News from April 3, 2025 at 2 PM

U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 10% baseline tariff on all imports to the United States, along with higher duties on some of the country's largest trading partners, escalating a trade war he initiated upon returning to the White House. Despite not imposing the new 10% global tariff rate on goods from top trading partners Canada and Mexico, Trump's previous order remains in effect, imposing up to 25% tariffs on many goods from the two countries over border control and fentanyl trafficking issues. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that Canada will fight these tariffs with countermeasures and protect its workers. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese believes the American people will bear the biggest cost for these unjustified tariffs. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez vowed to protect Spanish companies and workers and commit to an open world. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed his desire to avoid trade barriers and find a path of trade and cooperation with the U.S. Swiss President Karin Keller-sutter emphasized the importance of the country's long-term economic interests. Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin expressed regret over the decision to impose 20% tariffs on imports from the European Union. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said they will work towards an agreement with the U.S. to avoid a trade war. Manfred Weber, President of the EPP, the largest party in the European Parliament, stated that today is not liberation day but resentment day, and Trump's tariffs do not defend fair trade. Colombian Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia mentioned the measures to protect national industry and exporters.

Myanmar's junta chief, Min Aung Hlaing, attended a regional summit in Bangkok on April 3, 2025, as the death toll from the earthquake that struck central Myanmar last Friday rose to 3,085 killed and 4,715 injured, with hundreds more missing and the toll expected to rise. His arrival in Bangkok, on the eve of the summit, was confirmed by a spokesman for the Myanmar army. Thailand, where the earthquake was felt and caused 21 deaths, proposed that the leaders issue a joint statement on the disaster. Many earthquake-affected areas in Myanmar have yet to be reached by authorities, suggesting the death toll figures may not be accurate. Since the quake, countries around the world have sent aid and rescue teams to Myanmar, but poor infrastructure and an ongoing civil war have complicated relief efforts. The junta announced a temporary ceasefire to expedite these efforts, after rejecting earlier proposals from armed ethnic rebel groups. On Tuesday night, the military opened fire at a Chinese Red Cross convoy carrying relief supplies, claiming the convoy refused to stop despite signals to do so.

The Hungarian government has announced its intention to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), with the process set to begin on Thursday as per constitutional and international legal frameworks. This decision comes after a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who received Hungary's support against the radical Palestinian movement Hamas. Netanyahu has been issued an arrest warrant by the ICC for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Palestine. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán termed the decision 'absurd and shameful,' assuring Netanyahu of Hungary's non-compliance with the ICC's ruling. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto had previously indicated Budapest's contemplation of ending cooperation with the international court, describing the ICC as a biased political instrument that has discredited the international judicial system. Hungary is the only EU country not participating in the ICC, alongside Russia, the United States, China, India, and Iran.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that billionaire Elon Musk will leave his administration role in the coming months. According to NBC News, Musk's role as a Special Government Employee (SGE) will end after 130 days, reaching the annual limit of 130 workdays. Tesla CEO Musk is expected to leave the Trump administration soon, and the stock of Tesla rose after the news was released. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the report 'garbage' on Twitter, to which Musk replied, 'fake news.' Trump commented that Musk has been amazing but also needs to manage his company, and he will return at some point. Musk was the largest financial backer of Trump's 2024 campaign. In a March 10 interview with Fox Business, Musk said he might stay for another year.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced his intention to run for re-election as an independent candidate, a decision made just a day after a federal judge dismissed corruption charges against him on March 3, 2025. Adams stated in a Thursday morning post on social media that he is running for mayor in the general election because the city needs independent leadership that understands working people. The charges against Adams, including allegations of receiving over $100,000 worth of plane tickets and luxury hotel stays from Turkish nationals while serving in local government, were permanently dismissed by U.S. District Judge Dale Ho, who ruled that the dismissal without prejudice addressed concerns about the government seeking policy concessions from the mayor.

The Houthi rebels have reportedly downed a second US MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance and attack drone in Yemen's airspace within the past 72 hours. The Yemeni air defense forces, according to the Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree, shot down the drone, which was conducting a hostile mission over the governorate of Hodeidah. This marks the second MQ-9 Reaper drone downed by the Houthis in the region in such a short period. Since the outbreak of the Middle East conflict, the rebels have claimed to have shot down 17 US spy drones. A Congressional review indicated that such drones are valued at $30 million. Following the escalation of conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Ansar Allah movement vowed to shell Israel and block any ships associated with it from passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Since late 2023, the Yemeni Houthis have regularly attacked warships and civilian vessels in the Red Sea as a show of solidarity with the people of Gaza. On March 15, US President Donald Trump authorized military action against the Houthis, citing their attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The operation includes the US aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman, which is based in the Red Sea and regularly strikes Ansar Allah-controlled areas in Yemen. The US Air Force B-2 strategic bombers have also conducted precision strikes against fortified underground weapons storage facilities.

The Slovak cabinet has approved a plan to cull around a quarter of the country's brown bears following a fatal bear attack in a forest in Central Slovakia. Prime Minister Robert Fico announced that 350 out of an estimated 1,300 brown bears would be shot due to the danger to humans. A state of emergency allowing bear shootings has been extended to 55 districts. By the end of 2024, 93 bears had already been shot. Conservationists condemn the plan as a violation of international obligations. Ecologist Michal Wiezek criticized the government for covering up its failure, hoping the European Commission would intervene. Slovak police confirmed a 59-year-old man was killed by a bear near Detva.

According to The Associated Press, the US government has prohibited its employees in China and their families from engaging in romantic relationships with Chinese nationals. Last summer, a stricter ban on any 'romantic or sexual relationships' with Chinese citizens working as guards and other support staff was implemented for US government personnel at the American embassy and five US consulates in China. In January, outgoing US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns extended the policy to ban relationships with any Chinese national days before President Donald Trump took office. The only exception is for American personnel who were already in a relationship with Chinese citizens before the policy was enacted; they can apply for an exemption, but if denied, they must either end their relationships or resign. The measure was communicated to US personnel in China verbally and electronically in January but has not been publicly announced yet.

Turkish police detained 11 individuals on Thursday as part of an investigation into social media calls for an economic boycott. The probe, initiated on Tuesday, targets individuals promoting boycotts on social and traditional media. The Istanbul chief prosecutor's office stated that the calls aimed to prevent a segment of the public from engaging in economic activities, potentially violating laws against hate speech and inciting public hostility. State news agency Anadolu reported that police conducted simultaneous raids in multiple locations, detaining 11 suspects while efforts to apprehend the remaining five continued. The detentions follow a call by main opposition leader Ozgur Ozel to boycott businesses linked to President Tayyip Erdogan's government, which expanded to a one-day shopping halt on Wednesday. The government has condemned the boycott as an attempt to destabilize the economy. Turkey's economy, affected by years of high inflation and currency turmoil, has experienced slowing growth, with March inflation at 38.1%. Some business owners reported a significant drop in customers following the boycott call, while others defended it as a necessary form of protest.

Former Costa Rican President and 1987 Nobel Peace Laureate Oscar Arias announced on Tuesday that the U.S. had revoked his visa, weeks after he criticized U.S. President Donald Trump on social media for behaving like 'a Roman emperor.' Arias, who served as president from 1986 to 1990 and again from 2006 to 2010, won the Nobel Prize for his role in brokering peace during the Central American conflicts of the 1980s. He also promoted a free trade agreement with the U.S. and established diplomatic ties with China in 2007. Arias revealed that he received an email from the U.S. government informing him of the visa suspension without providing reasons. In February, Arias accused current President Rodrigo Chaves on social media of succumbing to U.S. pressure to counter China's influence in the region and deporting migrants from third countries. The U.S. had previously revoked visas from three Costa Rican lawmakers who opposed Chaves' decision to exclude Chinese firms from 5G development in the country. On Tuesday, another opposition lawmaker also had her U.S. visa revoked. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Costa Rica in early February and offered to help Chaves 'punish' officials collaborating with 'foreign actors threatening the country's cybersecurity.'

US prosecutors will seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, accused of shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December. Attorney General Pam Bondi directed federal prosecutors to pursue capital punishment for the 'premeditated, cold-blooded assassination'. Thompson was shot outside a New York hotel on December 4, and Mangione was arrested in Pennsylvania days later. He has pleaded not guilty to state charges and has yet to enter a plea for federal charges. The murder is deemed an act of political violence motivated by anger towards US health insurance companies. Mangione faces 11 state criminal counts, including first-degree murder, and federal charges that make him eligible for the death penalty.