Day: February 6, 2025

The Panama Canal Authority on Wednesday denied the U.S. State Department’s claim that U.S. government vessels would be able to cross the canal without paying fees, likely ratcheting up tensions after President Donald Trump threatened to take back control of the crossing, Reuters reports.

The canal authority, an autonomous agency overseen by the Panamanian government, said in a statement that it had not made any changes to charge fees or rights to cross the canal, adding its statement was directly in response to the U.S. claims.

The U.S. State Department had said earlier in the day that Panama’s government had agreed to no longer charge crossing fees for U.S. government vessels, in a move that would save the U.S. millions of dollars a year.

“With total responsibility, the Panama Canal Authority, as it has indicated, is willing to establish dialogue with relevant U.S. officials regarding the transit of wartime vessels from said country,” the canal authority responded.

Panama has became a focal point of the Trump administration as the president has accused the Central American country of charging excessive rates to use its trade passage, one of the busiest in the world.

Saudi Arabia’s AllRig oil service company intends to expand its presence in Azerbaijan, company’s representative Tamer Azar told Report on the sidelines of the IADC Drilling Caspian 2025 conference and exhibition in Baku.

A day after US President Donald Trump stopped American engagement with the United Nations Human Rights Council, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced Wednesday that Israel is following suit.

“Israel joins the United States and will not participate in the UNHRC,” Sa’ar wrote on X.

Israel welcomes President Trump’s decision not to participate in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
Israel joins the United States and will not participate in the UNHRC.

The UNHRC has traditionally protected human rights abusers by allowing them to hide from scrutiny, and…

— Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) February 5, 2025

Neither the US nor Israel are currently members of the UNHRC but, like all United Nations member states, they have informal observer status and a seat in the council meeting chamber.

TEHRAN, Feb. 06 (MNA) – Russian air defense systems eliminated 28 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over Russian regions during the past night, the Russian Defense Ministry said.