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london/paris — Europe's air safety regulator said on Thursday it would call for inspections of at least part of the Airbus A350 long-haul fleet after an engine part failed during the flight of a Cathay Pacific A350-1000 jetliner on Monday. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said it was acting as a precaution to prevent similar events after consulting Hong Kong regulators and accident investigators, as well as Airbus and engine supplier Rolls-Royce. It also confirmed that the failure of part of the fuel system had caused a fire that was quickly tackled by the crew. "We will require a one-time fleet inspection, which may be applicable only to a portion of the A350 fleet, in order to identify and remove from service any potentially compromised high-pressure fuel hoses," EASA said in an emailed statement. Details and time limits for checks will be outlined in an emergency airworthiness directive on Thursday, it added. Rolls-Royce and Airbus both said they were working closely with authorities to comply with the directive. Rolls-Royce said it was focused on minimizing any short-term disruption, adding: "We apologize to those who may be affected." The A350-1000, the larger of two models in the Airbus A350 family, and its Rolls-Royce XWB-97 engines have been under the spotlight since a Zurich-bound jet was forced to return to Hong Kong after the engine problem, later traced to a fuel leak. Initial investigations have revealed that a flexible pipe feeding a fuel injection nozzle was pierced, sources said on Wednesday, and the Hong Kong-led probe must now determine whether this was the cause or a consequence of the incident. The A350-1000 represents 15% of the A350 fleet in service. Details of the EASA measure were still being discussed on Thursday, but people familiar with the matter said it was likely to involve a visual inspection of Trent XWB-97 engines with progressive deadlines — a relatively light maintenance task. The XWB-84 engine, which powers the more widely used A350-900, was seen as less likely to be included in the checks. The decision to order precautionary checks of at least part of the fleet comes after manufacturers initially argued against the need for checks of the whole A350 population, sources said. Barring fresh evidence, manufacturers had been leaning against recommending worldwide checks but the final say is with regulators, sources told Reuters on Wednesday. Key wording Due to the highly technical nature of modern aircraft and engines, manufacturers typically perform much of the technical groundwork in preparing regulatory instructions and play a crucial part in global monitoring of the fleet in service. However, regulators can override their recommendations and order their own checks, and they face increasing pressure to be seen to act independently following a global tightening of safety oversight in the wake of a Boeing safety crisis. The decision is seen as the first public test for recently appointed EASA Executive Director Florian Guillermet. Although it was quickly contained and nobody was injured, the stakes in how the incident is handled remain high for Rolls-Royce and airlines amid public concerns over air safety. Insiders said that could prompt a tug-of-war over technical wording spelling out the criteria for replacing any parts. Rolls is seen as anxious to ensure any repair work is driven by technical factors rather than less tangible pressure on airlines and is likely to remind carriers to use correct procedures and tools after a wave of ad hoc inspections, sources said. Airlines, for their part, have been pushing for more clarity from Airbus and the engine maker and have been critical of the lack of communication as they face questions from passengers. Airbus and Rolls-Royce sought to address airlines' questions on Thursday during their first closed briefings to carriers since Monday's incident. Questions included which planes would be affected and the availability of parts, a person briefed on the matter said.

London — The United States announced new sanctions Thursday on ships that transport Russian gas from Moscow's Arctic LNG 2 terminal in Russia’s Murmansk region. The measures target the owners of two LNG tankers, the New Energy and the Mulan. The U.S. State Department said the New Energy had used "deceptive shipping practices, including shutting off its automatic identification system, to load cargo from the U.S.-sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project." It comes as a new analysis shows Russia appears to be struggling to find buyers for its liquefied natural gas, or LNG, from its flagship Arctic LNG 2 project amid tightening Western sanctions, forcing Moscow to store the gas in a huge container vessel in the Arctic Sea. The Arctic LNG 2 project was meant to produce almost 19.8 million metric tonnes of LNG every year to sell primarily to Asian markets, potentially earning billions of dollars for Novatek, the private company that runs the project, and the Kremlin. Instead, Russia is struggling to sell the gas, according to analyst Tom Marzec-Manser, head of gas analytics at Independent Commodity Intelligence Services. He has been using satellite and ship-tracking data to monitor LNG vessels servicing the Arctic LNG 2 facility. “So far, we’re aware of three cargoes that have been loaded from Arctic LNG 2 ... and all of them really have not gone anywhere. In recent days, what we’ve seen is that two of them have had to offload their cargo onto this huge floating storage unit that Russia's Novatek has had moored up near Murmansk for over a year and never used — it's also under sanctions. They're offloading these cargoes into the storage unit because they can't find a buyer,” Marzec-Manser told VOA. He said that storage unit, named the Saam, will rapidly fill up if Russia can’t find buyers, creating a bottleneck and potentially forcing Novatek to halt production. Putin’s flagship Arctic LNG 2 was a flagship development for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who pledged that it would one day help Russia to become the world’s biggest producer of LNG. “Production of liquefied natural gas in the Russia Arctic zone will have increased three-fold by 2030, up to 64 million tons per year. … Of course, it will contribute significantly in the development of our northern regions and in the strengthening of Russian technological sovereignty,” Putin told delegates at the Eastern Economic Forum in the Russian city of Vladivostok in September 2023. Earlier sanctions That goal now seems unlikely. The West, led by the United States, imposed sanctions on Novatek and businesses linked to Arctic LNG 2 following Moscow’s February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Crucially, according to Marzec-Manser, that included the vessels intended to transport the gas. “So, there's a whole fleet of cargo vessels that are sitting in shipyards in Asia, which are specifically designed to flow through the Arctic seas. They're called ‘ice-class’ vessels, and they've not been able to sell them to Novatek because of these sanctions,” Marzec-Manser said. “What Novatek then did was to say, ‘Right, what we're going to try and do is buy really old LNG vessels, which aren't designed for the Arctic waters, but we can at least shuttle them backwards and forwards during the summer months.’ But then the U.S. has sanctioned those vessels, as well,” he told VOA. Kremlin response Russia is looking for ways to circumvent the sanctions. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters in April that “attempts to squeeze Russia out of energy markets and switch to more expensive markets are continuing,” adding that Moscow “will look for ways to overcome these illegal obstacles, unfair competition and illegal actions.” Analysts say Russia is assembling a so-called “dark fleet” of LNG vessels that are difficult to track. “It's a game of cat and mouse, and as we see, new vessels which are owned by unknown Middle Eastern entities entering Russian waters, it's only then that you can properly join the dots to say, well, this is clearly being used to service some of these [LNG] projects, and it's only then that the sanctions come in,” Marzec-Manser told VOA. Novatek did not respond to VOA requests for comment. Russia is still able to sell LNG and other hydrocarbon products from oil and gas fields that are not subject to Western sanctions. However, the state-owned gas giant Gazprom recorded a net loss of $6.9 billion in 2023 — its first annual loss in more than 20 years — as Moscow cut supplies to European customers following the invasion of Ukraine and the West’s imposition of sanctions. The United States is now by far the world’s biggest supplier of LNG, with two-thirds of it exported to Europe.

Written by Raul Pinto, Deputy Legal Director, Transparency at the American Immigration Council and Jennifer Ibañez Whitlock, Supervisory Policy & Practice Counsel, Government Relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association Last month, a federal oversight agency published a report claiming that 32,000 children classified as unaccompanied minors did not show up to their immigration court […]

The post Oversight Agency Says 32,000 Unaccompanied Children Are Missing. But Are They? appeared first on Immigration Impact.

washington — China recently warned against what it described as "external interference" in Myanmar, a country increasingly caught in the crossfire of escalating geopolitical rivalry between Beijing and Washington. This warning came as the United States has been deepening its engagement with Myanmar's pro-democracy forces, raising concerns in Beijing, where experts suggest there is deep skepticism about Washington's intentions in Myanmar. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed these concerns during an informal meeting with the foreign ministers of Laos, Thailand and Myanmar on August 16 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Wang emphasized that Myanmar's internal affairs should remain free from external interference, particularly from outside the region. The Chinese Embassy in Myanmar and state-controlled media quickly echoed this stance, stressing that no party should cross the line of "external intervention." This meeting coincided with a virtual discussion between U.S. officials and Myanmar's opposition, during which Washington reiterated its support for a transition to civilian government. Although Wang did not directly mention the United States, his remarks were widely interpreted as a response to Washington's increased involvement. Chinese distrust Zachary Abuza, a professor at the National War College in Washington, noted China’s growing distrust of U.S. intentions in Myanmar. "From a Chinese perspective, they reject the U.S. role in Myanmar," Abuza told VOA. "The problem is the Chinese don't want to deal with us in Myanmar.” Hla Kyaw Zaw, a veteran observer of Sino-Myanmar relations based in China, echoed this sentiment, noting that China is more concerned about U.S. involvement than any other external influence. "China prefers to take the lead in addressing the Myanmar crisis, as seen in its mediation efforts earlier this year," Hla Kyaw Zaw said, referring to China's role in talks between Myanmar's military junta and ethnic armed groups. In response to a VOA request for comment, the Chinese Embassy in Washington reiterated China's stance opposing actions that provoke internal unrest and civil war in Myanmar. "China opposes deliberate interference in Myanmar's internal affairs by external forces," the embassy said in an email. According to Abuza, there is little potential for U.S.-China cooperation on the Myanmar crisis, despite the two having similar goals. "We actually both want much of the same thing — an end to military rule, an end to civil war, and a return to a stable, prosperous Myanmar. But I see very little cooperation going forward in the short term," Abuza said. China-US differences The divergence underscores broader tensions in Southeast Asia. While both powers ostensibly seek stability in Myanmar, their approaches differ sharply, according to a recent analysis by the United States Institute of Peace. The United States has shown support for the democratic movements in Myanmar, for example, by imposing sanctions on the country's military government. Also, following the 2021 coup, Washington passed the BURMA Act of 2022, authorizing nonlethal aid to pro-democracy resistance groups and sanctioning the junta. The U.S. also allowed Myanmar's opposition, the National Unity Government, or NUG, to open a liaison office in Washington, although the NUG has not been formally recognized as Myanmar's legitimate government by the U.S. According to an August 16 U.S. State Department release, Counselor Tom Sullivan and Michael Schiffer, U.S. Agency for International Development assistant administrator,  praised the efforts of pro-democracy groups in Myanmar to establish an inclusive federal democratic system and reaffirmed U.S. commitment to supporting these groups. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and China's Wang addressed the issue during talks in China on August 27-28, according to a White House statement. The statement did not provide details. China's strategic interests in Myanmar are driven by its substantial economic investments and the country's strategic location as a gateway to the Indian Ocean. "Since China is a neighboring country, it has a greater stake in Myanmar. It's widely understood that Myanmar is vital to China's plans to gain access to the Indian Ocean," said Hla Kyaw Zaw, emphasizing Myanmar's critical role in geopolitics, particularly in relation to China's Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI. "Myanmar's involvement in the BRI has not gone as smoothly as China had hoped," Hla Kyaw Zaw said. "That's why China wants to complete projects in Myanmar as quickly as possible. To achieve this, I believe China will do everything in its power to stabilize Myanmar and ensure peace." May Sabe Phyu, a prominent Myanmar human rights activist who advocates for democracy and human rights at the United Nations, highlighted China's significant power on the international stage and noted that the West has struggled to counter China's influence because of Beijing’s expanding economic power. "Countries around the world, including Western nations, are increasingly unable to effectively push back against China's growing dominance," she said.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Washington — The United States has charged five Russian intelligence officers and one Russian civilian in connection with a major cyberattack, described by U.S. prosecutors as the first shot in the Kremlin's war against Ukraine. The Justice Department unsealed the superseding indictment Thursday, accusing the Russians of carrying out the January 2022 "WhisperGate" malware attack that sought to debilitate Ukraine's civilian infrastructure ahead of the Russian invasion the following month. "The WhisperGate campaign included the targeting of civilian infrastructure and Ukrainian computer systems wholly unrelated to the military or national defense, that include government agencies responsible for emergency services in Ukraine, the judiciary, food safety and education, seeking to sap the morale of the Ukrainian public," said U.S. Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen. The attack "could be considered the first shot of the war," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Bill DelBagno, speaking alongside Olsen during a news conference in Baltimore, Maryland. DelBagno said the WhisperGate campaign also targeted the United States and dozens of NATO allies, going as far as to infiltrate a U.S. government agency based in Maryland while simultaneously accessing U.S. bank accounts. "The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners and allies, will relentlessly hunt down and counter these threats," he said. "This type of cyber warfare will not be tolerated. The scope of Russia's crimes cannot be ignored." Thursday's superseding indictment, the result of an FBI operation named “Toy Soldier,” builds on charges first filed in June against 22-year-old Russian Amin Stigal, a civilian accused of leveraging malware to aid Russian intelligence ahead of the invasion of Ukraine. As part of the attack, Stigal and the agents with Unit 21955 of Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff, or GRU, used the cyberinfrastructure of some U.S.-based companies to launch what first appeared to be ransomware attacks, but which were actually designed to wipe out critical data. The new indictment names Stigal’s Russian GRU accomplices as Vladislav Borovkov, Denis Denisenko, Yuriy Denisov, Dmitriy Goloshubov and Nikolay Korchagin. FBI officials said the GRU unit has also operated under the names Cadet Blizzard, Ember Bear and Dev-0586, carrying out cyberattacks on critical infrastructure across Europe, Central America and Asia. In addition to the new charges, U.S. officials said they are offering a reward of up to $10 million for each of the Russians named in the criminal complaint. The officials said they are also working with Interpol to serve notices that could help lead to the arrest of the six Russians. "They are marked people," Olsen said. "We know who they are. There's a reward on their head, and we're going to pursue them relentlessly." "The message is clear," he said. "To the GRU, to the Russians, we are onto you." In addition to the charges, the FBI and its partners on Thursday issued a cybersecurity advisory telling organizations and companies to fix known vulnerabilities that could be exploited by the GRU's Unit 21955. The Russian Embassy in Washington has yet to respond to a VOA request for comment. Meanwhile, some U.S. allies announced their own plans to crack down on Russian intelligence. Estonia on Thursday announced it has attributed a 2020 cyberattack on three of its government ministries and is seeking the arrest of three members of the GRU's Unit 21955. "Russia's aim was to damage national computer systems, obtain sensitive information and strike a blow against our sense of security," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said in a statement. "Estonia condemns any malign activity, including cyberactivity that threatens our institutions, our citizens and our security," Tsahkna said. Thursday's charges by the U.S. against Russian agents are the latest in a series of measures by Washington to crack down on what it describes as Moscow's malign activity. Earlier Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department charged a U.S. television presenter for Channel One Russia and his wife with sanctions evasion. On Wednesday, the U.S. charged two Russian nationals employed by the Kremlin-backed RT media outlet with funneling almost $10 million to a U.S.-based media company to spread pro-Russian disinformation. The Justice Department on Wednesday also announced the takedown of 32 internet domains linked to what officials described as a separate Russian operation aimed at influencing the U.S. presidential election. VOA’s United Nations correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report.

The U.S. Justice Department indicted RT employees for FARA violations and money laundering in a $10M “malicious influence campaign” meant to upend American society and impact the outcome of the presidential election. The State Department imposed visa restrictions and labeled Rossiya Segodnya and its subsidiaries as Foreign Missions. The Treasury sanctioned 10 individuals.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

A new conscription law has been in force in Ukraine for more than three months, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the mobilization has been going according to plan. But studies suggest Ukrainians are ambivalent about the law. Lesia Bakalets in Kyiv looks at the reasons. Videographer: Vladyslav Smilianets

A trip that should have lasted just over a week spirals into a roughly eight-month adventure. Plus, a pioneering teacher memorialized in bronze. And a robot proves its purpose by picking up pebbles. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brings us The Week in Space.

ROME — Seven people were rescued and 21 people were missing at sea after a migrant shipwreck off the island of Lampedusa, the Italian coast guard said on Wednesday.  The survivors, all male Syrian nationals, were picked up from a semi-sunken boat about 18.5 kilometers southwest of Lampedusa, a statement said.  They told rescuers they had set off on Sunday from Libya, and that 21 of the 28 people they had aboard, including three children, had fallen into the sea during rough weather.   The coast guard said it had taken the survivors to Lampedusa and had deployed naval and air units to look for the missing people.  The Italian office of U.N. refugee agency UNHCR told Reuters that Sudanese people were also on the boat, which is believed to have departed from the port of Sabratha, west of Tripoli.   The head of UNHCR Italy, Chiara Cardoletti, wrote on X that the survivors were in "critical" condition and had lost relatives at sea.   The boat capsized “leaving people clinging to the side of the boat as their family members drowned around them," Nicola Dell'Arciprete, UNICEF country coordinator for Italy, said in a statement.   The central Mediterranean is among the world's deadliest migration routes. According to the U.N. migration agency (IOM), more than 2,500 migrants died or went missing attempting the crossing last year, and 1,047 this year, as of Tuesday.  The latest figures from the Italian interior ministry recorded that just over 43,000 migrants had reached Italy so far in 2024, well down from previous years.  

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not swayed by the protests against him in Israel as the United States on Wednesday dismissed concerns that criminal charges brought against Hamas leaders would complicate ongoing negotiations to reach a Gaza cease-fire deal. The United States accuses Russia of conducting a massive mis-information campaign ahead of the presidential election. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are still vague about their policies towards Ukraine. A man was shot by police in Munich near the Israeli consulate and a Nazi-era museum, and a teenager is under arrest for a school shooting in the US state of Georgia. The China-Africa Forum gets underway and Secretary Blinken heads to Haiti.

The United States and European Union expect Mongolia to adhere to its commitments as a state party to the International Criminal Court to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin on alleged war crimes charges.

BANGKOK — Northern Thailand’s worst floods in years are causing significant damage, and experts say this could be the first real test for the country’s new prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra. The floods, caused by seasonal monsoon rain in August, have killed at least 22 people, injured others and damaged upwards of 30,000 homes across more than a dozen provinces, authorities said on August 26. The bad weather in Thailand continues, with Typhoon Yagi forecast to cause more heavy rainfall over the weekend. Nine provinces are particularly at risk — Chiang Rai, Phayao, Sukhothai, Lampang, Phetchabun, Phrae, Nan, Phitsanulok and Nakhon Sawan. Arisara Lekkham, a lecturer at the School of Law at the Mae Fah Luang University in Chiang Rai, said the floods are more severe than in previous years. “The current flooding in northern Thailand is both an annual occurrence and an extraordinary event this year,” she told VOA. “Key factors include exceptionally heavy and prolonged rainfall, urban expansion blocking natural drainage paths, deforestation and conversion to monoculture agriculture reducing soil water retention, topography of mountainous regions leading to flash floods [and] high-water levels in the Mekong River and its tributaries slowing drainage,” she said. “These factors have resulted in more frequent, intense and long-lasting floods, affecting areas that rarely flood and causing significant damage across multiple provinces. While flooding is expected annually in certain regions, the scale and impact of this year's floods are notably more severe than in typical years,” said Lekkham, who has published papers on the legal principles of the Mekong River. Thai politics have endured a storm of their own recently, with Paetongtarn having become prime minister after a court removed her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin. Analysts say the heavy floods will be Paetongtarn’s first test. “If we get this kind of rain at this pace, continuously for the month of September, it could be a big crisis for her. But if the rain dissipates and the drier season comes in by the second half of September or early October, then the pressure will be off a bit. It's a matter of nature,” political analyst Thitinan Pongsudhirak told VOA. In 2011, Thailand suffered some of its worst flooding in recent history because of rain from monsoon season triggered by a tropical storm. The flooding lasted from July to January 2012, killing at least 815 people and affecting over 13 million. Sixty-five of Thailand’s 76 provinces were declared disaster zones. The World Bank estimated that the five-month-long floods caused economic damages and losses of over $46.5 billion. At the time, Thailand was governed by another Shinawatra, then-Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Yingluck was heavily criticized for the vast damage done by the disaster, but she was not prosecuted following allegations of dereliction of duty in water management by Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Committee. Thitinan called the current situation reminiscent of the massive flooding that occurred soon after Yingluck took office. “On Paetongtarn, it’s a test of her personal character and personal leadership. We don't know how bad the floods will get. But if it's a lot less [than 2011] ... the floods will incur some damage, but it will not be critical to her premiership,” he said. Lekkham said Paetongtarn and her new Cabinet — announced this week — must manage the current flood problem, providing flood relief assistance and urgent aid, and monitor and warn of the risks nationwide, including in Bangkok. Long-term measures also must be implemented, she said. “What Paetongtarn and the new government need to do [is] manage the flood problem long-term, support innovation and technology for flood assistance, such as drones for supply delivery or equipment to rescue people stranded in floodwaters, develop systematic, seasonal monitoring and warning plans, ensuring central agencies have a unified view that can be disseminated to local levels, establish flood management as a routine practice, not just a seasonal activity. “Flood management should become a regular, year-round effort rather than a reactive, seasonal approach,” she said. There have been added concerns that China has been releasing water from its Jinghong Dam in Yunnan into the Mekong River. “Increased water levels in the Mekong River, partly due to dam releases, are pushing water back into tributaries, worsening flooding in agricultural areas. The dams affect the natural flow of the Mekong, impacting downstream countries like Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia,” Lekkham said. But a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok denied the dam was the reason for Thailand’s worsened flooding, asserting it had not released any water lately. The Mekong Dam Monitor, an online platform monitoring reservoir levels in the Mekong River, says its satellite data shows no evidence that China’s recent water releases were the reason for the Thailand’s heavy floods. But China is still “partly” to blame,” Thitinan said. “I saw the statistics that [show] the Chinese have released less water than last year, but only a little bit less than last year. But that's irrelevant, because the water that has been released is still making the floods worse in Thailand. So, in practical terms, the Chinese are partly responsible for how bad the floods are,” he said. Lekkham said more communication and trust is needed between six riparian countries that are part of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, a framework focusing on joint usage of the Mekong River. “There is a need to further promote communication on data exchange, particularly regarding water levels behind dams, daily water releases, and advance warnings during wet seasons. Implementing publicly accessible CCTV systems could foster mutual trust between China and lower Mekong countries,” she said. Economically, the floods could cost Thailand up to $176 million in damages, Thailand’s Chamber of Commerce has warned. Thailand’s agricultural, industrial and services sectors have been the most affected, while the kingdom is already suffering from a sluggish economy.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Islamabad — Pakistan Federal Minister for Petroleum Musadik Malik said Wednesday that international sanctions have caused complications for the Iran-Pakistan cross-border natural gas pipeline project.  Media outlets reported that Iran had warned Pakistan to complete its part of the project or face an $18 billion penalty — news that sparked a debate days later in Pakistan's lower house, the National Assembly.   Responding to a question by a lawmaker on the floor of the house regarding Iran's final notice, Malik said, “This is a deeply complicated matter and involves international sanctions."  Malik did not provide more details about sanctions, but said the government is available to discuss the complications.  He rejected the penalty figure of $18 billion, saying, “I do not know where it has come from.”  In response to a query regarding reports of Iran's notice, Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said last week that Pakistan had taken note of the development.  “Pakistan and Iran have robust channels of communications including this matter. We have always said that we would like to resolve all issues [with Iran] through friendly consultations,” she said during a briefing.  Petroleum Minister Malik, during an informal conversation on the gas pipeline project with local journalists in March, confirmed that Pakistan would present its case to the U.S. and seek an exemption from sanctions.  “We cannot bear American sanctions. We will present our stance to the U.S. We want to complete this project but without any sanctions," Malik told journalists.  However, Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Baloch, also in March, said that the project is progressing "in conformity with our commitment to the Iran-Pakistan pipeline." She emphasized that Pakistan perceives no grounds for objections from external parties as the construction activities are confined within Pakistani territory.  During a briefing Tuesday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that helping Pakistan address its energy shortage was a priority for the United States.  He added, however, that "we will continue to enforce our sanctions against Iran. We also advise anyone considering a business deal with Iran to be aware of its possible ramifications."  Pakistan experts say Pakistan failed to meet its commitment to build its part of the pipeline for several reasons, including a volatile security situation in Balochistan, where the pipeline is supposed to pass. Gas pipelines are not safe in restive Balochistan and Baloch insurgents frequently target gas pipelines in the resource-rich southwestern province bordering Iran.     “In my opinion, however, Pakistan’s real worry is U.S. sanctions," said Naveed Hussain, an editor of the Pakistan English daily newspaper The Express Tribune. "It has declared force majeure, but Iran says Pakistan had signed the agreement while being fully cognizant of [the] U.S. sanctions risk, especially when India had withdrawn from the project for the same reason.”  Khaleeq Kiani, who writes about the economy for the Pakistan English daily newspaper Dawn, told VOA, “The U.S. stance is clear, and recently it imposed sanctions on companies providing equipment to Pakistan missile programs, that was a clear indication to Pakistan to not proceed with the pipeline project.”  In April, the U.S. imposed sanctions on four entities — one based in Belarus, and the other three in China — for supplying missile‐applicable items to Pakistan’s ballistic missile program, including its long-range missile program.    Despite that precedent, Pakistan's foreign minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, said at a May press briefing that Pakistan would not succumb to international pressure on the pipeline project.   “We will not let anyone use their veto,” Dar said, without naming the United States.   Dar's remarks came weeks after Donald Lu, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs, told a U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing that importing gas from Iran would expose Pakistan to U.S. sanctions.  Pakistan is facing gas shortages and relies on subsidized gas, putting pressure on the national exchequer, Petroleum Minister Malik said on the house floor Wednesday. Originally envisaged as the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline, the project was reduced to a bilateral agreement after India pulled out in 2008. Tehran and Islamabad signed a 25-year contract in 2009 to export gas from Iran through a 2,400-kilometer gas pipeline to be built jointly by both countries.   While Iran has completed its pipeline section, Pakistan keeps dragging its feet on the project. In 2019, the two countries revised their contract, and Islamabad committed to building its portion of the pipeline by 2024.   This story originated in VOA’s Deewa Service.