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Tariff rollback includes beef, tomatoes, bananas amid inflation concernsTrade deals with Argentina, Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador to eliminate tariffsDemocrats criticize Trump for inflation linked to tariffs (Adds Trump comments, paragraphs 3, 17, 18, details on order throughout, industry reaction paragraphs 12-15)US President Donald Trump has rolled back tariffs on more than 200 food products, including such staples as coffee, beef, bananas and orange juice, in the face of growing angst among American consumers about the high cost of groceries.The new exemptions — which took effect retroactively at midnight on Thursday — mark a sharp reversal for Trump, who has long insisted that the sweeping import duties he imposed earlier this year are not fueling inflation."They may in some cases" raise prices, Trump said of his tariffs when asked about the move aboard Air Force One on Friday evening. But he insisted that overall, the US has "virtually no inflation." Democrats have won a string of victories in state and local elections in Virginia, New Jersey and New York City, where growing voter concerns about affordability, including high food prices, were a key topic.Trump also told reporters aboard Air Force One that he would move forward with a $2,000 payment to lower- and middle-income Americans that would be funded by tariff revenues next year sometime. "The tariffs allow us to give a dividend if we want to do that. Now we're going to do a dividend and we're also reducing debt," he said.The Trump administration announced framework trade deals on Thursday that, once finalised, will eliminate tariffs on certain foods and other imports from Argentina, Ecuador, Guatemala and El Salvador, with US officials eyeing additional agreements before year's end.Friday's list includes products US consumers routinely purchase to feed their families at home, many of which have seen double-digit year-over-year price increases. It includes over 200 items ranging from oranges, acai berries and paprika to cocoa, chemicals used in food production, fertilizers and even communion wafers.The White House, in a fact sheet on the order, said it came on the heels of "significant progress the President has made in securing more reciprocal terms for our bilateral trade relationships." It said Trump decided certain food items could be exempted since they were not grown or processed in the US, and given the conclusion of nine framework deals, two final agreements on reciprocal trade, and two investment deals.Ground beef, as of the latest available data for September, was nearly 13% more expensive, according to Consumer Price Index data, and steaks cost almost 17% more than a year ago. Increases for both were the largest in more than three years, dating back to when inflation was nearing its peak under Trump's predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden.Although the US is a major beef producer, a persistent shortage of cattle in recent years has kept beef prices high.Banana prices were about 7% higher, while tomatoes were 1% higher. Overall costs for food consumed at home were up 2.7% in September.The tariff exemptions won praise from many industry groups, while some expressed disappointment that their products were excluded from the exemptions."Today’s action should help consumers, whose morning cup of coffee will hopefully become more affordable, as well as US manufacturers, which utilize many of these products in their supply chains and production lines," FMI-Food Industry Association president Leslie Sarasin said in a statement.Distilled Spirits Council president Chris Swonger said that excluding spirits from the European Union and Britain "is yet another blow to the US hospitality industry just as the critical holiday season kicks into high gear." "Scotch, Cognac and Irish Whiskey are value-added agricultural products that cannot be produced in the US," Swonger added.Asked if further changes were planned, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, "I don't think it'll be necessary." "We just did a little bit of a rollback," he said. "The prices of coffee were a little bit high, now they'll be on the low side in a very short period." NEW FOCUS ON AFFORDABILITY Trump has upended the global trading system by imposing a 10% base tariff on imports from every country, plus additional specific duties that vary from state to state.Trump has focused squarely on the issue of affordability in recent weeks, while insisting that any higher costs were triggered by policies enacted by Biden, and not his own tariff policies.Consumers have remained frustrated over high grocery prices, which economists say have been fueled in part by import tariffs and could rise further next year as companies start passing on the full brunt of the import duties.The top Democrat on the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, Richard Neal, said the Trump administration was "putting out a fire that they started and claiming it as progress." "The Trump Administration is finally admitting publicly what we've all known from the start: Trump's Trade War is hiking costs on people," Neal said in a statement. "Since implementing these tariffs, inflation has increased and manufacturing has contracted month after month."

The UN Security Council will vote Monday on a resolution endorsing US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan, diplomats said. Last week the Americans officially launched negotiations within the 15-member Security Council on a text that would follow up on a ceasefire in the two-year war between Israel and Hamas and endorse Trump's plan. **media[382089]** A draft of the resolution "welcomes the establishment of the Board of Peace," a transitional governing body for Gaza -- that Trump would theoretically chair -- with a mandate running until the end of 2027. **media[382087]** It would authorise member states to form a "temporary International Stabilisation Force (ISF)" that would work with Israel and Egypt and newly trained Palestinian police to help secure border areas and demilitarise the Gaza Strip. **media[382088]** Unlike previous drafts, the latest mentions a possible future Palestinian state.

The US government was set to take the first tentative steps towards re-opening Thursday after President Donald Trump signed a bill to end the longest federal shutdown in US history.The 43-day funding freeze had paralysed Washington and left hundreds of thousands of workers unpaid while Republicans and Democrats played a high-stakes blame game.The Republican-led House of Representatives voted on Wednesday, largely along party lines, to approve a Senate-passed package that will reopen federal departments and agencies, as many Democrats fume over what they see as a capitulation by party leaders.Trump lashed out at Democrats as he put his signature to the bill later in the Oval Office, urging Americans to remember the chaos when voting in hotly contested US midterm elections in a year's time."Today we are sending a clear message that we will never give in to extortion," said Trump, surrounded by gleeful Republican lawmakers including House Speaker Mike Johnson.Johnson had earlier pointed the finger at the minority party in a withering floor speech before the vote."When we come up to midterms and other things, don't forget what they've done to our country," Trump said. "So with my signature, the federal government... will now resume normal operations."The package funds military construction, veterans' affairs, the Department of Agriculture, and Congress itself through next fall, and the rest of government through the end of January when lawmakers will again need to reach a funding agreement.Around 670,000 furloughed civil servants will report back to work, and a similar number who were kept at their posts with no compensation — including more than 60,000 air traffic controllers and airport security staff — will get back pay.Several federal agencies, including the Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services, told their staff to return to the office Thursday, according to US media.Travel delays looked set to improve but not disappear with almost 1,000 flights cancelled Thursday, according to tracking website FlightAware. Authorities said air traffic controller shortages were easing and the transportation secretary on Wednesday released a fresh order for six percent of flights to be frozen — lower than the eight to 10 percent expected under the previous emergency directive.The deal also restores federal workers fired by Trump during the shutdown, while air travel that has been disrupted across the country will gradually return to normal.Trump falsely accused Democrats of costing the country $1.5tn. While the full financial toll of the shutdown has yet to be determined, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that it has caused $14bn in lost growth.Johnson and his Republicans had almost no room for error as their majority is down to two votes.Democratic leadership — furious over what they see as their Senate colleagues folding — had urged members to vote no and all but a handful held the line.Although polling showed the public mostly on Democrats' side throughout the standoff, Republicans are widely seen as having done better from its conclusion.For more than five weeks, Democrats held firm on refusing to reopen the government unless Trump agreed to extend pandemic-era tax credits that made health insurance affordable for millions of Americans.Election victories in multiple states last week gave Democrats further encouragement and a renewed sense of purpose.But a group of eight Senate moderates broke ranks to cut a deal with Republicans that offers a vote in the upper chamber on health care subsidies — but no floor time in the House and no guarantee of action.Democrats are now deep in a painful reckoning over how their tough stance crumbled without any notable win.Democratic leadership is arguing that — while their health care demands went largely unheard — they were able to shine the spotlight on an issue they hope will power them to victory in the 2026 midterm elections."Over the last several weeks, we have elevated successfully the issue of the Republican health care crisis, and we're not backing away from it," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told MSNBC.But his Senate counterpart Chuck Schumer is facing a backlash from the fractious progressive base for failing to keep his members unified, with a handful of House Democrats calling for his head.Outside Washington, some of the party's hottest prospects for the 2028 presidential nomination added their own voices to the chorus of opprobrium.California Governor Gavin Newsom called the agreement "pathetic," while his Illinois counterpart JB Pritzker said it amounted to an "empty promise." Former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg called it a "bad deal."

OilCrude prices recovered from a midday dip on Friday on hopes Hungary can use Russian crude oil as US President Donald Trump met Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House.Brent crude futures settled at $63.63 while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude finished at $59.75. For the week, both benchmarks fell by around 2%.Hungary has maintained its reliance on Russian energy since the start of the 2022 conflict in Ukraine, prompting criticism from several European Union and Nato allies.Private reports also pointed to a weakening US labour market. US Labor Department employment reports are not being issued because of the government shutdown.Meanwhile, Opec+ decided on Sunday to increase output slightly in December. However, the group also paused further increases for the first quarter of next year, wary of a supply glut.GasAsian spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices were flat this week, as ample supplies and soft demand kept a lid on gains.The average LNG price for December delivery into northeast Asia held at $11.10 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), industry sources estimated.**media[378974]**Spot charter rates have continued to rise, which has been the primary driver behind a wider spread between Asian and European prices, with Asian prices having to hold a larger premium to continue attracting the same flows, analysts said.In Europe, the Dutch TTF price settled at $10.57 per mmBtu, recording a weekly gain of 1.0%. Gas inventories in Europe have remained around 83%, as gas demand is still weak due to weather conditions, but LNG imports have remained high.This article was supplied by the Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah International Foundation for Energy and Sustainable Development.

Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation (QF) and Education Above All Foundation (EAA), met Monday with the visiting Colombian President Gustavo Petro.Talks during the meeting centred on the ongoing projects with EAA in Colombia, aimed at reducing the number of out-of-school children, alongside co-operation with QF in the domains of innovation, scientific research, and sustainability.

The President of the Republic of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan arrived in Doha on Monday to participate in the Second World Summit for Social Development, which Qatar is hosting from November 4 to 6.Upon his arrival at Hamad International Airport, Khachaturyan was welcomed by HE Ibrahim Yousef Fakhro, Director of the Protocol Department, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Tigran Gevorgyan, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia in Doha.

The President of the Union of the Comoros, Azali Assoumani arrived in Doha on Monday to participate in the Second World Summit for Social Development, hosted by the State of Qatar from 4 to 6 November.Upon arrival at Hamad International Airport, Assoumani and his accompanying delegation were welcomed by HE Director of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ibrahim bin Yousif Fakhro.

The President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon arrived in Doha on Monday to participate in the Second World Summit for Social Development, hosted by the State of Qatar from 4 to 6 November.Upon arrival at Hamad International Airport, Rahmon and his accompanying delegation were welcomed by HE Director of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ibrahim bin Yousif Fakhro and the Ambassador of the Republic of Tajikistan to the State of Qatar, Nurmurod Mahmadali.

The President of the Republic of Iraq Dr. Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid, arrived in Doha Monday to participate in the Second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD), hosted by the State of Qatar from November 4 to 6.Upon his arrival at Hamad International Airport, Dr. Rashid and his accompanying delegation were welcomed by HE Director of the Protocol Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to the State of Qatar. Mohammed Jaafar Al Sadr.

Iran has demanded a $170 million fine from the owner of a cargo ship that it seized in Gulf waters last year and accused of having ties to Israel, a judicial official said Tuesday.The Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of Iran's military, intercepted the MSC Aries in April of 2024 and detained its 25 international crew members.At the time, the official IRNA news agency said the Portuguese-flagged vessel was "managed by Zodiac, which belongs to the Zionist capitalist Eyal Ofer".On Tuesday, Iranian judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir said charges had been filed and the case was before the courts, though no date had been set for a trial."A fine of $170 million has been demanded against its owner, of Israeli origin, accused of financing terrorism," Jahangir said.At the time, the United States denounced the seizure of the ship as an act of piracy and called for its crew to be released.Israel's foreign minister called on the European Union to designate the Revolutionary Guards a "terrorist organisation" in response.At least some of the crew were later freed.Jahangir said the ship, excluding its cargo, was valued at $170 million and claimed that Ofer -- an Israeli billionaire and shipping magnate -- was an "influential figure" within the Israeli government.The ship's seizure came months into the war in Gaza, where Israel was fighting Iran-backed Palestinian militants Hamas, whose October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel sparked the conflict.

Donald Trump arrived in Japan on Monday, on the next leg of an Asia tour that could see the US president and China's Xi Jinping end their bruising trade war. Speaking on Air Force One, Trump said he was hopeful of a deal when he sees Xi on Thursday, while also indicating he was willing to extend his trip in order to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un."I have a lot of respect for President Xi and we are going to I think... come away with a deal," Trump told reporters en route from Malaysia, where comments from US and Chinese negotiators raised hopes of an accord.As dozens of people gathered at Haneda Airport to take photos, the presidential plane -- also bearing Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent -- touched down at sunset. Sporting a golden tie, Trump then boarded a helicopter to take him into the bright lights of the Japanese metropolis in time for an evening audience with the emperor. On Tuesday, Trump is expected to meet new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and make a speech on the USS George Washington aircraft carrier, docked at the US naval base Yokosuka."I hear phenomenal things. (Takaichi) was a great ally and friend of Shinzo Abe, who was my friend," Trump said, referring to the assassinated former premier."That really helps Japan and the United States, I think she's going to be great."Markets watchingTrump's Asia trip, his first tour of the region since returning to office, kicked off in Malaysia on Sunday with a flurry of agreements. That included rewarding neighbours Cambodia and Thailand with trade agreements after co-signing their ceasefire pact on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit. He also agreed a trade and minerals deal with Malaysia, and moved to mend fences with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.But the greatest prize for Trump-and for global markets remains a China deal.Trump is due to meet Xi on Thursday in South Korea for their first face-to-face talks since the 79-year-old Republican's return to the White House. Before Trump's arrival in Malaysia, Bessent and China's Vice Premier He Lifeng held two days of trade talks. China's vice commerce minister, Li Chenggang, said a "preliminary consensus" had been reached.Bessent said on Air Force One on Monday that they had agreed "a framework for President Trump (and) President Xi to decide". "It's going to be great for China, great for us," Trump told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.Hot trucks On Friday, Takaichi announced in her first policy speech that Japan would be spending two percent of gross domestic product on defence this fiscal year. But Washington, which has around 60,000 military personnel in Japan, wants Tokyo to spend even more, potentially matching the five percent of GDP pledged by NATO members in June. Most Japanese imports into the United States are subject to tariffs of 15 percent, less painful than the 25 percent first threatened. But Trump also wants Japan to import more American products, including rice, soybeans and cars, as well as "hot" Ford F-150 pickup trucks.Questions also surround Japan's commitment to invest $550 billion in the United States, as specified in their July trade deal."What I expect is that, since he (Trump) is someone who acts decisively, things might move in a positive direction for Japan," said Tokyo resident Sayaka Kamimoto, 45.Kim meeting? Trump is due in the South Korean port city of Busan on Wednesday ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, and will meet President Lee Jae Myung. Trump has also fuelled speculation that he could meet North Korea's Kim while on the Korean peninsula. The two leaders last met in 2019 at the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), the border area separating the two Koreas."I would love to meet with him if he'd like to meet. I got along great with Kim Jong Un. I liked him. He liked me," Trump said on Air Force One.Asked if he would extend his trip to enable a meeting, he said: "Well, I hadn't thought of it, but I think the answer would be yeah, I would, I would do that, sure."

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani sent a cable of congratulations to the Federal President of the Republic of Austria Dr. Alexander Van der Bellen on the occasion of his country's National Day.