Donald Trump, United States (US) Republican presidential candidate, says he would raise tariffs on vehicles by 200 percent to prevent the importation of cars from Mexico.

Trump spoke in an interview aired on Fox News on Sunday.

Although the Republican presidential candidate specifically mentioned Mexico, the top exporter to the US in 2023, the policy could affect other countries, including Saudi Arabia, Australia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and China.

According to data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity, the US in 2022, imported cars valued at $159 billion mainly from Mexico ($34.1 billion), Japan ($32.9 billion), Canada ($27 billion), South Korea ($22.5 billion), and Germany ($17 billion).

Speaking during the interview, Trump said his intention to block the sale of Mexican-made cars in the US is part of his effort to protect America’s auto industry.

“All I’m doing is saying I’ll put 200 or 500, I don’t care. I’ll put a number where they can’t sell one car. I don’t want them hurting our car companies,” the presidential candidate said.

“When I use 200 I’m using it as a number. I don’t want their car.

“They will not be able to sell cars. I’m not going to let them build a factory right across the border and sell millions of cars into the United States and destroy Detroit further.”

Trump said the US had lost about 70 percent of its car production over the years.

He vowed to reverse the trend by encouraging companies to return to the country and set up operations in states like Michigan, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

“We’re going to bring back those companies, and I’ll tell you what, they’re going to come back fast but we’re not going to let them sell cars from a nice new factory, owned by China, located in Mexico,” he said.

A Turkish Airlines plane heading to Istanbul made an emergency landing in New York after the captain died on board.

The plane took off from Seattle on Wednesday but was forced to divert after İlçehin Pehlivan, the 59-year-old pilot, fainted.

Yahya Üstün, Turkish Airlines spokesperson, said the crew gave the pilot an emergency treatment on board and tried to revive him but failed.

“When the first medical intervention to our captain on the plane was ineffective, the cockpit crew consisting of 1 captain and 1 co-pilot decided to make an emergency landing, but our captain lost his life before landing,” Üstün said.

The spokesperson noted that the pilot had worked at the airline since 2007 and had no known health problems.

Üstün added that the captain also passed a medical earlier this year, noting that no health problem was detected that would have prevented him from working.

“As Turkish Airlines, we deeply feel the loss of our captain and extend our sincerest condolences to his bereaved family, colleagues, and all his loved ones,” Üstün said.

The airline official said arrangements have been made for the passengers to connect their flight to Istanbul via New York.

The Cameroonian presidency has debunked reports alleging that Paul Biya, the nation’s 91-year-old leader, is dead.

Biya’s health has been the subject of widespread speculation for nearly a month.

The Cameroonian president successively cancelled appearances at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) summit, and the Sustainable Development Forum in Hamburg, Germany.

The rumours reached a crescendo on Tuesday when ABS Africa TV announced the president’s death.

Biya has not been seen in public since leaving Beijing on September 8, after attending the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (FOCAC).

He had been expected to return to Cameroon in mid-September after his stay in China.

Preparations for his arrival had been put in place but were later lifted when the president’s medical team advised him to remain in Switzerland.

Biya has regularly undergone medical care and extended periods of rest in Switzerland.

According to the Cameroon Intelligence Report, an online platform, the president has been battling heart problems and memory failure for many years.

The report added that Biya’s health was worsened by prostate cancer, which spread to other vital organs, eventually claiming his life over the weekend at a hospital in an uncertain location of Paris or Geneva.

‘BIYA IS ALIVE AND WELL’

However, Samuel Ayolo, the director of the presidency’s civil cabinet, issued a statement debunking Biya’s rumoured death.

“For some time now, some malicious people through social networks have tried to make people believe that the President of the Republic is seriously ill, or even passed away,” Ayolo said.

“The Civil Cabinet of the Presidency of the Republic wishes to reassure all our compatriots as well as the international community about the excellent state of health of the Head of State who works and goes about his business in Geneva from where he has never left since his arrival from Beijing.

“The Civil Cabinet of the Presidency of the Republic strongly condemns behaviors that abuse freedom of expression to try to disturb national and international opinion.”

Biya has been a significant figure in Cameroonian politics, serving as president since 1982.

He is one of the longest-serving leaders in the world and the oldest head of state in Africa, having been in power for over four decades.

Biya has been re-elected six times, often amid allegations of electoral fraud and irregularities. The 91-year-old has also been labelled a dictator and has been accused of impoverishing Cameroon.

Last year, the president reshuffled his ministry of defence as coups ravaged neighboring Sahelian countries.

Without a clear transition plan in place, analysts say his demise may trigger a coup in the French-speaking nation.