French, Algerian Ties Hit New Low After Macron Hardens Stance
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France's thorny relations with Algeria plunged to a new low, as President Emmanuel Macron urged 'greater firmness' in its approach and canceled visa exemptions for the North African nation's officials.
In a letter sent to French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou this week, Macron said Algeria would be notified that a 2013 French-Algerian pact facilitating entry for diplomats and officials is being suspended, according to a person familiar with the correspondence.
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The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Netanyahu is making a grave mistake in occupying all of Gaza
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on July 24 that his country would formally recognize the State of Palestine at the U.N. General Assembly's meeting in September. While 147 of the 193 U.N. member states previously recognized a Palestinian state, France represents the first major Western power to do so. Five days later, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans to follow suit in September. The following day, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made a similar announcement. Unlike Macron, however, the two prime ministers each attached specific provisos to their plan to recognize Palestine. Starmer stated that Britain would proceed with recognition during the General Assembly meeting 'unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire, and commit to a long-term, sustainable peace, reviving the prospect of a two-state solution.' He added that 'this includes allowing the U.N. to restart the supply of aid, and making clear there will be no annexations in the West Bank.' Unlike Macron, Starmer also had a message for 'the terrorists of Hamas,' saying that 'they must immediately release all the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, disarm and accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza.' He promised to 'make an assessment in September on how far the parties have met these steps.' Like Starmer, Carney made it clear that Canada could no longer tolerate 'the ongoing failure by the Israeli government to prevent the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza, with impeded access to food and other essential humanitarian supplies.' In addition to reiterating that 'Hamas must immediately release all hostages taken in the horrific terrorist attack of Oct. 7; that Hamas must disarm; and that Hamas must play no role in the future governance of Palestine,' Carney also focused on the role of the Palestinian Authority. Canada's intention to recognize a Palestinian state, he stated, 'is predicated on the Palestinian Authority's commitment to much-needed reforms … to hold general elections in 2026 in which Hamas can play no part, and to demilitarize the Palestinian state.' And Carney, like Starmer, emphasized Canada's full support for 'Israel's existence as an independent state.' The same day Starmer issued his statement, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) won the support of 27 Democratic senators, among them previous staunch supporters of Israel, for a resolution to block the shipment of assault rifles to the Jewish State. In addition, 24 Democrats supported a second Sanders resolution to block the sale of offensive weapons to Jerusalem. Although both resolutions went down to defeat, they reflected growing American unease with the Israeli operation. While Carney and Starmer attached conditions to recognition — that Hamas disarm and not play any part in Gaza's future — Hamas political bureau member Ghazi Hamad conveniently overlooked both demands. In an interview on Aug. 2, he crowed that the brutal Oct. 7 attacks had 'yielded … very important historic achievements,' notably to have prompted three major countries to recognize a Palestinian state. He also emphasized that 'we as Palestinians will not surrender our weapons … not even a blank round.' Starmer and Carney were not alone in demanding that Hamas disarm. In a major political shift, the Arab League, meeting the same day as Starmer's announcement and the Senate vote, not only unanimously called for a two-state solution but also demanded that the terrorist organization relinquish its weapons to the Palestinian Authority. A senior Middle Eastern diplomat indicated to me that if Netanyahu were to accept the two-state solution in principle — even with many stipulated conditions for Palestine to obtain Israeli recognition — that would suffice to win Arab support, undermine Hamas's political momentum and increase international pressure on the group. In addition to international condemnation, domestic Israeli opinion has increasingly supported a deal that would release the hostages, both living and dead, in exchange for Israeli withdrawal from the Strip, whether or not Hamas disarms. Indeed, on August 1, approximately 600 former senior military, intelligence and police officers — including former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, former Shin Bet chief Ami Ayalon, former deputy Israeli army chief Matan Vilnai and former police chief Assaf Hefetz — sent President Trump a remarkable letter calling upon him to pressure Netanyahu to end the Gaza operation and asserting that 'it is our professional judgement that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel.' At a meeting of senior officials that Netanyahu convened to consider the full occupation of Gaza, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, reportedly opposed it. Unfortunately, Netanyahu will have none of it. Instead, on Thursday he announced the complete occupation of Gaza, which is clearly a prelude to the annexation of both the Strip and, most likely, the West Bank as well. Netanyahu's extremist far-right ministers have been pushing such policies for months. They envisage the eviction of all Gazans from their land, an act no different than Serbia's violent attempt at ethnic cleansing during the 1990s Balkan conflict. The international reaction to the Cabinet decision is sure to be harsh. Washington may block any U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israel, though even that outcome is far from assured. However, Britain, Canada and many members of the EU, perhaps with the exception of Germany, will likely impose economic sanctions against the Jewish State. Israel's economy is already hurting from its nearly two-year-old war; sanctions could cripple it. As defense analyst Andrew Davidson points out, Israel's military, with its small active force and heavy reliance on reserves, is structured for a short war, not a long conflict. Given the length of the war with Hamas, as well as ongoing demands for patrolling the country's northern border against Hezbollah, the strains on the country's reserve forces are weakening the human resources that are critical to Israel's economy. Netanyahu and his right-wing henchmen are playing Russian roulette with their country's welfare. They must be stopped. If more international pressure is needed to make that happen, so be it. Dov S. Zakheim is a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and vice chairman of the board for the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He was undersecretary of Defense (comptroller) and chief financial officer for the Department of Defense from 2001 to 2004 and a deputy undersecretary of Defense from 1985 to 1987.
CNBC
4 hours ago
- CNBC
Student loan borrowers face an expensive ‘cliff effect' under the new 'standard' repayment plan, expert says
President Donald Trump's "big beautiful bill" overhauled the so-called Standard Repayment Plan for federal student loan borrowers. Next year, millions of current borrowers will have access to the changed program. For new borrowers, it will be one of just two options available to pay back their debt. That may not be to their benefit, experts say: For some borrowers, the new Standard Plan will keep them in debt longer and add tens of thousands of dollars to the total they must repay. "The design of the new plan, in which a borrower's payment term is scaled up in five-year increments based on arbitrary thresholds, means some borrowers will face a problematic 'cliff effect,'" said Michele Shepard Zampini, senior director of college affordability at The Institute For College Access & Success. "A small difference in their balance will tip them into the next tier and extend their term," Zampini said. Here's what to know about the changes to the Standard Plan. The current Standard Plan is fairly simple: Borrowers typically have their debt divided into fixed payments over 10 years. It's often the fastest option for people to pay off their student debt, compared with the U.S. Department of Education's other income-driven repayment plans. Historically, IDR plans cap a borrowers' monthly bill at a share of their discretionary income, and lead to loan cancellation after a certain period — typically 20 years or 25 years. (But the recent law makes changes to those plans, too. ) The new Standard Plan will spread a borrower's debt into fixed payments over one of four timeframes, depending on what they owe. Those who've borrowed up to $24,999 will still have a 10-year repayment term. But those who owe between $25,000 and $49,999 will pay their debt back over 15 years; a balance ranging from $50,000 to $99,999 will be paid back over 20 years; and a debt over $100,000 will lead to a 25-year repayment term. More from Personal Finance:Trump floats tariff 'rebate' for consumersStudent loan forgiveness may soon be taxed againStudent loan borrowers — how will the end of the SAVE plan impact you? Tell us The longer timelines will force people to carry debt later into their lives, when they should be preparing for retirement, said Astra Taylor, co-founder of the Debt Collective, a union for debtors. "We anticipate an explosion of senior debtors," Taylor said, in an earlier interview with CNBC. Under the new Standard Plan, some borrowers with higher balances may have lower monthly bills than under the current plan because their repayment term is longer, said Zampini. "However, many such borrowers will pay more in total over the life of the loan, as compared to the current Standard Plan," Zampini said. Indeed, a borrower who took out $100,000 in federal student loans would repay around $125,000 over 10 years under the current Standard Plan, according to an analysis by Kantrowitz. (He assumed a 5% interest rate.) But under the revised plan, that same borrower would be required to pay back more than $175,000 during their 25-year term — a difference of nearly $50,000. The modified Standard Plan will be available by July 1, 2026, according to the Education Dept. That plan will be one of just two repayment options available to borrowers who take out student loans after that date, along with Republicans' new IDR plan, called the Repayment Assistance Plan, or RAP. Borrowers with loans taken out before July 1, 2026 will maintain access to some existing repayment plans, including Income-Based Repayment, or IBR, and the current 10-year Standard Plan. But keep in mind: Even borrowers with old loans who take out a new one after July 1, 2026, will lose the existing options for that loan, said Scott Buchanan, executive director of the Student Loan Servicing Alliance, a trade group for federal student loan servicers. "If you borrow again, you will be in the world of two choices," Buchanan said.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Macron urges Ukraine ceasefire as Zelensky demands role in US-Russia talks
Amid growing diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine, Kyiv is pushing to ensure it has a direct role in any future negotiations between Washington and Moscow. French President Emmanuel Macron has reaffirmed France's full support for a ceasefire in Ukraine and the launch of negotiations towards a lasting peace, following what he called a 'long discussion' with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders. Taking to social media on Thursday, Macron stated, 'I reiterated to the Ukrainian President France's full support for establishing a ceasefire and launching discussions toward a solid and lasting solution that preserves Ukraine's legitimate rights and guarantees its security and that of Europeans.' The French leader's comments come amid renewed diplomatic manoeuvring around the Ukraine conflict, with talk of an upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, the possibility of peace remains fraught with tension – especially given Russia's continued resistance to direct negotiations with Ukraine. Putin's reaction to Ukraine ceasefire proposals deepen G7 rifts over US strategy Kyiv demands Ukraine, EU participation in talks While the Kremlin has confirmed Putin is willing to attend a summit with Trump 'in the coming days', it has effectively ruled out the participation of Zelensky. That hasn't gone down well in Kyiv. In his nightly address on Thursday, Zelensky made clear that Ukraine must be at the table. 'It is only fair that Ukraine should be a participant in the negotiations,' he said, adding that any talks about Ukraine's future must include both Kyiv and European partners. 'Ukraine is an integral part of Europe – we are already in negotiations on EU accession. Therefore, Europe must be a participant in the relevant processes.' France hails 'progress' of Ukraine ceasefire deal, says onus is now on Russia For his part, Trump appeared to back away from earlier suggestions that a Putin-Zelensky meeting would be required before a summit could take place. When asked directly, the US president replied: 'No, he doesn't.' Despite a flurry of diplomatic activity – including a visit to Moscow this week by US special envoy Steve Witkoff – there's been no breakthrough on securing a ceasefire. Previous rounds of talks between Kyiv and Moscow have stalled, with Russia demanding Ukraine give up remaining territory and renounce Western support.
