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  • Harris slams Ukraine ‘surrender’ policy as Zelensky visits White House


Harris slams Ukraine ‘surrender’ policy as Zelensky visits White House

US Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, shakes hands with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as they meet in Washington on Sept. 26, 2024. (REUTERS)
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Updated 27 September 2024
AFP
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Harris slams Ukraine ‘surrender’ policy as Zelensky visits White House

  • Harris' statement was clearly aimed at her Republican rival Donald Trump, who earlier implied that Ukraine should just accept defeat from Russia
  • In his meeting with Zelensky, President Joe Biden announced a fresh military aid package worth nearly $8 billion for Kyiv and promised continued us backing
Updated 27 September 2024
AFP

WASHINGTON: Kamala Harris on Thursday criticized her US election rival Donald Trump’s stance on Ukraine, describing it as a policy of “surrender” to Russia as she told President Volodymyr Zelensky that he could rely on her support.
Zelensky also met President Joe Biden to present his “victory plan,” with the White House announcing a fresh military aid package worth nearly $8 billion for Kyiv as it struggles on the battlefield in the third year of Moscow’s invasion.
Zelensky’s visit has been clouded by a blazing row with Republican presidential candidate Trump that underscored how November’s US election could upend the support that Ukraine receives from its biggest backer.
Harris did not mention Trump by name but said there were “some in my country who would instead force Ukraine to give up large parts of its sovereign territory, who would demand that Ukraine accept neutrality.”
“These proposals are the same of those of (President Vladimir) Putin. And let us be clear, they are not proposals for peace. Instead, they are proposals for surrender,” she said with Zelensky by her side.
During a separate meeting in the Oval Office with Zelensky, Biden pledged that “Russia will not prevail” in the war it launched in February 2022.
“Ukraine will prevail, and we’ll continue to stand by you every step of the way,” Biden said after thanking him for presenting the so-called victory plan.
Dressed in his trademark military-style outfit, Zelensky replied that “we deeply appreciate that Ukraine and America have stood side by side.”

ALSO READ: Trump says Ukraine is ‘dead’ and dismisses its defense against Russia’s invasion

Zelensky is looking to shore up support for his war effort as Biden tries to lock in aid for Ukraine, ahead of the white-knuckle US election on November 5.
Biden pledged nearly $8 billion in military aid on Thursday, including $5.5 billion to be authorized before it expires at the end of the US fiscal year on Monday.
Biden said in a statement that the “surge in security assistance for Ukraine” would “help Ukraine win this war.”
Biden also announced Washington would provide Ukraine with the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) long-range munition and called a summit of allies in Germany in October.
The White House however played down Ukraine’s hopes that Zelensky’s visit would achieve his long-held goal of getting permission to fire long-range Western-made missiles into Russian territory.
“I’m not expecting there to be any new announcements on this particular action or a decision coming out of this meeting,” Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.
Zelensky also visited the US Congress — where his government said he had also presented his victory plan — and gave a defiant address at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.
But Zelensky’s visit has prompted fresh nuclear saber rattling from Moscow, which has repeatedly warned the West against giving Ukraine long-range arms.

Putin's nuclear weapons threat
Putin on Wednesday announced plans to broaden Moscow’s rules on the use of its atomic weaponry in the event of a “massive” air attack.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the nuclear threat “totally irresponsible” while EU foreign policy spokesman Peter Stano said Putin was making a “gamble with his nuclear arsenal.”
Kyiv faces an increasingly difficult battlefield situation two and a half years into Russia’s invasion, with Russian forces continuing to push into eastern Ukraine.
The US presidential election means Washington’s now support now hangs on the balance.
Trump had also been due to meet Zelensky during his US visit, but their talks appear to be on ice.
Trump accused Zelensky on the eve of the visit of refusing to strike a deal with Moscow and once again questioned why the United States was giving billions of dollars to Kyiv.
At an election rally on Wednesday, the Republican called the Ukrainian president “probably the greatest salesman on Earth.”
Republicans were livid after Zelensky visited an arms factory in Biden’s hometown in the battleground state of Pennsylvania earlier this week, with House Speaker Mike Johnson calling for the Ukrainian ambassador to be sacked.
Trump has echoed many of Putin’s talking points about previous US policy being to blame for the Russian invasion, and has been critical of Zelensky for years.
 

Topics: Russian-Ukraine conflict Kamala Harris

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Starmer praises sacrifice of British troops in Afghanistan, Iraq in oblique rebuke to Vance

Updated 18 sec ago
AP
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Starmer praises sacrifice of British troops in Afghanistan, Iraq in oblique rebuke to Vance

Updated 18 sec ago
AP
LONDON: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday praised the hundreds of British troops who died fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq “alongside our allies,” in an oblique rebuke of US Vice President JD Vance, who has questioned the merits of a potential European peacekeeping force in Ukraine following the signing of any peace agreement between the country and Russia.
In his opening remarks before the start of a weekly parliamentary question session, Starmer specifically paid tribute to six British soldiers who died on patrol in Afghanistan when their vehicle was struck by an explosive. Thursday marks the 13-year anniversary of their deaths.
“These men fought and died for their country, our country,” Starmer told the House of Commons. “And across the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, 642 individuals died fighting for Britain alongside our allies, many more were wounded.”
Without directly referencing Vance, the prime minister said he and all lawmakers will “never forget their bravery and their sacrifice.”
Vance said in an interview with Fox News this week that an economic pact with Kyiv sought by President Donald Trump “is a way better security guarantee than 20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years.”
Though Vance has subsequently sought to head off criticism by noting that he did not specifically name any countries, his “random country” comment prompted anger, particularly in the UK and France.
Peacekeeping mission
British troops fought alongside the US in Afghanistan and Iraq in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the US, while French troops were deployed to Afghanistan though not during the 2003 US-led war in Iraq.
Both Starmer, who has been careful not to criticize Trump over the past few days of frantic diplomacy, and French President Emmanuel Macron, have said that they are ready to deploy troops in a peacekeeping capacity in Ukraine after any peace deal, but have said that they would require further support from the US
No other countries have yet indicated they will be sending troops to any peacekeeping mission.
Trump has offered no US security guarantee and has, like Vance, indicated that an economic deal with Ukraine, that sees American money and people in the country but no forces, would be enough to fend off any future attack by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Minerals deal
In his overnight address to Congress, Trump appeared to soften his tone with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky following last Friday’s fractious meeting in the Oval Office.
Trump and Zelensky had been expected to sign off on a minerals deal, intended in part to pay back the US for aid it has sent Kyiv since the start of the war. But that plan was scrapped as the visit was ended abruptly after their meeting.
Starmer said he is doing “everything he can” to ensure the US and Europe are “working together on lasting peace” for Ukraine.
Vance’s interview with Fox News was recorded hours before a White House official confirmed on Monday evening that Trump had directed a pause of US assistance to Ukraine as he seeks to Zelensky to engage in negotiations to end the war which Russia launched in Feb. 2022.

EU states agree to roll out automated border system

Updated 7 min 35 sec ago
AFP
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EU states agree to roll out automated border system

Updated 7 min 35 sec ago
AFP

BRUSSELS: EU member states agreed Wednesday on a phased rollout of a new border check system for non-EU nationals which will do away with passport stamps.
The so-called Entry/Exit System (EES), was initially supposed to kick in last November but was delayed at the last minute as several states were not ready.
First agreed on in 2017, the automated system will record visitors’ date of entry and exit and keep track of overstays and refused entries.
But its introduction has raised fears of queues and longer waiting times for people traveling to Europe on trains, ferries and planes.
London’s mayor Sadiq Khan warned last year it could trigger “chaos” at the British capital’s Eurostar cross-Channel rail hub, St. Pancras station.
The UK, which left the EU in 2020, on Wednesday opened up applications for its own digital travel permit, which will be mandatory for European visitors from April.
Under the EU agreement reached Wednesday — subject to approval by the European Parliament — the scheme will be implemented over a six-month period.
“We are aiming for October” to begin the rollout, said Polish interior minister Tomasz Siemoniak, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency.
Member states would ramp up toward operating the EES system at half of border crossing points after three months and by six months countries should be registering all individuals using the system.
Under the EES, travelers to the bloc will have details and biometric data — facial images and fingerprints — collected at ports of entry.

US pauses intelligence sharing with Ukraine

Updated 16 min 41 sec ago
AFP
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US pauses intelligence sharing with Ukraine

Updated 16 min 41 sec ago
AFP

WASHINGTON: The United States has "paused" intelligence sharing with Ukraine after a dramatic breakdown in relations between Kyiv and the White House, CIA director John Ratcliffe said Wednesday.
President Donald Trump and Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky had a public falling-out in the Oval Office last week, followed by Ukraine's top ally suspending crucial US military aid.
Ratcliffe confirmed that intelligence sharing had also been frozen as Ukraine seeks to beat back the Russian invasion.
"President Trump had a real question about whether President Zelensky was committed to the peace process," Ratcliffe told Fox News.
Ratcliffe said the pause "on the military front and the intelligence front" was temporary, and the United States will again "work shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine."
Trump said Tuesday that Zelensky told him Kyiv was ready for talks with Moscow and the finalization of a US minerals deal, as Ukraine works to move on after the Oval Office spat.
Zelensky has sought to bring Trump back onside, posting on social media that their clash was "regrettable" and he wanted "to make things right."
In his address to US Congress later on Tuesday, Trump read aloud from a letter from Zelensky.
"The letter reads, 'Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians,'" Trump told US lawmakers.

S.Africa accuses Israel of using ‘starvation’ in Gaza: govt

Updated 18 min 13 sec ago
AFP
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S.Africa accuses Israel of using ‘starvation’ in Gaza: govt

Updated 18 min 13 sec ago
AFP

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa on Wednesday denounced Israel’s restriction of aid into war-ravaged Gaza since the weekend, saying it amounted to using starvation as a weapon of war.
“Preventing food from entering Gaza is a continuation of Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon of war as part of the ongoing campaign of what the ICJ ruled to be plausible genocide against the Palestinian people,” the foreign ministry said in a statement, referring to South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

Flavorful and artsy, traditional pastry reigns as Malaysia’s favorite Ramadan treat

Updated 05 March 2025
Kanyakumari Damodaran
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Flavorful and artsy, traditional pastry reigns as Malaysia’s favorite Ramadan treat

  • Average kek lapis takes at least 5 hours to bake and decorate
  • Originating from Indonesia, it became popular in Malaysia in the 1970s
Updated 05 March 2025
Kanyakumari Damodaran

KUALA LUMPUR: Combining different colors, flavors, and intricate patterns, kek lapis is an indisputable form of pastry art and a favorite cake for many Malaysians during Ramadan — a time when bakers get the spotlight to display their skills.

The most famous variety of kek lapis, or layered cake, is from the Sarawak state in northwest Borneo island.

Originating from the lapis legit cake from Indonesia — an interpretation of a European-style spit-roasted pastry that made its way into Sarawak in the 1970s — it has since evolved into Malaysia’s most colorful and ornamental treat that is a staple during iftars and Eid celebrations.

Mohd. Samat Abdul Hamid, a baker whose family comes from Sarawak, entered the kek lapis business when he moved to Kuala Lumpur.

“Every time I head back to my hometown, my colleagues and friends will ask me to bring back some kek lapis. Every time I go, I buy between 10-15 cakes,” he told Arab News.

“At one point I told myself, I might as well just do it on my own. So, I learned from the elders in my family and followed the recipe to make my own cakes. As of January, I have been doing this for over three years now.”

Hamid, who still pursues his full-time profession as a software engineer, focuses his baking business primarily on the Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr period.

The process is not only time-consuming but also requires constant attention.

“On average, it takes about one hour to make the batter, and this includes the flavoring and coloring. After that, I start the layering process, and each layer bakes for approximately seven to 10 minutes. There are about 14 to 18 layers per cake depending on the type and flavor,” he said.

“You do not leave the oven. Constant observation is key to ensure the layers don’t burn or dry out.”

His least elaborate layered cake costs about $13, with the price increasing with the complexity of patterns and flavors, which include varieties such as red velvet or the purple Kek Fatzzura — a viral Malaysian blueberry cake named after actor Fattah Amin and his wife actress Fazura.

Another engineer turned baker, Sharifah Zainon, is devoted full-time to her business, which offers a modernized twist to the traditional layer cake.

“Baking wasn’t my original career path. I have a degree in artificial intelligence and worked as a storage engineer before diving into baking. I had never baked before and never imagined I’d love it this much!” she told Arab News.

“I started baking just trying my luck, making regular kek lapis for a few years. Then I got the idea to spice it up by combining batik and geometry — a twist I never expected to become such a hit.”

The patterns combine structured designs and traditional Malaysian and Southeast Asian ornamental motifs.

Her typical cake-making routine starts with sketching the overall design on paper to visualize the final piece. She then calculates the dimensions of her patterns and prepares the batter.

“I then draw the batik pattern and bake that layer. At the same time, I bake the parts that will later be cut into the geometric shape. Once baked, I carefully cut the cake and combine the layers. Finally, I add finishing touches by embossing the design with chocolate painting,” she said.

“My featured product is the lapis geometry with batik painting, which is also my most popular creation. Although it involves a long process that demands patience and precision, I truly enjoy working on it. The final result always fills me with joy and satisfaction.”

Zainon’s Lapis by Seri venture based in Seremban, about an hour from Kuala Lumpur, has been a hit both offline and on social media, where videos of her new creations regularly go viral.

She typically spends 10 to 12 hours a day baking and makes up to 50 cakes a week, depending on orders.

“During the festive season, orders typically increase by around 100 percent,” she said.

“And this surge isn’t limited to Hari Raya (Eid Al-Fitr). There’s also a significant boost throughout Ramadan, as many customers choose our kek lapis as a thoughtful gift during the month.”

Topics: Ramadan 2025 Malaysia

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