'Complicit silence': BDS movement call for boycott of Radiohead’s 2025 tour

Copyright AP Photo

By David Mouriquand

Published on 04/09/2025 - 

The pro-Palestine campaign group BDS has said Radiohead “continues with its complicit silence” and has criticised the band's guitarist, Jonny Greenwood, for his recent performances with Israeli musician Dudu Tassa. They are calling for a boycott of the band’s recently announced UK and EU tour.

The pro-Palestine Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement has called for the boycott of Radiohead’s newly announced 2025 tour. 

The acclaimed British band has confirmed a run of shows in the UK and EU in November and December. These are their first live dates in over seven years.

The BDS movement’s social media page shared a message from the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), which argued that the band’s “complicit silence” and support of Israeli performers during the “genocide against Palestinians in Gaza” should be met with the boycott of the shows.

“Even as Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza reaches its latest, most brutal and depraved phase of induced starvation, Radiohead continues with its complicit silence, while one member repeatedly crosses our picket line, performing a short drive away from a livestreamed genocide, alongside an Israeli artist that entertains genocidal Israeli forces,” the Instagram post read. 

“Palestinians reiterate our call for the boycott of Radiohead concerts, including its rumoured tour, until the group convincingly distances itself, at a minimum, from Jonny Greenwood’s crossing of our peaceful picket line during Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.” 

The statement makes reference to Greenwood playing shows with Israeli musician Dudu Tassa in Tel Aviv last year. In June 2025, a pair of performances from the duo were cancelled following backlash from pro-Palestinian campaigners.  

PACBI welcomed the cancellations, claiming the performances would have "whitewashed" the war in Gaza.

Greenwood and Tassa posted a joint statement addressing the cancellations: “Forcing musicians not to perform and denying people who want to hear them an opportunity to do so is self-evidently a method of censorship and silencing,” continued the statement by Greenwood and Tassa. “Intimidating venues into pulling our shows won’t help achieve the peace and justice everyone in the Middle East deserves. This cancellation will be hailed as a victory by the campaigners behind it, but we see nothing to celebrate and don’t find that anything positive has been achieved.”

The statement continued: “We believe art exists above and beyond politics; that art seeks to establish the common identity of musicians across borders in the Middle East should be encouraged, not decried; and that artists should be free to express themselves regardless of their citizenship or their religion – and certainly regardless of the decisions made by their governments.”

This not the first time Radiohead has encountered backlash.  

In 2017, they played a show in Tel Aviv despite protests urging them not to. Today, PACBI said Radiohead had “yet to apologise” for playing the show. 

Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke responded to the controversy by stating: “Playing in a country isn’t the same as endorsing its government. We don’t endorse Netanyahu any more than Trump.” 

He added: “We’ve played in Israel for over 20 years through a succession of governments, some more liberal than others. As we have in America. Music, art and academia is about crossing borders not building them, about open minds not closed ones, about shared humanity, dialogue and freedom of expression.” 

Yorke also clashed with a heckler in Australia last year, temporarily halting his performance when someone at the show shouted at Yorke to “condemn the Israeli genocide of Gaza.” 

In May 2025, Yorke shared a post in which he explained his stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict: “That silence, my attempt to show respect for all those who are suffering and those who have died, and to not trivialise it in a few words, has allowed other opportunistic groups to use intimidation and defamation to fill in the blanks, and I regret giving them this chance. This has had a heavy toll on my mental health.” 

He added that his music should be enough of an indication to prove he “could not possibly support any form of extremism or dehumanisation of others”.

Radiohead are scheduled to play multiple dates in Madrid, Bologna, London, Copenhagen and Berlin. Fans can apply for tickets by registering on Radiohead’s website here from tomorrow. Or not, depending on where you stand regarding BDS’ call for boycott.

Tens of thousands of protesters draw the Red Line for Gaza in Brussels

Copyright AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert

By Evelyn Ann-Marie Dom

EURONEWS
Published on 07/09/2025 

It comes days after Belgium announced it would impose sanctions against Israel and recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly later this month, protest organisers say this is the result of public pressure, and urge demonstrators to keep taking to the streets.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators wearing red gathered in Brussels on Sunday to protest against the Israeli government and to draw a symbolic red line against its war in Gaza. Protesters are also calling on EU member states to take a tougher stance and impose firm sanctions against Israel.

Local police estimated around 70,000 demonstrators took part in the second edition of Brussels' 'Red Line for Gaza' march, but protest organisers estimate 110,000 people attended the march across the Belgian capital, which was 3.5 kilometres long.

More than 200 human rights groups and aid agencies, including Oxfam, Doctors without Borders, Amnesty International, Greenpeace, Save the Children, and more, participated and are drawing the red line.

The protest comes days after Belgium announced it would join the United Kingdom and France in recognising a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly later this month, and would impose sanctions against Israel, under certain conditions.

A woman holds a placard as she marches during the Red Line for Gaza demonstration in the center of Brussels, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert

"The compromise that the government reached would never have been there if we would not have had the previous march and launched Oxfam's 'Speak up for Palestine' campaign, now with 100,000 signatures," Katrien Van der Heyden, Teamleader Education at Oxfam Belgium told Euronews, emphasising the importance maintaining public pressure on EU politicians.

Oxfam Belgium teamed up with hundreds of Flemish actors, artists and influencers in launching the 'Speak up for Palestine' action. The campaign has already raised 100,000 signatures calling for a permanent ceasefire and an end to the violence and illegal occupation in Palestinian territories, safe and unrestricted access to humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians, and the introduction of economic sanctions on Israel.

While many demonstrators in Brussels acknowledged it is a step forward, they are not satisfied with the compromise that was reached, and want to see Belgium further toughen its stance against Israel, with uncompromised sanctions, and for EU member states and the European Union itself to follow suit.

"You don't compromise about children's lives, people's lives," Van der Heyden said. "You don't compromise as a government. You have to draw a red line, which is non-negotiable."

Van der Heyden, pointed out that a standing discrepancy divides the public and EU politicians, with a stark contrast "between the rage that people feel and the feeling of injustice and then the extreme immobility of politicians."

People wave Palestinian flags as they attend the Red Line for Gaza march in the center of Brussels, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert

"We have been asking our politicians for two years to intervene in Palestine," Isja Puissant, spokesperson for the Global Movement to Gaza in Belgium told Euronews, "they are still just discussing about the recognition of a Palestinian state by the end of September, when in reality, there might not be any Palestinians left by that time."

The Global Movement to Gaza is a grassroots coalition consisting of 44 countries that are dedicated to ending the blockade of Gaza.

Last week, twenty ships with more than 300 crew members as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla departed from the port of Barcelona in an effort to establish a humanitarian corridor, ships from other countries, including Tunisia and Italy, will join efforts to break the siege.

Earlier this week, a convoy from Italy's Genoa joined the flotilla. After several delays, the Gaza-bound boats are now expected to set sail from Tunisia on Wednesday.

European solidarity movement

In recent weeks, numerous pro-Palestine demonstrations took place across the continent, including in Ireland, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain. The rise in European solidarity comes in response to Israel's expanded offensive in Gaza, which had drawn international condemnation, and the catastrophic humanitarian conditions in the Strip.

In June, the first edition of the march in Brussels took place, where at least 75,000 people took to the streets of the Belgian capital. The 'Red Line for Gaza' march has also already twice been held in the Netherlands, which resulted in a massive turnout both times.

Red lines have also been appearing in various shop windows in major Belgian cities, a way for retailers to show their solidarity with the movement.

SYRIA

Suwayda violence: Head of Israel's Druze calls on Europe to act and defends Israeli strikes

SYRIAN DRUZE ARE AUTONOMOUS

Copyright Euronews

By Samia Mekki
Published on 04/09/2025 -

Speaking to Euronews about clashes in Syria, Sheikh Tarif said that "if there had been no Israeli intervention, the Druze community in Suwayda would have been wiped out."

The leader of the Druze community in Israel, Sheikh Muwafaq Tarif, visited Brussels on Tuesday where he met with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, and several other European officials to discuss recent clashes in Suwayda.

"We came to raise our voices and those of our people in Syria, in Jabal al-Arab, Jabal al-Druze. This was necessary given the situation that has developed there, and the events and massacres that have taken place," he told Euronews in an interview.

Syria has experienced a wave of violence between the Druze and Bedouins since July, leaving thousands dead or injured.

The clashes began with tit-for-tat kidnappings and attacks between members of local Sunni Bedouins and Druze armed factions in Suwayda, a hub of the Druze community in the south of the country.

That violence threatened to derail a fragile security situation after rebels ousted former President Bashar al-Assad in a lightning offensive in December, effectively ending more than 14 years of devastating civil war.

"It has become clear that the whole world, including the European Union and America, must act. We demand the return of those kidnapped as soon as possible. They must return the displaced to their homes and villages, restore normal life and bring humanitarian aid to our people in Suwayda."

A Druze militiaman mans a checkpoint following last week's sectarian clashes in the Druze-majority town of Suwayda, 25 July, 2025 AP Photo

There have also been cases of looting, robbery, rape and forced displacement of tens of thousands of people.

Alawites loyal to al-Assad, who belongs to the same ethnoreligious group, were the first community to suffer as part of the violence.

Christians, and more recently Druze, whose religion is an offshoot of Shia Islam, have also been targeted.

In a report issued last month, the UN Commission on Syria stated that "the violence that took place on the coast in March was systematic and widespread" and that it "may amount to war crimes."

According to the independent war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 2,000 Druze were killed in clashes with Sunni Bedouin tribes backed by forces loyal to interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa.

Druze militiamen ride a motorcycle past the site of an alleged Israeli army strike last week on the main road outside Suwayda, 25 July, 2025 AP Photo

In mid-August, the UN Security Council unanimously issued a statement condemning the atrocities and acts of violence against civilians.

"The Syrian Interim Authority must ensure that all perpetrators of violence are held accountable and brought to justice, regardless of their affiliations. The Council also noted the decision of the Ministry of Defence of the Syrian Interim Government to establish a commission to verify the affiliations and backgrounds of individuals involved in acts of violence. The Council stressed the importance of inclusiveness and transparency in the justice and reconciliation processes, emphasising their urgent necessity for the establishment of sustainable peace in Syria," a statement read.

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• Exclusive: Who are Syria's Druze and why are they under attack?

Sheikh Muwafaq Tarif listed the violations that have occurred in Syria against several communities, noting that the situation remains tense.

"There were attacks on the Alawites and large-scale massacres, followed by attacks on our Christian brothers. Then came the attacks and massacres in Suwayda and its suburbs. Killing, rape, looting, pillaging and theft. More than 230,000 people have been displaced from their villages. Today, there is a siege. A major siege of Suwayda. There is no electricity. There is no water. There is no medicine. There is no milk for the children," he said.

Amid this atmosphere and the deteriorating security situation and growing sectarian tensions, Israel then launched strikes on government convoys in Suwayda and on the Defence Ministry headquarters in Damascus, saying it was acting to protect the Druze.

A convoy of trucks carrying UN humanitarian aid enters Suwayda city, 28 August, 2025 AP Photo

Tarif defended the strikes. "We do not represent the Israeli government. We came here for the sake of the Druze community," he said.

Tarif concluded that "if there had been no Israeli intervention, the Druze community in Suwayda would have been wiped out."

In Israel, there are an estimated 150,000 Druze, most of whom have Israeli citizenship and serve in the Israeli army. Some have reached senior military and political positions and are often presented as an example of coexistence and tolerance within the Jewish state.

 

Worst drought in decades threatens Syria's fragile recovery from years of civil war

Copyright AP Photo/Omar Albam

By ABBY SEWELL and OMAR SANADIKI with AP

Published on 05/09/2025 - 

Experts say rainfall has been declining for decades in Syria, where a fledgling government is trying to stitch the country back together following 14 years of civil war.

The worst drought in decades is gripping much of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, drying out rivers and lakes, shrivelling crops and leading to dayslong tap water cutoffs in major cities.

The situation is particularly dire in Syria, where experts say rainfall has been declining for decades and where the fledgling government is trying to stitch the country back together following a 14-year civil war that left millions impoverished and reliant on foreign aid.

Small-farmer Mansour Mahmoud al-Khatib said that during the war, he couldn't reach his fields in the Damascus suburb of Sayyida Zeinab some days because militants from the Lebanese Hezbollah militia allied with then-President Bashar Assad would block the roads. That problem vanished when Hezbollah withdrew after Assad fell in a December rebel offensive, but the drought has devastated his farm, drying up the wells that irrigate it.

“The land is missing the water,” al-Khatib told The Associated Press recently as he watched workers feed the wheat he did manage to harvest into a threshing machine. “This season is weak; you could call it half a season. Some years are better and some years are worse, but this year is harsh.”

In a good year, his land could produce as much as 800 to 900 kilograms of wheat per dunam, an area equal to 0.1 hectares. This year, it yielded about a quarter that much, he said. He hired only six or seven workers this harvest season instead of last year’s 15.

Syria's withering crops

Because the drought followed a prolonged war, farmers who were already financially stretched have had little ability to cope with its effects, said Jalal Al Hamoud, national food security officer for the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation in Syria.

Before the uprising-turned-civil war that began in 2011, Syrian farmers produced an average of 3.5 million to 4.5 million tonnes of wheat per year, which was enough to meet the country’s domestic needs, according to Saeed Ibrahim, director of agricultural planning and economics in Syria’s Agriculture Ministry.

That annual yield dropped to 2.2 million to 2.6 million tonnes during the war, and in recent years, the government has had to import 60 to 70 per cent of its wheat to feed its roughly 23 million people. This year's harvest is expected to yield only 1 million tonnes, forcing the country to spend even more of its strained resources on imports.

Syrian farmers thresh their wheat in the outskirts of Damascus, Syria. AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki

Mudar Dayoub, a spokesperson for Syria's Ministry of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection, said this year’s wheat crop will only last for two or three months and that the government is "currently relying on signing contracts to import wheat from abroad” and on donations, including from neighbouring Iraq.

But in a country where the World Food Program estimates that half the population is food-insecure, Ibrahim warned that “total reliance on imports and aid threatens food security” and is “unsustainable.”

The drought isn't the only major issue facing Syria, where postwar reconstruction is projected to cost hundreds of billions of dollars. Since Assad fled, the country has been rattled by outbreaks of sectarian violence, and there's growing doubt about whether the new authorities will be able to hold it together. Without jobs or stability, millions of refugees who fled during the war are unlikely to come home.

Interconnected crises

A dam on the Litani River in neighbouring Lebanon's fertile Bekaa Valley forms Lake Qaraoun, a reservoir that spans about 12 square kilometres.

Over the years, climate change has led to a gradual decline in the water flowing into the reservoir, said Sami Alawieh, head of the Litani River National Authority.

This summer, after an unusually dry winter left Lebanon without the water reserves it usually banks through snow and rainfall, it has shrunk to the size of a pond, surrounded by a vast expanse of parched land.

Although an average of 350 million cubic metres of water flows into the lake during the rainy season each year, meeting about one-third of Lebanon's annual demand, this year the incoming water didn't exceed 45 million cubic metres, he said.

A drone view shows dramatically low water levels at Lake Qaraoun, one of the Lebanon's largest reservoirs, in Qaraoun village, eastern Lebanon. AP Photo/Hussein Malla

Lebanon’s water woes have further exacerbated the drought in Syria, which partially relies on rivers flowing in from its western neighbour.

The largest of those is the Orontes, also known as the Assi. In Syria’s Idlib province, the river is an important source of irrigation water, and fishermen make their living from its banks. This year, dead fish littered the dried-out river bed.

“This is the first time it’s happened that there was no water at all,” said Dureid Haj Salah, a farmer in Idlib’s Jisour al-Shugour. Many farmers can't afford to dig wells for irrigation, and the drought destroyed not only summer vegetable crops but decades-old trees in orchards, he said.

“There is no compensation for the loss of crops," Haj Salah said. "And you know the farmers make just enough to get by."

Relate

Mostafa Summaq, director of water resources in Idlib province, said the groundwater dropped by more than 10 metres in three months in some monitoring wells, which he attributed to farmers overpumping due to a lack of rain.

Local officials are considering installing metered irrigation systems, but it would be too expensive to do without assistance, he said.

Climate shocks bring a drier climate

Most experts agree that Syria and the broader region appear headed toward worse climate shocks, which they aren't prepared to absorb.

Climate change makes some regions wetter and others drier, and the Middle East and Mediterranean are among those that are drying out, said Matti Kummu, a professor at Aalto University in Finland who specializes in global food and water issues. Syria, specifically, has shown a trend of reduced rainfall over the past 40 years, while it has been using water at an unsustainable rate.

A Syrian boy holds a dead fish in the dried up Orontes River in Jisr al-Shughur, west of Idlib, Syria. AP Photo/Omar Albam

“There’s not enough water from rainfall or from snowmelt in the mountains to recharge the groundwater,” Kummu said. Due to increasing irrigation needs, he said, "the groundwater table is going lower and lower, which means that it’s less accessible and requires more energy (to pump)." At some point, the groundwater might run out

Even with limited means, the country could take measures to mitigate the impacts, such as increased rainwater harvesting, switching to more drought-tolerant crops and trying to put more effective irrigation systems in place, even simple ones.

But “in the long term, if the situation in terms of the climate change impacts continues" as currently projected, how much of the croplands will be arable in the coming decades is an open question, Kummu said.

 

Going to space could speed up biological ageing, NASA study finds

Copyright Keegan Barber/NASA via AP Photo

By Gabriela Galvin

Published on 05/09/2025 - 

Human blood cells that were sent into space began losing their ability to make healthy new cells, in a sign of accelerated ageing, the study found.

Going to space could speed up biological ageing, according to new research that tracked changes to human stem cells during four missions in space.

The study, which was supported by the American space agency NASA, found that blood cells that were sent to space lost some of their ability to make healthy new cells and started showing genetic damage, both signs of accelerated ageing.

“Space is the ultimate stress test for the human body,” said Dr Catriona Jamieson, one of the study’s authors and director of the Sanford Stem Cell Institute at the University of California San Diego in the United States.

Jamieson’s team used artificial intelligence (AI)-powered imaging tools to track real-time changes to cultured human cells that were sent on four SpaceX missions to the International Space Station (ISS).

• Google and NASA are building an AI tool to treat health problems while astronauts are in space

They used haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), which are responsible for blood cell production, making them critical for human health, including immune system function.

When these cells stayed in space for 32 to 45 days, they started losing their ability to make healthy new cells, the study found. Signs of molecular erosion, for example DNA damage and shorter telomeres, also become more apparent.

“These findings are critically important because they show that the stressors of space – like microgravity and cosmic galactic radiation – can accelerate the molecular ageing of blood stem cells,” Jamieson said in a statement.

Notably, when these cells returned to Earth and were placed in a healthier environment, some of the damage began to reverse, according to the study, which was published in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

Related

• How does a short trip to space impact the human body?

The findings underscore the need for new measures to protect astronauts’ health during extended space missions, the researchers said.

They now plan to study whether the same molecular changes are found in actual astronauts during space missions, with the goal of identifying medical or genetic antidotes that could help protect human health.

“Understanding these changes not only informs how we protect astronauts during long-duration missions but also helps us model human ageing and diseases like cancer here on Earth,” Jamieson said.

“This is essential knowledge as we enter a new era of commercial space travel and research in low Earth orbit”.

COURTIERS TO THE KING

Elon Musk sidelined from Donald Trump's White House dinner with US tech executives

Copyright Alex Brandon/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved

By Malek Fouda

Published on 05/09/2025 - 

Trump hosted tech leaders at the White House to discuss domestic investments and room for further development in an unexpected dinner which snubbed former aide and chief of Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk.

US President Donald Trump hosted a group of tech executives at the White House for dinner on Thursday, but one name was notably absent from the guest list: Tesla, SpaceX and X boss Elon Musk.

Musk, once a close ally of Trump’s who was previously tasked with leading DOGE, an initiative designed to cut back on wasteful federal spending, did not appear to make the exclusive cut of senior tech leaders.

The pair have not been on good standing since their highly public feud earlier this year over disagreements on Trump’s "Big Beautiful Bill", which Musk called “idiotic”, arguing that it will push federal expenditure and debt levels to new heights.

Musk later intensified the row with Trump, taking to X to accuse him of deliberately concealing disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein’s files to cover up his own involvement with the convicted sex offender.

Instead of Musk, Sam Altman, who heads OpenAI, the company responsible for ChatGPT, and one of Musk’s biggest rivals in the rapidly advancing artificial intelligence space, was present.

President Donald Trump points to a reporter to ask a question question during a dinner in the State Dinning Room of the White House, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in Washington Alex Brandon/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved

In another reflection of shifting loyalties in Trump's world, the dinner included Jared Isaacman, who founded the payment processing company Shift4.

Isaacman was a Musk ally chosen by Trump to lead NASA, only to have his nomination withdrawn because he was, in Trump's words, “totally a Democrat.”

Trump grills executives on domestic investments

Trump showcased research on AI and boasted of investments that companies are making around the United States.

“This is taking our country to a new level,” he said at the centre of a long table surrounded by what he described as “high IQ people.”

The dinner was the latest example of a delicate relationship between Trump and tech leaders, several of whom attended his inauguration.

Trump has exulted in the attention from some of the world's most successful businesspeople, while the companies are eager to remain on the good side of the mercurial president.

Microsoft's Bill Gates speaks during a dinner with President Donald Trump in the State Dinning Room of the White House, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, in Washington Alex Brandon/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserve

Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, who flanked Trump on the right, said his company invested $600 billion (€514 billion) in the US each year, while Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook said the same. Alphabet CEO, of which Google is a subsidiary, Sundar Pichai said his company was investing $250 billion (€214.2 billion).

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said the Seattle-based tech giant is investing up to $80 billion (€68.5 billion) per year.

Some of the other notable names who attended Thursday’s dinner include IBM chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna and Code.org President Cameron Wilson, who were among those participating in the task force.

The White House confirmed that the guest list for the dinner also included Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Google founder Sergey Brin, OpenAI founder Greg Brockman, Oracle CEO Safra Catz, Blue Origin CEO David Limp, Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, TIBCO Software chairman Vivek Ranadive, Palantir executive Shyam Sankar and Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang.

 

European travellers to the US will see ESTA fee almost double at end of September

Copyright Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

By Rebecca Ann Hughes

Published on 05/09/2025 - 

The price hike comes as the US is experiencing a steep decline in foreign tourists, and could potentially further dissuade visitors.

Starting this autumn, some travellers heading to the US will have to pay an increased fee for their visa waiver. 

Citizens of 41 countries, including those in the EU, have to apply for the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) for visits up to 90 days. 

The fee for the ESTA is set to almost double at the end of September.

The price hike comes as the US is experiencing a steep decline in foreign tourists, and could potentially further dissuade visitors.

ESTA fee to almost double at the end of September

The ESTA fee will rise from $21 (€18) to $40 (€34) on 30 September 2025. 

The ESTA is required for travellers entering the US through the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and remains valid for two years. These include nationals of EU member states and the UK. 

These travellers can visit the US for business or tourism stays for 90 days or less without a visa, as long as they have an ESTA. 

The fee structure consists of a $10 (€8.50) processing charge plus an extra $30 (€25.60) authorisation fee once the ESTA gets approved. This extra $30 includes a $17 (€14.50) travel promotion charge and a $13 (€11) Treasury General Fund charge.

When an ESTA application gets rejected, applicants pay only the $10 processing charge.

US sees sharp decline in foreign tourists

When the US Congress passed legislation for the cost increase in July, the move was condemned by the US Travel Association.

The US is experiencing a global downturn in visitor numbers. According to preliminary figures from the US National Travel and Tourism Office, international arrivals, not including travellers from Canada or Mexico, have fallen 1.6 per cent, or more than 3 million, so far in 2025 when compared to 2024. 

Related

• LGBTQ+ American travellers are looking to Europe for safer and more inclusive holidays
• Rising visa costs risk accelerating US travel decline as new fee comes into effect

Foreign travel to the US also dropped 3.1 per cent compared to last year in July to 19.2 million people. This was the fifth month that visitor numbers fell in 2025. It has countered expectations that travel numbers would finally top pre-pandemic levels of 79.4 million this year. 

The declining appeal of the US as a travel destination has been spurred by the Trump administration’s immigration policies, as well as widespread tariffs and foreign aid cuts. 

Tourist arrivals are also likely to be affected by a new $250 (€287) “visa integrity fee” that will go into effect on 1 October this year. 

This will affect travellers from non-visa waiver countries such as Argentina, Mexico, China, Brazil and India. 

It will increase the total US visa cost to $442 (€379). This would make it one of the most expensive tourist visas in the world, according to the US Travel Association, along with Australia’s visitor visa under subclass 600, at AUD 195 (€108) and the UK’s six-month tourist visa at £127 (€145).