Donald Trump is finalising what look set to be America’s most expansive tariffs in a century. He is expected to announce them on Wednesday at 4pm local time. The White House said the tariffs on “all countries” would take effect immediately. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said the European Union had a “strong plan to retaliate”, though it still hoped for a “negotiated solution”.
Israel said it would broaden its military operation in Gaza in order to “crush and clear the area of terrorists”. It said it plans to seize “large areas” of the enclave, and incorporate them “into Israeli security zones”. Residents were ordered to evacuate. Israel resumed its offensive on March 18th, shattering a two-month ceasefire with Hamas.
Tesla delivered fewer than 337,000 cars in the first quarter of 2025, far below the nearly 387,000 it delivered during the same period last year. BYD, a Chinese firm, recently overtook Elon Musk’s carmaker as the world’s biggest electric-vehicle firm by sales. Consumers have boycotted Tesla over Mr Musk’s support for Donald Trump; competition from established carmakers and Chinese firms is growing, too.
Susan Crawford, a liberal judge, won a Supreme Court race in Wisconsin, beating Brad Schimel, a conservative backed by Elon Musk to the tune of $21m. The result maintains the court’s 4-3 liberal majority. The race was by far the most expensive judicial contest in America’s history and widely considered an early verdict on the Trump administration.
Soldiers from Myanmar’s junta fired warning shots at a Chinese aid convoy, stating that it had entered a conflict zone and failed to stop. China urged all sides in Myanmar’s civil war to allow aid to areas affected by an earthquake on March 28th. The disaster has killed nearly 2,900 people, according to Myanmar’s state media, though that figure is certain to rise.
Congo overturned the death sentences of three American citizens accused of attempting a coup in the African country last year. A military court sentenced the trio along with 34 others in September. But the president, Félix Tshisekedi, has reduced the sentences of the three Americans to life imprisonment. Donald Trump’s Africa envoy, Massad Boulos, is expected to visit the country this week.
Turkey’s government accused opposition figures of launching a “coup attempt” against the economy by calling for a day-long shopping boycott. The move was the latest protest against last month’s arrest of Ekram Imamoglu, mayor of Istanbul and opposition rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkish authorities have arrested more than 2,000 people since the demonstrations began.
Figure of the day: 4.8bn tonnes, the amount of coal China produces each year. Read the full story.
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