🇧🇭🇷🇺 Bahraini king’s visit to Russia - a signal to the US that the kingdom seeks ‘strategic autonomy’

The visit of the King of Bahrain to Russia is a “signal” to the US that the kingdom is a “strategic player” in its own right, Mehran Kamrava, professor of government at Georgetown University in Qatar, told Sputnik.

Al Khalifa arrived on an official two-day visit on Wednesday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The visit of Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to Russia and then China means the Middle East island kingdom – historically a US ally – seeks to exert a “level of strategic autonomy,” and does not want to be “taken for granted,” the academic said.

“I think what we're seeing is the emergence at the broader level of multiple poles in the globe with China, Russia, India on the one side and, of course, Iran. And on the other side, the United States, European Union, Germany, and Britain and other states,” he said.

The visit has even greater strategic significance, Kamrava noted, as it comes after Spain, Ireland, and Norway recognized Palestinian statehood, as well as in the wake of the arrest warrant that the International Criminal Court has issued for the leaders of Hamas, as well as for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister.

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🇧🇭🇷🇺 Sign language: Vladimir Putin helped Bahrain’s delegation deal with its translation device

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❗️ Russian armed forces liberated the village of Andreyevka in the Donetsk People's Republic, the Defense Ministry said.

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❗️ Bahrain turned to Russia – first of all countries – with a request to support a peace conference being held on the Middle East matter, the country's king said.

He added that Bahrain is in favor of normalizing relations with Iran.

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❗️The king of Bahrain stated that his country was the first of all to reach out to Russia for support in hosting a Middle East peace conference.

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❗️ The Arab world has shown solidarity for the first time by calling for an end to the war in the Gaza Strip during the Arab League summit, the Bahraini king noted.

Additionally, he highlighted the positive impact of Russia's booming economic growth on the situation in the Arab world.

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📹 A Ukrainian border guard who was captured on the Kharkov section of the front line told Sputnik that a company stronghold near the Ukrainian border with Russia existed only on paper, while in reality just a single platoon served there.

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Juraj Cintula, who shot Slovak PM Robert Fico, planned the crime two days before it was carried out, the Pravda news portal reported.

Cintula had prepared two pistol clips for the assassination attempt. According to the portal, he stated that he did not want to kill Fico, but only intended to "damage his health" in order to prevent him from serving as prime minister.

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What is known about New Caledonia population, which protests against French colonial policy?

French President Emmanuel Macron visited New Caledonia, where The local Kanak population has rioting for more than a week and the situation remains tense. What are they fighting for?

🔸The anger voiced by independence supporters in New Caledonia is directed against a new constitutional amendment recently passed by the French parliament. It seeks to enable more than 25,000 French people in New Caledonia to vote in elections. Kanaks are convinced that the political weight of their community will be weakened as a result.

🔸The population of the islands, according to the 2019 census, is 271,000 people. The largest national group is the indigenous Kanak population (41%) followed by Europeans (24%).

🔸 French authority in the region is exercised by the High Commissioner. He is appointed by the French president. Executive power is exercised by the local government, all members of which are Kanaks. France transferred most powers to the Kanak government, retaining control of of defense, foreign and monetary policy and justice. The neew law may change that.

🔸Some Kanaks demand independence from France. In referenda held in 2018 and 2020, only 44% and 47% of participants voted in favor of independence. A 2021 referendum was boycotted by independence parties, leading to a skewed result of 97% against.

🔸French High Commissioner Louis Le Frank blames the unrest on the Field Coordination Cell (CCAT), which launched protests at the beginning of last week. The party called on social media for demonstrators to display Kanak flags and banners opposing the French amendment.

🔸Members of the Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) also participate in mass riots. Its leader Jimmy Naouna wants Macron to scrap the electoral reform during his visit here.

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Republika Srpska set to put forward deal on peaceful division of Bosnia and Herzegovina within 30 days, regional leader Milorad Dodik says.

“Today, we are beginning with a formal decision to seek a peaceful demarcation. Our first step will be to propose clarifying the political responsibilities for all entities involved, while maintaining the current economic model in order to adapt it to a model of peaceful demarcation over the course of a few years,” he said.

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Congressional warmonger trots out ‘map of Russia’ to 'untie Ukraine's hands' for deep strikes

A map of Russian territory has been trotted out by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul as a prop in Congress, as seen from footage published by C-SPAN.

McCaul was fervently advocating dropping US restrictions for Ukraine to hit targets inside Russia. McCaul rattled off a list of weapons funneled to the Kiev regime, including long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and HIMARS, claiming that restrictions on their use meant that Ukrainians had “they hands tied behind their backs.”

McCaul pointed to the zone that ATACMS missiles could cover as he pressured US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the matter. He also recognized that “we have a really bad situation going on,” in reference to Kiev’s battlefront woes in the face of the Russian army’s steady advance.

As Blinken was testifying before the House Committee, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) noted that, “Congress did not put restrictions on the use of these weapons. It's Jake Sullivan and your administration that has put the restrictions on these weapons.”

Blinken dodged a direct answer, saying that when it comes to endorsing attacks outside of Ukraine, “that’s not something the US has done.” The Ukrainian side will have to make its own decisions, said Blinken.

Earlier, Politico cited a letter by lawmakers from both parties in the US House of Representatives calling on US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to authorize "the use of US-provided weapons to strike strategic targets within Russian territory under certain circumstances."

In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “hotheads” in Congress seemed determined to further provoke tensions around Ukraine and follow Washington's general policy of fueling the proxy conflict to the last Ukrainian.

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Russian President Putin to visit Uzbekistan on Sunday and Monday, presidential aide Ushakov said.

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Putin gifted the King of Bahrain with a “long version” of Aurus limo, presidential aide Ushakov said.

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