Welcome again to World Transient, the place we’re an unenviable diplomatic journey in Malaysia, the Trump administration’s U.S. State Division overhaul, and a brand new deal to permit assist into Gaza.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Malaysia this week with an unenviable job: making good with Southeast Asian powers on the similar time that his boss was threatening them with punishing new tariffs.
Rubio was in Malaysia to satisfy with the overseas ministers of the 10-member Affiliation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) throughout the group’s two-day regional safety discussion board that convened high-level officers from world wide, together with Russia and China. Rubio’s activity was clear: Make mates, stress U.S. President Donald Trump’s dedication to the area, and make the case for why Washington is a greater companion than Beijing.
The issue is that many ASEAN member international locations—together with Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Indonesia—might also quickly face aggressive new U.S. tariffs, placing Rubio in an ungainly place. Trump earlier this week despatched a raft of letters to world leaders threatening powerful new measures, enraging many governments and leaving others confused.
Rubio, for his half, tried to distance himself from commerce decision-making and framed the most recent threats extra positively. “I might say that when all is alleged and carried out, lots of the international locations in Southeast Asia are going to have tariff charges which are truly higher than international locations in different elements of the world,” he mentioned.
However his viewers might not be so satisfied, particularly as a result of Rubio solely in the end stayed within the area for round 36 hours—a sharply truncated model of the three-country tour that was initially deliberate. Rubio canceled his visits to U.S. allies Japan and South Korea to be able to attend White Home conferences with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week, although he did meet with Japanese and South Korean officers whereas in Malaysia.
That it was battle within the Center East—Netanyahu’s conferences in Washington targeted totally on U.S. efforts to safe a cease-fire in Gaza—that had pulled Rubio away from his longer deliberate Asia journey was probably not misplaced on the international locations within the area. And in his remarks to the gathered ASEAN overseas ministers on Thursday, Rubio tried to assuage considerations that Washington was as soon as once more being distracted from specializing in Asia by considerations in different elements of the world.
“I might say distraction is inconceivable,” Rubio mentioned. “This century, and the story of the following 50 years, will largely be written right here on this area.”
Whereas in Malaysia, Rubio additionally met with Chinese language International Minister Wang Yi, and the 2 shared a “very constructive, constructive assembly,” Rubio mentioned afterward.
When requested by a reporter whether or not Trump and Chinese language President Xi Jinping would quickly meet, Rubio struck an optimistic tone. “The percentages are excessive. I believe either side wish to see it occur,” he mentioned. “I don’t have a date for you, however I believe it’s coming.”
Official overhaul. The State Division has begun to put off greater than 1,300 workers as a part of a broader—and controversial—company overhaul that the Trump administration says will assist eradicate bureaucratic bloat and extra carefully align the company with the president’s “America First” agenda. Greater than 1,100 civil servants and 251 overseas service officers are being impacted, in accordance with an inside division discover seen by International Coverage. The State Division has a complete home workforce of round 18,000 workers.
“We’ll drain the bloated, bureaucratic swamp, empowering the Division from the bottom up,” Rubio wrote in a Substack submit detailing the reorganization in April. “Redundant places of work can even be eliminated, and non-statutory packages misaligned with America’s core nationwide pursuits will stop to exist.”
The Trump administration’s overhaul has sparked fierce criticism from Democratic lawmakers, who warn that the cuts will harm U.S. pursuits throughout a time of excessive geopolitical stakes.
“This is among the most ridiculous selections that would probably be made at a time when China is growing its diplomatic footprint … Russia is constant its years-long brutal assault of a sovereign nation, and the Center East is careening from disaster to disaster,” Sen. Tim Kaine mentioned in a submit on X.
Dire disaster. Israel and the European Union have reached a deal that might enable much-needed humanitarian assist to movement into the Gaza Strip, the place greater than 57,000 individuals have been killed because the warfare between Israel and Hamas started on Oct. 7, 2023, in accordance with the Gaza Well being Ministry. Israel severely restricts assist flows into Gaza on claims that Hamas siphons off provides, which the United Nations and assist businesses dispute. Since March, no gas has been allowed into Gaza—threatening humanitarian operations—and it was solely in Might that Israel determined to renew the movement of a “fundamental amount” of meals into the territory.
“This deal means extra crossings open, assist and meals vehicles getting into Gaza, restore of significant infrastructure and safety of assist staff,” Kaja Kallas, the EU’s high diplomat, mentioned in a submit on X. “We rely on Israel to implement each measure agreed.” EU overseas ministers should now approve the settlement, after which it should probably take a number of days to coordinate.
The settlement comes as an Israeli strike in Gaza killed 16 civilians—together with 10 kids and two ladies—who have been ready exterior of a well being clinic on Thursday. In simply the final six weeks, the U.N. rights workplace has recorded about 800 killings within the neighborhood of assist distribution websites and convoys.
Commerce warfare. Trump introduced on Thursday a 35 % tariff on Canadian imports beginning on Aug. 1, throwing a wrench into ongoing talks between the 2 international locations. Canada wouldn’t be the one nation to face more durable U.S. measures: Trump despatched many letters to world leaders outlining new tariff ranges this week, together with a 50 % tariff on Brazil.
In his letter to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, which was posted to Fact Social, Trump accused Canada of getting “financially retaliated” with its personal countermeasures and repeated unsubstantiated claims about Canada’s function within the U.S. fentanyl disaster. If Ottawa raises its tariffs on the US, Trump mentioned, that worth would even be added to Washington’s 35 % tariff. “These Tariffs could also be modified, upward or downward, relying on our relationship along with your Nation,” he added.
Carney vowed to proceed talks with Washington. “All through the present commerce negotiations with the US, the Canadian authorities has steadfastly defended our staff and companies,” he mentioned in a submit on X. “We’ll proceed to take action as we work in direction of the revised deadline of August 1.”
Roughly how many individuals gathered at Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo to rejoice pygmy hippo Moo Deng’s first birthday on Thursday?
(A) 6,000
(B) 12,000
(C) 18,000
(D) 24,000
For many years, vacationers visiting Canada’s Parliament have additionally made positive to go to a much less official—however no much less fantastic—native attraction: a colony of cats. The colony, which at one level had as many as three dozen members, lived by Parliament and was cared for by a small group of volunteers. Now, that custom is ending, because the final member of the colony has handed away. Coal, a black cat with yellow eyes, died this month after battling most cancers, in accordance with a Fb web page for him. “He was a feline gentleman with a coronary heart of gold,” the web page mentioned.
And the Reply Is…
(B) 12,000
The zoo is holding 4 days of celebrations for Moo Deng, which embrace a 44-pound hippo-sized cake, in accordance with NBC Information.
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