logo
'Very close' to a ceasefire deal in Gaza, Trump says

'Very close' to a ceasefire deal in Gaza, Trump says

Middle East Eye12 hours ago
Responding to a report from Axios on Wednesday that there were "secret talks" between the US, Israel, and Qatar at the White House which may lead to a breakthrough in Gaza ceasefire talks, Trump told reporters that they are "very close" to an agreement.
Axios said the discussions, which took place on Tuesday, "honed in on the key remaining sticking point" that special envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff had referenced in earlier comments. He said three out of four issues had been resolved.
The remaining issue, according to Axios' sources, is to determine which lines the Israeli forces would withdraw to during a ceasefire in Gaza.
" Both sources said Witkoff and the Qatari official made it clear to [Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron] Dermer that the map proposed by Israel - which involves a far more narrow redeployment than the one the IDF carried out during the previous ceasefire - is a non-starter," Axios reported.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Watch: Trump asks Liberian president where he learned English, his country's official language
Watch: Trump asks Liberian president where he learned English, his country's official language

Khaleej Times

time2 hours ago

  • Khaleej Times

Watch: Trump asks Liberian president where he learned English, his country's official language

US President Donald Trump complimented the president of Liberia Wednesday on his English-speaking skills — despite English being the official language of the West African nation. Trump was hosting a White House lunch with African leaders Wednesday, and — after brief remarks from President Joseph Boakai — asked the business graduate where he had picked up his linguistic know-how. "Thank you, and such good English... Where did you learn to speak so beautifully? Where were you educated?" Trump said. Boakai — who, like most Liberians, speaks English as a first language — indicated he had been educated in his native country. He was facing away from the media, making his countenance hard to gauge — but his laconic, mumbled response hinted at awkwardness. Trump, who was surrounded by French-speaking presidents from other West African nations, kept digging. "It's beautiful English. I have people at this table can't speak nearly as well," he said. Watch the video of the interaction below: US engagement in Liberia began in the 1820s when the Congress- and slaveholder-funded American Colonisation Society began sending freed slaves to its shores. Thousands of "Americo-Liberian" settlers followed, declaring themselves independent in 1847 and setting up a government to rule over a native African majority. The country has a diverse array of indigenous languages and a number of creolised dialects, while Kpelle-speakers are the largest single linguistic group. Boakai himself can read and write in Mendi and Kissi but converses in Liberia's official tongue and lingua franca — English.

Trump announces 50% tariff on copper effective August 1
Trump announces 50% tariff on copper effective August 1

ARN News Center

time2 hours ago

  • ARN News Center

Trump announces 50% tariff on copper effective August 1

US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday a 50 per cent tariff on copper to start on August 1 in a bid to promote domestic development of an industry critical to defence, electronics and automobiles. The move marks the latest in a series of sector-specific tariffs Trump has imposed on industries such as steel and aluminium, which economists warn will increase costs for American consumers. Trump indicated on Tuesday that he was introducing new tariffs on copper, sending US Comex copper futures to record highs. The announcement came just hours after he also informed Brazil that its "reciprocal" tariff would rise from 10 per cent to 50 per cent on August 1, following a diplomatic spat earlier in the week with his Brazilian counterpart, who had described him as an unwelcome "emperor." Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva responded on Wednesday, stating that any new tariffs would be met with reciprocal measures. The White House launched a Section 232 investigation into copper imports in February, citing legislation that allows the president to impose higher tariffs on national security grounds. Trump said on Wednesday that he had received a "robust" national security assessment which concluded that tariffs were necessary to protect domestic production of a material critical to a wide range of industries. 'Copper is essential for semiconductors, aircraft, ships, ammunition, data centres, lithium-ion batteries, radar systems, missile defence systems and even hypersonic weapons, of which we are building many,' Trump stated in a post on his platform, Truth Social. The US relies on imports for nearly half of its refined copper supply and imported 810,000 metric tonnes in 2024, according to the US Geological Survey. Countries likely to be most affected by the new tariff include Chile, Canada and Mexico - the top suppliers of refined copper, copper alloys and related products to the US in 2024, according to US Census Bureau data. Chile, Canada and Peru have informed the US administration that their exports pose no threat to American interests and should be exempt from the tariffs. All three nations have free trade agreements with the US. The steep tariff is intended to encourage greater domestic production. More than two-thirds of US copper is mined in Arizona, where the development of a major new mine proposed by Rio Tinto Group and BHP Group Limited has been stalled for over a decade.

US sanctions UN rapporteur Francesca Albanese following 'economy of genocide' report
US sanctions UN rapporteur Francesca Albanese following 'economy of genocide' report

Middle East Eye

time3 hours ago

  • Middle East Eye

US sanctions UN rapporteur Francesca Albanese following 'economy of genocide' report

The US imposed sanctions on Wednesday on the United Nations special rapporteur for Palestine, Francesca Albanese. The sanctions follow Albanese's scathing report on 30 June in which she named over 60 companies, including major US technology firms like Google, Amazon and Microsoft, which she said were involved in "the transformation of Israel's economy of occupation to an economy of genocide". The report called for the International Criminal Court and national judicial systems to pursue investigations and prosecutions of corporate executives and companies. It also called on United Nations member states to pursue sanctions and asset freezes. 'Today I am imposing sanctions on UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese for her illegitimate and shameful efforts to prompt @IntlCrimCourt action against US and Israeli officials, companies, and executives,' US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement on X on Wednesday.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store