Zelenskyy spoke with Trump about replacing envoy to US, Bloomberg News reports
Zelenskyy had said on Saturday that his conversation with Trump last week was the best and 'most productive' he has had to date, adding that the two leaders had discussed 'several other important matters.'
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours. Reuters could not immediately verify the Bloomberg report.
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Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Trump says new tariff deadline ‘not 100 percent firm'
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump reignited his trade war by threatening more than a dozen countries with higher tariffs Monday – but then said he may be flexible on his new August deadline to reach sent letters to trading partners including key US allies Japan and South Korea, announcing that duties he had suspended in April would snap back even more steeply in three and Seoul would be hit with 25 percent tariffs on their goods, he wrote. Countries including Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand, South Africa and Malaysia were slapped with duties ranging from 25 percent to 40 in a move that will cause fresh uncertainty in a global economy already unsettled by his tariffs, the 79-year-old once again left the countries room to negotiate a deal.'I would say firm, but not 100 percent firm,' Trump told reporters at a dinner with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when asked if August 1 deadline was on whether the letters were his final offer, Trump replied: 'I would say final – but if they call with a different offer, and I like it, then we'll do it.'The US president had unveiled sweeping tariffs on imports on what he called 'Liberation Day' on April 2, including a baseline 10 percent tariff on all he quickly suspended all tariffs above 10 percent for 90 days following turmoil in the were due to kick back in on Wednesday and Trump sent the letters in advance of that near-identically worded letters to Japanese and South Korean leaders said he would impose 25 percent tariffs as their trading relationships with Washington were 'unfortunately, far from Reciprocal.'He warned of further escalation if there was retaliation against the Trump on Monday also signed an order formally extending the Wednesday deadline, postponing it to August new August date effectively marks a further delay – and Trump's latest comments threaten to compound the uncertainty over when the deadline really to letters posted to Trump's Truth Social platform, products from Indonesia will face a 32 percent tariff, while the level for Bangladesh is 35 percent and Thailand, 36 countries receiving letters so far had duties similar or unchanged from rates threatened in April, although some like Laos and Cambodia saw notably lower Trump administration is under pressure to show results after promising '90 deals in 90 days.'So far only two firm deals have emerged, with Britain and Vietnam, plus an agreement to dial back super-high tit-for-tat tariffs with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said at a cabinet meeting Monday that the announcement of the 25 percent tariffs is 'genuinely regrettable,' local media Korea's National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac meanwhile met with his US counterpart Marco Rubio in Washington, expressing hope that a bilateral summit could soon be held to achieve 'mutually beneficial outcomes across key pending issues.'Asked why Trump opted to start with Japan and South Korea, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: 'It's the president's prerogative, and those are the countries he chose.'Thailand's acting prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai said Tuesday he wanted a 'better deal' than the 36 percent tariff Trump threatened to impose, adding: 'The most important thing is that we maintain good relations with the US.'Malaysia said it was 'committed to continuing engagement with the US toward a balanced, mutually beneficial, and comprehensive trade agreement,' its trade ministry said in a statement, after Washington imposed a 25 percent tariff on the Southeast Asian Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that there would be more deals coming up: 'We are going to have several announcements in the next 48 hours.'Trump has also threatened an extra 10 percent tariff on countries aligning themselves with the emerging BRICS nations, accusing them of 'Anti-American policies' after they slammed his duties at a partners are still rushing to avert Trump's tariffs European Commission said EU chief Ursula von der Leyen had a 'good exchange' with Trump on trade when the pair spoke Sunday.
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
China warns Trump on tariffs, threatens retaliation on supply chain deals
China warned the Trump administration on Tuesday against reigniting trade tension by restoring tariffs on its goods next month, and threatened to retaliate against nations that strike deals with the United States to cut China out of supply chains. Washington and Beijing agreed to a trade framework in June that restored a fragile truce, but with many details still unclear, traders and investors on both sides of the Pacific are watching to see if it will unravel or lead to a lasting detente. On Monday, President Donald Trump began notifying trade partners of sharply higher U.S. tariffs from August 1, after he delayed all but 10 percent of his April duties on most countries to give them time to strike deals with the world's largest economy. China, initially singled out with tariffs exceeding 100 percent, has until August 12 to reach an agreement with the White House to keep Trump from reinstating additional import curbs imposed during tit-for-tat tariff exchanges in April and May. 'One conclusion is abundantly clear: dialogue and cooperation are the only correct path,' the official People's Daily said in a commentary, referring to the exchanges in the current round of China-U.S. trade tension. The article was signed 'Zhong Sheng', or 'Voice of China', a term the paper uses to express views on foreign policy. Reiterating Beijing's view that Trump's tariffs amount to 'bullying', the paper added, 'Practice has proven that only by firmly upholding principled positions can one truly safeguard one's legitimate rights and interests.' The remarks set the stage for another round of tariff war should Trump stick to what the ruling Communist Party's official daily said was 'a so-called 'final deadline.'' The average U.S. tariff on Chinese exports now stands at 51.1 percent, while the average Chinese duty on U.S. goods is 32.6 percent, with both sides covering all their trade, the Peterson Institute for International Economics said. The paper also took a swipe at regional economies that are considering striking tariff reduction deals with the United States that cut China out of their supply chains. Last week, Vietnam secured a tariff reduction to 20 percent from 46 percent with a deal for goods 'transshipped' through it, typically originating from China, to be subjected to a levy of 40 percent. 'China firmly opposes any side striking a deal that sacrifices Chinese interests in exchange for tariff concessions,' the paper said. 'If such a situation arises, China will not accept it and will respond resolutely to protect its legitimate interests.'
Al Arabiya
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Pastors Who Endorse Political Candidates Shouldn't Lose Tax-Exempt Status, IRS Says in Filing
The IRS says pastors who endorse political candidates from the pulpit should not have to risk losing their tax-exempt status. The move effectively calls for a carve-out for religious organizations from the rarely used IRS rule called the Johnson Amendment, put in place in 1954 and named after then-Sen. Lyndon Johnson. In a joint court filing intended to end an ongoing case against the IRS, the tax collection agency and the National Religious Broadcasters Association–an Evangelical media consortium–and other plaintiffs have asked a federal court in Texas to stop the government from enforcing the Johnson Amendment against the plaintiffs. The Johnson Amendment is a 1954 amendment to the US tax code that prohibits tax-exempt organizations, including churches, from endorsing or opposing political candidates. The Christian media group and others filed suit against the IRS last August, stating that the amendment violates their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and free exercise of religion, among other legal protections. On Monday, the IRS and plaintiffs wrote that the Johnson Amendment should be interpreted so that it 'does not reach communications from a house of worship to its congregation in connection with religious services through its usual channels of communication on matters of faith.' The New York Times was first to report the news of the court filing. The IRS has generally not enforced the Johnson Amendment against houses of worship for speech related to electoral politics. President Donald Trump has said he wanted to get rid of the Johnson Amendment and signed an executive order in 2017 directing Treasury to disregard the rule. 'I will get rid of and totally destroy the Johnson Amendment and allow our representatives of faith to speak freely and without fear of retribution,' Trump said at a National Prayer Breakfast in 2017, which is a high-profile event bringing together faith leaders, politicians, and dignitaries. Representatives from the IRS and the National Religious Broadcasters Association did not respond to an Associated Press request for comment. Earlier this year, Republican lawmakers introduced legislation to remove the Johnson Amendment.
