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Friday, 12 March 2021 5:25 PM [ Last Update: Friday, 12 March 2021 5:25 PM ]

Alena Douhan

Here are the top stories from Press TV on March 12, 2021.

Inhuman unilateral sanctions

A UN human rights expert says unilateral sanctions have inflicted enormous humanitarian crises across the world. In an interview with Press TV, Alena Douhan said unilateral sanctions exacerbate pre-existing issues in targeted countries, turning them into crises. She added that the coercive measures are affecting people’s right to food, health, and life. The UN Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures and human rights stressed that the sanctions ultimately undermine the right to development of the whole nation. She called for serious dialogue in the international arena to settle disputes. UN and human rights experts have frequently criticized the United States over its use of economic sanctions for political purposes. They say such actions are clearly contrary to international law and may precipitate man-made humanitarian catastrophes of unprecedented proportions.

'Sanctions amount to war crimes'

Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations says sanctions are inhumane and illegal measures which have consequences similar to those of terrorism and war crimes. Majid Takht Ravanchi said the consequences of sanctions are as brutal and criminal as those of terror and war crimes. He made the comments at a UN Security Council meeting on hunger and famine in conflicts. Iran’s envoy said sanctions are one of the main causes of creating food insecurity. Takht Ravanchi also spoke about US sanctions on Iran. He said the measures have hindered Iran’s access to food, medicine and medical equipment amid the pandemic. He also called for the immediate lifting of the ongoing siege on Yemen and the Gaza Strip.

Falling UK exports to EU

Official data shows Britain’s exports to the European Union dropped by over 40 percent in January following the country’s official departure from the bloc. The figure provided by the Office for National Statistics shows the biggest drop since the export data compilation began in 1997. The office said temporary factors were likely to be behind the fall. ONS data shows that the country’s overall economy also shrank by two-point-nine percent in the first month of the year. The COVID-19 pandemic took a heavy toll on Britain’s economy last year when it contracted by ten percent. That was the worst performance of the British economy in over last three centuries.

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