- Kaur leads India to victory over Pakistan in Women's T20 World Cup
- Juventus held by Cagliari after late penalty drama
- In France's Marseille, teen 'stabbed 50 times' then burned alive
- Ruthless Gauff beats Muchova in straight sets to win China Open
- India restrict Pakistan to 105-8 in Women's T20 World Cup
- England target repeat of Pakistan Test whitewash
- Penrith Panthers win fourth straight NRL title after downing Storm
- Weary Sinner happy for day off after battling into Shanghai last 16
- Pakistan's Masood warns England still a force without Stokes
- Madrid's Carvajal to miss several months after serious knee injury
- Two elephants die in flash flooding in northern Thailand
- Sabalenka targets world number one and Wuhan hat-trick
- Tunisia votes with Saied set for re-election
- Bagnaia sets 'example' with Japan MotoGP win to cut gap on Martin
- Intense Israeli bombing rocks Beirut ahead of war anniversary
- Mozambique vote: no suspense but some disillusion
- Austrian rapper channels anti-racist rage in Romani hip-hop songs
- Ohtani magic powers Dodgers over Padres in MLB playoff thriller
- Five of the best: Pakistan-England Test thrillers
- Man sets arm on fire as marches across US mark Gaza war anniversary
- Vietnam's young coffee entrepreneurs brew up a revolution
- Trump rallies at site of failed assassination: 'Never quit'
- Too hot by day, Dubai's floodlit beaches are packed at night
- Is music finally reckoning with #MeToo?
- Fans hail Trump's 'guts' as he returns to site of rally shooting
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Miami on track for MLS record points after win in Toronto
- Monaco take top spot in Ligue 1 with win at Rennes
- Madrid beat Villarreal to level Liga leaders Barca
- Thuram treble fires Inter past Torino and up to second
- 'Fight': defiant Trump jets in to site of rally shooting
- Mexico City's new mayor sworn in with pledges on water, housing
- Israel on alert ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Guardians maul Tigers in MLB playoff series opener
- Macron criticises Israel on Gaza, Lebanon operations
- French rugby player whistled but 'serene' on return amid ongoing rape case
- Retegui hat-trick fires five-star Atalanta to hammering of Genoa
- Heavyweights Australia, England off to World Cup winning starts
- Visiting UN refugee agency chief decries 'terrible crisis' in Lebanon
- Spinners come to party as England defeat Bangladesh at T20 World Cup
- Search continues for missing in deadly Bosnia floods
- Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- France's Auradou whistled on Pau return in Perpignan loss amid ongoing rape case
- A 'forgotten' valley in storm-hit North Carolina, desperate for help
- Arsenal hit back in style after Southampton scare
- Hezbollah heir apparent Safieddine out of contact after strikes
- Liverpool stay top of Premier League as Arsenal, Man City win
- In dank Tour of Emilia, Pogacar shines in rainbow jersey
- DR Congo launches mpox vaccination drive, hoping to curb outbreak
- Trump returns to site of failed assassination
US, UK halt Russian oil imports over Ukraine invasion
The United States and Britain announced Tuesday they are cutting off imports of Russian oil, in the most far-reaching action yet by Western allies to punish Moscow for invading Ukraine.
President Joe Biden announced the US embargo, part of a broader prohibition including Russian natural gas and coal, with US Democrats threatening legislation to force his hand, despite the likely impact on already soaring gas prices.
"Russian oil will no longer be acceptable at US ports and the American people will deal another powerful blow to (President Vladimir) Putin's war machine," Biden said, adding that the decision was taken "in close consultation" with allies.
"Ukraine will never be a victory for Putin," Biden vowed from the White House, minutes after Britain announced that Europe's second-largest economy would phase out Russian oil imports by the end of the year.
"Putin may be able to take a city, but he will never be able to hold the country."
The US ban has support from both parties in Washington, although economists have been divided on the effect of turning off the spigot, with oil prices already soaring above $120 a barrel.
Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose by more than five percent on Tuesday on news of Biden's imminent announcement.
US Speaker Nancy Pelosi told members on Sunday the House was exploring the ban, as well as ending trade relations with Russia and Belarus and pushing to curtail Moscow's access to the World Trade Organization.
But Biden -- initially reluctant but wary of appearing less tough than Congress on Putin -- intervened personally, according to several US media outlets, phoning Pelosi to ask her to drop the initiative.
Pelosi said in a letter to colleagues released after Biden's address that House Democrats would press ahead with a vote on the ban and other measures targeting the Russian economy before the end of the day.
- 'Dramatic increases' -
Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed on Sunday that the administration and its allies were already in talks about whether to implement a ban.
"We are now in very active discussions with our European partners about banning the import of Russian oil to our countries while of course, at the same time, maintaining a steady global supply of oil," he told NBC.
But European Union nations, who are far more reliant on Russian energy than the United States, have declined to take similar action.
Russia accounts for eight percent of US imports of oil and petroleum products, which means the impact on the world's largest economy would be easier to bear.
The White House will nevertheless have to reassure voters already alarmed over spiraling gasoline prices, which are threatening Democrats' chances of holding on to Congress in November's midterm elections.
Americans are now paying an average of $4.17 per gallon, a 72 cent increase in just one month and the highest price at the pump since the global economic downturn of 2008.
"Bottom line is that the USA would feel some impact to the loss of supplies from Russia, but we are in a far better position than Europe," energy analyst Andy Lipow said.
US officials, seeking to offset the loss of Russian oil, reportedly traveled to Venezuela over the weekend to meet with the government of Nicolas Maduro.
The South American country was once a top source of US oil, but Washington halted imports in 2019 following sanctions on the country.
Congressional Democrats have pushed back on the idea, however, voicing reluctance to switch from one unsavory regime to another.
"We shouldn't be advancing other countries who don't share our values," Montana Senator Jon Tester told reporters.
In a Quinnipiac poll released before the White House announcement, 71 percent of respondents said they would support a ban on Russian oil even if it meant higher gas prices.
"The next step needs to be to work to get Europe to do the same thing, to wean themselves from Russian oil and gas," Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who recently introduced a bill to "restore American energy independence," told CNBC.
"And the way to do that is to have alternative sources, and the obvious alternative sources is the United States."
The British oil sanction does not apply to Russian natural gas, which accounts for some four percent of UK supply. But Business Secretary KwasiKwarteng said he was "exploring options to end this altogether".
A.Aguiar--PC