Trump gives ultimatum to Iran in rambling speech to Saudi leaders as he announces end to Syria sanctions
'If I can make a deal with Iran, I'll be very happy ... we're going to make your region and the world a safer place,' said Trump during his speech at an investment forum in Riyadh.
'But if Iran's leadership rejects this olive branch and continues to attack their neighbors, then we will have no choice but to inflict massive maximum pressure, drive Iranian oil exports to zero like I did before,' he added.
Trump also said he will be ordering the end of sanctions against Syria.
The president's speech came at the beginning of a landmark visit to three Gulf states this week, which has been clouded by backlash over a potential luxury jet gift from Qatar.
Earlier, Trump praised the country's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, before they signed a strategic economic partnership agreement, including a defense deal worth nearly $142 billion.
The president attended a state dinner before travelling to Qatar on Wednesday. Trump will end his trip to the Middle East in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, and hopes to secure $1 trillion in deals from the visits.
House Democrat announces plan to file seven articles of impeachment against Trump
Rep. Shri Thanedar took to the floor of the House to announce his intention to file seven articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.
'Donald Trump has been committing crimes since Day One,' he said. 'Bribery, corruption, taking power from Congress, creating an unlawful office in DOGE, violating First Amendment rights, ignoring due process, and finally refusing to abide by a unanimous Supreme Court ruling.'
Gustaf Kilander13 May 2025 21:45
Farmers weigh Trump's trade war like they watch the weather, waiting to see how things go
Minnesota farmer Dan Glessing isn't ready to get too upset over President Donald Trump's trade wars.
Farm country voted heavily for Trump last November. Now Glessing and many other farmers are taking a wait-and-see attitude toward the Republican president's disputes with China and other international markets.
China normally would buy about one row out of every four of the Minnesota soybean crop and took in nearly $13 billion worth of soybeans from the U.S. as a whole last year. More than half of U.S. soybeans are exported internationally, with roughly half of those going to China, so it's a critical market.
Farmers weigh Trump's trade war like they watch the weather, waiting to see how things go
Farm country voted heavily for Donald Trump last November
Gustaf Kilander13 May 2025 21:40
Pam Bondi 'scrambled' to find Epstein material to appease MAGA after Phase 1 release flopped, report claims
Attorney General Pam Bondi 'scrambled' to find Epstein material to appease the far right over the failed Phase 1 release of the files, but 'found little', according to a report.
Since vowing to carry out President Donald Trump's executive order demanding the government make documents related to cases of national interest public, including Jeffrey Epstein, Bondi has been under intense pressure, particularly from the right, to release the files on the disgraced financier.
Rhian Lubin reports:
Bondi 'scrambled' to find Epstein material to appease MAGA after Phase 1 release
A botched release of the 'Phase 1' files saw MAGA influencers descend on the White House to receive a binder of information already in the public domain
Venezuelans 'barricaded' doors and 'threatened to take hostages' in ICE detention, Trump team alleges
In its latest demand to the Supreme Court to begin swiftly deporting immigrants from the United States, Donald Trump 's administration claims a group of Venezuelan men imprisoned in Texas tried to barricade themselves inside their unit, covered surveillance cameras and threatened to take hostages.
A group of 23 men the administration accused of being Tren de Aragua gang members 'have proven difficult to manage,' according to a sworn statement in court documents from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official.
Venezuelans 'threatened to take hostages' in ICE detention, Trump team alleges
Administration calls on Supreme Court for permission to swiftly deport nearly 200 immigrants detained in Texas
Gustaf Kilander13 May 2025 21:20
Democrats and Republicans speak out on Trump's plan to accept $400m 'gift' plane from 'Hamas-supporting' Qatar
For President Donald Trump, accepting a free Air Force One replacement from Qatar is a no-brainer.
But Trump's plan threatens to turn a global symbol of American power into an airborne collection of ethical, legal, security and counterintelligence concerns.
Trump tried to tamp down some of the opposition by saying he would donate the plane to a future presidential library after his term ends. Democrats are united in outrage over the plan.
Even some of the Republican president's allies have expressed concerns.
Here's the AP:
Democrats and Republicans speak on Trump's plan to accept $400m 'gift'
For President Donald Trump, accepting a free Air Force One replacement from Qatar is a no-brainer. But Trump's plan threatens to turn a global symbol of American power into an airborne collection of ethical, legal, security and counterintelligence concerns. Trump tried to tamp down some of the opposition by saying he would donate the plane to a future presidential library after his term ends. Democrats are united in outrage over the plan. Even some of the Republican president's allies have expressed concerns.
Gustaf Kilander13 May 2025 21:00
In pictures: Syrians celebrate after Trump announces end of sanctions
Gustaf Kilander13 May 2025 20:45
MAHA at war: RFK Jr's inner circle accusing each other of leaking false info in expletive-ridden phone call
Key players within the Make America Healthy Again movement are locked in a bitter public fight after one of Robert F Kennedy Jr 's top advisers clashed with a supplement CEO in an expletive-ridden phone call.
Calley Means, a special government employee for the Health and Human Services, accused The Wellness Company of leaking 'provably untrue information' about his company, Truemed, to MAGA hardliner Laura Loomer.
Rhian Lubin has the story:
MAHA at war: RFK Jr's inner circle accusing each other of leaking false info
At the center of the dispute is one of Robert F Kennedy Jr's top advisers, Calley Means, whose sister, Casey Means, has been tapped to serve as surgeon general
Gustaf Kilander13 May 2025 20:40
Tourists are cancelling trips to the US – and it's not just Trump to blame
International travel spending in the United States is projected to fall by $12.5 billion, or seven per cent, in 2025, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
WTTC CEO Julia Simpson said the unpopular policies from the administration of President Donald Trump, fear of being stopped at the border and an unfavourable exchange rate had pushed international tourists towards alternative destinations.
"Of 184 countries, the U.S. is the only one that's seeing an absolute decline in international visitor spending," Simpson said.
Doyinsola Oladipo reports:
International travel spending will fall 7 per cent this year, experts say
Gustaf Kilander13 May 2025 20:20
FDA and RFK Jr. aim to remove fluoride supplements used to protect kids' teeth
U.S. health regulators announced plans Tuesday to phase out fluoride-containing supplements sometimes used to strengthen children's teeth, opening a new front in Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s effort against a mainstay of dental care.
The Food and Drug Administration said it will conduct a scientific review of the products by late October with the aim of removing them from the market. It was not immediately clear whether the agency planned to formally ban the supplements or simply request that companies withdraw them.
Matthew Parrone writes:
Gustaf Kilander13 May 2025 20:00
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Palestine Action loses appeal hours before terror ban due to start
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Palestine Action lose 11th-hour appeal to stop being banned as a terror group after High Court judge refused a bid to temporarily halt them being outlawed
Palestine Action has lost its 11-hour appeal to stop it from being banned as a terror group, less than two hours after losing a bid to halt it come coming into force. Earlier today, Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, failed in her bid to get the High Court to temporarily block the Government from classifying the group as a terrorist organisation. This came before a potential legal challenge to the decision to proscribe the group under the Terrorism Act 2000. The ban is set to take effect at midnight after Judge Mr Justice Chamberlain denied the request for a temporary block. In a late twist, Ms. Ammori's legal team appealed the decision at the Court of Appeal on Friday evening. However, around 10:30pm, the Court also refused to grant the temporary injunction, paving the way for the controversial move to proceed. The founder's representative told the court that the ban would have a 'chilling effect on free speech'. 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Blinne Ni Ghralaigh KC, for Ms Ammori, told the Court of Appeal that the judge wrongly decided the balance between the interests of her client and the Home Office when deciding whether to make the temporary block. She said: 'The balance of convenience on the evidence before him, in our respectful submission, fell in favour of the claimant having regard to all of the evidence, including the chilling effect on free speech, the fact that people would be criminalised and criminalised as terrorists for engaging in protest that was not violent, for the simple fact that they were associated with Palestine Action.' She also told the Court of Appeal that Mr Justice Chamberlain 'failed properly to consider' that banning the group 'would cause irreparable harm'. Ms Ni Ghralaigh said: 'There was significant evidence before him to demonstrate the chilling effect of the order because it was insufficiently clear.' She continued that the ban would mean 'a vast number of individuals who wished to continue protesting would fall foul of the proscription regime due to its lack of clarity'. Ben Watson KC, for the Home Office, told appeal judges that Mr Justice Chamberlain gave a 'detailed and careful judgment' which was 'all the more impressive given the time constraints'. He added that the judge 'was entitled to reach the conclusion that he did'. The barrister said: 'The judge conducted a very careful analysis of all the matters he relied upon.' Mr Watson also said that the judge was 'alive' to the possible impacts of the ban, including the potential 'chilling effect' on free speech. 'There was no error by the judge in concluding that there was a serious question to be tried while at the same time acknowledging that he couldn't, on the material in front of him, say that it had strong prospects of success,' he added. The proposal for the ban which had been approved by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords earlier this week, will make membership and support for the direct action group a criminal offence, punishable by up to 14 years in prison. High Court judge Mr Justice Chamberlain said: 'I have concluded that the harm which would ensue if interim relief is refused but the claim later succeeds is insufficient to outweigh the strong public interest in maintaining the order in force.' Ms. Ammori's legal team was also denied permission to appeal and was advised to take their case directly to the Court of Appeal. Currently, 81 organisations are already proscribed under the 2000 Act, including Hamas, al Qaida, and National Action. During the hearing, Raza Husain KC, representing Ms. Ammori, argued for the suspension of what he called the 'ill-considered' and 'authoritarian abuse of statutory power' until a hearing scheduled for around July 21. Mr Husain told the London court: 'This is the first time in our history that a direct action civil disobedience group, which does not advocate for violence, has been sought to be proscribed as terrorists.' The barrister said that his client had been 'inspired' by a long history of direct action in the UK, 'from the suffragettes, to anti-apartheid activists, to Iraq war activists'. The hearing later in July is expected to deal with whether Ms Ammori can bring a High Court challenge over the planned proscription. Blinne Ni Ghralaigh KC, also representing Ms Ammori, told the court that there was no 'express provision' to protect lawyers representing her in the potential legal challenge from criminal consequences if the ban came into effect. She also said that if the ban came into effect the harm would be 'far-reaching', could cause 'irreparable harm to large numbers of members of the public', including causing some to 'self-censor'. Ms Ni Ghralaigh later named Normal People author Sally Rooney, who lives abroad and 'fears the ramifications for her, for her work, for her books, for her programmes' if she shows support for Palestine Action. 'Is the Prime Minister going to denounce her, an Irish artist, as a supporter of a proscribed organisation?' 'Will that have ramifications for her with the BBC, etc?' Ms Ni Ghralaigh asked. In his written judgment, Mr Justice Chamberlain said it was 'ambitious' for Palestine Action to claim it was not 'concerned in terrorism', as the 'action which immediately preceded the announcement of the decision to lay a proscription order was against an RAF base'. He also said that Ms Ammori's arguments 'contain at least one serious issue to be tried, namely that the order is a disproportionate interference with the rights of the claimant and others' under the European Convention on Human Rights. But he ruled that issuing a temporary block on the ban 'even for a short period' would 'deny the public important protections which the order is intended to confer'. He said: 'In my judgment, some of the consequences feared by the claimant and others who have given evidence are overstated.' He continued: 'It will remain lawful for the claimant and other persons who were members of Palestine Action prior to proscription to continue to express their opposition to Israel's actions in Gaza and elsewhere, including by drawing attention to what they regard as Israel's genocide and other serious violations of international law. 'They will remain legally entitled to do so in private conversations, in print, on social media and at protests.' He added: 'It follows that it is hyperbole to talk of the claimant or others being "gagged" in this respect, as the claimant has alleged. 'They could not incur criminal liability based on their past association with a group which was not proscribed at the time. 'That said, there is no doubt that there will be serious consequences if the order comes into effect immediately and interim relief is refused.' In a statement issued following the judgement, the co-founder said the public were being left 'in the dark about their rights to free speech'. She said the 'We are seeking an urgent appeal to try to prevent a dystopian nightmare of the Government's making which would see thousands of people across Britain wake up tomorrow to find they had been criminalised overnight for supporting a domestic protest group which sprays red paint on warplanes and disrupts Israel's largest weapons manufacturer to disrupt the flow of arms to Israel's genocidal war machine. 'We will not stop fighting to defend fundamental rights to free speech and protest in our country and to stand up for the rights of the Palestinian people. 'The Home Secretary is rushing through the implementation of the proscription at midnight tonight despite the fact that our legal challenge is ongoing and that she has been completely unclear about how it will be enforced, leaving the public in the dark about their rights to free speech and expression after midnight tonight when this proscription comes into effect.' She went on to say: 'Hundreds of thousands of people across the country have expressed support for Palestine Action by joining our mailing list, following and sharing our social media content and signing petitions, and many, including iconic figures like Sally Rooney, say they will continue to declare 'we are all Palestine Action' and speak out against this preposterous proscription, demonstrating how utterly unworkable it will be. 'As Justice Chamberlain acknowledged in court today, it is unclear what expressions of support could lead to arrest and potential prosecution with sentences of up to 14 years in prison. 'We would only have only a few hours to disband our entire organisation and dismantle all of our infrastructure, including closing bank accounts and deleting our mailing list and social media platforms. 'This is despite the fact that we have not had the opportunity to defend our fundamental rights in court and challenge this unlawful, authoritarian and utterly absurd proscription. 'If we ultimately succeed in overturning the proscription, we would have to start from scratch, having lost everything we have painstakingly built over five years.' Ben Watson KC, for the Home Office, told the High Court there was an 'insuperable hurdle' in the bid to temporarily block the ban of Palestine Action. The barrister also said that if a temporary block was granted, it would be a 'serious disfigurement of the statutory regime'. He said Palestine Action could challenge the Home Secretary's decision at the Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission, a specialist tribunal, rather than at the High Court. Friday's hearing comes after an estimated £7million worth of damage was caused to two Voyager planes at RAF Brize Norton on June 20, in an action claimed by Palestine Action. Amy Gardiner-Gibson, 29, Jony Cink, 24, Daniel Jeronymides-Norie, 36, and Lewis Chiaramello, 22, are accused of conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the United Kingdom, and conspiracy to commit criminal damage. They were remanded into custody after appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court and will appear at the Old Bailey on July 18. The hearing before Mr Justice Chamberlain will conclude later on Friday, with the High Court judge expected to give his decision at the end of the hearing. A further hearing to decide whether Ms Ammori will be given the green light to challenge the decision to ban Palestine Action is expected to be heard later this month. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to proscribe Palestine Action on June 23, stating that the vandalism of the two planes was 'disgraceful' and that the group had a 'long history of unacceptable criminal damage'.
