India, Pakistan clash as US VP says 'not our business'
Vice President JD Vance says India and Pakistan should de-escalate tensions, but added the United States cannot control the nuclear-armed Asian neighbours and a war between them would be "none of our business".
"We want this thing to de-escalate as quickly as possible. We can't control these countries, though," Vance said in an interview on Fox News show The Story with Martha MacCallum on Thursday.
"What we can do is try to encourage these folks to de-escalate a little bit, but we're not going to get involved in the middle of war that's fundamentally none of our business and has nothing to do with America's ability to control it."
Pakistan armed forces launched multiple attacks using drones and other munitions along India's entire western border on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, the Indian Army said in a post on X on Friday.
The drone attacks were effectively repulsed, the army said
Blasts rang out across the city of Jammu in Indian Kashmir on Thursday during what Indian military sources said they suspect was a Pakistani drone attack across the region on the second day of clashes between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
Sirens sounded and red flashes and projectiles could be seen in the night sky above the city, a Reuters journalist said.
Several parts of Jammu and the surrounding towns of Akhnoor, Samba and Kathua came under attack, said an Indian official who asked not to be named.
There was no immediate comment from Pakistan on what appeared to be an escalation in the countries' worst confrontation in more than two decades.
Pakistan's Defence Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, had earlier said further retaliation was "increasingly certain" after both countries accused each other of launching drone attacks.
India said it hit nine "terrorist infrastructure" sites in Pakistan on Wednesday in retaliation for what it says was a deadly Pakistani-backed attack in Indian Kashmir on April 22.
Pakistan says it was not involved and denied that any of the sites hit by India were militant bases.
It said it shot down five Indian aircraft on Wednesday, a report the Indian embassy in Beijing dismissed as "misinformation".
Pakistan said earlier on Thursday it shot down 25 drones from India overnight while India said it air defences had stopped Pakistani drone and missile attacks on military targets.
World powers from the US to Russia and China have called for calm in one of the world's most dangerous, and most populated, nuclear flashpoint regions.
The US consulate general in Pakistan's Lahore ordered staff to shelter in place.
Vice President JD Vance says India and Pakistan should de-escalate tensions, but added the United States cannot control the nuclear-armed Asian neighbours and a war between them would be "none of our business".
"We want this thing to de-escalate as quickly as possible. We can't control these countries, though," Vance said in an interview on Fox News show The Story with Martha MacCallum on Thursday.
"What we can do is try to encourage these folks to de-escalate a little bit, but we're not going to get involved in the middle of war that's fundamentally none of our business and has nothing to do with America's ability to control it."
Pakistan armed forces launched multiple attacks using drones and other munitions along India's entire western border on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, the Indian Army said in a post on X on Friday.
The drone attacks were effectively repulsed, the army said
Blasts rang out across the city of Jammu in Indian Kashmir on Thursday during what Indian military sources said they suspect was a Pakistani drone attack across the region on the second day of clashes between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
Sirens sounded and red flashes and projectiles could be seen in the night sky above the city, a Reuters journalist said.
Several parts of Jammu and the surrounding towns of Akhnoor, Samba and Kathua came under attack, said an Indian official who asked not to be named.
There was no immediate comment from Pakistan on what appeared to be an escalation in the countries' worst confrontation in more than two decades.
Pakistan's Defence Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, had earlier said further retaliation was "increasingly certain" after both countries accused each other of launching drone attacks.
India said it hit nine "terrorist infrastructure" sites in Pakistan on Wednesday in retaliation for what it says was a deadly Pakistani-backed attack in Indian Kashmir on April 22.
Pakistan says it was not involved and denied that any of the sites hit by India were militant bases.
It said it shot down five Indian aircraft on Wednesday, a report the Indian embassy in Beijing dismissed as "misinformation".
Pakistan said earlier on Thursday it shot down 25 drones from India overnight while India said it air defences had stopped Pakistani drone and missile attacks on military targets.
World powers from the US to Russia and China have called for calm in one of the world's most dangerous, and most populated, nuclear flashpoint regions.
The US consulate general in Pakistan's Lahore ordered staff to shelter in place.
Vice President JD Vance says India and Pakistan should de-escalate tensions, but added the United States cannot control the nuclear-armed Asian neighbours and a war between them would be "none of our business".
"We want this thing to de-escalate as quickly as possible. We can't control these countries, though," Vance said in an interview on Fox News show The Story with Martha MacCallum on Thursday.
"What we can do is try to encourage these folks to de-escalate a little bit, but we're not going to get involved in the middle of war that's fundamentally none of our business and has nothing to do with America's ability to control it."
Pakistan armed forces launched multiple attacks using drones and other munitions along India's entire western border on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, the Indian Army said in a post on X on Friday.
The drone attacks were effectively repulsed, the army said
Blasts rang out across the city of Jammu in Indian Kashmir on Thursday during what Indian military sources said they suspect was a Pakistani drone attack across the region on the second day of clashes between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
Sirens sounded and red flashes and projectiles could be seen in the night sky above the city, a Reuters journalist said.
Several parts of Jammu and the surrounding towns of Akhnoor, Samba and Kathua came under attack, said an Indian official who asked not to be named.
There was no immediate comment from Pakistan on what appeared to be an escalation in the countries' worst confrontation in more than two decades.
Pakistan's Defence Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, had earlier said further retaliation was "increasingly certain" after both countries accused each other of launching drone attacks.
India said it hit nine "terrorist infrastructure" sites in Pakistan on Wednesday in retaliation for what it says was a deadly Pakistani-backed attack in Indian Kashmir on April 22.
Pakistan says it was not involved and denied that any of the sites hit by India were militant bases.
It said it shot down five Indian aircraft on Wednesday, a report the Indian embassy in Beijing dismissed as "misinformation".
Pakistan said earlier on Thursday it shot down 25 drones from India overnight while India said it air defences had stopped Pakistani drone and missile attacks on military targets.
World powers from the US to Russia and China have called for calm in one of the world's most dangerous, and most populated, nuclear flashpoint regions.
The US consulate general in Pakistan's Lahore ordered staff to shelter in place.
Vice President JD Vance says India and Pakistan should de-escalate tensions, but added the United States cannot control the nuclear-armed Asian neighbours and a war between them would be "none of our business".
"We want this thing to de-escalate as quickly as possible. We can't control these countries, though," Vance said in an interview on Fox News show The Story with Martha MacCallum on Thursday.
"What we can do is try to encourage these folks to de-escalate a little bit, but we're not going to get involved in the middle of war that's fundamentally none of our business and has nothing to do with America's ability to control it."
Pakistan armed forces launched multiple attacks using drones and other munitions along India's entire western border on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, the Indian Army said in a post on X on Friday.
The drone attacks were effectively repulsed, the army said
Blasts rang out across the city of Jammu in Indian Kashmir on Thursday during what Indian military sources said they suspect was a Pakistani drone attack across the region on the second day of clashes between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
Sirens sounded and red flashes and projectiles could be seen in the night sky above the city, a Reuters journalist said.
Several parts of Jammu and the surrounding towns of Akhnoor, Samba and Kathua came under attack, said an Indian official who asked not to be named.
There was no immediate comment from Pakistan on what appeared to be an escalation in the countries' worst confrontation in more than two decades.
Pakistan's Defence Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, had earlier said further retaliation was "increasingly certain" after both countries accused each other of launching drone attacks.
India said it hit nine "terrorist infrastructure" sites in Pakistan on Wednesday in retaliation for what it says was a deadly Pakistani-backed attack in Indian Kashmir on April 22.
Pakistan says it was not involved and denied that any of the sites hit by India were militant bases.
It said it shot down five Indian aircraft on Wednesday, a report the Indian embassy in Beijing dismissed as "misinformation".
Pakistan said earlier on Thursday it shot down 25 drones from India overnight while India said it air defences had stopped Pakistani drone and missile attacks on military targets.
World powers from the US to Russia and China have called for calm in one of the world's most dangerous, and most populated, nuclear flashpoint regions.
The US consulate general in Pakistan's Lahore ordered staff to shelter in place.
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The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'Doing business' at the White House has become a fool's errand
Anthony Albanese hopes to meet Donald Trump in Canada a week from now, with the odds improving that their first face-to-face encounter will occur away from the cameras. From an Australian standpoint, this would be a win. First, because in international affairs, the personality dimension is the only dimension Trump really understands. Second, it is a win because the alternative of "doing business" at the White House has become a fool's errand. In the latter category are the open-ended affairs in an Oval Office "tarted up to look like a Vegas gift shop" (as Maureen Dowd so brilliantly captured it) in which presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Cyril Ramaphosa, respectively, were ambushed. Deliberately humiliated. Such is the abandonment of comportment in this fast-infantilising super-power. While not nailed down, the meeting in Canada could still be a full "bilateral", but even a shorter "pull aside" on the neutral ground of a G7 summit improves the likelihood of their talks being substantive. Trade will dominate with Australia still keen to gain tariff relief based on our ability to supply some 36 of the 38 critical minerals America seeks. The focus on beef and biosecurity in recent days may have been overblown. It is not just that Trump MKII prefers stagecraft over statecraft, it is that this president sees no distinction between the two. Invite the cameras in and visiting leaders become mere extras, or worse, pinatas. That this is an entirely unserious presidency in a time of unrivalled seriousness, is painfully obvious. That a reality TV star and his bloviating defence secretary (poached from Fox News), are dictating the terms of a perilous global rebalancing without any demonstrable record, is downright dangerous. The fact that other world leaders will not call out an inversion where government imitates entertainment, is potentially tragic. Trump leads an administration ad hominem - i.e. modelled on him. Policy is policy because he thinks it. Or says it - sometimes both. Internally, checks and balances are ignored. The broader US government has become coterminous with the White House. This involves an almost Soviet-style allegiance to presidential authority - an allegiance that tolerates breaches of the Constitution, attacks on courts, and wild changes of direction including flagrant retreats. MORE MARK KENNY: It also extends to denying entry to tourists and students whose social media history reveals negative reflections on his administration; dismissal of public officials considered unpatriotic; an open war on universities; and the demonisation of "bad history" - i.e. teaching about slavery and the dispossession of First Peoples. Trump's 1776 Report released in the final days of his first term attacked what he called a "crusade against American history" by woke academics and journalists. He described the 1619 Project by The New York Times which focused on the year slaves were first transferred to Virginia colonies, as "toxic propaganda, ideological poison". Externally, America's foreign policy has lurched into similar personal paroxysms at the cost of nuance, history, respect for alliances, and any grounding in multilateralism. In short, it too mirrors Trump's I-focused perspective. Trump has not grown in the job but rather has managed to shrink its position description to reflect his unique brand of towering ego and incuriosity. Uninterested in either ideas or policy, he sees complex global problems through leaders and deals. Of Zelenskyy he said a fortnight back, "everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don't like it, and it better stop". He never wonders what an American president would or should do were her/his country invaded? Why? Presumably, because this is not America and therefore beyond his self-centric imagining. Thus, threats to the post-war international settlement, liberal democracy, the rule of law, Ukrainian sovereignty - none of these abstract values occupy his mind. If the primary frustration for Trump is Zelenskyy's stubborn refusal to hand over part of his country to an illegal aggressor, the telling phrase for us is Trump's "I don't like it". Turning to the root cause of this colossal tragedy, Trump said of Putin, "I've known him a long time, always gotten along with him, but he's sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don't like it at all". Remember, this war was going to be resolved on day one - again, based exclusively on his personal relationships. That day-one bravado has now deflated to this: "Sometimes you see two young children fighting like crazy, they hate each other, and they're fighting in a park, and you try and pull them apart ... sometimes you're better off letting them fight for a while and then pulling them apart." This pearl of inanity, which simultaneously infantilised the warring leaders, simplified their complex perspectives and breezed over thousands of civilian deaths, came in another farcical Oval Office performance - this time with a trapped German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz. The new German leader who is strongly pro-Ukraine had leaned on the president for the kind of decisive leadership America showed in WWII, noting that they were talking on the very eve of the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings. "That was not a pleasant day for you," Trump interrupted smugly, prompting Merz to point out it had led to "the liberation of my country from Nazi dictatorship". No harm done. American exceptionalism always has another face, the country beyond embarrassment. Anthony Albanese hopes to meet Donald Trump in Canada a week from now, with the odds improving that their first face-to-face encounter will occur away from the cameras. From an Australian standpoint, this would be a win. First, because in international affairs, the personality dimension is the only dimension Trump really understands. Second, it is a win because the alternative of "doing business" at the White House has become a fool's errand. In the latter category are the open-ended affairs in an Oval Office "tarted up to look like a Vegas gift shop" (as Maureen Dowd so brilliantly captured it) in which presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Cyril Ramaphosa, respectively, were ambushed. Deliberately humiliated. Such is the abandonment of comportment in this fast-infantilising super-power. While not nailed down, the meeting in Canada could still be a full "bilateral", but even a shorter "pull aside" on the neutral ground of a G7 summit improves the likelihood of their talks being substantive. Trade will dominate with Australia still keen to gain tariff relief based on our ability to supply some 36 of the 38 critical minerals America seeks. The focus on beef and biosecurity in recent days may have been overblown. It is not just that Trump MKII prefers stagecraft over statecraft, it is that this president sees no distinction between the two. Invite the cameras in and visiting leaders become mere extras, or worse, pinatas. That this is an entirely unserious presidency in a time of unrivalled seriousness, is painfully obvious. That a reality TV star and his bloviating defence secretary (poached from Fox News), are dictating the terms of a perilous global rebalancing without any demonstrable record, is downright dangerous. The fact that other world leaders will not call out an inversion where government imitates entertainment, is potentially tragic. Trump leads an administration ad hominem - i.e. modelled on him. Policy is policy because he thinks it. Or says it - sometimes both. Internally, checks and balances are ignored. The broader US government has become coterminous with the White House. This involves an almost Soviet-style allegiance to presidential authority - an allegiance that tolerates breaches of the Constitution, attacks on courts, and wild changes of direction including flagrant retreats. MORE MARK KENNY: It also extends to denying entry to tourists and students whose social media history reveals negative reflections on his administration; dismissal of public officials considered unpatriotic; an open war on universities; and the demonisation of "bad history" - i.e. teaching about slavery and the dispossession of First Peoples. Trump's 1776 Report released in the final days of his first term attacked what he called a "crusade against American history" by woke academics and journalists. He described the 1619 Project by The New York Times which focused on the year slaves were first transferred to Virginia colonies, as "toxic propaganda, ideological poison". Externally, America's foreign policy has lurched into similar personal paroxysms at the cost of nuance, history, respect for alliances, and any grounding in multilateralism. In short, it too mirrors Trump's I-focused perspective. Trump has not grown in the job but rather has managed to shrink its position description to reflect his unique brand of towering ego and incuriosity. Uninterested in either ideas or policy, he sees complex global problems through leaders and deals. Of Zelenskyy he said a fortnight back, "everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don't like it, and it better stop". He never wonders what an American president would or should do were her/his country invaded? Why? Presumably, because this is not America and therefore beyond his self-centric imagining. Thus, threats to the post-war international settlement, liberal democracy, the rule of law, Ukrainian sovereignty - none of these abstract values occupy his mind. If the primary frustration for Trump is Zelenskyy's stubborn refusal to hand over part of his country to an illegal aggressor, the telling phrase for us is Trump's "I don't like it". Turning to the root cause of this colossal tragedy, Trump said of Putin, "I've known him a long time, always gotten along with him, but he's sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don't like it at all". Remember, this war was going to be resolved on day one - again, based exclusively on his personal relationships. That day-one bravado has now deflated to this: "Sometimes you see two young children fighting like crazy, they hate each other, and they're fighting in a park, and you try and pull them apart ... sometimes you're better off letting them fight for a while and then pulling them apart." This pearl of inanity, which simultaneously infantilised the warring leaders, simplified their complex perspectives and breezed over thousands of civilian deaths, came in another farcical Oval Office performance - this time with a trapped German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz. The new German leader who is strongly pro-Ukraine had leaned on the president for the kind of decisive leadership America showed in WWII, noting that they were talking on the very eve of the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings. "That was not a pleasant day for you," Trump interrupted smugly, prompting Merz to point out it had led to "the liberation of my country from Nazi dictatorship". No harm done. American exceptionalism always has another face, the country beyond embarrassment. Anthony Albanese hopes to meet Donald Trump in Canada a week from now, with the odds improving that their first face-to-face encounter will occur away from the cameras. From an Australian standpoint, this would be a win. First, because in international affairs, the personality dimension is the only dimension Trump really understands. Second, it is a win because the alternative of "doing business" at the White House has become a fool's errand. In the latter category are the open-ended affairs in an Oval Office "tarted up to look like a Vegas gift shop" (as Maureen Dowd so brilliantly captured it) in which presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Cyril Ramaphosa, respectively, were ambushed. Deliberately humiliated. Such is the abandonment of comportment in this fast-infantilising super-power. While not nailed down, the meeting in Canada could still be a full "bilateral", but even a shorter "pull aside" on the neutral ground of a G7 summit improves the likelihood of their talks being substantive. Trade will dominate with Australia still keen to gain tariff relief based on our ability to supply some 36 of the 38 critical minerals America seeks. The focus on beef and biosecurity in recent days may have been overblown. It is not just that Trump MKII prefers stagecraft over statecraft, it is that this president sees no distinction between the two. Invite the cameras in and visiting leaders become mere extras, or worse, pinatas. That this is an entirely unserious presidency in a time of unrivalled seriousness, is painfully obvious. That a reality TV star and his bloviating defence secretary (poached from Fox News), are dictating the terms of a perilous global rebalancing without any demonstrable record, is downright dangerous. The fact that other world leaders will not call out an inversion where government imitates entertainment, is potentially tragic. Trump leads an administration ad hominem - i.e. modelled on him. Policy is policy because he thinks it. Or says it - sometimes both. Internally, checks and balances are ignored. The broader US government has become coterminous with the White House. This involves an almost Soviet-style allegiance to presidential authority - an allegiance that tolerates breaches of the Constitution, attacks on courts, and wild changes of direction including flagrant retreats. MORE MARK KENNY: It also extends to denying entry to tourists and students whose social media history reveals negative reflections on his administration; dismissal of public officials considered unpatriotic; an open war on universities; and the demonisation of "bad history" - i.e. teaching about slavery and the dispossession of First Peoples. Trump's 1776 Report released in the final days of his first term attacked what he called a "crusade against American history" by woke academics and journalists. He described the 1619 Project by The New York Times which focused on the year slaves were first transferred to Virginia colonies, as "toxic propaganda, ideological poison". Externally, America's foreign policy has lurched into similar personal paroxysms at the cost of nuance, history, respect for alliances, and any grounding in multilateralism. In short, it too mirrors Trump's I-focused perspective. Trump has not grown in the job but rather has managed to shrink its position description to reflect his unique brand of towering ego and incuriosity. Uninterested in either ideas or policy, he sees complex global problems through leaders and deals. Of Zelenskyy he said a fortnight back, "everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don't like it, and it better stop". He never wonders what an American president would or should do were her/his country invaded? Why? Presumably, because this is not America and therefore beyond his self-centric imagining. Thus, threats to the post-war international settlement, liberal democracy, the rule of law, Ukrainian sovereignty - none of these abstract values occupy his mind. If the primary frustration for Trump is Zelenskyy's stubborn refusal to hand over part of his country to an illegal aggressor, the telling phrase for us is Trump's "I don't like it". Turning to the root cause of this colossal tragedy, Trump said of Putin, "I've known him a long time, always gotten along with him, but he's sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don't like it at all". Remember, this war was going to be resolved on day one - again, based exclusively on his personal relationships. That day-one bravado has now deflated to this: "Sometimes you see two young children fighting like crazy, they hate each other, and they're fighting in a park, and you try and pull them apart ... sometimes you're better off letting them fight for a while and then pulling them apart." This pearl of inanity, which simultaneously infantilised the warring leaders, simplified their complex perspectives and breezed over thousands of civilian deaths, came in another farcical Oval Office performance - this time with a trapped German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz. The new German leader who is strongly pro-Ukraine had leaned on the president for the kind of decisive leadership America showed in WWII, noting that they were talking on the very eve of the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings. "That was not a pleasant day for you," Trump interrupted smugly, prompting Merz to point out it had led to "the liberation of my country from Nazi dictatorship". No harm done. American exceptionalism always has another face, the country beyond embarrassment. Anthony Albanese hopes to meet Donald Trump in Canada a week from now, with the odds improving that their first face-to-face encounter will occur away from the cameras. From an Australian standpoint, this would be a win. First, because in international affairs, the personality dimension is the only dimension Trump really understands. Second, it is a win because the alternative of "doing business" at the White House has become a fool's errand. In the latter category are the open-ended affairs in an Oval Office "tarted up to look like a Vegas gift shop" (as Maureen Dowd so brilliantly captured it) in which presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Cyril Ramaphosa, respectively, were ambushed. Deliberately humiliated. Such is the abandonment of comportment in this fast-infantilising super-power. While not nailed down, the meeting in Canada could still be a full "bilateral", but even a shorter "pull aside" on the neutral ground of a G7 summit improves the likelihood of their talks being substantive. Trade will dominate with Australia still keen to gain tariff relief based on our ability to supply some 36 of the 38 critical minerals America seeks. The focus on beef and biosecurity in recent days may have been overblown. It is not just that Trump MKII prefers stagecraft over statecraft, it is that this president sees no distinction between the two. Invite the cameras in and visiting leaders become mere extras, or worse, pinatas. That this is an entirely unserious presidency in a time of unrivalled seriousness, is painfully obvious. That a reality TV star and his bloviating defence secretary (poached from Fox News), are dictating the terms of a perilous global rebalancing without any demonstrable record, is downright dangerous. The fact that other world leaders will not call out an inversion where government imitates entertainment, is potentially tragic. Trump leads an administration ad hominem - i.e. modelled on him. Policy is policy because he thinks it. Or says it - sometimes both. Internally, checks and balances are ignored. The broader US government has become coterminous with the White House. This involves an almost Soviet-style allegiance to presidential authority - an allegiance that tolerates breaches of the Constitution, attacks on courts, and wild changes of direction including flagrant retreats. MORE MARK KENNY: It also extends to denying entry to tourists and students whose social media history reveals negative reflections on his administration; dismissal of public officials considered unpatriotic; an open war on universities; and the demonisation of "bad history" - i.e. teaching about slavery and the dispossession of First Peoples. Trump's 1776 Report released in the final days of his first term attacked what he called a "crusade against American history" by woke academics and journalists. He described the 1619 Project by The New York Times which focused on the year slaves were first transferred to Virginia colonies, as "toxic propaganda, ideological poison". Externally, America's foreign policy has lurched into similar personal paroxysms at the cost of nuance, history, respect for alliances, and any grounding in multilateralism. In short, it too mirrors Trump's I-focused perspective. Trump has not grown in the job but rather has managed to shrink its position description to reflect his unique brand of towering ego and incuriosity. Uninterested in either ideas or policy, he sees complex global problems through leaders and deals. Of Zelenskyy he said a fortnight back, "everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don't like it, and it better stop". He never wonders what an American president would or should do were her/his country invaded? Why? Presumably, because this is not America and therefore beyond his self-centric imagining. Thus, threats to the post-war international settlement, liberal democracy, the rule of law, Ukrainian sovereignty - none of these abstract values occupy his mind. If the primary frustration for Trump is Zelenskyy's stubborn refusal to hand over part of his country to an illegal aggressor, the telling phrase for us is Trump's "I don't like it". Turning to the root cause of this colossal tragedy, Trump said of Putin, "I've known him a long time, always gotten along with him, but he's sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don't like it at all". Remember, this war was going to be resolved on day one - again, based exclusively on his personal relationships. That day-one bravado has now deflated to this: "Sometimes you see two young children fighting like crazy, they hate each other, and they're fighting in a park, and you try and pull them apart ... sometimes you're better off letting them fight for a while and then pulling them apart." This pearl of inanity, which simultaneously infantilised the warring leaders, simplified their complex perspectives and breezed over thousands of civilian deaths, came in another farcical Oval Office performance - this time with a trapped German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz. The new German leader who is strongly pro-Ukraine had leaned on the president for the kind of decisive leadership America showed in WWII, noting that they were talking on the very eve of the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings. "That was not a pleasant day for you," Trump interrupted smugly, prompting Merz to point out it had led to "the liberation of my country from Nazi dictatorship". No harm done. American exceptionalism always has another face, the country beyond embarrassment.
The Advertiser
17 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Rwanda quits Central African bloc in dispute with Congo
Rwanda says it will withdraw from the Economic Community of Central African States, underscoring diplomatic tensions in the region over an offensive by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in eastern Congo. Kigali had expected to assume the chairmanship of the 11-member bloc at a meeting on Saturday in Equatorial Guinea. Instead, the bloc kept Equatorial Guinea in the role, which Rwanda's foreign ministry denounced as a violation of its rights. Rwanda, in a statement, condemned Congo's "instrumentalisation" of the bloc and saw "no justification for remaining in an organisation whose current functioning runs counter to its founding principles". It wasn't clear if Rwanda's exit from the bloc would take immediate effect. The office of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi said in a statement that bloc members had "acknowledged the aggression against the Democratic Republic of Congo by Rwanda and ordered the aggressor country to withdraw its troops from Congolese soil". M23 seized eastern Congo's two largest cities earlier this year, with the advance leaving thousands dead and raising concerns of an all-out regional war. African leaders, along with Washington and Doha, have been trying to broker a peace deal. Congo, the United Nations and Western powers accuse Rwanda of supporting M23 by sending troops and weapons. Rwanda has long denied helping M23, saying its forces were acting in self-defence against Congo's army and ethnic Hutu militiamen linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide that killed about one million people, mostly ethnic Tutsis. US President Donald Trump's administration hopes to strike a peace accord between Congo and Rwanda that would also facilitate billions in Western investment in the region, rich in minerals including tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper and lithium. The bloc was established in the 1980s to foster co-operation in areas such as security and economic affairs among its member states. Rwanda says it will withdraw from the Economic Community of Central African States, underscoring diplomatic tensions in the region over an offensive by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in eastern Congo. Kigali had expected to assume the chairmanship of the 11-member bloc at a meeting on Saturday in Equatorial Guinea. Instead, the bloc kept Equatorial Guinea in the role, which Rwanda's foreign ministry denounced as a violation of its rights. Rwanda, in a statement, condemned Congo's "instrumentalisation" of the bloc and saw "no justification for remaining in an organisation whose current functioning runs counter to its founding principles". It wasn't clear if Rwanda's exit from the bloc would take immediate effect. The office of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi said in a statement that bloc members had "acknowledged the aggression against the Democratic Republic of Congo by Rwanda and ordered the aggressor country to withdraw its troops from Congolese soil". M23 seized eastern Congo's two largest cities earlier this year, with the advance leaving thousands dead and raising concerns of an all-out regional war. African leaders, along with Washington and Doha, have been trying to broker a peace deal. Congo, the United Nations and Western powers accuse Rwanda of supporting M23 by sending troops and weapons. Rwanda has long denied helping M23, saying its forces were acting in self-defence against Congo's army and ethnic Hutu militiamen linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide that killed about one million people, mostly ethnic Tutsis. US President Donald Trump's administration hopes to strike a peace accord between Congo and Rwanda that would also facilitate billions in Western investment in the region, rich in minerals including tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper and lithium. The bloc was established in the 1980s to foster co-operation in areas such as security and economic affairs among its member states. Rwanda says it will withdraw from the Economic Community of Central African States, underscoring diplomatic tensions in the region over an offensive by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in eastern Congo. Kigali had expected to assume the chairmanship of the 11-member bloc at a meeting on Saturday in Equatorial Guinea. Instead, the bloc kept Equatorial Guinea in the role, which Rwanda's foreign ministry denounced as a violation of its rights. Rwanda, in a statement, condemned Congo's "instrumentalisation" of the bloc and saw "no justification for remaining in an organisation whose current functioning runs counter to its founding principles". It wasn't clear if Rwanda's exit from the bloc would take immediate effect. The office of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi said in a statement that bloc members had "acknowledged the aggression against the Democratic Republic of Congo by Rwanda and ordered the aggressor country to withdraw its troops from Congolese soil". M23 seized eastern Congo's two largest cities earlier this year, with the advance leaving thousands dead and raising concerns of an all-out regional war. African leaders, along with Washington and Doha, have been trying to broker a peace deal. Congo, the United Nations and Western powers accuse Rwanda of supporting M23 by sending troops and weapons. Rwanda has long denied helping M23, saying its forces were acting in self-defence against Congo's army and ethnic Hutu militiamen linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide that killed about one million people, mostly ethnic Tutsis. US President Donald Trump's administration hopes to strike a peace accord between Congo and Rwanda that would also facilitate billions in Western investment in the region, rich in minerals including tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper and lithium. The bloc was established in the 1980s to foster co-operation in areas such as security and economic affairs among its member states. Rwanda says it will withdraw from the Economic Community of Central African States, underscoring diplomatic tensions in the region over an offensive by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in eastern Congo. Kigali had expected to assume the chairmanship of the 11-member bloc at a meeting on Saturday in Equatorial Guinea. Instead, the bloc kept Equatorial Guinea in the role, which Rwanda's foreign ministry denounced as a violation of its rights. Rwanda, in a statement, condemned Congo's "instrumentalisation" of the bloc and saw "no justification for remaining in an organisation whose current functioning runs counter to its founding principles". It wasn't clear if Rwanda's exit from the bloc would take immediate effect. The office of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi said in a statement that bloc members had "acknowledged the aggression against the Democratic Republic of Congo by Rwanda and ordered the aggressor country to withdraw its troops from Congolese soil". M23 seized eastern Congo's two largest cities earlier this year, with the advance leaving thousands dead and raising concerns of an all-out regional war. African leaders, along with Washington and Doha, have been trying to broker a peace deal. Congo, the United Nations and Western powers accuse Rwanda of supporting M23 by sending troops and weapons. Rwanda has long denied helping M23, saying its forces were acting in self-defence against Congo's army and ethnic Hutu militiamen linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide that killed about one million people, mostly ethnic Tutsis. US President Donald Trump's administration hopes to strike a peace accord between Congo and Rwanda that would also facilitate billions in Western investment in the region, rich in minerals including tantalum, gold, cobalt, copper and lithium. The bloc was established in the 1980s to foster co-operation in areas such as security and economic affairs among its member states.
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Israeli military says it struck Hamas member in Syria
The Israeli military says it struck a member of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in southern Syria's Mazraat Beit Jin, days after Israel carried out its first air strikes in the country in almost a month. Hamas did not immediately comment on the strike. Israel said on Tuesday it hit weapons belonging to the government in retaliation for the firing of two projectiles towards Israel for the first time under the country's new leadership. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz held Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa accountable. Damascus in response said reports of the shelling were unverified, reiterating that Syria does not pose a threat to any regional party. A little-known group named Martyr Muhammad Deif Brigades, an apparent reference to Hamas' military leader who was killed in an Israeli strike in 2024, reportedly claimed responsibility for the shelling. Reuters, however, could not independently verify the claim. Israel and Syria have recently engaged in direct talks to calm tensions, marking a significant development in ties between states that have been on opposite sides of the conflict in the Middle East for decades. The Israeli military says it struck a member of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in southern Syria's Mazraat Beit Jin, days after Israel carried out its first air strikes in the country in almost a month. Hamas did not immediately comment on the strike. Israel said on Tuesday it hit weapons belonging to the government in retaliation for the firing of two projectiles towards Israel for the first time under the country's new leadership. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz held Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa accountable. Damascus in response said reports of the shelling were unverified, reiterating that Syria does not pose a threat to any regional party. A little-known group named Martyr Muhammad Deif Brigades, an apparent reference to Hamas' military leader who was killed in an Israeli strike in 2024, reportedly claimed responsibility for the shelling. Reuters, however, could not independently verify the claim. Israel and Syria have recently engaged in direct talks to calm tensions, marking a significant development in ties between states that have been on opposite sides of the conflict in the Middle East for decades. The Israeli military says it struck a member of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in southern Syria's Mazraat Beit Jin, days after Israel carried out its first air strikes in the country in almost a month. Hamas did not immediately comment on the strike. Israel said on Tuesday it hit weapons belonging to the government in retaliation for the firing of two projectiles towards Israel for the first time under the country's new leadership. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz held Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa accountable. Damascus in response said reports of the shelling were unverified, reiterating that Syria does not pose a threat to any regional party. A little-known group named Martyr Muhammad Deif Brigades, an apparent reference to Hamas' military leader who was killed in an Israeli strike in 2024, reportedly claimed responsibility for the shelling. Reuters, however, could not independently verify the claim. Israel and Syria have recently engaged in direct talks to calm tensions, marking a significant development in ties between states that have been on opposite sides of the conflict in the Middle East for decades. The Israeli military says it struck a member of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in southern Syria's Mazraat Beit Jin, days after Israel carried out its first air strikes in the country in almost a month. Hamas did not immediately comment on the strike. Israel said on Tuesday it hit weapons belonging to the government in retaliation for the firing of two projectiles towards Israel for the first time under the country's new leadership. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz held Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa accountable. Damascus in response said reports of the shelling were unverified, reiterating that Syria does not pose a threat to any regional party. A little-known group named Martyr Muhammad Deif Brigades, an apparent reference to Hamas' military leader who was killed in an Israeli strike in 2024, reportedly claimed responsibility for the shelling. Reuters, however, could not independently verify the claim. Israel and Syria have recently engaged in direct talks to calm tensions, marking a significant development in ties between states that have been on opposite sides of the conflict in the Middle East for decades.
