Ayoola Atitebi

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi has firmly rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring countries, including Jordan and Egypt, in a recent interview with Al Jazeera. The statement follows a White House meeting between Jordan's King Abdullah II and Trump, where the U.S. president outlined his vision of taking control of Gaza after relocating its residents - a plan critics have characterized as forced displacement. "There are fixed and steadfast Jordanian positions that will not change... the Palestinians cannot be transferred to Egypt, Jordan, or any Arab state," Safadi emphasized. He reiterated Jordan's commitment to a two-state solution that ensures Palestinians' rights to freedom and an independent sovereign state on their homeland. The proposal has faced unified opposition from the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Arab nations, and China, with the latter explicitly stating "Gaza belongs […]

European nations must become Ukraine's primary financial backers, according to new US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, marking a significant shift in US policy. Speaking in Brussels, Hegseth declared that returning Ukraine to its pre-2014 borders was "unrealistic" and downplayed Ukraine's NATO membership prospects. These statements coincided with a "lengthy" phone call between Presidents Trump and Putin, where they agreed to begin peace negotiations. Hegseth's position signals the Trump administration's vision for ending the conflict, though it likely disappoints Ukraine while pleasing Moscow. At the Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting, Hegseth emphasized that any lasting peace must include "robust security guarantees," but specified these should come through non-NATO missions without Article 5 protection. He pushed European NATO members to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, well above the current 2% target. President Zelensky recently expressed willingness to negotiate, proposing a […]

Canada has named Kevin Brosseau, a former Royal Canadian Mounted Police member and intelligence adviser to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as its new fentanyl tsar amid escalating trade tensions with the United States. The appointment comes as President Donald Trump paused his threat of 25% import taxes on all Canadian goods for 30 days in February, following new border security agreements with Trudeau. Trump has now added another layer of pressure, announcing plans for a 25% tax on global steel and aluminum imports starting March 12, which would significantly impact Canada as the largest supplier of these metals to the US. Speaking from Brussels after European Union discussions, Trudeau warned about the potential consequences: "Any thickening of the border, any tariffs that put on Canadian imports, will hurt American manufacturing, will hurt American consumers, and we don't want that." In […]

Egypt is developing a "comprehensive vision" for Gaza's reconstruction that ensures Palestinians remain on their land, contrasting with President Donald Trump's proposal to relocate Gaza's population. The Egyptian foreign ministry expressed hopes to work with Trump's administration while maintaining its position on Palestinian rights. This follows Trump's meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah, where he reinforced his plan for U.S. control of Gaza and the relocation of its two million Palestinians to neighboring countries. During the White House meeting, Trump claimed this would bring unprecedented stability to the Middle East, stating "the Palestinians, or the people that live now in Gaza, will be living beautifully in another location." He suggested he might withhold aid from Jordan and Egypt if they refused to cooperate. King Abdullah firmly opposed the plan, emphasizing a unified Arab position against Palestinian displacement. Egypt's foreign ministry responded […]

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that U.S. aid freezes under President Donald Trump have significantly impacted global health programs targeting HIV, polio, mpox, and bird flu. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addressed these concerns during a virtual press conference in Geneva. The disruption stems from Trump's decision to dismantle the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which he describes as "incompetent and corrupt." The agency typically manages approximately $40 billion annually—0.6% of total U.S. government spending—primarily supporting humanitarian efforts in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Ukraine. The suspension has particularly affected PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief), resulting in halted HIV treatment, testing, and prevention services across 50 countries. "Clinics are shuttered and health workers have been put on leave," Dr. Tedros reported, despite attempts to maintain critical life-saving services. Trump's administration has also initiated steps to […]