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At least 59 people have been killed and 155 others injured after a fire broke out a nightclub in North Macedonia on March 16.
They were watching DNK, a popular hip-hop duo in the country.
People desperately tried to escape the flames but there was only one exit for around 500 people, as the only other door at the back of the venue was locked.
Police have detained 15 people, with Interior Minister Pance Toskovski saying that there are “grounds for suspicion that there is bribery and corruption” linked to the fire.
Those detained include the owner of the venue and former government officials.
PM Hristijan Mickoski has said there will be “no mercy”, regardless of political rank or party affiliation.
The fire started around 02:30 local time on March 16 when sparks from pyrotechnic devices hit the ceiling, which was made of highly flammable material, Toskovski said.
Described as an “improvised nightclub” by the local press, the venue, located in a town around 60 miles east of the capital, Skopje, did not have a legal licence to operate, Toskovski said.
It had previously been a carpet warehouse, and police are investigating.
“Most of the dead suffered injuries from the stampede that occurred in the panic while trying to exit,” the head of the Kocani hospital, Kristina Serafimovska, told reporters.
“Seventy of the patients have burns and carbon monoxide poisoning,” she said, according to AFP news agency.
Vladislav Gruev, a specialist in reconstructive and plastic surgery at the University Clinic for Surgical Diseases, has been treating survivors.
“Most of them have extensive burn injuries, above 18% surface body area, second and third degree burns on the head, neck, upper torso, and upper limbs – hands and fingers,” he said.
Inspections on march 16 showed several “abnormalities” in the venue, including “deficiencies” in the fire-extinguishing and lighting system, said public prosecutor’s office spokesman Biljana Arsovska.
Speaking outside the hospital, Red Cross volunteer Mustafa Saidov said the majority of those who died were young people.
“Inside where they are identifying the victims, the situation is far worse. You see that the parents are also quite young people, in their 40s. Their children are 18 or 20 years old.”
“The situation is brutal, chaotic, the stories are very sad, and unfortunately many young lives are lost.”
One man, whose nephew was injured in the fire, said some people have been unable to locate their children.
The most seriously injured were being taken for treatment in specialist clinics in Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia and Turkey, she added.
The government has declared seven days of national mourning, and it will hold an emergency session as part of ongoing investigations into how the incident unfolded.
According to Gene Hackman’s recently released will, the Oscar-winning actor left his entire $80 million fortune to his wife of 30 years, Betsy Arakawa.
Betsy Arakawa, 65, was found dead alongside her husband in their New Mexico home last month.
Legal experts have now said that, because authorities say Betsy Arakawa died seven days before her husband, the actor’s children could now potentially inherit his fortune, despite not being named in the will.
His three children with his late ex-wife, Faye Maltese – Christopher, 65, Elizabeth, 62, and Leslie, 58 – have not commented publicly on the matter.
Gene Hackman, 95, named Betsy Arakawa as his sole beneficiary in 1995, with the last update to the will in 2005.
The estate could default to Gene Hackman’s children under succession laws, as long as there was no other beneficiary named.
They would also need to prove that the will is invalid because Betsy Arakawa died before Gene Hackman.
Authorities say Betsy Arakawa passed away on February 11 after contracting a rare virus, days before Gene Hackman died of natural causes.
The couple was found dead in separate rooms of their $4m Santa Fe home on February 26 after neighbourhood security conducted a welfare check and saw their bodies on the ground through a window.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Betsy Arakawa was found in the bathroom with pills scattered nearby, while Gene Hackman was in the back of the house, wearing sweatpants and slippers, his cane and sunglasses beside him.
Officials determined he died seven days after his wife due to severe heart disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s listed as a contributing factor.
Authorities initially deemed the scene “suspicious” but later ruled out foul play.
Betsy Arakawa’s own will left her assets to Gene Hackman, with a provision that if they died within 90 days of each other, her estate would go to a trust and later be donated to charity after covering medical expenses.
President Vladimir Putin announced that he agreed with the idea of a ceasefire in Ukraine, but that “questions” remained about the nature of a truce as he set out a number of tough conditions.
The Russian president was responding to a plan for a 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine agreed to earlier this week after talks with the US.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described Vladimir Putin’s response to the plan as “manipulative” and called for more sanctions on Russia.
Meanwhile, the US placed further sanctions on Russian oil, gas and banking sectors.
Speaking at a news conference in Moscow on March 13, President Putin said of the ceasefire proposal: “The idea is right – and we support it – but there are questions that we need to discuss.”
A ceasefire should lead to “an enduring peace and remove the root causes of this crisis”, he said.
“We need to negotiate with our American colleagues and partners,” he said.
“Maybe I’ll have a call with Donald Trump.”
Vladimir Putin added: “It will be good for the Ukrainian side to achieve a 30-day ceasefire.
“We are in favour of it, but there are nuances.”
Image source Wikimedia
Putin “doesn’t say no directly”, Zelensky said in his nightly video address, but “in practice, he’s preparing a rejection”.
“Putin, of course, is afraid to tell President Trump directly that he wants to continue this war, wants to kill Ukrainians.”
Vladimir Putin had set so many pre-conditions “that nothing will work out at all”, Zelensky said.
After Putin’s remarks and Zelensky’s response, there is now a clear divide between both sides’ positions.
Ukraine wants a two-stage process: a quick ceasefire and then talks about a longer-term settlement.
Russia believes you cannot separate the two processes and all the issues should be decided in a single deal. Both sides seem content to argue their differences.
Ukraine believes it can put pressure on Russia, painting it as a reluctant peacemaker, playing for time. Russia, equally, believes it has a chance now to raise its fundamental concerns, about Nato expansion and Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Speaking at the White House following Putin’s remarks, President Trump said he would “love” to meet the Russian leader and that he hoped Russia would “do the right thing” and agree to the proposed 30-day truce.
“We’d like to see a ceasefire from Russia,” he said.
Speaking earlier at a meeting in the Oval Office with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte, Donald Trump told reporters he had already discussed specifics with Ukraine.
“We’ve been discussing with Ukraine land and pieces of land that would be kept and lost, and all of the other elements of a final agreement,” he said.
“A lot of the details of a final agreement have actually been discussed.”
The fresh sanctions on Russian oil and gas came as the Trump administration further restricted access to US payment systems, making it harder for other countries to buy Russian oil.
President Donald Trump has pledged to impose more tariffs after his latest move to introduce import taxes on steel and aluminium entering the US prompted retaliation from the European Union (EU) and Canada.
Donald Trump said “of course” he would respond to the countermeasures, repeating his warning to reveal “reciprocal” tariffs next month on countries around the world.
“Whatever they charge us with, we’re charging them,” he said.
The threat marked a further escalation of a trade war which has rattled financial markets amid concerns over the impact on the economies and consumers in many countries around the world, including the US.
On March 12, President Trump moved forward with a plan to widen US tariffs on steel and aluminium, imposing a blanket duty of 25% and ending exemptions that the US had previously granted for shipments from some countries.
That followed an order earlier this month that raised levies on Chinese imports into the US to at least 20%.
President Trump has also threatened tariffs – which are taxes applied to goods as they enter a country – on a range of more specific items, including copper, lumber and cars.
Leaders in Canada and Europe called the new metals taxes unjustified and struck back with their own tariffs on a range of US products.
Other countries that are key US suppliers of metals, including the UK, Australia, Mexico and Brazil, held off on any immediate retaliation.
Canada said from March 13 it would start charging a 25% tax on nearly C$30bn ($20bn) worth of US products, including steel, computers and sports equipment.
The EU said it would raise its levies on up to €26bn ($28bn) worth of US goods, including boats, bourbon and motorbikes, from April 1.
EU President Ursula von der Leyen said the response was intended to be „strong but proportionate” and added that the EU stood „ready to engage in a meaningful dialogue”.
„Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business and worse for consumers,” she said, warning the economic disruption put jobs at stake and would send prices higher.
„Nobody needs that – on both sides, neither in the European Union nor in the United States.”
Donald Trump had said he wants to boost US steel and aluminium production in the longer run, but critics say in the immediate term the taxes on imports of the metals will raise prices for US consumers and dent economic growth.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited Kursk for the first time since Ukraine’s incursion across the border, Russian media reported, as Moscow claims to have recaptured more of the region.
It comes as the White House confirms President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is going to Moscow for talks on a US-proposed ceasefire plan backed by Ukraine.
It was agreed on March 11 after Ukrainian officials held talks with the US.
On March 12, President Trump said a ceasefire deal “would be 80% of the way to getting this horrible blood bath [to end]”.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said “everything depends on Russia”, calling on Moscow to respond to the proposal.
However, Russia has said it would wait to be briefed by American officials before commenting – and that it’s “studying statements”.
Ukraine’s leadership has been getting advice from its friends, including Britain’s National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell. Their message is clear: like it or not, you must mend relations with the White House and not go up against Trump. Hence Ukraine falling swiftly into line with the US proposal for a comprehensive 30-day ceasefire.
For Trump, it represents a clear vindication of his strategy: forcing an end to a war he sees as unwinnable.
President Trump is also putting pressure on Russia – he said earlier that penalties for them could be “devastating” if they opt to continue the war.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that he sees promise in Ukraine’s proposal for a partial ceasefire to end the war with Russia, ahead of talks in Saudi Arabia between US and Ukrainian officials.
“I’m not saying that alone is enough but it’s the kind of concession you would need to see in order to end the conflict,” he said on March 10.
Kyiv is expected to propose an aerial and naval truce with Russia during the negotiations on March 11, a Ukrainian official told AFP.
Russia has previously rejected the idea of a temporary ceasefire, saying it was an attempt to buy time and prevent Ukraine’s military collapse.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky landed in Saudi Arabia on March 10 to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, although he is not expected to play any formal role in the talks between his country and the US.
The Ukrainian team will be represented by Zelensky’s head of office Andriy Yermak, the country’s national security adviser and several foreign and defence ministers.
Marco Rubio will represent the US delegation alongside National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
Before arriving in Jeddah on March 10, Marco Rubio said that it was important to “establish clearly Ukraine’s intentions” for a peace deal and that the country would “have to be prepared to do difficult things like the Russians are going to have to do difficult things to end this”.
“I’m not going to set any conditions on what they have to or need to do,” he added.
“We want to listen to see how far they’re willing to go, and compare that to what the Russians want, and then see how far apart we truly are.”
He said that both sides needed to realize that “there’s no military solution” to the conflict and it can only be resolved through “diplomatic means”.
It comes as President Donald Trump steps up pressure on Volodymyr Zelensky to agree to a ceasefire with Moscow, without any promises of US security guarantees.
The talks mark the first official meeting since Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the White House descended into acrimony last month.
Following the meeting, the US paused military aid and intelligence sharing for Kyiv in an apparent bid to get President Zelensky to the negotiating table.
Marco Rubio said that he hoped the pause in aid could be “resolved” but that the negotiations on March 11 “would be key to that”.
Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa died from a respiratory illness linked to hantavirus, a rare disease transmitted by infected rodents, officials have confirmed.
Health experts warn that hantavirus can cause flu-like symptoms after exposure to rodent droppings, and in severe cases, it may develop into Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a life-threatening lung condition.
Medical investigators believe Betsy Arakawa contracted HPS, which led to her death.
It is believed the Oscar-winning actor’s wife died a week before her husband, who was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Authorities discovered the deceased couple in their New Mexico home last month.
What is hantavirus?
Hantavirus refers to a strain of viruses carried by rodents, primarily transmitted to humans through inhalation of airborne particles from dried rodent droppings.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), infections typically occur when the virus becomes airborne from a rodent’s urine, droppings, or saliva.
Though rare, the infection can also spread through rodent bites or scratches. In North America, deer mice are the most common carriers, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The virus can cause two severe illnesses. The first, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome – the most common strain in the US – was the illness that led to Betsy Arakawa’s death, officials say.
Symptoms often start with fatigue, fever, and muscle aches, followed by headaches, dizziness, chills, and abdominal issues. If respiratory symptoms develop, the mortality rate is approximately 38%, according to the CDC.
The second illness, Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal syndrome (HFRS), is more severe and primarily affects the kidneys.
The CDC reported 864 cases of hantavirus in the US between 1993 and 2022.
Most of the cases were found in rural areas of western states like California, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado.
The agency began surveillance for hantavirus diseases in 1993 during an outbreak of severe respiratory illness near the Four Corners region of the US where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah all meet.
There may be around 150,000 cases of Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal syndrome worldwide each year, according to a report from the National Institutes of Health. More than half occur in China.
Hantavirustreatment
There is no specific treatment for hantavirus infections.
The CDC recommends supportive care to treat symptoms.
Patients with severe symptoms may need to be admitted to hospitals in intensive care units. Some may need to be intubated in severe cases.
The CDC recommends eliminating contact with rodents in homes or workplaces to reduce exposure to the virus.
The agency also recommends sealing entry points in basements or attics where rodents may enter homes.
Wearing protective gear is also suggested when cleaning up rodent droppings to avoid inhaling contaminated air.
The Trump administration is immediately pulling $400 million worth of federal funding from Columbia University, saying it failed to fight antisemitism on campus.
A statement issued by four federal agencies said the funding cut was due to “continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students”.
In 2024, the New York university was the epicenter of pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses against war in Gaza and US support for Israel.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump had threatened to pull funding from schools and universities that allow “illegal protests”.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in the statement that Jewish students on campus who had been the victims of “relentless violence, intimidation, and anti-Semitic harassment on their campuses” were “ignored” by university authorities.
“Today, we demonstrate to Columbia and other universities that we will not tolerate their appalling inaction any longer,” she said.
The university is reviewing the announcement, and pledged to work with the government to restore its federal funding, a spokeperson has said.
Columbia is one of the most prestigious universities in the US and has about 30,000 students. Its famous Morningside Heights campus is on the west side of Manhattan.
In 2024 the Ivy League university saw some of the largest and tensest campus demonstrations in the US as students protested against Israel’s military operation in Gaza.
Gene Hackman died of natural causes about a week after his wife Betsy Arakawa, who died after contracting a rare virus, a New Mexico medical investigator has said.
The 95-year-old Oscar-winning actor died at his Santa Fe home from coronary artery disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease a contributing factor.
Betsy Arakawa, 65, died in the same house from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a rare but serious respiratory illness caused by exposure to infected rodents.
Authorities believe Gene Hackman’s wife passed away about seven days before her husband. Her cause of death was listed as natural.
It is likely that Betsy Arakawa died first on February 11, Dr. Heather Jarrell of the New Mexico Medical Investigator’s Office told a news conference on march 7.
She said it was “reasonable to conclude” that Gene Hackman died on February 18.
Betsy Arakawa’s last known movements and correspondence were on February 11, when she was seen going to a market, a CVS pharmacy and a pet store, before returning home in the early evening.
Given that Gene Hackman was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease it is “quite possible that he was not aware that she [his wife] was deceased”, said Dr. Jarrell.
Gene Hackman had “significant heart disease, and ultimately that’s what resulted in his death”, Dr. Jarrell said, adding that he had chronic high blood pressure.
He had not eaten anything recently, but showed no indications of dehydration, she added.
At the press conference, New Mexico Public Health Veterinarian Erin Phipps emphasized that hantavirus infections are extremely rare.
HPS is transmitted through contact with rodent droppings, urine or saliva, often when contaminated dust is inhaled.
She noted that 136 cases had been reported in the state over the past 50 years, and 42% resulted in fatalities.
Erin Phipps said evidence of rodent activity was found in some buildings on the property, though the risk inside the main house was considered “low”.
Gene Hackman tested negative for hantavirus.
While rare, the disease can lead to respiratory failure in some cases.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
The couple were found in their home after neighbourhood security conducted a welfare check and saw their bodies on the ground through the window.
The couple’s bodies were discovered in advanced stages of decomposition.
Gene Hackman’s body was in a sideroom next to the kitchen, with a walking cane and a pair of sunglasses nearby, according to a search warrant affidavit.
Betsy Arakawa’s body was found in the bathroom, with scattered pills near her.
Sheriff’s deputies found medication for thyroid and blood pressure treatment, along with pain reliever Tylenol, according to a court-filed inventory.
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz confirmed on March 5 that the US has paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
“We have, we have taken a step back,” he told reporters when asked about suspending intelligence sharing.
Mike Waltz added that the Trump administration was pausing and reviewing “all aspects of this relationship”.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron later announced a meeting of European army chiefs in Paris next week, saying in a televised speech that France must be prepared to move forward without US help.
“I want to believe the US will stay at our side, but we must be ready if that is not the case,” Emmanuel Macron said.
Saying that Europe is in a “new era”, President Macron called for it to increase its defence spending.
He also said that France, along with Ukraine and others, have prepared a durable peace plan.
The US has shared intelligence with Ukraine since the early stages of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
On March 3, the US paused military aid to Kyiv following a dramatic breakdown in relations in the Oval Office last week, when Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky was told to leave after an angry meeting with US President Donald Trump.
It remains unclear if the pause on intelligence sharing is partial or complete, and how long it will remain in effect.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe also appeared to confirm the decision in an interview on Fox Business on March 5, saying President Trump “had a real question about whether President Zelensky was committed to the peace process, and he said ‘let’s pause, I want to give you a chance to think about that’.”
He said the response came swiftly with President Zelensky’s statement saying he was ready for peace.
John Ratcliffe then added: “On the military front and the intelligence front, the pause that allowed that to happen, will go away and we’ll work shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine.”
Mike Waltz also suggested a more conciliatory tone was emerging between the US and Ukraine, adding that the military aid and intelligence sharing pause could be lifted in the near future.
“I think if we can nail down these negotiations and move towards these negotiations, and in fact, put some confidence-building measures on the table, then the president will take a hard look at lifting this pause,” he told Fox News.
He also said he had “good talks” with his Ukrainian counterpart about the location and substance of potential negotiations, adding there will be movement in “very short order”.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the military assistance during a press briefing on March 5, saying the US has simply paused it and is “reconsidering” funding.
Ukraine has heavily relied on the US for military assistance for the three years since Russia’s invasion, and the decision to pause aid may have a significant effect on the war.
Halting intelligence support, too, would likely have serious consequences on the battlefield.
The information is believed to help Ukraine both strategically understand Moscow’s next moves and also tactically, for example providing information on Russian troop positions for weapons guidance and targeting.
China has warned the United States it is ready to fight “any type” of war after hitting back against President Donald Trump’s mounting trade tariffs.
The world’s top two economies have edged closer to a trade war after Trump slapped more tariffs on all Chinese goods. China quickly retaliated imposing 10-15% tariffs on US farm products.
“If war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end,” China’s embassy said on X, reposting a line from a government statement on Tuesday.
It is some of the strongest rhetoric so far from China since Donald Trump became president and comes as leaders gathered in Beijing for the annual National People’s Congress.
On March 5, PM Li Qiang announced that China would again boost its defence spending by 7.2% this year and warned that “changes unseen in a century were unfolding across the world at a faster pace.” This increase was expected and matches the figure announced last year.
Leaders in Beijing are trying to send a message to people in China that they are confident the country’s economy can grow, even with the threat of a trade war.
China has been keen to portray an image of being a stable, peaceful country in contrast to the US, which Beijing accuses of being embroiled in wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.
China may also hope to capitalize on Trump’s actions relating to US allies such as Canada and Mexico, which have also been hit by tariffs, and will not want to ramp up the rhetoric too far to scare off potential new global partners.
Li Qiang’s speech in Beijing on March 5 emphasized that China would continue to open up and hoped to attract more foreign investment.
China has, in the past emphasised that it is ready to go to war. Last October, President Xi called for troops to strengthen their preparedness for war as they held military drills around the self-governing island of Taiwan. But there is a difference between military preparedness and a readiness to go to war.
The Chinese embassy in Washington’s post quoted a foreign ministry statement in English from the previous day, which also accused the US of blaming China for the influx of the drug fentanyl
“The fentanyl issue is a flimsy excuse to raise US tariffs on Chinese imports,” the foreign ministry spokesperson said.
“Intimidation does not scare us. Bullying does not work on us. Pressuring, coercion or threats are not the right way of dealing with China,” he added.
The US-China relationship is always one of the most contentious in the world. This post on X has been widely shared and could be used by the China hawks in Trump’s cabinet as evidence that Beijing is Washington’s biggest foreign policy and economic threat.
Florida’s attorney general, James Uthmeier, has launched a criminal investigation into British-American influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate, who flew to the state last week from Romania, where they faced rape and human-trafficking charges.
James Uthmeier said investigators have issued search warrants and subpoenas as part of a “now-active” inquiry.
In the US, the Tate brothers also face a civil suit from a woman alleging they coerced her into s** work, and then defamed her after she gave evidence to Romanian authorities. They strongly deny all the allegations against them.
A former kickboxer and self-described misogynist who appeared on UK TV show Big Brother, Andrew Tate, 38, has millions of followers online.
Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, 36, face separate charges in the UK of rape and human trafficking. They deny those allegations too.
James Uthmeier, a Republican, said in a statement: “Last week, I directed my office to work with our law enforcement partners to conduct a preliminary inquiry into Andrew and Tristan Tate.
“Based on a thorough review of the evidence, I’ve directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to execute search warrants and issue subpoenas in the now-active criminal investigation into the Tate brothers.”
The Tate brothers’ lawyer Joseph McBride released a statement on march 4 on the investigation.
“Today, Attorney General James Uthmeier threw ethics law out of the window when he publicly took a side in an ongoing Florida lawsuit where Andrew and Tristan Tate are suing a Florida woman for orchestrating a sophisticated plot to use s** as a weapon to ruin their lives,” the statement read in part.
Joseph McBride called the attorney general’s comments “inflammatory” and “biased”.
The Tates were first arrested in Romania in December 2022, with Andrew accused of rape and human trafficking and Tristan suspected of human trafficking. They moved to Romania from the UK several years ago.
They both denied the charges and spent several months under house arrest. A year later, in August 2024, they faced new allegations including s** with a minor and trafficking underage persons, all of which they deny.
The Tate brothers are understood to be required to return to Bucharest at the end of March to satisfy prosecutors’ terms; however, it is too early to say whether they will comply.
Police in the English county of Bedfordshire are still seeking Andrew’s extradition on separate and unrelated allegations of rape and human trafficking, as well as tax evasion.
In the UK, four British women have filed a civil case against Andrew Tate in the country’s High Court, alleging he raped and coercively controlled them, charges they also deny.
Those plaintiffs said it was clear he would not face criminal prosecution in Romania and appealed to UK authorities to take action.
President Donald Trump addressed a raucous joint session of the US Congress for the first time since he returned to power.
In the longest presidential speech to lawmakers on record, President Trump outlined his vision for his second term, as Republicans applauded a high-octane six weeks that has reshaped domestic and foreign policy.
Donald Trump was heckled by Democrats and he goaded them in turn during the rowdy primetime address.
The Republican president has moved to slash the federal workforce and crack down on immigration, while imposing tariffs on America’s biggest trading partners and shaking up the transatlantic alliance over the war in Ukraine.
Following a second day of market turbulence, President Trump played down the potential economic fallout from a trade war he ignited this week, including 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, and an additional 10% on Chinese imports.
But in contrast with the ovations that greeted his other policy objectives, many Republicans remained seated, a sign of how Trump’s import taxes have divided his party.
Image source: rawpixel.com
„Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again,” he said.
„And it’s happening. And it will happen rather quickly. There’ll be a little disturbance, but we’re okay with that. It won’t be much.”
President Trump added that reciprocal tariffs tailored to US trading partners would “kick in” on April 2.
Earlier in the day, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Fox Business that Donald Trump could announce a trade deal with Mexico and Canada as soon as March 5.
Donald Trump also said he had received an “important letter” from Ukraine’s leader earlier in the day, which appeared to match what Volodymyr Zelensky posted publicly on social media.
Ukraine’s president had said he was now ready to work under Trump’s “strong leadership” to end the war and “come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer”.
“I appreciate that he sent this letter,” President Trump told lawmakers.
It followed an acrimonious Oval Office meeting last week when the two leaders argued in front of TV cameras, before cancelling plans to sign a minerals deal that would allow the US to profit from an economic partnership involving Ukraine’s resources.
Donald Trump was reportedly hoping to announce during his speech to Congress that the deal had finally been sealed. But it did not materialize.
President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico in a move that threatens to spark a trade war between America and its neighbours.
Goods entering the US from Canada and Mexico will now be slapped with a 25% charge. Canada has announced tariffs of its own in response and Mexico has said it will also retaliate to the measures.
Donald Trump says he wants to protect American industry, but many economists warn such tariffs could lead to prices rising for consumers in the US.
So what could get more expensive?
Image source: rawpixel.com
Cars
Cars will probably go up in price – by about $3,000 according to TD Economics.
That’s because parts cross the US, Canadian and Mexican borders multiple times before a vehicle is assembled.
Many well-known car brands, including Audi, BMW, Ford, General Motors and Honda trade parts and vehicles across the three countries.
Beer, whisky and tequila
Popular Mexican beers Modelo and Corona could get more expensive for US customers if the American companies importing them pass on the increased import taxes.
However, it’s also possible that rather than passing on the cost increase, firms could just import less.
Modelo became the number one beer brand in the US in 2023, and remains in the top spot, for now.
It’s more complex when it comes to spirits. The sector has been largely free of tariffs since the 1990s. Industry bodies from the US, Canada and Mexico issued a joint statement in advance of the tariffs being announced saying they were “deeply concerned”.
Houses
The US imports about a third of its softwood lumber from Canada each year, and that key building material would be hit by Trump’s suggested tariffs. Trump has said the US has “more lumber than we ever use”.
However, the National Association of Home Builders has urged the president to exempt building materials from the proposed tariffs “because of their harmful effect on housing affordability”.
Maple syrup
Canada’s billion-dollar maple syrup industry accounts for 75% of the world’s entire maple syrup production.
The majority of the sweet staple – around 90% – is produced in the province of Quebec, where the world’s sole strategic reserve of maple syrup was set up 24 years ago.
Fuel prices
Canada is America’s largest foreign supplier of crude oil. According to the most recent official trade figures, 61% of oil imported into the US between January and November last year came from Canada.
While 25% has been slapped on Canadian goods imported to the US, its energy faces a lower 10% tariff.
Avocados
One food import that American consumers could see a significant price increase in is avocados.
Grown primarily in Mexico due to its warm, humid climate, Mexican avocados make up nearly 90% of the US avocado market each year.
However, if tariffs come into force, the US Agriculture Department has warned that the cost of avocados – along with popular avocado-based dishes like guacamole – could surge.
US stock market falls have deepened as concerns grow that President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China will “disrupt global trade”.
President Trump has followed through on a threat to impose 25% tariffs on imports into the US from Canada and Mexico, and a 20% levy against goods arriving from China.
Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau told Donald Trump that “this is a very dumb thing to do”.
Leading stock indexes in the US were trading sharply lower on March 4, marking a second day of declines, while markets in the UK, Germany and France all closed down.
Canada and China have already announced retaliatory import taxes on US goods following Trump’s tariffs coming into force.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said the country would announce a response on Sunday that would include “tariff and non-tariff measures”.
Olof Gill, trade spokesperson for the European Union (EU), said: “These tariffs threaten deeply integrated supply chains, investment flows and economic stability across the Atlantic.”
Donald Trump has also threatened to impose 25% tariffs on the EU, recently claiming that the bloc was “formed to screw the United States”. Europe has pledged to hit back, but no tariffs have been implemented yet.
After the US confirmed on March 3 that the tariffs against its neighbouring nations and China would go ahead, the country’s three main stock indexes dropped.
Sharp falls continued on March 4 while in London, the FTSE 100 index of the UK’s biggest publicly-listed companies plunged, ending the day down 1.2%.
Donald Trump is hoping that imposing tariffs on the goods that the US buys will force foreign companies to invest in America, boost tax revenues and grow the economy.
He has argued the tariffs, which are a tax paid by the business importing the product, will boost US manufacturing and protect jobs as foreign companies switch to productionin America.
But tariffs also tend to trigger retaliation from targeted countries, disadvantaging domestic businesses looking to export goods, meaning the measures can ultimately hold back trade.
Analysts have warned that tariffs could lead to economic recessions in Mexico and Canada,push up prices for US households and could also have a knock-on effect on consumers across the world, including in the UK.
A number of US retailers have already warned that prices will rise. Target’s boss Brian Cornell warned consumers were likely to see increases over the next couple of days for foods such as avocados, bananas and strawberries.
Mexican avocados make up nearly 90% of the US market each year.
Meanwhile, a BestBuy executive warned that prices could soon head higher.
Ford chief executive Jim Farley warned last month the business “could handle two weeks of tariffs”.
The 97th Academy Awards ceremony took place in Los Angeles, with Anora scooping the most honours, while Conclave, The Brutalist, Wicked and Emilia Pérez also took prizes.
Here is the full list of winners.
Best picture
WINNER: Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
I’m Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Wicked
Best actress
WINNER: Mikey Madison – Anora
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez
Demi Moore – The Substance
Fernanda Torres – I’m Still Here
Best actor
WINNER: Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes – Conclave
Sebastian Stan – The Apprentice
Best supporting actress
WINNER: Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez
Monica Barbaro – A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande – Wicked
Felicity Jones – The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini – Conclave
Best supporting actor
WINNER: Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
Yura Borisov – Anora
Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce – The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong – The Apprentice
Best director
WINNER: Sean Baker – Anora
Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez
Brady Corbet – The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
James Mangold – A Complete Unknown
Best international feature
WINNER: I’m Still Here – Brazil
The Girl with the Needle – Denmark
Emilia Pérez – France
The Seed of the Sacred Fig – Germany
Flow – Latvia
Best animated feature
WINNER: Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot
Best original screenplay
WINNER: Anora – Sean Baker
The Brutalist – Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold
A Real Pain – Jesse Eisenberg
September 5 – Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, Alex David
British PM Keir Starmer has announced a four-point plan to work with Ukraine to end the war and to defend the country from Russia.
The UK, France and other countries will step up their efforts in a “coalition of the willing” and seek to involve the US in their support for Ukraine, he said.
It comes two days after a fiery exchange between the Ukrainian leader and President Donald Trump in the White House.
“We are all working together in Europe in order to find a basis for cooperation with America for a true peace and guaranteed security,” Volodymyr Zelensky said after the summit.
Speaking at a news conference shortly after the meeting of leaders, PM Starmer said four points had been agreed:
to keep military aid flowing into Ukraine, and to keep increasing the economic pressure on Russia
that any lasting peace must ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty and security and Ukraine must be present at any peace talks
in the event of a peace deal, to boost Ukraine’s defensive capabilities to deter any future invasion
to develop a “coalition of the willing” to defend a deal in Ukraine and to guarantee peace afterwards
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Keir Starmer also announced an additional £1.6bn ($2bn) of UK export finance to buy more than 5,000 air defence missiles. This comes on top of a £2.2bn loan to provide more military aid to Ukraine backed by profits from frozen Russian assets.
“We have to learn from the mistakes of the past, we cannot accept a weak deal which Russia can breach with ease, instead any deal must be backed by strength,” he said.
The prime minister did not state which countries had agreed to join this coalition of the willing, but said that those who had committed would intensify planning with real urgency.
The UK, he said, would back its commitment with “boots on the ground, and planes in the air”.
“Europe must do the heavy lifting,” he said, before adding that the agreement would need US backing and had to include Russia, but that Moscow could not be allowed to dictate terms.
“Let me clear, we agree with Trump on the urgent need for a durable peace. Now we need to deliver together,” he said.
When asked if the US under President Trump was an unreliable ally, Keir Starmer said: “Nobody wanted to see what happened last Friday, but I do not accept that the US is an unreliable ally.”
Countries at the summit included France, Poland, Sweden, Turkey, Norway, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Finland, Italy, Spain and Canada.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that there was now an urgent need to “re-arm Europe”.
These sentiments were echoed by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who said the meeting had seen European countries “stepping up” to make sure Ukraine has what it needs to “stay in the fight as long as it has to continue”.
Many of the European and World leaders have rallied behind Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky after the furious exchange with President Donald Trump in the White House.
The leaders of Germany, France, Spain, Poland and the Netherlands were among those who posted social media messages backing Ukraine – with Volodymyr Zelensky responding directly to each one to thank them for their support.
The Ukrainian president has arrived in London to attend a summit hosted by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer who “retains unwavering support for Ukraine”, Downing Street said.
It comes after extraordinary scenes in the Oval Office on February 28 as President Trump clashed with Zelensky, telling him to make a deal with Russia “or we are out”.
At one point, President Trump told Volodymyr Zelensky he was not thankful enough for US military and political support during Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion, and that he was “gambling with World War Three”.
As a flurry of supportive messages for Ukraine were posted by European leaders following the row – along with posts from the prime ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand – Zelensky replied to each one: “Thank you for your support.”
French President Emmanuel Macron posted: “There is an aggressor: Russia. There is a victim: Ukraine. We were right to help Ukraine and sanction Russia three years ago – and to keep doing so.”
Dutch PM Dick Schoof said the Netherlands supports Ukraine “now more than ever”, adding: “We want a lasting peace and an end to the war of aggression started by Russia. For Ukraine and its people, and for Europe.”
Germany’s outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote that “no one wants peace more than the citizens of Ukraine”, with his replacement-in-waiting Friedrich Merz adding that “we stand with Ukraine” and “we must never confuse aggressor and victim in this terrible war”.
Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez said: “Ukraine, Spain stands with you,” while his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk wrote: “Dear [Zelensky], dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone.”
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau said Canada “will continue to stand with Ukraine and Ukrainians in achieving a just and lasting peace”.
Australian PM Anthony Albanese posted that his country had “proudly supported the brave people of Ukraine in their struggle to defend their sovereignty against the brutality of Russian aggression and in support of international law”.
European Union chiefs Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen assured Zelensky in a joint statement that he was “never alone”.
“We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace,” they said.
There were also supportive messages for Ukraine from political leaders in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Romania, Sweden and Slovenia.
However, Hungarian PM Viktor Orban voiced his support for Trump, writing: “Strong men make peace, weak men make war. Today President @realDonaldTrump stood bravely for peace. Even if it was difficult for many to digest. Thank you, Mr President!”
R&B hitmaker Angie Stone has died after a car crash, aged 63, her daughter announced.
“My mommy is gone,” her daughter, Diamond Stone, wrote in a Facebook post.
Angie Stone was fatally injured when a van she was travelling in overturned in Alabama on March 1st following a performance, according to media reports.
The artist, who was behind songs like No More Rain (In This Cloud) and Wish I Didn’t Miss You, was nominated for three Grammys over her career. She started out in the 1970s as a member of the female hip-hop trio The Sequence.
The group’s most popular song, Funk You Up, peaked at 15 on Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles.
Her daughter, who is also a musician and goes by the nickname Ladi Diamond, said on Facebook that she was “numb”. Hours earlier, she had asked for prayers for her family and said she was on the road.
Guy Todd Williams, known as Rahiem in the hip-hop group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, said about nine other passengers were in a van with Angie Stone at the time of the crash.
“She left her indelible mark on the music industry initially as a member of the legendary rap group Sequence,” he said.
He said she was the sole fatality in the crash.
Along with her music career, Angie Stone also had some success in film.
She made her movie debut with a role in The Hot Chick, a 2002 hit starring Rob Schneider, Rachel McAdams and Anna Faris.
Angie Stone also starred in The Fighting Temptations in 2003 with Cuba Gooding Jr and Beyonce.
This year’s Academy Awards will take place on March 2nd in Los Angeles. It’s been an unpredictable one with films Conclave, Emilia Perez and The Brutalist sweeping up big prizes at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs and the SAG Awards. They’ll face blockbuster hits Dune: Part Two and Wicked in the Best Film category at the Oscars.
Here are the 97th Academy Awards nominations in full:
Actor in a Leading Role
Adrien Brody
The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet
A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo
Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes
Conclave
Sebastian Stan
The Apprentice
Actor in a Supporting Role
Yura Borisov
Anora
Kieran Culkin
A Real Pain
Edward Norton
A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce
The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong
The Apprentice
Actress in a Leading Role
Cynthia Erivo
Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón
Emilia Pérez
Mikey Madison
Anora
Demi Moore
The Substance
Fernanda Torres
I’m Still Here
Actress in a Supporting Role
Monica Barbaro
A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande
Wicked
Felicity Jones
The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini
Conclave
Zoe Saldaña
Emilia Pérez
Animated Feature Film
Flow
Gints Zilbalodis, Matīss Kaža, Ron Dyens and Gregory Zalcman
Inside Out 2
Kelsey Mann and Mark Nielsen
Memoir of a Snail
Adam Elliot and Liz Kearney
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham and Richard Beek
The Wild Robot
Chris Sanders and Jeff Hermann
Animated Short Film
Beautiful Men
Nicolas Keppens and Brecht Van Elslande
In the Shadow of the Cypress
Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi
Magic Candies
Daisuke Nishio and Takashi Washio
Wander to Wonder
Nina Gantz and Stienette Bosklopper
Yuck!
Loïc Espuche and Juliette Marquet
Cinematography
The Brutalist
Lol Crawley
Dune: Part Two
Greig Fraser
Emilia Pérez
Paul Guilhaume
Maria
Ed Lachman
Nosferatu
Jarin Blaschke
Costume Design
A Complete Unknown
Arianne Phillips
Conclave
Lisy Christl
Gladiator II
Janty Yates and Dave Crossman
Nosferatu
Linda Muir
Wicked
Paul Tazewell
Directing
Anora
Sean Baker
The Brutalist
Brady Corbet
A Complete Unknown
James Mangold
Emilia Pérez
Jacques Audiard
The Substance
Coralie Fargeat
Documentary Feature Film
Black Box Diaries
Shiori Ito, Eric Nyari and Hanna Aqvilin
No Other Land
Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal and Yuval Abraham
Porcelain War
Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev, Aniela Sidorska and Paula DuPre’ Pesmen
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Johan Grimonprez, Daan Milius and Rémi Grellety
Sugarcane
Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie and Kellen Quinn
Documentary Short Film
Death by Numbers
Kim A. Snyder and Janique L. Robillard
I Am Ready, Warden
Smriti Mundhra and Maya Gnyp
Incident
Bill Morrison and Jamie Kalven
Instruments of a Beating Heart
Ema Ryan Yamazaki and Eric Nyari
The Only Girl in the Orchestra
Molly O’Brien and Lisa Remington
Film Editing
Anora
Sean Baker
The Brutalist
David Jancso
Conclave
Nick Emerson
Emilia Pérez
Juliette Welfling
Wicked
Myron Kerstein
International Feature Film
Brazil
I’m Still Here
Denmark
The Girl with the Needle
France
Emilia Pérez
Germany
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Latvia
Flow
Makeup and Hairstyling
A Different Man
Mike Marino, David Presto and Crystal Jurado
Emilia Pérez
Julia Floch Carbonel, Emmanuel Janvier and Jean-Christophe Spadaccini
Nosferatu
David White, Traci Loader and Suzanne Stokes-Munton
The Substance
Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon and Marilyne Scarselli
Wicked
Frances Hannon, Laura Blount and Sarah Nuth
Music (Original Score)
The Brutalist
Daniel Blumberg
Conclave
Volker Bertelmann
Emilia Pérez
Clément Ducol and Camille
Wicked
John Powell and Stephen Schwartz
The Wild Robot
Kris Bowers
Music (Original Song)
El Mal
from Emilia Pérez; Music by Clément Ducol and Camille; Lyric by Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard
The Journey
from The Six Triple Eight; Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
Like A Bird
from Sing Sing; Music and Lyric by Abraham Alexander and Adrian Quesada
Mi Camino
from Emilia Pérez; Music and Lyric by Camille and Clément Ducol
Never Too Late
from Elton John: Never Too Late; Music and Lyric by Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt and Bernie Taupin
Best Picture
Anora
Alex Coco, Samantha Quan and Sean Baker, Producers
The Brutalist
Nick Gordon, Brian Young, Andrew Morrison, D.J. Gugenheim and Brady Corbet, Producers
A Complete Unknown
Fred Berger, James Mangold and Alex Heineman, Producers
Conclave
Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell and Michael A. Jackman, Producers
Dune: Part Two
Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Tanya Lapointe and Denis Villeneuve, Producers
Emilia Pérez
Pascal Caucheteux and Jacques Audiard, Producers
I’m Still Here
Maria Carlota Bruno and Rodrigo Teixeira, Producers
Nickel Boys
Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Joslyn Barnes, Producers
The Substance
Coralie Fargeat and Tim Bevan & Eric Fellner, Producers
Wicked
Marc Platt, Producer
Production Design
The Brutalist
Production Design: Judy Becker; Set Decoration: Patricia Cuccia
Conclave
Production Design: Suzie Davies; Set Decoration: Cynthia Sleiter
Dune: Part Two
Production Design: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Shane Vieau
Nosferatu
Production Design: Craig Lathrop; Set Decoration: Beatrice Brentnerová
Wicked
Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales
Live Action Short Film
A Lien
Sam Cutler-Kreutz and David Cutler-Kreutz
Anuja
Adam J. Graves and Suchitra Mattai
I’m Not a Robot
Victoria Warmerdam and Trent
The Last Ranger
Cindy Lee and Darwin Shaw
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
Nebojša Slijepčević and Danijel Pek
Sound
A Complete Unknown
Tod A. Maitland, Donald Sylvester, Ted Caplan, Paul Massey and David Giammarco
Dune: Part Two
Gareth John, Richard King, Ron Bartlett and Doug Hemphill
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Donald Trump’s meeting at the White House on February 28 descended into an extraordinary ten-minute shouting match in front of the world’s media.
Volodymyr Zelensky was told to leave the White House before the pair could even take the stage for a scheduled news conference.
The minerals deal, which had been trailed and praised by both sides this week, was left unsigned. “Come back when you’re ready for peace,” Donald Trump wrote on social media shortly before Zelensky’s car pulled away hours ahead of schedule.
The angry exchanges, which saw President Zelensky clash with President Trump and his Vice-President JD Vance, featured several major flashpoints. Here are four of the most fiery – and the politics and feeling that lies behind them.
While there was half an hour of cordial talks and formalities at the start, tensions began to boil over in the Oval Office when JD Vance said the “path to peace and the path to prosperity is maybe engaging in diplomacy”.
Volodymyr Zelensky interjected, referencing Russia’s aggression in the years before its full-scale invasion three years ago including a failed ceasefire in 2019.
“Nobody stopped him,” he said of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“What kind of diplomacy, JD, are you talking about? What do you mean?” he said.
The exchange then became visibly tense, with JD Vance replying: “the kind that will end the destruction of your country.”
JD Vance then accused Volodymyr Zelensky of being disrespectful and “litigating” the situation in front of the American media.
After Vance challenged the Ukrainian president over problems he’s had with the military and conscription, Zelensky replied: “During the war, everybody has problems, even you. But you have a nice ocean and don’t feel [it] now, but you will feel it in the future.”
That comment rankled President Trump and drew him into the clash that up until this point had been limited to Zelensky and the vice-president.
Here was the Ukrainian leader suggesting President Trump had failed to grasp the moral hazard of dealing with the war’s aggressor.
“You don’t have the cards right now,” he told him.
“You’re gambling with millions of lives.”
At one point later in the conversation, Zelensky said: “From the very beginning of the war, we have been alone and we are thankful.”
This angered Donald Trump, who has repeatedly framed the war as a drain on American taxpayers.
“You haven’t been alone,” he said.
“You haven’t been alone. We gave you – through this stupid president – $350bn,” President Trump said, a reference to Joe Biden.
JD Vance then asked whether Zelensky had thanked the US during the meeting and accused him of campaigning “for the opposition” – the Democrats – during the US election last year.
The comment was a reference to a visit Volodymyr Zelensky made to a munitions factory in Scranton, Pennsylvania – Joe Biden’s hometown – just weeks before Americans headed to the polls in the November election.
Republicans were outraged at the visit, accusing Zelensky of turning the tour into a partisan campaign event on Kamala Harris’s behalf in a battleground state.
Donald Trump and JD Vance reprimanded Volodymyr Zelensky, appearing most angered by what they perceived as his “attitude”.
President Donald Trump has announced that he is planning to hit goods from China with a new 10% tariff.
Imports from China already face taxes at the border of at least 10%, after a Trump tariff order that went into effect earlier this month.
President Trump also said on February 27 he intended to move forward with threatened 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, which are set to come into effect on March 4.
His comments came as officials from Mexico and Canada were in Washington for discussions aimed at heading off that plan.
Donald Trump had announced the plans for 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada for February 4 unless the two nations increased border security.
He paused the measures for a month at the last minute after the two countries agreed to increase border funding and talk more about how to combat drug trafficking.
Image source: rawpixel.com
On social media, President Trump wrote that he did not think enough action had been taken to address the flow of fentanyl to the US.
“Drugs are still pouring into our Country from Mexico and Canada at very high and unacceptable levels,” he wrote, adding that “a large percentage” of the drugs were made in China.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, at a press conference from the country’s National Palace, said in response: “As we know, [Trump] has his way of communicating.”
She added: “I hope we can reach an agreement and on March 4 we can announce something else.”
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau also said his country was working hard to reach a deal, warning tariffs from the US would prompt an “immediate and extremely strong response”.
Donald Trump’s threats against Mexico and Canada have raised widespread alarm, as the North American economy is closely connected after decades of operating under a free trade agreement.
Leaders of the two countries have previously said they would impose retaliatory tariffs on the United States if the White House went ahead with its plans.
Tariffs are a tax collected by the government and paid for by the business bringing the goods into the country.
China, Mexico and Canada are America’s top three trade partners, together accounting for more than 40% of imports into the US last year.
Economists have warned tariffs on goods from the three countries could lead to higher prices in the US on everything from iPhones to avocados.
Donald Trump’s call for an additional 10% levy on goods from China – which he said would also go into effect on Tuesday – had not been previously announced, though during his presidential campaign he backed border taxes on Chinese products of as much as 60%.
On February 27, as tariff talks intensified, two imprisoned alleged leaders of the violent Zetas cartel long sought by the US – Miguel Angel Trevino Morales and his brother Oscar – were extradited.
Mexican media said they were part of a larger group of drug lords sent from Mexico to the US – a major step in terms of US-Mexico security relations.
Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa appeared to have been dead for “quite a while” when the couple and their dog were found dead on February 26 at their home in New Mexico, police say.
The 95-year-old Oscar-winning actor was discovered in a side room near the kitchen of the house in Santa Fe, while his wife Betsy Arakawa, a 65-year-old classical pianist, was found in a bathroom.
Authorities reported no signs of injury but deemed the deaths “suspicious enough” to investigate and have not ruled out foul play. No cause of death was given.
In a wide-ranging career, Gene Hackman won two Academy Awards for The French Connection and Unforgiven.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office confirmed the deaths.
“On 26 February, 2025, at approximately 1:45pm, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to an address on Old Sunset Trail in Hyde Park where Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa, and a dog were found deceased,” the office said.
In a news conference on February 27, Sheriff Adan Mendoza said: “It sounds like they had been deceased for quite a while, and I don’t want to guess in reference to how long that was.”
He added: “There was no immediate sign of foul play. Haven’t ruled that out yet.
“This is an investigation, so we’re keeping everything on the table.”
A sheriff’s detective who responded to the scene said that they believed the couple had been dead for some time because of Betsy Arakawa’s “decomposition” and “mummification” in the hands and feet.
“The male decedent also showed obvious signs of death, similar and consistent with the female decedent,” said the search warrant.
Near Betsy Arakawa’s head was a portable heater, which the detective determined could have been brought down in the event that she abruptly fell to the ground.
Authorities say they have requested carbon monoxide and toxicology tests for both Gene Hackman and his wife, and that a cause of death has not yet been determined as they await the results of the autopsy.
A prescription bottle and scattered pills were on the bathroom countertop close to her body. The couple’s German Shepherd dog was found dead in a bathroom closet near to Betsy Arakawa.
Gene Hackman was discovered wearing grey tracksuit bottoms, a blue long-sleeve T-shirt and brown slippers. Sunglasses and a walking cane were next to the body.
The detective suspected that the actor had fallen suddenly.
The circumstances of their death were “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation”, said the search warrant, because the person who called emergency services found the front door of the property open.
However, the detective observed no sign of forced entry into the home. Nothing appeared out of place inside. Neither was there any indication that belongings had been rummaged through, or that any items had been removed.
Two other, healthy dogs were discovered roaming the property – one inside and one outside.
Gene Hackman’s last big-screen appearance came as Monroe Cole in Welcome to Mooseport in 2004, after which he stepped back from Hollywood for a quieter life in New Mexico.
German voters are going to the polls after an intense election campaign dominated by the country’s faltering economy and a succession of deadly attacks that have made migration and security a focal issue.
Friedrich Merz, the 69-year-old conservative leader, is in pole position to become Germany’s next chancellor in a vote closely watched in Europe and the US.
He promises to fix most problems in four years – a tall order for Europe’s biggest economy and a creaking infrastructure.
If Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democrats (CDU) win, he will need to forge an alliance with at least one other party, most likely Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats, whose government collapsed late last year.
On the eve of the vote, he was adamant there would be no deal with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is poised to become the second biggest political force, ahead of Olaf Scholz’s center-left party.
Some 59.2 million Germans are eligible to vote, and while millions already have by post, polls indicate as many 20% were undecided ahead of election day.
The polls close at 18:00 local time with a clear idea of a result likely to emerge during the evening.
Friedrich Merz promises strong leadership in Europe, but Berlin is also under pressure to loosen the budget strings for its military.
As Ukraine’s second-biggest provider of military aid, Germany’s next government will face a US president who has condemned President Volodymyr Zelensky as a dictator and fractured the West’s united front against Russia.
German political leaders have also been shocked by US Vice-President JD Vance, who has met the AfD’s candidate for chancellor, Alice Weidel, and called for an end to the long-standing taboo of talking to the far-right.
In Germany, that taboo is known as a firewall or brandmauer.
Friedrich Merz was accused of breaking it last month when he used their support in parliament. There were protests against the far-right in several German cities on February 22.
The AfD is already popular in several eastern states, but is rapidly growing in the west too, attracting support among younger Germans via TikTok.
One Weidel campaign video has had four million views.
Her message is simple: Vote AfD, break the firewall and change German politics.
The AfD wants a vote on leaving the EU if it can’t reform it, to scrap climate change measures, build nuclear power plants, and repair gas lines and relations with Russia.
The AfD has embraced a highly controversial policy called “remigration”, which it defines as deporting migrants who have committed crimes. But the term can also refer to the mass deportation of migrants and their descendants.
If fewer parties make it into the 630-seat Bundestag, it will be more straightforward to form a coalition with a majority.
The economic liberals, the Free Democratic Party (FDP), were in the outgoing government but risk oblivion on the day of the vote along with left-wing populist party BSW.
The Left party, however, has seen a resurgence in recent days and pollsters suggest it will become the fifth largest party after the Greens.
President Donald Trump asked Maine Governor Janet Mills if her state would comply with the executive order he signed banning transgender athletes from women’s sports. He didn’t like her answer.
The president was addressing Democratic and Republican governors at the White House, when the confrontation occurred.
He was about an hour into the meeting with a bipartisan group of governors when he suddenly remembered that the leaders of Maine had been resisting an executive order he signed banning transgender athletes from women’s sports.
Image source: rawpixel.com
“Is Maine here?” he wondered aloud. “The governor of Maine?”
“Yeah,” Gov. Janet Mills answered from across the room. “I’m here.”
Referring to the executive order, President Trump asked: “Are you not going to comply with that?”
“I’m complying with the state and federal laws,” the governor said, rather pointedly.
During the exchange, President Trump told Governor Mills: “You better do it because you’re not going to get federal funding.”
“See you in court,” the governor shot back.
“Good,” he said, sounding surly.
“I’ll see you in court. I look forward to that. That should be a real easy one.” He paused and then added, “and enjoy your life after governor, because I don’t think you’ll be in elected politics.”
Governor Mills responded in a statement on February 21, saying her state “will not be intimidated by the President’s threats.”
On February 6, President Donald Trump signed an executive order preventing transgender women from competing in female sports categories.
