WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that there will be a "planned partnership" between U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel, with substantial investment from the Japanese manufacturer in the U.S. company.
"US Steel will REMAIN in America, and keep its Headquarters in the Great City of Pittsburgh," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
"This will be a planned partnership between United States Steel and Nippon Steel, which will create at least 70,000 jobs, and add 14 Billion Dollars to the U.S. Economy. The bulk of that Investment will occur in the next 14 months," Trump said.
The president also noted that he will attend a big rally at the U.S. Steel headquarters in Pittsburgh on May 30.(US-Japan-Steel)
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BRUSSELS -- European trade chief said on Friday that the European Union (EU) stands ready to defend its interests after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose 50-percent tariffs on all EU goods effective June 1.
Maros Sefcovic, European commissioner for trade and economic security, stressed in a post on social media platform X that trade between the EU and the United States "must be guided by mutual respect, not threats."
"The EU's fully engaged, committed to securing a deal that works for both. The EU Commission remains ready to work in good faith," he wrote.(EU-US-Trade)
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SAN FRANCISCO -- The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Friday that it has reached a non-prosecution agreement with Boeing stemming from the two fatal crashes of its 737 Max aircraft, which together claimed 346 lives.
In its filing in the federal court in Texas, the DOJ described the agreement as "a fair and just resolution that serves the public interest," emphasizing that it ensures immediate accountability and substantial benefits for affected families while sidestepping the uncertainties and risks of litigation. Under the deal, Boeing will avoid a felony conviction and the scheduled trial next month.
Boeing will have to "pay or invest" more than 1.1 billion U.S. dollars, according to the filing.
It includes a 487.2-million-dollar criminal fine. A 243.6-million-dollar fine it already paid in an earlier agreement would be credited. It also includes 444.5 million dollars for a new fund for crash victims, and 445 million dollars more on compliance, safety and quality programs.
After the fatal crashes, Boeing was accused of conspiring to defraud regulators by withholding critical information about the 737 Max's flight-control system, which was implicated in both crashes. (US-Boeing-DOJ-Deal)
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UNITED NATIONS -- A lot of trucks cleared into Gaza lately were looted by desperate Gazans, a UN spokesman said Friday.
"We moved another batch of around 100 full truckloads to Kerem Shalom (Karem Abu Salem) and picked up about 35 from the Palestinian side of the crossing to bring them closer to where people need them in Gaza," said Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Six trucks containing flour were intercepted by residents and had their contents removed on Wednesday. The same thing happened to 15 trucks on Thursday night, Haq said. "And our understanding is that these are not instances of organized criminal looting. This is looting driven by people who are facing desperation and hunger."
Israel has long argued that much of the international aid to Gazans was diverted by Hamas, the armed de facto authority in the strip with tacit approval by the UN relief agency for Palestine refugees. The United Nations strongly denied the allegation.
The spokesman said UN humanitarians are engaging with local communities to build trust to ensure that looting does not occur in the future. However, he said the best way to combat looting is for more aid to get in so people don't face such desperation.(UN-Gaza-Aid)
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WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to impose tariffs on Samsung and other smartphone producers, following an earlier announcement targeting Apple.
"It would be more, it would be also Samsung and anybody that makes that product. Otherwise it wouldn't be fair," Trump told reporters at the White House Friday afternoon, when asked whether the president has the power to tariff one single company.
"That'll start on, I guess, the end of June ... I think we have that appropriately done by the end of June," Trump said.
Samsung is a South Korean company, with its Galaxy series a major competitor to Apple's iPhones.
Earlier in the day, Trump announced on social media that he will impose 25 percent tariff on Apple products unless iPhones are made in the United States.(US-Samsung-Tariff)
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BERLIN -- Authorities have identified the suspect in Friday's knife attack at Hamburg's central train station as a 39-year-old woman. According to German newspaper Bild, the number of injured has risen to 17.
The attack occurred around 6:05 p.m. local time (1605 GMT) on a platform outside the main station hall and in front of a waiting train, it said.
There are conflicting reports regarding the severity of the injuries. Bild reported that four victims are in critical condition, while the German news agency dpa said the number of critically injured is six.
Police subdued the suspect at the scene and took her into custody. Federal authorities have indicated that the attack appears to be an isolated act. An investigation into the incident is ongoing. (Germany-Hamburg Knife attack) ■
