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[l] at 4/30/25 4:31am
The withdrawal of Southern African forces comes as M23 rebels take control of major cities and violence displaces thousands Troops from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have begun to leave eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), AFP reported on Tuesday, citing a regional official. The complete withdrawal of the military contingent is expected to be finalized by the end of June. The SADC, a bloc of 16 member states, announced in mid-March that it had ended the mandate and would start gradually withdrawing forces from its Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC). The SAMIDRC was deployed in December 2023 to support the Congolese army against rebel groups, including the M23 movement. However, the mission has faced significant challenges and at least 20 SADC peacekeepers, including Malawian, Tanzanian, and South African soldiers, have been killed. The withdrawal comes as M23 rebels have seized control of key cities in eastern DR Congo, including Goma and Bukavu. The offensive has resulted in thousands of deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.  Read more Colonial ghosts: The hidden hands behind Africa’s shadow conflicts The mineral-rich eastern region has experienced decades of violence, driven by the M23 and other armed groups fighting the authorities for power and minerals such as gold and diamonds. The Congolese government has repeatedly accused neighboring Rwanda of backing the militants – claims that Kigali denies. “The presence of SAMIDRC troops was always a complicating factor in the conflict, and today’s start of withdrawal marks a positive step in support of the ongoing peace process,” Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe said on X. While the current size of the deployment in the troubled Central African country is unknown, UN estimates suggest that about 1,300 SAMIDRC troops were dispatched out of the 5,000 approved. South Africa, which leads the mission, announced early last year that it would contribute 2,900 soldiers. READ MORE: African bloc ends military mission in DR Congo Since early 2025, at least 8,500 people, including children and peacekeepers, have been killed in escalating clashes between rebels and Congolese forces. 

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[l] at 4/30/25 4:17am
The proposal by the justice minister comes amid a series of attacks targeting prisons and guards across the country French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin has proposed making inmates pay for their prison time as part of a wider push to combat growing violence nationwide. The move follows a wave of violent incidents targeting prisons and guards across France earlier this month. In an interview with TF1 on Monday, Darmanin confirmed plans to “amend the law” to support a bill introduced in the National Assembly in March. The justice ministry estimates that maintaining the national prison system costs the state approximately €4 billion per year. Justifying the proposed measure, Darmanin pointed to historical precedent, stating that “until 2003, prisoners contributed to the cost of their incarceration,” and drew a comparison to healthcare costs, noting that “just as there is a fixed hospital charge, there was a fixed prison attendance charge.” France had inmate contribution policies in place until 2003, when they were scrapped during Jacques Chirac’s presidency. The proposal comes in response to a recent wave of violence directed at French prisons and correctional officers across the country during a two-week period in April. According to France’s national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office, a wave of coordinated assaults targeted at least ten prisons over five nights, with attackers using automatic weapons. In response, nearly 200 investigators have been deployed to identify those responsible. Earlier this week, police arrested 25 suspects in coordinated operations carried out across the country. Read more California mayor proposes tackling homelessness with fentanyl – media Both Darmanin and Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau have pointed to drug traffickers as the likely perpetrators, suggesting the assaults were retaliation for the government’s crackdown on gang leaders operating from behind bars. Darmanin posted an open letter on X on Monday, reaffirming his “total determination” to protect prison staff. “The absolutely unacceptable violence and threats committed against you [prison officers] and prisons in recent days have rightly shocked you,” he wrote. The letter detailed new measures aimed at ensuring prison guards’ anonymity and safety. Responsibility for the prison attacks has been claimed by a group calling itself the Defense of the Rights of French Prisoners (DDPF). The group has used its Telegram channel to circulate threats and propaganda videos aimed at correctional facilities and staff. Meanwhile, France has faced repeated condemnation from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) over the state of its prison system, with rulings highlighting issues such as overcrowding and inadequate living conditions. Despite these rulings, reports suggest that issues persist, with some prisons operating beyond capacity and lacking adequate facilities to ensure humane conditions for inmates.

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[l] at 4/30/25 4:00am
The cancelation comes in response to blowback from the White House, CNBC reports US online retailer Amazon has scrapped plans to display the cost of recent trade tariffs to customers, CNBC reported on Tuesday, citing the e-commerce giant. Media reports about the alleged plan sparked a heated response from Washington, where it was labeled “hostile.” Earlier in the day, Punchbowl News reported, citing a source familiar with Amazon’s plans, that the retailer would “soon” begin showing tariff costs alongside product prices. “This was never approved and is not going to happen,” Amazon spokesperson Tim Doyle told CNBC, clarifying that the company had merely “considered” listing import charges on certain items sold within Haul, a section of the platform which features ultra-low-cost products shipped directly from manufacturers in China. A source familiar with the matter told CNBC that Amazon had considered adding a separate line item to Haul products in response to US President Donald Trump’s move to eliminate the so-called de minimis trade loophole. This exemption, set to expire on May 2, currently allows duty-free imports of packages valued at under $800. The source emphasized that the plan was unrelated to Trump’s 145% tariff on Chinese imports. The initial report of Amazon’s alleged plan triggered a backlash from the White House. During a daily press briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the reported move a “hostile and political act.” Read more Apple to shift iPhone production to India — FT “Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?” Leavitt asked. According to a source cited by NBC News, Trump personally called Amazon founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos on Tuesday morning to express his indignation about the Punchbowl report. The president later told reporters that Bezos “was very nice, he was terrific” during the call and that “he solved the problem very quickly.” Earlier this month, Trump introduced sweeping tariffs on several countries, with Chinese goods facing duties of up to 145%. The president argued that the measure would help revive domestic manufacturing and correct a skewed trade balance. In response, Beijing has imposed its own tariffs and export restrictions.

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[l] at 4/30/25 3:58am
Russia’s envoy to the UN has called on Ukraine’s leader to honor his election pledges to bring peace Moscow has urged Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky to finally fulfill the promises that led to his landslide victory in the 2019 presidential election. The former actor rose to power pledging to bring peace between Ukraine and Russia, Vassily Nebenzia, Moscow’s envoy to the UN, reminded him. During a UN Security Council session on Tuesday, which focused on the Ukraine conflict, Nebenzia urged Zelensky to “finally honor the pledge made to Ukrainian voters back in 2019, which is to pursue peace with Russia and respect for the rights of the Russian-speaking population of his country.” Zelensky defeated the incumbent, President Pyotr Poroshenko, by vowing to ease tensions with ethnic Russian citizens who had rejected the government imposed after the 2014 armed coup in Kiev. However, his initial overtures for dialogue were met with threats of violence from radical nationalists, causing his administration to abandon its compromise agenda. Read more Ukraine could be ‘crushed very shortly’ – Trump The Ukrainian leader, who claims presidential power despite the expiration of his term last year, “needs to act in the interests of his country rather than for the benefit of those seeking to use Ukraine purely as a pawn in the geopolitical struggle waged against Russia,” Nebenzia said. The diplomat emphasized that Moscow’s demands include an end to anti-Russian discrimination. According to Nebenzia, Zelensky has repeatedly demonstrated unreliability while his nation now resorts to terrorist tactics in its military campaign against its neighbor, which are tacitly supported by Western nations. Nebenzia asserted that Zelensky currently “is concerned solely with saving his own skin and covering up the crimes that he has committed against his own people,” suggesting that these interests necessitate the continuation of hostilities rather than a peaceful resolution. The diplomat also accused Western nations of misrepresenting Kiev’s position as genuinely seeking a truce while falsely attributing warmongering motives to Moscow.

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[l] at 4/30/25 3:00am
The previous US president was “mentally incompetent” and ran the country into the ground, Karoline Leavitt has said Public trust in so-called legacy media has declined sharply due to its “cover-up” of the poor mental and physical state of former US President Joe Biden, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said. Throughout Biden’s time in office, Donald Trump and his allies repeatedly argued that he was unfit for the job – claims which were denied by the Biden administration and many in the media. Biden only faced serious pressure from within the Democratic Party and major campaign donors not to seek reelection after his disastrous debate performance against Trump last June, in which he appeared confused and struggled to finish his sentences. Biden withdrew from the race for the White House a month later, being replaced by Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost the November election to Trump. “Millions of Americans watched our mentally incompetent president [Biden] struggle with his day-to-day duties of this office. We watched our country be run into the ground as a result. And nobody in the media wanted to write about that,” Leavitt said during a White House briefing on Monday. Read more Media freedom deteriorating in EU – report The spokeswoman recalled how during Trump’s campaign her warnings about Biden’s “clear mental incompetence” led to her being “accused by people in this room [journalists] of manufacturing deepfake videos trying to persuade the public into not believing what they saw with their own eyes for many years.” “I think it is about time the legacy media finally admits that was one of the greatest cover-ups and scandals that ever took place in American history,” she insisted. Leavitt said that the reluctance to report on Biden’s actual physical and mental condition “certainly did contribute to the decline in the trust that Americans have for the legacy media.” A poll by Gallup earlier this year suggested that confidence in fair reporting of the news by US media has dropped to its lowest point in five decades. Only 31% of those surveyed said they trust the mainstream media “a great deal” or “a fair amount,” while 36% said they do not trust it “at all.”

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[l] at 4/30/25 2:49am
The Ukrainian leader has cautioned Russia to be wary about the safety of its May 9 celebrations Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has openly threatened to target the Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. Russia has announced a unilateral three-day ceasefire next week to coincide with the celebration commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Kiev has rebuked the move, instead demanding an immediate unconditional 30-day truce. On Tuesday, Zelensky described targeting Russian “pressure points” to push the country “towards diplomacy” as he reiterated the ceasefire call. “They are now concerned that their parade is in jeopardy and rightly so,” he remarked, referring to the event scheduled for May 9 in Red Square. “What they should worry about is that this war continues.” Zakharova reacted on social media on Wednesday, asking what kind of truce Kiev can offer, given that the Zelensky government “is literally planning terrorist attacks on air.” She added that boasting about such intentions “is exactly what typical terrorists do.” Read more Ukrainian MP issues post-war terror threat Officials in Kiev claim that the offer of a unilateral suspension of hostilities by Russia is “not real” and merely aims to pressure Ukrainian forces into granting their adversaries a respite during the Victory Day festivities. Ukrainian nationalist figures who were allied with Nazi Germany during World War II are treated as heroes by the current government. Those who commemorate Adolf Hitler’s defeat on May 9 — rather than May 8, as observed in Western Europe and the United States — face harassment in Ukraine for perceived disloyalty. The prospect of striking Red Square while President Vladimir Putin and foreign dignitaries observe the parade is being actively discussed in Ukrainian media. MP Roman Kostenko, secretary of the country’s parliamentary Defense Committee, stated in an interview on Tuesday that Kiev possesses the necessary weapon systems for such an operation, asserting that planning it “would not be difficult.” The same lawmaker recently suggested that if the two nations were to reach a peace agreement, Kiev’s secret services might embark on a decades-long campaign of assassinations against Russian officials.

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[l] at 4/30/25 2:31am
Islamic State fighters have reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack in Nigeria’s restive Borno region At least 26 people have been killed in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state after two vehicles struck an improvised explosive device in an attack claimed by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Reuters reported on Tuesday. The explosion occurred on Monday while the vehicles were traveling between the towns of Rann and Gamboru Ngala, according to local residents cited by the outlet. The area lies in the heart of a region plagued by over 15 years of Islamist insurgency involving Islamic State-affiliated organizations and Boko Haram. Liman Tom, a traveler who witnessed the incident, said the vehicles were severely damaged, adding that survivors were rushed to nearby hospitals by soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) – a local group assisting in anti-insurgent operations. A local whose mother was among the victims told Reuters that he “cannot even recognize her remains.” A security advisory from the International Safety Organization, which provides protection to foreign non-governmental organizations in the region, reportedly confirmed the blast. The group said the assault resulted in “the death of 26 individuals and three injuries.” READ MORE: Insurgents kill 22 people in Nigeria Police in the restive region have not yet commented on the attack, but a military officer who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity said that “26 people died in the blast, comprising 16 men, four women, and six children.” Read more Blood gold bonanza: Inside South Africa’s shadow mining empire where crime, corruption, and desperation strike it rich ISWAP emerged in 2016 after a split with Boko Haram, triggered by ideological and leadership disputes. Boko Haram’s leader at the time, Abubakar Shekau, was criticized by Islamic State’s central command for indiscriminate attacks on Muslim civilians. He was replaced by Abu Musab al-Barnawi, prompting a division between the factions. Violence linked to the insurgent groups has continued to destabilize the West African nation’s northeast, displacing millions and claiming thousands of lives. The latest incident follows separate attacks over the weekend in Borno and Adamawa states, which left at least 22 people dead. In Borno’s Gwoza area, ten civilians were ambushed while collecting firewood, authorities have said. Another ten were killed in Adamawa’s Hong district during a raid on Kopre village. Police in Adamawa announced on Monday that security reinforcements have been deployed to the affected areas.

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[l] at 4/30/25 1:31am
The US president said Putin wasn’t able to completely take over the country due to his victory against Harris US President Donald Trump believes that his leadership is the sole reason why Russia has not taken control of Ukraine. In an interview with ABC News on Tuesday, Trump suggested that Putin viewed Ukraine as “the apple of his eye” and intended to seize the entire country, but never had the chance to accomplish the task due to his election victory over Kamala Harris in November. “I think if I didn't win the election, he would have gotten all of Ukraine. I think he would have taken all of Ukraine,” the US president said. Trump said the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 – which he blamed on the actions of a “group of losers” in the administration of former President Joe Biden – gave Putin the opening he needed when it came to Ukraine. Read more Most Ukrainians don’t trust Trump – poll “He saw what happened in Afghanistan. He said, ‘Wow, this is my chance,’” he noted. “It was one of the greatest embarrassments of — of our lifetimes but maybe in the history of our country.” When asked whether he believes Putin wants peace, Trump responded in the affirmative. He then added, “Let’s say, he respects me. And I believe because of me he’s not gonna take over the whole [Ukraine] – but his decision, his choice would be to take over all of Ukraine.” Meanwhile, Trump refused to answer whether the US would cut off military aid to Ukraine if no peace deal is reached. “I want to leave that as a big, fat secret, because I don't want to ruin a negotiation,” he explained. Trump’s comments came after he suggested on Monday that Ukraine would be “crushed very shortly” in the face of pressure from Russia, which he called “a big war machine.”  The US president’s remarks come as Washington and Moscow continue direct talks aimed at reaching a negotiated end to the Ukraine conflict, with both sides praising the engagement as productive. According to multiple media reports, a peace agreement proposed by Washington includes US recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea, as well as a “freezing” the conflict along the current front line and acknowledgment of Moscow’s control over large parts of the four former Ukrainian regions which voted to join Russia. The deal would also reportedly prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and initiate a phased removal of sanctions imposed on Russia. While Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has consistently ruled out any territorial concessions to Moscow, Trump suggested that he was willing to give up Kiev’s claim to Crimea, which voted to become part of Russia in 2014.

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[l] at 4/29/25 9:48pm
The US president has refused to blame Russia and provide security guarantees to Kiev Nearly 90% of Ukrainians don’t have faith in Donald Trump, according to a new poll released to mark the US president’s first 100 days back in office. The survey, conducted by Info Sapiens for the Kiev-based New Europe Center (NEC) and published on Monday, suggests that 89% of Ukrainians said they don’t trust Trump, while only 7.4% said the opposite. A similar poll in November 2024, before Trump was sworn in for his second term, indicated that 44.6% of Ukrainians said they trusted Trump, compared to 47.2% who didn’t. The NEC attributed Trump’s “relatively high score” at the time to the “general disappointment with the hesitant policy of Joe Biden’s administration toward supporting Ukraine,” as well as Trump’s campaign promise to quickly negotiate a peace deal between Kiev and Moscow. Trust in the US president has since plummeted in Ukraine because his strategy “at times, seemed more in line with Russia’s revanchist vision than with international law,” the NEC said. Read more Ukraine could be ‘crushed very shortly’ – Trump While Trump has criticized both Russia and Ukraine, he blamed Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky for the conflict. Their meeting in the Oval Office in February descended into a shouting match, during which Trump and US Vice President J.D. Vance accused Zelensky of being ungrateful for American aid and “gambling with World War III.” Trump has declined to offer security guarantees to Ukraine, instead pressuring Kiev to sign a deal that would allow the US to profit from the country’s natural resources. The peace agreement proposed by Washington reportedly includes US recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea, freezing the conflict along the current front line, and acknowledging Moscow’s control over large parts of the four former Ukrainian regions that voted to join Russia. The deal would also reportedly prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and initiate a phased removal of sanctions imposed on Russia. Moscow has said that a viable peace can only be achieved if Ukraine abandons its territorial claims and drops plans to join NATO – something Kiev has refused to do.

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[l] at 4/29/25 7:54pm
The bloc will have to focus on its own defense, the head of the EC has said The European Union must be prepared to take responsibility for its own defense, as the United States is gradually stepping back from its security commitments, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said. Her remarks signaled that the bloc should strengthen its military capabilities amid growing tensions with US President Donald Trump. “The threat posed by Russia will not go away, and we know that the American focus will increasingly shift towards other regions. So, there is no doubt, peace in Europe requires that we take much greater responsibility for our own defense,” von der Leyen said in a speech at the European People’s Party congress in Valencia, Spain, on Tuesday. In March, von der Leyen unveiled a plan to raise €800 billion ($910 billion) to “rearm” the EU, as several member states look for ways to reduce reliance on US-led security arrangements. Read more Global military spending in largest surge since Cold War – report Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor-designate, said in February that Berlin must “gradually achieve independence from the US.” French President Emmanuel Macron, who has long argued that the EU can no longer outsource its defense to Washington, has expressed openness to extending France’s nuclear umbrella to cover Germany and other EU members. Trump has called on NATO members in Europe to contribute “a fair share” to collective defense. He has also refused to offer security guarantees to Ukraine or commit US troops to a potential peacekeeping mission. Moscow has warned that the EU’s military buildup will only escalate tensions. In an interview with TASS published on Tuesday, Nikolay Patrushev, a security adviser to President Vladimir Putin, accused Western countries of “deploying their military machine against Russia and becoming delirious with nuclear apocalypse scenarios.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov argued in March that the EU is willing to “sacrifice” its own economy “only to achieve the ideological goal of ‘defeating’ Russia.”

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[l] at 4/29/25 5:06pm
The US president says he has “no preference” among candidates to succeed the late pontiff US President Donald Trump has joked that he would like to become the next head of the Catholic Church when asked about potential successors to the late Pope Francis. “I’d like to be pope. That would be my number one choice,” the president quipped, before adding that he had “no preference” in the matter. Trump went on to say, “We have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York, who is very good.” He did not clarify whom he was referring to. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York since 2009, was elevated to the College of Cardinals in 2012. Reporter: Who do you want to be the next Pope?Trump: “Id like to be Pope. Thatd be my number one choice.”? pic.twitter.com/gTIUBhXjMG— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) April 29, 2025 Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88 on April 21, a day after greeting worshippers during Easter Sunday Mass at St. Peter’s Square. Trump attended the pontiff’s funeral  at the Vatican along with other world leaders. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Francis was elected pope in March 2013, becoming the first Jesuit and the first Latin American to lead the Catholic Church. A conclave of 135 cardinals is set to convene at the Vatican on May 7 to elect his successor.

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[l] at 4/29/25 3:43pm
Tensions rise have risen since last week’s deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir Pakistan has alleged that India is planning a military strike on its territory, signaling a further escalation in tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. “Pakistan has credible intelligence that India intends to launch a military strike within the next 24 to 36 hours, using the Pahalgam incident as a false pretext,” Islamabad's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar wrote on X on Tuesday evening. “Any act of aggression will be met with a decisive response. India will be fully responsible for any serious consequences in the region,” Tarar added. His statement came after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave his country’s armed forces “full operational freedom” to determine the mode, targets, and timing of a response to the recent terrorist attack in India’s Jammu and Kashmir union territory, which left 26 people dead, mostly tourists. New Delhi has linked the terrorist attack to Pakistan, reiterating long-standing accusations that its neighbor supports cross-border terrorism and insurgencies.  Islamabad has denied the allegations and, in turn, accused India of backing “terrorist networks” operating on Pakistani soil. The two countries have a long-standing dispute over the Kashmir region, which is de facto divided by the Line of Control established after the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. Read more A decades-old deal is falling apart – and two nuclear neighbors are involved On April 22, terrorists opened fire on a group of people in Pahalgam, in the northern part of Jammu and Kashmir. The Resistance Front, believed to be an offshoot of the Pakistan-based jihadist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for the attack. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to punish “the terrorists and their backers.” Indian media reported on Tuesday that four anti-terror operations were underway in Jammu and Kashmir. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif suggested that the Pahalgam attack was a false flag operation staged by India. In response, New Delhi’s Deputy Envoy to the United Nations, Yojna Patel, condemned Islamabad for making what she called “baseless allegations against India.”

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[l] at 4/29/25 3:17pm
Steve Witkoff met the Russian president last week in the latest round of diplomacy on the Ukraine conflict US special envoy Steve Witkoff sought to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire last week that would halt fighting in the Ukraine conflict along the current frontlines, Bloomberg has reported, citing sources. Putin maintained a firm stance during the lengthy meeting, the sources said. The discussions on Friday marked the latest in a series of contacts between Moscow and Washington in recent months. Witkoff, seen as a key figure in kickstarting negotiations on the Ukraine conflict, has held multiple rounds of talks with senior Russian officials, including at least three meetings with Putin. People familiar with the process told Bloomberg on Tuesday that Putin insisted any viable peace deal must include formal recognition of the four former Ukrainian regions that joined Russia after referendums in 2022. Moscow has long said it is open to negotiations but maintains that the status of Crimea – which joined Russia in 2014 – and the four other regions is not up for discussion.  Moscow insists that recognition of the “reality on the ground” is vital for a lasting peace. Read more Putin-Witkoff talks ‘constructive’ – Russian presidential aide Last week, Axios reported that Washington had presented Kiev with what US President Donald Trump described as a “final offer” to end the conflict. Under the proposal, the US is said to be prepared to grant “de jure” recognition of Crimea as part of Russia, and unofficially acknowledge Moscow’s “de facto” control over the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics, as well as the regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye. Vladimir Zelensky’s subsequent declaration that Kiev would never recognize Crimea as Russian prompted a warning from Trump that he risked losing his whole country if he continued stalling talks with Moscow. Trump, who met with the Ukrainian leader on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican on Saturday, was later asked by journalists if Zelensky was now prepared to “give up” the peninsula. “Oh, I think so, yeah,” he replied. One source told Bloomberg that negotiations have stalled for now and that progress would likely require direct contact between Putin and Trump. The two leaders held a two-hour phone call in March, during which they reaffirmed their commitment to achieving a “lasting peace” rather than a temporary solution to the Ukraine conflict.  Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier this month that a Putin-Trump meeting “will take place” but only “at the appropriate time.”

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[l] at 4/29/25 3:07pm
The upcoming Australian election will be an illustration of how most Western elections will play out in the near future Australian voters go to the polls next Saturday – voting in this country is compulsory, unlike in most Western democracies – but this is not a task that the electorate is looking forward to with any degree of enthusiasm, let alone optimism. The choice that confronts the electorate is a bleak one – one commentator has fittingly described this election as “the most dismal in decades.” Serious policy debate has been non-existent, with both leaders happy to offer meagre handouts to voters – an electricity price reduction from Prime Minister Albanese and a petrol price reduction from Conservative opposition leader Peter Dutton.     The first term Albanese Labor government has, from any rational viewpoint, proved to be a rank failure and does not deserve to be re-elected – and any competent opposition leader should have been able to win this election easily and dispatch Labor to the opposition benches. Cost-of-living pressures have increased exponentially over the past three years – energy and food prices have skyrocketed, and house prices and rents in the major cities are now far beyond what ordinary wage earners in this country can afford to pay. This, according to every poll, is the major issue troubling voters – and the Albanese government has done absolutely nothing to alleviate it. Australian voters intuitively know, even if they are reluctant to admit it, that both the incumbent Labor government and the Conservative Liberal/National party opposition are incapable of alleviating the cost-of-living crisis. In fact, during the election campaign, both leaders have been reduced to telling outright lies (for example, that heavily subsidized renewable energy projects lead to lower energy prices) about how they will solve the crisis. The electorate’s escalating disenchantment with both major parties should come as no surprise to either Albanese or Dutton. Read more Anti-Trump Liberals win elections in Canada As yet, however, no political alternative has emerged that offers voters a way out (no matter how illusory) of this seemingly intractable impasse. Australia, in this respect, appears to be a decade or so behind Donald Trump’s America, Nigel Farage’s UK and Marine Le Pen’s France.    Both major parties in Australia are firmly committed to policies that favor the ruling global elites – with the result that the gap between the economic ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ will only grow wider in the future as the cost-of-living crisis intensifies. This is hardly surprising, given that Australia has always been a colonial political and economic satrap state of both the UK and the US. So dependent still is Australia on these waning and decrepit colonial empires – they differ only in the way they enforce their respective colonial hegemonies – that our current head of state is King Charles III, and our economic overlords remain, in the apt words of Woody Guthrie, the “money grubbing racket boys” of Wall Street. What then are we to make of next week’s election? If almost all recent polls are to be believed, the inept Albanese Labor government appears to be on track to be re-elected with an increased majority. How is this altogether surprising state of affairs to be explained? It cannot be explained by the “achievements” of the Albanese government because, as intelligent Labor supporters know, there have been no achievements. Nor can it be explained by Albanese’s political skills or charisma – he is completely lacking in both – although perhaps his dogged blandness and non-threatening demeanor appeal to some voters. Nor can it be explained by opposition leader Peter Dutton’s gross political incompetence, his brief flirtation with Trump that backfired disastrously when tariffs were imposed and the stock market crashed (Canada’s Liberal leader did not make this mistake), or the fact that he has run probably the worst election campaign in Australian political history. Read more US liberals changing attitudes on free trade – poll The answer lies rather in the inability of the conservative opposition to formulate an effective alternative political agenda to that of the Labor party – and this failure arises not from Dutton’s manifold personal shortcomings, but from the fundamental ideological division at the heart of all mainstream conservative parties in the West. A deep-seated ideological division has emerged over the past few decades within these parties: between those adhering to traditional middle-class values (individual autonomy, individual rights, the rule of law, a traditional definition of the family, etc.) and those that have embraced the newer woke ideologies of the emerging global elites  (catastrophic climate change, identity politics, DEI, transgender rights, etc).  This division has both economic and cultural aspects, and in the UK it was intensified by the Brexit referendum. This ideological division has caused serious ongoing instability within all mainstream conservative parties in the West – in Australia and the UK, for example, these parties have been characterized by endless leadership coups that eventually led voters to throw them out of office in recent years. One important consequence of this ideological division is that mainstream conservative parties cannot wholeheartedly and openly attack woke global ideologies with any degree of vigor  – because many of their politicians and supporters firmly subscribe to such views. It is this issue that has crippled Dutton’s election campaign. The Murdoch press and other conservative commentators have constantly urged Dutton to come out and explicitly attack dominant woke ideologies – that is, to adopt a fully-fledged Trump-like populist political agenda. Dutton, however, has refused to do so – because it is simply impossible for him to do so within the framework of the mainstream conservative political party that he so tenuously leads. If he tried to, he would alienate a large segment of his own party as well as a sizable component of conservative voters – thereby causing the coalition parties to split. More importantly, no traditional mainstream political party that is serious about winning an election can at present afford to openly attack dominant global ideologies – a majority of voters adhere to them, and no mainstream party can win office if it alienates a significant segment of these voters. Read more Here’s why the AfD is destined for the German government Dutton, therefore, has found himself in an impossible position.   This was graphically illustrated in one of the recent televised debates, when a journalist asked Dutton if he believed in climate change. Dutton responded by saying “I will leave that to the scientists” – notwithstanding that the opposition is committed to the Paris accords and net zero. This non-answer, of course, pleased no one. It alienated those conservative and undecided voters who firmly believe in climate change ideology – but it also alienated those conservative voters who believe that the climate change ideology has had lasting and pernicious economic effects. In refusing to take a firm stand on this key issue, Dutton appears to stand for nothing. Does he really think that disgruntled voters who cannot afford to pay their electricity bills believe that climate change is just a matter for the scientists?  It must surely be obvious to Dutton that, in order to win over those disaffected voters who have been left behind by globalization and who are being increasingly marginalized by the cost-of-living crisis, he has to openly attack dominant woke ideologies like catastrophic climate change – because it is precisely these voters who completely reject, for very sound economic and cultural reasons, such elite doctrines. This, however, is Dutton’s dilemma – in order to differentiate the opposition from Labor and attract the increasing number of disaffected voters, Dutton is obliged to openly attack dominant woke ideologies, but, as the leader of a mainstream conservative party, he simply cannot do so.  Dutton’s dilemma is also UK opposition leader Kemi Badenoch’s dilemma – and it is a dilemma that right-wing commentators who urge mainstream conservative party leaders to miraculously transform themselves into Trump-like populists utterly fail to understand. These commentators also fail to appreciate that, apart from the difficulties described above, two further insurmountable problems face conservative leaders seeking to instantly morph into populists – they would have to adopt an isolationist foreign policy stance, and they would have to at least pretend to represent the interests of the displaced working class. Read more Le Pen’s verdict exposes Western Europe’s dangerous trend Dutton – just like Badenoch – is, however, a fervent Cold War warrior (fiercely anti-Russian and anti-Chinese) and a supporter of the Zelensky regime in Ukraine, as well as being a strident opponent of moderate trade union demands (he even consistently opposes basic wage increases). Trump, of course, can readily promise to end the conflict in Ukraine and accept endorsement from the head of the Teamsters Union – policy stances utterly impossible for a conservative leader like Dutton to even contemplate. If the above analysis is correct, and, as nearly all the polls predict, Dutton loses next week’s election, it follows that the conservative coalition in Australia will have no viable long-term future – in much the same way that the UK Conservative party appears to be doomed to political oblivion in the near future. This week’s local elections in the UK will be an important indicator of that party’s fate. If the Albanese government is returned to office with a majority, as seems likely, Dutton will no doubt be deposed as leader, but in fairness to Dutton, his shadow cabinet colleagues – who he has wisely kept hidden away during the election campaign – are all far less competent politicians than he is. There is, of course, an alternative scenario – one that mirrors the recent emergence of populist parties in other Western democracies – namely that the coalition parties will split and the right-wing segments of the Liberal and National parties will coalesce to form a new, genuinely populist party with a radically different political program. Read more Western Europe waging ‘quiet war’ against Trump – Medvedev This is a distinct possibility – although it may take some time to eventuate and would involve a significant amount of blood-letting and political disruption. A new populist party would face a revitalized Labor party – energized by winning an election under an uninspiring leader that it did not deserve to win – but still firmly committed to elite ideologies and programs that can only deepen the cost-of-living crisis that continues to brutally divide Australia. If the conservative coalition’s dilemma is that it cannot attack elite ideologies and programs, the Labor party’s dilemma (much like that of the Democratic party in America and the UK Labour party) is that it is firmly and irretrievably committed to them. Whatever the consequences of next Saturday’s election it is safe to predict that the chronic ongoing instability that has characterized Australian politics for the past few decades – and politics in the West more generally – will only intensify. In that sense nothing much will change – and there is a more fundamental historical continuity in the Australian context at work here. In 1964, Donald Horne, a prominent Australian intellectual, wrote a book titled “The Lucky Country” in which he described Australia as follows: “Australia is a lucky country ruled mainly by second-rate people… It lives on other people’s ideas, and although its ordinary people are adaptable, most of its leaders… lack curiosity about the events that surround them.” Horne could easily have been writing about Dutton and Albanese and next Saturday’s federal election.

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[l] at 4/29/25 3:07pm
Tensions between the two superpowers reached Cold War heights during the Ukraine conflict, the director has said There was a point during the last three years of the Ukraine conflict where Russia and the US were teetering on the edge of nuclear war, according to acclaimed filmmaker Oliver Stone. Speaking to Russian students at the ‘Knowledge.First’ event in Moscow on Tuesday, Stone spoke out against the US role in the Ukraine conflict, as well as its biased coverage in Western media. The Hollywood legend suggested that over the past three years, Moscow and Washington have relived the Cold War spike in tensions that previously culminated in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, and said he hoped a corresponding wind-down would follow. The United States and the Soviet Union came close to a nuclear confrontation during the Cold War after the USSR positioned medium-range ballistic missiles in Cuba, partly in response to the earlier deployment of American nukes in Turkey. Read more Biden may start ‘World War III’ – Oliver Stone ”I want to emphasize to you students how very close we came to World War III because of this awful leadership,” he said. ”We bring a great waste of our resources, and the height of this futility was a war which [former US President Joe] Biden recently dedicated to weakening Russia,” Stone said. “It is a retrograde war.” Western media coverage of the conflict and Russia has shocked him during the past three years, the director admitted. ”Even at the height of the Cold War, we didn’t treat Russia like this,” he said. Whereas now, the media has trained people in the West to equate Russia with President Vladimir Putin, Stone added. This is a tragic substitution of hatred for intelligence. “The propaganda state in the West is an incredible empire. Far further and stronger than I ever imagined. You are unable to see the inside of the matrix,” he said. Straight out of the works of George Orwell. While the anti-war filmmaker has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, he has criticized Biden and the US “neoconservative movement” for the Ukraine conflict. Stone produced the 2016 documentary ‘Ukraine on Fire’ showing the role Washington played in the 2014 Maidan coup that overthrew Kiev’s democratically-elected president Viktor Yanukovich.

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[l] at 4/29/25 2:53pm
Companies have reportedly scaled down NYC Pride sponsorships over political pressure and economic concerns Major corporations have reduced their support for New York City Pride events in 2025, the Wall Street Journal has reported. Companies are reportedly reassessing their LGBTQ sponsorships under mounting political pressure and economic concerns. Financial services giant Mastercard has confirmed it will not renew its platinum-level sponsorship of the city’s annual LGBTQ march. However, the company said it will still participate in the June parade and other events despite the cutback. “Mastercard is a longstanding supporter of the many communities of which our employees are members, including the LGBTQIA+ community globally,” the WSJ quoted a company spokeswoman as saying. PepsiCo, Nissan, Citi, and PricewaterhouseCoopers have also opted not to renew their corporate sponsorships this year, according to the outlet. However, many companies are not withdrawing entirely, the article adds, with some maintaining a paid presence through branded booths or supporting smaller Pride events. Nissan’s move was part of a broader review of marketing and sales spending, a company spokesman told the WSJ. Other Pride events such as those in St. Louis and San Francisco are reportedly losing key sponsors like alcoholic beverage companies Anheuser-Busch InBev and Diageo, though the latter will continue sponsorships through its Smirnoff brand. Read more Apple facing ‘gay propaganda’ probe – TASS Eve Keller, co-president of the United States Association of Prides, attributed the pullback to “multilayered” factors including political pressure on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and economic uncertainty driven by recent tariff announcements by US President Donald Trump. Keller told the Journal that fear of political backlash has even led some companies to request removal of their logos from official Pride materials. Changes to NYC Pride’s sponsor packages, which no longer include access to certain marketing events, also contributed to some companies’ decisions not to renew, sources familiar with the matter told the newspaper. A recent survey by Gravity Research found that nearly 40% of executives plan to reduce their Pride-related activities this year, up sharply from 9% last year. Concerns about potential DEI investigations by the federal government have been cited as the primary reason for the cancellations, followed by potential backlash from conservative activists and consumers, according to the survey. Despite the shifting landscape, two-thirds of last year’s NYC Pride sponsors have recommitted for 2025, according to the WSJ. Target, which faced boycotts last year, will reportedly reaffirm its support and return as a platinum sponsor.

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[l] at 4/29/25 2:40pm
The bloc’s attempts to belittle the Soviet role in the victory over Nazism are a “disgrace,” the filmmaker has told RT Attempts by EU elites to diminish the significance of the USSR’s contribution to the victory over Nazism are a “perversion of history,” Oscar-winning American movie director Oliver Stone has told RT ahead of World War II Victory Day celebrations in Russia. The bloc’s “elitist leadership” has distorted the message that World War II provides to humanity, the filmmaker has said. “I’m shocked by it, by [what] is happening,” he stated, calling it “a shame” and “a disgrace that we forgot or pretend to [have forgotten]” about the sacrifices the Soviet Union made during the war. Stone also said he did not believe people in Europe “buy this at all.” “I think the people don’t agree with the government,” Stone maintained, going on to say that “the futility of this campaign against Russia by the EU” is obvious to “anybody, who reads history [books] and is intelligent.” The director of ‘Platoon’ and ‘JFK’ expressed his doubts that “fascism is popular” nowadays and stated instead that European elites had lost their way because of their “worship of the EU.” “We are not back to the times of Hitler, but what is happening is a loss of perspective and we need to get back to a sense of reason,” Stone told RT as he called on Western leaders to “listen to the Russians” instead of antagonizing them. He also expressed his hope that the US and Russia would manage to mend their relationship, opening the way to a better future for humanity. “Russia and the United States are a great partnership, as is China, by the way, and I think we could have a world that is much safer… if we all get together and realize that it’s a multilateral world.” Read more Hollywood legend Oliver Stone blasts ‘Russiagate lies’ US President Donald Trump’s administration has been engaged in efforts to restore bilateral ties with Russia and resolve the Ukraine conflict. On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that America now has a “better” understanding of the Russian position on the crisis. Moscow’s key conditions for ending the conflict are Ukraine’s neutrality, demilitarization, and recognition of the new territorial reality on the ground. Last week, Trump also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin was easier to deal with than Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky. Russian officials maintain they have always been ready to engage in peace talks, provided the discussions aim for a permanent solution that addresses the root causes of the conflict. Moscow has rejected any temporary agreement, explaining that it could be used by Kiev and its backers to rearm the Ukrainian military.

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[l] at 4/29/25 2:02pm
The man has been found guilty of treason and terrorism after sending poisoned cake and alcohol to an anniversary event A Russian court has sentenced a man recruited by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) to 27 years in prison for attempting to poison graduates of a military aviation school, multiple media outlets have reported. The incident took place in October 2023 in Russia’s southern city of Armavir, where former cadets of the Higher Military Aviation School were celebrating the 20th anniversary of their graduation. On Tuesday, the Southern District Military Court reportedly found Yegor Semyonov guilty of treason and terrorism. The first five years of his sentence are to be served in prison, with the remainder in a high-security penal colony. According to the investigation, Semyonov, a native of Ukraine, moved to Russia in 2018 and acquired Russian citizenship in 2022. Shortly afterward, he contacted the SBU and offered to cooperate. Acting on instructions from Ukrainian handlers in late 2023, he apparently traveled to Armavir, purchased over 100 bottles of alcohol, and ordered a large cake decorated with the aviation school’s emblem. A courier delivered the items to the restaurant where 77 guests were attending the banquet. The courier claimed the gift was from a former student who could not attend. Guests cut the cake but did not eat it, reportedly alarmed by a strong chemical smell. Military officers alerted the Federal Security Service (FSB), which quickly traced the delivery to Semyonov. Read more Ukrainian MP issues post-war terror threat He was detained at a local airport trying to board a flight to Moscow. According to investigators, he had planned to flee to Egypt with his family but never received the 400,000 rubles (over $4,000) allegedly promised by his handlers. In court, he pleaded guilty. Prosecutors, who had sought a life sentence, said they would appeal the ruling. Kiev’s intelligence services have tried to use toxic chemicals to carry out attacks inside Russia before since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict. The FSB has reported multiple foiled sabotage plots involving toxic substances. In January, officials said they disrupted a plan to target staff at a defense industry facility in the city of Yaroslavl. In another case, four people were arrested in St. Petersburg for allegedly planning to poison food prepared by volunteers for Russian troops. Moscow has repeatedly accused Kiev of using terrorist tactics, citing targeted assassinations of civilians and covert operations carried out by Ukraine’s intelligence services in an effort to derail peace negotiations.

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[l] at 4/29/25 1:20pm
Some blacklisted tankers are reportedly back in operation due to US President Donald Trump’s approach to sanctions Russia’s oil exports have been on the rise for the past two weeks as several tankers that were sanctioned under the previous US administration have resumed hauling Russian crude, Bloomberg has reported, citing vessel-tracking data. Western countries have placed restrictions on Russian vessels seeking to reduce Moscow’s oil revenues amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict.  The outlet cited US President Donald Trump’s refraining from imposing additional sanctions as the reason several of the vessels sanctioned under former President Joe Biden are back in operation. “At least 18 of the 39 ships blacklisted by the US in 2023 and 2024 are now regularly hauling barrels from Russia’s ports, having previously been idle since they were sanctioned,” Bloomberg wrote on Tuesday. Last year, the US and the European Union sanctioned Sovcomflot, Russia’s largest state-owned shipping company, along with 14 of its crude oil tankers. Washington and Brussels have also targeted Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, a network of older tankers used to circumvent the restrictions. Read more Russian finance minister issues budget warning Since assuming office in January, US President Donald Trump has been actively involved in diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire between Moscow and Kiev. His approach to sanctions has also been more restrained compared to the previous administration. While Trump has publicly threatened to impose additional “large-scale” or secondary sanctions on Russia if it does not agree to a peace deal, he has also floated the possibility of easing certain restrictions as part of negotiations. Bloomberg also noted that Russia’s income from oil exports was little changed at about $1.3 billion a week, which suggests that higher flows were offset by lower prices. Crude prices have been declining in recent weeks due to increased supply and economic uncertainty. READ MORE: Trump tariff shock sends oil to four-year low Before the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, nearly half of Russian crude exports were destined for European countries. By 2024, that share plummeted to 10% due to EU bans. Russia redirected its supply to China and India, which accounted for 87% of Russian crude exports in 2024, up from 35% pre-conflict, according to figures from Oxford Analytica.

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[l] at 4/29/25 12:45pm
Participants from several countries discussed rising centers of global economic influence and the growing role of BRICS in the world A presentation of the open dialogue “The Future of the World. A New Platform for Global Growth” has taken place at the National Centre RUSSIA in Moscow. The central topic of discussion was the formation of new centers of influence in the global economy and the strengthening of BRICS’ role in this process. “BRICS is not about uniting countries against someone – we unite for the sake of the future. For moving forward. For the common good. And in our system, no one makes decisions alone. The key principle is consensus. This is true diplomacy of the future,” emphasized Maxim Oreshkin, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration of Russia. A similar viewpoint was expressed by American economist and Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs. According to him, multipolarity implies the existence of many centers of influence; therefore, creating platforms for comprehensive interaction is an extremely important task. Read more Open Dialogue on the Future of the Global Economy launched at the National Centre RUSSIA “We do not want one country imposing cultural values on others. We need many religions, value systems, and cultures,” Sachs stressed. The day before, on the opening day of the open dialogue, the best essays were selected on the topics of investment in people, technology, environment, and connectivity. The organizers received nearly 700 essays written by authors from 102 countries in 18 languages. Participants of the initiative were invited to share their ideas on how long-term global changes could impact people’s lives and well-being. The open dialogue “The Future of the World. A New Platform for Global Growth” is taking place at the the National Centre RUSSIA from April 28 to 30, with delegates from 48 countries participating.

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[l] at 4/29/25 12:26pm
News organizations are increasingly controlled by wealthy owners or governments, the Liberties group has said Media freedom is deteriorating in a number of EU countries, according to a recent report by the Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties). The group has claimed that pluralism and freedom of speech are “under attack” as media companies become increasingly controlled by governments and wealthy owners. In the Media Freedom 2025 report, the authors have outlined a range of pressures facing journalists and independent outlets, including legal and physical threats, declining ownership transparency, and political interference in public broadcasting. The group has warned that these factors have had a significant impact on the work of the media, limiting the diversity of opinions and the independence of publications, reducing public trust in content. Liberties has identified Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, Croatia, France, Hungary, Slovakia and Spain as among the EU member states where the situation is most alarming. According to the report, public broadcasters in several of these countries are routinely manipulated by political interests, and legal protections for media workers remain weak or poorly enforced. The group also recorded at least 156 physical or verbal attacks on journalists in 2024, including cases of police intimidation and criminal defamation charges. In some states, the report notes, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) are still being used to silence critical reporting, despite the EU’s recent efforts to curb their abuse. Read more EU denies Russian news agency accreditation Liberties also noted that Russian and Belarusian journalists working in the bloc have repeatedly faced threats and harassment and become targets of spyware, raising concerns over their safety and what effect it could be having on their work. Earlier this month, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported that the EU had denied its journalists accreditation for 2025, citing sanctions regulations. The outlet has appealed the decision, referencing the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and earlier EU statements that had assured journalistic activity would not be restricted. The rejection follows a broader crackdown on Russian media in the EU since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. The European Council has banned Russian outlets such as RT, Sputnik and RIA across the bloc. In its 16th sanctions package adopted this February, the bloc also added eight more Russian news outlets to the blacklist, including Lenta.ru and the Zvezda TV channel. Russian officials have repeatedly condemned the bans, arguing EU officials are afraid of people seeing a viewpoint that differs from the Western mainstream narrative and drawing their own conclusions about current events.

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