President Donald Trump arrived in the United Arab Emirates Thursday for the last leg of his first major foreign trip. Air Force One was given a fighter jet escort into the country’s airspace, just as Saudi Arabia and Qatar offered on the first stops of his Mideast trip.
Trump was greeted by and later headed to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque — among the largest mosques in the world. He also attended a state dinner at the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi.
In other parts of the Middle East, violence flared in the West Bank, and a hospital in southern Gaza said 54 people have been killed in overnight airstrikes on the city of Khan Younis.
Here's the latest:
FEMA acting chief says agency will emphasize state role in disaster recovery
In an agency-wide town hall on Thursday, acting FEMA chief David Richardson reiterated the agency’s intention to “return primacy to the states†in the upcoming hurricane season, which begins in 17 days, asserting that “indeed we are to some degree, to a great degree, ready for disaster season ’25.â€
The comments come during a period of agency upheaval. Richardson replaced acting chief Cameron Hamilton last week, one day after Hamilton told a congressional committee that he did not think FEMA should be eliminated. It has lost roughly 2,000 full-time staff since Trump took office, about one-third of its full-time workforce.
The acting chief also said FEMA will begin a “mission analysis†as part of a longer-term transformation to ensure the agency is only doing tasks it is assigned by law.
“We will not be doing anything that isn’t in the statute,†Richardson said. “If we are, we are wasting the American people’s money.â€
Trump departs
The president walked out of the palace with Sheik Mohammed after dinner. They shook hands, and then Trump stepped into his limousine.
Once seated, he pumped his fist a few times and pointed at the UAE leader. Then the motorcade pulled away.
Trump has no other events planned this evening, which is his last scheduled night in the Middle East.
Rubio talks about how the administration will start easing sanctions on Syria
Rubio says the Trump administration will likely start easing sanctions on Syria by invoking waivers to pause congressionally mandated penalties imposed on the government of ousted President Bashar Assad.
After meeting Thursday with Syria’s new foreign minister in Antalya, Turkey on the sidelines of a NATO meeting, Rubio said the administration would issue waivers for sanctions contained in the so-called “Caesar Act,†which hit the country with massive penalties in response to Assad’s crackdown on dissent. President Donald Trump met earlier this week with Syria’s new president in Saudi Arabia, where he announced that he would be lifting U.S. sanctions on Syria.
“I think we want to start with the initial waivers, which will allow foreign partners who wanted to flow in aid to begin to do so without running the risk of sanctions,†Rubio told reporters. “I think as we make progress, hopefully we’ll be in a position soon or one day to go to Congress and ask them to permanently remove the sanctions.â€
Rubio said the new Syrian authorities had asked for help in various areas, including the elimination of Assad-era chemical weapons stockpiles that may still be in the country and the U.S. is willing to help.
Trump signs guestbook at palace
“It’s an honor to be here,†the president said. “And the last four days have been really amazing.â€
He said he was “probably going back to Washington D.C. tomorrow.
“There have been questions about whether he would add another stop to his trip — particularly Turkey, where there are negotiations over the war in Ukraine — but White House officials have said there are no changes to the president’s schedule.
Iran’s foreign minister says the country’s military capabilities have prevented the US from pursuing military action
“If the other side — whether during the earlier talks with the P5+1 or now with the United States — were able to destroy our nuclear facilities through military means, they would have done so,†Abbas Araghchi, the country’s foreign minister said. “They came to the table because they cannot impose their will by force.â€
The comments come as diplomatic efforts continue to revive stalled nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington. Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful, while the U.S. has expressed concern over its growing stockpile of enriched uranium.
Araghchi said Iran’s deterrence is made possible by its armed forces, which have, in his words, “created the capabilities that have made the enemy give up on military options.â€
“It is the Islamic Republic’s defensive power — our missiles — that gives our negotiators the strength to sit across from world powers,†the top diplomat said.
Araghchi also criticized what he called conflicting and inconsistent statements from the U.S. administration, describing them as either a sign of disarray in Washington or a calculated negotiation strategy.
Araghchi reaffirmed Iran’s position on uranium enrichment, calling it a core right of the Iranian people and a red line in nuclear talks.
“We have said repeatedly that defending Iran’s nuclear rights — including enrichment — is a fundamental principle,†the official said.
Rubio says US expectations are low for talks Friday on the Russia-Ukraine war
That’s after Russian President Vladimir Putin declined to attend the talks, hosted by Turkey, and sent only a low-level Russian delegation instead. That helped scuttle hopes that the talks in Turkey could see Putin get together with President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to potentially jumpstart efforts for a ceasefire.
“I think it’s abundantly clear that the only way we’re going to have a breakthrough†is for Trump and Putin to talk directly, Rubio said.
Rubio spoke Thursday in Antalya, Turkey, where he said he would confer with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and the Ukrainian delegation on Friday in Istanbul.
Rubio said the low-level Russian delegation would be meeting Friday with other members of the U.S. team and that he hoped all sides could meet together.
Ukraine has sent more senior officials to the talks in Turkey, as Ukraine stresses its cooperation with U.S. efforts to broker an agreement.
Rubio says deportations of migrants illegally in the US is not inconsistent with Catholic Church teachings
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke as he prepares to travel to the Vatican this weekend to celebrate new Pope Leo XIV inaugural Mass.
Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, who are the highest-ranking Catholics in the administration, will both attend the Mass on Sunday. Speaking to reporters in Antalya, Turkey after a NATO foreign ministers meeting, Rubio maintained that there was no daylight between the administration’s migration polices and the new pontiff, the first American pope, who has spoken out about the mistreatment of migrants.
“I think there is nothing incompatible,†he said. “We, too, are compassionate towards migrants. I would argue there’s nothing compassionate about mass migration. There’s nothing compassionate about open borders that allows people to be trafficked.â€
Rubio rejected concerns that deportations to a notorious terrorism facility in El Salvador put migrants at risk for torture and other abuse, saying such charges were incorrect and that groups that have complained are “wrong.â€
He also said the people sent to El Salvador were not migrants, but rather “criminals†who their home countries would not accept.
A shiny honor for Trump
At the end of the public portion of the meeting, Trump was awarded a medal known as the Order of Zayed, named for the U.A.E.’s first president.
It was presented for Trump’s “exceptional efforts†to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.The bulky necklace was delivered in a display case, which he held with Sheikh Mohammed.
Trump and Sheikh Mohammed praise each other
The meeting between the two leaders began with flattery.
Trump said “we’ve been good friends†and described the sheikh, known by his initials MBZ, as “a truly great warrior.â€
He also boasted about his leadership of the United States.
“We’ve become a very hot country,†Trump said. “We were not such a hot country six months ago.â€
Vance calls Trump ‘murder weapon’ who killed the ‘defund the police’ movement
Vice President JD Vance paid tribute to fallen police officers at a memorial service Thursday at the U.S. Capitol and used his speech to criticize local officials and “far left prosecutors†who were not tough enough on crime and the “defund the police†movement.
“I know that none of us here like crime, but last year, in November, I think the American people killed the ‘defund the police’ movement and they used Donald J. Trump as the murder weapon,†Vance said at the National Peace Officers Memorial Service at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday.
Vance said the administration would do everything to help the families of fallen officers and “never disparage or degrade our police officers, and particularly not the memory of those who died defending our society.â€
Vance delivered his remarks at the Capitol where four years ago on Jan. 6, 2021, Trump supporters rioted at the Capitol, leaving more than 100 police officers injured.
Trump has repeatedly downplayed the violence, lauded the rioters as patriots and on his first day back in office, pardoned more than 1,500 people charged with crimes in the attack, including people convicted of assaulting police officers.
Trump begins formal state visit in United Arab Emirates
The president arrived at the Qasr Al Watan, a palace in Abu Dhabi.
He was greeted by children waving U.S. and U.A.E. flags, plus an honor guard that included camels.
Trump is participating in a tour led by the Arab country’s first astronaut. He’s also going to sit down with Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and receive a medal of honor from his hosts.
After the meetings, he’ll attend a banquet dinner, his third of the trip. He was previously hosted in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Trump to attend a state dinner at UAE presidential palace
The Thursday dinner will be at Qasr Al Watan, the sprawling and ornate presidential palace in Abu Dhabi.
The white-domed palace, parts of which were opened to the public in 2019, includes a vast library and a room housing gifts from world leaders.
Rubio meets Syrian foreign minister, along with Turkish counterpart, on sidelines of NATO meeting
Rubio, Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani, and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fiden and their delegations, including Sen. Lindsey Graham on the U.S. side, were to discuss plans for Syria’s reintegration into the Middle East and global communities, the State Department said.
The meeting in in Antalya, Turkey — which follows Trump’s meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa earlier this week in Saudi Arabia and Trump’s pledge to lift all sanctions against Syria —
was closed to journalists and no details were immediately available.
Zelenskyy says he’s sending a delegation to Turkey for peace talks with Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday he’ll send the team headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to the Turkish city of Istanbul for peace talks with a Russian delegation.
Zelenskyy told a news conference in the Turkish capital Ankara that the Russian delegation doesn’t include “anyone who actually makes decisions.â€
But he said that to demonstrate to President Trump that Ukraine is seeking an end to the 3-year-old war, he decided to send officials from Ankara to Istanbul for the meeting.
Their aim is “to attempt at least the first steps toward de-escalation, the first steps toward ending the war — namely, a ceasefire.â€
House proposes a bill to track advanced chips
A bipartisan group of House representatives aimed at keeping the country’s most advanced chips from China by requiring them be tracked.
The bill comes as the U.S. is competing with China to lead the race of artificial intelligence, in which advanced chips are crucial for computing powers. It also comes as the Trump administration on advanced chips. Lawmakers have expressed concerns that chips were smuggled to China despite export controls.
“This bipartisan bill closes those gaps with real safeguards to keep our most advanced chips out of the wrong hands,†said Rep. John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican who chairs the House Select Committee on China.
Leading the effort is Rep. Bill Foster, an Illinois Democrat, who said technical tools are available to keep U.S. AI technology from wrong parties.
The bill would require chip exporters to track their chips subject to export controls and report to the federal government if their products should be diverted from their intended location or get tampered with.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefs European allies on Russia-Ukraine peace efforts
Rubio met with the foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany and Italy on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Antalya, Turkey to discuss U.S. “efforts to halt the senseless bloodshed in Ukraine,†the State Department said. Rubio also “emphasized that European leadership is critical for getting Russia and Ukraine to negotiate in good faith for a swift and durable peace settlement,†it said.
The meeting comes as confusion has mounted over the status of the peace plan even as direct talks between Ukraine and Russia are supposed to be held this week in Turkey.
Vice President JD Vance will travel to Rome for Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural mass
The mass is Sunday. Vance, who’s formally leading the U.S. delegation, will be accompanied by second lady Usha Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and his wife, Jeanette Rubio.
Both Vance and Rubio are Catholic, and Vance’s office says he’s the first Catholic convert to be vice president.
Vance met Pope Francis, the current pope’s predecessor, shortly before the pontiff’s death April 21.
Trump has wrapped up his tour of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
“It’s beautiful,†Trump said. He also thanked his tour guides. “Very proud of my friends.â€
Trump on Gaza
The president sidestepped a reporter’s question on whether Israel has been an obstacle to peace talks in Gaza.
Instead, Trump said “we’re working very hard on Gaza,†which he described as “a territory of death and destruction for many years.â€
He repeated his proposal to “make it a freedom zone,†and “let the United States get involvedâ€
“I’d be proud to have the United States have it, take it, make it a freedom zone, let some good things happen,†Trump said.
Trump enters Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed Al Nahyan walked with President Trump as they entered the city-state’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
Trump had his shoes off, which is customary, as he stepped into the iconic house of worship, the country’s largest mosque. Trump and Abu Dhabi’s crown prince paused for a photo.
Trump visits Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
The house of worship is a vast monument to the United Arab Emirates’ official religion and has hosted other heads of state before, including .
It’s also an important symbol of national identity. The UAE’s founder, Sheikh Zayed, is buried in the mosque’s main courtyard.
US wholesale prices dropped 0.5% last month despite President Trump’s tariffs
U.S. wholesale prices dropped unexpectedly in April for the first time in more than a year despite President Trump’s sweeping taxes on imports.
The producer price index — which tracks inflation before it hits consumers — fell 0.5% last month from March and rose 2.4% from April 2024, the U.S. Labor Department reported Thursday.
Excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called core wholesale prices dipped 0.4% from March and rose 3.1% from a year earlier.
Economists had expected that producer prices rose modestly in April. A 0.7% drop in services prices brought the index down.
On Tuesday, the Labor Department reported that consumer prices rose just 2.3% last month from April 2024 — smallest year-over-year gain in more than four years.
Economists have predicted that Trump’s tariffs would drive up prices, and many expect the effect to show up in June or July.
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Democratic senators seek to bring back the Presidential Management Fellows Program
Democratic Sen. Andy Kim is expected Thursday to introduce a bill he co-sponsored with Sen. Jeff Merkley that would resurrect the Presidential Management Fellows Program, which was wiped out earlier this year by one of Trump’s executive orders.
“I believe that public service and serving our nation is an honorable pursuit that should inspire and attract the very best talent in our country,†Kim said in a statement.
A former fellow himself, he added: “The PMF program has for years operated under both Republican and Democratic Presidents to lift up merit and align skills with opportunity. Even in these divided times, I hope we can show strong bipartisan support for the importance of talent in government and the need to codify this important program in legislation.â€
The program was created by a 1977 executive order issued by then-President Jimmy Carter to entice highly qualified workers with advanced degrees to join the federal government. The bill being introduced lines up with the requirements that were in place at the time the program was dissolved, including graduate level degrees as well as the expectations for future government employment.
Trump mocks Biden for 2022 fist bump with Crown Prince
As he made his way from Doha Qatar to Abu Dhabi, United Emirates, on Thursday, the president reminded reporters about Joe Biden’s 2022 fist bump with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
During that encounter, Biden awkwardly greeted the crown prince with a fist bump, a moment roundly criticized by human rights activists, who were already upset at Biden’s decision to meet with the Saudi leader.
Trump noted that while in Saudi Arabia and Qatar this week, he’s shaken many hands.
“They were starving for love because our country didn’t give them love,†Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “They gave him a fist bump. Remember the fist bump in Saudi Arabia? He travels all the way to Saudi Arabia … and he gives him a fist bump. That’s not what they want. They don’t want a fist bump. They want to shake his hand.â€
Trump’s UAE trip puts attention on that country’s arm shipments
Trump’s trip to the United Arab Emirates come as Senate Democrats push that wealthy Gulf country to stop what the U.S., U.N. and international rights groups say are arms shipments to one of the sides in Sudan’s devastating war.
The U.S. has sanctions on UAE companies over weapons deliveries to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, whose fight with a rival has uprooted millions of Sudanese and spurred atrocities and starvation. Aid groups call it one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.
UAE’s arms deliveries also are raising the risk of a “broader conflict that could destabilize the whole region,†Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said this week.
Ahead of Trump’s trip, “my message to the UAE is to stop extending the aid†and work to stop the fighting, Shaheen said.
The UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula and a U.S. ally, has been repeatedly accused of arming the RSF, something it despite evidence to the contrary.
Trump says he and Putin need to get together to Ukraine war solved
The president insists he’s not disappointed with Russian President Vladimir Putin for not showing up for peace talks in Istanbul with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“I don’t believe anything’s going to happen whether you like it or not, until he and I get together,†Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he traveled from Doha, Qatar, to Abu Dhabi, United Emirates, on Thursday. “But we’re going to have to get it solved because too many people are dying.â€
Trump arrives in Abu Dhabi
President Trump left Air Force One after touching down in Abu Dhabi for the last leg of his first major foreign trip.
greeted Trump. A young girl standing next to the UAE leader showed Trump a huge bouquet of white flowers.
Trump will head first to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque — among the largest mosques in the world — ahead of a state visit at Qasr al-Watan palace in Abu Dhabi.
Israeli military says it killed five militants in West Bank raid
Israeli troops killed five Palestinian militants in a raid on two villages in the occupied West Bank, the military said.
The military said forces operated overnight and into Thursday in Tamun and Tubas. The military said forces exchanged fire with the militants, who it accused of planning to carry out attacks. It said it found three assault rifles in the building where the militants were located.
In a statement, Hamas said it mourned the deaths of the “resistance heroes†but stopped short of claiming them as its fighters.
The operation appeared to be unrelated to a separate attack on Wednesday night, in which an Israeli woman on her way to give birth was killed by a Palestinian gunman.
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Trump’s ‘nuclear dust’ comment mirrors Gulf Arab concerns over any Iran nuclear strike
President Donald Trump’s comment Thursday about not wanting to make “nuclear dust†in a possible strike on Iranian nuclear facilities mirrors the concerns of the Gulf Arab countries he’s visiting in the Mideast this week.
The possibility of a U.S. or Israeli strike on Iranian enrichment sites has renewed long-standing fears that Gulf Arab states have about Iran’s program. In the past, they’ve worried that an accident or a strike at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant could send radioactive material into the air and spread across the Persian Gulf into their countries.
Speaking to a business forum on Thursday, Trump similarly brought up the idea.
“Iran has sort of agreed to the terms: They’re not going to make, I call it, in a friendly way, nuclear dust,†Trump said. “We’re not going to be making any nuclear dust in Iran.â€
Iran has criticized the U.S. threats to strike.
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Trump boasts of firings in the military
Standing in front of U.S. troops at the Qatari airbase, President Donald Trump said “we let a lot of four stars go,†touting his administration’s effort to thin the military’s top ranks.
There’s long been friction between Trump and some top generals, and he’s been more emboldened to remake the command structure in his second term.
He described some military leaders as “frickin’ losers†as he addressed the rank-and-file.
The president danced for a moment to the Village People’s “YMCA" as he wrapped up his speech.
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Trump speaks of ‘overwhelming’ American military power
President Donald Trump is speaking to troops at the Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
He started his speech thanking troops and discussing his Mideast trip so far, then spoke about America’s military power.
“As president, my priority is to end conflicts, not start them, but I will never hesitate to wield American power if it’s necessary to defend the United States of America or our partners,†Trump said. “And this is one of our great partners right here†in Qatar.
He added: “When we’re threatened, America’s military will answer our enemies without even thinking about it. We have overwhelming strength and devastating force.â€
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Hegseth says the U.S. is restoring ‘warrior ethos’
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asserted that “wokeness and weakness†allowed the wars in the world.
“We’re restoring the warrior ethos. No more political correctness,†he told U.S. troops at Al-Udeid Air Base, before President Donald Trump addresses them.
“Sadly, over the last four years, we saw a collapse in Afghanistan. And what happened on October 7th, the war in Ukraine, violence unleashed by wokeness and weakness.â€
Trump then took the stage as Lee Greenwood sang his signature song, “Proud to be an American.â€
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Gaza’s only hospital providing cancer treatment declared out of service
The European Hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis is out of service due to severe damage to its infrastructure and access roads from Israeli strikes, the territory’s Health Ministry said Thursday.
The shutdown halts all specialized treatments, including cardiac surgeries and cancer care in the only facility that was providing ongoing medical care to cancer patients in Gaza, the ministry added.
Israeli forces struck the European Hospital twice on Tuesday, saying it was targeting a Hamas command center beneath the facility. Six people were killed in the strike.
European Hospital director Imad al-Hout told The Associated Press there had been 200 patients in the hospital at the time of Tuesday’s strikes. They were all gradually evacuated, with the last 90 transferred to other hospitals, including Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, on Wednesday morning. Efforts were now underway to coordinate repairs to the facility, he added.
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In a comedy set before Trump’s base visit, Theo Von made racist and offensive jokes
American comedian Theo Von did a set Thursday before President Donald Trump’s visit to a military base in Qatar that included a joke about a mixed-race baby and drugs as well as one that compared the base’s Qatari hosts’ attire to Klansman robes.
The jokes drew laughter and some groans from the service members at Al-Udeid Air Base, home to the forward headquarters of the U.S. military’s Central Command.
Von did an extended one-on-one podcast interview with Trump during last year’s presidential campaign in which they discussed addiction and the opioid crisis.
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Trump says only two solutions for Iran are ‘intelligent’ or ‘brutal’
President Donald Trump kept up pressure Thursday on Iran, warning Tehran that a deal over its nuclear program or potentially airstrikes are the only two solutions to the diplomatic impasse.
Speaking in Qatar before business leaders, Trump said: “We’d like to see if we could solve the Iran problem in an intelligent way, as opposed to a brutal way. There’s only two: intelligent and brutal. Those are the two alternatives.â€
Trump also said that Qatar’s ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, had been pushing for diplomatic deal over Iran’s nuclear program. Qatar shares a massive offshore oil and gas field that’s crucial to its wealth with Iran.
“I said last night that Iran is very lucky to have the emir because he’s actually fighting for them. He doesn’t want us to do a vicious blow to Iran,†Trump said. “He says, ‘You can make a deal. You can make a deal.’ He’s really fighting. And I really mean this: I think that Iran should say a big thank you to the emir.â€
At another point, Trump mused: “In the case of Iran, they make a good drone.â€
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Trump suggests India offered to drop tariffs to zero on US goods
President Donald Trump has suggested that India has offered to drop tariffs on U.S. goods to zero, something not immediately acknowledged by New Delhi.
Trump made the comments during a business roundtable in Doha, Qatar, on his Mideast tour, first discussing Apple’s plans to build manufacturing plants for its iPhone there.
“It’s very hard to sell into India and and they’ve offered us a deal with what basically they’re willing to literally charge us no tariff,†Trump said. India is a close partner of the U.S. and is part of the Quad, which is made up of the U.S., India, Japan and Australia, and is seen as a counterbalance to China’s expansion in the region
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Trump says he didn’t think Putin would go to Turkey talks if he wasn’t there
U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he didn’t think Russian President Vladimir Putin would go to talks in Turkey with Ukraine if he wasn’t there.
Trump made the remarks at a business roundtable in Qatar on his Mideast trip.
“I didn’t think it was possible for Putin to go if I’m not there,†Trump said.
Trump had suggested he could travel there for the talks if Putin was going. On Thursday, however, Trump said: “I actually said, why would he go if I’m not going? Because I wasn’t going to go. I wasn’t planning to go. I would go, but I wasn’t planning to go. And I said, I don’t think he’s going to go if I don’t go.â€
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Trump attends a business forum in Qatar
Trump sat with GE Aerospace’s Larry Culp and Boeing Co.’s Kelly Ortberg on either side of him on Thursday. Both praised Trump for his support for the Qatar Airways order for Boeing aircraft. Ortberg called it one of the largest orders Boeing has ever had.
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Hospital says 54 killed in overnight strikes in Gaza's Khan Younis
A hospital in southern Gaza says 54 people have been killed in overnight airstrikes on the city of Khan Younis.
An Associated Press cameraman in Khan Younis counted 10 airstrikes on the city overnight into Thursday, and saw numerous bodies taken to the morgue in the city’s Nasser Hospital. Some bodies arrived in pieces, with some body bags containing the remains of multiple people. The hospital’s morgue confirmed 54 people had been killed.
It was the second night of heavy bombing, after airstrikes Wednesday on northern and southern Gaza killed at least 70 people, including almost two dozen children.
The strikes come as U.S. President Donald Trump visits the Middle East, visiting Gulf states but not Israel. There had been widespread hope that Trump’s regional visit could usher in a ceasefire deal or renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza. An Israeli blockade of the territory is now in its third month.
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Al Jazeera mutes critiques of American foreign policy during Trump’s visit
Qatar’s satellite news channel Al Jazeera long has been a powerful force in the Middle East, often taking editorial positions at odds with America’s interests in the region during the wars that followed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by al-Qaida.
But during President Donald Trump’s visit to the Gulf Arab nation this week, state-funded Al Jazeera muted its typical critiques of American foreign policy.
The channel, which broadcasts in Arabic and English, broadly covered Trump’s visit in a straightforward manner, highlighting it was the first-ever trip to Qatar by a sitting American leader. Mentions of the Israel-Hamas war, which Al Jazeera often has criticized America over for its military support to Israel, did not include any critiques of U.S. policy. Instead, journalists highlighted Qatar’s role as a mediator in the war and aired comments by Qatar’s ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, calling for a ceasefire.
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President Trump begins his third day in the Middle East
After a morning meeting with top U.S. and Qatari officials and American defense and aerospace business leaders, Trump heads to Al-Udeid Air Base, a U.S. installation at the center of American involvement in the Middle East. There, he will address troops and is expected to view a demonstration of American air capability.
The president then travels to the United Arab Emirates, the final leg of his first major foreign trip. He will head first to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and then to a state visit hosted at Abu Dhabi’s Qasr al-Watan palace.
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Human Rights Watch slams Israeli plans to expand Gaza war
The international rights group said that Israel’s plan to seize Gaza, remain in the territory and displace hundreds of thousands of people “inches closer to extermination.â€
It called on the international community to speak out against the plan. It said that the new plans, coupled with the “systematic destruction†of civilian infrastructure and the block on all imports into Gaza, were cause for signatories to the Genocide Convention to act to prevent Israel’s moves. It said states should halt weapons transfers to Israel and enforce international arrest warrants against Israel’s prime minister and former defense minister, as well as review their bilateral agreements with the country.
Israel vehemently denies accusations that it is committing genocide in Gaza.
The group also called on Hamas to free the 58 hostages it still holds in Gaza, 23 of whom are believed to be alive.
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Pregnant Israeli woman killed in West Bank attack, doctors rescue her baby
A pregnant Israeli woman has died after she was shot and critically wounded in a shooting attack in the occupied West Bank, a hospital said Thursday.
Beilinson Hospital said that doctors succeeded in saving her unborn baby, who was in serious but stable condition after being delivered by caesarean section.
The Israeli military said a Palestinian assailant opened fire on a vehicle late Wednesday, wounded two civilians. Soldiers launched a search for the attacker.
It’s the latest violence in the Palestinian territory, where the Israeli military has launched a major operation that it says is meant to crack down on militancy. The operation has displaced tens of thousands of people.
Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank in months of violence that surged there after the start of the war in Gaza.
