The decision follows President Emmanuel Macron’s support for Morocco in a decades-long territorial dispute in North Africa
Algeria has withdrawn its ambassador to France, Said Moussi, in response to French President Emmanuel Macron’s support for a controversial Moroccan autonomy plan for the disputed territory of Western Sahara.
The action on Tuesday came just hours after Macron announced the decision in a letter to Morocco’s leader, King Mohammed VI. Algeria took similar action against Spain in 2022 when Madrid backed Rabat’s autonomy plan.
Morocco de facto controls around 80% of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony that it annexed in 1975. This has been a source of regional tension and a decades-long conflict between Rabat and the Polisario Front, an Algerian-backed group seeking independence for the Sahrawi people. The separatist group has expressed its support for a self-determination referendum, which was initially proposed by the UN in 1991 as part of a ceasefire agreement but has since stalled.
The North African state has repeatedly ruled out the possibility of a vote that would grant Sahrawis independence and has been promoting an autonomy plan under its sovereignty for the region for nearly two decades.
On Tuesday, Macron, whose government had previously remained neutral on Rabat’s claims, declared that Paris considers Western Sahara as part of Morocco’s present and future territory.
“Our support for the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco in 2007 is clear and constant. For France, it now constitutes the only basis for achieving a just, lasting and negotiated political solution in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council,” he stated.
The French decision angered Algeria, which has strained relations with its neighbor Morocco over the “occupation” of Western Sahara.
In a statement, Algeria’s foreign ministry said Macron’s “categorical support for the colonial fact imposed on Western Sahara” was a decision made “without lucidly measuring all the potential repercussions.”
Algiers insists that the French government’s position “flouts international legality... [and] distances itself from all the patient and persevering efforts deployed by the United Nations to complete the decolonization of Western Sahara.”
“Accordingly, the Algerian Government has decided to withdraw its ambassador to the French Republic with immediate effect,” the ministry stated.
France said it had “taken note of Algeria’s decision to recall its ambassador,” French daily Le Monde reported, citing an unnamed diplomatic source.
The Polisario Front has also condemned France’s diplomatic shift, claiming that it would “expose the region to threats and instability.”
“France is no longer qualified to belong to the MINURSO mission [the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara] after its departure from international legitimacy due to its blatant and biased position towards the Moroccan proposal,” the group said on Tuesday.
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July 31, 2024 at 12:35AM
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The nationwide protests over Maduro’s re-election are part of a US-backed plan, Vladimir Padrino has said
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez has accused the Western-backed opposition of attempting a coup, and condemned widespread rioting in the wake of President Nicolas Maduro’s election victory.
Protests erupted across the South American country after the national electoral authority declared victory for the incumbent president on Monday. The runner-up, Edmundo Gonzalez, has claimed he was the rightful winner, and thousands of his supporters have taken to the streets, denouncing alleged vote rigging.
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Padrino accused the demonstrators of “acts of sabotage” and destruction of official buildings, including a hundred electoral centers and offices of the National Electoral Council (CNE).
According to the minister, these “expressions of hatred and irrationality” are a part of a “preconceived plan” by US-backed political groups. The anti-Maduro protesters are attempting to carry out a coup with the support of “North American imperialism and its external and internal allies,” Padrino said.
”We are witnessing fascism at its maximum expression, of an international structure that is investing hundreds of millions of dollars to discredit the extraordinary demonstration of civility that the Venezuelan people showed on the last election day,” he claimed.
While pledging that any coup attempts will be quashed, he called for dialogue and urged all political forces to follow the laws of Venezuela and take the “path of democracy.”
“As is well known, history has reliably demonstrated that the path of violence does not lead to anything positive,” Padrino warned.
The CNE announced on Sunday that with 80% of ballots counted, Maduro had secured more than 51% of the vote, compared to 44% for his only rival, Gonzales. All other opposition candidates had withdrawn and backed Gonzales.
Addressing his supporters at a CNE event where he was proclaimed the winner, Nicolas Maduro mocked the opposition, which he said “cries fraud” at every election.
Maduro has won a third consecutive six-year term, having first taken office in 2013 following the death of President Hugo Chavez. The Venezuelan president said his re-election would bring peace and stability.
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July 30, 2024 at 11:05PM
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The US has sent more than $50 billion in lethal aid to Kiev since early 2021
The US Department of Defense has said that since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021, more than $56.1 billion in security assistance has been given to Ukraine.
As Biden’s tenure draws to a close, further arms deliveries will hinge on the outcome of the November election. Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to continue current policies on Ukraine if she wins the vote, whereas Republican nominee Donald Trump has threatened to cut aid to Kiev.
According to a fact sheet released by the Pentagon on Monday, since the start of the conflict between Kiev and Moscow in February 2022, the US has allocated more than $55.4 billion in aid to Ukraine.
The document provided a summary of the weaponry sent to Kiev using the funds. The list includes an array of munitions for air defense, artillery, mortar systems, anti-tank and anti-ship missiles, tanks, helicopters, drones, and a wide array of other battlefield hardware.
Also on Monday, the Pentagon announced a new aid package for Ukraine totaling $1.7 billion, consisting largely of air defense munitions, artillery and mortar rounds, small arms, and explosives. It represents the 62nd tranche of equipment to be provided from the Pentagon’s inventories for Ukraine and since August 2021, the DOD statement said.
Previously, aid proposals for Kiev have struggled to gain bipartisan support. A $61 billion package was stalled for months in Congress earlier this year due to opposition from Republicans, before being passed in April.
Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to scale back assistance to Kiev if elected. One of his key policy proposals is to structure the aid as a loan. He has also pledged to end the conflict within 24 hours of reclaiming office.
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July 30, 2024 at 12:43AM
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The American, British, and Canadian governments fear marches planned for this week in Nigeria could turn violent
The US, the UK, and Canada have issued security warnings to their citizens in Nigeria ahead of protests scheduled for this week over economic hardship and record inflation in the West African country.
The three countries’ embassies in Abuja published separate advisories on their websites, expressing concern about potential unrest during the demonstrations expected across Nigeria from Thursday to August 10.
The Canadian government warned that the protests “could turn violent at any time” and advised its citizens to avoid large gatherings while adhering to the orders of local authorities.
“Past protests have turned violent with little warning. Exercise caution when traveling,” the UK Foreign Office urged.
The US Embassy also advised American citizens to avoid demonstrations and “carry proper identification” amid an expected heightened security presence.
Activists in Africa’s most populous state have called for ten days of nationwide marches against “bad governance,” which they have blamed for the country’s economic crisis.
Nigerians are facing the worst cost-of-living crisis in nearly 30 years, after President Bola Tinubu scrapped a contentious fuel subsidy and announced other reforms when he took office in May last year. The country’s inflation rate hit 34.19% in June, with food inflation exceeding 40%, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
Last week, Tinubu warned the country’s youth against protests, calling the organizers people with “sinister motives... capitalizing” on economic woes.
The organizers of the planned protests are said to have been inspired by recent events in Kenya, where weeks of deadly rallies forced the government to withdraw a financial bill that would have increased taxes.
While acknowledging citizens’ right to peaceful protest, Abuja law enforcement officials have warned that the demonstrations could instigate violence. Major General Edward Buba, Nigeria’s defense spokesperson, stated last Thursday that the army will take action to prevent chaos.
Nigeria has a history of violent crackdowns on protesters. In October 2020, security forces brutally repressed protests against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), an infamous police unit accused of extrajudicial killings that has since been disbanded.
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July 30, 2024 at 12:27AM
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The EU has refused to back Hungary and Slovakia in an oil transit dispute with Kiev after they opposed sending weapons to Ukraine
The West is using energy supplies to blackmail countries that oppose its policies, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday.
She was referring to Brussels’ reluctance to support its member states Hungary and Slovakia in an impasse over disrupted oil flows through Ukraine.
Kiev stopped the transit of crude from major Russian supplier Lukoil via the Druzhba pipeline earlier this month, citing sanctions on the energy major, thus depriving the two countries of oil that meets up to 40% of their needs.
In response to the move, Budapest and Bratislava jointly initiated consultations with the bloc and asked the EU to mediate in the dispute. However, Brussels stalled the request, claiming it needed time to “gather evidence and assess the legal situation.”
The EU’s reluctance to interfere comes as no surprise to Russia, as Hungary and Slovakia are the only EU member states that have opposed the bloc’s policy of providing military aid to Ukraine in its conflict with Moscow.
“The West is using energy resources as an instrument not just of a political battle but of direct pressure and blackmail against countries and nations,” Zakharova told Izvestia.
Landlocked Slovakia and Hungary were granted exemptions from an EU-wide ban on Russian oil supplies in 2022 to ensure their energy security. They are the only EU member states that have opposed the bloc’s policy of providing military aid to Ukraine and have repeatedly called for a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
“One of the tasks set by the so-called collective West, particularly by Washington and London, to the Kiev regime and for which they paid quite well, was to turn Russia’s energy cooperation with the Western European countries into an endless zone of turbulence,” Zakharova said.
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico warned on Monday that Bratislava would halt diesel supplies to Ukraine if Kiev doesn’t resume the transit of Russian oil via its territory, noting that Slovak deliveries account for one-tenth of Ukraine’s diesel consumption.
Kiev imposed sanctions on Lukoil, Russia’s second-largest oil company, in June, freezing its assets and placing restrictions on trade operations.
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July 30, 2024 at 12:09AM
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The army has been mobilized for rescue operations in Kerala in the country’s south
At least three dozen people, including several children, were killed in southern India’s Kerala state when a massive landslide hit Wayanad district on Tuesday. Hundreds more are feared trapped underneath debris as rescue operations continue.
Around 70 sustained injuries and are being treated in nearby hospitals, Kerala’s Health Minister Veena George has said. The rescue mission, initially carried out by the National Disaster Response Force and civil defense, is being complicated by the continuing rainfall, Indian media reported.
India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has instructed the army to mobilize forces for rescue operations in the landslide-affected region.
India’s President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as other top officials have shared their condolences on social media. Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Modi said he had spoken to Kerala's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and assured all possible help from the federal government. The PM has announced Rs 200,000 ($2,380) in compensation for the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 ($600) for those injured.
54 Dead, Hundreds Missing After 3 Massive Landslides Hit Wayanad
With badly damaged infrastructure & heavy rain hampering rescue efforts, eyewitnesses have reported seeing bodies floating by in the Kerala district.
Rahul Gandhi, the leader of India’s opposition Congress party, also took to X to express grief. “My heartfelt condolences go out to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones,” he said, adding that he would speak to federal ministers to provide assistance to the affected district. Notably, Gandhi served as a Member of Parliament representing Wayanad in the Lower House (Lok Sabha) from 2019-2024.
Each year, landslides kill hundreds of people in India during monsoon season, with hilly states being particularly affected.
On Monday, a landslide in Dimthanlong, a village in Manipur in Northeast India, killed a mother and her child. A massive landslide in the same state had killed 58 people in 2022.
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July 29, 2024 at 11:15PM
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Warsaw’s deputy foreign minister has lashed out at Prime Minister Viktor Orban for his earlier criticisms
Hungary can leave the European Union and NATO if it does not like the blocs’ policies, Poland's Deputy Foreign Minister Wladyslaw Teofil Bartoszewski said on Sunday. The comments came in response to Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s sharp criticism of the neighboring country the day before.
During a visit to Romania, Orban had accused Warsaw of pursuing “the most sanctimonious and two-faced policy in the whole of Europe,” saying it is “obliviously doing business with the Russians,” while “morally lecturing” Budapest for doing the same.
”We do not do business with Russia, unlike Prime Minister Orban, who is on the margins of international society - both in the European Union and NATO,” Bartoszewski retorted, as quoted by PAP news agency.
“I don’t really understand why Hungary wants to remain a member of organizations that it doesn’t like so much,” Bartoszewski continued.
”If you don't want to be a member of a club, you can always leave,” added the official, suggesting that Orban create a union with Russia instead.
Hungary’s prime minister was condemned by a number of EU politicians earlier this month for going against the bloc’s policies and embarking on a “peace mission” to try and find a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine conflict, during which he visited Kiev, Moscow and China. Budapest has been granted exemptions from the EU sanctions and continues to buy oil and gas from Russia.
During his speech in Romania, Orban did not specify what he was referring to when saying that Poland was still doing business with Moscow.
The Russian financial daily Vedomosti reported last week that Poland had emerged as a top buyer of the Russian fertilizer urea. The publication cited Eurostat data as showing that Warsaw had increased imports by 25% between January and May this year, compared to the same period in 2023, amid a bloc-wide increase of Russian fertilizer imports. EU sanctions against Russia exclude food supplies and fertilizers.
The Polish financial daily Rzeczpospolita reported in February that compared to 2019–2021, the period before the introduction of a broad range of sanctions against Russia, Poland’s trade turnover with some Eurasian countries, such as Kyrgyzstan and Armenia, had increased by several hundred percent. The publication went on to suggest that the trade between Poland and Russia was continuing though intermediaries in other countries, thus bypassing the sanctions.
Poland has been among the most vocal supporters of Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. It has served as NATO’s primary conduit for weapons, ammunition, and equipment deliveries to Kiev, while maintaining it is not actually a party to the hostilities.
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July 29, 2024 at 01:26AM
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Two dams in the city of Derna collapsed last year, causing catastrophic damage
A Libyan court has jailed 12 officials for their roles in a flooding disaster in the coastal city of Derna last year that killed thousands of people, the North African nation’s attorney general announced on Sunday.
Storm Daniel caused flash flooding in Libya last September, bursting two dams and sweeping entire neighborhoods in Derna out to sea. The United Nations has put the official death toll at 4,352. More than nine months after the tragedy, several thousand people are said to remain missing, presumably washed away into the ocean.
In a statement on social media on Sunday, Libya’s attorney general’s office stated that the convicted officials had been in charge of water resource management and maintenance of the dams.
While the statement did not specify the charges, Reuters quoted a judicial source as saying they have been prosecuted for “negligence, premeditated murder, and waste of public money.”
The defendants, whose names and positions were not undisclosed, received fines and sentences ranging from nine to 27 years in prison. The Tripoli-based public prosecutor’s office said three of them have been ordered to “return money obtained from illicit gains.” According to the statement, four others on trial were acquitted.
Libyan researcher and hydrologist Abdewanees Ashoor told RT in October that the damage created by a NATO-backed operation that ousted Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 was partly responsible for the dam collapse. He claimed that Africa’s fourth-largest country remains in chaos, with poor leadership and financial corruption, particularly regarding funds allocated for dam repairs following the intervention by the US-led military bloc.
The World Bank, UN, and EU released a joint report in January, concluding that poor maintenance and governance amid Libya’s long-running conflict had contributed to the dam failures in Derna. According to the report, the Mediterranean city will require an estimated $1.8 billion in reconstruction and recovery funds.
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July 29, 2024 at 12:29AM
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The US earlier said it was concerned about the presence of the country’s jets near the coast of Alaska
Russia’s recent patrol flights in international airspace are a response to the increased activity of US aircraft near Russian airspace and in parts of the world that Moscow considers “sensitive,” President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday.
On Wednesday, Russian and Chinese bombers carried out joint air patrols over the waters of the Chukchi and Bering Seas, as well as the North Pacific, and flew near the coast of Alaska. While the aircraft did not enter US airspace, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said Washington is concerned by the development.
According to Austin, it was the first time that Chinese nuclear-capable bomber aircraft have flown within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone, and the first time Chinese and Russian jets have taken off from the same base in northeastern Russia.
While delivering a speech at the annual Navy Day parade in St. Petersburg, Putin noted that Russia has conducted patrols in international airspace since 2007.
“This was our response to the increased activity of US strategic and reconnaissance aviation in regions of the world that Russia considers sensitive. This measure is aimed, among other things, at ensuring the security in the Asia-Pacific region,” he said, adding that Washington is to blame for making these patrols necessary.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russian strategic missile carriers have not conducted air patrols away from our borders. Russia believed there was no longer any need for this – the world has changed, the Cold War has ended. However, the US did not reciprocate our gesture of goodwill and continued patrolling our borders.
Russian aircraft often conduct patrol flights near American airspace, while also monitoring US and NATO flights near its own airspace. Russia has sent jets to escort fighters and bombers of the bloc’s member states away from its borders on numerous occasions in recent years.
As strategic allies, Russia and China also often carry out joint patrols over the Asia-Pacific region. The exercise that took place this week was the eighth joint air strategic patrol carried out by the two nations since 2019, according to Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he stressed that the operation was “not directed at any third party.” The Russian Defense Ministry said the patrol was conducted in accordance with international law.
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July 28, 2024 at 02:28AM
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More than 200 warships, including from several foreign countries, took part in the festivities in St. Petersburg
Russia has celebrated Navy Day by holding a traditional maritime parade in St. Petersburg, which involved thousands of service members and more than 200 vessels.
The parade, which takes place every year on the last Sunday of July, was overseen by President Vladimir Putin, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, and Commander-in-Chief of the Navy Aleksandr Moiseyev.
The celebrations were joined by sailors from Russia’s Northern, Pacific, Baltic fleets, Caspian flotilla, as well as members of the naval force deployed in Syria. Ships from the Black Sea Fleet were absent from the parade due to still being engaged in active operations in the Ukraine conflict.
A total of 15,000 service members, as well as more than 200 ships of various classes and over one hundred units of other military equipment, took part in the parade. Also taking part were Chinese, Indian and Algerian warships.
The parade is traditionally led by the Poltava, a reconstructed 18th century 54-gun sailing ship. The original ship, launched in 1712, was given its name in commemoration of Russia’s crushing victory over Sweden at the Battle of Poltava in 1709, which turned the tide of the Great Northern War and paved the way for Russia to become a major world power.
Other more modern warships included several small-sized missile ships and corvettes, which are typically armed with Kalibr cruise missiles capable of hitting targets at a range of more than 1,000km. The parade featured a patrol icebreaker, the ‘Ivan Papanin’, a type of vessel specifically designed for Arctic conditions. Russia currently possesses the largest icebreaker fleet in the world, numbering more than 40 vessels.
Meanwhile, the foreign vessels present included the Chinese destroyer ‘Jiaozuo’ and replenishment ship ‘Honghu’, the Algerian training ship ‘La Soummam’, and the Indian stealth frigate ‘Tabar’, which was produced in Russia.
The display of naval power on the water was followed by a parade on land, which included cadets from several Russian naval institutions, as well as a detachment of marines.
In his speech commemorating the occasion, Putin vowed that Russia would continue to strengthen its naval forces and modernize its fleets with high-tech assets, including hypersonic missiles.
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July 28, 2024 at 01:27AM
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Terrorist attacks are unacceptable no matter who carries them out, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said
Russia condemns terrorist attacks conducted by any state or organization, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said, reacting to a new escalation on the Israeli-Lebanese border.
On Saturday, Israel accused Lebanon-based Islamist group Hezbollah of launching a rocket attack on a soccer field in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, which killed at least 12 teenagers and children and wounded about 20 others. The group denied involvement in the attack.
An earlier Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon killed three Hezbollah members.
Commenting on the latest escalation on the border, Lavrov told reporters on Sunday that Russia “condemns all terrorist actions by any entity,” recalling that Moscow equally condemned the October 7 Hamas attack on Israeli civilians and Israel’s retaliation, which he said was a “flagrant violation of international humanitarian law” because it amounted to “collective punishment of the people.”
The strategically important Golan Heights were seized from Syria in the 1967 Six Day war and later unilaterally annexed by Israel – a move that is still not recognized by most of the international community.
In response to the soccer field attack, the Israel Defense Forces said it had conducted strikes on “a series of Hezbollah terror targets… both deep inside Lebanese territory and in southern Lebanon.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz claimed in the aftermath of the strike on the stadium that “there is no doubt that Hezbollah crossed all red lines” while warning that his country is on the brink of “an all-out war” with the group in Lebanon.
Tensions have been running high on the Israel-Lebanon border since the Palestinian movement Hamas attacked Israel, with West Jerusalem and Hezbollah – which has close ties to Iran – frequently exchanging cross-border fire, fueling concerns about the possibility of a wider regional conflict.
An unnamed US official told CBS News that the recent escalation was “almost all-out war.” Other sources told the outlet that it was a “nightmare scenario” feared by the White House, which was attempting to de-escalate the crisis and contain the fallout.
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July 27, 2024 at 11:20PM
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The three suspects were also plotting to assault police officers in the southern Russian city of Kaspiysk, the agency has said
Russian law enforcement has foiled a string of potential terrorist attacks in the southern part of the country, detaining several suspects, the Federal Security Service (FSB) has announced.
In a statement on Saturday, the FSB noted that the agency and the Interior Ministry had apprehended three local residents in the city of Kaspiysk in Dagestan, who are allegedly linked to an undisclosed terrorist organization.
Officials added that the suspects intended “to commit sabotage and terrorist acts against employees of the local law enforcement agencies, as well as an Orthodox church.”
As a result of the operation, agents found a homemade explosive device, components to manufacture such devices, bladed weapons, and terrorist flags in the suspects’ homes. Other items included manuals on urban and forest combat, shooting, and the assembly of explosives, incendiary devices, and grenades.
The FSB added that the detainees had confessed. The agency also released a video of the suspects being arrested and brought in for interrogation. One of the detainees told agents that the group had planned to use the explosive to blow up a church, and another revealed that they intended to attack patrol officers on the street with knives.
Earlier this month, the FSB claimed to have unraveled another plot to attack an Orthodox church in the Republic of Adygea, which is also in the southern part of the country. The agency arrested a migrant from a Central-Asian republic, who later admitted to watching propaganda materials created by the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) terrorist organization.
The announcement comes after a group of gunmen in Dagestan attacked several targets in two cities in June, including two churches, a synagogue, and a police post. A total of 22 people died in the shootings, including 17 police officers, while about 50 others were injured. Local authorities said six gunmen were also killed by law enforcement.
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July 27, 2024 at 12:41AM
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The Eritrean Civil Aviation Authority has halted all routes of the neighboring country’s flagship carrier
Ethiopian Airlines announced on Wednesday that Eritrean aviation authorities have decided to suspend all flights by the airline effective September 30.
According to a statement released on X (formerly Twitter), Ethiopian Airlines received a letter from the Eritrean Civil Aviation Authority notifying them of the decision.
“Ethiopian Airlines has received a notice from the Eritrean Civil Aviation Authority through a letter dated 21 July 2024 indicating the suspension of all Ethiopian Airlines flights to Eritrea, effective September 30, 2024,” the statement read.
“The specific reasons for this suspension have not been disclosed to us,” it said. Ethiopian Airlines did not disclose the content of the letter from the Eritrean Civil Aviation Authority. The company said it would provide updates as soon as more information becomes available.
The Eritrean Civil Aviation Authority had previously circulated a letter accusing Ethiopian Airlines of various infractions. These include “consistent and persistent malicious trading practices,” and “systemic and organized passengers’ luggage theft, pilferage, damage, prolonged delays, and loss with no compensation in particular, coupled with unjustified and unwarranted price hikes and other irregularities,” local media reported.
Authorities have advised people intending to travel with Ethiopian Airlines to Eritrea to reconsider their plans in light of the suspension of flights.
Ethiopian Airlines had resumed service to Asmara, the Eritrean capital, in July 2018, following the normalization of relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The state-owned carrier holds the distinction of being ranked as the largest airline in Africa based on both revenue and profit according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
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July 26, 2024 at 11:32PM
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Moscow has repeatedly said the military enjoys a steady stream of volunteers
Russian authorities are not even remotely considering a new wave of mobilization in support of the Ukraine campaign, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has claimed.
In an interview with RIA Novosti on Saturday, Peskov dismissed the idea that Russia needed to resort to additional conscription measures when asked whether the military has enough soldiers.
”No one is talking about mobilization at all, it is not on the agenda,” the spokesman stressed.
Russia announced a partial mobilization in September 2022, several months into the Ukraine conflict, calling up about 300,000 soldiers. At the time, the Russian Defense Ministry said the move was necessary to man the length of the front line that had been established.
With rumors circulating in Western media that Russia might announce a second wave of mobilization, officials in Moscow have repeated that there is no need for a new draft campaign.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in June that Moscow has no plans for additional mobilization, as Russia is sticking to the tactic of gradually “pushing out” Ukrainian troops from the areas it seeks to establish control over. He added that the military enjoys a steady stream of patriotic volunteers.
Earlier this month, the Defense Ministry said that some 190,000 contract soldiers had joined in 2024 alone, and estimated that about 1,000 people were signing contracts every day. Last December, the ministry put the total number of contract soldiers at 640,000.
In June, Putin also revealed that some 700,000 soldiers were operating in the zone of the military operation.
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July 26, 2024 at 11:06PM
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Kiev’s Western backers also believe the country should make its own decisions, Dmitry Kuleba has said
No one can compel Ukraine to hold peace talks with Russia, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba has said. His comments came as Kiev signaled it was open to negotiations with the Russian leadership despite having enacted a legal ban on doing so.
In an interview with the Ukrainian broadcaster TSN on Thursday, Kuleba provided a glimpse into the three-hour talks he had with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi earlier this week. Kuleba’s visit to China was the first since the Ukraine conflict began in February 2022. The Chinese have consistently urged Moscow and Kiev to end hostilities.
Asked whether Beijing could “stand on the side of Ukraine,” Kuleba unequivocally stressed that “China would stand only on the side of China,” but added that the country supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
The diplomat also underscored that “no one is inclining Ukraine to negotiations because it is impossible to do so… we will make our own decisions,” he explained, a stance he said is also shared by Kiev’s backers in the West.
China also strives for a “just and lasting peace” according to Kuleba, and is not interested in temporary solutions. However, he did not elaborate on Beijing’s idea of a just peace. “Leave that to the diplomats,” Kuleba said.
The minister’s trip to China came as Vladimir Zelensky signaled that he wanted to end the conflict “as soon as possible” and was ready to engage with Russia “whether it was [President Vladimir] Putin or not” at the helm of the country. This contrasts with a presidential decree Zelensky signed in the autumn of 2022, which barred all talks with the current leadership in Moscow. He introduced the ban after four former Ukrainian regions voted overwhelmingly to join Russia.
China and Russia announced “no limits” to their cooperation in early 2022 and Beijing has maintained neutrality since the start of the conflict, refusing to support Western sanctions against Moscow and calling for negotiations to end hostilities. It has also said that NATO expansion – which Moscow views as an existential threat – was one of the key causes of the Ukraine crisis.
Russia has always been open to talks with Ukraine, but the two sides should first decide on the details, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has stated that Zelensky’s signals on peace talks are not credible, and said she believes the West intends to wage war “until the last Ukrainian.”
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July 26, 2024 at 12:05AM
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The Russian president shared his concerns with his counterpart during a meeting in Moscow
Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Bashar Assad of his concern over growing tensions in the Middle East at a meeting in the Kremlin late Wednesday, the Russian presidential press service has said.
During their first meeting since March last year, Putin told the Syrian president that he wanted to discuss the “tendency towards escalation” in the Middle East.
“This also applies directly to Syria,” Putin said.
The Russian leader told his counterpart that “there are also a lot of issues” to discuss regarding trade and economic cooperation.
Assad responded by saying that while Russia and Syria “have gone through very difficult tests,” over the past decades, relations between the two countries have maintained a “level of trust.”
“Considering all the events that are taking place in the world as a whole and in the Eurasian region today, our meeting today seems very important to discuss all the details of the development of these events, to discuss possible prospects and scenarios,” Assad told Putin.
Assad’s visit to Russia comes amid reports that Moscow could mediate to defuse tensions between Türkiye and Syria. Relations between Damascus and Ankara have been bad for nearly 12 years.
Reconciliation between the two countries is important, both for a political settlement of the Syrian conflict and for stability in the entire Middle Eastern region, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said earlier this week.
Commenting on reports that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could meet with Assad in Moscow next month, Peskov said that efforts to establish contacts between Turkish and Syrian representatives “at various levels” are on Moscow’s agenda.
“Many countries and, of course, Russia, as a country playing a significant role in the region, are interested in helping the two countries improve relations,” he told reporters on Tuesday, adding that both sides resuming dialogue is “very important for the entire region.”
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July 25, 2024 at 12:20AM
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The diplomat stated that “Western countries are trying to protect their authority, forgetting that their colonial rule ended in the last century.” He added that India has become a “world superpower” and conducts a “diverse and sovereign foreign policy.”
India has been under constant scrutiny from its Western partners, particularly the US, over its robust ties with Russia since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine. Senior Biden administration officials were frustrated over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this month, the Washington Post reported. The White House publicly expressed“concerns” over New Delhi’s ties with Moscow.
Babushkin said Russia is historically a stable partner of India and it is important for both countries to maintain this relationship. “The West wants to trick 1.5 billion people; this will never happen,” he added. “An elephant is not afraid of barking dogs.”
In 2023, Russian-Indian bilateral trade surpassed $63 billion, nearly six times bigger than the average $10-13 billion trade turnover the two countries maintained previously. During the bilateral summit held in Moscow earlier this month, the leaders of the two countries agreed to raise the bilateral trade target to $100 billion annually by 2030.
New Delhi has refused to condemn Moscow over the Ukraine conflict, despite constant pressure to downsize its diplomatic and economic engagement with Russia. India has consistently insisted on resolving the Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy involving both sides. Last month, New Delhi refused to sign the final document emerging from the Swiss-hosted ‘peace summit’ on Ukraine which Moscow was not invited to attend.
Comparing the attitudes demonstrated by the developed countries of the West towards the rest of the world to the nature of relationships maintained by alternative groupings of developing countries and emerging economies, such as BRICS, Babushkin noted that this grouping represents the “objectives of the majority of the world and the Global South.”
“It has expanded because many countries are interested in it. This is because BRICS is based on consensus. We respect each other. We respect diversity. And we emphasize the need for democratic principles in global governance,” he said.
Babushkin stressed that BRICS creates independent mechanisms for cooperation “free from unilateral sanctions or double standards.” These mechanisms include the New Development Bank, Parliamentary Forum, various platforms on energy, anti-terrorism cooperation, cybersecurity, education, science and research, and space. According to the diplomat, BRICS provides opportunities for “equitable partnership” and its importance will continue to grow.
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July 24, 2024 at 11:49PM
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Poland became the biggest buyer in the first five months of this year
EU imports of Russian fertilizer soared by 70% to 1.9 million tons between January and May this year compared to the same period in 2023, Vedomosti reported on Tuesday, citing Eurostat data.
In monetary terms, the bloc’s purchases amounted to more than €649 million ($703 million), marking a year-on-year increase of 30%.
In May alone, imports rose by 5% year-on-year to €77.4 million ($83.8 million) in monetary terms and by 17% to 238,400 tons in volume. The growth is mainly attributed to an increase in purchases of potassic manure and multiple-nutrient fertilizers, the outlet noted.
Meanwhile, EU imports of Russian nitrogen fertilizers grew by 39% in the first five months of this year, and amounted to 57% of the bloc’s entire purchases of fertilizers from the country. Poland emerged as a top buyer of Russian urea having increased imports by 25% to almost 468,000 tons. It was followed by France, Germany and Italy, which boosted purchases by 12%, 11% and 10%, respectively.
Vedomosti noted that fertilizer production costs had soared across the bloc in 2022 as a result of rising natural gas prices. Back then, Russian energy giant Gazprom – once the EU’s main gas supplier – dramatically reduced exports to the bloc following Western sanctions and the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines.
Surging input costs forced EU producers of nitrogen-based fertilizers to cut production, while some companies had to temporarily halt operations entirely, forcing the bloc’s farmers to ramp up imports from Russia, the world’s largest producer and exporter of urea.
Last year, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) revealed that Germany had boosted purchases of Russian fertilizers by roughly 334%, from 38,500 tons in July 2022 to 167,000 tons in June 2023. Meanwhile, imports of urea alone soared by 304% in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period of the previous year.
Earlier this year, CEO of Norwegian chemical producer Yara International, Svein Tore Holsether, warned in an interview with FT that bloc was becoming more and more dependent on Russian fertilizers, just as it did with natural gas.
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July 24, 2024 at 12:20AM
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The Republican presidential candidate’s team is reportedly considering setting a defense spending target of 3% of GDP for bloc members
Advisers for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump have suggested increasing the defense spending target for NATO members to 3% of GDP, Bloomberg has reported, citing unnamed sources. Many members of the US-led bloc have only recently struggled to reach the current 2% goal.
The idea of calling on NATO members to contribute more was raised in discussions at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last week, Bloomberg wrote, citing people familiar with the conversations.
The potential new target is currently only a suggestion and hasn’t been approved as official policy for the Trump team, anonymous sources told the outlet. Talk of a new spending target, however, may herald even more tension if Trump is reelected as US president in November, as some NATO allies are already struggling to manage government debt.
Trump has long criticized members of the bloc for not spending enough on their militaries, with some falling short of a 2014 commitment to contribute 2% of GDP to defense.
Last year’s NATO estimates showed that 11 of the bloc’s 32 nations met the 2% goal, while only Poland, the US, and Greece were estimated to have spent 3% or more of their GDP on defense.
Trump faced a backlash from the White House and top Western officials earlier this year after suggesting he would not defend NATO countries that failed to spend enough on defense, even hinting that he would encourage Russia to attack them. Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have repeatedly said that Moscow has no plans to attack any NATO country.
The potential spending demand would align Trump with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who earlier this year called on NATO to set a 3% target. Trump reiterated his stance early in July, suggesting at a rally in Florida that he wouldn’t honor alliance commitments to mutual defense unless countries meet NATO spending targets.
The most recent talk of a defense spending increase is potentially a negotiating tactic aimed at pressuring NATO allies not to be complacent, Bloomberg wrote, citing a person familiar with Trump’s position. Another source quoted by the outlet confirmed that the higher target had been discussed in Milwaukee, but that there was some debate about whether it would be a good idea as it may undermine unity in the bloc.
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July 23, 2024 at 11:21PM
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The Sudanese army accused Abu Dhabi of arming paramilitary fighters in the deadly ongoing conflict
United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has committed to supporting Sudan in ending a more than yearlong armed conflict that has raged between rival armies in the African nation, Emirati news agency WAM reports.
The decision was announced when the Emirati president spoke by phone with Sudan’s de facto leader and army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, last Thursday, according to WAM.
Last week’s direct talks were the first involving the two leaders since fighting broke out in the northeastern African state in mid-April 2023, after months of tension between Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) commander Burhan and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) chief Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. According to the UN, an estimated 10 million people have been internally displaced, and approximately 17,000 have been killed.
Relations between Abu Dhabi and Khartoum deteriorated last year, with Sudan expelling 15 UAE embassy staff in response to the alleged expulsion of three Sudanese diplomats from Abu Dhabi.
Sudanese army officials have reportedly accused the Emirati government of supplying arms to the RSF to fight the national military forces. Abu Dhabi has denied the allegations, claiming that it has consistently pushed for de-escalation, a ceasefire, and diplomatic dialogue in Sudan since the conflict began.
During Thursday’s phone call, the UAE president and his Sudanese counterpart reportedly discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations.
Al Nahyan further stressed the “importance of peaceful dialogue to uphold Sudan’s supreme interests and preserve its security and stability” and assured that Abu Dhabi will continue to support humanitarian efforts to ease the suffering of nearly 25 million people in need of aid.
Sudan’s army-led government has recently moved to shore up its overseas alliances in the wake of its battle with the RSF. The African nation fully restored ties with Iran on Sunday, bringing an end to an eight-year diplomatic freeze.
Former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir had severed relations with Iran in 2016 in a show of solidarity with Saudi Arabia following an attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran.
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July 23, 2024 at 12:16AM
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Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen has said Budapest’s views do not correspond with the bloc’s official line
The EU may not be the “right reference group” for Hungary considering the apparent divergence in views between Budapest and the bloc, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen has suggested. She accused Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban of giving the impression that he was representing the EU during his recent visits to Russia and China to discuss the Ukraine conflict.
Speaking after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, Valtonen stressed that Hungary – which currently holds the rotating EU presidency – is not entitled to represent the 27-nation bloc as its foreign policy views “do not correspond to the official line of the union.”
“Of course, it is up to the individual country to do so,” Valtonen told the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper. “But at some point, it may be worth asking whether the European Union is the right reference group if the ideas differ so fundamentally from our common values.”
Budapest took over the rotating presidency of the EU Council at the start of July. The body defines the bloc’s overall political direction and priorities. Hungarian Prime Minister Orban then embarked on what he called a Ukraine “peace mission,” aiming to find a resolution to the conflict by holding talks with its “five main actors” – Ukraine, Russia, China, the EU, and the US.
As part of the mission, he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, triggering the ire of EU leaders. Orban stressed he does not need a mandate from Brussels to promote peace and that his discussions cannot be considered official talks.
The European Parliament last week condemned Orban’s visits, particularly to Moscow, describing them as “a blatant violation of the EU’s treaties and common foreign policy.”
The EU has also been outraged by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto’s speeches to the UN Security Council, in which he has accused the bloc of pursuing a “pro-war policy” with its military and financial support for Ukraine.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has criticized Szijjarto by declaring that “the European Union is not at war,” and has called for a discussion on “what to do with Hungary’s presidency of the EU Council in the next few months.”
In a rebuke of Orban’s solo diplomatic efforts on Ukraine, the EU’s next informal meeting of foreign and defense ministers will take place in Brussels instead of Budapest, Borrell said on Monday. He called the change of venue “a signal’ to Hungary.
Moscow has said the EU’s criticism of Orban over his Ukraine peace initiative proves that Brussels has resolved to support Ukraine militarily, and that its pro-war policies will not change. Budapest is due to retain the EU presidency until January 1, 2025, when it will pass to Poland.
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July 22, 2024 at 11:30PM
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Over 4,500 from India, Nepal and Bhutan were flown out amid violent riots over hiring quotas
New Delhi is helping thousands of students return home from violence-hit Bangladesh, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said on Sunday. It announced that 4,500 from India, 500 from Nepal, 38 from Bhutan, and one from the Maldives have been evacuated.
The emergency measure was carried out by the Indian diplomatic missions in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, as well as the cities of Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet, and Khulna.
Last week, New Delhi issued an urgent advisory to its citizens and students in Bangladesh, urging them to avoid “non-essential travel” and minimize movement outside their residences amid the escalating unrest. The foreign ministry said that there were around 15,000 Indians, including around 8,500 students, residing in Bangladesh. The two countries share a 4,096-kilometer-long (2,545-mile) international border, the fifth-longest land border in the world.
Student groups in Bangladesh have been protesting over civil service job quotas for weeks. The agitations turned deadly last week.
A government curfew featuring a ‘shoot on sight’ order was introduced on Saturday, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s office requested that the military deploy troops after police failed to subdue the protests. Universities have remained closed and telecommunications in the country have been blocked. The death toll among civilians has risen to 130, according to various media estimations, since the outbreak of violence. The clashes have prompted the prime minister to cancel her diplomatic visits to Spain and Brazil, scheduled for Sunday, AFP reported.
On Sunday, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh scaled back most of the quotas against which the students had protested. In its verdict, the top court ordered that 93% of government jobs must be allocated on the basis of merit, setting aside 5% for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s war of independence from Pakistan in 1971 and 2% for members of ethnic minorities, as well as transgender and disabled people. Previously, one-third of civil service jobs had been reserved for the relatives of veterans.
The quota system was scrapped in 2018, but in June of this year, the Supreme Court reinstated it, ruling its removal was unconstitutional. The protesters have claimed that the quota system unjustly benefitted the ruling Awami League, which played a key role in the Liberation War. The nation’s current prime minister is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the leader of the independence movement and the ‘founding father’ of Bangladesh.
While student groups have in general welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision, they have decided to continue with demonstrations until their key demands are met. These include justice for protesters killed in recent days, the release of detained protest leaders, the restoration of internet services and resignations of government ministers.
The Economic Times on Monday noted that the situation in the neighboring country is a concern for New Delhi, as a “strengthening of radical forces in Bangladesh" is "inimical to India's interests.” Bangladesh remains one of the biggest trade partners for India in the neighborhood and its key partner in regional initiatives, including BIMSTEC (The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) and SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation).
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July 22, 2024 at 01:11AM
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Nigeria’s $20 billion Dangote plant has had to increase imports due to insufficient domestic supplies
Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery is in negotiations with Libya to secure crude oil for its 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) plant, Reuters reported on Sunday, citing Devakumar Edwin, a senior executive of the company.
The move comes amid insufficient domestic supplies for the $20 billion facility, as Africa’s largest oil producer faces theft, pipeline vandalism, and inadequate investment.
The refinery located outside of Lagos was built by the continent’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, with the aim of increasing Nigeria’s oil refining capacity and ending the country’s reliance on imported fuels. However, since beginning operations earlier this year, the plant has resorted to importing crude from countries including Brazil and the US, its owner has said.
During a tour of the facility on Saturday, Aliko Dangote stated that the refinery had only received five crude cargoes from state oil firm NNPC since it was launched in January, instead of the expected 15.
He said the refinery, which currently produces diesel and aviation fuel, plans to hit at least 60% of its installed capacity by September and reach 550,000 barrels a day by the end of the year.
Edwin, Dangote Industries Group’s vice president in charge of oil and gas business, told Reuters: “We are talking to Libya about importing crude. We will talk to Angola as well, and some other countries in Africa.”
He reportedly declined to provide details about the talks with Nigeria’s African neighbors but claimed that international traders and oil companies were among the largest buyers of Dangote’s gasoil, much of which was exported.
“The biggest offtakers are the two big traders Trafigura and Vitol and BP and, to some extent, even TotalEnergies. But all of them are saying they are taking it to offshore,” Edwin said.
Meanwhile, the company is at odds with the government over claims made by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority that the sulfur content of Dangote’s gasoil exceeded the mandatory limit of 200 parts per million (ppm). Its owner has also been accused of attempting to establish a monopoly in the West African nation with his refinery, after allegedly requesting that authorities suspend imports of diesel and aviation fuel.
Dangote has denied the allegations, calling them “very disheartening.”
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July 22, 2024 at 12:27AM
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The activist has called for increased efforts to ban Israel from the Paris Olympics
In an exclusive interview with RT, Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, the grandson of Nelson Mandela, has called for a global movement to intensify efforts for Palestine’s liberation and for Israel to be banned from this year’s Olympic Games.
Speaking in Paris, Mandela urged the international community, solidarity movements, and grassroots organizations to rally against what he called “Apartheid Israel.”
“We [pro-Palestinian demonstrators] are here in Paris today to make a call to the entire global community, the international solidarity movement, and all grassroots movements to call for a ban of Apartheid Israel from the Paris Olympic Games,” he said.
Mandela said there were growing protests with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets in support of Palestine.
“We are readying ourselves for the biggest protests in front of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, which will be on July 26,” he stated. The activist called on all civil society groups, labor formations, faith-based organizations, and grassroots movements to converge on the opening ceremony to support Palestinian marchers.
Mandela noted that more than 400 Palestinian athletes who would have participated in the Olympics had been killed, along with their training staff and coaches. He also pointed to the destruction of sports facilities in Palestine.
“We therefore call on the IOC to ban the Zionist usurping entity from participating, particularly in light of the fact that over 30 of their athletes serve in the IDF and have been participating in the genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes, and crimes against humanity,” he stated.
The grandson of Nelson Mandela also expressed support for the Houthis. “We would say in the international solidarity movements and grassroots movement that the Houthis must remain steadfast and intensify the fight in liberating our brothers and sisters in Gaza and all over occupied Palestine,” he said.
In a previous interview with RT, he compared support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to that of former UK PM Margaret Thatcher and former US President Ronald Reagan for the Apartheid regime in South Africa.
In 1997, during a visit to Gaza, Nelson Mandela expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people, stating that Africans’ freedom was “incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”
Israel declared war on Hamas following a surprise attack on October 7, in which militants killed approximately 1,200 people and took over 200 hostages. Since then, more than 38,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ensuing military operation, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
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July 21, 2024 at 11:58PM
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The emergency SMS alert system Belarus uses has proven to be inefficient, a senior official said following a hurricane that left six people dead
Belarusian authorities are working on a new emergency warning system after a devastating hurricane swept through the country last week, claiming the lives of six people and injuring dozens, the head of the presidential administration, Dmitry Krutoi, has said.
According to the official, the SMS alert system currently being used in the country is inefficient.
“That’s why together with the Emergencies Ministry, we are thinking about [introducing] a wartime format - including the use of alarms and loud sirens that will instantly turn on in the event of hurricane winds and potentially visible terrible phenomena. People will understand that they need to run for cover,” he told journalists on Saturday, local media reported.
The main point of such measures is to save lives, Krutoi emphasized, adding that the hurricane that raged over Belarus last Sunday resulted in deaths and that “lessons should be learnt” from the tragic events.
On Friday, during a meeting with his administration, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko criticized local authorities for “awful work” and the lack of an adequate, “quick, clear, military” response to the natural disaster.
He vowed that all the issues related to overcoming the consequences of the hurricane will be resolved and “appropriate conclusions” will be drawn.
According to Belarusian Emergencies Minister Vadim Sinyavsky, the heavy storms that took place last weekend wreaked havoc in 74 areas of Belarus, causing extensive damage to nearly 950 communities. Some six people, including two children, were killed by falling trees and roofing elements, while 72 people were injured.
The Republican presidential frontrunner narrowly avoided death when a would-be assassin opened fire on him during a campaign rally last Saturday
The US Secret Service has acknowledged it has repeatedly denied Republican frontrunner and former President Donald Trump additional protection since he left office, the New York Times has reported, citing the agency’s chief spokesperson. The official reportedly attributed the supposed security lapse to the service being overstretched.
Trump narrowly avoided death at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, when a would-be assassin’s bullet clipped his ear as it whizzed past his head. Firing from a rooftop around 500 feet (150 meters) from the stage, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks killed one spectator at the rally and wounded two others before he was shot dead by Secret Service snipers.
In its article on Saturday, the New York Times quoted US Secret Service Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi as admitting that the agency had turned down several requests for additional federal security assets sought by Trump’s detail over the past few years. Its representative allegedly pointed out that the requests in question did not relate directly to the rally in Butler.
The NYT also quoted an unnamed Trump campaign staffer as confirming there were an insufficient number of metal detectors and that specially trained dogs were absent at venues, adding that it has been a common problem faced by the GOP frontrunner.
According to the media outlet, Guglielmi explained in a statement that the federal agency is limited in the amount of resources it can dispatch to events. In some cases, it is forced to utilize “state or local partners to provide specialized functions,” the spokesperson allegedly said.
Secret Service agents are currently tasked with protecting the incumbent president and vice president, as well as former presidents, officials in the line of succession, and major presidential and VP candidates, along with their immediate families.
The Times noted that last Sunday, Guglielmi insisted that “there’s an untrue assertion that a member of the former president’s team requested additional resources and that those were rebuffed.”
A number of Republican lawmakers have raised questions about the agency’s performance, with some even calling on its director, Kimberly Cheatle, to step down.
Earlier this week, the GOP-run House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena compelling the official to testify on Capitol Hill on Monday.
Explaining the absence of Secret Service snipers on the rooftop where the shooter took up position, Cheatle told ABC News on Tuesday that “we wouldn’t want to put somebody up on a sloped roof.” She insisted that the building had been secured “from inside.”
Her line of reasoning, however, has failed to convince Republican lawmakers and security experts alike.
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July 21, 2024 at 02:36AM
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The National Security Adviser does not expect the Israeli PM to launch verbal attacks at the administration
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has said that he does not expect Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to attack US President Joe Biden during his address to US legislators on Wednesday.
White House officials were reportedly concerned that the speech could include public jabs at the administration.
The US paused its delivery of 3,500 bombs to Israel in early May amid calls for West Jerusalem to scale back its assault on the densely-populated city of Rafah in southern Gaza. In June, Netanyahu publicly criticized Washington for “withholding weapons and ammunition to Israel” for several months, calling it “inconceivable.”
The Israeli leader could stage a “diplomatically complicated and politically dicey spectacle for a president running for reelection,” Politico reported in June.
Talking at the Aspen Security Forum on Friday, Sullivan said he will not see the copy of the speech but expected Netanyahu to tell Biden “what he intends to say.” A “broad preview” given by Israeli officials indicated that the PM is “intending to reinforce a set of themes and arguments that are not at odds or in contradiction to our policy, American policy,” the official added.
Sullivan referenced Netanyahu’s 2015 address to Congress, when he blasted the Obama administration for its efforts to negotiate the Iran nuclear deal. The speech was criticized by then-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who called it full of “condescension” and an “insult to the intelligence of the United States.”
“Our expectation is that his speech will be one that doesn’t look like 2015,” Sullivan said.
While US officials have publicly stated that they “do not know what [Netanyahu] is talking about,” privately, Biden’s team is reportedly “angry and shocked” at the prime minister’s “ingratitude,” with some officials describing him as “unhinged,” Axios reported.
Last month, Reuters reported that since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, the US has provided Israel with a total of 14,000 of its 2,000-pound bombs, 6,500 500-pound bombs, 3,000 Hellfire missiles, and other munitions. Washington has also sent $6.5 billion in security assistance since October 7.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, the US proceeded with a transfer of $1 billion worth of arms for Israel in May, the same month it stopped the delivery of the bombs.
Israel declared war on Hamas after the militants killed around 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages in a surprise attack on October 7. More than 38,000 Palestinians have been killed since then in the military operation, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
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July 20, 2024 at 11:47PM
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The pressure campaign to convince the US president to drop his reelection bid has intensified following his debate with Trump
A group of concerned US voters from the Democratic Party, called ‘Pass the Torch’, has joined the campaign to pressure President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 race and allow another candidate to take his place.
In a video prepared by the group, seven voters ask Biden to step aside to avoid losing to his Republican rival, former President Donald Trump. They urge him to “be the leader we know you are,” praising him for “saving democracy in 2020” when he was elected for his current term.
“Now you have a chance to do it again. It’s time to pass the torch and let us choose a new nominee. One who can bring new energy, new hope and make sure Donald Trump never gets near the White House again,” the voters say in the ad.
The video, which was posted on YouTube earlier this week, is set to start running on Monday on MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe’, one of Biden’s favorite shows. The advertising area would cover Biden’s Rehoboth Beach home in Delaware, where he is currently recuperating after testing positive for Covid-19 earlier in the week. Pass the Torch co-founder Aaron Regunberg told NBC on Friday that both the program and the advertising area were chosen in order to send the message directly to the 81-year-old politician.
Biden has faced public scrutiny over his mental and physical decline for some time, but concerns deepened after his disastrous televised debate with Donald Trump last month. Biden mixed up words and numbers, lost his train of thought, and struggled to finish sentences. This led to dissent within the Democratic Party, with many influential members and campaign donors asking Biden to drop out of the race. The party has also postponed the official nomination, which had been planned for this week, to sometime in August.
According to reports this week, former US President Barack Obama reportedly told allies in private that Biden should end his campaign, as did Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Reports also indicate that even Biden’s family is discussing potential avenues for him to drop out of the race.
Biden has so far refused to step aside, claiming that he has the best chance of beating Trump. According to sources who spoke to NBC, the politician “feels angry” and “betrayed” at efforts to force him out of the election.
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July 20, 2024 at 01:09AM
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Washington is seeking to build a growing alliance with New Delhi, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has said
Washington is seeking to convince New Delhi that deepening ties with Russia and China will create difficulties for US-India relations, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Friday.
Speaking at the 2024 Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, Sullivan said the US sees “enormous opportunity on technology, economics and in the statecraft and geopolitics of the wider Indo-Pacific region” and wants to deepen this relationship.
“Russia is getting closer and closer to China and as the junior partner to China is not necessarily going to be a great reliable friend to India in a future contingency or crisis” he said. “It’s something that we take into account as we have our strategic dialogue with India.”
After tensions between India and China increased dramatically following a clash along their disputed border in 2020, New Delhi has strengthened its partnerships with the US, enraging Beijing.
India’s neutral stance regarding the Ukraine conflict, however, suggests that even though New Delhi may be enhancing its partnership with the US, Russia continues to be an important partner for India and, according to Sullivan, it will not abandon these ties.
“India has a historic relationship with Russia that they’re not going to cut off, but we do believe that we want to continue to have a deep dialogue with India about the specifics and the nature of that relationship,” he said.
Regarding Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to Moscow in July, Sullivan said the US does not see “any tangible evidence” that India is deepening its military and technology relationship with Russia.
Modi’s visit and his embrace with Russian President Vladimir Putin sparked backlash from US officials and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky amid the conflict between Moscow and Kiev. The timing of Modi’s visit, coinciding with a NATO summit in Washington, DC, further complicated “the optics” from the US perspective, according to Bloomberg, citing unnamed US officials.
“We never want to see countries that we care about, our partners and friends of ours show up in Moscow and hug Putin,” Sullivan said.
The strong ties between New Delhi and Moscow date back to the Cold War. Russia is a major supplier of defense equipment to India, and since the escalation of Ukraine crisis, India has significantly increased imports of Russian crude oil. The annual volume of Russian oil exports to India has increased almost 20 times since 2021, amounting to 90 million tons last year and currently covering 40% of India’s demand, according to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak. This has sparked Western claims that these purchases fund Russia’s war efforts. India has argued that buying Russian oil helps stabilize global crude prices.
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July 20, 2024 at 12:23AM
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Demonstrations had been barred in the capital on Wednesday “to ensure public safety”
The Kenyan High Court has suspended the National Police Service’s directive banning protests in central Nairobi following deadly anti-government demonstrations.
Initially peaceful rallies have taken place against the now-scrapped Finance Bill, which would have raised taxes and the cost of living. On July 11, Kenyan President William Ruto also dismissed most of his cabinet. However, the protests escalated into violence and resulted in dozens of deaths.
Late Wednesday, Kenya’s acting police chief, Douglas Kanja, announced that no demonstrations would be permitted in Nairobi’s central business district and the surrounding areas “to ensure public safety.”
On Thursday, Nairobi High Court judge Bahati Mwamuye issued a ‘conservatory order’ to suspend the ban from being enforced until a final ruling on the case. The court scheduled another hearing for July 29.
Earlier this week, police fired tear gas at anti-government protesters who continue to demand the resignation of Ruto, alleging corruption, poor governance, and the deaths of demonstrators at previous rallies.
One of the protesters told RT: “We are just saying stop corruption in the government… We want to clean Kenya.”
On June 25, some demonstrators briefly stormed parliament, leading to police opening fire.
The government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) reported that at least 50 people have been killed so far in the general unrest, which has been going on for weeks.
According to the KNCHR, the protests have resulted in 413 injuries, 682 arbitrary detentions, and 59 abductions or disappearances.
Ruto, who had championed the Finance Bill as essential for securing IMF funding and preventing a debt default, said the government is now considering alternative measures, including budget cuts for his office.
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July 19, 2024 at 12:17AM
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