Trump announces additional 10 percent Canada tariff over Reagan ad brouhaha
US president says Ontario government’s anti-tariff ad featuring Ronald Reagan needed to be taken down ‘immediately’. Published On 25 Oct 202525 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Donald Trump has announced an additional 10 percent tariff on Canada as the United States president continues to slam his country’s northern neighbour over a contentious anti-tariff advertisement featuring former US President Ronald Reagan. In a social media post on Saturday, Trump said the advertisement “was to be taken down, IMMEDIATELY, but [Canada] let it run last night during the World Series, knowing that it was a FRAUD”. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “Because of their serious misrepresentation of the facts, and hostile act, I am increasing the Tariff on Canada by 10% over and above what they are paying now,” he said. The advertisement, produced by the Canadian province of Ontario, features a 1980s speech by Reagan in which the former Republican leader had warned against the ramifications that high tariffs on foreign imports could have on the US economy. Al Jazeera reviewed the text of the original speech and found that it contained all the statements used in the Ontario commercial. However, they appeared to be in a different order. Washington suspended trade talks with Ottawa this week over the advertisement, accusing the Ontario provincial government of misrepresenting Reagan’s position and seeking to influence a looming US Supreme Court ruling on Trump’s tariff policy. On Friday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that, after consulting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the province would “pause its US advertising campaign effective Monday so that trade talks can resume”. “Our intention was always to initiate a conversation about the kind of economy that Americans want to build and the impact of tariffs on workers and businesses. We’ve achieved our goal, having reached US audiences at the highest levels,” Ford wrote on X. Advertisement “I’ve directed my team to keep putting our message in front of Americans over the weekend so that we can air our commercial during the first two World Series games.” The Canadian government did not immediately comment on Trump’s announcement of additional tariffs on Saturday. It is unclear whether the advertisement will run again as planned during the second World Series game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers, set to begin at 8pm local time in Toronto on Saturday (00:00 GMT on Sunday). Since taking office in January, Trump has unveiled sweeping tariffs against several countries, including Canada, straining relations with the US’s longtime ally. Carney said this week that his government aims to double non-US exports over the next decade in response to Trump’s trade policies. More than three-quarters of Canadian exports currently go to the US. Adblock test (Why?)
Brentford condemn Liverpool to fourth straight Premier League loss
Premier League holders Liverpool’s title defence continues to stutter as Brentford’s recovery persists. Published On 25 Oct 202525 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Champions Liverpool suffered a fourth successive Premier League defeat as they lost 3-2 at Brentford to continue their miserable run of form in London. Arne Slot’s stumbling side fell behind after five minutes on Saturday when Dango Ouattara volleyed in following a long throw, and Kevin Schade went through to make it 2-0 in the 45th. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Milos Kerkez replied for the visitors in first-half stoppage time with his first Liverpool goal from Conor Bradley’s cross. Liverpool’s expected second-half siege never really materialised, however, and Igor Thiago restored Brentford’s two-goal advantage from the penalty spot on the hour mark. Mohamed Salah gave Liverpool hope with a clinical finish in the 89th minute, but they had left it too late. It is the first time since 2021 that Liverpool have lost four successive league games, with three of those matches being in London after defeats at Crystal Palace and Chelsea. They are now sixth in the table on 15 points, four points behind leaders Arsenal, who could extend that margin on Sunday when they host Crystal Palace. Brentford’s second win in a row moved them up to 10th place, two points behind Liverpool. Brentford fans taunt Liverpool manager Slot The home fans took delight in taunting Liverpool manager Arne Slot with chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning”, and while the Dutchman need not worry about that, the sense of his side’s title defence wilting was palpable. They looked fragile at the back and were often out-muscled by Brentford. Doubts about Salah’s lack of impact will also continue, despite him slamming home a fine late goal to end a more than a month-long scoreless run in the Premier League. Advertisement Brentford’s threat from long throws could not have escaped Slot’s attention, but his side were caught cold by the tactic on a chilly night in southwest London. Michael Kayode wound up a long delivery into the box, and when Kristoffer Ajer flicked it on, Ouattara reacted superbly to hook his volley past Giorgi Mamardashvili. Liverpool responded with chances for Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo, but they were not convincing and were undone again as halftime loomed. Mikkel Damsgaard’s superb long pass sent Schade away, and he kept his composure to beat Mamardashvili. Kerkez fired home from close range in the fifth minute of stoppage time, despite fierce Brentford protests about an infringement. Brentford earned a penalty when Virgil van Dijk clipped Ouattara’s foot on the edge of the area, and after a long VAR check, referee Tim Robinson awarded a spot-kick, and Thiago coolly slotted his shot down the middle. Salah’s instant control and finish set up a chaotic period of stoppage time that took the game into its 100th minute, but Brentford held on for a thoroughly deserved three points. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-backed arson attack ringleaders handed hefty jail sentences in UK
Prosecutors said the two young defendants planned a ‘sustained campaign of terrorism and sabotage’ backed by Russia’s Wagner Group mercenaries. A British judge has handed lengthy jail sentences to the two young ringleaders of a group who carried out arson attacks in the United Kingdom on behalf of the Russian state-funded private military firm, the Wagner Group. Prosecutors said on Friday that Dylan Earl, 21, and Jake Reeves, 24, planned “a sustained campaign of terrorism and sabotage on UK soil” with the backing of Russia’s notorious Wagner mercenary group, which has been accused of war crimes in zones of conflict around the world, including murder, torture and rape. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb handed Earl a 17-year prison sentence, with a further six years on extended licence, for his “leading role” in planning several attacks, including one in March last year in which a London warehouse storing humanitarian aid and Starlink satellite equipment destined for Ukraine was set on fire. During the trial, prosecutors said the 21-year-old had discussed with his Wagner handler plans to kidnap the cofounder of finance app Revolut and to torch a warehouse in the Czech Republic. A police search of Earl’s phone uncovered videos of the east London warehouse fire being started, while he was also found to be in contact with Wagner members on the messaging app Telegram. 17 years in prison. CCTV, phone data and forensic evidence helped convict Dylan Earl, one of five men involved in a Russian-ordered arson attack on a warehouse in Leyton. The blaze caused around £1 million of damage, including to aid bound for Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/m96hNx6fO2 — Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) October 24, 2025 Advertisement Fellow defendant Reeves, 24, was handed 12 years in prison, with an additional year on extended licence, for his role in recruiting other men to take part in the Wagner-backed attacks. The pair are the first people to be convicted under the UK’s new National Security Act, introduced in 2023 to readapt anti-espionage legislation to counter modern-day threats from foreign powers. Russian-backed ‘hostile agents’ Earl and Reeves “acted willingly as hostile agents on behalf of the Russian state”, Dominic Murphy, the head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said in a statement. “This case is a clear example of an organisation linked to the Russian state using ‘proxies’ – in this case British men – to carry out very serious criminal activity in this country on their behalf,” Murphy said. “In recent years, we have seen a significant increase in the number of counter-state-threat investigations and the use of ‘proxies’ is a new tactic favoured by hostile states such as Russia,” he added. In July, three other British men were found guilty of aggravated arson for their role in the warehouse attack in east London, which caused one million pounds ($1.3m) in damage and put dozens of firefighters’ lives at risk. Nii Mensah, 23, was sentenced to nine years in prison; Jakeem Rose, 23, was jailed for eight years and 10 months; while Ugnius Asmena, 21, was handed seven years. Ashton Evans, 20, was also jailed for nine years for failing to disclose information about terrorist acts relating to another arson plot targeting two central London businesses owned by a Russian dissident. British authorities allege that Russia is conducting an increasingly bold espionage and sabotage campaign in the UK, with the head of the MI5 security service, Ken McCallum, saying Moscow is “committed to causing havoc and destruction”. In a separate case this week, the Metropolitan Police arrested three men from west and central London, also suspected of spying for Russia. The details of their alleged crimes have not been made public, but they have also been charged under the 2023 National Security Act “on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service”. Adblock test (Why?)
Ivory Coast presidential election: Who’s standing and what’s at stake?
Ivorians will head to the polls on Saturday, October 25, to vote in the presidential election amid widespread anger over incumbent President Alassane Ouattara’s decision to run for a fourth consecutive term. Under the constitution, presidents may only serve a maximum of two terms; however, Ouattara argues major constitutional change which was implemented in 2016 “reset” his limit. Ivory Coast, the world’s largest cocoa and cashew nut producer, is a regional powerhouse and West Africa’s second-largest economy. Perched along the coast of the western Atlantic, between Ghana and Liberia, it boasts vast swaths of rainforest and pristine beaches. About one-quarter of the 32 million population is concentrated in the commercial hub of Abidjan, while the government has its headquarters in the inland capital city of Yamoussoukro. French is the official language in the former colony of France, while the main indigenous languages are Bete, Baoule, Dioula and Senufo. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The nation has seen steady economic advancement under Ouattara, according to metrics from the World Bank, but citizens complain of the rising cost of living and what they say is the unequal playing field for political contenders. Ivory Coast has historically experienced deadly pre- and post-electoral violence. Election violence escalated into the second Ivorian civil war in 2011, when more than 3,000 people were killed after then-President Laurent Gbagbo refused to concede defeat to Ouattara. This time around, sporadic protests have already erupted in the weeks leading up to the election in response to a ban on key contenders from the polls, particularly Tidjane Thiam, the popular former head of Credit Suisse bank. Advertisement The government has cracked down on these protests, issuing a ban on demonstrations and arresting at least 237 people from the Common Front political movement, which campaigns against the exclusion of political candidates. By Tuesday this week, 58 people had been sentenced to 36 months in prison for protesting. More than 44,000 police officers and military personnel have been deployed across the country to maintain calm at the polls, but analysts worry that election-day violence will be inevitable. Some 8.7 million registered citizens aged above 18 will be eligible to vote this time, but the country has a low average voter turnout. In the 2020 elections, only 53 percent turned up at the polls. The winning candidate must take an absolute majority of the votes; a second round will take place if no one clears a majority in the first. Who has been barred from running for president? Tidjane Thiam The Constitutional Council shocked Ivorians in June when it upheld a lower court ruling that Tidjane Thiam, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of the Ivory Coast (PDCI) and Ouattara’s biggest challenger, would be barred as a result of his erstwhile dual nationality. The 63-year-old has widespread support from young people. He formerly worked in leading financial institutions, including Credit Suisse. Thiam, a cousin of the first Ivorian president from 1960 to 1993, Felix Houphouet-Boigny, was born in the Ivory Coast but also received French nationality in 1987. Although he renounced it in March, the court ruled this was too late. Supporters of the Coalition for a Peaceful Alternation hold a political banner depicting PDCI leader Tidjane Thiam during their first meeting in Abidjan on May 31, 2025 [Sia Kambou/AFP] Laurent Gbagbo Also barred is former president and arch Ouattara rival Laurent Gbagbo of the African People’s Party of the Ivory Coast (PPA-CI), who was charged with crimes against humanity in connection with the 2011 election-related civil war, when he refused to step down for the declared winner, Ouattara. Gbagbo, 80, was indicted at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, but returned to the Ivory Coast in 2021 following a lengthy trial and his ultimate acquittal. He was still barred from standing as president because of a criminal conviction in an Ivorian court, also related to the war. Gbagbo’s close ally, Charles Ble Goude, who was also indicted and acquitted alongside him at the ICC, was excluded, as was Ouattara’s former prime minister, Guillaume Soro, who was convicted by an Ivorian court in 2021 on allegations of plotting a coup two years before. Advertisement Critics say the exclusion of key candidates, particularly Gbagbo and Thiam, has given Ouattara an unfair head start and essentially cleared the way for his fourth term. “The exclusion of Gbagbo and Thiam has diminished political competition and will continue to drive political grievances that underpin civil unrest and political violence, including on the election day,” Beverly Ochieng, a Senegal-based political analyst at consulting firm Control Risks, told Al Jazeera. President Alassane Ouattara waves to supporters as he arrives at a campaign rally at the Felix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, October 18, 2025 [Diomande Ble Blonde/AP Photo] Who is running? Alassane Dramane ‘ADO’ Ouattara The incumbent, Ouattara, 83, has been in office since December 2010. He is the leader of the ruling Rally of Houphouetistes for Democracy and Peace (RHDP), and his government has been praised by observers for its efforts to restore unity following the bitter civil war, which was fuelled by ethnic tensions or ” Ivoirite ” – claims that particular ethnic groups were more “Ivorian” than others. The controversial term pitted groups in the predominantly Muslim north against the mainly Christian south. During his presidency, Gbagbo and his supporters had aimed to discredit Ouattara by calling him “non-Ivorian” because of rumours he has roots in neighbouring Burkina Faso. Ouattara has a strong economic record, boosted by exports of cocoa and other agricultural products, as well as big infrastructure projects. Gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 8.2 percent on average each year in the first decade of Ouattara’s administration, according to the World Bank, and has continued to grow steadily since then, even during the COVID-19 crisis. He was voted in as president for a second term in 2015 in a landslide victory. However, support for him has slipped since he decided to run again in 2020,
Zohran Mamdani defends his Muslim faith amid ‘racist, baseless attacks’
The emotional speech against Islamophobia from the NYC mayoral race frontrunner comes a day before early voting begins. New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani gave an emotional speech addressing “racist, baseless attacks” from his opponents, a day before early voting begins in the race he is projected to win. Speaking outside a mosque in the Bronx on Friday, Mamdani criticised his opponents for bringing “hatred to the forefront”, noting that their Islamophobia not only affects him as the Democratic nominee for mayor but also close to one million Muslims living in New York. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “To be Muslim in New York is to expect indignity, but indignity does not make us distinct. There are many New Yorkers who face it. It is the tolerance of that indignity that does,” Mamdani said in his speech, less than two weeks ahead of the November 4 general election. Mamdani, who is currently a member of the New York State Assembly, said that while he had tried to focus his election campaign on his core message of affordability, his opponents in recent days had shown that “Islamophobia has emerged as one of the few areas of agreement”. His speech also came a day after his top opponent, former New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, laughed after radio host Sid Rosenberg said that Mamdani “would be cheering” if another September 11 attack occurred. Cuomo, who is a member of the Democratic Party but lost the Democratic primary election to Mamdani in June, responded in agreement with Rosenberg: “That’s another problem.” Basim Elkarra, the executive director of Muslim advocacy group CAIR Action, described Cuomo’s appearance on the radio programme as “despicable, dangerous, and disqualifying”. Advertisement “By agreeing with a racist radio host who suggested a Muslim elected official would ‘cheer’ another 9/11, Cuomo has crossed a moral line,” Elkarra said. “Cuomo’s willingness to engage in this kind of hate speech, on this kind of platform, shows exactly the kind of leader he is: someone who would rather stoke fear than bring people together,” he said. Speaking on Friday, Mamdani said he had also been “slandered” by Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa on the debate stage, “when he claimed that I support global jihad”, and faced advertisements from Super Political Action Committees that “imply that I am a terrorist, or mock the way I eat”. He also shared his memories of his “aunt who stopped taking the subway after September 11 because she did not feel safe in her hijab”, and a staff member who had the “word terrorist spray painted” on their garage, as well as the advice he had received that he “did not have to tell people” he was Muslim, if he wanted to win elections. Top Democrat endorses Mamdani on eve of early voting Earlier on Friday, Mamdani received a long-anticipated endorsement from Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of the Democratic Party in the US House of Representatives and the representative of New York’s eighth congressional district, which includes the Brooklyn neighbourhoods of East Flatbush, Coney Island and Brownsville. While Mamdani has earned endorsements from top Democrats, including New York Governor Kathy Hochul, New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and independent Senator Bernie Sanders, the vocally pro-Palestinian candidate has struggled to win over other top New York Democrats, such as Senator Chuck Schumer. Despite the reluctance of some establishment figures within the Democratic Party, Mamdani resoundingly won the party’s primary election to choose its candidate for the general election back in June. Current NYC Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat who did not contest the primary after facing corruption allegations, endorsed Cuomo this week after withdrawing from the race, although his name will still appear on the ballot. A recently published poll from AARP and Gotham Polling and Analytics shows Mamdani well ahead of his opponents with the support of 43.2 percent of voters. He is followed by Cuomo with 28.9 percent and Sliwa with 19.4 percent, while 8.4 percent said they were undecided or preferred another candidate. Cost of living was the main issue for nearly two-thirds of voters, with public safety and housing affordability also areas of concern, in the same poll. Adblock test (Why?)
Kim Jong Un hails military alliance with Russia, honours Kursk ‘liberators’
Kim marked one year since North Korean troops deployed to fight against Ukraine with the opening of a museum. North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un has hailed his country’s “invincible” alliance with Russia, as he marked one year since his troops deployed to fight in Moscow’s war against Ukraine with the opening of a museum honouring soldiers who died in battle. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony in the capital Pyongyang on Thursday, Kim addressed the families of North Korean soldiers who “fought in the operations for liberating Kursk”, as he said their deployment to Russia “marked the beginning of a new history of militant solidarity” with Moscow. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “The years of militant fraternity, in which a guarantee has been provided for the long-term development of the bilateral friendship at the cost of precious blood, will advance nonstop,” Kim said, according to state news agency KCNA. Challenges of “domination and tyranny” cannot hinder ties between Russia and North Korea, Kim added. The event attended by Kim was the latest public honouring of North Korean troops who fought to repel an incursion by Ukrainian forces into Russia’s Kursk region in 2024. Kim said the museum – which will feature a cemetery, a memorial hall and a monument – dedicated to soldiers in overseas detachments, was the “first of its kind” in North Korean history. “Today we are holding the groundbreaking ceremony of the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats that will hand down forever the shining life of the heroes and fallen soldiers of the overseas operations units, excellent sons of the Korean people and defenders of justice,” he said. Advertisement In October 2024, NATO, the United States and South Korean intelligence agencies said they had evidence that North Korean troops had been deployed to fight alongside the Russian military. A month later, Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin officially ratified a mutual defence pact, raising international concern over growing military cooperation between the nuclear-armed states. The Treaty of Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships obliges both countries to provide immediate military assistance to each other using “all means” necessary if either faces “aggression”. In April, North Korea confirmed for the first time it had deployed a contingent of soldiers to the front line to fight alongside Russian troops, and its forces had contributed to taking back Russian territory held by Ukraine. The soldiers were deployed to “annihilate and wipe out the Ukrainian neo-Nazi occupiers and liberate the Kursk area in cooperation with the Russian armed forces”, Kim said at the time, according to KCNA. Kyiv and Seoul estimate that North Korea deployed more than 10,000 troops in return for economic and military technology assistance from Russia. Estimates of the casualty rate among North Korean forces have varied widely. In September, South Korea’s intelligence agency said some 2,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed. In January, Ukraine said North Korean troops were withdrawn from battle after suffering heavy casualties. It was unclear how many North Koreans remain fighting alongside Russian forces. Earlier this month, Ukraine claimed North Korean troops based in Russia were operating drones across the border on reconnaissance missions, providing the first report in months of North Korean soldiers engaging in battlefield roles. “The Defence Forces of Ukraine have intercepted communications between North Korean drone operators and personnel of the Russian army,” the Ukrainian General Staff said. The same week, South Korea’s defence minister said North Korea had likely received technical help from Russia for its submarine development in return for its military efforts against Ukraine. Adblock test (Why?)
Why 25-year-old Mahnoor Omer took Pakistan to court over periods
Growing up in Rawalpindi, a city adjacent to Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, Mahnoor Omer remembers the shame and anxiety she felt in school when she had periods. Going to the toilet with a sanitary pad was an act of stealth, like trying to cover up a crime. “I used to hide my pad up my sleeve like I was taking narcotics to the bathroom,” says Omer, who comes from a middle-class family – her father a businessman and her mother a homemaker. “If someone talked about it, teachers would put you down.” A classmate once told her that her mother considered pads “a waste of money”. “That’s when it hit me,” says Omer. “If middle-class families think this way, imagine how out of reach these products are for others.” Now 25, Omer has gone from cautious schoolgirl to national centrestage in a battle that could reshape menstrual hygiene in Pakistan, a country where critics say economics is compounding social stigma to punish women – simply for being women. In September, Omer, a lawyer, petitioned the Lahore High Court, challenging what she and many others say is effectively a “period tax” imposed by Pakistan on its more than 100 million women. Pakistani governments have, under the Sales Tax Act of 1990, long charged an 18 percent sales tax on locally manufactured sanitary pads and a customs tax of 25 percent on imported ones, as well as on raw materials needed to make them. Add on other local taxes, and UNICEF Pakistan says that these pads are often effectively taxed at about 40 percent. Omer’s petition argues that these taxes – which specifically affect women – are discriminatory, and violate a series of constitutional provisions that guarantee equality and dignity, elimination of exploitation and the promotion of social justice. Advertisement In a country where menstruation is already a taboo subject in most families, Omer and other lawyers and activists supporting the petition say that the taxes make it even harder for most Pakistani women to access sanitary products. A standard pack of commercially branded sanitary pads in Pakistan currently costs about 450 rupees ($1.60) for 10 pieces. In a country with a per capita income of $120 a month, that’s the cost of a meal of rotis and dal for a low-income family of four. Cut the cost by 40 percent – the taxes – and the calculations become less loaded against sanitary pads. At the moment, only 12 percent of Pakistani women use commercially produced sanitary pads, according to a 2024 study by UNICEF and the WaterAid nonprofit. The rest improvise using cloth or other materials, and often do not even have access to clean water to wash themselves. “If this petition goes forward, it’s going to make pads affordable,” says Hira Amjad, the founder and executive director of Dastak Foundation, a Pakistani nonprofit whose work is focused on promoting gender equality and combating violence against women. And that, say lawyers and activists, could serve as a spark for broader social change. The court docket describes the case as Mahnoor Omer against senior officials of the government of Pakistan. But that’s not what it feels like to Omer. “It feels like women versus Pakistan.” Activists of Mahwari Justice, a menstrual rights group, distributing period kits to women in Pakistan [Photo courtesy Mahwari Justice] ‘It’s not shameful’ Bushra Mahnoor, founder of Mahwari Justice, a Pakistani student-led organisation whose name translates to “menstrual justice”, realised early just how much of a struggle it could be to access sanitary pads. Mahnoor – no relation to Omer – grew up in Attock, a city in the northwestern part of Pakistan’s Punjab province, with four sisters. “Every month, I had to check if there were enough pads. If my period came when one of my sisters had hers too,” finding a pad was a challenge, she says. The struggle continued in school, where, as was the case with Omer, periods were associated with shame. A teacher once made one of her classmates stand for two entire lectures because her white uniform was stained. “That was dehumanising,” she says. Mahnoor was 10 when she had her first period. “I didn’t know how to use a pad. I stuck it upside down; the sticky side touched my skin. It was painful. No one tells you how to manage it.” She says that shame was never hers alone, but it’s part of a silence which starts at home and accompanies girls into adulthood. A study on menstrual health in Pakistan shows that eight out of 10 girls feel embarrassed or uncomfortable when talking about periods, and two out of three girls report never having received information about menstruation before it began. The findings, published in the Frontiers in Public Health journal in 2023, link this silence to poor hygiene, social exclusion and missed school days. Advertisement In 2022, when floods devastated Pakistan, Mahnoor began Mahwari Justice to ensure that relief camps did not overlook the menstrual needs of women. “We began distributing pads and later realised there’s so much more to be done,” she says. Her organisation has distributed more than 100,000 period kits – each containing pads, soap, underwear, detergent and painkillers – and created rap songs and comics to normalise conversations about menstruation. “When you say the word ‘mahwari’ out loud, you’re teaching people it’s not shameful,” she says. “It’s just life.” The same floods also influenced Amjad, the Dastak Foundation founder, though her nonprofit has been around for a decade now. Its work now also includes distributing period kits during natural disasters. But the social stigma associated with menstruation is also closely tied to economics in the ways in which its impact plays out for Pakistani women, suggests Amjad. “In most households, it’s the men who make financial decisions,” she says. “Even if the woman is bringing the money, she’s giving it to the man, and he is deciding where that money needs to go.” And if the cost of women’s health feels too high, that’s
Trump says all trade talks with Canada are terminated
BREAKINGBREAKING, US President says fraudulent advertisement featuring the late President Ronald Reagan to blame for termination of talks. By Reuters Published On 24 Oct 202524 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share US President Donald Trump said that all trade talks with Canada have been terminated following what he called a fraudulent television advertisement in which former President Ronald Reagan spoke negatively about tariffs. “The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform late on Thursday. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “The ad was for $75,000. They only did this to interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, and other courts,” Trump wrote. “Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED,” Trump added. Earlier on Thursday, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute posted on social media that a TV ad created by the government of Ontario in Canada “misrepresents the ‘Presidential Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade’ dated April 25, 1987.” The foundation also said that Ontario had not received its permission “to use and edit the remarks” of the late US president. The foundation added that it was “reviewing legal options in this matter” and invited the public to watch the unedited video of Reagan’s address. Listen to President Reagan’s unedited remarks here: https://t.co/1gQUcbR4eZ pic.twitter.com/iqmjSuypp0 — Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute (@RonaldReagan) October 24, 2025 Trump’s announcement on the end of trade talks also follows after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he aimed to double his country’s exports to countries outside the US because of the threat posed by the Trump administration’s tariffs. Advertisement The Canadian prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s decision. This is a breaking news story. More to follow soon. Adblock test (Why?)
Irish presidential election: Who is running and what’s at stake?
Voters in Ireland will head to the polls on Friday to elect a new president for a seven-year term. While the Irish presidency is a mostly ceremonial role, this election takes place amid a historic shift towards a more polarised political system, Barry Colfer, director of research at Dublin’s Institute of International and European Affairs, told Al Jazeera. Since the establishment of the Irish Free State in December 1922 and the subsequent end of the Irish Civil War in May 1923, Irish politics, unlike in other European countries, have not been drawn along left-right lines, he said. “What we’re seeing today for the first time in Irish history is a presidential election between objectively left-wing and right-wing candidates.” This change has become more apparent in recent years. In the 2020 general election, left-wing nationalist party Sinn Fein – the former political wing of the Irish Republican Army – won the most first-preference votes for the first time since the country’s founding, bringing an end to the traditional two-party dominance of the centre-right parties Fianna Fail (FF) and Fine Gael (FG). By the end of the voting process, Sinn Fein had 37 seats, finishing close to neck-and-neck with FF at 38 and FG at 35. There are 174 seats in Dail Eireann (Irish for Ireland’s lower house of parliament) in total, with 88 needed to form a government. The two previously dominant parties’ origins date back to the Irish Civil War and its aftermath, with FG’s forerunner supporting the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which granted the country partial independence, and FF opposing it. Advertisement For the first time in their history, FF and FG were forced to enter into a formal coalition government with the Green Party in 2020 to be able to form a government. Following the 2024 election, they partnered with independents instead of the Greens. President Michael D Higgins at the Irish National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, Ireland, September 16, 2025 [Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters] Who serves as president of Ireland, and what do they do? The presidency has a relatively limited political role, comparable to that of monarchs in other countries, said Gail McElroy, a professor of political science at Trinity College Dublin. It is “seen as a unifying role beyond politics”. The president represents Ireland abroad and hosts visiting heads of state and other dignitaries at the official presidential residence, Aras an Uachtarain, in Dublin’s Phoenix Park. The president is, above all, responsible for ensuring that the Irish Constitution is followed. After the presidency was established in 1938, one year after the current Bunreacht na hEireann (Irish constitution) was adopted, it was generally held by a statesman with a long affiliation to one of the two main political parties. For instance, Eamon de Valera, one of the leading political figures during Ireland’s War for Independence and founder of FF, served as taoiseach (prime minister) from 1937 to 1948, 1951 to 1954 and from 1957 to 1959, and then as the country’s third president from 1959 to 1973. The election of Mary Robinson, Ireland’s first female president, in 1990 “marked a watershed moment”, McElroy told Al Jazeera. The election of Robinson, who had been nominated by the Labour Party and the Workers’ Party, and also received official support from the Green Party, transformed the presidency from a largely symbolic, conservative office into one with more significant diplomatic influence. Her presidential campaign had included a commitment to expand the role of the president into a more active one focused on social issues and to foster an image of a “new Ireland”. Before becoming president, she had served as a senator in Seanad Eireann (Irish senate) from 1969 to 1989, and been a member of the Dublin City Council from 1979 to 1983. During her time in office, she signed two significant bills that she had fought for throughout her political career: a 1992 bill to fully liberalise the law on the availability of contraceptives, and a 1993 bill fully decriminalising homosexuality. She also signed the legalisation of divorce into law in 1996. Advertisement As president, Robinson also took significant steps to foster an atmosphere of reconciliation between Ireland and the United Kingdom. She made history by being the first Irish president to meet a British monarch, then Queen Elizabeth II, in an official capacity. She also controversially met and shook hands with Gerry Adams, then the leader of Sinn Fein, a significant move towards dialogue at a critical time in the Northern Ireland peace process. And finally, Robinson used her presidential platform to advocate for human rights worldwide, notably becoming the first head of state to visit Somalia in 1992 following the civil war and famine, drawing international attention to the country’s humanitarian crisis. Mary McAleese, the first person born in Northern Ireland to serve as president, held the office from 1997 to 2011 – like Robinson, during pivotal years for the Northern Ireland peace process that culminated in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement ending the three-decade conflict that had begun in the late 1960s in Northern Ireland, known as The Troubles. Her emphasis on reconciliation culminated in a historic state visit to Ireland by Queen Elizabeth II. Michael D Higgins, president since 2011, has stretched the conventions of his office with, at times, strong criticism of government policy on both domestic and foreign policy issues, particularly regarding the country’s housing crisis and longstanding policy of military neutrality. Higgins has also been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, in line with the overwhelming majority of the Irish public, and has been unequivocal in calling for a permanent ceasefire since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza. The Irish government has been one of the most critical voices of Israel within the European Union, supporting South Africa’s genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. Higgins has described Israel’s war on Gaza as the “incredible destruction of an entire people” and echoed the Irish government in calling it a breach of international law. At times, Higgins has
Israeli airstrikes target multiple areas across Lebanon
NewsFeed Israeli airstrikes have targeted multiple areas in eastern and southern Lebanon, claiming to hit Hezbollah targets. Israel has been carrying out regular attacks on Lebanon despite a nearly year-old ceasefire between it and Hezbollah. Published On 23 Oct 202523 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)