https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/ecowas-lifts-sanctions-on-mali

ECOWAS lifts sanctions on Mali

West African leaders meeting in Ghana on Sunday within the framework of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) announced lifting the trade and financial sanctions on Mali.

The West African bloc had imposed sanctions on Mali over the coup that took place last year despite the military junta pledging to return to civilian rule following reforms.

ECOWAS said it accepted Bamako's March 2024 date for a return to civilian rule.

"It's done!" one participant at the summit of the West African bloc ECOWAS told AFP. "We have decided to lift economic and financial sanctions against Mali."

The leaders of ECOWAS had agreed to cut financial aid and freeze Mali's assets at the Central Bank of West African States.

Earlier, the junta had submitted a proposal to the bloc for a new timeframe for restoring power to civilians, Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop announced on the eve of a summit of the group.

In August 2020, army officers led by Colonel Assimi Goita toppled the elected president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita amid street protests against his rule.

Under threat of sanctions, Goita promised to restore civilian rule in February 2022 after holding presidential and legislative elections.

But he staged a second coup in May 2021, forcing out an interim civilian government and provoking widespread diplomatic condemnation.

ECOWAS insisted that Mali hold elections in February, but the junta promised it would set an election date only after holding a nationwide conference, arguing a peaceful vote was more important than speed.

The sanctions were received by condemnations from Bamako, with the junta announcing the recall of the country's ambassadors to the West African nations involved, as well as the closure of air and land borders with them.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/turkey-detains-russian-ship-suspected-of-carrying-ukrainian

Turkey detains Russian ship suspected of carrying Ukrainian grain

Turkish customs said that a Russian cargo ship suspected of transporting grain from Ukraine was detained in Turkish waters on Sunday, according to Sputnik.

"The vessel is here but there is no clarity and no concrete decision has been taken. A request was made [by Ukraine to detain the ship] and an investigation is underway," the source said.

Vladimir Rogov, a member of the newly-established military-civilian administration of the Zaporizhzhia region, accused the West of piracy, saying that the ones who created the situation in Ukraine "are blocking grain sales and hunting Russian ships carrying that grain" while also "accusing Russia of causing global hunger."

Officials in Ukraine said the grain was seized from Berdyansk Port in the southeastern province of Zaporizhzhia. The area is currently under the control of Russian forces.

Rogov said the detained ship was carrying 4,500 tons of grain. A Russian-flagged cargo ship transporting 7,000 tons of grain sailed from the Black Sea port of Berdyank on Thursday, according to Sputnik, and Ukraine asked Turkey to detain the vessel.

>> Turkey poking the bear.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/sudan:-4th-day-of-anti-coup-protests-in-khartoum

Sudan: 4th day of anti-coup protests in Khartoum

Protests on the streets of Khartoum are on their fourth consecutive day on Sunday, as protestors took to the streets again to demand civil rule and an end to the military coup executed by the army last year.

The Sudanese capital saw its bloodiest day of protests since the beginning of the year two days, as nine protestors were killed.

The coup, which took place more than eight months ago, plunged the country into a cycle of violence and further deepened the country's economic crisis.

Protestors in Khartoum chanted for vengeance against the military for killing protestors, with some carrying pictures of those who fell by the military's fire.

Sudan has been in turmoil since October 25, 2021, after Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's transitional government was dismissed and a state of emergency was declared in the country.

Before the takeover by the military forces, Sudan was ruled by a sovereign council of the military, and civilian officials were tasked with overseeing the transition period until elections in 2023.

On Oct. 25, Army General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan spearheaded a military coup that halted a collaboration between the army and civilian parties that was supposed to lead to democratic elections, igniting months of protests and international condemnation.

>>16590024

Having the same thoughts. It's creepy.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/iran-fm:-zionist-regime-in-worst-security-political-conditio

Iran FM: Zionist regime in worst security, political condition

The Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said the Israeli occupation is in the worst possible security and political situation.

In a meeting with Palestinian groups in Damascus, Amir-Abdollahian stated that some people believe that normalizing relations with the Zionist regime will "address their internal problems," but they are completely mistaken.

Recently, they have falsely claimed that Iran is trying to kidnap Israeli tourists in Turkey by sending several security forces, he said, adding that it was a media campaign by the Zionist regime. He explained that Iran aided Palestinian groups by assisting the Resistance against the Zionist regime.

Amir-Abdollahian also mentioned Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi's message from Saudi Arabia, saying Iran welcomes the reopening of embassies and the beginning of dialogue with Saudi Arabia.

He added that Iran welcomes the strengthening of Tehran-Cairo relations, which will benefit the region and the Islamic World.

The Foreign Minister emphasized that Iran rejects conflict from Ukraine to Palestine and Yemen, adding that the region should settle its own problems.

He reiterated Iran's support for Palestinians, stating that the last seven decades have shown that Resistance is the only way to liberate Palestine.

Iranian FM in Syria for peace and security

Regional developments need the Islamic Republic of Iran's constant constructive involvement in preventing a new crisis in the region, according to the Foreign Minister.

He stated that his journey to Syria is to promote peace and security between Syria and Turkey, as both countries have close ties with Iran.

According to Amir-Abdollahian, the trip discussed bilateral talks on numerous regional and international problems.

When Amir-Abdollahian arrived in Damascus, he told reporters that the Syrian President's recent visit to Tehran marked a watershed moment in the two nations' relations.

The relevance of his visit to Syria, according to the FM, stems from the fact that Iran and Syria are currently in a new phase of comprehensive cooperation, particularly in the economic and trade spheres.

Amir-Abdollahian used the opportunity to condemn "Israel's" attempts to aggress against Syria and breach its territorial integrity, saying that the Israeli occupation is aiming to destabilize Syria, complicating the return of Syrian refugees.

>>16590119

It's that Biden you're talking about? kek!

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israel-take-part-in-military-drill-in-morocco

'Israel' take part in military drill in Morocco

Israeli occupation forces and representatives of the Israeli Security Ministry took part in military exercises in Morocco for the first time, according to the Ministry's press department.

The African Lion yearly military drill took place throughout last month. The drill was attended by military troops from ten different countries.

Officials from the Israeli Security Ministry and occupation forces "participated in an international military exercise in Morocco for the first time this past week: ‘African Lion 2022’, led by AFRICOM [US Africa Command] and the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces," the Israeli Security Ministry said on social media on Saturday.

According to the Ministry, the African Lion drill was attended by the head of the Policy and Political-Military Bureau's Middle East and North Africa division, who also serves as the security attache to Morocco, as well as two Israeli occupation officers.

The Security Ministry stated that "Israel's" involvement in the drill in Morocco was intended to boost bilateral security relations.

Mutual desires

In March, an Israeli occupation military delegation met with Moroccan officers in Rabat in the first visit of its kind since the 2020 normalization deal, and the two signed a security cooperation agreement.

"A meeting took place at General Staff headquarters to develop cooperation" between Morocco and "Israel", a Moroccan Royal Armed Forces source told AFP.

During the visit, the two signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation and setting up a joint commission, the Israeli occupation army said in a statement, without adding details.

The statement mentioned that "the heads of the occupation army's strategic planning and cooperation directorate and its international cooperation division were present, along with its intelligence section's operations division chief."

Normalization with "Israel"

Morocco and "Israel" formally signed a normalization deal a year ago. Following that, relations grew in all aspects, from the exchange of ambassadors to tourism and flights, exports and business contacts, high-level ministerial visits, and security cooperation.

However, 36 Moroccan cities witnessed protests against normalization with “Israel” and in solidarity with Palestine.

These protests came in response to the call of the Moroccan National Front to Support Palestine and Oppose Normalization’s to reject normalization.

Protesters were suppressed by the security forces, which resulted in injuries within the ranks of protesters, among which are elders.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/uk-mod-threatens-to-cut-off-fuel-suppliers-over-russian-oil

UK MoD threatens to cut off fuel suppliers over Russian oil usage

The British Ministry of Defense has threatened to abandon fuel suppliers that use Russian oil, a ministry spokesperson said on Sunday.

"If oil products supplied to the Ministry of Defense are found to come from Russian suppliers, we will take immediate action to switch to alternate suppliers," The Telegraph quoted the spokesperson as saying.

London's defense ministry reportedly acquires its fuel from various suppliers, including jet fuel from the Greek Motor Oil Hellas, which had signed in November 2017 a five-year deal with the Russian Rosneft company.

Tanker tracking data shows that shipments of oil had been sent from Russia to Motor Oil's terminal in Corinth, Greece, since the start of the Ukraine war and the oil embargo on Moscow.

The spokesperson said that the ministry was assured that the fuel obtained from Motor Oil Hellas was not sourced from Russia, however.

The United Kingdom announced in March that it would stop importing oil from Russia by the end of 2022 in response to Moscow's actions in Ukraine. Russian imports accounted for 8% of the country's total oil demand and 18% of diesel before the war kicked off.

Western countries have imposed batches of sanctions on Russian oil, gas, currency, and more. The United States has banned Russian fuel imports, while the United Kingdom and the European Union have agreed to phase out their use.

Conversely, Asian countries such as China and India have increased their imports of Russian fuel, lured by record discounts of more than 30% on Brent crude.

Russia has been able to absorb the discounts caused by the rise in the price of Brent crude. Urals, Russia's main export blend, averaged $78.81 per barrel in May, up nearly 12% from the previous month.

The average price of diesel has reached a new high of 190.92 pence per liter, while gasoline has risen to 185.04 pence.

According to RAC calculations, a 55-liter family car with diesel now costs £105.01 ($128.14), while a full tank of gasoline costs £101.77 ($124.19).

"The speed and scale of the increase is staggering… Incredibly, the government is now raking around £46 ($56) in tax from every full tank," RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said in a statement cited by Bloomberg.

UK motoring groups have urged the government to take more decisive action to assist drivers in dealing with the price increase. The government already reduced fuel duty by 5 pence per liter in March, but motorists deemed the reduction insufficient. According to the RAC, a further reduction in fuel tax is long overdue but would still be "very welcome."

>> More fuel shortages.

>>16590222

Ask the Nazis.

>>16590293

growing faster.

>>16590334

>>16590358

HRC is Alice. Alice in chains. 666. Kansas. Final concert.

>>16590440