USA under Donald Trump No Epstein list? Not even "Fox News" believes it +++ Switzerland waits for customs letter

Donald Trump has been President of the United States again since January 20, 2025. All developments in his second presidency can be found here in the ticker.

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10.47 am

Switzerland is waiting for Trump's letter in the customs dispute

This morning, Switzerland still has no clarity in the customs dispute with the USA. US President Donald Trump has not yet published a letter. And the Federal Council also does not know when communication will take place.

"I am aware that people are eagerly awaiting the result or the letter from the USA today," said Communications Minister Albert Rösti on Tuesday on the fringes of a media outing. However, he assumed that there would only be news later. "But I don't know."

This uncertainty is weighing on the economy and the markets. At the start of the week, Trump announced new tariffs for fourteen countries - and postponed the deadline for new tariffs from tomorrow, Wednesday, to August 1. What this means for Switzerland was initially unclear. Last week, it was reported that negotiations on a bilateral agreement were close to being concluded.

7.48 a.m.

Not even "Fox News" believes the Epstein list doesn't exist

During his election campaign, Donald Trump promised to publish the files on the pedophile multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein. Now the Department of Justice and the FBI have announced that they have found no "incriminating list" of clients and "no credible evidence" that Epstein blackmailed prominent people.

The finding that Epstein committed suicide in prison in 2019 was also confirmed. Not even Peter Doocy can believe this: didn't Justice Minister Pam Bondi just say that she had such a client list from Epstein on her desk, asks the "Fox News" correspondent?

DOOCY: So what happened to the Epstein client list that the attorney general said she had on her desk?

LEAVITT: I think if you go back and look at what the attorney general said

DOOCY: I've got the quote. She said, it's sitting on my desk right now to review. pic.twitter.com/RtsRuUrNwh

— Acyn (@Acyn) July 7, 2025

Karoline Leavitt, spokeswoman for the White House, talks her way out of it, saying Bondi meant a list that merely enumerates all the files on the case. The FBI and the Department of Justice would ensure that "bad people are put behind bars". The murder rate is as low as it has ever been.

4.15 p.m.

Trump won't commit to tariffs and deadline

US President Donald Trump is not ruling out a further postponement of the tariff deadline against several countries. The deadline of August 1 is "binding, but not 100 percent", he told journalists on Monday evening.

He expressed openness should his trading partners submit a proposal to him. He also said that the import surcharges were "final" in the letters sent to a number of countries in which Trump announced different levels of tariffs - but also expressed his willingness to negotiate here. "If they call with a different offer and I like it, then we'll do it."

On Monday, Trump postponed the deadline for new tariffs from this Wednesday (July 9) to August 1 and published more than a dozen letters to several countries - including Japan, South Korea and South Africa. In the letters, he announced different levels of import surcharges from August. What exactly the new deadline means for the EU was initially unclear.

2.08am

Netanyahu proposes Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has nominated US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. At the start of a joint dinner at the White House, he praised Trump's "pursuit of peace and security, which you are leading in many countries, but now especially in the Middle East" in the presence of journalists. Trump is "forging peace right now, in one country, in one region at a time". Netanyahu then handed Trump a letter he had sent to the Nobel Committee to nominate the US president for the peace prize.

"You deserve it and you should get it," said the Israeli head of government. "Wow," Trump replied. "Especially from you, that's very meaningful." The USA is Israel's most important ally.

🚨BREAKING: Prime Minister Netanyahu has officially nominated President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.
pic.twitter.com/Q9lWNnJGLm

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 7, 2025

1:51 p.m.

Trump addresses co-president of Bosnia-Herzegovina incorrectly

In a letter on new customs regulations, US President Donald Trump addressed Co-President Zeljka Cvijanovic of Bosnia and Herzegovina incorrectly. In the letter, Trump initially addressed the ethnic Serbian chairwoman of the country's three-member presidency as "Mr. President". Trump later published a corrected letter. The State Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina always includes one representative from each of the ethnic groups of Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats.

The letters to several countries were largely standardized and were published by Trump on his Truth Social platform on Monday (local time). The US President thus announced new customs regulations for August 1. A deadline originally set for Wednesday was postponed. Trump signed a corresponding decree.

In the letters, Trump also warned of retaliatory tariffs - in which case the US government would further increase existing tariffs: "If for any reason you decide to raise your tariffs, the number you want to raise them by will be in addition to the 25 percent we are raising," Trump wrote in the letters to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, for example.

In his letters, Trump placed the word "only" in front of the respective tax rates, indicating that he is being generous with his tariffs. For Bosnia-Herzegovina, the letter lists a tariff rate of 30 percent. However, the tax rates are not set in stone. Several government representatives indicated to AP that the remaining three weeks until the tariffs come into force could serve as a kind of "extension" for additional talks.

Tuesday, July 8, 2025, 0:37 a.m.

Trump postpones deadline for tariffs to August 1

US President Donald Trump has postponed the deadline for the tariffs previously scheduled for this Wednesday (July 9) to August 1. He signed a decree to this effect on Monday afternoon (local time). China is excluded - there is a separate agreement with the country. Import surcharges for other countries are off the table for the time being until August - however, many details are still open, including how the EU and the USA want to trade with each other in future.

This is because the deadline for Switzerland and the European Union would also have expired on Wednesday. They have been negotiating with the United States in the customs dispute for some time - the outcome is still open. What exactly the new deadline means for them was initially unclear.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump sent a series of letters with new customs regulations to several countries, including Japan, South Korea, South Africa and Malaysia. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said reciprocal tariffs or the new tariffs listed in the letters would come into effect - "or agreements will be reached". These countries will continue to negotiate with the United States. Many positive developments have been seen.

The EU was counting on an agreement in principle in the customs dispute with the USA. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke to US President Trump on the phone on Sunday and discussed the current state of negotiations, said a spokesperson in Brussels. They were at the "beginning of the final phase", it was said on Monday afternoon. The spokesperson did not want to provide any details of the conversation.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on CNN that he expected many deals to be signed quickly as a result of the letters. He also spoke of around 100 letters to small countries with which the USA does not do much trade. "The countries will receive a letter saying: If we don't reach an agreement, you will fall back to the level of April 2." That was the day Trump announced his far-reaching tariff package.

11:49 p.m.

Doctors sue Trump administration for stopping vaccination recommendation

A coalition of doctors' groups and public health organizations have sued US President Donald Trump's administration. The lawsuit filed on Monday in a federal court in Boston is directed against the decision by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy to no longer recommend coronavirus vaccination for most children and pregnant women.

Until now, the US authorities had recommended coronavirus vaccination for all Americans aged six months and older. At the end of May, Kennedy announced that he would remove the CDC's vaccination recommendation for healthy children and pregnant women. Several health experts criticized his actions as confusing, saying Kennedy was disregarding the scientific review process that has been in place for decades. In this process, experts publicly review the current medical evidence and work out the pros and cons of changing the guidelines.

The lawsuit accuses Kennedy and other representatives of his Department of Health of disregarding procedures and systematically trying to mislead the public. "This administration is an existential threat to immunization in America," said the plaintiffs' lead attorney, Richard H. Hughes IV.

8:04 p.m.

White House: Trump extends deadline for EU in tariff dispute until August 1

US President Donald Trump is extending the deadline in the customs dispute with the European Union until August 1. Trump wants to sign a decree on Monday "that postpones the deadline from July 9 to August 1," said White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt. For countries that do not reach an agreement with the USA, high tariff surcharges will come into force at the beginning of August, she confirmed.

7.21 pm

Trump: 25 percent tariffs for Japan and South Korea from August 1

US President Donald Trump has announced the first of several letters with tariff regulations against other countries. Accordingly, all products from Japan and South Korea that are imported into the USA will be subject to 25 percent tariffs from August 1.

The tariffs will therefore apply in addition to industry-specific tariffs. Trump also issued a warning to the two countries on Monday evening Swiss time: "If for any reason you decide to raise your tariffs, the number by which you want to raise them will be added to the 25 percent that we are imposing."

Trump published a total of 14 warning letters in his online service Truth Social. In addition to Japan and South Korea, Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Tunisia must also expect US tariffs of 25 percent each from August. He announced surcharges of between 30 and 36 percent for South Africa, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Indonesia, Serbia, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Thailand, and even 40 percent for Laos and Myanmar.

6.46 am

Trump threatens additional tariffs after Brics criticism

Following criticism of his trade policy from the Brics countries, US President Donald Trump has announced additional punitive tariffs for all countries that come closer to the alliance. "Every country that aligns itself with the anti-American policy of the Brics (states) will be subject to an additional ten percent tariff. There will be no exceptions," he wrote on his online network Truth Social on Sunday (local time).

Trump also announced that the letters informing US trading partners about the tariffs would be sent out at noon (local time, 6 p.m. CEST). "I am pleased to announce that the United States' tariff letters will be sent to various countries around the world beginning at 12:00 p.m. (U.S. Eastern Standard Time) on Monday, July 7," he said. Trump had announced that "probably twelve" letters would be sent. It was unclear which countries would be affected. The tariffs should amount to between ten and 70 percent.

The Brics countries had criticized Trump's trade policy at a summit meeting in Brazil on Sunday. They expressed "serious concerns" about the increase in unilateral tariffs and other measures "that distort trade and are incompatible with the rules of the World Trade Organization".

In addition to its namesake countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the group has also included Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates since 2023. The association of states was founded to reduce the geopolitical dominance of the USA and Europe and to create a multipolar world order. The Brics states account for around half of the world's population and 40 percent of global economic output.

Monday, July 7, 2025, 3:24 a.m.

Trump calls Musk a "total disaster"

US President Donald Trump has described tech billionaire Elon Musk's push for a new political party as "ridiculous". He told journalists at Bedminster Airport in response to a question: "I think it's ridiculous to create a third party. We've had tremendous success with the Republican Party." On his Truth Social platform, Trump also posted: "It saddens me to see how Elon Musk has totally derailed and basically become a complete disaster in the past five weeks."

Trump is in favor of the existing de facto two-party system consisting of Republicans and Democrats. The Democrats may have lost their way, but it has always been a two-party system. A third party would lead to "confusion", said the Republican. He could "have fun with it", but it was ridiculous, Trump said of Musk.

Tech billionaire Musk wants to build a new party in the USA - the America Party. His stated goal: to break up the two-party system. Musk is convinced that Democrats and Republicans are politically similar and are working together to run America down. "When it comes to bankrupting the country through waste and graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy," Musk explained his ambitions for a new party.

By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!

When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy.

Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom. https://t.co/9K8AD04QQN

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 5, 2025

Musk's advance on Saturday marks a temporary climax to the feud between Trump and the tech billionaire. Until recently, Trump and Musk were still close confidants. Musk had supported Trump's election campaign with more than 250 million dollars and was temporarily tasked with cutting costs in the government apparatus after the inauguration. However, a mud-slinging ensued at the beginning of June, sparked by Musk's strict rejection of Trump's budget policy plans.

Although there are other parties in the USA, there is a de facto two-party system. Smaller parties have little chance of major political success - partly due to the majority voting system, in which only the winner is elected and votes for other candidates are forfeited. The question is how promising Musk's plans are against this backdrop.

Sunday, July 6, 1:30 p.m.

US clinics are waiting for foreign assistant doctors

Instead of caring for patients in US clinics, young doctors from abroad are facing closed doors: the travel and visa restrictions imposed by Donald Trump's administration are slowing them down - some perhaps forever.

"You lose time that you could have used to treat patients," says a junior doctor from Pakistan. He was actually supposed to join the health service in Massachusetts in July. The man does not want to give his name for fear that this will cause him further distress.

It is not yet clear how many assistant doctors from abroad were unable to take up their duties at the beginning of July. In an interview with the AP news agency, several explained that everything seemed to be clear, but that they had failed on what was supposed to be the last formality.

Resident physicians from abroad are filling critical gaps in the US healthcare system. The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) foresees a shortage of doctors over the next decade. More than 7,000 foreign-born residents were scheduled to enter U.S. health care programs this year.

10:57 p.m.

Migrants deported from the US arrive in South Sudan

A first group of migrants deported from the USA has arrived in South Sudan. The group of eight people landed in Juba early this morning, said a representative of the South Sudanese Foreign Ministry. The men had previously been detained for weeks at a US military base in Djibouti after a judge issued a temporary injunction to stop deportations to third countries. The US Supreme Court overturned this ruling on Thursday.

The deported migrants come from Myanmar, Vietnam, Mexico, Cuba and Laos, with only one coming from South Sudan. The US Department of Homeland Security welcomed the deportation, which was completed "after weeks of delays by militant judges". "These sickos were finally deported to South Sudan on Independence Day," said department spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin. These are "eight barbaric criminal illegal aliens who are so despicable that even their own countries don't want them".

During the election campaign, Trump had announced that he would deport millions of undocumented migrants. In March, the US government deported more than 280 migrants to El Salvador, where they were detained in a notorious high-security prison.

22:22

Elon Musk wants to found his own party

Update 10.25 p.m.: Tech billionaire Elon Musk wants to found his own party called the "America Party". The former advisor to President Donald Trump, with whom he is now at odds, announced this on his X platform. Musk wrote that the new party would "give US citizens back their freedom". If the country is driven into bankruptcy by waste and bribery, "we live in a one-party system, not a democracy".

Musk's announcement marks a temporary climax to the feud between Trump and the tech billionaire, who had supported Trump's election campaign with millions.

Most recently, Tesla boss Musk was massively upset about the major tax and spending bill signed by Trump on Friday, known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill". Among other things, he called for far greater spending cuts. A few weeks ago, Musk had already suggested forming a new centrist party.

By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!

When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy.

Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom. https://t.co/9K8AD04QQN

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 5, 2025

Saturday, July 5, 2025, 1:28 p.m.

Trump calls Merz a "strong" and "smart" man after phone call

Following his telephone conversation with Friedrich Merz, US President Donald Trump has praised the German Chancellor and described him as a "strong" and "smart" man. "I had a great phone call with the German Chancellor. He's a strong guy, a very good man who had a great election victory," Trump said on Friday (local time) in conversation with journalists on board the presidential aircraft Air Force One. "He's a strong guy and smart, a very smart man," Trump continued.

The US President had spoken to Merz on the phone on Friday. They discussed the issue of a delivery of Patriot defense missiles to Ukraine, Trump said. He had not yet made a decision on this, the US President added. Merz was of the opinion that the Ukrainians "must be protected".

10.11 p.m.

US federal judge suspends deportations to South Sudan

An American federal judge has temporarily halted the deportation of eight migrants to war-torn South Sudan. New claims by the lawyers of those affected merited a hearing, Judge Randolph Moss said on Friday. A day earlier, the US Supreme Court gave the green light for the deportation of migrants convicted of criminal offenses to the East African country.

"Have taken advantage of us"Trump restricts entry of citizens from 19 countries to the USA

Moss instructed President Donald Trump's administration to take into account an earlier Supreme Court ruling that migrants to be deported under an 18th-century law of war deserve due process. He said it should be examined whether this also applied to people who were to be flown to South Sudan.

16.04

"Very disturbing and irresponsible": activists criticize Trump for anti-Semitism

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) fights against discrimination and racism in the USA. Now the organization has sharply criticized the US President after Donald Trump used his tongue yesterday in Iowa.

The Republican spoke in Des Moines about farmers who want to inherit their farms. "No estate tax, no estate tax, no going to the banks and borrowing from--in some cases--good bankers and--in other cases--loan sharks and bad people," he said. "They destroyed a lot of families, but we did the opposite."

Trump refers to bankers as "shylocks"

[image or embed]

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 4. Juli 2025 um 02:53

For the "loan shark," Trump uses the word "Shylocks." In "The Merchant of Venice" by William Shakespeare, Shylock is a Jewish moneylender who hates Christians. He thus plays on the anti-Semitic stereotype of the greedy Jew, criticizes the ADL.

MAMDANI: My Jewish brothers and sisters are afraid, and as a society we must stop antisemitism.

TRUMP: You shylocks aren't gonna Jew me this time, are you? Because you love to Jew me!

You'll never guess which one gets condemned by Jewish institutions

— David Grossman (@davidgross_man) July 4, 2025

"President Trump's use of this term is very disturbing and irresponsible," writes the ADL in response to a Newsweek inquiry. "It underscores how deeply rooted lies and conspiracies about Jews are in our country."

Trump spoke of “shylocks,” which is one of the most recognizable antisemitic terms in modern English. Watch who tries to explain this away.

— Timothy Snyder (@timothysnyder.bsky.social) 4. Juli 2025 um 14:17

Trump himself told reporters after the event in Iowa that he had "never heard" that the term "Shylock" had anti-Semitic connotations.

3:28 p.m.

Trump signs BBB in the presence of Melania

US President Donald Trump wants to underpin his domestic political victory by signing the big tax and spending bill on Independence Day. The day before the national holiday, the bill, which is controversial in parts and almost 900 pages long, passed the House of Representatives.

President Trump had campaigned strongly for weeks in favor of the bill, which he calls the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB or BBB). This Friday afternoon at 11 p.m. CEST, the signing is scheduled to take place at the White House around the Fourth of July celebrations, the White House announced. First Lady Melania Trump is also expected to attend.

Praying over President Trump in Iowa today 🙏🏼

Love this !!! pic.twitter.com/m5U2liYV7t

— TONY™ (@TONYxTWO) July 4, 2025

After the votes of the Republicans in the House of Representatives gave Trump the triumph - only two party colleagues voted against it - Trump gave a speech to supporters in Iowa last Thursday evening ahead of Independence Day. He cited the law as one of the successes he has achieved since the start of his presidency.

Trump: "Very importantly for Iowa, this bill rescues over 2 billion family farms from the so-called estate tax or the death tax." (over 2 billion??????)

[image or embed]

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 4. Juli 2025 um 02:33

America is the most attractive country in the world. Trump put his supporters in the mood for Independence Day: "We are one people, one family and one united American nation." They will never give up. "We will fight, fight, fight. We will win, win, win - because we are Americans."

2:16 p.m.

Noem wants to fire people who "don't like us"

Kristi Noem wants to fire those employees in the Department of Homeland Security under her command who "don't support what we're doing" and "don't like us". An advisory committee with 22 members has been set up for this purpose.

Among those on thepanel are Trump's ex-lawyer Rudy Giuliani, successful conservative podcaster Mark Levin, billionaire Marc Andreessen, "Bikers for Trump" founder Christopher Cox, former US ambassador to Switzerland Edward McMullen Jr and billionaire James Pallotta.

"We have to realize that we're working with a department that hasn't had much to do in the last four years," Noem said at a virtual meeting with the panel. The previous administration is to blame, he said. "We have a challenge ahead of us."

Sure, why not. www.thedailybeast.com/kristi-noem-...

[image or embed]

— Rebecca Watson (@skepchick.org) 2. Juli 2025 um 01:16

12:23 p.m.

Did Trump 'blow the whistle' on Musk's drug use?

Donald Trump has said that he was the one who "blew the whistle" on Elon Musk's drug use to the New York Times. This is what Trump's biographer Michael Wolff claims in an interview with "The Daily Beast".

The richest man in the world has denied the report that he takes ketamine and other drugs: The whole thing was a lie, he said. He was prescribed ketamine years ago to get out of "dark mental holes", the 54-year-old admitted.

😂💯

Also, to be clear, I am NOT taking drugs! The New York Times was lying their ass off.

I tried *prescription* ketamine a few years ago and said so on 𝕏, so this not even news. It helps for getting out of dark mental holes, but haven’t taken it since then.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 31, 2025

According to Wolff, Trump is said to have spoken about the matter on June 30, after Musk once again threatened to form his own party. "He called people and said, 'Do you think Elon has gone crazy? I think he's crazy'."

He continued: "He's talked about how many drugs [Musk] takes: 'He takes drugs all the time. The New York Times wrote about it. They said he does drugs." Trump then said, "You know, we actually ratted Elon out to the New York Times for doing drugs."

Donald Trump's spokesman Steven Cheung denied the story when asked by the Independent:"Michael Wolff is a lying sack of sh***** and a proven fraud."

But that's not all: "[Wollf] regularly invents stories that spring from his sick and distorted imagination. This is only possible because he suffers from a severe and debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, which rots his peanut-sized brain."

9:55 a.m.

Trump plans cage-fighting spectacle outside the White House

US President Donald Trump wants to hold cage fights on the grounds of the White House. Next year, he will organize an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fight with up to 25,000 spectators to mark the 250th Independence Day of the USA, Trump announced to supporters in the state of Iowa.

"Imagine that on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of room there," said Trump. The UFC is the largest professional league for mixed martial arts (MMA), a combat sport that combines various disciplines and is particularly popular in the USA.

Fighters use elements and techniques from boxing, kickboxing and wrestling, among others, in their duels in cage-like fighting areas. Unlike wrestling, for example, the fights are not staged. Trump is a fan of the martial arts spectacle.

Trump is "deadly serious" about his announcement, several US media outlets quoted Trump's spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt as saying. "This is going to be EPIC!" she wrote on the X platform. A UFC spokesperson also confirmed the plans in US media, but gave no further details.

It’s going to be EPIC! https://t.co/fNes3H3jEI

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) July 4, 2025

Independence Day is one of the most important non-religious national holidays in the United States. Celebrations take place everywhere, everything is decorated in the colors of the US flag - and there are fireworks.

On July 4, 1776, British colonies declared their independence from Great Britain and paved the way for the founding of the United States. Next year marks the 250th anniversary of independence.

9.10 am

Side blow to Trump? Musk again demands release of the Epstein files

Elon Musk has been an avowed opponent of the so-called Big Beautiful Bill (BBB): The richest man has threatened to found a new party - the American Party - if the bill is passed.

On the one hand, the South African-born politician takes issue with cuts to green energy and tax breaks for the purchase of electric cars. On the other hand, he rejects an increase in the national debt.

6 pointsHow Trump's Big Beautiful Bill is reshaping America's future

Now that the BBB has cleared the hurdles in the Senate and House of Representatives, Musk is holding back with critical comments on his Platform X. He merely called one post "encouraging", which stated that 40 percent of participants in a survey would welcome the founding of his new party.

Encouraging https://t.co/eZ8KnoZUBX

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 3, 2025

However, another post has the potential to cause an uproar: Musk reposted a demand from Maga activist Scott Presler. "Release the unredacted Epstein files", it says. Musk only writes "Yes".

Release the unredacted Epstein files.

— ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) July 2, 2025

The background: Musk accused Donald Trump of being involved in the case of pedophile multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein. He later apologized for this statement and deleted the corresponding posts. Now he is bringing the issue back into the public eye.

To be continued.

8:36 a.m.

Man remains loyal to Trump even though ICE arrested his wife

Arthu Sahakyan has a Trump flag in front of his house. It's also flying there after immigration officials took away his wife, Arpineh Masihi. The couple has four children, Fox News reports.

He still supports Trump and is convinced by his immigration policy. He believes it is right that numerous Iranians were arrested in the USA after the US bombs on Iran. There were sleeper cells, i.e. Iranian agents who were just waiting for the order to take action.

Arpineh Masihi, a Trump supporter and Iranian immigrant, was targeted by ICE and taken from her home on June 30. Her husband, Arthu Sahakyan, told a local news station that even though he misses his wife, he still supports Trump and won’t take his MAGA flag off their house while she’s detained. 🙄

[image or embed]

— Jon Cooper (@joncooper-us.bsky.social) 3. Juli 2025 um 06:50

Nevertheless, it is hard for him and his children. He hopes that his wife will be released soon, as she is not one of the crazy radicals.

According to Fox News, the woman fled from Iran to the USA when she was three years old. She later received a green card, but it was revoked fifteen years ago due to theft.

Since the US bombings in Iran, 130 Iranian nationals have been arrested in the US, according to Fox News.

5:49 a.m.

El Salvador's president denies torture of unlawfully deported man

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has denied allegations that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was unlawfully deported from the USA, was tortured in a Salvadoran prison. In a post on X on Thursday, Bukele wrote that Abrego Garcia "was not tortured, nor did he lose weight". In the post, Bukele included pictures and a video of Abrego Garcia in a prison cell. "If he was tortured, sleep deprived and starving, why does he look so good in every picture," wrote the Salvadoran president.

Apparently, anything a criminal claims is accepted as truth by the mainstream media and the crumbling Western judiciary.

But the man wasn’t tortured, nor did he lose weight. In fact, photos show he gained weight while in detention. There’s plenty of footage from different days,… pic.twitter.com/PzvLcCNzrK

— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) July 3, 2025

The day before, court documents had revealed that Abrego Garcia claimed to have been mistreated during his detention in the notorious "Cecot" maximum security prison. He suffered severe beatings, massive sleep deprivation and psychological torture, it said. The new information about the detention was added to a lawsuit against the Trump administration that Abrego Garcia's wife filed in federal court in Maryland after his deportation.

Abrego Garcia said he was kicked and punched so many times after arriving at "Cecot" that he had visible bruises all over his body the next day. He and 20 other prisoners were forced to kneel on the floor all night. In the first two weeks of his detention, he lost over 15 kilograms.

Abrego Garcia's account coincides with the reports of other Salvadorans who were imprisoned under the state of emergency imposed by Bukele. In its war against the country's gangs, the government has imprisoned more than 87,000 people for alleged gang links. Hundreds of people have died in prison, according to human rights groups.

Abrego Garcia, who lived in Maryland, was arrested on March 12 and deported to El Salvador. The US government admitted that the deportation was a procedural error. According to his lawyers, he had entered the USA illegally from El Salvador in 2011 - "fleeing gang violence". An immigration judge had granted him protection from deportation in 2019. Under growing pressure and following an order from the Supreme Court, the USA returned Abrego Garcia in June - on the basis of an arrest warrant that his lawyers described as absurd. He is now facing trial in the USA for alleged human smuggling, among other things.

4.29pm

Trump wants to inform trading partners about US tariffs from Friday

US President Donald Trump has announced that he will probably inform his trading partners about the punitive tariffs that apply to them from Friday. The deadline he has set in this regard expires in just under a week. "I tend to send a letter and let them know what tariffs they're going to pay," Trump told the media on Thursday (local time). "We'll be sending out some letters, probably starting tomorrow," he added.

A deadline set by Trump in the tariff dispute with numerous trading partners, including Switzerland, expires on July 9. The affected countries are now trying to reach agreements with the US to avert higher tariffs. US officials have signaled that several trade agreements could be announced in the coming days.

Trump's tariff policy has triggered disputes with trading partners worldwide. Switzerland is also affected. Trump announced a blanket ten percent import tariff at the beginning of April. Country-specific surcharges were added, a whopping 21 percent for Switzerland. This additional levy was suspended for 90 days. An increased tariff of 25 percent applies to certain products such as cars, and 50 percent for steel and aluminum products.

Friday, July 4, 2025, 4:03 a.m.

Trump: National parks will be more expensive for foreign visitors

Foreign tourists will have to pay more to visit a national park in the USA in future. The White House published a corresponding decree by US President Donald Trump. In a speech to supporters in Iowa, the Republican said that entrance fees for Americans would be kept low at the same time. He linked his announcement to one of his well-known slogans: "America first".

According to the White House, the increased income from foreign tourists should generate hundreds of millions of US dollars for conservation projects and reduce a backlog of maintenance work.

The White House also spoke of greater fairness for Americans. They finance the national parks with their tax money and currently have to pay the same - so on balance they pay more than foreign visitors.

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