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US Senate passes its own $4.6bn border aid bill
Senate bill resembles the House measure, but has fewer restrictions on how the Trump administration could use the money.
Washington, DC- The Republican-led United States Senate voted on Wednesday to approve a $4.6bn emergency funding bill for southwest US border.
The 84-8 vote came less than 24 hours after the
House of Representative passed a measure that was similar, but had more
restrictions on how the Trump administration could use the money. That
House bill was rejected in the Senate.
Wide bipartisan support in the Senate for the
emergency funds requested by the Trump administration gives the
president the upper hand in negotiations with House Democrats who will
now face pressure to act quickly.
The Senate action puts House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a
political bind between demands from progressives in her caucus to
rein-in President Donald Trump's family-separation practices at the US border with Mexico,
which Pelosi has harshly criticised, and an urgent need to provide US
agencies with more funding to handle the recent surge in migrants.
"The topline numbers of the House bill may
be similar but the policy implications are vast. Time is of the essence
here," Senator Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican, said in remarks to
the Senate on Wednesday.
"We may not agree on how we got here or how best to
move forward but we agree there is a crisis, a major crisis, and that
the resources are needed now," Moore Capito said.
The Senate bill would provide $145m to support the US
military’s operations at the border, which House Democrats opposed. It
would also provide $793m to improve migrant housing conditions at border
stations and detention sites and $112m for migrant care.
The Senate bill would allocate $2.88b for the Health
and Human Services Department’s much-criticised programme to house
unaccompanied migrant children, allowing it to expand its housing
capacity.
From October 2018 to May 2019, nearly 51,000 children
were referred to HHS, a 60 percent increase over last year, according
to the Senate Appropriations Committee summary of the bill
Trump and Pelosi had a phone call on Wednesday to
discuss reconciling the House bill with the Senate version, according to
a senior Democratic aide speaking on background to reporters. The two
spoke for about 15 minutes.
'This is not a partisan issue'
Senators were outraged by a picture of the bodies of Oscar Alberto
Martinez Ramirez and his 23-month-old daughter, Valeria, who drowned
while attempting to cross the Rio Grande River between the US and
Mexico.
Chuck Schumer, the Senate's top Democrat, displayed a poster-sized enlargement of the photo during the Senate debate.
"Her head tucked in a shirt. Her arm draped around his neck. They are holding on to each other," Schumer said.
"These
are not drug dealers or vagrants or criminals. They are simply people
fleeing a horrible situation in their home country for a better life,"
he said.
The Senate bill is a "temporary solution to address the
most urgent issues," said Senator Patrick Leahy, the senior Democrat on
the Senate Appropriations Committee which wrote the Senate bill. "This
is not a partisan issue, taking care of children. We should all agree on
that."
Neither the House nor the Senate bill includes funding for more ICE detention beds that Trump has requested.
"The
president's predilection to turn to mass detention is horrible and
cruel. It's also a waste of taxpayer money," Leahy said.
"Lock up those who really do present a danger. Most five-year-old children don't," Leahy said.
The Senate bill has a number of provisions aimed at easing the humanitarian conditions at US detention camps at the border.
House measure
The House had approved
its bill with a 230-195 vote following outcry over another report of
inhumane conditions for children held by the US at border detention
centres. Hundreds of children had been held for weeks in filthy
conditions at a US Border Patrol detention centre in Clint, Texas,
according to immigration rights lawyers who had visited the site.
Most of the abuses
uncovered at detention centres have been reported by lawyers visiting
migrants under terms of a 1997 court order requiring the US government
to maintain standards for detention of migrant children. With few
exceptions, members of Congress and the press have been prevented by US
officials from entering the detention sites.
For purposes of oversight, both the House and Senate bills include
provisions ensuring politicians in future will have access to places
where migrant children are held.
The Trump administration had asked Congress for the $4.5bn in
emergency funding to address the situation at the border, but the White
House said on Monday that the president would veto the House version of
the bill.
Many House Democrats have said they would be loath to approve any
funding for the Trump administration's handling of refugees and asylum
seekers at the border that does not include restrictions on family
separations.
The restrictions on spending in the House bill seeks to prevent the
Trump administration from using any of the funds to create an ICE
deportation force, or for mass deportations, which the president has
threatened.
The House measure provides $200m for a multi-agency processing centre
that would work with NGOs to help families and unaccompanied children
with an additional $100m for legal services for unaccompanied children,
child advocates and post-release services.
Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister, would also be blacklisted "later this week", Mnuchin said.
Some of the sanctions had been planned in advance, while others were
added in retaliation for the downing last week of a US Global Hawk
surveillance drone, according to Mnuchin.
Oman denies sending US message to Iran
Oman rejected reports saying it had sent a message from the US to Iran after Iranian forces shot down the US drone.
"The reports that have been circulating in the media on the sultanate
delivering an American message to the Iranian government about the
incident ... on June 20, 2019 are not true," the Omani foreign ministry
said in a Twitter post.
Media reports late last week said Muscat had sent a message to Tehran from Trump, warning Tehran of an impending US attack.
A military strike ordered in retaliation for the downing of the US drone was called off by Trump at the last minute.
Iran denied on Friday that it had received a message from Trump, and the US followed suit with its own rebuttal on Sunday.
New US sanctions based on 'fabricated excuses' - Iranian media
Iranian media said the new US sanctions imposed on Iran were based on "fabricated excuses".
Iran's semi-official Tasnim and Fars news agencies said "America has imposed new sanctions on Iran based on fabricated excuses."
Trump imposes new sanctions on Iran, targets supreme leader
Trump signed an order targeting Iran's supreme leader and associates with additional financial sanctions.
Trump said the US does not seek conflict with Iran
but will continue to increase pressure on its Middle East adversary to
prevent it from developing nuclear weapons and supporting armed groups.
US, Britain, UAE, Saudis urge 'diplomatic solutions' on Iran
The United States, Britain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
have jointly called for "diplomatic solutions" to ease soaring tensions
with Iran.
"We call on Iran to halt any further actions which
threaten regional stability, and urge diplomatic solutions to
de-escalate tensions," said the statement, which cane as US Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo met Saudi and Emirati leaders.
Europeans issue warning to Iran over nuclear deal commitments
France, Britain and Germany have sent an official diplomatic warning
to Iran about the serious consequences Tehran faces if it scales back
its compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, two European diplomats said.
Three diplomats said the European signatories to the deal lodged the
diplomatic demarche, the term for a formal note, on June 22, with two
saying the communication aimed to warn Iran specifically against scaling
back its commitments to the accord.
It was not immediately clear what consequences Iran might face for non-compliance.
US official: United States building maritime security coalition for Gulf
The US is building a coalition with its allies to protect Gulf
shipping lanes by having "eyes on all shipping", a senior US State
Department official said, following recent attacks on oil tankers that
Washington blamed on Iran.
The official told reporters en route to the United Arab Emirates that
a coalition of nations would provide both material and financial
contributions to the "Sentinel" programme, but did not name the
countries.
"It's about proactive deterrence, because the Iranians just want to
go out and do what they want to do and say hey we didn't do it. We know
what they've done," he said, adding that the deterrents would include
cameras, binoculars and ships.
Oil falls on demand concerns after gains on Mideast tensions
Oil prices fell on Monday on concerns about the possibility of
weakening demand after large gains last week caused tensions between the
United States and Iran.
Benchmark Brent crude was down 46 cents, or 0.71 percent, at $64.74 a
barrel at 1345 GMT, while US crude was down 18 cents, or 0.31 percent,
at $57.25.
Last week, Brent climbed 5% and U.S. crude surged 10 percent after
Iran shot down a US drone on Thursday in the Gulf, adding to tensions
stoked by attacks on oil tankers in the area in May and June that
Washington has blamed on Iran.
Iran denies any role in the tanker attacks.
Iran says new US sanctions will have 'no impact'
The new economic sanctions that the United States is preparing to
impose on Iran will have no "impact", a spokesman for the foreign
ministry said.
"We really do not know what [the new sanctions] are and what they
want to target anymore, and also do not consider them to have any
impact," Abbas Mousavi said at a press conference in Tehran.
"Are there really any sanctions left that the United States has not imposed on our country recently or in the past 40 years?"
The US has since imposed a robust slate of punitive sanctions on
Tehran designed to choke off Iranian oil sales and cripple its economy.
"America's claim of readiness for unconditional negotiation is not
acceptable with the continuation of threats and sanctions," Hesamodin
Ashna, an advisor to Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, said Monday on
Twitter.
"We consider war and sanctions to be two sides of the same coin."
Productive meeting with King Salman: Pompeo
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a tweet on Monday he had
discussed heightened tensions in the region with Saudi Arabia's King
Salman during a meeting in Jeddah.
Pompeo said they also discussed the need to promote maritime security
in the Strait of Hormuz, following attacks on oil tankers in Gulf
waters which Washington and Riyadh blame on Iran.
Tehran denies the charges.
Productive meeting with King Salman bin Abdulaziz
Al Saud today to discuss heightened tensions in the region and the need
to promote maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz. Freedom of
navigation is tantamount. pic.twitter.com/BpEOqMpUaA
President Donald Trump is ready to talk to Iran about a deal that
would lift American sanctions but Tehran would need to curtain its
nuclear and missile programme, as well as its support for proxies, a
senior US official said.
US Special Representative on Iran Brian Hook told reporters that Iran
could "come to the table or watch its economy crumble," but declined to
give more details about fresh US sanctions expected later on Monday.
Hook was speaking by telephone from Oman, where he is touring Gulf countries before heading to Paris.
US Special Representative on Iran
Brian Hook told reporters that Iran could 'come to the table or watch
its economy crumble.' [File:AFP]
Iran will "pay the price" if persists with aggression: Saudi minister
Saudi Arabia's
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs warned Iran there would be more
sanctions if it continued its "aggressive polices", but said Riyadh
wanted to avoid war.
"Today, Iran is under severe economic sanctions," Adel al-Jubeir told Le Monde newspaper in an interview published on Monday.
"These sanctions will be strengthened. If Iran continues its aggressive policies, it will have to pay the price."
More US warships arrive in the Middle East
The US Navy says another American warship has arrived in the Middle East amid heightened tensions with Iran.
Monday's Navy statement says the USS Boxer assault ship, along with
the transport dock USS John P Murtha and the dock landing ship USS
Harpers Ferry arrived in the 5th Fleet's area of responsibility.
The Navy didn't elaborate on where the ships were.
The USS Boxer carries the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, as well as a
combat helicopter squadron. It came from the Indian Ocean after leaving
San Diego on May 1.
Iran threatens to shoot down more US drones
Iran's navy chief warned Iranian forces wouldn't hesitate to shoot down more US surveillance drones from their skies.
The downing of the American drone last week, valued at more than
$100m, saw the United States pull back from the brink of a military
strike on Iran after President Donald Trump called off an attack in
retaliation.
"We confidently say that the crushing response can always be repeated
and the enemy knows it," Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi was quoted as
saying by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Pompeo meets Saudi king on Iran crisis
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with King Salman bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia as he sought to coordinate with allies over soaring tensions with Iran.
"You are a dear friend," the king told Pompeo as he shook hands with the top US diplomat and his aides.
Pompeo is later due to meet the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), before flying for talks in the United Arab Emirates.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdul Aziz at Al Salam Palace in Jeddah [Reuters]
Russia says new US sanctions on Iran are illegal
New sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran are illegal, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Peskov declined to say what measures Russia might adopt to counteract the US sanctions.
Earlier Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov was quoted as saying
by Russian news agencies that Moscow and its partners will take steps to
counter new sanctions.
In the comments reported by TASS and RIA, however, Ryabkov did not specify what those steps would be.
He said the imposition of US sanctions would aggravate tensions, and Washington should instead be seeking dialogue with Tehran.
Pompeo seeks to build 'global coalition' against Iran
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Saudi Arabia for talks with the close ally amid mounting tensions with Iran.
Before leaving the US, Pompeo said he was seeking to build a "global coalition" against Iran.
"We'll be talking with them [Saudis and Emiratis] about how to
make sure that we are all strategically aligned and how we can build out
a global coalition - a coalition not only throughout the Gulf states
but in Asia and in Europe that understands this challenge and that is
prepared to push back against the world's largest state sponsor of
terror," Pompeo said.
US cyberattacks 'not successful'
US cyberattacks against Iranian targets have not been successful,
Iran's telecoms minister said within days of reports the Pentagon
launched a long-planned cyberattack to disable the country's rocket
launch systems.
"They try hard but have not carried out a successful attack,"
Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi, Iran's minister for information and
communications technology, said on Twitter.
Scaling back of nuclear deal 'irreversible'
Iran said it would not back down from its decision to scale back some
of its commitments under 2015 nuclear deal with major powers, state TV
quoted Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi as saying.
"The European signatories of the deal lack the will to save the deal.
Our decision to decrease our commitment to the deal is a national
decision and it is irreversible as long as our demands are not met,"
Araqchi said.
Bolton warns Iran that US 'prudence' is not 'weakness'
Sunday, June 23
Pompeo heads to Saudi Arabia, UAE for Iran crisis talks
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is traveling to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for talks on Iran.
Speaking to reporters before flying out, Pompeo said he'll be talking
to the two US allies "about how to make sure that we are all
strategically aligned" and how to build a global coalition to "push back
against the world's largest state sponsor of terror".
At the same time, Pompeo reiterated that the US was prepared to negotiate with Iran.
"We're prepared to negotiate with no preconditions. They know
precisely how to find us," he said. "And I am confident that at the very
moment they're ready to truly engage with us, we will able to begin
this conversation."
I'm heading out today. Our first stops will be in
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia & the UAE, two great allies in the
challenge that Iran presents, and we'll be talking with them about how
to make sure that we are all strategically aligned and how we can build
out a global coalition. pic.twitter.com/txu0pA2xr4
Iran says another 'spy drone' violated airspace in May
Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, said a "spy drone" had
encroached his country's airspace in May, weeks before Iranian forces
downed a US drone.
He tweeted a map saying the US-made MQ9 Reaper drone entered Iran's airspace on May 26.
US envoy calls on world to 'urge Iran to de-escalate'
Brian Hook, the US special envoy for Iran, called on "all nations to
use their diplomatic effort to urge Iran to de-escalate and meet
diplomacy with diplomacy" amid soaring tensions in the Gulf.
"We are not interested in ... military conflict against Iran, we have
enhanced our forces' postures in the region for purely defensive
purposes," Hook told journalists in Kuwait City.
Trump denies sending message to Tehran warning of attack
US President Donald Trump told NBC News that he did not send a
message to Tehran warning Iran of a US attack, which he later called
off.
Iranian sources told Reuters that Trump had warned Tehran via
Oman that a US attack was imminent, but had said he was against war and
wanted talks.
"I did not send that message," Trump said on NBC's Meet the Press program, adding, "I'm not looking for war."
Asked what he thinks Iran wants, he said, "I think they want to
negotiate. And I think they want to make a deal. And my deal is
nuclear. Look, they're not going to have a nuclear weapon ... I don't
think they like the position they're in. Their economy is, is absolutely
broken."
Gulf tensions: Iraq worried about impact on its economy (2:38)
Rouhani slams US's 'interventionist military presence' in Middle East
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has accused the US of fuelling
tensions in the Middle East, saying Washington's "interventionist
military presence" was responsible for the region's problems.
He also denounced the alleged violation of Iran's space by an unmanned US spy drone, according to the IRNA news agency.
"We expect international bodies to show proper reaction to the
invasion move," he said during a meeting with the president of IPU, or
Inter-Parliamentary Union, Gabriela Cuevas, in Tehran.
Iran may scale back nuclear deal compliance unless Europe moves
Iran may further scale back compliance with its nuclear deal unless
European countries shield it from US sanctions through a trade
mechanism, the head of Tehran's Strategic Council on Foreign Relations
was quoted as saying by the semi-official news agency ISNA.
Tehran said in May it would reduce compliance with the nuclear pact
it agreed with world powers in 2015 in protest at the US's decision to
unilaterally pull out of the agreement and reimpose sanctions last year.
"If Europeans don't take measures within the 60-day deadline, we will
take new steps," Kamal Kharazi said, referring to a time limit Iranian
officials announced in May.
"It would be a positive step if they put resources in [the planned
European trade mechanism] INSTEX and ... make trade possible."
Bolton warns Iran not to mistake US 'prudence' for 'weakness'
US National Security Adviser John Bolton warned Tehran on Sunday of misinterpreting as "weakness" President Donald Trump's last-minute cancellation of a retaliatory strike on Iran.
"Neither Iran nor any other hostile actor should mistake US prudence
and discretion for weakness," said Bolton before a meeting with Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
"No one has granted them a hunting licence in the Middle East," he added.
"Our military is rebuilt new and ready to go," said Bolton, after
Trump called off a planned attack on Iran in response to Tehran downing a
US drone on Thursday.
UAE calls for de-escalation and dialogue
Tensions in the Gulf can only be addressed politically and priority
should be de-escalation and dialogue, the UAE Minister of State for
Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash wrote on Twitter on Sunday.
Tensions in the Gulf can only be addressed
politically. Crisis long in the making requires collective attention;
primarily to de escalate & to find political solutions thru dialogue
& negotiations. Regional voices important to achieve sustainable
solutions.
Any conflict in the Gulf region may spread uncontrollably, a senior
Iranian military commander was cited as saying on Sunday, by the
semi-official news agency Fars.
"If a conflict breaks out in the region, no country would be able to
manage its scope and timing," Major General Gholamali Rashid said,
according to Fars.
"The American government must act responsibly to protect the lives of American troops by avoiding misconduct in the region."
Saudi airlines shift flights away from Gulf of Oman
Saudi Arabian Airlines altered the path of its international flights away from the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi-owned al-Arabiya said on Sunday, citing its own correspondent.
The US aviation regulator barred its carriers from the area until
further notice after Iran shot down a high-altitude, unmanned US drone,
sparking concerns about a threat to the safety of commercial airlines.
Saturday, June 22
Cyberattacks on Iran
The US military launched cyberattacks against Iranian missile control
systems and a spy network on Thursday after Tehran downed an American
surveillance drone, US officials told the Associated Press news agency
on Saturday.
The cyberattacks - a contingency plan developed over weeks amid
escalating tensions - disabled Iranian computer systems that controlled
its rocket and missile launchers, the officials explained.
Read more here.
Trump: US to hit Iran with 'major' new sanctions on Monday
US President Donald Trump said Washington will impose "major" new
sanctions on Iran in two days, just hours after saying he would be the
Islamic Republic's new "best friend" if they were to renounce nuclear weapons.
"We are putting major additional Sanctions on Iran on Monday," Trump
tweeted, while adding: "I look forward to the day that Sanctions come
off Iran, and they become a productive and prosperous nation again - The
sooner the better!"
....Sanctions come off Iran, and they become a productive and prosperous nation again - The sooner the better!
Trump says military action against Iran still 'on the table'
Trump said he was still considering military action against Iran
after it downed an unmanned US military aircraft, saying the use of
force is "always on the table until we get this solved".
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump also said "we very
much appreciate" a decision by Iran's Revolutionary Guard not to shoot
down a US spy plane carrying more than 30 people.
He said the downing of the US drone was "probably intentional", contradicting what he said on Thursday.
Speaking before heading to the US presidential retreat at Camp
David, where he said he would deliberate on Iran, Trump said the US
government was imposing new sanctions on Tehran.
"We are putting additional sanctions on Iran," he said. "In some
cases, we are going slowly, but in other cases we are moving rapidly."
Iran foreign minister tweets map with detailed coordinates of drone
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted a map with
detailed coordinates which he said show a US drone shot down by Iran was
within the Islamic Republic's territorial waters.
The map also showed two yellow squares on the flight path of the
drone which, according to the map, indicate Iranian radio warnings sent
to the drone.
"There can be no doubt about where the vessel was when it was brought down," Zarif wrote.
For more visual detail on the path, location, and
point of impact of the U.S. military drone Iran shot down on Thursday,
and of the waters over which it was flying, see these maps and
coordinates.
An Iranian man has been executed by the state for allegedly spying for the CIA, Iran's state broadcaster IRIB reported.
The man was employed in the space division of Iran's Defence
Ministry. He and his wife were arrested in 2010 for spying for the CIA
after authorities alleged that "clear evidence" was discovered in their
apartment.
The man was sentenced to death in a military court after years-long investigations, and his wife to 15 years in prison.
Germany's Merkel calls for a political solution to US-Iran tensions
The international community should work towards a political solution
to the escalating conflict between the US and Iran "with the utmost
seriousness," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in Dortmund.
"I say that [a political solution] should not just be a hope, but
that it should be worked towards with the utmost seriousness," Merkel
said, adding that the conflict would most likely be at the top of the
agenda at next week's G20 summit in Osaka.
Iran summons UAE envoy over US drone
Iran has summoned the UAE's top envoy to Tehran to protest the
neighbouring Arab nation's allowing the US to use a base there to launch
a drone that Iran says entered its airspace.
The report by the official IRNA news agency said Iran issued a
"strong protest" to the UAE diplomat, saying Iran does not tolerate the
facilitation of foreign forces that violate its territory.
Trump nominates Mark Esper as secretary of defense
Trump has nominated Mark Esper to be the US Secretary of Defense, the White House said late on Friday.
Esper will take over as acting defense secretary on Monday following
the resignation of Patrick Shanahan, who is stepping down after media
reports emerged this week of domestic violence in his family.
Esper, who must be confirmed by the Senate is the third man to lead the Pentagon in six months.
Unlike Shanahan who had no military experience, Esper served in the
first Gulf War, worked as an aide on Capitol Hill, and spent seven years
as vice president for government relations at defence contractor
Raytheon.
There has not been a full defense secretary since the resignation of
James Mattis in December last year after splits in the administration
over Trump's sudden decision to remove US troops from Syria.
Mark Esper (left) is the third man to lead the Pentagon in six months [Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call]
UK minister to visit Iran on Sunday for talks
Britain's Middle East minister Andrew Murrison will visit Iran on Sunday for "frank and constructive" talks, Britain said.
"At this time of increased regional tensions and at a crucial period
for the future of the nuclear deal, this visit is an opportunity for
further open, frank and constructive engagement with the government of
Iran," the Foreign Office said in a statement.
Murrison will call for urgent de-escalation in the region and raise
concerns about "Iran's regional conduct and its threat to cease
complying with the nuclear deal to which the UK remains fully
committed."
Iran says its airspace is fully safe and secure
Iran's Civil Aviation Organization said the country's airspace was
safe for airlines to fly through, the semi-official Tasnim news agency
reported.
"Iran-controlled airspace over the Persian Gulf and other flight
routes are completely safe," its spokesman, Reza Jafarzadeh, was quoted
as saying.
The US Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday issued an
emergency order prohibiting US operators from flying in an over-sea area
of Tehran-controlled airspace over the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of
Oman. Some other international airlines are taking related precautions.
In an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" conducted on Friday
morning at the White House, Trump said he had not given final approval
to strikes against Iran.
"But they would have been pretty soon. And things would have happened
to a point where you wouldn't turn back or couldn't turn back," he
said, adding that he did not want war with Iran, but if it came to pass,
there would be "obliteration like you've never seen before".
Iran says it will respond firmly to any US threat
Iran will respond firmly
to any US threat against it, the country's foreign ministry
spokesperson said, after US President Donald Trump warned Iran of
"obliteration" if a full-scale conflict would ensue.
"We will not allow any violation against Iran's borders. Iran will
firmly confront any aggression or threat by America," spokesperson Abbas
Mousavi told the semi-official Tasnim news agency on Saturday.
Friday, June 21
US regional bases are in range of Iranian missiles, says IRGC
A commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said US regional bases and its aircraft carrier in the Gulf are within the range of Iranian precision-guided missiles.
"US forces in the region were a threat, but they are now an
opportunity [for Iran] ... They do not talk about war with Iran, because
they know how susceptible they are," the head of the IRGC' aerospace
division, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, said on state television
US poised to tighten sanctions on Iran over "terror financing"
The US is set to increase pressure on Iran for failing to head off
funds to "terrorists", Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said, threatening new sanctions if Tehran fails to comply.
In a speech in Florida, Mnuchin called out "Iran's willful failure to
address its systemic money laundering and terrorist financing
deficiencies".
He said an international task force will set a new deadline for the country to comply or face additional sanctions.
Mnuchin also said the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) would
call for suspended sanctions to be reimposed "if Iran does not make
further progress," and would require "increased supervisory examination
for branches and subsidiaries of financial institutions based in Iran".
Trump discusses Iran with Saudi crown prince
US President Trump has discussed escalating tensions between the US
and Iran with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).
"The two leaders discussed Saudi Arabia's critical role in ensuring
stability in the Middle East and in the global oil market. They also
discussed the threat posed by the Iranian regime's escalatory
behaviour," White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia and Iran are regional enemies.
Debris from what Iran's
Revolutionary Guard aerospace division describes as the US drone which
was shot down on Thursday [Borna Ghasemi/AP]
Pelosi wasn't informed of nixed Iran attack plan
A spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she was not given a
heads-up about the planned US military action against Iran. Pelosi is
second in line to the presidency behind Vice President Mike Pence.
Calling for de-escalating the conflict, Pelosi said any "hostilities"
with Iran "must not be initiated without the approval of Congress".
"We are in an extremely dangerous and sensitive situation with Iran,"
she said, adding that she was glad Trump called off the planned attacks
on Iran.
Call for diplomacy as US, Iran reach 'tense tipping point'
The US and Iran are at a "tense tipping point", where both sides have
escalated tensions to the threshold of an open conflict, an analyst
said, calling for diplomacy to resolve the crisis.
"So far we've been under the threshold of war. Downing of an
unmanned spy drone is also something that is under the threshold of war,
and that's why we have seen restraint.
"We've seen restraint on the Iranian side, with the Iranians
saying they are unwilling to hit a manned aircraft, which was also
flying in that area. And at the same time, we also see Donald Trump
exercising restraint," said Andreas Krieg, lecturer at School of
Security Studies at Kings College London.
"That's because he's going into election in 2020 and he knows a war
in the Middle East is highly unpopular with his base and across the
country. And he himself has said he is not interested in another
military escalation or a major combat operation."
Krieg added: "Only now Trump realizes that his massive pressure
campaign also has such massive consequences that this is no longer
something you can control. The only way forward out of this should be a
diplomatic approach after all that coercion we've seen from both
sides."
US asks for UN Security Council meeting
The US has asked the UN Security Council to meet on Iran behind closed-doors on Monday, diplomats told Reuters news agency.
"We will brief the council on the latest developments with regard to
Iran and present further information from our investigation into the
recent tanker incidents," the US mission to the UN said in a note to
council colleagues.
World leaders appeal for calm as US-Iran tensions escalate to 'brink of war'
Countries across the world appealed for de-escalation, with Russia
accusing the US of deliberately stoking tensions with Iran and pushing
the situation "to the brink of war". European leaders urged caution as a
spokeswoman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed Trump's
decision to pull back from a retaliatory attack.
Meanwhile, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for "nerves of steel".
Read more here
Revolutionary Guard official: Iran chose not to hit second craft
The head of the Revolutionary Guard's aerospace division said a
manned US spy plane was near the drone it shot down but Iran chose not
to target it.
General Amir Ali Hajizadeh made the comment Friday at a news conference attended by The Associated Press in Tehran.
Hajizadeh said: "At the same moment, another spy aircraft called a P8
was flying close to this drone. That aircraft is manned and has around
35 crew members. Well, we could have targeted that plane, it was our
right to do so, and yes it was American, but we didn't do it. We hit the
unmanned aircraft."
Trump confirms calling off attacks against Iran
Trump confirmed in a series of tweets that he called off
retaliatory attacks on three Iranian targets following the downing of
the US drone, saying the attacks would not have been a proportionate response.
"We were cocked & loaded to retaliate last night on 3
different sights when I asked, how many will die. 150 people, sir, was
the answer from a General. 10 minutes before the strike I stopped it,"
Trump said.
....On Monday they shot down an unmanned drone
flying in International Waters. We were cocked & loaded to retaliate
last night on 3 different sights when I asked, how many will die. 150
people, sir, was the answer from a General. 10 minutes before the strike
I stopped it, not....
His comments confirmed earlier reports by US media outlets which said Washington had prepared to attack Iranian installations in response to the downing of the US drone, only for Trump to order his military to stand down at the last minute.
Rouhani adviser says Trump should ease sanctions to avoid war
Hesameddin Ashena, an adviser to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, said if Trump did not want war with Tehran, he should ease US-imposed sanctions.
"War and sanctions are two sides of the same coin ... If you do not
want war, you should do something with the sanctions," Ashena said in a
post on Twitter.
Sanctions on Iran is economic terrorism. We will
respond to it by all means necessary. Today's crisis stems from
Washington's withdrawal from JCPOA, and obstructing real diplomatic
overtures. But this process is reversible. Every tangible constructive
step will be met in kind.
Washington reimposed punitive sanctions on Iran last year after
Trump pulled the US out of a landmark nuclear deal brokered between the
Islamic Republic and several other world powers, sending its economy into freefall.
'Diplomacy with diplomacy, war with defence': Iran rebuffs US criticism
Iran "responds to diplomacy with diplomacy ... war with firm
defence," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said in a
post on Twitter, in an apparent reaction to earlier remarks made by US special representative on Iran, Brian Hook.
Hook told reporters at a news conference in Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, that US diplomacy did not give Iran the right to respond with military force.
He also accused Tehran of being responsible for escalating tensions in the region and said it must meet US diplomacy with diplomacy.
Global airlines rerout flights after Iran downs US drone
The United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based
carrier Emirates Airlines was rerouting flights away from areas of
possible conflict in the Gulf amid the heightened US-Iran tensions, a
spokeswoman for the company said.
"The re-routings have minimally affected the arrival/departure
timings of some flights," the spokeswoman said, without naming specific
countries or provinces that are being avoided.
"We are carefully monitoring the ongoing developments and ... will
make further operational changes if the need arises," she added.
The move came after several other airlines - including Dutch
carrier KLM, Australian airline Qantas, German airline Lufthansa and UK
carrier British Airways - also said they would fly alternative routes to
skirt the Gulf region following an earlier warning to pilots issued by
the US's Federal Aviation Administration.
#FAA issued #NOTAM
warning pilots that flights are not permitted in the overwater area of
the Tehran Flight Information Region until further notice, due to
heightened military activities and increased political tensions. https://t.co/BQ2GOeFSEnpic.twitter.com/4t1OWEzkYZ
Iran has no right to answer diplomacy 'with military force': US
Brian Hook, US special representative on Iran, accused Tehran of
being responsible for escalating tensions in the region and said it had
no right to respond to diplomacy "with military force".
"Iran needs to meet diplomacy with diplomacy," Hook told reporters in Saudi Arabia, where he met with Prince Khalid bin Salman, the kingdom's deputy defence minister.
"Iran is responsible for escalating tensions in the region. They
continue to reject diplomatic overtures to de-escalate tensions," he
added.
Earlier on Friday, bin Salman said in a tweet he had discussed the
latest "Iranian attacks" with Hook during the pair's meeting, adding he
had "affirmed the kingdom's support" for Washington's so-called "maximum
pressure" campaign on Tehran.
Pleased to meet with United States Special
Representative for Iran Mr. Brian Hook to explore the latest efforts to
counter hostile Iranian acts and continuous escalation that threaten the
region's security and stability.
— Khalid bin Salman خالد بن سلمان (@kbsalsaud) June 21, 2019
Iran says it issued warnings before shooting US drone
Iranian state television broadcast images of what it said was debris
from the downed US drone recovered inside its territorial waters.
The broadcast showed a short clip of an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) general answering journalists' questions in front of some of the debris that he said had been recouped from Iranian waters.
Iran gave two warnings before downing the US drone over the Gulf of Oman, said Brigadier-General Amirali Hajizadeh, the commander of the IRGC's aerospace arm.
"Unfortunately, when they failed to reply ... and the aircraft made
no change to its trajectory ... we were obliged to shoot it down," Hajizadeh said.
The purported wreckage of the American drone was displayed by the IRGC in Tehran [Tasnim News Agency handout via Reuters]
Trump calls for talks with Iran via Oman: Reuters
Iranian officials told the Reuters news agency that Tehran
received a message from Trump through Oman overnight on Thursday that
warned a US attack was imminent.
"In his message, Trump said he was against any war with Iran
and wanted to talk to Tehran about various issues ... He gave a short
period of time to get our response but Iran's immediate response was
that it is up to Supreme Leader [Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei to decide about
this issue," one of the officials told Reuters, speaking on condition
of anonymity.
A second Iranian official said: "We made it clear that the
leader is against any talks, but the message will be conveyed to him to
make a decision... However, we told the Omani official that any attack
against Iran will have regional and international consequences."
Iranian officials later refuted the Reuters story.
Iran summons Swiss envoy
Iran summoned the Swiss ambassador to Tehran, who also
represents US interests in the Islamic Republic, to protest against what
it claims was a "very dangerous provocation" by Washington over the
drone incident.
Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported Iranian officials told Swiss envoy Markus Leitner that Washington would be responsible for the consequences of any military action taken against it.
Phaim
Bhuiyan, right, was born in Italy to a Bangladeshi family and his debut
film explores second-generation challenges [Courtesy: Christiana Nosel]
Rome, Italy -
A pizza guy in a yellow uniform rushes up a set of stairs, swearing in a
thick Roman accent. For every delayed delivery, he stands to lose three
euros.
When his customer opens the door, she stares at him, surprised. He turns to the camera.
"Even though I look darker, I am Italian," he tells the
audience, "let's say 50 percent Bangladeshi, 50 percent Italian, and 100
percent from Tor Pignattara."
The scene fades to black and the title sequence breaks onto the screen.
"Bangla", a romantic comedy, follows the journey of a young Muslim Bangladeshi Italian.
He's in a band that plays traditional music; at a gig, he meets Asia, the woman of his dreams.
The film takes inspiration from Phaim Bhuiyan's own life.
The 24-year-old wrote and directed the film, and plays the protagonist.
"I hope this movie will spark interest in the life of the
Bangladeshi community and the second generations here in Rome," he says
walking through Tor Pignattara, a multicultural suburb.
Behind him, a dozen Asian teenagers play cricket against a tall building of council flats.
Bangla depicts the story of a Bangladeshi Italian and his romance with an Italian woman [Courtesy: Christiana Nosel]
According to the Ministry of Interior, almost 39,000 Bangladeshis
live in Rome. Tor Pignattara, a working-class neighbourhood in the
eastern outskirts, hosts the largest community.
Bhuiyan grew up here, among Chinese restaurants, Italian pizzerias and Bangladeshi street sellers.
In the film, he describes the borough as a frontier, where the aroma of lasagna fades seamlessly into the scent of curry.
"The neighbourhood is home to three 'tribes' of people: elder Italians, migrants and hipsters.
They live side by side, "without talking with each other," he says in the movie.
The World Bank estimates that almost 8 million Bangladeshis are currently living abroad.
In the city of Rome, the word Banglais
commonly associated with narrow grocery shops at the ground level,
selling vegetables, shampoo, biscuits and beers at every hour of the day
and night.
"I came to Italy because working as an undocumented migrant was
relatively safe," says shopkeeper Nazmul Habibur, standing in front of a
wall crammed with fresh fruit.
The 46-year-old left Bangladesh in 1997, heading for Turkey
with a three-month visa. He had no intention of living in Italy but
feared ending up in an Istanbul jail as an undocumented migrant.
A trafficker offered him a journey to Rome.
"At night, I set sail from Ankara with other 420 people," he says.
Those who migrate here are busting
their a**** for providing us with a better future. I felt that
commitment and it gave me motivation.
Phaim Bhuiyan, director
The biggest wave of Bangladeshis arrived in Italy during the
1990s, after the Martelli law regulated immigration in the country for
the first time.
"For many, Italy was more of an intermediate step," says
Francesco Pompeo, an anthropologist who led a study of Tor Pignattara
for five years, "but then the restrictive policies of Northern European
countries made remaining an easier choice."
According to the Ministry of Interior, almost 140,000 Bangladeshis live in Italy today with a regular permit, the second largest Bangladeshi community in Europe after Britain.
Pompeo estimates that they account for only two-thirds of the real population.
"The permit is generally linked with a stable occupation," he
says, "so falling back into irregularity for a period of time is fairly
common."
Sixty-five percent have a regular contract. There are more men
than women and the percentage of active workers is as high as 86.2
percent.
Trade and catering industries employ the largest majority, but a
consistent group is involved in manufacturing and distribution for
small industries too.
"Sending their sons to Europe represents an investment for the
whole family," says Siddique Nure Alam, also known as Bachcu, president
of the charity Dhuumcatu.
Bachcu arrived here almost 30 years ago from Dhaka, fleeing
from the military regime of Hossain Mohammad Ershad. He has been
campaigning for the rights of Asian migrants and providing welfare
services to the community since then.
"Migrants usually passed through Moscow, then Turkey," Bachcu
says, "then they sail directly to Italy or to Africa, Libya. The whole
journey might cost between 8,000 and 10,000 euros ($9,088 to $11,360)."
Once they reach Europe, the financial burden weighs over their shoulders.
According to a 2017 IOM survey, 36 percent of Bangladeshis coming from Libya incurred debt to finance their journey.
Researchers Mario Ricca and Tommaso Sbriccoli said Bangladeshis take
loans with illegal moneylenders of up to 500,000 takas (roughly 5,500
euros or $6,248), and monthly interest stands between two and five
percent. Family houses and land are often given as a guarantee.
Surviving on a third of earnings
Bangladesh is the top destination of remittances from Italy, which in 2017 accounted for 532.6 million euros ($605m).
"Migrants survive on a third of their earnings, maybe just 300
euros ($341) per month, because they send the rest back home," explains
Pompeo.
Such a limited income implies a rigid lifestyle, with up to 15 men or two families sharing the same apartment.
Bhuiyan's father started as a flower seller, then worked as a
paperboy, a dishwasher and a baker, until he finally managed to buy his
own stall. Bhuiyan worked with him during every school break since he
was 14. With the money earned, he bought his first compact camera.
"Those who migrate here are busting their a**** for providing
us with a better future," he says, "I felt that commitment and it gave
me motivation."
Bhuiyan, left, says younger people should act as a bridge between the Italian and Bangladeshi cultures [Courtesy: Christiana Nosel]
Bangla has grossed roughly 148,500 euros ($167,000), according to
production company Fandango, with 25,000 people flocking to cinemas to
watch the film.
When Asia breaks the ice with Phaim by asking whether he holds a
regular residency permit or not, the audience burst into laughter at a
cinema about 7km from Tor Pignattara.
Barbara Pastore, 27, came to see the movie with her boyfriend.
At the end of the screening, she says: "We just think of them as hard
workers, typically behind the counter of groceries stores open 24 hours a
day."
Other movie-goers were surprised by finding out that arranged marriages are common in the community.
"I thought they were more open-minded," says 36-year-old Maria Chiara Spiritigliozzi.
Pietro Giovani, 39, an English literature teacher at a local
high school, understands the younger generation better, but adds: "They
are discreet people."
Bhuiyan explains the differences between generations.
"Working and sending money back home were the only priorities of our parents and older brothers," he says.
Most speak Italian less proficiently and have few friendships beyond their fellow countrymen.
"I believe that we, the second generation, have the duty of
acting as a bridge between the Italian culture and the Bangladeshi
community," he says.
The misunderstanding about the two generations is mutual.
When asked about his son, Habibur, the shopkeeper, shakes his head.
"He is definitively Italian," he says, "no Islam, no Christianity, no Hindu: Computer games are his religion!"
In real life, Bhuiyan considers himself lucky: while his
cultural roots are important to his family, his parents are not
interfering.
"Some friends have suffered from an identity crisis," he says,
"we got used to Western habits. Unfortunately, between adults and
youngsters, there is often no real contact."
The
residential building that doubled as a factory exploded into flames on
Friday killing at least 30 people [Yessyka Rahmadani/Al Jazeera]
Medan, Indonesia - It should have been a happy day.
As the residents of Sambirejo village on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia set
up tents and prepared food for a party, they heard a series of loud
explosions from a nearby house, which had been turned into a makeshift
factory to make cigarette lighters. A fireball ripped through the roof.
There were 25 women inside, and some of their children had joined them while they waited for the party to begin.
Novita lost her 36-year-old cousin Fitri Yuliana who was in the
factory with her 10-year-old daughter Syiffa. "I heard 'boom, boom,
boom' so I ran towards the sound and saw that the building was on fire,"
she told Al Jazeera. "We tried to scoop water out of a ditch, but there
was nothing we could do."
Altogether 30 people lost their lives - five of them children. No one could survive the ferocity of the blaze.
When the fire subsided and Novita ventured inside, she was
horrified by what she saw. "I couldn't recognise anyone, just their
teeth were visible," she said. "The stomachs [of the victims] had burst
and their intestines were spilling out. Some of the bodies were hugging
children."
One of the victims was Desi Setiani, 26, who was found wrapped around
her two children, three-year-old Bisma Syaputra and six-year-old Juan
Ramadhan. The boys were inside the building because they had gone to see
their mother at work before the party started.
"I heard the first explosion and people around me started
calling for help," Desi's husband, Indra Lesmana, 34, told Al Jazeera.
"My wife, two children and my sister-in-law were inside, so I ran to try
and put out the flames using water from a nearby tank. My family
couldn't get out because the back doors were on fire and the front door
was locked."
No one could survive the ferocity of the blaze [Antara via Reuters].
Raging fire
Lesmana said that the fire raged for around an hour before the
firefighters managed to extinguish the flames. "By that time, I knew
there wouldn't be any survivors, even though I was too shocked to look
inside," he said. "I just panicked."
He said he had urged his wife to stop working at the illegal
factory on several occasions due to safety concerns, but she had yet to
find another job. According to Lesmana, the factory was equipped with
one small fire extinguisher, but the workers had not been trained on how
to use it.
The fire is thought to have been caused by lighter fluid which
ignited inside the building. The police investigation is still ongoing.
Family members told Al Jazeera that, just days before the
incident, the factory had received a new shipment of thousands of
lighters. The all-female workforce was assembling them by affixing metal
heads onto the plastic bodies.
Indonesia is notorious for its illegal factories, which often
operate out of private homes to avoid paying taxes and circumvent other
workplace regulations.
Millions of workers across the archipelago work in unsafe
conditions and accidents are common. In February 2019, an illegal gold
mine in North Sulawesi collapsed, killing dozens inside. Nearly two
years ago, almost 50 people died when a fireworks factory exploded in
the capital, Jakarta.
Lesmana is disappointed that the local authorities have so far failed
to identify his wife's remains. His sons were identified and buried on
Saturday night as they were the only two males to die in the blaze,
making the identification process faster and simpler.
Indra Lesmana, 34, lost his wife, two children and his sister-in-law in the blaze [Yessyka Rahmadani/Al Jazeera]
Slow identification process
The grieving father and husband was also critical of the
decision to move the bodies to Bhayangkara Hospital in the provincial
capital of Medan, rather than trying to identify them at the scene.
"Because my wife was found hugging our two children to save them from
the flames, I could have easily identified her if she hadn't been
moved," he said.
Lesmana added that he had provided the Disaster Victim Identification
[DVI] team with dental records and photographs of his wife. Her parents
had also given a DNA sample. "They need to work harder [to identify the
victims]," he added.
Other relatives, who have been camped at Bhayangkara Hospital since Friday, shared the same concerns.
A family member, who did not want to be identified, said that
his sister-in-law, Ayu Agustina, 23, had died in the blaze and that the
family had provided information to identify her remains as early as
Friday night. "But for three days they didn't tell us anything," he told
Al Jazeera. "They're the experts, but they showed us her earrings today
and we thought we had a deal to take her home," he added.
No members of the DVI team, some of whom have been drafted in from the Indonesian capital, would speak to Al Jazeera directly.
The team did however allow Al Jazeera to visit the hospital morgue to observe the challenges of identifying the victims.
The bodies were charred black by the explosion and almost all their
skin was burned off, leaving internal organs exposed - hampering the
identification process and rendering hair samples, scar tissue and
fingerprints useless.
A DVI team member, speaking on condition of anonymity, said two
positive means of identification were needed to release a body to a
family - a DNA match or other matches which can be cross-referenced,
such as jewellery, clothing or dental records.
Families have been prevented from viewing the remains of the victims
for fear that it would be too upsetting and would not help the
identification process due to the condition of the bodies.
The factory owner, a businessman based in Medan, has been arrested.
"I hope he faces the full force of the law and goes to prison," said Lesmana. "He has to take responsibility for this."
Five things to know about the killing of Jamal Khashoggi
UN special rapporteur is set to present her findings on Khashoggi's killing the at UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday.
Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul [Omar Shagaleh/Anadolu]
More than eight months since the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi,
his remains still haven't been found and individual responsibilities in
the killing remain "clouded in secrecy and lack of due process",
according to a long-awaited UN report.
Agnes Callamard, UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, is presenting her findings on Khashoggi's murder at the UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday, one week after her report on the matter was released.
The report concluded that Saudi Arabia was responsible for Khashoggi's murder and that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) should be investigated for his possible role in ordering the killing.
Here are five things you need to know about what has happened since
Khashoggi disappeared in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2
and what is expected to happen next.
1. Khashoggi's murder
Khashoggi, a contributing columnist for the Washington Post, was
killed and dismembered at the Saudi consulate on October 2 when he
arrived to pick up documents he needed for his planned marriage.
The 59-year-old Saudi insider-turned-critic was strangled and his
body cut into pieces by a team of 15 Saudis sent to Istanbul
specifically to carry out that operation, according to Turkish
officials.
Turkish media reports suggested his remains, which have never been found, were dissolved in acid.
Saudi Arabia's narrative of what happened changed over time.
They first maintained that Khashoggi left the consulate shortly after
entering but, as Turkish authorities continued to leak evidence of
high-level involvement, Riyadh eventually admitted its agents carried
out the killing with a series of contradictory explanations.
On October 20, Saudi Arabia said Khashoggi was killed
in their consulate during a fight that broke out between him and
officials he was meeting with there. Eighteen Saudi nationals were
arrested.
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said Riyadh did not know where Khashoggi's remains were and blamed his death on "rogue" agents.
In November the CIA concluded
that MBS ordered Khashoggi's assassination, according to US media
reports. The finding contradicts Saudi government assertions that MBS
wasn't involved. US officials expressed high confidence in the CIA
assessment.
2. Ban on arms sales
Khashoggi's murder sparked debate worldwide about banning arms sales to Saudi Arabia, which emerged as the world's largest arms importer from 2014-2018, accounting for 12 percent of imports.
A number of European states had already stopped exporting weapons to
Saudi Arabia - including Norway, Sweden, Austria, Greece, and the
Belgian region of Wallonia - in response to the kingdom's involvement in
an aerial bombing campaign in Yemen, which has become the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
Following Khashoggi's murder, Germany announced it had suspended
supplying arms to Saudi Arabia. It extended its six-month arms embargo
in April.
Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands followed suit with the
suspension of future approvals of weapons, while Austria advocated for
an EU-wide arms embargo.
France, Spain, Italy and Canada however, did not stop arms exports to Saudi Arabia.
On Tuesday the UK government said it will not grant any new licences
for weapons exports to Saudi Arabia or its coalition partners, which
include the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The US has continued with its "business as usual with Saudi Arabia" approach. However, on Thursday the US Senate rejected - in a 53-45 vote - a plan by US President Donald Trump to bypass Congress and complete $8bn in arms sales to the kingdom.
3. No 'credible accountability'
In January eleven suspects were indicted for Khashoggi's murder in
Saudi Arabia, which has insisted it will try the case and has refused
the extradition of suspects to Turkey.
But the UN human rights office questioned the fairness of the Saudi trial, saying that it was "not sufficient" and called for a probe "with international involvement".
Last week, the long-awaited UN report revealed that the key suspect in Khashoggi's murder, Saud al-Qahtani, former adviser to MBS, still hasn't been charged.
The Saudi prosecutor in November 2018 identified Qahtani as one of
the senior officials directly involved in the murder. Yet, according to
insider reports, he continues to work with MBS.
Six other members of the hit squad have yet to appear before the court.
With the trial held behind closed doors and the identities of those
charged still unreleased, the trial "will not deliver credible
accountability," the UN rapporteur wrote.
4. Targeting dissidents
The UN, human rights organisations and analysts have pointed out that
Khashoggi's murder is emblematic of a larger problem: the widespread
Saudi crackdown on dissidents.
A year before Khashoggi was killed, MBS told an aide he would use a bullet on
the journalist if he did not return to Saudi Arabia and end his
criticism of the government, according to a New York Times report.
MBS was also quoted in US media reports describing Khashoggi
as a "dangerous Islamist" in a phone call with US President Donald
Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and National
Security Advisor John Bolton weeks after Khashoggi's disappearance.
The New York Times also reported in March that MBS had authorised a clandestine campaign to silence Saudi dissenters more than a year before Khashoggi's murder.
The campaign included surveillance, kidnapping, detention and torture
of Saudis, the report said, citing US officials who read classified
intelligence reports about the effort.
One of the victims of this group was a university lecturer who
reported on the situation of women in Saudi Arabia. She was tortured
last year, prompting her to attempt suicide.
5. UN report: "Saudi Arabia is responsible'
There is "credible evidence" linking MBS to Khashoggi's murder and
the crown prince should be investigated, the UN rights expert concluded on June 19.
In her report, UN extrajudicial executions investigator Callamard
said Khashoggi's death "constituted an extrajudicial killing for which
the State of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is responsible".
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Callamard said: "There is little doubt in my mind that the killing was premeditated. It was planned."
Along with a minute-by-minute account of the journalist's grisly dismemberment based on audio recordings, the
report found "credible evidence" that Saudi Arabia had destroyed proof
by "thoroughly, even forensically" cleaning the crime scene.
Furthermore, "the Saudi investigation was not conducted in good
faith, and it may amount to obstructing justice," the report stated.
What's next?
Hours after the release of Callamard's investigation, a spokesman for UN chief Antonio Guterres said he could only launch an inquiry with a mandate from "a competent intergovernmental body".
To pursue a criminal investigation that would oblige all countries to
cooperate would require a UN Security Council resolution, he added.
But Callamard said she believed the UN chief "should be able to
establish a follow-up criminal investigation without any trigger" by
other UN bodies or member states.
Matthew Bryza, a former US diplomat and senior fellow at the US-based
Atlantic Council think-tank, said Guterres was unlikely to initiate a
criminal probe.
"That leaves the Security Council [to trigger an investigation], but I
fear the US, under President Donald Trump, will block any action in the
Security Council or in the UN General Assembly," Bryza said,
underlining that a change in the US approach would be needed to launch
an investigation.
The other relevant body is the UN Human Rights Council. But Saudi
Arabia sits on the body and may be able to stop other countries from
launching an inquiry.
"These shocking and horrific details make the Saudi government's
claim this was an interrogation that went off the rails seem absurd and
impossible to be true … an impartial UN investigation is required,"
Bryza added.
Sebagoro, Uganda - It was raining heavily when we arrived on Saturday at the Sebagoro refugee transit centre in western Uganda.
The previous day, 354 Congolese had crossed the nearby Lake Albert fleeing ethnic fighting between rival militias in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ituri province. At least 300 people had been killed in just two weeks and some 400,000 people had been displaced.
At the transit centre, where new arrivals were being tagged and
registered, we met a 14-year-old boy who had just escaped from a village
close to Lake Albert.
Upenji James said the last image he has of his mother was of her
running from a machete-wielding man. That, however, was not his first
encounter with violence.
"In 2018, I saw my father killed before my own eyes. I don't know
where my mother is or if she's safe. I have been told my grandmother was
seen back in DRC. I miss them," he said.
The latest outbreak of violence in Ituri is part of a decades-long
conflict between militias connected to the Lendu farmers and the Hema
herders. The clashes date back to the 1970s when the two groups began
clashing over farmland and grazing rights.
The conflict peaked between 1999 and 2007 when more than 60,000 people were killed, according to United Nations figures.
Then in 2017 and 2018, more than 100 people were killed and some
100,000 were displaced after militias pillaged and set fire to
villages.
Some Congolese say the conflict has morphed since it began decades
ago, partly because of the militias' desire to control the mineral
wealth in the resource-rich region.
At the transit centre in Sebagoro, Upenji and other unaccompanied minors were given yellow wristbands.
Upenji James, 14, was separated from his family as he fled ethnic violence in DRC's Ituri province [Joshua Moturu/ Al Jazeera]
Some others wore a white band to identify them as having come from Ebola-affected areas. The disease has killed more than 1,000 people in parts of eastern DRC.
We then accompanied about 100 people, including Upenji, on their journey to a reception area further inland.
As they headed further away from their homes in a truck, the refugees appeared anxious but also resilient.
'Whomever they caught, they slaughtered'
At the Kaguma reception centre, run by the UN refugee agency (UNHRC)
and the Ugandan government, the refugees will be given three hot meals a
day and officially registered as refugees. Eventually, they will be
given a piece of land. They will also be able to work, take their
children to school and move around the country - thanks to Uganda's
progressive policy on refugees.
Close to 4,000 refugees who have come to Uganda in recent weeks have been registered.
We met Chivonetta Ngambusi and her two children, who were settling into their new life at the reception centre.
"I heard gunshots and then saw the men. Whomever they caught up with,
they slaughtered. My husband took two children and ran. I took the
other two and headed a different direction to the forest. I don't know
where they went," she said, recounting her escape from Ituri.
Ngambusi and her children will soon be joining about 100,000 others
at the Kyangwali settlement. Most of the refugees there are Congolese
who have fled from conflict in Ituri over the decades.
There are 100,000 Congolese refugees at the Kyangwali settlement [Joshua Moturu/ Al Jazeera]
Our last stop that day was the settlement area where two boys were playing draft, a common board game in the settlement.
Dienjunion Monde was a Hema, while Omega Mugenyi was a Lendu.
Meanwhile, in Ituri, a military offensive against armed groups hiding out in the forest around Djugu territory was going on
Jules Ngongo, a spokesman for the DRC military, said the troops have
captured four main rebel bases, killed dozens of fighters, recovered
weapons and rescued many civilians who had been held hostage and cattle
that had been stolen during the attacks.
On the last day of our assignment, we saw Upenji again.
He told us he hoped his family was safe and that he wanted to go back to school.
Interacting with refugees makes you reflect on your life.
They expose their vulnerability, tell you stories that you cannot
even begin to wrap your head around, yet they handle life with so much
dignity and bravery.
Some 4,000 people who have come to Uganda in recent weeks have been registered as refugees [Joshua Moturu/Al Jazeera]
. 🎉🎂 Happy Birthday! 🎂🎉On this special day, I want to take a moment to celebrate you and all the incredible qualities that make you the amazing person you are. Another year has passed, and with it, you've grown wiser, stronger, and even more extraordinary.Your presence in my life brings joy and positivity every day. Your kindness, compassion, and unwavering support inspire those around you. Today is a reminder of how fortunate we are to have you in our lives. May your birthday be filled with laughter, love, and cherished moments with friends and family. Here's to another year of beautiful memories and endless possibilities.Once again, Happy Birthday! 🥳🎈🎁With warmest wishes and love, [Aina Stephen] ��� @Aina Stephen
Mike Okiro, a onetime Inspector-General of Police, IGP, has cautioned against the ban of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). Okiro said the squad should be rebranded and refocused for effective service delivery rather than being banned. Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on Thursday, the former IGP said the ban of SARS would lead to more robbery activities. According to Okiro, robbers would be happy at the ban of SARS. “The police management should go to the drawing board and retrain personnel of the SARS as it will be counter-productive to disband them. “You cannot throw away the baby with the bath water, if they have deviated from what they were established for they should be retrained and refocused,“he said. “Armed robbers will be happy that there is no more SARS in the country but are Nigerians ready for that, “he said. NEWS: COVID-19: Trump shares experience He said that the squad had derailed from the primary purpose of tackling arme...
![Phaim Bhuiyan, right, was born in Italy to a Bangladeshi family and his debut film explores second-generation challenges [Courtesy: Christiana Nosel]](https://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/imagecache/mbdxxlarge/mritems/Images/2019/6/25/12efa3e949ac46e6b88c3f708a438fb7_18.jpg "Bangladeshi-Italian director shines light on minority community")
![The residential building that doubled as a factory exploded into flames on Friday killing at least 30 people [Yessyka Rahmadani/Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/imagecache/mbdxxlarge/mritems/Images/2019/6/25/b67e6b38eb6b49bbbce22f2a284a16e2_18.jpg "Grieving families demand answers after deadly Indonesia fire")
According to the Ministry of Interior, almost 39,000 Bangladeshis
live in Rome. Tor Pignattara, a working-class neighbourhood in the
eastern outskirts, hosts the largest community.
Bangla has grossed roughly 148,500 euros ($167,000), according to
production company Fandango, with 25,000 people flocking to cinemas to
watch the film. 
Some others wore a white band to identify them as having come from Ebola-affected areas. The disease has killed more than 1,000 people in parts of eastern DRC.
Our last stop that day was the settlement area where two boys were playing draft, a common board game in the settlement.
SUPERB!!!
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