Are Israel and Hamas close to temporary ceasefire deal?
Former ambassador to Israel Jon Allen on why he believes Israel and Hamas will reach a temporary ceasefire and reacts to Trump's Nobel Peace Prize nomination.
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Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Trump contemplates taking control of Washington, D.C., government
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday his administration was considering taking over governance of Washington, D.C., and suggested he could take similar action in New York because of his distaste for the leading candidate for mayor there. Trump has made a similar threat regarding Washington before, but has not followed through even as he criticized crime rates and bashed other institutions there. The president, speaking during a cabinet meeting at the White House, said his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, was in close touch with Mayor Muriel Bowser, who favors making the city a U.S. state. 'We have tremendous power at the White House to run places when we have to. We could run D.C. I mean, we're ... looking at D.C.,' Trump said. 'Susie Wiles is working very closely with the mayor.' Bowser's office declined to comment. The District of Columbia was established in 1790 with land from neighboring Virginia and Maryland. Congress has control of its budget, but voters elect a mayor and city council, thanks to a law known as the Home Rule Act. For Trump to take over the city, Congress likely would have to pass a law revoking that act, which Trump would have to sign. U.S. Supreme Court clears path for Trump's plans to cut federal work force Becoming the 51st state would give Washington's roughly 700,000 residents voting representation in Congress. Democrats support that plan, while Republicans, who are reluctant to hand Democrats any politically safe seats in the House of Representatives and Senate, oppose it. Trump suggested his administration would run the city better with an appointed leader than the democratically elected government. 'We would run it so good, it would be run so proper. We'd get the best person to run it,' he said. 'The crime would be down to a minimum, would be much less. And you know we're thinking about doing it, to be honest with you.' While Trump said his administration had a good relationship with Bowser, he had less complimentary words for Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist who won the race to be the Democratic Party's nominee in New York's November mayoral election. Trump described Mamdani as a 'disaster.' A representative for Mamdani did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. 'We're going to straighten out New York... Maybe we're going to have to straighten it out from Washington,' Trump said. 'We're going to do something for New York. I can't tell you what yet, but we're going to make New York great again also.'
Calgary Herald
2 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Trump to hit Canadian copper with drastic 50% tariff, clobbering massive export market
Article content Copper is also used in plumbing, construction materials, and solar cells, notes a Natural Resources Canada document. Article content The impacts could be felt across Canada. British Columbia and Ontario lead in copper production, with nearly 46 and 44 per cent of the country's total output, respectively. But refined copper is produced in Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador, while recycled copper is smelted in facilities in Quebec. Article content Pierre Gratton, President and CEO of the Mining Association of Canada, said the situation is less concerning for B.C. mines as they sell raw materials to Europe and Asia. But for the copper refineries and smelting in Quebec, the situation is 'very concerning,' he said. Article content 'As usual, President Trump has jumped the gun. We need to find out what this means, whether our trade talks include copper, and how it will be applied,' said Gratton. Article content Article content He added that the North American copper market is 'very integrated' so it could hurt both sides, while inadvertently helping China which operates 'newer, lower cost refineries.' Article content On American markets, futures contracts for copper jumped 13 per cent to an all-time high on Tuesday. Article content Carney has been in discussions directly with Trump in recent weeks in hopes of signing a new economic and security agreement with the U.S. Article content He has so far held off matching counter-tariffs of 50 per cent on steel and aluminum pending these discussions, but those could come into force on July 21 if they do not come to an agreement. It is unclear for now if Canada would retaliate on copper as well. Article content Carney is currently on a 'reduced schedule' this week to 'reflect a brief period of local vacation.' He is remaining in the National Capital Region and the surrounding areas, according to a statement put out by his team. Article content Article content Despite that, Carney's team said he would remain in close contact with his team and officials on key priorities including the ongoing negotiations with the U.S. Article content The looming copper tariffs are a sign that Trump plans to go ahead with a list of sectoral levies beyond his current import taxes on steel, aluminum and automobiles. Article content Earlier this year, Trump launched investigations under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 into multiple products, including copper and pharmaceuticals, citing national security concerns. Article content Trump said he also will announce duties soon on pharmaceuticals but suggests he would give manufacturers a year before introducing those tariffs. Article content 'After that they're going to be tariffed if they have to bring the pharmaceuticals into the country, the drugs and other things, into the country,' Trump said. 'They're going to be tariffed at a very, very high rate, like 200 per cent.'
Japan Forward
2 hours ago
- Japan Forward
Trump's Tariff Blitz: Will Japan Fold or Fight?
President Donald Trump has reignited global trade tensions by unveiling a series of letters on July 7, threatening to impose hefty tariffs on major trading partners, including Japan. The move comes as a 90-day pause on Trump's Reciprocal Tariff Plan, initially announced on April 2, is set to expire this Wednesday. While baseline tariffs of 10% on all imports remain in place, the letters outline much steeper levies unless new trade agreements are reached. A letter addressed to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba confirms a blanket 25% tariff on all Japanese exports to the US, effective on August 1. This is in addition to existing sector-specific tariffs already applied to automobiles, auto parts, steel, and aluminum. In the letter, Trump described the US trade deficit with Japan as a "major threat" to the American economy and national security. He warned that any retaliatory measures would be met with proportional escalation: "Whatever the number you choose to raise them by will be added onto the 25% that we charge," he wrote. President Trump's letter to PM Ishiba, dated July 7, addresses the US-Japan trade deficit and announces a 25% tariff on all Japanese exports starting August 1, 2025. Ishiba stated on Tuesday that the announcement was "truly regrettable," but reiterated Tokyo's commitment to ongoing dialogue and the protection of national interests. Japanese trade officials have made several trips to Washington in recent months to seek exemptions through negotiations, but those efforts have so far failed to produce results. Since his first term, Trump has claimed that countries exploit America's vast consumer market, often citing Japan as a prime example. The president argues that Japan's dominant industries, such as automakers and electronics, benefit from access to the American marketplace, while American agricultural and manufactured goods face steep barriers. US President Donald Trump announces details of his administration's latest tariffs at the White House in Washington, DC on April 3. (©Reuters via Kyodo) By rolling out aggressive tariffs, Washington aims to insulate domestic producers from foreign competition and compel Japan to open its market to more US goods. Although a bilateral trade imbalance exists, it only tells part of the story. The US consistently enjoys a trade surplus in services with Japan. Moreover, much of the goods deficit arises from structural economic differences and consumer preferences, rather than Japan's protectionist barriers. For one thing, the US naturally imports more products than other countries as a high-consumption economy. Japanese automakers, in turn, have tailored their vehicles to suit American tastes, often manufacturing them directly in the US. SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son delivers remarks as President Trump looks on during an "Investing in America" event, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in the Cross Hall of the White House. (©White House/Joyce N. Boghosian) Japan has also been the largest source of foreign direct investment in the US for five consecutive years since 2019. Corporations like Toyota, SoftBank, and Fujifilm have poured billions into their American operations in recent years, creating tens of thousands of new jobs. These sustained investments help mitigate some of the negative effects typically associated with a trade deficit. Even on rice, Trump's criticism often misses the mark. Under World Trade Organization rules, Japan imports up to 770,000 tons of tariff-free rice annually through a minimum access system. In fiscal 2024, it imported nearly the full amount, with US rice making up 45% of those imports, far more than any other country. The US is Japan's largest export destination. If implemented, 25% tariffs would significantly increase the cost of Japanese goods in the American market, reducing their competitive edge and squeezing profit margins. Analysts project that Trump's proposed policy could decrease Japan's real GDP by as much as 1.8%, disrupt global supply chains, and negatively impact corporate earnings across various sectors. Minister of State for Economic Revitalization Ryosei Akazawa (right) and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent shake hands before trade talks in Washington, DC, in May. (Pool photo by Kyodo) The political stakes are equally high. With inflation still weighing on households, the Japanese government remains indecisive on whether to cut or scrap the consumption tax, an issue looming large ahead of a critical Upper House election on July 20. Having already lost its majority in the last Lower House election, Ishiba and his ruling Liberal Democratic Party are walking a tightrope as tariff D-day nears. Despite Trump's accusations of Japan being "spoiled," Tokyo has shown a willingness to compromise under the right circumstances. In 2019, for instance, then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe signed a limited bilateral trade agreement with Trump, lowering tariffs on American beef, pork, and wheat in exchange for a freeze on higher auto tariffs. First Lady Melania Trump, President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and Akie Abe enjoying a dinner at a robatayaki restaurant in Minato, Tokyo, on May 26, 2019. (©Kyodo) Abe also championed multilateral trade pacts like the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which emphasizes rules-based trade and market reciprocity as an alternative to coercive deal-making. Some of Trump's current demands, particularly wider access to Japan's agricultural market, could have been achieved through the original Trans-Pacific Partnership, from which Trump withdrew in 2017 during his first term. Author: Kenji Yoshida
