Trump announces 25-40 pct tariffs on 14 countries

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday on social media that 25-percent tariffs will be imposed on imports from Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), respectively, beginning Aug. 1.

In his letters addressed to the leaders of the two countries, Trump said the new tariffs will be separate from all other sectoral tariffs.

Later on, he announced that similar letters were sent to the leaders of 12 other countries, namely Malaysia, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Myanmar, Laos, Tunisia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Cambodia, and Thailand, informing them that tariffs ranging 25 percent to 40 percent will be charged starting next month.

2 killed in Israeli drone strikes on S. Lebanon

Two people, including a Hezbollah member, were killed on Monday afternoon in two separate Israeli drone strikes in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese sources.

The Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported that one drone strike targeted a vehicle in the village of Deir Kifa in Tyre city, and the other targeted a motorcycle in the village of Bayt Lif in Bint Jbeil.

A Lebanese security source told Xinhua that the person killed in Deir Kifa was identified as Ali Haidar, a member of Hezbollah's military wing, and the one killed in Bayt Lif was identified as Hadi Ramah Mustafa.

Yemen's Houthis say Liberian-flagged bulk carrier sinks in Red Sea

Yemen's Houthi group said Monday that the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier MAGIC SEAS it attacked on Sunday sank completely in the Red Sea.

"The ship MAGIC SEAS sank completely in the depths of the Red Sea after our armed forces targeted it," Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV, adding that the attack was a response to the shipowner's "repeated violations" of the Houthi ban on entry to Israeli ports.

"The latest of these violations was the entry of three of the company's ships into occupied Palestinian ports last week, despite warnings from our naval forces," Sarea said.

Iran says death toll from Israeli attacks nears 1,100

The death toll from Israeli attacks on Iran between June 13 and 24 has reached 1,060, head of Iran's Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs Saeed Ohadi said Monday.

In a televised interview with state-run IRIB TV, Ohadi said the number could further rise given the seriously injured and the unidentified bodies.

Israel launched a series of major airstrikes on June 13 targeting nuclear and military sites across Iran, killing senior commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians, and injuring many others, according to Iranian authorities.

EU races to finalize trade deal with U.S. before July 9 tariff deadline

The European Union (EU) is intensifying its efforts to finalize a trade agreement with the United States before the looming July 9 deadline, aiming to avert a new wave of punitive tariffs.

European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill confirmed on Monday that "political and technical contacts" between Brussels and Washington are ongoing, with the EU still committed to securing an agreement in principle by Wednesday.

While hopes for a comprehensive trade deal have been abandoned due to time constraints, the EU remains focused on establishing a framework that can prevent further tariff increases. If no agreement is reached, U.S. tariffs on most EU imports are expected to rise from the current 10 percent to 20 percent, and potentially up to 50 percent, in line with rates announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on April 2.

Volcanic eruption of Indonesia's Mt. Lewotobi disrupts flights, threatens public health

Large eruptions of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province on Monday disrupted air travel and posed serious health risks due to the spread of volcanic ash.

Several international flights bound for I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali were canceled, while multiple domestic flights were suspended, according to the airport's official website.

Among the international carriers affected were Malindo Air and Jetstar, which canceled arrivals, while AirAsia rescheduled its flights. Domestically, Wings Air, Lion Air, and Super Jet Air closed boarding gates for their operations.