Author: Himalaya Post

TEHRAN – Iranians voiced anger, fear and defiance on Tuesday as the US reimposed sanctions and their leaders dismissed President Donald Trump’s offer of talks as an act of “psychological warfare”. Trump’s withdrawal from a landmark 2015 nuclear agreement in May had already spooked investors and triggered a run on the Iranian rial long before nuclear-related sanctions went back into force. “I feel like my life is being destroyed. Sanctions are already badly affecting people’s lives. I can’t afford to buy food, pay the rent…” said a construction worker on the streets of the capital. The sanctions reimposed on Tuesday — targeting access to US banknotes and key industries such as cars and carpets — were unlikely to cause immediate economic turmoil. Iran’s markets were actually relatively buoyant, with the rial strengthening by 20 percent since Sunday after the government relaxed foreign exchange rules and allowed unlimited, tax-free gold and currency imports. But a second tranche to return to effect on November 5 covering Iran’s vital oil sector, could be far more damaging — even if several key customers such as China, India and Turkey have refused to significantly cut their purchases. In a statement on Monday just hours before the sanctions went back into effect, Trump said: “The Iranian regime faces a choice. “Either change its threatening, destabilising behaviour and reintegrate with the global economy, or continue down...

 United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday blamed “bad environmental laws” for California wildfires and said the state is burning because the laws aren’t allowing available water to be properly utilised. “California wildfires are being magnified & made so much worse by the bad environmental laws which aren’t allowing massive amounts of readily available water to be properly utilized. It is being diverted into the Pacific Ocean. Must also tree clear to stop fire from spreading,” President Trump tweeted. The US President further wrote that California Governor Jerry Brown must allow the ‘free flow’ of water from the North which he said was ‘foolishly being diverted’ into the Pacific Ocean. “Governor Jerry Brown must allow the Free Flow of the vast amounts of water coming from the North and foolishly being diverted into the Pacific Ocean. Can be used for fires, farming and everything else. Think of California with plenty of Water – Nice! Fast Federal govt. approvals,” read the tweet. Catastrophic wildfires continue to wreck California, as one fire exploded in size over the weekend, making it the second largest in the state’s history. No one has been reported injured in the Mendocino Complex Fire, which consists of two fires – the Ranch Fire and the River Fire – burning around Clear Lake, in Northern California, reported CNN. Firefighters are trying to douse the 17 major fires that...