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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…

More than 70% of respondents said that the prime minister should step down immediately or when the war in Gaza is over Nearly three-quarters of Israelis want Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign over his government’s failures during the October 7 Hamas attack, according to a poll published by Channel 12 on Friday.Out of the 72% respondents who said that the prime minister should step down, 44% believed that he should leave office immediately, while 28% suggested that he should resign after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) finish their military operation in Gaza.Israeli citizens have repeatedly organized protest rallies against Netanyahu since the war in Gaza erupted, with many calling for a ceasefire and urging the government to bring back the remaining hostages held by Hamas.On October 7, Hamas and allied Palestinian militants carried out a surprise attack on Israeli military bases, cities and farming communities. In many places, the IDF were seemingly caught off and quickly overwhelmed, as civilians were forced to either defend themselves or flee. Read more File photo: Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant Israeli defense minister calls for October 7 probe The Israeli media described the attack as a “devastating intelligence failure,” with Channel 12 reporting that the army failed to properly maintain a signal system at the border with Gaza. The York Times reported in November that Israeli intelligence and military officials obtained Hamas’ plan for the October 7 incursion more than a year before it occurred, but believed that it was too unrealistic to pull off.On Thursday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant urged the government to form a state commission that would investigate the failures in response to the October 7 attack. Netanyahu, however, has argued that such a probe could only be launched after the war ends. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/X8AdbZI

Finland insists that the measure is intended to counter the “weaponization” of migrants by Moscow Lawmakers in Finland approved a controversial bill on Friday that would allow the authorities to shut down the border of asylum seekers. The move comes after Helsinki accused Moscow of “weaponizing” migration.The so-called “deportation bill” would give border officials the power to reject asylum applications under certain conditions. “We determinedly set out to find solutions and today parliament has approved the law with a clear majority,” Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said. He added that he hopes that the new law “never has to be used.”EU commissioner for human rights, Michael O’Flaherty, sent a letter to Finnish lawmakers, urging them not to pass the bill because “the proposed law raises a number of significant human rights concerns.” If adopted, “it could set a destabilizing precedent,” and “could be replicated by other states, including those with a less developed practice of upholding human rights,” O’Flaherty wrote.More than 200 university researchers from Finland and abroad signed a petition calling for lawmakers to reject the bill, national broadcaster Yle reported. Read more RT Finns increasingly unhappy with their government – poll The Finnish government has insisted that the bill would help fight what it called Russian “hybrid influencing against our security.” Since 2022, Finland has been reporting a surge of migrants, mostly from the Middle East, who attempted to cross into the country through the land border with Russia. Helsinki has accused Moscow of funneling the migrants to the border crossings. Russia dismissed this claim as “unsubstantiated” and said that Finland has de facto suspended the cooperation between the neighbors’ border agencies.Russia and Finland preserved good working relations during the Cold War and expanded ties after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The relations deteriorated significantly in 2022 when Finland backed Ukraine and began supplying Kiev with weapons. The Nordic state abandoned its decades-old policy of non-alignment and joined NATO last year. Russia said that the move would only lead to further deterioration of security in Europe. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/sPNvUFL

The charges stem from a 2021 fatal shooting accident on a film set A New Mexico judge dismissed involuntary manslaughter charges against Hollywood A-lister Alec Baldwin on Friday, ruling that the prosecution has hid crucial evidence.  In October 21, 2021, Baldwin was rehearsing a scene on the set of the Western ‘Rust’ and fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza using a revolver. Baldwin, who is one of the producers of the film, denied any wrongdoing, saying he had been falsely assured that the gun did not contain live rounds and that it was safe to use.The prosecutors argued in court that Baldwin “violated the cardinal rules of firearm safety.” The actor’s defense team, meanwhile, described the incident as an “unspeakable tragedy,” but stressed that Baldwin “committed no crime” because live rounds were never supposed to be delivered on set, according to ABC News. The defense team asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that the prosecution failed to disclose that it had been given a batch of rounds when Baldwin’s lawyers requested a review of ballistic evidence. Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer agreed that it was a major flaw in the prosecution’s handling of the case.  Read more Alec Baldwin poses in the press room at the 69th annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, California Alec Baldwin faces fresh charges over deadly shooting “The state’s willful withholding of this information was intentional and deliberate,” Sommer said. “This disclosure over the course of trial is so late that it undermines the defense preparation for trial. There is no way for the court to right this wrong.”The high-profile trial has brought attention to workplace safety across film sets and prompted discussions about the use of firearms during film production.Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on ‘Rust’, was sentenced to 18 months in prison in April. She was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter after loading Baldwin’s revolver with live ammunition. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/W9O3Dvc

An estimate $90 million has reportedly been frozen until the party nominates someone else An estimated $90 million in donations to a group key to US President Joe Biden’s campaign has been put on hold until the Democrats replace him, the New York Times reported on Friday.The Times cited two unnamed sources “briefed on the conversations” between major donors and Future Forward, a political action committee (PAC) that was expected to raise $700 million for Biden’s re-election.“Multiple eight-figure commitments” are currently frozen and the PAC is “in a defensive crouch” until it is clarified whom the Democrats will actually run in November, according to the Times.The Biden campaign tapped Future Forward as its main super PAC in the 2024 race, and the group has already announced it would spend $250 million on TV and digital advertising after the Democratic National Convention next month.Following Biden’s catastrophic performance at the June 27 debate with Republican challenger and former president Donald Trump, however, the PAC tested potential alternatives. The poll was later leaked to the media and showed Biden with “a worse overall favorability rating than all the alternatives,” which included Vice President Kamala Harris, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Read more RT Democrats plotting to oust Biden from race – Axios The current president has doubled down on staying in the White House. “I believe I’m the best qualified to govern. And I think I’m the best qualified to win,” Biden told reporters at a press conference on Thursday.While the White House and the campaign have held up the press event as proof that Biden was doing just fine, Democrats in Washington continued to lament the present situation.“Candidates and campaigns are supposed to make you feel something – hope, optimism, courage – but instead most of us felt nothing after that presser. And feeling nothing is how you lose elections,” a veteran Democratic operative told Politico. A Democrat member of the US House of Representatives told the same outlet that a group of “super friends” is getting together, with the intent to make their case to the White House that Biden has to step aside because “we’re going to get our asses kicked if he doesn’t.”On Thursday, several Biden campaign aides told NBC that Biden will “never recover” and that they saw no path to victory, describing his chances in November as “zero.” Multiple Democrats have raised concerns that down-ballot races might be put at risk, costing the party seats in Congress. via RT - Daily news https://ift.tt/BAJrjYK