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Taiwan will turn off its last nuclear reactor on Saturday, fuelling concerns over the self-ruled island’s reliance on imported energy and vulnerability to a Chinese blockade.The island, which targets net-zero emissions by 2050, depends almost entirely on imported fossil fuel to power its homes, factories and critical semiconductor chip industry.President Lai Ching-te’s Democratic Progressive Party …

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US President Donald Trump on Thursday closes a Middle East tour in the United Arab Emirates as he focuses squarely on seeking deals after billions of dollars of pledges from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.The first major trip of his second term had been scheduled to end Thursday but Trump, always ready with surprises, did not rule out continuing on to Turkey if Russian President Vladimir Putin shows up for talks with Ukraine.Trump will fly to the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi after a stop in Qatar, where the president hailed what he said was a record $200 billion deal for Boeing aircraft.He started the trip in Saudi Arabia which promised its own $600 billion in investment, including one of the largest-ever purchases of US weapons.The Gulf leaders’ largesse has also stirred controversy, with Qatar offering Trump a luxury aeroplane ahead of his visit for presidential and then personal use, in what Trump’s Democratic rivals charged was blatant corruption.Trump, who also chose Saudi Arabia for the opening visit of his first term, has been unabashed about seeking Gulf money and hailed the effect on creating jobs at home.In a speech in Riyadh, Trump attacked not only Democrats but also the traditional wing of his own Republican Party, which had championed US military intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq.Complimenting the skyline of the Saudi desert capital, Trump said: “The gleaming marvels of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi were not created by the so-called ‘nation-builders’, ‘neocons’ or ‘liberal non-profits’, like those who spent trillions failing to develop Kabul and Baghdad.””Instead, the birth of a modern Middle East has been brought about by the people of the region themselves,” he said.”In the end, the so-called ‘nation-builders’ wrecked far more nations than they built.”- Silent on rights -Trump steered clear of any hint of criticism of the Gulf monarchies on human rights.Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden had initially vowed to shun Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over US intelligence findings that he ordered the gruesome murder in 2018 of Jamal Khashoggi — a Saudi dissident writer who lived in the United States.Trump instead hailed the crown prince, who is Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, as a visionary due to the kingdom’s rapid economic investments.Trump also acceded to a key request by the crown prince in announcing a lifting of sanctions on Syria following the toppling of Bashar al-Assad in December.He met in Riyadh with Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former Islamist guerrilla once on the US wanted list who dressed in a suit and was complimented by Trump as a “young, attractive guy”.Trump was joined in the meeting by Prince Mohammed and, virtually, by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the key supporter of the former Syrian rebels.Trump said Wednesday he was willing to travel to Turkey if Putin accepts an offer by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to meet on ending the war.Russia has given no indication that Putin will attend. Trump said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would travel nonetheless to Istanbul for the potential talks.

Ben Cohen, co‑founder of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and a longtime progressive activist, told AFP he was speaking for millions of Americans outraged by the “slaughter” in Gaza after his removal from a US  Senate hearing on Wednesday.Cohen, 74, was among a group of protesters who startled Health Secretary  Robert F Kennedy Jr. by interrupting his testimony about his department’s budget proposal.Shouting that “Congress pays for bombs to kill children in Gaza” while lawmakers move to slash Medicaid — the health insurance program for low‑income families — the businessman and philanthropist was placed in handcuffs by Capitol Police.He urged senators to press Israel to let food reach “starving kids” as he was led away.”It got to a point where we had to do something,” Cohen said in an interview after his release, calling it “scandalizing” that the US approved “$20 billion worth of bombs” for Israel even as social programs are squeezed back home.”The majority of Americans hate what’s going on, what our country is doing with our money and in our name,” he said.US public opinion toward Israel has become increasingly unfavorable, especially among Democrats, according to a Pew Research Center Poll last month.Beyond the spending, Cohen framed the issue as a moral and “spiritual” breach.”Condoning and being complicit in the slaughter of tens of thousands of people strikes at the core of us as far as human beings and what our country stands for,” he said, pointing to the fact that the United States pours roughly half its discretionary budget into war‑related spending.”If you spent half of that money making lives better around the world, I think there’d be a whole lot less friction.”Invoking a parenting analogy, he added: “You go to a three-year-old who goes around hitting people and you say ‘Use your words.’ There’s issues between countries but you can work them out without killing.”A longtime critic of Israeli policy, Cohen last year joined prominent Jewish figures in an open letter opposing the pro‑Israel lobby AIPAC. “I understand that I have a higher profile than most people and so I raise my voice, it gets heard. But I need you and others to understand that I speak for millions of people who feel the same way.”Israel’s war in Gaza began after the October  7, 2023 attack by Hamas, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 52,928 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures from the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry, which the United Nations considers reliable.Gaza is at “critical risk of famine,” with the entire population facing a food crisis after more than two months of an Israeli aid blockade, and 22 percent facing a humanitarian “catastrophe,” a UN-backed food security monitor warned this week.

Fresh gunbattles erupted on Wednesday in the Libyan capital between two powerful armed groups, a security official said, a day after authorities declared the fighting over.Clashes flared between the Radaa force and the 444 Brigade in key areas of the city, including the port, the source said.Fighting eased towards the end of the day, according to television reports and residents who spoke to AFP, with some bakeries opening but schools remaining shut.No official casualty figures were released, but the Libyan Red Crescent said it had recovered a dead body from a major street in Tripoli.On Monday night, heavy arms fire and explosions rocked several Tripoli districts, killing at least six people, according to authorities.The official described the fighting as “urban warfare”, with clashes in residential areas involving light and medium weapons. In other areas, heavy weapons were used.Libya has struggled to recover from the NATO-backed 2011 uprising that toppled and killed longtime leader Moamer Kadhafi.The country remains split between a UN-recognised government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east, controlled by the Haftar family.The 444 Brigade controls parts of southern Tripoli and is aligned with Dbeibah. Radaa controls parts in the capital’s east and holds several key state facilities.Fighting extended in southern and western Tripoli as Radaa brought in reinforcements to fight the 444 Brigade, an interior ministry source said.More than 500 people on Wednesday rallied in the Souq el-Joumaa neighbourhood, a Radaa stronghold, chanting slogans against the Dbeibah government and denouncing the proposed dissolution of the 444 Brigade. Reports said Abdelghani al-Kikli, leader of the Support and Stability Apparatus which controls the southern district of Abu Salim, was killed this week at a facility controlled by the 444 Brigade.- ‘Territorial reshuffle’ -A source told AFP that groups were moving into the capital from neighbouring Zawiya in support of Radaa, which detains smugglers of drugs and alcohol as well as affiliates of the Islamic State group. Meanwhile, “more Misrata brigades may continue to join Dbeibah’s side”, said Libya expert Jalel Harchaoui.He described the latest conflict as some of the most dangerous for the capital in recent years, saying it meant a “territorial reshuffle” with more factions “seeking to insinuate themselves into downtown Tripoli”.Turkey, a supporter of the Tripoli-based government, called on “all parties to implement a full and lasting ceasefire without delay and to engage in dialogue to settle disputes,” its foreign ministry said.On Tuesday, the Tripoli-based government said the fighting had been controlled. Dbeibah thanked government forces “for restoring security and asserting the state’s authority in the capital”.Dbeibah also announced a string of executive orders including dissolving some bodies previously run by Tripoli armed groups other than the 444 Brigade.But a second night of fighting could mean “a more prolonged, destructive, and existential battle with a nationwide dimension” after what he said was Dbeibah’s “failure to secure a quick victory”.Authorities also announced a ceasefire, but gunshots were still heard in western parts of Tripoli.The embassies in Germany, France the United States, Britain and Italy on Wednesday evening expressed “their deep concern about the recent violence in Tripoli”, urging the “authorities to take all measures to protect civilians” in a statement.The United Nations mission in Libya said it was “deeply alarmed by escalating violence in densely populated neighbourhoods of Tripoli for the second night in a row”.In a statement, it called for “an immediate, unconditional ceasefire in all areas, allowing safe corridors for the evacuation of civilians trapped in intense conflict zones”.

Global stocks were mixed Wednesday as euphoria over easing US-China trade tensions petered out while markets looked ahead to key US economic data.While the April volatility stemming from President Donald Trump’s tariff blitz appears to have halted, analysts warned that Washington still needed to reach trade deals with countries to instil a sense of stability.The …

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US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday Qatar Airways had placed a “record” order for 160 planes from Boeing, as he signed a raft of deals in Doha alongside Qatar’s emir.The order, Boeing’s largest ever for its wide-body jets, deepens ties between the US aerospace giant and the giant Middle East carrier.Qatar Airways will honour a “$96 billion agreement to acquire up to 210 American-made Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777X aircraft powered by GE Aerospace engines,” according to a White House fact sheet.”This is Boeing’s largest-ever widebody order and largest-ever 787 order,” it said.The order is comprised of 130 Dreamliner planes and 30 Boeing 777-9 jets, which are still being certified by the US Federal Aviation Administration. There are also options for 50 additional 787 and 777X planes, according to a Boeing news release. “We are deeply honored that Qatar Airways has placed this record-breaking order with Boeing, one that solidifies their future fleet,” Boeing commercial plane chief Stephanie Pope said.The order represents a win for new Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, although analysts noted that the planes will not be delivered for at least five years due to industry backlogs.Both Boeing and rival Airbus, which has also sold extensively to Qatar Airways, have struggled in recent years with supply chain problems as they have taken thousands of plane orders amid strong airline demand. Boeing has also been beset with safety and labour problems that have limited output.Ortberg joined Trump for part of Wednesday’s signing ceremony that also included defence agreements and the purchase by Qatar of American MQ-9B drones, after about two hours of talks with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.”It’s over $200 billion but 160 in terms of the jets. That’s fantastic. So that’s a record,” Trump said, adding: “It’s the largest order of jets in the history of Boeing. That’s pretty good.”The list prices of the 777X and 787 Dreamliner suggest the total value of the Boeing deal is well under $200 billion. The $96 billion figure in the White House factsheet also appears to include some business for GE Aerospace.- Plane backlog -Trump’s Qatar visit is the second destination of his Gulf tour, after a first stop in Riyadh, where he made a surprise announcement lifting sanctions on Syria and met the country’s president.Relations between Washington and Doha have been in the spotlight over Qatar’s offer to Trump of a $400 million luxury aircraft to serve as a new Air Force One and then pass into his personal use.Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Tuesday he would hold up Trump’s Justice Department political appointees in protect, saying, “This is not just naked corruption, it is also a grave national security threat.”Since 2016, Boeing has received 118 gross orders from Qatar Airways and delivered 65 planes to the carrier, according to Boeing’s website.  Morningstar analyst Nicolas Owens said the order represents “good news” for Boeing, but noted that it would be years before Boeing receives revenues for the jets in Wednesday’s order.”If you’re ordering a plane today it’s not going to be on your landing strip for at least five years,” Owens said.Owens said the announcement is also a “vote of confidence” in the much-delayed 777X, which is still to be certified, with Boeing pointing to first deliveries in 2026.A press release from Qatar Airways praised the new 777 planes for reducing fuel use and emission by 25 percent compared to the aeroplanes they will replace.Ortberg joined Boeing in August 2024 following a leadership shakeup after a series of safety and quality control problems. He has focused on upgrading Boeing’s operations under the close scrutiny of US air safety regulators, saying improving Boeing’s corporate culture will take time.Shares of Boeing rose 0.6 percent.