#Deputy Foreign Ministers

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TRNC Representative attends OTS meeting in İstanbul

Deputy Foreign Ministers of Organization of Turkic States (OTS) member states Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan met at the OTS Secretariat in Istanbul. According to the news obtained from diplomatic sources, representatives from OTS’s observer members Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Hungary and Turkmenistan joined to the meeting as well. Continue reading Untitled

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JUST IN: Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov is demanding the release of hostages held in Gaza in telephone calls with Hamas and other Palestinian factions. - JPost 

Jewish Breaking News

[winterbirb]

Okay so early in the first episode they acknowledged Russia in a way that means it's probably not gonna show up (they're too, uh, busy in Eastern Europe to go around blowing up oil tankers) but thats okay I enjoy the intrigue with Iran the same. And the deputy foreign minister almost kinda looks like [redacted] so. I'm so fucking well fed with this show

[minnesotafollower]

U.N. General Assembly Overwhelmingly Adopts Resolution Condemning U.S. Embargo of Cuba       

On October 30, 2024, the U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly passed Cuba’s resolution condemning the U.S. embargo pf the island (187 to 2 with 4 abstentions).The U.S. and Israel again voted against the resolution while the abstentions came from Moldova, Ukraine, Somalia and Venezuela. Here now is a summary of that resolution and the General Assembly proceedings regarding same. [1]  A subsequent…

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Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan

Exclusive: Pakistani Leader Imran Khan Says Taliban Can Be America's Partner For Peace

— Published: September 24, 2021 | By Tom O'Connor (Senior Writer, Foreign Policy & Deputy Editor, National Security and Foreign Policy)

In a candid and wide-ranging interview, Newsweek Senior Foreign Policy Writer Tom O'Connor conversed with Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan, a nation that straddles Afghanistan and China both geographically and strategically. Khan discussed his goals and fears for his country and the region, and explained why he believes America must remain engaged in Afghanistan.

This conversation, conducted via email, offers a rare glimpse into one of the world's most troubled regions through the eyes of the leader of one of its most important and influential countries.

Khan rose to fame as a cricket star who led Pakistan's national team to its first World Cup victory in 1992. After his sporting career, he began philanthropic work raising funds for medical facilities and research, and established the populist Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Pakistan Movement for Justice) in 1996. Through this party, he capitalized on popular dissatisfaction over corruption, religious discrimination and economic stagnation over the course of the next two decades to rise to the forefront of national politics, securing positions in parliament and rising to prime minister in 2018.

For Americans, the leading concern in the region is that the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August could empower militant groups seeking to lash out abroad. Khan says he shares those anxieties. But his greatest worry doesn't stem from the Taliban, with which Islamabad has fostered close ties. Rather, it's a slew of other outlawed organizations whose aims are more immediately focused on wreaking havoc in the region.

When it comes to China, the Pakistani leader rejects President Joe Biden's hard line as "unnecessary." Khan sees not a rival but a partner, both for his nation and potentially for the U.S. as well. And at a time when the U.S. is increasingly embracing Pakistan's top rival, India, he emphasizes that Pakistan remains a ready and willing companion in counterterrorism and other endeavors.

Cooperation between the U.S. and all major powers in the region is the only way to avoid catastrophe, Khan says.

This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

U.S. troops sit on a wall as Afghans gather on a roadside near the military part of the airport in Kabul on August 20, 2021, hoping to flee from the country after the Taliban's military takeover of Afghanistan. Wakil Kohsar/AFP Via Getty Images

Newsweek: What do you feel will be the immediate impact for both Pakistan and the region as a result of the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan?

Khan: Following the U.S. withdrawal, Afghanistan faces a difficult transition from the past 20 years of a US-NATO supported governance structure. The Taliban appear to have gained control over the entire country, for the first time in 40 years. There is, therefore, a hope that security can be established throughout Afghanistan. A peaceful Afghanistan will be beneficial for Pakistan, opening up possibilities for trade and development projects.

However, Afghanistan faces a humanitarian crisis due to the Covid pandemic, conflict, and the failures of the previous governments. This must be addressed as a priority. Also, we need to work with the authorities in Kabul to neutralize terrorists' groups present in Afghanistan, particularly the TTP [Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, the country's largest armed opposition group], which has been responsible for thousands of terrorist attacks against Pakistan.

Do you think U.S. credibility and influence in Asia will be affected by the move? Are countries looking to alternative security partners such as China, or might countries seek to cling to a U.S. presence, given the chaos that resulted amid the withdrawal?

For its part, the United States has divested a liability—its costly military intervention—which, as the U.S. President has himself admitted, was not a strategic priority for the United States. Both Pakistan and the United States need to prevent terrorism emanating from Afghanistan. To this end, we should cooperate to help in stabilizing Afghanistan by addressing the humanitarian crisis in that country and supporting its economic recovery. Of course, there may be an immediate negative impact in the U.S. due to the chaotic nature of its evacuation from Kabul. The U.S. has withdrawn voluntarily from Afghanistan. Therefore, I don't think that the U.S. withdrawal will erode U.S. credibility globally in the long term.

As for China, if China offers economic support to Afghanistan, it's natural that the Afghans will accept it. The Taliban have welcomed the prospects of being incorporated in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and establishing close relations with China.

However, the U.S. too can play an important and positive role in Afghanistan by providing humanitarian assistance, contributing to Afghanistan's recovery and reconstruction, and cooperating in containing terrorism from Afghanistan. During the Doha peace process, the U.S. established a working relationship with the Taliban. There was direct cooperation between the U.S. and the Taliban during the evacuation process. I believe that the U.S. can work with a new government in Afghanistan to promote common interests and regional stability.

The Taliban on Tuesday announced a caretaker Cabinet stacked with veterans of their harsh rule in the late 1990s and subsequent 20-year battle against the U.S.-led coalition and its Afghan government allies. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid speaks during a press conference in Kabul, Afghanistan Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. Muhammad Farooq/AP Photo

Does Pakistan intend to recognize the new Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan as it did during the previous Taliban takeover, and what kind of developments would you like to see in Afghanistan before establishing such formal diplomatic ties?

The Taliban have established an "acting government" and will no doubt announce a more permanent governance structure later. Pakistan is obliged to engage with the de-facto authorities in Afghanistan to prevent an economic and humanitarian collapse in this neighboring country and the resurgence of terrorism.

Once a government in Kabul establishes control over the entire country, it would legally qualify for recognition. However, Pakistan would prefer to reach a decision regarding recognition of the new government together with other neighbors of Afghanistan.

Among the most pressing concerns for the international community right now is the potential for militant and separatist groups to take advantage of the unrest in Afghanistan to plot attacks against other countries. One example has been attacks against Chinese citizens in Pakistan. Does Pakistan share these concerns, and how do you plan to address them?

There is indeed a plethora of terrorist groups which, taking advantage of the conflict in Afghanistan, located themselves in that country. Pakistan is extremely concerned about the threat of terrorism from Afghanistan, particularly from the TTP, which has conducted thousands of attacks against Pakistan from the territory of Afghanistan with the sponsorship and support of certain hostile intelligence agencies.

The TTP has also been responsible for most of its attacks on Chinese citizens working in Pakistan, perhaps with the support of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM). Pakistan will work with the authorities in Afghanistan to halt TTP and other terrorism from Afghanistan.

While the U.S. is withdrawing from Afghanistan, it has focused more closely on defense ties with other regional countries, especially India. Does this concern Pakistan, given the tensions that exist in Kashmir and India's membership in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue?

Pakistan desires to promote a comprehensive, not selective, approach to neutralizing terrorists' threats from Afghanistan. We will cooperate with the international community, including the U.S., in this effort.

We understand that the U.S. military support to India is designed to contain China, including through the so-called Quad. Pakistan has its own views on the credibility of this strategy. In our view, India will never confront China, especially not to serve U.S. strategic objectives. India's purpose in arming itself so massively is to establish its hegemony in South Asia and specially to threaten and coerce Pakistan. Seventy percent of all Indian military capabilities are deployed against Pakistan, not China. Therefore, Pakistan has legitimate concerns about the provision of the most advanced weapons and technology to India. Apart from increasing the likelihood of a conflict, an arms race in South Asia will divert both India and Pakistan from investing in socio-economic development and the welfare of their people.

"The current U.S.-China rivalry is unnecessary," says Prime Minister Imran Khan. China's President Xi Jinping, right, shakes hands with Pakistani leader Khan before a meeting at the Great Hall of the People on April 28, 2019 in Beijing, China. Madoka Ikegami-Pool/Getty Images

Pakistan has built a close strategic partnership with China. Is there concern that Pakistan could be caught up in the broader U.S.-China rivalry?

Pakistan's relationship with China is 70 years old. It covers economic, technological, military and other sectors. Throughout this time, Pakistan has simultaneously maintained a close relationship with the United States as well. Indeed, it was Pakistan which first brought the U.S. and China together in 1971. We see no reason for our strategic partnership with China to erode our ability to continue a cooperative relationship with the United States. We believe that the current U.S.-China rivalry is unnecessary and contrary to the interests of both these global powers. Cooperation between them would be beneficial to both and is essential to address the myriad global problems we face—the COVID pandemic, the economic crisis in the developing world and the existential threat of climate change. We hope that both Beijing and Washington will reach the same conclusion in the near future.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Heads of State met on September 17. What message did you have for them as it relates to the role of Pakistan and the SCO states in addressing Afghanistan and other regional issues?

We attach importance to the SCO as a regional organization grouping the countries in the Asian heartland. At the SCO Summit, I presented Pakistan's viewpoint about the situation and presented the possible way out to address the challenges posed to the region due to the current situation in Afghanistan.

If India adopts a positive position in relations with Pakistan, the SCO could serve as a useful platform to promote stability and prosperity across this vast area of the Asian Continent.

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the end of the war in Afghanistan in the State Dining Room at the White House on August 31, 2021 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

There have been concerns over the pace of progress in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects. How has Pakistan's economic alignment with China benefited the country, and do you expect other countries to follow Pakistan's example, or might President Joe Biden's "Build Back Better World" prove a challenge to Belt and Road Initiative projects?

China has already invested around 25 billion dollars under the umbrella of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Additional projects worth 20 billion are under implementation. Projects worth a further 25 billion dollars are in the pipeline. The COVID-19 pandemic may have slowed the implementation of some projects. However, the CPEC's objectives are being achieved on schedule, and their implementation will be accelerated in the future.

The United States and G7 initiative—"Build Back Better World"—has been welcomed by Pakistan. We do not see this as being in competition with China's "Belt and Road Initiative." It is an initiative which can contribute to building the infrastructure and other projects which are so vital to enable developing countries to achieve their development objectives and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Supporters of the pro-Taliban party shout anti-US slogans at a protest in Quetta on May 2, 2011, after the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Banaras Khan/AFP, Getty Images

This year marked the 10th anniversary of Osama bin Laden's killing on Pakistani soil, and the world just marked the 20th anniversary of 9/11. How would you evaluate the successes and failures of the United States' "War on Terror" over the course of the past two decades?

Al-Qaeda, the organization responsible for 9/11, has been decimated in Afghanistan, largely due to Pakistan-U.S. counter terrorism cooperation over the past 20 years.

However, the root causes of terrorism—the underlying conflicts and disputes, and economic and social injustice—have not been addressed. As a result, the ideology and narrative of terrorist groups have proliferated across several regions of the world, including Africa, and new terrorist organizations have emerged.

In addition, anti-Muslim extremist movements and terrorist groups have emerged in several parts of the world. We see the strongest manifestation of such Islamophobia in India's extremist Hindutva ideology, which has unleashed state-sponsored terrorism against the Muslims of occupied Jammu and Kashmir and the 200 million Indian Muslim "minority."

The world needs a new and comprehensive global counterterrorism strategy to address these new manifestations of terrorism.

Longer term, what do you think the impact of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan will be on the region? If you look out, say, five years from now, what do you think the most profound difference will be—and what wild card development might change that outlook?

Four decades of war and conflict has had a devastating impact on Afghanistan's economy, society, and polity. There is a ray of hope today to end the "long war" and bring peace, stability and development to Afghanistan and the broader region.

The last thing Pakistan wants is more conflict and turbulence in Afghanistan.

After 20 years of military intervention in Afghanistan, the international community cannot exonerate itself from its responsibilities towards the people of Afghanistan. It must stay engaged with Afghanistan.

It is our hope that Afghanistan will be stabilized, through humanitarian help, economic support, and connectivity and infrastructure projects, and that the U.S., China and Russia will all contribute to pacifying and reconstructing Afghanistan.

On the other hand, if rivalry persists within Afghanistan, and between regional states and global powers, it could lead to a new round of violence and conflict in Afghanistan. This would create new flow of refugees, escalate the threat of terrorism from Afghanistan, and destabilize the entire region.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, In An Exclusive Newsweek Interview.

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Hussein Alezzi, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Yemen

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Say "NO" to Genocide - Call, email, mail your reps (Canada)

Me and my friend spent some time today writing letters to the House of Commons, plus we have been calling MPs daily. I haven't seen too many resources for this floating around on tumblr, so here's a lengthy guide on how to do this plus some sample scripts! Long post ahead since I think it will be most helpful to dump everything in one spot to reference. On desktop, use CTR F/CMD F to search for the topic -> Phone / Email / Letter Mail / Contacts / Demands / Scripts / Fax

Update 1 - Nov 23: Updated emails with "mailto" hyperlinks, edited demands, added fax section, added scotiabank pres fax number.

On the PHONE / General Tips

Introduce yourself and identify yourself as a constituent by providing your postal code or address.

Ask to speak to the MP directly, but do not be surprised if you must speak to the MP’s staff instead. Staff can help move your issue forward.

Give the reason for your call and explain your concern.

Focus on one or two main concerns per phone call. Do not unload on the MP or their staff with all of your political concerns at one time.

Ask clear and pointed questions that require some explanation.

Ask for a commitment to action.

KEEP IN MIND Tips for Calling MPs:

Tell the MP that this issue will matter to you in the next election.

Avoid revealing party affiliation or sympathies. If you show that your vote is already cast for a certain party, the MP may not have the incentive to respond to your requests.

Be as brief as possible while outlining concerns.  Show that you respect their time.

Remain calm and respectful in dialogue. Be willing to work with them.

Follow up: Find out what actions were taken as a result of your call, and respond appropriately.

(Source: CPJ.ca)

CJPME Call Tool - Fill in the form, there will be suggested talking point. The tool will call your phone and then patch you through to your MP. If voicemail, state your concerns in 30 seconds. No address input will default you to call Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly.

EMAIL

Be sure you sign your email with your name and mailing address so they know you are a part of their riding.

You will most likely receive a PR-type response or no response at all, but please still send these. It disrupts operations, and it still contributes to pressuring your MP to act on behalf of your riding.

LETTER MAIL

Mail may be sent postage-free to any member of Parliament at the House of Commons address. You just need to use an MP's full title if they are Cabinet members. Cabinet mebers have "The Honourable" attached to their names.

Postcards are efficient in that they are small pieces of card stock and can be a short message plus demands, no need to get use envelopes.

The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0A6

CONTACTS

Find your MP - ourcommons.ca - Contact the MP of your riding, any of the contacts below, as well as any cabinet members in your city or province.

Prime Minister (613) 992-4211 / justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca *FAX: 613-941-6900 /*If faxes are closed at the House of Commons line, try their local offices! (See below under "FAX" for fax guide!)

Deputy Prime Minister - Chrystia Freeland (613) 992-5254 / chrystia.freeland@parl.gc.ca FAX: 416-928-2377

Minister of Foreign Affairs - Mélanie Joly (613) 992-0983 / melanie.joly@parl.gc.ca FAX: 613-992-1932

Minister of International Development - Ahmed Hussein (613) 995-0777 / ahmed.hussen@parl.gc.ca FAX: 613-995-0777

Minister of National Defence - Bill Blair (416) 261-8613 / bill.blair@parl.gc.ca FAX: 416-261-5286

Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Group (CAIL) Stéphane Bergeron (*he's not a chair or vice chair of this group, but i want to warn that stephane WILL argue with you, so call after hours if you are scared of confrontation 😭☠️) (450) 922-2562 / Stephane.Bergeron@parl.gc.ca Anthony House-father (Chair) (514) 283-0171 / anthony.housefather@parl.gc.ca Randall Garrison (VC) (250) 405-6550 / randall.garrison@parl.gc.ca Marty Morantz (VC) (204) 984-6432 / Marty.Morantz@parl.gc.ca The Honourable Ya’ara Saks (VC) (416) 638-3700 / yaara.saks@parl.gc.ca

Embassy of Israel (613)567-6450 / FAX: 613-750-7555

DEMANDS

Summarized from resistance groups such as H/mas, H/zbollah, PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine), DFLP (Marxist Democratic Front got the Liberation of Palestine), CJPME (Canadians for justice and peace in the middle east), and other anti-war, anti-imperialist, IRL Palestinians.

Canada needs to...

Call an immediate PERMANENT ceasefire to end bloodshed

Send humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Institute embargo on all military exports to Israel

Close the embassies, and sanction Israel diplomatically and economically.

SCRIPTS

Use these as scripts for calling, emailing, and mailing. I suggest adding some of your own sentences and changing the subject lines (for email) so they don't end up in spam.

Example from Canada: Stop Arming Israel - World BEYOND War 

As we mourn the thousands of people in Israel and Palestine who have been killed in the past few weeks we refuse to stand by and allow the only true winners in war — the weapons manufacturers — to continue to arm and profit off of it.

Canada exported over $21 million in military goods to Israel in 2022, including over $3 million in bombs, torpedoes, missiles, and other explosives. - 2022 Exports of Military Goods 

Weapons companies across Canada are making a fortune off of the carnage in Gaza and the occupation of Palestine.

This is a call to action. It's time to stop letting these weapons companies profit off of the massacre of thousands of Palestinians. Find a location near you, get friends and allies together, and interrupt their business as usual to demand they stop selling arms and military technology to Israel.

Send an urgent message to demand Canada stop arming Israel and push for an immediate ceasefire to your Member of Parliament, the Prime Minister, and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, and Defense.

Dear [recipient's full name goes here], We are witnessing genocidal violence playing out in Gaza right now. Thousands of Palestinians have been killed, nearly half of them children. With a blockade on water, electricity, fuel and food, a quarter of all buildings razed to the ground, and over a million people displaced, UN experts have denounced Israel's actions as crimes against humanity. Meanwhile, weapons companies across Canada are arming -- and making a fortune off of -- the carnage in Gaza and the massacre of thousands of Palestinians by selling weapons and military technology to Israel. I am calling on you to do two things: to take immediate action to institute an arms embargo on Israel and to ensure Canada pushes for de-escalation and a ceasefire in Gaza. Sincerely,

Script Sample 2 from Palestinian Youth Movement

^This will open up a pre-written email in your chosen email app or site. Fill in the recipient line with the emails of MPs you wish to contact.

Script Sample 3 from CJPME's Email Campaign

^Complete the form to send an email to Prime Minister Trudeau, your local MP, and the leaders of the NDP, Convervatives and Greens. Canada must OPPOSE A SECOND NAKBA and dispossession of the Palestinians in Gaza by pushing for a ceasefire.

Script Sample 3 for mail:

(a mix of mine and a friend's)

I am writing to ask you to take immediate action to stop the genocide Israel is committing against Palestinians in Gaza as well as the onslaught of those in West Bank.

There is blockade on food, water, electricity, fuel, and the use of internationally banned white phosphorus to exterminate Palestinians. Aid is not able to enter Gaza because of this blockade. UN experts have named Israel’s actions as genocide citing numerous war crimes they continually commit.

While over 10k civilians have been martyr’d (4.2k of which are children), Canada has not even been able to NAME such crimes as genocide or call for an official ceasefire. This is not enough.

Canada needs to:

Call an immediate ceasefire to end bloodshed

Send humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Institute embargo on all military exports to Israel

Close the embassies, and sanction Israel diplomatically and economically.

FAX (NEW!)

Using faxzero.com is simple, just follow up the steps on the website. No fax machine required! Tell officials your demands and customize your letter by noting their complicity based on their role as a politician or gov official. Or keep it brief and simple, in large legible letters. 

Demands could include:

That you are a “Canadian” constituent That you are demanding an IMMEDIATE AND PERMANENT CEASEFIRE IN GAZA; That you demand a total withdrawal of financial (taxpayer) and commercial support and arms for continued occupation in Israel’s 70+ year occupation in Palestine; That it is shameful that [X] is choosing not to speak up for the deaths of more than 11,000 Palestinians, half of whom are children and thousands of others displaced; That Palestinians like all people, deserve life, dignity and justice; That Israel is breaking multiple international laws daily and Canada MUST meet its international commitment to promote and defend human rights under the Geneva Convention; That not putting these actions in place will harm constituents and undo acts of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and other marginalized communities in Canada by not protecting the Indigenous peoples of Palestine; That unless there is concrete and everlasting action taken place, that there will be no peace until Palestine is free, and subsequently that you will not be voting for them (if applicable) in the next election.

Sign off with your name, address and postal code (if applicable, furthering that you are a resident on the stolen Indigenous lands otherwise known as “Canada”) Extended fax list: Scott thomson (president of scotiabank) - 416-866-5929 joe biden / whitehouse - 202-456-2461

(source: @/harlo.gif on IG)

[darkmaga-returns]

Honduran President Xiomara Castro recently announced that she is prepared to remove American troops from the country’s Soto Cano Air Base if President Donald Trump implements his proposed mass deportation policies.

She is the first Latin American head of state to threaten the new American president over his deportation plans, which could expel up to 250,000 Hondurans from the U.S. this year according to Deputy Foreign Minister Tony Garcia.

“In the face of a hostile attitude of mass expulsion of our brothers, we would have to consider a change in our cooperation policies with the United States, especially in the military arena,” Castro said.

Honduras is not well prepared to re-absorb the deportees, most of whom left due to a combination of widespread poverty, climate disasters, and the persistent threat of gang violence. But what would kicking the U.S. military out of Honduras mean for Washington?

[justinspoliticalcorner]

The Guardian:

Donald Trump said on Monday he would sign an executive order imposing a 25% tariff on all products coming in to the United States from Mexico and Canada, and additional tariffs on China.

“On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Trump said the tariffs would remain in place until the two countries clamp down on drugs, particularly fentanyl, and migrants crossing the border illegally. In a follow-up post, Trump announced that the US “will be charging China an additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs, on all of their many products coming into the United States of America”. He said that the reason for the additional tariff was China’s failure to curb the number of drugs entering the US. China is a major producer of precursor chemicals that are acquired by drug cartels, including in Mexico, to manufacture fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid. “I have had many talks with China about the massive amounts of drugs, in particular Fentanyl, being sent into the United States – But to no avail … Until such time as they stop, we will be charging China an additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs, on all of their many products coming into the United States of America.” In response, China warned that “no one will win a trade war”.

Liu Pengyu, a Chinese embassy spokesperson, said China had taken steps to combat drug trafficking after an agreement was reached last year between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping. “The Chinese side has notified the US side of the progress made in US-related law enforcement operations against narcotics,” he said in a statement. “All these prove that the idea of China knowingly allowing fentanyl precursors to flow into the United States runs completely counter to facts and reality.” Canada’s deputy prime minister, Chrystia Freeland, released a statement on Monday evening saying that the country places the highest priority on border security and the integrity of its shared border with the US. Trump and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau spoke on Monday night about trade and border security, Reuters reported, citing a Canadian source directly familiar with the situation. Freeland’s statement did not mention the tariffs directly. It also said that the Canada Border Services Agency, the US Drug Enforcement Administration and US Customs and Border protection “work together every single day to to disrupt the scourge of fentanyl coming from China and other countries.”

[...] A tariff is a tax placed on goods when they cross national borders. Import tariffs such as those proposed by Trump can have the effect of protecting domestic industries from foreign competition while also generating tax revenue for the government. But economists widely consider them an inefficient tool that typically leaves consumers and taxpayers bearing the brunt of higher costs.

Donald Trump vows to enact economy-crushing 25% tariffs on fellow USMCA members Mexico and Canada, and much steeper tariffs on China.

See Also:

HuffPost: Trump Says U.S. Will Impose Massive Tariffs On Mexico, Canada And China From Day 1

[mariacallous]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected a plan for the U.N. Secretary General to visit Kyiv due to António Guterres’s attendance at this week’s BRICS summit in Russia, a Ukrainian official said on Friday.

Kyiv was enraged by Guterres’s appearance at the event in the city of Kazan on Thursday and his handshake with its host, Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose forces invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Guterres – who called for a “just peace” in Ukraine at the BRICS event and has repeatedly condemned the invasion – discussed a visit to Ukraine with Zelenskyy when they met in New York in September, Deputy U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq said. Haq said that since then the U.N. and Ukraine have been trying to work out a “mutually convenient time” for a visit, but that nothing had been decided. The Ukrainian official, who asked not to be named, said Zelenskyy had now rejected the visit because of the BRICS appearance, without going into further detail. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday that Guterres’ acceptance of the invitation to attend the BRICS summit had damaged the U.N.’s reputation. Zelenskyy condemned the decision to turn up. “Even though some of its officials may choose the temptations of Kazan over the substance of the U.N. Charter, the world remains structured in such a way that the rights of nations and the norms of international law will always matter,” he said on Thursday. Russia’s invasion has displaced millions of people, killed thousands and destroyed settlements and energy infrastructure. The summit of BRICS nations, which started on Tuesday, was aimed at showcasing the clout of non-Western countries. Other leaders attending included Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

[kyreniacommentator]

TRNC FM Ertuğruloğlu meets DiCarlo at the UN

TRNC Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu met with the United Nations (UN) Deputy Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo at the UN headquarters. During the meeting, Ertuğruloğlu provided information to DiCarlo about the Yiğitler-Pile road project and emphasized the determination of the Turkish Cypriot side to complete this humanitarian project. Continue reading Untitled

[follow-up-news]

Canada and India each expelled six diplomats Monday in tit-for-tat moves as part of an escalating dispute over the June 2023 assassination of a Sikh activist in Canada. Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said that Canada was expelling six Indian diplomats, including the high commissioner, after police uncovered evidence of a targeted campaign against Canadian citizens by agents of the Indian government. Shortly afterward, the Indian foreign ministry said that it was expelling six Canadian diplomats, including the acting high commissioner and the deputy high commissioner. It said in a statement that the diplomats were told to leave India by the end of Saturday. The ministry had said earlier Monday that India was withdrawing its diplomats, after rejecting Canada’s diplomatic communication on Sunday that said the Indian ambassador was a “person of interest” in the assassination. A senior Canadian official said that Canada expelled the Indian diplomats first before they withdrew. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

[zvaigzdelasas]

The US and the UK will reject the international court of justice order directing Israel to end its offensive on Rafah after slowly blurring their red lines that once stated that they could not support a military offensive in Rafah.

The line was first adapted by saying they could not support a major ground offensive without a credible plan to protect civilians, but since then the definition of what constitutes a major offensive has become more flexible.

The deputy foreign secretary, Andrew Mitchell, told MPs on Monday “the UK could only support a constructive plan for Rafah that complies with international humanitarian law on all counts”.

On Tuesday he told the UK business select committee that “the significant operation in Rafah, it appears, has not yet started”, even though 800,000 people had fled the area, including 400,000 who had been warned to do so by the Israel Defense Forces. [...]

The select committee chair, Liam Byrne, cited the movement of 800,000 people: “If that is not significant, then what is?”

Mitchell replied that the UK was doing what it could do to help with aid, adding the fact “800,000 had chosen to go of itself would not lead us to make a change in the assessment” of whether a serious breach of IHL had occurred.

The Labour MP Andy McDonald, previewing the line taken by the ICJ, asked the minister: “What choice did they have to move? Was this just: ‘I think I want to go and live somewhere else’? Is that not a preposterous suggestion to make – that this is a matter of free will?”

Mitchell replied: “They have moved as a result of the circumstances.”

Byrne asked the minister directly: “Do you believe, Mr Mitchell, as the minister, that Israel currently has the intent to comply with international humanitarian law in Rafah?”

Mitchell replied: “It does not matter, chair, what I believe. What is important is the legal process that informs that decision.

He later admitted that the last released assessment of Israel’s compliance rested on evidence that ended in January.

The US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, took a different line in a briefing with reporters on Wednesday, indicating that he had been briefed by Israeli officials and by Israeli professionals on refinements to the Rafah plan that would achieve its military objectives while taking account of civilian harm.

He said there was no mathematical formula to decide if a plan was acceptable. “What we’re going to be looking at is whether there is a lot of death and destruction from this operation or if it is more precise and proportional,” he said.

He made no reference to the conditions in which Palestinians forced to flee were living.

It seems, according to interpretation, that the US either feels it has persuaded Israel to adjust its plans to make them acceptable or, faced with an Israeli fait accompli that the invasion would proceed regardless of Washington’s objections, the US has effectively backed down.

24 May 24

[minnesotafollower]

Wall Street Journal Praises Cuba’s Small Businesses 

On October 4, a Wall Street Journal article praised Cuba’s small businesses.[1] Here are the highlights of that article. “Newly licensed private businesses are becoming a lifeline for Cuba, bringing in about half of the country’s total food imports as the cash-strapped Communist government struggles to keep power plants running and provide public transport because of acute fuel…

[probablyasocialecologist]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “You must remember what Amalek has done to you, says our Holy Bible. And we do remember.” This is a reference invoking the Biblical story of the total destruction of the Amalek by the Israelites, which Biblical passage reads in the relevant part: “Spare no one, but kill alike men and women, infants and sucklings, oxen and sheep, camels and asses.” 

President Isaac Herzog: “It’s an entire nation out there that is responsible. It’s not true this rhetoric about civilians not aware not involved. It’s absolutely not true. … and we will fight until we break their backbone.”

Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant:  

Israel is “imposing a complete siege on Gaza. No electricity, no food, no water, no fuel. Everything is closed. We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly.” 

“Gaza won’t return to what it was before. We will eliminate everything. If it doesn’t take one day, it will take a week. It will take weeks or even months, we will reach all places.”

Minister for National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir: “[t]o be clear, when we say that Hamas should be destroyed, it also means those who celebrate, those who support, and those who hand out candy — they’re all terrorists, and they should also be destroyed.”

Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Israel Katz: “All the civilian population in Gaza is ordered to leave immediately. We will win. They will not receive a drop of water or a single battery until they leave the world.”

Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich: “We need to deal a blow that hasn’t been seen in 50 years and take down Gaza.”

Minister of Amihai Eliyahu: “The north of the Gaza Strip, more beautiful than ever. Everything is blown up and flattened, simply a pleasure for the eyes … We must talk about the day after. In my mind, we will hand over lots to all those who fought for Gaza over the years and to those evicted from Gush Katif” [a former Israeli settlement].  “There is no such thing as uninvolved civilians in Gaza.”

Minister of Agriculture Avi Dichter: “We are now actually rolling out the Gaza Nakba.” [This term, “Nakba,” is a reference to the forced expulsion of around 750,000 Palestinians during the war that established Israel as an independent state. Israeli historian Ilan Pappe refers to it as The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine.]

Knesset Deputy Speaker and Foreign Affairs and Security Committee Member Nissim Vaturi: “Now we all have one common goal — erasing the Gaza Strip from the face of the earth.” 

Israeli Reservist Major General and adviser to the Defense Minister Giora Eiland: 

“The people should be told that they have two choices; to stay and to starve, or to leave. If Egypt and other countries prefer that these people will perish in Gaza, this is their choice.”  

“When you are at war with another country you don’t feed them, you don’t provide them electricity or gas or water or anything else . . . A country can be attacked in a much broader way, to bring the country to the brink of dysfunction. This is the necessary outcome of events in Gaza.” 

“Israel has no interest in the Gaza Strip being rehabilitated and this is an important point that needs to be made clear to the Americans.”  

“The State of Israel has no choice but to make Gaza a place that is temporarily, or permanently, impossible to live in.”

“Who are the ‘poor’ women of Gaza? They are all the mothers, sisters or wives of Hamas murderers. . . . The international community warns us of a humanitarian disaster in Gaza and of severe epidemics. We must not shy away from this, as difficult as that may be. After all, severe epidemics in the south of the Gaza Strip will bring victory closer . . . It is precisely its civil collapse that will bring the end of the war closer. When senior Israeli figures say in the media ‘It’s either us or them’ we should clarify the question of who is ‘them’. ‘They’ are not only Hamas fighters with weapons, but also all the ‘civilian’ officials, including hospital administrators and school administrators, and also the entire Gaza population who enthusiastically supported Hamas and cheered on its atrocities on October 7th.”

[srbachchan]

DAY 5864

Jalsa, Mumbai Mar 8/9, 2024 Fri/Sat 10:48 AM

🪔

March 09 .. birthday greetings to Ef Altaf Ali Kondkar from Riyadh - KSA 🇸🇦 .. and Ef Misti Das from Assam .. 🙏🏻🚩❤️

Wedding anniversary greetings to the most dedicated Ef Prashant Kawadia and his respected wife Rekha .. for completing 16 years of togetherness .. on March 9 .. keep going stronger 💪🏻 .. 💐🙏🏻❤️

Wedding anniversary greetings to our Mili from Bangalore .. Ef Mukherji Ratna .. 44 years .. on March 8 .. may Shivji keep you blessed .. 💐🙏🏻❤️

Wedding anniversary greetings to Ef Manoj Lahoti and Ef Amit Lahoti .. both celebrating on same day same year .. March 08 .. 17 years of togetherness .. and our wishes multiplied .. 💐💐🙏🏻🙏🏻❤️❤️

Wedding anniversary greetings to Ef Sanjay Patodiya and his respected wife Soniya Patodiya .. 24 years .. on March 07 .. love and joy .. 💐🙏🏻❤️

..

Greetings 🙏🏻

अर्धनारीश्वर !!

अर्धनारीश्वर स्वरुप का अर्थ है आधी स्त्री और आधा पुरुष. भगवान शिव के इस अर्धनारीश्वर स्वरुप के आधे हिस्से में पुरुष रुपी शिव का वास है तो आधे हिस्से में स्त्री रुपी शिवा यानि शक्ति का वास है. भगवान का यह रुप संकेत दिया जाता है की स्त्री और पुरुष एक ही सिक्के के दो पहलु हैं और दोनों एक दूसरे के बिना अधूरे हैं.

A half female and male form .. Lord Shiv is ever depicted thus .. Shiv in its half , and the female form is the representation of 'Shakti' - power, strength of women .. the male and the female are two sides of the same coin, and both are incomplete without each other ..

.. and with that acceptance we live and exist in peace and calm .. and in its coincidence comes the opportunity to release a book " Swallowing the Sun", written by Laxshmi Murdeshwar Puri, ex Foreign Service , ex Ambassador of Hungary when I was shooting for my film 'AKS' there ..

Married to Hardeep Singh Puri , ex diplomat and now Minister

A delight to spend time in her company .. and be made aware of her contribution in the UN Womens where she served as Deputy ..

The opening of her book is inspired by ..

.. a story of the book which addresses pan India sentiments, and enumerates the several hidden stories, that become the source of inspiration for women in particular ..

But a delayed day .. primarily because of the miserable defeat of our team last night ..

It's not that we lost , we did not try to win .. complacent , over confident and slack ..

I do not mind losing .. but without a fight, is not acceptable ..

A 'plucky loser' to me is more valuable, than the winner ..

My love

Amitabh Bachchan