Donald Trump has praised former US President Dwight D. Eisenhower for his mass deportation of illegal immigrants in the 1950s, insisting again that he will deploy similar tactics if reelected this year.  

Eisenhower was “very strong on deportation,” Trump told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo in an interview aired on Sunday. The former US leader’s military-style expulsion campaign in the summer of 1953 affected as many as 1.3 million people, making the program the largest of its kind in American history. Trump is seeking to surpass Eisenhower if elected president in November. 

“He dropped them [immigrants] very close to the border, and they came back. Then he dropped them 2,000 miles away, and they didn’t come back,” Trump said, describing the Eisenhower administration’s tactics. 

The Eisenhower-era ‘Operation Wetback’ was intended to address public discontent with foreign workers, predominantly Mexican nationals, who had moved to the US in large numbers a decade earlier in response to a labor shortage caused by the World War II military draft. The name derived from a disparaging term for illegal Mexican workers employed by US farm owners in border states.

Playing on anti-immigrant sentiment helped lead Trump to electoral success in 2016, and the Republican frontrunner has made the issue part of his current bid for a return to the White House.  

In his interview with Fox, Trump claimed Latin American governments were “sending people … that they don’t want” across the US border. He also alleged that China was encouraging the crossings, predicting that this would result in a “terrorist attack, 100%.” 

The former US leader also commented on the high-profile incident in New York last month, in which a group of migrants was filmed attacking police officers in Times Square while one of them was being arrested. The assault caused a nationwide uproar, with politicians on both sides of the political aisle calling for the perpetrators to be deported.

“The people of New York are angry. People that would have never voted for me because I’m a Republican,” Trump said. “I think they’re going to vote for me. So I think we’re going to give New York a heavy shot.”

Michelle O’Neill, the only Irish nationalist to have ever been appointed first minister of Northern Ireland, has said that she anticipates a referendum on Irish unity to take place within the next 10 years. 

In an interview with Sky News on Sunday, O’Neill noted that her campaign was based on being the “first minister for all.”

“I am somebody who wants to be a unifier. I am somebody who wants to bring people together,” she stressed.

When asked whether she agrees with the statement of her party leader Mary Lou McDonald, that a United Ireland is “within touching distance” as opposed to “decades” away, O’Neill said that she believes that Northern Ireland is witnessing “a decade of opportunity.”

Under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement signed between the UK and Irish governments in 1998 to end decades of sectarian violence, the secretary of state for Northern Ireland should call for a border poll (a referendum on Irish unification) if “a majority of those voting would express a wish” that Northern Ireland “should leave the UK and join a united Ireland.” 

A command paper signed by the rival Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) last month outlined that the region’s future in the UK will be secure for decades and that there is “no realistic prospect of a border poll.” However, O’Neill said that she would “absolutely contest what the British government has said in the document.”

O’Neill, the vice president of the nationalist Sinn Fein party, won the election on Saturday. She said the victory “represents a new dawn” for Northern Ireland and stated that her goal was to achieve a united Ireland. 

O’Neill had served as first minister-designate since May 2022, when the pro-united Ireland group emerged as the largest party in the 90-seat Northern Ireland Assembly (Stormont) following elections. However, O’Neill has been blocked from taking office by the DUP, which boycotted the assembly in protest over post-Brexit trading rules. The party said the trade restrictions undermined the region’s relationship with Britain, effectively crippling the legislature, which relies upon a power-sharing agreement to function.

Prior to O’Neill, there had been 11 consecutive unionist leaders at the head of Northern Ireland’s government since Stormont was established 103 years ago.

Sinn Fein has the stated goal of achieving a united Ireland, whereas the DUP wants it to remain part of the UK. A referendum on Irish reunification can only be held at the discretion of the British government.

Thousands of small businesses in Canada face the risk of closing down after the government ended pandemic-era support last month and as interest rates are at a two-decade high, according to a Reuters report.

A surge in bankruptcies, which already jumped by 38% in the first 11 months of 2023, would weigh on the country’s economic growth, lobby groups and economists cited by Reuters warn.

Businesses that took out Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) interest-free loans of C$60,000 ($44,676), which were made available during the pandemic, had until January 18 to repay them. The repayment deadline has already been pushed back several times from its original date at the end of December 2022 to give small businesses more time to get on their feet.

Small businesses, which are the source of employment for almost two-thirds of Canada’s 12 million private-sector workers, are a critical segment of the country’s economy. Official statistics show there were about 1.2 million small businesses in Canada in 2021, contributing over a third to the country’s GDP. Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Monday that of the 900,000 businesses that had taken the government support, a fifth have not yet repaid their loans. The Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB) reportedly estimates that a quarter missed the deadline.

“There are tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of businesses that remain viable, but will not be able to outrun their debt,” CFIB president Dan Kelly told Reuters. Many debts could only be repaid by borrowing at a higher interest rate from banks, he said.

“We do anticipate... a rise in insolvencies over the next six months or so,” Stephen Tapp, chief economist at the Chamber of Commerce, told the outlet. The Conference Board of Canada, an independent think tank, estimates first quarter corporate profits this year to nearly halve from a year ago as companies are hit with higher costs and a drop in sales. Economists expect consumer spending in the country on a per-capita basis to slump further.

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

Chinese investors and households were major gold consumers in 2023 amid strong global demand for the safe-haven metal, the World Gold Council’s quarterly report has shown. 

According to the publication, Chinese investment demand for gold – spanning bars and coins – jumped 28% last year to 280 tons. Jewelry consumption was also up 10% to 630 tons. Overall, gold purchases reached nearly 960 tons in 2023.

“China was key to a lot of what was happening last year,” said Louise Street, senior market analyst at the WGC. “When you look at the consumer sector, China is not the price-setting factor but it is providing a floor.” 

The world’s second-biggest consumer, India, saw total gold purchases slide to 748 tons in 2023. It was followed by the US (249 tons), Türkiye (201.6 tons), and Iran (71.8 tons). The top ten also included Russia, Germany, Egypt, Vietnam, and Saudi Arabia.

The report indicated that together with “blistering” demand from global central banks, Chinese consumer demand helped push the yellow metal’s price to record highs in December and keep it above $2,000 per troy ounce this year.

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

The US Senate released the text of a long-awaited national security supplemental on Sunday, which pairs provisions for tougher border security with foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The initial vote on the legislation is expected by midweek.

Out of the $118 billion package, more than a half – roughly $60 billion – is allocated for military aid to Ukraine. Another $14 billion is destined for Israel and $4.8 billion to support Washington's Indo-Pacific “partners” amid tensions with China.

A further $10 billion will go towards humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza, the West Bank and Ukraine.

The overall cost of the proposed border policy changes comes to just over $20 billion, which could cover transportation for deportation, shelters and more than 4,000 new asylum officers.

The US leader specifically emphasized two “important priorities” that would allow the United States and partners “to continue our vital work,” referring to aid for Ukraine and Israel, urging the Congress to “swiftly pass” the bill.

President Biden has been struggling for months to garner support for a $60 billion military aid package to Ukraine as part of a wider national security supplemental. However, it remains unclear if the newly negotiated border measures will be enough to convince Republican critics and not drive away progressive Democrats.

The speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, warned on Sunday that the Senate proposal will be “dead on arrival” if it reaches the House floor in its current form.

I’ve seen enough. This bill is even worse than we expected, and won’t come close to ending the border catastrophe the President has created. As the lead Democrat negotiator proclaimed: Under this legislation, “the border never closes.”

If this bill reaches the House, it will be…

— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) February 5, 2024

“I’ve seen enough. This bill is even worse than we expected, and won’t come close to ending the border catastrophe the President has created,” Johnson said on X.

While US lawmakers are entangled in negotiations over the new security supplement, EU leaders last week signed off on a €50 billion ($54 billion) support package for Kiev “within the EU budget.” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who originally vetoed the proposal arguing that Brussels has no idea how the monies will be spent, was reportedly “blackmailed” into accepting the deal.

Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has criticized US President Biden’s approach to Israel’s war in Gaza, arguing that the situation would be “completely different” if former President Donald Trump were in power.

“Instead of giving us his full backing, Biden is busy with giving humanitarian aid and fuel (to Gaza), which goes to Hamas,” Ben-Gvir told the Wall Street Journal on Sunday. “If Trump was in power, the US conduct would be completely different.”

Since the beginning of the military conflict, following Hamas’s incursion on October 7, which left around 1,200 Israelis dead and over 200 taken hostage, the United States pledged to give Israel “whatever it needs” to achieve its military goals – but repeatedly urged the IDF to avoid harming Palestinian civilians.

Labor chairwoman Merav Michaeli interpreted the comments as a “blatant and deliberate intervention in the American election campaign” and urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to sack the minister.

“If Netanyahu does not fire Ben-Gvir, it is tantamount to unreservedly endorsing his remarks. No one anywhere will believe that a government minister would dare to make such harmful and even ungrateful remarks without having the backing of the prime minister of Israel,” she said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry denounced Ben-Gvir’s comments as “racist” and called for international sanctions against him. 

Itamar Ben-Gvir, who was appointed as a national security minister in December 2022, is known for his ultra-nationalist views. He previously called for the occupation of Gaza and the expulsion of the Palestinian population from the enclave. He also threatened to bring down Netanyahu’s governing coalition if the PM was too soft on Hamas.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has expressed hope that the newly approved €50 billion ($54 billion) package of EU aid for Ukraine will be used to support civilians by preventing the collapse of the bankrupt state, rather than to fund more weapons and bloodshed.

Orban has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in Ukraine and for peace talks between Moscow and Kiev. Ukraine cannot hope to defeat Russia on the battlefield, he has argued. His stance, as well as Budapest’s opposition to sanctions on Russia and its blocking of EU military aid to Ukraine, has seen Hungary vilified in Kiev and threatened with counter-sanctions by Brussels.

“The West still thinks that time is on our side. Yet, I think the opposite is true. I think that time is on the side of the Russians, and the longer the war goes on, the more people will die, and the balance of power will not change in Ukraine’s favor,” Orban told Kossuth Radio on Friday.

The Hungarian leader went on to insist that “peace will come when there is change in Brussels,” and that after almost two years of failed efforts to defeat Russia militarily, “everything in Brussels should revolve around achieving a ceasefire as soon as possible.”

“We are not sending weapons, we get our money from Brussels, and we will contribute to the civil financing of Ukraine,” Orban said on Friday, reiterating his position that the only way to end the Ukrainian crisis was through negotiations.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is planning a “serious” overhaul of his leadership team, he told Italy’s RAI TG1 news channel, when asked about a reported plan to fire military commander General Valery Zaluzhny.

Tensions between the Ukrainian president and his top general have grown since last year, with numerous reports over the past week suggesting Zaluzhny would soon be relieved of his post. In the interview published on Sunday, Zelensky addressed the rumors for the first time.

“When we talk about this, I mean a replacement of a series of state leaders, not just in a single sector like the military. I’m thinking about this replacement, but you can’t say 'here we replaced a single person',” he explained. “if we want to win, we must all push in the same direction, convinced of victory.”

Definitely a reset, a new beginning is necessary.

“I have something serious in mind, which is not about a single person but about the direction of the country’s leadership,” Zelensky concluded, without elaborating further on any possible personnel shakeup within his administration. 

However, in Sunday’s interview, Zelensky acknowledged to TG1 that there was indeed a “stalemate” in the “war on the ground,” even echoing Zaluzhny’s call for “modern technical means” to continue the fight against Russia. “Ammunition is not enough,” he claimed.

Zelensky reportedly warned US President Joe Biden’s administration in advance that he planned to fire Zaluzhny, news the White House took in its stride, showing neither support nor opposition, according to inside sources who spoke to the Washington Post.

Zelensky has yet to formally dismiss the general and has not yet even chosen a replacement for Zaluzhny, according to an unnamed senior official at the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense cited by the Post. Sources told the news outlet Zelensky was searching for a suitable new position for his military commander in the hope of “tempering public disapproval” over his ouster.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine would have never happened without the interference of the West and its “insane” idea of an ever-expanding NATO, Tarik Cyril Amar, an associate professor at Koc University in Istanbul, believes.

Speaking to RT’s Oksana Boyko on Worlds Apart, the history professor shared his thoughts on the insistence of both Kiev and its Western backers on inflicting a decisive battlefield defeat on Russia – which seemingly remains unchanged despite all the setbacks the Ukrainian military has suffered. For Kiev, such a belief might actually be genuine, he suggested.

“Regarding the Ukrainian leadership, I would not be able to tell. I have a guess that President Zelensky himself is, basically, delusional and has become drunk on his own rhetoric as well as the flattery that he used to receive from the West. I think it has really deranged him a bit and disturbed his relationship to reality,” the historian suggested.

In the West, the understanding that such a goal is not viable has become more prominent, and talk of continuous support for Ukraine is, at least partially, a “negotiation tactic,” the professor argued.

“Concerning the West, my guess is that quite a few people in Washington and in the EU as well understand that they have to get out of this war without a Russian defeat. Now do they understand already how much they have to concede? Again, I can’t tell,” Amar stated.

Without Western interference, the conflict between Kiev and Moscow would have never started, and multiple opportunities to bring it to an end were deliberately sabotaged, including the Minsk agreement of 2015 and the Istanbul talks of March 2022, Amar said.

“The roots of the war do really go to 2008, the infamous Bucharest summit, when both Georgia and Ukraine were put by the West into this insane position of saying’ One day you’ll be in NATO, but not now,’ which, of course, exposed them and made them threats for Russia.”

The West’s insistence on fueling the conflict largely stems from two ideas, Amar explained. The West “simply won’t give up on its idea of expanding NATO, which in itself is an insane idea,” as well as pursues a “long-term geopolitical strategy of getting Russia down,” as it refused to accept Moscow’s resurgence following the 1990s turmoil.

Watch the full video below:

The British Royal Navy's largest military vessel, the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, will miss upcoming NATO war games that it was supposed to lead, after suffering an unexpected “issue” in one of its propeller shafts. The development was announced by London on Sunday, with the aircraft carrier’s sister ship, the HMS Prince of Wales, set to take its place in the military bloc's drills.

The “issue” was discovered during the final pre-sail check, with the carrier then assessed as unfit to take part in the exercise.

“Routine pre-sailing checks yesterday identified an issue with a coupling on HMS Queen Elizabeth’s starboard propeller shaft. As such, the ship will not sail on Sunday,” Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Andrew Burns said in a statement.

“HMS Prince of Wales will take her place on NATO duties and will set sail for Exercise Steadfast Defender as soon as possible,” he added.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman further elaborated on the issue, insisting that the Queen Elizabeth’s problem was “separate and not linked” to earlier technical troubles on its sister ship. The Prince of Wales, commissioned in late 2019, has spent months in repairs over various issues, including at least two floors.

The Queen Elizabeth has also experienced assorted technical problems during its service, including with its propeller.

HMS Prince of Wales is reportedly expected to be ready to sail for the NATO war games within a week. The major multidimensional drills kicked off in late January and are set to run until May 31, 2024, becoming the largest war game held by the US-led NATO bloc since the Cold War.

The troubles with HMS Queen Elizabeth have become the second embarrassing setback for the Royal Navy in just two weeks. On January 18, two British minesweeper vessels collided while docking in Bahrain. One sustained considerable damage, suffering a large hole punctured in its hull.

Former US President Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner to battle likely Democratic candidate Joe Biden in November’s election, has said that his prospective running mate must be capable of being a good president should an “emergency” befall his administration, should he win.

The latest polling data shows Trump, 77, holding a commanding lead over the former South Carolina governor, Nikki Haley, in the race to secure the GOP nomination. 

But with Trump having so far avoided the debate stage as the Republican field thinned to just two candidates, several questions remain over his candidacy – including exactly what he will be looking for in a running mate should he, as expected, be anointed as the Republican nominee.

“Always it’s gotta be who is going to be a good president,” Trump told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday when asked what the criteria for his VP selection might be. 

“Obviously you always have to think that, because in case of emergency,” Trump added. “Things happen, right? No matter who you are, things happen. That’s gotta be number one.”

While Trump said that he doesn’t intend to make a selection for “a little while,” he did highlight the candidacy of some potential contenders. “You know, I called [South Carolina Senator] Tim Scott and people like Tim Scott, and I said you’re a much better candidate for me than you are for yourself,” Trump said to Bartiromo. 

“When I watched him, he was fine. He was good, but he was very low-key,” he added. 

Trump also said that South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has caught his eye. Noem said last summer that she would never run as a candidate against Trump because she does not believe that she, or anyone else for that matter, can beat him.

Recent media reports have suggested that Trump’s campaign team had last year reached out to former Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to gauge his interest as a possible running mate. Kennedy, now running for US president as an independent candidate, denied the claim – as did Trump on Fox News on Sunday, saying that the reported discussions “never happened.”

Trump’s vice president between 2017 and 2021 was former Indiana Governor Mike Pence. Their political alliance ended in acrimonious circumstances over the January 2021 riots at the US Capitol, after Pence refused to comply with Trump’s demands to prevent Congress from certifying the results of Joe Biden’s 2020 US presidential election victory.

Over the course of 24 days – from December 28 to  January 20 – I was able to take in the sights and sounds of Moscow and Saint Petersburg, as these two cities celebrated both the New Year and Russian Orthodox Christmas (I also got to experience the freezing cold of the Russian winter, which was very much part of the experience!)

I viewed my winter sojourn in Russia as an extension of the journey I began in May 2023, when I embarked on a mission of trying to discover the country's essence in a manner that could be made discernible to my fellow Americans as sort of an antidote to the poison of Russophobia. The combined experiences of observing the Christmas Eve service hosted by Kirill, the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in the center of Moscow and watching Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker performed live in St. Petersburg’s renowned Mikhailosky Theatre on Christmas Day, January 7, helped ground me in the importance of family and culture in the lives of the Russian people.

Russia’s mettle, however, can't be measured by its social and cultural accomplishments alone. The true test of a people comes only when the foundation of their society is threatened, and the nation is called upon to rally together in its collective defense. Amidst all the holiday celebration and fanfare that I witnessed there lurked an underlying reality that Russia was very much a nation at war. This war was defined in the mindset of those people I met not so much in terms of a Russian-Ukrainian conflict as it was an existential struggle between Russia and the collective West – led by the US – in which Ukraine is being used as a proxy.

To a person, the Russians I spoke with were insistent that the time for compromise had long passed and that, given the investment in blood and treasure that Moscow had made to date, there is no alternative to a decisive victory. Yes, the Russian people are tired, but they also understand that the war is a necessary evil which has to be endured all the way to a final comprehensive victory if there is ever to be a chance of a lasting peace. I was able to glimpse the character of the Russian people during the portions of my sojourn to Russia that took me out of its two largest metropolitan centers, and to the south of the country –  into what I have come to call the “Russian Path of Redemption” – Chechnya, Crimea, Kherson, Zaporozhye, Donetsk, and Lugansk.

Redemption is the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil. In the case of Russia’s conflict with Kiev, the six named territories all play a role that precisely matches this definition. Of them, Chechnya stands out as having no geographic, historic, ethic, religious, or political connection with Ukraine. And yet it is with Chechnya that the Russian Path of Redemption begins. 

It was the scene of two bloody wars between Moscow and separatists fought between 1994 and the early 2000s (with the final counter-guerilla operations concluding in 2009) that killed tens of thousands of people. The fighting that transpired was bloody and ruthless; little mercy was shown by either side. By 2002, Chechnya’s capital city, Grozny, had been completely leveled.

The rancor and bitterness produced by a conflict that witnessed so much violence between people with different religions, cultures, and languages made the notion of reconciliation all but impossible to imagine. Add to this was the fact that the Chechens possessed a history that lent itself to prejudice and resentment against the Russians, even without the horrors of the two wars. The exile of the Chechen people by Joseph Stalin's Soviet government during the Second World War saw nearly 610,000 Chechen and Ingush forcibly evicted from their homes and relocated to Central Asia, where nearly a quarter of them died due to poor conditions. The survivors were allowed to return to their homeland in 1957, following Nikita Khrushchev's reforms. But the resentment generated by the years of suffering was passed down through the generations that followed.

They succeeded.

Today, throughout the Chechen Republic, the visages of Vladimir Putin and Akhmad Kadyrov can be seen on display, side-by-side, in recognition of the role both men played in overcoming the history of violence, mistrust, and resentment that had defined the relationship, and instead forging a new path forward governed by the notion of mutual respect and shared prosperity. The success of their joint work is manifest in the fact that while the Chechen people today maintain their distinct identity, defined in large part by the Muslim faith, they very much identify themselves as being part of the Russian Federation, something that was unthinkable back in the 1990’s when they fought for independence from Russia.

While in Chechnya, I had the opportunity to meet with several prominent Chechen figures, including former deputy interior minister Apti Alaudinov, State Duma member Adam Delimkhanov, chairman of the Chechen republican parliament Magomed Daudov, and the head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov. What these four individuals all had in common was that, at some point in their lives, they had taken up arms against Russia. But they were also united in the fact that, at some point during their resistance against Russia during the Second Chechen War, they realized that the cause of an independent Chechen Republic had been hijacked by foreign jihadists whose passion for violence had superseded any logical notion of Chechen nationalism, and instead created the conditions where continued conflict threatened to consume the Chechen people.

“We have witnessed for ourselves how outside parties sought to infect us with their foreign ideology in order to further their larger struggle against Russia,” I was told. “We ended up realizing that the best way to protect ourselves from being destroyed by these foreign agents was to align ourselves with Russia. In doing so, we discovered that the Russians shared our same desire to live in peace, free from outside manipulation. This is why we have made fighting alongside Russia in the Special Military Operation such a high priority. We see in the Banderist forces in Ukraine the same evil that we saw in the foreign jihadists who came to fight in Chechnya. We worked with Russia to destroy this evil back in the early 2000’s, and today we are working with our Russian brothers to destroy the same evil as it has been manifested in Ukraine.”

If someone had suggested in 2002 that there would come a time in the not-to-distant future where 25,000 Chechen warriors could be assembled in Grozny not for the purpose of fighting against the Russians, but instead fighting side-by-side with the Russians against a common enemy, they would have been dismissed as delusional. And yet I bore personal witness to this very phenomenon, watching in amazement as Ramzan Kadyrov exhorted these heavily armed men to fight for the memory of his father, for their faith, and for the cause of greater Russia.

The Chechen miracle is the living manifestation of Russian redemption.

Global cases of cancer will surge to 35 million by the year 2050, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) cancer agency has predicted – a 77% increase over figures reported in 2022.

The predictive data, published on Thursday by the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), cites the use of tobacco and alcohol, as well as obesity and poor air quality, as the primary factors driving the expected increase in cases by 2050.

“Over 35 million new cancer cases are predicted in 2050,” the IARC said in a statement on its website, adding that this number is 77% higher than the 20 million diagnosed in 2022.

The IARC’s biannual report, which is based on data from 185 countries and 36 different types of cancer, also said that there were some 9.7 million deaths from the illness globally in 2022. About one in five people can expect to develop cancer in their lifetimes, it added, with one in nine men dying from the disease compared to about one in 12 women.

The IARC data also detailed that diagnoses can vary greatly depending on where the afflicted people live. “One of the biggest challenges we are seeing is the proportional increases in the cancer burden are going to be the most striking in the lower income, lower human development countries,” the agency’s Freddie Bray told Al Jazeera on Thursday.

“They are going to see a projected increase of well over a doubling of the burden by 2050,” Bray said, adding that many of these countries are “currently ill-equipped to really deal with the cancer problem.”

The data also showed that lung cancer is the most common variant of the disease amongst men, while in women breast cancer accounts for the most cases. The IARC also said that lifestyle changes can impact cancer diagnoses, with colorectal cancer – the third most common type of cancer, and second biggest killer – seeing an increase driven by factors like tobacco, alcohol and obesity.

While there are more than 100 different types of cancer, the five most common collectively amount to about 50% of all cases.

Recent statements by EU politicians about the possibility of a war with Russia serve their own domestic interests and distract the population from internal issues like tanking economies, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has suggested. At the same time, claims of an allegedly imminent conflict with Moscow also help to justify continued funding for Kiev, he said.

On February 1 EU leaders signed off on a €50-billion ($54-billion) package of economic aid to Ukraine. This followed months of back-and-forth on the matter.

“They [politicians in EU countries] need to continue to construct an image of the enemy, to do it in a textured, prominent way, in order to justify the increase in spending. And, you see, the allocation of 50 billion – on the one hand, for the EU this amount is not a very big deal, but on the other hand it is still noticeable against the backdrop of the crisis markers manifesting themselves in the economies of EU countries,” Peskov told journalist Pavel Zarubin on Sunday.

This effort to distract populations from domestic problems with talk about a purportedly looming conflict with Russia has been undertaken by multiple countries of the bloc, the spokesman pointed out. In particular, Germany has clearly taken such an approach to hide the internal issues it has been facing lately, he suggested.

In recent months, senior officials from various EU countries have been urging their citizenry to brace for an allegedly inevitable conflict with Russia, with governments redirecting funding towards their militaries. Berlin has actively taken such a route, adopting a new military and strategic doctrine late last year that aims for “war-ready” forces. At the time, Chancellor Olaf Scholz claimed the country needed “a long-term, permanent change of course,” with the goal of creating “a powerful Bundeswehr” actually able to fight in the war that has been flagged as imminent.

Russia has repeatedly dismissed claims that it is somehow seeking to attack any EU or NATO countries, describing such allegations as “absurd.” Late last year, for instance, Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated that Moscow has “no interest… geopolitically, economically or militarily... in waging war against [the US-led NATO bloc].”

US President Joe Biden handily won the Democratic Party’s first primary in South Carolina on Saturday, sweeping the sparsely-populated field with over 95% of votes.

Thanking the state’s voters for his landslide victory in a statement on Saturday, Biden said, “I have no doubt that you have set us on the path to winning the Presidency again – and making Donald Trump a loser – again.” 

About 131,000 people voted in the primary - a dismal 4% turnout. Party officials had warned Reuters they expected between 100,000 and 200,000 total votes this year, a significant decrease on 2020, when over 540,000 Democrats turned out to vote in South Carolina’s presidential primary – 16.4% of registered party voters.

Biden’s campaign had lobbied to make South Carolina’s voters first to cast their ballots for the party’s presidential nomination. Previously, the US state of Iowa inaugurated election season, while New Hampshire followed with the first primary. Republicans in the state vote later this month.

While Biden easily defeated his opponents, Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips and author Marianne Williamson, rock-bottom voter turnout suggested a lack of enthusiasm about the incumbent’s repeat candidacy, as Phillips himself observed in a statement on Saturday.

Democratic insiders have long warned of an “enthusiasm gap” surrounding the nation’s octogenarian commander-in-chief. Polls have repeatedly indicated that even Democratic voters believe Biden is too old and frail, both mentally and physically, for a second term. 

South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, whose endorsement of Biden was trumpeted by the media establishment as a seal of approval from the black community, was quick to herald his victory as proof the president has “not lost any support among African-Americans” in an interview with CNN.

Biden’s approval rating among black voters has dropped to 42%, according to a recent AP-NORC, just over half of what it was when he took office in 2021.

One black South Carolina voter interviewed by MSNBC ahead of the primary blamed the economy, explaining, “We were broke with Biden; we weren’t with Trump.”

An NBC poll published Sunday placed Trump five points ahead of Biden, reversing the incumbent’s lead as measured in July by the same pollster.

A pigeon suspected of conducting espionage operations on behalf of the People’s Republic of China has been released by Indian officials after eight months of detention following an intervention by PETA, the animal rights group has said.

The bird was detained last May close to a port in Mumbai after it was discovered wearing two rings on its legs, with words that appeared to be Chinese inscribed on its wings, prompting concerns about its possible involvement in espionage.

Eventually, though, it was determined that the pigeon had no nefarious intentions towards the Indian state and was in fact an open-water racing bird from Taiwan that had escaped and made its way to the subcontinent.

The pigeon – who had apparently been deemed a flight risk – was held at an animal hospital before its transfer last week to the Bombay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, whose staff set it free on Tuesday.

“After learning that a pigeon was held at the Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals (BSDPHA) in Parel as case property for an astonishing eight months, PETA India sprang into action to secure the bird’s freedom from captivity,” the animal rights organization said in a statement on its website.

Following PETA’s intervention, Mumbai police approved the release of the wrongfully accused avian.

In 2016, another pigeon was detained in India after it was reportedly found carrying a note containing a threat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Historically, pigeons have been used in spying operations – including by the UK during both World Wars – to deliver messages. Famously, a bird named Gustav ferried the first news of the D-Day landings back to the UK after details were attached to the winged messenger on Sword Beach in Normandy on June 6, 1944.

Last year, scientists in the US state of New Mexico began working on a project in which they intended to repurpose dead, taxidermied birds into drones in order to better understand the habits of flocks of birds on flights.

The research, which was presented last year at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, could also be harnessed to enable espionage directed at military targets, reports said.

Canada has frozen a plan to expand its assisted suicide program to include people suffering from mental illnesses, Health Minister Mark Holland and Justice Minister Arif Virani have announced.

Among the reasons for the postponement, they cited a lack of medical professionals, especially psychiatrists, willing to evaluate patients before a lethal injection.

Canada legalized euthanasia after the Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that requiring people to cope with intolerable suffering was tantamount to violating their basic rights. In 2021, the Superior Court of Quebec demanded that the government expand the criteria to those suffering from “grievous and irremediable” conditions, such as depression and other mental health issues.

The law’s separate provisions for people with mental illnesses were originally postponed for two years.

Speaking to reporters on Monday following a session of a special parliamentary committee looking into the issue, Holland explained: “it’s clear from the conversations we’ve had that the system is not ready, and we need more time.”

On Thursday, Canada's Health Ministry released a statement, clarifying that the expansion originally slated for March 17 of this year had been postponed until 2027. It is hoped that by then, regional healthcare providers will be better prepared to administer euthanasia to the mentally ill, with clear guidelines developed in the meantime, the document added.

However, plans to extend the practice to the mentally ill have proven controversial, with members of the opposition Conservative Party accusing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government of promoting a “culture of death.” 

Some critics on the left have also argued that the authorities should instead focus on improving psychiatric care, which is said to be chronically underfunded.

A number of psychiatrists, for their part, have voiced concern that patients could bail out of treatment schemes that do not provide immediate relief, and opt for the easy way out instead.

According to a report released by the Canadian Health Ministry last October, there was a 31.2% increase in the number of cases involving what is termed in the country as medical assistance in dying (MAID) in 2022 compared to 2021.

In 2022, a total of 13,241 people chose to end their lives this way, with 463 of those being “individuals whose natural deaths were not reasonably foreseeable.”

Russian сosmonaut Oleg Kononenko has set a new record for spending the most time on the International Space Station (ISS), Russia space agency Roscosmos has said.

The previous record belonged to another Russian, Gennady Padalka, who stayed in orbit for 878 days, 11 hours, 29 minutes and 48 seconds during his five missions.

Padalka’s achievement was surpassed by Kononenko at 11:30:08 Moscow time (11:30:08 AM GMT) on Saturday, Roscosmos announced on social media.

It’s the fifth mission to the ISS for Kononenko, who first traveled to space back in 2008.

The current crew of the station is scheduled to return to Earth on September 23, which means that the 59-year-old will become the first human to pass the mark of spending 1,000 days in space.

In a separate interview with Tass news agency, the cosmonaut insisted that he’s “flying to space to do the job that I love, not to set records.” He said he was more proud not of his personal achievement, but of the fact that the record for the most time spent in space remains in the hands of a Russian.

When asked how he has been affected by staying in orbit for so long, Kononenko replied: “Going to space, of course, doesn’t improve one’s health, but I always pursue an active lifestyle and regularly exercise both on Earth and in space.”

“And from a psychological point of view, during my work in orbit, I don’t feel any deprivation or isolation,” he stressed, adding that “the friendly atmosphere, mutual support and understanding between all crew members remain unchanged at the station” at all times.

According to NASA’s figures, the US astronaut to have spent the most time at the ISS is Peggy Whitson, who worked in space for 655 days.

Mosfilm is not only Russia’s main and largest film studio; it’s the historical birthplace of Soviet and Russian cinema. This year, the film studio is celebrating its centenary. To this day, Mosfilm’s brilliant comedies make people laugh, the touching love stories make us cry, and philosophical arthouse films give food for thought. Below, we will explore the film studio’s history and highlight key events from the last 100 years. 

On January 30, 1924, the film ‘On Wings Skyward’ was released in Soviet cinemas, and this date became known as Mosfilm’s “starting point.” It’s true that the film studio existed before the film’s release – and, in fact, the motion picture was shot there. However, in order to understand why this event has become associated with the establishment of Mosfilm studios, we must delve a little deeper into history.

Film production in the Russian Empire goes back to the first years after the invention of the cinematograph. The very first films in Russia were made in the year 1896. In the next two decades, several film studios appeared. The largest ones were the Khanzhonkov and Ermolyev film studios – the two pre-revolutionary film companies that served as the basis for the future Mosfilm. 

Soon after the 1917 Revolution – in 1919, to be exact, Soviet Russia nationalized all film production. Khanzhonkov and Ermolyev’s film studios were handed over to Goskino (the USSR State Committee for Cinematography) in 1922 and became known as the First and Third Factories of Goskino. They were located in different places, which made film production difficult. A year later, the factories were merged into a single film studio, and, in January 1924, the first film was released.

From the beginning, the film studio was quite busy. Sergey Eisenstein, Vsevolod Pudovkin, Alexander Dovzhenko, and other legendary film directors worked there. Eisenstein’s legendary film ‘Battleship Potemkin’ was released in 1925, while Pudovkin’s movie ‘The Descendant of Genghis Khan’ and Dovzhenko’s ‘Arsenal’ were released in 1928.

The film studio became known as Mosfilm only in 1936. In the first 12 years of its existence, the studio changed its name and even affiliation several times. In 1926, the factories were incorporated into the newly-established United Moscow Factory Sovkino, which was then renamed to Soyuzkino. Later, the name was changed once again – first to Soyuzfilm, and then to Moskinokombinat. It was only in 1936 that the studio got its final name – Mosfilm, which it is known by to this day. 

The year 1931 was a key one for Mosfilm. At the time, the film studio moved to Lenin Hills (near the village of Potylikha) where a huge space for film production was built. As early as the second half of the 1920s, filmmakers proposed a project to create a large “cinema town” for film production. Sergei Eisenstein and Grigory Alexandrov traveled to the USA and were impressed by Hollywood. In fact, the concept of Hollywood as a single filmmaking center served as an example for the Mosfilm pavilions.

The Golden Age

The 1930s can be rightfully considered the “golden age” of Mosfilm. In this pre-war decade, many great films, which established the traditions of Soviet and Russian cinema, were made. Directors implemented new ideas and surprised audiences with new techniques; new film genres appeared and the first stars of Soviet cinema were born.

Sergei Eisenstein and Vsevolod Pudovkin worked in the genre of historical cinema. Eisenstein’s film ‘Alexander Nevsky’ and Pudovkin’s ‘Suvorov’ and ‘Minin and Pozharsky’ became classic examples of the historical genre. Meanwhile, Grigory Alexandrov established the genre of Soviet musical comedy with his films ‘Jolly Fellows’, ‘The Circus’ and ‘Volga-Volga’. Lyubov Orlova, who starred in these films, became the country’s favorite actress. Aleksandr Ptushko directed the fantasy films ‘The New Gulliver’ and ‘The Golden Key’, which appeared quite magical at the time – the actors interacted with puppets, which was made possible by combining stop-motion animation with live-action footage.

In the pre-war period, Mosfilm created many classic movies. The studio was known for innovation, technical progress, and great film stars. In many ways, the ‘30s at Mosfilm resembled the golden age of Hollywood, when cinema was still a magical and unforgettable experience for audiences, and when the actors became stars overnight. During these years, Lyubov Orlova, Faina Ranevskaya, Rostislav Plyatt, Nikolai Cherkasov, Marina Ladynina, Nikolai Kryuchkov and many other stars rose to fame. 

The war

The history of Russia and the USSR is inextricably linked with WWII. The war divided the country into “before and after,” and this was noticeable in all aspects of life. Taking a look at Mosfilm’s filmography, we can see how the atmosphere in the country changed, how filmmakers adapted to the times, and how this historical era was reflected on screen. 

The war years were very difficult for Mosfilm, as well as for the whole country. In September 1941, many enterprises were evacuated from Moscow, including film companies. In October, a special train transported the studio staff, as well as props and costumes to Alma-Ata (the capital of Kazakh SSR at the time). The Central United Film Studio of Feature Films was temporarily established in Alma-Ata. This studio continued shooting films, many of which made it into the golden collection of Russian cinema.

It is hard to imagine the challenges associated with shooting films in wartime conditions. There was a severe shortage of film stock, equipment, space, and electricity. The same sets were reused for different films, electricity had to be saved – which complicated the work of lighting specialists – and filming time was limited.

Nevertheless, many movies that are still popular today were released at the time. The filmmaker’s most important task was to raise and maintain morale. The first war films were shot, such as ‘The Invasion’, ‘Six P.M.’, and ‘Fascism will be defeated’. At this time, Eisenstein also began working on what was to be his last film, ‘Ivan the Terrible’. Considering the conditions in which it was shot, the movie still astonishes viewers today. Actor Nikolai Cherkasov’s portrayal of the Tsar became a reference point and an example for all subsequent onscreen representations of Ivan the Terrible. 

Post-war years and the first crisis

The post-war years were very difficult for Mosfilm. According to the studio’s official website, 22 films were shot in 1946, and 18 were shot in 1948. In 1951, only seven films were made, and only three of them were feature films. This situation was brought about by changes in domestic policy: The second wave of Stalinist repressions affected the film industry. The General Secretary voiced Lenin’s principle of “Let’s do less, but better,” at the same time demanding greater incomes from film production. Many of the studio’s films were censored – for example, the second part of ‘Ivan the Terrible’ was banned. 

The ‘Big Mosfilm’

Things changed with the death of Stalin in 1953, when it was decided to considerably expand movie production. Mosfilm started operating again, and, in 1954, Ivan Pyriev was appointed director. He retained this position until 1957, and, in this short time, managed to implement the “Big Mosfilm” project. The original plans were abandoned, since they were too grand, but the film studio was considerably renovated. Two blocks of new pavilions, a sound studio, and a separate building for the decorative and technical department were built. Pyriev refused to decorate the studio’s buildings and interiors and instead invested the money into technical equipment. By the mid-’50s, Mosfilm started shooting wide-screen color films. Under Pyriev’s leadership, Mosfilm increased production to 40 films per year. The “Big Mosfilm” concept had fully justified itself.

First awards

After WWII, soviet cinematographers began to explore new film genres. While the studio still made musical comedies, films about socialist construction sites and movies on other popular ‘30s themes, filmmakers gradually transitioned to more personal themes. They explored everyday situations and personal experiences, and their stories didn’t always fit a certain “global union” agenda. 

War films became the most important achievement of Soviet filmmakers. Soviet war films are a separate movie genre, one that stands apart from foreign films on the same subject. In Soviet films, the war is seen through the prism of ordinary people and their drama. Many war films do not even have any war scenes. Instead, they focus on how the tragedy of war affected the lives of ordinary people. One of the most important and groundbreaking movies in this respect was Mikhail Kalatozov’s ‘The Cranes are Flying’, which was released in 1957.

The film earned a Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and caused a sensation at the festival, becoming a huge box office success in France. Incidentally, French filmmaker Francois Truffaut – who admitted to watching this film many times –  had a large say in acquiring the distribution rights for it in France. The movie was also one of French director Claude Lelouch's favorite films. Today, it is recognized as a masterpiece and a textbook example for young filmmakers.

While ‘The Cranes are Flying’ set the stage for a new wave of war films, two other Mosfilm movies completely transformed this genre: Grigory Chukhray’s ‘The Ballad of a Soldier’, released in 1959, and Andrey Tarkovsky’s full-length debut film ‘Ivan’s Childhood’, released in 1962. Tarkovsky’s film became the first Soviet movie nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film category. However, it was not this motion picture but another that earned Russia its first Oscar. 

The Soviet filmmaking industry extended far beyond Mosfilm. There were many large film studios across the country, such as Lenfilm, Gorky Film Studio, Odessa Film Studio, and many others. However, in the Soviet period, only movies produced by Mosfilm won major international awards, such as the Cannes Palme d’Or and three Academy Awards.

Sergei Bondarchuk’s epic film adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s novel ‘War and Peace’ earned Soviet Russia its first ever Academy Award. It took Bondarchuk six years to make the film– he worked on it from 1961 to 1967. The movie is divided into four parts, with the first one consisting of two episodes. Its total duration is over six and a half hours. In fact, today the movie would be called a mini-series. But, in 1969, it won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Nowadays, this would be practically impossible, since, as a series, it would only be nominated for a Golden Globe. But, in those years, the film made a huge impression on members of the Academy. 

The second Oscar was given to the joint Soviet-Japanese film ‘Dersu Uzala’ made by the legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa in 1975. At the time, Kurosawa was already considered a living legend and released masterpieces such as ‘Rashomon’, ‘Seven Samurai’, ‘Yojimbo’, ‘The Idiot’, ‘The Lower Depths’, and ‘Dodes’ka-den’.

The film is based on a novel by renowned traveler and Far East researcher Vladimir Arsenyev, who recounts a trip to the Ussuri region and his friendship with the taiga hunter Dersu Uzala. Incidentally, Kurosawa was first offered to make a joint film in 1971. Russian film director Sergey Gerasimov proposed the idea to Kurosawa during a trip to Japan, which he quickly agreed to. Initially, he wanted to make a screen adaptation of Gogol’s ‘Taras Bulba’ or of Dostoevsky’s ‘Notes from a Dead House’, but these attempts were unsuccessful. Finally, he selected this theme. The film earned both Mosfilm and Kurosawa – who had previously received an Academy Award for his masterpiece ‘Rashomon’ – their second Oscar. 

The third Academy Award was awarded to the extremely popular romantic drama ‘Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears’, directed by Vladimir Menshov. The story of Katerina Tikhomirova – her career journey from a simple factory worker to director, her challenges of raising a child on her own after a bitter breakup, and her love for a tool-and-die maker at a research institute – was a great success. The movie resonated with audiences all over the world, regardless of the country’s political and economic system. ‘Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears’ was released in February 1980, and in 1981 it won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Mosfilm’s legacy

For three decades – from the 1960s up until the first half of the 1980s – Mosfilm was at its peak. During these years, the Soviet cinema industry thrived. Dozens of films were made each year and new genres appeared, such as animation films, TV shows, and documentaries. 

Nevertheless, Russian cinema has become almost synonymous with Mosfilm, its intro showing the ‘Worker and Kolkhoz woman’ statue by sculptor Vera Mukhina, and the national and international film awards won by the studio. In addition to making award-winning films, the studio also shot movies that earned the love of millions of Russian people – for example, Leonid Gaidai’s comedies (‘Operation Y and Shurik’s Other Adventures’, ‘The Diamond Arm’, ‘The Elusive Avengers’, and its sequels), masterpieces by Eldar Ryazanov (‘Beware of the Car’, ‘The Irony of Fate’, ‘Garage’, ‘Office Romance’), Nikita Mikhalkov’s movies (‘At Home Among Strangers’, ‘A Slave of Love’, ‘Family Relations’) and countless other films that came to represent the ‘mysterious’ Russian soul, its culture and rich heritage.

Mosfilm today

The collapse of the USSR strongly affected Mosfilm. In the ‘90s, the studio no longer made 40 films per year, as it had done just a few years earlier. The country faced difficult times, and so did Mosfilm. However, its caretakers were able to preserve its legacy and prevent the film studio from going into private hands. 

In 1989, the studio became part of the State Creative Production Association Mosfilm. Vladimir Dostal, who served as the director of Mosfilm from 1987 to 1998, was able to preserve the studio’s production base and its intellectual property. He was aided by film veterans Sergei Bondarchuk, Vladimir Naumov, Georgy Danelia, as well as some younger but already renowned film directors, such as Sergei Solovyov, Vladimir Menshov, and Valentin Chernykh. During the most difficult years, Mosfilm proved to be the most economically stable film company in Russia, and it still holds the rights to its great collection of films. 

In 1998, Karen Shakhnazarov became the new director of Mosfilm, and he heads the studio to this day. In the 2000s, the studio underwent large-scale modernization. Today, Mosfilm is equipped with the latest technology and is able to shoot films that fully comply with modern technical standards.

The Russian food safety regulator, Rosselkhoznadzor, has partially banned imports of bananas from Ecuador, the world’s largest exporter of the fruit, after discovering a dangerous pest in shipments, the agency said in a statement on its website on Friday.

The ban targets five Ecuadorian exporters, and will come into force on February 5.

The pest in question was a polyphagous humpback fly (Megaselia scalaris Loew), which is considered a dangerous quarantine item for Russia and the EAEU countries, as it can contaminate a wide range of products and is a carrier of cholera and the bee plague.

Rosselkhoznadzor asked Ecuadorian suppliers to probe producers, and warned that more restrictive measures could follow if the authorities fail to take measures to prevent the supply of unsafe bananas to Russia. Moscow is one of Ecuador’s largest buyers of the product.

In a separate move, the regulator also banned imports of Ecuadorian carnations, which enter the country via the Netherlands, Germany, Latvia and Lithuania. Rosselkhoznadzor said it has sent notices to the relevant authorities of those EU states, requesting that they stop certifying Ecuadorian carnations as of February 9. The agency explained that it had found Californian flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis), a pest which can cause 100% crop loss, in flowers of Ecuadorian origin.

Viktor Bondarev, first deputy chairman of the Russian Senate Defense Committee, said that by sending arms to the US, Ecuador would also violate its neutral status in the Ukraine conflict, as they will eventually find their way to Kiev.

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Germany and Ukraine may seal a security cooperation agreement at the Munich Security Conference, which will take place from February 16-18, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung has reported. The German newspaper claimed that Berlin and Kiev had already drafted the deal.

The UK became the first nation to sign a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine on January 12, under which the two nations pledge to defend each other if attacked. Last month, French President Emmanuel Macron revealed plans to follow suit in February.

In its article on Friday, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, citing anonymous “government circles,” claimed the pact would be signed on the first day of the upcoming summit. The newspaper quoted Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, Olga Stefanishyna, as saying that a Ukrainian delegation had worked out a “draft for an agreement on bilateral security guarantees” the previous day. She added that the text was “not decided on, but generally ready.”

According to Stefanishyna, both Berlin and Kiev have agreed that the accord should be concluded as soon as possible.

In late January, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the topic of a bilateral security pact had “played a big role” during his telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky earlier that month, with the accord being “intensively prepared.”

Scholz added that he had the “feeling that we are on the verge of conclusive negotiations.”

In a post on X (formerly Twitter,) Zelensky confirmed that he had discussed Berlin’s commitment to Kiev’s security with the German chancellor.

During a NATO summit in Vilnius in July 2023, the G7 nations agreed to work out bilateral security guarantees for Kiev, pending its possible accession to the US-led military bloc at some point in the future.

Commenting on this decision, Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out at the time that while “every country has the right to ensure its security,” this should not be done at the expense of other nations.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed the agreement signed between the UK and Ukraine in January, which, among other things, guarantees “prevention and active deterrence of, and counter measures against, any military escalation and/or a new aggression by the Russian Federation,” describing it as “half-baked.”

“I did not see any legally binding provisions in this document, except that Ukraine will have to stand up for Britain,” the diplomat explained.

Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and current deputy chair of the country’s Security Council, in turn, warned last month that Moscow would consider any deployment of British troops to Ukraine to be a “declaration of war.”

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, for her part, accused Britain of “actively working to prevent peace” in Ukraine, while turning it into a “bargaining chip.”

The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has apprehended an employee of the Indian Embassy in Moscow, suspected of espionage on behalf of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.

According to reports from Indian media outlets, Satendra Siwal – a resident of Shahmahiuddinpur village in Hapur – had been serving as a ‘security assistant’ at the Moscow Embassy since 2021. He was arrested after an interrogation by the ATS, during which he reportedly confessed to engaging in espionage for Pakistani intelligence.

The ATS said in a statement on Sunday that it had uncovered Siwal’s communications with ISI agents through electronic and physical surveillance. He allegedly disclosed sensitive information concerning strategic operations of the Defense Ministry, external affairs minister, and Indian military, the statement noted.

”He is implicated in the network of ISI handlers, providing crucial confidential information related to the diplomatic and military activities of India, in exchange for monetary incentives,” the statement added.

Satyendra Siwal working as MTS (Multi-Tasking, Staff) at the Ministry of External Affairs, has been arrested by UP ATS. He is accused of working for ISI. Satyendra was posted at the Indian Embassy in Moscow. He is originally a resident of Hapur: UP ATS pic.twitter.com/BY4ueim0KU

— ANI (@ANI) February 4, 2024

The ATS has accused the ISI of attempting to entice personnel from Indian missions with monetary incentives to divulge strategic intelligence, posing a significant threat to India's security.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has said it is aware of Siwal's arrest and is collaborating with investigators to address the matter, as reported by news agency ANI, citing official sources.

New Delhi and Islamabad have been locked in a lengthy border dispute over Kashmir, a Muslim-majority region. Kashmir was the site of several major wars, and sporadic military clashes continue despite a ceasefire along the Line of Control and International Border, reached in February 2021.

Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O’Neill has hailed a “new dawn” in Northern Irish politics after becoming the province’s first-ever nationalist first minister on Saturday, in an historic move that could increase the prospect of a united Ireland.

O’Neill had served as first minister-designate since May 2022, when the pro-united Ireland group emerged as the largest party in the 90-seat Stormont assembly following elections.

However, O’Neill’s ascent into office had been blocked by Sinn Fein’s rivals, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), who boycotted the assembly in protest at post-Brexit trading rules it said undermined its relationship with Britain, effectively crippling the legislature, which relies upon a power-sharing agreement to function.

Addressing the Assembly Chamber in Belfast on Saturday O’Neill, 47, vowed to represent people of both nationalist and unionist backgrounds. “As an Irish republican I pledge cooperation and genuine honest effort with those colleagues who are British, of a unionist tradition and who cherish the Union,” she said.

Prior to O’Neill, there had been 11 consecutive unionist leaders at the head of Northern Ireland’s government since Stormont was established 103 years ago. She added on Saturday that the “historic” day “represents a new dawn” for Northern Ireland.

US President Joe Biden on Saturday hailed the return of a functioning government in Belfast as an “important step” and said that he anticipated “seeing the renewed stability of a power-sharing government that strengthens the peace dividend, restores public services, and continues building on the immense progress of the last decades.” 

The breakthrough in restoring the government follows the DUP’s decision last week to end its boycott of Stormont after agreeing a deal with London that it claims effectively removes the so-called Irish Sea border checks on goods imported from the UK.

The DUP, which supported the UK’s decision to leave the European Union (EU), had previously argued that the implementation of post-Brexit customs checks effectively placed a border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. There are also concerns among unionists that imperiling Northern Ireland’s relationship with the UK could lead to further calls for a vote on Irish unity, particularly under a Sinn Fein First Minister.

The DUP’s Emma Little-Pengelly, who also assumes the role of Deputy First Minister in the new government, said that dual appointments will be “recognized by many” as an “historic day” despite admitting that there are issues upon which she and O’Neill “will never agree.” 

Sinn Fein has a stated goal of achieving a united Ireland, whereas the DUP wishes to retain ties with the UK. A referendum on Irish reunification can only be held at the discretion of the British government.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has been taking illegal drugs for years, on many occasions alongside the board members and directors of his companies, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing sources who claimed to have either witnessed the drug use or had knowledge of it.

According to the report, Musk has attended a number of social gatherings in recent years with Tesla board member Joe Gebbia, where he recreationally took ketamine, an anesthetic commonly used to euthanize house pets. Other directors, Antonio Gracias, Kimbal Musk and Steve Jurvetson, have reportedly consumed drugs like ecstasy and LSD with him at several parties, including those held at Hotel El Ganzo, a boutique hotel in Mexico allegedly known for its drug-fueled events.

According to several sources, some of the directors felt pressured to consume drugs with Musk either because refraining could upset the billionaire, or result in them “losing the social capital” of being in the CEO’s circle.

Sources told the news outlet that Musk’s drug use was common knowledge among several current and former Tesla and SpaceX officials, and the volume of his consumption has become concerning in recent years.

However, the companies’ boards haven’t investigated Musk’s alleged drug use nor documented any claims. On the one hand, the use of illegal substances violates antidrug policies at both firms, while on the other, official board minutes could become public, and if they mentioned Musk’s drug problems, it could put SpaceX’s federal contracts and Musk’s security clearance at risk, the report notes.

Later, Musk also tweeted: “If drugs actually helped improve my net productivity over time, I would definitely take them!”

Neither Musk nor Spiro have commented on the WSJ’s latest article so far. Tesla’s general counsel and a SpaceX spokesman have also opted not to respond to requests for comment.

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The European Union held a summit this week at which it aimed to convince Ukraine of its support for as long as it’s needed. Hungary balked, but its resistance was limited.

For prestige reasons and to demonstrate strategic unity, it was critical for the EU to secure approval for the long-term financing of Kiev. No one knows what will happen next, but it will be possible to adjust plans if necessary.

The EU summit reflected an interesting phenomenon – the ever-diverging agendas of the Western European ruling classes and those they govern. The main issue in Brussels is aid for Ukraine, while at the same time farmers are rioting in France and the Benelux countries, and Germany is paralyzed by a series of strikes. Of course, this is not because of Ukraine, but driven by the fall in living standards.

The European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), an influential transnational non-governmental organization, has published an analysis of sociological polls predicting the outcome of the European Parliament elections in June. Let’s be clear: it is not the European Parliament that determines the policies and prospects of the Old World. Whatever its eventual composition, this will be no revolution.

However, the peculiarities of the pan-European representative body are such that citizens vote, as we used to say, with their hearts and not with their pockets, as happens in elections to national parliaments. Voters’ immediate well-being depends on these representatives, which is why the experienced ones are often preferred over clever ones. But an MEP doesn’t determine anything in the life of an ordinary European, which is why you can let your feelings run wild and send the one you really like to Olympus without fear of things going down the drain. In other words, the European Parliament election results are a good indicator of the real mood.

However, this doesn’t mean the formation of an “unbreakable bloc”; the moderates are unlikely to engage seriously with the extremes. But the social shift to the right is undeniable.

This rightward shift is evidence of disillusionment with the establishment, which has seen little renewal in more than three decades, despite a wealth of impressive socio-political developments. After the Cold War, there was a leveling out of party platforms. Previously clearly labeled socialists, conservatives or liberals, whose approaches may not have been antagonistic but had differences, were lumped into a single mainstream.

European integration, multiplied by the worldwide process of globalization, almost eliminated policy variability. The latter was increasingly determined by external structural frameworks, and decisions were more and more often taken at the supranational level, above the governments of individual countries. And the ability of national leaders to respond to the aspirations of their peoples depended on their ability to work not only with their own populations, but also one floor above, seeking concessions and privileges from a centralized Brussels.

Populism as an appeal to the masses against elites monopolizing influence is an old phenomenon. But at the beginning of the 21st century, in the spirit of the so-called “end of history,” these elites began to interpret their own line as the only true and legitimate one. Accordingly, those who oppose it are either deliberately wrong or deliberately malicious (singing “in someone else’s voice”). In this way, opposition to populism has led to fierce political antagonism.

There is a dangerous contradiction here for the EU. The “wrong” line, even if we think of it as such, increasingly resonates with what Europeans are worried about “on the ground” – from migration to economic problems caused by the abandonment of traditional energy sources. And the “right” point-of-view, aimed at fulfilling the bloc’s geopolitical commitments, does not seem to be a priority for a growing part of the population. Especially as these obligations imply a subordinate role for the EU in the Atlantic community.

So far, the Western European mainstream has been able to push its agenda through, albeit with some difficulties. But if the results of the above survey are to be believed, this will not always be the case.

This means that the bloc is set for further turbulence.

This article was first published by Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper, translated and edited by the RT team

US tech giant Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has posted its largest-ever one-day jump in market value on Friday, trading data showed.

Meta stock rose 20.32% to an all-time high of $474.99 per share. The company gained roughly $200 billion in market capitalization, which topped $1.22 trillion.

The increase in Meta’s market cap was the biggest single-session market value addition in Wall Street history, surpassing the previous record set by Amazon, which saw a $190-billion surge on February 4, 2022.

Meta’s gains came after it posted blockbuster earnings results earlier this week. Its reported fourth-quarter revenue of $40.1 billion, up 25% year-over-year. During a post-earnings conference call Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the firm has become “leaner” following its “year of efficiency,” during which it laid off thousands of employees and shut down some offices, among other cost-cutting measures.

On Thursday the company also authorized a $50-billion share buyback program and announced its first-ever quarterly dividend payout of 50 cents per share, which, analysts say, also helped boost its stock.

“Paying a dividend suggests the company wants to reboot its reputation and be taken more seriously,” Dan Coatsworth, an investment analyst at AJ Bell, told Reuters, commenting on Meta’s announcement.

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Facebook, the social media giant founded by Mark Zuckerberg, celebrates its 20th anniversary this weekend. Transitioning from a college dorm project to a dominant force in the tech industry, the platform is under scrutiny over a number of controversies, including data harvesting. It also faces a decline in user engagement, especially among younger audiences who now favor trendier platforms like TikTok or X.

These days, Facebook has become more of a reminder service for birthdays or a medium for WhatsApp communication than the vibrant social hub it once was. As Meta approaches a new decade, it prompts a retrospective journey through the evolution of this social media giant.

Founded on February 4, 2004, by Zuckerberg and three friends as thefacebook.com, the platform’s humble beginnings as an exclusive college network soon expanded beyond Harvard University, reaching other American universities by October 2005.

The early years were marked by a sense of exclusivity and community, creating a revolutionary impact that transformed online interactions. The platform’s rapid growth led to it dropping exclusivity for college and high school students in September 2006, opening its virtual doors to all users over 13 and becoming a significant player in the social media landscape.

As Facebook expanded its user base, strategic moves and acquisitions played a crucial role in shaping its trajectory. Microsoft’s investment of $240 million in October 2007 marked a pivotal moment, solidifying Facebook’s position as a third-party advertising platform partner. This infusion of capital and collaboration laid the groundwork for further growth. 

pic.twitter.com/MbMxUWiQgp

— Mark Zuckerberg (@finkd) July 6, 2023

In April 2012, Facebook made a significant acquisition that would change the landscape of visual content sharing – Instagram. The $1 billion investment proved to be a visionary move, as Instagram evolved into a powerhouse of photo- and video-sharing, complementing Facebook’s original format.

Two years later, in February 2014, Facebook made headlines again with its acquisition of WhatsApp for a staggering $16 billion. This move not only expanded Facebook’s user base but also solidified its presence in the realm of instant messaging and communication.

The strategic acquisitions continued as Facebook made forays into the realm of virtual reality. In March 2014, it acquired Oculus, a virtual-reality headset maker, for $2 billion. This move hinted at the company’s interest in emerging technologies that extended beyond its initial social networking focus.

The year 2021 brought about a transformative change – the rebranding of Facebook as Meta. This marked a shift in focus towards the metaverse, a concept introduced by Zuckerberg of an immersive digital realm seamlessly blending virtual and physical realities. While the rebranding emphasized a commitment to future technologies, it also sparked debates about the company’s direction and its potential impact on the digital landscape.

Never thought I'd be on a boat.

— Mark Zuckerberg (@finkd) February 13, 2009

However, with growth came challenges. Facebook faced criticism for its role in spreading misinformation, facilitating the spread of hate speech, and undermining user privacy. The platform, initially hailed for its ability to connect people globally, found itself under increased scrutiny for its handling of user data and its impact on political processes, notably in influencing elections.

Despite controversies, including the infamous Cambridge Analytica scandal and whistleblower revelations, Meta’s influence persisted, and its evolution continued to shape the digital landscape. These issues, while raising concerns about user privacy and data security, did not hinder Facebook’s growth. Instead, they prompted a reevaluation of the platform’s role in the digital age.

The recent legal scrutiny regarding child safety on social media platforms saw Zuckerberg testify before the US Congress. This highlighted the ongoing debate on the impact of social media on mental health and the challenges platforms face in ensuring a safe online environment, especially for younger users.

Facebook’s journey reflects not just the growth of a platform but the evolution of online communication and the integration of social media into everyday life. From its exclusive origins to its becoming a global entity, Facebook’s path showcases the transformative power of social networking in the 21st century.

META SHARES HIT ALL-TIME HIGH https://t.co/BKV2q5XhAX pic.twitter.com/ESCKqwlS1p

— Russian Market (@runews) February 1, 2024

As Facebook approached its adolescence and entered the realm of maturity, its impact on society became increasingly significant. The platform, once a college-focused social hub, had evolved into a global information-sharing powerhouse, shaping not only individual interactions but also influencing broader societal dynamics.

Despite the controversies, Facebook’s financial triumphs were undeniable. Meta’s Q4 2023 earnings report showcased a strong rebound in its online ad business, with a 25% year-over-year increase in sales. The company’s expenses decreased, and its operating margin more than doubled, reflecting successful cost-cutting measures. Net income also saw a significant increase, reaching $14 billion.

In addition to the positive financial results, Meta announced its first-ever dividend payment and a $50 billion share buyback, signaling confidence in its financial standing. However, the financial success was not without challenges. Meta’s Reality Labs unit, responsible for virtual reality and augmented reality technologies, generated over $1 billion in sales but recorded a $4.65 billion loss, highlighting the risks associated with cutting-edge technologies.

Looking ahead this year, Meta anticipates first-quarter sales in the range of $34.5-37 billion, with expenses in 2024 projected at $94-99 billion. The company’s headcount decreased by 22% year-over-year, following layoffs, indicating a strategic shift in its workforce.

Zuckerberg has trumpeted the role of artificial intelligence in the company’s growth trajectory, emphasizing continued investments in AI and computing infrastructure. However, he has also acknowledged the company’s commitment to maintaining a relatively lean workforce, balancing technological innovation with operational efficiency.

BREAKING: 𝕏 Traffic Update (January 2024)

𝕏 beats Instagram and Facebook again in driving traffic through Google on web and mobile both. pic.twitter.com/tYWfN8yo69

— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) February 1, 2024

The confluence of financial triumphs, persistent challenges, and controversies marked the pivotal phase in Facebook’s transformation into Meta. The rebranding aimed to thrust the company to the forefront of the metaverse. However, this strategic maneuver encountered skepticism and formidable challenges, notably in light of substantial losses associated with metaverse-related technologies.

During its adolescent years, Facebook endeavored to stay relevant among younger generations. By introducing features like ‘Reels’, it sought to emulate the success of competitors such as TikTok. Yet, these initiatives met with only limited success, as the platform’s user base continued to age, resulting in diminished engagement, particularly from Generation Z.

The challenges extended beyond shifting demographics. Facebook’s reputation suffered amid data privacy controversies. Younger users, in particular, perceived the platform as less trustworthy, further impinging on engagement. In response, the company embarked on a broader identity shift.

Hawley just called on Zuckerberg to apologize directly to the the families in the audience of victims who were impacted by child sexual exploitation on Meta platforms.

Zuck then gets up and does it. pic.twitter.com/YJWCcZDAC7

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 31, 2024

As Facebook transformed into Meta, the ambitious vision of a metaverse took center stage. Guided by Zuckerberg’s leadership, Meta sought to seamlessly merge the digital and physical realms, unveiling a new frontier for social interaction, work, and entertainment. The 2021 rebranding aimed at surpassing the constraints of a singular platform, marking a shift from Facebook to Meta, symbolizing a broader vision that extended far beyond conventional social networking.

However, the journey toward the metaverse was riddled with challenges. Initial reactions to Meta’s metaverse announcement were met with skepticism, giving rise to concerns about practicality and societal implications. Critics questioned the feasibility of realizing a fully immersive metaverse, highlighting technical, ethical, and cultural hurdles. The financial reports shed light on the tangible costs of constructing the metaverse, with the Reality Labs unit, responsible for VR and AR technologies, experiencing significant sales but recording substantial losses. Beyond mere hardware investments, Meta navigated uncharted territories, addressing pressing concerns about data privacy and security within this digital realm. 

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg explains his “Metaverse” virtual world concept, which he says is about “connecting with people.” pic.twitter.com/24YZk5ag5J

— The Recount (@therecount) October 28, 2021

Despite facing financial challenges, Meta’s strategic approach showcased a steadfast commitment to long-term innovation. Public perception played a pivotal role in Meta’s metaverse journey, demanding a delicate balance between innovation and ethical considerations. The company grappled with questions about the societal impact of the metaverse, including concerns about addiction, mental health implications, and the potential creation of digital echo chambers. Concurrently, regulatory scrutiny intensified globally as governments examined Meta’s influence, calling for transparency and accountability.

In the face of these challenges, Meta found itself contemplating the broader future of its platform. Facebook, now an integral part of Meta’s portfolio, encountered an identity crisis. Attempts to rekindle the platform’s appeal among younger generations yielded mixed success, signaling a need for a strategic shift beyond mere imitation of rivals.

For Meta, the imperative was clear: the development of safer, more innovative platforms. The decline in public posting, coupled with concerns about misinformation and the impact of closed messaging platforms, underscored the necessity for Meta to strike a delicate balance between technological innovation and social responsibility. This multifaceted journey shaped Meta’s narrative, emphasizing the company’s commitment to pioneering the digital frontier with ethical foresight and technological ingenuity.

As Meta stands at a crucial juncture, having navigated the complexities of realizing its vision, the company is confronted by significant challenges and opportunities. The metaverse, once a futuristic concept, has now become an intrinsic part of Meta’s identity, revealing both the promises and complexities of such an ambitious endeavor. This journey highlights the importance of continuous innovation, ethical considerations, and adaptability in shaping the company’s future.

The fate of Meta, Facebook, and the broader digital landscape depends on how well the company addresses societal concerns, navigates regulatory pressures, and adapts to the evolving nature of human communication. Meta’s metaverse narrative, interwoven with financial realities, ethical considerations, and technological innovation, signifies a paradigm shift that will influence the digital realm for years to come. As it continues its quest for the metaverse, the world eagerly anticipates the unfolding of a new chapter in the ever-evolving story of Meta.

The Houthi rebel attacks on vessels in the Red Sea have spurred burgeoning interest in alternative routes such as the China-Europe rail route that runs through Russia’s Far East, CNBC reported on this week. 

Companies that organize the shipment of goods have registered a sharp increase in enquiries and bookings for the route, according to the article. Transit via rail is attractive to shippers because it is cheaper than air freight and quicker than using ocean transportation.

RailGate Europe, which transports goods including furniture, toys, clothes, and automotive parts from China through Russia to European countries, told CNBC that the transit time is “significantly better” than via ocean. The journey takes between 14 and 25 days depending on its origin and destination, according to the company’s chief business development officer, Julija Sciglaite.

However, some firms have been raising concerns about sending goods via rail through Russia. “Since [the] war in Ukraine started, many companies were afraid to deliver their cargos via Russia as train passes [through] part of Russian territory,” Sciglaite told CNBC.

“Since [the] war started, [the] number of bookings decreased significantly via Russia, but within [the] last year, this route is recovering due to good transit time and prices,” she said, adding that demand for rail transit had spiked since the Houthis started attacking vessels in the Red Sea.

According to the report, the EU permits sanctioned goods to be moved via rail through Russia, whereas road transport of sanctioned products is banned. Military goods cannot be transported through Russia at all, CNBC wrote.

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The death toll from a Ukrainian missile strike on the city of Lisichansk in Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) has risen to 28, the region’s acting head and the emergencies services have said.

The attack on a bakery occurred during a busy period on Saturday, partially destroying the building. Sources in Russia’s Investigative Committee told the media that the bombardment was likely carried out with the use of a US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launch system, supplied to Kiev by the West.

“As a result of a strike on a bakery by the Ukrainian nationalists, 28 civilians were killed, including one child,” the acting head of the LPR, Leonid Pasechnik, wrote on Telegram on Sunday.

Ten people have been rescued from the rubble, with “medics currently fighting for their lives,” he added.

Sunday has been declared a day of mourning in the LPR for the victims of the “barbaric” Ukrainian strike on Lisichansk, Pasechnik said.

The local military police office earlier said that some 40 people may have been trapped under the rubble as a result of the strike.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said shortly after the bombing that the Ukrainian forces targeted the bakery deliberately as they were “well aware that on Saturdays local residents traditionally come there for pastry and groceries, including elderly people and families with children.” The bombardment is another “act of terrorism” by Ukraine and proof of “the criminal essence” of the government in Kiev, she wrote on Telegram.

Lisichansk, home to around 93,000 people as of September 2022, was liberated by the Russian military in early July 2022. The city, located near the frontline, has been a frequent target of Ukrainian shells and missiles since then, but the strike on Saturday appears to be one of the deadliest.

The West is complicit in the Ukrainian military’s killing of civilians in Donbass, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has claimed. The diplomat was referring to a Ukrainian attack on a bakery in the city of Lisichansk, apparently involving weaponry provided by Kiev’s allies, which claimed the lives of at least 28 civilians.

Following the attack, the acting head of the Lugansk People’s Republic, Leonid Pasechnik, accused the Ukrainian military of deliberately targeting the building on a weekend to maximize civilian casualties. In a post on his Telegram channel, he added that “emergency services have managed to rescue ten people from under the rubble,” with doctors doing their best to save their lives.

In a statement on Saturday, Zakharova said that “according to preliminary information, the strike was conducted using Western weaponry.” She described the shelling as a “terrorist attack” meant to convey Kiev’s “gratefulness for the ‘generous’ financial support by EU countries.”

The foreign ministry spokeswoman added that the EU nations’ citizens should be cognizant of what their taxes are being spent on, namely “deadly weapons systems” used by the Ukrainian military to “kill civilians.”

Echoing Pasechnik, the diplomat alleged that Kiev’s forces had been well aware that civilians, including families with children and the elderly, would typically flock to the bakery on Saturdays.

She added that the building had been razed to the ground as a result of the shelling.

According to Zakharova, the deadly incident is “further proof of the criminal nature of the Kiev regime.” She went on to quote Russian President Vladimir Putin, who on Friday characterized the Ukrainian military as a “terrorist organization that attacks ambulances.” He was referring to several attacks on paramedics working in Donbass last month.

The foreign ministry spokeswoman concluded by saying that Moscow will inform “international organizations of yet another terrorist attack on the part of Zelensky’s gang.” The official noted that Russia expects a swift and unequivocal condemnation of Kiev’s actions.

Authorities in the LPR declared Sunday a day of mourning for the 28 victims of the attack on the bakery, which include one child.

Pasechnik vowed that those responsible would eventually be brought to justice “for this horrible tragedy, for every death.”

KaDeWe Group, which runs the eponymous flagship retailer in Berlin and two other high-end outlets in Hamburg and Munich, has filed for insolvency under self-administration, the corporation announced this week.

The company said that while the stores are operationally healthy, it has been “forced” to restructure due to exorbitant rent costs, which “make it impossible to operate profitably.”

The group’s sales in the 2022-2023 financial year reached €728 million ($786 million), the highest in its history and nearly a quarter more than prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, rents during that time have spiked by nearly 37%.

“This means that the business is clearly profitable ‘before rent’ – but clearly not ‘after rent’... There is no question that the group can have a strong future with normal rents,” Chief Executive Officer Michael Peterseim said, as cited by Deutsche Welle news outlet.

KaDeWe Group is majority owned by Thailand’s Central Group, and 49.9% owned by Signa Retail, an Austrian-based property empire which itself declared insolvency last year, citing the “severe economic pressure” brought about by interest rate hikes in Europe. Signa also owns the KaDeWe Group buildings, which it leases back to the department stores. According to Central Group, it was unable to reach an agreement on store rents with Signa due to the “intransigent position of the landlord,” Bloomberg reported, citing the Thai company’s statement. It added, however, that it “remains committed to providing full support to KaDeWe and its other European luxury stores.”

The 116-year-old Berlin KaDeWe or Kaufhaus des Westens, which can be translated as “department store of the West,” is an iconic feature of the city’s commercial and architectural landscape. The store has over 66,000 square meters of retail space, and sells brands including Yves Saint Laurent, Prada, Boss, Lacoste, Chloé and Ralph Lauren. It was once considered the largest in continental Europe and one of the five largest department stores in the world.

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Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have been sentenced to seven years in prison and fined after a court declared their marriage unlawful on Saturday. It was the third ruling against Khan this week. 

On Wednesday, Khan along with his wife were sentenced to 14-year terms for illegally selling state gifts, and the day before Khan was given ten years in prison for leaking state secrets. He claimed the cable he released contained evidence of collusion between the Pakistani military and US officials to have him removed from power in April 2022. 

Khan’s representatives say he will appeal all three cases. The sentences add up to 34 years and will be served concurrently.

The marriage case was filed by Bushra Bibi’s former husband Khawar Maneka, who claimed that she did not observe “iddat” – a mandatory three-month waiting period that a woman must abide by under Islamic law after the death of her husband or a divorce, before marrying another man. The Khans have denied wrongdoing.

Imran Khan, however, argued that the case was brought to “humiliate and disgrace” him and his wife. 

“This marks the first instance in history where a case related to iddat has been initiated,” he told reporters. 

The court decision has been condemned by members of Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Syed Zulfiqar Bukhari, a PTI official, called the marriage case “fake”, saying the judgements against Khan represent a “mockery of the law.”

“The way these trials are being conducted leaves a huge question mark on the February 8 elections. This is a test case for Pakistan’s higher judiciary,” he told Al Jazeera. PTI President Gohar Ali Khan described the trial as “shameful” and vowed to appeal the verdict in a higher court. 

Reema Omar, a Pakistani legal adviser for the International Commission of Jurists, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the sentence was “a damning blot on our justice system.”

Khan, a cricketer-turned-politician, was ousted in a no-confidence vote in 2022, with the opposition accusing him of mismanaging the economy and foreign policy. Khan has dismissed all the charges against him as politically motivated. 

The Russian Federal Tax Service has filed a legal complaint with the Arbitration Court of Moscow Region against a local subsidiary of Swedish furniture manufacturer IKEA, the business daily Kommersant reported this week, citing court documents.

According to the report, the tax authority is seeking 12.9 billion rubles ($142 million) from the subsidiary, Ikea Torg LLC. The case appeared in the database of arbitration cases on January 30, but no further details have been made public.

While the Swedish furniture giant stopped its business in Russia amid Western sanctions placed on Moscow over the Ukraine conflict last year and sold off its factories, it still owns assets in the country. According to the state real estate register, Ikea Torg owns a warehouse in the village of Yesipovo outside of Moscow. The facility used to serve as a distribution center for IKEA’s retail outlets and online store.

The warehouse is valued at more than 34 billion rubles ($374 million). According to a Kommersant source, IKEA did not want to sell the property but instead sought to rent it out for up to three years. In early 2023, online marketplace Yandex.Market reportedly posted job listings with the Yesipovo facility indicated as the place of work, but the company later denied claims that it had rented the premises. After IKEA’s exit, Yandex.Market purchased all remaining IKEA products in Russia for resale.

The Federal Tax Service did not respond to requests for comment about the court filing. Ingka Group, the Swedish company that managed IKEA stores and Mega shopping centers in Russia, also did not comment.

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The fossil fuel industry is expected to spend more than $1 trillion globally over the next decade on natural gas production, driven by growing demand from Europe, a report released this week by climate campaign group Global Witness has claimed.

The NGO’s analysis of data from Rystad Energy shows that $223 billion of the total will go toward developing and operating new gas extraction sites to supply the continent.

Oil giants Shell, TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil, Equinor, and Eni will be among the top spenders, according to the report. Together, these five companies are projected to pump a total of $144 billion into gas supply for the continent over this period. Meanwhile, annual expenditures by the top 20 firms producing gas for Europe are expected to jump from $60 billion in 2024 to $105 billion in 2033.

According to Global Witness, the analysis includes both fossil gas and gas condensate, a by-product of gas extraction used to make kerosene, diesel and other fossil fuels.

“The numbers are stark – Europe is hurtling down a dangerous path by doubling down on fossil gas, and needs to pull out all the stops to end the age of fossil fuels,” Dominic Eagleton, senior fossil fuels campaigner at Global Witness, said. “The European Commission must seize its chance to quicken Europe’s exit from gas and set 2035 as a target date to phase out this costly, crisis-ridden and climate-boiling fossil fuel,” he urged.

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Namibian President Hage Geingob has died in a hospital in the capital Windhoek, where he was receiving treatment for cancer, the southwest African state’s authorities announced on Sunday.

“It is with utmost sadness and regret that I inform you that our beloved Dr. Hage G. Geingob, the President of the Republic of Namibia has passed on today,” Acting President and former Vice President Nangolo announced in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday morning.

Doctors discovered cancerous tissue during a routine medical checkup in January, a regular occurrence for the longtime leader, who previously survived prostate cancer. Geingob agreed to undergo an experimental treatment, and spent two days in a specialized Los Angeles cancer hospital. He had been undergoing chemotherapy in Namibia following his return from the US clinic on Wednesday. His wife and children were by his side when he passed away on Sunday at the age of 82.

Announcement of the Passing of H.E Dr @hagegeingob, President of the Republic of Namibia, 04 February 2024

Fellow Namibians,

It is with utmost sadness and regret that I inform you that our beloved Dr. Hage G. Geingob, the President of the Republic of Namibia has passed on… pic.twitter.com/Qb2t6M5nHi

— Namibian Presidency (@NamPresidency) February 4, 2024

“The Namibian nation has lost a distinguished servant of the people, a liberation struggle icon, the chief architect of our constitution and the pillar of the Namibian house,” Mbumba wrote. 

The acting president said the cabinet had convened “with immediate effect in order to make the necessary state arrangements.”

Hage Geingob was involved with the liberation South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO) from the 1960s onwards. In his 20s, he traveled to the US to attend university, where he liaised with the United Nations. 

After Namibia gained independence from then-apartheid South Africa in 1990, he became Namibia’s first prime minister alongside President Sam Nujoma. In November 2014, Geingob was elected president, and served until his death.

The speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, announced on Saturday that he would hold a vote on a “clean, standalone” aid package for Israel that will not entail any spending cuts.

The newly proposed legislation is set to include $17.6 billion in additional military funding as well as “important funding for US forces in the region.” The initial  $14.3 billion package, rejected by the Senate last year, included an equal amount in spending cuts to the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) and was therefore branded by Democrats as a “poison pill.”

“Next week, we will take up and pass a clean, standalone Israel supplemental package,” he wrote in a letter to colleagues sent on Saturday afternoon. “The Senate will no longer have excuses, however misguided, against swift passage of this critical support for our ally.”

The announcement comes as the Senate prepares to vote on a long-anticipated national security supplemental requested by US President Joe Biden, which will include tougher US border controls paired with nearly $60 billion in aid to Ukraine, as well as more assistance to Israel and Taiwan. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Friday that he was preparing to release the legislation text “no later than Sunday” with the first procedural vote coming by midweek.

The White House previously indicated that it would oppose a stand-alone Israel aid bill, with John Kirby, the National Security Council’s coordinator for strategic communications, saying President Biden would veto it.

While Washington is struggling to secure additional military funding for Ukraine, Brussels approved a €50 billion ($54 billion) aid package on Thursday, having reportedly pressured Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban into lifting his veto. Orban, who previously called Ukraine “one of the most corrupt countries in the world,” accused the “imperialist EU” of “blackmailing” him into accepting the deal.

American journalist Tucker Carlson has spent several days in Russia, where he attended a ballet performance at the Bolshoi Theatre, Telegram channel Mash reported on Saturday, sharing several photos of the conservative commentator.

Carlson allegedly touched down at Vnukovo airport on a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul on Thursday after several hours’ delay, according to the channel. He was later spotted taking in the ballet Spartacus at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

The conservative commentator has yet to confirm the trip and it remains unclear what business he had in Russia. However, rumors of his intention to interview President Vladimir Putin have been circulating since last year.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not rule out the possibility of Carlson interviewing Putin when asked about it in September, though he explained that the Russian leader would wait to sit down with any American journalist until the US population was no longer so “seriously stupefied by Russia-hating propaganda.”

Carlson himself told Swiss outlet Die Weltwoche that he had been prevented from setting up an interview with Putin by the White House. While he expressed dismay that he did not receive more support from his fellow journalists regarding his intention to sit down with the Russian president and questioned why Americans are “not allowed to hear” Putin’s voice, he declined to provide any further details regarding when the interview was supposed take place or how the presidential administration of Joe Biden intervened to stop it.

Despite dominating prime-time ratings for years, Carlson was fired from Fox News in April for reasons that have never been made public. He subsequently launched his own talk show streaming on X (formerly Twitter).

While Carlson has been repeatedly demonized by the US media establishment as a “useful idiot” for Moscow – if not a Russian agent entirely – due to his skepticism regarding Washington’s foreign policy and particularly the conflict in Ukraine, the journalist has never previously visited Russia or worked with Russian media organizations. 

The US and UK have carried out a series of combined air- and sea-launched strikes against at least 36 targets at 13 locations across Yemen, the US Central Command announced on Saturday.

The joint operation was carried out by Tomahawk missiles launched from US Navy ships, and F/A-18 fighter-bombers launched from the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower. The US Central Command said the raid targeted “multiple underground storage facilities, command and control, missile systems, UAV storage and operations sites, radars, and helicopters.”

“These strikes are intended to degrade Houthi capabilities used to continue their reckless and unlawful attacks on US and UK ships as well as international commercial shipping,” CENTCOM said.

Earlier on Saturday, the US struck six locations in Yemen, targeting Houthi cruise missiles set to be launched at ships in the Red Sea, US Central Command posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have been attacking shipping in the region in solidarity with Palestinians since the breakout of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October last year. Initially targeting only Israeli-affiliated vessels, the Houthis later began attacking US and UK-owned ships, after the coalition launched strikes on Yemen.

Saturday's assault came a day after airstrikes on Iraq and Syria. Washington claimed it had targeted members of the Islamic Resistance movement and other “Iranian-backed” militias, in response to a drone strike that killed three US soldiers at a military facility in Jordan last weekend.

Moscow has has condemned a proposal from within the Finnish government to ban Russian citizens from buying property in the country, slamming the potential move as an “inherently segregationist action.”

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova gave an official statement on Saturday, commenting on a idea floated by Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen last month.

“In Helsinki, such discriminatory initiatives are clumsily justified by “national security interests,” Zakharova stated, acknowledging that no actual action on the matter had so far been taken by Helsinki.

“It remains unclear how exactly the desire to legitimize inherently segregationist actions directed against certain categories of people solely on the basis of their citizenship is combined in the minds of the authors of this initiative with still active provisions of Finnish legislation on human rights,” Zakharova said.

The initiative to prevent Russian citizens from buying real estate was voiced by Hakkanen in January. The defense minister said a final decision could be made in spring, calling it a matter of “national security.” 

“Several Russian [real estate] transactions have been found to have links that are problematic for national security,” the Finnish official claimed, arguing that “a total ban would be better” given that “not everything can be always found out.”

Three people were injured in a stabbing allegedly carried out by a Malian national at the Gare de Lyon rail hub in Paris on Saturday, police told AFP. 

The Paris prosecutor’s office is conducting an investigation into the attack, which left one individual with serious wounds to the abdomen and two more with light wounds.

“The suspect did not cry out (any religious slogans) during his attack,” a police source told AFP, and Paris police chief Laurent Nunez confirmed there was no suspicion the attack was motivated by terrorism. The national antiterrorism prosecutor is nevertheless “observing proceedings” regarding the inquiry, according to AFP.

The man, who was armed with a knife and a hammer, appeared to be homeless with “psychiatric troubles,” Nunez told media. He was reportedly subdued by bystanders who held him until railway police arrived at the scene.

“A thank you to those who overpowered the man who carried out this unbearable act,” Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday. 

The incident caused a brief delay in train services to Paris, with rail operator SNCF referring only to “an act of criminal intent” at the French capital’s transit hub, which sees more than 100 million passengers per year.

Last summer, riots broke out across France following the police shooting of a 17-year-old of Algerian descent during a traffic stop in the Paris suburb of Nanterre. Of the thousands arrested, most were between the ages of 17 and 18. The officer responsible was charged with homicide, though this action failed to quell the unrest which spread beyond France’s borders.

A nationwide law enforcement crackdown has put more people in French prisons than ever before, with the country’s incarcerated population surpassing 73,000 for the first time in 2022. Detention facilities are reportedly so overcrowded that thousands of prisoners are forced to sleep on mattresses on the floor.

US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland’s visits to Ukraine have always been an ill omen for the embattled country, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

Peskov made the remarks to Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin, who published excerpts from the interview on Saturday. While suggesting that the Foreign Ministry might have a better assessment of the trip of the outspoken US foreign policy hawk, Peskov still provided his opinion on Nuland’s latest endeavor.

“As a rule, Victoria Nuland’s visit to Kiev does not bring anything good. We remember this from 2014, when she was handing out cookies,” Peskov stated.

The spokesman referred to the infamous episode of the Ukrainian Maidan turmoil. At the time, Nuland, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, showed up in Kiev amid the unrest in early December 2013, giving out snacks to protesters.

The official has been widely perceived as one of the key figures behind the Maidan events, which ultimately brought down Ukraine’s democratically-elected president, Viktor Yanukovich. “Nuland’s cookies” have become a well-known example of direct US involvement in the coup.

The delivery comes from the so-called Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which focuses on procuring military hardware for Kiev from private contractors rather than tapping into Washington’s own stocks, the Pentagon has explained.

The looming delivery has been condemned by Moscow, with Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov stating it looked particularly cynical in the aftermath of Kiev shooting down an Il-76 Russian cargo plane with Ukrainian prisoners of war on board.

The GLSDB announcement has effectively become “a kind of a reaction to the terrorist attack by Ukrainian thugs,” the diplomat stated. He continued that it was an “irresponsible” and “simply shocking” move.

A reworked draft mobilization bill presented to Ukrainian MPs on Tuesday is more “repressive” and “unconstitutional” than the original, Yulia Timoshenko, the leader of ‘Fatherland’ party in parliament, has claimed. The politician, who served as Ukraine’s prime minister between 2007 and 2010, also warned that if passed, the legislation could spark social strife.  

In December, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that the military leadership had proposed mobilizing up to 500,000 more troops. Later that month, the government submitted a bill tightening conscription rules. On January 11, the cabinet recalled the legislation for amendment, and reintroduced it for consideration at the end of the month.   

In a video posted on her Facebook account on Saturday, Timoshenko said the latest iteration of the “tough and cynical” legislation could “bring about a tragic rift between the government and the people,” and “could even lead to public confrontation.” She called for the mobilization of police and security personnel, adding that she was determined to drum up support among other parliamentary factions’ leaders to stop the bill in its current form.   

On Thursday, the former prime minister characterized the revised legislation as a “catastrophe,” and accused the government of “shamelessly cheating parliament” by resubmitting “draconian norms” that had already been rejected by lawmakers.  

“The adoption of such a law will be a crime against the Ukrainian state and show contempt for its citizens,” Timoshenko wrote in a Facebook post. She vowed to “unite society in the struggle against this outrageous draft bill.”   

On top of that, police inside Ukraine would supposedly be given the right to detain draft dodgers and deliver them to military recruitment centers.   

Ukraine’s top commander, General Valery Zaluzhny, has repeatedly insisted in recent weeks that the armed forces are critically understaffed, with losses this year projected to be on a par with those incurred in 2023.   

According to the Russian Defense Ministry’s estimates, Kiev has lost more than 383,000 service members killed, wounded, and missing since the conflict began in February 2022. Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu claimed last month that nearly half of those casualties had been sustained during Ukraine’s failed summer counteroffensive last year.

Latvia has been persecuting its Russian-speaking residents for many years. Today, thousands of of them face deportation. They include an 82-year-old retiree – whose family resides in the Baltic republic – and a 63-year-old woman who has lived in Latvia her entire life. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that these actions pose a threat to his state's national security. 

Latvia intends to punish residents who have not learned the national language by deporting them. To remain in the country, they must pass a test. The requirement also applies to those with ‘non-citizen’ status – people who permanently reside in Latvia (sometimes from birth) but don’t have the same rights as others.

The Latvian authorities have recently tightened their policy with regard to national minorities, supposedly due to concerns that arose after the start of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. However, the trend towards further restricting the rights of the Russian-speaking population in Latvia has been developing for a long time.

Throwing out the old people 

Every day, new reports appear about people being expelled from the country. As a result, Putin has instructed his government to propose measures that would ensure the rights of ethnic Russians who permanently reside abroad, and to take additional measures with regard to the repatriation of Russian nationals who are illegally deported from foreign states. These steps should be taken by July 1, 2024. 

One such person is 82-year-old retiree Boris Katkov. On January 12, he found out that the Latvian authorities had ordered him to leave the country. The Russian Embassy expressed indignation, pointing to the decision of the Latvian Ministry of the Interior, according to which “the elderly man has been considered a threat to national security and was sentenced to deportation, without the right to return to the country.” 

Russian diplomats called the verdict “absolutely inhumane” and stated that it violates the ‘non-separation principle’ for families, since the man’s wife, children, and grandchildren can remain in Latvia. The governor of the nearby Kaliningrad Region, Anton Alikhanov, has instructed local authorities to provide Katkov with housing.

The New York Times recently told the story of Russian-speaking widow Nina Marcinkevica, who was born in Latvia 63 years ago, when the Baltic republic was still part of the Soviet Union. She married and raised a family there, and has never lived anywhere else. Nina resides in the predominantly Russian-speaking city of Daugavpils in the eastern part of the country. In the fall, she received an official notice stating that she had lost her rights to residency, her state pension, and medical care. “You must leave the territory of the Republic of Latvia by November 30, 2023,” the letter stated. 

The woman has heart and lung problems, as well as high blood pressure. She has nowhere to go. When she found out that she was about to be deported, she collapsed from shock and cried in bed for the next three days.

The Latvian authorities have the opportunity to expel Marcinkevica due to her Russian citizenship. Although the woman had never lived in Russia, she received it under a simplified program for former compatriots to receive a Russian pension. As she explained, in Russia, the retirement age is lower than in Latvia.

For the same reason, according to the publication, 68-year-old Tatyana Matveeva, who has lived in Latvia since 1980, became a Russian citizen. She also faces deportation after failing two Latvian language exams.

“Nobody ever asked me to speak Latvian before,” she said. “If I were 20, I could learn, but my memory is shot.”

Russians have no place here

These people are just a few of the many Russian-speaking residents of Latvia who may soon be expelled from the country. On December 18, the head of Latvia’s Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, Maira Roze said on TV3 that the country could deport over 1,000 people who had not passed the language test or applied for a residence permit by November 30. She said that many Russians are still trying to file their documents, but Riga is convinced that they should leave.

“They didn’t work [in the country], they’ve got no family [here], in other words, there’s no reason for them to stay in Latvia,” Roze said. 

According to Roze, around 2,500 Latvian residents “didn’t do anything” or didn’t pass the language exam. The office will also check whether some of these people returned to Russia via other European countries.

Approximately 15,500 Russians have applied for a permanent residence permit in Latvia and 3,000 for a temporary permit.

Over 3,200 Russian nationals living in Latvia received notifications about potential deportation in early October, according to the news portal Rus.lsm.lv. The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs sent letters about the expiration of the residence permit to people who did not apply for a permanent EU residence permit. 

According to Latvian law, permanent residence permits expired last September, so anyone who received the notification should have left the country within two months, before November 30.

Exiled for speaking Russian

Poor knowledge of the Latvian language is one of the reasons for deportation. After the amendments to the procedure for extending residence permits for Russians and Belarusians came into effect last fall, Marcinkevica, and others like her, had to pass a language test. To receive a residence permit, people had to provide a certificate of language proficiency by September 1, 2023. Those who failed the test were allowed to try again within two months and their right-to-remain was extended until the end of the year. People who did not take the exam at all could receive a temporary residence permit and do it later.

Later, several additional amendments were adopted. Russians who resided in Latvia were given two additional years to take the language test and obtain a new residence permit, provided that they attempted to take the exam and failed, or had a serious reason for not showing up. 

As a result, about half of the approximately 50,000 Russian citizens who are currently living in Latvia must pass the language test and undergo a security check if they want to stay in the country. 

In early August, the head of the Saeima [Latvian Parliament] Commission on Citizenship, Migration and Social Cohesion, Ingmars Lidaka, warned that about 6,000 Russians residing in Latvia who did not apply for an extension of their permanent residence permit and failed, or didn't sit, the language exam in order to obtain permanent resident status in the EU, would receive a letter from the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs in September with a request to leave Latvia. “About 5,000-6,000 [people], according to my predictions. These are people who have expressed no wish to take the test or get a temporary residence permit,” Lidaka said, according to Rus.LSM.lv. 

These people will not only lose their residence permits, but will not be eligible to receive certain benefits in Latvia, including pensions. However, according to Deputy Interior Minister Vilnis Vitolins, “people have the right to obtain any other residence permit – a visa or a temporary residence permit, if eligible.”

Vitolins noted that people will be given three months, so they can “leave without haste.” 

“If a person remains in Latvia illegally, eventually the time will come when the government agencies find out about it and, accordingly, will remind them to leave,” he said, adding that there is no criminal liability for violating the order, but fines may be imposed. 

At the same time, Latvian officials stress that the new measures will not lead to mass expulsions and that only 3,500 Russian citizens who currently reside in Latvia have failed to file the necessary documents. “We are not rushing to expel anyone,” Ilze Briede, the head of the Latvian Migration Division, said. She added that no one has been deported and this probably won’t happen in the near future. The deadline for fulfilling the requirements has been extended to 2025.

In September, Russia’s commissioner for human rights, Tatyana Moskalkova, warned that she would appeal to the UN and the Council of Europe regarding the plans to deport Russian-speaking citizens from Latvia.

“Our Baltic neighbors have set out on a course of purposefully pushing the Russian-speaking population out of the country… I believe that deliberately creating conditions that force [Russian] citizens to leave Latvia is a gross violation of human rights,” Moskalkova wrote on her Telegram channel.

The problem with ‘non-citizens’

The persecution of Russian-speaking residents is not a new thing in Latvia – it has been an issue for decades. On October 15, 1991, the Latvian Supreme Council adopted a resolution titled ‘On the Renewal of the Rights of the Citizens of the Republic of Latvia and on the Fundamental Principles of Naturalization’, and the legal status ‘non-citizen’ was established. 

Initially, the status ‘non-citizen’ was given to permanent residents whose ancestors moved to Latvia after 1940, when the country became part of the Soviet Union. In 1991, there were over 740,000 non-citizens in Latvia. As of 2020, there were 197,888 non-citizens (10.4% of the country's residents), most of whom were ethnic Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians.

Non-citizens in Latvia face many restrictions– they have no voting rights, cannot be elected to government positions, and cannot participate in referendums; however, they can join Latvian parties and support them financially. Non-citizens also cannot hold certain jobs. They cannot be firefighters, police officers, lawyers, notaries and their assistants, judicial officers, and heads of security staff. Presently, the rights of citizens and non-citizens vary in more than 80 different aspects.

To obtain citizenship, non-citizens must undergo the naturalization procedure, which includes language and history tests. In 2004, the Naturalization Department conducted a survey in which the majority of non-citizens who wished to obtain citizenship called the naturalization process humiliating and difficult.

People interviewed by the New York Times complained that Russian speakers are often denied citizenship, and senior citizens are forced to learn Latvian, which they find difficult. The article itself is titled ‘In a Baltic Nation, Fear and Suspicion Stalk Russian Speakers’.

A side effect of the conflict

According to the newspaper, the decision to deport Nina Marcinkevica and others who hold Russian passports was a side effect of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. A member of the Latvian Parliament, nationalist Janis Dombrava, said that Russia’s actions in Ukraine demonstrated the “risks of the existence of a ‘fifth column’” – people who do not speak the Latvian language, who listen to Russian media, and often share Moscow’s views. 

“We can keep those who want to integrate but not those who are waiting for the return of the Soviet Union. They should leave,” Dombrava said. 

As Sergey Kalinin, an ethnic Russian born in Latvia, told the NYT, the Ukraine conflict has “radicalized” both sides of the ethnic and linguistic divide in Latvia. The man says he was recently robbed by a group of ethnic Latvian young people. They were outraged by the fact that Kalinin spoke Latvian with a Russian accent. However, according to Kalinin, the Russian-speaking part of the population has also become more aggressive, with some even hoping for a “Russian invasion” of Latvia to protect their interests.

As part of its fight against ‘Russian influence’, Latvia has banned Russian television and taken down monuments in honor of Soviet soldiers who died in World War II.

Earlier, the Saeima passed a bill that required all educational institutions to provide instruction only in the national language. A three-year transition period was specified. According to the bill, Russian can only be studied as the “language of the minority.”

Latvian politicians who were asked by RT to comment on the deportation of Russian-speaking people either ignored the request or responded with a flat refusal.

“Communication with Russian media is criminally punishable in our country. So just see my Facebook posts,” one of the Latvian deputies replied.

“Dear sirs Russian journalists, why do you insist on putting us behind bars? To have something to write about later?” another Latvian politician said.

The Crimean Peninsula was historically part of Russia “for most of the time,” Polish President Andrzej Duda has said, expressing doubts Ukraine will be able to capture it.

The president made the remarks on Friday during an interview with YouTube channel Kanal Zero. Asked whether he believed Ukraine could seize Crimea from Russia – a goal repeatedly proclaimed by Kiev – Duda said it was hard for him to answer such a question, particularly given the “special” history of the peninsula.

“I don’t know if [Ukraine] will regain Crimea, but I believe it will regain Donetsk and Lugansk,” he stated, referring to the two republics that broke off Ukraine in 2014 and joined Russia after referendums in late 2022. Crimea, however, “is a special place,” including for “historical reasons,” the Polish president argued.

“In fact, if we look historically, it was in Russia’s hands for most of the time,” he stated.

The controversial remarks received a poor reception in Poland and Ukraine alike. Kiev’s envoy to the country, Vassily Zvarych, took to X (formerly Twitter) to reiterate Ukraine’s goals to recapture all the territories it has claims on.

“Crimea is Ukraine: it is and will remain so,” he wrote. “The deoccupation of Crimea is our shared task and an obligation to the free world.”

“What an incredibly stupid statement!” Giertych wrote. “I would like to remind Mr. Duda that there are cities in our country that in their history belonged to Poland for a shorter time than to another country,” he added. His comments were presumably referring to formerly German territories incorporated into Poland after the country was recreated in the aftermath of World War II.

The criticism prompted Duda to explain his remarks, with the president insisting his position on Ukraine’s territorial claims remains unchanged and has been “clear from the day one.”

“Russia’s attack on Ukraine and occupation of the internationally recognized Ukrainian territories, including Crimea, is a crime,” he said in an X post on Saturday.

Crimea broke away from Ukraine in the aftermath of the 2014 Maidan coup, which ousted democratically-elected President Viktor Yanukovich, ultimately triggering the conflict in then-Ukrainian Donbass. Crimea joined Russia following a peninsula-wide referendum, during which the local population overwhelmingly backed the idea of reunification. Moscow has repeatedly stated that its sovereignty over the peninsula was not a matter of negotiations.

Ukrainian forces on Saturday targeted a bakery located in the Russian city of Lisichansk, Lugansk People’s Republic, trapping dozens of people under the rubble. The building was heavily damaged in the strike and partially collapsed, footage from the scene shows.

According to the latest figures by the Russian Emergencies Ministry, at least 20 people were killed during the strike. Some ten others received wounds of varying severity, ending up hospitalized

The acting head of the LPR, Leonid Pasechnik, accused the Ukrainian military of deliberately targeting the building during the weekend to maximize potential damage on civilians. 

“Several dozen more civilians may remain under rubble,” Pasechnik wrote on Telegram without providing an exact figure.

No official information on weaponry used by the Ukrainian military to strike the bakery was readily available. Some media reports, however, suggested the building was struck by a projectile launched from a US-supplied HIMARS missile system.

The US has made a huge blunder by attacking targets in Iraq and Syria, as it will only further inflame tensions in the already turbulent region, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani has said.

In a statement on Saturday, Kanaani condemned the US airstrikes on militia groups in the two countries. American officials have said that the attacks targeted groups linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) Quds Force, an elite secret unit specializing in foreign operations, and came in response to an earlier attack on a US military post in Jordan that left three service members dead and dozens wounded.

The ministry’s spokesman insisted that Washington had violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq and Syria, calling the decision “another adventure and strategic mistake by the American government, which will have no result other than the escalation of tension and instability in the region.”

He also stressed that by launching the strikes, the US was helping Israel, which is locked in conflict with the Palestinian armed group Hamas in Gaza. The latter has close ties to Tehran, and attacked the Jewish state in early October, with the fighting resulting in tens of thousands of deaths, including many civilians, and unprecedented destruction.

However, the spokesman did not address US claims that it had attacked Iranian-affiliated groups. Tehran previously stated that regional groups that attacked American military facilities were acting independently and not on Iran’s orders.

On Friday, commenting on the new wave of US airstrikes in the region, US President Joe Biden stressed that the US “does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world” but warned of retaliation against those who do harm to Americans. Senior US officials have also said that they do not want conflict with Iran.

Prior to the US moves, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi also said that Tehran “will not be the initiator of any war,” but vowed to “respond firmly” to anyone who would try to pressure his country.

Russia saw a surge in foreign tourism in 2023 despite Western sanctions over the Ukraine conflict, which affected air traffic with the country, RBK news outlet reported on Saturday citing data from Russia’s security service (FSB).

According to the findings, foreign tourists visited Russia 670,700 times last year, more than triple the figures recorded in 2022. Most trips, nearly a third, were taken by Chinese residents, most notably following the introduction of a visa-free regime for group tours. The top five countries in terms of tourist trips to Russia also included Germany and Türkiye, which saw a two-fold increase, as well as the UAE and Turkmenistan.

The FSB data is based on the number of citizens crossing the state border. It considers all instances when a foreigner enters the country and, therefore, counts the number of trips, not of individuals.

However, the tourism traffic estimates for 2023 provided by the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), which counts individuals and not trips, were only slightly lower at 580,000 people. The lobby recently predicted an up to a fourfold increase in foreign tourism to Russia in 2024, naming the weak ruble and the new e-visa scheme as major factors driving the growth. The former simplified travel to Russia for the citizens of 55 countries, while the latter made trips to the country cheaper for foreigners.

Analysts had explained the growth with the “low base” of the previous year when travel to the country was down first due to restrictions following Covid-19. They later explained that it was due to Western sanctions on Russia amid the Ukraine conflict, which affected the banking sector and air travel.

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

India and the Maldives released conflicting statements on Friday on the island nation’s demand to withdraw Indian military personnel from the archipelago after a second round of talks was held in New Delhi. Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu set a deadline earlier this month for India to remove its troops by March 15. 

According to a statement from the Maldives’ Foreign Ministry, officials from both nations convened in New Delhi and reached an agreement that India would replace the military personnel in “one of the three aviation platforms” by March 10 and complete the replacement of troops in the other two platforms by May 10. 

However, an Indian Foreign Ministry statement refrained from explicitly mentioning a withdrawal. It stated instead that both parties had reached an agreement on a series of measures “to facilitate the ongoing operation of Indian aviation platforms, which offer humanitarian and medical evacuation services to the Maldivian population.” 

The two countries also discussed issues related to bilateral cooperation to identify steps to enhance the partnership and hasten the completion of ongoing development projects, readouts from both governments noted.

The withdrawal of around 80 Indian troops, most of which are deployed to operate and fly two Dornier aircraft and a helicopter given to the Maldives by India for emergency evacuation, was one of Muizzu’s key promises before being elected last year.

Following a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Muizzu on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai in December, the two sides agreed to set up a group to iron out their differences.

Muizzu, who was in Beijing last month on his first state visit, called for an increase in the tourist flow from China and hailed relations between the two countries. Beijing has also agreed to provide $130 million for development, and the two countries signed an agreement on agricultural cooperation.

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Russian MMA fighter Magomedrasul Mutaev has been fatally shot in Dagestan’s capital Makhachkala. Local authorities say they have identified the suspected assassin, who is still at large. Mutaev trained at a martial arts school headed by Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, father of former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Dagestani police reported on Telegram on Thursday that the shooting had occurred the previous evening. Mutaev took several bullets outside an apartment block and succumbed to his wounds shortly thereafter.

Later on Thursday, the authorities gave a description of an 18-year-old suspect who was on the run.

According to media reports, citing anonymous sources, Mutaev had previously survived an assassination attempt.

Having trained his son Khabib from an early age, Abdulmanap came to be known unofficially as the ‘Father of Dagestan MMA’ after his son rose to the top of the UFC. Abdulmanap continued as Khabib’s coach, even at the height of his career, until he contracted Covid-19 and died of complications several months later.

Apart from Khabib, who went 29-0 during his time at the top of global MMA, Abdulmanap also trained up-and-coming stars like current UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev and Habib’s cousin, Umar Nurmagomedov, to name but a few.

Since the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the start of the IDF ground operation in Gaza, it has been repeatedly reported that one of the potential participants in an open confrontation with Israel could be the Lebanese Shiite paramilitary group and political party, Hezbollah. In January, there were even more statements by officials about the likelihood of a military clash on Israel’s northern border.

Thus, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on January 8 that his country is ready to go to war with the Lebanese group. However, he still believes that it is better to resolve the conflict peacefully. Netanyahu made his statement following a visit to the town of Kiryat Shmona, after it was hit by a Hezbollah anti-tank missile. The locality in northern Israel is regularly shelled by the organization.

Later, on January 17, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Commander-in-Chief Herzi Halevy said that the likelihood of a full-scale military operation in Lebanon has now drastically increased. “I don’t know when a war will happen in the north. What I can say is that the likelihood of this happening in the coming months is now much higher than in the past,” The Times of Israel quoted him as saying. Halevy made the statement while speaking to soldiers in northern Israel at maneuvers simulating an IDF offensive in Lebanon. He noted that troops are “building up readiness for battles in Lebanon.”

Indeed, Israel’s military buildup on its northern border is confirmed. According to ABC News, tens of thousands of regular troops and about 60,000 reservists are stationed there. The other day, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant noted that Israeli troops may very soon engage in hostilities along the country’s border with Lebanon. However, he did not specify when exactly this would happen.

But before we can understand why the likelihood of a military conflict between the IDF and Hezbollah is growing, we should briefly dive into the history of the Lebanese Shiite group’s origins and its relationship with Israel.

Hezbollah’s genesis

Hezbollah, or in Arabic, “The Party of Allah,” is a Shiite military and political organization operating in Lebanon. It was founded in 1982 in response to the Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon, which was one episode in the 15-year Lebanese Civil War that ended in 1990 after the signing of the Taif Accords.

Hezbollah was originally established as a paramilitary organization to protect Lebanon’s Shiite population from Israeli aggression. Over time, however, it has evolved into an influential political movement that plays an important role in Lebanese political life. Several factors contributed to Hezbollah’s emergence.

First of all, it was the growing anti-Israeli sentiment in Lebanon. In the 1970s, the struggle between various religious and political groups intensified. One of the main issues was the Palestinian-Israeli problem. Lebanon became a haven for hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees who clashed with the local population. In 1982, Israel invaded southern Lebanon to dismantle Palestinian refugee camps and suppress anti-Israeli activity. This event caused widespread discontent among Lebanese Shia, who made up a large part of the population of South Lebanon.

Lebanon has a political balance in which power is divided among the three main religious groups: Maronite Christians, Sunni Muslims, and Shiite Muslims. The Shia, who made up about 40% of Lebanon’s population, felt underrepresented in the political and economic life of the country.

In 1982, a group of Shiite activists who were dissatisfied with the Israeli occupation of South Lebanon united under the leadership of Imam Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, Hassan Nasrallah, the current secretary general of Hezbollah, and Ibrahim Amin, Lebanon’s former defense minister.

Today, Hezbollah is one of the most influential political forces in Lebanon, with representation in the Lebanese parliament and control over a number of important ministries. Hezbollah is also one of the most powerful paramilitary groups in the country. It has significant armed forces that include the regular army, special forces, and popular defense forces.

Hezbollah’s main source of strength is its combat units, which are composed of well-trained and motivated fighters. They have extensive skills in guerrilla warfare tactics and urban warfare, making them a dangerous opponent for the group's adversaries. In addition, Hezbollah possesses a significant arsenal of weapons that includes medium and long-range missiles as well as unmanned aerial vehicles. It has the ability to attack targets in Israel and other countries in the region from Lebanese territory.

The organization is an influential player in the regional arena, maintaining close ties with Iran and Syria. It has taken an important role in the Syrian conflict by supporting the government of Bashar al-Assad. As one of the most powerful and influential Shiite organizations in the world, it plays an important role in the political and military life of Lebanon and the region. Hezbollah is, however, the subject of fierce controversy. Its supporters consider it a heroic organization that fights to protect Lebanon and the Palestinians, while its opponents accuse it of terrorism and destabilizing the region.

Hezbollah has waged an armed struggle against Israel and repeatedly attacked Israeli territory, including firing rockets, hitting military targets and killing Israeli civilians. The group also supports the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip.

Difficult relationship: Born to feud

Relations between Israel and Hezbollah have remained tense for decades and have often resulted in armed conflict. This relationship, as noted above, developed after Hezbollah’s founding in the early 1980s and broadly spans the political, military, and economic spheres.

The roots of the confrontation can be traced back to the first Arab-Israeli war in 1948 and later to the Israeli occupation of South Lebanon in 1982. Hezbollah emerged as a reaction to Israeli influence in Lebanon and the persecution of that country’s Shiite population. It quickly became a major political and military force, presenting itself as both the opposition and resistance to Israel.

The most significant conflict between Israel and Hezbollah was the 2006 war, also known as the Second Lebanon War, which began on July 12, 2006 and lasted until a UN Security Council resolution was passed on August 14 the same year.

The main cause of the war was the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah and subsequent Israeli military operations in Lebanon to free the hostages and weaken Hezbollah. Hezbollah in turn responded with rocket attacks on Israelis and offensives into northern Israel.

The 2006 war was devastating and had serious consequences for both sides of the conflict as well as for Lebanese citizens. Significant damage was inflicted on Lebanon’s infrastructure, civilian facilities, and industry; including airports, roads, bridges and power grids. Some 1,200 Lebanese, most of whom were civilians, were killed as a result of the war.

For its part, Hezbollah fired more than 4,000 rockets at Israel, causing casualties and damage to Israeli cities and settlements. Some 160 Israeli soldiers and about 40 Israeli citizens were also killed. Israel suffered significant losses in tanks, armored vehicles and military equipment.

As a result, a ceasefire was agreed under the auspices of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which called for a cessation of military operations, the withdrawal of the Israeli army from southern Lebanon and the establishment of stability in the region. As part of the resolution, UN peacekeeping troops (UNMC) were deployed to monitor the truce and implement the agreement’s provisions.

Overall, relations between Israel and Hezbollah remain complex and confrontational. Both sides continue to wage online warfare, using cyberattacks and information operations against each other. But there are also occasional exchanges of rocket fire. Despite the regular clashes and tensions, it is also possible to find a path to a diplomatic settlement which would allow both sides to achieve peace and stability.

Will there be an open war between Israel and Hezbollah?

Many analysts of the processes taking place in the Middle East expect tensions to rise on Israel’s northern border. This opinion is conditioned by the increasing frequency of clashes between Hezbollah and the Israel Defense Forces, which has already led to the death of more than 160 representatives of the Lebanese group since the start of the Palestinian-Israeli war on October 8, 2023.

Since the first days of the current escalation, Israeli tensions with Hezbollah have increased. And thoughts of launching military action to the north were in the minds of the Jewish state’s political and military establishment as early as late October. For example, The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported that on October 11 US President Joe Biden persuaded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to launch a preemptive strike against Hezbollah because of the risk of a major war in the region.

On that day, Israeli intelligence received information about Hezbollah’s intention to invade Israel from several directions, and Israeli fighter jets were already in the air, waiting for orders to attack the group’s facilities in Lebanon. It took about six hours of negotiations and meetings for Israeli officials to back down, WSJ sources said.

The situation on the border between Israel and Hezbollah remains tense, and the possibility of a full-scale conflict is real. This was confirmed by Israeli media, citing remarks by National Security Council head Tzachi Hanegbi at a closed session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on January 17. Hanegbi also provided interesting details regarding Hamas.

According to the official, Hamas’ leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, has taken a harder line during negotiations for the exchange of hostages, which will likely draw out the process of returning the 117 people still held captive since the October attacks on Israel. In his remarks, Hanegbi emphasized that the physical elimination of Sinwar is still a pressing goal for Israeli security forces.

However, recently negotiators from Israel, the US, Egypt and Qatar met in Paris and agreed on the basics of a new deal aimed at releasing the hostages. This was reported by NBC News on January 29. The plan envisions the gradual release of captives, starting with women and children. For its part, Israel will offer limited pauses in hostilities and the admission of humanitarian aid, as well as the release of Palestinian prisoners. The plan has been sent to representatives of Hamas.

If a temporary reduction in the intensity of the fighting in Gaza is achieved, the controversy within Israel surrounding the current Netanyahu government will escalate. Obviously, the end of the conflict would also lead to the end of the prime minister’s political career and those of other prominent figures. Even Washington, Israel’s most important ally, has delivered repeated messaging that Netanyahu must go.

No one wants a major war in the region. Hezbollah, which is closely allied with Iran, also does not want tensions to escalate into open warfare. This is demonstrated by its restraint, both in statements by top officials and in attacks on Israeli forces. But if Netanyahu does decide to launch an operation in southern Lebanon, the war will be long and bloody. Representatives of the “Axis of Resistance” led by Iran will lend support with even greater effort. Then the specter of war will become a reality and the Middle East will burst into flames, the consequences of which no one can assess or foresee.

Total gold demand hit the highest level on record last year of 4,899 tons amid global uncertainty and thanks to continued strong buying by central banks, according to the World Gold Council (WGC).

In its Gold Demand Trends report for the full year 2023, the industry group said that purchases by central banks maintained a “breakneck pace,” reaching 1,037 tons, almost matching the 2022 record.

“Even though it [central bank purchases] is not so strong as it was in 2022, it is substantially higher than prior to 2022 and it exceeded our expectations,” said John Reade, market strategist at the WGC. “It is a very impressive number,” he added. 

Purchases by central banks are expected to slow down by around 200 tons in 2024 but remain higher than prior to 2022, according to Reade. The strategist noted, however, that demand for gold among central banks could actually accelerate.

The WGC report highlighted that global gold jewelry consumption was steady in 2023 – at 2,092 tons – due to a 17% post-Covid increase in demand in China and despite high gold prices. Meanwhile, purchases of gold bars and coins declined by 3% as European demand continued to tumble. The report also showed that global gold exchange traded funds (ETFs) saw a third consecutive annual outflow in 2023, shedding 244 tons. According to the WGC, annual mine production last year increased to 3,644 tons, but fell short of the 2018 record.

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

The UK economy has been hit hardest among its European peers by shipping disruptions in the Red Sea, an S&P Global PMI survey released this week shows.

According to the findings, 12% of UK manufacturers report that delivery times have been affected due to Houthi rebel attacks on ships traversing the waterway, which have forced shipping companies to reroute vessels around the southern tip of Africa. Slightly fewer companies have been impacted in Greece (9%), France, and Germany (both 8%).

“Analysis of the reasons cited by PMI panel member companies reveals that the Red Sea crisis had an especially marked impact on European companies in January... Out of the European countries monitored, UK producers were the worst impacted by the Red Sea crisis,” S&P analysts said.

UK businesses taking part in the survey noted that delivery times have been pushed back by an estimated 12 to 18 days, “disrupting production schedules and raising inflationary pressures.”

Re-routing vessels away from the Red Sea also led to higher delivery prices, which caused UK manufacturers’ input costs to rise in January for the first time since last April, the survey found. Supplier price increases were reported in chemicals, electronics, energy, food stuffs, metals, packaging, and timber. Output costs also surged by the most since September, as manufacturers were forced to pass on the increased costs to customers. New orders, meanwhile, have been falling due to weaker demand both domestically and from abroad, the survey noted.

The purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for UK manufacturing rose to 47.0 in January, but did not meet prior expectations and stayed below the threshold of 50, signaling a persistent deterioration in operating conditions.

According to the S&P survey, shipping in the Red Sea will likely continue to suffer at least into the second quarter of 2024.

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

Companies based in Taiwan have sold Russia more than $20 million in advanced equipment that can be used for weapons production, the Washington Post has claimed, noting that Moscow’s defense sector has ramped up purchases in recent months.

Citing “trade records and Russian tax documents” obtained by the outlet, the Post pointed to entities in the Russian arms industry that have boosted transactions with Taiwan, with one firm, I Machine Technology, importing over $20 million in CNC machine tools produced on the island since January 2023. The machines were reportedly sent in 63 separate shipments.

“The Taiwan-made machines accounted for virtually all of the Russian company’s imports in the first seven months of last year, according to the records, and the company’s sales during that period were overwhelmingly to the Russian defense industry,” the newspaper added, although it did not specify how the CNC machines were to be used.

Instead, Bredikhin said that any purchases after January were for spare parts only, and did not run afoul of Taiwan’s export controls, which were further tightened early this year. “I’m not buying anything from them except for parts,” he added.

Nonetheless, the American official claimed that the CNC machines were “very important for making military items” and could be connected to “military-end uses,” including manufacturing drones.

Another executive from one of the Taiwanese producers, Yu Ming Je, questioned the authenticity of the files obtained by the Post, and also insisted that the sales were in line with local laws. Asked about ties to Russia’s arms industry, Yu said he was not aware of any such connections with his company, adding “Distributors basically have many users.”

In announcing its latest round of sanctions, which mirrored those already imposed by the US and European Union, Taiwan's economy ministry vowed to “in principle” block all export license applications to Russian firms going forward. The ministry declined to comment on whether such equipment sales violated export rules, but said the government planned to specifically bar sales to I Machine Technology in the future.

Asylum seekers in Germany will cease receiving cash payments during the course of this year, and will be issued special debit cards instead, the governor of Hesse, Boris Rhein, has announced. The cards will reportedly have limited functionality, with features like free cash withdrawal and transfers to recipients inside and outside of Germany disabled.

A number of municipalities across the country have introduced the new payment method ahead of nation-wide implementation. These include several communities in Baden-Wuerttemberg and Thuringia. Bild reported last month that at least 15 asylum seekers left their localities after Thuringian authorities imposed the new protocols.

Speaking on Wednesday, Rhein revealed that 14 out of 16 German states had agreed on uniform standards for such cards, with Bavaria and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern seeking other schemes. They will, however, introduce the new payment method as well, which is expected to be finalized by this summer.

According to Rhein, “with the introduction of the payment card we reduce the administrative burden on local municipalities [and] prevent the possibility of transferring money from state subsidies to countries of origin, and thus combat the inhuman human-trafficking crime.”

Asylum seekers will apparently be able to withdraw small amounts of cash using the cards, with the monthly ceiling to be determined by local authorities.

While German Finance Minister Christian Lindner hailed the scheme as a “milestone,” critics from the left have denounced the measure as “cheap populism” and “discrimination.”

More than 350,000 people applied for asylum in Germany in 2023, the highest number since 2016 and a 51% rise compared with the previous year, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) reported in early January.

Last month, Germany’s parliament passed legislation that facilitates the deportation of failed asylum seekers. Among other things, the new rules considerably extend the custody period pending deportation in a bid to prevent situations where failed applicants simply abscond around the time they are supposed to be sent home.

Moreover, police were granted additional power to search migrant accommodations and access their cell phones to facilitate identification of asylum seekers.

Almost 25 years ago, on April 20, 1999, American students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold attacked Columbine High School. They killed 15 people and injured 24 more. Their crimes have become a symbol of the type of violence that can be unleashed by disturbed teenagers who are discontent with life.

Somehow, the killers acquired followers, and their legacy is alive to this day. Because of this, Russia has recently banned any reference to Columbine and the shooters that could be interpreted in a positive light. 

It was not “indiscriminate Russian censorship” that led to such a decision but a series of tragedies.

The Columbine effect

Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold have long become a part of popular American culture. The story of their crime is told in songs, movies, and even video games that recreate the shootings. 

The Columbine massacre was neither the first nor the deadliest shooting in US history. For example, just 11 months before the Harris and Klebold attacks, a student – also dressed in a long leather coat and carrying a weapon – had attacked a school in Springfield. 

In any case, the attack became so “popular” that it gave rise to the ‘Columbine effect.’ The shooting served as an example for copycat killers. 

Journalistic investigations revealed that dozens of criminals tried to reenact the Columbine massacre over the past 20 years. Researchers believe that Harris and Klebold even created a “script” that other shooters follow. Some of the criminals claimed to have been directly inspired by the Colorado terrorists. 

The Columbine effect has extended beyond the USA and reached other countries. For example, Brazilian teenagers who attacked their former school in 2019 were inspired by the Columbine massacre. 

In Russia, Harris and Klebold also found followers. 

Russian Columbine

Exactly ten years ago, the first school shooting in Russia’s modern history occurred. At noon on February 3, tenth grader Sergei Gordeev came to school No. 263 in Moscow’s Otradnoye district. He was dressed in a long black coat, under which he hid a Browning carbine and a Tikka rifle, which he got from his father’s safe.

Having overpowered the security guard, Gordeev headed for the room where his classmates were having a geography lesson. He shot the teacher in the head, then went to the teacher’s desk and told his classmates that the whole world is an illusion and that only he exists, and when he dies, the world will vanish. 

When the police arrived at the school, they tried to detain Gordeev, but he resisted. A policeman was killed in the shootout. Gordeev surrendered only when persuaded to do so by his father, who arrived at the scene later. 

The investigation revealed a strange and frightening detail – Gordeev was not a victim of bullying. He had a normal relationship with teachers and other students and was not bullied or incited to violence. His school life wasn’t different from that of other students. 

It was not the idea of taking revenge on his abusers or society that drove him to commit murder, but only the desire to prove his solipsism theory – i.e. faith in the illusory nature of the world.

Five days after the shooting, Gordeev spoke to journalists. He didn’t want to talk about his preparations for the attack or his feelings after the arrest. But he explained his motivation.

“I didn’t want to kill anyone, I wanted to die. I was wondering what would happen after that. What is there after death? I also wanted to see how people would react to what I was doing. I came to kill myself. I had no conflicts with Andrey Nikolaevich [the slain geography teacher], on the contrary, we had good relations. When he came towards me, I shot him –  I don’t even know why I did that, maybe because no one believed that I could shoot?”

Gordeev added that he was “ready to bear punishment.” The trial went on for a long time, and after a year and a half, Gordeev was declared insane and sent away for compulsory treatment. A criminal case was opened against his father for the negligent possession of firearms, but it was later suspended. A year later, his father was granted amnesty.

After this incident, educational institutions in Russia were inspected for compliance with security requirements, and new measures for controlling the circulation of weapons were discussed. However, this did not prevent new tragedies from happening in schools. 

On September 5, 2017, ninth-grader Mikhail Pivnev from the city of Ivanteevka near Moscow came to his school with an air rifle and a hatchet and attacked a teacher and his classmates. He shouted that he had been planning the attack for three years and “came to die.”

The students managed to shut themselves in a classroom and hold out until the police arrived. Pivnev was detained without violence, and the wounded were rescued.

According to some, the student was bullied by his classmates for acting strange, wearing military-style outfits, and even coming to class with camouflage paint on his face.

Strangely enough, knowledge of the Columbine massacre could have prevented the tragedy. On social networks, Pivnev chose the username “Mike Klebold,” which directly pointed to his role model. However, the name of the killer from Colorado didn’t mean anything to the schoolboy’s acquaintances. 

Also, before the attack, Pivnev posted: “Deleting my life on 05.09.17”

A year later, 17-year-old Artyom Tagirov came to school in the city of Sterlitamak in the Republic of Bashkortostan and attacked his classmates and a teacher with a stationery knife. He then poured gasoline on the floor and set it on fire. Tagirov also tried to commit suicide by slashing himself in the throat with a knife but was saved by doctors. 

Tagirov’s story is typical for teenage shooters: He had a history of problematic behavior, studied in a “corrections class,” which is a special class for mentally or physically disabled children, and was bullied by other students. 

But there is another disturbing detail: Artyom openly talked about his plans. He told friends about what he was going to do and mentioned his “source of inspiration.”

“I’ve already prepared everything. I’ll take people with me. I want to [hear] screams, see tears, fear... 18 [people] at least. I hate society. They’ll have to pay for it. You can consider me a follower of Eric and Dylan. I was bullied at school for two years. My hatred won’t just go away,” he wrote.

However, the threats were ignored until it was too late.

Despite the growing concern and stricter security standards, shootings and armed attacks have continued.

Over the past ten years, there have been 14 cases of armed attacks by teenagers in Russian schools. Almost half of the attacks resulted in deaths.

Fortunately, not all of the planned attacks have been carried out. Intelligence agencies and the police detain potential killers while they are still plotting the crimes. The last such attack was prevented by the Federal Security Service (FSB) a month ago. A teenager from the Moscow region was detained – he was exchanging messages with an unknown contact who gave him advice on storing weapons and planning an attack on a school.

Legacy

Russia has quickly drawn the necessary conclusions from such tragic events. In addition to strengthening security measures in schools, the state authorities, large companies, and individuals have come together to fight against the main cause of the shootings: bullying.

Unfortunately, the problem was noticed later than it should have been. The Columbine effect has already spread far and wide. 

In 2022, an investigation found almost 700 social media communities that were ideologically tied to Columbine. Surely, these groups are mostly made up of edgy teenagers who will outgrow their rebellious phase just like their parents and their parents’ parents did before them. But among them, there may be some who are indeed ready to carry out armed attacks. 

Due to America’s strange obsession with the two killers and the desire to tell their story over and over again, the Columbine effect has affected many unstable and unhappy teenagers. So much so that 26 years later, in a country on the other side of the world, there are still people who want to reenact the crime of Harris and Klebold.

The US has unleashed a series of airstrikes on militia groups across Iraq and Syria in response to an earlier attack in Jordan that killed three American soldiers and left dozens wounded.

What was in the Pentagon’s crosshairs?

The attack was directed at more than 85 targets, including command and control centers, intelligence facilities, and weapons storage facilities, which the US claims were used by groups linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) Quds Force, an elite clandestine unit specializing in foreign operations. Washington previously accused the groups of attacking the US and its allies in the region.

Tehran has claimed that these regional groups act independently.

Kirby claimed that the targets were “selected to avoid civilian casualties” and were based on evidence that they were linked to attacks on US military personnel, adding that Washington believes the strikes were successful.

First of many

US President Joe Biden stated that the move was only the first in a series of retaliatory actions to come following the drone attack on US troops in Jordan. “Our response began today,” he said. “It will continue at times and places of our choosing.”

He added that the US “does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world,” but will retaliate against anyone who might seek to harm Americans.

Politico reported, citing two unnamed US officials, that Washington can now focus on Yemen to target local groups which the US believes are also linked to Iran.

What was the US retaliating for?

The Pentagon said Iranian-linked groups have conducted more than 160 raids on US bases and forces in the Middle East since October 7, when tensions in the Middle East flared up once again after the Palestinian armed movement Hamas, which has close ties with Tehran, launched a surprise attack on Israel.

The new wave of US airstrikes came after a drone attack last weekend on Tower 22, a US base in Jordan located near the Syrian and Iraqi borders, killed three US soldiers and wounded more than 40 others. Responsibility was claimed by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group for Shia militias. Biden blamed it on “radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq.”

Backlash

Both Iraq and Syria have condemned the US strikes.

Iraqi military spokesman Yahya Rasool called the attacks “a violation of Iraqi sovereignty,” warning that they “undermine the efforts of the Iraqi government, and pose a threat that could lead Iraq and the region into dire consequences.”

The Syrian military, as quoted by SANA news agency, denounced the raid as “the aggression of the American occupation forces.” It insisted that the attack resulted in a number of deaths among civilians and soldiers, and came in an area where Damascus was fighting IS (Islamic State, formerly ISIS) terrorists.

Meanwhile, in the US, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson rebuked Biden for his weak foreign policy, suggesting that it took the White House an entire week to respond to the attack in Jordan. He stated that the administration’s “public handwringing and excessive signaling,” rather than a “clear and forceful response,” undercut Washington’s ability to respond to Iran.

Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene also accused Biden of pursuing a failing foreign policy. She stated that under the current president, the troops are spread too thin around the world, making them vulnerable to attacks while problems at home, including “terrorists, cartels, criminals invading our country,” have been completely neglected.

The US should withdraw its ground troops from Middle Eastern countries that do not welcome them, independent candidate for US president Robert F. Kennedy Jr has said.

He said the escalation could have been avoided, reacting in an X (formerly Twitter) post to Washington’s attack on more than 80 targets allegedly linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) in Iraq and Syria in a wide-ranging air assault.

US Central Command says it hit 85 Iranian-linked targets in Syria and Iraq in retaliation against the recent “Iran-affiliated” fighters’ attack that killed three US servicemen in Jordan. President Joe Biden’s X post read that the US does not “seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world. But to all those who seek to do us harm: We will respond,” despite Iran denying involvement in the incident.

“If we ‘do not seek conflict,’ then let’s get the troops out of there,” Kennedy said, apparently reacting to Biden’s statement. “They are not welcome. They are not needed,” he added.

Besides pulling US troops “out of the Mideast,” Kennedy urged Washington to forge ties with regional powers instead. The presidential candidate also described the troop presence in the area as “indefensible targets for anyone in the region who wants to provoke a conflict.”

Iraq has rebuked the US over the airstrikes, saying they constitute “a violation of Iraqi sovereignty” and “pose a threat that could lead Iraq and the region into dire consequences. The Syrian military, as quoted by SANA news agency, denounced the raid as “the aggression of the American occupation forces.”

Serbian-born actor Milos Bikovic has announced that he has left the cast of HBO’s award-winning series ‘The White Lotus’. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry had demanded that Bikovic be removed due to his close ties with Russia.

The actor explained that he will no longer be involved in the series due to “a targeted campaign.”

“I was honored to be chosen to be a part of White Lotus, a TV series that I hold in high regard and with colleagues whom I deeply respect. However, my participation is not possible due to reasons beyond the realm of art,” Bikovic wrote on Instagram, adding that he “will not bow to any narrative” that seeks to compromise his integrity.

A dark comedy drama set in a fictional resort chain, ‘The White Lotus’ has won 14 Emmy awards and two Golden Globes. The decision to cast Bikovic for the series was announced in January. Shortly afterwards, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry lashed out at HBO, saying, “Is it all right for you to work with a person who supports genocide & violates international law?”

The actor has participated in numerous Russian productions and is an outspoken promoter of Russian culture. In 2018, he was awarded the Pushkin Medal for his contributions to Russian art and culture. Three years later, President Vladimir Putin granted the actor Russian citizenship.

In his Instagram post, Bikovic said the “targeted campaign” against him led to “the triumph of absurdity and the defeat of art.” He described HBO’s decision as “a disturbing precedent shadowing the essence of artistic freedom.” The 36-year-old actor noted that he grew up in a war-torn country and had to hide in shelters during NATO’s bombardment of former Yugoslavia in 1999.

The Russian economy outpaced its European peers in terms of growth last year, expanding by 4%, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin stated on Friday, citing the latest calculations. He said the main driver behind the above-average growth was the rapid introduction of digital technologies within a broad range of economic sectors.

“The economic effect [from the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies] is about one trillion rubles ($11 billion), and by the end of the decade it will top ten trillion,” Mishustin said at a plenary session of the Digital Almaty 2024 forum in Kazakhstan, adding that this would eventually add some 6% to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

According to the prime minister, the scope of AI technologies application in economic and administrative sectors has increased by an average of 1.5 times over the past two years, and he expects that trend to continue.

“As for digital solutions, we continue to work on their implementation in all areas, including those based on artificial intelligence… We are developing digital transportation corridors and using information platforms. And there are more and more such projects. We are taking global trends into account – they help us respond to very difficult internal and external challenges,” Mishustin stated.

He noted that Russia is currently among the top-three countries “with serious competencies” in digital technologies, adding that it is open to sharing its experience and developments in the sphere with foreign partners.

“We are now focused on further development – the launch of large projects in technological sovereignty, so-called megaprojects, as well as improving the training of engineering teams and the introduction of new digital technologies,” Mishustin explained.

In addition, he noted that Russia was building a network of world-class campuses to train IT specialists and which will be open to specialists from both Russia and its partners within the EEU bloc of post-Soviet nations. There are currently 17 such campuses, and it is planned to open eight more by 2030.

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

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s administration has informed the White House that the decision has been made to fire the head of the army, General Valery Zaluzhny, the Washington Post claimed on Friday.

A major rift between the two became public following Ukraine’s failed summer counteroffensive, and amid growing reluctance in the West to continue funding Kiev’s war efforts.

White House officials accepted the president’s decision, neither supporting nor opposing it, two of the newspaper’s sources said.

The move to inform Washington of Zelensky’s decision ahead of any formal decree or announcements to the media highlights the position of the US as Ukraine’s most powerful military and political sponsor. Washington has provided Kiev with more than $77 billion in aid, more than 60% of which is in military assistance, according to statistics from Germany’s Kiel Institute.

Earlier this week, multiple media outlets reported that Zelensky was about to oust his top general. Several publications in recent months have claimed that the relationship between Zelensky and Zaluzhny has soured since November, when the general described the situation on the front lines as a “stalemate” in an article for The Economist.

Russian forces have been making advances along the front line amid intense fighting in multiple locations in the region of Donetsk, the Defense Ministry reported on Thursday.

Russia holds “the strategic initiative along the entire line of contact,” Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said at a meeting on Friday. He estimated the losses inflicted on Ukrainian troops at more than 23,000 for January. Since the beginning of the conflict in February 2022, more than 383,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or wounded, the Defense Ministry estimated in December.

The share of national currencies in mutual settlements among the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) has reached 90% and is still growing, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin revealed on Friday.

The EAEU, which is based on the Customs Union of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus, was established in 2015, and was later joined by Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. In 2016, Vietnam became a free trade partner of the EAEU. The union is designed to ensure the free movement of goods, services, capital and workers among member countries.

The Russian prime minister made the comments while addressing a meeting of the EAEU Intergovernmental Council. During his remarks, he highlighted that in the first 11 months of 2023, GDP of the EAEU grew by approximately 3.5%, while industrial production gained almost 4%, and retail turnover rose by more than 6%.

As trade within the EAEU continues to grow, member countries have been reducing the use of the dollar and euro and instead turning more to national currencies in mutual settlements. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called on the member states to create a common dollar-free payment system with the aim of “boosting economic sovereignty.”

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

Austria has become a net energy exporter for the first time in twenty years as stable supplies of Russian natural gas allowed it to sell more electricity than it imported, Bloomberg reported this week.  

While most EU countries slashed imports of Russian gas over the Ukraine conflict, Austria, which covers about 80% of its domestic consumption with fuel from the sanctions-hit country, actually ramped up purchases.   

Austria’s imports of Russian gas hit pre-conflict levels last year, as it bought almost double the amount of gas its economy needed, the outlet said. Increased shipments allowed traders to sell more than 90 terawatt hours of electricity abroad.  

The numbers highlight the “uneven impact” of the energy crisis which, on one hand, forced companies and households to reduce power consumption, while on the other helped Austrian state-owned companies OMV and Verbund profit from electricity exports, Bloomberg noted.   

In 2023, the firms sold more energy to Austria’s neighbors for the first time since 2003, according to the state regulator for electricity and natural gas markets.   

According OMV, Russia's Gazprom supplied all of the agreed-upon volumes of gas under a long-term contract. OMV bought 5.3 terawatt hours a month in the fourth quarter of last year, data showed.  

Even though profits at both OMV and Verbund are subject to windfall taxes, OMV announced it would pay dividends that are more than 50% higher than expected, while Verbund, which is due to post its full-year earnings next month, raised its earnings forecast in November.

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

President Joe Biden has defended the US response to a recent drone strike that left three American soldiers dead, claiming that the air raids have targeted militia groups in Iraq and Syria allegedly backed by Iran.

In a statement issued on Friday, Biden said he personally ordered the Pentagon’s response to last weekend’s deadly drone strike on a Jordanian military base housing US troops.

“This afternoon, at my direction, US military forces struck targets at facilities in Iraq and Syria that the IRGC and affiliated militia use to attack US forces,” the president said, referring to Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an elite military unit. 

“Our response began today,” Biden stated, adding that retaliatory strikes would continue “at times and places of our choosing.”

US defense chief Lloyd Austin also warned that the latest round of strikes is just “the start of our response,” adding that “the president has directed additional actions.”

LIVE UPDATES: US unleashes strikes across Middle East

US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, previously announced that it had carried out air raids on more than 85 targets across both Iraq and Syria, also citing last Sunday’s drone strike in Jordan. The operation involved “numerous aircraft,” including long-range bombers flown from the US, which dropped over 125 precision munitions on their targets, the command added. Those targets were said to include command and control centers, intelligence sites, weapons caches, and supply-chain facilities of Iranian-backed militias.

PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel is among a handful of tech billionaires bankrolling the Enhanced Games, a privately-funded sporting contest that encourages doping and transhumanist-inspired upgrades, according to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by the official account for the Games on Tuesday.

Venture capitalist Christian Angermayer and former Coinbase CTO Balaji Srinivasan were also named as contributors to the Games’ “investors’ circle.” The funding round yielded enough capital to pay for the first edition of the Games, founder and Australian venture capitalist Aron D’Souza told the New York Post on Thursday. However, D’Souza declined to reveal the absolute total raised, merely stating that it was in the “high single-digit millions.”

Thiel reportedly plans to provide more details regarding his investment in April and will promote the Games during the ‘real’ Olympics in Paris in July. The Palantir CEO is himself an avid doper, taking human growth hormone and metformin for muscle-building and anti-aging purposes, respectively, and hopes to be cryogenically frozen before death.

In addition to taking performance-enhancing drugs, athletes are encouraged to use so-called “performance technology” like the polyurethane swimming “super suits” banned by FINA in 2010 after they were used to break 55 world records in a single year.

D’Souza justified the idea of allowing athletes to take drugs “out in the open and honestly” by claiming that “44% of Olympians admit to using banned substances while only 1% get caught.” He cast his pro-doping outlook as a stand for medical freedom, telling the Post, “Individuals should be able to make choices about your body and no one – whether it’s a sports federation or the government – should be able to tell them what to do about it.”

The investor also pitched his event as a boon to scientific research, with athletes as guinea pigs testing which “compounds and therapies” work for “extending human life.”

US Anti Doping Agency head Travis Tygart dismissed the Games as a “dangerous clown show” and “not real sport” in a November interview with CNN, while former Australian Olympic gold medalist Anna Meares called it “unfair, unsafe” and “a joke.” Lawyer Jim Walden added that it was probably illegal in the US.

US podcast king Joe Rogan has signed a contract renewal with Spotify that essentially allows him to have his cake and eat it, too – reportedly earning as much as $250 million from the streaming service and gaining the freedom to distribute his show on other platforms.

Spotify confirmed the new multiyear agreement on Friday, saying it will continue to stream ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ and will allow it to be carried by rival distributors. This means that the show – which is already rated as the most-watched podcast in the world – while being streamed exclusively on Spotify, will soon be opened up to listeners of services such as Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube.

Rogan’s controversial show has ruffled feathers at Spotify since he joined the platform in 2020 in a deal valued at around $200 million. Elderly rock musician Neil Young removed his songs from the streaming service in 2022 and urged Spotify employees to quit after CEO Daniel Ek refused to cancel Rogan’s show for spreading “deadly misinformation” on Covid-19 vaccines.

Rather than counting on an exclusivity arrangement with Rogan’s podcast to help attract more subscribers, Spotify is betting on ad sales to generate more revenue. Rogan’s compensation will include a base fee and a share of advertising revenue. Spotify said it will work with Rogan to “continue to maximize the audience of the show across platforms.”

There was media speculation that Rogan would move to another platform when his Spotify contract expired. He turned down a $100 million, censorship-free offer to join Rumble in early 2022.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has branded Ukrainian neo-Nazis as “scum,” recalling the crimes they committed against the local population of Ukraine’s Kharkov Region. The president made the remarks at the ‘Everything for Victory’ forum in Tula on Friday.

During the event, Putin said that the actions of the Ukrainian military clearly show that Moscow is indeed fighting modern Nazis, merely used by their Western “masters” as a “tool to fight Russia.” Among other things, the president recalled the atrocities committed by Ukrainian forces against the local population after their offensive push in Kharkov Region and subsequent withdrawal in late 2022.

“It pains me to talk about this now, but I’ll say it anyway. When our units left Kharkov Region, we knew what was going on there, what these scum were doing. Only neo-Nazis can do this. That’s what it’s all about, that’s what we’re dealing with,” the president stated.

Apart from alleged extrajudicial massacres, Kiev’s domestic security service, the SBU, has widely targeted purported “collaborators.” The persecution has reportedly affected teachers who continued to work in settlements under Russian military control, local officials, and even those who had merely been distributing humanitarian aid received from Russian troops.

The Pentagon has commenced retaliation strikes in response to a drone attack that killed three US troops at a secretive base in Jordan, targeting dozens of sites in Iraq and Syria linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups.

“Our response began today” and “will continue at times and places of our choosing,” US President Joe Biden announced on Friday night. The airstrikes started around midnight on Saturday local time and hit more than 85 Iranian-linked targets, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.

The bombings come nearly one week after a drone packed with explosives struck Tower 22, a US base in Jordan located near the Syrian and Iraqi borders, killing three soldiers and wounding more than 40 others. The attack, which the US blamed on the Iranian-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq, marked the first deaths of American troops in a wave of assaults triggered by the Israel-Hamas war.

US forces have begun a new bombing campaign in the Middle East to punish Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups in response to a series of drone and missile attacks on American military bases in the region.

Washington’s latest airstrikes began around midnight Baghdad time on Saturday and hit more than 85 targets in Syria and Iraq, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement. The operation involved “numerous aircraft,” including long-range bombers flown from the US, which dropped over 125 precision munitions on their targets.

Those targets included command and control centers, intelligence sites, weapons caches, and supply-chain facilities of Iranian-backed militias, as well as “their IRGC sponsors who facilitated attacks against US and coalition forces,” CENTCOM said.

LIVE UPDATES: US unleashes strikes across Middle East

The bombings follow a series of assaults on American military bases in the Middle East, including a drone attack that killed three soldiers and wounded more than 40 others at a secretive installation in Jordan. That base, called Tower 22, is located near the Syrian and Iraqi borders.

CENTCOM Statement on U.S. Strikes in Iraq and Syria

At 4:00 p.m. (EST) Feb. 02, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups. U.S. military forces… pic.twitter.com/ZVx2uOQ1qD

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 2, 2024

The attack on Tower 22 was “planned, resourced and facilitated” by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday. The group consists of multiple militias, including Kataib Hezbollah, which has launched multiple rocket and drone strikes against US forces in the region since the Israel-Hamas war began in October.

Media reports in recent days raised concern that Biden was telegraphing his plans and giving the militias too much time to take preparatory steps, such as vacating obvious targets. Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin tried to deflect those worries on Friday, denying that the administration was giving Iran too much warning. He said the US response will be “multi-tiered” and insisted that neither he nor Biden would tolerate attacks on American troops.

The IRGC’s Quds Force is an elite unit that specializes in guerilla warfare and intelligence-gathering outside Iran. It has sought to drive American forces out of neighboring Iraq since the US invasion in 2003.

US forces have carried out airstrikes targeting Iranian-backed militants in Syria and Iraq in response to a series of assaults on American military bases in the region, including a drone attack that killed three American soldiers and wounded more than 40 others.

Washington’s latest strikes come nearly a week after Sunday’s deadly attack on a secretive US base in Jordan, near the Syrian and Iraqi borders, named Tower 22. The retaliatory bombings mark “the start of what will likely be a series of larger-scale US strikes on Iranian-backed militias who have carried out attacks on US troops in the Middle East,” CNN reported on Friday, citing two unidentified American officials.

An unidentified Pentagon official told the New York Times that Friday’s airstrikes targeted a half dozen sites in Iraq and Syria, “marking a sharp escalation of the war in the Middle East that the Biden administration has for four months sought to avoid.”

Kirby suggested that the US response would be carried out over multiple days. It “won’t just be a one-off,” he said. “As I said, the first thing you see will not be the last thing.” He added that Biden is still trying to avoid a broader war with Iran.

Biden has blamed Iran for supplying the weapons that Islamic militants have used in attacking US forces in the Middle East more than 150 times since the Israel-Hamas war started. He has faced political pressure to respond aggressively, including calls by Republican lawmakers to launch devastating strikes inside Iran.

The Russian military is making advances at multiple locations along the frontline in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), according to Friday's  daily press briefing of the country’s Defense Ministry.

Officials said that over the past 24 hours, Moscow’s troops have inflicted heavy casualties on the adversary, amounting to up to 795 servicemen. The DPR saw intense combat at multiple locations, with troops “taking up better positions” near the village of Klescheevka, located to the southwest of the town of Artyomovsk (known in Ukraine as Bakhmut). The small village has been experiencing heavy combat for months, following the liberation of Artyomovsk early last year.

The Russian military reported destroying multiple pieces of military hardware, including assorted armored and soft vehicles, as well as several artillery pieces, including two US-made M777 towed howitzers. The military said it had conducted multiple long-range attacks on Ukrainian ammunition stockpiles, troops, and hardware assembly points in more than 100 locations.

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu revealed fresh estimates on the casualties sustained by  Ukrainian forces over the past month. All in all, Ukraine lost more than 23,000 troops in January, the minister claimed during a meeting with top Russian military commanders on Friday, stating his forces now “hold the strategic initiative along the entire line of contact.”

Over the past month, the Ukrainian military has also suffered heavy equipment losses, with over 3,000 heavy hardware pieces destroyed. The losses include multiple US-supplied Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, HIMARS multiple rocket launcher systems, German-supplied Leopard main battle tanks and other hardware provided to Kiev by its Western sponsors, according to Shoigu.

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has said that it will ban AI-generated scam “robocalls” after New Hampshire residents were contacted by a computer-generated Joe Biden urging them to sit out the state’s Democratic primary election.

In a statement released on Wednesday, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said that she will instruct her agency to recognize calls made with AI-generated voices as “artificial,” thereby subjecting them to the same rules that already govern pre-recorded “robocalls.”

Under the FCC’s Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), telemarketers must obtain prior consent from consumers before calling them with “artificial” messages. Should AI-generated voices be classed as “artificial,” state attorneys general could prosecute the companies or organizations responsible. 

“AI-generated voice cloning and images are already sowing confusion by tricking consumers into thinking scams and frauds are legitimate,” Rosenworcel said. “No matter what celebrity or politician you favor, or what your relationship is with your kin when they call for help, it is possible we could all be a target of these faked calls.”

“It’s important that you save your vote for the November election. We’ll need your help in electing Democrats up and down the ticket,” the AI-voiced message said. “Voting this Tuesday only enables Republicans in their quest to elect Donald Trump again.”

It remains unclear who was behind the calls, which New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella called “an unlawful attempt to disrupt the New Hampshire Presidential Primary Election and to suppress New Hampshire voters.”

Researchers said last week that the culprits likely spoofed Biden’s voice using software from a voice-cloning startup called ElevenLabs. The company’s safety policy states that users usually do not need to seek permission to clone a public official’s voice for “political speech contributing to public debates.”

The French military has concluded that Ukrainian forces used an American-supplied Patriot air defense system to shoot down a Russian plane carrying prisoners of war, an official told the Associated Press on Friday. Russian investigators have reached the same verdict.

The plane, a Russian Il-76, was shot down over Belgorod Region last Wednesday while carrying 65 captured Ukrainian servicemen who were set to take part in a prisoner swap later that day. All of the POWs, as well as three Russian officers and six crew members, died in the crash.

A French military official told the Associated Press that a Patriot air defense battery was used to target the plane from around 50 kilometers away. Ukrainian forces surreptitiously moved the battery into range before turning on its radar “just long enough to hit [the plane],” the official said.

With an initial search of the crash site suggesting that a French missile may have been used to commit the attack, sources within the French military have already been telling the media for more than a week that the missile involved was American.

Missile fragments found at the blast site bore English-language inscriptions, which revealed that the two projectiles were from a batch made in the 1980s. One piece read “Raytheon,” a reference to the US arms maker that jointly designed the Patriot system.

Following the Investigative Committee’s report, a source within Russia’s security services told TASS that it is very likely that there were American specialists among the crew operating the system.

Kiev has refused to admit responsibility for the attack. However, the General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said that it regularly uses such systems to target Russian military flights in the area. Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, the GUR, stated that it was unsure whether the prisoners would be taken to the exchange point by air or other means and that it “was not informed about the need to ensure the safety of the airspace” over the border region.

Muslim-American voters have balked at US president Joe Biden's latest political outreach efforts, making it clear that his support for the Israeli war effort in the Gaza Strip may imperil his reelection bid.

Widespread voter anger was evidenced on Thursday, when Biden’s motorcade reportedly had to be re-routed during a campaign stop in Michigan. “Genocide Joe has got to go,” protestors chanted while waving Palestinian flags

They show us every day whose lives they value and whose lives they consider disposable. We will not be attending this discussion, which can only amount to a box-ticking exercise. Our families, our community and all Palestinians deserve better.”

Pro-Palestinian protestors have also camped outside Blinken’s home in recent days to press for a change in policy. Dr. Tariq Haddad, a Virginia cardiologist who declined to attend Thursday’s meeting at the US State Department, told Blinken in a letter that he could not face him after the administration’s policies led to the deaths of 80 of his family members in Gaza.

“The more I thought about this meeting, the more I could not emotionally bring myself to look you in the eyes, Secretary Blinken, knowing you and President Biden have knowingly contributed to the suffering and murder of so many of my family, the homelessness and dispossession of 2 million Gazans, and the famine that has befallen my remaining family members,” Haddad wrote.

The Biden administration has approved two emergency arms sales to Israel, bypassing congressional authority, and has rejected calls for a ceasefire. At the same time, Biden and Blinken have urged Israeli leaders to minimize civilian casualties and allow more humanitarian aid trucks to enter Gaza.

A Quinnipiac University poll released this week showed that only 34% of US voters approve of Biden’s handling of the Gaza crisis. An earlier poll by CBS News found that the president’s support for Israel was alienating at least one-third of Democrat voters.

At stake for Biden's reelection campaign are several so-called “swing states” with large Muslim populations that helped propel Biden to an electoral victory in the 2020 presidential race. Even small shifts in support from Arab-Americans in such hotly contested states as Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona could swing the 2024 election against the Democrat incumbent, who already faces an “abandon Biden” movement in Michigan.

Half of Americans think Israel’s military response to the October 7 Hamas raid has “gone too far,” according to an AP-NORC poll published on Friday. The figure represents a ten-point increase since the pollster asked the same question in November. 

Less than a third (31%) of the 1,152 poll respondents said West Jerusalem’s military actions had “been about right,” while 15% said it had not gone far enough. Both figures represent a significant decrease from November, when 38% of those polled approved of the response, and 18% said it should go further.

Democrats were almost twice as likely as Republicans to say Israel had gone too far in its bombardment of Gaza – 62%, compared to 33%. 

However, more Democrats also said the campaign had not gone far enough compared to November’s polling (9% vs 7%). Over a third (37%) of respondents said the US was too supportive of Israel. However, the majority (61%) of those who answered the survey said Hamas held “a lot” of responsibility for the war compared to just 35% who said the same about the Israeli government. A third also thought the Iranian government was significantly responsible, but just one in ten thought Washington had played a major role.

Two-thirds (67%) disapproved of President Joe Biden’s handling of the conflict, with a growing portion of Democrats speaking out against their leader (53% compared to just 39% in December).

Israel has killed over 27,000 Palestinians in Gaza since the war began nearly four months ago, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry, leading South Africa to accuse it of genocide in a case filed with the International Court of Justice in December. The court has since ordered West Jerusalem to prevent genocide in the territory and preserve evidence of any crimes classifiable as such. 

Israel was also ordered to alleviate the humanitarian situation for Palestinians, most of whom are considered in danger of starvation or malnutrition. Over 85% of Gaza residents have been displaced by Israeli bombardment since October.

Instead of allowing more aid into the besieged territory, Israel accused the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, of aiding and abetting Hamas. This led the US and over a dozen other countries to pull funding from the already-overstretched organization.

When you read in Financial Times (or FT to its friends) that the EU wants to destroy Hungary’s economy because of its “recalcitrance,” you should always bear in mind that this is a UK-based newspaper and that the political aim of the publication is to create internal contradictions in the EU after its home country’s exit.

Accordingly, the information given to the newspaper by British officials is primarily aimed at manipulating journalists to create stories that will create additional controversies within the EU and worsen the situation of Germany and France. This is the first thing we have to understand when we talk about political war propaganda.

Secondly, Hungary’s relations with officials in Brussels and the main countries of the bloc are not easy, but they are not linear either. If they were, the Budapest government would long ago have come under more serious pressure, first from Germany, then from France, then from Austria. Together they could have influenced the investment climate in Hungary if they had wanted to. But judging by all their actions, they don’t want to, and there are no examples to the contrary.

Brussels alone will not do anything that Berlin and Paris do not want to do. Indeed, come to think of it, if what FT wrote is true, it is a first in the history of any union – killing a member state to give money to a non-member? It’s completely un-European somehow.

The Hungarians themselves have a normal, balanced attitude towards the EU. They are positive on economic issues – such as the common market, for example. Another thing is that Budapest knows that it can’t dictate overall bloc policy, and they accept this.

On the issue of aid to Ukraine, the Hungarians will stick to their line, as they have been doing for two years, and they have no reason to change anything here. After all, when it comes to fundamental issues, Orban can go for a coffee during the vote and then complain that the others voted without him. Remember, this has happened before.

Also, remember this, when we read FT’s articles on Russia, we know that they are mostly untrue. So why would Hungary and Germany be treated much better? They are also ultimately London’s opponents.

This article was first published by Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper, translated and edited by the RT team

South Africa’s government has claimed that it’s facing destabilization campaigns by foreign intelligence agencies as retaliation for daring to launch a genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The country’s security minister, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said her agency has been put on high alert to deal with foreign meddling as the country prepares to hold national elections later this year. “There are international misinformation campaigns which are aimed at destabilizing the country,” she told reporters on Thursday in Pretoria. “As the security cluster, we are very focused on that work. We are monitoring, and we are strengthening our capacity.”

Ntshavheni confirmed concerns raised earlier this week by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who said foreign governments were using their intelligence agencies to punish Pretoria for accusing Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinians in its war with Hamas. Neither the security minister nor Ramaphosa identified the foreign adversaries involved in those alleged meddling efforts.

“I believe the rulings of the court have been ignored,” Pandor said. “Hundreds of people have been killed in the last three of four days, and clearly, Israel believes it has license to do as it wishes.”

More than 27,000 Gazans – primarily civilians – have been killed since the war began in October, according to local health authorities, and the UN has reported that 570,000 people in the besieged enclave are starving. The conflict started when Hamas fighters launched surprise attacks against Israeli villages, killing more than 1,100 people and taking hundreds of hostages back to Gaza.

“We continue to support the Independent Electoral Commission to make sure that we do not have a threat of cyber interferences from foreign agencies,” Ntshavheni said. “We cannot allow for foreign agencies to destabilize our elections.”

Romanian Chief of Defense Staff General Gheorghita Vlad has called for ordinary citizens to be trained for war with Russia, arguing that such a conflict could break out “in the immediate future.” Multiple European politicians and generals have issued similar statements in recent weeks.

“The Russian Federation has become a problem for the world order,” Vlad said in an interview with the US state-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty outlet on Thursday. The general claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin will “not stop” at victory in Ukraine, and will attack either Moldova or the western Balkans “in the immediate future,” and that NATO states must “prepare the population accordingly.”

Romania’s professional military is not ready for war, he stated, noting that 6,000 of its roughly 80,000 full-time soldiers left the ranks last year. The Romanian armed forces should increase its number of full-time troops to 120,000, he recommended, while also training large numbers of 18-35 year old civilians “in the basic principles of warfare.”

Romania suspended mandatory military service in 2007. Former Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca – an ex-general – suggested last year that it be reintroduced, but his successor, Marcel Ciolacu, has not followed through on this push. Responding to Vlad’s interview, Ciolacu called for “calm,” telling reporters on Friday that “Romania will not enter into any war.”

However, Romania’s parliament is currently considering a bill to introduce the kind of system described by Vlad. The general told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that it will be “discussed with priority” after elections later this year. 

Vlad is the latest in a growing line of European political and military leaders to predict an imminent war with Russia. Among others, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas claimed last month that such a conflict could break out within “three to five years,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorious put the timeline at five to eight years, while British Defense Minister Grant Shapps went further than all of his continental counterparts, predicting a cataclysmic war with Russia, China, Iran and North Korea within the next five years.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed these apocalyptic predictions as “complete nonsense,” arguing that Moscow has “no geopolitical, economic … or military interest” in attacking NATO territory. Speaking at the UN headquarters in New York last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that “no one wants a big war,” including Russia. “We have lived through ‘big wars’ many times in our history,” he added.

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner, injecting some humor at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, stated that Germany is not the “sick man” of Europe but rather “a tired man,” following the recent years of crisis, in need of a “good cup of coffee.”

However, the economic indicators point to something more than fatigue. Although Germany could be described as merely being in a mild recession – the GDP readings, after all, can hardly be called awful – in reality the economy finds itself in the uneasy place of having no clear prospects for an imminent recovery. 

Economic figures paint a darkening picture

Initial estimates suggest a 0.3% decline in GDP in 2023, positioning Germany as the only major industrialized nation in the red. Germany’s national debt saw an increase of about €48 billion, reaching almost €2.6 trillion. While this may appear alarming at first glance, it’s crucial to consider the broader economic context. Germany’s debt-to-GDP ratio, standing at approximately 65%, is relatively favorable compared to many Western countries. 

Moreover, Germany has implemented strict limits on deficits, demonstrating a commitment to financial prudence. In light of these measures, there is a counterargument that Germany could potentially consider taking on more debt.

Eurozone Q4-GDP out later today - Big4 already out. Growth in Spain & Italy (0.6%/0.2%), stagnation in France (0%), contraction in Germany (-0.3%). Germany stuck at pre-pandemic GDP-level. Poor performance! Partly due to gas dependecy & big industry #ecb #dkøko pic.twitter.com/cBsSS1r2Jm

— Frederik Engholm (@FrederikEngholm) January 30, 2024

Sentiment among businesses deteriorated further at the beginning of the year, as illustrated by the ifo Business Climate Index in January, which fell to 85.2 points. Both the current situation and expectations for the coming months were evaluated more pessimistically. The ifo Institute has reduced its growth forecast for 2024 to 0.7%, compared to the previously predicted 0.9%. This downgrade is partially attributable to additional cuts in the federal budget, which became necessary due to a ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court that prohibited leftover Covid-stimulus funds from being repurposed.

Deindustrialization in Germany: A growing concern

The German economy is on the brink of a crisis as deindustrialization firmly takes root. Companies, driven by economic considerations, are increasingly relocating their production overseas, posing a significant threat to a nation heavily reliant on industrial output. This trend has immediate and profound consequences that extend beyond the evident impact on industrial sectors. The offshoring of production could entail a surge in layoffs, further aggravating the economic challenges faced by the workforce.

While the primary focus is on the industrial landscape, it is crucial to acknowledge the interconnectedness of these shifts. A case in point is the German chemical industry, which finds itself in a deep and prolonged downturn, having lost approximately 23% of its production capacity. Furthermore, leading managers have expressed considerable skepticism about a swift recovery. The challenges are exacerbated by Germany’s struggle with high energy costs, particularly affecting industries engaged in global competition. Despite government attempts to counteract these challenges, such as a billion-dollar electricity price package, success has been limited.

Meanwhile, according to a report by Deloitte, an alarming two out of three German companies have partially relocated their operations abroad due to the country’s ongoing energy crisis. This trend is particularly pronounced in critical sectors, such as mechanical engineering, industrial goods, and automotive industries, where 69% of companies have relocated their operations to a moderate or large extent.

Key findings from the Deloitte report shed light on the reasons behind this significant shift. Most businesses attribute their decisions to move operations overseas to the combination of high energy prices and inflation. Notably, companies in these industries are planning to relocate not only low-skilled component production but also, to a lesser extent, high-skilled production processes.

🔴 Germany is tumbling towards recession as Greece enjoys a mini economic boom, in a reversal of fortunes from the crisis that pitted Berlin against Athens a decade ago.https://t.co/0dS16K0al1

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) January 24, 2024

Germany’s attempts to shift toward green energy agenda have also contributed to the rise in electricity prices, further aggravating the situation. Deloitte partner Florian Ploner warns of widespread deindustrialization occurring on a significant scale, with the potential for more companies to follow suit if electricity prices remain high. The bleak outlook for Germany is compounded by skepticism among companies about the government’s ability to address their concerns. Despite companies saying that increased subsidies and reduced bureaucracy would encourage them to stay, there is little confidence that the current government will take the necessary actions to prevent further departures. 

Contrasting trajectories: US thrives while Germany struggles amid sanctions impact

As 2024 unfolds, a striking disparity in the economic trajectories of the US and Germany becomes evident. While the US has been surpassing expectations, Germany, entangled in the repercussions of Russian sanctions, faces a precarious descent into recession.

The resilience of the US economy is evident in the final quarter of 2023, which saw a growth rate of 3.3%, a performance that surpassed economists’ projections. Notably, inflation in the US has receded from its peak of 9% in June 2022 to a more manageable 3.4%.

In stark contrast, Germany stands at a critical crossroads. The situation is further complicated by warnings of a politically motivated shift, particularly towards green energy, posing additional hurdles for major companies and casting a shadow over the nation’s economic landscape. The reluctance of the German government to acknowledge the true costs of its industry, coupled with the decision to abandon Russian gas, appears to be a misstep that has inadvertently weakened its economic standing.

A significant aspect of Germany’s predicament lies in its steadfast alignment with the Washington agenda and the consequential impact of Russia sanctions. The sanctions have placed a considerable burden on Germany’s economic machinery while serving no national interest. Industries, especially those with strong ties to Russian markets, find themselves grappling with disrupted supply chains, reduced exports, and heightened uncertainty.

This alignment with Washington has exposed Germany to economic vulnerabilities that will not be easy to overcome. Recessions come and go, but what Germany is confronting is deeper than a mere downturn: the underpinnings of its prosperity have been ripped out, while there is no quick fix to restructure the economy. 

The Russian economy keeps growing and has already become the largest in Europe and the fifth largest in the world in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP), President Vladimir Putin said while speaking at the ‘Everything for Victory’ forum in the city of Tula on Friday. 

PPP is a metric popular with many economists that compares economic productivity and standards of living between countries by adjusting for the differences in the cost of goods and services.

According to the Russian leader, the country’s economy has demonstrated stability, unlike those of the US and the EU, which are currently in decline. “The fundamental principles of the US’ and EU’s economies are good, they [economies] will rise, but today they are at the bottom, while we are rising,” Putin said.

According to the World Bank, in 2022 China was ahead of the US in terms of PPP, while India and Japan were a respective third and fourth. Russia rounded out the top five, while Germany was in sixth place. Meanwhile, Putin’s top economic adviser, Maksim Oreshkin, said recently that Russia “is already breathing down Japan’s back in the race for fourth place.” 

The Russian Economy Ministry expects the country’s GDP to expand 2.3% this year, following 3.5% growth in 2023, according to the preliminary reading.

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

Two French nationals were killed and three others injured this week in Ukraine, the French government claimed on Friday. Paris insists they were humanitarian workers.

The announcement was made by French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne, who claimed the incident is an example of “Russian barbarity.”

“Two French humanitarian workers paid with their lives for their commitment to the Ukrainians. Three were injured,” Sejourne wrote on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

A similar message came from French President Emmanuel Macron, who said “volunteers” had been killed in a Russian strike. He condemned the attack as a “cowardly and unworthy act.”

Days previously, Russia claimed a high-precision strike “on the temporary assembly point of foreign fighters,” in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkov killed over 60 French mercenaries and injured some 20 more.

In the wake of the attack, Paris officially denied having any mercenaries fighting for Ukraine. At the same time, Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu insisted that France, being a “democratic country,” could not actually forbid its citizens from voluntarily joining Kiev’s ranks, should they desire to do so.

According to Moscow’s latest estimates, more than 5,900 foreign mercenaries have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the conflict in February 2022.

Polish farmers will block border crossings with Ukraine during a general strike planned for next week, the Solidarity trade union announced on Thursday.   

In addition to making Ukrainian crossings impassable, the union plans intermittent road blockades across Poland to last through March 10, it said. 

“Our patience has run out. Brussels’ position on the last day of January 2024 is unacceptable for our entire agricultural community,” the union said in a statement, referring to Thursday’s EU summit, which was loudly protested by farmers from across the bloc.  

Farmers across Germany, France, the Netherlands, and many other EU countries have turned out to protest in recent weeks, citing the bloc’s “green” climate policies targeting agricultural producers with price hikes on fuel, as well as the cheap Ukrainian imports flooding their domestic markets.  

They converged on Brussels with over 1,300 tractors during the EU summit this week, throwing eggs, rocks, and fireworks at the EU Parliament building and setting huge piles of manure on fire.  

The European Commission outraged farmers with its proposal on Thursday to extend the suspension of customs duties on agricultural goods from Ukraine and Moldova through 2025. Brussels had initially justified dropping the tariff in 2022 as a means of supporting Kiev during the conflict with Russia, and the suspension was previously scheduled to expire this year. 

Polish farmers initially took to the streets last year to protest the cheap Ukrainian imports that have driven prices down and imperiled their livelihoods. Polish truckers joined the protests, claiming they too were being undercut by their Ukrainian counterparts. Along with Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovakia, Poland moved to ban imports of Ukrainian grain in May.  

A separate protest by another group of farmers and truckers blocking a key border crossing with Ukraine ended earlier this month when Warsaw capitulated to the protesters’ demands, which included reinstating a permit system for Ukrainian truckers, adopting government subsidies for Polish corn, and a moratorium on tax hikes.  

After weeks of farmer protests across Europe, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held a “strategic dialogue” with community and business leaders in Brussels last week in an effort to find “common and lasting solutions” for European agriculture. However, critics highlighted a lack of farmer representation at the meeting.

The decision by a Finnish museum to change the stated nationality of 19th-century Russian artist Ilya Repin to ‘Ukrainian’ “runs counter to common sense,” Moscow’s diplomatic mission in the Nordic country has said. Last week, local media reported that the Ateneum Art Museum had changed the description of the artist after being contacted by Ukrainian activists. 

In March 2023, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York also started listing the renowned realist as Ukrainian. Around the same time, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands began describing one of the pioneers of the Suprematist art movement, Kazimir Malevich, as “born in Ukraine to parents of Polish origin” as opposed to “Russian.”  

In a statement released on Thursday, the Russian Embassy in Finland said it was surprised to learn about the Ateneum’s decision, which was simply based on the fact that Repin was born “on territory that Ukraine now considers its own.”  

Repin was born in 1844 in the Kharkov Governate of the Russian Empire. He studied at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, being accepted for his paintings of a tour on the river Volga. He eventually became a renowned member of the Russian cultural scene, through which he maintained a long friendship with Leo Tolstoy, among others.

His painting of Ivan the Terrible holding his dead son was removed from exhibition in 1885. Repin welcomed the revolutions of 1917 but opposed the violence unleashed by the Bolsheviks. He is buried on his estate in Repino, outside St.Petersburg, where his home is a museum and UNESCO heritage site.

Apart from revising the nationality of several artists, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art last spring changed the name of an 1899 painting by the French impressionist Edgar Degas from ‘Russian Dancer’ to ‘Dancer in Ukrainian Dress’. 

A year prior, the National Gallery in London altered the name of a series of Degas works from ‘Russian Dancers’ to ‘Ukrainian Dancers’, citing the depicted costumes which are deemed to be Ukrainian. The museum told The Guardian at the time that it was “an appropriate moment to update the painting’s title to better reflect the subject of the painting.” 

Commenting on the developments last March, Mikhail Shvydkoy, the international culture envoy to Russian President Vladimir Putin, lamented that “this lame political gesture has trumped all legitimate cultural considerations.”  

Türkiye remains one of the few countries that have taken a “fairly principled and independent position” on economic relations with Russia, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday.

His comments come ahead of a planned visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Ankara to meet with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, expected to take place sometime this month, according to media reports.

Peskov noted that high-level Russian-Turkish contacts are always on the agenda and that the presidential meeting was being prepared. “As soon as the presidents finally agree on the date of the visit, we will inform you immediately, in a timely manner,” he said.

The spokesman added that the topics that will be discussed between the two leaders have also already been established. Bilateral relations, trade and economic cooperation will be at the top of the agenda, Peskov said. He added that international and regional problems, such as the Ukraine conflict, will also be addressed.

He noted that Türkiye has been one of the few countries that has taken an independent position on relations with Russia despite facing “unprecedented and shameless pressure from the Anglo-Saxons.” He claimed those countries are trying to force Ankara to completely cut off, or at least minimize, its interactions with Moscow to the detriment of Turkish interests. “But Türkiye retains its sovereignty,” Peskov said.

Despite being a NATO member, Türkiye has refused to join Western sanctions on Russia, has maintained both economic and diplomatic ties with Moscow, and has been pushing to deepen these relations further. 

Meanwhile, the US has been pressuring Turkish financial institutions to cut ties and suspend processing payments with Russian banks to avoid becoming the targets of secondary US sanctions. 

On Thursday, the news outlet Vedomosti reported that at least two Turkish banks had started closing Russian corporate accounts and tightening policies for individual clients. Other banks issued 30-day closure notices to Russian corporate clients that opened accounts after the start of Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine.

Peskov confirmed the reports and stated that negotiations between Moscow and Ankara on the issue were underway. He noted that the account closures were an example of “unprecedented, blatant, and aggressive US pressure on Türkiye and Turkish companies.”

Russia’s assets frozen by the West won’t be enough to cover the damage Ukraine has sustained due to Russia’s military operation, the Ukrainian president’s top economic adviser, Oleg Ustenko, said on Friday during a national telethon, as cited by RBK news outlet.

“We are not talking about the figure of $300–350 billion of their gold and foreign exchange reserves. According to estimates made in Kiev, we are talking about $750 billion in direct losses. If we add indirect losses, this could raise the figure to $1 trillion,” Ustenko was cited as saying.

In mid-2022, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal already named the amount that would be required to restore Ukraine, estimating it at $750 billion and saying at the time that the key source for the funds should come from the “confiscated assets that belong to Russia and Russian oligarchs.”

President Vladimir Zelensky later noted that the necessary reparations were estimated at $600–$800 billion. In late 2023, the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice ruled out the possibility of concluding a peace deal with Russia without receiving reparations for the damages sustained from the conflict.

Kiev and its Western allies have long been mulling ways to use Russian assets blocked abroad to restore Ukraine. On January 30, EU member states reached an agreement allowing Brussels to transfer the income generated by Russia’s frozen central bank reserves to Kiev, but have so far stopped short of tapping the assets themselves.

In total, the EU has frozen €207 billion (just over $231 billion) of Russian assets and reserves since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict.

Moscow has repeatedly warned that any actions related to its assets by the US and its allies would amount to “theft,” stressing that seizure of the funds or any similar move would violate international law and lead to a tit-for-tat response from Russia. Several Western officials, including European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, have also warned that tapping frozen Russian funds would undermine trust in Western currencies and the economic system.

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

The Russian economy appears to have performed even better than previously expected in 2023 as growth is now projected to reach up to 4%, outpacing European peers and exceeding the global average, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin stated on Friday.   

Preliminary estimates show that Russian GDP growth for 2023 could come in at 3.5% or even 4%, despite the pressure from Western sanctions, Mishustin said.  

“This is higher than the average for the world, developed countries and Europe, based on World Bank data published in January,” the prime minister declared at a plenary session of the Digital Almaty 2024 forum in Kazakhstan.  

Mishustin earlier said that Russia had managed to steer its economy toward sustainable growth as every industrial sector showed positive dynamics over the past year.   

The GDP projection voiced by the prime minister is above the latest forecast by the Russian central bank, which last month stated its expectation that the economy grew by around 2.7% in 2023, driven by strong domestic demand. 

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

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ordered his officials to avoid provoking Washington into a direct war, but to be prepared to respond to any strike by the US on Iranian soil, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council held an emergency meeting on Monday, less than 24 hours after a militia group aligned to the country struck a US army outpost in Jordan, killing three American soldiers and leaving dozens more injured. At the meeting, the council – which includes Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and military chiefs – discussed likely US responses to the attack, the New York Times reported, citing three Iranian sources.

The council concluded that the US would either attack Iran directly or limit its response to militias in Iraq and Syria, the sources claimed. 

Informed of these possibilities, Khamenei responded with “clear orders,” the newspaper wrote: “Avoid a direct war with the United States and distance Iran from the actions of proxies who had killed Americans – but prepare to hit back if the United States struck Iran.”

The largest of these militias, Iraq-based Kataib Hezbollah, said a day later that it would suspend “military and security operations against the occupation forces [US troops],” adding that it chooses targets independently of Tehran.

Iran’s envoy to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, then issued a warning to the US. “The Islamic Republic will decisively respond to any attack on the county, its interests and nationals under any pretexts,” Iravani said.

In a similar statement a day later, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) chief Major General Hossein Salami said “No threat will be left unanswered.” He added: “We are not looking for a war, but are not afraid of war either.”

According to the New York Times, Khamenei has told his closest advisers that open war would carry the twin risks of destabilizing Iran and diverting the world’s attention from Gaza – two outcomes that the Islamic Republic would seek to avoid. Nevertheless, the paper’s sources said Iran had placed its armed forces on the highest alert, activated air-defense systems, and moved ballistic missiles to the border with Iraq.

Russia’s modern weapons are more effective than the arms used by NATO countries, which have provided extensive military assistance to Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin has claimed.

Speaking at the ‘Everything for Victory’ forum in the city of Tula outside Moscow, Putin praised the role the country’s defense industry is playing in the conflict with Ukraine and in the national economy, as it provides jobs for millions.

The Russian leader acknowledged that while some Russian military equipment designed and produced in the twilight of the Soviet era is often – but not always – inferior in some respects to NATO hardware, this is not true of modern Russian weaponry.

It is clear that [these arms] are superior… I mean both missiles, armored vehicles, everything that is being used on the battlefield.

He added that for the army to be successful, it should be able to swiftly react to developments on the battlefield, suppressing the adversary’s artillery and reconnaissance assets. The military should also have its own such assets which should be more effective, Putin said. “Whoever does it faster will win,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, on Friday Shoigu estimated Ukraine’s losses in January at 23,000 service members. In December, he said that Ukrainian casualties since the start of the conflict with Russia in February 2022 had reached 383,000.

“Agreement! The European Council delivered on our priorities. Supporting Ukraine…. A good day for Europe,” tweeted unelected European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday, as EU farmers “high-fived” her by throwing eggs, lighting fires and dumping manure in Brussels, where a reported 1,300 tractors had gathered in protest.

Surely it must have been in anticipation of this “great day for Europe” that Brussels rolled out the barbed wire to keep the bloc’s own struggling farmers at bay while its leaders cut yet another check for Ukraine — after threatening the one anticipated holdout with national economic “blackmail,” as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban qualified it. It’s hard to believe that this meeting actually took place in Brussels. These officials are so disconnected from reality that it may as well have been held on a whole other planet. 

Unlike the Ukrainian products making their way onto Western European dinner plates to stick it to Russian President Vladimir Putin (because turtlenecks and short, cold showers apparently failed to do the job), this crisis is certifiably EU-made. No one knows this better than the farmers, who also realize that it makes more sense to blockade the streets of Brussels than the national highways of their home countries, which they’ve been doing with overwhelming public support – from nine out of every ten citizens in the case of France, according to a recent Odoxa poll.

It was the EU with its climate change obsession that imposed a Common Agricultural Policy on farmers across the entire bloc, managed by bureaucrats divorced from the reality on the ground. Pencil pushers use EU Copernicus satellite images to spy and crack down on farmers whose paperwork doesn’t match – even if any discrepancies can be chalked up to uncontrollable but temporary conditions like the weather. 

It was also the EU that piled on regulations under the pretext of ensuring the quality of farm products, while at the same time flooding the bloc with grain, poultry, and other imports from Ukraine. Does “Chernobyl chicken” mass-produced by workers who are paid a pittance represent a threat to the physical health of citizens and economic health of farmers? If not, then why can’t Brussels take its jackboot off the necks of its own farmers so they can compete on a level playing field? The EU has also suddenly decided to ease up on some pesticide bans, angering greens. Paris is promoting the idea that ideologically-driven bans need to end, which seems like a tacit admission of their uselessness. So what should we be more worried about now – ideologically-driven authoritarianism under the guise of health consciousness, or an actual health threat? 

It was also the EU that screwed itself, its entire population, industry, and farmers out of cheap Russian energy, driving inflation that caused consumers to turn to cheaper food products and, in turn, driving industrial distributors to buy more cheaply, favoring Ukrainian imports. French President Emmanuel Macron said that he’d now be merciless with those industrials, as he limbers up to toss them under the tractors instead of taking responsibility for his own inaction or blaming Brussels for a top-down anti-Russia policy that’s doing far more harm than good.

The farmers’ problems are existential. And while some French farming union chiefs have called for the suspension of blockades in light of the most recent series of promised reforms announced by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, it’s not clear whether the rank and file will actually listen in the long term. These are people who don’t talk much, but when they do, they’re direct and concrete. As one farmer told me, “Our feet may be in the dirt, but the dirt is clean” – in contrast to some politicians who have different narratives depending on their audience. Even with the suspension of the blockades on Friday, union reps admit that if government action and implementation doesn’t follow shortly, then the blowback from the same farmers risks being “catastrophic.” 

For many farmers I’ve spoken with, it’s far too little, and way too late. The average French farmer’s income, estimated by government statistics back in 2021 at around €17,700 a year (for people who regularly work 70 hours a week), has since been subjected to even more blows. Yet governments have insisted on milking this particular cow until there’s nothing left. How else to explain the careless decision to raise taxes on farm fuel by 3 cents a liter, every year, and the insistence on maintaining such a policy at a time when the price of energy had skyrocketed as a result of knee-jerk anti-Russian ideological choices imposed by the EU? Until the tractors spilled onto the highways in France, Paris showed no interest in reversing this tax policy, which was implemented to drive the “green transition” away from conventional energy, and against all pragmatic reality. Clearly French officials knew of its devastating impact, as it was one of the very first concessions that Attal tried tossing like a speed bump in front of the advancing tractors on January 26 – and which the farmers rolled right over, demanding more. 

And how exactly could she know this demagoguery was killing European farming? You’d think that the first clue would have been the fact that EU policies ended up strong-arming Dutch farmers to sell their land to the government because their cattle’s nitrogen emissions exceeded climate policy limits. 

Macron has now started to lobby the EU to restrict Ukrainian imports. Wow. You’d think these tractors were Decepticon Transformers about to rise up and kick their behinds, the way that all these EU leaders are suddenly springing into action. But the fact that an elected president even has to go cap in hand to plead with unelected Brussels bureaucrats, rather than make sovereign decisions in the best interests of his own country, is pathetic. Like, what if they say no? Then what? Does Macron think that he’s going to single-handedly and permanently derail the new Mercosur free trade deal, ready for signature, and set to flood the EU with even more farm products from Brazil and the rest of South America?

If Macron, or any other EU leader had any courage, they would have vetoed the €50 billion for Ukraine and demanded that it be used in consultation with EU farmers to ease their burden and “unscrew” the bloc. That’s a lot of bought time for the EU to figure out how to deconstruct the mess that it has made of its own house through corruption and special interests – all in hope that one day, people doing honest work can also make a commensurately decent living.

The most populous country in the world will constitute a high-powered committee to consider the challenges arising from “fast population growth and demographic changes.” The move was announced as part of India’s interim budget, unveiled on Thursday, ahead of national elections later this year.

India’s finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, revealed that the proposed committee will address population-related challenges and form recommendations for the government. The initiative, she stressed, comes as part of the vision of Narendra Modi’s government, which hopes to transform the country into a developed nation by 2047.

This development comes against the backdrop of a legislative move to adopt laws to control the population. Members of Parliament belonging to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rajendra Agrawal and Rakesh Sinha, had earlier introduced separate bills to regulate the country’s population. However, neither of them have passed.

India has the highest number of young people in the world; however, the UN, in a 2023 report, noted that by 2046, the number of older adults in the country will be greater than the number of children younger than 15 years old. In 2022, the median age in India was believed to be 28 years; this is in sharp contrast to other larger nations with significantly higher median ages.

An aging population could mean severe economic trouble for India unless the country grows its national wealth rapidly in the coming decades, an analysis in The Hindu newspaper observed last year. In December, India’s Reserve Bank updated the GDP growth projection for the current financial year to 7% compared to the previously estimated 6.5%.

Meanwhile, India remains among the top countries with high income and wealth inequality even as the share of the population living in multidimensional poverty fell from 25 to 15% between 2015-16 and 2019-21, the UNDP said in a report last year.

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The Armed Forces of Ukraine have turned into a terrorist organization that intentionally attacks ambulances, Russian President Vladimir Putin said while speaking at the ‘Everything for Victory’ forum in Tula on Friday.

He was commenting on attacks carried out by the Ukrainian military on residential areas of Russian cities in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), which have led to a number of civilian casualties.

In one such attack on January 20, a paramedic working in the city of Gorlovka was wounded while trying to provide assistance to victims following a previous round of shelling. On January 12, another paramedic was also killed during a Ukrainian attack on an ambulance brigade in the same city.

”What is called the Armed Forces of Ukraine has turned into a terrorist organization that attacks ambulances,” Putin said.

“What is this if not neo-Nazism? That’s not to mention the rounds of applause for actual SS officers in the Canadian parliament and the blatant attacks on medical workers and ambulance vehicles,” added the president.

Russia knows of the tremendous strain put on medical personnel working in the territory of the DPR and other regions, he added, vowing to continue support for them. Work would be done to provide hazard pay to ambulance drivers, the president said.

Earlier this week, Putin claimed there is a need to create a larger “demilitarized zone” in Ukraine that would ensure that peaceful Russian cities would no longer be targeted by Kiev’s foreign-made, long-range weapons.

Governor Ron DeSantis has announced that he will deploy members of the Florida National Guard to assist Texas in repelling an “invasion” of illegal immigrants. US President Joe Biden’s administration has fought to prevent Texas from sealing the border.

Roughly 1,000 soldiers will be sent to Texas, DeSantis’ office said in a statement on Thursday. They will be joined by members of the Florida State Guard, and around 90 members of various Florida law enforcement agencies already at the border.

“States have every right to defend their sovereignty and we are pleased to increase our support to Texas as the Lone Star State works to stop the invasion across the border,” DeSantis said. “Our reinforcements will help Texas to add additional barriers, including razor wire along the border. We don’t have a country if we don’t have a border.”

During his first week in office, Biden signed a flurry of executive orders repealing former President Donald Trump’s immigration restrictions. Illegal crossings have surged as a result, with a record 302,000 people caught crossing the 2,000-mile border in December, and more than 10 million entering the US since 2021. Under Biden’s policy of ‘catch and release’, apprehended migrants are immediately released into the US, with orders to show up at immigration hearings years in the future.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott vowed to defy the ruling and install more wire, arguing that the Biden administration has neglected the constitutional obligation to enforce federal immigration law, and that his duty to protect his constituents supersedes any federal laws. 

Although the Department of Homeland Security gave Abbott three days to begin removing the obstacles late last month, a US Customs and Border Patrol official told Fox News that the agency had “no plans” to move in and destroy the barriers after Abbott ignored the deadline.

Some 25 Republican governors issued a joint statement of solidarity with Abbott last week, accusing Biden of “illegally allowing mass parole across America of migrants who entered our country illegally.”

Ukraine lost more than 23,000 troops in January, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has said, claiming that Kiev had to deploy reserves to prevent a frontline collapse. In December, the minister revealed estimates that Ukrainian casualties since the start of the conflict with Russia in February 2022 had reached 383,000.

Speaking to top Russian military commanders on Friday, Shoigu stated that after the failure of Ukraine’s counteroffensive – which began in early June but fizzled out in the autumn without any substantial gains – Moscow’s forces now “hold the strategic initiative along the entire line of contact.” 

According to the minister, Russian troops have also been advancing and improving their positions, capturing several settlements in the regions of Donetsk and Kharkov.

In addition to inflicting manpower casualties on Kiev, Moscow’s forces also destroyed more than 3,000 pieces of military equipment in January, including German-supplied Leopard tanks, US-supplied Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, Patriot air defense systems, and HIMARS rocket systems, Shoigu stated.

Shoigu also said Moscow continues to launch high-precision strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure, including production and repair facilities, airfields, field depots, and bases housing Kiev’s troops and foreign mercenaries.

Ukraine announced a general mobilization shortly after the start of the conflict, although the draft campaign has been marred by corruption and draft dodging. Officials in Kiev have been mulling a new mobilization bill to replenish battlefield losses since December, but it has yet to be passed.

Meanwhile, former Ukrainian prosecutor general Yury Lutsenko suggested last month that to attract more potential soldiers, Kiev must admit that it has already lost half a million soldiers in the conflict with Russia. This move, he argued, would signal to the population the seriousness of the situation.

One of the main architects of the US sanctions imposed on Russia over the Ukraine conflict is leaving her position, Bloomberg reported on Friday. Elizabeth Rosenberg is departing the US Treasury to pursue opportunities in the private sector, according to the media outlet.

Rosenberg was part of a core group of officials who have worked on sanctions against Moscow, including the freezing of sovereign bank assets as well as the price cap on Russian oil, according to the news agency.

She also reportedly toured some 25 countries in a bid to push governments to comply with Washington’s punitive measures.

Friday will be Rosenberg’s last day as assistant secretary covering terrorist financing and financial crimes, Bloomberg reported. 

As well as the sanctions imposed on Russia, Rosenberg is said to have played a significant role in overseeing measures against Libya, Syria, and Burma during her time in the position.

Washington and its allies have slapped Russia with a slew of sanctions since the start of Moscow’s military offensive against Kiev in February 2022, although they have failed to cripple the Russian economy. Several top-ranking Western and Ukrainian officials have since acknowledged that the sanctions have proved less effective than expected, partly citing the refusal of China and other Global South nations to toe the Western line.

Earlier this week, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stated that the bloc’s sanctions against Russia have failed to weaken its resolve in the Ukraine conflict, with no “light at the end of the tunnel.”

Citing three anonymous diplomatic sources, Reuters reported on Wednesday that the European Commission will start informal high-level meetings with member states on Saturday to thrash out a 13th batch of sanctions against Russia. Brussels is said to be hoping to roll out the measures by the second anniversary of the conflict on February 24.

The proposal will likely focus on clamping down on sanctions circumvention and the elimination of loopholes, the news agency said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently insisted that the national economy is in good shape despite sanctions, and is even expanding.

At least three people are dead and nearly 300 others have been left injured in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, after a vehicle loaded with gas exploded and sparked a massive blaze, the authorities of the East African nation said on Friday.

The incident occurred late Thursday night in the Mradi area of Embakasi, burning homes and warehouses, including Oriental Godown, a garments and textiles depot in the neighborhood that was hit by a “flying gas cylinder,” government spokesman Isaac Mwaura said in a statement.

According to Mwaura, the “huge ball of fire that spread widely… damaged several vehicles and commercial properties.”

“Sadly, residential houses in the neighborhood also caught fire, with a good number of residents still inside as it was late at night,” he added.

Embakasi police chief Wesley Kimeto told the media that a child was among those killed in the explosion and that the death toll could rise.

The government reported 280 injured people. However, the Kenya Red Cross announced earlier on X (formerly Twitter) that it had teamed up with the country’s ambulance service to evacuate 271 people to hospitals in the capital, while an additional 27 were treated at the scene.

Local media footage shows a huge flames raging near residential blocks, with residents screaming. The government had previously said the blast erupted at a gas refilling plant, severely damaging the facility. The cause of the explosion is unknown.

Goods worth millions reduced to ashes as Embakasi gas fire ravages nearby industries pic.twitter.com/4j75N5hViq

— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) February 2, 2024

Aftermath of Embakasi gas explosion: Several families have been displaced and property destroyed. pic.twitter.com/RHqg4plJNS

— NTV Kenya (@ntvkenya) February 2, 2024

A video shows the moment of a deadly gas explosion in Kenya. The explosion occurred at a gas refilling company in capital Nairobi that killed two people and injured over 200 https://t.co/8BFwR0jZuW pic.twitter.com/tbQjaFCY2h

— Reuters (@Reuters) February 2, 2024

Kenya’s Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) announced on Friday that it had rejected three applications for construction permits for a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage and refilling plant at the explosion site last year because the designs did not meet safety requirements. EPRA, however, failed to clarify who owned the site.

“The fire caught up with me from almost one kilometer away as I was escaping. The flames from the explosion knocked me down and burnt me on my neck,” survivor Edwin Machio told Reuters.

James Ngoge, who lives near the site, told AFP that he has a “business on the road that was completely destroyed” by the “huge explosion” that felt like “an earthquake.”

Earlier on Thursday, the Kenyan Red Cross reported a fire emergency at Riomego Boarding School in Nyamira County, where a 100-capacity dormitory had been consumed by flames. There were no casualties reported.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky wants to fire his top general, Valery Zaluzhny, over secret talks he has held with the West to end the conflict with Russia, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersh has reported, citing his sources. He also suggested that some US officials want to help Zaluzhny in a “power struggle” with Zelensky.

Numerous reports have claimed that the president fell out with the general last autumn after Zaluzhny declared in an interview that Ukraine's much-hyped counteroffensive against Russia had ground to a “stalemate” on the battlefield. The two are also believed to have had several other disagreements regarding military issues.

While Ukrainian officials have denied reports of Zaluzhny’s imminent dismissal, following a spate of reports in Western media, CNN reported on Wednesday that it could happen as early as this week.

In an article published on Hersh's Substack on Friday, he offered a different version of why Zelensky was seeking to boot his top general.

At the same time, according to the article, some members of the US military and intelligence community support Zaluzhny’s peacemaking overture and want reforms in the Ukrainian government.

Hersh noted that the concept outlined by a number of US officials insists that Ukraine must embark on financial reforms, root out corruption, and improve the economy and infrastructure. However, the journalist continued, citing one official, the real plan is “far more ambitious” as it “envisions sustained support for Zaluzhny and reforms that would lead to the end of the Zelensky regime.”

According to Hersh, for this reason, the talk of firing Zelensky left some proponents of the plan “dismayed.” One official, the journalist said, described the tensions between Zelensky and Zaluzhny as “an old-fashioned power struggle.” However, they continued that “we couldn’t have gotten airborne without a willing and courageous pilot,” referring to the general.

Hersh noted that this plan was developed without the involvement of the White House, which has publicly stated it will support Ukraine “as long as it takes.” However, an unnamed US official told the reporter that Russian President Vladimir Putin is also “looking for a way out” of the conflict.

Moscow has repeatedly said that it is ready for talks with Ukraine, provided it recognizes territorial reality on the ground. Putin also stated last year that for any engagement to occur, Zelensky should cancel his decree prohibiting negotiations with the current Russian leadership.

Close associates of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban are reportedly responsible for organizing the farmers’ protests in Brussels over the past week, the Financial Times reported on Friday.

The Hungarian leader personally met with protesters in the Belgian capital on Wednesday ahead of an EU summit on Ukraine aid, expressing support for what he described as “the voice of the people.” 

The farmers, thousands of whom have descended on Brussels, have been picketing the EU Parliament building, where they have burned pallets and piles of manure, and hurled eggs, stones and fireworks. They have also blockaded the Belgian capital using around 1,300 tractors.

Similar demonstrations have also been seen in other EU states including France, Germany, Italy and Poland. The farmers are protesting against the EU’s agriculture policies, environmental standards, and rising fuel prices, and are highlighting the threat to their livelihoods posed by cheap Ukrainian imports.

The FT has claimed that the farmers’ protests have been organized by a think tank chaired by a close aide of the prime minister, apparently referring to the Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) – a Budapest-based college whose chairman is Balazs Orban (no relation) who has served as political director to the Hungarian prime minister. 

The MCC has a Belgian-based offshoot, MCC Brussels, whose director Frank Furedi had previously claimed in an op-ed for Politico in 2022 that the purpose of the think tank was to “provide an alternative” for Europe’s “polarized cultural landscape.”

Orban, who has repeatedly found himself at odds with other EU leaders, also stated in December that he did not wish for Hungary to leave the EU behind, but instead intends to “take Brussels” when Budapest assumes the rotating presidency of the EU Council from Belgium later this year. During the presidency, Orban said he hopes to convince as many member states as possible that Hungary’s insistence on standing by its ideals and values is the “right” way to do things.

Nevertheless, on Thursday, the Hungarian leader lifted his veto on the EU’s €50 billion ($54 billion) package of economic aid to Ukraine, claiming that he had been “blackmailed” by Brussels into accepting the deal after months of resistance. 

Orban has described Ukraine as “one of the most corrupt countries in the world,” and opposed giving it any money out of the EU budget without oversight. Brussels, however, threatened to launch a financial blockade against Hungary if it did not back the deal, Orban explained.

More than ten new Russian language and culture centers, or ‘Russian Houses’, are set to be launched in Africa, the Rossotrudnichestvo outreach and cultural support agency announced on Thursday. 

The plans include the opening of a Russian cultural center in Angola, Rossotrudnichestvo head Evgeny Primakov revealed at a press conference.  

“We have about 20 applications pending, most of them in Africa,” Primakov added.  

According to the agency, a major aim of the project is to hold regular cultural and humanitarian activities in countries where Rossotrudnichestvo does not yet have a presence.  

Non-state ‘Russian Houses’ have the status of a Rossotrudnichestvo partner and operate in scientific, educational, cultural, economic, information and other humanitarian fields.  

The 2023-24 academic year saw the number of Russian scholarships for African students increase from 2,300 to 4,700, and the average competition was around five people per place, Rossotrudnichestvo reported last year.  

Most of the scholarships went to students in Guinea, Angola, Mali, the Republic of the Congo, Egypt, and Nigeria. 

State Russian Houses or Centers of Russian Culture and Science run by Rossotrudnichestvo already operate in Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa, the Republic of the Congo, and Sierra Leone. They complement Moscow’s diplomatic efforts with a broad spectrum of cultural and educational activities.  

South Africa has accused Israel of disregarding a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordering it to prevent civilian deaths in its war in Gaza against the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor told reporters in Pretoria on Wednesday that the Israeli government has killed hundreds more people in Gaza, just days after the UN’s top court ruling last week.

The ICJ ruled on January 26 that Israel must take all necessary precautions to prevent genocide and destruction in the Palestinian territories. While the court stopped short of demanding a ceasefire, it did order West Jerusalem to punish members of its military who commit genocide, as well as government officials who advocate for massacre.

In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the World Court’s decision as “outrageous” and declared that no Israeli soldiers would be brought before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israeli forces continued to battle militants in the northern part of the enclave on Wednesday. The attacks killed over 150 people and injured 313 more. Nearly 27,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Gaza since the war began in October, Palestinian health officials have said.

The conflict started when Hamas fighters launched attacks against Israeli villages, killing more than 1,100 people and taking hundreds of hostages. The UN says around 85% of Gaza residents have been displaced from their homes, and 570,000 people there are starving.

“I can’t be dishonest. I believe the rulings of the court have been ignored. Hundreds of people have been killed in the last three or four days. And clearly, Israel believes it has license to do as it wishes,” South Africa’s Foreign Minister said.

Pandor warned of the dangers of the world doing nothing to stop the civilian casualties in Gaza. She said that similar inaction contributed to Rwanda’s horrific death toll in 1994 when more than 800,000 people were slaughtered in an ethnically motivated genocide.

South Africa filed a separate case against Netanyahu at the ICC last November, accusing him of war crimes and demanding his arrest.

“I asked him [ICC prosecutor] why he was able to issue an arrest warrant for Mr. Putin and is unable to do so for the prime minister of Israel. He did not answer that question. But I read into some of what he said that the investigations are still underway,” the South African official said.

She said Pretoria would “look at proposing other measures to the global community” to stop Israel from killing civilians amid its war in Gaza.

Germany’s automobile industry is in decline and the country needs assistance to salvage it, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a visit to the All-Russia Exhibition Center in Moscow on Thursday.

“They are now destroying their auto industry. They need to be helped somehow,” Putin stated in response to reports about Russia’s contribution to the emergence of the automobile industry in Germany. When asked whether the current decline is related to Russian consumers increasingly opting for Chinese over German cars, Putin stated “not only that,” without elaborating further.

German industry – and its automotive sector in particular – has been plagued by mounting problems over the past year and a half. The competitiveness of German manufacturers has been damaged by higher energy prices after the country lost cheap gas supplies from Russia. Hildegard Muller, president of the German Automotive Industry Association (VDA), warned last year that soaring energy costs are contributing to a “dramatic loss in international competitiveness,” as many companies are considering relocating their businesses elsewhere.

According to VDA data, while output from German automobile plants did manage to rise by 18% year-on-year to 4.1 million cars in 2023, this was still 12% below the pre-Covid year of 2019. Meanwhile, orders received by German manufacturers fell by 5%, with domestic orders plunging by 18%.

In March 2022, amid Western sanctions on Moscow in light of the Ukraine conflict, many German car manufacturers, including Volkswagen and Daimler Truck, suspended trade with Russia and later exited the country, losing a lucrative market. The void left by German carmakers was quickly filled, however, by Chinese brands, which accounted for more than 90% of all Russian car imports in 2023.

Maksim Oreshkin, Putin’s top economic adviser, earlier warned that “companies like Mercedes and BMW may fade into history in ten years” as they now have “neither the market nor the technological advantage that they had five to ten years ago.”

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Ukraine’s much-hyped summer counteroffensive ended in disappointment, Mikhail Podoliak, a senior adviser to President Zelensky, has admitted. He also lamented that Kiev continues to suffer from an ammunition shortage.

Kiev launched a large-scale push to breach Russian lines in early June, after being reinforced by hundreds of Western-supplied tanks and other hardware, but failed to gain any substantial ground. Ukraine suffered colossal losses according to Moscow, with Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu estimating them at around 160,000 since the start of the push.

Speaking to Ukrainian 24 TV Channel on Thursday, Podoliak admitted that “there has been a certain negative aftertaste” about what happened in 2023. He noted that both Ukrainian military and political leaders had acknowledged “certain tactical mistakes.” At the same time, he insisted that “this is not a problem,” because Ukraine is fighting a large country with significant resources.

The official also stressed that if Kiev wants to achieve its strategic goal of defeating Russia, it cannot always remain on the defensive. He suggested that those who champion the “strategic defense” approach, do not factor in Moscow’s actions. “I always ask the question: Does this mean that while… Ukraine is accumulating reserves, conducting training, and so on, Russia will just lie on the couch and wait? This is nonsense.”

Last March, the EU made a “historic decision” to supply Ukraine with one million artillery shells over 12 months. However, those ambitious plans have been dashed, as earlier this week the bloc’s top diplomat Joseph Borrell admitted that only a third of that amount had been delivered so far, with the total expected to reach 500,000 by March.

Meanwhile, despite Ukraine’s failure to break through Russian defenses last year, Kiev’s military intelligence chief, Kirill Budanov, predicted that the country would make another attempt this spring.

Last autumn, Ukraine’s top general Valery Zaluzhny assessed that the conflict had reached a “stalemate.” His stance on this and other military issues has reportedly caused a rift with President Zelensky, and rumors abound of the general’s imminent resignation. Commenting on Zaluzhny’s remarks at the time, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Ukraine should understand that it has no chance of winning on the battlefield.