Kremlin Palace (L) and the Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, capital of Russia
The Russian Foreign Ministry asked a Ukrainian diplomat to leave the country after he was caught red-handed receiving classified information from a citizen of Russia.
In a statement on Saturday, the Ministry said it had summoned Ukraine’s Charge d’Affaires Vasily Pokotilo after the Federal Security Service intelligence agency briefly detained Ukrainian consul Aleksandr Sosonyuk in St. Petersburg on Friday for obtaining classified information about Russian law enforcement agencies, reports Xinhua news agency.
Ukrainian border patrol troops guard the country’s border to Hungary on Wednesday. Russia is warning countries not to supply weapons to Kiev, amid an escalation in the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Photo: -/Ukrinform/dpa/IANS
The Russian side pointed out the inadmissibility of Sosonyuk’s activity, which was incompatible with the status of a consular officer and detrimental to Moscow’s security interests, the statement said.
The Ministry said that his stay on Russian territory is undesirable and that it is “recommended” that he leave the country within 72 hours starting April 19.
Russian Defence Ministry declared that certain sea areas in Crimea would be closed off for months because of the manoeuvres, reports Asian Lite News
Amid renewed tension in eastern Ukraine, Russia has sent 15 warships to the Black Sea for a manoeuvre, which passed through the Kerch Strait on the Crimean Peninsula on Saturday, the Navy said.
It was not initially said how long the exercises would last, dpa news agency reported.
The US had previously cancelled the deployment of two warships to the Black Sea following complaints from Russia.
On Friday, the Russian Defence Ministry declared that certain sea areas in Crimea would be closed off for months because of the manoeuvres.
However, shipping in the strait was not affected, it said.
The European Union, NATO and Ukraine criticised Russia’s actions.
In response, a senior EU official said it was an “extremely worrying development”.
Ukrainian border patrol troops guard the country’s border to Hungary. Moscow is warning countries not to supply weapons to Kiev, amid an escalation in the conflict in eastern Ukraine. (Photo: -/Ukrinform/dpa/IANS)
International concern is growing about an escalation of the conflict in eastern Ukraine because of Russian troop deployments not far from the Ukrainian border.
Meanwhile, the head of Ukraine’s military operation, Sergei Nayev, indicated that he does not expect a new war.
“We don’t see any attack preparations there,” he told Ukrainian television on Friday night.
“In fact, field hospitals have been set up.” All units are in camps, on firing ranges, he said.
The European Commission announced that it would borrow 800 billion euros from the capital market in current prices until 2026 to fund the European Union’s (EU) massive plan to bail out its Covid-stricken economy.
A diversified funding strategy was created to ensure that the ember states of the bloc would receive loans under the package known as the NextGenerationEU at an advantageous rate, reports Xinhua news agency.
The EU has set December 2058 as a deadline for itself to fulfil all the repayment, and plans to generate new own resources to strengthen the repayment capability.
Making the announcement at a press conference on Wednesday, European Commissioner for Budget and Administration Johannes Hahn also urged EU member states which have not ratified the Own Resources Decision to do so as soon as possible.
File photo shows the European Union flag and the Union Jack flag outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain. (Xinhua/Han Yan/ians)
“The message is clear: as soon as the Commission has been legally enabled to borrow, we are ready to get going,” said Hahn.
So far, Germany, Estonia, Poland, Hungary, Austria, Finland, Romania, the Netherlands, Ireland and Lithuania have not ratified the Decision.
All other 17 have ratified it, according to Hahn.
The EU has decided to release a historic stimulus package worth 1.8 trillion euros in 2018 prices, or over two trillion euros in current prices, to help the bloc tackle the economic fallout of the pandemic and achieve a greener and more digital recovery.
Leaders of advocacy groups and Congress members have urged minority communities in the US to unite in the fight against racism, xenophobia and other social injustices.
All civil rights organisations have to join together to stamp out constantly and be vigilant against racism, discrimination and scapegoating, because it is a disease that, if allowed to spread, affects everybody, Gary Locke, chairman-elect of the Committee of 100 (C100), a non-profit organisation of prominent Chinese Americans, said.
Speaking at a special virtual town hall organised by the Committee of 100, Locke said, “That’s what we really need to focus on,” Xinhua news agency reported.
When it comes to addressing white supremacy dogma behaviours, “we recognised no matter what our backgrounds are, what country of origin is, what region of this country we come from, we must unite and not accept the concept of the caste system”, said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
A protester holds a placard during a protest against Asian hate in San Jose, California, the United States, on March 21, 2021. (Photo by Dong Xudong/Xinhua)
Johnson said the “caste system that we have in this country is going to destroy us if we don’t destroy it”.
He stressed the importance of “being a friend before you need a friend” which values solidarity among minority groups.
“We must stand united across our communities to ensure the atmosphere for white supremacy extremist activity is no longer accepted, and we stand united to fight against it,” said Johnson.
“The Jews in America are only safe when all minorities are safe, and only when everyone has justice do we as a Jewish people have justice… An attack on a Chinese American is an attack on me as a Jewish American, we are all in this together,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League, the world’s leading anti-hate organisation.
Democratic Congresswoman Grace Meng also highlighted the importance of allyship and solidarity in fighting injustice against minorities.
When hate incidents happen, it is important to encourage people to report them to authorities as best as it could be, according to Democratic senator Alex Padilla from California.
“It’s frankly a collective of standing up and speaking out that gives people the license to be able to come forward.”
Both individuals and the media have a responsibility to tell hate stories responsibly by contextualising the incidents appropriately, according to Greenblatt.
“The best antidote to intolerance is education” on policymakers and children, he added.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Kiev’s possible accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) will escalate the situation in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region and cause “irreversible consequences”.
At a weekly briefing on Friday, the ministry’s spokesperson Maria Zakharova criticised Kiev’s stance on a possible military solution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, reports Xinhua news agency.
The Ukrainian authorities are massing troops and weaponry as well as calling up military reservists, she said.
A damaged deserted factory is seen near the train station in Donetsk, east Ukraine. (Photo: Xinhua/Dai Tianfang/IANS)
Zakharova also pointed to the unfolding “hysteria” of Ukrainian media where Russia is portrayed as a threat.
“We call on the Kiev authorities to adopt a responsible approach and finally start fulfilling their obligations under the Minsk package of measures (on Donbas settlement),” she said, reiterating that this would lead to peace in Ukraine and directly in Donbas.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Donbas, which comprises the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, on Thursday to assess the situation on the ground amid escalating tensions in the region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (Xinhua/Gao Jing/IANS)
“#NATO firmly supports #Ukraine’s sovereignty & territorial integrity. We remain committed to our close partnership,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg tweeted on Tuesday after a phone conversation with Zelensky.
“@NATO is the only way to end the war in #Donbass. Ukraine’s MAP (Membership Action Plan) will be a real signal for #Russia,” Zelensky then wrote on Twitter.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas-led Fatah party and the Islamic Hamas movement have accused Israel of interfering in the upcoming legislative elections scheduled for May 22.
Jamal Muheisen, member of the Fatah Central Committee, said a statement issued on Tuesday that Israel is interfering in the Palestinian elections by arresting candidates in the West Bank and East Jerusalem,reports Xinhua news agency.
“Israel arrested on Tuesday morning four candidates who are on Fatah electoral list from East Jerusalem shortly before holding a meeting to discuss preparing their campaign for running in the legislative elections,” Muheisen said.
“Israel is banning all kinds of activities in East Jerusalem that are related to the Palestinian elections, mainly holding rallies and meetings in the city.”
Hamas spokesman in Gaza, Fawzi Barhoum said that the Israeli army arrested one of the group’s electoral candidates from his home in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.
“Arresting one of our candidates is a blatant interference in the Palestinian elections and reflects the endless Israeli attempts to sabotage the electoral process,” Barhoum said.
He called on the international community and the international human rights organisations to immediately act to protect the Palestinian electoral process and put an end to the Israeli measures and violations against the Palestinians.
Palestine has also addressed letters to international parties, urging them to exert pressure on Israel to allow holding the Palestinian elections in East Jerusalem.
In February, Palestine announced that it officially addressed the Israeli government, requesting it to allow the Palestinians in East Jerusalem to participate in the legislative elections.
Last week, the Palestinian Central Elections Commission announced that 36 electoral lists have got registered for the legislative elections.
Among the 36 competing lists are Hamas and Fatah. The rest include left-wing parties, independent figures, youths and women.
Besides the legislative polls, the presidential elections will take place on July 31, while the elections of the Palestinian National Council, the highest decision-making body of the Palestine Liberation Organization, is slated for August 31.
The last Palestinian presidential elections were held in March 2005, and the legislative polls in January 2006.
At least 128 people were killed and 72 others remain unaccounted for due to floods and landslides triggered by tropical cyclone Seroja in the Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province, the country’s disaster mitigation agency said on Tuesday.
The National Disaster Management Agency’s spokesman Raditya Jati said in a statement that eight municipalities in the province were impacted by the tropical cyclone, reports Xinhua news agency.
He said 67 deaths were reported in Lembata district, 49 in East Flores and 12 in Alor.
Cyclone Eloise kills 6, displaces 8,300 in Mozambique: UN (Credit: twitter.com/UNOCHA_ROSEA)
“Authorities continue to update data from rapid assessments in the field,” the spokesman said.
According to Jati, the number of people in the province who flee their homes has reached 8,424, as floodwaters and landslides destroyed houses, public facilities, roads and bridges.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua/IANS)
Representatives of China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK and Iran, known as the participants in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), met virtually on Friday, and “agreed to resume this session of the Joint Commission in Vienna next week
The parties to the Iran nuclear deal will convene in Vienna next week to discuss the possibility of lifting sanctions on Tehran, as well as the country’s responsibility for further implementing the agreement, the European Union (EU) said in a statement.
Representatives of China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK and Iran, known as the participants in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), met virtually on Friday, and “agreed to resume this session of the Joint Commission in Vienna next week, in order to clearly identify sanctions lifting and nuclear implementation measures”, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.
Friday’s high-level online meeting was chaired by the Deputy Secretary-General and Political Director of the European External Action Service (EEAS), Enrique Mora, on behalf of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.
Josep Borrell, The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
“Positive meeting today,” Mora said on Twitter following the meeting.
The parties will reconvene in Vienna next week, with “substantial work ahead for a key opportunity” to bring the JCPOA back to life, he added.
The participants recognised the prospect of a full return of the US to the JCPOA and “underlined their readiness to positively address this in a joint effort, according to the EEAS.
They also “emphasized their commitment to preserve the JCPOA and discussed modalities to ensure the return to its full and effective implementation”.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, who attended the virtual session, said that there is no alternative to the JCPOA.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
All parties involved should make every effort for the earliest possible return of the Iran nuclear deal to the originally established framework, Ryabkov said.
The participants paid special attention to the measures that should be taken by the US to eliminate previously committed violations of the JCPOA and to lift its sanctions against Iran, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a press release.
The US confirmed on Friday that it would attend the meeting in Vienna next week, saying it remains “open to” direct talks with Tehran.
“We have agreed to participate in talks with our European, Russian, and Chinese partners to identify the issues involved in a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA with Iran,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tehran would be aiming for the “choreographed removal of all sanctions” followed by “Iran ceasing remedial measures”.
The EU said in its statement that the coordinator will “intensify separate contacts in Vienna with all JCPOA participants and the US”.
The development was welcomed by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who said it is good that all the relevant actors will meet to work on fully implementing the nuclear agreement again.
The JCPOA was reached in 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council — the US, the UK, Russia, France, China, plus Germany) and the EU.
Tehran agreed to roll back parts of its nuclear weapons program in exchange for decreased economic sanctions.
President Joe Biden (www.instagram.com/whitehouse)
Washington under former President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 and tightened sanctions on Iran.
The US and Iran are at a standoff over reviving the nuclear deal.
The Joe Biden administration said that if Iran returns to full compliance with the JCPOA, the US would do the same.
But Iran insisted its compliance would only take place once US sanctions were removed.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will speak to leaders of the European Union (EU) over the phone to discuss a ban on the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine exports to the country, a media report said.
The BBC report said that Johnson will make the calls this week in a bid “to persuade them to veto any proposal that would prevent vaccine exports from entering the UK”.
The latest flashpoint appears to be over doses made in a Dutch factory, the report said.
Some of the leaders the Prime Minister is likely to speak with are French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to British officials quoted by the Financial Times.
On Thursday, the EU leaders will hold a virtual meeting to discuss the ban on exports of the jabs to the UK which comes after they faced widespread faced criticism for the slow pace of the vaccine rollout on the continent.
The BBC report said that less than 12 per cent of the bloc’s population is reported to have been inoculated against the virus, compared with nearly 40 per cent in the UK.
According to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the EU has exported 41 million vaccine doses to 33 countries in six weeks, with more than 10 million jabs to the UK.
In a warning last week, she said that the EU can “forbid” vaccines made on the continent being sent to the UK if exports from Britain do not improve.
Regarding the ongoing dispute, the UK’s Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told the BBC on Sunday that the EU should not “build walls” which would “only damage both EU citizens and UK”.
Meanwhile, EU Commissioner Mairead McGuinness has urged all sides to “calm down” as no decisions have been taken on a ban as of now.
According to Iran Shipping Company, none of the crew was injured in the “terrorist” attack, reports Asian Lite News
In yet another alleged “terrorist” attack, an Iranian commercial ship was hit by an explosive object in the Mediterranean Sea, according to local media reports.
“After an explosive object hit the Iran Shahrekord container ship in the international waters of the Mediterranean Sea, a part of the ship’s hull was damaged,” Ali Ghiasian, spokesman of Iran Shipping Company said on Friday.
The fire caused by the explosive object was immediately contained by the crew of the ship, he added.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani
Meanwhile, the Hamshahrionline news website reported that the attack occurred on Wednesday when the ship was on its way to Europe from Iran.
None of the crew was injured in the “terrorist” attack, Ghiasian noted.
Iran Shahrekord will continue its route after repairing and assessing the damage, he said.
Such terrorist acts are examples of piracy and against the international law, the official said, adding Iran will launch investigations to identify the perpetrators.
