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Trump gives ultimatum to Iran in rambling speech to Saudi leaders as he announces end to Syria sanctions

Trump gives ultimatum to Iran in rambling speech to Saudi leaders as he announces end to Syria sanctions

Independent14-05-2025

In a rambling speech to Saudi leaders, President Donald Trump gave an ultimatum to Iran as he said he wanted to 'make a deal' with the country.
'If I can make a deal with Iran, I'll be very happy ... we're going to make your region and the world a safer place,' said Trump during his speech at an investment forum in Riyadh.
'But if Iran's leadership rejects this olive branch and continues to attack their neighbors, then we will have no choice but to inflict massive maximum pressure, drive Iranian oil exports to zero like I did before,' he added.
Trump also said he will be ordering the end of sanctions against Syria.
The president's speech came at the beginning of a landmark visit to three Gulf states this week, which has been clouded by backlash over a potential luxury jet gift from Qatar.
Earlier, Trump praised the country's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, before they signed a strategic economic partnership agreement, including a defense deal worth nearly $142 billion.
The president attended a state dinner before travelling to Qatar on Wednesday. Trump will end his trip to the Middle East in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, and hopes to secure $1 trillion in deals from the visits.
House Democrat announces plan to file seven articles of impeachment against Trump
Rep. Shri Thanedar took to the floor of the House to announce his intention to file seven articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.
'Donald Trump has been committing crimes since Day One,' he said. 'Bribery, corruption, taking power from Congress, creating an unlawful office in DOGE, violating First Amendment rights, ignoring due process, and finally refusing to abide by a unanimous Supreme Court ruling.'
Gustaf Kilander13 May 2025 21:45
Farmers weigh Trump's trade war like they watch the weather, waiting to see how things go
Minnesota farmer Dan Glessing isn't ready to get too upset over President Donald Trump's trade wars.
Farm country voted heavily for Trump last November. Now Glessing and many other farmers are taking a wait-and-see attitude toward the Republican president's disputes with China and other international markets.
China normally would buy about one row out of every four of the Minnesota soybean crop and took in nearly $13 billion worth of soybeans from the U.S. as a whole last year. More than half of U.S. soybeans are exported internationally, with roughly half of those going to China, so it's a critical market.
Farmers weigh Trump's trade war like they watch the weather, waiting to see how things go
Farm country voted heavily for Donald Trump last November
Gustaf Kilander13 May 2025 21:40
Pam Bondi 'scrambled' to find Epstein material to appease MAGA after Phase 1 release flopped, report claims
Attorney General Pam Bondi 'scrambled' to find Epstein material to appease the far right over the failed Phase 1 release of the files, but 'found little', according to a report.
Since vowing to carry out President Donald Trump's executive order demanding the government make documents related to cases of national interest public, including Jeffrey Epstein, Bondi has been under intense pressure, particularly from the right, to release the files on the disgraced financier.
Rhian Lubin reports:
Bondi 'scrambled' to find Epstein material to appease MAGA after Phase 1 release
A botched release of the 'Phase 1' files saw MAGA influencers descend on the White House to receive a binder of information already in the public domain
Venezuelans 'barricaded' doors and 'threatened to take hostages' in ICE detention, Trump team alleges
In its latest demand to the Supreme Court to begin swiftly deporting immigrants from the United States, Donald Trump 's administration claims a group of Venezuelan men imprisoned in Texas tried to barricade themselves inside their unit, covered surveillance cameras and threatened to take hostages.
A group of 23 men the administration accused of being Tren de Aragua gang members 'have proven difficult to manage,' according to a sworn statement in court documents from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official.
Venezuelans 'threatened to take hostages' in ICE detention, Trump team alleges
Administration calls on Supreme Court for permission to swiftly deport nearly 200 immigrants detained in Texas
Gustaf Kilander13 May 2025 21:20
Democrats and Republicans speak out on Trump's plan to accept $400m 'gift' plane from 'Hamas-supporting' Qatar
For President Donald Trump, accepting a free Air Force One replacement from Qatar is a no-brainer.
But Trump's plan threatens to turn a global symbol of American power into an airborne collection of ethical, legal, security and counterintelligence concerns.
Trump tried to tamp down some of the opposition by saying he would donate the plane to a future presidential library after his term ends. Democrats are united in outrage over the plan.
Even some of the Republican president's allies have expressed concerns.
Here's the AP:
Democrats and Republicans speak on Trump's plan to accept $400m 'gift'
For President Donald Trump, accepting a free Air Force One replacement from Qatar is a no-brainer. But Trump's plan threatens to turn a global symbol of American power into an airborne collection of ethical, legal, security and counterintelligence concerns. Trump tried to tamp down some of the opposition by saying he would donate the plane to a future presidential library after his term ends. Democrats are united in outrage over the plan. Even some of the Republican president's allies have expressed concerns.
Gustaf Kilander13 May 2025 21:00
In pictures: Syrians celebrate after Trump announces end of sanctions
Gustaf Kilander13 May 2025 20:45
MAHA at war: RFK Jr's inner circle accusing each other of leaking false info in expletive-ridden phone call
Key players within the Make America Healthy Again movement are locked in a bitter public fight after one of Robert F Kennedy Jr 's top advisers clashed with a supplement CEO in an expletive-ridden phone call.
Calley Means, a special government employee for the Health and Human Services, accused The Wellness Company of leaking 'provably untrue information' about his company, Truemed, to MAGA hardliner Laura Loomer.
Rhian Lubin has the story:
MAHA at war: RFK Jr's inner circle accusing each other of leaking false info
At the center of the dispute is one of Robert F Kennedy Jr's top advisers, Calley Means, whose sister, Casey Means, has been tapped to serve as surgeon general
Gustaf Kilander13 May 2025 20:40
Tourists are cancelling trips to the US – and it's not just Trump to blame
International travel spending in the United States is projected to fall by $12.5 billion, or seven per cent, in 2025, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
WTTC CEO Julia Simpson said the unpopular policies from the administration of President Donald Trump, fear of being stopped at the border and an unfavourable exchange rate had pushed international tourists towards alternative destinations.
"Of 184 countries, the U.S. is the only one that's seeing an absolute decline in international visitor spending," Simpson said.
Doyinsola Oladipo reports:
International travel spending will fall 7 per cent this year, experts say
Gustaf Kilander13 May 2025 20:20
FDA and RFK Jr. aim to remove fluoride supplements used to protect kids' teeth
U.S. health regulators announced plans Tuesday to phase out fluoride-containing supplements sometimes used to strengthen children's teeth, opening a new front in Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s effort against a mainstay of dental care.
The Food and Drug Administration said it will conduct a scientific review of the products by late October with the aim of removing them from the market. It was not immediately clear whether the agency planned to formally ban the supplements or simply request that companies withdraw them.
Matthew Parrone writes:
Gustaf Kilander13 May 2025 20:00

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Explainer: Does U.S. law allow Trump to send troops to quell protests?
Explainer: Does U.S. law allow Trump to send troops to quell protests?

Reuters

time38 minutes ago

  • Reuters

Explainer: Does U.S. law allow Trump to send troops to quell protests?

June 8 - President Donald Trump has deployed National Guard troops to California after two days of protests by hundreds of demonstrators against immigration raids, saying that the protests interfered with federal law enforcement and framing them as a possible 'form of rebellion, opens new tab' against the authority of the U.S. government. California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday said he had formally requested that the Trump Administration rescind "its unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles County" and return them to his command. Trump cited Title 10 of the U.S. Code, a federal law that outlines the role of the U.S. Armed Forces, in his June 7 order to call members of the California National Guard into federal service. A provision of Title 10 - Section 12406, opens new tab - allows the president to deploy National Guard units into federal service if the U.S. is invaded, there is a 'rebellion or danger of rebellion' or the president is 'unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States.' WHAT ARE NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS ALLOWED TO DO UNDER THE LAW CITED IN TRUMP'S ORDER? An 1878 law, the Posse Comitatus Act, generally forbids the U.S. military, including the National Guard, from taking part in civilian law enforcement. Section 12406 does not override that prohibition, but it allows the troops to protect federal agents who are carrying out law enforcement activity and to protect federal property. For example, National Guard troops cannot arrest protesters, but they could protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement who are carrying out arrests. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to assembly, freedom of speech and the press. Experts have said that Trump's decision to have U.S. troops respond to protests is an ominous sign for how far the president is willing to go to repress political speech and activity that he disagrees with or that criticizes his administration's policies. Four legal experts from both left- and right-leaning advocacy organizations have cast doubt on Trump's use of Title 10 in response to immigration protests calling it inflammatory and reckless, especially without the support of California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, who has said Trump's actions would only escalate tensions. The protests in California do not rise to the level of 'rebellion' and do not prevent the federal government from executing the laws of the United States, experts said. Title 10 also says "orders for these purposes shall be issued through the governors of the States," but legal experts said that language might not be an obstacle. Legislative history suggests that those words were likely meant to reflect the norms of how National Guard troops are typically deployed, rather than giving a governor the option to not comply with a president's decision to deploy troops. California could file a lawsuit, arguing that deployment of National Guard troops was not justified by Title 10 because there was no 'rebellion' or threat to law enforcement. A lawsuit might take months to resolve, and the outcome would be uncertain. Because the protests may be over before a lawsuit is resolved, the decision to sue might be more of a political question than a legal one, experts said. Trump could take a more far-reaching step by invoking the Insurrection Act of 1792, which would allow troops to directly participate in civilian law enforcement, for which there is little recent precedent. Casting protests as an 'insurrection' that requires the deployment of troops against U.S. citizens would be riskier legal territory, one legal expert said, in part because mostly peaceful protests and minor incidents aren't the sort of thing that the Insurrection Act were designed to address. The Insurrection Act has been used by past presidents to deploy troops within the U.S. in response to crises like the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan in the immediate aftermath of the American Civil War. The law was last invoked by President George H.W. Bush in 1992, when the governor of California requested military aid to suppress unrest in Los Angeles following the Rodney King trial. But, the last time a president deployed the National Guard in a state without a request from that state's governor was 1965, when President Lyndon Johnson sent troops to protect civil rights demonstrators in Montgomery, Alabama.

Israel warns it will stop aid yacht heading for Gaza
Israel warns it will stop aid yacht heading for Gaza

BBC News

time40 minutes ago

  • BBC News

Israel warns it will stop aid yacht heading for Gaza

Israel has warned its military will "take whatever measures are necessary" to prevent a boat carrying pro-Palestinian activists and humanitarian aid reaching Gaza. The Madleen yacht is 160 nautical miles from the Gaza Strip and is attempting to challenge Israel's sea blockade around the territory. Defence Minister Israel Katz said the 12-strong crew, which includes climate protester Greta Thunberg, should turn back and that Israel will act against any attempt to breach the blockade. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said the vessel, which departed Sicily on Friday, was carrying humanitarian aid and was "prepared for the possibility of an Israeli attack". Katz said the purpose of Israel's blockade, which has been in place since 2007, was to "prevent the transfer of weapons to Hamas" and was essential to Israel's security as it seeks to destroy the Palestinian armed group Hamas. He warned in a post on X on Sunday: "I have instructed the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] to act to prevent the 'Madeleine' [sic] hate flotilla from reaching the shores of Gaza - and to take whatever measures are necessary to that end." Addressing the crew directly, he added: "To the antisemitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propaganda spokespeople, I say clearly: You should turn back - because you will not reach Gaza. "Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or assist terrorist organisations – at sea, in the air, and on land." The FFC argues the sea blockade is illegal, and characterised the minister's statement as an example of Israel threatening the unlawful use of force against civilians and "attempting to justify that violence with smears". "We will not be intimidated. The world is watching," FFC press officer Hay Sha Wiya said. "The Madleen is a civilian vessel, unarmed and sailing in international waters, carrying humanitarian aid and human rights defenders from across the globe... Israel has no right to obstruct our effort to reach Gaza." The group added that the vessel had earlier experienced temporary signal jamming, causing its location to appear near Jordan. The Madleen is carrying a symbolic quantity of aid, including rice and baby formula, the group said. People from Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Turkey are onboard. Israeli media say its navy is expected to block the boat before it reaches Gaza. "We will calmly take control of the ship, bring them to Israel, and deport them abroad that same night," an Israeli official told the Jerusalem Post. In 2010, Israeli commandos killed 10 people when they boarded Turkish ship Mavi Marmara that was leading an aid flotilla towards Gaza. Israel recently began to allow limited aid into Gaza after a three-month land blockade, prioritising distribution through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is backed by Israel and the US but widely condemned by humanitarian groups. The UN's human rights chief Volker Türk said last week Palestinians were being presented with the "grimmest of choices: die from starvation or risk being killed while trying to access the meagre food that is being made available". It is almost 20 months since Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to an unprecedented Hamas-led cross-border attack on Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. At least 54,880 people have been killed in Gaza since, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. Get our flagship newsletter with all the headlines you need to start the day. Sign up here.

Starmer to visit Canada amid Trump threats
Starmer to visit Canada amid Trump threats

Telegraph

timean hour ago

  • Telegraph

Starmer to visit Canada amid Trump threats

Sir Keir Starmer will visit Canada for security talks next week amid Donald Trump's threats to annex the country. The Prime Minister will meet Mark Carney, his Canadian counterpart, on June 14 for discussions concerning security and economic co-operation, according to The Times. It comes after the US president warned that he was prepared to wreck the Canadian economy in an attempt to force it to become the 51st US state. Mr Trump has already doubled tariffs on steel imports to 50 per cent, piling pressure on Ottawa following a meeting with Mr Carney in Washington. Fears have been raised of 'catastrophic' job losses, factory closures and disruption to supply chains in Canada in the wake of the tariffs. The UK is exempt from the 50 per cent tariff following a deal between London and Washington. But the US president, in a post on Truth Social, said there would be financial consequences of Canada remaining independent. He said the country would be faced with the $61 billion (£49 billion) cost of being covered by his proposed Golden Dome missile defence system. However, he added it would be 'zero dollars if they become our cherished 51st State'. The post was written hours after King Charles opened the 45th Canadian Parliament in May. During his speech the King underlined the Commonwealth country's sovereignty in 'dangerous and uncertain' times. Mr Carney told the Canadian broadcaster CBC he wished to join ReArm Europe, a plan designed to beef up European defence, in a drive to make Canada less reliant upon the US. The EU has also indicated it is looking to forge stronger ties with Canada given its links to Nato and the level of support it is offering to Ukraine. Mr Carney said: 'Seventy-five cents of every [Canadian] dollar of capital spending for defence goes to the United States. That's not smart.' The Canadian prime minister, in an interview with Sky News last month, was highly critical of Mr Starmer's decision to offer the US president a second state visit to the UK as the move had sparked fury in Canada. 'To be frank, we weren't impressed by that gesture … given the circumstance. It was at a time when we were being quite clear about the issues around sovereignty.' He made clear that the invitation for the King – Canada's head of state – to be in attendance at the opening of Parliament in Ottawa was ' not coincidental '. Sir Keir, who is yet to meet the former Bank of England governor since he won the Canadian election in April, wished to hold talks with Mr Carney due to them both being centre-left leaders within the G7. Number 10 has declined to comment.

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