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2 minutes ago

Trump tariffs live: ‘51st state’ Canada retaliates to trade war; US president threatens South Africa funding

Justin Trudeau pledges he will ‘not back down in standing up for Canadians’

Katie Hawkinson,Joe Sommerlad
Monday 03 February 2025 13:00 GMT
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Trudeau tells Canadians to forgo Florida orange juice and Kentucky bourbon after Trump's aggressive tariff

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Donald Trump has renewed his calls for Canada to become America’s 51st state as the country’s outgoing prime minister Justin Trudeau orders retaliatory tariffs against the U.S.

After signing off on 25 percent tariffs for Canadian goods, Trump claimed on Sunday that the U.S. pays billions to “subsidize” Canada and argued that “without this massive subsidy, Canada ceases to exist as a viable Country.”

“Therefore, Canada should become our Cherished 51st State,” he wrote on Truth Social.

“Much lower taxes, and far better military protection for the people of Canada – AND NO TARIFFS!”

Trump also ordered on Saturday a 25 percent tariff on Mexican goods and a 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods.

Responding, Trudeau said he would “not back down in standing up for Canadians” and set out “far-reaching” tariffs of 25 percent, beginning on Tuesday.

Trump has meanwhile declared he will be “cutting off all future funding to South Africa” until the country investigates what he describes as the mass “confiscation” of land from its citizens.

The American appeared to be referring to a bill signed into law by Cyril Ramaphosa in January that allows land seizures without compensation in certain circumstances.

2 minutes ago

Musk dropped nearly $300m supporting Trump in 2024

The world’s richest man spent more than $290 million supporting Donald Trump and his MAGA allies on the campaign trail last year.

The staggering figure was revealed after Musk submitted new filings to the Federal Election Commission covering the last five weeks of 2024.

Katie Hawkinson takes a closer look.

Elon Musk dropped nearly $300M supporting Donald Trump in 2024

Billionaire indicated his America PAC will ‘keep grinding’ during future elections

Joe Sommerlad3 February 2025 13:00
23 minutes ago

Musk says ‘criminal organization’ USAID is beyond repair and $50bn agency will be shut down

Elon Musk has threatened to close the US Agency for International Development (USAID) after claiming the federal agency is “criminal” and “beyond repair”.

The billionaire tech mogul spoke out against the international development agency during a live session on X Spaces, early on Monday, discussing conversations he’d had with Donald Trump about enforcing a total shutdown of USAID.

“He [Trump] agreed we should shut it down,” Musk said during the live discussion.

“It became apparent that it’s not an apple with a worm it in. What we have is just a ball of worms. You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair. We’re shutting it down.”

On X, he doubled down on the attack, branding USAID a “criminal organization”, without anything to back up the wild claim, adding: “Time for it to die.”

This is the latest development this morning:

Madeline Sherratt has more.

Musk says 'criminal' USAID is beyond repair and he will shut $50 billion agency down

‘You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair. We’re shutting it down’ the tech billionaire said

Joe Sommerlad3 February 2025 12:40
43 minutes ago

What are Trump's tariffs and who will be hit next?

Donald Trump has delivered on his pledge to introduce new trade tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China in a move that has caused panic for financial markets across the world.

The tariffs are set to come into force on Tuesday after the new US president signed a trio of executive orders.

He claimed the measures are designed to stop the flow of drugs and immigrants from the country’s two closest neighbours, Canada and Mexico.

Chinese goods will also see a new tariff placed on them, with Trump hinting more countries across the world could make the list in the near future.

White House officials have also indicated that the tariffs could grow larger for any country that retaliates, and the president has said tariffs will be coming to the EU “pretty soon”.

He has been more vague about whether the UK will be affected.

Albert Toth has this explainer.

What are Trump's tariffs and who will be hit next?

The president has announced new trade tariffs for Canada, Mexico and China, but has not yet done so for the EU or the UK

Joe Sommerlad3 February 2025 12:20
1 hour ago

Recap: Trump cuts off funding to South Africa over ‘land confiscation’

Here’s Maroosha Muzaffar with more on the president’s sudden rebuke to South Africa and threat to withdraw American financial support.

Trump cuts off funding to South Africa over 'land confiscation’

Last month, Cyril Ramaphosa said he was unconcerned about US relations under Trump

Joe Sommerlad3 February 2025 12:00
1 hour ago

USAID officials on leave after protecting classified docs from DOGE

Two top security chiefs with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) have been placed on leave after they carried out their legal obligation to protect classified information from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the Associated Press reports.

After DOGE’s government-inspection teams requested classified documents this week, USAID Director of Security John Voorhees and his deputy Brian McGill barred them from access because they didn’t have adequate security clearance.

Now, both men are on leave after carrying out their legal responsibility to protect classified information.

Musk’s staffers have since gained access to the materials, including intelligence reports.

Katie Hawkinson reports.

USAID officials on leave after protecting classified docs from Elon Musk’s DOGE

The USAID officials had a legal obligation to bar staffers without proper security clearance from seeing classified documents, according to reports

3 February 2025 11:40
1 hour ago

European markets set for heavy falls after Trump’s EU tariff warnings

Stock markets across Europe are expected to suffer hefty falls following big overnight declines in Asia after Donald Trump unveiled a raft of tariffs, sparking fears of a global trade war.

Experts are expecting stock indices to open sharply lower in Europe in volatile trading, with falls also forecast for Britain’s FTSE 100 Index, in response to warnings from Trump over tariffs on imports from the European Union.

Asian markets were the first to open since the weekend’s tariff announcements, with Japan’s Nikkei slumping 2.8 percent and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong 1 percent lower, although mainland Chinese markets remain shut for the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday until Wednesday.

Here’s more.

European markets set for heavy falls after Trump’s EU tariff warnings

It follows a wave of weekend tariffs announced by the US president for Mexico, Canada and China.

Joe Sommerlad3 February 2025 11:20
2 hours ago

Trump risks ‘really damaging’ global economy with tariffs, Labour warns

Donald Trump risks having a “really damaging impact” on the global economy as he pursues tariffs against the US’s nearest neighbours, Yvette Cooper has warned.

Cooper, who was the first senior British government figure to respond to the announcement, said the UK wanted to break down trade barriers, not put them up.

Asked about Trump’s announcement, the home secretary told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “Tariff increases right across the world can have a really damaging impact on global growth and trade, so I don’t think it’s what anybody wants to see.”

Archie Mitchell reports.

Trump risks ‘really damaging impact’ on global economy with tariffs, Cooper warns

If Donald Trump targets the UK, it could retaliate in the form of tariffs targeted at symbolically important US products such as whiskey, blue jeans and motorbikes – hitting brands like Jack Daniel’s, Levi’s and Harley-Davidson

Joe Sommerlad3 February 2025 11:00
2 hours ago

Trump claims UK ‘out of line’ as he threatens to expand tariffs to Europe

The looming prospect of a trade war with the US threatens to overshadow UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s meeting with EU chiefs after Donald Trump claimed Britain is “out of line”.

In comments overnight, the US president suggested he is poised to expand his tariff regime to both the UK and the EU, but added that he thinks a deal can be done with Britain.

Asked by the BBC early on Monday if he will target the UK with tariffs, Trump said: “UK is out of line but I’m sure that one… I think that one can be worked out.”

Trump also said discussions with Sir Keir have “been very nice”, adding: “We’ve had a couple of meetings. We’ve had numerous phone calls. We’re getting along very well.”

But the president said tariffs will “definitely” be placed on goods from the EU, saying America’s trade deficit with the bloc is “an atrocity” that means “they take almost nothing and we take everything from them”.

Trump claims UK ‘out of line’ as he threatens to expand tariffs to Europe

Sir Keir Starmer is visiting Brussels on Monday to discuss defence issues, but the looming trade war with the US could overshadow talks.

Joe Sommerlad3 February 2025 10:40
2 hours ago

Canada to pull American alcohol from shelves as trade war escalates

The premier of Canada’s most populous province has ordered that American booze be taken from shelves in response to Trump’s latest tariffs.

The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) controls all alcohol sales to restaurants, bars and stores in the province and now Doug Ford has ordered that they have to stop selling American products to outlets.

“Every year, LCBO sells nearly $1 billion worth of American wine, beer, spirits and seltzers. Not anymore. There’s never been a better time to choose an amazing Ontario-made or Canadian-made product,” Ford wrote in a statement.

The ban will begin on Tuesday.

Paul Farrell reports.

Canada to pull American booze from shelves as trade war escalates

In a shocking move, Ontario Premier Doug Ford will remove American liquor from shelves across his province

Joe Sommerlad3 February 2025 10:15
3 hours ago

Trump attacks tariff critics, takes credit for California wildfire response and accuses Democrats of delaying nominees

Elsewhere on Truth Social, the president has been arguing that supporting his tariff wars is a matter of patriotism, suggesting the water is flowing in Los Angeles thanks to him and accusing his political opponents of deliberately holding up the approval of his cabinet nominees – and laughing about it.

“If George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were nominated for a position, the Democrats would take it out to the last moment before having to approve,” he huffs, brushing aside the possibility that Democratic senators might have very real concerns about the likes of Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F Kennedy Jr entering the corridors of power.

Joe Sommerlad3 February 2025 09:50

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