Latest news with #NATOSummit
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Trump administration seeks to release some of Epstein probe material
US President Donald Trump arrives at a dinner for NATO heads of state and governments hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Dutch Queen Maxima, on the sidelines of a NATO Summit, at Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague, Netherlands June 24, 2025. Photo: REUTERS President Donald Trump attempted Friday to control the storm triggered by a bombshell report on his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, ordering the Justice Department to seek the release of testimony from the prosecution of the late, alleged sex-trafficker-to-the-famous. Trump also vowed to sue "the ass off" The Wall Street Journal and its owner Rupert Murdoch after the newspaper said that in 2003 the future president wrote a suggestive letter to Epstein, illustrated with a naked woman and referring to their shared "secret." "I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his 'pile of garbage' newspaper, the WSJ. That will be an interesting experience!!!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department would ask a court to unseal grand jury testimony from the case against Epstein, apparently in hopes of dampening fury among many of Trump's most loyal supporters over what they see as a White House cover-up. However, when asked by reporters in the White House whether he would push for the release of more Epstein-related documents, Trump did not answer. Epstein, a financier, was found hanging dead in his cell in New York in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges that he sexually exploited dozens of underage girls at his homes in New York and Florida. The case sparked conspiracy theories, especially among Trump's far-right voters, about an alleged international cabal of wealthy pedophiles. Epstein's death -- declared a suicide -- before he could face trial super-charged the narrative. When Trump returned to power for a second term this January, his supporters clamored for revelations about Epstein's supposed list of clients. But Bondi issued an official memo in July declaring that there was no such list. The discontent in Trump's MAGA, or Make America Great Again, base poses a rare challenge to the 79-year-old Republican's control of the political narrative in America. It remained unclear whether a court would authorize the unsealing of what is usually highly secret grand jury testimony. Even if such material were made public, it was also unclear whether it would shed much, if any, light on the main questions raised in the conspiracy theories -- particularly the existence and possible contents of an Epstein client list. Trump was friends with Epstein and the two were photographed and videoed together at parties over the years, although there has never been evidence shown of wrongdoing. The Wall Street Journal article published late Thursday was damaging because it indicated a shared interest in sex. The Journal reported that Trump had wished Epstein a happy 50th birthday in 2003 with a letter featuring a hand-drawn naked woman and referring to their "secrets." The letter was reportedly among a slew of well-wishes from other rich and well-known figures for a birthday album. AFP
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
Czech Republic invites Korean defense firms
Czech ambassador outlines $35b Czech defense investment, welcomes Korean participation The Czech Republic invited Korean defense companies to deepen cooperation on the sidelines of the ROK-Czech Joint Committee meeting on Defense Industry and Logistics, held on July 9. ROK is the acronym for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea. At the meeting, Czech and Korean defense companies shared their technological expertise and mutual potential. Czech Ambassador to Korea Ivan Jancarek called for strategic defense partnerships in the face of global security challenges, referring to the recent 2025 NATO Summit held in The Hague. At the summit, members committed to spending 3.5 percent of their gross domestic product on defense and 1.5 percent on economic and infrastructure resilience. The Czech Republic plans to significantly increase its defense budget to meet these targets, according to the ambassador. 'By 2030, Czechia will spend up to $15 billion on defense, and by 2035, this is expected to rise to $23–25 billion,' he said. Czechia is the country name preferred by the Czech government. 'If we take into account that at least 20-25 percent should go to investments in weapons, Czechia will spend $30-35 billion on purchasing new equipment in the next 10 years,' Jancarek said. He cited a new NATO-Czech working group on military-industrial cooperation, focusing on air defense, drone protection, mechanized units and ammunition production. Czech firms offer joint project prospects in these areas based on battlefield experience from Ukraine. 'The participation of Korean companies will be welcomed,' he stressed. 'The signing of the strategic partnership between the Russian Federation and the DPRK, unfortunately, already has negative consequences for the security situation both in Europe and on the Korean Peninsula,' Jancarek said. DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Despite UN sanctions, the North's military capabilities have advanced with Russian help, he said, suggesting the need for stronger Czech-Korean dialogue to deepen cooperation. Jancarek also warned against any assistance to Russia, noting, 'Any support to Russia, such as weakening its international isolation, violating sanctions, or returning to a 'business as usual' policy, goes against the interests of European allies and negatively affects the situation on the Korean Peninsula.' Marking 35 years of diplomatic ties and 10 years of strategic partnership, the Czech Republic also sees Korea as a key energy ally through the Dukovany nuclear project. Jancarek stressed the war in Ukraine is vital for Europe and the Indo-Pacific region, warning of severe consequences if Russia gains control, while praising Korea's support for Ukraine. "We are starting to witness initial signs of optimism, including collaboration in ammunition manufacturing, the development of drone jammers for tanks and the production of joint pistols for the Korean military.' The committee meeting was co-chaired by Czech Director General Radka Konderlova of the Czech Ministry of Defense and Director General Tae Kon-kim of South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration. Participating Czech firms were TGS, Colt CZ Group, Excalibur Army, URC Systems and PBS. Korean participants included Korea Defense Industry Corp., SNT Dynamics, SNT Motiv, Kia, DI Optical, WooriByul, Uconsystem, Arion Communication and Korea Aerospace Industries.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
US quashes talk of Trump's Pakistan visit
US President Donald Trump arrives at a dinner for NATO heads of state and governments hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Dutch Queen Maxima, on the sidelines of a NATO Summit, at Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague, Netherlands June 24, 2025. Photo: REUTERS Listen to article The White House on Thursday said that no visit of United States President Donald Trump was scheduled to Pakistan "at this time" after widespread reports of a trip. The White House dismissed the rumours. "A trip to Pakistan has not been scheduled at this time," a White House official said. The reaction came after two local television news channels reported on Thursday that the US president is expected to visit Pakistan in September, citing sources familiar with the matter. Foreign Office spokesperson said he was not aware of Trump's expected visit. The two TV news channels said that Trump would also visit India after arriving in Islamabad in September. US-Pakistan relations saw a major boost when Trump hosted Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House last month in an unprecedented meeting. A US embassy spokesperson in Islamabad told Reuters, "We have nothing to announce," and said that the White House might be able to provide confirmation on the president's schedule. Pakistan's information ministry didn't respond to a Reuters request for a comment. India is due to host the summit of the so-called Quad countries this year but dates for the meeting have not been announced yet. The Quad grouping includes the US, India, Australia and Japan and is focused on countering China's rise in the Indo-Pacific region.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Pakistani officials deny reports of Trump's visit
US President Donald Trump arrives at a dinner for NATO heads of state and governments hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Dutch Queen Maxima, on the sidelines of a NATO Summit, at Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague, Netherlands June 24, 2025. Photo: REUTERS Listen to article Pakistani diplomatic sources on Thursday denied media reports that the US President Donald Trump was expected to visit the South Asian nation on Sept. 18. Sources in the Foreign Ministry said the news circulating about Trump's trip was "fake" as the US president is visiting the UK between Sept. 17 and 19. "We have no information about any such visit. If there is any such thing, the Foreign Ministry will officially announce that," a senior ministry official told Anadolu on the condition of anonymity. Earlier, Reuters reported, quoting local news channels, that US President Donald Trump is expected to visit Pakistan in September, two local television news channels reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the matter. The two TV news channels said that Trump would also visit India after arriving in Islamabad in September. Pakistan's foreign office spokesperson said he was not aware of Trump's expected visit. A US embassy spokesperson in Islamabad told Reuters, "We have nothing to announce," and said that the White House might be able to provide confirmation on the president's schedule. Pakistan's information ministry didn't respond to a Reuters request for a comment. If confirmed, the visit would be the first by a US president since nearly two decades ago, when President George W. Bush visited Pakistan in 2006. According to Anadolu, local News channel, citing unnamed ministry officials, reported that Trump was expected to visit Pakistan on Sept. 18. An international news agency and several media outlets reported the news, quoting the broadcaster. However, the news channel later withdrew the report and apologized for running an "unconfirmed" story. According to an earlier schedule, the US president is scheduled to pay a state visit to the UK between Sept. 17 and 19. Relations between the Pakistani government and the Trump administration have strengthened in recent months, following the latter's active intervention to broker a ceasefire between longtime rivals India and Pakistan after a four-day conflict in May. Last month, Trump also hosted Pakistan's army chief Gen. Asim Munir at the White House, in an unprecedented diplomatic development.
Deccan Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- Deccan Herald
India's balancing act in a polarised world
The recent NATO Summit in The Hague witnessed the new dawn of realism, prominently led by United States President Donald Trump and followed silently by most European partners. With a commitment to 'invest 5 per cent of GDP annually towards defence — and security-related spending by 2025', it is clear that NATO is concerned about the US' security and economic Spain has taken a tough stance by announcing to spend only 2.1% of its GDP on military, followed closely by Belgium seeking 'maximum flexibility' in meeting NATO's revised spending target. Experts point out how the 2025 NATO Declaration bluntly made no mention of 'protection and preserving the rules-based international order as laid down by the UN Charter' — a norm noticed in earlier declarations. Although security-related issues are embedded within the NATO discourse, diplomatic endeavours need to factor in aspects of inclusive growth, shared prosperity, and collective multilateral order — an element noticed in its previous iterations.A look at global outlay on defence reflects a steady increase in spending capacities of the nations. For instance, in 2024, military spending globally rose by 9.4% in real terms, amounting to $2,718 billion. This also happens to mark the tenth consecutive year of an increased global defence budget. The US, China, and Russia top the list, with India in fourth position, as per the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure India, its defence capabilities are gradually expanding by way of industrial reforms, modernising armed forces, and strengthening the native defence production to meet not only its domestic needs but also for bolstering exports. Spending almost 2.3% of its GDP on defence, India allocated about $75 billion in its Union Budget geopolitical strife across the globe, including in its own backyard with terrorist strikes in Pahalgam in April, has perceptibly compelled New Delhi to focus its energies on enhancing self-reliance in military preparedness. Yet technological innovations, R&D development, and leveraging investment towards military infrastructure depend largely on a nation's fiscal framework and its strategic cordial, yet careful, stance away from a NATO membership is rooted in its historical foreign policy of non-alignment and maintaining its strategic autonomy. Instead of depending on any military alliance to aid its external security, India chooses to safeguard its borders flexibly, depending on the fast-changing regional and global in the face of increased global defence spending, development is naturally experiencing a stress test at the international scale. Talks of climate adaptation, building health resilience, energy transition and ensuring holistic sustainable development are gradually coming under intense strain. As such, Agenda 2030 appears to be in a tensions have visibly created ruptures in the global security architecture resulting in a fractured community. Real needs of the vulnerable, such as access to clean energy, nutritious food, and good health is a pivotal target for a majority of the low-income and least-developed countries. But at the same time, securing one's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and maintaining strategic autonomy is heavily reliant on cutting-edge military equipment and defence multilateral forums like the G20 and BRICS pushing forward the socio-economic development agenda of the Global South and attempting to establish a counterforce to the existing Western institutions, ensuring smooth international order is a persistent challenge. In this sense, threats by Trump to impose extra tariffs on the BRICS countries yet again underscore the economic realism aimed at capturing the currency market in global supply by both NATO and non-NATO countries alike, global spending trends on defence possibly enforce the reprioritisation of security over development. Yet it's a catch-22 situation. As one of the prominent partners and fastest-growing economies in the world, the big question remains — is India ready to deal with the economic trade-offs associated with welfare and larger developmental targets and defence spending?Swati Prabhu is Associate Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation.
