Africa & World

Russia has declared its willingness to support Iran in addressing issues related to its nuclear programme.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made this known in an interview with the Iranian news agency IRNA on Tuesday.

Peskov emphasized that Moscow values its strong ties with Tehran and is committed to enhancing cooperation across various sectors.

“Iran support includes providing assistance in dealing with important matters like the nuclear programme,” he stated.

He further stressed that diplomatic efforts remain the preferred approach to resolving international concerns over Iran’s nuclear activities, provided all parties demonstrate the necessary political will.

In 2015, Iran reached a nuclear agreement with the United Kingdom, Germany, China, Russia, the United States, and France. The deal granted Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear programme.

However, in 2018, then-U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement and reinstated sanctions on Iran. In response, Tehran gradually scaled back its nuclear commitments, including increased uranium enrichment.

U.S. President Donald Trump has authorized economic and travel sanctions against individuals involved in International Criminal Court (ICC) investigations targeting U.S. citizens and allies, including Israel.

The move, announced Thursday, comes amid Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington. Netanyahu, along with Israel’s former defense minister and a Hamas leader, is facing ICC warrants over the ongoing war in Gaza.

It remains unclear when the U.S. will release the names of sanctioned individuals. This action mirrors measures taken by the Trump administration in 2020 when Washington imposed sanctions on then-ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and a senior aide over the court’s probe into alleged war crimes by U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

The ICC has yet to respond to the latest sanctions, which include freezing U.S.-based assets of targeted individuals and barring them and their families from entering the country.

The 125-member ICC prosecutes individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and aggression within its jurisdiction. However, the United States, China, Russia, and Israel are not members.

Trump’s executive order follows last week’s failed attempt by U.S. Senate Republicans to pass legislation imposing similar sanctions on the ICC.

Anticipating financial restrictions, the ICC has taken precautionary measures, including paying staff salaries three months in advance, sources told Reuters. In December, ICC President Judge Tomoko Akane warned that such sanctions could severely disrupt the court’s operations and threaten its existence.

Russia has also taken action against the ICC. In 2023, the court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the alleged illegal deportation of Ukrainian children. Moscow retaliated by banning ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan and placing him and two ICC judges on its wanted list.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order barring transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports, marking his latest policy move on transgender issues since returning to office.

“From now on, women’s sports will be only for women,” Trump declared at a White House signing ceremony attended by children and female athletes. “With this executive order, the war on women’s sports is over.”

The order empowers federal agencies to withhold funding from schools that allow transgender athletes to compete on women’s teams. “If you let men take over women’s sports teams or invade your locker rooms, you will be investigated… and risk your federal funding,” Trump warned.

Among those present at the event were top Republican figures, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Trump also announced plans to pressure the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to revise its policies on transgender athletes ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to convey the U.S. position to the IOC, stating, “We want them to change everything having to do with the Olympics and this absolutely ridiculous subject.”

Additionally, Trump tasked Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with blocking visa applications from individuals “attempting to fraudulently enter the United States while identifying themselves as women athletes to try and get into the Games.”

The executive order follows a series of actions targeting transgender rights since Trump’s second-term inauguration. He previously declared that U.S. government policy would recognize only two genders, banned transgender individuals from military service, and restricted gender transition procedures for minors.

Trump has consistently made transgender issues a focal point of his political messaging, using the topic as a key attack against his 2024 election opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. One of his prominent campaign slogans, “Kamala Harris is for they/them. President Trump is for you,” underscored his opposition to her stance on gender identity policies.

His latest order aligns with recent Republican-led legislative efforts, including a House bill passed in January imposing restrictions on transgender participation in girls’ and women’s sports.

US President Donald Trump’s proposal to take over the Gaza Strip and redevelop it has drawn sharp criticism, with rights groups and analysts condemning it as a call for ethnic cleansing.

Trump, speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday, said, “The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too.” He added that the US envisions “a long-term ownership position” and would create “unlimited numbers of jobs and housing” in the area.

The remarks have sparked backlash, with critics warning that such a move would forcibly displace Palestinians and violate international law. Steve Cutts, interim CEO of Medical Aid for Palestinians, called the proposal “tantamount to ethnic cleansing and a war crime.”

“Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people, not the United States or Israel,” Cutts said in a statement, warning that the fate of two million Palestinians “hangs in the balance.”

Investigative journalist Antony Loewenstein also condemned the remarks, saying they reflect longstanding Israeli far-right policies. Speaking on CNN, Loewenstein described Trump’s comments as “a wish for ethnic cleansing,” linking them to historical efforts to remove Palestinians from their land.

Saudi Arabia reiterated its stance on Palestinian sovereignty, stating its commitment to an independent Palestinian state remains “firm and unshakable.”

Meanwhile, Netanyahu appeared open to Trump’s proposal, saying the idea could “change history” and that Israel’s priority remains ensuring Gaza is no longer a security threat.

The release of DeepSeek R1, an open-source artificial intelligence large-language model developed in China, has unsettled the U.S. tech sector, raising concerns over the nation’s AI dominance.

Trained on a budget of just $6 million, DeepSeek performs on par with leading AI models, challenging assumptions about the high costs and scaling requirements of advanced AI development.

Venture capitalist Nic Carter described the launch as evidence that OpenAI does not have an unbeatable advantage. He noted that the release dispelled long-held beliefs about the scalability, value accrual, and cost barriers in AI model development.

The launch has also undermined perceptions that China was trailing the U.S. in AI innovation. Previous reports had suggested the country was six months behind the United States, but DeepSeek’s release and performance suggest otherwise.

China’s progress comes despite an AI chip embargo imposed by the United States in October 2022. The restrictions, aimed at blocking the export of high-performance computing chips from companies like Nvidia and AMD, did little to hinder China’s efforts. Chinese firms turned to domestic manufacturing and cloud-computing platforms, such as Amazon Cloud Services, to access the required hardware.

In August 2023, China further accelerated its AI innovation by relaxing regulations. The move included scrapping financial penalties for AI firms that deviated from industry regulations, fostering a more flexible development environment.

DeepSeek’s release not only intensifies the global AI competition but also casts doubt on Silicon Valley’s ability to maintain its lead, fueling unease in the ongoing technological rivalry between the U.S. and China.