RT News International

The Secretary of State said the White House “is working day and night” to resume all arms shipments, according to the PM Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed to have pressured the United States over arms supplies that his country needs in its war with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.The US paused delivery of weapons to Israel in early May amid calls for it to scale back its assault on the densely-populated city of Rafah in southern Gaza. The shipment reportedly included 3,500 bombs for fighter jets. The Jewish state’s offensive on Rafah has left thousands of Palestinians dead and injured, according to the local Hamas-run authorities.In a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Netanyahu said in English that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has assured him the White House “is working day and night to remove these bottlenecks,” referring to arms supplies.The statement confirms the latest media reports that during a meeting with Blinken last week in Jerusalem, Netanyahu had demanded the removal of barriers to the flow of munitions. Give us the tools and we'll finish the job. pic.twitter.com/eQHpyd9q0X— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) June 18, 2024 “When Secretary Blinken was recently here in Israel, we had a candid conversation. I said I deeply appreciated the support the US has given Israel from the beginning of the war,” Netanyahu stated. “But I also said something else, I said it’s inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel.” The Israeli leader stressed that an increased flow of US weapons would help bring the end to the struggle with Hamas. “During World War II, [Winston] Churchill told the United States, ‘Give us the tools, we’ll do the job.’ And I say, give us the tools and we’ll finish the job a lot faster.”Netanyahu has reportedly told Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and other high-ranking officials to make sure that arms transfers are fully resumed during upcoming meetings with American counterparts in Washington this week. Read more Buildings destroyed by Israeli bombing raids in the Nuseirat camp, central Gaza, June 8, 2024. Israel and Hamas disagree on US-backed ceasefire – media reports US President Joe Biden has repeatedly warned Israel he would halt arms shipments over the situation in Rafah, but despite those warnings his administration had reportedly kept weapons and ammunition flowing. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the US proceeded with a transfer of $1 billion worth of ammunition and vehicles for Israel in May, the same month it stopped the delivery of bombs.On Monday, the Washington Post reported that the White House had successfully pressured Democrats in Congress to support a major arms sale to Israel that includes 50 F-15 fighter jets worth more than $18 billion.Israel declared war on Hamas after militants killed around 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostage in a surprise attack on October 7. More than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed in the months of fighting that have followed, according to the latest figures from Gaza’s health ministry. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/sbLfhUR

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has visited New Delhi for talks following the inauguration of a new government US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval, have agreed to prevent the leakage of sensitive technologies to <em>"countries of concern,"</em> according to a joint statement released on Monday.  Sullivan’s visit to India is the first by a member of the Biden administration since Narendra Modi took charge for a <a href="https://www.rt.com/india/599047-modi-india-third-term-oath/">third consecutive term.The discussions formed part of the US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET), established in 2023. The joint statement covers a wide range of topics, from joint investment in research, to space and proposed defense deals. It also made mention of <em>"vital importance of adapting our technology protection toolkits" </em>and<em>  </em>preventing<em> "the leakage of sensitive and dual-use technologies to countries of concern</em><em>," </em>which comes against the backdrop of India’s robust ties with Russia. New Delhi’s relations with Moscow have come under increasing scrutiny from Washington and other western partners of India since the start of the Ukraine conflict. On Sunday, India disassociated itself from a communique issued at the conclusion of a Switzerland-hosted ‘peace summit’ on Ukraine, to which Moscow was not invited. Read more <a href="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.06/thumbnail/666fc3c12030277281339938.jpg">India’s former ambassador to Russia, Pavan Kapoor (C) at the ‘Summit on Peace in Ukraine’ at the Burgenstock Resort, Switzerland, June 15, 2024. <a href="https://www.rt.com/india/599397-new-delhi-explains-refusal-to/">New Delhi explains refusal to sign Zelensky ‘peace conference’ declaration Meanwhile, New Delhi and Washington also stated they were <em>“committed to take concrete action”</em> to address long-standing barriers in bilateral strategic trade, technology, and industrial cooperation, including in the commercial and civil space sector. The joint factsheet notes that the two countries are working towards beginning advanced training for Indian astronauts at the NASA Johnson Space Center. According to Indian media, NASA will train two Indian astronauts, one of whom will fly to the International Space Station (ISS) later this year. India Space Research Organization chairman S. Somanath had said before that there would likely be four astronauts sent for training. Four astronauts from India selected for the country’s first manned space mission, called Gaganyaan, were previously trained at Russia’s Gagarin Research & Test Cosmonaut Training Center. This followed a 2019 agreement between New Delhi and Moscow on the selection, support, medical examination and space training of Indian astronauts.  Read more <a href="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.03/thumbnail/65e1a97520302712651f5133.jpeg">Astronauts selected for India’s first manned mission to space, Gaganyaan: Air Force pilots Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Ajit Krishnan, Angad Pratap, and Shubhanshu Shukla. <a href="https://www.rt.com/india/593459-gagarin-to-gaganyaan-indian-astronauts/">Gagarin to Gaganyaan: India’s Russian-trained astronauts are gearing up to lift off for the giant’s first manned space mission Sullivan also discussed potential defense deals with Indian officials. They include acquiring <a href="https://www.rt.com/india/591689-us-potential-drone-sale-india/">US-made MQ-9B drones, the co-production of land warfare systems, and manufacturing General Electric GE-414 engines in India. The projects were discussed last year during Modi’s state visit to the US, but their status remains uncertain.The top White House advisor’s visit took place despite tensions over accusations of <em>“targeted killings”</em> against the Indian government. Last year, US prosecutors alleged an Indian agent’s involvement in a murder plot against a New York-based lawyer and Sikh activist, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a prominent leader of…

Warsaw has checked emergency water and power supply  Warsaw has run an exercise to test the reliability of emergency water and power supplies in the city’s shelters, the mayor of the Polish capital has said.Fresh from the LGBTQ parade over the weekend, Rafal Trzaskowski ordered a snap drill of the city’s emergency services on Monday, “just in case.”“As part of the Warsaw Safety program, we are checking critical infrastructure; yesterday all city services held training exercises at the water supply plant so that we are ready,” Trzaskowski told reporters on Tuesday. “We are preparing water supplies, preparing warehouses in order to store additional equipment, such as generators. We must be prepared for any kind of situation.”Trzaskowski also shared photos from the exercise on X (formerly Twitter), reassuring Warsawians that “it’s just a drill,” but that the city takes their safety very seriously.Water and power utilities, the police, the firefighters and the military all worked together to test “action scenarios in potential crisis situations,” according to the mayor.Warsaw has a population of around 1.8 million and the ability to accommodate three million people in the subway system, underground parking garages and other designated shelter spaces. However, it will take “some more work” to get all of them up to standard, the mayor said. Read more FILE PHOTO: Ministry of Foreign Affairs at 23 Szucha Avenue in Warsaw, Poland. US and Poland set up info wars center The emergency drills in Warsaw came less than two days after Polish President Andrzej Duda called for “decolonizing” Russia by breaking it up into many smaller countries. His comments came during the so-called peace conference on Ukraine in Switzerland. Duda has also proposed that Poland should host US nuclear weapons, drawing criticism from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, as well as Moscow.Last week, the US and Poland announced the establishment of the Ukraine Communications Group (UCG), an information warfare outfit designed to “amplify Ukrainian voices,” and counter alleged “deceptive narratives” from Russia. The UCG will be hosted by the Polish Foreign Ministry.Warsaw has been an outspoken supporter of Kiev both under the previous government of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and since he was replaced by Tusk last December. Poland has served as the logistics hub for almost all deliveries of NATO weapons, equipment, and ammunition to Ukraine since the conflict with Russia escalated in February 2022. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/t4F7pGv

The Russian president will meet with Kim Jong-un to discuss “most sensitive issues,” according to the Kremlin Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun a two-day state visit to North Korea, where he will meet with the country’s leadership for talks on economic, security, and international issues.North Korean leader Kim Jong-un personally greeted Putin at the Pyongyang airport, for the Russian president's first visit since 2000.The trip, which kicked off on Tuesday, will involve a “very busy agenda,” according to Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, who noted that the two sides intend to sign several agreements. The Russian president has already authorized the signing of a landmark Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement with North Korea.Ushakov also said Putin and Kim were expected to hold lengthy face-to-face talks to discuss “the most important, the most sensitive issues.” The visit will be largely focused on the international agenda. Read more FILE PHOTO Putin reveals goals of North Korea trip “The approaches of the two countries to current foreign policy problems are very close or completely coincide,” Ushakov said, noting that Moscow and Pyongyang advocate the formation of a multipolar world on the principles of equality, respect for sovereignty, and non-interference in internal affairs. He also said Moscow highly appreciates the fact that North Korea “understands the true reasons and the essence of the Ukraine crisis.”Putin’s visit to North Korea, his first since 2000, follows Kim Jong-un’s trip to Russia’s Far East in September. At the time, Kim spent nearly a week in the neighboring country, touring the Vostochny Cosmodrome, meeting with top officials, and inspecting advanced Russian weaponry. Following the visit, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said relations between Russia and North Korea had reached a “strategic level.” via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/6eQ3fuK

<strong>Ghana’s Family Values bill seeks to balance a reliance on foreign aid with tradition, religion, and the anticolonial narrative</strong> Ghana, a west African country with deeply ingrained cultural and religious values, is grappling with issues surrounding the criminalization of LGBTQ lifestyles. In February 2024, the country's parliament <a href="https://ir.parliament.gh/bitstream/handle/123456789/3045/Promotion%20of%20Proper%20Human%20Sexual%20rights%20and%20Ghanaian%20Family%20Values%20Bill%2C%202021.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y">passed</a> The Promotion of Proper Sexual Rights and Family Values bill, which seeks to promote traditional Ghanaian family values. The bill imposes penalties, including imprisonment for up to five years, for the promotion of LGBTQ activities.Although the bill received unanimous support from both caucuses of the parliament, it still requires the assent of the president to become law. However, its progression has been halted by a lawsuit, citing concerns of discrimination against a section of the population, which has <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/ghana-president-wont-act-anti-lgbtq-bill-before-legal-challenge-resolved-2024-03-19/">prevented</a> the president from reviewing it until the supreme court determines its legality.The hearing, adjourned in May 2024 due to allegations that the petitioners had used inflammatory language, resumed this month. The fate of the bill is now in limbo as the Supreme court of Ghana is expected to give its final verdict later this year. The pending verdict is particularly significant as it will determine whether the bill can be promulgated into law. This will also help determine Ghana’s ability to uphold its sovereignty amid pressure from western countries and institutions.Ghana’s situation reflects the complex dilemma of African countries in deciding on the position of LGBTQ in their institutional framework. It is illegal in 32 countries including Nigeria, Mauritania, Sudan and Somalia where death penalty can be <a href="https://www.statista.com/topics/8602/lgbtq-in-africa/">imposed</a> on people engaging in gay sex. In Uganda, the office of the president has referred to homosexuals as <em>“sick people”</em> who need help. This sentiment has been echoed by the former president of Zambia, Edgar Lungu, who <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyNQGrwt7Ig">questioned</a> why humans should be compelled to engage in activities even animals do not do. South Africa remains the only African country to have legalized homosexuality while others such as Rwanda have rejected discussions on the issue.Legal landscape: colonial or not?In Ghana, although there’s no specific law criminalizing LGBTQ activities, attempts to regulate them are based on a perception either of a western-imposed value system that contradicts Ghanaian norms, or from a human rights perspective. <a href="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.06/original/66703adb85f5407a60752f04.jpg">Media</a> FILE PHOTO. LGBT+ campaigners from the African Equality Foundation attend a protest opposite Westminster Abbey coordinated by the Peter Tatchell Foundation to coincide with leaders of thirty Commonwealth countries arriving for a Commonwealth 75th anniversary service on 11th March 2024 in London, UK. ©  Mark Kerrison/In Pictures via Getty Images Ghana has sought to apply section 104 of its 1960 criminal code on issues of LGBTQ. The law <a href="https://www.ajol.info/index.php/afrrev/article/view/145237">criminalizes</a> <em>“unnatural carnal knowledge of a person or animal.”</em> For instance, in 2021 a group of LGBTQ activists were arrested by the police for what was described as unlawful assembly meant to promote LGBTQ activities, but were later acquitted after a backlash from the international community. Section 104 of the criminal code has since been criticized as ‘misrepresentation of the law’ and a colonial remnant that does not reflect today’s realities, given its failure to define what exactly constitutes unnatural carnal knowledge.In Botswana…

Beijing and Manila have traded blame over an incident that left at least one Philippine sailor severely injured A Chinese Coast Guard vessel and a Philippine navy boat collided in the South China Sea on Monday, an incident of which the two sides provided differing accounts.The collision occurred when the Philippine naval vessel attempted a resupply run to the BRP Sierra Madre, an old tank landing vessel grounded on the Second Thomas Shoal, a small submerged reef near the Spratly Islands. The ship, originally built for the US Navy during WWII, was deliberately run aground in the area in 1999 and has served as an outpost for the Philippine military ever since.“A Philippine Navy personnel sustained severe injury after the CCG’s [China Coast Guard’s] intentional high-speed ramming during the rotation and resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre (LS57) on June 17,” according to a statement by the country’s military. The Chinese Coast Guard, however, claimed that the Philippine vessel had “dangerously approached and deliberately collided” with its ship while attempting to resupply the “illegally grounded warship.” Following the collision, the Chinese vessel took “control measures” to check the supply boat and expel it from the area.“The handling [of the incident] was reasonable, legal, professional and standard,” the Coast Guard stated.  Read more Joe Biden (C) heads to a trilateral meeting with Fumio Kishida (R) and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (L) at the White House in Washington DC, April 11, 2024 Beijing slams US and allies for ‘attacking China’ Washington backed the Philippine account of the collision. The Department of State called Beijing out over what it called “escalatory and irresponsible actions.” The Chinese vessel prevented “the Philippines from lawfully delivering humanitarian supplies to service members stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre,” it said. The Chinese vessels’ “dangerous and deliberate use of water cannons, ramming, blocking maneuvers, and towing damaged Philippine vessels, endangered the lives of Philippine service members, is reckless, and threatens regional peace and stability,” the State Department added.A similar incident involving Chinese and Philippine vessels occurred in the area in March. The Philippines has ramped up its activities around the BRP Sierra Madre since late last year, seeking to refurbish the old vessel and improve the living conditions of military personnel stationed at the outpost. The South China Sea is the subject of numerous overlapping claims by countries in the region. Apart from China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei, as well as the self-governing Chinese island of Taiwan, claim parts of it. The waterway sees significant volumes of commercial traffic and serves as the key conduit for the foreign trade of South Asian nations. Tensions in the region have been further aggravated by the activities of the US and its allies, which routinely send in so-called “freedom of navigation” missions through the area claimed by Beijing as its exclusive economic zone. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/M5r21O0

The ICAO proceedings have been a farce of Western making, Moscow has said Moscow is not interested in participating in a “performance” before a Western-dominated panel of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) about the 2014 crash of a Malaysian passenger jet in Donbass, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said.Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down in Ukrainian airspace. Kiev immediately blamed Donetsk People’s Republic forces and Russia for the incident. In March 2022, the Netherlands and Australia opened an investigation against Russia at the ICAO Council. “The ICAO Council is not the right place to look for the truth. It makes no sense for us to remain a part of the ‘performance’ started in it,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.Russia had initially agreed to take part in the proceedings “because we believed that the ICAO platform could be used for professional dialogue about the plane crash,” the ministry said. However, the council first claimed judiciary powers it did not have, then tried to admit as evidence the two investigations into the MH17 disaster that explicitly excluded Russia – by the Dutch Security Council (NSB) and the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) – while welcoming Ukraine and other adversely interested parties, according to Moscow. Read more A picture taken on July 17, 2014 shows wreckages of the malaysian airliner carrying 295 people from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur after it crashed, near the town of Shaktarsk, in rebel-held east Ukraine. MH17 probe suspended Russia has proposed “a full, thorough and independent international investigation into the crash of flight MH17, as required by UN Security Council Resolution 2166 and the ICAO Dispute Resolution Rules,” but the council refused, the foreign ministry said.“Ruled by the countries of the collective West and their satellites, the ICAO Council also refused to take into account the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of January 31, 2024,” which rejected Ukraine’s claims against Russia in the MH17 case, the ministry noted.The council consists of 36 members, who vote according to instructions from their governments. Australia and 12 others had already publicly blamed Russia for MH17 before any investigation began, the ministry said. When Russia asked them to abstain from voting in the matter, they refused.This pattern of behavior “runs counter to the minimum requirements for the objectivity of the proceedings,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said. “Under such circumstances, it is impossible to talk about an unbiased establishment of facts, much less a fair decision.” The “extensive and convincing evidence,” both factual and legal, that Russia was not involved in the MH17 incident has been made available to 193 ICAO members, the ministry noted.  via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/D6MYGoU

The former US president is still forbidden to talk about his New York criminal trial Former US President Donald Trump remains banned from speaking about his criminal case in Manhattan, even after the jury’s verdict, the New York Court of Appeals said on Tuesday.Judge Juan Merchan imposed the gag order on Trump during his trial on 34 counts of “falsifying business records,” which District Attorney Alvin Bragg alleged had somehow violated campaign finance laws and improperly influenced the 2016 election. The jury found the former president guilty on all counts at the end of MayDETAILS TO FOLLOW via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/OQm3KVE

Kiev risks making its situation “worse,” if it turns down peace talks, Dmitry Medvedev said Ukraine is making a huge mistake by refusing to consider Russia’s offer to open peace talks because its negotiating position will only deteriorate as time goes by, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has said.Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled that Moscow would immediately open peace talks with Kiev if it withdrew its troops from Russia’s Donbass, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions.Any such deal would also include Ukraine committing to neutral status, as well as its “demilitarization” and “denazification.” Western sanctions against Moscow would also have to be lifted, the Russian leader insisted.Vladimir Zelensky has rejected the overture as an ultimatum, with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg suggesting that the proposal had not been made in “good faith.” Kiev has consistently demanded that Russia withdraw its troops to the Ukrainian borders of 1991 as a condition for starting talks.Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Medvedev, who is currently the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said Ukraine was “taking the discussion back to square one” by rejecting peace initiatives. Read more FILE PHOTO: A Ukrainian soldier launches a military drone. Hackers expose Ukrainian ‘drone pilots’ “They shouldn’t have done that. It will get worse,” the former president warned.However, Medvedev said Kiev still had time to accept the offer, but this window of opportunity will not last. If Ukraine does not agree to Putin’s terms, this will result in a scenario in which Russia’s “offensive actions will continue, and it is difficult to say where the border of the cordon sanitaire that our president spoke about will end,” he remarked, adding that the zone’s boundaries would not be drawn in favor of Kiev.The Russian president first spoke about the possibility of establishing a ‘cordon sanitaire’ in Kiev-controlled territories to protect Russian border regions from constant artillery strikes this spring. To achieve this goal, Moscow’s forces launched a major offensive in Ukraine’s border Kharkov Region in early May, capturing about a dozen settlements.  Against this backdrop, several Western nations, including the US, authorized Ukrainian long-range strikes deep inside Russian territory, with the supposed goal of enabling Kiev to target military deployment areas and installations. The move was condemned by Moscow as escalatory, with Putin noting that the West had essentially signed off on Kiev’s attacks on Russian civilians. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/WwugcNI

Rheinmetall says it is working on new weapons systems for Kiev based on a Leopard tank chassis German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall could soon supply Ukraine with new mobile air defense systems capable of shooting down Russian drones and missiles, according to the company’s head of Land Systems, Bjorn Bernhard.In an interview with the German tabloid Bild released on Sunday, Bernhard signaled that the systems, which the German media dubbed ‘Frankenstein tanks,’ are already in the works.According to the report, the tanks would be a heavily armored version of Rheinmetall’s advanced Skyranger anti-aircraft system grafted onto the hulls of Cold War-era Leopard 1 tanks. They will reportedly be capable of dealing with short-range targets such as drones and artillery fire.“There are still a lot of Leopard 1 battle tanks on whose chassis we could put the Skyranger turret with the 35 mm machine gun,” Bernhard said in the interview, which took place at a secret Rheinmetall tank repair factory in Western Ukraine that was reportedly launched in early June.The company will present a similar vehicle, albeit placed on a Leopard 2 chassis, at the ongoing Eurosatory 2024 defense industry exhibition in Paris, according to a press-release. Read more UELZEN, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 12: Employees work at a production line at a new munitions factory of German defence contractor Rheinmetall. Western weapons makers on hiring spree – FT “Highly mobile, modular and scalable ground-based air defense systems are becoming increasingly important as NATO forces refocus on national and alliance defense,” Rheinmetall said in a press release.It is unclear when Ukraine may get the new hybrid tanks. According to the UK’s The Telegraph, Kiev’s army has already received roughly a hundred traditionally configured Leopard 1 tanks from Germany. However, the Ukrainian authorities have been pressuring NATO countries in recent weeks to supply more critical weaponry and have been complaining that the shortage of Western air defense systems leaves its troops and infrastructure exposed to Russian attacks.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced earlier this month that Berlin would transfer its third US-made Patriot air defense system and other additional weapons to Kiev within the next several weeks. Addressing the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin, Scholz said that Germany has already either delivered or earmarked €28 billion ($30 billion) worth of weapons for Ukraine and will continue to support Kiev’s war effort. READ MORE: Italy could arm Kiev with long-range weaponry – media Russia has repeatedly criticized the Western military aid to Kiev, warning that it will only drag out the conflict without changing its outcome. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/eN9CalD