Canada and China retaliate against Trump’s tariffs
Canada and China yesterday condemned the sweeping tariffs imposed by the Trump administration and said they would retaliate against U.S. exports.
President Trump imposed 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, and 10 percent on imports from China on top of a previous 10 percent. President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico said that if the U.S. tariffs were still in place on Sunday, she, too, would announce countermeasures.
“You’re a very smart guy,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, addressing Trump. “But this is a very dumb thing to do.”
Trudeau said Canada would, in response, put 25 percent tariffs on $20.5 billion worth of unspecified U.S. goods. China announced levies on U.S. food imports and halted the sale of Chinese goods to 15 American companies. In Mexico, there were calls for boycotts of U.S. companies and products.
Zelensky offered terms for a pathway to peace
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said yesterday that he was ready to release Russian prisoners of war, stop long-range drone and missile strikes, and declare a truce at sea immediately — but only if Russia did the same.
His comments on social media came a day after the U.S. paused military aid to Ukraine. Zelensky also doled out effusive praise for U.S. support of his country and for Trump in a clear attempt to patch up a tattered relationship. A former Biden administration official said Ukraine had enough key munitions to last into the summer because of deliveries the U.S. made before Trump took office. Here’s what to know about the U.S. pause in military aid.
Arab leaders came up with a plan for Gaza’s future
Arab leaders yesterday endorsed their own vision for Gaza’s postwar future at an emergency summit in Cairo that was held in response to Trump’s plans to “clear out” the enclave and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
An Egyptian proposal called for spending $53 billion to rebuild Gaza, leaving residents in place, under the temporary leadership of a group of technocrats and leaders unaffiliated with Hamas. The leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates did not show for the Cairo summit, raising questions about whether there is unified Arab support for Egypt’s plan.
Crackdown on militants: The Israeli military said yesterday that its forces had killed a Hamas military commander in the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank.
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A chemical manufacturer in China believes that ideal workers are loyal, virtuous and willing to start a family. If not, they’re fired. Beijing is trying to reverse falling marriage and birthrates, so some companies have been doing their part by leaning on their employees.
Such moves have been criticized as overstepping. Many young Chinese reject the traditional idea of family.
Lives lived: James Harrison, a prolific plasma donor whose blood had a rare antibody that may have helped millions of babies in Australia, died at 88.
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Subtlety wins architecture’s top prize
At 17, Liu Jiakun was sent to labor in the countryside as part of China’s “re-education” efforts during the Cultural Revolution. Now 68, he has won architecture’s highest honor: the Pritzker Prize.
Liu has built more than 30 projects in China, often using local materials to create understated works that incorporate their surroundings. His project “West Village,” in Chengdu, is open yet enclosed, with pathways for cyclists and pedestrians and views of the environment. Grass is allowed to poke through the brick, and naturally occurring bamboo groves provide shade.
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