TOP NEWS

Trump's USA  The future of the Republicans
CNN: Rubio not an unlikely successor to Trump

It's not just the Democrats who are feverishly trying to find the right candidate for the 2028 presidential election - even within the Republicans, things are moving behind the scenes, writes CNN.

As vice president, JD Vance may seem like Trump's heir apparent, but that's not certain, says the channel's political reporter Eric Bradner.

- When I visited Iowa recently, I was surprised by how often Secretary of State Marco Rubio was mentioned in the same breath as Vance.

Unlike Vance, Rubio has run for president before, and thus many Republican voters already have a relationship with him since the 2016 election campaign, according to Bradner.

Another Republican candidate in 2016 was Ted Cruz. He has built a network of donors and is a recognized figure in the party, which could be advantageous if he runs in 2028, Bradner says. 

Russian invasion • The fighting
Think tank: Putin coldly expects the West to tire

Vladimir Putin remains uninterested in peace talks with Ukraine and is not concerned that the Russian troops are advancing at a leisurely pace. This is what the ISW think tank writes after the press conference that the Russian president held with Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko on Friday.

During the press conference, Putin and Lukashenko assured that the countries can handle sanctions from the West. Putin also tried to flex his military muscles by announcing that Russia has started mass production of the newly developed Oreshnik robot.

“It underlined Putin’s strategy, which is that Russia can tire the West out of its support for Ukraine and that it can take all of Ukraine through slow and costly advances.”  

Tariff crisis Trump's tariff policy
"K-beauty" is being hoarded in the US after Trump's tariffs

South Korean beauty products, "K-beauty", have exploded in popularity in the US. They are praised for their quality, affordability and ingredients that are unusual in the West, such as lizard leaves and snail slime.

27-year-old graphic designer Pearl Mak was introduced to K-beauty by her friends, and says they are gentler on her skin than Western products.

- 95 percent of my skincare routine consists of K-beauty, she tells the BBC.

In 2024, Americans spent the equivalent of over 16 billion kronor on K-beauty - 50 percent more than the year before - and now Donald Trump's trade tariffs have caused them to hoard even more.

After the first tariff announcement in April, when South Korea was threatened with 25 percent tariffs, sales increased by 30 percent at the American retailer Santé Brand.

The tariffs were eventually reduced to 15 percent, but consumers continue to hoard for fear of further price increases.