Trump to remove all US sanctions against Syria

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said the failure of US President Donald Trump to visit Israel on his current Middle East tour could be seen as a message to Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu and a potential sign of a rift between the United States and Israel.

Trump has been trying to get a deal with Iran over its nuclear program as well as convince Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords, which seek to normalize Arab-Israeli relations.

Trump doesn't want "a direct confrontation with the Israeli government," Olmert told DW, but added that the US president's agenda wasn't "quite congruent" with Netanyahu's plans.

The Saudis have said they will only join the Abraham Accords if there is movement on the Palestinian issue, something Netanyahu has shown unwillingness to do.

Olmert suggested Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia, with its major arms deals, signals to Netanyahu that he wouldn't be "part of the normalization."

He also noted a rift between Netanyahu and Trump on Iran.

Netanyahu's "attempts to force a direct confrontation between America and Iran failed with President Obama and failed with President Biden," Olmert said. "And it seems to fail now with President Trump"

Olmert noted that Israel wouldn't be able to destory Iran's nuclear program without US support.

But if the US reaches an agreement with Iran then that option would be "null and void," he said.

A US federal grand jury has indicted a judge whose arrest last month on charges of helping a man evade immigration authorities sparked an outcry over the independence of the US judicial system.

The indictment is a routine step that allows the Justice Department's case against the Wisconsin judge to continue.

Prosecutors charged Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan in April with concealing an individual to prevent arrest and obstruction. 

They say that Dugan escorted an undocumented immigrant out of her courtroom through a back door in April after learning that immigration agents planned to arrest him. The man was subsequently detained by agents outside the courthouse.

The state Supreme Court suspended Dugan from the bench in late April, saying the move was necessary to preserve public confidence in the judiciary. 

However, Democrats have accused the Trump administration of trying to make a national example of Dugan to chill judicial opposition to the crackdown.

Dugan, who has professed her innocence, faces up to six years in prison if found guilty.

Dugan's arrest marks an escalation of a clash between President Donald Trump's administration and local authorities over the Republican's sweeping immigration crackdown.

Dugan is expected to appear in court on Thursday. 

After meeting with allies in Saudi Arabia, US President Donald Trump has announced that the US is lifting all remaining sanctions against Syria.

DW asked Natasha Hall, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, how much of a turning point this will be for Syrians.

US Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has said he will block all of President Donald Trump's nominations to the Justice Department until more information is disclosed about Qatar's offer to provide the Trump administration with a $400 million airplane.

The airplane, which Trump has said would be a donation, would replace the Air Force One jet, which US presidents use for global travel.

Trump told a press conference this week that it would be "stupid" for him to turn down the offer of the Boeing 747-8 airplane.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that the details of the donation were still being ironed out.

Schumer has condemned the proposed donation, saying the plan is "not just naked corruption, it is also a grave national security threat."

He also said he wants answers about whether the Trump administration is looking into activities in the US by Qatari foreign agents that might benefit Trump or his business, and if Qatar will be responsible for security measures on the plane.

In a speech to the Senate, Schumer said US Attorney General Pam Bondi's reported approval of the deal was "a blatantly inept decision" and called on her to explain herself.

"The Attorney General must testify before both the House and Senate to explain why gifting Donald Trump a private jet does not violate the emoluments clause (of the US Constitution) — which requires congressional approval — or any other ethics laws," he said.
 

US Donald Trump has said it is his "fervent hope" that Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords and recognizes the State of Israel.

"It will be a special day in the Middle East, with the whole world watching, when Saudi Arabia joins us, and you'll be greatly honoring me and you'll be greatly honoring all of those people that have fought so hard for the Middle East," Trump said in Riyadh during an investment forum.

"You'll do it in your own time," the US president added.

The Abraham Accords — that established formal ties between Israel and four Arab countries — were introduced during Trump's first term (2017-2021). The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco are the only states to have signed up.

Saudi Arabia, which does not have formal relations with Israel, has insisted on ending the war in Gaza and establishing a Palestinian state as prerequisites to recognizing the Jewish State.

Under Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, there was a significant diplomatic push for Riyadh to sign the agreement.

The monarchy's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, had been close to signing a defense pact with the US in exchange for recognizing Israel before the Hamas terror attacks on October 7, 2023 which sparked the ongoing war in Gaza.
 

US President Donald Trump said he would remove all sanctions against Syria.

"I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness," Trump said. 

Speaking at an investment forum in Riyadh had served an important function, but it was now time for Syria to move forward.

Trump is expected to meet Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday.

"The President agreed to say hello to the Syrian President while in Saudi Arabia tomorrow," the White House said.

Trump is in the kingdom, the first leg of his three-nation visit to the Middle East.

US President Donald Trump urged Iran to take a "new and a better path" as he pushes for a new nuclear deal.

Speaking at the US-Saudi investment conference, he said he wants to avoid conflict with Tehran.

"As I have shown repeatedly, I am willing to end past conflicts and forge new partnerships for a better and more stable world, even if our differences may be very profound," Trump said.

"If Iran's leadership rejects this olive branch and continues to attack their neighbors, then we will have no choice but to inflict massive maximum pressure, drive Iranian oil exports to zero like I did before," Trump added.

During a visit by US President Donald Trump, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday reaffirmed its promise to invest in the United States in the coming years.

Trump has welcomed a pledge by de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of $600 billion in investment. However, Trump has quipped that the total should be $1 trillion, without providing basis or specifics on the claim.

The White House said Tuesday that Saudi Arabia was set to invest $600 billion in the United States, including a massive arms sales agreement worth nearly $142 billion.

Chip giant Nvidia and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday also announced new partnerships, as the kingdom plans to develop AI and cloud computing infrastructure. 

"We have the biggest business leaders in the world here today and they're going to walk away with a lot of checks," Trump told the prince at the Royal Court in Riyadh.

US President Donald Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia started with a reception held by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

At Riyadh Airport's grand hall, Trump and his aides had Arabic coffee served by waiters wearing ceremonial gun-belts.

Several business executives were invited to the event, including Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

Musk held a brief talk with Trump and Crown Prince bin Salman at the event.

US President Donald Trump was greeted by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammen bin Salman upon his arrival in Riyadh.

The two leaders will hold talks about Iran's nuclear program, the war in Gaza and oil prices.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the country now has a "mechanism" to avoid tensions with China.

Speaking at an investment forum just before US President Donald Trump landed in Riyadh, Bessent said such a mechanism was now in place.

"After this weekend, we have a mechanism to avoid escalation like we had before," Bessent said after meeting Chinese officials in Switzerland. 

According to the Treasury Secretary, the US could have a "big, beautiful rebalancing" with Beijing. 

The White House Correspondents Association said it was a "disservice to every American" that Donald Trump's administration barred any wire service news reporters from traveling with the president on Air Force One to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

No reporters from The Associated Press, Bloomberg or Reuters were on the plane as it took off toward the Middle East. Presidents often take questions from journalists during such flights.

According to the group, which represents White House journalists, every US citizen "deserves to know what their highest elected leader is up to, as quickly as possible."

While no wire reporters were allowed on the flight, Fox News host Sean Hannity posted on his X account that he had interviewed the US president on board Air Force One as it traveled toward the Middle East.

A group of 59 white South Africans has been welcomed as "refugees" by the Trump administration.

Their arrival in the United States comes amid an outcry over the White House's current campaign of immigrant arrests and mass deportations.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump repeated disputed claims, popular with the far right, that white farmers in South Africa are "being killed" and even facing "genocide."

DW explains why the Trump administration is granting Afrikaners refugee status and South Africa's response.  Take a look. 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has discussed the "way forward for a ceasefire" in Ukraine with European foreign ministers.

The State Department said in a statement that the foreign ministers of Germany, Britain, France, Poland and Ukraine were on the call, as well as the EU's foreign policy chief.

It remains unclear if Ukraine-Russia talks in Turkey, as proposed by Russia's President Vladimir Putin, are to take place.

Earlier on Monday, Trump offered to join the prospective talks following his trip to the Middle East.

Left-wing influencer and political commentator Hasan Piker has said he was detained for hours by US border officials and interrogated about his political views. 

Piker, a US citizen, said on Monday that he was held at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport for over two hours on Sunday as he was returning to the United States from a family trip to France. 

Piker, who has millions of followers on YouTube, Twitch and X, has been outspoken in his criticism of Israel. 

His exchanges with officials were "cordial" and the experience wasn't "that bad," Piker stressed in a YouTube video about his experience. 

But an officer asked his views on Trump and whether he has been in contact with militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah.

"Do you like Hamas? Like, do you support Hamas? Do you think Hamas is a resistance group?" Hasan said the border official asked.

"The reason for why they're doing that is, I think, to try to create an environment of fear, to try to get people like myself, or at least like others that would be in my shoes that don't have that same level of security, to shut up," Piker said. 

Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin has denied that Piker's political beliefs triggered the more intense screening. 

"Claims that his political beliefs triggered the inspection are baseless. Our officers are following the law, not agendas," she said in a statement.

Defending Rights and Dissent, a US organization defending civil liberties, said it was "deeply disturbed" that border officials are stopping political commentators to interrogate them."

"Such an abuse of power is an affront to press freedom," it said in a post on X.