INTERNACIONAL
Trump says Meloni ‘wants to be friends again’ after Italy refused to help US amid Iran war
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President Donald Trump once again mocked Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for allegedly asking him over and over again for a picture at the G7 Summit in France this week, before slamming her for not doing enough to support the U.S. war in Iran.
«Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G-7 meeting in France,» Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday morning, reiterating what he told an Italian outlet on Friday.
Meloni told Reuters on Friday that Trump «completely made up» this claim and that she was «astonished.»
«I don’t know why the president of the United States behaves like this towards his allies: it is not the first time, moreover,» she said.
RUBIO MEETS MELONI AS TRUMP-POPE CLASH ESCALATES US STRAINS WITH KEY EUROPEAN ALLY
President Donald Trump’s feud with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has escalated amid fallout from the G7 Summit and Iran war. (Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In his social media post, Trump went on to criticize Meloni for failing to assist the U.S. when the war in Iran was in full swing several months ago.
«She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America, a Country that truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing a Nuclear Weapon (But so did NATO, for that matter!),» he wrote.
Trump added that he was frustrated with Meloni for not letting U.S. forces use Italy’s landing strips and runways, calling it «a great logistical inconvenience.»
Italy denied the use of an air base in Sicily to U.S. warplanes that were carrying weapons that would be used in the campaign against Iran, The Guardian reported in March.
President Donald Trump meets with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on April 17, 2025.
Italy denied the use of an air base in Sicily to U.S. warplanes that were carrying weapons that would be used in the campaign against Iran, The Guardian reported in March.
Trump routinely criticized other NATO allies in Europe, including the United Kingdom, Germany and France, for failures to provide what he viewed as substantive military support.
Italy’s refusal to help, Trump wrote, is «despite the fact the U.S. contributes hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year to protect Italy, and other ‘so-called’ NATO Allies.»
«Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her ‘numbers up.’ No thanks!!!» Trump concluded his post.
MORE KEY US ALLIES BLOCK MILITARY FLIGHTS AS IRAN WAR RIFT WIDENS WITH TRUMP
Late Saturday morning, Meloni posted a lengthy response to Trump’s post on Instagram, condemning him for his «senseless» and «constant» attacks on her.
«As for my popularity, being your friend certainly has not helped it, nor does it depend on my relationship with you. My popularity depends on my ability to defend Italy’s national interest, and that is exactly what I have always done,» she wrote. «That is also what I did regarding the American military bases in Italy. Their use is governed by agreements that we have always respected, and that cannot be violated as long as I am Prime Minister.»
She continued, «Italy remains a sovereign nation. In any case, my popularity is none of your concern. I suggest you focus on yours.»
Rubio will travel to Italy on Wednesday for meetings with Pope Leo and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. (Maria Grazia Picciarella/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Trump once had strong ties to the Italian head of state, with Meloni being the only European Union leader who got an invite to his inauguration in January 2025, according to NPR. Like Trump, Meloni is a conservative who favors traditional family values and often pushes back against «woke» ideology.
Cracks began to form in their relationship when Trump deployed his worldwide tariffs. Despite Meloni’s attempts to get trade relief for Italy, the U.S. still has a 15% tariff on most EU imports.
In April, when Trump attacked Pope Leo for his foreign policy views on Iran, Meloni issued a rare public rebuke, calling the president’s comments «unacceptable.»
IRAN ‘ALREADY AGREED’ TO GIVING UP NUCLEAR WEAPON AMBITIONS, TRUMP REVEALS
Before the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday that halts hostilities for 60 days, Meloni repeatedly insisted Italy would not join the war.
«Italy is not participating and has no intention of participating,» Meloni told the Italian Senate in March.
An Israeli soldier scans the area while taking cover near the Israel-Lebanon border following a Hezbollah drone attack on June 1, 2026. (Jalaa Marey/AFP via Getty Images)
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Still, Meloni has long been critical of Iran’s nuclear ambitions and has suggested restraining the regime through diplomatic means.
«We all agree on the fact that Iran cannot equip itself with a nuclear weapon,» Meloni said at last year’s G7 Summit. «The goal we are all working towards is to have negotiations that will truly prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power.»
The U.S.-Iran talks that were scheduled for Friday were temporarily postponed amid renewed fighting in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terrorist group. Talks were later set too resume in Switzerland between the U.S. and Iranian delegations after Israel and Hezbollah reached a ceasefire.
One of the key points of the MOU signed by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian required an end to military operations across all fronts, including in Lebanon, as part of the broader conditions for the agreement to remain in effect.
politics, donald trump, italy, iran, war with iran
Backlash intensifies as Graham Platner drops Senate bid
Former Maine Senate nominee Graham Platner withdraws from the race after a rape accusation, sparking political uproar. Platner blames the media and political establishment for his downfall, while critics, including Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, denounce his «narcissistic» video. Democrats now race to select a new nominee by July 27, with figures like Troy Jackson emerging.
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Graham Platner the embattled Democratic Senate nominee in Maine, on Friday publicly released the letter formally withdrawing from the U.S. Senate race, thanking supporters before signing off with, «F**k ICE. Free Palestine. Up the Hearts.»
Platner posted the July 10 letter on X after submitting it to the Maine Department of the Secretary of State’s Division of Elections.
«I write to formally withdraw my candidacy for United States Senate,» Platner wrote.
THE DOZEN RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE’S BALANCE OF POWER
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks at his primary election event in Blue Hill, Maine, on June 9, 2026. (CJ Gunther/Getty Images)
The letter thanked the 156,084 Mainers who voted for him in last month’s Democratic primary and argued they had backed «a new kind of politics» focused on issues including Medicare for All, stronger unions and limiting the influence of billionaires in politics.
«My name may have been on the ballot, but that ballot line belongs to the people of Maine,» Platner wrote. «As such, please consider this notice as my official withdrawal from consideration for this office.»
Platner concluded the letter by writing, «F**k ICE. Free Palestine. Up the Hearts.»
The letter comes two days after Platner announced he was suspending his campaign amid mounting controversies and allegations of sexual misconduct that he has repeatedly denied.
A populist Democrat who was backed last September by progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders, Platner was challenging longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a high-profile, combustible and expensive race in Maine, which is one of a handful that will determine if the GOP holds onto its slim Senate majority in November’s midterm elections.
«For the movement to continue, it can’t be me. For that reason, we are suspending campaign operations,» Platner said on Wednesday in a video posted to social media.
The end of his campaign came a month after Platner won a landslide victory in Maine’s June 9 Democratic Senate primary, but days after an explosive report contained an allegation of rape from a woman he previously dated.
Maine resident Jenny Racicot told CNN «by dictionary definition» Platner «raped» her. She also said over the course of three interviews with Politico that Platner forced her to have sex five years ago against her will, a claim that he denied.
Platner last week was hit with a second explosive allegation of sexual misconduct. In a report published by The Washington Post, Platner was accused of removing condoms during sex with his ex-girlfriend Lyndsey Fifield after she explicitly directed him to wear them.
Fifield had previously accused Platner in a New York Times report of physical misconduct during their relationship, saying that he sometimes grabbed her hard enough to leave marks on her body and that one time he twisted her arm around her back, pushed her into a bedroom and held the door shut until she «calmed down.»
The Platner campaign responded that Fifield’s latest allegations were «categorically false and politically motivated,» pointing to her previous work for the conservative Heritage Foundation.
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Addressing the multiple allegations in his video announcement last week, a visibly angry Platner charged, «This is all false. The things that have been claimed did not happen. It is not real.»
The Marine Corps combat veteran and oyster farmer became the all-but-certain party nominee in the spring after two-term Gov. Janet Mills, who was backed by Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and the party establishment, suspended her bid after significantly trailing Platner in fundraising and polling.
But as he moved towards capturing the nomination, Platner was forced to play defense amid multiple controversies that muddied the final days of his primary campaign and overshadowed his victory.
Past inflammatory online comments made on a now-deleted Reddit account came back to haunt him at the same time he was reeling from revelations of a now covered-up tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol. Then reports that Platner exchanged sexually explicit messages with several women while married came right before allegations from ex-girlfriends of a history of rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes.
Platner repeatedly called the allegations of violence untrue.
The mounting controversies drew plenty of attention, gave Republicans more ammunition to use against him and triggered some Democrats in the nation’s capital to question whether Platner was damaged goods.
But the allegations didn’t stop him from riding a populist wave to capture the nomination in a landslide.
SCANDAL-PLAGUED PLATNER CAPTURES DEMOCRATIC SENATE NOMINATION DESPITE MOUNTING CONTROVERSIES
Platner, who struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from his three tours in the war in Iraq with the Marines and one tour with the Army National Guard in Afghanistan, apologized for his controversial Reddit posts after some of them made headlines after he launched his Senate campaign.
In his primary night victory speech last month, Platner emphasized that he was a changed man.
«If you believe, as I do, that we can change our politics and change our country, then you must also believe that people can change,» Platner told the crowd. «And the reason I believe that is because I have lived it.»
After the latest allegations went viral last week, a growing chorus of Democrats called on Platner to quit the race, from establishment figures like Schumer to progressives among his biggest backers, including Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Mass., and Rep. Ro Khanna, Calif., who campaigned with Platner in Maine in June.
The Maine Democratic Party announced last week that officials were working «around the clock» to determine a replacement process, but claimed Platner’s team was trying «to put their thumb on the scale of what this process looks like.»
Graham Platner, Democratic US Senate candidate for Maine, during a primary election night event at the Blue Hill YMCA in Blue Hill, Maine, US, on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Progressive Democrat Graham Platner won the party’s Senate primary in Maine after a bruising campaign which became as much about his accusations of past misbehavior as it was voters’ top concerns. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Platner’s team, responding, said they had reached out to the party but denied they were trying to put any «finger on the scale.»
A day later, the state party announced it would hold a nominating convention, which Fox News Digital confirmed would likely consist of 600 voting delegates, to choose a new Senate nominee.
That didn’t appear to sit well with Platner, who in his video said, «What comes next needs to come from the people. Needs to come from the people of Maine. Needs to come from the voters who on June 9….said no to this kind of politics. Voted for a politics that would actually represent them. Vote against the political system. Against the donor class. Against the entrenched forces.»
Platner, who ran an outsider campaign, said that if he had continued his bid, he’d lose the ability to raise money and access crucial voter data, essential elements to any campaign.
«Those in power who have the ability to do so are using these allegations as an excuse to take away all the things that we need to run a campaign,» he charged.
Since last Wednesday’s announcement, a slew of Democrats have jumped into the race to succeed Platner as the party’s Senate nominee.
The list includes three gubernatorial contenders who came up short in last month’s primary: progressive Troy Jackson, a former state Senate president who was also backed by Sanders; Nirav Shah, the former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention; and Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows.
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Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine tours a food bank in Harrison, Maine, on May 5, 2026. The food bank was able to expand thanks to federal funding that the senator helped obtain. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
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Collins, a moderate Republican who at times votes against President Donald Trump’s agenda, is running for a sixth six-year term in the Senate.
Republicans currently control the chamber 53-47 and flipping the Senate seat in left-leaning Maine is a key part of the Democrats’ path to retake the majority.
chuck schumer, graham platner, bernie sanders, democrats elections, midterm elections, maine, senate elections
INTERNACIONAL
La reunión del CAPTAC-DR abre en Guatemala una agenda para la estabilidad económica regional
Guatemala abrió la XVIII reunión del CAPTAC-DR para coordinar con bancos centrales, ministerios de finanzas y organismos internacionales una agenda orientada a la estabilidad económica regional, en un escenario de incertidumbre global y con debates sobre inversión, innovación institucional y estadísticas macroeconómicas que continuarán durante dos días.
La agenda incluye el análisis de perspectivas macroeconómicas globales, posibles choques externos, innovación tecnológica en los bancos centrales, fortalecimiento institucional y oportunidades para atraer inversión extranjera directa.
La segunda jornada comenzó este viernes con una sesión sobre panorama e innovaciones en estadísticas macroeconómicas y con una revisión de los nuevos manuales del Sistema de Cuentas Nacionales.
Según información del Ministerio de Finanzas Públicas y del Banco de Guatemala, el encuentro se realiza junto con el Consejo Monetario Centroamericano y el Consejo de Ministros de Hacienda o Finanzas de Centroamérica, Panamá y República Dominicana.
La cita reúne a presidentes de bancos centrales, ministros de finanzas y hacienda, representantes del Fondo Monetario Internacional y socios para el desarrollo.
La ceremonia inaugural fue presidida por Álvaro González Ricci, presidente de la Junta Monetaria y del Banco de Guatemala, quien también ejerce como presidente del Consejo Monetario Centroamericano y del Comité de Dirección del CAPTAC-DR. Lo acompañaron Jonathan Menkos ministro de Finanzas Públicas de Guatemala, Magín Díaz ministro de Hacienda y Economía de República Dominicana y presidente pro tempore del COSEFIN, y Ari Aisen director del CAPTAC-DR.
Durante la apertura, Menkos sostuvo que el objetivo del diálogo es fortalecer la articulación regional para diseñar e implementar mejores políticas macroeconómicas y financieras con apoyo de asistencia técnica y capacitación internacional. En ese marco, afirmó: “Centroamérica, República Dominicana y Panamá no pueden ser espectadores en la economía global”.
El ministro agregó: “Tenemos ya un peso que vale la pena trabajar en conjunto y, por supuesto, desde el Gobierno de Guatemala estamos claros que podemos caminar bien si caminamos en sintonía”. También agradeció, en nombre del gobierno y del presidente Bernardo Arévalo, la participación de las delegaciones y su compromiso con la integración regional.
Menkos propuso cuatro líneas de trabajo: una estrategia conjunta para fortalecer producción, exportaciones e inserción en cadenas globales de valor; un pacto regional para reforzar la resiliencia fiscal y asegurar financiamiento sostenible; una agenda de inclusión y conectividad física, digital y financiera; y una posición coordinada para representar los intereses de la región en foros internacionales.
González Ricci destacó que Guatemala alberga la sede del Centro desde 2009 y subrayó el papel del CAPTAC-DR en el fortalecimiento de las capacidades técnicas de bancos centrales, ministerios de hacienda y superintendencias de bancos. Indicó además que la asistencia técnica y la coordinación promovidas por el Centro siguen siendo herramientas centrales para responder a los desafíos de las instituciones económicas y financieras.
El titular de la Junta Monetaria también presentó avances alcanzados por el CAPTAC-DR durante el año fiscal 2026 y reconoció el aporte de expertos residentes y externos. Añadió que la coordinación con distintas áreas del Fondo Monetario Internacional permitió ampliar el alcance de la asistencia técnica y consolidar una agenda de trabajo con mayor capacidad de respuesta ante los retos económicos regionales.
En la reunión, Luis Cubeddu director adjunto del Departamento del Hemisferio Occidental del FMI presentó un análisis sobre perspectivas macroeconómicas globales y choques externos que podrían incidir en la región.
Su exposición puso el foco en la necesidad de contar con instituciones sólidas, análisis macroeconómicos oportunos y cooperación estrecha entre los países de Centroamérica, Panamá y República Dominicana.
Aisen, por su parte, sostuvo que el fortalecimiento institucional requiere programas de desarrollo de capacidades alineados con las prioridades de los países miembros. Explicó que esa tarea apunta a mejorar la formulación de políticas económicas, la gestión institucional y la resiliencia de las economías de la región.
Como parte del programa, autoridades del Consejo Monetario Centroamericano, del COSEFIN y del CAPTAC-DR participaron en una sesión conjunta sobre perspectivas y experiencias vinculadas con el grado de inversión. El intercambio buscó identificar prácticas y lecciones que puedan contribuir al fortalecimiento de las políticas económicas e institucionales.
En esa sesión intervinieron Óscar Valencia, asesor económico regional del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo, y Siobhan Morden, directora general de Santander Investment Securities. Ambos expusieron condiciones que han permitido a distintos países alcanzar y mantener ese reconocimiento.
La segunda jornada sumó un bloque técnico sobre producción de información económica regional. Allí se analizaron avances, desafíos y perspectivas para fortalecer las estadísticas macroeconómicas, junto con el impacto de las actualizaciones derivadas de los nuevos manuales del Sistema de Cuentas Nacionales sobre la comparabilidad y la calidad de los datos.
CAPTAC-DR,CMCA,COSEFIN,Banco de Guatemala,reunión,evento oficial
INTERNACIONAL
Former British MP and reality TV star Ann Widdecombe found dead; man arrested for murder
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he will resign amid political turmoil
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has resigned, announcing his decision outside Number 10 Downing Street amid significant political turmoil. Fox News senior foreign affairs correspondent Greg Palkot reports that Starmer’s leadership has been plagued by economic struggles, immigration issues, and declining support from his Labour Party. Andy Burnham, a popular former mayor, is now considered a frontrunner to become the UK’s seventh Prime Minister in a decade.
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A 26-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Ann Widdecombe, a former British member of Parliament and reality TV contestant, police said.
Widdecombe, 78, was found dead Thursday in her home on the edge of Dartmoor National Park in southwest England. Authorities said she died of serious injuries, Reuters reported.
The name of the suspect has not been released.
LABOUR MP PUTS CABINET ‘ON NOTICE,’ THREATENS TO TRIGGER LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE AGAINST STARMER BY MONDAY
Britain’s European Parliament member Ann Widdecombe, right, of the Brexit Party, speaks during a debate at the European Parliament on Jan. 14, 2020, in Strasbourg, eastern France. Widdecombe was found dead in her home this week and a 26-year-old man has been arrested, authorities said. (Jean-Francois Badias/AP)
«This is really shocking news, and my thoughts, I think all of our thoughts, will be with the family and friends of Ann Widdecombe at this awful time,» Prime Minister Keir Starmer said. «Ann was a distinguished politician over many, many years with many achievements, and it’s a huge, huge loss.»
Investigators don’t believe the killing was politically motivated, Devon and Cornwall Police Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said.
«Our murder enquiry is in its early stages but moving at a significant pace,» Devon and Cornwall Police said in a statement.
Starmer said the security of lawmakers was «of the utmost importance,» and urged people to rise above political differences.
BRITISH PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER FACES POTENTIAL LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE FROM NEWLY-ELECTED ANDY BURNHAM
Former British member of Parliament Ann Widdecombe reads a statement outside the Old Bailey in London after the sentencing of Ali Harbi Ali in relation to the murder trial of the late British lawmaker David Amess. (John Sibley/Reuters)
Widdecombe served in Parliament, but found fame after leaving office as a contestant on the Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother reality television shows. She later joined the Brexit Party and became a spokeswoman for the anti-mass migration Reform UK party.
In a post on X, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called Widdecombe «a heroic Brexiteer and a great speaker who could move Tory audiences to such ecstasy that she was a very hard act to follow.»
Cloud9 Management, which represented Widdecombe for more than a decade, said her life was driven by her «strong Christian values and commitment to public service.»
«She loved the cut and thrust of political debate and, 16 years after leaving Parliament, was still actively campaigning for Reform UK and offering forthright views on the hot topics of the day across numerous radio and television programmes (sic). Ann was a valued patron of many causes, particularly her animal charities,» the company said in a social media post.
Brexit Party member and then-MEP Ann Widdecombe speaks during a Brexit Party news conference in London on Aug. 27, 2019. (Henry Nicholls/Reuters)
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In the past decade, two serving British members of parliament have been murdered.
In the midst of the Brexit campaign of 2016, Labour lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed by a Nazi-obsessed loner. Conservative lawmaker David Amess was fatally stabbed in 2021 by a man inspired by the Islamic State terror group.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
united kingdom, world, crime, europe
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