A SpaceX mission that aimed to clear the way for two stranded astronauts to get back to earth has been postponed.

The launch from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station was put back due to a hydraulic ground issue. There is another possible launch opportunity on Thursday.

The rocket aimed to fly four new crew members to the International Space Station (ISS) and pave the way for the return of Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore.

The two NASA astronauts flew to space in June but were not able to return on a Boeing spacecraft after it was deemed unsafe. The pair would be able to return to earth within days of the SpaceX mission reaching the ISS.

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A long convoy of armoured personnel tanks rolling through a Harare neighbourhood sparked concerns - for a brief moment - that a military coup was afoot in Zimbabwe.

"What's going on in Zimbabwe?" one person posted on social media. Another said: "The last time this happened there was a coup."

Government spokesman Nick Mangwana was quick to allay the public's fears, explaining the tanks were in the capital that mid-February morning as part of a scheduled exercise to test equipment and were "nothing to be concerned about".

Yet the chatter and speculation continued, revealing much about the state of the country.

Ahead of the routine military drill, President Emmerson Mnangagwa had, for the first time since becoming president in 2017, faced harsh criticism about his leadership from within his Zanu-PF party with calls for him to step down.

The accusations evoked memories of the lead-up to the coup that toppled his predecessor, long-time leader Robert Mugabe.

He had come to power in 1980 as the revolutionary hero who ended decades of white-minority rule. But his demise was heralded when veterans of the 1970s war of independence withdrew their support for him.

It was a war veteran and senior Zanu-PF member named Blessed Geza, also known as "Bombshell", who launched a verbal offensive against Mnangagwa.

He became angered when some within the party began pushing to change the country's laws to allow for the president to seek a third term.

In a series of often expletive-laden press conferences, gritty-voiced and with a furrowed forehead, he repeatedly called on the 82-year-old president to go or face being removed.

"I must apologise for helping him come into office," said Geza in one press conference aired on social media about the president, who goes by the nickname "The Crocodile".

"As soon as he [Mnangagwa] had the taste of power, he escalated corruption, forgot the people and only remembered his family," said the outspoken war veteran, who was then a member of Zanu-PF's powerful central committee.

"Mnangagwa has also surrendered state power to his wife and children. We sadly see history repeating itself. We can't allow that to happen."

Zanu-PF was outraged by his "disloyal" remarks - later described as "amounting to treason" - forcing Bombshell into hiding from where, through his representatives, he continues to make taunts via social media, hinting at protests.

He is wanted by the police on four charges, including vehicle theft, undermining the authority of the president and inciting public violence.

Blessed Mhlanga, the journalist who first interviewed Bombshell back in November, has also been arrested on charges of transmitting a message that incites violence.

Trouble began brewing over Mnangagwa's ambitions to stay in office during Zanu-PF rallies last year. The president is currently serving his second and final term, which expires in 2028.

The slogan "2030 he will still be the leader" began to be uttered by his supporters despite Zimbabwe's constitution limiting presidential terms to two five-year terms.

They argued that he would need to remain in office to complete his "Agenda 2030" development programme as he was doing such great work.

A motion was then adopted unanimously at Zanu-PF's conference in December that did not explicitly speak of a third term but sought to extend Mnangagwa's existing term until 2030.

Despite a recent assurance from Mnangagwa that he did intend to step down in three years, the influential Roman Catholic bishops have become involved.

In a pastoral letter last week, Zimbabwe's Catholic Bishops Conference warned that the 2030 debate was a distraction from the things that truly mattered - business closures, high unemployment, rampant corruption and economic policies that favour the wealthy at the expense of ordinary Zimbabweans.

Presidential spokesman George Charamba expressed his disappointment about the clerics' pronouncement, telling the state-run Herald newspaper the matter was now "dead and buried".

Nonetheless, Bombshell's message seems to have landed. It has resulted in a purge in Zanu-PF, with the expulsion of Geza and some of his allies.

Yet political analyst Takura Zhangazha says Geza's outburst is unlikely to galvanise crowds to his cause.

These days people are less interested in such political spectacles, he says, unlike at the time of Mugabe's downfall when Zimbabweans, including opposition party supporters, turned out en masse to support the coup - thanking the military and the war veterans.

"Even that attempt by Geza to talk about corruption and the plight of the workers - it's not going to get people riled up, organising, mobilising. They don't have that capacity or interest any more," he tells the BBC.

"I can promise you there's no repeat of 2017 before 2028," he said, adding that Zimbabweans feel they were used in the ousting of Mugabe and would not be brought out on the streets again for Zanu-PF's internal battles.

This is also because there are splits across the political landscape, including a weak opposition.

Even the war veterans do not represent a united front, Mr Zhangazha says.

Geza has previously voiced support in the succession debate for Vice-President Constantine Chiwenga, the 68-year-old former army chief, but other war veterans are known to back the 2030 agenda.

Political analyst Alexander Rusero says it is important to understand the war veterans' influential role in both Zimbabwe and Zanu-PF.

"They see themselves as caretakers, so you can't wish away their sentiments," he tells the BBC.

However, he believes that the current grievances aired by the likes of Bombshell are prompted more by self-regard than public interest.

"They feel as if they are excluded from the cake that they should otherwise be enjoying," he tells the BBC.

Mr Zhangazha agrees that those who show loyalty within the governing party are likely to benefit from things like tenders, government contracts, access to housing, land and agricultural inputs such as fertiliser and seeds.

For Jameson Timba, the leader of a faction of the main opposition party, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), it all sums up the state of politics in Zimbabwe.

"You have a country where the economic situation is deteriorating. People can hardly afford more than one meal a day," he told the BBC.

"We have major supermarket chains which are literally closing down," he said, referencing the economic woes facing OK Zimbabwe, one of the country's biggest retailers that has been forced to close several big branches with empty shelves in others.

Mr Zhangazha noted the forecast for the fragile economy looks even more grim thanks to the fallout from the recent suspension of USAID.

Timba is still recovering from a five-month stint in jail, spending most of his incarceration sitting on a concrete floor, sharing a cell and toilet with 80 people.

He was arrested in June, along with more than 70 others, for hosting an "unlawful meeting" at his private residence when he held a barbeque to mark the International Day of the African Child.

His treatment - and those of his fellow detainees - reflected how opposition politics was being criminalised, he told the BBC.

"The country is facing challenges. Any leader or government worth his salt would actually call for an early election, to check and determine whether they still have the mandate of the people," he said.

"To do the opposite represents a joke essentially [when] you're talking about extending a term of office."

However, there is little chance of an early vote.

For now, Bombshell remains in hiding and the elections are years away - but the succession debate will keep cooking.

More about Zimbabwe from the BBC:

• Farce turning to tragedy for Zimbabwe's opposition
• The man determined to wrestle Zimbabwe’s 'crocodile'
• I cannot forgive Mugabe's soldiers – massacre survivor
• Is Zimbabwe zigzagging into further currency chaos?
• Digging riverbeds in Zimbabwe in desperate search for water

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

US President Donald Trump has pledged to impose more tariffs after his latest move to introduce import taxes on steel and aluminium entering the US prompted retaliation from the European Union (EU) and Canada.

Trump said "of course" he would respond to the countermeasures, repeating his warning to reveal "reciprocal" tariffs next month on countries around the world.

"Whatever they charge us with, we're charging them," he said.

The threat marked a further escalation of a trade war which has rattled financial markets amid concerns over the impact on the economies and consumers in many countries around the world, including the US.

On Wednesday, Trump moved forward with a plan to widen US tariffs on steel and aluminium, imposing a blanket duty of 25% and ending exemptions that the US had previously granted for shipments from some countries.

That followed an order earlier this month that raised levies on Chinese imports into the US to at least 20%.

Trump has also threatened tariffs - which are taxes applied to goods as they enter a country - on a range of more specific items, including copper, lumber and cars.

Leaders in Canada and Europe called the new metals taxes unjustified and struck back with their own tariffs on a range of US products.

Other countries that are key US suppliers of metals, including the UK, Australia, Mexico and Brazil, held off on any immediate retaliation.

"Like everybody else, I'm disappointed to see global tariffs in relation to steel and aluminium but we will take a pragmatic approach," said UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

"We are...negotiating a deal which covers and includes tariffs if we succeed. But we will keep all options on the table."

Canada said from Thursday it would start charging a 25% tax on nearly C$30bn ($20bn; £16bn) worth of US products, including steel, computers and sports equipment.

The EU said it would raise its levies on up to €26bn ($28bn; £22bn) worth of US goods, including boats, bourbon and motorbikes, from 1 April.

EU President Ursula von der Leyen said the response was intended to be "strong but proportionate" and added that the EU stood "ready to engage in a meaningful dialogue".

"Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business and worse for consumers," she said, warning the economic disruption put jobs at stake and would send prices higher.

"Nobody needs that – on both sides, neither in the European Union nor in the United States."

Trump had said he wants to boost US steel and aluminium production in the longer run, but critics say in the immediate term the taxes on imports of the metals will raise prices for US consumers and dent economic growth.

Major packaged food makers including Quaker Oats and Folgers coffee asked Trump for targeted exemptions from tariffs on imports such as cocoa and fruit, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

PepsiCo, Conagra and J M Smucker, also requested the president exempt ingredients not available from US sources in the letter, which was sent by the trade group the Consumer Brands Association.

Coffee, oats, cocoa, spices, tropical fruit and tin mill steel, used for some food and household goods, are among the imports listed as unavailable domestically, Reuters reported.

The import taxes are also expected to reduce demand for steel and aluminium that is not made in the US - a blow to makers of the metals elsewhere.

The EU estimated that the latest US tariffs affect about 5% of its total exports to the US, while the US is the destination for roughly 90% of Canada's steel and aluminium exports.

Shares in the US were mixed on Wednesday, after two days of sharp decline. The Dow closed down 0.2%, while the S&P 500 ended nearly 0.5% higher and the Nasdaq jumped 1.2%.

In an appearance at the White House with the Irish prime minister, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Trump said he did not plan to back down from his trade fight, saying he was "not happy" with EU trade policies.

He cited concerns about legal penalties it has imposed on Apple and rules he claimed put US farm products and cars at a disadvantage.

"They're doing what they should be doing perhaps for the European Union but it does create ill will," he said.

Repeating his threat to hit European cars with tariffs, he added later: "We're going to win that financial battle."

Canada's Prime Minister-designate Mark Carney has said he is ready to negotiate a renewed trade deal with President Donald Trump, as long as there is "respect for Canadian sovereignty".

Carney made these comments during a visit to a steel plant in Hamilton, Ontario, as Canada unveiled C$29.8 billion ($20.7 billion) in reciprocal tariffs on US imports.

It comes after Trump slapped 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium coming into the country.

Since President Trump took office in January, the two countries have been involved in an escalating trade war, with the US president repeatedly threatening to annex its neighbour.

Carney on Wednesday condemned the latest round of US tariffs as "unjustified".

"We're all going to be better off when the greatest economic and security partnership in the world is renewed, relaunched," he said.

Canada, which is the biggest foreign supplier of steel and aluminium to the US, is heavily exposed to the tariffs.

Trump has justified the tariffs, claiming they are necessary for US national security and to boost demand for domestic producers, which he argues has been "depressed" by foreign competition.

• What are tariffs and why is Trump using them?
• Is the US really heading into a recession?

The US president implemented a blanket 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, citing concerns over drugs and migrants crossing the US border.

The tariffs on steel and aluminium, effective Wednesday, mark the end of exemptions previously granted to several countries, including Canada.

In retaliation, Canada announced tariffs on US goods, including steel and aluminium, with additional measures set to take effect at 00:01 EST (04:01 GMT) on Thursday.

The new tariffs cover a range of products, including C$12.6 billion on steel, $3 billion on aluminium, as well as tools, computer equipment, water heaters, sports equipment, and cast-iron products.

Experts say the growing trade dispute threatens economic stability for both countries.

On Wednesday, Canada's central bank cut interest rates to 2.75% from 3% to prepare the country's economy for disruption.

Canadian Finance Minister Dominic Leblanc told a news conference that the country was still seeking to de-escalate.

"If you're racing to the basement, there's no real prize for the first person to get to the basement," Leblanc said.

On Thursday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, along with federal representatives, will meet US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

Lutnick told Fox Business Network that at the meeting he plans to try to "level set" things between the two nations.

Mark Carney, who was elected leader of the governing Liberal Party on Sunday, is set to be sworn in as prime minister, replacing Justin Trudeau. He has promised to win the trade war against Trump, following his landslide victory.

With reporting from Jonathan Josephs and Lisa Lambert

US officials are headed to Russia to discuss a potential ceasefire in Ukraine, according to President Donald Trump.

The news comes after Ukrainian officials agreed to a 30-day ceasefire following a highly anticipated meeting with American officials in Saudi Arabia.

Earlier, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the "ball is truly in their [Russia's] court" and that the US believes the only way to end the fighting is through peace negotiations.

The Kremlin has said it is studying the ceasefire proposal, and that a phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is possible.

Following the meeting in Jeddah on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky said it was now up to the US to convince Russia to agree to the "positive" proposal.

Speaking alongside Ireland's Taoiseach - or Prime Minister - Micheál Martin in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said he had received "positive messages" about the possibility of a ceasefire.

• UK helped Ukraine and US reach ceasefire deal - government sources
• US set to present 30-day ceasefire offer to Russia

"But a positive message means nothing," he said. "This is a very serious situation."

Trump did not specify what officials he was referring to.

However, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at the White House that National Security Secretary Mike Waltz spoke to his Russian counterpart.

Earlier this week, a source familiar told the BBC that Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff would head to Moscow for negotiations following the talks in Jeddah.

The White House confirmed the plans on Wednesday.

"We urge the Russians to sign on to this plan. This is the closest we have been to peace in this war," Leavitt said.

The Kremlin has said it is studying the proposed ceasefire and further details, which spokesman Dmitry Peskov said will come "via various channels" over the course of the next several days.

In the Oval Office, Trump said that he believes a ceasefire would make sense for Russia, adding - without further details - that there is a "lot of downside to Russia" as well.

"We have a very complex situation solved on one side. Pretty much solved. We've also discussed land and other things that go with it," Trump added. "We know the areas of land we're talking about, whether it's pull back or not pull back."

To pressure Russia, Trump said that he "can do things financially".

"That would be very bad for Russia," he said. "I don't want to do that because I want to get peace."

The meeting in Jeddah was the first between US and Ukrainian officials since a 28 February meeting between Zelensky, Trump and Vice President JD Vance descended into a shouting match and, ultimately, a pause in US military assistance and intelligence sharing.

The pause was lifted following the meeting in Jeddah, and Trump said that he believes that the "difficult" Ukrainian side and Zelensky now want peace.

Even as negotiations over a potential ceasefire are ongoing, fighting has raged in Ukraine.

Russian drones and missiles reportedly struck targets in Kryvyy Rih - Zelensky's hometown - overnight, as well as in the port city of Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv.

Clashes also continued in Russia's Kursk region, where Peskov said Russian troops were "successfully advancing" and recapturing areas held by Ukrainian forces.

And later on Wednesday, the Kremlin said President Putin had visited a command post in the region. He was shown in footage released by the Kremlin walking alongside his military chief Valery Gerasimov, with both men wearing combat gear.

It marked the Russian president's first visit to the region since Ukraine's incursion across the border in August last year.

Russian media report that President Putin ordered the military to "fully liberate" the region during the visit. He is yet to comment on the ceasefire proposal agreed by Ukraine and the US on Tuesday.

The head of Ukraine's military, Oleksandr Syrsky, also indicated on Wednesday that some of its troops were withdrawing from Kursk. In a post on the Telegram messaging app, he said: "In the most difficult situation, my priority has been and remains saving the lives of Ukrainian soldiers."

Police are investigating the fatal shooting of a 71-year-old former mafia boss on a motorway near Grenoble in south-eastern France.

Jean-Pierre Maldera, described by French media as a "godfather" of the local mafia in the 1980s, was reportedly chased in his car and shot as he travelled up the A41 motorway on Wednesday morning.

The shooters fled the scene and the burnt-out remains of the stolen Renault Megane car they were driving was found in a Grenoble parking lot shortly after.

His death comes ten years after the disappearance of his younger brother, Robert Maldera, another mafia boss reportedly nicknamed "the madman" by members of Grenoble's criminal underworld.

Regional newspaper Le Dauphiné Libéré reported Maldera left the BMW he was driving and attempted to escape on foot across the motorway.

He was chased and killed by the assailants in the attack involving three or four gunmen, local media said.

They are reported to have used a military-grade weapon, such as a Kalashnikov rifle, to carry out the killing.

Maldera is reported to have been a key figure in the so-called "Italo-Grenoblois" mafia group during the 1980s and 1990s, along with his brother Robert.

In 2004, the pair were found guilty of a series of offences linked to organised crime, though they were released the following year due to an administrative error, according to the French media.

However, this was not the first time Maldera had been convicted. He had a rap sheet stretching back to the 1970s, according to French regional media outlet France 3.

But Maldera appeared to opt for a quieter life after his release from prison in the early 2000s, with AFP news agency reporting the authorities did not hear of him again until his shooting this week.

It is not clear if Maldera was still involved in criminal activity at the time of his death.

His brother Robert disappeared in 2015 at the age of 55.

He went missing after attending a meeting on the outskirts of Grenoble. His car was discovered two months later in a parking lot nearby.

A source who had investigated the Maldera brothers told France 3 that Jean-Pierre had been the brain behind their schemes, while Robert had been the brawn.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has rejected the idea of negotiations with the US over its nuclear programme, as Tehran confirmed receiving a letter from President Donald Trump.

Last week, Trump said the letter proposed talks on a deal that would prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons and avert possible military action.

Although Khamenei said he had not seen the letter, which was delivered by an official from the United Arab Emirates, he dismissed it as a "deception of public opinion".

"When we know they won't honour it, what's the point of negotiating?" he asked, referring to Trump's decision to abandon the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal during his first term.

He warned that Iran would retaliate in the event of strikes on its nuclear facilities.

"Iran is not seeking war, but if the Americans or their agents take a wrong step, our response will be decisive and certain, and the one who will suffer the most harm is America," he said.

The supreme leader, who has the final say on all state matters, also reiterated that Iran was "not interested in nuclear weapons".

Ten years ago, the country agreed a historic deal with six world powers - China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK and the US - to limit its nuclear activities and allow monitoring by inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in return for sanctions relief.

However, Trump unilaterally pulled the US out of the accord in 2018 and reinstated crippling US economic sanctions. He labelled it "the worst deal in history", saying it did too little to stop Iran's potential pathway to building a nuclear bomb.

Iran responded by increasingly breaching the terms of the deal, particularly those limiting the production of enriched uranium, which can be used to produce fuel for nuclear power plants but also to build nuclear weapons.

The IAEA said last month that Iran had stockpiled almost 275kg (606lb) of uranium enriched to 60% purity, which is near weapons grade. That would theoretically be enough, if enriched to 90%, for six nuclear bombs.

Both the US and Israel have warned that they will never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. Israel has threatened to strike Iranian nuclear facilities if necessary.

Last year, Israel said it hit part of Iran's nuclear programme during strikes that it carried out in response to an Iranian missile attack.

In a TV interview broadcast last Friday, Trump said: "There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal. I would prefer to make a deal, because I'm not looking to hurt Iran. They're great people."

"I have written them a letter saying, 'I hope you're going to negotiate,' because if we have to go in militarily, it's going to be a terrible thing for them," he added.

The White House has not given any details about the contents of the letter, which Iran said was handed to Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi by UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash.

Although the supreme leader dismissed the idea of negotiations with the US, Iran's mission to the UN did say in a statement on Sunday that it might consider talks "if the objective is... to address concerns vis-à-vis any potential militarisation of Iran's nuclear programme".

Araqchi also said on Wednesday that nuclear talks with the UK, France and Germany were "ongoing", while the Chinese foreign ministry said China, Russia and Iran would discuss the "Iranian nuclear issue" at a trilateral meeting in Beijing on Friday.

In Brussels, it was just after 06:00 on Wednesday. But it was midnight in Washington DC when President Donald Trump's 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium took effect on major US trading partners.

It took less than 10 minutes for the European Union to respond.

"Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business, and worse for consumers," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The EU's initial countermeasures will take effect on US products on 1 April, ranging from jeans and motorbikes to peanut butter and bourbon, just as they were with the Trump administration's first tariffs in 2018 and 2020.

But there will be more to come in mid-April. A whole swathe of textiles, home appliances, food and agricultural products could be included, depending on a two-week consultation with stakeholders.

A list of items almost 100 pages long is being circulated that features meat, dairy, fruit, wine and spirits, toilet seats, wood, coats, swimwear, nightdresses, shoes, chandeliers and lawnmowers.

For consumers, higher prices loom on Europe's supermarket shelves, especially for American products. But for businesses and some industries, especially steel, there is real danger.

The head of Germany's BGA federation of wholesale, foreign trade and service, Dirk Jandura, warned that Germans might have to dig deeper into their pockets to pay for American products in the supermarkets.

Orange juice, bourbon and peanut butter were the most likely products to be hit. "Margins in trade are so low that this cannot be absorbed by the companies," he said.

In total, the EU will target €26bn (£22bn) of US exports.

"We're not going to go into hypotheticals other than to say we've been preparing assiduously for all these outcomes," said EU spokesman Olof Gill.

• How will latest Trump tariffs affect UK?
• Trump complains of 'massive' trade imbalance with Irish PM

António Costa, the EU's Council President, called on the US to de-escalate, although there was little sign of that on Wednesday, as Trump vowed to hit back at the EU's countermeasures.

"We've been abused for a long time and we will be abused no longer," he said.

In Austria too, there was concern about the escalation.

"The US is the second most important export market for Austrian products after Germany - and the most important for Germany," said Christoph Neumayer, who is head of the Federation of Austrian Industries. It was "essential that Europe acts together and decisively", he added.

One EU official pointed out that products such as soybeans and orange juice could easily be sourced from Brazil or Argentina, so consumers would not be hit too hard.

And there was a suggestion that some of the US exports targeted were also from US states under Republican control: soybeans from Louisiana or meat from Nebraska and Kansas.

A relatively large number of US exports enter the EU via the Dutch port of Rotterdam or Antwerp in Belgium.

Dutch Economic Affairs Minister Dirk Beljaarts said nobody stood to benefit from a "tariffs war", but he was hopeful it would not hit his own country's economy too hard: "It has an impact on companies and consumers - particularly consumers in the US."

One area that will be hit especially hard on both sides of the Atlantic is in the drinks sector.

Pauline Bastidon of Spirits Europe said producers in the EU and US stood united, with risks facing European companies that produced US spirits and US companies that were heavily invested in Europe.

Chris Swonger, of the US Distilled Spirits Council, said that in the three years since the suspension of the EU's earlier 25% tariff on American whiskey, US distillers had "worked hard to regain solid footing in our largest export market".

Reimposing tariffs from 1 April was "deeply disappointing" and he called for a return to "zero-for-zero" tariffs.

For cognac producers in France, the prospect of a 25% US import tax is also a major problem as most of their produce is for export, either to the US or China.

French producers have already been hit by Chinese measures that have slapped heavy taxes on cognac.

"Morale is down in the dumps," Bastien Brusaferro of the general winegrowers' union told France Info.

Thousands of jobs are at stake in the Charente region alone, he says: "Cognac is a product that's made for export."

There was a dire warning too from the head of the European Steel Association, Henrik Adam.

"President Trump's 'America First' policy threatens to be a final nail in the coffin of the European steel industry," he warned.

Trump's initial tariffs on European steel in 2018 saw EU steel exports to the US fall by more than a million tonnes, and for every three tonnes of steel that did not enter the US, two-thirds of it entered the EU instead.

"These new measures imposed by Trump are more extensive, therefore the impact of the US tariffs is likely to be far greater."

In Brussels, it was just after 06:00 on Wednesday. But it was midnight in Washington DC when President Donald Trump's 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium took effect on major US trading partners.

It took less than 10 minutes for the European Union to respond.

"Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business, and worse for consumers," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The EU's initial countermeasures will take effect on US products on 1 April, ranging from jeans and motorbikes to peanut butter and bourbon, just as they were with the Trump administration's first tariffs in 2018 and 2020.

But there will be more to come in mid-April. A whole swathe of textiles, home appliances, food and agricultural products could be included, depending on a two-week consultation with stakeholders.

A list of items almost 100 pages long is being circulated that features meat, dairy, fruit, wine and spirits, toilet seats, wood, coats, swimwear, nightdresses, shoes, chandeliers and lawnmowers.

For consumers, higher prices loom on Europe's supermarket shelves, especially for American products. But for businesses and some industries, especially steel, there is real danger.

The head of Germany's BGA federation of wholesale, foreign trade and service, Dirk Jandura, warned that Germans might have to dig deeper into their pockets to pay for American products in the supermarkets.

Orange juice, bourbon and peanut butter were the most likely products to be hit. "Margins in trade are so low that this cannot be absorbed by the companies," he said.

In total, the EU will target €26bn (£22bn) of US exports.

"We're not going to go into hypotheticals other than to say we've been preparing assiduously for all these outcomes," said EU spokesman Olof Gill.

• How will latest Trump tariffs affect UK?
• Trump complains of 'massive' trade imbalance with Irish PM

António Costa, the EU's Council President, called on the US to de-escalate, although there was little sign of that on Wednesday, as Trump vowed to hit back at the EU's countermeasures.

"We've been abused for a long time and we will be abused no longer," he said.

In Austria too, there was concern about the escalation.

"The US is the second most important export market for Austrian products after Germany - and the most important for Germany," said Christoph Neumayer, who is head of the Federation of Austrian Industries. It was "essential that Europe acts together and decisively", he added.

One EU official pointed out that products such as soybeans and orange juice could easily be sourced from Brazil or Argentina, so consumers would not be hit too hard.

And there was a suggestion that some of the US exports targeted were also from US states under Republican control: soybeans from Louisiana or meat from Nebraska and Kansas.

A relatively large number of US exports enter the EU via the Dutch port of Rotterdam or Antwerp in Belgium.

Dutch Economic Affairs Minister Dirk Beljaarts said nobody stood to benefit from a "tariffs war", but he was hopeful it would not hit his own country's economy too hard: "It has an impact on companies and consumers - particularly consumers in the US."

One area that will be hit especially hard on both sides of the Atlantic is in the drinks sector.

Pauline Bastidon of Spirits Europe said producers in the EU and US stood united, with risks facing European companies that produced US spirits and US companies that were heavily invested in Europe.

Chris Swonger, of the US Distilled Spirits Council, said that in the three years since the suspension of the EU's earlier 25% tariff on American whiskey, US distillers had "worked hard to regain solid footing in our largest export market".

Reimposing tariffs from 1 April was "deeply disappointing" and he called for a return to "zero-for-zero" tariffs.

For cognac producers in France, the prospect of a 25% US import tax is also a major problem as most of their produce is for export, either to the US or China.

French producers have already been hit by Chinese measures that have slapped heavy taxes on cognac.

"Morale is down in the dumps," Bastien Brusaferro of the general winegrowers' union told France Info.

Thousands of jobs are at stake in the Charente region alone, he says: "Cognac is a product that's made for export."

There was a dire warning too from the head of the European Steel Association, Henrik Adam.

"President Trump's 'America First' policy threatens to be a final nail in the coffin of the European steel industry," he warned.

Trump's initial tariffs on European steel in 2018 saw EU steel exports to the US fall by more than a million tonnes, and for every three tonnes of steel that did not enter the US, two-thirds of it entered the EU instead.

"These new measures imposed by Trump are more extensive, therefore the impact of the US tariffs is likely to be far greater."

The fentanyl dealer from Los Angeles stands to the side watching carefully as a Mexican drugs cartel operative prepares his latest shipment. The synthetic opioid drug is wrapped in foil, sealed in plastic, then dropped with an oily splash into the petrol tank of the trafficker's nondescript car.

Jay, not his real name, had crossed earlier from the US to this cartel-run safe house on the Mexican side of the border. The house looks like any other in this neighbourhood. We are told to drive in quickly and an iron gate closes firmly behind us. They don't cook the drug here, but still they are wary of attracting attention. The men all speak in hushed voices and work quickly.

Their lethal business has become the centre of a dispute causing shockwaves in the global economy after the White House used fentanyl smuggling through US borders as a key justification for raising tariffs. US President Donald Trump has also vowed to "wage war" on the drug cartels.

The BBC gained rare access to a cartel's operation along the border and travelled to the US to meet their ultimate customers, to see if the international row was doing anything to halt the illegal flow of narcotics.

The men we meet at the safe house are foot-soldiers of a well-known cartel. Two of them loading the car admit to fleeting moments of remorse. But when I ask the man packing the drugs into the fuel tank if he feels guilty about the deaths the pills cause, he sniggers. "We have family too, of course we feel guilty. But if I stop, it's going to continue. It's not my problem," he tells me with a shrug.

The men keep their faces covered while they remove the back seat of the car to gain access to the tank, taking care not to spill petrol. The smell inside the car could alert customs officers on the other side of the border that the fuel tank has been tampered with.

The light green pills, 5,000 in total and marked with an M, are packed tightly - a fraction of what Jay says he sells every week in LA and across the American northwest.

"I try to get 100,000 pills a week, every week," the softly spoken dealer tells me. "I don't send them in one vehicle. I try to spread it in different cars. That way I minimise my risk of losing all my pills."

A 25% tariff on all goods from Mexico was introduced in response to what President Donald Trump said was the unacceptable flow of illegal drugs and illegal immigrants into the US. Some of those tariffs have since been delayed until 2 April.

Defeating the fentanyl trade is one of President Trump's top policy goals, but Jay doesn't rate his chances.

"Last time he was in office, he tried to do the same thing, and it never happened. There's always going to be a demand. And where's the biggest demand? United States, lucky for us. We're here in the border," says Jay with a smile.

There is so much of the drug flowing into the US, most of it coming from Mexico, that according to Jay the price he sells for in LA has fallen from about $5 or $6 per pill a year ago, to $1.50 now (£1.16).

Mexican police say cartels switched in a big way to fentanyl, which is 50 times more potent than heroin, because unlike other opiates - which are made from the opium poppy - it is completely synthetic and much easier to make and transport.

Fentanyl's strength and addictiveness have left a deep scar on American society: drug overdoses kill more people in the US than guns or car crashes. Fatalities have started to decline, perhaps in part to the greater availability of Naloxone, a drug that reverses the effects of overdoses of opioids. But the latest figures are still stark: 87,000 overdose deaths (mostly from opioids) from October 2023 to September 2024, down from 114,000 the year before.

In an attempt to stave off punitive tariffs from the White House, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has pledged to send 10,000 National Guard troops to the border. The government has made more than 900 arrests since October in Sinola, a major drug trafficking hub. Back in December, Mexico announced its biggest ever fentanyl seizure in the state: more than a tonne of pills. In fact, the country has seized more fentanyl in the past five months than it did in the previous year.

Mexico has also made it harder to import a key ingredient of fentanyl from China, prompting cartels to reduce the strength of each pill - and, in the process, making them less deadly.

And at the end of February, 29 senior drug cartel figures were handed over to the United States, including members of five of the six Mexican crime syndicates that President Trump's administration recently designated as terrorist organisations.

President Sheinbaum also said she had agreed to the CIA increasing surveillance drone operations over Mexican territory in search of fentanyl drugs labs, after the media revealed the covert missions.

Jay acknowledges the dangers of his trade to himself and his customers, but is untroubled.

"They always try to blame us, that we are the ones that are poisoning American citizens. But they're the biggest users.

He coolly insulates himself from responsibility and guilt for the deaths his drugs cause. He claims not to know anyone who has died using his product. "I only deal with other suppliers," he tells me.

The cartels mostly use American citizens to courier their drugs across the border, as they are less likely to be stopped by US Customs and Border Protection. The driver, who goes by the name Charlie, has a US passport. He, too, is mostly indifferent to the suffering the fentanyl epidemic has caused.

"I need the money," he says. When I ask him how many times he has made the drugs run, he replies: "Too many." (I later learn that the 5,000 pills in the fuel tank made it across the border without incident.)

President Sheinbaum has also recently emphasised the demand side of the crisis, saying the US fentanyl crisis began with the legal but "irresponsible approval" of painkillers, such as OxyContin, starting in the late 1990s. "The US government should take responsibility for the opioid-consumption crisis that has caused so many deaths," she said at a daily news conference.

In Philadelphia's Kensington neighbourhood - dubbed the largest open-air drugs market on the US east coast - Rosalind Pichardo of Operation Save Our City is on to her second Bible. She records in the book's back pages the number of times she has reversed an opioid overdose using the quick-acting drug Naloxone.

For the past six years, the figure totals 2,931. She flicks through the pages and that number written in red comes alive with the memories of the individuals she saved, and the ones she lost.

She begins to list: "Male in his 60s… male 30s… female in her 30s, very thin, no hair." Beside each name in this roll-call of fentanyl victims, is the number of doses of Naloxone - sold under the name Narcan - she used to attempt to revive people.

Ms Pichardo, who runs a drop-in centre called Sunshine House, operates what she calls a "no-judgement zone". She bristles at the terms like "addict", "junkie" or "zombie", which have been used to describe the people of her neighbourhood. Instead, she calls everyone "sunshine".

Some she doesn't remember; others she will never forget.

"Look at this one, seven years old, two Narcans," she points out. Ms Pichardo had been called to a neighbour's house where a woman was holding in her arms a child who had turned blue. Ms Pichardo went inside and the girl was placed on the floor, but as she entered the child's father ran upstairs carrying a bag. "I'm thinking if that was my child, I'd be running to help the child," she recalls.

At first, she thought it might be epilepsy, but she spotted drug scales and plastic baggies on a nearby table. The kid's dad was a drug dealer; the seven-year-old had been poisoned by his stash and overdosed. "I was livid," she says.

Those two doses of Narcan were enough to save the child's life.

On another page, a woman, six months pregnant, two doses of Narcan. She also survived.

In Kensington, drugs are cheap and plentiful, and people shoot up in the open. As she walks the neighbourhood, Ms Pichardo finds people passed out on the pavement, a woman in a stupor with her trousers down, a man lying prone next to a metro turnstile, another man in a wheelchair, his eyes closed and money in his hands.

He, like a growing number of opioid users, has had a limb amputated. A new drug on the street, the animal tranquilliser Xylazine, is being mixed with fentanyl. It leads to open wounds which become infected. The air is rank in places.

John White is 56 years old, and for 40 of those years he has struggled with addiction. At Sunshine House, Ms Pichardo serves him a bowl of homemade soup.

"I've been in this city all my life," he says. "The fentanyl and opioid epidemic is the worst I've ever seen. Fentanyl will get you so hooked that you have to get more. So they put it in everything."

Mr White had a fentanyl overdose after smoking a joint laced with the drug: it is being added to all kinds of illicit drugs, including heroin, cocaine and marijuana.

Ms Pichardo holds out little hope that even if the fentanyl trade is cut off from Mexico that it will improve people's lives in Kensington.

"The problem that we have with the war on drugs is - it didn't work then [and] I don't believe it's going to work now," she explains.

When the supply of one drug is cut off, another replaces it, she says. "Once there was heroin, now there's no more. Now there's fentanyl. When there's no fentanyl, now it's going to be Xylazine. So it's like they'll find a way to keep people addicted so that people can make money off of people, off the suffering of people," says Ms Pichardo.

Directly across from Sunshine House, a young woman is found collapsed on the pavement, her body splayed across the concrete: she's unresponsive. Ms Pichardo is quickly on the scene, her medical kit by her side, yet again administering Naloxone. The woman is eventually revived - she will survive.

Roz Pichardo returns to Sunshine House, another life saved and another digit to be added to the back pages of her tattered Bible.

Top picture: Darren Conway, BBC

Pakistan's army says it has freed more than 300 hostages from a passenger train seized by militants in Balochistan province on Tuesday.

The military spokesperson said 33 militants were killed during the operation.

Twenty-one civilian hostages and four military personnel were killed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) before the operation began, the military spokesperson said.

The military continues its search operation in the area to rule out any remaining threats.

The Pakistani authorities - as well as several Western countries, including the UK and US - have designated the BLA as a terrorist organisation.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

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A plane carrying former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has arrived in the Netherlands where he is to face charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC) over his deadly "war on drugs".

Duterte was arrested at Manila airport on Tuesday and within hours was on a chartered jet which flew via Dubai to The Hague, where the ICC sits.

The 79-year-old could become the first Asian former head of state to go on trial at the ICC.

Duterte, who contested his extradition, led the Philippines from 2016 to 2022 and presided over a violent "war on drugs" that saw thousands of small-time drug dealers, users and others killed without trial.

The Gulfstream G550 landed in Dubai for a stopover early on Wednesday and its expected departure was delayed for several hours while Duterte received medical checks, Reuters news agency reports.

Once it had landed in Rotterdam, the ICC confirmed that Duterte was on board.

Earlier, the ICC said it would take custody of Duterte and schedule a hearing for his initial appearance before the court.

Duterte's main political rival, current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, was instrumental in handing him over. Minutes after Duterte left Philippines airspace, Marcos gave a televised address saying the country was fulfilling its legal obligation.

"This is what the international community expects of us," Marcos said.

The Duterte and Marcos families are the Philippines' most powerful political dynasties. They joined forces to sweep the country's last national election in 2022, but have fallen out in recent months as they pursued separate agendas.

Duterte being handed to the ICC is the latest twist in a political feud that has unfolded spectacularly in the public view.

The Duterte and Marcos families formed a formidable alliance in the 2022 elections. Against the elder Duterte's wishes, his daughter Sara ran as Marcos Jr's vice-president instead of seeking her father's post.

Marcos initially refused to co-operate with the ICC investigation, but as his relationship with the Duterte family deteriorated, he changed his stance.

Vice-President Duterte said her father's arrest amounted to "kidnapping", claiming it violated Philippine sovereignty. She left Manila for the Netherlands on Wednesday, according to her office.

A 'death squad' of bounty hunters

Rodrigo Duterte previously insisted that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines, since he pulled the country out of the tribunal in 2019, three years after it took note of the drug war's rising death toll.

But according to the Rome Statute that is the basis for the ICC, the court maintains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed before a nation leaves the tribunal.

The ICC investigation covers 2011-2019, which includes the period when Duterte was mayor of Davao, a sprawling metropolis in the country's south, where his family has held power for decades.

Complaints filed against Duterte at the ICC allege that he kept a "death squad" of bounty hunters to go after drug suspects in Davao, and later replicated this model on a national scale when he was elected president.

Human Rights Watch called Duterte's arrest a "critical step for accountability in the Philippines".

Duterte built a reputation for Davao as one of the Philippines' safest cities, and cultivated the image of a tough-talking, anti-establishment man of the masses to pull off a dark horse win in the 2016 presidential elections.

Polls show he is the most popular Philippines president since the restoration of democracy in 1986.

His supporters have threatened to hold large rallies to protest against his arrest. They had asked the Supreme Court to issue a restraining order against the ICC warrant - but the court did not act before the former president was flown out on Tuesday.

On social media, where the Dutertes maintain a strong following, the reaction was mixed.

Many praised the ICC for delivering justice for those who died in the drug war, while others defended Duterte's legacy, with some calling for widespread rallies.

"Justice served," read a top-liked comment on TikTok.

"Philippines was safe during Duterte's time," another TikTok user wrote, saying the former leader built bridges, roads and other infrastructure. "He was the best president."

Additional reporting by Fan Wang

The White House's envoy, Steve Witkoff, is in Qatar to join indirect talks between Israel and Hamas on extending the fragile ceasefire in Gaza.

This week, negotiators from both sides have begun meeting mediators for the first time since President Donald Trump took office on 20 January. The 42-day first phase of the Gaza deal and temporary truce came into effect on the eve of his inauguration.

That first phase ultimately saw Hamas return 25 living Israeli hostages and the remains of eight others - in exchange for about 1,800 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel – as well as five living Thai hostages. It ended on 1 March.

Israel now hopes the US can advance a plan for a two-month truce extension, which would start with the release of about half of the living hostages still held.

Hamas has so far rejected that, demanding immediate talks on the second phase in the original ceasefire agreement, which would end the war and lead to a full Israeli troop withdrawal.

However, it stated that it was approaching the ongoing discussions in Doha with "full responsibility and positivity".

Since the start of this month, Israel has blocked all aid deliveries - including food and fuel - to Gaza, saying it aims to put pressure on Hamas.

Electricity has also been cut to the only desalination plant in the territory providing clean water, so that it is now running at a reduced capacity on generators using fuel reserves.

In response, the Houthi movement in Yemen said on Tuesday that it would restart attacks on Israeli ships passing through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, threatening to throw a key maritime route into chaos once again.

There is growing alarm at the potential impact of Israel blocking goods to Gaza, with some of its allies warning that this could violate international law.

The local UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator, Muhannad Hadi, has stated: "Any further delays [on aid entering] will further reverse any progress we have managed to achieve during the ceasefire."

"We pray that these matters get resolved urgently," a baker, Husam Rustom, told the BBC.

With the halt to supplies of flour and cooking gas, he said his bakery - which had been providing over 2,000 packs of bread a day - had been forced to close as well as several others in the southern city of Khan Younis.

"We are exhausted and tired of all this. It's driving us mad," said Zeinab al-Bayuk, a grandmother. She added that food prices had been rising rapidly.

Mariam Abu Mukhimer, a student, opposed an extension of the existing truce. "There needs to be a solution that ends the war," she said. "It's enough!"

The US has never confirmed it, but Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on 2 March that Witkoff had proposed a temporary extension of the ceasefire until after the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish holiday of Passover.

According to this plan, which Netanyahu said Israel had accepted, half of the hostages would be released together at the outset, and the other half at the end.

The PM suggested Witkoff had "even defined his proposal as a corridor for negotiations on the second stage. Israel is ready for this."

It is believed that Hamas is still holding up to 24 living hostages in Gaza and the remains of 35 others. An American-Israeli soldier, 21-year-old Edan Alexander, is among those said to be alive. There are also the bodies of four other American citizens.

Hamas has accused Israel of reneging on the original ceasefire deal.

Despite pressure from regional mediators - Qatar and Egypt - as well as the US, it is thought unlikely that the armed group will give up many of the hostages without a full end to fighting in Gaza. It sees them as its major bargaining chips in talks.

For the relatives and supporters of Israelis held captive, these are desperate times.

Since Saturday, some have been camping outside the defence ministry in Tel Aviv to demand an immediate Gaza ceasefire deal that would free everyone in captivity.

"How can I start processing our personal tragedy when the national trauma is not yet over?" said Ofri Bibas, the sister of Yarden Bibas, at the protest on Monday evening.

The recent exchanges with Hamas led to the release of her brother and the return of the bodies of her sister-in-law, Shiri, and two young nephews, Ariel and Kfir, who were killed in Gaza.

"I have 59 brothers and sisters who are in hell," Ofri continued - referring to the total remaining number of hostages. "We received Yarden alive, but Shiri and the children could have been saved. By Passover, everyone must be home, and the only way to bring everyone back is to end the war. Now."

A poll for Israel's Channel 13 TV indicates that half of Israelis believe that the US president is more concerned about the fate of the hostages than Netanyahu.

Asked which of the two they thought was more concerned, 50% of respondents said Trump, 29% Netanyahu, and the rest were not sure.

Far-right allies of the prime minister have threatened to collapse his governing coalition if fighting does not resume in Gaza to achieve its war goal of crushing Hamas.

Up to now, both Israel and Hamas have largely refrained from returning to all-out hostilities in the Palestinian territory.

However, recently, Israel has carried out daily strikes. On Tuesday, four men were killed in Wadi Gaza, which is also known as the Netzarim Corridor – an area from which Israeli forces withdrew as part of the Gaza ceasefire terms.

The Israeli military said its air force had targeted "several terrorists engaged in suspicious activity posing a threat to [Israeli] troops".

Speaking to the BBC in Gaza City, the father of one of those killed, Arafat Hana, said his son, Omar, had done nothing wrong.

He said he was with neighbours walking to a displaced people's camp where they had previously stayed to retrieve belongings.

"They were innocent. They were just going to get mattresses and other things. They weren't carrying rockets!" said Umm Tareq Obaid, who lived near the men.

The new threats from the Houthis have the potential to end a period of relative calm in the wider region which began with the Gaza ceasefire on 19 January.

Over 15 months from November 2023, they used missiles and drones to attack more than 100 merchant ships, saying they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Many vessels had no connection to Israel. Two sank, one was seized, and four sailors were killed.

The Houthis say they now want "to pressure the Israeli usurper entity to reopen the crossings to the Gaza Strip and allow the entry of aid, including food and medical supplies".

However, there has been no immediate sign of ships being targeted.

The attacks led by Hamas on 7 October 2023 killed more than 1,200 people in southern Israel, mostly civilians, with 251 taken hostage. Most women and children held captive were released during a week-long truce in November 2023.

The unprecedented, deadly assault triggered a war in Gaza that has since killed more than 48,500 people, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry which are used by the UN and others.

It was after 21:00 on Tuesday night in Moscow when the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined the Ukrainian and American proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia.

By Wednesday afternoon, the Kremlin appeared to be still weighing its response to the proposals.

Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova declined to be drawn into specifics, saying that "the formation of the position of the Russian Federation [would] take place inside the Russian Federation".

And Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov skirted the issue. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves," he said, adding Moscow was "acquainting itself" with the joint statement issued in Jeddah.

There are reports that US envoy Steve Witkoff could travel to Moscow on Thursday, and Peskov said the press would be kept informed. Other than this, it was no comment from the Kremlin.

President Vladimir Putin is no doubt thinking carefully about whether to accept the ceasefire proposal, reject it, or demand amendments to it.

The idea of turning down - or amending - the ceasefire proposal seems to be gaining most traction among commentators.

"If [Putin] accepts the US suggestion, it will lead to a dangerous situation," pro-Kremlin pundit and former Putin aide Sergei Markov told the BBC, arguing that the Russian army currently has the upper hand on the front line and may lose it.

There are also concerns that Ukraine could use the month-long ceasefire to rearm, so Russia may put forward some conditions, such as demanding an end to the Western supply of weapons to Kyiv.

"The condition should be that during this period, an embargo must be introduced on arms supplies to Ukraine... Europe should support a ceasefire in Europe, not with words, but with actions," Mr Markov told Russian media.

If he were to accept the proposal, Mr Markov suggests public opinion could be a factor. Russian society is "tired of the war", he told the BBC.

While it is true that some recent surveys show a growing percentage of the Russian population is in favour of carrying out peace talks with Ukraine, it's far from clear that public opinion would have any sway on Putin's decision.

• Why did Putin's Russia invade Ukraine?
• US-Ukraine agreement shows a deal is never dead with Trump

Another potential avenue for Russia would be to accept the ceasefire and then blame any violations on Ukrainian "provocations", in the hope of discrediting Kyiv in Trump's eyes.

After Russia seized Crimea in 2014, numerous attempts were made to implement a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv. All of them failed.

If this attempt works, it would be unprecedented.

Away from the Kremlin's silence, the announcement of the ceasefire proposal – the most detailed of its kind since the start of Moscow's war on Ukraine – was openly discussed in Russian media.

In some cases, there was jubilation over what they saw as Ukraine folding to US demands, with Komsomolskaya Pravda arguing the White House had "completely trounced" Kyiv.

"They heard from Ukraine exactly the words they wanted to hear," said the daily.

Still, the overwhelming feeling among many Russian commentators and lawmakers is one of scepticism, particularly in light of the US decision to resume sending Kyiv intelligence and weapons.

MP Viktor Sobolev said a temporary ceasefire would only play into the hands of the Ukrainians as it would allow them to "regroup in 30 days, replenish their ranks and be replenished with drones".

There has also been a push to highlight the victories of the Russian army in the Kursk region, parts of which Kyiv has occupied since last summer - and to show Russia has the upper hand on the battlefield.

On Wednesday morning, images of Russian soldiers recapturing Sudzha - the largest town Ukraine managed to seize in Kursk region - were ubiquitous on Russian TV and popular Telegram channels, accompanied by gushing praise for the "daring" work of Moscow's troops.

"The real conditions for negotiations are now being created by our heroic guys - all along the front line," said daily Moskovsky Komsomolets.

Regardless of the chatter, the final decision – as is always the case in today's Russia – will rest with Vladimir Putin.

He, like Trump, is central to this deal. "We... do not rule out the need for a telephone conversation at the highest level," said Peskov on Wednesday morning – meaning direct contact between the two presidents is on the cards.

Some Russians may believe this is Trump's preferred avenue, too.

"By his own admission, he makes a deal only with the 'boss'," said state broadcaster Ria Novosti.

"This means that there will be no deals with 'teams', 'representatives' and 'envoys'. A possible deal can only be between Putin and Trump."

As the US government plane took off from Jeddah at sunrise, you could see the sense of achievement felt among President Donald Trump's officials.

After two weeks of an acrimonious fallout with Ukraine, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had delivered on what President Trump wanted. Or at least half of it. He had a spring in his step as he came onboard.

Hours of talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday ended with a joint US-Ukraine statement agreeing to an American-proposed "immediate" 30-day ceasefire with Russia. In return for it signing up to the idea, Washington is reinstating weapons supplies and intelligence sharing to Kyiv.

Trump administration officials are seeing it as a major breakthrough towards the foreign policy goals of a leader who campaigned to end the war.

"He wants to be a president of peace," said Rubio.

On his way back to North America on Wednesday, Rubio spoke with reporters about the deal: "Here's what we'd like the world to look like in a few days. Neither side is shooting at each other, not rockets, not missiles, not bullets, nothing, not artillery. The shooting stops, the fighting stops, and the talking starts. "

• Ukraine ceasefire plan live updates
• US set to present 30-day ceasefire offer to Russia

For Ukraine, the announcement amounts to a critical reprieve for President Volodymyr Zelensky, after a humiliating attack in the Oval Office a fortnight ago by Trump and Vice-President JD Vance, having pleaded for a future US security guarantee. That move was followed by the suspension of American arms supplies, which are now restored.

For Moscow, it shifts the onus for a response to them, while the war itself intensifies.

But so far this is a US ceasefire proposal which sees only one side - the one dependent on the Americans - signing up.

The US is set to introduce the plan to Russia in the coming days.

The proposal is only eight paragraphs long and contains meagre details beyond the desire to rapidly press ahead with Trump's idea.

Rubio said "we'll take this offer now to the Russians… the ball is now in their court."

So does it make a ceasefire plausible? And if so, can it end the war after Russia's full-scale invasion three years ago in a just and sustainable way, and on terms that keep the region and the world safe?

It's worth breaking down some of what's in the statement to try to analyse it.

An 'immediate' 30-day ceasefire

"Ukraine expressed readiness to accept the U.S. proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, and which is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation. The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace," the statement says.

The key word here is "immediate," which doesn't leave any doubt: Trump wants the guns to fall silent now. His sense of urgency, however, has often led to concerns in Europe.

Many fear that rushing the desired outcome without first working out the terms takes the military pressure off Moscow as the invading power and could lead to a truce being exploited.

They argue it empowers the occupying force.

The fear is of ultimately leading Ukraine into an effective surrender. The theory is that Russia - the bigger, more populous and militarily more self-sufficient power - could use a truce without first establishing concessions to consolidate its forces, string out a negotiation process and wait to see what happens politically for Trump during his term while it holds on to everything it seized; and even then try to take more ground, building on its current occupation and potentially using a fracture in the Western alliance to threaten more of Europe.

The process of negotiating terms before a ceasefire in conflicts can be important to ensure the sides convert current military threats into meaningful strategic gains.

Zelensky has previously tried to persuade the Americans that Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot be trusted, evidenced by the fact he broke the European-backed Minsk agreements after seizing Ukrainian territory in 2014.

Trump dismisses these concerns, saying there will be security for Ukraine, but without saying how this will be assured. He has said Putin will be deterred and is in a difficult position with "no choice" but to make a deal for reasons that "only I know".

Rubio said on Tuesday the US delegation had substantive discussions with the Ukrainians on a permanent end to the war, including "what type of guarantees they're going to have for their long-term security and prosperity", but again didn't elaborate.

Intelligence sharing pause lifted

"The United States will immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine," says the ceasefire proposal.

This is the big win for Zelensky in this agreement and sees US weapons supplies being delivered at a rate of around $2bn (£1.5bn)-worth a month, restored.

Critically, it also means Washington will once again share its intelligence data and satellite pictures with Kyiv, which helps it target Russian positions. The White House said it suspended this aid because it felt Zelensky wasn't "committed" to Trump's peace plan.

The Ukrainian leader had tried to voice his concerns based on some of the reasons above when he was ejected from the Oval Office. His reservations are likely being set aside while he welcomes the agreement in this form - a necessary price to pay to restore US security assistance.

Security guarantees for Ukraine unclear

"Both delegations agreed to name their negotiating teams and immediately begin negotiations toward an enduring peace that provides for Ukraine's long-term security. The United States committed to discussing these specific proposals with representatives from Russia. The Ukrainian delegation reiterated that European partners shall be involved in the peace process," says the plan.

This paragraph is confusing because it's unclear whether it refers to negotiations between Ukraine and the US on establishing any security guarantees for Ukraine, or if it refers to negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to permanently end the war once a ceasefire is under way.

If it is the former, it appears to suggest that Washington and Kyiv will hammer out any decisions on how to back up Ukraine's security and deter Russian breaches of a truce, and the US will then discuss these with Moscow.

But it is all a far cry from the kind of security guarantee Zelensky ultimately wanted, which was membership of Nato, which Trump has said won't happen - a major long-term concession to Moscow's demands.

The paragraph also contains a vague and lukewarm reference to the idea of European peacekeepers, which have been pitched by the UK and France, with the line attributed only to the Ukrainian delegation.

It's notable that the US appears not to be putting its name to this part after Moscow categorically rejected the idea.

Ukraine's minerals deal

"…both countries' presidents agreed to conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine's critical mineral resources to expand Ukraine's economy and guarantee Ukraine's long-term prosperity and security."

This was the agreement that never got signed after Zelensky was told to leave the White House last month.

It would give the US a future stake in some of Ukraine's state-owned mineral deposits, as well as oil and gas revenues.

Trump sees it as an effective security guarantee for Ukraine, arguing it would deter Russian re-invasion because American companies would be on the ground.

Opponents point out this is meaningless because US economic presence in Ukraine didn't deter Putin in 2014 or 2022.

"The Ukrainian delegation reiterated the Ukrainian people's strong gratitude to President Trump…"

This is a key line that might help explain Zelenky's rehabilitation in the eyes of the White House.

Vance had castigated him in the Oval Office for not thanking Trump, even though the Ukrainian leader has thanked the US dozens of times for its military support.

Now Trump has an official Ukrainian thank you, on a piece of paper meant to make peace.

A new four-lane highway cutting through tens of thousands of acres of protected Amazon rainforest is being built for the COP30 climate summit in the Brazilian city of Belém.

It aims to ease traffic to the city, which will host more than 50,000 people - including world leaders - at the conference in November.

The state government touts the highway's "sustainable" credentials, but some locals and conservationists are outraged at the environmental impact.

The Amazon plays a vital role in absorbing carbon for the world and providing biodiversity, and many say this deforestation contradicts the very purpose of a climate summit.

Along the partially built road, lush rainforest towers on either side - a reminder of what was once there. Logs are piled high in the cleared land which stretches more than 13km (8 miles) through the rainforest into Belém.

Diggers and machines carve through the forest floor, paving over wetland to surface the road which will cut through a protected area.

Claudio Verequete lives about 200m from where the road will be. He used to make an income from harvesting açaí berries from trees that once occupied the space.

"Everything was destroyed," he says, gesturing at the clearing.

"Our harvest has already been cut down. We no longer have that income to support our family."

He says he has received no compensation from the state government and is currently relying on savings.

He worries the construction of this road will lead to more deforestation in the future, now that the area is more accessible for businesses.

"Our fear is that one day someone will come here and say: 'Here's some money. We need this area to build a gas station, or to build a warehouse.' And then we'll have to leave.

"We were born and raised here in the community. Where are we going to go?"

His community won't be connected to the road, given its walls on either side.

"For us who live on the side of the highway, there will be no benefits. There will be benefits for the trucks that will pass through. If someone gets sick, and needs to go to the centre of Belém, we won't be able to use it."

The road leaves two disconnected areas of protected forest. Scientists are concerned it will fragment the ecosystem and disrupt the movement of wildlife.

Prof Silvia Sardinha is a wildlife vet and researcher at a university animal hospital that overlooks the site of the new highway.

She and her team rehabilitate wild animals with injuries, predominantly caused by humans or vehicles.

Once healed, they release them back into the wild – something she says will be harder if there is a highway on their doorstep.

"From the moment of deforestation, there is a loss.

"We are going to lose an area to release these animals back into the wild, the natural environment of these species," she said.

"Land animals will no longer be able to cross to the other side too, reducing the areas where they can live and breed."

The Brazilian president and environment minister say this will be a historic summit because it is "a COP in the Amazon, not a COP about the Amazon".

The president says the meeting will provide an opportunity to focus on the needs of the Amazon, show the forest to the world, and present what the federal government has done to protect it.

But Prof Sardinha says that while these conversations will happen "at a very high level, among business people and government officials", those living in the Amazon are "not being heard".

The state government of Pará had touted the idea of this highway, known as Avenida Liberdade, as early as 2012, but it had repeatedly been shelved because of environmental concerns.

Now a host of infrastructure projects have been resurrected or approved to prepare the city for the COP summit.

Adler Silveira, the state government's infrastructure secretary, listed this highway as one of 30 projects happening in the city to "prepare" and "modernise" it, so "we can have a legacy for the population and, more importantly, serve people for COP30 in the best possible way".

Speaking to the BBC, he said it was a "sustainable highway" and an "important mobility intervention".

He added it would have wildlife crossings for animals to pass over, bike lanes and solar lighting. New hotels are also being built and the port is being redeveloped so cruise ships can dock there to accommodate excess visitors.

Brazil's federal government is investing more than $81m (£62m) to expand the airport capacity from "seven to 14 million passengers". A new 500,000 sq-m city park, Parque da Cidade, is under construction. It will include green spaces, restaurants, a sports complex and other facilities for the public to use afterwards.

Some business owners in the city's vast open-air Ver-o-peso market agree that this development will bring opportunities for the city.

"The city as a whole is being improved, it is being repaired and a lot of people are visiting from other places. It means I can sell more and earn more," says Dalci Cardoso da Silva, who runs a leather shoe stall.

He says this is necessary because when he was young, Belém was "beautiful, well-kept, well cared for", but it has since been "abandoned" and "neglected" with "little interest from the ruling class".

João Alexandre Trindade da Silva, who sells Amazonian herbal medicines in the market, acknowledges that all construction work can cause problems, but he felt the future impact would be worth it.

"We hope the discussions aren't just on paper and become real actions. And the measures, the decisions taken, really are put into practice so that the planet can breathe a little better, so that the population in the future will have a little cleaner air."

That will be the hope of world leaders too who choose to attend the COP30 summit.

Scrutiny is growing over whether flying thousands of them across the world, and the infrastructure required to host them, is undermining the cause.

US President Donald Trump has imposed a range of tariffs - or import taxes - on billions of dollars worth of goods coming into the US from some of its top trading partners.

The tariffs apply to steel and aluminium imported to the US, as well as to some other products from Mexico, Canada and China - prompting counter-measures from the latter two countries and the European Union.

Economists have warned the US tariffs - and those introduced in response by other countries - could put prices up for American consumers.

That's because the tax is paid by the domestic company importing the goods, which may choose to pass the cost on to customers, or to reduce imports, meaning fewer products are available.

So which things could become more expensive?

Cars

Some cars are among the products given a temporary reprieve by Trump from a new 25% import tax imposed on Canada and Mexico.

When this ends, cars are expected to go up in price - by about $3,000 (£2,300) according to TD Economics.

That's because parts cross the US, Canadian and Mexican borders multiple times before a vehicle is assembled.

Many well-known car brands, including Audi, BMW, Ford, General Motors and Honda trade parts and vehicles across the three countries.

The cost of the higher taxes due on imported components is likely to be passed on to customers.

"Suffice it to say that disrupting these trends through tariffs... would come with significant costs," said TD Economics' Andrew Foran.

He argued that the "uninterrupted free trade" which has "existed for decades" in the car-making sector has lowered prices for consumers.

• Follow live updates on Trump's tariffs
• What are tariffs and why is Trump using them?

Beer, whisky and tequila

Popular Mexican beers Modelo and Corona could get more expensive for US customers if the American companies importing them pass on the increased import taxes.

However, it's also possible that firms could decide to bring in less foreign beer.

Modelo became the number one beer brand in the US in 2023, and remains in the top spot, for now.

The picture is more complicated when it comes to spirits, which have been largely free of tariffs since the 1990s.

Industry bodies from the US, Canada and Mexico issued a joint statement in advance of the tariffs being announced saying they were "deeply concerned".

They argue that certain brands, such as Bourbon, Tennessee whiskey, tequila and Canadian whisky are "recognized as distinctive products and can only be produced in their designated countries".

So given the production of these drinks cannot simply be moved, supplies might be impacted, leading to price rises.

The bodies also highlighted that many companies own different spirit brands in the US, Canada and Mexico.

Houses

The US imports about a third of its softwood lumber from Canada each year, and that key building material could be hit by Trump's tariffs.

Trump has said the US has "more lumber than we ever use".

However, the National Association of Home Builders urged the president to exempt building materials "because of their harmful effect on housing affordability".

The industry group has "serious concerns" that the tariffs on lumber could increase the cost of building homes - which are mostly made out of wood in the US - and also put off developers building new homes.

"Consumers end up paying for the tariffs in the form of higher home prices," the NAHB said.

Imports from the rest of the world could also be affected.

On 1 March, Trump ordered an investigation into whether the US should place additional tariffs on most lumber and timber imports, regardless of their country of origin, or create incentives to boost domestic production.

Findings are due towards the end of 2025.

Maple syrup

The "most obvious" household impact of a trade war with Canada would be on the price of Canadian maple syrup, according to Thomas Sampson from the London School of Economics.

Canada's billion-dollar industry accounts for 75% of the world's entire maple syrup production.

The majority of the sweet staple - around 90% - is produced in the province of Quebec, where the world's sole strategic reserve of maple syrup was set up 24 years ago.

"That maple syrup is going to become more expensive. And that's a direct price increase that households will face," Mr Sampson said.

"If I buy goods that are domestically produced in the US, but [which use] inputs from Canada, the price of those goods is also going to go up," he added.

Fuel prices

Canada is America's largest foreign supplier of crude oil.

According to the most recent official trade figures, 61% of oil imported into the US between January and November 2024 came from Canada.

While the US has introduced a 25% tariff on most goods imported from Canada, Canadian energy faces a lower rate of 10%.

The US doesn't have a shortage of oil, but its refineries are designed to process so-called "heavier" - or thicker - crude oil, which mostly comes from Canada, with some from Mexico.

"Many refineries need heavier crude oil to maximize flexibility of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel production," according to the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers.

That means if Canada decided to reduce crude oil exports in retaliation against US tariffs, it could push up fuel prices.

Avocados

Avocados thrive in in the Mexican climate.

Nearly 90% of the avocados consumed in the US come from Mexico.

The US Agriculture Department has warned that tariffs on Mexican fruit and vegetables could increase the cost of avocados.

Related dishes like guacamole could also become more expensive.

Additional reporting by Lucy Acheson

Just short of his 80th birthday, Rodrigo Duterte, a man who once vowed to purge his country through a bloody anti-drugs and crime campaign, found himself outmanoeuvred and in custody.

The former president was met by Philippines police as he arrived in Manila on a flight from Hong Kong, where he had been rallying support for his candidates for the upcoming mid-term election among the large Filipino diaspora there.

The much-talked-about warrant for his arrest from the International Criminal Court (ICC) was, it turned out, already in the hands of the Philippines government, which moved swiftly to execute it.

A frail-looking Mr Duterte, walking with a stick, was moved to an air force base within the airport perimeter. A chartered jet was quickly prepared to take him to the ICC in The Hague.

How had this happened? How had a man so powerful and popular, often called "the Trump of Asia", been brought so low?

In vain, his lawyers and family members protested that the arrest had no legal basis and complained that Duterte's frail health was being neglected.

While in office, Mr Duterte formed an alliance with the Marcos family – the children of ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos who had long been working on a political comeback. Mr Duterte could not run again in the 2022 election, but his daughter Sara, mayor of southern city of Davao, was also popular and a strong contender to replace him.

However, Ferdinand Marcos's son Bongbong, who had been in politics all his life, was also well placed to win and very well-funded.

The two families struck a deal. They would work together to get Bongbong into the presidency and Sara into the vice-presidency, on the assumption that come the next election in 2028, her turn would come and she would have the formidable Marcos machine behind her.

It worked. Both won their positions by a wide margin. Mr Duterte expected that his alliance would protect him from any blowback over his controversial presidency once he was out of power.

The most serious threat hanging over him was an investigation by the ICC into his culpability for thousands of extrajudicial killings carried out during anti-drugs campaigns he ordered - after he became president in 2016, but also during his tenure as mayor of the southern city of Davao from 2011.

Mr Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the jurisdiction of the ICC in 2019, but its prosecutors argued they still had a mandate to look into alleged crimes against humanity committed before that, and launched a formal investigation in 2021. However, President Marcos initially stated that his government would not co-operate with the ICC.

That position only changed after the dramatic breakdown of the Duterte-Marcos alliance. Strains in their relationship were evident from the earliest days of the administration, when Sara Duterte's request to be given control of the powerful defence ministry was turned down and she was given the education ministry instead.

President Marcos also distanced himself from his predecessor's mercurial policies, mending fences with the US, standing up to China in contested seas, and stopping the blood-curdling threats of retribution against drug dealers.

In the end, these were two ambitious, power-hungry clans aiming to dominate Filipino politics, and there was not enough power for them to share. Relations reached a nadir last year when Sara Duterte announced that she had hired an assassin to kill President Marcos, should anything happen to her.

Late last year, the lower house of Congress, which is controlled by Marcos loyalists, filed a petition to impeach Ms Duterte. That trial is due to take place in the Senate later this year.

If she is impeached, under the constitution, she would be barred from holding high political office, killing her long-standing presidential ambitions and weakening the political power of the Dutertes even further.

President Marcos now appears to have moved deftly to neutralise his main political rival. But his strategy is not risk-free. The Dutertes remain popular in much of the country, and may be able to mobilise protests against the former president's prosecution.

Sara Duterte has issued a statement accusing the government of surrendering her father to "foreign powers" and of violating Filipino sovereignty.

An early test of the support enjoyed by both clans will be the mid-term elections in May.

In his comments to journalists after the plane carrying his predecessor had taken off from Manila, President Marcos insisted he was meeting the country's commitments to Interpol, which had delivered the ICC. But he was coy about the fact that it was an ICC warrant he was executing, given that many Filipinos will question what the ICC's remit is in a country which has already left its jurisdiction.

It is not risk-free for the ICC either. The court is an embattled institution these days, with the Trump administration threatening to arrest its top officials should they travel to the US, and few countries willing to extradite those it has indicted. Getting former President Duterte to The Hague might therefore look like a welcome high-profile success.

But there was a warning, from China – admittedly not a signatory to the ICC and currently at loggerheads with the Philippines – not to politicise ICC cases. This was a thinly-veiled reference to the fact that this case, which is supposed to be about accountability for serious international crimes, has ended up playing a decisive part in a domestic feud in the Philippines between two rival political forces.

Thousands of people have been gathering in southern Ethiopia for one of the country's biggest cultural events.

The week-long Gada ceremony, which ended on Sunday, sees the official transfer of power from one customary ruler to his successor - something that happens every eight years.

The tradition of regularly appointing a new Abbaa Gadaa has been practised by the Borana community for centuries - and sees them gather at the rural site of Arda Jila Badhasa, near the Ethiopian town of Arero.

It is a time to celebrate their special form of democracy as well as their cultural heritage, with each age-group taking the opportunity to wear their different traditional outfits.

These are paraded the day before the official handover during a procession when married women march with wooden batons, called "siinqee".

The batons have symbolic values of protection for women, who use them during conflict.

If a siinqee stick is placed on the ground by a married woman between two quarrelling parties, it means the conflict must stop immediately out of respect.

During the procession, younger women walk at the front, distinguished from the married women by the different colour of their clothing.

In this pastoralist society, women are excluded from holding the top position of Abbaa Gadaa, sitting on the council of elders or being initiated into the system as a child.

But their important role can be seen during the festival as they build all the accommodation for those staying for the week - and prepare all the food.

And the unique Gada system of governance, which was added to the UN's cultural heritage list in 2016, allows for them to attend regular community meetings and to voice their opinions to the Abbaa Gadaa.

Gada membership is only open to boys whose fathers are already members - young initiates have their heads shaven at the crown to make their rank clear.

The smaller the circle, the older he is.

As the global cultural body Unesco reports, oral historians teach young initiates about "history, laws, rituals, time reckoning, cosmology, myths, rules of conduct, and the function of the Gada system".

Training for boys begins as young as eight years old.

Later, they will be assessed for their potential as future leaders.

As they grow up, tests include walking long distances barefoot, slaughtering cattle efficiently and showing kindness to fellow initiates.

Headpieces made from cowrie shells are traditionally worn by young trainees. The only other people allowed to wear them are elderly women.

Both groups are revered by Borana community members.

Men aged between 28 and 32 are identified by the ostrich feathers they wear, which are known in the Afaan Oromo language as "baalli".

Their attendance at the Gada ceremony is an opportunity to learn, prepare and bond as it is already known who from this age-group will be named Abbaa Gadaa in 2033.

The main event at the recent Gada ceremony was the handover of power, from the outgoing 48-year-old Abbaa Gadaa to his younger successor.

Well-wishers crossed the border from Kenya and others travelled from as far as Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, to witness the spectacle. The governor of Kenya's Marsabit county was among the honoured guests.

Thirty-seven-year-old Guyo Boru Guyo, seen here in white, holding a spear, was chosen to lead because he impressed the council of elders during his teenage years.

He becomes the 72nd Abbaa Gadaa and will now oversee the Borana people who live in both southern Ethiopia and north-western Kenya.

As their top diplomat, he will also be responsible for solving the feuds that may emerge in the pastoralist community.

These often involve cattle-raiding and disputes over access to water in this drought-prone region.

During his eight years at the helm, his successor will finish his training to take on the job in continuation of this generations-old tradition.

Additional reporting by Natasha Booty.

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Tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on imports of steel and aluminium have taken effect in a move that will likely escalate tensions with some of America's largest trading partners.

The measure raises a flat duty on steel and aluminium entering the US to 25% and ends all country exemptions to the levies.

Several countries, including the UK and Australia, have tried to secure carve-outs without success. Others, including Canada and the European Union, have said they will retaliate.

Trump hopes the tariffs will boost US steel and aluminium production but critics say it will raise prices for US consumers and dent economic growth.

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), a group representing US steelmakers, welcomed the tariffs saying they will create jobs and boost domestic steel manufacturing.

The group's president Kevin Dempsey said the moved closed a system of exemptions, exclusions and quotas that allowed foreign producers to avoid tariffs.

"AISI applauds the president's actions to restore the integrity of the tariffs on steel and implement a robust and reinvigorated program to address unfair trade practices," Mr Dempsey added.

The US is a major importer of aluminium and steel, and Canada, Mexico and Brazil are among its largest suppliers of the metals.

The tariffs mean that US businesses wanting to bring the metals into the country will have to pay a 25% tax on them.

This is likely to lead to higher costs for a large number of US industries, including aerospace, car manufacturing and construction.

Michael DiMarino runs Linda Tool, 17-person Brooklyn company that makes parts for the aerospace industry. Everything he makes involves some kind of steel, much of which comes from American mills.

"If I have higher prices, I pass them onto my customers. They have higher prices, they pass it onto the consumer," Mr DiMarino said, adding that he supports the call for increased manufacturing in the US but warning the president's moves risk backfiring.

The American Automotive Policy Council, a group that represents car giants such Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, also echoed such concerns.

"We are still reviewing and awaiting all of the details of the proposed tariffs, but are concerned that specifically revoking exemptions for Canada and Mexico will add significant costs for our suppliers," said Matt Blunt, organisation's president said.

Some economists are warning that the tariffs could help the US steel and aluminium industries but hurt the wider economy.

"It protects [the steel and aluminium] industries but hurts downstream users of their products by making them more expensive," said Bill Reinsch, a former Commerce Department official who is now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

'No exceptions'

In 2018, during his first term as president, Trump imposed import tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminium, but he eventually negotiated carve-outs for many countries.

Several countries, including the UK and Australia, which had previously been exempted from paying such tariffs were looking to avoid them once again.

But President Trump has said he will not be granting the same sort of exclusions and exemptions that he did in his first term.

Responding to the tariffs that are coming into effect, Australia's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, said in a press conference that the Trump administration's decision to go ahead with the new tariffs is "entirely unjustified."

"It's against the spirit of our two nations' enduring friendship and fundamentally at odds with the benefits that our economic partnership has delivered over more than 70 years," he added.

Albanese also said Australia will not be imposing reciprocal tariffs on the US because such a move would only push up prices for Australian consumers.

Meanwhile, Canada's Energy Minister, Jonathan Wilkinson, told CNN his country would relaliate but added that Canada is not looking to escalate tensions.

Canada, is one of America's closest trade partners, and the largest exporter of steel and aluminium to the US.

The European Union has also previously said it would hit back against Trump's move.

Last month, the UK government signalled that it was seeking an exemption to the tariffs and added that it would not retaliate immediately.

Recession fears

Fear of the economic cost of Trump's trade tariffs have sparked a selloff in US and global stock markets which accelerated this week after the US president refused to rule out the prospect of an economic recession.

The S&P 500 index of the largest firms listed in the US fell a further 0.7% on Tuesday after dropping 2.7% on Monday, which was its biggest one-day drop since December.

The UK's FTSE 100 share index, which had edged lower earlier on Tuesday, fell further and closed down more than 1%. The French Cac 40 index and German Dax followed a similar pattern.

Meanwhile, economic research firm, Oxford Economics, said in a report it had lowered its US economic growth forecast for the year from 2.4% to 2% made even steeper adjustments to Canada and Mexico.

"Despite the downgrade, we still expect the US economy to outperform the other major advanced economies over the next couple of years," its report added.

"Uncertainty around the path for US tariffs is higher than ever".

Ontario showdown

Earlier on Tuesday, the US and Canada stepped back from the brink of a major escalation in the trade war.

That was after Trump said he had halted a plan to double US tariffs on Canadian steel and metal imports to 50%, just hours after first threatening them.

The move by the president came after the Canadian province of Ontario suspended new charges of 25% on electricity that it sends to some northern states in the US.

Despite the climbdown, Canada will still be facing Trump's 25% tariff on steel and aluminium imports that have just come into effect.

Additional reporting by Michelle Fleury in New York

Passengers who were freed from a train seized by armed militants have spoken of "doomsday scenes" that unfolded on board the Jaffar Express in Pakistan's Balochistan province.

"We held our breath throughout the firing, not knowing what would happen next," Ishaq Noor, who was one of those on board, told the BBC.

He was one of more than 400 passengers travelling from Quetta to Peshawar on Tuesday when the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) attacked and took a number hostage. The train driver was among several reported injured.

Military sources claim 155 passengers have been freed and 27 militants killed. There is no independent confirmation of those figures. Rescue operations are continuing.

Security forces say they have deployed hundreds of troops to rescue the remaining passengers. Authorities have also deployed helicopters and special forces personnel.

The BLA has warned of "severe consequences" if an attempt is made to rescue hostages.

More than a dozen freed passengers were taken to hospital for treatment.

Reports quoting security officials say some of the militants may have left the train, taking an unknown number of passengers with them into the surrounding mountainous area.

At least 100 of those on the train were members of the security forces, officials have said.

Muhammad Ashraf, who was travelling from Quetta to Lahore to visit family, was among a group of passengers who managed to disembark the train late on Tuesday.

"There was a lot of fear among the passengers. It was a scene of doomsday," he said.

The group then walked for nearly four hours to the next railway station. Several of the men carried the weaker passengers on their shoulders.

"We reached the station with great difficulty, because we were tired and there were children and women with us," he said.

Mr Noor, who was travelling with his wife and two children, said the initial explosion on the train was "so intense" that one of his children fell from the seat.

He and his wife each tried to shield one child amidst the gunfire.

"If a bullet comes our way, it will hit us and not the children," he said.

Mushtaq Muhammad, who was in the train's third carriage, recalled the "unforgettable" attack and passengers stricken with panic.

"The attackers were talking to each other in Balochi, and their leader repeatedly told them to 'keep an eye' particularly on the security personnel to make sure that [the attackers] do not lose them," he said.

The attackers started to release some Balochistan residents, as well as women, children and elderly passengers, on Tuesday evening, Mr Ishaq said, adding that he was let go when he told them he was a resident of Turbat city in Balochistan, and they saw that he had children and women with him.

However, it is still unclear how many passengers are still being held hostage.

Security forces say they have launched a major operation to rescue remaining passengers, deploying hundreds of troops. Authorities have also deployed helicopters and special forces personnel.

On Wednesday, the BBC saw dozens of wooden coffins being loaded at Quetta railway station. A railway official said they were empty and being transported to collect any possible casualties.

The BLA has warned of "severe consequences" if an attempt was made to rescue those it is holding.

'Gravely concerned'

The BLA has waged a decades-long insurgency to gain independence and has launched numerous deadly attacks, often targeting police stations, railway lines and highways.

Counter-insurgency operations in impoverished Balochistan by Pakistan's army and security forces have reportedly seen thousands of people disappear without trace since the early 2000s. The security forces are accused of crimes including torture and extra-judicial killings, allegations they deny.

Pakistani authorities - as well as several Western countries, including the UK and US - have designated the group a terrorist organisation.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said it is "gravely concerned" by the train hijack.

"We strongly urge all relevant stakeholders to forge an urgent rights-based, pro-people consensus on the issues faced by citizens in Balochistan and to find a peaceful, political solution," it said in a statement on X.

The United Nations' Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has "strongly condemned" the train siege and also called for the immediate release of remaining passengers.

Additional Reporting by Azadeh Moshiri

Armed Islamists have stormed a hotel in the city of Beledweyne in central Somalia, and a siege is ongoing, police and witnesses have said.

The attack by al-Shabab began with a car bomb exploding, followed by gunmen entering the hotel, leading to intense clashes with security forces.

Police said at least four people had been killed, but witnesses told the BBC the death toll had risen to 10, with the security forces still battling the gunmen at the Qahira Hotel.

Al-Shabab, which is affiliated to al-Qaeda, has been waging a brutal insurgency in Somalia for more than two decades.

The raid on the hotel took place as politicians, security officials and traditional elders were meeting to discuss plans for an offensive against the group in central Somalia.

Beledweyne is about 335km (208 miles) north of the capital, Mogadishu, and is a strategic location in the campaign against al-Shabab.

Police officer Ali Mahad said many of those in attendance had been rescued, the AFP news agency reports

"Security forces are tackling several gunmen who are cornered in one part of the building," he is quoted as saying.

A federal lawmaker from Beledweyne, Dahir Amin Jesow, told the BBC that nearly seven gunmen were in the hotel.

"It will be necessary to bring in forces with heavy weaponry to neutralise the situation," he said.

Parts of the hotel had been reduced to rubble as government forces and gunmen exchanged fire, shopkeeper Ali Suleiman, who witnessed the attack, told the Reuters news agency.

"We first heard a huge blast followed by gunfire, then another blast was heard," he said.

It is unclear how many people have been wounded, but the lawmaker said they were trying to organise for aeroplanes to fly victims to Mogadishu for treatment.

More BBC stories on Somalia:

• Why Trump is on the warpath in Somalia
• The men in sarongs taking on al-Shabab militants
• Somali piracy 2.0 - the BBC meets the new robbers of the high seas

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

Tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on imports of steel and aluminium have taken effect in a move that will likely escalate tensions with some of America's largest trading partners.

The measure raises a flat duty on steel and aluminium entering the US to 25% and ends all country exemptions to the levies.

Several countries, including the UK and Australia, have tried to secure carve-outs without success. Others, including Canada and the European Union, have said they will retaliate.

Trump hopes the tariffs will boost US steel and aluminium production but critics say it will raise prices for US consumers and dent economic growth.

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), a group representing US steelmakers, welcomed the tariffs saying they will create jobs and boost domestic steel manufacturing.

The group's president Kevin Dempsey said the moved closed a system of exemptions, exclusions and quotas that allowed foreign producers to avoid tariffs.

"AISI applauds the president's actions to restore the integrity of the tariffs on steel and implement a robust and reinvigorated program to address unfair trade practices," Mr Dempsey added.

The US is a major importer of aluminium and steel, and Canada, Mexico and Brazil are among its largest suppliers of the metals.

The tariffs mean that US businesses wanting to bring the metals into the country will have to pay a 25% tax on them.

This is likely to lead to higher costs for a large number of US industries, including aerospace, car manufacturing and construction.

Michael DiMarino runs Linda Tool, 17-person Brooklyn company that makes parts for the aerospace industry. Everything he makes involves some kind of steel, much of which comes from American mills.

"If I have higher prices, I pass them onto my customers. They have higher prices, they pass it onto the consumer," Mr DiMarino said, adding that he supports the call for increased manufacturing in the US but warning the president's moves risk backfiring.

The American Automotive Policy Council, a group that represents car giants such Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, also echoed such concerns.

"We are still reviewing and awaiting all of the details of the proposed tariffs, but are concerned that specifically revoking exemptions for Canada and Mexico will add significant costs for our suppliers," said Matt Blunt, organisation's president said.

Some economists are warning that the tariffs could help the US steel and aluminium industries but hurt the wider economy.

"It protects [the steel and aluminium] industries but hurts downstream users of their products by making them more expensive," said Bill Reinsch, a former Commerce Department official who is now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

'No exceptions'

In 2018, during his first term as president, Trump imposed import tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminium, but he eventually negotiated carve-outs for many countries.

Several countries, including the UK and Australia, which had previously been exempted from paying such tariffs were looking to avoid them once again.

But President Trump has said he will not be granting the same sort of exclusions and exemptions that he did in his first term.

Responding to the tariffs that are coming into effect, Australia's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, said in a press conference that the Trump administration's decision to go ahead with the new tariffs is "entirely unjustified."

"It's against the spirit of our two nations' enduring friendship and fundamentally at odds with the benefits that our economic partnership has delivered over more than 70 years," he added.

Albanese also said Australia will not be imposing reciprocal tariffs on the US because such a move would only push up prices for Australian consumers.

Meanwhile, Canada's Energy Minister, Jonathan Wilkinson, told CNN his country would relaliate but added that Canada is not looking to escalate tensions.

Canada, is one of America's closest trade partners, and the largest exporter of steel and aluminium to the US.

The European Union has also previously said it would hit back against Trump's move.

Last month, the UK government signalled that it was seeking an exemption to the tariffs and added that it would not retaliate immediately.

Recession fears

Fear of the economic cost of Trump's trade tariffs have sparked a selloff in US and global stock markets which accelerated this week after the US president refused to rule out the prospect of an economic recession.

The S&P 500 index of the largest firms listed in the US fell a further 0.7% on Tuesday after dropping 2.7% on Monday, which was its biggest one-day drop since December.

The UK's FTSE 100 share index, which had edged lower earlier on Tuesday, fell further and closed down more than 1%. The French Cac 40 index and German Dax followed a similar pattern.

Meanwhile, economic research firm, Oxford Economics, said in a report it had lowered its US economic growth forecast for the year from 2.4% to 2% made even steeper adjustments to Canada and Mexico.

"Despite the downgrade, we still expect the US economy to outperform the other major advanced economies over the next couple of years," its report added.

"Uncertainty around the path for US tariffs is higher than ever".

Ontario showdown

Earlier on Tuesday, the US and Canada stepped back from the brink of a major escalation in the trade war.

That was after Trump said he had halted a plan to double US tariffs on Canadian steel and metal imports to 50%, just hours after first threatening them.

The move by the president came after the Canadian province of Ontario suspended new charges of 25% on electricity that it sends to some northern states in the US.

Despite the climbdown, Canada will still be facing Trump's 25% tariff on steel and aluminium imports that have just come into effect.

Additional reporting by Michelle Fleury in New York

Greenland's centre-right opposition has won its general election, near-complete results show, in a vote dominated by US President Donald Trump's pledge to take over Denmark's autonomous territory.

With more than 90% of Tuesday's ballots counted, the Demokraatit party - which favours a gradual approach to independence - is getting nearly 30% of the vote, election officials say.

Naleraq, another opposition party which wants to immediately kick-off divorce proceedings from Copenhagen and have closer ties with the US, is polling second with about 25%.

Prime Minister Mute B Egede's Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA) - also a pro-independence party - is third with over 21%.

Greenland - the world's biggest island, between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans - has been controlled by Denmark, nearly 3,000km (1,860 miles) away, for about 300 years.

Greenland governs its own domestic affairs, but decisions on foreign and defence policy are made in Copenhagen.

About 44,000 Greenlanders out of a population of 57,000 were eligible to cast their votes to elect 31 MPs, as well as the local government. Six parties were on the ballot.

The Siumut party - Egede's partner in a current left-wing governing coalition, is polling in the fourth place with nearly 15% of the vote.

The other two parties are far behind, with Atassut on 7%, and Qulleq on just over 1%.

The voting took place at 72 polling stations scattered across the vast island.

Greenland's strategic location and untapped mineral resources have caught Trump's eye. He first floated the idea of buying the island during his first term in 2019.

Since taking office again in January, Trump has reiterated his intention to acquire the territory.

"We need Greenland for national security. One way or the other we're gonna get it," he said during his address to the US Congress last week.

Greenland and Denmark's leaders have repeatedly rebuffed his demands.

Egede has made clear that Greenland is not for sale, and deserves to be "treated with respect".

• Greenland's election: Why does it matter and how does it work?
• Greenland profile

The Democratic Republic of Congo appears to be turning to the US in its latest efforts to find an ally in its fight against advancing M23 rebels.

Recognising that the White House of President Donald Trump is interested in transactional relationships - and seeing the proposed Ukraine-US mineral deal - the resource-rich DR Congo is hoping to strike its own agreement with Washington.

It has also been reported that Trump is soon to appoint the father-in-law of his daughter, Tiffany, to a key role in the region.

Congolese government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya confirmed to the BBC's Newsday programme that his country wanted to bring the US on board and supply it "with some critical minerals".

"Of course... we can also talk about security," he added.

Why is there talk of deal now?

DR Congo is in trouble militarily.

M23 fighters - backed by neighbouring Rwanda - have made major advances in parts of the mineral-rich east of the country.

Regional forces - first from east and then southern Africa - which were supposed to provide some help have failed to hold back the rebels. The M23 has talked about advancing west in a bid to seize the capital, Kinshasa.

Given the dangers, it is not surprising that President Félix Tshisekedi might be looking at ways to shore up his position.

On 22 February, Tshisekedi was reported by the New York Times to have said that the Trump administration had shown interest in a deal involving strategic minerals.

The day before, the Africa-USA Business Council - a lobby group - wrote to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on behalf of a Congolese senator describing a possible deal that included an "economic and military partnership".

What could be in it for the US?

DR Congo is estimated to have $24tn-worth (£19tn) of untapped resources - including cobalt, gold and copper.

The country is currently the world's largest supplier of cobalt - which has defence and aerospace applications as well as being essential for batteries in electric vehicles - but most of this goes to China. It also has significant lithium, tantalum and uranium deposits, which also have military uses.

Though the US is investing in a huge infrastructure project - the Lobito corridor - designed to transport goods out of central Africa to a port in Angola, its companies are not involved in mining in DR Congo.

As China dominates the Congolese mineral sector there could be "a widening strategic gap, where adversarial nations continue to monopolise Africa's resources", the letter to Rubio said.

In theory, DR Congo could offer favourable terms to US companies to exploit the resources.

But, according to mining analyst Gregory Mthembu-Salter, as the US, unlike China, relies on private commercial companies to do the work they may decide that it is too risky to do business there.

But this is all highly speculative and a US Department of State spokesperson said that there was "nothing to preview or announce at this time".

Nevertheless the US "is open to discussing partnerships in this sector" that align with the executive order aimed at making the US a "leading producer and processor of non-fuel minerals, including rare earth minerals".

How could the DR Congo benefit?

One key area could be in "strengthening military co-operation", as the letter to Rubio puts it.

This would involve:

• Training and equipping soldiers "to protect mineral supply routes"
• Giving the US access to military bases "to protect strategic resources"
• And "replacing ineffective UN peacekeeping operations with direct US-DRC security co-operation".

The Congolese spokesperson declined to confirm these details, but there is some scepticism about how realistic and immediately effective they could be.

According to Stephanie Wolters, regional analyst for the South African Institute of International Affairs, if Kinshasa wants a US military presence in the east then "that is not very likely to happen".

Furthermore "weapons and training are longer term issues", she told BBC Focus on Africa.

"I think the outreach the Congolese government has made is surely because of the active military situation in the east and I'm not convinced that what the US might offer in return is really something that can address the acute need at the moment."

Congolese mining industry analyst Jean-Pierre Okenda said some oversight of the deal would be wise, suggesting parliament and civil society should also be consulted if it was going to serve the interests of the people.

Looking at the bigger picture he said that moves towards a more peaceful future need to address the "kleptocratic management of the state".

A previous deal with China that gave mining access in exchange for infrastructure projects was criticised for not delivering on some of what was promised.

Tshisekedi has since renegotiated this, but the lack of transparency in those talks has been criticised.

What next?

Nothing concrete is likely to happen soon.

While Muyaya, speaking for Kinshasa, was vague on what we could expect he told the BBC that "in the coming days we can have more details to share".

He added that there was "the political will [from Tshisekedi] and I think the US has attention on those questions".

On the US side, according to the news website Semafor, President Trump is due to announce that Massad Boulos will be the White House's new Great Lakes regional envoy.

He is the father of Michael Boulos, who is married to Trump's daughter Tiffany, and has been serving as Trump's senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs since December.

Among his business interests is a Nigeria-based company that specialises in the distribution of motor vehicles and equipment across West Africa - and he is expected to fly to Kinshasa at some point in the next few weeks.

More about the conflict in DR Congo:

• 'I risked drowning to flee conscription by Congolese rebels'
• Rebels leave families devastated in wake of DR Congo advance
• How DR Congo's Tutsis become foreigners in their own country
• The evidence that shows Rwanda is backing rebels in DR Congo

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

A train carrying hundreds of passengers has been attacked and halted by armed militants in Pakistan's Balochistan region.

The Baloch Liberation Army confirmed it had attacked the Jaffar Express Train which was travelling from Quetta to Rawalpindi.

The militant group has also claimed the the train is under their control.

Pakistani police told local reporters that they had received information that three people, including the train driver, had been injured in the attack.

Police added that security forces had been sent to the scene of the attack.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

Ukraine has said it is ready to accept an immediate 30-day ceasefire with Russia proposed by the US, after a day of talks between the two countries in Saudi Arabia.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would present the offer to Russia and that "the ball is in their court".

Ukraine's President Volodomyr Zelensky said it was now up to the US to convince Russia to agree to the "positive" proposal.

Tuesday's talks in Jeddah were the first official meeting between the two countries since the extraordinary clash between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

In a joint statement, the US also said it would immediately restart intelligence sharing and security assistance to Ukraine, which Washington had suspended after the unprecedented meeting.

"Both delegations agreed to name their negotiating teams and immediately begin negotiations toward an enduring peace that provides for Ukraine's long-term security," the US-Ukraine statement said.

Rubio told a press conference in Jeddah late on Tuesday that he hoped Russia would accept the proposal.

Ukraine was "ready to stop shooting and start talking," he said, and if Russia rejected the offer "then we'll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here".

"Today we made an offer that the Ukrainians have accepted, which is to enter into a ceasefire and into immediate negotiations," he said.

"We'll take this offer now to the Russians and we hope they'll say yes to peace. The ball is now in their court," he added.

The offer of a 30-day ceasefire goes beyond Zelensky's proposal for a partial truce in the sea and sky.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022. Moscow currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory.

Asked by a reporter if the move meant Trump and Zelensky's relationship was "back on track," Rubio said he hoped it was "peace" that was back on track.

"This is not Mean Girls, this is not some episode of some television show" he said.

"Today people will die in this war, they died yesterday and - sadly - unless there's a ceasefire, they will die tomorrow."

The US and Ukrainian teams met after overnight drone attacks killed at least three people in Moscow - which Russia said showed Ukraine had rejected using diplomacy to end the war.

Trump and Zelensky have also agreed to finalise "as soon as possible" a critical minerals deal, the joint statement said.

Ukraine has offered to grant the US access to its rare earth mineral reserves in exchange for US security guarantees - but this was derailed by the White House row.

Rubio said the deal had not been the subject of Tuesday's talks, but had been negotiated with Ukrainian and US treasuries.

The US delegation in Jeddah also included US national security advisor Mike Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who is due to travel to Russia in the coming days according to the BBC's US partner CBS, quoting a person familiar with the planning.

Achieving a swift end to the war in Ukraine has been a key pledge for the US president.

He has placed increasing pressure on Zelensky to accept a ceasefire, without offering the immediate security guarantees insisted upon by the Ukrainian president.

On Friday, Trump issued a rare threat of further sanctions against Moscow in a push for a deal. Russia is already heavily sanctioned by the US over the war.

Trump said he was contemplating the move because "Russia is absolutely 'pounding' Ukraine on the battlefield right now".

Meanwhile, the war continued on the ground on Tuesday.

Three men were killed in the Moscow region in what was described as the largest drone attack on the Russian capital since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine.

A further 18 people, including three children, were injured, health officials told Russian media.

The Russian defence ministry said 337 drones were intercepted over Russia and 91 of them were shot down over the Moscow region.

Ukrainian officials reported Russian drone attacks on the capital Kyiv and several other regions.

Ukraine's air force said it had shot down 79 of 126 drones launched by Russia, as well as an Iskander-M ballistic missile.

It was not immediately clear whether there were any casualties.

Tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on imports of steel and aluminium have taken effect in a move that will likely escalate tensions with some of America's largest trading partners.

The measure raises a flat duty on steel and aluminium entering the US to 25% and ends all country exemptions to the levies.

Several countries, including the UK and Australia, have tried to secure carve-outs without success. Others, including Canada and the European Union, have said they will retaliate.

Trump hopes the tariffs will boost US steel and aluminium production but critics say it will raise prices for US consumers and dent economic growth.

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), a group representing US steelmakers, welcomed the tariffs saying they will create jobs and boost domestic steel manufacturing.

The group's president Kevin Dempsey said the moved closed a system of exemptions, exclusions and quotas that allowed foreign producers to avoid tariffs.

"AISI applauds the president's actions to restore the integrity of the tariffs on steel and implement a robust and reinvigorated program to address unfair trade practices," Mr Dempsey added.

The US is a major importer of aluminium and steel, and Canada, Mexico and Brazil are among its largest suppliers of the metals.

The tariffs mean that US businesses wanting to bring the metals into the country will have to pay a 25% tax on them.

This is likely to lead to higher costs for a large number of US industries, including aerospace, car manufacturing and construction.

Michael DiMarino runs Linda Tool, 17-person Brooklyn company that makes parts for the aerospace industry. Everything he makes involves some kind of steel, much of which comes from American mills.

"If I have higher prices, I pass them onto my customers. They have higher prices, they pass it onto the consumer," Mr DiMarino said, adding that he supports the call for increased manufacturing in the US but warning the president's moves risk backfiring.

The American Automotive Policy Council, a group that represents car giants such Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, also echoed such concerns.

"We are still reviewing and awaiting all of the details of the proposed tariffs, but are concerned that specifically revoking exemptions for Canada and Mexico will add significant costs for our suppliers," said Matt Blunt, organisation's president said.

Some economists are warning that the tariffs could help the US steel and aluminium industries but hurt the wider economy.

"It protects [the steel and aluminium] industries but hurts downstream users of their products by making them more expensive," said Bill Reinsch, a former Commerce Department official who is now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

'No exceptions'

In 2018, during his first term as president, Trump imposed import tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminium, but he eventually negotiated carve-outs for many countries.

Several countries, including the UK and Australia, which had previously been exempted from paying such tariffs were looking to avoid them once again.

But President Trump has said he will not be granting the same sort of exclusions and exemptions that he did in his first term.

Responding to the tariffs that are coming into effect, Australia's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, said in a press conference that the Trump administration's decision to go ahead with the new tariffs is "entirely unjustified."

"It's against the spirit of our two nations' enduring friendship and fundamentally at odds with the benefits that our economic partnership has delivered over more than 70 years," he added.

Albanese also said Australia will not be imposing reciprocal tariffs on the US because such a move would only push up prices for Australian consumers.

Meanwhile, Canada's Energy Minister, Jonathan Wilkinson, told CNN his country would relaliate but added that Canada is not looking to escalate tensions.

Canada, is one of America's closest trade partners, and the largest exporter of steel and aluminium to the US.

The European Union has also previously said it would hit back against Trump's move.

Last month, the UK government signalled that it was seeking an exemption to the tariffs and added that it would not retaliate immediately.

Recession fears

Fear of the economic cost of Trump's trade tariffs have sparked a selloff in US and global stock markets which accelerated this week after the US president refused to rule out the prospect of an economic recession.

The S&P 500 index of the largest firms listed in the US fell a further 0.7% on Tuesday after dropping 2.7% on Monday, which was its biggest one-day drop since December.

The UK's FTSE 100 share index, which had edged lower earlier on Tuesday, fell further and closed down more than 1%. The French Cac 40 index and German Dax followed a similar pattern.

Meanwhile, economic research firm, Oxford Economics, said in a report it had lowered its US economic growth forecast for the year from 2.4% to 2% made even steeper adjustments to Canada and Mexico.

"Despite the downgrade, we still expect the US economy to outperform the other major advanced economies over the next couple of years," its report added.

"Uncertainty around the path for US tariffs is higher than ever".

Ontario showdown

Earlier on Tuesday, the US and Canada stepped back from the brink of a major escalation in the trade war.

That was after Trump said he had halted a plan to double US tariffs on Canadian steel and metal imports to 50%, just hours after first threatening them.

The move by the president came after the Canadian province of Ontario suspended new charges of 25% on electricity that it sends to some northern states in the US.

Despite the climbdown, Canada will still be facing Trump's 25% tariff on steel and aluminium imports that have just come into effect.

Additional reporting by Michelle Fleury in New York

Greenland's centre-right opposition has won its general election, near-complete results show, in a vote dominated by US President Donald Trump's pledge to take over Denmark's autonomous territory.

With more than 90% of Tuesday's ballots counted, the Demokraatit party - which favours a gradual approach to independence - is getting nearly 30% of the vote, election officials say.

Naleraq, another opposition party which wants to immediately kick-off divorce proceedings from Copenhagen and have closer ties with the US, is polling second with about 25%.

Prime Minister Mute B Egede's Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA) - also a pro-independence party - is third with over 21%.

Greenland - the world's biggest island, between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans - has been controlled by Denmark, nearly 3,000km (1,860 miles) away, for about 300 years.

Greenland governs its own domestic affairs, but decisions on foreign and defence policy are made in Copenhagen.

About 44,000 Greenlanders out of a population of 57,000 were eligible to cast their votes to elect 31 MPs, as well as the local government. Six parties were on the ballot.

The Siumut party - Egede's partner in a current left-wing governing coalition, is polling in the fourth place with nearly 15% of the vote.

The other two parties are far behind, with Atassut on 7%, and Qulleq on just over 1%.

The voting took place at 72 polling stations scattered across the vast island.

Greenland's strategic location and untapped mineral resources have caught Trump's eye. He first floated the idea of buying the island during his first term in 2019.

Since taking office again in January, Trump has reiterated his intention to acquire the territory.

"We need Greenland for national security. One way or the other we're gonna get it," he said during his address to the US Congress last week.

Greenland and Denmark's leaders have repeatedly rebuffed his demands.

Egede has made clear that Greenland is not for sale, and deserves to be "treated with respect".

• Greenland's election: Why does it matter and how does it work?
• Greenland profile