Latest news with #Donald
France 24
19 hours ago
- Politics
- France 24
Iran: escalation to ceasefire, ‘Daddy Trump', Bezos's Wedding Carnival.
So-called 'silent assassins', the B2 Spirit Bombers flew 18 hours from Missouri into Iranian airspace, to fire 14 of the world's most powerful bombs at the main enrichment site at Fordow and on Natanz. The overall attack involved 125 fighter jets, several strategic feints, and submarine fire too. Not a shot was fired in response. Complete and utter obliteration claimed President Trump. Iran hit back later at the US, with ballistic missiles targeting the American base at Qatar, though it telegraphed in advance. 24 hours later a ceasefire was agreed between Iran and Israel. Holding so far, after a questionable start, and Presidential outrage. It's been a week that's seen another high profile message leak on the Signal App. This time a private thank you note, a 'Dear Donald' sent by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, that said, 'Congratulations for your decisive actions in Iran, doing what no-one else dared and flying into another big success at The Hague, it was not easy, but we've got them all signed onto five per cent. Europe is going to pay in a BIG (capital letters) way, and it will be your win.' The leaker: President Trump of course, who published it on Truth Social ahead of the NATO summit. No harm done, said Rutte, the so-called Trump whisperer, who later went on to allude to him as Daddy. It's been a week that's seen thousands of Kenyans protesting against police brutality and government corruption in cities across the country. Security forces barricaded President William Rutto's office, as police fired water canon, tear gas, and reportedly live fire too, as they clashed with demonstrators in Nairobi. At least 16 people were killed. The protests marked a year since a grassroots movement first took to the streets of the capital, against the President's planned tax law, which spread nationwide after the deaths and disappearances of some of the demonstrators.
Business Times
a day ago
- Business
- Business Times
Gold glitters as mistrust spreads
A DECADE ago, I asked officials at the New York Federal Reserve if I could peek at their gold reserves. They refused point blank. The reason? Fed officials have long taken pride in having the world's biggest gold vault, dug 80 feet down into Manhattan's bedrock. But they prefer to keep it discreet, partly because many of the vault's 507,000 bars belong to countries such as Germany and Italy. Silence was literally golden. Now, however, a discordant note has been sounded. In recent weeks, politicians in Germany and Italy have demanded the repatriation of their gold bars, worth an estimated US$245 billion. So have others. 'We are very concerned about (US President Donald) Trump tampering with the Federal Reserve Bank's independence,' explains the Taxpayers Association of Europe. Neither the Fed nor European governments seem minded to act, and there are no signs of bullion moving east. On the contrary, gold has flooded into, not out of, America since Trump's election, prompting speculation that US government agencies, like private investors, might be stockpiling it (although there is no public proof of that). Either way, what is indisputable is that these repatriation appeals are a sign of spreading mistrust. The reason those bars were placed in New York vaults in the first place is that America's allies have hitherto assumed that Washington was a responsible leader of the west – and the dollar-based finance system. 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 Now, however, figures in the Trump team – including Stephen Miran, chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, and Scott Bessent, Treasury secretary – are chafing against the 'cost' of this system. Thus, the question that investors need to ask is what other countries might do if trade wars spawn capital battles as well. In Asia, this debate is already under way, as investors look for diversification. One sign is surging gold purchases. Another is that recent unusual price movements in Hong Kong markets suggest a reluctance to buy dollar assets. Meanwhile, Chinese officials are hailing the rising use of the renminbi in trade invoicing, and developing a Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (Cips) to challenge the US-controlled Swift interbank payments system. Investors also need to watch the so-called mBridge initiative, a cross-border central bank digital currency project launched in 2023 by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). Last year, Washington forced the BIS to withdraw from this, leaving China in control. I suspect this is an own goal by the US. Europe, by contrast, has been fairly passive thus far. However, figures like François Heisbourg, a key European adviser, are urging preparation for a 'post-American Europe'. And while this has already sparked pledges of higher military spending, the focus is now also shifting to 'geoeconomics', or the idea that statecraft must drive industrial policy. However, analysts such as Elmar Hellendoorn, at the Atlantic Council, want to go further, with a policy of 'geofinance' too. After all, he argues, Europe is vulnerable since it not only relies on dollar finance, but is also buffeted by speculative capital flows, due to financialisation of its economy. Thus, 'large parts of the European economy are now under the strong influence, if not the direct control, of Wall Street firms, which are ultimately subject to US laws and Washington's financial statecraft', he frets. Indeed, Enrico Letta, the former Italian prime minister, fears that Europe is becoming a 'financial colony' of the US. Can this change? The European Commission is taking baby steps in that direction, by accelerating efforts to create a single European capital market. Central banks across Europe are also developing cross-border digital currencies, and the European Central Bank (ECB) itself is building a digital euro. That sets up a fascinating policy contest with Washington, which is embracing dollar-based stablecoins instead – partly because Bessent thinks this will create trillions of dollars of new demand for Treasuries. However, these efforts still seem far too timid to actually create a 'global euro moment', to quote ECB president Christine Lagarde. And that seems unlikely to change unless a crisis hits, be that a loss of market confidence in the dollar (perhaps due to fiscal jitters) or extreme aggression by the US towards Europe. Hence, why those Manhattan gold vaults matter: if such crises do ever materialise, it is easy to imagine a scenario in which American leaders (at best) will insist on using that bullion as collateral for dollar swaps or (at worst) as a tool for political coercion. Germany's Bundesbank, for its part, discounts that risk – in public at least. 'We have no doubt that the New York Fed is a trustworthy and reliable partner for the safekeeping of our gold reserves,' it tells the FT. Almost certainly so. But the debate shows that once unimaginable scenarios are at least being imagined. Reclaiming gold is a rational move. FINANCIAL TIMES
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
How much does Aaron Donald remember about his 2nd career game? Just about everything
Donald could even name the Rams' entire starting defense in that game When it comes to football, Sean McVay has the memory of an elephant. Aaron Donald might not be far behind his former head coach, though. At his football camp recently, Donald was put to the test with trivia questions about the Rams' win over the Buccaneers…in Week 2 of the 2014 season, Donald's rookie year. That was nearly 11 years ago, but Donald remembers just about everything from that game. Granted, it was a meaningful one for the future Hall of Famer because it was not only his first win in the NFL, but he also recorded his first of 111 career sacks. Donald finished with a perfect score in this trivia exercise, naming everything from the starting quarterbacks in that game to the final score – and, most impressively, the entire starting defense for St. Louis. That was a forgettable season for the Rams, who went 6-10 and had "a million different quarterbacks that year," as Donald aptly put it. It was memorable for Donald, however, considering he won Defensive Rookie of the Year and began his rapid ascent to becoming the best defensive tackle of his era. He's a football junkie like McVay so it's hardly surprising he remembers the first quarterback he ever sacked, but to recall the entire starting defense and final score is quite impressive.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Where does Aaron Donald land in CBS Sports' top 25 all-time NFL player rankings?
With 10 Pro Bowls, three DPOY honors, and a Super Bowl-clinching performance, Donald's career ranks amongst the greatest ever. Years from now, Los Angeles Rams fans will sit back in their rocking chairs, reminiscing and educating their grandkids on just how great Aaron Donald was during his time. On the flip side, the many quarterbacks he tormented during his time will never forget the feeling of having to lead an offense knowing that No. 99 was standing in their way. CBS Sports' Bryan DeArdo ranked the 25 greatest players in NFL history, with the former Rams legend coming in at No. 15 on the list. He was the fifth-highest-ranked defensive player behind Lawrence Taylor, Reggie White, Dick Butkus, and Ray Lewis. If someone was to make a case for Donald as the greatest defensive player in league history, they wouldn't get an argument here. A three-time Defensive Player of the Year, Donald was an All-Pro eight times in a nine-year stretch from 2015-23 and was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams before hanging up his cleats last offseason. Donald's sheer will helped the Rams come back to defeat the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. Drafted by the Rams 13th overall in the 2014 NFL Draft, Donald instantly made his presence felt during his rookie season. The former Unanimous All-American from Pittsburgh recorded 48 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, nine sacks, and two forced fumbles in his first season and was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. The Rams knew right then and there that this was no ordinary pick but instead a franchise cornerstone. Fast forward 10 seasons, and Donald solidified himself as not only one of the greatest defenders but rather one of the greatest players to ever strap on a helmet. Over his illustrious 10-year NFL career, Donald recorded 543 tackles, 176 tackles for loss, 111 sacks, the most in team history, 258 pressures, and 24 forced fumbles. His career accolades include being named NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times in his career (2017, 2018, and 2020). Was named a Pro Bowler in all 10 seasons, an eight-time first-team All-Pro, selected to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, and was named to the NFL's Top 100 list for nine consecutive seasons (2015-2023), including a No. 1 ranking in 2019. The high point of the future Hall of Famer's career was helping lead the Rams to a Super Bowl title in 2021 over the Cincinnati Bengals 20-17 in a game that came down to the wire. Bengals QB Joe Burrow had an open Jamar Chase down the field on a 4th-and-1 pass play with 43 seconds left for what all likely could have been the game-winning touchdown, that is until Donald delivered the game-ending sack and securing the second world title in team history and the first in L.A. Despite retiring in his prime following the 2023 season, No. 99 left a legacy on the field. It also put a smile on the faces of opposing offensive coordinators, linemen, and quarterbacks who no longer have to deal with the defensive stalwart. Follow Rams Wire on X, Facebook and Threads for more coverage!
The Citizen
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Oh dear, Donald, that was a bust
Despite Trump's bluster, even Israeli intelligence admits the US bombing campaign failed to neutralise Iran's nuclear capabilities. Dear, oh dear, Donald. It's one thing having a full go at the 'failing' New York Times for publishing a leaked intelligence assessment that your B-2 bombers didn't 'completely obliterate' Iran's nuclear programme… but when your Israeli allies are saying the same thing, then we must wonder. Because, for all their faults, the Israelis have one of the most effective intelligence services in the world – they couldn't have battered Iran like they have been if they didn't have pinpoint information – and they would want to know what was going on in their archenemy's territory. The raid was daring but was it more for propaganda value than anything else? ALSO READ: US joins Israel-Iran conflict with overnight bombing campaign Certainly, there would have been some pain for the Iranians, or they would not have apparently quickly agreed to the US president's ceasefire plan. And Donald Trump was making threatening noises at both Iran and Israel for allegedly violating the truce. That the missiles have stopped being fired by both sides is encouraging and so is the fact – for Washington at least – that the US role has effectively squeezed out its rival, China, as an influencer in the Middle East. Maybe you should stop throwing your toys out of the cot, Mr President. NOW READ: Russia warns US against 'military intervention' in Iran-Israel war
