https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/12-dead-30-injured-in-afghanistan-mosque-blast

12 dead, 30 injured in Afghanistan mosque blast

An explosion in a mosque in Afghanistan's northern province of Kunduz killed 12 people and wounded 30, according to a source.

A source revealed that the explosion occurred at one of the key mosques in the Imam Sahib District.

According to Afghan broadcaster Tolo News, quoting Kunduz police, the terrorist attack was carried out during Friday prayers at about 1:30 pm (09:00 GMT). According to reports, law enforcement forces are on the site and all the injured were rushed to a nearby hospital.

In April, a mosque attack in Afghanistan's Mazar-i-Sharif killed at least 40 and injured 65 others.

At the time, the Taliban had reported that they arrested an IS militant who was responsible for the attack.

IS also claimed another bomb attack in Kunduz in October that killed 4 and injured 18.

Numerous schools in Kabul also saw deadly attacks in April, according to the city's security department.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/mbs-to-visit-turkey-on-june-22

MBS to visit Turkey on June 22

Turkish official stated that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) will visit Turkey on June 22.

The official added as quoted by AFP that the details of the visit will be announced "over the weekend".

The two countries will sign several agreements during the trip, which is expected to take place in Ankara, but the exact location has yet to be determined, according to the official.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan paid his first high-level visit to the kingdom in years in April since the 2018 killing of Khashoggi in the Kingdom's Istanbul consulate, which caused a refute between the two countries.

At the time, Erodgan said that the visit was "a manifestation of our common will to begin a new era of cooperation as two brotherly countries."

The trip comes as Turkey - facing an economic crisis fuelled by the collapse of its currency and soaring inflation - tries to draw financial support from energy-rich Gulf countries and to maximize its cooperation with the Israeli occupation "on a win-win basis".

Turkey forgot about Khashoggi

Saudi agents killed and dismembered Khashoggi, an insider turned critic, in the Kingdom's Istanbul consulate in October 2018. His remains have never been found.

Turkey infuriated the Saudis by pressing ahead with an investigation into the murder of The Washington Post Saudi writer. Erdogan revealed that the "highest levels" of the Saudi government ordered the killing.

Saudi Arabia responded by unofficially putting pressure on Turkey's economy through a boycott of Turkish imports.

But trade between the two has been gradually improving, and Saudi Arabia has just announced that MBS is planning a visit to Turkey next week.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/russian-forces-destroy-azov-neo-nazi-hq-near-kharkov

Russian forces destroy Azov neo-Nazi HQ near Kharkov

Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed that the Russian Aerospace Forces have destroyed a large arsenal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) as they destroyed the headquarters of the Azov nationalist group in the Kharkov Region.

The Russian Armed Forces have also hit three command posts, 18 areas of troop and military equipment concentration, and 10 firing positions of Ukrainian artillery and mortar batteries inclusive of six Grad MLRS batteries in the DPR using high-precision air-based missiles.

Operational-tactical and army aviation have hit 58 areas of AFU manpower and military equipment concentration.

In addition, the Ministry pointed out that Russian air defense units have shot down a Ukrainian air force Su-25 aircraft near Mazanovka, Kharkov.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, missile troops and artillery have hit 38 firing positions of AFU artillery units, and 203 areas of manpower and military equipment concentration of Ukrainian nationalists.

The Ministry highlighted that in total, some 205 Ukrainian aircraft and 131 helicopters, 1,233 unmanned aerial vehicles, 342 anti-aircraft missile systems, 3,387 tanks, and other armored combat vehicles, 539 multiple launch rocket systems, 2,013 field artillery and mortars, and 3,658 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed during the war in Ukraine.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/france-no-longer-receiving-any-russian-gas-via-pipelines

France 'no longer receiving any Russian gas via pipelines'

France has not received any natural gas from Russia via pipeline since June 15, according to network operator GRTgaz, after Russian energy giant Gazprom announced this week that it would reduce deliveries to Europe.

The Nord Stream pipeline supply reductions, according to Gazprom, are the result of repair work.

The Russian Deputy Prime Minister revealed, on Thursday, that most of Gazprom's European clients have switched to paying for gas in rubles.

France receives approximately 17% of its gas from Russia via network connections with Germany, which is heavily reliant on Russian supplies.

Supplies had already been cut by 60% since the beginning of the year, sending prices skyrocketing.

GRTgaz, on the other hand, said there was no risk to French supplies at the moment, with reserves at 56 percent capacity, compared to 50 percent in June normally.

Since France adopted packages of sanctions against Russia, it has increased pipeline gas imports from Spain while also increasing purchases of liquefied natural gas (LNG) delivered by ship.

It is worth noting that much of the LNG still comes from Russia, with France being one of the country's largest buyers, according to a report released this week by the Finland-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

As the Ukraine crisis adds pressure, France has to deal with higher energy prices and inflation, the government already suffered from gas and power price increases not to mention providing financial assistance to low-income households.

>> This is going to get really ugly.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/uk-government-abandons-ukrainian-refugees-leaves-hundreds-ho

UK government abandons Ukrainian refugees, leaves hundreds homeless

Official figures revealed that hundreds of Ukrainian families are homeless in England despite government promises to secure housing for them, The Guardian reported.

The website highlighted that "at least 480 Ukrainian families and 180 single adults have applied to councils for help with homelessness" since the end of February.

Although the UK government insisted that the Homes for Ukraine and family visa schemes would ensure housing for refugees, the two are abandoning people after housing arrangements break down.

The figure shows that 145 placements made by the Home for Ukraine scheme ended in homelessness by June 3.

“Across the country, there is no consistent approach to rematching guests with new hosts, no standard way for Ukrainians to change their visa sponsors, and no single mechanism for moving funding from one host to another," considered Lauren Scott, executive director of Refugees at Home.

“It is a nightmare situation – the very one that we had hoped to avoid,” she expressed.

The Guardian pointed out that "many local authorities are treating Ukrainian families as homeless rather than attempting to rematch them with new hosts, leaving them in hostels and hotels, just as happened with Afghan refugees."

Out of the 145 ended Homes for Ukraine placements, only 20 were rematched with a new host.

On his part, the chief executive of the Refugee Council, Enver Solomon, considered that “it is worrying to see that desperate Ukrainian families who have fled war, endured trauma and heartbreak, arriving here, entrusting their safety in our hands, to have been left to fall into homelessness."

“We’re concerned that Ukrainians arriving on family visas are running into problems as not all relatives will have the space or the resources to support their family members – which is why there needs to be the same level of funding available to them and local councils as is provided under the Homes for Ukraine scheme," Solomon expressed.

Lisa Nandy MP, shadow leveling up and housing secretary, said the UK government "has failed miserably to play its part. Ministers were warned about the risk of refugees becoming homeless on the day they launched the sponsorship scheme, but they were more interested in grandstanding in television studios than doing their jobs to protect vulnerable people."

A UK government spokesperson noted that more than 77,200 Ukrainians have arrived in the UK since the beginning of the war.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/catalan-parliament-passes-resolution-recognizing-israeli-apa

Catalan Parliament passes resolution recognizing Israeli apartheid

The Catalan Parliament, a regional parliament in Spain, passed Thursday a resolution recognizing that the Israeli occupation is committing the crime of apartheid against the Palestinian people, becoming the first European parliament to do so.

The passed resolution accused the Israeli occupation of applying a system that is "contrary to international law and is equivalent to the crime of apartheid as defined in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Article 7.2 (h)."

"A historic moment"

Celebrating the resolution, the left-wing En Comu Podem party tweeted, "Parliament, the first European institution to recognize that Israel is committing the crime of apartheid against the Palestinian people, as noted in Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch."

On her part, MP Susana Segovia Sánchez hailed the Parliament's resolution and considered that "this is a historic moment. Today we call by name the violation of human rights in Palestine."

Floored in March by leftist parties, the passed resolution urges holding the Israeli occupation accountable for its crimes.

"Israel" forcing system of apartheid on Palestinians

It is noteworthy that human rights group Amnesty International released in February 2022 a 211-page report - whose release "Israel" had fought against - asserting once and for all that the Israeli regime is forcing a system of apartheid on Palestinians.

Amnesty called in its report on the UN Security Council to "impose targeted sanctions, such as asset freezes, against Israeli officials most implicated in the crime of apartheid, and a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel."

Similarly, the International Human Rights Watch published a report in April 2021 confirming that "Israel" is committing crimes of apartheid.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/uk-may-cut-funding-to-un-after-echr-ruled-against-migrants-d

UK may cut funding to UN after ECHR ruled against migrants deportation

UK Home Secretary Priti Patel will consider cutting London's UN funding after the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled to ground the first flight that was scheduled to fly migrants from the UK to Rwanda, according to The Times.

The UN refugee agency's analysis of the deportation policy was critical to the intervention of European judges, according to the media.

"We're looking into it. It's a lot of money to give an organization that spends so much time trying to undo our policies. They must have spent a fortune on lawyers for the role it has played in the courts over the last few days," a source said, as quoted by the newspaper.

The UK Foreign Ministry already announced plans to reduce the amount of funding allocated to the UN in May. The UK cut its allocations nearly in half, from $134.7 million in 2020 to $72.9 million, in 2021. According to UN data, this year's British contributions totaled $51.9 million, with $33 million earmarked for the resolution of Ukraine's humanitarian crisis.

The first flight carrying migrants was scheduled for Tuesday, following the rejection of a lawsuit filed by human rights activists seeking to halt the government's decision to send illegal migrants to Rwanda. According to the court's statement, the flight was canceled after the ECHR ruled that an Iraqi migrant involved might face "a real risk of irreversible harm."

For her part, Patel expressed her disappointment that the flight was unable to take off due to "legal challenges and last-minute claims." She noted that the ECHR did not rule that the decision to send migrants to Rwanda was illegal and that Rwanda is a safe country where refugees can receive assistance. At the same time, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss stated that if some migrants are unable to board the first flight, they will be accommodated on the next.

In mid-April, the United Kingdom and Rwanda signed a migration agreement under which people identified by the UK government as illegal migrants or asylum seekers will be deported to Rwanda for document processing, asylum, and relocation. Human rights organizations and some politicians have criticized the plan, claiming that it will not stop the illegal migration flow from France via the English Channel.

Last year, over 28,000 migrants from Iran, Iraq, Eritrea, and Syria crossed the English Channel to seek asylum in the UK.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/resistance-seizes-israeli-reconnaissance-balloon-that-fell-i

Resistance seizes Israeli reconnaissance balloon that fell in Gaza

Al Mayadeen correspondent reported that an Israeli aerial reconnaissance balloon fell Friday in the Beit Hanoun area in the northern Gaza Strip.

Local media said that IOF soldiers attempted to infiltrate the border with Gaza to restore the reconnaissance balloon but were forced to retreat after the Palestinian Resistance opened fire on them.

Our correspondent confirmed that the Palestinian Resistance seized the surveillance devices carried by the Israeli filming balloon that fell in the northern Gaza Strip.

He also pointed out that the IOF landed the air balloons launched along the border with Gaza.

In the same context, an IOF official confirmed that an Israeli filming air balloon fell inside the Gaza Strip, and details are still being examined.

Local media also said that Israeli warplanes launched an airstrike targeting an open area near the Beit Hanoun checkpoint, with injuries reported.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/third-us-fighter-goes-missing-in-ukraine

Third US fighter goes missing in Ukraine

Following the declaration of two US citizens that have gone missing in Ukraine, presumably captured by Russian forces, State Department spokesperson Ned Price that there were "reports of one additional American whose whereabouts are unknown."

On Thursday, Price spoke to the media and clarified that "Unfortunately we don't know the full details of that case."

While CNN reported on the identity of the third missing American as being the US Marine veteran Grady Kurpasi, based on information collected from his wife, the US official did not validate the information.

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told the Solovyov Live show, when asked about the two captured US veterans in specific: “I do not have such information, and I have been checking it every day. I will check it today as well. We disclose to the public all information about the fate of arrested mercenaries or those on trial… I want to reiterate that I will double-check whether there is any additional information on this issue.”

On Wednesday, The Telegraph reported that these are the first two American mercenaries captured in Ukraine by Russian forces. The two captives, according to the newspaper, are former US servicemen, Alexander Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27.

US mercenaries in Ukraine

Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform reported that 3,000 US volunteers are ready to arrive in Ukraine, amid Russia's ongoing military operation in the country.

The agency quoted the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ press service via Telegram as saying that "the volunteers are ready to repel Russia as part of an international battalion."

Among the US volunteers are army veterans "with combat experience gained in Iraq and other hotspots around the world."

Earlier in February, President Volodymyr Zelensky urged foreigners to head to Ukrainian embassies worldwide to sign up for an "international brigade" of volunteers to help fight against the Russian operation in Ukraine.

"All foreigners wishing to join the resistance against the Russians occupiers and protect global security are invited by the Ukrainian leadership to come to our state and join the ranks of the territorial defense forces," Zelensky said in a statement.

"A separate unit is being formed from foreigners – the International Brigade of the territorial defense of Ukraine. This will be a key testimony of your support for our country."

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu previously stated that there are more than 6,000 foreign mercenary fighters in Ukraine, adding that the West refuses to recognize many facts of torture and brutal killing of Russian prisoners of war, noting that Russian forces, unlike the armed forces of Ukraine, do not strike civilian infrastructure.

Most recently, high-ranking White House officials argued that the conflict in Ukraine must have a diplomatic solution, following increasing concerns about Kiev's deteriorating situation on the battlefield.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/ukraine-must-find-a-diplomatic-solution:-us-officials

Ukraine must find a diplomatic solution: US officials

High-ranking White House officials argued that the conflict in Ukraine must have a diplomatic solution, following increasing concerns about Ukraine's deteriorating situation on the battlefield.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Thursday, in a speech at the Center for New American Security (CNAS), a Washington, DC-based lobby group close to the Democratic Party, that the US will continue to help Ukraine “to the maximum extent possible.” Sullivan, also stated that the help his government offered has not only been on the ground but also “ultimately at the negotiating table” adding that the US believed that “this has to end with diplomacy.”

CNAS is a center that is funded by the likes of military-industrial complex giants Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and Lockheed Martin, meaning all military investment in Ukrainian is profitable for these companies and is equally profitable for the center.

The center also received at least $500,000 from the US Department of Defense. Colin Kahl announced, earlier this week from CNAS that the US decided to send Ukraine guided missiles for the HIMARS rocket launchers. The US has sent more than $5 billion in military supplies to Ukraine since Biden took office in 2021, according to a senior administration official.

The Pentagon also decided Tuesday to provide $1 billion worth of Harpoon missile launchers, howitzers, and ammunition for high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) to Ukraine due to the nature of the conflict changing to an "artillery duel", Under-Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl told a press briefing on Wednesday.

A senior administration official told reporters that the US would send M142 HIMARS, which have a range of approximately 77 km.

An NBC News report claimed earlier that some US and European officials were “increasingly concerned that the trajectory of the war in Ukraine is untenable” and were “quietly discussing” asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to “temper his hard-line public position” that no territory will ever be ceded to Russia.

To that report, Sullivan said at CNAS that “we are not going to be pressing them to make territorial concessions. We think that’s frankly wrong.”

Furthermore and according to the report, John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, insisted that Biden’s view on the matter has not changed. He reiterated that “President Zelensky is the democratically elected leader of that country, and he gets to determine how this war ends,” and added that “He gets to determine how he defines victory and how he gets at that outcome.”

Contrary to that, NBC News cited seven current and former US and European officials who would argue otherwise. One US official said that his government is not actively pressuring Kiev to make concessions in the same way some Europeans are but rather the US was “planning for a long war.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that Biden was “not happy” when Austin stated that “They believe that we can win; we believe that they – we can win – they can win if they have the right equipment, the right support,” adding that the US wanted to “see Russia weakened.”

While the two officials remarked that Biden was not happy with their comments, there is no indication that he in fact did tell them to “tone it down.”

In parallel, Ukrainian Defense Minister Aleksey Reznikov said on Thursday, while speaking to CNN, that Kiev will “liberate all our territories, all of it, including Crimea,” with the support of NATO-supplied weapons. Ukrainian Major-General Dmitry Marchenko said on Wednesday that one of the goals for Ukraine is to target the Kerch Bridge, connecting Crimea to the Russian mainland.

Previously in May, the US president first demanded $33 billion in aid, before Congress later upped the amount to about $40 billion, according to US media reports. Additional funding was recommended in particular for the procurement of fighting vehicles and food supplies.