Latest news with #Rubio
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Trump basks in another peace deal, this one in eastern Africa
"First time in many years, they're going to have peace. It's a big deal," Trump said at a June 27 news conference. Rubio will host a signing ceremony between Democratic Republic of the Congo Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe at the Department of State immediately beforehand on June 27. The seizure of large parts of eastern Congo by the M23 rebel group has killed more than 7,000 people this year alone and displaced more than 450,000 others. The area is home to the DRC's valuable mineral deposits. The U.N. Security Council called on Rwanda to end its support for the rebels in a February resolution that urged the two countries to reengage in diplomatic talks. Rwanda denies backing the rebels. The Biden administration sought to resolve the conflict but was unable to secure a deal before the one-term president left office. Trump's administration hopes the resolution will bring about an end to a broader conflict that has resulted in the displacement of more than 7 million people. Conflict in eastern Congo over in the three decades since the Rwandan genocide has led to an estimated 6 million deaths. More than 18,000 Congolese refugees resettled in the U.S., in 2023, according to the Department of Homeland Security. It was the leading country of nationality for refugees accepted by the United States that year and over the preceding decade. State Department deputy spokesman Tommy Piggott said at a June 26 briefing the signing is a "significant milestone" but "peace on paper must be matched by implementation on the ground." The State Department spokesman said the agreement includes respect for territorial integrity, a prohibition of hostilities, disarmament, the return of refugees and internally displaced persons and a regional economic framework. Congolese refugees in America: They fled genocide, hoping to find safety in America. They found apathy. The deal is central to the administration's approach to conflict reduction around the globe. By enabling and facilitating economic investment in war-torn countries such the DRC and Ukraine, the Trump administration hopes it can unlock lasting peace agreements. "A durable peace in the Great Lakes region will open the door for greater U.S. and broader Western investment, which will bring about economic opportunities and prosperity," Rubio said on April 25 as he announced the framework agreement. "It's, as they call it, a win-win for everyone involved." Businessman Massad Boulos, the administration's senior advisor for Africa and father-in-law of the president's younger daughter, Tiffany Trump, is working to secure a critical minerals deal with the DRC that could billions in U.S. investment to the country. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has substantial reserves of gold, cobalt, and high-grade copper that have been inaccessible due to the security risks and underdeveloped infrastructure, the International Trade Administration says. Cobalt is used to make the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that are used in electric vehicles, laptops, tablets and smartphones.
Kyodo News
8 hours ago
- Business
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: June 28, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 17 minutes ago - 09:00 | All, Japan, World The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Japan, U.S. agree to continue tariff talks as July deadline looms WASHINGTON - Japanese and U.S. negotiators agreed Friday to continue talks toward a tariff deal that will be beneficial to both countries. Japan's government said its top tariff negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick held talks in Washington, with each side reaffirming its position during "fruitful" discussions on trade expansion, nontariff measures and economic security cooperation. ---------- Japan gov't asks operators to address disinformation before election TOKYO - Japan's government on Friday asked major platform operators to help counter harmful social media posts in an effort to prevent disinformation and defamation targeting candidates ahead of a nationwide parliamentary election next month. The request by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications came as both the ruling and opposition camps emphasized the need to address disinformation during elections, though they have yet to agree how strictly the issue should be regulated. ---------- Nobel committee chair to visit Hiroshima, Nagasaki in July TOKYO - Jorgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, will visit the atomic-bombed cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki next month and may meet with atomic bomb survivors, a source close to the matter said Friday. Frydnes will arrive in Hiroshima on July 21 and later head to Nagasaki, likely visiting memorial museums and other sites related to the bombings, according to the source. ---------- Senior China military officer removed from top defense body BEIJING - China's parliament has voted to remove senior military officer Miao Hua from the nation's top defense body during its session through Friday, the official Xinhua News Agency said. In November, Miao was suspended from his position as a member of the Central Military Commission for "serious violations of discipline." The Chinese military leadership has been engulfed in a corruption scandal since around the summer of 2023. ---------- U.S. State Secretary Rubio's 1st visit to Japan eyed for July TOKYO - Japan and the United States are arranging for U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to make his first visit to Japan early next month, a Japanese government source said Friday, with U.S.-imposed tariffs and the Middle East situation expected to be key topics. The trip is being arranged as part of Rubio's travel to Asia to attend a series of foreign ministerial meetings related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Malaysia from July 8 to 11, according to the source. He also plans to visit South Korea. ---------- Iran envoy urges A-bombed Japan to stand against U.S. attacks TOKYO - Iranian ambassador to Japan Peiman Seadat has urged Tokyo to stand against U.S. and Israeli strikes on nuclear facilities in his nation after President Donald Trump's remark likening the U.S. attacks to the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The ambassador said in a recent interview with Kyodo News that the comment is an "insult" not only to Iran, but also to Japan, the world's only country to have suffered atomic bombings. ---------- U.S. tariff rate hits historic level of 25.9%: Japan trade report TOKYO - The effective U.S. tariff rate on all imports rose to as high as 25.9 percent under President Donald Trump, surpassing levels not seen since the protectionist policies of the Great Depression, the Japanese government's annual trade report showed Friday. The U.S. tariff measures as of early April, including an increase in the levies on China to 145 percent, reached a "historic scale," the Japanese trade ministry said, adding that frequent changes in Trump's trade policy are creating "heightened uncertainty." ---------- Rice imports to Japan surge in May, 3.5 times FY 2024 total TOKYO - Private sector imports of tariffed rice to Japan in May were 3.5 times the total volume brought in during all of fiscal 2024, revised government trade data showed Friday, as soaring prices of domestic rice have spurred demand for cheaper alternatives. According to the Finance Ministry's trade statistics, revised from a preliminary report issued earlier this month, 10,605 tons of tariffed rice were imported in May, a sharp increase from 115 tons in the same period last year. The United States, which accounted for 7,894 tons, was the largest source, followed by Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Video: Masahiro Matsuoka from disbanded pop group Tokio meets the press
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘New chapter of hope': Marco Rubio hails Rwanda-DRC peace deal; credits Trump for claimed truce of India-Pakistan
US secretary of state Marco Rubio (AP) US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Friday hailed President Donald Trump 's diplomatic approach to global conflicts, crediting his leadership for breakthroughs in some of the world's most complex conflicts. 'Whether it's been in Ukraine and Russia, whether it's been Pakistan-India, whether it's been Iran and Israel, and in the continent of Africa, President Trump's priority has been on peace and today we see this come to fruition,' Rubio said at the White House. Rubio's praise is part of a larger pattern of the current administration's efforts to end global conflicts, including a claimed truce between India and Pakistan and reduced tensions in the Middle East, all under what Rubio describes as Trump's 'peace-first' approach. His remarks came during a media briefing with Trump and Vice President JD Vance following the signing of a landmark peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), one of Africa's deadliest and most complex conflicts in recent decades. The deal, signed in Washington on Friday, commits both nations to end support for armed rebel groups, notably the M23 and FDLR militias, and sets a timeline for the withdrawal of Rwandan troops from eastern Congo. It also establishes a joint security coordination body and lays the groundwork for regional economic cooperation. Trump, who welcomed the foreign ministers of Rwanda and DRC to the White House, called it 'a wonderful day,' adding, 'Today, the violence and destruction comes to an end, and the entire region begins a new chapter of hope and opportunity.' The conflict had escalated earlier this year after M23 rebels, widely believed to be backed by Rwanda, captured swathes of territory in mineral-rich eastern Congo. While Rwanda has denied direct involvement, the deal now calls for the "neutralization" of the FDLR, a Hutu rebel group with links to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Rwandan foreign minister Olivier Nduhungirehe said ending support for Hutu militants should be the 'first order of business,' while his Congolese counterpart Therese Kayikwamba Wagner said the deal offers 'a rare chance to turn the page.' Trump also emphasized the strategic benefits to the US, noting it would gain 'a lot of mineral rights from the Congo,' a region rich in cobalt and lithium. The agreement drew wide but not universal praise. Bintu Keita, a senior UN official in the DRC, said it "marks a decisive step toward peace and stability," while Germany hailed the "excellent news" and called for implementation. UN envoy Bintou Keita called the deal 'a decisive step toward peace,' though Nobel laureate Denis Mukwege warned it risked rewarding 'aggression' and legitimizing 'plunder' of Congolese resources.
Japan Today
11 hours ago
- Business
- Japan Today
Rubio's 1st visit to Japan being arranged for July
Japan and the United States are arranging for U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to make his first visit to Japan early next month, a Japanese government source said Friday, with U.S.-imposed tariffs and the Middle East situation expected to be key topics. The trip is being arranged as part of Rubio's travel to Asia to attend a series of foreign ministerial meetings related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Malaysia from July 8 to 11, according to the source. He also plans to visit South Korea. If the Japan visit is finalized, Rubio, who was sworn in in January as the top U.S. diplomat, is likely to hold meetings with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya. New tariffs imposed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump are certain to be discussed, with a 90-day reprieve from what the United States calls "reciprocal" tariffs set to expire on July 9. The talks in Tokyo are expected to cover the Middle East in the wake of the recent Israel-Iran conflict and subsequent cease-fire agreement. © KYODO
Kyodo News
13 hours ago
- Business
- Kyodo News
U.S. State Secretary Rubio's 1st visit to Japan eyed for July
KYODO NEWS - 9 hours ago - 19:00 | All, World, Japan Japan and the United States are arranging for U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to make his first visit to Japan early next month, a Japanese government source said Friday, with U.S.-imposed tariffs and the Middle East situation expected to be key topics. The trip is being arranged as part of Rubio's travel to Asia to attend a series of foreign ministerial meetings related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Malaysia from July 8 to 11, according to the source. He also plans to visit South Korea. If the Japan visit is finalized, Rubio, who was sworn in in January as the top U.S. diplomat, is likely to hold meetings with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya. New tariffs imposed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump are certain to be discussed, with a 90-day reprieve from what the United States calls "reciprocal" tariffs set to expire on July 9. The talks in Tokyo are expected to cover the Middle East in the wake of the recent Israel-Iran conflict and subsequent cease-fire agreement. Related coverage: Japan foreign minister stresses importance of Israel-Iran cease-fire Rubio says U.S. to "aggressively" revoke visas of Chinese students Japan, U.S., South Korea voice "serious concerns" over North Korea moves
