live Leaders in Bishkek for SCO summit attend World Nomad Games opening ceremony
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have concluded talks in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, as leade...
The European Union is considering lifting certain sanctions in Syria to improve humanitarian aid delivery and support recovery efforts, following the U.S.'s recent sanctions exemptions to ease assistance after Bashar al-Assad's rule.
European Union sanctions in Syria that impact humanitarian aid delivery and hinder recovery efforts could soon be lifted, France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Wednesday.
Speaking to France Inter radio, Barrot suggested that the EU may follow the United States, which recently issued a six-month sanctions exemption to ease humanitarian assistance after the end of Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
"There are other (sanctions), which today hinder access to humanitarian aid, which hinder the recovery of the country. These could be lifted quickly," Barrot said. He also indicated that lifting broader political sanctions would depend on Syria’s leadership during the transition period.
Three European diplomats, speaking anonymously, stated that the EU may agree on easing some sanctions ahead of a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers in Brussels on 27 January. Measures under discussion include facilitating financial transactions, improving air transport, and lessening energy-related sanctions to boost power supplies.
Syria currently experiences severe power shortages, with electricity available for only two to three hours daily. The caretaker government plans to increase this to eight hours within two months.
The U.S. waivers, effective until 7 July, allow limited energy transactions and personal remittances but do not remove existing sanctions.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have concluded talks in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, as leaders gather for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
Iran has reached an understanding with Oman on transit arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz, but the waterway will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils its commitments, a senior Iranian diplomat said on Saturday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused U.S. government and Israel-aligned actors of manipulating energy markets to promote the war with Iran.
Russian strikes on the Kyiv region overnight killed 37 people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. Zelenskyy added that the Ukrainian capital was under "virtually nonstop attack" from drones.
U.S. forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, with Tehran responding by launching ballistic missiles at two U.S. bases in Jordan in the first direct U.S.-Iran military escalation in weeks.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that Tehran is not pursuing a military conflict but promised a strong response to 'aggressors' while the Army and Revolutionary Guards said they carried out retaliatory attacks against U.S. bases in the region on Monday.
Kyrgyzstan is hosting the sixth World Nomad Games, bringing together thousands of athletes from around the world for a celebration of traditional sports, cultural heritage and nomadic traditions.
Pakistan is set to take over the rotating chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation after the bloc’s leaders meet in Bishkek. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived on Friday to attend the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting and SCO Plus Summit, which run until 2 September.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the actions of Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Qusra, saying security operations should be handled only by state institutions, including the army and police.
Rescue teams in Nepal, supported by Chinese and Indian experts, worked through the night to reach hundreds of people believed to be trapped inside blocked hydropower project tunnels following last week’s catastrophic Himalayan flood.
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