Top World News

Apr 28, 2025 - World

Stockpiling is the reflex response by firms to the imposition of tariffs, but with the rapidly-changing position of the Trump administration, companies are finding that it isn't so straightforward this time around.Whether it's the luxury, electronics or pharmaceutical sectors, US President Donald Trump's unpredictability complicates the calculations of firms.Some companies didn't wait for Trump's April 2 announcement of massive "reciprocal" trade tariffs: they had already begun shipping more of their goods to the United States.In the end, Trump backed down quickly on the "reciprocal" tariffs, pausing them for 90 days except for China.That still left the global 10 percent tariff in place, as well as the 25 percent tariffs on European steel, aluminium and cars.French cosmetics firm Clarins didn't hesitate and stepped up shipments to the United States at the beginning of the year."We've built up three months of stocks, which represents $2 million in goods," said Lionel Uzan, the head of Clarins's US operations.With all of its products made in France, Clarins had few other options to mitigate the tariffs.- Discreet stockpiling -Even if they don't all acknowledge it so openly, firms in many different sectors are stockpiling their products in the United States.In March, exports of Swiss watches to the United States jumped nearly 14 percent compared to the same month last year.More striking is Ireland, which plays host to a number of international pharmaceutical firms.Its exports to the United States jumped 210 percent in February to nearly 13 billion euros ($14.8 billion), with 90 percent of those being pharmaceutical products and chemical ingredients.Fermob, a French manufacturer of metal garden furniture that sells around 10 percent of its products in the United States, said it began planning for US tariffs once the result of the presidential election became known in November.It stepped up production in January and February."We've sent around 30 percent of our extra stock to the United States," said the company's chief executive, Baptiste Reybier.That extra production has benefitted transportation firms.Lufthansa Cargo said it has seen in recent weeks "an increase in demand for shipments to the United States".The trade war "has incited companies to accelerate certain stages in their supply chains", it told AFP."A similar trend was seen for the delivery of cars from the EU to the United States," it said.The phenomenon also concerns US-made goods.The Japanese newspaper Nikkei reported recently that Chinese tech firms were snapping up billions of dollars of artificial intelligence chips made by US firm Nvidia in anticipation of Washington imposing export restrictions.- 'Short-term approach' -Stockpiling is not a solution, however, said analysts.Matt Jochim, a partner at consulting firm McKinsey who helps companies with supply chain issues, called stockpiling "a very short-term opportunistic" move.He said the practice has limits as tariffs are constantly changing and it isn't always practicable."In a lot of the electronics space, it's also hard to do, because the technology changes so quickly, you don't want to get stuck with inventory of chipsets or devices that are the prior version," he said. Fermob said it was taking a measured approach to stockpiling."Otherwise you're replacing one risk with another," the manufacturer's Reybier said."You have to finance stocks and there is also the risk of not having sent the right product."Having a local subsidiary with warehouses also helped, Reybier added."It's too early to say whether we should have sent more or not."

Apr 28, 2025 - World

The United States has hit more than 800 targets in Yemen since mid-March, killing hundreds of Huthi rebel fighters, including members of the group's leadership, the US military said Sunday.Washington's forces have hammered the Huthis with near-daily air strikes since March 15 in an operation dubbed "Rough Rider," seeking to end the threat they pose to vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and reestablish US regional "deterrence.""Since the start of Operation Rough Rider, USCENTCOM has struck over 800 targets. These strikes have killed hundreds of Huthi fighters and numerous Huthi leaders," the military command responsible for the Middle East said in a statement that provided its most detailed accounting of the operation so far."The strikes have destroyed multiple command-and-control facilities, air defense systems, advanced weapons manufacturing facilities, and advanced weapons storage locations," CENTCOM said.Despite the strikes, the Huthis -- who control large swaths of Yemen and have been at war with a Saudi-led coalition backing the internationally recognized government since 2015 -- have continued to claim attacks against both US vessels and Israel.CENTCOM said that "while the Huthis have continued to attack our vessels, our operations have degraded the pace and effectiveness of their attacks. Ballistic missile launches have dropped by 69 percent. Additionally, attacks from one-way attack drones have decreased by 55 percent.""Iran undoubtedly continues to provide support to the Huthis. The Huthis can only continue to attack our forces with the backing of the Iranian regime," the military command said."We will continue to ratchet up the pressure until the objective is met, which remains the restoration of freedom of navigation and American deterrence in the region," it added.- Strikes on Sanaa -As the United States announced details on the latest round of its campaign against the Huthis, the rebel-controlled Al-Masirah TV reported that US strikes on the Yemeni capital Sanaa had killed at least eight people and wounded others.Al-Masirah TV also broadcast footage of the rubble of destroyed homes and cars, as well as blood stains on the ground, while rescuers collected what appeared to be human remains in white cloth.Earlier Sunday, Huthi media said overnight strikes on Sanaa had killed two people and wounded several more.The latest strikes brings the death toll since March 15 to 228, according to an AFP tally based on Huthi announcements.The Huthi rebels began targeting shipping in late 2023, claiming solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which has been devastated by a military campaign launched by Israel after a shock Hamas attack in October of that year.Huthi attacks have prevented ships from passing through the Suez Canal -- a vital route that normally carries about 12 percent of the world's shipping traffic -- forcing many companies into a costly detour around the tip of southern Africa.The United States first began conducting strikes against the Huthis under the Biden administration, and President Donald Trump has vowed that military action against the rebels will continue until they are no longer a threat to shipping.The Trump administration has been forced onto the political defensive during the Yemen campaign by scandals stemming from senior officials' use of commercial messaging app Signal to discuss strikes that took place on March 15.Last month, The Atlantic magazine revealed that its editor-in-chief was mistakenly included in a Signal chat in which officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, discussed the strikes.US media outlets then reported earlier this month that Hegseth had shared information on the same strikes in a second Signal group chat with various people who would not normally be involved in such discussions, including his wife.

Apr 28, 2025 - World

Kim Kardashian is due to testify in the Paris trial that begins Monday of the "grandpa robbers" accused of stealing $10 million worth of jewellery from the billionaire high priestess of social media.The ageing French underworld figures accused of tying her up and threatening her with a gun in the heist during Paris Fashion Week in 2016 reportedly did not know who she really was.Yet few under 50 on the planet with a smartphone could have escaped the rise of one of the world's most famous influencers over the last two decades.Kardashian has been a constant presence in popular culture, an uber-celebrity whose every move commands attention, yet who never seems to be anything other than in complete control.AFPKim Kardashian wearing Marilyn Monroe's gown from her 1962 birthday serenade of President John F KennedyWhile lesser stars have been consumed by fame, Kardashian remains at the height of her powers, defying criticism that she is really only famous for being famous.It is thought Kardashian's frequent posts about her wealth, personal life and whereabouts may have helped put the robbers on her trail.When they burst into her exclusive Paris suite they shouted that they wanted the $4-million (3.5-million euro) diamond engagement her now ex-husband, US rapper Kayne West, gave her, and that she had shown off on social media.- Fame -AFPKardashian has proven herself a savvy businesswoman, with high-end tie-ups that have burnished her personal brandLos Angeles-born Kardashian, 44, spent her childhood on the periphery of fame.Her mother Kris married the 1976 Olympic decathlon winner then known as Bruce Jenner, who has since transitioned to life as Caitlyn, after divorcing her late father Robert Kardashian.He was one of the high-flying lawyers who defended American football legend OJ Simpson in his 1995 murder trial. As a teenage friend of Los Angeles socialites Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton, Kardashian garnered the first inklings of her own fame, being photographed with them at popular nightspots and appearing in their reality show "The Simple Life."But it was in 2007 that she was catapulted into popular consciousness when an explicit four-year-old home movie she had made with her then-boyfriend singer Ray J was posted online.Cynics noted the tape appeared as Kardashian and her family were readying to promote "Keeping up with the Kardashians," a fly-on-the-wall reality TV look at the family's life of wealth, luxury, unbelievable cattiness -- and startling mundanity.Planted or not, the footage burned Kardashian onto the public's collective retina.AFPKim Kardashian (R) found huge fame with (L-R) her 'momager' Kris Jenner and sisters Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian on their family reality show"Keeping up with the Kardashians," which followed the personal and professional trials of sisters Kim, Kourtney and Khloe and their half-sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner, was one of television's longest-running reality shows.For some, it was must-see entertainment offering an insight into celebrity through the prism of a unique family.For others, as The Washington Times once wrote, it was vapid chaff that "illustrates our nation's moral, spiritual and cultural decay."Either way, the show was very, very good for business.A series of enterprises including KKW Beauty and KKW Fragrance established Kardashian as a serious player in the fashion and lifestyle sector, propelled by the rise of social media, where she regularly posted titillating thirst traps to build her brand.AFPKim Kardashian has struck it rich with her Skims apparel brandBut it was the apparel label Skims that really brought in the big bucks.The firm unapologetically celebrates the female form, boasting "technically constructed shapewear that enhances your curves."A 2023 investment round valued the company at $4 billion, and Forbes estimates Kardashian's personal net worth is now $1.7 billion.- Marriage to Kanye... and divorce -AFPKim Kardashian and Kanye West, seen here in 2020, are now divorced but have four children togetherHer forays into the fashion and beauty worlds were supercharged by her relationship with West, her third husband.Their marriage in 2014 -- the year of that "Break the Internet" photoshoot involving her shapely bare buttocks and lots of champagne -- was a "historic blizzard of celebrity," according to The New York Times.They flew to France for a pre-wedding rehearsal at the Palace of Versailles, where they arrived in a gold-plated carriage before flying on to Italy to tie the knot.Four children later, the couple's relationship ran into difficulties, as West's behavior became increasingly erratic. His bizarre but truncated 2020 bid for the US presidency degenerated into rambling self-confession.Kardashian appealed for empathy for her husband, who at one time spoke of living with bipolar disorder, but by 2021 was filing for divorce.Kardashian said she has tried to protect the couple's children from the inevitable hurt of their parents' split."You want to be sensitive because they're just kids, and it's hard to go through no matter what age," she told GQ in 2023."Ultimately what matters is that kids feel loved and heard."They are certainly seen: Kardashian's 357 million Instagram followers are given regular updates on the children.Since her split with West, Kardashian had a high-profile romance with comedian Pete Davidson, and was linked to NFL player Odell Beckham Jr.AFPKim Kardashian met US President Donald Trump as she campaigned for criminal justice reformAmid the parenting, the television shows, the endless red carpets and the multi-billion-dollar business, Kardashian has also found time to launch a legal career.After embarking on an apprenticeship with a prison reform group, she successfully petitioned US President Donald Trump to pardon a grandmother serving a life sentence for a nonviolent drug offense -- and then visited him at the White House.In 2021 and on her fourth attempt, she passed California's "baby bar" exam, a seven-hour slog for first-year law students with a pass rate of only around 20 percent.Her late father, she mused, "would be so proud.""He would actually be so shocked to know that this is my path now."

Apr 28, 2025 - World

Peak of 30C expected in Washington DC, while a heatwave is expected to intensify in Pakistan and parts of IndiaAs the northern hemisphere moves into late spring, several areas are expected to experience a taste of summer heat this week with temperatures well above average for the end of April.Across some eastern states of the US, conditions are expected to reach 6-8C above normal, peaking at about 30C (86F) in Washington DC. Continue reading...

Apr 28, 2025 - World

Chinese national, 27, reportedly returned to Japan’s highest mountain days after first rescue to retrieve his phoneA university student has been rescued from the slopes of Mount Fuji twice in the space of a week – the second time during an attempt to retrieve his mobile phone.The hapless climber, a 27-year-old Chinese national who has not been named, was airlifted from Japan’s highest mountain last week, only to be the subject of a second search four days later. Continue reading...