US and allies set August deadline for Iran nuclear deal
If no deal is reached by that deadline, the three European powers plan to trigger the 'snapback' mechanism that automatically reimposes all UN Security Council sanctions that were lifted under the 2015 Iran deal, according to the Axios report. - Reuters
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The Star
22 minutes ago
- The Star
Trump says supporters questioning Jeffrey Epstein case are 'weaklings'
U.S President Donald Trump speaks before signing the HALT Fentanyl Act, in the East Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 16, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday attacked fellow Republicans critical of his administration's handling of the case of dead sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. On social media and in the Oval Office, Trump lashed out at allies he said were falling for a "hoax" pushed by Democrats, who "unlike Republicans ... stick together like glue." Epstein, a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender, was facing federal charges of sex-trafficking minors when he died by suicide in jail in 2019. He had pleaded not guilty, and the case was dismissed after his death. Some of Trump's most loyal followers were enraged when the Trump administration last week reversed course on its pledge to release documents it had suggested contained major revelations about Epstein and his alleged clientele. "It's all been a big hoax," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "It's perpetrated by the Democrats and some stupid Republicans, and foolish Republicans fall into the net and so they try and do the Democrats' work." On Truth Social earlier in the day, Trump said of Republicans raising concerns about the case: "Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, don't even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don't want their support anymore!" The backlash over the Epstein case has laid bare tensions inside Trump's coalition and is testing one of Trump's most enduring political strengths: his ability to command loyalty and control the narrative across the right. A former Trump adviser, Mike Flynn, on Wednesday said on X that the matter was not a hoax. "With my strongest recommendation, please gather your team and figure out a way to move past this," he said. The Justice Department last week concluded there was "no incriminating client list" or any evidence that Epstein may have blackmailed prominent people. The review also confirmed prior findings by the FBI that Epstein killed himself in his jail cell while awaiting trial, and that his death was not the result of a criminal act such as murder. Some House Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson, have continued to call for the Justice Department to release more Epstein documents. But Republicans have blocked efforts by Democratic lawmakers to push measures that would force the agency to make those documents public. Trump, who knew Epstein socially in the 1990s and early 2000s, on Wednesday again defended Attorney General Pam Bondi's handling of the matter and said she could release any credible documents related to the case. "Whatever's credible, she can release," he told reporters. "If a document's there that's credible, she can release. I think it's good." But he was also eager to move past the issue. "I'd rather talk about the success we have with the economy," he said. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Cynthia Osterman)
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Brazil tackles COP30 hotel costs, under pressure from developing nations
FILE PHOTO: A drone view shows the "Parque da Cidade", one of the principal venues to host COP30 in November, in Belem, Brazil June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Marx Vasconcelos/File Photo SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazil assured worried governments on Wednesday it has organized enough rooms to accommodate the tens of thousands of people crowding into the rainforest city of Belem for the United Nations climate summit in November, even as its listings still fell short of the country's own projections for attendance. Valter Correia, Brazil's special secretary for the summit, known as COP30, laid out a plan to prioritize the needs of developing countries and island nations whose representatives expressed outrage during a conference in Bonn, Germany, that Belem's sky-high accommodation prices might exclude them from COP30. "What we are guaranteeing is that everyone can come at accessible prices," he said. "We can't leave small countries, countries that most suffer with issues related to climate change, out of this thing, it would be absolutely unthinkable." Environmental activists from around the globe had eagerly awaited Brazil's turn to host the climate summit after three years in which the conference was held in countries without full freedom for public demonstrations. Brazil chose Belem for the climate talks to focus attention on the world's disappearing rainforests, but civil society groups have been warning for months that a lack of accommodations in the Amazonian city would create barriers for many. Authorities have already identified more than 30,000 rooms available in the city, Correia said, compared to an estimate of 20,000 that United Nations officials told their Brazilian counterparts were required to accommodate delegations, journalists and observers. Still, the figure falls short of the demand from the 45,000 attendees at COP30 that Correia had projected earlier this year. He said on Wednesday that he expects Belem to meet additional demand as more private homes, hotel rooms, and alternative options, such as repurposed schools, become available. The United Nations climate change office, UNFCCC, declineda request to confirm the number. This week, Brazil also launched a booking website with 1,500 rooms for a group of 98 developing countries and island nations, priced between $100 and $220 a night, Correia said. Another 1,000 rooms will be added to the platform soon, open to all delegations, he added, with prices of up to $600 a night. The platform will later be open to everyone else. Brazil also said it has signed a contract for 3,900 cabins in two cruise ships that will park at the port city for the COP. Correia said he also expects civil society groups to find adequate accommodations. While his office is fighting price gouging, he added, it won't be able to offer everyone rooms at lower prices. (Reporting by Manuela Andreoni, additional reporting from Kate Abnett in BrusselsEditing by Brad Haynes and Aurora Ellis)
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
EU again fails to approve new sanctions on Russia, diplomats say
FILE PHOTO: Plastic letters arranged to read "Sanctions" are placed in front of EU and Russia's flag colors in this illustration taken February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Union failed for a second day to approve a new package of sanctions against Russia on Wednesday as Slovakia continued to seek concessions over gas supplies, four EU diplomats told Reuters. Slovakia vetoed the approval of the sanctions during a meeting of EU countries' ambassadors, the diplomats familiar with the talks said. Two of the diplomats said Malta had also raised an objection. Slovakia's government has said it will not approve the sanctions before the country receives more guarantees that it would not be harmed by a separate EU plan to phase out Russian gas by the end of 2027. Those phase-out plans need to be approved in the EU by a reinforced majority of countries, meaning Slovakia alone cannot veto them. However, sanctions require unanimity. "We consider this (Russian energy phase-out) proposal to be a sanction and therefore naturally link it to the proposal for the ... package of sanctions," Fico said, in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen released by his office on Wednesday. "We therefore expect that the vote on the 18th package can only take place after a substantial part of the risks... in the area of gas supplies from 2028 have been resolved." The sanctions would be the EU's 18th package of such measures against Russia over its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Commission, the EU's executive arm, had sought to win Slovakia's support on Tuesday in a letter saying it would work to address its concerns. Fico, in his reply, said talks should continue in order to clarify commitments the Commission would undertake. Slovakia continues to import Russian energy and often takes pro-Russian views on Ukraine. It argues that quitting Russian gas could cause shortages, raise prices and transit fees, and lead to damage claims from Russian supplier Gazprom. Fico said on Tuesday the best solution would be an exemption in the Russian energy phase-out for Slovakia to allow it to fulfill its contract running until 2034. (Reporting by Kate Abnett, Andrew Gray, Jason Hovet; Editing by GV De Clercq and Aidan Lewis)
