标签： Suriname

Tensions surrounding one of the world’s most critical strategic waterways, the Strait of Hormuz, remain locked in a volatile deadlock this week, after Iran’s top security official confirmed Tehran is drafting a formal list of preconditions to reopen the key passage. The announcement comes as Qatar, Oman and Pakistan work behind the scenes to broker a return to negotiations between Washington and Tehran, marking the latest chapter in a months-long standoff that has shaken global energy security.

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, laid out the first of Tehran’s core demands on Thursday: an end to ongoing regional armed conflict. During a recent visit to Tehran by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, senior officials from both sides discussed a range of confidence-building proposals, including a temporary temporary maritime transit corridor through the strait and a joint multinational mine-clearing initiative. According to regional diplomatic sources, Iran and Oman have already reached a preliminary agreement on a split corridor that would run through both nations’ territorial waters, allowing commercial vessels to use a central channel for transit if the U.S. meets all of Iran’s outlined demands.

A separate statement from a spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) expanded on Iran’s requirements, clarifying that full reopening would only go forward after the U.S. lifts its ongoing blockade of Iranian ports, pays reparations for war-related damage inflicted on Iranian infrastructure and assets, and rolls back all sweeping economic sanctions imposed on Tehran.

The strait has been effectively closed to most commercial traffic since February, when Iran made the decision to block passage following a joint bombing campaign targeting Iranian positions carried out by the U.S. and Israel. A brief, temporary reopening was brokered in June via a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU): under the terms of the deal, Iran committed to clearing maritime mines and allowing vessels free passage, while the U.S. agreed to lift its port blockade and ease some sanctions. However, Tehran quickly reversed course and reclosed the strait within weeks, accusing Washington of failing to uphold its end of the agreement.

Speaking at the White House on the same day Rezaei made his announcement, former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed the strait is already “open for business”, asserting that U.S. military forces have already completed full mine-clearing operations in the waterway. He added that the White House sees no urgent need to restart formal negotiations with Tehran. A senior anonymous U.S. administration source later confirmed to reporters that the existing blockade of Iranian ports remains fully in place, and no official talks with Iranian representatives are currently scheduled.

The standoff leaves the strategic waterway in a state of persistent uncertainty, as regional diplomats scramble to find a diplomatic off-ramp amid escalating mutual demands and deep-seated distrust between Washington and Tehran. More than 20% of global oil shipments pass through the strait on a daily basis, meaning any prolonged closure carries significant risks for global energy markets and economic stability worldwide.

During parliamentary debates on Suriname’s new General Tax Law, Ronny Asabina, parliamentary faction leader of the BEP party, has made a urgent, high-stakes call for the Surinamese government to launch a comprehensive re-evaluation of all existing contracts between the state and large multinational gold mining operators operating in the country.

Asabina framed his demand within the broader context of ongoing national tax system reform, arguing that addressing tax avoidance and evasion cannot only target individual taxpayers and small local businesses. Long-standing fiscal agreements between Suriname and international mining giants must also be brought under rigorous scrutiny, he emphasized.

The BEP leader warned that complex cross-border corporate and accounting structures are commonly used by multinational firms to shift profits generated in Suriname to offshore jurisdictions, depriving the country of critical public revenue. Critically, Asabina noted that Suriname currently lacks clear data on how much tax income it loses to these practices, stating bluntly, “We have no idea how much revenue we are missing out on.” To close this gap, he pushed the government to conduct a full, in-depth audit of all existing gold sector contracts.

Asabina drew specific attention to fiscal clauses governing withholding tax on payments made by gold mining companies to foreign service providers. He pressed the government to confirm whether regular, rigorous audits are carried out to verify that required tax amounts are correctly withheld and remitted to the state treasury, and also called for clarity on how these existing special fiscal arrangements align with the new General Tax Law currently under parliamentary consideration.

While he acknowledged that attracting and retaining foreign direct investment remains a key priority for Suriname’s developing economy, Asabina rejected the long-standing practice of giving preferential, soft treatment to multinational corporations. He argued that investment promotion must never come at the cost of weak oversight of companies’ fiscal obligations.

Beyond tax compliance, Asabina also raised sharp questions about the Surinamese government’s failure to exercise its rights properly as a co-shareholder in major gold mining operations, pointing to Newmont Suriname as a key example. He argued that the state should not passively rely only on the public information published by the company, but must actively conduct independent, thorough reviews of the firm’s annual financial statements, full operating results, revenue streams, expenditure, investment plans and final profit distributions.

“As a shareholder, I don’t just sit back and listen to what the company tells me,” Asabina said, asking how many independent financial experts the state has actually deployed to audit the multinational miners’ annual reports. He added that the state must also exercise close oversight over large-scale investment projects announced by gold companies, because investment costs directly impact final financial results – and therefore the revenues the state is owed from its equity stake.

Asabina also linked the demand for greater oversight to tangible benefits for local communities living in mining regions. He cited the existing development fund for the Saramacca community, which has delivered tangible improvements including funding for education infrastructure in Brokopondo, as proof that fair, well-enforced natural resource contracts can deliver widespread public good.

Against this backdrop, Asabina argued that the ongoing process of national tax system reform presents an ideal, timely opportunity to re-examine all existing fiscal agreements between Suriname and multinational mining firms. The government, he said, must be able to clearly demonstrate that Suriname is actually collecting every cent of revenue it is legally entitled to under existing contracts and national tax legislation.

Two days of collaborative discussions between young Surinamese representatives and top government leaders wrapped up this weekend, as the country’s first-ever National Youth Congress works to turn grassroots youth ideas into formal national policy. Held at the nation’s Congress Hall under the central theme “Youth Build Suriname”, the event brought together delegates from all 10 of Suriname’s administrative districts, who spent days working through targeted solutions to the most pressing challenges facing young people across the country. The final outcomes of the congress will be compiled into a formal Youth Declaration, which will be officially presented to the Surinamese government for consideration.

Oslo, August 28 – King Harald V of Norway, Europe’s longest-serving and oldest reigning monarch, has passed away at the age of 89 following a weeks-long battle with a rare blood disorder. His only son, Crown Prince Haakon, has automatically succeeded to the throne as King Haakon VIII, marking the start of a new era for the Nordic nation’s centuries-old monarchy.

The Norwegian Royal Palace confirmed in an official statement released Friday that King Harald died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital at 6:35 a.m. local time on August 28. The monarch had been admitted to the medical facility on August 17 after being diagnosed with hemolytic anemia, a rare condition characterized by the abnormally rapid breakdown of red blood cells that causes persistent fatigue and breathing difficulties. Thousands of Norwegians gathered at Oslo’s Palace Square in the hours before the official announcement to lay flowers and pay their respects to the late king.

Born in Norway in 1937, King Harald ascended to the throne in January 1991 following the death of his father, King Olav V. He made history as the first Norwegian monarch born on Norwegian soil in more than 600 years, going on to rule the country for over 35 years. His reign coincided with Norway’s oil-fueled economic boom, which transformed the small Nordic nation into one of the world’s wealthiest countries with one of the highest standards of living globally.

Widely adored by the Norwegian public, King Harald cemented his place in the nation’s heart after the 2011 terror attacks carried out by Anders Behring Breivik, which left 77 people dead. In a nationally televised address in the aftermath of the violence, he delivered a stirring, memorable speech affirming that “our belief in freedom is stronger than fear”, a message that unified a grieving nation and remains one of the most iconic moments of his reign.

In his final years, King Harald battled multiple chronic health conditions and received a pacemaker to regulate his heart rhythm. Despite his declining health, he repeatedly rejected calls to abdicate the throne, citing the lifelong oath of service he had sworn before the Norwegian parliament.

The passing of King Harald comes at a particularly challenging juncture for the Norwegian monarchy. Earlier this year, public documents revealed that Crown Princess Mette-Marit, wife of the new King Haakon VIII, had exchanged correspondence with disgraced American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein years after his initial conviction. More recently, in June, Mette-Marit’s 29-year-old son Marius Borg Høiby, stepson to King Haakon VIII, was sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted on two counts of rape and 32 additional charges including domestic violence.

The new monarch now faces the pressing task of rebuilding public trust in the institution of the monarchy while guiding Norway through a period of shifting social and political challenges in the wake of his father’s death.