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Straits Times
a few seconds ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
‘Flying blind': Trump strips government of expertise at a high-stakes moment
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox US President Donald Trump has gutted the National Security Council, the collection of foreign policy analysts who have helped guide US foreign policy for decades. – For decades, American presidents have relied on the expertise of foreign policy professionals to help guide them through tricky negotiations in high-stakes conflicts around the globe. President Donald Trump has taken a different approach toward such experts: He has fired them. Now, as Mr Trump tries to navigate perhaps the trickiest negotiation of his presidency – ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine – he is doing so after having stripped away much of the infrastructure designed to inform him about Russian President Vladimir Putin and to keep the United States from being outmaneuvered or even duped. 'They're flying blind without the expertise,' said Dr Evelyn N. Farkas, executive director of the McCain Institute at Arizona State University. She said the kinds of people who had been fired 'have seen all the intelligence relating to Vladimir Putin's intentions. They have spies on the ground. They know all kinds of information that's gained through technical means'. Mr Trump has gutted the National Security Council (NSC) , the collection of foreign policy analysts who have helped guide US foreign policy for decades, cutting the staff by more than half. He has purged experts from the intelligence agencies because of tangential connections to a nearly decade-old investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 3 injured, 50 evacuated after early morning fire involving PMA in Toa Payoh HDB flat Singapore askST: What parents can do if their child is targeted by a bully or is a bully Singapore New ACS special education school to take in 100 pupils with autism in January 2026 Asia Touts earning up to $1k a day for illegal JB-S'pore ride-hailing go into hiding after crackdown Sport Koen Pang, Izaac Quek become first S'poreans to reach table tennis Grand Smash s-finals Singapore Meet the team tracking monkey sounds in Singapore to stop emerging diseases Asia Taiwan hikes defence spending to 3.32% of GDP, but it may not be enough to satisfy Trump World Trump gives two weeks to assess Russia-Ukraine peace prospects Mr Trump has made it clear he believes that his personal connection with Mr Putin can help him get a peace deal on Ukraine, not being surrounded by a coterie of experts whom he sees as part of a 'deep state' out to thwart his agenda. 'I think he wants to make a deal for me, you understand, as crazy as it sounds,' Mr Trump told French President Emmanuel Macron of France on Aug 18, in a moment caught on a hot mic. As Russia continues to pound Ukraine with missiles and drones, Mr Trump has chosen to rely mostly on himself and a handful of close allies, including friends from the business world. His actions are part of a broader pattern in which Mr Trump has reshaped the administration to carry out his wishes, not to debate policy or offer him independent advice. And while Mr Trump has characterised his recent flurry of diplomacy as extremely productive, neither a ceasefire nor a peace settlement looks any closer, at least publicly. A White House official argued that Mr Trump was producing results through direct leader-to-leader negotiations, rather than embracing the approach of previous presidents who relied on hundreds of researchers and advisers. The official, who was not authorised to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Mr Steve Witkoff, the real estate investor whom Mr Trump tapped to be special envoy, had spent hours speaking to Mr Putin. Mr Trump has held a deep distrust for the NSC since the earliest days of his first term, in 2017, because he believed that its members were undermining him. The Trump administration's gutting of the NSC was recommended by Mr Robert O'Brien, who led the council as national security adviser during Mr Trump's first term and argued that its mission needed to be revamped to better carry out the President's policy objectives. 'When we cut the NSC policy staff that had become needlessly bloated under Obama by half in Trump 1.0, the NSC became more efficient, stopped leaking and achieved big policy wins for President Trump,' Mr O'Brien said. The 'rightsizing' efforts in the second term 'have yielded similar results', he said, citing Mr Trump's summits in Alaska and Washington. The purge of expertise ramped up this week when Ms Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, announced she was stripping 37 current and former officials of their security clearance s. At least three of the current officials had worked on Russian influence issues, though none were directly responsible for the conclusions Ms Gabbard has derided as flawed. Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut, the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said expert intelligence professionals were being forced out and those that remained were 'sent a clear message' on what they should say. 'Vladimir Putin is sneering with satisfaction as Donald Trump, aided and abetted by his director of national intelligence, guts the intelligence community in pursuit of his political vendettas,' he said. He added that the intelligence community's ability to perform 'objective collection and analysis' was being systematically dismantled, a process that he said would 'inevitably make our country less safe and less free'. Mr Joel Willett, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer and NSC staff member, was among the 37 people who lost their security clearances this week. That meant he will no longer be able to work on classified government contracts. In a social media post, Ms Laura Loomer, the right-wing conspiracy theorist, said she had flagged Mr Willett for signing a letter calling for Mr Trump to be impeached in 2019 and noted that he was considering a run for the Democratic nomination for the Kentucky Senate seat being vacated by Senator Mitch McConnell, the former Republican leader. Mr Willett said Ms Loomer's social media post contained falsehoods. But he said the bigger issue was that the purge of expertise on Russia and other national security matters would make it harder for the US government to advise the President. Mr Willett served on the NSC during the Obama administration, and has looked on with dismay as Mr Marco Rubio, the acting national security adviser and secretary of state, has reduced the size of the organisation. 'We live in an age of interconnectedness and rapidly evolving global threats,' Mr Willett said. 'I, for one, appreciate knowing that my government has deep experts, highly engaged, and that the President has access to those experts to help recommend policy. But I think what we've seen is an administration that truly doesn't value expertise because the President feels that he knows best about everything.' Senator Mark Warner, who is vice-chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, expressed concern that the administration was losing the very experts it needed at a precarious time. 'Russia remains one of our most dangerous adversaries – interfering in elections, unleashing relentless cyber attacks and carrying out a brutal war in Ukraine,' Mr Warner said. 'At the very moment we need our best experts on the front lines, this administration is purging them for political reasons, stripping their clearances and making Americans less safe.' Mr Marc Polymeropoulos, a former CIA officer who once led the agency's clandestine operations in Europe and Russia, says beyond the exodus of people, the administration's actions carry other problems. 'What is worrisome to me is the chill in analytic objectivity,' Mr Polymeropoulos said. Mr Polymeropoulos said Mr Trump did not want to hear intelligence reports about Russia's bad acts and Ms Loomer was seizing any excuse to try and get national security officials who worked on Russia ousted from the government. 'The whole idea of the intelligence community speaking truth to power is lost when it becomes so wildly politicised,' he said. 'There are going to be real repercussions to all of this.' NYTIMES
Straits Times
a few seconds ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Mail services halt US deliveries ahead of de minimis end
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox US President Donald Trump is ending the so-called de minimis exemption that has applied to more than four million parcels processed each day. Postal services across the world are cutting off parcel deliveries to the US as the fast-approaching end of a tariff exception for low-value packages sows chaos in global shipping. As of Aug 29, President Donald Trump is ending the so-called de minimis exemption that has applied to more than four million parcels processed by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) each day. In response, a growing number of national mail services plan to temporarily suspend service to the US as soon as this week, citing a lack of clarity from the American authorities on how the duties will be collected and how to submit required data. The Czech Republic's postal service will suspend US goods shipments until further notice starting Aug 21, according to its website. Austria's post provider will no longer accept packages bound for the US after Aug 25, citing the changes to US customs rules. 'There is currently insufficient information available about the customs clearance procedures that will be required in future,' Austrian Post said in a statement. 'This tightening of the rules poses major challenges for all postal companies worldwide when shipping goods to the USA.' Belgium's Bpost said it will temporarily stop sending parcels to the US starting from Aug 22 due to uncertainty surrounding the new US rules for international shipments, according to newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 3 injured, 50 evacuated after early morning fire involving PMA in Toa Payoh HDB flat Singapore askST: What parents can do if their child is targeted by a bully or is a bully Singapore New ACS special education school to take in 100 pupils with autism in January 2026 Asia Touts earning up to $1k a day for illegal JB-S'pore ride-hailing go into hiding after crackdown Sport Koen Pang, Izaac Quek become first S'poreans to reach table tennis Grand Smash s-finals Singapore Meet the team tracking monkey sounds in Singapore to stop emerging diseases Asia Taiwan hikes defence spending to 3.32% of GDP, but it may not be enough to satisfy Trump World Trump gives two weeks to assess Russia-Ukraine peace prospects Britain's Royal Mail meanwhile plans to suspend US shipments for one to two days next week as it transitions to a new system to allow shippers to pay the newly imposed duties, according to its website. Australia Post has temporarily suspended its transit service deliveries – a small number of items from third countries sent through Australia to the US – a spokesperson confirmed. However, regular deliveries directly from Australia to the US by consumers and businesses will be unaffected. 'The United States Government recently announced significant changes to its import tariff rules that will impact customers sending items from Australia to the US,' the spokesperson said in an e-mailed statement. 'This is moving very quickly, and we are working at speed and around the clock to find a solution for our customers.' The White House and CBP did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The service interruptions highlight the seismic impact from Mr Trump's decision to eliminate the de minimis exemption. The policy had allowed low-value parcels to flow into the US from around the world with little interruption. Now, postal services, online sellers, consumers and shipping companies are attempting to sort through the costly and complicated process to comply with US rules with little guidance from federal agencies. 'It is a real concern that the dominoes are falling and there will be a ripple effect where more and more posts announce that they will be suspending packages to the US,' said Ms Kate Muth, executive director of the International Mailers Advisory Group, which represents the US international mailing and shipping industry. Once the exemption ends, duties will be assessed on US imports shipped by mail based on the country-of-origin tariff rate that Mr Trump imposed using his emergency powers. Alternatively, packages shipped via international post could be assessed with a temporary flat fee of US$80 (S$103) to US$200 per item, but only for the next six months. CBP outlined in an Aug 15 bulletin how the flat fees would be calculated, corresponding to the countries' tariff rates. The agency also offered some additional instruction to shippers on Aug 21, when it issued guidance certifying two companies to collect and pay duties on behalf of international mail carriers. 'It's obviously very welcomed,' Ms Muth said, 'but it's still a concern that we're just a week away and we only have the first two approved.' The fallout is extending beyond mail carriers. Starting Aug 25, online marketplace Etsy plans to suspend its shipping label service for national mail services in Australia, Canada and Britain for US-bound packages, according to its website. The company suggested that shippers use carriers with services in place that allow them to pay duties before goods arrive in the US, such as United Parcel Service and FedEx Corp. FedEx said it continues to accept and transport shipments to the US and is unaffected by the postal operators' decisions. UPS had no immediate comment. The US Postal Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment. BLOOMBERG
Straits Times
a few seconds ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Pakistan woos old rival Bangladesh, as India watches on
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Warming ties between Dhaka and Islamabad comes as a bid to reset relations scarred by the bloody 1971 conflict. DHAKA - Decades after Pakistani troops killed his friends in Bangladesh's independence war, veteran freedom fighter Syed Abu Naser Bukhtear Ahmed eyes warming ties between Dhaka and Islamabad with cautious pragmatism. Bangladesh is hosting the foreign minister and trade envoy this week, its most senior Pakistani visitors in years, in a bid to reset relations scarred by the bloody 1971 conflict and shaped by shifting regional power balances. 'The brutality was unbounded,' said Mr Ahmed, 79, a banker, describing the war in which East Pakistan broke away to form Bangladesh. Hundreds of thousands were killed – Bangladeshi estimates say millions – and Pakistan's military was accused of widespread atrocities. 'I would have loved to see the responsible people tried – the ones who killed six of my friends,' Mr Ahmed told AFP. 'I don't mind normalising relations with those who opposed the war, but were not directly involved in the atrocities committed.' Contact between the two Muslim-majority nations was long limited to little more than cultural ties: a shared love of cricket, music and Pakistan's prized cotton used to make the flowing trousers and shirt known as shalwar kameez. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 3 injured, 50 evacuated after early morning fire involving PMA in Toa Payoh HDB flat Singapore askST: What parents can do if their child is targeted by a bully or is a bully Singapore New ACS special education school to take in 100 pupils with autism in January 2026 Asia Touts earning up to $1k a day for illegal JB-S'pore ride-hailing go into hiding after crackdown Sport Koen Pang, Izaac Quek become first S'poreans to reach table tennis Grand Smash s-finals Singapore Meet the team tracking monkey sounds in Singapore to stop emerging diseases Asia Taiwan hikes defence spending to 3.32% of GDP, but it may not be enough to satisfy Trump World Trump gives two weeks to assess Russia-Ukraine peace prospects Bangladesh instead leaned heavily on India, which almost encircles the country of 170 million people. 'Flirting' However, a mass uprising in Dhaka in 2024 that toppled longtime India ally Sheikh Hasina has strained ties with New Delhi and opened the door for dialogue with Islamabad. Pakistan's Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan arrived in Dhaka on Aug 21 and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is expected on Aug 23. Analysts say India, which fought a four-day conflict with Pakistan in May , will be watching closely. 'Bangladesh had been one of India's closest partners in its neighbourhood, and now it is flirting with India's chief adversary,' said Mr Michael Kugelman, a US-based analyst. The last time a Pakistani foreign minister visited Dhaka was in 2012, according to Bangladesh newspapers. Pakistan and Bangladesh began sea trade in 2024, expanding government-to-government commerce in February. 'It is the emergence of a new strategic equation – one that reduces Indian influence and instead strengthens a cooperative axis between Pakistan and Bangladesh,' Mr Azeem Khalid, a New York-based international relations expert, told AFP. 'If sustained, this evolution has the potential to reshape South Asia's geopolitical and economic order.' Bangladesh's interim government led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus is furious that Ms Hasina fled to India and has defied a summons to answer charges amounting to crimes against humanity. 'Under Yunus, there have been a number of high-level meetings, trade relations have expanded, the two countries have agreed to relax visa rules and there has even been some limited military cooperation,' said analyst Thomas Kean from the International Crisis Group. 'Wound remains open' Still, reconciliation faces obstacles. Calls for Pakistan to apologise for the 1971 killings remain popular in Bangladesh, but foreign policy expert Qamar Cheema believes it is unlikely Islamabad will oblige. 'Pakistan's engagement with Bangladesh is only possible if Bangladesh does not bring historical animosity in re-establishing ties', said Dr Cheema, from Islamabad's Sanober Institute. 'Bangladesh always demanded an apology, which (Pakistan) never provided – and even today, doesn't have any such intentions.' Dhaka's foreign affairs adviser Mohammad Touhid Hossain, asked if Bangladesh would raise the issue of a public apology, said that 'all issues will be on the table'. Bangladesh courts have sentenced several people for 'genocide' during the 1971 war, accusing them of aiding Pakistani forces in the ethnic cleansing of Bengalis. 'As long as the wound remains open, the relationship cannot be sustainable,' said anthropologist Sayeed Ferdous from Dhaka's Jahangirnagar University. Others strike a more balanced tone. 'From a victim's perspective, I can't accept a warming of bilateral relations before Pakistan meets certain conditions,' said Bangladeshi academic Meghna Guhathakurta, whose father was killed by Pakistani troops. She said Islamabad 'should make all information related to the war public'. However, the retired international relations professor from Dhaka University also accepted that it was 'natural to have trade relations with Pakistan', and acknowledged the 'geopolitical dimensions'. With elections in February, when Yunus's administration will hand over power, relations could shift once again. 'If the next government is prepared to patch up ties with India – and Delhi is willing to reciprocate – then the surge in ties with Islamabad could become a casualty,' Mr Kugelman said. AFP
Straits Times
a few seconds ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Judge says ex-Trump lawyer has served as US attorney without legal authority
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A federal judge on Aug 21 ruled that Ms Alina Habba had been serving as New Jersey's US attorney without legal authority for more than a month. WASHINGTON – A federal judge on Aug 21 ruled that Ms A lina Ha bba had been serving as New Jersey's US attorney without legal authority for more than a month, thrusting the state's already paralysed federal court system deeper into disarray and potentially placing limits on the president's power to choose his own top federal prosecutors. 'Faced with the question of whether Ms Habba is lawfully performing the functions and duties of the office of the United States attorney for the District of New Jersey, I conclude that she is not,' the judge, Mr Matthew W . Brann of the Middle District of Pennsylvania, wrote. 'Because she is not currently qualified to exercise the functions and duties of the office in an acting capacity,' he added, 'she must be disqualified from participating in any ongoing cases'. But the judge delayed the practical effect of his own decision, including an order disqualifying Habba from participating in ongoing cases. The pause will allow the government to fight on Ms Habba's behalf in a federal appeals court. Still, the ruling was a remarkable rebuke to a Justice Department that has undertaken extraordinary measures to keep its preferred US attorneys in their jobs. Ms Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, vowed to appeal the judge's decision. Ms Habba 'is doing incredible work in New Jersey,' she wrote in a social media post on Aug 21 evening, 'and we will protect her position from activist judicial attacks.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 3 injured, 50 evacuated after early morning fire involving PMA in Toa Payoh HDB flat Singapore askST: What parents can do if their child is targeted by a bully or is a bully Singapore New ACS special education school to take in 100 pupils with autism in January 2026 Asia Touts earning up to $1k a day for illegal JB-S'pore ride-hailing go into hiding after crackdown Sport Koen Pang, Izaac Quek become first S'poreans to reach table tennis Grand Smash s-finals Singapore Meet the team tracking monkey sounds in Singapore to stop emerging diseases Asia Taiwan hikes defence spending to 3.32% of GDP, but it may not be enough to satisfy Trump World Trump gives two weeks to assess Russia-Ukraine peace prospects Ms Habba, who previously served as President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, was appointed in March to a 120-day term as interim US attorney. Trump nominated her to take on the role permanently, but New Jersey's senators indicated they would block her and in July a panel of federal judges declined to extend her tenure. Instead, the judges tapped a veteran prosecutor, Ms Desiree L. Grace, to lead the office. In response, Ms Bondi publicly disparaged the judges, fired Ms Grace and, in a complicated series of legal maneuvers, elevated Ms Habba to the role of acting US attorney. Two separate legal motions were quickly filed challenging the legality of Ms Habba's appointment, and confusion has since gripped much of the state's federal court system. For weeks, the questions have left the state's district court system at a standstill, delaying hearings, plea agreements, grand jury proceedings and at least one trial. The moves used to keep Ms Habba in charge of the New Jersey office after her interim tenure ran out have been replicated by the Justice Department in several other US attorney's offices. Mr Brann's ruling may encourage challenges to the legal authority of those prosecutors, too. 'The Habba case might be the most visible example of this, but the district court's decision here, if affirmed, would prevent the Trump administration from similar machinations in the rest of the country as well,' said Professor Steph en I. Vladeck, a Georgetown University law professor. Neither Ms Habba nor a Justice Department spokesperson responded to requests for comment. Mr Gerald Kr ovatin and Ms Abbe D. Low ell, the lawyers who challenged Ms Habba's authority, said in a joint statement that they appreciated the thoroughness of the court's opinion. 'Prosecutors wield enormous power, and with that comes the responsibility to ensure they are qualified and properly appointed,' they said, adding, 'This administration cannot circumvent the congressionally mandated process for confirming US attorney appointments.' Mr Brann noted last week during a hearing on the matter that any decision he made could be expected to be reevaluated by the Court of Appeals. But he also indicated that swift action was urgently needed in order to return the state's federal court system to 'at least some level of normality'. Ms Habba, 41, has represented Mr Trump in several civil cases and served as a campaign spokesperson. But she had no experience in criminal law before the president said on social media in late March that he had appointed her as New Jersey's interim US attorney 'effective immediately'. Days later, she told a podcaster that she hoped to use her job in the traditionally nonpartisan office to help Republicans 'turn New Jersey red'. Within months, her office had brought charges against two prominent New Jersey Democrats, Mayor Ras J. Baraka of Newark and Rep. LaMonica McIver of the 10th Congressional District, stemming from a confrontation outside a migrant detention center. She quickly dropped the trespassing charge against Mr Baraka, eliciting a harsh rebuke from a judge for what he called a 'hasty arrest.' (Mr Baraka is now suing Habba for malicious prosecution.) Lawyers for Ms McIver, who is charged with assault, have said that the government engaged in 'vindictive prosecution' that smacks of disparate treatment, particularly in light of the president's leniency toward the Jan 6 Capitol rioters. Her tenure has coincided with a collapse of morale within the historically prestigious US attorney's office, which plummeted further after questions about Ms Habba's authority began to stall cases. The office's leadership has also been depleted. On Aug 21 , another of its leaders, Ms Caro line Sadlowski, announced that she would leave at the end of this week, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. Ms Sadlowski did not immediately respond to a request for comment. During last week's oral argument, M r Mark E. Coy ne, the head of appeals at Ms Habba's office, acknowledged that few proceedings, other than preliminary actions by magistrate judges, were being held. Certain upcoming trials, he said, 'likely will be adjourned'. In the court appearances that have taken place, prosecutors have begun to say that they are appearing for the United States on behalf of the deputy attorney general as well as on behalf of Ms Habba, making plain the uncertainty of her authority. The government has so far refused the judge's suggestion that Ms Habba recuse herself to eliminate confusion and to ensure that the courts function efficiently while the legality of the appointment is debated. 'There's sort of a dignity component to this, as well,' Mr Coyne told Mr Brann last week. 'And by that I mean that the executive branch has made very clear whom they wish to be in charge of my office.' But Mr Brann said that the Justice Department had made several legal mistakes as it sought to keep Ms Habba in the role. Ms Habba was not the first interim US attorney installed by the department in New Jersey this year. She was preceded for about three weeks by another interim US attorney, Mr John Giordano. The administration believed that Ms Habba's late March appointment meant that her tenure would last until late July. But Mr Brann found otherwise, saying that a new 120-day term did not start when Ms Habba replaced Mr Giordano as interim US attorney. Instead, she continued Mr Giordano's 120-day-term, which expired July 1. That date, Mr Brann said, marked the beginning of Ms Habba's unlawful occupation of the office. He added that there were other reasons for her illegitimacy. The Trump administration believed that Ms Habba's tenure would expire at midnight July 25. Accordingly, several days before that, Justice Department officials fired Ms Grace, Ms Habba resigned as interim US attorney and the president withdrew her nomination for the permanent role. Ms Bondi then appointed Ms Habba as first assistant in Ms Grace's place, arguing that the move had simultaneously elevated Habba to the position of acting US attorney, according to a federal law called the Federal Vacancies Reform Act. To further ensure Habba's authority, Ms Bondi also appointed her as a special attorney charged with oversight of the district of New Jersey. But Mr Brann said that there were several reasons Ms Habba had not automatically become acting US attorney under federal law, including that she was not first assistant when the US attorney seat became vacant, as the law required. He also said that the special attorney designation did not pass muster, in part because the duties of special attorney as defined by Ms Bondi were effectively identical to those of a US attorney. It is not clear that a higher court will agree with Mr Brann, assuming the government appeals. Professor Anne Jose ph O'Connell, a law professor at Stanford University who has written about temporary federal appointments, said the ability to install acting leaders at federal agencies was vital, particularly when the Senate is often stymied by politics. 'Modern agencies run on delegation in the face of a broken appointments process,' she said. 'If upheld on appeal, this ruling would upend common practice of acting officials under Democratic and Republican administrations,' she added. Mr Henry C. Whitaker, a lawyer representing the Justice Department, stressed during the hearing last week that federal law should be interpreted to give the executive branch 'substantial authority to decide who is executing the criminal laws of the United States'. The Supreme Court, he argued, has made clear that that was 'at the core of the executive power'. 'To me, that is a feature of the statute, not a bug – that the executive branch has substantial authority over these officials who are exercising that core executive power,' Mr Whitaker told the judge. Mr Brann was a member of the conservative Federalist Society and active in Republican Party politics before he was nominated to his post by former President Barack Obama. He joined the federal bench in 2013 and has been the Middle District of Pennsylvania's chief judge since 2021. In 2020, after Mr Trump lost the presidential election, Mr Brann dismissed a lawsuit by the Trump campaign that had claimed there were widespread improprieties with mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania. In a scathing decision, Mr Brann said the campaign's argument had been 'haphazardly stitched together,' likening it to Frankenstein's monster. Prof Vladeck said that while the Aug 21 ruling would not be the last word on the matter, it was a reaffirmation of a principle that 'the president can't just pick who he wants, when he wants for whatever reason he wants.' 'Whether that's actually going to prevent the president from carrying out his policy goals is less obvious,' he added. NYTIMES
Straits Times
a few seconds ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Newcastle host Liverpool amid Alexander Isak stand-off, new era begins for Everton
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak is set to miss the clash with Liverpool. LONDON – Liverpool can expect a hostile reception when they travel to Newcastle United on Aug 25 amid their pursuit of wantaway Magpies striker Alexander Isak, while Manchester United will hope to find goals soon with their new-look attack. Across Merseyside, a new era begins for Everton on Aug 24 when they welcome Brighton & Hove Albion for the first competitive game at their new 53,000-capacity stadium. Here are the major talking points ahead of the second weekend of the Premier League season. Isak future hangs over Newcastle, Liverpool Isak is set to sit out the meeting between his current employers and his preferred destination as a stand-off over the Swede's future rolls into the final week of the transfer window. Newcastle insist the 25-year-old will not move unless they can source an adequate replacement and Liverpool meet their British transfer record price tag of a reported £150 million. The Reds have had one bid worth £110 million rejected with their business not yet concluded despite splashing £300 million on new recruits. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 3 injured, 50 evacuated after early morning fire involving PMA in Toa Payoh HDB flat Singapore askST: What parents can do if their child is targeted by a bully or is a bully Singapore New ACS special education school to take in 100 pupils with autism in January 2026 Asia Touts earning up to $1k a day for illegal JB-S'pore ride-hailing go into hiding after crackdown Sport Koen Pang, Izaac Quek become first S'poreans to reach table tennis Grand Smash s-finals Singapore Meet the team tracking monkey sounds in Singapore to stop emerging diseases Asia Taiwan hikes defence spending to 3.32% of GDP, but it may not be enough to satisfy Trump World Trump gives two weeks to assess Russia-Ukraine peace prospects Isak has said his relationship with Newcastle 'can't continue' after losing trust in the club. However, the early season form of Hugo Ekitike has tempered the need for Premier League champions Liverpool to meet Newcastle's demands. The French forward registered a goal and an assist on his Premier League debut in Liverpool's rollercoaster 4-2 win over Bournemouth. The teething problems for Arne Slot's new-look side have been in stopping the flow of counter-attacks against them, but they should be stronger with the return of midfielder Ryan Gravenberch from suspension. Newcastle's lack of firepower without Isak was exposed as they failed to break down 10-man Aston Villa in a goalless draw on the opening weekend. Chances are they will find it tough to beat Liverpool as well. United must make their attack count The Red Devils face Fulham at Craven Cottage on Aug 24 in their first away match of the season. After a 1-0 loss to Arsenal last week at Old Trafford, where United's attack showed promise but failed to convert 22 shots, Ruben Amorim's side are eager to rebound. New signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo impressed, while Benjamin Sesko featured in a 25-minute cameo against the Gunners. The 1.95m Sesko, with his aerial prowess, is set to lead the line against Fulham. Cunha and Mbeumo will operate as dynamic No. 10s, with Cunha's dribbling and Mbeumo's directness aiming to feed Sesko. However, Amorim must address goalkeeping issues and midfield gaps and ensure his £200 million attack clicks to avoid further scrutiny. Everton's new era Everton's new season got off to a frustrating start in a late 1-0 defeat by Leeds. But the hope of a bright future is the club's new state-of-the-art home on Liverpool's docklands. After decades in the doldrums for one of England's historically most successful clubs, the Toffees are banking on the Hill Dickinson Stadium to help bankroll a change in fortunes. But the move from Goodison Park, which had been home of the Toffees since 1892, is also fraught with risk. Goodison's intimidating atmosphere played a big role in helping save Everton from the drop in a series of difficult seasons in recent years. On the evidence of their defeat against Leeds, they will need their new home to be just as much of a fortress to avoid another relegation scrap. AFP
