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US asks nations to stop Iranian oil import by Nov.4 or face sanctions

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US asks nations to stop Iranian oil import by Nov.4 or face sanctions

India is second largest buyer of Iranian oil

In an unprecedented move the United States administration has warned countries around the world  that they must stop buying Iranian oil before Nov 4 or face a renewed round of American economic sanctions. India is the second largest buyer of Iranian oil after China.

According to AFP, a senior State Department official warned foreign capitals “we’re not granting waivers” and described tightening the noose on Tehran as “one of our top national security priorities”.

The US move has come on the day when Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that US left the multilateral  nuclear deal with Iran at a great cost, emphasising that Washington will fail to break the Iranian nation by resorting to “psychological” and “political” war.

Read More: India to continue trade with Iran despite US sanctions threat

He reportedly said on Tuesday, “The Islamic Republic’s tactful performance forced the Americans to leave the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) while bearing the highest cost.”

Rouhani further said the US was hoping all along that Iran too would leave the agreement shortly so the country’s case could be referred to the Security Council and made subject to the Chapter VII of the UN Charter- which authorizes the use of force.

On May 9, US President Donald Trump had withdrew the US from Iran nuclear deal and announced to re-impose US sanctions that had been suspended in January 2016 in return for controls on Tehran’s nuclear program. The JCPOA was signed in 2015 between Iran and P5+1, the five permanent Security Council members and Germany.

With the new warning to the countries buying Iranian oil to stop it by November 4, US is now stepping up pressure on other countries to follow suit, including European allies who begged him to stay in the accord. India, Japan and China had also asked US not to withdraw from the multilateral Iranian nuclear deal.

European countries have been attempting to negotiate exemptions for their firms, but the US official has confirmed that Trump intends to stick to his 180-day deadline, expiring Nov 4.

Read More: Iran to US: Who are you to decide for Iran and the World?

“I would be hesitant to say zero waivers ever,” he said, but added that the official position is: “No, we’re not granting waivers.”

AFP further reports that the senior US anonymous official has admitted that this would be unpopular. “I don’t think the Japan­ese answer was particularly different than other oil importing countries,” the official said. He also added that he plans to visit China and India soon to discuss the matter.

“This is a challenge for them, this is not something that any country that imports oil from Iran … wants to do voluntarily because, you know, we’re asking them to make a policy change”.

He further said, “China, India? Yes, certainly their companies will be subject to the same sanctions that everybody else is. We will certainly be requesting that their oil imports go to zero”.

US asks nations to stop Iranian oil import by Nov.4 or face sanctions

On May 29, Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, while addressing her annual press conference, the day when she met Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif in New Delhi, said, “We believe in UN sanctions. We don’t believe in country-specific mentions.”

Read More: Iran ask EU to stand up against US for Nuclear deal

She refused to back America’s sanctions on Iran following the Donald Trump administration’s decision to pull out of the multilateral nuclear deal. She was responding to a question on how India was coping with the US decision to pull out of JCPOA.

On the same day, Iran’s foreign minister Javad Zarif told official IRNA news agency on his arrival at New Delhi that “ways to safeguard both countries’ economic interests” after US decision would be discussed in his meeting with Swaraj.

After meeting between the two foreign ministers, Iranian Embassy source told that exploring alternative channels for payments for crude imports, in face of US sanctions on Iranian companies, was discussed among other issues.

Read More: Russia, China to Continue Support Iran Nuclear Deal

India has recently imposed additional tariffs on certain US products in retaliation to the similar move by Washington. Earlier this month, Trump faced isolation during recent G7 summit in Quebec, Canada  skipping several sessions on climate change, clean energy and oceans.

Trump was confronted with tough questions from European leaders, especially from German Chancellor Angela Markel, French President Emanuel Macron and British PM Theresa May on the controversial trade tariff rise by Washington.

Read more: Sushma meets Mogherini, discuss bilateral ties, Iran deal

Similarly, Trump left the “historical” June 12 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in a hasty manner, a day before his earlier plan to depart from Singapore. Earlier these kind of “unfriendly” gestures were rarely seen in the international diplomacy.

Read More: Iran warns US not to withdraw from n-deal or face consequences

Since Trump occupied White House in January 2017, US administration has withdrawn from Paris Climate agreement, Iran nuclear deal and has threatened to leave NATO. In May last year a White House official said that Trump would consider leaving North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) if member states do not follow through with pledges to increase their annual contributions to the alliance.

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Rahul Gandhi is right, Gautam Adani should be arrested: RJD president Lalu Yadav

“Rahul Gandhi is right. Adani should be arrested,” said Prasad, who is an old ally of the Congress and a staunch opponent of the BJP, to which Adani is said to be close.

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RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav on Friday spoke in support of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s demand for immediate arrest of Gautam Adani, after the Industrialist was charged in the US for alleged bribery and fraud.

Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said on Thursday that Gautam Adani should be arrested immediately, and his protector Madhabi Puri Buch should be investigated

The former Congress chief claimed that the recent developments vindicate his long-standing allegations against Gautam Adani. He took a sharp dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and alleged that Modi is protecting Adani, and is also involved in corruption. 

Yadav, the former chief minister of Bihar, was responding to queries from journalists here about Gandhi’s statement on the previous day, in the backdrop of charges of bribery and fraud against the Adani group in the US.

“Rahul Gandhi is right. Adani should be arrested,” said Prasad, who is an old ally of the Congress and a staunch opponent of the BJP, to which Adani is said to be close.

The RJD supremo, who incidentally has been convicted in several fodder scam cases and is on bail, was also asked about prospects of the INDIA bloc, of which his party is a part, in Jharkhand, where the counting of votes for assembly polls is scheduled on Saturday.

Speaking to PTI, the ailing septuagenarian replied, “I would like to remain focused on my statement that Adani must be arrested. I am not worried much about a new government (in Jharkhand) where we are already in power.” Jharkhand witnessed a straight battle between the INDIA bloc and the BJP-led NDA, which included the JD(U) headed by Nitish Kumar, Prasad’s arch-rival and the current Chief Minister of Bihar.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Gandhi further said that Chief Ministers have been jailed for scams of Rs 10-15 crore, but Adani, who has committed a scam of Rs 2000 crore is walking free.

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Cash for votes row: BJP leader Vinod Tawde sends legal notice to Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, asks them to apologise or face defamation

The BJP leader said the allegations against him were false, baseless and made with malafide intentions.

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Cash for votes row: BJP leader Vinod Tawde sends legal notice to Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, asks them to apologise or face defamation

BJP leader Vinod Tawde, accused of distributing cash to influence voters, has sent a legal notice to Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Supriya Shrinate and Rahul Gandhi over the controversy. The BJP leader has demanded their apologies or face a Rs 100-crore defamation case.

Vinod Tawde’s legal notice came after regional party Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) leader Hitendra Thakur on Tuesday accused him of distributing Rs 5 crore at a hotel in Virar in Palghar district, 60 km from Mumbai, to woo voters.

In the legal notice, the BJP leader said the allegations against him were false, baseless and made with malafide intentions. He claimed that he demanded an apology from the three Congress leaders for their remarks against him in the cash-for-votes row or he would be forced to initiate criminal proceedings against them.

Just a few hours before the Assembly Elections, a video went viral on Tuesday showing BVA workers storming into the hotel in Palghar during a meeting between Vinod Tawde and Rajan Naik, the BJP candidate from the Nalasopara seat. The BVA workers alleged that Tawde was caught red-handed with Rs 5 crore cash.

In the viral video, the BVA workers were seen taking out bundles of cash from a bag, while Tawde was sitting at a distance. The BVA workers also took pictures and videos of him on their phones. Amid these allegations, BVA leaders said that Rs 5 crore cash was distributed, an election official on Tuesday said Rs 9.93 lakh cash was recovered from the hotel rooms.

However, Vinod Tawde denied the allegation, saying he was only providing guidance to party workers on poll procedures and said he was not stupid enough to distribute money at his opponent’s hotel. Speaking to the media, he said that the Vivanta Hotel is owned by the Thakurs, and he is not stupid to go to their hotel and distribute money there.

The Police registered two FIRs against Tawde, BJP candidate Naik and others in connection with the controversy. Additionally, the Election Commission filed three FIRs against Tawde.

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3 dead, 9 hospitalised after gas leak at fertiliser plant in Maharashtra

According to police, the explosion released toxic chemical fumes.

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Three individuals, including two women, lost their lives and nine others were hospitalised following a gas leak caused by an explosion in a reactor at a fertiliser plant in Maharashtra’s Sangli district, an official said on Friday.

The incident occurred at approximately 6:30 PM on Thursday at the Myanmar Chemical Company, located in Shalgaon MIDC within Kadegaon tehsil.

Sangli Superintendent of Police Sandip Ghuge stated that the gas is suspected to be ammonia.

According to police, the explosion released toxic chemical fumes. “Approximately 12 people in the facility were affected and subsequently taken to the hospital. Tragically, two female workers and a security guard have died, while nine others are currently receiving treatment,” stated Sangram Shewale, Senior Inspector at Kadegaon police station.

Seven of the injured individuals have been admitted to Sahyadri Hospital in Karad, with five of them in critical condition in the ICU.

The deceased women have been identified as Suchita Uthale (50) from Yetgaon in Sangli district and Neelam Rethrekar (26) from Masur in Satara district, PTI reported.

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