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Moscow bans dozens of US citizens, including journalists, from entering Russia

By
IFP Media Wire
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Russian Foreign Ministry

The nearly 100 people listed “shall be permanently denied” entry into Russia, according to the foreign ministry, which said the sanctions come in “response to the Joe Biden administration’s Russophobic policy with a stated goal of ‘inflicting a strategic defeat on Moscow’”.

The ministry added the announcement is also a response to the US “blanket sanctions” on Russian politicians and elite members of society with ties to the government.

The list of US citizens includes members of the US government, pro-democracy activists, academics, and leaders of defense contracting firms and financial institutions that supply weapons to Ukraine to respond to Russia’s war.

Referencing the journalists on the list, the statement said the roster “includes employees of editorial offices and reporters from leading liberal globalist media outlets involved in manufacturing and spreading fake claims about Russia and its armed forces, and engaged in using propaganda to cover Washington’s hybrid war”.

Among the journalists listed is Wall Street Journal Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker, who became a vocal critic of Moscow as she advocated for the return of reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was finally released earlier this month in a prisoner swap.

Another 13 current or former employees at the Journal were on the list, including the outlet’s deputy editor-in-chief, its head of the world news division, its Kyiv bureau chief, its former Moscow bureau chief and a member of its editorial board.

Five New York Times journalists, four Washington Post journalists and a handful of reporters for British papers were also listed.

The sanctions add to the list of more than 2,000 Americans who have already been barred entry to the country, including many US politicians.

A State Department spokesperson condemned the list, in a statement to the New York Times, and expressed concern about Russia’s “escalating attempts to restrict freedom of expression and media freedom in Russia”.

“In the strongest possible terms, we condemn the Kremlin’s continued attempts to intimidate, repress and punish independent journalists and civil society voices, including through the use of censorship laws to punish criticism of Russia’s brutal war” in Ukraine, the spokesperson said.

FBI identifies no foreign links in Trump assassination case

By
IFP Media Wire
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Donald Trump

Officials also released some photos from their investigation, including of the gunman’s rifle and backpack, and homemade bombs found in his car trunk.

Federal investigators sifted through five years’ worth of online activity by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks and said they found no credible evidence that a foreign entity directed him to carry out the attack. Nor did they find credible material indicating that he worked with a co-conspirator.

The shooter did not display a consistent political focus in his online searches, officials said, with more than 60 queries about Trump and President Joe Biden in the month before the attack.

Crooks’s online activity indicates “a mixture of ideologies”, said Kevin P. Rojek, the FBI special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh field office.

“We see no definitive ideology associated with our subject, either left-leaning or right-leaning.”

The gunman’s online history shows he sought information about both the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention and researched logistics about Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania, officials said. They stressed that the investigation is ongoing and that they continue to pursue leads regarding the gunman and any possible associates.

Crooks shot at Trump while the Republican presidential candidate was speaking at an outdoor rally in Butler, Pa., on July 13.

He opened fire from a rooftop just outside the security perimeter of the campaign rally. The gunman fired at least eight shots, killing one person in the crowd, critically injuring two others and wounding Trump’s ear, before being killed by a Secret Service sniper.

Officials stated Crooks died of a single shot to his head. An autopsy determined that he had no alcohol or illegal drugs in his system at the time of the shooting, officials added.

The FBI officials said they conducted a “productive interview” with Trump as part of the investigation. They characterized the former president as cooperative. They also noted Crooks’s parents have been cooperative throughout the investigation, handing over all the information they could to law enforcement.

Law enforcement officials previously said they were focused on Crooks’s online activity as they searched for his motive. They revealed in an earlier briefing that Crooks had searched online “how far away was Oswald from Kennedy”, referring to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

While many expect political motives behind attacks on politicians, a 1997 Secret Service study of American assassins and would-be assassins of public figures found that “attackers and near-lethal approachers of public officials rarely had ‘political’ motives”.

There are multiple investigations into the apparent security lapses that allowed the gunman to shoot at Trump from relatively close range, including how he managed to use HVAC equipment to clamber atop an unsecured roof, traverse multiple rooftops and then fire shots during the campaign rally.

Zelensky claims Ukraine used F-16 fighter jets for first time against Russia

By
IFP Media Wire
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President Of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky

A number of NATO states, including the US, France, Bulgaria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Sweden, pledged to donate the aircraft to Kiev last year. The countries established an ‘F-16 coalition’ to streamline deliveries and arrange pilot training.

While there is no set deadline, with the aircraft expected to arrive in multiple batches over several years, Ukraine can expect around 85 fighter jets, according to media estimates.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference, Zelensky said: “The F-16 [had] a good result… As part of this enormous [Russian] missile attack [on Monday] we shot down some of the rockets with the help of F-16s.”

While the Ukrainian leader expressed gratitude to the country’s Western backers for supplying the warplanes, he called for more deliveries and broader training programs for Ukrainian pilots.

On Monday, Russia unleashed what the authorities in Kiev described as “one of the largest combined strikes” since the start of the conflict in February 2022.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the “massive high-precision attack” against the neighboring country was carried out using long-range air- and sea-based weapons, as well as drones. It targeted energy facilities supporting Ukraine’s defense industrial complex in particular, as well as several airfields storing Western-supplied air munitions, officials said.

“All the designated targets have been hit,” the statement read.

Earlier this month, Zelensky confirmed on his Telegram channel the arrival of the first US-made F-16s, but did not reveal the numbers. He touted the aircraft as being capable of delivering “exactly such combat results that will bring our victory closer – our just peace for Ukraine”.

Moscow has warned that the F-16s, as has been the case with other Western weapons provided to Kiev, will not change the outcome of the conflict, and will only serve to prolong the bloodshed. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has stated that the fighter jets are not a “magic pill” and will gradually be “shot down and destroyed”. He predicted that the arrival of F-16s “will not be able to significantly influence the dynamics of events at the front”.

Ayatollah Khamenei: Iran-Turkmenistan energy, development projects important

By
IFP Media Wire
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During the Wednesday meeting, Ayatollah Khamenei stressed the importance of utilizing the vast cooperation opportunities between Iran and Turkmenistan.

Iran’s Leader, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding the national interests of both Iran and Turkmenistan, expressed hope that the newly inaugurated government of Massoud Pezeshkian, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, would continue efforts to expand bilateral relations with greater intensity and strength.

He also highlighted the importance of joint projects between Iran and Turkmenistan, including the South-to-North highway project and the Turkmenistan gas pipeline expansion project.

Berdimuhamedow also described his negotiations and those of his delegation in Tehran as constructive and significant.

The National Leader of Turkmenistan also mentioned that the long-shared border between Turkmenistan and Iran has always been, and will continue to be, a border of peace and friendship.

On Wednesday, President Pezeshkian, in a meeting with Berdimuhamedow, described the gas agreements between Iran and Turkmenistan as a strategic step towards transforming Iran into the region’s gas hub and within the framework of securing the interests of both countries.

President Pezeshkian added that he would personally oversee the implementation of the agreements and commitments signed between the two countries.

Gaza death toll suppresses 40,500

By
IFP Media Wire
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A ministry statement said that some 93,778 others have been injured in the ongoing assault.

“Many people are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.

Israel has continued its devastating offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, following a Hamas attack despite a United Nations Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

Over 10 months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the coastal enclave.

The Lancet, a leading general medical journal, earlier estimated that the death toll from Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip could be 186,000 or even more.

Activists says UK PM avoided mention of political prisoners in meeting with Bahrain premier

By
IFP Media Wire
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Starmer met Bahrain’s Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at Downing Street in the first official visit by the Persian Gulf leader since Starmer became prime minister.

Bahrain and the UK are longtime allies. In July, the Persian Gulf country was removed from the UK’s list of human rights priority countries, prompting condemnation from rights groups who said the decision amounted to whitewashing.

The removal came days after Manama pledged to invest £1bn ($1.26bn) in Britain.

During his press conference with Al Khalifa, Starmer highlighted the strong bilateral ties between the states, but made no reference to the issue of political prisoners, said Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, advocacy director at the Bahrain Institute For Rights and Democracy (BIRD).

Alwadaei highlighted that he had met Starmer when he was the leader of the opposition in October 2021.

During the meeting, which was also attended by the family of 76-year-old imprisoned activist Hassan Mushaim, Starmer pledged to shed light on the plight of political prisoners in Bahrain.

“Sir Keir promised to do everything in his power to push for Mr Mushaima’s release,” Alwadaei stated in a letter addressed to the prime minister, shared with Middle East Eye.

Mushaima is Bahrain’s oldest political prisoner. Rights groups have repeatedly called for his release, particularly given his dire health condition.

Alwadaei also cited the case of human rights defender Abduljalil al-Singace, who has been on a solid food hunger strike for more than three years after authorities confiscated his research manuscripts.

The activist added that al-Singace has been denied access to adequate medicare care, sunlight and physical exercise during his detention at a medical centre since 2021.

Alwadaei highlighted the 26 individuals on death row in the kingdom who are at risk of imminent execution, including Mohamed Ramadan and Husain Moosa, whose trial has been decried as unfair and their detentions arbitrary by the UN.

“Your actions now could mean the difference between life and death not only for Mr Mushaima, but for Bahraini political prisoners unjustly detained in Bahrain, including those on death row,” Alwadaei wrote in his letter.

He added that his organisation is expecting the imminent release of further political prisoners following the royal pardon granted to around 650 political prisoners in April.

“We have received credible information that further releases are imminent, which may include political prisoners, and we kindly urge you to raise the cases of Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace, Hassan Mushaima, and death row inmates Mohamed Ramadan and Husain Moosa during your meetings to build on the momentum,” the letter read.

Starmer’s government has declared that it would attempt to secure free trade agreements with Bahrain, along with five other Persian Gulf countries, as part of its foreign trade priorities.

Russia-France ties hit new low after Telegram CEO’s arrest: Moscow

By
IFP Media Wire
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The Russian diplomat denounced Paris for its stance “on the issues of freedom of speech, freedom of dissemination of information and, in general, on the issues of respect for the profession of journalists”.

He also revealed that Durov had been “threatened with terrible punishment, apparently with the aim of gaining access to the [application’s] encryption codes”.

The detention took place “on someone’s advice”, Lavrov noted, echoing remarks made by other Russian officials.

Durov, who has French as well as Russian nationality, was arrested near Paris over the weekend as part of an investigation into crimes related to images of child sex abuse, drug trafficking and fraudulent transactions on the platform, French prosecutors said on Monday.

It remains unclear if he knew about the threat of arrest in France. Durov’s French lawyer did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Durov’s arrest has plunged Moscow-Paris ties to their lowest level, Lavrov stressed, capping months of deteriorating relations between the two nations.

French authorities accused Russia of trying to destabilise it ahead of the Paris Olympics in response to its more hawkish stance on the Ukraine war – claims Russia has denied.

Durov’s detention was extended by 48 hours late on Monday, a spokesperson for the Paris prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday. After that, prosecutors will either need to charge or release him. Should he face charges, his flight risk status is a factor judges have to include in their assessment of possible pretrial detention, according to French law.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call on Tuesday that Russia was ready to provide Durov with all necessary assistance given his Russian citizenship, but that his French citizenship complicated the situation. Durov also holds a UAE passport.

“The charges are very serious indeed,” Peskov stated, adding, “They require a no less serious basis of evidence. Otherwise they will be a direct attempt to limit freedom of communication.”

UN warns Israeli evacuation orders hampering Gaza polio vaccination

By
IFP Media Wire
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On Monday, UN aid operations in Gaza were halted after an Israeli order forcibly ejected Palestinians from Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza, where the UN’s operation centre is located.

The order came as the UN prepared to begin a campaign to vaccinate around 640,000 children under the age of 10 in Gaza against polio after a 10-month-old baby was paralysed by the type 2 poliovirus in the first confirmed case of polio in the enclave for 25 years.

Without a humanitarian pause, aid workers are warning that the campaign would fail to reach enough children to stop the spread of the virus.

There are fears that the virus could spread quickly due to the poor sanitation conditions and overcrowding in Gaza’s camps that are now sheltering hundreds of thousands of displaced people.

The UN says Israel issued a record 16 evacuation orders in August, forcing 12 percent of the enclave’s population to move within a few days.

“Mass evacuation orders are the latest in a long list of unbearable threats to UN and humanitarian personnel,” Under-Secretary-General Gilles Michaud said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Like most Palestinians in Gaza, we are running out of safe spaces for our own staff,” he added.

Jonathan Crickx, a spokesperson in the region for the UN child welfare agency, Unicef, told the Guardian that “one thing for sure is that it’s almost impossible to lead a polio vaccination campaign at scale in an active combat zone”.

While the Israeli army cooperated in the delivery of 25,000 vaccine vials on Sunday, its commanders have not yet agreed to pause the bombing to ensure safe and effective immunisation efforts.

Beyond the constant displacement, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Monday that Israel’s attacks on healthcare infrastructure and water supplies, as well as the ongoing obstruction of aid, are contributing to a “potentially catastrophic polio outbreak” in the Gaza Strip.

“If the Israeli government continues to block urgent aid and destroy water and waste management infrastructure, it will facilitate the spread of a disease that has been nearly eradicated globally,” Julia Bleckner, senior health and human rights researcher at HRW, stated at the time of the report’s release.

Netanyahu requests additional security for son in Miami: Report

By
IFP Media Wire
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Yair Netanyahu, 33, has been living in Miami, Florida, since April 2023 under the protection of Israel’s Shin Bet internal security service. The cost of his security detail is approximately 2.5 million shekels (around $680,000) per year, according to the Israeli news website Walla.

Netanyahu recently asked for security measures to be tightened for Yair out of fear that Iran’s response and that of “its proxies” to Haniyeh’s assassination might be to target Israeli figures and assets abroad, the website noted.

Walla cited unnamed sources close to Netanyahu who said that the director general of the Prime Minister’s Office, Yossi Shelley, recently approached the Shin Bet’s Advisory Committee for Personal Security to request a review of the security level around Yair.

The sources added that the advisory committee has asked for intelligence material to justify the increased security.

Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were assassinated in Tehran on July 31, a day after he attended the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Following the assassination, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) stated that Haniyeh was killed by a “short-range projectile” launched from outside his residence in Tehran.

Hamas and Iran have blamed Israel for Haniyeh’s killing in Tehran, but the Israeli government has not confirmed or denied responsibility.

Iran has promised to retaliate, threatening “harsh punishment” for Israel.

Iran, Turkmenistan ink cooperation deals in various fields

By
IFP Media Wire
-

Berdimuhamedow paid a visit to Tehran on Wednesday.

In a meeting attended by the Turkmen leader and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, high-ranking officials from the two neighbors signed several agreements on cooperation in the economic, political, cultural and trade sectors.

In comments at the event, the Iranian president hailed the fruitful and effective negotiations with Berdimuhamedow.

The deals between Iran and Turkmenistan are strategic, Pezeshkian stated, noting that he will pay a visit to Ashgabat in the near future.

For his part, the Turkmen leader stated his country attaches great significance to cooperation with the Iranian brothers and always tries to promote bilateral relations.

Lauding Iran for supporting Turkmenistan’s neutrality, Berdimuhamedow added the two sides have discussed the implementation of megaprojects in the gas, energy, power and transportation fields.

He went on to say that carrying out the joint projects will have significant impacts at the bilateral and international levels.

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