US imposes 100% tax on imported drones
The US will impose a tariff of 10% to 100% on imported drones and related components and parts, according to a decree signed by US President Donald Trump on August 13 (Washington time).
According to Xinhua news agency, the tax is calculated based on the value of goods and applies to drones as well as parts and components imported into the US.
The highest tax rate is up to 100% of the value of goods, in the context that the Trump administration continues to use tariffs as a tool in trade policy.
Europe pours nearly 12.8 billion USD in aid to Ukraine
Europe has allocated nearly 12.8 billion USD to support Ukraine in May and June, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW).
Of this, about 5 billion USD is for military aid and 7.8 billion USD for financial and humanitarian aid. Most of the money is allocated through the European Union (EU), within the framework of a loan to support Ukraine worth about 105.3 billion USD, to finance the budget and military spending in 2026 and 2027.
In addition to support from the EU, Germany provides about 819 million USD in military aid, Denmark about 702 million USD and the Netherlands about 585 million USD. The UK leads the group of bilateral donors in financial and humanitarian aid, with about 1.8 billion USD.
According to IfW, European military aid in the first half of 2026 is almost equivalent to the previous year, but financial and humanitarian aid has decreased by 41%.
The Kiel Institute said that Europe is still significantly dependent on US weapons. In the first 6 months of the year, European countries purchased at least 3.5 billion USD of weapons from US defense businesses, equivalent to about 1/3 of the military aid provided through the industrial sector.
Weapons from US reserves also play an important role, accounting for more than 90% of military aid within the framework of NATO's PURL initiative.
He recorded the hottest day of the year
The temperature at Kew Gardens, southwest London, temporarily reached 38.1 degrees Celsius on August 13 (London time), becoming the highest temperature in the UK this year and the fifth highest ever recorded.
According to the British Met Office, this is the second time in the year that the temperature in this country has exceeded 38 degrees Celsius. The new temperature is also higher than this year's record recorded on June 26.
Met Office said the UK is heading towards its hottest summer since data began recording. Temperatures have continuously broken records in May and June.
The current heat wave is the fifth since May. Some areas of Scotland have experienced a heat wave, while the south and southwest of England recorded up to 8 waves according to the criteria of having at least 3 consecutive days exceeding the prescribed temperature threshold.
