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Recent Appearances... Rantburg

Israel-Palestine-Jordan
UN says it has ‘collected and dispatched’ 90 truckloads of aid into Gaza
2025-05-22
[IsraelTimes] Announcement that distribution of humanitarian goods has started comes after UN officials accused Israel of preventing collection of supplies; rockets fired from Gaza land in Strip

The United Nations
...a formerly good idea gone bad...
 on Wednesday confirmed that it collected and began distributing around 90 truckloads of aid into Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
, marking the first aid distribution in the besieged coastal territory since early March, after UN officials claimed they were unable to pick up supplies at the border with Israel.

Three days after Israel announced it would allow in limited aid, the United Nations on Wednesday "collected around 90 truckloads of goods from the Kerem Shalom crossing and dispatched them into Gaza," Stephane Dujarric, front man for UN Secretary-General António Guterres
...Portuguese politician and diplomat, ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations. Previously, he was the UN High Commissioner for Refugees between 2005 and 2015. He was the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and was the Secretary-General of the Socialist Party from 1992 to 2002. He served as President of the Socialist International from 1999 to 2005. In both a 2012 and 2014 poll, the Portuguese public ranked him as the best Prime Minister of the previous 30 years...
, said in a statement.

The Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) earlier announced that 100 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. COGAT said the aid delivery came "following the recommendation of professional IDF officials and in accordance with the directive of the political echelon."

The trucks contained flour, baby food and medical equipment, according to COGAT.

The aid underwent an inspection first by Israeli authorities before entering Gaza via the Kerem Shalom Crossing.

COGAT did not address the UN allegations that the IDF had prevented the collection of aid on the Gaza side of the border.

Nahid Shahaiber, a major transport company owner, said 75 trucks of flour and over a dozen more carrying nutritional supplements and sugar were inside the southern area of Rafah and witnesses said trucks carrying flour had been seen in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

Also Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces said three rockets were launched from northern Gaza, setting off sirens in the border communities of Zikim and Netiv Haasara.

All three projectiles fell short in Gaza, the army added.

No injuries were caused in the attack, after which the IDF’s Arabic-language front man issued evacuation orders for residents in parts of northern Gaza.

Over the weekend, the IDF launched a major new offensive dubbed "Gideon’s Chariots" launched over the weekend, which Israel says seeks to destroy Hamas
..always the voice of sweet reason...
 and seize and retain the whole territory, while relocating Paleostinians across the enclave.

On Tuesday, IDF chief Eyal Zamir threatened to ramp up the campaign even further if Hamas did not agree to Israel’s demands that it release the hostages and give up power.

"It will face intense firepower," he said. "We will expand the ground maneuver, conquer additional territory, clear and destroy the terror infrastructure until it is defeated."

Israel is seeking to pressure Hamas into freeing 58 hostages remaining in Gaza, about a third of whom are believed to be alive, and demands that the group relinquish power before ending the war.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recalled a high-level negotiating team from Doha, where talks on a ceasefire and hostage release deal appeared to be stuck.

Link


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
IDF soldier killed in Strip; Hamas-linked agency raises day’s Gazan death toll to 91
2025-05-20
As of Tuesday morning.
[IsraelTimes] Army probing cause of Sgt. Yosef Yehuda Chirak’s death, including possibility of friendly-fire; UN says aid from few trucks that entered Gaza not distributed due to security concerns

Sgt. Yosef Yehuda Chirak was killed fighting in northern Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
 on Monday, the IDF announced, as Hamas
..a regional Iranian catspaw,...
-linked authorities in the Strip said another 91 Paleostinians were killed in Israeli strikes over the past day. The IDF said it was still investigating the cause of Chirak’s death, including the possibility of so-called friendly fire. Chirak, 22, served in the Combat Engineering Corps’ 601st Battalion and was from Harasha.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier Monday that Israel would "take control" of the whole of Gaza as it intensified attacks across the territory, where aid trickled in for the first time in over two months after the easing of a total blockade.

With supply shipments blocked by Israel since March 2, the World Health Organization warned Gaza’s "two million people are starving."

Israel, facing mounting criticism over the humanitarian crisis, announced it would let limited aid into Gaza and said the first five trucks entered Monday carrying supplies "including food for babies."

UN front man Stephane Dujarric said that "none of the aid has been picked up" at a designated zone as it was "already dark" and due to "security concerns, we cannot operate in those conditions."

The leaders of Britannia, La Belle France and Canada issued a harsh condemnation of Israel’s conduct of the war, slamming its "egregious actions" in Gaza, particularly the expanded offensive and the "wholly inadequate" resumption of aid. They warned of "concrete actions" if Israel did not ease its stepped-up offensive. Netanyahu called their joint statement a "huge prize" for Hamas.

A group of 22 countries, including La Belle France, Britannia, Canada, Japan and Australia said in a joint statement that Gaza’s population "faces starvation" and "must receive the aid they desperately need".

In southern Gaza, the Israeli military issued an evacuation call to Paleostinians around Khan Younis city ahead of what it described as an "unprecedented attack."

Gaza’s Hamas-linked civil defense agency said 91 people were killed in Israeli attacks across the territory on Monday.

Netanyahu, in a video posted on Telegram, said that "the fighting is intense and we are making progress."

"We will take control of all the territory of the strip," he added.

Israel’s military said on Monday it had struck "160 terror targets" in Gaza over the past day.

The UN’s OHCHR rights office said Israel’s actions were "in defiance of international law and tantamount to ethnic cleansing."

According to Israeli officials, the fresh offensive launched over the weekend would see the IDF "conquer" Gaza, raze the vast majority of buildings and retain the territory for the foreseeable future; attack Hamas and prevent it from taking control of humanitarian aid supplies; and move Paleostinians from Gaza’s north to its south.

Hundreds of Gazooks have been killed in Israeli strikes since the initial stages of the operation were launched on Friday, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, which says more than 53,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the war so far.

The tolls cannot be verified and do not differentiate between civilians and fighters. Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas, including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.

Israel says it has killed some 20,000 combatants in battle as of January, and another 1,600 murderous Moslems inside the country during the October 7 onslaught, when thousands of Hamas-led murderous Moslems killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.
More from the Times of Israel, just before midnight Israel Time:
Also, the IDF said it carried out an airstrike on Hamas operatives at a command center in central Gaza’s Nuseirat earlier Monday. According to Palestinian media, the strike hit a school currently being used as shelter for displaced Gazans, killing at least nine. According to the IDF, the site was being used by Hamas operatives to plan and carry out attacks on troops and Israeli civilians. The military said it took steps to mitigate civilian harm, including by using a precision munition, aerial surveillance, and other intelligence.

‘PREPOSTEROUS’ TALK OF ABANDONING ISRAEL
On Monday, a US official denied a Washington Post report citing an unnamed source who claimed that the Trump administration would abandon Israel if it kept the war going in Gaza.

The US official said that there may be disagreements, but “the idea that we would abandon Israel is preposterous.”

“Trump’s people are letting Israel know, ‘We will abandon you if you do not end this war,'” the source told The Post. “Politically, as in the past, Netanyahu has a way to do that, with a huge majority in the Knesset and in Israel, but he does not have the political will.”
Link


International-UN-NGOs
United Nations shocked, shocked, I tell you, by US massacre of at least 70 African migrants in Yemeni detention centre
2025-04-30
[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] The United Nations
...where theory meets practice and practice loses...
 said yesterday that it is deeply ''saddened'' over the deaths of at least 68 African migrants colonists in US air strikes on the Saada Governorate, northern Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
.

Nearly 70 inmates were killed and more than 50 more maimed in a US Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
 that targeted one of the detention centers designated for African migrants colonists in Saada province on Monday.

The UN chief's spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said the airstrikes ''pose a growing risk to the civilian population'' in the Arab country, including women and kiddies.

''We're saddened by the tragic loss of life, where many of these migrants colonists are believed to have been killed and injured,'' Dujarric told news hounds.

''We continue to call [on] parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians,'' he added.

Dujarric stressed that Yemen's hospitals are being overwhelmed due to the high number of injured, many of whom are critically maimed.
Link


Afghanistan
No More Terrorists: Why Russia Needs Afghanistan and the Taliban
2025-04-23
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Leonid Savin

[REGNUM] On April 7, at the request of the Prosecutor General's Office, the Supreme Court of Russia excluded the Afghan Taliban movement from the list of terrorist organizations. What will now change in Russia's relations with Afghanistan?

Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said : "We consider this step very important. In the future, Afghanistan and Russia will certainly establish good relations in the economic and diplomatic spheres. The Russian President is pursuing the right policy towards Afghanistan."
Right, until the Al Qaeda-linked jihadi groups supported and protected by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban) government hook up with their counterparts in Russia and start causing trouble; you go on feeling smug about putting one over on the West until then, guys. But when the next Beslan or Crocus City Hall mass attack happens, don’t come crying to us. Ditto for India, except about being smug — they think of thrmselves as pragmatically managing the Talibs, just like the Israelis were doing with Hamas until 10/7.
The news was long expected: Taliban delegations, despite their “forbidden status,” had previously regularly visited Russia to participate in all sorts of forums and meetings at a high political level.

Therefore, the formal recognition of the Taliban as a political force, just like the various ruling parties in other countries, acting within the framework of their sovereignty and deciding issues of their state and society, was only a matter of time.

And if we look at it from the pragmatic position of Russian interests, this time was lost. Since practically immediately after the expulsion of the US occupation forces, other major players quickly began working in Afghanistan, considering it as a promising place for the implementation of all sorts of projects.

For example, Chinese companies are already actively developing mineral deposits in Afghanistan. Oil and gas giant CAPEIC signed a 25-year oil production contract with the Taliban in early 2023, under which it will invest $150 million annually in the Afghan economy.

Iran is also actively developing cooperation, since it has a long border with Afghanistan, and Iran’s seaports are needed by Afghanistan for import-export operations.

TRANSPORT ROUTES
It is significant that just before the decision to change the status of the Taliban, a high-level Russian government delegation visited Afghanistan and met with the Taliban, in particular with the Minister of Public Works Ashraf Khakshenas.

It is known that, in addition to general issues of expanding economic and trade cooperation, the discussions included repairing the tunnel on the Salang Highway, building new tunnels in mountainous areas, and developing the Afghan railway network with the supply of relevant components and necessary equipment.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan has also shown interest in building railways, and the Afghan side has confirmed that it is interested in expanding ties with the Central Asian republics. And earlier, it was Kazakhstan that openly proposed removing the Taliban movement's status as a terrorist organization.

As for the Taliban's own interests, the Islamic Emirate plans to expand its railway network from Hairatan to Herat, and from there to Kandahar and Spin Boldak. This will connect Central Asia with South Asia, as well as Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Pakistan.

In general, the Taliban want to reduce Afghanistan's economic dependence on Iran and Pakistan. They currently use trade routes through these countries to organize imports and exports. Amajry part of Afghan commercial goods are transported from these countries to China.

Some neighboring countries use Afghanistan's trade dependence as a political tool, blocking trade routes during harvest time, for example, causing Afghan farmers millions of dollars in losses.

The Taliban's railway project is part of a broader plan to connect Afghanistan to China and Russia via Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. The new road would reduce Afghanistan's dependence on its neighbors while making the trade route faster and more cost-effective.

Currently, Afghan goods transported via Iran and Pakistan take at least 40 days to reach China, while the new route will reduce this time to 12-15 days. In addition, transportation costs will be reduced by 15-20%.

The Trans-Afghan Railway project, which will connect Pakistan and Uzbekistan, has been around for a long time. Back in February 2021, the three countries signed a roadmap in Tashkent for the construction of the Termez-Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway. After the change of power in Afghanistan, the Taliban also supported this initiative.

Using new logistics opportunities, Kazakhstan joined the work on the route through Afghanistan in 2024. But for now, cargo is transported by car through Afghanistan and Pakistan to the port in Karachi. After the railway line is put into operation, delivery will be significantly simplified.

In November 2024, at the international forum "Transport of Russia", it was announced that "the multimodal North-South route to Iran will be expanded by the eastern branch through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to Afghanistan. Then the route will go to the ports of Pakistan or India."

RUSSIAN INTEREST
In addition to cooperation with Afghanistan in the field of infrastructure projects, the extraction of various minerals seems promising. It was Soviet geologists who conducted research in this country in the 50s-70s, that is, even before the introduction of Soviet troops.

Last year, the research resumed and showed good results. It was noted that the samples of precious and rare earth metals showed an excess of the forecast. The Afghans have silver, gold, platinum, palladium, lithium, tantalum, niobium, cesium, rubidium, beryllium, cadmium in abundance...

Therefore, participation in the local mining industry may be quite attractive and promising for Russia.

Moreover, with the changing situation, energy cooperation also looks quite attractive.

In addition to the long-standing unrealized TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) gas pipeline project, there was also a gas pipeline project from Iran to Pakistan. But Islamabad suspended construction of its section due to force majeure.

Given the agreement between Russia and Iran on swap supplies, energy cooperation would also be useful for Moscow. Although in strategic planning, it is probably necessary to think about its own branches of gas and oil pipelines towards energy-vulnerable Pakistan via Afghanistan.

To this can be added the CASA-1000 energy network project for Central Asia, as well as the possibility of building nuclear reactors in the future.

In addition, cooperation between our countries in the field of security is of great importance.

On April 21, 2025, at an international conference in Baku, Director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin stated : “We are all aware of the important place of Afghanistan in the geopolitics of Greater Eurasia. This country has enormous potential as a link between the north and south, east and west of the continent. It is in the common interests of our states to promote restoration and prosperity on Afghan soil.”

And he added: “The information coming into the SVR allows us to say with confidence that the main problem is the desire of Western countries to maintain instability in Afghanistan in order to solve their own selfish geopolitical tasks. It is to Western, most often British, intelligence services that the threads of the terrorist attacks of the so-called “Vilayat Khorasan” * are drawn.

The terrorist organization in question is a local branch of ISIS*, which attracts those who are upset with the Taliban. The problem is that there is a kind of Pashtun nationalism within the Taliban, and for this reason, members of other ethnic groups who are prone to radicalization are readily recruited by ISIS*.

And then there are both terrorist attacks inside Afghanistan and their planning beyond its borders. And given the revealed connections with Western intelligence services, this factor seems extremely important.

Meanwhile, the “legal fork” still remains due to the fact that the UN continues to view the Taliban as an organization guilty of violating human rights, especially discrimination against women and religious minorities, in particular the country’s Shiite community.

Thus, the press secretary of the UN Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric, after Russia removed the Taliban movement from the list of terrorist organizations, stated that “this is a sovereign decision of the Russian Federation, the status of the Taliban movement in the UN, established by member states, remains unchanged.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry clarified that this step does not change Moscow’s commitment to UN Security Council sanctions against individuals and legal entities associated with the Islamic Emirate.

But the aforementioned sanctions are unlikely to be an obstacle to economic cooperation, since both Moscow and Kabul have learned to circumvent them using various mechanisms.

Link


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Over two-thirds of Gaza designated as no-go zone: UN
2025-04-12
[GEO.TV] The UN warned Israel's latest evacuation orders are leaving Palestinians with shrinking space to survive in Gaza and further worsening the humanitarian crisis, Al Jazeera reported.

In a news conference, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Israel on Friday issued ''two new displacement orders covering vast areas in northern and southern Gaza''.

''Several medical facilities and storage sites containing critical supplies are located within newly designated displacement zones,'' he added.

Dujarric warned of ''life-threatening consequences''.

''With this latest development, OCHA reports that more than two-thirds of the Gaza Strip is either under active displacement orders or designated as no-go zones. This leaves Palestinians with less than a third of Gaza's area to live in, and that remaining space is fragmented.''
Link


International-UN-NGOs
Somalia Clears Outstanding Dues to the UN After 35 Years, Regains Voting Rights
2025-02-26
[ShabelleMedia] Somalia has cleared its outstanding financial dues to the United Nations
...an idea whose time has gone...
, ending 35 years on the Security Council’s list of countries in arrears and marking a significant milestone in the nation’s diplomatic resurgence, officials announced Monday.

The payment, finalized this month, removes Somalia from a roster of nations prohibited from voting in the UN General Assembly due to unpaid contributions. The list, which has historically included countries facing economic or political challenges, imposes restrictions under Article 19 of the UN Charter, barring delinquent members from participating in key votes until their debts are settled.

Somalia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, hailed the development as a testament to the country’s commitment to reestablishing its standing in the international community. In an interview with the state-run Somali National News Agency, Fiqi said the settlement reflects years of effort by the government to stabilize its finances and strengthen ties with global institutions.

"This achievement is a clear signal of Somalia’s determination to fully engage with the world," Fiqi said. "For the first time in decades, we will take our place as a voting member of the General Assembly, contributing to decisions that shape our shared future."

The Horn of Africa nation, long plagued by civil conflict and economic instability, had accrued the debt over decades amid successive governments’ struggles to maintain fiscal stability. Officials did not disclose the exact amount of the settled dues, but Somalia’s return to good standing with the UN underscores a broader push toward recovery under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration, which has prioritized governance reforms and international cooperation since taking office in 2022.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric welcomed Somalia’s payment during a briefing at the organization’s headquarters in New York, calling it "a positive step" for both the country and the UN. "We look forward to Somalia’s active participation in the General Assembly," Dujarric said, declining to comment on other nations still in arrears.

Somalia’s reinstatement comes at a pivotal moment, as the country seeks to amplify its voice on issues like climate change, security, and development—challenges that disproportionately affect the region. Analysts say the move could also bolster Somalia’s bids for foreign investment and aid, signaling reliability to donors and partners.

For many Somalis, the news offers a rare moment of optimism. "This is about dignity," said Amina Hassan, a 34-year-old teacher in Mogadishu. "It’s not just about money—it’s about showing the world we’re moving forward."

Somalia last voted in the General Assembly in the late 1980s, before the collapse of its central government in 1991 plunged the nation into chaos. With this payment, completed as of Feb. 24, 2025, Somalia joins a growing list of countries emerging from prolonged isolation to reclaim their roles on the global stage.
Link


International-UN-NGOs
UN warns RSF parallel government threatens to fracture Sudan - Sudan Tribune
2025-02-20
[SUDANTRIBUNE] The United Nations
...an organization conceived in the belief that we're just one big happy world, with the sort of results you'd expect from such nonsense...
 expressed deep concern on Wednesday over reports that Sudan
...a Moslem country located in the Horn of Africa. It is noted for its affinity for rule by ex- or current generals, its holy men, and for the oppression of the native Afro population by its Arab conquerors. South Sudan, populated mostly by the natives, split off from Sudan proper, which left North and South Darfur to be oppressed by the guys with turbans...
's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are planning to declare a parallel government, warning such a move would escalate the conflict and fracture the country.

Spokesman Stephane Dujarric told news hounds at a briefing that the UN had seen ''rather extensive reports about the anticipated announcement by the Rapid Support Forces and others to establish a parallel government or a parallel governing body.''

''We're very deeply concerned about any further escalation of the Sudanese conflict and any steps like this one, which would increase the fragmentation of the country and risk making this crisis even worse,'' Dujarric said.

The RSF and allied groups are expected to announce a parallel government at the end of a meeting in Kenya on Friday, a move criticized by the Sudanese government.

He highlighted the dire humanitarian situation in Sudan, citing reports of famine and ongoing violence. ''We keep talking about Zamzam and other places where starving people are being killed and being bombed,'' he said.

''For us, preserving the unity of Sudan, the illusory sovereignty, and the territorial integrity remains a key ingredient for a sustainable resolution of the conflict and the long-term stability of the country in the wider region,'' Dujarric stated.

The UN reiterated its call to cease hostilities to protect civilians immediately. ''We yet again renew our call for an immediate cessation of hostilities to spare the Sudanese people any further arms,'' he said.
Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Zelensky rules out Ukraine's participation in upcoming Russia-US talks
2025-02-18
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The head of the Kiev regime, Volodymyr Zelensky, said that the Ukrainian side will not participate in the upcoming negotiations between Russia and the United States in Riyadh, “even if asked to do so.”

"My visits have nothing to do with these negotiations. Although, when I come to Saudi Arabia, I will ask His Majesty what he knows about the topics of the negotiations," Zelensky said.

According to the head of the Kyiv regime, any negotiations on the Ukrainian conflict without the participation of Kyiv will allegedly have no result.

"We cannot recognize any agreements regarding us that were made without us. We do not recognize such agreements," Zelensky said.

As reported by the Regnum news agency, on February 17, upon arrival with the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Sergey Lavrov in Riyadh, the Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov stated that the negotiations would only take place between Moscow and Washington, and no trilateral contacts with representatives of Kiev were planned. In addition, he noted that the main goal of the upcoming meeting with the American delegation was to normalize relations with Washington.

The day before, Lavrov expressed his readiness to listen to the position of the US representatives and convey it to the Russian leadership, which will determine further steps. The diplomat also emphasized that Russia will not make any concessions in the course of resolving the Ukrainian crisis.

The press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov said that in Riyadh they will primarily discuss the restoration of Russian-American relations, the preparation of possible negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement and the organization of a meeting between the presidents of Russia and the United States, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.

More from regnum.ru
Ushakov: Only bilateral negotiations will take place in Riyadh

The talks in Riyadh will only take place between Moscow and Washington; no trilateral contacts with Kiev representatives are planned. This was reported on February 17 by Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, commenting on the Rossiya 24 TV channel on information about the arrival of a certain group of Ukrainian representatives in Saudi Arabia.

"We came to negotiate with our American colleagues. These are bilateral negotiations, purely bilateral. There can be no trilateral negotiations in Riyadh," Ushakov emphasized, commenting on the information that in Saudi Arabia, in addition to representatives of Russia and the United States, there is already a Ukrainian delegation.

Earlier, Regnum news agency reported that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov arrived in Riyadh to participate in negotiations with the United States.

Upon arrival in the capital of Saudi Arabia, Ushakov noted that the main goal of the upcoming meeting with the American delegation is to normalize relations with Washington.

The day before, Lavrov expressed his readiness to listen to the position of the US representatives and convey it to the Russian leadership, which will determine further steps. The diplomat also emphasized that Russia will not make any concessions in the course of resolving the Ukrainian crisis.

In turn, the press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, said that in Riyadh they will primarily discuss the restoration of Russian-American relations, the preparation of possible negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement and the organization of a meeting between the presidents of Russia and the United States, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.

The representative of the UN chief Stephane Dujarric called the upcoming talks in Riyadh critically important. Dujarric added that the UN intends to observe the results of the Russian-American talks.

Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Lebanon detains 25 people for questioning over attack on UN peacekeepers convoy in Beirut
2025-02-16
[X]

Lebanon claims over 25 arrested for attack on UNIFIL convoy that wounded peacekeepers

[IsraelTimes] Lebanese president vows perpetrators ‘will receive their punishment’ as Hezbollah and its allies seek to distance themselves from assault by Iran-backed terror group’s supporters

Lebanese authorities said Saturday that more than 25 people had been arrested following an attack by Hezbollah supporters on a United Nations
...an organization conceived in the belief that we're just one big happy world, with the sort of results you'd expect from such nonsense...
 convoy the day before that maimed two peacekeepers, including the force’s outgoing deputy commander.

UN and Lebanese officials have condemned Friday’s attack, which came as Hezbollah supporters blocked the road to the country’s only international airport for a second night over a decision barring two Iranian planes from landing there.

"More than 25 people have been arrested by Lebanese army intelligence," with another person detained by the security services, Lebanese Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar told news hounds after an emergency security meeting Saturday.

"This does not mean these detainees carried out the attack... but the investigations will show who is responsible," he continued.

The army and security agencies would bolster measures to "maintain security and stability," Hajjar said, adding that violations would be treated "with all seriousness."

The UN Interim Force in Leb
...The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else?...
 (UNIFIL) has demanded an investigation after one of its vehicles was set on fire during the incident, which maimed outgoing deputy force commander Chok Bahadur Dhakal, a Nepalese national who was heading home after ending his mission.

UNIFIL deputy spokesperson Kandice Ardiel told AFP that a second Nepalese peacekeeper was also maimed and hospitalized.

On Saturday, Hezbollah supporters again demonstrated around Beirut airport, with the Lebanese army firing tear gas to disperse them. A politician from the terror group Hassan Fadlallah called on the army to hold those who fired at the protesters to account.

The Lebanese army and government "should have held immediate meetings to prevent the Israeli enemy from imposing its dictates on the airport and from continuing its occupation of Lebanese territory ... instead of using force against a peaceful sit-in on the airport road," Fadlallah added in a statement.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun vowed that "the attackers will receive their punishment," adding that "security forces will not be lenient with any party that tries to upset stability and civil peace," according to a statement from the presidency on X.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam strongly condemned the "criminal attack" and promised to arrest the perpetrators during a conversation with UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and UNIFIL Commander General Aroldo Lazaro.

’CIVIL PEACE’
In a meeting with Hajjar on Saturday, Salam emphasized the importance of maintaining security across the country, a statement from his office said. The premier was set to meet other "relevant ministers" later in the day.

The presidency’s statement said Aoun had stressed that the incident "cannot be allowed to be repeated," adding that the judiciary "has begun investigations on the ground."

The army said Friday that several areas around the airport had seen "demonstrations marked by acts of vandalism and festivities, including assaults on members of the armed forces and attacks against vehicles."

Videos circulating on social media showed demonstrators, some hooded and carrying Hezbollah flags, attacking a man in military garb and another in civilian clothes near the torched UNIFIL vehicle.

There was no immediate official comment from Hezbollah, which, together with its allies, appeared to be scrambling to distance themselves from Friday’s attack.

Hezbollah’s Al Manar TV said in a statement posted on its social media accounts that "unruly elements caused chaos with suspicious objectives on the Beirut airport road."

The Lebanese terror group’s ally, the Amal Movement, which is led by Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Knobby Berri

...perennial Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, head of the Amal Shiite party aligned with Hezbollah, a not very subtle sock puppet of the Medes and Persians...
, said: "The attack on UNIFIL is an attack on south Lebanon" and that "blocking roads anywhere is an assault on civil peace."

’ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE’
Several countries have condemned the incident, as did UN Secretary-General António Guterres
...Portuguese politician and diplomat, ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations. Previously, he was the UN High Commissioner for Refugees between 2005 and 2015. He was the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and was the Secretary-General of the Socialist Party from 1992 to 2002. He served as President of the Socialist International from 1999 to 2005. In both a 2012 and 2014 poll, the Portuguese public ranked him as the best Prime Minister of the previous 30 years...
"Such attacks are absolutely unacceptable... The safety and security of UN personnel and property must be respected at all times," said Stephane Dujarric, Guterres’s front man.

"Attacks against peacekeepers are in breach of international law... and may constitute war crimes," the statement said, adding that "UNIFIL must be allowed unrestricted freedom of movement throughout Lebanon."

The French foreign ministry released a statement that "calls on the Lebanese security forces to guarantee the security of blue-helmet peacekeeping forces, and calls on Lebanon’s judicial authorities to shed all light on this unacceptable attack and to go after those responsible."

Israel has repeatedly accused Hezbollah of using the Beirut airport to transfer weapons from Iran, claims Hezbollah and Lebanese officials have denied.

Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
said Saturday that it was ready for "constructive talks" with Lebanon on restoring Tehran-Beirut flights.

In a telephone call, the two countries’ foreign ministers discussed "how to resolve the problem of civil flights" and "confirmed their readiness to hold constructive talks in good faith," an Iranian foreign ministry statement said.

Iran-backed Hezbollah has a large popular base in Lebanon, though a year of hostilities with Israel and the ousting of its ally Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
The Scourge of Hama...
 in neighboring Syria have left the group weakened.

Lebanon’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation said Thursday it had "temporarily rescheduled" some flights, including from Iran, until February 18 as it was implementing "additional security measures."

The date coincides with the deadline for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from south Lebanon and for Hezbollah to vacate positions there, under a ceasefire deal that began on November 27.

Beginning on October 8, 2023, Hezbollah-led forces attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis for months, with the group saying it did so to support Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
 amid the war there.

Hezbollah eventually expanded its attacks to also target cities in central and northern Israel with rockets, in addition to the attacks on the border.

Some 60,000 Israeli residents were evacuated from northern towns on the Lebanon border shortly after Hamas
..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",...
’s October 7 onslaught, amid fears Hezbollah would carry out a similar attack, and increase rocket fire by the terror group.

Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel since October 2023 have resulted in the deaths of 46 civilians. In addition, 80 IDF soldiers and reservists died in cross-border skirmishes, attacks on Israel, and in the ensuing ground operation launched in southern Lebanon in late September.

Two soldiers were killed in a drone attack from Iraq, and there have also been several attacks from Syria without any injuries.

The IDF estimates that some 3,500 Hezbollah operatives were killed in the conflict. Around 100 members of other terror groups, along with hundreds of civilians, were also reported killed in Lebanon.
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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: February 4, 2025
2025-02-05
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title
[Korrespondent] 21.11 Over the weekend, Russia seriously damaged one of the generating facilities . This was stated by the Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Galushchenko after a meeting with the Director General of the IAEA Rafael Grossi, Interfax-Ukraine reports.

20.21 Russian troops attacked the Sinelnykivsky district with a kamikaze drone on February 4. A civilian was killed as a result of the enemy shelling. This was reported by the head of the Dnipropetrovsk OVA Serhiy Lysak on Tuesday, February 4.

19.41 In Donetsk Oblast, a mandatory evacuation of children with their parents or persons replacing them, or other legal representatives from 12 settlements of the Shakhovskaya community to safe regions will be carried out. This was reported by the head of the Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, Vadim Filashkin.

19:19 In Germany, the majority of citizens are in favor of extending military aid to Ukraine, and some of them even support the idea of ​​increasing supplies, as shown by the results of a survey conducted by the Wahlen research group for ZDF frontal.

18.01 The Ministry of Defense has approved the Gimli line of ground robotic systems for use in the Defense Forces . This was reported by the Main Directorate for Support of the Life Cycle of Weapons and Military Equipment.

The Gimli NRC can be equipped with weapons and act as a mobile combat module, delivering fire damage to enemy targets.

17.38 Ukraine is using new 1,000-pound JDAM-ER guided aerial bombs weighing over 450 kg against the Russian army. This is reported by The Aviationist. Reportedly, two years ago the US transferred 500-pound (over 220 kg) GBU-62 JDAM-ER guided aerial bombs to Ukraine, significantly enhancing the capabilities of Ukrainian Su-27 and MiG-29 fighters. However, a recently published video shows how the Su-27 strikes with 1,000-pound JDAM-ER bombs, which had not previously been recorded in open sources.

17.07 Russian authorities are preparing to soften the criteria for fitness for military service in order to replenish the army, which lost about 500 thousand killed and wounded in the war against Ukraine (according to Western estimates). This is evidenced by the data of the draft regulation on military medical examination, which was prepared by the Russian Defense Ministry.

16.07 On February 4, Russian troops fired artillery at the Krasnopolskaya community in the Sumy region. As a result of the enemy attack, one person was killed and one was wounded. This was reported by the Sumy Regional Prosecutor's Office on Tuesday, February 4.

15.16 On February 3, JSC Ukrainian Defence Industry and Polish Arms Group (PGZ) signed a memorandum on cooperation in the production of ammunition, maintenance of equipment and strengthening of air defence. This was reported by the Ministry of Strategic Industries.

12:33 The SBU together with the National Police prevented a terrorist attack in Bukovina, detaining two Russian agents who planned to blow up a police squad. They planned to lure law enforcement officers into a trap by making a fake call to the 102 line. This was reported by the SBU on Tuesday, February 4.

12:19 Russian aggressors launched a missile attack on the city of Izyum. Four people were killed and 20 more were injured. According to preliminary data, the occupiers used a ballistic missile.

12:16 Operators from the 413th Raid Battalion discovered and destroyed a Russian Osa anti-aircraft missile system in one of the key areas of the front.

The Osa air defense missile system is a short-range mobile air defense system designed to protect military units and strategic facilities of the Russian Armed Forces from air strikes, cruise missiles and drones.

11:22 North Korean troops have retreated from Russia's Kursk region due to significant losses and are not participating in combat operations, South Korean intelligence reported and released intelligence data. North

Korean soldiers who fought Russian troops in battles against Ukraine were withdrawn from the front line in mid-January.

10:45 As a result of active fire from units of the Defense Forces, the enemy was forced to abandon its forward positions near one of the settlements in the Kupyansk direction.

According to intelligence, the Russian command, threatening to shoot, is trying to return personnel to their positions.

9:56 On the night of February 4, Russian troops attacked Ukraine with 65 Shahed-type attack drones and various types of drone imitators. Air defense managed to destroy 37 drones, 28 were lost. Sumy and Cherkasy regions suffered as a result of the enemy attack.

9:40 As a result of the attack by Russian attack drones in Kiev, windows were damaged in several educational institutions, an outpatient clinic and utility buildings. Falling debris was also recorded on the roof of a multi-story building in the Pechersk district. There were no casualties.

9:06 Russian troops attacked Cherkasy region with drones. Air defense forces shot down 12 enemy "Shakheds" in the sky above the region.

However, there were consequences. In Cherkassy, ​​as a result of enemy attacks, fires broke out on the territory of three private enterprises. In one case, the liquidation is ongoing.

8:43 In the Pechersky district of the capital, fragments of a Russian drone were found on several floors of an 18-story unfinished building. There was no damage or casualties. There was no fire.

8:20 Over the past 24 hours, aviation, missile forces and artillery of the Defense Forces have hit nine areas of concentration of personnel and equipment, two command posts, three artillery systems, and two electronic warfare stations of the Russian invaders. Over the past 24 hours, 110 combat clashes have been recorded at the front. In particular, in the Pokrovsk direction, Ukrainian defenders have stopped 38 assault and offensive actions by the Russians.

7:45 As of February 4, the total combat losses of Russian troops on Ukrainian territory amounted to approximately 842,930 people (+1,270 per day).

4:58 The Russians are still advancing in Ukraine, but their pace has slowed. At the same time, the occupiers' losses remain just as high. This was stated by analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in their daily report.

2:27 The UN condemned the bombing of a boarding school in Sudzha, Kursk Oblast, by Russian aircraft, which killed and injured civilians. This is evidenced by a statement by the representative of the UN Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Executions, torture and abuse: the tragedy of the Kursk borderland
2025-02-02
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Mikhail Zakharov

[REGNUM] The Russian Investigative Committee has revealed details of the mass murder of civilians by Ukrainian militants in the village of Russkoye Porechnoye in the Kursk region. Investigators have established the involvement of at least five Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen in these crimes, and one of them was captured.

During interrogation, captive Yevgeny Fabrisenko admitted his guilt and spoke in detail about the atrocities committed by him and his fellow soldiers from the Ukrainian 92nd Separate Assault Brigade. According to him, the unit's command gave the order to clear the village of civilians.

MURDER AND VIOLENCE
Arriving in Russkoye Porechnoye, Fabrisenko and other Ukrainians abused defenseless people, robbed them, killed men and raped women, who were then also killed. To "celebrate" their actions, the Ukrainian servicemen drank vodka and used drugs.

According to law enforcement agencies, from September 28 to November 24, 2024, Ukrainian Armed Forces militants killed 11 men and three women in the village. In addition, they raped and killed eight more women. " Then the accomplices moved the bodies of the 22 citizens they killed to the basements of private residential buildings in the village of Russkoye Porechnoye," the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation notes.

At the same time, the residents of Russkoye Porechny had no chance to escape, because the Ukrainian Armed Forces militants were deliberately firing at civilians. "Our guys were shooting at the village from their positions. They couldn't leave, they tried to leave, but they were killed," Fabrisenko said.

This is far from the first recorded case of atrocities by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region. Thus, in August, Ukrainian militants Valeriy Malchenko, Sergey Bochenko, Sergey Litvinenko and Sergey Bilichenko from the 11th separate battalion of the 22nd separate mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were captured, and a criminal case against them is currently being considered by a military court.

“While in the Sudzhansky and Korenevsky districts of the Kursk region, they prohibited the movement of civilians, occupied private homes, and opened fire on Russian military personnel and civilians,” the Russian Investigative Committee says of their crimes.

Russkoye Porechnoye, a village in the Sudzhansky District of the Kursk Region, was occupied by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in August 2024. On January 17, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the village had come under the control of the Russian Armed Forces - at that time, during offensive actions, units of the North group of forces liberated the settlement.

After liberation, Russian Armed Forces soldiers found the remains of civilians with signs of torture in the basements of houses : the hands of the dead were tied, there were hematomas and bullet wounds on the bodies. It was also noted that Ukrainian militants pulled hats over the heads of civilians, shot them in the legs and left them to die from blood loss.

As our military told us, the Ukrainian Armed Forces tried to prevent the evacuation of people's bodies by shelling Russkoye Porechnoye. "Apparently, the enemy does not want all this to be made public, so that the public sees all these atrocities that they did to civilians," they explained such actions of the Ukrainian armed forces.

On January 19, the Main Military Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case against Ukrainian Armed Forces militants involved in the murder of civilians in the village of Russkoye Porechnoye; the incident was classified by law enforcement as a terrorist attack.

On January 23, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, reported that torture chambers set up by Ukrainian soldiers in the basements of residential buildings were also discovered in the liberated village. The politician called the actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces a cannibalistic massacre of civilians.

The fact that people in Russkoye Porechny were deprived of life with particular cruelty was later confirmed by forensic experts. They said that residents were tortured with electricity and beaten: on the emaciated bodies there are traces of torture, as well as gunshot and shrapnel wounds. As experts add, it was mainly elderly people who were killed.

NOT AN ISOLATED CASE
On January 18, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry on Crimes of the Kiev Regime Rodion Miroshnik, commenting on the videos of crimes against civilians from Russkoye Porechny that appeared, noted that they are traces of Nazis who arrived on Russian territory.

“These are blood-curdling atrocities, but they show the true face of the Zelensky regime,” he wrote on his channel.

As Rodion Miroshnik later stated, citing the words of captured Ukrainian soldiers, the militants in the Kursk region received orders to kill Russian-speaking civilians. “ In essence, we are talking about the destruction of any civilian population,” the diplomat explained.

According to the acting governor of the Kursk region, Alexander Khinshtein, Ukrainian Nazis who commit monstrous acts are not simply ideological heirs to the Nazi occupiers who tortured people and exterminated them in concentration camps: “They are the same beasts who deserve the most severe punishment.”

“ A new Nuremberg must await the executioners of the peaceful inhabitants of Russian Porechny,” wrote Khinshtein.

During a briefing on January 31, Maria Zakharova called the massacre of people in Russkoye Porechnoye another outrage by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, explaining that the Kiev regime, in its military and political impotence against the backdrop of defeat at the front, committed a cannibalistic act against civilians.

" The point is that this is a mass action. And it is not isolated, " Zakharova emphasized. " This also shows that, despite all the monstrous discoveries, all those who have been sponsoring the Kiev regime for many years know what it is doing and continue to supply it with money and weapons."

The UN has commented very reservedly on the crimes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the village of Russkoye Porechnoye, where a massacre of people was committed. As the representative of the Secretary General of the organization Stephane Dujarric stated the day before, the UN is against the killing of civilians by the Ukrainian military.

"We have been very consistent in our opposition to the death and killing of any civilian population," Dujarric said at a press conference.

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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Russian Foreign Ministry demands worldwide publicity of data on atrocities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Russkoye Porechnoye
2025-02-02
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The atrocities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the village of Russkoye Porechnoye in the Kursk region should receive international publicity, said the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova on February 1.

“The bloody nature of the actions of Kiev militants in the Kursk region should be widely presented at international venues: the UN, the OSCE and their specialized structures, recorded by representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross,” noted Zakharova, whose commentary is cited on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

International human rights institutions, including non-governmental organizations, should pay attention to the information that has been made public, the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized.

According to Zakharova, Moscow is confident that the true nature of the Kyiv regime was most clearly revealed in Russkoye Porechnoye. She emphasized that the name of the village was one of the factors for the attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

As reported by the Regnum news agency, on January 31, the representative of the UN Secretary General Stephane Dujarric, commenting on the crimes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Russkoye Porechny, stated that the United Nations is against the killing of any civilian population.

In turn, the official representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Fatima Sator, noted that in accordance with international law, civilians in temporarily occupied territories must be protected from torture and murder. She added that international humanitarian law also provides additional protection for particularly vulnerable groups of the population - children, women and displaced persons.

The bodies of civilians killed by Ukrainian militants were found in Russkoye Porechny after Russian military units of the North group of forces liberated the settlement on January 17. Zakharova said that torture chambers set up by Ukrainian soldiers in the basements of residential buildings were found in the liberated village. She called the actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces a cannibalistic act.

The Russian Investigative Committee has established the involvement of five servicemen of the 92nd separate assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the murder of 22 civilians from Russkoye Porechny between September 28 and November 24, 2024.

More from regnum.ru
Wikipedia Removes Article on Ukrainian Armed Forces Atrocities in Russkoye Porechny

On February 1, Wikipedia administrators deleted an article about the actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Russkoye Porechny in the Kursk region.

The corresponding data appears when trying to open the page "Massacre in Russkoye Porechny".

"Unfortunately, this page has been removed within the last 24 hours," the message said.

As reported by the Regnum news agency, on January 19, the remains of seven civilians with tied hands, bruises and bullet wounds were found in two basements of houses in Russkoye Porechny. Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers pulled hats over civilians' heads, shot them in the legs and left them to die from blood loss. The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case on the fact of the murder of civilians.

Investigators have established the involvement of five Ukrainian servicemen in the murder of 22 civilians in the village of Russkoye Porechnoye, liberated by the Russian Armed Forces. From September 28 to November 24, 2024, the suspects killed 11 men and three women, and also raped and killed eight more women. They then moved the 22 bodies to the basements of private homes.

On January 25, the Kursk court arrested one of the defendants in the case, Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier Yevgeny Fabrisenko. He was charged under the article on a terrorist act resulting in death, as well as under the article on a crime against sexual inviolability. Fabrisenko admitted his guilt and during interrogation spoke in detail about torture, rape and murder of civilians.

The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, called the actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces a cannibalistic act. Acting Governor of Kursk Region Alexander Khinshtein stated that the Ukrainian military who killed residents of Russkoye Porechny should be tried by an international tribunal.

In April 2023, Chairman of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights Valery Fadeyev proposed blocking Wikipedia because it contains a lot of unreliable information. Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, in turn, noted that first it is necessary to create an analogue of Wikipedia.

Link



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