logo
Rwanda-DR Congo peace deal is 'historic', Trump's Africa envoy Boulos says

Rwanda-DR Congo peace deal is 'historic', Trump's Africa envoy Boulos says

France 245 hours ago
Boulos explained that both countries had agreed to establish a "joint security mechanism" to coordinate the neutralisation of the FDLR militia and the Rwandan troop withdrawal from DR Congo simultaneously.
He stressed that Rwandan President Paul Kagame was fully committed to implementing the peace accord as well as to reining the M23 rebel group, which has taken control of large swaths of eastern DR Congo in recent months and is backed by Rwanda, according to the United Nations.
Boulos expressed hope that ongoing talks in Doha between the M23 rebels and DR Congo's government could reach a "final round" this week.
The senior Trump adviser also confirmed that a mineral deals between the US, DR Congo and Rwanda would be "made public" once signed at the White House, with American companies investing in both countries under a new "regional economic integration framework". He also pledged that there was no willingness to plunder the riches of DR Congo.
Eastern DR Congo is rich in cobalt, copper and lithium – minerals key to our technological future and crucial components of smartphones. Control of them has been a major source of tension between the two neighbouring countries.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

LVMH and luxury giants undermine EU pushback on US trade threats
LVMH and luxury giants undermine EU pushback on US trade threats

Fashion Network

timean hour ago

  • Fashion Network

LVMH and luxury giants undermine EU pushback on US trade threats

Luxury powerhouse LVMH is at the forefront of quiet corporate diplomacy as the European Union scrambles to respond to looming US tariff threats. With a July deadline approaching, the group is among several major firms pushing for a softer stance in high-level trade talks. Behind closed doors, LVMH and other European multinationals have reportedly urged Brussels and national governments to pursue a compromise over confrontation regarding Donald Trump 's proposed 50% tariffs on EU imports. The luxury sector—deeply reliant on the US market—has become a leading voice advocating de-escalation to safeguard transatlantic business. Executives from companies such as LVMH and Mercedes-Benz are reported to have participated in informal talks with US representatives, urging EU officials to soften their countermeasures. According to sources familiar with the discussions, this included recommendations to exclude iconic American goods—such as bourbon—from the EU's proposed retaliation list. For LVMH, the stakes are particularly high. Chairman Bernard Arnault has cautioned that failure to reach a trade deal could have serious consequences for France's wine and spirits industry. Urging restraint, Arnault has advocated for a cooperative path forward and even floated the idea of a US–EU free trade zone. Arnault, who has maintained longstanding ties with Trump, has reportedly visited Washington multiple times since the former president's return to the political spotlight. His son, Alexandre Arnault, also met with officials in May in support of trade de-escalation. 'I hope to succeed, with my modest means and my contacts, in convincing Europe to adopt the most constructive attitude possible,' Arnault told French lawmakers in May. Luxury isn't the only sector weighing in. German automakers—including BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen—have also proposed their own solutions directly to US officials. Mercedes, for instance, has shifted production of its GLC SUV to Alabama, while other firms have announced expanded US investments as diplomatic signals. These moves, though strategic, have raised concerns in Brussels. EU officials fear that an over-accommodating response could encourage companies to increasingly shift production and investment across the Atlantic, weakening Europe's industrial core. Industry leaders contend that reciprocal tariffs would do more harm than good. While retaliation may appear symbolic, it risks reducing EU access to essential US-made technologies, components, and research ecosystems—particularly in high-growth areas such as fashion innovation, AI, and biotechnology. Meanwhile, industry groups representing French Cognac and Irish whiskey producers have intensified lobbying efforts, warning that retaliatory tariffs would unjustly penalize products unrelated to the core trade dispute. These sectors rely heavily on the US and Chinese markets for exports and have become particularly vulnerable to policy crossfire. The European Commission has outlined proposed tariffs on $112 billion worth of US goods. However, pressure from member states and industry groups may lead to as much as €70 billion worth of items being removed from the final list—significantly diluting the EU's leverage. As a potential compromise, the EU is reportedly open to a universal 10% tariff on many of its exports, while seeking lower rates for key sectors, such as aerospace, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and luxury goods. With stakes rising, the next few weeks will be critical. For LVMH and other fashion leaders, the hope is that quiet diplomacy will succeed where confrontation may fail—and that maintaining access to the US market remains central to the EU's trade strategy.

France and Spain join fight to tax luxury air travel for climate funds
France and Spain join fight to tax luxury air travel for climate funds

Euronews

time3 hours ago

  • Euronews

France and Spain join fight to tax luxury air travel for climate funds

France and Spain have joined a coalition of countries pushing to tax private jets and premium class flights to raise money for climate action and sustainable development. The two European nations have joined forces with Kenya, Barbados, Somalia, Benin, Sierra Leone and Antigua and Barbuda. The coalition's goal is 'to increase the number of countries applying taxes on airline tickets, including for luxury travel, and to tax private jets based on best practices,' the French Élysée said in a statement. The initiative was launched on the sidelines of a United Nations development summit in Seville on 30 June. How much money could these taxes raise? A recent study commissioned by the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force estimates that taxing private jet fuel worldwide could generate up to €41 billion annually. Adding levies on first- and business-class tickets could bring in nearly €37 billion more. Combined, the coalition's efforts could unlock over €78 billion per year to support climate resilience and sustainable development projects. The study also suggests that an additional, broader levy on commercial jet fuel could push this total to around €187 billion annually. New sources of finance With many richer countries cutting official development aid for poorer nations, some are looking for new sources of finance, including taxing the most polluting industries. Launched at COP28 in November 2023, the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force was set up to explore new kinds of taxation from polluting sectors that could support developing countries to decarbonise and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Laurence Tubiana, co-lead of the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force Secretariat, said that new levies on premium flyers could 'raise vital funds'. 'In the current context, everybody is pessimistic, saying we cannot do anything. Today's announcement is proof that we can make progress,' Tubiana added. French President Emmanuel Macron said at the summit in Seville that after progress had already been made in the shipping industry, this was a 'huge step forward' for the aviation sector. 'Having Spain (in our premium flyers coalition) is very good news, and we need more and more countries,' he added. 'We need those that benefited from globalisation to contribute more to financing.' Macron urged all possible countries to join this "key" international framework. Why target private jets and premium flights? Aviation accounts for more than 2.5 per cent of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, and it remains one of the sectors with the fastest-growing emissions. Private jets are especially polluting. In 2023, they emitted an estimated 19.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, according to a study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) - more than all flights departing London Heathrow that year. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, premium travel has surged. Emissions from private aviation rose by 46 per cent between 2019 and 2023. Premium cabins, including first and business class, have larger seats and more legroom, which means fewer passengers share the emissions from each flight. This drives up the per-passenger carbon footprint dramatically. As a result, first and business class travellers produce up to 3 to 4 times more CO2 per kilometre than those flying economy. 'Flying is the most elite and polluting form of travel, so this is an important step towards ensuring that the binge users of this undertaxed sector are made to pay their fair share,' says Rebecca Newsom, global political lead for Greenpeace International's Stop Drilling Start Paying campaign. A global survey by Greenpeace and Oxfam found that three out of four people support extra taxes on premium flyers because of their outsized impact on the climate.

France demands immediate release of couple held in Iran, warns of sanctions
France demands immediate release of couple held in Iran, warns of sanctions

France 24

time3 hours ago

  • France 24

France demands immediate release of couple held in Iran, warns of sanctions

France said on Thursday it would decide whether to reimpose sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme depending on whether Tehran released two French detainees charged with spying for Israel. "Freeing Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris is an absolute priority for us," Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said. "We have always told our interlocutors from the Iranian regime that any decisions on sanctions will be conditional on resolving this issue." Iran officially suspended its co-operation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog on Wednesday. The move came after a 12-day conflict last month between Iran and Israel, which saw unprecedented Israeli and US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and sharply escalated tensions between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency. The United States and other Western countries, along with Israel, accuse Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon. Tehran denies that, but has gradually broken away from its commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal it struck with world powers, after the United States pulled out of it in 2018. Israel has maintained ambiguity about its own atomic arsenal, neither officially confirming nor denying it exists, but the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimates its arsenal amounts to 90 nuclear warheads. The landmark 2015 Iran nuclear deal provided Tehran with sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its atomic programme to be monitored by the UN nuclear watchdog. The deal included the possibility of UN sanctions being reimposed through a mechanism called "snapback" if Iran failed to fulfil its commitments, an option that expires in October. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has urged European signatories of the 2015 deal to trigger the "snapback" mechanism and reinstate all UN sanctions on Iran. Kohler, 40, and Paris, her 72-year-old partner, have been held in Iran since May 2022 on espionage charges their families reject. But Iran has now charged the pair with spying for Israel's intelligence agency Mossad, diplomatic and family sources told AFP on Wednesday. They were also accused of "corruption of Earth" and "plotting to overthrow the regime", the sources said. All three charges carry the death penalty. Tehran has not confirmed the new charges. A French diplomatic source described the allegations as "completely unfounded". Iran is believed to hold around 20 European nationals, many of whose cases have never been publicised, in what some Western governments including France describe as a strategy of hostage-taking aimed at extracting concessions from the West. Three other Europeans, who have not been identified, have also been arrested in the wake of the current conflict, two of whom are accused of spying for Israel, according to the authorities.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store