Washington, July 07: US President Donald Trump has announced that an additional 10 per cent tariff will be imposed on countries that “align themselves with the anti-American policies of BRICS”.

He said this after the BRICS leaders, caught in a trade war initiated by the US, expressed their “grave concern” about the “indiscriminate rise in tariffs”.

The declaration was made via Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social, in which the US President stated: “Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

In a follow-up message, Trump also announced that formal documentation outlining the new tariff policy will be dispatched to the relevant countries starting Monday afternoon:

“I am pleased to announce that the UNITED STATES TARIFF Letters, and/or Deals, with various Countries from around the World, will be delivered starting 12:00 P.M. (Eastern), Monday, July 7th. Thank you for your attention to this matter! ”

This announcement coincides with the ongoing BRICS summit being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where leaders and representatives of the expanded bloc have convened to discuss strategic coordination and greater economic integration among developing nations.

“We voice serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO (World Trade Organisation) rules,” said the joint statement of BRICS leaders, adopted unanimously.

The leaders, however, also criticised the other developed countries that try to impose trade restrictions aimed at developing nations by raising environmental issues while opposing unilateral tariffs that affect them.

“The proliferation of trade-restrictive actions, whether in the form of indiscriminate rising of tariffs and nontariff measures, or protectionism under the guise of environmental objectives, threatens to further reduce global trade, disrupt global supply chains”, the statement said without naming any countries or groups like the European Union.

The BRICS alliance now includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran.

Houston, July 07: The death toll from the severe flooding across Texas in the US has risen to 69, officials said, adding that rescue operations were underway in several places.

Kerrville County Sheriff Larry Leitha has confirmed that 59 people, including 21 children, have been killed in the county, as other deaths have been reported across the state, the BBC reported.

Leitha added that 11 Camp Mystic campers and one councillor remain unaccounted for.

Meanwhile, in a post on social media, US President Donald Trump said: “These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy.”

About 20 counties in Texas were affected by the flood.

Earlier, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences to the US Government and the bereaved families.

“Deeply saddened to learn about loss of lives, especially children, in the devastating floods in Texas. Our condolences to the US Government and the bereaved families,” PM Modi had posted on X.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Saturday signed an expanded disaster declaration to include six more counties in central Texas, raising the total number of counties hit by flash flooding to 20.

On Sunday, Abbott thanked President Donald Trump, saying that the debris removal process has been improved because of the president’s “swift” disaster declaration, the BBC reported.

While search efforts are continuing in Kerr County, disaster response, for instance debris removal, has also begun, he said, adding that debris “all over the place” could make the search process more difficult.

Abbott stressed about dangers in the next 24 to 48 hours which could pose “public safety threats”.

Heavy rainfall has taken place and more is expected which could lead to potential flash flooding, he said. Areas that could be affected include central Texas and Kerrville.

Freeman F. Martin, Colonel Director, Texas Department of Public Safety, said that operations are ongoing across several counties, noting that the rain will hamper efforts for rescue as the ground becomes saturated from even a little bit of water, the BBC reported.

Martin said that among the resources they are providing are 18 marine units with boats, 11 Texas rangers, and nine helicopters.

He said finding missing children is the “highest priority”, adding that service personnel have been working with the families.

Texas has already experienced several severe flooding incidents this year, and the United States as a whole saw a record number of flash flood emergencies in 2024, according to AccuWeather.

New York [US], July 06: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday condemned the latest large-scale Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, reiterating his call for an “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire as a critical step towards achieving a “just, comprehensive & sustainable peace” in the region.

As per Al Jazeera, citing Ukrainian authorities, Moscow launched over 500 drones and 11 missiles at Kyiv overnight into Friday (local time), resulting in the death of one person, injuries to at least 23 others, and widespread damage to buildings across the capital.

Air raid sirens, the buzz of kamikaze drones, and loud explosions echoed through the city until sunrise.

In a post on X, the UN Chief stated that the attacks, which disrupted the power supply to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, underscored the ongoing risks to nuclear safety, prompting the urgency of halting hostilities in line with the UN Charter, international law, and relevant UN resolutions.

“I strongly condemn the latest series of large-scale drone & missile attacks on Ukraine by Russia. The power supply to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was disrupted – once again underlining the ongoing risks to nuclear safety. I reiterate my call for a full, immediate & unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine as a first step towards a just, comprehensive & sustainable peace, in line with the UN Charter, international law & relevant UN resolutions,” Guterres stated.

Following the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the day as a “rocky start” but noted significant defensive successes.

“It was a rocky start to the day, with more than 500 Russian attack drones and missiles. Difficult, but a significant number were shot down. Interceptor drones demonstrated important performance today, and we are scaling this up to the hilt,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X.

Zelenskyy also announced a landmark development in Ukraine’s defence strategy in the same post, as Kyiv made an agreement with Denmark on weapons productions.

“Today marks an important decision in Europe — in Denmark — our first agreement on weapons production for Ukraine in Europe. Coproduction between Ukraine and Denmark. This is paramount both in terms of security and investment,” he added.

The deal will allow Ukrainian companies to begin joint weapons production on Danish territory, as reported by New York Post.

This is the first instance of Ukraine establishing military manufacturing operations abroad, as the country seeks to counter intensifying Russian attacks during the conflict.

As per the New York Post, citing Ukraine’s Strategic Industries Minister Herman Smetanin, Denmark is contributing USD 5 million to the initiative, which is designed to support Ukrainian defence startups.