Trump has turned his back on the foundation of US economic might - the fallout will be messy
Faisal Islam
President Donald Trump has built another wall, and he thinks everyone else is going to pay for it. But his decision to impose sweeping tariffs of at least 10% on almost every product that enters the US is essentially a wall designed to keep work and jobs within it, rather than immigrants out.
The height of this wall needs to be put in historical context. It takes the US back a century in terms of protectionism. It catapults the US way above the G7 and G20 nations into levels of customs revenue, associated with Senegal, Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan.
What occurred this week was not just the US starting a global trade war, or sparking a rout in stock markets. It was the world's hyper power firmly turning its back on the globalisation process it had championed, and from which it handsomely profited in recent decades.
Israeli military changes account of Palestinian medics’ killing after video showed attack
Phone video contradicts IDF claims vehicles were not using emergency lights when troops opened fire
Sun 6 Apr 2025 16.17 BST
The Israeli military has backtracked on its account of the killing of 15 Palestinian medics by its forces last month after phone video contradicted its claims that their vehicles did not have emergency signals on when troops opened fire on them in the Gaza Strip.
The military said initially it opened fire because the vehicles were “advancing suspiciously” on nearby troops without headlights or emergency signals. An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations late on Saturday, said that account was “mistaken”.
DR Congo and M23 rebels engage in peace talks
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and M23 rebels engaged in peace talks in Qatar after days of unrest. M23 has withdrawn from the town of Walikale and talks will continue next week.
A delegation of the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) government held fresh talks with M23 rebels in Qatar last week about stopping the fighting in the country's east, a source close to the discussions told news Reuters and AFP news agencies on Saturday.
Both sides have not yet commented on the talks.
The first round of talks was held in late March, which a source close to discussions described as "positive." The meeting was held in private and talks are set to continue in Doha on April 9.
Turkey's main opposition calls for elections by November amid unrest
The head of Turkey's main opposition party has demanded that elections be held "at the latest in November" following the country's most widespread unrest in a decade. The protests came on the heels of last month's arrest of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main rival for the presidential post.
The leader of Turkey's main opposition party on Sunday called for expected elections to be held "at the latest in November" following the country's most widespread unrest in a decade.
Addressing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, CHP party leader Ozgur Ozel said: "In November at the latest, you will come to confront our candidate," referring to the CHP's presidential candidate Ekrem Imamoglu whose detention sparked the protests.
Rains add to misery in quake-hit Myanmar as death toll rises to 3,471
UN says ‘traumatised and fearful’ survivors in Myanmar are in need of food, water and shelter.
Heavy rains have lashed parts of earthquake-hit Myanmar, complicating relief efforts and raising the risk of disease as the death toll from the powerful quakes that struck the country on March 28 rose to at least 3,471.
Aid workers in the hard-hit city of Mandalay, near the epicentre of the earthquake, said on Sunday that rains and winds hit tent camps in the area overnight and in the morning, soaking survivors and their belongings.
Far from being cowed by US airstrikes, Yemen’s Houthis may be relishing them
For weeks, US airstrikes have pounded Houthi targets in Yemen, hitting oil refineries, airports and missile sites, with President Trump vowing to use “overwhelming force” until the US achieves its goal of stopping the Houthis from targeting shipping in the Red Sea.
The Houthis began the campaign in solidarity with Palestinians when Israel went to war in Gaza in October 2023. The group has carried out more than 100 attacks and have sunk two vessels. The result: 70% of merchant shipping that once transited the Red Sea now takes the long route around southern Africa.
The US says the campaign is working. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said that multiple Houthi leaders had been killed.
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