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[l] at 10/23/24 9:21am
Tehran has an inherent right to self-defense and will continue to exercise it, Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei has said Tehran has the right to self-defense, and its recent strikes on Israel have demonstrated its “commitment to international law,” Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei, a senior adviser to Iran’s foreign minister, has said. Kadkhodaei slammed Israel’s actions in the Palestinian territories, citing UN resolutions and rulings by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which have repeatedly condemned the enduring occupation.  “The forcible seizure of Palestinian territories by Israel does not grant sovereignty to the occupying power... States must not recognize or maintain this illegal situation and must take positive action to end the occupation,” Kadkhodaei said, urging the international community to press Israel into ending the fighting in Gaza and southern Lebanon. “Given the numerous war crimes committed by Israeli soldiers, the international community should exert pressure on the regime to end the war. This can be achieved by cutting off military and financial aid to Israel and demanding a ceasefire.” The missile barrage fired by Tehran into Israel on October 1 was conducted in full compliance with international law and constituted Iran’s “inherent right to self-defense” exercised in the wake of “repeated Israeli attacks and the UN Security Council’s failure to act,” the senior adviser said. Read more Iran warns US over threatened Israeli strike The strikes “demonstrated Iran’s “commitment to international law and its determination to protect its sovereignty. Any attempt to impede Iran’s right to self-defense would be a violation of international law and would have serious consequences,” Kadkhodaei warned. On October 1, Iran fired around 200 ballistic missiles into Israel in response to the killings of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders and an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) general last month. Israel has vowed to respond to the strikes, with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant promising to deliver a “deadly, pinpoint accurate, and surprising” retaliation. The targets reportedly being considered by Israel include Iran’s energy and nuclear facilities and infrastructure.

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[l] at 10/23/24 9:20am
Ankara’s cooperation with the economic group does not contradict its membership in the US-led military bloc, Mark Rutte has said Türkiye has the right to cooperate with the BRICS economic group without undermining its status as a NATO member, the secretary-general of the US-led military bloc, Mark Rutte, has said.   The NATO chief’s remarks came at a press conference in Estonia on Tuesday. He was asked by the Estonian Public Broadcaster whether Ankara’s desire to become a member of BRICS, which the outlet described as a “Russia-dominated organization,” should be a cause for concern.   Rutte stressed that Türkiye remains “a very important ally in the alliance” as it is “one of the best equipped military forces in NATO” and plays a “vital role in its part of the NATO geography.”   “Obviously within the alliance, being a democracy, 32 countries, there will always be debates on this and that,” the secretary-general admitted. However, he insisted that Ankara has “the sovereign right” to work towards a BRICS membership and cooperate with its members.   “That might lead to debates now and then, bilaterally or within NATO. But that doesn’t mean that Türkiye is not [popular],” Rutte said. “NATO is very popular in Türkiye, and Türkiye is very popular in NATO,” the official added, noting that he is convinced that this will remain the case.    Read more NATO state’s president arrives at BRICS Summit Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is currently taking part in the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, where he is expected to meet with President Vladimir Putin to discuss bilateral ties, the Ukraine crisis, and the situation in the Middle East.   Last month, Ankara also announced that it had formally submitted an application to become a full-fledged BRICS member, making it the first NATO state to seek membership in the group.   However, Türkiye’s application has sparked concerns in Brussels. EU spokesman Peter Stano has stressed that Ankara, which has been an EU candidate country since 1999, must respect EU values and foreign policy preferences despite having the right to choose which international organizations to join.   Previously, Turkish officials told the Middle East Eye that while BRICS was not seen by Ankara as an alternative to NATO or the EU, “the stalled accession process to the European Union” had encouraged it to explore “other economic platforms.”

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[l] at 10/23/24 9:14am
Until now, the California newspaper has backed every Democratic presidential candidate since Barack Obama The owner of the Los Angeles Times has forbidden the paper’s editorial board from backing Kamala Harris in this year’s US presidential election, bucking two decades of Democratic endorsements, Semafor has reported. The editorial board was preparing to endorse Harris for the presidency, until Executive Editor Terry Tang intervened earlier this month and ordered them not to endorse anyone, Semafor reported on Tuesday, citing two anonymous sources. According to these sources, the order came directly from the paper’s owner, Patrick Soon-Shiong. A South African-born medical doctor and billionaire entrepreneur, Soon-Shiong bought the ailing LA Times in 2018. While he managed to reverse decades of losses and headcount reductions, the newspaper’s advertising revenue plummeted during the Covid-19 pandemic, and more than 100 employees were sacked earlier this year. Read more Obama ‘ready to drop bombs’ in support of Harris (VIDEO) Soon-Shiong’s decision to block the endorsement of Harris will be seen as a major blow to the vice president, as the LA Times is the most prominent newspaper in her home state of California. The LA Times endorsed Republican candidates in every election from the 1880s until 1972, when it backed Richard Nixon against South Dakota Senator George McGovern. This decision, which came months after the Watergate scandal emerged, angered some of the newspaper’s reporters, and the LA Times did not endorse a presidential candidate again until it sided with Barack Obama in 2008. The LA Times has endorsed Democrats in every subsequent election. In a list of endorsements published last week, the editorial board noted that “this may be the most consequential election in a generation.” However, it made no further mention of the presidential race, instead endorsing more than two dozen mostly Democratic candidates for positions ranging from school boards to the US Senate.

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[l] at 10/23/24 9:10am
The Chinese president says Beijing and Moscow should further deepen economic ties while defending the UN-centered global system Beijing and Moscow should further deepen their already strong economic cooperation while defending global stability, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at talks with counterpart Vladimir Putin at the BRICS summit in Kazan on Tuesday. He also stressed that Sino-Russian ties have been steadily developing in recent years despite the turbulent geopolitical situation.     The leaders of the countries making up the group were joined by those from aspiring member states for the 16th annual BRICS summit in the capital of Russia’s Tatarstan Republic. Russia holds the rotating chairmanship of the group this year.    Commenting on relations with Moscow, Xi stated that “despite the chaotic and confused external situation, trade and cooperation in other spheres between the two countries are actively developing,” as evidenced by a number of large-scale joint projects.   Chinese TV quoted the president as stressing the importance of further enhancing the bilateral economic partnership as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, as well as the Eurasian Economic Union.   According to the Chinese leader, having weathered the storms of the “fickle international situation,” ties between Beijing and Moscow are currently at an “unprecedented level.” He attributed this success to the fact that both countries adhere to “non-confrontational principles.”   Read more Russia-China relations a model for the world – Putin Xi went on to stress that as great powers, “Russia and China should firmly defend the international system, which has the United Nations as its cornerstone, [and] together support global strategic stability.”  Following the meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian media that the conversation between the two leaders had been “very candid, business-like [and] constructive.”   “Once again, a considerable convergence of stances and approaches with respect to what is going on in the world has been stated,” he added.   Bilateral trade volume amounted to $82 billion over the first nine months of this year, with the figure on track to beat the record set in 2023, according to Russian outlets, citing Chinese customs data. In August, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin estimated that over 95% of mutual settlements between Russia and China are now conducted using the ruble or yuan.

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[l] at 10/23/24 8:36am
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has defended the decision not to allow Kiev to make long-range strikes on Russia using US weapons The US should stick to its long-standing policy of not allowing Ukraine to launch long-range strikes deep into Russia as there are no longer any valid military targets within range, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has said. In an interview with Fox News released on Tuesday, Austin was asked why the administration of US President Joe Biden consistently rejects Vladimir Zelensky’s requests to lift the restrictions on firing ATACMS missiles, which have a range of about 300km, at targets on Russian soil. Austin explained that “the Russians have already moved their aircraft beyond the range of ATACMS.” He added that Ukraine is now capable of producing its own drones, which can strike targets at a range of 400km or more. Lifting Western restrictions on the use of foreign-made long-range weapons along with an invitation to immediately join NATO are two of the key demands of Zelensky’s ‘victory plan.’ Moscow has dismissed Kiev’s proposal as a “set of incoherent slogans” intended to push “NATO members towards a direct conflict” with Russia. Read more ‘No consensus’ on Ukraine missiles – Biden Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Western countries against allowing Ukraine to use their long-range weapons to strike Russia, noting that this could lead to a direct confrontation and possible nuclear war. He argued that Kiev would be unable to carry out such attacks on its own because such strikes rely on targeting data provided by NATO. He has also ordered the country’s nuclear doctrine to be updated to treat “aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, but with the participation or support of a nuclear state” as a “joint attack.” Such an act of aggression would now be considered grounds for the use of nuclear weapons. The New York Times also reported in September that US spies believed that if Washington were to reverse its policy on long-range strikes, Moscow could unleash harsh retaliation, including “sabotage targeting facilities in Europe” and “potentially lethal attacks on US and European military bases.”

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[l] at 10/23/24 8:30am
The assailants targeted a key defense firm near Ankara, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has said Several people have been killed and wounded in an attack on the headquarters of a defense and aerospace company near Ankara, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Wednesday. “A terrorist attack was carried out against the Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. (TUSAS) Ankara Kahramankazan facilities,” Yerlikaya wrote in a post on X. “Unfortunately, we have martyrs and injured people after the attack.” The minister provided no further information, promising to release more details in due course. Video footage shared on social media shows an explosion at the facility, while gunfire could be heard in some clips. Multiple gunmen could be seen in several videos and photos, holding rifles equipped with suppressors. A terrorist attack occurred in the capital of Turkey. Explosions and gunfire were heard in the city.The information from Turkish media about the terrorist attack in front of the building of an aerospace company was confirmed by the countrys Minister of Interior, Ali Yerlikaya.… pic.twitter.com/LixrOmDar4— Ulfh3dnar (@Ulfh3dnar_) October 23, 2024 TUSAŞ’a yapılan saldırıya dair görüntüler. pic.twitter.com/1fqFzsXOgB— Tuna Öztunç (@tunaoztunc) October 23, 2024 Türkiye’s NTV broadcaster said that a group of assailants arrived at the facility in a taxi during a changeover of security personnel. At least one of them detonated a bomb while the others entered the building, the network claimed. The attackers took several hostages, according to NTV. Unconfirmed photos circulating on social media show around a dozen people held captive in a room, purportedly inside the building. TUSAS manufactures F-16 fighter jets under license from General Dynamics, as well as a wide range of avionics devices and aircraft components for civilian and military use. The company also builds jets, attack helicopters, and drones for the Turkish military. Its largest shareholder is the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation, a state-run military research and procurement organization.

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[l] at 10/23/24 8:17am
The bourse would protect members of the group from outside interference and excessive volatility in the market, the Russian leader has said Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed setting up a BRICS-based grain exchange, speaking at the annual BRICS summit on Wednesday. Addressing the leaders of BRICS countries attending the meeting in Kazan, Putin said that such an exchange would help protect trade between members of the group from excessive price volatility. ”A number of BRICS countries are among the world’s largest producers of grain, vegetables, and oilseeds. We propose opening a BRICS grain exchange, which would facilitate the formation of fair and predictable price indicators for products and raw materials, taking into account their special role in ensuring food security,” the Russian leader stated. Putin said that the project would help protect national markets from “negative outside interference, speculation, and attempts to сause an artificial deficit” of goods. The grain exchange would boost economic relations between BRICS nations and in time, the platform could be transformed into a full-fledged commodity market, the president said. Read more BRICS to make ‘important decisions’ in Kazan – Putin The idea was first floated by the head of Russia’s Union of Grain Exporters, Eduard Zernin, at a meeting with Vladimir Putin earlier this year. The Russian leader supported the initiative and expressed confidence that many countries in the group would be interested in a BRICS-based grain exchange. The platform would allow member countries to trade grain directly and reduce reliance on the Western-dominated pricing systems that currently set benchmark prices at bourses such as Chicago and Paris. Russia is the world’s top wheat exporter and has substantially boosted exports in recent years with bumper harvests and attractive pricing, despite Western sanctions that have attempted to thwart the country’s cross-border trade. Moscow has also been supplying free grain to a number of African countries facing food insecurity. Current BRICS members include Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. More than 30 countries have applied for membership in the group, which represents approximately 46% of the world’s population and over 36% of global GDP.

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[l] at 10/23/24 8:08am
“Destructive” Russian language, literature, music, and cinema need to be rooted out, the manifesto declares A Ukrainian manifesto calling for the total eradication of Russian culture in the country has collected over 60 signatures in two weeks, the organizers of the initiative have announced. High-profile figures who support the ultranationalist text include Aleksandra Matviychuk, whose human rights group was a co-recipient of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. MP Vladimir Vyatrovich, former director of the influential Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, is also among the signatories. The text was first revealed on October 9 during a forum of ‘Kulturnastup’ (short for ‘cultural offensive’), an advocacy group that calls the armed conflict with Russia a war for Ukrainian national identity. Matviychuk and Vyatrovich both took part in the event. “The cultural-informational space is the most important battlefield, and an aggressive cultural policy is needed for our victory,” the document states. Russian language, literature, music, and cinema “have strong destructive impact on the entire world,” including Ukraine, it claims, and failure to oppose them “is dangerous and unacceptable.” The ultimate goal of the policy it requires from the government is “irreversible ouster of Russian culture from Ukraine.” Read more EU state fires embassy employee for questioning Ukraine’s nationalism – media Kiev can push private businesses and society in general towards a “new reality,” in which Ukrainian books, films, music, and online content dominate at home and successfully compete with Russian counterparts in third nations, the group believes. The government in Kiev has adopted a number of laws aimed at pushing Russian language and culture out of the public sphere, including school education and the media. These include mandatory quotas for Ukrainian-language content and direct bans on the use of other languages. The Russian language has been historically spoken throughout the territory currently controlled by Kiev and was dominant in the eastern and southern parts. The society in independent Ukraine was closely integrated into wider Russian culture. Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky was a popular comedian in both his home country and Russia, before being elected president in 2019 and making a sharp turn towards nationalism. His sketches and movies were produced in the Russian language. On the campaign trail, Zelensky criticized people who sought to impose the Ukrainian language on the entire country. READ MORE: Neo-Nazi group claims it murdered outspoken ex-Ukrainian MP Moscow has accused Kiev of yielding to radical nationalists, who played a key role in the 2014 armed coup in Ukraine, by adopting the discriminatory laws. Respect for the rights of all minorities is a key Russian demand in the Ukraine conflict.

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[l] at 10/23/24 7:43am
FM Radoslaw Sikorski says Berlin should instead come up with a “creative” gesture to convince Warsaw it is sorry for the Nazis’ crimes Poland will not demand that Germany pay reparations for crimes committed by the Nazis during World War II, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has stated. Warsaw and Berlin are now allies, especially when it comes to deterring the threat they see posed by Russia, the diplomat said. Under the previous right-wing government led by the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, Poland repeatedly brought up the issue of war reparations with Germany. In 2022, Warsaw estimated that Berlin would need to shell out PLN 6.2 trillion (around $1.5 trillion) in compensation for damages inflicted by the Nazi occupation. Appearing on Poland’s TVP Info channel on Tuesday, Sikorski said that “we’re not talking about reparations, but rather a gesture showing that the Germans feel that they are morally responsible for what they did to us.” According to the minister, “the ball is now in Germany’s court,” with the onus on them to “offer a creative decision.” He suggested that the neighboring country could take care of the remaining survivors of the Nazi occupation of Poland and erect a memorial in Berlin to commemorate the tragic events. Sikorski pointed out that both NATO member states should focus on the future, since “we and Germany are allies and, for example, we need each other to fend off Russian missiles [deployed in Russia’s Kaliningrad Region] or Russian submarines in the Baltic Sea.” Read more Polish PM tells people not to panic over German soldiers Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly rejected the idea that Moscow has any plans to attack NATO, calling such speculation “nonsense.” The Kremlin also says it has been forced to beef up its defenses along its Western border as more countries in Eastern Europe have joined the bloc. Back in February, Sikorski acknowledged that “unfortunately, reparations [from Germany] cannot be obtained.” Around the same time, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk made it clear that “in the formal, legal and international sense, the issue of reparations was closed many years ago.” Berlin maintains that the matter was resolved when Warsaw waived its right to restitution in 1953 under a deal with East Germany, and that the issue was definitively settled under a 1990 treaty on German reunification. In February, the Polish foreign minister further argued that following World War II, it was agreed that Poland would receive 15% of reimbursements to which the USSR was entitled. The diplomat accused Moscow of “taking it away.” Commenting on Warsaw’s claim, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov described it as more evidence of Poland’s “frenzied Russophobia.”

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[l] at 10/23/24 7:41am
Tunisia’s Kais Saied won 90.7% in elections held earlier this month despite accusations of political oppression Tunisian President Kais Saied has begun his second term after a landslide victory in the North African country’s October 6 elections, where he faced only two opponents. Several other hopefuls were disqualified amid a crackdown, including arrests in the lead-up to the polls. Saied’s inauguration event took place on Monday, with many reporters barred from attending. The local association, the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists, denounced the move as “discrimination” and a “restriction on the freedom of journalism.”  During the ceremony, the 66-year-old leader pledged to “build a country where everyone can live in dignity” while also calling for a “cultural revolution” to combat corruption, terrorism, and unemployment. The country’s unemployment rate reached 16.2% in the first quarter of 2023, according to the World Bank. “Challenges are numerous and must be overcome swiftly,” the president said. The swearing-in came more than a week after the Tunisian Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) declared Kais Saied winner with 90.69% of the total votes. Businessman Ayachi Zammel, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison five days prior to the elections, emerged as the president’s closest challenger, receiving 7.35%. Zammel’s lawyer told AFP on Tuesday that the politician had received additional prison time, bringing his total sentence for falsifying ballot endorsements to more than 30 years. Read more Exit polls show landslide win for North African leader The third candidate, Zouhair Maghzaoui, won 1.97% of the vote. Only 28.8% of the more than nine million registered voters cast their ballots, according to ISIE. On Tuesday, opposition figure Maghzaoui accused Saied of using “all the tools of power to narrow down the competitors and opponents” in order to win an election held in “exceptionally undemocratic circumstances.”  He, however, extended his well wishes to the president, whom he claims has failed to outline any “tangible [and] realistic program” for the country during both his campaign and swearing-in ceremony. Read more The colonial legacy of this vital river threatens peace in Africa and beyond “I urge him to finally resolve the dispute regarding the case of candidacy in the next elections and respect the constitutional democratic standards by supervising the reins of the presidency of the state for only two consecutive terms, and cutting the way early on appeals and manipulation of the constitutions, and to focus on improving the reality of the Tunisian people, economically and socially,” Maghzaoui said. Saied, a former law professor, came to power in 2019, promising prosperity in a country that has been grappling with economic difficulties dating back to the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. In July 2021, the politician suspended parliamentary activities, stripped MPs of their immunity, and fired then-Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi. His opponents accused him of staging a coup and reversing the nation’s achievements since the longtime ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s forced resignation during the Arab Spring. The president has denied allegations of politically oppressing opponents and has repeatedly denounced foreign interference. He has vowed to use his second term to target “thieves and traitors on the payroll of foreigners,” blaming “counterrevolutionary forces” for thwarting his efforts to improve Tunisia’s struggling economy during his first term. “There is no place in our country for those who do not seek to fulfil the hopes of our people,” he said.

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[l] at 10/23/24 7:38am
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has landed in Kazan, accompanied by a large delegation of Turkish officials, including several ministers Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in the Russian city of Kazan on Wednesday to attend the 16th annual BRICS Summit. The president was accompanied by a large delegation, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, as well as the ministers of Trade and Energy.  The Turkish president’s plane was reported to have landed at the Kazan airport at about 14:45 Moscow time as he was greeted by the head of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov. Erdogan was also seen accompanied by his wife, Emine Erdogan.   On his first day, Erdogan is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss bilateral cooperation, the Ukraine crisis, as well as the situation in the Middle East. The Turkish leader is also set to hold talks with the presidents of Uzbekistan and Vietnam on Wednesday and has already reportedly engaged in discussions with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.   READ MORE: Putin proposes new economic strategy for BRICS While Türkiye is not yet a member of BRICS, last month Ankara officially announced that it had submitted a formal application to join the group. The press service of Tatarstan noted that the decision on Türkiye’s membership to join BRICS will eventually be made by the entire organization.

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[l] at 10/23/24 7:23am
Creating an investment platform would boost the growth of member countries, the Russian president has said Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a BRICS investment platform to assist the economic growth of member countries and the development of the Global South and East. He put forward the idea on Wednesday at the 16th annual BRICS Summit in Kazan. According to Putin, partner countries would benefit from a significant increase of investment in areas such as technology, education, trade, and logistics, to help their economies fully realize their growth potential. The platform “would become a powerful tool to support our national economies, as well as providing financial resources to the countries of the Global South and East,” the Russian president said. The Global South refers to countries mainly located in the Southern Hemisphere, mostly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, which are regarded as having a relatively low level of economic and industrial development. Read more BRICS to make ‘important decisions’ in Kazan – Putin BRICS was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining the group in 2010. This year, four more countries officially joined the bloc – Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia, which was also invited to become a member, also takes part in BRICS events but has not finalized the ratification process. Current BRICS member countries account for around 46% of the world’s population and over 36% of global GDP, according to estimates by global financial institutions. READ MORE: UN chief arrives in Russia for BRICS summit Among the issues discussed by the attendees of the summit are the creation of the category of BRICS ‘partner countries’ and alternative payment platforms for settlements between member states. Russia holds the rotating chairmanship of BRICS this year.

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[l] at 10/23/24 7:13am
The group’s chief negotiator is reportedly a frontrunner to succeed Yahya Sinwar Hamas will choose a new leader in March but will keep his identity a secret for security reasons, a spokesman for the Palestinian militant group has said. Until then, the group will be run by a committee of top officials. The Gaza-based militant group has been without an overall leader since last Wednesday, when Yahya Sinwar was killed in a firefight with Israeli troops in Rafah. Sinwar, who previously served as the movement’s chief in Gaza, assumed the top position in August, after the head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in Tehran. With the commander of the group’s military wing, Mohammed Deif, killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza in July, overall leadership duties have been handed to a five-man committee, a Hamas spokesman told the BBC on Monday. This committee will be made up of Khalil al-Hayya, Khaled Meshaal, Zaher Jabarin, Muhammad Darwish, and a fifth unnamed individual, the spokesman said. Once a new leader is chosen, he added, his name will be kept under wraps for security reasons. Read more Hamas confirms death of its leader Khalil al-Hayya is based in Qatar and currently heads the Hamas delegation in ceasefire talks with Israel. Al-Hayya acknowledged Sinwar’s death in a video message last week, describing the slain militant as a “holy warrior” and “fallen martyr.” Two Hamas officials told the BBC that al-Hayya has assumed many of Sinwar’s duties, and is considered a strong candidate to replace him atop the organization. Alongside Deif, Sinwar was widely regarded as the mastermind behind the October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel that prompted the ongoing war. “Sinwar was responsible for the most brutal attack against Israel in our history,” Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement last week. “For the past year, Sinwar tried to escape justice. He failed. We said we would find him and bring him to justice, and we did.” Hamas maintains that it will continue waging war against Israel and will not free the roughly 100 hostages it holds in Gaza until Israel withdraws from the enclave and releases scores of Palestinian prisoners in its jails. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the UN General Assembly last month that if Hamas does not surrender, the IDF will keep fighting “until we achieve total victory.”

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[l] at 10/23/24 6:53am
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the group is not aiming to replace global institutions Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday highlighted the progress achieved by the BRICS group over the past two decades, which now represents 40% of the world’s population and around 30% of the global economy. He added that he believes BRICS “will emerge as a more effective medium to face global challenges.” Modi stressed that BRICS should move forward “in a timely manner” in pushing for reforms in global institutions such as the UN Security Council, IMF, and other multilateral development organizations, including the World Trade Organization. “As we advance the efforts of BRICS, we must ensure that the image of this organization is not one of wanting to replace global institutions but rather to reform them,” he said at the BRICS leaders’ summit. His remarks come amid Western media reports claiming that BRICS is struggling to “resolve its identity crisis.” Earlier this year, reports emerged suggesting that India and Brazil oppose BRICS expansion. READ MORE: UN ‘an old company’ – India Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri addressed the media in Kazan on Tuesday, calling these reports “completely misplaced and erroneous.” Read more India wants to help bring peace to Ukraine – Modi “Last year, when BRICS was expanded, we were very much involved in that process,” he said, adding that new members appreciated the role New Delhi played, which “testifies to our stance on BRICS expansion.” Modi called BRICS a “diverse and inclusive platform” capable of playing a positive role on issues facing the world, from wars and conflicts to economic uncertainties, climate change, and cybersecurity risks. “We support dialogue and diplomacy, not war. Just as we overcame challenges like Covid together, we can certainly create new opportunities for a secure, strong, and prosperous future for generations to come,” the Indian leader stated. During the plenary session of the ongoing 16th BRICS Summit, leaders of member states discussed strategic and economic cooperation within the group to achieve a more equitable and inclusive global system.

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[l] at 10/23/24 6:51am
An Estonian woman has been accused of supporting Russia in a research paper that is critical of Ukrainian society The Estonian Foreign Ministry has sacked an employee from its embassy in Türkiye for publishing an academic paper highly critical of Ukrainian nationalism, the newspaper Postimees reported on Tuesday. Maria Sarantseva worked as a clerk in the visa department of the mission, according to the outlet. Her bosses took issue with an academic work she published in the Turkish Journal of Crises and Political Research. The Estonian newspaper claimed it was based on “mostly Russian” sources and reproduced “Kremlin rhetoric.” Sarantseva’s 18-page analysis is based on the works of German-born American social psychologist Erich Fromm, a jew who fled the Nazis and remained a vocal critic of the darker aspects of nationalism. According to Fromm’s theory, nationalism is a coping mechanism for modern societies, which leads to a sense of national superiority in extreme cases. As a person with a narcissistic disorder rejects things that contradict his or her delusion of self-importance, radical nationalists tend to ignore reality, the researcher suggested. Read more NATO country bordering Russia wants more US long-range missiles The paper by Sarantseva argued that the framework proposed by Fromm can explain society in modern Ukraine, which she described as particularly paranoid and aggressive. She said Ukrainians were strongly traumatized by the drop in living standards and chaos following the collapse of the USSR and sought refuge in nationalism. In one recent example, veteran Ukrainian nationalist Dmitry Korchinsky supported the military mobilization of 14-year-olds, if necessary for the survival of the country. Teens can fight too, he argued in an interview this week, citing the use of child soldiers in conflicts in Africa. In modern Ukraine, historical figures who sought independence from Russia are considered heroes regardless of their actions. That includes those who collaborated with the Nazis and committed atrocities against supporters of the USSR, as well as against ethnic Jews and Poles during World War II. READ MORE: Ukrainian politician calls for ban on kids leaving country The rise of nationalist extremists in Ukraine since a Western-backed coup in 2014, is one of the primary causes of the ongoing hostilities with Kiev, the Kremlin has said. Moscow has blamed the Ukrainian government’s adoption of laws discriminating against ethnic Russians on the influence of radicals, and has made their repeal one of its key demands in the conflict.

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[l] at 10/23/24 6:19am
Moscow says the designation is meant to protect the country from outside interference The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ordered Russia to pay out hundreds of thousands of euros in compensation to 107 organizations and individuals it has designated as ‘foreign agents’. Russia rejected the court’s jurisdiction after leaving the Council of Europe in 2022. Russia’s foreign agent law, similar to the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) of 1938, was first adopted in 2012 and expanded in 2022. It requires anyone who receives support from abroad or is under the influence of entities from outside the country to register and be labeled as such. The designation does not ban persons or entities from operating in Russia, but introduces a range of restrictions. Those in violation of the law face fines of up to 5 million rubles and up to six years in prison. Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin has explained that the law is necessary in order to protect the country’s sovereignty and “prevent outside interference in internal affairs.” A number of these individuals and organizations have since filed a joint complaint with the ECHR, including Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe, the International Memorial and the Memorial Human Rights Center, journalist Yuri Dud, opposition activist Lyubov Sobol, who is also designated as an extremist, and political scientist Ekaterina Shulman. Read more Russia sentences French ‘foreign agent’ In a ruling published on Tuesday, the ECHR claimed that the law violates the rights of NGOs, media organizations, and individuals by introducing “restrictions on their freedom of expression and association” and infringing on the individual applicants’ “right to respect for private life.” The court also claimed that those who received the designation have been “discriminated against and subjected to restrictions” that are not in line with the ECHR’s conventions. “The Court held that Russia was to pay the applicants amounts ranging from 5,500 euros (EUR) to EUR 10,000 [$5,900-$10,700] in respect of non-pecuniary damage, and various other amounts in respect of pecuniary damage and costs and expenses, indicated in the appendix to the judgment,” the ECHR said in a press release outlining the ruling. While Russia has yet to comment on the ECHR’s decision, the court’s jurisdiction was earlier rejected, with President Vladimir Putin signing a law nullifying all ECHR verdicts after March 15. The move came after Russia left the Council of Europe (COE) in 2022, accusing the body of taking a blatantly anti-Russian stance and turning into an “obedient instrument” of the West, while becoming immersed in “double standards.” Last year, in light of the ECHR accepting complaints from individuals and entities declared ‘foreign agents’ by Moscow, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin described the court as a “mad printer rubber-stamping politically charged complaints against Russia,” while “censoring” any cases considered to be linked to Russian interests.

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[l] at 10/23/24 6:00am
Brussels should focus on tackling illegal migration, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has said Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has criticized the EU’s policy priorities, questioning why the bloc should fund Ukraine in its conflict with Russia while allegedly not doing enough to tackle illegal immigration. The EU is currently discussing its next seven-year budget for 2028-2035. Speaking at a Slovak-Hungarian-Serbian summit on illegal immigration on Tuesday, Fico suggested that instead of funding Ukraine, Brussels should instead invest in infrastructure in countries such as Libya in order to stop people fleeing to Europe. “It is interesting that when money is needed for the war in Ukraine, there will be tens of billions (of euros) for murders... Question: Why is it, that while illegal migration is so dangerous for the European Union and Europe, not in a political but essentially, why… can’t we spend enough money to achieve a successful policy of stopping migrants even before the borders (of the European Union)?” Fico asked during a press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, following the summit in the Slovak town of Komarno, as quoted by RIA Novosti. Read more ‘High probability’ of Ukraine conflict ending soon – EU state’s PM Illegal immigration remains a key political problem for Brussels, nearly a decade after the 2015 crisis when roughly 1 million people arrived in the bloc, mainly via the Mediterranean Sea. Fico’s comments came on the same day that the European Parliament approved a €35 billion ($38 billion) loan to Ukraine. The funds will be transferred to Kiev through the end of next year. The loan will be repaid with revenues from frozen Russian assets held in the Brussels-based central securities depository Euroclear. “In Libya, for example, we need to build schools, hospitals, infrastructure, so that people don’t have to leave Libya via the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, for that we also need money,” Fico added. An uprising against the four-decade rule of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 led to a civil war and military intervention by NATO countries. Gaddafi was overthrown and killed as a result. Between 2014 and 2020, the country was engulfed in a civil war, and emerged as one of the main departure points for refugees and migrants. Fico has been an outspoken critic of Brussels’ policies of providing lethal aid to Ukraine in its fight with Russia, calling instead for a diplomatic solution to the crisis. READ MORE: Slovak PM points to forces behind assassination attempt The Slovak prime minister survived an assassination attempt in May, when he was shot four times at close range. Slovakia’s Special Criminal Court stated that the shooter was largely motivated by the decision of Fico’s government not to send arms to Ukraine.

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[l] at 10/23/24 5:57am
The electronic station’s armory was “no match” for the robotic aircraft, the military has said Russian forces have used a drone to destroy a Ukrainian electronic warfare (EW) station designed to defeat enemy unmanned aircraft, the Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday. The engagement reportedly took place in the border area of Russia’s Kursk Region, where Ukrainian forces made an incursion in August. The Ukrainian station was identified as a Nota EW system. Footage released by the Russian ministry showed what appeared to be an omnipolar antenna mounted on a pole protruding up among trees. A projectile is then seen hitting it, causing an explosion. The video was shot from above, presumably by another drone. The Russian military did not say whether the Nota was in use when it was engaged but claimed that its operators were killed in the strike. The weapon system used for the strike was identified as the Inokhodets (“mount with an ambling gait” in Russian), for which the Ukrainian system was “no match,” the statement said. The Inokhodets designation is used for the armed version of the Orion fixed-wing medium altitude, long endurance (MALE) drone. The platform reportedly has three hard points for weapons and a payload allowance of 200kg, with multiple options for air-to-surface armaments ranging from bombs to a light cruise missile. READ MORE: Russian drone takes out American-made armor in Ukraine – MOD (VIDEO) The Nota system was designed in the late 2010s and first announced in 2017 by then-commander of the Ukrainian General Staff, Victor Muzhenko. According to descriptions in the media, the road-mobile version of the station is normally mounted on an armored vehicle and can defeat drones at a range of 15km or more.  Russia reportedly reduced the use of larger drones during the early phases of the conflict when Ukraine possessed significant short-range air defense capabilities and could effectively oppose them. But they made a return recently after design modifications and are being extensively used in repelling the Kursk offensive, according to Russian media reports.

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[l] at 10/23/24 5:27am
Pyongyang has previously rejected the accusation, while the Kremlin called reports on the matter “contradictory” North Korean service members have arrived in Russia, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has claimed, adding, however, that Washington so far has no idea what their plans in the country are. Pyongyang previously rejected the accusation, while the Kremlin has pointed out the “contradictory information” on the issue. Speaking to reporters in Rome on Wednesday, Austin said that “there is evidence of DPRK troops in Russia,” adding that “what exactly they’re doing is left to be seen.” According to the secretary, Washington is trying to obtain additional information about the alleged deployment. However, he stressed that it would be a “serious issue” if North Korea intended “to participate in this war on Russia’s behalf.” Austin also would not say how many troops had allegedly arrived in the country, and where they were located. Read more North Korea calls Ukrainians ‘lunatics’ Last week, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky accused North Korea of having dispatched a military contingent to support Russian troops in the hostilities. On Monday, the same concerns were voiced by South Korea, which summoned the Russian ambassador to Seoul and “strongly called for the immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops and [to] stop relevant cooperation” with Pyongyang while threatening to “respond with every possible means” if this does not happen. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that North Korea is Russia’s “close neighbor… we are developing relations in all areas.” He added that the cooperation between the two “is our sovereign right, and no one should be worried, because cooperation is not directed against third countries… We see a lot of contradictory information,” he said, referring to Seoul’s accusations and the Pentagon’s claims that it was unable to confirm them at the time. North Korea has dismissed claims it has sent troops to Russia as “groundless and stereotype rumors,” adding that the accusations were aimed at “smearing the image of the DPRK and undermining the legitimate friendly and cooperative relations between sovereign states.”

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[l] at 10/23/24 4:50am
The North Korean leader has said his country must continue bolstering its strategic deterrent to counter the threat from the US North Korea must continue to build up its strategic missile arsenal due to the threat posed by US nuclear weapons, the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, has said. Tensions between North and South Korea, which have technically remained at war since 1953, have further escalated in recent months. Earlier in October, Pyongyang accused Seoul of deploying drones over its territory to drop propaganda leaflets. The South, which is one of the key US allies in the region, has repeatedly accused its northern neighbor of sending trash-filled hot air balloons across the border. Earlier this year, Kim proposed abandoning his country’s longstanding commitment to reunification, labeling the South a “principal enemy.” On Wednesday, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim, along with several other senior officials, had inspected strategic missile bases. The DPRK leader examined launch facilities, describing the rockets as a cornerstone of Pyongyang’s deterrence. He also stressed the importance of keeping the systems up to date. “The US strategic nuclear means pose an ever-increasing threat to the security environment of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and… warrant the bolstering of [its] deterrent,” Kim stated, as quoted by the KCNA. The North Korean leader insisted that Pyongyang’s missile forces should be able to “deal a strategic counterblow to the enemy at any time.” Read more South Korea needs nukes – Seoul mayor On Saturday, the KCNA reported that authorities had found fragments of what they described as a South Korean military drone on DPRK soil. The article warned that further violations of North Korean airspace would be “regarded as a grave military provocation… and a declaration of war and an immediate retaliatory attack will be launched.” Earlier last week, the state-run media outlet confirmed that the DPRK military had blown up 60-meter stretches of road and rail lines connecting North Korea to the South. The article quoted a representative of the Defense Ministry in Pyongyang as saying that “further measures will be taken to turn the blocked southern border into an eternal fortress.” Seoul has neither confirmed nor denied the alleged UAV flights. However, it has warned the neighboring state that it will see the “end of its regime” in case of an attack on the South.

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[l] at 10/23/24 4:24am
The facility in Rostock confirms Berlin’s intent to revise the results of World War II and remilitarize, the foreign ministry says The Russian Foreign Ministry has summoned the German ambassador to Moscow to protest against the establishment of a new NATO naval headquarters, which has primarily been tasked with attempting to counter Russia in the Baltic Sea. The controversial facility in Rostock, eastern Germany, was inaugurated on Monday by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. He described the Baltic Sea as a “corridor for trade, military mobility and energy security, and a possible front line of collective defense against evolving threats.” The region’s importance has increased due to “the ongoing Russian aggression in our immediate neighborhood,” Pistorius claimed.   In response to the announcement, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Ambassador Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, denouncing the move as part of Berlin’s “course towards a creeping revision of the results of the World War II and the militarization of the country.”  Berlin must provide an “immediate and comprehensive explanation,” Russian officials said, while drawing parallels to Adolf Hitler’s remilitarization of the Rhineland in 1936, widely seen as a prologue to World War II. Read more Russia is ‘our enemy’ – German spies “Washington, Brussels, and Berlin must be aware that the expansion of NATO’s military infrastructure into the territory of the former East Germany will have the most negative consequences and will not go without a response from the Russian side,” the Foreign Ministry warned. Officials in Moscow accused Germany of violating the 1990 Two Plus Four Agreement, which ushered in the reunification of the country and set the terms for the withdrawal of Soviet troops. The treaty also limited the presence of German forces in certain areas, particularly the eastern part of the country.   According to Pistorius, the new NATO Commander Task Force Baltic (CTF Baltic) – which will initially be led by a German admiral, with Polish and Swedish officers taking the positions of deputy and chief of staff respectively – will play a key role in fostering cooperation among the Baltic region’s navies, including rapid force deployment.   This summer, Germany and Lithuania also started the construction of a NATO military base on the border with Belarus, a key Russian ally, marking Berlin’s first permanent foreign military deployment since the end of WWII. A Sunday Times report last week also claimed that Germany and the UK plan to sign a defense agreement, paving the way for both nations to step up their military drills on Russia’s doorstep. Russia has repeatedly criticized NATO activities near its borders, noting that they have only contributed to soaring tensions amid the Ukraine conflict. President Vladimir Putin has denounced speculation that Moscow is planning to attack the US-led bloc as “nonsense,” pointing out that it has no military or geopolitical interest in doing so.

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