Four teenagers are in custody in Ekaterinburg, accused of planning a bombing and of ties to a banned terrorist organization
Russian security services have detained four teenagers in Ekaterinburg, central Russia, for allegedly planning a terrorist attack. They are aged 15 to 16.
The Federal Security Service (FSB) said the group planned to use an improvised explosive device in a public area.
The teens allegedly shared the ideology of an unnamed terrorist organization banned in Russia, according to the FSB.
During the investigation, officers seized materials for making explosives and communication equipment containing bomb-making instructions. They also gathered evidence linking the two suspects to the arson of a police car.
“We committed arson, I filmed a video of the car being set on fire. After that, I had the idea to make and test explosives. I asked my friend to help me with this,” one of the suspects admitted in a video released by the FSB.
Two of the four teens involved in the arson reportedly targeted the vehicle in August 2024 after subscribing to neo-Nazi channels on Telegram, where they encountered calls for action against police.
”I saw a parked police car in one of the city’s districts and decided to set it on fire together with a friend,” the detainee said in the footage.
Another detainee confessed to creating a timer for the explosive device and assisting in assembling it. “I agreed to help make a timer and explosives,” the suspect said.
A criminal case has been initiated under several articles of the Russian Criminal Code, including preparation for a terrorist act, illegal possession of explosives, and illegal manufacture of explosives, the FSB stated.
David Burritt’s remark came in response to the outgoing US president blocking the purchase of the steelmaker by Japan’s Nippon Steel
The CEO of US Steel Corporation, David Burritt, has accused outgoing US President Joe Biden of undermining the country’s economic standing through a “politically corrupt” decision to block the planned acquisition of the steelmaker by Japan’s Nippon Steel.
The planned takeover, which was agreed to back in December 2023, would have entailed the Japanese company shelling out around $14.1 billion and assuming around $800 million in debt.
In a statement on Friday, Burritt charged that “President Biden’s action today is shameful and corrupt.” The US Steel CEO claimed that the White House’s spurning of the Japanese company’s overtures had insulted a “vital economic and national security ally” and “put American competitiveness at risk.” According to Burritt, the fact that the merger has fallen through plays into the hands of Chinese steel giants.
“Biden did it all while refusing to even meet with us to learn the facts,” the US Steel boss fumed, insisting that his company intends to “fight President Biden’s political corruption.”
In a separate joint statement also on Friday, the US Steel Corporation and Nippon Steel Corporation argued that the US president’s move represents a “clear violation of due process and the law governing” the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).
“The process was manipulated to advance President Biden’s political agenda,” the two companies wrote. They further alleged that the White House had failed to “present any credible evidence of a national security issue, making clear that this was a political decision.”
Both Nippon Steel and US Steel believe the merger would have revitalized the American steelmaking industry and helped it compete more effectively against Chinese rivals.
Earlier in the day, the White House published Biden’s order, in which he wrote that “there is credible evidence that leads me to believe that (1) Nippon Steel Corporation… through the proposed acquisition by the Purchasers of United States Steel Corporation… might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States.”
The outgoing president stipulated that the proposed transaction “is prohibited, and any substantially similar transaction between the Purchasers and U.S. Steel… is also prohibited.”
When the merger was originally agreed to in December 2023, it drew criticism from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, including Vice President-elect J.D. Vance.
The Supreme Court recently told jails across the country to adhere to laws outlawing millenia-old discrimination, yet this is easier said than done
Mridul Kumar (22, name changed), a resident of Banda in north India’s populous state of Uttar Pradesh (UP), was jailed in 2018 for assaulting a neighbor who eventually died in the hospital. He was handed a jail sentence of four years.
Mridul is a dalit. Dalits are lowest in the Hindu caste hierarchy (indeed, they are technically below the pyramid and thus were known as ‘outcasts’) and have faced discrimination for millennia. Several steps have been taken to end this discrimination, yet it persists in India.
Recounting his ordeal after his acquittal in May, the first thing that shocked him as he entered jail was the work distribution by jail authorities on the basis of caste. Mridul used to sell egg rolls on a cart in his hometown and assumed he would be assigned a role in the kitchen. To his shock he was asked his caste by the lower jail authorities and directed to clean the drains.
“I protested, I tried talking to authorities to assign me cutting and chopping work but they did not listen to me. I was asked to clean the drains,” Mridul said of his experience inside the prison.
The UP jail manual clearly mentions that “religious scruples and caste prejudices” are important for “reformative influences.” A separate chapter says: “Reasonable respect shall be paid to religious scruples and caste prejudices of the prisoners in all matters as far as it is compatible with discipline.”
The prison administration holds sole discretionary power over the extent of the “reasonability and compatibility” of these prejudices. The “reasonability,” though, has only meant furthering blatant caste prejudice in assigning work to dalits while exempting other castes from harsh labor, both in male and female prisons.
In July 2020, Mridul raised this with the deputy jail superintendent who took note and assigned him to utensils-cleaning duty and also as a helper to inmates on cooking duty. Yet these inmates protested, as he was a scheduled caste (SC). The disheartened Mridul was assigned to gardening, of which he had no experience.
On 3 October 2024, a Division Bench of then Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra delivered a judgement directing the federal government and states to revise their prison manuals and rules to address caste-based discrimination in prisons. It noted that existing manuals and rules as they stood violated Articles 14, 15, 17, 21, and 23.
The decision came on a writ petition filed by journalist Sukanya Santha in 2023 after she revealed the widespread prevalence of caste-based discrimination in Indian prisons through an investigative story she published in 2020. Sukanya could not be reached for comment.
Indian Police Service (IPS) senior officer Manoj Kumar, currently posted in Ratlam (in central India’s Madhya Pradesh, MP), once managed the jail there, and he says that the problem is so deeply ingrained in our society that even after this judgement, solving it remains a distant goal.
“I remember a dalit inmate was once assigned to serve food, but this was so loudly protested by other inmates, including those who cooked food, that over 50% of them did not eat food that day,” the police officer said. “Some even refused to eat in plates touched by this person, and to contain the situation the authorities had to put this dalit inmate on another duty.”
The MP Jail Manual, despite recent amendments, perpetuates caste discrimination by mandating that Mehtar (scavenger) prisoners handle human excreta in prison toilets under its mal vahan (conservancy) chapter. This effectively institutionalizes manual scavenging within the prison system.
Discrimination in getting justice
The National Crime Records Bureau, responsible for collecting and analyzing crime data, in 2020 reported that a majority of India’s undertrials are from marginalized castes. In the 17 years to 2019, nearly two in three (64%) on average were from the SCs (21.7%), scheduled tribes (12.3%) and other backward classes (OBCs, 30%).
“Individuals belonging to marginalised communities are disproportionately impacted from these unwarranted detentions. Other factors such as limited access to legal assistance and difficulties in meeting bail conditions contribute to the heightened likelihood of underprivileged individuals spending time in prison without being convicted,” noted a study published in 2024.
“Even after 77 years of independence, caste-based discrimination in prisons represents a blatant violation of the ‘Right to Equality’ guaranteed under Articles 14 to 18 of the Constitution,” says Pranavesh Om, a lawyer practicing with the Allahabad High Court. “Our society and system have failed to reform archaic prison laws and rules, continuing practices that are both unconstitutional and inhumane.”
“While the Supreme Court’s judgment is welcome as it reaffirms citizens’ faith in the Constitution, I hope the Government will implement the mandated changes to Prison Rules within the given timeframe,” he adds. “However, we must also address how overburdened courts affect undertrial prisoners, particularly those from marginalized communities, who languish in prisons for years awaiting justice.”
As the saying goes: justice delayed is justice denied. This reality is reflected in NCRB reports showing the disproportionate number of undertrials from marginalized backgrounds.
“A person faces caste discrimination everywhere – not just outside but inside jails too,” said Naresh Paras, an activist who has been working with inmates for two decades. “In prisons, caste-based discrimination is commonplace, beginning right from the jail register where a prisoner’s caste must be recorded in a dedicated column. Dalit prisoners face discriminatory treatment from the moment their caste is documented. Work assignments in jail are made based on caste. Dalit prisoners are forced to sweep and clean toilets. If they refuse, they face physical abuse and torture. They are subjected to inhumane treatment.”
“The dominant caste prisoners force dalits to do their personal chores and address them with caste-based slurs and abuse,” he added. “This discrimination violates their human dignity and self-respect, leading to stress. The prison system openly violates Article 21 of the Constitution. The Supreme Court’s order has kindled hope for justice. Perhaps prisoners can now be freed from caste discrimination, provided this order is properly implemented and monitored,” he adds.
Mridul once wanted to run a restaurant but now works as a hand pump mechanic. “My dreams shattered after being implicated in a false case and then realizing, from my jail experience, that I come from a lower caste. People would not want to eat food prepared by me. It is a hard truth but I accept it as I cannot do anything about it,” he concluded.
Belarus does not need the vote to be marred by assassination attempts, President Alexander Lukashenko has said
Belarus must not allow its upcoming presidential election to devolve into a tumultuous spectacle resembling the White House race in the US, during which President-elect Donald Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said.
Speaking at a government meeting on Friday, Lukashenko stressed that the election, which is scheduled for January 26, should be “a celebration.”
“We don’t need an American-style show where people get shot in the ear or the head. We need this election to be conducted in a dignified manner, so we avoid unnecessary criticism,” he said.
Lukashenko was referring to the most prominent assassination attempt on Trump which took place in July 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a bullet grazed Trump’s ear during a rally. The shooter was killed on the spot by the Republican’s security detail. One attendee of the rally was also killed, with several others injured.
Trump also became the target of another assassination attempt in September 2024 at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, where the assailant was apprehended as he tried to breach the security perimeter.
Lukashenko, who has led the country since 1994, urged the opposition – which he claimed is supported by the West – to return home and take part in the election. “It’s easy to yap from abroad. You have to go to the country and take part in the voting… Here, the people should decide,” he said.
In September, Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ryzhenkov accused the West of meddling in the country’s internal affairs in light of the approaching election. The last presidential election, in which Lukashenko was reelected, was held in 2020, sparking a wave of protests over what the opposition claimed was widespread fraud. Minsk has denied the allegations, insisting that the unrest was orchestrated by the US, its European “satellites,” and neighboring Ukraine.
Tom Barkin discussed the uncertainty created by the president-elect return to the White House in an address to business leaders in Baltimore
A senior Federal Reserve official has highlighted the inflation risks associated with US President-elect Donald Trump’s return to office in January.
Speaking on Friday to business leaders outside of Baltimore, Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin said the US economy could see significant growth but also warned of inflationary pressures, particularly if hiring and wages increase.
Barkin pointed to several positive indicators, including strong consumer spending, low job losses, and steady wage growth. However, he acknowledged that consumers are beginning to push back against the rising prices, suggesting a potential tipping point in inflation dynamics.
“How economic policy uncertainty resolves will matter. But, with what we know today, I expect more upside than downside in terms of growth,” Barkin said. There could be “more risk on the inflation side,” especially if the labor market strengthens, he added.
Despite his pledge to lower inflation, if Trump follows through on some of his plans related to tariffs and immigration, economists worry that inflation could surge.
Immigration has been a key source of growth in the labor force and jobs in recent years. In November, Trump vowed to slap 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada, a move that could collide with his campaign promise to reduce price growth. The US is the largest importer of goods in the world, with Mexico, China, and Canada its top three suppliers, according to the most recent US Census data.
Before the election, about seven in ten voters said they were very concerned about the cost of food, according to AP VoteCast. During a September visit to a grocery store in Pennsylvania, Trump promised shoppers to bring prices down.
Barkin noted that the plans for increased tariffs bring considerable uncertainty, with some analysts cautioning that the initiatives could spark inflation by increasing costs for businesses and consumers.
The Fed has already adjusted its policy expectations in light of Trump’s return to the White House. Fed Chair Jerome Powell recently stated that officials are incorporating tentative projections of the economic impacts of Trump’s agenda.
Last month, the central bank reduced its interest rate target to 4.25-4.50%, while scaling back expectations for rate cuts in 2025, signaling caution about inflation risks.
Former Fox News host Tammy Bruce will replace Matthew Miller in the next administration
US President-elect Donald Trump has tapped political analyst and former Fox News anchor Tammy Bruce for the position of State Department spokesperson.
He made the announcement in a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday.
“It is my great honor to announce that Tammy Bruce will be joining our incredible nominee for US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, as spokesperson for the US Department of State,” Trump wrote.
Bruce, who until Friday served as a Fox News contributor, will replace Matthew Miller in the position. Trump praised Bruce as “a highly respected political analyst” who “understood the power and importance of MAGA,” short for his slogan ‘Make America Great Again’, early on.
“She… saw the lies and fraud of the radical left, and quickly became one of the strongest Conservative voices on radio and television. As one of the longest serving news contributors, Tammy has brought truth to the American people for over two decades,” Trump wrote, adding that Bruce “will bring that same strength of conviction and fearless spirit” to her new position.
Bruce, 62, joined Fox News in 2005, and in 2019 became the host of Get Tammy Bruce, which airs on the Fox Nation streaming service. According to Bruce’s Fox News biography, she was a Democrat until she registered as unaffiliated in 2008, and “now works to make sure her experience as a liberal community organizer is used to expose and help defeat the leftist agenda.”
An outspoken feminist, she previously also headed the Los Angeles chapter of the National Organization for Women. The TV personality has authored several books, including ‘The New American Revolution’, ‘The Death of Right and Wrong’, and ‘The New Thought Police’. Her latest book, ‘Fear Itself: Exposing the Left’s Mind-Killing Agenda’, released last summer, slams the “bureaucratic” US administration for “weaponizing fear” to obtain “unprecedented government control over our lives.”
Trump is scheduled to be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on January 20. He has announced dozens of names of future officials since his victory over Joe Biden in the November election. Unlike several others tapped by Trump for positions in the new administration, Bruce will not need to be confirmed by the Senate for her role.
Dmitry Gordon has said “the hot phase” of the conflict ended in 2024
Russia and Ukraine could sign a peace deal this spring, Ukrainian journalist Dmitry Gordon has predicted. In an interview published on his YouTube channel last week, Gordon said the “hot phase” of the conflict ended in 2024.
“The peace treaty will be signed somewhere around spring 2025, followed immediately by elections [in Ukraine],” Gordon stated. He said his prediction was based on intuition and information from sources close to the government in Kiev.
“I’ll reiterate: The hot phase of the war ends this year [2024],” Gordon added. He also cited US President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, who predicted last month that the conflict would be “resolved in the next few months” with Trump in office.
“Keith Kellogg is a very serious person. If such a person says that the war will end before the end of the year... people say such things when they have 100% verified information,” Gordon claimed.
Trump has pledged throughout his campaign to end the conflict within 24 hours of returning to the White House. While he has not provided specific details, reported plans include freezing the conflict, delaying Ukraine’s NATO membership by 20 years, and creating a demilitarized zone monitored by European peacekeepers.
According to Gordon, Trump’s approach could allow Russia to keep former Ukrainian territories that voted to join it and lift “the most painful” sanctions imposed on Moscow since 2022. At the same time, he claimed the potential deal would likely see NATO troops deployed along the line of contact and granting Ukraine access to frozen Russian assets for reconstruction.
Kiev has been reluctant to negotiate with Russia, and earlier this week, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky called Trump’s promise to end the conflict in one day “unrealistic.” Zelensky has insisted Ukraine needs firm security guarantees, including NATO membership, as the foundation for long-term peace.
Moscow has said it is open to talks but insists that any settlement must begin with Ukraine ceasing military operations and acknowledging the “territorial reality” that it will never regain control of its former regions that chose to join Russia. It has also insisted that all the goals of its military operation, including Ukrainian neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification, must be part of any peace deal.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier stated that Trump’s reported plans to send NATO peacekeepers to Ukraine and postpone Ukraine’s membership in the military bloc instead of providing guarantees that it will never join NATO were “unacceptable” for Moscow.
Earlier this week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia does not believe the fighting can stop at this stage, but remains open to negotiations. He added that Russian forces will continue advancing until Kiev agrees to talks.
Gordon, one of Ukraine’s top YouTube hosts, is known for his criticism of Russia. Earlier this year, a Moscow court sentenced him in absentia for inciting terrorism and spreading false information.
The country is strongly committed to protecting human rights, contrary to the claims of its detractors, Shacky Timburwa has said
The recent abolition of capital punishment in Zimbabwe is proof that the country prioritizes human rights, MP Shacky Timburwa has told RT. The lawmaker, from the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front party, suggested that world powers such as the US are happy to impose sanctions, citing supposed violations, despite their own track record being far from impeccable.
On December 31, 2024, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed the Death Penalty Abolition Act into law, following its passage by the Senate.
Speaking to RT on Friday, Timburwa called it a testament to Zimbabwe’s commitment to “doing everything in [its] power to respect human rights, despite how people try to portray Zimbabwe as a country that is not respecting the rule of law, that is not respecting human rights.”
According to the MP there are countries that “portray themselves as the perfect examples of respecting human rights” and readily impose sanctions on other nations, citing purported violations. However, the lawmaker said the US itself is not beyond reproach, as it has many states that still carry out capital punishment.
Washington would be wise to “learn from other countries that advocate the protecting of the human rights,” Timburwa suggested.
The lawmaker mentioned that “we are being led by a president who was once arrested in the 1950’s-1960’s, and he was sentenced to death.” Mnangagwa was given the sentence by British colonial authorities in 1965 for allegedly bombing a train during the independence struggle.
“Since he was inaugurated into power in 2017, he’s been an advocate of trying to find a way of abolishing or getting rid of this particular law,” Timburwa explained.
According to official figures, the African nation has put 79 people to death since gaining independence in 1980, with the last execution carried out in 2005. Since then, a de facto moratorium has been in place.
Timburwa told RT that there are approximately 60 inmates on death row at present, with judges now expected to commute their sentences. The lawmaker stressed that the new legislation allows for the reinstatement of the death penalty in case of a public emergency. Timburwa argued that the provision “is important simply because there are people who can commit treasonous activities like acts of terrorism.”
According to The Death Penalty Project, a London-based legal action charity, Zimbabwe is the 30th country in Africa to abolish the death penalty, with 18 more having a de facto moratorium in place.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said the government is willing to work with the tycoon to tackle sexual abuse of minors
The UK will not refuse Elon Musk’s assistance in tackling systemic failures in addressing child sexual exploitation, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said.
Britain has been rocked by the exposure of, and failure to properly investigate, a grooming scandal in which hundreds of groups of Asian men, mostly Pakistanis, raped and tortured thousands of underage British girls – in towns across the north of England.
Musk, who is known for his stance against illegal immigration, has been particularly vocal about the scandal, calling it a case of “state-sponsored evil.”
He went on to claim that Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who led the Crown Prosecutorial Service from 2008 to 2013, “was complicit in the RAPE OF BRITAIN,” and must not only resign, but also face charges for failing to deliver justice.
In an interview with ITV News on Friday, Streeting suggested that “some of the criticisms Elon Musk has made… are misjudged and certainly misinformed.” However, he said the UK’s Labor government is “willing to work with Elon Musk who I think has got a big role to play with his social media platform, to help us tackle this issue.”
Streeting added that “political correctness was able to get in the way of going after the perpetrators of these serious crimes,” vowing that the government will do its utmost to prevent further incidents.
The grooming gang scandal, a euphemism for widespread child sexual exploitation, primarily came to light through cases in Rotherham, Rochdale, and Telford. Investigations revealed systemic abuse spanning decades, with reports estimating that over 1,400 children were exploited in Rotherham alone from 1997 to 2013. In one of the most egregious cases, the police arrested a father who attempted to rescue his daughter from a house where she was being raped.
As the revelations were pouring in, some British media outlets blasted law enforcement for their “cowardice” and for attempting to downplay the scandal in order to not be accused of racism and prevent the rise of the far-right in the UK.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock should address the US presence in her own country, Maria Zakharova has urged
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has criticized German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock for her demand that Russia withdraw from its military bases in Syria.
Zakharova, speaking on her Telegram channel on Friday, has urged Baerbock to instead address the presence of US military bases in Germany.
“This is being said by the foreign minister of a country that hosts US military bases. I have a question: when will the German foreign minister say something similar to Washington?” Zakharova wrote in response to Baerbock’s statement.
Baerbock’s remarks followed her visit to Damascus on Friday, where she and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot became the first EU ministers to visit Syria since President Bashar Assad was overthrown.
Baerbock’s visit was aimed at preventing the country from coming under Russian and Chinese influence, the German publication Tagesschau wrote on Friday.
The situation in Syria shifted dramatically in November when militant groups, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadists, launched a sudden offensive against government forces. The attack led to the rapid collapse of Assad’s government, forcing him to flee to Moscow.
Russia had been a supporter of Assad’s government, helping Syria to fight terrorism since 2015. In 2017, Moscow and Damascus signed a deal for a 49-year lease by the Russian military of the Tartus naval base and the Khmeimim airbase in the east of the country.
Late in December, the head of HTS and the country’s de facto leader Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, best known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani, said Damascus had “strategic interests” in maintaining good ties with Russia, describing it as the “second most powerful country in the world.”
“We don’t want Russia to exit Syria in a way that would not be befitting for its long-standing relations with the nation,” al-Julani said.
Russia’s UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia echoed this sentiment on Friday, stating that Syria’s new de facto authorities have shown an interest in preserving ties with Moscow and its military presence in the region.
During his end-of-year press conference in December, Russian President Vladimir Putin the issue of maintaining a Russian military presence in Syria requires “careful consideration.”“We must reflect on how our relations will evolve with the political forces currently in control and those that will govern this country in the future,” Putin said.
Washington is worried Moscow could consider using nuclear weapons, despite the Kremlin saying it views them as a “last resort”
The United States is “very concerned” that Russia could be considering the use of nuclear weapons, outgoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an interview with Financial Times published on Saturday.
His comments came in response to questions about Moscow’s alleged “nuclear sabre-rattling,” apparently referring to changes it made in its nuclear doctrine last year.
Russia announced updates to its nuclear doctrine after deliberations by Ukraine’s Western backers, including the US, on whether to allow Ukraine to use foreign-made weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia.
In November, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved changes to the doctrine, expanding the list of conditions that could trigger a nuclear response. The updates include scenarios where aggression by a non-nuclear state or group of states, supported by a nuclear state, could be viewed as a “joint attack.” The document, however, describes nuclear weapons as “an extreme and forced measure” and stresses Moscow’s goal as preventing tensions that could lead to military conflicts, including nuclear ones.
Blinken said Washington views the changes as heightening the risk of nuclear escalation.
“Even if the probability went from 5 to 15%, when it comes to nuclear weapons, nothing is more serious,” Blinken stated. He had previously criticized Russia’s plans to update its doctrine as “irresponsible” when first announced last September.
Blinken also claimed that China may have influenced Russia not to use nuclear weapons.
“We have reason to believe that China engaged Russia and said: ‘Don’t go there’,” he said. Blinken suggested China may have taken similar action when the US accused Russia of planning to deploy nuclear weapons in space, a claim Moscow dismissed as “fake.”
Moscow has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal. Russian officials have repeatedly stated that they consider the use of such weapons to be a “last resort.” After the doctrine update in November, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow “resolutely advocates doing everything to prevent a nuclear war.” He added that Russia’s arsenal is intended as a deterrent to aggression and a means to prevent nuclear conflict.
The Kremlin has long said, however, that a US military buildup and the deployment of nuclear-capable missiles globally could trigger a proportional response. Last month, Russia and Belarus signed a security treaty that cemented plans to deploy Russian nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic missile systems in Belarus next year. The missiles, which Moscow says cannot be intercepted by existing Western defenses, are capable of reaching targets across Europe within minutes.
Any reform would require a consensus among the permanent members, Russia’s UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, has said
Germany and Japan will never become permanent members of the UN Security Council, Russia’s envoy to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, has said.
January will welcome in a new season for talks on reforming the Security Council, but some of the initiatives are “quite naive and impractical,” Nebenzia said in an interview with Russia 24 TV on Friday.
“There are countries that are vying for a seat on the Security Council that they will never get, we have already said this directly,” he said.
“In particular, Germany and Japan. They will not see a permanent seat on the Security Council.”
“There can be no reform that is not supported by the majority of member states,” Nebenzia added.
London has previously stated that it wishes to see permanent seats for Germany, Japan, India, Brazil, and similar representation for Africa.
Security Council reform would require all five veto-holding permanent members, as well as two-thirds of the UN member states, to vote for the amendment, according to Article 108 of the organization’s charter.
Russia, China, the US, UK, and France are the five permanent members of the UNSC.
Non-permanent members are voted in on a two-year rotating basis. On Thursday, Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia were voted in as new non-permanent members, joining Algeria, Guyana, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia.
Last year, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Moscow supports the expansion of the Security Council to include countries of the Global South.
“Our country has consistently supported and continues to support the expansion of the UN Security Council to include developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
On the other hand, Western states that often toe the line with Washington are already well represented in the council, she added.
One of them, Yura Borisov, was previously nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in the same film, ‘Anora’.
Two Russian actors have made it onto the longlist for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards. Yura Borisov and Mark Eydelshteyn are both contenders in the category of ‘Best Supporting Actor’ for their performances in the film ‘Anora’. The official list of nominees was published on the BAFTA website on Friday.
Both actors delivered compelling performances in the movie directed by American filmmaker Sean Baker, which has also been nominated for ‘Best Film’. Baker himself is up for the ‘Best Director’ award. The story revolves around the love affair between Anora, a sex worker from Brooklyn, and the son of a Russian oligarch. Their marriage ignites a fierce battle with the groom’s family, who will stop at nothing to tear them apart.
Mark Eydelshteyn, 22, portrays Ivan, the wealthy young man caught up in this turbulent relationship. Yura Borisov, 32, plays the role of Igor, the stoic enforcer for the groom’s family, adding depth and intensity to the narrative.
The winners of the BAFTA Film Awards will be announced on February 16.
In December 2024, Yura Borisov received a Golden Globe nomination for ‘Best Supporting Role’ for his performance in ‘Anora’. The film premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Palme d’Or.
The same day the man from Yakutia Region gave an interview to RT describing the circumstances of the deadly hand-to-hand fight with a Ukrainian soldier
Elon Musk has commented on a video of a Russian soldier who killed a Ukrainian servicemember with a knife in intense hand-to-hand combat, which went viral earlier this week. On Friday, the Russian soldier, an ethnic Yakut, gave an interview to RT, after several Russian Telegram channels shared a highly disturbing eight-minute body-cam video filmed near the village of Trudovoye in Russia’s Donetsk Region that dates back to last autumn.
In the clip, the now-deceased Ukrainian servicemember approaches a dilapidated building and engages in a short-range frenetic firefight with a Russian soldier. The two end up in hand-to-hand combat, with the body-cam wearer succumbing after being stabbed several times.
As the Ukrainian lies bleeding on the ground, he is heard telling the Russian: “Let me die in peace. I want to go on my own. Thank you. You were the greatest fighter in the world.” The Russian, also covered in blood, stands up and leaves.
Commenting on the story, Musk wrote on X on Friday: “I have a WW1 trench knife embedded in my bedroom wall just in case. 1917 edition. More useful than a gun in close quarters.”
I have a WW1 trench knife embedded in my bedroom wall just in case. 1917 edition. More useful than a gun in close quarters.
RT interviewed the Russian soldier in the clip, Andrey Grigoryev, 35, who joined the army as a volunteer. He revealed the circumstances that led to the knife fight, explaining that the Ukrainian had killed one of his friends and that he did not have any way of evading hand-to-hand combat, even though his enemy was bigger and stronger.
BRUTAL EXCLUSIVE: Hero shows how he fought off Ukrainian soldier who stabbed him and killed friend: 'I took the shard and stuck it in his eye so he let go'. Exclusive RT interview and fight footage below pic.twitter.com/acR4c5bS5o
Asked why he did not deliver the final blow after the fight, Grigoryev said he knew his enemy would not be able to get up. “He had two knife neck wounds and was stabbed three times near the heart,” he said.
Commenting on the end of the fight and the Ukrainian’s remarks, Grigoryev said: “We – Russians and Yakuts – are taught from childhood: In any situation, you have to remain human.”
New Delhi has rejected allegations published by the Washington Post that it tried to offer a bribe for Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu to be impeached
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has dismissed a report by the Washington Post this week that alleged New Delhi’s involvement in a plot to oust Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu. The ministry’s spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, on Friday questioned the credibility of the US outlet’s reporting when asked to comment on two separate articles it published.
One of the articles revealed the details of an alleged plot to impeach Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, while the other suggested that Indian intelligence agents were carrying out plans to eliminate militants in Pakistan whom India links to cross-border terrorism.
“Both the newspaper and the reporter in question appear to nurse a compulsive hostility towards India. You can see a pattern in their activities. I leave you to judge their credibility. As far as we are concerned, they have none,” Jaiswal said.
In its report on the Maldives, the US newspaper, citing a document titled Democratic Renewal Initiative, claimed that politicians from the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) allegedly sought $6 million from New Delhi to fund a plot to impeach Muizzu. However, the plan reportedly did not materialize.
Relations between India and the Maldives have become tense after Muizzu took office in November 2023. Muizzu’s administration, which is seen as pro-China in New Delhi, sought the withdrawal of Indian military personnel stationed in the Maldives. While the troops were eventually replaced with civilian personnel from India to service several defense platforms donated by New Delhi, both nations later made efforts to repair ties.
In October 2024, Muizzu visited India, his first bilateral trip since assuming office. Following a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, the two leaders expressed a commitment to strengthening their relationship and signed a range of bilateral agreements, including an outline for an economic and maritime security partnership.
India extended financial assistance, including a $400 million agreement and a 30-billion-rupee currency swap, to support the Maldives. India also announced a series of infrastructure and other economic initiatives in the island nation.
The EU’s largest economy is expected to shrink for a third consecutive year in 2025, marking the longest downturn since WWII
The German economy is on course for its longest post-war recession, with a third consecutive year of contraction projected for 2025, according to the Handelsblatt Research Institute (HRI).
The institute predicts a 0.1% decline in 2025, following contractions of 0.3% in 2023 and 0.2% in 2024.
This economic slump surpasses the two-year downturn of the early 2000s and reflects the compounded effects of an energy crisis, persistent inflation, and the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The German economy is in the midst of its greatest crisis in post-war history,” HRI chief economist Bert Rurup said.
Demographic challenges, such as an aging population, are adding to the strain. The HRI estimates Germany’s growth potential has fallen to just 0.5% annually.
“The economy is at the beginning of a strong aging spurt,” Rurup noted. Official data from the Federal Statistical Office, expected on January 15, is likely to confirm the contraction in 2024.
While the HRI forecasts modest recovery in 2026, growth is expected to reach just 0.9%, far below pre-crisis levels. The German central bank has also adjusted its 2025 growth outlook, revising it down from 1.1% to 0.2% in December.
Germany’s shift from affordable Russian gas to more expensive liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US has driven up energy costs, severely affecting manufacturers and small businesses. Rising costs have led to shutdowns and bankruptcies across industries, including major players like Volkswagen.
Before the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Germany relied on Russian gas for over half of its energy needs. Following EU sanctions on Moscow, gas deliveries were drastically reduced or cut off entirely. In September 2022, the Nord Stream pipelines, which transported Russian gas to Germany, were destroyed by explosions. On January 1, 2025, Russia was forced to officially suspend gas transit to the EU through Ukraine.
Germany’s export sector, particularly high-value manufacturing, remains one of the few strengths in the economy. However, it also faces challenges from global uncertainties and high energy prices.
The loss of affordable Russian energy and rising costs have made recovery difficult. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel recently criticized the decision to abandon Russian gas. In an interview with France 2 TV in December, she called the past arrangement a “win-win situation,” saying it provided Germany with low-cost energy, while now prices have “exploded.”
The economic crisis has become a pressing issue for Germans. A poll in December conducted by public broadcaster ARD revealed that the economy is the top concern for voters. The early general election scheduled for February 23 follows the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left coalition in November.09:09
The White House has refused to reconsider the decision to keep flags lowered in honor of the late President Jimmy Carter
US President-elect Donald Trump has expressed his disapproval over the decision to keep American flags at half-mast during his inauguration on January 20. The lowering of the flags was ordered by President Joe Biden in honor of former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away on December 29 at the age of 100.
According to US flag code, flags should remain at half-mast for 30 days following the death of a current or former president – in this case, until January 28.
In a statement released on Friday, Trump accused Democrats of being pleased that the flags will remain at half-mast during his inauguration, suggesting it reflects a lack of patriotism.
“The Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at ‘half mast’ during my Inauguration,” he said. “They think it’s so great, and are so happy about it because, in actuality, they don’t love our Country, they only think about themselves.”
Trump claimed it would be “the first time ever” that US flags are flown at half-mast during a presidential inauguration, insisting that “nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it.”
However, the flags were flown at half-mast when former President Richard Nixon was sworn in for his second term in January 1973, after he ordered them lowered following the death of former President Harry S. Truman.
Historically, there have also been instances where the 30-day half-mast period was temporarily adjusted at the discretion of the sitting president. In 1973, following the death of former President Lyndon B. Johnson, Nixon ordered flags raised to full-mast for one day to honor returning American prisoners of war from Vietnam before lowering them again to continue the mourning period.
Trump has previously expressed dissatisfaction with the practice of lowering flags. In 2018, following the death of Senator John McCain, flags were briefly returned to full-mast before being lowered again after public outcry.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to Trump’s remarks, stating that the Biden administration does not intend to reconsider the decision to keep flags at half-mast during the inauguration.
“Americans only pay attention to spectacles,” the suspect wrote before detonating the vehicle outside a Trump hotel
The highly decorated US Army Green Beret suspected of staging an explosion outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day claimed the act was not a terrorist attack but rather a “wake up call” to all Americans, according to letters found on his smartphone.
On January 1, 2025, a Tesla Cybertruck filled with fireworks, gas tanks, and camping fuel exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. The driver, identified as 37-year-old Army Green Beret Master Sgt. Matthew Livelsberger, was found dead inside the vehicle. The explosion caused minor injuries to seven bystanders and resulted in minimal damage to the hotel, initially alarming federal investigators as a potential terrorist act.
The letters, which were made public by Las Vegas police on Friday, reveal Livelsberger’s deep frustration with societal issues and his internal struggles. In one letter, he wrote: “I needed to cleanse my mind of the brothers I’ve lost and relieve myself of the burden of the lives I took.”
BREAKING: Las Vegas Metro police release more letters from bomber Matthew Livelsberger where he tells Americans to “rally around” Donald Trump, Elon Musk and RFK Jr. https://t.co/RKxmEd5PFvpic.twitter.com/V7AN110STN
“This was not a terrorist attack, it was a wake up call. Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence. What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives?” Livelsberger wrote.
We are the United States of America, the best country people to ever exist! But right now we are terminally ill and headed toward collapse.
He listed a range of societal issues he said need to be resolved, including processed foods, obesity, income inequality, homelessness, weak leadership, a lack of masculinity, and blatant corruption.
“Stop obsessing over diversity. We are all diverse and DEI is a cancer,” he wrote, adding that “thankfully, we rejected the DEI candidate and will have a real President instead of Weekend at Bernie’s.”
“We must end the war in Ukraine with a negotiated settlement. It is the only way,” he noted, adding that “our population is too fat to join the military, yet we are facing a war with China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran before 2030.”
His second letter was addressed to his fellow servicemembers, veterans, militias, and all Americans, in which he apparently urged them to ensure that Democrats do not prevent Trump from assuming power and “purging” the nation of its supposed ills.
“We are being led by weak and feckless leadership who only serve to enrich themselves,” he wrote. “Try peaceful means first, but be prepared to fight to get the Dems out of the federal government and military by any means necessary. They all must go, and a hard reset must occur for our country to avoid collapse.”
Livelsberger was a highly decorated member of the Special Forces, with multiple deployments to Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Georgia, Congo, and reportedly even Ukraine, as well as several commendations, including multiple Bronze Stars. According to officials, he had been battling post-traumatic stress disorder and dealing with personal upheaval, including a recent separation from his wife.
Livelsberger reportedly took his own life with a gunshot before triggering the explosion. His writings indicate that he was overwhelmed by a combination of personal and professional pressures, though investigators caution against interpreting the letters as providing a definitive motive for his actions.
The renewed call comes after US President-elect Donald Trump expressed interest in purchasing the island
Greenland’s prime minister, Mute Egede, has renewed calls for independence from Denmark after US President-elect Donald Trump expressed interest in purchasing the Arctic island.
In his New Year’s address, Egede stressed the need to “remove the obstacles to cooperation –which we can describe as the shackles of the colonial era –and move on,” signaling a potential referendum on independence.
“Our cooperation with other countries and our trade relations cannot continue to take place solely through Denmark,” he said. “Work has already begun on creating the framework for Greenland as an independent state.”
Greenland (the world’s largest non-continental island by area, with a population of around 56,000) has been an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark since 1979, managing its own internal affairs while Copenhagen oversees foreign and defense policies.
The island has the legal right to declare independence, but concerns persist regarding economic sustainability, as Greenland’s economy heavily relies on fishing and annual grants from Denmark, which constitute around two-thirds of its budget. A 2016 poll indicated that 64% of Greenlanders favored full independence. However, in a 2017 poll, 78% expressed opposition if it would lead to a decline in living standards.
The US president-elect said in a post on Truth Social in December that “for purposes of national security and freedom throughout the world, the US feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.”
During his first term, Trump repeatedly expressed his intention to purchase Greenland, referring to it as “a large real estate deal.” His renewed interest has faced firm rejections from both Greenlandic and Danish officials.
“Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale,” Egede said in December. Similarly, Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, dismissed the proposal, stressing that Greenland is not for sale.
Shortly after Trump’s post, Denmark announced plans to bolster its military presence in the region and in Greenland. Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen revealed a defense package exceeding $1.5 billion aimed at enhancing surveillance and security in the area. This initiative includes deploying patrol vessels, long-range drones, and additional personnel to the Arctic Command.
“We have not invested enough in the Arctic for many years; now we are planning a stronger presence,” Poulsen said, calling the timing of the announcement an “irony of fate.”
Greenland’s strategic importance has grown due to its abundant natural resources, such as rare earth minerals, and its pivotal location in the Arctic, which is becoming increasingly accessible due to climate change. The Arctic’s potential for resource extraction and new shipping routes has attracted global interest, particularly from Russia, China, and the US.
The upcoming parliamentary elections in Greenland scheduled before April 6, 2025 are expected to play a crucial role in determining the island’s path forward. “It is necessary to take major steps… The upcoming election period must, together with the citizens, create these new steps,” Egede said.
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