Trump to build huge $200mn ballroom at White House
President Donald Trump, who is remodeling the White House to his tastes, will build a massive ballroom for hosting official receptions, one of the largest projects at the US executive mansion in over a century.Trump himself and unspecified donors will foot the bill for the $200 million project, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a press briefing on Thursday.”For 150 years, presidents, administrations and White House staff have longed for a large event space on the White House complex,” the spokeswoman said.”There’s never been a president that was good at ballrooms,” the 79-year-old president and former real estate developer told reporters of the latest bid to leave his mark on the White House.”I’m good at building things, and we’ll get it built quickly and on time. It’ll be beautiful,” said Trump, assuring that the character of the original building would be preserved.The new structure will span over 8,000 square meters (90,000 square feet) and have space to seat 650 people, according to Leavitt.Work on the ballroom — one of Trump’s long-time ambitions — will begin in September and is expected to be completed “well before” the end of his second term in January 2029, Leavitt said.The hope is it will host grand state dinners, given in honor of foreign heads of state visiting Washington. Until now, these were generally done by erecting a huge tent on the White House grounds.- Facade -A model of the ballroom presented by the government shows it will be a white building with tall windows. Its columns and front look reminiscent of the main White House building, a facade is known worldwide.The ballroom building will replace the East Wing, which usually houses the offices of the US first lady.Trump, who does not shy away from the gaudy, has also redone the Oval Office to splash the room in gold — from the stars surrounding the presidential seal on the ceiling, to the gold statues on the fireplace, to the mantel itself. The project is shaping up to be one of the most significant to break ground at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue since renovation and expansion works undertaken by President Theodore Roosevelt at the start of the 20th century.President Harry Truman also oversaw notable construction work between 1948 and 1952, but did so without changing the external structure.Trump has said for some time that he wants to build a White House ballroom inspired by his own properties.On Thursday, he praised the newly built, lavish ballroom — named after himself — at his Turnberry golf resort in Scotland, one of dozens of properties owned by the Trump family.It will also be inspired by the ballroom of the Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida, which has served as the model for Trump’s remodeling of the White House to suit himself.The Republican billionaire, inspired by the patios of Mar-a-Lago, recently ripped up the lawn at the White House’s historic Rose Garden and is paving that area, where official events are often held.He is flying two huge American flags outside the White House, which has been the residence and workplace of American presidents since 1800.
‘Peaky Blinders’ creator to pen new James Bond movie: studio
Steven Knight, the creator of gritty TV crime series “Peaky Blinders,” will write the highly anticipated next James Bond movie, studio Amazon MGM announced Thursday.Knight will work alongside previously announced director Denis Villeneuve (“Dune”) to bring the world’s most famous fictional spy back to the big screen after a prolonged absence. Amazon MGM Studios acquired creative control of the 007 movies in February, and has moved quickly to get one of Hollywood’s most valuable franchises back into production.There has been no new Bond film since 2021’s “No Time To Die.” Knight is best known as the mind behind violent British gangster series “Peaky Blinders,” which was set in industrial England at the turn of the 20th century and became a global hit.Running for six seasons, and with a Netflix film version currently in the works, “Peaky Blinders” turbo-charged the careers of leading man Cillian Murphy, alongside a stellar supporting cast including Tom Hardy, Anya Taylor-Joy and Kingsley Ben-Adir.In addition to “Peaky Blinders,” Knight also co-created the wildly popular television quiz show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and has penned four novels.The Birmingham, England-based screenwriter, producer and director’s other TV credits include “Taboo,” “See,” “This Town,” and “All the Light We Cannot See.”The Bond films, based on Ian Fleming’s novels, have earned more than $7 billion collectively at the global box office since debuting in 1962.No release date or title has yet been set for the film franchise’s 26th installment.And despite frenzied speculation among fans, there has been no announcement on which actor will replace Daniel Craig as the suave British super-spy.Among the actors most discussed to be the next Bond are Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Tom Holland, Harris Dickinson, Jacob Elordi, and Ben-Adir — but Amazon MGM has so far refused to disclose the franchise’s most closely guarded secret.
Trump’s global trade policy faces test, hours from tariff deadline
The clock was counting down Thursday to Donald Trump’s midnight deadline for unleashing fresh tariffs on US imports from dozens of countries — a cornerstone of his economic policy aimed at creating a new world trade order.Even as a US appeals court in Washington heard challenges to the legality of the US president’s strategy, last-gasp negotiations continued with trading partners large and small to secure trade deals and avoid the worst of the sweeping levies.With just hours to go, Trump announced he was extending the deadline for a deal with Mexico — one of the largest US trading partners — by another 90 days, citing the particular complexities of their commercial relationship.White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump would sign an executive order later Thursday to implement his threatened tariffs, but question marks linger over the effectiveness of Trump’s plans — and whether he will really follow through on his most dramatic threats.While Trump has touted a surge in customs revenues this year, economists warn the duties could fuel inflation.Apple chief executive Tim Cook said Thursday US tariffs are expected to cost the iPhone maker $1.1 billion this quarter.Meanwhile, a panel of skeptical US appeals court judges grilled a government lawyer Thursday on the legal basis for Trump’s use of the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to push his tariff strategy through.Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate insisted the president enjoyed “broad discretion” in exercising those powers, while a lawyer for the small businesses who brought the case argued that Trump was claiming an authority that “no president has asserted in 200 years.”- Deal or no deal -So far, Washington has announced pacts with Britain, Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea and the European Union. New rates negotiated were expected to take effect Friday.South Korea squeezed in an agreement on a 15 percent tariff, down from 25 percent that Trump initially threatened.But Trump announced 50 percent tariffs on Brazilian products — although delaying their imposition and allowing key exemptions — as an effort to pressure the country to drop its prosecution of right-wing former president Jair Bolsonaro on coup charges.He also unveiled a 25 percent levy on Indian imports, and warned Canada of trade repercussions for planning to recognize a Palestinian state.And the details of agreements that have been made remain vague.The EU, while having reached a pact, continues seeking a carve-out for its wine industry.Looming over the global economy is also the unresolved trade tussle between the United States and rival China, with the superpowers in talks to maintain a truce after initially imposing triple-digit tariffs on each other.- Canada threat -Washington has yet to strike a deal with neighboring Canada, while Trump said he would maintain 25 percent duties on Mexican imports for now.”We haven’t spoken to Canada today,” Trump said Thursday, adding that Washington has “made a few deals today,” without providing specifics.US-Canada ties came under renewed threat after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September.”That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them,” Trump warned on social media.Carney said Wednesday that both countries “may not conclude talks by August 1st.”Goods covered by a North American trade pact have been excluded from Trump’s recent tariffs.Although Mexico and Canada were not originally targeted under Trump’s “reciprocal tariff” plan, he had separately threatened them with the same Friday deadline.The tariff hikes due Friday were announced in April when Trump slapped a 10 percent levy on goods from almost all partners — citing unfair trade practices.This rate was set to rise to varying levels for dozens of economies, but Washington twice postponed their implementation.
Rights groups urge Nepal to reverse Telegram ban
Rights groups on Thursday urged Nepal to reverse a ban on the Telegram messaging app, calling the move a serious threat to freedom of expression and digital privacy.The Himalayan nation blocked access to the app on July 18, citing a rise in online fraud and money laundering.”The government’s ban is a serious human rights violation and a discriminatory decision,” said Taranath Dahal of Freedom Forum, a media freedom watchdog. “This shows the government can ban any platform without transparency, which is extremely concerning.”Freedom Forum was among more than two dozen organisations to release a statement demanding an “immediate” reversal of the ban.”The sudden, unlawful disruption has severely impacted journalists, human rights defenders, students, small businesses, and others who depend on the platform for essential day-to-day communication,” said a statement released by #KeepItOn, an international coalition of civil society organisations. Min Prasad Aryal, spokesperson for the Nepal Telecommunication Authority, confirmed the government’s directive.”We asked all internet service providers to block the app after receiving an order from the Prime Minister’s Office,” Aryal told AFP. In a statement sent to AFP, Telegram said it had “always responded to Nepal’s legal requests” and that it “actively moderates harmful content on its platform and removes cases of fraud and money laundering as soon as they are discovered, although we have not received any reports of this from Nepalese authorities”.Nepal has restricted access to popular online platforms in the past. In August last year, the government lifted a nine-month ban on TikTok after the platform’s South Asia division agreed to comply with Nepali regulations.Telegram, launched in 2013, is a cloud-based messaging app known for its privacy features and support for large group chats and broadcast channels. The app has an estimated billion users worldwide, but faces restrictions in some countries. Telegram’s Russian-born founder and chief executive Pavel Durov was briefly detained in France last year and questioned again this week about the platform’s alleged complicity in criminal activity.
Sweden jihadist jailed for life over Jordan pilot burned alive
A Stockholm court on Thursday handed down a life term to Swedish jihadist Osama Krayem over the 2015 murder of a Jordanian pilot burned alive by the Islamic State group in Syria.The Swedish court was the first to try a person over the killing that sparked outrage around the world.Judge Anna Liljenberg Gullesjo said “the investigation has shown that the defendant was at the execution site, uniformed and armed, and allowed himself to be filmed.”Although video evidence showed that another man lit the fire, the judge said the “defendant’s actions contributed so significantly to the death of the victim that he should be considered a perpetrator”.Krayem, who is serving long prison sentences for his role in the Paris and Brussels attacks in 2015 and 2016, was given a life sentence for “serious war crimes and terrorist crimes”On December 24, 2014, an aircraft belonging to the Royal Jordanian Air Force crashed in Syria.The pilot, Maaz al-Kassasbeh, was captured the same day by IS fighters near the central city of Raqqa and was burned alive in a cage sometime before February 3, 2015, when a slickly-produced video of the gruesome killing was published, according to the prosecution.Gullesjo said Krayem’s actions consisted of “guarding the victim both before and during the execution and taking him to the cage where he was set alight while still alive”.The court also awarded compensation to the parents and siblings of the Jordanian pilot, amounting to 80,000 Swedish kronor ($8,200) each.- ‘Comfort’ for family -Prosecutors have been unable to determine the exact date of the murder, but the investigation has identified the location.The 32-year-old jihadist remained silent throughout the hearings, which lasted between June 4 and June 26, though segments from interrogations with Krayem conducted during the investigation were read out and played during the trial.The fact that the defendent did not speak did not “significantly impact the ruling, as the prosecution presented solid evidence, and the investigation was thorough,” Gullesjo told AFP.According to his lawyer, Krayem insisted he had spent only 15 to 20 minutes on-site, unaware of what was going to happen until he saw the cameras.”This verdict somewhat comforts the family,” the pilot’s brother Jawdat al-Kassasbeh, who was a civil party to the case, told AFP.”We thank Sweden and the impartial Swedish judiciary for their efforts in pursuing this case,” the brother added.He travelled from Jordan for the trial to testify to the pain, still raw, that he shares with his loved ones.- No remorse -The family’s lawyer lamented in court that Krayem showed no empathy or remorse for his actions.”Most people who witnessed what Maaz went through would undoubtedly need lifelong, or at least long-term, treatment to overcome the trauma that this causes in a normal individual,” Mikael Westerlund told the court.”Krayem, on the other hand, does not seem to have been traumatised, but inspired. Inspired to continue his terrorist activities, which led him to participate in and then be convicted of terrorist acts in Europe,” Westerlund added.Krayem, who is from Malmo in southern Sweden, was sentenced to 30 years in prison in France for helping plan the November 2015 Paris attacks and to life imprisonment in Belgium for the 2016 attacks at Brussels’ main airport and metro station.On March 12, France agreed to hand him over to Sweden for nine months, the time needed for the investigation and trial. He must be returned to France by December 27 at the latest, the Stockholm court said Thursday.”Jordanians will always remember this horrible crime,” Jordanian government spokesman Mohammed Momani told AFP.”This decision is a significant step towards achieving justice.”