bannork

More civilian casualties Wednesday April 9, including children in Gaza after an aerial attack by Israel https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy5rrnzw0kwo

Trump folded as the government bonds became more and more expensive. A quicker surrender than lettuce Liz Truss. Mayfly Trump.

A conservative think tank found the White House measured retail price elasticity when it should have used import price elasticity. That mistake meant the tariff outputs were about four times higher than they should have been. The correct version of the formula uses price changes in the cost of imports, meaning how much it costs a U.S.-based company to buy a good from a foreign seller. Instead, the White House factored in the retail price change, which is what consumers pay. Thus Cambodia’s 49% rate would drop down to 13%, and Vietnam’s would decrease from 46% to 12.2%. The vast majority of countries would end up being subject to the 10% tariff minimum that is part of the White House’s new policy. Trump’s tariff formula used the wrong value in its calculations, conservative think tank says. ‘This whole thing was rigged’

Elon Musk has labelled Donald Trump’s trade adviser a “moron” that is “dumber than a sack of bricks” .. Previously, American economist Peter Navarro described Musk as a “car assembler, not a car manufacturer,” claiming his Tesla vehicles required parts manufactured across the world in nations such as China, Japan and Taiwan. Musk responded, stating Tesla has more American-made cars than any other company. Elon Musk calls Trump's chief trade adviser Pete Navarro a 'moron' as MAGA fragments over tariffs

Thousands of Israelis in Tel Aviv on Monday, demanding an agreement with Hamas for the release of the remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip. The protest also targeted the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while many demonstrators also called for an end to the Gaza war. The protests also criticized Netanayu's decision to dismiss Ronen Bars, the head of Shin Bet which is investigating Netanyahu's close associates for possible ties to Qatar, a country considered to be a supporter of Hamas. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/thousands-of-israelis-protest-against-government-as-war-drags-on/ar-AA1CtuUI?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=EDGEXST&cvid=c906f6dc6

Pass the sick bag, Alice.

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the descendants of former slaves and the descendants of former slave owners, will be able to sit down together and work 8 hours a day, bent over sewing machines for minimum wage.

Vance is such a wally, to put it politely. Speaking to Fox News last week, Vance asked rhetorically: “What has the globalist economy gotten the United States of America?'' His own answer was: “ We borrow money from Chinese peasants to buy the things those Chinese peasants manufacture.” Naturally the Chinese couldn't let that pass. “We may be peasants, but we have the world’s best high-speed rail system, the most powerful logistics capabilities, and leading AI, autonomous driving, and drone technologies. Aren’t such peasants quite impressive?” a Weibo user posted, according to CNN. Beijing attacks JD Vance’s ‘Chinese peasants’ remark in tariffs interview | China | The Guardian

Seems Thaksin got stopped in his tracks by someone. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has announced that legislation to legalise casinos in selected Thai tourist destinations has been indefinitely postponed. The move comes amidst significant opposition both within parliament and across various societal sectors.

Donald is certainly not the Great Liberator. He's just a naughty boy, telling porkies. German vehicle licensing and testing authorities dismissed on Tuesday a recent allegation made by US President Donald Trump that US-made cars have to pass a bowling ball dent test to be sold in the European Union - a test that experts say does not exist. Trump claimed a bowling ball was dropped from a height of about six metres, with the car passing only if it showed no dent, a requirement, Trump said, for US vehicles to be approved for sale in the European Union. A TÜV SÜD spokesman said tests of this kind were in fact used for windscreens to see whether sharp shards were created when windscreens broke on impact. The fact that the windshield did in fact break was normal and did not constitute a failed test, it added. In 2018 Trump made a similar claim about Japanese authorities. A spokeswoman for Trump later claimed he had apparently been joking. A poor joke, Donald. German vehicle authorities fact check Trump's bowling ball test claim

The Brits are increasingly fed up with Trump's tariffs too. Data from More in Common UK found that just 43% thinks Washington can be relied on, whilst 15% now view the US as an enemy. Polling found that 51% of voters want the UK to retaliate, introducing tariffs, only 27% oppose this. As for chlorinated chicken, 62% of Brits would not want to see the UK agree to allow chlorinated chicken as part of a trade deal with the US. Bombshell poll shows what Brits now think of US after Donald Trump's tariff chaos

An estimated 26 million Americans, or 8 percent of the U.S. population, lacked health insurance in 2023. State of Health Insurance Coverage in U.S.: 2024 Biennial Survey | Commonwealth Fund

I believe you're living in the past BritManToo. In 2023 approx 60.77 million visits were made by UK residents to the EU. And now with the US government's hostility to Europe and cosiness with Putin, the UK is inevitably closer to mainland Europe.

Wasn't it only the other day that Thaksin was threatening coalition partners to vote for the legislation or else?

No, Donald is trying to destroy NATO with his cosying up to the bloodthirsty Russian autocrat.

Supported by other billionaires, Elon Musk erupted with a volley of social media posts criticizing White House trade advisor Peter Navarro and his credentials. "A PhD in Econ from Harvard is a bad thing, not a good thing," Musk wrote, Washington Post reports. The attempt at intervention against Trump's tariff plans, confirmed by two people familiar with the matter, has so far been unsuccessful. In a conversation with Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini last weekend, Musk also said he would like to see a "free trade zone" between Europe and the US: "At the end of the day, I hope it's agreed that both Europe and the United States should move ideally, in my view, to a zero-tariff situation." Musk also stated that he would like to give people more freedom to move between European countries and the US and work in either, "if they wish." "That has certainly been my advice to the president," the billionaire said. Musk has opposed tariffs, at least since Trump's first term when Tesla filed a lawsuit to try to overturn the import tax on Tesla from China to the US. Musk asks Trump to reverse sweeping new tariffs - WP

European Parliament Elections: The European Parliament is directly elected by citizens of EU member states every five years through universal suffrage. President of the European Council: Elected by the heads of state or government of the 27 EU member states (European Council) for a 2.5-year term, which is renewable once. President of the European Commission: Proposed by the European Council, taking into account the results of the European Parliament elections, and then elected by the European Parliament for a 5-year term, which is renewable. how EU leaders are elected wikipedia - Google Search

What's the probable total tariff slap on Chinese goods if Trump's latest 50% increase goes through? 34% announced last week, 20% announced at the start of US President Donald Trump's term, and some additional tariffs left over from his first term in office. Total tariffs of over 100%, some as high as 120%. Wow! So what retaliatory measures will China be considering? 1. Further export controls on rare earth minerals, China controls a large proportion of the world's supply, but the US would probably find alternatives over time. 2. Increase tariffs on agricultural goods, this would significantly hurt US farmers, one of Trump's voter base. China consumes 14% of all US agricultural exports. 3. Target high-profile American companies such as Apple and Tesla, but this could cause adverse reactions at a time when China is trying to attract more foreign investment. 4. Xinhua, China's state news agency, speculated that China could cease all cooperation with the US on the war against fentanyl. 5 Ask the Chinese public to boycott all American products. Anyone got any other ideas? What China could do next as Trump's tariff war ramps-up

Yagoda and his alter egos,lol.

Russia is currently unable to conduct a large-scale offensive operation due to a lack of soldiers, stated the military expert Oleksii Hetman in a comment to the RBC-Ukraine YouTube channel. According to Hetman, Russia can only increase its troops at a specific location by relocating forces along the front line. Theoretically, the enemy could double or triple the number of troops in the Kursk region to begin an offensive on the Sumy region, but that would involve Russia withdrawing soldiers from other areas. “And where they withdraw, we will strike,” he added. According to Zelenskyy, Russia is amassing troops in the Kursk region to attack the Sumy region. Can Russia significantly intensify its offensive? Expert assessment

Unfortunately some posters don't seem to accept the first sentence in your post above.

Potential reasons for Trump's hatred of the EU Imbalance of trade The US imports goods and services worth €161 billion annually from Germany whilst Germans buy only about half of this from the Americans. Frustration with EU regulations According to a report by Focus, Donald Trump is reportedly frustrated with the European Union's stringent emission and safety regulations concerning automobile traffic, as well as restrictions on agriculture regarding pesticides and animal welfare. A Trump Putin pact Both Trump and Putin hate the soft power that Brussels commands through its aggregation of many national markets into one trading bloc. Why should they, military powers, be forced to negotiate as equals with an entity without even an army of its own. Might is right is their motto. ( Note to EU: unify your military forces asap). Brain Drain to the EU In the US education and science system, more and more people are considering emigrating. German universities want to take advantage of the situation to poach talent. The "Meitner-Einstein Program" has been launched, intending to recruit scientists under the motto "100 Brilliant Minds for Germany." The name of the initiative commemorates the fact that Germany lost a generation of outstanding scientists during the Nazi era, those responsible told ZDF. The German newspaper Handelsblatt believes the restrictions on freedom in the US are making Europe more attractive, including for investment. Why is Donald Trump targeting Europe and Germany?

Russia’s elite could remove President Vladimir Putin from power if oil prices drop to a critically low level, stated political strategist Taras Zahorodnii in a commentary to the RBC-Ukraine YouTube channel. “Look, rail transport is declining there. That means things aren't going so well economically. Their defense and war expenses are higher than those of the Soviet Union. If oil prices fall below $30, that would be a very favorable scenario for us,” he emphasized. Russian elite may depose Putin if oil prices collapse, analyst says