Iran to present a counter-proposal to U.S. in nuclear talks, foreign ministry says
DUBAI, June 9 (Reuters) - Iran will soon hand a counter-proposal in nuclear talks to the United States via Oman, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday, in response to a U.S. offer that Tehran deems "unacceptable".
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Telegraph
42 minutes ago
- Telegraph
The treaty Gibraltar wants, for the future we all need
For over five years, Gibraltar has been at the centre of one of the most complex, technical, and geopolitically sensitive negotiations undertaken by the United Kingdom and the European Union since Brexit. The process has consumed me. It has occupied close to half of my time in elected office, taken over almost every waking hour of the last five years, and, in truth, deprived the people of Gibraltar of their Chief Minister in the way they are used to having him, that is, from fixing housing and parking complaints to defending their sovereignty in the international arena. For much longer than I would have wanted, I have been behind closed doors, in physical or virtual boardrooms, working through the details of a document that will shape the next generation of our people. It has been a relentless, exhausting endeavour. Throughout this time, the UK and Gibraltar teams have worked together seamlessly, 'hand in glove', without a flash of daylight between us. We have worked in close partnership with both Conservative and Labour prime ministers and foreign secretaries; from Dominic Raab, Liz Truss and James Cleverly to David Cameron and now David Lammy. What we have negotiated is not the product of fragmented agendas, but the position of a unified British family determined to find a solution worthy of our people. Without a treaty, Gibraltar could be staring down the barrel of a hard border, marked by endless queues, disrupted supply chains, and a deeply uncertain future for many of our businesses. Our hospitals and elderly care homes would face chronic understaffing, and the surrounding region would suffer the almost certain loss of employment for many of the 15,000 cross-border workers who depend on Gibraltar's economy to support their families. The services we deliver to our people would all come under strain. Our public finances would be pushed to the brink. The self-governing Gibraltar we have built would be diminished, replaced by something poorer, more isolated, more inward-looking, and ultimately less able to thrive as a proud, British European Territory. Instead, we now stand at the threshold of something remarkable, and not just for Gibraltar, but also for the United Kingdom, for Spain, and for Europe and our people. Something bold. Something forward looking and hopeful. Something that finally breaks free of the negative inertia that has defined too much of our recent past. Unlocking potential across borders This is politics at its most elevated. The service-led principle of working for our people's benefit and not the performative personal antagonism that too often infects public life. Real, hard graft that overcomes challenges to deliver progress. This is the kind of result our people demand when they voice distrust and decry the political 'establishment'. Our Spanish and EU counterparts, for their part, have brought to the table a seriousness of purpose that also reflects the gravity of the moment. They, too, have recognised that this treaty is not merely about fluidity of movement, but about unlocking human and economic potential across borders. Make no mistake: the treaty that is now within reach is not one that the Gibraltarians have been forced to accept. Our people voted for us to have a mandate to turn our New Year's Eve agreement of 2020 into a UK/EU agreement/treaty. So we say 'yes' to this agreement, but not because we don't know how to say 'no' when we have to. We did so, emphatically, in 2002, when we triggered a referendum to reject Jack Straw's proposal of joint sovereignty with Spain, and I am just as adamant today that this treaty will not in any way compromise British sovereignty over Gibraltar. That will be set out, black upon white, in the treaty when it is published. It is a legal undertaking given by both sides in clear and unequivocal terms. So to be clear: in this treaty we have not ceded any control of Gibraltar to any authority. Just like today, only Gibraltar will decide who enters Gibraltar – exactly as we agreed in 2020 when Dominic Raab was foreign secretary and Boris Johnson was prime minister. This treaty unleashes the potential to usher in a new era. One in which we move beyond the tired narratives of the past on constant sovereignty disputes, towards a future defined by hope, cooperation and shared prosperity. It will pave the way for better jobs, more investment and lasting stability for Gibraltar and the wider region. It can deliver more harmonious human relations and a better quality of life for all our people. When you read it, I ask that you to look up from the pages of this treaty and see that better reality as it peers back at us from the future. This will be the treaty Gibraltar wants. It will be a treaty the UK and the EU can be proud of. And it will be a treaty that will propel us all to the better future politicians are elected to deliver. When the time comes, back Gibraltar and its proudly British people by backing the Gibraltar treaty.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Syria orders women to wear burkinis on public beaches
Women in Syria must wear burkinis or swimwear that covers their body at public beaches and swimming pools, its tourism ministry has declared. It is the first time Damascus' Islamist authorities have issued guidelines for women to observe conservative dress codes since Bashar al-Assad's autocratic regime was toppled in December, amid concerns the country's new rulers could implement a more religiously conservative agenda. The new restrictions were part of a wider decree that detailed public safety guidelines for beaches and swimming pools, such as not spending too long in the sun. Syrians should wear 'appropriate swimwear that respects public decency and the feelings of different segments of society', it said, which required 'more modest swimsuits'. The order specified that women should wear 'the burkini or swimming clothes that cover the body more'. Men are required to wear shirts under the guidance, which said that 'topless clothing is not permitted in public areas outside of swimming areas, hotel lobbies, and food service areas'. 'In public areas outside of beaches and pools, it is preferable to wear loose clothing, covering shoulders and knees, and avoid transparent or overly tight clothing,' it added. Although 'normal Western swimwear' is still permitted at private clubs and luxury hotels, it said the new rules should be followed 'with adherence to public morals and within the limits of public taste'. The ministry said 'lifeguards and beach supervisors' would monitor compliance to the guidelines. Repercussions for rule breakers are unclear. The crackdown reflects the influence of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) the de-facto Islamist coalition, designated a terrorist organisation by the UN the US, EU and UK, who led the lighting offensive that ousted Assad's regime and are now running Syria. Ahmad al-Sharaa, Syria's new president, has been working to assure global leaders that he won't restrict women's rights in the new Syria. Sunni Islamist group HTS – which has its roots in al-Qaeda – claims it has a more nuanced approach to implementing Sharia law than other hardline regimes in the Middle East. For example, Iran's morality police have brutally cracked down on women and girls perceived as failing to comply with the mandatory hijab laws and regulations, using public flogging and beatings as punishment. But al-Sharaa is treading a fine line, with observers abroad keeping a keen eye on signs that Syria could implement stricter Islamic laws. In December, he provoked a social media furore when he requested that a young woman who approached him for a photo covered her hair before taking a picture. Syria is working to rebuild after it was ravaged by 14 years of civil war. Last month, US president Donald Trump promised to lift economic sanctions on Syria, representing a major US policy shift toward the country. 'I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,' said Mr Trump. 'It's their time to shine. We're taking them all off,' he added. 'Good luck Syria, show us something very special.'
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Bessent says US may 'roll the date forward' for some after 90-day tariff pause ends
June 11 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday said the Trump administration is prepared to "roll the date forward" with trading partners negotiating in good faith if the deadline marking the end of the 90-day pause on President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs is reached with no deal. "It is highly likely that those countries - or trading blocs as is the case with the EU - who are negotiating in good faith, we will roll the date forward to continue the good-faith negotiations," Bessent told the House Ways and Means Committee. "If someone is not negotiating, then we will not." Bessent's remarks, in response to a question from a Democratic lawmaker, marked the first time a Trump administration official has indicated some flexibility around the expiration date for the pause. That date - July 8 - is now just four weeks away, and so far the White House has struck only one preliminary deal with a major foreign trading partner affected by the pause, Britain. A deal struck on Tuesday in London with China to de-escalate that bilateral trade war is proceeding on a separate track and timeline. The White House did not immediately respond to a question about whether Trump shared Bessent's view. Trump announced the pause on April 9, a week after unveiling "Liberation Day" tariffs against nearly all U.S. trading partners that proved to be so unexpectedly large and sweeping that it sent global financial markets into near panic. The S&P 500 Index (.SPX), opens new tab plunged more than 12% in four days for its heftiest run of losses since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. Investors were so rattled they bailed out of safe-haven U.S. Treasury securities, sending bond yields rocketing higher. The dollar sank. Markets started their recovery on April 9 when Trump unexpectedly announced the pause. A further leg up in the recovery followed in early May when the Trump team reached a preliminary deal to dial back the triple-digit tariff rates it had imposed on goods from China. The events have given rise to what some on Wall Street have parodied as the "TACO" trade - an acronym for Trump Always Chickens Out. "The only time the market has reacted positively is when the administration is in retreat from key policy areas," Democratic Representative Don Beyer of Virginia told Bessent before pressing him on what should be expected at the end of the next deadline next month. "As I have said repeatedly there are 18 important trading partners. We are working toward deals with those," Bessent said before going on to signal a willingness to offer extensions to those negotiating in good faith.
