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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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JMM-RJD-Congress are supporters of Bangladesh infiltrators: PM Modi at Jharkhand rally

Narendra Modi further claimed that if the bad policies of JMM, Congress and RJD continue, the adivasi society in Jharkhand will shrink

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JMM-RJD-Congress are supporters of Bangladesh infiltrators: PM Modi at Jharkhand rally

Ahead of the Jharkhand Assembly election, PM Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the incumbent Hemant Soren government, accusing it to put appeasement at the top of its agenda.

While addressing a rally in Jharkhand’s Garhwa, the Prime Minister said the coalition government of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Congress and RJD are supporters of Bangladesh infiltrators. He said that the JMM-RJD-Congress government has taken appeasement to its peak, and that these parties are destroying the state’s social harmony. He alleged that the parties are supporters of infiltrators, and to get votes of Bangladesh infiltrators, they are getting them settled across Jharkhand.

The Prime Minister stated that when schools disallow Saraswati Vandana, one can imagine how big the danger is. When there is stone-pelting during festivals, Maa Durga is stopped and curfew is imposed, one knows how dangerous it is, he continued. The Prime Minister also added that when the issue of infiltration goes to court and the administration denies, it becomes clear that the government machinery has been infiltrated. PM Modi was referring to allegations that a Muslim teacher stopped prayers to Goddess Saraswati at a school in Jharkhand’s Giridih.

Narendra Modi further claimed that if the bad policies of JMM, Congress and RJD continue, the adivasi society in Jharkhand will shrink, and advised people to use their vote to uproot this infiltrator coalition. He maintained that Jharkhand’s swift development is possible only if it has a government that expedites the implementation of central schemes.

Referring to the JMM’s decision to replace Champai Soren as Chief Minister after Hemant Soren was granted bail in a money laundering case, PM Modi said that the party has left no stones unturned in humiliating an adivasi son. He asked how the party will take care of the people of the state when nothing matters to them more than family. He added that he does not have a family, and the people are his family. He also mentioned that Champai Soren, once a trusted lieutenant of Hemant Soren, is now with the BJP.

Slamming the ruling coalition of corruption, he said that corruption hollows out the country like termites, and destroys the poor, Dalits, people from backward classes and tribals. He claimed that Jharkhand has seen for five years the corruption of the JMM-Congress-RJD government.

He also referred to the massive cash haul from the home of Congress’s former Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Sahu last year. Mentioning that mountains of cash are recovered from the home of Congress’s Rajya Sabha MP, he questioned if this money didn’t belong to Jharkhand.

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Ruckus in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly over resolution against Article 370 abrogation

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah addressing the session, said that the resolution has no importance and it is only for the cameras.

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Ruckus in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly over resolution against Article 370 abrogation

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Monday witnessed chaos after People’s Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Waheed Para moved a resolution opposing the abrogation of Article 370 and called for restoring the union territory’s special status.

Waheed Para, the PDP MLA from the Pulwama Assembly seat, submitted the resolution to newly elected Speaker, Abdul Rahim Rather and requested for a discussion on the matter during the five-day session, despite not being a part of the agenda.

It was submitted that although the agenda of the House has been finalised, they believe that the authority as the Speaker allows the inclusion of the resolution, as it reflects the sentiment of the people at large. After the resolution was submitted, all 28 Jammu and Kashmir BJP MLAs stood up to oppose the move, leading to noisy scenes inside the Assembly.

As the members protested, BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma demanded Para’s suspension for bringing the resolution in violation of Assembly rules. The agitation continued even after the Speaker repeatedly requested the protesting members to take their seats. He asserted the resolution has not come to him yet and when it does, he would examine it.

While the BJP members refused to call off their protest, National Conference MLAs slammed them for interrupting the proceedings of the House. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah addressing the session, said that the resolution has no importance and it is only for the cameras.

The Chief Minister added that how the House will reflect and discuss this matter will not be decided by any one member. If there was a purpose behind the resolution, then they would have discussed this with the government before, he continued.

Nonetheless, CM Abdullah also admitted that the people of Jammu and Kashmir do not approve of the decision taken on August 5, 2019, when Article 370 was abrogated. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also said that his government will make all efforts for the restoration of full statehood. He mentioned that restoration of full statehood would be a reciprocation of the faith reposed by the people of Jammu and Kashmir in democratic institutions.

Meanwhile, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti expressed that she was proud of Waheed Para for submitting the resolution.

Notably, Article 370 was a provision in the Constitution that granted special autonomy to the region of Jammu and Kashmir. It also allowed the state to have its own constitution, flag, and autonomy over internal matters except defense, communications, and foreign affairs.

However, the Centre on August 5, 2019 revoked Article 370, effectively removing the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and reorganising it into two Union Territories namely, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

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20 killed after bus falls into gorge near Uttarakhand’s Pauri-Almora border, CM Dhami expresses grief

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has announced financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each for the families of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh each for the injured.

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20 killed after bus falls into gorge near Uttarakhand’s Pauri-Almora border, CM Dhami expresses grief

In a tragic incident, nearly 20 people were killed after a Garwal Motors Users bus fell into a 200-metre deep gorge near Uttarakhand’s Kupi in Ramnagar at Pauri-Almora border on Monday. The injured are being hurried to the hospital and a search operation is currently underway. At least 35 people were inside the bus when the accident occured.

The fatal accident was reported to authorities at around 9 am by passengers who had fallen from the bus during the accident. Police and teams from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are at the accident site in Marchula’s Salt area. 

Speaking to the media, District Magistrate Alok Kumar Pandey said that the bus was going from Garhwal to Kumaon where the accident took place at Marchula in Almora. Sanjay Kumar, Salt Sub-District Magistrate stated that some of the passengers have been rescued and admitted to hospital. 

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has announced financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each for the families of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh each for the injured. The Chief Minister also directed the Commissioner of the Kumaon division to carry out a magisterial inquiry into the incident. 

Taking to social media platform X, CM Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief, and said that a very sad news has been received about the casualties of passengers in the unfortunate bus accident that took place in Marchula of Almora district. He added that the district administration has been instructed to carry out relief and rescue operations swiftly. 

Furthermore, CM Dhami stated that the local administration and SDRF teams at the accident site are working rapidly to evacuate the injured and take them to the nearest health centre for treatment. He mentioned that instruction have also been given to airlift seriously injured passengers if required. 

In a tweet, the Prime Minister’s office also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased in the mishap in Almora, adding that the injured would be given Rs 50,000.

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