Tag Archives: russia

UN aviation council finds Russia responsible for downing of Malaysian Airlines flight

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The council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) voted on Monday that Russia failed to uphold its obligations under international air law which requires that States “refrain from resorting to the use of weapons against civil aircraft in flight.”

The case was brought by the Netherlands and Australia.

“This represents the first time in ICAO’s history that its Council has made a determination on the merits of a dispute between Member States under the Organization’s dispute settlement mechanism,” the UN agency said.

Caught in conflict

Flight MH17 was heading from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down over eastern Ukraine amid the armed conflict between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian military forces.

All 283 passengers and 15 crew members were killed.  They represented some 17 nationalities and included 196 Dutch citizens, 43 Malaysians and 38 Australian citizens or residents.

The Netherlands established a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) in August 2014 together with Australia, Malaysia and Belgium, as well as Ukraine.

The JIT determined that flight MH17 was shot down by a missile launched from a Buk TELAR installation that was transported from Russia to a farm field in eastern Ukraine in an area controlled by separatists.

In November 2022, a Dutch court convicted three men – two Russians and a Ukrainian – for murder.  They were tried in absentia and sentenced to life in prison. Another Russian man was acquitted.

Breach of civilian aviation treaty

That same year, the Netherlands and Australia launched the case with ICAO, the UN agency that develops and implements global aviation strategies and technical standards.

The case centered on allegations that Russia’s conduct in the downing of the aircraft by a surface-to-air missile over eastern Ukraine constituted a breach of Article 3 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

War in Ukraine has escalated since the crash following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.  

More than 13,000 civilians have been killed to date, and over 31,000 injured, according to the UN human rights office, OHCHR. 

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Trump Warns Zelensky: Ukraine War Could End Without Him

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NEW YORK, Feb. 20 — The war of words between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky escalated Wednesday as Trump suggested Ukraine could be sidelined in negotiations to end the war with Russia.

“Zelensky better move fast or he’s not going to have a country left,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, claiming that only his administration could successfully broker peace with Russia.

The warning came after Zelensky criticized the U.S. and Russia for holding negotiations in Riyadh without Ukrainian representation. He insisted that Ukraine would not accept a peace deal reached without its direct involvement.

Zelensky fired back, accusing Trump of “living in a web of disinformation.” Trump, in turn, labeled Zelensky a “dictator without elections.”

With Russia occupying roughly 20% of Ukraine’s territory and Ukraine making only minor territorial gains, a negotiated peace deal is unlikely to restore all of Ukraine’s pre-war borders.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested that reverting to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders—including Crimea—was unrealistic and ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine in any foreseeable peace agreement.

Trump previously suggested Ukraine provoked the war—despite Russia’s 2022 invasion. His “dictator” remark references Ukraine’s decision to postpone elections due to the war, extending Zelensky’s term beyond its scheduled end.

As the primary financier of Ukraine’s defense, Trump appears to believe he could unilaterally pressure Kyiv into accepting peace terms negotiated with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in Riyadh for more than four hours to discuss an end to the war. Both sides reported progress, with Lavrov calling the talks “useful” and Rubio indicating Russia was open to serious negotiations.

One key development was an agreement to restore U.S. and Russian embassies to full operational status after years of reduced diplomatic presence.

Trump also lashed out at European nations for not matching U.S. financial support for Ukraine. “Zelensky talked the United States into spending $350 billion on a war that couldn’t be won,” he wrote, arguing that European nations should contribute equally.

 

Ukraine crisis: Russian gas pipelines leaking, sabotage suspected [Video]

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European countries rushed to probe unexplained leaks in two Russian gas pipelines running under the Baltic Sea near Sweden and Denmark, at the heart of an energy crisis since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Sweden’s Maritime Authority issued a warning about two leaks in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, the day after a leak on the nearby Nord Stream 2 pipeline, restricting shipping and impose a small no fly zone by Denmark.

The country’s armed forces released a video showing bubbles boiling up to the surface of the sea, revealing it to be a major gas leak disturbing the surface of about 1 km (0.6 mile) in diameter, the armed forces said.

Russia, which built the gas pipeline network, said the possibility of sabotage could not be ruled out.

The gas pipelines leak on the Nord Stream pipelines that Russia with European partners spent billions of dollars building, comes close on the occasion of Dmitry Medvedev, a former president, who reiterated that Russia had the right to defend itself with nuclear weapons if it is pushed beyond its limits and that this is “certainly not a bluff”.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan is struggling to accommodate tens of thousands of Russians who have fled their homeland since Moscow announced a military mobilization recruiting the youth last week, officials say, but the Almaty government said it has no plans to close its border.

Snowden granted Russian citizenship

Another blow to the West is that Putin has granted Russian citizenship to former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, nine years after he exposed the scale of secret surveillance operations by the National Security Agency.

 

Putin tells Modi: “Want Ukraine war to end”

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he is aware of India’s concerns over his country’s conflict with Ukraine, and wanted the war to end.

During the bilateral meeting between both the leaders on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Samarkand, Putin was quoted on Friday as saying, “I know about your position on the conflict in Ukraine, and I know about your concerns. We want all of this to end as soon as possible. We will keep you abreast of what is happening there.”The Russian President said this after Modi told him that “today’s time is not the time for war”. This was the first face-to-face meeting between Modi and Putin after Russia had attacked Ukraine in February this year.

Zelensky involved in car accident: President’s spokesman briefs

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Kiev, Sep 15 (IANS) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was involved in a car accident, his spokesman said on Thursday, adding that he was not seriously injured.

In a brief social media post, the President’s spokesman Serhii Nykyforov said that a passenger car collided with Zelensky’s vehicle and his escort in capital Kiev.

Nykyforov said that the driver of the car that collided with the motorcade was provided with “emergency aid and transferred him to an ambulance”

“The President was examined by a doctor, no serious injuries were found,” the spokesman said, adding that law enforcement officials will “find out all the circumstances of the accident”.


Nykyforov, however, did not provide any other details of the accident, including the day.

The development comes after Zelensky visit the recaptured city of Izyum, a key logistics hub in north-eastern Ukraine, on Wednesday, the BBC reported.

During his visit, he thanked troops who took part in a swift counter-attack against Russian occupiers, and oversaw a flag-raising ceremony.

India to assume G20 Presidency for a year from Dec 1; Sets priorities

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New Delhi, Sep 13 (IANS) India has listed its priorities ahead of assuming the G20 Presidency for a year from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs said: “Our G20 priorities are in the process of being firmed up, ongoing conversations inter alia revolve around:

  • Inclusive, equitable and sustainable growth;
  • LiFE (Lifestyle For Environment);
  • women’s empowerment;
  • digital public infrastructure and tech-enabled development in areas ranging from health, agriculture and education to commerce,
  • skill-mapping,
  • culture and tourism;
  • climate financing;
  • circular economy;
  • global food security;
  • energy security;
  • green hydrogen;
  • disaster risk reduction and resilience;
  • developmental cooperation;
  • fight against economic crime; and multilateral reforms”.

    Under the role, India is expected to host over 200 G20 meetings across the country, beginning from this December.

    The G20 Leaders’ Summit at the level of Heads of State Government is scheduled to be held on September 9-10, 2023 in New Delhi, said the Ministry statement.

    The G20 is an inter-governmental forum of the world’s major developed and developing economies.

    G20 comprises 20 countries — India, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US — and the European Union (EU).

    Collectively, the G20 accounts for 85 per cent of the global GDP, 75 per cent of international trade and two-thirds of the world population, making it the premier forum for international economic cooperation.

  • G20 flags

    India is part of the G20 Troika (current, previous and incoming G20 Presidencies), which includes Indonesia and Italy.

    “During our Presidency, India, Indonesia and Brazil would form the Troika. This would be the first time when the Troika would consist of three developing countries and emerging economies, providing them a greater voice,” the statement said.

    The G20 currently comprises Finance Track, with eight workstreams (Global Macroeconomic Policies, Infrastructure Financing, International Financial Architecture, Sustainable Finance, Financial Inclusion, Health Finance, International Taxation, Financial Sector Reforms)

    Sherpa Track, with 12 workstreams — Anti-corruption, Agriculture, Culture, Development, Digital Economy, Employment, Environment and Climate, Education, Energy Transition, Health, Trade and Investment, Tourism.

    Ten Engagement Groups of private sector/civil society/independent bodies (Business 20, Civil 20, Labour 20, Parliament 20, Science 20, Supreme Audit Institutions 20, Think 20, Urban 20, Women 20 and Youth 20).

    In addition to G20 members, there has been a tradition of the G20 Presidency inviting some guest countries and international organizations to its meetings and summit.

    Accordingly, in addition to regular international organizations (UN, IMF, World Bank, WHO, WTO, ILO, FSB and OECD) and Chairs of Regional Organizations (AU, AUDA-NEPAD and ASEAN).

    India, as G20 Presidency, will be inviting Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain and UAE as guest countries, as well as the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and the Asian Development Bank as guest international organizations.

Artificial Moon to brighten China streets by 2020, three more by 2022

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Moon will see many artificial moons soon (Image courtesy: NASA)

China’s space program is no longer confined to sending satellites into space but is also reflecting the commercial viability of lighting the streets in the night using artificial moons up in the sky. In fact, Russia tried its hands at the project during the mid-1990s.

Making street lights redundant, China might save $170 million, if the pilot project succeeds in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province. Once successful, it will give way to three more such moons to be launched in 2022, said Wu Chunfeng, head of Tian Fu New Area Science Society in Chengdu, reports China Daily. 

The artificial moon will be coated with a reflective shield that can deflect sunlight back to Earth, illuminating the target city complementing the moon at night but eight time brighter, requiring no street lights and vehicle lights in the night.

To be placed at an orbit of about 500 kilometers above Earth compared to the moon which is 380,000-km distance to the Earth, the man-made moon will have a coverage accuracy of a few dozen metres, said Wu.

“But this is not enough to light up the entire night sky,” he quickly added. “Its expected brightness, in the eyes of humans, is around one-fifth of normal streetlights.”

The artificial moon’s mirrors can be adjusted for luminosity, and can be switched off whenever not needed. The only exception is when the sky is overcast and too cloudy. “The first moon will be mostly experimental, but the three moons in 2022 will be the real deal with great civic and commercial potential,” Wu said.

The three new man-made moons can take turns and together they can illuminate an area of around 3,600 to 6,400 sq km on Earth for 24 hours, he explained.

The project undertaken by Tian Fu New Area Science Society has other notable institutes such as Harbin Institute of Technology and China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, which are engaged in collaborative research.

However, Wu is apprehensive that it might disrupt the physiological status of people and animals, with no regular alternations between night and day that disrupts metabolic patterns, including sleep.

“We will only conduct our tests in an uninhabited desert,” he said.

Russian Mirror Satellite in 1990s

In the past, Russia tried sending a 25-meter diameter space mirror called Banner, but the space mirror misfired second time and the entire project was shelved due to funds crunch.

The project to build Znamya or “Banner” was as old as the late 1980s taken up by Russian engineer, Vladimir Syromyatnikov, known for his brilliant engineering in space technology, including the Vostok, that had put Yuri Gagarin into orbit in 1961.

Syromyatnikov wanted solar sails to redirect sunlight back towards the Earth, and in 1993 he got his chance to put Znamya to the test. Measuring 65-foot-wide, the sheet of mylar was unfurled on the night of February 4, 1993, it directed a beam of light about two or three times as bright as the moon and two-and-a-half miles wide down to Earth’s night sky, passing across the Atlantic ocean, over Europe, and into Russia, reports said.

However, a follow-up satellite got caught on one of Mir’s antennae, which ripped the delicate sail and the mission was scrapped. Syromyatnikov died in 2006.

Heart of Asia Conference Tomorrow: What’s the Focus?

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and other 12 represntatives from Asian countries at the much coveted Heart of Asia Conference being held in Amritsar tomorrow to highlight terrorism, trade and cooperation takes place.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will address the conference as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is ill. Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and other representatives will meet on the sidelines of the inaugural conference symbolic to bring in stakeholders of Asia for more trade. The 14-member conference is likely to bring forth a loose alliance of like-minded actors to take the regional cooperation to the next level.

Pakistan is being represented by Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz while other ministers from Iran, Russia and China will make it broader in terms of trade-centric talks and India may raise the issue of terrorism since the venue near the border owing to infiltrations is visibly to offset Islamabad’s mindset.

India is likely to announce military aid to Afghanistan including 7 helicopters and receive assurance from Russia on supplying spares and conducting repairs on other aircraft in Afghanistan.

India is keen to focus on the Chabahar port in Iran for trade to Afghanistan, the overall agenda will centre around developing trade routes to Afghanistan, as China and Pakistan are focusing on the development of the Gwadar Port.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Javed Zarif is expected to make a presentation on the benefits of Chabahar to Afghanistan, while India will try to rope in others to develop the port project.

“We are already working with the governments of Afghanistan and Iran to do an event in Chabahar itself, sometime in the near future which involves not merely the governments and experts but also brings together industry and also showcases Chabahar for other countries which can benefit from the enhanced connectivity through Chabahar,” MEA official Gopal Baglay said.

Recently, Russia, Turkmenistan and Qatar have indicated an interest in the port, while Iran, that refers to Gwadar and Chabahar as “sister ports,” is keen to use the port for trade and gas supplies. China has already inaugurated its Yiwu-Mazar e Sharief rail line, under the One Belt One Road (OBOR) plan through Afghanistan to the CPEC route to Gwadar.

The Heart of Asia conference is the 7th in the series after the Istanbul Process was established in 2011 to provide a platform to discuss regional issues, particularly encouraging security, political, and economic cooperation among Afghanistan and its neighbors. The United States and over 20 other nations and organizations are “supporting nations” in the dialogue.

Past Ministerial Conferences of Heart of Asia Dialogue:
1st: 2 November 2011,
Istanbul, Turkey
2nd: 14 June 2012,
Kabul, Afghanistan
3rd: 26 April 2013,
Almaty, Kazakhstan
4th: 31 October 2014,
Beijing, China
5th: 9 December 2015,
Islamabad, Pakistan
6th: 26 April 2016,
New Delhi, India
7th: 4th December 2016,
Amritsar, India

MEMBER Countries:
Afghanistan
Azerbaijan
China
India
Iran
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Pakistan
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Tajikistan
Turkey
Turkmenistan
United Arab Emirates

SUPPORTING COUNTRIES

Australia
Canada
Denmark
Egypt
European Union
France
Finland
Germany
Iraq
Italy
Japan
Norway
Poland
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom
United States