TY eB
https://www.rt.com/news/614727-protest-serbia-trump-nato/
Thousands protest Trump son-in-law’s Serbia hotel project (VIDEOS)
Jared Kushner plans to build a luxury hotel on the site of a military headquarters in Belgrade bombed by NATO in 1999
Thousands of protesters rallied in Serbia on Monday against plans to build a luxury hotel on the site of a former army compound destroyed during NATO’s 1999 bombing campaign in the country. The project is backed by a firm linked to Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.
The planned location for the new hotel in central Belgrade is the General Staff building, a former Yugoslav army headquarters heavily damaged during NATO’s 78-day bombing campaign against Serbia and Montenegro over the Kosovo conflict.
The Serbian government last year approved a multimillion-dollar deal with Affinity Global Development, an investment firm associated with Kushner, to redevelop the location. The agreement includes a 99-year lease for a three-block area and plans to build a Trump-branded hotel, luxury apartments, offices, shops, and a memorial for bombing victims. Opposition parties have criticized the deal, while President Aleksandar Vucic and his government have defended it as a move to modernize the capital.
Protest in Belgrade, Serbia, honoring the victims of NATO’s 1999 bombing.We will never forgive or forget and yeah, war is still on b*tches! pic.twitter.com/rv3GofdHyk
— Mario ZNA (@MarioBojic) March 24, 2025
Monday’s protest coincided with Serbia’s Remembrance Day, marking the anniversary of the start of NATO’s bombing campaign on March 24, 1999. Demonstrators gathered around the ruins of the former military complex, demanding the site be restored as a heritage landmark and that redevelopment plans be scrapped. Protesters described the complex as “a monument to NATO aggression” and objected to “gifting it” to American developers.
#Serbia | 24 March protest:Protesters in #Belgrade today protested against the luxury development project backed by Jared #Kushner, son-in-law of President #Trump. The project aims to demolish the building damaged in NATO bombings of 1999. pic.twitter.com/44UK6CuBQz
— Luka | Дунав Intel (@Lukai1861) March 24, 2025
“The General Staff, which is the cultural center of Serbia, which was bombed by NATO together with America, should now be handed over to America? It’s creepy. Ironic and satirical,” one protester said.
“It is completely unacceptable,” another added.
#Serbia | 24 March protest:Once again, the Veterans of the Kosovo war joined the protests, this time on the 26th year since NATO's 1999 bombings in Serbia and Montenegro.#Belgrade#Beograd#Veterans#Kosovo#Srbija#Montenegrohttps://t.co/95PdvOXWFBpic.twitter.com/7FQ4KJ9n35
— Luka | Дунав Intel (@Lukai1861) March 24, 2025
Videos shared online showed crowds chanting anti-NATO slogans and holding signs that read “f**k NATO and Trump Tower” and “we will never forget,” alongside the dates of the 1999 airstrikes. Protesters waved Serbian flags, as well as banners opposing NATO and the EU. Some demonstrators waved flags from Russia, China, North Korea, and Palestine.
Monday’s protests came amid the ongoing student-led anti-corruption movement in Serbia, sparked by the collapse of a canopy at the Novi Sad railway station last November that killed 16 people. The incident led to mass outrage and the resignation of several senior officials, including Prime Minister Milos Vucevic. Demonstrators have since demanded broad political reforms.
Serbian authorities have blamed the protests on foreign interference, accusing opposition groups of collaborating with Western, Croatian, and Albanian intelligence services to try to topple the government.
https://www.rt.com/russia/614730-zelensky-recruitment-younger-men/
Zelensky announces push to enlist younger men
Kiev is broadening its military recruitment as the US nudges it into a truce with Russia
Ukraine must enlist more young men into its armed forces, as a number of units face a pressing need for reinforcements, according to the country’s leader, Vladimir Zelensky.
In a regular news briefing on Monday, Zelensky announced that the military leadership had approved an expansion of recruitment targeting citizens aged 18 to 24. While mandatory conscription applies to men over 24, the government is trying to encourage younger individuals to volunteer by offering an array of incentives.
“I visited the front on Saturday. There is a demand from specific brigades, and we will be responding positively to it. There will be more brigades employing young specialists,” Zelensky stated. “This initiative will extend to the National Guard and border guard units, as all effective defense forces should be given every opportunity to enhance their capabilities.”
Under a recruitment campaign launched in February, young adults are promised 1 million hryvnia ($24,000) for a year of military service, as well as free dental care and the option to leave Ukraine after fulfilling their contract – an option not available to regular fighting-age men.
The Defense Ministry is promoting the offer by showing how much recruits can buy with the money – equating it to 15,625 cheeseburgers or 185 years of Netflix subscriptions. Critics have condemned the ad campaign as demeaning to potential recruits.
Last year, Zelensky reduced the minimum conscription age from 27 to 25, but refrained from further adjustments, citing concerns over the economic and demographic impact. Western supporters have urged Kiev to enlist younger men, saying the aging Ukrainian army is struggling to fight effectively.
Ukraine is intensifying its mobilization efforts as the US attempts to mediate a resolution to the conflict with Russia, leveraging Kiev’s reliance on foreign aid. Washington has convinced both sides to agree to a moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure. After several attacks, however, Moscow has accused Kiev of not honoring its obligation and has threatened to pull out of the 30-day partial ceasefire.
Over the past few days, US officials met separately with Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Saudi Arabia to explore the potential resumption of the Black Sea Initiative, aimed at facilitating maritime exports.
https://www.rt.com/news/614702-china-eu-peacekeepers-ukraine/
China rejects involvement in Ukraine ‘peacekeeping’ contingent
Media speculation on the issue is entirely wrong, the Foreign Ministry has said
China has dismissed a media report suggesting that the country could take part in a potential EU deployment of ‘peacekeeping’ forces to Ukraine, reaffirming its stance in favor of a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
The report by German outlet Welt am Sonntag is “not true at all,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a press briefing on Monday when asked to comment on the claims.
China’s position “on the Ukraine crisis is consistent and clear,” the spokesperson said.
Beijing has played an active role in advocating for a diplomatic solution since the escalation of hostilities three years ago, proposing a 12-point peace plan in 2023 and maintaining dialogue with both Moscow and Kiev.
Guo previously stated that Beijing believes dialogue and negotiations are the only viable ways out of the crisis.
On Saturday, Welt reported, citing unnamed EU diplomats, that Beijing is considering joining a potential ‘peacekeeping mission’ spearheaded by the UK and France.
China’s participation in the plan involving a ‘coalition of the willing’ “could potentially increase Russia’s acceptance of peacekeeping forces in Ukraine,” the diplomats reportedly told the outlet. Russia has repeatedly rejected the idea of Western troops in Ukraine, noting that it would require UN Security Council approval, where Moscow holds veto power.
The idea of creating a group of countries ready to support Kiev militarily was first proposed by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at an emergency summit in London earlier this month.
UK military officials reportedly slammed Starmer’s plan as a “political theater,” telling The Telegraph on Sunday that the prime minister had “got ahead of himself.”
The plan, which includes the deployment of troops and aircraft, was backed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who said Western forces would not be deployed to Ukraine until the situation on the ground is safe for them. Both Macron and Starmer are expected to hold separate meetings in London and Paris this week centered on military planning for Ukraine.
Replying to British and French initiatives to deploy troops to Ukraine, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said that Starmer and Macron are “playing dumb” by pretending that they are sending peacekeepers instead of a NATO contingent. This deployment risks an all-out war between the military bloc and Moscow, he warned.
https://www.rt.com/news/614699-switzerland-first-fine-burqa-ban/
European country issues first ‘burqa ban’ fine
A federal law prohibiting face coverings in public, backed by a 2021 referendum, came into force in Switzerland earlier this year
The Swiss authorities have issued the first fine under the country’s nationwide face-covering ban that took effect this year after a woman in Zurich wore a burqa in public, local outlet Blick reported on Sunday, citing police spokesperson Michael Walker.
The contentious measure, widely known as the “burqa ban,” is a federal law prohibiting face coverings in public spaces, including Muslim garments, such as burqas and niqabs, as well as masks and balaclavas worn by demonstrators or sports hooligans. Walker declined to reveal the woman’s age or details of her attire, citing privacy laws, but confirmed she was “not a tourist.” He said the woman refused to pay the fine, which totaled 100 Swiss francs ($110), meaning the case will now go to the cantonal governor’s office for further processing.
The ban stems from a 2021 Swiss referendum that narrowly passed with 51.2% support, following a campaign in favor of the measure led by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party. Though initially proposed as a measure targeting “radical Islam,” the law also aims to improve public safety, prohibiting masks at protests and sporting events. Violators face an immediate 100-franc fine, which can rise to 1,000 francs if contested in court.
The law includes exceptions for health, cold weather, carnival events, religious worship in designated areas, airline travel, and certain diplomatic or performance-related circumstances.
More than half of Swiss cantons had already enacted bans on face coverings at demonstrations before the federal law took effect. The new national law, however, supersedes cantonal legislation.
Critics argued that the law unfairly targets Switzerland’s 400,000-strong Muslim community, of which only a small minority wear face veils. The Swiss government initially opposed the measure as excessive, arguing that the ban could harm tourism. The law was also condemned by Muslim associations in the country.
Supporters, however, countered that the ban serves broader public security concerns. Last year, Zurich police issued 98 fines for masked participants at protests and sports riots, while Bern authorities also enforced similar cantonal bans against football hooligans.
https://dallasexpress.com/state/federal-judge-strikes-down-texas-mail-ballot-voter-id-mandate/
Federal Judge Strikes Down Texas Mail Ballot Voter ID Mandate
A federal judge ruled that a Texas law requiring voter ID for mail-in ballots unconstitutionally discriminates against disabled voters.
The challenged measure sought to align voter ID requirements for in-person voting and voting by mail.
U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez ordered that the state cannot require mail-ballot voters to provide an identification number that matches the person applying for a ballot to the person’s voter registration form.
Texas law allows voters who are 65 or older, have a disability, are in jail, or are out of their home county during an election to vote by mail. Plaintiffs argued that disabled voters are disproportionately impacted by the ID requirement.
Judge Rodriguez had previously ruled that Texas election officials could not reject mail-in ballots with wrong or missing identification numbers, asserting that providing a correct voter ID is “not material in determining whether voters are qualified under Texas law to vote or cast a mail ballot.”
Rodriguez’s latest order also blocked a provision of the law requiring people who assist voters to swear an oath under penalty of perjury that they did not coerce the voter into accepting assistance.
Both measures were part of Senate Bill 1, a comprehensive election integrity law enacted in 2021.
Several portions of SB 1—Republican-priority legislation that Democrats attempted to block by breaking quorum for more than a month—were challenged by nominally non-partisan civil rights and social advocacy groups, some aligned with the Democrat Party.
In September 2024, Rodriguez blocked SB 1’s ban on paid vote harvesting.
The following month, the judge enjoined state and county officials from investigating or prosecuting alleged violations of voter assistance provisions of SB 1.
Rodriguez noted in his March 14 order that “there is nothing to prevent the Texas legislature from amending the Election Code to revive an ID number component to the mail voting process … and granting election officials the ability to accept non-conforming [Applications for Ballot By Mail] and [Ballots By Mail] after confirming the voter’s identity by some other means.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton appealed Rodriguez’s prior rulings against SB 1 and on Friday filed a motion to stay the judge’s latest order pending appeal.
The voter ID requirement will remain in effect for the upcoming May elections. Federal court precedent prescribes that voting rules should not be changed close to an election.
>judges need to all be removed under article 3
congress has to act! but wait, there's moar.. it's not gonna happen because of rino traitors! jus sayin is all!
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/03/24/report-u-s-warns-egypt-to-accept-gazans-or-lose-billions-in-aid/
Report: U.S. Warns Egypt to Accept Gazans or Lose Billions in Aid
President Donald Trump’s administration has delivered a “final offer” to Egypt to accept up to 700,000 Gazans, according to a new report which says the proposal includes billions of dollars in economic aid and a warning that the same deal will be offered elsewhere if Cairo refuses.
On Monday, the U.K.-based and Qatari-owned Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that the U.S. message was relayed through U.A.E. President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during a visit to Cairo over the weekend.
According to the Arab outlet, Washington’s proposal would see Egypt receive a major financial package in exchange for absorbing 500,000 to 700,000 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The report cited a source familiar with the discussions, who claimed that the United States not only offered massive aid to bolster Egypt’s struggling economy but also issued a stark ultimatum: If Egypt rejects the proposal, both the financial support and refugee resettlement deal will be transferred to another willing nation.
The same source reportedly said that a refusal could result in the loss of existing U.S. aid to Egypt, which totals over $1.5 billion annually, including $1.3 billion towards military assistance. Cairo has so far resisted efforts to resettle displaced Gazans.
The matter comes as Israel remains locked in conflict with Hamas following the October 7 massacre — the worst terrorist attack in Israel’s history, which saw thousands of terrorists burst into Israel from Gaza and gun down participants of an outdoor music festival. Other terrorists simultaneously went door to door in local towns hunting for Jewish men, women, and children who were then subject to kidnapping, torture, rape, execution, and immolation.
Last month, President Trump unveiled his vision for the Gaza Strip during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His plan calls for resettling the strip’s population and rebuilding the territory into a thriving economic hub, marking a significant shift in U.S. policy and setting the stage for a bold new strategy in the Middle East.
Israel has since announced a new department to oversee the voluntary relocation of Gaza residents to third-party countries, a move ordered by Defense Minister Israel Katz. The plan aligns with Trump’s approach, emphasizing regional solutions over past failed policies.
“I welcome President Trump’s bold initiative,” Katz stated, calling it an opportunity for Gazans to seek a better future while ensuring Israel’s security.
According to a recent report from the Jerusalem Post, Israel plans to use its renewed ground offensive to advance the Gaza Strip emigration plan, as Hamas remains “unwilling to compromise” in hostage talks.
Previously, Breitbart News reported that President Trump’s plan to rebuild Gaza by resettling its inhabitants has significant support among many Gazans and is the “only solution” for struggling civilians, according to the Center for Peace Communications. The center says it is fighting for Gaza Strip residents to be given a chance to leave the war-torn enclave “to find a better life” for themselves and their families “before it’s too late.”
The growing movement of Gazans speaking out comes as critics and mainstream media label President Trump’s plan unethical, while overlooking the real humanitarian crisis — people who want to leave the territory but remain trapped under Hamas rule.
According to a fresh Gallup poll of Gaza’s residents, a majority of Palestinians would leave the coastal enclave if they were able to. The findings revealed that a striking 52% of Gazans expressed a desire to relocate, with 14% saying they would leave permanently and 38% seeking temporary refuge abroad.
For U.S. interests, a potential outflow from the Gaza Strip could ease military tensions, reduce the influence of Hamas, and shift the regional burden of humanitarian care to wealthier Arab states and Western allies. It may also open new avenues for cooperation with Israel, Egypt, and the Gulf states on long-term stabilization.