Trump names billionaire investment banker Warren Stephens as his envoy to Britain

Warren Stephens is the chairman, president and CEO of Little Rock, Arkansas-based financial services firm Stephens Inc., having taken over the firm from his father. (Supplied)
Warren Stephens is the chairman, president and CEO of Little Rock, Arkansas-based financial services firm Stephens Inc., having taken over the firm from his father. (Supplied)
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Updated 03 December 2024
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Trump names billionaire investment banker Warren Stephens as his envoy to Britain

Trump names billionaire investment banker Warren Stephens as his envoy to Britain
  • Over the weekend, Trump announced he intends to nominate real estate developer Charles Kushner, father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France

WASHINGTON: President-elect Donald Trump has named billionaire investment banker Warren Stephens as his envoy to Britain, a prestigious posting for the Republican donor whose contributions this year included $2 million to a Trump-backing super PAC.
Trump, in a post on his Truth Social site Monday evening, announced he was selecting Stephens to be the US ambassador to the Court of Saint James. The Senate is required to confirm the choice.
“Warren has always dreamed of serving the United States full time. I am thrilled that he will now have that opportunity as the top Diplomat, representing the USA. to one of America’s most cherished and beloved Allies,” Trump said in in his post.
Stephens is the chairman, president and CEO of Little Rock, Arkansas-based financial services firm Stephens Inc., having taken over the firm from his father.
Trump has already named many of his nominees for his Cabinet and high-profile diplomatic posts, assembling a roster of staunch loyalists. Over the weekend, Trump announced he intends to nominate real estate developer Charles Kushner, father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France.
During his first term, Trump selected Robert “Woody” Johnson, a contributor to his campaign and the owner of the New York Jets football team, as his representative to the United Kingdom.

 


Indonesia, Egypt upgrade ties to strategic partnership on Prabowo’s Cairo visit

Indonesia, Egypt upgrade ties to strategic partnership on Prabowo’s Cairo visit
Updated 15 sec ago
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Indonesia, Egypt upgrade ties to strategic partnership on Prabowo’s Cairo visit

Indonesia, Egypt upgrade ties to strategic partnership on Prabowo’s Cairo visit
  • Jakarta, Cairo established diplomatic ties in 1947
  • Prabowo was on a multi-day tour to Middle East

Jakarta: Indonesia and Egypt elevated their ties to a strategic partnership during President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to Cairo, his office said on Sunday. 

Prabowo and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi signed the joint declaration following their meeting in the Egyptian capital on Saturday, the Cabinet Secretariat said in a statement. 

“The signing of the joint declaration is an important milestone in diplomatic ties between the two countries, signifying Indonesia and Egypt’s strong commitment to elevate bilateral ties to a strategic level,” the statement reads. 

“Through this strategic partnership, Indonesia and Egypt are committed to (strengthening) cooperation in various priority fields. From politics, economy, security, defense, culture and education ties, as well as people-to-people relations.” 

Subianto was in Cairo as part of his multi-day tour to the Middle East and has visited the UAE and Turkiye. This was his second time in Egypt since taking office in October. 

Egypt was one of the first countries to recognize Indonesia’s independence, with the two nations establishing diplomatic ties in 1947. 

Both Jakarta and Cairo believe that their “strong and historic partnership” will provide “real benefits” for the country and their peoples, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. 

Egypt ranks third among Indonesia’s top export destinations in the Middle East and North Africa, just after the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

With bilateral trade volume worth around $1.7 billion in 2024, Egypt is Indonesia’s top trade partner in North Africa alone. Palm oil, coffee beans, and coconut oil are some of Indonesia’s main exports to Egypt.

“President Prabowo’s visit to Egypt is very important. The strategic partnership that resulted from it is quite broad and will be beneficial for the future of both countries,” Teuku Rezasyah, an international relations expert from Padjadjaran University in West Java, told Arab News. 

While trade has been a big aspect of bilateral ties, defense cooperation will likely be a focus of the strategic partnership, he said. 

“The most likely area of focus will be defense cooperation … since Egypt has experience in facing different kinds of challenges at the border,” Rezasyah said, referring to Egypt’s shared land borders with a number of states, including Libya, Sudan, and the occupied Palestinian territory of Gaza. 

Through the partnership, Jakarta may be seeking to learn more closely from Cairo’s experience in dealing with various issues in the Middle East, alluding to Prabowo’s ongoing trip to the region that was aimed at boosting Indonesia’s role in ending Israel’s war on Gaza. 

A staunch supporter of Palestine, the Indonesian government and people see Palestinian statehood as being mandated by their own constitution, which calls for the abolition of colonialism. 

“(Learning from) Egypt’s experience might allow Indonesia to have an active role when crises occur in the Middle East, and there’s a big chance that Indonesia might get a mandate from the UN to do so,” Rezasyah said. 


More than 20 people killed in Russian missile attack on Ukrainian city of Sumy

More than 20 people killed in Russian missile attack on Ukrainian city of Sumy
Updated 13 April 2025
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More than 20 people killed in Russian missile attack on Ukrainian city of Sumy

More than 20 people killed in Russian missile attack on Ukrainian city of Sumy

KYIV: More than 20 people were killed in a Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Sunday, the city’s acting mayor and Ukraine’s General Prosecutor’s Office said.
Two ballistic missiles struck the heart of the city at around 10:15 a.m. as people gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday, according to officials. Videos posted from the scene on official channels showed bodies on the ground amid debris and smoke around central Sumy.
“On this bright Palm Sunday, our community has suffered a terrible tragedy,” Acting Mayor Artem Kobzar said in a statement on social media. “Unfortunately, we already know of more than 20 deaths.”
At least 21 people were killed and 34 were injured as a result of the enemy attack, including five children, the Prosecutor General’s Office said, citing initial investigation results.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that rescue efforts were ongoing and said “dozens” had been killed in the double missile attack.
“According to preliminary information, dozens of civilians were killed and wounded. Only filthy scum can act like this — taking the lives of ordinary people,” he said.
Zelensky also called for a global response to the attack. “Talks have never stopped ballistic missiles and aerial bombs. What’s needed is an attitude toward Russia that a terrorist deserves,” he said.
The strike comes less than a day after Russia and Ukraine’s top diplomats accused each other of violating a tentative US-brokered deal to pause strikes on energy infrastructure, underscoring the challenges of negotiating an end to the 3-year-old war.
The two countries’ foreign ministers spoke at separate events at the annual Antalya Diplomacy Forum, a day after US envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss peace prospects.
“The Ukrainians have been attacking us from the very beginning, every passing day, maybe with two or three exceptions,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, adding that Moscow would provide the US, Turkiye and international bodies with a list of Kyiv’s attacks during the past three weeks.
His Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, fiercely contested that claim, saying Saturday that Russia had launched “almost 70 missiles, over 2,200 (exploding) drones, and over 6,000 guided aerial bombs at Ukraine, mostly at civilians,” since agreeing to the limited pause on strikes.


China’s Xi vows to Indonesia’s Prabowo to deepen partnership, Xinhua says

China’s Xi vows to Indonesia’s Prabowo to deepen partnership, Xinhua says
Updated 13 April 2025
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China’s Xi vows to Indonesia’s Prabowo to deepen partnership, Xinhua says

China’s Xi vows to Indonesia’s Prabowo to deepen partnership, Xinhua says

SHANGHAI: Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to deepen his country’s strategic partnership with Indonesia in a call with President Prabowo Subianto on Sunday, China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported.
Xi told Prabowo the bilateral partnership had strategic significance and impact globally, as the two exchanged congratulations over the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties, Xinhua said.
Beijing is trying to persuade other nations to hew to a common line against US import tariffs announced by President Donald Trump.
Xi will visit Indonesia’s fellow Southeast Asian nations Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia from Monday, aiming to consolidate ties with some of China’s closest neighbors as trade tension escalates with the United States.


South Korea’s ex-president Yoon to face insurrection trial

South Korea’s ex-president Yoon to face insurrection trial
Updated 13 April 2025
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South Korea’s ex-president Yoon to face insurrection trial

South Korea’s ex-president Yoon to face insurrection trial

SEOUL: Former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol will face his first criminal trial on Monday for insurrection after his short-lived imposition of martial law in December, which plunged the democratic country into political turmoil.
Yoon sought to impose military rule on the country when he ordered the suspension of political activity and the censorship of media on December 3. The decree lasted just six hours as it was voted down by opposition MPs.
The disastrous attempt led to Yoon’s impeachment by the National Assembly shortly thereafter, with the Constitutional Court fully stripping him of his presidential duties on April 4.
Although he has lost all presidential privileges, Yoon still faces a criminal trial on insurrection charges, which will kick off Monday.
During a preliminary hearing in February, Yoon’s lawyers argued that his detention had been procedurally flawed, an argument accepted by the court, leading to his release 52 days after his arrest.
He was detained in January in a dawn raid after holding out against police and prosecutors for weeks, becoming the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested.
If convicted, Yoon could face life imprisonment or even the death penalty.
On Friday, the 64-year-old former leader vacated the presidential residence and returned to his private home in Seoul, greeting supporters along the way.
“Now, I return to being an ordinary citizen of the Republic of Korea, and I will seek a new path in service of our country and our people,” he said in a statement.
With Yoon’s removal, South Korea is set to hold a snap election on June 3 to elect his successor. Until then, the country is governed by acting president Han Duck-soo.


Japanese leader says he hopes Osaka expo will help reunite a divided world

Japanese leader says he hopes Osaka expo will help reunite a divided world
Updated 13 April 2025
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Japanese leader says he hopes Osaka expo will help reunite a divided world

Japanese leader says he hopes Osaka expo will help reunite a divided world
  • Expo 2025 Osaka officially opened Sunday, with the theme of life, world and the future
  • It is Osaka’s second world expo after the 1970 event that scored a huge success and attracted 64 million visitors — a record until Shanghai in 2010

OSAKA, Japan: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, speaking at Saturday’s opening ceremony for the Osaka expo, expressed his hope that the event will help restore global unity in a world plagued by conflicts and trade wars.
“The world, having overcome the coronavirus pandemic, is now threatened by an array of divisions,” Ishiba said. “At a time like this, it is extremely meaningful that people from around the world gather here and discuss the theme of life and experience cutting-edge technology, diverse ideas and culture.”
Expo 2025 Osaka officially opened Sunday, with the theme of life, world and the future, and Japan hopes to bring unity and portray a future society.

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba takes to the podium to deliver a speech at the official opening ceremony of the 2025 Osaka Expo in the city of Osaka on April 12, 2025, a day before the event opens to the public for six months. (AFP)

But the event’s celebrations have been somewhat dampened by US President Donald Trump’s recent tariff threats, which add to global tension and uncertainty, with Russia’s war in Ukraine and conflict in the Middle East dragging on.
Citing the expo’s iconic lattice-like wooden “Grand Ring,” which symbolizes unity and encircles the venue, Ishiba said: “I sincerely hope the world will unite again through interactions among countries and visitors in and outside of this ring.”
The costly ring, the world’s largest wooden architectural structure, is 20 meters (65 feet) high and has a 2-kilometer (1.2-mile) circumference.

During the six-month event on the reclaimed island and industrial waste burial site of Yumeshima, which means dream island, in the Osaka Bay, the city is hosting some 180 countries, regions and organizations showcasing their futuristic exhibits inside of about 80 pavilions of unique designs.

Visitors queue for the gates to open at 9 a.m. on the first day of the 2025 Osaka Expo in the city of Osaka on April 13, 2025. (AFP)

It is Osaka’s second world expo after the 1970 event that scored a huge success and attracted 64 million visitors — a record until Shanghai in 2010.
This time, Japan has faced dwindling public interest, and support and was hit by soaring construction costs due to the weaker yen. The cost nearly doubled from the initial estimate to 235 billion yen ($1.64 billion), about 14 percent of which went to the ring, triggering criticisms from many Japanese over the government’s use of their tax money.
The cost increase also caused construction delays for some countries. Several pavilions, including those of Nepal and India, were not quite ready Saturday. Conflicts also affected preparations for Ukraine and the Palestinians. Russia did not participate.

Signage that reads "not for sale" is seen above the Ukraine pavilion on the first day of the six-month 2025 Osaka Expo in the city of Osaka on April 13, 2025. (AFP)

Ticket sales have been slow. So far, 9 million advance tickets had been sold, far short of the organizers’ target of 14 million. Organizers hope to have more than 28 million visitors at the event that lasts through Oct. 13.

Emperor Naruhito, in his address at Saturday’s opening ceremony, recalled visiting the earlier expo as a fascinating experience for a then 10-year-old prince.
“I vividly remember how excited I was coming across the latest technology, playing with a wireless phone and looking at the moon rock,” brought back by the US Apollo 12 lunar mission, said the emperor, now 65.
Naruhito said he hoped the second Osaka expo would be as successful and expressed hope that children will learn more about people, regions and the world and think about future society by interacting with next-generation technologies and efforts for sustainable future.