US denies offering Mexico tariff relief in exchange for probing high-level politicians
WASHINGTON, June 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department on Friday denied that the U.S. offered Mexico tariff relief in exchange for investigating high-level politicians.
"The United States and Mexico continue to work together to combat cartels and the corrupt actors that enable them," the department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said in a post on X.
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Times
26 minutes ago
- Times
Trump military parade live: nationwide ‘No Kings' protests against army display
Minnesota authorities say they believe the man suspected of shooting two Democratic state politicians, one of them fatally, is trying to flee the area. Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said authorities are looking for 57-year-old Vance Boelter and that he had not yet been caught. Authorities displayed a photo of Boelter wearing a tan cowboy hat that was taken in Minneapolis on Saturday and asked the public to report sightings. Evans said investigators have obtained video as well. Speaking at a press conference, he did not give details on a possible motive. Military parades are a rare sight in the US. Since the end of World War Two, the nation has staged only one major military parade: the National Victory Celebration, held in 1991 after America's successful interventions in the Gulf War. However, military displays are far more common elsewhere. In Britain, Trooping the Colour is held every year to celebrate the birthday of the monarch. It involves gun salutes, cavalry processions and music. Russia's Victory Day parade, which marks the Soviet Union's victory over the Nazis, is also held every year. In last month's parade, nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles rolled through Red Square, in Moscow, while rocket launchers and flamethrower systems used in Ukraine were also on display. France marks Bastille Day, the national day of France, with a military parade that President Trump described as 'one of the greatest parades I've ever seen'. North Korea holds several military parades each to celebrate various holidays. While today's protests have remained largely peaceful, there have been some reports of confrontations between demonstrators and police. In one heavily Hispanic neighbourhood of northern Atlanta, tear gas was thrown into a crowd of protesters who were headed toward a highway. A chemical irritant has also been sprayed at demonstrators attempting to move past a line of officers with bikes in Charlotte, North Carolina. It appears that the confrontation took place as several hundred people remained in the area after the the city's official rally ended at 1pm. Protesters at President Trump's parade marking 250 years of the American military held placards displaying the numbers '86 47' on Saturday, a symbol of resistance that has been associated with violence. The significance of the numbers was highlighted in May when James Comey, the director of the FBI between 2013 and 2017, was put under investigation after posting an image to Instagram of sea shells on a beach spelling out the four protests on Saturday were organised by 'No Kings', a national movement made up of Americans who oppose the Trump administration. • Read the full story here Authorities in Texas have warned of 'credible threats' made against legislators planning to attend protests in Austin. An alert was sent out by the state's Department of Public Safety (DPS) on Saturday afternoon — just hours after two Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota were shot in their homes. The Texan DPS said it was working with 'all local, state and federal law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of our citizens and state property, as well as to protect individuals exercising their constitutional rights to assemble and free speech'. Dan Patrick, the lieutenant governor of Texas, said: 'I urge everyone to take appropriate precautions and heed the warning of Texas DPS until the threat is no longer active.' Protests have been planned across several cities in Texas, a staunchly Republican state. Protests in Minnesota have been cancelled after a Democratic state lawmaker and her husband were assassinated on Saturday in an attack described by officials as politically motivated. Police said they are searching for Vance Boelter, 57, after Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot dead in their homes. Boelter is also suspected of shooting Democratic Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. The couple survived and have since undergone surgery. It's believed Boelter gained access to the politicians' homes by impersonating a police officer. 'Given the targeted shootings of state lawmakers overnight, we are asking the public to not attend today's planned demonstrations across Minnesota out of an abundance of caution,' State Patrol posted on social media on Saturday morning. President Trump has threatened a strong response to the 'No Kings' protests being held across the US today. Tens of thousands have already taken to the streets of New York, with protests also under way in Washington and Los Angeles, where unrest has rocked the city's Downtown district since last weekend. Demonstrators are out in full force in Springfield, Ohio, Seattle, Nashville and Miami. Earlier this week, Trump warned: 'People that hate our country … they will be met with very heavy force.' Despite the name of the 'No King' protests, which imply Trump is behaving like an aspiring autocrat, the president said earlier this week: 'I don't feel like a king … I have to go through hell to get stuff approved.'
Telegraph
37 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Canada is sovereign, says Starmer in rebuke to Trump
Sir Keir Starmer has described Canada as an 'independent, sovereign nation' ahead of his trip there in a clear rebuke of Donald Trump. Sir Keir will become the first British prime minister to visit Canada in eight years as he travels first to Ottawa and then to Kananaskis for the summit of the G7 group of nations. Mr Trump, the US president, has repeatedly talked about making Canada the 51st state of America, insisting his interest is not a joke. It has forced Mark Carney, Canada's new prime minister, to hit back, leading to a deterioration in relations. Sir Keir's decision to meet Mr Carney for talks in Ottawa before the summit is a clear show of support. It comes a fortnight after the King opened the Canadian parliament and talked about the country remaining 'strong and free' in what was interpreted as a message of support. Mr Carney, who was Bank of England governor between 2013 and 2020, is hosting Sir Keir for a private dinner on Saturday evening and then formal talks on Sunday morning. Sir Keir said: 'Canada and the US are our allies. Canada is an independent, sovereign nation, and quite right, too. And that's the basis on which I've approached my discussions with all of our partners. 'Let me be absolutely clear: Canada is an independent, sovereign country and a much-valued member of the Commonwealth.' The Prime Minister also said he would be discussing deepening free trade with Canada, saying: 'The interests of British citizens – delivering for working people – is what guides me throughout all my conversations with international leaders. 'And everywhere I go, from the factory floor at Jaguar Land Rover to meeting submariners aboard a nuclear-powered submarine, I'm reminded of why that is the right approach. 'Because the decisions we make in government, whether at home or abroad, have profound impacts on the day-to-day lives of working people. 'And in these dangerous times, I am determined to forge a unique path to secure and renew Britain in an era of global instability.' Trade between the UK and Canada, both members of the G7 and the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, is worth £28 billion a year to the UK economy. Talks on a formal UK-Canada trade deal were halted in January 2024 after almost two years of negotiations with both sides at odds over how to treat beef and cheese imports. That decision was taken when the Conservatives were in power and Kemi Badenoch, the current Tory leader, was in charge of trade talks as business secretary. There was no indication from Downing Street before the discussions that Sir Keir would urge Mr Carney to restart these negotiations, though it remains a possibility. Instead, a No 10 spokesman indicated that Sir Keir would talk about deepening the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), of which both the UK and Canada are members. The tone of trade engagement is a marked contrast to Mr Trump, who has hit the US neighbour with tariffs and declared back in March, 'the only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished fifty-first state'. King Charles said during a trip to Canada last month that Canadians can 'give themselves far more than any foreign power on any continent can ever take away'. His Majesty also said, in reference to the Canadian national anthem, that 'the True North is indeed strong and free'. After the discussions in Ottawa, Sir Keir will travel west to Kananaskis. There, he and Mr Carney will be joined by the leaders of the US, Japan, Germany, France and Italy. The escalating situation in the Middle East is now expected to dominate the summit, with the conflict in Ukraine and challenges to the global economy also featuring in talks. Details of which other G7 leaders Sir Keir will sit down with for one-on-one bilateral meetings are yet to be confirmed by Downing Street. There is an expectation that Sir Keir will try to see Mr Trump. The Prime Minister has put in a significant investment in building a constructive relationship with the US president. The Trump administration recently threw the Australia-US-UK submarine deal – known by its acronym Aukus – into doubt by announcing the Pentagon would be reviewing it. The deal was unveiled by Joe Biden, the Democratic president who preceded Mr Trump in the White House. It includes joint work building nuclear-powered submarines and is seen as an attempt to better counter China in the Indo-Pacific. The annual G7 summit will take place on Monday and Tuesday. It will be the first one attended by Friedrich Merz, the new German chancellor. A No 10 spokesman said: 'The trip marks the Prime Minister's determination to use his international agenda to deliver for people at home, arguing that in these dangerous times we can carve a unique path to secure and renew Britain in an era of global instability.'
Reuters
37 minutes ago
- Reuters
Pope Leo, from Chicago, makes his first US pitch at White Sox Park
CHICAGO, June 14 (Reuters) - Pope Leo, a native of Chicago's south side and a long-time fan of his beloved but beleaguered White Sox, sent a video message on Saturday to a sellout crowd attending Catholic Mass in his honor at their hometown ballpark. The pontiff, the first leader of the global Catholic Church from the United States, appeared for about seven minutes on Rate Field's jumbotron during the event, organized by the Chicago archdiocese and featuring several other local personalities, including Bulls announcer Chuck Swirsky. "It's a pleasure for me to greet all of you gathered together at White Sox Park on this great celebration," the pope said in the video message, his first public address to the U.S. since his election on May 8 to replace the late Pope Francis. The new pope called on Chicagoans to put aside "egotistical ways" in order to spread hope and work to build community in their hometown. "We have to look for ways of coming together and promoting a message of hope," he said, speaking in English with a slight Chicago accent. Hours before the event at Rate Field started, people had gathered around the stadium, including kids in White Sox jerseys, hawkers selling "Da Pope" baseball hats, nuns in white and blue habits and priests in their collars. Saturday's event, led by Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich, took place as demonstrations were held in cities across the U.S., including at Chicago's Daley Plaza, to protest President Donald Trump's crackdown on undocumented immigrants, and in Washington, D.C., ahead of the president celebrating his 79th birthday with a military parade. The pope did not mention politics, and instead offered a message of encouragement to young people. Sister Barbara Reid, president of the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, where the pope attended seminary in the 1980s, told Reuters she hoped his message could help unite the U.S. "A celebration that's centered on hope and possibility and unity is needed now more than ever before," she said. "Hopefully this can be a catalyst to bring us together." Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, was born in Dolton, on the outskirts of the city's south side, and has spent most of his career as a priest outside the U.S. He is a member of the Augustinian religious order, and spent decades in Peru as a missionary and bishop, before first taking up a senior Vatican role in 2023. In a nod to Leo's close ties to the South American country, his celebration in Chicago on Saturday began with a performance of Peru's national anthem. The U.S. national anthem followed, performed by Leo High School's choir, which was a contestant on "America's Got Talent." The pope's family, including a brother who still lives in a Chicago suburb, has spoken about the pontiff's enthusiasm for the White Sox, even as the rival Chicago Cubs also tried to claim him. Leo briefly donned the trademark black-and-white Sox cap offered by a pilgrim during his weekly audience in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday. On the first day that tickets became available for Saturday's event, more than 10,000 tickets were sold in the first 15 minutes, the White Sox said. Tickets, which sold for $5 apiece, hit resale sites like StubHub for more than $1,200 just hours after they were released, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. While Catholic parishes across the city, including the one where the Prevost family attended Mass, have shuttered amid waning church attendance, Chicago's identity is still very much entwined with the Catholic Church. When meeting strangers, Chicagoans sometimes identify their neighborhood by the name of the closest parish. "A lot of people in Chicago just have great pride that the new pope is from Chicago," said Rev. Tom McCarthy, a popular preacher from the city who is also an Augustinian. "They want to celebrate it together." The White Sox (39-121) set the modern-day record for most losses in a single season in 2024. This year, the team has the worst record in the American League so far. Fans pray the Mass gives the team a divine boost. "We need all the help we can get," said McCarthy, a lifelong Sox fan. "If the field is going to be blessed by this event, hopefully it will go right through to the players."
