Not all our allies currently in position to join us: US official on banning import of Russian oil
Washington(PTI): The United States administration has said that it consulted its European allies before banning the import of Russian oil and gas while stressing that it recognizes not all of its partners were in a position to follow suit.
By an executive order signed on Tuesday, Biden banned the import of Russian crude oil and certain petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, and coal.
This step is aimed at depriving Russia of billions of dollars in revenues from US drivers and consumers annually. Last year, the US imported nearly 7,00,000 barrels of crude oil and refined petroleum products from Russia daily.
"In taking this action, we consulted with European allies closely, but we do not expect them and did not ask them to join us.
"The United States is able to take this step because of our strong domestic energy production and infrastructure and we recognize that not all of our allies and partners are currently in a position to join us," said a senior official in the Joe Biden administration.
The executive order also banned new US investment in Russia's energy sector, to ensure that American companies and investors are not underwriting Vladimir Putin's efforts to expand energy production inside Russia, the White House said.
It mentioned that Americans will also be prohibited from financing or enabling foreign companies that are investing to produce energy in Russia.
The official underscored that the ban is immediate.
"We block any new purchases of Russian energy. We do allow, though, for wind downs of deliveries for existing purchases that were already contracted for. No new contracts will be allowed. For existing contracts, we are allowing a 45-day wind-down period," the official explained.
"In terms of domestic impact, the reality is Vladimir Putin's unprovoked and brutal war has led to higher energy prices and raised costs for Americans at home -- about 75 cents at the gas pump -- since he began to amass troops at the Ukrainian border in early November," the official said.
Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognised Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities.
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Malaysian Indian sentenced to jail and caning for raping Indonesian woman in Singapore
Singapore (PTI): An Indian-origin Malaysian man was sentenced in Singapore to 12 years' jail and 12 strokes of the cane for raping a domestic worker outside a train station after tricking her into thinking that he was a police officer.
Sharveen Chetty, 48, pleaded guilty on February 4 to one charge of raping the 35-year-old Indonesian woman in the bushes outside Exit F of a subway, Little India Mass Rapid Transit station, at about 8pm on July 11, 2022.
The victim was with her friends at the time, but Chetty lured her away before he sexually assaulted her, according to a report by The Straits Times on Thursday.
Two other charges – a second rape charge and a charge of impersonating a police officer – were taken into consideration during sentencing on Wednesday.
The witnesses who testified on the first day of the trial included a doctor from Women’s and Children’s Hospital who examined the victim a day after the rapes, and forensic scientists from the Health Sciences Authority.
Chetty had initially contested the charges in a High Court trial that began on February 3. But he changed his mind and pleaded guilty on what would have been the second day of the trial, according to the daily report.
In sentencing, Justice Dedar Singh Gill considered it aggravating that Chetty had targeted the victim because she was a foreigner who might be unfamiliar with the local authorities.
The judge rejected the defence's arguments that the rape was not premeditated.
The judge, however, noted that Chetty had pleaded guilty before the victim and key prosecution witnesses testified, thus sparing her and her friends from going through cross-examination.
The prosecution had sought a sentence of between 11 and 13 years’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane, noting Chetty’s extensive efforts to disguise himself, and his predatory act of leading the victim away from the rest of the group.
Chetty admitted that he became sexually attracted to the victim.
