Columbia University anti-Israel agitator Mahmoud Khalil filed a $20 million claim against President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration on Thursday, claiming that he was &#8220;falsely imprisoned, maliciously prosecuted, and smeared as an antisemite&#8221; when the U.S. State Department moved to deport him.
Khalil told <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mahmoud-khalil-ice-release-trump-columbia-protests-570f7af32010c16b1a00dd7e78f4c687">The Associated Press</a> that he could not forgive the Trump administration for the fact that he&#8217;d been detained hundreds of miles away while his wife gave birth to their son. &#8220;I cannot describe the pain of that night,&#8221; he said. The AP noted Khalil&#8217;s &#8220;anguish&#8221; but made no mention of the Jewish students who felt unsafe while he and his cohorts fomented a culture of antisemitism on Columbia&#8217;s campus and across the United States.
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NEW: Mahmoud Khalil just filed a $20M damages claim against the Trump admin, alleging it terrorized his family and smeared him as an antisemite for political gain. He spoke with us about the filing, and the moments of bliss and anguish since his release <a href="https://t.co/3lh1Krdua1">https://t.co/3lh1Krdua1</a> <a href="https://t.co/640Hbm4eCo">pic.twitter.com/640Hbm4eCo</a>
— Jake Offenhartz (@jangelooff) <a href="https://twitter.com/jangelooff/status/1943367171599446494?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Khalil&#8217;s deportation order is still in limbo as it moves through the American court system, but the claim filed on Thursday — according to The AP — &#8220;is a precursor to a lawsuit under the Federal Tort Claims Act&#8221; and &#8220;names the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the State Department&#8221; as codefendants.
The anti-Israel activist told The AP that the reason for his claim was to bring more attention to his cause, saying, &#8220;They are abusing their power because they think they are untouchable. Unless they feel there is some sort of accountability, it will continue to go unchecked.&#8221;
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He also claimed that if the government were to pay out any amount of money, he would share the settlement with others he said were also being &#8220;targeted&#8221; by the Trump administration. He also said that he would settle for an &#8220;official apology&#8221; from the administration along with changes to policy to make sure that what happened to him could not happen to anyone else.
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Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that Khalil&#8217;s claim was &#8220;absurd,&#8221; and that he had participated in and led the &#8220;hateful behavior and rhetoric&#8221; that left so many Jewish students feeling unsafe.

Mahmoud Khalil

Columbia University Anti-Israel Agitator Demands $20 Million From Trump Admin

anti-Israel

Columbia University

Global Politics

Israel

Politics

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Malaysia on Thursday, seeking to push Russia toward peace with Ukraine through “a new and different approach.”
Following the talks, Rubio did not specify what exactly was said, but told reporters, “I think it’s a new and a different approach. I wouldn’t characterize it as something that guarantees peace, but it’s a concept that I’ll take back to the president,” the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-russia-ukraine-rubio-lavrov-tariffs-trump-asean-ca7569c363260b1a63bae12153fa7dd3">reported</a>. The meeting between the United States and Russia took place at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum, where 10 nations, including Russia, China, and the United States, gather for their annual meeting.
Despite the Trump administration’s continued efforts to mediate peace between Russia and Ukraine, Russia has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/clear-escalation-of-terror-russia-hits-kyiv-with-another-major-missile-and-drone-attack?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=%E2%80%98Clear+Escalation+Of+Terror%E2%80%99%3A+Russia+Hits+Kyiv+With+Another+Major+Missile+And+Drone+Attack">launched</a> two massive missile and drone <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/russia-launches-largest-drone-and-missile-attack-yet-against-ukraine?author=Jayden+Jelso&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Russia+Launches+Largest+Drone+And+Missile+Attack+Yet+Against+Ukraine">attacks</a> on Ukraine this week after President Donald Trump expressed disappointment in Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin’s escalation has frustrated President Trump, who said earlier this week, “We get a lot of bulls*** thrown at us by Putin.”
Rubio acknowledged Trump’s displeasure with Russia, telling reporters after the 50-minute meeting, “We need to see a roadmap moving forward about how this conflict can conclude. And then we shared some ideas about what that might look like. We’re going to continue to stay involved where we see opportunities to make a difference.”
Russia’s Foreign Ministry called the discussion with Rubio a “substantive and frank exchange of views.”
“Both countries reaffirmed their mutual commitment to finding peaceful solutions to conflicts, restoring Russian-American economic and humanitarian cooperation, and unimpeded contact between the societies of the two countries, something which could be facilitated by resuming direct air traffic,” Russia added. “The importance of further work to normalize bilateral diplomatic relations was also emphasized.”
Russia’s latest attack on Kyiv included 18 missiles and 400 drones, some of which targeted residential areas. Two people were killed in the attack, a 68-year-old woman and a 22-year-old police officer. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Russia’s attack “a clear escalation of terror by Russia.”
“This demands that we speed things up. Sanctions must be imposed faster, and pressure on Russia must be strong enough that they truly feel the consequences of their terror,” Zelensky added. “There’s a need for quicker action from our partners in investing in weapons production and advancing technology.”
The Trump administration said earlier this week that it would send more defensive weapons to Ukraine amid Russia’s increased aggression. Trump is also reportedly considering hitting Russia with sanctions.

TOPSHOT-MALAYSIA-US-ASEAN-DIPLOMACY

Rubio Meets With Russia, Pursues New Approach After Deadly Attacks On Ukraine

Donald Trump

Marco Rubio

Russia

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

Vladimir Putin

Volodymyr Zelensky

Two days after President Donald Trump expressed disappointment with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia launched another major missile and drone attack at Ukraine&#8217;s capital overnight Wednesday, killing at least two people and wounding 16 more, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukrainian police said on Thursday morning that Russian missiles struck eight different districts in Kyiv, targeting residential areas, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj3rvpe06rxo">reported</a>.
&#8220;Residential buildings, vehicles, warehouses, office and non-residential buildings are burning,&#8221; said Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv Regional Administration. According to the Ukrainian government, a 68-year-old woman and a 22-year-old police officer were killed at a metro station during Russia&#8217;s bombardment.
Zelensky added that Russia fired 18 missiles and launched 400 drones targeting Kyiv. The latest Russian offensive came just one night after Putin hit Ukraine with the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/russia-launches-largest-drone-and-missile-attack-yet-against-ukraine?author=Jayden+Jelso&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Russia+Launches+Largest+Drone+And+Missile+Attack+Yet+Against+Ukraine">largest</a> drone and missile attack since the start of the war.
&#8220;This is a clear escalation of terror by Russia — hundreds of &#8216;shaheds&#8217; every night, constant strikes, and massive attacks on Ukrainian cities,&#8221; Zelensky posted on X. &#8220;This demands that we speed things up. Sanctions must be imposed faster, and pressure on Russia must be strong enough that they truly feel the consequences of their terror. There’s a need for quicker action from our partners in investing in weapons production and advancing technology.&#8221;
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Last night, Russia launched a massive combined strike that lasted nearly 10 hours. 18 missiles, including ballistic ones, and around 400 attack drones were used — nearly 200 of them were &quot;shaheds.&quot;
The main target of the attack was Kyiv and the region. Chernihiv, Sumy, Poltava,… <a href="https://t.co/jtBo0YYQ8d">pic.twitter.com/jtBo0YYQ8d</a>
&mdash; Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1943199462135824718?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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As President Trump continues to seek a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, Putin has stepped up his aggression in the war. Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Putin, telling reporters on Tuesday, &#8220;We get a lot of bulls*** thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. He&#8217;s very nice to us all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.&#8221;
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-have-to-trump-to-send-ukraine-more-defensive-weapons?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98We+Have+To%E2%80%99%3A+Trump+To+Send+Ukraine+More+Defensive+Weapons">said</a> earlier this week that the United States will send more defensive weapons to Ukraine, so the country can &#8220;defend themselves.&#8221;
“I’m disappointed, frankly, that President Putin hasn’t stopped,” Trump added.
Some Republicans in Congress, led by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) in the House and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in the Senate, are pushing Trump to impose sanctions on Russia and punish Putin for his refusal to work with Ukraine and the United States on a peace agreement. The president is <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/09/trump-is-interested-in-new-russia-sanctions-but-theres-a-catch-00445148">reportedly</a> considering the idea of hitting Russia with new sanctions and punishing nations that trade with Putin.
“[Trump] told me he thought it would be helpful,” Graham said, referring to his bill that would place a 500% tariff on any country that imports Russian uranium, gas, or oil. “We want to be a team. We want to help the president. This is an effort to give the president leverage he doesn’t have today.”

Russian attack on Kyiv

‘Clear Escalation Of Terror’: Russia Hits Kyiv With Another Major Missile And Drone Attack

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President Donald Trump took a sledgehammer to Brazil on Wednesday, calling out the leftist government for its censorship of U.S. social media and its &#8220;witch hunt&#8221; targeting former conservative president Jair Bolsonaro.
In a <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1943043154946457812">letter</a> to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva — one of the many letters Trump has sent to countries around the world this week — the U.S. president deviated from his typical message announcing tariff rates to blast &#8220;Brazil&#8217;s insidious attacks on Free Elections, and the fundamental Free Speech Rights of Americans.&#8221;
&#8220;Dear Mr. President,&#8221; Trump began the letter. &#8220;I knew and dealt with former President Jair Bolsonaro, and respected him greatly, as did most other Leaders of Countries. The way that Brazil has treated former President Bolsonaro, a Highly Respected Leader throughout the World during his Term, including by the United States, is an international disgrace. This trial should not be taking place. It is a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!&#8221;
Last year, Bolsonaro was <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/21/americas/brazilian-ex-president-jair-bolsonaro-indicted-over-attempted-coup-plot/index.html">charged</a> alongside 36 other people for taking part in an alleged coup to overthrow the government after he lost the 2022 election to Lula. Brazilian prosecutors claim the plot included plans to commit political assassinations, but Bolsonaro has denied the allegations and argued that the charges against him are politically motivated. Bolsonaro has maintained the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2024/09/23/brazilians-views-of-lula-and-bolsonaro/">support</a> of millions of Brazilians as he faces the indictment brought against him by Lula&#8217;s leftist government.
Trump has also defended Bolsonaro on numerous occasions, saying earlier this week that he will &#8220;be watching the WITCH HUNT of Jair Bolsonaro, his family, and thousands of his supporters, very closely.&#8221;
&#8220;The only Trial that should be happening is a Trial by the Voters of Brazil — It’s called an Election. LEAVE BOLSONARO ALONE!” he <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114812490799920916">added</a>.
In his letter to Lula on Wednesday, Trump also slammed the government for going after American social media companies. Last year, the Brazilian Supreme Court upheld a nationwide <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/brazilian-judge-orders-suspension-of-x-social-media-platform-responds">ban</a> on Elon Musk&#8217;s social media platform, X. The country&#8217;s Supreme Court took further action on the issue last month, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/4a5235c5-acd0-4e81-9d44-2362a25c8eb3">ruling</a> that social media platforms can be held liable for their users&#8217; posts.
Trump wrote in the letter, &#8220;Due in part to Brazil&#8217;s insidious attacks on Free Elections, and the fundamental Free Speech Rights of Americans (as lately illustrated by the Brazilian Supreme Court, which has issued hundreds of SECRET AND UNLAWFUL Censorship Orders to U.S. Social Media platforms, threatening them with Millions of Dollars in Fines and Eviction from the Brazilian Social Media market), starting on August 1, 2025, we will charge Brazil a Tariff of 50% on any and all Brazilian products sent into the United States, seperate from all Sectoral Tariffs.&#8221;
Trump has sent numerous letters to countries around the world this week, informing them of the tariffs they will pay come August 1. The 50% tariff rate on Brazil is the highest one that Trump has unveiled this week, a rate that Trump said &#8220;is necessary &#8230; to rectify the grave injustices of the current regime.&#8221;

Donald Trump/Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva

Trump Rips Brazil Over Censorship, Bolsonaro ‘Witch Hunt’ — Then Says Country Will Face 50% Tariff

Brazil

Free Speech

Jair Bolsonaro

Social Media

Tariffs

U.S.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will skip a Group of 20 finance officials meeting in South Africa next week, sources familiar with his plans told Reuters, but will attend the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, according to a Treasury spokesperson.
Bessent&#8217;s decision to miss the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting marks the second time this year he has opted against attending a G20 meeting in South Africa, which is serving as the group&#8217;s president this year.
A Treasury official confirmed that Michael Kaplan, acting undersecretary for international affairs, will represent the department at the July 17-18 meeting near Durban, South Africa instead of Bessent. The United States is due to head the G20 group, which it helped found in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, next year.
Bessent, a key figure in President Donald Trump&#8217;s trade negotiations, will represent the United States at the U.S. national day at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, a Treasury spokesperson said. The national day will be marked on July 19.
It was not immediately clear if he would engage in bilateral meetings during the visit.
The White House said Bessent would lead the U.S. delegation, which will also include Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.
News of Bessent&#8217;s trip comes a day after Trump sent a letter to Japan raising tariffs on Japanese imports to 25%, starting August 1. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he would continue negotiations with the U.S. to seek a mutually beneficial deal.
Bessent skipped South Africa&#8217;s first G20 finance meeting in February to attend Trump&#8217;s first cabinet meeting in Washington. Finance ministers from China, Japan, India, and Canada also skipped the meeting in Cape Town focused on tackling global poverty, as did the European Union&#8217;s top economic official.
Bessent&#8217;s February decision came amid rising tensions between Washington and Pretoria as Trump threatened to cut off funding for South Africa, accusing President Cyril Ramaphosa&#8217;s government of confiscating land from white South Africans and turning a blind eye to the targeted killings of white farmers. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also skipped a February G20 foreign ministers meeting in South Africa.
In May, Trump declined to say whether he would attend a G20 leaders summit in South Africa in November, after blasting Ramaphosa at the White House over reports of white genocide and land seizures in Africa&#8217;s largest economy.
On Monday, Trump sent Ramaphosa a letter informing him that imports from South Africa would be subject to a 30% tariff starting next month, unless the country agrees to reduce its trade barriers to U.S. goods &#8211; one of more than a dozen countries to get similar letters.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Writing by David Lawder; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Christopher Cushing)

Scott Bessent

Scott Bessent To Skip South Africa G20 Meeting Again, Travel To Japan Instead

G20 summit

Japan

South Africa

Just days after President Donald Trump said he was &#8220;disappointed&#8221; with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia bombarded Ukraine with its largest drone attack of the war. 
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky <a href="https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1942835716905382384">claims</a> that 741 aerial vehicles participated in the attack on Tuesday night and into the early hours of Wednesday morning, with the Ukrainian Air Force reporting a mix of 728 attack drones and decoys, as well as 13 missiles. According to the Air Force, 711 drones and seven missiles were neutralized, with impacts recorded in at least four locations. 
The northwestern Volyn region, in which the city of Lutsk is located, was the primary target, and Zelensky stated that damage was recorded in ten other cities: Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, and Chernihiv. 
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A new massive Russian attack on our cities. It was the highest number of aerial targets in a single day: 741 targets – 728 drones of various types, including over 300 shaheds, and 13 missiles – Kinzhals and Iskanders. Most of the targets were shot down. Our interceptor drones… <a href="https://t.co/Lxa5TdYVXT">pic.twitter.com/Lxa5TdYVXT</a>
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1942835716905382384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“This is a telling attack,&#8221; Zelensky <a href="https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1942835716905382384">wrote</a> on X. “It comes precisely at a time when so many efforts have been made to achieve peace, to establish a ceasefire, and yet only Russia continues to rebuff them all.”
He called the assault “massive” and painted it as a sign that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not interested in the United States-led effort to end the war.
“This is yet another proof of the need for sanctions — biting sanctions against oil, which has been fueling Moscow&#8217;s war machine with money for over three years of the war,” he said. “Secondary sanctions on those who buy this oil and thereby sponsor killings.”
“Our partners know how to apply pressure in a way that will force Russia to think about ending the war, not launching new strikes. Everyone who wants peace must act.”
According to<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/russia-launches-largest-drone-attack-ukraine-kyiv-pushes/story?id=123599312"> ABC News</a>, June took the record for the most long-range drones and missiles launched into Ukraine — 5,438 and 239, respectively. On Monday, President Donald Trump announced plans to resume weapons shipments to Ukraine after they were paused due to concerns about U.S. stockpiles. 
“They are getting hit very hard. … We’re gonna have to send more weapons,” he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-have-to-trump-to-send-ukraine-more-defensive-weapons?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=11&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98We+Have+To%E2%80%99%3A+Trump+To+Send+Ukraine+More+Defensive+Weapons">said</a>, then later added: “I’m disappointed, frankly, that President Putin hasn’t stopped.” 
Ukraine also launched attacks on Russia throughout Tuesday night. The Defense Ministry in Moscow said they destroyed 86 Ukrainian drones, 4 of which were over the Moscow region. Flight restrictions were temporarily enforced at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. 
On Tuesday, Zelensky <a href="https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1942661575178948872">stated</a> that he had ordered his defense officials to intensify contacts with the United States regarding continued military aid. 
“[This primarily concerns] air defense, as well as all other elements of supply from the U.S.,” he said in his nightly video address, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/ukraines-zelenskiy-says-he-ordered-intensified-contacts-with-us-deliveries-arms-2025-07-08/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">according to</a> Reuters. 
“These are critical deliveries that mean saving lives and protecting Ukrainian cities and villages. I expect results from these contacts very soon. And this week, we are preparing formats for meetings of our military and political teams.”

UKRAINE-RUSSIA-CONFLICT-WAR

Russia Launches Largest Drone And Missile Attack Yet Against Ukraine

WASHINGTON/BRUSSELS (Reuters) — The European Union said it was working on sealing a trade deal with the United States by the end of the month, while U.S. President Donald Trump promised that he would deliver further tariff notices on unnamed countries on Wednesday.
Trump broadened out a trade war that has cast a shadow over the global economic outlook when he said on Tuesday he would impose a 50% tariff on imported copper and soon introduce long-threatened levies on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals.
Trump said late on Tuesday that &#8220;a minimum of seven&#8221; tariff notices would be released on Wednesday morning, and more in the afternoon. He gave no other details in his Truth Social post.
The threat came a day after he pressured 14 trading partners, including powerhouse U.S. suppliers South Korea and Japan, with tariff letters imposing levies of 25% and upwards to take effect from August 1.
<h3>NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE E.U.</h3>
Trump said trade talks have been going well with China and the European Union, which is the biggest bilateral trading partner of the U.S.
Trump said he would &#8220;probably&#8221; tell the E.U. within two days what rate it could expect for its exports to the U.S., adding that the 27-nation E.U. had become much more cooperative.
&#8220;They treated us very badly until recently, and now they&#8217;re treating us very nicely. It&#8217;s like a different world, actually,&#8221; he said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen gave a guarded response.
&#8220;We stick to our principles, we defend our interests, we continue to work in good faith, and we get ready for all scenarios,&#8221; von der Leyen told the European Parliament.
A European Commission spokesperson said that the E.U. aimed to reach a trade deal before August 1, potentially even in the coming days.
However, Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti warned that talks between the two sides were &#8220;very complicated&#8221; and could continue right up to the deadline.
<h3>HIGHEST TARIFF LEVELS SINCE 1934</h3>
Equity markets shrugged off Trump&#8217;s latest tariff salvo on Wednesday, while the yen remained on the back foot after the levies set for Japan.
Following Trump&#8217;s announcement of higher tariffs for imports from the 14 countries, U.S. research group Yale Budget Lab estimated consumers face an effective U.S. tariff rate of 17.6%, up from 15.8% previously and the highest in nine decades.
Trump&#8217;s administration has been touting those tariffs as a significant revenue source. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington has taken in about $100 billion so far and could collect $300 billion by the end of the year. The United States has taken in about $80 billion annually in tariff revenue in recent years.
Trump&#8217;s administration promised &#8220;90 deals in 90 days&#8221; after he unveiled an array of country-specific duties in early April. So far, only two agreements have been reached, with Britain and Vietnam. Trump has said a deal with India was close.
(Reporting by Julia Payne, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Philip Blenkinsop, Trevor Hunnicutt, Dan Burns; Writing by Keith Weir; Editing by Alex Richardson)

FILE PHOTO: European Union leaders summit in Brussels

E.U. Seeks To Finalize Trade Deal With Trump By End Of The Month

Economy

European Union

Trade War

After the United Nations condemned Google and its parent company, Alphabet, accusing them of profiting from the “genocide carried out by Israel’ in Gaza, Google co-founder Sergey Brin fired back, declaring that the global intergovernmental organization was “transparently antisemitic.”
Unsurprisingly, the United Nations <a href="https://www.un.org/unispal/document/a-hrc-59-23-from-economy-of-occupation-to-economy-of-genocide-report-special-rapporteur-francesca-albanese-palestine-2025/">report</a> with the allegation against Google was authored by the notorious, viciously anti-Israel Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese. Her remarks included statements such as, “For Israeli companies like Elbit and IAI, the ongoing genocide has been a profitable venture,” “Where corporate entities continue their activities and relationships with Israel &#8230; they may be found to have knowingly contributed to &#8230; crimes of apartheid and genocide,” and “Microsoft, Alphabet and Amazon grant Israel virtually government-wide access to their cloud and AI technologies, enhancing data processing, decision-making and surveillance/analysis capacities. In October 2023, when Israel’s internal military cloud overloaded, Microsoft Azure and Project Nimbus Consortium stepped in with critical cloud and AI infrastructure.”
On Saturday, in an internal forum for employees, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/07/08/sergey-brin-united-nations-gaza-israel/">The Washington Post</a>, Brin stated, “With all due respect, throwing around the term genocide in relation to Gaza is deeply offensive to many Jewish people who have suffered actual genocides. I would also be careful citing transparently antisemitic organizations like the UN in relation to these issues.”
“My comments came in response to an internal discussion that was citing a plainly biased and misleading report,” Brin said later in a statement.
On July 1, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations issued a <a href="https://usun.usmission.gov/u-s-mission-to-the-united-nations-statement-opposing-francesca-albaneses-mandate-as-un-special-rapporteur-2/#:~:text=The%20United%20States%20reiterates%20our,targeting%20entities%20across%20the%20world.">public press release</a> urging the organization to remove Albanese. The release stated:
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In recent weeks, Ms. Albanese has escalated her years-long pattern of virulent antisemitism and unrelenting anti-Israel bias by dispatching threatening correspondence to dozens of entities worldwide, including major American corporations. These letters advance deeply flawed legal arguments to support extreme and unfounded accusations that these organizations are complicit in gross human rights violations, apartheid, and genocide. These letters also constitute an unacceptable campaign of political and economic warfare against the American and worldwide economy. In addition, Ms. Albanese’s allegations that Israel is committing “genocide” and engaging in “apartheid” are false and offensive.
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In mid-May, fiercely pro-Israel Australian commenter Erin Molan ripped Albanese after Albanese complained about her reputation having suffered for her despicable behavior, including denying that Hamas raped Israeli women on October 7, 2023.
“Our favorite fraud: Francesca Albanese. She’s upset,” Molan noted. “No, not about denying the rape of Israeli women; don’t be silly. Nor about the atrocities of October 7. Don’t be daft. Or the impact of her atrocious lies on millions of innocents around the world. You’re kidding.”
“You want to know what she’s actually upset about, what she’s losing sleep about?” she asked. “Brace yourself: What some people might think of her.”
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The United Nations&#8217; antisemitic behavior has been on display for decades. In July 2024, the anti-Israel International Court of Justice, an arm of the United Nations, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/icj-court-israel-palestinians-settlements-2d5178500c0410341b252335859f2316">ruled</a> that Israel’s presence in the biblical areas of Judea and Samaria is “unlawful,” and that Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria, as well as in East Jerusalem, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/icj-united-nations-israel-settlement-violate-international-law-rcna162667">violated</a> international law.
As UN Watch has <a href="https://unwatch.org/2024-unga-resolutions-on-israel-vs-rest-of-the-world/">noted</a>, “From 2015 through 2024, the UN General Assembly has adopted 164 resolutions on Israel and 84 on other countries. &#8230; The UN Watch Database also documents that from 2006 through 2024, the UN Human Rights Council has adopted 108 resolutions against Israel, 44 against Syria, 15 against Iran, 8 against Russia, and 3 against Venezuela.”

2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones – Arrivals

Google Co-Founder Denounces UN’s ‘Genocide’ Claim As ‘Transparently Antisemitic’

Francesca Albanese

Google

Hamas

United Nations

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent promised on Monday that the Trump administration would make &#8220;several announcements in the next 48 hours&#8221; regarding President Donald Trump&#8217;s trade agenda.
Bessent said during an interview with CNBC&#8217;s &#8220;Squawk Box&#8221; that the president is actively &#8220;trying to get everyone across the finish line&#8221; on agreements. Bessent&#8217;s comments come hours after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, in an interview alongside Trump on Sunday, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/06/stock-market-today-live-updates.html">said</a> that tariffs will take effect on August 1, pushing back the plan for Trump&#8217;s &#8220;Liberation Day&#8221; tariffs to hit countries around the world on July 9 after a 90-day reprieve.
&#8220;What President Trump is concerned about is the quality of the deals, not the quantity,&#8221; Bessent said.
&#8220;My mailbox was full last night with a lot of new offers, a lot of new proposals,&#8221; he added. &#8220;So it&#8217;s going to be a busy couple of days. But importantly, too, President Trump has said that the countries would not go back to the recipricol [tariff] rate until August 1.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecScottBessent</a> on trade negotiations: &quot;We are going to have several announcements in the next 48 hours&#8230; What President Trump is concerned about is the quality of the deals, not the quantity&#8230; It&#39;s going to be a busy couple of days.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/xBWFDoaP7l">pic.twitter.com/xBWFDoaP7l</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1942197285720350979?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The Treasury Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bessent-trump-will-revive-foreign-tariffs-if-countries-dont-move-along-by-august-1?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Bessent%3A+Trump+Will+Revive+Foreign+Tariffs+If+Countries+Don%E2%80%99t+%E2%80%98Move+Along%E2%80%99+By+August+1">told</a> CNN on Sunday that Trump plans to send letters to countries, warning them to &#8220;move things along&#8221; or tariffs will &#8220;boomerang back to your April 2 tariff level.&#8221;
&#8220;So I think we’re going to see a lot of deals very quickly,&#8221; Bessent added.
Trump is also ramping up <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-threatens-tariffs-for-countries-backing-anti-american-global-alliance?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Trump+Threatens+Tariffs+For+Countries+Backing+%E2%80%98Anti-American%E2%80%99+Global+Alliance">pressure</a> on countries that align with &#8220;anti-American&#8221; trade policies of the BRICS nations, which include Brazil, Russia, India, and China. Ten countries have recently become &#8220;partner states&#8221; with BRICS, which could potentially lead to their inclusion as member nations. The 10 &#8220;partner states&#8221; include Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.
&#8220;Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff,&#8221; Trump posted on Truth Social as the BRICS nations met in Rio de Janeiro. &#8220;There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter!&#8221;
The stock market is down on Monday amid President Trump&#8217;s renewed push for trade. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dropped 70 points Monday morning, the S&amp;P 500 futures fell 0.3%, and the Nasdaq 100 futures were down 0.5%.

Bessent Promises ‘Several’ Trade Announcements Over ‘The Next 48 Hours’

Stock Market

President Donald Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114809528606729733" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> on Sunday that any countries considering alignment with the BRICS intergovernmental organization would face an additional 10% tariff, with no exceptions.
The BRICS group was initially founded in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China as a forum for discussing coordinated policies, much like the G7 countries, which include the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Other countries that have joined BRICS include South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
“Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Last December, as president-elect, Trump <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgrwj0p2dd9o">warned</a> the BRICS countries against developing a currency to challenge the American dollar, stating, &#8220;The idea that the BRICS Countries are trying to move away from the Dollar while we stand by and watch is OVER.”
“China and Russia see BRICS as a way to challenge the United States’ influence on geopolitics and decision-making, and have pushed the group to grow in size,” The New York Times has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/05/world/americas/iran-brics-summit-rio-de-janeiro.html">noted</a>.
Meanwhile, at the BRICS summit on Sunday in Brazil, representatives of the Iranian government, seeking allies, attended the meeting. On Sunday, the BRICS group issued a statement condemning President Trump’s strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3317159/brics-leaders-set-condemn-strikes-iran-avoid-direct-mention-us-israel">calling</a> them a “violation of international law.”
In January, nine countries <a href="https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/10/26/brics-13-partner-countries-summit-kazan-russia/">became</a> “partner states” with BRICS, a first step toward joining and becoming official members. Those countries included Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan. Last month, Vietnam became another “partner state,” a designation that <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/vietnam-admitted-brics-partner-country-brazil-says-2025-06-13/">permits</a> a country to participate in BRICS summits and other discussion sessions.
At the meeting in Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, the chair of the New Development Bank (NDB), which was established by the BRICS nations, boasted, “Today we have strong credit ratings, including a AAA grade from the Japanese agency JCR, and we are expanding into new markets, such as yen-denominated instruments and the Middle East,” then warned against economies relying on the U.S. dollar for external financing, as she declared,  “Any business or government that borrows in foreign currency becomes subject to decisions made by the Federal Reserve or other central banks in developed nations.”
“As a concrete example of this alternative approach, she pointed to a project in Brazil funded directly in renminbi, without the need for dollar conversion,” the BRICS portal <a href="https://infobrics.org/en/post/51428/">reported.</a>

BRAZIL-BRICS-SUMMIT

Trump Threatens Tariffs For Countries Backing ‘Anti-American’ Global Alliance

BRICS

Executive

Iran

US dollar

After Israel killed the head of the Iranian emergency military command and then took out his successor three days later, the Iranian government decided to keep the name of the new commander of the unit private.
Apparently, it didn’t work.
The Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, had other plans.
On July 13, in the opening strike of its war with Iran, Israel killed Gholam Ali Rashid; three days later, it killed his replacement, Ali Shadmani, Ynet News <a href="https://www.ynetnews.com/article/syavw2grgg">noted</a>. That prompted the Iranian government to keep the name of the next replacement secret.
But the X account Mossad Farsi (Persian) posted a message on Tuesday asking its followers to guess who the new head of the Khatam al-Anbiya unit was, writing:
<blockquote>
The Tasnim news agency announced that the Iranian regime will not publish the name of the new commander of Khatam al-Anbiya in order to protect him. Know that we know his actual name and are well acquainted with him. Unfortunately, such basic information is being hidden from the Iranian people. Please send us your guesses regarding his name.
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
خبرگزاری تسنیم اعلام کرد که رژیم جمهوری اسلامی نام فرمانده جدید خاتم الانبیاء را برای محافظت از او منتشر نخواهد کرد. بدانید که ما دقیقاً می دانیم نام او چیست واو را به خوبی می‌شناسیم. متأسّفانه چنین اطلاعات اساسی از مردم ایران پنهان می‌شود. لطفا حدس های خود را در مورد نام او…
&mdash; Mossad Farsi (@MossadSpokesman) <a href="https://twitter.com/MossadSpokesman/status/1940070261472027050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“More than 2,300 responses were recorded,” Ynet News reported. “The replies included threats against Israel, mockery of the unusual post, and suggestions such as Ahmad Vahidi, adviser to the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps; former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif; and Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.”
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But on Wednesday morning. Mossad Farsi replied to a post suggesting that the new replacement was Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi. “The lucky winner who successfully guessed the ‘secret’ name is Mr. Behnam. Please contact us privately to receive your prize,” Mossad Farsi posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
برنده خوش‌شانسی که موفق شدند نام &quot;محرمانه&quot; را کشف کنند، جناب بهنام هستند. لطفاً به‌صورت خصوصی با ما تماس بگیرید تا جایزه‌تان را دریافت فرمایید. <a href="https://t.co/AnGdw77UPs">https://t.co/AnGdw77UPs</a>
&mdash; Mossad Farsi (@MossadSpokesman) <a href="https://twitter.com/MossadSpokesman/status/1940277576335073659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“Aliabadi previously served as a deputy minister and governor in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government and, further back, as deputy commander of the IRGC Air Force. He has been sanctioned by the United States,” Ynet News explained.
The account that had provided the new replacement’s name was apparently frightened that his guess had been verified, later posting,  “I do not receive money or compensation from any individual, institution or organization for the freedom of the Iranian people. I am independent and free. That’s why I can write here freely and without hesitation and be myself. For me, the freedom of the Iranian people is the greatest wish and the best reward.”
Mossad Farsi later posted that the soldiers in Iran’s military terror arm, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), have reached out to them, writing:
<blockquote>
We expected it, but not to this extent! Hundreds of active IRGC soldiers and officers, fed up with this regime, are reaching out to us. We promise to contact you, please be patient. P.S.: Anyone who still hasn’t received this month’s salary from the regime will be prioritized for a response.
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
ما انتظارش را داشتیم، اما نه به این شدت! صدها سرباز و افسر فعال سپاه پاسداران که از این رژیم خسته شده‌اند، به ما مراجعه می کنند. قول می‌دهیم که با شما تماس بگیریم، لطفاً صبور باشید. پی‌نوشت: هر کسی که هنوز حقوق این ماه خود را از رژیم دریافت نکرده است، در اولویت پاسخگویی قرار…
&mdash; Mossad Farsi (@MossadSpokesman) <a href="https://twitter.com/MossadSpokesman/status/1940757135693885899?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Hand of businessman holding trophy

Iran Tries Keeping New Military Commander A Secret. Mossad Offers Guessing Game, Confirms Winner

IRGC

Mossad

The Trump administration has officially shuttered the United States Agency for International Development after rolling its operations into the State Department.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the end of the independent agency on Tuesday. Rubio said USAID funds would be better managed and more effective under State Department oversight than they have been in decades.
“USAID had decades and a near-infinite taxpayer budget to advance American influence, promote economic development worldwide, and allow billions to stand on their own two feet,” Rubio wrote in a <a href="https://statedept.substack.com/p/making-foreign-aid-great-again">statement</a>. “Beyond creating a globe-spanning NGO industrial complex at taxpayer expense, USAID has little to show since the end of the Cold War.”
For months, the Trump administration has audited USAID, shrinking its operations and moving it underneath Rubio’s effective control. The Department of Government Efficiency has led the probe into USAID funding, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/06/22/us/politics/usaid-foreign-aid-trump.html">cutting</a> thousands of spending programs worth tens of billions of taxpayer dollars.
What spending is left will be reallocated and closely watched for measurable returns toward the United States’ national interest, according to Rubio. Of the regions and communities that have received funding from USAID in recent decades, American objectives have “rarely been met.” At the same time, “instability has often worsened, and anti-American sentiment has only grown,” Rubio said.
“[I]n 2023, sub-Saharan African nations voted with the United States only 29 percent of the time on essential resolutions at the UN despite receiving $165 billion in outlays since 1991. That’s the lowest rate in the world,” Rubio wrote. “Over the same period, more than $89 billion invested in the Middle East and North Africa left the U.S. with lower favorability ratings than China in every nation but Morocco.”
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“[USAID’s] expenditure of $9.3 billion in Gaza and the West Bank since 1991, whose beneficiaries included allies of Hamas, has produced grievances rather than gratitude towards the United States,” he continued. “The only ones living well were the executives of the countless NGOs, who often enjoyed five-star lifestyles funded by American taxpayers, while those they purported to help fell further behind.”
USAID funding has elicited complaints from some allies to the United States. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in February that non-governmental organizations in his country that have been partly funded by USAID have pushed leftist priorities and sought to “topple” his government.
“Now is the moment when these international networks have to be taken down, they have to be swept away,” Orban <a href="https://apnews.com/article/orban-hungary-eliminate-ngos-usaid-aff22b9f9003f4c6c3115a9798c18af6">said</a>. “It is necessary to make their existence legally impossible.”
Under the State Department, international aid will be directed toward “prioritizing trade over aid, opportunity over dependency, and investment over assistance,” said Rubio.
“USAID viewed its constituency as the United Nations, multinational NGOs, and the broader global community — not the U.S. taxpayers who funded its budget or the President they elected to represent their interests on the world stage,” he wrote.
“That ends today, and where there was once a rainbow of unidentifiable logos on life-saving aid, there will now be one recognizable symbol: the American flag. Recipients deserve to know the assistance provided to them is not a handout from an unknown NGO, but an investment from the American people,” he added.

Rubio: USAID Closed After Decades Of Funding Posh Lifestyles Of ‘Countless’ NGO Execs

State Department

USAID

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