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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — First it was Canada , then the Panama Canal . Now, Donald Trump again wants Greenland . The president-elect is renewing unsuccessful calls he made during his first term for the U.S. to buy Greenland from Denmark, adding to the list of allied countries with which he's picking fights even before taking office on Jan. 20. In a Sunday announcement naming his ambassador to Denmark, Trump wrote that, “For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity." Trump again having designs on Greenland comes after the president-elect suggested over the weekend that the U.S. could retake control of the Panama Canal if something isn't done to ease rising shipping costs required for using the waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He's also been suggesting that Canada become the 51st U.S. state and referred to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “governor” of the “Great State of Canada.” Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, said Trump tweaking friendly countries harkens back to an aggressive style he used during his days in business. “You ask something unreasonable and it’s more likely you can get something less unreasonable,” said Farnsworth, who is also author of the book “Presidential Communication and Character.” Greenland, the world’s largest island, sits between the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. It is 80% covered by an ice sheet and is home to a large U.S. military base. It gained home rule from Denmark in 1979 and its head of government, Múte Bourup Egede, suggested that Trump’s latest calls for U.S. control would be as meaningless as those made in his first term. “Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale,” he said in a statement. “We must not lose our years-long fight for freedom.” The Danish Prime Minister’s Office said in its own statement that the government is “looking forward to welcoming the new American ambassador. And the Government is looking forward to working with the new administration.” “In a complex security political situation as the one we currently experience, transatlantic cooperation is crucial,” the statement said. It noted that it had no comment on Greenland except for it “not being for sale, but open for cooperation.” Trump canceled a 2019 visit to Denmark after his offer to buy Greenland was rejected by Copenhagen, and ultimately came to nothing . He also suggested Sunday that the U.S. is getting “ripped off” at the Panama Canal. “If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America, in full, quickly and without question,” he said. Panama President José Raúl Mulino responded in a video that “every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to,” but Trump fired back on his social media site, “We’ll see about that!” The president-elect also posted a picture of a U.S. flag planted in the canal zone under the phrase, “Welcome to the United States Canal!” The United States built the canal in the early 1900s but relinquished control to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter . The canal depends on reservoirs that were hit by 2023 droughts that forced it to substantially reduce the number of daily slots for crossing ships. With fewer ships, administrators also increased the fees that shippers are charged to reserve slots to use the canal. The Greenland and Panama flareups followed Trump recently posting that “Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State" and offering an image of himself superimposed on a mountaintop surveying surrounding territory next to a Canadian flag. Trudeau suggested that Trump was joking about annexing his country, but the pair met recently at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida to discuss Trump's threats to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian goods. “Canada is not going to become part of the United States, but Trump’s comments are more about leveraging what he says to get concessions from Canada by putting Canada off balance, particularly given the precarious current political environment in Canada,” Farnsworth said. “Maybe claim a win on trade concessions, a tighter border or other things.” He said the situation is similar with Greenland. “What Trump wants is a win," Farnsworth said. "And even if the American flag doesn’t raise over Greenland, Europeans may be more willing to say yes to something else because of the pressure.” Associated Press writers Gary Fields in Washington and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.Victoria Villarruel, la vicepresidenta de Argentina que levanta sospecha por sus desmarques de MileiBERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Andrej Stojakovic converted 11 of 15 from the free throw line and scored 20 points as California held off a late rally to post an 83-77 win over Sacramento State in the Cal Classic tournament on Sunday. Cal came into its tournament without three starters, Jovan Blacksher Jr., DJ Campbell and BJ Omot and the Golden Bears earned back-to-back wins over Air Force and the Hornets. Stojakovic scored a career-high 21 points and freshman guard Jeremiah Wilkinson stepped up with career-best 23 points against the Falcons. Against Sacramento State, Wilkinson came off the bench to score 16 points. 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Prominent brands struggle to adapt to an e-bike industry dominated by cheap, direct-to-consumer salesDETROIT (AP) — If Donald Trump makes good on his threat to slap 25% tariffs on everything imported from Mexico and Canada, the price increases that could follow will collide with his campaign promise to give American families a break from inflation. Economists say companies would have little choice but to pass along the added costs, dramatically raising prices for food, clothing, automobiles, booze and other goods. The president-elect floated the tariff idea, including additional 10% taxes on goods from China, as a way to force the countries to halt the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the U.S. But his posts Monday on Truth Social threatening the tariffs on his first day in office could just be a negotiating ploy to get the countries to change behavior. High food prices were a major issue in voters picking Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris, but tariffs almost certainly would push those costs up even further. For instance, the Produce Distributors Association, a Washington trade group, said Tuesday that tariffs will raise prices for fresh fruit and vegetables and hurt U.S. farmers when other countries retaliate. “Tariffs distort the marketplace and will raise prices along the supply chain, resulting in the consumer paying more at the checkout line,” said Alan Siger, association president. Mexico and Canada are two of the biggest exporters of fresh fruit and vegetables to the U.S. In 2022, Mexico supplied 51% of fresh fruit and 69% of fresh vegetables imported by value into the U.S., while Canada supplied 2% of fresh fruit and 20% of fresh vegetables. Before the election, about 7 in 10 voters said they were very concerned about the cost of food, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters. “We’ll get them down,” Trump told shoppers during a September visit to a Pennsylvania grocery store. The U.S. is the largest importer of goods in the world, with Mexico, China and Canada its top three suppliers, according to the most recent U.S. Census data. People looking to buy a new vehicle likely would see big price increases as well, at a time when costs have gone up so much they are out of reach for many. The average price of a new vehicle now runs around $48,000. About 15% of the 15.6 million new vehicles sold in the U.S. last year came from Mexico, while 8% crossed the border from Canada, according to Global Data. Much of the tariffs would get passed along to consumers, unless automakers can somehow quickly find productivity improvements to offset them, said C.J. Finn, U.S. automotive sector leader for PwC. That means even more consumers “would potentially get priced out,” Finn said. Hardest hit would be Volkswagen, Stellantis, General Motors and Ford, Bernstein analyst Daniel Roeska wrote Tuesday in a note to investors. “A 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada would severely cripple the U.S. auto industry,” he said. The tariffs would hurt U.S. industrial production so much that “we expect this is unlikely to happen in practice,” Roeska said. The tariff threat hit auto stocks on Tuesday, particularly shares of GM, which imports about 30% of the vehicles it sells in the U.S. from Canada and Mexico, and Stellantis, which imports about 40% from the two countries. For both, about 55% of their lucrative pickup trucks come from Mexico and Canada. GM stock lost almost 9% of its value, while Stellantis dropped nearly 6%. It's not clear how long the tariffs would last if implemented, but they could force auto executives to move production to the U.S., which could create more jobs in the long run. However, Morningstar analyst David Whiston said automakers probably won't make any immediate moves because they can't quickly change where they build vehicles. Millions of dollars worth of auto parts flow across the borders with Mexico and Canada, and that could raise prices for already costly automobile repairs, Finn said. The Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. said tariffs on tequila or Canadian whisky won’t boost American jobs because they are distinctive products that can only be made in their country of origin. In 2023, the U.S. imported $4.6 billion worth of tequila and $108 million worth of mezcal from Mexico and $537 million worth of spirits from Canada, it said. “Tariffs on spirits products from our neighbors to the north and south are going to hurt U.S. consumers and lead to job losses across the U.S. hospitality industry,” it added. Electronics retailer Best Buy said on its third-quarter earnings conference call that it runs on thin profit margins, so while vendors and the company will shoulder some increases, Best Buy will have to pass tariffs to customers. “These are goods that people need, and higher prices are not helpful,” CEO Corie Barry said. Walmart also warned this week that tariffs could force it to raise prices. Tariffs could trigger supply chain disruptions as people buy goods before they are imposed and companies seek alternate sources of parts, said Rob Handfield, a professor of supply chain management at North Carolina State University. Some businesses might not be able to pass on the costs. “It could actually shut down a lot of industries in the United States. It could actually put a lot of U.S. businesses out of business,” he said. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who talked with Trump after his call for tariffs, said they had a good conversation about working together. "This is a relationship that we know takes a certain amount of working on and that’s what we’ll do,” Trudeau said. Trump's threats come as arrests for illegally crossing the border from Mexico have been falling . But arrests for illegally crossing the border from Canada have been rising over the past two years. Much of America’s fentanyl is smuggled from Mexico, and seizures have increased. Trump has sound legal justification to impose tariffs, even though they conflict with a 2020 trade deal brokered in large part by Trump with Canada and Mexico, said William Reinsch, senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former Clinton administration trade official. The treaty, known as the USMCA, is up for review in 2026. In China’s case, he could simply declare Beijing hasn't met obligations under an agreement he negotiated in his first term. For Canada and Mexico, he could say the influx of migrants and drugs are a national security threat, and turn to a section of trade law he used in his first term to slap tariffs on steel and aluminum. The law he would most likely use for Canada and Mexico has a legal process that often takes up to nine months, giving Trump time to seek a deal. If talks failed and the duties were imposed, all three countries would likely retaliate with tariffs on U.S. exports, said Reinsch, who believes Trump's tariffs threat is a negotiating ploy. U.S. companies would lobby intensively against tariffs, and would seek to have products exempted. Some of the biggest exporters from Mexico are U.S. firms that make parts there, Reinsch said. Longer term, Mary Lovely, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said the threat of tariffs could make the U.S. an “unstable partner” in international trade. “It is an incentive to move activity outside the United States to avoid all this uncertainty,” she said. Trump transition team officials did not immediately respond to questions about what he would need to see to prevent the tariffs from being implemented and how they would impact prices in the U.S. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum suggested Tuesday that Mexico could retaliate with tariffs of its own. Sheinbaum said she was willing to talk about the issues, but said drugs were a U.S. problem.Ross County manager Don Cowie says Connor Randall’s absence for their match against Celtic this weekend is an opportunity for someone else to step up. The 29-year-old midfielder was booked in the Staggies’ 2-1 win over Motherwell last Saturday , meaning he passed the threshold that triggered a suspension for accumulation of yellow cards. He will now miss the trip to defending Premiership champions Celtic, leaving a hole in the middle of the park for County. As far as Cowie is concerned, though, he still has plenty of options at his disposal, so he is keen to see who can step up and stake their claim for more minutes in Randall’s absence. “I couldn’t believe that Connor got booked on Saturday,” Cowie explained. “ If anything he got fouled, but he got booked, and that means now we don’t have him. “It was maybe in the back of his mind, but he definitely didn’t hold back last Saturday. “Maybe he was in the thick of things and managed to put it to one side, because between him, Josh Nisbet and Noah Chilvers they gave us that platform to go and win the game in the second half last Saturday. They complemented each other really well. “Maybe Connor will have a bit more freedom when he comes back, but I have only seen someone giving his everything for the club. “There was always the potential that he was going to miss a game in the next few weeks if he got booked, and it’s this one. “We have plenty of options, so it’s up to the players this week to put themselves forward and suggest they want to play. “Between Victor Loturi, Charlie Telfer, Scott Allardice and Aiden Denholm – who all didn’t start last weekend – we have players I have a lot of belief in. It’s up to them now to potentially play this Saturday.” Even as club captain, Randall has not played every minute when available for Ross County this season, which speaks to the depth Cowie alluded to. Although this weekend he will be forced into changes, the Staggies boss often does tinker with his starting 11 to freshen up the side, or deal with specific threats in the opposition line-up. As a result, he does not have a first choice team in mind as he is so reliant on the depth of his squad. “I don’t see it as a starting 11,” Cowie added. “I see it as a really good squad that we’ve good, and I don’t think there’s much between the players in that squad. “That’s my honest opinion, and that’s maybe why I change a few players in each game. “I look at the opposition we’re playing and try to nullify their threats while hurting them in a positive manner, so I genuinely don’t see it as a starting team. “There probably isn’t such a thing as a starting 11 nowadays. “With the five subs, you always have that option to change within the game as well, so it’s about giving yourself the best base to work from at the start of the game. That’s what we try to do.”

PORTLAND, Maine — The incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump is likely to bring big changes for one of the oldest sectors of the U.S. economy — seafood — and some in the industry believe the returning president will be more responsive to its needs. Economic analysts paint a more complicated picture, as they are concerned Trump’s pending trade hostilities with major trading partners Canada and China could make an already pricy kind of protein more expensive for consumers. Conservationists also worry Trump’s emphasis on government deregulation could jeopardize fish stocks that are already in peril. But many in the commercial fishing and seafood-processing industries said they are excited for Trump’s second presidency. They said they expect he’ll allow fishing in protected areas as he did in his first presidency, crack down on offshore wind expansion and cut back regulations they describe as burdensome. They expect a marked shift from the administration of President Joe Biden, who prioritized ocean conservation and championed wind power from the start. The seafood industry isn’t hungry for another tariff war, which hurt fishermen during Trump’s first term, said Beth Casoni, executive director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association. But she said the new Trump administration has a unique chance to throw its support behind U.S. fishermen. “I think we should be focused on feeding Americans,” Casoni said. “The ‘America First’ administration I think will make that point loud and clear. Know where your food is coming from.” But the seafood industry, which is international in nature, could be seriously disrupted if Trump goes through with a plan to impose a 25% tax on all products entering the country from Canada, said John Sackton, a longtime industry analyst and founder of Seafood News. Canada is the largest seafood market for the U.S. for both imports and exports, and nearly a sixth of the seafood imported by the U.S. is from its northern neighbor, according to federal statistics published in November. In total, about 80% of seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported. Losing Canada — an especially important buyer of American lobster — as a market for U.S. seafood could cause prices for fishermen to collapse, Sackton said. And some products could become unavailable while others become more expensive and still others oversupplied, he said. He described the seafood industry as “interdependent on both sides of the border.” In Canada, members of the country’s seafood industry are watching closely to see what changes Trump ushers in, said Geoff Irvine, executive director of the Lobster Council of Canada, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. “A potential trade war will cost everyone more (in Canada and the U.S.) and cause damage to the seafood section in Canada and the United States,” Irvine said via email. “We are working with allies in Canada and the U.S. to send this message to all governments.” One of the major changes for fishermen under a new Trump administration is that they can expect to have a seat at the table when high-level decisions get made, representatives for several commercial fishing groups said. Last time around, Trump sat down with fishermen and listened to their concerns about loss of fishing rights in Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, a nearly 5,000-square mile protected area off New England, said Robert Vanasse, executive director of industry advocate Saving Seafood. That goodwill is likely to carry over into Trump’s new presidency. And the industry feels it already scored a win with election of a president who is an outspoken critic of offshore wind power, said Drew Minkiewicz, an attorney who represents the New Bedford, Massachusetts-based Sustainable Scalloping Fund. Fishermen of valuable seafoods such as scallops and lobsters long opposed offshore wind development because of concerns wind power will disrupt prime fishing grounds. “There is excitement in the industry that offshore wind will basically be contained to its existing footprint and nothing beyond that,” Minkiewicz said. Others in the industry said they’re concerned about how Trump will handle the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the federal agency that regulates fisheries. The undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere, who is currently the Biden-appointed Rick Spinrad, will be one of Trump’s key appointees. Trump went through three different administrators at the post during his first term of office. The industry recently suffered major crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and trade hostilities with Russia, another major trading partner, and isn’t in a position to withstand unstable leadership, said Noah Oppenheim, coordinator for Fishing Communities Coalition, which represents small-scale commercial fishing groups. “The Fishing Communities Coalition is always deeply concerned that any administration’s shifts away from a fishery management focus on conservation and accountability will do serious lasting damage to the industry,” Oppenheim said. Conservation groups who pushed for stricter vessel speed rules and new fishing standards, such as new gear that is less likely to harm whales, said they’re also waiting to see the direction Trump takes fisheries and ocean policy. They said they’re hopeful progress made under Biden can withstand a second Trump presidency. Get local news delivered to your inbox!The rapidly escalating problem of electronic waste (e-waste) presents significant environmental, economic, and social challenges worldwide. According to the literature, globally, nearly 62 million tonnes of e-waste will be generated in 2022, and this figure is expected to reach 82 million tonnes by 2030, growing at an alarming rate. This includes PCs, mobile phones, and batteries, which hold immense untapped value in critical metals and recyclable plastics. Badulla stands out as an area ripe with potential for innovative solutions. By leveraging a circular economic approach, this region can transform the e-waste burden into an opportunity for sustainable development. An undergraduate study by Uva Wellassa University highlights the potential of recovering critical metals, such as gold and palladium, and plastics recovered from e-waste collected by informal networks, which could contribute to environmental preservation and drive local economic empowerment. The study emphasises the pivotal role of informal e-waste collectors and the need to integrate their efforts into formal systems, unlocking the untapped potential for resource recovery and community growth. E-waste contains valuable materials, particularly critical metals like gold, silver, copper, and palladium, essential for modern technologies. Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs), a significant component of discarded electronics, are particularly rich in these metals. Research indicates that many PCBs can yield significantly higher concentrations of these metals than traditional mining sources, making urban mining a viable and eco-friendly alternative. In addition to metal recovery, the plastic fractions of e-waste have immense potential for reuse. These plastics can be transformed through innovative recycling techniques into raw materials for additive manufacturing, such as 3D printing. This reduces the need for virgin plastic production and supports the creation of new industries focused on sustainable manufacturing. The team from Uva Wellassa University, comprising Viran Meegahapola and Harithra Weerasinghe, is working under the guidance of Dr Nimila Dushyantha and Jagath Kulathilake alongside Dr Gayithri Kuruppu from the University of Moratuwa. Their objectives include developing innovative processing flowsheets tailored to efficiently extract valuable materials, implementing circular economy principles in e-waste management, and conducting comprehensive awareness programs targeting diverse layers of society. These programs highlight the immense potential of e-waste recycling using platforms such as mass media, social media, and community outreach initiatives. The principles of a circular economy align perfectly with the goals of urban mining. Unlike the traditional “take-make-dispose” model, a circular economy emphasises extending the lifecycle of materials through reuse, recycling, and recovery. Integrating e-waste into this framework can minimise the need for virgin resource extraction, thereby reducing environmental degradation. In Badulla, informal e-waste collectors play a crucial role in the waste management ecosystem. Their extensive networks ensure that a significant portion of discarded electronics is gathered, but the lack of formal support often limits their capacity for effective recycling. Incorporating these collectors into a structured circular economy model can amplify their efforts. Providing them access to advanced recycling technologies and safe working conditions will ensure better recovery rates and environmental outcomes. Furthermore, the circular economy encourages innovation. The team at Uva Wellassa University is exploring how recycled e-waste plastics can be processed into sustainable 3D printing filaments. This novel application can add value to waste and create opportunities for local entrepreneurs to enter emerging markets in additive manufacturing. Public awareness is pivotal for the success of any e-waste management initiative. Despite the value hidden in e-waste, a large portion remains improperly discarded or stored in households. In Badulla, surveys reveal that most residents are unaware of the critical metals in their old electronic devices or the potential environmental hazards of improper disposal. To address this gap, awareness programs must target diverse segments of society. Educational campaigns using mass media, social media platforms, and community workshops can effectively disseminate information about the benefits of e-waste recycling. Highlighting success stories, such as how critical metals recovered from e-waste contribute to high-tech industries or how recycled plastics are used in 3D printing, can inspire participation. Schools, universities, and local authorities can collaborate to organise e-waste collection drives, emphasising proper disposal’s economic and environmental benefits. Often overlooked in public discourse, informal collectors should also be included in these campaigns. Recognising their role and providing them with training on safe recycling practices can transform them into key stakeholders in a formalised system. The journey toward a circular economy for e-waste in Badulla requires collaboration across multiple sectors. Local government bodies must establish policies that incentivise formal recycling efforts and provide infrastructure for e-waste collection and processing. Partnerships with private companies can bring the technological expertise needed to optimise recycling processes. Educational institutions, like Uva Wellassa University, can lead research and innovation in this field while serving as hubs for public education. By fostering an environment of cooperation among informal collectors, policymakers, and researchers, the district can set an example for sustainable e-waste management in Sri Lanka. In conclusion, the urban mining potential of e-waste in Badulla offers a unique opportunity to implement circular economic principles. This approach can generate economic value, create jobs, and reduce environmental harm by recovering critical metals and reusing plastics in cutting-edge applications. Raising awareness among households is crucial to increasing participation in e-waste recycling programs. Collaborative efforts between local authorities, private companies, and educational institutions will be instrumental in building the necessary infrastructure for sustainable management. By promoting innovative applications, such as using recycled plastics for 3D printing, Badulla can position itself as a hub for environmentally friendly economic activities. The district can transform its e-waste challenge into an economic growth and environmental preservation model with concerted initiatives and well-crafted policies.PM: Energy important pillar of bilateral ties, reflects deep trust