Tight security at Club World Cup final Trump is to attend
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Al Jazeera
an hour ago
- Al Jazeera
Trump hosts Qatar's PM for private dinner, meets Bahrain crown prince
President Donald Trump has hosted Qatar's prime minister for a private dinner and met with Bahrain's crown prince at the White House as part of a United States effort to address regional issues, including securing a Gaza ceasefire, and promote diplomatic ties with the Gulf region. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, the Qatari prime minister and a member of the country's ruling family, had a private dinner with Trump on Wednesday evening. Before this meal, Trump met with Bahrain Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa in the Oval Office. With little progress to share on the region's most pressing conflicts, including Israel's war on Gaza, Trump was more focused on Wednesday on promoting diplomatic ties as a vehicle for economic growth. Trump has lavished attention on the Gulf, a wealthy region where members of his family have extensive business relationships. In mid-May, he visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on the first foreign policy trip of his second term. While in Qatar in mid-May, Trump complimented its palaces and stopped at the Al Udeid Air Base, the biggest US military base in the Middle East. The base was hit by Iran after the US bombed the country's nuclear facilities, hours before a ceasefire was declared in the US-Israel-Iran conflict. One ballistic missile made impact, while others were intercepted. The visit culminated in deals worth at least $1.2 trillion, including a major transaction for Qatar Airways to buy 210 aircraft from Boeing. Another deal included purchases of drone and anti-drone technology from US defence companies like Raytheon, and investments in the US energy sector. Trump wants to use a luxurious Boeing 747 donated by Qatar as his Air Force One, saying he is tired of waiting for Boeing to finish new planes. However, the arrangement has stirred concerns about security and the ethics of accepting a gift from a foreign government. Aaron David Miller, who served as an adviser on Middle East issues to Democratic and Republican administrations, said 'the Gulf represents everything that Trump believes is right about the Middle East. 'It's rich, it's stable, it's populated by authoritarians with whom the president feels very comfortable,' said Miller. During his earlier meeting with Al Khalifa, Trump said: 'Anything they needed, we helped them. And anything we needed, they helped us.' Bahrain is a longtime ally that hosts the US Fifth Fleet, which operates in the Middle East. Like other Arab leaders, Al Khalifa is eager to highlight the lucrative potential of diplomatic ties with the US, including $17bn worth of investments. 'And this is real,' he said. 'It's real money. These aren't fake deals.' According to the White House, the agreements include purchasing US aircraft, jet engines and computer servers. More investments could be made in aluminium production and artificial intelligence. Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the crown prince's father, is expected to visit Washington before the end of the year. An important part of the relationship will be an agreement, signed on Wednesday, to advance cooperation on civilian nuclear energy.
Al Jazeera
2 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Trump administration pulls $4bn in funds for high-speed rail in California
United States President Donald Trump has pulled the plug on $4bn in funding for a long-delayed high-speed rail line in California, blasting the project as a 'boondoggle' and a 'train to nowhere'. Trump said in a social media post on Wednesday that he had 'freed' taxpayers from the 'disastrously overpriced' proposed railway linking Los Angeles and San Francisco, which has been plagued by delays and cost overruns. 'This boondoggle, led by the incompetent Governor of California, Gavin Newscum, has cost Taxpayers Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we have received NOTHING in return except Cost Overruns,' Trump wrote on Truth Social, using a nickname he commonly deploys to mock the state's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom. 'The Railroad we were promised still does not exist, and never will.' US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy accused Democrats of wasting taxpayers' money and said federal money was not a 'blank cheque'. 'It's time for this boondoggle to die,' Duffy said in a statement. Newsom slammed the Trump administration's move as illegal and said the state would put 'all options on the table' to oppose the funding cut. 'Trump wants to hand China the future and abandon the Central Valley. We won't let him,' Newsom said in a statement. The 1,249km (776-mile) rail line, which was approved by California voters in a 2008 plebiscite, was initially envisaged for completion in 2020 at a cost of $33bn. The project's estimated cost has since ballooned to $89bn to $128bn with services not expected to begin until 2033 at the earliest. The US currently does not have a high-speed rail service, but a 354km (220-mile) high-speed link between Los Angeles and Las Vegas is scheduled to begin operations in 2028.
Qatar Tribune
10 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Bournemouth sign Chelsea goalkeeper Petrovic
PA Media/dpa London Bournemouth have completed the signing of Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic on a deal until June 2030. The 25-year-old has been at Stamford Bridge since joining from Major League Soccer side New England Revolution in 2023 and made 31 first-team appearances for the Blues. Petrovic enjoyed a successful loan spell at Ligue 1 club Strasbourg last season and has now joined the Cherries for a reported £25 million ($33.5 million), signing a five-year contract at the Vitality Stadium. 'I'm really happy to be here,' the Serbia international said. 'I came to Bournemouth because I want to grow and I want to play at the best level. 'Together with this club, with these facilities, I think we can achieve it. I want to help the team get the results, improve every day and be a better player.' Bournemouth had Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan from Chelsea last season. The Spain international has since joined Arsenal on a permanent basis, while Cherries back-up Mark Travers signed for Everton on Tuesday.
