The Russian economy is growing faster than those of Western countries, the chair of the Treasury Select Committee has admitted
A senior British MP and chair of the Treasury Select Committee has admitted that sanctions on Russia are not working, as the country’s economy is growing faster than many of those in the West.
Harriet Baldwin told the Financial Times on Monday that sanctions had failed to weaken Russia as Moscow had found ways to work around them.
“There’s a general consensus that sanctions are not working in terms of their stated intent – causing real trouble for the Russian economy,” she said.
The MP referred to the latest forecast issued earlier this month by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It predicted that Russia’s economy would grow by 3.2% this year – more than the US, the UK, Germany and France.
Baldwin chairs the Treasury committee tasked with investigating whether the UK’s program of economic sanctions has succeeded in reducing Moscow’s export revenues. It launched an inquiry into the matter in February, and MPs are expected to hold oral evidence sessions on Tuesday.
The committee has already received written evidence which, according to the FT, indicates that “a more robust approach” is needed towards sanctions evasion. The inquiry is due to report on its findings in July.
Britain, along with the US and the European Union, launched an unprecedented sanctions campaign against Russia in 2022 after the start of Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine. The Western nations targeted Russia’s financial and industrial sectors, banning or restricting trade in raw materials and energy resources that provide the bulk of Russia’s export revenues. Baldwin pointed out that some of the restrictions are more than two years old.
“The longer sanctions are in place, the more ways people find to get around them, and it’s pretty obvious that patterns of trade are changing to allow exactly that,” she said.
London banned imports of Russian oil products in December 2022. However, a loophole in the legislation has allowed the UK to continue buying Russian oil. The Guardian reported last week that Britain’s imports of refined oil from India, China and Turkey – which Moscow supplies with crude – have increased dramatically over the past two years. Russian oil refined in another country is no longer considered to have originated in Russia, allowing it to avoid the trade ban, the newspaper explained.
Moscow has repeatedly said that it has adapted to Western sanctions on its critical industries and has become more self-sufficient. High oil prices have allowed Russia to maintain robust oil export revenues.
The newspaper revealed details of an investigation into an alleged murder attempt on a New York-based Sikh activist
New Delhi has slammed the Washington Post for “speculative and irresponsible”reporting regarding India’s alleged links to the attempted murder of Sikh activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York last year.
Pannun heads Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a group that advocates the secession of Khalistan from India, and has been outlawed by New Delhi.
On Monday, the newspaper named the Indian agent who is alleged to have orchestrated the assassination attempt. It cited current and former US and Indian security officials in the report. The agent was identified as Vikram Yadav, an officer attached to the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) – India’s foreign intelligence service.
According to the Washington Post, Yadav’s identity and affiliation “provide the most explicit evidence” that the assassination plot had been “directed from within the Indian spy service.” It also alleged that higher-ranking RAW officials have also been “implicated” as part of the ongoing investigation by the CIA, FBI, and other agencies. The probe “has mapped potential links to [Indian Prime Minister Narendra] Modi’s inner circle,” the report claimed.
The Indian Foreign Ministry issued a stern response on Tuesday following the publication of the report, claiming that it contained “unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations on a serious matter.”
It noted that New Delhi has set up a high-level committee to probe “security concerns” shared by the US relating to “networks of organized criminals, terrorists, and others. “Speculative and irresponsible comments on it are not helpful,” the ministry added.
Asked about the report, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the US Department of Justice was conducting a criminal investigation regarding the alleged murder attempt.
”This is a serious matter and we are taking that very, very seriously. The government of India has been very clear with us that they are taking this seriously and will investigate,” she said.
Last November, US federal prosecutors charged an unnamed Indian national for allegedly participating in a foiled plot to assassinate the Sikh separatist. According to the charges, New Delhi businessman Nikhil Gupta tried to hire a hitman to carry out the assassination. Gupta is being held in the Czech Republic and is awaiting extradition to the US.
A Bloomberg report last month claimed that an ongoing Indian investigation into the US claims had found that unauthorized agents were involved in the assassination attempt.
The attempted murder of Pannun has been linked to the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar – another prominent Sikh separatist – in Canada last year. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that “agents of the Indian government” may have been involved in the killing. India has denied the claims and has repeatedly asked Canada to provide evidence for its allegations.
Trudeau’s remarks in the Canadian parliament last September triggered a huge diplomatic row between the two countries.
Meanwhile, New Delhi has repeatedly claimed that extrajudicial assassinations on foreign soil are “contrary” to its policies, despite allegations made by Canada, the US, and neighboring Pakistan.
Where India Meets Russia – We are now on WhatsApp! Follow and share RT India inEnglishand inHindi
Read more
April 30, 2024 at 12:48AM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
The UK-Swedish pharmaceutical company has said its Covid-19 jab could cause blood clots in rare cases
Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has for the first time admitted that its Covid-19 vaccine could cause a rare side effect that could lead to blood clots and death, according to court documents.
The company is fighting a class action lawsuit alleging that its inoculation, which was developed in collaboration with the University of Oxford, can result in death and serious injury.
The legal battle was initiated by Jamie Scott, a father of two, who suffered a blood clot that left him with brain damage after he was inoculated in April 2021 in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. He is seeking compensation over claims that the AstraZeneca vaccine is “defective” and less safe than expected, an allegation the company denies.
In May 2023, AstraZeneca also insisted that “we do not accept that TTS [Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome] is caused by the vaccine at a generic level,” as quoted by The Daily Telegraph.
TTS is a rare condition, in which a person has blood clots, which could reduce the blood flow, combined with a low platelet count, which could prompt difficulties in stopping the bleeding. TTS symptoms include severe headaches and abdominal pain.
Despite previous denials, AstraZeneca said in court documents, which were submitted to the UK High Court in February but received media attention only recently, that “it is admitted that the AZ vaccine can, in very rare cases, cause TTS. The causal mechanism is not known.”
“Further, TTS can also occur in the absence of the AZ vaccine (or any vaccine),” the company added, as quoted by the Telegraph.
At the same time, AstraZeneca insists the available data shows the drug has “an acceptable safety profile,” and that “regulators around the world consistently state that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks of extremely rare potential side effects.”
Dozens of Western countries suspended the use of AstraZeneca’s vaccine in the spring of 2021 over fears it may have caused some patients to develop blood clots. At the time, the head of the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) vaccines strategy, Marco Cavaleri, said that there was an evident link between AZ vaccine intake and blood clots in the brain, but maintained that the benefits still outweighed the risks.
According to World Health Organization data, the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine has an efficacy of 72%. As of April 2021, over 17 million people had received the jab in the EU and the UK, with just under 40 cases of thrombosis, according to the company.
Read more
April 29, 2024 at 11:51PM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
The tech billionaires weighed in on the idea of a ten-year aid deal articulated by Vladimir Zelensky
Two of the America’s most influential tech entrepreneurs, Elon Musk and David Sacks, have expressed concern over a security agreement currently in the works between the US and Ukraine.
Former PayPal chief David Sacks took to X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday to warn that the controversial $61 billion in aid to Kiev approved by Washington earlier this month “was just the beginning.” He was commenting on a statement made by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, who said that his team and the administration of US President Joe Biden were “working on fixing specific levels of support… for the next ten years, including armed support, financial, political, and joint arms production.”
“The next two US presidents won’t be able to switch it off,” Sacks, who’s also the founder of the corporate social network Yammer, wrote on X. In separate posts the entrepreneur went on to mention recent reports that NATO allies were working to “Trump-proof” weapons for Ukraine and claimed that the goal of the current US administration was “to turn Ukraine into a Forever War.”
“This is insane. The forever war,” Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote in response to Sacks’ posts.
The US will vote for a new president in November. Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump has spoken out against “handing out gifts of billions and billions of dollars” in aid to Kiev and said earlier this month that his team was considering “doing it in the form of a loan.”
According to Politico, the US and other Western countries have been looking into a range of options that could help maintain the flow of arms to Kiev if Trump becomes president.
Last month, Sacks described Ukraine’s failed 2023 summer counteroffensive against Russia as “one of the biggest debacles in the history of modern warfare.” In a post on X, the venture capitalist suggested that the Washington elite should be held accountable for talking up the ill-fated operation.
Musk has also long voiced criticism about Washington’s involvement in the Ukraine conflict. Last week, he challenged the Biden administration to define what a Ukrainian “victory” would look like after a senior US official claimed that with Washingon’s help Kiev can defeat Russia.
US lawmakers approved $61 billion in additional aid for Ukraine earlier this month, after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) overrode opposition in his own party to pass the bill with unanimous Democrat support. The Biden administration ran out of funding for Ukraine aid earlier this year after using up $113 billion in previously approved assistance packages.
Republican lawmakers have argued that Biden is merely prolonging the bloodshed in Ukraine without offering a clear strategy for victory or a peace deal with Russia.
Read more
April 29, 2024 at 02:01AM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
Five perpetrators opened fire on a traffic control station in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, officials have confirmed
Two Russian police officers were killed during a firefight in the southern part of the country on Sunday evening, local authorities have confirmed. All five perpetrators, who were also suspected of staging another attack on local police earlier this month, were shot dead during the incident.
The altercation occurred in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic when a group of assailants approached a temporary traffic control post in a vehicle before throwing an explosive device and opening fire with automatic weapons.
Officials said that as police returned fire, a bomb that one of the attackers had been carrying detonated. Two police officers who had been deployed as reinforcements from Kurgan Region were killed in the shootout, and four other personnel were injured.
Later, the Interior Ministry identified the deceased as Lt. Colonel Anton Valikov, who was the deputy head of a police department in Kurgan Region, and First Sgt. Andrey Artamonov, who served as a driver.
Five suspects were eliminated on the spot, the ministry stated, releasing a video from the scene showing weapons lying on the ground, as well as an SUV with punctured tires and a damaged windshield.
Investigators found several other explosive devices at the scene, and a probe into the matter is underway, the statement added.
Meanwhile, the regional branch of the Investigative Committee identified the perpetrators as local residents who had allegedly taken part in another attack on local police earlier this month, in which two police officers were killed.
Read more
April 29, 2024 at 01:40AM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
The burned-out husk of the US-supplied armor was evacuated from the Avdeevka sector of the front, officials say
Russian troops have hauled the first disabled US-made M1 Abrams tank away from the front line of the Ukraine conflict to be displayed at a trophy show in Moscow, officials have said.
In an interview with RIA Novosti on Monday, Aleksandr Savchuk, who heads the press office of the Russian ‘Center’ group, said the tank was evacuated from the Avdeevka sector of the front. The strategic Donbass city was captured by Russian troops in February when the Ukrainian retreat from the area became a disorganized rout, according to Moscow.
Savchuk added that the tank was towed to the rear and would soon be displayed at a major trophy show in Moscow, which will also feature dozens of other Western-made heavy vehicles captured during the conflict.
RIA Novosti, along with several Russian Telegram channels covering the hostilities, shared clips showing the tank being towed down a road at an undisclosed location. The Abrams appears to be in bad condition, with many of its tracks and wheels missing, its hull charred, and crew compartment burned out. It is unclear how it was destroyed.
Russian Telegram channels noted that the Abrams was removed from the frontline town of Berdychi after Russian troops advanced in the area. Russian military expert Boris Rozhin reported that there are at least four other disabled Abrams and seven or eight disabled US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles near Berdychi.
The US has supplied Ukraine with a total of 31 M1 Abrams tanks, all of which arrived in the country last October. Russia reported the destruction of the first US-supplied tank in late February near Avdeevka, reportedly by a kamikaze drone.
Earlier this month, the New York Times reported that Moscow had taken out at least five Abrams, with three more “moderately damaged.” The paper noted that in most cases, the tanks, which cost an estimated $10 million each, were taken out by drones costing $500.
Due to the constant threat of Russian drone strikes, Ukraine pulled back the remaining Abrams from the front line, AP reported on Friday, citing two unnamed US officials.
Read more
April 28, 2024 at 11:55PM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
The Ukrainian president does not want to disrupt an already-struggling mobilization drive, a local MP told the paper
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky knowingly deceived the public about the true extent of military losses in the conflict with Russia to offset panic amid a struggling mobilization campaign, the Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing sources.
In February, after months of silence on Ukrainian casualties, Zelensky claimed that 31,000 troops had been killed since the start of the conflict in February 2022, without disclosing the numbers of those wounded due to security concerns.
Russia, on the other hand, claims that Kiev has suffered devastating losses during the conflict, with Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu estimating them at nearly half a million troops since the start of the conflict.
An unnamed Ukrainian lawmaker said in an interview with the Post that Zelensky had “vastly downplayed the war’s true toll.” He argued that it “had to be presented as lower to avoid disrupting an already-struggling recruitment and mobilization drive.”
Kiev embarked on a flurry of legislative activities late last year in a bid to boost mobilization. After weeks of parliamentary debate, Zelensky signed two bills earlier this month, one of which lowers the age of conscription for men from 27 to 25, while another significantly tightens the mobilization rules.
In late December, Zelensky said the Ukrainian military asked him to mobilize an additional 500,000 troops – a claim later denied by then-commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny. The disagreement was widely seen as one of the reasons for the conflict between the two which led to Zaluzhny’s dismissal in February.
The Ukrainian lawmaker, however, told the paper that while Kiev was indeed suffering from a shortage of troops, the situation has not yet reached a “red line.”
Meanwhile, after the US approved a long-stalled $61 billion aid package for Ukraine, officials in Washington have now turned their attention to Kiev’s other challenges, including the manpower deficit. James O’Brien, the US assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, urged Kiev this week “to make sure it has the people necessary to fight.”
One US official told the Post that while the issue is worrying, Washington does not want to nag Kiev about it. “Who are we to say, ‘You just need to draft more men to fight.’ But at the same time, it is a real concern,” he said, adding that while the new laws will help to fill in the gaps in the military, Kiev needs to “find a way to inspire more Ukrainian men to come to the front lines.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin said last year that the West is prepared to fight Russia to “the last Ukrainian.”
Read more
April 28, 2024 at 02:22AM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
The French president has previously called on the continent to show that it is not a “vassal” of the US
France must open a debate on building up a pan-European defense capability, to include rethinking its own nuclear potential, French President Emmanuel Macron has said.
Speaking to a group of young people at the European School in Strasbourg on Friday, Macron stressed that while France is already protected by NATO, it “must now go further” to ensure its security and “build a credible European defense.”
He noted that guaranteeing that security “may mean deploying anti-missile shields” to be able to deter the use of nuclear weapons. “Being credible also means having long-range missiles that would deter the Russians,” he added.
Numerous Western leaders have insisted on boosting defense capabilities amid the Ukraine conflict, citing fears that Russia could attack NATO within a few years.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, has dismissed such speculation as “nonsense,” pointing to the fact that the US, NATO’s largest contributor, spends ten times more on defense than Moscow. He has also stated that current geopolitical tensions are largely due to NATO’s decision to ignore Russian security interests.
Explaining his stance on nuclear weapons, Macron went on to say that while France would use its arsenal only if its vital interests were threatened, those interests also have a European dimension. This means that French nuclear doctrine should contribute to the credibility of the continent’s defense, he said.
“I am in favor of opening this debate, which must therefore include anti-missile defense, long-range weapon firing, nuclear weapons for those who have them or who have American nuclear weapons on their soil,” the president stated.
For several years, Macron has also advocated creating a “true, European army” to be able to independently strengthen continental security. This month, he also warned that “our Europe today is mortal and it can die” while calling for a “strategic autonomy” for Europe, particularly in terms of military production. The region “must show that it is never a vassal of the United States,” he said.
The idea of creating a joint EU army, however, has met strong pushback both in Brussels and in EU capitals. EU top diplomat Josep Borrell suggested last month that while the bloc should aspire to boost the military capabilities of its individual members, that does not mean it should create a common army.
Several EU states, including Denmark and Poland, have similarly signaled that they want their security guaranteed within the existing NATO framework.
Read more
April 27, 2024 at 11:14PM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
The system was found to give drivers a false sense of security, according to US safety regulators
Tesla’s Autopilot, an advanced driver-assist feature that Elon Musk insists will eventually lead to fully autonomous cars, has been linked to hundreds of crashes and over a dozen deaths in the latest report by US auto-safety regulators, published on Thursday.
The US Transport Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that their investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot had identified at least 14 fatal crashes in which the feature was involved.
During its three-year investigation, which started in 2021, the agency has examined nearly 1,000 reported crashes that occurred between 2018 and August 2023. It found that the misuse of the Autopilot system had caused at least 14 accidents which led to fatalities and “many more involving serious injuries.”
NHTSA’s Office of Defective Investigations (ODI) found evidence that Tesla’s “weak driver engagement system was not appropriate for Autopilot’s permissive operating capabilities,” which resulted in a “critical safety gap.”
Of the 956 crashes examined, officials revealed Autopilot-related trends in about half of them.
Of the remaining 467, ODI identified 211 crashes in which “the frontal plane of the Tesla struck a vehicle or obstacle in its path.” These accidents, which were often the most severe, had resulted in 14 deaths and 49 injuries. Over a hundred of the incidents also involved in roadway departures where Autosteer, a component of Autopilot, was “inadvertently disengaged by the driver’s inputs,” the report said.
The investigators concluded that drivers using Autopilot, or the system’s more advanced Full Self-Driving feature, “were not sufficiently engaged in the driving task.” Tesla’s technology “did not adequately ensure that drivers maintained their attention on the driving task,” the NHTSA said.
The investigation also found that the electric carmaker’s claims did not match up with reality.
The NHTSA raised concerns that Tesla’s Autopilot name “may lead drivers to believe that the automation has greater capabilities than it does and invite drivers to overly trust the automation.”
US safety authorities said on Friday that they have opened another investigation into Tesla’s largest-ever recall in December, covering over 2 million US vehicles, or essentially all of its vehicles on US roads.
The recall was ordered by the NHTSA over Tesla’s software update, which is designed to limit the use of its Autopilot feature. The company plans to unveil its robotaxi on August 8.
Read more
April 27, 2024 at 12:27AM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
Washington has seen “evidence of attempts” to influence the US ballot coming from Beijing, the secretary of state has said
There is evidence that China has attempted to manipulate US elections, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN on Friday, as he wrapped up his three-day visit to the Asian nation.
Host Kylie Atwood asked the senior diplomat about a pledge not to interfere in American democratic processes which Chinese President Xi Jinping gave to his US counterpart Joe Biden during their meeting in San Francisco last November. Recent reports have suggested that Beijing has failed to honor this promise, she claimed.
Blinken refused to discuss any specifics. In general, Washington would consider any election interference “unacceptable,” he stressed, and that is what he reiterated during talks with top Chinese officials this week.
”We have seen, generally speaking, evidence of attempts to influence and arguably interfere. And we want to make sure that’s cut off as quickly as possible,” the secretary of state added.
Atwood’s conclusion from Blinken’s remarks was that China is “not heeding” US warnings.
A threat assessment issued by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in February stated that Beijing “aims to sow doubts about US leadership, undermine democracy, and extend Beijing’s influence” through information operations and possible election meddling.
”Even if Beijing sets limits on these activities, individuals not under its direct supervision may attempt election influence activities they perceive are in line with Beijing’s goals,” the document stated.
Claims that Chinese accounts online are trying to influence politics in the US came recently from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), a London-based think tank, and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a Washington DC-based lobbying organization.
Both reports focused on ‘Spamouflage’, a purported Chinese online influence operation. FDD claimed its research demonstrates “that social media takedowns are necessary, but not sufficient, to combat foreign malign influence operations.”
Earlier this week, Biden signed into law a bill which gives the owner of TikTok nine months to divest or face a ban in the US market. Proponents claim that ByteDance, which owns the popular social media outlet, is beholden to the Chinese government.
Polls indicate that TikTok is a major news source for younger American voters, while older citizens prefer more traditional outlets, such as cable television and newspapers. Its management intends to challenge the law on First Amendment grounds.
Read more
April 26, 2024 at 11:07PM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
American lawmakers approved a bill allowing the confiscation of funds on Wednesday
The “weaponization” of the US dollar through the seizure of frozen Russian assets could prompt a global shift away from the greenback, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing a former International Monetary Fund (IMF) official.
US President Joe Biden signed a bill this week allowing the administration to seize Russian state assets held in America.
Washington has long insisted on the confiscation of the funds to aid Ukraine in its war effort against Moscow. Meanwhile, G7 finance chiefs and EU officials continue to express concerns about the legal precedent of any asset seizure. The US and its allies have frozen around $300 billion in Russian central bank assets, around $5 billion of which is sitting in US banks as part of Ukraine-related sanctions.
As quoted by Bloomberg, former IMF official Eswar Prasad has warned that “America’s supercharged weaponization of its currency through the seizure of dollar reserves will certainly cause US rivals [to look at de-dollarization].”
The so-called REPO Act, which Biden signed on Wednesday along with a $61 billion military aid package for Kiev, authorized the US president to seize Russian state assets held in American banks and transfer them to a Ukraine reconstruction fund.
“It is necessary and urgent for our international coalition to unlock the value of immobilized Russian sovereign assets,” US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement on Wednesday.
The REPO provision has intensified debate over the potential consequences of foreign demand for US Treasuries and use of the dollar, Bloomberg noted. The outlet also said it is unlikely that the US will seize Russian assets without agreement from other G7 nations and the EU.
JPMorgan analyst Katherine Lei was quoted as saying that “China may accelerate the process of de-dollarization.” About 70% of Chinese international trade is still denominated in dollars, according to JPMorgan estimates.
“Countries that use the dollar for international trade and finance need to be sure that their assets will not be seized on the whim of the US,” Paola Subacchi, author of The Cost of Free Money, told the outlet.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov warned on Thursday that Moscow could downgrade diplomatic relations with Washington if the US expropriates frozen Russian funds.
Moscow’s response to the seizure of its assets could include economic and diplomatic countermeasures, Ryabkov said.
Read more
April 26, 2024 at 01:04AM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
Moscow’s inclusive security initiatives can help address extremist violence, representatives at a summit in Saint Petersburg told RT
Africa is willing to collaborate with Russia and other interested nations to fight terrorism, defense chiefs and diplomats from the continent told RT on Wednesday.
The officials made the statements on the sidelines of the 12th International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues, which took place in Saint Petersburg from April 23 to 25.
Ethiopian National Intelligence and Security Service Chief Advisor Abdulaziz Ahmed Adem said terrorism is the “biggest challenge” facing all countries, and that it has been further complicated by the current world order.
Equatorial Guinea’s Ambassador to Russia Luciana Ncoco Ndong Ayecaba echoed his Ethiopian colleague’s call for multilateralism, declaring that his country, as a “friendly state,” will work with Moscow to prevent security threats.
The Minister of Defense and Internal Administration of Sao Tome and Principe, Jorge Amado, also commended Russia’s efforts in the global fight against extremist violence, including hosting the security summit, which included guests from over 100 countries.
“We consider this conference very important. At this conference, we analyze several issues related to global security. I believe that what we were able to talk about with Russia can help lead to a change in the system,” he told RT.
“As a small country, Sao Tome and Principe, we believe in the need for global cooperation in the fight against terrorism,” Amado added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his welcome speech to participants at the Saint Petersburg security summit, said international terrorism remains one of the “gravest threats of the 21st century.”
He said Moscow is committed to collaborating with all partners to safeguard global and regional security and establish a new multipolar international order that prioritizes the interests of the majority of nations.
Read more
April 26, 2024 at 12:51AM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
At a Russia-hosted meeting, India’s national security adviser emphasized the need to cooperate on information security
Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval has called for broader cooperation to counter the misuse of information technology by extremists and criminals, and to crack down on terrorism funding.
Speaking at the XII International Meeting of High-Level Security Officials in the Russian city of St. Petersburg, Dhoval said India wants to work with other countries build an open, stable, secure and reliable framework for information security. He stressed that such cooperation needs to happen at the domestic and international levels.
Dhoval jointed delegates from over 100 nations at the annual gathering, hosted by the Russian Security Council since 2010. The meeting involves secretaries of security councils, national security advisers, deputy prime ministers, heads of security forces and intelligence agencies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, addressing the conference, said that this year’s event would prioritize “issues of protecting the information space from external and internal threats.”
“This topic is relevant for all countries, extremely significant for ensuring national security, social stability, and economic development,” Putin said. “We firmly believe that the global community needs to systematically and consistently establish unified, legally binding norms and principles of conduct for states in the information sphere.”
In his intervention at the plenary session on Ensuring Information Security in the Polycentric World, NSA Shri Ajit Doval underscored India’s policy to use digital technology for inclusive economic development and calls for international cooperation for an open, stable, secure,… pic.twitter.com/Y0JhbHSL1f
Opening the plenary session, Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev pledged that Russia will continue to advocate for the creation of a “just world order” that meets the interests of the majority of countries, based on the principles of equality and respect for cultural and civilizational diversity.
This year’s meeting was held just weeks after a devastating terrorist attack at Moscow’s Crocus City Hall, in which over 140 people were killed. Russian investigators earlier linked the attack with Ukrainian nationalists. Kiev, which initially claimed that Moscow itself had staged the massacre, has denied any involvement, while its Western partners maintain that it was carried out by ISIS-K, an Afghanistan-based offshoot of the once-powerful international terrorist organization Islamic State. The group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
During the two-day conference, Dhoval has also held a series of bilateral meetings, including with his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev and his Myanmar counterpart Admiral Moe Aung, as well as the chief adviser to the President of Brazil, Celso Amorim, according to the Indian Embassy in Moscow.
Doval also addressed the BRICS national security advisers’ meeting, where he called for closer cooperation against terrorism, and concrete actions to prevent cross-border planning, funding and execution of terrorist acts.
Where India Meets Russia – We are now on WhatsApp! Follow and share RT India inEnglishand inHindi
Read more
April 25, 2024 at 11:08PM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
Russian authorities claim Kiev’s attacks involving Western-supplied munitions have killed over 200 civilians since the start of the year
Ukraine will step up its long-range strikes inside Russia, the chief of Britain’s defence staff has predicted. Admiral Tony Radakin also suggested that incoming Western aid will help Kiev gain the upper hand despite the “difficult” situation.
On Monday, the British government announced what it described as its largest-ever military aid package to Ukraine, worth £500 million ($617 million). It includes an undisclosed number of long-range Storm Shadow missiles.
Two days later, US President Joe Biden signed off on a massive defense aid package that envisages $61 billion for Kiev. The legislation had been deadlocked since last fall over political bickering in Congress.
While expressing gratitude to Washington, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba told the Guardian on Wednesday that “no single package can stop the Russians,” with a long-term Western commitment needed for this.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov predicted that “these new batches of weapons… will not change the dynamics on the frontline.”
In an interview with the Financial Times published on Thursday, Radakin said that “as Ukraine gains more capabilities for the long-range fight… its ability to continue deep operations will [increasingly] become a feature” of the conflict.
While acknowledging that “Russia has been able to conduct more effective long-range strikes than last year,” the British admiral warned against focusing on the current gloomy “snapshot.” He argued that long-term trends might favor Ukraine, as more Western weapons allow Kiev to “shape [the fighting] in much stronger ways than it has before.”
On Wednesday, several US media outlets, citing an anonymous US government official, reported that Washington had secretly provided Kiev with an unspecified number of longer-range ATACMS missiles in March.
Last September, the US opted to deliver only the mid-range modification of the rocket to Ukraine, citing risks of an uncontrollable escalation of the conflict.
The Ukrainian military allegedly used the new weapon, boasting a range of up to 300 kilometers (186 miles), last Wednesday, targeting a Russian airfield.
Earlier this month, Russia’s ambassador-at-large for Ukraine’s crimes, Rodion Miroshnik revealed that between January 1 and March 31, 201 Russian civilians, including 11 children, were killed in Ukrainian shelling of Russian territories, with hundreds more injured.
The diplomat claimed that Kiev’s forces mostly used Western-supplied shells in the attacks, accusing Ukraine’s backers of turning a blind eye.
Read more
April 25, 2024 at 12:01AM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
Belarus needs guaranteed political stability and a trustworthy successor to take charge, the president has said
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has revealed that he would consider ending his political career after 30 years in power, once he is certain that a smooth transition is ensured.
Lukashenko made the remarks on Wednesday at the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, a significant political gathering that convened in Minsk. The body, which includes officials from all branches and levels of government, as well as representatives of civic society, was given constitutional powers after a referendum in 2022. Lukashenko was elected chairman of the assembly during the session.
In his acceptance speech, the president said he backed giving the body the authority to take key policy decisions to ensure future stability in Belarus.
“You must not be silent. If you will be, it would mean I was mistaken. That you will not be able to defend the country, especially without me,” he told the audience.
“Even if the head of state is wrong, you must say so directly,” he added. “You must be like wolfhounds.”
Lukashenko expressed concern that Belarus could be vulnerable to malign foreign influence during the transition to a new generation of officials. Younger people tend to be overconfident and disregard the experience of their predecessors, the leader claimed, urging delegates to remain firm because “you don’t hold power with a loose hand.”
“I want to finish my political career in a dignified way… so that we don’t ruin everything we’ve built with our own hands,” Lukashenko said. “I will retire, once you tell me in some form: ‘enough’. And once there is a person next to me who would not betray [Belarusian interests]”.
The leader denied accusations of corruption directed at him by critics abroad, declaring that he “was never a crook” and that he holds his family and associates to the same standards.
Under the constitution, the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly is considered the highest representative body of the population. Its authority includes the power to remove the president from office, impose a state of emergency, initiate referendums, certify the legitimacy of elections, and authorize military deployments on foreign soil.
Read more
April 24, 2024 at 11:05PM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
NATO member Estonia is mulling a new security tax ‘to protect’ itself from Russia, its finance minister has told local media
Growing defense costs are leaving Estonia with no other option but to introduce a security tax in the coming years, the EU country’s Finance Minister Mart Vorklaev said on Tuesday.
The minister was commenting on an initiative by Estonian Defence Forces’ chief Martin Herem, who earlier this week proposed increasing his country’s defense spending to 5% of GDP. According to General Herem, this would enable Tallinn to buy €1.5 billion worth of ammunition to “deter Russia or destroy its infrastructure” in the event of an attack.
Speaking to news outlet ERR, Minister Vorklaev said that when allocating 5% of GDP to defense, Estonia would have to introduce a broad-based security tax, adding, however, that the new tax would not be introduced until 2026.
The proposal has already sparked criticism, with Vadim Belobrovtsev, a member of the Center Party parliamentary faction, saying he could not imagine where €1.5 billion could come from. Authorities should keep the national economy in focus and think about “how we get out of this economic hole,” the politician said.
Last year, the Baltic country’s GDP decreased by 3% and amounted to €37.7 billion ($40.8 billion), data shared in March by Statistics Estonia shows.
Earlier this month the Estonian government agreed to increase the nation’s defense budget to 3% of GDP between 2024 and 2027, from 2.85% last year and sharply up from the NATO’s 2% threshold to arm itself, as it seeks to counter a supposed threat from Russia. The former Soviet republic, which shares a 284-kilometer border with Russia, joined the EU and NATO in 2004.
Estonia has been on the frontline, along with Latvia and Lithuania, of the West’s confrontation with Moscow since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
Earlier this year, multiple senior officials from NATO member states, including the UK, Germany, and Estonia, alleged that Russia was planning an attack on the bloc within the next few years.
Moscow has consistently denied those claims, with President Vladimir Putin insisting that Russia “has no interest … geopolitically, economically or militarily ... in waging war against NATO.”
Read more
April 24, 2024 at 02:11AM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
The Netherlands’ most-wanted criminal was allowed out on bail due to an apparent judicial lapse
A regional judge in Spain has released a presumed Moroccan mafia leader on bail, whom Dutch authorities suspect of having plotted to abduct or kill the heir apparent to the country's throne as well as the its acting prime minister, Mark Rutte. A lapse by a higher court has effectively allowed him to escape extradition, according to media reports.
A Dutch citizen of Moroccan origin on Interpol’s most wanted list, Karim Bouyakhrichan was arrested in the Spanish city of Marbella in early January, after a years-long manhunt. The alleged crime kingpin became a high-priority target after his criminal organization threatened to kill Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princes of Orange and daughter of the Dutch King, Willem Alexander.
Dutch security services have characterized Bouyakhrichan as the “most wanted and dangerous criminal in the Netherlands.”
According to local media, the suspect also faced money laundering charges in Spain, which prompted the magistrate’s court in Marbella to remand him in custody. However, after the term elapsed within about a month, a Malaga provincial court released the supposed mafia boss on a €50,000 ($53,400) bail bond, on the condition that Bouyakhrichan hand in his passport and appear in court every 15 days.
The last time Bouyakhrichan was seen was on April 1, with the media outlet SUR quoting unnamed sources as saying the suspected drug lord had since fled Spain.
SUR claimed the regional judge had made the decision to set the man free despite strong opposition from the prosecutor’s office.
Local media outlets have described how the Provincial Court in Malaga declined to execute a Dutch extradition order, arguing that Bouyakhrichan first had to face money laundering charges in Spain.
Amsterdam then reportedly filed a new, urgent request, with Spain’s High Court in Madrid acquiescing. However, according to the Cadena SER radio network, Judge Ismael Moreno for some reason neglected to issue a detention order that would have kept the suspected criminal boss behind bars, to secure his extradition to the Netherlands.
Cadena SER quoted anonymous police sources as saying that the judge’s dubious decision had resulted in “five years of investigation thrown to the garbage.” Unnamed Dutch security sources have described the legal mix-up to the press as an “unforgivable error.”
According to Politico, back in 2022 Dutch Princess Amalia had to be whisked away from her student campus after the authorities obtained credible evidence of the Moroccan mafia’s plans to either kidnap or murder her. Dutch outlet De Telegraaf has also alleged that caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte could be on Bouyakhrichan’s kill-list.
Read more
April 24, 2024 at 01:16AM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov has been under suspicion for years, according to media reports
The arrest of a senior Russian military official this week was the result of a lengthy corruption investigation, according to media reports. Court proceedings on Wednesday revealed a second suspect in the same case.
Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov was taken into custody in a surprise move on Tuesday evening. Hours earlier, he had participated in a top-level meeting at his department, which was chaired by Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu.
Ivanov is suspected of large-scale bribe-taking, the Investigative Committee said, which is defined in the penal code as accepting corrupt payments amounting to over 1 million rubles (over $10,500).
A TASS law enforcement source said investigators had been pursuing Ivanov for a long time, “not since yesterday or a month ago.” The news website lenta.ru reported that the probe had taken at least five years, according to its source.
Initial reports claimed that several suspected accomplices had been arrested alongside the deputy minister. One of them was brought before a court in Moscow on Wednesday, where a judge ordered his pre-trial detention. The man was identified as Sergey Borodin.
A military service member of the same name was mentioned in the Russian press two years ago. At that time, Colonel Sergey Borodin took a plea deal in a criminal case involving the embezzlement of large plots of land owned by the military.
The former deputy head of a directorate responsible for housing troops agreed to testify against other individuals involved in the criminal conspiracy, reports said. The corrupt operation allegedly continued for over a decade and resulted in losses of at least 900 million rubles ($9.2 million).
Ivanov, whose pre-trial detention was ordered by the same court on Wednesday, had been in charge of the Defense Ministry’s civil engineering programs since 2013. Shoigu appointed him as his deputy in 2016.
Ivanov also served as Shoigu’s deputy when the defense minister briefly served as the governor of Moscow Region in 2012.
Read more
April 23, 2024 at 11:33PM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
Flights to the African nation can commence within 12 weeks, the Home Office has said
The British Parliament passed the Safety of Rwanda Bill on Monday, allowing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to deport thousands of asylum seekers to the East African nation. The legislation, which faced strong opposition in the House of Lords and Commons over human rights concerns, will now become law, the UK government has confirmed.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Home Office said the parliamentary approval marked a “major step forward” for Britain’s efforts to “stop the boats and tackle illegal migration.”
“The Bill’s passing means the government can enter the final phase of operational planning to get flights off the ground to Rwanda, pioneering a new response to the global challenge of illegal migration,” it said.
Britain reached a five-year agreement with Rwanda in April 2022 for illegal immigrants to be sent to the landlocked nation. However, no flights have happened since the first one was canceled in June of the same year following intervention by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The scheme has also been declared unlawful by the UK’s highest court, which has deemed Rwanda unsafe for deportees.
Late last year, Sunak’s government introduced the Safety of Rwanda Bill to promote the country as a safe haven for refugees and to block further court challenges to the plan. Conservative MPs had called for it to be amended to override laws that challenge the swift removal of illegal migrants crossing the English Channel. However, the UN and the British Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights declared the draft law illegal, claiming it would cause irreparable harm to the UK’s reputation. The House of Lords has previously supported a motion urging parliament not to ratify it.
In response to the approval on Tuesday, the Home Office said the “landmark” legislation makes it “unambiguously clear that UK Parliament is sovereign and the validity of any Act of Parliament is unaffected by international law.” It also means that Rwanda will now be considered a “safe country for the purposes of relocating people, including in UK courts and tribunals,” it added.
According to the statement, “robust operational plans” have been put in place to deliver the first flight to Rwanda within 10 to 12 weeks, followed by multiple flights.
The Home Office reportedly has a reduced list of 350 migrants who are believed to pose the least risk of submitting successful legal challenges against their deportation.
Lawyers cited by The Guardian said they would file legal challenges on behalf of individual asylum seekers on a case-by-case basis, possibly removing them from a flight list.
Read more
April 23, 2024 at 12:11AM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
Multiple demonstrators have been arrested outside NYU business school, authorities have said
Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters have gathered at New York University, with the rally later broken up by police who made a number of arrests, according to local officials and media reports.
NYU spokesman John Beckman said the demonstration kicked off on Monday morning on Could Plaza in front of the Stern School of Business and some 50 people took part, adding that this happened “without authorization.”
The officials at the institution put barriers in place to prevent anyone else from joining in “because the protests were already considerably disruptive of classes and other operations in schools around the plaza,” Beckman said.
#NOW: NYPD arrests at least a dozen NYU faculty members in the ‘Liberated Zone’ at Gould Plaza
This is not the solution and this generation is aware and they will stand against wrong policies and will not stop. pic.twitter.com/cA7o9UEin4
According to CBS News, the rally appeared to be supported by some of the university’s students. It was also reportedly backed by several pro-Palestinian organizations which set up tents in the area.
One of the demonstrators said, as quoted by the network, that the protesters wanted NYU to acknowledge that “there is a genocide happening and that there are Palestinian students that deserve to feel heard.”
ARRESTS BEGIN
NYPD police wearing riot helmets move in.
NYU Gaza Solidarity Encampment Established!
Solidarity rally at Gould Plaza, Greene Street & West 4th Street, Manhattan, NYC
8:28pm, Monday, April 22, 2024.#CeasefireNOW#FoodNOW#nyc
h/t: @protest_nyc
Beckman said that while the university initially made no effort to clear the plaza, hoping to avoid violence, it “was deeply disturbed” when the outer perimeter was breached by additional protesters.
Following this and what the spokesman called “disorderly, disruptive, and antagonizing behavior,” the university ordered those assembled to vacate the premises, and later called the police. The spokesman also said that there had been “intimidating chants” and reports of “several anti-Semitic incidents.”
“The police urged those on the plaza to leave peacefully, but ultimately made a number of arrests,” Beckman said. The New York Police Department confirmed to The Hill that arrests were made, but would not say how many.
Videos circulating show a densely packed crowd near the university carrying placards, chanting pro-Palestinian slogans, and beating drums. Other clips show police officers appearing in riot gear, taking several people away in the thick of the protest. One video also showed several police buses slowly driving through the crowd.
The NYU protest followed a similar rally at Columbia University and coincided with a demonstration at Yale University where at least 60 people were arrested. US campuses and universities have seen a surge of protests following the deadly attack on Israel by the Palestinian armed group Hamas in October. Israel’s relentless retaliatory assault on Gaza has caused unprecedented destruction in the enclave and left more than 34,000 people dead.
Read more
April 22, 2024 at 11:00PM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
Papua New Guinea’s prime minister has downplayed the US president’s comments on his uncle’s presumed death in the country
US President Joe Biden’s recent remarks in which he implied that his uncle was eaten by cannibals in Papua New Guinea during World War II were uncalled for, the prime minister of the Southwest Pacific nation has said.
Last Wednesday, Biden recounted the story of Ambrose Finnegan, his mother’s brother, who is recorded by the US military as missing in action off New Guinea, after a plane he was on crashed in the Pacific Ocean, leaving only one survivor. According to the president, his uncle’s plane was shot down and his body was never found because “there were a lot of cannibals − for real − in that part of New Guinea.”
“Sometimes you have loose moments,” Prime Minister James Marape said in an interview on Sunday, reacting to Biden’s remarks. He added that he has met with the US leader on four different occasions, and “he’s always had warm regards for Papua New Guinea” and never mentioned cannibalism.
”President Biden’s remarks may have been a slip of the tongue; however, my country does not deserve to be labeled as such,” Marape said.
Papua New Guinea was dragged into World War II, which was not its fight, the prime minister said. He urged Washington to help clean up PNG and the Solomon Islands, which are “littered with the remains of WWII, including human remains, plane wrecks, ship wrecks, tunnels and bombs,” which still pose a threat to people who live there. If this is done, then perhaps “the truth about missing servicemen like Ambrose Finnegan can be put to rest,” he suggested.
The US is vying for influence in Papua New Guinea as it competes with China in the region. Last year, Washington signed a defense cooperation agreement with the island nation. Beijing reached a similar deal with the neighboring Solomon Islands.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Marape in the capital, Port Moresby on Sunday in an effort to foster better economic relations.
Read more
April 22, 2024 at 12:10AM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
President Andrzej Duda has admitted he discussed the issue with Washington
Poland is open to hosting US nuclear weapons amid the stand-off with Russia over Ukraine, President Andrzej Duda has said.
In an interview with the Polish daily Fakt on Monday, the leader acknowledged that the issue of bringing US nukes to his country, much closer to Russian territory, “has been a topic of Polish-American talks for some time.” The US currently has nuclear weapons stationed in five fellow NATO members: Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Türkiye.
“I have already talked about this several times,” Duda continued. “I must admit that when asked about it, I declared our readiness.”
He argued that the reason for such a stance is that “Russia is increasingly militarizing” its exclave of Kaliningrad bordering Poland and Lithuania, adding that Moscow has also deployed its nuclear weapons in Belarus.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the decision to place tactical nuclear weapons in the neighboring state, which is also Moscow’s key ally, last year. At the time, he argued that the move had been triggered by Britain’s decision to supply Ukraine with depleted uranium ammunition. The president also pointed out that the US has kept nukes in Europe for decades.
Duda further explained that “if our allies decide to deploy nuclear weapons as part of nuclear sharing also on our territory to strengthen the security of NATO’s eastern flank, we are ready for it.”
He recalled that as a NATO member, Poland has certain obligations, and “in this respect, we simply implement a common policy.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in January that Moscow views the nuclear assets of the US, UK and France as a “single nuclear arsenal aimed at the Russian Federation,” since NATO had declared it the “main threat.” He added that Russia takes this reality into account in its nuclear policy.
Moscow has repeatedly said that a nuclear war must never be fought, and that it has never threatened to use its atomic arsenal.
Read more
April 21, 2024 at 11:30PM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
German media had reported that Russian troops captured one of the tanks near Avdeevka
The Russian military has seized a German-produced Ukrainian Leopard tank and plans to display it at a trophy exhibition outside Moscow, according to a new video circulating on social media.
A clip shared by the Solovyov Live Telegram channel on Sunday appears to show the evacuation of the tank from the combat area by Russian troops. The video, filmed in the rural area in an undisclosed location, appears to show it being towed down the road by another Russian heavy vehicle. The German-made armor appears relatively undamaged from the outside, but it is missing tracks from both sides.
The Telegram channel explained that Russian troops had to devise a means of evacuating the tank from the battlefield, noting that they had to blow off the tracks with explosives to get it moving.
According to the outlet, the Leopard will be showcased at a Park Patriot outside of Moscow. Other Telegram channels suggested that the vehicle would be on display as early as this summer.
The new video came after Solovyov Live shared a picture in March of a Russian soldier standing in front of a disabled Ukrainian Leopard tank. A few days later, German tabloid Bild reported that Moscow’s troops had indeed seized a Leopard 2A6, adding that the image was taken not far from the Donbass town of Avdeevka liberated by Russian forces in late February.
Germany has provided Ukraine with a total of 18 Leopard 2 A6 tanks. Other countries, including Portugal, Sweden, Poland, Spain, Canada, the Netherlands and Denmark have also committed to provide Kiev with dozens of Leopard 2s of various modifications, amounting to just under 100 vehicles. Ukraine’s Western backers have also promised to send dozens of less advanced Leopard 1 tanks. Both types were actively used by Ukraine during its botched counteroffensive last year.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported the destruction of Leopards on numerous occasions on the battlefield. In late January, Foreign Affairs magazine reported that Ukraine had lost more than a quarter of its Leopard 2s, adding that “others cannot be used due to repair and maintenance issues.”
Read more
April 21, 2024 at 02:14AM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
Chad has reportedly asked American troops to stop activities at an air base near the capital of N’Djamena
Chad has asked US troops to halt activities at an air base near the capital of N’Djamena, the sole place American military presence in the country, several media outlets reported this week, citing letters sent by the country’s armed forces minister, Air Force Chief of Staff Idriss Amine Ahmed.
The letters were reportedly addressed to the US defense attaché. Reports, however, vary as to the contents of the missives. According to Bloomberg, which claimed to have seen one of the letters and verified it with a Foreign Ministry spokesman, Chad has merely alerted the US “to stop their activity at the base.” However, earlier in the week CNN, citing intelligence sources, reported that in a separate letter the US military was ordered to clear out of the Adji Kossei Air Base entirely. Chad also reportedly threatened to cancel the Status of Forces Agreement, the document that governs how the US military can operate in the country.
“Chad hasn’t asked US forces to leave. The US and Chad have agreed that the period following the upcoming Chadian presidential election is an appropriate time to review our security cooperation,” a US State Department spokesman allegedly told Bloomberg.
According to Reuters, in another letter addressed to Chad’s transitional government, Amine Ahmed said he had told the US defense attaché to halt activities at the air base after American troops failed to provide documents justifying their presence there.
“We ask you... to inform the Americans that we have made this decision,” he reportedly wrote.
Chadian authorities did not respond to media requests for comment.
A US State Department spokesperson told Reuters that Washington is “in ongoing conversations with Chadian officials about the future of our security partnership.” Another official told the news outlet that it was yet unclear if Chad actually wanted US troops to leave the country or if the current situation was more of a political play before the elections next month.
The US reportedly has a contingent of fewer than 100 rotational troops in Chad.
The reports come a month after another African state, Niger, terminated a decade-long military agreement with Washington, which had allowed the US to keep a roughly 1,000-strong contingent in the country.
Anti-West sentiment has been on the rise across Africa, with Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso also recently scrapping military deals with France. Meanwhile, Russia’s influence in the region has been growing. Moscow and Niamey agreed in January to develop military cooperation and work together to combat terrorism in the Sahel region. As of mid-2023, Moscow has signed cooperation agreements with more than 40 African states.
Read more
April 21, 2024 at 01:12AM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
The EU is worried that the move would breach international law and trigger a backlash, the outlet reports
EU officials are reluctant to bow to US pressure and transfer frozen Russian assets to Ukraine, fearing that Moscow’s retaliation would be aimed primarily at the bloc rather than America, the Washington Post reported on Saturday.
As part of unprecedented sanctions over the Ukraine conflict, Western countries have frozen around $300 billion in Russian assets in a move denounced by Moscow as “theft,” with many Western officials suggesting the money could be used to help Ukraine. The bulk of this sum is located in European countries, while the US only holds around $6 billion.
In recent months, there have been several proposals on how to use this money to help Ukraine. While the US has pushed for the more hardline option of outright seizing the funds, the EU has proposed using the profits generated by the assets to help Ukraine. Another option under discussion is to use the assets as collateral to secure loans for Kiev.
According to the Post, EU officials are reluctant to confiscate the Russian assets due to concerns that the move “could breach international law, discourage investors from trusting the euro and invite Russian retaliation.”
They have also pushed back against the US proposal to seize the funds as Europe holds most of the frozen assets, and “any Russian retaliation will probably fall on Europe, not the United States.”
According to an unnamed US Treasury official, both the EU and US agree that “more needs to be done for Ukraine, but there is no consensus on specifics.” He added that “we’re thinking of the Russian sovereign assets as a sustainable medium-to-long-term solution for this funding problem.”
The report comes as the US House of Representatives passed the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act (REPO) on Saturday, which could allow the administration of US President Joe Biden to seize Russian assets in US banks and transfer them to Ukraine for reconstruction.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has warned that Russia will not leave the potential seizure unanswered, adding that the move could undermine the principle of the “inviolability of private… and state property,” as well as causing “irreparable damage to the US image.”
Read more
April 20, 2024 at 11:05PM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
Izvestia correspondent Semyon Yeryomin was fatally injured on Friday in Zaporozhye Region
A correspondent for the Russian news outlet Izvestia, Semyon Yeryomin, has been killed in a Ukrainian kamikaze drone attack in Zaporozhye Region, the outlet reported on Friday.
Yeryomin’s crew was filming near the village of Priyutnoye on Friday at the positions of a battalion of Russian troops. Yeryomin had recently been reporting about the Russian military’s attempts to divert attacks by Ukrainian kamikaze UAVs. On the way back from a filming location, the crew’s vehicle was attacked by a drone. According to witnesses who spoke to Izvestia, Yeryomin was fatally injured in the attack and later died from his wounds.
Yeryomin had been working in the combat zone since the conflict began in February 2022 and had been awarded the medal For Merit to the Fatherland II Degree for his work covering the conflict.
Many of Yeryomin’s colleagues expressed their condolences over his death, including Izvestia General Director Vladimir Tyulin.
“He did his duty to tell the truth. We will do everything to ensure that his death does not go unpunished. This is our duty to him, to his loved ones, to everyone who continues his work,” Tyulin stated.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called Yeryomin’s death a “bloody crime,” noting that it “cannot be considered anything other than an act of revenge for the honest performance of a journalistic duty.”
“We regard this purposeful and cold-blooded murder of a journalist as another confirmation of the ugly terrorist nature of the Zelensky regime, which has opened a real hunt for Russian media workers, military officers and public figures, who... reveal the truth to the world community, present undeniable facts about the crimes of the militants of the Kiev regime,” she said in a statement on Saturday.
The UN also condemned the attack that resulted in Yeryomin’s death, with spokesman Farhan Haq telling TASS news agency that the global body opposes the killing of journalists and believes that each such case requires a full investigation.
According to military expert Gennady Alekhin, who spoke to Izvestia, drones often target journalists specifically.
“This is not the first case of a targeted attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on media representatives,” Alekhin noted.
There have been a number of deaths of media figures linked with the Ukraine conflict over the past two years. These include Boris Maksudov, a Russian journalist from Russia 24 TV, RIA Novosti war correspondent Rostislav Zhuravlev, Oleg Klokov – director of Kherson’s Tavria TV, and Kaliningrad RuBaltic correspondent Aleksey Ilyashevich – all killed while covering the conflict on the ground.
Moscow has also accused Kiev of a number of targeted assassinations of Russian public figures, including journalist Darya Dugina and military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky. Kiev has never officially claimed responsibility for these killings.
Read more
April 20, 2024 at 02:21AM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
Moscow’s forces have destroyed 50 aircraft, most of which were downed in border regions, the Defense Ministry has said
Russian air defenses intercepted several Ukrainian drone raids across the western part of the country overnight, destroying dozens of aircraft, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said.
In a statement on Saturday, the ministry said the military had thwarted “attempts by the Kiev regime to carry out a series of terrorist acts” on Russian territory. It claimed that Moscow’s forces had destroyed a total of 50 Ukrainian drones – 26 were shot down over Belgorod Region, ten over Bryansk Region, and eight over Kursk Region, officials added. All of these areas border Ukraine.
The ministry also reported the downing of several aircraft deeper into Russia, saying that two were intercepted over Tula Region. It added that individual drones were destroyed in Smolensk, Ryazan, Kaluga, and Moscow Regions.
Smolensk Region Governor Vasily Anokhin stated that Ukrainian drones attempted to bomb an undisclosed oil and energy facility. He noted that while they were downed, debris fell onto a storage unit of oil and lubricants, resulting in a fire. The exact data on casualties is being determined, the governor added.
Meanwhile, Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said Ukrainian drones dropped two explosive devices on border villages, setting fire to a private residential building.
Gladkov reported that two civilians were killed in the attack, including a woman with a broken femur and a man who was tending to her. He noted that the son of the deceased woman managed to escape the burning house at the last moment.
Bryansk Governor Aleksandr Bogomaz said drone debris resulted in a fire at an energy facility in the region, adding that emergency services were working at the scene.
Ukraine routinely targets Russian border regions with drone and artillery strikes, causing widespread devastation and numerous civilian deaths. Kiev also periodically launches attacks on facilities deeper into Russia.
In recent weeks, Ukraine’s focus has been on Russian oil processing facilities, prompting US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to publicly warn that these actions “could have a knock-on effect in terms of the global energy situation.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would prefer the US – Kiev’s main backer – to push Ukraine to completely abandon its “terrorist activities,” especially regarding strikes on critical infrastructure and residential buildings.
Read more
April 20, 2024 at 12:38AM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
Pyongyang insists that the launches were routine and had nothing to do with the rising tensions on the peninsula
North Korea has successfully tested a “super-large warhead” for a cruise missile and a new type of anti-aircraft munition, state-run KCNA news agency has reported.
The “test of power” of the warhead for the Hwasal-1Ra-3 strategic cruise missile and launch of the Pyoltsi-1-2 anti-aircraft missile took place on Friday in the Yellow Sea, the agency said on Saturday. “The tests achieved purposes concerned,” it noted.
KCNA said the “tests are parts of normal works of national defense research institutions… and have nothing to do with [the] situation” on the Korean Peninsula.
According to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, it was the first time Pyongyang has mentioned the ‘Pyoltsi’ system, which means ‘meteor’ in Korean.
South Korea’s military said it detected several cruise missile and anti-aircraft missile launches by the North toward the Yellow Sea at around 3:30pm local time on Friday. Detailed specifications of the weapons are now being analyzed, it added.
“Our military has been closely monitoring signs of North Korea’s provocations and military activities, while maintaining the robust combined defense posture,” Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
Pyongyang, which remains under international sanctions over its ballistic missile and nuclear programs, has intensified weapons testing since the New Year’s declaration of the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, that he is ending the policy of seeking reconciliation with the South.
According to Yonhap, Friday marked the sixth cruise missile launch by North Korea in 2024.
The Japanese authorities warned last year that ballistic missiles developed by the North “can reach anywhere” on the US mainland. Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo, in an attempt to contain Pyongyang, agreed in 2023 to stage annual multi-domain exercises, share real-time data on North Korean missile launches, and open a hotline for crisis communications.
The three countries held naval drills involving an American aircraft carrier in international waters between South Korea and Japan last week to ensure readiness against nuclear and missile threats from Pyongyang.
Kim said earlier this month that “now is the time to be more thoroughly prepared for a war than ever before” due to the “uncertain and unstable” situation on the peninsula. He promised to deliver a “death-blow” to Pyongyang’s “enemies” if they attack the country.
Read more
April 19, 2024 at 11:56PM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
The suspect allegedly intended to provide intelligence to Russia that could have led to the killing of the Ukrainian leader
A Polish man has been arrested for allegedly trying to help Russia assassinate Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, Warsaw and Kiev have said.
The suspect, who was identified as Pawel K. in a statement released on Thursday by the National Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw, has been charged with expressing willingness to work with a foreign power against national interests. The alleged crime carries a potential prison sentence of up to eight years.
Polish officials claimed the suspect was planning to provide intelligence that would “among other things, help Russian special services plan a possible attempt on the life of the head of a foreign state – Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.”
Specifically, Pawel K. is accused of trying to share information about Rzeszow–Jasionka Airport in southeastern Poland. The facility serves as a major logistics hub for weapons and munitions provided by NATO members to Ukraine.
The SBU, Kiev’s successor to the KGB, repeated the allegations in a statement of its own, including claims that Zelensky could be targeted, while hailing the arrest as a major success for both nations.
The Ukrainian leader has claimed that Russia has been trying to kill him for years, and that multiple plots have been prevented by his security detail.
However, Naftali Bennett, the former Israeli prime minister, has told journalists that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally assured him in March 2022 that Moscow would not kill Zelensky.
Read more
April 19, 2024 at 12:21AM
from RT - Daily news
via IFTTT
