India likely to pay for Russian arms in euros to beat US sanctions
Published: The Economic Times

28 Jun 2019

India is likely to make its payments for Russian arms in euros to a Russia-nominated bank to bypass the threat of US sanctions for purchase of military hardware including the S-400 air defence missile system, people familiar with the details told ET. While certain payments for existing defence transactions have been processed through the rupee-rouble route, the people said that a solution was firmed up this month with Russia’s VTB Bank agreeing to receive money in euros.Click here to read...

U.N. puts brakes on peacekeepers' pullout from Sudan's Darfur amid political crisis
Published: The Japan Times

28 Jun 2019

The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Thursday to put the brakes on the withdrawal of the joint U.N.-African Union peacekeeping force in Sudan’s vast western Darfur region as the country deals with a political crisis. The council approved a resolution to extend the current mandate of the force, known as UNAMID, for four months until October 31.Click here to read...

UK and other powers to hold crunch talks with Iran over nuclear deal
Published: The Guardian

27 Jun 2019

Britain and other international powers are set for crunch talks to persuade Iran to abandon its efforts to enrich uranium, after Tehran temporarily held back on its threat to breach the 2015 nuclear deal.
Iran had threatened to go over the 300kg limit for low-enriched uranium stockpiles on Thursday, but experts at the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency said progress in increasing the stockpiles had been slower than expected and that the limit may not be reached until the weekend.Click here to read...

Fresh protests hit Hong Kong as activists seek voice at G20
Published: Reuters

27 Jun 2019

Protesters in Hong Kong blocked roads and forced workers to leave the justice secretary’s offices on Thursday in the latest unrest to rock the city over an extradition bill that has now been suspended.
Millions have thronged the streets in the past three weeks to demand that the bill, which would allow criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial in courts controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, be scrapped altogether.Click here to read...

Pakistan, EU sign new strategic engagement plan
Published: The Dawn

26 Jun 2019

Pakistan and the European Union on Tuesday inked their Strategic Engagement Plan (SEP), which is expected to provide the framework for greater cooperation and stronger ties between the two sides. The SEP was signed by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and EU High Representative Federica Mogherini at a ceremony in Brussels.Click here to read...