Remarks by Trump's pick for ambassador spark a political storm in Argentina
Opposition politicians in Argentina accused Peter Lamelas, Trump's nominee for ambassador to the second-biggest South American country, of violating diplomatic conventions, interfering in Argentine domestic affairs and meddling in judicial matters.
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Winnipeg Free Press
21 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Israel minister who led prayers at a controversial holy site has a record of provocative actions
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel's far-right national security minister led prayers on Sunday at Jerusalem's most sensitive holy site, drawing international condemnation and escalating tensions as Israel faces strong criticism over the war in Gaza. Itamar Ben-Gvir has frequently visited the contested Jerusalem hilltop compound during the war in Gaza. Jews revere the site as the Temple Mount, where the biblical temples once stood. It is the holiest site in Judaism. Today, it is home to the Al Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam. Tensions at the compound have frequently spilled over into violence over the years. It was the latest act of defiance by the 49-year-old ultranationalist settler leader who transformed himself over the decades from an outlaw and provocateur into one of Israel's most influential politicians. Here is a closer look at Ben-Gvir: Why was the visit considered a provocation? Since Israel captured the site in 1967, Jews have been allowed to visit but not pray there. Palestinians consider the mosque a national symbol and view visits by Jewish leaders as provocative and as a potential precursor to Israel seizing control over the compound. Most rabbis forbid Jews from praying on the site, but there has been a growing movement in recent years of Jews who support worship there. Ben-Gvir has long called for greater Jewish access to the holy site. Ben-Gvir was visiting to mark the Jewish holiday of Tisha B'Av, a day of mourning and repentance when Jews reflect on the destruction of the First and Second Temples, key events in Jewish history. Visits like Ben-Gvir's are legal. Israeli media said the visit was the first time that a sitting minister actively and vocally led prayers. Ben-Gvir also called for Israel to conquer and declare sovereignty over all of the Gaza Strip and encourage 'voluntary' migration from Gaza in order to end the war and bring the hostages back. Palestinians say the migration plan is a disguise for forced expulsions. In response to Ben-Gvir's visit, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the status quo at the site had not changed and would not change to allow Jewish prayer. Run-ins with the law Ben-Gvir has been convicted eight times for offenses that include racism and supporting a terrorist organization. The army banned him from compulsory military service when he was a teen, deeming his views too extreme. Ben-Gvir gained notoriety in his youth as a follower of the late radical rabbi Meir Kahane. He first became a national figure when he broke a hood ornament off then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's car in 1995. 'We got to his car, and we'll get to him too,' he said, just weeks before Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish extremist opposed to his peace efforts with the Palestinians. Two years later, Ben-Gvir took responsibility for orchestrating a campaign of protests, including death threats, that forced Irish singer Sinead O'Connor to cancel a concert for peace in Jerusalem. Moving to the mainstream The political rise of Ben-Gvir was the culmination of years of efforts by the media-savvy lawmaker to gain legitimacy. But it also reflected a rightward shift in the Israeli electorate that brought his religious, ultranationalist ideology into the mainstream and diminished hopes for Palestinian independence. Ben-Gvir is trained as a lawyer and gained recognition as a successful defense attorney for extremist Jews accused of violence against Palestinians. With a quick wit and cheerful demeanor, the outspoken Ben-Gvir also became a popular fixture in the media, paving his way to enter politics. He was first elected to parliament in 2021. Ben-Gvir has called for deporting his political opponents. In an episode in 2022, he brandished a pistol and encouraged police to open fire on Palestinian stone-throwers in a tense Jerusalem neighborhood. In his Cabinet post, Ben-Gvir oversaw the country's police force. He used his influence to encourage Netanyahu to press ahead with the war in Gaza and recently boasted that he had blocked past efforts to reach a ceasefire. As national security minister, he has encouraged police to take a tough line against anti-government protesters. Controversial minister Ben-Gvir secured his Cabinet post after 2022 elections that put Netanyahu and his far-right partners, including Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power party, into power. 'Over the last year I've been on a mission to save Israel,' Ben-Gvir told reporters before that election. 'Millions of citizens are waiting for a real right-wing government. The time has come to give them one.' Ben-Gvir has been a magnet of controversy throughout his tenure — encouraging the mass distribution of handguns to Jewish citizens, backing Netanyahu's contentious attempt to overhaul the country's legal system and frequently lashing out at U.S. leaders for perceived slights against Israel. Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. Resignation and return to Netanyahu's cabinet Ben-Gvir temporarily resigned from Prime Minister Netanyahu's cabinet earlier this year to express his disapproval of the Gaza ceasefire deal. The ceasefire ran from Jan. 19 to March 1. Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight others in return for nearly 1,800 Palestinian prisoners, including senior militants serving life sentences for deadly attacks. Israeli forces pulled back to a buffer zone, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians returned to what remained of their homes, and there was a surge of humanitarian aid. Ben-Gvir's resignation did not stop the ceasefire, but it did weaken Netanyahu's governing coalition. Ben-Gvir rejoined the cabinet when Israel ended the ceasefire and returned to active combat in Gaza in March 2025. Last week, the Netherlands banned Ben-Gvir and far-right Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich from entering the country. Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway imposed financial sanctions on the two men last month.
CTV News
21 minutes ago
- CTV News
LeBlanc says he expects Carney, Trump will speak in the coming days
President of the King's Privy Council for Canada Dominic LeBlanc speaks at a press conference while Prime Minister Mark Carney listens, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Thursday, June 19, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Doyle OTTAWA — Dominic LeBlanc says he expects Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump will speak 'over the next number of days' as the United States ratchets up pressure in trade talks. The Canada-U.S. trade minister appeared on CBS's 'Face the Nation' on Sunday and spoke about where talks stand between the two countries. LeBlanc told host Margaret Brennan that while Canada is 'disappointed' with Trump's new 35-per-cent tariffs, he is continuing to work toward a deal that would hopefully strike down trade restrictions between the nations. LeBlanc was in Washington last week attempting to find common ground with the Trump administration ahead of Friday's deadline to secure a new deal between the trading partners. While Mexico was granted a 90-day delay on new duties, Trump on Friday hit Canada with a 35-per-cent tariff on all goods that are not compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade. Canada also continues to face U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum and automobiles as well as Trump's new 50-per-cent tariffs on semi-finished copper products. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 3, 2025. Craig Lord, The Canadian Press
Canada News.Net
an hour ago
- Canada News.Net
India's garments sector faces tariff challenge, country needs bold reforms: GTRI's Ajay Srivastava
New Delhi [India], August 1 (ANI): With the US administration under President Donald Trump imposing 25 per cent tariffs on Indian goods plus an unspecified 'penalty', India's textile and garment sector is likely to face stiff competition from Bangladesh and Vietnam, who have been hit with comparatively lower tariffs, Ajay Srivastava, founder of trade think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), has said. 'Bangladesh and Vietnam are big players in garment exports and have a better tariff position than India. This puts our textile and garment industry at a disadvantage. The same concern extends to leather goods,' Srivastava told ANI in a product-wise analysis of the US tariff impact. While labour-intensive sectors like textiles and leather are expected to feel the heat, India's auto components, steel, and aluminium industries are likely to remain relatively unaffected, as the tariff levels on these items are broadly comparable across competing nations, he argued further. Critical sectors such as pharmaceuticals, electronics (including smartphones), and petroleum products have been kept exempt from the fresh tariff measures, he claimed. Overall, India has a 6-8 per cent disadvantage in comparison to other key Asian countries competing for market share in the US, according to Srivastava. To deal with this challenge, Srivastava argued that India must move beyond tariff negotiations and trade agreements, and instead focus on bold domestic reforms. 'If we manufacture good quality products at competitive prices, they will sell -- with or without a trade deal. Look at China, it exports massively without relying on trade agreements,' he said. He recommended a strong focus on reducing the cost of manufacturing and improving ease of doing business. 'Internal reforms are now essential. It's time for serious measures,' he added. Srivastava also cited the European Union's upcoming Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), effective from 2026, as an example of growing global protectionism. He suggested India diversify revenue sources by boosting tourism, which he said could offset tariff-related export losses. 'Tourism has the potential to generate double the revenue we may lose from US tariffs,' he said. Over the past few months, India and the US have been negotiating for an interim trade deal, but there were some reservations from the Indian side on the US demand for opening up the agricultural and dairy sectors. Agriculture and dairy are critical for India as these two sectors provide livelihood opportunities to a large section of people. On Wednesday, President Trump announced the imposition of 25 per cent tariffs on Indian goods plus an unspecified penalty, even as there were hopes of an interim India-US trade deal that would have otherwise helped avoid elevated tariffs. India and the US initiated talks for a just, balanced, and mutually beneficial Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) in March this year, aiming to complete the first stage of the Agreement by October-November 2025. On April 2, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order for reciprocal tariffs on various trade partners, imposing varied tariffs in the range of 10-50 per cent. He subsequently kept the tariffs in abeyance for 90 days, while imposing a 10 per cent baseline tariff. The deadline was to end on July 9, and the US administration later pushed it to August 1. US President Donald Trump had imposed reciprocal tariffs on dozens of countries with which the US has a trade deficit. Since assuming office for his second term, President Trump has reiterated his stance on tariff reciprocity, emphasising that the United States will match tariffs imposed by other countries, including India, to 'ensure fair trade'. On Thursday evening, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal made a statement in both houses of the Parliament, stating that the government is examining the impact of tariffs and will take all necessary steps to safeguard the national interest. (ANI)
