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Asia
July 18, 2025 at 16:20 JST Asian countries are offering to buy more U.S. liquefied natural gas in negotiations with the Trump administration as a way to alleviate tensions over U.S. trade deficits and forestall higher tariffs. Vietnam’s government signed a deal in May with an American company to develop a gas import hub. JERA, Japan’s largest power generator, signed new 20-year contracts last month to purchase up to 5.5 million metric tons of U.S. gas annually starting around 2030. Trump discussed cooperation on a $44 billion Alaska LNG project with South Korea, prompting a visit by officials to the site in June. The U.S. president has promoted the project as a way to supply gas from Alaska’s vast North Slope to a liquefication plant at Nikiski in south-central Alaska, with an eye largely on exports to Asian countries while bypassing the Panama Canal. Thailand has offered to commit to a long-term deal for American fuel and shown interest in the same Alaska project to build a nearly 1,300-kilometer pipeline that would funnel gas from. The Philippines is also considering importing gas from Alaska. India is mulling a plan to scrap import taxes on U.S. energy shipments to help narrow its trade surplus with Washington. Japan had agreed to buy more despite being so awash in the fuel that it was being forced to cancel projects and contracts to offload the excess to Asia’s growing economies. Analysts warn that strategy could undermine those countries’ long-term climate ambitions and energy security. Experts say LNG purchasing agreements can slow adoption of renewable energy in Asia. Energy companies that profit from gas or coal are powerful vested interests, swaying policy to favor their business models. The Alaska LNG project is widely considered uneconomic. Both coal and renewable energy in Asia are so much cheaper that U.S. gas would need to cost less than half its current price to compete. Tariffs on Chinese steel could make building gas pipelines and LNG terminals more expensive, while longstanding delays to build new gas turbines mean new gas power projects may not come online until 2032. A global glut in LNG will likely drive prices lower, making it even harder for countries to justify locking into long-term deals with the United States at current higher prices. The world shifts rapidly toward cleaner energy sources like solar or wind. Locking into long-term deals could leave countries with outdated infrastructure. Building pipelines, terminals, and even household gas stoves creates systems that are expensive and difficult to replace. If renewable energy grows fast, reducing the need for LNG, countries may still have to pay for gas they no longer need. Many LNG contracts include “take-or-pay” clauses, obliging governments to pay even if they don’t use the fuel. Pakistan is an example. Soaring LNG costs drove up electricity prices, pushing consumers to install rooftop solar panels. As demand for power drops and gas supply surges, the country is deferring LNG shipments and trying to resell excess fuel. Experts said that although countries are signaling a willingness to import more U.S. LNG, they’re unlikely to import enough to have a meaningful impact on U.S. trade deficits. South Korea would need to import 121 million metric tons of LNG in a year - 50% more than the total amount of LNG the U.S. exported globally last year and triple what South Korea imported. Vietnam - with a trade surplus with the U.S. twice the size of Korea’s - would need to import 181 million metric tons annually, more than double what the U.S. exported last year. A core concern is over the long-term stability of the U.S. as a trading partner, said Overland, head of the Center for Energy Research at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. The U.S. is not a very predictable entity - to rely on energy from there is a very risky proposition, he said. LNG only contributes to energy security when it’s available and affordable. This was the concern during the recent potential disruptions to fuel shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and earlier during the war in Ukraine, when LNG cargoes originally destined for Asia were rerouted to Europe. Despite having contracts, Asian countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were outbid by European buyers. Events in Europe, which can seem very far away, can have an impact on availability and prices in Asia. Asian countries can improve their energy security and make progress toward cutting carbon emissions by building more renewable energy. There is vast room for that given that only about 1% of Southeast Asia’s solar and wind potential is being used. (Source: Asahí Shímbun - Japan / The Associated Press - U.S.)
North America
United States
July 18, 2025 Under Trump, the administration has increasingly moved away from the promotion of democracy and human rights, largely seeing it as interference in another country's affairs. Itt has moved to reshape the State Department's human rights bureau, which it said had become a platform for left-wing activists to wage vendettas against 'anti-woke' leaders. Trump officials have repeatedly weighed in on European politics to denounce what they see as suppression of right-wing leaders, including in Romania, Germany and France, accusing European authorities of censoring views such as criticism of immigration in the name of countering disinformation. Now, US Secretary of State Rubio instructed US diplomats worldwide not to comment on the fairness or integrity of elections conducted by foreign countries, according to an internal note seen by Reuters yesterday. "When it is appropriate to comment on a foreign election, our message should be brief, focused on congratulating the winning candidate and, when appropriate, noting shared foreign policy interests," said the cable. A State Department spokesperson said that this approach was consistent with the administration's emphasis on "national sovereignty". (Source: PIME)
18 July 2025 Some Trump supporters have demanded the release of more information on Epstein, causing a rare fracture in his base of support. Trump has pushed back, calling the matter a hoax. Allegations that Epstein had been sexually abusing girls became public in 2006. 'Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Epstein, I have asked attorney-general Bondi to produce any and all pertinent grand jury testimony, subject to court approval. This scam, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now! Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. (Source: TimesLive - South Africa / Reuters - United Kingdom)
18.07.2025 Attorney General Bondi in February said during a Fox News interview that the list of Epstein's clients was "sitting on my desk right now to review," a statement at stark odds with the Justice Department's announcement this month that no such document exists. Speculation has mounted that it includes the names of prominent members of the rich and powerful. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier yesterday that a racy letter from Trump is one of dozens of notes included in an album that was created to celebrate Epstein's 50th birthday. The leather-bound memento was compiled by Epstein's long-time aide and convicted child sex trafficker Maxwell in 2003, according to the Journal. It also included letters from former Victoria's Secret CEO Wexner and pro-Israel attorney Dershowitz. The lurid nature of Trump's purported letter is akin to several others in the collection that was reviewed by the Journal. It consists of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman that appears hand-drawn with the name "Donald" written below her waist, "mimicking pubic hair," the newspaper reported. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)
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