NEW YORK, Nov. 6– The U.S. Supreme Court held a hearing on Wednesday over the administration’s global tariff policy under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), with both conservative and liberal justices expressing skepticism about its legal basis.

During the nearly three hours of oral arguments, Solicitor General John Sauer, representing U.S. President Donald Trump, told the court that the tariffs were imposed to deal with two emergencies: a persistent trade imbalance and the flood of fentanyl into the country.

But the justices were doubtful about Trump’s claim that he has the power to impose tariffs under the IEEPA. While acknowledging tariffs involve foreign affairs, Chief Justice John Roberts noted that the statute, as interpreted by Trump, imposes taxes on Americans, and taxes have always been “the core power of Congress.”

Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor questioned Sauer, “You say tariffs are not taxes, but that’s exactly what they are. They’re generating money from American citizens, revenue.”

Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch pointed out that Trump has unilaterally imposed the tariffs by citing purported international emergencies of trade imbalances and the flow of fentanyl into the United States, without Congress authorizing them.

Other conservative justices, including Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh and Samuel Alito, also pressed Sauer, saying that Trump’s citation of a nearly 50-year-old law to defend his tariffs is an overreach of the executive power.

Neal Katyal, representing the plaintiffs, argued that “tariffs are taxes,” and that “our founders gave that taxing power to Congress alone.”

It remains unclear when the Supreme Court will release its ruling, but the Trump administration has requested an expedited ruling.

U.S. National Public Radio claimed that “Trump’s claim of unilateral power to impose tariffs hit a wall of skepticism at the Supreme Court,” while Politico called the Supreme Court showdown “an epic clash between two of the most deeply ingrained tenets of the conservative legal movement.”

In response to lawsuits filed by five small businesses and 12 states on April 14 and April 23, the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York ruled on May 28 that the Trump administration’s tariffs were illegal and ordered their revocation implemented under the IEEPA.

A U.S. appeals court on Aug. 29 upheld the ruling of the lower court’s decision in a 7-4 vote.  (Xinhua)

SAO PAULO, Nov. 5 — The Brazilian government on Tuesday voiced concern over possible new conflicts in Latin America as the United States advances efforts to classify drug trafficking as a form of terrorism.

Celso Amorim, chief advisor to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, told local media that the world is facing a moment of “total disorder,” driven by the use of U.S.-promoted labels that could justify military action.

He pointed to Washington’s recent strategy of launching attacks against suspected drug trafficker vessels in Latin America and labeling organized crime groups as terrorist organizations.

“This division between ‘narco-terrorism’ and other labels may justify military attacks that otherwise wouldn’t happen. It’s all very worrisome,” Amorim said.

The issue goes beyond trade, Amorim said, referring to the ongoing negotiations over the 50 percent tariffs the United States imposed on Brazilian products.

Despite the tensions, Amorim said Brazil remains a stable democracy and “an indispensable partner for the international community in a world in desperate need of good news.”(Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 5  — At least 30 people have been killed in Haiti and more than 1.5 million people affected in Jamaica by Hurricane Melissa, a UN spokesperson said Tuesday.

In Jamaica, infrastructure has been severely damaged, with more than 130 roads blocked and power and communication networks disrupted, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, told a daily briefing.

Health services are under heavy strain, since several hospitals and clinics were damaged or destroyed, prompting the deployment of an emergency medical team from the Pan American Health Organization, he said.

Haq said the World Food Programme (WFP) estimated that up to 360,000 people may require food assistance in Jamaica. A UN disaster assessment and coordination team is coordinating assistance teams and aid arriving, in support of the Jamaican government, he said.

In Haiti, Haq said that the United Nations and its partners continue to carry out assessments of the damage wreaked by Hurricane Melissa and are ramping up efforts to reach people in need.

The Food and Agriculture Organization indicated losses in beans, corn and fruit crops, as well as damage to fishing infrastructure, which is expected to increase hunger in a country where half of the population is already food insecure, said the spokesperson.

Speaking to reporters via video link, WFP’s Country Director in Cuba Etienne Labande said the hurricane left behind widespread flooding, power outages and heavy damage, with crops lost and many buildings partially or fully destroyed in the eastern part of Cuba.

One particularity in the response to the hurricane is the anticipatory action framework adopted by Cuba, coupled with a pre-approved UN allocation, which enabled UN agencies to preposition key supplies in vulnerable areas ahead of the hurricane’s landfall, Labande said. (Xinhua)

GABORONE, Nov. 5  — The African Union (AU) on Tuesday urged its members to take “decisive action” to conserve nature for the continent’s survival and prosperity.

Speaking at the first Africa Biodiversity Summit’s Ministerial Segment, held as the First Conference of Parties to the Maputo Convention on Nature and Natural Resources in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, AU Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment Moses Vilakati called for efforts to strengthen policies and invest in nature.

“We must move beyond declarations to decisive actions,” Vilakati said, stressing that “it is about time we start being action-oriented.”

He said that biodiversity is not a secondary issue but a “foundation for our economies, food systems, health, and cultural identity.”

Vilakati stressed the need for robust policy frameworks, investment in nature-based solutions, and the empowerment of youth and indigenous communities as conservation leaders to achieve the AU’s Agenda 2063 vision for an integrated and prosperous Africa.

The administrative and regulatory frameworks discussed at this summit are expected to guide the implementation of the Maputo Convention.

Calling for tangible results, Botswana’s Minister of Environment and Tourism Wynter Mmolotsi said the Maputo Convention is a critical “call to action” which should drive “concrete change on the ground.”

The Maputo Convention is formally known as the “African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.”

It was first adopted in 2003, and the revised convention was adopted in 2013, then entered into force in July 2016, according to the AU website.

Themed “Leveraging Biodiversity for Africa‘s Prosperity,” the Africa Biodiversity Summit, lasting from Nov. 2 to Nov. 5, is expected to adopt the Africa Biodiversity Summit Declaration at the Summit Segment on Wednesday. (Xinhua)

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 — Two men were killed on Tuesday in the U.S. military’s latest strike targeting boats allegedly transporting narcotics in international waters in the eastern Pacific, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on social media.

“Today, at the direction of President (Donald) Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization,” Hegseth wrote in a post, claiming the vessel was carrying narcotics.

“No U.S. forces were harmed in the strike, and two male narco-terrorists — who were aboard the vessel — were killed.” he said.

Hegseth offered neither evidence nor the cartel’s name. Since Sept. 2, the U.S. military has sunk 17 vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, claiming at least 66 deaths.

The Trump administration has also expanded its military presence across the Caribbean since August. Currently, the U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean is the largest in the region in more than three decades.

Trump on Friday said he has not yet decided whether the United States will launch ground strikes inside Venezuela, contradicting media reports that his administration will attack Venezuelan military facilities.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly condemned Washington’s actions as attempts to overthrow his government and expand the U.S. military influence in Latin America.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro last month accused the U.S. government of “murder” for killing drug suspects at sea. (Xinhua)