Foreign

Trump defends plan to use Qatari luxury jet for Air Force One

Published

9 months ago

May 13, 2025

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US President Donald Trump has defended the White House plan to receive a luxury jumbo jet from Qatar to be used as America’s Air Force One presidential plane.

“They’re giving us a gift,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday, adding that he would be “a stupid person” if he did not accept it.

In an earlier statement, a Qatari spokesman said it would be “inaccurate” to refer to the plane as a gift. He said the transfer of an aircraft for “temporary use” was under discussion between the two countries.

The news comes as Trump is set to visit Qatar this week as part of the first major foreign trip of his second term.

Speaking on Monday, Trump said that the US had helped the other country “a lot over the years in terms of security and safety” and that he had “a lot of respect for the leadership” of the country.

He went on to say it would be a “very nice gesture” if Qatar provided the US with a Boeing jet while his government continued to wait for two new ones to be provided directly by Boeing itself.

The potential value of the plane and its handling has raised legal and ethical questions among critics on the political left and right.

The US Constitution has a provision known as the Emoluments Clause, which restricts what gifts US presidents can accept from foreign governments. It was designed to prevent leaders from becoming beholden to foreign governments.

On social media, Democratic Senator Adam Schiff from California quoted a section of the US Constitution that said no elected official could accept “any present… of any kind whatever” from the leader of a foreign state without congressional approval.

Congressman Ritchie Torres, a New York Democrat, called on the Government Accountability Office to investigate, saying the plane could “constitute the most valuable gift ever conferred on a president by a foreign government”.

But there was criticism, too, from some of Trump’s staunchest supporters.

Daily Wire podcaster Ben Shapiro lambasted the plane deal on Monday as “skeezy”.

“Is this good for President Trump?” Shapiro said. “Is it good for his agenda? Is it good for draining the swamp and getting things done? The answer is no, it isn’t.”

Far-right influencer Laura Loomer also criticised the move. She posted to say she would “take a bullet” for the president, but that any decision to accept the jet would be “such a stain” on the administration.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Sunday that “any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws. President Trump’s administration is committed to full transparency”.

The White House’s current fleet includes two Boeing 747-200B planes customised for presidential use with special communications equipment and features like a state room, office and conference room. The planes have been in use since 1990 and 1991.

Qatar is said to be offering a version of a Boeing 747-8, a much newer model that ABC News reports has been upgraded into a “flying palace”.

The plane, reported to be worth about $400m (£303m), would not be ready for use right away if provided to the US, as it would need to be retrofitted and cleared by security officials, sources told CBS, the BBC’s US partner.

Boeing has already been contracted to directly provide the White House with two 747-8s directly, but Trump complained earlier this year that the firm was behind schedule.

His team negotiated to receive these during his first term in office, though Boeing has cautioned that they will not be available for two or three more years.

Qatar – a country with which Trump has long had a positive relationship – has also previously given private jets as gifts to other countries, including Turkey.

This would not be the first Trump-related deal with Qatar. Last month, his company signed a deal to build a luxury golf resort there, marking its first foreign deal since the Republican returned to office in January.

According to CBS, the plane that Trump could acquire would be donated at the end of his term to his presidential library, which is a collection of artefacts related to a US leader’s time in office.

Air Force One planes usually carry over to other administrations. According to the National Archives, only the presidential library for Ronald Reagan has an Air Force One jet.

Trump, a businessman-turned-president, has been no stranger to conflict-of-interest accusations since taking office in 2017. During his first term, critics accused him of enriching himself in a number of ways, including through his hotel in Washington DC. A lawsuit followed, but was never concluded.

Commenting on the potential transfer of the plane, David Super, a law professor at Georgetown University, told the BBC: “It certainly stinks, but formally it’s a transfer to the [US] government, not the office holder.”

However, the jet could be viewed as an illegal personal gift to Trump if he is able to use it in his private life after leaving office, Prof Super added.

As for who could protest such a move – Congress could pass a resolution denouncing it, said Prof Super, albeit this would be unlikely given the Republican dominance on Capitol Hill, and it would not stop the actual transfer.

Foreign

Pope Leo XIV Condemns Attacks In Nigeria, Urges Authorities To Protect Citizens

Published

5 days ago

February 9, 2026

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Pope Leo XIV has condemned the recent wave of violent attacks across Nigeria, expressing sorrow over the loss of lives and calling on authorities to act decisively to protect citizens.

“It is with sorrow and concern that I learned of the recent attacks against various communities in Nigeria, leading to a heavy loss of life. I express my prayerful closeness to all the victims of violence and terrorism,” the pontiff wrote in a post on his X handle, adding that he received news of the attacks with strong concern.

“I likewise hope that the competent Authorities will continue to work with determination to ensure the safety and protection of the life of every citizen. #PrayTogether.”

The Pope’s statement comes amid a series of deadly attacks in several parts of the country, with Kwara State recording the most devastating incident.

Between February 3 and 4, 2026, armed assailants attacked the villages of Woro and Nuku in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State in what has been described by residents as a massacre.

While reports indicate 162 people were killed, local officials and survivors believe the death toll has exceeded 200 as bodies continue to be recovered from surrounding bushland. The police and Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, however, confirmed that 75 people were dead from the attack.

In response, President Bola Tinubu ordered the deployment of additional troops to the area and declared a nationwide security emergency. An army battalion has since been sent to Kaiama under a new military operation aimed at restoring order. Vice President Kashim Shettima also visited Ilorin on February 7 to commiserate with the state government and affected communities.

The killings drew international condemnation. The United Nations, the United States, and Türkiye denounced the violence and called for accountability.

In separate statements, they described it as heinous, with Türkiye pledging military support to Nigeria’s efforts to combat insecurity.

Amnesty International has, however, criticised the Nigerian government over what it described as serious security lapses, noting that residents had reportedly raised concerns about impending attacks weeks before the massacre.

Meanwhile, other deadly incidents were recorded across the country within the same period. In Katsina State, armed groups killed between 21 and 35 people in Doma village, Tafoki ward, during coordinated house-to-house attacks that reportedly shattered a five-month peace pact between the community and local armed gangs.

In Benue State, suspected armed herdsmen attacked the Abande settlement in Kwande Local Government Area on February 3, killing at least 16 people, including a Mobile Police officer, and looting a local market.

Similarly, in Niger State, gunmen launched an attack on communities in Agwara and Mashegu local government areas on February 1, setting a police station ablaze and abducting several residents.

The latest attacks have renewed concerns over the country’s security challenges, with growing calls for stronger protection of vulnerable communities and more decisive action against armed groups.

Foreign

South Africa to Withdraw Troops from UN Peacekeeping Mission in Congo

Published

5 days ago

February 9, 2026

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South Africa has announced that it will withdraw its troops from the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a decision that reflects a strategic reassessment of the country’s military commitments abroad.

Officials confirmed that the withdrawal will be carried out as part of a broader review of Pretoria’s role in international peace operations, with an emphasis on ensuring that the country’s foreign deployments align with national priorities and regional security needs.

South African forces have been part of the UN mission in the DRC, which aims to stabilize the region, protect civilians, and support the Congolese government in maintaining peace. The decision to pull out highlights the evolving security dynamics in central Africa and the challenges faced by contributing nations in balancing international obligations with domestic considerations.

While details regarding the exact timeline and scale of the troop withdrawal have not been fully disclosed, authorities have emphasized that South Africa remains committed to supporting regional peace and stability through diplomatic channels and other collaborative initiatives.

Analysts note that the withdrawal may have implications for the operational capacity of the UN mission in the DRC, though it is expected that remaining international contingents will continue to work towards sustaining peace efforts in the conflict-affected areas.

The announcement has sparked discussions across African political and security circles about the future of peacekeeping in the DRC and the role of member states in ensuring the success of multinational missions aimed at reducing conflict and promoting stability in the region.

Foreign

Elon Musk summoned as France probes X, Grok AI

Published

1 week ago

February 4, 2026

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Prosecutors have filed requests for voluntary interviews of Elon Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino as the authorities in France scrutinize X, formerly Twitter, and its Grok AI.

A team of French police officers, alongside Europol operatives, searched the social media platform’s office in Paris, the French capital, on Tuesday.

Musk and Yaccarino are expected to appear on April 20 for questions about the use of the company’s AI chatbot to create sexualized images of women and children, among others.

Paris public prosecutor Laure Beccuau explained that the aim was to ensure that X “complies with French law, as it operates on the national territory.”

A list of allegations released by the government includes: defamation of a person’s image (deepfakes of sexual nature); denial of crimes against humanity (Holocaust), and operating an illegal online platform by an organized group.

Others are: complicity in the possession of images of minors (pornographic); complicity in the distribution of or offering minors’ images (pornographic); and fraudulent extraction of data from an ⁠automated data processing system.

Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has not directly responded to the raid and investigation, but the world’s richest man has reposted comments critical of the French operation.

Musk often accuses Europe of information censorship and election interference, yet more countries on the continent, including Spain and the United Kingdom, have indicated a probe of X and Grok.