Netanyahu Given October Deadline for Pre-Trial Hearing

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (AFP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (AFP)
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Netanyahu Given October Deadline for Pre-Trial Hearing

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (AFP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (AFP)

Israel's attorney general on Wednesday extended until October the deadline for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's pre-trial hearing on corruption allegations, but rejected a request for a 12-month delay.

Netanyahu won a fifth term in office in a general election last month but now faces the prospect of becoming the first sitting Israeli premier to be indicted.

Last month, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit set a July 10 deadline for the premier to exercise his right to a formal hearing to defend himself, before corruption charges are filed against him.

In February, Mandelblit had announced his intention to indict Netanyahu on charges of fraud, breach of trust and bribery, following up on police recommendations.

A letter from Mandelblit's office to Netanyahu attorney Amit Hadad, made public Wednesday by the justice ministry, refers to Hadad's request to put back the hearing until May 14, 2020 so that he can fully examine police evidence passed to him last week.

In what is considered the most serious of the cases, Netanyahu is accused of advocating regulatory benefits allegedly granted to telecommunications firm Bezeq in exchange for positive news coverage for himself from a media company owned by the then Bezeq CEO.

Another involves Netanyahu allegedly seeking a secret deal with the publisher of Israel's top-selling newspaper Yediot Aharonot to ensure positive coverage in return for pushing forward a law that would have limited the circulation of a rival paper.

The third case involves suspicions the premier and his family received luxury gifts such as cigars and champagne from wealthy individuals, including Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan, in exchange for financial or personal favors.

Rejecting the request for postponement, Wednesday's letter says: "The hearing on these three cases will be held before the attorney general on October 2-3, 2019. If necessary, an additional day's hearing -- and no more -- will he arranged for the following week.

Handover of the police evidence had been delayed because of non-collection of the files by Netanyahu's lawyers, in protest over unpaid fees.

The prime minister has called the allegations against him a "witch hunt".

Even if he is charged, Netanyahu, 69, would not legally be forced to stand down until he had been convicted and had exhausted all avenues for appeal.



5 Dead, Over 100 Hospitalized from Recalled Japanese Health Supplements

A man walks past a signage of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical outside of the company's office in Tokyo on March 28, 2024. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP)
A man walks past a signage of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical outside of the company's office in Tokyo on March 28, 2024. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP)
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5 Dead, Over 100 Hospitalized from Recalled Japanese Health Supplements

A man walks past a signage of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical outside of the company's office in Tokyo on March 28, 2024. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP)
A man walks past a signage of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical outside of the company's office in Tokyo on March 28, 2024. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP)

In the week since a line of Japanese health supplements began being recalled, five people have died and more than 100 people were hospitalized as of Friday.
Osaka-based Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Co. came under fire for not going public quickly with problems known internally as early as January. The first public announcement came March 22, The Associated Press reported.
Company officials said 114 people were being treated in hospitals after taking products, including Benikoji Choleste Help meant to lower cholesterol, that contain an ingredient called benikoji, a red species of mold. Earlier in the week, the number of deaths stood at two people.
Some people developed kidney problems after taking the supplements, but the exact cause was still under investigation in cooperation with government laboratories, according to the manufacturer.
“We apologize deeply,” President Akihiro Kobayashi told reporters Friday, bowing for a long time to emphasize the apology alongside three other top company officials.
He expressed remorse to those who have died and have been sickened, and to their families. He also apologized for the troubles caused to the entire health food industry and the medical profession, adding that the company was working to prevent further damage and improve crisis management.
The company’s products have been recalled — as have dozens of other products that contain benikoji, including miso paste, crackers and a vinegar dressing. Japan's health ministry put up a list on its official site of all the recalled products, including some that use benikoji for food coloring.
The ministry warned the deaths could keep growing. The supplements could be bought at drug stores without a prescription from a doctor, and some may have been purchased or exported before the recall, including by tourists who may not be aware of the health risks, AP reported.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical had been selling benikoji products for years, with a million packages sold over the past three fiscal years, but a problem crept up with the supplements produced in 2023. Kobayashi Pharmaceutical said it produced 18.5 tons of benikoji last year.
Some analysts blame the recent deregulation initiatives, which simplified and sped up approval for health products to spur economic growth.


Erdogan to Visit US in May, Turkish Ministers Meet US Delegation

Türkiye's President Tayyip Erdogan and Murat Kurum, mayoral candidate of his ruling AK Party (AKP), greet their supporters during a rally ahead of the local elections in Istanbul, Turkey March 24, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Türkiye's President Tayyip Erdogan and Murat Kurum, mayoral candidate of his ruling AK Party (AKP), greet their supporters during a rally ahead of the local elections in Istanbul, Turkey March 24, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
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Erdogan to Visit US in May, Turkish Ministers Meet US Delegation

Türkiye's President Tayyip Erdogan and Murat Kurum, mayoral candidate of his ruling AK Party (AKP), greet their supporters during a rally ahead of the local elections in Istanbul, Turkey March 24, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Türkiye's President Tayyip Erdogan and Murat Kurum, mayoral candidate of his ruling AK Party (AKP), greet their supporters during a rally ahead of the local elections in Istanbul, Turkey March 24, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

Türkiye’s President Tayyip Erdogan will visit the United States on May 9, a Turkish security official said on Friday, setting the stage for his first White House meeting during the Biden Administration.

The Washington visit would be Erdogan's first since 2019 when he met then-president Donald Trump, with whom he enjoyed good personal ties.

Since President Joe Biden's 2020 election, Ankara has sought another face-to-face meeting.

Ties between the NATO allies, long strained by differences on a range of issues, have thawed since Ankara ratified Sweden's NATO membership bid in January, following a 20-month delay that had caused frustration in Washington.

Yet strains persist, including over northern Syria, where US forces are allied with Kurdish militants that Ankara deems terrorists. Washington has also pressed Ankara to do more to halt goods transiting to Russia that it says are used in Moscow's war effort in Ukraine.

The official did not provide any further information on the visit, but said Türkiye's top intelligence official Ibrahim Kalin will meet with members of the US House of Representatives for talks on the planned visit and other bilateral issues.

On Thursday and Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defense Minister Yasar Guler also met the US delegation.

There was no immediate comment from Washington or the US Embassy in Ankara on the visit.


Ukraine Says Russian Drone, Missile Attacks Damage Power Facilities

A handout picture made available by the Presidential Press Service shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) visiting the 117th Seperate Territorial Defense Brigade during a working visit to the Sumy region, Ukraine, 27 March 2024 amid the Russian invasion. EPA/PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE HANDOUT
A handout picture made available by the Presidential Press Service shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) visiting the 117th Seperate Territorial Defense Brigade during a working visit to the Sumy region, Ukraine, 27 March 2024 amid the Russian invasion. EPA/PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE HANDOUT
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Ukraine Says Russian Drone, Missile Attacks Damage Power Facilities

A handout picture made available by the Presidential Press Service shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) visiting the 117th Seperate Territorial Defense Brigade during a working visit to the Sumy region, Ukraine, 27 March 2024 amid the Russian invasion. EPA/PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE HANDOUT
A handout picture made available by the Presidential Press Service shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) visiting the 117th Seperate Territorial Defense Brigade during a working visit to the Sumy region, Ukraine, 27 March 2024 amid the Russian invasion. EPA/PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE HANDOUT

Russian missile and drone attacks hit thermal and hydro power plants in central and western Ukraine, power grid operator Ukrenergo said on Friday, in the latest barrage targeting the country's already damaged power infrastructure.
"During the night, the Russians struck again at energy facilities in a massive and combined attack," Ukrenergo said on the Telegram messaging app.
"Thermal and hydroelectric power plants in the central and western regions were damaged."
Regional officials said Russian forces had attacked infrastructure in the Kamianske district near the city of Dnipro. At least one person was wounded, they added.
Ukrainian energy minister German Galushchenko also said power facilities in the regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava and Cherkasy were attacked, Reuters reported.
"Electricity generation facilities were targeted by drones and missiles," Gelushchenko said on Facebook.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal later said in a statement that energy facilities in six Ukrainian regions had been attacked. He said Ukraine needs more air defence systems to secure critical infrastructure and protect the population.
The Ukrainian military said its air force had destroyed 58 Russia-launched attack drones overnight from a total of 60, along with 26 of 39 missiles.
"The enemy launched a powerful missile and air strike against the fuel and energy sector of Ukraine, using various types of missiles and attack drones," the commander said.
Reuters could not independently verify the report.
Ukrainian television said explosions were heard in the regions of Ivano-Frankivsk and Khmelnytskyi as well as the city of Dnipro as Russian cruise missiles were spotted in Ukrainian air space.
DTEK, NAFTOGAZ UNDER FIRE
The largest private power firm, DTEK, said its three thermal power plants had come under attack.
"The equipment was severely damaged," it said on Telegram. "After the attack ended, the power engineers promptly started to repair the damage."
Ukrainian power distributor Yasno said this week that DTEK lost about half its capacity following Russian missile and drone attacks.
Ukrainian state-run Naftogaz oil and gas firm also said its facilities had come under attack on Friday morning.
"(Russian attacks) targeted Naftogaz Group's facilities, but there was no serious damage," it said in a statement, giving no more details.


Moderately Strong Quake Strikes Southern Greece

This photo taken on March 27, 2024 shows the city of Athens shrouded in haze. (Photo by Angelos TZORTZINIS / AFP)
This photo taken on March 27, 2024 shows the city of Athens shrouded in haze. (Photo by Angelos TZORTZINIS / AFP)
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Moderately Strong Quake Strikes Southern Greece

This photo taken on March 27, 2024 shows the city of Athens shrouded in haze. (Photo by Angelos TZORTZINIS / AFP)
This photo taken on March 27, 2024 shows the city of Athens shrouded in haze. (Photo by Angelos TZORTZINIS / AFP)

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 has struck southern Greece off the coast of the western Peloponnese. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from the quake, which was also felt in the Greek capital and as far away as the southern island of Crete.
The quake struck Friday morning and was centered beneath the seabed near the Strofades islands, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) south-southwest of the western city of Patras, according to the Athens Geodynamic Institute.
Greece lies in a highly seismically active region and earthquakes are common. The vast majority cause no injuries and little to no damage.


An 8-year-old is Only Survivor in South Africa Bus Crash that Killed 45

A handout photo made available by the Limpopo Transport Department shows emergency services attending to the bus crash that killed 45 people in Limpopo province, South Africa, 28 March 2024 (issued 29 March 2024).  EPA/Tidimalo Chuene
A handout photo made available by the Limpopo Transport Department shows emergency services attending to the bus crash that killed 45 people in Limpopo province, South Africa, 28 March 2024 (issued 29 March 2024). EPA/Tidimalo Chuene
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An 8-year-old is Only Survivor in South Africa Bus Crash that Killed 45

A handout photo made available by the Limpopo Transport Department shows emergency services attending to the bus crash that killed 45 people in Limpopo province, South Africa, 28 March 2024 (issued 29 March 2024).  EPA/Tidimalo Chuene
A handout photo made available by the Limpopo Transport Department shows emergency services attending to the bus crash that killed 45 people in Limpopo province, South Africa, 28 March 2024 (issued 29 March 2024). EPA/Tidimalo Chuene

A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said. The only survivor of the crash was an 8-year-old child.

Authorities in the northern province of Limpopo said the child was seriously injured and was receiving medical attention.

The Limpopo provincial government said the bus veered off the Mmamatlakala bridge and plunged 50 meters (164 feet) into a ravine before busting into flames.

Search operations were ongoing, the provincial government said, but many bodies were burned beyond recognition and still trapped inside the vehicle.

Authorities said they believe the bus was traveling from the neighboring country of Botswana to the town of Moria, which hosts a popular Easter pilgrimage. They said it appeared that the driver lost control and was one of the dead.

Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga was in Limpopo province for a road safety campaign and changed plans to visit the crash scene, the national Department of Transport said. She said there was an investigation underway into the cause of the crash and offered her condolences to the families of the victims.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa sent his condolences to Botswana and pledged support to the country, his office said in a statement.


Russia's FM Says Ukraine Peace Plan is Pointless

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting with his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic in Moscow, Russia, March 21, 2024. Olga Maltseva/Pool via REUTERS
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting with his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic in Moscow, Russia, March 21, 2024. Olga Maltseva/Pool via REUTERS
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Russia's FM Says Ukraine Peace Plan is Pointless

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting with his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic in Moscow, Russia, March 21, 2024. Olga Maltseva/Pool via REUTERS
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting with his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic in Moscow, Russia, March 21, 2024. Olga Maltseva/Pool via REUTERS

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in an interview published on Friday, said Ukraine's proposed peace plan was pointless as it was based on unacceptable notions like Moscow's withdrawal from areas it has captured.
Lavrov told the Moscow daily Izvestia that a proposed peace summit would not succeed until its fundamental bases were changed, including allowing Russia to participate.
"We are in any case ready to hold discussions but not on the bases of (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskiy's 'peace formula'," Lavrov told the daily.
"How could any serious politician in Washington, Brussels, London, Paris or Berlin say that there is no alternative to the Zelenskiy formula," he said.
According to Reuters, Lavrov dismissed as unacceptable the plan's provisions, which call for Russia to withdraw from territory it has captured, including Crimea, annexed in 2014, and the restoration of Ukraine's 1991 post-Soviet borders. It also calls for a means to bring Russia to account for its February 2022 invasion.
Zelenskiy rejects any notion of negotiations with Moscow on any basis other than the peace plan.
Lavrov said he had met officials and diplomats from Switzerland who had assured him that a peace summit which Bern has agreed to host would include Russian participation and be conducted on realistic terms.
He said Swiss officials had told him "we understand that nothing can be solved without you, that's unfair." And once the plan was turned into a "collective product", Russia would be invited.
Lavrov also said US proposals to discuss arms deals, uncoupling the issue from the Ukraine conflict, made little sense.
"It is a joke and does not reflect well on those in the Administration in Washington dealing with foreign policy," he told Izvestia. "All this boils down to the fact that foreign policy in the United States is being directed by people who don't know how to engage in diplomacy."


Cranes to Start Removing Wreckage from Baltimore Bridge Collapse, Biden OKs $60M in Aid

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MARCH 28: The sunsets on the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 28, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by SCOTT OLSON / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MARCH 28: The sunsets on the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 28, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by SCOTT OLSON / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
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Cranes to Start Removing Wreckage from Baltimore Bridge Collapse, Biden OKs $60M in Aid

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MARCH 28: The sunsets on the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 28, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by SCOTT OLSON / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MARCH 28: The sunsets on the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 28, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by SCOTT OLSON / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

The largest crane on the Eastern Seaboard was being transported to Baltimore so crews on Friday can begin removing the wreckage of a collapsed highway bridge that has halted a search for four workers still missing days after the disaster and blocked the city's vital port from operating.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the crane, which was arriving by barge and can lift up to 1,000 tons, will be one of at least two used to clear the channel of the twisted metal and concrete remains of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and the cargo ship that hit it this week.

"The best minds in the world” are working on the plans for removal, Moore said. The US Army Corps of Engineers for the Baltimore District told the governor that it and the Navy were mobilizing major resources from around the country at record speed to clear the channel.

“This is not just about Maryland,” Moore said. “This is about the nation’s economy. The port handles more cars and more farm equipment than any other port in America.”

He warned of a long road to recovery but said he was grateful to the Biden administration for approving $60 million in immediate aid. President Joe Biden has said the federal government will pay the full cost of rebuilding the bridge.
“This work is not going to take hours. This work is not going to take days. This work is not going to take weeks,” Moore said. “We have a very long road ahead of us.”

Thirty-two members of the Army Corps of Engineers were surveying the scene of the collapse and 38 Navy contractors were working on the salvage operation, officials said Thursday.

The devastation left behind after the cargo ship lost power and struck a support pillar early Tuesday is extensive. Divers recovered the bodies of two men from a pickup truck in the Patapsco River near the bridge’s middle span Wednesday, but officials said they have to start clearing the wreckage before anyone can reach the bodies of four other missing workers.

State police have said that based on sonar scans, the vehicles appear to be encased in a “superstructure” of concrete and other debris.
Federal and state officials have said the collision and collapse appeared to be an accident.

Rebuilding the bridge could take anywhere from 18 months to several years, experts say, while the cost could be at least $400 million — or more than twice that.

It all depends on factors that are still mostly unknown. They range from the design of the new bridge to how swiftly government officials can navigate the bureaucracy of approving permits and awarding contracts.

Realistically, the project could take five to seven years, according to Ben Schafer, an engineering professor at Johns Hopkins University.

“The lead time on air conditioning equipment right now for a home renovation is like 16 months, right?" Schafer said. He continued: “So it’s like you’re telling me they’re going to build a whole bridge in two years? I want it to be true, but I think empirically it doesn’t feel right to me.”

Others are more optimistic about the potential timeline: Sameh Badie, an engineering professor at George Washington University, said the project could take as little as 18 months to two years.


Netanyahu Seeks 30-Day Extension to Craft Law Addressing Military Draft for Ultra-Orthodox Men

 23 May 2023, Israel, Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement in the Knesset. (dpa)
23 May 2023, Israel, Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement in the Knesset. (dpa)
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Netanyahu Seeks 30-Day Extension to Craft Law Addressing Military Draft for Ultra-Orthodox Men

 23 May 2023, Israel, Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement in the Knesset. (dpa)
23 May 2023, Israel, Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement in the Knesset. (dpa)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel is seeking a 30-day extension to craft a law to deal with the mandatory enlistment for ultra-Orthodox men, after weeks of negotiations in his cabinet were unsuccessful.

Israel’s Supreme Court has ordered the government to present legislation aimed at increasing recruitment among the religious community by the end of March. Netanyahu asked for the extension on Thursday afternoon.

Broad exemptions from mandatory military service for ultra-Orthodox men have reopened a deep divide in the country and rattled the government coalition. Netanyahu’s fellow War Cabinet members are staunchly opposed to his proposed new conscription law.

In a letter to the Supreme Court, Netanyahu said that additional time is needed “because it has been proven in the past that enlistment without an agreed-upon arrangement actually has the opposite effect.”

Most Jewish men are required to serve nearly three years followed by years of reserve duty. Jewish women serve two mandatory years. But the politically powerful ultra-Orthodox, who make up roughly 13% of Israeli society, have traditionally received exemptions if they are studying full-time in religious seminaries.

The exemptions — and the government stipends many seminary students receive through age 26 — have infuriated the wider general public, especially while the country is embroiled in a war against Hamas militants in Gaza.

The Supreme Court has ruled the current system discriminatory and given the government until the end of March to present a bill and until June 30 to pass it.


White House Says US Passed Written Warning of Moscow Attack to Russia

Russian people mourn near the Crocus City Hall concert venue, six days after a terrorist attack in Krasnogorsk, outside Moscow, Russia, 28 March 2024. (EPA)
Russian people mourn near the Crocus City Hall concert venue, six days after a terrorist attack in Krasnogorsk, outside Moscow, Russia, 28 March 2024. (EPA)
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White House Says US Passed Written Warning of Moscow Attack to Russia

Russian people mourn near the Crocus City Hall concert venue, six days after a terrorist attack in Krasnogorsk, outside Moscow, Russia, 28 March 2024. (EPA)
Russian people mourn near the Crocus City Hall concert venue, six days after a terrorist attack in Krasnogorsk, outside Moscow, Russia, 28 March 2024. (EPA)

The White House on Thursday dismissed as "nonsense" Russia's charge of Ukraine's involvement in last week's attack on Moscow's Crocus City concert hall that claimed more than 140 lives, saying it was clear that the ISIS group was "solely responsible."

In a briefing to reporters, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said that the United States passed to Russian security services a written warning of an extremist attack on large gatherings in Moscow, one of many provided in advance.

"It is abundantly clear that ISIS was solely responsible for the horrific attack in Moscow last week," Kirby said. "In fact, the United States tried to help prevent this terrorist attack and the Kremlin knows this."

Kirby spoke shortly after Russia's Investigative Committee said it had uncovered evidence that the four gunmen who carried out last Friday's attack were linked to "Ukrainian nationalists" and had received cash and cryptocurrency from Ukraine.

He described the Russian allegations as "nonsense and propaganda."

The United States, he said, provided multiple advance warnings to Russian authorities of extremist attacks on concerts and large gatherings in Moscow, including in writing on March 7 at 11:15 am, to Russia's security services.

The United States passed "following normal procedures and through established channels that have been employed many times previously...a warning in writing to Russian security services," Kirby said.


Russian Veto Brings End to UN Panel Monitoring Enforcement of North Korea Nuclear Sanctions

Russia's Representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia addresses the Security Council on the day of a vote on a Gaza resolution that demands an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan leading to a permanent sustainable ceasefire, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, March 25, 2024. (Reuters)
Russia's Representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia addresses the Security Council on the day of a vote on a Gaza resolution that demands an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan leading to a permanent sustainable ceasefire, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, March 25, 2024. (Reuters)
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Russian Veto Brings End to UN Panel Monitoring Enforcement of North Korea Nuclear Sanctions

Russia's Representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia addresses the Security Council on the day of a vote on a Gaza resolution that demands an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan leading to a permanent sustainable ceasefire, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, March 25, 2024. (Reuters)
Russia's Representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia addresses the Security Council on the day of a vote on a Gaza resolution that demands an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan leading to a permanent sustainable ceasefire, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, March 25, 2024. (Reuters)

Russia vetoed a UN resolution Thursday in a move that effectively abolishes the monitoring by United Nations experts of sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program, though the sanctions themselves remain in place.

Russia’s turnaround on the monitoring -- which it repeatedly agreed to in the past -- prompted Western accusations that Moscow was acting to shield its weapons purchases from North Korea for use in its war against Ukraine, in violation of the UN sanctions.

The vote in the 15-member council was 13 in favor, Russia against, and China abstaining. The Security Council resolution would have extended the mandate of the panel of experts for a year, but Russia’s veto will halt its operation. The UN sanctions against North Korea still remain in force.

Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council before the vote that Western nations are trying to “strangle” North Korea and that sanctions have proven “irrelevant” and “detached from reality” in reining in the country's nuclear program.

US Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood told the council after the vote that Russia’s veto was nothing more than “the attempt by one council member to silence the independent objective investigations” into North Korea’s sanctions violations.

He said Russia acted because “the panel began reporting in the last year on Russia’s blatant violations of the UN Security Council resolutions.”

White House national security spokesman John Kirby condemned Russia’s veto as a “reckless action” that undermines sanctions imposed on North Korea, while warning against the deepening cooperation between North Korea and Russia, particularly as North Korea continues to supply Russia with weapons as it wages its war in Ukraine.

“The international community should resolutely uphold the global nonproliferation regime and support the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and independence against Russia’s brutal aggression,” Kirby told reporters.

Britain’s UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward said Russia’s veto follows arms deals between Russia and North Korea in violation of UN sanctions, including “the transfer of ballistic missiles, which Russia has then used in its illegal invasion of Ukraine since the early part of this year.”

The Security Council imposed sanctions after North Korea’s first nuclear test explosion in 2006 and tightened them over the years in a total of 10 resolutions seeking — so far unsuccessfully — to cut funds and curb its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

The last sanctions resolution was adopted by the council in December 2017. China and Russia vetoed a US-sponsored resolution in May 2022 that would have imposed new sanctions over a spate of intercontinental ballistic missile launches.

The Security Council established a committee to monitor sanctions and the mandate for its panel of experts to investigate violations had been renewed for 14 years.