Egypt says Israel-EU agreement has not increased aid to Gaza
"Nothing has changed [on the ground]," Abdelatty told reporters ahead of the EU-Middle East meeting in Brussels on Monday.
The EU's top diplomat said on Thursday that the bloc and Israel agreed to improve Gaza's humanitarian situation, including increasing the number of aid trucks and opening crossing points and aid routes.
Asked what steps Israel has taken, Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar referred to an understanding with the EU but did not provide details on implementation.
Asked if there were improvements after the agreement, Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi told reporters that the situation in Gaza remains "catastrophic".
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The Citizen
3 hours ago
- The Citizen
Syrians protest Sweida killings in London, Paris
More than 900 people have been killed in the Druze-majority province since Sunday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor. Tribal and bedouin fighters deploy amid clashes with Druze gunmen in the predominantly Druze city of Sweida in southern Syria on July 19, 2025. Syrian Bedouins and their allies fought Druze gunmen in the community's Sweida heartland for a seventh day despite a ceasefire ordered by the government following a US-brokered deal to avert further Israeli military intervention. (Photo by Bakr ALKASEM / AFP) Dozens of Syrians from minority communities rallied on Saturday in London and Paris, calling for action to protect the Druze in their Sweida heartland, where sectarian violence has killed hundreds. In central London, around 80 protesters chanted 'God protect Druze' and 'Stop supporting Jolani', referring to Syrian interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa's nom de guerre, which he had abandoned after his Islamist group seized Damascus late last year. The demonstrators in the British capital held up placards calling for an end to the deadly violence in Sweida and for a humanitarian corridor to be opened up via the Jordanian border. More than 900 people have been killed in the Druze-majority province since Sunday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor. The sectarian clashes between the Druze and Bedouin tribes, who are Sunni Muslim, have drawn in the Islamist-led government as well as Israel and armed tribes from other parts of Syria. In London, demonstration organiser Emad al Eismy told AFP atrocities were still going on in Sweida. 'Shootings, beheadings, raping, killing children, (torching) shops, homes. It's a barbarian movement going on in Sweida,' he said at the protest outside BBC headquarters. 'Like ethnic cleansing' AFP correspondents in Sweida reported clashes on Saturday, despite a ceasefire ordered by the government following a US-brokered deal to avert further Israeli military intervention. The Observatory, a Britain-based war monitor, said armed volunteers had been deployed with the support of the Islamist-led government. Druze fighters said those who arrived to support the Bedouin were mostly Islamists. Protester Maan Radwan, who has family in Sweida, fought back tears as he said some of his relatives had died in a massacre at their guesthouse. He reproached British Foreign Secretary David Lammy for his visit to Syria earlier this month, when he met al-Sharaa. The United Nations has called for an end to the 'bloodshed' and demanded an 'independent' investigation of the violence. William Salha, like most of the protesters, also has family members still living in Sweida. He said they were 'helpless', shut in their homes, attempting to keep themselves safe. 'It's like ethnic cleansing. They want the city without its people,' he said, accusing the Syrian government of complicity. A teenager from south London at the protest with his mother said multiple members of his father's family had been gunned down and killed, with the news filtering out through an aunt. 'The armed groups came to them, they tried to resist and they shot them,' he said. ALSO READ: Syrian man pleads guilty to deadly knife rampage at German festival 'Where is France?' At the Paris protest, Aida Haladi wore black and clutched a picture of her 52-year-old brother whom she said was killed in front of his home Thursday morning in Sweida city. She said he had stepped out to grab some blood pressure medication he had forgotten. 'He was an honest man. He never tried to hurt a soul,' she said. 'Where is France?' Haladi said, accusing Sharaa of complicity and angry at France's leader Emmanuel Macron for having hosted Syria's interim president in Paris in May. Hours later, France urged all sides to 'strictly adhere' to the ceasefire. Eva Radwan, a 41-year-old PhD student, held up a picture of her 34-year-old cousin and his two nephews, aged 13 and 16, who she said were killed. She said her parents fled their homes in Sweida after their neighbourhod was bombarded at the start of the week. 'Jolani get out, Syria is not yours,' she shouted into a megaphone in front of the Eiffel Tower, leading around 20 other protesters. She also called for Jordan to open its border to let in aid. The Observatory said at least 940 people had been killed since Sunday, including 326 Druze fighters and 262 Druze civilians, 165 of whom were summarily executed. READ NEXT: UN calls for halt to Afghan deportations amid abuse fears
eNCA
a day ago
- eNCA
What's in the EU's two-trillion-euro budget bazooka?
BRUSSELS - EU members got their first chance on Friday to debate the bloc's two-trillion-euro budget bazooka, laying bare divisions among the 27 capitals over the spending plans for 2028-2034. Seeking to balance the European Union's key priorities, Brussels wants the next long-term budget to bolster the bloc's economy, support farmers and plough billions more into defence -- all while paying off its debts. The battle lines are now drawn for two years of fraught negotiations between the EU parliament and member states -- which provide the lion's share of funds along with tax-based resources and custom duties. Don't come to us for more money, EU capitals have already told the European Commission. "In a time where national budgets are under great economic pressure, the answer can't be more money and a bigger budget," Sweden's EU Minister Jessica Rosencrantz said. Here are the key parts of the spending proposals: Competitiveness fund Beyond security, the EU's biggest priority is to bolster its competitiveness and help European businesses catch up with US and Chinese rivals. The author of a seminal report last year, Mario Draghi, delivered hard truths: to see real change, the EU needs yearly investment of at least 750-800 billion euros. Without stretching that far, commission chief Ursula Von der Leyen has proposed a 451-billion-euro competitiveness fund that will focus on the clean and digital transition, health as well as defence and space. Brussels also proposed establishing a fund of up to 100 billion euros for Ukraine's reconstruction. - Agriculture - Von der Leyen is steeled for a fight with the bloc's farmers over a proposed overhaul of the EU's massive subsidies scheme known as the common agricultural policy (CAP). At least 300 billion euros would be dedicated to support farmers in the next budget, but some funding would move to other spending columns. The sector fears this will mean less aid while France, whose farmers are some of CAP's biggest beneficiaries, accused the commission of "turning its back" on agriculture. Brussels, however, stresses the CAP will still have its own rules and earmarked financial resources, especially direct aid to farmers. Climate With all the focus on security and competition, there were fears the environment would be sidelined in the budget -- despite heatwaves, forest fires and flooding caused by human-caused climate change wreaking havoc across Europe in recent years. The commission said 35 percent of the overall budget -- around 650 billion euros -- would be dedicated to the climate and achieving the EU's environmental aims. Some environment groups slammed the target as vague, while the World Wildlife Fund warned it risked "defunding vital nature and climate action" if, as planned, a key environment programme is absorbed into the larger competitiveness fund. Climate think tank E3G however saw the 35-percent target as a sign of commitment to the green ambitions of the commission's previous 2019-2024 term, while insisting on the need for sufficient funds to pursue its climate goals. Rule of law The EU proposes that future funding will be more closely linked to democratic values, telling member states: protect the judiciary's independence and maintain freedoms if you want money. "No EU money without the respect of rule of law," budget chief Piotr Serafin said. Hungary, which has often been the target of the EU's ire and of infringement proceedings for rule-of-law violations, was not happy. "It's a tool for political and ideological pressuring," said the country's EU minister, Janos Boka, calling the notion a "non-starter" for Budapest. Beyond Europe The EU's eyes are not only on itself. Brussels proposed a more than 200-billion-euro fund for investments and aid abroad -- welcomed by humanitarian groups after the deep cuts to US foreign aid under President Donald Trump. This also includes the EU's efforts to protect its borders through stepped-up partnerships with countries in the Middle East and North Africa, despite criticism this can amount to throwing money at authoritarian countries with poor human rights records.
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
Weekly economic wrap: US tariffs, mining production and retail sales
The US tariffs have turned the global economy into a roller-coaster as it affects every part of economic growth and decline. In what was supposed to be a quiet week on the economic front, US tariffs kept people watching the economic news, while there was local news on mining production and retail sales. Lisette IJssel de Schepper, chief economist at the Bureau for Economic Research (BER), says the big global data prints of the week came on Tuesday, with better-than-expected Chinese GDP growth for the second quarter and US core inflation coming in lower than expected, but still (finally) reflecting some signs of tariffs being passed on to consumers. In South Africa, she says, the uptick in mining production and retail sales was positive for gross domestic product (GDP) for the second quarter. 'There was plenty of political news to digest. Globally, US President Donald Trump dished out more tariffs to be implemented on 1 August, while the push to essentially oust US Federal Reserve (Fed) chair Jerome Powell continued. 'Locally, President Cyril Ramaphosa placed police minister Senzo Mchunu on special leave, something which has never happened before, pending the outcome of another commission of inquiry.' ALSO READ: Devastating impact of US tariffs on SA automotive sector even before implementation Big story of the week: 30% US tariff on European Union She points out that the big story over the weekend was that the US plans to impose a 30% tariff on the European Union (EU), more than the 20% Liberation Day tariff announced in early April. Key training partners Canada (35%) and Mexico (30%) face similar hurdles, although some exceptions for trade covered by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) remain in effect. 'All countries have, so far, held off on immediate retaliation, but the EU finalised a list of countermeasures to strategically target US exports to the EU. It has held off on retaliating so that negotiations can continue, but plans to target €72 billion of imports, ranging from industrial goods (Boeing, cars and machinery) to agri-food products (including bourbon). 'Some EU countries pushed for the option to use anti-coercion instruments, which give broader powers to, for example, introduce taxes on US tech companies or restrict access to parts of the market.' ALSO READ: ArcelorMittal warns it might close without urgent solution to challenges Headlines in global markets written in halls of power, not just Wall Street Bianca Botes, director at Citadel Global, says this week in global markets the headlines were written not just on Wall Street, but in the halls of power from Washington to Beijing. 'Trade, technology and teetering central bank policies collided, reordering how investors see risk, reward and the future path of markets.' She says Trump's surprise announcement of potential sweeping tariffs on its key trading partners, South Korea, Japan, Brazil and Canada, sent waves through the commodity world and reignited concerns about global supply chains. 'Notably, a proposed hefty 50% tariff on copper imports, potentially starting 1 August, catapulted the red metal's futures prices. While previous tariff announcements sometimes triggered swift, knee-jerk selloffs, market reaction this time was more nuanced. 'Why? Investors are, by now, warier but also somewhat desensitised to the tug-of-war on trade. Rather than a wholesale equity retreat, money, instead, flowed into safe havens. Silver surged nearly 4% and select commodity classes outperformed as investors hedged their exposure. 'This sector-by-sector action underscores a key theme for 2025: the world is learning to trade around trade policy, analysing which assets get hit hardest and which might benefit.' ALSO READ: Government must intervene with US tariffs, act stronger with police corruption Oil and gold also affected by US tariffs Botes points out that oil steadied on supply worries, while gold dipped on strong data. 'Brent Crude hovered near $69.60/barrel, holding on to a 1.5% gain, after geopolitical tensions and tighter supply boosted prices. 'Meanwhile, gold hovered just below $3 340/ounce, heading for its first weekly decline in three weeks. The retreat follows stronger US data, with retail sales rebounding and jobless claims hitting a three-month low, thereby reducing the urgency for Fed rate cuts. 'Despite the policy tug-of-war within the Fed, gold remains underpinned by geopolitical risks and tariff uncertainty. With Trump's notification of tariff rates to over 150 trade partners, safe haven appeal remains intact.' According to Busisiwe Nkonki and Isaac Matshego, economists at the Nedbank Group Economic Unit, the rand is trading around R17.70/$ this afternoon, pulling back from R17.92 last Friday despite worries about the 30% import tariff on exports to the US. 'The rand benefited from positive sentiment that boosted emerging market currencies.' In commodity markets, the Brent Crude Oil price softened on concerns about the effects of the Trump tariffs on global demand, while gold continued to move around $3 340 and platinum jumped to the highest level since August 2014 as supply concerns worsened. ALSO READ: Does stronger economic activity indicate improved GDP? Will mining production perform better in the second quarter? Mining production increased by an above-consensus 0.2% in May, marking the first annual expansion since the start of this year, after a sharp 7.7% contraction in April. Iron ore was the largest positive contributor, while declines in manganese ore and coal production were the biggest drag. Nomvelo Moima, an economist at the BER, says that barring a sharp reversal in June, it appears the mining sector is likely to contribute positively to GDP in the second quarter. Mamello Matikinca-Ngwenya, Siphamandla Mkhwanazi, Thanda Sithole and Koketso Mano, economists at FNB, say the increase in seasonally adjusted mining output suggests a continued improvement in output in the second quarter, with production up 2.6% in the three months until May. 'Should this trend continue, mining production will contribute positively to GDP growth.' Nkonki and Matshego say the outlook remains murky. 'While most mining products will likely be exempted from the 30% US tariff on South African imports, the ongoing tariff war will hurt global growth in the quarters ahead, weighing on export demand and commodity prices.' ALSO READ: Retail sales: South Africans spent R19.6 billion on clothes and furniture in May Retail sales and motor trade faring better, but wholesale drags Statistics SA released a batch of domestic trade data for May, affirming that consumer spending remained solid during the second quarter. Real retail trade sales increased by 4.2%, while motor trade sales increased by 4.7%. However, the wholesale sector did not fare too well, as annual wholesale trade sales contracted for a fifth straight month in May by 4.3%. Matikinca-Ngwenya, Mkhwanazi, Sithole and Mano say retail activity over the past three months reflected no growth compared to the preceding three-month period, suggesting that household spending is losing momentum. 'However, any build-up in momentum in June will support GDP growth.' Nkonki and Isaac Matshego point out that only general dealers and hardware stores saw sales increase over the month, while sales at most other retailers, including online stores, declined in May. 'Despite the mixed results, sales remained well above last year's levels across the board. 'Retailers should benefit from the ongoing recovery in consumer demand as household incomes strengthen, inflation remains relatively subdued, and the recent interest rate cuts reduce borrowing costs and revive credit demand.'
