Category World News

Israeli-Russian academic and Princeton University student Elizabeth Tsurkov has been freed in Iraq after spending more than two years in the custody of an Iraqi armed group, US President Donald Trump has announced.

“I am pleased to report that Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Princeton Student, whose sister is an American Citizen, was just released by Kata’ib Hezbollah (MILITANT Hezbollah), and is now safely in the American Embassy in Iraq after being tortured for many months. I will always fight for JUSTICE, and never give up. HAMAS, RELEASE THE HOSTAGES, NOW!” Trump posted on TruthSocial on Tuesday, referring at the end to the captives held in Gaza, who were taken from Israel during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack.

Kataib Hezbollah, which is a separate entity from the armed group Hezbollah in Lebanon, is part of Iraq’s security apparatus under the umbrella of the state-funded Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a Shia paramilitary dominated by Iran-backed armed groups.

Tsurkov, who was accused of being a spy, disappeared in Baghdad in March 2023, while conducting academic research. She was last seen in the Karrada district before reports surfaced that Kata’ib Hezbollah had abducted her. Her case remained secret for months until Israel’s prime minister’s office confirmed in July 2023 that she had been abducted. It said the Iraqi government was responsible for her safety.

The 37-year-old holds both Israeli and Russian passports and had entered Iraq on her Russian travel documents, according to Israeli authorities.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani confirmed that Tsurkov had been released and said, “We reaffirm, once again, that we will not tolerate any compromise in enforcing the law and upholding the authority of the state, nor will we allow anyone to undermine the reputation of Iraq and its people.”

In November 2023, Iraqi state television aired footage of Tsurkov in which she claimed to be working for both Mossad and the CIA, allegations her family rejected as coerced confessions.

The precise terms of her release remain unclear. Earlier this year, reports suggested that Washington and Baghdad were engaged in negotiations over her case.

There were reports of a possible deal for the release of Tsurkov in January.

After Trump’s announcement, her sister Emma Tsurkov, who has campaigned publicly for her freedom, expressed relief in a post on X.

“My entire family is incredibly happy. We cannot wait to see Elizabeth and give her all the love we have been waiting to share for 903 days. We are so thankful to President Trump and his Special Envoy, Adam Boehler. If Adam had not made my sister’s return his personal mission, I do not know where we would be,” she wrote.

The United States Supreme Court has granted an unusually quick hearing on whether President Donald Trump has the power to impose sweeping tariffs under federal law.

The justices said on Tuesday that they will hear arguments in November, which is lightning fast by the typical standards of the nation’s highest court.

The small businesses and states that challenged the tariffs in court also agreed to the accelerated timetable. They say Trump illegally used emergency powers to set import taxes on goods from almost every country in the world, nearly driving their businesses to bankruptcy.

The justices also agreed to hear a separate challenge to Trump’s tariffs brought by a family-owned toy company, Learning Resources.

Two lower courts have found that most of the tariffs were illegally imposed, though a 7-4 appeals court has left them in place for now.

The levies are part of a trade war instigated by Trump since he returned to the presidency in January, which has alienated trading partners, increased volatility in financial markets and driven global economic uncertainty.

Trump has made tariffs a key foreign policy tool, using them to renegotiate trade deals, extract concessions and exert political pressure on countries. Revenue from tariffs totalled $159bn by late August, more than double what it was at the same point a year earlier.

The Trump administration asked the justices to intervene quickly, arguing the law gives him the power to regulate imports and that the country would be on “the brink of economic catastrophe” if the president were barred from exercising unilateral tariff authority.

The case will come before a court that has been reluctant to check Trump’s extraordinary flex of executive power. One big question is whether the justices’ own expansive view of presidential authority allows for Trump’s tariffs without the explicit approval of Congress, which the US Constitution endows with the power to levy tariffs.

Three of the justices on the conservative-majority court were nominated by Trump in his first term.

Impact on trade negotiations

US Solicitor General D John Sauer has argued that the lower court rulings are already impacting those trade negotiations. Treasury might take a hit by having to refund some of the import taxes it has collected, Trump administration officials have said. A ruling against the tariffs could even hamper the nation’s ability to reduce the flow of fentanyl and efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine, Sauer argued.

The administration did win over four appeals court judges who found the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, lets the president regulate importation during emergencies without explicit limitations. In recent decades, Congress has ceded some tariff authority to the president, and Trump has made the most of the power vacuum.

The case involves two sets of import taxes, both of which Trump justified by declaring a national emergency: the tariffs first announced in April and the ones from February on imports from Canada, China and Mexico.

It does not include his levies on foreign steel, aluminium and autos, or the tariffs Trump imposed on China in his first term that were kept by former President Joe Biden, a Democrat.

French President Emmanuel Macron has named his defence minister and close ally, Sebastien Lecornu, as the new prime minister after Prime Minister Francois Bayrou resigned after losing a confidence vote.

Lecornu, 39, the fifth prime minister in less than two years, has major challenges ahead, including resolving a deepening political crisis as protests loom in the coming days.

“The President of the Republic has entrusted me with the task of building a government with a clear direction: the defence of our independence and power, the service of the French people, and political and institutional stability for the unity of the country,” the incoming prime minister said.

The French parliament – the National Assembly – on Monday voted to remove Bayrou over his proposed $51bn in budget cuts to address the country’s debt crisis. The formal handover of power between Bayrou and Lecornu is due to take place on Wednesday.

Macron’s decision to choose Lecornu, analysts say, is an indication that he intends to continue on with a minority government that supports his pro-business economic reform agenda. In the 577-member National Assembly, the left bloc, which has opposed Macron’s pro-business policy, has most seats but not enough to form a government.

The appointment of Lecornu, a one-time conservative, risks alienating France’s centre-left Socialist Party, which leaves Macron’s government depending on Marine Le Pen and the far-right National Rally for support in parliament.

“Regardless of Sebastien Lecornu’s personal qualities, his nomination is a slap in the face of parliament,” Philippe Brun, the Socialist lawmaker who has been in charge of budget negotiations, told Reuters.

However, Jordan Bardella, seen as Le Pen’s protege, seemed willing to give Lecornu a chance.

“We will judge, without illusion, the new prime minister on his merits,” he said, adding that the party still kept strict “red lines”.

Bayrou’s downfall and France’s instability

France, the European Union’s second-biggest economy, seems on the brink of yet another period of instability.

The immediate reason for Bayrou’s fall was his budget proposal for next year. His unpopular 44-billion-euro ($51bn) deficit-reduction plan, including freezing most welfare spending and scrapping two public holidays, has been widely rejected by parliamentarians.

The French budget deficit is now nearly 169 billion euros ($198bn), or 5.8 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP), well above the 3 percent limit set by the European Union for countries using the euro. Investors worry that France’s persistent deficits will cause ever-higher debt ratios and undermine its credit score.

Before Monday’s vote, Bayrou warned lawmakers: “You have the power to bring down the government, but you do not have the power to erase reality. Reality will remain relentless: expenses will continue to rise, and the burden of debt, already unbearable, will grow heavier and more costly.”

The prime minister’s proposals came on top of Macron’s unpopular 2023 move to raise France’s retirement age by two years to 64. At the time, the president argued that excessive pension payments were a drag on the country’s finances.

Protests expected around France

As Macron grapples with the collapse of his fourth government in less than two years, French citizens are planning to take to the streets this week in “Block Everything” protests.

The movement, which lacks centralised leadership and planning, is threatening widespread disruption this week.

“The public authorities and the government have betrayed us so much that I’m not sure they can really meet the expectations of the people,” Louise Nechin, a left-wing activist in Paris, told Reuters.

The protests have drawn comparisons with 2018’s “yellow vest” demonstrations, with protesters at the time setting fire to makeshift barricades and vehicles.

South Africa moved a step closer to the FIFA 2026 World Cup with a 1-1 home draw with Nigeria, who are left facing a nervy final two qualifying matches in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) group stages.

Bafana Bafana took the lead in the Group C encounter at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa on Tuesday when Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong put through his own net in the 25th minute.

Calvin Bassey levelled for Nigeria when he headed home in the final minute of the first half.

The result moved South Africa six points clear at the top of the group with two games to play.

Nigeria climbed to second spot ahead of Benin, who played Lesotho in the day’s later game, on goal difference.

The Super Eagles face Lesotho away on October 6 before hosting Benin at home on October 13.

If Nigeria fail to finish in the top two in their group, they will not qualify for the World Cup.

A first-place finish, which looks inevitable for South Africa with games against Zimbabwe and Rwanda to come, assures automatic qualification.

Second place offers the chance to be among the four best runners-up in the nine groups of CAF qualifying groups that will progress to FIFA’s intercontinental playoffs for the 2026 finals.

Egypt coach celebrates despite World Cup wait

Egypt’s bid to secure World Cup qualification was put on hold after a 0-0 draw against Burkina Faso in a flat Group A encounter in Ouagadougou on Tuesday.

Hossam Hassan’s unbeaten side moved to 20 points and lead Group A by five points ahead of Burkina Faso, with two matches remaining in the qualifiers.

With only the group winners qualifying automatically, the seven-time African champions need two points from their last two games to guarantee their spot and a fourth appearance at the World Cup. They will face Djibouti and Guinea-Bissau in October.

Egypt coach Hassan, however, celebrated the result, which moved his side one step closer to reaching the 48-team tournament to be held in North America next year.

“It’s a great day for the Egyptian people… I would like to thank every player for their efforts against a tough team that has players in the Premier League, Bundesliga and Ligue 1,” Hassan, the former Egypt striker who led them to the 1990 World Cup, told the On Sport channel.

“Despite playing in Burkina Faso, we played positively and created big chances. At the same time, we maintained balance. We could have scored one or two goals before the end,” he added.

Egypt suffered an early setback when Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush was forced off through injury in the ninth minute.

Their best moment came in the 67th minute when Mohamed Salah set up Osama Faisal, but the substitute’s strike was ruled offside.

Egypt’s Trezeguet had the first chance of the game, but his effort was saved by Burkina Faso goalkeeper Herve Koffi.

The home side rarely attacked, with Sunderland forward Bertrand Traore leading most of their best efforts.

Egypt went close to grabbing a winner in the final moments, but Mostafa Mohamed missed two chances.

Hassan, Egypt’s all-time top scorer, will be the first to lead his side to the World Cup both as a player and as a coach.

The Gulf nation of Qatar has long served as a mediator, both in the Middle East and further afield. The country has good relations with nations that oppose each other, such as the United States and Iran, and therefore serves as a location where conversations can happen between adversaries.

The presence of many leaders from the Palestinian group Hamas in Doha has meant that the city has become a base for negotiations to end Israel’s war on Gaza and secure the release of Israeli captives held in the enclave.

But that looks like it is in jeopardy following Israel’s attack on several Hamas leaders in Doha on Tuesday.

Why are those leaders based in Qatar? And what is Qatar’s relationship with the Palestinian movement? Let’s take a closer look:

When did Hamas first open a political office in Qatar?

Hamas first opened its political office in Qatar in 2012, after leaders – including Khaled Meshaal – left Syria a year after the war in that country began.

Qatari officials have repeatedly said that the decision to host the Hamas leadership came after a request from the United States. In a 2023 opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the Qatari ambassador to the US, Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani, said that Washington wanted the office “to establish indirect lines of communication with Hamas”.

Who are the Hamas political leaders who have been based there?

Various senior Hamas leaders are based in Qatar or have been based there as a result of the opening of the Hamas office.

The previously mentioned Meshaal, who is the former head of Hamas’s political bureau and who himself survived a 1997 Israeli assassination attempt in Jordan, moved to Qatar in 2012 and has been based there since.

Ismail Haniyeh, who succeeded Meshaal as political leader and was previously the Palestinian prime minister, was also based in Qatar from 2017, the year he left Gaza to become political leader. Haniyeh was assassinated by Israel in the Iranian capital Tehran in July 2024.

Other leaders based in Qatar include Khalil al-Hayya, a member of the Hamas leadership council, and Mousa Abu Marzouk.

Why does Qatar host Hamas?

Qatar is considered one of the most important mediators in the region and internationally, making it an influential player.

The country provided financial aid to Gaza – which has been under some form of blockade by Israel since 2007 – for years, and also is a leading champion of the Palestinian cause.

Providing a political base for Hamas is the result of a combination of these two factors.

In his WSJ opinion piece, Qatar’s Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani justified the presence of the Hamas office as it had “frequently been used in mediation efforts, helping to de-escalate conflicts in Israel and the Palestinian territories”.

“The presence of the Hamas office shouldn’t be confused with endorsement but rather establishes an important channel for indirect communication,” Al Thani said.

Last year,  Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani suggested that Qatar may look to re-evaluate its mediation role, because some parties had used the mediation for “narrow political interest”.

What else does Qatar host?

The acknowledgment of Qatar as a mediator and a safe base for political groups from around the world has led to its capital becoming host to a number of different international players.

A number of Arab political figures relocated to Qatar, most notably in the aftermath of the Arab Spring.

Aside from that, Qatar hosted the Taliban’s political office from 2013 onwards as it fought against the US and the former Afghan government. The Taliban political office was also opened at the request of the US to provide a venue for peace talks.