
UK Prime Minister Starmer recalls cabinet from summer break for Gaza meeting - War on Gaza
The UK prime minister presented a European-led peace plan for Gaza to Trump during a meeting in Scotland on Monday.
Downing Street has not given details of the plan, but has said the "next steps" will be set out after the cabinet meeting, which is being held at 14:00 BST today.
A spokesman for Starmer said the proposals would also be presented to allies, including Arab states, over the coming days, according to the BBC.
In an article over the weekend, the prime minister likened the plans to the proposed "coalition of the willing" to support any potential deal to end the war in Ukraine.
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Al-Ahram Weekly
2 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Trump injects new dose of uncertainty in tariffs as he pushes start date back to Aug. 7: AP report - Economy
For weeks, President Donald Trump was promising the world economy would change on Friday with his new tariffs in place. It was an ironclad deadline, administration officials assured the public. But when Trump signed the order Thursday night imposing new tariffs, the start date of the punishing import taxes was pushed back seven days so the tariff schedule could be updated. The change in tariffs on 66 countries, the European Union, Taiwan and the Falkland Islands was potentially welcome news to countries that had not yet reached a deal with the U.S. It also injected a new dose of uncertainty for consumers and businesses still wondering what's going to happen and when. Trump told NBC News in a Thursday night interview the tariffs process was going 'very well, very smooth." But even as the Republican president insisted these new rates would stay in place, he added: 'It doesn't mean that somebody doesn't come along in four weeks and say we can make some kind of a deal.' Trump has promised that his tax hikes on the nearly $3 trillion in goods imported to the United States will usher in newfound wealth, launch a cavalcade of new factory jobs, reduce the budget deficits and, simply, get other countries to treat America with more respect. The vast tariffs risk jeopardizing America's global standing as allies feel forced into unfriendly deals. As taxes on the raw materials used by U.S. factories and basic goods, the tariffs also threaten to create new inflationary pressures and hamper economic growth — concerns the Trump White House has dismissed. Questions swirl around the tariffs despite Trump's eagerness As the clock ticked toward Trump's self-imposed deadline, few things seemed to be settled other than the president's determination to levy the taxes he has talked about for decades. The very legality of the tariffs remains an open question as a U.S. appeals court on Thursday heard arguments on whether Trump had exceeded his authority by declaring an 'emergency' under a 1977 law to charge the tariffs, allowing him to avoid congressional approval. Trump was ebullient as much of the world awaited what he would do. 'Tariffs are making America GREAT & RICH Again,' he said Thursday morning on Truth Social. Others saw a policy carelessly constructed by the U.S. president, one that could impose harms gradually over time that would erode America's power and prosperity. 'The only things we'll know for sure on Friday morning are that growth-sapping U.S. import taxes will be historically high and complex, and that, because these deals are so vague and unfinished, policy uncertainty will remain very elevated,' said Scott Lincicome, a vice president of economics at the Cato Institute. 'The rest is very much TBD.' The new tariffs build off ones announced in the spring Trump initially imposed the Friday deadline after his previous 'Liberation Day' tariffs in April resulted in a stock market panic. His unusually high tariff rates unveiled then led to recession fears, prompting Trump to impose a 90-day negotiating period. When he was unable to create enough trade deals with other countries, he extended the timeline and sent out letters to world leaders that simply listed rates, prompting a slew of hasty agreements. Swiss imports will now be taxed at a higher rate, 39%, than the 31% Trump threatened in April, while Liechtenstein saw its rate slashed from 37% to 15%. Countries not listed in the Thursday night order would be charged a baseline 10% tariff. Trump negotiated trade frameworks over the past few weeks with the EU, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines — allowing the president to claim victories as other nations sought to limit his threat of charging even higher tariff rates. He said on Thursday there were agreements with other countries, but he declined to name them. Asked on Friday if countries were happy with the rates set by Trump, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said: 'A lot of them are.' Thursday began with a palpable sense of tension The EU was awaiting a written agreement on its 15% tariff deal. Switzerland and Norway were among the dozens of countries that did not know what their tariff rate would be, while Trump agreed after a Thursday morning phone call to keep Mexico's tariffs at 25% for a 90-day negotiating period. The president separately on Thursday amended an order to raise Canada's fentanyl-related tariffs to 35%. European leaders face blowback for seeming to cave to Trump, even as they insist that this is merely the start of talks and stress the importance of maintaining America's support of Ukraine's fight against Russia. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has already indicated that his country can no longer rely on the U.S. as an ally, and Trump declined to talk to him on Thursday. India, with its 25% tariff announced Wednesday by Trump, may no longer benefit as much from efforts to pivot manufacturing out of China. While the Trump administration has sought to challenge China's manufacturing dominance, it is separately in extended trade talks with that country, which faces a 30% tariff and is charging a 10% retaliatory rate on the U.S. Major companies came into the week warning that tariffs would begin to squeeze them financially. Ford Motor Co. said it anticipated a net $2 billion hit to earnings this year from tariffs. French skincare company Yon-Ka is warning of job freezes, scaled-back investment and rising prices. It's unclear whether Trump's new tariffs will survive a legal challenge Federal judges sounded skeptical Thursday about Trump's use of a 1977 law to declare the long-standing U.S. trade deficit a national emergency that justifies tariffs on almost every country on Earth. 'You're asking for an unbounded authority,' Judge Todd Hughes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit told a Justice Department lawyer representing the administration. The judges didn't immediately rule, and the case is expected to eventually reach the Supreme Court. The Trump White House has pointed to the increase in federal revenues as a sign that the tariffs will reduce the budget deficit, with $127 billion in customs and duties collected so far this year — about $70 billion more than last year. New tariffs threaten to raise inflation rates There are not yet signs that tariffs will lead to more domestic manufacturing jobs, and Friday's employment report showed the U.S. economy now has 37,000 fewer manufacturing jobs than it did in April. On Thursday, one crucial measure of inflation, known as the Personal Consumption Expenditures index, showed that prices have climbed 2.6% over the 12 months that ended in June, a sign that inflation may be accelerating as the tariffs flow through the economy. The prospect of higher inflation from the tariffs has caused the Federal Reserve to hold off on additional cuts to its benchmark rates, a point of frustration for Trump, who on Truth Social, called Fed Chair Jerome Powell a 'TOTAL LOSER.' But ahead of Trump's tariffs, Powell seemed to suggest that the tariffs had put the U.S. economy and much of the world into a state of unknowns. 'There are many uncertainties left to resolve,' Powell told reporters Wednesday. 'So, yes, we are learning more and more. It doesn't feel like we're very close to the end of that process. And that's not for us to judge, but it does — it feels like there's much more to come.' Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:


Al-Ahram Weekly
3 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
El-Sisi reaffirms rejection of Palestinian displacement in call with Dutch PM - Foreign Affairs
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi reiterated on Friday Egypt's firm stance on rejecting any attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land, stressing the need to expedite the reconstruction of Gaza once a ceasefire is reached. During a phone call with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, El-Sisi highlighted Egypt's unwavering efforts to reach a ceasefire deal in the Gaza war and ensure the urgent and sufficient entry of humanitarian aid to the strip. According to the Egyptian presidency, El-Sisi also reviewed Cairo's ongoing endeavours to secure the release of captives and detainees and create an environment conducive to resuming the peace process in the Middle East. El-Sisi noted that the political process, which should implement the two-state solution and establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, along the 4 June 1967 borders, is the only path to achieve lasting peace and stability in the region. He further stressed the necessity of respecting international law and relevant international agreements, which obligate countries to provide security and protection for diplomatic missions operating on their land, to which the Dutch PM agreed. On Thursday, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an infographic debunking 10 claims made by protesters at Egyptian embassies last week on the status of the Rafah border crossing and the realities of entry of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. In a televised speech on Monday, President El-Sisi stressed that Egypt has never closed the Rafah border crossing since the outbreak of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza. He also reaffirmed Egypt's steadfast support for the Palestinian cause. "Egyptians, I'm reminding you of this — we do not change: We are committed to finding solutions that de-escalate tensions, bring an end to the war, and lead to a final settlement of the Palestinian cause," El-Sisi said. For his part, Dutch PM Dick Schoof expressed his country's appreciation for Egypt's tireless efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, release captives, and provide humanitarian aid to the strip. He also praised Egypt's efforts in combating irregular migration and commended the ongoing coordination between Egypt and the Netherlands on this issue. Moreover, the two leaders discussed cooperation in confronting terrorism and extremism. In this respect, Schoof affirmed Egypt's leading role and significant expertise in this regard. The call also touched on various aspects of strengthening Egyptian-Dutch ties in the fields of trade, investment, agriculture, water resource management, financial services, and energy. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:


Al-Ahram Weekly
3 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Ukraine says 31 killed in Russian strike on Thursday - War in Ukraine
Ukrainian rescue workers on Friday uncovered the body of a two-year-old, as they finished work following a Russian attack the day prior that killed 31 people in all. Kyiv observed a day of mourning after the deadliest attack in the Ukrainian capital this year ripped open a nine-storey residential building, wounding 159 people and claiming the lives of five children. "This despicable attack by Russia shows that additional pressure and sanctions on Moscow are necessary," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday, announcing rescue operations had wrapped up. "We appreciate that (US) President (Donald) Trump, European leaders and our other partners clearly see what is happening and condemn Russia," he added. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Friday described the Russian attacks as "depraved" and posted a picture of the bloc's flag at half mast. "More weapons for Ukraine and tougher sanctions on Russia are the fastest way to end the war. Getting more air defenses to Ukraine fast is our priority," she added in a post. Separately, one person was also killed in a Russian attack early Friday on Zaporizhzhia, in southeast Ukraine, the region's military administration said on Telegram. Another was killed in the northeastern Kharkiv region, officials said, while the toll from another strike on Thursday -- this time in Kramatorsk further south -- rose to three. Thursday's attack was among the deadliest the capital has seen since Russia launched its large-scale offensive in February 2022. Trump on Thursday blasted Russia's actions in Ukraine, suggesting that new sanctions against Moscow were coming. "Russia -- I think it's disgusting what they're doing. I think it's disgusting," Trump told journalists. On Monday, the US leader issued a "10 or 12" day ultimatum for Moscow to halt its invasion, now in its fourth year, or face sanctions. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link: