Israel to formulate ‘necessary steps’ in response to US tariffs, finance minister says
JERUSALEM – Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Thursday he was convening ministry officials to formulate a course of action to protect Israel’s economy in the wake of President Donald Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on exports. As part…
World leaders condemn Trump’s tariffs, some pledge retaliation
Countries across the world, including some of America’s closest allies, condemned President Donald Trump’s announcement of reciprocal tariffs and some pledged counter-measures while hoping the White House would be open to negotiations. China urged the United States to immediately cancel…
With cellars overflowing, wine makers in Spain’s Rioja fret over US tariffs
FUENMAYOR, Spain – Stockpiles of wine in Spain’s Rioja region have swelled since the pandemic, but producers’ hopes of offloading tannic reds into the U.S. market were dimming ahead of what President Donald Trump is calling his “liberation day” tariffs…
Volkswagen to introduce ‘import fee’ on tariff-hit cars, WSJ reports
Volkswagen will introduce an “import fee” on vehicles affected by the 25% tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The German automaker has temporarily halted rail shipments of vehicles from Mexico and will…
France’s Macron to convene sectors hit by U.S. tariffs – French presidency
PARIS – French President Emmanuel Macron will convene all representatives of business sectors hit by the import tariffs announced Wednesday by U.S. President Donald Trump at the Elysee palace later in the day, the French presidency said on Thursday. Trump…
Tornadoes, heavy rains rip across central, southern US
Tornadoes ripped across a wide swath of the central and southern United States on Wednesday, destroying homes and businesses and bringing down power lines and trees. The National Weather Service said there had been at least 15 reports of tornadoes…
Mitsubishi plans to invest $27 billion over next 3 years to drive growth
TOKYO -Japanese trading house Mitsubishi Corp said on Thursday it planned to invest at least 4 trillion yen ($27 billion) over the next three years to drive growth and aimed to lift its net profit to 1.2 trillion yen in…
One of the Fed’s top recession alarms sends 2008-style signal
LONDON – One of the Federal Reserve’s preferred recession indicators has this week deteriorated as fast as it did in 2008, the latest sign that bond investors are bracing for a sharp economic slowdown as a result of U.S. President…
China hits back at US tariffs with rare earth export controls
BEIJING -China placed some rare earth elements under export restrictions on Friday as part of its sweeping response to President Donald Trump’s tariff package, potentially cutting the U.S. off from critical minerals vital to everything from smartphones to electric car…
US sending Israel 20,000 assault rifles that Biden had delayed, say sources
WASHINGTON – The Trump administration moved forward with the sale of more than 20,000 U.S.-made assault rifles to Israel last month, according to a document seen by Reuters and a source familiar with the matter, pushing ahead with a sale…
China urges US to cancel reciprocal tariffs
BEIJING – China has urged the United States to immediately cancel unilateral tariff measures and properly resolve differences with trading partners through equal dialogue, the commerce ministry said on Thursday. “Many trading partners have expressed strong dissatisfaction and clear opposition,”…
Musk’s cuts at US Social Security agency are illegal, lawsuit claims
By Daniel Wiessner (Reuters) -Disability rights groups filed a lawsuit on Wednesday claiming the Trump administration and billionaire Elon Musk broke various laws by firing thousands of workers and shuttering offices at the U.S. Social Security Administration. Five groups and…
Trump approval falls to 43%, lowest since returning to office, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s approval rating fell to 43%, the lowest since his return to office, as Americans soured on his tariff moves and his administration’s handling of information about a military strike in Yemen, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found….
Switzerland flags importance of international law after tariff hit
The Swiss government on Wednesday underlined the importance of respecting international law after U.S. President Donald Trump put higher tariffs on the export-oriented Alpine country than the European Union in a major trade policy announcement. Trump presented figures saying the…
South Korea’s acting President orders emergency measures over US tariffs
SEOUL -South Korea’s acting President Han Duck-soo ordered emergency support measures for businesses that will be impacted by the imposition of U.S. tariffs, including automobiles, the industry ministry said on Thursday. U.S. President Donald Trump has unveiled global reciprocal tariffs…
Canada will impose counter measures on United States, says Carney
OTTAWA – Canada will fight U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs with countermeasures, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Wednesday. “It’s essential to act with purpose and with force, and that’s what we will do,” he told reporters ahead of a…
Brazil evaluating ‘all possible actions’ after US tariffs
BRASILIA – The Brazilian government said on Wednesday it is evaluating all the possible actions in response to the United States’ decision to impose 10% tariffs on imports from Latin America’s No. 1 economy. “The Brazilian government is evaluating all…
Israel strikes military bases, infrastructure in Syria
Israel launched airstrikes on military airbases and infrastructure sites in the Syrian cities of Damascus, Hama and Homs on Wednesday, the Israeli military said. The attack almost completely destroyed the Hama military airport and led to dozens of injuries among…
Australia says US tariffs ‘not act of a friend’ but rules out reciprocal move
SYDNEY – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday the decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to impose tariffs was “not the act of a friend,” but ruled out placing reciprocal tariffs against the United States. Trump said he…
US Senate to hold hearing on making daylight saving time permanent
WASHINGTON – Congress will hold its first hearing in more than three years on a long-running push to make daylight saving time permanent in the United States. The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on April 10 on…
French wine, spirits sales expected to fall 20% after US tariff announcement
PARIS – Sales of French wine and spirits are expected to slide at least 20% after U.S. President Donald Trump announced global tariffs, Gabriel Picard, chairman of French wine and spirits exporters industry group FEVS said on BFM TV on…
Hamas will not respond to Israel’s counter Gaza ceasefire proposal, official says
CAIRO – Hamas decided not to respond or engage with Israel’s counter-proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, an official told Reuters on Wednesday, affirming it is committed to the mediators’ plan instead. Israel said on March 29 it conveyed to…
Israel says plenty of food in Gaza, UN says that’s ridiculous
UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations on Tuesday dismissed as “ridiculous” an assertion by Israel that there was enough food in the Gaza Strip to last for a long period of time, despite the closure of all 25 bakeries in…
Ukraine to hold ‘in-depth’ talks on foreign troop contingent Friday, Zelenskiy says
KYIV – Ukraine will hold in-depth talks on Friday with a small group of foreign countries about contributing forces to a contingent that would act as a security guarantee for Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday. The Ukrainian leader…
Exclusive-All local workers, US diplomats to be fired from USAID, sources say
WASHINGTON – Elon Musk’s cost-cutting team is finalizing the dismantlement of the U.S. Agency for International Development, ordering the firings of thousands of local workers and American diplomats and civil servants assigned to the agency overseas, two former top USAID…
EU proposes looser rules for automakers’ CO2 emissions targets
BRUSSELS -Automakers are set to get three years, rather than one, to comply with the EU’s 2025 CO2 emissions targets for cars and vans under a proposal to soften the rules, published by the European Commission on Tuesday. European car…
Israel’s Netanyahu withdraws nomination of candidate for intelligence agency
JERUSALEM – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has withdrawn his nomination of former navy chief Eli Sharvit to lead the domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet only a day after making it, a statement from his office said on Tuesday. Netanyahu…
Exclusive-Trump administration begins mass layoffs at health agencies, sources say
The Trump administration fired staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and at the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday, as it embarked on its plan to cut 10,000 jobs at the Department of Health and Human Services,…
Key dates in Iran’s long rivalry with the United States
Relations between Iran and the United States – once strong allies – have often been mistrustful and sometimes openly hostile since Iran’s 1979 revolution. Here are some key dates: 1953 – The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency helps orchestrate the overthrow…
Poll shows more than 50% of Ukrainians fear Trump’s efforts may lead to unjust peace
More than 50% of Ukrainians are critical of U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace efforts, fearing they are likely to lead to a partly unjust or completely unfair end to Russia’s war on their country, a Ukrainian pollster said on Tuesday….