Trump to attend Asean Summit in KL, says Anwar
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim made the announcement during his speech tabling the 13th Malaysia Plan in Parliament today.
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The Sun
24 minutes ago
- The Sun
Trump stakes reputation as dealmaker with tariff policy
WASHINGTON: Donald Trump is staking his reputation as a tough negotiator and slick dealmaker -- that has served him well throughout his life -- with his ultra-muscular, protectionist tariffs policy. On Friday, the White House released a picture of the US president seen with a smartphone pressed to his ear, with the caption: 'Making calls. Making deals. MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!' Every trade deal announced by the president, who is convinced that tariffs are both a tool and manifestation of America's economic might, is celebrated by his supporters as a show of his negotiating prowess. This week's flurry of rate changes was no different. On Thursday, with the stroke of a black marker, the former real estate developer slapped fresh tariffs on dozens of US trade partners. They will kick in on August 7 instead of August 1, which had previously been touted as a hard deadline. The Republican leader's backtracking, frequently setting trade deadlines only to rescind or extend them -- he most recently granted Mexico a 90-day extension -- has given rise to the mocking acronym 'TACO' ('Trump always chickens out'). The jokes implying Trump is all talk and no action on trade have previously struck a nerve for the president. 'Not chicken' But analysts believe there will be no going back this time. Trump has 'not chickened out,' according to Josh Lipsky, an international economics expert at the Atlantic Council think tank. Lipsky told AFP the president is 'following through, if not exceeding' what he vowed during his campaign in respect to tariffs. Matthew Aks, a public policy analyst at Evercore ISI, said he did not anticipate a 'massive shift' on the latest order, aside from some economies like Taiwan or India striking deals during the seven-day buffer. Following crunch negotiations leading up to the tariffs announcement, Trump struck a series of compromises, notably with the European Union, Japan, and South Korea, setting varying tax rates and touting high investments in the United States. The details of these agreements remain vague and leave the door open to key questions: Are exemptions possible? What will become of key sectors like automobiles, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors? And what of China? The US president and leaders of other countries 'have reasons to avoid going into detailed agreements' explained Aks, allowing all sides to present the deals in the most positive, or least negative, way possible to their public. The ability to conclude deals -- often with or without crucial detail -- is, for the 79-year-old Republican, an integral part of his political signature. 'Art form' In his book 'The Art of the Deal,' the billionaire wrote: 'Deals are my art form. Other people paint beautifully on canvas or write wonderful poetry. I like making deals, preferably big deals. That's how I get my kicks.' Trump explained in his book that he always 'protects' himself 'by being flexible.' 'I never get too attached to one deal or one approach.' But despite comments about his trade policy reversals, Trump has hardly budged from his trade strategy, and that could prove politically painful. In a survey conducted by Quinnipiac University published in mid-July, only 40 percent of respondents said they supported the president's trade policy, while 56 percent criticized it. The latest employment figures bear the marks of Trump's protectionist offensive, according to experts. Job creation in May and June was revised sharply downward, falling to levels not seen since the Covid-19 pandemic. - AFP
The Sun
24 minutes ago
- The Sun
RM2 billion flood mitigation project in Kuching under 13MP
KUCHING: The Kuching City Flood Mitigation Plan (RTB) under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) will cost approximately RM2 billion, according to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof. The project, divided into three main packages, includes constructing a canal, a bridge, and a barrage along Sungai Salak. Fadillah, who is also the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, stated that the tender process will begin this year, with construction expected to start in 2026. 'This RTB will channel excess water through Sungai Salak. Similar to Sungai Sarawak, a barrage will be installed to prevent seawater intrusion and allow better water control during high tides,' he explained after the opening of the He Medical Clinic. The Kuching RTB is part of a nationwide effort under the 13MP (2026–2030) to improve flood resilience and public infrastructure. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recently announced a RM20 billion allocation for 103 RTB projects across Malaysia. Key locations include Sungai Langat and Sungai Buloh in Selangor, Sungai Golok in Kelantan, and Sungai Johor Basin in Johor. - Bernama
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
Bid to relocate US Space Shuttle Discovery faces museum pushback
WASHINGTON, Aug 2 — Tucked inside President Donald Trump's flagship tax and spending bill last month was a little-noticed provision to relocate the iconic Space Shuttle Discovery from a museum outside Washington to Houston. The plan now faces legal uncertainty, with the Smithsonian Institution arguing Congress had no authority to give away what it considers private property—even before accounting for the steep logistical and financial challenges. 'The Smithsonian Institution owns the Discovery and holds it in trust for the American public,' the museum network, which receives substantial federal funding yet remains an independent entity, said in a statement to AFP yesterday. 'In 2012, Nasatransferred 'all rights, title, interest and ownership' of the shuttle to the Smithsonian,' the statement continued, calling Discovery one of the museum's 'centerpieces' that welcomes millions of visitors a year. The push to move Discovery from the Air and Space Museum's site in northern Virginia began in April, when Texas Senator John Cornyn, a Republican who faces a tough primary challenge next year by state attorney general Ken Paxton, introduced the 'Bring the Space Shuttle Home Act,' naming Discovery. The legislation stalled until it was folded into the mammoth 'Big Beautiful Bill,' signed into law on July 4. Its passage allocated US$85 million (RM363.6 million) for the move, though the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service has projected a far higher cost of US$325 million, adding that the Nasa administrator's power over non-Nasa entities is 'unclear.' To comply with Senate rules, the bill's language was modified such that Discovery is no longer named directly. Instead, the bill refers to a 'space vehicle,' though there is little doubt as to the target. Nasa's administrator—currently Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, serving in an acting capacity—was given 30 days to identify which spacecraft is to be relocated, a deadline coming up on Sunday. End of an era Nasa's Space Shuttle program ended in 2011, after a 30-year run that carried America's post-Apollo space ambitions. The four surviving orbiters—Atlantis, Endeavour, prototype Enterprise, and Discovery—were awarded to Florida, California, New York, and Virginia through a ranked selection process. Discovery, the most flown, was chosen as a vehicle-of-record in a near-complete state, intended for study by future generations. 'There was not a lot of support within Houston to want a shuttle,' space historian Robert Pearlman told AFP, adding that a proposal to house it at Space Center Houston was relatively weak. But after the announcement, Texas—home to the Johnson Space Centre, which oversees NASA's human spaceflight—felt snubbed, and allegations of political interference by then-president Barack Obama swirled. A Nasa inspector general probe found no evidence of foul play. Enormous challenges Relocating Discovery now would pose major technical hurdles. NASA had modified two Boeing 747s to ferry retired shuttles—one is now a museum piece, and the other is out of service. That leaves land and water transport. 'The nearest water entrance to the Potomac River is about 30 miles (48.3 kilometres) away,' Pearlman said—but it may be too shallow for the orbiter and required barge, requiring a 100-mile journey instead. A water transport would require a massive enclosed barge, he added. The US government owns only one such vessel, controlled by the military. Loaning it to a civilian agency would require another act of Congress, and the alternative would involve building one from scratch. Dennis Jenkins, a former shuttle engineer who oversaw the delivery of retired orbiters to their new homes, told the Collect Space outlet he could see costs reach a billion dollars. Nicholas O'Donnell, an attorney at Sullivan & Worcester with expertise in art and museum law, told AFP that assuming Smithsonian has valid paperwork, 'I don't think Secretary Duffy or anyone in the federal government has any more authority to order the move of Discovery than you or I do.' The government could invoke eminent domain—seizing private property for public use—but it would have to pay fair market value or try to sue. The Smithsonian is unlikely to want a court battle, and while it's legally independent, its financial reliance on federal funds leaves it politically vulnerable, said O'Donnell. — AFP
