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Judge rules against former Rocky Mount police officers charged in Capitol riots | Local News
A federal judge has dismissed arguments by two former Rocky Mount police officers that their social media comments were wrongly used to link them to the Capitol Hill insurgency. Thomas “TJ” Robertson and Jacob Fracker had argued that their dissatisfaction with the results of the 2020 presidential election, which they expressed in strong terms on …
What happened on the fourth day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine?
The Metropolitan Opera said on Sunday it would no longer engage with artists or other institutions that have expressed support for Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, becoming the latest cultural organization to seek to distance itself from certain Russian artists in the midst of Mr. Putin’s invasion. Ukraine. Peter Gelb, chief executive of the Met, …
Relations with Russia could harm thousands of European companies
PARIS — French energy companies operating in the Russian Arctic Sea. Italian luxury shops near Red Square. German car factories in southern Russia. As the United States and the European Union apply sanctions to penalize Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, European companies are preparing for the possibility that the punishment aimed at Moscow could …
The war in Ukraine forces Israel into a delicate balancing act
TEL AVIV — On the day Russia invaded Ukraine, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett did not mention Russia once. Bennett said he prayed for peace, called for dialogue and pledged support for Ukrainian citizens. But he did not allude to Moscow’s involvement, let alone condemn it – and it was, as expected, left to Mr …
Canada, US and EU cut some Russian banks from target central bank SWIFT – Reuters
By Saleha Mohsin, Annmarie Hordern and Alberto Nardelli Bloomberg News Western nations have agreed to trigger new sanctions to further isolate Russia’s economy and financial system after initial sanctions failed to persuade President Vladimir Putin to withdraw from Ukraine. The decision by Western countries to exclude some Russian banks from the SWIFT messaging system, used …
Petrochemical company in southern Iran comes under armed attack
A petrochemical company in southern Iran was reportedly attacked by gunmen, starting a large fire that burned nearly a dozen vehicles. According to ISNAthe incident happened at the petrochemical company Rahavaran Fonoun – owned by the Persian Gulf Petrochemical Industries Corporation, aka Persian Gulf Holding – in the port city of Mahshahr, Khuzestan province, early …
Iranian activist disappears after criticizing bill online
Family members claim Iranian activist disappeared after criticizing bill proposed by hardliners to implement highly restrictive internet policies ByThe Associated Press February 26, 2022, 1:13 p.m. • 3 minute read Share on FacebookShare on TwitterEmail this article DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — An Iranian activist has disappeared after criticizing a radical bill aimed at implementing …
Iran’s position on the war in Ukraine explained
The reactions to the war in Ukraine in the region are revealing. Several countries in the region considered to be allies of the United States have taken positions that reveal fractures between the United States and its allies in the region. Israel, the most important ally of the United States in the region, reluctantly condemned …
Over 5 million children worldwide have lost a parent to Covid-19: study – News
Two out of three orphaned children are teenagers between the ages of 10 and 17 Reuters file for information only By Prasun Sonwalkar Published: Fri 25 Feb 2022, 10:13 According to a new study that includes India, Iran and 18 other countries, the number of children believed to have experienced the death of a parent …
Potential for Iran nuclear deal keeps oil rally in check
Oil hit highs above $100 a barrel on Thursday, but stabilized well below the day’s peak as growing prospects of an Iranian nuclear deal that would allow more oil into the global market helped dampen the rally sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The biggest downside risk to prices is “more talk than an Iran …
Central European NATO members condemn Russia’s attack on Ukraine
Moscow’s dreaded attack on Ukraine began early on February 24, with missiles fired at airports and military infrastructure in at least seven cities after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a “special” operation to ” demilitarize” his neighbor and rival. Explosions, gunshots and sirens were reported in the capital, Kiev, and its Boryspil airport, with witnesses …
Lebanon thwarts three suicide attacks by ‘terrorist network’, interior minister says – News
Mawlawi said the network was affiliated with the Daesh group By Reuters Published: Wed 23 Feb 2022, 14:08 Last update: Wed 23 Feb 2022, 14:40 Lebanese security forces foiled plans by Daesh-linked militants to carry out three suicide attacks in the southern suburbs of Beirut, the interior minister said on Wednesday. Plans for the attacks …
Joe Biden: Top Republican Blasts POTUS Over Russian-Ukrainian Tensions – ‘China Is Watching!’ | World | News
Joe Biden ignores questions after statement on Russia Joe Biden, 79, has come under fire from a former GOP governor after the 46th president announced the United States would impose sanctions on Russia. The POTUS decision to introduce sanctions came just a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin, 69, said Moscow had recognized two regions …
Palestinian boy killed by Israeli gunfire after alleged attack
ANKARA: A plan by Turkey to limit the number of foreigners living in individual neighborhoods has raised fears of rising anti-immigrant sentiment in a society where anger towards refugees is already high amid growing economic hardship. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said last week that Turkey would apply a 25% quota for foreigners in each district. …
Russia-Ukraine: As clouds of war loom, India seeks to balance ties with US and Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his Defense Ministry to send peacekeepers to the region to protect it from a possible Ukrainian attack. Russia has recognized the “sovereignty” of Luhansk and Donetsk. These two regions had declared their independence from Ukraine in 2014. Russia insisted on the implementation of the Minsk agreement which guaranteed autonomy …
Human rights group calls for release of LGBTI siblings from Chechen detention center
WASHINGTON — The chances of a meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Russia’s Vladimir Putin were cast in doubt on February 21 after the Kremlin said talk of such a summit was “premature,” but the top diplomat Russian later said he would go to France to prepare for it. Meanwhile, Western leaders – while …
“Significant progress” seen in nuclear talks in Vienna
Separately, Iran’s top security official, Ali Shamkhani, said talks with European negotiators were ongoing and would continue as long as negotiations with the United States were not on the agenda as they would not be the source of “any breakthrough”. Indirect talks between Tehran and Washington have been held in Vienna since April amid fears …
US Embassy warns of ‘bomb threats’ in Russia, urges Americans to ‘have evacuation plans’
On February 19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy joined calls from Western leaders for Russia to defuse rising tensions with at least 150,000 Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders, fueling fears of an imminent invasion. Zelenskiy told the annual Munich security conference that Ukraine would defend its territory with its partners or without. His comments came after …
Iran nuclear talks at ‘moment of truth’, says German Chancellor
On February 19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy joined calls from Western leaders for Russia to defuse rising tensions with at least 150,000 Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders, fueling fears of an imminent invasion. Zelenskiy told the annual Munich security conference that Ukraine would defend its territory with its partners or without. His comments came after …
Violence in Darfur lays bare deepening crisis
LONDON: The Lebanese health system is in a precarious state following successive waves of political and economic crisis. As the country reels from shortages of medical supplies, increases in COVID-19 cases and an exodus of skilled medical professionals, the urgency of the sector’s need for external assistance is no longer a subject of debate. In …
Covid News: NYC Anime Convention Wasn’t an Omicron Superspreader Event, CDC Study Finds
Threes Brewing is a popular brewery with multiple locations, including one in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn.Credit…Aaron Zebrook for The New York Times The CEO and co-founder of a popular brewery in Brooklyn was criticized this week for describing coronavirus vaccine mandates as a ‘crime against humanity’ and drawing comparisons to the Jim Crow South …
Dialogue is the right way forward, says Pakistan
Prime Minister Imran Khan. — AFP/File “We continue to follow developments in Ukraine. I think dialogue is the right way forward,” said the FO spokesperson. Asim Iftikhar said preparations for Prime Minister Imran’s visit to Moscow were underway and more details would be shared later. Said FO remains in close contact with the Pakistani community, …
Promise of Turkey-UAE rapprochement for the Middle East
The end of the Cold War disrupted the international order, eventually resulting in a multipolar international politics. In this fluctuating balance of power, traditional alliances have crumbled and been replaced by novel but ephemeral alliances. While many states temporarily cooperate with others on foreign and security policy, new regional initiatives follow one another. While the …
Accelerated deal, France warns Iran as Khamenei orders nuclear progress
ANKARA: Iran has stepped up its long-running cyber campaign against Turkey through state-sponsored hackers, who have been targeting prominent government and private websites in the country since November 2021. Experts believe the enhanced cyberattack is a backlash against Turkey’s attempts to normalize relations with countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Israel. …
Russia’s attack on Ukraine is imminent, in our view; Oil slides 2% as talks with Iran offset Ukraine crisis
Live updates from the Russia-Ukraine conflict: Tensions between the US-led West and Vladimir Putin-led Russia persist despite Moscow’s announcement on Thursday of a further withdrawal of military forces from the Crimean Peninsula, even as Washington and its allies see with skepticism the request for troop withdrawal. State television showed columns of military equipment crossing a …
Pragmatism changes the dialogue in the Middle East
The drums of war are sounding in Europe, but there seems to be a modest surge of pragmatism across the Middle East, the arena of at least one war a decade since the defeat of fascism in World War II. Of course, the fighting continues in the civil war in Syria, the disastrous conflict in …
At the edge of a Polish forest, where some of Putin’s darkest fears lurk
REDZIKOWO, Poland – Tomasz Czescik, a Polish archaeologist and television journalist, walks his dog every morning in a forest near his home here on NATO’s eastern flank, wandering along a green chain-link fence topped with barbed wire . He’s enjoying the fresh air and the morning calm – until loudspeakers on the other side of …
Arab coalition kills dozens of Houthis in airstrikes in Yemen
Sana’a: The Arab coalition in Yemen, led by Saudi Arabia, said on Tuesday it had launched 12 strikes on Houthi positions in northwestern Hajjah governorate in the past 24 hours. He said that as a result, eight military vehicles were destroyed and dozens of Houthis were killed, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. The coalition …
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Oil pulls back from 7-year high as Russia says it is withdrawing some troops
Crude oil storage tanks are seen from above at the Cushing Petroleum Center in Cushing, Oklahoma March 24, 2016. REUTERS/Nick Oxford Join now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Ukraine and Britain react cautiously to Russian decision Russia and Iran note progress in reviving Iran nuclear deal API data shows US crude, fuel stocks …
Israel pressures Biden to list Houthi terror group, at UAE’s request
WASHINGTON — Israel pressured the Biden administration to designate Yemen’s Houthi rebels as a terrorist group, at the request of the United Arab Emirates, two officials familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel. The Iran-backed Houthis have been blamed for a series of drone and missile attacks against the United Arab Emirates and …
The Russian-Ukrainian crisis is a “dangerous moment for the world”, warns Truss | Russia
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has warned of a “dangerous moment for the world” as the “very likely” prospect of a Russian invasion of Ukraine could embolden other countries like Iran and China to expand their ambitions. Speaking on Sky News, Truss said “we could be on the brink of war in Europe, which would …
Iran says nuclear deal ‘within reach’ but sanctions really must be lifted – Reuters
Iranian President Tells Irish Minister Iranian People’s Rights Must Be Respected in Vienna Negotiations Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian (right) and his Irish counterpart Simon Coveney before their meeting in Tehran. —AP By AFP Published: Mon 14 Feb 2022, 20:35 Iran said on Monday that a deal to reinstate the 2015 nuclear deal was “within …
Fire breaks out at Iranian military base, latest in series of incidents
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – A fire has broken out at a military base in western Iran, state-linked media reported on Monday, the latest in a series of fires and other incidents. affecting the country’s infrastructure in recent months. The fire broke out at a warehouse full of motor oil and flammable materials at a …
Iran’s Interior Minister arrives today
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will raise issue of use of Iranian soil by terrorists active in Balochistan and involved in attacking security facilities and killing personnel when Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Wahidi is here today (Monday). According to well-placed sources, the Iranian minister during his first visit would have talks with senior officials and explain his country’s …
How Saudi Arabia pushed Iraq into Iran’s arms
Editor’s note: The United States has long struggled to separate Baghdad from Tehran, trying to orient Iraq more towards moderate states in the Arab world. Katherine Harvey, the author of “A self-fulfilling prophecy: the Saudi struggle for Iraqasserts that US efforts have failed in part because of Saudi Arabia’s counterproductive policies. Riyadh, she argues, has …
Romina, Mona and helpless women under Iranian tyranny
Across Iran, “honor killings” of young women are an all too common phenomenon and regularly make headlines these days. In a recent report from February 5, in the southwestern province of Khuzestan, a young man was seen in Kassaei Square in Ahvaz carrying the head of a young woman who had been beheaded. Onlookers, including …
Reviews | The West should no longer underestimate Putin
The White House issued its most stern warning yet about the threat to Ukraine on Friday, saying Moscow could invade any day. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stressed there was no way to predict what Russian President Vladimir Putin might do – but history shows we should not underestimate Mr. Putin to violate the sovereignty …
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Oil soars 3% to 7-year highs on Ukraine jitters and tight supplies
Crude oil storage tanks are seen from above at the Cushing Petroleum Center in Cushing, Oklahoma March 24, 2016. Picture taken March 24, 2016. REUTERS/Nick Oxford Join now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Washington warns of imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine Britain’s Johnson tells allies he fears for Europe’s security Saudi Arabia and …
How the situation in Ukraine could impact Israel’s strategies for Syria and Iran
An explosion in Quneitra on the Syrian side of the Israeli-Syrian border is seen from Israel’s Golan Heights on July 22, 2018. (Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images) TEL AVIV: As in the rest of the world, the Israeli defense establishment is closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine and working hard to understand what a potential conflict between …
Oil prices slide on burning US inflation worries set for weekly decline
By Emily Chow BEIJING (Reuters) – Oil prices fell on Friday as high U.S. inflation stoked concerns about aggressive interest rate hikes and investors await the outcome of U.S.-Iranian talks that could lead to a hike in world crude oil supply. Brent crude futures fell 25 cents, or 0.3%, to $91.16 a barrel at 0345 …
Reconciliation between Baghdad and Erbil key to Iraqi counterterrorism efforts — INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS REVIEW
On December 9, 2017, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi declared victory over the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The US-led Coalition Against ISIS, together with the ground military campaigns of the Kurdish Peshmerga and the Iran-backed Shia Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) militias, reclaimed Iraqi territory and pushed the Islamic State underground. These military …
Leaders must untie the “knot of war” in Europe
The Euro-Atlantic region is on the brink of the biggest conflict in generations, with a Russian military buildup threatening on Ukraine’s borders and Ukraine and NATO beefing up their defenses in response. With Russian requirements seen as unrealistic by NATO, and NATO’s responses labeled as inadequate by Moscow, leaders are now – as President Nikita …
Iranian Money Launderer and Former Fugitive Sent to US Jail | USAO-SDTX
LAREDO, Texas – A 51-year-old man who resided in Iran and Laredo was sentenced to prison following his conviction for conspiracy to launder money in a scheme known as “Black Market Peso Exchange (BMPE),” the US Attorney announced. Jennifer B. Lowery. Mohsen Mohammadi-Mohammadi pleaded guilty on December 1, 2021. Today, US District Judge Marina Garcia …
The Biden administration thinks it has until the end of the month to salvage the Iran nuclear deal
“This session is crucial,” a senior administration official said, referring to the high-level talks that have resumed in Vienna. “We are really in the very last straight line.” “Nothing with Iran is ever a straight line, but we are coming to a watershed moment,” a second administration official said. The deal, which was scrapped by …
Kurilla, CENTCOM nominee: Iran is the biggest ‘destabilizing factor’ in the Middle East
Lt. Gen. Michael Kurilla, commander of XVIII Airborne Corps, delivers remarks during the change of command of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) on March 5, 2021. US Army Photo Iran is “the number one destabilizing factor” in the 21-nation region covered by US Central Command, the commanding candidate said on Tuesday. Army Lt. Gen. …
Iran Leader Orders ‘Jihad of Vindication’, Hybrid War Against Enemies
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has called for a greater effort to counter criticism and attacks on the Islamic Republic using “hybrid warfare”. The multiple crises facing the Iranian regime over the past four years have damaged its image domestically, as it has had to deal with US sanctions, a reinvigorated opposition and regional enemies. …
Israel to Investigate Whether Spyware Is Used Illegally in Israel | world news
Israel will investigate allegations that police illegally used local spyware that gained notoriety abroad against its own citizens. The government will form a committee to examine a series of reports from Calcalist, a Hebrew-language business daily, that law enforcement officials used NSO Group’s Pegasus software without a court order to gain access to citizens’ phones …
CENTCOM: Iran wants nuclear deal and retain ballistic missile capability
Iran’s Khalij Fars single-stage ballistic missile Iran “wants some type of deal” on its nuclear program as a way to lift sanctions on the regime, but Tehran sees its ballistic missile arsenal “as their crown jewels” not to be negotiated, the official said. senior US commander in the Middle East. Thusday. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, head …
Amid India-Iran balance, is postponed visit good news?
One plausibility is that Iran no longer has the influence it had over the Houthis and does not currently control the narrative. But that still doesn’t explain why Iran-backed Iraqi militias should now target the Saudis. It is therefore also entirely possible that, even if on the one hand Iran engages in talks with its …
Embargo: countries left behind
In this file photo taken May 1, 1998, a worker holds up a sign condemning the US economic embargo against the communist nation during the traditional Labor Day parade in downtown Havana. AFP PARIS — Cuba, living under a US embargo for six decades, is one of many countries to have been targeted by sanctions …
Xi meets Polish, Pakistani leaders of Olympic diplomacy
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Polish and Pakistani leaders on Sunday in a whirlwind of diplomacy on the sidelines of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Xi told President Andrzej Duda that China was seeking to further improve its relations with Poland, whose warm relations with Beijing have not gone down well with the main rival, …
India News | Iran and Turkey protest as India pushes young girls to wear hijab: BJP’s Amit Malviya
New Delhi [India]Feb. 5 (ANI): Amid Karnataka’s hijab row, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Malviya said on Saturday that a campaign was being waged against the hijab in Iran and Turkey while in India, we push young Muslim girls behind the hijab. “In 2018, in a similar case, the Kerala High Court held that …
Help from the Pakistani Taliban? What’s behind the ‘unprecedented’ attacks by the Baloch Liberation Army
New Delhi: Within a week, the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) struck Pakistani security forces twice in Balochistan – in Panjgur and Noshki districts on Wednesday and at a checkpoint in Kech on January 25. The BLA has led an insurgency since 2000 and has been classified as a terrorist group by Pakistan, the United …
Iran’s influence in Latin America is a dangerous reminder for regional leaders | Sharon Nazaryan
On January 10, 2022, Mohsen Rezaei, Iranian Vice President for Economic Affairs, attended the inauguration autocratic Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega as guest of honour. Rezaei is a wanted man on an Argentine arrest warrant for involvement in the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people. With strong …
Iraqi militia attack on United Arab Emirates is a ‘message from Iran’ | Conflict News
The drone attack by a little-known armed group in Iraq against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this week has raised questions about Baghdad’s involvement in regional tensions between Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and the Saudi-led coalition. Alwiyat al-Waad al-Haq (AWH), or the True Promise Brigades, claimed responsibility for the strike against the United Arab …
Richard Ratcliffe on campaigning for the safe return of his wife Nazanin from Iran
Richard Ratcliffe speaking at the Cambridge UnionElizabeth Styles “More and more, my point of view is quite simple: it is a game of chess between two states. We see part of it – part we don’t see – but it’s not personal. This is Richard Ratcliffe’s take on the nearly 6-year detention of his wife …
New Vulnerabilities for Iraq’s Resilient Popular Mobilization Forces
Once enjoying near-unrivaled power, widespread national legitimacy and an aura of untouchability, Iraq’s paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) are on a downward trajectory. The PMF is still resilient and retains considerable formal and informal coercive and economic power. However, in 2022 it will face growing challenges to its legitimacy, structure and influence. These stem from …
New naval militia unit ‘increases export of terrorism throughout Iran’s region’
WASHINGTON, DC: The Iranian opposition group that exposed Iran’s secret nuclear enrichment facilities in 2002 has released new information about the leadership structure of the Quds Force Naval Command and the facilities it uses to train and arm Iran’s terrorist proxies in the Middle East. The Quds Force is the arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary …
Baloch separatists attack Pakistani army bases
Islamabad— Pakistan’s military said on Wednesday that “terrorists” attacked two of its bases in the southwestern province of Balochistan, killing at least one soldier and four assailants in the ensuing firefights. A separatist militant group, known as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), took responsibility for organizing the coordinated late-night raids on the camps of the …
World News | Iran reports 38,160 daily COVID-19 cases, 6,446,404 in total
Tehran [Iran]Feb. 2 (ANI/ Xinhua): Iran’s Health Ministry on Wednesday reported 38,160 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 6,446,404. The pandemic has also claimed 59 lives in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll from the virus to 132,563, the ministry said. Read also | Embattled …
INSIGHT-Islamic State strikes back, aided by power vacuum in Iraq and Syria
* Security forces jostle for control in parts of Iraq and Syria * Rivalries undermine security and play into activists’ hands * The Islamic State launches a series of major attacks, including on the prison * Armed forces in the region say the group will no longer be a major threat * Residents fear it …
Israeli PM to accelerate deployment of lasers for missile defense
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel’s prime minister admitted on Tuesday that its Iron Dome defense system was too expensive and that the country is accelerating the deployment of laser technology to help protect it from rocket attacks. Naftali Bennett told a security conference that the next generation of technology — a “laser wall” — will …