Maura Judkis In the commotion of Donald Trump’s return to office, it’s easy to overlook a smaller thing that has vanished: the Swedish ivy plant in the Oval Office. The ivy sat atop the fireplace mantel for most of the past 50 years, providing a backdrop for meetings with countless leaders and foreign dignitaries at the White House. It has filtered the air breathed by Nelson Mandela, Pope John Paul II, Margaret Thatcher and Whitney Houston. When the president stared straight ahead from the Resolute Desk, the ivy is what he saw. It has taken several shapes over the years. Under Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter the ivy was unkempt and bushy. It was pruned back during the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. It features prominently
Category Archives: OPINION
Mar
Investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas has secured a legal victory against former Ghanaian Member of Parliament Kennedy Agyapong, after a jury in the Essex County Superior Court in New Jersey found Agyapong liable for defamation. The court awarded Anas $18 million in damages. In a statement posted on Facebook, Anas described the ruling as more than just a personal victory, calling it a decisive message to Ghanaian politicians that the media cannot be taken for granted. “This decision is not merely a legal triumph—it is a resounding affirmation that falsehood and character assassination have no place in our society,” he wrote. He emphasised that the verdict reinforced a commitment to building a robust democracy that serves all Ghanaians. Reflecting on the legal battle, Anas noted the stark difference between the
Mar
A member of the security forces of Syria’s new authorities walks in the compound of the Fourth Division’s Security Bureau on the outskirts of Damascus on December 21, 2024. © Bakr Alkasem / AFP Investigation by Rouba El Housseini . Additional reporting by Bakr Alkasem and Maher al-Mounes. From a Bond villain lair in the rugged heights overlooking Damascus, the all-seeing eye of a notorious Syrian military unit gazed down on a city it bled dry. Many of the bases of the elite Fourth Division formerly run by toppled president Bashar al-Assad’s feared younger brother Maher now lie looted. But papers left strewn behind reveal how the man they called “The Master” and his cronies wallowed in immense wealth while some of their foot soldiers struggled to feed their families
Mar
Clearly, the player doesn’t want to be at City anymore and it doesn’t make sense to keep him when his head has been turned. The way transfers are secretly done in South Africa, it wouldn’t surprise me if it turns out that Oswin Appollis has actually been sold in the past transfer window. Having said that, it looks highly unlikely that the attacking midfielder has secured his dream move away from Polokwane City. This is why I think the current state of affairs is not helping the club and if I was Appollis, I would’ve gone on strike to force the move. It’s not like there isn’t interest in his services and from what we’ve been told, City’s evaluation for Appollis has been met by his admirers. ALSO READ: OPINION –
Mar
The US dollar’s dominance as the world’s ulitmate safe-haven currency is being “shaken and severely tested,” warns the CEO of global financial advisory giant, deVere Group. Nigel Green says that President Trump’s erratic policy decisions—tariffs, geopolitical clashes, aggressive deportations, and radical interventions with Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency—are accelerating the global shift away from the dollar. Investors are scrambling for alternatives, and the consequences could become permanent. “The dollar has long been the anchor of global finance, but Trump’s actions are eroding confidence at a stunning pace. The world is watching the US turn inward with protectionism, trade wars, and erratic diplomacy. “The market response is already in motion. The dollar has slumped to a four-month low, despite Trump’s rhetoric that tariffs would ‘make America stronger.’ “Instead, the world is
Mar
Is Trump’s approach one of strategic diplomacy, or could it be a potentially dangerous posture that puts the remaining captives at risk? By JPOST EDITORIAL MARCH 7, 2025 05:51 Updated: MARCH 7, 2025 06:00 US President Donald Trump meets with a delegation of former hostages in the Oval Office, and shows off a plaque of gratitude from Hostage Families Forum, March 5, 2025. (photo credit: SCREENSHOT/X/POTUS) It was impossible to not be moved by Wednesday’s emotional meeting at the White House between US President Donald Trump and a group of freed Israeli hostages – Eli Sharabi, Keith and Aviva Siegel, Naama Levy, Doron Steinbrecher, Iair Horn, Omer Shem Tov, and Noa Argamani. Almost all of them were freed as part of ceasefire deals between Israel and Hamas. During the meeting
Feb
Bernd Debusmann Jr BBC News, White House Getty Images Donald Trump held his first cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday, turning the occasion into an extended question-and-answer session that lasted for more than an hour. Speaking alongside his cabinet – and billionaire Elon Musk who wore a “tech support” T-shirt – Trump covered a wide range of topics, ranging from Doge’s efforts to cut government spending to immigration, the economy and the war in Ukraine. Here are a five takeaways from his remarks. 1) Trump praises Rubio and Musk Trump was asked by reporters which government department – and, by extension, which cabinet members – were most resistant to his policy changes. “So far, I’m happy with all of those choices,” he said. He added, however, that “some
Feb
In the give-and-take of negotiations, Trump expects Zelensky to do all the giving and Putin and Trump the taking. By DOUGLAS ALTABEF FEBRUARY 27, 2025 03:34 UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT Volodymyr Zelensky speaks with US President Donald Trump by phone, earlier this month. In his first weeks in office, Trump dramatically reversed US policy on Ukraine, even falsely accusing Zelensky of starting the war with Russia, the writer notes. (photo credit: UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE/REUTERS) President Donald Trump marked the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Monday by siding with Moscow and its closest allies on the losing side of two UN General Assembly resolutions concerning Moscow’s unprovoked invasion on February 24, 2022. One condemned the brutal Russian aggression by name, and the other called for an end to the
Feb
Twice a day, sirens sound at Cambodia’s Chip Mong Insee cement kiln, warning limestone will soon be blasted from the karst mountain that overlooks the sprawling industrial site. White smoke billows from its silver chimney, visible only at night against the dark sky, and dust coats much of the surrounding area, where residents complain of persistent respiratory illnesses that arrived along with the kiln. Aerial picture taken on 9 January 2025 of the Chip Mong Insee cement factory in Kampot province. © Suy Se / AFP The plant might seem an unlikely poster child for the fight against plastic pollution, but cement kilns are central to the burgeoning plastic credits sector, where buyers pay for the collection and disposal of plastic waste. Credits are meant to tackle the scourge of
Feb
By Juliet Mulonga The UPND walkout from a crucial parliamentary debate on the cost of living crisis has triggered widespread criticism. This decision, which led to the collapse of the quorum, has fueled concerns about the government’s commitment to tackling Zambia’s economic hardships. To make matters worse, the Ministry of Finance later announced that Hon. Situmbeko Musokotwane would address the issue on an online platform instead. Many see this move as an attempt to evade public scrutiny and accountability. Parliament is the cornerstone of democracy and the primary arena for debating and formulating policy solutions. Given Zambia’s rising cost of living, a parliamentary discussion was essential to explore practical strategies for economic relief. However, UPND MPs and ministers chose to abandon this responsibility, instead opting for an online discussion a
Feb
Even in its earliest forms, DEI was never really about the literal meaning of the three words, “Diversity,” “Equity” and “Inclusion.” By DAVID BERNSTEIN, PHIL SIEGEL FEBRUARY 14, 2025 18:15 Group, business people and hands in stack for teamwork, collaboration or diversity in workplace community. (photo credit: SHUTTERSTOCK) Jewish Insider recently reported that “Jewish groups are now divided on their embrace of the DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) framework — but nearly all recognize shortcomings in the ideology.” They know that DEI as commonly practiced is deeply flawed but don’t want to alienate allies by opposing it or miss the opportunity to sensitize institutions to antisemitism. So, in order to get the Jewish narrative heard, they often reconcile themselves to a faulty scheme. It’s time that they ask themselves some
Feb
Defense Minister Israel Katz has wasted no time leaving his stamp on the cabinet office, viewed as the most powerful in the government. By YONAH JEREMY BOB FEBRUARY 13, 2025 17:41 Updated: FEBRUARY 13, 2025 17:49 Defense Minister Israel Katz attends a Foreign Affairs and Defense committee discussion at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, on January 22, 2025 (photo credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90) Looking back at Defense Minister Israel Katz’s first 100 days, he cannot be as easily dismissed as many in the media have tried to do. Unlike some new Likud ministers who had little substantive experience or accomplishments and whose main resume was tweeting publicly for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and against all of his perceived opponents, Katz, age 70, has had serious jobs. He has been foreign minister twice
Feb
At a time when we anticipate the launch of a normalization process, dismantling USAID threatens to derail it before it even begins. By NADAV TAMIR FEBRUARY 10, 2025 01:30 PROTESTERS MARCH outside the USAID building in Washington last week after Elon Musk announced that work is underway to shut down the US foreign aid agency. USAID embodies the soft power of the United States and dismantling it contradicts the concept of ‘American exceptionalism,’ the writer argues. (photo credit: Kent Nishimura/Reuters) The Trump administration, led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is taking an unprecedented step toward dismantling USAID and significantly reducing US foreign aid. In recent days, thousands of agency employees have been placed on forced leave, and all aid programs worldwide have been frozen. “USAID is not
Jan
When I wrote in the Financial Times in 2023 that even though China has nothing to do with the Ukraine war , the longer it drags on, the more people will look to Beijing as a broker, I never expected Donald Trump to be re-elected as US president and ask China for help . At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said he had reached out to President Xi Jinping during a phone call and described China as having “a great deal of power over that situation”. There is a grain of black humour when the man who vowed to end the war within 24 hours asks China to step in. However, Trump didn’t even need to ask. A year after Russia invaded, China proposed a 12-point peace plan
![American and Israeli Jews [Illustrative] (photo credit: REUTERS)](https://i3.wp.com/images.jpost.com/image/upload/q_auto/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_537,w_822/433149?w=1000&resize=1000,500)
Jan
In an American political climate where meritocracy is the word du jour, it’s not clear if any minority label – for any group – will be an asset or a liability. By SOPHIA TUPOLEV-LUZ JANUARY 29, 2025 02:14 American and Israeli Jews [Illustrative] (photo credit: REUTERS) The US Department of Commerce, on January 13, 2025, signed an agreement with the country’s Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce to confer minority status on Jewish-owned businesses in America through the department’s Minority Business Development Agency. This move has elicited strong mixed emotions for many Jews, myself included. At first glance, this sounds like an impactful step toward the economic inclusion of Jewish business owners. After all, federal programs for minority groups have been around for 50 years. Taking that view, it makes sense