Hook News Brief | 16.07.25
BRITAIN REVEALS SECRET SCHEME TO RELOCATE AFGHANS
Britain has made a secret Afghan relocation scheme public. About 4,500 Afghans have been brought to the UK since last summer. This is because the personal details of about 19,000 Afghans were accidentally leaked in February 2022, by an official at the British Defence Ministry. The leak included the details of at least 600 Afghan soldiers, and 1,800 of their family members. The British government discovered the leak in August 2023. It began secretly bringing the at-risk Afghans to the UK last year, to protect them from reprisals by the Taliban. The scheme is officially called the Afghan Relocation Route. The leak and subsequent relocations have cost the British government over $500 million so far, and is expected to cost a further $500 million.
UK, FRANCE & GERMANY ISSUE ULTIMATUM TO IRAN
Britain, France and Germany have issued an ultimatum to Iran. They have threatened to reinstate United Nations sanctions on Tehran, unless it signs a new nuclear deal by August 29. The European nations want Iran to reinstate the UN nuclear watchdog’s oversight of its nuclear activities. Tehran stopped cooperating with the UN watchdog after the US struck Iranian nuclear facilities on June 22. Reports say that the UK, France and Germany also want Iran to remove its existing enriched Uranium stockpile. Iran has approximately 400 kgs of Uranium enriched to 60% purity. Tehran says it protected the Uranium from the American strikes. Unless Iran meets their conditions, the European nations will reimpose sanctions they lifted 10 years ago, under a “snapback” mechanism which was part of the original 2015 nuclear deal.
TRUMP ANNOUNCED NEW TARIFF DEAL WITH INDONESIA
US President Donald Trump has announced a new tariff deal with Indonesia. Trump says that as part of the deal, Indonesian exports to the US will be hit with 19% tariffs. This is below the 32% tariff rate that was initially slapped on Indonesia in April. Trump also claims that Jakarta won’t impose any tariffs on American goods, and that it has agreed to buy 50 Boeing jets. Indonesia is yet to confirm the deal.
