Welcoming The Release Of U.S. Nationals And Political Prisoners Held In Venezuela
Today, thanks to President Trump's leadership and commitment to the American people, the United States welcomes home ten Americans who were detained in Venezuela. Until today, more Americans were wrongfully held in Venezuela than any other country in the world. It is unacceptable that Venezuelan regime representatives arrested and jailed U.S. nationals under highly questionable circumstances and without proper due process. Every wrongfully detained American in Venezuela is now free and back in our homeland.
I want to thank my team at the State Department, as well as our interagency partners, and especially El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, for their work to secure these long-awaited releases and their efforts to ensure the safety of U.S. nationals both at home and abroad. Our commitment to the American people is clear: we will safeguard the well-being of U.S. nationals both at home and abroad and not rest until all Americans being held hostage or unjustly detained around the world are brought home.
We also welcome the release of Venezuelan political prisoners and detainees that were also released from Venezuelan prisons. The Trump Administration continues to support the restoration of democracy in Venezuela. The regime's use of unjust detention as a tool of political repression must end. We reiterate our call for the unconditional release of remaining unjustly and arbitrarily detained political prisoners and foreign nationals.
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1News
9 hours ago
- 1News
Bay of Islands hapū achieves Ngāpuhi-first Treaty milestone
A Bay of Islands trust representing four Ngāpuhi hapū groupings has achieved a major milestone in its Treaty of Waitangi negotiations. The Trust received its Crown Deed of Mandate recognition on July 16 - the first for a group of Ngāpuhi hapū. Te Whakaaetanga Trust chairperson Herb Rihari (Ngāti Torehina ki Matakā) said the milestone was of 'historical significance'. 'Te Whakaaetanga is looking forward to discussing and negotiating the full spectrum of their redress options,' Rihari said. Ngāpuhi — New Zealand's largest iwi with almost 185,000 people — has not yet achieved Treaty of Waitangi settlement. ADVERTISEMENT The hapū grouping's area of claim encompasses most of Pēwhairangi/the Bay of Islands. It includes the eastern Bay of Islands' Ipipiri Islands where wealthy American writer Zane Grey set up his gamefishing base at Urupukapuka Island's Otehei Bay in 1926 and described New Zealand as the 'Angler's El Dorado'. It also includes Motukōkako (Piercy Island) which features the internationally-famous Hole in the Rock boat trip tourist destination, and Cape Brett. Rihari said Te Whakaaetanga Trust's Crown Deed of Mandate had been recognised after 18 years' mahi. Te Whakaaetanga Trust's achievement comes 14 years after the Government's controversial 2011 Tūhorunuku Deed of Mandate, which was towards a single settlement for all of Ngāpuhi. That Deed was rescinded in 2019, after major rejection from within the iwi's 100-plus hapū. The July Deed of Mandate meant the Crown formally recognised the trust's mandate to negotiate a Treaty of Waitangi settlement on behalf of its affiliated hapū. ADVERTISEMENT The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including the atmospheric river arrives, Epstein's girlfriend pushes for appeal, and Jennifer Lopez's wardrobe malfunction. (Source: Breakfast) Rihari said it also opened the door to "negotiate redress that acknowledges the mamae (hurt) of the past and creates meaningful opportunities for our hapū and mokopuna". 'It provides a foundation for enduring redress, cultural and economic revitalisation and the restoration of hapū mana across our rohe,' Rihari said. Te Whakaaetanga Trust represents coastal hapū Ngāti Kuta, Ngāti Manu me ngā hapū rīriki - Te Uri o Raewera and Te Uri Karaka, Ngāti Torehina ki Matakā and Patukeha. The trust is made up of two people from each of the hapū it represents. Rihari said the hapū grouping's area of claim approximately encompassed an area bounded in the north by the Bay of Islands' Purerua Peninsula. Its boundary ran from the peninsula's tip, south-east across the waters of the Bay of Islands to Cape Brett and Rāwhiti. ADVERTISEMENT Te Whakaaetanga Trust chairperson Herb Rihari (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) Rihari said the boundary then travelled south-west to Karetu. From there, the claim's western boundary headed roughly north to Tāpeka Point and included Opua and Russell settlements. It continued northwards across Bay of Islands waters including Moturoa Island on the way to Te Puna Inlet. From there it continued to the northern side of Purerua Peninsula, the claim encompassing all of the landform to the east, including the maunga (mountain) Matakā at the peninsula's tip. Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith told Local Democracy Reporting Northland the Crown Deed of Mandate for Te Whakaaetanga was a positive achievement. "We're pleased to be making progress,' Goldsmith said. Northland Māori leader and Te Kotahitanga co-chair Pita Tipene said it was a major milestone for Ngāpuhi hapū working towards Treaty of Waitangi redress. ADVERTISEMENT It offered a model for Ngāpuhi tribes, such as those around Waimate, Taiamai, Kaikohe and Whangaroa who were collectivising towards the same goal. Tipene said it was important the Government approached any Ngāpuhi Treaty of Waitangi hapū redress on a hapū-based commercial and cultural basis. However, Minister Goldsmith poured cold water on that. 'The Government has indicated its preference for a single financial redress for Ngāpuhi, with a small group of cultural-based settlements sitting underneath,' Goldsmith said. 'Te Whakaaetanga is now mandated as one of the groups with which we will be discussing a cultural settlement,' Goldsmith said. Rihari said the next stage would be preparation for formal negotiations with the Crown and the trust was committed to ongoing kōrero with all who 'held an interest in our shared future'. Rihari said many hands, hearts and minds — past and present — had contributed to the kaupapa of achieving the deed of mandate milestone over many years. ADVERTISEMENT 'Ehara tēnei i te mahi māmā, engari he mahi nui mō ngā uri whakatupu. Mā tātou katoa tēnei e kawe, mā te rangimārie, mā te kotahitanga, mā te aroha hoki. 'This is not easy work, but it is important work for the generations to come. Together, through unity, peace and aroha, we carry it forward.' Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
10 hours ago
- Scoop
Pacific News In Brief For 29 July
Palau - refugees A proposal from the United States to temporarily host asylum seekers in Palau has been met with resistance in the country's National Congress. The Pacific Island Times reported the proposal, presented on 18 July, sought Palau's agreement to temporarily host people who were seeking asylum in the United States but cannot be returned to their country of origin. Just one day after the proposal was presented, the leaders of both houses of the Olbiil Era Kelulau, or Senate, sent a joint letter to President Surangel Whipps Jr advising him not to proceed. The letter said while Palau is a strong US ally, it cannot afford to overpromise or commit to something it cannot fulfill. The Council of Chiefs, which advises the president and includes traditional leaders from Palau's 16 states, has echoed the congressional stance. Palau does not have a legal framework on accommodating asylum seekers or refugees. Tonga - travel Allegations have been made of excessive travel spending by Tongan politicians. Former Cabinet Minister Etuate Lavulavu, who also operates a newspaper, sayid he has evidence that one minister received up to $5 million Tongan pa'anga, another received $2m, and a third received $1m in their travel packages. Kaniva Tonga reported Lavulavu expressed concern not only about the alleged spending of taxpayers' money, but also about the financial struggles many people are facing. Deputy Prime Minister Taniela Fusimālohi said the government's travel budget has often doubled or exceeded the allocated amount, as shown in official budget documents. Papua New Guinea - transparency Transparency International Papua New Guinea (TIPNG) has welcomed the government signing a United Nations Transparency Pledge. The UN Convention Against Corruption's Transparency Pledge is a voluntary commitment to meet minimum standards of transparency. PNG signed it earlier this month in Vienna. TIPNG helped develop the pledge and its chairman, Peter Aitsi, said by signing PNG is committing to continuing to include civil society in implementing and reviewing the country's progress on meeting its international obligations to address corruption. He said this commitment builds on previous collaboration between Government and civil society. Tonga - arrest The US Department of Justice has announced the arrest of an American missionary to Tonga. The accused was indicted by a federal grand jury on 16 July, on charges related to the exploitation of minors outside the United States. According to court documents, the man traveled to Tonga for his mission with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and while there, he allegedly sexually abused minor boys. Homeland Security Investigations and the Diplomatic Security Service are investigating the case, with the help of Tonga Police and the Tongan Department of Public Prosecutions. Fiji - aerobridge A Fiji Airways Boeing 737 MAX was damaged by an aerobridge at Brisbane's International Airport on Saturday. The Brisbane Times reported that an aerobridge - the enclosed walkway which allows passengers into the plane - smashed into the cockpit's left-hand windscreen after the aircraft arrived from Nadi late at night. All pasengers safely disembarked via the forward stairs. A month ago, a Qantas Boeing 737 was damaged in similar circumstances at Brisbane International Airport, two months after an Air New Zealand Boeing 777 struck an aerobridge as it was being pushed back on the tarmac. Papua New Guinea - mining Investors in Japan have been invited to Papua New Guinea to explore mining opportunities. The National newspaper reported 'OK Tedi Mining Limited' CEO Kedi Ilimbit saying at a seminar in Japan that this marks a new chapter in PNG's relationship with the country. Prime Minister James Marape was also at the event. The agenda included talks on PNG's so-called untapped mining and infrastructure along with social impacts and inclusive growth.
NZ Herald
17 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Balancing economic interests and security concerns, European officials said they got the best deal possible
European officials and analysts said the tentative agreement does not even end the uncertainty because so many details must still be worked out. To the harshest critics, including some in France who spoke of a 'capitulation' and 'humiliation', the agreement is proof of a deeply unbalanced alliance, and the latest example of European appeasement of Trump. At Nato, allies similarly strained to pledge a huge increase in military spending demanded by Trump. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who announced the deal with Trump while sitting next to him at one of his golf resorts in Scotland, touted 'a huge deal' clearly playing to Trump's love of largeness. But at her news conference soon afterwards, von der Leyen appeared far more sober, calling the 15% tariffs she had accepted on European automobiles to be 'the best we could get'. The EU, and in particular Germany, its auto-making powerhouse had hoped to eliminate the 25% US car tariffs entirely. 'We should not forget where we came from,' von der Leyen said. 'Fifteen per cent is certainly a challenge for some, but we should not forget it keeps us the access to the American markets.' Trump indeed had threatened far worse, including a 30% across the board tariff that upended months of painstaking negotiations. Under the new deal, the US will now impose a 15% duty on most imports from the EU. The blanket rate foisted on the EU mirrors a US deal announced this month with Japan, another Group of Seven ally, but it is higher than the 10% that Britain secured earlier this year and that EU officials had grudgingly accepted in recent talks. Since World War II, trade agreements have largely sought to reduce the cost of buying and selling goods across borders. A 2017 deal the EU struck with Canada eliminated tariffs on most goods traded between them. An agreement signed with Vietnam in 2019 aims to phase out nearly all customs duties. Trump's accord with the EU goes in the opposite direction, raising tariffs, with some exceptions. Economists say the tariffs will increase costs for importers, who must pay the duties, and put upward pressure on inflation. Consumers and businesses will likely bear some of the extra costs, experts say. Reaction in EU countries In France, where President Emmanuel Macron had urged the EU to take a harder line, the deal drew sharp backlash. While Macron was quiet on today, Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said it was 'a dark day when an alliance of free people, brought together to assert their values and defend their interests, resigns itself to submission'. Von der Leyen's European Commission, the EU's executive body which negotiates trade policy for its 27 member nations, had faced calls from Germany and Italy, two countries that do outsize business with the US, for an accord that would limit damage to their export-dependent companies. But even capitals that had urged a conciliatory approach were not exactly celebrating today. 'The agreement successfully averted a trade conflict that would have hit the export-oriented German economy hard,' German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said. Still, members of the European Parliament from Germany blasted the deal even as it reduced Trump's tariff on cars, one of Germany's central demands. 'My first assessment: not satisfactory; this is a lopsided deal,' said Bernd Lange, who chairs the European Parliament's committee on international trade. 'Concessions have clearly been made that are difficult to accept. Deal with significant imbalance. Furthermore, lot of questions still open.' Workers at a Volkswagen factory in Zwickau, Germany. Photo / Ingmar Nolting, the New York Times Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof acknowledged that 'no tariffs would have been better' but called the deal 'vital for an open economy like ours'. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said: 'One thing is clear: This is a moment of relief but not of celebration'. Influence of security The talks laid bare the EU's queasiness at using its economic muscle, one of its few areas of leverage against Washington, at a time when allies have had to calibrate repeatedly to keep Trump on board as Russia wages war in Ukraine. Ultimately, after months of mixed signals and threats from Trump, EU leaders said they accepted a deal to give their industries a reprieve from the months of uncertainty that threatened to cripple business. Officials suggested they had relented out of concern that Trump was prepared to raise tariffs to a level that would effectively halt trade between Europe and the US. 'Let's pause for a moment and consider the alternative: A trade war may seem appealing to some but it comes with serious consequences,' said the EU trade commissioner, Maros Sefcovic, who shuttled to Washington in recent months for difficult talks with Trump officials. 'Our businesses have sent us a unanimous message: avoid escalation and work towards a solution that brings immediate tariff relief,' Sefcovic told reporters today. He said he and his team had travelled to Washington 10 times for a deal and said that the EU's calculations reached beyond trade. 'It's about security, it's about Ukraine, it's about current geopolitical volatility,' Sefcovic said. He said he couldn't go into detail on what was discussed in the room with Trump yesterday, 'but I can assure it was not just about the trade'. Details of the deal Now, nearly 70% of European goods will face the blanket tariff, a big increase in charges, according to a senior EU official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak frankly about the details of the deal, which is still under negotiation. The EU had sought carve-outs from the US tariff regime for key sectors including wine and spirits and aircraft parts. The announced agreement eliminates tariffs on airplane parts but a decision on wine and spirits was postponed. EU officials said talks will continue in the coming weeks. The two sides appeared to diverge on other details. The White House indicated that a 50% tariff on steel would remain in place, while EU officials said there would be further negotiations on lowering steel tariffs. Many officials and experts said that it was crucial to sort out the details. 'We need to understand what is included,' said Brando Benifei, an Italian member of the European Parliament and head of its delegation for relations with the US. Benifei and others questioned whether US probes into the national security aspect of trade relations might result in extra tariffs down the line, such as on EU pharmaceutical products. At first glance, Benifei said the deal 'seems very asymmetric'. 'The result is due in my view to the push by some governments to have a deal at any cost, which has weakened our stance,' he added. 'Because the US knew some governments wanted a deal whatever the cost.' Others noted that Trump's threats managed to shift the view on what constituted relief. Just a few weeks ago, EU and US negotiators neared an agreement that involved a blanket tariff of 10%, before a Truth Social post by Trump derailed them. Today, some investors saw benefits for Europe's key auto industry, for instance, which would see US car tariffs reduced to 15% from 25%. The tariffs, however, were at 2.5% before Trump's global trade blitz, and some industry groups noted their dismay. 'The US tariff rate of 15%, which also applies to automotive products, will cost German automotive companies billions annually and burdens them,' Hildegard Mueller, president of Germany's main auto industry group, the VDA, told Agence France-Presse. On some issues, the Europeans stood their ground. Trump officials had pressed the EU for concessions on tech industry regulations and on food standards, which the bloc insisted were non-negotiable. As part of the deal, Trump said Europe had committed to buying more US energy and weapons and boosting investment in the US. But those provisions are mostly aspirational promises without guarantees. European nations were already poised to buy more US weapons under an arrangement with Trump to continue arming Ukraine, and the bloc was already seeking alternative energy sources, including liquefied natural gas from the US, as part of its push to phase out Russian energy imports. More energy purchases and European investments would come from member states and companies which Brussels does not control. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, seen as a close Trump ally in the EU, heralded the deal, while saying details still need to be worked out. 'I obviously welcome the fact that an agreement has been reached,' Meloni told reporters. Still, she added, 'we need to verify the possible exemptions, particularly for certain agricultural products. So there are a number of elements that are missing.'
