The software giant has accused its tech rival of waging a proxy campaign to discredit it in the eyes of regulators
US tech giant Microsoft has accused longtime rival Google of orchestrating “shadow campaigns” to discredit the firm’s cloud business among regulatory authorities and policymakers in the EU.
In a statement on Monday, Microsoft Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Rima Alaily alleged that Google had hired a firm to recruit European cloud companies as “astroturf” groups, which would secretly promote the search platform’s interests.
“It is designed to discredit Microsoft with competition authorities and policymakers, and [to] mislead the public,” the lawyer claimed. Alaily accused Google of covering up its involvement, funding, and control of the alleged scheme by attracting local cloud providers to “serve as the public face of the new organization.”
The executive added that the alleged campaign comes after Google was recently accused of attempting to derail an antitrust settlement between Microsoft and a group of EU-based cloud firms.
“In July, when CISPE [Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe] was on the verge of resolving its complaint against Microsoft, Google offered CISPE’s members a combination of cash and credits amounting to an eye-popping $500 million to reject the settlement and continue pursuing litigation,” Alaily stated.
Earlier this year, reports claimed that Google had offered CISPE €14 million ($15.3 million) in cash and €455 million ($497.5 million) in software licenses to continue its antitrust probe with the EU into Microsoft. Ultimately, CISPE and Microsoft agreed to settle for close to $22 million.
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Alaily alleged that Google’s tactics “go beyond creating astroturf lobbying organizations,” adding that the tech major is “turning its vast resources towards tearing down others” instead of “addressing legitimate questions” about its own business. She stated that Google faces at least 24 antitrust investigations globally, stressing that the company’s search, digital advertising, and mobile app store monopolies haven’t been under such intense scrutiny in the past two decades.
In 2016, after a decade of legal fights related to patent issues, Google and Microsoft agreed to forge a non-aggression pact in an effort to reset their acrimonious relationship. The companies did not extend the six-year agreement after it expired in 2021. They have since repeatedly accused each other of unfair competition.
Last year, Google Cloud accused Microsoft of anti-competitive cloud computing practices, having criticized imminent deals with several cloud vendors in the EU. Google Vice President Amit Zavery urged local antitrust regulators to investigate the issue.
The fast-growing cloud computing business has drawn close regulatory scrutiny in the US and beyond in recent years, Reuters has noted, adding that greater attention is related to the dominance of a few players and the increasingly critical role of cloud services in the corporate sector.
A delegation is in Moscow for discussions with Russian military officials on the countries’ strategic partnership
A South African delegation led by the commander of its National Defense Force, General Rudzani Maphwanya, held meetings with Russian defense officials in Moscow on Monday with the aim of bolstering bilateral military relations, according to the press service of the Russian Defense Ministry.
The visit began with a ceremonial wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Aleksandr Garden, led by General Oleg Salyukov, who commands the Russian Ground Forces.
The official talks took place at Russia’s Main Directorate for International Military Cooperation, where the delegations discussed strategic military partnerships.
“For Russia, cooperation with African partners is strategic and long-term, which provides for friendly, equal relations,” Salyukov said.
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The two parties agreed on measures to strengthen military cooperation in various spheres. According to the ministry, the South African delegation will visit the military training institutions of the Ground Forces, the Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, historical sights, and museums in and around Moscow.
Last year, Russia and South Africa initiated projects focused on joint development and production of military equipment, according to the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation. This collaboration included establishing a service center for the repair of helicopters from Russia.
During the Army-2024 forum in August, Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov met with officials from Burkina Faso and Niger to discuss defense partnerships. The meeting addressed broader security cooperation, particularly with an eye toward enhancing stability in Central Africa.
Sheikh Naim Qassem has reportedly replaced deceased leader Hassan Nasrallah
Hezbollah has announced that it appointed Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem as its leader, according to media reports. Both Al Jazeera and Al-Arabiya reported on the appointment on Tuesday, citing a statement from Hezbollah.
This follows the recent killings of the Lebanese movement’s previous leader and a potential successor in Israeli strikes.
Qassem, a longtime deputy to the deceased Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, has served as the militant group’s acting leader since Nasrallah’s death, Al-Arabiya noted. The group said Qassem was selected due to his “adherence to the principles and goals of Hezbollah,” Al Jazeera wrote.
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The 71-year-old Qassem has often been referred to as Hezbollah’s ‘number two’, the outlet said, adding that he is one of the religious scholars who founded the group in the early 1980s. Earlier this month, Qassem stated that Hezbollah’s armed wing supports efforts to reach a ceasefire with Israel.
Israel and Hezbollah have sporadically exchanged fire since the Jewish state launched its military operation in Gaza in response to Hamas’ surprise attack against Israel on October 7 last year. Israel escalated its campaign against the Shiite militant group in September, launching Operation Northern Arrows to attack Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Foreign Ministry claimed that they “eliminated” nearly all of Hezbollah’s senior military leaders in recent airstrikes.
Cleric and politician Hassan Nasrallah, who served as the secretary-general of Hezbollah since 1992, was killed in an airstrike on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, late last month. A potential successor, Hashem Safieddine, was killed in Beirut shortly afterwards, according to the IDF. Qassem has reportedly resided in Tehran, Iran since early October, after moving there from Lebanon amid concerns over potential Israeli assassination attempts.
Several mercenaries eliminated during an incursion into Bryansk Region were apparently armed with anti-tank missiles and explosives
A sabotage group that attempted to infiltrate Russia’s Bryansk Region was heavily armed with Western-made weapons, according to footage shared by the Federal Security Service (FSB). The Russian agency earlier said that at least four foreign mercenaries fighting for Ukraine were killed in the unsuccessful attack.
On Monday, the FSB reported that border patrol and local armed forces had discovered an attempt by Kiev’s forces to cross the border in Klimovsk district, which borders Ukraine and Belarus. Faced with resistance and mounting casualties, the intruders were forced to retreat and were later targeted with artillery fire, officials said.
Four of the fighters killed were carrying foreign weapons and equipment, as well as personal items indicating links to “third countries,” such as a Canadian flag, a Polish prayer book, and a notepad containing tactics in English, the FSB said.
WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO
In a graphic follow-up video released on Tuesday, the agency showed three half-naked, tattoo-covered bodies of alleged mercenaries lying next to an arsenal of Western-made weapons, including what appeared to be more than a dozen Swedish-made AT4 portable anti-tank missile systems, Claymore anti-personnel mines, a light machine gun, grenades and explosive packages, as well as a large stockpile of small arms ammunition. The weapons were placed next to two large Canadian flags.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova earlier said that the fighters “neutralized” in Bryansk included US, Polish, and Canadian citizens. The Mash Telegram channel reported that the group consisted of up to 30 foreign fighters, including Polish, Swedish, Venezuelan, and UK nationals.
According to the FSB, the body of one of the fighters had a tattoo of an angel holding a rifle, with a banner reading ‘Ranger’ and ‘2d Bn’, apparently a reference to the 2nd Battalion of the US Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment. It is unclear whether the man actually served in the elite unit, which specializes in airborne assault, reconnaissance, and sabotage operations.
Russian officials have repeatedly called foreign mercenaries operating in the conflict zone a “legitimate target” for the military while accusing NATO of direct involvement in the hostilities.
Pretoria says its 750-page dossier contains proof that West Jerusalem has violated the genocide convention in Gaza
South Africa’s government says it has filed a dossier with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) containing “evidence” of Israel committing genocide in its conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
Pretoria submitted the over 750-page memorial document, as well as exhibits and annexes totaling over 4,000 pages, to the ICJ on Monday, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
It provides proof that the Israeli government “violated the genocide convention by promoting the destruction of Palestinians living in Gaza” and “physically killing them with an assortment of destructive weapons,” the ministry stated.
“The filing of this memorial takes place at a time when Israel is intensifying the killing of civilians in Gaza and now seems intent to follow a similar path of destruction in Lebanon,” it added.
South Africa filed a case with The Hague-based ICJ back in December, alleging that Israel’s offensive in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 surprise attack by Hamas against the Jewish state is “genocidal in character.” Israel declared war on Hamas after a series of raids by the Gaza-based militant group, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis. More than a year into the hostilities, over 42,000 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 97,000 wounded in operations by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), according to the enclave’s health officials.
In its interim rulings, the top UN court ordered Israel to take all necessary steps to prevent any acts that could be considered war crimes. In July, the ICJ declared West Jerusalem’s occupation of Palestinian territory, including Gaza and the West Bank, as unlawful.
The IDF has since intensified its attacks on civilians in Gaza and their natural resources, according to independent human rights experts cited by the UN. Around 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million has been displaced, UN estimates show.
The IDF has dismissed allegations of committing war crimes, arguing that Hamas is using Palestinian civilians as human shields.
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South Africa, a longstanding supporter of Palestinian independence, accuses Israel of disregarding the court’s orders and aiming to “depopulate Gaza through mass death and forced displacement.”
“The Palestinian struggle against imperialism, Israeli Apartheid and settler colonialism is the daily reality of the Palestinian people. Since 1948, they have faced various forms of colonisation, often backed by historical colonial powers,” Africa’s most advanced economy stated on Monday.
Pretoria has stated that its legal action against the Israeli government is “primarily to stop a genocide in Palestine peacefully, through holding Israel accountable in the institutions set up for this very purpose by the United Nations.”
Several countries, including Bolivia, Chile, Columbia, Palestine, Türkiye, Spain, and Mexico, have all filed to join South Africa’s case against the Israeli government.
Democrats have compared a Republican event at Madison Square Garden to a pro-Hitler rally in 1939
US Republican candidate Donald Trump has lashed out at Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign for comparing an event he held in New York's Madison Square Garden last week with a rally of Nazi supporters at the same venue in 1939 at which speakers praised Hitler's Germany.
At the recent Trump event, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe compared Puerto Rico to a “floating island of garbage,” triggering a wave of rebuke from across the political spectrum. A senior advisor for the Republican campaign told the press that “this joke does not reflect the views of President Trump” and his team.
Harris' running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz jumped on the gaffe, telling a rally in Henderson, Nevada of a “direct parallel to a big rally that happened in the mid-1930s at Madison Square Garden.”
Trump responded by telling a crowd of backers in Atlanta, Georgia: “The newest line from Kamala and her campaign is that everyone who isn’t voting for her is a Nazi. We’re Nazis.”
“I’m not a Nazi. I’m the opposite of a Nazi,” he stated.
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Trump explained that his father taught him to never use either “Nazi” or “Hitler” as a slur. Both words, among many other insults, have been hurled his way, he said.
“They call me everything from a mad genius looking to take over the world to a very very stupid person,” according to Trump.
While proclamations that Trump is a new Hitler who seeks to abolish democracy are nothing new, such language was only recently adopted by the Harris campaign. The vice president publicly called her rival a “fascist” last week, citing the opinion of retired General John Kelly, who served as the chief of staff in the Trump administration.
Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, meanwhile, said at the same rally that “I imagine that nearly every person in this room has a relative who served in the Second World War. Our families actually went and defeated the Nazis. To call us Nazis is a disgrace.”
Vance claimed that the US soldiers who took part in the Normandy landings in June 1944 would have been offended by the policies proposed by the Democratic campaign.
“If you think those brave men were fighting for an open border and sex change surgeries for illegal aliens, the proper term for you is ‘dips**t’,” he declared.
American voters will go to the polls to choose the next president on November 5.
Former US commanders should reflect on their own conduct instead of attacking the Republican presidential nominee, Lindsey Graham has said
US Senator Lindsey Graham has hit out at several retired American generals and former government officials, after they reportedly described Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump as a “fascist” and a threat to the country.
During an appearance on ABC’s ‘This Week’ on Sunday, Graham accused former US commanders John Kelly, Mark Milley, and Jim Mattis of campaigning for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
Trump was “was a strong leader on the things that matter the most” during his presidency from 2017 to 2021, the senator for South Carolina insisted. “Whether you like him or not, that is up to you. He is not a fascist. He is not Hitler. And that shows you how desperate this [Democratic] campaign is,” Graham stated.
“And let me say one thing to these generals: I admire you, I respect you, but for 20 years, you were given, and others, billions of dollars to train the Iraqi and the Afghan army, and they folded like a cheap suit. How about a little self-reflection about the job you did before you criticize others?” the Republican senator added.
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In 2014, the Iraqi military was unable to prevent an offensive by Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), with militants taking control of large areas in the west and north of the country, including the cities of Mosul and Tikrit. It took the government in Baghdad several years to win back the territories with the help of the US-led coalition.
In Afghanistan, the local army was crushed by Taliban fighters within months in 2021 as the US military announced its withdrawal from the country after a two-decade intervention.
Earlier this month, retired US Marine Corps General John Kelly, who served as the White House chief of staff in the Trump administration, claimed that during his time in office the 78-year-old had praised Adolf Hitler in private and said “more than once” that the Nazi German leader “did some good things.”
According to an upcoming book by Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward, retired General Mark Milley, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, described Trump as “fascist to the core” and “the most dangerous person to this country.” Woodward also said that retired general and former Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis agreed with Milley’s assessment of the Republican presidential nominee.
Based on those claims, Harris accused Trump last week of being “a fascist,” a would-be dictator and an admirer of authoritarian figures. The former president denied the accusations and insisted that his opponent was “increasingly raising her rhetoric” because she “sees that she is losing, and losing badly” in the race for the White House.
USA Today has said it will not officially support either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump for president
USA Today has become the third major American outlet to announce it will neither endorse Kamala Harris nor Donald Trump for president, as the November 5 election approaches. In 2020, the paper endorsed the current leader, Democrat Joe Biden.
The paper will instead focus on providing “readers with the facts that matter and the trusted information they need to make informed decisions,” a spokesman told the Daily Beast on Monday.
In 2020, USA Today – which has around 130,000 print subscribers and millions more online – endorsed Biden over then-President Donald Trump, arguing that the Democrat offered “a shaken nation a harbor of calm and competence” and is “well positioned to repair the wreckage” that Trump allegedly made of the government during his tenure.
In refusing to take a side this year, USA Today followed the example of the Washington Post and the LA Times. The Post – which has endorsed candidates for nearly 40 years and famously introduced the slogan ‘Democracy Dies in Darkness’ after Trump’s election in 2016 – argued that the move was due to a desire to “return to our roots.”
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The newspaper’s owner, billionaire Jeff Bezos, called the decision “principled,” arguing that “presidential endorsements do nothing to tip the scales of an election” but rather “create a perception of bias.”
The owner of the LA Times, Patrick Soon-Shiong, refused the editorial board’s proposal to back Democratic Party candidate Harris, saying the decision to not make a recommendation would be less divisive in a tumultuous election year. This prompted the resignation of three members of the editorial board.
The New York Times, however, which endorsed Biden in 2020 and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016, stood its ground. In September, its editorial board endorsed Harris, calling her “the only patriotic choice for president,” while arguing that Trump “is not fit to be president.”
Some 10,000 troops have arrived for training and potential battlefield deployment, the Pentagon has claimed
North Korea has sent some 10,000 troops to Russia for training and potential deployment against Ukrainian forces, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh claimed on Monday.
Citing an assessment by the US Defense Department, Singh told journalists that “a portion of those soldiers have already moved closer to Ukraine.” The US is concerned that the troops would be used “in combat or to support combat operations against Ukrainian forces” in Russia’s Kursk Region, the official added.
Kiev launched an incursion into internationally-recognized Russian territory in August. White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said last week that North Korean soldiers will be considered “legitimate military targets” if they “decide to join the fight against Ukraine.” Singh replied that Kirby’s statement “still stands” when she was asked whether the Pentagon would consider the troops “fair game,” should they remain on Russian soil.
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The Pentagon perceives the development as a sign of “increasing desperation” in Russian President Vladimir Putin and an indication that he “may be in more trouble than people realize.”
The Russian leader has neither confirmed nor denied claims from Ukraine and its backers about the arrival of North Korean troops. When asked last week about the claims, he noted that Moscow and Pyongyang had signed a bilateral treaty which provides for military cooperation.
Whether this cooperation would entail more than joint drills and training is up to Russia and North Korea and no one else, Putin stressed in an interview.
“This is our business, just like we are always being told that it is Ukraine’s business how it ensures its national security, with NATO or without it,” he said.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte claimed on Monday that North Korean troops have already been deployed in Kursk Region.
“The deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea is a threat to both the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security,” Rutte said after a meeting with South Korean intelligence and military officials in Brussels. He added that NATO remains committed to supporting Ukraine against Russia.
Ukrainian forces are currently being pushed back in multiple parts of the front line, including in Kursk Region. Putin said last week that Russian troops have gained valuable experience in modern warfare, particularly the mass deployment of drones, in which innovations are sometimes made directly on the battlefield.
Moscow considers the Ukraine conflict to be a US-led proxy war against Russia, for which Kiev provides ‘cannon fodder’.
Eight people are in critical condition after tragedy struck a festival in southern Kerala
More than 150 people were injured, including eight seriously, in a fireworks accident during a temple festival in the southern Indian state of Kerala, PTI news agency has reported, citing police. According to local media, 97 people were admitted to the hospital, with eight suffering 80% burns.
The accident occurred during the annual Moolamkuzhi Chamundi Theyyam festival in Nileshwar, Kasaragod district. The rituals are known to include lit torches made from dried coconut leaves.
Eyewitnesses reported that the incident took place around midnight during a fireworks display when a firecracker struck a building storing explosives.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the area where the firework was set off and the storage room were just a few meters apart, though regulations require a minimum distance of 100 meters, according to the local authorities and Manorama News.
Police have taken the temple’s president and secretary into custody in connection with the incident. Reports indicate that the fireworks display was conducted without a permit, and the celebrations at the temple have been suspended.
VIDEO | Kerala: Over 150 people were injured, including eight seriously, in a fireworks accident during a temple festival near Neeleswaram, #Kasargod, late on Monday. The injured have been taken to various hospitals in Kasargod, Kannur, and Mangaluru.#KeralaNews#Kerala… pic.twitter.com/jGcrSxi31i
In an unrelated incident in Hyderabad, a wholesale firecracker shop caught fire on Sunday, triggering panic among shoppers. The chaos was captured in a viral video circulating on social media.
These incidents occurred just days before Diwali, known as the festival of lights, one of the biggest Hindu festivals in India and other South Asian countries. Homes, businesses, and public spaces are decorated with lamps and fireworks displays take place. The custom of setting off firecrackers has increasingly become a topic of debate due to rising pollution levels, particularly in the northern regions of the country.
Backing specific candidates reinforces a sense of bias in the media, the newspaper owner has claimed
The Washington Post has abandoned its decades-long tradition of endorsing a US presidential candidate to earn back the trust of the American public, the newspaper’s owner, Jeff Bezos, has said. The billionaire explained his reasoning in an op-ed published by the Post on Monday after facing a backlash from current and former staff.
The newspaper had endorsed candidates since 1976, but announced the suspension of the practice on Friday, prompting several editors to resign. The Post’s editorial board endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020. According to CNN, the newspaper’s staffers had drafted an endorsement of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris ahead of the election next month, but it was ultimately not approved by the management.
Bezos began his op-ed by citing a recent Gallup poll, which found that nearly 70% of Americans have little or no trust in the media. “Our profession is now the least trusted of all. Something we are doing is clearly not working,” the entrepreneur wrote, adding that “most people believe the media is biased.”
“Presidential endorsements do nothing to tip the scales of an election,” he continued. “What presidential endorsements actually do is create a perception of bias. A perception of non-independence. Ending them is a principled decision, and it’s the right one.”
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The founder of Amazon and aerospace manufacturer Blue Origin admitted that the decision to drop endorsements so close to Election Day on November 5 was the result of “inadequate planning.” At the same time, he insisted that neither campaign had affected his decision-making, and that the move to abandon endorsements was not connected to last week’s meeting between Republican candidate Donald Trump and top Blue Origin executives in Austin, Texas.
A total of 21 of the Post’s opinion columnists signed a statement describing the non-endorsement as “a terrible mistake.” They argued that “this isn’t the right moment, when one candidate is advocating positions that directly threaten freedom of the press and the values of the Constitution.”
Three of the newspaper’s ten-person editorial board have since stepped down. More than 200,000 people – or about 8% of the Post’s paid subscribers – had canceled their digital subscription by midday on Monday, according to NPR. The decision to end endorsements was criticized by many prominent journalists, including the Post’s former longtime executive editor Marty Baron.
Last month, Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong announced that the newspaper would also not be making presidential endorsements. The move faced a similar backlash, with editorials editor Mariel Garza resigning in protest.
Throughout his campaign, Trump has blasted “the lying media” for what he said was a long history of unfair coverage of him and his time in office. The Harris campaign and allies have similarly accused pro-Trump media outlets of amplifying “disinformation.”
The network has been accused of violating “local laws”
RT’s Russian-language Telegram channel has apparently been blocked in Ukraine as users reported problems accessing it on Monday.
The channel can no longer be accessed from Ukraine due to “violation of local laws,” according to a notice displayed on the platform. Telegram did not specify which terms of service have been violated.
Some users from Ukraine later said they were still able to access the channel as of Monday afternoon.
The Special_Authors channel, which reposts content produced by RT, has also apparently been blocked.
In the early hours of Tuesday, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported that people in the Czech Republic were also experiencing difficulties reading the RT Russian and Special_Authors channels, with the same notice from Telegram that the content had broken local laws.
Kiev and the EU have banned multiple Russian media outlets, including RT and Sputnik, since 2022, citing the Ukraine conflict and accusing the Kremlin of using the media for “disinformation.”
In September, US tech giant Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, banned several Russian networks, including RT, from its platforms. The move came after Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the outlet as a “de facto arm of [Russian] intelligence.
Russia has accused Western governments of censorship and attempts to silence dissenting voices. Moscow responded to the sanctions by banning a number of Western media outlets, including state-funded broadcasters the BBC and Voice of America.
The move is aimed at drumming up support for the US presidential candidate among younger voters
The campaign team for US Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris launched a custom map for the popular video game Fortnite on Monday, in an apparent bid to reach out to a younger audience.
The map, called ‘Freedom Town, USA’, loosely resembles New York City with the Statue of Liberty overlooking clusters of skyscrapers in the middle of an ocean. The location is filled with Harris slogans and decorations in the colors of the US flag.
“Squad up, go vote,” the Harris campaign said on X on Saturday while unveiling the map, with the tagline “fight for freedom” and a song by rapper Megan Thee Stallion, who performed at a Harris rally in Atlanta in August.
The map also references Vice President Harris’ campaign pledges, such as tax breaks for small businesses and affordable housing. The move comes amid a broader effort by the Harris campaign to reach out to gamers and younger voters in general.
Other steps involved the ‘Geeks and Nerds for Harris Walz’ fundraiser, during which Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, played Madden NFL and Crazy Taxi with Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The campaign has also placed advertisements in mobile games, sports betting platforms, and on YouTube.
With just a week left before Election Day, Harris and her Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, have been collecting celebrity endorsements. Tech billionaire Elon Musk began speaking at Trump events last month, while pop star Beyonce endorsed Harris at a rally on Friday in Houston.
Right now, the post-Soviet state is on a lot of people’s minds. The pro-Western opposition is trying to repeat an old trick
Attempts are being made to overturn the outcome of this weekend’s election by protesting and provoking the use of violence. There are two conditions for the success of such tactics. But it is doubtful whether they are feasible in Georgia.
Some very interesting things are beginning to happen in Tbilisi. The situation is familiar from the times of the erstwhile ‘color revolutions’ of years past. The ruling party declares victory in the elections, the opposition, relying on the moral and political (at the very least) support of the West, doesn’t recognize the results. Then, attempts are made to overturn the outcome through protests and the provocation of the use of force.
There are two conditions for the success of these tactics. The first is the active efforts of an external patron who exerts pressure on the authorities in various ways. The second is the perception by those in power that this patron is so important that it’s dangerous and unacceptable to significantly complicate relations with them. In short, it depends on the willingness of outside forces to get seriously involved and a feeling in the ruling circles that they can only resist up to a certain point and then will have to back down. Of course, this is an oversimplification, but nowadays, in general, there is no honor in complexity, everyone prefers a straightforward prescription.
It’s doubtful whether these two conditions can be met in Georgia.
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The EU and US have been critical of the governing Georgian Dream party and have shown deep disappointment with its political direction. Symbolic measures such as declaratory sanctions and the suspension of the EU accession process (which wasn’t actually underway to begin with) have been taken. In the Euro-Atlantic media environment, the Georgian conflict is described in terms of ‘pro-Russian vs. pro-Western’, which reflects a perception exclusively through the prism of geopolitical rivalry (of course, nobody cares about the domestic state of affairs in Georgia). In principle, the conditions are ripe for a storm to break out.
But it is generally clear that Western Europe and the US now have more important things to do, to put it mildly. There is no real excitement, as there was in the 1990s and early 2000s in relation to various countries – in the post-Soviet space and beyond. The inspiration to transform the world by exporting a set of techniques and attitudes has run out, and without inspiration, these complex things do not work.
As far as the Georgian government’s position is concerned, there is no awe-inspiring fear of its senior partners that would force it to rein in its own instincts and intentions. Tbilisi’s post-2022 policy towards the West is not only independent, but in some respects quite daring. Billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili and his associates seem to understand that the West has not only different priorities, but also somewhat different options.
Georgian Dream is sure that the majority of the population, which is not as vocal as the pro-Western opposition supporters, really supports it. In Georgia, unlike in some other countries of the former USSR, there is political competition, although of course, like everywhere else, the authorities always have a head start.
The bottom line is that an attempt at a forceful revision is possible, especially since the the incumbent president is still part of the opposition. However, the conditions for success are not very favorable. In life, though, as they used to say in the USSR, there is always room for a miracle.
This article was first published by Vzglyad newspaper and was translated and edited by the RT team.
The ex-Soviet country should not stray from Euro-Atlantic integration, the State Department has warned
The US has threatened Georgia with “consequences,” after the country's pro-NATO political opposition accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of rigging Saturday’s parliamentary election.
According to the official tally, the Georgian Dream party received almost 54% of the vote, while various opposition parties received 3% to 11%. The victory is expected to give the Georgian Dream at least 90 seats in the 150-member national parliament, allowing it form the Caucasian country's next government.
Four pro-Western opposition parties have refused to recognize the results and said they would not be taking part in the work of the new legislature. Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, a former French ambassador to Georgia who acquired citizenship in 2004, refused to recognize the results either and called for protests. A large demonstration was held outside the parliament building in Tbilisi on Monday evening.
Despite Zourabichvili calling the election a “total fraud,” the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) reported that it observed no systemic voting irregularities. It did, however, claim to have observed incidents of vote-buying and pressure on public sector employees, but praised the diversity of choices on the ballot.
At a press conference on Monday, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the election was held in an “environment shaped by the ruling party’s policies including misuse of public resources, vote buying and voter intimidation.”
“We encourage Georgia’s governing officials to consider the relationship they want with the Euro-Atlantic community rather than strengthening policies that are praised by authoritarians,” Miller added.
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“We do not rule out further consequences if the Georgian government’s direction does not change,” he said, urging Tbilisi to start “withdrawing and repealing anti-democratic legislation.”
Earlier on Monday, 13 EU member states issued a statement expressing “deep concern about the current situation in Georgia” and demanding “an impartial inquiry of complaints and remedy of the violations established.”
Western governments have accused Georgia of democratic backsliding and warned that its recent policies could hamper the country’s aspirations to join the EU. In 2024, the Georgian Parliament approved laws that allow NGOs to be labeled ‘foreign agents’ and ban LGBTQ ‘propaganda’ to minors, both of which sparked protests.
The Georgian government has insisted that it would ultimately like to join the EU, but on its own terms. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze argued that the laws were designed to ensure Georgia’s sovereignty and the interests of the people.
“The opposition cannot get over their defeat in the election,” Kobakhidze said on Saturday, accusing his opponents of undermining the law. “No one can undermine the constitutional system of our country,” he added.
The Knesset has overwhelmingly approved two bills against the UNRWA, which is accused of aiding Hamas
The Israeli parliament has adopted two bills blocking the work of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which helps Palestinian refugees in the West Bank and Gaza.
The UNRWA was established in 1949, to deal with Palestinian refugees after the creation of the state of Israel and the ensuing Arab-Israeli war. West Jerusalem has accused it of aiding and abetting Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups.
Members of the Knesset voted 92-10 in favor of the bill declaring that UNRWA will no longer “operate any institution, provide any service, or conduct any activity, whether directly or indirectly” in Israel.
“UNRWA long ago ceased to be a humanitarian aid agency, but in addition to it being an integral supporter of terror and hate, is an agency to eternalize poverty and suffering,” Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman MK Yuli Edelstein said ahead of the vote on Monday. He also cited Israeli claims that UNRWA employees had participated in the October 7 Hamas attack.
The UN fired nine UNRWA employees in August, after suspicions emerged that they might have been involved in the Hamas incursion last year. Another ten employees were cleared of any wrongdoing.
After the bill passed, Edelstein called it “historic” and said it amounted to “elimination of one of the arms of terror that acted under UN auspices.”
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The bill technically applies only to the eastern part of Jerusalem, which Israel claims as its sovereign territory. That is why the Knesset adopted a second bill, with a vote of 87-9, that canceled the 1967 treaty between Israel and UNRWA that allowed the agency to operate on Israeli-controlled territory. The second bill bars all Israeli government agencies or representatives from contacting UNRWA beginning 90 days from passage.
Israel’s Jerusalem Ministry will take over UNRWA’s responsibilities in East Jerusalem, using “independently funded” agencies that will not be a budgetary burden, MK Dan Illouz of the ruling Likud told reporters. According to Illouz, the Israeli government is developing plans to provide an “educational framework” for children and “an alternative health framework” to everyone, which are currently classified.
All of the Arab members of the Knesset, as well as the opposition Democrats Party, voted against the bill. MK Ahmad Tibi, of the Hadash-Ta’al party, pointed out that some 90,000 UNRWA workers provide services to Palestinian refugees and that it should be shut down only when an independent Palestinian state is formed.
Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and the UK had urged Israel not to outlaw the UNRWA, expressing “grave concern” with the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Washington has also informed Israel that not providing aid to the Palestinians could bring into question some of the US military aid to Israel.
Hezbollah’s targeting of Benjamin Netanyahu’s home warrants a separate response, Israeli ministers have reportedly been told
Israeli ministers have been “clearly told” to expect a second wave of strikes on Iran, the Hebrew-language Channel 13 network has reported, noting that these strikes would be carried out in revenge for Hezbollah’s drone attack on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out airstrikes on what it termed “military targets” in Iran on Saturday. The strikes, which appeared to focus on missile manufacturing facilities and air defense batteries, were conducted nearly a month after Iran fired around 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, hitting two air bases.
In a discussion on Sunday, Netanyahu’s cabinet ministers were reportedly told that a separate attack could be carried out, this time in response to Hezbollah’s targeting of the Israeli PM’s house with an explosives-laden drone less than two weeks ago.
”The ministers at the cabinet discussion were clearly told that the Israeli attack on Iran did not include the response to the sending of the UAV and that another response is expected,” Channel 13 reported, without revealing its sources. The network did not clarify who exactly told the ministers to expect more strikes.
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Hezbollah announced last week that it took “complete and exclusive responsibility” for attacking Netanyahu’s residence in the coastal town of Caesarea the previous weekend. Tehran provides political – and, according to Israel, financial and military – support to Hezbollah, and West Jerusalem considers the Lebanese paramilitary group to be an Iranian proxy force.
Netanyahu, who was not at the property at the time of the attack, said afterwards that “Iran and its proxies” will “pay a heavy price.”
It is still unclear how Iran will respond to Saturday’s strikes. In a speech on Sunday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that the impact of the Israeli attack “should neither be exaggerated nor downplayed,” and that Iran’s “response will be determined by senior officials, in a manner that best serves the interest of the people.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei, however, warned that Tehran would use “all available tools” to “deliver a definite and effective response to the Zionist regime.”
The US State Department has described the Israeli airstrikes as “proportionate,” and urged Tehran not to respond.
The man coordinated “high precision” strikes to minimize damage to civilian buildings, the authorities in Donetsk have said
A US national has been rescued in an operation conducted jointly by Russian security forces and troops in southern Donbass, the Territorial Defense HQ of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) said in a statement on Telegram on Sunday. The man helped Russia’s military efforts throughout the conflict with Ukraine, the statement added.
The DPR Territorial Defense HQ did not provide details of the operation, but said the military “extracted a valuable operative information source.” The individual “played a key role” in an operation that liberated the village of Bogoyavlenka near the Donbass town of Ugledar, which Kiev had turned into a major stronghold. The town was eventually captured by Russia earlier in October.
The military also published several photos of a man dressed in civilian clothing standing with a group of soldiers with assault rifles and protective gear and camouflage. The faces of the men in the photos are blurred. The man in civilian clothes is seen standing next to one of the soldiers.
The statement did not reveal the American’s real name, but said he had helped Russia for two years while living in Ukraine. He “provided valuable intelligence data that allowed [Russia] to launch high precision strikes against the enemy that minimize the damage to civilians and civilian infrastructure,” it added.
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Now, his life is “out of danger,” the DPR Territorial Defense HQ said, adding that the Russian authorities are currently considering granting the American political asylum in Russia, as well as Russian citizenship.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin granted citizenship to more than a dozen foreign nationals, including a man dubbed by the Russian media “the first US political refugee.” John Anthony Robles arrived in Russia in 1996 and was granted refugee status. According to Robles himself, he was persecuted in the US because of his staunch opposition to “imperialism,” and for his sympathy towards communist ideology.
Russian forces have been steadily advancing in Donbass and other parts of the front line since the start of the year, capturing dozens of populated areas, including the strategic town of Avdeevka in February and Ugledar in October. Territory under Ukrainian control in Russia’s Kursk Region, where Kiev troops launched an incursion in early August, has also been shrinking in recent weeks.
Russell ‘Texas’ Bentley had worked as a ‘stringer’ for Sputnik news agency
A criminal case on the murder in Donbass of American Russell ‘Texas’ Bentley has been brought before a court of justice, Russia’s Investigative Committee announced on Monday.
Russian authorities have accused four members of the Donetsk People’s Republic militia of kidnapping and killing 63-year-old Bentley earlier this year.
Texas-born Bentley joined the DPR militia in 2014, when Kiev-backed forces attempted to quell an uprising against the armed coup that had overthrown the Ukrainian government in the capital. He later became a Russian citizen and worked as a stringer for Sputnik news agency. He disappeared on April 8 in Donetsk, during a Ukrainian artillery attack.
According to a statement on the committee’s website, servicemen Vitaly Vasnyatsky, Vladislav Agaltsev, Vladimir Bazhin and Andrey Iordanov – all members of the ‘Oplot’ brigade of the Russian armed forces, formerly the DPR militia – have been charged with criminal offenses, including violence and torture resulting in the death of a person, and with covering up a serious crime.
“Depending on the role of each, they are accused of committing by a group of persons of acts clearly beyond their authority, using physical violence and torture, which resulted in the death of journalist Russell Bentley through negligence, as well as concealing a particularly serious crime by moving his remains to another location,” the committee stated.
The defendants have been briefed with the materials of the criminal case. “On October 28, 2024, the indictment was approved,” the committee said, adding that the case was sent to the Donetsk Garrison Military Court for consideration of its merits.
According to the investigation, Vasnyatsky, Agaltsev and Iordanov assaulted Bentley on April 8. The torture they subjected him to inadvertently killed him, whereupon Vasnyatsky and Agaltsev used a block of TNT to blow up a VAZ 2115 car with Bentley’s body inside. The following day, Vasnyatsky ordered Bazhin to cover up the crime by moving Bentley’s remains elsewhere.
Bentley’s widow Lyudmila first raised the alarm about her husband’s disappearance, appealing for help from Russian President Vladimir Putin. She also sought assistance from RT and Sputnik.
On April 19, RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan confirmed Bentley’s death. The Investigative Committee launched its investigation shortly thereafter.
Reports have raised fears of a Kiev-style ‘color revolution’ in Tbilisi
Snipers trained in Ukraine have arrived in Tbilisi, possibly to create a false-flag incident that would justify a coup by the opposition protesting the recent election results, a security source has told the TASS news agency.
Preliminary results of Georgia's parliamentary elections held on Saturday showed the ruling Georgian Dream winning over 54% of the vote. Four pro-Western opposition parties have refused to accept the results, claiming the election was somehow “stolen.”
“According to informed official sources, the Westerners, in their attempts to destabilize the internal political situation in Georgia after the October 26 elections and provoke another ‘color revolution’, will stop at nothing,” TASS reported. “Snipers trained in Ukraine have arrived in the republic to organize provocations during mass protests.”
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has accused the ruling party of attempting to “steal” the country’s “European future” and seeking to align with Russia. Such was also the claim of Ukrainian nationalists who launched protests in Kiev in late 2013.
At the height of the protests in the capital dozens of protesters were killed and wounded by gunfire. Nationalists and their Western backers claimed that “government snipers” opened fire on unarmed demonstrators. The incident served as a pretext to forcibly depose the legitimately elected president of Ukraine and declare a new, Western-backed government.
Georgian Dream officials have warned that the opposition intends to foment civil unrest akin to the ‘color revolution’ in Ukraine in 2014. Moscow has said that the current hostilities with Kiev are partly the result of that insurrection a decade ago.
A unit composed of Georgian nationalists, dubbed the “Georgian Legion,” has fought on the Ukrainian side of teh conflict with Russia and has been accused of multiple war crimes and violations of the laws of war.
Russia has rejected any accusations that it somehow influenced the Georgian election, noting that there has been overt interference from the West instead. Despite the opposition’s claims of voting fraud, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) reported that it observed no systemic irregularities.
Kiev’s envoy to Berlin has warned against working with parties that advocate a diplomatic solution with Russia
Ukraine’s ambassador to Berlin, Aleksey Makeev, has ordered major German political parties to avoid forming coalitions with the newly established Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW).
Led by the eponymous prominent left-wing figure Wagenknecht, the BSW is known for its advocacy of a negotiated solution to the Ukraine conflict and criticism of Berlin’s arms supplies to Kiev. Its rise has prompted concerns from Ukrainian officials about its potential impact on the future policy of its biggest EU donor.
“If politicians from democratic parties need support in dealing with the intolerable ultimatums of non-democratic actors, particularly in foreign policy matters, I am ready to share my own experience of negotiating with Russia,” Makeev said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The ambassador’s intervention comes after a document surfaced that appeared to outline a potential coalition between Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) and the BSW in Brandenburg. According to the text – published on social media by a journalist from the German state broadcaster ZDF – such a move would prioritize “peace and cooperation” and caution against the risks of escalation in Ukraine. It also warns that Berlin is in danger of being dragged into the conflict.
It is not immediately clear if the document is authentic.
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Makeev condemned the proposal as undermining German “solidarity” with Kiev, stating that BSW’s “populist slogans” threaten to sway public opinion in favor of reducing support for his government.
Brandenburg has – like much of the former East Germany – historically held a more skeptical stance toward Ukraine’s position on Russia, than the West of the country, which has long been heavily under American influence.
This is reflected in regional election results, where BSW placed third, attracting between 11.8% and 15.8% of votes in Brandenburg, Saxony and Thuringia. Voters in the former East Germany often feel disconnected from Western-led foreign policy, which they perceive as overly confrontational toward Russia. This sentiment makes BSW’s calls for diplomacy and restraint particularly appealing.
Wagenknecht, a former Die Linke member, has advocated for more diplomatic efforts to end the Ukraine conflict, including support for peace initiatives from China and Brazil. Last month, she criticized Berlin’s heavy focus on military aid, arguing that it worsens European security.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has dismissed such peace proposals as “destructive,” reflecting the clear ideological divide between BSW’s peace-first approach and Kiev’s preference for arms supplies.
Earlier this month, Makeev called on the SPD and on the biggest opposition party – the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) – not to “give in” to the BSW.
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“Anyone who adopts the slogans of the BSW will only lose themselves,” the diplomat told Stern magazine. Politicians from the “democratic” parties “must not allow populists at either the regional or the federal level to dissuade them from … solidarity with Ukraine,” he maintained. He also accused the BSW of “exploiting” the ongoing conflict for its narrow political goals.
Makeev’s predecessor, Andrey Melnik, similarly clashed with German leaders over the nation’s support for Ukraine, once famously labeling Scholz an “offended liverwurst.” Yet Makeev’s appeal underscores a new level of Ukrainian involvement in German internal affairs.
Both the SPD in Brandenburg and the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Saxony and Thuringia are weighing coalition options with BSW, sparking debate over whether these alliances could shift Germany’s foreign policy.
Kazakh leader Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was using an Aurus limousine during last week’s BRICS Summit in Kazan, according to media
The President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was driven around in a Russian-made Aurus Senat limousine during the BRICS Summit in Kazan last week and not in his Mercedes as expected, automobile website motor.ru has reported, citing sources.
Leaders from around the world gathered in the Russian city for the 16th BRICS Summit, which hosted more than 30 foreign delegations, with all the specialized transport arrangements such events involve.
According to the report, Tokayev’s Aurus Senat limousine was delivered straight from Kazakhstan, its license plates belonging to a series used by the Central Asian country’s state security service. Other world leaders at the international gathering were reportedly also driven in Aurus cars, however these were armored and provided by the so-called Special Purpose Garage of Russia’s Federal Protective Service (FSO).
Tokayev’s executive sedan had some distinguishing features, according to the report. There were no special communications antennas and no strobe lights near the front license plate. The vehicle also had original disc brakes, only recently been installed on Senat limousines.
Tokayev’s official state car has up to recently been an armored Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, motor.ru wrote, noting that the German sedan was also brought to Kazan as a reserve.
The website also wrote that there were no previous reports by the Kazakh government about the presence of a Russian Aurus in Tokayev’s official car park.
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Aurus is a line of luxury vehicles that was created in 2013 by order of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade with the aim of replacing the fleet of mostly foreign-made cars used by top Russian officials. Launched in 2021, the all-wheel-drive luxury sedan Aurus Senat is the presidential state car of Russia.
Aurus cars were originally intended as vehicles for state officials. However, it was later decided that the cars would be made available to the general public in both foreign and domestic markets. Last year, production was launched in the United Arab Emirates.
In 2022, media reported that the government of Turkmenistan bought an Aurus Senat as a state car.
In February, Vladimir Putin gifted an Aurus car to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. In May, he presented an Aurus Senat to Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa during a visit by the monarch to Moscow.
The tattoo connected the slain mercenary with an elite US Army unit
A member of a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group killed in Russia’s Bryansk Region had a prominent tattoo associated with the US Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment, according to a video released by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).
The fighter was among four killed in a cross-border raid on Bryansk on Sunday, the FSB said. When searched afterwards, they were found to be equipped with foreign weapons and gear, as well as personal items indicating that they belonged to “third countries,” such as a Canadian flag, a Polish prayer book, and a notepad with notes on tactics in English, the FSB added.
One of the dead men had a tattoo of an angel holding a rifle, with a banner reading ‘Ranger’ and ‘2d Bn’, apparently a reference to the 2nd Battalion of the US Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment. The tattoo, and the man’s American-made combat fatigues, were displayed in a video published by the FSB on Monday.
“According to law enforcement agencies, among the mercenaries neutralized in Bryansk Region are nationals of the US, Poland, and Canada,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters on Monday. “This is preliminary information that will be updated.”
Rangers are elite special forces troops trained in airborne assault operations, reconnaissance and sabotage behind enemy lines, search and rescue, airfield seizure, and the capture or assassination of high-value targets. Numerous Army units have borne the ‘Ranger’ designation throughout history, but only the three battalions of the 75th Ranger Regiment and a handful of National Guard units have done so since the end of the Vietnam War.
It is unclear whether the man killed in Bryansk was ever a member of the regiment. However, displaying the insignia or tattoos of a unit in which one never served is considered highly offensive in American military culture, and those who do so are accused of “stolen valor” by veterans.
The winged angel is not an official symbol of the 2nd Ranger Battalion or the 75th Ranger Regiment, but similar iconography is common in tattoos across all branches of the US military.
The US maintains that its military presence in Ukraine is limited to a small contingent of troops monitoring the delivery of Western military aid to the country. American special forces personnel also reportedly trained Ukraine’s neo-Nazi Azov Brigade in Poland last year, in defiance of a US State Department ban on aid to the unit.
Numerous American military veterans have died fighting in the Ukrainian military, including former special forces operatives. One of the most high-profile deaths was that of former US Army Green Beret Nicholas Maimer, who was killed in a Russian artillery barrage in Artyomovsk (formerly Bakhmut) last summer. Maimer’s body was displayed in a video released by the late founder of the Wagner private military company, Evgeny Prigozhin, who offered to “hand him over to the United States of America” for burial.
As of March, 1,113 American mercenaries had taken up arms for Ukraine, according to a tally released by the Russian Defense Ministry. At least 491 of these had been killed, the ministry stated.
Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga’s staff tried to evict an RT crew from a press conference in South Africa
Aides accompanying Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga on a tour of African countries have tried to get RT thrown out of a press conference in Pretoria, offending their South African hosts in the process.
Sibiga arrived in South Africa on Sunday, seeking to lobby the government there to favor Vladimir Zelensky’s “peace formula,” and to shift the BRICS member away from Russia. He and his aides then became upset by the presence of an RT microphone at the joint press conference with South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola.
“They tried to revoke RT’s press credentials and presence in this meeting,” RT’s Noluvuyo Kunge said on Monday. “Even now, after the meeting has come to an end, they keep checking if we’re still here. Not entirely sure what they’re trying to achieve.”
According to Kunge’s colleagues in Pretoria, Sibiga’s aides first tried to remove the RT microphone, only to be reminded by their South African hosts that they weren’t in their own country.
“We can’t chase them away,” the RT crew overheard one of the South African officials saying, reminding the Ukrainians that Pretoria has laws guaranteeing freedom of the press.
Eventually, the Ukrainian diplomats resorted to covering up the RT microphone with a pamphlet titled “Crimea is Ours.”
Sibiga embarked on a tour of the Middle East and Africa last week, visiting Oman, Angola and Egypt before landing in Pretoria. Ukraine has sought to cultivate a relationship with South Africa as the presiding country of the G20 in 2025 and to win the BRICS member over regarding its “peace formula” in the eventual negotiations to end the conflict with Russia.
The two neighbors have agreed to resolve their four-year-old dispute ahead of the BRICS Summit in Russia last week
Indian and Chinese military officials are set to complete implementing disengagement agreements reached at the highest levels earlier this month, defense sources have told India Today. They have indicated that the process is now in its final phase, as both sides reportedly dismantle temporary structures and fortifications built in the disputed areas of Depsang and Demchok in Eastern Ladakh in the four-and-a-half years since the troops clashed in 2020.
The two sides are scheduled to cross-verify the dismantling on Tuesday, a step necessary for the official acknowledgment of the disengagement, the report noted.
Last week, New Delhi and Beijing announced a breakthrough in border talks that have been ongoing since the deadly standoff in June 2020, which resulted in casualties on both sides. That clash was the deadliest of its kind since the 1962 war between the two Asian neighbors and marked a significant deterioration in China-India relations.
The Indian Foreign Ministry stated that the two sides have penned arrangements to patrol areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Patrolling is expected to resume by the end of the month, according to unnamed defense officials. The report also indicated that this agreement specifically pertains to these two friction points, while discussions continue regarding other disputed areas.
Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar noted on Sunday that the resumption of patrolling along the LAC should be viewed as a restoration of the arrangements that existed prior to the 2020 border standoff.
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The announcement about the breakthrough in border talks came on the eve of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia. Two days later, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held their first bilateral meeting in almost five years on the summit’s sidelines. During the meeting, Modi welcomed the “agreement for complete disengagement and the resolution of issues.”
Xi emphasized that the two sides should strengthen communication and cooperation, as well as properly manage differences and disagreements. He stated that both nations should “continue to uphold their important understandings,” asserting that “China and India are each other’s development opportunities rather than threats, and cooperative partners rather than competitors,” as communicated by Beijing.
Speaking in New York last month, Jaishankar remarked that “the India-China relationship is key to the future of Asia,” noting that the “parallel rises” of the two countries present a “very unique problem” in today’s global politics. “In a way, you can say that if the world is to be multi-polar, Asia has to be multi-polar. Therefore, this relationship will influence not just the future of Asia but perhaps the future of the world as well,” Jaishankar noted.
Earlier this year, he suggested that India should “welcome competition” and have “more confidence” in response to China’s growing influence in South Asia. New Delhi has been ramping up its military and strategic presence in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region while engaging with neighboring countries to counter Beijing’s rising influence in the area.
The country’s president and several opposition groups have refused to accept a resounding defeat in the parliamentary vote
Crowds of protesters have gathered in the center of Georgia’s capital Tbilisi, after the country’s pro-Western opposition parties declared they will reject the official results of parliamentary elections, alleging irregularities.
Preliminary results of Sunday’s votes showed the ruling Georgian Dream party got almost 54%, while no opposition party managed more than 11%.
President Salome Zourabichvili has denounced the election as illegitimate and called for protests in the streets to force the government to agree to a re-run.
French-born Zourabichvili has told Georgians that their votes have been “stolen” and accused Georgian Dream of attempting to “steal the future” of the country. She also claimed to have spoken with multiple foreign governments that are also refusing to recognize the election as legitimate.
Despite Zourabichvili calling the election a “total fraud,” the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) reported that it observed no systemic voting irregularities. It did, however, claim to have observed incidents of vote-buying and pressure on public sector employees, but praised the diversity of choices on the ballot.
The activist and filmmaker will likely be placed in solitary confinement for his own safety
A British judge has sentenced right-wing activist Tommy Robinson to 18 months in prison for publishing a documentary containing libelous claims about a Syrian refugee. Robinson claims that he was jailed for “speaking the truth.”
Back in 2018, Robinson claimed on social media that a Syrian student who was attacked at a Yorkshire secondary school had a lengthy record of attacking female students. He was sued for libel by the student and ordered to pay £100,000 ($128,500) in damages in 2021, and not to repeat the allegations against the student.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, repeatedly breached this order, arguing that he had evidence that the Syrian teen had previously received a police caution for assault. In the most high-profile breach of the order, Robinson played a documentary film containing these claims at a demonstration in London in July.
At a hearing in Woolwich Crown Court in London on Monday, Justice Johnson told Robinson that “in a democratic society underpinned by the rule of law, court orders must be obeyed.”
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“Nobody is above the law. Nobody can pick or choose which laws or which injunctions they obey, or which they do not,” he stated. “Even if they believe that an injunction is... contrary to their views they must comply with the injunction.”
Robinson’s lawyer, Sasha Wass, argued that Robinson felt compelled to broadcast the documentary, as he had uncovered proof that school employees had been paid to stay silent on the Syrian’s history of violent behavior. He “acted in the way that he did, and he accepts his culpability because he passionately believes in free speech, a free press, and an overwhelming desire to expose the truth,” she said.
Pleading for leniency, she argued that Robinson would have to be placed in solitary confinement for his own safety if jailed. Robinson has served several stints in solitary confinement before, and suffered from “symptoms of trauma, nightmares, [and] depression” as a result, she told the court, quoting from a medical report.
Robinson was handed an 18-month sentence, with the possibility of release after nine months, Justice Johnson ruled. At no point during the hearing was the factual accuracy of the documentary disputed by Johnson or government prosecutors.
In a statement released after the verdict was handed down, Robinson described himself as a “political prisoner.”
“If I have to sit in jail for speaking the truth; Well I am just one of many people now that this government is imprisoning for things they say,” he said, referring to the dozens of Britons jailed for posting inflammatory statements on social media during nationwide riots following the murder of three children by a British teenager of Rwandan descent in July.
One of these prisoners, a 61-year-old man jailed for almost three years for shouting racist remarks at police officers, died in prison last week, reportedly by suicide.
Thousands of people attended a protest march in support of Robinson in London on Saturday. Two people were arrested and another two were arrested at a left-wing counter-protest held nearby, the city’s Metropolitan Police stated.
The chancellor is not doing enough to help Kiev, Friedrich Merz of the CDU party has said
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is supposedly not doing enough to support Kiev in its ongoing conflict with Moscow because he’s afraid of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the head of the country’s biggest opposition party claimed in an interview aired on Sunday.
Scholz is “the only one standing in the way” of supplying Ukraine with more powerful weapons, including the long-range Taurus missiles, Friedrich Merz, who leads the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), told German broadcaster ARD.
Merz, who has long been an ardent supporter of more active assistance to Kiev and a tougher stance on Russia, maintained that providing Ukraine with Taurus would be a part of Germany’s “effective deterrence.”
Scholz has repeatedly argued that the use of such weapons by the Ukrainian military would require tighter control from Berlin and the presence of German specialists on the ground. He has also maintained that he would not allow the nation’s troops to become directly involved in the Ukraine conflict.
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On Sunday, Merz stated that “the delivery of Taurus would be anything but joining the conflict.” The politician then claimed that “deterrence has always been a threat” and it is a potential aggressor that “must be afraid of us.”
“If we in the West are afraid to defend ourselves, then Putin has already won this war against us all by half,” Merz argued. Scholz “is obviously afraid. And fear is a bad adviser,” he said, adding that this was not just “opinion but rather a conviction.” The politician is expected to be his party’s candidate for chancellor at next year’s federal elections and could be one of Scholz’s major rivals, if the incumbent leader also decides to run.
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Earlier in October, the German chancellor re-affirmed his position on Taurus missiles, saying that he did not “deem this the right supply.” He also said that Berlin was ready to negotiate peace in Ukraine with Moscow.
Germany is the second-biggest donor of military aid to Ukraine, totaling over €10 billion ($11.19 billion) from January 2022 to June 2024, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
Moscow has repeatedly warned that Western military aid to Kiev drags NATO ever closer to direct involvement in the conflict. This summer Vladimir Putin said that Western support for Ukrainian strikes deep into Russian territory would be a significant escalation, and one that could spark an “asymmetric” response.
Last month, the Russian president also ordered changes to the nation’s nuclear doctrine that would allow a nuclear response in case of a conventional attack by a non-nuclear state that is backed by a nuclear state.
The carmaker also plans to shut down at least three factories in Germany in a bid to lower costs, according to its Works Council head
Volkswagen is looking to significantly reduce its workforce in Germany and shut down several factories in the country, amid a major overhaul aimed at lowering costs and increasing return on sales, the head of the carmaker’s Works Council has announced.
Daniela Cavallo explained to employees in Wolfsburg on Monday that Volkswagen management is “absolutely serious” about the plans and that the move is “not saber-rattling in the collective bargaining round,” Reuters reported.
Throughout its almost 90-year history, the carmaker has never closed a plant in its home country. The last time it shut down any of its facilities was in 1988 in the US.
“It is a firm intention to let the locations’ regions bleed dry and the clear intention to send tens of thousands of Volkswagen employees into mass unemployment,” Cavallo said.
Her comments come as the automotive giant has been negotiating for several weeks with unions over plans to overhaul its business in order to remain competitive in light of weaker demand from China and Europe.
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She did not specify which of the ten Volkswagen plants operating in Germany would be shut down or exactly how many of its roughly 300,000 workers in the country would be laid off, but noted that all remaining facilities would be affected by the changes and that “none of them are safe.” Cavallo also stated that Volkswagen management is demanding a 10% pay cut and no pay raises for the next two years.
Cavallo stressed, however, that the German government must urgently come up with a plan to ensure that the country’s economy does not “go down the drain.” She noted that Volkswagen and other European companies are in agreement as to the nature of the problems they are facing, such as slower-than-expected electric transition as well as fierce competition from Chinese automotive brands entering Europe.
“We are not far apart when it comes to analyzing the problems. But we are miles apart on the answers to them,” Cavallo said.
Earlier this month, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported that the German economy is expected to contract for a second year in a row as it struggles to keep up with soaring energy costs after cutting itself off from Russian gas. Over the past year, the German government has noted a 5.3% drop in the country’s industrial output as orders for domestic-made goods have also plummeted.
Experts at the Berlin-based Forum for a New Economy have warned that Germany’s failures are expected to turn the 2020s into a “lost decade” for the country as it suffers “the worst economic downturn since World War II.”
Western attention is mainly directed at the fighting in Gaza and Lebanon, according to the EU’s foreign policy chief
The Middle East crisis is now the main focus of Western attention rather than the Ukraine conflict, the EU’s outgoing foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has said.
Borrell, who has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine since the escalation of its conflict with Russia in February 2022, made the comments in an interview with Spanish radio station RNE on Sunday.
When asked whether he was worried that Israeli military operations in Gaza and Lebanon could result in the Ukraine conflict receding into the background, he replied: “You are right.”
“We no longer talk as much about the war in Ukraine. [It is] as if the conflict is over there, but no, I assure you that it is not over. It continues and continues with the same intensity,” Borrell stated.
He added, however, that in the Ukraine conflict “the destruction does not perhaps reach the extremes of barbarism” seen during the Israeli attacks on Gaza.
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“The most acute humanitarian crisis since the end of the Second World War” is currently unfolding in the Palestinian enclave, Borrell said, citing the UN. He warned that “350,000 people could die of hunger in the next few weeks” in Gaza.
“What is happening in the Middle East shows that we have lost our sense of humanity,” the diplomat stated.
The EU foreign policy chief accused Israel of repeatedly ignoring UN Security Council resolutions, calling for the cessation of hostilities in Gaza and Lebanon. As long as the conflicts continue, “we will live on the edge of a spark that will cause an even bigger fire,” he warned.
Earlier this month, Borrell called on Kiev’s backers in the US and EU not to reduce the amount of military aid to Ukraine, arguing that without it the conflict would end in Russia’s favor “within 15 days.” It is “important” for the EU’s security that “when the time comes, negotiations can be held on terms favorable to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he stated.
Russia has repeatedly warned that Western aid for Kiev only serves to prolong the conflict.
Borrell, 77, will retire as the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on October 30. He will be replaced by former Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, a pronounced Russia hawk who has lobbied for stronger sanctions against Moscow. Earlier this year, Russia put Kallas on a wanted list over her campaign to destroy Soviet WWII memorials in the Baltic nation.
The level of joblessness has remained at 2.4% for a third month in a row, according to the president
The unemployment level in Russia remained at a record low of 2.4% for a third month in a row in August, president Vladimir Putin said on Monday at a government meeting on economic issues.
The head of state particularly noted that unemployment among youth (those under 25) has continued to decline rapidly.
“Now it is less than 9%, after having decreased by more than 1 percentage point over the year," Putin said, noting that last year it had stood at 11.6%.
The state statistics agency Rosstat said this month that the unemployment rate in Russia in August had remained at its all-time low level for the third month in a row. The historical minimum of 2.4% was reached in June 2024.
According to Rosstat,1.8 million people aged 15 and older were classified as unemployed as of August.
Talking about the Russian economy as a whole, the president said that it is continuing to grow. Russia’s industrial growth over the first eight months of this year was 4.5%, he said; the manufacturing sector added 8.1%, while mechanical engineering grew by almost 20%.
At the same time, Putin noted some imbalances in the economy due to “external sanctions and our own structural limitations, including a shortage of personnel and technology, logistics.” These factors are reflected, among other things, in the dynamics of consumer prices, he said.
The government was instructed to develop a supply-side economy, to help boost labor productivity, launch new investment projects and create modern jobs in all industries.
Putin said, citing forecasts, that by the end of the year, Russia’s GDP will have grown by 3.9%, which is higher than the global average. The IMF expects global GDP growth to be at 3.2% this year, the Russian president pointed out.
Moscow claims to have eliminated Western mercenaries who tried to enter Russia’s Bryansk Region
A Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group unsuccessfully tried to break through the Russian border in Bryansk Region on Sunday, the Federal Security Service (FSB) has said, noting that several of Kiev’s fighters taking part in the attack were foreign mercenaries.
In a statement released on Monday, the FSB announced that Bryansk Region’s border patrol and local armed forces had killed four Ukrainian troops after encountering them trying to break into Russian territory in Klimovsk district. The rest of the invaders were later targeted with artillery strikes and also suffered unspecified casualties, according to the report.
The fallen Ukrainian fighters were found to be equipped with foreign weapons and equipment, as well as personal items indicating that they belonged to “third countries,” such as a Canadian flag, a Polish prayer book, and a notepad with notes on tactics in English.
Additionally, one of the would-be invaders also reportedly had tattoos of the 75th Ranger Regiment - a special forces airborne reconnaissance regiment of the US Army. The elite group is said to specialize in reconnaissance, sabotage and diversion behind enemy lines, capturing and holding airfields, as well as destroying strategically important enemy facilities and capturing or eliminating high-ranking officials.
The regiment, also known as the Army Rangers, is said to be capable of deploying one battalion of fighters within eighteen hours of alert notification and is regarded as one of the US military’s most extensively used units.
Previously the attack was reported by the Mash Telegram channel, which claimed that the Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group consisted of up to 30 foreign fighters, which included Polish, Swedish, Venezuelan and British nationals. The group was said to have been communicating with each other in English.
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Bryansk Governor Aleksandr Bogomaz also reported on the attempted incursion via his official Telegram channel on Sunday, noting that it had been repelled by Russian forces and that the situation in Klimovsk district was “stable” and under control.
At the same time, Bogomaz reported a number of attempted drone attacks on the region following the incursion, noting that all of the UAVs have been eliminated and that no casualties or destruction on the ground has been reported.
Bryansk Region, which borders Belarus to the west and Ukraine’s Chernigov and Sumy regions to the south, has been a frequent target of drone attacks since the start of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.
Last week, Russian air defenses destroyed more than 100 of the Ukrainian UAVs over the region as well as neighboring Kursk, Oryol and Belgorod Regions, and Lipetsk Region, located further to the east.
The former president wants the US to play no role in guaranteeing peace between Moscow and Kiev, according to one of his advisers
Donald Trump will leave the enforcement of any peace deal between Russia and Ukraine to European powers, one of the former US president’s advisers has told the Financial Times. The plan is one of several floated by Trump’s advisers and allies, all of which involve the US refusing to deal with the aftermath of the conflict.
Trump has promised to bring a rapid end to the ongoing conflict if he is elected president in November. However, he has offered few specifics as to how he would do this, save for pressing Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky into peace talks with US aid to Kiev as leverage.
In the absence of any concrete peace plan, a host of Trump’s current and former advisers have outlined how they think the former president could achieve this goal.
One unnamed “long-term Trump adviser” told the Financial Times on Monday that the Republican candidate could resolve the conflict with “a reimagining of the failed Minsk agreements of 2014 and 2015,” under which Kiev agreed to grant some autonomy to the majority Russian-speaking regions of Donetsk and Lugansk.
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This time around, the adviser said, the deal would be enforced by EU peacekeepers. “There are two things America will insist on,” he said. “We will not have any men or women in the enforcement mechanism. We’re not paying for it. Europe is paying for it.”
Reviving the Minsk agreements would likely present several major challenges. After multiple European leaders admitted that they never intended to abide by the 2014 and 2015 agreements, Moscow does not believe that the EU can play the role of honest broker, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier this month.
Furthermore, Donetsk and Lugansk – along with Kherson and Zaporozhye – have since joined the Russian Federation, and any peace deal must take into account this “territorial reality,” the Kremlin has said.
Fred Fleitz, a former CIA analyst who served in Trump’s White House, told the British newspaper that the US could “freeze the conflict” along the current front line, and negotiate a lasting settlement with Russia at a later date. Ukraine would not give up its territorial claims in the meantime, Fleitz said, explaining that this plan counts on delaying a final agreement until “Putin leaves the stage.”
However, Fleitz conceded that he does not speak for Trump and does not know the former president’s foreign policy plans.
The most detailed proposal has been put forward by Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance. Speaking to former US Navy SEAL and podcast host Shawn Ryan last month, Vance said that the current frontline could be demilitarized and fortified, ensuring that “Russia doesn’t invade again.” In exchange, “Russia gets a guarantee of neutrality from Ukraine,” while Germany and other EU countries foot the bill for Ukraine’s reconstruction. The current American policy of “throw[ing] money at this problem, [and to] hope the Ukrainians are able to achieve a military victory” is “stupid,” Vance told Ryan.
The president’s trip to Morocco comes months after Paris reversed its stance and backed Rabat’s claim to the disputed Western Sahara
French President Emmanuel Macron is traveling to Morocco on Monday for a three-day visit, during which he is expected to meet with the North African country’s monarch and sign several agreements. The trip follows years of strained relations between the two countries.
The state visit represents “new ambitions for the next 30 years” for the France-Morocco relationship, Macron’s office said in a statement cited by AFP.
“This visit reflects the depth of bilateral relations, based on a deep-rooted and solid partnership, thanks to the common desire of the two heads of state to strengthen the multidimensional ties uniting the two countries,” the Moroccan royal palace also announced earlier.
Late in July, Moroccan King Mohammed VI extended an invitation to Macron after the French president reversed his country’s decades-long diplomatic stance and endorsed Rabat’s autonomy plan for the disputed territory of Western Sahara.
Rabat and the Sahrawi separatist group Polisario Front have been at war since 1975, when Morocco annexed the former Spanish colony. The Algerian-backed group is demanding a self-determination referendum, as a previous one proposed by the UN in 1991 as part of a ceasefire process has been stalled. However, Rabat has ruled out the possibility of a vote that would grant independence to one of Africa’s most sparsely populated regions.
Macron’s decision supporting Morocco’s sovereignty claim over Western Sahara has improved ties between his government and Rabat while upsetting neighboring Algeria. Algiers, which has long advocated for UN-organized referendums, said the French move had undermined UN efforts to resolve the territorial dispute via political means. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune canceled an official visit to France earlier this month, after previously recalling the country’s ambassador to Paris amid deteriorating relations.
Relations between Paris and Rabat had previously been strained, in part due to the French government’s longstanding neutrality on the Western Sahara issue, as well as a disagreement over visas in 2021. Last year, French Foreign Minister Catherina Colonna downplayed diplomatic tensions with Morocco, despite the former colony’s refusal to accept French assistance in dealing with a deadly earthquake. Morocco also denied Colonna’s claims that Macron had planned to visit the former colony that year.
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This week’s trip by the French President, his second since 2018, has been hailed by Moroccan media as a “warm reunion” between Paris and Rabat.
The Moroccan Press Agency published a government press release announcing that Macron is scheduled to deliver a speech to the African nation’s parliament on Tuesday.
During a private meeting, King Mohammed VI and Macron will discuss partnerships in trade, energy, education, climate change, immigration, and security, French media reported.
Morocco has the potential to be a “hub between Europe and Africa,” both strategically and in terms of infrastructure, particularly electricity, Macron’s office said, according to the AFP.
A single strike targeted high-rise building where command staff were positioned in Volchansk, Kharkov Region, officials have said
Russian warplanes have obliterated a Ukrainian-held building in the border Kharkov Region where a number of officers were posted, the Defense Ministry in Moscow announced on Monday, releasing video footage of the strike.
The ministry said in a statement that its forces had destroyed a Ukrainian temporary deployment point near the town of Volchansk, which is about six miles from the Russian border. The area around the town has been the scene of fierce fighting since Russia launched its offensive in Kharkov Region to establish a ‘cordon sanitaire’ to protect civilians from repeated shelling.
Officials said that “a powerful blow to the enemy” was delivered after Russian warplanes received target coordinates from reconnaissance and used a glide bomb to attack the facility.
“At the time of the strike, the command staff of one of the Ukrainian Armed Forces units was in the temporary deployment point,” the statement read, without specifying Kiev’s losses.
The video released by the ministry shows what appears to be aerial footage of Volchansk, which has been ravaged by months of fighting. A ramshackle high-rise building in the center is then hit by a gliding projectile, with an explosion so powerful that the ripples from the shockwaves could be seen hundreds of meters away as one of the walls promptly collapsed. Clouds of smoke and dust can then be seen rising from the blast site.
Russia often relies on heavy glide bombs, which can travel dozens of kilometers before accurately hitting their target, to destroy Ukrainian fortified positions and other high-priority installations. Ukrainian officials have described the weapon as posing a “very serious threat,” noting that they are difficult to intercept.
Beijing has responded to Washington’s announcement that its new satellite jammers will be in operational service in 2025
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has urged the US to stop the militarization of space and to refrain from actions that threaten global security. The warning comes days after Washington announced plans for the first delivery of satellite jammers.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the ministry’s spokesman Lin Jian said that Beijing insists on the peaceful use of what it called outer space and opposes the arms race and the placement of weapons there.
“China once again urges the US to stop spreading irresponsible remarks, stop expanding military build-up in outer space, and make due contribution to upholding the lasting peace and security in outer space,” Lin said, when asked to comment on China’s response to the potential threat to its satellites from US ground-based jammers.
The spokesman stressed that China is not planning to participate in a space race with any country and is not seeking space superiority. He also said that Washington openly defines space as a war zone, continues to expand its space capabilities and is working to establish a military alliance in outer space.
Last week Bloomberg reported, citing the US Space Force, that the first five of a planned 32 weapons meant to jam Chinese and Russian satellites in the early stage of a possible conflict could be declared operational between January and March 2025. The Counter Communications System known as Meadowlands is more than two years behind schedule.
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Technological weaponry of this type is intended to cause temporary damage in a conflict “to counter the growing number of Chinese and Russian space systems,” the news agency noted.
The Pentagon has repeatedly accused China of amassing anti-satellite weapons, voicing concerns about the country’s focus on space-war capabilities. The Chinese government has denied the allegations, saying that Washington poses the greatest threat to security in space and is the main instigator behind the militarization of its various domains.
Washington has voiced similar allegations against Russia on multiple occasions, suggesting that Moscow has undisclosed anti-satellite capabilities that, it claims, are possibly nuclear in nature. The Kremlin has dismissed the insinuations as unfounded, saying that they are merely a smokescreen intended to distract from Washington’s own military activities in space.
Robert Fico has faced new threats after May shooting as authorities detain an armed man this month
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who survived an assassination attempt in May, has revealed that he faced a potential second attempt on his life, due to his stance on the Ukraine conflict. Fico was shot at close range by an activist who opposed the PM's views on relations with Kiev.
An armed man was detained at an event commemorating a World War II battle in eastern Slovakia in early October, the prime minister revealed in an interview to Bratislava-based internet outlet Standard on Sunday.
Fico said the man “hates” him because of his “attitudes towards Ukraine.” According to the prime minister, “a fully loaded weapon” was found on the suspect when he passed through a metal detector.
The event in question was held on October 6 to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Dukla Pass between German and Soviet forces on the border with Poland. The celebrations were attended by Fico, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, and members of the government and parliament.
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Fico has been an outspoken critic of the EU’s policy of providing lethal aid to Ukraine in its fight with Russia, calling instead for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
In May, Fico was shot four times at close range by a man who, according to Slovakia’s Special Criminal Court, was largely motivated by the decision by the prime minister and his government not to send arms to Ukraine.
“I was lucky,” Fico told Standard, commenting on the shooting. He went on to describe the alleged shooter, Juraj Cintula, as a political activist who had attended Fico’s public meetings while “probably” planning the attack.
Following the shooting, Fico argued that the assassination attempt emanated from foreign-backed politicians who refuse to accept his government’s policies that prioritize Slovakia’s interests over the agendas of major Western powers.
Poland is looking to spend $2.6 billion on military infrastructure along its eastern border
Warsaw is building a new ‘Iron Curtain’ on its eastern border, Polish President Andrzej Duda has told British newspaper The Sunday Times.
Warsaw has already erected a long steel fence on its border with Belarus to prevent would-be immigrants from crossing it illegally. It intends to spend some $2.6 billion on military fortifications, anti-drone systems, munition depots and observation posts under its ‘East Shield’ program, which was announced in May.
“Some politicians in the West look at this with horror. The last thing they want to see is the Iron Curtain being rebuilt,” Duda told the newspaper in an interview published on Saturday.
“I will say this: if the security of my compatriots is to be safeguarded by the Iron Curtain being put up again, then OK, there will be an Iron Curtain as long as we are on the free side of it,” he declared.
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In a famous 1946 speech in Fulton, Missouri, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill popularized the term, referring to the division of Europe between Soviet and Western spheres of influence – an event widely considered as the starting point of the Cold War.
Poland is investing almost 5% of its GDP into military spending and touts itself as a NATO bulwark in the east. In that sense, “Warsaw is taking on the role that West Germany once played in the hottest years of the Cold War,” The Sunday Times insisted. The country has also been one of the staunchest supporters and funders of Kiev’s war effort.
Duda is an ally of the previous conservative government formed by the Law and Justice party, whose term in office will end in May. The previous cabinet was removed from power after losing the parliamentary election last year, but the change has not significantly affected Poland’s stance on Russia amid the Ukraine conflict.
Polish officials have described ‘East Shield’ as the largest strengthening of NATO’s eastern flank since 1945. Minister of National Defense Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said last week that the launch of construction will take place within days. Work is expected to be complete in 2028.
NATO’s expansion in Europe since the USSR’s collapse has been one of the key causes of the Ukraine conflict, according to Moscow.
Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has denounced attempts to “arm-twist” Tblisi
The West is openly trying to interfere in Georgia’s parliamentary elections, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said, stressing that voters in the former Soviet republic have every right to independently choose their own future.
The ruling Georgian Dream party, which seeks to build pragmatic relations with Russia, secured 54% of the vote in Saturday’s high-stakes election. Various opposition forces garnered between 11% and 3% each, according to the Central Electoral Commission.
Pro-Western opposition parties, however, have refused to recognize the results, branding the vote a “constitutional coup.” The nation’s French-born President Salome Zourabichvili joined the chorus, calling for protests and claiming that Georgia had become a “victim of a Russian special operation.”
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Peskov unequivocally denied the allegations. “We are not trying at all and hardly have the opportunity to influence the development of the situation” in the country, he said, stressing that “it is the Georgian people’s business to make the relevant decisions.”
“However, we see completely unprecedented interference attempts from the West. They are trying not only to twist Tbilisi’s arms, but also to impose their terms. It is hard for me to imagine how the proud Georgian people can tolerate such ultimatums that pour in daily.”
On Sunday, the EU Commission issued a statement voicing concerns of “a tense environment, with frequent compromises in vote secrecy and several procedural inconsistencies” as well as “irregularities” in the election, insisting that those issues must be addressed. European Council President Charles Michel also used the tension to insist that Georgia must “prove its commitment” to the bloc.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has demanded that Georgia conduct an investigation into reports of violations during the vote while sounding the alarm about suspected “vote buying, and voter intimidation.”
This summer, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze warned that pro-Western opposition in the country would open a “second front” against Russia in addition to the Ukraine conflict if it won the parliamentary elections.
Around the same time, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service said that the US was seeking regime change in the country by fomenting protests during the vote.
Relations between the West and Tbilisi soured in recent months after Georgia passed the ‘foreign agents’ law requiring entities and individuals which receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “promoting the interests of a foreign power.” While its proponents insisted it would increase transparency, the EU condemned the legislation, warning that it goes against Georgia’s goal of joining the bloc.
This week marked a turning point for the organization, and this will become apparent with time
The main take away from the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan is that all of us who gathered there this week witnessed a turning point in the history of the association. The results of the summit suggest that the group has made a very serious attempt to change the international order.
It was not easy to take this decisive step in the development of the group, as the Kazan Summit took place at a time when the gap between the West and the rest of the conflict-ridden world is wider than ever.
In this critical situation, the event presented a blueprint for reforming the international order that reflects the growing aspirations of the Global South.
For new members and partner countries, BRICS has provided an alternative platform to discuss issues such as debt relief, climate finance and sustainable development.
These are areas where the dominance of Western institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF has not delivered the expected results.
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Algeria, Uganda and Nigeria will join BRICS as partner countries, reflecting widespread recognition of Africa’s growing global role. In Latin America, Bolivia and Cuba have taken steps towards more cooperation with the group. The rapprochement between BRICS and ASEAN will be facilitated by the addition of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam to the list of partners. This is likely to be just the beginning. More than 30 countries want to join the organization in one form or another.
The centerpiece of the Summit was the adoption of the Kazan Declaration, an ambitious document outlining a shared vision of a fairer world order. The declaration reaffirmed a commitment to multilateralism and called for the reform of global governance.
The main aim is to make international institutions more representative of emerging and developing countries. This call for reform is particularly aimed at institutions such as the UN, the IMF and the World Bank, which have long been dominated by Western powers.
India, along with the other founding members, played a key role in drafting the Kazan Declaration. In his speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi advocated a ‘people-centred BRICS’ and called for accelerated reforms of global governance institutions.
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While the Kazan Summit marks an ambitious step towards a multipolar world order, the success of the event will depend on the extent to which the enlarged BRICS maintains cohesion and coherence, as new members and partner countries may bring their competing interests to the BRICS agenda.
The BRICS states will also have to keep a close eye on the West, which has criticized and ridiculed the expansion of the association and dismissed the Kazan forum as a meaningless show.
In this regard, the BRICS leaders will have to ensure, going forward, that the association does not become a platform for anti-Western positioning, but a forum for a non-Western alternative narrative in global politics.
This article was first published by the newspaper Kommersant and was translated and edited by the RT team.
Candace Owens has a history of making claims about Jews and Muslims, including expressing doubt over the Holocaust
Right-wing US commentator Candace Owens, known for her controversial views on race, gender, and social issues, has been blocked from entering Australia for a scheduled speaking tour. The country’s authorities have cited her “capacity to incite discord,” media have reported.
Australian Immigration Minister Tony Burke confirmed on Sunday that an online influencer’s visa application has been rejected, saying “Australia’s national interest is best served when Candace Owens is somewhere else.”
Owens, who has 18 million followers on YouTube, caused controversy when she announced a five-city Australian tour, due to her history of remarks about Jewish, Muslim and transgender people that have been widely criticized as inflammatory and anti-Semitic.
“From downplaying the impact of the Holocaust with comments about [Nazi doctor Josef] Mengele through to claims that Muslims started slavery, Candace Owens has the capacity to incite discord in almost every direction,” Burke said in a statement.
In July, Owens questioned the authenticity of well-documented medical experiments on Jewish twins in concentration camps performed by the notorious Nazi doctor Josef Mengele during World War II, describing the evidence as “completely absurd” and “bizarre propaganda.”
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Owens has been accused of anti-Semitism before, and was fired from conservative news outlet Daily Wire earlier this year for accusing Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza, and claiming that a “small ring” of “political Jews” in the US “use the fact that they are Jewish to shield themselves from any criticism.”
Owens’ remarks sparked a public feud with Daily Wire’s Jewish co-founder, Ben Shapiro, who called them “disgraceful.”
In August, Jewish groups in Australia reportedly called for Owens’ visa to be canceled. The Anti-Defamation League, a US-based group which campaigned to have her visa revoked, said she has “come to espouse explicitly anti-Semitic, anti-Zionist and anti-Israel views.”
LGBTQ+ advocacy organization Glaad has accused Owens of spreading anti-transgender views after she claimed in 2020 that the movement for trans equality “is one of the most dangerous” and “evil” things that is happening.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the 35-year-old media personality stirred controversy after suggesting the US military “invade Australia and free an oppressed people who are suffering under a totalitarian regime.”
New Delhi should join the West in sanctioning Russia, Kiev’s leader has insisted
India should drop its neutral position on the Ukraine conflict and support Western sanctions against Russia, Vladimir Zelensky has said in an interview with the Times of India (TOI) newspaper published on Monday.
The comments come in the wake of last week’s BRICS Summit in Russia, which Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended.
India has refused to take sides over the Ukraine conflict and has not condemned Russia. According to Zelensky, New Delhi’s perceived neutral status is in fact a sign of support for Moscow.
“You cannot be neutral because it would mean you are on the side of Russia,” he claimed.
Modi has held meetings with Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent months. He visited Moscow in July for talks with Putin, before traveling to Kiev the following month.
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During his meeting with Zelensky, Modi argued that New Delhi is not neutral, but stands on the side of peace.
At the BRICS Summit in Kazan last week, the Indian prime minister reiterated New Delhi’s stance on the need to resolve the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, emphasizing India’s willingness to facilitate peace talks.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar previously said that while New Delhi has not proposed specific strategies or conditions to end the conflict, it is actively engaging with both Moscow and Kiev.
“If these conversations are helpful, there are not many countries and leaders today that can engage with both Putin and Zelensky; I think we could make a contribution,” the minister stated.
In Monday’s interview, Zelensky admitted that India had a “huge value,” and that Modi could “influence the end of the war.” He insisted, however, that any assertions should be backed by actions.
“Blocking the Russian economy, blocking cheap energy resources” would hamper Moscow’s ability to continue fighting Ukraine, he argued.
New Delhi has increased trade with Moscow over the past two years. It notably ramped up purchases of discounted Russian oil, taking bilateral trade turnover to over $65 billion last year. The Indian leadership says it is ensuring the country’s energy security.
In his interview with the TOI, Zelensky claimed that Western sanctions against Russia were only “partially” working because countries such as India and China have not joined them.
The Russian leadership has repeatedly stated that Western sanctions have failed to weaken the country’s economy, which has shown resilient growth. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) last week boosted its 2024 forecast for Russia, and now expects the country’s GDP to grow 3.6% this year, an increase from its previous projection of 3.2%.
Ishiba Shigeru said he now intends to seek a renewed mandate from MPs despite a general-election flop
The Prime Minister of Japan Ishiba Shigeru has insisted he will try to remain in power despite an electoral upset delivered by voters in Sunday’s general election, both to his party and to the parliamentary alliance he leads.
The ruling coalition has fallen short of the 233 seats it needs to secure a majority in the lower chamber of parliament. Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) fell from the 247 it held going into the poll to just 191, while its junior colition partner Komeito lost eight seats, securing just 24.
The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party added 52 seats to its faction and will now have 148 members in the country’s 465-seat House of Representatives.
Ishiba took office this month following the resignation of Fumio Kishida over a party corruption scandal, and ordered snap elections to confirm his mandate. During a press conference on Monday, he acknowledged that the LDP has received “an exceptionally harsh judgment from the public” at the ballot box.
The current coalition will “work to build a relationship of trust with other parties so that people will have faith in us that we are working together for the sake of the people,” he added, as quoted by the TV channel NHK.
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The selection of a new prime minister should come within 30 days, according to Japanese law. With some uncertainty surrounding the issue at present, Ishiba may end up remaining in office as a caretaker head of government.
Under his leadership, the LDP had distanced itself from scandal-tainted candidates by declining to endorse them. But it allegedly secretly funded their regional branches nonetheless, to the tune of $130,000 each, which, the national press coverage suggests, calls into question Ishiba’s vow to change the party’s ways.
The corruption scandal involved slush funds allegedly used by the LDP, which has been dominant in post-World War II Japan. The political force’s rule has been interrupted just twice in the seven decades since its creation in 1955, on each occasion amid serious economic upheaval.
Ishiba said Japan “cannot allow not even a moment of stagnation as we face very difficult situations both in our security and economic environments.”
The snap election also stands out for a record number of female candidates elected to the House of Representatives. There will be 73 women in the new parliament. The highest number until now was 54 returned in the 2009 election. A total of 314 women ran in Sunday’s election, representing 23% of all candidates.
The Democratic candidate’s team is reportedly distancing itself from the president’s attempts to campaign for her
US Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign team has reportedly been ignoring President Joe Biden’s attempts to support her in the final days leading up to the November election, Axios reported on Monday, citing several sources familiar with the situation.
The president had reportedly set aside several days in order to campaign with Democratic candidate Harris, although her team did not schedule any joint events, according to the outlet.
The Harris campaign has responded to Biden’s attempts to get involved with messages of “we’ll get back to you,” sources claimed to Axios.
The arms-length dynamic supposedly stems from Harris’ belief that the 81-year-old president is a “political liability at a crucial time in the campaign,” according to the outlet. However, her team is reluctant to state that directly or to publicly refuse Biden’s attempts to campaign for her.
One source told the outlet that the situation between Biden and Harris is comparable to a “slow-moving break-up.”
“Harris’ team and allies respect Biden’s service, but are wary of further tying Harris to the unpopular president on the campaign trail,” Axios reported. “He’s a reminder of the last four years, not the new way forward,” one source told the outlet.
Biden dropped out of the presidential race earlier this summer after a widely panned debate performance against Republican rival Donald Trump in June. Since then, the president’s approval rating has dropped to 39%, according to a Gallup poll conducted in early October.
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Last week, an off-the-cuff Biden comment sparked a backlash from the Trump campaign, after he called for the Republican candidate to be incarcerated. “I know this sounds bizarre. If I had said this five years ago, you’d lock me up, but we’ve got to lock him up,” Biden said, accusing the former president of trying to use his immunity and powers to “physically eliminate someone he believes is a threat to him.”
Biden later clarified that he wanted to “politically lock up” Trump, but his comments nevertheless drew condemnation from the former president and other Republicans, who have long accused the Biden administration of weaponizing the Justice Department to go after his rival. Earlier this year, a Manhattan jury found Trump guilty on 34 charges related to alleged hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels and the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots
Biden’s statement also “frustrated” some Harris aides, according to Axios.
Despite the situation, the outlet reported that many on Biden’s team believe that the aging president can still help Harris secure victory, and that his pull among certain voters is being underestimated.
The leaders have inaugurated the country’s first private military aircraft plant, built by Tata Group in partnership with Airbus
India’s Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez attended the opening of a new military aircraft plant in Vadodara, Gujarat, on Monday. Modi had been chief minister of the state before becoming the country’s prime minister.
The two dignitaries inaugurated an aircraft complex built by one of India’s largest conglomerates, Tata Group, in partnership with Airbus Spain. The factory will produce Airbus C-295 military transport aircraft, making it the first large-scale private project in the defense sector, which has so far been dominated by state-owned companies.
Sanchez was welcomed in Vadodara with a massive, flowery parade that saw thousands of people waving as the carriage transported him and Modi across the city from the airport to the factory site where the opening ceremony is scheduled to take place. It marked the first visit by a Spanish prime minister to India in 18 years. Modi visited Spain in 2017 and held talks with Sanchez at the G20 summits in 2018 and 2021, according to New Delhi.
While Madrid seeks to boost its trade with the world’s fifth-largest economy and most populous nation, New Delhi aims to ramp up its defense manufacturing capabilities to serve its domestic needs and increase defense exports to third countries.
Sanchez said the partnership between Airbus and Tata would contribute to the progress of India’s aerospace industry and drive technological development, helping create a new generation of highly qualified technicians and engineers.
The Spanish prime minister will travel to Mumbai to meet with industry leaders, think tanks, and representatives from the tourism and film industries, as his country seeks to advance engagement with the South Asian nation. Spain is India’s sixth-largest trade partner in the European Union, according to the Economic Times, which cites government data. Bilateral trade in 2023 stood at $8.25 billion, with India’s exports to Spain amounting to $6.3 billion.
#WATCH | Vadodara, Gujarat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sanchez hold a roadshow in Vadodara
The two leaders will inaugurate the Final Assembly Line Plant of C295 aircraft at Vadodara today
India’s Ministry of Defense has approved a $2.5 billion deal for 56 C-295 aircraft procured from Airbus Defense and Space back in 2021. They will replace the Indian Air Force’s legacy fleet of Avro HS-748 aircraft, which are used for carrying cargo and troops. According to the contract, 16 aircraft will be assembled in Seville, Spain—with the first deliveries made last year—and the remaining 40 will be built in India by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL), a defense arm of the Tata conglomerate. The first India-built aircraft is expected to be delivered in September 2026.
A boost to ‘Make in India’ and India-Spain cooperation!
This will be the first time the private sector will have manufactured a military aircraft in India, breaking the virtual monopoly of the state-run defense company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which builds, maintains, and overhauls most of the Indian military aircraft in service, including Russian-made Sukhoi and MIG jets.
“We expanded private sector participation in defense manufacturing and made public sector units more efficient,” Modi noted while addressing the event. Asserting that India’s defense manufacturing ecosystem was reaching new heights today, he stated that a decade ago, the priority and identity of defense manufacturing were centered around imports, and no one could have imagined that such manufacturing could take place on such a large scale in the country.
A Trump campaign adviser was among the victims, sources have told the paper
Chinese hackers have breached the phones of numerous US politicians and collected audio of their calls, the Washington Post has reported, citing sources.
An unnamed adviser to the campaign of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is claimed to be among those whose conversations were intercepted, the paper reported on Sunday.
According to the sources, the hackers belonged to a group dubbed ‘Salt Typhoon’ by US researchers. Washington believes it has links to China’s main spy agency, the Ministry of State Security.
The perpetrators were allegedly able to collect audio on a number of calls during a large-scale operation that lasted for months, according to the report.
At least one US official was notified late last week that his personal cellphone had been accessed by hackers, who were seeking his phone logs, text messages, and other data on the device, one of the sources stated.
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The total number of victims of the breach is said to be less than a hundred, the Washington Post reported.
A former senior US cyber-operations official told the newspaper that the scale of the hack was limited because those behind it could have seen access to the phones of US politicians as “exquisite” or highly valuable, and acted cautiously in order to avoid detection for as long as possible.
The US government has launched an investigation into the breach and is trying to determine how much audio the hackers were able to obtain, the sources said. More victims could be uncovered as the probe continues, they added.
The FBI declined to comment when addressed on the issues by the paper.
The Washington Post stressed in its article that the alleged hack “heightens concerns over the extent of the infiltration” in the run-up to the US presidential election on November 5.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington previously said it was unaware of the activities of ‘Salt Typhoon’. It also accused the US of fabricating evidence of Chinese involvement in cyberattacks.
Beijing has repeatedly denied claims by Washington that it is trying to meddle in the US electoral process. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian insisted in July that “China has never interfered in and will not interfere in the US election.” According to the spokesman, the authorities in Beijing “oppose the US spreading false information to smear China.”
Sudanese paramilitaries have been attacking villages in the El Gezira region since its top commander defected to join the state’s forces, activists claim
At least 124 people have been killed in a massive new wave of attacks in Sudan’s El Gezira state, according to local activists, who have accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of committing “massacres” against civilians.
The incident is reportedly one of the deadliest to have happened since a brutal civil war broke out in the northeastern African nation between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in mid-April last year.
The Sudan Doctors Network reported on Saturday that dozens of civilians had been injured and hundreds more displaced as a result of deadly assaults on Al-Sariha village by RSF fighters.
The Wad Madani Resistance Committee, a grassroots pro-democracy group, also reported that more than 100 wounded could not be evacuated for treatment due to shelling by militants, who had completely invaded Al-Sariha. The death toll could be higher, the organization said while denouncing the “heinous massacre” as “ethnic cleansing.”
A member of the Resistance Committees told CNN that the militia has detained 150 people, including the elderly. The group shared a video on Facebook showing men in camouflage manhandling an elderly civilian. Another clip shows dozens of local men sitting on the floor, allegedly arrested by the RSF.
Fighting in El Gezira has reportedly escalated since Abu Aqla Muhammad Ahmed Kikil, the RSF commander in the southeastern state, switched sides with several of his troops and joined the national army days ago.
On Sunday, the Wad Madani Resistance Committee reported that more than 50 villages in the region have been under continuous attack for the past six days. The group stated that it is unable to communicate with dozens of other invaded villages due to a curfew imposed by the paramilitary forces, who have seized “all satellite Internet devices.”
Earlier on Friday, the RSF accused the state military of arming civilians in the region and using forces under the command of the defected official Kikil, prompting the attacks, Reuters reported.
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The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, said she is “shocked and deeply appalled” by the “atrocious crimes,” including rape, targeted attacks, sexual violence, and mass killings in El Gezira.
“It is unacceptable and must stop immediately,” Nkweta-Salami stated.
World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the reported killings “tragic.”
“This latest violence underscores the horrific ongoing humanitarian crisis and the need for urgent civilian protection, which remains overlooked by the international community and media,” he wrote on X.
According to the UN, Sudan now faces the world’s largest hunger crisis, with tens of thousands of people killed and more than 11 million displaced as a result of the 18-month-old war.
Illegal migrants from Ukraine have become the most frequently denied applicants, followed by Syrians and Afghans, Bild am Sonntag reports
German authorities have turned away 5,935 Ukrainians who were trying to illegally cross the country’s borders from January through September 2024, Bild am Sonntag reported on Sunday citing data tracked by the Federal Police.
Ukrainians were ranked as the most frequently denied applicants at Germany’s land borders alone, followed by Syrians and Afghans, the number of rejection to whom totalled 4,709 and 2,396 respectively.
A crossing attempt is seen as illegal, when a migrant tries to enter without a valid residence permit, according to the police as cited by the newspaper. Rejections are also possible especially if entrants are not registered as asylum seekers or if they are temporarily banned from re-entering the country.
In total, the German Federal Police detected 53,410 illegal entry attempts into the country in the first nine months of 2024. Most of the rejections occurred at Germany’s border with Switzerland (9,113 people), Bild noted. They were followed by the control points on the borders with Poland, where the police turned away 7,862 people, Austria and France, that recorded 5,468 and 2,350 illegal entry attempts respectively.
The German authorities reportedly identified 1,482 deported migrants, who attempted to re-enter the country despite the previously issued ban. Moreover, the police arrested 1,195 smugglers and uncovered 1,088 smuggling operations. The total number of arrests from January to September reportedly amounted to 7,783.
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Germany has become the the prime destinations for Ukrainian refugees in the EU since the conflict between Moscow and Kiev escalated in February 2022. The bloc’s economic powerhouse has accepted almost 1.1 million Ukrainian migrants as of June 2024. Poland has accepted 960,000, according to Statista. Russia welcomed over 5.3 million Ukrainians, official data from early 2023 demonstrates.
In addition, Germany has continued to accept migrants from other countries amid ongoing crises in the Middle East and Africa, with total refugee arrivals reaching 2.67 million and 1.93 million in 2022 and 2023 respectively.
In September, the federal government tightened border controls for at least six months, emphasising that the measure could be further extended. The authorities launched a series of random checks at border crossings with Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France, thus expanding the system already in place at its other borders to the entirety of the country’s frontier.
Border crossings with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland have been brought under control since mid-October last year. Controls were also introduced at the German-Austrian land border in autumn 2015
Up to 40 people are believed to have been buried under the rubble after a partially demolished building gave way in Nigeria
Around 40 people have been reportedly trapped under rubble following the collapse of a building in central Nigeria. The incident is said to have involved a previously demolished building which was the site of scavenging.
The collapse occurred around 5pm on Saturday in Sabon Lugbe, a suburb of Abuja in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Local residents worked to free people trapped beneath the ruins, according to videos published on social media.
In an official statement released on Sunday by the FCT Police Command, spokesperson Josephine Adeh confirmed the incident, stating that no fatalities had been recorded.
Preliminary investigations reveal that the building, located in Vidaz Estate, had previously been demolished by FCT authorities due to its status in an illegally acquired area. However, recent scavenging activity at the site reportedly compromised the structure, causing it to collapse again.
“Regrettably, the structure was further compromised by scavengers who had been tampering with the remnants for scrap metal, ultimately leading to its secondary collapse,” Adeh said. “A total of five individuals were successfully rescued from the debris.”
Police have urged the public to avoid compromised sites for safety.
Echoing the concerns, FCT’s director of development control, Muktar Galadima, described the collapse reports as “propaganda,” stating that the building was part of a larger demolition effort that began on Thursday.
Galadima added that over 500 scavengers had reportedly been on-site when the collapse occurred, which triggered the remains of a demolished slab to fall.
The incident in Sabon Lugbe follows a similar case in Kubwa, another FCT area, where a section of a two-story building collapsed weeks ago. Four individuals were rescued on that occasion.
The American singer appeared at a Democratic rally on Friday but disappointed some fans after making a speech rather than performing
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has accused Democratic rival Kamala Harris of misleading voters by advertising a rally where it was believed they would see a performance by pop superstar Beyonce.
Over 30,000 people turned up at the Democratic event on Friday in Houston, Texas, with some expecting a free concert after it was announced that Beyonce would be present.
MSNBC and the Washington Post reported ahead of the rally that the superstar singer would appear with Harris during the event, while NBC cited a source as saying that Beyonce was “also expected to perform.”
Beyonce earlier approved the use of her song ‘Freedom’ as a soundtrack for the Harris campaign.
The 43-year-old Houston native did take to the stage at the event with her former Destiny’s Child bandmate Kelly Rowland, before announcing that she was there as a mother and not as an entertainer.
In a speech that lasted less than five minutes, Beyonce urged rallygoers to support abortion rights, after Harris called on voters to “mobilize” on November 5 in support of reproductive freedom.
“It’s time for America to sing a new song,” Beyonce added. “Our voices sing a chorus of unity. They sing a song of dignity and opportunity. Are y’all ready to add your voice to the new American song,” the singer said, welcoming Harris onto the stage.
Speaking at a rally in Michigan on Saturday, Trump hit out at the apparent failure of the Harris campaign to meet supporters’ expectations. “Beyonce went up and spoke for a couple of minutes and then left, and the place went crazy,” Trump stated, adding that “they booed the hell out of everybody.”
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“They thought she was going to perform… it’s crazy. They have to use people to get people to come, and then they send buses. We don’t send buses. Everybody comes. We’re just going to make America great again. It’s very simple,” the former president added.
Tim Murtaugh, a senior adviser to Trump, claimed that organizers of the Democratic rally had “lied to build a crowd.”
While the front rows at the rally appeared supportive as Harris proceeded with her speech after seeing Beyonce off the stage, clips on social media indicated booing and heckling at the back, with some apparently leaving the venue in disappointment.
The vice president has been backed by American pop sensation Taylor Swift as well as Usher, Eminem, and Cardi B, while Trump has received endorsements from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, rapper 50 Cent, and popular journalist Tucker Carlson.
The giant Russian feline weighed an astonishing 17kg and was too big to walk
A Russian cat said to be the world’s fattest has died just weeks after being put on a strict diet in a rehabilitation center. The weight loss efforts of the feline, named ‘Kroshik’, were followed by fans from all around the world.
The giant cat was rescued from the basement of a hospital in the eastern Russian city of Perm in early September. It was taken to a local veterinary care center, where it was placed on a strict low-fat diet. The cat, which was set to turn 14 years old, had been reportedly overfed by hospital staff to such an extent that it couldn’t walk.
Kroshik, which translates as ‘Crumbs’, made headlines around the world as it embarked on a strict diet, having tipped the scales at a staggering 17kg.
The weight loss program was aimed at helping Kroshik lose excess fluid and increase physical activity, vets told the local media. Despite efforts from vets and shedding some 3kg, the cat passed away on Sunday.
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“The most terrible night in my life. The night when Kroshik died,” veterinary shelter head Galya More wrote on social media. “If someone had told me a couple of days ago that Kroshik would die, I would never have believed it. I still don’t fully believe it, the thought seems so... unthinkable.”
Kroshik’s case appears to be unprecedented in Russia, and prompted vets to consult with foreign colleagues who have experience in the rehabilitation of overweight animals. According to vets, the cat began to choke on Friday, causing alarm.
“Until that moment, the vets had never noticed signs of shortness of breath in him. We acted immediately – in half an hour Kroshik was already in the oxygen chamber.”
However, the feline’s condition began to deteriorate rapidly and even resuscitation efforts could not help. Vets said the cat had “multiple growths in the spleen and metastases in other internal organs,” although the exact cause of death has yet to be determined.
Conflict with the US and its allies may be inevitable, but it’s not the aim of the group’s members
The BRICS Summit in Kazan was a global event of the highest order, both in terms of its representativeness and the scope of the issues discussed. Having listened with pleasure to the well-deserved fanfare of the organizers, let us try to capture, as far as possible, how the forum differed from its predecessors and what its significance was.
Firstly, Kazan was the first experience of the event in an expanded format. When the association had four and then five participants, the meetings, despite the always high level of attention, were informal and somewhat chamber-like (if that term is appropriate when applied to a group of huge countries). The current composition, even without the dozens of partners and observers, is already a large group of very different states. Managing such a community requires considerable effort and is unlikely to be possible without coordinating institutions. So far, the organizing role has been played by the current chair (Russia this year, South Africa last year, Brazil in 2025). And it was felt that such a rotating and flexible format was better suited to a complex organization than recognized administrative bodies.
There is a logic to this, but in practice the limits of the unbureaucratic model have become apparent. Apart from the fact that it requires a great deal of effort on the part of the chairing country, the outcome depends to a large extent on how much each of the leading states is prepared to invest. And the degree of commitment to the idea of BRICS development is not the same for different participants; there are enthusiastic and less enthusiastic members. Russia is undoubtedly one of the former, but not all BRICS members consider it an important undertaking, even though they all support it.
We can say that the dilemma of whether the priority should be to expand the community or to deepen interaction through institutionalization has been resolved: one is impossible without the other.
Second, there are two dimensions to the work of BRICS – current and long-term. They are not contradictory, but they are different.
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With regard to the first, there are no miracles. Ambitious tasks have been declared. A basic consensus has been reached, and in some places it has been streamlined, as in the case of Ukraine. But even this is a great achievement, given the heterogeneity of the composition, the formulations are masterly. Finally, the final document is not so much about reorganizing the world as about the need to improve existing institutions, from the UN Security Council to the IMF and the WTO. In other words, no revolutions are proposed and there is no revisionism, which Russia and a number of BRICS members are so often accused of in the West.
The second dimension is more interesting. BRICS is the quintessence of the global trend towards a redistribution of power and a reorganization of the international system. A space is emerging that is parallel to the one that exists around the heretofore seemingly unshakably dominant institutions and interests of the West. In a sense, the main function of BRICS is anti-monopoly. Ensuring competition by restricting the monopolist, in this case on a global scale.
This is an objective process, i.e. it is not initiated by BRICS, but on the contrary – international changes are reflected in this community. It suddenly turned out to be the best place to implement them.
Practical decisions of varying urgency, set out in the declaration, combine these two dimensions. The ideas on general competition (literally, anti-monopoly), investment, technology, energy and grain policy imply practical steps now, but are aimed at changing the entire international structure in the medium and long term. There will be many obstacles along the way, and it makes little sense to draw up a timetable for completing the tasks. However, this path has been embarked upon as an irreversible transformation.
Thirdly, the core of this transformation, the sphere that determines the sustainability of the current system of world relations, has become apparent. This is the financial and monetary hegemony of the United States, its main instrument of global power. It is based not only on the power and pressure of the issuing country of the world’s reserve currency, but also on the convenience of this very instrument for the general international public.
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A real change in the world’s main currency would mean a change in the system for all global trade. And it is not just a political decision. Abandoning the use of the dollar for trade and reserve accumulation would require countries that want to do so to change their economic model. In the case of Russia and Iran, which are fully experiencing the “charms” of monetary hegemony, the transformation is forced. But other countries, even those that do not rule out being one day subject to similar punitive measures (e.g. China), see no need to rush.
That all BRICS members and partners are well aware of the problems associated with the dominance of the dollar is an achievement in itself. In principle, they are ready to work on a parallel system. However, such work is extremely difficult, because we are not talking about replacing the dollar with another universal unit of payment, but about creating a different type of relationship based on a variety of ways of trade and financial turnover. From different types of bilateral relationships to varying sorts of multilateral arrangements, and so on. There is not and cannot be an obvious solution, but once again the process has moved forward. The tone of Western commentary, which has become much less snobbish towards the BRICS, shows that the prospects there have also begun to be assessed quite seriously. This means, among other things, that opposition will continue to grow.
Finally, all BRICS participants and partners consider it necessary to emphasize that they are not creating an “anti-world”, i.e. a structure whose main task is to oppose something else. The anti-Western character of the BRICS is always emphasized in the West, but it is a product of the political psychology of the US and its allies, who for some time have not tolerated any political-economic constructs that are not in the zone of their direct influence. And, accordingly, they completely deny the right of the international system to be built on the principle of the multiverse.
In fact, of all the BRICS countries, only Russia and to some extent Iran are in conflict with the West. The others are not interested in this sort of thing at all, either to avoid taking risks or to avoid cutting off some of the opportunities for their own development. All the initiatives within the BRICS framework are not aimed at forcing a standoff, but rather at diversification, at creating opportunities to bypass the West without its involvement. Conflict is still inevitable, but at least it’s not the aim of the emerging community.
The history of the BRIC/BRICS acronym goes back more than 20 years. In that time, an advertising and marketing gimmick invented in one of Wall Street’s most iconic financial institutions has become the most prestigious forum in the non-Western world. The symbolism is clear. So is the vector of where history is heading. And the Kazan Summit has become a milestone on the way.
This article was first published by the newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta and was translated and edited by the RT team
Washington needs to engage its adversaries diplomatically, Trump’s running mate has said
The US is not at war with Russia and should not seek one, Republican vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance has said.
The senator from Ohio was asked during his appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday whether he saw the Russian leader “as an ally or an enemy.” Putin is “clearly an adversary, he is a competitor,” but Washington needs to be “smart about diplomacy too,” Vance responded.
”Just because we don’t like somebody doesn’t mean that we can’t occasionally engage in conversations with them,” he suggested.
Host Kristen Welker pushed him further on whether he would directly refer to Putin as an enemy.
”We are not at war with him. And I don’t want to be at war with Vladimir Putin’s Russia,” the senator said. “I think that we should try to pursue avenues of peace.”
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The same logic applies to China, Vance said, adding that he perceives it as a greater threat to American interests than Russia. The US may not like having to talk to its rivals, but in the case of the Ukraine conflict, resolving it will require negotiations, the senator pointed out.
When asked whether former President Donald Trump would take the US out of NATO, Vance assured that he wouldn’t. If his running mate returns to office, the country will honor its commitment to the organization, but the bloc “is not just a welfare client, it should be a real alliance,” he said. Vance was referring to Trump’s criticism of insufficient defense spending by its European members.
Moscow has identified NATO’s enlargement in Europe as a threat to its national security and a key reason for the deterioration of relations with the West. Russian officials have for decades declared that the US-led military bloc’s increasing involvement in Ukraine since the 2014 armed coup in Kiev and its promise to bring the country into the fold have contributed in a major way to setting off the ongoing hostilities.
The current US Democrat administration has pledged to stand by Kiev “for as long as it takes” to defeat Russia and has pushed other nations to do the same. Despite the hundreds of billions of dollars spent on weapons and aid for Ukraine, Kiev’s troops are currently retreating along many parts of the front. Trump has claimed while campaigning that he would end the hostilities in 24 hours, if elected.
Few doubt that the Israeli prime minister sees Republican nominee Donald Trump as “a close ally,” the network has reported
The US is unlikely to achieve a breakthrough in resolving the Middle East conflict before the November 5 presidential election, leaving the issue “a serious political liability” for the administration of US President Joe Biden and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, CNN has reported.
Israel launched a flurry of strikes on Iranian military facilities on Saturday, in retaliation for Tehran’s missile barrage on the Jewish state earlier this month. Iran cited a string of assassinations of senior Hezbollah officials, including its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah, as the reason for the attack.
According to the network, while the exchange did not escalate into a full-scale war, – which was apparently Biden’s “worst-case scenario,” – “the larger knot that is the Middle East conflict remains as firmly gnarled as ever.”
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Unnamed officials interviewed by CNN said that US, Israeli, and Qatari diplomats are scheduled to meet in Doha for talks on an agreement on releasing the hostages taken by the Hamas militant group into Gaza and reaching a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave. However, US officials reportedly believe that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who “is intimately familiar with and tracking the ins and outs of the presidential election in the US,” does not want to make any serious decisions on the matter until he knows who will win the race for the White House.
There is little question in the minds of US officials that the Israeli leader “sees former President Donald Trump… as a close ally,” the article stated.
The Republican nominee has previously claimed to have almost daily conversations with the Israeli prime minister, describing their relationship as “very good.” The Washington Post reported last week, citing sources, that during one of those calls, Trump told Netanyahu to “do what you have to do,” referring to Israel’s attacks on Hamas and Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, reports claim that Biden has made numerous attempts to pressure Israel to limit the scope of its attacks on Iran, especially when it comes to Tehran’s nuclear facilities. Other media outlets have described the relationship between the two leaders as “complicated,” with US journalist Bob Woodward claiming that the president had called Netanyahu a “liar” over his handling of the Gaza conflict, while threatening to cut military aid to the Jewish state.
Tbilisi must prove its intention to join the bloc, European Council chief Charles Michel has said, after a divisive election
Georgia must prove that it still wants to join the EU, European Council President Charles Michel has said, after the ruling party’s election victory on Saturday was rejected by pro-Western forces in the former Soviet state.
With over 99% of ballots counted, the populist conservative Georgian Dream party has won over 54% of the vote and is projected to have a clear majority in the 150-seat national parliament. Four other groups have crossed the 5% election threshold, all of them pro-EU. The ruling party says it supports membership in the bloc, but has adopted policies that have been criticized by Brussels.
Responding to the hotly contested election and teh opposition’s declaration that it refuses to accept the results, Michel issued a call on X on Sunday for the Georgian leadership to “demonstrate its firm commitment to the country’s EU path.” The European Council will review “alleged irregularities” during the election, he added, citing a report by international observers.
Monitors sent to Georgia by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have confirmed that voters were offered a wide choice of candidates who could “generally campaign freely,” but noted that the election “unfolded amid entrenched polarization” in society.
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“Campaign messages were dominated by geopolitical issues, with the ruling party framing the choice between itself and the opposition as one between peace and war,” the report said. “The opposition parties [were] presenting the elections as a referendum on Georgia’s geopolitical orientation.”
Opposition forces have claimed that the election was rigged and declared an intention to stage mass street protests in the capital, Tbilisi. Outgoing President Salome Zourabichvili, whom Georgian Dream unsuccessfully tried to impeach last year for overstepping her mandate, has claimed that accepting the outcome would amount to “inviting Russia” into the country. The French-born politician branded the election a form of hybrid warfare by Moscow.
Georgian Dream officials have warned that their rivals want to foment civil unrest, similar to the ‘color revolution’ in Ukraine in 2014, when a Western-backed armed coup in Kiev toppled the elected government. Those events started as a protest against the postponement of a treaty on integration with the EU, which was adopted by the new authorities and resulted in the reduction of economic ties with Russia. Moscow says that the current hostilities with Kiev are partly the result of the insurrection a decade ago.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s new Hebrew-language page has been blocked by Elon Musk’s platform for violating its rules
Elon Musk’s X platform (formerly Twitter) has suspended the Hebrew-language account of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei a day after it was launched.
Khamenei’s new page, which was created on Saturday, became inaccessible on Sunday.
"Account suspended. X suspends accounts which violate the X Rules,” a message by the platform read. X has not yet provided any further explanations for its move.
The ban came just hours after a message was posted on the page, reading: “The Zionist regime made a mistake. It erred in its calculations on Iran. We will cause it to understand what kind of strength, ability, initiative, and will the Iranian nation has.”
In his post, Khamenei was apparently referring to the IDF attack on Iran early on Saturday. West Jerusalem said that it targeted some 20 military sites in the country in retaliation for Tehran’s missile strike on Israel earlier this month. The Islamic Republic has confirmed that the bombardment took place, but insisted that it caused only “limited damage.”
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On October 1, Iran fired nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, saying that it was acting in response to the killing of the Hamas and Hezbollah leaders as well as an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) general.
Khamenei’s English-language account on X, which has 1.3 million followers, remains operational. In one of his most recent posts on the page, the Iranian supreme leader said “we must make the Zionists [the Israelis] understand the power of Iranian people.”
In another message, he blamed the UN and other international bodies for “not doing their duty… of confronting” Israel, which in addition to targeting Iran is also involved in military operations in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.
Clothing that demonstrates “religious affiliation” will not be allowed in educational facilities in Vladimir Region
Local education authorities in Russia’s Vladimir Region have banned students from wearing religious clothing, including hijabs and niqabs, as part of new dress code measures for schools.
In a document published on Saturday, the regional Ministry of Education and Youth Policy said a new clause had been added to its rules on the “standard requirements” for student clothing in primary, basic, and secondary general education.
The amendment stipulates that “clothing and its elements demonstrating the religious affiliation of the student (including hijabs, niqabs, etc.)” are not allowed in educational institutions. The rules are in accordance with the Russian Constitution as well as federal law on religious associations and education, and did not specifically target Muslim clothing, the ministry stated.
“The established requirements for school clothing and students' appearance, regardless of their religious affiliation, ensure the secular nature of state and municipal educational institutions and maintain religious neutrality within them,” the ministry explained in a post on VK on Sunday. The new policy will take effect one week from the date of publication.
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Worn by some women of the Islamic faith, the hijab is a type of scarf covering the head and neck, while the niqab is a veil that covers the face entirely, leaving only a slit for the eyes.
Vladimir Region is 200km east of Moscow and is predominantly populated by ethnic Russians, with less than 1% of residents being Muslims.
Several other Russian regions have recently banned traditional Muslim face and head coverings, citing security concerns. This summer, the wearing of the niqab was restricted in the Muslim-majority republics of Karachaevo-Cherkessia and Dagestan, following a terrorist attack targeting Christian and Jewish sites that claimed the lives of 20 people. In a separate incident, a man dressed in women’s clothing and wearing a niqab opened fire on a police patrol in Dagestan after his car was stopped for a document check.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that individuals with covered faces impede law enforcement agencies from fulfilling certain tasks.
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“I believe that when such a situation arises, and when the interests of ensuring security dictate such necessity, everyone, including Muslims, should treat this with full respect,” he argued.
Face coverings have also been banned or restricted in several Central Asian countries. Last year, Uzbekistan prohibited the wearing of face coverings in public, with exceptions that did not include religious clothing. Kazakhstan has already banned the hijab in schools and indicated it might expand the measures. Kyrgyzstan has proposed fines for women wearing Islamic niqabs and for men with bushy beards.
Donald Trump wants the tycoon to lead his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and audit the federal government
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has made an appearance at a Donald Trump rally at Madison Square Garden where he promised to save American taxpayers trillions of dollars if the Republican candidate wins.
Despite previously having proclaimed political neutrality, Musk has leaned towards the former president in recent months, publicly endorsing him after the first assassination attempt. Following this, Trump promised that if he wins the November election, he will establish a “government efficiency” commission headed by the billionaire entrepreneur.
As he walked on stage in New York on Sunday, Musk was asked, “How much do you think we can cut from this wasted $6.5 trillion Harris-Biden budget?”
Elon Musk on D.O.G.E:
"I think we can reduce the annual federal budget by atleast $2 trillion per year. Your tax money is being wasted and the Department of Government Efficiency is going to fix that." pic.twitter.com/isu5ZHOaGz
“I think we can do at least $2 trillion,” Musk replied, eliciting loud cheers from the crowd. “At the end of the day, all government spending is taxation. Whether it's direct taxation or government spending, it either leads to inflation or becomes direct taxation.”
Your money is being wasted, and the Department of Government Efficiency is going to fix that! We're going to get the government off your back and out of your pocketbook!
When the former US president proposed creating DOGE, he stated it would be an independent force “tasked with conducting a complete financial and performance audit of the entire federal government and making recommendations for the drastic reforms we need.”
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Neither Trump nor Musk specified how exactly the panel would operate or which specific policies it would eliminate or implement.
The tech billionaire has repeatedly sounded the alarm over US debt, warning just last week that the country is spiraling toward bankruptcy and will quickly go bust if Washington doesn’t curb its spending.
In September, he wrote that every trillion dollars of debt added is money that “our kids and grandkids are going to have to pay somehow.” If debt continues to grow at this pace, Musk warned, the US will be trapped in a vicious cycle where “the only thing we’ll be able to pay is interest.”
Earlier this month, Musk told American journalist Tucker Carlson that he has bet “all in” on Donald Trump winning the US presidential election in November; if Trump loses, he is “f**ked” and will probably end up in jail.
Moscow and Beijing are seeking to bolster cultural ties with new initiatives
Russia and China are working to strengthen their cultural cooperation through the film and music industries, President Vladimir Putin has said. He revealed various projects discussed during the BRICS Summit last week, including joint film ventures and an international music festival.
In an interview with Rossiya-1 correspondent Pavel Zarubin published on his Telegram channel Sunday, the Russian president praised his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping’s initiative to enhance collaboration between filmmakers from both countries.
He underscored the cultural and historical bonds between Russia and China, stating that the two nations share “pages of heroic history, beautiful history” and many interesting stories that should be introduced to a wider audience.
“There is also an idea to create a high-level festival like Intervision,” Putin continued, referring to a popular song contest that once served as an alternative to Eurovision.
”When we proposed this, our Chinese friends supported it and embraced the idea. Let’s see what comes of it,” he added.
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Intervision attracted artists not only from then-socialist countries but also welcomed contestants from the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Spain, Canada, and Portugal. The festival ran from 1965 to 1980, first in Czechoslovakia and then in Poland.
There was an attempt to revive the contest after the fall of the Soviet Union, with a single event in Sochi, Russia in 2008 attended by 11 of its former republics. In 2023, Moscow again proposed reviving Intervision, now with the participation of Central Asian nations, Shanghai Cooperation Organization members and BRICS countries, as well as others who were willing to participate.
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Russia switched to participating in Eurovision in 1994 but was excluded from the ostensibly “apolitical” contest after the escalation of the conflict with Ukraine in February 2022. Several Russian celebrities, including 2015 Eurovision contestant Polina Gagarina, were sanctioned by the EU for refusing to denounce the Russian government.
Moscow has repeatedly condemned Western attempts to ‘cancel’ Russian culture, with Putin stating that the “unprecedented politicization of the field of culture” has turned it “into a weapon of geopolitical intrigues.”
Voting for Kamala Harris would be a “gamble with the lives of millions,” the Republican candidate has said.
Former US President Donald Trump promised not to send Americans to fight and die in countries they have never heard of while addressing a crowd in the battleground state of Pennsylvania this weekend.
Speaking at a campaign rally on Saturday, Trump once again claimed he is the only one capable of preventing an all-out global conflict, arguing that his Democratic rival Kamala Harris “would get us into World War III, guaranteed, because she is too grossly incompetent to do the job.”
“To make her president would be to gamble with the lives of millions of people. Sons and daughters will end up getting drafted to fight in a war in a country you’ve never heard of,” he said.
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In his nomination acceptance speech earlier this year, Trump vowed to “end every single international crisis that the current administration has created,” particularly the Ukraine and Gaza conflicts. He never offered specific plans to bring about world peace, but repeatedly warned that by supporting and financing “other people’s wars” under the leadership of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the US is increasing the likelihood of sliding into WWIII.
Last week, Trump claimed on his Truth Social platform that “if Kamala gets four more years, the Middle East will spend the next four decades going up in flames, and your kids will be going off to war.”
“But I will not send you to fight and die in a foolish, never-ending foreign war,” he told the crowd on Saturday.
You don't have to send your kids out to war, have your kid blown up for a country that you've never heard of, and that doesn’t want anything to do with you anyway.
The Republican has repeatedly promised to end the Ukraine conflict within 24 hours of being elected, before even being sworn into office, by forcing both sides into negotiations.
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Harris, a staunch supporter of Ukraine, has criticized Trump’s approach, claiming he would essentially force Kiev to surrender. The Kremlin has cast doubt on Trump’s promises of peace, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov suggesting that he does not “think there is a magic wand” that can stop the fighting overnight.
Trump also claimed that he could have prevented last year’s October 7 Hamas incursion into Israel, telling podcaster Joe Rogan that when he was president, he made sure Tehran had no money to fund its proxies.
Salome Zourabichvili has said she does not recognize Saturday’s parliamentary election results and blames Russia
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has rejected the results of Saturday’s parliamentary election and is calling for mass protests, alleging that the voting process was manipulated in favor of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
According to official results, Georgian Dream secured 54% of the vote, while opposition parties received between 11% and 3%.
French–born Zourabichvili – a career diplomat for Paris, who only acquired Georgian citizenship in her 50s – condemned the election as a “Russian-style” operation, claiming that Georgian Dream is steering the nation towards Moscow, and away from that of the EU.
Despite Zourabichvili calling the election a “total fraud,” the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) reported that it observed no systemic voting irregularities. It did, however, claim to have observed incidents of vote-buying and pressure on public sector employees, but praised the diversity of choices on the ballot.
In contrast to the OSCE’s assessment, Zourabichvili accused Georgian Dream of attempting to “steal” the country’s “European future” by aligning it with Russia, sparking a call for international intervention.
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Pro-Western opposition forces, including the United National Movement (UNM) and the Coalition for Change, have backed Zourabichvili’s accusations, refusing to take seats in the new parliament. UNM leader Tina Bokuchava condemned Georgian Dream for allegedly enabling corruption and external influence, vowing to “fight like never before” to overturn the results.
Zourabichvili held a series of meetings with opposition leaders on Sunday, affirming her stance at an emergency press briefing. “I am not one person; I am an institution that represents the population,” she declared, calling for citizens to join the protests.
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The president, a former French diplomat, also appealed to Western nations to “protect Georgia” and maintain stability in the region, emphasizing that she is the “only independent institution left” in Georgia’s government. Previously, Zourabichvili has also supported other protests in Georgia, including against ‘foreign agent’ legislation and “LGBT propaganda’ laws she also branded as “Russian-style.”
Georgian Dream representatives dismissed Zourabichvili’s allegations, accusing her of abandoning her presidential role to join the “radical opposition.” Party chairman Mamuka Mdinaradze asserted that the president’s statements align more with foreign interests than national priorities, insisting that Georgian Dream will move forward with forming a government.
According to Georgian law, a simple 76-seat majority is needed to confirm the next prime minister and cabinet, and Georgian Dream could gain up to 90 of the chamber’s 150 seats.
An “armed group” has sought to enter Bryansk Region, Aleksandr Bogomaz has said
The Russian military, together with border guards and National Guard units, have repelled an attempted incursion into Bryansk Region, its governor, Aleksandr Bogomaz, said in a statement on Telegram on Sunday.
According to the governor, an “armed group” had sought to cross into Russia from Ukraine near the village of Manev. Located right on the border, the small settlement has been abandoned for years.
The border guards, together with the military and security forces, opened fire on the invaders and forced them to retreat, according to the statement. The size of the would-be incursion force as well as its potential losses remain unclear. Bogomaz has not reported any casualties on the Russian side.
The situation in the region remains stable and the border area is now controlled by the regional operations HQ, the governor said. Neither the Russian Defense Ministry nor the Ukrainian military have commented on the incident so far.
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Bryansk Region, which borders Belarus to the west and Ukraine’s Chernigov and Sumy regions to the south, has been a frequent target of Ukrainian drone attacks since the start of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.
Last week, Russian air defenses destroyed more than 100 of the Ukrainian UAVs over the region as well as neighboring Kursk, Oryol and Belgorod Region, and Lipetsk Region, located further to the east.
Ukraine routinely launches drone attacks deep into Russia, with raids targeting energy facilities and other civilian structures.
In early August, Kiev’s force also staged a major incursion into neighboring Kursk Region, which also borders Ukraine’s Sumy Region.
The Ukrainian forces made some initial progress in the early days of the operation but were quickly contained by their opponents. Russian troops have been gradually pushing the invading force away from the region ever since.
Over the nearly two months since the start of the incursion, the Russian military has managed to win back more than a dozen settlements close to the border. The total number of Ukrainian soldiers killed in the operation has surpassed 20,000, according to the Russian Defense Ministry’s estimates.
The Battle of McDonald’s isn’t about the economy. It’s about the decline of a cultural icon that mirrors that of America.
Times sure have changed. It used to be that US presidential candidates argued about who best served in the military. Now, it’s about who best served up fries. The “McDonald’s vote” has arguably never mattered more than it does in this election.
Republican former (and potential future) President Donald Trump showed up at a McDonald’s franchise in Feasterville, Pennsylvania recently, tied on an apron and worked the drive-thru window serving up french fries. He joked that after 15 minutes, he had worked longer at McDonald’s than his Democratic opponent, Vice-President Kamala Harris, who had said that she worked at the world-renowned fast-food chain in her youth.
An online army subsequently took to the review site Yelp in an all-out online assault against the restaurant that hosted the campaign stunt. “The atmosphere was creepy with a convicted felon and adjudicated rapist behind the counter. Yuk,” wrote one reviewer, referencing Trump’s legal woes. “Customer service was a joke. Senile old man got bronzer on my fries, didn’t wear gloves. Repeated himself several times,” said another. “Usually I hold high praise for a company that employs the mentally impaired but this one seemed more off than usual,” added yet another. And it went on and on for pages…until Yelp disabled user submissions.
It was Harris who first made the restaurant a campaign war zone. “I worked at @McDonalds when I was a student, doing french fries and ice cream. There wasn’t a family relying on me to pay the bills – but that’s the reality for too many workers today. Proud to stand with @SEIU today for livable wages and a safe working environment,” she tweeted in June 2024, addressing the two million nationwide employees of the Service Employees International Union.
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McDonald’s is acting like the country of Switzerland in a war – or a girl being fought over for a prom date. “McDonald’s does not endorse candidates for elected office and that remains true in this race for the next President. We are not red or blue – we are golden,” the company said in a statement.
So, what’s the big deal about McDonald’s? It’s about more than just economic policy in an election where that’s the number one issue. “I think part of the difference between me and my opponent includes our perspective on the needs of the American people and what our responsibility, then, is to meet those needs,” Harris said, trying to explain in an MSNBC interview why she even brought up McDonald’s in the first place. But that doesn’t explain why McDonald’s strikes such a cultural nerve, or why that’s particularly the case right now.
North Americans, notably Generation X and older, relate to McDonald’s on a visceral level because of its cameo appearances in so many core memories. The birthday parties in the McDonald’s play park or caboose. Walking in the door under the Golden Arches at the crack of dawn after all-night high school graduation celebrations, passing friends dozing off with their heads on tables en route to buying some hotcakes and syrup. The community sports events featuring McD’s famously bright “orange drink.” Hitting the drive-thru after gymnastics practice to wolf down Big Macs to give hard working parents an affordable reprieve from cooking after a long day. Dates that consisted of a trip through the drive-thru for a picnic in a local park. Counting the minutes until Saint Patrick’s Day, because it meant mint green Shamrock Shakes. Looking forward to a first job experience working with friends from the neighborhood.
Those were the golden years of the Golden Arches, and of America, which are virtually synonymous with each other – as much in their former greatness as in their perceived decline. If things were still so great, then why is there so much nostalgia for those days? Now, people complain en masse about the ice cream machines being broken. The prices skyrocketed, with menu items costing on average 40% more just since 2019 alone, according to the company’s president himself. The cabooses vanished. McDonalds tried to be more sober and serious with its color scheme, making it seem less inviting and more like a Judgy McJudgerson, towards people going in for a quick sundae while dressed in a wet swimsuit and flip flops, with just a towel wrapped around your waist after swim practice (not that I would know anything about that).
Then, just like America itself, it got globalization wrong, adapting its menu to ”regional tastes” with things like the “cottage cheese and radish McMuffin,” porridge-based “Burbur Ayam McD” and the “Pizza McPuff.” It’s the culinary equivalent of US nation-building as a means of masking foreign invasion. How about dropping the act already and just conquering hearts and minds with those greasy apple pies that I can’t find anymore – the ones with the filling that burn a hole straight through your shirt if you accidentally drop any.
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Even Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now on Team Trump in the wake of launching his presidential run vowing to “Make America Healthy Again,” leveraged Trump’s campaign stunt to lament the good old days. “Did you know that McDonald’s used to use beef tallow to make their fries from 1940 until phasing it out in favor of seed oils in 1990? This switch was made because saturated animal fats were thought to be unhealthy, but we have since discovered that seed oils are one of the driving causes of the obesity epidemic,” he tweeted. “Americans should have every right to eat out at a restaurant without being unknowingly poisoned by heavily subsidized seed oils.”
McDonald’s started wading into social controversies, making Black Lives Matter ads in the wake of the George Floyd controversy. It was rewarded for its efforts with the ACLU accusing it of “woke-washing” its lack of paid sick leave for “black and brown workers.” In 2018, the company’s chief global diversity officer pointed out that they were flipping the arches from an ‘M’ shape to a ‘W’ to celebrate International Women’s Day.
Sigh. Are all the ice cream machines fixed yet? Can a working parent buy their kids some McD’s again without having to take out another mortgage on their home? Somewhere along the line, McDonald’s lost its way – just like the rest of America’s institutions.
It used to be a place where kids worked in their first job. Now, because the government has destroyed the economy so badly, it’s apparently supposed to be a place that feeds entire families, with the company now paying parental leave and tuition assistance. What the heck? When I was in university, a McDonald’s job WAS the tuition assistance.
The “McDonald’s vote” in play for this election consists of those who realize that there’s something systematically wrong with American culture, diluted and destroyed by misguided establishment policies, and aware of the link to the country’s economic woes. A YouGov poll this month found that 65% of Americans believe that America is headed in the wrong direction.
Harris says that “America is still that shining city upon a hill that inspires people around the world.” Trump, meanwhile, recently said of the US that it’s “like a garbage can… Every time I come up and talk about what they’ve done to our country, I get angrier, and it’s the first time I’ve ever said ‘garbage can,’ but it’s a very accurate description.”
Only one of these people sounds like they’re fed up with the broken ice cream machine as the status quo. The other is standing there at the counter, smiling at the customers, and blaming the guy who keeps pointing out the problem.
The coalition “will fight like never before” to reverse the results of the weekend ballot, one party leader has vowed
Leaders of several opposition parties in Georgia have said they will not recognize the results of this weekend's national parliamentary vote. According to the official results, the ruling Georgian Dream party received almost 54% of the vote, while various opposition forces attracted between 11% and 3%.
Georgian Dream party chairman Mamuka Mdinaradze has claimed the party is likely to win at least 90 of the national chamber’s 150 seats, up from the 74 it won in the last election. The party will then be able to form the next government since a simple 76-strong majority is needed in Georgia to pick the next prime minister and cabinet.
Tina Bokuchava, who heads the pro-Western Unity-National Movement (UNM) party, has accused the nation’s central election committee of doing Georgian Dream’s bidding and of “stealing the European future” of Georgia.
“We do not accept the stolen election results and are not going to recognize [them],” she stated at a news briefing following the vote. Bokuchava claimed that victory in fact “belonged” to the opposition, which supposedly had received a “mandate of trust” from the people.
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According to official results, the UNM received just over 10% of the votes. Bokuchava still maintained that her party would “fight like never before for the return of our European future and will not come to terms with the stolen election results.” She later announced that her party will not join the new parliament.
Bokuchava also said on Sunday that she’d already met with Georgia’s Western-leaning president Salome Zourabichvili, describing the meeting as “very important.” According to media in Georgia, the president has met with representatives of several opposition groups on Sunday, including the UNM and ‘Strong Georgia.’
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The leader of the ‘Coalition for Changes’ party has also declared that his group will not recognize the election results. Nika Gvaramia, who also briefly served as the nation’s justice minister in 2008, accused the Georgian Dream of “usurping power” and of staging what he called a “constitutional coup.”
Gvaramia has also vowed that his political rivals “will be held accountable for this under Georgian law,” adding that Georgian Dream would have to “acknowledge the opposition victory” before that. His party was a member of a coalition that received 11% of the votes. ‘Coalition for Changes’ also announced that they do not intend to participate in parliamentary activities.
Salome Zourabichvili has claimed that the vote was won by what she called “European Georgia,” and despite alleged “attempts to rig elections.”
Georgian Dream’s Mdinaradze responded to the president’s statements by calling her an “agent” of the opposition radicals. “Georgia no longer has a president. Georgia has an agent, a leader of the radical opposition… the main coordinator,” the politician stated on Sunday.
With conflict escalating in the Middle East, Iran is at a crossroads: How to maintain influence in Lebanon while avoiding direct war?
The ongoing Middle Eastern conflict has significantly reshaped the balance of power, not only within the region but also beyond its borders. This conflict touches upon the key geopolitical interests of major regional and global powers, such as Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the US, and Russia, leading to shifts in diplomatic and military strategies, as well as power dynamics.
A recent example are the events of the past few days when Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati made an unexpected move, given the country’s diplomatic practice, by issuing strong criticism of Iran. Mikati condemned Tehran for “blatant interference” in Lebanon’s internal affairs, referencing recent comments by Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
The Prime Minister’s main discontent stemmed from the discussion of UN Resolution 1701, which governs the situation in southern Lebanon after the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. The resolution mandates that only the Lebanese armed forces and UN peacekeepers are allowed in the area. However, Ghalibaf, in his remarks, suggested holding talks about the implementation of this resolution with France as a mediator – a proposal Mikati saw as an attempt to impose external control on Lebanon.
Ghalibaf’s statements, published in Le Figaro, sparked a wave of criticism in Lebanon, particularly from political forces advocating for the country’s sovereignty. Mikati stressed that any issues regarding the implementation of international resolutions must be handled solely by Lebanese authorities, and external interference in such matters is unacceptable. He asserted that while Lebanon is ready to cooperate with international partners like France, all negotiations must originate from a sovereign state. Moreover, the Prime Minister expressed concern that such remarks could further exacerbate an already tense situation in a country still grappling with ongoing military conflict.
Mikati instructed Lebanon’s foreign minister to summon the Iranian chargé d’affaires to seek clarification on Ghalibaf’s comments. He pointed out that during previous visits by Iranian officials to Lebanon, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, he had made it clear that any attempts to interfere in Lebanon’s affairs would be perceived as a violation of sovereignty. Mikati also emphasized that the current situation in Lebanon, where the country faces unprecedented aggression from Israel, requires special understanding and support from the international community, rather than attempts to impose external control.
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The escalation around Iranian officials’ remarks coincided with Ghalibaf and Araghchi’s recent visits to Lebanon, which were accompanied by statements that many in Lebanon interpreted as attempts to meddle in the country’s political process. Specifically, Araghchi disregarded a proposed roadmap for ending the war, developed by Lebanese politicians Nabih Berri and Walid Jumblatt, which included a ceasefire, presidential elections, and the implementation of UN Resolution 1701, yet it notably omitted Hezbollah. Such actions drew widespread criticism, especially from those who believe Lebanon must determine its own destiny without external influence.
France, as one of Lebanon’s key international partners, and former colonizer, also voiced opposition to Iran’s position. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his disagreement with Iran’s actions, saying they endanger Lebanon’s civilian population. Macron stressed that Hezbollah must disarm and cease its terrorist activities to allow the Lebanese people to achieve unity and restore stability. His remarks came amid active French diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in Lebanon and provide assistance to the country, which faces severe humanitarian and political challenges.
Mikati’s statements received widespread support within Lebanon. Political leaders, such as Samir Geagea, head of the Lebanese Forces party, and Sami Gemayel, leader of the Kataeb party, welcomed the Prime Minister’s intiative. Geagea noted that Mikati’s stance offers hope that the state is beginning to take responsibility for its internal affairs, despite the difficult situation in the country. Sami Gemayel, in turn, called Mikati’s position a vital step towards restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty and state authority. He stressed that future actions should focus on strengthening state power and preventing foreign interference.
Lebanon: A perpetual battleground
Lebanon has long been a battleground for regional and global powers, where diverse interests intersect and often conflict. Its strategic location, coupled with its religious and ethnic diversity, has made it a stage for external forces seeking to advance their own goals, often at the expense of Lebanon’s sovereignty and the well-being of its people.
During Lebanon’s civil war from 1975 to 1990, Israel played an active role in the conflict. Fearing attacks from Palestinian armed groups operating from southern Lebanon, Israel conducted military operations to secure its own northern borders. In 1982, Israeli forces invaded Lebanon with the stated goal of expelling the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). This intervention led to complex alliances, including cooperation with some Lebanese Christian militias like the Lebanese Forces. These groups fought against common adversaries, including pro-Syrian and pro-Iranian forces. Israel’s involvement deepened the conflict and contributed to its prolongation.
Syria also played a significant role in Lebanon during this period. Under the pretext of restoring peace, Syrian troops entered Lebanon in 1976 and remained for nearly three decades. This military presence allowed Damascus to exert substantial influence over Lebanese politics, supporting groups aligned with its interests, such as the Amal Movement and later Hezbollah. Many Lebanese saw Syria’s involvement as an occupation that undermined the country’s sovereignty.
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Saudi Arabia’s influence was mainly channeled through Lebanon’s Sunni community. By forging close ties with prominent families like the Hariris, Riyadh sought to counter Syrian and Iranian influence. Rafik Hariri, a prominent businessman and politician who served as Prime Minister several times, was a key figure in these relations. Saudi financial support bolstered Sunni political parties, including the Future Movement (Al-Mustaqbal), promoting policies in line with Saudi interests. The assassination of Rafik Hariri in 2005 sparked the Cedar Revolution, a wave of mass protests that led to the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon.
Despite the departure of Syrian forces, Lebanon remained a playground for external actors seeking to expand their influence. Saudi Arabia continued to back Sunni leaders, including Rafik’s son, Saad Hariri, who also became Prime Minister. However, he faced significant challenges from Hezbollah, which had grown stronger with Iranian support. Meanwhile, various Christian factions in Lebanon maintained close ties with Western countries and, in some cases, engaged with Israel. This complex web of alliances deepened internal divisions and contributed to ongoing political and economic crises.
Throughout these turbulent periods, the interests of external actors often took precedence over the needs and aspirations of the Lebanese people. Each regional and global power pursued its strategic objectives, sometimes exacerbating sectarian tensions and undermining efforts to achieve lasting peace and stability. The people of Lebanon have often borne the brunt of these confrontations, suffering from the consequences of conflicts fueled by outside interests.
In recent developments, the ongoing conflict between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hezbollah has once again highlighted Lebanon’s vulnerability to external interference. Reports of significant losses within Hezbollah, including high-ranking commanders, have emboldened the group’s domestic opponents, who see an opportunity to shift the balance of power. Western countries have also stepped up efforts to weaken Iran’s influence in Lebanon. This renewed international involvement underscores a persistent trend of external forces meddling in Lebanese affairs to advance their interests, often with little regard for the country’s sovereignty or the welfare of its citizens.
Thus, Lebanon’s history shows that the country has often fallen victim to geopolitical games, where the fate of its people has been relegated to the background. Achieving lasting peace and stability requires external powers to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and foster dialogue that prioritizes the interests of all its citizens.
Is Iran losing its grip?
The ties between Iran and Lebanon have deep historical roots, dating back to the period before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. However, it was after the revolution that relations between the two countries underwent significant changes. Iran’s new leadership, headed by Ayatollah Khomeini, adopted a policy of exporting the Islamic revolution and supporting Shiites abroad. This led to increased engagement with Lebanon’s Shiite community, which was seeking support.
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In the early 1980s, during Lebanon’s civil war, Iran used the political vacuum to bolster its influence. Through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Tehran began providing financial and military assistance to local Shiite leaders. One of the key outcomes of this cooperation was the establishment of Hezbollah in 1982, a Shiite armed organization formed in response to Israel’s invasion of Lebanon. The armed group became not only a tool of resistance against Israeli occupation but also a significant political player in Lebanon, representing the interests of the Shiite community and promoting an ideology closely aligned with Iran.
Hezbollah has been a strategic partner and a vital instrument of influence in the Middle East For Iran. Supporting the organization allowed Tehran strengthen its position in the region, challenge Israel, and exert influence on Lebanon’s internal politics. Hezbollah has received substantial resources from Iran, including financial aid, military equipment, and fighter training. This cooperation helped transform the group into a powerful military and political force capable of influencing Lebanese government decisions.
Over time, Hezbollah became one of the most influential parties in Lebanon, participating in both parliament and government. This gave Iran the ability to affect Lebanese politics from within, advancing its interests and countering the influence of other regional players, such as Saudi Arabia and Israel.
In recent years, external forces, including Israel and Western countries, have intensified efforts to weaken Iran’s influence in Lebanon. Israel, viewing Hezbollah as a direct threat to its security due to the organization’s missile arsenal and military capabilities, has carried out operations aimed at destroying Hezbollah’s infrastructure and killing key figures.
Recent strikes have led to the elimination of several high-ranking Hezbollah commanders and fighters, which domestic opponents of the group in Lebanon saw as an opportunity to shift the balance of power.
Israel’s strategy was based on an understanding of Lebanon’s internal divisions. By exploiting tensions between different political and religious factions, Israel hoped its actions would be supported or, at the very least, not met with significant resistance from Lebanese society.
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Today, Iran finds itself in a difficult position. On the one hand, Tehran seeks to maintain its influence in Lebanon and continue using Hezbollah as a tool of regional policy. On the other hand, direct military confrontation with Israel or an escalation of tensions could lead to serious consequences for both Iran and the broader region. Economic sanctions, internal challenges, and international pressure limit Iran’s ability to respond to these challenges.
Iran prefers to avoid direct confrontation, opting for a strategy of restraint and diplomacy. Tehran continues to support Hezbollah through political and economic channels, attempting to strengthen its position without direct intervention. However, increasing pressure from Israel and the West, coupled with criticism from Lebanese authorities, complicates this challenge. The ongoing weakening of Hezbollah could reduce Iran’s influence in Lebanon, which would deal a significant blow to Tehran’s strategic interests.
Pressure on Iran and its allies heightens the risk of further escalation in the Middle East. If Iran decides to take more aggressive steps to defend its interests, this could lead to large-scale military events, affecting not only Lebanon and Israel but also other countries in the region. Given the complexity of the ethnic and sectarian landscape, as well as the presence of various armed groups, such a scenario could have catastrophic consequences.
The situation in Lebanon reflects the intricate nature of the geopolitical game in the Middle East, where the interests of various states are intertwined and often conflict. The criticism from Lebanese authorities towards Iran is part of a broader strategy by external forces aimed at redistributing influence in the region. Faced with mounting pressure, Iran must balance defending its interests with the risk of escalating the conflict.
Achieving stability will require coordinated efforts from the international community aimed at supporting Lebanon’s sovereignty and preventing external interference. Only through dialogue and mutual understanding can a path to peace and sustainable development be found, one that considers the interests of all parties involved, and, most importantly, the well-being of the Lebanese people.
The 134 points adopted by the group’s leaders in the document have potentially profound implications
This week’s Kazan Declaration suggests that the BRICS – in its expanded composition– is ready to open a new chapter in its history. Never before have such voluminous documents been adopted as a result of the group’s summits. Moreover, the Kazan Declaration will be the subject of great interest in the world’s political and academic circles, as well as the object of criticism by opponents of BRICS.
For the first time, the group’s unified vision of the current state of the international system is set out in detail.
The Declaration is a voluminous document containing 134 paragraphs, some of which are quite long. The statement adopted at the previous summit in Johannesburg in August 2023, contained only 94 paragraphs, and a document, adopted in Beijing in July 2022 had 75. Thus, year by year the outcome has become increasingly detailed and, as it is now customary to say, substantive, reflecting the gradual increase in the intensity of the group’s engagement and the broadening of the substantive scope of its multilateral cooperation.
The Kazan Declaration consists of a preamble and four sections dealing with: (1) strengthening multilateralism, (2) global and regional security, (3) financial and economic cooperation, and (4) humanitarian exchanges. This division seems reasonable and in line with the priorities of the Russian chairmanship announced a year ago.
For the first time in BRICS’ history, the Declaration sets out in detail the group’s shared vision of the current state of the international system, the common or overlapping approaches to the fundamental global problems of our time and to acute regional crises, and the contours of a desirable and achievable world order as the members of the group currently see it. While the document does not provide specific timetables for individual tasks or roadmaps for specific areas of work, it does cover a number of key objectives that the group should or could pursue over the next few years. It is clear that the document is the product not only of the Summit itself, but also of a great deal of hard work by an army of experts, officials and diplomats at various levels in multilateral formats over the past few months.
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The multilateral negotiation of the final text of a document of such length and importance is in itself a non-trivial task, especially as the text had to be negotiated not in the old format of the five BRICS members, but with the involvement of new members who had no previous experience of such work. One can only guess at the amount of work that went into the 43 pages of the final document.
Reading through the text of the declaration, it is easy to see that there is a clear balance between the security and development agendas. This balance suggests that the group has deliberately chosen to maintain its very broad mandate and will not focus its future activities on one thing – for example, promoting trade among the group’s members, as some experts have suggested.
Rather than adopting a narrow, thematic approach, BRICS intends to position itself as a multitasking laboratory of global governance, where new algorithms of multilateral cooperation and innovative models for solving the world’s major economic and political problems can be tested, including trade, finance and strategic stability. The group’s political ‘investment portfolio’ is thus more than diversified, and this diversification increases the chances of success for at least some of its many initiatives. This ‘issue-based’ approach to cooperation should help to overcome departmental divisions and to avoid the excessive bureaucracy inherent in many international organizations.
On development issues, the BRICS predictably faces a difficult choice between trying to achieve reforms of the existing, largely Western-oriented international economic and monetary institutions and trying to create effective alternatives to these institutions under their own common umbrella.
Judging from the text of the declaration, the intention is to maximize both opportunities: it calls for fundamental institutional changes in ‘old’ multilateral structures such as the IMF or the IBRD, while at the same time stating the BRICS’ intention to further promote non-Western institutional alternatives to these predominantly Western structures, such as the New Development Bank (NDB) and the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA). On the one hand, the document strongly supports the World Trade Organization (WTO) as a universal mechanism for the development of international economic relations, but does not limit its support to the WTO alone, and also calls for further trade liberalization within the BRICS grouping itself.
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The Declaration does not explicitly criticize the trade or financial practices of any particular country or group of countries, but expresses concern about “unlawful unilateral coercive measures,” such as sanctions, which are seen as damaging to the global economy and worldwide sustainable development goals. The paper concludes that such measures inevitably undermine the UN Charter and multilateral trading systems. This emphasis is not surprising - most of the BRICS member countries are either already subject to some form of unilateral sanctions by the West, or could be at any moment. Therefore, the idea of reducing dependence on the ‘old’ international institutions runs through the entire text of the document.
Security issues remain very sensitive for most of the BRICS member countries, and the declaration devotes most of its attention to them. It is not hard to guess that, at least in some conflict situations, members of the group could easily find themselves on different sides of the barricades. Judging by the carefully calibrated text of the Declaration, those who worked to bring together the many versions of the document spent a great deal of time and effort finding appropriate language to describe many of the current crises and conflicts. The paragraph on Ukraine, for example, is very short and refers to the positions already expressed by the Group in the votes on Ukraine in the Security Council and General Assembly of the UN. It also argues that a peaceful solution should be consistent with UN principles and norms in their entirety, pays tribute to mediation efforts and calls for conflict resolution through dialogue and diplomacy.
We can assume that it was not easy to find a common denominator on the situation in Gaza, given the very different positions of, for example, Iran and the UAE on Israel. The statement on the need to respect the territorial integrity of Syria could be interpreted as an implicit criticism of the Turkish military presence in that country, which Damascus has not explicitly authorized. It was probably easier to agree on less contentious issues, such as the ongoing nation-building crisis in Haiti, which is why the paragraph on this was relatively long and detailed. The same applies to the issue of international terrorism, which appears to be quite detailed; approaches to international terrorism seem to have been shared, if not fully agreed, among the group members from the outset.
The group decided that some of the more sensitive or technically challenging issues should be further considered and explored in more detail. Such issues include, for example, the Russian proposal for BRICS Clear, a system for trading securities without the associated conversion into dollars. One can imagine that many of the proposed changes to the global financial system using blockchain technology and digital tokens backed by national currencies, which are designed to make dollar transactions far less necessary in global trade, will not be easy to promote and therefore need further study at expert level.
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The same goes for proposals to modernize transport and logistics infrastructure within the BRICS grouping – given the expansion, this task looks different today than it did a year ago. On the other hand, something like a BRICS-based grain exchange may be easier to implement because the BRICS group already includes some of the world’s largest grain exporters and importers. It would be natural for the BRICS to become more actively involved in managing global energy markets – and here the group includes most of the world’s leading producers and consumers of hydrocarbons.
Overall, the declaration suggests that the enlarged BRICS group is ready to open a new chapter in its history. It is clear that BRICS is not an anti-Western alliance, and the group is not seeking to deliberately undermine or destroy Western institutions. The authors of the Declaration chose their wording very carefully, avoiding any turns of phrase that might lead the reader to believe that a sharp confrontation between the collective West and the rest of the world is inevitable.
BRICS does not even aim to ‘balance’ the West in any way. The BRICS will never be able to become a kind of G7, given the diversity of its members and the absence of a clear hegemonic leader in the group. Nevertheless, the group is capable of claiming, and is already openly doing so, a new, more prominent role in global governance and in defining the parameters of the new world order. Moreover, it intends to become one of the most influential actors in the entire global South, which has been severely underrepresented in most multilateral international institutions.
There is reason to believe that the Kazan Declaration will receive a great deal of attention in both political and academic circles around the world, and that it will receive its fair share of criticism from skeptics and opponents of BRICS. Some will say that the declaration was too general, too ambiguous and not focused enough on specific issues. Some will be tempted to dismiss the document as just another wish-list. However, the Kazan Declaration shows not only that the enlarged BRICS can agree on a very wide range of issues, but also that the group is breaking new ground in its development. The 17th BRICS Summit will be held in Brazil next year, and the long journey from Kazan to the Latin American continent promises to be a truly exciting one.
This article was first published by the online newspaper Business-Online and was translated and edited by the RT team
Ongoing Israeli military operations in the region disregard basic humanity and the laws of war, a top humanitarian official has said
What Israeli forces are doing in besieged Gaza during their ongoing war against Hamas cannot be allowed to continue, the United Nation’s top humanitarian official has said.
“The entire population of north Gaza is at risk of dying,” Joyce Msuya, acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, warned on Saturday, in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Israel has struck hospitals in the region, detained health workers and prevented first responders from rescuing people trapped under the rubble, according to the official.
“Shelters have been emptied and burned down…families have been separated, and men and boys taken away by the truckload,” she said, adding that “such blatant disregard for basic humanity and for the laws of war must stop.”
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, echoed the warning, having voiced deep concerns over the “catastrophic” situation in Gaza. He also highlighted the severe impact of the ongoing hostilities on healthcare in the region.
“Intensive military operations unfolding around and within healthcare facilities and a critical shortage of medical supplies, compounded by severely limited access, are depriving people of life saving care,” Ghebreyesus wrote on X on Saturday.
The situation in northern #Gaza is catastrophic. Intensive military operations unfolding around and within healthcare facilities and a critical shortage of medical supplies, compounded by severely limited access, are depriving people of life saving care.
The WHO Director-General added that Kamal Adwan Hospital in the city of Jabalia, one of the few functioning medical facilities in northern Gaza, has been severely impacted, with only a limited number of staff remaining to care for nearly 200 patients after the detention of 44 male personnel.
Earlier this week, the Health Ministry in the Palestinian enclave claimed that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stormed the hospital, detaining hundreds of staff, patients and displaced people.
The IDF insisted it was operating in and around the facility based on “intelligence information regarding the presence of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure in the area”.
“In the weeks preceding the operation, the IDF facilitated the evacuation of patients from the area while maintaining emergency services,” it added in a post on social media on Friday.
West Jerusalem has been repeatedly accused of indiscriminately targeting civilians in Gaza. According to the enclave’s health officials, over 42,000 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 97,000 wounded since the fighting between Hamas and Israel erupted in October 2023. The IDF has dismissed allegations of committing war crimes, arguing that Hamas is using Palestinian civilians as human shields.
More than a year into the conflict, around 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million population has been displaced, most of them multiple times, according to UN estimates.
The Kazan summit has effectively turned out to be the death knell of the US-led international order
The BRICS summit in Kazan was nothing short of a geopolitical firestorm. The assembling of the world’s prominent emerging economies in a country declared as a ‘pariah’ and under comprehensive sanctions is at best a denunciation and, at worst a harsh rebuke to Western policymakers who, according to Foreign Policy, tend to dismiss the grouping as an “incoherent grab bag.” This is undoubtedly Russia’s finest moment.
The Kazan summit is effectively turning out to be the death knell of the Western-led international order. Rejecting “unilateral trade-restrictive measures” or sanctions as being detrimental to the sustainable development goals, such measures were clearly labelled as “undermining the UN Charter,” being “inconsistent with WTO rules” and “contrary to international law.”
Although differences still persist regarding whether BRICS should develop towards a neutral ‘non-Western’ or a radical ‘anti-Western’ stance, there is nonetheless agreement amongst the member states that given the democratizing geostrategic landscape, Western institutions and projects needn’t be the only game in town. For instance, regarding the Ukraine conflict, while the BRICS Declaration called for all states to act “consistently with the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter,” Moscow achieved a diplomatic victory with the grouping’s acknowledgement of the need to combat the “glorification of Nazism, [and] neo-Nazism…”
In rather crisp and certain terms, the Declaration took a hard line that it strictly “denounced” Israeli attacks against humanitarian operations, facilities and personnel and expressed “grave concern” over the “unprecedented escalation of violence.”
Such well-articulated messaging points to a rising non-Western platform which is confident enough to come out of the shadows with a unified voice of its own. It went further by invoking the ICJ’s legal proceedings against Israel and denounced in uncompromising terms the “premeditated terrorist attack” involving communication devices in Beirut as a “grave violation of international law.”
As heads of state congregated for one of the “largest-scale foreign policy events ever” in Kazan, Russia, this is the first summit of the expanded BRICS membership where seven new states were invited to join the flagship non-Western platform.
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At first glance, it may seem that there cannot exist a common thread of agreement between member states placed along the entire spectrum, with their diverse foreign policy stances and national political systems. New members include both states under the American security umbrella and those under American sanctions. While some countries, like India for instance, may be accustomed to such intimidating diversity, most aren’t.
Yet the consistent resolve towards establishing a grouping that isn’t dominated by the industrialized North highlights the pent-up frustration with historical Western double standards (one case in point being the demise of the concept of Responsibility to Protect due to shortsighted Western chauvinism).
The lack of say in a dollar-dominated world economy where the US holds special privileged veto power in the Bretton Woods system and institutions that hardly represent the contemporary multipolar realities will invariably push unrepresented yet globally significant powers to mold a separate architecture. The “call for reform of the Bretton Woods institutions” with greater representation of Economically More Developed Countries (EMDCs) in leadership positions combined with increased geographical representation was in the Kazan summit is a case in point.
However, with diversity comes challenges. Although there is unanimous agreement that we’re in a post-Unipolar order, there are still competing viewpoints on the evolving world order. While the Kremlin and New Delhi view the change as more towards multipolarity, Chinese academics believe the coming age will be largely bipolar. Nevertheless, reflecting the shifting currents, the Kazan Declaration squarely mentions the “G20 as the premier global forum” for deliberation on contentious global issues – “a platform for dialogue of both developed and emerging economies on an equal and mutually beneficial footing.”
However, the truth is that while the West is in decline, it isn’t by definition not significant or influential by any means. The US dollar is still the global reserve currency, major trade and transactions are done in USD, Washington’s military budget is still unrivalled, and the global sea lanes are de facto controlled and patrolled by the US Navy.
In such times, it is natural that states hedge their bets and insure themselves against future geostrategic turbulence by currying favor with the emerging as well as the established powers. The membership queue of states to join the BRICS grouping can partly be viewed in this light, and partly due to the exclusivity of Western-led institutions, which fail to accommodate the majority of global interests.
A more 'democratic' era?
Democratic societies proudly lay claim to the smooth and peaceful transition of power following elections as one of the signature elements of democracy. Yet the US, one of the oldest modern democracies, has shown a surprising lack of flexibility when it comes to promoting the greater representation of emerging market economies in the IMF and the World Bank.
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A separate, more dangerous outcome is the inevitable emergence of what American political scientist Graham T. Allison calls the Thucydides Trap, wherein the propensity of war increases when a rising power threatens to displace an established power from its hegemonic position. According to Allison’s calculations, historically 12 out of 16 such cases in the past 500 years have ended in conflict.
Thus, instead of dismissing the BRICS grouping as a disparate bunch of hotshot rebels, the US (and the West by extension) would benefit immensely more by proactively engaging with the grouping and charting a blueprint for closer cooperation between the G7 and BRICS, and between the Bretton Woods system and the New Development Bank (NDB) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Pursuing commonalities rather than highlighting differences by prematurely proclaiming Cold War 2.0 should be the drift of states proclaiming to be flagbearers of democracy and human rights.
After all, the areas of convergence amongst the BRICS member states as well as the states of the global south aren’t different from the European notions establishing the Peace of Westphalia. In fact, Southern states are proving to be more Westphalian than their European counterparts by enshrining the notion of sovereignty and territoriality in, for instance, the Kazan Declaration.
Support for Palestine’s full membership in the UN along with the “unwavering commitment” towards a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders was clearly mentioned. Notably, the Declaration boldly “condemn[ed]” the “illegal foreign military presence” within Syrian territory, referring to the unlawful US military base at Al-Tanf and American control of Syrian oil fields, and called for preservation of the “sovereignty and territorial integrity” of Lebanon.
In an increasingly fractured world with multiple, divergent power centers, the recently concluded border de-escalation by India and China should serve as an inspiration for influential states to pursue an agenda of mutual respect and cooperation.
The BRICS grouping took an important, pioneering step in endorsing PAROS or prevention of an arms race in outer space. As Indian Prime Minister Modi has repeatedly proclaimed, today’s era is not an era of war. At a time when technology and AI are challenging the boundaries of human consciousness and imagination, it rests upon the world’s leaders, old and new, to prove better than to succumb to past mistakes and instead forge a precedence rooted in peace for future generations to follow.
Electronic identification will contain all info about a foreigner arriving in the Russian capital, the mayor has said
Moscow will begin issuing electronic identity cards next year for citizens from common-travel-area countries who come to the Russian capital, mayor Sergey Sobyanin has said.
Russia has visa-waiver programs with more than three dozen countries, including the Central Asian states from where most of the guest workers in the country come.
The smart ID cards for migrants will be introduced in the capital in 2025 as part of an ongoing trial, Sobyanin told TASS on Friday.
“All data will be uploaded to the electronic ID of a foreign citizen: when he arrived, what is his biometric data, where he works, where he is registered, and so on,” the mayor explained.
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As part of the program, police will also be equipped with special reading devices to access information on the smart cards, the mayor stressed.
According to Sobyanin, the electronic identification cards are going to be the first thing that officers will be looking at when checking migrants’ documentation.
If the system displays a red light it means that the holder of the ID is on a wanted list or that they have violated the migration regime, he said. In such an instance, the police would detain that person, the mayor added.
Sobyanin said that, starting from next year and as part of a trial run, biometric data will be collected from citizens of visa-free partner states coming to Moscow by air. This database of the photographs and fingerprints of non-nationals is expected to make crime fighting more effective, he explained.
Russia’s Investigative Committee announced earlier this month that migrants had committed more than 26,000 crimes since the start of the year, with the number of violations by undocumented migrants having tripled, from 2,880 in 2023 to 8,059.
Non-nationals were also responsible for 73 extremist crimes, a 14% rise compared to last year. “Many of the visitors justify their radical attitudes with their religious beliefs. In addition, they often openly demonstrate a negative attitude towards the local population,” the agency noted.
According to Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, there are currently some 6.2 million foreign citizens living in the country, of which an estimated 740,000 are there illegally.
In September, the ministry announced that it was putting together a registry of migrants that have no legal basis for staying in Russia. Those on the list, set to be brought into use next year, will be blocked from accessing a range of services in the country and will not be allowed to use banking services, to drive vehicles or to register property, among other restrictions.
Shots have been fired at Evo Morales’ car, footage posted on his social media account has purportedly shown
Former Bolivian president Evo Morales has survived an assassination attempt, a video published on his Facebook page on Sunday suggests. The politician was reportedly unharmed by the alleged attack, which reportedly injured his driver.
A four-minute video taken from inside Morales’ vehicle starts with him sitting in the front seat of the car next to his driver and talking on the phone. Bullet holes are visible in the vehicle's windscreen. The driver appears to have blood on his head but is apparently still capable of operating the car. The rear windshield can be seen almost smashed by the bullets.
According to Morales himself, some 14 shots were fired at the car.
The caption alleges that the former president was about to undertake his usual Sunday routine when his vehicle was intercepted by two cars in the central Bolivian town of Shinahota early in the morning. Four hooded gunmen emerged from the cars and opened fire on the ex-president’s vehicle.
Another video published on the politician’s Facebook page shortly after the post about the incident showed him sitting delivering a speech using a microphone. Morales appeared to be visibly unharmed on the footage.
Bolivian authorities have so far not commented on the incident.
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Morales served as the South American nation’s president between 2006 and 2019 for three consecutive terms. In 2019, he was ousted in a coup that brought the government of Senator Jeanine Anez to power. The latter is currently serving a prison term for crimes that her regime committed during its deadly crackdown on mass protests in the wake of the power shift.
Since 2020, Bolivia has been headed by President Luis Arce, a former ally of Morales. The two have recently been at odds over the future of their political force, the Movement for Socialism. However, the former president condemned a coup attempt against Arce in June.
Morales is believed to have faced another assassination attempt during his first presidential term in 2009. At that time, the Bolivian media reported about the security services neutralizing what was called a “terrorist group” plotting to kill the then-leader and his vice president. Three members of the group were killed and two more arrested. They were identified as Romanian, Hungarian, Irish, Bolivian and Colombian nationals.
Moscow will respond accordingly if Kiev’s backers greenlight aggression against Russian territory, the president has said
President Vladimir Putin has expressed hope that NATO has “heard” his warning about the consequences of allowing Ukraine to use Western-supplied long-range missiles to strike deep inside Russia.
Putin said lsat month that Moscow would treat any such attacks as a direct attack by the countries that supplied the weapons. Amid growing Western involvement in the Ukraine conflict, the Russian president has also proposed updating the national nuclear doctrine.
When asked whether Kiev’s backers had listened to his warning, Putin told Rossiya-1 correspondent Pavel Zarubin “They didn’t tell me anything about it, but I hope they heard it.”
In an interview published on Sunday, Putin stressed that the Ukrainian military cannot independently use high-precision weapons. “Only specialists from NATO states can do this, because this requires space intelligence, which Ukraine naturally does not have,” he explained.
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According to Putin, “what is happening now is all being done by the hands of NATO officers.”
“The only question is whether they will allow themselves to strike deep into Russian territory or not,” he pointed out.
Russia would have to respond accordingly, the president warned.
“How to respond, when, and where specifically - it’s too early to talk about it now. But, obviously, our military department is thinking about this and will be offering various options,” Putin concluded.
Kiev has for months been pushing the US and its allies to lift a ban on strikes deep inside Russia’s territory with Western-supplied long-range weapons, blaming its setbacks on the battlefield on their reluctance.
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has included the request to use weapons from NATO countries to conduct such strikes in his so-called ‘victory plan’. The recently-unveiled wish list for a conclusion to the ongoing conflict has so far been approached with caution by many Western leaders.
Earlier this week, Fox News reported, citing an unnamed official, that both the Pentagon and the US Intelligence Committee had advised Washington against giving Kiev permission to use American-supplied weapons for strikes deep inside Russia. Allowing it to use ATACMS missiles would have no strategic impact, while it would risk further escalation between Washington and Moscow, according to the outlet.
Moscow has dismissed Kiev’s ‘plan’ as a “set of incoherent slogans” intended to push “NATO members towards a direct conflict” with Russia.
The incumbent US president had accused the Tesla and SpaceX CEO of being hypocritical about immigration
Elon Musk has denounced Joe Biden for saying the businessman had been an “illegal worker” before he became the wealthiest man in the world. The incumbent US president was accusing the billionaire of being hypocritical regarding immigration.
In response to the claims, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO made posts accusing the incumbent president of outright lying and saying “losing the election was making the Democrats desperate.”
“I was in fact allowed to work in the US. The Biden puppet is lying,” Musk wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “They know this, as they have all my records.”
“So NOW he cares about illegals,” he quipped in conclusion.
Biden’s remarks, made on Saturday, followed a Washington Post report that alleged, citing Musk’s former business associates, court records and documents, that the businessman obtained a work visa in 1996 after he had already been working in the country without one. At the time, the billionaire was launching his startup Zip2, an IT-company that provided and licensed online city guide software for newspapers.
“That wealthiest man in the world turned out to be an illegal worker here when he was here,” Biden said at a campaign event in support of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “He was supposed to be in a school, when he came on a student visa. He was working. He was violating the law and he’s talking about all these illegals.”
The tech entrepreneur, who is currently backing Republican candidate Donald Trump, had previously accused the Democrats of bringing a large number of illegal immigrants to swing states. Each of the two major US political parties, the Republicans and the Democrats, dominates dozens of states in the country. However, voters are more evenly divided in the remaining ‘swing’ or ‘battleground’ states, making them key to winning the election.
“Triple digit increases over the past 4 years! Their STATED plan is to give them citizenship as soon as possible, turning all swing states Dem,” Musk stated earlier this week in a post on X.
Musk, who had previously positioned himself as politically neutral, publicly endorsed the Republican nominee shortly after the failed assassination attempt on Trump on July 13. The former president has promised to create a new government post called ‘secretary of cost-cutting’ tailored specifically for Musk if he wins.
Russia is a threat to Estonia and its citizens should not be able to influence the country’s affairs, Kristen Michal has said
Russian citizens living in Estonia should be barred from taking part in local elections regardless of their views on the Ukraine conflict, the Baltic state’s Prime Minister Kristen Michal has insisted. Russian speakers make up 20% of Estonia’s population of just under 1.4 million, according to the Estonian government,
Under the NATO country’s laws, only Estonian citizens can elect members of parliament, known as the Riigikogu. However, the right of all permanent residents to vote in local elections was granted in the 1992 constitution, which also controversially denied hundreds of thousands of ethnic Russians living in the former Soviet republic the right to citizenship.
Michal told the EER media outlet on Friday that “Russia is a security threat, and Russian citizens should not have a say in Estonian affairs, just like Belarusian citizens.”
“Their right to vote must be suspended or taken away,” the PM and chairman of the Reform Party, which has the most legislators in the Riigikogu, insisted.
The Reform Party, which rules in a coalition with the Social Democratic Party (SDE) and Estonia 200, is ready to amend legislation or go as far as changing the Constitution to make sure Russian citizens are banned from local elections, he stressed.
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Earlier on Friday, SDE leader Lauri Laanemets suggested that Russians who are loyal to Estonia and oppose the government in Moscow should have the chance to take part in municipal votes.
The ban on voting should only affect citizens of Russia who the Estonian police have found to be a security threat, he said. According to the SDE leader, in this case, only a third of Russians would be eligible to take part in elections.
The next municipal election in Estonia is scheduled to take place in October 2025.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said earlier this year that the former Soviet republic has been “turned into a mini-totalitarian regime.”
Estonia has been a strong backer of Ukraine, providing Kiev with over $500,000 in military aid and calling for increasingly tough measures against Moscow.
When Estonia gained independence in 1991, hundreds of thousands of ethnic Russians living in the former Soviet republic were refused citizenship. This prompted many holders of so-called Estonian alien’s passports to eventually choose Russian citizenship, while remaining in the country.
The resilience of the country’s economy is surprising given the context, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has said
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has lauded the work of Bank of Russia Governor Elvira Nabiullina, noting that her country’s economy has remained buoyant despite the challenges it has faced over the past several years.
The comment was made a day after the regulator raised its key interest rate by 200 basis points to a record high of 21%, citing persistent inflation that “considerably” exceeded its July forecast of 6.5-7.0% for this year. Commenting on the hike, Nabiullina said that inflation is projected to be double the regulator’s target of 4% annually, emphasizing that the bank remains committed to bringing it down to the target level.
In a televised interview with TV Prva, Vucic admitted that the tenacity of the “fantastic” Russian economy has been surprising.
“I have to admit that I am surprised by the resilience of the Russian economy. Nabiullina is a genius,” the president said, while stressing that it is very difficult for the wartime economy to function under the current conditions.
The head of state also said that he skipped last week’s BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan because of the “consequences” that could arise if other meetings were canceled. Serbia’s delegation to the summit was led by the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin, as well as Defense Minister Bratislav Gasic, Economy Minister Adrijana Mesarovic and Nenad Popovic, the minister who oversees international economic cooperation.
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Vucic expressed hope that he “retained the respect of both sides,” adding that Serbia’s policy will not change overnight.
Earlier this week, the president suggested that Serbia could have a referendum on joining BRICS in light of the economic bloc’s growing popularity in the country. According to research cited by Vucic, 42% of Serbs are in favor of integration with the EU, while another 42% are supportive of the idea of joining BRICS.
The Balkan country applied to join the EU in 2009 and has been a candidate since 2012. Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin has accused Brussels of moving the goalposts for accession, most recently by linking Belgrade’s membership to severing relations with Moscow.
Despite mounting pressure from Brussels, Belgrade has opted to reject the sanctions imposed on Moscow by Kiev’s Western allies, officially pledging neutrality in the Ukraine conflict and maintaining trade relations with both Russia and the West.
Commonwealth leaders have issued a formal request at a gathering in Samoa
The Commonwealth of Nations has submitted a formal request for “discussions” with the UK on compensation for the transatlantic slave trade. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer tried but failed to keep the subject off the agenda of a major gathering in the Pacific island of Samoa on October 25–26.
The Commonwealth is made up of over 50 countries, most of which are former territories of the British Empire. The UK has ruled out any such payment and has so far also refused to make a formal apology.
Last year, the Brattle Group, an economic consulting firm, concluded that the UK owed more than £18 trillion ($24 trillion) in reparations for its involvement in slavery in 14 Caribbean countries.
Starmer had previously rejected compensation talks, saying that the UK would neither be “offering an apology” nor paying reparations for atrocities spanning three centuries.
However 56 member states signed a communique branding slavery a “crime against humanity.” It also calls for “discussions on reparatory justice with regard to the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and chattel enslavement.”
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“The time has come for a meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation towards forging a common future based on equity,” the document states, adding that the leaders will continue to play “an active role in bringing about such inclusive conversations addressing these harms.”
Earlier this month, British tabloid The Daily Mail claimed that a group of Caribbean countries would be seeking “an astonishing £200 billion” ($261 billion) in compensation for slavery at the meeting in Samoa.
During a press conference after the summit, Starmer admitted that slavery was “abhorrent,” but refused to address the idea of a payout.
“I should be really clear here, in the two days we’ve been here, none of the discussions have been about money. Our position is very, very clear in relation to that,” he said, maintaining that the summit’s agenda was mainly focused on “resilience and climate.”
In August, UN judge Patrick Robinson said that the UK cannot ignore calls for slavery reparations, highlighting that the amount calculated by the Brattle Group was an “underestimation” of the damage caused by the trade.
A new law is aimed at tackling a shortage of commanders in Kiev’s armed forces
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has signed a law allowing foreign mercenaries to serve as officers in the country’s military. The Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, passed the relevant legislation on October 10 and on Friday, it was signed into law by Zelensky, according to the website of the Ukrainian government.
The law allows foreigners who have a contract with the Ukrainian military to take positions of authority in the army, regardless of their citizenship.
When the law was being discussed in September, the deputy head of the parliamentary committee on national security, defense and intelligence, Egor Chernev, explained that it was needed to address the lack of command staff in the armed forces.
"We all understand the current situation with the officer corps. There are problems. Indeed, we have a shortage,” Chernev told the broadcaster Rada at the time. There is interest among former officers from foreign countries in joining the Ukrainian forces, he insisted.
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Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested in a post on Telegram on Saturday that Zelensky signed the law “so that foreign commanders could finish off the Ukrainians more actively, by throwing them into ‘meat grinders.’”
“A Ukrainian [officer] might feel sorry for another Ukrainian and not send him to a certain death. But this is not what Zelensky is being paid for,” she wrote.
In March, the Russian Defense Ministry said that at least 13,387 mercenaries from foreign countries had arrived in Ukraine since the escalation between Moscow and Kiev began in February 2022. Most of them were from Poland (2,960), Georgia (1,042), the US (1,113), Canada (1,005) and UK (822).
According to the ministry, at least 5,962 of those soldiers of fortune have been killed in the fighting with Russian forces.
This spring, faced with manpower shortages, mounting losses and military setbacks, Ukraine lowered the draft age from 27 to 25 and significantly tightened mobilization rules, obliging potential recruits to report to conscription offices for “data validation,” which often means a trip straight to the front.
Multiple videos have appeared on social media in recent months, showing Ukrainian conscription officers trying to snatch people in the streets, gyms and shopping malls.
Lithuania has blasted Antonio Guterres for attending the BRICS Summit in Russia
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has called for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to resign, claiming he has “lost credibility” after attending this week’s BRICS summit in Russia.
Landsbergis criticized Guterres for appearing in Kazan while having skipped Ukraine’s ‘peace conference’ during the summer, suggesting this has undermined the UN leader’s impartiality. The Baltic state’s top diplomat argued that Guterres’ actions showed bias, making his position as a neutral global representative untenable.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte also condemned Guterres' trip, where he met with the leaders of China, Russia, India and others, as “pathetic” and “incomprehensible.”
Guterres traveled to the three-day event in Kazan, where high-level delegations from 36 nations were in attendance. His office emphasized that the meeting represented nearly half of the world’s population and was thus “of great importance” for the organization’s work.
The Swiss-hosted Ukrainian gathering in June, which centered around Vladimir Zelensky’s so-called “peace formula,” did not include Russia. Although the UN chief turned down an invitation to attend, the organization was represented “at the appropriate level,” according to UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, as cited by Yahoo News.
Commenting on the UN Secretary-General’s participation in the BRICS conference on Friday, Landsbergis argued that Guterres is “no longer accepted as an honest broker” regarding conflict resolution between Russia and Ukraine.
If he decides to resign, we certainly would not discourage him.
“Guterres must admit he was wrong and take responsibility—for deciding not to attend the Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland and for going to see the wanted war criminal Putin and groveling with both him and his accomplice Lukashenko,” the foreign minister said, as quoted by local media.
If @antonioguterres decides to resign, Lithuania won't try to talk him out of it.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte also expressed her disapproval, criticizing the UN chief for shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin and embracing Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during the summit.
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“Pathetic. There are people in international organizations – and not only in international organizations – who think they can talk to everyone, here and there,” she told reporters, adding that Guterres’ “behavior is incomprehensible, to say the least.”
Guterres, who had not visited Russia in over two years prior to his trip to Kazan, stressed the importance of participating in “the outreach session of the Summit of BRICS that represents nearly half of the world’s population.” During his address on the final day of the event, he urged BRICS members to act as a “global family” in pursuit of common goals and called for a “just peace” in Ukraine, as well as an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon.
During the conference, he held several bilateral meetings with heads of state and discussed the crises in Ukraine and the Middle East in a closed-door meeting with President Putin.
Rheinmetall has just confirmed the launch of its first production facility in the country
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has quipped that he anticipates a “fireworks display” at German industrial giant Rheinmetall’s new weapons manufacturing facility in Ukraine. The company announced on Saturday that one of its production plants in the country is already operational.
Germany's largest arms maker finalized plans to establish a joint venture with the state-owned Ukroboronprom defense group earlier this year, to manufacture artillery ammunition, armored vehicles and air-defense systems. As part of the partnership agreement, Rheinmetall, which produces a vast array of weapons including Leopard tanks, stated that it would build four factories on Ukrainian soil.
Moscow responded to the announcement with a warning that such facilities are considered “legitimate targets” for Russian strikes.
On Saturday, Rheinmetall's director, Armin Papperger, confirmed that “things are progressing” in Ukraine and “the first plant is already ready.”
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“We have many good plans. The first plant is already operational,” he said during an interview with Ukrainian news channel TSN. “The Ukrainian defense industry is our partner."
“Currently, we have a production facility and a maintenance facility. By the end of the year, we will have the first state-of-the-art Lynx infantry fighting vehicle in Ukraine. At the moment, we are servicing infantry fighting vehicles as well as main battle tanks,” he added, noting that the joint venture has proven productive.
Medvedev, who currently serves as the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, commented on the development, implying that the newly built plant will be targeted by the Russian military.
Germany's Rheinmetall has launched the first of its four weapons manufacturing plants in Ukraine. As promised, we're looking forward to seeing some Russian fireworks on the premises. pic.twitter.com/nNIsCCJW5l
“The German company Rheinmetall has launched the first of four military factories in Ukraine. As previously promised, we eagerly await a celebratory Russian 'fireworks display' right at the production site,” he said in a post on X and his Telegram channel, accompanying the message with a short video of an explosion.
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Rheinmetall had previously stated that the Ukrainian conflict has “significantly improved business performance” and nearly doubled the company’s operating profit in the first half of 2024. The company expects to receive orders exceeding €60 billion ($64.8 billion) by the end of this year.
Moscow has repeatedly denounced Western involvement in the conflict, arguing that efforts to support Kiev only benefit the military-industrial complex at the expense of EU and US taxpayers. Russia maintains that no amount of military aid to Ukraine will change the outcome of the conflict and will only prolong the fighting.
The Georgian Dream party is projected to secure a comfortable win in the country’s parliamentary elections, early results have shown
Georgia’s ruling party is set to win the country’s parliamentary elections and secure a comfortable majority in the country’s legislature, early results published by the electoral committee have suggested.
According to official figures, more than 54.2% of voters have favored Georgian Dream, with 99% of ballots processed. Voter turnout was marked at 59%, significantly higher than in previous polls, held in 2020.
Georgian Dream chairman, Mamuka Mdinaradze, has claimed the party is likely to win at least 90 of the chamber’s 150 seats, up from 74 seats prior to the election. In order to pick the government and the PM, a simple 76-strong majority is needed in Georgia.
The results have already been contested by the opposition and by the country’s Western-leaning president Salome Zourabichvili, who claimed the election has been won by the European Georgia party.
“European Georgia is winning with 52% despite attempts to rig elections and without votes from the diaspora,” Zourabichvili wrote on X, formerly Twitter, praising the country for its “democracy, europeanity and maturity.”
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European Georgia ran as a member of the coalition led by the Unity-National Movement (UNM) party, which attracted around 10% of votes, according to official figures. Three other opposition forces made it past the 5% threshold: the Coalition for Changes, with some 11%, Strong Georgia, with 9%, and the For Georgia party, led by former Georgian Dream PM Giorgi Gakharia.
It was not immediately clear what exactly Zourabichvili’s claim was based on. Exit polls, however, had shown sharply contrasting results, depending on what entity had commissioned them.
The president’s claim appears to correspond with the projection published by opposition-leaning Formula TV, which gave 51.9% to the four opposition parties combined, against 40.9% for the ruling party. A similar result was given by broadcaster Mtavari Arkhi, which gave 48% to the opposition.
An exit poll commissioned by pro-government Imedi TV, however, signaled a solid victory for Georgian Dream, giving some 56% of votes to it.
Some 2,000 Ukrainian servicemen have ended up encircled in Russia’s Kursk Region
The past week in the Ukraine conflict has seen intensive fighting along the front line, with active combat continuing in the border areas of Russia’s Kursk Region, as well as in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), where Moscow has reported making new gains.
The Russian military announced that it had secured two communities in the north of the republic: the village of Serebryanka, located immediately north of the town of Seversk, as well as Novosadovoye, an abandoned settlement adjacent to the border with the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR).
The latter gain marks a new milestone in Russia’s advance towards the town of Krasny Liman, which was re-captured by Kiev during its autumn 2022 offensive. The liberation of Serebryanka could potentially signal a change of the tide in the vicinity of Seversk, which has seen medium-to-high intensity combat throughout most of the ongoing conflict.
Donbass advance continues
The main frontline events in the DPR continued to unfold near the city of Pokrovsk (also known as Krasnoarmeysk), the last major population center under Ukrainian control in the west of the region.
The Russian military has taken control of Nikolayevka, a village located some 10km to the southeast of the city. It is located only 2km away from Myrnograd, a major town which effectively forms one agglomeration with neighboring Pokrovsk.
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Moscow’s forces have also continued to expand their zone of control to the south of Pokrovsk, liberating the village of Zoryanoye. Control over the village likely spells trouble for the Ukrainian garrison in Gornyak, a larger village to its northwest, which is reportedly already under the partial control of Russian forces.
Intense combat has been reported in Selidovo, a sizeable town located some 15km to the south of Pokrovsk. The Russian military reached it in mid-September but opted not to pursue a frontal assault, advancing on the town’s flanks instead.
Unverified footage circulating online suggests that roughly half of the town has already fallen under Moscow’s control, with Russian troops seen unfolding their country’s flag on a high-rise block located at the center of Selidovo. The buildings in the vicinity appear to be largely intact, suggesting that the advance was made without much fighting. Ukrainian forces in the town have reportedly become largely disorganized due to consistent flanking attacks, with the Russian assault teams sipping through the fragmented defenses.
On Friday, multiple Ukrainian online outlets reported a large Russian force breaking into Vyshnevoye, a small nearby village west of the town. The partial encirclement is expected to further aggravate Ukrainian logistics in the area, with the whole town now supplied via a single road, which has been coming under repeated shelling by the Russian troops.
Ukrainian units encircled in Kursk
The Russian military has continued its effort to dislodge Kiev’s forces from the border areas of Kursk Region, which Ukraine invaded in early August. Most active hostilities have continued in the northwest of the area, namely in the vicinity of the villages of Daryino, Zeleny Shyakh, Nizhny Klin, Novoivanovka, Lubimovka and other locations.
Russian forces have reported repelled multiple assaults over the week, as well as conducted attacks on Ukrainian forces in the area. However, no new territorial gains have officially been announced.
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On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said some 2,000 Ukrainian servicemen had wound up encircled in Kursk Region. The troops are trapped in an area measuring 6 by 15 km and Russian forces are working to eliminate the pocket, the president revealed.
Putin did not elaborate on exactly where the Ukrainian forces were encircled and the military is remaining silent on the matter. The pocket is likely located to the south of the villages of Olgovka and Kremyanoye, apparently stretching to the southeast and presumably centered on a small forest some 2.5 km in diameter.
The servicemen who ended up encircled are likely the remnants of disorganized Ukrainian units that had retreated from the aforementioned villages. While being severed from any solid logistics routes, the units trapped in the pocket presumably still have a remote chance of connecting with the forces controlling the village of Malaya Loknya, some 17km to the southeast of Olgovka, through a system of minor dirt roads running across open fields.
Kiev’s forces have apparently tried to dislodge the trapped forces from the pocket, launching multiple attacks on Zeleny Shyakh, a tiny village some 11km to the south of Olgovka, located on the key paved road in the area. Footage circulating online shows a sizable armored Ukrainian unit speeding towards the village along the road. The detachment comes under heavy fire, with at least one of the tanks ending up knocked out by Russian FPV drones.
Attack drones rule Kursk Region’s skies
Over the week, the Russian military has continued to actively use medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) strike drones to search for and destroy Ukrainian armor in Kursk Region.
Such drones made a surprise comeback to the front line amid the Ukrainian incursion into the region, where Kiev’s forces apparently lack extensive anti-aircraft and electronic warfare coverage. While both sides used MALE drones extensively early in the conflict, they were later rendered ineffective as the front stabilized.
One of the new videos released by the military shows an Inokhodets (Orion) MALE drone striking a Ukrainian self-propelled howitzer. The artillery piece is concealed in a wooded area with only its heated barrel protruding from the shrubbery seen in thermal footage. It apparently sustained a direct hit, with flames visible at the site.
Another new Inokhodets video shows a drone apparently striking a Ukrainian electronic jammer station, a system used to counter UAVs. The station was deployed in a wooded area with its distinctive cupola seen above the foliage. It was not immediately clear whether it was a deployable version of Nota or one mounted on an armored car.
A Ukrainian tank was also taken out in a drone strike, another video released by the Russian military shows. It was discovered parked near a wooded area, with a group of Ukrainian servicemen seen by the vehicle. The tank reportedly sustained a direct hit into its roof, with the blast affecting the nearby troops as well.
Rear strikes continue
The Russian military has continued its concentrated effort to find and destroy high-value Ukrainian assets, staging areas and logistics hubs in the near rear, striking the identified targets with aerial bombs and ballistic missiles.
On Thursday, the Russian Defense Ministry said it destroyed a temporary accommodation point located in the Ukrainian-controlled Donbass town of Kurakhovo. The installation housed Ukrainian UAV operators and instructors, with up to 50 servicemen killed and seven pieces of unspecified military hardware taken out in the strike.
The building used to house the drone operators was hit by a three-ton FAB-3000 high-explosive bomb, apparently fitted with a Universal Correction and Guidance Module (UMPK) winged upgrade kit. The massive munition flattened the building with a large fire observed at the site, footage released by the Russian Defense Ministry shows.
The Russian military has destroyed a German-made IRIS-T anti-aircraft system, footage circulating online suggests. Multiple systems of the type have been destroyed over the past few months and such units have now become a somewhat rare sight near the front line.
The IRIS-T was reportedly detected near the village of Velikaya Kostromka, in Ukraine’s Krivoy Rog Region. It was on its way to its firing position and repeatedly made stops to hide in wooded areas along the way.
When it finally reached its position, it was hit by a Russian Lancet-family loitering munition. The strike sparked a fire on board, with the crew of the anti-aircraft system showing little effort to try and extinguish it, presumably due to fear of a double-tap strike, footage suggests.
The group’s success means that the West is no longer totally in control of international systems
This week’s BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, caused a stir, which is understandable. It was a major event in terms of both representation and concept. Everyone is free to evaluate it in their own way, but it cannot be dismissed an unimportant.
If we turn away from the ceremonial and social part of the event, we should distinguish two aspects of the international assembly, which are related but don’t coincide.
The first is meaningful measures agreed, or shall we say: concrete results, in the here and now. Here, a discerning commentator will notice that there are more declarations than practical plans. Ambitious areas of action have been declared, but only as tasks. There is a basic consensus on the issues discussed (an achievement in itself, given the very diversity of participants and guests), but in some places it’s very streamlined. Finally, contrary to talk of BRICS ushering in a fundamentally new world order, the final declaration devotes considerable space to supporting the more effective functioning of existing institutions, from the UN Security Council to the International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organization.
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The second is long-term. In this respect, the Kazan forum may be seen as a milestone. BRICS has reached a new level, where a prestigious but rather amorphous club has now become a significant meeting place. It is necessary to be at the table because, firstly, important things are being discussed there and, secondly, a key global trend is taking shape. Namely, an alternative space to the one organized around the institutions (and interests) of the West. In a sense, the main function of BRICS is its status as an anti-monopoly group, ensuring competition by restricting the monopolist, in this case on a global scale.
The fight against cartels is never easy, in any context. It’s a long process, but it has begun and it’s actually developing faster than might have been expected. The conditions have been in place for some time. So, the main thing about BRICS, no matter how many problems and oddities arise in and around this community, is that it corresponds to the rationale of the development of the global system.
The importance of progress along all these lines varies for different members of the association; for some it is a priority, for others it’s more like “why not?” But this difference of opinion does not change the direction of travel.
Kiev could end up ceding territory to Russia to end the hostilities, the Republican vice-presidential candidate has said
Kiev could ultimately decide to give up some territories it claims in exchange for peace, Donald Trump’s pick for vice president J.D. Vance has suggested, adding that both Russia and Ukraine have been “exhausted” by the ongoing conflict.
Vance made the remarks on Thursday on News Nation’s town hall to discuss issues such as abortion, migration, and housing. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine was also part of the discussion with Vance pointing towards a possible resolution.
“They’re both struggling to find men, because primarily men are in those countries that are fighting the war. But they’re struggling to find women, too. They’re struggling to get the equipment necessary to send to the front lines. Their economies are exhausted. Whole parts of their country have been destroyed,” Vance claimed.
In order to end the hostilities, Vance suggested, both Moscow and Kiev would have to make certain concessions. Asked whether he believed Ukraine would end up in a situation where it has to cede some lands to Russia, he suggested it could ultimately become a decision Kiev would have to make.
“When you talk to… Ukrainian leaders, especially in private but even in public, they’re starting to say this now. They’re saying this can’t go on forever. They don’t have the manpower, they don’t have the equipment, they don’t have the money. And so, I think ultimately… Ukraine is going to have to make that decision,” he stated.
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Russia would also have to “make the decision about what it will do to stop the fighting,” Vance noted, without elaborating. While one does not necessarily have to “like Russia,” it is necessary to bring Kiev and Moscow together and “engage in some real diplomacy.”
Kiev has repeatedly refused to take part in any meaningful negotiations, with Ukraine’s leader Vladimir Zelensky explicitly prohibiting himself from taking part in such talks. Moscow, however, has repeatedly signaled readiness to negotiate to bring the conflict to its conclusion.
Regaining control over all the territory Ukraine ended up with after the collapse of the Soviet Union has seemingly been the key objective for Kiev, with the country’s leadership repeatedly proclaiming that as its ultimate goal. Moscow, however, regards the five formerly Ukrainian regions, including Kherson, Zaporozhye, Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, as well as the Crimean Peninsula, as integral parts of its territory, and has been demanding that Kiev pull its troops from the areas it controls in them, in order to kickstart the negotiations process.
Kiev’s first drawdown can be expected as early as December, as Moscow warns it’ll mirror the move and use frozen Western monies
The leaders of G7 nations have supported a loan of billions to Ukraine to be backed by the earnings accrued on Russian sovereign assets currently frozen by Western countries. In June, members of the group pledged a $50 billion for Kiev, to be repaid using Moscow's money.
Following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, the US and its allies blocked an estimated $300 billion in assets belonging to the Russian central bank. The bulk of the funds, around €197 billion ($213 billion), are being held at Euroclear. The Brussels-based clearinghouse has estimated that the impounded Russian assets generated €3.4 billion ($3.7 billion) in interest as of mid-July.
On Friday, the G7 countries stated that the loans for Ukraine “will be serviced and repaid by future flows of extraordinary revenues stemming from the immobilization of Russian Sovereign Assets.”
“Our aim is to begin disbursing the funds by the end of the year,” the G7 statement said, following a meeting of the group’s finance chiefs in Washington on Friday. The ministers revealed that the sum would be provided through a series of bilateral loans, starting as soon as December 1 and continuing through the end of 2027.
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On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden announced the “historic decision” to “provide $20 billion in loans to Ukraine that will be paid back by the interest earned from immobilized Russian sovereign assets.”
A day earlier, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves stated that London would issue a £2.26 billion ($2.94 billion) loan to Kiev based on a similar mechanism.
Also on Tuesday, the European Parliament approved a €35 billion ($38 billion) loan for Ukraine backed by revenues generated from frozen Russian assets.
According to media reports, Kiev’s Western backers have been trying to accelerate negotiations over the loans amid concerns that Washington’s aid to Ukraine could dry up should Donald Trump come out on top in the November 5 US presidential election. The Republican nominee has repeatedly threatened to scale back assistance for the country if elected.
Commenting on Biden’s decision, the Russian Embassy in the US stated on Thursday that “theft [has been] elevated here to the rank of state policy.”
That same day, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov warned that “if Western countries have begun utilizing the income from the frozen Russian reserves, we will do exactly the same.”
“We have frozen money from ‘unfriendly’ companies and organizations,” the official noted.
The corporation could end up ditching its troubled Starliner and some other space-related projects
Boeing is considering the sale of its NASA business, including the troubled Starliner program and the support operations to the International Space Station (ISS), The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The corporation is expected to retain its position in some of the space-related programs, namely the Space Launch System (SLS), a super-heavy expendable launch vehicle used by NASA, the sources told the WSJ. The SLS, the key component of the agency’s Moon exploration plans, successfully performed its first flight two years ago. However, production of the rocket has faced assorted troubles and quality control issues.
The less successful programs, including the ill-fated Starliner ship, designed to transport crews of up to seven to and from the ISS, could end up sold off, the sources claimed. The spacecraft was originally planned to become operational in 2017 but has been repeatedly delayed over assorted engineering and management problems. The latest crew flight test, launched in June, resulted in partial failure after the spacecraft’s thrusters malfunctioned on approach to the ISS, and it was deemed too risky to return its astronauts aboard the ship, which ultimately returned to Earth uncrewed in September.
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The potential sale of its space-related assets comes as a part of the strategy of Boeing’s new CEO, Kelly Ortberg, who is seeking to streamline the corporation and cut its financial losses. However, Boeing had been in contact with potential buyers, including the Blue Origin company owned by Jeff Bezos, even before Ortberg took over in August.
The new CEO signaled the corporation was due for a major overhaul, during a call with analysts and investors earlier this week. While the production of military and commercial aircraft will remain at the company’s core, it could ditch “some things on the fringe,” Ortberg stated.
“It’s going to take a lot of work. We’re not going to be able to just wave a wand and clean up these troubled contracts. We signed up to some things that are problematic,” he warned, stating that Boeing would be “better off doing less and doing it better than doing more and not doing it well.”
The corporation has been experiencing an enduring financial crisis, with its defense and space projects troubled by repeated cost overruns and delays, while airliner production has effectively ground to a halt in a weeks-long machinists’ strike.
The plan espoused by the head of the Kiev regime proposes that NATO enter into direct conflict with Russia, but does not explain why
Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky has finally unveiled his ‘victory plan’ which is supposed to help Kiev win the war against Russia. Ukrainians themselves were the last to learn the details, but now it has been completely disclosed, except for a few classified points.
And it's probably not going to go down in history as a substantial document.
Zelensky demanded that Western powers endorse his plan within three months. However, the ‘victory plan’ seems too far fetched for his backers to approve.
Point one: NATO membership
The first point states that Ukraine must receive an immediate invitation to join NATO, even as the conflict continues. While the bloc's new Secretary General Mark Rutte insists that Kiev is likely to join at some point in the future, he has been more restrained about commenting on Zelensky’s proposals. “That doesn’t mean that I here can say I support the whole plan [...] there are many issues,” he said.
In fact, two issues stand out. Firstly, Ukraine is currently engaged in active combat on its own territory. This would present a significant dilemma for NATO if it were to be admitted. Strangely enough, the bloc’s own charter doesn't contain an obligation to immediately attack the adversary of one of its members. Article 5 states that it “will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force.”
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In other words, NATO would not be immediately obliged to fight for Ukraine should Kiev accede. However, if a NATO member can be attacked without consequences, it's going to look like a paper tiger. This is where the real problem lies: Western countries are doing everything they can to avoid a direct confrontation with Russia, and admitting Kiev dramatically increases the risk of such a clash – or, at the very least, severely damages their credibility. Meanwhile, the West is already providing military aid, financial support, and training to Ukrainian troops without directly involving NATO.
As for Russia, it will not tolerate Ukraine’s membership of any Western military bloc. In fact, one of the initial reasons for the February 2022 military offensive was because Moscow feared that Kiev could join such an alliance. Thus, accepting the first point of Zelensky’s plan would symbolize the end of any potential diplomatic solution, forcing all parties to recognize that negotiations are not a possibility.
Point two: Strikes deep into Russia
The second point of the plan entails attacking internationally recognized Russian territory. Zelensky aims to secure approval for using Western weapons to strike deep inside Russia, and expects Western defense systems to neutralize Russian missiles and drones.
Some of Zelensky’s proposed targets have recently become known. They include Russian munitions factories in Tambov, Kazan, and Perm; airfields; command centers; FSB facilities; and military-industrial complex facilities, including those in St. Petersburg and Moscow.
At this point, two critical questions arise. The first is predictable – how would Russia respond? Such strikes would undoubtedly be viewed as a radical escalation of the conflict and could prompt retaliatory attacks not only on Ukraine but also on its key defense factories, which aren’t located solely inside the country. This is understandable, since escalation is always a double-edged sword.
The second question is quite pragmatic: does Ukraine have enough missiles to hit all these targets? While it has already attacked various facilities in Russia with its own missiles, the operations of the Russian military-industrial complex and economy have not been significantly disrupted.
Over the course of the war, Russian missile defense systems have become a lot more effective; for example, they intercepted ATACMS missiles launched at the Crimean Bridge in 2024. However, Zelensky’s proposed campaign would require hundreds of missiles that may not eventually be supplied to Ukraine while there are also plenty of legitimate targets on territory where such strikes are allowed.
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Point three: Involving the West in the war
The third point aims to directly involve the West in the conflict. It proposes to “deploy a comprehensive non-nuclear strategic deterrence package on [Ukrainian] soil” to keep Russia at bay. The essence of this plan is quite simple: to draw the West into direct combat against Russia or, at the very least, to raise the spectre of such a possibility.
We may recall that historically the strategy of doing anything to scare an opponent has often backfired. The adversary doesn't always run away in fear and the conflict can escalate in ways no one anticipated. The desire to avoid a direct military confrontation between Russia and NATO remains a key imperative for the West in this war.
It’s important to note the fundamental differences between the Russian and Western political leadership when it comes to conflict management. The West operates on the principle of increasing costs for the opponent: it believes that at some point, the adversary (in this case, Russia) will deem the conflict too expensive and retreat.
Conversely, Russian leaders respond to perceived threats: their reaction to rising costs may be sluggish or even absent as long as those costs are manageable, but certain actions can be viewed as existential threats that demand an overwhelming response. The presence of large Western military forces in Ukraine would certainly fall into the latter category.
It’s also important to remember that, for Russia, the Ukraine conflict holds far greater significance than it does for the West. Crimea is a part of Russia’s heartland, while Donbass has spilled its blood in order to be recognized as part of Russia. We are talking about millions of people who are unconditionally loyal to Russia, are ethnically Russian and identify themselves as such. This makes it clear why Zelensky would want to draw the West into the conflict, but going down that road could lead to WWIII – and that’s no joke or scare tactic.
Point four: Sell the country to the West
The fourth point of Zelensky’s plan is less apocalyptic. He invites Western Europe and the US to invest in Ukraine’s mineral extraction facilities and exploit the country economically. This seems like an attempt to somehow engage the West financially, since right now, Ukraine is primarily consuming funds, and has nearly stopped generating revenue.
However, if this point is part of the ‘victory plan’, it entails deploying foreign specialists and equipment to the war zone, complete with all the associated risks. Apparently, Zelensky hopes to attract some desperate “cowboys” who would be willing to pour money into Ukraine even as factories may be cut off from power at any moment, or even hit by missiles. It’s unclear how Zelensky plans to find investors in such conditions. While there may be certain reasons for the Ukrainian president to feel optimistic about this, the Western media remains skeptical.
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Point five: Deprive the US of control over Western Europe
Finally, the fifth point of the plan is quite intriguing: Zelensky suggests that the Armed Forces of Ukraine may guarantee the security of Western Europe in the future, and even replace US troops in the region.
This isn’t entirely foolish — after all, Ukraine is currently one of the only countries in the world aside from Russia with firsthand experience of modern warfare against an equally powerful adversary. This isn’t the same as battling a weak, crumbling army like Saddam Hussein’s troops, or insurgents in Afghanistan.
However, for the US, the military is a tool of political dominance, and it’s hard to imagine that it would hand that power over to Ukraine. Not to mention that as a partner, Kiev is extremely unreliable – it has often disregarded international obligations, so entrusting one’s security to such actors would be totally reckless.
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Overall, Zelensky’s plan leaves a strange impression. Essentially, the Ukrainian leader is asking NATO to fight for his country on his behalf. Every point of the plan seeks to deepen the West’s involvement in the conflict, cutting off any possibility for compromise or withdrawal. Zelensky apparently wants to initiate a “hot” conflict between Russia and the West, which could even escalate to a nuclear confrontation. In other words, he’s urging the West to reconsider its fundamental assumptions regarding the conflict.
Why is Zelensky taking such seemingly bizarre steps? Certainly, Ukraine is in a desperate situation, and he hopes that at the very least, he would be able to secure some financial aid without resorting to these drastic measures. This plan can be seen as a sign of Ukraine’s willingness to continue fighting, and simultaneously, a desperate call for help. The state-of-play on the battlefield for Ukraine is very difficult, and both its economy and energy sectors are teetering on the brink of collapse. So Zelensky will do everything in his power to extract maximum benefit from the situation and seek any possible assistance.
However, if this radical plan fails to win approval, it might lay the groundwork for separate negotiations with Russia. After all, it is clear that the West was never willing to die for Ukraine.
The former US president has admitted that he picked some “bad or disloyal” people for his White House administration
Former US president and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has told podcaster Joe Rogan that his “biggest mistake” was making a number of wrong personnel decisions during his time in the White House between 2017 and 2021.
Speaking on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast on Saturday, Trump insisted that his was a “great presidency” but pointed out that it could have been even better if he had surrounded himself with different people.
“The biggest mistake I made, was I picked… a few people that I should not have picked,” he said.
When asked by Rogan if he was talking about the neocons (neoconservatives), the former president said: “Yes, neocons, or bad people, or disloyal people.”
“You are reading about them a little bit today. A guy like Kelly, who is a bully, but a weak person,” he said.
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Trump’s former chief of staff John Kelly recently gave several interviews in which he claimed that, during his time in office, his 78-year-old commander-in-chief had praised Hitler in private and said “more than once” that the infamous leader of Nazi Germany “did some good things.”
While the Trump team has denied the claims outright, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris took the opportunity to brand her Republican rival a “fascist” and a would-be dictator.
His other questionable choice, Trump recalled on the podcast, was appointing arch-hawk John Bolton as his National Security Advisor, Trump acknowledged. “Bolton was an idiot, but he was great for me,” he said.
“He is a nutjob, and every time I had to deal with a country - when they saw this whack job standing behind me – they said: ‘Oh man, Trump is going to go to war with him,” the former president said.
Bolton “was with [US president George HW] Bush when they went stupidly into the Middle East [in 1990]. They should have never done it. I used to say it as a civilian,” he added.
Trump fired Bolton in September 2019 after 18 months in the job, saying that he “disagreed strongly with many of [the adviser’s] suggestions.”
Speaking about claims by former chief of staff Kelly with CNN earlier this week, Bolton warned that a Trump victory in next month’s election would be “dangerous” for America.
However, he rejected accusations of the former president being a “fascist.” According to the hawk, in order to be one “you have to have a philosophy. Trump’s not capable of that.”
His US Democratic opponents represent an “enemy from within” trying to undermine the country, the Republican candidate has claimed
“Really bad people” within the Democratic party pose a greater threat to the US than foreign adversaries, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has claimed.
With the November 5 vote fast approaching, the GOP firebrand and his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, have of late been indulging in increasingly virulent personal attacks on one another.
A Wall Street Journal poll indicated on Wednesday that Trump was two percentage points ahead of Harris, however the Republican’s lead was within the survey’s margin of error. Recent polls by CNN and the New York Times have also shown the two contenders running neck and neck.
Appearing on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast on Friday, the former president recounted that “we had no problem with” North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The Republican hopeful went on to claim that “we have a bigger problem, in my opinion, with the enemy from within.”
“We have people that are really bad people, that I really think want to make this country unsuccessful,” he went on to allege.
Trump has previously used the term with respect to his Democratic opponents.
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During an interview on Fox News’ MediaBuzz show last Sunday, the former president characterized Democratic Representative Adam Schiff and former speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi as “an enemy from within.”
Speaking during a CNN town hall on Wednesday, Harris replied in the affirmative when asked whether she believed Trump was a fascist. She went on to warn that if elected, the Republican hopeful would become a “president who admires dictators and is a fascist.”
She cited a recent report by magazine The Atlantic, which is owned by Democrat mega-donor Laurene Powell Jobs, which quoted Trump’s second chief of staff, General John Kelly, as suggesting that his former boss had expressed admiration for the leader of Nazi Germany. Trump's team denies the comments were ever uttered.
Responding to Harris’ attack in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, the former head of state charged that “Comrade Kamala Harris sees that she is losing, and losing badly… so now she is increasingly raising her rhetoric, going so far as to call me Adolf Hitler, and anything else that comes to her warped mind.”
The GOP nominee called his rival a “Threat to Democracy, and not fit to be President of the United States.”
As for the claims published by The Atlantic, the Trump team has dismissed them as “fabricated.”
The bloc’s economy is set to recover but growth will be moderate, according to a top official
The EU economy is not growing as fast as it could be and productivity is a problem in every member country, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The director of the IMF's European Department, Alfred Kammer, shared its regional economic outlook for the bloc earlier this week.
Expected GDP growth rate in the EU is predicted to be only 1.1% this year and 1.6% in 2025, up from 0.6% a year earlier.
Commenting on the report, Kammer pointed to three factors holding the EU back.
“First, Europe’s [sic] markets are too fragmented to provide the needed scale for firms to grow. Second, Europe has no shortage of savings, but its capital markets fail to provide, to boost young and productive firms. In addition, Europe is missing skilled labor where it is needed,” he said.
Kammer said removing the remaining barriers to the free movement of goods, services, capital, and labor would solve most of these issues.
The IMF official also pointed to the 30% per capita income gap between the EU and the US, which he described as “stunning.” It “remains unchanged for two decades now,” he lamented. This is partly due to low productivity in the bloc's newest members in Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe (CESEE).
Kramer also stressed the impact of “the large Russian induced energy price shock Europe is going through,” with Germany most affected because of its energy intensive manufacturing.
After the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022, the EU made it a top priority to stop relying on Russian energy. Sanctions on Moscow and the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines in 2022 have led to a big drop in Russia’s gas supplies to the bloc.
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Brussels’ refusal to buy Russian energy has been holding back the EU’s economic growth, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in October. Some other EU countries, like Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Italy, are still importing Russian pipeline gas.
The IMF recently raised its 2024 growth forecast for Russia from 3.2% to 3.6%. It has also ranked Russia as the world’s fourth-largest economy based on purchasing power parity (PPP).
However, the fund says the Russian economy is pushing against capacity constraints and its overheating. According to Kammer, in the long-term, Russia will have to deal with fewer technology transfers and a weaker ability to attract financing as a result of the sanctions.
President Vladimir Putin said earlier this year that the Russian economy is in good shape and rapidly expanding despite pressure from Western sanctions.
The Democratic presidential nominee’s words were “the worst thing” he ever heard, the 94-year-old has said
Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris should apologize before all victims of the Third Reich for comparing her Republican rival Donald Trump to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, a Holocaust survivor has said in a video released by Trump’s campaign.
The clip, which was posted on social media on Friday, featured Jerry Wartski, a 94-year-old who had been a prisoner at the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during the Second World War. Wartski has spent most of his life in the US, working as a real estate investor. He is now an honorary president of the Israel Heritage Foundation (IHF), which describes itself as a bipartisan, pro-Israel NGO.
"Adolf Hitler invaded Poland [in 1939] when I was nine years old. He murdered my parents and most of our family. I know more about Hitler than [Harris] will ever know in a thousand lifetimes,” Wartski said in the video.
”For her to accuse President Trump of being like Hitler is the worst thing I have ever heard in my 75 years living in the US,” he insisted.
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On Wednesday, Harris reacted to recent interviews with Trump’s former chief of staff, John Kelly, in which he claimed that during his time in office the 78-year-old had praised Hitler in private and said “more than once” that the infamous leader of Nazi Germany “did some good things.” Trump’s team has denied the claim.
The Democratic nominee said that it is “deeply troubling and incredibly dangerous that Donald Trump would invoke Adolf Hitler.” Kelly’s comments are “a window into who Donald Trump really is,” she added. Later that same day, Harris branded her opponent as “a fascist,” a would-be dictator and an admirer of authoritarian figures.
“I know President Trump and he would never say this. And Kamala Harris knows that. She owes my parents and everybody else who was murdered by Hitler an apology for repeating this lie,” Wartski stressed.
Jews should vote for the Republican candidate on November 5 because “he has always stood with the Jewish people and the state of Israel,” he said.
Trump said earlier this week that Harris is “increasingly raising her rhetoric, going so far as to call me Adolf Hitler” because she “sees that she is losing, and losing badly.”
The final national poll by the New York Times and Siena College, which was published on Friday, suggested that Trump and Harris were tied 48% to 48% for the popular vote. A similar survey conducted by SSRS for CNN also found the two to be polling neck-and-neck, at 47% to 47%.
IDF warplanes launched multiple missiles early on Saturday, targeting a number of facilities in the Islamic Republic
Israel relayed a warning to Iran through several third parties ahead of its missile strike against the Islamic Republic on Saturday, Axios has reported, citing three anonymous sources. According to the media outlet, West Jerusalem indicated what type of targets it would attack, while cautioning Tehran against retaliating.
Early on Saturday, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari reported that Israeli forces were conducting “precise strikes on military targets” in Iran. The operation, reportedly codenamed ‘Days of Repentance,’ was being launched “in response to months of continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against the State of Israel,” he clarified.
The “Israelis made it clear to the Iranians in advance what they are going to attack in general and what they are not going to attack,” Axios reported. The US media outlet asserted that this reflected an “attempt to limit the ongoing exchange of attacks between Israel and Iran and prevent a wider escalation.”
According to the report, Israel also warned the Islamic Republic against responding to its attack, threatening a more devastating strike if Tehran does retaliate.
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Axios claimed that Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp was one of the channels used by Israel to convey its message to Iran. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, the diplomat confirmed that he had spoken “with the Iranian Foreign Minister about war and the heightened tensions in the region.” He added that he had urged Tehran to exercise restraint.
“IAF aircraft struck missile manufacturing facilities used to produce the missiles that Iran fired at the State of Israel over the last year,” according to an IDF statement. Moreover, the Jewish State claims to have struck the Islamic Republic’s surface-to-air missile capabilities.
Iran reopened its airspace at 9am local time (6am GMT), with the country’s National Air Defense Headquarters reporting that Israel’s “provocative” attack had resulted in “limited damage… in certain areas,” and that a more detailed assessment was still underway.
“The country’s integrated air defense system successfully intercepted and countered this aggressive action,” officials in Tehran asserted.
On October 1, Iran fired nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel in response to the killing of the Hamas and Hezbollah leaders as well as an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) general.
When he was president, he made sure Tehran had no money to fund its proxies, the Republican candidate has told Joe Rogan
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has told podcaster Joe Rogan that if he had been in office, he would have prevented last year’s October 7 Hamas incursion into Israel.
During his much-hyped appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast on Saturday, Trump said that when he had been US president between 2017 and 2021, his approach was to “do things that… do not necessarily make me so popular... just do what is right.” According to the 78-year-old, one of the examples of that approach was his treatment of Iran.
In 2018, Trump unilaterally withdrew Washington from the landmark Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which saw Iran giving up on its military nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. Instead, he imposed a bevy of new restrictions on Tehran.
"Iran was broke. I told China if you buy [oil from Tehran] you cannot do business in the US under any circumstances. I was going... to go cold turkey with China. Some people think that would have been a good idea anyway,” the former president said.
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He claimed that he had also warned “many” other countries that if they purchase even “one barrel of oil” from Iran they would be barred from the US market.
Because of this, “Iran was broke. They had no money for Hezbollah; they had no money for Hamas,” Trump said.
"We would have never had the attack on Israel at all” if he had been president, the Republican nominee insisted, referring to the October 7, 2023 strike.
During the Hamas incursion into Israel, approximately 1,200 people were killed and 250 others were taken hostage. The ongoing military operation which West Jerusalem launched in Gaza in response to the attack has left at least 42,847 people dead and 100,544 others wounded so far, according to the enclave’s health ministry.
Early on Saturday, October 26, the Israeli military announced that it had carried out strikes on Iran, hitting approximately 20 military sites in the country in retaliation for Tehran’s missile attack on Israel earlier this month. Iran has confirmed that the bombardment took place, but said it only resulted in “limited damage.”
On October 1, Iran fired nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel in response to the killing of the Hamas and Hezbollah leaders as well as an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) general.
The self-governing island had previously requested NASAMS air-defense systems and radars
The US Department of State has approved the possible sale of air-defense systems and radars to Taiwan. According to the Pentagon, the purchase of American weapons by Taipei would necessitate that several dozen US nationals travel there.
Beijing, which sees the self-governing island as part of the People’s Republic of China, views these relations as a violation of its sovereignty.
Several days ago, Washington delivered the first batch of hundreds of Harpoon Block II anti-ship missiles to Taipei under a deal approved in 2020.
In a press release on Friday, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency within the US Department of Defense announced that it had obtained approval for a “possible Foreign Military Sale to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $1.16 billion.” According to the document, Taipei had requested three units of the Raytheon-manufactured system and 123 missiles for them. The statement noted that the implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of approximately 26 US government and 34 contractor representatives “to travel to the recipient for an extended period” to provide technical support and training to local military personnel.
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A separate press release that same day revealed that the Department of State had also given the go-ahead for a potential sale of “AN/TPS-77 and AN/TPS-78 Radar Turnkey Systems and related equipment for an estimated cost of $828 million” to Taiwan.
Late last month, US President Joe Biden authorized additional military support for Taiwan worth $567 million.
During a meeting with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Beijing in late August, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged Washington to stop selling weapons to Taiwan.
Meanwhile, speaking during a press briefing last week, Chen Binhua, the spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said that Beijing will never commit itself to “renouncing the use of force” against Taipei. This scenario could materialize if the self-governing island declares independence, the official clarified.
The warning came shortly after China held large-scale military drills near the island.
Following their defeat in the Chinese Civil War in 1949, nationalist forces fled to the island, establishing their own administration there. However, only a handful of nations currently recognize Taiwan’s sovereignty, with most of the world complying with Beijing’s request that it be seen as part of the People’s Republic.
On January 1, 1979, the United States recognized the People’s Republic of China and established diplomatic relations with it as the sole legitimate government of both Taiwan and the mainland, according to the US State Department. However, Washington continues to maintain close relations with Taiwan and sells it arms.
Egypt could lose control over the Nile waters it has maintained for almost a century thanks to colonial-era treaties
This month, a long-expected agreement on the Nile has come into force, and the wealth of its waters will now be shared among many countries. Egypt, which heavily depends on the Nile, strongly opposes the agreement. However, the time of colonial-era treaties seems to have come to an end, so both upstream and downstream countries must work together to find a fair and equitable solution that is beneficial to everyone.
We Africans must understand how colonial-era treaties still fuel conflict over the Nile’s waters, favoring what was a Western-dominated agricultural production flow on the continent. We should fight for a Pan-African approach, embodied by the Nile Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement, to replace outdated entitlements with cooperative water management. By embracing shared stewardship, Egypt and Ethiopia can lead Africa in transforming the Nile from a source of discord into a lifeline that fosters unity and regional resilience.
In October 2024, the Nile Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA), or Entebbe Agreement, was finally ratified by six countries, bringing it into force. This watershed agreement, which includes Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, and South Sudan, could reshape how Africa’s longest river is shared.
However, Egypt and Sudan, two downstream nations heavily reliant on the Nile, have rejected the CFA, continuing to assert historical rights rooted in colonial-era treaties. These treaties reflect a damaging legacy of foreign interference, one that has stoked conflict and hampered development. As the effects of climate change intensify, Africa faces a pivotal choice: Remain divided by outdated entitlements or embrace Pan-African cooperation that redefines the Nile as a shared lifeline for everyone.
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A colonial legacy of discord and inequity
At the heart of the Nile dispute is a set of colonial-era treaties that awarded the lion’s share of the Nile’s resources to Egypt and Sudan. Chief among these is the 1929 Anglo-Egyptian Treaty, negotiated by the British colonial authorities, which allocated nearly 48 billion cubic meters of the Nile’s annual flow to Egypt, with no input from other riparian nations. This arrangement was further cemented by the 1959 Nile Waters Agreement, which granted Egypt and Sudan 55.5 billion and 18.5 billion cubic meters of water, respectively, without consulting other Nile Basin countries. This left upstream nations, including Ethiopia – where 85% of the Nile’s water originates – without a say in the river’s management.
The harmful effects of these colonial-era agreements resonate to this day. As a result of this exclusionary framework, upstream countries have been unable to develop water infrastructure that could support their own growth. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), for instance, has become a focal point of tension between Egypt and Ethiopia. Ethiopia views the GERD as essential for its development and energy needs, while Egypt perceives it as a threat to its water security. Egypt’s reliance on colonial-era water rights underscores how a legacy of external interference has driven a wedge between African nations, creating a zero-sum game over a resource that could otherwise foster regional unity.
The role of the Nile Basin initiative
Efforts to foster cooperative management of the Nile began with the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) in 1999, which brought together the river’s 11 riparian states to promote sustainable development and equitable water sharing. The NBI aimed to address the deep-seated mistrust among Nile countries, setting the stage for negotiations that would eventually lead to the CFA. Although the CFA represents the most significant achievement of the NBI to date, its implementation has been stymied by Egypt’s refusal to abandon colonial-era treaties that enshrine its dominance over the Nile.
The recent CFA ratification by six countries signals a clear desire among Nile Basin nations to move beyond the constraints of the past. By emphasizing “equitable and reasonable utilization,” the CFA embodies a forward-thinking approach to resource sharing that is based on the principles of international law, particularly the 1997 UN Convention on the Law of Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses. As Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stated, South Sudan’s ratification is a “historic moment” for the region, one that lays the foundation for a legal framework to govern Nile resources fairly and sustainably.
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Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egypt’s Pan-Africanist leader in the 1950s-1960s, championed African unity in resource sharing, including water, through both diplomacy and radical politics. Revered across Africa, even in Ethiopia, he remains a symbol of liberation. Egypt could leverage Nasser’s legacy to foster cooperative ties with Nile Basin countries, transforming his enduring influence into a modern framework for equitable and sustainable water management.
The Pan-African imperative
Pan-Africanism – the idea that African nations should work together in the spirit of unity and mutual support – is essential for addressing the Nile’s complex challenges. Colonial powers drew borders, made treaties, and divided resources in ways that benefited their interests, often pitting African nations against one another. A Pan-African approach offers an alternative vision, one in which Africa’s longest river is managed as a shared resource that sustains all its people, regardless of political boundaries.
A pan-African solution to the Nile’s challenges would entail a cooperative governance model that treats the river as a common resource, much like the EU’s approach to managing cross-border rivers. Instead of viewing the Nile as a battleground for national interests, riparian countries could establish a Nile Basin Commission to oversee water allocation, promote joint infrastructure projects, and support environmental conservation efforts. This would create a platform for open dialogue, mitigating the risk of conflict and fostering trust among Nile nations.
Climate change and population growth
The urgency of a Pan-African approach is underscored by the looming threats of climate change and population growth. The Nile Basin is already feeling the effects of a warming climate. Rising temperatures are expected to increase evaporation rates and reduce water availability across the region. A study by the World Resources Institute estimates that water stress in the Nile Basin could increase by 60% by 2040, making cooperative water management even more crucial.
Additionally, the Nile Basin’s population is projected to grow from 257 million in 2020 to nearly 400 million by 2050. As the demand for food, water, and energy rises, the potential for resource-driven conflicts will only intensify. In the face of these challenges, a Pan-African approach to water sharing could help Nile countries avoid the pitfalls of unilateral action. By investing in joint infrastructure projects, such as shared irrigation systems and water conservation initiatives, Nile Basin nations could address their collective water needs while minimizing environmental degradation. Collaborative efforts to adapt agriculture to climate impacts, promote drought-resistant crops, and improve irrigation efficiency would not only bolster food security but also reduce the strain on the Nile.
Egypt’s position
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While Egypt’s concerns about water security are valid, its reliance on colonial-era treaties to uphold its claims is increasingly untenable. According to the UN, over 90% of Egypt’s water needs are met by the Nile, making it one of the world’s most water-dependent nations. However, by rejecting the CFA and insisting on historical entitlements, Egypt risks isolating itself from the broader Pan-African movement toward self-determination and collective resource management.
For Egypt, embracing a Pan-African approach to the Nile could yield long-term benefits. Rather than viewing the CFA as a threat, Egypt could engage with other Nile Basin countries to ensure its water security through joint projects and technological innovation. For example, desalination plants and wastewater recycling programs could help diversify Egypt’s water sources, reducing its dependency on the Nile. Furthermore, by investing in shared infrastructure and conservation initiatives, Egypt could position itself as a leader in sustainable water management, aligning itself with the broader African agenda for climate resilience and environmental stewardship.
Moreover, Egypt can partner with Ethiopia and other Nile Basin countries to launch joint agricultural initiatives, such as shared irrigation projects that boost crop yields while conserving water. Additionally, Nile-based industrial and commercial developments, like cooperative fisheries, renewable energy plants, and river transport systems, could enhance regional economies and create sustainable employment opportunities. By investing in these collaborative projects, Egypt would not only secure its own water needs but also help build a Pan-African framework for resource-sharing, fostering stability and prosperity throughout the Nile Basin.
Toward a shared vision for the Nile
The path forward for the Nile Basin is clear: Africa must overcome the legacy of colonialism by forging a new framework for water sharing that prioritizes cooperation over conflict. This requires a willingness among Nile countries to make concessions, to compromise, and to recognize their mutual dependence on this vital resource. The CFA’s principles of equitable use and environmental sustainability provide a foundation upon which to build a shared future, but the hard work of translating these principles into action remains. A Nile Basin Commission, as proposed under the CFA, could serve as a vehicle for achieving this vision.
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By establishing binding agreements on water allocation, monitoring the environmental impacts of major projects, and facilitating knowledge exchange, the commission could promote a holistic approach to water management that respects the needs of all riparian states. Additionally, the commission could play a key role in attracting international funding for sustainable development initiatives, such as renewable energy projects and conservation programs, that benefit the entire basin.
The Pan-African solution
The Nile River, like Africa itself, is bound by a complex history of foreign interference and internal division. But it also embodies the potential for unity, for shared prosperity, and for a future in which African nations work together to harness their resources responsibly. As recent ratifications of the CFA show, many Nile Basin countries are ready to embrace a new approach to water sharing, one that looks beyond colonial legacies and focuses on regional solidarity. In the spirit of Pan-Africanism, Nile Basin countries must continue to advocate for an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable framework for managing their shared waters. By doing so, they can ensure that the Nile remains a source of life, not a source of conflict. Africa’s longest river has the potential to be a unifying force, one that brings nations together in the pursuit of a common good. It is up to Africa’s leaders to seize this opportunity and demonstrate to the world that the continent’s future lies not in division, but in unity.
The British foreign intelligence service MI6 was particularly involved, Russia’s envoy to the UN has said
Western intelligence services have trained Ukrainian saboteurs to carry out provocations at Russian nuclear power plants, Moscow’s permanent representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, has claimed.
The attempts by Ukraine to target nuclear facilities inside Russia are “beyond reckless” and could end up plunging the European continent “into a radiation nightmare,” Nebenzia warned during an unofficial meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday.
The authorities in Moscow “have credible information that Western intelligence agencies, primarily the British MI6, have systematically prepared Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups to organize provocations at nuclear power plants in Russia.”
Among other schemes, Kiev and its foreign backers were working on an operation to blow up power lines connecting the nuclear plants with the Russian national energy grid, the envoy stressed.
He recalled how throughout the conflict, “representatives of certain countries” had accused Moscow, “contrary to common sense, of destabilizing the security situation around the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), which is under our control.” The facility was secured by Russian troops in March 2022.
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According to Nebenzia, those making such claims “do their best to ignore the obvious fact that regular and reckless attacks against the ZNPP are a deliberate terrorist strategy of Ukraine.”
Moscow and Kiev have repeatedly accused each other of shelling Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, and the Russian Defense Ministry has said that several attempts by Ukrainian assault units to retake it have been repelled. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed attacks on the ZNPP, but declined to name the responsible party.
"But recent events undermine the arguments of all those who try to shelter the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the case of the ZNPP,” the envoy said, referring to Kiev’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region, which began in early August.
"There is irrefutable evidence that Kiev was also plotting to attack the Nuclear Power Plant in Kursk,” with the Ukrainians planning to capture and mine the facility, he stressed.
It is fortunate that the Russian military prevented the Ukrainian forces from reaching the nuclear plant, thus averting a “genuine man-made disaster and a large-scale technogenic catastrophe in Europe,” Nebenzia said.
The Russian envoy has once again called upon international bodies, including the UN and the IAEA, to condemn the “provocative actions” by Ukraine and prevent further attempts to undermine the security of the nuclear sites in Zaporozhye and Kursk.
Israel has “fully mobilized” its offensive and defensive capabilities
The Israel Defense Forces is conducting “precise strikes on military targets” in Iran, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari confirmed early Saturday.
“In response to months of continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against the State of Israel – right now the Israel Defense Forces is conducting precise strikes on military targets in Iran,” the rear admiral said in a brief video statement.
“We will do whatever necessary to defend the State of Israel and the people of Israel,” he said, adding that the Jewish state’s “defensive and offensive capabilities are fully mobilized.”
In response to months of continuous attacks from the regime in Iran against the State of Israel—right now the Israel Defense Forces is conducting precise strikes on military targets in Iran.
The regime in Iran and its proxies in the region have been relentlessly attacking… pic.twitter.com/OcHUy7nQvN
The scale of the attack was not immediately clear, and there was no information on damage in the Islamic Republic. A Tehran resident told AP that at least seven explosions could be heard in the capital.
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On October 1, Iran fired nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel in response to the killing of the Hamas and Hezbollah leaders as well as an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) general.
Israel has since threatened to deliver a “deadly, pinpoint accurate, and surprising” retaliation, without specifying any time frame.
Tehran has warned Israel against conducting any strikes, vowing a “decisive and regretful” response, should it do so.
Multiple explosions have been heard in Tehran as the IDF launched a multi-wave air raid
West Jerusalem has launched a retaliatory wave of airstrikes against Tehran. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has claimed that it is only targeting military installations with its “precise strikes.”
The attack comes after Iran’s October 1 strike on the Jewish state, when it fired nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel in response to the killing of the Hamas and Hezbollah leaders as well as an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) general.
The IDF insisted following the strike that the majority of the projectiles had been intercepted. Tehran, however, has claimed that it was able to hit several Israeli military targets.
Following the October 1 attack, Israel threatened to deliver a “deadly, pinpoint accurate, and surprising” retaliation, without specifying any time frame. Alleged details of possible Israeli targets were leaked to media last week. Tehran has pledged a “decisive and regretful” response to any Israeli strikes.
Robert Kagan was furious the paper would not endorse Kamala Harris for US president
The Washington Post’s editor-at-large Robert Kagan has resigned in protest after the newspaper, owned by Amazon magnate Jeff Bezos, decided to forego a presidential endorsement for the first time since 1988.
Kagan is the husband of Victoria Nuland, the former senior State Department official who was directly involved in the 2014 US-backed coup in Ukraine. A self-described neoconservative, Kagan went from being a foreign policy adviser to Republican presidential candidate John McCain in 2008 to joining the Democrats in 2016 and endorsing Hillary Clinton.
On Friday, he confirmed to NPR and Fox News that he'd quit the Post because the paper refused to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ presidential nominee, in her race against Republican candidate and former president Donald Trump.
According to NPR, the text of the Harris endorsement had been drafted earlier this month, but the paper’s management scrapped it after a review by Bezos, who has owned the Post since 2013. In its response, the editorial board expressed that it was “shocked” and was overwhelmingly negative, the public broadcaster claimed.
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While Kagan’s has been the only resignation so far, WaPo came under a torrent of criticism for Bezos’ decision. Susan Rice, a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama, denounced the move as “the most hypocritical, chicken sh*t move from a publication that is supposed to hold people in power to account.”
“This is cowardice, a moment of darkness that will leave democracy as a casualty,” Marty Baron, the Post’s executive editor during the Trump presidency, told NPR in a statement, calling the non-endorsement of Harris “a disturbing chapter of spinelessness at an institution famed for courage.”
Under Baron, the Post won several Pulitzer prizes for stories about the ‘Russiagate’ conspiracy theory and blaming Trump for the 2021 election-related riot at the US Capitol.
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Kagan has argued that Trump would be a dangerous dictator and has advised the current President Joe Biden to respect, love and learn from ‘the Blob’ of the Washington establishment. He is also known for co-authoring the 1996 manifesto ‘Toward a Neo-Reaganite Foreign Policy’, advocating for the US to become a “benevolent global hegemony.” His co-author, fellow neoconservative Bill Kristol, also joined the Democrats in 2016 and became an outspoken Trump critic.
The Washington Post’s move comes just days after the Los Angeles Times likewise announced it would not endorse Harris, after 16 years of backing Democrats. The head of editorials, Mariel Garza, resigned in protest of the decision she said made the paper “look craven and hypocritical, maybe even a bit sexist and racist,” having spent eight years “railing against” Trump.
Brussels canceled a scheduled discussion because Milos Vucevic had met with Moscow’s economic development minister
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has canceled planned talks with Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, citing his previous meeting with a Russian official.
Von der Leyen arrived in Belgrade on Friday as part of a tour of the Balkans. She met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, and was supposed to meet Vucevic as well.
“We canceled the meeting with the prime minister after his meeting with the Russian economy minister,” the EU ambassador to Serbia Emmanuel Gioffre told AFP, noting that Serbia had signaled that it intends to “strengthen its economic relations with Russia.”
Vucevic had met with Russian Economic Development Minister Maksim Reshetnikov, whom he thanked for Moscow’s support for Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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“Serbia greatly appreciates this support and will not forget,” Vucevic said. He also expressed thanks that Moscow had invited Belgrade to take part in the BRICS summit in Kazan earlier this week.
Vucic had said he would not attend, citing the visits by von der Leyen and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, but several cabinet ministers and Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin went to Kazan and took part in the BRICS meetings.
Reshetnikov conveyed Moscow’s appreciation for Serbia’s refusal to join the EU in implementing sanctions against Russia. Serbia declared military neutrality and has repeatedly shrugged off pressure from Brussels to “harmonize its foreign policy” with that of the EU.
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Both Vucic and the cabinet have pointed out more than once the hypocrisy and double standards of the West in insisting on Ukraine’s borders, while demanding Serbia recognize its province of Kosovo as an independent state run by NATO-backed ethnic Albanians.
Serbia is officially determined to join the EU but the bloc has conditioned its membership on its sanctioning Russia and recognizing Kosovo, among other things, which Vucic has vowed he will never do.
The US and the EU are making a historic mistake, Ivan Chebeskov has said
Using interest from frozen Russian assets to make loans to Ukraine is against international law and will backfire on the West, Moscow’s Deputy Finance Minister Ivan Chebeskov has said.
The US and the EU blocked an estimated $300 billion in assets belonging to the Russian central bank when the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022. More than two thirds of the funds, around $213 billion, are being held at the Brussels-based clearinghouse Euroclear.
“Of course, these decisions taken by the US and the EU are not lawful, they contradict the principles of international law, the UN Charter, they go against everything there is,” Chebeskov told reporters on Friday.
The deputy finance minister spoke on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the governing bodies of the IMF and the World Bank, in Washington. Earlier this week, US President Joe Biden announced the decision to provide Ukraine with a $20 billion loan, using interest from the frozen Russian assets as collateral. Meanwhile, The European Parliament backed a loan of up to €35 billion ($38 billion) to Kiev.
The US and the UK had pushed for confiscating the assets outright, but the EU has reportedly been fearful of fallout for Euroclear.
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Chebeskov told Russian media that such actions would have “historic consequences” for the international financial system.
Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said on Thursday that Moscow would respond in kind, using interest earned by the blocked assets of companies from “unfriendly” countries.
While Siluanov did not specify the amount of Western assets currently held in Russia, previous calculations by RIA Novosti put the figure at roughly at par with the Russian funds frozen abroad.
Moscow has repeatedly warned that seizing its assets would amount to “theft” and not only violate international law, but undermine reserve currencies, the global financial system, and the world economy.
After the Kurdistan Workers’ Party admitted its involvement in the attack on the Turkish capital, the indirect responsibility of the United States for this tragedy is clear
Just as President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan landed in Kazan for the BRICS summit, horrifying news was reported from Ankara: terrorists had attacked the headquarters of the aerospace company TUSAS. Three terrorists (including a woman), professionally equipped and armed with guns and explosives, stormed the headquarters of the corporation which produces military aircraft and drones and modernizes F-16 fighter jets. Five people were killed and over 20 were seriously injured.
The first moments of the attack were captured on security cameras; Turkish TV channel A Haber reported that the initial incursion occurred while security guards were changing shift. Some terrorists managed to get inside the building and take hostages (they were later freed by special forces, and the terrorists were eliminated). Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed condolences to his Turkish counterpart and condemned the attack. Erdogan, in turn, stated that the assault on TUSAS was an attack on the country’s independence and vowed to continue the fight against terrorism.
Türkiye ‘s Interior Minister, Ali Yerlikaya reported that authorities have identified one of the attack perpetrators as a member of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is designated a terrorist organization by Ankara. The Turkish Air Force launched strikes against PKK targets in Iraq and Syria. The country’s Ministry of National Defense confirmed an aerial operation aimed at terrorist positions in northern Iraq and Syria, emphasizing that the operation was initiated “in accordance with the legitimate rights of self-defense stated under Article 51 of the UN Charter”. According to the Turkish Ministry of National Defense, 32 targets were struck.
In fact, this rhetoric closely resembled the approach of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who also swiftly launched a military operation in Gaza following the bloody attacks on October 7. And just as Hamas’s military wing claimed responsibility for those events and even dared to boast of the crime, the PKK did the same.
The swift reaction of the Turkish authorities is not surprising, given that the tragedy happened at the HQ of TUSAS – a key player in Türkiye’s defense industry known for developing cutting-edge military technology. Its projects include developing Kaan fifth-generation fighter jets, Anka combat drones, as well as working on F-16 fighter jets. The area surrounding the production facility is also home to the USET testing center for spacecraft and satellites, making TUSAS a prime target for armed groups that oppose Türkiye’s military expansion.
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However grim and cynical this may sound, such attacks are rarely improvised; they are often meticulously planned to maximize impact. Consequently, one cannot help but think the timing of the attack was deliberate – it coincided with Erdogan’s visit to Russia for the BRICS summit and may be a potential attempt to force him to cut his trip short. However, if it was, it has failed — Erdogan still participated in the summit's “outreach/BRICS+” format.
In Türkiye, the terrorist attack has given rise to a wave of speculation fueled by various theories and mysteries, which in fact aren’t groundless. For instance, a popular Turkish TV series predicted the October 23 attack in Ankara three years ago. The opening episode of the TV series “The Organization” about the work of the MIT (Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization), showed a terrorist incident occurring at SIHA, a company producing cutting-edge military drones and engaged in secret defense industry projects. In the series, Turkish engineers fell victim to the attack, and sensitive information was stolen. Subsequently, Turkish intelligence officers uncovered that foreign intelligence agencies had orchestrated the assault.
Moreover, an important exhibition showcasing Türkiye’s defense, aerospace, and aviation industries is taking place this week. The defense sector accounts for nearly 80% of Türkiye’s export figures – in 2023 alone, the country exported defense equipment totaling $10.2 billion. In other words, the terrorists may have aimed to inflict damage on Türkiye’s military industrial complex, especially targeting TUSAS – a leading company in the defense industry.
Another striking coincidence is that the attack occurred in a district of Ankara known as “Kahramankazan”, which was called “Kazan” until 2016. Turkish political analysts believe that this attack is a sort of “black spot” – a sinister message sent to Erdogan for his cooperation with BRICS (especially considering the fact that the BRICS summit is currently taking place in Kazan). Although Western countries are trying to mask their discontent with Erdogan over his attendance at the summit in Russia, it’s clear that both Brussels and Washington are far from pleased. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that Türkiye’s entry into BRICS is the country’s sovereign right, but it’s clear that such a move will be viewed by the collective West as “unfriendly” at the very least, and may trigger more radical measures in addressing the “Turkish issue”. Meanwhile, Rutte hastened to offer condolences to Türkiye and “strongly condemned the attack”.
Türkiye is certain that the West is trying to frighten Erdogan through acts of terrorism which it orchestrates using the Kurdistan Workers’ Party as its “effective tool”. Özgur Özel, the leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), claimed that the timing of the attack was deliberate. Moreover, some Turkish politicians suspect that this incident could be an external attempt to disrupt dialogue with Kurdish political forces in the country.
Ties between the PKK and the US remain one of the most contentious issues in Ankara-Washington relations. While both countries officially label the PKK as a terrorist organization, the US maintains contact with the group. From its perspective, collaboration with Kurdish groups is a necessary strategy in the fight against ISIS. Washington often justifies its support for the PKK as a tactical alliance aimed solely at achieving short-term military objectives. However, Türkiye views this cooperation as a direct threat to its national security, since all Kurdish groups in the region are closely linked to the PKK and share similar views regarding Kurdish autonomy.
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Not only did the US provide military aid to the People’s Defense Units (YPG) but it also trained them, which raised serious concerns in Türkiye. Ankara has repeatedly warned that weapons and equipment supplied to Kurdish fighters in Syria could be used against Turkish forces in the ongoing conflict with the PKK in the southeast of the country. Moreover, Türkiye claims that weapons given to the YPG have frequently fallen into the hands of the PKK, facilitating attacks on the Turkish military.
America’s direct support for Kurdish forces occasionally strains relations between Washington and Ankara. Türkiye believes that the alliance with the YPG undermines the country’s sovereignty and security. However, despite demands from Türkiye to stop supporting PKK-affiliated forces and sever all ties with them, the US continues to provide military assistance to the YPG.
In response, Türkiye has conducted numerous military operations in northern Syria, such as Operation Olive Branch and Operation Peace Spring. These campaigns strive to drive the YPG away from the border and establish a “safe zone” to prevent the spread of Kurdish influence near Türkiye’s borders. Since the PKK is involved in the recent attack in Ankara, one could argue that the US bears some indirect responsibility for it. Over the past few years, Washington has warned Ankara about potential consequences if it does not cut ties with Moscow and cease expanding relations with Beijing.
Meanwhile, adhering to its characteristic multi-vector policy, Türkiye has endeavored to maintain its role as a reliable ally of the West within NATO, while also respecting its own national interests, since it is fully aware of the problems it would face otherwise.
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In the summer of 2023, the influential government-affiliated Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak reported that Washington was waging an undeclared war against Ankara by supporting the PKK in Syria. The publication’s analysts pointed out that the PKK, which Türkiye has been actively combating since 2015 (including in Syria) was on the brink of being dismantled. Yet the US continued to provide assistance to the Syrian branch of the PKK, known as the People’s Defense Units (YPG), by training fighters and conducting military exercises. Turkish authorities view both the PKK and YPG as primary threats to the country’s national security. The Turkish military regularly conducts operations against Kurdish armed groups in northern Syria and maintains a significant presence along the border. Ankara has repeatedly accused the US of providing military aid and weapons to the YPG in northern Syria, while Washington has mostly refrained from commenting.
A year later, in August, Turkish journalists uncovered evidence that the Biden administration was working to bolster Kurdish forces in Syria by supplying them with Avenger short-range missile systems. Furthermore, it became known that the Pentagon had begun training Kurdish fighters in the use of these systems. Reports from Syria TV, a channel affiliated with the pro-Ankara opposition, confirmed that the US had dispatched a new shipment of Avenger systems to northeastern Syria. US instructors even decided to train members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)—a militarized alliance dominated by Kurdish groups—in operating them. Last summer, the Turkish leadership repeatedly vowed to clear border areas in Syria and Iraq of Kurdish forces. Since October 2023, Türkiye has intensified strikes in northern Syria, following an attack carried out by PKK militants outside the General Directorate of Security in Ankara. The Turkish military ramped up shelling of key Kurdish strongholds along the southern border, targeting industrial infrastructure, SDF headquarters, military arsenals, and oil refineries. However, despite the fierce discontent of Turkish officials, the US continued to support Kurdish units.
Whether it’s a coincidence or not, the terrorist attack in Ankara occurred just as Erdogan arrived in Kazan to strengthen ties with the Global South. As a NATO member, he has become a role model for those members of the alliance who do not agree with the actions of Brussels and Washington but are afraid to speak out or take action. For these countries, Türkiye stands as an example that could guide them back to prioritizing their own national interests. Simply put, Erdogan has chosen to go all in and challenge the rules of the game which the Americans had imposed on Western Europe and are trying to impose on the whole world. But his radical disregard for the rules may not be easily forgiven by Washington.