International

Egypt asks Trump for a “positive interaction” with his plan to rebuild Gaza

Egypt asked the US Administration of Donald Trump for a “positive and constructive interaction” with its plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip, which Washington has said does not meet the expectations of the president of the United States.

This occurred during a phone call on Thursday between the head of Egyptian diplomacy, Badr Abdelaty, and the US special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, according to a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry published on Friday.

During the conversation, Abdelaty “reconsidered the Arab plan for the rapid recovery and reconstruction of Gaza,” which contemplates the rehabilitation of the devastated Palestinian enclave in a period of more than five years and at a cost of about 53 billion dollars.

It also conveyed “Egypt’s aspiration to maintain a positive and constructive interaction with President Trump and the US Administration to review the plan and its advantages in a comprehensive way.”

According to the Egyptian statement, Witkoff said he was “familiar with the plan” approved at an extraordinary Arab summit on March 4, while assuring that it “includes attractive elements and reflects good intentions.”

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In this sense, the American asked “to know more details about the plan during the next period,” according to the statement.

The conversation took place after the United States government pointed out on Thursday that the reconstruction plan proposed by Egypt “does not meet Trump’s expectations,” said State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce.

“The Arab agreement does not meet the requirements or the nature of what President Trump was asking for,” said Bruce, who said that the main objective of the US Administration is “to achieve peace in the region and that it does not continue to be a constant problem.”

Precisely, the Egyptian proposal was approved in contrast to Trump’s plan to expel the inhabitants of Gaza to Egypt and Jordan to turn the Palestinian enclave into the ‘Middle East River’.

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International

Florida judge sets 2027 trial in Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against BBC

A federal judge in Florida has scheduled February 2027 for the trial in the lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump against the BBC, in which he is seeking $10 billion in damages for defamation.

Trump accuses the British broadcaster of airing a misleading edit of a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021, which, he says, made it appear that he explicitly urged his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

The president filed the suit in December in federal court in Florida, alleging defamation and violations of a law governing business practices when the program was broadcast ahead of the 2024 election.

Trump is seeking $5 billion in damages for each of the two claims.

Lawyers for the BBC unsuccessfully asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that Trump had not suffered a “legally recognizable harm,” since the investigative program Panorama, which included the edited footage, aired outside the United States.

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International

Head-of-state diplomacy key to guiding China–U.S. ties, Beijing says

Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China–United States relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday during a regular press briefing, when asked about high-level exchanges between the two sides.

Lin added that in a recent phone call, U.S. President Donald Trump once again expressed his intention to visit China in April, while Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his invitation.

Both sides remain in communication regarding the matter, the spokesperson said.

Lin noted that the essence of China–U.S. economic and trade ties lies in mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

“Both parties should work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, injecting greater certainty and stability into China–U.S. economic and trade cooperation, as well as into the global economy,” he said.

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International

Trump administration to end special immigration operation in Minnesota

The administration of Donald Trump is bringing to a close its special operation targeting illegal immigration in the northern state of Minnesota, border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday, following weeks of unrest and the fatal shootings of two activists by federal agents.

Thousands of federal officers had been deployed to Minnesota in December to carry out large-scale raids against undocumented immigrants.

The operations triggered strong reactions from residents and advocacy groups, leading to daily confrontations and the deaths of two people who were shot by federal agents.

“I proposed, and President Trump agreed, that this special operation should end in Minnesota,” Homan said during a press conference in the state capital, Minneapolis.

“A significant drawdown began this week and will continue into next week,” he added.

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Homan indicated that similar enforcement efforts could be launched in other cities.

“Next week we will redeploy the agents currently here back to their home stations or to other parts of the country where they are needed. But we will continue to enforce immigration laws,” he said.