All six passengers on board a medical transport plane in Philadelphia were killed when a Mexican girl who was receiving treatment abruptly lost control of the aircraft and was lying in the ground. Two days after a deadly midair collision between a helicopter and an American Airlines plane in Washington, DC, the crash, which was captured on dashcam and doorbell cameras, occurred.
Rubio is scheduled to visit Panama’s strategic waterway on Sunday and meet with President Jose Raul Mulino before wrapping up his five-nation tour of the area.
He stated in a Wall Street Journal column on Friday that it was no accident that my first overseas assignment as secretary of state would keep me in the hemisphere.
40 percent of US container traffic passes through the canal, which serves as a crucial link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and coasts.
Trump has argued that China has overachieved control through its investment in nearby ports, and that the US handed over the Panama Canal at the end of 1999.
Trump said in his inaugural address last month that the United States would be “taking it back” and that he would not back down on Friday. “They’ve already offered to do many things”, Trump said of Panama, “but we think it’s appropriate that we take it back”.
He claimed that Panama was removing Chinese-language signs to conceal Panama’s claim that they had “completely broken the agreement” on the canal. “Marco Rubio is going over to talk to the gentleman that’s in charge”, Trump told reporters.
Rubio’s mission comes in the wake of Trump’s tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China, which show a much more aggressive foreign policy.
Mulino, the president of Panama, has ruled out any negotiations with the US regarding the canal’s ownership. He expressed hope that Rubio’s visit would instead concentrate on common goals like preventing drug trafficking and preventing migration.
“It’s impossible, I can’t negotiate”, Mulino said on Thursday. “The canal belongs to Panama”.
Yet Rubio said he would make Trump’s intent clear. He claimed that Trump’s desire is motivated by legitimate national security concerns raised by growing concerns about Chinese influence and activity in Latin America in an interview with SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly on Thursday.
“We are going to address that topic”, said Rubio. “The president’s been pretty clear he wants to administer the canal again. Obviously, the Panamanians are not big fans of that idea. That message has been made very clear.
Some believe Panama may be open to a compromise, in which case Hutchison Ports, a company with a presence in Hong Kong, will no longer be able to operate canals on both sides.
Trump’s demands, which appear to include more than just operations, remain ambiguous. They include whether he would agree to the transfer of the concession to an American or European company.
“In some ways, Trump is pushing on an open door”, said Ryan Berg, director of the Americas programme at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington, DC-based think tank. However, how his red lines are defined will determine that.
Here is the situation on Sunday, February 2:
The United States has imposed stiff tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada and China, prompting swift retaliatory measures from the country’s North American neighbours.
On Saturday, US President Donald Trump enacted three separate executive orders, one for each country: 25% for imported goods from Canada and Mexico and 10% for all imported goods from China.
But energy imported from Canada, including oil, natural gas and electricity, would be taxed at a 10 percent rate.
Trump argued that the tariffs were necessary to “protect Americans” and promised to carry on them until a “national emergency” in the US is over the use of fentanyl and illegal immigration.
Retaliatory tariffs were immediately imposed by Mexico’s president Claudia Sheinbaum, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that his nation would impose the same 25% tariffs on US imports totaling $155 billion.
China didn’t immediately respond.
Al Jazeera’s Kristen Saloomey, reporting from the US city of Detroit, said Trump’s moves have raised concerns on both sides of the border.
Americans in Detroit, where I am, have expressed concern about rising prices, and Canadians have been very concerned about this. Additionally, economists are advising consumers that these tariffs could lead to a trade war, which could lead to price increases, and possibly a recession for Canada, she added.
To support the tariffs, which give the president sweeping authority to impose sanctions on situations of crisis, Trump declared a national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the National Emergencies Act.
Trump repeatedly threatened in the presidential campaign for 2024 and since taking office, but the new duties defy economist warnings that a new trade war with the US’s top trading partners would cause prices for both consumers and businesses.
Tariff collections are set to begin at 12: 01am EST (05: 01 GMT) on Tuesday, according to Trump’s written order. However, imports that were loaded onto a ship or onto their final mode of transportation before entering the US on or before Saturday at 12:01 am would not be subject to duties.
The tariffs would remain in effect until the crisis was resolved, according to a White House fact sheet, but it provided no information about what the three countries would need to do to obtain a reprieve.
US officials, meanwhile, said that there would be no exclusions from the tariffs and if Canada, Mexico or China retaliated against US exports, Trump would likely increase the duties.
They said that Canada, specifically, would no longer be allowed the “de minimis” US duty exemption for small shipments under $800. According to the officials, Canada and Mexico have become a conduit for fentanyl and its precursor chemicals entering the US via small packages that are rarely inspected by customs agents.
Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, said that Canadian duties on $30bn in trade in US alcohol and fruit would take effect Tuesday, when the US tariffs go into effect.
He addressed Canadians with a consumer-targeted message before moving on.
He continued, “It will have real consequences for you, the American people,” adding that it would lead to higher prices for groceries and other items.
Trudeau warned in French that it might bring about “dark times” for many people, saying, “The actions taken today by the White House split us apart rather than bringing us together.” He urged Canadians to “choose Canadian products and services over American ones” (p.
Sheinbaum, the Mexican president, responded to Trump’s announcement in a post on X, saying she had instructed her economy secretary to implement a response that includes retaliatory tariffs and other measures in defence of Mexico’s interests.
“We categorically reject the White House’s slander that the Mexican government has alliances with criminal organizations, as well as any intention of meddling in our territory”, Sheinbaum wrote.
The United States government and its organizations could combat the grave fentanyl consumption in their nation by preventing the sale of drugs on the streets of their major cities and the laundering of money by this illegal activity, which has caused such harm to its citizens.
Al Jazeera’s Julia Galiano, reporting from Mexico City, said the trade war would hit Mexico hard.
“Let’s remember that 80 percent of Mexico’s exports go to the US. The country is by far Mexico’s largest trading partner. Experts are telling us that the effects are going to be felt essentially right away, initially with prices going up]and] secondly, with a rise in inflation”, she said.
In the US,  , Republicans welcomed Trump’s move, while industry groups and Democrats issued stark warnings about the impact on prices.
Jake Colvin, president of the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), feared that Trump’s action would “adjust the costs of everything from avocados to cars” and called on the US, Canada, and Mexico to find a quick solution to stop the price increase.
Colvin said in a statement that “our focus should be on working with Canada and Mexico to gain a competitive advantage and aid American companies’ ability to export to global markets.”
Democrats were quick to claim that Trump’s return as president would cause inflation in the near future.
“You’re worried about grocery prices. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York posted on X on Monday. “Don’s raising prices with his tariffs.
The 30-year-old Frenchman delivered a lightning-fast precision punch with his right hand to signal the start of the second round, living up to his nickname, “The Sniper.”
Adesanya, who had been battling for the title for the first time since February 2019, was attempting to resurrect a career-long pursuit of the belt before succumbing to three of his previous four attempts to win the title.
In his final appearance in August 2024, Du Plessis of South Africa defeated him in a submission match against Brazil’s Alex Pereira in November 2022, but he won the rematch before claiming the title again on points to American Strickland.
Nicknamed “Stylebender”, Adesanya started well, landing heavy kicks to the body and using feints to draw out his 30-year-old French opponent, who came into the fight following a run of three wins from three in 2024.
The Nigerian-born New Zealander was in for a shock when Imavov landed that thunderous overhand right on his jaw, followed by a vicious left uppercut as his opponent stumbled to the canvas.
Adesanya was given a chance to recover, but the referee waved off the match as Imavov continued to rain down blows, earning Imavov a knockout victory.
“I said it all week long that I was in perfect shape”, Imavov said through an interpreter. Tonight, I demonstrated to the audience that I was a better striker. The real bonus for me will now be the belt fight.
In a tense, tactical fight in which Page used his unpredictable striking to outpoint his opponent, England’s Michael “Venom” Page won the co-main event by a unanimous decision over Shara Magomedov.
After Russia launched a barrage of drones and missiles against Ukraine that targeted both residential structures and the country’s infrastructure, at least 12 people were killed.
On Saturday, Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 123 drones and more than 40 missiles. Without giving details on the number of missile intercepts, it claimed to have been able to shoot down 56 of the drones and redirect 61.
Ukraine’s Emergency Services said a missile struck a residential building in the central city of Poltava, about 120km (75 miles) from the border, killing eight people, including a child, and injuring 17.
About 18 buildings, a kindergarten and energy infrastructure were damaged.
The mayor of Kharkiv claimed that a drone attack in the city’s northeastern city resulted in the death of a woman and the injury of four others.
Additionally, Sumy Regional Authorities claimed that three police officers were killed while on the spot in the attacks.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said damage was caused in six regions – Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv, Odesa, Sumy and Zaporizhia.
“Last night Russia attacked our cities using various types of weapons: missiles, attack drones, and aerial bombs”, he wrote on the Telegram app. Every instance of a terrorist attack shows that we need more support to fight Russian terrorism, according to  . Every air defence system, every anti-missile weapon, saves lives”.
108 Ukrainian drones have been shot down in the last 24 hours, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, which announced that its forces launched attacks against Ukraine’s gas and other energy infrastructure.
Fighting in the nearly three-year war has shown no signs of de-escalating, despite US President Donald Trump’s promise to enact a ceasefire within “24 hours” of taking office on January 20.
Vladimir Putin and Trump both declared readiness for talks to end the conflict, but neither side has indicated when or how.
Trump has criticized the $1.5 billion that Washington has spent supplying Ukraine, and he has threatened to impose additional sanctions on Russia if Putin doesn’t arrive at a “deal” to put an end to the conflict.