United Nations, July 28 (IANS) Washington and Paris have clashed over the reelection of Volker Turk as the UN human Rights chief, and it boiled over in the Security Council with the US staging a dramatic walkout when France began to speak.Dan Negrea, a senior US diplomat, accused France of “disingenuous grandstanding” on human rights after he walked out on Monday as France’s Permanent Representative Jerome Bonnafont began speaking during a discussion Ukraine.The public spat between the two…
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Washington, July 28 (IANS) A Republican senator has called for greater scrutiny of Chinese investment in American universities, warning that undisclosed financial ties with sanctioned entities could undermine US innovation and national security.Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas made the request in a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Monday. He said millions of dollars in transactions involving Chinese entities may not have been reported because they fell below the federal disclosure th…
Washington, July 28 (IANS) The next round of US-led talks between Israel and Lebanon will be held in Rome from August 4 to 6, with technical teams seeking to advance a framework for an eventual peace and security agreement, the State Department said.The discussions will focus on expanding a pilot zone in southern Lebanon, settling outstanding border disputes and moving towards full implementation of the framework agreement signed by the two countries last month.“We are entering these discussio…
Washington, July 28 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has said Iranian funds controlled by Washington will be used to compensate for damage caused to ships in the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict.Trump made the announcement while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday. He rejected the suggestion that the United States would use its own funds to reimburse shipping companies.“No. No. We’re going to use Iran’s money to pay for the damage they did,” Trump said when asked whether…
Washington, July 27 (IANS) US President Donald Trump on Monday strongly defended Turkey as a key American ally and signalled that he would not allow objections from Israel or other countries to dictate US decisions on arms sales, including the possible sale of F-35 fighter jets to Ankara.Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Michigan, Trump was asked whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposed the sale of F-35 stealth fighters to Turkey and whether the issue would …
Tel Aviv, July 25 (IANS) Pakistan is not governed solely by its elected cabinet – a “cohort of the extended Sharif family” – but by a hybrid political system in which the military remains the ultimate arbiter of national security and a powerful force in civilian politics, a report has stated. The current civilian government continues to face a significant legitimacy crisis amid concerns over restrictions surrounding the 2024 General Elections, the imprisonment and political exclusion of form…
Seoul, July 24 (IANS) The South Korean government said on Friday that the United States has reaffirmed its commitment to honouring the existing Seoul-Washington tariff agreement regarding newly announced Section 301 tariffs on trading partners.”We have requested that the U.S. side comply with the Korea-U.S. trade agreement,” said the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources in a statement, referring to the tariff agreement reached last year that set reciprocal tariffs on South Korean goods at 1…
Ottawa, July 24 (IANS) Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that his government will do “whatever it takes” to defend national interests in response to recent US tariff threats, local media reported.Carney made the remarks on Thursday at a meeting of provincial and territorial leaders in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, stressing that Canada will protect and support its workers, farmers, businesses and families amid trade pressure from Washington, Xinhua news agency reported.”We are in a…
Washington, July 24 (IANS) US forces launched another round of strikes against Iranian military targets on Thursday evening (local time), marking the 13th consecutive night of attacks, said the US Central Command.The strikes began at 6:45 p.m. Eastern Time and were intended “to hold Iran accountable and diminish threats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to commercial shipping,” the command said in a post on X.US forces have redirected 12 commercial vessels and disabled one from entering…
Manila, July 23 (IANS) South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has called for faster progress in discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on security issues, including Seoul’s efforts to develop nuclear-powered submarines and secure rights for uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing, a senior Seoul official said Thursday.Cho conveyed the message during brief pull-aside talks with Rubio held before and after their trilateral meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Mot…