building in 1902. He removed the old Victorian-style interiors and relocated the presidential offices from the second floor of the residence to a new West Wing.

Roosevelt also expanded the State Dining Room – which could only hold 40 guests – by removing a staircase and increasing the size to a seating capacity of 100.

Roosevelt’s renovations modernised the White House to suit the needs of a growing executive branch.

Then, in 1909, William Howard Taft expanded Roosevelt’s West Wing and created the first Oval Office, a symbolic centrepiece of presidential power.

The biggest changes to the White House came under Harry Truman (president from 1945 to 1953). Truman gutted the inside of the building, leaving only the outer walls, while workers rebuilt the internal structure with steel beams and concrete floors.

Truman also added a controversial second-floor balcony on the South Portico, sometimes called the “Truman Balcony”. Later presidents made more subtle, but still meaningful, changes to the White House.

John F Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy led a restoration project focused on historical authenticity, refurbishing rooms with antiques.

In 1969, Richard Nixon added a bowling alley and upgraded the Situation Room.

Under Bill Clinton, the White House saw major technological upgrades, including improved security systems and internet connectivity. George W Bush renovated the press briefing room and restored several historical rooms, including the Abraham Lincoln Bedroom.

In recent years, Barack Obama installed wi-fi throughout the White House and the West Wing. Obama, a lifelong basketball enthusiast, also had part of the White House’s existing tennis courts adapted for basketball use.

Though no official estimate exists, the cumulative costs of construction and renovations amount to roughly $250m (in current dollar terms). As such, maintaining the home – and office – of the US president comes with a significant price tag.

What other building works are under way in Washington, DC?

The timing of the ballroom project is significant. Just a week ago, Trump seized on a sprawling renovation project undertaken by the US Federal Reserve (Fed) to criticise the central bank’s chair, Jay Powell.

Trump zeroed in on the expensive price tag of the project – roughly $2.5bn to renovate two 1930s buildings. During a rare presidential visit to the central bank’s headquarters on July 24, Trump accused Powell of financial mismanagement.

Last month, meanwhile, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought (a Trump appointee) accused Powell of mishandling the “ostentatious” refurbishment of the Fed’s headquarters in Washington, DC.

Trump has repeatedly demanded that the Fed lower interest rates by 3 percentage points, and has frequently raised the possibility of firing Powell, though the president has said he does not intend to do so. On July 22, Trump called the Fed chief a “numbskull”.

Despite pressure from the White House, the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at 4.25-4.50 percent on July 30, on par with economists’ expectations, as tariff-driven uncertainty weighs on the US economy.

Son Heung-min captained Tottenham Hotspur to the Europa League title last season but will leave the club this summer.

After 10 years with Tottenham Hotspur, captain Son Heung-min announced on Saturday that he plans to leave the English Premier League club.

At a media conference in Seoul, Son, appearing at times to be holding back tears, said his decision to leave the Spurs was ’the most difficult” of his career and said the club was supporting him as he looks to move on to another team.

Spurs will face Newcastle United in a preseason friendly on Sunday in Seoul in what could be the final match of Son’s time at Spurs.

“Before we start the press conference, I just want to share the information that I have decided to leave this club in this summer,” Son said. “Respectfully, this club is helping me to my decisions. So I just wanted to share this information before we start the conference.

“I came to North London as a kid, 23 years old, very young age, a young boy came to London who even didn’t speak English and leaving this club as a grown man is a very, very proud moment.”

He continued his tribute by thanking Tottenham fans.

“So I just want to say thank you to all of the Spurs fans that gave me so much love and felt like it was my home,” he said. “It was one of the toughest decisions I ever made. So I hope the goodbye is always also in a good timing you know. But I think it’s the right time to make this decision.” Son was asked in Korean on his future playing plans, and he replied: ’I don’t think I have an answer yet.”

He also confirmed in Korean that he would play for South Korea at the World Cup next year in North America.

In May, Son finally won his first title in Europe as Tottenham defeated Manchester United in the Europa League final.

“I felt the pressure. I wanted it so badly,” Son said after that match. “The last seven days, I was dreaming about this game every single day. It finally happened, and I can sleep easy now.”

The 33-year-old Son has been one of the biggest stars of the Premier League, scoring 173 goals in 454 competitive appearances for Tottenham. He was made captain in 2023 by former head coach Ange Postecoglou and helped the club lift its Europa League title, a first trophy since 2008.

Son added that the team’s recent success was a factor: “ Winning the Europa League made me feel I had achieved everything I could here. I need a new environment for a fresh challenge.”

Son has been heavily linked with a move to the United States and there is reported interest from Saudi Arabian clubs.

Thomas Frank succeeded Postecoglou in June and the Danish coach paid tribute to Son on Saturday.

“He is truly a Spurs legend in every aspect,” Frank said. “One of the best players to ever play in the Premier League, in my opinion, as a winger. I think it is probably the perfect timing, going out on a high.”

Later in the media conference, Son reiterated that he has not decided on where he will play next. But he said next year’s World Cup was his priority for his home country.

“I don’t think I have an answer yet,” he said of his future playing choices. “I think I can share more about my future after tomorrow’s game once things become more certain.

“My most important priority right now is the World Cup. It’s likely to be my last World Cup and I want to give everything I have in that environment … I want to be able to play football happily, which I think will play the biggest role in my future decision-making. I am still trying to organise my thoughts around that.”

Felix Yupenda depends entirely on his harvests to sustain his family. He is a local farmer in Wukari, Taraba State, North East Nigeria, who grew up on the farm and has worked there for over 30 years.

“I learnt how to cultivate yam and cassava from my father, but I also supplement it with other crops like rice, beans, and Guinea corn,” he told HumAngle.

He had planted yam seedlings weeks ago, taking advantage of the moist soil left behind by an early rainfall. But since then, the rains have ceased, and he is worried that his seedlings might rot in the hardened earth. He is also concerned about the other supplementary crops like maize and beans, which are beginning to dry up. 

“Scientists say we won’t have rain in the coming days, and we are currently seeing the signs, but everything is in God’s hands. We are still praying,” Felix moped. 

He noted that in situations like this, farmers only hope and pray for divine intervention, as rainfall is a natural phenomenon beyond their control. But he is anxious. 

“If the rain doesn’t come, then I’m finished, I don’t have any other job that will sustain my wife and kids aside from farming.” 

Dry skies 

Taraba is undergoing a flash drought, as the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) predicts a cessation of rainfall lasting more than 21 days from mid-July. Catastrophic rainfall is anticipated by the end of August. The state is experiencing erratic rainfall, with dry spells of up to five days after each rain episode in Jalingo, the state capital, and surrounding areas.

Fidelis Nashuka, the Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics at the Taraba State Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, told HumAngle that drought is becoming a recurring issue. He noted that Taraba experienced a severe episode last year despite not being traditionally classified as drought-prone.

“Last year’s drought affected crop production, and many farmers lost their crops to it,” he said. 

While the state is experiencing signs like erratic rainfall, Fidelis hopes the aftermath will not be as severe as last year. He said the signal, though devastating, might be a good sign for residents, especially farmers, to start working towards mitigating the drought. 

“This is July. We are expected to have full rainfall at its peak across all the states, but we are experiencing variations in different areas, which is a matter of concern, and if care is not taken, the rains may cease while our crops are yet to mature,” he added. 

He stated that the most at-risk communities are in northern Taraba, especially those bordering Adamawa and Gombe states. He explained that these areas are facing a significant reduction in rainfall compared to Taraba’s southern and central areas. The affected areas include Zing, Yorro, Lau, Karim Lamido, and others. 

HumAngle interviewed Ephraim Tor, a farmer from the Bali Local Government Area. He expressed concern that his community is currently facing drought and, like many other farmers, is anxious about the future. “Last year, my maize dried up, and I got almost nothing,” he said.

Ephraim added that rice farmers in Bali were struck the hardest, and while the skies remain dry, many are growing anxious. “We are just waiting for God to give us rain because there is nothing we can do,” the local farmer complained. 

Fidelis noted that areas previously receiving consistent rainfall for five to six months each year have recently experienced a decline. This reduction now affects the southern parts of Taraba and the central area, where noticeable changes in rainfall patterns are observed. The environmental researcher explained that the drought is beginning to impact food production and trade, as buyers from neighbouring states may stop coming due to decreasing harvests.

On the edge

Abdullahi Sanda, a large-scale commercial farmer from the Lau LGA, seemed anxious while speaking to HumAngle. The cessation of rainfall had caused him many sleepless nights due to the distressing experiences he faced last year. 

He cultivates maize and rice but primarily focuses on large-scale rice farming. He stores the harvested rice and sells it to traders and businesspeople from Kano and other states. With his extensive land, Abdullahi typically harvests over 200 bags of rice at the end of each farming season, but last year was quite different.

“Since my years of farming in this region, I’ve never experienced drought until last year. They said it is climate change,” Abdullahi said. 

In 2024, it was reported that farmers across several LGAs in Taraba lost crops worth millions after rainfall ceased for weeks. 

“Last year, after planting, we sprayed pesticides, which we normally do as a form of weeding in July. This pesticide requires moisture to take effect, but then, the weeds didn’t die because there was no rain,” he recounted. “The rice farm dried up to the extent that one matchstick, if lit up, can set it ablaze. After spending a lot of money on the pesticides, we realised that even if we buy another one, it won’t work because there was no moisture, so we hired people to weed it manually.”

Manual weeding cost Abdullahi over ₦500,000 due to his farm size.

“We didn’t budget for that expense, but sometimes you must take risks. The manual weeding was beneficial, but the rains returned late,” he sighed. He explained that when a bag of rice is planted, it should yield at least 30 to 35 bags. Despite planting around 10 bags last year, which was expected to produce about 300 bags, he ultimately harvested only 194 bags. “It was a massive loss. I have another small farm, and I planted rice there, but the rice didn’t even germinate.”

Despite recording a low harvest, Abdullahi was lucky. Many rice farmers cleared their farms, planted rice, and waited for it to germinate, but due to a lack of rainfall, it didn’t germinate, he said, expressing fear over signs of drought in his region because of the short and irregular rainfall.

“This year, I bought about ₦183 000 worth of weed pesticides sprayed across the rice farm, but there was no rain. So yesterday, I bought another batch worth ₦65,000 and I’m waiting for the rain to come before I spray it because the pesticide requires moisture and I can’t afford to make another loss.”

If another drought hits this year, the farmer said he would be forced into debt like other farmers in Wukari. They had planted yams, groundnut, and rice, but didn’t reap anything when the rain ceased last year. Everything came to a standstill. The groundnuts dried up, and the yam seedlings withered.

To recover from the loss, farmers in his area had to sell the little crops they harvested at a cheaper rate because they were in dire need of money to clear debts and make ends meet. The crash in the prices of farm produce was a huge loss to farmers. For instance, a measure of maize usually sold for ₦700 was now sold for ₦400 because the farmers needed the cash.

Something similar might happen this year, Fidelis warned.

Not a drought-prone state

The drought situation in Taraba is attributed to climate change and human factors like deforestation. From 2018 to 2023, massive deforestation occurred in Taraba, which is now affecting the state’s climatic conditions. Gembu, a town known as one of the coldest places in Nigeria, is experiencing a sharp temperature increase.

“Till today, we are experiencing an increase in deforestation, even though the government is trying its best. We see people from outside Taraba coming into the state to cut down trees and produce charcoal,” Fidelis stated, adding that the state has a law prohibiting the felling of trees under 15 years old. “They cut down trees below 10 years and economic trees, and now, we are seeing the effects.”

Ephraim pleads with the government to provide farmers with subsidised fertilisers to help cushion the adversity. However, Fidelis observed that the government is doing its best to create awareness of building community resilience and mitigation strategies for adapting to changes in weather conditions. He urged local communities to grasp the effects of climate change on agricultural areas and how they can contribute to mitigating its impact.

“The gap is that more trees are being felled and planting is not in the same ratio with the rate of cutting, so if this kind of scenario continues, our weather will keep changing,” Fidelis stressed. 

To withstand the looming drought, he called on farmers nationwide to opt for seedlings that can mature quickly if planted. He said those who grow crops that require a longer time to mature are at a disadvantage. For those into rice farming, which requires adequate rainfall, Fidelis advised that they opt for specific seedlings that don’t need much water. He charged the media and civil society organisations to do more to create awareness of climate change and the relevance of tree planting.

While hoping the drought forecast doesn’t materialise despite its signs, Felix is looking forward to making something out of his yam farm for consumption, if not for commercial purposes. 

“Right now, my main concern is what my family will eat because education and clothing have become a luxury,” he said. 

Abdullahi said he has no choice but to invest in strategies to withstand the drought since it is gradually forming a pattern. Some methods involve digging boreholes around the farm and using solar panels to power water machines to supply the farm with water. Abdullahi is willing to adapt this technique, even though it is expensive. 

 “I just pray we don’t experience much loss this year,” he said. 

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has said she no longer identifies as Nigerian and has not renewed her passport since the early 2000s.

Badenoch, who was born in the UK, grew up in both Nigeria and the US. She returned to England aged 16 because of Nigeria’s worsening political and economic climate, as well as to continue her education.

Speaking on former MP and television presenter Gyles Brandreth’s Rosebud podcast, she said she was “Nigerian through ancestry” but “by identity, I’m not really”.

Last year, Badenoch faced criticism from Nigeria’s vice-president, who said she had “denigrated” the West African country.

Badenoch, who previously lived in Lagos, spoke at length about her upbringing on the podcast.

“I know the country very well, I have a lot of family there, and I’m very interested in what happens there,” she said. “But home is where my now family is.”

On not renewing her passport, she said: “I don’t identify with it anymore. Most of my life has been in the UK and I’ve just never felt the need to.”

She added: “I’m Nigerian through ancestry, by birth, despite not being born there because of my parents… but by identity, I’m not really.”

Badenoch said that when she had visited the country when her father died, she had to get a visa, which was “a big fandango”.

She said her early experiences in Nigeria shaped her political outlook, including “why I don’t like socialism”.

As a child, “I remember never quite feeling that I belonged there”, she went on, adding that she recalled “coming back to the UK in 1996 thinking: this is home”.

The Tory leader added the reason she returned to the UK was “a very sad one”.

“It was that my parents thought: ‘There is no future for you in this country’.”

She said she had not experienced racial prejudice in the UK “in any meaningful form”, adding: “I knew I was going to a place where I would look different to everybody, and I didn’t think that that was odd.

“What I found actually quite interesting was that people didn’t treat me differently, and it’s why I’m so quick to defend the UK whenever there are accusations of racism.”

At the end of last year, Badenoch was criticised for saying she had grown up in fear and insecurity in Nigeria at a time it was plagued by corruption.

The country’s vice-president Kashim Shettima responded that his government was “proud” of Badenoch “in spite of her efforts at denigrating her nation of origin”. A spokesperson for Badenoch rebuffed the criticism.

Zoe Harrison, in competition with Holly Aitchison, has a chance to cement her spot at 10. Lucy Packer, England’s starting nine in their World Cup final defeat by New Zealand three years ago, is trying to unseat Natasha Hunt.

In the front-row, there is Springbok-style strength in depth, with hooker May Campbell, joint-top try scorer in the PWR last season, Hannah Botterman and Maud Muir as the back-up to Kelsey Clifford, Lark Atkin-Davies and Sarah Bern.

There is intrigue on the wing as Jess Breach attempts to edge ahead of Claudia Moloney-McDonald and Helena Rowland, a sublimely skilled footballer still searching for a secure backline spot, and try her hand out wide.

Centre Jade Shekells will attempt to barge into the midfield equation as she wins her third cap. Emma Sing has been excellent for Gloucester-Hartpury, but has the hardest task of all, keeping World Player of the Year Ellie Kildunne’s full-back spot warm.

And in the background, for all of them, is the clock.

The canapes and tickertape have barely been cleared away from football’s celebrations, but a baton has been passed. England will play France next weekend in their final warm-up and then the rehearsals are over.

A Rugby World Cup opener against the United States awaits on 22 August.

Marlie Packer, who captains the side against Spain, is setting her sights high.

She has won the World Cup before.

Back in 2014, England’s women footballers, preparing for a qualifier against Wales, came off the training pitch and sat down to cheer Packer and her team-mates – all amateurs – to a final win over Canada.

This time though a Red Roses victory, on home turf, as professionals, at a sold-out Allianz Stadium, would be many magnitudes bigger.

“It is our turn now, let’s go and do it,” said Packer.

“Like how the footballers have inspired us, we want to inspire them and the nation.

“We can define the way women’s rugby is looked at by the way we play and how we want to be.”

Spain is where England iron out the small details needed to realise that big ambition.

Protesters have gathered on the streets of Brazil to denounce United States President Donald Trump for the steep tariffs he imposed on the country’s exports.

The demonstrations on Friday erupted in cities like Sao Paulo and Brasilia, as residents voiced their anger on the first day of Trump’s latest tariff campaign.

Brazil is slated to see some of the highest US tariffs in the world.

Last month, on July 9, Trump announced he planned to hike the import tax on Brazilian products to 50 percent, in response to a list of political complaints, chief among them the prosecution of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

A far-right leader and former army captain who served as president from 2019 to 2023, Bolsonaro faces trial for allegedly attempting to orchestrate a coup d’etat against his successor, current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

A federal police investigation culminated in a 2024 report that suggested Bolsonaro and his allies sought to undermine the results of the 2022 election, which he narrowly lost to Lula.

Among the possibilities they reportedly considered was declaring a “state of siege” to suspend civil liberties and force the military to intervene. That, in turn, would pave the way for new elections.

Another idea that was allegedly floated was to poison Lula and shoot Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who had denounced Bolsonaro for spreading false information about the 2022 election process.

De Moraes ultimately oversaw the investigation into Bolsonaro’s alleged coup attempt, making him a prominent target for Bolsonaro’s supporters.

Trump counts himself among them. In his July 9 letter announcing the tariffs, he drew a line from his tariff hike to Brazil’s treatment of Bolsonaro, alleging that the prosecution was politically motivated.

“The way that Brazil has treated former President Bolsonaro, a Highly Respected Leader throughout the World during his Term, including by the United States, is an international disgrace,” Trump wrote.

“This trial should not be taking place. It is a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!”

Trump also accused the Brazilian Supreme Court of censoring right-wing voices and launching “insidious attacks on Free Elections”. Trump himself has been accused of seeking to undermine the results of the US’s 2020 election, which he lost to Joe Biden.

To defend Bolsonaro, Trump has gone so far as to sanction de Moraes, freezing his US-based assets and revoking his visa.

But critics have accused Trump of seeking to interfere with Brazil’s judicial process. Some have described the tariff hike and the sanctions against de Moraes as a pressure campaign to force Brazilian prosecutors to drop the case against Bolsonaro.

On the streets of Sao Paulo on Friday, protesters burned a pair of effigies — one representing Trump, the other Bolsonaro, positioned together in an embrace. Placards waved, some featuring Trump with devil horns protruding from his forehead and cartoons of de Moraes flicking Trump his middle finger.

A banner, meanwhile, featured the slogan: “Sovereignty is not negotiable.” Brazilian flags abounded on signs and T-shirts.

De Moraes himself issued a statement, saying Trump’s sanctions would not interfere with his duties. “This rapporteur will ignore the sanctions applied to him and continue working as he has been doing.”

The US president has hurled insults at Fed Chair Jerome Powell, renewing calls for the Federal Reserve to slash interest rates.

Washington, DC – United States President Donald Trump has called on the Federal Reserve board to wrest control of the central bank from Chairman Jerome Powell and lower interest rates.

In a series of social media posts on Friday, Trump — who has called for lowering interest rates for months — escalated his attacks on Powell, suggesting that the central bank chief should be stripped of his powers.

“Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell, a stubborn MORON, must substantially lower interest rates, NOW,” Trump wrote.

“IF HE CONTINUES TO REFUSE, THE BOARD SHOULD ASSUME CONTROL, AND DO WHAT EVERYONE KNOWS HAS TO BE DONE!”

Trump later added that Powell “should also be put ‘out to pasture’.”

Earlier this week, Powell announced that interest rates would remain steady at 4.25 to 4.5 percent.

The central bank’s rates indirectly set the rates for private lending across the country.

When the Federal Reserve, known as the Fed, sees the need to accelerate economic activity, it cuts interest rates to lower the cost of borrowing and pump money into the economy.

Conversely, when prices rise too rapidly, the Fed raises interest rates to bring the cost of living under control.

The central bank operates independently of political officials.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, interest rates plummeted to prevent a prolonged recession during the lockdown.

But as supply-chain disruption and an abundance of money in the economy sparked an inflation crisis in 2022, the Fed hiked interest rates to levels not seen since the 2008 Great Recession.

An advocate for greater investments in the US economy, Trump has been arguing that inflation is now at sustainable levels, so there is no need for interest rates to remain high.

Over the past year, the central bank slashed interest rates by about 1 percent, but Trump has been demanding more aggressive cuts.

On Wednesday, Powell cited a risk of inflation linked to Trump’s trade policies as the reason behind his decision not to drop interest rates.

“Higher tariffs have begun to show through more clearly to prices of some goods, but their overall effects on economic activity and inflation remain to be seen,” he told reporters.

Earlier this month, a government report showed that consumer prices rose by 0.3 percent from May to June, compared with 0.1 percent the previous month, as Trump’s tariffs started to set in.

Powell did not rule out that the uptick in prices could be “short-lived”, but he also warned that it may become persistent, arguing for a cautious approach while monitoring inflation.

“For the time being, we’re well positioned to learn more about the likely course of the economy and the evolving balance of risks before adjusting our policy stance,” he said. “We see our current policy stance as appropriate to guard against inflation risks.”

The decision proved controversial, with the Fed board seeing rare dissent from two members, both Trump appointees, who publicly argued for more rate cuts.

On Friday, Trump warned Powell that the dissent “WILL ONLY GET STRONGER“.

Trump also applauded the news that Federal Reserve board member Adriana Kugler, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, would step down on August 8, giving him a new vacancy to fill.

“Too Little, Too Late,” the US president wrote on Friday. “Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell is a disaster. DROP THE RATE! The good news is that Tariffs are bringing Billions of Dollars into the USA!”

Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral for 40-year-old Khamis Ayyad, who died from smoke inhalation after an Israeli settler arson attack in the occupied West Bank. His death follows a surge in settler violence this year.

The White House has launched an aggressive public relations campaign promoting a narrative of economic strength during the first six months of United States President Donald Trump, with claims of his policies fueling “America’s golden age”.

But an Al Jazeera analysis of economic data shows the reality is more mixed.

Trump’s claims of his policies boosting the US economy suffered a blow on Friday when the latest jobs report revealed that the country had added a mere 73,000 jobs last month, well below the 115,000 forecasters had expected. The only additions were in the healthcare sector, which added 55,000 jobs, and the social services sector added 18,000.

US employers also cut 62,075 jobs in July — up 29 percent from cuts in the month before, and 140 percent higher than this time last year, according to the firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas, which tracks monthly job cuts. Government, tech, and retail sectors are the industries that saw the biggest declines so far this year.

It comes as this month’s jobs and labour turnover report showed an economic slowdown. There were 7.4 million open jobs in the US, down from 7.7 million a month before.

The Department of Labour on Friday released downward revisions to both the May and June jobs reports, significantly changing the picture the White House had previously painted.

“For the FOURTH month in a row, jobs numbers have beat market expectations with nearly 150,000 good jobs created in June,” the White House said in a July 3 release following the initial June report.

The Labor Department had reported an addition of 147,000 jobs in June. On Friday, it sharply revised down that number to just 14,000. May’s report also saw a big downgrade from 144,000 to only 19,000 jobs gained. Trump has since fired the head of the agency that produces the monthly jobs data, alleging that the data had been manipulated to make him look bad.

Even before the revisions, June’s report was the first to reflect early signs of economic strain tied to the administration’s tariff threats, as it revealed that job growth was concentrated in areas such as state and local government and healthcare. Sectors more exposed to trade policy – including construction, wholesale trade, and manufacturing – were flat. Meanwhile, leisure and hospitality showed weak growth, even in peak summer, reflecting falling travel demand both at home and abroad.

The administration also claimed that native-born workers accounted for all job gains since January. That assertion is misleading as it implies that no naturalised citizens or legally present foreign workers gained employment.

However, it is true that employment among foreign-born workers has declined – by over half a million jobs – claims that native-born workers are replacing foreign-born labour, are not supported by the jobs data.

Jobs lost in sectors with high foreign-born employment, including tech, have been abundant, driven by tariffs and automation, particularly AI. In fact, recent layoffs in tech have been explicitly attributed to AI advancements, not labour displacement by other groups.

Companies including Recruit Holdings — the parent company of Indeed and Glassdoor, Axel Springer, IBM, Duolingo and others have already made headcount reductions directly attributed to AI advancements.

Wage growth

The pace of rise of wage growth, an indicator of economic success, has slowed in recent months. That is partly due to the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates steady in hopes of keeping inflation stable.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, wages have been outpacing inflation since 2023, after a period of declining real wages following the COVID pandemic.

Wage growth ticked up by 0.3 percent in July from a month prior. Compared with this time last year, wage growth is 3.9 percent, according to Friday’s Labor Department jobs report.

Earlier this year, the White House painted a picture that wage growth differed between the era of former President Joe Biden and now under Trump because of policy.

“Blue-collar workers have seen real wages grow almost two percent in the first five months of President Trump’s second term — a stark contrast from the negative wage growth seen during the first five months of the Biden Administration,” the White House said in a release.

However, Biden and Trump inherited two very different economies when they took office. Biden has to deal with a massive global economic downturn driven by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump, on the other hand, during his second term, inherited “unquestionably the strongest economy” in more than two decades, per the Economic Policy Institute, particularly because of the US economy’s rebound compared with peer nations.

Inflation

Inflation peaked in mid-2022 during Biden’s term at 9 percent, before falling steadily because of the Federal Reserve’s efforts to manage a soft landing.

A July 21 White House statement claimed, “Since President Trump took office, core inflation has tracked at just 2.1 percent.” On Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessett said “inflation is cooling” in a post on X.

However, the Consumer Price Index report, which tracks core inflation – a measure that excludes the price of volatile items such as food and energy – was 2.9 percent in the most recent report and overall inflation was at 2.7 percent in June.

Prices

The most recent Consumer Price Index report, published July 15, shows that on a monthly basis, prices on all goods went up in June by 0.3 ,percent which is 2.7 percent higher from this time last year.

Grocery prices in particular are up 2.4 percent from this time last year and 0.3 percent from the prior month. The cost of fruits and vegetables went up 0.9 percent, the price of coffee increased by 2.2 percent and the cost of beef went up 2 percent.

New pending tariffs on Brazil, as Al Jazeera previously reported, could further drive up the cost of beef in the months to come.

Trump has pointed to falling egg prices in particular as evidence of economic success, after Democrats attacked his administration over their price in March. He has even gone so far as to claim that prices are down by 400 percent. That figure is mathematically impossible – a 100 percent decrease would mean eggs are free.

During the first few months of Trump’s term egg prices surged, and then dropped due to an outbreak of, and then recovery from, a severe avian flue outbreak, which had been hindering supply – not because of any specific policy intervention.

In January, when Trump took office egg prices were $4.95 per dozen as supply was constrained by the virus. By March, the average egg price was $6.23.  But outbreak and high prices drove away consumers, allowing farmers with healthier flocks to catch up on the supply side. As a result, prices fell to an average of $3.38. That would be a 32 percent drop since the beginning of his term and a 46 percent drop from their peak price – far from the 400 percent Trump claimed.

Trump also recently said petrol prices are at $1.98 per gallon ($0.52 per litre) in some states. He doubled down on that again on Wednesday. That is untrue. There is not a single state that has those petrol prices.

According to Gasbuddy, a platform that helps consumers find the lowest prices on petrol, Mississippi at $2.70 a gallon ($0.71 per litre) has the cheapest gas, and the cheapest petrol station in that state is currently selling gas at $2.37 ($0.62 per litre).

AAA, which tracks the average petrol price, has it at $3.15 per gallon ($0.83 per litre) nationwide, this is up from the end of January when it was $3.11 ($0.82 per litre).

While petrol prices have gone down since Trump took office, they are nowhere close to the rate he has continually suggested. In July 2024, for instance, the average price for a gallon of petrol nationwide was $3.50 ($0.93 per litre).

GDP

On Wednesday, the White House said that “President Trump has reduced America’s reliance on foreign products, boosted investment in the US”, citing the positive GDP data that had come out that morning.

That is misleading. While the US economy grew at a 3 percent annualised rate in the second quarter, surpassing expectations, that was a combination of a rebound after a weak first quarter, a drop in imports – which boosted GDP, and a modest rise in consumer spending.

The data beneath the headline showed that private sector investment fell sharply by 15.6 percent and inventories of goods and services declined by 3.2 percent, indicating a slowdown.

Manufacturing

The administration recently highlighted gains in industrial production, pointing to a boost in domestic manufacturing. Overall, there was a 0.3 percent increase in US industrial production in June. That was after stagnating for two months.

There have been isolated gains, such as increases in aerospace and petroleum-related sectors—1.6 percent and 2.9 percent, respectively.

But production of durable goods — items that are not necessarily for immediate consumption— remained flat, and auto manufacturing fell by 2.6 percent last month as tariffs dampened demand. Mining output also decreased by 0.3 percent.

According to the Department of Commerce’s gross domestic product report, manufacturing growth among non-durable goods has slowed. While there was a 1.3 percent increase, that’s a decline from 2.3 percent in the previous quarter.

This could change in the future, as several companies across a range of sectors have pledged to increase US production, including carmaker Hyundai and pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, which just pledged a $50bn investment over the next five years.

Trade deals and tariffs

In April, the White House replaced country-specific tariffs with a 10-percent blanket tariff while maintaining additional levies on steel, cars, and some other items. It then promised to deliver “90 trade deals in 90 days.” That benchmark was not met. By the deadline, only one loosely fleshed out deal — with the United Kingdom — had been announced. As of 113 days later, the US has announced comparable deals with just a handful more countries and the European Union. The EU deal still needs parliamentary approval.

Contrary to the administration’s claims, tariffs do not pressure foreign exporters — they are paid by US importers and ultimately are likely to be passed on to US consumers. Companies, including big box retailer Walmart and toymaker Mattel, have announced price hikes as a direct result. Ford, for example, raised prices on three Mexico-assembled models due to tariff pressures.

To protect their own economies, many countries have pivoted their trade policies away from the US. Brazil and Mexico recently announced a new trade pact.

The White House and its allies continue to defend tariffs by highlighting the increased revenue they bring to the federal government, which is true. Since Trump took office, the US has brought in more than $100bn in revenue, compared with $77bn in the entire fiscal year 2024. The price of imports for consumers has only risen about 3 percent, but many expect that will change as the import taxes are passed on to consumers.

The White House did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.

The family of a United States citizen who was killed in a settler attack in the occupied West Bank is calling on the administration of President Donald Trump to open its own investigation into the incident.

Relatives of Khamis Ayyad, 40, who died in the town of Silwad, north of Ramallah, on Thursday, confirmed on Friday that he was an American citizen and called for justice in the case.

Ayyad — a father of five and a former Chicago resident — was the second US citizen to be killed in the West Bank in July. Earlier that month, Israeli settlers beat 20-year-old Sayfollah Musallet to death in Sinjil, a town that neighbours Silwad.

Standing alongside Ayyad’s relatives, William Asfour, the operations coordinator for the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), described the killing as “murder”.

“We demand a full investigation from the Department of Justice,” Asfour said. “An American citizen was killed. Where’s the accountability?”

According to Mahmoud Issa, the slain 40-year-old’s cousin, settlers torched cars outside Ayyad’s home around dawn on Thursday.

Ayyad woke up to put out the fire, but then the Israeli army showed up at the scene and started firing tear gas in his direction.

The family believes that Ayyad died from inhaling tear gas and smoke from the burning vehicles.

‘How many more?’

Settler attacks against Palestinian communities in the West Bank, which US officials have described as “terrorism”, have been escalating for months, particularly since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023.

The Israeli residents of illegal settlements have descended on Palestinian communities, ransacked neighbourhoods and set cars and homes ablaze.

The settlers, protected by the Israeli military, are often armed and fire at will against Palestinians who try to stop them.

The Israeli military has also been intensifying its deadly raids, home demolitions and displacement campaigns in the West Bank.

Just this past month, Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, approved a non-binding motion to annex the West Bank.

And on Thursday, two top Israeli ministers, Yariv Levin and Israel Katz, called the present circumstances “a moment of opportunity” to assert “Israeli sovereignty” over the area.

Meanwhile, Israel continues to carry out a brutal assault in Gaza, which rights groups have said amounts to a genocide.

CAIR-Chicago’s Asfour stressed on Friday that Ayyad’s killing is not an isolated incident.

“Another American was killed in the West Bank just weeks ago,” he said, referring to Musallet.

“How many more before the US takes action to protect its citizens abroad? Settlers burn homes, soldiers back them up, and our government sends billions to fund all of this.”

The US Department of State did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment by the time of publication.

No arrests in Musallet’s case

Last month, Musallet’s family also urged a US investigation into his killing.

But Washington has resisted calls to probe Israel’s abuses against American citizens, arguing that Israeli authorities are best equipped to investigate their own military forces and settlers.

Mike Huckabee, US ambassador to Israel, called on Israel to “aggressively investigate the murder” of Musallet in July.

“There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act,” he wrote in a social media post.

But more than 21 days after the incident, there has been no arrest in the case. Since 2022, Israeli soldiers and settlers have killed at least 10 US citizens. None of the cases have resulted in criminal charges.

Ayyad was killed as Israeli forces continue to detain US teenager Mohammed Ibrahim without trial or access to his family.

Mohammed, 16, has been jailed since February, and his family says it has received reports that he is drastically losing weight and suffering from a skin infection.

On Friday, Illinois State Representative Abdelnasser Rashid called Ayyad’s death part of an “ugly pattern of settler colonial violence” in Palestine.

He called for repealing an Illinois state law that penalises boycotts of Israeli firms.

“We need action. Here in Illinois, we have a law that punishes companies that choose to do the right thing by boycotting Israel,” Rashid told reporters.

“This shameful state law helps shield Israel’s violence and brutality from consequences.”

There may well be a few sighs of relief from senior finance company and banking executives following the Supreme Court’s ruling, but it is unlikely you will hear the champagne corks popping.

The verdict does almost certainly reduce the potential compensation bill significantly.

Lenders no longer face the prospect of having to pay £30bn to £40bn to aggrieved car buyers. The likelihood of the government stepping in also appears to have receded dramatically.

Nevertheless, the industry is not off the hook. The Financial Conduct Authority may still open a redress scheme for cases where dealers had a financial incentive from lenders to ramp up interest rates on loans as much as possible.

The Supreme Court’s ruling also upheld one consumer claim, in which the commission payments were deemed unfair – and that could provide a template for others to follow. All of this means the compensation bill could still be in the billions.

The Supreme Court’s intervention has been eagerly awaited since October, when the Appeal Court issued a verdict in three test cases which could have triggered an avalanche of compensation claims.

In each case, people who had bought cars on finance claimed they were partially or wholly unaware that the deal had involved a commission payment being made by the lender to the car dealer. They claimed that in law the commissions amounted to bribes, or secret payments.

The Appeal Court judges agreed, essentially saying that commission payments made by a finance company to a dealer for arranging a car loan were illegal if the car buyer had not given his or her “informed consent”.

They also concluded that a car dealer had a “fiduciary duty” towards the car buyer when it came to arranging a car loan. In other words, the dealer should set his or her own interests aside, and act purely on the customer’s behalf.

This meant that millions of car buyers could potentially claim compensation – if they could show that the dealer had not specified what commission payments they were receiving for lining up a finance deal. It was not enough for the details to be buried in small print.

Lenders had feared that this would lead to an avalanche of claims against them – and that the same arguments could be used to challenge other kinds of consumer finance agreements as well, potentially increasing the compensation bill still further.

But the Supreme Court threw very cold water over those arguments. The President of the Court, Lord Reed, dismissed the idea that car dealers had a “single minded duty of loyalty” to their customers, and insisted they “plainly and properly” had personal interests in the finance agreements they were involved in.

The ruling clearly blocks off what could have been a very wide avenue for compensation claims.

However, the court did side with one of the claimants. In the case of Marcus Johnson, a factory worker, it decided that the finance agreement was “unfair” under the terms of the Consumer Credit Act.

This was because the size of the commission payment was very large, and because Mr Johnson had been misled about the relationship between the dealer and the lender. He was, they said, entitled to compensation.

Analysts say this could open the doors for other cases in which the commission payments are seen to be egregious.

There is also a key question the Supreme Court ruling does not answer. This is what should happen in cases involving so-called Discretionary Commission Agreements (DCAs). These were finance deals in which the car dealer could set the interest rate of a loan, within a set scale. The higher the rate, the more commission they would be paid – and the customer would be unaware of the fact.

The Financial Conduct Authority banned such deals in 2021. It is now considering whether to launch a redress scheme for consumers who were affected by them. If it goes ahead, millions of car buyers could still have a claim, though it is not clear how much compensation they would get.

According to Richard Barnwell, a financial services advisory partner at accountancy firm BDO, the bill could still be substantial.

“We believe there is still a potential for redress, for example, if discretionary commission arrangements are deemed to be an unfair relationship, redress could still be from to £5bn to £13bn or more,” he said.

Other analysts agree. According to Martin Lewis, who runs the MoneySavingExpert website, “the Supreme Court has certainly narrowed the number of people who will be able to reclaim car finance. I think you’re probably talking the lower end of £10bn, as opposed to £40bn.”

That £10bn would still be a significant figure. But the finance industry appears to have avoided the potential free-for-all rush to claim compensation the earlier verdict had threatened to spark off.

And while the Treasury says it will “work with regulators and industry to understand the impact for both firms and consumers”, the BBC understands that the likelihood of the government intervening with retrospective legislation to protect financial firms has now diminished significantly.

Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj took four wickets each as India fought back in the fifth and deciding Test against England at the Oval on Friday.

India roared back into contention on an exhilarating day two of the final Test on Friday as their seamers restricted England to a 23-run lead after the hosts had threatened to run away with a match that the tourists need to win to square the series.

After mopping up India’s brittle tail in less than 30 minutes in the morning, openers Zac Crawley and Ben Duckett raced to 92-0 in 12 overs in a blistering return of Bazball.

However, continuing the back-and-forth theme of the entire series, India responded as their bowlers ran in relentlessly to peg England back to 247. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal then scored quickly in a potentially awkward last 90 minutes, ending unbeaten on 51 with India closing on 75-2, 52 runs ahead to leave the pivotal match fascinatingly poised.

Another fabulously undulating day began with India resuming at 204-6, but soon skittled for 224 as pace bowler Gus Atkinson took five wickets in his first Test since May.

It was an all-too-familiar collapse by the tourists this summer as Karun Nair fell lbw for 57 and Washington Sundar was caught for 26. Atkinson then bowled Mohammed Siraj and had Prasidh Krishna caught behind, both for ducks, to finish with 5-33.

England set about their reply in their usual, swashbuckling fashion, exemplified by Duckett’s extraordinary “reverse hook” for six off Akash Deep.

They reached 50 in seven overs – the fastest 50 opening partnership England have ever managed in a Test – but fell just short of the 100 as Duckett was caught behind reversing for 43.

They were 109-1 at lunch, and England looked poised to take command, but India, as they have all summer, refused to buckle as Crawley (64) and Ollie Pope (22) quickly departed.

Joe Root brought his usual calm to proceedings until Siraj nipped one back at him for an lbw on 29, with Jacob Bethell going the same way soon after.

Krishna finished off the session in style by having Jamie Smith brilliantly caught in the slips for eight by KL Rahul, then getting Jamie Overton lbw for nought and followed up with the wicket of Atkinson to finish with 4-62.

Harry Brook had a late flurry either side of a rain delay before becoming Siraj’s fourth victim when bowled for 53 as England, with injured Chris Woakes absent, were all out for 247.

India’s openers quickly erased that and pushed on well beyond, with Jaiswal looking particularly enterprising en route to a quickfire 51 – though he was badly dropped in the deep on 40. Rahul departed tamely for seven off Josh Tongue, and Sai Sudharsan followed, lbw to Atkinson for 11, leaving Deep not out four.

With good weather forecast for Saturday, another Oval full house will turn up in expectation of more fireworks, and what has been one of the most entertaining series for years is still in the balance.

United States President Donald Trump has ordered two nuclear submarines to travel closer to Russia, in his latest tit-for-tat with Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev.

On Friday, Trump posted on his platform Truth Social that the submarine movements came in response to the “highly provocative statements” Medvedev, a former Russian president, made this week.

A day earlier, Medvedev had warned that Trump should be mindful of “how dangerous the fabled ‘Dead Hand’ can be”, a reference to Russia’s Cold War-era nuclear weapons system.

“I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that,” Trump wrote.

“Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances.”

In recent weeks, Trump has been enmeshed in an escalating war of words with Medvedev, who currently serves as the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council under current President Vladimir Putin.

Medvedev and Putin have a close relationship: When Medvedev served as president from 2008 to 2012, Putin was his prime minister. Afterwards, when Putin returned to the presidency, Medvedev served as his prime minister from 2012 to 2020.

But as Trump voices increasing frustration with Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, he has increasingly singled out Medvedev, a noted war hawk, as a target for his anger. Both men have hinted at their countries’ nuclear capabilities, and their public exchanges have grown increasingly tense.

A war of words

In a social media post earlier this week, Trump pivoted from a discussion of trade between India and Russia to an attack on Medvedev for his sabre-rattling remarks.

“I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care,” Trump wrote.

“Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let’s keep it that way, and tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he’s still President, to watch his words. He’s entering very dangerous territory!”

Medvedev, meanwhile, has appeared to relish how his words provoke the US president.

“If some words from the former president of Russia trigger such a nervous reaction from the high-and-mighty president of the United States, then Russia is doing everything right and will continue to proceed along its own path,” Medvedev responded in a post on Telegram.

Medvedev then proceeded to reference the zombie apocalypse series The Walking Dead, in an apparent nod to the devastation Russia has the power to cause.

“And as for the ‘dead economy’ of India and Russia and ‘entering dangerous territory’ — well, let Trump remember his favourite films about the ‘Walking Dead’.”

This week is not the first time Trump and Medvedev have taken their beef online. In late June, the two men likewise sparred and flexed their nuclear arsenals.

“Did I hear Former President Medvedev, from Russia, casually throwing around the ‘N word’ (Nuclear!), and saying that he and other Countries would supply Nuclear Warheads to Iran?” Trump wrote on June 23.

He then pointed to the recent US attack on Iran as an example of how the country might respond to other threats.

“If anyone thinks our ‘hardware’ was great over the weekend, far and away the strongest and best equipment we have, 20 years advanced over the pack, is our Nuclear Submarines,” Trump wrote. “They are the most powerful and lethal weapons ever built.”

He also took a jab at Medvedev’s position under Putin, suggesting that Medvedev’s threats were irresponsible.

“I guess that’s why Putin’s ‘THE BOSS’,” Trump quipped.

Frustrations over Ukraine war

The high-stakes back-and-forth comes as Trump becomes increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress towards peace in Ukraine.

Since February 2022, a slow-grinding war has unfolded in the country, as Ukraine attempts to repel a full-scale invasion from Russia.

Trump entered his second term as president pledging to be a global “peacemaker and unifier”, and his administration has openly advocated for the Republican leader to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

But his efforts to resolve the dispute between Ukraine and Russia have stalled.

Early in his second term, Trump himself faced criticism for appearing to undermine Ukraine’s cause, accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of being a “dictator” and appearing to offer Russia concessions, including annexed Ukrainian territory.

By contrast, Trump initially took a warm approach to Putin, telling Zelenskyy in a fiery Oval Office meeting, “Putin went through a hell of a lot with me.”

But in recent months, that relationship appears to have cooled, with Trump threatening Russia with sanctions as the war grinds on. On July 28, he announced that Russia would have “10 or 12 days” to stop its offensive, or else the economic penalties would take effect.

Then, on Thursday, as Russia shelled the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Trump slammed its continued military action.

“Russia — I think it’s disgusting what they’re doing. I think it’s disgusting,” he said.

But Medvedev has previously described Trump’s deadlines as “theatrical” and said that “Russia didn’t care” about the threats. He also warned that Trump’s aggressive foreign policy stance may backfire with his “America First” base.

“Trump’s playing the ultimatum game with Russia,” Medvedev wrote on the social media platform X earlier this week.

“He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn’t Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country.”

Cambodia demands return of more soldiers held by Thailand as border tensions simmer between the two countries.

Thailand has released two wounded Cambodian soldiers who were captured following intense clashes near a contested border area, as the neighbours prepare for talks next week aimed at maintaining a shaky truce.

The soldiers were returned on Friday through a checkpoint connecting Thailand’s Surin province and Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey, the Cambodian Defence Ministry said.

Their homecoming comes amid continued accusations from both governments over alleged civilian targeting and breaches of international law during a five-day conflict that erupted last week.

Eighteen other Cambodian troops captured during skirmishes on Tuesday, hours after a ceasefire deal was reached, remain in Thai custody.

“The wounded soldiers were returned through a designated border point,” said Maly Socheata, a spokesperson for Cambodia’s Defence Ministry, urging Bangkok to repatriate the remaining captured troops “in accordance with international humanitarian law”.

The two governments have provided starkly contrasting versions of the soldiers’ capture.

Phnom Penh says its troops approached Thai positions with peaceful intentions, offering post-conflict greetings. But Bangkok disputes that account, alleging the Cambodian soldiers crossed into Thai territory with apparent hostility, prompting their detention.

Thai officials say they are adhering to legal protocols while assessing the actions of the remaining soldiers. No timeline has been given for their release.

The ceasefire has done little to ease simmering nationalist anger online, with social media platforms in both countries flooded by patriotic fervour and mutual recriminations.

Meanwhile, both nations have taken foreign diplomats and observers on guided tours of former combat zones. Each side has accused the other of inflicting damage, using the visits to bolster their narratives.

The recent round of violence involved infantry clashes, Cambodian rocket fire, Thai air strikes, and artillery exchanges. The fighting killed more than 30 people, including civilians, and forced more than 260,000 others from their homes.

Under the ceasefire terms, military officials from both countries are due to meet next week in Malaysia to discuss de-escalation measures.

However, these talks will exclude the underlying territorial dispute, which has remained unresolved for decades.

The General Border Committee, which coordinates on border security, ceasefires, and troop deployments, will meet between August 4 and 7, Thai acting Defence Minister Nattaphon Narkphanit told reporters.

“Defence attaches from other ASEAN countries will be invited as well as the defence attaches from the US and China,” a Malaysian government spokesperson told reporters, referring to the Southeast Asian regional bloc that the country currently chairs.

Separately on Friday, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol said Phnom Penh intends to nominate United States President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his role in brokering the ceasefire.

Speaking earlier in the capital, he thanked Trump for “bringing peace” and insisted the US leader deserved the award.

Similar nominations have recently come from Pakistan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, both citing Trump’s interventions in regional disputes.