onsdag 2 april 2025

The verdict against Le Pen

Macron breaks silence: “Independent judiciary”

French President Emmanuel Macron has commented for the first time on the verdict against far-right leader Marine Le Pen, reports Le Parisien.

“I would like to recall three simple facts: the judiciary is independent, judges must be protected and respected and all convicted criminals have the right to appeal,” he said during a meeting of the Council of Ministers on Wednesday.

Le Pen was sentenced to four years in prison and a hefty fine for fraud with EU funds, and she is banned from holding public office for five years. She has appealed the verdict, and a final verdict is expected in the summer of 2026.

The judges in the Le Pen case have received death threats

Several of the judges who sentenced French far-right leader Marine Le Pen to prison and fines have received death threats, which are now being investigated by police, sources told France 24.

Death threats that were directed at the judges on a French far-right website before the verdict are being investigated.

In an initial statement about the verdict, President Macron says that judges must be protected and respected, and also states that all convicted criminals have the right to appeal.

Le Pen: Will appeal in every possible way

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen is on the warpath after being sentenced to prison and fines for fraud, AFP reports.

– I will appeal to the European Court of Justice and the Constitutional Council. I will appeal to all the authorities I can, she says.

Yesterday, the Paris Court of Appeal announced that it is aiming for a final ruling in the summer of 2026, well in time for the presidential election in the spring of 2027, where Le Pen is the favorite in the opinion polls. She calls this “good news.”

Trump's USA Tariffs

Here are all the new tariffs that Donald Trump is introducing

Donald Trump has presented a list of the new US import tariffs.

Read the full list below.
New US tariffs

China: 34 percent

EU: 20 percent

Vietnam: 46 percent

Taiwan: 32 percent

Japan: 24 percent

India: 26 percent

South Korea: 25 percent

Thailand: 36 percent

Switzerland: 31 percent

Indonesia: 32 percent

Malaysia: 24 percent

Cambodia: 49 percent

Great Britain: 10 percent

South Africa: 30 percent

Brazil: 10 percent

Bangladesh: 37 percent

Singapore: 10 percent

Israel: 17 percent

Philippines: 17 percent

Chile: 10 percent

Australia: 10 percent

Pakistan: 29 percent

Turkey: 10 percent

Sri Lanka: 44 percent

Colombia: 10 percent

Clear: Car tariffs on 25 percent to be imposed tomorrow

Automotive tariffs of 25 percent will be imposed starting tomorrow, the US government bulletin Federal Register confirms according to Reuters.

As for auto parts, 25 percent tariffs are expected to be imposed no later than May 3.

For a new presidential decision, such as a tariff increase, to be effective, it must be published in the Federal Register so that all agencies use the same information, writes Reuters.

Trump: Introduces reciprocal retaliatory tariffs against countries around the world – 20 percent against the EU

US President Donald Trump will present extensive tariffs against the rest of the world when he gives a speech in the White House Rose Garden on Wednesday evening.

– This is liberation day. April 2, 2025 will forever be remembered as the day when American industry was reborn, he says.

Trump also announced that the US would impose "reciprocal" retaliatory tariffs on the entire world tomorrow. This should lead to jobs and factories returning to the country.

The EU will impose 20 percent tariffs while China's tariff rate will be 34 percent, Trump said as he began listing the retaliatory tariffs. Japan's tariffs will be 24 percent, India 26 percent and Taiwan 32 percent. Britain's will be 10 percent.

According to him, the retaliatory tariffs are based on half the tariff rate that each country already has against the US.

- Trade deficits are no longer just an economic problem. It is a national emergency, Trump justified.

The tariff announcements caused Wall Street to turn down in after-hours trading. 

Reactions to Trump's tariffs
Sudden fall for US stock market futures when Trump announces tariffs

Futures on Wall Street turn down after Donald Trump has presented the reciprocal tariffs – after initially rising. At 22:40, the S&P 500 ETF SPY retreats around 2 percent in after-hours trading. At the same time, the American ten-year also turns below zero after initially rushing.

The dollar first continued to fall sharply and was at its lowest at 9.82 kronor, but has now turned up to 9.92 kronor.

The oil price turns down from 1 percent up to the same amount down.

At the same time, the rise in bitcoin has come to an end.

Donald Trump recalls in the speech that Wall Street rose sharply during his first term, although that has not been the case this time, notes Bloomberg.

– The Nasdaq went up 155 percent, far more than any other president has seen in any term, and I think we will break that record, says the president.

Economists: Tariffs worse than expected – turning back the clock to winter time

Donald Trump's tariffs were more extensive than the outside world expected, Swedbank's chief economist Mattias Persson tells TT.

– I think it was a little worse than the market had expected, he says.

Persson believes that uncertainty in the markets will remain after Wednesday's announcement.

SEB's senior economist Robert Bergqvist also calls Trump's "grim" tariff announcement tougher than expected. "The light in the darkness is that the US is keeping the door open for bilateral negotiations. The coming weeks will determine the economic effects," he writes on X.

In a list of conclusions, the economist writes, among other things, that Trump is turning back the clock to winter time for global trade. Trump is also giving "the ghost of stagflation unnecessary muscle."

Stock futures turned down in after-hours trading after Trump presented his tariffs. At 11:10 p.m., the S&P500 ETF SPY was down 2.5 percent.

Trump's USA First time

Report: Elon Musk will leave his role in the White House soon

Elon Musk will leave his role in the White House in the coming weeks. Donald Trump has told his inner circle, according to three sources to Politico.

According to the sources, Trump is pleased with Musk's efforts, but the two men reportedly agree that it is time for Musk to "return to his activities and take on a supporting role."

Musk's 130-day period as a "special government employee" is coming to an end soon, but many have assumed that Trump would find a way to round it off. One of the sources says that Musk will likely continue to have an informal advisory role.

The billionaire is a polarizing figure within the Trump administration - some applaud his cuts in the state apparatus, while others see him as unpredictable, uncontrolled and politically harmful.

After the data, Tesla's stock reversed from minus six percent to four percent up.
 
White House: Musk to leave when he's done with Doge

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt calls media reports that Elon Musk will soon step down from his White House role “garbage.”

“Elon Musk and President Trump have both publicly stated that Elon will end his tenure as special government employee when his work on Doge is complete,” she writes on X, without giving a specific timeframe.

Musk shares her post and writes: “Yes, fake news.”

According to three sources to Politico, Trump has informed his inner circle that Musk's role in the White House will end in the coming weeks.

The billionaire began his term as “special government employee” on January 20 when Trump took office. By law, he is only allowed to hold the role for 130 days, which means it will end at the end of May.

However, there has been speculation that Trump would find a way around it.

Five points about: Donald Trump’s Liberation Day

Gustaf Tronarp

Updated 14.05 | Published 13.56

Trumps administration väntas införa stora tullar under onsdagen.
Trump’s administration is expected to impose major tariffs on Wednesday. Photo: AP

President Donald Trump has declared Wednesday a “Liberation Day” for the United States.

The administration is expected to impose massive tariffs on a number of countries – but the details are still unknown.

Here are five points about what the world can expect.

1. This is what will happen

Donald Trump  is expected to hold a press conference in the White House Rose Garden on Wednesday. It will be the first of his second term. According to American media, Trump will then present a number of tariffs aimed at making the United States less dependent on foreign goods.

– The package will restore the unfair trade policies that have exploited our country for years, said press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

2. The scope is unclear

Exactly which tariffs will be imposed, and how large they will be, is unknown until the last minute. Donald Trump and his administration have made a variety of statements in recent weeks. What is clear is that the US will impose global trade tariffs on all car imports to the country starting April 3. Trump hopes that this will secure domestic car production. However, the Bloomberg news agency expects that the tariffs will reduce US GDP by 0.3 percent.

3. Why Trump is imposing the tariffs

During the election campaign, Donald Trump promised to strengthen the US economy. He promised that unemployment would decrease and that dormant industries would be revived. And other countries would foot the bill. Tariffs on goods imported from other countries have been highlighted as a key factor in increasing US prosperity and restoring the country's position on the global stage.

4. Risk of trade war

International analysts see major risks with the historic tariff package. It is expected to lead to many Americans losing their jobs while prices in the country increase. Globally, there is a risk of countermeasures from other countries. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said that the Union "will protect its economic interests":

- As I have said before, tariffs are taxes. Bad for companies, worse for consumers in both the US and the EU.

5. How you can be affected

Companies tend to pass on the costs of tariffs to consumers. In short, this means that imported goods become more expensive. Tariffs can also cause inflation to rise, which increases costs for all households. The turbulence has also led to a stock market crash. This affects everyone who saves in shares and funds.

Musk under ett kampanjmöte i veckan.
Politico. Doge.Elon Musk and Donald TrumpElon
          Donald Trump. 
 

US to Greenland: “We will pay you more than Denmark”

Amerikanska konsulatet i Grönlands huvudstad Nuuk.
US Consulate in Greenland’s capital Nuuk. Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen / Ritzau Scanpix

Trump’s team is calculating the cost of taking over Greenland.

The next step is to make the island’s government an offer it can’t refuse.

– We will pay you more than Denmark does, says an American source.

Quick version

         Kan man köpa Grönland?

         Can you buy Greenland?
        1:22

US President Donald Trump is increasing the pressure on Greenland and Denmark. The White House is calculating how much it would cost to control the island and arrange social services for the 57,000 Greenlanders, reports The Washington Post. Denmark currently spends about six billion kronor on social services annually.

- We spend more than that. The point is that "we will pay you more than Denmark does," an informed American source tells the newspaper.

The American calculation also includes an analysis of what processing Greenland's natural resources could bring in.

As recently as Saturday, Donald Trump stated in an interview with the American NBC News that he is "100 percent" sure that the United States will be allowed to take over the island. He did not rule out this time that it might take the form of a military takeover.

When US Vice President JD Vance came to Greenland uninvited and visited a US military base on Friday, he launched a fierce attack:

- Our message to Denmark is simple. You have not done a good job for the people of Greenland.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen - who categorically rejects an American takeover of Greenland - will visit the Danish territory on Wednesday after an invitation from the island's new government.

Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who took office as the new leader of Greenland on Friday, wrote on Facebook on Sunday:

- We must react peacefully, with dignity and in harmony. With these values, we must clearly and calmly show the US president that Greenland is ours.

In January, the American think tank American Action Forum stated that the market value of Greenland's natural resources justifies a purchase price of two trillion kronor, but that the island's strategic value is closer to 30 trillion kronor. 

Thailand the land of twilight (รัฐข้าราชการ...ระบบไทยนิยมดักดาน...เสื่อมโทรมตกต่ำสุดๆจากบนถึงล่าง...)

Thai E-News

 

ดูเพิ่ม -ไชน่า เรลเวย์ No.10” กวาดงานรัฐอื้อ จีนทุนหนา ใช้โมเดล ”ซื้อซอง“ แต่ไม่ ”ยื่นซอง“ เอง ดีลธุรกิจไทยแบบ ”กิจการร่วมค้า“ ต้องบอกว่า ”ยิ่งขุดยิ่งเจอ“ บริษัทจีน สร้างตึกทนแผ่นดินไหวไม่ได้ จนถล่ม ปรากฎเป็นคู่สัญญาราชการไทยหลายโครงการ

ดูเพิ่ม - มีคนถาม “พระเจ้าของนาย ‘นอเดียว’ นี่หน้าเหลี่ยมป่ะครับ” ก็เรื่องบรรจุร่าง กม.คาสิโนเข้าสภาฯ “ด่วนจี๋” นั่นละ

ดูเพิ่ม - การที่คนหมั่นไส้ สตง. มากและรุมยำ สตง. อยู่ตอนนี้ มันมีสาเหตุนะ ลองนึกดูเวลา #สตง มาตรวจพวกคุณ แล้วมาจี้กับใบเสร็จ 50 บาท กับค่าทางด่วน 15 บาท หรือค่าข้าว 70 บาท แล้วบอกว่าพวกคุณทำผิด พวกคุณไม่ทำตามระเบียบ พวกคุณทุจริต แล้วมาดูเวลา สตง. ซื้อของใช้เอง

ดูเพิ่ม -ทำไมมีแต่ทัวร์ข้าราชการและท้องถิ่นไปลง สตง. ?

ดูเพิ่ม -ทวนความจำที่ผ่านมาไม่นาน เคยมี แคมเปญล่ารายชื่อยกเลิกรถประจำตำแหน่ง หยุดเอาภาษีประชาชนไปใช้จ่ายฟุ่มเฟือย 

ดูเพิ่ม -รถประจำตำแหน่ง การปรนเปรอกันเองของกากี่นั้ง