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Good morning.
Donald Trump said the US would impose a 25% tariff on foreign-made cars, drawing condemnation from America’s traditional allies and trading partners.
The announcement, on Wednesday, came just days before the US president is expected to announce yet more wide-ranging taxes on other imported goods, as he continued to ramp up a trade war that has caused jitters in global markets.
“What we’re going to be doing is a 25% tariff for all cars that are not made in the United States,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “We start off with a 2.5% base, which is what we’re at, and go to 25%.” The announcement was immediately criticized by Canada and the European Commission, while Japan said it would be considering “all options”.
Trump then threatened further tariffs if the EU cooperated with Canada “in order to do economic harm to the USA”.
Republican senators call for investigation of Pentagon’s leaked attack plans
Top Republican senators are calling for an investigation into the scandal of top US officials sharing sensitive plans for bombing Yemen on a group chat, arguing it would become a “significant political problem” if not addressed properly.
It is the latest in the continuing fallout after the Atlantic’s revelation on Monday that its editor in chief had been accidentally added to a group chat on which security heads were discussing striking targets in Yemen.
On Wednesday, the publication revealed further details of the sensitive information discussed in the group, while the German media outlet Der Spiegel reported that private data of top US security advisers was available online.
“The President committed to a 25 per cent tariff on all imported vehicles and stated that the tariffs would be effective immediately,” said Bloomberg quoting a statement from the White House.
What does criticism from within the Republicans suggest? That senior members of the party are breaking ranks over the national security scandal. On Tuesday, the national security adviser, Mike Waltz, said he took “full responsibility” for the leak – but also deflected heavily and insulted the journalist involved.
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US immigration officials detain doctoral student at University of Alabama
US immigration enforcement have detained a doctoral student at the University of Alabama, campus officials confirmed on Wednesday, in the latest report of the Trump administration targeting students for deportation.
A university spokesperson said in a brief statement that a student was arrested “off campus” and the justification for the student’s detainment was not immediately clear. It was not known if they had a lawyer.
It comes amid a wave of reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) targeting students in the US on visas and permanent residents with green cards, raising alarm.
Who is the student? The individual is Iranian and was in the US on a student visa and studying mechanical engineering, according to a report in the Crimson White, a student newspaper.
