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Brussels is considering imposing retroactive tariffs on Chinese car companies for the subsidies they receive | Companies

Latest News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

The European Commission is considering imposing retroactive tariffs on Chinese car companies on the subsidies they receive from the Chinese government. The Commission explains this in an implementing regulation on Tuesday and ensures that there is “sufficient evidence that imports” of electric cars from China receive aid of various types. Either through “the direct transfer of funds” or “the forfeiture or non-collection of public revenue” or “the public provision of goods or services for less than fair remuneration,” the document says. For this reason, Brussels has ordered customs authorities To imports of Chinese electric cars over the next nine months (only cars with up to a maximum of nine seats. Motorcycles excluded).

This document is the result of the investigation that Brussels is conducting to determine whether Chinese automobile companies are receiving illegal subsidies from the Chinese state. The Commission's aim is to protect the interests of European car manufacturers from the Chinese, who have landed in Europe in recent years en masse with a diverse range of electric vehicles and with whom the Europeans in many cases cannot keep up in terms of quality and price. The Commission found that imports of Chinese electric vehicles increased by 14% year-on-year between October 2023 (when the subsidy investigation was officially opened) and January last year.

“There is a risk that more and more Union producers will be affected by declining sales volumes and reduced production volumes if the level of imports at supposedly subsidized prices from China continues after the initiation of the investigation,” the Commission said. The Commission considers that this “will have a negative impact on the employment and overall performance of Union producers”.

The European Commission launched this investigation following numerous complaints from some of the main manufacturers on the Old Continent, who felt they were at a disadvantage compared to the Asian giant's manufacturers. “We should ask the European Union to impose the same conditions on Chinese manufacturers that we impose on Western companies in China. “There is no reason why we make it easier for the Chinese manufacturer in Europe than the one we will face when we enter their market,” said the CEO of Stellantis back in 2022 during the Paris Motor Show (the largest car manufacturer in Spain) , Carlos Tavares. Curiously, last year Stellantis announced the purchase of 20% of the Chinese company Leapmotor for 1.5 billion euros. The agreement envisages the sale of the Asian brand's cars outside China.

“We have to find out whether there is fair competition. I want to play 11 against 11 football and not 11 against 15. You have to look at that. “Europe has mechanisms to favor manufacturers that have a positive impact on the planet,” Josep Maria Recasens, director of strategy and business development at Renault Group, said in an interview Five days in October.

“Our companies are too often excluded from foreign markets or fall victim to predatory practices. “They are often weakened by competitors who benefit from large state subsidies,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen assured last September when she announced the investigation into Chinese subsidies.

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Brussels is considering imposing retroactive tariffs on Chinese car companies for the subsidies they receive | Companies Read More »

Who is Salvatore Mancuso, a former paramilitary extradited from the US who was appointed peace manager?

Latest News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

One of the most notorious paramilitary leaders has returned to Colombia. Salvatore Mancuso, extradited from the US, will work with the Colombian state as a peace manager as part of a controversial appointment by President Gustavo Petro. The leader of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia will carry out his role under temporary freedom.

YOU CAN SEE: What will be the most dangerous city in Colombia in 20 years? This is the AI's answer

Who is Salvatore Mancuso?

Salvatore Mancuso, born on August 17, 1964 into a wealthy family in Montería, did not complete his university education in the Colombian country. However, a profile from the Colombian prosecutor's office shows that he studied English at the University of Pittsburgh.

Likewise, Mancuso distinguished himself as a wealthy cattle breeder in the Córdoba area. However, he owed his rise not to his business but rather to his involvement in armed activities.

Initially, Mancuso joined the Peasants' Self-Defense Forces of Córdoba and Urabá (ACCU) as second in command. Later, when this paramilitary group merged with the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), the brothers Vicente and Carlos Castaño appointed him Chief of the General Staff.

According to the National Center for Historical Memory's final report on the armed conflict, the groups that make up the AUC were responsible for 47% of the deaths and missing persons of the armed conflict in Colombia and are considered the most violent armed actors in the country.

What crimes is Salvatore Mancuso accused of?

In April 2023, Salvatore Mancuso was accused of being involved in 4,071 crimes affecting 6,552 people in departments such as Antioquia, Bolívar, Cesar, Córdoba, La Guajira, Magdalena, Santander and Sucre. The Bogotá Supreme Court linked Mancuso to 1,153 crimes in Bolívar, Sucre and Córdoba, including 229 murders, 108 enforced disappearances and 690 cases of forced displacement. He is also accused of the massacres in El Aro, La Granja and Pichilín.

In addition to these crimes, a justice and peace court accused him of torture of a protected person, simple kidnapping, violent carnal access to a protected person, acts of terrorism, destruction and appropriation of protected property, rape of another person's room, threats and violent sexual acts of a protected person, forced prostitution, inhumane and degrading treatment, biological experimentation on a protected person, abortion without consent and kidnapping for ransom.

Why was Mancuso extradited to the United States?

Mancuso was described by the American justice system as one of the most “notorious” drug traffickers. He was extradited on May 13, 2008, along with 13 other high-ranking members of the self-defense groups accused of the same crimes. He was accused of exploiting his position to import more than 100,000 kilograms of cocaine into the United States and other countries. In June 2015, a US court sentenced him to 190 months in prison.

After his sentence expired in 2020, Mancuso requested deportation to Italy through his lawyers. However, the trial did not go as expected and he remained in federal custody at a detention center for undocumented immigrants in the state of Georgia.

Why was Mancuso appointed peace manager?

“The peace process between the Uribe government and the paramilitaries is not yet complete, the whole truth is not yet known, the farms partially handed over have been lost in the hands of the state and have been re-exploited to new groups that inherit paramilitarism, many entities .” Many victims have not yet been found. In order to complete the process and achieve complete peace, I have decided to appoint Salvatore Mancuso as Peace Manager,” Gustavo Petro announced on his X account (formerly Twitter) on June 23, 2023.

The figure of the peace manager is a name used by the Petro government to refer to people who can contribute to processes of dialogue, truth-clarification and the dynamics of humanization of the armed conflict in the context of overall peace policy.

“I come to continue my commitment to the victims,” Mancuso said in a statement. Photo: JEP

Mancuso was granted temporary freedom

After returning to Colombia, Salvatore Mancuso was taken to La Picota prison in Bogotá to await trial. Judge Luz Marina Zamora decided to grant him temporary freedom at the session of the Special Justice and Peace Court. “The convicted Salvatore Mancuso Gómez is granted conditional freedom for a period of four years,” the judge said.

Who is Salvatore Mancuso, a former paramilitary extradited from the US who was appointed peace manager? Read More »

Concealment in Iran: “widespread surveillance” of women and drivers

Latest News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

Iranian authorities are currently conducting “widespread surveillance” of women in public spaces and “massive police checks” of female drivers for veiling, resulting in “tens of thousands” of confiscations of their vehicles, an Amnesty International report said on Wednesday.

“Tens of thousands of women are having their cars arbitrarily confiscated to punish them for daring to defy Iran's compulsory veil laws. Others are prosecuted and sentenced to flogging or imprisonment, fined or forced to attend “morality” courses,” Amnesty denounces in this report, which is based on the testimonies of dozens of women living in Iran.

“To break resistance to veiling in the wake of the Women, Life, Freedom uprising, the Iranian authorities are terrorizing women and girls by subjecting them to constant surveillance and policing,” said Diana Eltahawy, deputy director for the Middle East North Africa at Amnesty International, in a press release.

“According to official announcements, since April 2023, the moral police in Iran have ordered the arbitrary confiscation of tens of thousands of vehicles whose drivers or passengers, some as young as nine years old, were not wearing a headscarf or were wearing it in an “inappropriate” manner,” the statement added added.

According to testimonies collected by Amnesty, “these orders are based on images captured by surveillance cameras or on reports from plainclothes officers patrolling the streets who use the police application Nazer to identify the license plates of vehicles, including drivers or passengers report.” don’t follow the rules.

“The affected women and their relatives receive threats via text message or phone call, demanding that they report to the moral police and hand in their vehicles,” Amnesty reports.

“For several months, the police have indiscriminately and massively stopped and checked cars, targeting female drivers on busy roads (…),” denounces Amnesty, saying it has spoken to eleven women in particular who were “ “The Chases” reported intimidating stops and immediate seizures as they went about their daily activities.

In addition, according to testimonies collected by Amnesty, women are regularly denied access to public transport, airports and banking services if they do not wear a veil.

In recent months, more and more women have appeared in public without veils, especially after the protest movement sparked by the death in Tehran in September 2022 of 22-year-old Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by Tehran police in Darin accused him of violating the Islamic Republic's dress code, particularly requiring women to wear veils in public places.

Concealment in Iran: “widespread surveillance” of women and drivers Read More »

NYPD wants to reintroduce stop and search at subway stations, says liberal Mayor Eric Adams, to stop rampant violence – more than a decade after it was deemed “unconstitutional.”

Latest News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

New York City's Democratic Mayor Eric Adams says he is introducing bag checks for subway riders after a 13 percent increase in crime – more than a decade after the city's similar “stop-and-frisk” policy was declared unconstitutional.

Recent criminal activity on the trains that has made headlines includes a cellist who was hit in the head with a water bottle by a stranger during his performance, and a shooting that killed one and injured five others.

“We know people feel unsafe,” Adams, himself a former transit police officer, admitted during a news conference.

The mayor said he would bring back methods previously used during times of great distrust.

“We are reintroducing bag checks.” “There are several things we are reintroducing into the system,” Adams added, with the NYPD reportedly searching bags for weapons such as knives, box cutters, clubs and firearms.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams says he will increase police presence in subway stations and return bag and backpack checks after crime rose 13 percent

Each week, 94 bag inspection teams will be deployed to 136 stations, although the exact locations are still being determined. The city is also exploring technology to detect metal objects entering the transportation system.

Screening teams will be able to check each passenger's luggage for weapons under the long-dormant policy.

These subway inspection protocols were originally submitted to the MTA following the 2005 London bombings.

But it could bring back memories of the city's “stop-and-frisk” policy, which was ended in 2014 after it was deemed “unconstitutional.”

That year, then-Mayor Bill de Blasio announced he would no longer fight a lawsuit from the Center for Constitutional Rights and ended the policy. This practice included police stopping civilians on the street and searching them for weapons.

De Blasio's announcement came at a press conference in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Brownsville, where police stops were particularly frequent. Attorneys for the plaintiffs who sued the city over stop-and-frisk attended the event along with city officials.

In a 2019 speech at the Christian Cultural Center, a historically black church in Brooklyn, Bloomberg admitted, “I was wrong.”

Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the practice often led to the disproportionate incarceration of blacks and Latinos, adding that he “cannot change history.”

But he said if someone was mistakenly stopped by police: “I apologize” and added: “Our focus was on saving lives.” But the fact is: far too many innocent people were stopped when we tried to do that.

According to a court filing, the city asked the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York to send the case back to a federal judge “so that the parties can consider a resolution.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced he would no longer fight a lawsuit from the Center for Constitutional Rights and ended the stop-and-frisk policy in 2014

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has abandoned his longstanding support for the controversial “stop and frisk” policing strategy ahead of his failed presidential bid

Adams, a Democrat, is working with New York Gov. and fellow liberal Kathy Hochul, who says she is sending state agencies to help address the problem after the pair met with MTA officials last week, according to NBC New York had.

“Governor Hochul has made historic commitments to make our subways safer, from surveillance cameras to mental health staff, and tomorrow she will introduce new laws to protect riders, new state personnel to assist the NYPD with bag checks, and other new measures to retain New Yorkers.” said a spokesman for Adams.

Hochul plans to announce her own plans on Wednesday to protect subway riders, increasing funding for police overtime and mental health care.

She also plans to introduce legislation to increase the number of state employees assigned to assist the NYPD with bag checks.

With crime up double digits compared to this point in 2023 and civilians and employees attacked, the Transit Workers Union has sharply criticized its supervisors at the MTA for failing to protect them.

“We stand ready to support Local 100 as it confronts this scourge of violence – and public transit leaders who are either inept or indifferent to the harm inflicted on their own employees day and night,” said TWU President John Samuelsen .

“When it comes to workplace safety, the MTA has failed catastrophically. “Assaults on public transport workers in the subway have increased by almost 60 percent in the past year.”

“We know people feel unsafe,” admitted Adams, himself a former transit police officer

The mayor said he would bring back methods such as bag checks, previously used in times of high suspicion

Adams, a Democrat, is working with New York Gov. and fellow liberal Kathy Hochul, who says she is sending state agencies to help address the problem after the pair met with MTA officials last week

Subway crime has been on the rise recently, with 2023 seeing the most subway attacks since 1996. There were three homicides on the tracks earlier this year, compared to none at this time last year.

The head of the NYPD's transportation network has made his own efforts to address the problem by integrating more than 1,000 police officers into the transportation system, and credits the move with a 17 percent reduction in crime in February.

Riders and even subway performers are trying to make their voices heard, led by a recent subway crime victim.

Iain Forrest, 29, a medical student and musician, played his electric cello at the 34th Street Herald Square Station on the evening of February 13th.

In a shocking moment captured on video, an unknown woman came over, picked up the metal water bottle he had placed on the ground and smashed it over his head. The bottle clattered to the floor as Forrest clutched his head in pain.

Forrest announced on Instagram earlier Sunday that he had formed a coalition with his fellow musicians called the Subway Performers Advocacy Group, but says he will no longer be performing underground for the time being.

The cellist who was hit in the head with a water bottle by a stranger while performing on the New York subway last week says he is tired of performing on platforms

'[I]“It kind of breaks my heart that this is something that has to stop indefinitely unless there is a systemic change with protections for performing on the subway,” he said.

The group's stated goal is to ask the MTA and NYPD to collect statistics on crimes against subway musicians so that police resources can be “smartly deployed where they are needed to prevent attacks.”

Forrest, who said his escaped attacker still hasn't been caught, told the New York Daily News he didn't understand what exactly had happened to him until the attacker literally beat him.

“I couldn't quite get my bearings and it wasn't until I saw my metal water bottle rolling around on the floor and I saw the face of the crowd – full of awe, disbelief and shock – that I realized that I think someone was watching my back hit my head with my metal water bottle,” he said.

NYPD wants to reintroduce stop and search at subway stations, says liberal Mayor Eric Adams, to stop rampant violence – more than a decade after it was deemed “unconstitutional.” Read More »

Latest news about Russia and the war in Ukraine

Latest News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

An hour ago

Loss of a ship will limit Russian Black Sea Fleet maneuvers, Britain says

The patrol ship Sergey Kotov takes part in a Navy Day parade in Novorossiysk, Russia.

Vitaly Timkiv/Sputnik via AP

Ukraine's sinking of the Russian patrol ship Sergei Kotov on Tuesday continues a trend of attacks on Russia's prized Black Sea Fleet that will limit the fleet's ability to maneuver around Crimea, Britain's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

“This is the third ship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet sunk in the last five weeks,” the ministry said in an intelligence update on X.

“Probably due to the losses of the Black Sea Fleet, on February 15, 2024, the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Viktor Sokolov, was dismissed. “Ukraine continues to restrict the Russian Navy’s freedom of maneuver in the Black Sea,” the ministry said.

Viktor Sokolov attends a ceremony marking the 240th anniversary of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, Crimea, May 13, 2023.

Alexey Pavlishak | Portal

The “Sergei Kotov”, which Ukraine said attacked with naval drones on Tuesday and led to the sinking of the ship, was not accepted into the Black Sea Fleet until July 2022.

“It had previously been targeted by USVs [Unmanned Surface Vehicles] in July and September 2023, both times sustaining minor damage and returning to service shortly thereafter,” the ministry noted.

– Holly Ellyatt

2 hours ago

German ambassador to UK says 'no need to apologize' after military leak

The German ambassador to the UK said there was “no need to apologize” for a security breach that led to a phone call between senior Russian military officials being leaked to the media.

Miguel Berger told BBC Radio 4's “Today” program on Wednesday that one of the participants in the call was likely dialed in via an unsecure line. As a result, Russia was able to intercept the call, he said.

Miguel Berger, the Ambassador of Germany at Buckingham Palace, on July 7, 2022 in Windsor, England.

Pool | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

During the call, officials reportedly discussed the possibility of giving Ukraine long-range Taurus missiles, as well as possible Russian targets, including the Crimean Bridge, which connects mainland Russia with annexed Crimea.

Officials also said that British troops were on the ground in Ukraine, much to Britain's disappointment. Former British defense secretary Ben Wallace said Germany was “quite penetrated by Russian intelligence” and was “neither safe nor reliable.”

“It’s extremely unhelpful what Ben Wallace did,” Berger said, adding: “That’s what Russia wants.”

Germany confirmed the authenticity of the call but said it was not sure whether it had been processed. It said an investigation was underway into the security breach.

– Holly Ellyatt

3 hours ago

According to a GUR source, Ukrainian military intelligence is responsible for the attack on a Russian ironworks

Ukraine's GUR military intelligence agency is responsible for an attack on the Mikhailovsky iron ore plant in Russia's Kursk region, a source in GUR told Portal on Wednesday on condition of anonymity.

Russian officials and the plant's owner, Metalloinvest, said earlier that two drones hit a fuel tank at the company, one of Russia's largest iron ore plants.

—Portal

3 hours ago

The Kremlin says it does not recognize ICC arrest warrants against senior Russian officials

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that it did not recognize arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) the previous day against senior Russian military commanders.

“We are not part of the ICC, we do not recognize this and are treating this decision accordingly,” Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.

The ICC on Tuesday issued arrest warrants against Lieutenant General Sergei Ivanovich Kobylash and Admiral Viktor Nikolayevich Sokolov, saying there were “reasonable grounds to believe that the two suspects bear responsibility for missile attacks carried out by the armed forces under their command against Ukrainian electricity infrastructure were carried out.” at least October 10, 2022 to at least March 9, 2023.”

A man takes a selfie photo in front of the Kremlin's Spasskaya Tower and St. Basil's Cathedral in downtown Moscow on September 11, 2023. The Russian election commission said the pro-Kremlin United Russia side won local elections in four regions of Ukraine occupied by Russian forces, in a vote rejected by Kiev. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / AFP) (Photo by ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images)

Alexander Nemenov | Afp | Getty Images

There is reason to believe that the attacks were aimed at civilian targets and caused “too great damage”. They could be classified as acts against civilians that fall under the category of “crimes against humanity or inhumane acts,” the ICC said.

Ukraine welcomed the ICC's move. President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that “international justice takes time but is inevitable.”

“We continue to make every effort to ensure that no Russian animal responsible for the murder of Ukrainian children, women and men goes unpunished. And no stars on shoulder straps or closet doors will stop them from being held accountable,” Zelensky wrote in one post on the social media platform X.

—Holly Ellyatt, Sophie Kiderlin

4 hours ago

Why Ukraine's First Lady Declined State of the Union Invitation

First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska arrives at the White House with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington, DC on September 21, 2023.

Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images

Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska will not attend US President Joe Biden's State of the Union address on Thursday due to a scheduling conflict, her spokeswoman said.

“The Embassy of Ukraine in the USA received an invitation for the First Lady of Ukraine to be present on March 7 during the Union address of the President of the United States to Congress,” said Tetyana Gaiduchenko.

“But due to the planned events on the schedule, including the visit of Kiev children from the orphanage, which were planned in advance, the first lady, unfortunately, will not be able to attend the events,” she said, NBC reported.

There was speculation that Zelenska declined the invitation when she learned that Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, had also been invited to the prestigious event.

The Washington Post reported that Navalny's possible presence would be uncomfortable for Ukrainians because Navalny has said in the past that Crimea, which Putin annexed in 2014, belongs to Russia.

Citing people familiar with Kiev's deliberations, the news agency said sources had indicated that Ukrainians were also wary of voting in the run-up to the US presidential election, where a Republican candidate, most likely Donald Trump, could be considered closely aligned with Biden to be re-elected.

– Holly Ellyatt

6 hours ago

Putin's intelligence chief scolds Macron for his extremely dangerous comments about Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin's head of foreign intelligence said French President Emmanuel Macron's refusal to rule out sending European troops to fight Russian soldiers in Ukraine was extremely dangerous and irresponsible.

Macron said last month that there was no consensus on sending European troops to fight in Ukraine but that nothing should be ruled out, although the United States and other European members of the alliance have said there are no plans to do so.

Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR RF) Director Sergei Naryshkin seen attending the Victory Parade on Red Square on May 9, 2023 in Moscow, Russia.

Contributor | Getty Images

Asked about Macron's comments, Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), the main successor to the First Directorate of the KGB's foreign espionage department, said they were deeply irresponsible.

“This shows the high level of political irresponsibility of today’s European leaders, in this case the French president,” Naryshkin told state television on Tuesday. “These statements are extremely dangerous.”

“It is sad to see this, sad to observe and sad to understand that the negotiating capacity of the current elites in Europe and the North Atlantic is at a very low level,” he said. “They are less and less likely to show any common sense at all.”

—Portal

5 hours ago

Missile alert in Russia's Kursk region after a Ukrainian drone reportedly attacked a fuel depot

The governor of Russia's Kursk region said on Wednesday that a fuel depot was on fire after it was attacked by a Ukrainian drone.

Local governor Roman Starovoit said on the Telegram news site that a fire broke out at a fuel and lubricants warehouse “as a result of an attack by a Ukrainian drone in the Zheleznogorsky district” of Kursk, a region bordering Ukraine.

“The fuel tank is on fire, no one was injured. Rescue workers were on scene,” he said, according to a Google translation.

Shortly afterwards, Starovoit published another message warning the city of Zheleznogorsk of “missile danger” and urging residents to seek refuge in windowless rooms with solid walls.

A sign reading “Kursk for you!” with the letter Z, a tactical insignia of Russian troops in Ukraine, is pictured outside the village of Bolshoe Zhirovo in the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, on May 26, 2023.

Olga Maltseva | Afp | Getty Images

CNBC could not immediately verify the claim and Ukraine has not publicly commented on the incident. Previously, the company launched numerous drone attacks on Russian oil infrastructure, such as oil refineries, in other border regions such as Rostov, Bryansk, Belgorod and Voronezh.

22 hours ago

Zelensky says he welcomes the ICC's arrest warrants against Russian military personnel

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday he welcomed the International Criminal Court's decision to issue arrest warrants against two senior Russian military officials.

“International justice takes time, but it is inevitable. We continue to make every effort to ensure that no Russian animal responsible for the murder of Ukrainian children, women and men goes unpunished. And no stars on shoulder straps or closet doors will be affected, preventing them from being held accountable,” Zelensky wrote in one post on the social media platform X.

Earlier on Tuesday, the ICC said there were “reasonable grounds to believe” that the two Russian military personnel were responsible for attacks that could be classified as war crimes.

— Sophie Kiderlin

23 hours ago

The International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants against high-ranking Russian military officials

The International Criminal Court said Tuesday it had issued arrest warrants for two senior Russian military officials: Lt. Gen. Sergei Ivanovich Kobylash and Admiral Viktor Nikolayevich Sokolov.

“The Pre-Trial Chamber II concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the two suspects were responsible for rocket attacks carried out by the armed forces under their command from at least October 10, 2022 to at least March 9, 2023 against the Ukrainian electricity infrastructure,” the ICC said in a statement.

It added that there was reason to believe the attacks were directed at civilian targets and “caused excessive damage.” They could be classified as acts against civilians that fall under the category of “crimes against humanity or inhumane acts,” the ICC said.

— Sophie Kiderlin

Tue March 5, 2024 8:25am EST

Moldovan intelligence chief warns of new destabilization attempts by Russia

Moldova's intelligence chief said on Tuesday that Russia is planning new attempts to interfere in the country's internal affairs by provoking protests, interfering in upcoming presidential elections and disrupting plans to join the European Union.

Alexandru Musteata, head of the Information and Security Service, said his agency has intercepted record levels of activity by Russian security services since 2023 and expects more destabilizing actions this year and next.

“Russian secret services intend to intervene in the electoral process again this year,” Musteata told media.

“We have information that attempts are being made to jeopardize a referendum on European integration, to interfere in the presidential elections and to discredit government institutions and politicians who support Moldova's accession to the European Union.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during his meeting with drivers and road industry representatives on February 22, 2024 in Kazan, Russia.

Contributor | Getty Images

Relations between Moldova and Russia have been frayed as the government has taken a pro-European course and accused Moscow of destabilizing it. The pro-Western president of the former Soviet state, Maia Sandu, has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and is leading Moldova on the path to EU membership and NATO defense alliance.

Moscow denies the allegations of interference and accuses Sandu of stoking anti-Russian sentiment in the country, which lies between Ukraine and Romania.

Musteata said Moscow tried to interfere in last November's local elections in Moldova, one of Europe's poorest countries. Moscow has denied such interference. Musteata said Moscow also plans to interfere in an upcoming presidential election by supporting pro-Russian politicians and parties.

Russia is likely to provoke protests in Moldova in March and April and stoke separatist sentiment, particularly in eastern and southern Moldova, he said. Last month, the pro-Moscow leader of Moldova's Gagauzia region asked Russia for its support and to maintain close ties. Also in February, Moldova's breakaway region of Transnistria asked Russia to help its economy withstand “pressure” from Moldova.

—Portal

Tue Mar 5, 2024 7:27am EST

How could Moscow cause unrest in Moldova?

Moscow continued its saber-rattling over Moldova's pro-Russian region of Transnistria this week, and speculation continues about what it might do next.

Analysts point out that Russian authorities would find it difficult to physically reach the breakaway region to reinforce their troops there or even annex it, but there are still ways to foment pro-Russian unrest and problems for Moldova .

Since the separatist, self-proclaimed authorities in Transnistria last week asked for Moscow's “protection” from the Moldovan authorities – a move that was widely seen as coordinated with the Kremlin and a possible precursor to Russia increasing or even increasing its military presence there the country could annex the region – the West has been closely watching the rhetoric from Moscow.

In this pool photo distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with residents of the city of Tsivilsk in the Chuvashia Republic on February 22, 2024.

Alexander Kazakov | AFP | Getty Images

What is problematic for Russia is that Moldova and Transnistria are landlocked states and lie between Romania and Ukraine. That would mean reinforcing its troops in the region would be a challenge.

But Russia could still cause trouble, especially as Moldova is set to hold a presidential election later this year – a vote that could take place alongside a referendum on EU membership.

Read more about the story here: Russia can't easily reach a pro-Russian region in Moldova – but there are ways it can cause trouble

– Holly Ellyatt

Tue Mar 5, 2024 3:10am EST

The Ukrainian military says it attacked a Russian ship off Crimea

Six years since the day Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an accession treaty admitting Crimea into the Russian Federation in Sevastopol, Ukraine, on March 18, 2020.

Pierre Crom | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Ukrainian military intelligence said Tuesday it used naval drones to attack a Russian ship off the coast of Crimea.

The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said that Special Forces Group 13 damaged the Russian Black Sea Fleet patrol ship Sergey Kotov near Russian-occupied Crimea.

“The 'Kotov' was damaged by a fire in the territorial waters of Ukraine, near the Kerch Strait,” the agency said on Telegram in comments translated by NBC. The cost of the sunken ship is about $65 million, it said.

“As a result of the attack by Magura V5 naval drones, the Russian ship of Project 22160 “Sergei Kotov” suffered damage to the stern, right and left sides,” it said.

Apparently referring to the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff Andriy Yermak said on Telegram on Tuesday: “The Russian Black Sea Fleet is a symbol of occupation. She can’t be in the Ukrainian Crimea.”

CNBC could not immediately verify the reports.

Among Ukraine's greatest successes in 2023 were Ukraine's operations to attack the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Drone and missile attacks on the Crimean port of Sevastopol forced Russia to withdraw a number of its ships from its main base there.

– Holly Ellyatt

7 hours ago

Read CNBC's previous live coverage here:

Latest news about Russia and the war in Ukraine Read More »

Nikki Haley withdraws from the Republican primary, leaving the field to Donald Trump

Latest News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

Nikki Haley has decided to end her campaign in the Republican primaries, several American media outlets announced on Wednesday, March 6, a day after Super Tuesday, in which Donald Trump won by a large margin. The former president now stands alone in the race for the Republican nomination for November's presidential election, undoubtedly facing outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden.

Published on: June 3, 2024 – 12:35 p.m. Modified on: June 3, 2024 – 12:56 p.m

2 minutes

Victorious in Vermont, but defeated by Donald Trump in all other states during Super Tuesday, Nikki Haley will not advance in the Republican primary race. Several American media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and CNN, announced this Wednesday, March 6, that the candidate would end her campaign.

The former American ambassador to the United Nations was scheduled to announce her decision to withdraw from Charleston, the capital of the state of South Carolina, of which she was governor, at 3:00 p.m. (UT) that same day, according to WSJ.

The one who threw himself into the presidential race at the beginning of the year had recently won two Republican primaries: the Premiere in Washington two days ago and the second yesterday in the small state of Vermont, where the primary was open, so we can imagine that Democratic voters voted for the former American Ambassador to the United Nations the Trump administration. Overall, she will have represented the 20 to 30% of voters who have expressed concern about Donald Trump and, in her words, the “chaos” of a second term for the billionaire as president…

Nikki Haley had the financial means to hold out until the Republican National Convention next July. But the pressing question remained: What was the point? If he had stayed in the game, he would have been able to take advantage of an alternative solution if Donald Trump were convicted in court.

But Nikki Haley has had to think about maintaining her political future in a party that is now entirely in the hands of Donald Trump. To persist would mean continuing to anger the billionaire and thus obscuring his future. Nikki Haley has always made it clear: For her, Joe Biden is worse than Donald Trump. We should therefore not expect her to call for abstentions or to vote against the ex-president next November.

Trump alone in the race

Nikki Haley's campaign is coming to an end Donald Trump alone in the race for the Republican nomination for the presidential election scheduled for November. The former president, who was largely in the lead in these primaries, had another “wonderful evening” while Super Tuesday confirmed him in his position. He didn't mention Nikki Haley once and directed all of his attacks at his likely presidential rival, Joe Biden.

Joe Biden Since there is no real competition in the Democratic camp, a new face-to-face meeting between the current American president and his predecessor is scheduled for the end of the year.

Looking ahead to his possible re-election, Donald Trump has shown that he dominates the party, that he is in a position of strength and that these general elections have already begun.

USA: “Trump has shown that he dominates the Republican Party”

Joris Zylberman

Nikki Haley withdraws from the Republican primary, leaving the field to Donald Trump Read More »

Israel Hamas war, media: USA calls for a six week ceasefire in a UN resolution. LIVE

Latest News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

Tomorrow, Joe Biden will deliver the State of the Union address at 9 p.m. in Washington and at 3 a.m. in Italy, the last of his current term in the White House. There is great anticipation for the message that the President will address to the nation, which will inevitably become a key re-election speech eight months before the November elections. But as every year, attention will also be paid to the special guests who will invite the first lady, Jill Biden, senators and representatives, usually figures who symbolize the domestic and foreign policy commitments of the administration and Congress. With the speech coming exactly five months after the Hamas attacks in Israel that sparked the war in Gaza, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries invited the families of those captured on Oct. 7 American hostages. The Republican leader invited Orna and Daniel Neutra, mother and brother of Omer Neutra, while the Democratic leader invited Andrea Weinstein, sister of Judy Weinstein. Haggai and Gad Haggai were both killed.

Israel Hamas war, media: USA calls for a six week ceasefire in a UN resolution. LIVE Read More »

Chávez's support for the Palestinian cause stands out in Syria

Latest News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

This happened during an event organized by the Venezuelan Embassy here at the headquarters of the Palestinian National Council to mark the eleventh anniversary of the physical departure of Commander Chávez.

After the screening of a documentary film about Chávez's positions of solidarity with the Palestinian people, the South American nation's ambassador, José Gregorio Biomorgi, reiterated his country's unconditional support for the Palestinian cause, clarifying that this position is not temporary, but rather representative Politics of the Venezuelan state.

He stressed that Chávez was a symbol of resistance against imperialism and against Israel's atrocities against the defenseless Palestinian people, recalling what the leader did in 2009 when he expelled the Tel Aviv ambassador from Caracas.

For his part, Maher Al-Taher, member of the Office of the Central Committee of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, assured that Chávez's principles and ideas are ingrained in the minds of all Palestinians.

While Yasser Al-Masry of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement believed that the leader's death was a loss for all free peoples of the world.

The interventions ensured that Chávez made Venezuela a country that supported the just causes of the people of the world, especially those of the Palestinians.

On the other hand, Syrians and Venezuelans laid a wreath in front of the monument erected in honor of the Venezuelan leader in the garden named after him at Damascus University.

Palestinian Ambassador to Syria Samir Al-Rifai, who was present at the event, emphasized the Bolivarian Revolution's continued support for liberation movements in the world and for Arab issues, especially the Palestinian cause.

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