Latest news with #GramSlattery
Japan Today
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Today
U.S. says that Israel accepts Gaza ceasefire plan; Hamas cool to it
By Gram Slattery, Michelle Nichols and Nidal al-Mughrabi Israel has agreed to a U.S. ceasefire proposal for Gaza, the White House said on Thursday, and Hamas said it was reviewing the plan although its terms did not meet the group's demands. As a U.S.-backed system for distributing food aid in the shattered enclave expanded, Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the families of hostages held in Gaza that Israel had accepted a deal presented by U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. Netanyahu's office did not confirm the reports, but White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters in Washington that Israel had signed off on the proposal. She did not detail its contents. But the New York Times quoted an Israeli official familiar with the proposal as saying the initial phase would include a 60-day ceasefire and humanitarian aid flowing through U.N.-run operations. The Palestinian militant group Hamas said it was studying the proposal, and senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters the group was still discussing it. But Abu Zuhri said its terms echoed Israel's position and do not contain commitments to end the war, withdraw Israeli troops or admit aid as Hamas has demanded. Deep differences between Hamas and Israel have stymied previous attempts to restore a ceasefire that broke down in March after only two months. Israel has insisted that Hamas disarm completely and be dismantled as a military and governing force and that all 58 hostages still held in Gaza must be returned before it will agree to end the war. Hamas has rejected the demand to give up its weapons and says Israel must pull its troops out of Gaza and commit to ending the war. AID EFFORT EXPANDS The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a private group backed by the United States and endorsed by Israel, expanded its aid distribution to a third site on Thursday. Heavily criticised by the United Nations and other aid groups as inadequate and flawed, the group's operation began this week in Gaza, where the U.N. has said 2 million people are at risk of famine after Israel's 11-week blockade on aid entering the enclave. The aid launch was marred by tumultuous scenes on Tuesday when thousands of Palestinians rushed distribution points and forced private security contractors to retreat. The chaotic start to the operation has raised international pressure on Israel to get more food in and halt the fighting in Gaza. GHF has so far supplied about 1.8 million meals and plans to open more sites in the coming weeks. Witkoff told reporters on Wednesday that Washington was close to "sending out a new term sheet" about a ceasefire to the two sides in the conflict that has raged since October 2023. "I have some very good feelings about getting to a long-term resolution, temporary ceasefire and a long-term resolution, a peaceful resolution, of that conflict," Witkoff said then. Israel has come under increasing international pressure, with many European countries that have normally been reluctant to criticise it openly demanding an end to the war and a major relief effort. Israel launched its campaign in Gaza in response to the devastating Hamas attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, that killed some 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage into Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. The campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, Gaza health officials say, and left the enclave in ruins. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
White House National Security Council hit by more firings, sources say
By Gram Slattery and Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A large restructuring of the White House National Security Council got under way on Friday as President Donald Trump moved to reduce the size and scope of the once-powerful agency, five sources briefed on the matter said. Staff dealing with a variety of major geopolitical issues were sent termination notices on Friday, said the sources, who requested anonymity as they were not permitted to speak to the media. The move comes just weeks after Secretary of State Marco Rubio took over from Mike Waltz as national security adviser. The NSC declined to comment. The restructuring of the NSC is expected to grant more authority to the State Department, the Defense Department and other agencies, the sources said. The aim is to reduce the size of the NSC to just a few dozen people. The NSC is the main body used by presidents to coordinate national security strategy. Its staff often make key decisions regarding America's approach to the world's most volatile conflicts and play a key role in keeping America safe. The firings will reduce the NSC's already pared-down staff. The body had more than 300 staffers under Democratic President Joe Biden, but even before the recent firings under Trump was less than half the size of Biden's NSC. The NSC staffers who are cut from the agency will be moved to other positions in government, two of the sources told Reuters.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Biden had not received prostate cancer screening since 2014, spokesperson says
By Gram Slattery and Nandita Bose WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Former U.S. President Joe Biden had not received a test for prostate cancer, known as a PSA, for more than a decade before he was diagnosed with an advanced form of the disease last week, a spokesperson said on Tuesday. The latest comments from the former Democratic president's camp come amid questions from Republicans and some health professionals about why his cancer was not caught before reaching an advanced stage. Biden, 82, has also faced broader questions about whether he and his allies withheld critical information from the American public about his ability to serve in the White House. A new book, "Original Sin," details widespread concerns about Biden's mental acuity among aides as he pursued reelection last year. "President Biden's last known PSA was in 2014," the Biden spokesperson said on Tuesday. "Prior to Friday, President Biden had never been diagnosed with prostate cancer." A PSA test, or prostate-specific antigen test, is a blood test that is used to screen for prostate cancer. Some health professionals consulted by Reuters had expressed surprise at the diagnosis given that most prostate cancers are detected at an earlier stage and that presidents undergo thorough health monitoring. Still, others said it is not unusual to discontinue testing for prostate cancer in older patients because the test is less reliable in that age group. Prostate cancer has a much higher survival rate than most other cancers. In 2012, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended against PSA-based screening for prostate cancer in men of all ages. The task force reversed the recommendation in 2017, advising against the screening for men older than 70. Biden, who ultimately abandoned his reelection bid and left office in January, was in his early 70s at the time of his 2014 screening. "It is very reasonable to discontinue PSA screening at age 72, regardless of health status, or significantly decrease the frequency of screening," said Dr. Scott Eggener, a urologic cancer specialist and professor of surgery at the University of Chicago. Biden's office said he had been diagnosed on Friday with "aggressive" prostate cancer that had spread to his bones. Cancers that have spread, or metastasized, are considered stage 4, the most advanced. U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance are among the Republicans who have offered well-wishes to Biden while also raising questions about the timing and nature of his cancer diagnosis. Trump received a PSA test as part of his latest annual physical exam, according to results released in April.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Analysis-Gulf states use opulence and flattery to win Trump's heart
By Gram Slattery and Matt Spetalnick ABU DHABI (Reuters) -Escorts of camels and Arabian horses. A luxury plane offered as a gift. Hundreds of men dancing with drums and scimitars before marble palaces. Extravagant displays of opulence and adulation greeted U.S. President Donald Trump at every stage of his four-day swing through the Gulf, which wrapped up on Friday. His itineraries in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates appeared tailor-made for a real-estate-developer-turned-president, who can be susceptible to flattery, transactional in his foreign policy dealings and is attracted to extreme wealth. To the extent those displays were designed to curry favor with Trump, they very well might have worked. While the Gulf states announced trillions in potential investments in the U.S. during his visit, they also got plenty in return. On Thursday, the U.S. agreed to partner with the UAE to build a massive artificial intelligence campus in that Gulf state. In a surprise move on Tuesday, Trump agreed to lift sanctions on Syria at the request of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, even as some of Trump's own advisers recommended against rapprochement with Syria, whose new president was once an al-Qaeda commander. "Oh, what I do for the crown prince!" the president gushed to the crowd at the investment conference in Riyadh where he announced the decision. Trump's regional swing could serve as a template for other host nations looking for a way to the president's heart, analysts said. The treatment Trump received throughout the week seemed almost a global extension of what regularly plays out in Washington, where Cabinet members are quick to praise Trump's acumen and vision, and often outline the administration's accomplishments in superlative terms. "They played their hand well," Laura Blumenfield, Middle East analyst at John Hopkins University's School of International Studies in Washington said of the Gulf state leaders. "The choreography of Trump's royal tour was impressive." Trump left the Middle East without securing a ceasefire or renewal of humanitarian aid for Gaza, however. Democrats and good government watchdogs raised concerns about Trump's decision-making being swayed by the regal spectacle and whether his diplomatic efforts could be used to further his family's extensive business operations in the Arabian Peninsula. "It feels like Trump is being played by some of these leaders with the ostentatious, ceremonial pomp," said Brett Bruen, a former foreign policy adviser to Democratic President Barack Obama and president of the Global Situation Room consultancy. "A lot of this raises questions whether Trump is taking personal prizes or really advancing U.S interests in the region," he added. The Trump administration has repeatedly said it is committed to transparency and that it complies with all ethics laws to avoid conflicts of interests. "Countries in the Middle East are 'pulling out all the stops' because America is strong again," said Taylor Rogers, a White House spokesman. "Foreign leaders know President Trump is the dealmaker-in-chief whose peace through strength policies have restored America's dominance." ROYAL TREATMENT The pomp and pageantry began before Trump even touched down in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for the first stop of his trip. As Air Force One descended toward Riyadh, Saudi F-15 fighter jets appeared close alongside to escort the presidential plane. After the president walked down a lavender carpet, his motorcade was escorted to the Royal Court on a road lined by mounted Arabian horses. Not to be outdone, Qatar gave Air Force One a fighter jet escort of its own as it descended into Doha on Wednesday. And instead of mere horses, the Qataris added camels into the mix, as well as Tesla Cybertrucks, which have become popular among some Trump supporters due to their affiliation with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a close Trump adviser. A traditional dhow sailboat with an American flag sail bobbed in the nearby bay. In Qatar's elaborate royal court, the Emiri Diwan, Trump gushed at the quality of the marble. Trump's own style tends heavily toward the white stone and gold leafing, elements that feature heavily at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and which he has added to the White House since taking office. The emir had previously offered Trump a luxury Boeing 747-8 plane to replace Air Force One, a gift that is raising constitutional questions and ethical concerns even from some fellow Republicans. And on Thursday, he offered Trump a series of personal compliments, albeit ones related to diplomacy rather than style. "We are very excited," the emir said. "I know that you are a man of peace. I know that you want to bring peace to this region." Trump, throughout the trip, was quick to offer compliments in return. "I like him a lot. I like him too much," Trump said of bin Salman, without mentioning the leader's alleged role in ordering the murder of U.S.-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Bin Salman has denied involvement in the killing and former President Joe Biden's administration determined that he had immunity from a lawsuit filed against him in the U.S. UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan, Trump said later in the week, is a "magnificent man." Upon landing in Abu Dhabi on Thursday for the last stop of his trip, Trump toured the massive, ornate Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque with the emirate's crown prince. Trump marveled at its beauty and what he called "an incredible culture." At the Qasr al Watan royal palace that evening, Sheikh Mohamed presented Trump with a final gift on his trip: the Order of Zayed. The baroque pendant necklace, the country's highest civilian honor, is made of pure gold.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US would make Gaza a 'freedom zone', Trump says in Qatar
By Gram Slattery DOHA (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Thursday reiterated his desire to take over the Gaza Strip, telling a business roundtable in Qatar that the U.S. would "make it a freedom zone" and arguing there was nothing left to save in the Palestinian territory. Trump first pitched his Gaza idea in February, saying the U.S. would redevelop it and force Palestinians to go elsewhere. The plan drew global condemnation, with Palestinians, Arab nations and the U.N. saying it would amount to ethnic cleansing. Most of Gaza's 2.3 million population is internally displaced as Israel presses a military assault that has killed nearly 53,000 Palestinians and ravaged much of the enclave. Israel began its assault after the October 2023 Hamas attack. Speaking to a group of officials and business leaders in Qatar, which has hosted Hamas' political office in Doha for years, Trump said he has "concepts for Gaza that I think are very good: Make it a freedom zone, let the United States get involved". Trump said he had seen "aerial shots where, I mean, there's practically no building standing. It's not like you're trying to save something. There's no buildings. People are living under the rubble of buildings that collapsed, which is not acceptable." "I want to see that (Gaza) be a freedom zone. And if it's necessary, I think I'd be proud to have the United States have it, take it, make it a freedom zone. Let some good things happen." Trump has previously said he wants to turn Gaza into the "Riviera of the Middle East." Palestinians vehemently reject any plan involving them leaving Gaza, comparing such ideas to the 1948 "Nakba," or "catastrophe," when hundreds of thousands were dispossessed of their homes in the war that led to the creation of Israel. Many say they would rather live in the ruins of their homes. Direct U.S. involvement in Gaza would draw Washington deeper into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and potentially mark its biggest Middle East intervention since its 2003 Iraq invasion. Many Americans view foreign entanglements with skepticism. Israel invaded Gaza in retaliation for the Hamas-led attack on southern Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken as hostages to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Earlier this month, Israel approved expanded offensive plans against Hamas that might include seizing the Strip and controlling aid. At least 70 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes on Thursday, medics said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described Trump's idea as "a bold vision," and has said that he and the U.S. president have discussed which countries might be willing to take Palestinians who leave Gaza.
