LANSING, Michigan: Donald Trump on Friday met with Arab Americans in Dearborn, Michigan — the nation’s largest Arab-majority city — as the Republican presidential nominee works to court the potentially decisive group despite his history of Islamophobic rhetoric and policy.
Trump was greeted with cheers and applause from a modest crowd at The Great Commoner restaurant in one of his campaign’s final attempts to garner support in the key battleground state.
Metro Detroit is home to the nation’s largest concentration of Arab Americans, with a large chunk of them living in Dearborn. The city — which Democrat Joe Biden won by a 3-to-1 margin in 2020 — has been roiled by political turmoil, with many upset with the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.
Democrats worry that anger over the war will lead traditionally loyal voters to shift their votes to Trump or third-party candidates like Jill Stein — or skip the top of the ballot altogether. This could prove pivotal in Michigan, a state both parties see as a toss-up.
While the Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, has been working through surrogates to ease community tensions, Trump’s visit marked the first by either candidate, according to a local leader, Osama Siblani. Earlier this year, Harris met with the city’s Democratic mayor, Abdullah Hammoud, though their discussion took place outside Dearborn.
The meeting with Arab supporters Friday follows Trump’s rally in Michigan last week, when he brought local Muslims up onstage with him. Trump has also received endorsements from two Democratic mayors of Muslim-majority cities.
“It is time to prioritize our nation’s best interests and foster lasting peace for all,” Albert Abbas, an Arab American, said Friday while standing next to Trump. “This current administration has failed miserably in all aspects of humanity.”
He added, “We look to a Trump presidency with hope and envisioning a time where peace flourishes, particularly in Lebanon and Palestine.”
While many Democratic leaders in the Arab community have not endorsed Harris, they are still deeply negative toward Trump and say his endorsements don’t reflect a majority of the community. They remember his call for a “total and complete shutdown” on Muslims entering the country and his travel restrictions on visitors from Muslim-majority countries. And some point out that Trump has suggested he would give Israel even more leeway to attack its rivals in the region.
Top community leaders in Dearborn, including Hammoud, declined an invitation to meet with Trump while he was in town. Many community leaders say that while Harris has never earned their endorsement, they are still overwhelmingly opposed to Trump.
Siblani, a prominent figure in the community who has engaged with Democratic leaders about ongoing tensions, noted that many “do not trust” Trump because of his past policies and remarks. However, he emphasized the significance of Trump’s visit to Dearborn.
“Kamala should have done this months ago,” Siblani said.
Harris defended her record on the issue Friday, telling reporters that she’s “proud to have significant amount of support from the Arab American community,” while adding that she continues to push for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages.
Israel invaded Gaza after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack and last month launched an invasion of Lebanon to suppress Hezbollah, the militia that has continuously launched rockets into Israeli territory. At least 43,000 people have died in Gaza, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which does not distinguish in its death toll between combatants and civilians.
Abbas said Trump allies had reached out to him several weeks ago about hosting Trump in Dearborn. Before hosting Trump, Abbas said he wanted to see a statement from Trump that he said showed Trump “has the intentions of ending the war and helping us rebuild Lebanon and helping the displaced and the injured.”
That statement came Wednesday, when Trump posted on X that he wanted to “stop the suffering and destruction in Lebanon.”
“I will preserve the equal partnership among all Lebanese communities,” Trump said on X. “Your friends and family in Lebanon deserve to live in peace, prosperity, and harmony with their neighbors, and that can only happen with peace and stability in the Middle East.”
Once Trump put out the statement, Abbas said he agreed to host the event.
Trump meets with Arab Americans in Dearborn, Michigan, but top community leaders skipped the event
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Trump meets with Arab Americans in Dearborn, Michigan, but top community leaders skipped the event
- Metro Detroit is home to the nation’s largest concentration of Arab Americans, with a large chunk of them living in Dearborn
- The city is a Democratic bailiwick many supporters are upset with the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war
- But many community leaders say that while Harris has never earned their endorsement, they are still overwhelmingly opposed to Trump
Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh welcome $73 million in new US financial aid
- The US had been the largest provider of aid to the Rohingya refugees, contributing nearly $2.4 billion since 2017 and providing the UN with emergency food and nutrition assistance, according to the State Department
COX’S BAZAR, Bangaldesh: The US government has confirmed it would provide $73 million in new financial aid for Rohingya refugees through the United Nations’ food agency, easing worries among more than 1 million refugees that essential food rations would be cut.
Aid agencies, the UN and refugees have voiced concerns after the World Food Program warned it may be affected after US President Donald Trump’s administration announced it was cutting international aid.
The World Food Program said earlier this month that if it is not able to raise funds, it will have no option but to halve food rations to $6 a month from previous $12.50 in Bangladesh’s southern coastal district of Cox’s Bazar, where the Rohingya live in sprawling camps.
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The US had been the largest provider of aid to the Rohingya refugees, contributing nearly $2.4 billion since 2017.
Bangladesh government’s Refugee, Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, told reporters that he received confirmation from the WFP on Thursday that refugees in Cox’s Bazar — as well as the thousands who have been relocated to Bhashan Char island — will continue to receive $12 to $13 a month each in aid.
“This food and nutrition support through WFP will provide critically needed food and nutrition assistance for more than one million people,” US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday.
“It is important that our international partners engage with sharing the burden with life-saving assistance such as this,” Bruce added.
The US had been the largest provider of aid to the Rohingya refugees, contributing nearly $2.4 billion since 2017 and providing the UN with emergency food and nutrition assistance, according to the State Department. The US provided about $300 million in humanitarian aid for the Rohingyas in 2024.
Refugees in Cox’s Bazar welcomed the announcement that aid will continue.
“I am glad that the president of America is donating the money, which will help (provide food for) our grandchildren. We are very happy,” said 60-year-old Hussain Bahar.
Forid Alam, a 36-year-old refugee at Balukhali Rohingya refugee camp, said the announcement was a gift coming days before Muslims’ largest festival Eid Al-Fitr.
“We are grateful to the people of Bangladesh, its government, and the donors who are donating. We are so thrilled after hearing the news ahead of Eid that we don’t have words to express our gratitude. We are praying from the bottom of our hearts and are truly glad,” he said.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who visited Bangladesh recently, said Cox’s Bazar is “ground zero for the impact of the budget cuts on people in desperate need.”
Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya reside in Bangladesh, including more than 700,000 who arrived in 2017 fleeing persecution in Myanmar. About 70,000 others crossed the border from Myanmar in 2024 when, during fighting with the military junta, the opposition force known as the Arakan Army effectively took over the Rakhine state where Rohingya were displaced.
Bangladesh says repatriation of the refugees to Myanmar is the ultimate solution, but complexities over verification and other diplomatic and political issues have made the refugees’ return uncertain.
Nepal police clash with pro-monarchy demonstrators
- The Himalayan nation adopted a federal/republican political system in 2008 after monarchy was abolished
KATMANDU: Nepal police fired tear gas and water cannon on Friday to disperse thousands of people gathered in Katmandu demanding the restoration of the monarchy, prompting authorities to impose a curfew in the area.
The Himalayan nation adopted a federal and republican political system in 2008 after parliament abolished the monarchy as part of a peace deal that ended a decade-long civil war responsible for more than 16,000 deaths.
Support for the restoration of the monarchy re-enshrining Hinduism as the state religion has grown in tandem with popular dissatisfaction over political instability, corruption and lackluster economic development.
“The country should have developed significantly. People should have had better job opportunities, peace and security and good governance. We should have been corruption-free,” Mina Subedi, 55, who joined the demonstration, told AFP.
“But things have only deteriorated.”
Protesters gathered near the national parliament chanting that the king and country were “dearer to us than life.”
Police spokesman Dinesh Kumar Acharya told AFP that police fired tear gas and water cannon to clear the demonstrators after they broke into a restricted area and vandalized buildings.
Local authorities announced a curfew in the area after the clash.
Opposition parties marshalled thousands more people at a counter-demonstration elsewhere in the capital to “safeguard the republican system.”
“Nepalis will not return to the past,” said Pushpa Kamal Dahal, a former guerrilla chief who led the decade-long Maoist insurgency before entering politics and has since served as prime minister three times.
“Maybe they have dared to raise their heads because us republic supporters have not been able to deliver as per the wishes and wants of the people.”
Abdicated king Gyanendra Shah, 77, had largely refrained from commenting on Nepal’s fractious politics, but recently made several public appearances with supporters.
Shah was crowned in 2001 after his elder brother king Birendra Bir Bikram Shah and his family were killed in a palace massacre that wiped out most of the royal family.
His coronation took place as the Maoist insurgency was raging in far-flung corners of Nepal.
Shah suspended the constitution and dissolved parliament in 2005, triggering a democratic uprising in which the Maoists sided with Nepal’s political establishment to orchestrate huge street protests.
That eventually precipitated the end of the conflict, with parliament voting in 2008 to abolish Nepal’s 240-year-old Hindu monarchy.
Lithuania says ‘long night ahead’ in US soldiers search
- “Another long night ahead,” Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene said
- The Lithuanian army said earlier they were “moving forward” on their goal to “turn the swamp into water so divers can jump in“
PABRADE, Lithuania: Lithuania’s defense minister said on Friday that rescuers faced “another long night” in their operation to recover the submerged vehicle of four missing US soldiers.
Authorities from the Baltic state received a report on Tuesday that the soldiers had disappeared during a military drill on a training ground in the eastern city of Pabrade, near the border with Belarus.
Search and rescue teams were at the scene on Friday, using heavy military equipment and excavators to remove silt from the body of water where the vehicle had been located.
“Another long night ahead,” Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene said on social network X.
The Lithuanian army said earlier they were “moving forward” on their goal to “turn the swamp into water so divers can jump in.”
The US army said on Friday it was sending a specialized US Navy dive crew that was “expected to arrive on site within the next 24 hours.”
Local and foreign troops, along with helicopters from the air force and the state border guard service, have been deployed in the search effort.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said he was “still hoping for a miracle.”
“Although many skeptics would probably say that there is nothing to hope for in these circumstances, I want to believe,” he told reporters.
The M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle the missing US soldiers had been operating was found several meters deep in a swamp connected to a nearby lake.
“The area around the site is incredibly wet and marshy and doesn’t support the weight of the equipment,” US Army Europe and Africa’s public affairs office said in a statement.
“Draining the area has been slow and difficult due to ground water seepage,” it added.
“This will be a long and difficult recovery operation, but we are absolutely committed to bringing our soldiers home,” said Curtis Taylor, Commanding General of the 1st Armored Division.
The main goal was to remove the mud from the submerged vehicle and identify possible attachment points for extraction, Lithuanian Armed Forces chief General Raimundas Vaiksnoras said.
Lithuania, a NATO and EU member, hosts more than 1,000 American troops stationed on a rotational basis.
Spain’s PM urges Washington to reconsider tariff ‘nonsense’
- “Today, from here, I’d like to make a call again to the US administration to reconsider and open dialogue with the European Commission,” Sanchez told an economic event in Madrid
- Ribera likened Trump’s trade policy to the behavior of a “schoolyard bully“
MADRID: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and European Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera on Friday urged the United States to reconsider new tariffs on goods from Europe and open a dialogue with Brussels to stop what Sanchez described as “nonsense.”
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the United States will charge a 25 percent import tariff on all cars. On Thursday, the Commission said the European Union was preparing a “robust, calibrated” response.
“Today, from here, I’d like to make a call again to the US administration to reconsider and open dialogue with the European Commission and stop this nonsense,” Sanchez told an economic event in Madrid.
Speaking at the same event, Ribera — who served as energy minister under Sanchez and is now the bloc’s antitrust chief — said the EU “misses the relationship of solidarity with the United States and we hope we can return to it,” adding there was always space to talk and find solutions.
She likened Trump’s trade policy to the behavior of a “schoolyard bully.”
“Europe cannot remain silent in the face of such aggression,” she added. “We’re reaching our limit and the next steps will require more Europe, and more unity in terms of security.”
Trump, Carney say they had a productive call, Canadian tariffs still coming
- The phone call was the first contact since Carney won the leadership of Canada’s ruling Liberals on March 9
- Carney has said that Trump’s threat of tariffs is a betrayal of a once close economic and security relationship
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday had a conversation that both men described as productive, although the Canadian leader said Ottawa would be imposing retaliatory tariffs next week as promised.
The phone call was the first contact since Carney won the leadership of Canada’s ruling Liberals on March 9. Carney has said that Trump’s threat of tariffs is a betrayal of a once close economic and security relationship.
“It was an extremely productive call, we agree on many things, and will be meeting immediately after Canada’s upcoming Election to work on elements of Politics, Business, and all other factors,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
That work “will end up being great for both the United States of America and Canada,” he added. Carney on Thursday vowed to transform Canada’s economy to be less dependent on the United States. Trump’s tariff announcement is expected on April 2. Ottawa has made clear for months that it will impose countermeasures.
“The Prime Minister informed the President that his government will implement retaliatory tariffs to protect Canadian workers and our economy, following the announcement of additional US trade actions on April 2, 2025,” Carney’s office said in a statement.
The United States and its northern neighbor have long been close allies and trading partners. But relations deteriorated after Trump, a Republican who took office in January, upended the relationship with tariff threats and repeated comments about annexing the country.
Trump referred to Carney as the Canadian prime minister rather than as the governor of the 51st US state, the term he often used to describe former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Carney said the two leaders had agreed to begin comprehensive negotiations about a new economic and security relationship immediately after an election on April 28.
