President Donald Trump on Aug 19 ruled out sending US troops to back up any Ukraine peace deal but suggested air support instead, as European nations began hashing out security guarantees ahead of a potential Russia summit.
In a flurry of diplomacy aimed at ending the war, Mr Trump brought Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders to the White House on Aug 18, three days after his landmark encounter with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
But while Mr Trump said Mr Putin had agreed to meet Mr Zelensky and accept some Western security guarantees for Ukraine, those promises have been met with extreme caution by Kyiv and Western capitals, and many details remain vague.
Mr Putin proposed holding the summit with Mr Zelensky in Moscow, three sources familiar with the Trump call told AFP. One source said Mr Zelensky immediately said no to meeting in the capital of his country’s invader.
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India and China continued to push for improved ties – as both contend with coercive US trade measures – with Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Delhi addressing Beijing’s rare earth and fertiliser export curbs even as both sides sought to ease border tensions.
Mr Wang, who is on a three-day visit to India, met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Aug 18 for broad talks, followed by talks with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval the next day for negotiations on resolving border disputes.
The Chinese minister, in opening remarks during the meeting with Dr Jaishankar, noted a “positive trend” towards cooperation, adding that the two countries should view each other as partners rather than rivals.
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PHOTO: REUTERS
President Donald Trump’s administration said Aug 19 it would look for “anti-American” views, including on social media, when deciding on the right to live in the United States.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services, which handles requests to stay in the US or become a citizen, said it would expand vetting of the social media postings of applicants.
“America’s benefits should not be given to those who despise the country and promote anti-American ideologies,” agency spokesman Matthew Tragesser said in a statement.
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PHOTOS: NYTIMES, AFP
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upbraided President Emmanuel Macron in a letter seen by AFP on Aug 19, blaming the French leader’s move to recognise a Palestinian state for fuelling anti-Semitism.
In late July, Mr Macron said France would formally recognise a Palestinian state during a UN meeting in September, drawing a swift rebuke from Israel.
By announcing the move, France was set to join a growing list of nations to have recognised statehood for the Palestinians since the start of the Gaza war nearly two years ago.
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PHOTO: AFP
Delta Air Lines and United Airlines were sued on Aug 19 by passengers who claimed they paid extra money to sit in “window” seats, only to find themselves placed in seats next to a blank wall.
Proposed class actions were filed against United in San Francisco federal court and against Delta in Brooklyn, New York federal court, seeking millions of dollars of damages for more than a million passengers at each carrier.
The complaints say some Boeing 737, Boeing 757 and Airbus A321 planes contain seats that would normally contain windows, but lack them because of the placement of air conditioning ducts, electrical conduits or other components.
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