Category: World

The Russian State Duma has passed a law on mandatory testing of migrant children for knowledge of the Russian language before entering school. The test will be free of charge and will include control of the legality of stay in Russia.

The Russian State Duma has passed a law in two readings that provides for a mandatory test of Russian language proficiency before a child is enrolled in school. The bill was supported by 409 deputies, with one voting against.

This was announced by State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin on his TG channel.

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According to the law, “verification of the legality of the child's stay in the territory of the Russian Federation” will also be required upon admission to school.

Testing for Russian language proficiency for migrant children will be free of charge, and the procedure will be determined by the Russian Ministry of Education.

Mr. Volodin said that since the beginning of 2024, the parliament has already passed 14 federal laws “aimed at improving migration policy and combating illegal migration.

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While Russia is introducing mandatory Russian language testing for migrant children, there are still those in Ukraine who question the importance of the Ukrainian language.

It was under the guise of protecting Russian speakers that Russia used this myth as one of the pretexts for annexing part of Ukrainian territories and starting a war in 2022, claiming that it wasprotecting the Russian language and Russian-speaking Ukrainians in Donbas and other regions.

Ukraine’s air defence forces were deployed in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on the morning of 11 December.

Source: Serhii Lysak, Head of Dnipro Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote: "Air defence was deployed in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The defenders of the skies shot down two missiles.

Thank you for your protection!"

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Peter Szijjarto said Hungary would veto any EU sanctions against Georgian officials. The foreign minister accused Brussels of double standards regarding democratic elections in Georgia.

Hungary will veto EU sanctions against Georgian officials, if any. This was stated by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, according to UNN with reference to the Georgian public broadcaster.

“Hungary is categorically against putting Georgian officials on the sanctions list, and if there are any such proposals, we will veto them, you can be sure of that,” Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.

According to him, Hungary provides Georgia with all kinds of support.

“If the opposition had won the election, Brussels would have been shouting loudly about democracy in Georgia. They would have said that democracy in Georgia has never been so strong, but the conservative party won the election, and they are doing everything to deny and ignore the will of the citizens. They are doing it in a completely undemocratic way. They are questioning the will of the Georgian people, which they expressed through democratic elections. This is a serious and, let's say, boring game of the liberal mainstream, which will be rejected,” the Hungarian Foreign Minister said.

According to Siyarto, they call on Brussels and the international liberal elite to respect the decision of the Georgian people and not to question the sovereign right of the Georgian people to decide the future of their country.

Recall

The United States condemns the Georgian Dream party's violence against protesters and is preparing additional sanctions. Earlier, the US has already imposed visa restrictions on about a hundred Georgian officials. Ukraine has also imposed sanctions against the Georgian authorities.

The US said it could impose sanctions against GeorgiaDec 11 2024, 03:34 AM • 15625 views

As of the morning of 11 December, the death toll from the Russian strike on the city of Zaporizhzhia has risen to six.

Source: State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES); Ivan Fedorov, Head of Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote from SES: "As of now, 6 citizens have been killed and 22 injured as a result of the strike on Zaporizhzhia."

The scene of the attack Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine

Details: Emergency and rescue operations are ongoing. All emergency services of the city are working at the scene.

Background:

• On 10 December, Russian forces attacked Zaporizhzhia, destroying a private clinic and damaging nearby buildings.
• As of Tuesday evening, 4 people were reported dead and 21 injured, including a child.
• On the evening of 10 December, rescue workers rescued two women from under the rubble. The women called the rescue service hotline on their own and reported their location.

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The United States is allocating Україні 20 billion to Ukraine under the ERA mechanism, which will come from frozen Russian assets. Zelensky called this an important step to strengthen the defense capability and bring the aggressor to justice.

Head of state Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the United States for allocating 2 20 billion, which will be financed by frozen assets of the Russian Federation. According to him, this assistance will strengthen the country's defense capability. The president wrote about this in X, reports UNN.

I am sincerely grateful to President Biden, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and both congressional parties for allocating 2 20 billion under the mechanism ERA to increase revenues to the budget of Ukraine. This important support, funded by frozen Russian assets, will strengthen Ukraine's defense capability and help protect our sovereignty and people from unprovoked aggression

– Zelensky wrote.

The president pointed out that this decision is a weighty act of Justice. According to him, using Russian assets to support Ukraine, the group of seven is bringing the aggressor to justice.

"This is a clear and decisive signal: Russia must pay for its brutal war, and the Putin regime must bear the consequences for violating international law, war crimes and attacking democracy," Zelensky stressed.

He also noted that the support of Ukraine is not only the support of one nation. This is a strengthening of security in Europe and an important lesson for all those who seek to incite Wars: responsibility for such actions is inevitable.

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The United States Treasury Department announces the allocation of доларів 20 billion in favor of Ukraine as part of the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) initiative in the amount of 5 50 billion.

Former South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun attempted suicide in a pre-trial detention center in Seoul. He is being held on charges of rebellion related to the investigation of the declaration of martial law.

Former South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yoon Hyun tried to commit suicide in a pre-trial detention center in eastern Seoul. This is reported by Yonhap, writes UNN.

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It is noted that the former minister of Defense of South Korea is being held in a pre-trial detention center on charges of rebellion related to the investigation of the declaration of martial law.

This was announced during the parliamentary hearings by the head of the pre-trial detention center Shin Yong-Hye.

According to him, the ex-minister's state of Health is stable.

After the failed attempt, Kim is in a protective cell and his health condition remains stable, Shin Yong-Hye, the head of the Correctional Center, told lawmakers during a parliamentary hearing.

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On the evening of December 3, Yun declared a "state of emergency" martial law, accusing the country's opposition of "paralyzing" the government with "anti-state" actions. After that, in Seoul, there were clashes between citizens and the military, who blocked the parliament building. it was later revealed that the Cabinet of Ministers of South Korea voted to lift martial law imposed by President Yoon Sok Yule.

South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun resigned after a failed attempt to impose martial law. The president of the country declared and quickly lifted martial law due to the blocking by the parliament.

South Korean President Yoon Sok Yule announced the suspension of martial law (AP) declared on December 3.

South Korean President survives impeachment, but party demands his resignationDec 7 2024, 08:36 PM • 20871 view

Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, stated that 109 executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war by the Russians were officially confirmed in 2024.

Source: Lubinets during the national joint 24/7 newscast

Quote: "We are increasingly able to officially document violations of the rights of Ukrainian prisoners of war, including executions – cynical, close-range executions, unfortunately. In 2024 alone, we managed to officially confirm that the Russians executed 109 Ukrainian prisoners of war."

Details: Lubinets revealed that during the previous years of the full-scale war, 177 cases were recorded in total.

He also emphasised that intelligence and law enforcement agencies have repeatedly provided information about frequent violations of POWs’ rights by the Russians.

"Unfortunately, I couldn’t go public with these blatant violations of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions when we managed to document them – but we are doing so," the ombudsman noted.

Background:

• On 24 November, Russian forces executed five captured soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near the village of Novodarivka in the Polohy district of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. A criminal investigation has been launched.
• The Office of the Prosecutor General reports a monthly increase in executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war. In October-November, the prosecutor's office opened 13 cases regarding the execution of 54 Ukrainian prisoners of war, accounting for a third of all such investigations in 2024.

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The US State Department is ready to use sanctions tools against the Georgian authorities. Matthew Miller announced the possibility of personal restrictions, but specific details have not yet been disclosed.

The United States is ready to use "any tools", including sanctions, against the Georgian authorities, who are trying to suppress protests in the country. This was announced on Tuesday, December 10, by the press secretary of the US State Department Matthew Miller, writes UNN.

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In particular, during a briefing for journalists, he was asked whether the Office of the current president will have time to "punish Georgian officials, as Ukraine did."

We will use all the tools we have to hold Georgia accountable for these steps, including by imposing personal sanctions.",

Miller said.

However, the representative of the state Department declined to name what specific sanctions and against whom they will be imposed.

Miller noted that any sanctions restrictions fall within the scope of the US Treasury's powers. Accordingly, they will make official statements on this issue.

recall

The United States condemns the Georgian Dream party's violence against protesters and is preparing additional sanctions. Earlier, the United States has already imposed visa restrictions on about a hundred Georgian officials. Ukraine has also imposed sanctions against the Georgian authorities.

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has stated that she strives to maintain relations with Ukrainian authorities without forcing them.

Source: Tsikhanouskaya in an interview with Sergiy Sydorenko, editor of European Pravda

Details: Tsikhanouskaya noted that the Belarusian opposition has successfully established strong relations with the Ukrainian public and the authorities, particularly through the parliamentary group For a Democratic Belarus.

She acknowledged that the relationship with Ukraine’s authorities is not as ambitious as she would like it to be.

Quote: "Since the start of the war, I’ve adhered to one principle: under no circumstances should we harm Ukraine. And if I understand that there are obstacles to establishing more formal relations between Ukraine’s authorities and the democratic forces of Belarus – so be it. There’s no need to force things."

Tsikhanouskaya added that representatives of Belarusian democratic forces meet with officials from Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry and advisers to President Zelenskyy, and "that is sufficient".

Quote: "What we aim to do is explain that Lukashenko cannot be trusted, as he will always deceive. If anyone believes that Lukashenko might one day side with Ukraine – that will never happen."

Background:

• In 2022, Tsikhanouskaya proposed establishing official relations with Ukraine after the United Transitional Cabinet, a formal body of transitional power, was founded.
• Her proposal received support from certain members of the expert community.

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