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UK sanctions directors of oil trading group over Russian ties

UK sanctions directors of oil trading group over Russian ties

The wider package of sanctions targeted around 100 oil tankers from Russia's so-called shadow fleet. (AP pic)
LONDON : Britain announced today a package of sanctions aimed at Russia, including placing asset freezes on several directors of oil trading company Coral Energy Group, which is now known as 2Rivers Group.
The wider package of sanctions targeted around 100 oil tankers from Russia's so-called shadow fleet and was announced as leaders from northern Europe's Joint Expeditionary Force security alliance meet in Norway.
The government notice announcing the sanctions listed Ahmed Kerimov, Tahir Garayev, Anar Madatli, Talat Safarov and Etibar Eyyub and said they had 'been involved in obtaining a benefit from or supporting the government of Russia' by working as directors of Coral Energy Group.
Coral Energy rebranded as 2Rivers Group after a management buyout in 2024 by Safarov, Kerimov and Madatli.
Coral Energy was founded by Garayev in 2010 and had offices in Dubai and Singapore.
Britain said Coral Energy had been 'carrying on business in a sector of strategic significance to the government of Russia, namely the Russian energy sector'.
Britain sanctioned 2Rivers in December 2024. The group said at the time it was deeply disappointed by that decision.
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Make or break in Alaska: Why the Trump-Putin summit could redefine the rules of peace — Phar Kim Beng
Make or break in Alaska: Why the Trump-Putin summit could redefine the rules of peace — Phar Kim Beng

Malay Mail

timean hour ago

  • Malay Mail

Make or break in Alaska: Why the Trump-Putin summit could redefine the rules of peace — Phar Kim Beng

AUGUST 13 — On August 15, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. The announcement alone has injected new urgency — and uncertainty — into a conflict that has not only ravaged Ukraine but also strained the very principles of the international order. What makes this meeting 'make or break' is not just the prospect of peace but the terms under which it might be achieved. According to credible reports, Russia's conditions would 'lock in' its occupation of territories seized since the February 2022 invasion. The Kremlin's proposal reportedly demands Ukraine's withdrawal from areas in Luhansk and Donetsk that Kyiv still controls. In other words, Russia is seeking a settlement that formalises its control over large swathes of the Donbas in exchange for a cessation of hostilities. For Ukraine, this is a diplomatic nightmare. 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This norm is not merely an idealistic slogan; it has been a practical bulwark against the chaos of unrestrained territorial conquest. Should the Alaska summit produce an agreement that legitimises Russia's occupation, it will send a dangerous message to other revisionist powers: force works, and obdurate patience pays. Exactly the values that go against the principle of non-aggression espoused by Asean. Putin's strategy is transparent. By continuing to consolidate his territorial gains while dangling the prospect of peace, he maximises Russia's leverage. The Kremlin's other reported demands — such as a pledge to halt Nato's eastward expansion — are designed to lock Ukraine into a security grey zone, too weak to defend itself and too isolated to deter future aggression. For Trump, the optics of brokering peace with Putin could be politically advantageous. He has hinted at 'land swaps' that, in his words, could benefit both sides. Yet, history warns us that peace purchased at the expense of sovereignty rarely holds. The Munich Agreement of 1938 is the most infamous example of a settlement that emboldened, rather than restrained, an aggressor. Then, as now, the desire to halt war in the short term risked planting the seeds for greater conflict later. The Alaska summit could also have far-reaching implications for Europe's security architecture. Nato, already tested by the war in Ukraine, will have to contend with the prospect of a member state — the United States — participating in an agreement that might weaken the alliance's deterrence posture. Russian traditional nesting dolls, known as Matryoshkas, with images of Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump are placed on a shelf during a demonstration at a gift shop in central Moscow, Russia August 12, 2025. — Reuters pic For any genuine peace framework to emerge from Alaska, several non-negotiable elements must be present. 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Breaking it in Ukraine will not just embolden Russia — it will encourage similar tactics in other regions where borders are contested, from the East to the South China Sea to the Caucasus. At the same time, dismissing the summit outright would be a mistake. The alternative — continued bloodshed, displacement, and economic destruction — remains intolerable. The Alaska summit is a rare opportunity. Used wisely, it could open a path to genuine reconciliation. Mishandled, it could mark the moment the rules-based order began to unravel in earnest, with which East Asia cannot but feel the future impacts too, including Asean. The world will be watching, not just for the handshake but for what it truly represents: peace at the expense of principle — or peace forged through principle. * Phar Kim Beng is a professor of Asean Studies and Director of the Institute of Internationalization and Asean Studies at the International Islamic University of Malaysia. ** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.

US human rights report softens criticism of Trump allies like Israel, El Salvador
US human rights report softens criticism of Trump allies like Israel, El Salvador

The Sun

time3 hours ago

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US human rights report softens criticism of Trump allies like Israel, El Salvador

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This year's report took aim at the courts, stating they took action undermining freedom of speech and disproportionately suppressing the speech of supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro, among others. Bolsonaro is on trial before the Supreme Court on charges he conspired with allies to violently overturn his 2022 electoral loss to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Trump has referred to the case as a 'witch hunt' and called it grounds for a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods. In South Africa, whose government the Trump administration has accused of racial discrimination towards Afrikaners, this year's report said the human rights situation significantly worsened. It stated that 'South Africa took a substantially worrying step towards land expropriation of Afrikaners and further abuses against racial minorities in the country.' In last year's report, the State Department found no significant changes in the human rights situation in South Africa. Trump, earlier this year, issued an executive order that called for the U.S. to resettle Afrikaners, describing them as victims of 'violence against racially disfavored landowners,' allegations that echoed far-right claims but which have been contested by South Africa's government. - Reuters

US indices power to fresh records after benign inflation data
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time4 hours ago

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US indices power to fresh records after benign inflation data

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