‘Politically driven' US government report slams South Africa, Brazil
Among the nations are El Salvador and Israel, which rights groups said have extensive records of abuses. Instead the widely anticipated 2024 Human Rights Report of the US state department sounded an alarm on the erosion of freedom of speech in Europe and ramped up criticism of Brazil and South Africa, with which Washington has clashed on a host of issues.
Any criticism of governments over their treatment of LGBTQI+ rights, which appeared in former president Joe Biden administration's editions of the report, appeared to have been largely omitted.
Washington DC referred to Russia's invasion of Ukraine mainly as the 'Russia-Ukraine war'.
The report's section on Israel was much shorter than last year's edition and contained no mention of the severe humanitarian crisis or death toll in Gaza. More than 61,000 people have been killed in Gaza, the Gaza health ministry said, as a result of Israel's military assault after an attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas in October 2023.
The report was delayed for months as Trump appointees altered an earlier state department draft dramatically to bring it in line with 'America First' values, said government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
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eNCA
7 minutes ago
- eNCA
Alaska: a source of Russian imperial nostalgia
Alaska, the US state that will host the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump on Friday, is a source of imperial nostalgia and often less-than-serious territorial claims in Russia. The territory that Russia sold to the United States in 1867 is now a symbol of the entwined history of the countries, whose relations have been severely damaged since Russia launched its offensive in Ukraine in 2022. To some experts, the summit in Alaska evoked memories of the thaw between the Soviet Union and the United States during the Cold War. "It's a classically orchestrated summit, like in the era of detente," Russian political scientist Fyodor Lukyanov said on Telegram. "Its symbolic significance is the absence of intermediaries: the powers, so to speak, decide for themselves," he added, saying that China is "not close" to Alaska and that Europe is "as far away as possible". - Fur trading hub - But beyond being a unique meeting place, Alaska also fuels Russian memories of the Tsarist empire, the historic predecessor of the Soviet Union. "For Russia, Alaska symbolises the peak of an expansion," Alexander Baunov, senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said on the centre's website. It was "when the Russian continental empire had, for the only time, succeeded in crossing an ocean like the European empires", Baunov said. A Russian colony since the 18th century, Alaska was eventually sold to the United States for $7.2 million in 1867 by Tsar Alexander II. The remote territory was economically very difficult for the Russians to exploit and at the time its sale was welcomed by the Imperial Court as the country was struggling economically. But the transaction later came to be seen as a regrettable bargain after what formerly was a fur trading hub turned out to house crucial natural resources: gold and oil. - 'Our bears' - In recent years, the price at which Alaska was sold, considered by some to be ridiculously low, and the legal validity of the transaction have become regularly recurring debates in Russia. In July 2022, in the midst of patriotic fervour in Russia and as tensions soared between Moscow and Washington following the offensive against Ukraine, the Alaska issue resurfaced. The speaker of the Duma, the lower house of the Russian Parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin, spoke of "lands to be returned", describing Alaska as a "disputed territory". Russia's authorities are apparently not interested in reclaiming it. In 2014, Vladimir Putin, asked by a pensioner about the possibility, replied: "My dear, why do you need Alaska?" adding the territory was "too cold". Still, the idea of reclaiming Alaska is an endless source of memes widely circulating on Russian social media. One of the most famous claims that "our soul" suffered from the loss of Alaska because "it's where our bears live". The recapture of Alaska is even mentioned in a 1990s hit by a rock band Putin likes, Lyube, with the lyrics: "Stop messing around, America... And give back our Alaskan lands." bur/phz
The Star
4 hours ago
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Will Suzuki build cars in SA? Minister Tau engaging with carmakers as tariff debate rages
Donald Trump's automotive tariffs, while only affecting the Mercedes-Benz operations in South Africa, have sparked conversations on whether the government is sufficiently protecting own market. According to Lightstone, around 37% of the vehicles that South Africans purchase are locally produced, while a significant 36% are imported from India and 11% from China. At a media event outlining South Africa's response to Donald Trump's tariffs, held in Pretoria on Tuesday, Minister of Trade and Industry, Parks Tau, revealed some interesting insights into the country's plan for the automotive industry. Asked whether the government was considering raising the import tariffs on Indian and Chinese vehicles in order to prevent our market from being flooded, Tau did not rule out such a move but said the Department of Trade, Industry and Commerce (DTIC) was not in favour of punitive measures. 'With regards to Chinese and Indian auto, it is a discussion that we're currently having with the intention of taking a less punitive approach, but rather taking a more proactive approach of getting some of those products manufactured in the country.' Tau said many Chinese manufacturers had expressed interest in establishing themselves in the country and were making contributions towards a revised Automotive Production and Development Program (APDP), which is currently under review. Tau said he could not comment on what the actual decision would be, regarding tariffs, but added that it was the government's intention to accelerate the policy development process and related instruments in the implementation of the APDP. Discussions with Suzuki Auto Earlier this year Naamsa CEO Mikel Mabasa revealed that at least three Chinese car manufacturers were considering setting up vehicle production facilities in South Africa. Interestingly, the DTIC has also been engaging with Suzuki Auto, which recently became the country's second best-selling brand, thanks largely to an affordable product portfolio sourced almost entirely from its Maruti Suzuki division in India. 'I should say that we spoke about the Chinese, but in the next two weeks, we'll also be engaging with both Japan and India. You would know that Suzuki has a great presence in the country right now, and we will be visiting. 'So whilst it's a Japanese company, they're exporting from India to the South African market. So we'll be touching (base with) both the parent company and the company that's exporting into the South African market to see how we can cooperate and collaborate, on the basis of seeking to attract them as an investor into our country. 'So we're not holding the stick as a starting point. We start with the carrot and then balance it with the stick," Tau concluded. IOL has approached Suzuki Auto for commentary and will update the story in due course. It's not just Suzuki that imports vehicles from India. Many of the smaller Toyotas, such as the Suzuki-built Starlet, Vitz, Rumion, and Urban Cruiser, are also sourced from there, as are other high-volume products from Korean brands, most notably the Hyundai Grand i10 and Kia Sonet. Tata is also set to re-enter the South African market later this month. While Chinese imports accounted for just 11% of vehicle sales last year, this number is growing rapidly, and with a raft of new brands set to launch in the near future, including Lepas, iCaur, and the reintroduction of Geely, it would appear that our market is in real danger of being saturated. Consider that the country already has 16 Chinese brands, with Chery and GWM/Haval now fixtures in the top 10 sales list. Can our market realistically accommodate so many brands? Brandon Cohen, Chairperson of the National Automobile Dealer's Association (NADA), commented that South Africa is a relatively small market that already has one of the largest offerings of brands and derivatives locally. This benefits the buyer as it provides fierce competition. However, when it comes to the long-term sustainability of such a prolific brand count, Cohen feels the market will achieve a balance in the not-too-distant future. 'With consumers under extreme financial strain and new offerings that cater for high specification at competitive pricing, it is natural that those entities who cannot compete will suffer,' Cohen told IOL. 'I do, however, think that with certain brands remaining highly aspirational and product life cycles bringing new and exciting cars to market on a regular basis, we may see some brands recover while others could certainly fall away.' Ultimately, their feasibility will depend on economic growth. 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IOL News
6 hours ago
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Putin, Trump Alaska Summit: Implications for Russia-US Relations
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and US President Donald Trump shake hands before a meeting in Helsinki on July 16, 2018. The two leaders will be meeting on August 15, 2025 in Alaska. Image: AFP Dmitry Suslov On Friday, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will meet in Alaska. This will be the first full-scale Russia-US summit since June 2021 in Geneva, and the first official visit by a Russian president to American soil since Dmitry Medvedev's trip in 2010 at the height of the 'reset.' It will also be the first time the leaders of Russia and the US have met in Alaska, the closest US state to Russia, separated only by the narrow Bering Strait, and once part of the Russian Empire. The symbolism is obvious: as far as possible from Ukraine and Western Europe, but as close as possible to Russia. And neither Zelensky nor the EU's top brass will be in the room. The message could not be clearer – Moscow and Washington will make the key decisions on Ukraine, then inform others later. As Trump has said, 'they hold all the cards.' From Geneva to Alaska: A shift in tone The Alaska summit marks a sharp departure from the Biden years, when even the idea of such a meeting was unthinkable and Washington's priority was isolating Russia. Now, not only will Putin travel to Alaska, but Trump is already planning a return visit to Russia. Moderate optimism surrounds the meeting. Summits of this type are rarely held 'just to talk'; they usually cap a long process of behind-the-scenes negotiations. The idea for this one emerged after three hours of talks in Moscow on August 6 between Putin and Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov described Washington's offer as 'very acceptable.' That suggests Putin and Trump will arrive in Alaska with a preliminary deal – or at least a framework for a truce – already in place. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. 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His effort to squeeze Moscow by pushing China and India to stop buying Russian oil has backfired badly. Far from isolating Russia, it triggered the worst US-India crisis in 25 years and drove New Delhi even closer to Moscow. It also encouraged a thaw between India and China, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi now set to attend the SCO summit in Tianjin. BRICS, which Trump has openly vowed to weaken, has only grown more cohesive. The Alaska summit is Trump's chance to escape the trap he built for himself – trying to pressure Moscow through Beijing and New Delhi – and to show results on Ukraine that he can sell as a diplomatic victory. Why Russia does too For Moscow, a successful summit would be a powerful demonstration that talk of 'isolation' is obsolete – even in the West. It would cement Russia's standing with the 'global majority' and highlight Western Europe's diminished influence. The transatlantic split would widen, weakening Brussels' claim to be Russia's toughest opponent. Most importantly, Washington today has little real leverage over Russia, especially on Ukraine. If the summit yields a joint Russian–American vision for a truce or settlement, it will inevitably reflect Moscow's position more than Kiev's or Brussels'. And if the Western Europeans try to derail it, the US could pull the plug on all aid to Ukraine – including intelligence support – accelerating Kiev's defeat. For Moscow, a successful summit would be a powerful demonstration that talk of 'isolation' is obsolete – even in the West. It would cement Russia's standing with the 'global majority' and highlight Western Europe's diminished influence, says the writer. Image: Graphic News
