Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 24 January 2018
India, Canada defend free trade as US imposes tariffs

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — as a precaution, but there
Just hours after President was no immediate sign of
Donald Trump approved violence.
new tariffs on imports, the Since taking power, Trump
leaders of Canada and has argued for the renego-
India came out forcefully tiation of the North Ameri-
Tuesday against a drift to- can Free Trade Agreement
ward protectionism in the with Canada and Mexico
global economy. and pulled the U.S. out of
While Indian Prime Minister the Trans-Pacific Partner-
Narendra Modi said new ship, an initiative ostensibly
barriers to trade could pose designed to liberalize and
a danger on a par with cli- enhance regional trade.
mate change and extrem- Though without its biggest
ist attacks, his Canadian member, the U.S., the re-
peer, Justin Trudeau, re- maining members of the
vealed that his country and TPP are committing to a
the 10 remaining members deal — Trudeau told busi-
of the Trans-Pacific Part- ness leaders in Davos that
nership have revised their a revised agreement had
trade deal in the wake of been signed in Tokyo after
the U.S. withdrawal. two days of high-level talks.
"Forces of protectionism are Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, on Tuesday, "This agreement meets our
Jan. 23, 2018, in Davos, Switzerland at the World Economic Forum.
raising their heads against (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press via AP) objectives of creating and
globalization," Modi told sustaining growth, prosper-
a crowd of business and the "negative impact of this Modi's speech to the global from, are perceived to be ity and well-paying mid-
government leaders in the kind of mindset cannot be elite, the first time an Indian facing a challenge from dle-class jobs today and
opening address at the considered less dangerous prime minister has made Trump who was elected for generations to come,"
World Economic Forum in than climate change or the opening address at the on an "America First" man- Trudeau said. "If we're go-
Davos. "It feels like the op- terrorism." WEF, comes a year after date. Trump, who is due to ing to push back against
posite of globalization is He urged governments not Chinese President Xi Jin- make his own speech on the anti-trade tendency in
happening." to turn to isolation, driving ping laid out his country's Friday, argues that a strong globalization that will leave
Modi's message came af- home his point by quot- credentials as a champion U.S. economy is a boon to us all worse off, we have to
ter Trump's signing off on ing Indian independence of free trade and stability the wider world. put the concerns and the
the new tariffs on imported leader Mohandas Gandhi: on the same week Trump In Zurich, hundreds of pro- well-being of our ordinary
solar-energy components "I don't want the windows was inaugurated president. testers, some with their citizens at the center of
and large washing ma- of my house to be closed The forces of globaliza- faces covered, marched what we are negotiating
chines in a move he hopes from all directions. I want tion, which have driven the in Switzerland's largest city and that's what all 11 of us
will help U.S. manufactur- the winds of cultures of world economy for the past to denounce the Davos fo- have been able to do."
ers. all countries to enter my couple of decades and rum and Trump's planned The changes, he said, will
Without directly referring to house with aplomb and go that both China and India visit. Riot police and water “pay back to India in a big
Trump or the U.S., Modi said out also." have benefited hugely cannons were deployed way.”q

150 evacuated in Italy after avalanche, snow blankets Alps

MILAN (AP) — Four helicop- The whole village was cut ers, who can start their runs
ters evacuated 150 people off from the nearest major right outside the hotel door.
trapped in a four-star Italy road, some 20 kilometers Martina Doene, the hotel's
hotel and other remote away, by the heavy snow- manager, said the evacu-
structures Tuesday after an fall and avalanche risk. A ees remained calm.
avalanche, authorities said structure at a closed edu- The civil protection agency
as heavy snow caused dis- cational facility was dam- said teams also were work-
ruption across the Alps. aged in one avalanche, ing to open roads to Val Se-
The Langtauferer Hotel, lo- while the second story of nales, where thousands of
cated near the Austrian a house was destroyed in tourists and residents had
border at 1,870 meters another, civil protection been isolated since Mon-
(6,135 feet) above sea lev- authorities said. The family day above Merano. The
el, was not directly hit by was on the first floor and no town itself was protected
the overnight avalanche, one was hurt. by avalanche barriers and
but the area was at ex- The whole northern crest they were at no immediate
treme risk for more, Katia of the Alps bordering Aus- risk, Squeo said.
Squeo with the civil pro- tria was under the highest Heavy snow has created
tection agency in Bolzano, A worker from the slope patrol is reloading a helicopter of Air avalanche risk following dangerous conditions and
Italy said. Zermatt with explosive material to throw it later out of the win- an extraordinary snowfall disrupted transport across
dow during flight to artificially blow up avalanches this noon at
"The electricity was restored the skiing resort Belalp in Naters, on Tuesday Jan. 23, 2018. of up to two meters (6.6 the Alps. In France, the
and the guests didn't want (Dominic Steinmann/Keystone via AP) feet,) beating record levels Chamonix ski area at the
to go, so the mayor ordered dating to the early 1980s in foot of Mont Blanc was
the evacuation," Squeo with each helicopter fer- The evacuees included 75 some places, officials said. closed due to what officials
said. "The avalanche risk is rying seven people at a guests and hotel workers, The Langtauferer hotel said was the highest ava-
still present." time to a school gymna- local residents and tourists boasts views of a 3,700-me- lanche risk. Several major
The evacuation took place sium in nearby San Valen- staying in other accommo- ter summit and advertises roads and tunnels in the
under clear conditions, tino, where they were fed. dations. itself as being ideal for ski- area were shut down. q