Air Force One: Qatar's gift soon to be in Washington's hands
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Ya Libnan
an hour ago
- Ya Libnan
Time for Trump to recognize Palestine—Before it's too late
Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, has been recognized by 147 of the United Nations' 193 member states. It encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip—together known as the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Now, in a historic shift, some of America's closest allies—France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Canada, and Malta—have pledged to formally recognize the State of Palestine this September. They are doing what history demands: affirming the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to statehood. The clock is ticking. September is just weeks away. If President Donald Trump wants to keep the United States from being left behind—or worse, further isolated—he must act swiftly and decisively. The moment for leadership is now. President Trump has expressed a strong desire to expand the Abraham Accords. But Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has made it crystal clear: there will be no normalization of relations with Israel without a credible commitment to a two-state solution. That solution begins with international recognition of Palestine. Without it, the Accords cannot advance, and regional peace will remain out of reach. For the sake of Israel's future and U.S. credibility abroad, Trump must follow the lead of our allies and recognize the State of Palestine. The main obstacle to this historic step is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—perhaps the last major political figure still openly rejecting the two-state solution. But even his grip on power is weakening. With his credibility shattered by the devastating war in Gaza and mounting domestic opposition, his days in office are likely numbered. Recognizing Palestine would not endanger Israel. On the contrary, a future Palestinian state would be demilitarized, governed by internationally accepted terms, and committed to peaceful coexistence. The people of Palestine, like all people, deserve a state of their own—one they can call home. To deny them that right is to invite more conflict, more extremism, and more chaos—not only in Gaza and the West Bank, but across the entire Middle East. Refusing recognition now would also send the message that the U.S. is unwilling to lead when leadership is most needed. The international tide is turning. America's allies have chosen justice, diplomacy, and peace. If Trump delays, he will find himself on the wrong side of history—isolated alongside Netanyahu, while the world moves forward. There is still time—but not much. The month of September will be remembered as a turning point. The question is: will Trump help shape it, or be left behind by it? The Palestinian people have waited long enough. So has the world.
Ya Libnan
3 hours ago
- Ya Libnan
Trump fires US labour statistics chief after dismal employment report
US President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he departs the White House on August 1, 2025 in Washington, DC. © Win McNamee, AFP President Donald Trump on Friday said that he was firing the head of the Bureau of Labour Statistics after a jobs report showed weakening employment. According to data from the Labor Department, job growth in July fell short of expectations, and recent revisions to hiring numbers showed the weakest employment gains since the COVID-19 pandemic. Washington- President Trump said Friday he has ordered the firing of a key economic official, accusing her of manipulating employment data for political reasons after a new report showed cracks in the US jobs market. US job growth missed expectations in July, Labour Department data showed, and revisions to hiring figures in recent months brought them to the weakest levels since the Covid-19 pandemic. Without providing evidence, Trump lashed out at the department's commissioner of labour statistics, writing on social media that the jobs numbers 'were RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad'. In a separate post on his Truth Social platform, he charged that Commissioner Erika McEntarfer had 'faked' jobs data to boost Democrats' chances of victory in the recent presidential election. 'McEntarfer said there were only 73,000 Jobs added (a shock!) but, more importantly, that a major mistake was made by them, 258,000 Jobs downward, in the prior two months,' Trump said, referring to latest data for July. 'Similar things happened in the first part of the year, always to the negative,' Trump said, insisting that the world's biggest economy was 'booming' under his leadership. He later told reporters 'we need people that we can trust', accusing the economic official of inflating hiring figures under former president Joe Biden 's administration. 'Trump is tightening his grip on American economic policy and institutions' 'Dangerous precedent The United States added 73,000 jobs last month, while the unemployment rate rose to 4.2 percent from 4.1 percent, said the Department of Labour earlier Friday. Hiring numbers for May were revised down from 144,000 to 19,000. The figure for June was shifted from 147,000 to 14,000. This was notably lower than job creation levels in recent years. During the pandemic, the economy lost jobs. The employment data points to challenges in the key labor market as companies took a cautious approach in hiring and investment while grappling with Trump's sweeping – and rapidly changing – tariffs this year. The numbers also pile pressure on the central bank as it mulls the best time to cut interest rates . With tariff levels climbing since the start of the year, both on imports from various countries and on sector-specific products such as steel , aluminum and autos, many firms have faced higher business costs. Some are now passing them along to consumers. William Beach, who previously held McEntarfer post at the Bureau of Labour Statistics, warned that her firing 'sets a dangerous precedent and undermines the statistical mission of the Bureau'. The National Association for Business Economics (NABE) condemned her dismissal, saying large revisions in jobs numbers 'reflect not manipulation, but rather the dwindling resources afforded to statistical agencies'. 'Firing the head of a key government agency because you don't like the numbers they report, which come from surveys using long established procedures, is what happens in authoritarian countries, not democratic ones,' slammed Larry Summers, former US Treasury secretary under Democratic president Bill Clinton. 'Game changer' Heather Long, chief economist at the Navy Federal Credit Union, said Friday's jobs report was a 'gamechanger'. 'The labor market is deteriorating quickly,' said Long, noting that of the growth in July, '75 percent of those jobs were in one sector: health care.' 'The economy needs certainty soon on tariffs,' Long said. 'The longer this tariff whiplash lasts, the more likely this weak hiring environment turns into layoffs .' It remains unclear when the dust will settle, with Trump ordering the reimposition of steeper tariffs on scores of economies late Thursday, which are set to take effect in a week. A sharp weakening in the labour market could push the Federal Reserve towards slashing interest rates sooner to shore up the economy. On Friday, the two Fed officials who voted this week against the central bank's decision to keep rates unchanged warned that standing pat risks further damaging the economy. Both Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman and Governor Christopher Waller argued that the inflationary effects of tariffs were temporary. They added in separate statements that the bank should focus on fortifying the economy to avert further weakening in the labor market. Putting off an interest rate cut 'could result in a deterioration in the labor market and a further slowing in economic growth', Bowman said. (FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Ya Libnan
3 hours ago
- Ya Libnan
Trump is burning bridges with allies, not 'Making America Great Again'
Trump Is Burning Bridges With Allies, Not Making America Great Again By Vlad Green, Op-Ed History has a way of repeating itself—especially when its painful lessons are ignored. Today, President Donald Trump is once again using tariffs as a weapon, punishing nations for political disagreements and attempting to strong-arm trade concessions with threats instead of negotiations. His approach may resonate with a narrow base at home, but it is fracturing long-standing alliances abroad and putting America's global leadership at risk. As he wraps himself in the flag of economic nationalism, Trump forgets—or ignores—that tariffs have consistently backfired throughout American history. One of the first cautionary tales comes from President William McKinley, a staunch protectionist who, in the 1890s, championed high tariffs as a tool to shield American industries. But as the economic and diplomatic backlash grew, McKinley began to regret his position. Before his assassination in 1901, he had changed course, calling for greater international cooperation and freer trade, recognizing that economic isolationism would only harm American prosperity. McKinley's lesson went unheeded three decades later when the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 plunged the world into economic chaos. Enacted just months after the 1929 stock market crash, the tariffs raised duties on over 20,000 imported goods and prompted retaliatory measures from U.S. trading partners. Instead of protecting American jobs, it worsened the Great Depression, slashed global trade, and deepened the suffering of millions. Fast forward to today, and we're seeing history dangerously echo itself. President Trump has turned tariffs into tools of intimidation. With no coherent trade strategy, he threatens Mexico one day, slaps tariffs on Europe the next, and targets Canada—America's closest neighbor and trusted ally—as if it were a rival state. He boasts about 'winning' trade wars, but the reality is rising costs for American consumers, unstable global markets, and fraying relationships with the very nations that stood by the U.S. through thick and thin. It's not just the economic consequences that are alarming. Trump's brand of economic nationalism is wrapped in authoritarian tactics. He surrounds himself with loyalists, fires anyone who questions his decisions, and demands obedience over debate. This is not how a democracy operates. This is not how a civilized world leader behaves. Instead, America under Trump increasingly resembles a transactional bully, not a principled partner. The irony is that Trump claims to be making America great again—yet he is isolating it from the very world order it once led and helped build. From NATO to the World Trade Organization, America's credibility is shrinking as allies question whether they can count on Washington. What started as a promise to bring back manufacturing jobs is morphing into a full-blown foreign policy disaster. The tragedy is avoidable. America doesn't need to abandon its economic interests to remain a global leader. But it must stop using tariffs as threats and allies as bargaining chips. It must return to smart diplomacy, to building coalitions rather than burning bridges, and to leading not through fear, but by example. The world is watching. And history is watching too. The question is not just what Trump will do next—but what price America will ultimately pay for choosing confrontation over cooperation.
