Cincunri Sakia

Kamis, 26 Mei 2022

Ukraine war: Russia blames the West for grain exports being blocked - Sky News

Russia has pointed the finger at the West for grain exports from Ukraine being blocked.

A Russian blockade, combined with the shortage of overland shipping routes, means that significant supplies of grain remain in storage and cannot be exported from Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: "We categorically do not accept these accusations. On the contrary, we blame Western countries of taking actions that have led to this."

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has accused Vladimir Putin of seeking to "hold the world to ransom" through Russia's blockade of Ukrainian grain exports.

During a visit to Bosnia, she said: "It is completely appalling that Putin is trying to hold the world to ransom, and he is essentially weaponising hunger and lack of food amongst the poorest people around the world.

Ukraine news live: Russia 'may target Slovakia next' - as Putin's 'elite' airborne forces involved in 'several tactical failures'

"We simply cannot allow this to happen. Putin needs to remove the blockade on Ukrainian grain.

"What we cannot have is any lifting of sanctions, any appeasement, which will simply make Putin stronger in the longer term."

British military authorities say Ukraine's overland export routes are "highly unlikely" to offset the problems caused by Russia's blockade of the Black Sea port of Odesa, putting further pressure on global grain prices.

Russia and Ukraine account for nearly a third of global wheat supplies and the lack of exports from Ukraine is contributing to a growing global food crisis.

Turkey is in talks with Russia and Ukraine to open a corridor via the Bosphorus for grain exports from Ukraine, according to a senior Turkish official.

The official said: "Turkey is negotiating with both Russia and Ukraine for the export of grains from Ukraine.

"With a corridor to be opened from Turkey, there was a demand for this grain to reach their targeted markets. Negotiations are still ongoing."

The UN has been attempting to forge a deal to resume Ukrainian food exports and Russian food and fertiliser exports.

However, difficulties include Russian demands for sanctions to be lifted in return and the cost of insuring the maritime route.

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2022-05-26 13:17:36Z
1440303552

Rabu, 25 Mei 2022

Texas school shooting: America's gun debate hits boiling point as rivals get into shouting match - Sky News

America's gun debate reached boiling point during a news conference as two political rivals got into a shouting match over the Texas primary school massacre.

Salvador Ramos, 18, used an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle - one of two he had bought legally in the days before the attack - in the bloodbath at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde that left 19 children and two adults dead.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott addressed an auditorium on Wednesday, blaming the shooting on a "mental health crisis" in the community.

He did not mention gun laws once, and the state is home to some of the most relaxed firearm rules in the US.

The six maps and charts that show the state of mass gun violence in the US

Democratic politician Beto O'Rourke, who is hoping to unseat Mr Abbott in this November's gubernatorial election, confronted his opponent, shouting at him: "You are doing nothing to stop this.

"This is totally predictable."

'Sir, you are out of line'

Much of what he said could not be heard over loud heckling, with one bystander calling Mr O'Rourke "a sick son of a b**** for coming to this and trying to make it a political issue".

Another added: "Sir you are out of line."

Mr O'Rourke - a former Texas congressman who tried to win the Democrat's nomination for president in 2020 - was eventually hounded out of the room, but not before saying: "This is on you."

He has been critical of the incumbent, tweeting yesterday: "Governor Abbott, if you have any decency, you will immediately withdraw from this weekend's NRA convention and urge them to hold it anywhere but Texas."

Mr Abbott was endorsed for re-election as governor by the NRA in February, with the organisation giving him a 100% approval rating - and he is scheduled to speak in this weekend's annual convention.

He is openly pro-guns and last year signed 22 pieces of legislation that made it easier for people to buy, carry and own their own guns in the state, including a permitless carry law that allows most Texans to carry handguns without training or a license.

In contrast, Mr O'Rourke is unapologetic in his support for stricter gun laws, saying in 2020: "Hell yes, we're going to take your AR-15, your AK-47.

"We're not going to allow it to be used against our fellow Americans anymore."

Once the press conference resumed, Texas lieutenant governor Dan Patrick said the shooting was "not a political issue".

The NRA later issued a statement, describing the attack as that of a "lone, deranged criminal".

"As we gather in Houston, we will reflect on these events, pray for the victims, recognise our patriotic members, and pledge to redouble our commitment to making our schools secure," the organisation said.

Texas home to some of the most gun-friendly laws in US

Texas laws that allow an 18 year old to buy a gun have "been in place for more than 60 years", Mr Abbott later told the news conference.

"During the course of that time over those 60 years, we have not had episodes like this... why do we now?"

He said the "one thing that has changed, is the status of mental health", adding: "We as a state, as a society need to do a better job with mental health".

Texas, which has some of the most gun-friendly laws in the nation, has been the site of some of the deadliest shootings in the US over the past five years.

Why have attempts to change US gun laws failed?

In 2018, a gunman killed 10 people at Santa Fe High School in the Houston area. A year before that, a gunman shot more than two dozen people to death during a Sunday service in the small town of Sutherland Springs. In 2019, a gunman at a Walmart in El Paso killed 23 people in a racist attack targeting Hispanics.

In a somber address to the nation hours after the attack in Texas, President Joe Biden pleaded for Americans to "stand up to the gun lobby" and enact tougher restrictions, saying: "When in God's name are we going to do what has to be done?"

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2022-05-25 19:30:00Z
1444892832

'Humbled' Boris Johnson 'surprised and disappointed' at partygate revelations in Sue Gray report - Sky News

Boris Johnson has said he "briefly attended" Downing Street lockdown gatherings but didn't know at the time that they "went on far longer than was necessary".

The prime minister said he had attended to thank staff because it's "one of essential duties of leadership" and to keep morale as high as possible".

He told the Commons he had "no knowledge of those subsequent proceedings because I wasn't there".

Politics live: Damning Sue Gray report published

Mr Johnson added: "My attendance at these moments, brief as it was, has not been found to be outside the rules.

"But clearly this was not the case for some of those gatherings after I had left and other gatherings when I was not even in the building."

He was speaking after Sue Gray's long-awaited report said Downing Street leadership must "bear responsibility" for the culture of partying during COVID lockdowns.

The prime minister told MPs he had been as "surprised and disappointed as anyone else in this House as the revelations" came to light, and that he was "appalled" by some of the behaviour in the report.

He said he took "full responsibility for everything that took place under my watch" and also denied he had lied to the Commons when he stated previously that no rules were broken.

The prime minister said he and the government were "humbled" and had "learned a lesson" - and that significant changes had been made to Number 10's senior staff.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused Mr Johnson of showing "utter contempt" for the public and that the report demonstrated the "hubris and arrogance" of the government.

Time for PM 'to pack his bags'

Mr Starmer said it was time for the PM "to pack his bags" and "restore dignity" to the office of the prime minister.

"They [the government] pretend the prime minister has somehow been exonerated, as if the fact he only broke the law once is worthy of praise," said the Labour leader.

"The truth is they set the bar for his conduct lower than a snake's belly."

Sue Gray, a senior civil servant, said the conduct that went on in Number 10 during strict lockdowns fell "well short" of the high standards expected by the public.

Her report looked at 16 events in 2020 and 2021 and found a large number of people had attended events and broken lockdown rules.

Senior staff attended or organised some of them, excessive alcohol consumption was reported, while some staff felt unable to raise concerns.

The report included a number of photos from the gatherings, including one showing the PM with a beer on his birthday, and at a leaving do for an adviser with wine bottles on the table.

At the time, Downing Street staff were among certain workers allowed to continue going into work.

The report's release had been delayed until police finished their own investigation.

Met Police's inquiry saw 83 people receive at least one fixed-penalty notice for attending get-togethers over eight dates.

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2022-05-25 13:07:01Z
1442168680

Selasa, 24 Mei 2022

Chinese and Russian nuclear bombers fly over Sea of Japan as Biden visits Tokyo - Financial Times

Chinese and Russian strategic bombers flew over the Sea of Japan as Joe Biden attended a Quad summit in Tokyo, in a joint exercise the Japanese government denounced as “unacceptable”.

The nuclear-capable bombers conducted a joint flight on Tuesday that began over the Sea of Japan as the US president was meeting his counterparts from Japan, Australia and India, Japanese and US officials said.

Moscow said the 13-hour flight was carried out “strictly in accordance with the provisions of international law” and was not directed against third countries. But Nobuo Kishi, Japan’s defence minister, condemned the exercise as “provocative” and “unacceptable”.

A US official said the exercise showed China was continuing military co-operation with Russia in the Indo-Pacific “even as Russia brutalises Ukraine”.

“It also shows that Russia will stand with China in the East and South China Seas, not with other Indo-Pacific states,” the official said.

Russia and China conducted joint nuclear bomber exercises over the Sea of Japan in 2019, 2020 and 2021, but Tuesday’s flight was the first time such a manoeuvre occurred with a US president in the region.

The exercises were held on the final day of Biden’s trip to Asia as he participated in a summit of the Quad — the security group of the US, Japan, Australia and India that China has criticised as an Asian “Nato”.

From left, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese, US president Joe Biden, Japan’s prime minster Fumio Kishida and India’s prime minister Narendra Modi in Tokyo — From left, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese, US president Joe Biden, Japan’s PM Fumio Kishida and India’s prime minister Narendra Modi in Tokyo on Tuesday © Yuichi Yamazaki/Getty Images

Chinese analysts have previously cited one purpose of the joint bomber patrols with Russia as warning the US against “stirring up trouble” with initiatives such as the Quad.

Russia’s defence minister said the Russian Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers and Chinese H-6 bombers had carried out air patrols over the Japan and East China Seas.

“The aircraft of both countries acted strictly in accordance with the provisions of international law,” the Russian ministry said. “There were no violations of the airspace of foreign states.”

The exercises were conducted as tensions mount over Taiwan, a democratic country over which China claims sovereignty. Over the past year, China has flown increasingly large sorties of fighter jets and bombers close to Taiwan, in what US defence secretary Lloyd Austin has described as rehearsals for military action against the island.

Biden on Monday vowed to use military force to intervene if China attacked Taiwan. His comment appeared to overturn the US policy of “strategic ambiguity” in which Washington does not specify whether it would come to Taiwan’s defence.

Asked on Tuesday if his comments meant that “strategic ambiguity” was defunct, Biden said that “the policy has not changed at all”.

In another illustration of the rising concern about Taiwan, particularly in the wake of the war in Ukraine, Admiral Michael Studeman, the top intelligence officer at US Indo-Pacific Command, is visiting Taipei, where he met senior security officials, according to one person familiar with the situation.

Admiral John Aquilino, head of US Indo-Pacific Command, recently told the Financial Times that the invasion of Ukraine should be a reminder to not be complacent about Taiwan.

The joint Russian-Chinese bomber sortie is part of military co-operation that analysts said approached the level between allies, although both countries insist their relationship is not an alliance.

The US has become more vigilant about China-Russia relations since Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin described their friendship as having “no limits” in February.

The US official said the latest exercises underscored the link between European and Indo-Pacific security and reinforced the need to bolster alliances and propel a vision for freedom shared by like-minded nations.

“The joint statement Putin and Xi released . . . advocated a world where, whether in eastern Europe or the western Pacific, China and Russia would have their own spheres of influence where it would be natural and acceptable to wield their power against their neighbours,” the official added. “They are working together to advance that vision.”

China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Additional reporting by Nastassia Astrasheuskaya

Follow Demetri Sevastopulo and Kathrin Hille on Twitter

Video: Will China and the US go to war over Taiwan?

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2022-05-24 12:22:06Z
1443722536

London Playbook: Sue nigh — Elizabeth Line open — 24 hours to save Chelsea - POLITICO Europe

Press play to listen to this article

Presented by MSD.

By ALEX WICKHAM

PRESENTED BY

Send tips here | Subscribe for free | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser

Good Tuesday morning.

DRIVING THE DAY

SUE NIGH: Boris Johnson stands accused of misleading parliament this morning after photos emerged of the prime minister raising a glass in a toast at Downing Street during lockdown. Once again ITV’s Paul Brand got the story, piling pressure on the PM in the week that is expected to see the publication of Sue Gray’s report on Partygate. As of late last night it remained unclear when exactly the report will land, which means it is possible it could come today. Playbook for one hopes so, because he has well and truly run out of tenuous Gray puns with which to lead this email.

Back in December last year … Labour MP Catherine West asked Johnson in the Commons: “Can the prime minister tell the House whether there was a party in Downing Street on 13 November?”

Johnson replied: “No, but I’m sure whatever happened the guidance … and the rules were followed at all times.”

Just haven’t Met you yet: Yesterday’s photo dump certainly means the privileges committee has some ammo as it probes whether Johnson deliberately misled the House. Downing Street will argue that this was not a party but a work event, and that Johnson had a reasonable excuse in saying goodbye to his departing comms chief Lee Cain, in an event that was reported at the time. No. 10 also briefed Brand that photos similar to the ones ITV published were obtained by Gray, who passed them to the police, who in turn decided not to fine Johnson. Former Labour aide Tom Hamilton explained how the wording of the PM’s answer might provide a get out of jail card with the privileges committee.

**A message from MSD: How can we help children recover from lost time in school over COVID-19? Vaccine-preventable diseases like chickenpox continue to disrupt children’s lives across the UK. The time to act on chickenpox – and Stop the Spots – is now. Find out more here.**

Judgment day: Whether those excuses pass muster in the court of public opinion, or indeed the all-important court of Tory MPs’ opinion, is another question. Members of the public who were unable to see dying family members during the pandemic went viral on social media yesterday as they expressed outrage at the champers pics. The story led the BBC News at Ten last night and splashes almost all of today’s papers.

And as for Tory backbenchers: Rebel ringleader Steve Baker pointedly tweeted a government COVID graphic of a hospitalized woman emblazoned with the emotive words: “Look her in the eyes and tell her you never bend the rules.” …

… Johnson critic Roger Gale told Times Radio: “It’s absolutely clear there was a party, that he attended it, that he was raising a toast glass to one of his colleagues. Therefore, he misled us from the despatch box. Honorably there is one answer.” …

… And Scots Tory flip-flopper Douglas Ross veered back toward resignation chat: “These images will rightly make people across the country very angry. The PM must outline why he believes this behavior was acceptable. To most, these pictures seem unjustifiable and wrong.”

Picture set: The wisdom of some of that weekend briefing against Gray is also up for debate as today’s papers reveal more details of what’s to come. The Mirror’s Pippa Crerar hears the Gray report will publish “even more incriminating” photos. A source tells her: “Everybody is furious that loads of people got fined but him and nobody can figure out why, because there’s all these photos of him with booze.”

(Don’t) publish and be damned: Fresh revelations have also come out about *that* curious Johnson-Gray meeting to discuss the handling of her report a couple of weeks back. The Times‘ Steve Swinford and Oli Wright have a top scoop revealing the PM urged Gray not to publish her full report in light of the police investigation into the events. Johnson is said to have asked Gray if there was much point in publishing it given “it’s all out there.” Given this detail has now ended up on the front page of the Times, it would appear the request did not go down well.

Copping flak: The Met is also coming under fire from opposition politicians and commentators over its inability to explain its decisions on which events and which attendees broke the rules and merited fines, and why. The whole saga has been handled with a characteristic lack of transparency, consistency or common sense by the police, leaving huge questions over why some present at the toast appear to have been fined while others weren’t, as ITV’s Robert Peston notes. Not to mention why the birthday cake event warranted fines for Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak, but this one didn’t. Some might say this is the thin end of the wedge when it comes to equality under the law in modern day Britain.

More serious claims: Inevitably the Met’s silence has led to unproven allegations of collusion between the police and politicians. Deputy Met assistant commissioner turned Lib Dem politician Brian Paddick made this inflammatory claim to LBC’s Andrew Marr last night: “I think that the Met may not have investigated this as thoroughly as they could have done because they didn’t want to upset No. 10.” How Paddick squares this with the fact that the Met fined Johnson for another event is another question.

House arrest: The Met’s chaotic handling of the whole affair will come under the spotlight on Thursday when Acting Commissioner Stephen House appears in front of the London Assembly’s police and crime committee. (H/t Pippa Crerar.)

In the meantime … as we await the Gray report or any more leaks, we reenter that impossible but very important territory of “taking the temperature” of Tory MPs who hold Johnson’s fate in their hands. Politics Home’s Eleanor Langford and Noa Hoffman spoke to some Tory backbenchers who want to move on from the scandal, and others who say Johnson is not out of the woods yet.

**Mircea Geoană, deputy secretary general of NATO will join POLITICO Live’s event “War in Ukraine: a watershed moment for European defense policy and transatlantic security?” on June 9 at 11 a.m. CEST. Will you? Register now!**

TODAY IN WESTMINSTER

HOUSE OF COMMONS: Sitting from 11.30 a.m. with justice questions … then any urgent questions or ministerial statements at 12.30 p.m. … then it’s the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill second reading until 7 p.m.

COST OF LIVING CABINET: Any Gray news could quickly take over, but first up this morning Boris Johnson hosts Cabinet — with Downing Street and the Treasury still at odds over how to help Britons struggling with the cost of living. The FT’s George Parker, Jim Pickard and Nathalie Thomas have a strong story reporting Rishi Sunak has ordered officials to draw up plans for a windfall tax on more than £10 billion of excess profits by electricity generators, including wind farm operators. “North Sea oil and gas producers are only half the picture,” a government insider tells the paper. “The other half is that high gas prices have led to some pretty substantial windfall profits for all electricity generation.” The Sun’s Jack Elsom says Universal Credit recipients may get more support.

NOW OPEN: We are told the PM will “hail infrastructure investment to unlock growth and boost jobs” as the Elizabeth line opens in London this morning. Services on the new line will be running from 6.30 a.m. between Paddington and Abbey Wood. London Mayor Sadiq Khan will be on one of the first trains and says: “Today is an historic day as the Elizabeth line opens to passengers. This is a huge moment, not just for London but the entire country — particularly in this special Jubilee year.”

About that … RMT union Secretary-General Mick Lynch tells Talk TV’s Tom Newton Dunn that rail strikes could extend into next year if no negotiated settlement is reached.

24 HOURS TO SAVE CHELSEA: There are major developments in the footballing world today as the U.K. government warns that if a deal to sell Chelsea is not closed imminently then the club may be barred from the Premier League next season. The government is due to approve the £4 billion sale to a consortium led by American investor Todd Boehly, but a senior Whitehall insider briefs the FT’s George Parker it “still has major hurdles to overcome” as Portuguese authorities also have to approved the deal due to current owner Roman Abramovich’s citizenship in that country. The U.K. government is now in intense discussion with Portugal and the European Commission to provide them the assurances they need to licence the deal.

One government source struck a very somber tone: “It’s transfer deadline day for Chelsea and I’m seriously worried about the outcome. If the deal doesn’t get final sign off today, the sale probably can’t happen in time — that could mean Chelsea out of the league. Even if HMG grants the licence today, it’s not clear that Portugal will do the same. It’s going to come down to the wire, and unless something changes I’m not optimistic.”

**Stay proactively informed with POLITICO Pro. Join the 1000+ organizations who rely on Pro every day for exclusive and reliable news and intelligence on politics and policy in Europe. Request a demo today.**

TROUBLES BILL: Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis is up in the Commons after lunch for the second reading of the Troubles Bill seeking to protect Northern Ireland veterans and deliver better outcomes for victims of the Troubles. Lewis will say: “The legacy of the Troubles is an issue that successive governments have attempted but ultimately failed to resolve — bluntly, because it concerns one of the most complex, sensitive and difficult periods in our history. This legislation is focussed on effective and timely information recovery, providing answers and accountability to families and survivors and aiding reconciliation, to help society move forward.” Lewis has given an interview to the Express‘ David Maddox.

What’s Labour doing? It’ll oppose the legislation, the Indy’s Kate Devlin reveals, meaning the government doesn’t have cross-party support for its proposals on the Northern Ireland peace process.

AFGHAN REPORT: Top Foreign Office civil servant Philip Barton should resign over the Afghanistan withdrawal debacle, a report by the foreign affairs committee out today says. Barton infamously stayed on holiday as the crisis unfolded. The report concludes: “The fact the Foreign Office’s senior leaders were on holiday when Kabul fell marks a fundamental lack of seriousness, grip or leadership at a time of national emergency. The committee has lost confidence in the Permanent Under-Secretary, who should consider his position.” The Sun’s Kate Ferguson has more.

TRADE SCOOP: The U.K. is preparing to ditch checks on freight trucks leaving Britain with nothing in them, in a bid to ease headaches for exporters, POLITICO’s Emilio Casalicchio reports. Ministers hope the move will take effect from the start of July, on the assumption that tax office HM Revenue and Customs will sign off on it. Hauliers welcomed the news that the regulation, carried over from the EU after Brexit, will be ditched, with the government estimating that about a third of trucks that enter Britain filled with goods return with nothing.

LOBBYING LATEST: The committee on standards this morning publishes its final recommendations for a new package of reforms designed to improve transparency and clean up lobbying in parliament following the Owen Paterson scandal. You’ll be able to read them here.

COMMITTEE CORRIDOR: The highlight is Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng and energy bosses up in front of the BEIS committee to talk energy pricing from 11.15 a.m. … (Kwarteng is up at 1 p.m.).

WONK WATCH: Health Secretary Sajid Javid will be speaking at Onward and Create Streets’ Social Fabric Summit on the government’s vision for community health, the importance of community groups to the NHS and what communities can do to reduce the need for health services. Other political speakers include: Rory Stewart, Guy Opperman, John Penrose, Richard Bacon, Miriam Cates and Jon Cruddas. More info here.

UKRAINE UPDATE: A senior diplomat who was part of Russia’s permanent mission to the U.N. resigned Monday over Moscow’s “aggressive” war in Ukraine and “unprofessionalism” in the country’s diplomatic corps. “For twenty years of my diplomatic career I have seen different turns of our foreign policy, but never have I been so ashamed of my country as on February 24,” Boris Bondarev wrote in a post on social media, referring to the day Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to launch their full-scale assault on Ukraine. POLITICO’s Victor Jack has the story.

**A message from MSD: Did you know that chickenpox is estimated to have infected over 90% of the UK population, most often during childhood? MSD funded a recent study from the LSE which found that 49% of children who contracted chickenpox between ages 0 and 3 years and 66% of children who contracted chickenpox between ages 4 and 11 years missed days of school or nursery, with an average of 5.6 school days missed. As children get their education back on track after COVID-19, it is critical that we avoid further disruption wherever possible. Introducing a chickenpox national immunisation programme to Stop the Spots would help to give all children the best start in life. To find out more, visit https://stopthespots.co.uk/home/ (The Stop the Spots campaign has been initiated and funded by MSD. The content of the campaign has been provided by MSD. Job number GB-NON-05951).**

MEDIA ROUND

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps broadcast round: Sky News (7.05 a.m.) … LBC Nick Ferrari (7.50 a.m.) … Today program (8.10 a.m.) … ITV Good Morning Britain (8.30 a.m.).

London Mayor Sadiq Khan: Today program (7.10 a.m.) … Sky News (7.30 a.m.) … Good Morning Britain (7.50 a.m.) … BBC Radio 5Live (8.35 a.m.).

Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Jonathan Ashworth: LBC Nick Ferrari (7.10 a.m.) … Sky News (8.05 a.m.) … Times Radio (8.35 a.m.).

Also on the Today program: Tory MP David Simmonds (6.50 a.m.) … Foreign affairs committee Chairman Tom Tugendhat (7.15 a.m.).

Also on Times Radio: Shadow Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Minister Catherine West (7.20 a.m.) … Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko (7.45 a.m.) … Former DExEU mandarin Philip Rycroft and former chief of Manchester Police Peter Fahy (8.05 a.m.) … Former Conservative leader William Hague and former Labour MP Louise Ellman (9.10 a.m.).

TODAY’S FRONT PAGES

(Click on the publication’s name to see its front page.)

Daily Express: Nothing To See Here! Yard says Boris Broke No Rules

Daily Mail: Rail Strike Could Cause Blackouts

Daily Mirror: How did he get away with THIS?

Daily Star: Yep, it’s defo not a party

Financial Times: Big power generators in Sunak’s sights for widened windfall tax

i: Lockdown party photos hit PM

Metro: Lockdown In One, PM

POLITICO UK: NATO bid reignites Sweden’s dispute with Turkey over Kurds

PoliticsHome: Government accused of “deliberately misleading” MPs over Afghan withdrawal

The Daily Telegraph: Pressure on Met over pictures of PM raising a toast in No10

The Guardian: Fresh danger for Johnson over No 10 drinks pictures

The Sun: Some PCs Are On The Pitch

The Times: Partying PM ‘misled Commons’

LONDON CALLING

WESTMINSTER WEATHER: 🌧️🌧️🌧️ Some rain, wind and storms. Highs of 18C.

BIRTHDAYS: Brexit Efficiencies Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg … Former Attorney General Dominic Grieve … Former Tory MP and London mayoral candidate Steven Norris … Former Tory MP Richard Ottaway … DEFRA Permanent Secretary Tamara Finkelstein … Scottish Employment Minister Richard Lochhead.

PLAYBOOK COULDN’T HAPPEN WITHOUT: My editor Zoya Sheftalovich, reporter Andrew McDonald and producer Grace Stranger.

The faces from China's Uyghur detention camps - BBC

The source of the files claims to have hacked, downloaded and decrypted them from a number of police computer servers in Xinjiang, before passing them to Dr Adrian Zenz, a scholar at the US-based Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation who has previously been sanctioned by the Chinese government for his influential research on Xinjiang.

Dr Zenz then shared them with the BBC, and although we were able to contact the source directly, they were unwilling to reveal anything about their identity or whereabouts.

None of the hacked documents is dated beyond the end of 2018, possibly as the result of a directive issued in early 2019 tightening Xinjiang’s encryption standards. That may have placed any subsequent files beyond the reach of the hacker.

Dr Zenz has written a peer-reviewed paper on the Xinjiang Police Files for the Journal of the European Association for Chinese Studies and he has placed the full set of detainee images and some of the other evidence online.

“The material is unredacted, it's raw, it's unmitigated, it's diverse. We have everything,” he told the BBC.

“We have confidential documents. We have speech transcripts where leaders freely talk about what they really think. We have spreadsheets. We have images. It's completely unprecedented and it blows apart the Chinese propaganda veneer.”

The Xinjiang Police Files contain another set of documents that go even further than the detainee photographs in exposing the prison-like nature of the re-education camps that China insists are “vocational schools”.

Xinjiang Police Files: Inside a Chinese internment camp

A set of internal police protocols describes the routine use of armed officers in all areas of the camps, the positioning of machine guns and sniper rifles in the watchtowers, and the existence of a shoot-to-kill policy for those trying to escape.

Blindfolds, handcuffs and shackles are mandatory for any “student” being transferred between facilities or even to hospital.

For decades, Xinjiang has seen a cycle of simmering separatism, sporadic violence and tightening government control.

But in 2013 and 2014, two deadly attacks targeting pedestrians and commuters in Beijing and the southern Chinese city of Kunming - blamed by the government on Uyghur separatists and radical Islamists - prompted a dramatic shift in policy.

The state began to see Uyghur culture itself as the problem and, within a few years, hundreds of giant re-education camps began to appear on satellite photos, to which Uyghurs were sent without trial.

Xinjiang’s formal prison system has also been massively expanded as another method for controlling Uyghur identity - particularly in the face of mounting international criticism over the lack of legal process in the camps.

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2022-05-24 04:02:57Z
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Vladimir Putin assassination attempt would have been 'hugely complex operation', Western officials say - iNews

Western officials have cast doubts over claims Vladimir Putin was the subject of a recent assassination attempt, citing the increasingly small circle of contacts the Russian leader allows around him.

Ukraine’s intelligence chief suggested on Monday that Mr Putin was the target of an assassination attempt about two months ago, carried out by “representatives of the Caucasus” – a region that includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and parts of southern Russia.

Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Chief Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence, said the attempt was made but was “absolutely unsuccessful”.

Western sources have been unable to verify the claims, but said any such attempt on the Russian leader’s life would be challenging.

“President Putin is operating – and has done through Covid and in an enduring basis – in a smaller and smaller grouping. He has fewer contacts, he has fewer public engagements. It’s a more controlled environment around him. So were anyone to attempt to do something like that it would be a hugely complex operation,” the official said.

Speculation around the Russian Premier’s health continues to persist with recent news clips appearing to show involuntary movements in his hands and feet.

But officials have refused to be drawn on the claims, stating that he remains in control of the Russian state.

“At this moment, President Putin is firmly in control of his inner circle, the country and the decisions that are being made, irrespective of any speculation about his health. President Putin is still the decision-maker,” the source said.

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The West has repeatedly insisted it does not want to seek regime change in Russia, and has instead called for Mr Putin to withdraw from Ukraine and back to the pre-2014 borders, before the annexation of Crimea.

But Mr Budanov made the claim that an attempt on the Russian President’s life, telling the Ukrainian Pravda: “He was even attacked in the line of, as they say, representatives of the Caucasus not so long ago.

“This is non-public information. Absolutely unsuccessful attempt, but it really took place… It was about two months ago.

“Once again, he was unsuccessful. There is no publicity about this event, but it took place. “

Western officials also delivered a pessimistic outlook on the chances of allowing grain exports to be given “safe passage” out of Odessa amid growing concerns over shortages and soaring food prices.

The First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko called on the international community to help enable the country to export the millions of tonnes of grain it has in its stockpile.

But sources said that any hope of creating a humanitarian corridor to allow the grain exports to set sail in the Black Sea would require Russian “permission”.

The West also believes the Russian advance in the Donbas may begin to see its troops achieve some minor objectives, including the encirclement of Ukrainian forces in a small pocket near Dontesk.

But officials warned further objectives would likely be harder to achieve. “It’s inevitable that Russians…will try and move on Kramatorsk. That is a big and challenging target and will cost them heavily but that will be the next goal for them.”

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2022-05-23 20:53:00Z
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