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'Everyone pays': Trump aides privately brace for a fight lasting his whole term
White House advisers have privately warned President Donald Trump that the Iran conflict could last through the end of his term.According to a Wednesday article by The Wall Street Journal, the message cuts sharply against the swift victory Trump has promised the public. Citing unnamed U.S. officials, The Journal reported that Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and others have told the president in the Oval Office and Situation Room that Tehran may keep resisting the American pressure campaign well past Inauguration Day in January 2029.Trump has offered a far rosier timeline. He told reporters this week that the war would end "immediately" after November's midterm elections "because they can't hold out any longer," The Journal noted.The conflict is in its seventh month and has killed 18 service members, The Journal added. Rather than escalate major combat, Trump has leaned on a naval blockade and sanctions meant to force Tehran to abandon its nuclear program, a strategy the Trump administration has dubbed "Operation Economic Outcast."When asked about the war's trajectory, White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales defended the approach and played down any fixed timeline. "Only President Trump knows what he will do and when," she said, per The Journal.Vance likewise declined to set an end date. It would be "irresponsible" to write out a strategy and timeline for an adversary that keeps targeting commercial ships, he told reporters.Analysts told The Journal that a drawn-out siege looks increasingly likely and increasingly costly. Suzanne Maloney of the Brookings Institution said the blockade is "unlikely to produce a decisive outcome in the near or even medium term."Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group framed the standoff as a grinding stalemate that punishes both sides without breaking either."Everyone pays," he said. "But neither leadership is yet paying enough to accept the other side's terms."Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has already pushed some Middle East troop deployments into 2027, signaling Washington is bracing for a longer fight, The Journal reported.
Rubio signals shift to working with allies to fight drug trade as latest boat strike kills three
Rubio visits Ecuador and welcomes cooperation after campaign of unilateral strikes on alleged ‘narco-terrorists’The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, gave new clarity on the approach toward combating drug trafficking in Latin American waters, saying the Trump administration was focused on working with allied countries and aligning with their laws but insisted the military would “still blow up ships if need be”.The public acknowledgment of a shift in US strategy comes a year after Washington began a campaign of unilateral deadly strikes against those it calls “narco-terrorists” operating boats in international waters. Continue reading...
Notorious Ecuadorian crime gang designated a terrorist group by US
Trump administration to seek extra funding from Congress to ‘dismantle’ Los Tiguerones over narcotics traffickingThe US has designated Ecuador’s Los Tiguerones gang, which stormed a television station during a live broadcast in 2024, as a terrorist organisation as the Trump administration expands its campaign against narcotics traffickers it says are destabilising Latin America.The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, made the announcement in Quito, where he met Ecuadorian president Daniel Noboa, one of several rightwing allies of Donald Trump whom Rubio is courting as a security partner during a three-nation tour through Latin America that began on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Trump's favorite European allies are quietly siding with Canada amid trade war: report
Even Europe's most Trump-friendly governments are lining up behind Canada in its escalating trade fight with the United States, in a striking snub to a president who's spent months courting the continent's right-wing leaders.European Union ambassadors from all 27 member states met in Brussels Wednesday to discuss deepening ties with Canada, just hours after Washington moved to block a range of Canadian goods, including dairy products, alcohol and motorbikes, from entering the U.S. market, Politico reported. According to two officials granted anonymity to describe the confidential talks, not a single country objected to the plan, despite the obvious risk of appearing to side against Washington.A third diplomat familiar with the preparations said support for the outreach runs deep, even among governments typically wary of provoking Trump's orbit."There's very strong support for [Commission President] von der Leyen making that outreach and for closer cooperation," the diplomat said, naming Italy's Giorgia Meloni, Czech leader Andrej Babiš, and Slovakia's Robert Fico as examples of Trump-aligned leaders backing the move.The European Commission and Council jointly laid out plans for a major summit with Canada set for October 29-30, with both sides eyeing a broader alliance spanning tech innovation, joint research, and access to rare earth minerals, while also working to knock down existing trade obstacles between them. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will personally address the European Parliament next week, part of a broader push to reduce Canada's economic dependence on the U.S. and build a coalition of pro-free-trade democracies.A senior EU official said the trip is meant to send a clear signal that both sides want to upgrade the relationship. Officials are floating ideas ranging from Canadian participation in the EU's Erasmus student exchange program to joint Arctic security initiatives and military-industrial cooperation, though nothing formal has been agreed and talks remain in early stages.The Arctic in particular looks like fertile ground for cooperation, with the Commission preparing an updated Arctic strategy for October and von der Leyen recently signaling Europe wants a bigger presence in the region after a trip to Greenland. One EU official suggested any Canada-related content in von der Leyen's upcoming State of the Union speech would likely center on security."Security and defense is always her happy place," the official said.Officials also pointed to shared interests beyond defense, including critical raw materials, subsea cables, Arctic-capable icebreakers, and cleaner shipping standards — an area where Brussels and Ottawa align but where the U.S. has actively lobbied against decarbonization efforts.Trump has grown more and more belligerent against Canada in recent weeks, passing an order to rename Lake Ontario and posting a cartoon image of himself standing over Carney with a hockey stick.
'OMG': Shockwaves after Zelenskyy's plane nearly hit by drone
A plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from Moldova to Oslo for the funeral of Norway's King Harald V was almost struck by a drone, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said Wednesday, though Ukraine's own presidency pushed back on the severity of the moment."His flight was almost hit by a drone when it was taking off from Moldova. That is the reality he lives in," Støre told public broadcaster NRK, according to CBS News. He offered no further details.A source in the Ukrainian presidency gave AFP a more measured account, saying, "It was an alert in Moldova when a Russian (drone) entered Moldovan and Romanian airspace." The same source called the suggestion that Zelenskyy was personally at risk "exaggerated."The region has been saturated with such incursions in recent months, with Russian drones repeatedly violating Moldovan airspace and disrupting airports across northern Europe, which complicates any read of what the drone near Zelenskyy's plane was meant to do.Online, the report landed with alarm before those caveats set in. National security journalist Shashank Joshi called it "just one data point, but not encouraging if part of [CIA Director John] Ratcliffe's trip to Moscow was to send a deterrent message to Russia on aggressive and violent actions in Europe." Journalist Christopher Merrill reacted simply: "OMG."Middle East correspondent Amichai Stein reported a sharper claim, writing that a source with knowledge told him the delegation waited out the drone and that "Moldova's authorities think that it was not accidentally." That assessment has not been confirmed by Moldovan officials on the record.Zelenskyy arrived in Oslo on Tuesday evening for talks with Støre on Norwegian military aid, then attended Wednesday's funeral for Harald, who died Aug. 28 at 89, alongside Britain's Prince William, Japan's Crown Prince Akishino and leaders from more than 20 countries.
Uganda to withdraw from Invictus Games ‘out of respect for King Charles’, says military chief
Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba announces decision to pull out in post on X, citing tensions over ‘Harry-Meghan nonsense’Uganda is withdrawing from the Duke of Sussex’s Invictus Games, the country’s military chief has said, out of respect for King Charles amid division over the “Harry-Meghan nonsense”.Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of the Ugandan president, made the surprise announcement in a post on X on Wednesday. Continue reading...
Trump slams door on Canadian goods in escalating trade war: 'No reciprocity!'
President Donald Trump ratcheted up his trade fight with Canada on Tuesday, threatening to cut Canadian products out of a massive U.S. government purchasing program.The new threat came on Truth Social, where Trump accused Canada of running a “trade scam” by shutting American farmers and businesses out of its markets while enjoying broad access to government contracting in the United States.“Everyone knows that Canada doesn’t let our Great Dairy Farmers sell into the Canadian Market,” Trump wrote Tuesday on his social media platform. He also claimed that Canada only produces automobiles “because of previous disastrous Trade Agreements while other Presidents were in Office.”“Canada has been ripping us off for years, but what many do not realize is that the Canadian Government, including Canadian Provinces, have banned American Small Businesses and Companies from selling into their Government Procurement Markets,” he added. “That is not reciprocity; it is a Canadian Trade Scam,” Trump declared. “From now on, NO RECIPROCITY – NO ACCESS!”Trump said he was directing the General Services Administration and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to remove Canadian products from federal purchasing schedules unless Canada gives American farmers and companies “full and fair reciprocity.” Trump said those schedules account for more than $50 billion annually before taking a familiar swipe at President Joe Biden. “This should have been cut off years ago, by other Administrations, like it was by mine, only to (sic) reinstituted by Sleepy Joe Biden,” he wrote.The threat came as Canadian retaliatory tariffs took effect Tuesday.
MAGA lawmaker's threat to punish Britain could wipe out 70,000 jobs in his own state
Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) issued a fierce threat to the British government as it considered imposing boycotts on goods from illegal Israeli settlements, a threat that could end up wiping out around 70,000 American jobs.On Monday, reports revealed that the United Kingdom was preparing to impose new restrictions on goods produced in Israeli settlements. There are more than 700,000 Israeli settlers illegally living in the West Bank, with instances of Israeli settler violence rising in recent months. Also on Monday, Fine issued the United Kingdom a warning.“As the British government considers forcing British companies to boycott portions of Israel, it should be aware that a Florida law that I passed as a member of the Legislature would ban any British company forced to comply from doing business with any state or local government in Florida,” Fine wrote in a statement published on social media.“It would also end any British business participating in that boycott from doing any business in Florida if it needed any official interaction with state or local government to operate (permits, tax collection). Florida is one of Britain’s largest trading partners. They should understand that their vanity project in support of Muslim terror could cost them billions of dollars.”The United Kingdom is a top investor in Florida, and British companies account for around 70,000 jobs in the Sunshine State. In a follow-up post, Fine asked X's chatbot Grok to explain how Florida's anti-boycott law might affect British companies — and critics said its response backfired on him spectacularly.“LOL. You are going to wreck your own state,” wrote Leilani Dowding, a British model and reality television personality, in a social media post on X Tuesday.“Haha, you asked Grok, and it told you how much your plan would f--- over Florida, not the UK,” wrote Jack Duncan, a British LGBTQ+ rights activist, in a social media post on X Tuesday.“About a dozen” American citizens have died from incidents involving Israeli settlers or soldiers, including the death of American activist Rachel Corrie, who was crushed to death by an IDF bulldozer in Gaza in 2003. An American was killed by Israeli settlers as recently as July of last year: 20-year-old Sayfollah Musallet, who was “beaten to death” by settlers while on his family’s farm near Ramallah in the West Bank.As the British government considers forcing British companies to boycott portions of Israel, it should be aware that a Florida law that I passed as a member of the Legislature would ban any British company forced to comply from doing business with any state or local government in…— Congressman Randy Fine (@RepFine) September 7, 2026
'Unfit': Netanyahu battered with ouster calls after 'earthquake' Oct. 7 report
Israeli opposition leaders demanded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's removal from office Tuesday over a bombshell report that the United Arab Emirates had warned him of an impending Hamas attack roughly a week and a half before the Oct. 7, 2023, assault.The report, excerpted from a forthcoming book by Haaretz journalists Shlomi Eldarand and Ruth Yuval, said UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had personally warned Netanyahu that Hamas was preparing a major operation.According to the newspaper's mostly anonymous sourcing, the warning originated with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who told a former Palestinian official the group was planning what he called an "earthquake." That message was passed to an Emirati adviser, then to the UAE leader, who relayed it to Netanyahu."The emir hoped that despite his reserved response, Netanyahu would take the message seriously and take action," said an adviser to the UAE leader.However, Haaretz reported that Netanyahu responded calmly to the warning and did not notify the heads of the defense establishment – Shin Bet, Mossad and the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff.Netanyahu's office denied the account entirely, calling it "an absolute lie" and disputing that any such call with the Emirati leader took place.The report landed weeks before Israel's Oct. 27 elections and drew immediate condemnation from Netanyahu's rivals.Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief who has become Netanyahu's leading electoral challenger, wrote on social media that Netanyahu "received dozens of warnings for Oct. 7 and ignored them all," calling him "unfit" for office and dismissing his past explanations, including that he was not woken promptly the morning of the attack, as "pathetic."Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, also a candidate in the upcoming vote, went further, saying Netanyahu "bears personal and direct responsibility" for the deaths on Oct. 7 and "cannot continue to serve in his position for even one more minute."The UAE established diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020 under the Abraham Accords, brokered during President Donald Trump's first term, and Netanyahu has long touted the relationship as a signature achievement of his tenure.The Oct. 7 attack, in which Hamas fighters crossed into Israel and killed people at a music festival and nearby communities, left 1,221 dead, according to an AFP count based on Israeli figures, and resulted in 251 people being taken hostage into Gaza.Israel's subsequent military campaign has killed 73,658 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, whose casualty figures the United Nations considers reliable, and left much of the territory destroyed.The competing accounts are likely to intensify scrutiny of Netanyahu's security record as Israelis head toward the polls in seven weeks.
Trump sparks international episode with wildly ‘inappropriate’ post: report
President Donald Trump's social media blitz over the past several days has sparked concern among onlookers, but one post in particular ignited an international episode that led to the summoning of a U.S. ambassador, Reuters reported Tuesday.Among Trump’s countless online posts published over the past few days was one that depicted all of North America — including Cuba, Mexico, Canada, Greenland and Iceland — as being part of the United States. While Trump has actively sought to acquire Greenland for the United States — and joked about acquiring Canada — his inclusion of Iceland in his social media post led Iceland’s foreign minister, Thorgerdur Gunnarsdottir, to summon U.S. Ambassador to Iceland Billy Long, Reuters reported, citing a report from Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV), Iceland’s national public service broadcaster.“The position was clearly expressed that the post was completely inappropriate,” Gunnarsdottir told RÚV, according to Reuters.It is unclear whether Trump intended to include Iceland in his doctored map of North America. Trump has appeared to confuse Iceland with Greenland in previous remarks. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January, Trump said that NATO “loved” him until he “told them about Iceland,” claiming that all he was “asking for is a piece of ice.”Trump has posted several dozen times on his social media platform Truth Social this week, including a post ranking himself as “the greatest” president of all time, seven posts in a row promoting the idea of renaming New Mexico to “New America,” and a number of posts that appear to have been generated with artificial intelligence depicting him in hellish landscapes surrounded by menacing robots.
‘Trust deficit’: Why India’s economic data has sparked a furore
India’s statistical system once commanded respect, and its data on economic and social indicators was considered rigorous – that appears to have eroded• Don’t get This is India delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereThere isn’t much that we Indians agree on these days. GDP numbers are no exception. Last week, India released glowing GDP numbers for the latest quarter – 7.8% growth – higher than the forecast 7%. It sparked a furore.Subhash Garg, a former finance secretary under Narendra Modi’s government and now a critic, reframed what Modi called a “herculean feat” as mere smoke and mirrors. According to Garg, the government revised last year’s current-price GDP downwards to inflate this year’s number – he believes the real growth is only 2.6%. Continue reading...
Nepal says big polluters must ‘wake up’ as it calls for climate compensation over flood disaster
Foreign minister Shisir Khanal tells the Guardian the world’s biggest economies need to help Nepal, which contributes less than 0.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions Nepal is demanding $20m in climate compensation for the recent devastating floods, as a senior minister called on the world’s most polluting countries to “wake up” and accept shared responsibility for a disaster that led to the death or disappearance of more than 6,000 people.Scientists believe the climate crisis had a role to play in the floods, which were triggered when a melting glacier partially collapsed and set off a deadly landslide and flash flooding through Chinese-controlled Tibet and Nepal in late August. So far, more than 1,300 are confirmed dead and more than 5,500 still missing, with hopes of their survival diminished after 12 days of rescue operations. Continue reading...
