The US is reportedly lobbying the UN to reject the regional authority’s membership bid, which would amount to its recognition

The US government has been lobbying the UN Security Council nations to reject the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) application for full membership, according to The Intercept, citing leaked diplomatic cables.

The outlet reported on Wednesday it had obtained copies of unclassified US State Department cables which contradict the Biden administration’s pledge to fully support a two-state solution.

The 15-member Security Council is reportedly scheduled to vote on Friday on a draft resolution that recommends to the 193-member UN General Assembly that “the State of Palestine be admitted to membership of the United Nations,” which would amount to recognition of Palestinian statehood, which Israel opposes.

The US has been insisting that establishing an independent Palestinian state should happen through direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine, and not at the United Nations. President Joe Biden has previously categorically said that Washington supports a two-state solution and is working to get that in place as soon as possible.

The cables reportedly detail pressure being applied to members of the Security Council. Ecuador in particular is being asked to lobby Malta, the rotating president of the council this month, and other nations, including France, to oppose UN recognition for the PA, according to the report. The State Department has reportedly pointed out that normalizing relations between Israel and Arab states is the fastest and most effective way to achieve an enduring and productive statehood.

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One diplomatic cable, dated April 12, explained US opposition to the vote, citing the risk of inflaming tensions, political backlash, and a potential cut in UN funding by the US Congress.

“We therefore urge you not to support any potential Security Council resolution recommending the admission of ‘Palestine’ as a UN member state, should such a resolution be presented to the Security Council for a decision in the coming days and weeks,” the leaked cable reads.

The PA applied for membership in 2011, but the application was never put to the Security Council. At the time, the US – as one of the council’s five permanent members – said it would exercise its veto power in the event of a successful vote.

The following year, the UN upgraded the State of Palestine’s status from “non-member observer entity” to “non-member observer state,” a status held only by it and Vatican City.

The lobbying efforts by the US indicate that the White House is hoping to avoid an overt “veto” on the Palestinian membership request, The Intercept suggested.

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Argentina has submitted a formal request to the US-led military bloc for ‘global partner’ status, Defense Minister Luis Petri says

Argentina has officially asked NATO to accept it as a new “global partner,” the country’s Defense Minister Luis Petri announced on Thursday following a meeting with the US-led military bloc’s Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana.

In a post on X, Petri shared pictures from his meeting with Geoana in Buenos Aires, and said that he “presented the letter of intent that expresses Argentina’s request to become a global partner” of NATO. He vowed to “continue working to recover links that allow us to modernize and train our forces to NATO standards.”

The US has already designated Argentina as a Major non-NATO Ally (MNNA); Washington uses this term to classify countries that have strategic relationships with the US Armed Forces but do not formally belong to the NATO bloc.

The Global Partner, or ‘Partners Across the Globe’, designation signifies even deeper ties with the US-led group, such as sharing intelligence and participating in joint military operations, and is currently held by countries such as Australia, Japan, South Korea, Colombia, Iraq, Mongolia, New Zealand and Pakistan.

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Petri’s statement comes as Argentina’s President Javier Milei, who was elected last December, has launched a wave of radical reforms aimed at stabilizing the country’s ailing economy and has sought to establish closer ties with the US and other Western countries, even looking to peg its national currency to the dollar.

After securing the presidency, Milei, a self-described ‘anarcho-capitalist’, also formally rejected an invitation to become a member of the BRICS group of nations, led by Russia, China, India, Brazil and South Africa, claiming that he would not “align with the communists.”

Instead, the Argentinian president has insisted that the best way to protect his country’s sovereignty is to strengthen its “strategic alliance” with Washington and other countries that “embrace the causes of freedom.”

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Berlin’s “provocative attack” is an attempt to distort the history of World War II, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said

Russia’s diplomatic mission in Berlin has received a notice that the presence of Russian officials at events in Germany marking the liberation of Nazi concentration camps is “undesirable,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

The letter was sent earlier this month by the administrations of several memorial complexes at the sites of former death camps, Zakharova explained. It came ahead of International Liberation of Nazi Concentration Camps Day, observed annually on April 11 to commemorate the freeing of prisoners from Buchenwald – one of the largest Nazi death camps of World War II.

“Our embassy in Berlin received a notice that it is undesirable for Russian officials to participate in commemorative events marking the 79th anniversary of the liberation of death camp prisoners,” Zakharova said during a briefing. She noted that the letter targeted people who have dedicated their lives to preserving the memory of World War II.

Zakharova stressed that Moscow regards the move as a “provocative attack” and yet another attempt to portray the war in a politicized “anti-Russian vein.”

“We believe that this is the destruction of historical memory and the truth about the Second World War by Berlin,” the spokeswoman said

Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union is estimated to have caused the deaths of over 26 million people, including some 13.6 million civilians. Despite the catastrophic losses, the Red Army played a pivotal role in defeating Nazi Germany and pushed its forces out of Eastern Europe, liberating many concentration camps, including the infamous Auschwitz.

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Zakharova also criticized Germany for continuing to ignore Russia’s demands to recognize Nazi crimes against the USSR as genocide, stressing that Berlin “will not be able to remain silent and avoid answering.”

In January, on the 80th anniversary of the lifting of the siege of Leningrad during World War II, Berlin said it was “committed to ensuring that the memory of the atrocities of German War crimes in the Second World War” and acknowledged “its historical responsibility for the crimes committed in Leningrad by the German Wehrmacht.”

Russian diplomats, however, have argued that Berlin’s statements do not go far enough, and expressed dismay that Germany is seemingly hesitant to recognize the Leningrad blockade and other Nazi crimes against the people of the USSR as acts of genocide.

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The Turkish leader reportedly said the Jewish state has killed 14,000 children in Gaza

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Israel of outdoing Adolf Hitler by killing 14,000 children in Gaza, Anadolu news agency reported on Wednesday.

Speaking to a meeting of his Justice and Development (AK) Party legislators in the Turkish parliament, Erdogan said that the Palestinian cause has given his life meaning, according to the news agency.

“As long as God grants me life, I will continue to defend the struggle of Palestine, and will be the voice of the oppressed Palestinian people,” the Turkish leader said.

He also compared the struggle of Hamas to the Turkish war of independence (1919-1922) and reminded the MPs that he had stood up for the Palestinian militant group at the 2009 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“When no one else would speak, we stood up and said: ‘Hamas is not a terrorist organization, but a resistance group.’ We presented maps at the UN showing how Israel has gradually occupied the lands of Palestine over the past 70 years,” he said.

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Erdogan accused Israel of committing massacres in both Gaza and the West Bank that are “marks of shame in human history,” with “unconditional support” from the West.

Almost 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in the enclave over the past six months, according to the local health authorities, while another 77,000 have been injured. The Hamas-run Gaza government says most of the casualties have been civilians, though it is unclear where Erdogan got the number of dead children. Statistically, nearly half of the population of Gaza is under the age of 18, according to numerous reports.

Israel declared war on Hamas after the Gaza-based group raided nearby Israeli villages and military bases on October 7 last year. West Jerusalem has said over 1,100 Israelis were killed and over 200 taken hostage in the attack, which has been described as one of the worst in the Jewish state’s history.

The UN has estimated that 85% of the Palestinian enclave’s residents have been internally displaced and face acute shortages of food, water and medication, while more than half of Gaza’s infrastructure has been damaged or outright destroyed. A recent report by UN Human Rights Council special rapporteur Francesca Albanese has accused Israel of intending to commit genocide in the enclave.

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A large-scale conflict is in nobody’s interests, but an Israeli retaliation to Iran is bound to happen. The question is, what will it be?

From the night of Saturday, April 13, Iran directly attacked Israel from its territory for the first time using drones and missiles. In many Israeli cities, air-raid sirens sounded, and explosions were heard in Jerusalem.

CNN described it as the most powerful single drone attack in history. The strike was a response to an Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1, which killed several Iranian officers, including a high-ranking general of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This exchange pushed the Middle East closer to a full-scale regional war.

According to the Israeli army, the nighttime attack from Iranian territory consisted of more than 300 launches: Israel was targeted by 170 drones, over 120 ballistic missiles, and more than 30 cruise missiles. In addition to drones, Iran reportedly launched 150 cruise missiles, 110 land-to-land ballistic missiles (Shahab-3, Sajil-2, and Kheibar), and seven Fattah-2 hypersonic cruise missiles.

In addition to Iran, attacks on Israel were also carried out by Yemeni Houthis and pro-Iranian groups from Iraq. It is also reported that the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah participated in the attacks on Israel, launching missile strikes on the Golan Heights.

The attacks caused widespread panic in Israel when air-raid sirens went off at 2am, forcing citizens to seek shelter amid explosions in key locations, including Jerusalem, Haifa, and several military bases. The intensity of the attack overwhelmed Israel’s Iron Dome defense system, prompting retaliatory military actions by allied countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, and Jordan. As a countermeasure, Israel disabled the guidance systems of Iranian missiles and drones by blocking GPS signals.

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This information is corroborated by reports from American and British media, which stated that drones launched from these territories were destroyed by the air forces of the US, the UK, and Jordan before they could reach Israeli territory. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed the participation of British fighters in repelling the attacks. Additionally, Israel expressed gratitude to France for assistance in monitoring airspace, which facilitated effective protection against the attacks. According to CNN, the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, as well as the Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 missile defense systems were involved in repelling the attacks.

According to IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari, Israel and its allies managed to intercept 99% of Iran’s munitions, with the overwhelming majority shot down outside the country. Only a few ballistic missiles reached Israeli territory, hitting an airbase in the south, where “minor damage” was inflicted on the infrastructure, the IDF stated. Iran claimed that its targets were exclusively military and governmental structures, highlighting the serious nature of the conflict and the complexities associated with regional geopolitical tensions.

Have Iran and Israel always been enemies?

Before the Iranian Revolution of 1979, Iran and Israel maintained relatively friendly and cooperative relations, characterized by strategic collaboration in various areas. Despite geographical and cultural differences, both countries found common ground in their shared geopolitical interests and the recognition of threats from neighboring Arab states.

Diplomatic relations between Iran and Israel were established in the early years after the formation of the state of Israel in 1948. Iran, under the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, viewed Israel as a potential ally in the region. Both countries shared concerns about the expansionist ambitions of Arab nationalist movements and the strengthening of Soviet influence in the Middle East during the Cold War.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Iran and Israel discreetly cooperated in various areas, including intelligence sharing, military training, and economic partnership. This collaboration was dictated by mutual interests in countering common enemies, such as Arab nationalism and pan-Arabism, led by figures like Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser.

One notable example of their cooperation was the joint Israeli-Iranian efforts to support Kurdish rebels in Iraq during the 1960s, aimed at destabilizing the Iraqi government, which was viewed as a threat by both Tehran and Tel Aviv.

Additionally, Iran and Israel maintained strong economic ties, with Israel providing Iran with advanced agricultural technologies and expertise, while Iran supplied Israel with oil, especially during times of regional instability, such as the Arab oil embargo of 1973.

Overall, the period before 1979 witnessed a pragmatic alignment of interests between Iran and Israel, driven by their shared concerns and pursuit of mutual benefits. However, these relationships changed dramatically after the Iranian Revolution, which ended the Shah’s regime and ushered in an era of hostility between the two countries.

The roots of Iran-Israel animosity

The rivalry between Iran and Israel is deeply rooted in political, religious, and strategic conflicts that have developed over several decades. This longstanding enmity has multiple aspects, each contributing to the tensions that shape their current relations.

Iran and Israel embody fundamentally opposing political and religious ideologies. After the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Iran established an Islamic Republic based on Shiite principles, which opposed what it perceived as Western imperialism and influence, including that of Israel and the US. Israel, on the other hand, was founded as a Jewish state in 1948 and is viewed by Iran as a Western outpost in the Middle East. Iran’s support for Palestinian groups and its calls for the elimination of the Zionist state have further fueled this ideological conflict.

Both countries strive to expand their influence in the Middle East, often at the expense of the other. Israel sees Iran as its greatest threat, particularly due to Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its support for anti-Israel groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Conversely, Iran views Israel’s military superiority and its close ties with the US as a serious threat to its own security and regional ambitions.

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Iran’s nuclear program is the subject of intense scrutiny and concern for Israel. Israel fears that Iran’s potential to develop nuclear weapons poses a direct existential threat. As a result, Israel actively advocates for stringent international sanctions against Iran and does not rule out military action to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear capability. Iran insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but its opacity and resistance to international inspections have heightened suspicions and tension.

Iran and Israel have conducted a shadow war across the region, supporting opposing sides in various conflicts. Iran backs groups like Hezbollah and the Syrian government, aiming to establish a “Shiite crescent” from Iran through Iraq and Syria to Lebanon. Israel frequently conducts military strikes to disrupt these efforts and to weaken the military capabilities of these groups, particularly to prevent the transfer of advanced weaponry to Hezbollah and other Iran-allied groups.

The international alliances of each country also contribute to their rivalry. Israel’s strong ties with the US, its peace treaties with certain Arab nations, and its growing relations with other countries concerned about Iran’s policies, such as Saudi Arabia, are perceived by Iran as strategic encirclement. Meanwhile, Iran’s support from Russia and China in the face of Western sanctions showcases the global dimension of this rivalry.

Iran’s ideological commitment to exporting its revolutionary principles and opposing Western influence directly clashes with Israel’s security interests and its alignment with Western values. This ideological export is manifested through Iran’s support for militias and political movements that actively oppose the existence of Israel.

Understanding the complex and multifaceted nature of the Iran-Israel rivalry requires considering these historical, ideological, strategic, and international factors. This rivalry not only affects the security dynamics of the Middle East but also has significant implications for global geopolitics.

What was the reaction to the Iranian attacks on Israel?

Following the Iranian attack, high-ranking officials from various countries heightened tensions. The chief of the Israeli General Staff immediately declared that a response would be forthcoming, without specifying its form or timing. At the same time, the rhetoric from world leaders emphasized the need to contain the conflict and prevent a large-scale war.

At a UN Security Council meeting, the Iranian representative asserted that Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel were conducted in self-defense and were necessary, proportionate, and targeted only at military sites. According to Hossein Amir Abdollahian, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic, Iran informed the US administration that the attack on Israel was limited. Iran also threatened strikes on American bases in the region if the US continued to support Israel and oppose Iran during the attack. The minister noted that Iran had targeted an Israeli airbase from which F-35 planes had launched strikes on the Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1.

Immediately after the strikes by the Iranian Armed Forces and the IRGC on Israel, the US adopted a cautious approach. An official spokesperson for the US administration expressed concern about possible rash actions by Israel in response to aggression from Iran. He believed that Israel’s strategic decisions were not always optimal. According to CNN, during his first phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Joe Biden stated that his country would not participate in possible IDF offensive operations against Iran.

Moreover, Joe Biden suggested to the Israeli authorities that they should consider the repulsion of the Iranian strike a victory and end the escalation of actions on that note. Additionally, he did not openly comment on the Iranian attack in his address to the nation. Politico linked this to a desire not to provoke further escalation of tensions in the Middle East.

However, Joe Biden immediately reached out to the speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, urging him to urgently coordinate a new aid package for Israel.

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At the same time, the readiness of the US to defend Israel was declared by the head of the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin. In conversation with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, he promised to do everything necessary to protect the country from “Iranian aggression.”

“Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to wait for a phone call from President Joe Biden. There were several options for retaliation, but the call stopped him. That train has left the station, and now we can take a breath and think again,” one Israeli official told journalists on condition of anonymity.

The Russian side also maintained a restrained stance, expressed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “We call on all involved parties to exercise restraint. We hope that regional states will resolve their issues through political-diplomatic means.”

Although the West believes that a large-scale conflict is in Russia’s interests, they overlook several reasons why Moscow would not want such escalation in the region. Firstly, many countries in the region are now priority trade and economic partners for Russia, and a conflict would severely impact the Russian economy. Secondly, a conflict in the Middle East could provoke prolonged instability near Russian borders and lead to undesirable destructive consequences within Russia itself, such as an increase in the terrorist threat.

All this shows that global players like Russia and the US, as well as regional players, including the Arab monarchies of the Gulf, are not interested in a large-scale war. Iran’s actions themselves indicate that it does not want to engage in a direct war with Israel, as the restrained and symbolic nature of the attacks confirms.

Will Israel respond and will there be a regional war?

The question remains open regarding the intentions of the Israeli authorities. In response to Washington’s reaction, Netanyahu stated, “We will make our own decisions. The State of Israel will do everything necessary to protect itself.” The Chief of the Israeli General Staff made an official statement, saying there would be a response, although the format and timing were not specified. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called Iran’s actions a declaration of war.

From the onset of escalating tensions in the Middle East following attacks by Palestinian militant groups on Israel on October 7, it was clear that the Israeli authorities would respond forcefully. Netanyahu wants to strengthen his position domestically to dispel dissatisfaction with his cabinet and stay in power. Regardless, for the citizens of Israel, security is of foremost importance. Netanyahu wants to prove to the electorate that he is the one who can provide this security by crushing all of Israel’s enemies.

Therefore, Israel will definitely respond, there is no doubt about that. The only question is how it will be done. The most logical scenario seems to be initiating an intervention in southern Lebanon to combat Hezbollah, an ally of Iran. This has been discussed for a long time in Israeli power circles, and Arab countries’ intelligence services have conveyed information about the high likelihood of an Israeli invasion to Lebanese authorities. Moreover, such a step is unlikely to lead to a regional war. It is also possible that Israel might respond by attacking pro-Iranian forces’ positions in Syria.

However, a direct attack on Iran could become a point of no return and lead to a major war. Washington understands this and is therefore pressing Netanyahu hard, as the outcomes of such a large-scale conflict are very uncertain, and it is far from clear that the US and Israel would emerge as victors. Anti-American and anti-Israeli sentiments are extremely strong among the general population in the region. The reaction of the Middle Eastern public in Turkish and Arab segments of social media showed that sympathies were with Iran during the attacks on Israel.

In conclusion, the start of a full-scale war still seems unlikely. Tehran is not interested in such a conflict, nor are Israel’s allies, namely the US and the EU. But this does not mean that the danger has passed. The possibility of a full-scale war always remains, and it is difficult to predict exactly which strike and which side might provoke it. What is clear is that the issues in the Middle East need to be addressed immediately and fundamentally.

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Kiev’s forces are struggling to hold back the Russians due to delays in foreign aid and personnel shortages, the news outlet said

The US and the EU are concerned that Russian forces may punch through the Ukrainian defensive lines in the coming weeks, people familiar with the matter have told Bloomberg.

Russian troops continue to advance thanks to an advantage in ammunition, the agency acknowledged in an article on Thursday.

At the same time, Ukrainian forces “struggle because of delays in US and European military aid and personnel shortages,” it added.

Due to its lack of air defenses, Ukraine also faces daily Russian missile, drone and bomb attacks that are knocking out key energy infrastructure and striking military positions, according to Bloomberg.

Because of this, “concerns are mounting that Russia may make major gains in the coming weeks by punching through overstretched Ukrainian lines,” sources in the US and Europe told the agency.

Russian forces have now reached the outskirts of Chasov Yar in the Donetsk People’s Republic, a crucial town for Ukraine’s defenses in the area due to its elevated position, the article continued.

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In his video address to EU leaders on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky warned his foreign backers that “the Russian army feels its strength in almost everything related to the armed component. And it is precisely because of this strength – in artillery, in equipment, in the ability to operate in the sky – that they are putting pressure on us at the front and are gradually moving.”

Zelensky said that his country needs more Western aid, urging the EU to finally fulfill its promise to supply Ukraine with a million artillery shells.

The attempts by the administration of US President Joe Biden to push through another $60 billion in assistance for Kiev have been fruitless since the fall amid the standoff between Democratic and Republican lawmakers over immigration and border security. US House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that he will put a standalone Ukraine aid bill to a vote on Saturday.

READ MORE: Russia charges four Ukrainian colonels with mass murder

In early April, Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said that the country’s forces have captured another 403 square kilometers of land from Ukraine since the start of the year. The Ukrainian army has been losing around 800 personnel and some 120 units of equipment on a daily basis during the period, he said.

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The Ramadan ceasefire in Gaza was not implemented, Moscow’s envoy to the UN has said

Russia’s permanent representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzia has called on the United Nations to consider imposing sanctions on Israel over its non-compliance with obligatory resolutions passed by the Security Council.

He noted that UNSC Resolution 2728 demanded a ceasefire in Gaza during Ramadan, and this had not been implemented by Israel.

“We remind you once again that non-compliance with mandatory Security Council resolutions must lead to sanctions against violators. We believe that the Council should consider this issue without delay,” Nebenzia said on Thursday during a UN Security Council meeting.

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French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne also called for sanctions on Israel earlier this month. In February, Paris sanctioned 28 Israeli nationals, though the French government has not published their names.

The Hamas ceasefire resolution was adopted by the Security Council on March 25 in a vote of 14 in favor to none against, with the US abstaining. The document demanded a ceasefire in Gaza during Ramadan, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and for humanitarian access to Gaza to be ensured.

The delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza is nearly impossible at the moment, Nebenzia said, pointing to data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which demonstrates that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are currently blocking half of the humanitarian convoys heading to the region.

Earlier this month, Israel admitted that the IDF had mistakenly conducted a strike that the World Central Kitchen group said killed seven of the organization’s personnel – three British nationals, an Australian, a Palestinian, a Pole, and a US-Canadian.

Shortly after the US abstained on the UN Gaza ceasefire resolution, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a planned visit to Washington by a high-level delegation in protest over the move. He accused the White House of “retreating” from what he said had been a “principled position” by allowing the vote to pass without attaching conditions providing for the release of hostages held by Hamas.

Hamas raided nearby Israeli military bases and villages on October 7, killing more than 1,100 Israelis and taking over 200 hostage. Israel responded by declaring war on the group and invading Gaza. The military operation has reduced much of the enclave to rubble, claiming the lives of more than 33,000 Palestinians over the past six months, according to local authorities.

A weeklong truce deal reached in late November saw 105 hostages freed in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.

On Wednesday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said negotiations stalled between Israel and Hamas to secure a truce in Gaza and a release of more hostages.

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As much as 7% of federal spending could be fraud, according to a new report

The US government could be losing between $233 billion and $521 billion to fraud each year, according to a report on a recent five-year period by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Issued this week, the study – the first of its kind – looked into the federal budget between fiscal years 2018 and 2022, spanning parts of the Trump and Biden administrations, and the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw scammers target historic aid handouts.

The GAO estimated that fraud may have reached as high as 7% of federal spending, with the Washington Post noting that the highest spikes were “likely coinciding with the past abuse of coronavirus relief funds.”

The report called the US’ fiscal health “unsustainable” and called for major reforms to “reduce the loss of federal dollars and help improve the federal government’s fiscal outlook.”

“All federal programs and operations are at risk of fraud. Therefore, agencies need robust processes in place to prevent, detect, and respond to fraud,” the GAO said, noting that its analysis could not be used to predict future losses.

Last week, the White House and Senate Democrats unveiled new legislation aimed at cracking down on fraud in federal programs. Under the proposed legislation, about $675 million would reportedly be devoted toward fighting identity theft, targeting criminals who use information stolen from Americans to collect government aid.

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Lawmakers would also allocate more than half a billion dollars to help the Justice Department ramp up oversight of federal spending.

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has taken issue with the GAO report and its methodology, with Jason Miller, deputy director for management at OMB, pointing out that the figures were devised from a “simulation model” and “not based on analysis of estimated losses by individual federal programs.”

The GAO said it had assessed different methods to estimate fraud and ultimately used a “well-established probabilistic method for estimating a range of outcomes under different assumptions and scenarios where there is uncertainty.”

It added that it collected data from multiple sources, including from cases sent for prosecution, information from the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) semiannual report, as well as confirmed fraud data reports made to the OMB.

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An attack on Tehran’s facilities will trigger tit-for-tat retaliation, the IRGC officer in charge of their safety has said

A senior officer of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned that Tehran is capable of striking Israeli nuclear facilities if its own are hit, according to local media.

Tensions have escalated in the Middle East this month following an alleged Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1, in which seven IRGC officers were killed. Tehran retaliated last weekend with a massive barrage of drones and missiles, most of which were reportedly downed by the Jewish state and its Western backers.

The Israeli nuclear compounds “are identified, and the necessary information about all the targets is at our disposal to respond,” IRGC Brigadier General Ahmad Haghtalab, claimed, as quoted by Tasnim, a semi-official news agency associated with the regiment. “We have a hand on the trigger to launch powerful missiles and destroy those targets.”

Tehran has said it considers the incident resolved, but Israel has vowed to strike back without revealing how and when. Reportedly, West Jerusalem is considering further military action, possibly targeting the Iranian nuclear industry. IRGC Brigadier General Ahmad Haghtalab, the officer responsible for safeguarding the Iranian sites, said the Israeli nuclear industry could be hit in retaliation.

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The Israeli nuclear compounds “are identified, and the necessary information about all the targets is at our disposal to respond,” he said, as quoted by Tasnim, a semi-official news agency associated with the IRGC. “We have a hand on the trigger to launch powerful missiles and destroy those targets.”

The Israeli nuclear industry has a public civilian component as well as a purported military component, the existence of which it neither confirms nor denies. West Jerusalem has an estimated 80 nuclear weapons at its disposal, including 30 gravity bombs and 50 warheads for medium-range ballistic missiles, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a leading international security watchdog. Haghtalab didn’t specify which sites Iran had considered for its hypothetical operation.

Israel has been accusing Iran of secretly developing nuclear capabilities of its own for decades. Gilad Erdan, its representative at the UN, claimed last Sunday that Tehran was mere weeks away from building a nuclear weapon, as he urged members of the UN Security Council to consider what would have happened if Iran “could have launched a nuclear bomb” when it attacked his country. These claims were later dismissed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The Iranian leadership has stated that it considers all weapons of mass destruction incompatible with Islam. Haghtalab, however, assessed that it would be “conceivable” for Tehran to reconsider its “nuclear doctrine and politics,” if Israel keeps threatening its nuclear facilities.

READ MORE: Biden warns Israel against attacking Israel

Nuclear sites are normally considered off limits for military action, the general said, but Israel’s attack on the consulate, an internationally-protected diplomatic mission, was proof that it does not care about playing by the rules.

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Sweden has lowered the age permitting citizens to identify as a different sex to 16

Sweden’s parliament on Wednesday passed a law lowering the minimum age to legally change gender from 18 to 16, as well as making the process easier. The step has been approved despite criticism from within the government coalition.

The legislation on self-identification was passed by a vote of 234 to 94 in Sweden’s 349-seat parliament.

Sweden was the first country to make gender transition legal in 1972. However, a person currently requires a doctor’s diagnosis of gender dysphoria to be allowed to change their legally recognized gender.

Under the new law, which will come into force next year, a shorter consultation with a doctor or a psychologist will suffice. It will also eliminate the need to be diagnosed with gender dysphoria, where a person may experience distress as a result of a mismatch between their biological sex and the gender they identify as.

Swedish citizens will be able to change their sex at 16, although those under 18 will need the approval of their parents, a doctor, and the National Board of Health and Welfare. The new law will also separate the process of changing legal gender from sex-change surgery, which will still only be allowed from the age of 18.

The legislation has sparked intense debate, and the ruling center-right coalition has been split on the issue. Moderates and the Liberals largely supporting the law, while the smaller Christian Democrats opposed it.

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“This is not a revolution we are doing today, it is a reform,” Johan Hultberg of the Moderates said during a parliamentary debate. “It is not reasonable that there should be the same requirements for changing legal gender as for making an irreversible gender confirming surgery.”

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has defended the proposal as “balanced and responsible.” Meanwhile, many MPs have urged more research into gender dysphoria first.

The leader of the Sweden Democrats, Jimmie Akesson, said it was “deplorable that a proposal that obviously lacks support among the population is so casually voted through.”

Carita Boulwen of the Sweden Democrats called it a “reprehensible” proposal, which risks having “unforeseen and serious consequences” for society.

The bill is also unpopular among the public. According to a recent poll conducted by Swedish television network TV4, 59% of Swedes said it is a bad or very bad proposal, while 22% thought it was a positive move, Reuters reported.

A number of EU countries, including Denmark, Norway, Finland, Germany, and Spain, already have similar laws.

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Kyrgyzstan has reportedly blocked access to the app due to concerns over its impact on children

Kyrgyzstan has blocked the video-sharing platform TikTok over lax content regulations and concerns that the app may be detrimental to children’s mental health, local media reported on Wednesday.

Bishkek’s Ministry of Digital Development requested that telecom operators restrict access to the popular service as of Thursday, news outlets reported, citing a statement from the ministry. The decision was reportedly based on recommendations issued by the State Committee for National Security.

According to officials, the Kyrgyz branch of TikTok “lacks a systematic and principled approach to content censorship,” particularly in “the children’s information space.” The Chinese-owned social media platform also failed to adhere to a law on information “deemed detrimental to children’s health and development,” the statement added.

Many users have reported being unable to access TikTok service as of Thursday morning, according to news outlet vesti.kg.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international NGO defending the right to freedom of information, criticized “the arbitrary blocking” of the popular social media platform by the Kyrgyz authorities. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), RSF claimed that the authorities restricted the right to information online “under the pretext of protecting minors.”

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It is not the first attempt to bloc TikTok in Kyrgyzstan. In August last year, the Ministry of Culture announced its intention to ban the platform because it allegedly drives young people “to replicate certain actions depicted in these clips, some of which endanger their lives.” No ban, however, was implemented at the time.

Critics argue the restrictions will harm small and medium-sized businesses that promote their services and goods through TikTok. They also claim that targeting the app will not solve any negative impact of the internet on children.

TikTok did not immediately respond to the ban, but has previously insisted it has safeguards to moderate content and protect minors.

The Chinese-owned social media platform is also facing a possible ban in the US. The House of Representatives passed legislation in March that described TikTok as a “national security threat” over concerns that the Chinese government could force the platform’s owner, ByteDance, to hand over the data of US app users.

If enacted by the Senate and President Joe Biden, the bill would force ByteDance to sell TikTok within six months or face a nationwide ban. Biden has said he will sign the bill if it reaches his desk. China’s Foreign Ministry has slammed the vote as an “act of bullying.”

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Burkina Faso has accused the officials of carrying out subversive activities

Burkina Faso’s military government has declared three French diplomats persona non grata, giving them 48 hours to leave the West African nation. The incident adds to major diplomatic setbacks Paris has suffered in the country in recent years.

In a letter dated Tuesday and addressed to the French Embassy in Ouagadougou, the Burkinabe Foreign Ministry accused the officials of committing “subversive” acts, without providing any details.

The ministry named Gwenaielle Habouzit and two political advisers, Guillaume Reisacher and Herve Fournier, as the officials who must depart the country by Thursday.

Relations between Paris and Ouagadougou have deteriorated markedly since Burkina Faso’s military took power in a coup in 2022. In March of last year, the government terminated a 1961 military assistance agreement with France that had been in place since Paris granted the Sahel country independence.

It has since ordered the withdrawal of the French ambassador and troops, as well as the suspension of several French news agencies, including broadcasts by television channel France 24 and Burkina-Radio France International. The military authorities accused the networks of false reporting and providing a platform for jihadist groups.

Last September, French defense attache Emmanuel Pasquier and his team were also expelled from Burkina Faso for “subversive activities.” An unnamed spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry at the time dismissed the allegation as “fanciful,” according to AFP.

Burkina Faso joined Mali in strengthening ties with Russia after both countries kicked out French forces, accusing the former colonial power of meddling and failing to quell extremist violence during its decade-long military mission.

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Despite Western governments’ concerns about Russia’s alleged growing influence in the Sahel region, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, all under military rule, recently formed an alliance and agreed to intensify cooperation with Moscow in the fight against terrorism.

The leaders of the three former French colonies have repeatedly hailed Russia as a “strategic” partner and pledged to strengthen their already “excellent” relations.

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A video of a Jewish woman arguing with Indians over anti-Israeli ‘propaganda’ has gone viral

A Jewish woman from Australia was taken into police custody in the state of Kerala in southern India for tearing down posters supporting Palestine, Indian media have reported.

A video of a heated exchange between a woman and the locals, who questioned her move, has gone viral on social media. In the footage, the woman can be heard claiming that the posters promoted “racism and propaganda.” The scene took place in the city of Kochi, known, among other things, as home to the oldest group of Jews in India, although just a handful of them remain.

After a brief investigation, the woman was tried in court in the Thoppumpady ward of Kochi, according to the New Indian Express. Her friend was not arrested, as her involvement could not be established. Meanwhile, two officials from the Australian embassy have reached out to help with the legal procedures, according to Indian media outlets.

The tourist has been charged under section 153 (provoking riots) of the Indian Panel Code (IPC), which is a bailable offence, at the Fort Kochi Police Station.

An Austrian Jewish tourist was summoned by Kerala Police after a video of her tearing down a pro-Palestinian mural in Fort Kochi in Ernakulam district went viral on social media.

Watch: pic.twitter.com/uoUMUulaAv

— Maktoob (@MaktoobMedia) April 16, 2024

According to reports, the posters were installed by the Students’ Islamic Organization of India (SIO), the student wing of the socio-religious group Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. The students who put up the posters argued that they were “not promoting any enmity between religions or sects” and only sought to draw attention to the ongoing suffering of Palestinians.

A police complaint filed by the SIO notes that the banners showed pictures of a child standing in front of a battle tank along with a description reading “silence is violence, stand up for humanity.” After West Jerusalem launched its offensive in Gaza in retaliation for the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, the organization’s president Syed Sadatullah Husani claimed that Palestine is the “most oppressed country in the world” and argued that support for Palestine is in India’s “best interests.”

I originally shared this picture from my trip to Kochi back in December. According to media reports, it was torn down today by a European tourist. What a horrible thing to do! Silencing is violence. https://t.co/oE0GcijEzb https://t.co/VNphUqXoDn

— Ned Bertz (@NedBertz) April 17, 2024

New Delhi has on many occasions called for a diplomatic resolution of the decades-old conflict, which would entail a two-state approach, and has expressed concerns over the loss of civilian lives in Gaza. New Delhi has also cautioned against a wider conflict in the Middle East.

Israel's response to October 7 attack by Hamas, the Gaza-based militant Palestinian group, killing over 1,100 Israelis and taking over 200 hostage, has turned much of the enclave into rubble and claimed the lives of over 33,000 Palestinians over the past six months, according to local authorities.

READ MORE: India ‘deeply shocked’ over deaths in northern Gaza

Most recently, after Iran launched a strike against Israel last week in retaliation for the attack on its embassy in Damascus, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar called on his counterparts in both West Jerusalem and Tehran, asking them to “work towards a peaceful resolution.”

Where India Meets Russia – We are now on WhatsApp! ‎Follow and share RT India in English and in Hindi

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The revelation debunks Kiev’s “myths,” a Russian official accused of mass abductions has said

Over 160 Ukrainian children allegedly “kidnapped by Russia” have been discovered living in Germany, the country's Federal Criminal Police (BKA) has confirmed.

The head of Ukrainian national police, Ivan Vygovsky, on Wednesday hailed the discovery, telling national media that he had discussed the issue with Holger Munch, president of the BKA, during a meeting earlier in this week.

Allegations by Kiev that Moscow kidnapped Ukrainian children en masse have been exposed as a lie after some of the purported victims have been found in the EU, according to Russian children’s rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova. She is among the officials to have been accused of abducting youngsters from Ukraine amid the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.

When asked for clarification by RT Deutsch, the BKA said its officers had identified the children after they were flagged as “kidnapping” victims by Kiev. Their personal details were checked against German records.

The majority of the youngsters had entered Germany as refugees accompanied by their parents or legal guardians, the police said. In a handful of cases, suspicion of “unlawful transfer” remained, the statement added, without offering further details.

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Responding to the revelations, Lvova-Belova said Moscow has “long been drawing the attention of the international community to the fact that Ukraine has created a systemic myth regarding the children, who it claims had been ‘deported’ to Russia.”

Last year, Lvova-Belova was named alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin by the International Criminal Court (ICC) as the key suspects in its investigation into the alleged unlawful deportation and transfer of minors during the Ukraine conflict. Moscow dismissed the claim as politically motivated, arguing that Kiev had lied to the court about what in reality was an evacuation of civilians from areas affected by the hostilities.

In her remarks about the German discoveries, Lvova-Belova said her office had identified multiple cases in which children described by Kiev as abductees were actually residing with their parents at home or in other nations, “never having been separated from their families.”

She expressed hope that the Ukrainian “global disinformation campaign” would eventually stop and that the truth would prevail.

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Digital banking will create sovereignty, VTB chief Andrey Kostin says

A move away from conducting financial transactions through Western payment systems, including SWIFT, is vital for Russia and its trading partners, the head of the country’s second-largest lender has said.

Speaking on Thursday at the Data Fusion 2024 conference, VTB CEO Andrey Kostin called for the promotion of digital financial settlements in Russia and allied nations. Such a step would end the dominance of the dollar and gain full sovereignty in the financial sector, he claimed.

“SWIFT has announced plans to carry out digital payments soon, but we need to kill SWIFT in our settlements, we need to completely get away from it and involve our partners in this as well,” the banking executive insisted, highlighting major work that is being done by the Bank of Russia to achieve the goal.

According to Kostin, VTB is currently working on a pilot project to bring the digital ruble into general use, including in cross-border payments.

The senior executive said he appreciated efforts by the Central Bank of Russia over the past decade to create an effective system of import phase-out in the financial sector.

READ MORE: Two more Russian allies stop accepting payment card

“At a time when many of our colleagues in the manufacturing sector were happy to use French engines in domestic aircraft or German gearboxes in cars, the Bank of Russia firmly took the line of creating an independent system,” he said, pointing to the Mir card, the Faster Payments System (SBP) and the country's stock exchange infrastructure.

Earlier this month, Kostin admitted that the latest US sanctions had forced banks in several ‘friendly’ countries – Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan – to halt transactions with Russia and stop accepting Russia’s Mir payment cards. In February, the US Treasury updated its backlist of Russian individuals and entities, adding the operator of Russia’s Mir payment card system to it.

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Kiev’s forces “deliberately” targeted a blood donation center in the town of Gorlovka, regional head Denis Pushilin has said

Ukrainian forces have struck a hospital and blood donation center in the Donbass town of Gorlovka, the head of Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, has said. Eight civilians including a child were injured in the attack.

The victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the strike, Pushilin wrote on Telegram on Thursday. The the town center where healthcare facilities are located was “deliberately” targeted, he claimed. Both the hospital and the donation center were damaged in the strike.

Gorlovka Mayor Ivan Prikhodko published photos and videos from the scene showing damaged buildings, smashed windows and debris. One clip also showed destroyed furniture in a room at the healthcare facility.

Kiev’s troops used the US-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) in the attack, according to preliminary data gathered by the Russian authorities.

Washington has sent dozens of the multiple rocket launchers to Ukraine since mid-2022. The systems provided to Kiev have a range of up to 160km (100 miles) when equipped with longer-range ATACMS missiles. Other projectiles launched by HIMARS and available to the Ukrainian military have a range of around 70km.

According to Pushilin, Kiev’s forces carried out a total of 12 attacks on Thursday – both missile and drone strikes – targeting Gorlovka as well as Donetsk and other Donbass settlements. Cluster munitions were used in some of these attacks, the official said.

READ MORE: Ukraine strikes machinery plant in Donbass – authorities

Last week, Ukrainian forces conducted a missile strike targeting a machinery plant in the city of Lugansk. Nine people were injured, including seven workers and two local residents, local leader Leonid Pasechnik said at that time. UK-supplied long-range Storm Shadow missiles were used in that assault, according to Russian law enforcement.

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In his latest gaffe, the US leader described how he told the Jewish state not to attack the city of Haifa

US President Joe Biden told an interviewer that he’d warned the Israeli government against attacking itself, in what appears to be the aging leader’s latest gaffe, and one that has again raised concerns over his mental state.

Speaking with Nexstar Media’s Reshad Hudson in an interview published on Wednesday, the 81-year-old president detailed his plans to win back pro-Palestinian voters, despite his ongoing support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas.

Biden claimed that, aside from meeting with pro-Palestinian activists, he had also “made it clear to the Israelis: don’t move on Haifa,” a renowned port city in northern Israel.

The president then appeared to lose his train of thought, before going on to speak about the weekend’s Iranian attack.

Rather than warning Israel against attacking its own city, the US President apparently meant to refer to Rafah, a Palestinian city in Southern Gaza, which has become the last refuge for displaced civilians in the besieged enclave.

BIDEN: "I made it clear to the Israelis — don't move on Haifa!"

Haifa is a major city *IN* Israel. pic.twitter.com/BdNgoDlGkM

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 18, 2024

In recent weeks, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has reportedly deployed extra artillery and armored vehicles near the Gazan city, in preparation for a large-scale ground offensive.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also vowed that “no force in the world” would be able to prevent the IDF from advancing into Rafah, which accommodates over a million Palestinians and which West Jerusalem says is an operating base for Hamas militants.

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Biden’s latest gaffe has been met with widespread mockery online, with many calling it “seriously embarrassing.” Former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman jokingly suggested that “Israel should accommodate Biden’s demand not to attack Haifa,” while former New York state Assemblyman Dov Hikind claimed that “there’s a strong likelihood Israel refrains from hitting Haifa.”

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on Telegram that the US president should also forbid himself from participating in the 2024 elections.

“It would be funny, if this man was not directing billions of dollars and colossal amounts of weapons to wars around the world,” Zakharova wrote.

An ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted in February revealed that as many as 86% of American voters believe Biden to be too old to serve as the country’s president, and have expressed concerns over his cognitive state. Just over 60% of voters also shared similar concerns over Biden’s main rival, former president Donald Trump. The two are set to face off in the presidential election on November 5.

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Ukrainian authorities have accused a major online casino co-owned by entrepreneur Arnulf Damerau of tax evasion

One of the largest private Western investors in Ukraine has told the Financial Times that senior Kiev officials, including some from President Vladimir Zelensky's office, are trying to extort money from him.

Anglo-German businessman Arnulf Damerau co-owns Cosmolot, one of the largest online casino operators in Ukraine, which is being investigated by the country’s Economic Security Bureau (ESBU). In an interview with the British paper on Thursday, he alleged that senior Ukrainian officials some months ago had made to him what amounted to a criminal proposal.

Cosmolot was founded in 2021 by entrepreneur Sergey Potapov, after the government of President Vladimir Zelensky legalized gambling, ending a ban that had lasted for over a decade. Damerau invested an undisclosed sum in the business last year, becoming one of the primary beneficiaries.

The Ukrainian authorities suspect Cosmolot of tax evasion. Last October, the ESBU raided the firm’s headquarters and in February it froze over $17 million in the company’s accounts, claiming it owed the government $30 million in back taxes. It alleged that copycat websites that share design and infrastructure with the online casino serve some of its clients, but do not report the proceeds that they generate.

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Damerau, who denies the allegations of tax evasion, claimed to the FT that in December a Ukrainian individual met him in Vienna and said that Cosmolot’s legal woes would disappear if half of the company’s shares were transferred to an offshore trust. The businessman said he informed law enforcement in the EU and the US about the situation.

The corruption, Damerau told the British newspaper, comes from a “minority” at the top level of the Ukrainian government, including in Zelensky’s office. Some reports in Western media have claimed that the president does not tolerate graft in his inner circle.

Critics of the Ukrainian leader point out that senior officials tend to get away with major corruption scandals in their departments, as was the case with former defense minister Aleksey Reznikov. He was removed from office last September, months after his ministry was accused of procuring military supplies at grossly inflated prices.

Zelensky’s office has championed the decriminalization of gambling, touting its benefits for the state budget. Cosmolot is the tenth largest taxpayer in the country, according to Damerau.

READ MORE: Ukrainian army gripped by gambling addiction – MP

However, according to Ukrainian lawmaker Aleksey Goncharenko, the industry has become a national security threat. He claimed last month that some 90% of frontline troops suffer from a gambling addiction. Soldiers are paid relatively high salaries and do not have many ways to spend their money, so many of them reportedly turn to online slot machines to cope with the constant stress they face on the battlefield.

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Nigeria plans to increase output to 2 million barrels per day, the country’s finance minister has said

Nigeria is aiming to increase revenues by 60% this year to help keep debt at sustainable levels and alleviate widespread economic hardship in the country, Finance Minister Wale Edun said on Wednesday, according to the Semafor Africa news outlet.

While the target is ambitious, it is necessary for the West African country to reduce its fiscal deficit from 6.1% of GDP to 3.8%, Edun said in a speech at Semafor’s World Economy Summit in Washington.

According to the Nigerian Debt Management Office, Abuja’s public debt reached $108.2 billion at the end of 2023, representing an increase of 123% since 2012, roughly six times the country’s GDP growth rate. Last year, debt financing took up more than 90% of the government’s budget.

Finance Minister Edun has said debt will remain a source of development financing for the Nigerian government, but it can be addressed through revenue.

“Look at the US’s debt figures but the difference is that they have the revenue – taxes and other government income – to service it,” he said, adding that “that’s what lenders want.”

The official stated that as part of revenue-generating measures, Abuja is working to increase oil production to at least 2 million barrels per day (bpd).

Last year, Africa’s top oil producer failed to meet its 2023 target of 1.69 million bpd, producing only 1.47 million, according to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission.

Edun said the government has made some progress in addressing the long-standing issues of theft and pipeline sabotage, which have hindered the country’s efforts to generate foreign exchange from recent increases in oil prices.

Additionally, he stated that Africa’s most populous country plans to shore up earnings through “greater efficiency in collecting taxes and other fees and charges that the government has a right to impose” using digital technology.

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Protests have erupted in Nigeria in recent months over the country’s escalating economic crisis. Labor unions have demanded that authorities stop borrowing from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, claiming that such loans are exacerbating the situation.

The country has been grappling with an economic downturn since President Bola Tinubu, who took office on May 29, ended a fuel subsidy as part of a budget deficit-cutting reform package. The depreciation of the local currency, the naira, has raised the price of goods.

Tinubu has recently implemented a number of cost-cutting reforms, including a temporary ban on publicly funded international travel for government officials. Local media reported earlier this month that Abuja intends to sell three jets from its Presidential Air Fleet (PAF) due to budget concerns.

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Brazil will promote its neighbor’s candidacy, according to a joint statement

Colombia is seeking to become a full-fledged member of the BRICS group as soon as possible, and Brazil will promote its candidacy, according to a joint statement from the leaders of Brazil and Colombia, published after their meeting in Bogota on Tuesday.

BRICS – which previously comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – has seen a major wave of expansion. Four more countries – Ethiopia, Iran, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates – joined the group at the start of this year, and further additions are expected in the future.

“President [Petro expressed Colombia’s interest in joining BRICS as a full member as soon as possible, and President Lula welcomed this initiative and promised to promote Colombia’s candidacy,” the statement from Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Gustavo Petro reads.

Several other nations have expressed an interest in joining the group of non-Western economies, and some have already formally submitted applications, including Venezuela, Thailand, Senegal, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Bahrain, and Pakistan.

In February, Venezuela announced it is hoping to secure BRICS membership at the group’s next summit in Russia in October. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has stated that the emergence of a new multipolar world is “irreversible,” describing the group as the “future of humanity.”

Nigeria in March announced its plans to join BRICS within the next two years, viewing membership as a way to make its voice heard on the global stage.

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Some 25 countries are expecting to apply for membership during the group’s summit in the Russian city of Kazan in October, the South African ambassador to Russia, Mzuvukile Jeff Maqetuka, told TASS news agency in February.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), BRICS currently accounts for as much as 36% of global GDP in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP), compared to just over 30% for the G7 group.

The head of the New Development Bank (NDB), Dilma Rousseff, said in February that the BRICS member states will overtake the G7 in their share of nominal global GDP within the next four years. According to her, the group’s share of global economic output will rise to 40% by 2028, while that of the G7 group of developed nations will decline to 27.8%.

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A direct war between Israel and Iran could “substantially” drive prices up, the bank has said in a note cited by CNBC

An all-out war between Israel and Iran could drive oil prices up by $30-$40 per barrel, Bank of America experts have told clients in a research note seen by CNBC.

Tehran and West Jerusalem have traded threats since Iran conducted its first direct military attack on the Jewish state last weekend, in retaliation for a suspected Israeli airstrike on the Iranian diplomatic mission in Syria earlier this month.

If hostilities escalate into a protracted conflict that impacts energy infrastructure and disrupts Iranian crude supplies, the price of global benchmark Brent could rise “substantially” to $130 in the second quarter of this year, a Bank of America research note stated on Tuesday, according to CNBC. It added that US crude oil could soar to $123.

The scenario reportedly assumes that Iranian oil production falls by up to 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd). According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Iran, a founding member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), produces about 3.2m barrels of oil a day. Last year it ranked as the world’s second largest source of supply growth after the US.

If a conflict led to disruptions outside Iran, such as the market losing 2 million bpd or more, prices could spike by $50 a barrel, according to the note. Brent would eventually settle around $100 in 2025, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) would come down to $93, it predicted.

The price of Brent crude spiked to over $91 per barrel earlier this month after Tehran threatened retaliation against Israel. However, as the bank’s global economics team has pointed out, in the days following the retaliatory strike crude oil prices fell due to “[the] limited casualties and damage” it caused.

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Analysts have warned that the market reaction “may not reflect the medium-term economic and geopolitical implications” of Iran’s first-ever direct military attack on Israel.

If a war is limited to the two nations, Bank of America sees little impact on US economic growth and the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy. A general regional war, however, could have a substantial impact on the US, according to the institution.

Brent futures were trading at $86.6 per barrel at 11:29 GMT on the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). WTI futures were trading at $82 per barrel in New York.

For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section

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Lawyer and politician Mahesh Jethmalani has suggested some world powers fear his country’s emergence as a major rival

A “growing and strong India” is a challenge to the supremacy of the West, the renowned criminal lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani, who is also a member of parliament for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has told RT.

“The sitting most powerful nations fear a rising, emerging power that is going to overthrow them and become more powerful than them,” Jethmalani said, commenting on the Western media’s often unflattering coverage of India, in an interview on the latest episode of RT’s ‘Let’s Talk Bharat’ show.

Discussing his country’s transformation in recent years, Jethmalani highlighted the Modi government’s welfare schemes, successful missions to the Moon and the Sun last year, and India’s “very limited, very reasonable” unemployment and inflation. There is “something for everybody,” irrespective of social standing, he claimed.

Jethmalani – known for defending top politicians including Prime Minister Narendra Modi (who was then chief minister of Gujarat), industrialists and Bollywood celebrities – further noted that India is gradually moving away from its colonial past, not only in terms of growth and development.

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Last year, India struck down three British-era criminal laws – the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872, enacted by the colonial rulers. They were replaced with a new set of laws drafted by the Modi government.

The older bills, including one on sedition, were based on Victorian principles, Jethmalani noted, adding that women were given a “subordinate place” in the legal system devised by the British. Jethmalani also described India’s new law – reserving 33% of seats for women in politics – as a notable achievement for the government.

The lawmaker also weighed on India’s changing role as a global power. New Delhi’s policy is to be “friends with everyone,” including its China – despite an existing border dispute that, unless resolved, is bound to “flare up.” Jethmalani argued that India has never been an aggressor towards anybody, calling it a point of pride for the country. “We want to live in peace and our boundaries to be secure,” he stressed.

READ MORE: Asian Development Bank raises Indian growth projection

The politician’s comments came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for the urgent resolution of border disputes and the “abnormality” in ties with Beijing.

Jethmalani also cited India’s potential role as a mediator in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, stressing that New Delhi has avoided taking sides, taking a “balanced” view, despite being friends with Russia since “time immemorial.”

“Prime Minister Modi has made it very clear – this is not an era of war, we would like peace,” he said. “But then, they have to sit down across a table and find out what is the adversarial position between the two protagonists. We have offered to mediate as well.”

Recently, Ukraine asked India to participate in an upcoming peace conference in Switzerland that is likely to promote Zelensky’s ‘peace formula’, which demands that Moscow withdraw from all territories that Kiev claims as its own. New Delhi has yet to confirm whether it will attend.

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Kiev’s commanding officers have been indicted in absentia by a Moscow court

Russia’s Investigative Committee has brought charges in absentia against four Colonels of the Ukrainian military, Khamovnichesky Court in Moscow has told TASS. The commanders of Kiev’s units are being accused of mass murder, it added.

Khamovnichesky Court has received petitions for the arrest in absentia of Colonels Pavel Fedosenko, Fedor Yaroshevich and Andrey Matviishin, the court’s representative told the agency on Thursday. Another Ukrainian colonel, Dmitry Khrapach, had earlier been indicted in absentia, according to the representative.

The accused have been charged in accordance with Part 2 of Article 105 of the Russian Criminal Code, the murder of two or more persons, and, if convicted, could face a penalty of up to life imprisonment, the court said.

However, the essence of the accusations against the four Ukrainian officers has not been disclosed, TASS stressed.

Kommersant newspaper reported that the colonels are also accused of using prohibited means and methods of war. The investigators believe that the commanders acted as organizers of the alleged crimes, which were then carried out by their subordinates, the paper said.

Read more

According to TASS, Khrapach is the commander of the 27th Rocket Artillery Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Last August, he was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment by a court in Russia’s People’s Republic of Donetsk over the shelling of the region’s capital from multiple rocket launch systems.

Yaroshevich headed the Ukrainian military’s 19th Missile Brigade until 2023. According to Kommersant, the Colonel had previously been indicted in absentia by Basmanny Court in Moscow, for the use of prohibited means of warfare, including a strike on a train station in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kramatorsk in the People’s Republic of Donetsk last April.

Authorities in Kiev, which blamed the Kramatorsk attack on Russia, said that it had left 63 people dead and 150 wounded. Moscow insists, however, that it was a “barbaric act” by Ukraine, stressing that the Soviet-made Tochka-U ballistic missile, which had been used in the deadly attack, is only operated by Kiev’s forces and not by the Russian military.

READ MORE: Ukraine issues arrest warrant for Orthodox Christian leader

Fedosenko currently commands the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, while Matviishin heads the 8th Separate Special Forces Regiment, according to TASS.

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A proposed housing levy has reopened a conflict between the government and judiciary that could lead to a breakdown of order in Kenya

A confrontation has been unfolding in Kenya between the president and judiciary since last November, impacting significantly on the governance of the East African country.

After 1963, when Kenya gained its independence from Britain, the judiciary was perceived as an extension of the old government, and was perceived to protect colonial interests in its decisions.

It was therefore necessary to indigenize the institution by increasing the proportion of Kenyan nationals in key judicial positions. This process was slow and gradual, but it eventually resulted in a judiciary that reflected the true composition of the nation.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the government initiated a comprehensive strategy known as the Governance, Justice, Law and Order Sector (GJLOS) Reform Program. This recognized the importance of reforms in these areas for economic recovery. The enactment of a new constitution in 2010 positioned Kenya’s judiciary as an independent and effective guardian of the rule of law.

The constitution significantly restructured the judiciary, introducing measures to enhance its independence, accountability, and transparency. It also established the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) as an independent body responsible for promoting and facilitating the accountability and independence of the judiciary.

Elections results nullified

On September 1, 2017, Kenya’s Supreme Court made a historic ruling by nullifying the re-election of then-President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto, who is now the nation’s fifth head of state. In its ruling, the court said the country’s electoral commission had failed, neglected or refused to conduct the elections in accordance with the law, and the judges found that irregularities had compromised the integrity of the presidential poll.

It declared the election results invalid, null and void after finding that the elections had not been conducted in accordance with the requirements of the constitution, and ordered that a new poll be conducted in 60 days.

Opposition candidate Raila Odinga, who was the main petitioner in the case, refused to take part in the election re-run, demanding the reconstitution of the electoral body. Mr Kenyatta contested the re-run and won 98% of the vote.

This nullification of the presidential election results actually set a foundation for the beginning of a sour relationship between the government and the judiciary.

After their initial re-election for a second term was nullified, former president Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto described the Supreme Court judges as “conmen," and promised to deal with them.

In June 2021, Kenyatta declined to approve the appointment of six judges who had been nominated to serve in the Court of Appeal, and the Environment and Lands Court for “failing to meet the required threshold.”

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The Kenyan constitution requires the president to approve the appointment of new judges after their nomination by the Judicial Service Commission. During his last term as president, Kenyatta and his government gained a reputation for disobeying and disregarding court orders, something President Ruto promised to rectify when he took office.

New president’s promises

When he took over in 2022, president Ruto announced that his first duty would be appointing the judges who had been rejected by his predecessor. During his campaign, Ruto has promised to appoint the judges and provide more funds to the judiciary. It had been expected by many that Ruto, who had fallen out with President Kenyatta, would reverse most of the decisions made by the previous administration, in which he had served as deputy president.

“My administration will respect judicial decisions while we cement the place of Kenya as a country anchored on democracy and the rule of law,” Ruto said during his swearing-in ceremony in the capital, Nairobi.

At the time, Ruto lauded the country’s Supreme Court for upholding his election, which had been challenged by the opposition, saying “the seven judges of the apex court demonstrated unmatched independence."

In the days that followed, President Ruto was frequently seen at events hosted by the judiciary.

Ruto fulfilled his promise and officially approved and swore in the judges who had been rejected by his predecessor. He also saw the operationalization of the Judiciary Fund to aid the planning and timely execution of judiciary operations and projects, and further eliminate previous challenges to delayed disbursements or budget cuts.

After slightly more than a year in office, however, Kenya’s head of state and the judiciary seem to be pulling in opposing directions after several courts delivered rulings that were not favorable to the government. When he took over, Ruto initiated massive reforms and projects that he counted on to fulfil his promise of providing jobs to millions of young people in Kenya.

Among the projects were an ambitious housing project that sought to construct affordable houses for millions of Kenyans. The majority of his flagship projects were halted by the courts after citizens filed petitions.

Confrontation begins

The confrontation between Ruto’s government and the judiciary started last November, when the High Court issued orders stopping the government from implementing a new housing levy to fund its affordable social housing scheme.

Judges stated the new tax lacked a comprehensive legal framework and was in violation of Articles 10, 201, 206 and 210 of Kenya’s constitution. The government then moved to the Court of Appeal to challenge the decision by the High Court but, on January 26, the appellate court upheld the decision, a move that did not go down well with the administration.

Following the ruling, President Ruto said his government would not tolerate what he described as “judicial impunity by corrupt judicial officers," accusing them of “deliberately trying to stall key government projects.”

“The impunity of bribing judges so as not to derail, delay, or sabotage Kenya’s imminent transformation will never happen under my watch. Not a single cent will be used to bribe anybody,” Ruto wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

He also accused unnamed judicial officials and people he described as beneficiaries of graft of teaming up to challenge his initiatives.

“A few people have gone to court and bribed the court to stop projects such as roads, universal health coverage and housing. We will not allow judicial tyranny and judicial impunity,” he said.

Mission to Haiti rejected

On January 23, 2024, another court declared the government’s plan to deploy police to Haiti as unconstitutional. President Ruto had committed to deploying 1,000 Kenyan police officers to lead a UN-backed multinational mission aimed at restoring peace and security in the troubled Caribbean nation.

In its ruling, the court said “any decision by any state organ or state officer to deploy police officers to Haiti contravenes the constitution and the law and is therefore unconstitutional, illegal and invalid.”

At some point, Ruto threatened to disobey court orders that restricted his key policies, and insisted that the plan to deploy police officers to Haiti remained on course.

“It is not possible that we respect the judiciary while a few individuals who are beneficiaries of corruption are using corrupt judicial officials to block our development projects,” he said.

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The court also put a halt to the planned privatization of state agencies by Ruto’s government. In a national address in December, the president accused the judiciary of making decisions against state policies at the expense of the public interest.

However, Ruto did not publicly present any evidence of corruption nor did he name any individual judge when he accused them of illegal practices.

In January, during a church service, Kenya’s Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua announced that he would present a petition for the removal from office of Justice Esther Maina, a judge of the High Court, for alleged misconduct and corruption.

Gachagua claimed that Justice Maina had declared his wealth to be proceeds of crime without giving him a chance to defend himself. The deputy president would later back down after a meeting was called between the president and the chief justice.

Reuben Koborek, an MP for the ruling United Democratic Movement party, warned that parliament would be forced to slash the judiciary’s budget if the courts continued to issue unfavorable judgements against the government.

“Nobody including the president should use his position to sway judgements in their favor"

Ruto’s public attacks on the judiciary attracted condemnation, with Kenya’s Chief Justice Martha Koome calling on all judges and other judicial officers not to give into what she described as intimidation.

Koome told a press conference in Nairobi that the president’s attack on the judiciary had been a “recurring trend of discussing in public matters that are in courts,” something she said was intended to “intimidate judges to rule in a certain way.”

“It is regrettable that the leadership of the executive and legislature in their recent public declarations have threatened not to obey court orders,“ she said.

“These threats and declarations are extremely serious and a monumental assault on the constitution, the rule of law and the very stability of the nation, and can lead to chaos and anarchy in our motherland.”

The chief justice warned that disregard for court orders by the government would plunge the country into a constitutional crisis.

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) also lashed out at Ruto, accusing him of intimidating the judiciary. Speaking to RT, outgoing LSK President Eric Theuri claimed that attacks by the executive on the judiciary were aimed at intimidating judges into giving rulings favorable to the government of the day.

“The intention is clear: to push judges into issuing rulings that the executive wants and this amounts to pure intimidation," Theuri told RT.

Brian Okoko, an advocate based in Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa, warned that the intimidation of the judiciary could be “a recipe for the disregard of the rule of law.”

“We have a constitution that governs us and both the executive and the judiciary are bound by this constitution. Nobody including the president should use his position to sway judgements in their favor," Okoko told RT.

Lawyers protest

On January 12, lawyers held peaceful nationwide protests against the attacks on the judiciary, calling on the president to channel any complaints against judicial officers to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) for investigations. The JSC is the body mandated to investigate and deal with cases of misconduct among judges.

Speaking to RT in Nairobi, Okiya Omtatah, a constitutional rights activist and senator warned that the attacks on the judiciary led by the president would likely erode public confidence in the most critical institution in any country.

“The judiciary exists to safeguard constitutional rights and the interests of everybody and to guarantee justice through civilized ways of conflict resolution but when a senior leader in the rank of a president attacks this institution, then the judiciary risks losing public trust," Omtataha told RT.

“The judiciary cannot be branded as bad and corrupt when it rules against our wishes."

Ruto’s meeting with the chief justice

After weeks of sustained attacks on the judiciary, on January 22, Ruto met the chief justice at State House in Nairobi, after which they both said in separate statements that “they were committed to upholding the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.”

Opposition leader Raila Odinga described the meeting between the chief justice and the president as “an irresponsible move.” Odinga accused the executive of “trying to hold the judiciary hostage.”

International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) Kenya Chapter Chairperson Protas Saende told RT that the judiciary must maintain its independence, especially in the dispensation of justice and defending the rule of law.

“Any discussions that might seek to compromise the independence of the judiciary in administering justice and take over the disciplinary powers from the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) must be rejected in totality,” Sande said.

Days after the meeting between President Ruto and the chief justice, the Kenya Magistrates and Judges Association (KMJA) said it had “noted with deep concern the continued atavistic attacks against the judiciary, individual judges and magistrates by the political class even after the tripartite meeting.”

The KMJA warned that the courts would consider taking legal action against individuals attacking the judiciary and judicial officials.

What it means

The ICJ Kenya chapter warned that continued attacks on the judiciary would likely undermine the constitutional principles governing the separation of powers, and threatened Kenya’s rule of law and judicial independence.

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Political analyst Bina Maseno observed that a war and falling out with the judiciary might greatly hamper Ruto's battle against graft, a key promise he made during his presidential campaigns.

“The judiciary is a critical component in the fight against graft because this is where those accused of graft should be charged. If the attacks on judges persist, then no judicial officer will be willing to preside over any graft case presented by the government, which will be a big blow to the president,” he told RT.

Maseno added that “any disregard of judicial decisions will likely affect Ruto’s international standing and there are development partners who will pull out in a situation where the government disregards judicial decisions.”

Lawyer Benard Ngetich warned that, if the government begins disobeying court orders and rulings, then the common man will have every excuse to act in the same manner.

“The rule of law states that if anyone including the government is dissatisfied by a court ruling, then they can proceed to a higher court for review and when the Supreme Court, which is the last resort, issues a verdict, then we all have to abide by it even if it may sound unpopular," Ngetich told RT.

He claimed that, if this trend is allowed to continue and the government gets away with it, then it may send a wrong signal to other African nations that a president or government can disregard court decisions.

“African democracies are fragile and if we cannot respect judicial institutions which are supposed to safeguard our democracy through the rule of law then we are on the path of destruction," he said.

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Lloyd’s of London and Arch Insurance have reportedly refused to pay compensation following the destruction of the gas pipelines

Insurance policies for the Nord Stream gas pipelines sabotaged in 2022 do not cover destruction or damage caused during military hostilities, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported on Thursday, citing a claim filed at the High Court in London by two major Western companies.

The reported claim by Lloyd’s of London and Arch Insurance comes in response to a court filing in March by Nord Stream AG, the pipeline’s operator.

The enterprise, which is 51% owned by Russian energy giant Gazprom, alleged at the time that insurers had failed to pay about €400 million ($438 million) for damage caused by the explosions at the pipelines, according to the Financial Times. Nord Stream AG reportedly estimates it would cost over €1.2 billion to fully repair the infrastructure and replace the lost gas inventory.

In response, the two insurers are said to have claimed that “loss or damage directly or indirectly occasioned by, happening through, or in consequence of war” cannot be covered by the policies. They added that Russia-Ukraine conflict, which began in February 2022, “satisfies the terms war, invasion hostilities or military power.” The insurers also argue the damage could have been caused “by or under the order of any government,” according to Kommersant.

Commenting on the report, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said major concerns have been raised over the credibility of Western insurance giants. Any refusal to pay liabilities adds to a series of hostile acts towards Russia, according to Zakharova, including the seizure of state assets and private property, as well as alleged threats to damage civilian infrastructure.

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Built to deliver Russian natural gas directly to Germany via the Baltic Sea, the Nord Stream pipelines were damaged by unknown perpetrators in a series of explosions in September 2022. The blasts left three out of four pipelines inoperable, causing what is believed to be the largest single methane leak ever.

Shortly after the sabotage, Germany, Denmark and Sweden – in whose economic zones the attack took place – launched separate investigations, although no results have been published. Earlier this year, Denmark and Sweden said they had closed their probes.

The Russian authorities have claimed the US had the most to gain from the sabotage, pointing to the opposition to the pipelines repeatedly voiced by the White House. Moscow has also accused the West of stonewalling the investigation.

Last year, award-winning US journalist Seymour Hersh accused Washington of being behind the bombing, although the White House dismissed the allegations. Several Western media outlets later reported that Ukrainian citizens had been involved in the sabotage. Kiev has denied any connection to the attack.

As a result of the sabotage, gas supplies from Russia to Germany via Nord Stream 1 were halted. Nord Stream 2 had never been put into operation due to EU bureaucratic setbacks.

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The confiscation of Moscow’s frozen funds could undermine international order, the head of the European Central Bank warns

US-backed proposals to seize frozen Russian assets could undermine the international order, European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde has cautioned. Her comments came during a meeting in Washington on Wednesday, where the G7 finance ministers and central bank governors were discussing the issue of using the immobilized assets of the Russian central bank to support Ukraine.

In a joint statement, the finance ministers and regulators said they would continue working on “all possible avenues” to make use of Russian sovereign assets, according to Reuters. The push to seize Moscow’s money has been led by the US and has caused a rift among the G7 and the EU political elite.

Washington and its allies have blocked some $300 billion of Russian central bank assets due to sanctions adopted in response to the launch of Moscow’s special military operation against Kiev in February 2022. Around $200 billion of that money is held in the EU. The US has been insisting for months that international law allows for the confiscation of the funds, but Germany and France have expressed concerns that such a move could set a dangerous precedent.

”I have seen four different schemes or proposals to circumvent what many other jurists or lawyers… regard as a very serious legal obstacle that can be construed as a violation of the legal international order,” Lagarde, a former lawyer, said, as quoted by the Financial Times.

Moving from freezing the assets to confiscating them could entail “breaking the international order that you want to protect; that you would want Russia to respect,” she added.

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During the meeting in Washington, a senior US Treasury official outlined the options the finance ministers were “doing technical work” on.

”One of them is seizure, but another is collateralizing, or even using the windfall profits or the interest from these assets to fund a loan,” Deputy US Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said, as quoted by Reuters. The outlet reported earlier that the US and its allies were considering using the interest due on the frozen Russian assets as collateral for loans or bonds issued to help Ukraine.

Moscow has repeatedly said that the seizure of its funds would amount to theft and would further undermine global trust in the Western financial system. Russia has also warned that if necessary, it might respond in kind to such a move by the US and its allies.

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Charities claim authorities are clearing out homeless people ahead of the Games this summer

French police have carried out a large-scale eviction at the country’s biggest squat in Paris, just 100 days before the Olympic Games are due to start in the city, local media have reported.

The squat, in an abandoned bus company headquarters in Vitry-sur-Seine, had been home to up to 450 people, including 20 children and 50 women, according to aid workers. At least ten children reportedly attended local schools.

Images of the eviction on Wednesday rapidly spread across social media.

Footage showed officers forcing their way into the camp and examining locked rooms as they oversaw the removal of residents. Makeshift beds and furniture were seen on the floors and in the hallways of the building, along with abandoned personal belongings. Evicted migrants gathered outside with packed suitcases, while others were seen boarding buses.

Activists have linked the move to the broader effort by Paris authorities to clear out migrants and others sleeping rough in the city before the summer Olympics. They claim the government has launched the campaign to make the French capital “more presentable.”

“The squat was the biggest in France. It doubled in size in one year because of the Olympics. Last year, authorities cleared out migrants from nearby the Olympic Village, and many displaced people came here,” Paul Alauzy of the NGO Medecins du Monde told the AP.

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Alauzy, who is also a spokesperson for Revers de la Medaille (The Medal’s Other Side), a collective of charities and aid workers, said homeless people and squats have been steadily cleared out for the past year.

Aid workers have warned that the Olympics are affecting the most vulnerable homeless people in the Paris area as those evicted are not provided with longer-term housing assistance.

When asked about Wednesday’s evacuation, French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said “it has nothing to do with the Olympics,” according to the AP.

Earlier, French authorities claimed that the recent relocations were the result of emergency accommodation centers reaching saturation, claiming that the measure is unrelated to the Games.

France received 167,000 asylum requests in 2023, the second-highest number in the EU. Migrants were mostly from Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East.

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The jobs market in the nation of 1.4 billion people is being transformed thanks to surging economic growth, the ORF think tank says

India’s unemployment rate is expected to fall from 4.47% to 3.68% by 2028, a report by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) think tank has projected. The service sector will lead the way in terms of job creation as the country’s GDP moves towards the $5 trillion mark by 2027.

As India approaches its goal of becoming a $5 trillion economy, employment could rise by 22%, the ORF report predicts. To reach its target, the economy needs to maintain its current growth rate. India recorded GDP growth 8.4% in the third quarter of the 2023-24 financial year, up from growth of 7.6% from June to September. Meanwhile, New Delhi has raised its GDP growth forecast for the 2023-24 fiscal year from 7.3% to 7.6%.

“India’s job market is experiencing a transformation as the country has become the world’s fastest-growing large economy in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic,” the India Employment Outlook 2030 report noted.

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It highlighted opportunities in the service sector – from digital to financial, health and hospitality services, followed by consumer retail, renewable energy and e-commerce – having the potential to create more than 100 million new jobs by 2030.

The country’s young population is believed to be key for greater economic expansion. According to the ORF, sectors identified as “aspirational” by the 600 million people aged between 18 and 35 could act as “engines of growth” in the coming years.

“Policymakers and public sector schemes could partner more closely with other stakeholders to identify employability and skill gaps,” said Nilanjan Ghosh, a director at ORF and one of the authors of the report.

He said the next step towards improving employability would be to update education programs, making India’s talent pool more “industry-ready.”

One of the priorities, ORF noted, should be upskilling, financial inclusion and entrepreneurship among women. Last year, a report by Barclays titled ‘India’s breakout moment’ also suggested that the country could maintain GDP growth of 8% by ensuring that women account for more than half of the new workforce by 2030. At present, India’s female labor force participation rate stands at 37%, according to the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation.

READ MORE: Modi vows ‘strict action’ against corruption ahead of polls

The report comes amid heated discussion about India’s struggle to increase employment rates. According to the government data, the unemployment rate dropped to 6.6% in the first half of the 2023-24 financial year from 7% in the second half of the previous year.

Data from the independent Center for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) think thank put the unemployment rate at 8% in February – a sharp increase from 6.8% in January 2024. Experts have argued that, while the growing economy is creating employment, most of the jobs are for unskilled and semi-skilled workers, while those with higher qualifications are struggling to find jobs.

Where India Meets Russia – We are now on WhatsApp! ‎Follow and share RT India in English and in Hindi

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Moscow is said to have “captured” a significant market share in Algeria, one of the bloc’s top three supply destinations

European Union wheat exports to North Africa fell by 25% in the first seven months of the 2023-2024 growing season, with Russian supplies dominating the region’s market, according to a report released by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The report was compiled using supply-and-demand estimates for April from the World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB) on wheat, rice, coarse grains, oilseeds, cotton, sugar, meat, poultry eggs, and milk.

According to the data, EU exports are expected to fall by 2 million tons to 34.5 million tons in April as the bloc loses market share to Russia in Africa and the Middle East.

“Russia’s record wheat supplies continue to make its exports more competitive than the EU, with unabated shipments raising the Russia export forecast 1.0 million tons this month to a record 52.0 million tons,” it stated.

Algeria, one of the EU’s top three export destinations that has historically relied on EU wheat, has been “captured” by Russia after the North African nation’s government sought to diversify bread wheat suppliers, according to the USDA. Over the past five years, the EU has held an 85% market share in Algiers, it added.

“Russia wheat exports to Algeria have since expanded significantly. With Algerian millers indicating satisfaction with Russian supplies, Russia and the European Union have battled for majority market share so far this year,” the report said.

In February, the Rusagrotrans analytical center ranked Algeria fifth among the top Russian wheat importers. Moscow exported 1.6 million tons of wheat to Algeria during the 2023-24 crop year – a 20% increase over the previous season, according to the institution.

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Earlier this month, Eduard Zernin, the head of the Russian Union of Grain Exporters, told pole.rf magazine that Russia’s share of the global grain market would exceed 25%. The country’s reliance on its three largest importers – Türkiye, Egypt, and Iran – will decrease as supplies to new markets grow, he said.

Egypt, one of the world’s leading wheat importers and Russia’s largest grain buyer, has proposed hosting an international logistics hub for grain in the Suez Canal zone. The North African country and Moscow are in talks about building the facility, which would connect to one of the world’s busiest waterways and be used to store Russian wheat and distribute it to neighboring nations.

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Ukraine’s goal of eradicating bilingual media content has almost been achieved, the government has claimed

Ukraine’s ban on using the Russian language in the media will take full effect three months from now, Kiev’s state language protection commissioner, Taras Kremin, has said.

Since gaining independence, Ukraine has been a bilingual nation, with most citizens able to speak or understand both Russian and Ukrainian. After the US-backed coup in Kiev in 2014, the new nationalist authorities adopted policies aimed at suppressing the Russian language, on the grounds of national unity and security.

The restrictions include a requirement for national media to predominantly use Ukrainian in broadcasts. The permitted share of content in Russian has declined from 40% in 2016 to an almost complete ban, which will come into force in July – the deadline that Kremin referred to in his statement on Wednesday.

“Today national television channels practice bilingual Ukrainian-Russian programming, in which participants use the Russian language without a translation or subtitles,” he said. “Starting on July 17, this practice will end. There will be more Ukrainian language!”

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The push by Ukrainian nationalist leaders to impose the state language on Russian-speakers living in the east of the country was a major reason for locals’ rejection of the post-coup authorities. One of the first acts of those who seized power in Kiev was to abolish a law adopted in 2012, which gave the Russian language official regional status.

The new authorities have been adopting laws to eradicate Russian from all spheres of public life, including education, entertainment, and even services provided by private businesses.

In an interview last year, Kremin denied that some Ukrainian citizens could be called Russian-speaking, describing the term was “a marker introduced by Russian ideology,” and declared that “everyone in the country must have a command of the Ukrainian language.”

In contrast, this week the leader of another post-Soviet nation, Kazakhstan, rejected the notion that one language spoken by his people should be favored over others.

READ MORE: Zelensky’s comedy partner slams campaign against Russian language

“Young people now are fluent in the state [Kazakh] language, in Russian language, in English and other languages, and that is good,” President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Tuesday. “It’s ridiculous to ramp up hysterics over a language, let alone fight against one, as they did in some other states. We all see what they have now as a result.”

The Kazakh leader did not specify which other nations he was referring to.

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The West’s failure to provide enough arms and money is the only reason Ukraine is suffering setbacks, the president has claimed

A shortage of Western arms supplies and unkept promises by EU members have allowed Russia to advance on the battlefield, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky told senior European officials on Wednesday.

Zelensky made the claims during a video conference address to national leaders and senior members of the EU bureaucracy, who have convened for a two-day summit in Brussels.

The Ukrainian leader reiterated that his country needs more Western material and financial assistance to continue its armed conflict with Russia.

“Now the Russian army feels its strength in almost everything related to the armed component. And it is precisely because of this strength – in artillery, in equipment, in the ability to operate in the sky – that they are putting pressure on us at the front and are gradually moving,” he said.

Although he thanked Kiev’s donors for their aid, Zelensky also complained of unfulfilled promises.

“Unfortunately, we have not yet seen a million artillery shells from the European Union that were discussed so much. Also, some other initiatives have not yet been fully implemented, and this is primarily reflected in what our soldiers can use at the front,” he stated.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin believes “he will succeed in his counteroffensive,” Zelensky claimed, adding that “the only root of this hope is the shortage of weapons among our soldiers.”

In addition to offensive systems, Kiev wants more Western air defenses to protect its industrial base, as well as investment and technology to launch domestic arms production. It also requires electricity to compensate for the destruction of power facilities destroyed by Russian precision strikes, and according to Zelensky needs “energy of spirit” in the form of accelerated accession to the EU.

“We need the European Union to deliver what it had promised, and our people need to see Ukraine moving closer to full membership,” Zelensky insisted, urging Brussels to progress to the next phase of talks in June.

Analysis published by Politico on Wednesday cited the refusal of Ukrainians to enroll into the military as a major problem for Kiev. EU statistics body Eurostat estimates the number of fighting age Ukrainian men living in member states at some 650,000. Most of them arranged to be smuggled across the border, the outlet said.

READ MORE: Kiev’s morale problems could lead to defeat this year – Politico

This week, Zelensky signed into law a bill that makes it easier for conscription officials to issue summonses and imposes harsh punishments for avoiding the draft.

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The deployment of American intermediate-range missiles in the Philippines is another blow to global stability, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov has said

US deployment of intermediate-range missiles in the Philippines is another step by Washington towards escalating military confrontation in the Asia-Pacific, Russian ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov has said.

Last week, in what the US Army Pacific said was a “landmark” deployment that showcased “the extensive reach and logistical precision” of the American military, a Typhoon Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system was flown to the island of Luzon in the Philippines, 250 km from Taiwan. Typhoon systems, which were first introduced in 2023, can fire both the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) and Tomahawk missiles, with the latter having a range of up to 2,500km.

“The Pentagon’s public demonstration of its capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region for the rapid deployment of missile weapons previously banned under the INF (Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces) Treaty raises deep concern,” Antonov wrote in a post on Telegram.

By delivering a Typhoon system to the Philippines, “the US side is bringing an entire class of destabilizing weapons out of the shadows to ensure its military superiority over opponents,” he stressed.

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Such actions by the US signify “another powerful blow to strategic stability,” the ambassador said, adding that “Asia has already accumulated a lot of ‘hot’ material, and the region is rapidly militarizing.”

The US is “purposefully escalating the level of military confrontation and fueling hotbeds of tension” in the Asia-Pacific in an attempt to “return the world to the darkest times of the Cold War and balancing on the brink of a nuclear conflict,” he said.

”We urge the US not to open Pandora’s Box and follow our country’s example by taking all necessary steps to ensure global stability and predictability,” Antonov stated.

The 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) banned Russia and the US from fielding ground-based missiles with a range of between 500km (310 miles) and 5,500km (3,418 miles) in Europe. The US unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2019. This left Russia no choice but to cease its participation in the INF as well.
However, Moscow introduced a moratorium on fielding weapons that used to be covered by the treaty.

READ MORE: ‘Stop lying,’ Russia tells US

Antonov reminded that this moratorium “has clear conditions: we will not deploy such systems until similar US-made systems appear in any region of the world.” But if it happens, “all responsibility for a new surge of tension in the world will fall on Washington,” he stressed.

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A Beijing-funded shipping canal will reduce regional reliance on Vietnam, a fellow communist state and traditional rival

China and Vietnam, two Communist neighbors with a shared revolutionary heritage, exist in a state of strategic unease. They are not enemies, and have significant trade connections, but neither are they friends.

This is because Vietnamese nationalism views Beijing with a suspicion that is historically rooted, with a legacy of seeking to sustain its independence against the Chinese dynasties of old. As China has risen again, this sentiment in Hanoi has increased, especially with the Sino-Vietnamese war of 1978 and overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea, known to Vietnamese as the East Sea.

Similarly, China is wary of the idea of Vietnam potentially aligning with a foreign power as part of a containment coalition against it, itself an instigator of conflict. Although the two countries are not currently in a state of hostility and have worked to improve bilateral relations amid these strong points of contention, this mutual suspicion persists, which leads to them continuing to hedge against one another subtly, even as they co-operate on some projects, in an unspoken competition. For example, one may note Vietnam recently forming parallel strategic partnerships with the US, Australia, and Japan, moves which were unthinkable decades ago.

As Vietnam hedges its bets, China is also broadening its strategic options. Beyond the South China Sea/East Sea controversy, Beijing is making efforts to woo two Southeast Asian countries which traditionally have been reliant on and influenced by Vietnam: Laos and Cambodia. Owing to the reality of geography, Vietnam has had the upper hand against these countries, as it effectively “wraps itself” around the east coastline of Southeast Asia. This renders Laos landlocked, while Cambodia has only a small portion of coastline. This means that, for most intents and purposes, Vietnam has been the two countries’ primary route of supply and access point to the sea.

Both have resented being dominated by Vietnam and, as a result, there has been a decades-long struggle for influence between Beijing and Hanoi over them, including Beijing’s support in the 1970s for the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. However, as China has ascended, the balance of power soon turned in its own favor, as it has unlocked game-changing resources and projects that are now rewriting the geographical limitations of this region via the Belt and Road initiative (BRI). As part of the BRI, China first gave landlocked Laos a new lifeline by building the China-Laos Railway.

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Opened in 2021, this high-speed and commercial freight route, and accompanying expressway, connects the Laotian capital Vientiane with China, meaning the country no longer must rely on Vietnam to access ports. This has allowed Laos to not only export goods to China but also to become an intermediary between China and Thailand, with more railways to form a complete route between Beijing and Bangkok underway. The China-Laos railway is a strategic gamechanger, but more important than that is the new Techo Funan Canal in Cambodia.

This canal is a China-funded and contracted mega waterway that will span over 110 miles (180 km) from the Mekong River at Phnom Penh to the sea, with construction set to start this year. By building this canal, Cambodia now gets to bypass the Mekong Delta, which is in Vietnamese territory and subsequently transforms its capital city into a direct port. This canal strengthens China-backed Cambodia and deals a strategic blow to Vietnam, weakening its hold over its neighbor. Cambodia is thus transformed, from a historical subordinate to Hanoi into a commercial competitor. It is no surprise that the Techo Funan Canal has attracted Vietnamese fears and opposition.

When all of this is viewed together, China is effectively strengthening Laos and Cambodia at the expense of Vietnam. This is also part of Beijing’s strategy of using the BRI to integrate the interior of the continent and establish trade routes which bypass the contested waters of the South China Sea, which the US and its allies are militarizing. So, how is Hanoi reacting to these developments? The answer is, bizarrely enough, by integrating itself with China further in order to further compete with trade from China. As the saying goes, ”if you can’t beat them, join them!” On April 11, Vietnam announced it would be starting work on two high-speed railway links which would connect its northern cities with Yunnan and Guanxi provinces in China. Why? So that Vietnam can continue to promote itself as the nearest and primary overseas destination for Chinese companies, suppliers, and goods, so that it itself can be the next industrial powerhouse. Thus, to continue to hold an advantage and ensure China’s reliance on Vietnam, latch onto China’s success and therefore ensure that outbound Chinese commerce into Southeast Asian ports isn’t going to be siphoned away by what’s emerging in Cambodia.

Either way, what this shows is that the competition between Beijing and Hanoi is a complex and intermingled one, but far from hostile. The two nations have differing and conflicting objectives, but also many complimentary ones, for which it benefits them both to maintain a cordial status quo. Hanoi fears China’s presence emerging all around it, including peeling away its neighbors, which leads it to turn back to the ”Old Enemy” the US, though at the same time it is forced to admit Beijing can’t be ignored and that it continues to derive benefits by being in China’s game. Vietnam has to dine at the table while ensuring it is not the menu.

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Western states need to send more air defense systems to Kiev, the head of the bloc says

NATO members should prioritize arming Ukraine over bolstering their own defense capabilities, the secretary general of the US-led military bloc said on Wednesday.

“A part of the important effort we are now making across the NATO alliance to step up our delivery of air defense systems to Ukraine,” Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels.

“But Ukraine needs even more. That is why if allies face a choice between meeting NATO capability targets and providing more aid to Ukraine, my message is clear: send more to Ukraine.”

Stoltenberg pointed to Denmark as “a strong example” as it pledged in February to donate all of its artillery to Kiev. He praised both Denmark and the Netherlands for their plans to provide F-16 fighter jets, adding that he was “encouraged” by the news that the US Congress is expected soon to vote for additional aid to Ukraine, after months of delay.

The NATO chief’s appeal comes at a time when member states are struggling to deliver sufficient amounts of weapons to Ukraine without depleting their own stocks and compromising security. Officials in Kiev have blamed ammunition shortages for last year’s failed counteroffensive, as well as recent battlefield losses.

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Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has sharply criticized Germany for refusing to donate its Taurus air-launched cruise missiles and US Republicans for stalling the $61 billion military aid bill sought by President Joe Biden.

“If Congress doesn’t help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war,” Zelensky warned earlier this month.

Berlin recently agreed to supply another US-made Patriot air defense system to Kiev. However it has refused to reverse its decision on Taurus missiles, arguing that sending them would require German personnel on the ground in Ukraine.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson has announced that he will put the Ukraine aid bill to a vote on Saturday. The legislation was previously stalled due to the bitter quarrels between Democrats and Republicans over immigration and border security.

Russia continues to insist that deliveries of foreign weapons will lead to more escalation, but will not change the course of the conflict. “The West continues to pump the Zelensky regime with weapons and is becoming an accomplice to its horrific crimes,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in January.

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“Diplomatic sensitivities” prevailed over the original plan, a government source has said

Israel planned to retaliate against Iran immediately after Tehran’s drone and missile attack on Saturday, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to hold off after speaking with US President Joe Biden, Israeli media have reported.

According to the public broadcaster Kan, Netanyahu's war cabinet had already approved a range of responses – depending on the scope of the Iranian attack – that would have taken place as early as Sunday.

“The response won’t be what was planned any longer, diplomatic sensitivities won out,” a senior source within the government told the outlet. “There will be a response, but it seems it will be different from what was planned.”

There is still an understanding that Israel will respond, Kan quoted an unnamed Western diplomat as saying, but the delay suggests that it will be weaker than originally envisioned.

Iran launched a barrage of drones, along with ballistic and cruise missiles against Israel on Saturday. According to Tehran, the bombardment was lawful retaliation for the Israeli bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria earlier this month, which killed seven high-ranking officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force.

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Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi has said Tehran’s actions “will be met with a response.” However, the Israeli outlet Mako reported on Monday evening that the government was still working on a plan that would be acceptable to the US, “comply” with the rules set by Washington, and calibrated in such a way as to “not degenerate the region into a war.”

Most of the Israeli leadership supports an attack on Iran, according to the news website Ynet, but some notable politicians – such as Shas party leader Aryeh Deri – have spoken out against an escalation.

Iran has been preparing for a possible Israeli attack, most likely against Tehran-linked assets in Syria, while warning against such a course of action.

“The smallest action against Iran’s interests will definitely be met with a severe, extensive and painful response against all its perpetrators,” Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said.

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US military records tell a different story of the WWII incident

US President Joe Biden has claimed that an uncle of his who went missing in the Pacific during the Second World War was eaten by cannibals.

Second Lieutenant Ambrose Finnegan of the US Army Air Forces was declared missing in May 1944, after his light bomber crashed in the sea.

“He got shot down in an area where there were a lot of cannibals at the time,” Biden told reporters on the campaign trail outside Air Force One in Scranton, Pennsylvania. “They never recovered his body, but the government went back when I went down there and they checked and found some parts of the plane.”

Several hours later, at a meeting with United Steelworkers union members in Pittsburgh, Biden told the same story.

“He got shot down in New Guinea and they never found the body because there used to be – there were a lot of cannibals, for real, in that part of New Guinea,” the 81-year-old Democrat said.

According to the Pentagon’s agency for prisoners of war and missing in action (POW-MIA), Finnegan was never shot down, however. Nor was it on a reconnaissance mission, as Biden claimed.

The A-20 Havoc light bomber was on a “courier run” from the Los Negros Island when its engines failed at low altitude, per the official account of the incident. The plane dropped into the sea off the north coast of New Guinea and two out of three crew members never made it out of the sinking wreck, which was never found. The one man who survived was rescued by a passing boat.

Biden has told many fictitious tales about his life over a 50-year career in politics, most famously about getting arrested while trying to visit Nelson Mandela in a South African prison. He has repeated one debunked story about an Amtrak conductor more than a dozen times.

The cannibal claim about Uncle Ambrose, however, served as a springboard for attacking his predecessor – and presumptive challenger – Donald Trump. In the campaign speech in Pittsburgh, Biden told a story about how Trump allegedly refused to honor fallen US soldiers buried in France, calling them “suckers” and “losers.”

The story first appeared in The Atlantic magazine in September 2020, referring to events in November 2018, at the centenary of the WWI armistice. Trump denied the accusation, calling it “more made up fake news given by disgusting and jealous failures in a disgraceful attempt to influence the 2020 election!”

Documents debunking the Atlantic’s claim surfaced within days, but that has not stopped Democrats from repeatedly bringing it up as if true.

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Washington has reportedly signed assurances that the death penalty will not be sought for or imposed on the WikiLeaks founder

Washington has allegedly agreed to a set of conditions regarding the potential trial of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange if he is extradited to the US to face espionage charges, several media outlets reported on Tuesday.

The signed guarantees, which have been shared on X by New York Times correspondent Megan Specia, apparently assure that the 52-year-old Australian national would be able to rely on the US Constitution’s first amendment, which protects free speech, would not be prejudiced at trial because of his nationality, and would not face the death penalty if convicted.

It’s noted, however, that while these assurances are “binding,” the decision on the “applicability of the First Amendment” would be “exclusively within the purview of the US courts.”

Washington’s promises come after the British High Court in London ruled last month that if the US failed to provide these guarantees, then Assange would be able to appeal against his extradition to the US to stand trial for publishing classified military documents.

US has filed assurances in Assange extradition case, which were requested by a British court before it makes a final decision on his ability to appeal. Next step is a hearing on May 20. More on what those assurances are all about in our earlier story here: https://t.co/8ehvD0iHus pic.twitter.com/420CMZP0Wp

— Megan Specia (@meganspecia) April 16, 2024

Assange has been held in London’s top-security Belmarsh Prison for the past five years. He was initially arrested by British police in 2010 for sexual-offense allegations that he denied. In 2012, Assange jumped bail and was granted asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. He was arrested again in 2019 when Ecuador revoked his asylum, and has remained in Belmarsh ever since.

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The US, meanwhile, continues to demand that he be extradited to American soil to stand trial on 17 counts of espionage, over the publication of classified Pentagon military documents in 2010 that detailed alleged US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. Assange faces up to 175 years in prison if extradited and convicted.

His legal team as well as his supporters have claimed that the case against him is political in nature and is being waged by the West as revenge for exposing its alleged war crimes.

His attorneys have also been insistent against the sought extradition of Assange to the US, arguing that it would put his life and well-being at risk, and have previously dismissed any assurances given by Washington as meaningless, claiming it would be impossible to rely on them if their client is actually extradited.

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Soviet-designed T-72s were intended to replace Kiev’s battlefield losses

It is unclear how many tanks of the Soviet T-72 design the Polish military currently operates, because the public doesn’t know how many Warsaw has donated to Kiev, military analyst Damian Ratka has said.

Ratka’s comments came during an 80-minute video event about the future of Polish armor, hosted by the news portal Defence24.

“We don’t really know how many T-72 tanks we have, because we don’t know exactly how many of them were transferred to Ukraine,” Ratka said. Kiev probably received at least 30 to 60 vehicles, but the actual numbers are not publicly available, he added.

Ratka’s estimates match what then-PM Mateusz Morawiecki promised to send Ukraine in January 2023: 60 tanks in total, half of them T-72M1 and the other half PT-91 Twardy, the Polish upgrade of the Soviet-era MBT. However, at the time Morawiecki also said that Poland had supplied “about 250” T-72s to Ukraine.

Warsaw first announced it had donated some of its T-72s in April 2022, but would not give any numbers. Prior to that, the Czech Republic and Slovakia had already supplied Kiev with Soviet-era armor, intended to replace the vehicles lost in the battles with the Russian military.

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Morawiecki also pledged to send 14 of the German-made Leopard 2 vehicles to Kiev, later clarifying that the promise was intended to pressure Berlin into doing the same. It was unclear whether any Polish Leopards were actually sent to Ukraine.

Hyped by the Western and Ukrainian press as wonder-weapons that would win the war, the Leopards ended up getting destroyed in large numbers during the Zaporozhye offensive last summer.

Speaking about the future of Polish armored forces, Ratka noted that Warsaw is operating some T-72s and PT-91s still, as well as three versions of the Leopard 2 and an unspecified number of the US-made Abrams and South Korean K2 ‘Black Panther’ MBTs.

Poland has made plans to buy more than 350 Abrams tanks, including 250 of the newer M1A2 model, Ratka said, as well as 180 or so K2s. Credit problems have troubled the planned purchase from Seoul, however.

Ratka added that Poland was planning to shut down the facilities producing spare parts for the Soviet legacy systems, as it could not manufacture some of the key components, such as turrets and engines. The fate of the remaining T-72s and PT-91s was uncertain, he noted, suggesting that they might end up being sent to Ukraine as well.

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Erika de Souza Vieira Nunes was arrested in Brazil after reportedly trying to use dead relative to borrow $3,000

A woman in Brazil has been taken into custody after she wheeled the corpse of an elderly man into a bank, claiming he was her uncle and that he would co-sign a loan, according to media reports, citing local police.

Erika de Souza Vieira Nunes, who claimed to be the niece and caregiver of 68-year-old Paulo Roberto Braga, wheeled the cadaver into the bank in a Rio suburb on Tuesday and told the teller the man wanted a loan for 17,000 reais ($3,250).

She held a pen and moved his hand forward to no response, footage from the bank’s security camera shows.

“Uncle, are you listening? You need to sign,” she reportedly said, suggesting she sign for him. “Sign, so you don’t give me any more headaches, I can’t take it anymore,” the woman added, grabbing hold of the man’s neck with her hand from behind.

“I don’t think he’s well. He doesn’t look well at all,” remarked one distrustful employee, with Nunes replying “He doesn’t say anything, that’s just how he is.”

She then addressed the deceased man: “If you’re not okay, I’m going to take you to the hospital.”

Shocking new footage shows woman wheeling corpse all over a Brazilian mall before pushing him into a bank where she tried to withdraw money from an account https://t.co/LWO7gTeA1e pic.twitter.com/7MMg2VG8xP

— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) April 17, 2024

Bank staff became suspicious as the man’s head kept falling back and they called the police. who arrested the woman on the spot. Nunes has been charged with fraud. The corpse was taken to the morgue.

“She knew he was dead … he had been dead for at least two hours,” the investigating officer, Fabio Luiz Souza, told news program Bom Dia Rio on Wednesday.

“I have never come across a story like this in 22 years [as a cop],” added Souza, who said visible signs of livor mortis left no doubt as to Braga’s state.

It was later determined that Braga had been dead for several hours prior to his trip to the bank. Police said they will look into the circumstances of the man’s death and will try to determine whether Nunes is actually his niece, and whether other people were involved in the alleged attempt to commit bank fraud.

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Tehran is reportedly readying its air force and evacuating personnel from IRGC sites in Syria, according to the outlet

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is allegedly recalling its top military advisers from sites in Syria, as Tehran braces for an Israeli retaliatory attack, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing Syrian and Iranian officials.

The news comes after Iran launched what is estimated to have been several hundred missiles and explosive drones on targets in Israel on Saturday. Tehran framed the attack as retribution for the deaths of seven IRGC officers who were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1.

The Jewish state has claimed to have shot down nearly all of the munitions fired at it over the weekend, while Tehran has reported successfully striking several Israeli military installations.

Now, according to the Journal, Iran is preparing for an Israeli attack and is reportedly readying its air force to intercept the strikes while its navy is setting out to protect commercial Iranian ships in the Red Sea.

At the same time, the outlet claims that the IRGC, as well as the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group, are reducing the presence of their senior officers in Syria, while mid-ranking military personnel are “shifting from their original locations in the country.”

The outlet has explained, citing military experts, that Iran-linked facilities in Syria are the most likely targets of Israeli airstrikes, as they allow the Jewish state to respond while avoiding a direct tit-for-tat exchange with Iran.

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Although the US and other European nations have urged the Jewish State not to retaliate and instead be satisfied that it managed to repel the Iranian assault, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Israel will make its “own decisions” and “do everything necessary to defend itself.”

So far, Israeli officials have not yet commented on the nature of the potential retaliation but have reportedly reassured their American and European partners that the response would not endanger their security and would likely be limited in scope.

Tehran, on the other hand, has warned Israel against carrying out any retaliatory strikes. “The smallest action against Iran’s interests will definitely be met with a severe, extensive and painful response against all its perpetrators,” Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has said.

The United Nations, meanwhile, has expressed concern over the rhetoric in the Middle East amid the latest escalation, and has called on all sides to show “maximum restraint.”

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The West can’t shoot down Russian missiles, the EU’s top diplomat has said

Kiev should not request the same kind of support that the West provided to West Jerusalem during the Iranian attack because the two situations cannot be compared, EU foreign policy head Josep Borrell has said.

The US, UK and France said they collaborated with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday to shoot down some of the incoming Iranian missiles and drones. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has since called on Washington and its allies to do the same for Kiev.

Answering a reporter’s question after Tuesday’s meeting of EU foreign ministers, Borrell said the two situations were “different things that cannot be compared.”

“Iran’s attacks flew over air bases of the armies of France, the US, the UK and Jordan. They have gone over their bases, which then acted in self-defense,” Borrell noted. “There are no air bases of the UK, or the US, much less Jordan of course, on Ukrainian territory or in the territory Russian missiles fly over. Therefore, the same answer cannot be given because the circumstances are not the same.”

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Israel has also spent a lot of time and money to build the Iron Dome air defense system, which the EU couldn’t build overnight in Ukraine “even if we had money in the box,” the Spanish diplomat said. The bloc is nevertheless trying to provide Kiev with additional air defense capabilities, he added.

When asked if the EU was involved in defending Israel, Borrell said that the bloc was not directly involved, because it is not a state and does not have an army, but some of its members are.

“From that point of view I can say that the Union, or the member states of the Union that have the capabilities to do it, have done it,” he said. “We have participated, of course, in [passing along] the information that the intelligence services had about how imminent the attack was. We were warned, like so many others.”

This has made it possible to mobilize military capabilities – I insist, not of the Union, but of some of the member states that were available in the area and that have actively participated in eliminating what this attack represented for Israel.

Iran launched scores of drones, ballistic and cruise missiles against Israel on Saturday. According to Tehran, the strike was lawful retaliation for the Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria earlier this month that killed seven high-ranking officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force.

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Lithuania suspended regular imports from the country in May 2023

Lithuania has resumed purchasing grain from Russia after a lengthy hiatus, importing more than 12,000 metric tons in February, worth around $2 million, RIA Novosti reported on Wednesday, citing statistical data.

The former Soviet nation, one of Russia’s most vocal critics, had stopped regular grain imports from its neighbor in May 2023, receiving its last delivery in July.

Nevertheless, in March 2024, Lithuania, along with Latvia, Estonia, Poland and the Czech Republic, urged the European Commission to impose a full ban on grain imports from Russia and Belarus due to the Ukraine conflict.

Statistics show that Latvia has also increased imports of Russian grain, purchasing 58,800 tons in February compared to 52,600 tons the previous month.

Riga has been one of the most outspoken advocates of imposing EU-wide sanctions on Russian grain. This, however, has not stopped Latvia from increasing its agricultural imports from Russia by almost 40% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024.

In February, Latvia imposed a unilateral ban on food imports from Russia and Belarus, becoming the first EU state to introduce such an embargo, while Lithuania announced that it would subject cargo to strict inspection.

Despite this, the EU countries in February collectively purchased 92,600 tons of Russian grain, worth almost €17 million.

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Media outlets reported last month that the European Union was preparing to impose tariffs of up to 50% on grain imports from Russia and Belarus, under pressure from protesting farmers and several member states.

Brussels has long resisted pressure from Poland and the Baltic states to restrict agricultural imports from Russia and Belarus, arguing that such a move could disrupt global food markets and hurt developing nations.

Russia is one of the world’s largest exporters of grain, feed and fertilizer. While these commodities have not been outright sanctioned by the US and its allies on account of the Ukraine conflict, their transport by sea has been made more difficult by sanctions on commercial shipping.

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A contractor working for the Defense Department in Iraq faces civil actions from three former prisoners alleging depraved abuse

An employee of CACI International Inc, a contractor with strong links to the Pentagon, pushed soldiers serving in Iraq to rough-up detainees at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison, retired US Army General Antonio Taguba has testified, at a trial in which the company denies being involved in torture.

The Virginia-based consultancy is being sued by three former detainees of the infamous prison, near Baghdad, who allege they were tortured 20 years ago. The hearing began on Monday, after almost 16 years of procedural delays.

Taguba, who retired in 2007 after 35 years’ service, identified Steven Stefanowicz, aka ‘Big Steve,’ as the CACI employee who had instructed Army guards to “soften up” the inmates – and had even attempted to intimidate the general himself at one point.

“He would lean on the table staring me down. He did not answer questions directly,” Taguba told the court. “He was trying to intimidate me.”

Asked if he was in fact intimidated, the retired general responded, “Not on your life.”

A report by Taguba in 2004 said that Stefanowicz “clearly knew his instructions equated to physical abuse” and recommended he be fired, reprimanded and lose his security clearance. According to Associated Press, his testimony on Tuesday was the strongest evidence of CACI contractors playing a role in the Abu Ghraib abuses.

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The retired general testified that his investigation focused on the military police (MP). Many MPs told investigators that they had not received clear instructions from the military, so Stefanowicz and other CACI contractors stepped into the vacuum. The court also heard that investigators were initially confused, because they thought the troops were saying “khaki” instead of the company’s name.

One of the three plaintiffs also testified on Tuesday. Speaking from Iraq and through an interpreter, Asaad Hamza Zubae said he had been kept naked, threatened with dogs, and forced to masturbate in front of prison guards.

Lawyers for CACI challenged that testimony, pointing to government reports showing that dogs had not yet been sent to Iraq at the time.

The contractor has filed over 20 motions to dismiss the case over the past 16 years. Its lawyers have argued that, as a contractor to the Department of Defense, CACI should be protected by the same sovereign immunity as the US government.

The Center for Constitutional Rights, which is representing the plaintiffs, has described the trial as “the first lawsuit where victims of US post-9/11 torture will get their day in court.”

The Abu Ghraib scandal first came to public attention in April 2004, when photos of abused prisoners and their smiling US guards were published. The abuses included stacking nude prisoners in pyramids or dragging them by leashes around their necks. Others were threatened by dogs or were hooded and attached to electrical wires.

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The Lebanese militant group claims it hit a military air surveillance unit

Hezbollah militants have shelled Israeli territory from Lebanon, injuring 18 people, local media reported on Wednesday.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the attack, saying that it had retaliated, striking targets in the neighboring country.

The Shiite armed group has repeatedly bombarded its southern neighbor since the military conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out last October. Hezbollah launched a volley of missiles at Israel late on Saturday while Iran was conducting its massive aerial attack on the country.

Agence France-Presse estimates that at least 363 people in Lebanon have been killed as a result of the hostilities in recent months, including at least 70 civilians.

On Wednesday, The Times of Israel quoted a statement from the Galilee Medical Center that it had admitted 18 people following a drone strike on Arab al-Aramshe, a predominantly Bedouin village. One of the victims is said to have been in critical condition, while another two were seriously wounded.

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Local broadcaster KAN claimed that the Lebanese militants had fired missiles, and not used UAVs. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, the IDF confirmed that a “number of launches were identified crossing from Lebanon into northern Israel.”

According to the statement, the Israeli military responded by striking the “sources of the fire and a Hezbollah military compound in southern Lebanon where terrorists were operating.”

Hezbollah, for its part, said that it had targeted an Israeli military air surveillance unit and a gathering of Israeli soldiers as well as a command headquarters. On top of that, the Shiite militant group claims to have damaged an Israeli military vehicle, presumably injuring some of the people inside.

On Sunday, the IDF reported conducting airstrikes on multiple allegedly Hezbollah-related targets in Lebanon. According to a post on its Telegram channel, Israeli warplanes hit a number of other military installations in the south of the country, as well as a “significant” Hezbollah weapons manufacturing site close to the Syrian border.

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James Hetfield’s new ace of spades tribute was drawn with ink mixed with the remains of Lemmy Kilmister

Metallica co-founder and frontman James Hetfield has shown off a new tattoo dedicated to fellow metal icon Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead. The ink used in the design, according to Hetfield, features the actual remains of the late rockstar.

In an Instagram post on Metallica’s official account on Wednesday, the band’s vocalist and rhythm guitarist shared a picture of his new ace-of-spades tattoo etched on his middle finger, with the caption: “A salute to my friend and inspiration Mr. Lemmy Kilmister. Without him, there would be NO Metallica.”

The design, drawn by tattoo artist Corey Miller, was made using black ink mixed with “a pinch of [Kilmister’s] cremation ashes,” that Hetfield said were “graciously given” to him after the Motorhead founder passed away from cancer in 2015 at the age of 70.

“So now, he is still able to fly the bird at the world,” the post concluded.

Kilmister, often simply referred to as Lemmy, founded Motorhead in 1975 and became a household name in the rock world, widely regarded as one of the pioneers of British heavy metal.

With Motorhead, Lemmy released a total of 22 albums, which featured some of the most iconic metal hits of the era, including the songs Overkill and Bomber (1979), Ace of Spades (1980) and Killed by Death (1984).

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Motorhead has widely been cited as the inspiration for many other successful metal bands, including Metallica, whose members have often spoken about the influence of Motorhead on their own sound and style of playing.

Following Kilmister’s sudden death, just two days after being diagnosed with cancer, many musicians paid tribute to the rock icon, including Hetfield, who described him as “a godfather” of heavy metal.

In 2016, Lemmy’s fans launched a petition to name a newly discovered heavy metal element in the periodic table in honor of the musician, dubbing it ‘Lemmium.’ The petition gained over 156,000 signatures, but scientists ultimately rejected the appeal, explaining that chemical elements could be named only after a “mythological concept, a mineral, a place or country, a property or a scientist.”

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In its bid to dodge the American economic bullet, Uganda is seeking new strategic and trade partnerships beyond Beijing. In India, it may see one such opportunity

Last week, senior Indian diplomat Dammu Ravi, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs, paid a visit to Uganda as part of his three-nation African tour. Ravi addressed the Uganda-India Business Conclave, which saw a 35-member multi-sectoral business delegation from India travel to the African country in an effort to expand ties in areas from manufacturing and agriculture to renewable energy, healthcare, and tourism. Developing relations with Uganda is part of India’s broader strategy in Africa – and it comes at a critical time.

In January, Uganda hosted the 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit, followed by the third South Summit and the G77+China summit.

This is indeed an important milestone for Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, both diplomatically and politically. The landlocked East African country was recently suspended from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) by the United States due to multiple accusations related to human rights violations. This was followed by the freezing of new lending to Uganda by the World Bank.

Given the above, Museveni ensured his guests were impressed during the summit. In his speech, he pledged to realign the country’s foreign policy to emphasize greater cooperation among the Global South. In its bid to dodge the American economic bullet, Uganda is seeking new partnerships beyond China. In India, Museveni may see one such opportunity.

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India may find Uganda to be a credible partner in East Africa. Undoubtedly, the endorsement for Uganda’s 2024–2027 presidency of the NAM grouping is a testament to the country’s leadership and multilateral engagements. However, New Delhi is likely to tread carefully in furthering its relations with Kampala given its strong ties with China and recent altercation with the US.

Complicated history

The relationship between India and Uganda dates back to when Indian sailors traded goods in dhows across the Indian Ocean, long before the Christian era, when European sailors traveled around the world.

As a matter of fact, the word “dhow” in Swahili refers to any pre-European ship found in the Indian Ocean, especially those that originate in India. After the abolition of slavery in 1834, the British brought with them more than 30,000 Indian ‘coolies’, a racist term for indentured laborers, for the construction of the Uganda Railway. Eventually, a large number of them settled in East Africa and made Uganda their home.

India’s freedom struggle inspired the early Ugandan activists to fight colonization. Known as the Year of Africa, 1960 marked a turning point for African independence with 17 new countries created, and another 18 in the following year. On 14 December, 1960, a “Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples” was a dopted by the United Nations General Assembly, which proclaimed the necessity to “steadfastly bringing to a speedy and unconditional end the provisions of the Charter and the present colonialism in all its forms and manifestations.” The matter was initially proposed for inclusion in the agenda of the Assembly’s 15th session by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, Nikita Khrushchev, during his address to the General Assembly on September 23, 1960. Uganda became independent on October 9, 1962.

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However, in August 1972, Ugandan dictator Idi Amin ordered the country’s entire South Asian population to be expelled, accusing them of sabotaging the economy. Around 50,000 Indians and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) along with other Asians had to leave.

Five decades later, in January of this year, President Museveni called that move a “mistake” and expressed gratitude to the Indian community for the service that they have rendered the country over the decades. Indeed, anti-Indian policies were promptly reversed once Museveni assumed office in 1986. Several actions have been taken to guarantee the reinstatement of bilateral relations, including the return of belongings that had been confiscated from Indians and PIOs.

New Delhi and Kampala have significantly deepened trade ties over the past two and a half decades. Since 1995, when the constitution established Uganda as a republic, India’s trade with the African nation has witnessed a sharp rise of almost 9% annually, and today it stands at nearly $1.3 billion. Indian exports to Uganda stand at $695 million, rising from just $57.4 million in 1995.

Since 2008, Uganda has been part of India’s Duty-Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) scheme that New Delhi offers to almost 35 least developed countries. Based on the scheme, 98% of India’s total tariff lines are duty free. Uganda’s exports to India consisted mainly of coffee, cocoa beans, and dried legumes, while it primarily imports pharmaceutical products, vehicles, plastic, paper and paperboard, and organic chemicals.

Betting on strong diaspora

Narendra Modi made history in 2018 when he became the first Indian prime minister to address the Ugandan parliament. During the PM’s visit, several agreements were signed, including one that waived the requirement for a visa for official and diplomatic passport holders, established a regional material laboratory in Uganda, and agreed to bilateral defense cooperation. Modi also announced two lines of credit totaling $64 million for the production of dairy and agricultural products, as well as $141 million for the construction of electrical lines and substations. Additionally, it was announced that numerous Indian Army training centers would provide additional training to the Uganda People’s Defense Force.

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India’s first overseas educational campus was established in Uganda when, in April 2023, the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) of India inaugurated its campus in Jinja.

Notably, this town on the shores of Lake Victoria in Southern Uganda is also the center of the country’s Indian community. In 1997, then-Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi there. Few know that in 1948, a portion of Gandhi’s ashes were immersed in the Nile near Jinja.

Today, the Indian diaspora residing in Uganda exhibits the most robust and long-lasting cultural and economic ties towards the country. There may only be 20,000 Indians in Uganda, making up less than 1% of its overall population, but they provide about 65% of all national taxes.

Indeed, Indians living in Uganda play a significant role in the economy, especially in sectors like manufacturing, trade, agro-processing, banking, sugar, real estate, hotels, tourism, and information technology. They are not only some of the biggest taxpayers, but also provide jobs to thousands of Ugandans. Over the last two decades, these PIOs and NRIs have invested more than $1 billion in Uganda.

To further India’s connectivity with the East African country, Uganda Airlines last year launched direct flights between Kampala and Mumbai. The service, initially revealed in 2021, is only the second Uganda Airlines’ destination outside of Africa. As a result, the company joined Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, and Ethiopia as the fifth flag carrier to connect their national capitals with India. The airline now operates from Mumbai thrice a week and aspires to expand to include new and important destinations in Delhi and Chennai.

Diplomatic rapprochement

Uganda has vacillated between steady economic growth and authoritarian leadership. President Museveni, who has been ruling the country for 35 years, won another term in 2021 and is set to lead for another five years.

While the country has managed to rebound from the pandemic and marked a 5.3% growth in the 2023 financial year ($114 billion at the end of 2023 in PPP term), the state of its economy looks dire amid mounting debt from China, the World Bank and the IMF, including a $1 billion Extended Credit Facility (ECF) for past-pandemic recovery from the IMF.

Since Uganda’s severe anti-LGBTQ legislation, its relations with the US have plummeted. To recall, in May 2023, Uganda enacted its contentious Anti-Homosexuality Act, which carries a life sentence or potentially the death penalty for homosexuality.

Since January, the US has barred Uganda from benefitting from AGOA as a measure of punishment. AGOA is a preferential trade arrangement which allows member countries duty-free access to the US market for around 6,000 products.

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Clearly, the US decision has created ripple effects for Uganda’s economy, deterring World Bank loans and many Western foreign direct investments. As this economic pushback may potentially increase the inequality in the already volatile nation, Uganda may eventually lean on economic support from China. In the words of President Museveni, “In case Uganda has no other choice than borrowing, there exists plenty of non-Bretton Woods sources who are eager to lend.”

With huge opportunities available in the Indian market, Uganda can make better use of India’s duty-free tariff scheme, and recover its losses from missing out on AGOA. Stronger India-Uganda relations, including bilateral trade and increased investments from India, could deter the country from turning entirely towards China.

Currently, India and Uganda are two of the closest allies. As Uganda retains the presidency of NAM for the next three years, India can make use of its historic and present relations with Uganda and together, may effectively assume the leadership of the Global South under the banner of NAM. Indeed, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar’s second visit to Uganda in as many years is a powerful sign of growing bonhomie between the two countries and the relevance of one to the other.

However, India’s role as a champion and future leader of the Global South will be determined by how well it manages its multi-alignment. After successfully hosting the G20, India must contribute to Uganda’s NAM presidency, keeping the right balance with the West, particularly when the Ugandan economy is still crippled by Western sanctions.

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Legislators will vote on the aid bill this Saturday, according to Mike Johnson

Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson announced on Wednesday that he is sticking with his plan to send a series of foreign aid bills to the floor, including those for funding for Ukraine and Israel. Johnson said in a note to legislators that they'll vote on these on Saturday evening.

Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has faced mounting pressure to act on President Joe Biden’s long-delayed request for billions of dollars in security assistance. It’s been more than two months since the Senate passed a $95-billion aid package, which includes $14 billion for Israel and $60 billion for Ukraine.

Despite opposition from conservatives over aiding Ukraine, Johnson said earlier this week that he would push to get the package to the House floor under a single debate rule, then hold separate votes on proposed aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, as well as several foreign-policy proposals, according to Republican lawmakers.

“After significant Member feedback and discussion, the House Rules Committee will be posting soon today the text of three bills that will fund America’s national security interests and allies in Israel, the Indo-Pacific, and Ukraine, including a loan structure for aid, and enhanced strategy and accountability,” Johnson wrote on Wednesday.

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He added that these will be brought to the floor, alongside a fourth bill that includes the REPO Act, TikTok bill, sanctions and other measures “to confront Russia, China, and Iran.”

“By posting text of these bills as soon as they are completed, we will ensure time for a robust amendment process. We expect the vote on final passage on these bills to be on Saturday evening,” Johnson wrote.

He had recently indicated that he'd support sending more money to Kiev if it were a loan rather than a grant. This week, additional pressure was put on him after Iran’s retaliatory strike on Israel, which West Jerusalem claims to have stopped with help from the US.

Meanwhile, moderate New York Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis urged on Wednesday that the Speaker “go back to Biden & [NY Senator Chuck] Schumer and tell them he needs a border security measure to pass foreign aid.” Johnson said in the letter to his fellow members of Congress that he will bring forward an immigration bill that looks like the House’s HR 2.

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During the GOP meeting this week, the speaker reportedly warned hardcore opponents of Ukraine aid that an alternative to his plan would be for Democrats to force a vote on the Senate bill through procedural maneuvers. Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky reportedly urged Johnson to resign.

The previous House speaker, California’s Kevin McCarthy, was ousted from the position by his fellow Republicans for alleged backroom dealing with Democrats on Ukraine.

Proponents of funneling more money to Kiev have been touting the aid to increasingly skeptical American voters, stating that most of the funds would be spent at home to bolster defense manufacturing.

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A fresh attempt to pass the legislation triggered mass protests and drew criticism from the West

The Georgian parliament adopted a controversial ‘foreign agents’ bill in its first reading on Wednesday, despite opposition protests and warnings from the EU that the legislation could jeopardize the country’s ambitions to join the bloc.

The legislation, officially known as the bill ‘On the Transparency of Foreign Influence’, was backed by 83 members of the 150-member chamber. The opposition boycotted the vote. Several dissenting MPs were expelled from the chamber after becoming unruly during the hearing.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, is adamant that the ruling party will not cave in to foreign and domestic pressure. Speaking on Wednesday, Kobakhidze rejected criticism of the bill, arguing it would actually bring Georgia closer to the EU by making the country more transparent.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, however, has condemned the outcome of the vote, vowing to veto the legislation altogether, should it pass the second and third readings. The president claims the bill jeopardizes Georgia’s EU aspirations and imposes “obstacles” to fair elections in the country.

“I’m going to veto this law, as I’m vetoing all the other laws… that go against the recommendations of the European Union,” Zourabichvili told the BBC. She admitted that her veto would likely be overridden by the parliament, but insisted that the step was necessary to express the “voice of people.”

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The Georgian parliament first attempted to pass the ‘foreign agents’ legislation last year. The original bill would have required organizations and individuals with more than 20% foreign funding to register as “agents of foreign influence” while disclosing their donors. It faced strong criticism from the Georgian political opposition, which branded it a “Russian law” and accused the ruling party of modeling it on legislation introduced in Russia in 2012.

The ruling party, however, has insisted the law drew inspiration from the US Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, arguing that the Georgian version was significantly more lenient than the original American one. The initial bill nonetheless sparked rioting in the capital, Tbilisi, as well as a storm of criticism from the West, and ultimately ended up being shelved after passing the first reading.

The new version of the legislation bears only cosmetic changes, including the designation of “agents of foreign influence” being replaced with “an organization facilitating the interests of a foreign power.” The new attempt to pass it has already faced similar trouble, including street protests, a mass brawl on the parliament floor, and mounting criticism from the West. The EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, has warned that the adoption of the bill could “compromise Georgia’s EU path.”

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“Georgia: the ‘transparency of foreign influence’ law is not in line with EU norms and values. If adopted, it would limit CSO and media work and freedom of expression,” Borrell wrote on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the bill was passed in the first reading.

US and European politicians who have criticized the legislation have not provided any actual arguments against it, he claimed. “In such circumstances, [these] statements will not become a reason to review our decision,” Kobakhidze stated.

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The resolution against “from the river to the sea” had bipartisan support

The US House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to condemn the chant “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” as hate speech.

The slogan, which dates to the 1960s, calls for a Palestinian state between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. Israel has argued that this implicitly denies its right to exist in the same territory.

“Our resolution makes it clear that the slogan ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ is antisemitic and calls for the total eradication of the Jewish, democratic state of Israel and the annihilation of the Jewish people,” said one of its sponsors, Congressman Josh Gottheimer.

Congress has the responsibility to “condemn disgusting, divisive, and dehumanizing chants” and fight against “prejudice and hate,” added Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat. The other two sponsors were New York Republican Anthony D’Esposito and Florida Democrat Jared Moskowitz.

The resolution was adopted by 377 votes in favor to 44 opposed. Only one Republican, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, voted against it citing constitutional grounds. The other 43 nays were from the “progressive” faction of the Democrats.

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The first amendment of the US Constitution prohibits Congress from making any laws limiting the freedom of speech, press or assembly. The US therefore has no “hate speech” laws or legal grounds for government censorship.

The recent escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has presented a domestic political challenge for the ruling Democrats, as they count on votes from both liberal Jews and Muslim immigrants.

Gottheimer noted that prominent Jewish organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the American Jewish Committee have condemned the chant as anti-Semitic. His statement also mentioned that the ADL has recorded “nearly 9,000 antisemitic incidents” in the US in 2023 – mostly after October 7 – and the highest number since 1979, when such record-keeping began. According to the ADL, chants and slogans count as “incidents.”

October 7 was when Hamas, the Gaza-based militant Palestinian group, raided nearby Israeli military bases and villages, killing over 1,100 Israelis and taking over 200 hostage. West Jerusalem responded by declaring war on the group and invading Gaza. The military operation has turned much of the enclave into rubble and claimed the lives of over 33,000 Palestinians over the past six months, according to local authorities.

Israel’s ruling Likud party has its own version of the slogan in its platform, declaring that “between the Sea and the Jordan, there will only be Israeli sovereignty,” which explicitly rejects any Palestinian statehood in the West Bank.

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Becoming a full member will not guarantee statehood, according to Washington’s envoy

A resolution recommending that the Palestinian Authority (PA) become a full member of the UN would not result in a two-state solution to the conflict with Israel, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield has said.

She made the comments at a news conference in Seoul on Wednesday, after being asked whether the US was open to recognizing the PA’s request.

Earlier this month, the regional authority asked to be admitted as a full-fledged member of the UN. The State of Palestine has held observer status since 2012, but full membership would amount to recognition of Palestinian statehood, which Israel opposes.

“We do not see that doing a resolution in the Security Council will necessarily get us to a place where we can find... a two-state solution moving forward,” Thomas-Greenfield said, as quoted by Reuters.

The UN Security Council committee reportedly stated this week that it “was unable to make a unanimous recommendation” on whether the PA’s application for full membership met the criteria.

Applications for UN membership must be approved by the secretary-general before being presented to the 15-member UN Security Council for a vote. The PA applied for membership in 2011, but the application was never put to the Security Council. At the time, the US – as one of the council’s five permanent members – said it would exercise its veto power in the event of a vote.

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The following year, the UN upgraded the State of Palestine’s status from “non-member observer entity” to “non-member observer state” – a status held only by the world body itself and Vatican City.

According to Thomas-Greenfield, US President Joe Biden has categorically said Washington supports a two-state solution and Washington is working to get that in place as soon as possible.

The PA is expected to push the Security Council to vote on a draft resolution as early as Thursday, diplomats told Reuters. Security Council member Algeria reportedly circulated a draft text late on Tuesday.

According to the Palestinian side, 137 of the 193 UN member states already recognize a Palestinian state.

Under the governance of the PA, the State of Palestine claims sovereignty over territory considered Palestinian before the outbreak of the 1967 Six-Day War. This includes Gaza, the entire West Bank, and East Jerusalem.

READ MORE: Interpol approves Palestinian membership despite Israeli objections

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected the idea of Palestinian statehood, and vowed to impose “full Israeli security control over the entire area west of Jordan,” which includes all of these regions.

Parts of the West Bank are already under full Israeli military and civilian control, while Gaza is governed by Hamas, which views the PA as illegitimate for recognizing and negotiating with Israel.

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The current bosses in Brussels have failed in all of their major projects, Hungary’s Viktor Orban has said

The EU needs new leadership as the bloc’s current top officials have proven entirely unsuccessful, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has claimed.

Orban made the comments at the European Parliament on Tuesday as part of a public discussion with Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and the leader of the French National Rally party, Fabrice Leggeri.

“Now we have a leadership in the EU with some major projects selected by themselves like green transition, RRF (Recovery and Resilience Facility) policy, migration, war [in Ukraine] and sanctions policy, and they all failed,” Orban said.

“The present leadership of the European Union must go away. And we need new leaders,” the Hungarian prime minister insisted.

Orban said he intends “to come and take over Brussels,” reiterating his earlier warning to “occupy” the EU’s key institutions with his allies in order to bring change to the bloc.

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According to the Hungarian leader, the rule of law and conditionality system created by the current EU leadership has “proved to be… an instrument of political blackmailing. If you do not behave as we expect, you do not get the money.”

Hungary has not received “a single penny” from the RRF because European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has openly voiced dissatisfaction with Budapest’s reluctance to accept migrants and its opposition to the bloc’s gender policies, he said.

The EU’s green transition “has failed because it has gone against [the] economic and industrial” interests of the bloc, Orban added. A switch towards climate neutrality should not be “politically motivated,” otherwise “it would destroy the competitiveness of the European economy. That is where we stand today,” he explained.

In contrast to many other EU members, the Hungarian leader has refused to provide arms to Ukraine and has consistently criticized the bloc’s sanctions against Russia over the conflict. According to Orban, the time has come for Brussels to define “what it should do with the issue of the war” in order to find a solution to the crisis and prevent similar ones in the future.

READ MORE: We need a ceasefire in Ukraine – Orban

Even goodwill gestures may “cause difficulties for the European economy,” such as the recent protests by farmers in Poland, France, Germany, and other nations partly caused by the preferences given by the EU to Ukrainian food suppliers, he explained.

Orban also insisted that the issue of aid to Kiev should be “separated as much as possible from the issue of Ukraine’s accession to the EU,” formal negotiations for which were approved last year.

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The new owners of the popular coffee chain in the country have rebranded the local franchise

The owners of the remains of the Starbucks chain in Russia have asked a court to terminate legal protection of the American company’s trademarks, a court document has revealed.

Entrepreneur Anton Pinsky, who purchased the US chain's Russian assets in partnership with rapper and businessman Timati (Timur Yunusov), filed a claim with the country's intellectual property rights court on April 12, according to a post on the information portal Digital Justice this week.

Starbucks, which had operated in Russia since 2007, pulled out of the country in 2022 due to Western sanctions linked to the Ukraine conflict.

Pinsky and Yunusov acquired the rental agreements for all 130 Starbucks coffee shops in Russia, as well as the employment contracts of its 2,000 workers. They successfully rebranded the Seattle-based company’s coffee shops in Russia as Stars Coffee.

The new owners also replaced the well-known mermaid logo with an image of a girl in a traditional Russian ‘kokoshnik’ headdress.

The current claim relates to seven trademarks, which include images and text elements registered at various times between 2003 and 2014. However, the expiry periods of exclusive rights to trademarks were extended and are valid, depending on the mark, up until 2033, the court filing said.

READ MORE: Russian ‘Starbucks’ gets new name and logo

According to the court document, the plaintiff has asked the court to terminate the protection of trademarks relating to two classes of services including restaurants, cafes, cafeterias, snack bars, and coffee shops due to their non-use.

In 2022 and 2023, Pinsky applied to register new brand names – Stars Pinskiy Coffee and Stars Kanokov Coffee. Currently, the declared designation of both trademarks is being examined, according to official documents.

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Was Tehran’s ‘symbolic’ attack on the Jewish state a victory or a defeat for the future?

The night of April 13-14 was another round of ‘shock therapy’ for the world as Iran launched a direct attack on Israeli territory. This followed an unjustified strike by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, which resulted in the deaths of 11 diplomats and two high-ranking generals of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Initially, Israel denied responsibility, but later indirectly admitted to targeting the building under the belief that it served as a military base coordinating Hamas operations. This act clearly violated the Vienna Conventions of 1961 and 1963, which protect diplomatic missions. Typically, such an infringement would lead to the severance of diplomatic ties, but since Iran and Israel have had no such relations and have been on the brink of conflict for decades, Israel’s abrupt move can be interpreted as a declaration of war. Faced with this provocation, Iran was put in a very tight spot and felt compelled to act.

Almost two weeks of suspense followed as the world waited for Iran’s response, which seemed logically inevitable. Pundits and analysts mostly considered two obvious options that Iran could use: either give a mirror response and hit Israeli territory or one of its diplomatic offices in the region, or use its proxy forces, which are as much of a problem for Israel as Iran itself. But Tehran decided to take a third course, both launching a direct attack and using its allies in the region. This attack made history as it was Iran’s first direct assault on Israel. Among other things, it was the most massive drone attack on record, estimated to have involved more than 200 UAVs, as well as 150 cruise missiles, 110 Shahab-3, Sajil-2 and Kheibar surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, and seven Fattah-2 hypersonic cruise missiles. The strikes were launched from multiple locations including Iran, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and the part of Yemen controlled by the Ansar Allah Houthi group.

At 2 a.m., air raid sirens echoed throughout Israel. Panicked citizens flooded the streets, rushing to find shelter as explosions rocked Jerusalem, the port of Haifa, a military base in the Negev desert, and an air force base near Be’er Sheva. The IDF urged residents of Dimona, near a nuclear facility, to remain close to bomb shelters, and news feeds were filled with increasingly alarming messages. The barrage overwhelmed Israel’s renowned Iron Dome defense system, with the sheer volume of incoming drones and missiles proving too much to handle. In response, the air forces of the United Kingdom, the United States, Israel, and Jordan scrambled to intercept the projectiles. In a desperate countermeasure, Israel jammed all GPS signals to disrupt the guidance systems of the Iranian missiles and drones. Tehran promptly declared that its targets were strictly military bases, airfields, and government installations.

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One step from all-out war?

As the attack unfolded, US President Joe Biden publicly stated that he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “to reaffirm America’s ironclad commitment to the security of Israel.” All European capitals echoed the sentiment. Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin, while confirming his president’s resolve to support the Jewish state, added that Washington is not seeking conflict with Tehran. These words are unlikely to be welcomed in West Jerusalem. Netanyahu made several statements in light of Iran’s counterattack, first noting that everything was intercepted and blocked, referring to the success of the missile defense system. He then vowed that Iran will be held accountable for its actions. Israeli military reports claimed that almost 99% of the missiles and UAVs launched by Iran were shot down, but many military experts both in the West and in the Global South doubted this statement, relying on footage published in the media.

At the same time, sources of several influential American publications report that Washington is making every effort to dissuade Israel from directly striking Iran in order to “end this cycle of escalation.” Remarkably, but two days after the incident, Netanyahu made less belligerent statements, noting that the Jewish state would respond to Iran’s attack “wisely and without emotions.” Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean that Israel will retaliate directly asymmetrically, but rhetoric in this matter is also important, and it is possible that Netanyahu will try not to drag the entire region, and subsequently the world, into the abyss of catastrophe. Especially considering that Israel is not an American puppet, and therefore Washington cannot guarantee that Netanyahu will sit idly by. Hence, the independent actions of the Israeli prime minister will carry significant weight.

Against this backdrop, the opinion of the former Israeli defense and foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, now an opposition figure, appears quite notable. Lieberman stated that Israel was only able to repel the Iranian attack thanks to US assistance, specifically through the capabilities of American intelligence and early interception. Based on this, Lieberman believes that Israel should seek maximum coordination with Washington regarding a retaliatory strike against Iran. According to him, by doing so, the US “will acknowledge that Israel has no alternative but to retaliate against Iran for its attack.” CNN’s sources report that Israel has even decided to postpone the operation in Rafah in Gaza, which it had been planning for several months, due to the situation with Iran. Now, Israeli authorities are focused on responding to the attack, resulting in the active phase of the operation being postponed for at least several days. In simpler terms, Israel is now in the position that Iran had been in all those days since the strike on the consulate in Damascus until the events of the night of April 14.

In turn, Iran’s IRGC issued a statement just minutes after the operation ended, noting that it was practically a ‘final warning,’ and in the event of a reverse reaction from Israel, Tehran would respond with more powerful actions. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated that the Islamic Republic does not desire an escalation of tension in the Middle East but acts in defense of its national security and interests. Additionally, according to the Iranian foreign minister, Tehran took into account the inaction of the UN Security Council regarding Israel’s use of force against the Iranian consulate in Damascus, as well as the irresponsible behavior of the US, Britain, and France.

A new place for a new Iran

Iran’s counterattack posed a challenge not only to Israel but to the entire West. Tehran acted on the premise that it wouldn’t allow itself to be slighted. It needed to ‘save face,’ not disappoint its allies and sympathizers, and prove to the entire region that it rightfully belongs among the region’s leaders. Moreover, the events can be seen as a change in Tehran’s tactics. Whereas previously Iranians built their ‘relations’ with Israel on the basis of ‘strategic patience,’ trying to avoid direct conflict with the Jewish state by all means, the situation has now undergone a radical change.

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The hardliners from among the clerics surrounding Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who advocate a tougher position on Israel and the West, have described the tactic of ‘strategic patience’ as a sign of weakness and called for more decisive action. Senior IRGC commanders, on the other hand, took a more pragmatic approach, arguing that Iran was not yet ready to make drastic moves. In the end, instead of emotion and hot-headedness, it was pragmatism that prevailed, combined with an understanding of a new reality – something that the West may not have planned for, at all.

Hence, one might ask: Could all of this have been an attempt to demonstrate to Israel and to the entire collective West that the balance of power in the Middle East has shifted? After all, the name given by Iran to its operation was ‘True Promise’ (or ‘Honest Promise’). Every word and phrase spoken by the Iranians should be examined quite meticulously, through a philosophical lens. In fact, everything seems to indicate that Tehran is now moving from rhetoric to action; if, previously, Iran was called a ‘paper tiger’ by the global community, now the attitude towards it has somewhat changed. Tehran can now boast to the rest of the region about its commitment, saying that “unlike you, we walked the talk.”

There are players in the Middle East who might not be happy with such behavior, especially those that have chosen to remain neutral or to wait out the crisis. We are talking, primarily, about Türkiye and Saudi Arabia. In a polite but somewhat abstract statement, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) called for restraint to prevent any further escalation that “threatens the stability of the region and the safety of its population,” which, in effect, signals that the countries of the union (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia) are unwilling to make a clear choice and possibly still hope for normalization of relations with Israel once the conflict in the Gaza is resolved. Türkiye holds a similar stance, although it should be noted that Ankara condemned Israel’s attack on the Iranian consulate, warned that it would close its airspace to military aircraft in case of a US attack on Iran (in that, Türkiye was immediately joined by Kuwait and Qatar), and attempted to take on the role of peacemaker. Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a series of harsh comments about Israel, thus killing any prospect of becoming a mediator and bringing the opposing sides to the negotiating table.

That said, neither Israel nor Iran is interested in such a scenario. Tehran has chosen a tough but consistent line of policy towards Israel: no deals with the Jewish state until Palestine is free and until Jerusalem is divided into two parts. There is nothing new about Tehran’s position, though – it is all stated clearly in the UN resolution from 1947. Ironically, when voting at the UN in 1947, Iran, ruled at the time by the ‘pro-Western’ Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, voted against this type of solution, arguing that over the long term it would lead to mass deportation of Palestinians from their very own lands, preventing them from visiting their holy sites. In fact, Tehran believed that the newly-founded state of Israel would not stop there and would continue to expand at the expense of its neighboring states. Simply put, Tehran never did betray the core of its own position on the issue; although, seeing the inaction of the Arab states, Pahlavi Iran was gradually building relations with Tel Aviv – without ignoring the problem of Palestine.

Given all this context, the most intriguing question now is how the countries of the region, namely the Arab world, will react to Iran’s actions – after all, the attitude towards modern Tehran is quite mixed. Iran has been able to bolster its hand by using proxy organizations, which are now moving against Israel to defend the interests of Palestine. Judging by their neutral reactions – and quite unsurprisingly, in fact – none of the Arab leaders is interested in a strong Iran. They are interested in Iran existing as a moderate state allied with the West, with which they themselves cooperate. However, if Iran joins Russia and China and, as part of this troika, becomes an actor in the great world politics, the Middle East will face some big changes.

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Does Israel have the answer?

Despite the IRGC’s counterattacks, Iran continues to maintain its position that nobody needs a war, and it’s not interested in one by any means. As for its strikes so far, Iran considers them quite successful; they succeeded in making a point and delivering ‘a clear message’ to the entire West that Tehran is no longer confining itself to verbal statements and that, in general, things are going to get very real. Furthermore, any potential response from Israel will now justify similar operations by Iran, which may become harsher and harsher every time. Besides, the moral victory also belongs to Iran. Tehran had held the situation in suspense all along, and the world witnessed strikes on military bases in the north of Israel and saw them take damage. Iran’s strike, albeit a token one, has happened. The Islamic Republic is beginning to act like the flagship power in the region.

In this case, Israel hardly needs a direct war with the Islamic Republic, especially with the Hamas issue not settled yet, Gaza still not demilitarized, hostages yet to be rescued, and Western allies offering nothing in terms of support but nice statements and condemnations. In the meanwhile, there are rather serious reasons to believe that Israel may not be able to keep its temper and strike, just for self-consolation. Expecting a response strike from Iran, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said, several days prior to the counterattack, that if Iran strikes from its territory, then Israel will attack in response. That means the Israelis could go further and continue their attacks. Yes, Netanyahu has changed his tone somewhat and tries to show now that he doesn’t want a big war. He, however, may be under pressure from the security wing, members of which yearn for revenge and want to blow off steam on Iran, which they think created the situation Israel has been in since October 7, 2023. If Israel does strike back, attacking Iranian territories and killing people, the situation will spin out of control and there will be no stopping the Iranians.

The goal of Iran’s counterattack against Israel was not to unleash a big war. This action can be seen differently: as a PR effort, a propaganda schtick, or muscle-flexing. Some may say that Iran failed to retaliate fully, as its attack didn’t achieve anything equal to the two generals and 11 diplomats that Israel’s strike had killed. The message of the counterstrike, however, was not only to take revenge for Iran’s dead. Tehran deliberately didn’t strike targets in major Israeli cities. Its strikes on Israel were limited, mostly targeting the occupied Golani Heights, which legally belong to Syria, and military installations in Negev desert, in order to avoid escalation and prevent further provocations on Israel’s part. Besides, Iran has proved that it can penetrate Israel’s air defenses and that Israel is not that well protected.

Therefore, Iran’s goal was to change the rules of the game in the region and, by and large, it succeeded. Tehran’s counterattack put paid to any talk of Iran not putting its money where its mouth is and brought the conflict between the two countries to a whole new level. This half-measure cannot be seen as a defeat, but it’s not exactly a victory either. Besides, Israel is not going to sit idle. The Jewish state will start reviewing its actions and correcting mistakes; after all, matters of its own security are the utmost priority for Israel.

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A survey conducted by the Hebrew University asked respondents whether they advocate military action that could alienate allies

Most Israelis oppose a retaliatory strike on Iran that could alienate their country’s allies, a recent poll has found. Several media outlets have reported in recent days that US President Joe Biden advised the Netanyahu government against taking military action against Tehran in response to the latter’s massive aerial bombardment over the weekend.

According to Israel, Iran targeted it with several hundred missiles and explosive-laden drones late on Saturday. The Israeli military claims to have shot down almost all of them. Iran, in turn, has announced that it managed to strike several military installations.

Tehran has framed the attack as retribution for the death of seven high-ranking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officers, who lost their lives when an alleged Israeli airstrike hit Iran’s consulate in Damascus on April 1.

On Tuesday, Hebrew University published the findings of its survey, which it had conducted over the previous two days online and by phone among 1,466 Israelis.

Most of the respondents (74%) spoke out against any military response to Iran’s recent bombardment “if it undermines Israel’s security alliance with its allies.”

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More than half of the people polled also said that Israel “should respond positively to political and military demands from its allies” in order to “ensure a sustainable defense system over time.”

Speaking to reporters during his official visit to Israel on Wednesday, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said “it’s clear the Israelis are making a decision to act.”

He expressed hope that Israel’s response would be executed in a “way that does as little to escalate this as possible.”

Earlier this week, ABC News, citing anonymous Biden administration officials, claimed that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had spoken by phone with his Israeli colleague, Yoav Gallant, telling the latter that Washington would not help its ally in any offensive military operation against Tehran.

The Israeli outlet Mako reported on Monday evening that Israel’s retaliation would need to receive the green light from the US and be in line with rules set by Washington, so as not to “degenerate the region into a war.”

Around the same time, the New York Times alleged that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had called off immediate retaliatory strikes after speaking with US President Joe Biden by phone on Saturday night.

On Sunday, Iran’s chief of staff of the armed forces, Major General Mohammad Bagheri warned that the Islamic Republic would unleash a “much more extensive” attack on Israel, should the latter conduct military strikes on Iran.

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House speaker Mike Johnson is working on a complex plan to tie Republican policies to Democrat-favored requests, the news agency said

The chances that the US House would vote this week on a Ukraine aid package are becoming slimmer, as Speaker Mike Johnson faces internal Republican party pressure over his legislative plans, the Associated Press has reported.

The congressional leader spent hours on Capitol Hill on Tuesday with fellow representatives, discussing strategies on how to ensure that policies that his party considers a priority get through the chamber alongside the Democrat-requested funding, AP said. With no draft document produced, “passage of any aid this week [is] in serious doubt.”

The White House has been urging Johnson for weeks to put to a vote a $93-billion bill passed by the Senate in late February. The proposal provides for security assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan as well as humanitarian aid for Gaza.

Johnson has recently indicated that he would support sending more money to Kiev, if it were a loan rather than a grant. This week additional pressure was put on him, after an Iranian retaliatory attack on Israel, which the Jewish state stopped with help from the US.

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According to AP’s report, the speaker is considering a complicated approach, which would break the Senate bill down into separate votes. The Senate would then have to vote on whatever legislative product comes from the House.

The Republican party wants the security of the US southern border to be tied to the spending proposal. Johnson may also push for confiscation of Russian assets in US jurisdictions and for sanctions against Iran, AP added.

During the Republican meeting, the speaker reportedly warned hardcore opponents of Ukraine aid, that an alternative to his plan would be for Democrats to force a vote on the Senate bill through procedural maneuvers. Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky reportedly urged Johnson to resign. The previous House speaker, California’s Kevin McCarthy, was ousted from the position by his own party for alleged backroom dealing with Democrats on Ukraine.

READ MORE: US House speaker to put Ukraine aid bill to a vote – media

Proponents of funnelling more money into Kiev have been touting it to increasingly skeptical American voters, stating that most of the funds would be spent at home to bolster defense manufacturing.

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The continent needs an expansion of modern medical infrastructure in the face of potential disease outbreaks, the president has said

Russia stands committed to an active partnership in healthcare with African nations, which are particularly vulnerable to the risk of new deadly disease outbreaks, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.

Putin made the pledge in a welcome message to participants at the first Russian-African International Conference on Combating Infectious Diseases, which is taking place in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, from April 17 to 19.

“Our program of assistance to African countries in sanitary and epidemiological well-being launched in 2023 provides for the delivery of ten mobile high-containment biological laboratories, training of over 350 African specialists, and conducting a series of joint scientific research,” the Russian leader said.

Burundi launched a specialist infectious disease research laboratory in March, fully equipped by Russia. According to Valery Mikhailov, Moscow’s ambassador to the East African country, the supplies, which include laboratory reagents, are intended to treat various forms of hemorrhagic fever, leptospirosis, and other dangerous infectious diseases. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report released in August, Burundi has a high burden of communicable and noncommunicable diseases, with the latter accounting for 37% of all deaths in 2019.

Previously, a team of virologists and military personnel from Russia’s Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Protection Troops deployed a mobile laboratory in Burkina Faso to assist the West African country with dengue fever screening. The move last November was in response to a mosquito-borne epidemic that authorities said had killed more than 200 people in the former French colony in 2023.

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On Wednesday, Putin said the continent needs “accelerated build-up of medical, scientific, and technological capabilities to protect the population against various infections,” adding that Russia is willing to collaborate in “this crucial healthcare area.”

The event in Kampala, one of several initiatives proposed at the second Russia-Africa Summit last summer, will bring together medical professionals, epidemiologists, and microbiologists from 20 countries. The African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO regional office for African countries will join the specialists to discuss the most recent advances in the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases, as well as modern threats to biological safety.

“I believe that this joint work will yield tangible results and serve to protect the health of Africa’s population,” Putin stated.

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The country’s gross domestic product is projected to grow 3.2% this year

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has significantly increased its growth forecast for the Russian economy in 2024, in its latest World Economic Outlook published on Tuesday.

The Washington-based institution has once again upgraded its estimate, and now expects Russia’s GDP to grow 3.2% this year, a sharp increase from its January projection of 2.6% and more so from its October prediction of 1.1% growth. The forecast for 2025 has also been increased to 1.8% from the January estimate of 1.1%.

Oil export volumes have “held steady” and government spending has “remained high”, contributing to the uptick, the IMF said. The current revision also reflects strong corporate investment, including by state-owned enterprises, according to the report.

“We have also seen a lot of robustness in private consumption that has underpinned growth,” the IMF added.

Russian economic growth continues, and according to the IMF report, is expected to outpace that of a number of major Western economies this year, including the US (2.7%), UK (0.5%), France (0.7%) and Germany (0.2%).

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The IMF’s projection for 2024 is higher than the Russian Economy Ministry’s preliminary reading, which forecast earlier in April that the country’s GDP will expand 2.3% this year, following 3.5% growth in 2023.

Last week, President Vladimir Putin said that the Russian economy had expanded 3.6% last year, more than previously estimated. Earlier, he described the country’s economic performance as an “amazing” success, given that Russia has had to operate under unprecedented Western sanctions.

The IMF left unchanged its projection for China’s 2024 growth to fall to 4.6% from 5.2% in 2023, with a further decline to 4.1% projected for 2025.

Meanwhile the organization increased India’s GDP growth forecast for this year by 0.3 percentage points to 6.8%, maintaining its 2025 estimate at 6.5%.

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The US must defend Ukraine like it did Israel last weekend, a spokesman for President Vladimir Zelensky has said

Kiev wants security guarantees from its Western backers similar to the level of protection that the US provides Israel, President Vladimir Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, said on Wednesday.

The Ukrainian government is negotiating a series of treaties intended to seal the country’s pro-Western alignment until it is granted full NATO membership. Officials in Kiev say the deals will secure long-term military assistance from the US and its allies, regardless of political changes that might otherwise prompt donors to cut the aid.

“An agreement between the US and Ukraine must work no worse than the American memorandum with Israel, the effectiveness of which was confirmed by joint actions of the allies during the deflection of the mass attack on Israel by Iran,” Yermak wrote on social media.

Tehran launched a barrage of drones and missiles at Israel last weekend in retaliation for the April 1 airstrike on its consulate in Damascus, which it blamed on the Jewish state.

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The long-anticipated move resulted in only “minor damage,” according to Israel, as the US, UK and France used their military assets to help stop most of the Iranian projectiles

The interceptions cost Israel $550 million, according to local defense experts.

Western officials have made it clear that Kiev should not expect the kind of intervention that Israel enjoyed last week.

“Putting NATO forces directly in conflict with Russian forces – I think that would be a dangerous escalation,” British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said on Monday. Instead of “Western planes over [its] skies trying to shoot things down,” Ukraine requires air defense systems, he explained.

Kiev has been urging the US for months to move forward with the appropriation of over $60 billion in aid, which is being blocked by House Speaker Mike Johnson. The discussions that Yermak participated in covered “the action plan right after the US Congress takes a decision on military aid for Ukraine,” he said.

READ MORE: US won’t fight for Ukraine – White House

Some US media have speculated that Johnson may yield to pro-Kiev pressure and submit the Senate-approved bill to a vote following the Iranian attack. The bill includes funds for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

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The country hasn’t seen such levels in 75 years, the government has said

Dubai, a world-renowned megalopolis in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was brought to a standstill by a powerful downpour that hit the typically arid region on Monday and Tuesday. Other parts of the country have also been battered and at least one death has been reported.

The UAE government has reported that the country has faced the largest amount of rainfall since local meteorologists began keeping records 75 years ago.

Dubai received more than 142mm, over 5.5 inches, of precipitation – or 18 months worth according to statistical averages, in just 12 hours.

?BREAKING: DUBAI, exceptional weather with a storm dropping more rain than it receives in a whole year. Hundreds of buildings and thousands of cars are underwater, flooding streets and airport. #Dubai #Storm #DubaiFlooding #Rain #ExceptionalWeather pic.twitter.com/FLCsSNJbF7

— Ivano Panetti (@ivanopanetti) April 17, 2024

The situation was compounded by the fact that many roads in Dubai lack proper drainage due to the area’s extremely dry climate. Large lakes swelled up on major highways, trapping drivers in their cars and forcing many to abandon their vehicles altogether.

According to local police, a 70-year-old man lost his life when his car was swept away by torrents of water in the country’s northern Ras Al-Khaimah emirate.

The popular shopping centers Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates have also been flooded, as has at least one underground station.

Multiple flights at Dubai International Airport – a major international transport hub – were delayed or diverted after a huge section of canopy and runway was entirely covered by water.

Dubai Airport right now
pic.twitter.com/FX992PQvAU

— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) April 16, 2024

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, the airport operator advised travelers “NOT to come to the airport, unless absolutely necessary.”

Scenes of current Dubai weather
pic.twitter.com/z7rGzUtlIB

— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) April 16, 2024

The UAE’s National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority urged citizens not to leave their homes and to park their vehicles in “elevated locations away from areas prone to flooding.”

Schools have switched to remote mode and government employees have also been told to work from home.

READ MORE: Locals told to flee after major flood warning (VIDEOS)

Authorities issued similar advisories back in March over extreme weather conditions.

The torrential rain currently hitting the region has also affected neighboring Bahrain and Oman, leading to multiple deaths there.

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The world’s most populous country is looking to develop its own high-speed trains to reduce reliance on foreign technology

India is building its first bullet trains capable of exceeding speeds of 250 kilometers per hour (kmph), The Economic Times reported on Wednesday, citing a government official.

The new trains will be built on the same platform as India’s domestically designed ‘Vande Bharat’ semi-high-speed trains, which can reach 180 kmph. The design for the bullet train project is being prepared at Indian Railways’ Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, ET’s source informed.

The development comes amid New Delhi’s increased impetus to introduce high-speed trains. Railways are a major mode of transportation in India; the country operates over 12,000 trains on an average day, transporting approximately 24 million passengers.

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Last month, the Times of India reported that India is on the cusp of sealing a deal with Japan for 24 E5 series Shinkansen high-speed trains, built by Hitachi Rail and Kawasaki Heavy Industries. These trains are likely to be running on India’s first high-speed rail line; the 508km route connects Ahmedabad in the state of Gujarat with the nation’s financial hub Mumbai, in Maharashtra. The bullet train will reduce travel time between the two important economic hubs to just two hours; the journey currently takes over eight hours.

The project is scheduled to be completed within the next two years, and a large chunk of it has been already completed, according to Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in its manifesto for the upcoming general elections, has promised more bullet train corridors if it wins a third term. Using experience gained from constructing the first corridor, the party says it will conduct “feasibility studies” for more such corridors in North, South, and East India.

READ MORE: India-Russia train deal back on track after dispute resolution

The introduction of the Vande Bharat Express in 2019 has been touted as the next major leap for Indian Railways in terms of speed. Around 100 of these trains are already running. Modi’s government intends to introduce at least 400 new Vande Bharat trains within the next few years.

India has been cooperating with Russia on its Vande Bharat program. Last year, the Indian government-owned, publicly traded Indian company Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) and Metrowagonmash - part of Transmashholding, Russia’s largest rail manufacturer - entered into a deal worth $6 billion to build and maintain 120 Vande Bharat trains.

Where India Meets Russia – We are now on WhatsApp! ‎Follow and share RT India in English and in Hindi

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The man allegedly delivered the components for the explosive device used in the botched hit, Russia’s Federal Security Service has said

A second suspect has been detained in connection with an attempt to assassinate a former Ukrainian secret police agent in Moscow last week, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has announced.

The man allegedly delivered the components for the bomb that was used to blow up the car of Vasily Prozorov, who had previously served in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Kiev’s successor to the Soviet KGB. Prozorov’s driver, who was inside the SUV at the time of the explosion, survived.

The components of the explosive device were hidden by SBU officers inside a box containing manicure tools and hair care products, the agency said. A woman residing in Warsaw, Poland received the parcel with the hidden parts and passed it along to a private transport company for delivery to Moscow, it added.
According to the agency, the arrested “courier” received the parcel in Lithuania and delivered it to the Russian capital by car.

As instructed by the sender, the suspect handed the box over to a Russian citizen in his early 40s, who had been working for the SBU and carried out the attack, the FSB alleges.

READ MORE: Suspect arrested following bomb hit on Ukrainian defector – FSB

The agency announced that the suspect had been remanded into custody on Tuesday. He is believed to have assembled the bomb under the guidance of a Ukrainian curator and planted it on Prozorov’s car, according to the agency.

“Measures to identify all organizers and accomplices of the crime, including foreign citizens, and bring them to criminal liability in accordance with Russian law are ongoing,” it added.

Prozorov worked for the SBU from 1999 to 2018. He made headlines in 2019 when he called a press conference in Moscow and confessed that he had been providing intelligence to Russia about his country’s security services during the fighting between Ukraine and Donbass separatists, which commenced in 2014 when a Western-backed coup took place in Kiev.

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He said that he began working with the Russians due to “ideological motives,” describing the current Ukrainian authorities as a “bunch of scoundrels.”

The SBU responded by branding the former officer a “traitor,” and warned that it was “only a matter of time” before he ended up “just like Judas.”

SBU head Vasily Malyuk previously acknowledged to the media that his agency was believed to be masterminding the assassinations of supposed “enemies of Ukraine” inside Russia. He stopped short of claiming responsibility, but shared details about several such incidents.

There have been a number of killings of high-profile public figures in Russia since February 2022, when the armed conflict between Moscow and Kiev started. The victims include journalist and activist Darya Dugina, the daughter of Russian philosopher Aleksandr Dugin; popular military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky and Ukrainian opposition MP Ilya Kiva.

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The withdrawal of troops from Karabakh region had earlier been reported by Azerbaijani media

Russia is withdrawing its peacekeepers from Karabakh, a region previously outside Baku's control, the Kremlin confirmed on Wednesday.

Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said reports of the move that had appeared in Azerbaijani media were correct.

What was formerly the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh defied Baku’s authority amid the collapse of the USSR, when its predominantly ethnic Armenian population sought independence. The region remained a constant source of conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which tacitly supported the ambitions of its de facto government.

There was a series of bloody armed conflicts over Nagorno-Karabakh in the following decade. The last of these occurred last year and resulted in Baku reasserting its sovereignty over the area. A mass exodus of people followed what Azerbaijan described as a counter-terrorism operation.

READ MORE: NATO won’t bring stability to Caucasus – Kremlin

Russian peacekeepers have been stationed in the region since the previous major clash, which happened in late 2020. They had a mandate to monitor the situation and report violations of the ceasefire. Several Russian troops were killed in 2023, when the mission was working to protect civilians amid renewed hostilities.

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Ukrainians are choosing “suspended critical thinking” over the dire reality, the outlet has warned

Ukraine is facing a collapse on the frontline this summer because soldiers’ morale is being ground down by the fighting and shortage of supplies, senior officers have told Politico on condition of anonymity.

On Wednesday the news outlet’s opinion editor Jamie Dettmer shared his grim view of Ukraine’s future after a month-long trip to the country, which involved interviewing political leaders, military officers and ordinary citizens. The officers agreed to talk “only on the understanding they would not be named,” he said.

The country is “slipping towards disaster.” A lack of Western arms has put troops on the backfoot and tens of thousands of civilians are dodging the draft. Dettmer said that roughly a third of the passengers on a train he took to return to Europe were fighting-age men, who somehow managed to obtain waiver papers. Getting smuggled across the border is the primary way for Ukrainians to avoid conscription, the report said.

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The climate in the country has changed drastically from the initial nationalist fervor, when thousands of volunteers were eager to fight Russia. Now “eligible young recruits find other things to do with their time, packing into hipster bars and techno clubs in the late afternoons.”

“As Ukraine’s ousted chief commander [Valery] Zaluzhny found to his cost, rational warnings that things may not turn out well can get commentators and analysts in trouble,” Dettmer wrote. “But suspending critical thinking won’t win this war either.”

He blamed the West for failing to support Ukraine for “as long as it takes” as promised. The shortage of arms means Ukrainians are no longer willing to “do what it takes,” leading to Western aid dwindling further, he explained.

The US and its allies have “placed too much faith in sanctions” that have failed to cripple Russia’s economy, and engaged in “wishful thinking” about President Vladimir Putin being ousted in a public uprising or a Kremlin coup. The Russian leader “has arguably never been closer to his goal,” Dettmer lamented, and “the nation of Ukraine as it currently exists [may soon be] consigned to the past.”

READ MORE: Ukraine’s top brass believe Western F-16s no longer relevant – Politico

Moscow’s stated goals in the conflict are to ensure Ukraine’s neutral status as opposed to it joining NATO, to eradicate the influence of radical nationalists, and to protect ethnic Russians from discriminatory policies, which the Ukrainian government has been adopting since the 2014 coup in Kiev.

Putin has stressed on many occasions that he considers Ukraine a brotherly nation, which fell victim to Western schemes.

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The multinational must prioritize human lives over business in Nigeria, where oil spills have caused untold damage, Isa Sanusi has told RT

British energy giant Shell should not be allowed to sell its onshore assets in Nigeria until it properly addresses the environmental damages its decades of oil spills have caused in the Niger Delta region, human rights advocate Isa Sanusi told RT in an interview on Tuesday.

Sanusi, the director of Amnesty International in the West African country, accused the Nigerian government of standing by and doing nothing while Shell destroyed thousands of livelihoods through oil pollution, a problem which has persisted for over half a century.

“What we’re talking about is the legacy of decades as far back as the 1960s and up to now, a legacy of devastation, destruction of livelihood, spills after spills of oil in... the ocean, and many other damages that have actually affected the entire life cycle of those people,” he told RT.

The European multinational has been operating in what is today Africa’s largest economy for over 80 years, weathering multiple controversies and environmental disasters, having pioneered the country’s oil and gas industry in 1937.

In January, the firm, which has been embroiled in long-running legal battles over environmental pollution, announced it had reached an agreement with Renaissance Group, a consortium of five companies, to sell its assets in Nigeria in a deal worth $2.4 billion.

READ MORE: Oil giant quits onshore sector in Africa’s largest economy

Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, are demanding that the Nigerian government, which is required to approve the sale, ensure that Shell makes a clear commitment to addressing “environmental injustice.”

“The government has not done the right thing over the years, and that is why we are afraid that this transaction can go through unless we talk more and draw attention from the international community and everyone to know that there is a liability,” Sanusi said.

“There shouldn’t be a prioritization of business over the lives of human beings,” he added.

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Japanese companies hold minority stakes in Russian fuel projects in the Far East

Japanese companies will continue to participate in Russian energy projects on Sakhalin Island due to their importance for Tokyo’s energy security, the country’s foreign ministry announced on Tuesday.

Tokyo will continue its “close cooperation” with the Group of Seven industrialized nations (G7) to pursue a “policy of tough sanctions” on Russia, the ministry said in its annual Diplomatic Bluebook, which reviews Japan’s foreign affairs activities.

Japan is also set to further cut reliance on Moscow’s energy resources by phasing out oil and coal imports.

However, Tokyo will retain its interests in the Sakhalin-2 liquefied natural gas (LNG) project and the Sakhalin-1 offshore oil and gas venture in Russia’s Far East, according to the foreign ministry.

“In light of ensuring stable supplies in the medium and long term, Japan continues to view these projects as important in the field of energy security and intends to maintain its share,” it stated.

Sakhalin-1 is a consortium for offshore oil and gas production. Its sister project, Sakhalin-2, is one of the world’s largest LNG ventures, supplying around 4% of the global market.

Both projects faced disruptions in 2022 after Western energy majors including US ExxonMobil and Britain’s Shell opted to leave Russia after the West sanctioned the country over its military operation in Ukraine.

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Japan’s Sakhalin Oil and Gas Development Co (SODECO) owns a 30% stake in Sakhalin-1. In 2022, the Russian government allowed SODECO to keep its stake under the new domestic operator of Sakhalin-1 following the exit of ExxonMobil, the previous operator and former owner of a 30% stake.

Exxon Neftegaz was disbanded as the operator of the project and all its assets and equipment were transferred to a new company managed by Rosneft subsidiary Sakhalinmorneftegaz-Shelf.

Mitsui, along with Mitsubishi, have also retained their 22.5% combined stake in the Sakhalin-2 LNG project.

Mitsubishi CEO Katsuya Nakanishi said in February that Russia’s LNG project remained “extremely important” for ensuring that Japan maintains a stable supply of energy.

In the summer of 2022, Russia transferred the project from its Bermuda-based operator, Sakhalin Energy, to a domestic company, Sakhalin Energy LLC, and allowed foreign shareholders to retain their stakes in the new operator proportionate to their old stakes. Last year, the Japanese government estimated that demand for LNG would continue to grow.

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National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has described the punitive measures as a response to Tehran’s bombardment of Israel

The US government is working on a new batch of sanctions on Iran in response to Tehran’s aerial attack on Israel over the weekend, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has revealed. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has called on allies to impose punitive measures on the Islamic Republic.

According to Israel, Iran launched several hundred missiles and kamikaze drones late on Saturday. The Israeli military claims to have intercepted most of them. Iran, however, insists that it managed to strike several military installations.

Tehran has described the aerial bombardment as retaliation for an Israeli airstrike that destroyed Iran’s consulate in Damascus on April 1, killing seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officers, including two generals.

In a statement on Tuesday, Sullivan said President Joe Biden has been cooperating with US lawmakers and foreign allies to devise a “comprehensive response” to Tehran’s actions.

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“In the coming days, the United States will impose new sanctions targeting Iran, including its missile and drone program as well as new sanctions against entities supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran’s Defense Ministry,” the official announced. The national security advisor added that Washington expects its partners to follow suit.

According to Sullivan, the new measures are meant to “contain and degrade Iran’s military capacity and effectiveness and confront the full range of its problematic behaviors.”

Speaking at a press conference during the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings in Washington DC on the same day, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also confirmed that the Biden administration was likely to “take additional sanctions action against Iran in the coming days.”

She added that despite the US sanctions already in place, “Iran is continuing to export some oil,” and that “there may be more that we could do” in that respect.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), also on Tuesday, Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote that he had sent letters to 32 nations and had spoken to “dozens of foreign ministers and leading figures around the world, calling for sanctions to be imposed on the Iranian missile project and that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps be declared a terrorist organization.”

Tehran has been subjected to a wide range of international sanctions for decades over its missile and nuclear enrichment programs, with the West suspecting Iran of secretly attempting to develop its own nuclear weapons – a claim Tehran has denied.

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Even if Moscow’s money is seized, Ukraine will not be given all of it at once, a US official has told Reuters

No option has been taken off the table as the G7 countries continue to discuss the possibility of using frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine, Reuters has reported, citing a senior US Treasury official.

Washington and its allies have blocked some $300 billion of Russian central bank assets due to sanctions adopted in response to the launch of Moscow’s military operation against Kiev in February 2022. Around $200 billion of that money is held in the EU. The US has been insisting for months that international law allows for the confiscation of the funds, but Germany and France have expressed concerns that such a move could set a dangerous precedent.

The fate of the frozen Russian assets will be discussed during the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting set to kick off in Capri, Italy on Wednesday, an unnamed Treasury official told the agency on Tuesday.

Western nations will be looking into all available ways of using the money to assist Kiev, the source said, while declining to specify which option was the most likely.

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However, the official clarified that even if the US and its allies eventually decide to seize the Russian funds altogether, Ukraine would not have the capacity to absorb the full amount at once.

The official also warned that no major breakthrough should be expected this week, as the final decision on the issue is to be made by the leaders of the G7 countries.

Other informed sources have told Reuters that one of “the most promising proposals” under consideration was for the US and its allies to seize the interest due on the frozen Russian assets for use as collateral for loans or bonds issued to help Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Finance Minister Sergey Marchenko told Reuters that he is going to meet with his German counterpart Christian Lindner and other G7 officials this week to talk about the Russian assets. Unity is required within the G7 on whatever approach the group chooses, he stressed.

READ MORE: US floats softer alternative to confiscating Moscow’s reserves – FT

Moscow has repeatedly said that the seizure of its funds would amount to theft and would further undermine global trust in the Western financial system. Russia also warned that if necessary, it might respond in kind to such a move by the US and its allies.

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The UN’s atomic watchdog has dismissed claims by Israel that Tehran is weeks away from acquiring a nuclear capability

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has no evidence that Iran has an active nuclear weapons program, Director General Rafael Grossi has told journalists. The senior official was commenting on remarks by Israel’s UN envoy, Gilad Erdan, who claimed on Sunday that Tehran could obtain a nuclear weapon within weeks.

Grossi said he is not responsible for statements by IAEA member states, but that the agency itself considers the Israeli claim to be unsubstantiated.

“As far as the agency who is inspecting there is concerned, we don’t have any information or indication that there is a nuclear weapon program in Iran,” he told reporters on Tuesday, after briefing members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) in New York.

“The fact that there is an accumulation of uranium enriched at very, very high levels does not automatically mean that you have a nuclear weapon,” Grossi added. He was referring to previous discoveries by IAEA inspectors of traces of highly-enriched uranium in Iran.

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Last Sunday, Israeli ambassador Erdan lashed out at Tehran at a UNSC session dedicated to discussing Iran’s drone and missile assault on Israel. Tehran launched the barrage at the weekend in retaliation for an attack on its consulate in Syria on April 1, which it blamed on Israel.

Erdan branded Israel’s regional rival “a terror state responsible for global destruction,” and asked the international security body to consider what would have happened if Iran “could have launched a nuclear bomb” when it attacked his country.

“Iran’s breakout time to produce an arsenal of nuclear weapons is now weeks, mere weeks,” he declared. “The IAEA inspectors have been kept in the dark. Iran is on the verge of becoming a nuclear power. It should terrify every member of this council.”

READ MORE: No Russian heavy weapons at Zaporozhye plant – IAEA boss

Tehran has for decades denied claims that it is seeking a nuclear capability. During the presidency of Barack Obama, the US and other world powers signed a deal with Iran under which it was offered sanctions relief and business opportunities in exchange for accepting restrictions on its nuclear industry. Israel was vocally opposed to the 2015 agreement, known as the JCPOA, and lobbied the administration of Donald Trump, which ultimately withdrew US participation, effectively killing the deal.

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Over a dozen young people from the country have died in America since the start of the year

The deaths of Indian students in the US, a popular destination for studies abroad, is a “big concern” for New Delhi, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said following a spate of such incidents.

According to Times of India, 11 of the country’s citizens have reportedly died under mysterious circumstances within one month in the US. Some reports put the figure at 14.

The diplomat noted that the cases do not appear to be interlinked. “Wherever anything unfortunate has happened to the students, it is of great tragedy for the family, and a big concern for us”, he said. “But our embassy or consulate has looked at every case and they’re unconnected.”

The Indian embassy and consulates have been asked to warn students about potentially dangerous areas of US cities, the minister said, adding that student welfare is “very important,” with over one million Indian citizens currently studying overseas.

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Last week, the spokesperson for India’s External Affairs Ministry noted that the causes of the deaths were multiple, and investigations in at least two recent cases were underway. He noted that “community issues” have also been the cause in several cases, without elaborating. According to New Delhi, while some cases are suspected to be murders, others are presumed to be suicides.

Earlier this month, Mohammed Abdul Arfath, 25, a student of Cleveland State University in Ohio, was found dead days after going missing. Unknown callers who demanded ransom money from his father in Telangana, India, claimed he had been abducted by a ‘drug gang.’ Uma Satya Sai Gadde, another Indian student, was found dead in the same US state a few days earlier.

READ MORE: Indian student violently attacked in ‘US murder capital’ (VIDEO)

In the most shocking of these incidents, Indian MBA graduate Vivek Saini was killed in Lithonia, Georgia by a homeless drug addict who bludgeoned him with a hammer nearly 50 times. Footage of the murder, captured by CCTV cameras, later surfaced online.

The Global Hindu Heritage Foundation (GHHF) has started a petition seeking an independent investigation by the FBI into the deaths, and listed 12 Indian students who had died in the US.

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Pavel Durov has slammed the tech giants for their attempts to curtail freedom of speech

Apple and Google “could, basically, censor whatever you can read, access on your smartphone,” Pavel Durov, the co-founder of the popular messaging app Telegram has told Tucker Carlson in an interview; he lamented that the pressure coming from the tech giants is stronger than that exerted by governments.

The entrepreneur has also said he received warnings from both the Democratic and Republican parties after the January 2021 riots in the US Capitol.

The rare discussion took place at the Russian-born IT entrepreneur’s office in Dubai, and was released on Wednesday. Carlson asked Durov to give an example of a request to build backdoors into Telegram that crossed into censorship, and could be considered spying, or violating people’s privacy. The messaging app claims to have over 900 million active users.

“There was a funny story related to your home country,” the tech entrepreneur replied. “After the events of January 6, we received a letter from, I believe, a congressman from the Democratic side, and they requested that we share all the data that we have in relation to what they called ‘that uprising.”

On January 6, 2021, a mob loyal to then-US President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol and forced lawmakers into hiding in an attempt to prevent Congress from formalizing Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election.

Durov said his team checked the letter and it “seemed very serious,” essentially saying: “if you fail to comply with this request, you will be in violation with the US Constitution.”

“Two weeks after that letter, we got another letter, a new letter, from the Republican side of the Congress, and there we read that, if we give out any data [to the Democrats], it would be in violation of the US Constitution.

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So we got two letters that said: whatever we do, we would be violating the US Constitution.”

However, the most pressure on Telegram, according to Durov, comes from tech giants Apple and Google, Durov stressed.

“I would say that the largest pressure is not coming from governments. It is coming from Apple and Google. When it comes to the freedom of speech, those two platforms could, basically, censor whatever you can read, access on your smartphone,” he said. “They make very clear that if we fail to comply with their guidelines, as they call it, Telegram could be removed from the [app] stores.”

Durov dismissed any suggestion of links between Telegram and the Russian government, suggesting that competitors could be stirring up such rumours to discredit the company.

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Russian-born IT entrepreneur Pavel Durov says he was “pressured” by the FBI during his stays in America

The US government wanted a so-called 'backdoor' in to Telegram in order to potentially spy on its users, the social media platform’s founder Pavel Durov has said in an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson.

The attention from the FBI was one of the reasons Durov dropped the idea of setting up the company in San Francisco, he said.

Born in St. Petersburg, Durov first founded VK, Russia’s answer to Facebook, together with his mathematician brother Nikolay. The brothers later developed the Telegram messaging service and social media platform, which describes itself as one of the safest and best-protected communication tools available.

Durov sold his stake in VK and left Russia in 2014 due to disagreements with the government. He lived in several countries while looking for the best place to run Telegram from, and ultimately settled in Dubai.

In an interview released on Wednesday, Durov said he visited the US several times and even met with former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. He was under the watchful eye of the FBI, which made his stays in America uneasy, he said.

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“We got too much attention from the FBI, the security agencies, wherever we came,” Durov told Carlson, describing the experience as “alarming.”

According to Durov, one of his top employees once told him that he had been approached by the US government. “There was a secret attempt to hire my engineer behind my back by cybersecurity officers,” the businessman said.

“They were trying to persuade him to use certain open-source tools that he would then integrate into Telegram’s code that, in my understanding, would serve as backdoors,” Durov said, adding that he believes the employee’s account. “There is no reason for my engineer to make up (such) stories.”

Durov went on to say that he also had “personally experienced similar pressure” in America, where law enforcement officials approached him on multiple occasions.

Whenever I would go to the US, I would have two FBI agents greeting me at the airport, asking questions. One time, I was having breakfast at 9 am and the FBI showed up at the house that I was renting.

“My understanding is that they wanted to establish a relationship to control Telegram better. I understand that they were doing their job. [But] for us, running a privacy-focused social media platform, that probably wasn’t the best environment to be in,” Durov explained.

The tech entrepreneur acknowledged that Telegram has been used by protest organizers in many countries around the world. He stressed, however, that he wants the platform to remain politically neutral.

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Kiev’s accession would risk a global war, Slovakia’s prime minister has warned

The risks of a global war will only increase if Ukraine becomes part of NATO, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico warned on Tuesday, promising that his country will block Kiev’s attempt to join.

Accepting new countries into the US-led military bloc requires unanimous consent from all of its 32 current members. If Ukraine is invited, Slovakia’s parliament will not ratify the accession treaty, Fico insisted.

“Slovakia needs a neutral Ukraine. Our interests will be threatened if it becomes a NATO member state because that is the basis of a large world conflict,” the prime minister explained, as quoted by the Noviny.sk news website.

Fico stressed that he will not bow to any outside pressure. “Our partners abroad have been taught that whatever they ask and request from Slovakia, they will automatically get it. But we are a sovereign and self-confident country,” he stated.

Slovakia, together with neighboring Hungary, has warned that the EU should not be dragged into the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and has insisted on a diplomatic resolution. After becoming prime minister in October 2023, Fico reversed the previous government’s decision to send weapons to Kiev. He also fiercely opposes sending NATO troops to Ukraine.

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Ukraine formally applied to join NATO in September 2022. Although US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated this month that Ukraine “will become a member of NATO” sometime in the future, the bloc has so far refused to commit to a specific timetable or provide a clear pathway for Kiev’s accession. US President Joe Biden and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg have ruled out Ukrainian membership until the fighting with Russia ends.

Moscow has repeatedly stressed that it views NATO’s continuing eastward expansion as a national security threat. Russia cited the bloc’s military cooperation with Ukraine as one of the root causes of the current conflict and described Kiev’s potential accession as a “red line.”

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The deputy governor of a Polish province got into a flame war with critics

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has dismissed the deputy governor of Lower Silesia, Jacek Protasiewicz, after a series of bizarre social media posts which included “homophobic” insults.

Once a member of Tusk’s party, but expelled in 2015, Protasiewicz tweeted a photo of his old political comrades and said he knew “many cool stories, important and certainly interesting for this country,” which he originally intended to share after his retirement “but maybe I’ll tell them sooner.”

Tusk fired Protasiewicz on Monday, at the request of the provincial governor. He remains a member of a political group allied with the Polish People’s Party (PSL), a junior partner in Tusk’s coalition government that took power last December.

Ahead of the mayoral run-off vote in the provincial capital, Wroclaw, Protasiewicz got into a flame war on X (formerly Twitter), calling one critic a “lousy bum” and another a “stinking coward,” according to local media. The following day, he began posting about what appeared to be a romantic relationship with Daria Brzezicka, a party activist who is 30 years his junior.

When Brzezicka called out a journalist for making insinuations about her, Protasiewicz called him “ordinary, average, crap” and suggested the reporter had a small penis. He called another X user who criticized Brzezicka an “imperceptible speck of dust,” while suggesting a third critic was just typing “stupid things” because he was a jealous loser.

Protasiewicz went on to claim that “big and red lips” and a “delicate mouth” were responsible for activist Oskar Szafarowicz’s career in the formerly ruling PiS party. Szafarowicz has since said he would sue the deputy governor for “vulgar, primitive, homophobic” remarks.

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After the PSL “firmly distanced” itself from the politician’s “inappropriate” comments, Protasiewicz further insisted that he could publish whatever he wants on his private X account.

The provincial governor’s office felt compelled to tweet that Protasiewicz’s posts were “his private opinions and in no way express the position of the governor.”

When asked if this involved any dirt, he replied, “no dirt, just the truth” and implied he had written notes to back it up.

Protasiewicz was a member of the Polish parliament from 2001-2004 and again from 2015-2023, and served three terms as a member of the European parliament between 2004 and 2014.

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CSG has seen its profits surge after refurbishing old tanks to sell off to Ukraine

The owner and chairman of defense manufacturer, Czechoslovak Group (CSG), Michal Strnad, has become a billionaire, thanks to profits he has been reaping from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Bloomberg reported on Monday.

The arms maker has seen revenues surge amid the conflict, with profits growing almost twofold in 2022 to around $1 billion and nearly doubling again last year, reaching $1.9 billion. One of the conglomerate’s divisions, Excalibur Army, has greatly contributed to the profits, manufacturing munitions as well as building new and refurbishing old Soviet-made weaponry.

Amid the conflict, the company has supplied some 100 refurbished T-72 main battle tanks to Kiev. CSG’s production of ammunition grew more than tenfold since the escalation in early 2022 of long-simmering hostilities between Moscow and Kiev, with its workforce nearly tripling to 10,000 across manufacturing sites in eight countries, Bloomberg noted.

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The arms maker is looking forward to benefiting from the Russia-Ukraine conflict for years to come and appears to be very open about that. The highest demand observed since the end of the Cold War for weapons in Europe is here to stay, Strnad believes.

“Even if the war were to end tomorrow, it would take years to replenish the empty stocks, not to mention the push to boost defense spending and ramp up production,” Strnad said, as quoted by Bloomberg. “I am confident there will be strong demand for a long time to come.”

The company was originally founded by Strnad’s father, Jaroslav, in 1995, who originally sought to procure decommissioned military hardware from members of the defunct Warsaw Pact – the newly-admitted NATO states – to scrap them and sell for profit. The true profit, however, turned out to be in dealing in arms as they were, with the company promptly discovering high demand for spares as well as for refurbished items of Soviet-era military hardware.

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Authorities said the event attended by Viktor Orban and Nigel Farage presented a “possibility of disorder”

Belgian police barricaded the entrance to a conference of national conservatives in the capital of the EU for several hours, in what participants denounced as censorship and political repression.

The event, dubbed NatCon, drew populists from both Europe and the US to Claridge, a venue in central Brussels. As Brexit architect Nigel Farage spoke on Tuesday, police blocked the entrance and prevented keynote speaker Eric Zemmour – a former French presidential candidate – from entering.

“I knew I wouldn’t be welcome back in Brussels,” Farage, a former MEP, joked on stage, calling the attempt to cancel the event “simply monstrous.”

“In the past, Belgium welcomed Victor Hugo in exile. From now on, this country lives between a caliphate and a dictatorship,” Zemmour said on X (formerly Twitter).

Two other venues had previously backed out on hosting NatCon, under pressure from the socialist and liberal mayors of Brussels and nearby Etterbeek, according to Politico EU. The mayor of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Emir Kir, told the outlet by email he would “immediately” ban the event when informed it was being held in his jurisdiction.

A Politico reporter on the scene said the police invoked the “possibility of public disorder” to attempt to shut down the conference, arguing that they couldn’t guarantee security in case of a counter-protest.

English translation of the Brussels mayor’s order deploying police and banning entrance to the NatCon conference here — pic.twitter.com/4gdHvtWoPI

— Paul Coleman (@Paul_B_Coleman) April 16, 2024

“The conference is extremely peaceful. There is absolutely no public disturbance. Guests, including esteemed scholars and elected leaders, are enjoying hearing civilized discussion,” the NatCon organizers tweeted in response.

The standoff continued for most of the day. In a “compromise” the Claridge owner reached with Kir, the police allowed the event to continue but blocked new arrivals from entering the venue – including Zemmour and French MEP Patricia Chagnon.

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“The last time they wanted to silence me with the police was when the Communists set them on me in ‘88. We didn’t give up then and we will not give up this time either!” said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is scheduled to speak on Wednesday.

Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy and leader of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Party, denounced the police blockade as “hateful oppression of freedom of expression taking place in Brussels.”

“If only the globalists in Brussels put as much energy into securing our borders as they did in trying to gag conservatives, maybe our continent would be in a healthier state,” said former UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who managed to speak at the event.

Belgian PM Alexander De Croo also chimed in, calling the police action “unacceptable.”

“Municipal autonomy is a cornerstone of our democracy but can never overrule the Belgian constitution guaranteeing the freedom of speech and peaceful assembly since 1830. Banning political meetings is unconstitutional. Full stop,” he said.

Today, we overcame attempts by Brussels authorities to silence us and had a wonderful Day One of NatCon Brussels 2. See you again tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/NO9I3CbnUl

— National Conservatism (@NatConTalk) April 16, 2024

NatCon’s principal organizer is the Edmund Burke Foundation, run by Israeli-American philosopher Yoram Hazony. The event comes ahead of the European Parliament elections in June, with polls showing rising support for “nationalist” parties over the establishment EPP and Socialist-Democrat blocs.

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The Biden administration’s fiscal policy is a cause for concern, according to a report

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised concerns about overspending by the US government, warning it has been reigniting inflation risks and undermining financial stability around the world.

The US federal budget deficit jumped from $1.4 trillion in fiscal 2022 to $1.7 trillion last year, according to the latest World Economic Outlook, issued by the IMF on Tuesday.

“The exceptional recent performance of the United States is certainly impressive and a major driver of global growth,” the IMF said. However, the report explained that this “reflects strong demand factors as well, including a fiscal stance that is out of line with long-term fiscal sustainability.”

The ballooning US national debt, which exceeded $34 trillion in December, and the fiscal deficit threatened to exacerbate sky-high levels of inflation while posing a long-term risk to the global economy, according to the report.

“Something will have to give,” the IMF warned.

The US exceeded its debt ceiling, which was legally set at $31.4 trillion, in January 2023. After months of warnings of an imminent and economically disastrous default from the US Treasury, President Joe Biden in June 2023 signed a bipartisan debt bill that suspended the cap until January 2025. This effectively allowed the government to keep borrowing without limits through next year. Debt spiked to $32 trillion less than two weeks after the bill was approved, and has been piling up ever since.

The debt held by the public could surge by $19 trillion over the next decade to surpass the $54 trillion mark, owing to the mounting costs of an aging population and higher interest expenses, according to recent projections by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

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Since entering office, Biden has spent trillions on Covid relief as well as on infrastructure. The US has also spent billions on aid for Ukraine. The Biden administration, however, has been insisting that tax cuts signed into law by then-President Donald Trump were to blame for the ballooning national debt.

Last month, Biden unveiled a $7.3-trillion budget plan for 2025 which would push US debt over 100% of GDP, as he laid out a fiscal agenda that boosts spending but plans to save $3 trillion through higher taxes over ten years.

Republicans in the House of Representatives have described the proposed budget as a “roadmap to accelerate America’s decline,” accusing the Biden administration of “reckless spending” and of engaging in a “runaway spending spree” that disregards fiscal responsibility.

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The Euro-Atlantic region has not experienced a crisis like today’s since the end of the Cold War; that has created an opportunity for real change

In his annual address to the Russian Federal Assembly on February 29, 2024, President Vladimir Putin emphasized the need for a new framework of equal and integral security in Eurasia. He also expressed the country’s readiness to engage in a substantive discussion on this matter with the relevant parties and organizations.

The initiative was pursued during Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to China this month. Moscow's top diplomat informed the press about an agreement with China to begin a discussion on the structure of security in Eurasia; a topic addressed during his visit. The fact that Putin’s proposal was on the agenda between the two major countries suggests that it may take concrete form, both in terms of political theory and practice.

The idea of Eurasian security naturally raises questions about other relevant initiatives. During his visit to Beijing, Lavrov directly linked the need for a new framework with challenges to Euro-Atlantic security, which is centered on NATO and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). References to the Euro-Atlantic experience are significant for two reasons.

Firstly, the Euro-Atlantic project is characterized by a high degree of institutional integration. It is based on a military bloc (NATO) which maintains strict obligations for its members. Despite the end of the Cold War, the North Atlantic Alliance has not only survived but expanded to include former members of the Warsaw Pact. NATO is the largest and historically the most stable military bloc.

Secondly, the post-Cold War Euro-Atlantic project has failed to address the issue of common and shared security for all nations in the region. In theory, the OSCE could have brought together, in a single community, both NATO and non-NATO countries, including Russia. But since the early 2000s, the OSCE has experienced a process of politicalization which has favored the interests of Western countries.

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Russia, as a result, has increasingly seen NATO expansion as a threat to its own security. Instruments such as the Russia-NATO Council have been unable to address the growing tensions. The lack of effective and equitable institutions that could effectively address the concerns of Russia and fully integrate it into a common security framework has led to increasing estrangement and, ultimately, a crisis in relations with the West.

This development has been accompanied by a deterioration of the arms control regime and the erosion of security norms, against the backdrop of US-led military operations and interference in post-Soviet states. The culmination of these events has been the Ukrainian crisis, which has reached its military phase and will ultimately determine the final state of emerging security divisions in Europe.

The Euro-Atlantic region no longer exists as a single security community. It is instead characterized by asymmetric bipolarity, with the North Atlantic Alliance on one side and Russia on the other.

Against the backdrop of the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, an intensifying and growing confrontation between Russia and NATO has emerged. This conflict has not yet escalated into a fully-fledged military phase, but it manifests itself in various other dimensions, including information warfare and the provision of direct and comprehensive military assistance from Western countries to Ukraine. The Euro-Atlantic region has not faced such challenges since the end of the Cold War. This suggests that the Euro-Atlantic security framework, based on the principles of equal and indivisible security, no longer exists.

At best, one can hope for a reduction in the intensity of the current crisis through a new balance of power and a mutual deterrent, while acknowledging the emerging security divides. At worst, there could be a direct military confrontation between Russia and NATO, with the possibility of nuclear escalation.

The experience of the failure of the Euro-Atlantic project highlights the need for the creation of a new framework with different principles and foundations. Firstly, this new framework should be based on cooperation between several actors and should not rely solely on the dominance of any one party, such as that of the United States in NATO. In this regard, it is significant that consultations on Eurasian security matters have begun between Russia and China – two major powers and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

This indicates that the very first steps towards establishing a new framework are being taken based on dialogue and shared responsibility, rather than on the principle of dominance by any one power. These steps, however, are not confined to Russian-Chinese bilateral relations, but also leave room for the participation of other countries interested in contributing. The principles of shared responsibility and non-hegemony may form the basis for a new security architecture.

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Another principle worthy of consideration is that of multidimensional security. It is not limited to military matters (although these remain fundamental), but encompasses a broader range of issues, including “hybrid threats” such as information campaigns, cyber security, interference in domestic affairs, and the politicization of the economy and finance. The unresolved nature of these issues in Russia-West relations was one of the preconditions for the current crisis. The discussion on a new security structure could include such issues at an early stage. The principle of the indivisibility of security, which has not been realized in the Euro-Atlantic project, could and should be a core principle for the Eurasia region.

The commencement of consultations between Moscow and Beijing regarding a new security framework, of course, does not necessarily indicate the formation of a military-political alliance akin to NATO. Rather, it is likely that we will witness a prolonged process of development and refinement of the contours and specifications of the new framework. Initially, this may take the form of a platform for dialogue or consultation among interested parties, without the burden of excessive organisational or institutional obligations. Subsequent interactions may be conducted on a case-by-case basis, addressing specific security concerns, including, potentially, digital security. Existing institutions and organisations such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) may be utilised to this end. The experience gained could then be transformed into permanent institutions focusing on a wider range of security issues.

An important issue will be the functional orientation of the new structure. NATO originally emerged as an instrument of deterrence against the Soviet Union, but today it has been given a new lease of life as a deterrent against Russia.

It is possible that the new security structure in Eurasia could also be tailored to deterrence.

Both Russia and China are in a state of rivalry and competition with the US, although in the case of Russia this has entered an overt phase, while for China it has not yet fully manifested itself. At least the idea of jointly countering the US has support in both Moscow and Beijing.

At the same time, building a security structure solely to fend off Washington limits the potential inclusiveness of the project. A number of Eurasian states rely on a multi-vector policy and are unlikely to be willing to participate in a structure aimed at competing with the Americans. Conversely, a high degree of inclusiveness could dilute the security agenda, and reduce it to a general issue that does not require specific, coordinated action. At present, there are many unanswered questions regarding the parameters of the Eurasian security framework. These issues will need to be addressed both through diplomatic channels and through dialogue between international experts from the relevant countries.

This article was first published by Valdai Discussion Club, translated and edited by the RT team.

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The new legislation further simplifies mobilization procedures and introduces new penalties for draft dodgers

President Vladimir Zelensky signed a controversial military mobilization bill into law on Tuesday, a legislation card on the Ukrainian parliament’s website indicates.

The new legislation was passed by the Verkhovna Rada earlier this month, following a drawn-out debate over its contents. In a last-minute turn of events, its provisions became even stricter than originally proposed, with a demobilization clause withdrawn.

The adopted legislation effectively means that all draftees are set to remain in the military indefinitely, a decision reportedly lobbied for by the recently appointed commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Aleksandr Syrsky. A demobilization procedure is expected to be introduced in separate legislation, though it remains unclear when exactly such a bill could materialize.

The new law further simplifies draft procedures, with all Ukrainians obliged to “update data” on themselves with the military authorities within 60 days after the legislation comes into force. The provision applies to Ukrainians living abroad as well.

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Apart from that, all eligible individuals aged 18 to 60 now must always carry their military ID on them. Moreover, a conscription notice is forthwith considered to be delivered to a draftee even should conscription officers fail to meet them in person at their residence and actually hand them their notice.

The legislation also introduces new penalties for breaches, including fines and suspension of a driver’s permit. The police can also forcibly deliver a suspected draft dodger to an enlistment office should a draftee fail to show up on being deemed to have received their conscription notice.

Critics of the legislation have argued that it will further distance the Ukrainian authorities from the general public. It has also reportedly received a poor reception within the military itself, given the lack of any demobilization mechanisms. The reception was apparently also influenced by the fact that the bill’s introduction was justified largely by the purported need to relieve war-weary soldiers from their military service.

Kiev has maintained a mobilization drive since the early days of the conflict with Russia, which broke out in late February 2022. The mobilization effort grew increasingly chaotic and lawless over time, with numerous videos circulating online showing Ukrainian enlistment officers chasing potential soldiers in the streets, violently detaining them and beating them up. Senior Ukrainian officials, however, have routinely dismissed concerns over mounting violations as Russian propaganda.

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West Jerusalem has announced a ‘diplomatic offensive’ against the Islamic Republic

Israel’s foreign ministry has called for international sanctions on Iran to be tightened, following the Islamic Republic’s attack on the country over the weekend.

Tehran carried out a massive airstrike on Israeli territory on Saturday in response to the bombing of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria earlier this month. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its role in the bombing, but its responsibility was later implied by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday he has contacted 32 countries and spoke with numerous counterparts, calling on each to “place sanctions on Iran’s missile project and declare the Revolutionary Guard a terror organization, as a way to stop and weaken Iran.”

“We must stop Iran now, before it will be too late,” the FM said in a social media post.

Katz added that alongside the military response to the firing by Tehran of missiles and drones, he is “leading a diplomatic offensive against Iran.”

The foreign minister’s statement comes as Israel’s war cabinet is holding its fifth meeting on Tuesday to discuss a potential response to Iran. Shortly after the attack, the war cabinet decided it will take “clear and decisive” action. The US reportedly said it would not participate in an Israeli counteroffensive and expects the response to be limited in scope.

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A potential full-scale war with Iran would be costly for the Israeli economy, according to experts. Countering Saturday’s Iranian strike, which West Jerusalem claims involved more than 300 drones and missiles, reportedly cost Israel more than $1 billion.

Meanwhile, the Group of Seven countries (G7) were already working on a package of coordinated measures against Iran, according to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Iran has been the subject of numerous international sanctions for decades over its nuclear development program. Sanctions were eased somewhat in 2015 when Tehran agreed to some restrictions to the program under the Iran Nuclear Deal, known officially as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), between Iran, the US, the UK, France, Germany, Russia, China, and the EU.

However, the deal was scrapped in 2018 after then-US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew his country from the agreement and reimposed discontinued sanctions on Tehran. Several attempts in recent years to revive the Iran Nuclear Deal have failed.

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Western hypocrisy helped bring about an escalation, the Turkish leader has said

Iran’s first direct attack on Israel is the fault of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu first and foremost, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

In a televised address after a cabinet meeting in Ankara, Erdogan said it was unfair to look at last Saturday’s events in a vacuum.

“The one chiefly responsible for the tension that gripped our hearts on the evening of April 13 is Netanyahu and his bloody administration,” he said.

“Since October 7, the Israeli government has opted for provocative moves in order to spread the fire to the entire region. The Israeli government targeted the Iranian consulate in Damascus, violating international law and the Vienna Convention, and that was the last straw,” added Erdogan.

Tehran’s diplomatic mission was struck on April 1, killing seven high-ranking officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, including two generals. Israel never officially claimed responsibility for the strike, but has repeatedly bombed Syria, claiming preemptive self-defense from the Iranian presence there.

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“We have seen the double-standard approach of Western countries,” Erdogan said, pointing out that only a handful of countries condemned Israel’s move, but rushed to denounce Iran’s response.

Tehran eventually launched scores of drones and missiles against targets inside Israel. The US, UK, France and Jordan helped the Israelis with air defense but some of the projectiles got through, causing unspecified damage.

Erdogan also blamed Israel for the current conflict in general, saying its forces have “indiscriminately” killed tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, including people standing in line for humanitarian aid.

“For more than 132 days, Israel has been implementing genocidal policies,” the Turkish leader claimed.

Netanyahu declared war on Gaza-based Hamas after the Palestinian militant group raided nearby Israeli villages and military bases last October. Much of Gaza has since been reduced to rubble and its civilian population pushed to the edge of starvation. A recent report by UN Human Rights Council special rapporteur Francesca Albanese has accused Israel of intending to commit genocide in the enclave.

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The proposed system is intended to protect member countries from drone and missile attacks

Poland plans to take part in the development of a European air-defense system that would protect states against potential drone and missile attacks, Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced.

The so-called European Sky Shield Initiative was first announced by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a speech in Prague in August 2022. Since then, 21 countries have joined the project.

According to Tusk, Iran’s recent attack on Israel shows how important it is to have an air defense system similar to Israel’s Iron Dome.

“There is no reason for Europe not to develop its own shield against rockets and drones,” the Polish prime minister stated. “It doesn’t take much imagination to understand that we may be in the danger zone as well.”

Tusk has urged member countries to boost air-defense investments, given the active use of missiles and drones in the Ukraine conflict. He also pointed to the use of Iranian Shahed drones by Russia to strike Ukrainian targets.

“Iran and Russia act as allies,” Tusk told reporters. “The same Iranian drones that attack Ukrainian suburbs have been used to attack Israel.”

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The German chancellor has a weak hand to play with Beijing, and he won’t dare do the only thing that could give him leverage

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is on a three-day visit to China. He is not traveling alone. A large delegation of German business representatives, including from flagship companies such as Mercedes, Siemens, and BMW, is coming along. Scholz’s agenda is ambitious: The chancellor wishes to talk about international trade and competition, climate politics, the tensions over Taiwan, the war in Ukraine and Beijing’s relationship with Russia. Since Iran has just made use of its clear right to self-defense and retaliated following Israel’s illegal attack on Tehran’s diplomatic premises in Damascus, Scholz felt compelled to make a statement about that as well.

Two of these topics tower above the others: matters of trade and the relationship between China and Russia. Regarding trade, the crucial issue is that the West in general – led by the US – has embarked on a policy of de facto economic warfare against China, while constantly threatening to escalate further.

That was the essence of Janet Yellen's recent Beijing trip; the US Treasury Secretary arrived with a list of demands to curb what America denounced as Chinese “overcapacity” and dumping, and left with a blunt warning that “nothing was off the table” in terms of additional strikes against China’s economy.

Then there is the EU, which as usual, follows Washington’s lead. Under hardliners like European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Vice President Margrethe Vestager, Brussels is ramping up anti-Chinese rhetoric and measures. Beijing has officially been declared a “ partner for cooperation, an economic competitor, and a systemic rival.” With the EU Commission defining “economic security” clearly in opposition to China and launching probes targeting Chinese electric vehicles, wind turbines, and soon the procurement of medical devices, the accent clearly is on competitor and rival.

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At the same time, however, German business leaders know that they cannot afford a policy of sustained conflict. A high-ranking Siemens executive has just gone public with a warning that “decoupling” from Chinese manufacturing would take “decades.” That, clearly, is just another way of saying it’s a very bad idea to even try.

Superficially, it may appear that there is an opportunity here for Scholz – an opportunist to a fault – to appear as a mediator or, at least, to deftly balance and weave between competing demands. The Global Times, a media outlet owned by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, prefaced the chancellor’s visit with a generally welcoming article, depicting Scholz as, in essence, a dove among hawks, arguing that while Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Economic Minister Robert Habeck stand for confrontation, the chancellor is seeking to find a balanced approach.

Yet, even if he wanted to try to be smart and flexible, Scholz is hamstrung in multiple ways. He will struggle to be taken seriously because both Germany and its chancellor lack international standing, and Germany lacks leverage in its relationship with China.

Let’s look at the leverage deficit first: In economic terms, the Chinese-German relationship is substantial and complex. Many factors are important; multiple indicators are relevant, such as, for instance, foreign direct investment (which is currently dipping). But overall trade volumes suffice to show that Germany cannot speak to Beijing from a position of strength or even parity.

China, according to 2023 export data, is still Germany’s single biggest trading partner, as Bloomberg has noted. That is not unusual in today’s world: with the second-largest economy in the world (the largest in Purchasing Power Parity terms), China is the top trade partner for a total of 120 countries. China is also the largest (external) trade partner of the European Union as whole. However, from China’s perspective, Germany ranks only 8th among export destinations, less than the US, Japan, and even Vietnam.

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None of the above means that the economic relationship with Berlin does not matter to Beijing, but it does mean that it matters even more for Berlin. Among rational actors, such a pattern of mutual dependency is a reason for cooperation. What it certainly is not is one-sided leverage for Germany. If anyone has the whip hand here, it’s China, which may have tried to “gently” signal this fact with Scholz’s intriguingly low-key, not to say humiliating reception on his arrival in the Chinese manufacturing metropolis Chongqing.

In fundamental terms, Germany, according to data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), is a country of not quite 84 million people (in China, Chongqing alone is home to over 30 million inhabitants) with projected GDP growth this year down to almost zero (0.5 percent). China has a population of over 1.4 billion, and its GDP is estimated to grow by 4.6 percent.

In sum, China’s economy has problems, such as its over-expanded real estate sector, which are inevitable and often obsessively exaggerated by Western “China doomers.” Germany’s economy is a problem.

The German chancellor can only play a weak hand, due to economics. There is only one way to play it well, and that would involve politics. Scholz could create some room for maneuver for Germany if he did what the Global Times article signaled Beijing would like to see from him: to show some autonomy, a little bit of distance between himself and the hardliners now dominating both Washington and Brussels.

Indeed, for the China hawks in the West, the mere possibility that the German chancellor might go off script is such a nightmare scenario it had to be exorcised in one of America’s two most authoritative journals on international politics. Foreign Policy dedicated a whole article to, in essence, asking if Scholz will chicken out and be too conciliatory toward Beijing. If the Global Times sent an invitation of the “an-offer-you-should-not-refuse” kind, Foreign Policy’s message was “don’t you dare.”

Scholz should dare. It would be only rational because it is really the only trump card he has. As Foreign Policy acknowledges, the EU’s hardball approach cannot work if Berlin is not on board. Without the EU toeing the line, Washington’s game would become much more challenging, too. That is power right there: the power to balance and play both sides.

Unfortunately, this is where we come up against Scholz’s very narrow limits. This is no Bismarck. Instead, we are dealing with a chancellor who can be called the most recklessly and – it must be said, spinelessly – subservient to the US in Germany's post-WWII history. Scholz grinned when Biden announced, in essence, that the US would destroy the Nord Stream pipelines if it felt like it. When it happened, nothing happened: Germany took it and kept grinning.

Under Scholz, Berlin has become a perfect client of the US. Accordingly, there is no real daylight between Berlin and Brussels either; another ultra-Atlanticist German, Ursula von der Leyen, runs the European Commission. True, some observers speculate that Germany is slyly cutting corners, but that will amount to too little, in absolute terms, for Beijing.

The issue of dependency also brings us to the penultimate irony of Scholz’s visit: The German chancellor has let it be known that he intends to challenge Beijing on its policy toward Russia and thus the war in Ukraine. In essence, Scholz seems to believe it is his job – and within his rights – to urge China to loosen its ties with Russia as well as to support the West’s unrealistic proposals for ending the war in Ukraine without acknowledging that Russia is winning it.

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There are two things wrong with this astonishingly tone-deaf attitude: First, obviously, neither Germany nor the EU are in a position to make such requests of Beijing. They have neither the arguments nor the power to back them up. In such cases, the wiser and more dignified course is to be quiet. Second, less obviously, who is Scholz to try to interfere in the partnership between Moscow and Beijing, a partnership marked by rationality and respect for both partners’ national interests? As long as Germany offers a spectacle of unquestioning and irrational obedience to Washington, no one will be interested in its advice on how to cooperate.

That was the penultimate irony. Here is the ultimate one: Scholz’s visit is, most fundamentally, an outcome of the fact that the West has not been able to cajole China. With respect to Germany in particular, it is true that, according to a recent poll, two thirds of German businesses active in China complain of unequal treatment. And yet they are there. And yet a German chancellor still arrives with a planeload of business leaders.

The true message of the poll is about how indispensable China is, talk of “derisking” this and “decoupling” that notwithstanding. In the not-too-distant future, a successor of Scholz may well find himself on a similar trip, but to Moscow. Namely, when two realities will have become so compelling that they must be acknowledged: Russia, too, cannot be cajoled by the West; and, for Germany as well as for Europe as a whole, Russia, too, remains indispensable.

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EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says there are legal hurdles preventing such a move

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has called on allies to recognize Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization following the massive aerial attack on Israeli territory late on Saturday.

However, the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says such a move by the bloc is not legally possible at present.

Iran launched several waves of missiles and kamikaze drones at Israel over the weekend. Tehran explained that the strikes were carried out in retaliation for a presumed Israeli airstrike that obliterated Iran’s consulate in Damascus, Syria on April 1, killing seven IRGC officers, including two generals.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Katz wrote that he had sent letters to 32 nations and had spoken to “dozens of foreign ministers and leading figures around the world, calling for sanctions to be imposed on the Iranian missile project and that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps be declared a terrorist organization.”

This would help “curb and weaken Iran,” the minister argued, insisting that Tehran “must be stopped now – before it is too late.”

Alongside the military response to the firing of the missiles and the UAVs, I am leading a diplomatic offensive against Iran.

This morning I sent letters to 32
countries and spoke with dozens of foreign ministers and leading figures around the world calling for sanctions to be…

— ????? ?”? Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) April 16, 2024

Meanwhile, in an interview with France’s Le Monde on Tuesday, Borrell said that, while “there have already been several discussions about putting the Revolutionary Guards on the list of terrorist organizations,” this is not a realistic scenario for the time being.

He explained that “for such a listing, a judicial authority in a member state must consider that the organization has committed a terrorist act” – something for which there are apparently no grounds at present.

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French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Israel not to retaliate against Iran militarily. In an interview with BFMTV and RMC radio, the president said the focus should instead be on further isolation of Tehran and more sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

Tehran has been the subject of a wide range of international sanctions for decades over its missile and nuclear enrichment programs, with the West suspecting that the latter is aimed at producing nuclear weapons.

Numerous media reports have alleged that the US government has also advised Israel against responding by force.

Russia has expressed deep concern following the latest escalation between Israel and Iran, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating on Monday that further escalation of tensions in the region “serves no one’s interests.”

Moscow has also criticized the UN Security Council for failing to denounce the Israeli airstrike on the Iranian diplomatic premises in Syria earlier this month.

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India’s home minister visited Manipur in the northeast of the country, where over 200 have died in ethnic clashes since last May

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah has vowed to ensure unity in the violence-torn Manipur state ahead of the upcoming general elections. During a visit to the remote state in the northeast of the country, Shah said the central government’s priority was to establish peace despite claiming that attempts had been made to “break” it.

Manipur has been stricken by ethnic violence since May 2023. The dispute stems from animosity between the region’s Meitei majority, living in the state’s valley, and the Kuki tribes dwelling in the surrounding hills. More than 200 people have been killed in the hostilities, while tens of thousands more have been displaced.

Shah, who is seen as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s right-hand man, launched a scathing attack on the rival Congress party in a speech, suggesting it wants to “divide” Manipur. “This election is not between BJP and Congress,” Shah claimed. “It is an election between those who want to divide Manipur and those who want to keep Manipur united.”

The Kukis have long demanded a separate administration in tribal-dominated areas to resolve the conflict. The community has announced it would boycott the parliamentary elections held in India from April 19 to June 1.

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Shah has instead suggested peace through dialogue with both communities, saying this would be a priority for the Modi-led government. N Biren Singh, the chief minister of the BJP-ruled Manipur, asserted during a recent interview with NDTV that the party was committed to protecting the state’s “integrity.”

Previously, Singh had blamed “illegal immigrants” from neighboring Myanmar for the violence in Manipur. Earlier this year, New Delhi ended India’s Free Movement Regime (FMR) with Myanmar, which had allowed cross-border movement up to 16km on both sides without a visa. Shah also announced in February that the central government would construct a fence along the entire 1,643km Indo-Myanmar border.

Meanwhile, opposition parties have blamed the ruling BJP for the unrest in the state. “The prime minister has abandoned all responsibility for the BJP-manufactured crisis in Manipur,” Jairam Ramesh, a member of parliament for Congress, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) ahead of Shah’s visit. “However, his home minister has found the time to campaign in the state today.”

Last year, while violence was raging in the state, the opposition questioned Modi’s “silence” and filed a no-confidence motion in parliament. This was eventually won by the prime minister, who promised to “establish peace” in the region.

READ MORE: Indian ethnic violence victims laid to rest in mass ceremony

Since last August, the federal government and law enforcement agencies have been working along with state authorities to curtail the violence through curfews, internet suspensions, and the deployment of additional security personnel.

According to an RT source in Manipur, the situation in the state capital Imphal has improved over the past few months. However, reports of gunfights are still common and unrest remains in some of the peripheral areas.

Last week, Modi told regional newspaper, the Assam Tribune, that his government had dedicated “best resources and administrative machinery” to resolving the conflict, stressing the importance of “timely intervention.”

Where India Meets Russia – We are now on WhatsApp! ‎Follow and share RT India in English and in Hindi

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The messaging platform now has a new channel, created by the US journalist

Russian-born IT entrepreneur Pavel Durov has teased a “very rare” interview conversation with Tucker Carlson, recorded around the same time as the American journalist’s visit to Russia and his much publicised encounter with President Vladimir Putin.

The St Petersburg-born billionaire, along with his mathematician brother Nikolay, founded VK, Russia’s answer to Facebook, before developing Telegram in 2013. The messaging platform has since grown to over 800 million active monthly users, according to Durov.

“As a leader of a politically neutral platform, it is my responsibility to speak to journalists representing different political views,” Durov said in a post on his official channel. “This way I can remain fair to all audiences and tell the story of Telegram to everyone.”

According to Durov, on the same day in February he had also given a three-hour interview to “a journalist of liberal views” as well as to Carlson, “who is famously conservative.”

“The interview with Tucker will be released very soon. It will be in video format, which is very rare for me – so be sure to watch it,” Durov added.

He also revealed that the American journalist has set up an official Telegram channel for his Tucker Carlson Network, urging the public to “keep an eye on the announcements there.” The channel has already attracted over 55,000 subscribers.

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Carlson was the most popular cable TV host in the US until last April, when Fox News terminated his contract, taking a massive hit in ratings and market value. He returned several months later on X (formerly Twitter), after the platform’s new owner Elon Musk promised to protect freedom of speech.

In February, Carlson visited Moscow and recorded a lengthy interview with Putin, the first the Russian president gave to a Western journalist since the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022.

Telegram has long been the most popular messaging application in Russia and Ukraine. It has also gained popularity in the rest of the world in recent years, after Meta changed the privacy settings of WhatsApp.

Durov currently lives in the Middle East and has obtained the citizenships of France and the United Arab Emirates, in addition to his native Russian. Telegram is registered as a limited-liability company in Dubai, but the location of its physical headquarters has not been made public.

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Correspondent Donald Courter was stopped in the transit zone of Tbilisi International Airport, ending up expelled

Georgian border guards on Tuesday detained RT correspondent Donald Courter at Tbilisi International Airport.

The journalist, who is a dual Russian-US citizen, has been held for about four hours in the transit zone of the airport. Georgian officials claim his documents were not recognized by their system.

The border officials have confiscated the journalist’s Russian passport.

The correspondent was ultimately denied entry and sent back to Moscow later in the day.

Courter had flown to Georgia to cover ongoing anti-government protests. The unrest was prompted by the introduction of a ‘foreign agent’ bill; the proposed legislation would require transparency from NGOs operating in the country which obtain financing abroad. The bill has been vehemently opposed by the country’s opposition; in addition to street protests, the debate among legislators at one point degraded into a brawl on the floor of the national parliament.

The bill’s critics have branded it a “Russian law,” claiming it was patterned after legislation Moscow adopted in 2012. The ruling Georgian Dream party, however, has insisted it was actually inspired by the US Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, with the Georgian version being far less strict.

READ MORE: WATCH violent brawl erupt in Georgian parliament

Tbilisi first attempt to pass the controversial legislation last year; it ending up being shelved after mass riots, as well as pressure from the US and the EU. The new version of the bill is only slightly different from the original document.

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Washington does not intend to take part in any attack on Tehran on West Jerusalem’s behalf, unnamed officials have told the outlet

The US will not help Israel retaliate by launching offensive military operations in the wake of Iran’s missile and drone attack, Biden administration officials have privately warned, according to ABC News.

Israel has promised a “response” following the massive Iranian attack on the country over the weekend, which West Jerusalem said involved more than 300 drones and missiles. Iran said the attack was a reprisal for the bombing of its consulate in Damascus, Syria earlier this month, which cost the lives of several senior Iranian military personnel.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that they shot down the vast majority of the incoming projectiles, with help from the US, UK, France, Jordan, and others.

Shortly after Iran’s attack ended, a senior US administration official reportedly told journalists that the White House believes Israel “has freedom of action to protect itself and defend itself.”

“That’s a long-standing policy, and that remains,” the official reportedly said.

However, when asked if the US would help Israel counter with offensive military operations, that official said there was no such plan.

“We would not envision ourselves participating in such a thing,” the person said.

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According to a second US official cited by ABC, this message was also delivered directly to Israel’s top brass in a private phone call on Sunday between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Austin made clear in a very “direct” manner that the US was not planning to take part in a potential counteroffensive on Israel’s behalf, the official claimed.

ABC noted that the comments were “an unusual message for a close ally that’s spent decades receiving more US military aid than any other country in the world and whose relationship with America is often described as ‘ironclad’.”

The outlet added that the reasoning behind the decision was the Biden administration’s fear of a “broader war” erupting in the Middle East.

Israel’s war cabinet has reportedly decided it will take “clear and decisive” action following Iran’s mass missile and drone attack on Saturday. However, the Israeli outlet Mako reported on Monday evening that the retaliation will need to be acceptable to the US and “comply” with rules set by Washington, so as not to “degenerate the region into a war.”

Tehran has promised to respond “within seconds” if Israel decides to launch any form of attack against the Islamic Republic.

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The stalling of American aid is a “disgrace,” the leader has claimed

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has accused US politicians of playing political games around the issue of aid for Kiev, claiming that they do not care how many people in his country are dying.

Zelensky’s comments come as US lawmakers prepare to vote on a controversial aid package for Ukraine that has been stalled in Congress for months due to a bitter dispute between Democrats and Republicans.

In an interview on Monday, Zelensky referred to comments made at the weekend by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson. The US politician told Fox News that he planned to move forward with a vote on an aid bill for Israel this week, without specifying when a Ukraine package would be taken up, or whether it would be tied to funding for West Jerusalem.

“This is pure politics, and it’s a disgrace for the world and a disgrace for democracy,” Zelensky told PBS NewsHour. “Nobody cares how many people are dying in Ukraine every day. They only care about their approval ratings,” he added.

Johnson has since promised to advance the long-stalled Ukraine aid bill sought by President Joe Biden this week, multiple news outlets reported on Monday. Johnson reportedly told Republican colleagues at a closed-door meeting that he intends to allow the House to vote on a standalone bill in the coming days that would ensure additional military aid for Kiev. The House will also be expected to vote on separate bills providing more assistance to Israel and Taiwan.

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House Republicans have previously refused to back the foreign aid bill unveiled by Biden in October, which includes $61 billion in assistance for Ukraine.

The legislation has been held up for months as the GOP tries to force the White House to crack down on the influx of illegal immigrants via the southern US border. Biden’s 2024 election rival, former President Donald Trump, previously urged Republicans to block the bill, arguing against unconditional aid for Ukraine.

The delay in approving more weapons for Ukraine has rattled Zelensky and other officials in Kiev, who are blaming mounting battlefield losses on shortages of foreign-supplied ammunition and air defenses.

In his interview with PBS, Zelensky reiterated that without the US support, Ukraine “will have no chance of winning” in its conflict with Russia.

Moscow, meanwhile, has repeatedly stated that no amount of foreign assistance will change the outcome of the fighting, and has accused the West of escalating the hostilities.

READ MORE: Zelensky signs draconian mobilization bill

On Tuesday, Zelensky signed a contentious mobilization proposal into law, giving his government more powers to enforce conscription and punish draft dodgers. It also obliges local authorities and the police to help the military in its mobilization efforts. The bill does not contain a clause allowing soldiers to return home after three years of service, which had been the policy before the current conflict began in February 2022.

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The Russian leader has called for “reasonable restraint” in the Middle East

Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken with his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi, following Tehran’s drone and missile attack on Israel, the Kremlin has said.

Iran launched scores of drones and missiles against Israel on Saturday, as “punishment” for the bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria that killed seven high-ranking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force officers at the beginning of the month.

Raisi phoned Putin on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the “aggravated situation” in the region and the “retaliatory measures” taken by Tehran, according to the readout of the call.

Putin “expressed hope that all parties will show reasonable restraint and will not allow a new round of confrontation, fraught with catastrophic consequences for the entire region,” the Kremlin said.

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Raisi “noted that Iran’s actions were forced and limited in nature,” adding that Tehran was “not interested in further escalation of tensions.”

Both presidents agreed that the root cause of the current conflict is the unresolved Palestinian-Israeli conflict, calling for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza, deliveries of humanitarian aid, and the creation of conditions for a political and diplomatic settlement.

Israel has vowed to deliver a “clear and decisive” response to the Iranian strike, which the government in West Jerusalem said had been largely intercepted. However, the Israeli military is reportedly working on a plan that would be acceptable to the US.

Meanwhile, the Iranian military has described the strike as a great success. “Operation True Promise” proved that Israeli defenses were “flimsier than a spiderweb,” Brigadier General Kioumars Heydari, commander of Iran’s ground forces, said at a press conference on Tuesday.

“The Iranian armed forces broke the taboo about the Israeli regime’s capabilities, demonstrated their might, made it clear that the era of hit-and-run is over, and defined new rules for the region,” Heydari said, according to the Tasnim news agency.

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Tehran’s retaliatory attack may not have caused much destruction, but it was far from a failure

On the night of April 14, Iran and its proxy forces launched a series of cruise missile and kamikaze drone strikes on Israeli territory. The attacks did not come as a surprise. Tehran had warned that it would respond to the Israeli airstrike on Iran’s consulate in Damascus, Syria, on April 1, which killed several high-ranking officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including two generals. The retaliatory strike was called Operation True Promise.

There is still much debate on whether Iran’s retaliatory strike was successful. Most military experts agree that there was nothing unusual about Tehran’s actions, except that this was Iran’s first direct attack on Israel. From a technical point of view, the strategy was simple and correct: Iran first suppressed the enemy’s air defense systems with drones and then launched hypersonic missiles which the Israelis and Americans were not able to intercept. Incidentally, in light of this, Ukraine’s statements about shooting down Russian Kinzhal hypersonic missiles sound ridiculous.

Do not jump to conclusions

Many experts were skeptical about Iran’s strike and hastened to say that the retaliation did not live up to expectations. Given the clip thinking of most commentators, this reaction is hardly surprising. Their reasoning resembles a Hollywood blockbuster stuffed with special effects, where the end of the world and its miraculous salvation fit into 90-120 minutes, with a love scene in the middle. In real life, things are different. As Sun Tzu wrote in ancient times, to fight 100 battles and win 100 battles is not the height of skill. The best way to win is not to fight at all. This is Iran’s strategy. Its strike against Israel was not so much a military response as a grandmaster’s move in a big chess game. And the game is not over yet.

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After the attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria’s capital, Tehran found itself in a tough situation. It had to respond in a way that would look convincing and would achieve specific military goals, but would not start World War III.

To achieve the first point, Iran had to carry out a direct strike without resorting exclusively to proxy forces – and that is indeed how it acted. Regarding the second point, even though most of the missiles and drones were indeed shot down, some managed to penetrate Israeli air space and hit military targets. The Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri, said that the information center on the Israeli-Syrian border and Israel’s Nevatim air base were hit. And finally, as to the third point – war didn’t happen. This resembled the situation in 2020, when the Iranians hit US bases in Iraq in response to the assassination of General Soleimani.

However, it is still too early to speculate as to whether Iran’s attack was a success or not. The big question now is how Israel will respond.

What Iran has accomplished

It’s important to emphasize that Iran’s operation carried more political than military weight. In this sense, it was carried out subtly and was a success. Obviously, the Iranians did not want to start a war which would involve the US, even though that is what Netanyahu wanted. In other words, Israel didn’t manage to provoke Iran.

It is also obvious that the Islamic Republic possesses more powerful drones and missiles than those used in the attack on April 14. However, even the less advanced drones and missiles were able to penetrate Israeli air space and inflict economic damage, since Israel spent much more money on shooting down the missiles and drones than Iran spent on launching them.

Tehran has once again demonstrated that Israel is not invulnerable, and it is possible to attack it. As for the degree of inflicted damage, which some commentators were unsatisfied with, it largely depends on the type of missiles and drones used in the attack – and Iran has a lot of military equipment.

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Finally, Iran’s main achievement is that it has managed to confuse Israel in the same way that it was confused after the October 7 Hamas attack. The country has to respond. But how? Should Israel strike Iranian proxy forces? This is possible, but Israel does it all the time without much result. Should it hit Iran directly? But that would start a war which no one is prepared for, including the US.

Conclusion

The ball is now in Israel’s court, and the country faces the same challenges that the Islamic Republic did after April 1. But will Israel be able to solve these challenges as efficiently?

It is noteworthy that IRGC Commander-in-Chief, Hossein Salami, said that from now on, if Israel attacks the interests of Iran and Iranian citizens, Tehran will strike it again.

This is an important statement. Essentially, the attack carried out by Iran on April 14 was not just a retaliatory strike, but established a new order. Iran demonstrated that it is ready to resort to new means of influence in a situation where words are not sufficient. It attacked Israel directly not in order to start a war, but to demonstrate what could happen if all other methods of pressure on Israel fail.

A new option has been put forward. Israel may be deprived of its most important advantage – absolute impunity, which until recently had been guaranteed by the US.

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Exports from the country’s major ports surged to 3.95 million barrels a day in the week to April 14, data is showing

Maritime exports of Russian crude almost climbed to a year-on-year high in the second week of April, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, adding that flows from the country’s major ports were near peak levels.

Russia’s seaborne crude exports in the week to April 14 surged by 560,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 3.95 million bpd, reaching the highest volume since May 2023, the outlet said, citing ship-tracking data.

The less volatile four-week average also rose sharply, climbing by about 250,000 bpd to 3.66 million bpd, the highest since early June 2023.

Weekly average shipments stood at about 365,000 bpd and were reportedly about 490,000 bpd above Russia’s April target, which is part of the OPEC+ alliance’s broader effort to cut output and supplies in a bid to balance oil prices.

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Russia has pledged to cut oil exports by 500,000 bpd below the May-June average during the first quarter of the current year, after several other members of the group agreed to curb further output. The reduction is expected to be shared between Russian crude shipments, which will be cut by 300,000 barrels per day, and refined products.

Flows from the country’s main export terminals gained significantly and were close to historical highs, the outlet said. According to vessel-tracking data, the country’s largest oil-loading Primorsk port in the Gulf of Finland handled ten tankers in three of the past four weeks.

Bloomberg suggested that the trend possibly reflected a diversion to exports of oil that would have been processed at Russian refineries that have recently suffered multiple attacks by Ukrainian drones. Since the start of 2022, the port hasn’t handled more than 11 tankers in a week, data shows.

The jump in exports has been combined with higher prices on Russia’s flagship Urals oil blend. In monetary terms, Russia’s crude exports reportedly jumped to $2.15 billion in the seven days to April 14 versus $1.82 billion previously. At the same time, four-week average income rose by about $170 million to $1.92 billion a week.

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Kiev’s refusal to acquiesce has seen tensions rise between Ukraine and its top backer, the paper claims, citing anonymous US officials

The US has on multiple occasions asked Ukraine to stop targeting Russian oil refineries with its drones, the Washington Post claims, citing anonymous American officials. Kiev has reportedly ignored those requests, thus straining relations with its top foreign provider of military assistance, the newspaper reports.

Since January, Ukraine has launched a series of long-range attacks on Russian energy facilities, including oil depots and refineries, using kamikaze drones. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has argued that the strikes have been meant to impress Kiev’s Western backers amid a lack of progress on the front line.

The Washington Post reported on Monday that US Vice President Kamala Harris had met privately with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in February, telling him to refrain from targeting Russian oil refineries. President Joe Biden’s administration reportedly believes that such attacks would raise global energy prices and provoke massive Russian retaliation.

According to the media outlet, the Ukrainian head of state “brushed off the recommendation.” Despite the US becoming more and more insistent over the following weeks, Kiev doubled down on its strategy.

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As a rift widens between Washington and Kiev over the latter’s tactics, Ukrainian officials are becoming exasperated at the US’ inability to provide its partner with additional weaponry. This is due to the fact that Republicans in Congress have, for months, been blocking President Joe Biden’s foreign aid package, that envisages, among other things, $60 billion for Ukraine.

The newspaper, citing US Senator Tom Cotton, suggested that Biden’s main concern is keeping gasoline prices from rising domestically ahead of the November US presidential election.

Appearing on Ukrainian TV on Sunday, the country’s Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba made it clear that Kiev would consider Washington’s appeals if the US boosted its defense aid for Ukraine.

Last Wednesday, Celeste Wallander, the US Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, told lawmakers that the “strikes that we have seen against Russian energy sources have not significantly altered Russia’s ability to prosecute the war.” She added that the “Russians have been able to rapidly repair the facilities that were struck.”

A day prior, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told a Senate panel that “those attacks could have a knock-on effect in terms of the global energy situation.”

Last Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Ukraine’s recent tactics have forced Russia to respond by targeting Kiev’s energy and oil facilities. He explained that these strikes have helped degrade the Ukrainian defense industry’s capabilities.

Moscow has described the Ukraine conflict as a US-led proxy war against Russia, with Washington willing to fight “to the last Ukrainian.”

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The donations on the first anniversary of the armed conflict will help to prevent starvation in the African nation, says France

France and its allies have pledged more than 2 billion euros ($2.13 billion) to support relief efforts in Sudan, where the UN says nearly 18 million people including children are facing acute food insecurity due to a deadly conflict raging since last April.

The funds were raised at a donor conference in Paris on Monday, attended by representatives from 58 countries, the French foreign ministry said in a statement.

“International donors have today announced that they will provide more than 2 billion [euros], including nearly €900 million from the European Union and its Member States, to support civilian populations in Sudan and those who sought refuge in neighboring countries in 2024,” the ministry said.

The northeast African country descended into chaos on April 15 of last year, when clashes erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), following months of feuding over the planned integration of the militia into the national armed forces. At least 14,600 people have been killed and 26,000 injured in the year-long fighting across Sudan, according to UN statistics.

“The Sudanese people have been subjected to untold suffering during the conflict which has been marked by indiscriminate attacks in densely populated areas, ethnically-motivated attacks, and a high incidence of conflict-related sexual violence,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Monday.

He warned that the violence could worsen as the warring factions have reportedly recruited and armed civilians, with three militarized groups joining the SAF in fighting the RSF.

Addressing the Paris donor conference via video, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the world should not allow the situation in Sudan, which he called a “nightmare,” to go unnoticed.

Guterres appealed to the “generosity of donors to step up their contributions” to the Humanitarian Response Plan for Sudan, which requires $2.7 billion but had received only about 6% of the funding prior to the Paris meeting.

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The UN plan fund “has now been brought to over 50%” as a result of the $2.13 billion donations, French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

French President Emmanuel Macron, however, said the amount pledged “is still probably less than was mobilized by several powers since the start of the war to help one or the other side [rival forces] kill each other.”

On Friday, Sudan’s Foreign Ministry criticized France and its allies for convening the conference “without consultation or coordination” with the Sudanese government and “without its participation.”

“We must remind the organizers that the international guardianship system has been abolished for decades,” it said in a statement, adding that “the Sudanese people alone have the right to manage their public affairs... without guardianship or interference from external forces.”

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President Vladimir Putin is not invited, according to the organizers

A Russian delegation can join an international celebration marking 80 years since D-Day in France, but President Vladimir Putin is not welcome, the organizers announced on Tuesday.

The Allied landing in Normandy, which opened a second front against Nazi Germany in Europe, will be commemorated on June 6. Earlier in the day the radio station Europe 1 broke the news of the imminent French decision.

The Liberation Mission organizing committee stressed in a statement that President Putin will not be invited for the ceremony “in view of the circumstances,” referring to the Ukraine conflict.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that Moscow had received no official communications on the matter from Paris.

President Putin took part in a ceremony on the 70th anniversary of D-Day in 2014. The event took place months after a Western-backed armed coup in Kiev prompted the then-Ukrainian region of Crimea to break away and seek Russian protection from Ukrainian nationalists. Paris invited the Russian leader despite the diplomatic rift caused by those events. Western media described Putin as “detached and isolated” during the event in Normandy.

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According to Europe 1, France wants Moscow to have lower-level representation at this year’s event, but marking the historic date “would be difficult” if the country was not part of it at all, the outlet suggested.

The Soviet Union sustained the highest number of casualties among the Allied powers during World War II, losing more than 26 million people, most of whom were civilians. Western nations provided crucial supplies for the Soviet war effort but joined the effort on the European continent only after the Red Army had forced Nazi Germany and its allies into retreat.

Earlier in the day, Bloomberg claimed that some French and foreign officials were “apprehensive” about President Emmanuel Macron’s public rhetoric on Russia. The French leader seems to be “oscillating unpredictably between peacemaker and provocateur,” the news agency said.

Last year, Macron said he may invite Putin to Normandy, if circumstances allowed.

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The world’s largest democracy begins its mammoth electoral exercise covering 969 million voters this Friday. Will the incumbent PM win a third term, and what would his reelection mean for India’s future?

If on June 4 the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wins enough seats in India’s 18th parliamentary election to form the next government, as is expected, and incumbent leader Narendra Damodardas Modi becomes prime minister for the third time, future historians of India may see the era from 1947 to 2014 – from independence from the British colonial raj to when Modi first took office – as a consolidation period for nation-building and a transition period for identity-building.

More than Modi’s personal quest to equal the number of elections won by India’s first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru, the upcoming election is the story of the transformation of India that supporters and detractors alike believe will be irreversible.

Most transformationally, Modi speaks of making India a $5 trillion economy by 2027, from the current $3.5 trillion, and a $35 billion economy by 2047 – the nation’s 100th year of independence. This would mean a mammoth leap in per capita income from $2,612 (nominal, estimated for 2023) to $18,000.

Chaiwala from Gujarat

Modi’s personal narrative plays a large part in his popularity among voters, particularly in northern India, where the majority of the population lives. He was born in a village in northeastern Gujarat, a state that prides itself on its mercantile tradition, into a family that was not in the top tiers of the caste pyramid – India’s stiflingly rigid social structure with strict rules for social interaction and endogamy.

His father, Damodardas Mulchand Modi, owned a tea shop, and the PM early in his electoral career used to claim that he worked selling tea at the Vadnagar railway station. This is an uncorroborated claim that Modi subsequently dropped. There is also a legend that he wrestled a baby crocodile, as told in a biographical comic, Bal Narendra.

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In school, Modi was an indifferent student, shining only in school plays and religious pageants like the Ram lila, which are an annual part of small-town life. When he was an early tween, he came across the local branch of the right-wing paramilitary organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and was impressed with its regimen, its morning marches and parades, its daily oaths to Mother India, and its starched khaki shorts. He joined.

Another significant event of his teens was his marriage to Jashodaben, whom he left after three weeks, never to return. Jashodaben became a teacher, and for a long time no one knew that Modi was technically a married man – no divorce was ever sought – until muckrakers dug up this fact after he became the BJP’s candidate for PM (helped, no doubt, by other PM hopefuls in the party). The narrative, set out by biographers, is that Modi wandered the Himalayas in introspection.

These elements are key to Modi’s biographical narrative – his courage, his lifelong loyalty to his organization, his forsaking domesticity for higher things – much in the same way that another Gujarati, known as ‘Father of the Nation’, M.K. “Mahatma” Gandhi, set out his life story: in the four traditional stages of life in the Hindu worldview, Gandhi sought to show that he had reached the final stage of asceticism (and he dressed that way as well).

Rise to PM

Returning to the mundane world, Modi wandered over to the RSS and worked his way up the organization. He went back to school and obtained a bachelor’s degree in “entire Political Science” (his own words, in 2016) from Delhi University in 1978 – his three-year degree course overlapping with former PM Indira Gandhi’s infamous “Emergency” rule, from 1975 to 77, during which civil liberties were suspended and opposition leaders were thrown in jail. Modi spent this period on the run.

In the 1980s, he was seconded to the RSS’s political arm, the BJP, and reached the party’s headquarters in New Delhi. He was deputed for organizational work in the small north Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Haryana – he was good friends with fellow RSS Manohar Lal Khattar, sitting on the back of Khattar’s scooter; Khattar was selected to be Haryana chief minister in 2014, after Modi became PM, and served for almost a decade.

Most importantly, however, is that Modi caught the eye of the BJP president tightly running the party machinery, Lal Krishna Advani, who would be instrumental in Modi’s climb to political power.

This came in 2001, after a major earthquake in Bhuj, Gujarat, in which the incumbent CM, Keshubhai Patel of the BJP, had to step down. Advani sent Modi in his place, despite Modi having no prior administrative experience. Modi made it clear he would not play second fiddle to Keshubhai, and that he would either take complete control or none at all.

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Four months later, in February 2002, came an event that defined Modi when rioting broke out all over Gujarat following the burning of a train near the Godhra railway station. The compartment was carrying volunteers involved in the agitation for a Ram Temple in Ayodhya, which had picked up pace since the demolition of the Babri Masjid (standing at the claimed birthplace of mythological Lord Ram) in December 1992. It was passing through a Muslim slum of Godhra when the arson took place, killing 59 passengers.

In retaliation, riots broke out over the next three days all over Gujarat. The official death toll from the violence was 1,053; unofficially, the estimate was about 2,500. The perception was that Modi had allowed it to happen, including the brutal murder of a former Congress parliamentarian, who allegedly telephoned Modi as a mob was standing outside his house. The Supreme Court later exonerated Modi.

However, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was unhappy with Modi’s “handling” of the riots, and wanted him to resign, publicly reminding him of his “raj dharma” (king’s duty). But Advani prevailed upon Vajpayee to let Modi remain, and in the next state legislative election – the first led by Modi – returned him to power overwhelmingly.

Modi has never regretted the riots or his role – it was now his “brand,” and drew a significant number of Hindus to support him. Despite being CM, he had to suffer the indignity of being denied a visa to the US and of being overlooked at meetings by national industry bodies, but one modest Gujarati businessman came to his rescue. Gautam Adani organized several Vibrant Gujarat business summits, showcasing Modi as a development genius.

When the party was looking towards the 2014 parliamentary election, there was no mood for the old warhorse Advani, who had lost the 2009 election. Instead, BJP leaders found that all over the country, people spoke of Modi leading the party. His “brand” found more appeal in an increasingly polarized geopolitical environment. And after fatigue with the Manmohan Singh government that had been in power for a decade, the BJP, led by Modi, won a majority of parliamentary seats – the first time any party had done so since 1984 (when the late Rajiv Gandhi swept the polls after his mother Indira’s assassination).

Decade of reforms

With this mandate, Modi began implementing the very things that the RSS had been saying was on its agenda since independence. The first was a fiscal conservative approach, in which the government’s priority was to enable private industry to lead the economy. Its two favored industry strongmen were Gujarat’s biggest industrialists – Adani and Reliance Industries head Mukesh Ambani.

In November 2016, Modi suddenly demonetized high-value currency. His government gave a variety of reasons – to fight black money, to fight counterfeiting, to bring down currency in circulation, to fight terrorism, to facilitate the shift to a digital payment system – but in hindsight, none of these were achieved. Instead, four months later, the campaign began for Uttar Pradesh (UP), India’s largest state. The BJP opponents, who were believed to have had significant cash on hand for on-the-ground spending, were left with useless paper, and the BJP won resoundingly. In Indian politics, the way to Delhi is said to be through UP.

That terrorism did not end was evidenced by the February 2019 attack in Pulwama in the border state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), where 40 paramilitary personnel were killed. Modi retaliated by sending fighter jets across the border, showing that his government was not shy to fight back. It helped him win the parliamentary election two months later, with an even bigger majority, and a momentous second term.

On August 5, 2019, he fulfilled a long-standing right-wing demand to end the special Constitutional status of J&K, dividing it into two Delhi-controlled union territories. Shortly thereafter, the Supreme Court of India allowed the building of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, which was inaugurated by Modi in January 2024 and widely celebrated across the country.

Along the way, Modi has taken several measures to centralize power. He is in a tug-of-war with the Supreme Court over legislation to let the government have a decisive say in the appointment of judges (it is currently done by a consortium of judges). He has changed the rules of appointments to the Election Commission, removing the Chief Justice of India from the three-member appointments panel and replacing him with a government minister.

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He has done away with the Planning Commission, set up by India’s first PM, and replaced it with a Niti Aayog; the Commission was a legacy of PM Nehru to formulate five-year plans, as was done in several centrally-planned economies globally, for long-term economic planning and development. He has weakened the states by eating away at their share of revenue, collected through the Goods and Services Tax (GST). He has built a new parliament, even though opposition parties claim they were not consulted.

Central agencies have gone after the government’s political opponents in the states. Under India’s constitution, policing is a state subject, and earlier, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) could only operate in a state if the local government invited it. Now, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) act unimpeded by the state governments.

In the current campaign, Modi has said this is because of his drive against corruption, but the Supreme Court this year allowed the public to see the details of the Electoral Bond scheme, something hatched by Modi’s first government. Out of $1.9 billion collected, 47% went to the BJP – from companies which had just been raided by the ED, or were threatened with legal action, or which within days were awarded lucrative contracts and tenders.

Even within his own party Modi remains first among equals. Government decisions are said to originate from the Prime Minister’s Office, as opposed to individual relevant ministries. The recent distribution of party nominations to contest the upcoming parliamentary election sent a message: all are dispensable.

Work in progress

It has not all been smooth sailing for the government. A Citizenship Amendment law – ostensibly to allow Hindu refugees to settle in India – was passed but is yet to be implemented due to protests around the country. Unemployment remains a persistent problem, particularly among the youth. The economy has recovered since the Covid-19 pandemic, better than many countries in the world, but not enough to catapult India into the league of China – the middle-class Indian fantasy.

China is India’s biggest foreign policy problem. In June 2020, Indian and Chinese troops clashed in the Galwan Valley of the high-altitude mountainous Ladakh region. Twenty Indians and four Chinese soldiers died. Modi has been unwilling to admit what satellite maps show – that land that earlier lay in the no-man’s area on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) has now been usurped by China.

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It has also meant that Pakistan is no longer India’s top geopolitical problem, reflecting the private view in right-wing circle that Pakistan is best kept in deep freeze for an extended period.

The big domestic headache of recent times was the Manipur violence that began in March 2023 and has cast a shadow over the election in the northeastern hill state. Modi has not visited the state once since the violence erupted – over constitutional rights for different groups in the state – but he recently asserted to a local newspaper that his government intervened in a timely manner to save the situation. Indeed, the major victims of the violence – the Christian hill tribes known as the Kuki-Zo – have announced they will boycott the election.

The thing that matters most – as shown by a recent survey by the Centre for Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) – is that India’s identity as a Hindu country has been consolidated. People may not plan to visit the Ram Temple, but they express happiness it was built.

READ MORE: World needs peace between India and China – Modi

If reelected, Modi knows what is expected of him: a transformational phase in Indian history. India already has nuclear power, a space program, heavy industry, world class universities, big infrastructure like dams and bridges – all of these were part of the nation-building that took place in 1947-2014.

What India, and therefore Modi, now aspires to do is to forge a sharp Hindu identity whose presence is noticed in the world – be it cultural, linguistic, economic or political.

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Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Rwanda have followed Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa in withdrawing JNJ’s cough syrup for kids

Drug regulatory authorities in Tanzania, Rwanda and Zimbabwe have issued a recall for a batch of Benylin Pediatric, a children’s cough syrup made by Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), after Nigeria’s food and drug regulator announced elevated levels of toxicity found in tests, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

Three African nations have followed Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa in withdrawing the batch of the cough syrups.

On April 12, the Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA) initiated the recall upon receiving information regarding the Nigerian test findings on the previous day. On the same day, the Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) issued “the present recall for precautionary measures.”

The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) director-general Richard Rukwata stated on Monday that the organization had decided to recall the product.

According to the Nigerian regulator’s report, “laboratory analysis conducted on the product showed that it contains an unacceptable high level of diethylene glycol and was found to cause acute oral toxicity in laboratory animals.”

READ MORE: African states recall Johnson & Johnson children’s medicine

Diethylene glycol has been reported to cause abdominal pain, an inability to pass urine, and acute kidney injury, which can be fatal.

The batch being recalled was manufactured by JNJ in South Africa in May 2021 and has an expiration date of April 2024, according to the Kenyan Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB).

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President Xi Jinping has shared four principles to resolve the hostilities between Moscow and Kiev

World powers should focus on restoring peace and stability in Ukraine rather than seeking “selfish gains,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said during a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday.

The chancellor arrived in China on Sunday, accompanied by a large delegation of ministers and business executives.

Meeting with Scholz at Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, Xi told the German leader that all parties should work together to restore peace in Ukraine as soon as possible. The Chinese leader also outlined four principles that he believes will prevent the conflict from escalating.

“First, we should prioritize the upholding of peace and stability and refrain from seeking selfish gains,” Xi said, as quoted by the Xinhua news agency.

The next step, according to Xi, would be to stop “adding fuel to the fire,” which would enable conditions for the restoration of peace.

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The Chinese leader also called for a reduction of the impact of the conflict on the global economy, and for parties to “refrain from undermining the stability of global industrial and supply chains.”

Scholz, whose three-day trip to China is the second since he took office in 2021, told Xi that he is willing to discuss “how we can contribute more to a just peace in Ukraine.” The ongoing crisis has affected Germany’s “core interests” and has disrupted energy supplies and global trade, the chancellor added.

According to Scholz, the hostilities have also had a negative impact on European security and risk damaging the “entire international order.”

China, which has insisted it is neutral in the Ukraine conflict, has been widely criticized by the West for refusing to condemn Moscow’s military operation.

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The strategic partnership between Moscow and Beijing has strengthened since the Ukraine crisis broke out, as the two countries have ramped up economic cooperation and diplomatic ties.

Beijing has long urged peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, and issued a 12-point peace plan to end the hostilities on the first anniversary of the conflict in February 2023.

The initiative, hailed by Moscow, includes a call for a cessation of hostilities, the resumption of peace talks, abandoning a “Cold War mentality,” and respecting the sovereignty of all nations.

In contrast to Beijing’s proposal to end the fighting, Kiev’s ten-point peace formula first presented by President Vladimir Zelensky in the autumn of 2022 demands the complete and unconditional withdrawal of Russian forces from all territories within Ukraine’s 1991 borders.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has described Zelensky’s peace formula as an “absolutely hollow” ultimatum that is “divorced from reality.”

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The 17-year-old traveled 650 kilometers on the exterior of a service from Moscow to St. Petersburg

A teenage boy was detained over the weekend after train-surfing some 650 kilometers on the exterior of a high-speed train in Russia, police said on Tuesday.

The 17-year-old arrived in the city of St. Petersburg from Moscow on a service that travels for four hours at speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour (155 mph).

The youth, whose name has not been disclosed, told police that he had been chasing an adrenaline hit and was planning to train-surf back to Moscow. However, he was detained on his arrival in St. Petersburg. A statement said the boy admitted to having practiced the reckless activity for the past three years.

The young man has since been handed over to his parents, who have been charged with breaking parental-responsibility laws. The incident will be investigated, officials said, adding that the “extremely dangerous” method of transport can result in serious accidents.

READ MORE: One killed in overpass collapse in Russia (VIDEOS)

Train surfing is the illegal act of riding on the outside of a moving train, tram or other forms of rail transport. It poses a risk of death or serious injury, due to people falling off moving trains, to electrocution by the train’s power or to collisions with railway infrastructure.

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Ukraine could use any ceasefire to its advantage, the Kremlin has said

Ukraine typically uses any truce observed by Russia to gain an advantage on the battlefield, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. He was responding to a proposal for an ‘Olympic ceasefire’ by French President Emmanuel Macron.

On Monday, the French president called for a global suspension of hostilities during the 2024 Olympic Games, set to be held in Paris in July and August. He specifically mentioned the Ukraine conflict and the war in Gaza while discussing the idea with the French media.

In response, Kremlin spokesman Peskov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been asked about similar initiatives on numerous occasions.

“Both our president and our military officials have pointed out that the Kiev regime usually uses such ideas and initiatives to regroup, rearm, etc. This certainly makes considering such initiatives much harder,” Peskov stated.

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The Russian government has in any case not received any formal proposals from France in that regard, he added.

After Macron suggested an Olympic truce in Ukraine last month, Putin insisted that Moscow would be driven by its own interests and the battlefield situation when considering any calls for a ceasefire.

“We stand for peace talks, but not those called because the opponent is running out of ammo,” the Russian leader stated. Moscow expects Kiev to “actually be serious in seeking truly peaceful, long-term good neighborly relations between the two states, and not a pause for a couple of years to rearm,” he added.

Macron is among the Western leaders who advocate continued military assistance for Ukraine. He has vowed to ramp up French arms production so that it can supply weapons to Kiev for years to come.

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The prime minister suggested people would regret scrapping the donation scheme that his government introduced

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has claimed his country is being “pushed” towards corruption after a scheme for funding political parties introduced by his government was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Commenting on the electoral bonds scheme for the first time since the court’s judgment in February, Modi told news agency ANI that the initiative had been a “success story” as it provided traceability in relation to political funding. However, he also admitted that there had been “a lot of scope for improvement.”

“But today we have completely pushed the country towards black money, hence I say everyone will regret it,” he said.

Modi claimed that the idea of managing political funding through bonds had arisen from a “pure thought” in his mind of how to tackle corruption in Indian politics and make it more transparent. “We found a small way, we never claimed that this was the absolute way,” he added.

The prime minister pointed out that only 26 companies out of 3,000 that donated through the scheme were investigated by law enforcement agencies. Of these 26, only 16 bought electoral bonds – and nearly two-thirds of this went to opposition parties.

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However, Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi described the bonds scheme as “the biggest extortion scheme in the world,” and accused Modi of being its “mastermind,” days before India’s parliamentary elections.

“The important thing with the electoral bonds is names and dates. If you see the names and dates, you will know that, when [donors] gave the electoral bond, right after that contract was given to them or CBI [Central Bureau of Investigation] inquiry was withdrawn against them,” Gandhi said, according to India Today.

The electoral bonds scheme was introduced by Modi’s government in 2018, allowing companies and individuals to purchase bonds from the SBI and donate them to parties anonymously. At that time, the government maintained that it would help increase transparency surrounding political financing in India. In February, India’s top court scrapped the scheme, branding it “unconstitutional.” The court also asked the government-owned State Bank of India (SBI), which issued the bonds, to provide details relating to the scheme to the Election Commission of India (ECI).

READ MORE: Indian bank data links political parties to big donors ahead of polls

These details were later made public, and suggested that the Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had been the biggest beneficiary of the scheme, securing almost half of the bonds donated between 2018 and 2024, worth 60 billion rupees ($719 million).

Opposition parties also received funding through the same scheme. The country’s oldest and largest nationwide opposition party, the Congress, as well as the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) party, which is influential in the state of West Bengal, were among the next-biggest recipients. They raked in 14 billion rupees ($167 million) and 16 billion rupees ($191 million) in donations, respectively.

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