Trump, EU Chief von der Leyen Meet in Scotland
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and former US President Donald Trump are set to meet in Scotland on Sunday, just days ahead of a critical deadline for the imposition of new US tariffs on European Union imports.
The high-stakes meeting will take place at Trump Turnberry in Scotland, where Trump spent Saturday playing golf. The encounter follows weeks of tense trade negotiations between Brussels and Washington.
Trump has previously
indicated
that there is a 50-50 chance of securing a trade agreement with the EU, expressing conditional openness to delaying or modifying the proposed tariffs.
The proposed US tariffs, set at 30 percent on a range of European exports—are scheduled to take effect on August 1. The measures are part of Washington's response to what it claims are persistent trade imbalances with the bloc.
However, the former president has left room for negotiation, suggesting the possibility of reducing or waiving the tariffs if the EU agrees to further open its markets to American goods and services.
The European Commission has been working intensively to avoid the implementation of higher duties, which would significantly impact key European industries.
A spokesperson for von der Leyen stated that the meeting would allow both leaders to assess the current situation and explore a potential balanced outcome that would offer stability and predictability for businesses and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently hinted that a breakthrough in the trade dispute may be imminent. Trump has already struck a separate deal with Japan, agreeing to a 15 percent tariff—far below the rate originally proposed.
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Al-Ahram Weekly
15 minutes ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Major Israeli rights groups conclude war on Gaza is genocide - War on Gaza
Rights groups B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel said on Monday that they had concluded the war in Gaza amounts to "genocide" against Palestinians, a first for Israeli NGOs. Both organisations are frequent critics of Israeli government policies, but the language in their reports issued on Monday was their most stark yet. "Nothing prepares you for the realisation that you are part of a society committing genocide. This is a deeply painful moment for us," B'Tselem executive director Yuli Novak told a news conference unveiling the two reports. "As Israelis and Palestinians who live here and witness the reality every day, we have a duty to speak the truth as clearly as possible," she said. "Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians." Israel's war in Gaza for the past 21 months has left much of the Gaza Strip, home to more than two million Palestinians, in ruins, and has killed at least 59,821 civilians, most of them women and children. All Gazans have been driven from their homes at least once since the start of the war, and UN agencies warn that residents face a growing threat of famine and malnutrition. The International Court of Justice, in an interim ruling in early 2024 in a case lodged by South Africa, found it "plausible" that the Israeli offensive had violated the UN Genocide Convention. The reports from B'Tselem -- one of Israel's best-known rights groups -- and Physicians for Human Rights Israel argue that the war's objectives go further. B'Tselem's report cites statements from senior politicians to illustrate that Israel "is taking coordinated action to intentionally destroy Palestinian society in the Gaza Strip". Physicians for Human Rights Israel's report documents what the group says is "the deliberate and systematic destruction of Gaza's healthcare system". Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Egypt Independent
an hour ago
- Egypt Independent
Two leading Israeli human rights groups accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza
A leading Israeli human rights group has accused Israel of 'committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza,' becoming the first such organization to make the claim. B'Tselem said in a major report released on Monday that it came to that 'unequivocal conclusion' after an 'examination of Israel's policy in the Gaza Strip and its horrific outcomes, together with statements by senior Israeli politicians and military commanders about the goals of the attack.' A second Israeli group, Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI), announced it was joining B'Tselem in calling Israel's actions in Gaza genocide. It published a separate legal and medical analysis documenting what it called 'deliberate and systematic extermination of the health system in Gaza.' CNN has reached out to the Israeli government and the military for comment. Israel has consistently argued that it is acting in accordance with international law and that its war in Gaza following the deadly Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023 is one of self-defense. When other, non-Israeli, groups have previously accused the country of committing genocide or genocidal acts, the Israeli government has reacted with anger, strongly rejecting the statements and often responding with claims that the accusations are grounded in antisemitism. B'Tselem said in the 79-page report that the reality on the ground in Gaza 'cannot be justified or explained as an attempt to dismantle the Hamas regime or its military capabilities.' The group said that Israel's onslaught on Gaza includes mass killing – both in direct attacks and through creating catastrophic living conditions – large-scale destruction of infrastructure, destruction of the social fabric, mass arrests and abuse of detainees, and mass forced displacement, including attempts at ethnic cleansing. It added that statements made by senior Israeli decision-makers 'have expressed genocidal intent throughout' the conflict. PHRI added that the evidence it had gathered indicated a 'deliberate and systematic dismantling of the health system in the Gaza Strip and other vital systems for the survival of the population.' 'This is not about collateral damage from war, but a deliberate policy aimed at harming the Palestinian population as a group,' PHRI said in a statement. But while B'Tselem says the Israeli government is responsible for the situation in Gaza, it also accused the international community of enabling genocide. 'Many state leaders, particularly in Europe and the US have not only refrained from effective action to stop the genocide but enabled it – through statements affirming Israel's 'right to self-defense' or active support, including the shipment of weapons and ammunition – which continued even after the International Court of Justice ruled that there was 'plausible risk that Israel's actions amount to genocidal acts,'' it stated. The group said that the sense of fear, rage and desire for revenge which many Israelis felt after the October 7 terror attacks served as 'fertile ground for incitement against Palestinians in general, and Gazans in particular.' Hamas and its allies killed 1,200 people, including children, and kidnapped 251 others to Gaza during the attack – the worst terror attack on Israel since the country's establishment. The report from B'Tselem comes as pressure mounts on Israel over the catastrophic situation in Gaza. Images of children dying of acute malnutrition have provoked global outrage, with the United Kingdom, France and Germany saying last week that the crisis was 'man-made and avoidable.' At the same time, the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under pressure from all sides domestically – with protests demanding the end of the war and the release of all hostages growing in strength and frequency, and far-right members of his coalition threatening to collapse the government if he ends the conflict. First Israeli group While B'Tselem is the first Israeli organization to accuse the government of genocide, a number of international groups, organizations and governments have reached the same or similar conclusions in the past. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to the press after meeting with US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on July 8. Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images The accusations have always sparked reaction, given their seriousness and the sensitivities around the use of the word genocide, which is defined by the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide as 'acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.' The United Nations Special Committee said last November that Israel's war conduct in Gaza was 'consistent with the characteristics of genocide,' including mass civilian casualties and using starvation as a weapon. Human Rights Watch accused Israel of committing 'acts of genocide' against Palestinians in Gaza by depriving them of adequate water supplies last December, while Amnesty International said around the same time that there was 'sufficient evidence' to conclude genocide was happening in the territory. The government of South Africa filed a lawsuit against Israel with the International Court of Justice in December 2023, accusing the country of committing genocide in Gaza. Ireland joined South Africa's case earlier this year. The UN's top court ordered Israel to take 'all measures' to prevent a genocide in Gaza in a ruling on South Africa's request for emergency measures, which act like a restraining order while the court considers the full merits of the genocide case, a move that could take years. Several prominent Israeli individuals have also made the same accusation, including leading genocide expert Omer Bartov who penned an op-ed in the New York Times saying that his 'inescapable conclusion has become that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people.' Israeli historian Lee Mordechai made a similar point earlier this month, collating a database of what he said were examples of Israel's war crimes in Gaza and saying that the evidence he had seen 'indicates that one of Israel's very likely objectives' was to 'ethnically cleanse the Gaza Strip.'
Egypt Independent
an hour ago
- Egypt Independent
UN aid chief says next few days will be 'make or break' for aid efforts in Gaza
We've been hearing today from UN aid chief Tom Fletcher, who has warned the coming days will be 'make or break' for humanitarian efforts in Gaza. The UN's 'whole focus unrelentingly is getting that aid moving,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, addressing Israeli claims that pallets of aid are not being distributed by UN agencies. 'We're not going to leave aid on pallets if we can,' he said. 'But to get to it, our drivers face bureaucratic constraints, they face massive security constraints.' 'We have a plan,' he said. 'We can reach everyone in Gaza in the next couple of weeks with our aid, with lifesaving aid. We can save as many survivors as possible.' He added the UN got 'quite a bit of food in' yesterday, but that 'lots of that got looted.' Fletcher described the risks faced by humanitarian workers who 'have to run the gauntlet,' driving aid along roads where civilians, whom he described as 'starving,' know aid is coming. 'They know we're coming and they're desperate,' he said. The situation, he added, is what 'keeps us awake at night.' 'We need a sustained period of delivery,' he said. 'Ultimately, we need a ceasefire. These pauses are a good step in the right direction, but stopping the conflict is key.' Israel's response: Over the weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the UN is creating an 'excuse and a lie' about humanitarian routes inside Gaza. Referring to the tactical pause announced by the Israeli military yesterday, which includes the designation of aid routes through parts of Gaza, Netanyahu said: 'There are secure routes. They have always been there, but today it's official. No more excuses.'
