Putin announces phone call with Trump
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Russia Today
20 minutes ago
- Russia Today
UN ‘concerned' about arrests of Russian journalists in Azerbaijan
The UN Human Rights office (OHCHR) announced on Friday it is 'concerned' about press freedom in Azerbaijan following the arrests of Russian journalists. Moscow has denounced the detentions as 'unlawful.' On Monday, police in Baku raided the local office of Russia's Sputnik news agency, detaining two senior editors and five others. The news agency has been accused of fraud, illegal business activity, and money laundering – charges Sputnik dismissed as 'absurd.' A Ruptly editor was also detained while filming outside the building. '[UN] High Commissioner Volker Turk has repeatedly stated that he is concerned about the situation with press freedom in Azerbaijan and the detention of journalists,' OHCHR spokeswoman, Ravina Shamdasani, told RIA Novosti. 'We are monitoring this situation closely and are gathering more information before we can comment in more detail.' Following the arrests, Moscow accused Azerbaijan of 'hostile actions and unlawful detention of Russian journalists' and demanded their immediate release. Russia's consul in Baku met with the detainees on Thursday and was reportedly satisfied with their condition. Tensions between Moscow and Baku spiked after recent police raids on an alleged organized crime group in the Russian city of Ekaterinburg. The group, composed of Russian nationals of Azerbaijani origin, is accused of a string of gang assassinations and contract killings dating back to the early 2000s. Two elderly male suspects died during the police operation, with the preliminary assessment indicating that at least one of them suffered heart failure. The incident sparked outrage in Baku, which accused Moscow of deliberately targeting people of Azerbaijani descent and claimed that the two men had been murdered while in custody. Azerbaijani authorities arrested eight more Russian nationals on Tuesday, claiming they belonged to a cybercrime and drug trafficking group operating from Iran. Russian outlets identified two as IT specialists who left Russia after the start of the conflict with Ukraine. One suspect was reportedly a tourist. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia is negotiating the release of its nationals with Azerbaijan through law enforcement channels. He stressed that Russia would defend the 'legitimate interests' of its citizens using 'all available means.' Speaking to reporters on Friday Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested the rift between the two historically close neighbors has been influenced by outside forces. Friendly ties remain important for both Moscow and Baku, she stressed, while calling for a probe by Russia's Investigative Committee into the deaths of the suspects during the Ekaterinburg raid.
Russia Today
28 minutes ago
- Russia Today
Nuclear inspectors leave Iran
A team of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has departed from Iran, the agency announced on Friday. Tehran suspended cooperation with the UN-affiliated nuclear watchdog following Israeli and US attacks on its nuclear facilities last month. The inspectors will 'return to the Agency headquarters in Vienna, after staying in Tehran throughout the recent military conflict,' the IAEA said in a statement. Tehran cooperated with the international watchdog for years, maintaining that it was enriching uranium for civilian use only. Israel has claimed that Tehran was secretly developing a nuclear weapon. On June 12, the IAEA accused Iran of violating a key safeguard agreement, without presenting any evidence. The following day, Israel launched strikes targeting Iranian nuclear scientists and uranium enrichment facilities. Tehran retaliated with counterstrikes and the US joined the Israeli operation. The war lasted for 12 days and ended in a US brokered ceasefire. US President Donald Trump declared that the Iranian nuclear program had been 'obliterated' by America's military action. The Iranian leadership has rejected the claim. Iran has long accused the IAEA of colluding with its adversaries. Officials in Tehran claimed that the agency provided Israel with the identities of nuclear scientists and intelligence about key facilities. Russia has condemned the IAEA's role in the conflict. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said its data was used to plan the strikes, calling it 'a colossal blow' to the watchdog's credibility. The IAEA inspectors were housed in Tehran and were unable to visit Iran's nuclear sites following the 12-day conflict, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. The agency withdrew its inspectors from Iran 'over safety concerns,' the outlet added, citing sources. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has stressed that it is crucial to negotiate with Iran to restart inspections and monitoring as soon as possible.
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
Trump to reinstate sweeping tariffs
US President Donald Trump has said his administration will begin notifying trading partners of new tariffs on their exports, as he prepares to reinstate tariffs that were paused for trade talks, which are set to expire next week. Since returning to office in January, Trump has launched a tariff campaign aimed at protecting US manufacturers. The campaign culminated on April 2 with a set of measures on what he called 'Liberation Day', including a blanket 10% tariff on all imports and steeper rates for goods from China, Mexico, Canada, and the EU. Some of the tariffs were paused for 90 days to allow negotiations, which are now due to end on July 9. Speaking to reporters early Friday, Trump said '10 or 12' notification letters would be sent that day, with more to follow 'over the next few days.' 'By the ninth they'll be fully covered,' he said, referring to the deadline for countries to reach deals and avoid higher import tariffs. 'They'll range in value from maybe 60% or 70% tariffs to 10% and 20% tariffs.' Trump said smaller countries would be notified later, with tariffs taking effect from August 1. 'It's a lot of money for the country, but we're giving them a bargain,' he added, without naming specific countries or sectors. Earlier this week, he ruled out extending talks. The US has so far reached agreements with the UK and Vietnam, and declared a truce with China after previous tariffs sparked a trade war that shook global markets. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday that Washington was close to a high-level framework deal with the EU that could avert 50% tariffs on the bloc's exports next week. Trump has long accused the EU of unfair trade practices, arguing that the bloc's regulatory framework fuels the transatlantic trade imbalance. EU trade ministers have criticized the UK-US deal – which keeps a 10% baseline tariff on British exports while easing tariffs on steel and cars – and warned of possible retaliation unless the bloc secures better terms. Bessent said around 100 countries could face a minimum 10% rate, though further deals are likely. 'I think we're going to see a lot of action over the coming days,' he told Bloomberg. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) warned this week that the tariffs could disrupt global supply chains and drag growth down to 2.9% through 2026.
