The Latest: Key US trading partners and global officials react to Trump's new tariffs
The new tariffs announced Wednesday by U.S. President Donald Trump were met initially with measured reactions from key trading partners, highlighting the lack of appetite for a full-fledged trade war. Trump presented the import taxes, which he calls “reciprocal tariffs” and range from 10% to 49%, in the simplest terms: the U.S. would do to its trading partners what he said they had been doing to the U.S. for decades. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said they are a “major blow to the world economy,” while a Japanese official called them “extremely regrettable” and Korea’s prime minister called for emergency measures to support industries affected by the tariffs.
Trump announces sweeping new tariffs to promote US manufacturing, risking inflation and trade wars
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has announced far-reaching new tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners — including a 34% tax on imports from China and 20% on the European Union, among others. Trump placed the elevated tariff rates on dozens of nations that run meaningful trade surpluses with the United States, while imposing a 10% baseline tax on imports from all countries. The president used aggressive rhetoric to describe a global trade system that the United States helped to build after World War II, saying “our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered” by other nations. The action kickstarts what could be a painful transition for many Americans, who could find middle-class essentials such as housing, autos and clothing more costly.
Stock market today: Asian markets slip following Trump's announcements of big tariff hikes
BANGKOK (AP) — Asian markets and U.S. futures have tumbled following U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of big increases in tariffs on imports of goods from around the world. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index dipped more than 3.4%, while the Kospi in South Korea dropped 1.8%. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 also sank 1.8%. On Wednesday, U.S. stocks whipped through another dizzying day before Trump’s unveiling of his “Liberation Day” tariffs. The S&P 500 rose 0.7% and the Dow gained 0.6%. The Nasdaq composite surged 0.9%. Tesla swung from a sharp loss in the morning to a gain later in the day to help pull the market higher. Treasury yields also veered from lower to higher following a better-than-expected report on the job market.
Myanmar's military declares a ceasefire to ease quake relief as deaths pass 3,000
BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s ruling military has declared a temporary ceasefire in the country’s civil war to facilitate relief efforts following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that has killed more than 3,000 people. The announcement by the military’s high command was reported late Wednesday on state television MRTV, which said the truce would run until April 22 and was aimed at showing compassion for people affected by Friday’s quake. The announcement followed unilateral temporary ceasefires announced by armed resistance groups opposed to military rule. MRTV also announced that the death toll had risen to 3,003, with 4,515 injured.
1 person dead as violent storms, including tornadoes, wallop Midwest and South
Tornadoes and violent storms have struck parts of the South and Midwest, killing at least one person, knocking down power lines and trees, ripping roofs off of homes and shooting debris thousands of feet into the air. Dozens of tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings were posted in several states as violent storms hit the region Wednesday. At least one tornado emergency was issued in Arkansas. Forecasters say it is the opening act for a week of wild weather as daytime heating combines with an unstable atmosphere, strong wind shear and abundant moisture streaming in from the Gulf.
Netanyahu says Israel will establish a new security corridor across Gaza to pressure Hamas
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is establishing a new security corridor across the Gaza Strip. He suggested in an announcement Wednesday that the corridor would cut off the southern city of Rafah, which Israel has ordered evacuated, from the rest of the territory. The announcement came after Netanhayu's defense minister said Israel would seize large areas of Gaza and add them to its so-called security zones. In other developments, Palestinian health officials said a wave of Israeli strikes killed more than 40 people. Israel has vowed to escalate the nearly 18-month war with Hamas until the militant group returns dozens of remaining hostages, disarms and leaves the territory.
Journalists in Haiti defy bullets and censorship to cover unprecedented violence
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Journalists in Haiti are under attack like never before. They are dodging bullets, defying censorship and setting personal struggles aside as they document the downfall of Haiti’s capital and the surge in violence blamed on powerful gangs that control 85% of Port-au-Prince. Heavily armed gangs attacked at least three TV and radio stations in March. Two of the buildings were already abandoned because of previous violence, but gunmen stole equipment that had been left behind. Gangs sent an even deadlier message on Christmas Eve: they opened fire on journalists covering the failed reopening of Haiti’s largest public hospital, saying they had not authorized its reopening.
Musk could be headed for a Washington exit after turbulent times at Trump's DOGE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Elon Musk and President Donald Trump have recently suggested that the billionaire entrepreneur's time in the administration might be running out. Musk says he could be done with his work at the Department of Government Efficiency in the near future. Trump has told reporters that Musk will go back to running his companies and that DOGE “will end” at some point. All of that talk came before Musk faced a setback on Tuesday in Wisconsin, where voters rejected his choice for a closely contested state Supreme Court candidate. DOGE was never supposed to become a permanent fixture in Washington. But it could be reaching a conclusion faster than anticipated.
Amazon's last-minute bid for TikTok comes as a US ban on the platform is set to take effect Saturday
WASHINGTON (AP) — Amazon has put in a bid to purchase TikTok. A Trump administration confirmed the eleventh-hour pitch as a U.S. ban on the platform is set to go into effect Saturday. The official wasn't authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The official says the offer came in a letter to Vice President JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The existence of an Amazon bid surfaced as Trump was scheduled on Wednesday to meet with senior officials to discuss the coming deadline for a TikTok sale.
Val Kilmer, 'Top Gun' and Batman star with an intense approach, dies at 65
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Val Kilmer has died at age 65. The versatile actor played flying ace Iceman opposite Tom Cruise in “Top Gun,” Batman in “Batman Forever” and singer Jim Morrison in the biopic “The Doors.” Kilmer's daughter says he died Tuesday in Los Angeles from pneumonia. He had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014. The Los Angeles-born Kilmer studied acting at the elite Juilliard School and had his big break in the 1984 spy spoof “Top Secret.” He was sometimes regarded as a difficult presence on film sets but said in his memoir that he always put the art first.
