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The U.N.’s political chief said Wednesday that the Iran nuclear deal was at a “crossroads” after the U.S. withdrawal last month from the international agreement. 

“The secretary-general deeply regrets this setback to the JCPOA and believes that issues not directly related to the plan should be addressed without prejudice to preserving the agreement and its accomplishments,” Rosemary DiCarlo, undersecretary-general for political affairs, told the Security Council during the first meeting about the deal’s implementation since the U.S. announced its withdrawal on May 8. 

JCPOA is the acronym for the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. 

Compliance verified

DiCarlo noted that the International Atomic Energy Agency had verified Iran’s compliance 11 times. But she also urged Tehran to “consider carefully” international concerns about its activities that are contrary to the deal, particularly regarding ballistic missile technology and transfers to Houthi rebels in Yemen and transfers of traditional arms to militant groups in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

The U.N. secretary-general wrote in his latest report on the nuclear deal that Saudi Arabia had made nine allegations about ballistic missiles launched from Yemen into its territory that contained parts made in Iran. The secretary-general concluded that “some component parts of the debris were manufactured” in Iran, but that the U.N. “has not yet been able to determine” whether the missiles or their parts were transferred from Iran after the nuclear deal went into force on January 16, 2016.

“Today’s report shows that Iran continues to destabilize the region through its support for terrorist groups and proxy forces,” U.S. Deputy U.N. Ambassador Jonathan Cohen told the council. “With the reimposition of our sanctions, the United States is taking a stand. We have declared that Iran’s actions will not go unchallenged, and we have shown that we will follow through.”  

U.S. isolation

All council members except the United States expressed support for the continuation of the nuclear deal with its remaining members — Britain, France, China, Russia, Germany and Iran. 

“We took note, therefore, with regret and concern of the decision made by the United States to withdraw from the JCPOA,” said French envoy Francois Delattre. “But the agreement remains, and this decision should not have an impact on the implementation by the parties to the agreement of their commitments.” He said France would continue to honor its commitments as long as Iran did.

The European Union oversees the agreement’s implementation and had pushed hard for the U.S. to stay in the deal.

“The preservation of the JCPOA is a key security interest for the European Union, but also for the international community as a whole,” said EU Ambassador João Vale de Almeida.

He said Iran’s activities in the region and its ballistic missile activity were issues that fell outside the deal and should be dealt with separately. “Dismantling a nuclear deal that is working would certainly not put us in a better position to discuss other issues,” he noted.

“Undoubtedly, it [JCPOA] remains a standard of a multilateral nuclear nonproliferation agreement which other initiatives still have to live up to,” he added in a subtle dig at President Donald Trump, who said after his meeting earlier this month with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that there was no longer a nuclear threat from Pyongyang.

Impact on ‘international order’

“We also believe that leaving the JCPOA undermines effective multilateralism, it undermines the rules-based international order — of which the nuclear nonproliferation regime is a very important pillar,” Germany’s Ambassador Christoph Heusgen told the council.

Russia’s envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, criticized Washington for the reimposition of sanctions on Tehran, saying it directly violated the Security Council resolution endorsing the Iran deal.

“The step undertaken by the American side does serious damage to the nuclear nonproliferation regime and to the security interests in the Middle East,” he added of the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal.
…

The U.N.’s political chief said Wednesday that the Iran nuclear deal was at a “crossroads” after the U.S. withdrawal last month from the international agreement. 

“The secretary-general deeply regrets this setback to the JCPOA and believes that issues not directly related to the plan should be addressed without prejudice to preserving the agreement and its accomplishments,” Rosemary DiCarlo, undersecretary-general for political affairs, told the Security Council during the first meeting about the deal’s implementation since the U.S. announced its withdrawal on May 8. 

JCPOA is the acronym for the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. 

Compliance verified

DiCarlo noted that the International Atomic Energy Agency had verified Iran’s compliance 11 times. But she also urged Tehran to “consider carefully” international concerns about its activities that are contrary to the deal, particularly regarding ballistic missile technology and transfers to Houthi rebels in Yemen and transfers of traditional arms to militant groups in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

The U.N. secretary-general wrote in his latest report on the nuclear deal that Saudi Arabia had made nine allegations about ballistic missiles launched from Yemen into its territory that contained parts made in Iran. The secretary-general concluded that “some component parts of the debris were manufactured” in Iran, but that the U.N. “has not yet been able to determine” whether the missiles or their parts were transferred from Iran after the nuclear deal went into force on January 16, 2016.

“Today’s report shows that Iran continues to destabilize the region through its support for terrorist groups and proxy forces,” U.S. Deputy U.N. Ambassador Jonathan Cohen told the council. “With the reimposition of our sanctions, the United States is taking a stand. We have declared that Iran’s actions will not go unchallenged, and we have shown that we will follow through.”  

U.S. isolation

All council members except the United States expressed support for the continuation of the nuclear deal with its remaining members — Britain, France, China, Russia, Germany and Iran. 

“We took note, therefore, with regret and concern of the decision made by the United States to withdraw from the JCPOA,” said French envoy Francois Delattre. “But the agreement remains, and this decision should not have an impact on the implementation by the parties to the agreement of their commitments.” He said France would continue to honor its commitments as long as Iran did.

The European Union oversees the agreement’s implementation and had pushed hard for the U.S. to stay in the deal.

“The preservation of the JCPOA is a key security interest for the European Union, but also for the international community as a whole,” said EU Ambassador João Vale de Almeida.

He said Iran’s activities in the region and its ballistic missile activity were issues that fell outside the deal and should be dealt with separately. “Dismantling a nuclear deal that is working would certainly not put us in a better position to discuss other issues,” he noted.

“Undoubtedly, it [JCPOA] remains a standard of a multilateral nuclear nonproliferation agreement which other initiatives still have to live up to,” he added in a subtle dig at President Donald Trump, who said after his meeting earlier this month with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that there was no longer a nuclear threat from Pyongyang.

Impact on ‘international order’

“We also believe that leaving the JCPOA undermines effective multilateralism, it undermines the rules-based international order — of which the nuclear nonproliferation regime is a very important pillar,” Germany’s Ambassador Christoph Heusgen told the council.

Russia’s envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, criticized Washington for the reimposition of sanctions on Tehran, saying it directly violated the Security Council resolution endorsing the Iran deal.

“The step undertaken by the American side does serious damage to the nuclear nonproliferation regime and to the security interests in the Middle East,” he added of the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal.
…

Two major auto trade groups on Wednesday warned the Trump administration that imposing up to 25 percent tariffs on imported vehicles would cost hundreds of thousands of auto jobs, dramatically hike prices on vehicles and threaten industry spending on self-driving cars.

A coalition representing major foreign automakers including Toyota Motor Corp, Volkswagen AG, BMW AG and Hyundai Motor Co, said the tariffs would harm automakers and U.S. consumers. The administration in May launched an investigation into whether imported vehicles pose a national security threat and President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to quickly impose tariffs.

“The greatest threat to the U.S. automotive industry at this time is the possibility the administration will impose duties on imports in connection with this investigation,” wrote the Association of Global Automakers representing major foreign automakers. “Such duties would raise prices for American consumers, limit their choices, and suppress sales and U.S. production of vehicles.”

The group added: “Rather than creating jobs, these tariffs would result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of American jobs producing and selling cars, SUVs, trucks and auto parts.”

On Friday, Trump threatened to impose a 20 percent tariff on all imports of EU-assembled cars. On Tuesday, Trump said tariffs are coming soon.

“We are finishing our study of Tariffs on cars from the E.U. in that they have long taken advantage of the U.S. in the form of Trade Barriers and Tariffs. In the end it will all even out — and it won’t take very long!” Trump tweeted.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, representing General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co, Daimler AG , Toyota and others, urged the administration in separate comments filed Wednesday not to go forward.

“We believe the resulting impact of tariffs on imported vehicles and vehicle components will ultimately harm U.S. economic security and weaken our national security,” the group wrote, calling the tariffs a “mistake” and adding imposing them “could very well set a dangerous precedent that other nations could use to protect their local market from foreign competition.”

The Alliance said its analysis of 2017 auto sales data showed a 25 percent tariff on imported vehicles would result in an average price increase of $5,800, which would boost costs to American consumers by nearly $45 billion annually.

Automakers are concerned tariffs would mean less capital to spend on self-driving cars and electric vehicles.

“We are already in the midst of an intense global race to lead on electrification and automation. The increased costs associated with the proposed tariffs may result in diminishing the U.S.’ competitiveness in developing these advanced technologies,” the Alliance wrote.

Toyota said in a statement Wednesday that new tariffs “would increase the cost of every vehicle sold in the country.” The automaker said the tariffs would mean even a Toyota Camry built in Kentucky “would face $1,800 in increased costs.”

Both automotive trade groups cited a study by the Peterson Institute for International Economics that the cost to U.S. jobs from the import duties would be 195,000 jobs and could be as high as 624,000 jobs if other countries retaliate.

The German Association for Small and Medium-sized Businesses said the “pattern of rising protectionism is very likely to continue if the U.S. decide to impose tariffs on foreign automobiles and automobile parts, thus causing tremendous damage to both economies.”

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, a state that produced nearly 1 million vehicles and 1.7 million engines built by foreign automakers last year, urged the Commerce Department not to invoke the tariffs. She said job losses from new levies could be “devastating.”

The proposed tariffs on national security grounds have been met by opposition among many Republicans in Congress.

Trump has made the tariffs a key part of his economic message and repeatedly lamented the U.S auto sector trade deficit, particularly with Germany and Japan. Some aides have suggested that the effort is a way to try to pressure Canada and Mexico into making more concessions in ongoing talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Thursday the department aimed to wrap up the probe by late July or August. The Commerce Department plans to hold two days of public comments in July on its investigation of auto imports.

The Commerce Department has asked if it should consider U.S. owned auto manufacturers differently than foreign automakers.

The Association of Global Automakers rejected that contention, saying its members’ American workers “are no less patriotic or willing to serve their country in a time of crisis than any other Americans.”

The group questioned national security as grounds to restrict auto imports. “America does not go to war in a Ford Fiesta,” they added.

The Alliance said “there is no basis to claim that auto-related imports are a threat to national security” and noted that 98 percent of U.S. auto imports came from U.S. national security allies.
…

Two major auto trade groups on Wednesday warned the Trump administration that imposing up to 25 percent tariffs on imported vehicles would cost hundreds of thousands of auto jobs, dramatically hike prices on vehicles and threaten industry spending on self-driving cars.

A coalition representing major foreign automakers including Toyota Motor Corp, Volkswagen AG, BMW AG and Hyundai Motor Co, said the tariffs would harm automakers and U.S. consumers. The administration in May launched an investigation into whether imported vehicles pose a national security threat and President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to quickly impose tariffs.

“The greatest threat to the U.S. automotive industry at this time is the possibility the administration will impose duties on imports in connection with this investigation,” wrote the Association of Global Automakers representing major foreign automakers. “Such duties would raise prices for American consumers, limit their choices, and suppress sales and U.S. production of vehicles.”

The group added: “Rather than creating jobs, these tariffs would result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of American jobs producing and selling cars, SUVs, trucks and auto parts.”

On Friday, Trump threatened to impose a 20 percent tariff on all imports of EU-assembled cars. On Tuesday, Trump said tariffs are coming soon.

“We are finishing our study of Tariffs on cars from the E.U. in that they have long taken advantage of the U.S. in the form of Trade Barriers and Tariffs. In the end it will all even out — and it won’t take very long!” Trump tweeted.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, representing General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co, Daimler AG , Toyota and others, urged the administration in separate comments filed Wednesday not to go forward.

“We believe the resulting impact of tariffs on imported vehicles and vehicle components will ultimately harm U.S. economic security and weaken our national security,” the group wrote, calling the tariffs a “mistake” and adding imposing them “could very well set a dangerous precedent that other nations could use to protect their local market from foreign competition.”

The Alliance said its analysis of 2017 auto sales data showed a 25 percent tariff on imported vehicles would result in an average price increase of $5,800, which would boost costs to American consumers by nearly $45 billion annually.

Automakers are concerned tariffs would mean less capital to spend on self-driving cars and electric vehicles.

“We are already in the midst of an intense global race to lead on electrification and automation. The increased costs associated with the proposed tariffs may result in diminishing the U.S.’ competitiveness in developing these advanced technologies,” the Alliance wrote.

Toyota said in a statement Wednesday that new tariffs “would increase the cost of every vehicle sold in the country.” The automaker said the tariffs would mean even a Toyota Camry built in Kentucky “would face $1,800 in increased costs.”

Both automotive trade groups cited a study by the Peterson Institute for International Economics that the cost to U.S. jobs from the import duties would be 195,000 jobs and could be as high as 624,000 jobs if other countries retaliate.

The German Association for Small and Medium-sized Businesses said the “pattern of rising protectionism is very likely to continue if the U.S. decide to impose tariffs on foreign automobiles and automobile parts, thus causing tremendous damage to both economies.”

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, a state that produced nearly 1 million vehicles and 1.7 million engines built by foreign automakers last year, urged the Commerce Department not to invoke the tariffs. She said job losses from new levies could be “devastating.”

The proposed tariffs on national security grounds have been met by opposition among many Republicans in Congress.

Trump has made the tariffs a key part of his economic message and repeatedly lamented the U.S auto sector trade deficit, particularly with Germany and Japan. Some aides have suggested that the effort is a way to try to pressure Canada and Mexico into making more concessions in ongoing talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Thursday the department aimed to wrap up the probe by late July or August. The Commerce Department plans to hold two days of public comments in July on its investigation of auto imports.

The Commerce Department has asked if it should consider U.S. owned auto manufacturers differently than foreign automakers.

The Association of Global Automakers rejected that contention, saying its members’ American workers “are no less patriotic or willing to serve their country in a time of crisis than any other Americans.”

The group questioned national security as grounds to restrict auto imports. “America does not go to war in a Ford Fiesta,” they added.

The Alliance said “there is no basis to claim that auto-related imports are a threat to national security” and noted that 98 percent of U.S. auto imports came from U.S. national security allies.
…

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence met with some Venezuelan migrants Wednesday and pledged that the U.S. will support Venezuelans who have fled their homeland until “democracy is restored” in the South American country.

While visiting a shelter in the city of Manaus in the Brazilian Amazon, Pence said he spoke to one man who told him that it took a week of work in Venezuela to make enough to feed his family for one day. Another family spoke of choosing between sending their children to school or buying food and medicine. 

During the visit, some kids showed drawings they had done to Pence and his wife, Karen. She offered one child a soccer ball and gave crayons to another.

Church helps Venezuelans 

The shelter behind the Santa Catarina church houses about 120 people and opened a month ago in order to help cope with the flood of tens of thousands of Venezuelans into Brazil. Venezuela’s economy is in a deep depression and shortages of food and medicine have prodded 2 million people to leave to country.

After visiting the shelter, Pence spoke to Venezuelan migrants and local residents who packed the church. “I’m here to bring a message on behalf of President Donald Trump and the American people. We are with you, we stand with you, and we will keep standing with you until democracy is restored in Venezuela,” he said, according to a transcript provided by the White House.

Pence also hammered away at Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whose “failed leadership” he said had caused the crisis.

On Tuesday, after meeting with Brazilian President Michel Temer, Pence announced that the United States would give nearly $10 million more to support Venezuelan migrants, $1.2 million of which will go to Brazil. 

But the Trump administration also wants to further isolate the socialist government of Maduro, who recently won a second term in an election condemned as illegitimate by the U.S. and other foreign governments. It has asked Brazil and other countries in the region to ramp up pressure on Maduro. 

‘Ironic and hypocritical’

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza blasted Pence’s efforts to drum up support to isolate Venezuela, calling the U.S. efforts hypocritical at a time when the Trump administration has come under widespread criticism for separating migrant children from their parents. 

“It is ironic and hypocritical that U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, whose racist government separates families and cages innocent children, intends to interfere in the affairs of our region,” Arreaza said.

The separations resulted from a new “zero tolerance” policy that meant officials referred adults crossing the U.S. border illegally for criminal prosecution and thus separated them from any children, who weren’t charged. On Tuesday, a U.S. judge issued a nationwide injunction on family separations.

Pence addresses border crisis

In his speech at the church, Pence drew a contrast between the Venezuelans who have fled economic and political turmoil and people who have attempted to immigrate to the United States.

 “Back in our country we face a crisis on our southern border as many seek to come into America for a better life,” Pence said. “The families that Karen and I met today who have fled from Venezuela came here to Brazil not to seek a better life; they came here to live, to survive. And the families we spoke to today told us again and again how you desire to return to Venezuela and restore freedom in your land.”  

Before leaving Brazil, Pence took a helicopter tour over the Rio Negro and the Port of Manaus. He was heading next to Ecuador, where he is expected to continue to push for Maduro’s isolation.

Assange asylum

Democrats in the U.S. Senate also urged the vice president to press Ecuador’s government over its continued asylum for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and nine other Democratic senators said in a letter Wednesday to Pence that they are extremely concerned over Ecuador’s protection of Assange, who has lived in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since 2012.

“It is imperative that you raise U.S. concerns with President (Lenin) Moreno,” the letter said. “WikiLeaks continues its efforts to undermine democratic processes globally.” 

 
…

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence met with some Venezuelan migrants Wednesday and pledged that the U.S. will support Venezuelans who have fled their homeland until “democracy is restored” in the South American country.

While visiting a shelter in the city of Manaus in the Brazilian Amazon, Pence said he spoke to one man who told him that it took a week of work in Venezuela to make enough to feed his family for one day. Another family spoke of choosing between sending their children to school or buying food and medicine. 

During the visit, some kids showed drawings they had done to Pence and his wife, Karen. She offered one child a soccer ball and gave crayons to another.

Church helps Venezuelans 

The shelter behind the Santa Catarina church houses about 120 people and opened a month ago in order to help cope with the flood of tens of thousands of Venezuelans into Brazil. Venezuela’s economy is in a deep depression and shortages of food and medicine have prodded 2 million people to leave to country.

After visiting the shelter, Pence spoke to Venezuelan migrants and local residents who packed the church. “I’m here to bring a message on behalf of President Donald Trump and the American people. We are with you, we stand with you, and we will keep standing with you until democracy is restored in Venezuela,” he said, according to a transcript provided by the White House.

Pence also hammered away at Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whose “failed leadership” he said had caused the crisis.

On Tuesday, after meeting with Brazilian President Michel Temer, Pence announced that the United States would give nearly $10 million more to support Venezuelan migrants, $1.2 million of which will go to Brazil. 

But the Trump administration also wants to further isolate the socialist government of Maduro, who recently won a second term in an election condemned as illegitimate by the U.S. and other foreign governments. It has asked Brazil and other countries in the region to ramp up pressure on Maduro. 

‘Ironic and hypocritical’

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza blasted Pence’s efforts to drum up support to isolate Venezuela, calling the U.S. efforts hypocritical at a time when the Trump administration has come under widespread criticism for separating migrant children from their parents. 

“It is ironic and hypocritical that U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, whose racist government separates families and cages innocent children, intends to interfere in the affairs of our region,” Arreaza said.

The separations resulted from a new “zero tolerance” policy that meant officials referred adults crossing the U.S. border illegally for criminal prosecution and thus separated them from any children, who weren’t charged. On Tuesday, a U.S. judge issued a nationwide injunction on family separations.

Pence addresses border crisis

In his speech at the church, Pence drew a contrast between the Venezuelans who have fled economic and political turmoil and people who have attempted to immigrate to the United States.

 “Back in our country we face a crisis on our southern border as many seek to come into America for a better life,” Pence said. “The families that Karen and I met today who have fled from Venezuela came here to Brazil not to seek a better life; they came here to live, to survive. And the families we spoke to today told us again and again how you desire to return to Venezuela and restore freedom in your land.”  

Before leaving Brazil, Pence took a helicopter tour over the Rio Negro and the Port of Manaus. He was heading next to Ecuador, where he is expected to continue to push for Maduro’s isolation.

Assange asylum

Democrats in the U.S. Senate also urged the vice president to press Ecuador’s government over its continued asylum for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and nine other Democratic senators said in a letter Wednesday to Pence that they are extremely concerned over Ecuador’s protection of Assange, who has lived in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since 2012.

“It is imperative that you raise U.S. concerns with President (Lenin) Moreno,” the letter said. “WikiLeaks continues its efforts to undermine democratic processes globally.” 

 
…

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday he met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to discuss energy issues and U.S. sanctions on Russia.

Russia is one of the world’s biggest crude oil and natural gas producers, and the United States has been urging global energy producers to boost output to stem an increase in prices.

“We met. We discussed energy issues, among other things. We touched upon questions related to sanctions,” Novak said in a press briefing in Washington. “We can’t sidestep these difficult questions, so of course we touched upon them during our contact.”

Novak said he had also met with U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry to discuss energy cooperation.

The meetings occurred while energy executives and ministers from around the globe converged on Washington for the triennial World Gas Conference, the industry’s biggest summit.

The U.S. Congress imposed economic sanctions in recent months against Russia that – among other things – seek to prevent companies from participating in Russian pipeline projects or oil and gas development efforts.

The sanctions were designed to punish Russia for its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and for meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Moscow denies it interfered in the election.

Russia depends heavily on pipeline networks to get its energy production to European markets, and is also keen to develop energy reserves in its Arctic.

Novak has said in the past that the United States should not be permitted to impose such sanctions without a vote of the United Nations Security Council, of which Russia is a permanent member.

The United States has been urging increased supply from the world’s biggest producers, including OPEC members, to help stem an increase in oil prices that threatens economic growth.

It is also renewing sanctions against OPEC-producer Iran after abandoning a global deal meant to stem its nuclear ambitions, and urging consumers of its oil to stop their imports completely – another factor pushing up oil prices.

Perry told reporters on Monday, before meeting with Novak, that he was “amenable to having conversations, to creating a relationship” with Russia.

“He had invited me to, actually, to come visit some of the things that they are doing in the Arctic,” Perry said. “I think we’ve got our issues with Russia, but I’m one of those that believe you need to be having conversations with folks and finding places that we can work together.”
…

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday he met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to discuss energy issues and U.S. sanctions on Russia.

Russia is one of the world’s biggest crude oil and natural gas producers, and the United States has been urging global energy producers to boost output to stem an increase in prices.

“We met. We discussed energy issues, among other things. We touched upon questions related to sanctions,” Novak said in a press briefing in Washington. “We can’t sidestep these difficult questions, so of course we touched upon them during our contact.”

Novak said he had also met with U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry to discuss energy cooperation.

The meetings occurred while energy executives and ministers from around the globe converged on Washington for the triennial World Gas Conference, the industry’s biggest summit.

The U.S. Congress imposed economic sanctions in recent months against Russia that – among other things – seek to prevent companies from participating in Russian pipeline projects or oil and gas development efforts.

The sanctions were designed to punish Russia for its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and for meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Moscow denies it interfered in the election.

Russia depends heavily on pipeline networks to get its energy production to European markets, and is also keen to develop energy reserves in its Arctic.

Novak has said in the past that the United States should not be permitted to impose such sanctions without a vote of the United Nations Security Council, of which Russia is a permanent member.

The United States has been urging increased supply from the world’s biggest producers, including OPEC members, to help stem an increase in oil prices that threatens economic growth.

It is also renewing sanctions against OPEC-producer Iran after abandoning a global deal meant to stem its nuclear ambitions, and urging consumers of its oil to stop their imports completely – another factor pushing up oil prices.

Perry told reporters on Monday, before meeting with Novak, that he was “amenable to having conversations, to creating a relationship” with Russia.

“He had invited me to, actually, to come visit some of the things that they are doing in the Arctic,” Perry said. “I think we’ve got our issues with Russia, but I’m one of those that believe you need to be having conversations with folks and finding places that we can work together.”
…

A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that U.S. immigration agents could no longer separate immigrant parents and children caught crossing the border from Mexico illegally, and must work to reunite those families that had been split up in custody.

United States District Court Judge Dana Sabraw granted the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit filed over the family separations.

More than 2,300 migrant children were separated from their parents after U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration began a “zero tolerance” policy in early May, seeking to prosecute all adults who crossed the border illegally, including those traveling with children.

“The facts set forth before the court portray reactive governance responses to address a chaotic circumstance of the government’s own making,” Sabraw wrote. “They belie measured and ordered governance, which is central to the concept of due process enshrined in our Constitution.”

Sabraw’s ruling could force the administration to rapidly address confusion left by Trump’s order, and government agencies to scramble to reunite families. The administration can appeal.

The ACLU had sued on behalf of a mother and her then 6-year-old daughter, who were separated after arriving last November in the United States to seek asylum and escape religious persecution in Democratic Republic of Congo.

While they were reunited in March, the ACLU is pursuing class-action claims on behalf of other immigrants.

Trump issued an executive order to end the family separations on June 20, but the government has yet to reunite about 2,000 children with their parents.

The ACLU said on Monday Trump’s order contained “loopholes”, and proposed requiring that families be reunited within 30 days, unless the parents were unfit or were housed in adult-only criminal facilities.

Before the preliminary injunction ruling, the U.S. government urged Sabraw not to require that it stop separating and quickly reunite migrant families after they illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border, saying Trump’s executive order last week “largely” addressed those goals.
…

A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that U.S. immigration agents could no longer separate immigrant parents and children caught crossing the border from Mexico illegally, and must work to reunite those families that had been split up in custody.

United States District Court Judge Dana Sabraw granted the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit filed over the family separations.

More than 2,300 migrant children were separated from their parents after U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration began a “zero tolerance” policy in early May, seeking to prosecute all adults who crossed the border illegally, including those traveling with children.

“The facts set forth before the court portray reactive governance responses to address a chaotic circumstance of the government’s own making,” Sabraw wrote. “They belie measured and ordered governance, which is central to the concept of due process enshrined in our Constitution.”

Sabraw’s ruling could force the administration to rapidly address confusion left by Trump’s order, and government agencies to scramble to reunite families. The administration can appeal.

The ACLU had sued on behalf of a mother and her then 6-year-old daughter, who were separated after arriving last November in the United States to seek asylum and escape religious persecution in Democratic Republic of Congo.

While they were reunited in March, the ACLU is pursuing class-action claims on behalf of other immigrants.

Trump issued an executive order to end the family separations on June 20, but the government has yet to reunite about 2,000 children with their parents.

The ACLU said on Monday Trump’s order contained “loopholes”, and proposed requiring that families be reunited within 30 days, unless the parents were unfit or were housed in adult-only criminal facilities.

Before the preliminary injunction ruling, the U.S. government urged Sabraw not to require that it stop separating and quickly reunite migrant families after they illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border, saying Trump’s executive order last week “largely” addressed those goals.
…

U.S. Representative Joseph Crowley, a high-ranking Democrat seen as a possible future leader of the chamber, lost his re-election bid on Tuesday in an upset that highlighted the ideological battles at play in this year’s midterm elections.

Crowley, a 10-term incumbent who was fourth in line in the House of Representatives’ Democratic leadership, was defeated by 28-year-old challenger Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a safely Democratic district in New York City.

Political analysts cast Ocasio-Cortez’s win as the biggest upset since House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, a Republican, lost in 2014 to a little-known right-wing professor, Dave Brat.

The outcome of the race in New York, one of seven U.S. states that held nominating contests, known as primaries, on Tuesday, added fuel to the battle between the Democratic Party’s establishment wing, led by longtime House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, and a more liberal faction inspired by Bernie Sanders’ presidential run in 2016.

Should Democrats win control of the House of Representatives in November, Crowley would have been considered on the shortlist for speaker. Instead, after conceding the race, he said he would support Ocasio-Cortez in the general election.

“The Trump administration is a threat to everything we stand for here in Queens and the Bronx, and if we don’t win back the House this November, we will lose the nation we love,” Crowley said in a statement.

Meanwhile, two Republicans backed by U.S. President Donald Trump prevailed in their nominating contests Tuesday night, again underscoring his influence among the party’s voters.

In South Carolina, Governor Henry McMaster beat businessman John Warren in a runoff election held a day after the incumbent campaigned alongside the president.

In a bitter matchup in New York City’s Staten Island borough, incumbent Dan Donovan easily held off the man he replaced in Congress, Michael Grimm, who resigned three years ago after pleading guilty to tax fraud.

“New York, and my many friends on Staten Island, have elected someone they have always been very proud of,” Trump said on Twitter late on Tuesday, congratulating Donovan.

Grimm, a bombastic former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent known for once threatening to toss a television reporter off a balcony, had cast himself as the true Trump supporter in what had become a nasty, insult-laden campaign. He said his conviction was due to a “witch hunt,” echoing Trump’s characterization of the investigation into his campaign’s possible ties to Russia.

The district is considered within reach for Democrats in November.

Seven states hold primaries

Voters in Colorado, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah picked candidates on Tuesday for the Nov. 6 midterm elections that will determine whether Republicans maintain control of both chambers of the U.S. Congress as well as numerous gubernatorial seats.

Democrats need to flip 23 of 435 seats to take over the House of Representatives, which would stymie much of Trump’s agenda while likely opening up new avenues of investigation into his administration. They would have to net two seats to take the Senate, but face longer odds there.

In Colorado, an establishment-backed Democrat defeated a liberal insurgent to win the right to take on incumbent Republican Representative Mike Coffman, whose district favored Democrat Hillary Clinton over Trump in 2016.

Jason Crow, an Iraq war veteran backed by the national party, faced Levi Tillemann, who was endorsed by Our Revolution, a group born out of Sanders’ presidential bid. Tillemann earned attention this month with an anti-gun violence video in which he blasted himself in the face with pepper spray.

Democratic U.S. Representative Jared Polis won his party’s nomination for governor in Colorado and could become the first openly gay man to be elected governor of a U.S. state. He will face Republican Walker Stapleton, the state’s treasurer, in November.

In Utah, former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney easily won his party’s nod for Senate. He will be heavily favored in November in the conservative state.

The government whistleblower Chelsea Manning finished a distant second to incumbent Democratic Senator Ben Cardin in Maryland.
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U.S. Representative Joseph Crowley, a high-ranking Democrat seen as a possible future leader of the chamber, lost his re-election bid on Tuesday in an upset that highlighted the ideological battles at play in this year’s midterm elections.

Crowley, a 10-term incumbent who was fourth in line in the House of Representatives’ Democratic leadership, was defeated by 28-year-old challenger Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a safely Democratic district in New York City.

Political analysts cast Ocasio-Cortez’s win as the biggest upset since House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, a Republican, lost in 2014 to a little-known right-wing professor, Dave Brat.

The outcome of the race in New York, one of seven U.S. states that held nominating contests, known as primaries, on Tuesday, added fuel to the battle between the Democratic Party’s establishment wing, led by longtime House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, and a more liberal faction inspired by Bernie Sanders’ presidential run in 2016.

Should Democrats win control of the House of Representatives in November, Crowley would have been considered on the shortlist for speaker. Instead, after conceding the race, he said he would support Ocasio-Cortez in the general election.

“The Trump administration is a threat to everything we stand for here in Queens and the Bronx, and if we don’t win back the House this November, we will lose the nation we love,” Crowley said in a statement.

Meanwhile, two Republicans backed by U.S. President Donald Trump prevailed in their nominating contests Tuesday night, again underscoring his influence among the party’s voters.

In South Carolina, Governor Henry McMaster beat businessman John Warren in a runoff election held a day after the incumbent campaigned alongside the president.

In a bitter matchup in New York City’s Staten Island borough, incumbent Dan Donovan easily held off the man he replaced in Congress, Michael Grimm, who resigned three years ago after pleading guilty to tax fraud.

“New York, and my many friends on Staten Island, have elected someone they have always been very proud of,” Trump said on Twitter late on Tuesday, congratulating Donovan.

Grimm, a bombastic former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent known for once threatening to toss a television reporter off a balcony, had cast himself as the true Trump supporter in what had become a nasty, insult-laden campaign. He said his conviction was due to a “witch hunt,” echoing Trump’s characterization of the investigation into his campaign’s possible ties to Russia.

The district is considered within reach for Democrats in November.

Seven states hold primaries

Voters in Colorado, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah picked candidates on Tuesday for the Nov. 6 midterm elections that will determine whether Republicans maintain control of both chambers of the U.S. Congress as well as numerous gubernatorial seats.

Democrats need to flip 23 of 435 seats to take over the House of Representatives, which would stymie much of Trump’s agenda while likely opening up new avenues of investigation into his administration. They would have to net two seats to take the Senate, but face longer odds there.

In Colorado, an establishment-backed Democrat defeated a liberal insurgent to win the right to take on incumbent Republican Representative Mike Coffman, whose district favored Democrat Hillary Clinton over Trump in 2016.

Jason Crow, an Iraq war veteran backed by the national party, faced Levi Tillemann, who was endorsed by Our Revolution, a group born out of Sanders’ presidential bid. Tillemann earned attention this month with an anti-gun violence video in which he blasted himself in the face with pepper spray.

Democratic U.S. Representative Jared Polis won his party’s nomination for governor in Colorado and could become the first openly gay man to be elected governor of a U.S. state. He will face Republican Walker Stapleton, the state’s treasurer, in November.

In Utah, former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney easily won his party’s nod for Senate. He will be heavily favored in November in the conservative state.

The government whistleblower Chelsea Manning finished a distant second to incumbent Democratic Senator Ben Cardin in Maryland.
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