A year on from the ousting of Assad

Image
  Damascus, Syria — “Hold your head high, you’re a free Syrian.” The refrain of this Arabic song—now widely embraced as the unofficial anthem of a new Syria—echoes throughout Damascus. It blares from market loudspeakers, rings out during celebrations in the central square, and is even sung by the man offering traditional coffee to new arrivals at the airport. For decades, many Syrians lived with lowered gazes under the authoritarian rule of the Al-Assad family. The regime maintained an expansive surveillance system in which the feared Mukhabarat , the intelligence network, kept the population in check. Remaining silent was often the safest choice—until the Arab Spring ignited an uprising, and Assad’s fierce response plunged the nation into a ten-year civil war. Today, Syrians are openly and energetically marking the first anniversary of what they regard as their liberation from Assad’s government. The celebration follows a rapid rebel offensive on December 8 last year, led by fo...
Post a Comment

US court strikes down Trump’s global tariffs as unlawful

 Ruling however allows the levies to stay in place through mid-October

 • The US president says he will fight back Washington, D.C.: A US appeals court has ruled that many of President Donald Trump's tariffs, which have disrupted global trade, are illegal. However, it has allowed them to remain in place for the time being to give Trump time to take his case to the Supreme Court. The 7-4 ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Friday affirmed a lower court’s finding that Trump had exceeded his authority in tapping emergency economic powers to impose wide-ranging duties.

But the judges allowed the tariffs to stay in place through mid-October — and Trump swiftly made clear he would put the time to use.
 The appeals court “incorrectly said that our Tariffs should be removed, but they know the United States of America will win in the end,” he said in a statement on his Truth Social platform lashing out at the ruling.
 He added that he would fight back “with the help of the United States Supreme Court”.  The decision marks a blow to the president, who has wielded duties as a wide-ranging economic policy tool.
☰
 Updated 31 Aug, 2025 08:53am
 A US court declares Trump's global tariffs illegal. AFP
 • Ruling however allows the levies to stay in place through mid-October
 • US president vows to fight back
 WASHINGTON: A US appeals court has ruled that many of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, which have upended global trade, were illegal — but allowed them to remain in place for now, giving him time to take the fight to the Supreme Court.
 Friday's 7-4 decision by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld a lower court's finding that Trump had used emergency economic powers to impose broad duties beyond his authority. But the judges allowed the tariffs to stay in place through mid-October — and Trump swiftly made clear he would put the time to use.
 The appeals court “incorrectly said that our Tariffs should be removed, but they know the United States of America will win in the end,” he said in a statement on his Truth Social platform lashing out at the ruling.
 He added that he would fight back “with the help of the United States Supreme Court”.  The decision marks a blow to the president, who has wielded duties as a wide-ranging economic policy tool.
 It could also cast doubt over deals Trump has struck with major trading partners such as the European Union, and raised the question of what would happen to the billions of dollars collected by the United States since the tariffs were put in place if the conservative-majority Supreme Court does not back him.
 However, Friday's case does not address the sector-specific tariffs that the Trump administration has also imposed on imports of automobiles, steel, aluminum, and other goods. "Diplomatic humiliation" Trump has used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) since his return to the presidency in January to impose “reciprocal” tariffs on almost all of the US's trading partners, with a baseline rate of 10% and higher rates for dozens of economies. He invoked similar authorities to slap separate tariffs hitting Mexico, Canada and China over the flow of deadly drugs into the United States.
 In May, the Court of International Trade ruled that Trump overstepped his authority by imposing global levies on everyone, preventing most of the duties from taking effect. However, the appeals court put the decision on hold while it considered the case. According to the ruling that was handed down on Friday, "the statute bestows significant authority on the President to undertake a number of actions in response to a declared national emergency, but none of these actions explicitly include the power to impose tariffs, duties, or the like, or the power to tax." This was mentioned in the ruling. It added that it was not addressing if Trump’s actions should have been taken as a matter of policy or deciding whether IEEPA authorises any tariffs at all.
 Instead, it sought to resolve the question of whether Trump’s “reci­procal” tariffs and those imposed over trafficking were authorised, with the document noting: “We conclude they are not.”
 Trump cabinet members argued in a supplementary filing just hours before the appeals court released its decision that declaring the global tariffs illegal and preventing their implementation would harm US foreign policy and national security. “Such a ruling would threaten broader US strategic interests at home and abroad, likely lead to retaliation and the unwinding of agreed-upon deals by foreign-trading partners,” wrote Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.  He added that they could also “derail critical ongoing negotiations” with partners.
 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, meanwhile, warned that suspending the effectiveness of tariffs “would lead to dangerous diplomatic embarrassment”.
 Several legal challenges have been filed against the tariffs Trump invoked.  Businesses may seek reimbursement in the event that these tariffs are ultimately deemed illegal.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Japan tells residents to evacuate as powerful earthquake strikes north-east

Image
  Here is a fully rewritten (spun) version of your article while keeping the original meaning intact and avoiding added facts: A powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck north-eastern Japan, triggering evacuation orders for roughly 90,000 people and prompting tsunami warnings that were later reduced to lower-level advisories. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) initially warned that waves up to 3 metres (10ft) could reach the region’s coastline after the quake hit offshore at 11:15pm (2:15pm GMT) . Tsunami warnings were put in place for Hokkaido, Aomori, and Iwate , and waves measuring 20–70cm (7–27in) were recorded at several ports, according to the JMA. By early Tuesday morning, however, the agency downgraded those warnings to advisories , indicating that expected wave heights had decreased and the risk of coastal flooding had diminished. Here is a fully rewritten (spun) version of your text, keeping all the original facts but expressing them in new wording and st...
Read more

User Receives MSI RTX 5090 With GPU And VRAM Chips Torn Off PCB

Image
It would appear that the GPU was shipped to one of these Chinese labs, where the GPU and VRAM chips from the RTX 5090s are removed. Redditor Orders MSI RTX 5090 Ventus 3X From Amazon but Finds No Tamper Seal; Further Investigation Revealed Ripped GPU Chip and VRAM From the PCB  Fake GeForce RTX 5090 GPUs are flooding the market once more. Since we have witnessed and reported fraud of this kind on multiple occasions, it shouldn't come as a surprise that this one resembles something we have recently reported. The GeForce RTX 5090 is highly sought after, particularly in the AI market in China. The GPU can only enter the country through smuggling because the country has an official ban on it. Since his GPU did not include the components, which are typically extracted from the PCB in China, this Redditor appears to have been the victim of such fraud. Reddit user u/Nice-Screen-4193 says that he bought a brand new GPU from Amazon FR, "sold and shipped by Amazon", not just by any...
Read more

How AI Policy 2025 Can Shape a Digital Future for All

Image
 Artificial Intelligence is no longer just a buzzword — it's the backbone of the digital revolution. From healthcare diagnostics to autonomous vehicles and personalized education, AI is transforming industries and reshaping society. But with great power comes great responsibility. That’s where AI Policy 2025 comes in. As we move deeper into this technological era, clear, inclusive, and forward-thinking AI policy is essential. The decisions we make today will influence how equitable, ethical, and sustainable our digital future will be. Why AI Policy Matters Now More Than Ever In 2025, AI will not just be a tool — it will be an active decision-maker in critical infrastructure, economic systems, and daily life. Without guardrails, the risks include biased algorithms, loss of privacy, unchecked surveillance, job displacement, and widening inequality. With the right policies, however, AI can amplify human potential, close socioeconomic gaps, and promote global sustainability. 1. Ethica...
Read more