tag

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met Monday with British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper to discuss the latest developments in the occupied Palestinian territories and bilateral relations between Palestine and the United Kingdom. During the meeting, Abbas outlined key Palestinian priorities, including an immediate and lasting ceasefire, unrestricted access for humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, the release of hostages and detainees, the withdrawal of occupying forces, and the launch of early recovery and reconstruction efforts. He reiterated that Gaza is an integral part of the State of Palestine and affirmed that the Palestinian government will assume full responsibility for the territory, with support from Arab and international partners.

RB Mary Lylah, fresh from her breakthrough at the top level in the Gr.1 (PA) Liwa International Stakes at La Teste, confirmed her excellent form by winning the Gr.3 (PA) UAE President Cup at Istanbul Veliefendi in Turkey on Sunday. The race, run over 2000m, was the 12th leg of the Arabian Purebred Classic Series.Trained by Alban de Mieulle, ridden by Daniel Tudhope, and carrying the colours of Wathnan Racing, the 5-year-old mare showed once more her consistency and toughness, securing the 12th win of her career.In a race led by Kocek, RB Mary Lylah travelled in fifth, racing two wide. Positions remained unchanged until the final bend, where she began to improve. Turning for home, she was carried out wide by Tuncer, who drifted left, but she was still travelling easily, her jockey yet to ask for any effort. Once given the signal, she quickly surged to the front inside the final 300m and went clear under a hands-and-heels ride, scoring by a dazzling seven lengths margin. Kati Zamani finished second, while Kralkarinka took third.Bred by Diane Waldron (USA), RB Mary Lylah comes from a rich family. She is out of Rich Kinkga, a triple winner in the United States including the Gr.3 (PA) Arabian Stallion Stakes and twice runner-up in the Gr.2 CRE Run Oaks Arabian Distaff Stakes. She is a half-sister to RB Kindle, an eight-time winner in the USA including the Gr.3 (PA) Delaware Park Arabian Juvenile Filly Championship and runner-up in the Gr.1 (PA) Buzz Brauninger Arabian Distaff Handicap, and to RB Kinetic, a dual Gr.3 (PA) winner in the USA. She is also a half-sister to RB Kinkie, a triple winner in the USA including the Gr.3 Arabian Stallion Stakes.

President Donald Trump has launched an unprecedented attack on wind and solar power as he seeks to reshape the US energy landscape and reverse the green agenda put forward by his predecessor.Since Trump returned to office in January, his administration has taken aim at projects on federal lands and oceans, stopping work on wind farms, revoking permits, and making it more difficult for new renewable energy developments to secure approval. He’s also weakened the economics of wind and solar projects more broadly, pushing legislation through Congress that phases out key tax breaks and moving to tighten access to these incentives.The broadsides have thrown the US clean energy industry into crisis, putting billions of dollars of investment at risk and threatening thousands of jobs. It’s a sharp reversal from just three years ago, when the sector hailed the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act under then-President Joe Biden as the most significant piece of climate legislation in US history.Why does Trump dislike renewables?Trump has criticised solar and wind as being unreliable and expensive. He’s called for more power to be generated from fossil fuels, namely natural gas and coal, as well as nuclear.Renewables generation is intermittent as the sun isn’t always shining nor the wind blowing. But developers are increasingly turning to batteries to store surplus power and discharge it to the grid when needed.Trump also isn’t a fan of how renewable power installations look, describing solar projects as “big ugly patches of black plastic that come from China” and mar farmland.He’s been a vehement critic of wind turbines for years, falsely claiming they cause cancer and deriding them as bird-killing eyesores. Before his first presidential term, Trump lost a legal challenge in the UK to prevent an offshore wind project from being built within sight of a golf course he owns in Aberdeen, Scotland.“Windmills are a disgrace,” he said in July after a visit to the course. “They hurt everything they touch. They’re ugly. They’re very inefficient. It’s the most expensive form of energy there is.” Looking at the levelised cost of electricity the long-term price a power plant needs to break even offshore wind is much more expensive than a new gas-fired facility, but it’s cost-competitive with coal and cheaper than nuclear, according to BloombergNEF’s assessment published in February. Meanwhile, onshore wind, as well as solar, is cheap enough to compete with a new-build gas plant.How has Trump sought to curb wind and solar developments?The Trump administration has harnessed its oversight of millions of acres of federal land and waters, where developers need government authorisation to build. While these areas are being made easier to explore for the oil and gas industry as part of Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” agenda, the government is imposing standards that would essentially prevent new renewables installations.On Trump’s first day back in office, he froze permitting for all wind projects on federal land and oceans, and indefinitely halted the sale of new leases for offshore wind development. He also directed the Interior Department to review the “necessity of terminating or amending any existing wind energy leases” and to identify “any legal bases for such removal.” Since then, a number of wind projects have been upended. This includes the Revolution Wind development off the coast of Rhode Island. The government issued an order halting construction of the project which is already 80% complete citing national security concerns. This sent shares of developer Orsted A/S to record lows and added to the Danish company’s mounting troubles. Orsted’s Revolution Wind LLC unit filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in early September, seeking to overturn the stop-work order so that it can finish the project.For developers hoping to get past the planning stage, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum has ordered that all solar and wind projects on federal lands require his personal sign-off, which could mire the approval process in red tape. The department said it’s acting in accordance with Trump’s order to end “preferential treatment” for these technologies.As part of this mandate, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management rescinded Biden-era decisions that earmarked coastal waters for future wind turbines. This covers more than 3.5mn acres, including in the Gulf of Mexico, the New York Bight, and off the coast of California and Oregon.How has the Trump administration targeted renewables beyond federal land and waters?Only 4% of operational US renewables capacity is located on federal land. While the government doesn’t have direct control over clean energy developments on private property, many of those projects still need federal approvals that are being held up. In addition, the Trump administration has been trying to make the economics of wind and solar less attractive.Trump has branded efforts to combat climate change as the “Green New Scam” and vowed to do away with subsidies for these activities. The tax-and-spending law he helped push through Congress known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act phases out the tax credits for wind and solar projects years before they were due to expire. On top of this, the Treasury Department has issued guidance making it harder for developments to qualify for the incentives.There could be bad news to come on the tariff front, too. Wind turbines and parts are already subject to the 50% duties Trump imposed on imported steel and aluminium products. But the Commerce Department has opened a so-called Section 232 investigation into the national security implications of importing wind energy components, which could lead to sector-specific levies.It also opened a Section 232 probe into imports of polysilicon a key raw material for solar modules which could result in additional duties on imports.How have these actions impacted the US clean energy industry?The industry had been building momentum as solar and wind power almost tripled their share of US electricity generation over the past decade, topping 15%. But it’s now in a tough spot. Billions of dollars of new factories and clean energy projects have been cancelled, delayed or scaled back since the start of the year.Clean energy advocacy group E2 estimates that $22bn worth of projects were scrapped or downsized from January to June, and more than half of the investment lost was in congressional districts represented by Republicans.Trump’s crackdown on renewables will likely hit smaller and medium-sized companies harder because they lack the financial moat needed to survive the instability. Larger solar developers have expressed more cautious optimism, saying they’ve been able to start enough projects that qualify for the expiring tax credits in order to continue their projects for the next several years.The nascent US offshore wind industry is perhaps in the most precarious position given it was just starting to take off before Trump re-entered the White House.How is this affecting energy prices?That’s a subject of huge debate and has become a hot-button political issue. Electricity prices nationally rose at more than twice the rate of overall inflation in the past year and remained at a record high in June.While the Trump administration says that adding wind and solar to the grid has been pushing up the cost of electricity, data shows that increased spending on power lines and poles has been the biggest driver of utility bill hikes.Utilities have been upgrading their grids to accommodate new sources of generation and demand, and network operators are also trying to improve resilience to extreme weather events and modernise infrastructure that was built in the 1960s and 1970s.Higher electricity costs are a reflection of tight supply as well, as aging coal- and gas-fired plants retire and power consumption rises after years of relatively tepid growth. Demand is being propelled by industrial users and the power-hungry data centres behind artificial intelligence. Slowing the deployment of renewables could exacerbate the situation.The phaseout of wind and solar incentives under Trump’s tax-and-spending law could raise average US household energy bills by $78 to $192 in 2035, and increase annual industrial energy expenditure by $7bn to $11bn, according to the Rhodium Group.Where does this leave the outlook for US renewables?The threat of the federal government pulling the plug on fully permitted and nearly complete assets could make renewables developers and project financiers more wary of making long-term investments in the US, even after Trump has left office. It could also create uncertainty for states such as Massachusetts and Rhode Island that are relying on offshore wind to meet growing power demand and decarbonise their grids.Blue states won’t be the only ones facing challenges. In red Texas the top US state for wind generation and number two for solar behind California all but 6% of new capacity added to the grid since 2020 has come from renewables or batteries, fuelling the power needs of its growing economy. That momentum is at risk of slowing as the accelerated phaseout of tax credits makes wind and solar projects more expensive.Despite the Trump administration’s roadblocks, the US clean energy buildout is expected to continue, albeit more slowly. Solar and batteries are faster to deploy than Trump’s favoured energy sources. There’s currently a multiyear manufacturing backlog for the combined-cycle turbines used in gas plants, while new nuclear capacity whether based on conventional or next-generation reactors is many years away.And onshore wind and solar are expected to be cost-competitive even without subsidies, according to BloombergNEF. In addition, blue states including California and New York are still pushing to expand their clean power fleets.But the outlook for the sector has certainly dimmed. Following the passage of Trump’s tax-and-spending law, BloombergNEF’s revised estimate for new wind, solar and energy storage additions in the US through 2035 is 26% lower than previously projected.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that any Western troops deployed to Ukraine would be legitimate targets for Moscow to attack.Putin was speaking a day after French President Emmanuel Macron said 26 countries had pledged to provide postwar security guarantees to Ukraine, including an international force on land, sea and in the air.

An alliance of 30 influential Philippine business and civic organisations is demanding an independent investigation into what it describes as "excessive corruption" linked to government infrastructure projects.The call for action comes after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr disclosed last month the results of an internal audit into flood control projects, revealing troubling patterns of irregularity.Key findings showed that out of 545bn pesos ($9.63bn) in flood control spending since 2022, thousands of projects were either substandard, poorly documented, or non-existent.Some carried identical costs despite being in different locations, and only 15 out of more than 2,000 accredited contractors cornered 20% of the total budget.The allegations have spurred legislative inquiries in both chambers of Congress, and Marcos has said he will create an independent commission to investigate "these nefarious activities."The alliance expressed "outrage, disgust and disappointment" over the "shameful, unabated, continuing and excessive acts of graft and corruption" by many officials in Congress, the executive department and local government units."While we take note of the President admonishing the corrupt in government, we are concerned that the guilty among these officials will continue their merry way of robbing the people and filling their pockets," the groups said in a statement.They described the acts as a betrayal of public trust and a "treasonous" offence against Filipinos.There was no immediate comment from the offices of the president, the house speaker and senate president.The controversy has already led to the resignation of the public works secretary. His successor, Vince Dizon, has suspended all bidding for locally funded flood control projects, ordered courtesy resignations of all public works officials, and vowed to permanently blacklist contractors involved in fraudulent projects.The Philippine scandal unfolds as neighbouring Indonesia grapples with its own wave of public outrage. In recent weeks, mass protests have erupted across 32 provinces in Indonesia, many turning violent, with regional parliaments set ablaze.While Indonesia's streets have filled with demonstrators, the Philippine response has so far remained largely online, with citizens resorting to naming and shaming on social media. Some activist groups have begun mobilising on the ground, and others are calling on the public to take to the streets.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani received a verbal message from Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian pertaining to bilateral relations and issues of common concern, particularly regional developments.Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Abbas Araqchi delivered the message during a meeting with His Highness the Amir at the Lusail Place last morning.

Eight Opec+ countries to meet on SundayOpec+ could also pause hikes for October, source saysNo immediate comment received from Opec or Saudi authoritiesEight Opec+ members will consider further raising oil production at a meeting on Sunday, two sources familiar with the discussions said, as the group seeks to regain market share.Opec+ has reversed its strategy of output cuts from April and has already raised quotas by about 2.5mn barrels per day, about 2.4% of world demand, to boost market share and under pressure from US President Donald Trump to lower oil prices.But those increases have failed to bring down oil prices, which traded near $68 a barrel supported by Western sanctions on Russia and Iran, encouraging further production gains in rivals such as the US.Another output boost would mean Opec+, which pumps about half of the world's oil, would be starting to unwind a second layer of cuts of about 1.65mn barrels per day, or 1.6% of world demand, more than a year ahead of schedule.Eight Opec+ countries are due to hold an online meeting on Sunday expected to decide on October output.Opec+ includes the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries plus Russia and other allies.There is also a chance, some analysts and an Opec+ source said, that Opec+ could pause the increases for October. A final decision has not been made, the Opec+ source said.Opec headquarters and authorities in Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Brent crude was trading near $68 on Wednesday, down over 1% on the day but up from a 2025 low of near $58 in April.As well as sanctions, the Opec+ hikes falling short of the pledged amounts have also supported prices, analysts have said.Until April, Opec+ had been curtailing production for several years to support oil prices.At their last meeting in August, the eight members raised production by 547,000 bpd for September, completing a total increase in output for the year of 2.5mn bpd. That included a 300,000 bpd additional production allocation for the UAE.The next output cut layer of 1.65mn bpd is in place until the end of 2026, as is another 2mn bpd of cuts by the whole group.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani received a verbal message from Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian pertaining to bilateral relations between the two countries and issues of common concern, particularly regional developments.Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran Dr Abbas Araqchi delivered the message during a meeting with His Highness the Amir at the Lusail Place Thursday morning.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Kyiv Wednesday there was a chance to end the war in Ukraine via negotiations "if common sense prevails", an option he said he preferred, but that he was ready to end it by force if that was the only way.Speaking in Beijing at the end of a visit that resulted in an agreement on a new gas pipeline to China, Putin said he perceived "a certain light at the end of the tunnel", given what he said were sincere efforts by the United States to find a settlement to Europe's biggest land war since World War Two."It seems to me that if common sense prevails, it will be possible to agree on an acceptable solution to end this conflict. That is my assumption," Putin told reporters."Especially since we can see the mood of the current US administration under President (Donald) Trump, and we see not just their statements, but their sincere desire to find this solution... And I think there is a certain light at the end of the tunnel. Let's see how the situation develops," he said."If not, then we will have to resolve all the tasks before us by force of arms." However, Putin indicated no willingness to soften his long-standing demands, including that Kyiv abandon any idea of joining Nato and that it end what Moscow says is discrimination against Russian speakers.He said he was ready to hold talks with Volodymyr Zelenskiy if the Ukrainian president came to Moscow, but that any such meeting had to be well prepared and lead to tangible results.Ukraine's foreign minister dismissed as "unacceptable" the suggestion of Moscow as a venue for such a meeting.FAR APARTZelenskiy has been pressing to meet Putin to discuss the terms of a possible deal even though the two sides remain far apart. He has urged Washington to impose further sanctions on Russia if Putin does not agree.Trump - who has been trying to broker a peace settlement - has also said he wants the two leaders to meet and has threatened, but not yet imposed, secondary sanctions on Russia.Putin, whose economy is showing signs of strain after being hit with sweeping Western sanctions, said he would prefer to end the war diplomatically, "by peaceful means", if possible.Russia claims to have annexed four Ukrainian regions, a claim Kyiv and most Western countries reject as an illegal land grab backed by a colonial-style war of conquest.

President Donald Trump hosted new Polish President Karol Nawrocki Wednesday at the White House with a military flyover and an offer to send more US troops to the eastern European ally.Talks were expected to focus on efforts to end the war in Ukraine, where Trump's peacemaking efforts have been struggling to get traction.Trump called it a "stupid war" and said he thought ending it would have been "much easier" for him."It's going to get done," he vowed to reporters in the Oval Office, with Nawrocki at his side.Nawrocki, a nationalist historian and fervent Trump supporter, was in Washington for his first foreign visit as president after having visited the US leader to seek his backing during the Polish election campaign.Trump gave him a warm welcome, including an offer to boost the US military footprint in Poland."We'll put more there if they want," he said in the Oval Office. "We're with Poland all the way and we'll help Poland protect itself."Nawrocki praised the US troop presence and said it was "the first time in history" that Poland had been happy to host foreign troops, while stressing that Warsaw aims to keep increasing its own military spending within the NATO alliance.The White House said a flyover by F-16 and F-35 jets during Nawrocki's arrival commemorated the death of a Polish F-16 jet pilot killed last week while preparing for an air show.Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement to AFP that the flyover, which featured a so-called "missing-man formation," was staged to "honour the memory of a brave Polish fighter pilot, whose life was tragically taken too soon, and capture the special relationship between our two countries."While Trump and Nawrocki see eye-to-eye politically, Poland is closely watching the US leader's peace efforts in neighbouring Ukraine, which Warsaw has largely been frozen out of.Key Nato and EU member Poland has been a strong supporter of Ukraine since Russia's 2022 invasion and is a vital transit country for military and humanitarian supplies, as well as host to thousands of US troops.Trump's efforts to get Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the negotiating table have so far stalled.Putin vowed during a visit to Beijing Wednesday to keep fighting in Ukraine if a peace deal cannot be reached, while Zelensky said he hoped to talk to Trump today about possible additional sanctions against Russia.Nawrocki will also be seeking fresh support from Trump amid deep political polarization in Poland between himself and his country's pro-EU government, led by former European Council chief Donald Tusk.The novice Polish president recently blocked a law extending Ukrainian refugees' rights proposed by Tusk's government. Nawrocki has also, like Trump, opposed Ukraine's desire for Nato membership.The visit is nevertheless a chance for Trump to celebrate the election of yet another right-wing ally in Europe.Trump welcomed Nawrocki to the Oval Office in June before the Polish election, with the White House posting a picture of the pair grinning and giving the thumbs-up sign.During the election campaign, Nawrocki highlighted the importance of ties with the United States and his close ties with Trump. His "Poland First, Poles First" echoed Trump's "America First" slogan.

Al Zeer, a tough and consistent 5-year-old, captured the Gr.3 (PA) President of the U.A.E Cup, the 11th leg of the Arabian Purebred Classic Series, at Waregem, Belgium, Tuesday. The race, run over 2170m, attracted a field of 12 Purebred Arabians aged four and older.Trained by François Rohaut, ridden by Luka Delozier and owned by Mohammed bin Fahad AH al-Attiya, Al Zeer arrived in Belgium following an excellent second place in a Gr.3 (PA) over 2150m at Duindigt. Already a Gr.2 (PA) winner last season, he added another important Group victory to his CV with a display of determination.Smartly away, Al Zeer settled in fourth, but was stuck three wide without cover, as Joe Star set the pace with Norma Al Maury (Azadi) tracking in second. With one circuit to go and passing the stands, Al Zeer improved into third, travelling on the outside with positions largely unchanged.Down the back straight, Joe Star lifted the tempo, pressed by Norma Al Maury on his inside, with Al Zeer shadowing the leader from the outside. Entering the final bend, the long-time leader kicked a length clear, but Al Zeer loomed strongly. In a thrilling duel through the final furlong, Al Zeer dug deep, wearing down Joe Star to take victory. Nabucco Al Maury finished well to claim third.Bred by MBF, Al Zeer is out of Assma Al Khalediah, a three-time winner between 1900m and 2100m at four and runner-up in a Gr.2 (PA) over 2200m at five. He is a half-brother to Fazza Al Khalediah, a dual Gr.1 (PA) winner over 2000m at four and six and multiple Group 1 placed. Assma Al Khalediah is also a half-sister to Ocyrrhoe, a Gr.1 (PA) winner over 2000m at four.

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to end collective bargaining with federal unions in some agencies that have "national security missions", the White House said.The order would apply to unions in agencies such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa), the Patent and Trademark Office, the National Weather Service and others, the White House said in a statement.Trump also signed a presidential memorandum aimed at preventing federal grant money from going toward political lobbying, the White House said.The memo directs Attorney-General Pam Bondi to investigate whether funds from federal grants "are being illegally used to support lobbying activities and to take appropriate enforcement action", according to a White House fact sheet.