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Beijing and Budapest aim to establish an “all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping in Budapest on Thursday, where the two leaders agreed to elevate their partnership and establish a “new era” in bilateral relations.Both Xi and Orban spoke highly of each other’s nations, with the host praising China as “one of the pillars of the new world order” during their joint press conference.“Prime Minister Orban and I both agree that China and Hungary have always been good friends that trust and support each other as well as good partners that seek win-win cooperation over the years. We should further elevate our relations and enrich our cooperation,” Xi told members of the media at the press conference.The two leaders unveiled a declaration “on the establishment of an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era.” The document provides a vision for building a closer relationship between the two nations.Beijing and Budapest originally established a “comprehensive strategic partnership” back in 2017, which was later deemed fruitful by both sides.“China and Hungary view each other as a priority partner for cooperation, always respect and treat each other equally, and set a good example of mutually beneficial pragmatic cooperation,” the new document reads. It promises that both have “agreed to maintain high-level exchanges, strengthen political mutual trust, and deepen cooperation for mutual benefit.” Read more FILE PHOTO: China's President Xi Jinping. Xi marks 25th anniversary of NATO atrocity Xi’s state visit to Hungary comes as a part of his first European tour in five years. Earlier this week, the Chinese leader visited France, holding talks with his counterpart Emmanuel Macron during a two-day stay. While Xi has expressed a readiness to “maintain strategic communication with France,” Macron praised the “friendly relationship and productive cooperation” the two countries enjoy.Afterwards, Xi visited Serbia, with the trip coming on the 25th anniversary of the 1999 NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, which left three Chinese citizens dead and 20 more injured.“The Chinese people cherish peace, but we will never allow such tragic history to repeat itself,” Xi wrote in an opinion piece published on Tuesday by the Serbian newspaper Politika.The Chinese president met his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic during the visit, with the two leaders charting a “shared future” for their countries. “Serbia became China’s first strategic partner in central and eastern Europe eight years ago, and it becomes the first European country with which we shall build a community with a shared future,” Xi said. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/JITcDPM

Backing Kiev pushed Russia and China into an alliance, Dominic Cummings has said The UK and its allies got tricked into backing a “corrupt mafia state” in Ukraine and getting into a war of attrition against a Moscow-Beijing partnership, Dominic Cummings has said in an interview.The longtime Tory political strategist led the Vote Leave campaign for Brexit and was one of the key aides to then-PM Boris Johnson until resigning in November 2020.“We should have never got into the whole stupid situation,” Cummings told the outlet I News in an interview published on Wednesday, commenting on London’s full-throated support for Kiev. He also described Ukraine as a “corrupt sh*thole that doesn’t matter at all.”“This is not a replay of 1940 with the pumpkin [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky as the Churchillian underdog,” he added. “This whole Ukrainian corrupt mafia state has basically conned us all and we’re all going to get f**ked as a consequence.”Western sanctions have been “more of a disaster” for the EU than for Russia, driving up the cost of living while pushing Moscow and Beijing closer together, according to Cummings. All the West managed to do is get into a war of attrition with Russia, “who we pushed into an alliance with the world’s biggest manufacturing power.” Read more Harriet Baldwin MP British sanctions failing to harm Russia – UK MP Cummings also addressed the argument that Russian President Vladimir Putin needed to be “taught a lesson” about invading neighbors.“The lesson we’ve taught Putin is that we’re a bunch of total f**king jokers,” he said. “I mean, Putin already knew that before the war. But this has emphasized it and broadcast it to the entire world, what a bunch of clowns we are,” he added.Between the sanctions regime and the US trying to seize frozen Russian assets, the West is encouraging the emergence of alternative global financial systems, he explained.That’s not teaching Putin any lesson, only that we’re idiots.Cummings slammed former PM Boris Johnson – with whom he is no longer on speaking terms – for using the Ukraine conflict for “acting out his Churchillian fantasies,” as well as the Parliament that “swallowed all of his total bullsh*t on Ukraine and actually took it seriously.”Johnson was the key figure in getting Kiev to reject a peace deal with Russia in April 2022, according to the top Ukrainian negotiator, as well as Ukrainian media.The former PM denied his role in scuttling the talks, calling the account “total nonsense and Russian propaganda.” However, he confirmed that he told Zelensky the UK would back him “a thousand percent” and that any deal with Moscow would be bad. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/KO0SbB9

Arvind Kejriwal, leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, was arrested in March in a suspected liquor scam India’s Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail to Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who leads the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The politician was arrested in March on corruption charges, just weeks before the parliamentary election, which began on April 19. Hours after the top court’s ruling, he stepped out of Delhi’s Tihar jail, surrounded by supporters. Bail has been granted until June 1, which is the last day of polling. While the politician is permitted to campaign in the general election, a slew of restrictions have been imposed on him by the court. He is not allowed to visit the chief minister’s office or the Delhi Secretariat, and cannot sign any official documents without clearance from the lieutenant governor of Delhi. He is required to return to custody on June 2.Despite having been in detention for the past 50 days, Kejriwal remains chief minister of the national capital, which has a special status under the constitution, and its own elected legislative assembly and government. The AAP party has insisted that Kejriwal will not resign, as he has not been convicted. 50 दिनों के बाद तिहाड़ जेल से बाहर आए CM अरविंद केजरीवाल। <a href="https://t.co/wdUhvBFCxJ">https://t.co/wdUhvBFCxJ— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArvindKejriwal/status/1788927113807958486?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2024 The Supreme Court on Friday also noted that despite the serious accusations against Kejriwal, he has not been found guilty, does not have any prior criminal record, and is <em>“not a threat to the society.”</em> It noted that it was not possible for the court pronounce a verdict on Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest, according to Indian media reports. जेल के ताले टूट गए....<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ModiCantStopKejriwal?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ModiCantStopKejriwal <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SatyamevJayte?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SatyamevJayte <a href="https://t.co/jbyFaP0hSZ">pic.twitter.com/jbyFaP0hSZ— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) <a href="https://twitter.com/AamAadmiParty/status/1788938324297560213?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2024 Kejriwal was detained on March 21 by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) – the federal agency under the Finance Ministry – for his alleged role in a so-called <em>“liquor scam”</em> linked to a now-withdrawn Delhi liquor sales policy introduced in 2021. The ED opposed granting bail, claiming that if <em>“unscrupulous”</em> politicians are let out of jail for campaigning, none of them can ever be arrested. Before his detention, Kejriwal had ignored several summonses sent to him by the agency. Read more <a href="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.04/thumbnail/660e947d85f5402081778abe.jpg">The INDIA bloc’s Loktantra Bachao rally at the Ramlila ground, New Delhi, India, March 31, 2024. <a href="https://www.rt.com/india/595334-bureaucrat-turned-opposition-arvind-kejriwal/">Delhi’s Chief Minister is in jail: How an anti-corruption accuser himself became the accused The opposition has labelled the arrest a political witch-hunt by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The AAP, which governs Delhi and the neighbouring state of Punjab, is part of the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc that seeks to topple the Narendra Modi-led BJP from power. Several prominent politicians, who repeatedly questioned the timing of Kejriwal’s arrest, have welcomed the court’s ruling. <em>“Kejriwal coming out and campaigning will be a turning point for the country,”</em> AAP leader and Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1788876249093312556?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1788876249093312556%7Ctwgr%5Ef91681302e773025ad6568c6ed2e1cc58ec1220f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.livemint.com%2Fnews%2Findia%2Farvind-kejriwal-bail-hearing-live-updates-supreme-court-delhi-cm-aap-excise-policy-scam-ed-arrest-latest-news…

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told The Guardian he favors deploying military instructors with air defense cover to Ukraine NATO could create a coalition of military instructors to be sent to Ukraine, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis suggested in an interview with The Guardian on Thursday. If such a deployment goes ahead, participating nations would need to provide their military personnel with additional air defense cover, he said.In recent months, French President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly refused to rule out the idea of sending NATO troops to Ukraine, describing his comments as part of the West’s “strategic ambiguity.” Several other member states have pushed back on Macron’s comments, however, insisting they have no plans to deploy troops.NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday that the US-led military bloc “has no intention of deploying forces to Ukraine,” adding that Kiev has not made such a request.Speaking to The Guardian on Thursday, Landsbergis said it would be “more practical” to train Ukrainian troops in their home country rather than on NATO soil. Read more RT NATO to rule out boots on ground in Ukraine – media “You don’t need to transport them all the way. You have everything that they need right there,” he said. “It could be that the trainers stationed as part of the coalition to train the Ukrainians in Ukraine could be defended with air defense.”According to the diplomat, such a move would send a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that “it’s not up to him to decide the way that we’re helping Ukraine.” Landsbergis also revealed that the Lithuanian parliament has already given the green light to a potential training mission. He noted, however, that Vilnius would prefer to do it as part of a broader coalition with other Western nations.On Wednesday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk revealed that “there are some [NATO] troops there, I mean soldiers” in Ukraine. He clarified that these are “observers [and] engineers.” He said that NATO has no desire to further embroil itself in the Ukraine conflict for fear that a “nuclear war could break out.”  READ MORE: Russia launches new offensive – Kiev A day earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the “entire Western community is working for our enemy, dreaming about Russia ceasing to exist in its current form.” Speaking during a press briefing earlier this week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that tactical nuclear weapons drills announced on Monday were a response to a new and “unprecedented” escalation of tensions on the part of some top Western officials. “They talked about the readiness and even the intention to send armed contingents to Ukraine, that is, to actually put NATO soldiers in front of the Russian military,” he clarified.  via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/P9YsgyA

The US has threatened to cut off supplies of offensive weapons if Israel enters population centers in the Gazan city A “measured expansion” of Israel’s operation in the densely populated city of Rafah in southern Gaza was approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet on Thursday night, multiple outlets have reported.The reports come after US President Joe Biden vowed to stop the supply of offensive weapons to Israel if its military goes into the city’s population centers.Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tanks and troops entered the eastern part of Rafah in the early hours of Tuesday morning, seizing the border crossing that links Gaza and Egypt, as well as launching airstrikes.Axios reported on Friday that an “expansion of the area of ​​operation” had been approved, citing three sources with knowledge of the decision. Hebrew media also reported that the IDF was widening its area of operation.Two of Axios’s sources said the operation does not cross Biden’s stated red line, while a third believed it “could be interpreted by the US” as going too far. Read more Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel will fight with its ‘fingernails’ – Netanyahu defies US ultimatum All three said the cabinet had instructed Israeli negotiators to continue efforts to reach a deal to free hostages captured by Hamas in its October 7 cross-border attack on Israel. National Security Minister Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich are said to have voted against that decision.Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel was ready to “stand alone” in its war on Gaza after Biden threatened to halt the supply of certain weapons. “If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone,” he said.According to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Washington has already paused one shipment of weapons to Israel due to concerns over Rafah, which is currently sheltering 1.4 million Palestinians who have fled the northern parts of the enclave that have been bombarded by Israeli strikes since October. Reuters reported on Friday that Israeli tanks had captured the main road between the eastern and western parts of the city, while Hamas said it had attacked Israeli tanks near a mosque in the east. READ MORE: WATCH Israeli tank crush ‘I love Gaza’ sign in Rafah The IDF reported on X (formerly Twitter) that some Hamas militants were killed in”face-to-face” battles with its troops near the border crossing and that several underground tunnels dug by the Palestinian fighters have been found.So far, around 110,000 people have fled Rafah seeking safety amid increasing attacks, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said. “Nowhere is safe in the Gaza Strip and living conditions are atrocious,” the agency wrote on X. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/pF2C0h4

The US is expected to veto the resolution at the Security Council The UN General Assembly passed a resolution accepting Palestine as the 194th member of the world body on Friday. The US has previously vetoed Palestinian statehood at the Security Council, however.Palestine has been a non-voting observer in the global body since 2012. The new resolution would grant it “new rights and privileges,” as well as full membership if approved by the Security Council. It was adopted with 143 votes in favor, nine against, and 25 abstentions.US Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood said his government was opposed to the resolution, indicating that Washington would veto Palestinian membership at the council again – as it did last month.Friday’s resolution included an expression of “deep regret and concern” by the General Assembly that the US had vetoed the admission of Palestine on April 18, and urged the council to “reconsider the matter favorably” in line with the UN Charter and decisions by the International Court of Justice. Read more Flags outside the United Nations building US could stop funding UN over Palestine – Reuters The General Assembly voiced its “unwavering support for the two-state solution of Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security within recognized borders, based on the pre-1967 borders.”Though Israel has nominally accepted the idea of Palestinian statehood in the abstract, the government in West Jerusalem has rejected its implementation in practice. During last month’s Security Council debate, Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan described the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank, as “a terror-supporting entity that does not deserve any status in the UN.”Israel has also vowed to completely destroy Hamas, the group that controls Gaza, after last year’s October 7 attacks.After exercising his veto last month, Ambassador Wood said that the US action “does not reflect opposition to Palestinian statehood, but instead is an acknowledgement that it will only come from direct negotiations between the parties,” adding that Palestine can’t join the UN so long as Hamas is in control of Gaza.Russia’s permanent representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia has accused the US of holding the Security Council “hostage” over events in the Middle East. He also argued that Palestinian statehood and UN membership would “equalize the starting negotiating positions of the parties.”An estimated 1,200 Israelis died in the October 7 attacks by Hamas. More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in the subsequent Israeli offensive, which is presently targeting the city of Rafah in the south of Gaza. Israel has pressed the attack despite the reservations of the US, made known at official levels. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/MnWt5g8

This could happen to those unable to pay increased fines for violating mobilization rules, Andrey Osadchyuk has said Ukraine could start blocking bank accounts and imposing penalties on the property of those trying to avoid military service amid the conflict with Russia, Andrey Osadchyuk, a member of the country’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has said.The measure might be applied to draft dodgers in line with a law that introduces stricter penalties for breaching the country’s mobilization rules, which the MPs voted on last month, Osadchyuk told journalists on Thursday.Under the legislation that will go into force “sometime in late May,” the fines for violations of the military registration rules for individuals have been increased to between 17,000 (around $430) and 20,500 hryvnia (around $520), he said, as cited by UNIAN news agency. Read more RT Ukrainian army recruiters ‘abduct’ pro footballer – club “This is a big sum for anyone in Kiev and for me, but for some provincial towns and villages it is a gigantic sum,” the MP said. Because of the hefty penalties, “we will, most likely, have a situation when these fines will not be paid by citizens on a mass scale, as they simply may not have the money or will just not want to do it,” he warned.In this case, an enforcement procedure is activated against non-payers, which makes it possible to “block accounts and impose a penalty on the property” owned by those individuals, Osadchyuk explained.The MP noted that denying those unwilling to serve access to their money was among the proposals included in the initial proposed mobilization law, which was submitted to the Ukrainian parliament late last year. The Verkhovna Rada rejected the measure as unconstitutional; it was eventually removed from the bill that was passed, he added. However, “now a scheme will be launched” that will allow the government to block the accounts of draft dodgers “through what are, in principle, absolutely legal means,” Osadchyuk stressed.Last month, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky signed a new mobilization law amid troop shortages experienced by Kiev’s forces on the front lines. The legislation lowers the conscription age from 27 to 25, greatly expands the powers of enlistment officers and introduces assorted restrictions for draft dodgers. The country’s foreign ministry has suspended consular services for military-eligible Ukrainians abroad in preparation for the mobilization reform that is slated to come into effect later in May. READ MORE: Ukrainian MPs greenlight mobilization of prisoners Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said last week that Ukrainian military casualties this year alone have amounted to more than 111,000. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/szTFth2

Moscow’s military has renewed an assault on Ukraine’s Kharkov Region, according to President Vladimir Zelensky Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky claimed on Friday that Russian forces have launched a new large-scale offensive on his country’s Kharkov Region.The development was first announced by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, which claimed earlier in the day that Russian forces had attacked defensive positions near the border town of Volchansk. The assault was accompanied by heavy aerial bombardment, the ministry said, adding that fighting “of varying intensity” was continuing along Russia’s border with Kharkov Region.The claims were further amplified by Vladimir Zelensky, with the president insisting that Ukrainian troops were well-prepared to repel Russian attacks in the area.“Russia can bolster and pour in its forces, but we knew this and calculated everything,” Zelensky said during a news conference, after a meeting with the Slovak president in Kiev.Some Ukrainian media reports, however, have said the Russian military was able to advance and has seized several settlements along the border. Ukrainian journalist Yury Butusov, widely believed to be associated with former President Pyotr Poroshenko, claimed that Russian forces have captured an area of roughly 30 square kilometers near the border, seizing the villages of Strelechye, Krasnoye, Pylnaya and Borisovka. Read more FILE PHOTO. A Russian self-propelled artillery gun seen firing in Donbass. Russian military reports new gains in Ukraine’s Kharkov Region Despite having intelligence on the looming assault, Ukrainian defenses in the area have proven to be ineffective, Butusov claimed. The journalist also suggested that the assault was on a relatively small scale, despite official claims to the contrary, with a force of up to five infantry battalions involved.So far, Moscow has not provided any information on its purported activities in Kharkov Region. Over the past few months, the area has been used by Ukrainian forces to launch indiscriminate drone, artillery and missile attacks on Russian border regions, primarily Belgorod, and to stage multiple unsuccessful attempts to break through the border.The Russian leadership has consistently warned Kiev and its Western backers against launching attacks deep into its territory, with President Vladimir Putin suggesting the creation of a “security zone” in Ukraine along the border, to prevent such strikes. Moscow has not provided any timeframe for when such a zone could be created, or how deep into Ukraine it would go. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/9ZRbaim

The prime minister’s pledge comes after President Biden warned the IDF against a major offensive in the Gazan city of Rafah Israel will continue its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza even if allies disapprove, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said. His remarks came shortly after US President Joe Biden warned the Israeli leadership that any large-scale operation in Rafah would mean a halt in the supply of key defense equipment.The city in southern Gaza is the last major population center still not under Israeli control. Hundreds of thousands of internally displaced Palestinians have taken shelter there in recent months, with some estimates putting the current population at over a million. As the Israeli offensive continues, the movement of humanitarian convoys bringing food and medicine has reportedly been disrupted in recent days.Earlier this week, Israeli troops and tanks entered the eastern districts of Rafah in what Israel described as a “limited” operation, after fighter jets bombarded the city.Speaking on Thursday, Prime Minister Netanyahu stated: “If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. If we need to, we will fight with our fingernails. But we have much more than fingernails.” He noted that in 1948 Israel gained independence despite an “arms embargo.” Read more Rashida Tlaib. US ‘actively participating in genocide’ in Gaza – congresswoman On the same day, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari insisted that the military “has armaments for the missions it plans, and for the missions in Rafah, too.”In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, US President Biden warned: “If they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities – that deal with that problem.”He noted that the Israeli military has not “gone into the population centers.” He also reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to Israel’s defense, saying that the US would “continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks that came out of the Middle East recently.”On Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told members of Congress that Washington had already put arms shipments to Israel on hold last week, as quoted by the Financial Times. The newspaper claimed that the US had not made the final decision regarding the weapons though.The paused delivery allegedly included thousands of 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs.According to the FT, the US had not resorted to such shipment restrictions since the start of the conflict in Gaza last October, with more than 100 arms deliveries approved to date. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/nU3zHOs

The defense minister also announced that Berlin has purchased three HIMARS rocket launcher systems for Ukraine The majority of the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) will be under NATO command by 2025, with around 35,000 soldiers placed on the “highest levels of readiness,” Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced during a keynote speech at Washington’s Johns Hopkins University on Thursday.The announcement comes as Germany struggles to resolve major personnel and equipment shortages in its army, with many replacement items purchased for the Bundeswehr being sent to aid Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. A parliamentary report in March revealed that the army is also “aging and shrinking,” with 20,000 unfilled positions and a “very high” dropout rate.“The security of our allies is our security. Therefore, by next year, the majority of the Bundeswehr will be placed under NATO command,” Pistorius said in his Thursday speech, adding that “approximately 35,000 of them will be at the two highest levels of readiness.”The minister said Berlin’s focus remains on “protecting our allies on NATO’s eastern flank,” and pointed to Germany’s recent moves to increase its military presence in the region. Read more German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda during military exercises in Pabrade, Lithuania, May 6, 2024. Germany backs arming Ukraine with Russian funds Last month, Germany sent an advance team of soldiers to Lithuania as part of a plan to establish a full-strength armor brigade of 4,800 soldiers, which are to be permanently stationed in the Baltic nation bordering Russia by 2027. At the time, Moscow said the move would require “special measures” be taken in response.Speaking about the Lithuanian deployment in the US, Pistorius called it “an unprecedented case in German history” and a “clear signal” to Russian President Vladimir Putin that “every inch” of NATO territory will be defended.Earlier in the day, Pistorius also met with his US counterpart, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and revealed that Berlin had purchased three US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launchers for Ukraine.“They come from US armed forces’ stocks and will be paid for by us,” he said. HIMARS launchers are mounted on a truck chassis and can fire multiple missiles in quick succession. READ MORE: NATO soldiers operating in Ukraine – Polish PM Pistorius also commented on the possibility of reintroducing compulsory military service in Germany to help solve its personnel issues, saying its decision to end conscription in 2011 was a “mistake.” Times have now changed, he said, and “I am convinced that Germany needs some form of conscription.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz appears less keen on the idea, however, saying last year that reintroducing the draft is “not a good idea.” via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/V6zdeMb