A 100% tariff on some imported drugs is coming October 1, Trump says

President Donald Trump announced Thursday that brand-name or patented pharmaceutical products will be subject to a 100% tariff starting October 1 – unless the drugmaker is building a manufacturing plant in the US, CNN reported.

Trump has been promising for months to levy tariffs on pharmaceutical imports, which avoided tariffs during his first term. The president sees tariffs as a way to pressure drug manufacturers to ramp up production in the US and to strengthen the supply chain for essential medicines.

Also, Trump has pointed to tariffs as a way to fulfill his vow to lower drug costs, though experts say that is unlikely to happen, according to CNN.

Trump signs order declaring TikTok sale ready and values it at $14 billion

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday declaring that his plan to sell Chinese-owned TikTok's U.S. operations to U.S. and global investors will address the national security requirements in a 2024 law, Reuters reported.

The new U.S. company will be valued at around $14 billion, Vice President JD Vance said, putting a price tag on the popular short video app far below some analyst estimates.

Trump on Thursday delayed until January 20 enforcement of the law that bans the app unless its Chinese owners sell it amid efforts to extract TikTok's U.S. assets from the global platform, line up American and other investors, and win approval from the Chinese government, according to Reuters.

 

Greece extradites oligarch to Moldova in $1bn fraud case

A Moldovan oligarch and former senior politician has been extradited from Greece accused of involvement in the theft of $1bn (£748m), BBC reported.

Vladimir Plahotniuc, 59, was flown from Athens to Chisinau on Thursday morning and then taken to a detention centre in Moldova's capital, local officials said.

The tycoon, who faces several long-running criminal cases in Moldova, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has vowed to prove his innocence.

His extradition comes days before Sunday's parliamentary elections, with President Maia Sandu warning that Moldova's independence and European future are in danger because of attempts by Russia to foment violence and spread disinformation, according to BBC.

 

Former French president Sarkozy given five-year sentence after Libya case

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in jail after being found guilty of criminal conspiracy in a case related to millions of euros of illicit funds from the late Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi, BBC reported.

The Paris criminal court acquitted him of all other charges, including passive corruption and illegal campaign financing. 

The ruling means he will spend time in jail even if he launches an appeal, which Sarkozy says he intends to do, according to BBC.

Speaking after Thursday's hearing, the 70-year-old, who was president from 2007-12, said the verdict was "extremely serious for rule of law".