Latest news with #European-led
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Trump flies back to the US after whirlwind trip to Scotland
Donald Trump has left for the US after a whirlwind four-day trip to president mixed business with pleasure in the "private visit", agreeing a major trade deal and meeting the UK and Scottish heads of government in between rounds of golf. While promoting his two golf courses in Turnberry and Menie, he agreed a deal with the president of the EU Commission - reducing EU tariffs from 30% to 15% for exports to the also discussed topics including whisky tariffs and the situation in Gaza in meetings with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Scotland's First Minister John Swinney. Trump flew in on the presidential plane Air Force One on Friday night declaring "it's great to be in Scotland".He was then swept away to his Turnberry golf resort in South Ayrshire in a motorcade consisting of more than two dozen vehicles, flanked by Police Scotland vehicles and ambulance crews. The trip was not without the president's trademark provocative had barely left the plane at Prestwick Airport when he turned to a group of journalists and reiterated his distaste for wind farms, declaring "stop the windmills - you're ruining your countries".His company, Trump International, previously lost a long-running court battle to stop a major wind power development being built in the North Sea off argued that the project, which included 11 wind turbines, would spoil the view from his golf course at Menie in his trip, President Trump has been keen to remind everyone that he has Scottish roots - his mother was from Stornoway - and frequently declared his love for the Anne MacLeod, was born in 1912 on the island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides and left during the Great Depression for New York where she married property developer Fred Trump. After a round of golf at Turnberry on Saturday, Trump met the European Commission President Ursula Von von der Leyen. Before the talks began he said he was "not in a good mood".However the pair came to an agreement, setting the US tariffs on goods from Europe at 15% across the European Union had been facing a 30% levy on its exports to the US from 1 Monday, the president and prime minister held a meeting at Turnberry, where Starmer presented the president with a European-led peace plan for Gaza before they held a media two men then flew to Lossiemouth on Air Force One before taking the presidential helicopter to the Trump International golf resort in Aberdeenshire. Swinney had dinner with Trump for about two hours on Monday night, when the first minister made the case for exempting Scotch whisky from US was followed by a shorter discussion on Tuesday morning, focused on what Swinney said was the "humanitarian catastrophe" in Gaza. After the meeting, a Scottish government source said the two leaders had a "very good conversation". Speaking about their discussion on whisky tariffs, Swinney said: "When the president came to Scotland at the end of last week, I think his view was that the trade deal with the UK was done and dusted."I was setting out to him a very unique circumstance around Scotch whisky which can only be produced in Scotland."It's not something that can be relocated somewhere else."I was pointing out the significance of that point and appealing to his sentiment about being very positive about Scotland - which he is - to try to get to a better position." Asked about his relationship with Mr Trump, Swinney said there had been "very good and courteous" conversations between the pair."I think we talked well about the issues that matter to the people of Scotland," he said."He has a deep affinity with Scotland, so he's got a warmth and an empathy towards Scotland and he was interested in all the issues that I was raising about Scotland."So I think we had a very welcome opportunity to engage in dialogue and to build a relationship." President Trump opened a new 18-hole course at Menie and had a quick round of golf before leaving for Lossiemouth on the presidential helicopter Marine Force. He then departed for the US on Air Force said he was returning to Washington DC to "put out fires all over the world"."We've stopped about five wars. That's much more important than playing golf," he his visit, a major security operation has been under way in South Ayrshire and of officers were drafted in from other UK forces support Police Scotland and road closures and diversions were put in place, along with security of protesters gathered in Aberdeen and Edinburgh however Trump supporters also greeted the Trump will return to the UK in September for a state visit, when he will stay with the King at Windsor Castle.
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
UK plans to recognise Palestine in September unless Israel halts Gaza war
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has told his cabinet that the United Kingdom will recognise the state of Palestine by September unless Israel takes 'substantive steps' to end its war on Gaza and commits to a lasting peace process. According to a government statement issued after an emergency cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Starmer said the move could come before the United Nations General Assembly in New York unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire, halts plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, and supports a political path towards a two-state solution. '[Starmer] reiterated that there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas and that our demands on Hamas remain, that they must release all the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, accept that they will play no role in the government of Gaza, and disarm,' the statement added. Starmer interrupted ministers' summer holidays to discuss a draft European-led peace initiative and plans to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza, where the UN has warned of looming famine. While past UK governments have supported Palestinian statehood 'when the time is right', none has publicly tied it to a specific deadline or laid out preconditions so explicitly. Israel lashed out at the UK following the announcement, calling it a 'reward for Hamas' that would only undermine diplomatic efforts to end the war on Gaza. In a statement posted on X, Israel's Foreign Ministry claimed the UK's move would damage any chance of a ceasefire. Israel broke the last negotiated ceasefire in March. Starmer informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the plan in a phone call before making it public, Reuters reported. Details of the conversation have not been disclosed. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has denied having any talks with Starmer about Britain's recognition plans. 'We never did discuss it,' Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday. 'The right time' The proposal, backed by growing voices within Starmer's own Labour Party, would mark a major shift in the UK's position, as successive governments have long delayed recognition, citing the need for 'the right time'. With pressure mounting from within Starmer's own party, his position appears to have shifted. More than half of Labour's backbench MPs have signed a letter urging the government to formally recognise a Palestinian state as leverage to push Israel towards peace. Speaking to reporters, Starmer defended the timing and conditions of the announcement, saying the decision was driven by the 'intolerable situation' in Gaza and a fear that the two-state solution was slipping out of reach. 'This is intended to further that cause,' he said. 'It's done now because I'm particularly concerned that the idea of a two-state solution is reducing and feels further away today than it has for many years.' He added that recognition of Palestine would be part of an eight-point peace plan the UK has been developing with European partners. Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron said France would formally recognise Palestine as a state, becoming the largest and most influential European nation to do so. European Union members Norway, Spain and the Republic of Ireland have previously said they recognise the State of Palestine. Labour MP Sarah Champion, who organised the letter to Starmer, said there will never be a perfect moment to recognise Palestinian statehood, but warned this might be the last chance. 'What we do have, however, is the perfect storm to prevent a two-state solution ever happening,' she said. 'It is now or never if we believe in Palestinians' right to recognition.'
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Starmer says UK will soon recognise Palestine unless Israel halts Gaza war
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has told his cabinet that the United Kingdom will recognise the state of Palestine by September unless Israel takes 'substantive steps' to end its war on Gaza and commits to a lasting peace process. According to a government statement issued after an emergency cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Starmer said the move could come before the United Nations General Assembly in New York unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire, halts plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, and supports a political path towards a two-state solution. '[Starmer] reiterated that there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas and that our demands on Hamas remain, that they must release all the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, accept that they will play no role in the government of Gaza, and disarm,' the statement added. Starmer interrupted ministers' summer holidays to discuss a draft European-led peace initiative and plans to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza, where the UN has warned of looming famine. While past UK governments have supported Palestinian statehood 'when the time is right', none has publicly tied it to a specific deadline or laid out preconditions so explicitly. With pressure mounting from within Starmer's own party, his position appears to have shifted. More than half of Labour's backbench MPs have signed a letter urging the government to formally recognise a Palestinian state as leverage to push Israel towards peace. Speaking to reporters, Starmer defended the timing and conditions of the announcement, saying the decision was driven by the 'intolerable situation' in Gaza and a fear that the two-state solution was slipping out of reach. 'This is intended to further that cause,' he said. 'It's done now because I'm particularly concerned that the idea of a two-state solution is reducing and feels further away today than it has for many years.' He added that recognition of Palestine would be part of an eight-point peace plan the UK has been developing with European partners. Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron said France would formally recognise Palestine as a state, becoming the largest and most influential European nation to do so. European Union members Norway, Spain and the Republic of Ireland have previously said they recognise the State of Palestine. Labour MP Sarah Champion, who organised the letter to Starmer, said there will never be a perfect moment to recognise Palestinian statehood, but warned this might be the last chance. 'What we do have, however, is the perfect storm to prevent a two-state solution ever happening,' she said. 'It is now or never if we believe in Palestinians' right to recognition.'
Al-Ahram Weekly
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
UK Prime Minister Starmer recalls cabinet from summer break for Gaza meeting - War on Gaza
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will hold an emergency UK cabinet meeting on Tuesday to discuss a peace plan and aid efforts for Gaza, the BBC said. 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. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Mint
3 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Forget Cartier: Made-in-China luxury captivates Chinese consumers
China's Laopu, which specializes in gold jewelry, sees a gap in the European-led luxury market. Well-off Chinese used to chase Western luxury bags and jewelry as symbols of status. Now, in a challenge to the likes of Cartier and Yves Saint Laurent, they are turning to homegrown brands. Little-known in the West, names such as Laopu, Mao Geping and Songmont are winning over Chinese customers with a pitch that combines locally inspired designs and cultural pride. Beijing auditor Zhou Linanfang, 35, noticed long lines outside a store selling Laopu gold jewelry from her hospital room last year when she was about to give birth. Her social-media feeds added to the buzz around the brand. Zhou, like many in her generation, considered gold jewelry unfashionable but changed her mind after seeing the filigree flower rings, gourd-shaped pendants and phoenix hairpieces in Laopu designs. Soon after the arrival of her baby boy, her husband lined up at a Laopu store in Beijing for an hour to buy her a butterfly-shaped pendant for $1,600. 'It's just stylish," Zhou said. 'Now that we have luxury gold pieces, as someone who loves fashion, how could I not get one?" Also taking notice are Western luxury-brand CEOs such as Johann Rupert, chairman of Cartier parent Richemont. He was asked in May whether Laopu was a threat. The brand is 'tied to nationalism and tied to patriotism, and they have a lot of wins in their favor," Rupert said. However, he added, 'Cartier is universal." For Hermès, the resale value of its bags remains an advantage over Chinese rivals. Sales of luxury products in mainland China, mostly Western brands, fell around 20% last year to less than $50 billion, according to consultants at Bain. They said China accounted for about one in eight dollars spent on luxury globally. For the year ended March 2025, Richemont's sales in China fell 23%. Laopu listed its shares in Hong Kong last year and its stock surged, giving the company a market capitalization of more than $15 billion. By contrast, shares of Gucci owner Kering have declined more than 20% compared with a year earlier as the China growth hopes that formerly drove luxury shares have faded. In June, NBA player Victor Wembanyama was seen wearing Laopu's signature gourd-shaped pendant at a sports-card show in New York after visiting China. Zhou said she liked the idea of buying gold jewelry because it might retain its value better in an era of growing economic uncertainty. She said she no longer bought a luxury handbag or jewelry every six months like she used to. 'I might lose my job tomorrow, so I definitely need to cut back," she said. Laopu's chairman, Xu Gaoming, told shareholders in April that the company has carved out a niche with little direct competition. Chinese gold jewelry makers aim for the mass market, while European fine jewelers don't specialize in gold. Laopu's black-and-white stores offer a minimalist ambience, while pampering customers as they wait with Evian water and Godiva chocolate. A Laopu store in Beijing. As those perks suggest, European brands still have a cachet that is hard to match. People in the luxury business said the Chinese brands might even serve as a feeder to get younger consumers interested in luxury. Vanessa Piao, a luxury-bag reseller in China, said more buyers are treating their purchases as an investment, and they often prefer prestigious names such as Hermès, Chanel and Louis Vuitton. 'They are happy to pay $20,000 for a Birkin 25 because they can resell it in a few years without losing much," Piao said, referring to the Hermès bag. 'They won't pay that money for a luxury bag or any fashion item from a domestic brand, no matter how exquisite and rare it is, because that, to some, is the equivalent of throwing $20,000 down the drain." Sophia Zhang, 32, was a loyal customer of Lancôme and Estée Lauder until she became a fan of Mao Geping, the namesake brand of a Chinese makeup artist. Its cream and foundation typically cost half or less the price of the international brands. A 100-gram jar of its signature moisturizer costs $139, compared with $280 for a smaller jar of a top-of-the-line Lancôme moisturizer. 'In the past I figured I'd splurge on skin care, believing those big names were the best, and I'd dismiss local products just because they were cheaper," said Zhang, who, like Zhou, said she still buys some European brands. Now that she has found a less-expensive alternative that suits her, she said, 'it'll be tough to go back." Backstage at a Mao Geping show during Beijing Fashion Week. China is also developing some accessible luxury brands priced comparably to Coach and Michael Kors. One is Songmont, known for its simple and modern designs in products such as a $529 shoulder bag. Twelve-year-old Songmont was co-founded by Fu Song and Wang Jie, designers who graduated from China's top art schools. Some of their first products, with Chinese brocade linings depicting auspicious Chinese motifs like dragons, phoenixes and butterflies, were fashioned by Fu's grandmother and other craftspeople in western Shanxi province. Like many other niche brands around the world, Songmont emphasizes sustainability and its sourcing of threads and oils for its leather bags from Germany and Italy. Its stores incorporate pine trees and rocks, and it brought on tennis star Li Na to promote the brand to channel a bold vibe. The next question is whether the Chinese brands can go global. Shein and Temu have succeeded in e-commerce with rock-bottom prices on mostly Chinese-made goods, and some Americans have taken to Labubu, the viral troll-like toy from China's Pop Mart. Laopu, the jewelry retailer, opened its first overseas store in Singapore in June and will venture to Japan next, but a person close to the company questioned whether Western consumers were ready to embrace marketing based on traditional Chinese culture and aesthetics. Bain consultant Claudia D'Arpizio said Labubu's success suggested Gen-Z consumers were open to buying Chinese. However, she said, 'for more of the core high-end luxury customers in the U.S. and in Europe, made-in-Europe is still very important." Write to Shen Lu at
