Israel suspected of using white phosphorus during attacks on UN peacekeepers

Israel is believed to have used munitions containing white phosphorus during one of its attacks on the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) earlier this month, Financial Times has reported, citing a leaked report.

On October 13, UNIFIL said two Israeli tanks forced their way into the premises. After they left about 45 minutes later, UN peacekeepers heard shooting sounds north of the gate and soon saw thick smoke penetrating the premises. UNIFIL said 15 peacekeepers were left with irritated skin and stomach despite wearing protective face masks.

The leaked report from an unspecified UNIFIL member-country, cited by the Financial Times, suggests that the smoke that penetrated the mission's premises following the shooting sound could be white phosphorus.

On October 1, Israel launched a ground operation against Hezbollah in the south of Lebanon, while also continuing to exchange air and rocket strikes with the Shia movement. The United Nations said its UNIFIL peacekeepers have repeatedly come under fire in the course of Israel-Hezbollah hostilities.

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Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin has resigned amid a scandal over fraudulent processing of disability claims by 50 prosecutors in the Khmelnitsky region.

"In this situation, I believe it is appropriate to announce my resignation from the position of Prosecutor General," Kostin said in a statement on his official Telegram channel.

Before his resignation, Kostin launched a probe into the fraud claims, stressing the seriousness of the allegations and the need for accountability in the prosecutorial system.

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📹 The President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, has arrived in Kazan, Russia, to participate in the BRICS Summit 2024.

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📹 The President of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, has arrived in Kazan for the BRICS Summit.

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Israeli state television reports that a Hezbollah drone scored a direct hit on the window of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bedroom during Saturday's attack in Caesarea.

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Statements from Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping at the BRICS 2024 summit in Kazan

🇷🇺 Putin:

🔸 Russia and China continue to increase trade despite negative external factors.

🔸 Russia-China relations are considered a model for how international relations should be built.

🔸 The two countries are strengthening global security coordination.
Russia-China cooperation is based on equality.

🔸 Joint projects in transport, energy, and agriculture are being successfully implemented.

🔸 Agreements from the May meeting in Beijing and the SCO summit are being consistently followed.

🇨🇳 Xi:

🔸 Over the past decade, Russian-Chinese relations have withstood unprecedented challenges.

🔸 China-Russia relations are not directed against third countries.

🔸 BRICS is viewed as a key factor in the development of multipolarity.

🔸 China appreciates Russia's leadership during its BRICS chairmanship.

🔸 Changes in the international arena will not undermine the strong ties between China and Russia.

#BRICS2024

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🌍🌍🌍 13 countries are currently seeking to attain the status of BRICS partner state, the Russian Presidential Aide, Yury Ushakov, said.

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🌍🌍🌍 President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas has arrived in Kazan for the BRICS summit.

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Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have discovered the "black boxes" of the downed Il-76 cargo plane and, after decrypting, will publish their data at a press conference, adviser to the commander of RSF Al-Basha Tabeek told Sputnik.

The RSF that seized the western region of Sudan, Darfur, earlier stated that they shot down a Sudanese Il-76 cargo plane in the province of North Darfur, the crew of which, according to them, allegedly included Russian citizens. A document issued by a Kyrgyz airport was found on the footage from the crash site.

"We got the black boxes. We will extract all information about the plane – from which airport it departed, where it came from and about all engines and operations," Tabeek said.

The adviser to the commander of the RSF added that the forces will publish the data of the "black boxes" after decryption, which requires technical procedures and contacting experts.

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🇮🇳🇨🇳 Modi to hold bilateral meeting with Xi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit on October 23, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs says.

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📹 A Sputnik correspondent witnessed a Ukrainian drone attack on a bus stop in Gorlovka in the DPR, which left a civilian woman injured.

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🇷🇺🇨🇳 Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov revealed key details about the meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan.

Their discussions highlighted the depth of cooperation and shared interests between the two nations.

🔸 Putin and Xi's discussions were open and constructive, emphasising the importance of their bilateral relationship.

🔸 The leaders focused on specific issues concerning their partnership, aiming to strengthen ties between Russia and China.

🔸 They noted a significant alignment in their positions regarding global events, showcasing their collaborative approach.

🔸 The conversation included perspectives on their relations with the West, particularly in response to challenges to their national interests.

🔸 They outlined parameters for future interactions, indicating a strong foundation for the continued development of Russia-China relations.

🔸 A considerable portion of the meeting was dedicated to the situation in Ukraine, stressing its significance to their diplomatic agenda.

🔸 They also reviewed the agenda for the BRICS Summit, reaffirming their commitment to the group's objectives.

#BRICS2024

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❗️The Russian Embassy in Sudan is verifying information about the possible presence of Russian citizens aboard a transport plane that crashed in North Darfur, the Russian Foreign Ministry told Sputnik.

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NATO shreds German reunification pact with Moscow with new Baltic naval HQ

German defense chief Boris Pistorius presided over the unveiling a new NATO naval HQ in Rostock, northeastern Germany on Monday, with the facility not only threatening to exacerbate tensions with Russia, but violating a key deal on the non-deployment of alliance forces in the territory of the former East Germany.

The Commander Task Force Baltic HQ “will play a crucial role in the preparation of military situation reports and in responding to regional challenges, including the protection of NATO member states’ interests against aggressive actions, particularly given the proximity of Russia,” Pistorius said.

“The Baltic Sea has always been at the crossroads of Europe’s history and it is much more than just a waterway. It is a vital corridor for trade, military mobility, and energy security. It is a strategic area of great geopolitical importance and a frontline in our collective defense against evolving threats,” Pistorius said, going on to accuse Russia of “challenging” regional security “on almost a daily basis.”

The HQ will be commanded by a German, with Polish and Swedish officers serving as deputies. Formal goals of the base, manned by 60 personnel (expandable to 240 in a pinch), include improving interoperability, planning joint drills and overseeing regional military deployments.

The facility also happens to be illegal. In 1990, during talks on German reunification, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev approved Bonn’s annexation of East Germany on the condition that NATO troops not be stationed in the Federal Republic’s new territories. Article 5, Paragraph 3 of the pact, formally called the Two-Plus-Four Treaty, states that “Foreign armed forces and nuclear weapons or their carriers shall not be stationed in or transferred to this part of Germany.”

On Tuesday, Germany’s ambassador to Russia was summoned in connection with the Rostock HQ, with the Foreign Ministry stressing that the move will not be left without a response.

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❗️The common approach of the BRICS countries to the situation in Ukraine, which will be reflected in the final declaration of the summit in Kazan, has been agreed and does not raise any objections, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said on Tuesday.

"The wording has already been agreed there, it does not raise any objections," Ushakov told Russia's Channel One broadcaster, adding that this includes a common position regarding Ukraine as well.

#BRICS2024

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🌍🌍🌍 Highlights from the first day of the BRICS Summit in Kazan

🔸 How does BRICS differ from other international organizations and what has it achieved in 18 years?

🔸 Statements from Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping at the BRICS 2024 summit in Kazan

🔸 Meeting of the Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian PM Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the summit

🔸 Meeting of the Russian President Vladimir Putin and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on the sidelines of the summit

🔸 Putin's met with Dilma Rousseff, head of the BRICS New Development Bank

🔸 Western media jealously eye Russia as it hosts BRICS summit

🔸 Watch world leaders savor traditional Tatar cuisine – chak-chak and salted karavai – upon their arrival in Kazan for the BRICS Summit

🔸 Chak-chak diplomacy: BRICS leaders get a taste of Tatarstan’s scrumptiously sweet treat

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The heads of delegations from BRICS countries attended a gala concert as part of the evening program at the summit in Kazan. The program included a performance of the legendary song "Kalinka."

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Statue of Queen Victoria defaced in Australia as legacy of Britain’s imperial past mars King Charles III’s tour 
 
Yet another unpleasant incident linked to the spectre of Britain’s imperial past has marred King Charles III’s tour of Australia. 
 
The statue of Queen Victoria in Sydney's central business district (CBD) was defaced with red paint on Tuesday morning. The incident occurred just blocks away from the Sydney Opera House, where King Charles and Queen Camilla were scheduled to do a meet and greet with the public. 
 
The King and Queen have faced hecklers and banners displayed by supporters of First Nations resistance to colonisation throughout the visit. Australia remains a constitutional monarchy in which the British sovereign serves as the largely symbolic head of state. 
 
🔸 Indigenous activist Wayne Wharton was detained by police after shouting "he's not my king" at the British monarch outside the opera house. 
 
🔸 Independent Aboriginal senator from Victoria Lidia Thorpe unleashed a fiery outburst at the King during a reception in the federal parliament, shouting: “You are not our king. You are not sovereign… You committed genocide against our people. Give us our land back. Give us what you stole from us—our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people.” 
 
🔸 Amid an ongoing debate about breaking ties with the monarchy, a host of Australia's top politicians, including six of the nation’s state premiers, refused to meet with Charles. Britain’s royal family has increasingly been confronted with issues of reparations for slavery and improved rights for indigenous people during visits to Commonwealth countries. In total, Britain could owe a staggering £18.6 trillion ($23.4 trillion) in reparations to more than 30 countries, a report by international economics consulting firm Brattle calculated in 2023. The issue has gained fresh traction ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa on October 21-25.

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❗️Modi invites Putin to visit India next year, says Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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