World News Roundup: Iran says U.S. sanctions on Khamenei mean end of diplomacy

Iran says U.S. sanctions on Khamenei mean end of diplomacy

New U.S. sanctions against Iran's supreme leader and foreign minister have closed off diplomacy, Iran said on Tuesday, blaming the United States for abandoning the only route to peace just days after the two foes came within minutes of conflict. U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions on Monday against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior figures. Sanctions against Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif are expected later this week.

Syrians returning home to reach one million once safe zone created: Erdogan

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday he believed the number of Syrians returning from Turkey to their homeland will reach one million once a safe zone is established in northeast Syria along their shared border. Turkey hosts nearly 4 million Syrians - the largest number in any one country of Syrians displaced during the eight-year-old civil war. Tensions between Turks and Syrians flare up on occasion in the host country.

U.S. to solicit funds for Middle East peace plan in Bahrain, though details remain vague

The Trump administration launches its Israeli-Palestinian peace plan on Tuesday with a bid to drum up $50 billion dollars to fund investment in the region, although the political details remain a secret and Palestinians have already denounced the approach as a sell-out. The two-day international meeting, led by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, has been billed as the first part of Washington's broader political blueprint to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to be announced at a later date.

UK's Johnson warns EU against any 'Napoleonic' tariffs in no-deal Brexit

Boris Johnson, the favourite to become British prime minister, said he was prepared to lead Britain out of the European Union without a deal on Oct. 31 and said any EU attempt to impose trade tariffs would be akin to a Napoleonic-era blockade. The United Kingdom's three-year Brexit crisis could be about to deepen as Johnson's pledge to leave the EU with or without a deal on Halloween could provoke a standoff with parliament, which has indicated its opposition to a no-deal exit.

NATO calls on Russia to destroy new missile, warns of response

NATO urged Russia on Tuesday to destroy a new missile before an August deadline and save a treaty that keeps land-based nuclear warheads out of Europe or face a more determined alliance response in the region. NATO defence ministers will discuss on Wednesday their next steps if Moscow keeps the missile system that the United States says would allow short-notice nuclear attacks on Europe and break the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).

Exclusive: Johnson courts financiers in race to become British PM - sources

Boris Johnson, the frontrunner in the race to become Britain's next prime minister, has met hedge fund and private equity executives to raise donations for his leadership campaign, according to sources familiar with the matter. Johnson, who on Tuesday reaffirmed his determination to take Britain out of the European Union on Oct 31, is seeking to build up a war chest for his campaign and rebuild ties with executives, which were strained last year by his expletive four-letter-word attack on business.

Turkey will lose F-35 warplane if Russia arms deal goes ahead, U.S. says

The United States will stop Turkish forces flying and developing its F-35 stealth jets if Ankara goes ahead with the purchase of a Russian air defence system, the U.S. envoy to NATO said on Tuesday. Washington and its allies have urged fellow NATO member Ankara not to install the S-400 system, saying that would let the technology learn how to recognize the F-35s, which are built to avoid tracking by enemy radars and heat sensors.

Ethiopia pays tribute to slain military chief

Ethiopia held a memorial on Tuesday for the army chief of staff slain with four other senior officials in weekend attacks that posed the biggest threat yet to the prime minister's reforms. Abiy Ahmed, who survived a grenade attack at a rally in his honour last year, sat in the front row at the memorial and wiped tears from his eyes with a white handkerchief.

Armenian court orders arrest of ex-president Kocharyan: RIA

An Armenian court on Tuesday ordered the arrest of former president Robert Kocharyan, who was freed on bail from pre-trial detention last month, the RIA news agency reported. The 64-year-old ex-president was arrested last July after peaceful protests drove his former ally and successor, Serzh Sarksyan, from power and propelled opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan into the prime minister's job.

Georgian parliament elects ruling party candidate as new speaker

The Georgian parliament on Tuesday elected a ruling Georgia Dream Party candidate as its new speaker following the resignation of his predecessor after violent protests outside the building. Archil Talakvadze was elected unanimously as opposition lawmakers left the session in protest after the ruling party refused to discuss the position of the interior minister, who they hold responsible for police using excessive force to break up the demonstration.