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Nation in the Horn of Africa says it’s investigating alleged theft by unit of its elite army, which fights terror group al-Shabaab Somalia has detained and suspended several members of its American-trained counterterrorism special forces, known as Danab, on charges of having diverted food-ration donations from the US government. The East African country’s defense ministry said in a statement late Thursday that an investigation into allegations of corrupt activity had begun and that foreign partners had been informed about the suspected theft.Somali authorities have also consulted with the US government “and will take the responsibility of providing food to the Danab army,” according to the statement.The Danab Brigade, an elite commando unit in the Somali National Army (SNA), has been a primary recipient of US security assistance as part of a mission in the conflict-torn country to combat the al-Qaeda-affiliated terror group al-Shabaab. Since 2017, the approximately 3,000-strong force has reportedly succeeded in regaining control of large swaths of territory from the Islamist militant group, which routinely bombs densely populated areas across the Horn of Africa.Washington announced in February that it will spend more than $100 million to build up to five new bases for the specialist troops, amid growing threats from al-Shabaab and at a time when the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia is scaling back its presence.On Thursday, an anonymous US official told Reuters that Washington takes seriously all accusations of corruption against the food-supply unit of the Danab force. Read more FILE PHOTO. Militants capture UN helicopter in African state “We look forward to engaging with the Danab on creating the necessary safeguards and accountability measures to prevent future incidents that could affect future assistance,” the official said, without stating whether the US has suspended any form of aid to the army.Local broadcaster Shabelle TV, however, cited a senior US Embassy official in a report on Saturday, saying that Washington has suspended food supplies for the elite military unit in response to the theft allegations. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/qp8JTIR

An alleged facilitator of the Crocus City Hall massacre was brought before a court on Saturday A court in Moscow has ordered the pretrial detention of a twelfth suspect in the terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall concert venue in March. According to investigators, the man was allegedly supplying the attackers with means of communication and with money.Basmanny Court agreed on Saturday with investigators’ request to keep the suspect in custody until at least May 22. The hearing was held behind closed doors.In its statement, the court said Dzhumakhon Kurbonov, a national of Tajikistan, is suspected of providing funds for the “preparation of the terrorist attack,” including providing communication equipment to the perpetrators and the covering of relevant expenses.If convicted, Kurbonov may be sentenced to at least 15 years in prison and up to a life term.Some media reports are suggesting that, in April, the suspect, who was living in Moscow, had drawn the attention of Russian investigators after a minor public-disturbance incident. Read more FILE PHOTO: Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu. Russian defense minister comments on Western military ‘advisers’ in Ukraine The terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall claimed over 140 lives. Four gunmen, who allegedly went on a rampage at the packed concert arena before setting it on fire, were detained hours after the massacre. It is believed that they were trying to flee from Russia to Ukraine when taken into custody.Russian officials have described the perpetrators as radical Islamists who may have been used as proxies by Kiev’s intelligence services. Investigators have claimed that a money trail links the primary suspects with radical Ukrainian nationalists.Kiev has denied any involvement in the mass murder, while its foreign backers claimed that all evidence points to ISIS-K, the Afghanistan-based splinter of the once-powerful terrorist organization Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), as the culprit.Western nations are giving Kiev their “tacit consent” for targeting Russian civilians, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu claimed on Friday during an international event, before reiterating Moscow’s suspicion of Kiev’s involvement in the Crocus City terrorist attack. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/G32cTbe

Military officials say the US Air Force has lost a total of three MQ-9 Reaper UAVs in the region since November The US has lost yet another $30 million MQ-9 Reaper drone off the coast of Yemen, CBS News reported on Friday, citing Pentagon officials. While an investigation into the crash is still being conducted, Houthi rebels have taken responsibility for shooting down the aircraft.Previously, the US had lost another two Reapers to the Iranian-linked militants; one was downed in November and another was destroyed in February.Yahya Saree, a spokesman for the Iran-linked group, also claimed on Saturday that the militants had targeted the “British oil ship Andromeda Star” in the Red Sea with naval missiles and landed a direct hit.The US military has confirmed that the Houthis had fired three anti-ship ballistic missiles in the area at multiple targets and damaged the British vessel. “MV Andromeda Star reports minor damage, but is continuing its voyage,” the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X, adding that the maritime military coalition did not report any injuries or damage.The Houthis, who claim to be the government of Yemen, have been attacking Israeli-affiliated ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since late October in response to Israel’s offensive against Gaza. The militants have vowed to continue their campaign until the Jewish State stops its assault on the Palestinian enclave.  Read more Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree. Yemen’s Houthis claim they targeted US and Israeli ships  The group has also carried out numerous attacks on vessels linked to owners or operators in the UK or US following airstrikes by those countries on Houthi positions.  On Wednesday, the militants reported attacking the US ship Maersk Yorktown and a US warship in the Gulf of Aden, as well as the Israeli ship MSC Veracruz in the Indian Ocean. “Both operations achieved their goals successfully,” Saree said in a televised statement. The attacks were later confirmed by American authorities, who stated that US-led coalition forces off the coast of Yemen had shot down four drones and an anti-ship missile launched by the Houthis.Last month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported that trade through the Suez Canal had seen a 50% drop during January and February due to the Houthi attacks as traffic through the region has significantly dropped. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/yHtSiVa

RFK Jr. intends to sue the White House, claiming it is trying to “screw” young Americans simply to appear tough on China US independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. intends to file a lawsuit against the American government over its threat to ban the TikTok social media platform, which has 170 million users in the country.President Joe Biden this week signed into law a bill which gives TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, 270 days to divest from it. Should it fail to comply, TikTok will be banned from app stores serving American customers.Kennedy believes the threat to be unconstitutional and that the justification for it – namely that the Chinese government could be using TikoTok to collect American citizens’ personal data – is a “smokescreen.”“Intelligence agencies from lots of countries, especially ours, are harvesting your data from everywhere all the time,” he said on Friday in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).US officials “don’t understand that TikTok is an entrepreneurial platform for thousands of American young people,” the politician added. “They want to screw them over just so they can pretend to be tough on China.” Read more FILE PHOTO. US sets clock ticking for TikTok Kennedy’s campaign is touted as antithetical to both Biden and his presumed Republican challenger, Donald Trump. He has urged American voters to reject both leading national parties, which he claims are barely distinguishable and represent big business rather than common people.Meanwhile, TikTok also intends to challenge the potential ban on First Amendment grounds.“The facts and the constitution are on our side and we expect to prevail again,” the CEO of the multibillion-dollar platform, Shou Zi Chew, said in a video statement posted moments after Biden signed the bill on Wednesday.He was referring to Trump’s attempt in 2020 to ban TikTok and fellow Chinese-owned app WeChat, which was overturned in US courts.The Republican candidate has also criticized the White House over the latest campaign against TikTok. On Monday, Trump claimed in a Truth Social post that Biden “is the one pushing it to close, and doing it to help his friends over at Facebook become richer and more dominant.” READ MORE: Blinken accuses China of election interference The deadline given to TikTok is set to expire shortly after the presidential election in November. Among other things, the platform is a primary source of news for many young American voters, according to multiple surveys. Officials from both parties have been pressuring social media platforms to introduce stricter content moderation policies to supposedly combat misinformation. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/WxdLwtV

Western assistance to Kiev prolongs the conflict with Russia and enriches corrupt officials, Florian Philippot has said A large part of Western aid to Kiev is being embezzled by Ukrainian officials, despite President Vladimir Zelensky’s assurances that it is being put to good use in the fight against Russia, a top French politician has said. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Florian Philippot, leader of The Patriots (Les Patriotes) party and a long-time vocal critic of Western assistance to Ukraine, alleged that Zelensky was lying when he claimed that all US aid to his country “goes to the battlefield.” “In reality a large part is diverted and goes into corruption!” Philippot wrote. He noted Kiev’s admission last month that it had not received €16 billion ($17.1 billion) in aid collected by Poland and the European Commission. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmigal claimed he had “no idea” what happened to the funds.Philippot also pointed to a recent corruption scandal involving Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Nikolay Solsky, who is accused of illegally appropriating state land worth nearly €6.9 million ($7.4 million). “Yet another case of corruption in this country, which is one of the most corrupt on the planet!” the French politician remarked.  Read more Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. Support for ‘authoritarian’ Zelensky falling – German media “Every euro sent to Ukraine prolongs the war and therefore causes unnecessary deaths, impoverishes us here, and has a strong chance of enriching the corrupt!” he added, calling for the conflict to be resolved as soon as possible. Ukraine has been plagued by widespread graft for years, and a 2015 Guardian article described it as “the most corrupt nation in Europe.” More recently, it ranked 104 out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index. The issue has taken center stage during the conflict with Russia, including in the Ukrainian military, which has been rocked by several graft scandals in recent months. This winter, Ukraine’s SBU, the successor to the Soviet-era KGB, announced that it had uncovered a major embezzlement scheme in which Ukrainian officials and private contractors stole around $40 million earmarked for shell procurement. Elsewhere, the Pentagon’s inspector general admitted that Washington had failed to properly track more than $1 billion in weapons sent to Ukraine, although this did not stop US officials from claiming that they believed the assistance to have reached its intended destination.Russia, meanwhile, has for months been warning about the spillover of foreign weapons sent to Ukraine, cautioning that they are ending up in the hands of organized crime outside of the country. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/flsDmCT

<strong>The messaging service owned by Meta has claimed that complying with local law would undermine its encryption and violate user privacy</strong> Messaging service WhatsApp, owned by Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, has challenged Indian laws that would compel it to break user encryption in special cases.  Petitioning at the Delhi High Court on Thursday, the company demanded that a local IT law be declared <em>“unconstitutional,”</em> and that there should be no criminal liability for non-compliance. Lawyers representing WhatsApp claimed that the platform would quit India if it were <em>“told to break encryption,”</em> local media reported.  The High Court was hearing petitions by WhatsApp and its parent company Facebook (now Meta), which are challenging <a href="https://www.meity.gov.in/writereaddata/files/Information%20Technology%20%28Intermediary%20Guidelines%20and%20Digital%20Media%20Ethics%20Code%29%20Rules%2C%202021%20%28updated%2006.04.2023%29-.pdf%20%C2%A0">IT rules enacted in 2021 for social media intermediaries. The law requires the messaging app to trace chats and make provisions to identify the <em>“first originator of information”</em> if ordered to do so by a court or a competent authority.    <strong>Read more</strong> <a href="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.03/thumbnail/66068b47203027492524d49f.png">Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged in a conversation with Bill Gates in New Delhi, India. <a href="https://www.rt.com/india/595105-india-modi-warns-bill-gates/">India’s Modi warns Bill Gates about dangers of AI <em>“We will have to keep a complete chain, and we don’t know which messages will be asked to be decrypted,”</em> WhatsApp lawyer Tejas Karia was quoted as saying by India Today. Millions of messages will have to be stored for years to comply with the rule, he added, arguing that the requirements are unique anywhere in the world.  The court argued that <em>“privacy rights”</em> are not absolute and that <em>“balance has to be done.”</em> Several pleas challenging the IT law are pending before high courts across India.  Information could be sought from the messaging app for offenses related to national security, public order, or those related to rape, sexually explicit material, or child sexual abuse material – each punishable with a jail term of five years, according to Indian media reports.  WhatsApp has 535.8 million users in India, the largest number of any country, <a href="https://verloop.io/blog/whatsapp-statistics-2024/%20https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/whatsapp-channels-crosses-500-mn-monthly-active-users/articleshow/105241047.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst%20%C2%A0">according to data for 2024 from tracking website Statista. The number is rising at a rate of 16.6% every year. The Economic Times estimated the platform’s revenues in the county at close to $1 billion. <strong>Read more</strong> <a href="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.04/thumbnail/66267af32030272b904d22b7.jpg">Indian Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters wearing masks of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi dance as they celebrate on the vote results day for India's general election at BJP office in Guwahati on May 23, 2019. <a href="https://www.rt.com/india/596408-ai-threat-india-election/">AI threat emerges in Indian election – media  <em>“India (is) a country that’s at the forefront... You’re leading the world in terms of how people and businesses have embraced messaging,”</em> Zuckerberg said in a virtual address at Meta’s annual event in Mumbai last year, according to the media outlet.  WhatsApp’s legal battle is playing out against the backdrop of harsher laws imposed by New Delhi against AI-generated deepfakes and other social media threats. Earlier this year, India vowed to hold big tech accountable for misleading content on their platforms, warning of potential punishments for any failure to remove such content in a timely manner.  Another controversy erupted in February when Google’s new ‘Gemini’ chatbot appeared…

Banning Russian liquefied natural gas will benefit US producers but hit the bloc’s industrial sector, Dmitry Peskov says Russian producers will seek ways to overcome potential sanctions against Moscow’s exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG), Kremlin spokesman Dimitry Peskov told journalists on Saturday.On Thursday, Western media cited unnamed diplomatic sources as saying the EU’s 14th package of Ukraine-related sanctions would propose curbs on Russian LNG – which so far hasn’t been targeted by any bans. The new measures are expected to include a prohibition on trans-shipments in the bloc, and hit Russia’s three LNG production projects.Peskov stressed that any restrictions against Russian super-chilled gas along with efforts to “squeeze” the country out of energy markets will only lead to higher gas prices for EU consumers.“The shift towards more expensive supplies is, primarily, beneficial for the US and a number of other nations,” he said, adding that end-use customers, particularly the EU industrial sector, will have to pay a heavy price.The spokesman pledged that Russia “will look for ways to overcome these illegal obstacles,” decrying the sanctions as “unfair and illegal competition.” Read more LNG carrier Christophe De Margerie docked at the Russian Arctic port of Sabetta, home to the liquified natural gas plant Yamal LNG. EU still needs Russian gas – energy watchdog Earlier this week, an intention to add restrictions against Russian LNG to the bloc’s next sanctions package was voiced by Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom.Last year, Brussels approved measures allowing individual member states to block gas supplies coming from Russia on a voluntary basis, although the lion’s share of the continuing flows are bound by long-term contracts.EU member states still depend on Russia for their gas supplies. Imports from the sanctions-hit state accounted for about 40% of EU demand before the launch of Moscow’s military campaign against Ukraine.Earlier this month, Reuters reported that a notable increase in LNG exports had pushed the share of Russian gas in the EU supply up to nearly 15%. Russia reportedly sent over 15.6 million metric tons of LNG to EU ports last year, marking a slight increase versus 2022, and a 37.7% jump compared to the previous year. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/okyF6Q5

A Portuguese-flagged container ship was detained on April 13 The crew of a Portuguese-flagged ship linked to Israel recently detained by Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), have been granted consular access and will be released, local media reported on Saturday, citing the Iranian foreign ministry.The IRGC stormed an Israeli-operated container ship with a crew of 25, reportedly including Indian and Russian nationals, in the Persian Gulf on April 13 and took control of the vessel.The MSC Aries was boarded as it transited the Strait of Hormuz. Once under the IRGC’s control, it was taken to Iranian territorial waters.In a telephone call, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian reportedly told his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Rangel that Iran considers the release of the ship’s crew “as a humanitarian issue.”“We have announced to their ambassadors in Tehran their access to consular services, release, and extradition,” the official said, as quoted by local media.The Iranian foreign minister didn’t specify when the crew members would be released. Read more The MSC Aries seen near Rilland, The Netherlands, June 10, 2023 Iran seizes Israeli-run container ship (VIDEO) According to Reuters, Iran’s foreign ministry said the Aries was seized for “violating maritime laws” and that there was no doubt it was linked to Israel.The Portuguese-flagged MSC Aries is operated by Zodiac Maritime, a shipping firm owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer. At the time of the seizure, it was sailing past the Emirati port of Fujairah with its transponder switched off, the Associated Press reported. With Iran controlling the Strait of Hormuz and Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacking Israeli shipping interests in the Red Sea, it is standard practice for Israeli-linked vessels to disable their tracking data when sailing in the region.The seizure of the Aries came two weeks after an alleged Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Syria’s capital Damascus. Seven officers of the IRGC’s Quds Force, including two generals, were reportedly killed in the attack.The detention of the ship coincided with Iran’s retaliatory strike on Israel. On April 13, Tehran launched what is estimated to have been several hundred missiles and explosive drones on targets in the country. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/HGBSiJY

The Russian president isn’t likely to have mandated the killing of the imprisoned opposition figure, the sources have told the outlet The CIA and other US intelligence agencies have determined that the Russian authorities weren’t involved in the death of opposition figure Alexey Navalny, the Wall Street Journal has reported, citing people familiar with the matter.Navalny, who had been serving a lengthy prison sentence stemming from his violations of the terms of a previous fraud conviction and his “extremist activities,” died at a penal colony in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region in northern Russia on February 16.The Russian prison authorities insist that there was no foul play in the passing of the anti-corruption activist. They said that the 47-year-old suddenly fell ill after a walk and collapsed, and that efforts to resuscitate him were in vain. According to the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), which Navalny used to head, the death certificate provided to his mother stated he had died of natural causes.However, some Western leaders and the FBK insisted that Russian authorities were behind the activist’s passing. “Make no mistake. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death,” US President Joe Biden said at the time, without providing any proof of his claim. Read more Yulia Navalnaya on March 17, 2024 in Berlin, Germany. Russia investigating Navalny’s widow – MP Now, however, the US intelligence agencies have come to the conclusion that Putin “likely didn’t order Navalny to be killed,” the WSJ said in an article on Saturday.This assessment is based on a range of data such as classified intelligence and the analysis of public facts, including “the timing of his death and how it overshadowed Putin’s re-election,” the sources explained. Navalny died a month before the Russian presidential election, in which Putin won 87.28% of the ballot.The finding is broadly accepted by several agencies, including the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the State Department’s intelligence unit, the article read.The sources clarified that the assessment by the US intelligence “doesn’t dispute Putin’s culpability for Navalny’s death, but rather finds he probably didn’t order it at that moment.” READ MORE: Kremlin denies Navalny swap talks with West Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said that he saw the article in the Wall Street Journal, but stressed that he “would not call it a high-quality piece that deserves any attention.” The publication contained “some empty reflections” and was apparently planned as “a Saturday reading for a global audience,” he stressed. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/3WsJf2Y

Berlin police have arrested 75 people after clashing with demonstrators camped outside the Chancellery Dozens of people were arrested in Berlin on Friday as German police moved to clear a pro-Palestinian protest camp set outside the Chancellery building two weeks ago.  The activists residing in the camp, which consisted of 20 tents, have been demanding an end to German weapons shipments to Israel as the Jewish State continues its siege of Gaza. The protesters have also decried the criminalization of the Palestinian solidarity movement.  German authorities have accused the demonstrators of criminal offenses such as incitement to hatred and using unconstitutional symbols and forbidden slogans. The protestors are also alleged to have breached restrictions such as those protecting green areas.  “Protection of gatherings cannot be guaranteed at this point because public safety and order are significantly at risk,” police spokesperson Anja Dierschke was quoted as saying by the DW news outlet.  On Friday, police moved to clear out the camp and could be seen clashing with dozens of activists. Footage showed officers detaining people, some of whom resisted and chanted “Viva, viva Palestina.” According to police, some 150 officers were deployed to the Chancellery to tear down the tents. Seventy-five arrests were made of protesters and other supporters who allegedly violated the Freedom of Assembly Acts.  The demonstrators, meanwhile, have insisted that the German authorities had no right to clear out the camp.  “We’ve been peaceful but we’ve been harassed by the police every single day who have given us the most stupid restriction,” said one activist named Nassar.   Read more Various of pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Texas at Austin Dozens arrested at pro-Palestine protests in US (VIDEO) "They’ve forbidden us from using languages which aren’t German or English, they have criminalized our prayers, our songs, our workshops, and now their official reasoning is that we had a sofa which was damaging the grass ... In Germany, damaging the lawn is worse than committing genocide,” Nassar told DW.  “Welcome to Germany, where killing 35,000 people is worse than harming a little bit of grass,” another protester commented, referring to the total death toll cited by Gaza health authorities amid Israel’s relentless retaliatory assault on the Palestinian enclave.  Israel’s siege comes in response to the October 7 Hamas attack on the Jewish state, in which at least 1,200 people were killed and 250 were taken hostage. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/1exjp3O