Who is Pope Leo XIV, the first US pontiff?
The white smoke has billowed, and the Catholic church has a new pope – and he’s American. Cardinals at the Vatican elected the Chicago-born Robert Prevost on Thursday to lead the church, succeeding Pope Francis, who died last month. Prevost took the name Leo XIV as he became the first pontiff from the United States. “Peace be with you,” were his first words as pope. Here is a look at the new pope and his journey from the US Midwest to the top of the church of 1.4 billion people. What is Pope Leo’s background? Born in Chicago in 1955 to parents of French, Italian and Spanish descent, Leo’s father was a school principal and his mother had degrees in library science and education and was deeply involved in the St Mary of the Assumption that the family attended. Last week, the Chicago Sun-Times cited Leo’s friends and fellow church goers as saying that he was dedicated to his faith and path to priesthood from a young age. Leo graduated with a degree in mathematics from the University of Villanova in Pennsylvania in 1977. He also studied religion at the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago. Advertisement In 1982, he received a doctorate in church law from the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas in Rome before being sent to serve in a Catholic mission in Peru. In the subsequent decades, he rose through the ranks of the church as he bounced between Chicago and Peru. Pope Francis made him the Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2015 before giving him greater responsibilities within the church. That same year, Prevost also became a Peruvian citizen. In 2023, he became prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a key Catholic administrative body, based in Rome. What is an Augustinian? In his first public remarks as pope, Leo introduced himself as an Augustinian – an order within the Catholic Church that follows the teachings of St Augustine of Hippo, which emphasise love, harmony, humility and dedication to the spiritual community of the church. The term also describes individuals who belong to religious orders, and Pope Leo is just one of 34 popes out of 266 to have done so. Such orders are a community of Catholics, which can include priests, nuns, monks and or lay people, dedicated to a particular type of mission and spirituality. Pope Francis was the first pope from the Jesuit religious order ever, and the first in more than a century and a half to come from any religious order. What did the pope say in his first speech? Leo suggested that he would follow in Francis’s footsteps. The late pope was largely seen as a transformational figure who took the church in a progressive direction and focused on promoting the rights of the poor and marginalised. Advertisement “Let us keep in our ears the weak but always brave voice of Pope Francis, who blessed Rome – the pope who blessed Rome and the world that day on the morning of Easter,” Leo said. In his final Easter message, days before he died, Francis called for peace and disarmament. Why Leo? When it comes to popes, names matter. New pontiffs often choose new names as tribute to a saint or predecessor. For example, Pope Francis took the name of St Francis of Assisi, who renounced material goods and dedicated his life to the poor. The last Leo to lead the church, Pope Leo XIII, championed the rights of workers. “Up until that time, the church’s hierarchy tended to be identified with the upper class, and so Leo XIII put a redirection on the church, and certainly many of the popes since that time have built on that,” Father James Bretzke, professor of theology at John Carroll University, told Al Jazeera. What are his politics? Church leaders are not politicians, but religion is intertwined with public affairs. Leo has given hints of his politics over the years, particularly in advocating for the rights of migrants. In 2015, Leo shared an article by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, criticising then-candidate Donald Trump’s anti-immigration proposals. The column was titled: Why Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric is so problematic. In February, he again appeared to criticise the Trump administration’s immigration policies, taking aim at Vice President JD Vance’s argument that people should love others close to them more than strangers. Advertisement Leo shared an article proclaiming: “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.” Where does he stand on female priests? The debate over allowing women to be priests has been raging within the Catholic Church, but Leo does not seem to be in favour of the change. “Something that needs to be said also is that ordaining women – and there’s been some women that have said this, interestingly enough – ‘clericalising women’ doesn’t necessarily solve a problem, it might make a new problem,” he told reporters in 2023. What has he said about sex abuse scandals? Leo’s Augustinian Order has faced criticism over transparency in dealing with sex abuse cases that have rocked the church. In 2023, Leo called for focusing on the victims when it comes to this issue. “There are places where good work has already been done for years, and the rules are being put into practice. At the same time, I believe that there is still much to learn,” he told Vatican News in 2023. “I am talking about the urgency and responsibility of accompanying victims.” How does he compare to other popes, age-wise? At 69, Leo is younger than his past two predecessors when they became pontiffs. Francis was 76. Benedict XVI was 78. But he is older than John Paul II, who was 58 when he became pope – one of the youngest pontiffs in modern history. What does he do in his spare time? He likes tennis, spending time with friends and “meeting a broad range of different people”. “I consider myself quite the amateur tennis player. Since leaving Peru, I have
Student protester Mohsen Mahdawi unveils legal defence fund for immigrants
Student protest leader Mohsen Mahdawi has appeared at the Vermont state house to help launch a legal defence fund to help immigrants like himself who are facing deportation hearings. His appearance on Thursday comes nearly a week after Mahdawi himself was released from immigration detention, after spending nearly 16 days in custody for his pro-Palestinian advocacy. The administration of President Donald Trump has sought to deport Mahdawi and other student activists for their demonstrations, citing a Cold War-era law that allows the removal of foreign nationals deemed to have adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States. Though released on bail, Mahdawi continues to face deportation proceedings. He reflected on his time behind bars at a news conference where he and state officials announced the Vermont Immigration Legal Defense Fund. “ I was unjustly kidnapped or detained, if you want to go by the legal term,” Mahdawi said with a wry smile. “And without the support and the love that I received from the people of Vermont – Vermonters and the representatives of the people in Vermont – I may not have been here today among you.” Mohsen Mahdawi reflects on his time in immigration detention as he announces the launch of the Vermont Immigration Legal Defense Fund [Alex Driehaus/AP Photo] Mahdawi entered the national spotlight as a leader in the student protests at Columbia University, an Ivy League school in New York City that has been at the forefront of pro-Palestinian advocacy. Advertisement A legal permanent resident of the US, Mahdawi himself is Palestinian and grew up in the Far’a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. He has publicly described the oppression he said he experienced there, including the deaths of family members and friends at the hands of the Israeli military. Since Israel launched its war in Gaza on October 7, 2023, Mahdawi has been outspoken in his opposition to the military campaign. As an undergraduate at Columbia, he helped found student groups like Dar: The Palestinian Student Society and Columbia University Apartheid Divest. The latter has taken a lead role in protesting ties between the school and organisations involved with Israel and its military activities. But President Trump has described such protests as “illegal” and pledged to crack down on non-citizen participants. On March 8, Mahdawi’s colleague at Dar, Mahmoud Khalil, was the first student protester to be taken into custody for his role in the nationwide student protest movement. Others have since been detained, including Tufts University doctoral student Rumeysa Ozturk, who supporters say did little more than write an op-ed about the war in Gaza. Just over a month later, on April 14, Mahdawi arrived at an appointment in Colchester, Vermont, ostensibly for his US citizenship application. Immigration officers, however, were waiting on site to arrest him, and he was led away in handcuffs. Mahdawi was accused of no crime. The Trump administration, however, has accused him of harassing Jewish students and leading “pro-Hamas protests”, though it has not offered evidence to support those allegations. Advertisement “His rhetoric on the war in Israel proves his terrorist sympathies,” a recent document from the Department of Homeland Security said. Mahdawi’s detention galvanised Vermont politicians on both sides of the political spectrum. Governor Phil Scott, a Republican, called on the federal government to release any evidence it had that Mahdawi was a threat to national security and denounced the surreptitious manner of his arrest. “What cannot be justified is how this action was undertaken. Law enforcement officers in this country should not operate in the shadows or hide behind masks,” Scott wrote in a press release. “The power of the executive branch of the federal government is immense, but it is not infinite, and it is not absolute.” Meanwhile, Senator Peter Welch, a Democrat, visited Mahdawi behind bars at Vermont’s Northwest State Correctional Facility in an effort to raise awareness about his case. Ultimately, on April 30, a federal district court deemed that Mahdawi was no flight risk and released him on bail, warning that the government’s actions could be interpreted as an attempt to “shut down debate”. In his public appearance on Thursday, Mahdawi thanked his fellow Vermonters for showing him support and called on the state to act as an example to others. “Home is where you feel safe and loved. And those who surround you, they are your people, and you are my people,” he told the crowd. “This is a message of hope and light that our humanity is much larger than what divide us. Our humanity is much larger than unjust laws. Our humanity is much larger than being Democrat or Republican, Black or white, in a city or in rural area.” Advertisement Mahdawi also described how, when he was in detention, he saw an undocumented farm worker praying on his knees each night before going to sleep. “ I think his prayers have been answered today by this initiative,” Mahdawi said of the legal defence fund. The fund’s organisers said they hope to raise $1m to “build a lasting safety net” for immigrant families in Vermont. That sum, they said, would fund training and hiring legal staff to respond to what they described as an immigration “crisis”. “Vermont is going to take action to ensure no one faces deportation, detention or family separation alone and unrepresented,” said State Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale. “This will be embedded in our civic infrastructure in a way we have not achieved before and we hope will have long-term benefits beyond this immediate crisis.” Vermont State Treasurer Mike Pieciak added that the fund would ensure justice is not solely reserved for those who can afford it. “This effort is not about politics. This effort is about principle,” he said. “The fundamental right to due process means very little if somebody cannot access legal representation, especially when they’re navigating a system as complex and as high stakes as the US immigration law.” Adblock test (Why?)
‘Leone!’ Vatican crowds hail Leo XIV as new pope of the Catholic Church
Vatican City – It felt like the square could talk in one voice: “Leone! Leone! Leone!” Thousands of people in St Peter’s Square chanted in chorus the name adopted by Robert Prevost as he ascended to the papacy on Thursday: Leo XIV. Just an hour and a half earlier, white smoke had billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, announcing that a conclave of cardinals had elected a new leader for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. Now, it was time to meet Pope Leo himself. A solemn silence fell across the square. The faithful waited to hear the pope’s first message, which would set the tone for his papacy. “Peace be upon you,” said Leo XIV, appearing on the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica. He proceeded to repeat a blessing uttered by his late predecessor, Pope Francis, just weeks earlier: “God loves us, God loves everyone, and evil will not prevail. We are in the hands of God.” It was a closely watched moment, with red-hatted cardinals poking out of nearby windows to catch their first glimpse at the newly minted pontiff. Advertisement Pope Leo XIV was elected on the second day of the conclave, and his opening remarks as leader signalled continuity with Francis, who died on April 21 at age 88. But experts say he is likely to strike a middle path, between furthering Francis’s inclusive agenda and embracing Vatican tradition. “Peace” was one of the most used words in his brief speech — a choice meant to echo the words that Jesus pronounced after Easter, as Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni explained during a news briefing. Leo XIV called on Catholics to seek “a disarmed peace and a disarming peace” through “dialogue” and “building bridges”, in a brief speech heavy with themes of unity. “Bravo! That is what we need!” one audience member in the square shouted as the new pope spoke. Another, 29-year-old Kasper Mihalak from Denmark, was squeezed in the middle of the crowd hoping to catch a glimpse of the first North American pope. “I am really excited. Cardinal Prevost, now Leo XIV — it’s gonna be amazing! He said a lot about peace during his speech. I think the world now really needs it,” Mihalak said. Rosaria Venuto could hardly hold back her tears. Early in the morning, she picked up her two children and drove four hours from Ascoli Satriano, a small town in the southern Italian province of Apulia, to be in St Peter’s Square. “I am deeply moved to have the chance to be here and live through this joy and be a small part of this historical event,” she said. Crowds gather below the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, where Pope Leo XIV made his first appearance [Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters] His own man Born in Chicago, a midwestern city in the United States, Leo XIV spent more than two decades in Peru, where he acquired dual citizenship. Advertisement There, he worked in some of Peru’s poorest areas, and he eventually became the bishop of Chiclayo, in the country’s agricultural north. Then, in 2023, Pope Francis appointed him to lead a powerful office that manages bishops across the world. Phil Pullella, a Vatican expert who has covered the papacy for more than four decades, said that background offers a degree of continuity with Francis, who hailed from Argentina and advocated against poverty. “He knows about poverty in Latin America,” Pullella said of Leo XIV. “So, he’s not the same thing as if they had elected some cardinal of New York, for example.” That continuity was likely appreciated by conservative camps at the Vatican, as well as liberal-leaning ones, Pullella added. “He comes from the wealthy world, but he witnessed firsthand the problems of the Global South in a poor country,” he said. Still, Pullella noted that the way Leo XIV dressed showed that “he is going to be his own man”. Instead of the simple white cassock that Pope Francis wore in 2013 when he was elected, Leo XIII added a traditional red cape over his vest, symbolising the spiritual and temporal powers of his office. “In a sense, he is going back a little bit to that kind of tradition,” Pullella said. “He would not have been elected had he not had the votes of the conservative bloc.” Nuns at the Vatican react with glee to the announcement of the newly elected Pope Leo XIV on May 8 [Amanda Perobelli/Reuters] A unifying figure Leo XIV’s election came as a surprise to many. Many observers were betting on a new pope by nightfall, but few expected only three rounds of voting. The crowd was stunned when white smoke started to pour out of the tiny chimney by early evening, at around 6:09pm local time (16:00 GMT). That was the signal that — of the 133 cardinals under the age of 80 who were eligible to vote — a candidate had received the two-thirds majority needed to become pope. Advertisement This year’s conclave had the distinction of being the most international in the Vatican’s history: The participating cardinals hailed from more than 70 countries, representing divergent views for the Catholic Church’s future. The diversity was part of the legacy of Pope Francis, who appointed cardinals from underrepresented countries like Laos and Haiti to broaden the church’s global appeal. Francis spent 12 years as head of the Catholic Church, shaking up the establishment by adopting a distinct style and tone, focused on austerity and advocacy for marginalised populations. The late pope’s efforts caused excitement among reformers but also dismay among conservatives, who accused him of diluting the Church’s teachings. Experts say that led to a deep polarisation within the church, with some members criticising Francis for decentralising the church’s authority. Those experts point out that Leo XIV’s experience in the Roman Curia — the church’s government — was likely a selling point among conservative conclave voters looking for stability in the years ahead. Members of the Catholic Church cheer the election
Israel retrofitting DJI commercial drones to bomb and surveil Gaza
The Israeli military has been altering commercial drones to carry bombs and surveil people in Gaza, an investigation by Al Jazeera’s Sanad verification agency has found. According to Sanad, drones manufactured by the Chinese tech giant DJI have been used to attack hospitals and civilian shelters and to surveil Palestinian prisoners being forced to act as human shields for heavily armoured Israeli soldiers. This is not the first time DJI drones have been modified and used by armies. There were similar reports about both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022. At the time, DJI suspended all sales to both countries and introduced software modifications that restricted the areas where its drones could be used and how high they could fly. However, DJI has not stopped selling drones to Israel. A DJI Avata captured in Gaza [Handout/Saraya al-Quds] Israel’s use of DJI drones The Israeli army’s use of DJI drones is not new. By 2018, DJI drones were reportedly in extensive use across numerous divisions in the Israeli military. The Israeli campaign group Hamushim found evidence that Israeli military-trained operators were using DJI’s Matrice 600 model to drop tear gas on civilian protesters during the following year’s Great March of Return in Gaza. Despite their previous deployment by the Israeli military, their lethal use against civilians and protected targets in Gaza, as documented in this investigation, is unprecedented. Al Jazeera has reached out to Israeli authorities to request comment on the findings of this investigation but has received no response by time of publication. A DJI Matrice 300 captured in Gaza [Handout/Saraya al-Quds] Sanad has documented several DJI drones that have been adapted for military use. Advertisement However, it is the powerful DJI Agras drone, developed for agricultural use, that is the most significant. According to its manufacturers, the DJI Agras can carry a substantial payload and is capable of precision flight. As Sanad’s investigation shows, it can also be used to deliver an explosive payload to targets beyond the reach of conventional military forces. In addition to the DJI Agras, the DJI Mavic has been used by the Israeli military across Gaza for reconnaissance and target acquisition. Similarly, the compact DJI Avata drone, designed for recreational filming, has been repurposed by the Israeli military to navigate and map the intricate tunnel networks beneath Gaza. Israeli soldiers equip a DJI Agras drone with explosives [tamerqdh on X] Attacks on northern Gaza By late 2024, Israel had laid siege to Gaza’s north, pushing the population to the brink of famine and imposing conditions described as “apocalyptic” by United Nations observers. Residents and humanitarian organisations reported an alarming number of what appeared to be civilian drones armed with explosives. In an incident documented by displaced civilians, footage shared on July 17, 2024, shows a DJI Agras drone dropping a bomb onto the IHH Turkish charity’s building in Jabalia, northern Gaza, less than 100 metres (330ft) from a school serving as a shelter and aid distribution centre. A DJI Agras drone drops a bomb on a building next to a school used as a shelter [hamza20300 on Telegram] In November in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, a DJI Agras drone dropped a bomb in a residential neighbourhood where civilians had fled after Israeli shelling of a UN-operated school-turned-shelter. Advertisement People who witnessed the bombing told Sanad the attack seemed calculated to instil fear. A DJI Agras drone drops a bomb on residential buildings [moneer._20 on Instagram] Surveillance and urban warfare Beyond direct attacks, Israeli-modified DJI drones have been used extensively for surveillance and tactical operations throughout Gaza. An Israeli soldier’s TikTok account shows him operating a DJI drone using first-person-view goggles. The DJI headset is compatible with drones like the Mavic and Avata [amitmaymoni via TikTok] In a further incident, footage obtained by Al Jazeera Arabic from one Israeli drone shows a DJI Avata helping to track an unnamed Palestinian being used by heavily armed Israeli soldiers as a human shield – an illegal practice under international law – in Shujaiya in December 2023. The individual is seen opening the school’s doors to make sure there were no Palestinian fighters inside, closely monitored by another drone that captured the entire operation. Israeli drone footage secured by Al Jazeera shows a second, DJI Avata, drone tracking a Palestinian detainee being used as a human shield to clear a school [Sanad/Al Jazeera] DJI double standards: Gaza vs Ukraine In 2022, in response to complaints from Ukrainian officials that DJI was sharing critical data with their Russian adversaries, the drone manufacturer suspended all sales to its retail partners in both countries. DJI explained the move: “We will never accept any use of our products to cause harm, and we will continue striving to improve the world with our work.” Despite evidence of DJI drones being weaponised by the Israeli military in Gaza, DJI has had no such response. Responding to direct inquiries from Sanad, DJI said: “Our products are for peaceful and civilian use only, and we absolutely deplore and condemn the use of [DJI] products to cause harm anywhere in the world.” Advertisement A subsequent direct query asked if it plans “to halt sales in Israel or implement measures similar to those taken in the Russia-Ukraine conflict”. But DJI did not respond to the query not has it undertaken any measures to halt sales or impose software restrictions on where drones can fly over Gaza, allowing continued military deployments of their drones by the Israeli military. Adblock test (Why?)
As the conclave gathers, let debt justice be Pope Francis’s legacy
Pope Francis was never drawn to pomp or grandeur. He asked to be buried in a simple casket, and his burial was held not in the ornate halls of the Vatican, but in a modest neighbourhood church, true to his lifelong humility. As a conclave gathers today to choose his successor, world leaders and faith communities are reflecting on how best to carry forward his legacy. Francis would not have wanted ornate tributes or empty gestures. He would have wanted action – especially in the form of debt cancellation for developing countries and a renewed commitment to climate justice. Francis envisioned 2025, a Jubilee year for the Catholic Church, as a time to restore justice – among people, between nations, and with the Earth itself. A time to wipe the slate clean and begin again, not in words but in deeds. That vision aligns closely with another urgent global imperative: 2025 is also the year by which scientists warn that global carbon emissions must peak and begin to decline if we are to avoid catastrophic climate breakdown. Advertisement But instead of preparing for a just transition, many of the countries most affected by climate change are caught in a worsening “climate-debt doom loop.” From cyclones in Mozambique to floods in Pakistan and prolonged droughts in Malawi, climate-related disasters – caused overwhelmingly by industrialised nations – are tearing apart the infrastructure and economies of developing countries and displacing millions of people. Yet rather than receiving long-overdue funding and support, climate-vulnerable nations are being drained by record levels of debt payments – many owed to the very countries and institutions most responsible for global warming. According to calculations by 350.org, in 2023, developing nations spent roughly 40 times more on servicing foreign debt than they received in net climate assistance. This is not only unjust – it’s self-defeating. Funds that should be invested in clean energy, sustainable agriculture, reforestation, flood defences and public health are instead diverted to repay wealthy creditors. Meanwhile, the escalating impacts of climate change are driving up borrowing costs, pushing vulnerable countries even deeper into debt. For every $10 spent on debt payments, an additional dollar is effectively added as a premium for climate risk. The consequences ripple far beyond environmental damage. Debt service now consumes more government spending in many countries than healthcare and education combined. Over three billion people live in countries where more is spent on interest payments than on meeting basic human needs. This is not only economically short-sighted – it is a moral scandal. Advertisement Pope Francis named this reality with unflinching clarity. In his final New Year’s message, he wrote: “Foreign debt has become a means of control whereby governments and private financial institutions of the richer countries unscrupulously and indiscriminately exploit the human and natural resources of poorer countries, simply to satisfy the demands of their own markets.” He reminded us that the financial debt of the Global South is the mirror image of the massive ecological debt the Global North owes. Research by Oxfam and others estimates that wealthy nations – responsible for more than 75 percent of historic carbon emissions – owe developing countries around $5 trillion each year in climate-related reparations. That’s a feasible figure, especially when you consider that these same wealthy governments currently spend about $7 trillion annually subsidizing fossil fuel industries. There is precedent for bold, transformative action. In the last Jubilee year – 2000 – a global movement led by civil society and faith groups secured the cancellation of over $100bn in debt for 35 heavily indebted nations. The results were remarkable: Tanzania and Uganda eliminated primary school fees, boosting enrolment. Mozambique and others expanded access to healthcare. Several countries saw improved credit ratings and increased foreign investment. That initiative was a recognition that economies must serve people, not the other way around. But it fell short of addressing the deeper structural flaws that enable recurring debt crises. In the years since, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, indebtedness has surged again. Now, the combined pressure of climate impacts, declining aid and economic instability – including trade disruptions triggered by protectionist policies – threatens to unleash a global debt tsunami. Advertisement The poorest nations may be hit first and hardest, but this is not a crisis they face alone. A world shackled by unjust debt cannot act decisively to stop climate collapse. The debt crisis, if left unresolved, will sabotage efforts to protect people and the planet alike. Pope Francis reminded us that forgiveness, renewal and justice are not abstract ideals. They are moral and practical imperatives in an age of ecological breakdown. As the world prepares for the next chapter of papal leadership, we must act in his spirit: by resetting the rules of a broken financial system and building one rooted in equity, solidarity and care for our common home. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance. Adblock test (Why?)
President Xi: China and Russia should safeguard international justice
[unable to retrieve full-text content] President Xi Jinping called for closer bilateral relations with Russia and reaffirmed China’s support for the country.
New Shireen Abu Akleh documentary ‘identifies her killer’
[unable to retrieve full-text content] The makers of new documentary ‘Who Killed Shireen?’ say they have identified the Israeli soldier who shot her.
Bill Gates says he will give away 99 percent of his wealth by 2045
The former Microsoft CEO slams Elon Musk for his efforts to slash funding for US assistance to poor countries. Tech billionaire Bill Gates has said that he will give away 99 percent of his wealth in the next two decades, funding his philanthropy the Gates Foundation long enough for it to close in 2045. In a statement published on Thursday, Gates also firmly criticised the way his fellow centibillionaire – Elon Musk, an adviser to US President Donald Trump – is pushing to slash United States funds for essential things like food and medical assistance in poor countries. “The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one,” Gates told the Financial Times, referring to Musk’s work with the Trump administration to dismantle the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Gates, who has a current estimated net worth of about $108bn, has long been among the most recognisable figures in the field of philanthropy, with an emphasis on medical assistance in poor countries. He has also become a symbol of the enormous influence that such wealth can have on everything from politics to global health. Advertisement Pandemic vaccine criticism During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gates was a vocal opponent of loosening patent protections around COVID-19 vaccines in order to allow poorer countries to manufacture their own versions and distribute them to their populations more quickly, arguing that doing so would harm innovation and intellectual property rights. Critics accused him of promoting a vision of “vaccine apartheid”. They have also questioned whether Gates, through his substantial funding of groups such as the vaccine group Gavi and the World Health Organization, wields disproportionate influence in the field of global health without the same oversight and accountability that a public institution would face. Over the years, Gates has stated that he is determined to give away most of his enormous fortune. While he is currently worth about $108bn, he expects the foundation to spend a total of around $200bn by 2045, depending on inflation and markets. “People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I am determined that ‘he died rich’ will not be one of them,” the 69-year-old co-founder of Microsoft said in a post on his website. “There are too many urgent problems to solve for me to hold onto resources that could be used to help people,” he added. Gates also lamented that the US has pulled back from involvement in global health and humanitarian assistance around the world, offering a subtle rebuke of the Trump administration. “It’s unclear whether the world’s richest countries will continue to stand up for its poorest people,” he said. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
US-UK trade deal: How are Trump’s global tariff talks shaping up?
United States President Donald Trump is expected to announce the framework of a trade deal between the US and the United Kingdom on Thursday, according to people familiar with the plan. On Wednesday, Trump said he was preparing to announce “a major trade deal with representatives of a big and highly respected country”. In a post on Truth Social, he promised it would be the “first of many”. Investors have been waiting for Trump to ease his global trade war amid fears that prolonged uncertainty over tariffs could inflict serious damage to the world’s biggest economies. An agreement with the UK would mark Trump’s first trade deal since he imposed tariffs on dozens of countries on April 2, a move he called “liberation day”. Separately, Trump has introduced bespoke tariffs on certain US imports, including cars and steel. Trump has long accused other countries of exploiting the US on trade, casting his tariffs as necessary to bring jobs back to the US. He also wants to use tariffs to finance future tax cuts. US President Donald Trump holds a letter from Britain’s King Charles as he meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, on February 27, 2025 [File: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters] What could be in a US-UK trade agreement? At the moment, most imports from the UK to the US face a blanket 10 percent tariff. The UK, like other countries, has also been hit with 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminium exports to the US, as well as a 25 percent tariff on cars and car parts. Advertisement The broad outline of a proposed deal has been clear for some time – significant reductions in US tariffs on steel and cars, with an expectation that Trump’s 10 percent general tariff will remain in place. The UK would then be expected to reduce its own 2 percent digital services tax on US tech firms and its 10 percent tariff on car imports, and varying duties on US agricultural goods. However, Jonathan Haskel, a former member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, told the BBC: “Deals are limited and short-term and partial, just covering a few items. Trade agreements are broad-based and long-term.” Today’s announcement, he suggested, is more likely to be a deal and may amount to little more than a carve-out – exemptions on certain trade barriers that Trump introduced last month. On Thursday morning, however, Trump said the agreement was “a full and comprehensive one that will cement the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom for many years to come”. While both governments will likely present any agreement announced today as a significant win, it is essentially about returning to the status quo – removing the newly imposed tariff barriers. It remains to be seen how much any agreement will contribute to both countries’ economic output. What and how much do the US and UK trade? In 2023, the UK had an overall trade surplus with the US. The UK reported a surplus of 71.4 billion pounds ($95bn) in goods and services. Most of that headroom came from services, however. Advertisement On the goods side, the UK exported 15.3 percent of its goods to the US in 2023 – amounting to roughly 60 billion pounds ($80bn). Machinery and transport equipment accounted for the largest share, at 27 billion pounds ($36bn), ahead of chemicals at 14 billion pounds ($19bn). On the flipside, the US exported $77.2bn of goods to the UK in 2023. Ten percent of all goods imported by Great Britain came from the US in that year, second only to Germany. Machinery and transport equipment accounted for the largest share, worth nearly 20 billion pounds ($27bn), followed by fuel – amounting to 18.7 billion pounds ($25bn). On the services side, the US exported $76bn in services – things like advertising and banking – to the UK in 2023, and imported $170bn in British services. These are unaffected by tariffs. Could the US deal serve as a blueprint for other US negotiations? Trump’s top negotiating officials have engaged in a flurry of meetings with trade partners since the president’s “liberation day” tariff announcement on April 2. Although Trump delayed implementing “reciprocal” tariffs for most countries by 90 days on April 9, he did raise them for China to 145 percent. Beijing, in turn, slapped a 125 percent tariff on US goods. The reciprocal tariffs, which varied from 10 percent to 39 percent, were designed to hit countries with which Washington has large trade deficits, or that impose heavy tariffs on US goods. Though Britain was not among the countries hit with these reciprocal tariffs, today’s announcement could set a precedent for other bilateral trade deals. Advertisement On Tuesday, Trump said he would review potential trade agreements over the next two weeks to decide which ones to accept. Last week, he said that “we [already] have potential trade deals” with South Korea and Japan. Following his 90-day reprieve, steep reciprocal tariffs are due to be imposed on US trade partners in early July, leaving country representatives racing to avoid a full-blown trade spat with the world’s number one economy. What stage of talks has the US reached with other countries? China According to data from the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the total goods trade between the US and China stood at an estimated $582.4bn in 2024. US exports of goods to China totalled $143.5bn while US imports from China totalled $438.9bn. The upshot is that America’s trade deficit with China was $295.4bn last year, 5.8 percent higher ($16.3bn) than in 2023. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will meet with China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng in Switzerland this weekend for talks, which may be the first step in resolving a trade war between the world’s two largest economies. Meetings will take place in Geneva, and are expected to address reductions on broad tariffs, duties on specific products, export controls and Trump’s
Trump says he’ll decide on name of ‘Persian Gulf’ on Middle East visit
US president says he will announce decision on waterway during trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. United States President Donald Trump has said he will make a decision on how the US refers to the “Persian Gulf” during an upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said he expected his hosts to ask about the name the US uses for the waterway during his first trip to the Middle East since retaking the White House. “I’ll have to make a decision,” Trump said in response to a question about whether he would make an announcement on the body of water’s name. “I don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings. I don’t know if feelings are going to be hurt.” “I’m going to be given a briefing on that and I’ll make a decision,” Trump added. Trump’s comments came after US media reported that he plans to use the May 13-16 trip to announce that the US will begin referring to the body of water as the Arabian Gulf or the Gulf of Arabia. The name of the waterway has long been a source of tensions between Arab nations and Iran. Advertisement Iran argues that the “Persian Gulf” is the appropriate name in light of historical evidence, including ancient maps, that shows it is part of its territory. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and other Arab states use the term “Arabian Gulf” or “the Gulf”. In 2023, Tehran summoned the Iraqi ambassador to protest his country’s use of the name “Arabian Gulf Cup” for the region’s flagship football tournament. In 2012, Iran threatened to sue internet giant Google for leaving the waterway nameless on its online map services. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the latest suggestions of a name change as “indicative of hostile intent toward Iran and its people”, and warned that such a move would “only bring the wrath of all Iranians from all walks of life”. “Such biased actions are an affront to all Iranians, regardless of their background or place of residence,” Araghchi said in a post on X early on Thursday. “Let’s hope that the absurd rumours about the PERSIAN Gulf that are going around are no more than a disinformation campaign by ‘forever warriors’ to anger Iranians all over the world and agitate them.” In one of his first actions as president, Trump in January signed an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America”. Adblock test (Why?)