Top World News

Apr 4, 2025 - World

by Joy CHIANGTaiwan has earmarked $2.7 billion to help industries affected by US President Donald Trump's new tariffs, the government said Friday.Taipei had sought to avoid Trump's threatened levies by pledging increased investment in the United States and more purchases of US energy, but it was still hit by a 32 percent tax on its imports, excluding semiconductor chips. The government has described the tariffs as "unreasonable" and "extreme", and plans to seek negotiations with Washington in the hope of reducing their impact.Announcing the NT$88 billion ($2.7 billion) assistance package, Premier Cho Jung-tai said the plan was to "address various needs of industries and society in the future."Taiwan's trade surplus with the United States is the seventh highest of any country, reaching $73.9 billion in 2024.Around 60 percent of Taiwan's exports to the United States are information and communications technology products, or ICT, which includes chips.The government has argued that the surplus reflected soaring demand in the United States for Taiwan's semiconductors and other tech products, further driven by US tariffs and export controls targeting China that Trump imposed during his first term.Cho told a news conference that the industrial and agricultural sectors would be the main targets of the assistance.The funds will be used for financial support, reducing administrative costs, improving competitiveness, offering tax incentives and diversifying markets, he said.Products expected to be hardest hit by Trump's tariffs include ICT, electronics, steel, metal and machinery, components and building materials.Tea, orchids and fish are also likely to be hurt, Cho said, flagging a possible "shrinking consumer market or a weakening of our competitive advantage".Vice Premier Cheng Li-chun told reporters the government had drawn up response measures based on a possible 25 percent tariff ahead of Trump's announcement."I must clarify that a 32 percent tariff falls under an extreme scenario," Cheng said."While we did run simulations based on it, that doesn't mean we consider it reasonable. In our view, it exceeds what would be a reasonable expectation -- it's neither reasonable nor fair."Semiconductor chips, a sector that Taiwan dominates and has been a source of friction between Washington and Taipei, were excluded from Trump's levies.However, analysts warned that tariffs on components would have a knock-on effect for the critical chip industry that is the lifeblood of the global economy.Trump has accused Taiwan of stealing the US chip industry and recently threatened to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on semiconductor imports from the island."Taiwan will lobby for exemption or at least see what Trump wants -- Trump wants something," Andrew Kam Jia Yi, an associate professor at the National University of Malaysia told AFP."(Trump) gives you the worst-case scenario then batters you down to a deal that you might not want but seems more reasonable than the original threat."joy/amj/dhw© Agence France-Presse

Apr 4, 2025 - World

China responded to president Donald Trump's trade war threats with its own 34-percent retaliatory tariffs on all U.S. goods, and a CNN correspondent warned that farmers could be hit hard by the move.The president announced so-called reciprocal tariffs on imports from about 90 countries Wednesday, which he dubbed "Liberation Day," and claimed the new taxes were necessary to erase trade deficits between the U.S. and its trading partners, and China responded with a corresponding duty to that imposed by Trump.ALSO READ: 'Came as a surprise to me': Senators 'troubled' by one aspect of government funding bill"This is significant," said CNN's Marc Stewart. "I'm going to put that in boldface type. This is a really big deal, these tariffs, these 34-percent tariffs on all American imports are the fight back that China said it would do if pressured by the United States. These additional tariffs, because there are already tariffs of anywhere from 10 percent to 15 percent already in place. These tariffs will certainly hurt the American economy in the sense that they will really hurt the heartland of America, as in America's farmers, right now. If we look at all of the products that China imports in from the United States, soybeans topped the list. Soybeans are needed here in China because they are the ingredient that fuels the pork industry, which is one of the top commodities in this part of the world. So these additional tariffs are very strategic in the sense that they will hit farmers in the middle part of the United States.""We're still waiting for the timing and the implementation of all of this, but this sends a very big statement," Stewart added. "Also important in all of this is the timing of all of this. This is a very sacred holiday weekend right now, this is a time where families take time to remember those who have passed away. For the government to do this late on a Friday afternoon, early Friday evening here in Beijing, really talks about the weight of all of this as far as what is next. Beijing is giving us some lines here and there. We will keep track, but again, this is this is a very significant fight back from China." - YouTube youtu.be

Apr 4, 2025 - World

Thousands have protested plans of Central African Republic's president to run for a third term with the backing of Russian-led mercenaries from the Wagner group

Apr 4, 2025 - World

The Dutch Caribbean territory of St. Maarten is offering cash, plane tickets and an extended hotel stay to attract professionals and students back home

Apr 4, 2025 - World

A landmine-hunting rat in Cambodia has set a new world record by sniffing out more than 100 mines and pieces of unexploded ordnance, a charity said Friday.Ronin, a giant African pouched rat, has tracked down 109 landmines and 15 other potentially deadly war remnants since his deployment to northern Preah Vihear province in August 2021, the Belgian charity APOPO said in a statement.Five-year-old Ronin has been named the most successful Mine Detection Rat (MDR) in the organisation's history."His exceptional accomplishments have earned him the Guinness World Records title for most landmines detected by a rat, highlighting the critical role of HeroRats in humanitarian demining," APOPO said.Ronin beat the previous record, held by hero rodent Magawa who found 71 landmines and 38 UXOs during his five-year service before retirement in 2021.Magawa, who was awarded a gold medal for heroism for clearing mines from about 225,000 square metres of land -- the equivalent of 42 football pitches -- died in 2022.Ronin may have two years or more of detection work ahead of him, APOPO said."He's not just an asset, he's a valued partner and colleague," Phanny, Ronin's handler, said in the statement.Cambodia remains littered with mines, discarded ammunition and other arms from decades of war starting in the 1960s.After more than 30 years of civil war ended in 1998, Cambodia was left as one of the most heavily mined countries in the world.Deaths from mines and unexploded ordnance are still common, with around 20,000 fatalities since 1979, and twice that number wounded.Two Cambodian toddlers were killed in February when a rocket-propelled grenade believed buried since the country's civil war blew up near their homes in northwestern Siem Reap province.Cambodia had aimed to be mine-free by 2025, but the government pushed the deadline back by five years because of funding challenges and new landmine fields found along the Thai border.suy/pdw/dhc© Agence France-Presse