WASHINGTON (AP) — Every day more than $4 billion worth of goods cross the United States’ borders with Canada and Mexico – U.S. auto parts headed for car factories in northern Mexico, cartons of Mexican avocados bound for California supermarkets, Canadian aluminum destined to become cans of Campbell Soup.

Much of this bustling cross-border commerce is duty-free, thanks to the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, that President Donald Trump negotiated with America’s northern and southern neighbors during his first term.

But the future of the USMCA , which took effect July 1, 2020, is cloudy as the three countries begin what could be a tempestuous attempt to renew the pact this year. The United States is demanding changes to the treaty, and the top U.S. trade negotiator told Politico in December that Trump would be willing to pull the United States out of the pact if he can’t get the deal he wants. Trump also suggested last fall that the United States could negotiate separate deals with Canada and Mexico, ending the three-country North American bloc that previous administrations saw as crucial to competing economically with China and the European Union.

The talks kick off Monday between U.S. and Mexican trade officials.

The North American economies could agree to renew USMCA as it is for another 16 years— a prospect that appears unlikely. Or they could keep working on ways to improve it; under a convoluted renewal process, they have until 2036 to reach an agreement — or the pact expires.

Meantime, any USMCA country can pull out of the pact provided it gives its two partners six months’ notice – an option that Canada and Mexico, heavily dependent on trade with the United States, fear the impulsive Trump might end up choosing.

At stake is $1.6 trillion worth of annual trade in goods between the United States and its two USMCA partners. Mexico and Canada are far ahead of China in both exports to and imports from the United States. American farmers are especially keen to see the deal renewed: Last year, they shipped nearly $31 billion in agricultural products to Mexico and $28 billion to Canada.

U.S. imports from Canada and Mexico were spared the worst of Trump’s 2025 tariffs; many goods compliant with USMCA rules continued to enter the United States duty free. Still, a number of products did not get protection from the U.S. levies, including medium- and heavy-duty trucks, which face a 25% tariff. A 50% tariff on steel, aluminum and copper remains in effect, as does a 17% tariff on Mexican tomatoes.

The USMCA replaced the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement negotiated by President George H.W. Bush and signed into law by President Bill Clinton.

Trump and other critics had criticized NAFTA as a killer of U.S. jobs because it encouraged U.S. companies to relocate factories south of the border to take advantage of low-wage Mexican labor and then send goods back to the United States duty free.

The USMCA, ratified by Congress with rare support from Republicans and Democrats alike, ended up being very similar to NAFTA. But it did contain provisions designed to encourage factories in the region to pay higher wages and make sure that more of what they made originated in North America.

The new pact updated North American trade rules for the digital age. The USMCA, for instance, bars the United States, Mexico and Canada from slamming each other with import taxes on music, software, games and other products sold electronically.

A proud Trump declared the USMCA “the fairest, most balanced and beneficial trade agreement we have ever signed.’’

But the president’s enthusiasm seems to have waned. In January, he expressed little interest in the upcoming talks to renew the agreement. The effort, he said, offered “no real advantage to us. It’s irrelevant to me.’’

The USMCA did little to ease one of Trump’s biggest complaints: The U.S. deficit in the trade of goods with Mexico, which rose last year to a record $197 billion as the United States reduced its reliance on Chinese imports. The U.S. also ran a merchandise trade deficit with Canada of $46.4 billion last year, a decrease from 2024.

“Improvements are required for it to deliver the high-wage U.S. manufacturing powerhouse and balanced trade (Trump) promised and we need,” said Lori Wallach, director of the Rethink Trade program at the American Economic Liberties Project.

The United States plans to push for a series of changes, including stronger rules to ensure that goods from China won’t slip into the United States under USMCA; to encourage more production in the United States; and to ensure more access to Canada’s protected dairy market for U.S. farmers.

Mexico’s core priorities are to avoid a major rewrite of the agreement and to make rules of origin more flexible —allowing imports of parts from outside North America when they are not available in the region. Mexican negotiators also want assurances that anything agreed to will stick, providing insurance against Trump’s unpredictability and his enthusiasm for tariffs.

Mexico wants to minimize tariffs as much as possible. Mexican Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said Mexico wants to strengthen the dispute resolution system already in place under the treaty. That would not eliminate the possibility of tariffs, but it would provide clear, swift channels for seeking solutions when problems arise, he said.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration will have to simultaneously manage existing security issues, which are ongoing after the killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel’s leader in late February, and which could influence economic matters.

Mexico anticipates that Canada will join the talks later, but its top priority in the coming months is to reach agreements and maintain the free trade with the United States, its main commercial partner.

Mexico is pushing the idea that the treaty is also good for the US. “The integration of our countries is an absolute prerequisite for the United States to remain competitive,” Ebrard said recently. “We must move forward together; otherwise, we will not succeed”

____

Verza reported from Mexico City.

Louis Theroux’s new Netflix documentary Inside The Manosphere has sparked questions about the filmmaker’s own religious background and what he has said about his faith

The latest documentary from Louis Theroux has already sparked a significant reaction among viewers since it debuted on Netflix.

It is the author and filmmaker’s first full-length title for the streaming platform and the latest in a distinguished career of creating thought-provoking films that scrutinise society. In Inside The Manosphere, Louis engages with some of the most contentious social media influencers who form part of this subculture.

These figures have established their reputations by expressing controversial views online. However, whilst doing so, they assert they are guiding young men on how to lead their lives.

The documentary also highlights the extraordinary measures these influencers take to generate income, with the majority raking in millions, reports the Mirror.

Some of the debatable views these content creators disseminate seem to concentrate on the same subjects. Primarily the role of women, whilst a few also appear to repeatedly mention Jewish people.

Louis endeavours to discuss and address these anti-Semitic messages shared by the subjects of the documentary. This has led many people to question whether Louis Theroux is Jewish himself. Here’s what you need to know.

READ MORE: Louis Theroux’s net worth as Manosphere Netflix documentary starts streamingREAD MORE: All you need to know about Justin Waller from Netflix’s Inside the Manosphere

Is Louis Theroux Jewish?

Viewers may recall Louis being questioned about his own religion in previous documentaries. The broadcaster has typically avoided responding directly, as that is usually not what the documentary is aiming to explore.

However, he has spoken about his faith on numerous occasions. In his Ultra Zionists special for the BBC, he disclosed that he is an atheist.

Reflecting on his encounter with neo-Nazis, he also revealed: “I can disclose this now… I’m not actually Jewish. I have no problem with being identified as Jewish, but it’s just not a factual statement.”

If you Google the question: ‘Is Louis Theroux Jewish?’ there is a possibility its AI summary tool will claim that he is. It might also suggest that he has Jewish ancestry. According to the man himself however, this is not accurate.

It makes the same error for his cousin, actor and screenwriter Justin Theroux. However, in that case it is sourcing the information from an interview with the showrunner of The Leftovers, which Justin starred in.

Speaking to American Magazine, Louis touched on the role of religion during his upbringing, sharing that his parents were “both lapsed in their faiths”.

He added: “My dad was raised Catholic and my mum was Church of England, but we never went to church growing up. If anything I do feel I missed out on it a bit. Because I think [faith] gives you a mental furniture and almost something to push back on.”

Louis Theroux: Inside The Manosphere is streaming on Netflix

For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new ** Everything Gossip ** website.

Dubai authorities tackled a fire near the city’s international airport on Monday, following a drone attack that prompted a temporary suspension of flights.

The latest crisis unfolded as the US-Israel war with Iran continues to cause significant disruption to global aviation. Flights across the Middle East have faced widespread cancellations, rescheduling, and rerouting, with much of the region’s airspace closed due to fears of missile and drone strikes. The ongoing conflict has also contributed to soaring fuel prices.

Monday’s attack is the third at Dubai airport, one of the world’s busiest international travel hubs, since Iran commenced its assaults on Gulf nations on 28 February. Tehran has stated these strikes are aimed at the US presence in the region. But Iran has repeatedly targeted civilian infrastructure, such as airports, hotels, and ports, with missiles and drones, despite the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf countries, alongside Iraq, Jordan, and Turkey, hosting US military facilities.

No injuries were reported in the incident and flights were resuming just after 6am.

“A drone incident in the vicinity of Dubai International Airport affected one of the fuel tanks,” the Dubai Media Office said on X (formerly Twitter).

Traffic was temporarily halted on road and tunnel links with the airport, police said, while the Emirates airline suspended flights.

Some flights were diverted to the nearby Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai Media Office said.

Gulf Arab states have faced more than 2,000 missile and drone attacks since 28 February, with targets including US diplomatic missions and military bases, but also key Gulf oil infrastructure ​as well as homes and offices.

The UAE, which normalised relations with Iran’s arch-foe Israel in 2020, has faced the brunt of the attacks, but all Gulf Arab states have been affected, and all have condemned Iran.

On 11 March, two drones fell near Dubai International Airport, which suffered damage on the first day of the conflict during an overnight Iranian attack across the Gulf states.

Nic Berry, the Australian, was due to referee but has been replaced by Georgian referee Nika Amashukeli because of travel difficulties caused by the Middle East conflict.

England

Steve Borthwick has kept faith with the back line from the historic loss to Italy, with Ollie Chessum coming into the pack at blindside flanker in the one change to the starting XV.

“Ollie was disappointed that he wasn’t starting post the Ireland game,” Borthwick told BBC Sport on Tuesday. “He was disappointed and frustrated with his performance in the Ireland game.

“I thought he came on against Italy and did a really good job, from a ball-carrying perspective, from a line-out perspective, the contact area, the energy he gave to the team.”

England flanker Tom Curry has been ruled out of Saturday’s match after suffering a calf injury in the warm-up in Rome, while Ollie Lawrence continues to struggle with a knee issue.

Starting XV: Daly; Roebuck, Freeman, S Atkinson, Murley; F Smith, Spencer; Genge, George, Heyes, Itoje (capt), Coles, Chessum, Pepper, Earl
Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Rodd, Davison, Cunningham-South, Underhill, Pollock, Van Poortvliet, M Smith

England’s Six Nations squad

Forwards: Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers), Arthur Clark (Gloucester), Alex Coles (Northampton), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale), Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins), Tom Curry (Sale), Theo Dan (Saracens), Trevor Davison (Northampton), Ben Earl (Saracens), Greg Fisilau (Exeter), Ellis Genge (Bristol), Jamie George (Saracens), Joe Heyes (Leicester), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Emmanuel Iyogun (Northampton), Guy Pepper (Bath), Henry Pollock (Northampton), Bevan Rodd (Sale) Vilikesa Sela (Bath), Sam Underhill (Bath).

Backs: Henry Arundell (Bath), Seb Atkinson (Gloucester), Elliot Daly (Saracens), Fraser Dingwall (Northampton), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter), George Ford (Sale Sharks), Tommy Freeman (Northampton), George Furbank (Northampton), Alex Mitchell (Northampton), Cadan Murley (Harlequins), Max Ojomoh (Bath), Henry Slade (Exeter), Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby), Freddie Steward (Leicester), Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester).

Forwards: Dorian Aldegheri (Toulouse), Uini Atonio (La Rochelle), Hugo Auradou (Pau), Cyril Baille (Toulouse), Paul Boudehent (La Rochelle), Joshua Brennan (Toulouse), François Cros (Toulouse), Alexandre Fischer (Bayonne), Jean-Baptiste Gros (Toulon), Mickaël Guillard (Lyon), Oscar Jegou (La Rochelle), Anthony Jelonch (Toulouse), Maxime Lamothe (Bordeaux Bègles), Julien Marchand (Toulouse), Temo Matiu (Bordeaux Bègles), Peato Mauvaka (Toulouse), Emmanuel Meafou (Toulouse), Régis Montagne (Clermont-Auvergne), Rodrigue Neti (Toulouse), Lenni Nouchi (Montpellier), Charles Ollivon (Toulon), Dany Priso (Toulon), Thomas Staniforth (Castres), Tevita Tatafu (Bayonne), Cameron Woki (Bordeaux Bègles).

Backs: Grégoire Arfeuil (Pau), Théo Attissogbe (Pau), Louis Bielle-Biarrey (Bordeaux Bègles), Fabien Brau-Boirie (Pau), Romain Buros (Bordeaux Bègles), Thibault Daubagna (Pau), Nicolas Depoortere (Bordeaux Bègles), Gaël Dréan (Toulon), Antoine Dupont (Toulouse, captain), Kalvin Gourgues (Toulouse), Aaron Grandidier Nkanang (Pau), Matthieu Jalibert (Bordeaux Bègles), Yoram Moefana (Bordeaux Bègles), Noah Nene (Stade Français), Thomas Ramos (Stade Toulousain), Baptiste Serin (RC Toulon), Ugo Seunes (Racing 92).

When did France and England last win the Six Nations?

England last won the tournament in 2020. France were champions last year.

England’s last Grand Slam was in 2016 while Les Bleus achieved the feat in 2022.

What was the score last year?

England ended a three-year losing run against France in the Six Nations last year by winning 26-25 in a classic at Twickenham, Elliot Daly scoring the decisive late try.

Artur was “deeply loved” by his family

The family of a cyclist who died after a collision in Peterborough have described him as a “kind, cheerful and caring man”. Artur Ciesielski, 49, was involved in a crash at Rhubarb Bridge, near Lincoln Road, at around 6.45pm on February 21.

He was taken to hospital in a critical condition following the incident. He died on Monday, March 9. No other vehicles were involved.

Artur’s family said he “loved animals, spending time outdoors, fishing and cycling”. He was described as a “devoted father” who had also recently become a grandfather to his first grandchild.

Artur’s family released the following tribute to him: “Artur was a kind, cheerful and caring man who was deeply loved by his family. Originally from Poland, he had been living in the UK for 23 years and had built his life here.

“Artur loved animals, spending time outdoors, fishing and cycling. He was an experienced cyclist and travelled by bike everywhere. On the day of the incident, he had gone to the shop by bicycle to buy food for the family cats because they had run out and were hungry.

“He had recently married his wife on 13 February this year and was very happy about the future ahead. Artur was a trained carpenter who loved working with his hands. He was always fixing something, helping others, working in the garden or cooking for the people he cared about.

“He was a devoted father who taught his daughter many things in life from DIY to cooking. He had also recently become a grandfather to his first grandchild, a 14-month-old boy, and he was incredibly proud and excited to be a grandad.

“We hope that anyone who may have been in the area or who may have seen anything will come forward, as even the smallest piece of information could help understand what happened. He was a wonderful man and father.”

Police are continuing to appeal for witnesses.

Anyone who saw Artur in the lead up to the collision should report it through the Cambridgeshire Police website by quoting the reference incident 444 of 21 February. Anyone without internet access should call 101.

A nursery worker who raped and abused young children in his care has been jailed for 24 years.

Nathan Bennett, 30, preyed on the two and three-year-olds at the Partou King Street nursery in Bristol.

He was found guilty by a jury last month of eight charges including rape, sexual assault and assault by penetration, relating to five children.

On Monday he was jailed at Bristol Crown Court for 24 years, with an extended licence period of six years.

Bennett previously admitted 13 other charges relating to four of the five victims, who were aged two at the time.

The court heard concerns were raised by parents and staff about Bennett’s behaviour towards the children in his care in February last year.

The police launched an investigation after staff caught him on CCTV putting his hands down the trousers of a child, which led to Bennett’s arrest and later the closure of the nursery.

He was noted by staff to sit children on his lap for lengthy periods of time, wear a pair of trousers with holes in the crotch area, and seemed “territorial” over certain toddlers and their parents, the court heard.

During the trial, video interviews with two of the children in the case – referred to only as Child A and Child E – were played to the jury.

Child E’s mother also gave evidence, telling how her son had demonstrated how he had been abused at his nursery.

“I got him to stop doing it. I asked him when did that happen. He said it happened at nursery,” she said.

Giving evidence, Bennett said he was “emulating” what was done to him as a child and denied having a sexual attraction to children.

This is a breaking story, more to follow…

Reef Pearson, 27, graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2019 with a business and communications degree after covering her studies with plan 2 tuition fee and maintenance loans.

Originally from Gateshead, Reef now works in Ancoats, Manchester. She received her first statement from Student Finance England the year after graduating, showing she owed £50,807.59.

Reef Pearson, 27, graduated from University of Birmingham with a business and communications degree in 2019 (Image: Reef Pearson / SWNS)

After spending several years working minimum wage jobs, she secured a £40,000 a year role as an SEO manager in October 2023 and began repaying her student loan in 2024.

However, despite paying around £2,000 a year towards the balance, interest added to the loan means the total amount she owes has continued to increase.

In 2024, Reef paid £1,647 towards her loan but £3,967.71 was added in interest. In 2025, she repaid £1,963 while £4,270 was added to the balance.

A graduate with £60k of plan 2 student loan debt says each year she pays £2k off – to see it rise by £2k. (Image: Reef Pearson / SWNS)

Reef said: “When I looked through my statements, I thought ‘God, is that even right?’.

“It’s so insulting to log in, see you’re paying it off, but at a rate that doesn’t even see the figure go down.

“And I’m aware I’m on a decent wage. If this is happening to me, what on earth is happening with other people?”

Despite Reef having a £40k a year job she is still struggling to pay the loan off (Image: Reef Pearson / SWNS)

She said reviewing the figures left her questioning the system, Reef said: “Looking back, it feels like a scam. The whole concept of young people being told by the government that this is the way into education – and find out later they charge you double interest.

“It feels like I’m throwing money into an abyss. It’s just diabolical.”

Graduate Reef Pearson has said the student loan system ‘feels like a scam’ (Image: Reef Pearson / SWNS)

She said she had spoken to her younger siblings about her experience.

Reef said: “I have a younger brother and sister, and I sat them down and told them that they should consider other options than university.”

Reef said she did not particularly enjoy her time at university but continued with the degree because she believed it was needed to work in marketing.

She also said the message many students received at sixth form was that the debt would eventually be written off.

Reef said: “It’s fine, your debt will be wiped after 30 years. That sounds quite nice, but the reality now is very different.”

Reef Pearson from Gateshead has saw her student loan increase by 2k every year in interest (Image: Reef Pearson / SWNS)

After starting her current job, Reef reached the repayment threshold and now pays between £100 and £200 a month towards the loan.

Reef said: “What may sound like a good salary doesn’t get you very far, not as a single woman living alone. That £100 or £200 a month could help a lot.”

Although she now enjoys her job, she believes the terms of the loan were not fully understood when she signed up as a teenager.

Reef secured her first big-time job as a SEO manager in October 2023 and began paying off her loan from 2024 onwards. (Image: Reef Pearson / SWNS)

Reef said: “At 18, anything that has that kind of government stamp on it, you have trust in it, you think they’ll give you a good deal.

“It never crossed my mind there would be an interest rate like this.

“It’s hard to comprehend, I didn’t realise the government had these bleak terms, even for something private – never mind public sector.”

BANGKOK (AP) — Crude oil stayed above $100 a barrel on Monday and Gulf countries reported more attacks by Iran as the war entered its third week, while share prices were mixed.

A barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, was up 2.5% at $105.70. It’s climbed more than 40% since the war began.

U.S. benchmark crude gained 1.6% to $100.29 per barrel. It’s up nearly 50% since the war began.

U.S. futures were buoyant, with the contract for the S&P 500 up 0.6% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5%.

In early European trading, Germany’s DAX edged 0.1% lower to 23,423.51, while the CAC 40 in Paris shed 0.2% to 7,893.16. Britain’s FTSE 100 inched up 0.2% to 10,276.43.

In Asia, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 edged 0.1% lower to 53,751.15, while the Kospi in South Korea climbed 1.1% to 5,549.85.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 1.5% to 25,834.02 after the Chinese government reported stronger than forecast economic data for February. The Shanghai Composite index shed 0.3%, however, to 4,084.79.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 gave up 0.4% to 8,583.40.

Taiwan’s Taiex edged 0.2% lower, while India’s Sensex was little changed.

On Friday, Wall Street’s losses deepened as the war again pushed prices above $100 per barrel, ratcheting up inflationary pressure on the global economy.

The S&P 500 fell 0.6%. The benchmark index is now down 3.1% so far this year.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.3% and the Nasdaq composite finished 0.9% lower. Those indexes also ended the week with their third straight weekly loss.

Since being attacked by the United States and Israel more than two weeks ago, Iran has been regularly hitting Israel, American bases and its Gulf Arab neighbors’ energy infrastructure with drones and missiles. It has also retaliated by effectively stopping cargo traffic through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world’s oil typically sails. That has oil producers cutting production because their crude has nowhere to go.

In just over a week since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, more than 12 million barrels of oil equivalent per day have been taken offline, according to independent research firm Rystad Energy.

Only handful of tankers have reportedly passed through the strait.

“The truth is that at this point, much of the market is operating in the fog,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary. “For context, the strait normally handles roughly 25 oil and LNG tankers every single day.”

If the war continues to hamper the production and transportation of oil from the Persian Gulf, it could cause a damaging surge in inflation.

Members of the International Energy Agency are making a record 400 million barrels of oil available from emergency reserves, though it appears to have done little to reassure markets.

Higher expectations for inflation complicate the Federal Reserve’s efforts to bring interest rates lower to help the economy. The U.S. central bank is not expected to cut rates at its policy meeting this week.

A new snapshot of consumer spending Friday shows inflation crept higher in January, even before the Iran war caused oil and gas prices to spike.

The Commerce Department reported Friday that consumer prices rose 2.8% in January compared with a year earlier. But excluding volatile food and energy, core prices rose 3.1%, the highest jump in nearly two years.

Even so, consumers still lifted their spending at a solid 0.4% pace in January, with their incomes rising at the same pace, according to the report.

Wall Street also got an update on how U.S. economic growth fared in the October-December quarter. The economy, hobbled by last fall’s 43-day government shutdown, grew at a sluggish 0.7% annual rate, a downgrade from its initial estimate last month.

In other trading early Monday, the U.S. dollar slipped to 159.34 Japanese yen from 159.55 yen. The euro rose to $1.1441 from $1.1425.

A next best result for the US would be if a severely damaged Islamic Republic were to then modify its behaviour, stop mistreating its citizens and end its support for radical militias in the region. Again, this looks unlikely after Iran chose as its new supreme leader, a man most likely to irritate Washington in the form of Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of his late, hardline predecessor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.