[🇺🇸] USA News/Views

[Saif]

US hails meeting between Blinken, China FM

The United States hailed ‘open and productive’ discussions between China’s foreign minister and Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Laos on Saturday in which Blinken raised...

www.newagebd.net

US hails meeting between Blinken, China FM
Agence France-Presse . Vientiane 27 July, 2024, 23:20

US secretary of state Antony Blinken (left) shakes hands with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi as they meet on the sidelines of the 57th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Vientiane on Saturday. | AFP photo

The United States hailed 'open and productive' discussions between China's foreign minister and Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Laos on Saturday in which Blinken raised US concerns over Beijing's 'provocative actions' around Taiwan.

Blinken's stop in Laos is part of a multi-nation Asia visit aimed at reinforcing regional ties in the face of Beijing's growing assertiveness, including in the South China Sea, and its deepening ties with Moscow.

The talks on the sidelines of a foreign ministers meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) lasted for one hour and twenty minutes, according to a senior State Department official.

Blinken raised 'US concerns about provocative actions' by China, including a simulated blockade of Taiwan following the May inauguration of its new president Lai Ching-te, the official said.

China claims the democratic island as its territory and slammed Lai's inauguration speech as 'confession of independence.'

Shortly before the meeting Blinken hit out at Beijing's 'escalatory and unlawful actions' in the South China Sea, where China and the Philippines are locked in a territorial dispute.

Beijing claims the waterway—through which trillions of dollars of trade passes annually—almost in its entirety despite an international court ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

Wang also warned the Philippines over deploying a US medium-range missile system on its soil, saying it would 'create tension and confrontation in the region and trigger an arms race.'

The US Army said in April it had deployed the Mid-Range Capability missile system in the northern Philippines for annual joint military exercises.

Philippines military officials later said the system would be removed from the country.

Blinken arrived in Laos two days after the foreign ministers of China and Russia met with the 10-nation ASEAN bloc—and each other on the sidelines of the meeting.

On Thursday, Wang met Russia foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in Vientiane and discussed 'building a new security architecture for Eurasia', according to Moscow's foreign ministry.

The pair also agreed to jointly 'counter any attempts by extra-regional forces to interfere in Southeast Asian affairs', it said.

China has a strong political and economic partnership with Russia, with NATO members labelling Beijing as a 'key facilitator' of Moscow's involvement in the war in Ukraine.​

 

[Lulldapull]

Indians think that hating us and partying up with the racist west is their salvation….……anytime Indian guy even answers back to blatant racism in the US, he gets shot dead!

Newly Married Indian-Origin Man Shot Dead In US In Suspected Road Rage

A 29-year-old Indian-origin man was shot dead in a suspected road rage incident in the US state of Indiana on Tuesday, the police said.

www.ndtv.com

 

[Lulldapull]

I try mentioning this on our other lesser forum, and the mods get uncomfortable.

Ajeeb baat hae no?



When you try educating our ghareeb badbakht on having a second option toward potentially leaving the west, fuckking earthquake happens on our other forum.

 

[Saif]

US, Japan deepen ties, take swipe at China

The United States and Japan issued scathing verbal attacks on China and Russia yesterday after high-level discussions on enhancing already close defence collaboration between Tokyo and Washington in an increasingly unstable region.

www.thedailystar.net

US, Japan deepen ties, take swipe at China

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin meet with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara at their Foreign and Defense Ministerial (2+2) Meeting at Iikura Guest House in Tokyo, Japan yesterday. Photo: Reuters

The United States and Japan issued scathing verbal attacks on China and Russia yesterday after high-level discussions on enhancing already close defence collaboration between Tokyo and Washington in an increasingly unstable region.

A joint statement issued after "2+2" talks in Tokyo between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and their Japanese counterparts said China's "foreign policy seeks to reshape the international order for its own benefit at the expense of others".

They also reiterated their "strong objections" to China's "unlawful maritime claims, militarization of reclaimed features, and threatening and provocative activities in the South China Sea".

The communique also criticised Russia's "growing and provocative strategic military cooperation" with China, as well as Moscow's procurement of ballistic missiles and other equipment from North Korea "for use against Ukraine". It also expressed alarm at China's "ongoing and rapid expansion of its nuclear weapons arsenal".

Blinken said US alliances were all "defensive in nature".

"They have no ambitions toward anyone else, and never have been or ever will be offensive in nature," he told a news conference.

"But at a time when unfortunately these threats are increasing, our alliances, our partnerships, they're getting deeper, they're getting stronger, they're getting more effective," he said.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said: "We are at a historic turning point."

"Developments that shake the very foundation of a free and open international order based on the rule of law are continuing."

"We must deepen and develop the US-Japan alliance to safeguard the international order and enhance deterrence," she said.

China claims the South China Sea, through which trillions of dollars of trade passes annually, almost in its entirety, while Tokyo and Beijing are also at loggerheads over disputed Japan-controlled islands in the East China Sea.

The statement also confirmed US plans to establish in Japan a new Joint Force Headquarters, headed by a three-star US commander, for the 54,000 US military personnel stationed there.

It will serve as a counterpart to Japan's planned Joint Operations Command for all its armed forces, making the two militaries more nimble in the case of a crisis over Taiwan or the Korean peninsula.​

 

[Lulldapull]

US, Japan deepen ties, take swipe at China

The United States and Japan issued scathing verbal attacks on China and Russia yesterday after high-level discussions on enhancing already close defence collaboration between Tokyo and Washington in an increasingly unstable region.

www.thedailystar.net

US, Japan deepen ties, take swipe at China
View attachment 7169
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin meet with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara at their Foreign and Defense Ministerial (2+2) Meeting at Iikura Guest House in Tokyo, Japan yesterday. Photo: Reuters

The United States and Japan issued scathing verbal attacks on China and Russia yesterday after high-level discussions on enhancing already close defence collaboration between Tokyo and Washington in an increasingly unstable region.

A joint statement issued after "2+2" talks in Tokyo between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and their Japanese counterparts said China's "foreign policy seeks to reshape the international order for its own benefit at the expense of others".

They also reiterated their "strong objections" to China's "unlawful maritime claims, militarization of reclaimed features, and threatening and provocative activities in the South China Sea".

The communique also criticised Russia's "growing and provocative strategic military cooperation" with China, as well as Moscow's procurement of ballistic missiles and other equipment from North Korea "for use against Ukraine". It also expressed alarm at China's "ongoing and rapid expansion of its nuclear weapons arsenal".

Blinken said US alliances were all "defensive in nature".

"They have no ambitions toward anyone else, and never have been or ever will be offensive in nature," he told a news conference.

"But at a time when unfortunately these threats are increasing, our alliances, our partnerships, they're getting deeper, they're getting stronger, they're getting more effective," he said.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said: "We are at a historic turning point."

"Developments that shake the very foundation of a free and open international order based on the rule of law are continuing."

"We must deepen and develop the US-Japan alliance to safeguard the international order and enhance deterrence," she said.

China claims the South China Sea, through which trillions of dollars of trade passes annually, almost in its entirety, while Tokyo and Beijing are also at loggerheads over disputed Japan-controlled islands in the East China Sea.

The statement also confirmed US plans to establish in Japan a new Joint Force Headquarters, headed by a three-star US commander, for the 54,000 US military personnel stationed there.

It will serve as a counterpart to Japan's planned Joint Operations Command for all its armed forces, making the two militaries more nimble in the case of a crisis over Taiwan or the Korean peninsula.​

Japan pays about $10 billion per year for the US forces to do sentry duty in Japan. Its chump change for Japan. No problem.......The Japanese are super smart on avoiding conflict with both Russia and China.

 

[Saif]

United States to change military command structure in Japan

United States defense secretary Lloyd Austin was set to announce Sunday an upgrade to US command structures in Japan, as Washington and Tokyo overhaul military cooperation in the face of an increasingly assertive China...

www.newagebd.net

United States to change military command structure in Japan
Agence France-Presse . Tokyo, Japan 28 July, 2024, 10:53

United States defense secretary Lloyd Austin was set to announce Sunday an upgrade to US command structures in Japan, as Washington and Tokyo overhaul military cooperation in the face of an increasingly assertive China.

The United States has around 54,000 military personnel in Japan who currently report back to Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii, around 6,500 kilometres away and 19 hours behind.

But Austin, who on Sunday joined US secretary of State Antony Blinken for '2+2' talks with their counterparts in Tokyo, will announce a new Joint Force Headquarters headed by a three-star commander, a US military official said.

This will serve as a counterpart to Japan's planned Joint Operations Command for all its armed forces, making the two militaries more nimble in the case of a crisis over Taiwan or the Korean peninsula.

Prompted by unease about China and alarm about North Korea, Japan has in recent years been shedding its strict pacifist stance, ramping up defence spending and moving to obtain 'counterstrike' capabilities.

In April president Joe Biden and prime minister Fumio Kishida announced a 'new era' in cooperation at a summit at the White House.

This month Japan and the Philippines — Blinken and Austin's next stop for a '2+2'— signed a defence pact that will allow the deployment of troops on each other's territory.

This followed the first trilateral summit in April between the leaders of Japan, the Philippines and the United States in Washington.

As with Manila, Japan and South Korea have also moved to bury the hatchet over World War II with Biden hosting both countries' leaders at Camp David in last August.

Ahead of the Japan-US '2+2' meeting, Austin and Japanese defence minister Minoru Kihara held trilateral talks with Shin Won-sik, the first South Korean defence minister to visit Japan in 15 years.

They signed a memorandum of cooperation to further tighten ties, including on information sharing and trilateral exercises.

'Trilateral cooperation among Japan, the United States and South Korea has become stronger and unshakable even under various changes in the international situation,' Kihara told reporters after the meeting.

The discussions between Japan and the US were also set to cover enhancing Washington's 'extended deterrence' commitment to use its military capabilities, including nuclear weapons, to protect Japan.

China's military modernisation, North Korea's nuclear and missile work, and nuclear sabre-rattling in the Ukraine war have unsettled Japan, said Naoko Aoki, political scientist at the RAND think-tank.

'It is important for the United States to reassure Japan of its commitment and signal to potential adversaries that the alliance remains strong and that the United States is committed to using nuclear weapons if necessary to defend Japan,' she told AFP.

On Monday, Blinken and Japanese foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa will meet S Jaishankar and Penny Wong, their Indian and Australian counterparts in the Quad, an alliance seen as a bulwark against Beijing.

In Laos on Saturday Blinken and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi sparred over what the top US diplomat had criticised as Beijing's 'escalatory and unlawful actions' in the South China Sea.

The US should 'refrain from fanning the flames, stirring up trouble and undermining stability at sea', Wang said at the meeting, according to a foreign ministry statement.

Blinken also raised 'US concerns about provocative actions' by China, including a simulated blockade of Taiwan following the May inauguration of president Lai Ching-te.

China claims the democratic island as its territory and slammed Lai's inauguration speech as a 'confession of independence'.

Blinken also raised US concerns over China's support for Russia as it wages war in Ukraine.​

 

[Saif]

Japan pays about $10 billion per year for the US forces to do sentry duty in Japan. Its chump change for Japan. No problem.......The Japanese are super smart on avoiding conflict with both Russia and China.

Will Japan go nuclear to maintain balance of power with China and Russia?

 

[Lulldapull]

Will Japan go nuclear to maintain balance of power with China and Russia?

It’s the same ambiguity like Iran or Israel on nukes. Japan can go nuclear tonight…..but using nukes today is like committing suicide.

I’ve mentioned this before that nukes are suicide weapons. Anybody thinks they can use them and get away with the consequences is like they admitting that suicide is an option.

WW2 era legacy weapons got no place in the modern world.

And everyday now we are reminded that neither are airplanes nor tanks nor warships!

 

[Lulldapull]

Check this out guys......kinna budtameez hae ga Trump:

Harris Has low IQ, Trump Says - Other Media news - Tasnim News Agency

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Former US president Donald Trump has said his rival for the November election, Vice President Kamala Harris, is a “low-IQ individual.”

www.tasnimnews.com

Oh bhaaaaaaannnnccchhhhh.........

 

[Saif]

Judge to sentence Trump before inauguration

The New York judge presiding over president-elect Donald Trump’s hush money case on Friday set sentencing for 10 days before his January 20 inauguration and said he was not inclined to impose jail time.

www.newagebd.net

Judge to sentence Trump before inauguration
Agence France-Presse . New York, United States 05 January, 2025, 00:50

Donald Trump

The New York judge presiding over president-elect Donald Trump’s hush money case on Friday set sentencing for 10 days before his January 20 inauguration and said he was not inclined to impose jail time.

Judge Juan Merchan said Trump, the first former president ever convicted of a crime, can appear either in person or virtually at his January 10 sentencing.

In an 18-page decision, Merchan upheld Trump’s conviction by a New York jury, rejecting various motions from Trump’s lawyers seeking to have it thrown out.

The judge said that instead of incarceration he was leaning towards an unconditional discharge—meaning the real estate tycoon would not be subject to any conditions.

The sentence would nevertheless see Trump entering the White House as a convicted felon.

The 78-year-old Trump potentially faced up to four years in prison but legal experts—even before he won the November presidential election—did not expect Merchan to send the former president to jail.

‘It seems proper at this juncture to make known the court’s inclination to not impose any sentence of incarceration,’ the judge said, noting that prosecutors also did not believe a jail term was a ‘practicable recommendation’.

Trump, who is expected to lodge an appeal that could potentially delay his sentencing, denounced the decision late Friday.

‘This illegitimate political attack is nothing but a Rigged Charade,’ he wrote on his platform Truth Social.

Calling Merchan a ‘radical partisan’, Trump added that the order was ‘knowingly unlawful, goes against our Constitution and, if allowed to stand, would be the end of the presidency as we know it.’

Trump was convicted in New York in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election to stop her from revealing an alleged 2006 sexual encounter.

Trump’s attorneys had sought to have the case dismissed on multiple grounds, including the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling last year that former US presidents have sweeping immunity from prosecution for a range of official acts committed while in office.

Merchan rejected that argument but he noted that Trump will be immune from prosecution once he is sworn in as president.

‘Finding no legal impediment to sentencing and recognising that presidential immunity will likely attach once defendant takes his oath of office, it is incumbent upon this court to set this matter down for imposition of sentence prior to January 20, 2025,’ the judge said.

Trump spokesman Steven Cheung denounced Merchan’s decision to set sentencing for the former president, calling it a ‘direct violation of the Supreme Court’s Immunity decision and other longstanding jurisprudence.’

‘This lawless case should have never been brought and the Constitution demands that it be immediately dismissed,’ Cheung said in a statement.

‘President Trump must be allowed to continue the presidential transition process and to execute the vital duties of the presidency, unobstructed by the remains of this or any remnants of the Witch Hunts,’ he said.

‘There should be no sentencing, and president Trump will continue fighting against these hoaxes until they are all dead,’ Cheung added.

Trump also faced two federal cases brought by special counsel Jack Smith, but both were dropped under a long-standing justice department policy of not prosecuting a sitting president.

In those cases, Trump was accused of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election he lost to Joe Biden and removing large quantities of top secret documents after leaving the White House.

Trump also faces racketeering charges in Georgia over his alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 election results in the southern state, but that case will likely be frozen while he is in the White House.​