Cambodia to nominate Donald Trump for Nobel Peace Prize, says deputy PM
Speaking to reporters earlier in the capital, Phnom Penh, Chanthol thanked Trump for bringing peace and said he deserved to be nominated for the prize, the highest-profile international award given to an individual or organisation deemed to have done the most to 'advance fellowship between nations'.
Pakistan said in June that it would recommend Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in helping to resolve a conflict with India, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last month he had nominated Trump for the award.
It was a call by Trump last week that broke a deadlock in efforts to end the heaviest fighting between Thailand and Cambodia in over a decade, leading to a ceasefire negotiated in Malaysia on Monday, Reuters has reported.
Following the truce announcement, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X that Trump made it happen.
'Give him the Nobel Peace Prize!,' she said.
At least 43 people have been killed in the intense clashes, which lasted five days and displaced more than 300,000 people on both sides of the border.
'We acknowledge his great efforts for peace,' said Chanthol, also Cambodia's top trade negotiator, adding that his country was also grateful for a reduced tariff rate of 19%.
Washington had initially threatened a tariff of 49%, later reducing it to 36%, a level that would have decimated Cambodia's vital garment and footwear sector, Chanthol told Reuters in an interview earlier on Friday.
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2 hours ago
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ANC NEC meeting to discuss US tariffs 'will not resolve Trump's beef with the party'
Political analysts say the ANC National Executive Committee is wasting its time in discussing the US 30% tariff imposed on South Africa's exports. Image: File Picture Political analysts warn that the ANC is unlikely to resolve its differences with the US over the impending 30% tariff on South African exports, as the party held its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Johannesburg at the weekend. The tariff is expected to take effect on August 7, as announced by the Trump administration on Thursday. South Africa is the only country from sub-Saharan Africa singled out in the announcement, reflecting the US's strained relationship with Pretoria. Other African nations, including Lesotho and Zimbabwe, have been hit with a 15% tariff, which will also come into effect in seven days. The decision is a huge blow to South Africa, as the US is its second-biggest trading partner and comes despite trying to agree a trade deal with the US, which included buying US liquefied natural gas, simplifying rules for poultry imports and investing in US industries like mining. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ On Saturday, ANC NEC member Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa told journalists that there had been a focused discussion on the US tariffs, describing it as 'spirited and robust'. Ramokgopa said the negotiations between South Africa and the US were ongoing, adding that both countries would be able to find each other. However, political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu said although the NEC was expected to talk about the issue, there is not much that the ANC can do. He said Trump was not happy with many things including domestic and foreign policies. 'The ANC needs to figure out how to deal with generally hostile Republican administrations, and the Trump administration, in particular. Trump's beef with the ANC centres around domestic and foreign policies. On the domestic front, Trump is unhappy with the Expropriation bill, BEE and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). "On foreign policy, Trump is bitter about the decision to take Israel to the ICJ (International Court of Justice),'' Ndlovu said, adding that the time has come for the ANC to stop confusing its interests as the country's interests. 'I don't see the ANC coming up with any solution here. It is caught between a rock and a hard place,'' he said. US-South Africa relations have hit rock-bottom since Trump took office in January. The US President stopped all aid to South Africa, accusing it of discriminating against its white minority. South Africa has repeatedly denied this. Ramaphosa held talks with Trump in May in a bid to mend relations but this failed to make any headway. In July, the US House Foreign Affairs Committee passed a bill to review the US-South Africa relations due to objections over its foreign policy and potentially imposing sanctions on senior ANC leaders. The bill accuses the ANC of undermining US interests by maintaining close relationships with Russia and China, which are among its allies and trading partners. It also accuses South Africa of backing Palestinian militant group Hamas in its conflict in Gaza with Israel- an accusation South Africa has denied. Last week, Trump indicated he did not plan to attend the G20 summit taking place later this year in Johannesburg. Another political analyst, Ntsikelelo Breakfast, said the ANC is wasting time discussing the tariff imposed by the US, adding that there is nothing the party can do to avoid the situation. 'There is no way out here. The European Union (EU) signed for 15% this week, and who are we if the EU can give in. I thought we were able to convince Trump and his administration after the meeting in May but clearly Trump did not buy it and now there is legislation to sanction ANC leaders, said Breakfast, adding that this means Trump has taken a hard stance towards South Africa and the ANC. Breakfast said that Trump's threat to skip the G20 summit also cemented his position about South Africa, saying 'this is a smack in the face'. Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said the US's quarrel with South Africa goes beyond the alleged white genocide and that an appreciation of the basis of the quarrel would help in the crafting of an appropriate response. 'No amount of public relations exercise or photo opportunities that Ramaphosa loves so much will resolve South Africa's varied problems,' he said.
IOL News
5 hours ago
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Julius Malema warns that Trump poses a danger to global stability
EFF leader Julius Malema said US President Donald Trump is a danger to the world. Image: Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers The EFF leader Julius Malema has warned that US President Donald Trump and his policies is a danger to the world and should be removed from power. Malema was addressing the party's third Central Command Team (CCT) meeting in Bela Bela, Limpopo on Saturday. The CCT is the highest decision-making body in-between national people's assemblies and the meeting took place against a backdrop of national turmoil, including the looming US 30% tariffs wall on South Africa's exports. Malema, who called for his party to force Africa to cut ties with imperialist powers, said the EFF would work with allies to remove Trump from office. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Trump showed visuals of the firebrand chanting 'shot the boer' - as he sought to substantiate false claims that there was a 'white genocide' in South Africa during President Cyril Ramaphosa's visit to the Oval Office in May. Trump hosted five leaders from Africa last month-Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal. Malema said at the previous CCT meeting, the EFF had been positioned as an enemy of global imperialism and warned that fighting domestic and global capital could lead to political or personal destruction, starting with disinformation and escalating to invasion or assassination. Just days after that warning, Trump identified the EFF as a threat during the meeting with Ramaphosa. Trump confronted Ramaphosa with baseless claims of white genocide and land seizures, screening EFF protests and labelling the party a danger. 'Today, members of the US Congress are demanding the release through legislation of what is referred to as the 'Epstein Files', which have become a growing concern for Trump and his administration and may lead to his impeachment and conviction', said Malema on Saturday, adding that the EFF, which is a Marxist-Leninist and Fanonian organisation, has the goal to change the world, not to end it. Malema said in order to effect change to the world, Trump's reign as the US President must end. 'It is not only for us as the left and socialists to whom Trump is a threat, but even to the capitalist system itself because he is using its logic in an illiterate manner - as a result he will destroy capitalism inadvertently but he will kill any and all possibilities of socialist economic order as well,' he said. 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He added that any claim that diplomatic relations are being mended behind closed doors has also proven to be untrue, as it has been revealed that presidential envoy, Mcebisi Jonas, has not been granted any audience by Washington, even though months have passed since his deployment. Meanwhile, the FW De Klerk's foundation has added its voice in calling for South Africa to stop being overly reliant on America and look elsewhere for trade deals amid concerns over President Donald Trump's 30% tariffs on exports. In what could be seen as the country's population banding together against the economic squeezing tariffs, the foundation echoed DA leader John Steenhuisen's call for the country to spread its wings wider, looking for alternative markets across the world.
IOL News
7 hours ago
- IOL News
The Genocidal Partnership of Israel and the United States
Protesters rally ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, on July 7, 2025. Image: AFP Norman Solomon For decades, countless U.S. officials have proclaimed that the bonds between the United States and Israel are unbreakable. Now, the ties that bind are laced with genocide. The two countries function as accomplices while methodical killing continues in Gaza, with both societies directly—and differently—making it all possible. The policies of Israel's government are aligned with the attitudes of most Jewish Israelis. In a recent survey, three-quarters of them (and 64% of all Israelis) said they largely agreed with the statement that 'there are no innocent people in Gaza'—nearly half of whom are children. 'There is no more 'permitted' and 'forbidden' with regard to Israel's evilness toward the Palestinians,' dissident columnist Gideon Levy wrote three months ago in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. The biggest Israeli media outlets echo and amplify sociopathic voices. Last week, Levy provided an update: 'The weapon of deliberate starvation is working. The Gaza 'Humanitarian' Foundation, in turn, has become a tragic success. Not only have hundreds of Gazans been shot to death while waiting in line for packages distributed by the GHF, but there are others who don't manage to reach the distribution points, dying of hunger. Most of these are children and babies… They lie on hospital floors, on bare beds, or are carried on donkey carts. These are pictures from hell. In Israel, many people reject these photos, doubting their veracity. Others express their joy and pride at seeing starving babies.' Unimpeded, a daily process continues to exterminate more and more of the 2.1 million Palestinian people who remain in Gaza—bombing and shooting civilians while blocking all but a pittance of the food and medicine needed to sustain life. After destroying Gaza's hospitals, Israel is still targeting healthcare workers (killing at least 70 in May and June), as well as first responders and journalists. The barbarism is in sync with the belief that 'no innocent people' are in Gaza. A relevant observation came from Aldous Huxley in 1936, the same year that the swastika went onto Germany's flag: 'The propagandist's purpose is to make one set of people forget that certain other sets of people are human.' Kristallnacht happened two years later. Renowned genocide scholar Omer Bartov explained during an interview on Democracy Now! in mid-July that genocide is 'the attempt to destroy not simply people in large numbers, but to destroy them as members of a group. The intent is to destroy the group itself. And it doesn't mean that you have to kill everyone. It means that the group will be destroyed and that it will not be able to reconstitute itself as a group. And to my mind, this is precisely what Israel is trying to do.' Bartov, who is Jewish and spent the first half of his life in Israel, said: "What I see in the Israeli public is an extraordinary indifference by large parts of the public to what Israel is doing and what it's done in the name of Israeli citizens in Gaza." In Israel, 'compassion for Palestinians is taboo except among a fringe of radical activists,' Adam Shatz wrote last month in the London Review of Books. At the same time, 'the catastrophe of the last two years far exceeds that of the Nakba.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Next Stay Close ✕ The consequences 'are already being felt well beyond Gaza: in the West Bank, where Israeli soldiers and settlers have presided over an accelerated campaign of displacement and killing (more than a thousand West Bank Palestinians have been killed since 7 October); inside Israel, where Palestinian citizens are subject to increasing levels of ostracism and intimidation; in the wider region, where Israel has established itself as a new Sparta; and in the rest of the world, where the inability of Western powers to condemn Israel's conduct—much less bring it to an end—has made a mockery of the rules-based order that they claim to uphold.' The loudest preaching for a 'rules-based order' has come from the U.S. government, which makes and breaks international rules at will. During this century, in the Middle East, the U.S.-Israel duo has vastly outdone all other entities combined in the categories of killing, maiming, and terrorising. In addition to the joint project of genocide in Gaza, and the USA's long war on Iraq, the United States and Israel have often exercised an assumed prerogative to attack Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran, along with encore U.S. missile strikes on Iraq as recently as last year. Israel's grisly performance as 'a new Sparta' in the region is coproduced by the Pentagon, with the military and intelligence operations of the two nations intricately entangled. The Israeli military has been able to turn Gaza into a genocide zone, with at least 70% of its arsenal coming from the United States. While writing an afterword about the war in Gaza for the paperback edition of War Made Invisible, I mulled over the relevance of my book's subtitle: 'How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine.' As the carnage in Gaza worsened, the reality became clearer that the Orwellian-named Israel Defence Forces and the U.S. Defence Department are essentially part of the same military machine. Their command structures are different, but they are part of the same geopolitical Goliath. The lethal violence from Israeli-American teamwork is of such magnitude that it epitomises international state terrorism. The genocide in Gaza shows the lengths to which the alliance is willing and able to go. While public opinion is very different in Israel and the United States, the genocidal results of the governments' policies are indistinguishable. American public opinion about arming Israel is measurable. As early as June 2024, a CBS News poll found that 61% of the public said that the U.S. should not 'send weapons and supplies to Israel.' Since then, support for Israel has continued to erode. In sharp contrast, on Capitol Hill, the support for arming Israel is measurably high. In the House, only 26 out of 435 members have chosen to become cosponsors of H.R.3565, a bill introduced more than two months ago by Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) that would prevent the U.S. government from sending certain bombs to Israel. 'Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign assistance since World War II,' the Congressional Research Service reports. During just the first 12 months after the war in Gaza began in October 2023, Brown University's Costs of War project found, the 'U.S. spending on Israel's military operations and related U.S operations in the region' added up to $23 billion.
