Trump places 25% tariff on imported autos, expecting to raise $100 billion in tax revenues
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he is placing 25% tariffs on auto imports. The White House says the move will foster domestic manufacturing, but it could also put a financial squeeze on automakers that depend on global supply chains. Trump told reporters on Wednesday that “this will continue to spur growth.” The tariffs could be complicated as even U.S. automakers source their components from around the world. That means they could face higher costs and lower sales. Shares in General Motors fell roughly 3% Wednesday. Ford’s stock was up slightly. Shares in Stellantis, the owner of Jeep and Chrysler, dropped nearly 4%.
Trump says Signal chat isn’t ‘really an FBI thing.’ The FBI has a long history of such inquiries
WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Kash Patel may not have been part of a Signal chat in which other Trump administration national security officials discussed detailed attack plans. But that didn’t spare him from being questioned by lawmakers this week about whether the nation’s premier law enforcement agency would investigate. Patel made no such commitments during two days of Senate and House hearings, instead testifying that he had not reviewed text messages inadvertently shared with the editor-in-chief for The Atlantic. Even as President Donald Trump insisted that “it’s not really an FBI thing,” the reality is the FBI and Justice Department for decades have been responsible for enforcing Espionage Act statutes governing the mishandling of national defense information.
Homeland Security Secretary Noem visits the El Salvador prison where deported Venezuelans are held
TECOLUCA, El Salvador (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has visited the high-security El Salvador prison where Venezuelans who the Trump administration alleges are members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang have been held since their removal from the U.S. Noem’s trip Wednesday to the prison where inmates are packed into cells and never allowed outside comes as the Trump administration seeks to show it is deporting people it describes as the “worst of the worst.” The Trump administration is arguing in federal court that it was justified in sending the Venezuelans to El Salvador, while activists say the prison is rife with human rights abuses.
Middle East latest: Israeli strikes kill a family of 6 and a Hamas spokesman in Gaza
Israeli strikes overnight and into Thursday killed a family of six and a Hamas spokesman in the Gaza Strip. A strike hit the tent where Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua was staying in the Jabaliya area of northern Gaza, killing him, according to Basem Naim, another Hamas official. Another strike near Gaza City killed four children and their parents, according to the emergency service of Gaza’s Health Ministry. Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas last week, launching a surprise wave of strikes that killed hundreds of Palestinians. It has vowed to escalate the offensive if Hamas does not release hostages, disarm and leave the territory.
South Korea is in an uphill battle to contain massive wildfires as the death toll rises to 26
CHEONGSONG, South Korea (AP) — Multiple wildfires raging across South Korea’s southern regions for days have killed 26 people and destroyed more than 300 structures, as thousands of personnel and dozens of helicopters have mobilized to battle the the county’s worst-ever blazes. Korea Forest Service chief Lim Sang-seop said “a small amount” — less than 0.2 inches – of rain was expected in the area on Thursday, not enough to play a meaningful role in extinguishing the wildfires. The fatalities include a pilot whose helicopter crashed during efforts to contain a fire and four firefighters and other workers who died after being trapped by fast-moving flames.
North Korea sent 3,000 more troops to Russia, according to South’s assessment
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s military says North Korea sent around 3,000 additional troops to Russia in January and February in continued support for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine. The South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea has also been sending more missiles, artillery equipment and ammunition to help Russia. The Joint Chiefs also said they had assessed that 4,000 of the approximately 11,000 military personnel North Korea has sent to fight in the war against Ukraine have been killed or injured. Separately, North Korea said leader Kim Jong Un observed tests of newly developed reconnaissance and attack drones this week and called for their increased production. It was the latest display of his country’s growing military capabilities.
South Sudan opposition says its leader Machar has been arrested as UN warns of a renewed civil war
JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — South Sudan’s main opposition party says its leader Riek Machar has been arrested. The U.N. recently warned that the country is on the brink of a renewed civil war. The opposition group’s spokesperson told reporters Wednesday night that Machar was confined by the government and his life was at risk. South Sudan’s five-year civil war caused 400,000 deaths before a 2018 peace agreement brought President Salva Kiir and Machar together in a unity government. The head of the U.N mission in South Sudan said all parties should exercise restraint and uphold the agreement. Tensions escalated in March when an armed group loyal to Machar overran an army base and the government responded with airstrikes.
Turkish student at Tufts University detained, video shows masked people handcuffing her
SOMERVILLE, Mass. (AP) — A lawyer for a Turkish national and doctoral student at Tufts University says she has been detained by Department of Homeland Security agents without explanation. The lawyer for 30-year-old Rumeysa Ozturk says she had just left her home in Somerville, Massachusetts, on Tuesday when she was stopped by agents. Surveillance video obtained by AP appears to show six people whose faces are covered taking her phone as she yells and is handcuffed. A judge ordered that she not be moved out of Massachusetts and gave the government until Friday to respond. But as of Wednesday evening, she was listed in online records as being at processing center in southern Louisiana. The DHS confirmed Ozturk’s detention and the termination of her visa.
Mali embraces solar power for rural areas but the challenges are still vast
KARAN, Mali (AP) — A solar power plant in this rural corner of Mali has jolted a village to life and awakened dreams of steady power in this West African nation. The country is seeing unprecedented growth in renewable energy. Solar power is a recent development, and the government encouraging the use of it. But experts say the rest of Mali — and much of the region — has a long way to go before seeing similar progress. Only 53% of Mali’s population had access to electricity as of 2021, according to the latest data from the World Bank.
Climate change and overfishing threaten Vietnam’s ancient tradition of making fish sauce
DA NANG, Vietnam (AP) — Fish sauce is an indelible part of Vietnam’s culture and essential for its vibrant cuisine. In small fishing villages across Vietnam’s long coast, families have made it for centuries. But climate change and overfishing threaten the anchovies crucial for fish sauce production. Warmer waters with less oxygen are forcing fish to shrink, and overfishing is reducing catches. This jeopardizes not only these family businesses but also Vietnam’s ambition to dominate a global fish sauce market that’s projected to grow significantly by 2032.