MOSCOW – Moscow said Tuesday Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was still ready for talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, after President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine’s two separatist regions. “Even during the most difficult moments… we say: we are ready for negotiations,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in remarks aired … Read more
BAMAKO – Mali’s ruling military junta has appeared unflinching so far in the face of economic sanctions imposed a month ago by the country’s West African neighbours, despite indications the measures are beginning to bite. In response to the junta postponing promised elections following 2020’s coup, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed … Read more
KABUL – Every day, about 300 impoverished families receive naan from a charity via bakeries in the west of Afghanistan’s capital Kabul over the past three months. “We give one naan to each member of a family every day. If a family has 10 members, they can receive 10 naan each day,” said Mohammad Sharif … Read more
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that sanctions and assets freeze crippled the banking system of Afghanistan, impeding the transfer of funds for humanitarian purposes. Read more: OIC moot to bridge gap between Taliban, int’l community on Afghan humanitarian crisis: FM In his article published in Khaleej Times, he said that the crippling of … Read more
WASHINGTON: The US Treasury hit Iran’s drone programme with sanctions on Friday, boosting pressure on Tehran ahead of the reopening of negotiations on the country’s nuclear programme. The Treasury said lethal unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have been used to attack US forces and international shipping in the Gulf region. … Read more
Pakistan has been cold-shouldered by more than two dozens of countries on the requests seeking mutual legal assistance to tackle terrorism-financing, money laundering, and cyber terrorism to meet the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATD) conditions and recommendations. Pakistan has sent more than 232 official requests to two dozen countries under its mutual assistance laws in … Read more
China has announced sanctions against 28 US officials, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. A U.S. national security spokesman called Beijing’s decision absurd and reprehensible. According to a statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, China on Wednesday announced sanctions against 28 officials associated with former US President Donald Trump, including former Secretary of … Read more
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said previously this week that France will hit back with the European Union if the US chooses to implement its trade approvals in January over recent French tax on digital services. For those unaware, the Trump administration announced back in July that it would levy additional duties of 25 … Read more
President Trump pledged to withdraw his US troops from Syria in his February 2019 State of the Union address. He declared, “Great nations do not fight endless wars.” American forces are still everywhere they were the day Trump took office as months down the line, he decided to keep about 500 troops in Syria in … Read more
The United States (US) has imposed new sanctions on experts from the Iranian Ministry of Defense and the Energy Agency. According to the details,the United States has banned dozens of energy experts and officials, including the Iranian Defense Ministry. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of the Treasury Steve Munich have imposed sanctions … Read more
United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the Trump administration would impose sanctions on senior officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for their investigations into U.S. persons. According to the details, Pompeo said the United States would designate ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and Phakiso Mochochoko, the head of the Jurisdiction, Complementarity and Cooperation Division … Read more
French President Emmanuel Macron has sternly warned Lebanese leaders of disciplinary action, including sanctions if they fail to do reforms. According to the details, Emmanuel Macron arrived in Lebanon on a two-day visit where he will attend the country’s centenary celebrations and meet with senior officials. The meetings will try to find a way out … Read more
Iran has announced a tenfold increase in the production of enriched uranium. After that, it has moved several steps backward from the nuclear deal that was made between Iran and the U.S. in 2015. The head of Iran’s atomic energy organization, Ali Akbar Salehi has informed that Iran has also prepared two new advanced centrifuges. … Read more
United States (US) Secretary of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin has warned Turkey that the Trump government has prepared a package of sanctions against Ankara. These restrictions may be enforced if needed. He said that US is satisfied with the ceasefire in Syria so far. That is why the United States has lifted the ban on … Read more
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has called a decision by the United States to sanction Iran’s foreign minister “childish” amid rising tensions between the two countries. In its latest move aimed at ratcheting up its “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran, Washington on Wednesday said it was imposing sanctions on Mohammad Javad Zarif for acting on behalf … Read more
