BERLIN: Germany’s incoming conservative leader Friedrich Merz pledged a spirited defense of Ukraine and of democratic values Monday as he named his new cabinet, less than a week before he is set to take power in Europe’s top economy.
European unity is “under threat” from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the rise of the far right at home, said Merz as he appointed a strong supporter of Kyiv, foreign policy expert and ex-soldier Johann Wadephul, as his new foreign minister.
Speaking at a CDU party meeting in Berlin that signed off on the coalition contract with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), Merz said Germany was ready to “once again assume leadership responsibility” in the European Union.
Merz — who is set to take office on May 6, ending half a year of political paralysis in Berlin — said the more than three-year-old war in Ukraine “is directed against the entire political order of the European continent.”
“There must be no doubt where we stand: namely, without any ifs or buts, on the side of this attacked country and thus on the side of all people in Europe who are committed to democracy and the rule of law, who are committed to freedom and an open society.”
Pointing to the return of US President Donald Trump, but without naming him, Merz said that “we have come to realize that we can no longer be sure of the transatlantic relationship in the spirit of freedom and the rules-based order.”
Merz’s CDU/CSU alliance has sealed a coalition deal with the SPD of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz after winning a February 23 election in which the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) took second place.
Wadephul is expected to play a key role in a new national security council, together with the current and likely future defense minister, Boris Pistorius of the SPD, to push Berlin’s interests in the EU and on the international stage.
A spending “bazooka” worth many hundreds of billions of euros was passed by the outgoing parliament to build up the armed forces as well as Germany’s infrastructure and boost the economy, which has shrunk for the past two years in a row.
'Trust in our democracy'
Merz acknowledged there had been little excitement so far greeting the coming change at the top, adding that “this is not the time for euphoria. The pillars we have relied on over the past years and decades are faltering around us.”
“Trust in our democracy is damaged like never before in our country’s post-war history,” he said.
“(Europe) is under threat from outside by an imperialistic, authoritarian war to the east and also from frightened, insecure and even radicalized citizens within its borders.”
“We are also directly threatened by this war and by Russia,” he added, pointing to acts of sabotage and interference blamed on Russia, including “the systematic disinformation of our population.”
Germany’s election saw a surge in support for the far-right and Moscow-friendly AfD, which finished in second place with more than 20 percent of the vote.
Merz said his goal remained to once more make the AfD “a marginal phenomenon,” including by cracking down on irregular immigration and eliminating the “pull factors that still exist in Germany.”
But he warned that unless the government meets the demands of most voters, Germany could end up in a situation where “we are perhaps at some point no longer able to govern.”
Merz has appointed Alexander Dobrindt, 54, parliamentary leader of the Bavarian CSU, as the new interior minister, in charge of immigration and border control.
The post of economy and energy minister will go to the CDU’s Katherina Reiche, 51, who has recently been working as an executive in the energy sector.
Karsten Wildberger, chief executive of the group which owns German electronics retailers Saturn and Mediamarkt, will lead a new ministry for digitalization and modernization.
Germany’s next leader Merz vows defense of Ukraine and democracy
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Germany’s next leader Merz vows defense of Ukraine and democracy
- Merz said Germany was ready to 'once again assume leadership responsibility' in the European Union
- He has appointed Alexander Dobrindt, 54, as the new interior minister, in charge of immigration and border control
BRICS nations slam US tariffs, but avoid naming Trump
- The bloc is divided about much, but found common cause when it comes to Trump and his stop-start tariff wars
- Trump has now warned he will impose unilateral levies on partners unless they reach “deals” by August 1
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil: BRICS leaders at a summit on Sunday took aim at US President Donald Trump’s “indiscriminate” import tariffs.
The 11 emerging nations — including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — account for about half the world’s population and 40 percent of global economic output.
The bloc is divided about much, but found common cause when it comes to the mercurial US leader and his stop-start tariff wars — even if they avoided naming him directly.
Voicing “serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff” measures, BRICS members said the tariffs risked hurting the global economy, according to a summit joint statement.
They also offered symbolic backing to fellow member Iran, condemning a series of military strikes on nuclear and other targets carried out by Israel and the United States.
In April, Trump threatened allies and rivals alike with a slew of punitive duties, before offering a months-long reprieve in the face of a fierce market sell-off.
Trump has now warned he will impose unilateral levies on partners unless they reach “deals” by August 1.
In an apparent concession to US allies, the summit declaration did not criticize the United States or its president by name at any point.
Conceived two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, the BRICS have come to be seen as a Chinese-driven counterbalance to US and western European power.
But as the group has expanded to include Iran, Saudi Arabia and others, it has struggled to reach meaningful consensus on issues from the Gaza war to challenging US global dominance.
BRICS nations, for example, collectively called for a peaceful two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict — despite Tehran’s long-standing position that Israel should be destroyed.
An Iranian diplomatic source said his government’s “reservations” had been conveyed to Brazilian hosts. Still, Iran stopped short of rejecting the statement outright.
Xi Jinping, Putin skip summit
The political punch of this year’s summit has been depleted by the absence of China’s Xi Jinping, who skipped the meeting for the first time in his 12 years as president.
The Chinese leader is not the only notable absentee. Russian President Vladimir Putin, charged with war crimes in Ukraine, also opted to stay away, participating via video link.
He told counterparts that BRICS had become a key player in global governance.
The summit also called for regulation governing artificial intelligence and said the technology could not be the preserve of only rich nations.
The commercial AI sector is currently dominated by US tech giants, although China and other nations have rapidly developing capacity.
Desperate search for missing girls as death toll in Texas floods jumps to 78
- Texas public safety chief fears the death toll could rise farther as forecasters warned of new deluges
- Trump brushes off concerns his administration’s w ide-ranging cuts to weather forecasting had left local warning systems worse-off
HUNT, Texas: Rescuers in Texas raced against time Sunday to find dozens of missing people, including children, swept away by flash floods that killed at least 78 people, with forecasters warning of new deluges.
US President Donald Trump said he would “probably” visit the southern state on Friday.
The president brushed off concerns his administration’s wide-ranging cuts to weather forecasting and related federal agencies had left local warning systems worse-off.
Instead, Trump described the flash floods as a “100-year catastrophe” that “nobody expected.”
At least 40 adults and 28 children were killed in the worst-hit Kerr County in central Texas, Sheriff Larry Leitha said, while at least ten more people were killed by flooding in nearby areas.
“You will see the death toll rise today,” warned Texas public safety chief Freeman Martin at a press conference.
“Across the state, in all the areas affected by flooding, there are 41 known missing,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott said.
As questions grew about why warnings did not come sooner or people were not evacuated earlier in the area popular with campers, Trump said the situation was a “Biden setup.”
“That was not our setup,” Trump told reporters on Sunday, adding that he would “not” hire back meteorologists when probed about staff and budget cuts at the National Weather Service (NWS).
Asked about whether he would change his plans to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency, he responded: “FEMA is something we can talk about later.”
Trump, who previously said disaster relief should be handled at the state-level, also signed a major disaster declaration that freed up resources for Texas.
In central Texas, some 17 helicopters joined the search for missing people, including ten girls and a counselor from a riverside Christian summer camp where about 750 people had been staying when disaster struck.
In a terrifying display of nature’s power, the rain-swollen waters of the Guadalupe River reached treetops and the roofs of cabins in Camp Mystic as girls slept overnight Friday, washing away some of them and leaving a scene of devastation.
Blankets, teddy bears and other belongings at the camp were caked in mud. Windows in the cabins were shattered, apparently by the force of the water.
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned Sunday that slow-moving thunderstorms threatened more flash floods over the saturated ground of central Texas.
Governor Abbott warned that heavy rainfall could “lead to potential flash flooding” in Kerrville and surrounding areas, as officials warned people against going near the swollen river and its creeks.
The flooding began at the start of the Fourth of July holiday weekend as months’ worth of rain fell in a matter of hours, much of it coming overnight as people slept.
The Guadalupe surged around 26 feet (eight meters) — more than a two-story building — in just 45 minutes.
Flash floods, which occur when the ground is unable to absorb torrential rainfall, are not unusual in this region of south and central Texas, known colloquially as “Flash Flood Alley.”
Scientists say that in recent years human-driven climate change has made extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and heat waves more frequent and more intense.
Officials said while rescue operations were ongoing, they were also starting the process of debris removal.
“There’s debris all over the place that makes roads impassable, that makes reconstruction projects unachievable,” Abbott said.
People from elsewhere in Texas converged on Kerr County to help look for the missing.
Texans also started flying personal drones to help look but local officials urged them to stop, citing a danger for rescue aircraft.
One of the searches focused on four young women who were staying in a house that was washed away by the river. Adam Durda and his wife Amber, both 45, drove three hours to help.
“There was a group of 20-year-olds that were in a house that had gotten washed away,” Durda told AFP. “That’s who the family requested help for, but of course, we’re looking for anybody.”
Justin Morales, 36, was part of a search team that found three bodies, including that of a Camp Mystic girl caught up in a tree.
“We’re happy to give a family closure and hopefully we can keep looking and find some of the... you know, whoever,” he told AFP.
“Help give some of those families closure. That’s why we’re out here.”
Trump calls Musk’s formation of new party “ridiculous” and confusing
- Musk announced on Saturday that he is establishing the “America Party” in response to Trump’s tax-cut and spending bill, which Musk said would bankrupt the country
- Trump has said Musk is unhappy because the measure, which Trump signed into law on Friday, takes away green-energy credits for Tesla’s electric vehicles
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump called Elon Musk’s plans to form a new political party “ridiculous,” saying Musk could have fun with his new project but that the United States functions best under a two-party system.
A day after Musk escalated his feud with Trump and announced the formation of a new US political party, the Republican president was asked about it before boarding Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, as he returned to Washington upon visiting his nearby golf club.
“I think it’s ridiculous to start a third party. We have a tremendous success with the Republican Party. The Democrats have lost their way, but it’s always been a two-party system, and I think starting a third party just adds to confusion,” Trump told reporters. “It really seems to have been developed for two parties. Third parties have never worked, so he can have fun with it, but I think it’s ridiculous.”
Musk announced on Saturday that he is establishing the “America Party” in response to Trump’s tax-cut and spending bill, which Musk said would bankrupt the country.
In response, investment firm Azoria Partners, which had planned to launch a fund tied to Musk’s electric automaker Tesla , said it was delaying the venture because the party’s creation posed “a conflict with his full-time responsibilities as CEO.”
Musk, who served as a top adviser to Trump on downsizing and reshaping the federal government during the first few months of his presidency, said his new party would in next year’s midterm elections look to unseat Republican lawmakers in Congress who backed the sweeping measure known as the “big, beautiful bill.”
Speaking on the CNN program “State of the Union” on Sunday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the boards of directors at Musk’s companies — Tesla and rocket firm SpaceX — probably would prefer him to stay out of politics.
“I imagine that those boards of directors did not like this announcement yesterday (Saturday) and will be encouraging him to focus on his business activities, not his political activities,” Bessent said.
Musk spent millions of dollars underwriting Trump’s 2024 re-election effort and, for a time, regularly showed up at the president’s side in the White House Oval Office and elsewhere. Their disagreement over the spending bill led to a falling out that Musk briefly tried unsuccessfully to repair.
The bill, which cuts taxes and ramps up spending on defense and border security, passed last week on party-line votes in both chambers of Congress. Critics have said it will damage the US economy by significantly adding to the federal budget deficit.
Trump has said Musk is unhappy because the measure, which Trump signed into law on Friday, takes away green-energy credits for Tesla’s electric vehicles. The president has threatened to pull billions of dollars Tesla and SpaceX receive in government contracts and subsidies in response to Musk’s criticism.
INVESTOR REBUKE
Musk’s announcement of a new party immediately brought a rebuke from Azoria Partners, which said on Saturday it will postpone the listing of its Azoria Tesla Convexity exchange-traded fund. Azoria was set to launch the Tesla ETF this week.
Azoria CEO James Fishback posted on X several critical comments about the new party and reiterated his support for Trump.
“I encourage the Board to meet immediately and ask Elon to clarify his political ambitions and evaluate whether they are compatible with his full-time obligations to Tesla as CEO,” Fishback said.
On Sunday, Fishback added on X, “Elon left us with no other choice.”
The Democratic Party appeared to welcome the rift between Trump and Musk.
“Trump’s MAGA party is splitting at the seams in the wake of his nightmare budget bill,” said Abhi Rahman, a spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee. “Republicans are waking up and facing the reality that they just signed their own pink slips, and are desperate for someone else to blame.”
Texas officials face scrutiny over response to catastrophic
- The destructive fast-moving waters that began before sunrise Friday in the Texas Hill Country killed at least 43 people in Kerr County, authorities said Saturday, and an unknown number of people remained missing
KERRVILLE: Before heading to bed before the Fourth of July holiday, Christopher Flowers checked the weather while staying at a friend’s house along the Guadalupe River. Nothing in the forecast alarmed him. Hours later, he was rushing to safety: He woke up in darkness to electrical sockets popping and ankle-deep water. Quickly, his family scrambled nine people into the attic. Phones buzzed with alerts, Flowers recalled Saturday, but he did not remember when in the chaos they started.
“What they need is some kind of external system, like a tornado warning that tells people to get out now,” Flowers, 44, said.
The destructive fast-moving waters that began before sunrise Friday in the Texas Hill Country killed at least 43 people in Kerr County, authorities said Saturday, and an unknown number of people remained missing. Those still unaccounted for included 27 girls from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along a river in Kerr County where most of the dead were recovered.
But as authorities launch one of the largest search-and-rescue efforts in recent Texas history, they have come under intensifying scrutiny over preparations and why residents and youth summer camps that are dotted along the river were not alerted sooner or told to evacuate.
The National Weather Service sent out a series of flash flood warnings in the early hours Friday before issuing flash flood emergencies — a rare alert notifying of imminent danger.
Local officials have insisted that no one saw the flood potential coming and have defended their actions.
“There’s going to be a lot of finger-pointing, a lot of second-guessing and Monday morning quarterbacking,” said Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, whose district includes Kerr County. “There’s a lot of people saying ‘why’ and ‘how,’ and I understand that.”
Germany to deport convicted Syrians
- An agreement reached by the coalition made up of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives and the Social Democrats provided for deportations to Afghanistan and Syria “starting with delinquents and people considered a threat,” the spokesman added
BERLIN: Germany is to start deporting Syrians with criminal records, the Interior Ministry has said, days after Austria became the first EU country to do so in recent years.
The ministry had instructed the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees to take action against “dangerous Syrian individuals and delinquents,” a spokesman said.
The spokesman stressed that committing serious crimes meant one was excluded from the protection afforded by asylum and could lead to the revocation of any such status already granted.
An agreement reached by the coalition made up of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives and the Social Democrats provided for deportations to Afghanistan and Syria “starting with delinquents and people considered a threat,” the spokesman added.
To that end, the ministry was in contact with the relevant Syrian authorities, he said.
Between January and May, the Federal Office has opened more than 3,500 procedures that could lead to the revocation of asylum rights granted to Syrian nationals, the ministry said in an answer to a question in parliament.
Refugee status had been withdrawn in 57 cases and lower-level protection in 22 other cases, said the ministry.
During the same period, around 800 Syrians have returned home as part of a voluntary repatriation program funded by Germany, to which 2,000 have so far signed up.
Around a million Syrians live in Germany, most of whom arrived during the major exodus between 2015 and 2016.
But since the December 2024 fall of President Bashar Assad, several European countries, including Austria and Germany, have suspended asylum procedures as far-right parties have campaigned on the issue.
Austria’s Interior Ministry on Thursday deported a Syrian criminal convict back to Syria, saying it was the first EU country to do so officially “in recent years.”
