Category: International Conflict
Russia, China find payments workaround as US sanctions net widens, sources say
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia-China trade options have narrowed since the U.S. imposed sanctions last week on the only Russian bank branch in China, but President Vladimir Putin’s Chinese visit last month has helped ensure the two countries have payment alternatives for now, three sources said. Since Putin’s visit, specially authorised banks have been set up in border regions which allow Russian…
The US fines Middle Eastern airline Emirates $1.8 million for flights that passed too low over Iraq
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Transportation Department said Thursday that it fined Middle Eastern airline Emirates $1.8 million for flights in regions off-limits to U.S. airlines while it allowed JetBlue Airways to sell seats on the planes. The fine involves a “significant number” of flights from December 2021 to August 2022 that passed over Iraq on their way between the United…
US sends submarine to Cuba after Russian ships arrive
USS Helena, a Los Angeles-class boat, arrived on Thursday for a “routine port visit,” the US Southern Command said in a statement. “The vessel’s location and transit were previously planned,” SOUTHCOM added, noting that the Helena is “conducting its global maritime security and national defense mission.” AP described the submarine’s arrival as “a show of force” by Washington, in response…
Use of F-16s on Russian territory ‘not escalation’ – NATO chief
Donating fighter jets to Kiev will not involve members of the alliance in the conflict, Jens Stoltenberg has insisted Ukrainian strikes anywhere inside Russia using Western-donated F-16 aircraft would not be an escalation of the conflict and would not make NATO member states parties to it, according to the military bloc’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. He was asked on Thursday…
US using Ukraine conflict as pretext to impose sanctions – China
Washington is “extremely hypocritical” for arming Kiev while pushing for peace, Beijing’s foreign ministry has said. The US is using the Ukraine crisis as an opportunity to impose sanctions while continuing to pump Kiev with weapons, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Thursday. Lin made the remarks after the US State Department and Treasury Department announced a new…
At least 30 Palestinians killed, over 100 injured in Gaza in past 24 hours — ministry
CAIR, June 13. /TASS/. At least 30 Palestinians were killed and more than 100 injured as a result of Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry reported. “Over the past 24 hours, 30 people were killed and 105 wounded as a result of the Israeli aggression against the residents of the Gaza Strip,”…
US and Poland set up center to fight ‘Russian disinformation’
The Warsaw-based facility will detect “deceptive narratives” on the Ukraine conflict, the US State Department has said. The United States and Poland have launched an international group based in Warsaw to counter what they describe as Russian disinformation on the Ukraine conflict, the US State Department has announced. The Ukraine Communications Group (UCG) is designed to detect “deceptive narratives” from…
Russia promises ‘decisive response’ to ‘confrontational’ US
The envoy made the statement during an address dedicated to Russia Day, which was celebrated on Wednesday. Earlier the same day, Washington announced more restrictions on Moscow over its military operation against Ukraine. “The US administration congratulated the Russian people with the announcement of yet another sanctions package,” Antonov said. Russia will not insist on being a US partner, but…
Russian Nuclear-Powered Submarine Arrives in Cuba
A Russian nuclear-powered submarine and other naval vessels arrived in Cuba on Wednesday for a five-day visit to the island in a show of force amid spiraling U.S.-Russian tensions. The submarine Kazan, which Cuba says is not carrying nuclear weapons, was accompanied by the frigate Admiral Gorshkov, as well as an oil tanker and a salvage tug. The Kazan and…
U.S. Widens Sanctions Against Russia Over Ukraine Invasion
The United States on Wednesday announced a raft of new sanctions aimed at constraining Moscow’s ability to wage war on Ukraine while raising the stakes for foreign banks that still do business with Russia. The Treasury Department and State Department’s sanctions impacted more than 300 targets, including entities in Russia and countries like China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates….
Panama prepares to evacuate island in face of rising sea levels
On a tiny island off Panama’s Caribbean coast, about 300 families are packing their belongings in preparation for a dramatic change. Generations of Gunas who have grown up on Gardi Sugdub in a life dedicated to the sea and tourism will trade that next week for the mainland’s solid ground. They go voluntarily — sort of. The Gunas of Gardi…
US, Britain strike Houthi targets in Yemen after surge in attacks
The U.S. and Britain struck 13 Houthi targets in several locations in Yemen on Thursday in response to a recent surge in attacks by the Iran-backed militia group on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, three U.S. officials said. According to the officials, American and British fighter jets and U.S. ships hit a wide range of underground facilities, missile…
Biden allows Ukraine to use US weapons to hit targets in Russia
Joe Biden has approved Kyiv’s use of American-made weapons to strike within Russia as long as the targets relate to Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, a US official said on Thursday. The decision marks an important shift from Washington’s previous position that Ukraine should not use US weapons to strike targets in Russia — and follows growing pressure on…
What’s behind a historic, unusual U.S. military cash transfer to Canadian mines
The United States was growing desperate, months before its entry into the Second World War. It was gravely short of aluminum, and scrambling for suppliers. Its solution: turn north to Canada. American public money flooded into Quebec, building the aluminum industry that supplied raw materials for Allied planes and tanks. “I would be willing to buy aluminum from anybody,” said…
International Criminal Court prosecutor seeks arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant
Video: Reaction is pouring in from the decision by the ICC chief prosecutor to seek arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister Yoav Gallant. They’re accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity alongside three senior Hamas leaders.
US offers intelligence on Hamas leaders to Israel
The Biden administration is proposing to share critical intelligence on the whereabouts of Hamas leadership with Israel, contingent on Israel refraining from launching a full-scale military operation in Rafah, according to a report by the Washington Post. The US aims to prevent a large-scale invasion by offering sensitive information that could help Israel target Hamas leaders and uncover hidden tunnels….