By , , WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States on Monday rejected China’s claims to offshore resources in most of the South China Sea, drawing criticism from China which said the U.S. position raised tension in the region, highlighting an increasingly testy relationship.China has offered no coherent legal basis for its ambitions in the South China Sea and for years has been using intimidation against other Southeast Asian coastal states, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.“We are making clear: Beijing’s claims to offshore resources across most of the South...…By , , WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States on Monday rejected China’s claims to offshore resources in most of the South China Sea, drawing criticism from China which said the U.S. position raised tension in the region, highlighting an increasingly testy relationship.China has offered no coherent legal basis for its ambitions in the South China Sea and for years has been using intimidation against other Southeast Asian coastal states, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.“We are making clear: Beijing’s claims to offshore resources across most of the South...WW…

By , DUBAI/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday that Tehran’s “final and irreversible” decision was to return to compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal only if Washington lifts sanctions on the Islamic Republic, Iranian state TV reported.The comment, as well as U.S. President Joe Biden’s separate statement that the United States would not lift sanctions simply to get Iran back to the negotiating table, appeared to be posturing by both sides as they weigh whether and how to revive the pact.The deal between Iran and six major powers limited Iran’s...…By , DUBAI/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday that Tehran’s “final and irreversible” decision was to return to compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal only if Washington lifts sanctions on the Islamic Republic, Iranian state TV reported.The comment, as well as U.S. President Joe Biden’s separate statement that the United States would not lift sanctions simply to get Iran back to the negotiating table, appeared to be posturing by both sides as they weigh whether and how to revive the pact.The deal between Iran and six major powers limited Iran’s...WW…

By , , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s decision to cut U.S. troop levels in Germany blindsided a number of senior national security officials, according to five sources familiar with the matter, and the Pentagon had yet to receive a formal order to carry it out, Reuters has learned.Trump decided to remove 9,500 troops from Germany, one of America’s strongest allies, reducing the number there to 25,000 from 34,500, a senior U.S. official said on Friday.That official said it was the result of months of work by the U.S. military leadership and had nothing to do with tensions...…By , , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s decision to cut U.S. troop levels in Germany blindsided a number of senior national security officials, according to five sources familiar with the matter, and the Pentagon had yet to receive a formal order to carry it out, Reuters has learned.Trump decided to remove 9,500 troops from Germany, one of America’s strongest allies, reducing the number there to 25,000 from 34,500, a senior U.S. official said on Friday.That official said it was the result of months of work by the U.S. military leadership and had nothing to do with tensions...WW…

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, April 15 (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday imposed a broad array of sanctions on Russia, including curbs to its sovereign debt market, to punish it for interfering in last year’s U.S. election, cyber hacking, bullying Ukraine and other alleged malign actions.The U.S. government blacklisted Russian companies, expelled Russian diplomats and barred U.S. banks from buying sovereign bonds from Russia's central bank, national wealth fund and Finance Ministry. The United States warned Russia that more penalties were possible...…Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, April 15 (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday imposed a broad array of sanctions on Russia, including curbs to its sovereign debt market, to punish it for interfering in last year’s U.S. election, cyber hacking, bullying Ukraine and other alleged malign actions.The U.S. government blacklisted Russian companies, expelled Russian diplomats and barred U.S. banks from buying sovereign bonds from Russia's central bank, national wealth fund and Finance Ministry. The United States warned Russia that more penalties were possible...WW…

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comApril 15 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden will issue an executive order on Thursday authorizing the U.S. government to sanction any sector of the Russian economy and will use it to restrict Russia’s ability to issue sovereign debt to punish Moscow for interfering in the 2020 U.S. election, senior Biden administration officials said.The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Biden would bar U.S. financial institutions from taking part in the primary market for rouble-denominated Russian sovereign bonds from June 14. U.S. banks...…Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comApril 15 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden will issue an executive order on Thursday authorizing the U.S. government to sanction any sector of the Russian economy and will use it to restrict Russia’s ability to issue sovereign debt to punish Moscow for interfering in the 2020 U.S. election, senior Biden administration officials said.The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Biden would bar U.S. financial institutions from taking part in the primary market for rouble-denominated Russian sovereign bonds from June 14. U.S. banks...WW…

By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday announced sanctions on senior Russian government officials and Russian entities in response to what U.S. officials said was Moscow’s attempt to kill opposition leader Alexei Navalny with a nerve agent.The announcement, made by senior Biden administration officials, marked a sharp turn away from former President Donald Trump’s reluctance to confront Russian President Vladimir Putin.Navalny fell ill on a flight in Siberia in August and was airlifted to Germany, where doctors concluded he had been poisoned with a nerve agent. The Kremlin...…By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday announced sanctions on senior Russian government officials and Russian entities in response to what U.S. officials said was Moscow’s attempt to kill opposition leader Alexei Navalny with a nerve agent.The announcement, made by senior Biden administration officials, marked a sharp turn away from former President Donald Trump’s reluctance to confront Russian President Vladimir Putin.Navalny fell ill on a flight in Siberia in August and was airlifted to Germany, where doctors concluded he had been poisoned with a nerve agent. The Kremlin...WW…

By , , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is expected to impose sanctions to punish Russia for the poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny as early as Tuesday, two sources familiar with the matter said.President Joe Biden’s decision to impose sanctions for Navalny’s poisoning reflects a harder stance than taken by his predecessor, Donald Trump, who let the incident last August pass without punitive U.S. action.Navalny fell ill on a flight in Siberia in August and was airlifted to Germany, where doctors concluded he had been poisoned with a nerve agent. The Kremlin has denied any...…By , , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is expected to impose sanctions to punish Russia for the poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny as early as Tuesday, two sources familiar with the matter said.President Joe Biden’s decision to impose sanctions for Navalny’s poisoning reflects a harder stance than taken by his predecessor, Donald Trump, who let the incident last August pass without punitive U.S. action.Navalny fell ill on a flight in Siberia in August and was airlifted to Germany, where doctors concluded he had been poisoned with a nerve agent. The Kremlin has denied any...WW…

By , , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is expected to impose sanctions to punish Russia for the poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny as early as Tuesday, two sources familiar with the matter said.President Joe Biden’s decision to impose sanctions for Navalny’s poisoning reflects a harder stance than taken by his predecessor, Donald Trump, who let the incident last August pass without punitive U.S. action.Navalny fell ill on a flight in Siberia in August and was airlifted to Germany, where doctors concluded he had been poisoned with a nerve agent. The Kremlin has denied any...…By , , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is expected to impose sanctions to punish Russia for the poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny as early as Tuesday, two sources familiar with the matter said.President Joe Biden’s decision to impose sanctions for Navalny’s poisoning reflects a harder stance than taken by his predecessor, Donald Trump, who let the incident last August pass without punitive U.S. action.Navalny fell ill on a flight in Siberia in August and was airlifted to Germany, where doctors concluded he had been poisoned with a nerve agent. The Kremlin has denied any...WW…

By , , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler approved an operation to capture or kill murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, according to U.S. intelligence released on Friday as the United States imposed sanctions on some of those involved but spared the crown prince himself in an effort to preserve relations with the kingdom.Khashoggi, a U.S. resident who wrote opinion columns for the Washington Post critical of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s policies, was killed and dismembered by a team of operatives linked to the prince in the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul.The...…By , , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler approved an operation to capture or kill murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, according to U.S. intelligence released on Friday as the United States imposed sanctions on some of those involved but spared the crown prince himself in an effort to preserve relations with the kingdom.Khashoggi, a U.S. resident who wrote opinion columns for the Washington Post critical of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s policies, was killed and dismembered by a team of operatives linked to the prince in the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul.The...WW…

By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he hopes his Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett is paying attention to the issue of mail-in ballot security but said he did not discuss the upcoming U.S. presidential election with her.While Democrats have kept their focus on how Barrett might address specific policy questions, Trump accused critics of playing the religious “card” against the judge, who is Roman Catholic. Many conservatives hope that Barrett’s joining the court could shift the United States to the right on hot-button issues, including by curbing...…By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he hopes his Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett is paying attention to the issue of mail-in ballot security but said he did not discuss the upcoming U.S. presidential election with her.While Democrats have kept their focus on how Barrett might address specific policy questions, Trump accused critics of playing the religious “card” against the judge, who is Roman Catholic. Many conservatives hope that Barrett’s joining the court could shift the United States to the right on hot-button issues, including by curbing...WW…