24 Mar, 2025 23:19

Rubio accuses ‘other countries’ of blocking peace in Ukraine

The Kremlin previously criticized Kiev’s EU backers for only speaking of war and militarization

US Secretary of State MarcoRubio has accused unnamed foreign governments of obstructing efforts to end the Ukraine conflict, while crediting President Donald Trump with leading negotiations to mediate peace between Moscow and Kiev.

According to Rubio,Trump’s diplomatic initiative has faced resistance from other governments, although he did not name any specific countries.

“You’ve done it despite impediments from other countries and others who maybe have different opinions about how this should go,” Rubio said, addressing Trump directly. “Ultimately, I think that the only chance we have for peace is through the President’s leadership.”

Senior Russian and US officials held 12-hour talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Monday, focused on resolving the Ukraine conflict and ensuring maritime security in the Black Sea. However, the two sides have yet to release details or announce the outcome of the discussions.

Speaking during a cabinet meeting at the White House before the talks concluded, Rubio stressed thatthe conflict “needs to be brought to an end” through negotiations, not military means, and praised Trump as “the only one leader in the world that’s capable of bringing two sides to a table.”

Following a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart last week, Moscow and Kiev agreed to a partial ceasefire and pledged to suspend strikes on energy infrastructure for 30 days.

However, theRussian Defense Ministry has since reported multiple Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has stressed thatdespite Kiev’s violations, Moscow will continue to uphold the energy strike truce.

In an interview on Sunday, Peskov also remarked that instead of seeking peace and addressing the root causes of the conflict,EU member states are now discussing the deployment of NATO contingents to Ukrainian territory. “This rampant militarist policy of Europe – there is no other way to describe it – is hard to comprehend,” he said.

Tensions between Washington and European NATO members resurfaced after Trump assumed office in January. The new administration has pushed for a swift resolution to the Ukraine conflict and plans to shift security responsibilities to Europe once a truce is in place.

Following an emergency summit in London earlier this month, the UK and France signaled that they are open to sending Western “peacekeepers” to Ukraine once a ceasefire is reached. Moscow has rejected the proposal, stating that it makes no difference under what pretext NATO troops enter the country. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned that this could lead to a direct war between the military bloc and Moscow.

https://www.rt.com/news/614722-ukraine-peace-impediments-rubio/

>>22818037

25 Mar, 2025 12:13

No plans to disclose details of Riyadh talks with US – Kremlin

Moscow and Washington are assessing the outcome of the extensive discussions, spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has stated

Details of the extensive talks between Russian and US officials in Saudi Arabia on Monday will not be made public, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

Thetwo delegations engaged in nearly 12 hours of dialogue in Riyadh, focusing on ways to de-escalate the Ukraine conflict. During a regular press briefing on Tuesday, Peskov emphasized that the specifics will remain undisclosed.

”The outcomes of the marathon Russian-American negotiations have been relayed to the respective capitals and are currently under analysis,” he stated. “These were technical talks, which involved an in-depth exploration of details, so naturally, the content of those discussions will not be made public.”

Peskov saidMoscow does not foresee a direct conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, following the latest diplomatic engagement. Additionally, there is no expectation of trilateral talks involving Ukraine at this time. Peskov said further interactions with the Trump administration will occur in due course.

In recent days, American officials have held separate meetings with Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Saudi Arabia. Reports suggest that the talks centered on the possible revival of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a defunct agreement initially facilitated by the UN and Türkiye.

Moscow withdrew from the deal in July 2023,citing Ukraine’s misuse of its terms and the West’s failure to lift sanctions on Russian exportsof fertilizers and foodstuffs,which had been promised in exchange for ensuring the safety of Ukrainian shipments.

https://www.rt.com/russia/614740-peskov-riyadh-talks-details/

25 Mar, 2025 12:03

Lukashenko sworn in as president of Belarus for seventh time

The inauguration ceremony took place at the Minsk Palace of Independence, extending his rule to 2030

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko hasbeen sworn in for a seventh term in office, extending his nearly 30-year ruleof the former Soviet republic for another five years.

The former Belarusian republic gained its independence in 1991 during the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Lukashenko was first elected in 1994 in the country’s inaugural presidential election after the adoption of a new constitution.

The inauguration ceremony took place at the Palace of Independence in Minsk on Tuesday. According to the Belarusian news agency BelTA, more than 1,100 guests attended the event.

“We have created a sovereign state – we have much to be proud of,” Lukashenko said at the ceremony. He pledged to continue to lead his country on a “path of peace and development, national unity and patriotism, justice and broad opportunities for everyone – what we call a state for the people.”

He added that taking the oath of office in the year that marks the 80thanniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in World War II is “an enormous responsibility.”

“Today we all swear an oath of faithful service to the Fatherland and will not let anyone erase the creative mark in history – our mark and the mark of our predecessors.”

The Central Election Commissiondeclared Lukashenko the winner of the January 26 presidential election with 86.82% of the votein early February. Under the constitution, the president must take the oath no later than two months after the election in the presence of lawmakers, top judges, and members of the Belarusian People’s Assembly.The 69-year-old politician is the country’s only post-independence leader. His new term runs until 2030.

His previous reelection in 2020 sparked widespread protests across Belarus and drew sharp criticism from Western governments, which accused Lukashenko of vote rigging. He denied the allegations, calling the accusations politically motivated. He has also faced foreign criticism of his leadership style.In November last year, he acknowledged that Belarus is governed by a “dictatorship,” but described it as one of “stability, security, order, kindness, and hospitality.”

https://www.rt.com/russia/614739-lukashenko-inauguration-president-belarus/

25 Mar, 2025 10:32

Israel hits out at Ukrainian glorification of WWII Nazi collaborator

People tend to “not check what happened in the past,” acting Ambassador to Russia Alexander Ben Zvi has said

Israel opposes Ukraine’s glorification of World War II Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera, the Jewish state’s acting ambassador to Russia, Alexander Ben Zvi, has told TASS. In comments published on Monday, Ben Zvi confirmed thatIsraeli authorities are aware of the Bandera cult in Ukraine and have raised the issue with Kiev.

Bandera was a leader in the militant Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and headed the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) during World War II. The group collaborated with Nazi Germany to massacre over 100,000 Poles, Jews, Russians, and Soviet-aligned Ukrainians.

Despite the UPA-ordered genocide, Bandera and other UPA members were declared national heroes by former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko in 2010 – a designation reaffirmed by the current Kiev leadership. Ukrainian nationalists continue to celebrate Bandera with annual torchlight marches, referring to him as the “father of the nation.”

“We have stated this more than once. It’s just that people do not check what happened in the past.Our ambassadors to Ukraine even wrote notes of protest at one time,” Ben Zvi said when asked to clarify Israel’s stance on the issue. He added that the Israeli Foreign Ministry is “well aware” of the matter.

His comments appear to contradict recent remarks by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. At a press briefing marking Israel’s presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) earlier this month, Sa’ar said he was unaware of Bandera’s veneration in Ukraine.

“First of all, I didn’t know about it. I will check it,”the minister said, adding he would issue a condemnation “if there is a necessity.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry and its embassy in Kiev have issued several statements denouncing Ukraine’s honoring of Nazi collaborators over the years. However, no such statement has been made since 2022, with embassy officials tellingHaaretz they “have made our position clear many times, but apparently there is nothing we can do, at least at the moment.”

Moscow has repeatedly warned of a Nazi revival in Ukraine and cited “denazification” as one of the main goals of its military operation against Kiev. Western media and officials, however, have downplayed Nazi imagery in Ukraine, often dismissing criticism as “Russian propaganda.”

https://www.rt.com/news/614731-israel-ukraine-nazi-glorification/

25 Mar, 2025 08:16

Zelensky announces push to enlist younger men

Kiev is lowering its military recruitment age-range 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 Vladimir Zelensky.

In a regular news briefing on Monday, Zelensky announced that themilitary 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 campaignlaunched in February, young adults are promised 1 million hryvnia ($24,000) for a year of military service, as well asfree dental careand theoption to leave Ukraineafter 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/russia/614730-zelensky-recruitment-younger-men/

25 Mar, 2025 04:14

Moscow condemns Kiev’s ‘terrorist attacks’ on journalists

Ukrainian forcestargeted two TV crewsin separate attacks in a single day

The Russian Foreign Ministry has condemned Ukrainian attacks whichkilled three membersof a news crew andinjured several othersin the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) and Kursk Region on Monday==. The incidents were further proof of Kiev’s “terrorist nature,” spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

According to Moscow, Ukrainian forces launcheda “precision-guided artillery strike” on a civilian vehicle in the LPR marked as press transport on Monday. The attack claimed the lives of Aleksandr Fedorchak, a reporter for Izvestia; Andrey Panov, a cameraman for Zvezda TV; and their driver, Aleksandr Sirekli. Another Zvezda correspondent, Nikolai Goldin, was seriously wounded in the same incident.

In a separate attack on the same day, TASS reporter Mikhail Skuratov was injured by shrapnel while on assignment in the Sudzhanskiy district of Russia’s Kursk Region, which borders Ukraine.

“=The Kiev regime has once again demonstrated its terrorist, savage nature,” Zakharova said in a statement early Tuesday morning. “The series of brutal reprisals against Russian journalists by Ukrainian neo-Nazis is yet another proof of their readiness to commit any crimes against the civilian population without hesitation=, including media workers, who areprotected under international humanitarian lawas outlined in the 1949 Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocol I.”

Zakharova accused Kiev ofescalating attacks on civilians as a result of its failure to achieve military success. “The number of these terrorist attacks is increasing proportionally to the neo-Nazi regime’s growing understanding of its inability to inflict any damage on the Russian Armed Forces,” she added.

Moscow called on international bodies– including the Director-General of UNESCO, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights – to issue strong condemnations.

“The continued cold-blooded killings of Russian media workersdemand proper attentionand response from international institutions,”Zakharova stated, warning that silence or evasive rhetoric would only “demonstrate their inability to uphold their mandates impartially.”

Zvezda TV reported that their crew was allegedly targeted by two projectiles fired from a US-supplied Ukrainian HIMARS multiple rocket launcher system. Moscow has repeatedly said that Kiev cannot operate such advanced systems without direct Western assistance.

https://www.rt.com/russia/614725-russian-journalists-ukrainian-strikes/

25 Mar, 2025 07:54

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 government-backed plans tobuild a luxury hotelon the site of a historicformer army compound destroyed during NATO’s 1999 bombing campaign in the country.

The project is beingrun by Affinity Global Partners, setup by Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.

The 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 of Serbia and Montenegro over the Kosovo conflict.Over 500 cilviians were killed by the US-led military blocthroughout the months-long raids, which had no backing from the UN.

The Serbian government last year approved a multimillion-dollar deal with Affinity Global Development, to redevelop the location. Theagreement 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.

Monday’s protestcoincided with Serbia’s Remembrance Day, marking the anniversary of the start ofNATO’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” andobjected to “gifting it” to American developers.

“The General Staff, which is the cultural center of Serbia, which wasbombed by NATOtogetherwith America, should now be handed over to America? It’s creepy. Ironic and satirical,” one protester said.

“It is completely unacceptable,” another added.

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 a building collapse 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/news/614727-protest-serbia-trump-nato/

25 Mar, 2025 03:36

Indian journalist calls out global media bias on Ukraine

After reporting for months from Donbass, TV9 editor Manish Jha shared his perspective of covering the conflict with RT

Indian journalist Manish Jha, Editor at TV9 Network, spoke to RT following his recent trip to the Zaporozhye region, including a visit to the embattled Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). Drawing on months of on-the-ground reporting in Donbass, Jha offered a critical take on how major global media outlets have covered the conflict in Ukraine.

“Mostmainstream media – be it CNN, The Washington Post, or Reuters– are treated like the Bible,” Jha said. “Butwhen I came here, when I visited places in Donbass, Zaporozhye, Kherson –I started realizing how they lie to the entire world.”

Recalling one particularly harrowing incident, Jha said: “I was in Donetsk when it was heavily shelled.A rocket hit a busright in front of me, andeight people were burned alive. I witnessed it while doing live reporting for my network. The next morning,I checked international mediato see what they reported – andnot a single line.

That moment I realizedwe needto be independent andtell the truth to the world.”

Jha traveled to Moscow after joining a delegation of international journalists who toured the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, which Russia claims has come under repeated attack by Ukrainian forces. The ZNPP, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, has been under Russian control since March 2022. It is located in a region that later voted to join Russia following a public referendum. The plant is now operated by Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy company.

The Russian Defense Ministry has reported frequent drone and artillery strikes on the facility and the nearby city of Energodar, which it maintains are carried out by Ukrainian forces.Despitehaving a permanent monitoring mission at the site since September 2022, theInternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has consistently refrained from naming the source of the attacks. This position has been questioned by journalists who visited the ZNPP, including Jha, who warned that continued strikes could risk a disaster greater than Chernobyl or Fukushima.

Jha also commented onNATO’s rolein the ongoing conflict: “For the last three years, we’ve seen how 30 countries led by the US have tried to destroy Russia– but they haven’t succeeded. As a war reporter, I can tell you: NATO is exhausted. They need time to rebuild themselves.”

The journalist emphasized that India is among the countries that has consistently advocated for diplomacy and peace. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed this position last week in an interview with US podcaster Lex Fridman, stating that “the current situation presents an opportunity for meaningful and productive talks.”

Despite onging pressure from Western powers to distance itself from Moscow, India has refused to take sides. The Indian leadership has argued that New Delhi’s strong diplomatic ties with both Russia and Ukraine place it in a unique position to act as a mediator in future peace efforts.

https://www.rt.com/india/614715-indian-journalist-calls-out-global/

25 Mar, 2025 10:32

Argentina to release Nazi files

“No reason” to withhold information about the protection the country extended to fugitives after WWII, a senior official has said

Argentina plans to declassify government documents concerning Nazi fugitives who found sanctuary in the Latin American nation following Germany’s defeat in World War II.

The commitment to transparencywas announced on Monday by President Javier Milei’s chief of staff, Guillermo Francos, during an interview with the TV channel DNews. He said the president made the decision after a meeting last month with US Senator Steve Daines, who strongly advocated for the public release of the files.

Francos stated that the president believes “there is no reason to withhold information” about theprotection afforded to Nazis in Argentina, adding that most of the documents slated for release are housed within the Defense Ministry. Some of thefiles pertain to financial matters involving services from Swiss banks, he added.

According toestimates, as many as 10,000 war criminalsutilized so-called ‘ratlines’ to escape Europe and settle elsewhere as the Axis powers fell on the continent. Around half are believed to have chosen Argentina – a nation known for its reluctance to grant extradition requests — as their refuge.

Among those wereHolocaust architect Adolf Eichmannand infamous death camp doctorJosef Mengele. Eichmann was captured by Israeli intelligence operatives and taken to Israel for trial, while Mengele drowned in 1979 after suffering a heart attack.

The influx took place mostlyduring the first presidency of controversial Argentinian leaderJuan Peron, whose government from 1946 to 1955 explicitly supported Nazi exiles. Peron pursued a policy that mixed elements of authoritarianism and populists components that critics believed was influenced by fascism.

Milei’s pledge to unveil the Nazi files follows an earlier decreeaimed at accelerating the release of records concerning the Argentine armed forces’ actions during the military dictatorship from 1976 to 1983.

The tumultuous period,known as “the last junta,” began with a coup against Isabel Peron, the president’s widow and successor, when his second term was cut short by his death in 1974.

The junta conducted a brutal crackdown on political dissent, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and disappearances. Presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni said that thegovernment seeks to prevent political manipulationof this tragic period through complete disclosure.

https://www.rt.com/news/614736-argentina-nazi-fugitives-disclosure/

24 Mar, 2025 14:17

Israel readying new Gaza invasion – WSJ

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s team is reportedly aiming to defeat Hamas by taking control over large territories of the Palestinian enclave

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his national-security team areallegedly planning a major new ground offensive dedicated to capturing large swaths of territoryin Gaza, the Wall Street Journal has reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The alleged plans come amid renewed Israeli airstrikes on the Palestinian enclave after a temporary truce between Hamas and the Jewish state expired on March 1. Mediated by the US, Qatar, and Egypt, the ceasefire had led to a partial Israeli withdrawal and limited hostage releases. However, since its collapse, both sides have blamed each other for failing to reach a renewed agreement.

The WSJ reported on Sunday that Israeli forces have already moved into northern Gaza, areas near Rafah, and the central Netzarim corridor, marking the start of acampaign to recapture and hold territory previously vacated under a ceasefire arrangement.

According to the outlet, Netanyahu’s new advisers have been advocating for a strategy that relies on beating Hamas on the battlefield by force of arms before pursuing any political solution to the Gaza conflict.

Last week, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that his countrywould continue to seize territory in Gaza for as long as Hamas holds hostages. Meanwhile, Israeli officials have also advocated forfully destroying Hamas’s remaining infrastructure such as tunnels and weapons caches, even if it takes yearsand leads to more civilian casualties, the WSJ wrote.

Israel’s new approach is reportedly being fueled by US President Donald Trump’s order to ramp up ammunition deliveries to the Jewish State and his administration’s calls for Netanyahu to “take the gloves off” against Hamas.

While announcing last week the renewal of ground operations in Gaza, Netanyahu’s office declared that “Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength.”

It also specified that thenew offensive is a response to the Palestinian group’s “refusal to release hostages” and its rejection of proposals on extending the truce.

Hamas, in turn, has accused Israel of “unilaterally” ending the ceasefire, according to Reuters.

Palestinian authorities claimed on Sunday that over 50,000 people have been killed in Gaza since fighting began some 18 months ago.

The war between Hamas and Israel broke out following the Palestinian group’s surprise cross-border attack on October 7, 2023 that killed around 1,200 people and led to the capture of roughly 250 hostages.

https://www.rt.com/news/614710-israel-gaza-offensive-plans/

Bibi has to continue the war, even if it takes years, because if over he will be prosecuted for his crimes. These people are sick and will justify anything

>>22818422

23 Mar, 2025 07:57

Lebanon at risk of ‘new war’ – PM

Nawaf Salam has warned of an escalation as Israel renews attacks on the country

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has warned that Israeli airstrikes could drag the country into a “new war,” following deadly attacks on towns in the south.

According to a statement published on his official website on Saturday, the prime minister “warned of renewed military operations on the southern border, because of the risks they carry dragging the country into a new war, which will bring woes to Lebanon and the Lebanese people.” Salam also stressedthe need to ensure that “the [Lebanese] state alone has the power to decide war and peace.”

He also called on the UN to apply pressure on Israel to withdraw from Lebanon, warning that continued hostilities threaten the truce currently in place.

On Saturday, Israeli jets struck Tyre, Zibqin, and Qlaileh. The Israeli military said the action was “in response to the rocket fire at Israel” from around 6km north of the border. West Jerusalem blamed Hezbollah for the launches and said it targeted the group’s rocket sites.

In a separate statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he and DefenseMinister Israel Katz ordered the military “to act forcefully against dozens of terror targets in Lebanon.” Netanyahu added that the Lebanese government is responsible for “everything taking place within its territory.”

Hezbollah has denied involvement, calling the accusations a pretext for further aggression.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that one person was killed in Tyre and four wounded in Qlaileh. Earlier raids on Touline left five dead, including two children, with 11 others injured.

The fighting began when Hezbollah opened fire on Israeli positions in support of Gaza, following West Jerusalem’s military response to Hamas’ October 7 attack, in which 1,200 people were killed and 250 were taken hostage.

Cross-border clashes later escalated into a full Israeli offensive that killed senior Hezbollah figures, destroyed weapons stockpiles, and caused mass civilian casualties.

A ceasefire has been in effect since November under a US-brokered deal requiring both sides to halt military operations along the border.

Andrea Tenenti, the spokesperson for the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, called the situation “very concerning” and urged “maximum restraint.”He said intense negotiations are underway “to prevent any escalation of the conflict and of the tension – something that no one wants to see after 16 months of conflict in this region.”

https://www.rt.com/news/614650-lebanon-risks-new-war/

22 Mar, 2025 09:45

New IOC president opposes Olympic bans over involvement in armed conflicts

Kirsty Coventry has pledged to open talks on Russia’s potential return to the Games

Incoming International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry hassaid she does not support banning athletes from the Olympicsbased on their countries’ involvement in armed conflicts. In an interview to Sky News on Friday, she alsoannounced plans to initiate discussions about Russia’s return to competition.

Russian and Belarusian athletes were prohibited from competing in the Games shortly after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022.The IOC also insistedthat international sports federations follow suit,leading to both countries being excluded from major global sporting events. The committee later allowed some athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in the Games as individuals under neutral flags, including at the Paris Olympics in 2024, while national teams have remained barred.

When asked by Sky News a day after being elected to the post whether she opposed banning nations from the Olympics due to military conflicts, Coventry said: “I am, but I believe each situation must be considered individually.”

Coventry, who is now set to become the first woman and the first African to head the IOC, also pledged to establish a task force to develop “some policies and some guiding frameworks that we as the movement can use to make decisions when we are brought into conflicts.”

The former Olympic swimmer, who won two gold medals for Zimbabwe, admitted that there are “horrific conflicts in Africa at the moment,”highlighting the necessity to protect and support athletes, ensuring they have the opportunity to come to the Olympic Games.

Asked aboutallowing the Russian national team to return to the Olympics in 2026, Coventry said: “We’re going to have that discussion with a collective group, as I’d said, with the task force.”

Coventry was elected as the 10th president of the IOC on Thursday, having secured a majority of the vote. The 41-year-old came ahead of Spain’s Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. and Britain’s Sebastian Coe, who finished second and third in the voting, respectively.

Russian President VladimirPutin congratulated Coventryon her IOC election, saying thather “experience and dedication to the true advancement of the noble Olympic ideals will ensure your success in such a responsible position.”

Russian officials have repeatedly slammed Western nations for politicizing international sports and exerting pressure on sports federations to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes for political reasons.

https://www.rt.com/news/614616-ioc-coventry-against-banning-war/

I don’t think any country was ever banned from Olympics because they were at war, why wasn’t Ukraine banned too. It was only to cancel Russia. It shouldn’t happen again it only harms the athletes

NATIONAL SECURITY

Trump administration is reviewing how its national security team sent military plans to a magazine editor

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in his first public remarks about the The Atlantic's reporting, said, "Nobody was texting war plans”

March 24, 2025,

The White House said Monday it was reviewing how the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine was accidentally added to a group text in which people who appeared to be members of President Donald Trump’s administration discussed plans to launch airstrikes against Houthi militants in Yemen.

“At this time, the message thread that was reported appears to be authentic, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain,” the National Security Council said in a statement.

The statement came in response to an article published Monday by The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, a veteran national security and foreign affairs journalist. Goldberg reported he had been added to a group chat called “Houthi PC small group” on March 13 via Signal, an encrypted messaging service widely believed to be more secure than other commercial texting applications.

In the article, Goldberg described his initial skepticism, recalling thathe discussed with colleagues whether the texts were “part of a disinformation campaign, initiated by either a foreign intelligence service, or, more likely, a media-gadfly organization” seeking to embarrass journalists.

Goldberg reported that he went on to receive a series of messages on Signal that appeared to come from Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, national security adviser Michael Waltz and other prominent officials in the Trump administration.

Asked by a reporter Monday how the information was shared with a journalist and whether the material was classified, Hegseth made disparaging remarks about Goldberg, calling him a "so-called journalist."

"Nobody was texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that," he added.

Goldberg responded to Hegseth's remarks during an MSNBC interview Monday night.

"He can say that it wasn't a war plan, but it was a minute-by-minute accounting of what was about to happen organized by CENTCOM,"Goldberg told host Jen Psaki, referring to Central Command, which directs U.S. military operations for the Middle East and other regions. "This is their plan, andhe was taking their plan and sharing it with a bunch of civilian leaders."

Goldberg added that Hegseth appears to be "trying to deflect from the fact that he participated in a conversation on an unclassified, commercial messaging app that you probably shouldn't participate in."

In his article, Goldberg quoted from the text chain discussion and The Atlantic published screenshots of the Signal thread.He wrote that the military plan discussed in the group chat “included precise information about weapons packages, targets, and timing,” adding that he refrained from reporting specific information that could potentially damage national security.

Goldberg reported that the user labeled "Michael Waltz" celebrated the launch of a series of airstrikes against the Houthis on March 15 at 1:48 p.m. ET, seven minutes before Goldberg checked X and saw that explosions were being heard across Sanaa, Yemen's capital.

“The thread is a demonstration of the deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials. The ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to our servicemembers or our national security,” the National Security Council said in its statement.

Goldberg reported that he exited the Signal group after he personally concluded it was “almost certainly real.”..

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/atlantic-jeffrey-goldberg-trump-houthis-rcna197847

Trump administration invoking state secrets privilege over deportation flight information sought by federal judge

Devan Cole, CNN

Updated: 11:30 PM EDT, Mon March 24, 2025

Top Justice Department officials told a federal judge on Monday that the Trump administration is invoking the state secrets privilege to avoid giving him information about deportation flights from earlier this month that are at the center of a legal dispute over whether the government flouted his judicial commands.

“The Court has all of the facts it needs to address the compliance issues before it,”Attorney General Pam Bondi and other top DOJ officials wrote in a filing to US District Judge James Boasberg. “Further intrusions on the Executive Branch would present dangerous and wholly unwarranted separation-of-powers harms with respect to diplomatic and national security concerns that the Court lacks competence to address.”

“The information sought by the Court is subject to the state secrets privilege because disclosure would pose reasonable danger to national security and foreign affairs,” the officials wrote in the 10-page filing.

Boasberg is seeking the information to determine whether the government violated a pair of temporary restraining orders he issued on March 15 that temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to quickly deport individuals the administration has accused of being members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

The judge had ordered any flights containing noncitizens being deported pursuant to Trump’s directive to turn around immediately, but it quickly emerged that the administration appeared to have violated his command by allowing two deportation flights to continue the evening of March 15.

Included in the Monday evening filing were declarations from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem who saidthat disclosing the information sought by Boasberg would harm US national security or foreign relations.

“It is critical to bear in mind that removal operations can be (as they are here) counterterrorism operations. If foreign partners believed that any relevant details could be revealed to third parties, those foreign partners would be less likely to work with the United States in the future,” Rubio said in his declaration. “That impairs the foreign relations and diplomatic capabilities of the United States and threatens significant harm to the national security of the United States.”

Among the questions Boasberg wanted the Justice Department to answer are ones concerning the exact timing of when the two planes took off from US soil and left US airspace that day,as well as the specific times individuals deported under Trump’s proclamation were transferred out of US custody that day.

He told the government last week that it could submit the information under seal or invoke the privilege, though he said if DOJ decides to shield the information,he “is obligated to ‘determine whether the circumstances are appropriate for the claim of privilege.’”

In the filings submitted Monday to Boasberg, the department pushed back strongly on the judge’s continued inquiry into whether the administration violated his orders, saying, “No more information is needed to resolve any legal issue in this case.”

“Whether the planes carried one TdA terrorist or a thousand or whether the planes made one stop or ten simply has no bearing on any relevant legal issue,” the officials wrote. “The need for additional information here is not merely ‘dubious,’ … or ‘trivial,’ … it is non-existent. The Executive Branch violated no valid order through its actions, and the Court has all it needs to evaluate compliance.”

https://lite.cnn.com/2025/03/24/politics/deportation-flights-trump-administration-state-secrets-privilege/index.html

An excellent, Fuck Off Boasberg!

Ryan Fournier

@RyanAFournier

President Trump secures $2.924 trillion worth of investments into the U.S. in his first 100 days.

11:04 AM · Mar 24, 2025

·50.1K

Views

https://x.com/RyanAFournier/status/1904187598614012148

Appeals court judge says Nazis were treated better than Venezuelans under Alien Enemies Act

March 24, 2025 / 7:47 PM EDT1/2

Washington — An appeals court judge said Monday that Nazis were treated better under the Alien Enemies Act than Venezuelan migrants removed from the U.S. and flown to El Salvador earlier this month.

"Nazis got better treatment under the Alien Enemies Act than has happened here," Judge Patricia Millett said, admonishing the Justice Department during oral arguments.

"We certainly dispute the Nazi analogy," said Drew Ensign, the government's attorney

Millett noted that during World War II, Nazis were put before hearing boards under Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration, and the Trump administration has conceded the alleged Tren de Aragua gang members deported to El Salvador and detained in a maximum security prison did not have the chance to appear in court.

The judge said the question at hand wasn't the use of the act, but rather, the right of detainees to have due process and challenge their status as accused members of the gang.

Millett, appointed to the bench by President Barack Obama, said migrants may continue to be detained under the Alien Enemies Act,but they may not be deported until there is a decision on a preliminary injunction to stop the removals.

"No president has ever used this statute this way," Millett said. The Alien Enemies Act has only been invoked three other times — during the War of 1812, World War I and World War II. It has never been used when the U.S. was not at war. She raised concerns about the act's implementation by government employees who may have removed people to El Salvador who were not Tren de Aragua members.

Judge Justin Walker asked Ensign whether individual hearings were required before deportations, as D.C. District Chief Judge James Boasberg had written in his order Monday.

Ensign responded, "I agree with part of that." Walker, a Trump nominee, pressed him on how that would work.

"There are some individualized Habeas hearings being heard in Texas," Walker said.He asked, "If they can bring a habeas petition and say they're not a member of [Tren de Aragua] … how would they bring that habeas claim?"

Millett, too, asked Ensign about the men who were deported to El Salvador as gang members: "Were people on planes last weekend given the ability to file habeas?"

The government responded that yes, the five plaintiffs were able to appear in court. But the plaintiffs were not on the deportation flights that are at the center of the case, and they remain in custody in Texas.

Ensign said he did not know how many migrants are being held in the U.S. under the AEA and said those who are currently held are being detained under Title 8 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.Ensign argued habeas petitions to appeal detention could be filed on behalf of this class in Texas.

"When were they given notice that they were being detained as part of [Tren de Aragua]" and how much notice was given before they were put on the plane, Millett asked.

Ensign said the answers were not in the record. He told the appeals panel, "We've agreed challenges to individual determinations can be brought."

But Millett pressed him further, asking whether "the government considers itself within its right to pack every member of this class on an airplane before there is a reasonable amount of time to file a habeas petition?" Ensign did not respond immediately,but later said the statute does not require such notice — notice, that is, that they were being detained as Tren de Aragua members.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nazis-alien-enemies-act-deportations-appeals-court-judge/

They all were in the U.S. because they violated immigration laws, what are these judges thinking. Aren’t foreigners not entitled to anything in the Constitution or U.S. law, for defense?

>>22818713

2/2==

Plaintiffs' attorney Lee Gelernt of the ACLU claimed, "There was no process," and migrants "were designated [Tren de Aragua] without any advance notice and rushed onto planes." He said he would soon submit declarations reflecting this.

The government also made the case before the appeals panel that it should be moved to another venue and that the president's decision to invoke the AEA was not reviewable.

Ensign said the lower court's order blocking the Trump administration from deporting alleged Tren de Aragua gang members under the actrepresented an "enormous intrusion" into presidential power.

Chief D.C. District Judge James Boasberg on Monday rejected the government's motion to rescind his order regarding the administration's use of the AEA for deportations.He found the plaintiffs were likely to win on the merits of the case because they're entitled to due process and individual hearings.

He also expressed doubt that Mr. Trump's use of the act for these deportations is lawful, writing, "Despite the President's determination otherwise, Tren de Aragua is not a 'foreign nation or government,'and its actions, however heinous, do not amount to an 'invasion' or a 'predatory incursion.'"

Judge Walker appeared to take the government's side about the venue where the case was brought, pointing out that the complaint, which is being heard in Washington, D.C., could have been filed in Texas, where the five original plaintiffs are in custody.

Gelernt conceded the point,but argued "this has all been done in secret," and it would not have enabled hearings to be held on an individual basis for all those accused of being gang members. The government has not released the names of the 238 men deported on two flights to El Salvador who are now being held in a maximum security terrorism prison, although CBS News reported their names last week.

"Absent a class [temporary restraining order], we would have had far more people sitting in a Salvadoran prison," Gelernt said.

"I think that's a tough precedent for you," Walker told Gelernt, because no suit was being brought in Texas, where the defendants were being held.

"No class member is seeking release" Gelernt responded. "The government is using the act to try and short-circuit immigration proceedings."

"We are absolutely not trying to get anybody out of detention." Gelernt added.

"Can you — standing here — give us an example of a district court injunction that enjoined a national security operation that survived appeal?" Walker asked.

"The implications of not giving people a chance to contest it are extraordinary," Gelernt replied.

"Many — if not most — of the people removed had no connection to the gang," Gelernt said, asking that Judge Boasberg be allowed to continue his work.He predicted the plaintiffs would end up "on a plane" following the trajectory of the other alleged Venezeulan gang members if the order blocking the use of the AEA is lifted.

(Any court in DC are comped, they have more sympathy for the criminals than those they harmed or killed.)

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nazis-alien-enemies-act-deportations-appeals-court-judge/

Yehuda Teitelbaum

@chalavyishmael

I already told you how this works.

And they fall for it every time.

Step 1 - Attack Jews.

Step 2 - Wait for Jews to defend themselves.

Step 3 - Video it and cry victim.

They conveniently left out this video of Palestinians attacking an Israeli teen.

Yuval Abraham יובל אברהם

@yuval_abraham

·21h

A group of settlers just lynched Hamdan Ballal, co director of our film no other land. They beat him and he has injuries in his head and stomach, bleeding. Soldiers invaded the ambulance he called, and took him. No sign of him since.

4:09 PM · Mar 24, 2025

·116.4K

Views

https://x.com/chalavyishmael/status/1904264252719775805