Developing nations in South-east Asia, including war-torn and earthquake-hit Myanmar, and several African nations are among the trading partners facing the highest tariffs set by US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs. Upending decades of US trade policy and threatening to unleash a global trade war, Trump on Wednesday announced a raft of tariffs he said … Read more
Australian elections have many proud traditions: democracy sausages, Akubra hats, and of course, salt of the earth “tradies” in campaign ads. The tradition continues down in Victoria, where a young man in an orange hi-vis vest, complete with a hard hat, makes an appearance in a campaign video for the former Liberal MP Tim Wilson. … Read more
Donald Trump’s tariff “day of liberation” arrived with the US president imposing markups on imports while accusing other nations, including allies, of “looting, pillaging, raping and plundering” the US. The UK got off relatively lightly with the basic 10%. Here is how major British newspapers see it. Guardian front page, Thursday 3 April 2024 Photograph: … Read more
The usually quiet streets outside South Korea’s constitutional court in Seoul are now a political ground zero for a decision that will determine the country’s future. Months after Yoon Suk Yeol imposed martial law and triggered South Korea’s worst political crisis in decades, the court will on Friday decide whether to uphold the suspended president’s … Read more
Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature The Japanese yen has strengthened 1% against the US dollar on Thursday, AFP reports. In morning trade in Tokyo, one dollar bought 147.69 yen, with the Japanese currency – traditionally viewed as a safe-haven – up 1% compared to late Wednesday. … Read more
Canada’s exemption from Donald Trump’s global tariffs was “like dodging a bullet into the path of a tank”, say business leaders as other levies are poised to hit key industries that drive the country’s economy. In a theatrical unveiling of tariffs on countries with “unfair” practices on Wednesday afternoon, Canada was noticeably absent, alongside trade … Read more
It was Jeopardy!, or The Price is Right, come to Washington. On an unseasonably chilly day in the White House Rose Garden, Donald Trump stood with a giant chart listing what reciprocal tariffs he would impose on China, the European Union, the United Kingdom and other hapless contestants. The winner? Trump, of course, the maestro … Read more
Australia has been hit with a 10% tariff on all imports to the US as part of a global tariff regime imposed by the US president, Donald Trump. In his “liberation day” speech, the president held up a board listing countries and their rates of tariffs. It claimed Australia imposed a 10% tariff on US … Read more
Samoa is in the grip of an “energy crisis” prime minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa said this week, as she declared a state of emergency over power outages that have swept the country for weeks, causing huge disruption to businesses and daily life. The government is scrambling to provide relief to affected businesses and households, with … Read more
Donald Trump is finally making good on his campaign promises to “build that wall” – but instead of steel fencing along the Mexican border, it will be constructed from tariffs, and will enclose the entire United States. In his pugnacious and typically rambling speech on the White House lawn on Wednesday, Trump set out plans … Read more