The delegation, invited by the BJP, arrived in India to gain first-hand experience and insights into the party’s election campaign….reports Asian Lite News
Under the ‘KNOW BJP initiative’, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President JP Nadda, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw chaired a meeting at the party headquarters with representatives of eighteen political parties from ten countries.
The delegation, invited by the BJP, arrived in India to gain first-hand experience and insights into the party’s election campaign.
Vijay Makhan, representing the Mauritian Militant Movement from Mauritius, shared his impressions, saying that his experience was exceptional. He was impressed by the organisation put in place.
“It was a unique experience. The interactive sessions were very interesting and informative. I am very impressed by the kind of organization that has been put into place for this exercise. The institutions of India, including how the parties have presented themselves, are excellent,” he told ANI.
“Even though I have been following the elections through the press, the experience that I have gained from the BJP is worthwhile and very interesting. Tomorrow I’ll be going to Bhopal to witness the campaign there and hopefully attend a rally,” he added.
Saleem Mohammad, a member of Bangladesh Awami League, expressed admiration for India’s democratic process.
“We have come here as a representative of the Bangladesh Awami League at the invitation of the Bharatiya Janata Party to see the preparation of BJP, their publicity strategy, and their campaign. We are really impressed by the progress of democracy in India. This is the largest democratic event in the world,” he said.
In the meeting, the delegation was briefed about the BJP’s election campaign strategies along with the overall Electoral process.
The participating political parties included Australia’s Liberal Party, Vietnam’s Communist Party of Vietnam, Bangladesh’s Awami League, Israel’s Likud Party, Uganda- National Resistance Movement, Tanzania’s Chama Cha Mapinduzi and Russia’s United Russia Party.
Additionally, two Sri Lankan parties, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna and United National Party are also participating in the BJP initiative.
Representatives of Mauritius’s Militant Socialist Movement, Mauritius Labour Party, Mauritian Militant Movement, Parti Mauricien Social Democrate, Nepal’s Nepali Congress, Janamat Party, Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and Rashtriya Swatantra Party have also arrived in India to experience the ongoing BJP’s election campaign for Lok Sabha Election 2024. (ANI)
A section of Delhi Congress workers had protested over candidature of Kanhaiya Kumar …reports Asian Lite News
Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who is contesting Lok Sabha elections against BJP MP Manoj Tiwari from the North East Delhi constituency, met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal at her residence in the national capital on Wednesday.
Kumar later said that it was a courtesy meeting and Congress and Aam Aadmi Party are contesting all seven seats in Delhi together. He said they are fighting for people of Delhi.
“The kind of dictatorship going on in the country, anyone can be put in jail. I met her (Sunita Kejriwal) and said that we are together in this fight against dictatorship…We are not fighting elections on four seats but on 543 seats. Even in Delhi, we as INDIA alliance are contesting elections on seven seats. We are fighting for the people of Delhi and not for a party or a candidate,” he said.
A section of Delhi Congress workers had protested over candidature of Kanhaiya Kumar after Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely resigned on Sunday expressing his reservation over alliance between AAP and Congress. Protesting Congress workers said they “need local candidate”.
Lovely wrote in his resignation letter that Delhi Congress unit was against an alliance with a party “which was formed on the sole basis of leveling false, fabricated and malafide corruption charges against the Congress Party”
” Despite that, the party made a decision to ally with the AAP in Delhi…,” he said.
Lovely also said he did not get freedom to select party functionaries.
Sunita Kejriwal will hold road show in support of AAP candidates in Gujarat’s Bharuch and Bhavnagar on Thrusday. (ANI)
The meeting under the banner of the INDIA bloc was to discuss their campaign strategy for contesting the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi together….reports Asian Lite News
Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress party held a meeting on Tuesday under the banner of the INDIA bloc to discuss their campaign strategy for contesting the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi together, said a press release.
Delving into the political intricacies of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, a pivotal meeting between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress party under the banner of the INDIA Alliance Co-ordination Committee transpired on Tuesday.
The meeting witnessed the participation of notable figures including AAP’s National General Secretary (Organization) and Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak, alongside key members from both camps.
AAP was represented by MCD in-charge and MLA Durgesh Pathak and the Congress unit was led by Delhi Congress in-charge Deepak Babaria and interim president Devendra Yadav.
The leaders of both parties also discussed the electoral strategy for Haryana.
Speaking about the ‘Coordination Committee’ meeting, AAP leader Sandeep Pathak said, “Many meetings have already taken place between the AAP and Congress, we had another meeting on Tuesday. The top leadership of Delhi and Haryana participated in this meeting from the Congress side. We held a meeting to start election campaign coordination at the grassroots level.”
He said that “very positive discussion” took place between both the parties and the two parties have created a system through which they will cooperate in campaigning for each other.
Pathak said that coordination between the two parties will first take place at the Lok Sabha level and then at the assembly level.
“We have made a commitment to each other. We have created a system in which we will cooperate in campaigning for each other and contest the elections together. This will be implemented first at the Lok Sabha level. After that, coordination will be done at the assembly level,” he added.
Sandeep Pathak further said that the biggest question facing the country today is to “save the country’s democracy” and exuded confidence that INDIA bloc will win all seven seats in the capital.
“We have to liberate the country from the dictatorship of the Modi government. The central government is dismantling government institutions one by one. All the constitutional agencies are working at the whims and fancies of the Central Government,” Pathak said.
“We need to cooperate with each other to save the country from the dictatorship of the Modi government. That is why both the parties are ready and united. There was a very positive discussion between both parties. Coordination is already going on between the two parties, now the discussion was about how it can be taken forward. This time in the Lok Sabha elections, the INDIA Alliance will win and the BJP will lose. INDIA Alliance will win all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi,” the Rajya Sabha MP added.
According to the seat-sharing agreement under the INDIA bloc, the Congress is fighting on 3 seats in Delhi while the AAP is contesting on 4 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.
AAP is contesting on one seat in Haryana (Kurukshetra) and two seats in Gujarat (Bhavnagar and Bharuch).
The Congress has nominated JP Aggarwal from Chandni Chowk, Kanhaiya Kumar from North East Delhi and Udit Raj from Delhi North West.
The elections to the seven seats of Delhi will be held on May 25 and the results of all Lok Sabha seats will be declared on June 4.
Notably, the BJP has been winning all seven seats in Delhi for last two Lok Sabha elections.
However, a section of the Delhi Congress unit has been against the alliance with AAP.
Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely resigned on Sunday expressing his reservation over the alliance between AAP and Congress. Protesting Congress workers said they “need local candidate”. He also said he did not get the freedom to select party functionaries.
Lovely wrote in his resignation letter that the Delhi Congress unit was against an alliance with a party “which was formed on the sole basis of levelling false, fabricated and malafide corruption charges against the Congress Party,” adding “despite that, the party made a decision to ally with the AAP in Delhi…,” he said. (ANI)
The Election Commission has strongly condemned the BRS leader’s statements and reprimanded him for the misconduct….reports Asian Lite News
The Election Commission on Wednesday barred Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) President and former Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao from campaigning for 48 hours for making derogatory and objectionable statements against Congress.
While strongly condemning the BRS leader’s statements and reprimanding him for the misconduct, the poll panel barred him from holding any public meetings, processions, rallies, shows and interviews, or making public utterances in media in connection with the ongoing elections for 48 hours, beginning from 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
The EC order will affect the ongoing bus yatra of KCR, as Rao is popularly called, as part of his campaign for the May 13 elections to the 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana. The Commission took the action after the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Telangana, sent a factual report following a complaint by the state Congress unit’s Senior Vice-President G. Niranjan that the BRS chief, at his press meet in Sircilla on April 5, made derogatory and objectionable statements against the Congress party.
The poll panel had issued a show-cause notice to KCR on April 16 for violation of certain provisions of the Model Code of Conduct and received a reply on April 23, where the BRS chief told the Commission that the officers in charge of election in Telangana and Sircilla are not Telugu people and they hardly understand the local dialect of Telugu.
He also argued that the complaint was made by the Congress by picking some sentences from his press conference out of context. The English translation of the sentences is not correct and twisted, he said.
After going through the contents of the complaint by Niranjan and KCR’s reply, the Commission found that KCR not only violated the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct by making the objectionable and derogatory utterances on April 5 at Sircilla but he had also been violating the MCC provisions during the past elections.
Meanwhile, Telangana’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) reacted strongly to the Election Commission barring KCR from campaigning for 48 hours, asking the poll panel why it did not take any action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.
BRS Working President K. T. Rama Rao questioned the EC’s action and asked what kind of justice is this.
He said if the Election Commission can’t see the “provocative” remarks of PM Modi.
“Zero action against Modi despite thousands of citizens’ complaints,” the BRS leader wrote on X.
The BRS leader also asked if the “abusive words” of Revanth Reddy looked like a sermon to the EC. “No action against the foul mouthed Cheap Minister of Telangana Revant,” he posted, terming it a conspiracy by the PM and the CM.
He asked why the BJP and the Congress were so shaken by KCR’s bus yatra.
“People of Telangana will give a befitting answer to your arrogance & institutional abuse,” he said.
“You can ban him temporarily, you can’t kill the truth that he wants Telangana to know Remember, the only people who are scared of you for speaking the hard truths are those who are living a lie,” Rama Rao said in another post.
Rahul Gandhi claimed that the Prime Minister has “maintained a shameful silence” on acts of crime against women in Karnataka….reports Asian Lite News
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday over the ongoing obscene video case allegedly involving JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna in Karnataka demanding an answer on the matter.
Gandhi claimed that the Prime Minister has “maintained a shameful silence” on acts of crime against women in Karnataka.
“As usual, Narendra Modi has maintained a shameful silence on the gruesome crimes against women in Karnataka. The Prime Minister will have to answer: Knowing everything why did they promote the monster who exploited hundreds of daughters just for the sake of votes? After all, how did such a big criminal escape from the country with such ease?” asked Rahul Gandhi in a post on X.
“From Kaiserganj to Karnataka and Unnao to Uttarakhand, the Prime Minister’s silent support to the culprits of daughters is boosting the morale of criminals across the country. Is being part of Modi’s ‘political family’ a ‘guarantee of safety’ for criminals?” the post mentioned further.
A political row has erupted over the case pertaining to Prajwal Revanna and his “having left the country” and claims of some opposition parties that he had gone to Germany.
All India Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba on Monday demanded Prajwal Revanna, who is MP from Hassan, be deported to India from Germany and that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should write to the Minister of External Affairs on the issue.
Revanna was booked in an alleged sexual harassment case on April 28 following complaints by his former housekeeper.
The case has been registered under sections 354A, 354D, 506, and 509 of the IPC on charges of sexual harassment, intimidation and outraging the dignity of a woman. As per the complaint, the victim has claimed that Prajwal Revanna and his father HD Revanna had sexually assaulted her. Revanna is the grandson of party supremo and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda.
The Karnataka government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged obscene video case against Prajwal Revanna.
Earlier on Tuesday, the JD(S) core committee recommended the suspension of Prajwal Revanna.
Revanna seeks more time
Amid the frenetic political developments following the revelation of a massive number of obscene videos, purportedly consisting of more than 2,900 sex videos, suspended Janta Dal (Secular) leader Prajwal Revanna finally came up with a statement.
Revanna said that “truth will prevail” after he was asked to appear before the Crime Investigation Department (CID) today, he asked for seven more days to appear, citing that he is not available in the city.
In a post on X, Revanna said, “As I am not in Bangalore to attend the inquiry, I have communicated to CID, Bangalore, through my advocate. The truth will prevail soon.”
A political row has erupted over the case pertaining to Prajwal Revanna and his “having left the country” and claims of some opposition parties that he had gone to Germany.
Revanna was booked in an alleged sexual harassment case on April 28 following complaints by his former housekeeper. The case has been registered under sections 354A, 354D, 506, and 509 of the IPC on charges of sexual harassment, intimidation and outraging the dignity of a woman.
As per the complaint, the victim has claimed that Prajwal Revanna and his father HD Revanna had sexually assaulted her. Revanna is the grandson of party supremo and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda.
His father, HD Revanna, who is also an accused in the case, said today, “I came to know that notice has been put; I’m ready to face anything; I’m ready to face SIT.”
Notably, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to Prime Minister Modi, requesting him to direct the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs to cancel the diplomatic passport issued to Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna and ensure his return to face the law.
In his letter, Siddaramaiah said, “While the SIT is working round the clock to investigate the allegations of crimes against several women by Prajwal Revanna, getting him back to the country is of utmost importance so that he faces investigation and trial as per the law of the land.”
Earlier, the Karnataka CM dismissed allegations against Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar that he was involved in the alleged pen drives against MP Revanna.
“Prajwal’s pen drive case is not related to DCM DK Shivakumar. HD Kumaraswamy’s statement that DK Shivakumar was behind the pen drive case is not correct. Prajwal’s driver Karthi said that the pen drive was given by a BJP leader but Kumaraswamy accuses DK Shivakumar of politics,” the Chief Minister said.
The Karnataka government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged obscene video case against Prajwal Revanna. (ANI)
‘Deve Gowda sent grandson Revanna abroad’
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah alleged that JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda had sent his grandson and Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna abroad amid the ongoing obscene video case controversy.
“MP Prajwal Revanna flew abroad after the sexual viral video. Deve Gowda himself sent his grandson Prajwal Revanna abroad. Who gave him a Visa, it is BJP only,” Siddaramaiah said while addressing a public meeting in Devatkal village in Yadgir district.
He also dismissed allegations against Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar that he was involved in the alleged pen drives against MP Revanna.
“Prajwal’s pen drive case is not related to DCM DK Shivakumar. HD Kumaraswamy’s statement that DK Shivakumar was behind the pen drive case is not correct. Prajwal’s driver Karthi said that the pen drive was given by a BJP leader but Kumaraswamy accuses DK Shivakumar of politics,” the Chief Minister said.
“Why did Amit Shah give the ticket to him knowing about all this, why did they give a ticket to the accused of the sex scandal? SIT will investigate transparently,” he added.
A political row has erupted over the case pertaining to Prajwal Revanna and his “having left the country” and claims of some opposition parties that he had gone to Germany.
All India Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba on Monday demanded that Prajwal Revanna, who is MP from Hassan, be deported to India from Germany and that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should write to the Minister of External Affairs on the issue.
Revanna was booked in an alleged sexual harassment case on April 28 following complaints by his former housekeeper.
The case has been registered under sections 354A, 354D, 506, and 509 of the IPC on charges of sexual harassment, intimidation and outraging the dignity of a woman. As per the complaint, the victim has claimed that Prajwal Revanna and his father HD Revanna had sexually assaulted her. Revanna is the grandson of party supremo and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda.
The Karnataka government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged obscene video case against Prajwal Revanna.
Earlier on Tuesday, the JD(S) core committee recommended the suspension of Prajwal Revanna. (ANI)
Murshidabad : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addresses an election rally for the Lok Sabha polls in Murshidabad on Monday, April 29, 2024. (Photo: IANS)
Mamata Banerjee has requested the election commission to “eliminate doubts in the minds of the people” about the increased percentage….reports Asian Lite News
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday expressed doubts on the latest figures released by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on polling percentage in the first two phases of the Lok Sabha elections on April 19 and April 26.
“The commission gave a figure on polling percentage immediately after the elections. Yesterday, I heard that the figure increased 5.75 percentage points. I doubt the percentage has increased in places where polling in favour of BJP was less. I request the commission to eliminate doubts in the minds of the people about the increased percentage. The commission should be unbiased,” the Chief Minister said while addressing an election meet at Malda on Wednesday afternoon.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the Union government especially neglects West Bengal since the percentages of minority and Backward Class populations in the state are comparatively higher.
“They deprive West Bengal of central funds. Our population is much higher than that of Gujarat,” the Chief Minister said.
Speaking on the occasion, she expressed sadness over lack of support in Malda District despite her government doing a lot of development work in West Bengal.
“The votes in Malda are shared between the BJP and the Congress. I do not understand why we do not get votes in Malda. Who will speak about the district on the floor of the Parliament then” the Chief Minister asked.
Speaking at the rally, she once again attacked the BJP over the recent verdict of a Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court cancelling as many as 25,573 teaching and non-teaching jobs in state-run schools.
“They are responsible for the cancellation of so many jobs. Can they be spared even after that? Whenever we try to give jobs BJP creates hurdles for that through central agencies,” the Chief Minister alleged.
‘Congress-CPI-M helping BJP’
Mamata Banerjee on Monday alleged that the Congress and CPI-M are helping the BJP in those Lok Sabha constituencies of the state where the victory of her Trinamool Congress was assured.
“In those seats where the victories of our candidates are assured, both the Congress and the CPI-M are providing clandestine support to BJP. In West Bengal; BJP has two eyes – the first is the CPI-M and the second is the Congress,” she said while addressing an election meeting at Murshidabad.
Banerjee, who is also the Trinamool supremo, once again expressed apprehension of a division in the anti-BJP votes in West Bengal helping the BJP.
“We are supporting the other parties which are fighting against BJP in other states. But remember in West Bengal, only Trinamool Congress is fighting against the BJP. So please do not divide your votes in West Bengal this time. I realise that often people do not vote for other parties just out of love. But everybody is frustrated with BJP,” she said.
Two Lok Sabha constituencies in Murshidabad district, Jangipur and Murshidabad, are going for polls in the third phase on May 7. The third constituency from the district, Baharampur is going for polls in the fourth phase on May 13.
At Baharampur, the most important candidate is state Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, against whom Trinamool has fielded former Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan. At Murshidabad, the star candidate is CPI-M Politburo member and the party’s state Secretary Md Salim.
TMC removes Kunal Ghosh from General Secy post
Hours after Trinamool Congress’ state General Secretary Kunal Ghosh showered praises on Tapas Roy, the BJP candidate from Kolkata Uttar Lok Sabha constituency, the ruling party on Wednesday removed Ghosh from the post.
A statement issued by Trinamool’s national spokesman Derek O’Brien said that since he has been removed from the post of General Secretary, the media outlets should not treat his views as that of the party in the future.
“Recently, Kunal Ghosh expressed views that do not align with the party’s viewpoint. It is important to clarify that these are his personal opinions and should not be attributed to the party. Only the statements issued from the Trinamool Congress headquarters should be considered as the party’s official position,” the statement read.
Till recently, Ghosh was also the state spokesman of the party. However, he resigned from that post but continued as the state General Secretary.
Earlier on Wednesday, Ghosh shared the stage with Roy, who quit the Trinamool and joined the BJP earlier this year, during a blood donation camp organised in South Kolkata, where he described the latter as an “ideal” candidate.
“I have nothing new to say about Roy as an elected public representative. He has always been in public service. His doors were always open for the people. We wanted to retain him in the (Trinamool) family. But unfortunately, we could not.
“Today he is a candidate of the opposing party. We will work for our party candidate, while Roy’s supporters will work for him,” said Ghosh, with Roy sitting behind with a smile on his face.
The US on April 18 vetoed a Security Council draft resolution that would have recommended to the General Assembly Palestine’s full UN membership….reports Asian Lite News
The UN General Assembly will resume its 10th emergency special session (ESS) on May 10, after Palestine’s UN membership bid was blocked by the US at the Security Council in April.
UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis has informed member states that he will convene a plenary meeting of the ESS on May 10, said Monica Grayley, his spokeswoman, on Wednesday.
In a letter dated April 26, Francis told member states that the resumption of the ESS was requested by Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, and Uganda, in their respective capacities as chair of the Arab Group, chair of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Group, and chair of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement, Xinhua news agency reported.
The US on April 18 vetoed a Security Council draft resolution that would have recommended to the General Assembly Palestine’s full UN membership.
Riyad Mansour, the permanent observer of Palestine to the United Nations, expressed the hope that the General Assembly would ask the Security Council to reconsider the issue at the ESS.
“We will now bring the matter for consideration by the General Assembly on May 10 in a resumed 10th emergency special session and trust that this body representing the international community will unequivocally support the admission of Palestine to the UN and call on the Security Council to reconsider our application for admission favourably,” he told a General Assembly meeting on Wednesday on the use of the veto by the US.
Under UN rules, the admission of new members has to be recommended by the Security Council before a vote in the General Assembly.
If the Security Council does not recommend the application or postpones its consideration of the application, the Council then must submit a special report to the General Assembly, which in turn could ask the Council to reconsider.
The 10th ESS on the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory was convened for the first time in April 1997.
The sanctions are also aimed at Russia’s production of chemical and biological weapons…reports Asian Lite News
The US government is targeting Russia’s weapons production with new sanctions, the US Treasury Department said.
Nearly 200 companies and 80 individuals in third countries such as China, Belgium, and Slovakia, which allegedly support Russia in the procurement of materials for its weapons programme, are affected, it added on Wednesday.
The sanctions are also aimed at Russia’s production of chemical and biological weapons.
“Today’s actions will further disrupt and degrade Russia’s war efforts by going after its military-industrial base and the evasion networks that help supply it,” US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.
On Wednesday, the US State Department accused Moscow of using various irritant gases during its all-out war against Ukraine, which violates the United Nations’ Chemical Weapons Convention.
Three people who are reportedly linked to the death of Alexei Navalny are also being sanctioned. The Kremlin critic died in Russian custody in February.
Navalny, a long-standing and staunch opponent of Putin, died in a prison camp in the Arctic Circle in Siberia in February.
It has not been independently established whether the 47-year-old died naturally, as his death certificate says. However, his supporters say he was murdered.
As a result of the new sanctions, any assets of those affected in the US will be frozen.
US citizens or people who are in the US are prohibited from doing business with sanctioned companies and individuals.
The sanctions also make international business much more difficult for those affected.
Austin emphasised ongoing efforts to engage these countries, personally reaching out to their leaders in recent weeks…reports Asian Lite News
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has been actively lobbying nations with Patriot missile systems to support Ukraine’s request for additional air defence batteries.
Speaking at a House Armed Services Committee hearing, Austin emphasised ongoing efforts to engage these countries, personally reaching out to their leaders in recent weeks.
Although he didn’t specify the nations, several European Union members, including Spain, Greece, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden, possess Patriot systems.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier urged NATO to provide at least seven more Patriot or similar advanced air defence systems to counter Russian airstrikes.
Meanwhile, at least two people have been killed by Russian missile attacks in the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa, while a further eight were injured, the Governor of the region, Oleh Kiper, said on Telegram.
Civilian infrastructure, including several residential buildings, was damaged.
Previously, the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, which is just over 30 kilometres from the Russian border, had been attacked with glide bombs, according to the authorities. Two civilians were injured in that attack. A multi-storey residential building was damaged.
Ukraine has been fending off a Russian invasion for over two years. The Russian army fires missiles and drones at the major cities of Kharkiv and Odesa on an almost daily basis.
Earlier Monday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that when NATO allies fail to deliver weapons and ammunition to Ukraine on time, “Ukrainians are paying the price.”
“The lack of ammunition has enabled the Russians to push forward along the front line,” Stoltenberg said in Kyiv, singling out the United States for Washington’s protracted process to send more military aid.
“European allies have not delivered the amount of ammunition they promised,” Stoltenberg added, referring to the European Union’s failure to deliver one million artillery shells to Ukraine in a year.
Secretary General Stoltenberg was speaking at a press conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on an unannounced visit when he voiced his criticism.
“Lack of air defence has made it possible for more Russian missiles to hit their targets,” Stoltenberg said.
“And the lack of deep strike capabilities has made it possible for the Russians to concentrate more forces, and we see the consequences of that now,” he said.
Zelensky thanked the top NATO official for his support and stressed that he expected no further delays in the delivery of recently announced military aid.
Stoltenberg highlighted Spain’s decision to supply Ukraine with Patriot missiles. He said he expected further announcements of support for Ukraine to follow soon.
Germany on Monday announced that it has delivered an additional 10 Marder infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and other defence equipment to Ukraine.
A second Skynex air defence system is also part of the package, as are almost 30,000 rounds of ammunition for the Gepard air defence tank and ammunition for the Iris-T system, the German government announced in Berlin.
The third Patriot air defence system promised in mid-April was not on the updated list of German military aid.
Russia has recently stepped up its airstrikes on Ukraine with missiles, cruise missiles, drones and glide bombs.
Russia says it intercepted US-made missiles
Russia reported on Tuesday that it had intercepted and brought down six tactical missiles supplied by the US to Ukraine.
Officials in Crimea, annexed by Russia, claimed that some of these missiles were downed over the Black Sea peninsula.
The US had been providing arms to Ukraine, which has been requesting more potent weaponry for months to counter advancing Russian forces.
The Russian defense ministry stated that they had neutralized six Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) rockets within the past 24 hours, without disclosing the exact locations of interception.
Sergei Aksyonov, the pro-Russian leader in Crimea, specified that one missile was taken down in the village of Donskoye near Simferopol, cautioning residents about the scattered submunitions.
He shared an image of a component he claimed was from the destroyed missile, urging people not to approach any remnants but to alert emergency services.
There was no indication from Russia regarding any damage caused by the intercepted missiles in Crimea.
Despite previous attacks by Ukraine on Crimea, no immediate response was issued by Ukrainian authorities regarding this incident.
The US had acknowledged sending ATACMS missiles to Ukraine in February, and Ukrainian forces are anticipating the delivery of additional US weapons, approved by President Joe Biden after prolonged political disputes in Congress.
A meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planned for later in Jerusalem….reports Asian Lite News
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv on Wednesday at the start of a fresh round of talks aimed at bringing about a ceasefire in the Gaza war.
The release of the hostages held by the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement was currently a top priority, Herzog said at the meeting, according to his office.
“We’re determined to get a ceasefire that brings the hostages home, and to get it now. And the only reason that that wouldn’t be achieved is because of Hamas,” Blinken said.
Blinken said there was a proposal on the table: “And as we’ve said, no delays, no excuses. The time is now.”
“At the same time, even as we’re working with relentless determination to get the ceasefire that brings the hostages home, we also have to be focused on people in Gaza who are suffering in this crossfire of Hamas’s making, and so focused on getting them the assistance they need – the food, medicine, the water, the shelter – is also very much on our minds and in the work that we’re doing.”
Blinken said he planned to discuss these issues with Herzog.
A meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planned for later in Jerusalem.
Blinken had previously spoken of a “very, very generous” proposal from Israel for a deal with Hamas.
As part of mediation efforts in Cairo, a response from Hamas is now being awaited.
Israel has announced a rapid start to the controversial offensive in Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip if no agreement is reached.
Blinken had previously also visited Saudi Arabia and Jordon as part of his multi-day trip.
