According to Richard Moore, the cost of supporting Kiev was «well known»

The Turkish leader emphasized that Ankara has advocated for a prompt peaceful settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict from the very beginning

The top Iranian diplomat noted that the increased terrorist activity in northern Syria is tied to «the US-Israeli plan to destabilize the region amid the Israeli regime’s failures in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon»

The political direction of the European Union (EU) will not be changed by the rearrangement

«Anything is possible, so we have long been prepared for any eventuality,» Sergey Andreyev noted

The truce between Israel and Hezbollah has been violated, both sides have claimed Read Full Article at RT.com

Le Réseau National des Femmes Médiatrices de Paix du Gabon (RENAFEM-GA) a pris activement part à la 2è Assemblée Générale du Réseau des Femmes Médiatrices de l'Afrique Centrale (REFEMAC), en Guinée Equatoriale, du 26 au 27 novembre 2024, précisément à Malabo. La délégation gabonaise qui a séjourné dans la capitale guinéenne était composée de sept Médiatrices ayant pris part au rendez-vous annuel du REFEMAC. Deux jours durant, les travaux de ce rendez-vous de Malabo avait pour thème (...) - COOPERATION / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

The Defense Ministry in Moscow has published new footage showcasing drone warfare in Kursk Region Read Full Article at RT.com

Terrorist forces were seen rampaging through areas controlled by the Syrian government for almost a decade Read Full Article at RT.com

The West has clamped down on Russian media because they provide facts that challenge the mainstream narrative, the foreign minister has said Read Full Article at RT.com

Russia’s foreign minister has accused Ukraine of behaving like a colony of the US and UK Read Full Article at RT.com

Cryptocurrency investor Justin Sun devoured the Italian artwork as part of a “unique artistic experience” Read Full Article at RT.com

A U.S. company is recalling cucumbers sold in Ontario and other Canadian provinces due to possible salmonella contamination.

New details suggest that there were communication issues between the pilots of a charter flight and the control tower at Montreal's Mirabel airport when a Boeing 737 made an emergency landing on Wednesday.

Countries that already have laws barring gay sex are increasingly making it a criminal offence to even identify as a gender and sexual minority. The Canadian Press investigates how these trends are playing out in countries where Canada has strong ties.

UK lawmakers debated Friday whether to advance divisive and emotive legislation to allow assisted dying for terminally ill people in England and Wales, with a vote expected later in the day. Parliament last debated, and defeated, a euthanasia bill in 2015, but public support for giving terminally ill people the choice to end their lives has since shifted in favour. Opening the debate, Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who is behind the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, said changing the law would give terminally ill people «choice, autonomy and dignity at the end of their lives». But dozens of opponents gathered outside parliament holding signs with «Kill the Bill, not the ill» and «care not killing» as they urged MPs to vote against the proposed legislation. Two polls last week indicated that a majority of Britons back changing the law, which would see England and Wales emulate several European and other countries. Supporters say allowing assisted suicide would make some deaths less painful. However, faith leaders are among the stringent opponents, with nearly 30 signing a joint letter last weekend arguing they are «deeply concerned» by the plans. Critics insist it could lead some people to feel pressured into ending their life, while some say the healthcare system is not ready for such a landmark change. The bill would allow assisted suicide in England and Wales for adults with an incurable illness who have a life expectancy of fewer than six months and are able to take the substance that causes their death themselves. Any patient's wish to die would have to be signed off by a judge and two doctors. The measures are stricter than assisted dying laws in other European countries and also proposed legislation being considered in France. The bill is a so-called private members' bill and is not part of the government's agenda. The debate was due to end at 2:00 pm, with a vote on progressing the bill to its next parliamentary stage highly likely but not guaranteed. - 'Right to choose' - The legislation follows Prime Minister Keir Starmer's vow, before winning power in July, to allow parliament to revisit the issue. The UK leader, who voted in favour of allowing assisted suicide in 2015 but with «robust» safeguards, has not revealed his current view. The country's most senior civil servant has told cabinet members they «should not take part in the public debate» given the government is remaining neutral on the bill. However, a number of senior ministers have aired their opinions, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood both saying they are opposed. Mahmood, the country's most senior Muslim politician, argued in a recent letter to constituents that «the state should never offer death as a service», while noting that her faith was informing her stance. Broadcaster Esther Rantzen, who is terminally ill and has spearheaded the campaign for a law change, on Thursday urged other MPs to be honest about whether faith was the basis for any opposition. «They have the right to choose but please be honest about your real motivation,» she told LBC radio. Meanwhile former prime minister David Cameron, who opposed the 2015 law change, revealed he had changed his mind on the issue. «As campaigners have convincingly argued, this proposal is not about ending life. It is about shortening death,» he wrote in The Times newspaper on Thursday. However other ex-premiers -- including Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, Theresa May and Gordon Brown -- have all said they oppose the legislation. Assisted suicide is currently banned in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. In Scotland, which has a separate legal system and devolved powers to set its own health policy, it is not a specific criminal offence. But it can leave a person open to other charges, including murder. © Agence France-Presse

Saudi Arabia will host the COP16 UN conference on land degradation and desertification next week as the top oil exporter pitches itself as an environmental defender despite criticism of its role at climate talks. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called the meeting for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) a «moonshot moment» to protect and restore land and respond to drought. Activists accused Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, of trying to water down calls to phase out fossil fuels at last week's COP29 UN climate talks in Azerbaijan. However, the subject of desertification is close to home for the Gulf kingdom, which has one of the biggest deserts on the planet. «We are a desert country. We are exposed to the harshest mode of land degradation which is desertification,» deputy environment minister Osama Faqeeha told AFP. «Our land is arid. Our rainfall is very little. And this is the reality. And we have been dealing with this for centuries.» Land degradation disrupts ecosystems and makes land less productive for agriculture, leading to food shortages and spurring migration. Land is considered degraded when its productivity has been harmed by human activities like pollution or deforestation. Desertification is an extreme form of degradation. - 'Under the radar' - The last gathering of parties to the convention, in Ivory Coast in 2022, produced a commitment to «accelerating the restoration of one billion hectares of degraded land by 2030». But the UNCCD, which brings together 196 countries and the European Union, now says 1.5 billion hectares (3.7 billion acres) must be restored by decade's end to combat crises including escalating droughts. Saudi Arabia is aiming to restore 40 million hectares of degraded land, Faqeeha told AFP, without specifying a timeline. He said Riyadh anticipated restoring «several million hectares of land» by 2030. So far 240,000 hectares have been recovered using measures including banning illegal logging and expanding the number of national parks from 19 in 2016 to more than 500, Faqeeha said. Other ways to restore land include planting trees, crop rotation, managing grazing and restoring wetlands. The COP29 climate talks yielded a hard won $300 billion climate finance deal that poorer nations most at risk of worsening disasters dismissed as insultingly low. UNCCD executive secretary Ibrahim Thiaw told AFP he hoped COP16 would result in an agreement to accelerate land restoration and develop a «proactive» approach to droughts. «We have already lost 40 percent of our land and our soils,» Thiaw said. «Global security is really at stake, and you see it all over the world. Not only in Africa, not only in the Middle East.» Faqeeha said he hoped the talks would bring more global awareness to the threat posed by degradation and desertification. «If we continue to allow land to degrade, we will have huge losses,» he said. «Land degradation now is a major phenomenon that is really happening under the radar.» Saudi Arabia's high oil production, resulting in eye-watering profits for oil giant Aramco, routinely draws the ire of climate activists. But its exposure to desertification could give it more credibility during the Riyadh talks. «With the desertification fight, (Saudi Arabia is) not necessarily directly contributing to the problem, whereas with climate change, it obviously is,» said Patrick Galey, senior fossil fuels investigator for Global Witness. «Saudi Arabia can, with some legitimacy, claim to be standing up for the little guy when it comes to desertification, because it is directly affected.» - Freedom of speech - Thousands of delegates have registered to attend the December 2-13 talks in Riyadh including «close to 100» government ministers, Thiaw said. French President Emmanuel Macron is due to attend the One Water Summit, taking place on the sidelines of COP16 on December 3. Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been criticised for mounting repression even as the kingdom pursues head-spinning social reforms intended to lure tourists and investors. As a UN-organised event, civil society including campaigners will be able to take part, although it was not clear if protests -- a rarity in the kingdom -- would be allowed. Saudi Arabia is hoping for strong, «constructive» civil society participation in COP16, Faqeeha said. «We are welcoming all constructive engagement,» he told AFP, while Thiaw said all groups would be welcome to contribute and express themselves. «According to UN rules, of course there are rules of engagement, and everybody is guaranteed freedom of speech,» Thiaw said. © Agence France-Presse

What we consider young and old is changing, according to the head of Russia’s Federal Medical-Biological Agency Read Full Article at RT.com

Kiev’s military plans are being “crippled” by mass desertion from the army, the Associated Press has reported Read Full Article at RT.com

A high-level Russian delegation is touring Sahel countries to deepen economic and strategic partnerships Read Full Article at RT.com

A journalist is facing prison time for allegedly defacing a memorial to Ukrainian Nazi collaborators at a cemetery in Alberta Read Full Article at RT.com

“Given how this looks in the media, of course, you are not sitting at the negotiating table yourself, but our children have been at home for four weeks without anything happening. I think it is inexcusable and we want an explanation for this.”

[New Times] The government plans to stop registering petrol-powered motorcycles for public transport in the City of Kigali from January 2025 in a move aimed at only considering electric motorbikes for such a business.

[The Conversation Africa] More than a year after a military coup, Gabonese citizens have held a referendum in which they approved a new draft constitution. The constitutional revisions targeted dynastic rule by introducing presidential term limits and banning family members of a sitting president from running for the office.

[RFI] Chad has ended its defence cooperation pact with France - a move that could see French troops leave the country as the former colonial power's influence across the Sahel collapses.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, during the CWC meeting, attributed the party's mixed election results to internal disunity and EVM issues. He emphasized unity, discipline, and a focus on local concerns while calling for improved campaign strategies and addressing organizational weaknesses for future success.

The Maharashtra government revoked its earlier order to allocate Rs 10 crore additional funding to the Waqf Board after facing opposition from the BJP. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis cited the inappropriateness of disbursing funds under a caretaker government and announced an investigation once a new government is formed.

The Indian Navy, in collaboration with the Sri Lankan Navy, intercepted two boats smuggling 500 kg of crystal meth in the Arabian Sea. This two-day operation began on Nov 24, resulting in the capture of nine men.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar expressed serious concern over attacks on minorities in Bangladesh. During the August 2024 incidents, Hindu homes, businesses, and temples were targeted. Increased violence is noted amid Bangladesh's political instability. Arrest of minority rights advocate Chinmoy Krishna Das also raises alarms.

The ministry of external affairs condemned Rahul Gandhi's remark comparing Prime Minister Modi to Joe Biden, calling it 'unfortunate' and not reflective of India's warm ties with the US. Gandhi's comments were made during Maharashtra elections, where the BJP won decisively, securing 132 out of 149 contested seats.

The Non-Governmental Organisation Regulatory Authority (NGORA) has called on NGOs operating in Malawi to adopt localized approaches to development to address growing concerns over resource wastage. Speaking during the Localisation Workshop held in Lilongwe, NGORA Chief Executive Officer Edward Chileka Banda emphasized the need for NGOs to shift from resource-heavy operations to empowering local communities to lead development efforts. […] The post NGORA calls for action: Empowering local communities to stop resource drainage appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Statistics at Chilomoni Health Centre in Blantyre indicate that the facility has registered a 97 percent immunization coverage, barely three percent shy of the finish line. But Yvonne Mchemo – a health surveillance assistant (HSAs) assigned to vaccinate infants and expectant women from Mlunguzi Hema area in Traditional Authority (T/A) Kuntaja – confesses that the […] The post Empowered health workforce, community structures for increased immunization coverage appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.