Tag: putin

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Blair gave Putin silver cufflinks for his birthday

Blair also visited the new Kremlin chief at a time when he was suspected of human rights abuses in neighboring Chechnya….reports Asian Lite News

The new Labor prime minister has spearheaded a Western attempt to woo the former KGB agent as an ally at the “top table” of global diplomacy. Declassified documents from two decades ago show how he pushed for the creation of a NATO-Russia Council with Putin at the center.

Blair also visited the new Kremlin chief at a time when he was suspected of human rights abuses in neighboring Chechnya.

Documents released by the National Archives in Kew, south-west London, include an October 2001 letter to him from media officer Magi Cleaver.

She spoke about the Prime Minister’s upcoming trip to Russia, Pakistan and India, and reminded him that Putin had invited him to “come and celebrate his birthday”.

Cleaver added: ‘So we are bringing a set of new silver No 10 cufflinks as a gift – he will be the first leader to have them.’

Blair compared Putin to influential French leader Charles de Gaulle during talks with US Vice President Dick Cheney.

His foreign policy adviser, John Sawers, wrote that the Labor leader “believed it was best to give Putin a place at the top”.

Other newspapers reveal how grateful the Moscow leader was for Blair’s support at the first meeting of the NATO-Russia Council in Rome in May 2002.

A letter from the Private Secretary to No. 10 reads: “Putin was full of praise for the Prime Minister’s initiative to establish the NATO/Russia Council.

Another official note adds: “The NRC meeting was a notable event. Putin took his place at the Council table in a scene unthinkable a very short time ago. He performed with skill and was one of the most impressive performers at the luncheon – contributing with ease, confidence and candor. As a further step in bringing Russia out of the cold, this was a remarkable opportunity.”

He said newly elected US President George W Bush was “relaxed and impressive”, and hoped member states would develop “transparent intelligence cooperation” over the next five years.

Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt wanted NATO and Russia to launch “the first joint peacekeeping operations” in the Balkans.

French President Jacques Chirac “showed (the usual) signs of boredom” but rose from the lunch table to kiss the hand of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi wanted Putin to speak on behalf of the committee at a summit to defuse the state of near-war between India and Pakistan.

Putin told the group he faced national hardliners who viewed NATO as “adversary or enemy” but “understood the implications” of their new advice.

Lord Robertson, NATO Secretary General, urged members to consider where the international peace initiative “should be in five to ten years”.

But another document, titled Putin’s Progress, details how the man who has become synonymous with warmongering, intrigue and political assassination said one thing and did another.

“Despite the heat of Putin’s rhetoric about close Russia-UK ties, the Russian intelligence effort against UK targets remains at a high level.

“The Russian intelligence presence in the UK is at Cold War levels and they continue to try to post active and hostile officers to work against British interests around the world.”

Last August, the Daily Express revealed how Putin was allowed to grill Britain’s security chiefs at a special emergency Cobra meeting.

Sources said he looked “steel” and “creepy” as he questioned the heads of MI5 and MI6 and Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism chief.

The Kremlin boss was visiting London in October 2005 at a time when Blair wanted him to help the West’s war on terror. But just a year later, Moscow assassins murdered critic Alexander Litvinenko in a London hotel by feeding him a lethal dose of deadly polonium-210.

ALSO READ: UK delivers counter explosive ordnance to Ukraine

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-Top News India News

Moscow-led CIS backs India’s connectivity plan using Chabahar

Russia-led Eurasian region backs India’s connectivity plan using Chabahar port(IN)

New Delhi has been calling for exploiting the full potential of Chabahar port and the north-south corridor to unlock the economic capacity of the region…reports Asian Lite News

The Russia-led Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) grouping has once again stressed the importance of strengthening the transport and logistics architecture of the Eurasian region via the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and its linking to Chabahar port in Iran being jointly developed by India.

At a New Year’s Eve meeting held in the historic Russian city of Saint Petersburg on Monday, the CIS leaders exchanged views on issues of further strengthening of multilateral cooperation of the member states and discussed issues related to regional and international cooperation of mutual interest.

The “informal” meeting was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, Armenia Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

As the “friendly circle” – as it was described by Putin – sat down to summarize cooperation results of 2022 and set priority tasks for 2023, the need for the formation of a full-fledged free trade zone in the CIS area and strengthening of interdependence in terms of transport and connectivity was reiterated.

“New mechanisms and formats of cooperation are needed to improve the efficiency of transport and logistics projects in the CIS. Here, the North-South international corridor is of particular importance, in which the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway is an important transport artery,” Tokayev told the gathering.

“We know that the Russian Federation has also shown a practical interest in the implementation of this project. Naturally, this is welcome,” the Kazakhstan President added.

Tokayev was perhaps pointing to Putin’s call for the “speedy launch” of INSTC made at the Caspian Summit in Ashgabat in July earlier this year.

As reported by IndiaNarrative.com, at the meeting, Putin spoke in detail about the 7,200 km-long, multimodal trade corridor which will start from Mumbai, with nodes in West Asia, Central Asia, Caucasia and Russia covering large swathes of territory in landlocked Eurasia.

“The speedy launch of this corridor is intended to be facilitated by the agreement between the Caspian states on cooperation in the field of transport, which came into force last year, which is aimed at turning the Caspian Sea region into a major international logistics hub,” Putin said at the meeting which was also attended by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.

The Caspian Five had acknowledged the huge significance of the large-scale project which would eventually link the far-west Russian city Saint Petersburg to the ports of Iran and India.

In Saint Petersburg on Monday, Turkmenistan also emphasised the importance of promoting the economic interests of the CIS member countries far from the geographical boundaries of the region.

“First of all, transit transport infrastructures should be created, energy transmission routes should be expanded, and new communication and communication systems should be built,” insisted Berdimuhamedov.

New Delhi has been calling for exploiting the full potential of Chabahar port and the north-south corridor to unlock the economic capacity of the region.

India has maintained that Chabahar can not only unlock the region’s economic ambitions but also turn into one of the most important ports in the world in the near future by becoming the gateway for trade with Europe, Russia, and CIS countries.

Tehran has already begun testing the INSTC connectivity routes with the successful completion of the first transit of goods from Astrakhan to Mumbai, a few months ago.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

ALSO READ-Ukraine seeks ‘peace summit’ with Russia

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-Top News Europe

Putin to bring AI-assisted drones for future wars

Putin, who is also the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces, stated that though Moscow has “good experience” in developing unique underwater UAVs, reports Ateet Sharma

After having seen the significant role that weaponised drones are playing in its ongoing conflict with Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday listed the improvement of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) as an “urgent task” for the country’s defence industry going into 2023.

Chairing the annual meeting of the Board of the Defence Ministry in Moscow, Putin, who is also the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces, stated that though Moscow has “good experience” in developing unique underwater UAVs, there is every opportunity to create a wide range of air and ground unmanned vehicles with the best, highest performance characteristics, including elements of artificial intelligence.

“An urgent task is to improve unmanned aerial vehicles, including strategic and reconnaissance-strike, as well as ways to use them. The experience of a special military operation has shown that the use of drones has become almost universal, and such an arsenal of means should be in combat squads, platoons, companies, battalions,” Putin told the gathering of top Russian Generals, including Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

The Russian President emphasised linking UAVs to each other, integrating them into a single reconnaissance network, and having secure communication channels with the headquarters and commanders. The target, he insisted, should be detected as quickly as possible and information transmitted to strike in real-time.

“Already in the near future, every fighter should have the opportunity to receive information transmitted from drones. This is what we need to go for, this is what we need to strive for. Technically, this can be implemented in the very near future, practically already now. I ask you to pay special attention to this when finalizing the entire complex of equipment and tactical equipment of personnel,” said Putin.

Russia has been accused by Ukraine of using Iranian-made Kamikaze Shahed-136 drones – also known as Geranium-2 – which is quite hard to detect even on military radars.

The meeting, which Putin pointed out was taking place at “a very important period” for Russia, summed up the results of the activities of the country’s armed forces in 2022 and deliberated on tasks for the next year.

Revealing that the level of modern weapons in the Russian strategic nuclear forces has already exceeded 91 percent this year, Putin also stressed on improving the combat readiness of the nuclear triad.

“This is the main guarantee of preserving our sovereignty and territorial integrity, strategic parity, and the overall balance of power in the world,” he insisted and added that work continues on the development of hypersonic missile systems “that are unique in their characteristics and have no analogues in the world”.

As he spoke on expanding the arsenals of modern strike weapons, Putin also listed the importance of increasing the combat capabilities of Russian aerospace forces, including the number of fighters and bombers when they operate in the coverage area of modern air defence systems.

Another point that the Russian President made during the meeting was the necessity to improve the communication system in order to ensure the stability and efficiency of troop command and control in any conditions.

“To do this, more actively use artificial intelligence technologies at all levels of decision-making. As experience shows, including recent months, the most effective weapons systems are those that operate quickly and almost automatically,” he remarked.

Shoigu, during his presentation, said that attempts to isolate Russia have failed as Moscow continues to expand the geography of international military and military-technical cooperation.

The Russian Ministry of Defence, he told Putin, is developing relations with the armed forces of 109 states in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.

ALSO READ: Russia to continue to strengthen armed forces: Putin

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Fears growing Belarus could soon join war in Ukraine to help Putin

Moscow, Nov. 05 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (Xinhua/IANS)

Russian troops attempting to take Kyiv early in the war had advanced on the city from Belarus, and missiles which devastated the capital were fired from there…reports Asian Lite News

Fears that Belarus could soon be forced to join the Ukraine war are growing after military vehicles were seen with ‘combat symbols’ painted on them, media reports said.

State TV footage of armoured vehicles taking part in snap ‘combat readiness’ drills near Ukraine’s borders showed they have red squares painted on them, which would allow drivers to recognise each-other during actual combat, Daily Mail reported

President Alexander Lukashenko has so-far avoided throwing his army into the fighting in Ukraine, but has allowed Belarusian territory to be used for attacks.

Russian troops attempting to take Kyiv early in the war had advanced on the city from Belarus, and missiles which devastated the capital were fired from there.

Pressure is thought to have been growing on Lukashenko to commit his forces to the fight after Russia began placing more of its own troops on his territory in September, Daily Mail reported.

But he is hesitating – likely because he fears that his army, a shadow of its Russian counterpart, would be mauled in the fighting.

Since control of the military is vital to maintaining control of the country, that could spark a serious challenge to Lukashenko’s rule – coming just two years after he narrowly survived the last popular uprising.

Throwing Belarusian troops into the fight would likely change little in the long-term, but could open up short-term tactical advantages for Putin with the battle currently at a stalemate.

Moscow has been forced to resort to long-range missile attacks on Ukraine’s power and heating network with its forces at a near-standstill on the battlefield, with a fresh wave of drones sent at Kyiv.

ALSO READ-American freed during Russia-Ukraine prisoner swap, confirms US

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-Top News Europe

Erdogan, Putin discuss bilateral ties, grain deal

MOSCOW, March 5, 2020 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Moscow, Russia, on March 5, 2020. Russia and Turkey agreed Thursday on a ceasefire in the de-escalation zone in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, after talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan which lasted for about six hours. (Sputnik/Handout via Xinhua/IANS)

Ankara says it has been making efforts to pave the way for the resumption of Russian grain and fertiliser export to world markets as well…reports Asian Lite News

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed Turkey-Russia relations, including the exports through the Black Sea grain corridor and the fight against terrorism along the Turkish-Syrian border, Turkey’s presidency said in a statement.

Erdogan told Putin in a phone call that the grain deal ensured over 13 million ton of grain reaching those in need, noting that they could start “working on the export of different food products and gradually other commodities through the grain corridor,” according to the statement on Sunday.

On July 22, Russia and Ukraine separately signed a document in Istanbul with Turkey and the UN to ensure grain and fertiliser supplies to the global market amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Xinhua news agency reported.

Ankara says it has been making efforts to pave the way for the resumption of Russian grain and fertiliser export to world markets as well.

The Turkish President also elaborated on the recent tension between Turkish security forces and the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and urged Russia to implement a 2019 deal that envisages the withdrawal of Syrian Kurdish fighters 30 km from the Turkish border with Syria.

On October 22, 2019, Erdogan and Putin held a meeting in Sochi, Russia, agreeing on the pullout of the YPG fighters to 30 km south of Turkey’s border and the launch of joint patrols between Turkish and Russian soldiers.

Turkey carried out an aerial operation on November 20 against the YPG in northern Syria and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Iraq after a bomb explosion in Turkey’s largest city Istanbul on November 13 that killed six people and injured another 81.

After the attack, Turkish police said they had detained a Syrian woman named Ahlam Albashir, who admitted to taking orders from the YPG, which Ankara considered to be the Syrian branch of the PKK.

Turkey will launch a ground operation into northern Syria “at the most convenient time” to build a security strip, Erdogan has vowed several times in the past weeks.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the EU, has rebelled against the Turkish government for more than three decades.

ALSO READ: India-Russia Summit not to take place this year  

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-Top News India News World News

Divided G20 gears up for crucial meet

It is likely to be the most fractious meeting ever as divisions between the world’s 20 major economies are so deep the traditional “family photo” of all the leaders has been called off…reports Asian Lite News

Twenty of the world’s most powerful men and women will meet here this week with the global economy weakening by the day, developing countries facing a looming debt crisis and war raging in Europe. The Group of 20 leaders summit is expected to do precious little about any of it.

To say that expectations are low for the annual meeting — which will draw President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, as well as leaders from Europe and emerging powers such as India and Brazil — would be an understatement.

Before leaving Washington, Biden said he planned to raise with Xi the differences in their approach to the self-governing island of Taiwan, trade practices and China’s relationship with Moscow amid its nearly nine months-old invasion of Ukraine. Chinese officials have largely refrained from public criticism of Russia’s war, although Beijing has avoided direct support such as supplying arms.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the opening ceremony of the Army-2022 International Military-Technical Forum and the International Army Games 2022 in Moscow Region, Russia on Aug. 15, 2022. (Kremlin press release/IANS)

Meanwhile, UK’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will set out a five-point economic action plan to address global instability and the rising cost of living at this week’s G20 summit – where he will face Russia’s foreign minister and call out Vladimir Putin’s regime.

Western leaders are all expected to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and confront him. President Putin will likely skip the meeting despite Russia being a G20 member, in the face of condemnation of his war in Ukraine.

Sunak warned this year’s meeting will not be “business as usual” as the world confronts the most significant set of economic challenges since the first G20 meeting in 2008, which took place in response to the financial crisis at the time.

The prime minister said he will “call out Putin’s regime” during the first encounter between a British prime minister and Russian government officials since the invasion began in February.

Ahead of the trip to Indonesia, Sunak’s official spokesman said: “We will absolutely use every opportunity to confront Russia about their continued illegal actions. We will speak with our allies in one voice on this.”

It is likely to be the most fractious G20 meeting ever as divisions between the world’s 20 major economies are so deep the traditional “family photo” of all the leaders has been called off because many leaders will not want to be pictured with anybody from Putin’s regime.

With India set to take over the G20 presidency, all eyes will be set on Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has around 20 engagements lined up within 45 hours, including several bilateral meetings with other world leaders.

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said the prime minister will participate in three key sessions – food and energy security, digital transformation and health. The prime minister will join other leaders from around the globe in discussing several issues, including the state of the global economy, issues relating to energy, environment, agriculture, health and digital transformation.

India, Indonesia, and Brazil will be the Troika during India’s G20 presidency. Foreign Secy Vinay Kwatra said, “during our G20 presidency, India, Indonesia, and Brazil would be the Troika. This is the first time in G20 that this Troika would consist of developing countries and emerging economies in a row.”

Ahead of a possible meeting between Modi and US President Joseph Biden, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met in Cambodia on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit (EAS) on Sunday, and discussed the war in Ukraine, Indo-Pacific strategy, energy issues, the G20 and Indo-US bilateral relations, Jaishankar tweeted. “The US supports India’s G20 presidency,” Blinken said in a tweet, adding that their discussions focussed on “ongoing efforts to expand our partnership & mitigate the effects of Russia’s war on Ukraine.”

Meanwhile, despite the summit’s optimistic tagline, “Recover Together, Recover Stronger,” prospects for cooperation at the first summit since the invasion of Ukraine appear to be slim as the US and its partners find themselves increasingly at odds with China and Russia.

The G20, which includes 19 countries and the European Union, has struggled to reach a consensus on the cost-of-living crisis, with finance ministers and central bank governors in July scrapping a planned communique that would have addressed inflation, global food and supply shortages, and sluggish economic growth due to discord over Ukraine.

Summit host Indonesia has sought to maintain the forum’s neutrality, rejecting calls by Western countries and Ukraine to exclude Russia, and highlighted the potential for cooperation on food and energy security.

At the G20 finance ministers meeting held in Washington in April, representatives from the US, UK and Canada walked out of a closed-door session when Russian delegates began to speak, and in July, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stormed out of G20 talks in Indonesia following criticism of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

ALSO READ-Modi to attend key sessions at G20 summit 

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-Top News Europe

‘Putin’s chef’ admits to US election meddling

Dubbed 'Putin's chef' in the West, Yevgeny Prigozhin takes credit for setting up Wagner Group

Prigozhin, who is also known as “Putin’s chef”, confirmed the accusations for the first time after rejecting it for years…reports Asian Lite News

Yevgeny Prigozhin, an entrepreneur connected to Moscow Kremlin admitted that he had interfered in United States elections and would continue to do so, media reported.

Prigozhin, who is also known as “Putin’s chef”, confirmed the accusations for the first time after rejecting it for years.

 “Gentlemen, we have interfered, are interfering and will interfere. Carefully, precisely, surgically and in our own way, as we know how to do,” Prigozhin said in remarks posted on social media.

Prigozhin was called “Putin’s chef” because his restaurants and catering businesses hosted dinners which Putin attended with foreign dignitaries.

It was the second major admission in recent months by the 61-year-old businessman, who has ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Associated Press reported.

Prigozhin has previously sought to keep his activities under the radar and now appears increasingly interested in gaining political clout — although his goal in doing so was not immediately clear.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that Prigozhin’s comments “do not tell us anything new or surprising”, AP reported.

“It’s well known and well documented in the public domain that entities associated with Yevgeny Prigozhin have sought to influence elections around the world, including the United States. The US has worked to expose and counter Russia’s malign influence efforts as we discover them,” AP quoted Jean-Pierre as saying.

She also said Yevgeny has been sanctioned by the United States, the UK and the European Union.

“Part of Russia’s efforts includes promoting narratives aimed at undermining democracy and sowing division and discord. It’s not surprising that Russia would be highlighting their attempted efforts and fabricating a story about their successes on the eve of an election,” she added.

In September, Prigozhin also publicly admitted his connection to the Wagner Group mercenary force, something he also had previously denied.

The Wagner group are Russian patriots and top-notch military professionals, and it’s time they were recognised as such, Prigozhin has said, while taking credit for founding the organisation, RT reported.

The unit started in 2014 as his personal project to fund a fighting force to intervene in Ukraine’s civil war on the side of Donetsk and Lugansk regions, Prigozhin claimed. He said he was one of several wealthy people in Russia, who were willing to invest their money to “defend Russians” from Kiev, but didn’t trust anyone else to use the resources the way he wanted.

“On May 1, 2014, a group of patriots was born, which was later named the Wagner group. Their valour and courage made possible the liberation of Lugansk airport and other territories and played a pivotal role in the fate of the two regions,” he said. Russia has since recognized the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics as sovereign states, RT reported.

Western officials have described the Wagner group as a tool of Russian foreign policy that gives Moscow plausible deniability. Critics claim that Prigozhin has personal ties to the Kremlin. The businessman owns a catering service that won some government contracts, and earned him the moniker “Putin’s chef” in the Western media. Moscow denied claims that the Wagner group acts on its behalf.

Over the years, Wagner fighters have reportedly been involved in operations in Libya, Mali, Congo, Sudan and the Central African Republic, among others. Some of its members were arrested in 2020 in Belarus on their way to the Middle East in what was allegedly a failed plot by Ukrainian intelligence to intercept their plane and capture them, RT reported.

ALSO READ: Putin praises India and its potential for development

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Gujarat India News

World leaders offer condolences to Morbi bridge collapse

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter soon after, and informed that he had spoken with Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel, and has called for “urgent mobilisation” of teams…reports Asian Lite News

The cable suspension bridge collapse in Gujarat’s Morbi district that has so far taken the lives of more than 130 people, even as rescue operations continue in search of more trapped individuals, have drawn the attention of prominent world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Nepal’s Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

In an official statement, Putin conveyed his condolences over the tragic incident to his Indian counterpart Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Dear Ms President, dear Mr Prime Minister, please accept my heartfelt condolences over the tragic bridge collapse in the state of Gujarat,” the message by the Russian president read.

Putin also conveyed his words of sympathy and support to the families and friends of the victims, and “wished all those injured a speedy recovery”, Russian state-owned news agency TASS reported on Monday.

Besides Putin, Nepal’s Prime Minister Deuba took to Twitter to express his grief over the loss of “precious lives”, saying he is “deeply saddened” by the tragic incident of bridge collapse in Morbi.

“We extend heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of India on the loss of precious lives. Our thoughts & prayers are with the bereaved families,” his post on the micro-blogging site read.

British high commissioner to India, Alex Ellis, also took to the social media site to condole the loss of lives. “Terrible, shocking news from #Gujarat,” he wrote along with a BBC report on the collapse incident.

Singapore’s high commissioner to India, Simon Wong, also joined Ellis. “Deeply saddened by the loss of many lives due to the collapse of the cable bridge in Morbi, Gujarat. Our thoughts and deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased and the injured. Our hearts are with the people of Gujarat,” he tweeted.

The collapse occurred on Sunday evening when 400-500 people were walking on the bridge over Machchuu river, which was thrice its capacity. In split seconds, the bridge came crashing down, plunging more than 200 people – mainly women, children and elderly – into the water body. Local fisherman present at the site jumped to the rescue but faced challenges due to fading daylight.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter soon after, and informed that he had spoken with Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel, and has called for “urgent mobilisation” of teams. Initially the death toll was confirmed at 40, but after an overnight relief work, more bodies were fished out of the bed of Machchuu river, taking the death toll to over 130.

Multiple teams of the NDRF, SDRF, Indian Army, IAF, Navy, Coast Guard, local administration and fire department continue with their search and rescue operation. Earlier in the day, NDRF commandant VVN Prasanna Kumar told news agency ANI that their divers are facing visibility issues underwater due to the river water being muddy. He suspected more bodies could be trapped under the floor of the collapsed bridge.

The British-era bridge opened for public on October 26 on Gujarati New Year after undergoing renovation for six months. Morbi chief security officer Sandeep Singh Jhala said that Oreva – the company that looked after the bridge’s operation and maintenance – was probably not issued a fitness certificate to reopen it. Gujarat home minister Harsh Sanghavi said a five-member committee has been formed to look into the lapses behind the renovation. A criminal case has also been registered in the matter.

Prime Minister to visit Morbi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Tuesday visit Morbi in Gujarat where 134 people were killed after a suspension bridge collapsed into the Machchhu river.

Modi, who is on a visit to Gujarat ahead of the state Assembly polls due this year-end, on Monday paid tributes to those who died in Sunday’s bridge collapse.

The Gujarat Chief Minister’s Office announced that Modi would visit Morbi on Tuesday afternoon.

The PM will also visit Jambughoda in Gujarat’s Panchmahal district to launch various developmental projects, government officials said, adding that he will also address people at the venue.

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‘Russia ready to resume gas supplies to EU via Nord Stream 2’

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the opening ceremony of the Army-2022 International Military-Technical Forum and the International Army Games 2022 in Moscow Region, Russia on Aug. 15, 2022. (Kremlin press release/IANS)

The President pointed out that US liquefied natural gas (LNG) is “definitely less competitive than Russian pipeline gas” due its higher price…reports Asian Lite News

In his address to the Russian Energy Week International Forum, President Vladimir Putin said Russia is ready to resume gas supplies via one link of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that remains operational, local media reported.

The Russian leader said gas could still be supplied by one remaining intact part of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The ball was in the EU’s court on whether it wanted gas supplied via the pipeline, he said.

Putin said, “Russia is ready to start such supplies. The ball is in the court of the EU. If they want, they can just open the tap.”

He went on to say that Russia has nothing to do with the sky-high energy prices that Europeans are facing this winter, instead blaming the West for stoking a global energy crisis, The Guardian reported.

It was the poorest countries that would pay the highest price in terms of rising energy costs, Putin added.

Those who benefit the most from the damage caused to the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea are the ones responsible for it, Russian President Vladmir Putin has said, RT reported.

“Everybody understands who is behind this and who is the beneficiary. One can now force the liquefied natural gas from the US on to European countries on a much larger scale,” Putin said in a speech at the Russian Energy Week forum in Moscow on Wednesday.

The President pointed out that US liquefied natural gas (LNG) is “definitely less competitive than Russian pipeline gas” due its higher price.

“Who stands behind the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines? Obviously, those who are looking to completely sever the ties between Russia and the EU, undermine Europe’s political sovereignty, weaken its industrial capacity and gain control of its markets,” the President said, RT reported.

ALSO READ-Russia blames Ukrainian military for Crimean Bridge blast

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-Top News USA

Biden rules out talks with Putin

Biden said even Putin’s threats have a destabilizing effect, and warned of the potential errors in judgment that could ensue…reports Ashes O

US President Joe Biden ruled out talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the upcoming G20 summit at Indonesia, saying “there is no rationale to meet with him now”.

Asked during a CNN interview whether he would meet Putin at the summir, Biden said he didn’t see a good reason for a sit-down.

“It would depend on specifically what he wanted to talk about,” Bhe said, adding if Putin wanted to discuss the jailed American basketball star Brittney Griner, then he would be open to talking.

“He’s acted brutally… I think he’s committed war crimes. And so, I don’t, I don’t see any rationale to meet with him now.”

Biden said threats arising from Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine is a “miscalculation “that could lead to catastrophic consequences close on the heels of his earlier warning that the world ran a risk of “nuclear Armageddon”.

President Biden told CNN that “threats emanating from Russia could result in catastrophic “mistakes” and “miscalculation,” even as he declined to spell out how precisely the US would respond if Putin deploys a tactical nuclear device on the battlefield in Ukraine.

When asked whether the Putin would use a tactical nuclear weapon, a prospect US officials have watched with concern as Russian troops suffer embarrassing losses on the battlefield, Biden said: “I don’t think he will… I think it’s irresponsible for him to talk about it, the idea that a world leader of one of the largest nuclear powers in the world says he may use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine.”

He said even Putin’s threats have a destabilizing effect, and warned of the potential errors in judgment that could ensue.

“The whole point I was making was it could lead to just a horrible outcome,” he told CNN. “And not because anybody intends to turn it into a world war or anything, but just once you use a nuclear weapon, the mistakes that can be made, the miscalculations, who knows what would happen.”

Putin “in fact, cannot continue with impunity to talk about the use of a tactical nuclear weapon as if that’s a rational thing to do”, Biden said.

“The mistakes get made. And the miscalculation could occur, no one can be sure what would happen and could end in Armageddon.”

The President refused to disclose what a US response would look like should Putin follow through on his nuclear threats. But he said the Department of Defence had proactively developed contingencies should the scenario come to pass.

Biden said he believed Putin is a “rational actor” who nonetheless badly misjudged his ability to invade Ukraine and suppress its people.

Biden, his top officials and fellow Western leaders have spent the past several months debating what steps Putin may take as his troops suffer embarrassing losses on the battlefield in Ukraine.

A counter-offensive launched by Ukraine last month was successful in retaking territory previously held by the Russians, including critical transportation hubs.

The losses proved the latest major embarrassment for Russia, whose military has struggled over the course of the seven-month war.

This week, however, Russia launched one of its fiercest bombing campaigns since the war began on February 24.

At least 19 people have been killed and more than 100 wounded across the country, as far away as the western city of Lviv, hundreds of miles from the war’s main theatres in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Biden spoke to CNN a few hours after meeting virtually with members of the G7 industrialized nations, who heard from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the need to bolster his country’s air defences amid the new Russian bombardments.

Zelensky told the meeting that “common efforts to create an air shield for Ukraine” must be intensified amid a barrage of Russian cruise missile and drone attacks.

White House officials have said the US is prepared to further bolster Ukraine’s air defences, including through missile defence systems that Biden expedited delivery of over the summer.

Yet Russia’s intense aerial assault of the Ukrainian capital Kiev and on civilian infrastructure suggested Putin could be employing new tactics meant to terrorise the country as winter approaches.

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