RT News - January 23rd 2023

In Kherson, residential only regions have been shelled again by Ukrainian forces, leaving one dead, one wounded and several residential buildings destroyed. Locals talk about their personal devastation and wonder what to do next as the shelling is an ongoing, daily occurrence.
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Modern warfare bullseye: RT finds out how elite Russian snipers from the 'Viking' group are aiming to be one step ahead of the realities of modern warfare. Graphic images. Murad Gazdiev is at the front line.
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Africa: Russia's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov is in South Africa and due to sit down for talks with both his counterpart and the country's president.
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Africa: Burkina Faso gives French troops one month to leave the country as locals say Paris isn't actually trying to help Africans there. Locals have rallied to support the ultimatum and protests against the French presence has been going on for several months (catch up with posts on this channel or at RT.com ) Ouezen Louis-Oulon reports.
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Africa: In Somalia (Mogadishu) 6 Al-Qaeda linked terrorists made an assault on the government building. 5 civilians were killed along with the terrorists,
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Hundreds of protesters were outside the Swedish Embassy protesting the resent burning of the Koran in Stockholm. Ankara condemns Stockholm over the public burning of the Koran by a Swedish politician as Türkiye remains the only country blocking Sweden from joining NATO. RT talks to some of the protesters to find out more.
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The Taliban twitter account has had it's verification check-mark removed but it's bought some blue "tweet things" to go on it's previously verified account which have many followers. The BBC isn't keen on people having blue accounts.
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Western press is paying a great deal of attention to the Wagner Group, Russia's private military company (PMC) after their successes of the past weeks. Marina Kosareva talks about "The Orchestra" and their secrets of success on the battlefield.
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A) --- Moscow warns West of ‘global tragedy’
1) --- Ex-Russian president predicts new anti-US military alliance
2) --- US lawmaker proposes ‘just one’ Abrams tank for Ukraine
3) --- European state's neutrality failing amid NATO proxy war – ex-leader
4) --- Gamers leak US fighter jet secrets
5) --- NATO nation denies involvement in Crimean Bridge attack
6) --- The Davos establishment reveals whom it truly fears (OP-ED - Rachel Marsden)
7) --- Democrats chide Biden over classified documents
8) --- *** AOC heckled over Ukraine weapons *** GIVE US PEACE
9) --- Netanyahu fires cabinet minister after court ruling
10) --- Iconic tourist site closed due to violent unrest

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22 Jan, 2023 11:08

A) --- Moscow warns West of ‘global tragedy’

Should its territory be threatened, Russia will retaliate with “more powerful weapons,” the Duma speaker has said

A “global tragedy” could be in store for humanity if the West keeps supplying weapons to Ukraine, Russia's most senior lawmaker has warned. Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the State Duma, also suggested that Moscow could retaliate with more powerful arms, should its territory be threatened.

Volodin’s remarks came days after a meeting at US Ramstein air base in Germany at which Western powers pledged to continue supporting Kiev.

On Sunday, Volodin took to Telegram to point out that should the weapons provided by the US and fellow NATO member states be used to “strike civilian cities and to attempt to seize our territories, as they threaten [to do],” Moscow would respond with “more powerful weapons.”

The Russian lawmaker went on to argue that Western officials should be aware of their responsibility to avert such a scenario.

“Taking into consideration the technological superiority of Russian weapons, foreign politicians making such decisions need to understand: this could end up being a global tragedy that would destroy their countries,” Volodin warned.

The Ukrainian leadership insists on regaining control of all the territories that were within the country's borders established following the collapse of the Soviet Union back in 1991. Kiev says it is prepared to retake those regions by force if Moscow refuses to relinquish them. Crimea became part of Russia following a referendum back in 2014, while four other regions followed suit last year.

On Wednesday, the New York Times, citing several anonymous US officials, reported that the Biden administration is now more likely to consider providing Ukraine with striking capabilities needed to hit targets in Crimea.

Right before the Ramstein meeting on January 20, the US announced a new defense aid package for Ukraine to the tune of $2.5 billion. It includes, among other things, Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, Stryker armored personnel carriers, mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles, Humvees, as well as 20,000 rounds of regular artillery rounds and 600 precision-guided 155 mm shells. On top of that, Washington pledged to supply Kiev with more missiles for the HIMARS M142 and MLRS M270 multiple launch rocket systems.

Earlier this month the UK confirmed plans to provide Ukraine with a number of Challenger 2 main battle tanks. However, the Western allies failed to secure an agreement from Germany to send its Leopard 2 tanks to Kiev.

Apart from the American Bradleys and Strykers, Ukraine is set to receive French AMX-10 RC armored fighting vehicles, which some experts describe as ‘light tanks.’ President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to deliver the hardware earlier this month.

Sweden has also promised to make a contribution that will include CB-90 infantry fighting vehicles and Archer self-propelled howitzers.
https://www.rt.com/news/570282-russian-parliament-chair-warns-west/
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22 Jan, 2023 19:02

1) --- Ex-Russian president predicts new anti-US military alliance

The Ukraine crisis may lead to the founding of a bloc of countries “fed up” with Washington, Dmitry Medvedev says

The continuous flow of military aid to Kiev clearly shows that the collective West is seeking to “wear out or, preferably, destroy” Russia, the country’s former president, Dmitry Medvedev, remarked on Sunday. The effort, however, may ultimately backfire for the US and its allies, he believes.

Medvedev, who currently serves as deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, made the comments in a social media post, days after a meeting at the US Ramstein air base in Germany at which Western powers pledged to continue supporting Kiev.

“The meeting at Ramstein and the allocation of heavy weaponry to Kiev leave no doubt that our enemies will be trying to wear us out for an indefinite period of time, or, preferably, to destroy us,” the ex-president wrote.

However, the prolongation of the hostilities in Ukraine may ultimately lead to the emergence of a new military bloc that brings together nations “fed up with the Americans,” Medvedev suggested.

“This has always happened in the history of mankind during long wars. And the US then will finally abandon old Europe and what remains of the unfortunate Ukrainians, and the world will return to an equilibrium once again,” the former leader said, warning, however, that it might be “too late” before this happens.

Moscow has repeatedly urged the collective West to stop “pumping” Ukraine with weapons, maintaining that it would only prolong the hostilities rather than change the ultimate outcome. Top Russian officials have repeatedly characterized what is happening as a proxy war between Russia and the US-led NATO alliance rather than merely a conflict with Ukraine.

Russia sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, citing Kiev’s failure to implement the Minsk agreements, which were designed to give Donetsk and Lugansk special status within the Ukrainian state. The protocols, brokered by Germany and France, were first signed in 2014. Former Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko has since admitted that Kiev’s main goal was to use the agreement to buy time and “create powerful armed forces.”

Meanwhile, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande have both corroborated that admission, stating that the Minsk agreements were never intended to actually be fulfilled but were merely a ploy to buy time for Ukraine to build up its military.
https://www.rt.com/russia/570312-medvedev-anti-us-alliance/
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22 Jan, 2023 23:49

2) --- US lawmaker proposes ‘just one’ Abrams tank for Ukraine

Congressman Michael McCaul suggests tricking Germany into sending its Leopards to Kiev

US Representative Michael McCaul has argued that announcing plans to provide America’s vaunted M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine – even if only one of the behemoths is actually shipped out – would leave Germany with no excuses to further delay sending its Leopard tanks to Kiev.

“If we announced we were going to give Abrams tanks, just one... what I hear is that Germany is waiting for us to take the lead,” McCaul said on Sunday in an ABC News interview. “Then they would put Leopard tanks in.”

The Texas Republican, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, added that this would also prompt Germany to give its permission for other European countries that use the Leopard to give some of their tanks to Ukraine.

McCaul has been among the most hawkish Republicans in the House, vowing to continue providing weaponry for Ukraine to fight Russian forces regardless of growing public opposition to the aid. He claimed that Kiev must be provided tanks and longer-range artillery urgently, to help repel an alleged imminent offensive by the Russians.

Asked by ABC anchor Martha Raddatz whether just one Abrams tank would be sufficient to trigger Germany to provide more advanced weaponry to Ukraine, McCaul hinted that Washington could trick its ally.

Even saying we’re gonna put Abrams tanks in, I think, would be enough for Germany to unleash [its Leopard tanks]

McCaul also said Kiev needs longer-range artillery to strike targets in Crimea, dismissing the risks of enabling attacks on the peninsula, which Moscow considers to be sovereign Russian territory. Asked how Russian President Vladimir Putin might react, McCaul pointed to how Washington apparently got away with past escalations in aid, such as giving Ukraine HIMARS rocket launchers.

Senator Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat, also called for sending battle tanks to Ukraine. “If it requires our sending some Abrams tanks in order to unlock getting the Leopard tanks from Germany, from Poland, from other allies, I would support that,” he told Raddatz.

Media reports suggested that Berlin was unwilling to send its tanks unless the US made a similar commitment. Washington has so far refused to provide its Abrams tanks, arguing that they are very complex to operate and require extensive training.

Key NATO nations failed to reach an agreement about sending the German-made battle tanks to Ukraine during a Friday meeting of Western military donors at the US Ramstein Air Base. However, on Sunday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock hinted that Berlin “would not stand in the way” if Poland decides to sends its own Leopards to Ukraine.
https://www.rt.com/news/570322-one-abrams-german-leopards/
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22 Jan, 2023 18:41

3) --- European state's neutrality failing amid NATO proxy war – ex-leader

Igor Dodon has warned Moldova against becoming a direct party to the Ukraine crisis

Moldovan President Maia Sandu has put the former Soviet republic at risk of turning into “cannon fodder” in NATO’s proxy war with Russia by failing to remain neutral over the conflict in neighboring Ukraine, her predecessor said on Saturday.

“Maia Sandu continues to draw Moldova into NATO – contrary to the neutrality prescribed in the Constitution and the will of the Moldovan people, who are categorically against joining this military structure,” ex-President Igor Dodon claimed in a Telegram post. He made his comments in response to Sandu’s statement on Friday that her government was seriously considering joining a “larger alliance” amid Russia’s military operation in Ukraine.

Abandoning military neutrality would be “dangerous” for Moldova, said Dodon, who served as president from 2016 until Sandu defeated him in the country’s 2020 election. The nation of just 2.6 million people consistently ranks among the poorest countries in Europe and has maintained a delicate peace with its breakaway Transnistria region since agreeing to a 1992 ceasefire, brokered by Moscow.

Dodon said Sandu made her statement after meeting in Davos with Alexander Soros, son of Hungarian-born billionaire George Soros, “who brought her to power.” He added, “Obviously, Sandu is implementing his scenario in Moldova, and joining NATO is one of his points.”

Although Moldova isn’t yet a member of NATO, it has cooperated with the Western military bloc, such as when it sent peacekeeping troops to Kosovo. Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu attended a NATO summit in Bucharest last November, marking the first time that Chisinau sent a representative to a meeting of the bloc. At the time, Popescu reportedly said that joining NATO was out of the question because of the neutrality provision in Moldova’s Constitution.

By apparently changing that stance, Sandu is “acting on the orders of overseas masters, against the interests of the country and the people, against the sovereignty, territorial integrity of Moldova,” Dodon said. “Our citizens want to maintain neutrality and peace, as evidenced by the results of numerous public opinion polls, and they will never agree to become cannon fodder for NATO in the fight against Russia.”

Moscow has blamed NATO’s eastward expansion – contrary to promises made after the Cold War ended in 1991 – for undermining Russia’s security interests, helping to trigger the current conflict.
https://www.rt.com/russia/570310-moldova-risks-being-pulled-into-ukraine-conflict/
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23 Jan, 2023 01:11

4) --- Gamers leak US fighter jet secrets

‘War Thunder’ fans have exposed potentially sensitive information about the F-16 and F-15E

Online gaming perfectionists debating the precise modeling of their preferred weaponry have inadvertently exposed military secrets on the internet yet again, this time posting sensitive information about the US-built F-16 and F-15 fighter jets on two separate occasions in just one week.

The game in question is ‘War Thunder’, players of which had previously spilled some potentially classified beans on the British Challenger-2 battle tank, France’s Leclerc tank, and Chinese DTC10-125 anti-armor shells, among others. The latest disclosures concerned the F-16 Fighting Falcon, built by US defense contractor General Dynamics, and the McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle.

Like the other leaks, this one came on a discussion forum for War Thunder, where players of the realistic online game often nitpick over the accuracy of their pretend military hardware, PC Gamer reported. In an F-16 discussion that had been dragging on since mid-2022, one of the players wrote on January 16 about an “interesting thing I found during my research.”

While the comment in itself wasn’t overly sensitive, the player, known as spacenavy90, attached a document to prove his assertions about the AIM-120 radar-guided missiles and the jet’s cockpit control panel. The document had restricted distribution authorization, according to the forum moderator.

Just two days after that, another forum member, RanchSauce39, reportedly posted a collection of Operational Flight Program software manuals for the F-15E, including details on its flight controls, targeting and weapons systems.

As in similar cases involving other weapon systems, the sensitive information was removed after being flagged by the moderator and the game developer. Distributing restricted military data in unauthorized places, such as an online game forum, can result in civil or criminal sanctions.

War Thunder, which was developed by Gaijin Entertainment, a Budapest-based company with distinct Russian origins, allows players to battle each other using historical and modern military hardware. Many of the players attracted to the game are obsessed with accuracy and press the game’s designers to get every detail exactly right – in some cases supporting their arguments with restricted materials, such as the classified Challenger-2 manual that was shared in July 2021.

“We always delete posts containing classified or restricted information from our forum as soon as possible,” Gaijin said in a statement to PC Gamer. “We forbid our users to share documents like this on our platforms. We remind our users again and again that it’s both illegal and pointless, so they should never do that. We never use documents like this in our work.”

Meanwhile, the gamer promised to be “more careful about what technical information I post,” spacenavy90 told PC Gamer. “Hopefully, we can put this issue behind us.”
https://www.rt.com/pop-culture/570323-war-thunder-fighter-jet-secrets/
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22 Jan, 2023 21:12

5) --- NATO nation denies involvement in Crimean Bridge attack

Bulgaria “had nothing to do with the explosion” in Russia, the country’s chief prosecutor has claimed

Bulgarian investigators have found no evidence of Sofia being involved in the Crimean Bridge blast last October, Chief Public Prosecutor Ivan Geshev said on Sunday. Moscow, however, has never blamed the country for the attack.

“Colleagues from the Sofia city prosecutor’s office have categorically established that Bulgaria had nothing to do with the explosion on the Crimean Bridge. This is another Russian hybrid attack against the European community,” Geshev said in a Twitter post.

The Crimean Bridge, which links the formerly Ukrainian peninsula to Russia’s mainland, was badly damaged on October 8 in a massive blast that killed three civilians and crippled the structure’s road section. The incident was widely celebrated in Ukraine, while the country’s postal service even released a stamp to commemorate the blast hours after it took place. However, Kiev has officially denied its involvement.

Senior Bulgarian officials have repeatedly denied any connection to the incident, despite the fact that Moscow has never accused Sofia of having a hand in it. Days after the explosion, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) provided its account of what transpired, accusing Ukraine’s military intelligence service, known as the GRU, of being behind the explosion.

Bulgaria, as well as several other countries, was only mentioned by the FSB as having been among the transit points for the deadly cargo – disguised as rolls of plastic construction film – which had been shipped from the Ukrainian southern port city of Odessa.

The Crimean Bridge attack, along with several other sabotage attacks on Russian soil attributed to Ukraine, prompted Moscow to change its approach to its military operation in the neighboring country. Shortly after the blast, Russia drastically ramped up strikes against the country’s critical infrastructure – particularly energy facilities – and military installations.
https://www.rt.com/news/570314-bulgaria-crimean-bridge-blast/
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22 Jan, 2023 15:01

6) --- The Davos establishment reveals whom it truly fears (Rachel Marsden)

This year’s World Economic Forum featured calls to “master the future” and blamed right-wing populists for the rising distrust in global elites

The World Economic Forum at Davos used to be THE place to see and be seen, but the idea of the richest and most influential people in the world hobnobbing around a common agenda for the world has lost its luster as the policies peddled by its attendees spark increased skepticism among average citizens.

Forum founder Klaus Schwab, the de facto frontman of the organization, has cranked out one distasteful hit after another in recent years. He has spoken of how the organization “penetrates the cabinets” of governments in its recruitment efforts. He coined the term “The Great Reset,” about which he published a book just a few months into the Covid-19 pandemic in July 2020, advocating that the pandemic be used as inspiration to “reimagine our world” at a time when much of the globe was locked down on orders of their governments – many members of which were Davos regulars. There was little appetite to turn lockdowns into a permanent lifestyle change, but here was Klaus promoting the benefits of burying the old life – all under the pretext of an event that the WEF had already wargamed in October 2019 in New York, just ahead of the crisis, in an exercise called “Event 201.” “The exercise will bring together business, government, security and public health leaders to address a hypothetical global pandemic scenario,” the WEF announced at the time. It’s all just a bit too creepy.

It’s the constant effort of top-down global coordination around murky financial interests laundered through the Davos agenda that irks the common person. The fact that just a single leader of a G7 country attended this year’s event speaks volumes about how poorly it’s now viewed. The premier of the western Canadian province of Alberta, Danielle Smith, said of the WEF after her cabinet’s swearing-in ceremony last October: “I find it distasteful when billionaires brag about how much control they have over political leaders. That is offensive…the people who should be directing government are the people who vote for them. Quite frankly, until that organization stops bragging about how much control they have over political leaders, I have no interest in being involved with them.”

Those invited to preach at the altar during the high mass of globalism this year seemed to know exactly what kind of sermon the crowd wanted to hear. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was apparently the only G7 leader who thought it would be a good look to be seen hanging out with the unelected masters of the planet while Westerners – and Europeans in particular – grapple with the high cost of their governments’ policies in their daily lives. Scholz doubled down on the same green dreams that put Germany’s economy in peril with no viable backup plan once the European Union had effectively cut off Russian energy through sanctions.

“Most importantly, our transformation toward a climate-neutral economy, the fundamental task of our century, is currently taking on an entirely new dynamic. Not in spite of but because of the Russian war, and the resulting pressure on us Europeans to change. Whether you are a business leader or a climate activist, a security policy specialist or an investor, it is now crystal clear to each and every one of us that the future belongs solely to renewables. For cost reasons, for environmental reasons, for security reasons, and because in the long run, renewables promise the best returns,” Scholz said in his address.

Meanwhile, Germany is firing its coal power plants back up and reconsidering its nuclear power phase-out. How about worrying about how German industry is going to function in the next year when green initiatives, such as hydrogen imports from Portugal and Norway, aren’t set to even get off the ground until at least 2030? Scholz used his time at the podium at Davos to greenwash the economic uncertainties that Germany faces as a result of the EU’s energy sanctions on Russia. In other words, green hopes and dreams took center stage in this pitch to global investors, thus providing a convenient distraction from the more worrisome current realities.

Greenwashing was joined at Davos by the pitching of anti-democratic initiatives via concern trolling. During a panel discussion dedicated to “disrupting distrust” – which really should have been called “How can we get people to better swallow our nonsense?” – Richard Edelman, the CEO of the eponymous global communications firm, blamed the derailments on right-wingers. “My hypothesis on that is that right-wing groups have done a really good job of disenfranchising NGOs. They’ve challenged the funding sources. They’ve associated you with Bill Gates and George Soros. They’ve said that you’re world people, as opposed to what you are, which is local,” Edelman lamented, ignoring the fact that they wouldn’t have needed to fly their private jets to a “local” event. What he’s really attacking are dissidents, many of whom just happen to be populists and right-leaning. And no doubt the fact that they’re digging into the special interests laundered through many NGOs makes the job of PR pros such as Edelman more challenging.

Edelman is a despicable human being – his job is literally being a professional liar!” Tweeted billionaire Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, whose controversial purchase of the social media platform and subsequent reversal of its heavy-handed censorship policies haven’t exactly endeared him to the Davos crowd. Mocking Schwab’s call to “master the future” in the opening keynote, Musk tweeted, “’Master the Future’ doesn’t sound ominous at all … How is WEF/Davos even a thing? Are they trying to be the boss of Earth!?” Musk then took a Twitter poll that found that 86% of 2.4 million respondents answered ‘no’ to the question of whether the WEF should “control the world.”

A WEF spokesman said that Musk hasn’t been invited to the gathering since 2015. Musk confirmed his lack of interest in attending: “My reason for declining the Davos invitation was not because I thought they were engaged in diabolical scheming, but because it sounded boring af lol.”

Boring, indeed – in the same way that a cult meeting where everyone nods their heads in agreement is a snooze fest. The last time things were even remotely interesting at Davos was when former US President Donald Trump showed up and rejected the Davos mantra of climate change doom. “The message represents a sharp departure from the official playbook at the World Economic Forum, where this year's theme is ‘Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World’,” wrote CNN in January 2020.

Who asked them, though? These elites represent no one’s interests but their own, which are economic and are for the benefit of their shareholders – hence the forum’s name. If the average citizen is now waking up to the fact that anything coming out of Davos should be scrutinized through that lens, then it can only be a good thing for freedom, democracy, and national sovereignty.

(Rachel Marsden is a columnist, political strategist, and host of independently produced talk-shows in French and English.)
"The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT."
https://www.rt.com/news/570287-davos-global-elites-fear/
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22 Jan, 2023 22:03

7) --- Democrats chide Biden over classified documents

US Senators Joe Manchin and Dick Durbin have called out the president for his “irresponsible” handling of state secrets

Lawmakers in Joe Biden’s own party are increasingly criticizing the US president over his mishandling of state secrets after the FBI seized additional classified documents during a search of his home in Wilmington, Delaware.

Speaking on America’s Sunday morning television talk shows, veteran Democrat Senators Joe Manchin (West Virginia) and Dick Durbin (Illinois) didn’t shy away from scolding their party’s leader for failing to secure documents that were found at his home and a Washington think tank bearing his name. The fourth and latest round of secret materials turned up when FBI investigators searched the president’s home on Friday.

The FBI search came one day after Biden told reporters that he had “no regrets” over his handling of the situation. “I think he should have a lot of regrets,” Manchin said in an NBC News interview. The senator added that he would hold staffers accountable if they mishandled secret documents in his office, “but basically, the buck stops with me.”

Manchin also told CNN that it was “unbelievable” and “totally irresponsible” for Biden to expose state secrets to possible theft. Although he doesn’t believe Biden intended for the documents to fall into the wrong hands, he added, “Could it have happened? I don’t know.”

Durbin noted that when members of Congress are shown classified materials, the information is shown to them behind closed doors, then put back into a locked briefcase and taken away. “That’s how carefully we review these documents,” he told CNN. “To think that any of them ended up in boxes, in storage at one place or the other, is just unacceptable.”

The Illinois Democrat lamented, too, that Biden will lose some of his influence as a leader. “Let’s be honest about it. When that information is found, it diminishes the stature of any person who is in possession of it because it’s not supposed to happen. Whether it was the fault of a staffer or attorney makes no difference. The elected official bears ultimate responsibility.”

Both senators contrasted how Biden and his predecessor, Donald Trump, reacted when confronted over their possession of classified documents. Trump allegedly defied a subpoena, leading to an FBI raid at his home. Biden’s lawyers have reportedly cooperated with investigators.

Manchin said both leaders were clearly irresponsible, even if they didn’t mean to undermine national security. However, he discouraged taking sides until special counsel investigations of both cases are finished.
https://www.rt.com/news/570319-democrats-criticize-biden-documents/
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22 Jan, 2023 20:24

8) --- AOC heckled over Ukraine weapons

Singing protesters interrupted Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s town hall event to demand an end to the arms shipments

US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) had an event in New York on Saturday disrupted by a group of demonstrators who rose to their feet and began singing a Latin hymn for peace. The protestors were voicing their objection to the self-professed progressive’s vote to send billions of dollars worth of weapons to Ukraine.

Holding signs reading “negotiation not annihilation” and “stop sending weapons to Ukraine,” the group sang ‘Dona Nobis Pacem’, a Latin hymn used in the Catholic mass that translates as ‘Give Us Peace’.

“We always support everyone’s First Amendment rights here and everyone has the complete right to political expression,” Ocasio-Cortez responded, but only after the protesters had been removed from the premises by security.

A member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Ocasio-Cortez has voted against sending military aid to Saudi Arabia and abstained from voting on funding Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. However, she voted in May to provide Ukraine with $40 billion in military and economic aid, a decision that led a left-wing activist to accuse her of “voting to start a nuclear war” during a similar town hall in October.

see tweet https://twitter.com/SpaceLarouche/status/1616891722948018176

Despite giving a green light to such a massive arms fund, Ocasio-Cortez added her name to a letter by Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Pramila Jayapal in October urging President Joe Biden to “seriously explore all possible avenues, including direct engagement with Russia, to reduce harm and support Ukraine in achieving a peaceful settlement.”

The letter, which was signed by 30 House Democrats, was retracted a day later and the pro-peace progressives stated that they backed Biden’s policy of indefinite military aid to Kiev.
https://www.rt.com/news/570315-aoc-heckled-protest-ukraine/
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22 Jan, 2023 16:19

9) --- Netanyahu fires cabinet minister after court ruling

Aryeh Deri, convicted last year of tax violations, has been found unfit to serve

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Interior and Health Minister Aryeh Deri on Sunday, acquiescing to a Supreme Court ruling declaring Deri’s appointment “highly unreasonable” due to his extensive criminal history. The Shas party leader had also allegedly pledged to leave politics last year as part of a plea bargain related to a conviction for tax violations.

Netanyahu promised Deri he would “find a legal way for you to contribute to the state of Israel” in a letter to his loyal underling, whom he insisted he had only fired with “a heavy heart and great sorrow.” The Israeli leader reportedly read the letter aloud during a Cabinet meeting.

Deri, who denied making any promise to quit public office despite the Supreme Court’s claim, has pledged to continue leading Shas, a coalition partner of Netanyahu’s Likud Party, and vowed to assist the government in implementing its agenda, which includes weakening the power of the Supreme Court that ordered him fired. He will officially step down from the Cabinet role on Tuesday while remaining a member of the Knesset and keeping his vice-premier title.

Deri told the media on Sunday that contrary to reports, there was never any question of compliance with the High Court’s decision. However, several Shas lawmakers had threatened to abandon the governing coalition following the court ruling, and Housing and Construction Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf of the United Torah Judaism party, a coalition partner, told reporters on Sunday that his party would continue treating Deri as minister in spite of the ruling.

While another Shas member is expected to be named in Deri’s stead, Netanyahu’s own legal troubles – the PM remains under indictment for corruption and bribery – raise questions about who will fill the role on a temporary basis. While the PM normally assumes the responsibilities of a departing minister until a replacement is appointed, Israeli law blocks anyone under indictment from holding any cabinet seat other than the prime minister position itself. Netanyahu’s opponents attempted to close that loophole in 2020 but were unsuccessful.

Deri’s political career has survived criminal convictions before. The Shas leader was reinstated as head of his party in 2013 after serving 22 months of a three-year prison sentence for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.
https://www.rt.com/news/570308-netanyahu-fires-deri-criminal-court/
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22 Jan, 2023 16:59

10) --- Iconic tourist site closed due to violent unrest

More than 400 visitors were briefly stranded at Machu Picchu after a local railway was damaged during protests

Peru has “indefinitely” shut the tourist site of Machu Picchu, citing ongoing anti-government unrest gripping the country. The decision was announced by the country’s culture ministry on Saturday.

“The closure of the Inca trails network and the Machu Picchu citadel has been ordered due to the social situation and to preserve the safety of visitors,” the ministry said in a statement. The sites will remain closed until further notice, with those who bought tickets to visit them eligible for a refund.

The closure of Machu Picchu was preceded by reports of damage, allegedly inflicted by anti-government protesters, to the railway leading to the 15th century citadel. As a result, more than 400 tourists ended up stranded at the site, according to the country’s tourism ministry.
All of the tourists, including 148 foreign nationals and 270 Peruvians, were evacuated to the city of Cusco by late Saturday, Tourism Minister Luis Fernando Helguero said.

The South American country has been gripped by unrest since early December 2022, when President Pedro Castillo was ousted from office and arrested over corruption allegations.

Castillo was succeeded by Dina Boluarte, his vice-president, who has faced a wave of violent protests across the country. The unrest has already continued for more than six weeks, claiming more than 50 lives across the country. Earlier this month, Peruvian authorities declared a state of emergency in a number of provinces in a bid to end the turmoil.

Supporters of the ousted leader have been calling for Boluarte’s resignation, denouncing the removal of Castillo as a coup. Boluarte, however, has refused to resign, blaming the violence on “foreign provocateurs and infiltrators.”
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