World Echo

The United States on Friday announced new sanctions to curb Iran's oil exports, including targeting 14 vessels, moments after the adversaries wrapped up a day of indirect talks in Oman. US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Iran uses oil revenue to "fund destabilising activities around the world and step up its repression inside Iran." Trump is "committed to driving down the Iranian regime's illicit oil and petrochemical exports under the administration's maximum pressure campaign," Pigott said in a statement. The state department said it would order a block of any transactions with 14 vessels said to transport Iranian oil, including ships flagged from Turkey, India and the United Arab Emirates. It also announced sanctions on 15 entities and two people. Since Trump's first administration, the United States has imposed sanctions to force all other countries to stop buying Iranian oil. Iran's foreign minister met indirectly in Oman on ...

US President Donald Trump shared a video on social media depicting Democratic former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as apes, invoking racist imagery long used to dehumanise people of African descent. Late on Thursday, Trump shared a minute-long video amplifying the Republican US president's false claims that his 2020 election defeat was the result of fraud. Spliced into the video was an apparently AI-generated clip of dancing primates superimposed with the Obamas' heads. The post drew swift criticism from prominent political figures, including Republican Senator Tim Scott, a Trump ally who is Black. "Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House," Scott said on X. "The President should remove it." Republican Representative Mike Lawler of New York said Trump should apologise and delete the post. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said the post had generated "fake outrage," adding...

The son of Norway's crown princess denied in court on Thursday that he ever drugged the alleged victim of one of the rapes he is charged with, on his second day of testimony in a trial that has transfixed Norway. Marius Borg Hoiby, 29, who joined the royal family when his mother Mette-Marit married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, is charged with 38 counts. He faces years in prison if convicted. On Tuesday, he pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape and one count of domestic violence. He pleaded guilty to offensive sexual behaviour, driving too fast and driving without a valid licence. Hoiby also said he was partially guilty — a plea allowed under Norwegian law — of aggravated assault and reckless behaviour. On Wednesday, he denied that videos on his phone showed acts of rape and broke down as he recalled a childhood in the public eye. Read More: Son of Norway's crown princess denies rape, admits lesser charges in court The trial comes with his mother facing scrutiny over fresh r...

Delegations from the United States, Ukraine and Russia have agreed to exchange 314 prisoners, US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Thursday, adding that significant work remained to end the war. "Today, delegations from the United States, Ukraine, and Russia agreed to exchange 314 prisoners—the first such exchange in five months," Witkoff said in a post on X. Read: Ukraine and Russia resume US-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi "This outcome was achieved from peace talks that have been detailed and productive. While significant work remains, steps like this demonstrate that sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results and advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine." Today, delegations from the United States, Ukraine, and Russia agreed to exchange 314 prisoners—the first such exchange in five months. This outcome was achieved from peace talks that have been detailed and productive. While significant work remains, steps...

Ukraine and Russia started a second day of US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, after a first day described as productive and positive by both Kyiv and Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin's envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, said on Thursday that there was progress and a positive movement forward in talks on how to end the four-year war. Ukraine's top negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said after Wednesday's meetings that the discussions were "meaningful and productive, focusing on concrete steps and practical solutions". Read: Israeli strikes kill 20 in Gaza as Rafah medical exits halted Announcing the start of the second day of talks, he said the officials would work in the same formats as during their first day - trilateral consultations, group discussions, and then again joint coordination of the positions. "The second day of negotiations in Abu Dhabi has begun," Umerov said on the Telegram app. Dmitriev said that active work was underway torestore Russia...

Women in Iran can now formally obtain a licence to ride a motorcycle, local media reported on Wednesday, ending years of legal ambiguity surrounding two-wheelers. The law previously did not explicitly prohibit women from riding motorbikes and scooters, but in practice authorities refused to issue licences. Due to the legal grey area, women have been held legally responsible for accidents even when victims. Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref signed a resolution on Tuesday aimed at clarifying the traffic code, which was approved by Iran's cabinet in late January, the country's Ilna news agency reported. The resolution obliges traffic police to "provide practical training to female applicants, organise an exam under the direct supervision of the police, and issue motorcycle driver's licences to women", Ilna said. The change follows a wave of protests across Iran that were initially sparked by economic grievances but which grew last month into nationwi...