Latest news with #White House
Arab News
3 minutes ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Malaysia in a tight spot as pressure builds to reject Trump's ‘alpha male' pick as ambassador
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's government is facing mounting calls to reject a self-styled 'alpha male' influencer picked by President Donald Trump to be US ambassador, in what could risk damaging ties at a critical time of tariff talks between the two countries. The White House has proposed 40-year-old author and outspoken political commentator Nick Adams to the Senate as its nominee for ambassador to Malaysia, triggering concerns in the Muslim-majority nation over Adams' views on Islam and support for Israel's military campaign in Gaza, among other sensitive topics. No date is set for the Senate vote, but Adams is expected to be approved, with the Republican-held Senate green-lighting every Trump nominee since he became president in January. Adams, a naturalized US citizen originally from Australia, has an outsized persona on social media and is known for his appeal among young males in the 'manosphere,' an online space for men's issues. He lists interests including a love for hot dogs, steak, muscle cars, and restaurant chain Hooters, where servers wear revealing uniforms. In posts on online platform X, Adams has railed against alleged efforts to 'teach Islam in schools' and described those expressing solidarity with Palestinians as supporters of terrorism. The posts have sparked outrage in Malaysia, which has a majority of mostly Muslim ethnic Malays alongside significant ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indian minorities of other faiths. Malaysia has also long supported the Palestinian cause, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim rejecting what he described as Western pressure to condemn Palestinian militant group Hamas. The youth wing of Anwar's People's Justice Party said this week it would submit a memorandum of protest to the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur against Adams' proposed appointment as envoy, adding any rejection 'should not be misconstrued as hostility but rather seen as a necessary measure to safeguard the integrity of bilateral relations.' Mohamed Sukri Omar, a member of Islamic opposition party PAS, said in a statement the appointment would be 'an open insult toward the sensitivities of the Malaysian people,' while a group representing 20 pro-Palestine organizations in Malaysia urged the government to reject Adams. Malaysian government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil said on Tuesday Adams' appointment had not yet been raised in cabinet, which has the authority to accept new diplomatic appointments. Shahriman Lockman of Malaysia's Institute of Strategic and International Studies, said protests from Muslim groups and ruling bloc allies could be too politically costly for Anwar's government to ignore, although Adams may be a useful conduit during trade talks due to his perceived closeness to Trump. Refusing Adams could also provoke retaliation from Trump at a time when Malaysia faces pressure to make trade concessions in exchange for lowering a potentially hefty 25 percent US tariff, he said. 'There's no elegant solution here. It's damned if you do, damned if you don't,' Shahriman said. Cry about it all you want — it won't change anything. Grow up and adapt. — Shahriman Lockman (@raylockman) July 11, 2025 Adams' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In an X post on July 10, he thanked Trump for the nomination, describing it as 'the honor of a lifetime.' Trump described Adams on Truth Social as 'an incredible Patriot and very successful entrepreneur, whose love of, and devotion to, our Great Country is an inspiration.' When contacted for comment, the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur pointed to remarks made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a visit to Malaysia last week. Rubio said he supported Adams' nomination and looked forward to his confirmation. 'Tone matters' Former diplomats say Malaysia was unlikely to reject Adams' appointment outright, but could make its objections known through informal channels or by delaying its approval. 'That would send a subtle but clear diplomatic signal: we value the bilateral relationship, but we also expect a standard of decorum, cultural sensitivity, and respect appropriate to such a posting,' said Ilango Karuppannan, a retired former Malaysian ambassador who was once deputy chief of mission in Washington. While concerns over Adams' appointment were unlikely to have a direct impact on trade negotiations, 'the broader tone of the bilateral relationship always matters,' he said. 'A smooth, professional handling of this nomination can help ensure those trade discussions stay on track, while an avoidable public clash might risk unnecessary complications,' Karuppannan said. Former Malaysia Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, a member of the largely ethnic Malay opposition bloc Perikatan Nasional, said Malaysia should stand firm in upholding its values despite Adams' relationship with Trump. 'Yes it would be good to have a US ambassador who is very close to Trump... but you cannot compromise on certain principles,' he said. Tricia Yeoh, an associate professor at the University of Nottingham Malaysia, said Adams' success as envoy would be highly dependent on his ability to win the trust of Malaysia's political and policy leadership. 'If the comments he has previously made on social media are accurate depictions of his position on sociopolitical matters, he might find it challenging to do so, especially if he intends to make these positions publicly and explicitly known,' she said.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump says he made a deal with Coca-Cola. It'd turn all Coke into Mexican Coke.
President Donald Trump said that Coca-Cola agreed to swap corn syrup for real cane sugar in Coke. Coca-Cola has not commented on or confirmed the president's statement. If the swap is made, US-based Coca-Cola drinks would taste more like Mexican Coke products. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said a "better" version of Coca-Cola products was on its way. In a Truth Social post, the president said he'd been working on a deal with the beverage company to use real cane sugar in Coke products in the United States, "and they have agreed to do so." "I'd like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola," Trump wrote in his post. "This will be a very good move by them — You'll see. It's just better!" The Coca‑Cola Company acknowledged in a statement that changes were coming but did not provide additional details. "We appreciate President Trump's enthusiasm for our iconic Coca‑Cola brand," the statement said. "More details on new innovative offerings within our Coca‑Cola product range will be shared soon." The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Coca-Cola already sells a cane sugar version of its soda in the US, marketed as Coca‑Cola Mexico or, colloquially, Mexican Coke, since many of its sodas sold in Mexico are made with cane sugar. However, most of its products sold in the United States are sweetened with corn syrup, in part because the government heavily subsidizes corn, which makes corn syrup a cheaper option than cane sugar. Coca-Cola's stock didn't respond to Trump's announcement in after-hours trading. Shares for the soda company were at $69.27 at market close. Famously, Trump's drink of choice is Diet Coke, which is made with the artificial sweetener aspartame. The president has frequently been photographed drinking Diet Coke, with The New York Times reporting in 2017 that he drinks a dozen a day. The Trump administration, through its Make America Health Again initiative spearheaded by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has urged companies to remove ingredients such as dyes and preservatives from their formulas. Some companies, like PepsiCo, Nestlé, and General Mills, have announced they will remove artificial ingredients and colorings from popular food items by the end of the year. Read the original article on Business Insider
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE How Barack and Michelle Obama were 'awkward' and 'anxious' during frank discussion about divorce rumors
Barack Obama and Michelle Obama appeared to put on a united front when the former president appeared on his wife's podcast earlier today - but a body language expert has revealed that there may be more than meets the eye. Barack, 63, was a guest on the IMO podcast, which Michelle co-hosts with her brother Craig Robinson, with the couple addressing the divorce rumors that have engulfed their marriage in recent weeks. The former first lady, 61, joked that it was nice to be in the same room as her husband, sassily telling her brother: 'When we aren't, folks think we're divorced.' Michelle clapped back at the speculation, passionately saying there has not been 'one moment' in their marriage where she thought about separating. However, body language expert Judi James declared the pair's body language has changed drastically since their days in the White House as she described the interaction as 'awkward' in video footage from the podcast. 'As Barack arrives to take his seat, Michelle rubs her hands on her thighs in what looks like a self-calming ritual before placing her hands below the desk, between her legs,' Judi exclusively told the Daily Mail. 'This, along with the way her awkwardly-placed feet tend to edge under her seat, suggests a desire to self-diminish from the normally confident-looking ex FLOTUS,' she added. 'There's no real joy thrown into the room at this point to relax any tension,' the expert continued. 'Michelle's brows shoot upward and her head wobbles in a suggestion that any rumors make her sad and rather angry.' Meanwhile, Judi mused that Barack's response to learning about the rumors around their marriage - to which he said 'I don't even know this stuff's going on' - was 'odd.' According to the expert, the former first lady's body language suggests 'anxiety and inherent awkwardness.' 'When Barack and Michelle were in the White House their signature body language brand was all about mutual romance and a form of intellectual and charismatic equality,' Judi observed. She added in the past, the couple's marriage looked like the 'perfect blueprint,' with Michelle even tending to 'eclipse her husband now and again when it came to public speaking and positive, inspirational confidence.' Judi pointed out that changing the way they interact with each other - or 'lowering the idyllic bar' - would obviously incite gossip about their relationship. 'The couple appear mildly uncomfortable but determined to set the record straight here,' she observed, adding that they are putting on a 'professional display.' The expert added although the seating arrangement is determined by the studio set up which hinders any physical affection, there is no 'gracious, presidential double-act style body language' between them like there was in previous years. 'This means there is no gracious, presidential double-act style body language where they pose as a tactile couple before taking to their seats,' she revealed. 'The only person Barack reaches out to touch here is Michelle's brother.' The expert also noted the lack of 'romantic' moments for the camera. 'Michelle finishes with a formal sign-off of "Thank you Barack Obama" with no playful-looking rituals,' she concluded her observations. Instead, Judi pointed out the mom-of-two anxiously rubbed her bracelets, which could suggest the discussion on the podcast may 'have cost them both in terms of emotion to take this action to prove the doubters wrong.' Michelle made heartfelt admission about her relationship with her husband of almost 33 years during the episode, wasting no time in addressing the rumors they are headed for a divorce. 'What, you guys like each other?' Robinson joked, before Michelle replied: 'Oh yeah, the rumor mill.' 'There hasn't been one moment in our marriage where I thought about quitting my man,' she said passionately. She continued: 'And we've had some really hard times. So we had a lot of fun times, a lot of adventures, and I have become a better person because of the man I'm married to.' The Obamas have been married for almost 33 years and share daughters, Malia, 26, and Sasha, 24. Over the past few months they have faced ongoing rumors about their marriage status, but have denied they are separating. Speculation mounted over trouble between the pair after her decision to skip both Jimmy Carter's funeral and President Donald Trump's inauguration - with Michelle insisting they were decisions she made for herself. Those absences sparked divorce rumors, which she addressed during a taping of actress Sophia Bush's podcast in April. 'That's the thing that we as women, I think we struggle with disappointing people. I mean, so much so that this year people were, you know, they couldn't even fathom that I was making a choice for myself that they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing,' Michelle said. 'That this couldn't be a grown woman just making a set of decisions for herself, right?' she continued. 'That's what society does to us.' 'We start actually, finally going, "What am I doing? Who am I doing this for?"' the former first lady said. 'And if it doesn't fit into the sort of stereotype of what people think we should do, then it gets labeled as something negative and horrible.'
Bloomberg
13 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Swiss Trade Deal With US Is Awaiting Trump's Sign Off, Bern Says
Swiss officials approved the draft of a framework trade deal with the US almost two weeks ago, and are continuing talks while awaiting sign off from President Donald Trump, according to the government. That twist in the ongoing negotiations was revealed to Bloomberg in an email on Wednesday that suggests Bern remains in suspense over whether the agreement will get over the line before the Aug. 1 deadline set by the White House.
Reuters
a day ago
- Business
- Reuters
Trump says he will meet Starmer in Scotland visit, expects trade talks
WASHINGTON, July 15 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he expects to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Aberdeen, Scotland, later this month to refine a U.S.-British trade deal. A White House official said Trump plans to visit his golf properties in Scotland late this month, recreating a trip he made in 2016 during his first run for the presidency. Trump plans to visit both his Turnberry and Aberdeen golf properties on a trip expected to last from July 25-29, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Asked by reporters about the trip, Trump said he is set to meet Starmer on the trip. He and Starmer announced a deal on June 16 on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada that reaffirmed quotas and tariff rates on British automobiles and eliminated tariffs on the U.K. aerospace sector. But the issue of steel and aluminum remains unresolved. "We are going to have a meeting with him, probably in Aberdeen. And we're going to do a lot of different things, also refine the trade deal that we've made," Trump said. Trump visited both golf courses during his successful run for a first term in 2016, using the opportunity to praise Britain's "Brexit" vote to part ways with the European Union. As he toured the grounds at Turnberry then, he was accompanied by bagpipers in kilts. The Turnberry course on the west coast of Scotland has been the site of the Open Championship four times, the last one being in 2009. Trump bought it in 2014. The Republican president will make a state visit to Britain September 17-19 as the guest of King Charles at Windsor Castle. The late Queen Elizabeth had welcomed Trump to Buckingham Palace for a three-day state visit in June 2019 during his first term in office, during which he had a private lunch with the sovereign and had tea with Charles, who was then heir.
