World
EU names Russian banks banned from raising capital
The European Union (EU) banned five Russian banks from raising capital on the European Union’s capital markets as part of a wider package of sanctions on Moscow over its actions in the Ukraine conflict.
Due to enter into force on 1 August, the ban targets Russian banks with state ownership of more than 50%. It excludes EU subsidiaries of the Russian banks.
Marking a fundamental shift in how Europe deals with Russia, the sanctions will mean EU nationals and companies can no longer buy or sell new bonds, equity or other financial instruments with a maturity of more than 90 days issued by major state-owned Russian banks or those acting on their behalf.
The European Union formally adopted sanctions on Thursday, which also curb arms sales to Russia. Others limit defence sales and the export of hi-tech equipment for the oil sector.
Until this week, Europe had imposed sanctions only on individuals and organisations accused of direct involvement in threatening Ukraine, and had shied away from wider “sectoral sanctions”. It published a new list of associates of Putin and companies subject to asset freezes late on Wednesday.
World
US Senate advances measure curbing Trump’s Iran war powers
Trump declared on May 1 that a ceasefire had “terminated” hostilities against Iran.
The U.S. Senate advanced a war-powers resolution on Tuesday that would end the Iran war unless President Donald Trump obtains Congress’ authorization, a rare rebuke of the Republican leader 80 days after U.S. and Israeli forces began striking Iran, Reuters reported.
The vote on a procedural measure to advance the resolution was 50 to 47, as four of Trump’s fellow Republicans voted with every Democrat but one in favor. Three Republicans missed the vote.
The result was a victory for lawmakers who have been arguing that Congress, not the president, should have the power to send troops to war, as spelled out in the Constitution. However, it was only a procedural vote, and the resolution faces steep hurdles before going into effect.
Even if it eventually passes the 100-member Senate, the resolution must also pass the Republican-led House of Representatives and garner two-thirds majorities in both the House and Senate to survive an expected Trump veto.
Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, who sponsored the resolution, said a ceasefire offered Trump an ideal opportunity to make his case to Congress as the president has said Tehran has made a new proposal to end the U.S.-Israeli war that began on February 28.
“That’s the perfect time to have a discussion before we start up war again. The president is receiving peace and diplomatic proposals that he is throwing into the trash can without sharing them with us,” Kaine said during debate before the vote.
Trump’s Republicans blocked seven previous attempts to advance similar resolutions in the Senate this year. They have also stopped three war-powers resolutions by narrow votes in the House this year.
Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only Democrat to vote against the measure. Republicans Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted in favor, as did Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, days after he lost his primary to an opponent backed by Trump, read the report.
The war-powers vote was the second in the Senate since the conflict hit a deadline on May 1, 60 days after Trump formally informed Congress that the conflict had started, for Trump to come to Congress about the war.
Under a 1973 U.S. war-powers law passed in response to the Vietnam War, a U.S. president can wage military action for only 60 days before ending it, asking Congress for authorization or seeking a 30-day extension due to “unavoidable military necessity regarding the safety of United States Armed Forces” while withdrawing forces.
Trump declared on May 1 that a ceasefire had “terminated” hostilities against Iran.
Despite that assertion, the U.S. has been blockading Iranian ports and striking Iranian ships, and Iran has been effectively blocking the Strait of Hormuz and attacking U.S. ships.
Democrats, and a few Republicans, have called on Trump to come to Congress for authorization to use military force, noting that the U.S. Constitution says that Congress, not the president, can declare war. They have expressed concerns that Trump may have entered the country into a long conflict without setting out a clear strategy.
Republicans, and the White House, say Trump’s actions are legal and within his rights as commander in chief to protect the U.S. by ordering limited military operations.
Some congressional Republicans have accused Democrats of filing the war-powers resolutions only because of their partisan opposition to Trump.
World
San Diego mosque security guard hailed as hero after deadly shooting
A security guard who was killed during a deadly shooting at a mosque in San Diego is being remembered as a hero after authorities said his actions helped save lives.
Amin Abdullah, a father of eight and longtime security guard at the Islamic Center of San Diego, was among three people killed in Monday’s attack, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations-San Diego (CAIR-SD).
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl praised Abdullah’s response during the shooting, saying his actions were “heroic” and likely prevented further casualties.
“Undoubtedly, he saved lives today,” Wahl told reporters during a news conference.
The other victims were identified by CAIR-SD as Mansour Kaziha and Nader Awad.
According to police, two teenage suspects carried out the attack before later taking their own lives. Authorities said the suspects, aged 17 and 18, were found dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds inside a vehicle several blocks from the mosque.
Investigators are treating the incident as a suspected hate crime. Police said “hate rhetoric” was connected to the attack, though officials have not yet released additional details about the suspects or their motives.
The shooting unfolded after the mother of one of the teenagers reportedly contacted police earlier in the day to say her son had run away with a friend and might be suicidal.
Hours later, officers searching for the pair discovered three victims suffering from gunshot wounds outside the Islamic Center of San Diego, including Abdullah.
Members of the local Muslim community described Abdullah as a kind and devoted figure who had spent more than a decade protecting worshippers at the mosque.
In a statement, the mosque said Abdullah “put himself on the line for the safety of others” and continued protecting the community even in his final moments.
Friends and community members also paid tribute on social media, remembering him as compassionate and welcoming to everyone who visited the mosque.
“He would greet anyone and make sure they were OK,” community member Sam Hamideh told local media.
World
Trump says he paused attack on Iran, signals a nuclear deal may be possible
Iran’s top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya, said Iran’s armed forces are “ready to pull the trigger” in the event of any renewed U.S. attack.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had paused a planned attack against Iran after Tehran sent a peace proposal to Washington, and that there was now a “very good chance” of reaching a deal limiting Iran’s nuclear program, Reuters reported.
After Iran sent the U.S. a new peace proposal, Trump said he had instructed the U.S. military that “we will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow, but have further instructed them to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached.”
No such attack had previously been announced, and Reuters could not determine whether preparations had been made for strikes that would mark a renewal of the war Trump started in late February.
Under pressure to reach an accord that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Trump has previously expressed hope that a deal was close on ending the war, and similarly threatened heavy strikes on Iran if Tehran does not reach a deal.
In his post, he said the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had requested that he hold off on the attack because “a Deal will be made, which will be very acceptable to the United States of America, as well as all Countries in the Middle East, and beyond.” He did not offer details of the agreement being discussed.
Speaking to reporters later, he said the United States would be satisfied if it could reach an agreement with Iran that prevents Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“There seems to be a very good chance that they can work something out. If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I would be very happy,” Trump told reporters gathered for an unrelated announcement.
Trump’s post on calling off an attack came after Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed that Tehran’s views had been “conveyed to the American side through Pakistan” but gave no details.
A Pakistani source confirmed that Islamabad, which has conveyed messages between the sides in the war in the Middle East since hosting the only round of peace talks last month, had shared the latest proposal with Washington. But the source suggested progress had been difficult.
The sides “keep changing their goalposts,” the Pakistani source said, adding: “We don’t have much time.”
Iran remained defiant in statements issued on state media after Trump’s announcement, warning the U.S. and its allies against making any further “strategic mistakes or miscalculations” in attacking Iran, while contending the Iranian armed forces were “more prepared and stronger than in the past.”
Iran’s top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya, said Iran’s armed forces are “ready to pull the trigger” in the event of any renewed U.S. attack, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency.
“Any renewed aggression and invasion … will be responded to quickly, decisively, powerfully, and extensively,” the commander of Khatam al-Anbiya, Ali Abdollahi, was quoted as saying.
The Iranian peace proposal, as described by a senior Iranian source, appeared similar in many respects to Iran’s previous offer, which Trump rejected last week as “garbage”.
It would focus first on securing an end to the war, reopening the Strait of Hormuz – a major oil supply route that Iran has effectively blockaded – and lifting maritime sanctions.
In an apparent softening of Washington’s stance, the senior Iranian source said on Monday that the United States had agreed to release a quarter of Iran’s frozen funds – totalling tens of billions of dollars – held in foreign banks. Iran wants all the assets released.
The Iranian source also said Washington had shown more flexibility in agreeing to let Iran continue some peaceful nuclear activity under supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The U.S. has not confirmed that it has agreed to anything in the talks.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency separately quoted an unidentified source as saying the U.S. had agreed to waive oil sanctions on Iran while negotiations were under way.
Iranian officials did not immediately comment on Tasnim’s report, which a U.S. official, who declined to be named, said was false.
A fragile ceasefire is in place after six weeks of war that followed U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran, although drones have been launched from Iraq towards Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, apparently by Iran and its allies. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Monday condemning a drone attack on Sunday, in which Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted three drones that entered the country from Iraqi airspace.
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