US tariffs on steel and aluminium have gone into effect......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
New tariffs on steel and aluminium imports ordered by President Donald Trump went into effect Wednesday, extending his administration’s trade disputes to more key US trading partners. The move represents a gamble to resurrect domestic metal industries that have gradually shifted overseas over decades.
The president announced last month that he would impose 25% duties on these metals. No countries have received exemptions from these new trade restrictions.
The tariffs took effect following a chaotic day at the White House. Trump had threatened to double the metals tariffs on Canada to 50%, but later withdrew this threat after Ontario agreed to abandon plans for adding a surcharge on electricity exported to the United States. Throughout these developments, the president minimized concerns about a potential tariff-triggered recession, despite significant drops in US stock markets.
The US agreed to resume military aid as Kyiv accepted a ceasefire proposal
The United States announced on Tuesday it will restart military assistance and intelligence sharing with Ukraine after Kyiv agreed to support a US-proposed 30-day ceasefire with Russia.
Following more than eight hours of discussions with Ukrainian officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States would now present the ceasefire offer to Russia.
“Our hope is that the Russians will answer ‘yes’ as quickly as possible, so we can get to the second phase of this, which is real negotiations,” Rubio told reporters, referencing US President Donald Trump’s position.
Russian forces currently control approximately one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, and have been making battlefield advances.
Rubio emphasized that Washington is seeking a comprehensive agreement between Russia and Ukraine “as soon as possible.”
The US Department of Education will cut early half its staff and might even close down
The U.S. Department of Education announced Tuesday it plans to lay off almost half of its workforce, in what appears to be a step toward its potential elimination. This move comes as government agencies rush to meet President Donald Trump’s deadline for submitting plans for a second round of major staff reductions.
The department described these terminations as part of its “final mission” in a press release, referring to Trump’s campaign promise to shut down the department completely. The Education Department currently oversees $1.6 trillion in college loans, enforces civil rights laws in schools, and provides federal funding to districts in need.
When questioned on Fox News about whether these firings would lead to the department’s dismantling, Education Secretary Linda McMahon confirmed, “yes,” adding that completing this task “was the president’s mandate.” Once the layoffs are implemented, the department will operate with just 2,183 employees, down from 4,133 when Trump began his term in January.
Nigerian lawmakers want pornographic websites blocked
Nigeria’s House of Representatives has instructed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to take action to block all pornographic websites across the country.
The decision came on Tuesday after Representative Dalhatu Tafoki from the All Progressives Congress (APC) party in Katsina State put forward a motion addressing the issue. In his presentation, Tafoki expressed concerns about the negative impacts of online pornography both within Nigeria and internationally.
During the discussion, Tafoki emphasized that cyber pornography is a growing problem worldwide and argued that Nigeria has not properly tackled this issue. He described Nigeria as a “highly religious country” where the major faiths oppose nudity and obscene content.
The lawmaker also pointed out that several countries throughout Asia, Africa, and the Middle East have already established laws that prohibit pornographic content.
Senator Natasha took her fight with Akpabio to the UN
Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from Kogi Central has escalated her dispute with Nigeria’s Senate by bringing her case to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), a worldwide organization of legislators headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
A viral video circulating yesterday showed Akpoti-Uduaghan speaking emotionally inside a chamber of the global legislative body, describing her experience.
During her address, the senator characterized her suspension as an attack on democratic principles and claimed it illustrates the challenges women face in Nigeria. She alleged that the punishment was imposed on her because she reported sexual harassment allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
However, the Nigerian Senate has firmly denied these claims. Senate officials maintain that her suspension resulted from an investigation that found her guilty of misconduct against Standing Rules and other violations—not because of her sexual harassment allegations against Akpabio.
