International

Trudeau warns that Trump returns to power with “clearer ideas” of what he wants to do

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned on Monday that Donald Trump’s second term will be more difficult because the Republican leader’s team has “clearer ideas of what they want to do immediately” and that the threat of tariffs to Canada and Mexico is “serious.”

Trudeau, who on November 30 traveled unexpectedly to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Trump, explained at an event in the city of Halifax (Canada) that in relation to the first presidency of the Republican leader (2017-2021), “this time it will be different.”

“It’s going to be a little more difficult. They arrive with clearer ideas of what they want to do immediately than last time,” he said.
He also pointed out that Trump’s threat to immediately impose 25% of tariffs on Canada and Mexico must be seriously considered and that it would be “devastatinging” for the Canadian economy.

Trudeau, concerned about possible Trump measures

“But they would also pose real problems for Americans. The United States buys 65% of its oil from Canada, large amounts of electricity and all natural gas exported by Canada. They depend on our steel and aluminum, as well as a variety of agricultural imports,” he said.

The Canadian ruler added that all those products would be more expensive for Americans and that Trump won the presidential election in November “with the commitment to improve the lives of Americans and make it more affordable.”

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Canada would also impose tariffs

Finally, Trudeau said that if Trump imposes tariffs, Canada will do the same and in products chosen to harm the president-elect, a strategy that already worked during the first term of the American.

“Of course, as we did eight years ago, we will respond to unfair tariffs in various ways. We are looking at the appropriate way to respond but last time, our reaction to unfair tariffs on steel and aluminum ended up eliminating them,” he said.

“It was the fact that we put tariffs on bourbon, Harley-Davidson (motorcycles), ketchup and other things that were carefully chosen for their political impact on the president and his colleagues. But we know that when Donald Trump says something, he is serious. And at the same time we know that his approach will be challenging to destabilizing,” he concluded.

International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”