Latest news with #Europe-backed
South China Morning Post
09-03-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
The Lens: American woman killed by hippo during safari raises safety concerns
If you are interested in being a regular contributor for The Lens, please apply by clicking this link. Thoughts from last week Charis Chan, 15, Malvern College Hong Kong Charis Chan raises questions over safety measures and guide qualifications at wildlife excursions. Photo: Handout There is currently an ongoing lawsuit against the safari tour company African Portfolio following the tragic death of an American woman in a hippo attack. I believe that African Portfolio should take some responsibility for this incident. First and foremost, they arranged the walking safari and should have been aware of the specifics of the trip, including potential dangers and the qualifications of the tour guides. Given the well-documented risks associated with wildlife encounters, African Portfolio should have provided the couple with thorough warnings about possible dangers and outlined the steps to take in case of an accident. However, it is important to note that African Portfolio is not solely to blame for this tragedy. As stated by Rodney Gould, the company's lawyer, they do not have full control over operations in Zambia. Their focus is to arrange lodging, and the owners of the lodging provide the guides. Being based in the US makes it challenging for African Portfolio to ascertain how tour guides are trained and how the animals and tourists behave. This lack of direct oversight complicates their ability to prevent such incidents. To minimise risks on future safaris, companies could make it mandatory for customers to remain in a safe vehicle while observing wildlife. If customers desire closer contact with animals, the company should provide protective gear to ensure safety from potential bites. Additionally, tour guides should possess proven skills in handling weapons to effectively address emergencies, thereby protecting customers from severe animal attacks. Read up on the issue in last week's The Lens Read and observe The US joined Russia in voting against a UN resolution that called for an end to the war in Ukraine and condemned Russia's aggression. Photo: AFP The administration of US President Donald Trump is temporarily suspending US military aid for Ukraine, the White House confirmed last week. The suspension was announced just days after Trump clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office. During his election campaign, Trump had questioned the necessity of US aid to Ukraine. Under Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, the US was Ukraine's largest supporter in the defensive struggle against Russia. The United States also split with its European allies last month by refusing to blame Russia for its invasion of Ukraine in votes on three UN resolutions seeking an end to the three-year war. In the UN General Assembly, the US joined Russia in voting against a Europe-backed Ukrainian resolution that called out Moscow's aggression and demanded a withdrawal of Russian troops. The US pushed for a vote on its original draft in the more powerful UN Security Council, where resolutions are legally binding, and it has veto power along with Russia, China, Britain and France. The vote in the 15-member council was 10-0, with five European countries abstaining. The duelling resolutions reflect the tensions between the US and Ukraine after Trump suddenly opened negotiations with Russia to resolve the conflict quickly. In the first vote, the General Assembly approved the Ukrainian resolution 93-18 with 65 abstentions. The result showed some diminished support for Ukraine because previous assembly votes saw more than 140 nations condemn Russia's aggression. The assembly then turned to the US-drafted resolution. The resolution acknowledges 'the tragic loss of life throughout the Russia-Ukraine conflict' and 'implores a swift end to the conflict and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia', but never mentions Moscow's aggression. Research and respond What is the role of the United States and President Donald Trump in the UN General Assembly? What are the implications of the US stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict?
Fox News
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump's Israel art of the deal: Repair Bibi-Putin relationship to neutralize Iran threat
Last week, the Trump administration reportedly pressured Israel to vote against Ukraine on the Europe-backed U.N. General Assembly resolution, which condemned Russia for the invasion and affirmed Ukraine's territorial integrity. As a result, Israel sided with Russia, North Korea and the United States, and against Ukraine. On Friday, Trump booted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy out of the White House, accusing him of "gambling with World War III." Is Trump trying to make Russia great again, cozying up to Putin? Hold your fire. Here's the rationale for Trump's outside-the-box thinking. The "Deal-Maker-in-Chief" is almost certainly brokering a rapprochement between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin, in order to break up the unholy Russia-Iran alliance, which poses a grave security risk to the U.S. and which former President Joe Biden had strengthened by his misguided foreign policy course. Until Biden caused a rift between Moscow and Tel Aviv by compelling Israel to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, Putin and Netanyahu had a positive transactional relationship. It was based on the personal rapport and the shared belief that Islamic extremism is a common enemy, with which there cannot be a compromise. In the past, Israel did not criticize Russia for its wars in Muslim Chechnya, nor did it express any negative reaction to Putin's annexation of Crimea. Israel studiously maintained a neutral posture during the initial stages of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, having refrained from condemning Putin for the invasion, refused to join the U.S. and EU sanctions against Moscow, and opted to provide only humanitarian aid to Ukraine rather than military hardware. Both realpolitik-minded and pragmatic, Putin and Netanyahu viewed their undeclared alliance as strategically valuable for the stability and security in the region. Since becoming president in 2000, Putin has drastically improved the Russian-Israeli relationship, following decades of hostile relations between the USSR and Israel. Putin became the first Kremlin leader to visit Israel in 2005 and pursued a largely pro-Israel policy as the Jewish state became home to the world's largest population of Jews from the former Soviet Union. With 1.2 million Russian and former Soviet émigrés living in Israel and 15%-17% of the Israeli population being Russian-speaking, Putin was never in favor of Iran, who regularly threatens to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth, having an operational nuclear capability. In 2010, the Kremlin, complying with U.N. sanctions, banned by a presidential decree the sale to Iran of S-300 air defense missile system, which would have augmented the defenses of Iranian nuclear sites from airstrikes. Additionally, in 2019, amid rising tensions in the Persian Gulf, Putin declined Iran's request to buy the advanced S-400 missile defense system. This was probably in response to concerns shared by Israel and Saudi Arabia and because he sought to maintain a positive working relationship with the two. Netanyahu reciprocated, having even attended a Russian military parade in 2018, standing alongside Putin. For Bibi, Israel's security trumps optics. The Israel Defense Forces were critically reliant on security coordination with the Russian military in Syria, where Russia controls the skies and has tacitly allowed Israeli fighter jets to conduct strikes on Iranian proxies. As a result of the rift, however, Putin strengthened his ties with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, hailing the "very close" relationship between Russia and Iran. With the Biden administration trying to choke the Russian economy with draconian sanctions, Putin started to actively cooperate with Iran, including likely supplying Tehran with sensitive nuclear and space launch technologies. "We are actively working together in the international arena, and our assessments of events taking place in the world are often very close," Putin said in October. Last year, in April and September, around the time of Iran's direct attacks on Israel, Reuters reported that Russian weapons experts visited Iranian missile production facilities, a sign of deepening military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran, which is undoubtedly a cause for alarm in Washington and Jerusalem. Trump is a pragmatist who places America's security first and Israel's a close second. He likely understands that Moscow and Tehran, who share a tumultuous history, aren't natural allies as they are trying to portray. They've been pushed together by the unwise and incompetent Washington policies that, until Trump, have been driven by ideologies and wishful thinking rather than realism and U.S. security. Trump likely believes, correctly, that strategically, it is in the U.S. interest to repair our relations with Russia, foster a Putin-Netanyahu rapprochement, and break up the Moscow-Tehran axis, in order to neutralize the deadly threat from Iran as it draws nearer in its capabilities to being a fully nuclear-armed state. Like Putin and Netanyahu, the bombastic and strategically minded commander in chief doesn't fear the "wrong" optics or being called, yet again, a Putin apologist. Trump wants to get done what must be done to ensure America's security and the world's stability. Netanyahu is almost certainly on board with Trump's grand plan as Israel is seeking to exert its own influence on U.S. policy. Jerusalem is advocating the U.S. to allow Russia to keep its military bases in Syria, which is now ruled by a terrorist regime, following the Turkey-backed coup. To reduce the threat to its borders, Israel views Russia as an ally in Syria and a counterweight to Turkey, with whom Jerusalem has had tense relations, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan aims to shift the balance of power in the Middle East in Turkey's favor. The Trump effect is already felt. Russia has invited Israel to attend the May 9th Victory parade in Moscow, commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Moscow, which is cautiously optimistic about Trump's strategic realignment, offering Putin a seat at the table with the big boys, stated that "unfriendly states," including Ukraine, Germany, France and others are not invited. On Saturday, Netanyahu's military secretary, Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman, was en route to Moscow to discuss "strengthening of cooperation in the interests of security." Iran was on the agenda during the U.S.-Russia high-level meeting in Riyadh, kicking off the peace talks on Ukraine, according to Putin's presidential aide Yuriy Ushakov. Putin reportedly may also serve as a broker between Washington and Tehran on a new nuclear deal. Trump has inherited from the Biden administration global chaos and a world on fire, which he is trying to put out. Look more deeply into his game plan before launching criticisms at him.
The Hill
26-02-2025
- Business
- The Hill
High-level EU-US diplomatic talks are called off as transatlantic tensions rise
WASHINGTON (AP) — A planned meeting between European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Secretary of State Marco Rubio was abruptly canceled Wednesday due to 'scheduling issues,' coming as political tensions have increased between Europe and the United States. Officials from both sides blamed scheduling challenges for preventing the pair, who last met at the Munich Security Conference in Germany last month, from meeting in Washington. However, European officials said they were caught off guard, and, notably, Kallas had previewed her planned talks with Rubio just two days earlier. In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has thrown the partnership between the U.S. and Europe into turmoil by pledging to charge higher taxes on imports from Europe that he says will match tariffs faced by American products. EU officials have traveled to Washington trying to head off a trade war. Top Trump administration officials also have warned Europe that it must start taking responsibility for its own security, including Ukraine, and sidelined the Europeans from their initial talks with Russia on ending the war. In a remarkable shift, the U.S. split with its European allies by refusing to blame Russia for its invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations this week and joined Moscow in voting against a Europe-backed Ukrainian resolution. In a bid to mend relations, French President Emmanuel Macron was in Washington on Monday for a White House meeting with Trump seeking support. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose country is no longer a member of the EU but often aligns itself with the continental bloc on foreign policy, is due to visit Thursday. Kallas herself had said Monday that she would be holding talks with Rubio 'on the issues that are of interest to both of us,' which for the EU are chiefly Russia's war on Ukraine and transatlantic relations. 'It is clear that the statements coming from the United States make us all worried,' she told reporters after chairing a meeting of EU foreign ministers. Kallas said she hoped the EU-U.S. relationship can continue to function. 'So far, we do not have any indication that it would not. Of course it is going to change, that is very clear. But we should not throw something out the window that has worked well so far,' she said. In a terse text message, her office referred all questions about why the meeting was canceled at short notice to the State Department. A senior U.S. official said the planned meeting, which had never appeared on Rubio's public schedule, had been pulled down due to 'an unavoidable scheduling conflict.' The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. Rubio attended Trump's Cabinet meeting at the White House, which began late Wednesday morning. The cancellation came less than a week after the State Department's policy planning office sent an internal memo instructing officials who deal with Europe to highlight two specific issues in interactions with European counterparts. The Feb. 21 memo, seen by The Associated Press, also mentioned tentative plans for an upcoming Rubio meeting with Kallas. The two issues of concern identified in the memo were 'Freedom of Speech and Free Opposition' and 'Migration.' On the former, the memo said Rubio and other U.S. diplomats should emphasize in their discussions with European officials the importance that the Trump administration attaches to free speech. It noted that Vice President JD Vance had said in a speech at the Munich Security Conference this month that the West should 'unite around free speech, halt censorship, reject suppressing opposition, jailing people for tweets and memes, etc.' 'The United States cannot continue supporting a continent that drifts in an authoritarian direction,' the memo said. 'It's bad for Europe and bad for us.' On migration, the memo said U.S. officials, including Rubio, should refer to Europe's 'de facto open borders policy' as a 'disaster' that must end. Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration and carrying out mass deportations a signature priority. 'The United States is changing course on migration policy under Trump,' it said. 'It's well past time for Europe to do the same. We want you to remain civilization partners and to do that, you must get this under control.' It was not clear if the blunt language in the memo contributed to the cancellation of the Rubio-Kallas meeting. Although her meeting with Rubio was pulled down, Kallas was due to meet with U.S. senators and members of Congress to discuss the war in Ukraine and EU-U.S. ties during her two-day trip to Washington and to take part in a talk about those issues at the Hudson Institute research organization.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
High-level EU-US diplomatic talks are called off as transatlantic tensions rise
WASHINGTON (AP) — A planned meeting between European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Secretary of State Marco Rubio was abruptly canceled Wednesday due to 'scheduling issues,' coming as political tensions have increased between Europe and the United States. Officials from both sides blamed scheduling challenges for preventing the pair, who last met at the Munich Security Conference in Germany last month, from meeting in Washington. However, European officials said they were caught off guard, and, notably, Kallas had previewed her planned talks with Rubio just two days earlier. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has thrown the partnership between the U.S. and Europe into turmoil by pledging to charge higher taxes on imports from Europe that he says will match tariffs faced by American products. EU officials have traveled to Washington trying to head off a trade war. Top Trump administration officials also have warned Europe that it must start taking responsibility for its own security, including Ukraine, and sidelined the Europeans from their initial talks with Russia on ending the war. In a remarkable shift, the U.S. split with its European allies by refusing to blame Russia for its invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations this week and joined Moscow in voting against a Europe-backed Ukrainian resolution. In a bid to mend relations, French President Emmanuel Macron was in Washington on Monday for a White House meeting with Trump seeking support. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose country is no longer a member of the EU but often aligns itself with the continental bloc on foreign policy, is due to visit Thursday. Kallas herself had said Monday that she would be holding talks with Rubio 'on the issues that are of interest to both of us,' which for the EU are chiefly Russia's war on Ukraine and transatlantic relations. 'It is clear that the statements coming from the United States make us all worried,' she told reporters after chairing a meeting of EU foreign ministers. Kallas said she hoped the EU-U.S. relationship can continue to function. 'So far, we do not have any indication that it would not. Of course it is going to change, that is very clear. But we should not throw something out the window that has worked well so far,' she said. In a terse text message, her office referred all questions about why the meeting was canceled at short notice to the State Department. A senior U.S. official said the planned meeting, which had never appeared on Rubio's public schedule, had been pulled down due to 'an unavoidable scheduling conflict.' The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. Rubio attended Trump's Cabinet meeting at the White House, which began late Wednesday morning. The cancellation came less than a week after the State Department's policy planning office sent an internal memo instructing officials who deal with Europe to highlight two specific issues in interactions with European counterparts. The Feb. 21 memo, seen by The Associated Press, also mentioned tentative plans for an upcoming Rubio meeting with Kallas. The two issues of concern identified in the memo were 'Freedom of Speech and Free Opposition' and 'Migration.' On the former, the memo said Rubio and other U.S. diplomats should emphasize in their discussions with European officials the importance that the Trump administration attaches to free speech. It noted that Vice President JD Vance had said in a speech at the Munich Security Conference this month that the West should 'unite around free speech, halt censorship, reject suppressing opposition, jailing people for tweets and memes, etc.' 'The United States cannot continue supporting a continent that drifts in an authoritarian direction,' the memo said. 'It's bad for Europe and bad for us.' On migration, the memo said U.S. officials, including Rubio, should refer to Europe's 'de facto open borders policy' as a 'disaster' that must end. Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration and carrying out mass deportations a signature priority. 'The United States is changing course on migration policy under Trump,' it said. 'It's well past time for Europe to do the same. We want you to remain civilization partners and to do that, you must get this under control.' It was not clear if the blunt language in the memo contributed to the cancellation of the Rubio-Kallas meeting. Although her meeting with Rubio was pulled down, Kallas was due to meet with U.S. senators and members of Congress to discuss the war in Ukraine and EU-U.S. ties during her two-day trip to Washington and to take part in a talk about those issues at the Hudson Institute research organization. ___ Cook reported from Brussels.
Associated Press
26-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
High-level EU-US diplomatic talks are called off as transatlantic tensions rise
WASHINGTON (AP) — A planned meeting between European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Secretary of State Marco Rubio was abruptly canceled Wednesday due to 'scheduling issues,' coming as political tensions have increased between Europe and the United States. Officials from both sides blamed scheduling challenges for preventing the pair, who last met at the Munich Security Conference in Germany last month, from meeting in Washington. However, European officials said they were caught off guard, and, notably, Kallas had previewed her planned talks with Rubio just two days earlier. In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has thrown the partnership between the U.S. and Europe into turmoil by pledging to charge higher taxes on imports from Europe that he says will match tariffs faced by American products. EU officials have traveled to Washington trying to head off a trade war. Top Trump administration officials also have warned Europe that it must start taking responsibility for its own security, including Ukraine, and sidelined the Europeans from their initial talks with Russia on ending the war. In a remarkable shift, the U.S. split with its European allies by refusing to blame Russia for its invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations this week and joined Moscow in voting against a Europe-backed Ukrainian resolution. In a bid to mend relations, French President Emmanuel Macron was in Washington on Monday for a White House meeting with Trump seeking support. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose country is no longer a member of the EU but often aligns itself with the continental bloc on foreign policy, is due to visit Thursday. Kallas herself had said Monday that she would be holding talks with Rubio 'on the issues that are of interest to both of us,' which for the EU are chiefly Russia's war on Ukraine and transatlantic relations. 'It is clear that the statements coming from the United States make us all worried,' she told reporters after chairing a meeting of EU foreign ministers. Kallas said she hoped the EU-U.S. relationship can continue to function. 'So far, we do not have any indication that it would not. Of course it is going to change, that is very clear. But we should not throw something out the window that has worked well so far,' she said. In a terse text message, her office referred all questions about why the meeting was canceled at short notice to the State Department. A senior U.S. official said the planned meeting, which had never appeared on Rubio's public schedule, had been pulled down due to 'an unavoidable scheduling conflict.' The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. Rubio attended Trump's Cabinet meeting at the White House, which began late Wednesday morning. The cancellation came less than a week after the State Department's policy planning office sent an internal memo instructing officials who deal with Europe to highlight two specific issues in interactions with European counterparts. The Feb. 21 memo, seen by The Associated Press, also mentioned tentative plans for an upcoming Rubio meeting with Kallas. The two issues of concern identified in the memo were 'Freedom of Speech and Free Opposition' and 'Migration.' On the former, the memo said Rubio and other U.S. diplomats should emphasize in their discussions with European officials the importance that the Trump administration attaches to free speech. It noted that Vice President JD Vance had said in a speech at the Munich Security Conference this month that the West should 'unite around free speech, halt censorship, reject suppressing opposition, jailing people for tweets and memes, etc.' 'The United States cannot continue supporting a continent that drifts in an authoritarian direction,' the memo said. 'It's bad for Europe and bad for us.' On migration, the memo said U.S. officials, including Rubio, should refer to Europe's 'de facto open borders policy' as a 'disaster' that must end. Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration and carrying out mass deportations a signature priority. 'The United States is changing course on migration policy under Trump,' it said. 'It's well past time for Europe to do the same. We want you to remain civilization partners and to do that, you must get this under control.' It was not clear if the blunt language in the memo contributed to the cancellation of the Rubio-Kallas meeting. Although her meeting with Rubio was pulled down, Kallas was due to meet with U.S. senators and members of Congress to discuss the war in Ukraine and EU-U.S. ties during her two-day trip to Washington and to take part in a talk about those issues at the Hudson Institute research organization. ___
