The Curse of Kursk: no amount of nuclear sabre-rattling can save Putin from yet another humiliation

The Ukrainian Kursk offensive challenges Russia’s physical defences and the very idea of Putin’s ‘red lines’

byTom Woolmore
13-08-2024


image by Stan. Used with permission

Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk is exposing Russia’s weaknesses in border defences and rhetoric. As the Armed Forces of Ukraine pushes deeper into the Kursk region, the West must question whether Vladimir Putin’s ‘red lines’ ever really existed.

The significance of Kursk to Putin

Kursk is a name of great national significance in Russia. It was the scene of the largest tank battle in history, between Nazi Germany and the USSR during the second world war, in which the Red Army was victorious. It is also famous for another reason, one which is likely to give Russian President Vladimir Putin a pang of traumatic memory.

Less than a year into Putin’s presidency in 2000, the Russian nuclear-powered submarine, Kursk, sank after an accident that to this day remains not entirely clear. While the disaster unfolded, Putin chose to continue his holiday in his extravagant Sochi seaside resort. By the time he authorised international assistance in recovering the submarine crew, all on board had died.

This was a PR disaster for the new president. The media, which at the time was not under such tight government control as today, was highly critical of the government, and the families of the deceased were incensed by Putin’s apparent indifference. His approval ratings dropped dramatically.

This was not the way the young president envisioned his long-awaited consolidation of power. Kursk cast a shadow over his early reign and it seems that, 24 years later, its namesake is once again cursing the Russian dictator with a very public humiliation.

The Ukrainian Kursk offensive

Over the past week, Ukraine has crossed the border into the Kursk region of Russia and broken through two well-established lines of defence. Beyond these two lines lies Russia proper. This has allowed Ukrainian forces to flood through the break in the Russian lines and fan out, taking towns and villages and setting up defensive positions in preparation for an inevitable counterattack.

That counterattack has now come. While Ukraine has remained incredibly tight-lipped about the incursion’s progress and strategic objectives, Russian military bloggers have been very pessimistic in their assessments. Russia’s chief of general staff, Valery Gerasimov, assured Putin that the attack had been halted days ago. Video footage and reports from the ground prove this is clearly a lie, and Ukraine continues to make progress, despite large numbers of Russian reinforcements reaching the area.

Some of the advantages the Russian military enjoys are superiority in artillery, and a considerable advantage in airpower. The problem in the Kursk region is that the Russian army was not expecting an attack, and has not had time to put adequate resources in place.

Ukraine’s operational security a major strength

Ukrainian operational security (OPSEC) has been, and continues to be, exceptional. Very little information is coming out of the region, except from Russian sources, which means it is difficult for open source analysts to work out where Ukrainian forces are positioned or what their objectives might be.

Russia, on the other hand, has been abysmal at the basic military practice of OPSEC. Russian news channels have been reporting live footage of Russian reinforcement columns speeding towards the Kursk region to fight off Ukrainian forces. The problem for Russia is that this footage can be easily geolocated, and Ukraine is therefore being given live intelligence about what resources are being allocated and from which direction.

Ukraine moved air defence systems close to the border before the incursion, so Russian aircraft have been unable to halt the advance. Russian artillery was either not in position or not sufficient in number to hold off the break in defensive lines. Now any incoming

 Russian reinforcements are exposed.

No established defences, little to no air cover, and a fast-moving battlefield all mean artillery cannot stay in position for long. Already, footage has emerged (from Russian sources) showing the aftermath of Ukrainian strikes on a Russian column on its way to Kursk. The graphic footage shows a line of damaged and burnt-out vehicles, with bodies strewn across the road and piled up in the back of the trucks.

Ukraine’s strategic objectives, and how close they are to achieving them, are still unknown, but it is clear this is becoming a disaster for Russia. The war has come to Russia’s soil, and Ukrainian forces continue to advance. According to Russian sources, more than 76,000 Russians have already been evacuated from the region.

Although not yet visually confirmed, it is almost certain that Ukrainian mechanised forces deployed to the area will be using German-provided Leopard 2 tanks. If Putin did not already think the name Kursk would be a curse upon his reign, the sight of German tanks rolling into Russia once again has surely removed any doubt.

Will this be a ‘red line’ for Russia?

In some circles, this is understandably raising concern as to what the Russian response to the incursion might be. After all, we have been regularly reminded by experts and the media throughout the war that Putin is a madman who may resort to using nuclear weapons. Indeed, very early in the war, Russia’s nuclear forces were put on high alert. In May and June this year, Russia announced drills on the use of tactical nuclear weapons.

The idea that Russia would tolerate an incursion into its own territory without an overwhelming and deadly response would have previously been unthinkable. The problem for Putin is that perhaps his greatest personal loss during this conflict has been his ‘credibility’ as an unpredictable madman. He has made empty threats time and time again, and you would be forgiven for forgetting how many ‘red lines’ have already been supposedly crossed.

Providing anti-tank NLAWS and Javelins would escalate the threat of nuclear war, we were told. Providing tanks would be a major provocation that would “not bode well from the point of view of global and pan-European security”. Finland and Sweden joining Nato would meet “serious military and political consequences”. Providing fighter jets would make Western bases legitimate targets, apparently. Attacks on Ukrainian regions that were declared part of Russia in sham referendums would be deemed a direct attack on Russia itself, and we were assured that such attacks could warrant the use of “all weapons systems available to us”, and that it was “not a bluff”. Only two months ago, Putin reminded journalists that if Russia’s territorial integrity was threatened, then it reserved the right to use nuclear weapons.

Has Putin’s bluff been called on strongman image?

Putin relies heavily on his strongman image, and his strategy of ‘escalate to de-escalate’: believing that threatening an overwhelming and disproportionate response is the best way to get his opponent to back down. The problem is that when your bluff is called and there are no consequences, your credibility is in tatters.

It feels obvious to say that the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons is lower in Russia than it is in Nato. Indeed, it is allegedly lower than experts expected, according to leaked documents coming out of Russia. But I continue to question some of the alarmism about Putin’s willingness to use weapons that would result in collective suicide.

The threats of nuclear response instead point to weakness and an admission of failure in Russian military performance in conventional warfare. Putin does not want to die or lose power, so nuclear use is unlikely, but he desperately wants to be considered a global power in a position of strength. Therefore, he will frequently remind us of the nuclear arsenal available to him, while his army is systematically destroyed by his much smaller neighbour.

Early results point to Ukrainian success

This incursion into Kursk by Ukraine is so far proving to be a success, although we cannot fully assess its impact or its strategic objectives until more information is available. One thing we can say for certain is that its early stages have been a complete humiliation for Putin and his military commanders.

A nuclear response still feels highly unlikely, as the consequences of such an action would do far more harm than good for Russia, and Putin knows it. When your ‘red lines’ are declared at a level so low as to be unenforceable, and crossed so frequently, it should not come as a surprise when people test them. Ukraine knows its enemy better than anyone, and its forces’ repeated daring in the face of their much larger and nuclear-armed enemy puts Western timidity to shame.

UK construction industry plastic waste increases 15 times faster than Europe

    

European Commission data suggest a huge disparity between British property developments compared with continental counterparts. 

Based on analysis of statistics from the past 24 years, UK construction-related plastic waste has been growing by an average of 210% every two years, significantly outpacing mainland Europe. 

Looking to the continent, when all EU member states are taken into account the bloc has seen the same waste stream grow by 14%. 

However, there are huge differences between sectors. When all British industries are taken into account, commercial plastic waste has risen by just 4%. This is 50 times lower than the figure for construction. 

The research stands as stark testimony to the shift we have witnessed anecdotally in recent years, with suppliers and manufacturers drawn toward cheap plastic materials that are not fit for purpose.

‘Contrary to the claims made by plastic manufacturers on the longevity of their products, construction plastics often perform poorly compared to traditional constructional materials, leading to breakages and failures that negate the immediate cost savings associated with plastics,’ said Oliver Lawton, co-founder of the Copper Sustainability Partnership [CuSP], which published the European Commission data. 

‘At the end of a building’s life cycle, most plastic waste still isn’t recycled and is instead sent to a landfill, exported abroad or incinerated. Low recycling rates also necessitate new plastic products, leading to a linear cycle of production, use and waste,’ he continued. 

Looking at specific materials, post-consumer polyvinyl chloride, the most common plastic used in construction, currently has a UK recycling rate of just 3%. Plastic composites, meanwhile, such multi-layer composite pipe, are often not recycled at all. This is despite becoming significantly more commonplace than 20 years ago. In comparison, steel, copper, and aluminium – the three most common construction metals – have recycling rates of at least 70%. 

In the plumbing sector, we have seen newer products like MLCP – a type of composite pipe that physically cannot be recycled – pushed by manufacturers as a sustainable option for installers and homeowners when the opposite is true.

‘While most construction plastics are marketed as theoretically recyclable, in reality only traditional buildings with a long-standing history of recovery and recycling will be made of recycled material and go on to be recycled at the end of their life cycle,’ said Andrew Surtees, co-founder of CuSP and Head of Sales at Mueller Europe.

‘With the UK construction industry falling further behind in its net-zero commitments, phasing out plastics in favour of fully recyclable materials with proven sustainability credentials remains one of the biggest opportunities for sustainable growth in the sector,’ he added.

More on waste & recycling: 

Stellar night for Northern lights photographers

Richard Price
BBC News, West Midlands

BBC Weather Watcher/Nutty

This impressive scene featuring a standing stone in Middleton, Shropshire, was taken by BBC Weather Watcher Nutty.

BBC Weather Watcher/Jonnymo

The bright purple sky was reflected on the water's surface, as seen in this photo by BBC Weather Watcher Jonnymo in Cockshutt, Shropshire.


Photographers in the West Midlands have been treated to a spectacular display of the Northern lights.

For a second night in a row, the aurora borealis coincided with the Perseid meteor shower and were visible in a number of places across the region.

BBC Weather Watchers caught the action as a strong geomagnetic storm meant the aurora was seen more vividly than usual.

The Perseid meteor shower will still be visible on Tuesday night, according to BBC Weather.

The Northern Lights appear as bright, swirling curtains of lights in the night sky and range in colour from green to pink and scarlet.

They're caused by charged particles from the sun hitting gases in the Earth’s atmosphere.

For the best possible view, experts advise trying to get to an area where there are dark skies, away from street lights and where you can get a clear view of the whole night sky.

They recommend giving your eyes about 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness and either sit or lie down and you should start to see some shooting stars - the meteors.

 

UK Charities issue institutional racism warning following riots

 

By Joe Lepper 13/8/24

Rioting by racists and Islamophobics this month has been caused by a failure to tackle the UK's institutional racism, charities are warning.

The warning has been made in a joint submission from charities Amnesty International UK and the Runnymede Trust to the UN Commission on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

It is backed by 40 charitable organisations including Liberty, Black Equity Organisations, Inquest, Migrants Organise, and Friends Families and Travellers.

They say that UK government legislation and policy that originated from the previous Conservative government is in breach of UN commitments to end racism globally.

Last year’s Illegal Migration Act, which barred those who arrive to the UK illegally from staying, “will likely disproportionately impact people of colour”.

Laws enacted in 2022 are also criticised as institutionally racist. This includes the Police, Crime Sentencing and Courts Act, which restricts protests and gives the police more powers, and the Elections Act, which requires voter ID but based on limited forms of identification skewed towards older people.

Another 2022 law of concern is the Nationality and Borders Act, which gave the Home Secretary powers to strip people of their citizenship as well as send asylum seekers to Rwanda, although this measure has been dropped by the current Labour government.

All laws mentioned by the charities disproportionately impact global majority people and should be repealed, the charities say.

The two-child limit benefit cap and police strip searching children are other areas of concern that should also be scrapped, by the Labour government.

“The racist and Islamophobic violence unfolding on the streets of the UK highlight the failures of successive governments to make progress on institutional racism,” said Amnesty UK’s racial justice director Ilyas Nagdee.

“Since the last reporting period, the Committee should be alert to the myriad ways racism and discrimination have been embedded in legislation and policy practice, rather than tackled by successive governments.

“The new UK government must not move forward attempting piecemeal reform, it must reset the national debate and make tackling institutional racism and inequality foundational to its missions and ensure we do not vilify but protect some of the most marginalised people in the UK.”

The spark of this month’s rioting by racist groups and individuals was misinformation spread online around the identity of the teenager charged with the murder of three young girls, who were killed at a dance event for children in Southport.

After an initial week of violence more recent racist and far right events have been diffused through a stronger police presence, swift sentencing and peaceful demonstrations staged by anti-racist groups.

During the violence Mosques, businesses and charities were targeted, including Sunderland Citizens Advice. One of its offices was destroyed by fire during the riots and prompted a fundraiser to support the charity’s work, which has raised £18,000 as of Monday 12 August.

“As far-right thugs attack, harass and intimidate people of colour in the UK, there could be no more urgent time to address racial injustice,” added Runnymede Trust head of policy Alba Kapoor.

“People of colour have faced a rowback on their civil and political rights over the past five years. From the inhumane changes to our asylum system, to the introduction of legislation that restricts protest rights and ramps up harmful policing powers, it is time to shift the dial.

“This has been coupled with deep-rooted inequalities in access to housing, education and wealth - as the cost-of-living crisis bites.

“It is scandalous that in 2024 people of colour, children included, are facing these levels of poverty and deprivation. These are structural issues and will need radical solutions to undo them.

“This new government must act to end the othering of migrant communities and people seeking asylum, and commit to meaningful structural changes that address deep rooted inequalities in our society.

“Our submission to the Committee highlights key recommendations to take forward in order for that to happen.”

No Pasarán! Stop the far-right in Belfast – Declan Kearly MLA

13th August 2024Leave a Commenton No Pasarán! Stop the far-right in Belfast – Declan Kearly MLA

“The people of Antrim, and Sinn Féin, are focused on building a better, brighter future for all our people. We will reject the efforts of sectarian and racist extremists to stop us from moving forward.”

By Declan Kearney MLA

While the calls to bring people onto the streets for anti-immigrant demonstrations in recent days at various locations across the north, including Antrim Town, failed as effective mobilisations, the seriousness of their underlying racist motivation should not be underestimated.

The attempt to stage an anti-immigrant march in Antrim Town may have received limited support, but it represents the latest in a series of attempts by racist and sectarian extremists to stir up tensions. For over two months now, a systematic campaign of racist and sectarian intimidation has been conducted in the town itself and surrounding area.

This began with the placing of racist posters in the greater Ballycraigy neighbourhood. That was quickly followed by the erection of flags and painting of graffiti in a still unoccupied social housing development. As a result, some of those due to be housed there were too frightened to take up occupancy.

Elsewhere, international health workers were intimidated from their homes and have since left employment in the Northern Trust. The attacks on homes and property belonging to these workers is outrageous. The subsequent erection of flags, painting of kerbstones and vandalising of homes is part of an orchestrated campaign to impose sectarian and racial segregation.

A gang of self-styled paramilitary criminals are trying to control and coerce the Ballycraigy neighbourhood. For decades, they have been involved in drug crime and other forms of criminality, including serious sectarian violence. They are sectarian, racist, criminal extremists. This gang is now trying to destroy the good community and multicultural relations enjoyed in Antrim Town.

At the end of June, flags were festooned in shared communal areas such as the vicinity of St Comgall’s Church, the Chapel Corner, and Tesco shopping complex. Almost six weeks later these flags remain in place. Subsequently, neo-Nazi and fascist graffiti appeared in other shared space areas across Antrim. A minority of bigots deliberately sought to whip up sectarian and racial tensions in the lead up to the 12th July. This culminated in the construction of illegal bonfires, with toxic and flammable materials again on land owned by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and Choice Housing Association.

At these locations and other bonfire sites in Ballycraigy, and also in Randalstown (the latter being supported by the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council (ANBC) Bonfire Management Programme) Irish and Palestinian national flags, cultural emblems and in the case of Mallusk Gardens, Sinn Féin election posters, were burned. The burning of materials in Neillsbrook and Ballycraigy was a clear breach of the ANBC protocols, and for the second consecutive year.

All this behaviour happens in violation of the rule of law and total disrespect for good relations. Despite repeated representations by Sinn Féin and the best endeavours of the PSNI, other public bodies failed again to prevent illegal bonfires and resultant acts of racist and sectarian hatred from occurring. Persistent inaction by public bodies empowers the small number of criminals to act with impunity. What happened on the ‘11th night’ cannot be dissociated from the preceding weeks of intimidation.

A line now needs to be drawn. Those who caused this racist and sectarian hatred are beyond the pale. We as a community must support the police to put the criminals responsible before the courts. However, the failure of public bodies to discharge their powers and work together to take effective enforcement action is unacceptable.

The Flags, Identity, Culture and Traditions (FICT) report sought to address many of these issues. It is not a panacea, but it does provide a road map to address causes of division. An action plan for it now needs to be published. The power sharing Executive’s Racial Equality Strategy needs additional resourcing and political support to more effectively tackle racial prejudice and inequalities in the north. Robust resolutions to the scourge of sectarian and racist hate crime will only be achieved with categoric legal authority and proper enforcement.

The people of Antrim, and Sinn Féin are focused on building a better, brighter future for all our people. We will reject the efforts of sectarian and racist extremists to stop us from moving forward. This is Antrim 2024, not Alabama 1964. Political, community, and trade union activists must continue to provide the leadership which is needed. On Saturday Sinn Féin activists and local people in South Belfast demonstrated exemplary community based action against these bigots.

Our collective priority must be on promoting an inclusive, welcoming, multicultural society, with anti-sectarianism and anti-racism at its core. That is the message which must be heard and fearlessly delivered, not only in Antrim Town and Belfast, but throughout Ireland, north and south.

No Pasarán!

---

• Declan Kearney is an MLA for South Antrim and National Chair of Sinn Féin. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram.
• This was originally published in the August 2024 Sinn Féin Bulletin.

Belfast charity boss: ‘I’ve never seen this level of fear’



Darren Ferguson of organisation Beyond Skin

Niamh Campbell

BELFAST TELEGRAPH

Today 

The founder of a multi-cultural peacebuilding organisation in Belfast said he has “never seen this level of fear” when it comes to racism and hate crimes in Northern Ireland

Darren Ferguson set up Beyond Skin 20 years ago. Now a fully fledged charity, it uses music, arts and new media as a tool for cultural education and exchange in an aim to address issues of racism and sectarianism.

Beyond Skin was created in 2004, when NI had hit the headlines for being described by leading European publications as the “racist capital of Europe”.

While Mr Ferguson believes the majority of people here have come a long way from that, he said: “Belfast has always been two steps forward, one step back.

“What we’ve seen recently is incredibly worrying and sad for our city,” he continued.

“Everybody is terrified. I was brought to tears when I was listening to a mother today — she’s lived here all her life, she’s from the black community, and her children are scared to go out on the street and play with other children now. It’s a level of fear which I have never seen before, and I’ve lived here all my life.

“This does not represent Northern Ireland at all, but the problem is this minority is armed and causing violence and that fear is hard to counteract. People have hammers in their hands; they want to hurt people and that’s what is causing fear.”

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Beyond Skin often works with asylum seekers, particularly from the Middle East and African regions.

Mr Ferguson said many of their stories are “horrific” already, without having to now face hatred in a country in which they often have no family or friends to rely on.

“Every single one of them seeking safety has the most horrific story and I don’t think we have a clue about how that feels. You are here in a country which does not have your first language.

“For example, Afghan women coming here — the Taliban are vicious and threatening, they’ve had to flee from that. And then they are facing this level of hatred.

“We have quite a number of people in Northern Ireland who served in Afghanistan, protecting girls going to school, so why would you not protect them here on your own shores? That doesn’t match up for me at all.”

PSNI given ‘special powers’ while Belfast businesses to close early as city gears up for potential disorder

The PSNI has said that there is “no doubt” that there was loyalist paramilitary involvement in recent rioting in Belfast. Mr Ferguson believes it is also important to be “sensitive” when generalising one community as a whole.

“We are one of the very few organisations that bring together people of ethnic minorities, people seeking refuge, and people from the loyalist community, making music. That’s ongoing and we have always embraced different communities and they've always worked together, through the arts.

“There are really high-calibre artists and musicians who have arrived, who want to contribute to our creative economies. I am just back from Peter Gabriel’s WOMAD Festival in England with two Afghan girls.

“We’ve got to be clear that these are not anti-immigration protests; it’s racist hate violence we are seeing on the streets now. This is sheer racism.

“Paramilitaries and the far-right are very blurred, and Northern Ireland has a history of violence and intimidation from white paramilitaries. That’s the people we don’t want here. Everybody else is welcome. That distortion is crazy.

“I think we have to be really careful about how we tar communities with one brush. We’ve been working extensively with the loyalist community, which is very diverse like any community. There’s a few bad eggs in there, but a lot of good people, who have helped us out and offered homes for refugees.”

Two polar bears kill worker at remote Canadian radar site in rare attack

Nasittuq Corp., which operates and maintains radar sites for Canada’s government, confirmed the death in last week’s polar bear attack on Brevoort Island, Nunavut.

By Victoria Bisset
August 13, 2024 

Two polar bears killed a worker at a remote radar site in Canada’s Arctic region last week, the facility operator said — promising a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the exceedingly rare fatal attack.

The Nasittuq Corporation, which operates and maintains radar sites for the Canadian government in the north of the country, confirmed in a statement the death of an employee in last week’s attack on Brevoort Island, in the far-northeastern territory of Nunavut. Other workers responded to the scene and killed one of the bears, the company added.

Nasittuq, which did not release the victim’s name, said the “safety and well-being of our employees is our highest priority.”

“We are working closely with local authorities and regulatory agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident,” the company said.

There are estimated to be more than 17,000 polar bears in Canada, making up two-thirds of the global population, according to the Canadian government.

The United States has designated the polar bear as a threatened species because of its shrinking habitat; in Canada, the polar bear is listed as a species of special concern. The loss of sea ice is considered a primary threat to polar bears as scientists warn global warming is melting their hunting and breeding grounds — although authorities in Canada say the “forecasted timeline and severity associated with this threat differ” in different parts of the country.

Last year, in a separate incident, a polar bear chased residents near a school in a small village in Alaska, killing a woman and her 1-year-old son.

Other polar bear attacks have taken place in the vast, mostly empty Arctic territory of Nunavut in recent years, including on a 70-year-old man and his daughter who were injured in an attack in 2023 and three adults who survived an attack in 2021, according to Canadian media reports. In 2018, officials said a mother polar bear and her cub killed a man and injured two others in Nunavut, leading authorities to destroy a number of bears, CBC News reported at the time.

There were 73 documented attacks by wild polar bears across Canada, Greenland, Norway, Russia and the United States between 1870 and 2014, resulting in 20 human deaths, according to a 2017 study by researchers from wildlife and polar institutes from several countries.

Ellen Francis and Dino Grandoni contributed to this report.

Beijing admits Hong Kong-flagged ship destroyed key Baltic gas pipeline ‘by accident’

Beijing passed on findings to Finland and Estonia which are conducting criminal probes into incident 

Finbarr Berminghamin

 Brussels
12 Aug 2024
SCMP

Beijing has admitted that a Chinese-owned ship damaged a critical Baltic Sea gas pipeline running between Estonia and Finland last October, but says it was an accident.

The South China Morning Post understands that the Chinese authorities conducted an internal investigation and recently communicated the results to governments in the European countries.

The Chinese-language report said the accident was the result of a strong storm.

Both countries are still carrying out a joint criminal inquiry centred on the NewNew Polar Bear, a container ship that was flying the Hong Kong flag at the time of the event. Its registered owner is the Chinese mainland firm NewNew Shipping Line.

While it is understood that the report is circulating in various ministries, it is not submissible as official evidence in the investigations. Authorities in both capitals urged Beijing to respond to their urgent requests for information on the ship.


A spokeswoman for the Estonian prosecutor said the document had not been sent to that office and that it “can’t be used as evidence in an Estonian criminal investigation” in any case.

“We submitted a legal aid request to the Chinese authorities to gather evidence from the vessel and its crew,” said Kairi Küngas, its head of public relations.

“In order to execute the legal aid request, the Chinese authorities can carry out the investigative operations by themselves or involve Estonian investigators, although all activities conducted on Chinese territory must conform to local legislation.

“The Chinese authorities have not provided a response on executing the legal aid request as of yet.”

Finnish border guards captured an image of the New Polar Bear in October last year. Photo: Reuters

A spokeswoman for the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) declined to confirm whether it had received a document, but said its own inquiry was ongoing.

“During the investigation, co-operation with the Chinese authorities has been done and among others NBI has submitted a request for legal assistance to the competent Chinese authorities,” said Anna Zareff, NBI’s head of communications, in a written statement.

“It must be stated that the investigation is still ongoing and final conclusions, what was behind these incidents (technical failure–negligence/poor seamanship–deliberate act), can be made only after all necessary investigative measures have been finalised and this will still take some time,” her statement said.

The Chinese foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

Speaking to Finnish media on Monday, the country’s foreign minister Elina Valtonen said: “We constantly cooperate with China and exchange information, but we do not go into details, because the investigation is still in progress.”

Authorities in the two EU member states have said that the ship dragged its anchor along the seabed, slicing through a crucial gas cable and also damaging two telecoms cables running between the two countries on the night of October 7 or morning of October 8.

Statements from Finnish investigators at the time described a “1.5 to 4 metre-wide [5-13ft] dragging trail” leading to the “point of damage in the gas pipeline”.

“In the distance of a few metres from the gas pipeline damage point, there was an anchor which is believed to have caused the wide dragging trail and the damage itself,” the October 24 statement said.

It added that once the anchor was lifted, there were “traces in it which indicate it had been in contact with the gas pipeline”.

Finland and Estonia say the pipeline was severed by the ship’s anchor being dragged along the seabed. 

The 77km (48-mile) Balticconnector pipeline is a key source of energy for Finland.

Sources said the Chinese-language report claimed to have been conducted in line with International Maritime Organization rules.

The Chinese Ministry of Justice has yet to respond to detailed queries from Estonia and Finland. It is understood there has been willingness voiced to comply with the European probes at a later date.

That assurance came in response to comments by Estonia’s state prosecutor Triinu Olev in May that Beijing had yet to provide any information.

“We need to collect additional evidence to determine whether the damage was caused intentionally or by accident,” Olev said at the time.

After the incident, the NewNew Polar Bear sailed to St Petersburg, and was subsequently photographed in the Arkhangelsk region of Russia, before eventually docking in Tianjin.

Last November, the Finnish authorities said Beijing had pledged to fully cooperate with the investigation and in January then-president Sauli Niinisto held what Helsinki described as “constructive” talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping about the damaged pipeline.

‘Powerful explosions’ caused Nord Stream leaks, Danish authorities say

The October incident came at a time of heightened suspicion among Baltic states towards China, largely due to its close ties with Russia in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. This closeness towards Moscow has also caused a more general deterioration in relations with the European Union.

The damage to the pipeline also raised further alarm about the vulnerability of undersea infrastructure.

It followed the destruction of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines connecting Russia and Germany in September 2022 in a series of explosions that have yet to be explained.

UN failed in its mission to establish Palestinian state: Abbas

Palestinian president says his people remain steadfast in their struggle, enduring hardships with patience and relying on humanitarian support

Elena Teslova |13.08.2024

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrives at Airport

 ahead of his official visits in Moscow, Russia on August 12, 2024.

MOSCOW

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday criticized the UN for failing to help establish a Palestinian state, and blaming this failure on US pressure.

"The UN has failed in its mission to provide a single solution or adopt a resolution that would ensure the realization of the Palestinian people's right to statehood," Abbas said during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

"Due to US pressure, the UN was unable to fulfill its mission of providing a solution or adopting a resolution that would secure the rights of the Palestinian people," said Abbas, in Russia ahead of a visit to Türkiye, where he is set to give an address to the Turkish parliament on Thursday.

Abbas expressed appreciation for the longstanding Russian-Palestinian cooperation, saying that his nation has benefited from Russia's support over the decades.

Abbas also cited last month’s decision by the UN’s International Court of Justice declaring the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands "illegal" and calling on Israel to cease actions that violate international law.

Decrying the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, he said: "More than 40,000 people have been killed since October, around 80,000 have been injured, and over 15,000 are missing. This is the reality in Gaza, along with the situation in Jerusalem and the West Bank."

The Palestinian people remain steadfast in their struggle, he said, enduring hardships with patience and relying on humanitarian support.

Palestine 'focus' of Russia's attention

Putin acknowledged the challenges facing Russia, saying: "Russia today must defend its interests and its people with weapons in hand. But what is happening in the Middle East, particularly in Palestine, remains a focus of our attention."

"We are watching with pain and anxiety the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Palestine," he added.

Putin said Russia has provided approximately 700 metric tons (772 tons) of humanitarian assistance to Palestine and continues to use every opportunity to support the Palestinian people.

"Our primary concern is civilian casualties, as according to the latest data, the death toll has reached 40,000, with the majority being women and children," Putin stressed.

Putin reaffirmed Russia's commitment to a peaceful resolution, saying the roots of the Israeli-Palestinian crisis lie in the failure to implement decisions for the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

"We believe that lasting, stable peace in the region requires full implementation of all United Nations resolutions, particularly for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state," he said.

ISLAMOPHOBIC POLITICAL PERSECUTION
UK charges pro-Palestine group members under terrorism law

Palestine Action members are accused of burglary, violent disorder at building belonging to Israeli defence firm Elbit.

Pro-Palestine group says its action is aimed at undermining Elbit’s profiteering from Israel's war on Gaza [File: Carl Recine/Reuters]

AL JAZEERA

Published On 13 Aug 2024

British counterterrorism police have charged seven people with violent disorder over a break-in at a building belonging to Israeli defence firm Elbit in southwest England.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Tuesday that seven people, aged between 20 and 51, have been charged with criminal damage, violent disorder and aggravated burglary over an incident at the Elbit Systems premises in South Gloucestershire on August 6.

‘Prejudice, Islamophobia’: Free speech fears as UK redefines extremism

“On the facts of this case, the CPS will be submitting to the court that these offences have a terrorist connection,” the CPS said in a statement.

Members of Palestine Action were due to appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court later on Tuesday.

Avon and Somerset Police said the group forced its way into the building and “seriously assaulted” staff after smashing the gate with a vehicle and driving into the compound.

Palestine Action rejected allegations of violence against police and security staff and said the authorities had launched a “smear campaign” to prejudice the outcome of the trial and “lay the groundwork for the police unjust use of authoritarian powers”.

“We refuse to be intimidated into allowing a genocide to happen,” it said in a statement.

On its website, the group describes itself as aimed at “dismantling British complicity with Israeli apartheid”.

It adds that “direct action against Elbit aims to disrupt this: targeting the source of colonial violence and genocide against the Palestinian people, undermining Elbit’s profiteering from Israel’s daily massacres”.

Israel’s largest arms manufacturer is known to supply some 85 percent of the land and air munitions used by its military.

Elbit says on its website that its United Kingdom subsidiary employs 680 people at 16 sites, working on multiple programmes for the British military.

Since its formation in 2020, Palestine Action has forced the permanent closure of Elbit’s Oldham factory and pushed the company to abandon its London headquarters.

In 2022, the group’s protest action led to the dissolution of contracts worth 280 million pounds ($358m) between the UK Ministry of Defence and Elbit Systems and prompted several British and European companies to cut ties with Elbit permanently.

Seven charged under terror laws over protest at Israeli-based firm’s UK site

Rajeev Syal

THE GUARDIAN
Tue, 13 August 2024 


The protest happened at the Elbit Systems UK building near Patchway, Gloucestershire, on 6 August.Photograph: Baz Ratner/Reuters

Seven people have been charged using terror laws over a Palestine Action protest at an Israeli-based defence firm’s site, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

The incident happened at the Elbit Systems UK building near Patchway, Gloucestershire, on 6 August. The CPS said it would be submitting to the court that the offences had a “terrorist connection”.

Avon and Somerset police said a group of people forced their way into the building, using a vehicle to smash through the doors, before employees were “seriously assaulted”.

The force said two of its officers who attended the disruption were also “seriously assaulted in the course of their duties”.

Palestine Action have issued a statement saying the police and CPS claims are designed to prejudice opinion and legal proceedings against activists.

Video footage shared by the group last week showed activists spraying red paint and using sledgehammers to damage machinery inside the facility.

Samuel Corner, 22, has been charged with criminal damage, violent disorder, aggravated burglary, grievous bodily harm with intent and two counts of actual bodily harm.

Jordan Devlin, 30, Charlotte Head, 28, Leona Kameo, 28, Fatema Rajwani, 20, and Zoe Rogers, 20, have all been charged with criminal damage, violent disorder and aggravated burglary.

Hannah Davidson, 51, has been charged with criminal damage and aggravated burglary.

They were all charged by Counter Terrorism Policing South East, which is leading the investigation, and will appear at Westminster magistrates court on Tuesday.

A 45-year-old man from Warwickshire remains in custody on suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 after magistrates granted a warrant allowing detectives to further question him until Friday.

A 33-year-old man from Manchester also remains in custody on suspicion of the same offence, with magistrates granting detectives a warrant to question him until Saturday.

Supt Dan Forster, the north-east area commander for Avon and Somerset police, said: “At this stage, it appears those involved have travelled into the Avon and Somerset police area from other parts of the country to commit these serious offences.

“We’re not aware of any wider risk to the local community in South Gloucestershire, or any other part of our force area, but we’d encourage anyone with concerns to speak with a member of their neighbourhood policing team, either through 101 or through our website.”

A statement released by Palestine Action on social media said: “As well as detaining them under unprecedented powers, police have launched a smear campaign against the detained actionists alleging violence against police and security guards.

“The activists are unable to respond to these claims … Palestine Action contends that these statements are designed to prejudice opinion and legal proceedings against activists and the lay the groundwork for the police’s unjust use of authoritarian powers.”

UK

Activists and legal experts criticize Labour’s mixed signals and call for clarity on sales of weapons to Israel

Rabia Ali |13.08.2024 - 




-Activists and legal experts criticize Labour’s mixed signals and call for clarity on sales of weapons to Israel

- ‘Full extent of UK’s complicity remains shrouded in secrecy,’ says Zaki Sarraf of the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians

- If a country stops giving weapons to Israel now, it ‘will not retroactively absolve that state of complicity in past violations of international humanitarian law,’ says ex-ICJ staffer Michael Becker

- UK officials could face cases of ‘aiding and abetting in terms of individual criminal liability at the International Criminal Court,’ says law professor Gerhard Kemp

ISTANBUL

On Saturday, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy posted a statement on X condemning the “tragic loss of life” in an Israeli attack on a school in Gaza, its most recent strike on a shelter for forcibly displaced Palestinians that killed at least 100 people, including women and children.

His post opened a floodgate of stinging criticism, as users called out Lammy and the UK government for being complicit in Israel’s ongoing atrocities, both through diplomatic cover and unabated weapons supplies.

Two days later, the same thing happened when Prime Minister Keir Starmer put up a joint statement with France and Germany in support of cease-fire negotiations expected to resume this month.

The sentiments expressed in those comments are grounded in reality, echoing what advocacy groups, rights watchdogs and legal advisers have been saying for months.

The UK remains a key supplier of weapons to Israel, with British defense industry exports over the past few years running in hundreds of millions of dollars.

Throughout Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, where it has now killed almost 40,000 Palestinians and wounded nearly 92,200, the UK government has faced immense domestic pressure to stop selling weapons to Israel, a step taken by countries such as Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Japan.

While the Conservative government led by Rishi Sunak paid little heed to the demands, Starmer and Labour indicated when taking over that their stance could be different.

Recent British media reports even claimed that the Labour government has imposed a secret embargo on weapons transfers to Israel, but a government spokesperson shot down the idea, saying “there has been no change to our approach to export licenses to Israel.”

Amid the confusion and mixed signals, rights organizations and legal experts are pushing the UK government to clarify its position, reiterating that its actions contradict its apparent position in favor of a cease-fire and place it at risk of charges of complicity in Israel’s deadly war.

“The UK government persists in issuing empty statements urging Israel to comply with international law,” Zaki Sarraf, legal officer at the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP), told Anadolu.

“Anything short of an immediate arms embargo would indicate that the UK has no qualms facilitating war crimes, so long as they are committed by an ally.”

‘Shrouded in secrecy’

According to the UK-based Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), “15% of every F-35 that Israel is using to bombard Gaza is made by British industry.”

The advocacy group estimates the value of these components to be worth at least £336 million (around $430 million) since 2016.

BAE Systems is the biggest UK company in the F-35 program, but many other UK companies are also involved, such as Martin-Baker and L3Harris, according to CAAT.

Regarding munitions, the group said American firm Lockheed Martin’s MLRS M270 rocket launcher “is built in Europe by an international consortium of companies from France, Germany, Italy and UK.”

According to data from the UK Department for Business and Trade, over 100 export licenses have been approved for the sale of arms, military equipment, and other controlled goods to Israel since Oct. 7 last year.

As of this May, the number of existing export licenses for arms and military equipment “with Israel as the destination” stood at 345.

“As well as providing political cover for Israel, the UK has continued to export weapons and components that Israel has deployed against Palestinians with devastating effect, such as F-35 aircraft dropping 2,000-pound bombs on civilian targets in Gaza,” Sarraf told Anadolu.

He emphasized that the “full extent of the UK’s complicity remains shrouded in secrecy.”

“British spy planes, specialized in target acquisition, have been flying over Gaza since December 2023. They are ostensibly providing intelligence to Israel for hostage recovery, but the government has repeatedly refused to confirm whether this intelligence has been used by Israel for its brutal military actions against Palestinians,” he said.

Sarraf said the ICJP is investigating private individuals and British ministers, and has filed complaints with Scotland Yard’s War Crimes Unit “to initiate legal proceedings against those complicit under UK and international law.”

Additionally, the center is supporting the judicial review brought by the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) and Palestinian rights group Al-Haq against the UK trade secretary for the continued issuance of arms export licenses to Israel, he added.

Stopping sales ‘will not retroactively absolve’ UK

On the question of complicity, legal expert Michael Becker said “third states, including the UK, might themselves face liability or be deemed responsible” if the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or another competent court finds Israel guilty of violating international humanitarian law (IHL) or the Genocide Convention.

“As a legal matter, there is some debate about whether complicity (in genocide) requires weapons to have been provided with both the knowledge that they will be used to commit genocide and also the intent that they be used for that purpose,” explained Becker, a former ICJ staffer.

“The better view, however, is that full knowledge that the weapons will be used to perpetrate genocide is sufficient.”

He said the ICJ has “referred in its past case law to the possibility of a finding against a state for complicity in genocide.”

Regarding complicity in war crimes, he said: “If the UK or another state provides weapons or bombs to Israel while knowing that there is a substantial risk that Israel will use those weapons or bombs in ways that violate IHL, this could lead to liability for complicity in violations of IHL.”

In this situation, it would not matter if the country “that supplies weapons to Israel intended for such weapons to be used unlawfully,” he said.

To a question about whether the UK could evade the threat of complicity if it halts weapons supplies to Israel, Becker explained that such a step would “only provide protection from liability going forward.”

“If the UK or another state that has been supplying weapons or bombs to Israel suspends that support now, this will not retroactively absolve that state of complicity in past violations of IHL,” he said.

“The question will be at what point did the state know, or at what point should the state have known, that weapons or bombs would likely be used in ways that violate IHL. If that threshold was met eight months ago, the UK could still be found complicit in Israel’s actions over that time period, up until the transfer of weapons was suspended.”

Could ICC charge British officials?

For legal scholar Gerhard Kemp, a more realistic approach to the legal question “is to look at possible cases of aiding and abetting in terms of individual criminal liability at the International Criminal Court (ICC).”

“For example, if British officials allow weapons to be delivered to Israel, while they know that there is a plausible case of war crimes and other serious crimes under international law against Israeli leaders, and that the weapons will be used in Gaza, then one could make the case that the British officials are potentially aiding and abetting the commission of war crimes in Gaza,” Kemp, a law professor at the University of the West of England, Bristol, told Anadolu.

He said the UK’s domestic laws “are designed to prevent weapons being delivered to entities and countries involved in the commission of war crimes and other international crimes (including genocide).”

“With what we currently know from the information before the ICC … together with what we know from the genocide case before the ICJ, I think it is clear that there is a substantial risk that UK weapons deliveries to Israel will not only potentially violate domestic UK law, but also international law, and with potential liability for aiding and abetting,” said Kemp.