Russia’s Titov Leads Probe into DR Congo Attack on UN Peacekeepers

UN peacekeepers from Tanzania patrol near the border crossing point between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Goma, August 29, 2013Thomas Mukoya/Reuters
UN peacekeepers from Tanzania patrol near the border crossing point between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Goma, August 29, 2013Thomas Mukoya/Reuters
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Russia’s Titov Leads Probe into DR Congo Attack on UN Peacekeepers

UN peacekeepers from Tanzania patrol near the border crossing point between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Goma, August 29, 2013Thomas Mukoya/Reuters
UN peacekeepers from Tanzania patrol near the border crossing point between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Goma, August 29, 2013Thomas Mukoya/Reuters

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed Dmitry Titov to lead a special investigation of the attack that killed 15 UN peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo last month and wounded 43 others.

The December 7 attack in the Beni territory of North Kivu province was one of the worst to target UN peacekeepers in recent history in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Titov, a Russian national who has worked in UN peacekeeping, will also look into other attacks against peacekeepers in that area, a UN statement said.

"This special investigation will include a focus on the December 7 attack in Semuliki, in which 15 Tanzanian peacekeepers were killed, 43 wounded and one remains missing," it said.

The United Nations has said the ambush of the peacekeeping base was carried out by suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels, a shadowy group that is one of several armed groups active in the North Kivu region.

UN investigators will examine the circumstances surrounding the attacks, evaluate the response of the peacekeepers and make recommendations on how to prevent such violence, the UN said.

Two military officers from Tanzania will take part in the probe that will travel to the DR Congo later this month and to countries in the region.

The attack was the bloodiest against MONUSCO, the UN force deployed in the DR Congo since 1999, and the worst against a UN force since the death of 24 Pakistani peacekeepers in Somalia in June 1993.



New US Sanctions Target Iran’s Internet Censorship

The Treasury Building is viewed in Washington, May 4, 2021. (AP)
The Treasury Building is viewed in Washington, May 4, 2021. (AP)
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New US Sanctions Target Iran’s Internet Censorship

The Treasury Building is viewed in Washington, May 4, 2021. (AP)
The Treasury Building is viewed in Washington, May 4, 2021. (AP)

The United States issued fresh Iran-related sanctions on Friday targeting technology company Arvan Cloud, two employees and an affiliated company for their roles in helping Tehran censor the Internet in the country, the Treasury Department said.

Arvan Cloud has a close relationship with Iran's intelligence services and its executives have ties to senior Iranian government officials, the department said.

"The Iranian government has regularly used Internet restrictions and the throttling of Internet speeds to suppress dissent, surveil and punish Iranians for exercising their freedom of expression and assembly both online and offline," the statement said.

The individuals targeted are Pouya Pirhosseinloo and Farhad Fatemi, co-founders of Arvan Cloud, the Treasury said.

The sanctions also targeted an affiliate, ArvanCloud Global Technologies L.L.C.


US Seeks ‘Just and Lasting Peace’ for Ukraine, Blinken Says 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken gives a speech at the Helsinki City Hall, in Helsinki, Finland June 2, 2023. (Lehtikuva/via Reuters)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken gives a speech at the Helsinki City Hall, in Helsinki, Finland June 2, 2023. (Lehtikuva/via Reuters)
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US Seeks ‘Just and Lasting Peace’ for Ukraine, Blinken Says 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken gives a speech at the Helsinki City Hall, in Helsinki, Finland June 2, 2023. (Lehtikuva/via Reuters)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken gives a speech at the Helsinki City Hall, in Helsinki, Finland June 2, 2023. (Lehtikuva/via Reuters)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday the United States was working with Ukraine and other allies to build consensus around the core elements of a "just and lasting peace" to end the war with Russia. 

Washington would also encourage initiatives by other countries to bring about an end to the conflict, as long as they uphold the United Nations Charter and Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence. 

"We will support efforts – whether by Brazil, China, or any other nation – if they help find a way to a just and lasting peace," Blinken said in a speech. 

Still, Washington would continue to support Ukraine militarily as the prerequisite for meaningful diplomacy is that Kyiv is capable of deterring and defending against any future aggression. 

"Putin's war of aggression against Ukraine has been a strategic failure," Blinken said. 

Speaking in Finland, the NATO alliance's newest member, Blinken said the US would help build a "Ukrainian military of the future". 

That meant "a modern air force, integrated air and missile defense, advanced tanks and armored vehicles, the national capacity to produce ammunition, and the training and support to keep forces and equipment combat ready". 


US Retaliates for Russia's Suspension of New START Treaty by Revoking Visas of Nuclear Inspectors

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at a press conference following the NATO foreign ministers meeting n Oslo, Norway, Thursday, June 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at a press conference following the NATO foreign ministers meeting n Oslo, Norway, Thursday, June 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
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US Retaliates for Russia's Suspension of New START Treaty by Revoking Visas of Nuclear Inspectors

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at a press conference following the NATO foreign ministers meeting n Oslo, Norway, Thursday, June 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at a press conference following the NATO foreign ministers meeting n Oslo, Norway, Thursday, June 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

The Biden administration is retaliating for Russia’s suspension of the New START nuclear treaty, announcing Thursday it is revoking the visas of Russian nuclear inspectors, denying pending applications for new monitors and canceling standard clearances for Russian aircraft to enter US airspace.

The State Department said it was taking those steps and others in response to Russia’s “ongoing violations” of New START, the last arms control treaty remaining between the two countries, which are currently at severe odds over the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“The United States is committed to full and mutual implementation of the New START treaty,” it said. “Consistent with that commitment, the United States has adopted lawful countermeasures in response to the Russian Federation’s ongoing violations of the New START treaty.”

The department said the visa revocations and application denials, as well as a US decision to stop sharing information on the status or locations of missiles and telemetry data on test launches with Russia, were consistent with international law because of Russia’s actions.

The US will, however, continue to notify Russia when it conducts test launches, it said, adding that the steps it was taking were reversible provided Moscow returns to compliance with the treaty.

Russia suspended its participation in New START in February in a move that the US said was “legally invalid.” Immediately afterward Moscow curtailed its adherence to the accord.

Allowing inspections of weapons sites and providing information on the placement of intercontinental and submarine-based ballistic missiles and their test launches are critical components of New START, which then-Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev signed in 2010.

In March, the US announced that it and Russia had stopped sharing biannual nuclear weapons data. The US had said it wanted to continuing such sharing but stopped after Moscow informed Washington that it would not share its data.

Despite being extended shortly after President Joe Biden took office in January 2021, New START has been severely tested by Russia’s war in Ukraine and has been on life support for since Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Russia would no longer comply with its requirements.

The treaty limits each country to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers. The agreement envisages sweeping on-site inspections to verify compliance.

The inspections went dormant in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussions on resuming them were supposed to have taken place in November 2022, but Russia abruptly called them off, citing US support for Ukraine.

The State Department said Russia had been told of the countermeasures ahead of time and also advised that Washington is still interested in keeping the treaty alive.

“The United States remains ready to work constructively with Russia on resuming implementation of the New START Treaty,” it said.


Iranian Judiciary Announces Visit of Foreign Diplomats to Women’s Prison

Gharibabadi visiting a children’s prison in Tehran (Mizan)
Gharibabadi visiting a children’s prison in Tehran (Mizan)
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Iranian Judiciary Announces Visit of Foreign Diplomats to Women’s Prison

Gharibabadi visiting a children’s prison in Tehran (Mizan)
Gharibabadi visiting a children’s prison in Tehran (Mizan)

The Mizan news agency of the Iranian judiciary reported that a delegation of 36 ambassadors, diplomats and representatives from 28 countries and international organizations visited the Qarchak women’s prison in the south of the capital, on Wednesday.

The visit comes a month after the sudden transfer of female prisoners on political charges to other prisons.

Accompanied by a number of Iranian judicial officials and Kazem Gharibabadi Secretary General of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights, the envoys made a tour of the prison which lasted three hours.

Gharibabadi said the women’s penitentiary was chosen to enable the foreign diplomats to see the unique and diverse services and facilities for female prisoners and get a correct understanding of the principles of prisons.

In recent months, women’s rights activists have called for the closure of Qarchak prison, which is described as the largest prison for women in Iran. There is no official data on the number of female prisoners in Iran, especially after the recent arrest campaign launched by the authorities against participants in the protests that have swept the country following the death of Mahsa Amini.

The agency did not reveal the names of the countries and international organizations whose members visited the controversial prison.

The announcement of the visit comes days after the first trial of the two journalists, Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, following their coverage of the case of Mahsa Amini.

The two women are tried on charges of “conspiracy and rebellion against national security” and “anti-state propaganda”.

The US State Department had said that Iran’s “sham” trial of Hamedi and Mohammadi, was a “mockery of justice” and shows Iran’s fear of journalists.

The US State Department also pledged to continue supporting freedom of expression and the press in Iran. The statement called on the Iranian authorities to release hundreds of political prisoners and dozens of journalists from Iranian prisons.

 


Dead Mossad Agent Was Reportedly on Critical Mission in Italy

A handout photo made available by the press office of Vigili del Fuoco (VVF), the Italian National Fire Brigade, shows divers of the fire brigade during a search and rescue operation in Lake Maggiore after a tourist boat capsized near Lisanza (Varese), northern Italy, 29 May 2023. EPA/VIGILI DEL FUOCO
A handout photo made available by the press office of Vigili del Fuoco (VVF), the Italian National Fire Brigade, shows divers of the fire brigade during a search and rescue operation in Lake Maggiore after a tourist boat capsized near Lisanza (Varese), northern Italy, 29 May 2023. EPA/VIGILI DEL FUOCO
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Dead Mossad Agent Was Reportedly on Critical Mission in Italy

A handout photo made available by the press office of Vigili del Fuoco (VVF), the Italian National Fire Brigade, shows divers of the fire brigade during a search and rescue operation in Lake Maggiore after a tourist boat capsized near Lisanza (Varese), northern Italy, 29 May 2023. EPA/VIGILI DEL FUOCO
A handout photo made available by the press office of Vigili del Fuoco (VVF), the Italian National Fire Brigade, shows divers of the fire brigade during a search and rescue operation in Lake Maggiore after a tourist boat capsized near Lisanza (Varese), northern Italy, 29 May 2023. EPA/VIGILI DEL FUOCO

Israel's intelligence agency has defended itself against a widescale criticism in Israel regarding officers venturing into a trip that was described as a “recreation trip in an Italian lake”.

Mossad said Wednesday that a retired agent was among four people killed in northern Italy when a sudden storm sank a houseboat hired for a weekend pleasure cruise on a lake.

The former agent was on the vessel with 22 other people on a lake near the town of Lisanza. Two Italian intelligence agents and a Russian woman — part of the two-person crew — also died.

"It was not an operational mission, but it was related to his work," hinted Israeli lawmaker, and former deputy head of the Mossad, Ram Ben Barak.

Mossad Director David Barnea attended the official funeral which was discreetly held for Officer Erez Shimoni.

Corriere della Sera newspaper said on Thursday that the purpose behind the gathering of the Italian intelligence members and the Israeli Mossad officer on a boat that capsized in Italy’s Lake Maggiore was to coordinate the monitoring of “Russian oligarchs” involved in transporting Iranian drones to Moscow.

The Italian newspaper added that area where the lake is located is an active spot for Russian oligarchs.

Italian media reported that the Mossad members didn’t plan the trip ahead of time, but the decision was taken on the spot. Their meeting with their Italian counterparts lasted longer than expected and they missed their flight to Israel.

The captain, identified by Italian media as Carlo Carminati, survived the mishap and was questioned by prosecutors. Media reports also said the boat, which capsized before sinking, only had a capacity of 15 passengers and two crew members.

Corriere della Sera quoted Carminati as saying, “It was 30 seconds, then the apocalypse came, the boat immediately capsized, and we fell into the water.”

Eyewitnesses said that the boat quickly capsized and four of the passengers sank. The rest of the passengers swam about 150 meters to the shore.

According to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, ten Israelis survived the accident and were rushed back to Israel on a military plane. In parallel, Italian intelligence agents were also quickly evacuated from the emergency rooms "so as not to leave a trace."


Ukraine Says it Downed More Than 30 Missiles, Drones

People take cover at a metro station during a Russian rocket attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, May 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
People take cover at a metro station during a Russian rocket attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, May 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
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Ukraine Says it Downed More Than 30 Missiles, Drones

People take cover at a metro station during a Russian rocket attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, May 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
People take cover at a metro station during a Russian rocket attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, May 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Ukrainian forces in the capital, Kyiv, said on Friday they shot down more than 30 Russian missiles and drones overnight and two people were injured by falling debris, before authorities lifted air raid alerts across most of the country.

Russia has launched about 20 separate missiles and drone strikes against Ukrainian cities since the beginning of May.

Kyiv military authorities, writing on Telegram, said Russia had launched drones and cruise missiles at the same time.

"According to preliminary information, more than 30 air targets of various types were detected and destroyed in the airspace over and around Kyiv by air defense forces," they said in a statement, according to Reuters.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, who earlier reported two separate waves of attacks, wrote on Telegram that there had been no calls for rescue services.

Ukraine's military said Russia had launched 15 missiles and 18 drones.

Kyiv region authorities said two people were injured as a result of falling debris, including a child.

"In addition, the falling debris damaged five private houses," the state administration said on the Telegram messaging service.


Israel Says Will Do Everything Needed to Stop Iran from Acquiring Nuclear Weapons

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. EPA
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. EPA
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Israel Says Will Do Everything Needed to Stop Iran from Acquiring Nuclear Weapons

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. EPA
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. EPA

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated that Israel “will do everything it needs to do” to stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

“I have a clear message to both Iran and the international community: Israel will do everything it needs to do to prevent Iran from having nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu said in a video message.

The comments come after confidential reports seen Wednesday by The Associated Press showed that Iran has resolved two outstanding inquiries from the International Atomic Energy Agency over highly enriched uranium particles and a site where man-made uranium was found.

The Israeli Foreign Minister criticized the IAEA, saying it had come under Iranian political pressure.


US, Israeli National Security Advisers Discuss Concerns over Iran

A general view of the White House in Washington, US, October 2, 2021. REUTERS/Al Drago
A general view of the White House in Washington, US, October 2, 2021. REUTERS/Al Drago
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US, Israeli National Security Advisers Discuss Concerns over Iran

A general view of the White House in Washington, US, October 2, 2021. REUTERS/Al Drago
A general view of the White House in Washington, US, October 2, 2021. REUTERS/Al Drago

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Thursday hosted his Israeli counterpart, Tzachi Hanegbi, and discussed ways to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon along with concern over Tehran's support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to a White House readout of the meeting.

Sullivan also stressed the need to take additional steps to improve the lives of Palestinians, according to the White House.

Following up on the March US-Israel Strategic Consultative Group, the national security advisers "continued discussions on enhanced coordination to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, and ways to counter threats from Iran and its proxies,” it said.

“Sullivan reaffirmed the Administration’s goal of further enhancing Israel’s security and economic integration throughout the Middle East.”

He also stressed “the need to take additional steps to improve the lives of Palestinians, critical to realizing a more peaceful, prosperous, and integrated region,” the statement said.

Sullivan also discussed a “shared concern with Russia’s deepening military relationship with Iran, and the importance of supporting Ukraine in the defense of its territory and citizenry, including from Iranian drones.”


Iran Executions In May Highest Since 2015

Iranians raise banners denouncing executions in a protest before the European Parliament in Brussels on May 24, 2023. (EPA)
Iranians raise banners denouncing executions in a protest before the European Parliament in Brussels on May 24, 2023. (EPA)
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Iran Executions In May Highest Since 2015

Iranians raise banners denouncing executions in a protest before the European Parliament in Brussels on May 24, 2023. (EPA)
Iranians raise banners denouncing executions in a protest before the European Parliament in Brussels on May 24, 2023. (EPA)

Iran carried out 142 executions in May, marking the highest number of people put to death in one month in the country since 2015, a rights group has said.

Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) said Thursday at least 307 people have been executed in 2023, a rise of 76 percent compared to the same period last year.

Iran Human Rights called on the international community “to stop the Islamic Republic’s killing machine with a strong reaction and practical punitive steps”.

"The purpose of the Islamic Republic's intensification of arbitrary executions is to spread societal fear to prevent protests and prolong its rule," said IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam.

"If the international community doesn't show a stronger reaction to the current wave of executions, hundreds more will fall victim to their killing machine in the coming months."

It said 59 percent of those hanged this year — 180 people — were executed for drug-related charges.

At least 142 people have been executed in May, the highest monthly execution since 2015. Of those, 78 people (55%) were executed for drug-related charges.

Up to 21 percent of those executed in May — 30 people — were from Balochistan.

Last month, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk expressed dismay at the frighteningly high number of executions this year in Iran.

“On average so far this year, over 10 people are put to death each week in Iran,” said Turk.

Rights organizations warned of a new record that could be the highest in two decades if the current pace continues.

Nearly 1,000 people were executed in Iran in 2015, marking the highest number in 20 years. This is the same year when Iran signed the nuclear deal with the world powers.


UN Warns of New Threat to Global Food Security after Russia Limits Ukraine Grain Shipments

FILE PHOTO: A load of corn is poured into a truck, at a grain storage facility in the village of Bilohiria, Khmelnytskyi region, Ukraine April 19, 2023. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A load of corn is poured into a truck, at a grain storage facility in the village of Bilohiria, Khmelnytskyi region, Ukraine April 19, 2023. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich/File Photo
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UN Warns of New Threat to Global Food Security after Russia Limits Ukraine Grain Shipments

FILE PHOTO: A load of corn is poured into a truck, at a grain storage facility in the village of Bilohiria, Khmelnytskyi region, Ukraine April 19, 2023. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A load of corn is poured into a truck, at a grain storage facility in the village of Bilohiria, Khmelnytskyi region, Ukraine April 19, 2023. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich/File Photo

Warning of a new threat to global food security, the United Nations said Thursday that Russia is limiting the number of ships allowed to pick up Ukrainian grain at Black Sea ports in its campaign to get Kyiv to open a pipeline for a key ingredient of fertilizer to get to world markets.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric expressed serious concern that only 33 ships departed from Ukrainian ports in May, half the number compared to April, and exports of grain and other foodstuffs totaled just 1.3 million metric tons last month, less than half the amount of the previous month, The Associated Press said.

He said Russia informed the center in Istanbul coordinating the arrivals, departures and inspections of ships involved in the Black Sea Grain Initiative “of its decision to limit registrations in the port of Yuzhny as long as ammonia is not exported, and currently it’s not.”

Ammonia is a key ingredient for fertilizer and Moscow wants Ukraine to open a pipeline from the Russian city of Togliatti to the Ukrainian port of Odesa that it used before the war to ship ammonia to its global customers.

Turkey and the UN brokered the breakthrough initiative with Russia and Ukraine last July, opening a path for Ukrainian grain exports from three of its key Black Sea ports: Odesa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny.

In a separate memorandum, the United Nations said it would work to overcome obstacles to Russian food and fertilizer shipments, which UN trade chief Rebeca Grynspan has been trying to do for months but Moscow has criticized the lack of results.

To reinforce the failure to export its fertilizer, Russia in March unilaterally decided to renew the grain deal for 60 days instead of the 120 days outlined in the agreement. And just before its expiration, in another example of Moscow’s brinkmanship, it agreed on May 17 to another two-month extension until July 17.

Following Russia’s Feb. 24, 2022 invasion of Ukraine, one of the world’s major breadbaskets, global food prices skyrocketed, hitting poorer, developing countries especially hard.

After the July agreements, food prices started to drop but Dujarric warned that “global hunger hotspots are increasing and the specter of food inflation and market volatility lurks in all countries.”

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted Wednesday that the port of Yuzhny is blocked and more than 1.5 million tons of agricultural products are waiting there for shipment to at least 10 countries including Turkey, China, Egypt and Bangladesh.

He urged everyone to pressure Russia to unblock food supplies saying, “Obviously the less food is supplied to these countries, to these regions, the higher the food prices are, the more people in these countries lose from their family budgets.”

Dujarric noted that in May only three ships departed from the port of Yuzhny.

He said that since May 24 the number of teams inspecting ships has been reduced from three to two. This, along with the slowdown in registering ships, is creating a serious situation.

The UN has put forward practical suggestions “at the strategic and operational level” and will continue to engage with Russia and Ukraine, Dujarric said.

“In particular, we are looking for commitments on unconditional access of vessels to all three ports under the initiative, increased number of successful inspections completed per day and predictable registrations to avoid undue delay of vessels, exports of fertilizers, including ammonia, and the resumption of the Togliatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline,” Dujarric said.