Tariff uncertainty delays World Cup orders for China’s merch makers
Tariff fears are hurting World Cup merchandise orders at Shang Yabing’s Chinese knitwear factory, where racks of scarves bear the logos of national teams from Ireland to Tanzania.Manufacturers in China’s export hub Yiwu would normally already be inundated with World Cup orders ahead of next summer’s football tournament, this time hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.But a rollercoaster ride of a trade war between Washington and Beijing is making international buyers think twice before placing orders with companies like Shang’s Yiwu Wells Knitting Product.When AFP visited his bustling workrooms, Shang was overseeing rows of colleagues adding the finishing touches to a plethora of sports-themed accessories.”We’ve been in this industry for over 10 years, and we’ve produced World Cup-related merchandise for nearly every tournament in that time,” Shang said.”This year, we’ve secured some smaller orders, but the larger ones that were on hold before haven’t materialised yet… this is likely because of the US tariffs,” he added.At the factory on Thursday, crates overflowing with colourful wares surrounded employees’ workstations.Some workers used sewing machines to attach fringe trims to the ends of scarves, while another ironed green and yellow lengths of fabric emblazoned with the word “Australian”.China and the United States have extended a temporary truce, staving off triple-digit tariffs on each other’s goods until November, but the two sides continue to spar over semiconductors and TikTok.With a little under nine months to go before the World Cup, Shang said the company was still waiting for clients to approve substantial orders amounting to around a million pieces.- ‘Lack of clarity’ -Along the fluorescent-lit hallways of Yiwu’s sprawling International Trade City, one of the world’s largest wholesale markets, stores offering soccer balls and flags were relatively quiet compared to the rush of foreign buyers the sales hub sees during peak periods.Vendors displayed everything from flag-printed sunglasses to miniature football cleats hanging on keychains.”By this point before the last World Cup, we saw a huge influx of orders,” Daisy Dai, a seller of printed soccer balls, told AFP. This year, she said, “customers are holding back”.American buyers previously made up a large part of Dai’s clientele but “since the start of the trade war a number of large brands stopped ordering, because of a lack of clarity on tariffs”.Zhou Yanjuan, a seller of flags and World Cup-themed souvenirs, told AFP that shipments abroad had slowed for her.”We’re not selling necessities after all,” Zhou said.Still, she was optimistic that “things will gradually improve going forward”.”Everyone’s probably waiting for (tariffs) to be adjusted downward,” Zhou said. “That could make things a little easier for us.”
L’intersyndicale donne jusqu’à mercredi à Lecornu pour répondre “à leurs revendications”
“Abandon” d’une nouvelle réforme de l’assurance chômage, d’une “année blanche”… Les organisations syndicales ont lancé vendredi un “ultimatum” au nouveau Premier ministre, lui laissant jusqu’à mercredi pour répondre “à leurs revendications”, et menacent d’une nouvelle journée de manifestations s’il ne recule pas sur ces mesures budgétaires.Au lendemain d’une journée de mobilisation qui a réuni de 500.000 à plus d’un million de personnes dans les rues – selon les autorités ou la CGT -, les représentants des huit organisations syndicales (CFDT, CGT, FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC, Unsa, FSU et Solidaires) se sont réunies pour arrêter leur stratégie. Pour elles, la journée de jeudi est un “succès”, dont l’ampleur “confirme la colère et la détermination” dans le pays. Bien que Sébastien Lecornu a annoncé dès la semaine dernière l’abandon de la suppression de deux jours fériés, pour les centrales syndicales “le compte n’y est toujours pas !”.Elles demandent ainsi au Premier ministre “l’abandon de l’ensemble du projet” présenté cet été par son prédécesseur, François Bayrou, dont “le doublement des franchises médicales, l’année blanche (…), la suppression de 3.000 postes de fonctionnaires et la réforme de l’assurance chômage”, ainsi que la remise en cause du 1er Mai férié et chômé, dans un texte commun publié vendredi.Réunis pour la première fois depuis 2023 et la mobilisation contre la très controversée réforme des retraites, les syndicats demandent toujours “l’abandon du recul de l’âge légal de départ” à 64 ans.Et lancent un “ultimatum” à Sébastien Lecornu : “Si d’ici au 24 septembre (mercredi), il n’a pas répondu à leurs revendications, les organisations syndicales se retrouveront pour décider très rapidement d’une nouvelle journée de grève et de manifestations”, préviennent-elles.Les patrons ne sont pas épargnés : “Les organisations syndicales (…) exigent l’ouverture de négociations salariales dans toutes les branches et les entreprises” et que ces dernières justifient les 211 milliards d’euros d’aides publiques qu’elles ont reçues. – “La balle” dans le camp de Lecornu -Réforme des retraites adoptée sans vote du Parlement en 2023, échec du conclave après un désaccord profond avec le patronat, cinq réformes de l’assurance chômage en quelque années… la coupe semble pleine du côté des représentants de salariés.”On sait qu’il y a un déficit qu’il faut réduire” mais “ça ne peut pas se faire uniquement sur le dos des travailleurs et des travailleuses”, a martelé jeudi soir Marylise Léon, leader de la CFDT, sur RTL.Pour la patronne du premier syndicat de France, “la balle est dans le camp du Premier ministre qui nous a dit qu’il voulait construire des compromis, qu’il était prêt à bouger”. “On attend des preuves ! “”Nous sommes en position de force et exigeons des réponses immédiates”, abonde la patronne de la CGT, Sophie Binet, qui prévenait dès jeudi soir sur France 5 : “Nous ne rangerons pas les drapeaux tant que nous n’aurons pas eu gain de cause”.Interrogé en début de cortège jeudi à Paris, Frédéric Souillot (FO), a lui rappelé que son syndicat a déposé un préavis de grève reconductible cet été. A Albi, jeudi, Nadège, travailleuse sociale, déjà mobilisée la semaine dernière à l’appel du mouvement “Bloquons tout”, est prête à poursuivre la “mobilisation, qu’elle espère voir durer”.”Quand est-ce que ça va changer ?”, interrogeait Christine, accompagnante d’élèves en situation de handicap depuis 13 ans, dans le cortège à Perpignan. “C’est la première fois que je manifeste”, confiait-elle, “mais aujourd’hui, je dis STOP, on n’en peut plus”.Après la démonstration de force dans les rues, Sébastien Lecornu a fait savoir qu’il recevrait “à nouveau les forces syndicales”.Le Premier ministre doit “ouvrir des négociations sérieuses sur la base de leurs revendications”, estimait cette semaine François Hollande, interrogé par la presse. Autrement, “si un mouvement social s’installe, il compliquera le débat budgétaire. En revanche si des avancées sont obtenues elles auront à se traduire dans le budget et le PLFSS” (projet de financement de la Sécurité sociale, ndlr).
Taliban release detained elderly British couple
An elderly British couple detained in Afghanistan for almost eight months were released on Friday, the Taliban authorities said, after pressure built to free the pair due to fears over their health.Taliban officials have refused to detail why Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbara, 76, were arrested in February as they were returning to their home.”We’ve been treated very well. We’re looking forward to seeing our children,” said Barbara, in a red headscarf, standing next to her bearded husband, near a plane on the tarmac of Kabul airport.”We are looking forward to returning to Afghanistan if we can. We are Afghan citizens,” she added, after Qatar-facilitated negotiations for their release.The couple were married in Kabul in 1970, and have spent almost two decades living in Afghanistan running educational programmes for women and children. They also became official Afghan citizens.When the Taliban returned to power in 2021, the couple remained in Afghanistan against the advice of the British embassy.Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi in a statement posted on social media said the couple were handed over to the UK’s special representative to the country Richard Lindsay.”Two British nationals named Peter and Barbara Reynolds, who had violated the laws of Afghanistan, were released from custody today following the judicial process,” Balkhi added.Images of the couple standing together with Lindsay at Kabul airport before their departure to the Qatari capital Doha were broadcast on Sky News. “They are very relieved to be to be going home,” Lindsay told the broadcaster. The couple were first held in a maximum security facility, “then in underground cells, without daylight, before being transferred” to the intelligence services in Kabul, according to UN experts.In late July, the independent UN human rights experts called for the Taliban government to free the pair warning of the “rapid deterioration” of their physical and mental health, stating that they “risk irreparable harm or even death”.Their family had made repeated pleas about their ailing health after their arrest.Hamish Falconer, the UK’s minister for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan, said in a statement that he was “relieved… their ordeal has come to an end”.He added that it was against travel advice for British citizens to visit Afghanistan, warning that the government’s ability to offer consular assistance “is extremely limited”.Russia is the only country to have officially recognised the Taliban government, which has imposed a strict version of Islamic law and been accused of sweeping human rights violations. Only a handful of embassies have reopened in the capital after most evacuated at the end of the NATO-led war against Taliban militants.Foreign ministry spokesman Balkhi in his statement said that the government “does not view the matters of citizens from a political or transactional angle”, adding that “Afghans, wherever they may be, should also receive consular services”.It comes after Washington’s special envoy on hostages, Adam Boehler, made a rare visit on Saturday to Kabul to discuss the possibility of a prisoner exchange. At least one US citizen, Mahmood Habibi, is held in Afghanistan.Dozens of foreign nationals have been arrested since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021 following the withdrawal of the US military.A Qatari official, on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, told AFP that the couple were “safely released from detention in Afghanistan following mediation led by Qatar”.”The Qataris had been engaged with the Afghan authorities for many months, working in close coordination with the British government,” he added.
US comics slam ‘censorship’ after Kimmel pulled
Late-night TV comics skewered US President Donald Trump and denounced “blatant censorship” after Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show was pulled off air over his comments on the murder of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.Network ABC’s decision to suspend Kimmel “indefinitely” came after Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Brendan Carr threatened the licenses of ABC affiliates that broadcast his show.Trump, on his way back from a trip to Britain, again condemned evening shows on network television, saying “all they do is hit Trump.””I mean, they’re getting a license. I would think maybe their license should be taken away. It will be up to Brendan Carr,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.Stephen Colbert — whose own Emmy-winning “Late Show” on CBS will be taken off the air next year — opened his Thursday program by saying “today, we are all Jimmy Kimmel.””After threats from Trump’s FCC Chair, ABC yanked Kimmel off their air indefinitely. That is blatant censorship,” Colbert said.”With an autocrat, you cannot give an inch, and if ABC thinks this is going to satisfy the regime, they are woefully naive,” he said.Colbert’s show was axed shortly after he criticized a decision by CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, to settle a lawsuit brought by Trump over an interview with former vice president Kamala Harris.CBS said in July that cancelling Colbert’s program was a “purely financial decision.”Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart delivered his own response to Kimmel’s suspension, introduced on Thursday night as “your patriotically obedient host” of the “all-new government-approved Daily Show.””Some naysayers may argue that this administration’s speech concerns are merely a cynical ploy… to obscure an unprecedented consolidation of power and unitary intimidation,” Stewart said.”Some people would say that — not me though, I think it’s great.”Once a staple for American audiences, late-night talk shows on network TV have seen declining viewership and advertising revenue in recent years amid a trend of cord-cutting.Linear ad spending for late-night segments on ABC, CBS and NBC nearly halved between 2018 and 2024, falling from $439 million to $221 million, the New York Times reported in May citing data from advertising data firm Guideline.- ‘Not done yet’ -FCC chief Carr said on Thursday that the media ecosystem was experiencing a “very disruptive moment” and that more changes were to come.”We are in the midst of a massive shift in dynamics in the media ecosystem… including the permission structure that President Trump’s election has provided,” he said on a CNBC program.”I would simply say we’re not done yet with seeing the consequences of that.”Trump earlier urged NBC to remove satirists Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers, writing on his Truth Social platform that they were “total losers.”On The Tonight Show, Fallon praised Kimmel as a “decent, funny and loving guy and I hope he comes back.””A lot of people are worried that… we’ll be censored, but I’m going to cover the president’s trip to the UK just like I normally would,” Fallon told his audience.A voiceover was then played calling Trump “incredibly handsome.”Meyers said on Thursday that Trump’s administration is “pursuing a crackdown on free speech” at home.”And completely unrelated, I just want to say… I’ve always admired and respected Mr Trump,” he said.”If you’ve ever seen me say anything negative about him, that’s just AI.”Late-night legend David Letterman also defended Kimmel on Thursday, calling the ABC decision “ridiculous.””You can’t go around firing somebody because you’re fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian criminal administration in the Oval Office,” Letterman said at a New York event.Fox News host Greg Gutfeld said on Thursday Kimmel was not being “censored” after earlier calling him a clown.”While some say it’s an attack on free speech, others believe it’s an excuse to unload Jimmy due to his poor ratings and the cost to keep him on,” Gutfeld said.
Stocks diverge, dollar up before Trump-Xi talks
Stock markets diverged and the dollar rose Friday at the end of a week marked by central bank decisions, as attention turned to a call between US President Donald Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.Nearing the half-way stage in Europe, London and Paris edged higher while Frankfurt dipped. The British pound retreated after official data showed UK government borrowing had reached its highest level since the Covid pandemic. Tokyo led losses among major Asian indices on expectations that Japan’s central bank would hike interest rates later this year after leaving borrowing costs unchanged Friday.Before the announcement, official data showed inflation in Japan — the world’s fourth-largest economy — slowed in August, with rice price rises easing following a sharp spike that had rattled the country’s government.The week saw a widely expected interest rate cut from the US Federal Reserve, as well as reductions by the central bank’s of Norway and Canada.The Bank of England left rates unchanged. “The key event today is the scheduled phone call between US President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping,” said Sam Cornford, head of trading at broker Ballinger Group. Trump told reporters he would speak to Xi about a deal to change ownership of the hugely popular video-sharing app TikTok.The US president has repeatedly put off a ban under a law designed to force TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell its US operations for national security reasons.”Trade issues are also likely to come up, and there’s some speculation this could pave the way for an in-person meeting,” Cornford added.The call comes after high-level discussions between Washington and Beijing officials in Madrid, where they addressed trade ahead of a November tariff deadline.All three main Wall Street indices ended Thursday at record highs, thanks to another surge in the share prices of technology giants.That came after news that chip titan Nvidia will invest $5 billion in struggling US rival Intel and jointly develop processors for PCs and data centres.- Key figures at around 1100 GMT -London – FTSE 100: UP 0.1 percent at 9,234.49 pointsParis – CAC 40: UP 0.3 percent at 7,874.83Frankfurt – DAX: DOWN 0.2 percent at 23,635.08Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.6 percent at 45,045.81 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: FLAT at 26,545.10 (close)Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.3 percent at 3,820.09 (close)New York – Dow: UP 0.3 percent at 46,142.42 (close)Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1759 from $1.1785 on ThursdayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3495 from $1.3550Dollar/yen: UP at 147.99 yen from 147.97 yenEuro/pound: UP at 87.15 pence from 86.96 penceBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.3 percent at $67.23 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.6 percent at $62.91 per barrel
Accusée de corruption, Panosyan-Bouvet dépose plainte pour “dénonciation calomnieuse”
La ministre du Travail, Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet, a porté plainte vendredi “pour dénonciation calomnieuse à l’encontre de l’association +AC !! Anti-corruption+”, qui l’a récemment accusée d’être intervenue pour faire baisser les cotisations dues par une entreprise, ce que revendique la ministre démissionnaire.C’était un “acte de gestion justifié”, selon la ministre du Travail.Selon la plainte de l’association, Mme Panosyan-Bouvet est intervenue pour faire baisser les cotisations dues par l’entreprise Setforge à l’Urssaf, et ce possiblement malgré une décision de justice défavorable à la société, comme l’avait écrit Mediapart début septembre.Cette plainte contre X dénonce plusieurs infractions possibles comme la prise illégale d’intérêts, le détournement de fonds publics ou la concussion, mais aussi l’abus d’autorité, l’abus de biens sociaux ou la présentation inexacte des comptes annuels.”Cette plainte porte sur une décision que j’ai prise en avril dernier à la requête de délégués syndicaux (CFDT, CGT), d’élus locaux (maire et président d’intercommunalité, sénatrice) et d’autorités locales et nationales (préfet, directeur de l’industrie de défense à la Direction générale de l’armement)”, rappelle Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet, dans un communiqué transmis à l’AFP.Elle indique avoir agi “en concertation avec Matignon et Bercy, comme il est d’usage dans ce genre de cas, et dans le respect du droit, pour autoriser une modification d’un taux de cotisation sociale d’un des sites de Moselle d’une entreprise industrielle, avec laquelle je n’ai strictement aucun lien”.La fragile situation de la société menaçait alors d’entraîner la suppression d’une centaine d’emplois, a fait valoir le ministère.”Cette plainte a été déposée par une association sans agrément, en énumérant des infractions aussi graves qu’hétéroclites”, regrette Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet.”Quand la probité est mise en doute avec la volonté manifeste non pas de questionner une décision mais de nuire et cultiver une défiance malsaine, c’est la possibilité même de l’action publique qui est fragilisée”, estime la ministre qui accuse “l’association +AC !! Anti-corruption+ d’avoir élaboré et diffusé cette plainte mensongère”.Dans une réponse adressée à l’AFP lundi, l’Urssaf avait précisé qu’à la “suite d’un arbitrage rendu par la ministre du Travail, la Carsat d’Alsace-Moselle a régularisé les taux de cotisation ATMP (accidents du travail et maladies professionnelles) applicables à l’établissement de l’entreprise Setforge sur les exercices 2022 à 2025. Suite au recalcul effectué en mai 2025, l’Urssaf a remboursé les cotisations trop perçues”.”Préalablement à ce remboursement, l’entreprise n’avait aucune dette vis-à-vis de l’Urssaf et n’avait pas fait l’objet d’un redressement de la part de l’Urssaf”, selon cette source.Pour AC !! Anti-corruption, l’intervention de la ministre sur les taux de cotisation “a eu pour conséquence directe de soustraire à la Sécurité sociale des sommes qui lui étaient dues et de faire bénéficier Setforge d’un effacement de dette sociale injustifié”.
India and Pakistan meet again at Asia Cup after handshake row
India and Pakistan clash again in the Asia Cup on Sunday, renewing one of cricket’s fiercest rivalries a week after their last match was overshadowed by a handshake row.India won the September 14 group match by seven wickets in Dubai and afterwards refused to shake hands with their opponents, angering Pakistan.It was the first meeting between the neighbours since a four-day cross-border conflict in May left more than 70 people dead.The Pakistan Cricket Board lodged a protest with the International Cricket Council alleging that match referee Andy Pycroft had told skipper Salman Agha not to approach Indian counterpart Suryakumar Yadav for a handshake at the toss. The PCB demanded Pycroft be removed from their matches and threatened to withdraw from the eight-team Twenty20 competition. Their last group game was held up for an hour before the PCB said Pycroft had apologised and the match, with the Zimbabwean in charge, eventually went ahead.Pakistan beat hosts the United Arab Emirates to qualify for the next stage, the Super Fours, and set up another meeting with India in Dubai.Indian media has reported that the team plans to stick to its no-handshake policy for Sunday’s clash.India spinner Kuldeep Yadav sought to defuse the controversy. “When you step onto the field it’s just a batter in front of you. I have always approached it this way against Pakistan,” he said ahead of India’s last group game, against Oman on Friday.Agha also stuck to sport. “If we play good cricket like we have played in the last few months I think we’ll be good against any side,” the Pakistan captain told reporters.- Simmering tensions -Because of fraught political ties, nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan only meet at neutral venues during multi-team tournaments.Tensions soared ahead of the Asia Cup after the two countries engaged in their worst conflict since 1999.The hostilities in May left more than 70 people dead in missile, drone and artillery exchanges, before a ceasefire.The conflict was triggered by an April attack on civilians in Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi accused Pakistan of backing, a charge Islamabad denies.India resisted calls to boycott the first Pakistan match.A potential third India-Pakistan showdown looms if both sides qualify for the final on September 28 in Dubai.India lifted the Asia Cup in its last, 50-over edition and are favourites to retain the crown.India and Pakistan advanced to the next stage from Group A while Sri Lanka and Bangladesh qualified from Group B. Sri Lanka face Bangladesh on Saturday in the first Super Fours fixture.Sri Lanka, unbeaten so far, look dangerous while Bangladesh carry the underdog tag under skipper Litton Das.Along with regional bragging rights, the Asia Cup serves as build-up towards the T20 World Cup in February-March in India and Sri Lanka.