Laura Ru

Polish judge Tomasz Szmydt has asked for political asylum in Belarus in protest over his country’s “unfair and dishonest” anti-Russia stance. Szmydt, who served at the Provincial Administrative Court in Warsaw and was the head of the legal department at the National Council of Judges, says he was forced to leave his home country after being persecuted and threatened for his “independent political position.” He gave a press conference in Minsk on Monday, where he publicly resigned from his post and asked the Belarusian authorities for protection. “The resignation from my position as judge is my way to protest against the unfair and dishonest policy pursued by the Polish authorities towards the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation,” Szmydt told reporters, as cited by Belta news agency. According to Szmydt, he has never witnessed any negative attitude towards Russia or Belarus from ordinary Poles, and the anti-Russia sentiment that’s being whipped up by the government in Warsaw has Western roots. “The situation is such that the US wants to drag Poland into the war, to make it a direct participant in the armed conflict. To prevent this, I have to talk about it, but in Poland I cannot do this,” Szmydt stated, adding that Poland’s foreign policy is directly influenced by the US, UK, and Germany. He said his departure from Poland and his resignation are in protest “against actions that are aimed at involving my country in a direct armed conflict.” Szmydt urged the Polish government to “normalize and regulate good neighborly relations” between Warsaw, Moscow, and Minsk. Szmydt added that his resignation will be handed over to the appropriate authorities in Poland through the Polish consulate in Belarus. He plans to apply for political refugee status. “I am asking for political asylum in the Republic of Belarus. This is an informal request at this time, but... if I want to live, returning to Poland is impossible for me,” he stated. (Source: RT) @LauraRuHK

Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday. The exercise was ordered by President Vladimir Putin and would test the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces to perform combat missions. Russia has the world's largest arsenal of nuclear weapons. The exercise is aimed at ensuring Russia's territorial integrity and sovereignty in response to NATO countries sending troops to Ukraine and NATO approving the use of their long-range missiles to strike the Russian territory. ❗️Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev warned that sending Western troops to Ukraine will mean the direct entry of these states into the conflict, and Russia will have to respond not just on Ukrainian territory. @LauraRuHK

BREAKING: The Israeli occupation army carries out carpet bombings targeting residential structures and public facilities in eastern Rafah, ahead of an imminent invasion of the city.

According to Russia’s foreign intel service (SVR), the US has ramped up its search for an alternative to Zelensky, The agency reports that contacts have been made with Petro Poroshenko, Vitali Klitschko, Andriy Yermak, Valery Zaluzhny, and former speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, Dmytro Razumkov. It is believed that these figures could become key players in the event of a sudden deterioration on the front that would necessitate an urgent change in the Kiev regime's leadership. “Zelensky is clearly beginning to lose the fight for the 'minds and hearts' of the people of Ukraine, especially since his legitimacy as president will be completely lost after the expiry of his five-year term on May 20,” the SVR underscored. It was added that the American and European warmongers would "prefer to keep Zelensky in office for now,” since the “schemes for financing the war” have been built around him, and are “bringing in enormous profits for both representatives of the Kiev regime, and Western arms manufacturers.” @LauraRuHK http://svr.gov.ru/smi/2024/05/zapad-obespokoen-ugrozoy-porazheniya-ukrainy.htm

A Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Belgorod Region has killed seven people and injured dozens of others, including children, local authorities have said. In a statement on Monday morning, Gladkov said the strike targeted two minibuses carrying workers to a local enterprise, as well as another car. The attack took place close to the village of Beryozovka in the southwestern part of the region, near the Ukrainian border. While initial reports indicated that at least 35 people were injured, the Russian Health Ministry later said as many as 40 were wounded, including three children. One man is in serious condition after suffering an abdomen wound, Gladkov said, while many others sustained shrapnel wounds and are being treated in hospital. Russian border regions are subject to near-daily Ukrainian drone and artillery strikes, many of which target civilians and critical infrastructure, causing widespread casualties. On Friday, two people were wounded when a Ukrainian drone raid hit a passenger bus in Belgorod Region. In March, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow could “at some point” establish a “cordon sanitaire” in Kiev-controlled areas to prevent repeated Ukrainian cross-border attacks. (Source: RT @LauraRuHK

Israel bans Al Jazeera and raids its office The Israeli Ministry of Communications said that it had confiscated Al Jazeera’s equipment just hours after the Israeli cabinet ordered the closure of the broadcaster in its country, which the Qatar-based news network has lambasted as a “criminal act.” Inspectors from the communications ministry, accompanied by police, raided the Qatari broadcaster’s office at the Ambassador hotel in Jerusalem.

“Al Jazeera reporters harmed Israel’s security and incited against IDF soldiers. It is time to expel the mouthpiece of Hamas from our country,” Netanyahu said, according to his spokesperson.

Al Jazeera’s broadcasts and access to its website have been blocked throughout Israel. The network has denounced Israel’s decision as a “criminal act that violates human rights in access to information.” The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) has petitioned the move to Israel’s Supreme Court.

“Israel’s suppression of the free press to cover up its crimes by killing and arresting journalists did not deter us from performing our duty. More than 140 Palestinian journalists have been martyred for the sake of the truth since the beginning of the war on Gaza,” said Al Jazeera.

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Xi Jinping has begun its Europe tour in Paris. After France he’ll visit Serbia and Hungary, countries that maintain friendly and productive relations with China. In France, Beijing will test Macron's claims that he values "strategic autonomy" from Washington. I guess it won't take long to call his bluff. During Macron's visit to China last year when he warned Europe against being drawn into a conflict between the US and China over Taiwan, US magazine Foreign Policy called strategic autonomy "a French pipe dream." ▪️As of 2021, China has been the largest Asian country in terms of investment and job creation in France for three consecutive years, according to a report by Business France. China-France exchanges in core sectors such as aerospace, nuclear energy and trade have been fruitful for both countries, but Washington is determined to spoil the party. Clue: Ursula von der Leyen's presence in Paris. @LauraRuHK

Us nepotism in progress. According to Der Spiegel, Michelle Obama might replace Joe Biden as the Democratic Party presidential candidate. This would be a last-ditch attempt to beat Trump by courting women and Afro-American voters. But i believe another consideration may play a role in this choice. As the US is losing ground to China and Russia in Africa, a Black president is seen by the US deep state as a smart PR move - in its pipe dream it would help improve the US battered image in a continent that is increasingly crucial. @LauraRuHK

In Moscow, members of the banned Falun Gong sect were searched. Four followers were detained.

Желаю счастливой Пасхи всем празднующим ее в этот день! Happy Easter to all those who celebrate today!