G20 foreign ministers’ meeting ends without a joint communique because of disagreements regarding Ukraine war
Both China and Russia expressed concerns over western countries’ attempts to compromise the real objective of the G20 by using the forum to push their geopolitical agenda
US announces fresh sanctions against firms involved in Iranian oil and petrochemical exports
The list of companies sanctioned include a firm based in Vietnam, two in China, one in the UAE, and two in Iran. The US accused these firms of being “knowingly engaging” in the transport of Iranian oil and petrochemicals in violation of existing sanctions
Protesters accuse military of custodial killing of daily wager in Kashmir
The body of Abdul Rashid Dar was recovered from the Zirhama forest of Kupwara district. Dar had been detained in December by security forces who subsequently claimed he had escaped
US renews “national emergency” against Venezuela, keeping brutal sanctions in place
President Joe Biden has renewed the Obama-era Executive Order 13692 against Venezuela, citing an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to US national security. The measure has been used to impose an illegal sanctions regime targeting the socialist country, its people, and its economy
Myanmar’s junta is acquiring new supplies of aviation fuel despite war crimes, says report
A new report by rights groups has identified more companies—including India’s Reliance Industries Ltd and Greece’s Sea Trade Marine—involved in aviation fuel transactions to Myanmar’s junta
Greek working class outraged by the deadly train collision in Tempi
Greek communists and trade unionists slammed the malfunctioning system—degraded by austerity and negligence—that operates the railways in the country. They pointed out that they had warned a number of times about the conditions that led to the crash
Housing rights groups slam Portuguese government’s inadequate housing reforms
On February 16, the Portuguese government unveiled a new housing plan that includes suspending new licenses for Airbnbs in the country and ending golden visas for international buyers. However, housing rights groups and leftist parties have called out the government’s silence on important issues like social housing, rent freezes, a ban on evictions, speculation by the real estate lobby, and profiteering by rent sharks
Israeli bill advocating death sentence in ‘terror’ cases passes first reading in Knesset
The bill mandates the death penalty in cases where an Israeli citizen is killed in a ‘terrorist act’ by a Palestinian, but will not apply to an Israeli citizen committing the same crime against a Palestinian. Israel classifies resistance acts against its occupation as terrorism