The US House of Representatives has voted to rescind US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods. In a 219 to 211 vote, six Republican lawmakers joined Democrats to back a resolution that seeks to end the tariffs Trump imposed on Canada last year.

The vote is largely symbolic as it will still need to be approved by the US Senate and then approved by Trump, who is very unlikely to sign it into law.

Since his re-election, Donald Trump has imposed a series of tariffs on Canada, recently threatening a 100 per cent import tax in response to Canada’s proposed trade deal with China.

As the vote was taking place on the House floor, Trump posted on Truth Social: “Any Republican, in the House or the Senate, that votes against TARIFFS will seriously suffer the consequences come Election time.

“TARIFFS have given us Economic and National Security, and no Republican should be responsible for destroying this privilege,” he added.

The vote came after US House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Trump ally in Congress, unsuccessfully tried to block discussion on the chamber’s floor by lawmakers on Trump’s tariffs.

With Republicans holding a thin majority in the US House, the six Republican defections along with a near-united front from Democrats was enough to secure the votes.

The measure had been introduced by Democrat Gregory Meeks who said that Trump had “weaponized tariffs” against allies and destabilized the global economy.

“Not only have these tariffs done immense harm to our relationship with Canada, pushing them closer to China, they have driven up prices here at home,” he said before the vote.

Representative Don Bacon from Nebraska was one of the six Republicans who crossed the aisle to join Democrats in approving the measure. Before the vote, he said “tariffs have been a ‘net negative’ for the economy and are a significant tax that American consumers, manufacturers, and farmers are paying.”

The bill now heads to the US Senate where Republicans also hold the majority. Even if it cleared that hurdle, it is unlikely to be signed into law.

Separately, Trump’s tariffs are also facing legal scrutiny as the US Supreme Court is set to rule soon on a case questioning the president’s legal authority to impose the levies.

Meeks, the top Democrat on the US House Foreign Affairs committee, said the measure on Canada is the first of several bills he plans to introduce that aim to roll back Trump’s signature trade action.

“Our fight doesn’t stop here,” he said in a video posted online before the vote. “I have resolutions also to end Trump’s tariffs on Mexico, on Brazil, and on his Liberation Day global tariffs.”

Ghanaians across the country have turned out en masse to wear the country’s colourful traditional outfit, the fugu, after the government designated Wednesdays “Fugu Day”.

The move comes after President John Dramani Mahama’s state visit to Zambia last week when he wore the garment.

Ghana’s Tourism Minister Abla Dzifa Gomashie said that wearing the outfit every week would help project the country’s identity “with pride on the global stage”.

She encouraged wearing the outfit “in all its diverse forms, designs, and expressions, complemented by its distinctive and beautiful accessories”.

The fugu, also known as batakari, is a traditional northern Ghanaian top made from hand‑woven, narrow strips of thick cotton fabric stitched together to form a structured, poncho‑style garment.

It is worn by traditional leaders in northern Ghana, as well as ordinary citizens, and is a symbol of royalty and authority.

The traditional fugu top is more often associated with men, who sometimes wear trousers and a hat in matching material, but women also wear a version of it, which can be styled longer or as a dress.

When Ghana became the first sub-Saharan nation to break free from colonial rule in 1957, its founding father – the pan-Africanist Kwame Nkrumah – and five others wore fugus at the celebrations that marked the country’s independence from the UK.

Beyond its cultural importance, Gomashie said the outfit’s weekly display would “generate far-reaching social and economic benefits” especially for local weavers, designers, artisans and traders.

“The government hopes that this collective embrace of fugu will strengthen national unity, stimulate the creative economy, and serve as a powerful symbol of Ghana’s cultural confidence and self-expression,” the minister added.

Following the announcement, many Ghanaians on Wednesday heeded the minister’s call, wearing the outfit in a variety of colours across the country.

Bismark Owusu Sarpong said that the capital, Accra was proud to wear his blue, white and black striped fugu, which he had received as a gift, to put “Ghana on the map” plus he said the outfit came with the added bonus of being comfortable.

Raymond Avenor, also in Accra, agreed wholeheartedly with this: ”Fugu is an easy wear.

“You pick it and off you go. You don’t have to iron it, we don’t wash it often as it should be,” the civil servant said, sporting a blue fugu with white stitching.

“Significantly it’s the northern people of Ghana that use this and it depicts, according to my understanding, royalty. I feel good when I wear it.”

For Andrews Tetteh Zutah, who owns more than seven of the tops, “Fugu Day” should not only be restricted to Wednesdays.

“I wish to have more,” said the Accra office worker in his striped red, khaki and black fugu.

“I wish I will be allowed to wear it anytime to the office but because of office constraints I’m unable to wear it every day. Personally, it’s one of the outfits I love most.” The attention has been great for fugu makers and sellers too.

Elijah Sulemana Musah, owner of a fugu factory, says business is booming – adding that he has received lots of orders from Ghanaian celebrities such as popular musicians Okyeame Kwame and Kwabena Kwabena.

”I’ve had calls coming in from several places both within and outside Ghana. I just met someone who said Zambians have called her and they are interested in the fugu and so she would want me to supply her,” he said. The iconic outfit has been trending on social media for days following the banter between Ghanaians and Zambians.

This revived a cultural movement on social media, with Ghanaians informally declaring “Fugu Friday” to showcase the outfits. Fridays had been designated by the previous government as a day where people were encouraged to wear traditional clothes.

The debate prompted Ghanaians, including MPs, to flood social media proudly showcasing their fugus, while Zambians featured wearing their traditional outfits known as siziba.

The online exchange attracted the attention of Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, who announced that his country would order fugus from Ghana.

President Mahama also suggested exporting the smock in bulk to Zambia.

While emphasising the fugu’s cultural and political significance, Mahama gave a nod to Nkrumah and how he had worn it in 1957 and said that he himself had recently worn it proudly to the UN.

Other presidents, including Nana Akufo-Addo, John Kufuor and Jerry John Rawlings, have also embraced and publicly promoted the outfit.

 Ukrainian forces have carried out overnight attacks on military and energy-related facilities in several Russian regions, local authorities said yesterday, as cross-border strikes intensified.

Gov. Andrey Bocharov, from the regional administration’s Telegram channel, said air defence systems repelled a missile attack during the night in the southern Volgograd region.

Debris from intercepted projectiles sparked a fire on the grounds of a Russian Defence Ministry building near the village of Kotluban.

Bocharov said evacuations were ordered in the area due to ongoing detonations.

“There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage to civilian infrastructure.

“Images and videos shared on social media appeared to show multiple explosions in the region,” he said.

Ukrainian media outlets reported that rocket artillery depots in the Volgograd area were struck, though those claims could not be independently verified.

In the Tambov region, further north, two people were injured in a separate drone attack, according to Gov. Evgeny Pervyshov. He said drone debris hit a technical college and a shop in the town of Michurinsk.

Ukrainian media also reported a drone strike on a refinery in the northern Russian republic of Komi.

Local emergency services confirmed at least one drone attack in the area but did not provide details about potential damage.

Social media images suggested the refinery might have been affected, although this could not be independently confirmed.

Authorities temporarily closed the airport in the city of Ukhta, citing security concerns.