Suspected mastermind of French crypto kidnappings held in Morocco


By AFP
June 4, 2025


French crypto wealth has attracted a string of kidnappings and attempted kidnappings - Copyright AFP NOEL CELIS

A 24-year-old Franco-Moroccan man suspected of masterminding a series of kidnappings targeting cryptocurrency entrepreneurs in France has been arrested in Morocco, France said.

Badiss Mohamed Amide Bajjou was wanted by the French authorities and was the subject of an Interpol red notice for “arrest, kidnapping, false imprisonment or arbitrary detention of a hostage.”

The suspect was arrested in the northern Moroccan city of Tangier, according to a statement from the country’s General Directorate for National Security carried by Moroccan state news agency MAP.

Badiss Mohammed Bajjou was wanted by French authorities over a spate of kidnappings – Copyright INTERPOL/AFP Handout

France has been shaken by a series of kidnappings and attempted abductions targeting cryptocurrency bosses and their families in recent months, prompting one prominent crypto entrepreneur to call on authorities to “stop the Mexicanisation” of the country.

“I sincerely thank Morocco for this arrest, which demonstrates excellent judicial cooperation between our two countries, particularly in the fight against organised crime,” French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said on X.

A native of Le Chesnay west of Paris, Bajjou is suspected of being one of the masterminds behind the high-profile kidnapping in January of French crypto boss David Balland and his partner, according to French daily Le Parisien.

Balland co-founded the crypto firm Ledger, valued at the time at more than $1 billion. Balland’s finger was cut off by his kidnappers, who demanded a hefty ransom.

Last week French authorities charged 25 people, including six minors, over the series of kidnappings and attempted abductions.

The crimes have become a major embarrassment for the French government and have sparked concern about the security of wealthy crypto tycoons, who have notched up immense fortunes from the booming business.

In May, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau held an emergency meeting with cryptocurrency leaders, with the ministry announcing plans to bolster their security.

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Reddit sues AI giant Anthropic over content use


By AFP
June 4, 2025


Dario Amodei, co-founder and CEO of Anthropic - Copyright AFP JULIEN DE ROSA

Social media outlet Reddit filed a lawsuit Wednesday against artificial intelligence company Anthropic, accusing the startup of illegally scraping millions of user comments to train its Claude chatbot without permission or compensation.

The lawsuit in a California state court represents the latest front in the growing battle between content providers and AI companies over the use of data to train increasingly sophisticated language models that power the generative AI revolution.

Anthropic, valued at $61.5 billion and heavily backed by Amazon, was founded in 2021 by former executives from OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.

The company, known for its Claude chatbot and AI models, positions itself as focused on AI safety and responsible development.

“This case is about the two faces of Anthropic: the public face that attempts to ingratiate itself into the consumer’s consciousness with claims of righteousness and respect for boundaries and the law, and the private face that ignores any rules that interfere with its attempts to further line its pockets,” the suit said.

According to the complaint, Anthropic has been training its models on Reddit content since at least December 2021, with CEO Dario Amodei co-authoring research papers that specifically identified high-quality content for data training.

The lawsuit alleges that despite Anthropic’s public claims that it had blocked its bots from accessing Reddit, the company’s automated systems continued to harvest Reddit’s servers more than 100,000 times in subsequent months.

Reddit is seeking monetary damages and a court injunction to force Anthropic to comply with its user agreement terms. The company has requested a jury trial.

In an email to AFP, Anthropic said “We disagree with Reddit’s claims and will defend ourselves vigorously.”

Reddit has entered into licensing agreements with other AI giants including Google and OpenAI, which allow those companies to use Reddit content under terms that protect user privacy and provide compensation to the platform.

Those deals have helped lift Reddit’s share price since it went public in 2024.

Reddit shares closed up more than six percent on Wednesday following news of the lawsuit.

Musicians, book authors, visual artists and news publications have sued the various AI companies that used their data without permission or payment.

AI companies generally defend their practices by claiming fair use, arguing that training AI on large datasets fundamentally changes the original content and is necessary for innovation.

Though most of these lawsuits are still in early stages, their outcomes could have a profound effect on the shape of the AI industry.

Op-Ed: Maybe a world first — A new Australian tax on unrealized capital gains could rewrite tax as we know it worldwide


By Paul Wallis

June 4, 2025

DIGITAL JOURNAL


White House crypto czar David Sacks says the US government bitcoin reserve 'will not cost taxpayers a dime' - Copyright AFP/File INA FASSBENDER

Unrealized capital gains are the increases in the paper value of assets like stocks, Bitcoin, and other markets. If you make money on paper, but don’t cash in, you could pay 15% in tax on those gains.

This approach completely rewrites the script for the nouveau riche and any number of financial deals.

It’s much trickier than it looks.

What’s not at all surprising is the obvious demand for revenue. Nonpayment of tax and massive tax evasion over all these years haven’t helped. Making heroes out of tax parasites who put their assets offshore hasn’t done much good, either. Add to this the constantly rising cost of public services driven by endless price rises from the private sector, and a tax like this is pretty much inevitable.

To coin a phrase, “Greed is grotesque”.

To be more specific, it’s this grotesque.

This idea of a new tax is a self-inflicted injury for the finance sector and the “austerity addicts” in various political ideologies. These are the people who destroy public revenue on principle. They then cut services and create havoc in the Main Street economy.

The level of basic economic illiteracy is quite astonishing.

For example:

The maniacal privatization of public assets has also lost all the cash cows governments can use to offset tax increases.

The lost revenue has to be made up either by borrowing or by raising taxes. There aren’t all that many options.

Any no-go zone in taxes creates a sort of black hole of lost revenue. Ironically, it also starts a virtual tide of financial scams. You’ll have seen these things everywhere, talking about tax loopholes.

There’s no such thing as a tax loophole. Something is either taxable or it isn’t.

Paying tax is simply contributing your share to society.

Meanwhile, things have become ridiculously complex. The fact is that decades of constant undermining of revenue have led to new taxes.

This proposed new tax moves the whole ballpark. It’s almost unprecedented. The usual theory is that you pay tax on receipt of money. I say “almost” because Australian superannuation is taxed pretty much in the same way, at roughly the same rate. That’s on established value for the super, though, not on “unrealized gains”, as far as I know.

Not this time.

Tax cheats are undeniably parasites. They’re also pretty good at fraud. “The security for the loan is in crypto”, for example. If you know how far and fast any crypto can move, that’s more speculation than lending. Assets in “zombie companies” are another example. Paper transactions often aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. There’s no way of knowing what those stocks are really worth.

Despite this, I’m not entirely in favor of this new tax. I don’t think the superannuation tax is entirely justified, and this is similar.

People need to be able to build personal capital, particularly long-term.

Cutting out 15% of that capital per year looks like an own goal. That’s also why I think the super tax is counterproductive.

Globally, this could be a serious game changer. The positive side is that it might stop booms and busts in market assets, idiotic speculation, and cool down the self-infatuated markets.

It might also lead to off-market assets, a sort of “black market” in securities. If you can’t pin down asset values, what are you taxing? Criminals don’t pay taxes.

If this sort of tax is possible, it could become very popular with governments worldwide.

_______________________________________________________

Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in this Op-Ed are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Digital Journal or its members.

Detained Salvadoran activist says she won’t be silenced


By AFP
June 4, 2025


Salvadoran lawyer and human rights activist Ruth Lopez is escorted by police to a court hearing - Copyright AFP Marvin RECINOS

A prominent lawyer and human rights activist arrested in El Salvador said Wednesday that she refused to be silenced by authorities as she appeared in court to face corruption charges.

Ruth Lopez is a critic of President Nayib Bukele, and assists families of Venezuelan migrants deported by the United States and imprisoned in the Central American nation.

“They won’t silence me. I want a public trial,” the 47-year-old, who is accused of “embezzlement,” told reporters as she was escorted to court by police.

“The people deserve to know,” she added, carrying a bible. “God and the truth are with me.”

Lopez was arrested on May 18 and accused of embezzling state funds when she worked for an electoral court a decade ago.

Her case was declared confidential by judicial authorities.

Defense attorney Pedro Cruz called the accusation “unfounded.”

“They are afraid of what the accused has been working on and saying in her professional work,” he told reporters before the hearing to determine whether Lopez would remain in detention.

“Under these conditions, anyone’s health would suffer, but she has strength, is certain of her innocence and hopes that justice will be served,” Cruz added.

A coalition of rights groups including Amnesty International said Lopez’s arrest reflected a trend of growing authoritarianism under Bukele, an ally of US President Donald Trump.

Lopez runs rights group Cristosal’s corruption and justice division and has criticized Bukele’s anti-crime policy, which has seen thousands of alleged gangsters arrested.

Bukele, who is popular among Salvadorans due to his crackdown on street gangs, has brushed off criticism about his human rights record.

“I don’t care if they call me a dictator. I’d rather be called a dictator than see Salvadorans killed in the streets,” he said during his speech Sunday.

Lopez was included in a list of 100 inspiring and influential women around the world last year by the BBC, which praised her for being “passionate about law and justice.”

Cristosal helps families of Salvadorans caught up in Bukele’s crackdown on gangs as well as more than 250 Venezuelans deported by the Trump administration, which paid El Salvador to imprison them.

Trump invoked rarely used wartime laws to fly the Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador in March without any court hearings, alleging they belonged to the Tren de Aragua gang, a charge that their families and lawyers deny.

Brazil’s top court tackles social media regulation


By AFP
June 4, 2025


Brazil's Supreme Court has already taken a strong stance on social media regulation - Copyright AFP/File Evaristo Sa

Brazil’s Supreme Court resumed a long-awaited review of social media regulation Wednesday in a groundbreaking case for Latin America on the spread of fake news and hate speech.

After a months-long pause, the court resumed its interrogation of four cases that focus on the accountability of online platforms for illegal content posted by users.

Alexandre de Moraes, one of 11 judges of the court, has repeatedly clashed with X owner Elon Musk and various right-wing personalities over social media posts.

The review is taking place in parallel with the coup trial of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro, whose followers prosecutors accuse of using social media to lie about the reliability of the electoral system and plot the downfall of successor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Brazil’s highest court is seeking to determine to what extent companies such as X, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook are responsible for removing illegal content, and how they can be sanctioned if they do not.

Though it is a review of four lower court cases, the judges’ ruling will create a precedent that will affect the country’s tens of millions of social media users.

At issue is a clause in the country’s so-called Civil Framework for the Internet, a law in effect since 2014, that says platforms are only responsible for harm caused by a post if they ignore a judge’s order to remove it.

Three of the Supreme Court’s 11 judges have already ruled in favor of higher accountability. The other eight have yet to vote.

The court has already taken a strong stance on regulating social media.

Last year, Moraes blocked X for 40 days for failing to comply with a series of court orders against online disinformation.

He had previously ordered X to suspend the accounts of several Bolsonaro supporters.

Musk and other critics say Moraes is stifling free speech, and US President Donald Trump’s administration is weighing sanctions against the judge, who Bolsonaro accuses of judicial “persecution.”

Lula, who emerged the victor in a tightly-fought election against Bolsonaro in 2022, is advocating for “accelerating regulation” of online platforms.

“It is not possible for someone to attempt a coup d’etat… and say that this is freedom of expression,” the president told reporters on Tuesday.

Cheetah expert travels to the UK to promote ecological conservation


By Dr. Tim Sandle
June 4, 2025

DIGITAL  JOURNAL


A critically endangered Asiatic cheetah is seen in its enclosure at Pardisan Park in the Iranian capital Tehran in 2017. Just a dozen individuals are believed to survive in the wild - Copyright AFP ISHARA S. KODIKARA

Dr. Laurie Marker is a world-renowned conservationist who has single-handedly shaped the trajectory of cheetah conservation while restoring thousands of acres of African farmland and improving the livelihoods of rural residents.

Cheetah numbers are in steady decline; in 1975 there were 14,000 wild cheetahs, today the number hovers just over 7,000. New data suggests the numbers may fall by 53 percent over the next 15 years.

One reason why cheetahs are in decline is because they range far beyond protected areas and this results in them coming increasingly into conflict with humans. 

NorthWest African Cheetahs at Chester Zoo. Image by Steve Wilson via Wikipedia (CC BY 2.0)

Marker is set to travel from Namibia to the UK between June 7-14th for a series appearance (including the Big Cat Sanctuary 25th Anniversary Fundraiser in Kent). The tour is designed to raise awareness for the plight of the world’s fastest land animal, with fewer than 7,000 cheetahs remaining.


June 8th – Dublin Zoo appearance

June 12 – Big Cat Sanctuary’s 25th Anniversary Fundraiser in Kent

June 14 – Event at Yorkshire Wildlife Park

Marker found her life’s mission in 1974 when she moved to Oregon to open the state’s third winery. Her plans to be a viticulturist got derailed by a cheetah cub named, Khayam, who she met at her ‘side job’ working at Oregon’s ‘Wildlife Safari,’ zoological park. Marker hand-raised Khayam and travelled to Namibia in Southern Africa with her as part of pioneering research to find out if she could teach a captive-born cheetah to hunt. Ecological reports show that she succeeded.

Cheetahs are found mainly in eastern and southern Africa, together with a location within Iran. The cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world; the big cats have a slender, long-legged body. Cheetahs are tan in colour with black spots all over their bodies. Cheetah are active mainly during the day, with hunting its major activity.

READ MORE: Cheetah movement will inspire legged robots

In 1990, Marker started the Cheetah Conservation Fund and moved to Namibia permanently to develop an international Cheetah Research & Education Centre on a 156k acre private wildlife reserve. Today, the centre boasts a modern genetics lab, veterinary clinic, model farm, vineyard, and an eco-tourism operation, employing hundreds in one of Africa’s most economically challenged areas. In 2022, Dr. Marker set up a second Centre in Somaliland to care for over 100 cheetahs confiscated from the illegal wildlife pet trade. She also helped reintroduce cheetahs to India where they had been extinct for 70 years.

Dr. Marker has committed her whole life to one purpose – saving the planet’s fastest land animal from extinction. She is especially concerned as to what will happen to entire ecosystems if we lose the cheetah.

High-cost loans, Trump turmoil hurting Africa, says G20 panel chief


By AFP
June 4, 2025


Retired South African politician and former anti-apartheid activist Trevor Manuel chairs a panel of experts working on Africa - Copyright AFP/File Frederic J. BROWN

Bronwen Roberts

Critically needed economic growth in Africa is being held back by high borrowing costs imposed by international lenders, with unpredictable US policy changes adding to the strain, the head of the G20 panel on the continent said.

Seasoned politician and anti-apartheid activist Trevor Manuel chairs the panel of experts working on proposals to address issues affecting Africa, including high debt, to be presented at a summit of the Group of 20 leading economies in November.

African nations are not necessarily more indebted than major economies but they face higher debt servicing costs, Manuel told AFP in an interview.

The “unbelievably expensive and prohibitive” cost of capital for African nations has hobbled their development, said Manuel, who served as finance minister in post-apartheid South Africa for more than a decade.

“We know that the risk premiums in general on Africa are much higher than they need to be, and that impacts them on the debt service costs,” he added.

More than half of Africa’s 1.3 billion people live in countries with debt interest payments higher than social spending on health, education and infrastructure, according to the South African government.

South Africa is the only African nation in the G20 and has made debt sustainability for developing countries one of the priorities of its presidency of the group of 19 countries, the African Union and European Union.

African countries will pay close to $89 billion in external debt service alone this year, with 20 low-income countries at risk of debt distress, it says.

Manuel said the panel will seek to persuade the entire G20 to engage with multilateral development banks, in particular the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, to address the issue of borrowing costs.

– ‘Unbelievably difficult’ –

Abrupt changes in global order since US President Donald Trump took office in January, such as sweeping aid cuts and trade tariffs, will have long-lasting ramifications for the continent, Manuel said.

Trump’s “capricious” announcement in April of major trade tariffs effectively did away with the African Growth and Opportunity Act, a major US-African trade deal that had helped to build some African economies, he said.

He cited as examples the tiny kingdom of Lesotho, which faces 50 percent tariffs on exports to the United States, including jeans and golf shirts, and Madagascar, which sends vanilla pods and is threatened with 47 percent tariffs.

“It becomes unbelievably difficult for small countries that try and develop export markets, for their products to be struck by these sudden announcements,” Manuel said. “There’s no time for adjustment.”

Adding to the pressure is the termination of USAID programmes and a push for NATO countries to increase defence spending, which restricts what they have available for overseas development assistance.

“The impact on the African continent is going to be very severe,” said Manuel. “We can’t abstract Africa from the rest of the globe.”

“The realm of policymaking requires a greater degree of predictability and certainty than what we see at the moment,” he said.

“The fact that there are these occasional outbursts that aren’t informed by reality as I see it… makes it even more complex.”

– Intra-Africa –

Manuel said his panel’s work on better understanding the African economy and developing solutions was likely to continue beyond this year’s G20, for example, via the UN Economic Commission for Africa and the African Union.

This included looking at “intra-African dynamics” such as the role of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) launched in 2019.

Conflicts also cost the continent, he said, citing the war in Sudan and unrest that has held back a major gas project in impoverished northern Mozambique.

“When countries spend more on war than what they do on the upliftment of people, then we face profound consequences,” Manuel said.

He said a strong United Nations and African Union were important in “persuading countries to do the right things” in the long term, beyond the sometimes disruptive short electoral cycles that usher in new leadership and policy changes.

“If you don’t have those kinds of objectives, which frequently will not be completed within a particular electoral cycle, I think we run ourselves into the ground.”

US labor unions fight to contain AI disruption

By AFP
June 4, 2025


As artificial intelligence threatens to upend entire sectors of the economy, American labor unions have been scrambling to protect workers - Copyright GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File MARIO TAMA

Thomas URBAIN

As artificial intelligence threatens to upend entire sectors of the economy, American labor unions are scrambling to protect workers, demand corporate transparency, and rally political support—an uphill battle in a rapidly changing world.

“As laborers, the ability to withhold our labor is one of our only tools to improve our lives,” explained Aaron Novik, a key organizer with Amazon’s ALU union.

“What happens when that disappears (to AI)? It’s a real existential issue,” he added.

Automation has already transformed most industries since the 1960s, typically reducing workforce numbers in the process.

But the emergence of advanced “physical AI” promises a new generation of intelligent robots that won’t be limited to repetitive tasks — potentially displacing far more blue-collar workers than ever before.

The threat extends beyond manufacturing.

The CEO of Anthropic, which created Claude as a competitor to ChatGPT, warned last week that generative AI could eliminate half of all low-skilled white-collar jobs, potentially driving unemployment rates up to 10-20 percent.

“The potential displacement of workers and elimination of jobs is a significant concern not just for our members, but for the public in general,” said Peter Finn of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, America’s largest union.

– Vetoes –

The Teamsters have focused their efforts on passing legislation limiting the spread of automation, but face significant political obstacles.

California’s governor has twice vetoed bills that would ban autonomous trucks from public roads, despite intense lobbying from the state’s hundreds of thousands of union members.

Colorado’s governor followed suit last week, and similar battles are playing out in Indiana, Maryland, and other states.

At the federal level, the landscape shifted dramatically with the change in the White House.

Under former president Joe Biden, the Department of Labor issued guidelines encouraging companies to be transparent about AI use, involve workers in strategic decisions, and support employees whose jobs face elimination.

But US President Donald Trump canceled the protections within hours of taking office in January.

“Now it’s clear. They want to fully open up AI without the safeguards that are necessary to ensure workers’ rights and protections at work,” said HeeWon Brindle-Khym of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), which represents workers in the retail sector.

– Rush to AI –

Meanwhile, companies are racing to implement AI technologies, often with poor results.

“By fear of missing out on innovations, there’s been a real push (to release AI products),” observed Dan Reynolds of the Communications Workers of America (CWA).

The CWA has taken a proactive approach, publishing a comprehensive guide for members that urges negotiators to include AI provisions in all collective bargaining agreements.

The union is also developing educational toolkits to help workers understand and negotiate around AI implementation.

A handful of unions have successfully negotiated AI protections into their contracts.

Notable examples include agreements with media company Ziff Davis (which owns Mashable) and video game publisher ZeniMax Studios, a Microsoft subsidiary.

The most significant victories belong to two powerful unions: the International Longshoremen’s Association, representing dock workers, secured a moratorium on full automation of certain port operations, while the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) won guarantees that actors must be consulted and compensated whenever their AI likeness is created.

These successes remain exceptional, however.

The American labor movement, as a whole, lacks the bargaining power enjoyed by those highly strategic or publicly visible sectors, said Brindle-Khym.

“Smaller contract-by-contract improvements are a long, slow process,” she added.

Despite frequent accusations by corporate interests, the unions’ goal isn’t to halt technological progress entirely.

“Workers are usually not seeking to stop the march of technology,” noted Virginia Doellgast, a Cornell University professor specializing in labor relations.

“They just want to have some control.”

As AI continues its rapid advance, the question remains whether unions can adapt quickly enough to protect workers in an economy increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence.

Canada steelworkers urge Ottawa to counter Trump

By AFP
June 4, 2025


An ArcelorMittal Dofasco steel-making facility in Hamilton, Canada - Copyright AFP Eyad BABA
Ben Simon

Steelworkers in the Canadian city of Hamilton see President Donald Trump’s latest trade war escalation as a wake-up call, insisting US efforts to protect struggling metal producers demand an equivalent national response.

Hamilton is known locally as “Steeltown,” with expansive industrial plants dominating the view from the main bridge that leads into the city.

Hamilton has endured countless setbacks as the steel industry that drove its growth through much of 20th Century declined.

Trump’s decision to double steel and aluminum tariffs to a crippling 50 percent did not come as a shock to those who have spent decades in the industry.

“Steel is like a roller-coaster,” said Jake Lombardo, who retired after 38 years at Stelco, one of Hamilton’s main plants.

Lombardo’s career spanned the era that saw automation and cheaper foreign product hollow out Hamilton’s steel sector.

He voiced a degree of understanding for Trump’s efforts to shield US producers from external competition.

“I’m not a Trump supporter, but one thing I like (about) what he said, he wants to do things in-house. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that,” Lombardo, 69, told AFP.

“We should have been doing this a long time ago.”

Hamilton’s steel industry was born in the early part of the last century, hitting its peak in the decades following World War II, when the main local union, United Steelworkers Local 1005, counted more than 12,000 members.

That number has since fallen to about 650, said union president Ron Wells.

Wells said he wasn’t opposed to a future where Canadian producers serve Canadian demand and cross-border trade is reduced.

But, like Lombardo, he believes Ottawa needs to create the environment that ensures that Canadian steelmakers thrive.

“We’ve been saying that for, like years, if not decades,” Wells told AFP.



– ‘Better late than never’? –



The union chief said he was encouraged by Prime Minister Mark Carney’s pledge to counter Trump’s trade war by boosting internal trade and ushering in an era of massive construction across Canada.

Asked about the prospect that Hamilton could benefit from Carney’s recent promise that his government would “build baby build,” Wells said: “we applaud it.”

“It’s better late than never.”

Carney on Wednesday called Trump’s decision to double steel and aluminum tariffs “unjustified” and “illegal” and promised that Canada — the largest supplier of foreign steel and aluminum to the United States — will respond.

But in the short term, Wells said there is cause for concern.

Stelco, which was bought by the US steel producer Cleveland-Cliffs last year, had been sending about 30 percent of its output to the United States, Wells said.

Those orders largely dried up when Trump imposed a blanket 25 percent tariff on all metal imports in March.

But Stelco was still selling to Canadian clients who were making products subsequently sold to the United States, with the American importers absorbing the 25 percent tariff hit.



– ‘The wrong foe’ –



At 50 percent, Wells voiced fear that business could vanish.

“People are just pissed off that (Trump) keeps changing his mind and he’s playing chicken with the economy,” Wells told AFP.

“Our members want to see the tariffs situation get resolved. So go back to full production and we can share the wealth.”

The Canadian Steel Producers Association, an industry group, said Wednesday that “at a 25 per cent tariff rate, we saw significant layoffs, curtailed investments and a significant drop of shipments to the United States.”

“At a 50 per cent tariff rate, the US market is effectively closed to Canadian steel, leaving billions of dollars of Canadian steel without a market,” it warned.

Throughout Trump’s trade war, Canadian workers in targeted sectors — notably auto and metal — have voiced frustration over the president’s decision to harm a bilateral trade relationship widely seen as mutually beneficial.

“We think they’re picking on the wrong foe,” Wells said.

Tony Mclaughlin, who has worked for Stelco for 47 years, told AFP he “always thought we’d be exempt,” from tariffs.”

“Is he trying to get a new trade agreement?” He asked.

“Maybe that’s the big plan.”

More people leave homes in Canada as huge wildfires spread


By AFP
June 4, 2025


Thousands of people, including those pictured here in Manitoba, have been evacuated - Copyright AFP Eyad BABA

More than 31,000 people were under evacuation across Canada on Wednesday as firefighters battled raging wildfires threatening towns and villages, authorities said.

More than 200 fires burning across the country — half of which are described as being out of control — have so far scorched more than 2.2 million hectares.

The Saskatchewan and Manitoba provinces have been hardest hit, with both declaring wildfire emergencies in recent days.

“Right now it’s not good because people are so scared, and also me,” said Tareq Hosen Alin, who runs a hotel in La Ronge in Saskatchewan, where flames have destroyed some businesses.

The small town of 2,500 people has been evacuated but Tareq Hosen Alin said he had stayed to house first responders and firefighters.

“So I’m scared, people lose their property, lose their money, lose their dreams right now,” he told AFP.

Firefighters across the country have been put on alert, while 140 American personnel are already in Canada to help fight the fires.

“We are up against a monster. The last hours have been chaotic,” the La Ronge fire department said. The region around La Ronge has several active blazes.

One of those has consumed more than 470,000 hectares and is still out of control. Another further west — also uncontained — has burned more than 140,000 hectares.

The fires have downgraded air quality in central Canada as well as in northern parts of the United States.

Wildfire smoke is comprised of gaseous pollutants such as carbon monoxide, along with water vapor and particle pollution, which can be particularly hazardous to health.

Climate change has increased the impact of extreme weather events in Canada, which is still recovering from the summer of 2023 when 15 million hectares of forests were scorched.

Most of the ongoing fires have been triggered by human activity — often accidental — such as poorly extinguished campfires or the passing of vehicles in extremely dry areas.