RT News International

India on course to retain its position as the most populous country in the world throughout this century The population of India, the most populous country in the world, is set to reach a peak of 1.7 billion in the 2060s before it will start declining, a new United Nations (UN) report has predicted. At present, the South Asian country has a population of around 1.4 billion.According to the World Population Prospects 2024 report, after reaching the peak, the Indian population is set to dip by around 12% by 2100. However, the country is likely to remain the most populous nation in the world throughout the century, according to the report.India last year overtook China to become the most populous country. The UN expects that China’s population has peaked and is declining. “This is because of a rapid drop in China’s fertility rates, which have been below the “replacement rate” – the average number of children per woman needed to keep the population constant from one generation to the next — for a long time,” according to the research.India and China will be followed in the population rankings in 2100 by Pakistan (511 million), Nigeria (477 million), Democratic Republic of the Congo (431 million), and the US (421 million), according to the report. The increase in the US population, the report noted, will be primarily driven by migration. Read more RT India to reap demographic dividends – Ashish Kumar Chauhan India is expected to contribute 30% of the wealth that will be created globally in the next 25 to 50 years, Ashish Chauhan, CEO of the country’s National Stock Exchange, one of its two main exchanges, suggested during RT’s ‘Let’s Talk Bharat’ show earlier this year, adding that tech-savvy young people would be at the forefront of the process.Previous research suggests that India is home to around 600 million young people between 18 and 35, and that nearly 69% of its population will be of working age by 2030, which will result in the dependency rate plummeting.Meanwhile, government data shows that 31 out of 36 states and Union Territories in the country have achieved the replacement-level fertility rate of 2.1, after seven decades of family-assistance measures. Exceptions include Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, two of the most densely populated and economically disadvantaged states.Around 56% of the population has adopted modern contraceptives to control births, New Delhi announced earlier this week. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/ZdUep4o

Czech President Petr Pavel says the West should continue its support for Kiev to convince Russia it cannot succeed militarily The West can put an end to the Ukraine conflict by giving Kiev all the weapons it needs, Czech President Petr Pavel has argued, claiming that this will convince Russia that it cannot make further progress on the battlefield.Back in May, Pavel – who previously served as chairman of NATO’s Military Committee – told Sky News that “it would be naive to say that Ukraine can fully restore the control over the territories in the foreseeable future. Russia will not give up the territory it is occupying now.” The Czech president also predicted that “there might be some kind of a compromise” during future peace negotiations, and that ending the conflict could pave the way for “talk about the potential membership of Ukraine” in NATO.On Friday, the Seznam Zpravy news outlet quoted Pavel as saying Russia has more resources than Ukraine, so no quick breakthroughs on the frontline are likely, despite Western support. The Czech head of state, however, insisted that such efforts should continue – providing Kiev with all the weaponry it needs, to make Russia realise it cannot make further gains, and start negotiating. Read more FILE PHOTO: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at a press conference in Moscow, on July 05, 2024. Orban estimates probability of Russian defeat Pavel also stressed that in any such talks, the West should not recognize the territories held by Moscow’s forces as Russian, but label them as temporarily occupied. He reiterated his skepticism over Ukraine’s ability to retake parts of the Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions, as well as Crimea, in the foreseeable future.Following his meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke in favor of a “complete and final end of the conflict,” as opposed to a “ceasefire or some kind of pause that the Kiev regime could use to recover losses, regroup, and rearm.” He insisted that the hostilities can only end if Ukraine fulfills a number of Russia’s demands – including the withdrawal of Kiev’s troops from the whole of Donbass, as well as Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions.Previously, Putin also named legally binding guarantees that Kiev will not seek NATO membership as being among Moscow’s conditions. Kiev, along with its Western backers, have rejected the proposal, calling it an unacceptable ultimatum.Similarly, Moscow previously described Vladimir Zelensky’s ‘peace formula’ as an ultimatum divorced from the reality. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/jDvi1bU

No responsible African would abandon Russia, China or BRICS in favor of Western interests, Adamu Garba II says Western powers lack moral authority when they try to impose their interests on African nations, former Nigerian presidential contender Adamu Garba II has told RT.The politician was reacting to controversial ideas expressed by EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell earlier this week. While speaking about European influence internationally, he voiced surprise at the level of pro-Russia sentiment among African people, and argued that information warfare tools should be developed to counter “disinformation.”“Don’t dismiss this kind of war. It’s not just sending bombs and tanks, it’s just sending news and occupying the cyberspace,” Borrell warned. “We need people watching the network and people explaining what is going on, reprogramming the listeners, giving them correct information.” Adamu Garba II said that judging by Borrel’s statements, he appears to view Western Europe as a guardian for other parts of the world.“Perhaps he sees Africa as a jungle full of zombies that can be programmed to do their interests,” the politician joked, in an apparent reference to another controversial idea from Borrel. In 2022, the diplomat declared that Europeans live in a “garden,” while most of the outside world is a “jungle.” He later apologized for his words, which drew a wave of condemnation. Read more EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell speaks to the press during the NATO summit in Washington on July 11, 2024. Africans support Russia – EU’s Borrell On relations with Moscow, Adamu Garba II said: “there’s no way a responsible African will abandon Russia, China or the BRICS alliance in favor of NATO or Western interests, who do everything possible to take our resources from us.”The BRICS group of non-Western economies, founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2011, has become an attractive alliance for African nations, with some expressing their will to join. Speaking on the sidelines of the BRICS Parliamentary Forum in St. Petersburg this week, Ethiopian parliament speaker Agegnehu Teshager told RT that “most of the African countries have an appetite to be a member of BRICS.” via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/lvPScmz

Masoud Pezeshkian has said cooperation with Moscow will remain a priority throughout his term Iran’s president-elect Masoud Pezeshkian has described Russia as “a valued strategic partner” and pledged to further strengthen relations with Moscow.Pezeshkian, who will be inaugurated on July 30, set out his foreign policy priorities in an article entitled: ‘My message to the new world’, published by the Tehran Times on Friday."Russia is a valued strategic ally and neighbor to Iran and my administration will remain committed to expanding and enhancing our cooperation,” he wrote.Tehran will continue to “prioritize” relations with Russia both on a bilateral level and as part of international organizations such as BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and Eurasian Economic Union, the president-elect stressed.Pezeshkian said his government would also “actively support” efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict."China and Russia have consistently stood by us during challenging times. We deeply value this friendship,” he added. Read more FILE PHOTO: Masoud Pezeshkian during a campaign rally. Major Russia-Iran treaty remains on track – president-elect Pezeshkian won the presidential election last week, beating his rival Saeed Jalili by 53.7% to 44.3% in the second round. The snap poll was called after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in May.During his meeting with Iranian lawmakers at the 10th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in St Petersburg on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow and Tehran have been “making considerable progress in their relations” in recent years.The Russian leader predicted that under Pezeshkian bilateral ties “will develop at the same steady pace as they did under Mr Raisi, whose passing we all mourn.”In his article, Pezeshkian said authorities in Tehran “look forward to collaborating more extensively with Beijing as we advance towards a new global order.”On Iran’s relationship with Europe, he said it has “known its ups and downs”. Among other things, European nations reneged on their commitments to salvage the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers after the US unilaterally withdrew from it in 2018, the president-elect noted.“Despite these missteps, I look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue with European countries to set our relations on the right path, based on principles of mutual respect and equal footing,” the article said. READ MORE: Reformist at the helm: What can the world expect from Iran’s new president? As for ties with the US, Washington “needs to recognize the reality and understand, once and for all, that Iran does not – and will not – respond to pressure,” Pezeshkian stressed. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/U1SQdJI

Agegnehu Teshager highlighted Addis Ababa’s pivotal role as BRICS’ gateway to the continent Many African countries are eager to join BRICS, Agegnehu Teshager, the speaker of Ethiopia's Upper House of Parliament, has told RT in an exclusive interview.Speaking on the sidelines of the BRICS Parliamentary Forum in St. Petersburg, Teshager claimed that “most of the African countries have an appetite to be a member of BRICS.”  He highlighted Ethiopia’s pivotal position as the gateway to Africa for BRICS, emphasizing the potential of the continent.“Ethiopia’s economy is developing rapidly. We have a huge opportunity to enhance our economy,” Teshager stated. “Ethiopia is the entrance of BRICS to Africa. Africa has very great potential for BRICS.”Addressing global issues, the Ethiopian politician criticized the current international framework, calling it “very unfair.” He pointed to the structure of the UN and other international organizations as areas needing reform.  Read more President of Russia Vladimir Putin, second right, in a meeting with Tulia Ackson, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Speaker of the National Assembly of Tanzania, on the sidelines of the 10th BRICS Parliamentary Forum. Putin meets with Tanzanian parliament speaker “The world is very, very unfair now, as you know, the UN structure, UN security structure. There are many international organizations, so [BRICS] is an alternative platform for the member countries,” he explained.During the forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that global interest in inter-parliamentary cooperation among BRICS members is increasing, with the organization’s principles attracting more participants at international events.  “I would like to note that 400 delegates from 18 countries of the world are taking part in [the BRICS Parliamentary Forum], and this certainly indicates that both BRICS as a whole and the parliamentary dimension of BRICS cooperation enjoy great interest and increasing confidence from the international community,” Putin said.The tenth BRICS Parliamentary Forum is being held on July 11-12 in St. Petersburg. BRICS was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2011. It expanded this year when Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates became full members. Russia currently holds the chairmanship of BRICS. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/ysPdLJt

According to Der Spiegel and Bild, key highways would be at NATO’s full disposal in case of a conflict with Russia The German Defense Ministry has drawn up contingency plans for a potential military conflict with Russia, Der Spiegel and Bild have reported. The document reportedly envisages Germany serving a key role as a transit state for NATO troops, with its population and civil services being expected to assist foreign military personnel.Last month, the German government officially updated its wartime guidelines for the first time since 1989, which now include such measures as mandatory conscription and forcing manufacturers to produce war goods.In its report on Friday, Der Spiegel alleged that under the classified ‘Operational Plan Germany’ (OPLAN DEU), the country should be able to arrange the transfer of 800,000 NATO troops and approximately 200,000 vehicles, including tanks and other hardware, from ports in the Netherlands and Belgium to the East, within three to six months. Several key highways would supposedly be used for this purpose, meaning that they would be closed to civilian traffic. Local communities would be expected to supply the passing military personnel with food, housing, resting areas, and fuel, both media outlets claimed. Read more File photo: The sign for the German Office of the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) can be seen on a fence of the Konrad Adenauer-Barracks, 06 May 2016 in Cologne, Germany, 2016. German secret service ‘finally fit for war’ – Welt Der Spiegel quoted Ralph Tiesler, president of the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, as predicting that “enemy actors could take measures to hamper or slow down the movement of NATO troops,” be it through sabotage or a missile strike. German police and emergency services would reportedly have to prioritize protecting these key routes and eliminating the consequences of any attack on them.According to Bild, citing a Defense Ministry spokesperson, aside from its role as NATO’s logistical hub, Germany would also need to establish a major prisoner-of-war camp on its soil should a military confrontation with Russia break out.The two media outlets quoted Bundeswehr Inspector General Carsten Breuer as estimating that Berlin has until 2029 to get ready for a potential military conflict with Moscow, as Russia could supposedly be in a position to attack NATO by then.Local communities are already making provisions and holding drills for this worst-case scenario. According to Der Spiegel, citing the mayor of an unnamed town, locals have not shown any enthusiasm regarding the efforts.“Only a few have so far comprehended what the ‘turn of eras’ means,” the media outlet quoted the official as saying.While multiple NATO member states have claimed in recent months that Russia is harboring plans to attack the US-led military bloc, Russian President Vladimir Putin last month dismissed such allegations as “nonsense” and “bulls**t.” He suggested that those pushing such narratives have “gone completely insane.” via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/e9W7OBF

Europe is pursuing a policy of interference, while Russia offers cooperation possibilities, Gamal Abdel Nasser says European powers are failing to acknowledge the legacy of colonization in Africa in their modern-day dealings with the continent, Gamal Abdel Nasser, a founding member of the African Legacy Forum, has told RT.The comments from the grandson of the late president of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser, came in response to a declaration made by EU top diplomat Josep Borrell. Speaking at the NATO Public Forum on Thursday, he expressed surprise about the level of support African people are showing towards Russia, and argued that a new approach focused on information warfare is needed.“We need people watching the network and people explaining what is going on, reprogramming the listeners, giving them correct information, in order to prevent an intervention in electoral processes,” the EU foreign policy chief stated. Read more EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, speaks to the press during the NATO 75th anniversary summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, on July 11, 2024. Africans support Russia – EU’s Borrell In his interview on Friday, Gamal Abdel Nasser recalled how the USSR helped African countries in their liberation movements.“We have a good working past with Russia. Of course, it had its ups and downs, but we have a much worse past with the colonizing nations of Europe,” he said.Nasser noted that European countries have long been engaged in political and military interference in Africa – and that local people do not have “memory loss”, and are aware of what happened in previous centuries. “If they want to work with us – OK, but we need them not to forget this past,” he added.We work with the countries that are willing to work with us on a fair basis and we do not want to be dictated on how we should govern ourselves, what our fiscal policy should be, or who we should talk to, and who we should support and who we should not support. This is still the mentality of the past. It’s the neo-colonization. If they are thinking it’s either Russia or the West, then they are still thinking with this mentality.Cooperation between Russia and African states has strengthening in recent years. In 2023, delegations from 48 countries took part in the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg. At the event, the Kremlin declared that almost all African countries had been subjected to “unprecedented” pressure from the West, which tried to prevent their participation in the summit.“This strategy of the US, France and other states must be condemned; it deserves condemnation,” Kremlin press-secretary Dmitry Peskov said. “In essence, they do not allow the sovereign right of African states to independently choose partners to expand cooperation, interaction in a variety of areas, to discuss current issues.” via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/Jo2f39V

Most foreign backers agree that Ukraine needs the ability to target Russian territory with Western arms, Andrey Yermak has said Ukraine’s supporters in the West are close to allowing Kiev to use foreign-made weapons to hit targets deep inside Russia, Vladimir Zelensky’s chief of staff has claimed.The issue was discussed between Kiev and its allies at the NATO summit in Washington earlier this week, Andrey Yermak said on Friday during a Ukrainian ‘Telemarathon’ – a round-the-clock multi-channel broadcast. “It’s true that different member-states of the alliance have different stances regarding attacks on Russian territory” with Western arms, he said.However, the chief of staff stressed that for Kiev “it is absolutely impossible to successfully wage this war if the enemy [Moscow] uses all its options and is not faced with any restrictions. It seems to me that most countries understand this.” “I think we will get the result that we need. I think that the partners are close to resolving this issue. And I think we will get a solution” regarding long-range strikes inside Russia, Yermak said. Read more Vladimir Zelensky. Zelensky slams ‘crazy’ limits on Russia strikes Ukraine already has approval from several Western states to hit “legitimate” targets in Russia with weapons supplied by them, as well as a concession from the US to strike beyond Russia’s border near the city of Kharkov. Kiev has been pushing for months for the strike range to be extended, despite Russia warning that it would be a major escalation. According to Moscow, such attacks would constitute the direct participation of Washington and its allies in the conflict, as Kiev’s forces are unable to fire sophisticated foreign systems without constant technical support.Speaking at a press conference at the NATO summit on Thursday, Zelensky expressed his frustration over the inability of the West to agree on the “crazy question” of strikes deep inside Russia. “If we want to win, if we want to prevail, if we want to save our country and to defend it, we need to lift all the limitations,” he insisted.However, during the same event, US President Joe Biden reaffirmed the limits on how Ukraine can use American-supplied arms. “We have allowed Zelensky to use American weapons in the near border regions of Russia. If he had the opportunity to strike Moscow, strike the Kremlin, would that make sense? No, it wouldn’t,” he said. READ MORE: Zelensky’s UK missiles claim untrue – Telegraph Last month, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow could supply weapons to other countries, including North Korea, in response to the West providing long-range systems to Kiev. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/bC2Rfig

The decision is aimed at allowing Americans to hear from all presidential nominees in the runup to the election, Meta said US tech giant Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced on Friday it would lift its restrictions on content posted by former US President Donald Trump, which had remained in place despite his accounts being unblocked 17 months ago.“Former President Trump, as the nominee of the Republican Party, will no longer be subject to the heightened suspension penalties”, the statement read. Meta said the penalties were imposed in response to “extreme and extraordinary circumstances” and “have not had to be deployed”.Trump was booted from the platforms for more than two years following the riot at the US Capitol in January 2021. Facebook’s parent company announced in January 2023 that it would reinstate the accounts of the former president. However, the official post clarified that he faced “heightened penalties for repeat offenses” as a way to “deter” such behavior. Read more File photo: New York City's daily newspapers report on former US President Donald Trump's conviction, May 31, 2024. Trump sentencing postponed after Supreme Court ruling “American people should be able to hear from the nominees for President on the same basis,” Meta’s president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, wrote in a blog post on Friday.Joe Biden’s reelection campaign has condemned Meta’s move.“Restoring his access is like handing your car keys to someone you know will drive your car into a crowd and off a cliff,” Biden campaign spokesperson Charles Lutvak told The Hill. “Without question, it is a direct attack on our safety and our democracy,” Lutvak slammed the decision, claiming it will allow Trump to reach Americans with “fundamentally undemocratic, un-American misinformation.” via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/H8scKib

<strong>After losing seats in the 2024 election, India’s leader is now dependent on allies like Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who wants to build a capital that will outdo Singapore</strong> After ten years in power with his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the majority, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi emerged from the 2024 election dependent on the BJP’s allies to continue to govern. The largest ally of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) of the southern state of Andhra Pradesh (AP), with its 16 members of Parliament, and headed by three-time Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.Naidu’s main demand for keeping Modi in power: that the central government revive and finance his dream project of a new state capital, named Amravati (‘place for immortals’). It is to be <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/10/india-is-building-a-green-high-tech-city-amaravati/">sustainable</a> – and <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Amaravati-will-be-greener-and-more-modern-than-Singapore/articleshow/54302666.cms">“more modern”</a> than Singapore. Naidu visited New Delhi on July 4, before Modi left for Moscow for the first bilateral visit of his third term – and <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-05/modi-s-top-coalition-ally-seeks-more-than-12-billion-handout?utm_source=website&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=copy">demanded more than one trillion rupees</a> ($12 billion) in grants, of which 500 billion rupees was for building Amaravati.Out of the total 1 trillion rupees, Naidu sought an allocation of 150 billion rupees for Amravati in the current fiscal year.Modi has no choice as his BJP has only 240 MPs; 272 are needed to control Parliament. People expect that whatever Naidu wants, Naidu will get. <a href="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.07/original/6691425885f5403f280584ed.jpg">Media</a> Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu along with his party leaders, leaves after meeting with Election Commission of India (ECI), at Nirvachan Sadan, on April 13, 2019 in New Delhi. ©  Sanjeev Verma/Hindustan Times via Getty Images <strong>A Dream is Born</strong>The idea of Amaravati was born following the 2014 bifurcation of the formerly united state of Andhra Pradesh into Telangana and a smaller AP. The united state’s capital was Hyderabad which Naidu, in his first avatar as CM (1995-2004), was credited with turning it into a global technology hub; the IT part of the city was dubbed “Cyberabad.”However, the bifurcation sent Hyderabad to Telangana, and Naidu, whose stronghold was the residual AP, had to scout for a new capital when he became the first CM of the new AP. He zeroed in on Amaravati.Centuries ago, Amaravati was a hub of Buddhism and the seat of power for the ancient Satavahana dynasty, whose rule began in the late 2nd century BCE and lasted until the 3rd century CE. The new capital was proposed on a tract of fertile land surrounded by the hills of the Eastern ghats (mountain passes), and located 300km from Hyderabad, and halfway between AP’s commercial capital Vijayawada and its agricultural hub, Guntur.Naidu’s team roped in a group of architects at London-based <a href="https://www.fosterandpartners.com/">Foster + Partners</a> to finalize the master plan for Amaravati, which they did in 2017. <a href="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2024.07/original/669141b685f540336d446be4.jpeg">Media</a> An image from Amaravati masterplan concept by Foster + Partners, a British international architecture firm based in London. ©  Foster+Partners Situated on the banks of India’s third longest river, the Krishna, the lavish design included offices on the riverfront, water taxis, lush green parks, access to hospitals within ten minutes, cycling tracks, walkways and solar panels on all rooftops, making Amaravati the most sustainable city in the world.But two years later, a bitter political rivalry took center stage and the grand plans for the mega city ground to a halt after Naidu…