US President Trump 'caught off guard' by Israeli strikes in Syria
Israel had launched strikes on the capital Damascus and the southern Druze-majority city of Sweida, saying it aimed to put pressure on the Syrian government to withdraw its troops from the region amid ongoing clashes there.
Trump "was caught off guard by the bombing in Syria and also the bombing of a Catholic church in Gaza", Leavitt told reporters at a press briefing.
"In both accounts, the president quickly called the prime minister to rectify those situations," she continued.
Netanyahu had visited the White House earlier this month, his third trip since Trump returned to power on Jan 20.
"The president enjoys a good working relationship with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, and stays in, you know, frequent communication with him," Leavitt said.
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Straits Times
12 minutes ago
- Straits Times
For Trump, EU trade deal was badly needed
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Both parties agreed on July 27 to a broad-brush trade deal that sets a 15 per cent tariff on most EU goods. EDINBURGH, Scotland - For months, President Donald Trump's penchant for overhyping the speed at which he could negotiate complex trade deals has been the butt of Washington jokes. 'Ninety days ago, Donald Trump promised the world that his tariffs would lead to 90 deals in 90 days,' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, said in July, adding: 'By my count, he's about 88 trade deals short.' So on July 27, when Mr Trump announced a trade agreement with the European Union, it was not only his biggest trade deal to date, but also, politically, his most badly needed. After going months without securing deals, Mr Trump is now coming off his most productive stretch of trade negotiations, landing agreements in recent days with the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia as well as the European Union, which represents 27 countries. The deal with the European Union, at least upon first impression, seemed to give Mr Trump much of what he wanted. 'I'm very surprised how the European Union gave in to Trump's demands,' said Professor Douglas Irwin, a professor of economics at Dartmouth College. 'I thought the EU would be the most prone to retaliation. And yet, they didn't do it. They really gave in to most of what Trump wanted.' Though many details of the agreement were unclear, the European Union and the United States agreed on July 27 to a broad-brush trade deal that sets a 15 per cent tariff on most EU goods, including cars, averting what could have become a painful trade war with a bloc that is the United States' single biggest source of imports. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Not feasible for S'pore to avoid net‑zero; all options to cut energy emissions on table: Tan See Leng Singapore With regional interest in nuclear energy rising, S'pore must build capabilities too: Tan See Leng Singapore Sewage shaft failure linked to sinkhole; PUB calling safety time-out on similar works islandwide Singapore Workers used nylon rope to rescue driver of car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole Singapore New Mandai North Crematorium, ash-scattering garden to open on Aug 15 World Three dead, several injured after train derails in Germany World US and EU clinch deal with broad 15% tariffs on EU goods to avert trade war Asia Displaced villagers at Thai-Cambodian border hope to go home as leaders set to meet for talks The European Union also agreed to purchase US$750 billion (S$960 billion) of US energy, which Ms Ursula von der Leyen, president of the EU's executive branch, said would be spread over three years. That, she noted, is roughly the length of Mr Trump's remaining term in office. The bloc also agreed to increase its investment in the United States by more than US$600 billion. The two sides agreed to drop tariffs to zero on a range of goods including aircraft, plane parts, certain chemicals, certain generic drugs, semiconductor equipment and some agricultural products, Ms von der Leyen said. She acknowledged that the tariffs could prove tough for some European businesses, but defended the deal in light of higher tariffs Mr Trump had threatened. 'Fifteen percent is not to be underestimated, but it is the best we could get,' she said. It was a positive political development for Mr Trump on a number of fronts. Economists have mostly been sour on the idea of his sweeping tariffs, warning of dire consequences including inflation and rising unemployment. And even as many criticised the wisdom of Mr Trump's economic policies, his administration came under added fire over its struggle to negotiate deals. The agreement with the European Union, the America's largest trading partner, may tamp down some of the criticism. The agreement may also offer Mr Trump a way to divert the news cycle from his administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files , a controversy that has dogged him for weeks. At a news conference on the trade deal, a reporter asked Mr Trump whether he had rushed the agreement forward in an attempt to knock the Epstein story line out of the news. 'You've got to be kidding,' a frustrated Mr Trump responded. 'That had nothing to do with it.' Trade negotiations are famously complex and time-consuming, so most analysts doubted that Mr Trump could have much success in quickly striking deals. The Peterson Institute for International Economics said in a 2016 analysis that negotiations for a single trade deal can take more than a year, with implementation taking multiple years. That did not stop the White House from issuing bold predictions. Within days of the April 2 announcement of tariffs on countries across the globe, White House officials said about 70 countries were calling to strike deals. Mr Trump's trade adviser predicted 90 agreements in 90 days. As the deals proved tougher to negotiate than advertised, Mr Trump lamented the pressure he was under. 'Everyone says, 'When, when, when are you going to sign deals?'' he said in May. At one point, he said, 'We don't have to sign deals.' The agreements Mr Trump has announced in recent days contain mostly top-line figures. They are not the detailed, complex documents that the United States has historically negotiated, which can number in the hundreds of pages. And the new deal with the European Union could still run into trouble. The Trump administration faces nearly a dozen lawsuits seeking to have its tariffs declared illegal on the grounds that Mr Trump does not have the authority to impose them without the consent of Congress. Should those suits succeed, Mr Trump would be back to square one. Mr Andrew Hale, a trade policy analyst for the conservative Heritage Foundation, cautioned against reading too much into the deal with the European Union until the text is released, and the lawsuits are resolved. 'These are not comprehensive free trade agreements,' he said. 'Let's make that very clear. And much of this may evaporate.' NYTIMES
Business Times
12 minutes ago
- Business Times
Oil rises as US-EU deal lifts trade optimism
[SINGAPORE] Oil prices rose on Monday after the US reached a trade deal with the European Union and may extend a tariff pause with China, reducing concerns that potentially higher levies would limit economic activity and impact fuel demand. Brent crude futures inched up 22 cents, or 0.32 per cent, to US$68.66 a barrel by 0035 GMT while US West Texas Intermediate crude was at US$65.38 a barrel, up 22 cents, or 0.34 per cent. The US-European Union trade deal and a possible extension in US-China tariff pause are supporting global financial markets and oil prices, IG markets analyst Tony Sycamore said. The United States and the European Union struck a framework trade agreement on Sunday that will impose a 15 per cent import tariff on most EU goods, half the threatened rate. The deal averted a bigger trade war between two allies that account for almost one-third of global trade and could crimp fuel demand. Also, senior US and Chinese negotiators will meet in Stockholm on Monday aiming to extend a truce keeping sharply higher tariffs at bay ahead of the Aug 12 deadline. Oil prices settled on Friday at their lowest in three weeks as global trade concerns and expectations of more oil supply from Venezuela weighed. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA is getting ready to resume work at its joint ventures under terms similar to Biden-era licenses, once US President Donald Trump reinstates authorisations for its partners to operate and export oil under swaps, company sources said. Though prices were up slightly on Monday, the prospect of Opec+ further easing supply curbs limited the gains. A market monitoring panel of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies is set to meet at 1200 GMT on Monday. It is unlikely to recommend altering existing plans by eight members to raise oil output by 548,000 barrels per day in August, four Opec+ delegates said last week. Another source said it was too early to say. The producer group is keen to recover market share while summer demand is helping to absorb the extra barrels. JP Morgan analysts said global oil demand rose by 600,000 bpd in July on year, while global oil stocks rose 1.6 million bpd. In the Middle East, Yemen's Houthis said on Sunday they would target any ships belonging to companies that do business with Israeli ports, regardless of their nationalities, as part of what they called the fourth phase of their military operations against Israel over the Gaza conflict. REUTERS
AsiaOne
12 minutes ago
- AsiaOne
Israel announces daily pauses in Gaza fighting as aid airdrops begin, World News
JERUSALEM/GAZA — Israel on Sunday (July 27) announced a halt in military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza and new aid corridors as Jordan and the United Arab Emirates airdropped supplies into the enclave, where images of starving Palestinians have alarmed the world. Israel has been facing growing international criticism, which the government rejects, over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and indirect ceasefire talks in Doha between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas have broken off with no deal in sight. US President Donald Trump, on a visit to Scotland, said Israel would have to make a decision on its next steps in Gaza, and said he did not know what would happen after the collapse of ceasefire and hostage-release negotiations with Hamas. Military activity will stop daily from 10am to 8pm local time until further notice in Al-Mawasi, a designated humanitarian area along the coast, in central Deir al-Balah and in Gaza City, to the north. The military said designated secure routes for convoys delivering food and medicine will also be in place between 6am and 11pm starting from Sunday. The United Nations food aid agency needs quick approvals by Israel for its trucks to move into Gaza if it is to take advantage of Israel's planned humanitarian pauses in fighting, a senior World Food Programme official said on Sunday. United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher said on Sunday that some movement restrictions appeared to have been eased by Israel in Gaza on Sunday after Israel decided to "support a one-week scale-up of aid." Initial reports indicate that more than 100 truckloads of aid were collected from crossings to be transported into Gaza, Fletcher said in a statement. "This is progress, but vast amounts of aid are needed to stave off famine and a catastrophic health crisis," he said. In their first airdrop in months, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates parachuted 25 tons of aid into Gaza on Sunday, a Jordanian official said, but added that it was not a substitute for delivery by land. Palestinian health officials in Gaza City said at least 10 people were injured by falling aid boxes. Work on a UAE project to run a new pipeline that will supply water from a desalination facility in neighbouring Egypt to around 600,000 Gazans along the coast would also begin in a few days, the Israeli military said. Dozens of Gazans have died of malnutrition in recent weeks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry in the Hamas-run enclave. The ministry reported six new deaths over the past 24 hours due to malnutrition, bringing the total deaths from malnutrition and hunger since the war began in 2023 to 133, including 87 children. On Saturday, a 5-month-old baby, Zainab Abu Haleeb, died of malnutrition at Nasser Hospital, health workers said. "Three months inside the hospital and this is what I get in return, that she is dead," said her mother, Israa Abu Haleeb, as the baby's father held their daughter's body wrapped in a white shroud. The Egyptian Red Crescent said it was sending more than 100 trucks carrying over 1,200 metric tons of food to southern Gaza on Sunday. Some had been looted in the area of Khan Younis after entering Gaza, residents said. Aid groups said last week there was mass hunger among Gaza's 2.2 million people, and international alarm over the humanitarian situation has increased. A group of 25 states including Britain, France and Canada last week said Israel's denial of aid was unacceptable. The military's spokesperson said Israel was committed to international law and monitors the humanitarian situation daily. Brigadier General Effie Defrin said there was no starvation in Gaza, but appeared to acknowledge conditions were critical. "When we start approaching a problematic line (threshold) then the IDF works to let in humanitarian aid," he said. "That's what happened over the weekend." Israel cut off aid to Gaza from the start of March to pressure Hamas into giving up dozens of hostages it still holds, and reopened aid with new restrictions in May. Israel says it has been allowing in aid but must prevent it from being diverted by militants and blames Hamas for the suffering of Gaza's people. Hope, uncertainty Many Gazans expressed some relief at Sunday's announcement, but said fighting must end. "People are happy that large amounts of food aid will come into Gaza," said Tamer Al-Burai, a business owner. "We hope today marks a first step in ending this war that burned everything up." Health officials at Al-Awda and Al-Aqsa Hospitals in central Gaza said Israeli firing killed at least 17 people waiting for aid trucks. Israel's military said it fired warning shots at suspects endangering troops and was unaware of any casualties. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would continue to allow the entry of humanitarian supplies whether it is fighting or negotiating a ceasefire and vowed to press on with the campaign until "complete victory". Hamas said Israel was continuing its military offencive. "What is happening isn't a humanitarian truce," said Hamas official Ali Baraka. The war began on Oct 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters stormed southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel's offencive has killed nearly 60,000 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health officials, reduced much of the enclave to ruins and displaced nearly the entire population. [[nid:720630]]
