Canada: new PM willing to negotiate with Trump if sovereignty respected
Mark Carney, prime minister-designate, has expressed willingness to renegotiate a trade deal with Donald Trump, provided Canadian sovereignty is respected. His remarks came as Canada imposed C$29.8 billion (£16 billion) in retaliatory tariffs on US imports after Trump enacted 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium. Trump has justified the move as a national security measure, aiming to bolster domestic industries. However, Carney condemned the tariffs as ‘unjustified’, warning of economic instability. Canada, the largest foreign supplier of these metals to the USA, is heavily impacted. Ottawa’s retaliatory tariffs include steel, aluminium, and other goods, with more measures set to take effect. The Bank of Canada has cut interest rates to 2.75% to cushion the economic fallout. Meanwhile, the EU has taken strong retaliatory measures against Trump’s tariffs coming into effect: see
Bangladesh: priorities for interim leader
Bangladesh’s interim leader, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, admits he was ‘dazzled’ when unexpectedly asked to take charge after Sheikh Hasina was ousted last year. Yunus, who returned to lead the country following a student-led uprising, prioritises restoring order and fixing the economy, which he describes as ‘devastated’. He plans to hold elections between December 2025 and March 2026, contingent on necessary reforms. Meanwhile, Hasina remains in exile in India, wanted in Bangladesh for alleged crimes against humanity. Amid ongoing unrest, critics accuse Yunus’s government of failing to ensure security for her Awami League members, some of whose homes have been vandalised. The interim government faces additional challenges after the Trump administration cut US foreign aid (last year it received $450 million). There are concerns about Bangladesh’s economic and political future: the nation, once hailed for its progress, is now struggling to regain stability under its new leadership.
Cuba: prisoners released despite Trump’s reversing Biden’s decision
Cuba has released 553 prisoners, according to an agreement made in January with Joe Biden’s administration. The deal, mediated by the Vatican, was in return for being removed from the US terrorism blacklist. However, Donald Trump has reversed the decision, reinstating sanctions and temporarily halting the process. The USA had asked for ‘political prisoners’ to be released, but Cuban authorities classified the individuals as having committed diverse crimes. Around 200 of those released had been detained because they took part in the huge anti-government protests in July 2021, though officials claim they were convicted for other reasons. The protests, the largest since the 1959 revolution, stemmed from economic struggles, food shortages, and dissatisfaction with government policies. The release follows pressure from the USA, EU, Catholic Church, and human rights groups to free those jailed.
Australia: first man with artificial heart is discharged from hospital
A medical milestone has been achieved: the first patient implanted with a durable artificial heart has been discharged from hospital. BiVACOR, a titanium mechanical blood pump, was successfully implanted in a man suffering from severe heart failure. Performed at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, the six-hour surgery marked a breakthrough in cardiac care. Designed to function indefinitely, BiVACOR operates using magnets to eliminate mechanical wear. Queensland-born inventor Daniel Timms spent years developing the device, inspired by childhood experiences working with his father, who later died of heart failure. The patient, previously too weak to walk, lived with the device for over 100 days before receiving a human heart transplant. Doctors anticipate BiVACOR could eventually replace the need for human donors. With more implants planned, this innovation offers new hope to those awaiting transplants.
