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South Korea-US summit faces unresolved trade deal disputes

South Korea-US summit faces unresolved trade deal disputes

SEOUL : As South Korea and the United States prepare for a summit of their leaders, topics left unresolved by a recent trade deal provide scope for more disputes between the key allies and trade partners, six former negotiators and experts said. President Donald Trump may use the summit with counterpart Lee Jae Myung to seek more concessions on defence costs and corporate investments, left out of the deal, while non-tariff barriers and currency could prove thorny issues, experts said. No official summit date has been disclosed, though Trump last week gave a timeframe of two weeks. The absence of a written agreement underpinning last week’s talks could open the way for disputes, with some differences already emerging in the two sides’ accounts of the deal. Key among these was Sunday’s denial by a South Korean presidential adviser of U.S. claims that it would take 90% of the profit from project investments of $350 billion by South Korea, which also agreed to open up its domestic rice market. “Even a binding deal like the FTA has been efficiently scrapped,“ warned Choi Seok-young, a former chief negotiator for the Korea-U.S. free trade deal, signed in 2007. “And this is just promise.” Last week’s pact was scaled down from South Korea’s previous plans for a package deal on trade, security and investment envisioned in the run-up to the summit between Trump and the newly-elected Lee. But Japan struck a deal with the United States sooner than expected, spurring South Korea into a scramble for a trade-focused pact, leaving issues of security and investment for the coming summit, presidential adviser Kim Yong-beom said. Uncertainty clouds plans for $350 billion in funds Trump has said South Korea would invest in the United States in projects “owned and controlled by the United States” and selected by him, though he gave few details of the plan’s structure or timing. The allies face challenges in ironing out details of the fund at upcoming working-level talks, South Korean Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol told reporters on Friday. “People say the devil is in the details,“ he added. In a social media post, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick gave an assurance of “90% of the profits going to the American people”, while White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said part would go to the U.S. government to help repay debt. But Kim, the presidential adviser, said the two sides did not discuss profit distribution during talks, and South Korea expected the profit to be “reinvested” in the United States. ‘POLITICAL RHETORIC’ The idea of the United States potentially taking most of the profit is “hard to understand in a civilised country”, he added, while dismissing as “political rhetoric” Washington’s claim that it would make all decisions about the fund. South Korea had added a safety mechanism to reduce financing risk, including U.S. commitments to buy products from the projects, under an “offtake” clause and invest in commercially feasible projects, he said. Seoul officials have said $150 billion would go to the shipbuilding industry, with the rest earmarked for areas such as chips, batteries, critical minerals, biotechnology, nuclear power and other strategic industries. The specifics of the structure have not been determined, said Kim, adding that loans and guarantees make up a majority of the funds, with equity investments accounting for a small part. Leavitt said South Korea would provide “historic market access to American goods like autos and rice,“ echoing earlier comments by Trump. But South Korea said repeatedly there had been no agreement on the agriculture market, including beef and rice, despite strong pressure from Washington. Trump expressed keen interest in Korea’s quarantine process for fruits and vegetables, Seoul said, improvements to which will figure in planned technical talks on non-tariff barriers that will also cover vehicle safety rules, but gave no details. Other non-tariff barriers such as regulation of Big Tech could be hurdles. “We cannot be relieved because we do not know when we will face pressure from tariffs or non-tariff measures again,“ Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo said last week on returning from Washington. Defence costs are expected to emerge as a key issue during the upcoming summit, with Trump having long said South Korea needed to pay more for the U.S. troop presence there. In addition to the $350 billion, Trump said South Korea agreed to invest a large sum of money in the United States, to be announced during the summit, which he said on July 30 would be held within two weeks. The allies are holding working level-talks on currency policy, put on the agenda at April’s opening round of trade talks. - Reuters

Perincian penyasaran semula subsidi RON95 diumum akhir September 2025

Perincian penyasaran semula subsidi RON95 diumum akhir September 2025

KUALA LUMPUR: Perincian pelaksanaan penyasaran semula subsidi RON95 akan diumumkan menjelang akhir September 2025, menurut Kementerian Kewangan (MOF). Pengumuman ini selaras dengan kenyataan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim pada 23 Julai 2025. Kerajaan kini sedang membangun dan menguji mekanisme penyasaran subsidi bagi memastikan operasi lancar apabila dilaksanakan. “Usaha ini termasuk memperhalusi data daripada agensi seperti Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara, Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan dan Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia,“ jelas MOF. Tumpuan diberikan untuk memastikan pendekatan lebih menyeluruh dilaksanakan agar subsidi RON95 dapat dinikmati oleh kelompok sasaran. “Kerajaan berusaha memastikan pendekatan yang lebih menyeluruh diterapkan supaya subsidi RON95 dapat meliputi kelompok yang disasarkan,“ menurut kenyataan rasmi. Maklumat ini diberikan sebagai jawapan kepada soalan Mohd Sany Hamzan (PH-Hulu Langat) mengenai status terkini pelaksanaan penyasaran semula subsidi RON95. Sebelum ini, Kementerian Ekonomi telah mengumumkan fasa front-end dan back-end pelaksanaan. Apabila penyasaran semula subsidi RON95 dilaksanakan, rakyat yang layak akan menikmati harga lebih rendah iaitu RM1.99 seliter melalui penggunaan MyKad. Manakala bukan warganegara atau mereka yang tidak layak perlu membayar harga pasaran tanpa subsidi. - Bernama

PM Anwar berbincang strategi inovasi dan digital dengan pakar ekonomi UK

PM Anwar berbincang strategi inovasi dan digital dengan pakar ekonomi UK

KUALA LUMPUR: Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mengadakan pertemuan dengan pakar ekonomi inovasi dari Kolej Universiti London (UCL), Profesor Dr Mariana Mazzucato, bagi membincangkan strategi pembangunan negara. Pertemuan itu menekankan kerjasama awam-swasta untuk memacu pelaburan hijau, inovasi teknologi, dan transformasi digital. Anwar berkata melalui hantaran di Facebook, “Turut disentuh ialah keperluan memperkasa perkhidmatan awam yang moden dan tangkas sebagai tunjang kemajuan negara.” Beliau menambah bahawa Malaysia perlu menangani cabaran sistemik serta memperkukuh strategi digital untuk transformasi jangka panjang. Profesor Mazzucato turut berkongsi pandangan bahawa Malaysia harus memupuk inovasi dan membina kemahiran masa depan. Beliau merupakan pengasas Institut bagi Inovasi dan Tujuan Awam di UCL, yang memberi tumpuan kepada dasar ekonomi berorientasikan misi. Pertemuan ini dilihat sebagai langkah penting dalam merangka strategi ekonomi Malaysia ke arah pembangunan mampan dan berteknologi tinggi. - Bernama

Jalur Gemilang terbalik: Sekolah, KPM tidak boleh lepas tangan - Akmal Saleh

Jalur Gemilang terbalik: Sekolah, KPM tidak boleh lepas tangan - Akmal Saleh

SHAH ALAM – Tindakan tegas perlu diambil terhadap pihak sekolah yang didakwa membenarkan seorang pekerja orang kurang upaya (OKU) memasang Jalur Gemilang secara terbalik tanpa sebarang pengawasan.Ketua Pemuda UMNO, Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh berkata, perkara itu tidak seharusnya dijadikan alasan untuk melepaskan tanggungjawab pihak pengurusan sekolah dalam insiden yang menyentuh sensitiviti patriotisme."Kenapa pekerja OKU diberikan tanggungjawab memasang bendera jika sudah tahu dia adalah seorang OKU dan bukannya pekerja lain?""Kita tidak mahu alasan OKU atau orang kurang siuman menjadi alasan utama lagi jika perkara ini berulang kembali," katanya menerusi hantaran di Facebook pada Selasa.Pada Sabtu lalu, media melaporkan bahawa Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina Chung Hua telah memohon maaf secara terbuka kepada seluruh masyarakat melalui satu kenyataan yang dikongsikan oleh Lembaga Pengelola serta Persatuan Ibu Bapa dan Guru (PIBG), susulan tindakan pekerjanya yang memasang Jalur Gemilang secara terbalik.Susulan itu, Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Lukut, Choo Ken Hwa berkata, perkara tersebut tidak perlu lagi diperbesarkan.Beliau juga memaklumkan bahawa pada hari kejadian, beliau telah menyelaras perbincangan antara ahli Lembaga Pengelola, PIBG dan pihak sekolah.Dalam pada itu, Muhamad Akmal menegaskan isu berkenaan bukan semata-mata mengenai individu yang terlibat, tetapi mencerminkan kelalaian pihak yang bertanggungjawab dalam memastikan simbol kebangsaan diperlakukan dengan hormat.Justeru, beliau mendesak Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia (KPM) untuk mengambil tindakan sewajarnya serta menjalankan siasatan lanjut terhadap latar belakang individu yang terlibat."Saya harap KPM juga mengambil perkara ini dengan serius agar ia menjadi pengajaran buat semua."Saya juga mendesak agar kementerian siasat siapakah OKU tersebut, adakah OKU fizikal ataupun mental?""Jika individu itu adalah OKU mental, adakah dia dibenarkan bekerja di dalam premis sekolah?" ujarnya.Sementara itu, Muhamad Akmal yang juga ADUN Merlimau turut menempelak segelintir ahli politik yang didakwa cuba mengalihkan perhatian daripada isu sebenar dengan menyatakan bahawa perkara tersebut sedang dipolitikkan."Kepada pemimpin politik yang berkata jangan politikkan perkara ini, kamu sebenarnya yang mempolitikkan isu ini."Ini bukan soal politik, tetapi soal patriotisme terhadap negara," tegasnya.

Nelayan asing ceroboh, curi hasil laut ketika cuaca buruk

Nelayan asing ceroboh, curi hasil laut ketika cuaca buruk

KUANTAN – Nelayan asing dari Vietnam dikesan semakin aktif menceroboh perairan negara untuk mencuri hasil laut di Laut China Selatan terutama ketika musim cuaca buruk.Pegawai Memerintah Kapal Maritim (KM) Langkawi, Komander Maritim Eizanizam Muhammad Eng berkata, bertugas di laut memberikan cabaran yang jauh berbeza berbanding di darat terutama apabila berdepan cuaca ekstrem dan kebergantungan kepada sistem navigasi.Menurutnya, Maritim Malaysia sering berhadapan dengan jenayah maritim yang dilakukan nelayan Vietnam yang semakin agresif."Apabila kita menghampiri mereka, mereka akan cuba memprovokasi kita."Kita perlu memiliki ilmu kelautan dan keberanian tinggi. Mereka biasanya masuk ketika musim cuaca buruk kerana menganggap kapal penguat kuasa sukar beroperasi di kawasan tertentu," katanya kepada pemberita semasa program Hari Bersama Media (HBM) anjuran Agensi Penguatkuasaan Maritim Malaysia (Maritim Malaysia) di sini, pada Isnin.Program HBM yang berlangsung selama dua hari bermula Ahad itu dirasmikan oleh Ketua Pengarah Maritim, Laksamana Maritim Datuk Mohd Rosli Abdullah.Eizanizam turut memaklumkan bahawa KM Langkawi memiliki kru wanita yang berperanan penting termasuk dalam bahagian operasi.Salah seorang daripadanya ialah Pegawai Geledah KM Langkawi, Leftenan Muda Maritim Nur Syuhada Faizah Mohammad Yazid yang ditugaskan sebagai ketua geledah dalam pemeriksaan bot, mengikut akta yang ditetapkan seperti Akta Dadah Berbahaya 1952 dan Akta Perikanan 1985.Menurut Nur Syuhada, setiap proses penggeledahan melibatkan risiko tersendiri."Antara cabaran utama ketika pemeriksaan ke atas bot nelayan asing ialah mereka akan memecut laju, menukar haluan secara tiba-tiba dan cuba melarikan diri."Apa yang kami lakukan ialah mengejar mereka sehingga berjaya dihentikan," katanya sambil mengakui bahawa sebagai pegawai wanita, ia merupakan cabaran unik apabila mengetuai kru lelaki.Wanita berusia 29 tahun itu turut menyatakan minat mendalam terhadap kerjaya dalam badan beruniform dan mahu membuktikan bahawa wanita juga mampu bertugas di laut."Tugas ini memang mencabar kerana perlu bekerjasama dan memimpin anggota lelaki. Namun sebagai pegawai, saya perlu memainkan peranan itu," ujarnya.

US to impose $15,000 visa bonds for high-overstay countries

US to impose $15,000 visa bonds for high-overstay countries

WASHINGTON : The U.S. could require bonds of up to $15,000 for some tourist and business visas under a pilot program launching in two weeks, a government notice said on Monday, an effort that aims to crack down on visitors who overstay their visas. The program gives U.S. consular officers the discretion to impose bonds on visitors from countries with high rates of visa overstays, according to a Federal Register notice. Bonds could also be applied to people coming from countries where screening and vetting information is deemed insufficient, the notice said. President Donald Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a focus of his presidency, boosting resources to secure the border and arresting people in the U.S. illegally. He issued a travel ban in June that fully or partially blocks citizens of 19 nations from entering the U.S. on national security grounds. Trump’s immigration policies have led some visitors to skip travel to the United States. Transatlantic airfares dropped to rates last seen before the COVID-19 pandemic in May and travel from Canada and Mexico to the U.S. fell by 20% year-over-year. Effective August 20, the new visa program will last for approximately a year, the government notice said. Consular officers will have three options for visa applicants subjected to the bonds: $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, but will generally be expected to require at least $10,000, it said. The funds will be returned to travelers if they depart in accordance with the terms of their visas, the notice said. A similar pilot program was launched in November 2020 during the last months of Trump’s first term in office, but it was not fully implemented due to the drop in global travel associated with the pandemic, the notice said. A State Department spokesperson listed the criteria that will be used to identify the countries that will be affected, adding that the country list may be updated. “Countries will be identified based on high overstay rates, screening and vetting deficiencies, concerns regarding acquisition of citizenship by investment without a residency requirement, and foreign policy considerations,“ the spokesperson said. The State Department was unable to estimate the number of visa applicants who could be affected by the change. Many of the countries targeted by Trump’s travel ban also have high rates of visa overstays, including Chad, Eritrea, Haiti, Myanmar and Yemen. U.S. Travel Association, which represents major tourism-related companies, estimated the “scope of the visa bond pilot program appears to be limited, with an estimated 2,000 applicants affected, most likely from only a few countries with relatively low travel volume to the United States.” Numerous countries in Africa, including Burundi, Djibouti and Togo also had high overstay rates, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data from fiscal year 2023. A provision in a sweeping spending package passed in the Republican-controlled U.S. Congress in July also created a $250 “visa integrity fee” for anyone approved for a non-immigrant visa that could potentially be reimbursable for those who comply with visa rules. The $250 fee goes into effect on October 1. U.S. Travel said that fee could hinder travel and said “if implemented, the U.S. will have one of, if not the highest, visitor visa fees in the world.” - Reuters

Kes Manchester City terlalu lama, perlu diselesaikan segera

Kes Manchester City terlalu lama, perlu diselesaikan segera

PENGERUSI Tottenham Hotspur, Daniel Levy menyifatkan siasatan terhadap dakwaan pelanggaran kewangan oleh Manchester City telah berlarutan terlalu lama dan perlu diselesaikan segera demi kepentingan bola sepak.Pada Februari 2023, Manchester City telah didakwa oleh Liga Perdana Inggeris (EPL) atas lebih 100 kes pelanggaran peraturan kewangan liga yang didakwa berlaku sejak tahun 2009.Sesi pendengaran kes terhadap kelab Etihad itu yang menafikan sebarang salah laku telah dijalankan dari September hingga Disember tahun lalu. Bagaimanapun, keputusan rasmi masih belum diumumkan dan dijangka akan diketahui selewat-lewatnya hujung tahun ini.Levy enggan mengulas secara langsung mengenai kelab lain di EPL, namun menegaskan proses siasatan tersebut sudah mengambil masa terlalu lama."Agak tidak adil untuk saya komen mengenai kelab lain dalam liga ini. Namun, proses ini sudah berjalan terlalu lama dan demi kebaikan sukan ini, ia perlu diselesaikan segera," katanya.City dimiliki oleh City Football Group (CFG), yang turut memiliki beberapa kelab lain seperti Girona (La Liga), New York City FC (MLS) serta beberapa lagi kelab di seluruh dunia. Situasi pemilikan pelbagai kelab ini menimbulkan kebimbangan Levy, yang melihat ia boleh digunakan untuk memanipulasi kawalan kewangan sedia ada dalam bola sepak.CFG pula dimiliki majoritinya oleh Abu Dhabi United Group yang diketuai oleh Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, anggota keluarga diraja Abu Dhabi dan Naib Presiden Emiriah Arab Bersatu (UAE).Mengulas mengenai penajaan berkaitan pihak-pihak tertentu, Levy menyifatkan ia antara ancaman terbesar terhadap keadilan dalam bola sepak."Itu salah satu aspek yang perlu dikawal. Saya tiada isu jika sesebuah kelab dimiliki oleh negara atau kerajaan, tetapi mereka berupaya menjalankan urusan sesama sendiri, dan itu memberikan kelebihan kompetitif yang tidak adil kepada kelab-kelab lain."Itu memang membimbangkan," ujarnya.