Tag Archives: China

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday Britain would work with the Taliban if needed after the militants capture of Afghanistan, and defended his foreign minister who has come under fire for his handling of the situation. “What I want to assure people is that our political and diplomatic efforts …

About a month ago, Afghanistan’s ministry of defense posted on social media photographs of seven brand new helicopters arriving in Kabul delivered by the United States. “They’ll continue to see a steady drumbeat of that kind of support, going forward,” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters a few days …

Iran’s supreme leader on Wednesday declared Tehran would not accept Washington’s “stubborn” demands in talks to revive a 2015 nuclear deal and said the United States had failed to guarantee that it would never abandon the pact again. “The Americans acted completely cowardly and maliciously,” state TV quoted Ayatollah Ali …

The withdrawal of the US and NATO troops from Afghanistan threatens to destabilize Central Asia – a region that has traditionally been in the Russian sphere of influence.By Nikola MikovicThere are fears in the Kremlin that the Taliban, especially its radical fractions, could spoil some of Russia’s plans in neighboring …

Kurdish authorities in Syria on Saturday slammed the UN Security Council for failing to reopen an aid crossing to the northeast despite approving deliveries through the frontier with Turkey. “We are not opposed to aid deliveries to the Syrian people … but we are opposed to double standards,” the Kurdish …

America is back. That was the message Joe Biden wanted to drive home during his first foreign foray as US president — an eight-day Europe tour in June. The soft-power offensive has been welcomed by America’s European allies after four years of turbulence in transatlantic ties. But it has also brought …

Parties negotiating a revival of the Iran nuclear deal will hold a formal meeting in Vienna on Sunday, the European Union said on Saturday. Iran and six world powers have been negotiating in Vienna since April to work out steps for Washington and Tehran to take. The United States withdrew …

US President Joe Biden did not secure a commitment from his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on Wednesday to renew a UN cross-border aid operation into Syria, a senior administration official said ahead of an expected showdown over the issue at the United Nations Security Council next month. Washington and several …

NATO leaders on Monday agreed to step up their collective defence “against all threats, from all directions,” according to their final statement. NATO said it would adapt to climate-reated security challenges, called on Russia to drop its designation of two allies – the United States and the Czech Republic – …

Microsoft Corp. on Friday blamed “accidental human error” for its Bing search engine not showing results for the query “tank man” in the United States and elsewhere after users raised concerns about possible censorship around the Tiananmen Square crackdown anniversary. Users, including in Germany and Singapore, reported Friday that when …

A Danish pension fund, which prides itself on being the world’s strictest on human rights violations, says it is considering adding Israel to a long list of countries it excludes following this month’s conflict with Palestinians. The $22 billion Akademiker looks after the pensions of Denmark’s teachers and university lecturers …

China’s UN ambassador says France is seeking a UN Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian militants who control Gaza. Zhang Jun, the current council president, confirmed that France’s UN Ambassador Nicolas De Riviere informed the council during the third round of closed consultations Tuesday on …

The United States has objected to a request by China, Norway and Tunisia for a public, virtual meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Friday to discuss the worsening violence between Israel and Palestinian militants, diplomats said. The United States, a close ally of Israel, cited diplomatic efforts as …

Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator said on Saturday Tehran expects U.S. sanctions on oil, banks and most individuals and institutions to be lifted based on agreements so far in Vienna talks, Iranian media reported, while Washington again played down the prospect of an imminent breakthrough. Russia and Western European powers meanwhile …

Negotiators trying to revive the collapsed nuclear deal with Iran are close to a draft agreement, leading envoys said on Monday. Talks are continuing in Vienna aimed at rescuing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the deal with world powers to curb Tehran’s nuclear program in return for the …

Talks on reviving the nuclear deal with Iran will pick up speed after a second round of negotiations ended in Vienna, delegates said on Saturday. China’s envoy to the talks said all participants — China, Russia, France, Britain, Germany and Iran — had agreed to accelerate work on issues including …

US President Joe Biden on Friday called Iran’s enrichment of uranium to 60 percent purity unhelpful but said he is pleased Tehran is still in indirect talks with Washington about both countries resuming compliance with the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal. Iran on Friday said it had begun enriching uranium to …

Donald Trump’s top diplomat Mike Pompeo has been hired to appear on Fox News as a “contributor,” the conservative cable news channel said Thursday. “I intend to give viewers a candid, no-nonsense look at geopolitics, international relations and the America First policies that helped chart the course for unprecedented American …

Diplomats from major powers met separately on Wednesday with Iran and the United States to discuss how to bring both back into compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal that Washington abandoned three years ago. Neither the United States nor Iran expect fast breakthroughs in the talks that began in Vienna …

Representatives of Iran and world powers will meet next Tuesday in Vienna to discuss the troubled 2015 nuclear deal, Iranian and European officials said after holding virtual talks on Friday aimed at reviving the accord. Iran, China, Russia, France, Germany and Britain – all parties to the 2015 deal – …

Emad El-Din Aysha: Dear Dr. Csicsery-Ronay Istvan. First please let me apologise for saying doctor. In Arabic countries we take such honorifics very seriously, even when speaking English. Secondly, please tell us something about yourself. Where you teach, your background? What drew you to science fiction and specifically non-Anglophone SF? …

The United States was joined by Russia, China and Pakistan on Thursday in calling on Afghanistan’s warring sides to reach an immediate ceasefire, at talks that showed Washington’s determination to win backing from regional powers for its plans. Just six weeks before a deadline for the United States to pull …

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday appointed veteran French diplomat Jean Arnault as his personal envoy on Afghanistan and regional issues. The appointment comes a day before Russia, China, the United States, Pakistan, a delegation of top Afghan officials and opposition leaders and Taliban negotiators meet in Moscow in …

Egypt is racing to prepare a grandiose new capital city in the desert east of Cairo before the first civil servants move in this summer and ahead of the delayed official opening of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s flagship project. At the heart of the city, workers are putting finishing touches …

U.S. President Joe Biden said in an interview broadcast on Wednesday that it will be “tough” for him to meet a May 1 deadline to withdraw the last troops from Afghanistan, ending America’s longest war. Biden’s comments to ABC News were his most extensive to date about the deadline set …

International deliveries of arms were flat in the period 2016-2020, ending more than a decade of increases, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in a report on Monday. The United States, France and Germany – three of the world’s biggest exporters – increased deliveries, but falls in exports …

The US Department of Commerce is preparing to tax aluminum sheet exporters from 18 countries after determining Tuesday they had benefited from subsidies and dumping. The US International Trade Commission (ITC), an independent body, must approve the final decision by April 15 to impose anti-dumping or countervailing duties, a department …

Lawyers representing survivors of a chemical weapons attack in 2013 in Syria have filed a criminal complaint against Syrian officials whom they blame for the deaths of hundreds of civilians in a rebel-held area. France is home to thousands of Syrian refugees, and its investigating judges have a mandate to …

Uzbekistan’s economic freedom score is 57.2, making its economy the 114th freest in the 2020 Index. Its overall score has increased by 3.9 points due to higher scores for investment freedom, financial freedom, and property rights. Uzbekistan is ranked 26th among 42 countries in the Asia–Pacific region, and its overall …

Iran on Sunday ruled out holding an informal meeting with the United States and other major powers to discuss ways to salvage the unravelling 2015 nuclear deal, insisting Washington must first lift all its unilateral sanctions. “Considering the recent actions and statements by the United States and three European powers, …

Social media is inundated with offensive content, including hate, anger, personal attacks and, of course, exaggerated and false claims. Much of it is driven by angry political hyperbole and partisan attacks. It can be nauseating. But every once in a while you come across a social media account that is …

U.S. President Joe Biden made a long-awaited first phone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday after a delay that had seen Washington deny it was snubbing Israel’s leader. There had been speculation that the Democratic president was signaling displeasure over Netanyahu’s close ties with former President Donald …

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday “the path to diplomacy is open right now” with Iran over its 2015 nuclear deal but would not address whether the Biden administration has had any direct engagement with Iranian officials. “The path to diplomacy is open right now. Iran is …

Protesters opposed to Myanmar’s military coup blocked train services between Yangon and a southern city on Tuesday, hours after a U.N. envoy warned the army of “severe consequences” for any harsh response to the pro-democracy demonstrations. Despite the deployment of armoured vehicles and soldiers in some major cities on the …

U.N. rights experts urged 57 states on Monday to repatriate nearly 10,000 of their citizens – women and children associated with Islamic State fighters – held in camps in northeast Syria in “sub-human” conditions without legal process. Under international law, these states have a duty to repatriate their citizens and, …

UN inspectors have unearthed fresh evidence that Iran had undertaken work on nuclear weapons without declaring such activities, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. “Samples taken from two sites during inspections in the fall by the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) contained traces of radioactive material,” the report …

US President Joe Biden on a call with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison discussed how they can work together to address global and regional challenges, including dealing with China. They also talked about beating the COVID-19 pandemic, combating climate change and working together to hold those responsible for the coup …

The U.S. State Department reacted coolly on Tuesday to an Iranian suggestion that Washington and Tehran take synchronized steps to return to the Iran nuclear deal, though a U.S. official said the stance should not be seen as a rejection. On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had said …

The Arab Parliament condemned Kosovo’s decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem, which recognized the disputed holy city as the capital of Israel, Jordan’s state agency Petra reported. The organization urged Kosovo on Tuesday to change their mind about the location of the embassy and to abide by international resolutions …

Indonesia said its coast guard seized the Iranian-flagged MT Horse and the Panamanian-flagged MT Freya vessels over suspected illegal oil transfer in the country’s waters on Sunday. Coast guard spokesman Wisnu Pramandita said the tankers, seized in waters off Kalimantan province, have been escorted to Batam island in Riau Island …

A series of phishing messages about the newly released coronavirus vaccine has cybersecurity experts cautioning Saudi citizens to take increased care when it comes to their private data. The messages, which appear to come from official government email addresses, use the Health Ministry COVID-19 vaccine center registration as a hook …

More must be done by the international community to come to the aid of the Rohingya people and more pressure must be put on Myanmar to reform its behavior, experts said on Friday. Dr. Azeem Ibrahim and Prof. Michael Charney, speaking at a webinar hosted by the Arab News Research …

The Trump administration plans to tighten sanctions on Tehran during its final months in power, the top U.S. envoy on Iran said on Wednesday, as he urged President-elect Joe Biden to use the leverage to press for a deal that reduces the regional and nuclear threats posed by the Islamic …

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Sunday his government will give provisional provincial status to part of Kashmir, drawing condemnation from India, which has long objected to any such changes by Islamabad. Khan’s proposal would apply to Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan’s only land link to China, which is the northern part …