French court orders release of Lebanese militant Georges Ibrahim Abdallah
Georges Ibrahim Abdallah was serving a life sentence for complicity in the murders of two diplomats, one American and one Israeli, in Paris in 1982.
The Paris Court of Appeal ruled Abdallah, who has been imprisoned in France since his arrest in 1984, can be released next Friday on the condition that he leave France and never return, judicial authorities said.
His lawyer, Jean-Louis Chalanset, told reporters that Abdallah wants to return to Lebanon upon his release and remains 'a communist militant who supports the Palestinian struggle and fights against the invasion of his country by Israel.'
He described Abdallah as the longest-held political prisoner in Europe.
'He has never renounced his convictions,' Chalanset said, adding that U.S. authorities had lobbied the Paris court to reject the 74-year-old's release request. 'So it's also a political victory, even after nearly 41 years in detention, against the United States.'
The Associated Press
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Toronto Sun
21 minutes ago
- Toronto Sun
Canada prompts Trump trade threat on recognizing Palestine
Published Jul 31, 2025 • 3 minute read A Palestinian flag amid the ruins of buildings in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip in March. Photographer: Bashar Taleb/AFP/Getty Images Photo by Bashar Taleb / Photographer: Bashar Taleb/AFP/G (Bloomberg) — Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada plans to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations summit in September, following France and clashing with the US and Israel. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Carney said Canada's long-favoured approach of a two-state solution through a negotiated settlement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority was 'no longer tenable.' He said that process had been 'gravely eroded' by Hamas terrorism and its rejection of Israel's right to exist, as well as recent Israeli actions such as accelerated settlement building and a Knesset vote calling for the annexation of the West Bank. 'The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable — and is rapidly deteriorating,' Carney said in Ottawa on Wednesday. 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This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. International concerns have mounted in the wake of Israel's military response to Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attack, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres saying Gaza is now on the brink of famine and that Palestinians there are 'enduring a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions.' Ceasefire talks faltered last week. The United Nations has been holding a special conference this week on settling the conflict, which the US boycotted. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar called international pressure a 'distorted campaign' and that demands to end the war now mean leaving Hamas in power in Gaza. Establishing such a state at this time means creating a 'Jihadist terror state' a few kilometres away from Israel, and this 'ain't gonna happen,' he added. Hamas is designated as a terror organization by the European Union, Canada, the US and others. Trump, typically a staunch defender of Israel, said the US would work on a new effort to provide food aid to alleviate starvation in Gaza — at odds with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who's said there's no starvation. —With assistance from Brian Platt. Sunshine Girls Celebrity Sunshine Girls Wrestling Canada
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
With growing urgency, more US Jews urge Israel to ensure ample food deliveries to Gaza
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'The Jewish tradition calls upon us to ensure the provision of food, water, and medical supplies as a top priority. Rabbi Moshe Hauer, executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, told The Associated Press he and his colleagues 'are proud, sad, and angry. ' 'We remain proud of Israel and its army, the only moral fighting force in the region striving to abide by internationally accepted laws of war,' he said via email. 'We are genuinely sad about the mounting human costs which — as intended by Hamas — this war is inflicting on Israelis and innocent Palestinians. And we are angry at those who only ascribe to Israel the worst intentions and all responsibility while ignoring Hamas' inhumanity.' 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'Israelis are not children in need of a public scolding from the Diaspora. They need solidarity, not sanctimony.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Trump says U.S. will set 15% tariff on South Korean imports under new deal
Social Sharing President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the U.S. will charge a 15 per cent tariff on imports from South Korea, down from a threatened 25 per cent, as part of a deal that eases tensions with a Top 10 trading partner and key Asian ally. South Korea also agreed to invest $350 billion in the United States in projects selected by Trump and to purchase energy products worth $100 billion. The arrangement, announced after Trump met with Korean officials at the White House, came during a blizzard of trade policy announcements. Many countries are rushing to cut deals ahead of Aug.1, when Trump has promised higher tariffs will kick in. "I am pleased to announce that the United States of America has agreed to a Full and Complete Trade Deal with the Republic of Korea," Trump wrote on Truth Social. The negotiations were an early test for South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who took office in June after a snap election. He said the deal eliminated uncertainty and set U.S. tariffs lower than or at the same level as major competitors. "We have crossed a big hurdle," Lee said in a Facebook post. Trump said Lee would visit the White House "within the next two weeks" for his first meeting with the U.S. president. South Korea will accept American products, including autos and agricultural goods into its markets and impose no import duties on them, Trump added. South Korea's top officials said the country's rice and beef markets would not be opened further, and discussions over U.S. demands on food regulations continue. Seoul appeared to have defended its non-tariff barriers while keeping its tariff rate on par with Japan and the European Union, said Citi economist Kim Jin-wook. "While the headline figure looks like a huge win for the U.S., details appear to be favourable for South Korea," he said. Devil in the details South Korea seems to have avoided the worst, agreed Cheong In-kyo, a former South Korean trade minister. But he also said opinions about the deal could change if the $350 billion was not well spent. It was not clear what the investment would involve, where the financing would come from, over what time frame deals would be implemented and to what extent their terms would be binding. Trump said additional South Korean investments would be announced later. Of the total, $150 billion is aimed at a shipbuilding partnership, while $200 billion would include nuclear power, batteries, and biotechnology, Kim Yong-beom, the South Korean presidential office's policy chief, told a briefing. He said "ambiguity is good," while adding that negotiators had ensured there would be safeguards over how the funds were used. Existing investment plans by South Korean companies would be part of the fund, according to another presidential official. WATCH | Trump sent letters to governments this month outlining tariffs he would impose: Trump sends letters to numerous countries detailing tariff rates 24 days ago U.S. President Donald Trump sent letters to governments around the world on Monday, outlining the tariffs he would impose on Aug. 1. The recipients include Japan, South Korea and South Africa. Canada's July 21 deadline to reach a deal with the U.S. appears to remain. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a post on X that 90 per cent of the profits from the $350 billion fund were "going to the American people." Kim said South Korea understands that to mean that some profits could be reinvested. The energy purchases would include liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, crude oil and a small amount of coal, he added. "This is within our usual import volume," he said, noting it might lead to a "slight shift" in the country's mix of imports from the Middle East to more American sources. Lutnick said the energy purchases would happen "over the next 3.5 years." The tariff rate on South Korean autos would also be 15 per cent, Lutnick said, which is down from the current rate of 25 per cent. Lutnick also said semiconductor and pharmaceutical exports would not be treated more harshly than those from other countries. Steel, aluminum and copper were not covered by the new deal. Scramble in South Korea South Korea is one of three Asia-Pacific countries that had a comprehensive free trade agreement with the United States, but that did not spare it from new tariffs. Negotiations took place in a turbulent political environment in South Korea with former President Yoon Suk Yeol removed in April after he was impeached for trying to impose martial law. Pressure on negotiators increased after Japan clinched its deal earlier this month. South Korea has been a particular target of Trump for its trade surplus and the cost of maintaining some 28,500 U.S. troops in the country to defend against North Korea. Last year South Korea posted a record $55.7 billion trade surplus with the United States, up 25 per cent from a year earlier. South Korean companies welcomed the deal, saying it would reduce uncertainty. Amid the last-minute push to reach a tariff agreement, Samsung Electronics inked a $16.5 billion chip deal with Tesla TSLA.O. LG Energy Solution also signed a $4.3 billion deal to supply Tesla with energy storage system batteries, a person familiar with the matter said.
