Flowerbud News

Category: Foreign

  • Nuclear deal: Macron wants all parties to engage in talk

    French President Emmanuel Macron said that Iran, the United States, the remaining parties to the landmark 2015 Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as well as Persian Gulf states should engage in talks.

    “Well more than ever, I very sincerely and profoundly believe that the time has come to resume negotiations between the United States of America, Iran, the signatories of the JCPOA, and the countries of the region which are first and foremost affected by the security and stability,” Macron said in a speech at the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, PressTV reported.

    The French leader then laid out four conditions for such talks.

    “So what should be the conditions, the terms, the goals and the targets of these negotiations? First of all, the certainty that Iran never acquired developed nuclear weapons. Secondly, a solution to a crisis in Yemen.”

    “Thirdly, a regional security plan, which also incorporates the other crises of the region and security of maritime navigation. And finally, a lifting of economic sanctions. I’m not naive at all and I don’t believe in miracles. I believe that it takes courage to build peace. And that is why it’s important for the United States, Iran and the signatories of this agreement to show this courage,” Macron noted.

    Macron also held another unscheduled meeting with Rouhani on Tuesday right before the arranged meeting between the Iranian President and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

    “What is important is that if he leaves the country without meeting with President Trump, this is a lost opportunity. Because he will not come back in a few months. And President Trump will not go to Tehran so they have to meet now,” Macron said during a meeting with Rouhani and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, according to a UK press pool report.

    In recent months, Macron has taken the lead in a European effort to save the JCPOA and ease tensions between Washington and Tehran.

    In May 2018, the US president withdrew his country from the multilateral deal, and re-imposed sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

    Iran waited for a year to see if Europe can compensate for the US withdrawal; however, in May 2019 it finally decided to start scaling back its commitments under the nuclear deal.

    France has offered a credit line of $15 billion, which will guarantee the sale of Iran’s crude oil, as an incentive to bring back Iran to the JCPOA. However, the offer has yet to be finalized.

  • Key EU interior ministers seek to resolve Mediterranean rescue crisis

    Interior ministers from major European countries are to meet in the Maltese town of Vittoriosa on Monday to seek a solution to an ongoing stand-off over migrants rescued in the Mediterranean.

    The ministers are from Germany, France, Italy, Malta, Finland, and the European Commission.

    Expectations are high, with hopes that ministers can agree on the outline of a “coalition of the willing” for how rescued migrants can be distributed among EU countries, Petra Bendel, head of a council of experts from German migration foundations, told dpa.

    Italy and Malta have been at the front lines and repeatedly sought to restrict port entry for charity rescue ships that arrive at their shores carrying migrants found stranded in the waters between the North African coast and Europe.

    At the moment, migrants are often forced to remain on rescue ships for weeks at a time as EU countries haggle over who should take a share of the rescued.

    Germany and France have pushed for a more comprehensive solution.

    German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has said that the EU currently has an opportunity to reach a deal, with a new Italian government that forced former hardline interior minister Matteo Salvini into opposition.

    According to the EU border agency Frontex, nearly 6,600 people sought to cross the central Mediterranean to Europe between the start of 2019 and the end of August.

    Seehofer has said Germany is willing to take around one quarter of migrants rescued as part of a “flexible solidarity” deal that would not necessarily include all 27 members of the EU (excluding Britain).

    France is expected to offer a similar amount.

    Dimitris Avramopoulos, the EU commissioner for migration and home affairs, will also take part in the Malta meeting and on Sunday tweeted he was “hopeful” that progress could be made.

    Finland, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, will also attend.

    The key question is likely to be which harbours rescue ships should be required to dock at going forward.

    Italy is pushing for a rotation system that would include France, but Paris has rejected that approach.

    Other sticking points include how long any deal will be valid for and exactly what kinds of migrants should be distributed.

    Should the outlines of a deal be agreed, the plan is to present the agreement to all EU interior ministers at a meeting at the start of October.

    EU countries have long failed to agree on a distribution mechanism for migrants coming to Europe.

    Incoming European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has pledged to solicit ideas for a long-term deal.

  • UK parliament suspension not matter for judges – Lawyer

    (FLOWERBUDNEWS) Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend parliament is a political issue and not a matter for judges, a lawyer for the prime minister said  as he sought to persuade the British Supreme Court that the five-week shutdown was lawful.

    Johnson asked Queen Elizabeth to prorogue, or suspend, parliament from Sept. 10 until Oct. 14, prompting accusations from opponents that he wanted to silence the legislature in the run-up to Britain’s exit from the European Union on Oct. 31.

    The Supreme Court, Britain’s top judicial body, began three days of hearings on Tuesday to decide whether Johnson’s advice to the queen regarding the suspension was unlawful.

    A ruling against him would be a major embarrassment for Johnson, who has no majority in parliament, and could see lawmakers returning early, with more time to try to influence his Brexit plans.

    James Eadie, a lawyer for Johnson, told the court he would produce a written document on Thursday outlining what Johnson would do if he lost.

    Another government lawyer said on Tuesday that if Johnson lost the case, he could recall parliament earlier than planned.

  • Indians top international migrant population – UN

    (FLOWRBUDNEWS) A report released by the United Nations titled “International Migrant Stock 2019” revealed the global migrant population has reached an estimated 272 million, an increase of 51 million since 2010.

    At present, international migrants comprise 3.5 percent of the global population.

    India was the country of origin for the largest chunk of international migrants with 17.5 million persons, followed by Mexico (11.8 million), China (10.7 million), Russia (10.5 million) and Syria (8.2 million)

    The estimates on migrants are based on official national statistics on the foreign-born or foreign population, prepared by the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA).

    Europe hosts the largest number of international migrants, at 82 million; followed by North America, (59 million) – 51 million in the United States alone – the largest number in a single nation. The largest influx of foreign populations is in North Africa and Western Asia (49 million) along with sub-Saharan Africa.

    With forced displacements continuing to increase, refugees and asylum seekers account for close to a quarter of global increases.

    Although migration is global, most journeys are taking place within a limited set of countries, with the US, Germany, and Saudi Arabia making up the top three.

    “Facilitating orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people will contribute much to achieving the sustainable development goals”, said John Wilmoth, Director of the UN DESA’s Population Division.

    Mr Wilmoth said as a general observation that the contribution of migrants both in host countries and countries of origin is a major social contribution through the transmission of ideas and sending valuable remittances back to their countries of origin.

  • Pompeo says U.S. backs Saudi Arabia’s ‘Right To Defend Itself’

    (FLOWERBUDNEWS) Following a meeting with Saudi Arabia’s powerful crown prince, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States supports Riyadh’s “right to defend itself” and said Washington would not tolerate Iran’s “threatening behavior.”

    “Met with #Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman today to discuss the unprecedented attacks against Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure,” Pompeo wrote on Twitter on September 19.

    “The U.S. stands with #SaudiArabia and supports its right to defend itself. The Iranian regime’s threatening behavior will not be tolerated.”

    Pompeo’s comments and the meeting with the crown prince, known as MBS, came as tensions in the region soared to new heights following a September 14 attack on Saudi Arabia’s largest oil production complex.

    Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthi rebels had earlier said they were behind the attack.

    Washington and Riyadh have directly blamed Tehran. Saudi Arabia on September 18 put on display drone and missile fragments that it said showed the attack was “unquestionably sponsored by Iran.”

    Tehran has denied involvement and warned it would retaliate against any attack that targeted Iran as U.S. President Donald Trump said a variety of options, including war, were available as a response.

    “There are many options. There’s the ultimate option and there are options that are a lot less than that. And we’ll see,” Trump told reporters in Los Angeles. “I’m saying the ultimate option meaning go in — war.”

    Trump also said he ordered the U.S. Treasury to “substantially increase sanctions on the country of Iran!” He told reporters the unspecified economic measures would be revealed within 48 hours.

    Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the attack and discussed in a phone call the need for a united diplomatic response to the incident, the two leaders’ offices said.

    The prime minister’s office said they agreed that [Iran] must not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.”

    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, meanwhile, said experts from the UN have left for Saudi Arabia to investigate the attacks. He has condemned the attacks, calling them “a dramatic escalation” in the Persian Gulf that must be halted.

    Before arriving in Saudi Arabia, Pompeo said the attacks were an Iranian “act of war” and called the Huthi rebels’ claim of responsibility “fraudulent.”

    “We were blessed that there were no Americans killed in this attack, but any time you have an act of war of this nature, there’s always risk that that could happen,” he said.

    Pompeo said U.S. intelligence experts have “high confidence” the Huthis do not possess the weapons used in the incident.

    Riyadh is leading a coalition of Arab states fighting against the Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen.

    The latest escalation in tensions has dampened speculation of a possible meeting between Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rohani during a gathering of the UN General Assembly in New York later this month.

    Iranian state media reported on September 18 that Rohani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif may not attend the General Assembly at all unless U.S. visas are issued in the next few hours.

    Trump later said that if it were up to him, he would give the two Iranian leaders U.S. visas to attend the UN event.

    The United States is required as host country to issue the visas. The State Department said it does not comment on individual cases.

  • Johnson says #Brexit deal emerging

    Britain’s Boris Johnson said that a Brexit deal was beginning to emerge, but the EU said he offered nothing to break the impasse during a visit to Luxembourg where he was harangued loudly by protesters and rebuked for trying to shift the blame,

    Don’t make the EU the bad guy,” Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said after a meeting with Johnson, describing the uncertainty over the timing and conditions of Britain’s exit from the European Union as a “nightmare”.

    The British prime minister joined European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker for lunch at the Bouquet Garni restaurant, an 18th-century building of bare stone walls and low ceilings in the medieval heart of Luxembourg.

  • Hong Kong Reopens After Weekend Of Clashes, Protests

    Hong Kong’s businesses and metro stations reopened as usual on Monday after a chaotic Sunday when police fired water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters, who blocked roads and threw petrol bombs outside government headquarters.

    On Sunday what began as a mostly peaceful protest earlier in the day spiraled into violence in some of the Chinese territory’s busiest shopping and tourist districts.

    Thousands of anti-government protesters, many clad in black masks, caps and shades to obscure their identity, raced through the streets, engaging in cat-and-mouse tactics with police.

    Also setting street fires and blocking roads in the heart of Hong Kong where many key business districts are located.

    The demonstrations are the latest in nearly four months of sometimes violent protests.

    Protesters are furious over what they see as creeping interference by Beijing in Hong Kong’s affairs in spite promises by Beijing to grant the city wide-ranging autonomy and freedoms denied in mainland China.

    Dozens of university students rallied peacefully on Monday afternoon urging authorities to listen to public demands.

    Dressed in black, some of them donning face masks, students sang “Glory to Hong Kong” a song that has become a rallying cry for more democratic freedoms in the semi-autonomous Chinese hub.

    At Baptist University hundreds of students also marched to demand the university’s management offer support to a student reporter arrested on Sunday.

    The initial trigger for the protests was a contentious extradition bill, now withdrawn, that would have allowed people to be sent from Hong Kong to mainland China for trial.

    The protests have since broadened into other demands including universal suffrage and an independent inquiry into allegations of excessive force by the police.

    Hong Kong, a former British colony, returned to China in 1997 under a “one country, two systems” formula that guarantees freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland – including a much-cherished independent legal system.

    Kung Lui, a third-year university student majoring in sociology, said the protests would continue until all five demands were met.

    “The protests have revealed lots of social problems and proved that democracy and freedom are the core values of Hong Kong people.’’

    Police on Monday said 89 people were arrested over the weekend after “radical protesters” attacked two police officers on Sunday evening, hurling petrol bombs, bricks, and threatening the safety of the officers.

    Nearly 1,500 people have been arrested since the protests started in June.

    At least 18 people were injured, three of them seriously, during Sunday’s violence, according to the Hospital Authority.

    The protests have weighed on the city’s economy as it faces its first recession in a decade, with tourist arrivals plunging 40 per cent in August amid some disruptions at the city’s international airport.

    Democratic lawmaker Ted Hui was arrested for allegedly obstructing police, according to his Democratic Party’s Facebook page, as he tried to mediate on the streets in North Point

  • Afghanistan prepares for presidential election slated for Sept. 28 amid challenges

    War-torn Afghanistan is preparing for the upcoming presidential election slated for Sept. 28 amid Taliban threats and persisting challenges.

    Afghan Interior Ministry officials held a meeting on Monday to discuss election security as Taliban militants fighting the government has vowed to disrupt the process.

    “This morning, I chaired our weekly planning and coordination meeting on elections’ security.

    “We are entering into an important phase.

    “So far, we have accomplished all planned security goals and we are ready and looking forward to Sept. 28,’’ Abdul-Moqim Abdulrahimzai, Director-General of Operations and Plans of the ministry, wrote on Twitter.

    “Our particular focus is on our citizens’ protection.

    “Thanks to all our partners for their tireless support,’’ he tweeted.

    The Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) have beefed up security operations against Taliban fighters recently as the militants launched massive attacks on cities and districts across the country.

    The security forces have recaptured six districts from Taliban militants in northern Faryab, Takhar and Badakhshan provinces since Friday, in a bid to ensure security for the polls, Rohullah Ahmadzai, spokesman of the Defence Ministry, said.

    The poll will be the fourth presidential election in Afghanistan since 2001 when U.S. troops invaded the country to oust the Taliban regime.

    Taliban militants, who have vowed to derail the election termed the voting process as a “ploy of foreign invaders to continue their occupation of Afghanistan’’, calling upon people to boycott the poll.

    The ANDSF will provide security for 4,942 out of 5,373 polling centres and the remaining 431 centres located in remote districts will not open on the Election Day due to militants’ presence, according to election officials.

    Nearly all election materials have been shifted to 34 provincial capitals and transporting of materials are continuing from provincial centres to districts.

    Meanwhile, the Afghan Election Commission (IEC) has taken measures to ensure transparency during the poll as the past Afghan elections were allegedly marred with widespread irregularities and fraud.

    Election officials and workers will use biometric devices on Election Day to avoid multiple votes and identify people involved in fraud, according to an IEC statement.

    “The IEC will implement anti-fraud measures during voting and tally operations, inspection and invalidation of votes, each polling station will have one biometric device with the related voter list.

    “One additional device is available in the polling centre,’’ the statement said.

    It added that “a QR code will be printed and stacked on the ballot papers.

    “Without the code, the ballot paper will be considered invalid during counting process’’.

    All polling staff will also be registered with biometric information, the statement noted.

    A total of 18 contesters registered to run for the presidency with a five-year term and among the candidates are sitting President, Ashraf Ghani, and government Chief Executive. Abdullah Abdullah.

    More than nine million eligible voters are expected to cast their ballots during the election period.

  • UN correspondents fete new UNCA President, Muhammad-Bande

    The United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) on Wednesday evening in New York hosted the new President of the General Assembly (PGA), Amb. Tijani Muhammad-Bande, to an informal interactive session.

    The session is a tradition at the UN that provides an opportunity for every new PGA to familiarise themselves with the UN correspondents.

    Wednesday’s event came a day after Muhammad-Bande, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, assumed office to lead the 74th session of the Assembly for the next one year.

    In a brief remark, the PGA stated that he strongly believed in the power of the media as agents of development and positive social change.

    Muhammad-Bande lauded the UN correspondents for their role in projecting the activities of the organisation, particularly the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    He said they could count on him to provide direct and timely information whenever needed.

    Speaking in similar vein, his spokesperson, Ms Reem Abaza, assured the correspondents of maximum cooperation and support from the office of the PGA.

    The President of UNCA, Ms Valeria Robecco, said the interactive session with UNCA members was a tradition at the UN meant to set the tone for a harmonious working relation.

    Robecco congratulated Muhammad-Bande on his emergence as the PGA and wished him a successful tenure