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Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Straits Times
US V-P Vance to meet Lammy during UK ‘holiday'
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox US Vice-President J.D. Vance and his family (left) will spend a weekend at the country retreat of British foreign minister David Lammy during their holiday. LONDON - British foreign minister David Lammy will on Aug 8 meet US Vice-President J.D. Vance, who is on holiday in the country, Britain's government confirmed. Mr Lammy will host Mr Vance at his country retreat in Chevening in Kent, south-east of London, the Foreign Office said in a statement on Aug 7. 'The vice-president and his family will stay at Chevening House throughout the weekend for a private holiday,' the ministry added. The statement said the pair 'will discuss shared priorities and the strength of the UK-US relationship,' without elaborating further. UK media outlets have reported that Mr Vance and his family - he has three young children - will then spend some time in the Cotswolds region in western England for a summer holiday. Although they have differing political stands, Mr Lammy and Mr Vance are believed to have struck up a warm relationship, bonding over their difficult childhoods and shared Christian faith. The UK foreign secretary reportedly attended mass at the vice-president's residence in Washington in March. Mr Vance's visit comes after President Donald Trump spent five days at his golf resorts in Scotland in July. Mr Trump signed a trade deal with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and held a freewheeling press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during his stay. He also played golf and opened a new 18-hole course at one of his two Scottish resorts. Mr Trump is due back in the UK for a state visit in September. AFP
CNA
10 hours ago
- CNA
Kremlin confirms Trump-Putin summit plans as Zelenskiy pushes for European role
MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump will meet 'in the coming days,' the Kremlin said on Thursday (August 7), as Trump seeks a breakthrough to end the war in Ukraine after voicing frustration with Moscow and threatening fresh sanctions. The announcement came a day after Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, held three hours of talks with Putin in Moscow. Trump has said that unless Putin agrees to peace by Friday (August 8), the US will impose new sanctions on Russia and countries that continue buying its exports. Trump on Wednesday raised tariffs on Indian goods over Russian oil purchases and hinted that similar actions may follow for China. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters the two sides had agreed to hold a summit 'in the coming days.' Putin, during a meeting with the president of the United Arab Emirates, said the UAE would be a 'suitable' venue but did not confirm it as the host. The last US-Russia summit took place in Geneva in June 2021, when Putin met then-President Joe Biden. ZELENSKIY INSISTS ON EUROPEAN INVOLVEMENT Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday that Europe must be part of any peace talks, noting that 'the war is happening in Europe, and Ukraine is an integral part of Europe.' Zelenskiy held separate talks with the leaders of France and Germany and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, adding: 'Europe must be a participant in the relevant processes.' 'The war must end with a dignified peace,' Zelenskiy said on X, arguing that the outcome of any deal would shape the continent's security landscape for decades. While Kyiv and its allies have long feared that Trump might pressure Ukraine into accepting unfavourable terms, Zelenskiy said Ukraine 'is not afraid of meetings and expects the same brave approach from the Russian side.' He confirmed that various bilateral and trilateral meeting formats had been discussed with Trump. MARKET REACTION, SCEPTICISM OVER MOTIVES Russia's MOEX stock index rose 5 per cent to a two-month high on news of the summit, and the rouble strengthened against both the US dollar and Chinese yuan. 'Russian stocks are soaring. Investors hope the (Trump-Putin) meeting will be a step towards normalizing the geopolitical situation,' Alfa Bank analysts said. A White House official also said a meeting could happen as early as next week. The New York Times reported Trump told European leaders on Wednesday that he planned to meet Putin and then follow up with a trilateral summit including Zelenskiy. A source familiar with the call said Witkoff participated in the conversation and briefed leaders on what Putin might be willing to agree to. National security advisers were expected to hold an online meeting later Thursday to discuss the proposal. MUTUAL SUSPICIONS REMAIN Putin said on Thursday he was open to meeting Zelenskiy in principle, but added that conditions for such a meeting were 'far from being met.' Ushakov said the Russian side had left Witkoff's proposal for a trilateral meeting 'completely without comment.' Mykola Bielieskov, a senior analyst in Kyiv, warned that the summit could allow Russia to project an image of legitimacy without making concessions. 'Offering Putin a summit is like giving him a reward without getting anything in return,' he said. 'The Kremlin will continue to drag out time, using the very fact of the meetings as proof of openness to negotiations without actually changing its stance.'
Business Times
12 hours ago
- Business Times
Ireit Global DPU drops to 0.71 euro cent for H1 due to Berlin vacancy
[SINGAPORE] Ireit Global posted a 26 per cent fall year on year in distribution per unit (DPU) to 0.71 euro cent for the half-year of FY2025 ended June because of the full vacancy at the Berlin campus. Revenue decreased by 27.5 per cent to 26.6 million euros (S$39.8 million) while net property income slid 33.3 per cent to 18 million euros, the regulatory filing by the manager of the Europe-focused real estate investment trust (Reit) on Thursday (Aug 7) showed. The drop was mainly due to the full vacancy at Berlin Campus from Jan 1, 2025, and the absence of other income from the dilapidation cost paid by the main tenant at the property in the corresponding period of FY2024. Consequently, income to be distributed to unitholders at 9.5 million euros was 26 per cent lower, and this was after the retention of 10 per cent of income for working capital and capital expenditure. However, earnings per unit was higher at 0.05 euro cent, compared with 0.02 euro cent for the year-ago period, as total return attributable to unitholders was impacted by net change in fair values of financial derivatives and investment properties. Net asset value per unit was unchanged at 0.39 euro cent as at end June, against end-December 2024. Ireit Global Group, the Reit manager, said it has initiated discussions with the incumbent banks regarding the refinancing of the German and Spanish properties, and expects to finalise the agreements by the third quarter of 2025, thereby pushing the next earliest debt maturity to July 2027. Ireit Global units were unchanged at S$0.295 on Thursday, before the Reit manager published the financial results.
