Joe Biden ‘personally trying to move things along’ in Harry Dunn case, says PM

Published

3 years ago

September 21, 2021

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Boris Johnson has hailed “real progress” on US-UK trade – despite his earlier refusal to commit to securing a free trade deal between the two countries by the time of the next general election.

Speaking as he met US Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington DC, the prime minister spoke of British and American collaboration on issues such as climate change and Afghanistan.

Mr Johnson said it was a “great honour and privilege” to meet Ms Harris for the first time, adding: “I’ve heard a lot about you but it’s fantastic to be here.

“And I want to thank the US government, your government, for the many ways in which we are co-operating now I think at a higher and more intense level than at any time I can remember.”

Stood at a podium alongside Ms Harris in the vice-president’s office in the White House complex, Mr Johnson also praised the “brave” US military for their “amazing work” in helping with the air evacuation from Kabul, following the fall of Afghanistan to Taliban control.

“On trade we are seeing real progress,” Mr Johnson added, as he welcomed the end of a “curious ban” on imports of British beef.

However, the prime minister’s positivity came just hours after he failed to commit to securing a post-Brexit trade agreement between the US and UK by 2024.

And Mr Johnson has acknoledged this week that US President Joe Biden has “a lot of fish to fry” when it comes to prioritising negotiations on a US-UK deal.

At his meeting with Ms Harris, the prime minister also thanked the US for the “great improvement on the previous arrangement” for allowing full vaccinated Britons to visit America again.

And he welcomed the doubling of funding by the US to help developing countries respond to climate change, which had been announced by Mr Biden at the United Nations General Assembly earlier on Tuesday.

“On climate change I think that today was a really good day for the world,” Mr Johnson said,

“And I thank the US government and President Biden for the steps you’ve taken to reassure the world that America is committed to helping to tackle climate change.”

Ms Harris said it was an “honour” to welcome Mr Johnson to the White House.

“As you will discuss with the president, the relationship between our two countries is a long and enduring one, one that we value based on shared priorities and based on as we know, what is increasingly evident about partnerships and alliances around the world,” she added.

“We are indeed interconnected and interdependent in so many ways and in many ways, more than before.

“And of course we must work and continue to work together to uphold and protect democratic principles and values around the globe. And we look forward to that continuing relationship, and our relationship as partners.”

Following the pair’s talks, the prime minister was due to hold a meeting with Mr Biden later on Tuesday.

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Israel’s attack on Iran reflects badly on Biden after president’s public message for Netanyahu

Published

7 hours ago

April 20, 2024

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Israel's attack on Iran reflects badly on Biden after president's public message for Netanyahu

The overnight events do not reflect well on President Biden.

He had signalled so emphatically just days ago for Israel not to retaliate.

“Take the win,” the American president told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the early hours of Sunday morning.

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It was a message made public and combined with back-channel briefings we were getting from the White House and the State Department.

Washington’s message to the Israeli government was that the spectacular failure of the Iranian attack, combined with the diplomatic first of having the Jordanians and the Saudis defending Israel, was a victory.

“Take it, don’t retaliate,” was the message they hoped would land. Uncontrolled escalation is just too much of a risk.

But Israel has been ignoring America for a few months now. Biden has frequently found the limits of his influence over Gaza.

As this week progressed, it became clear that on this issue too Netanyahu wasn’t going to be bent by Washington, London or anywhere else.

And there were plenty who questioned the wisdom of Biden’s diplomatic directive.

Israel had just faced the biggest aerial assault in its history by a nation committed to its destruction.

“Take the win”?! Really? To many, it sounded like an astonishing appeasement of Iran.

And so, as it dawned on diplomatic visitors to Israel this week that Netanyahu and his war cabinet were going to ignore Biden and hit back, the language began to shift.

“Don’t retaliate” became “minimise escalation”.

“We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible,” UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said after meeting Netanyahu on Tuesday.

My understanding is that Western diplomats were given a heads-up by Israel that it was hitting back overnight and with some detail on the type and location of the targets.

But this past week raises questions about the Biden administration’s influence and its strategy.

Biden’s call for no retaliation was very public and echoed by allies. It was driven by the real fear of uncontrolled escalation.

But was it diplomatically smart to make the call so public? Some are asking if that didn’t just undermine Israel’s ability to reestablish deterrence.

Privately call for restraint, maybe. But why publicly?

But more than that, did the public “don’t do it” messaging just expose President Biden to failure and weakness when his directive was simply ignored by Israel?

Brace now for the next move.

Perhaps a steady de-escalation through a series of strikes on targets each less significant than the one before it – both sides saving face, both claiming deterrence.

Such is the madness of conflict.

US

Donald Trump labels hush money trial a ‘mess’ after jury selected

Published

7 hours ago

April 20, 2024

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Donald Trump labels hush money trial a 'mess' after jury selected

Donald Trump described the hush money case against him as a “mess” after the jury who will decide his fate has been selected.

Leaving the court in New York after proceedings were adjourned for the day, Trump addressed reporters, saying he was supposed to be in states like Georgia, New Hampshire and North Carolina as part of his campaign for the 2024 presidential election.

“[But instead] I’ve been here all day,” he said, labelling the trial as “unfair”.

Trump trial as it happened: Former president looks ‘bored’ in court

Trump held up a stack of news stories and editorials that he said were critical of the case while he continued railing against the trial.

“The whole thing is a mess,” he said.

It comes as all 12 jurors have been seated in the first criminal case against a former US president.

Members of the jury include a sales professional, a software engineer, an English teacher and multiple lawyers.

Sky News’ US partner network, NBC News reported there are seven men and five women on the jury.

It comes after lawyers grilled hundreds of potential jurors asking questions on everything from their hobbies and social media posts to their opinion of the former president.

More than half of a second group of prospective jurors were dismissed by Judge Juan Merchan on Thursday after most said they doubted their ability to be fair and impartial.

One juror was also dismissed after she said she “slept on it overnight” and woke up with concerns about her ability to be fair and impartial in the case.

The challenge now is to select six alternate jury members before the trial can move to opening statements, with Mr Merchan hopeful this will be completed on Friday.

Trump is accused of criminally altering business records to cover up a $130,000 (£104,200) payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, during his 2016 election campaign.

Ms Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who was paid $150,000 (£120,000), both claim to have had affairs with Trump.

His lawyers say the payment was meant to spare himself and his family embarrassment, not to help him win the election.

Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He could get up to four years in prison if convicted.

The former president faces two other criminal trials accusing him of trying to subvert his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden, and another that accuses him of mishandling classified information after he left the White House in 2021.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.

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First known test dogfight between AI and human pilot carried out, US military says

Published

7 hours ago

April 20, 2024

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First known test dogfight between AI and human pilot carried out, US military says

The world’s first known combat between a human pilot and a fighter jet controlled by AI has been carried out in California, the US military has said.

In a drill over Edwards Air Force Base, the pair of F-16 fighter jets flew at speeds of up to 1,200mph and got as close as 600 metres during aerial combat, also known as dogfighting.

One was manned, while the other jet was a modified version of the F-16, called the X-62A, or VISTA (variable in-flight simulator test aircraft).

While in flight, the AI algorithm relies on analysing historical data to make decisions for present and future situations, according to the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which carried out the test.

This process is called “machine learning”, and has for years been tested in simulators on the ground, said DARPA, a research and development agency of the US Department of Defense.

In 2020, so-called “AI agents” defeated human pilots in simulations in all five of their match-ups – but the technology needed to be run for real in the air.

Pilots were on board the X-62A in case of emergency, but they didn’t need to revert controls at any point during the test dogfight, which took place in September last year and was announced this week.

The result represents a “transformational moment in aerospace history”, DARPA said in a statement.

It did not reveal which aircraft won the dogfight.

“The potential for autonomous air-to-air combat has been imaginable for decades, but the reality has remained a distant dream up until now, said Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall.

“In 2023, the X-62A broke one of the most significant barriers in combat aviation. This is a transformational moment, all made possible by breakthrough accomplishments of the X-62A ACE team.”

Colonel James Valpiani, a commandant at the US Air Force test pilot school. said: “Dogfighting is a perfect case for the application – machine learning.

“Dogfighting is extremely dangerous. So, if machine learning can operate effectively in an environment as dangerous as air-to-air combat, it has great potential to earn the trust of humans as we look to applications that are less dangerous but equally complex.”

He added: “The X-62A is an incredible platform, not just for research and advancing the state of tests, but also for preparing the next generation of test leaders.

“When ensuring the capability in front of them is safe, efficient, effective and responsible, industry can look to the results of what the X-62A ACE team has done as a paradigm shift.

“We’ve fundamentally changed the conversation by showing this can be executed safely and responsibly.”