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HARD NUMBERS: Trump pitches Europe on joint tariffs, Mexico nabs uniformed diesel smugglers, Hong Kong lawmakers veto same-sex bill, Apple holds prices steady

​U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, after an announcement of a trade deal between the U.S. and EU, in Turnberry, Scotland, Britain, July 27, 2025.

U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, after an announcement of a trade deal between the U.S. and EU, in Turnberry, Scotland, Britain, July 27, 2025.

REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo
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100: In his ongoing, and so-far fruitless, efforts to convince Vladimir Putin to stop the war in Ukraine, Donald Trump reportedly asked the EU to apply 100% tariffs on India and China, the Kremlin’s most important trade partners. The report also said Trump was prepared to apply those same tariffs himself if the EU agreed.

14: Mexican authorities have detained 14 people, including several active duty Marines, for smuggling diesel fuel into the country from the United States. The scandal could put further pressure on an already-strained relationship between the US and Mexico, key allies in Washington’s “War on Drugs.”

71: Hong Kong’s legislature vetoed a government-backed bill that would have granted some additional marital rights to same-sex couples registered overseas. Seventy-one lawmakers voted against the bill, with 14 in favor.

5.6: Apple on Wednesday introduced a new, slimmer iPhone “Air” model which is just 5.6mm thick. But the fatter news from the event is that the company has decided not to increase prices for iPhones, despite the impact of new US tariffs, which are currently costing the tech giant more than $1 billion per quarter.

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