Category: World

The European Union is discussing possible sanctions against China over evidence that it first supplied Russia with weapons for use in a full-scale war against Ukraine.

Source: European Pravda citing German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ)

Details: Three FAZ sources said that EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell informed member states of intelligence reports on arms shipments from Russia to China.

At a briefing for journalists on Friday, the EU official said that the evidence is overwhelming and confirms the "provision of lethal weapons".

He did not specify what the evidence was. However, back in September, the media reported on Western intelligence that pointed to covert arms shipments to Russia from China. And Reuters reported that Russia has developed a weapons programme in China to develop and produce long-range attack drones.

The official stated that they now had to look at the whole toolkit, adding that the EU could expand the sanctions list to include a ban on doing business with Chinese companies, as well as restrictions on owning assets and entering the EU.

Another FAZ source said that the EU's reaction would depend on how China responds to the evidence presented to it.

Background: The EU has previously discussed imposing sanctions on Chinese companies, but has so far refrained from doing so. Instead, the United States announced sanctions against China for the first time in October over its military support for Russia.

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Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reports receiving a call from Scholz regarding his conversation with Putin. The German Chancellor condemned Russia's aggression and supported the position of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that the German Chancellor had called him and told him about his conversation with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, UNN reports.

"…I received a call from Chancellor Scholz, who reported on his conversation with Vladimir Putin. I was pleased to learn that the chancellor not only unequivocally condemned Russian aggression, but also reiterated Poland's position: nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine," Donald Tusk wrote in X.

This is Pandora's box: Zelensky on Scholz's call to Russian dictator PutinNov 15 2024, 05:16 PM • 14608 views

Recall

For the first time in almost two years, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had a telephone conversation with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin .

During a telephone conversation with Putin, Scholz urged him to end the war against Ukraine and start peace talks.

Conversations give Putin hope for easing international isolation: Foreign Ministry reacts to Scholz's conversation with Russian dictatorNov 15 2024, 06:24 PM • 11367 views

Law enforcers do not allow students to enter Tbilisi State University, where an overnight strike against the election results was planned. Protesters remain in the courtyard, chanting anti-Russian slogans.

Dozens of police officers have been mobilized in the courtyard of the first building of the Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. Interior Ministry officials are not allowing students protesting against the results of the parliamentary elections in Georgia to enter the building, UNN reports with reference to Novosti Georgia.

Details

Students were going to go on a night strike, but police cordons were set up at the main entrance to the university. One of the activists told journalists that force was used against them when they tried to push them back.

Other students note that all entrances are closed earlier than usual today. The first building can be left only through the tunnel leading to the neighboring second building. Police have been mobilized in other TSU buildings on Chavchavadze Avenue.

Master's students who have lectures in the evening say that they are also not allowed in the building.

The situation on the ground remains tense. Protesters say they will spend the night in the university yard. From time to time, they chant "Russians, Russians", "Let us in", "No to the Russian regime" at the security forces.

In solidarity with them, participants of the march organized by the Daitov platform came to the university. Tonight they gathered on Republic Square to protest the election results.

Students of Iliyauni University are also planning to go to TSU. They are currently gathering near their main building, about a kilometer from the epicenter of the events. Traffic on Chavchavadze Avenue is paralyzed.

Student protests began the day before at Batumi's Shota Rustaveli State University. The protesters claim that the election results were falsified and that the university administration is involved in the policies of the ruling Georgian Dream party.

In addition to TSU, solidarity with BSU students was expressed at Ilia State University, Tbilisi State Medical University, and the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA).

Protests against the results of parliamentary elections continue in GeorgiaNov 10 2024, 05:34 PM • 22097 views

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, reacting on the call between the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the Kremlin ruler, stated that while this action may serve as a catalyst for future talks with Vladimir Putin, that there will be no Minsk-3 agreement, and that Ukraine needs real peace [Minsk agreements are international agreements signed by Ukraine, Russia, and the OSCE which sought to end the war in Donbas – ed.].

Source: Zelenskyy on Facebook

Quote: "On one of today's news. Chancellor Scholz informed me that he was going to call Putin. Olaf's call, I believe, opens Pandora's box. There may now be other talks or calls. Just a lot of words.

And this is exactly what Putin has always desired: it is critical for him to weaken his isolation, as well as Russia's isolation, and to engage in routine conversations that will yield no results. He'd been doing it this way for decades. This allowed Russia to avoid changing its strategy or doing anything at all, which is what led to this war.

We now understand all of these problems. We understand how to act. And we want to be clear: Minsk-3 will not happen; we need real peace."

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The disbursement of a €4.1 billion tranche of EU aid to Ukraine is pending approval by the EU Council. The European Commission hopes to make the payment by the end of 2023.

The timing of the disbursement of the €4.1 billion tranche of EU aid to Ukraine depends on the decision of the EU Council, but the European Commission hopes that the payment will be made this year, European Commission spokeswoman Ana Pisonero said at a briefing in Brussels on Friday, UNN reports.

Details

"Now it is in the hands of the (EU) Council to confirm that they agree with our assessment. Of course, the timing of the payment… is in the hands of the (EU) Council, as soon as the (EU) Council gives the green light, then of course the (European) Commission can obviously go ahead with the payment. The President (of the European Commission) Ursula von der Leyen herself has already said that we hope that this payment can still be made this year," Pisonero said.

The European Commission has approved the allocation of 4.1 billion euros to Ukraine – ShmyhalNov 14 2024, 03:56 PM • 18524 views

The Express I steamer, which sank in 1945 during an evacuation, was found at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. The ship was carrying 300 people and broke up due to a storm and overloading at a depth of 20 meters.

German divers have found a steamer that sank at the end of World War II at the bottom of the Baltic Sea, UNN reports citing Bild.

In May 1945, the German wheeled steamer Express I, which was used to evacuate soldiers and refugees, sank off the coast of Denmark. Only now have German divers identified its wreckage at the bottom of the Baltic Sea.

Parts of Wehrmacht weapons found at the site and archival research have made it possible to establish that this vessel was built in 1911 for river transportation.

The steamer, en route from Danzig to Lübeck, sank in a storm as its overcrowded crew of 300 people tried to escape the Soviet advance. As a result of bad weather and overloading, the hull of the ship broke and the steamer sank to a depth of about 20 meters.

Some of the survivors could have been rescued by another ship from the same series, the Express III, which managed to reach the Danish coast. However, the fate of most of the crew remains unknown.

Holger Bus, a historian and shipwreck expert who has studied the case, said: "The chance that the soldiers could swim to the shore is extremely small.

Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umierov has said during his visit to Oslo that Norway would finance the production of Ukrainian weapons and equipment and discussed a new form of cooperation.

Source: Rustem Umierov on Facebook; European Pravda

Details: During a visit to Oslo, Ukraine's defence minister agreed with Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Støre and Defence Minister Bjørn Arild Gram that Norway would join the Danish support format.

Rustem Umierov noted that this format directly finances production in Ukraine, which allows faster production and supply of the necessary weapons for our defence forces.

In addition, Umierov and ministers discussed during his visit a new format of cooperation – the Norwegian model.

Quote from Rustem Umierov: "We are talking about a new model of investing in Ukrainian defence technology companies. Details will come later."

Background: Thanks to the Danish model, which provides direct financing to manufacturers, Ukraine has already received €50 million, which was used to finance the production of Bohdana self-propelled artillery systems for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

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John Krasinski, who received the title of People's Sexiest Man Alive, has faced intense online trolling. The 45-year-old actor was spotted gloomy while walking in New York after receiving the award.

John Krasinski looked gloomy while walking in New York City. Earlier, the Jim Halpert actor in the NBC TV series The Office faced fierce trolling on the Internet after being named “Sexiest Man Alive” by People.

Writes UNN with reference to DailyMail.

The world's sexiest man alive, John Krasinski, was pictured looking glum during his morning coffee walk. This is despite the fact that this week the 45-year-old actor, known for his role as Jim Halpert on NBC's The Office, celebrated People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive award at a party with previous winners Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.

Soon after his victory, John Krasinski faced intense online trolling.

“I know I'm not someone famous or something” … ”How can they know he's really the hottest”

– and similar comments appeared online.

At the same time, Krasinski told People that he was shocked and embarrassed by the title, noting that his 41-year-old wife was thrilled to be recognized as the sexiest man alive.

HelpHelp

Krasinski is best known for his role as Jim Halpert in the popular television series The Office, which ran from 2005-2013.

He also played the famous lead role in Michael Bay's 13 Hours (2016) and the Prime Video series Jack Ryan (2018-2023).

Recently, he has made a name for himself as a director of horror films A Quiet Place (2018) and A Quiet Place, Part II (2020), as well as IF (2024).

He is married to actress Emily Blunt and they have two children: Hazel, 10, and Violet, 8.

Earlier this week, Krasinski was named the sexiest man alive. The 45-year-old Krasinski inherited the title from Patrick Dempsey, who was recognized last year as the world's sexiest man. The other sexiest men in the world are Michael B. Jordan, John Legend, Paul Rudd, Brad Pitt, Harrison Ford, and Mel Gibson, who was chosen by the magazine as the first in 1985.

Actress Megan Fox is expecting her fourth child with Machine Gun KellyNov 12 2024, 11:09 AM • 82906 views

Russian media claimed that Russian soldiers crossed the border into Chernihiv Oblast and raised a Russian flag on a bridge over the Sudost River near the village of Hremiach.

However, Ukraine's State Border Guard Service clarified that the saboteurs did not cross the bridge or enter the village, and additional defence forces have been deployed in the area to ensure security.

Source: Radio Liberty, citing Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda

Quote from Demchenko: "The threat from Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups remains, particularly in Chernihiv Oblast. While their activity has significantly decreased recently, the terrorist state continues to deploy such groups, including for psychological operations.

Today, Ukrainian defenders in Chernihiv Oblast discovered a Russian tricolour flag placed near the border on a destroyed bridge over the Sudist River. Russian propagandist claims that a sabotage group entered the village of Hremyach are false. The enemy saboteurs did not cross the bridge where they had planted their flag."

Details: A spokesperson for Ukraine's State Border Guard Service explained that the area where the sabotage group operated is effectively cut off by rivers, with no residents living in the settlements located between the rivers and the border. Additionally, constant flooding in the region makes it impossible to establish proper fortifications.

At the same time, Demchenko assured that Ukraine’s defence forces maintain full control over this direction and are positioned in strategically advantageous locations to hold the line.

Quote: "Additional resources from Ukraine’s defence forces have been deployed on this front, along with counter-sabotage reserves. Therefore, there is no need to succumb to the enemy's informational and psychological pressure. Ukrainian defenders have been eliminating enemy forces and saboteurs and will continue to do so."

Hremiach at Google maps Screenshot

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