Latest news with #TheHague
SBS Australia
2 hours ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Trump sets 2-week deadline to decide on Iran strike
Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts . TRANSCRIPT: The White House says President Trump will decide in two weeks whether to strike Iran. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese contemplates a last-minute trip to The Hague. In AFL, the Cats' Patrick Dangerfield will celebrate his 350th game tonight. The White House says United States President Donald Trump will decide within the next two weeks whether to strike Iran. Although, it also confirmed Mr Trump still sees a "substantial" chance that negotiations can achieve US and Israeli demands on Iran's nuclear program. The announcement, relayed by press secretary Karoline Leavitt, puts an extended timeline on the US leader's warnings to Iran to immediately shut down its enrichment operations and any other potential for producing nuclear weapons. REPORTER: "What makes him think there's still a substantial change, is my question." LEAVITT: "I'm not going to get into the reasoning and the rationale. The president believes that, but that's his position, and he will a decision within next two weeks." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has toured the site of a hospital in southern Israel, that was struck by Iran, saying Tehran would pay a "heavy price". The Soroka Hospital in Beersheba was left in flames, and 40 people are said to have sustained injuries. Iranian strikes also hit a high-rise apartment building in central Tel Aviv and other sites in central Israel. Paramedic Ori Lazarovich says evacuations are underway at the apartment building. "As you can see behind me, I am on the scene where a missile struck right in the centre of a building complex. We have five buildings that were hit by the missile. We have one which is the main building and all the other ones surrounding it, which were partially hit as well. We are currently evacuating. Minimal amount of patients. We have one serious patient with two more with minor injuries. We still have a lot of work behind me as you can see, extracting patients from all the buildings, going door from door. " Meanwhile, Israel has carried out strikes on Iran's Arak heavy water reactor — its latest attack on Iran's nuclear program. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is considering whether to make a last-minute trip to Europe to attend a global leaders' summit in an attempt to secure a meeting with US President Donald Trump. Mr Albanese arrived back in Sydney after attending the G7 summit in Canada on Thursday, and is weighing up whether to travel to The Hague for next week's NATO summit. It would offer a potential opportunity for a face-to-face conversation with Mr Trump, whose early departure from the G7 meant the two leaders did not meet as planned. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has told the ABC all options are being considered. "In relation to NATO, the Prime Minister has said he's considering whether to go to NATO or not, and I just want to emphasise we have a very challenging situation globally at the moment. We have a war in Europe and a war in the Middle East. Obviously, this is absolutely a time countries of the world should be working together. The Prime Minister is considering the NATO summit in the context of all that is occurring in the world." An extension to NSW anti-protest laws is being challenged in the state's Supreme Court. Activist Josh Lees has taken the NSW government to court over the new laws on behalf of the Palestine Action Group, challenging police powers to move people on during protests deemed to be near places of worship. The legislation was introduced by the state government in February as part of a suite of new racial hate laws, after a number of antisemitic attacks took place across the country. It has attracted criticism for being rushed and too broad — and granting police an unconstitutional level of power — but NSW Premier Chris Minns says they're necessary. "We haven't banned protests in New South Wales, but we have said that you've got a right to practice your religion in the state, and you've got a right to practice your religion in a place of worship, free of harassment, vilification, or intimidation. And I know that there's a right to protest, but there's also a right to practice your religion. And sometimes those rights compete only in the direct vicinity of the front door of the church or the mosque or the synagogue, but something needed to change. So we think the laws are valid." The court did not indicate when its decision would be handed down. Seven additional stores in remote Aboriginal communities will receive nearly $10 million in funding under the federal government's Food Security Resilience Package. Five communities in Western Australia, one in the Northern Territory, and one in South Australia have already received funding for their local stores under the second stage of the funding rollout. It's aimed at reducing food costs in isolated areas impacted by extreme weather and limited infrastructure, and will go towards upgrading cold storage and power supply infrastructure. Now to sport, Geelong Cats' Patrick Dangerfield will have his 350th AFL game tonight, making him the 250th AFL player to reach such a milestone. The 35-year-old will be playing against Brisbane at his team's home stadium at Kardinia Park. He's transformed from a midfielder to a more permanent forward, which he considers "a game changer".
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Spain rejects NATO's anticipated 5% defense spending proposal as 'unreasonable'
MADRID (AP) — Spain has rejected a NATO proposal to spend 5% of gross domestic product on defense needs that's due to be announced next week, calling it 'unreasonable.' Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, in a letter sent on Thursday to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, said that Spain 'cannot commit to a specific spending target in terms of GDP' at next week's NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands. Most U.S. allies in NATO are on track to endorse U.S. President Donald Trump's demand that they invest 5% of GDP on their defense and military needs. In early June, Sweden and the Netherlands said that they aim to meet the new target. A NATO official on Thursday said that discussions between allies were ongoing about a new defense spending plan. 'For Spain, committing to a 5% target would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive, as it would move Spain away from optimal spending and it would hinder the EU's ongoing efforts to strengthen its security and defense ecosystem,' Sánchez wrote in the letter seen by The Associated Press. Spain was the lowest spender in the 32-nation military alliance last year, directing less than 2% of its GDP on defense expenditure. Sánchez said in April that the government would raise defense spending by 10.5 billion euros ($12 billion) in 2025 to reach NATO's previous target of 2% of GDP. On Thursday, Sánchez called for 'a more flexible formula' in relation to a new spending target — one that either made it optional or left Spain out of its application. Sánchez wrote that the country is 'fully committed to NATO," but that meeting a 5% target 'would be incompatible with our welfare state and our world vision." He said that doing so would require cutting public services and scaling back other spending, including toward the green transition. Instead, Spain will need to spend 2.1% of GDP to meet the Spanish military's estimated defense needs, Sánchez said. NATO allies agreed to spend 2% of GDP on military expenditure after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. But the alliance's plans for defending Europe and North America against a Russian attack require investments of at least 3%. The aim now is to raise the bar to 3.5% for core defense spending on tanks, warplanes, air defense, missiles and hiring extra troops. A further 1.5% would be spent on things like roads, bridges, ports and airfields so armies can deploy more quickly, as well as preparing societies for possible attack. Rutte had been due to table a new proposal on Friday aimed at satisfying Spain. European allies and Canada are keen to finalize the spending pledge before the summit, and not leave it open for any heated debate that might drag the meeting out. Poland and the Baltic countries — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — have already publicly committed to 5%, and Rutte has said that most allies were ready to endorse the goal. But Spain isn't alone among NATO's low spenders. Belgium, Canada and Italy will also struggle to hike security spending by billions of dollars. A big question still to be answered is what time frame countries will be given to reach an agreed-upon new spending goal. A target date of 2032 was initially floated, but Rutte has said that Russia could be ready to launch an attack on NATO territory by 2030. ___ Lorne Cook contributed to this report from Brussels. Suman Naishadham, The Associated Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Independent
9 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Spain rejects NATO's anticipated defense spending increase as 'unreasonable'
Spain has rejected a NATO proposal to spend 5% of GDP on defense needs that's due to be announced next week, calling it 'unreasonable.' In a letter sent Thursday to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that Spain 'cannot commit to a specific spending target in terms of GDP' at next week's NATO summit in The Hague. Most U.S. allies at NATO are on track to endorse U.S. President Donald Trump's demand that they invest 5% of gross domestic product on their defense and military needs. In early June, Sweden and the Netherlands said that they aim to meet the new target. A NATO official on Thursday said discussions between allies on a new defense spending plan were ongoing. 'For Spain, committing to a 5% target would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive, as it would move Spain away from optimal spending and it would hinder the EU's ongoing efforts to strengthen its security and defense ecosystem,' Sánchez wrote in the letter seen by The Associated Press. Spain was the lowest spender in the 32-nation military alliance last year, directing less than 2% of its GDP on defense expenditure. In April, Sánchez said the government would raise defense spending by 10.5 billion euros ($12 billion) in 2025 to reach NATO's previous target of 2% of GDP. Sánchez asked for 'a more flexible formula' in relation to a new spending target — that either made it optional or left Spain out from its application. NATO allies agreed to spend 2% of GDP on military expenditure after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. But the alliance's plans for defending Europe and North America against a Russian attack require investments of at least 3%. The aim now is to raise the bar to 3.5% for core defense spending on tanks, warplanes, air defense, missiles and hiring extra troops. A further 1.5% would be spent on things like roads, bridges, ports and airfields so armies can deploy more quickly, as well as preparing societies for possible attack. Rutte had been due to table a new proposal on Friday aimed at satisfying Spain. European allies and Canada are keen to finalize the spending pledge before the summit, and not leave it open for any heated debate that might drag the meeting out. Poland and the Baltic countries — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — have already publicly committed to 5%, and Rutte has said that most allies were ready to endorse the goal. A big question still to be answered is what time-frame countries will get to reach the new spending goals. A target date of 2032 was initially floated, but Rutte has said that Russia could be ready to launch an attack on NATO territory by 2030. ___
New York Times
11 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
Trump Administration Live Updates: U.S. to Examine Social Media Posts of Student Visa Applicants
A Norwegian naval commando hoisted himself onto the deck of a ship during a NATO exercise in March. Beyond projecting military strength and pledging unity, a more pressing theme has emerged for next week's NATO summit: Keep President Trump happy. As leaders prepare to meet for the annual forum starting on Tuesday, U.S. allies have watered down their public support for Ukrainian membership and drafted a policy communiqué as short as five paragraphs to keep the American leader on board. The meeting itself, in The Hague, will open and close in under two days — a timeline designed to keep it devoid of drama. 'No one wants to say no to Trump,' said Mujtaba Rahman, who analyzes Europe for the Eurasia Group. Asked on Wednesday whether the Iran-Israel war would prompt him to skip the meeting, Mr. Trump told reporters that he still planned to attend. In any case, his influence is certain to loom over the gathering. It has already driven an effort by NATO's secretary general, Mark Rutte, to increase military spending by each of the alliance's 32 members to meet a figure suggested by Mr. Trump. He has demanded it be raised to 5 percent of each country's gross domestic product, up from the current level of 2 percent. Mr. Rutte has proposed widening the definition of military spending to help meet that objective. The new benchmark would include 3.5 percent of G.D.P. on core defense spending — weapons, capabilities, troops — and the rest on what NATO calls 'defense and security-related investment, including in infrastructure and resilience.' In the weeks since Mr. Rutte's idea gained steam, its details, and shortcomings, have become clearer, according to officials and experts. The timeline to increase spending may be different for everyone, and officials are confused about the requirements. Even if countries do allocate the sums, European and even American defense industries may not be able to absorb the money or deliver in a timely fashion. And while NATO countries generally agree it is past time to spend more on security in Europe, where officials believe a militarized Russia might be tempted to test the alliance within years, some nations already struggle to reach the existing target on military spending. They are unlikely to meet Mr. Trump's demand soon, if ever. The discussion about Mr. Rutte's proposal, experts said, has devolved into a debate over spending billions of dollars to fund an ever-widening range of priorities. 'It is largely a shell game,' said Jeremy Shapiro, a former State Department official and now research director of the European Council on Foreign Relations. 'There is some reality there, because defense spending is increasing across Europe, but more because of Vladimir Putin than Donald Trump.' Image President Trump, at the White House on Wednesday, has demanded an increase in military spending by NATO's members. Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times A NATO Numbers Game Mr. Trump first demanded the 5 percent figure two weeks before his inauguration, although his ambassador to NATO, Matthew G. Whitaker, insisted recently that the United States was not 'driving the timeline' for allies to spend more on defense. 'The threats are driving the timeline,' he said. 'Europe keeps telling us that Russia is their biggest threat and we agree, in the Euro-Atlantic it is. And so we need to make sure everybody's investing.' Initially, Mr. Trump's ambitions seemed both abstract and implausible: Only 23 NATO members were meeting their spending goals by the end of last year. But Mr. Rutte's proposal allows for some spending on what NATO calls 'military-adjacent' projects. In practical terms, that could include investments in advanced technology; rebuilding roads, bridges and other infrastructure; civic defense; education; improved health services; and aid to Ukraine. In effect, the Trump benchmark 'is both real and not real,' said Nathalie Tocci, director of Italy's Institute of International Affairs. 'The real thing is 3.5 percent, which has nothing to do with Trump and everything to do with NATO's getting what it judges it needs,' she said. 'The unreal part is the 1.5 percent, the P.R. move for Trump,' she said. 'Of course infrastructure is important, and diplomacy and education, so lump it all together for Trump. And if the magic figure of 5 percent ensures benign indifference rather than malign hostility, that's all to the good.' Image Ukrainian soldiers last month in the Donetsk region. Credit... Tyler Hicks/The New York Times Counting Aid to Ukraine The proposal may have helped Mr. Rutte balance the president's desires with those of European leaders, but it has also created complications. Defense ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels this month appeared confused over how the money should be spent, and how soon, and over whether aid to Ukraine could count. 'We have to find a realistic compromise between what is necessary and what is possible, really, to spend,' said Germany's defense minister, Boris Pistorius. Luxembourg's defense minister, Yuriko Backes, was more blunt. 'It will be the capabilities that will keep us safe, not percentages,' she said. 'This is what should be driving our investments, not the other way around.' Luxembourg will reach the current spending threshold — which was set in 2014 to be accomplished in a decade — only this year. And not until recently was it clear — even among some NATO defense ministers — that countries could include a small fraction of their military contributions to the war in Ukraine as part of their defense spending. But the rules for what qualifies are complex and decided at NATO headquarters on a case-by-case basis, to ensure that countries don't double-count what they give to Ukraine as a part of domestic military investment. 'Supporting Ukraine is really an investment into our own security,' said Sweden's defense minister, Pal Jonson. Allies are debating how to count the aid to Ukraine. The current plan is to consider it core military spending. But some of the countries nearest to Russia's borders do not want to dilute their domestic defense and want aid to Ukraine categorized as 'related investments.' Image Mark Rutte, the NATO secretary general, during a visit to the White House in April. Mr. Rutte is the architect of a plan that would allow for some spending on what the alliance calls 'military-adjacent' projects. Credit... Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times A Matter of Time There is also uncertainty about when allies would be expected to meet the higher spending threshold. Mr. Rutte initially proposed 2032, but countries on NATO's eastern flank want it to happen sooner. NATO intelligence suggests that, without a credible military deterrent, Russia could mount an effective offensive against the alliance in five years after the Ukraine war ends. 'We don't have time even for seven years,' Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur of Estonia said recently. 'We have to show that we have everything we need to defend our countries.' Britain, for example, has committed to spending only 3 percent by 2034, long after Mr. Trump is scheduled to leave office. Canada, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain will reach 2 percent, a decade-old goal, only this year. And the United States itself currently spends about 3.4 percent of its G.D.P. on defense, even though in sheer dollars it accounts for nearly half of NATO spending. The amount that Washington spends just on Europe is a much smaller percentage of the Pentagon's $997 billion budget. Like Mr. Rutte, other world leaders have sought ways to get the most out of their dealings with Mr. Trump and avoid unpredictable problems. At this week's Group of 7 summit, the newly elected prime minister of Canada and host of the event, Mark Carney, deployed a mix of flattery and discipline. Yet the president still disrupted the gathering, departing early to address the Iran-Israel war. Mr. Rutte hopes to avoid such an outcome. 'Trump is making a fake demand for more spending, and they're giving him a fake response,' Mr. Shapiro said. He called the Rutte plan 'clever, because it lets Trump get what he wants and he can brag about it.'
Arab News
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Massive security operation for NATO summit turns parts of The Hague into a fortress
THE HAGUE, Netherlands: Locals, art lovers and diplomats like to meet over a meal and a drink in the historic Gastrobar Berlage behind a landmark art museum in The Hague. But the usual stream of visitors turned into a trickle when fences started rising outside as part of super-tight security around a meeting of NATO leaders that is smothering the Dutch city in a massive military and police operation called Orange Shield. Parts of the usually laid-back city, where NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte used to ride his bicycle to work while munching on an apple when he was prime minister of the Netherlands, are turning into a military fortress. 'It's dead,' Berlage owner Bianca Veenhof said as she looked at an almost empty terrace at the start of what should have been Wednesday's lunchtime rush. Parking spots have been blocked off by freshly installed security fencing, workers in nearby offices have been told to stay home and public transit lines near the grounds have been diverted. The city that markets itself as the global hub of peace and justice because of the international courts it hosts is turning into a city of security and inconvenience for the June 24-25 meeting that is scheduled to feature leaders of the 32-nation alliance, including US President Donald Trump. The summit comes as global geopolitical tensions soar and conflict escalates in the Middle East. About half of the Netherlands' police force will be on duty In what they are calling the biggest security operation ever staged in the Netherlands, authorities are locking down parts of the city, closing off roads, and shutting down airspace. Temporary barricades and metal mesh fences surrounding the World Forum summit venue are just a fraction of the measures that radiate out from The Hague. Some 27,000 police officers – about half of the country's entire force – will be on duty around the summit along with more than 10,000 defense personnel. Military police will protect delegations. Frigates will patrol the North Sea, F-35 fighter jets and Apache helicopters will take to the skies and air defense systems will be on alert. Bomb squads will comb the venue for explosives. Convoys carrying leaders will be whisked with military police escorts along closed-off highways from airports to their accommodations. While civilian drones are banned from the airspace around the summit and other key locations, police and military drones will buzz around the skies over the summit venue and other locations where leaders gather. Police and riot police also will be on hand for several protests that have already been announced, including an effort by demonstrators to shut down a major highway into the city. Then there are the less visible but no less important measures being taken to provide cybersecurity. The country's top counterterrorism official declined to go into details. Boosting NATO spending and Ukraine are on the agenda The leaders are scheduled to have dinner with Dutch King Willem-Alexander at his palace in a forest in the city Tuesday night before a meeting the next day where they are expected to agree a new defense spending target. While the leaders are dining with the Dutch royals, foreign and defense ministers from NATO nations will hold meetings at the summit venue to discuss issues including the war in Ukraine. When the government heads meet Wednesday, they will seek agreement on ramping up military spending as Trump insists Europe must look after its own security, while Washington focuses on China and its own borders. The Hague is known for hosting international courts The summit venue is a conference center and theater close to the building that once housed the UN tribunal for the former Yugoslavia where Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, his military chief Ratko Mladic, and others were convicted of war crimes. The venue also is close to the headquarters of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the European Union's law enforcement and judicial cooperation agencies. Just down the road is the International Criminal Court, whose chief prosecutor and four judges have been slapped with sanctions by Trump. Closer still is the top United Nations court, the International Court of Justice, whose judges settle disputes between nations. Getting away from it all Many residents near the summit are not sticking around to watch the event unfold. At the end of the week, Berlage will close its doors and sunny terrace for a week, only reopening when the NATO bandwagon has moved on. Veenhof estimates the enforced closure and weeks of plummeting bookings will cost the bistro up to €150,000 ($173,000) in lost earnings. Veenhof and her partner Bauke van Schaik, who is the chef at Berlage, have had enough of the summit already and are fleeing the city for the duration. 'Good friends of ours live in Portugal, so we going there for a few days,' she said. 'We'll be a bit further away from all the misery and frustration.'
