Latest world news
US initiated Trade Tariff War escalates with China, EU
Mexico and Canada also retaliate with additional tariff on US imports
The trade tariff war initiated by US President Donald Trump with Canada, Mexico, EU and China has been escalating. Trump has given his approval to put tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese exports while EU has endorsed a plan to impose import duties on $3.3 bn worth of US products on Thursday.
CNN, quoting a source with knowledge of the situation has reported that President’s approval for US to put on $50 bn of Chinese exports came after a meeting Thursday with top economic officials, including Treasury Secretary Steven Munchin, Commence Secretary Wilbur Ross and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. The announcement is expected on Friday.
The report says that the move represents a serious escalation of trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies — just as Trump has also picked fights with allies Canada, Mexico and the European Union over steel and aluminum.
It was first reported by Bloomberg.
Read More: Who needs enemy whey you have friends like Trump: EU Chief
Earlier Beijing said it would respond to US tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese exports with retaliatory tariffs on $50 billion of US products such as cars, planes and soybeans.
Meanwhile, AFP, quoting a European Commission source reports, that EU countries on Thursday endorsed a plan to impose import duties on $3.3 bn worth of US products in response to US tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, the EU and Mexico.
The source said, “Member states have today unanimously supported the commission’s plan for the adoption of rebalancing measures on the US tariffs,” adding that they would be implemented “in coming days.” The retaliatory tariffs against US’ painful duties should be in place by late June or early July, the report said.
Read More: Trade war erupts; China slaps heavy duty on US products
Similarly Canada and Mexico have also announced their intention of taking counter measures against US imposed tariffs. Mexico has announced to impose tariffs on US imports including pork bellies, apples, grapes, cheeses and flat steels, among other products.
Canada has promised retaliatory tariffs worth $12.8bn on US products including steel, aluminum, whiskey and orange juice.
The ties among US and its European allies have been at their lowest level due to rows over a host of issues including trade tariffs, the Paris climate agreement, the Iran nuclear deal and the US Jerusalem move- recognizing it as Israel’s capital and moving its embassy to the holy city which was earlier promised to become capital of Palestine.
For months, Trump has slow-walked threats of tariffs against China as punishment for intellectual property theft. Initially he announced that US would impose trade penalties on about $50 billion of Chinese goods in March saying, “We have a tremendous intellectual property theft problem. It’s going to make us a much stronger, much richer nation.”
After China warned it would retaliate, Trump threatened tariffs on a further $100 billion of Chinese products. However, in mid-May, both announced a ceasefire after two rounds of trade negotiations.
They said in a joint statement that China would “significantly increase” purchases of US agricultural and energy products to reduce the trade imbalance, a top Trump administration demand. The US Treasury Secretary Steven Munchin subsequently declared the trade war “on hold.”
Ten days later, White House abruptly said it would proceed with the tariffs, along with new limits on Chinese investments in the US. Washington said it would finalize the list of goods that would be subject to 25% tariffs by June 15, and that the tariffs would go into effect “shortly thereafter.”
A further round of trade talks in Beijing earlier this month failed to yield any breakthroughs. On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang reiterated that China would not honor its pledge to increase purchases of US goods if tariffs were imposed.
After the G7 summit, held in Quebec, Canada last week, Trump sent out a couple of tweets in which he slammed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “very dishonest & weak,” and ordered US representatives not to sign a joint communiqué with the G7 leaders.
Latest world news
World Earth Day 2024: Google Doodle showcases aerial view of planet’s natural beauty
Google celebrated Earth Day 2024 with a special doodle featuring an aerial view of our planet’s biodiversity.
Google shared a doodle today to celebrate World Earth Day 2024, which showcased aerial photos of the planet’s biodiversity and natural beauty. Google reminded us of the importance of protecting planet earth for future generations with the help of this doodle.
The Google letters depict specific locations across the globe where people, communities, and governments work every day to help protect the planet’s natural beauty, biodiversity, and resources, according to the explanation of the annual Earth Day 2024 doodle on their website.
It said, these examples remind us that there’s much more to do to address the climate crisis and biodiversity loss, but also offer the promise of hope and optimism.
The islands of Turks and Caicos are represented by the letter “G.” The islands’ conservation efforts are concentrated on protecting important regions for biodiversity and addressing persistent environmental problems.
The largest reef in the southern Gulf of Mexico and a UNESCO biosphere reserve, Scorpion Reef National Park, is represented by the letter “O” in the Mexican flag.
The letter “O” features Iceland’s Vatnajokull National Park, which was designated as a national park in 2008 following decades of advocacy. The ecology within and surrounding the biggest glacier in Europe is safeguarded by this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The letter “G” has the Jau National Park in Brazil on it. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the biggest forest reserves in South America.
The Great Green Wall of Nigeria is represented by the letter “L,” and the Pilbara Islands Nature Reserves of Australia are represented by the letter “E.”
Meanwhile, Earth Day is a worldwide event that promotes protection of the environment every year. April 22 serves as a reminder of the importance of conservation efforts and sustainable practices to guarantee a healthier world and a brighter future.
The occasion inspires people across the world to come together and take action to protect the environment, strengthening our bonds with nature and promoting good change.
Latest world news
Bigg Boss 14 contestant Rahul Vaidya struggles walking in knee deep water, compares Dubai rains with Mumbai floods
Singer and TV personality Rahul Vaidya was recently stranded in the Dubai rains.
Rahul Vaidya, who was in Dubai ahead of his show which was scheduled to take place today, left the country due to heavy rains and reached Kolkata. The artist shared on social media his encounters in the UAE city, including challenges like walking through knee-deep water. Rahul provided an update regarding the heavy rainfall in Dubai on his Instagram profile.
The Bigg Boss 14 contestant revealed that he was in Kolkata and prepared to do an evening performance. Recalling the terrifying period he went through, Vaidya said there was a lot of confusion and panic in Dubai. The situation was similar to that when heavy floods hit Mumbai in 2005.
Vaiday also posted seval other images and videos of cars that were underwater and flooded roadways. The Bigg Boss 14 contestant, who shared his ordeal, claimed that even though it had just rained for two hours, the situation was dire.
In one of the video, which went viral he can be seen struggling in walking in knee-deep water. He can be also seen holding his sneakers in one hand and with other hand he was seen managing other things.
This is the result of the two hours of rain that it had, he can be heard saying in the video. Vidya also said he dosen’t believe Dubai is accustomed to a lot of rain. Everything had stopped working, he remarked.
After taking part in the first season of the singing reality show Indian Idol, Rahul Vaidya gained widespread recognition. In addition to Bigg Boss, he took part in Khatron Ke Khiladi 11.
Meanwhile, heavy rains that triggered flooding in the UAE and Bahrain, which left 18 people dead in Oman on Sunday and Monday, have paralyzed the financial hub of the Middle East, Dubai.
A lot of incoming flights were diverted from Dubai’s international airport because of the rain. At 7:26 p.m., the busiest airport in the world for foreign visitors stopped accepting new arrivals; a gradual resumption was announced for more than two hours later.
Images of planes navigating flooded tarmacs are making the rounds on social media.
According to pictures shared on social media, the flagship malls Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates both experienced heavy floods, while at least one Dubai Metro station had water up to the ankles.
There were several road collapses, severe flooding in residential areas, and numerous reports of leaks from windows, doors, and roofs.
Due to the unfavourable weather, schools around the United Arab Emirates were forced to close, and as more storms are predicted, the closures are anticipated to last until Wednesday. The government of Dubai allowed its staff to work remotely till this Wednesday.
Latest world news
Dubai sky turns green during storm in UAE, video goes viral
The UAE witnessed record-breaking rainfall on Tuesday and the National Centre of Meteorology recorded 254 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hrs in the Khatm Al Shakla area in Al Ain.
1 person was killed in UAE as it witnessed heavy rainfall on Tuesday, stranding commuters, flooding roads, disrupting trains and flights and resulting in water leakage from mall ceilings. The UAE witnessed record-breaking rainfall on Tuesday and the National Centre of Meteorology recorded 254 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hrs in the Khatm Al Shakla area in Al Ain. It is being said that the rainfall was the highest documented since the start of data collection in 1949.
The heavy rainfall in UAE came days after a similar situation in neighbouring Oman, where 13 people were killed in flash floods. Many parts of Oman saw torrential rains, which caused students to be trapped in buses and swept away motorists and trapped people in their homes.
Videos from Dubai circulating on social media showed widespread waterlogging on roads in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and other important cities. This left daily commuters in cars and other vehicles struggling to get back home. Dubai metro station too was seen flooded and closed.
One such video circulating on social media shows the aerial view of the city of Dubai from the top of a building. In the video the stormy winds are seen blowing over the city of Dubai. As the storm intensifies the Dubai sky turns green and ultimately gets covered by heavy rainfall. The video has gone viral on social media with more than 1.1 million views.
Another video showed water leakage from the ceilings of shopping malls, flooding the floors and destroying goods. A video which was shot in the famous Mall of the Emirates, showed pieces of ceiling falling as the rainwater gushed inside. Videos from many outlets of the Deira City Centre mall chain showed escalators being rendered unusable. Majid Al Futtaim, the company which owns the Mall of Emirates, said that the shopping complexes have been kept open and the customers are being sent away from the flooded areas.
-
Education7 hours ago
Physics Wallah founder gets invited as speaker to Harvard, Stanford Universities, post goes viral
-
2024 Lok Sabha Elections4 hours ago
Mallikarjun Kharge says candidates for Amethi, Rae Bareli seats in Uttar Pradesh will be announced in a few days
-
Cricket news10 hours ago
IPL 2024: Punjab Kings beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 8 wickets to chase down highest T20 total
-
2024 Lok Sabha Elections8 hours ago
Smriti Irani takes a swipe at Rahul Gandhi for calling Amethi his home but contesting Lok Sabha elections from Wayanad
-
2024 Lok Sabha Elections5 hours ago
Priyanka Gandhi accuses BJP of planning to change the Constitution, criticises PM Modi for inflation
-
2024 Lok Sabha Elections3 hours ago
Sunita Kejriwal holds maiden Lok Sabha election roadshow in Delhi