Author: Mirits

Kyiv, Ukraine — Russian forces thwarted an attempt at another cross-border incursion by Ukraine into southwestern Russia, a local official reported Sunday, months after Kyiv staged a bold assault on its nuclear-armed enemy that Moscow is still struggling to halt. An “armed group” sought Sunday to breach the border between Ukraine and Russia’s Bryansk region, its governor, Aleksandr Bogomaz, said but was beaten back. Bogomaz did not clarify whether Ukrainian soldiers carried out the alleged attack but claimed on Sunday evening that the situation was “stable and under control” by the Russian military. There was no immediate acknowledgement or response from Ukrainian officials. The region neighbors Kursk province, where Ukraine launched a surprise push on Aug. 6 that rattled the Kremlin and constituted the largest attack on Russia since World War II. Hundreds of Russian prisoners were blindfolded and ferried away in trucks in the opening moments of the lightning advance, and Ukraine’s battle-hardened units swiftly pressed on across hundreds of square kilometers of territory. Responsibility for previous incursions into Russia’s Belgorod and Bryansk regions has been claimed by two murky groups: the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion. Russian officials and state media have sought to downplay the significance of Kyiv’s thunderous run in Kursk, but the country’s forces have so far been unable to dislodge Ukrainian troops from the province. Western officials have speculated that Moscow may send troops from North Korea to bolster its effort to do so, stoking the almost three-year war and bringing geopolitical consequences as far away as the Indo-Pacific region. Russian lawmakers Thursday ratified a pact with Pyongyang envisioning mutual military assistance, a move that comes as the United States confirmed the deployment of 3,000 North Korean troops to Russia. North Korean units were detected Wednesday in Kursk, according to Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, known by its acronym GUR. The soldiers had undergone several weeks of training at bases in eastern Russia and had been equipped with clothes for the coming winter, the GUR said in a statement late Thursday. It did not provide evidence for its claims. Moscow warns West against approving long-range strikes against Russia Also on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow is working on ways to respond if the U.S. and its NATO allies allow Ukraine to strike deep inside Russia with long-range Western missiles. Putin told Russian state TV that it was too early to … “Russian forces thwart attempted cross-border assault from Ukraine, official says” →

The former Soviet republic of Georgia’s ruling party is claiming victory following Saturday’s parliamentary elections. Opposition groups call the election rigged, as polls show that most Georgians say they want closer ties to the European Union, not Moscow. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has this story. …

Madrid — Real Madrid, the Spanish league and the local government on Sunday condemned racist insults against Lamine Yamal during Saturday’s “clasico,” and Madrid said it was working to identify those who abused the Barcelona forward. Madrid said it “has opened an investigation in order to locate and identify the perpetrators of these deplorable and despicable insults so that the appropriate disciplinary and judicial measures can be taken.” The league said it was going to formally denounce the “intolerable racist” insults and gestures against Barcelona players at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. The league said it “strongly condemns these events” and “remains firm in its commitment to eradicate any type of racist behavior and hatred inside and outside stadiums. There is no place for this scourge in sport.” The Spanish government said the commission in charge of fighting against violence, racism and other hate crimes in sport will meet Monday to analyze what happened at the Bernabeu. “The ‘clasico’ is one of the greatest spectacles in the world, a true expression of the importance that soccer has in our country,” the government said. “During this game, or in any sporting event, there can never be any room for expressions of violence, racism, xenophobia, hatred or intolerance.” The reaction came after videos on social media showed the alleged insults against Yamal after he scored Barcelona’s third goal in the second half of its 4-0 rout of Madrid. The 17-year-old celebrated in a corner in front of Madrid fans and made some gestures apparently provoking the fans. A few fans could be heard yelling insults at Yamal and the other Barcelona players. “Real Madrid strongly condemns any kind of behavior involving racism, xenophobia or violence in football and sport, and deeply regrets the insults that a few fans uttered last night in one of the corners of the stadium,” the club said in a statement. Madrid has been denouncing racist insults against its forward Vinicius Junior, who is also Black, for several years, including when he played a match at Barcelona’s Camp Nou Stadium. Four Atletico Madrid fans who allegedly led a social media campaign aimed at promoting racist acts against Vinícius were detained earlier this month. Barcelona’s victory left the Catalan club six points ahead of Madrid at the top of the league standings after 11 matches. …

SOFIA, Bulgaria — Bulgarians were voting Sunday in the seventh general election in more than three years with little hope that a stable government will be formed to stop the country’s slide into political instability.  Voter fatigue and disillusionment with politicians have created an environment where radical political voices, aided by Moscow’s widespread disinformation, are successfully undermining public support for the democratic process and boosting the popularity of pro-Russian and far-right groups.  The never-ending election spiral has a serious impact on Bulgaria’s economy and its foreign policy. The country risks losing billions of euros in EU recovery funds because of the lack of reforms. Full integration into the open-border Schengen area and joining the eurozone are likely to be delayed further.  Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time Sunday. Initial exit poll results will be announced after polls close at 8 p.m., and preliminary results are expected on Monday.  According to latest opinion polls, Bulgarians’ lack of confidence in elections will result in record low voter turnout. Gallup World Poll data show only 10% of Bulgarians trust the integrity of their elections, the lowest proportion in the EU, where the average is 62%.  Some observers have called the past few years a period of “revolving-door governments,” which has additionally fueled voters’ apathy.  There was no clear winner in the latest vote, held in June, and the seven groups elected to the fragmented legislature were unable to put together a viable coalition. Observers suggest that Sunday’s vote will produce more of the same.  These early elections are not expected to break a protracted political stalemate, Teneo, a political risk consultancy, said in a report last week.  Although former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov’s center-right GERB party is set to win a plurality of seats, it will likely struggle to form a majority government in a fragmented parliament, Teneo predicted.  “As a result, a technocratic government or another early election are the most likely outcomes. Political instability and a surging budget deficit are key challenges to Bulgaria’s accession to the eurozone,” the consultancy said.  The Balkan country of 6.7 million has been gripped by political instability since 2020, when nationwide protests erupted against corrupt politicians that had allowed oligarchs to take control of state institutions.  Bulgaria is one of the poorest and most corrupt European Union member states. Attempts to fight graft are an uphill battle against an unreformed judiciary widely accused of … “Bulgarians’ 7th vote in 3 years unlikely to break political deadlock” →

Tbilisi, Georgia — The streets of Tbilisi echoed with despair on Sunday as the Central Election Commission said the ruling Georgian Dream party won Saturday’s parliamentary election. The opposition parties are disputing the results.  With 99% of the precincts reporting, Georgian Dream had secured 54.8% of the vote, reinforcing its grip on a nation polarized over its political future. Most of the leaders of the opposition parties say the vote, seen as a referendum on Georgia’s path toward deeper Western alignment or closer ties with Russia, was rigged.  Judging by the preliminary results, the opposition struggled to mount a strong challenge. Initial counts show the Coalition for Changes at 10.8%, Unity-National Movement at 10%, Strong Georgia at 8.7%, and Giorgi Gakharia’s For Georgia party at 7.7%. As exit polls were announced, both the ruling party and opposition initially declared victory, though the official results quickly favored Georgian Dream securing its fourth term with more votes than it received in the last election. “Such cases are rare worldwide, where the same party achieves such success under challenging circumstances,” Bidzina Ivanishvili said, shortly after the first exit polls were announced. The oligarch is seen as Georgian Dream’s true leader. Soon after, Hungary’s Victor Orban congratulated the Georgian Dream, and Margarita Simonian, editor-in-chief of the Russian state-controlled broadcaster RT, wrote on Telegram: “Georgians won, well done.” “This is election theft, a constitutional coup, and Georgian Dream will answer for it according to Georgian law,” said Nika Gvaramia, one of the leaders of the Coalition for Changes. He said his coalition had uncovered a “technological scheme” used to manipulate the election results. “We promised to protect your votes, and I apologize for not identifying this complex scheme earlier,” Gvaramia said. Elene Khoshtaria, another member of the Coalition for Changes and leader of the Droa party, echoed Gvaramia. “We are firm and principled in our stance that this election was stolen, and we won’t accept it. We are moving to continuous protest, organized and coordinated, starting tomorrow. The protest will be in the streets, and we will announce the time and place,” she said. Unity-National Movement also sees the elections as stolen. “Oligarch Ivanishvili stole the victory from the Georgian people and thereby stole the European future. On behalf of the Unity-National Movement, we declare that we do not accept the results of the elections,” Tina Bokuchava, party leader, said. Some of the independent observers also … “Georgian Dream declared election winner; opposition disputes results” →

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said Moscow will use “a range of responses” if the United States and its NATO allies allow Ukraine to use Western long-range weapons to strike inside Russia, according to remarks published on Sunday.   “[The Russian defense ministry] is thinking about how to respond to the possible long-range strikes on Russian territory, it will offer a range of responses,” Putin told state TV reporter Pavel Zarubin in video remarks published on Zarubin’s Telegram messaging account.   Meanwhile, Russia’s air defense destroyed or intercepted 51 Ukrainian drones overnight, the Russian defense ministry said early Sunday.   Eighteen of the drones were intercepted over the Tambov region, about 450 kilometers southeast of Moscow, the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app. Another 16 were destroyed over the Belgorod border region and the rest over the Voronezh, Oryol and Kursk regions in Russia’s south.   One woman was injured as a result of the drone attack on Belgorod, regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, said on Telegram. He added that a few cars were also damaged.  The Russian defense ministry reports only how many drones its units destroy, not how many Ukraine launches. Russian officials also rarely disclose the full scale of damage inflicted by the attacks, especially when they involve military or energy infrastructure.   Reuters could not independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.   Russian forces have advanced further into several eastern Ukrainian towns, bringing them closer to capturing the strategic city of Pokrovsk, Russian and Ukrainian bloggers reported late Saturday.  “The enemy advanced in Selydove,” DeepState, a group with close links to the Ukrainian army that analyzes combat footage, wrote on the Telegram messaging app. It posted a map indicating Russian troops in the town’s southeast.  Russian forces have been storming the coal mining town of Selydove in Ukraine’s Donetsk region for the past week. Capturing it would pave the way for a Russian advance on the logistical hub of Pokrovsk 20 km northwest.   Russian military bloggers also reported that Russian forces were close to taking over the town of Kurakhove, just southwest of Hirnyk.  Reuters could not independently verify the reports. Ukraine has not commented on them.  Ukraine’s Armed Forces said in its evening report on Saturday that Kyiv forces had repelled 36 Russian attacks along the Pokrovsk front-line in the previous day, including in the area of Selydove, while several … “Putin threatens ‘range of responses’ if Ukraine strikes deep into Russia “ →

New Delhi — BRICS leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, have publicly voiced their commitment to jointly introduce an alternative payment system that would not be dependent on the U.S. dollar. Independent analysts, however, question the feasibility of implementing the idea anytime soon. The recently concluded meeting of BRICS — Brazil, Russia, India. China and South Africa — discussed ways to establish an alternative to SWIFT, the international payment system. Russia was removed from the SWIFT system after the start of Ukraine war in 2022 and has been particularly keen to find an alternative. “We are looking into the possibility of expanding the use of national currencies and settlements and want to establish the tools that would make this safe and secure enough,” Putin said. BRICS will work out a payment arrangement with the cooperation of central banks affiliated with the group’s member countries, he said. Analysts assert this is easier said than done. But some experts, like Gregory Zerzan, former deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department, have warned about the danger of ignoring the BRICS’ efforts. He said that’s because its members, some of whom are less friendly toward the U.S., appear determined to achieve their goal. “There is still a long way to go before BRICS will ever launch a payment system that could be treated as a serious alternative to the SWIFT,” Eva Seiwert, analyst at the Berlin-based Mercator Institute for China Studies, told VOA. She pointed out that the Kazan Declaration, which was adopted after the two-day BRICS meeting this week, was vague about even the milder version called the BRICS Cross-Border Payments Initiative, or BCBPI, which is supposed to strengthen corresponding banking networks within BRICS and enable settlements in local currencies of BRICS members. The declaration said that participation by member countries in BCBPI would be “voluntary and non-binding.” The BRICS plan is taken seriously in some quarters because China and India have shown it is possible to defy the economic sanctions and buy Russian oil using local currencies. Some analysts think that provision may be extended to oil-rich Iran, which has joined the BRICS club. At the same time, bankers are not convinced that BRICS has been able to come up with a technical support system for creating and sustaining an alternative to the SWIFT system. “How do you account for currency fluctuations if the alternative payment system … “BRICS’ de-dollarization agenda has a long way to go” →

paris — French authorities maintained a night curfew amid fresh unrest on the Caribbean territory of Guadeloupe on Saturday as they battled to restore power they accused striking energy workers of sabotaging.  Guadeloupe and the nearby French island of Martinique have seen weeks of often violent protests over the cost of living. A night curfew has been in force in Martinique for 16 days because of unrest there.  French authorities kept Guadeloupe under curfew for a second night “to guarantee safety and tranquility” after the island’s power was completely cut on Friday.  But pillagers took advantage of the blackout to ransack Guadeloupe’s commercial center Pointe-a-Pitre.  Looters busted through the windows of several stores with an excavator, in images filmed and published on social media, with some 50 people then piling in to snatch the contents.   “This is the second time in three years that my shop has been gutted,” said jewelry shop owner Carole Venutolo, her voice choked with grief and anger.  Police said they were fired on with live ammunition, with bullets twice hitting one of their vehicles.  The EDF power company said that two-thirds of the 380,000 people hit by a blackout had electricity again. Authorities accused striking workers of blocking the Jarry power station’s engines and cutting electricity to the island.  Regional government chief Guy Losbar said he was “outraged” by the workers’ actions.  Authorities in Martinique, which has a population of about 350,000, said that despite the curfew around 50 masked “troublemakers” had set up burning roadblocks in two districts.  On previous nights, shots have been fired, trucks stolen and petrol stations looted, authorities said.  …

KYIV, Ukraine — North Korean troops are poised to be deployed by Russia on the battlefield in Ukraine as early as this weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Friday.  Western officials have warned that North Korean units joining the fight would stoke the almost three-year war and bring geopolitical consequences as far away as the Indo-Pacific region.  The possibility has alarmed leaders and deepened diplomatic tensions.  White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Friday that the top national security advisers for the United States, Japan and South Korea met and “expressed grave concern” about North Korea’s troop deployments for potential use with Russia on the battlefield against Ukraine.  Kirby said that the national security advisers from the three countries “call on Russia and the DPRK to cease these actions that only serve to expand the security implications of Russia’s brutal and illegal war beyond Europe and into the Indo-Pacific.”  “It is possible that there are now more than 3,000 troops from North Korea that have been dispatched to Russia for outfitting and for training,” Kirby said on a call with reporters.  Kirby said the U.S. government did not have firm intelligence assessments on where the troops were going “but we believe it is certainly possible” and “perhaps even likely” that some of the North Korean troops would be deployed to the Kursk region of Russia, where Ukraine has held some territory since capturing it in August. But he cautioned that he did not know in what capacity and to what purpose the North Korean troops would be deployed.  A senior official in the Ukrainian presidential office told The Associated Press on Friday that Zelenskyy had canceled a planned visit to Kyiv by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.  The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter, said the visit was supposed to come after this week’s summit in the Russian city of Kazan of the BRICS bloc of developing economies, which Guterres attended.  A photograph of Guterres shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the summit triggered an outcry in Ukraine.  Zelenskyy, in a post on Telegram, said Ukrainian intelligence had determined that “the first North Korean military will be used by Russia in combat zones” between Sunday and Monday.  He said on Telegram that the deployment was “an obvious escalating move by Russia.” He didn’t provide any further … “Zelenskyy says North Korean troops poised to join war, cancels UN chief’s visit” →

New York — Finance ministers of the G7 nations vowed Saturday to step up efforts to prevent Russia from evading sanctions imposed after its invasion of Ukraine.    “We remain committed to taking further initiatives in response to oil price cap violations,” the group said in a statement following a meeting in Washington. Those further steps were not spelled out in detail.  In December 2022, the G7 together with the European Union and Australia agreed to pressure purchasers of Russian oil to not go above a certain price ceiling.  The agreement was intended to limit Russian petroleum sales and revenues without curbing exports so sharply that it would cause global oil prices to soar.  But some countries, notably China, have continued to import Russian crude oil without observing the price ceiling.     The G7 finance ministers also said they would take additional measures aimed at “increasing the costs to Russia of using the shadow fleet to evade sanctions.”  Officials say Russia has used its fleet of shadow tankers, many of them old, unmarked and poorly maintained, to skirt sanctions by transporting oil without properly declaring their cargo or itineraries.  The tankers sometimes load or transfer their cargo at sea to avoid unwanted attention.  The United States and the EU have sanctioned several of these ships and their government owners, notably Russia’s-owned maritime company Sovcomflot.  The G7 ministers said they intended “to intensify our efforts to prevent financial institutions from supporting Russia’s evasion of our sanctions.”    According to the US Office of Foreign Assets Control, Russian financial institutions have developed a network of foreign subsidiaries to facilitate the purchase or sale of sanctioned goods.      Joining the G7 ministers in the meeting Saturday were the heads of the seven countries’ central banks, plus top officials of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.    The G7, which groups seven of the world’s most advanced economies, announced Friday it had reached an agreement to provide a loan of around $50 billion to Ukraine. The loan will be repaid not by Ukraine but with the interest —roughly $3 billion a year — generated by Russian assets seized and frozen after the war began in February 2022.  …

united nations — More than 600 million women and girls are now affected by war, a 50% increase from a decade ago, and they fear the world has forgotten them amid an escalating backlash against women’s rights and gender equality, top United Nations officials say.  U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a new report that amid record levels of armed conflict and violence, progress over the decades for women is vanishing and “generational gains in women’s rights hang in the balance around the world.”  The U.N. chief was assessing the state of a Security Council resolution adopted on Oct. 31, 2000, that demanded equal participation for women in peace negotiations, a goal that remains as distant as gender equality.  Guterres said current data and findings show that “the transformative potential of women’s leadership and inclusion in the pursuit of peace” is being undercut — with power and decision-making on peace and security matters overwhelmingly in the hands of men.  “As long as oppressive patriarchal social structures and gender biases hold back half our societies, peace will remain elusive,” he warned.  The report says the proportion of women killed in armed conflicts doubled in 2023 compared with a year earlier; U.N.-verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence were 50% higher; and the number of girls affected by grave violations in conflicts increased by 35%.  At a two-day U.N. Security Council meeting on the topic that ended Friday, Sima Bahous, head of the U.N. agency promoting gender equality known as UN Women, also pointed to a lack of attention to women’s voices in the search for peace.  She cited the fears of millions of women and girls in Afghanistan deprived of an education and a future; of displaced women in Gaza “waiting for death”; of women in Sudan who are victims of sexual violence; and of the vanishing hopes of women in Myanmar, Haiti, Congo, the Sahel region of Africa, South Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Yemen and elsewhere.  Bahous said the 612 million women and girls affected by war “wonder if the world has already forgotten them, if they have fallen from the agenda of an international community overwhelmed by crises of ever deeper frequency, severity and urgency.”  The world needs to answer their fears with hope, she said, but the reality is grim: “One in two women and girls in conflict-affected settings are facing moderate to severe food insecurity, 61% of all maternal mortality … “War affects more than 600 million women and girls, UN says” →

WASHINGTON — Analysts warn that Apple’s removal of two apps from an independent media site from its Russian App Store sets a “dangerous precedent.” The affected apps are for Current Time, a Russian-language network produced by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, or RFE/RL, in cooperation with VOA, and a Kyrgyz-language news app. RFE/RL and VOA are independent media outlets funded by the U.S. Congress. In a letter to RFE/RL, Apple said the action was in response to content that is deemed illegal in Russia. Apple added that in Russia, RFE/RL is labeled an “undesirable” organization. RFE/RL President Stephen Capus said he is concerned about Apple’s compliance with Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media regulatory agency. “We hope this decision — which is part of a trend to deny people in authoritarian countries access to uncensored information — will be reversed,” Capus said in a statement shared with VOA. Digital rights experts condemned the move. “These trends set a dangerous precedent in which tech companies could inadvertently aid state-sponsored information censorship,” Matt Mahmoudi of Amnesty Tech told VOA. When tech companies comply with foreign government requests, it could be because they “place profit margins over their obligations under international law,” according to Mahmoudi. These bans violate the U.N. right to free expression, he said. Apple did not immediately respond to VOA’s request for comment. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ, called on Apple to reinstate the apps. Such bans “restrict access to vital information and embolden authoritarian regimes seeking to silence independent media in countries like Russia,” said CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator, Gulnoza Said. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, analysts have documented how Moscow has used internet blocks along with laws around false information about the war and so-called “undesirable” organizations to block independent media. Access to independent news is limited, with websites, including RFE/RL and VOA, blocked. In February, Russia also designated RFE/RL an “undesirable organization.” The designation means that an entity is seen as a threat to national security. These organizations and their audiences can face penalties as a result. Separately, Russia experienced a mass YouTube outage in August. The platform is one of the few remaining sites where audiences can access independent information. The country has long experienced slow playback speeds, making video-watching nearly impossible. Russia at the time blamed YouTube’s parent company Google. But investigative reporters found Russia’s state regulator responsible. YouTube also … “Experts: Apple’s removal of news apps in Russia sets ‘dangerous precedent’” →

Rome — A major Vatican meeting gathering clerics and laity across the globe to discuss the future of the Catholic Church closes this weekend, thwarting discussion of women becoming priests or deacons in the world’s largest Christian denomination. But that didn’t stop a half-dozen Catholic women from “ordination” in a secret ceremony in Rome that was not authorized by the Vatican. Jesuit Father Allan Deck, a professor at the Los Angeles-based Loyola Marymount University, told VOA that the Catholic Church under Pope Francis’ leadership recognizes the need for adaptability to realize its spiritual mission in the world at this time of significant change. “Not the first time that the church in its 2,000-year history has experienced very significant shifts,” he said. “The church, in order to accomplish its mission, has to engage people, circumstances and times. And it has to be capable of development, while at the same time remaining faithful to its mission and to the revelation that has been communicated to it. This is hard. This is what’s happening.” While Catholic women participated over the past month in what many consider the most significant Catholic gathering since the 1960s — called the “synod on synodality” — many of their number were let down by a Vatican decision to sideline talk of the ordination of female priests or deacons, instead referring the matter to a future study group. Bridget Mary Meehan, an American co-founder of the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests, told VOA that her organization has performed 270 ordinations of women in 14 countries since its creation in 2002. “We wanted to share with Pope Francis that it is time to build a bridge between the international women priests’ movement and the Vatican,” she said. “We are on the same page as he is about a synodal church. We believe all are called, all are equal and all are co-responsible for the mission of the church — to be the face of Christ in the world in loving and compassionate service. One of these ways is ordained ministry.” Advocates say women play a huge role in daily Catholic ministries — also called the diakonia — in education, pastoral care and hospitals worldwide. In some places, women are especially active because there are no priests, such as in the Amazon. But often their leadership is not recognized. Meehan “ordained” six Catholic women from France, Spain and the United States … “Major Vatican meeting sidelines talks of women priests, deacons” →

Russian missile strikes killed three people including a child in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro while a teenager and another person died in attacks on Kyiv and the surrounding region, officials said Saturday. Overnight strikes on Dnipro wounded 19 others and damaged multiple buildings, said Sergiy Lysak, the governor of the central Dnipropetrovsk region. A two-story residential building was destroyed, he said. Images shared by Lysak showed rescuers working in a pile of rubble, while another showed what appeared to be a hospital room with its windows blown out. “Three people were killed in Dnipro, including a child. Nineteen were injured, four of them children. Eight are hospitalized,” Lysak said. Separate night attacks on the capital Kyiv and surrounding region left two people dead, including a teenage girl who was killed in a drone strike, according to regional authorities. Ukrainian cities including Kyiv have been subjected to deadly drone and missile attacks throughout Russia’s invasion. Kyiv has been asking for more air defenses from its allies ahead of what is likely to be its toughest winter yet, as Moscow ramps up strikes on energy infrastructure.  …

Georgians headed to the polls Saturday in a ballot many citizens see as a make-or-break vote on the opportunity to join the European Union. The pre-election campaign in the South Caucasus nation of 3.7 million people has been dominated by foreign policy and marked by a bitter fight for votes and allegations of a smear campaign. Some Georgians complained of intimidation and being pressured to vote for the ruling party, Georgian Dream, while the opposition accused the party of carrying out a “hybrid war” against its citizens.  Ahead of the parliamentary election, Bidzina Ivanishvili — a shadowy billionaire who set up Georgian Dream and made his fortune in Russia — vowed again to ban opposition parties should his party win.  Georgian Dream will hold opposition parties “fully accountable under the full force of the law” for “war crimes” committed against the people of Georgia, Ivanishvili said at a pro-government rally in the capital Tbilisi Wednesday. He did not explain what crimes he believes the opposition has committed.  Georgians will elect 150 lawmakers from 18 parties. If no party wins the 76 seats required to form a government for a four-year term, the president will invite the largest party to form a coalition. Many believe the election may be the most crucial vote of their lifetimes; it will determine whether Georgia gets back on track to EU membership or embraces authoritarianism and falls into Russia’s orbit.  “It’s an existential election,” Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili said. Georgians want “European integration, want to move forward and want policies which will bring us a better, more stable, future,” Qristine Tordia, 29, told The Associated Press shortly after voting in the capital, Tbilisi. Around 80% of Georgians favor joining the EU according to polls and the country’s constitution obliges its leaders to pursue membership in that bloc and NATO. But Brussels put Georgia’s bid for entry to the EU on hold indefinitely after the ruling party passed a “Russian law” cracking down on freedom of speech in June. Many Georgians fear the party is dragging the country towards authoritarianism and killing off hopes it could join the EU. The opposition parties have ignored Zourabichvili’s request to unite into a single party but have signed up to her “charter” to carry out the reforms required by the EU to join.  Zourabichvili told the AP on Thursday she believed most Georgians would mobilize to vote “despite some … “Georgia votes in an election that could take it toward the EU or into Russia’s orbit” →

A Kurdish militant group on Friday claimed responsibility for an attack on a major state-run defense company in Turkey’s capital, an action that analysts say could complicate prospects for renewed peace talks between the Turkish government and the country’s Kurdish minority. Two assailants set off explosives and opened fire Wednesday at the aerospace and defense company TUSAS in Ankara, killing five people and wounding 22, Turkey’s interior ministry said. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, said in a statement Friday that the attack on the defense firm was for its role in producing weapons used in attacks against Kurdish civilians. The PKK has been designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. The Kurdish militant group has engaged in a four-decade armed conflict with the Turkish government for greater Kurdish rights in Turkey. Unmanned aerial vehicles, designed and assembled by TUSAS, have been instrumental in Turkey’s fight against Kurdish militants. Wednesday’s attack came a day after Devlet Bahceli, leader of Turkey’s far-right nationalist party and a close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, suggested the possibility of granting parole to PKK’s imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan, if the Kurdish group laid down its arms. A peace process between the two sides that started in 2013 collapsed in 2015. Yerevan Saeed, director of the Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace at American University in Washington, said the attack in Ankara represented a significant strategic blunder for the PKK. “This incident highlights a concerning lack of strategic vision at this important time,” he told VOA. “While the Turkish government’s initiative to restart peace talks could be seen as a tactical maneuver, the Kurdish armed group must avoid providing the state with any justification to abandon the dialogue, which could in turn diminish international sympathy for the Kurdish cause.” Shortly after the Ankara attack, Turkey’s military struck Kurdish militant targets in Iraq and Syria that Turkish officials said belonged to offshoots of the PKK. The Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency said Friday that 120 targets had been struck in Iraq and Syria since Wednesday. Erdogan, on a flight back from the BRICS summit in Russia, told reporters Friday that the perpetrators of the Ankara attack had infiltrated from Syria, and he vowed to continue efforts to combat terrorism. In Kurdish-controlled Syria, some of the strikes hit power grids and water pump stations, causing outages of water and electricity in several cities … “Kurdish attack in Ankara could derail prospects for peace talks, analysts say “ →

WASHINGTON — Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of major government contractor SpaceX and a key ally of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, has been in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the last two years, The Wall Street Journal reported. A person familiar with the situation, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, confirmed to The Associated Press that Musk and Putin have had contact through calls. The person didn’t provide additional details about the frequency of the calls, when they occurred or their content. Musk, the world’s richest person who also owns Tesla and the social media platform X, has emerged as a leading voice on the American right. He’s poured millions of dollars into Trump’s presidential bid and turned the platform once known as Twitter into a site popular with Trump supporters, as well as conspiracy theorists, extremists and Russian propagandists. Musk’s contacts with Putin raise national security questions, given his companies’ work for the government, and highlight concerns about Russian influence in American politics. Here’s what to know: What they talked about Musk and Putin have spoken repeatedly about personal matters, business and geopolitics, The Journal reported Thursday, citing multiple current and former officials in the United States, Europe and Russia. During one talk, Putin asked Musk not to activate his Starlink satellite system over Taiwan as a favor for Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose ties to Putin have grown closer, The Journal reported. Putin and Xi have met more than 40 times since 2013.  Russia has denied the conversations took place. In 2022, Musk said he’d spoken to Putin only once, in a call 18 months earlier focused on space. The Chinese Embassy in Washington said Friday that it was “not aware of the specifics” of any requests made by Putin on China’s behalf. There was no immediate response to messages left with X and Tesla seeking Musk’s comment. What the talks mean for national security Musk’s relationship with Putin raises national security questions given the billions of dollars in government contracts awarded to SpaceX, a critical partner to NASA and government satellite programs. Trump also has vowed to give Musk a role in his administration if he wins next month. The head of any large defense contractor would face similar questions if they held private talks with one of America’s greatest adversaries, said Bradley Bowman, a former West Point assistant … “Here’s a look at Musk’s contact with Putin and why it matters” →

Tbilisi, Georgia — Just ahead of Georgia’s parliamentary elections on Saturday, a Bloomberg investigation has revealed a yearslong Russian hacking campaign targeting Georgia’s government, major companies and critical infrastructure.  Analysts see the large-scale cyberattack, which gave Moscow access to sensitive intelligence and the ability to disrupt essential systems, as part of Russia’s efforts to undermine Georgia’s pro-Western aspirations.  “One of the most shocking revelations was that the [Georgian] Ministry of Foreign Affairs was hacked 114 times, with information gathered from embassies and even high-level officials,” Giorgi Iashvili, a Tbilisi-based cybersecurity expert, told Voice of America’s Georgian service.  “It shows just how deeply the Russian cyber campaigns have penetrated our systems. Not only public institutions were affected, but also the private sector — telecom operators, key energy infrastructure and service providers.”   Between 2017 and 2020, Bloomberg reported, Russia’s GRU and FSB intelligence agencies successfully infiltrated key Georgian ministries as well as the country’s energy sector and telecommunications networks. They accessed Georgia’s central bank, election commission and oil terminals, exposing the country’s vulnerabilities.   “What the Russians are now trying to do here is to identify the weaknesses for potential sabotage, to identify where and how they can intervene in Georgia’s domestic politics, more clearly and more aggressively if the need arises, and thirdly, build a network of agents of influence,” said former Georgian Interior Ministry official Shota Utiashvili.   The Georgian government, widely seen as tilting toward Moscow, dismisses those concerns.  In an interview with VOA, Archil Talakvadze, a member of parliament from the ruling Georgian Dream party, said: “In the field of cybersecurity, we now have stronger systems in place. The State Security Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is better prepared to address this threat.”  Others, however, are not convinced.  Giga Bokeria, a former secretary of Georgia’s National Security Council and now the chairman of the opposition Federalists party, argues that Russian actions go beyond hacking and espionage efforts in Georgia.   “We have the government which is allowing, embracing and even financing Russian infiltration into our political life, economic sphere and the security services because they are natural allies. And we have overwhelming evidence of that,” he told VOA.   Last month, U.S. officials told VOA that Washington has readied sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire Georgian Dream founder and former prime minister, accusing him of acting under Russia’s direction. Ivanishvili is widely seen as the power broker behind Georgia’s … “Experts: Russia’s hacking campaign seeks to thwart Georgia’s westward path” →

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that Russia is expected to deploy North Korean soldiers to combat as early as Sunday.  In a statement posted to his official X social media account, Zelenskyy said the prediction is based on military intelligence he received in a Friday briefing from armed forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.  Zelenskyy called the move a “clear escalation by Russia,” adding that “the world can clearly see Russia’s true intentions: to continue the war.”  Calling for a “principled and strong response” from global leaders, Zelenskyy said, “North Korea’s actual involvement in combat should not be met with indifference or uncertain commentary, but with tangible pressure on both Moscow and Pyongyang, to uphold the U.N. Charter and to hold them accountable for this escalation.”  Responding Thursday to a Ukraine intelligence report that the North Korean troops were in Russia’s Kursk region, Russian President Vladimir Putin said it was up to Moscow to decide how they might be deployed, including possibly sending them to fight on the front lines against Ukraine. He did not deny a U.S. claim that North Korea has dispatched some 3,000 troops to fight alongside Russian forces.  On Friday, North Korean state broadcaster KCNA carried a statement by Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jong Gyu, who would not comment directly on reports of the deployment, but said if there were such a thing, “I think it will be an act conforming with the regulations of international law.”  Ukraine has argued North Korean participation in the war violates international law; U.S. officials earlier this week called such a deployment a major escalation. But Putin argued the West had escalated the war in Ukraine by sending NATO officers and instructors to help Kyiv defend itself against Russian aggression.  Meanwhile, in an interview with Russian television Friday, Putin spoke about possible cease-fire negotiations with Ukraine, saying Russia was ready to seek compromises. He said Turkey had presented a number of peace initiatives to both Russia and Ukraine, which he claimed Ukraine has rejected.  Regarding possible compromises, Putin said: “Any outcome must be in Russia’s favor. … This outcome should be based upon the realities which are taking shape on the battlefield. Without any doubt, we are not going to make any concessions. There will be no exchange [of territory], whatsoever.”  Putin blamed Ukraine for what he described as “irrational behavior” in negotiations, saying, “It is not possible to build any … “Zelenskyy: North Korean troops are poised for deployment” →

Washington — The 2024 BRICS summit in Russia this week provided Moscow and Beijing with a showcase for their shared anti-West sentiment and global ambitions, but analysts say the war in Ukraine may be fracturing the “no limits” relationship between the two countries.  The location of the summit was strategically significant, given international efforts to isolate Russia because of its invasion of Ukraine.   “For Russia as the host, the most important thing is to highlight that it is not isolated and still has supporters on the international stage.” said Shiau-shyang Liou, associate research fellow at the Taiwan-based Institute for National Defense and Security Research.  “China is actually facing a similar predicament — it is being sanctioned by the United States, though it has not yet reached the point of military conflict. Therefore, on these issues, they share common interests and align in their direction,” Liou added.  Readouts of the summit reflected the shared ambitions of China and Russia within BRICS, a grouping of 10 countries that initially included Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa but now is expanding. New members include Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Ethiopia.  At the summit, Beijing and Moscow both articulated plans for economic systems separate from Western-led institutions; praised the success of BRICS countries in various development initiatives; and advanced plans to lead the network of states toward a more interconnected future.  In his speech at the BRICS summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin promoted the creation of various mechanisms that would bypass traditional, Western-led systems that make his country vulnerable to Western economic sanctions.  “We believe that launching a special mechanism for consultations between BRICS countries on issues related to the World Trade Organisation will help us chart a common position on formulating more equitable rules of the game in the global economy and overhauling the international financial system,” according to a transcript of his speech released by the Kremlin.  Chinese leader Xi Jinping echoed Putin’s remarks, saying the BRICS countries “should play a leading role in the reform.”  “We must ensure that the international financial system more effectively reflects the changes in the global economic landscape,” Xi said.  He also said BRICS member countries need to jointly work toward building BRICS “into a primary channel for strengthening solidarity and cooperation among Global South nations and a vanguard for advancing global governance reform.” China’s and Russia’s ability to deliver meaningful results … “Will specter of war in Ukraine overshadow Xi and Putin’s push for global reform?” →

Elections in Georgia are taking place as the government faces accusations of being increasingly influenced by Russia, raising concerns about the nation’s pro-Western future. Ani Chkhikvadze reports from the capital, Tbilisi. Videographer: Giorgi Akhalaia …

MOSCOW — The Kremlin on Friday denied a Wall Street Journal report about regular contacts between Elon Musk and President Vladimir Putin. “No, this is not true,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Peskov said that Putin had one contact with Musk — the world’s richest man — and it was before 2022. The Journal said Musk had been in regular contact with Putin since late 2022. Peskov said the report was absolutely false. …

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday promised support for Bosnia as the troubled Balkan country struggles with reform needed to advance toward membership in the European Union.   Von der Leyen was in Bosnia as part of a trip this week to aspiring EU member states in the Western Balkans to assure them that EU enlargement remains a priority for the 27-nation bloc. From Bosnia, von der Leyen went on to neighboring Serbia.   The Western Balkans countries — Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia — are at different stages in their applications for EU membership. The countries have been frustrated by the slow pace of the process, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has propelled European leaders to push the six to join the bloc.    Bosnia gained candidate status in 2022 while EU leaders in March agreed in principle to open membership negotiations, though Bosnia must still do a lot of work.   “We share the same vision for the future, a future where Bosnia-Herzegovina is a full-fledged member of the European Union,” said von der Leyen at a joint press conference with Bosnian Prime Minister Bojana Kristo. “So, I would say, let’s continue working on that. We’ve gone a long way already, we still have a way ahead of us but I am confident that you’ll make it.”   Last year EU officials offered a 6-billion-euro (about $6.5 billion) growth plan to the Western Balkan countries in an effort to double the region’s economy over the next decade and accelerate their efforts to join the bloc. That aid is contingent on reforms that would bring their economies in line with EU rules.    The Commission on Wednesday approved the reform agendas of Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia following a green light from EU member states. That was a key step to allow payments under the growth plan upon completion of agreed reform steps.    “The accession process is, as you know, merit-based … we do not look at a rigid data but we look at the merits, the progress that a country is making,” said von der Leyen. “The important thing is that we have an ambitious reform agenda, like the other five Western Balkan countries also have. We stand ready to help you to move forward.”   Long after a 1992-95 ethnic war that killed more than 100,000 … “EU Commission chief promises Bosnia flood aid, support for reform on membership path “ →

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants to deepen defense ties with New Delhi and bring the two countries’ militaries closer, he said on Friday, after meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Germany has not traditionally had close defense ties with India, but is now pitching to join the latter’s effort to wean its arms base from decades of dependence on Russia, at a time when the West seeks to counter China’s growing influence. “Our overall message is clear, we need more co-operation, not less,” Scholz said. “At our inter-governmental consultations with India, we also want to deepen co-operation in defense and agree to bring our militaries together.” Scholz, accompanied by most of his cabinet, is leading a high-level delegation to New Delhi, betting that greater access to the vast Indian market can reduce Germany’s reliance on China. German Thyssenkrupp is one of two bidders to have partnered with Indian firms to build six conventional submarines in India, in a deal estimated to be worth $5 billion. The Indian Navy is expected to pick between the German company or Spain’s Navantia soon. New Delhi and Berlin are working on renewable energy projects, Modi said, among many possible investments in transport infrastructure. “India is completely transforming its physical infrastructure,” Modi told the Asia-Pacific conference of German business in the Indian capital, attended by Scholz. “Record investments are being made. This offers many possibilities for German and Indo-Pacific region companies.” In 2022 Germany pledged 10 billion euros to help India achieve its climate goals. German state lender KfW’s unit DEG, which focuses on the private sector, plans to more than double investment in India to $1 billion over the next few years, focusing on renewable energy and infrastructure, an official, Jochen von Frowein, has said. India-EU FTA Scholz reiterated his economy minister’s push for swift progress on talks for a free-trade pact between India and the European Union. “I am sure that if we work on this together, prime minister, this could happen in months rather than years,” Scholz said. Earlier, Trade Minister Piyush Goyal warned that India would be unable to strike such a deal if the bloc insisted on getting access to the Asian giant’s dairy industry. A trade deal could be swiftly reached if sensitivities were respected on both sides, Goyal told the conference, following Thursday’s comments by German Economy Minister Robert Habeck that agriculture was the talks’ “most problematic” area, … “Germany, India look to boost ties on defense, green energy” →

Russia sent two waves of drones at the Ukrainian capital overnight in its 15th air attack on Kyiv this month, city officials said on Friday. More than a dozen drones were downed over the city during the strike, which lasted around four hours, city military administrator Serhiy Popko said on Telegram. He added that authorities had not received any reports of injuries and that debris had ignited a fire that was later extinguished. Reuters correspondents reported hearing multiple explosions early on Friday. Overall, Ukrainian air defenses destroyed 36 out of 63 drones launched overnight by Russia over various parts of Ukraine, Kyiv’s air force said. Most were downed over the Kyiv and southern Odesa regions, it added, while another 16 were “locationally lost.” Russia has denied targeting civilians in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched in February 2022, but has regularly fired missiles and drones at towns and cities behind the front line. …

Iranian photographer Tannaz was on her way to Tehran’s airport when European sanctions on flag carrier Iran Air forced her to return home, unable to make it to work in Paris. It was within hours of the European Union announcing measures last week against prominent Iranian officials and entities, including airlines, accused of involvement in the transfer of missiles and drones for Russia to use in its war against Ukraine. Tehran has consistently said such accusations were baseless, but with Western governments unconvinced, the latest sanctions went ahead, dealing a blow to Iran’s already embattled airline industry. Unable to make it to her photoshoot in Paris as Iran Air had grounded all Europe-bound flights over the sanctions, Tannaz was left grappling with the effect on her business, uncertain how she may keep working abroad under the new restrictions. “Considering the current situation and higher flight price options, I think I will lose many customers,” said the 37-year-old who gave her first name only, fearing repercussions. With no other Iranian airline serving European destinations, any alternative to the canceled Iran Air route would likely cost her much more and include a layover, increasing travel time. Many Western and other international airlines had already suspended their Iran services, citing heightened tensions and the risk of regional conflict since the Gaza war broke out more than a year ago.  Host of challenges Despite having largely avoided being drawn into the conflict, Iran backs Palestinian group Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the United States, United Kingdom, European Union and others, and whose October 7, 2023 attack on Israel sparked the war, and has launched two direct attacks on Israel. The latest missile attack earlier this month, in response to the killing of Tehran-aligned militant leaders and a Revolutionary Guards general, prompted vows of retaliation from Israel, again heightening fears of a broader conflagration that could disrupt air traffic. Iran Air, far cheaper than its foreign competition, was “the only airline that flew to Europe in our country”, said Maghsoud Asadi Samani of the national airline association. “With the new European Union sanctions against Iran Air, no Iranian aircraft will fly to Europe,” news agency ILNA quoted Samani as saying. Earlier Western sanctions on Iran, including those reimposed after the United States withdrew in 2018 from a landmark nuclear deal, have taken a toll, too. They contributed to soaring inflation, slashing Iranians’ purchasing power, … “Iran’s aviation woes compounded by latest EU sanctions” →