Moldova's president warns of Russian interference threat ahead of parliament election
'The Russian Federation wants to control the Republic of Moldova from autumn onwards and is preparing unprecedented interference in the September elections,' she told a press briefing in Chisinau.
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Arab News
4 days ago
- Arab News
Pakistani opposition alliance says government trying to ‘eliminate' rivals, calls for joint strategy
ISLAMABAD: A coalition of prominent Pakistani opposition leaders on Friday called for a unified political strategy to address what they described as a systematic effort to eliminate dissent, condemning recent convictions related to the May 9, 2023, riots and rejecting the legitimacy of the 2024 general elections. The two-day multiparty conference was convened by the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) — or Movement for the Protection of Pakistan's Constitution — a newly formed alliance of politicians, lawyers and civil society leaders advocating for constitutional supremacy and civilian rule. Established earlier this year, TTAP is chaired by veteran Pashtun leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai and held its gathering in Islamabad at the residence of former senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, who said the capital administration had attempted to block the event by sealing off its original venue. 'There is a clear attempt to eliminate the opposition in this country,' Khokhar said toward the end of the gathering, adding: 'All parties at the conference unanimously agreed that a comprehensive and joint strategy is urgently needed to steer the country out of this crisis.' The conference condemned the convictions handed down to the leaders and supporters of the country's jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party over their alleged role in the May 9 unrest. The protests, triggered by Khan's brief detention by paramilitary rangers on corruption charges, turned violent, with attacks on military installations across the country. An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan convicted the leaders of the opposition in the National Assembly and Senate on charges of being involved in the unrest, though the PTI has frequently described such cases and convictions as politically motivated. The government, however, said all those who were sentenced were given fair trials within the legal and constitutional framework. 'Fair trials were conducted in the May 9 cases in accordance with the law,' Information Minister Ata Tarar asserted in a televised statement following the opposition alliance's news conference. 'The proceedings lasted two full years, during which the prosecution presented its arguments and evidence.' The multiparty conference participants also denounced the imprisonment of Khan and his wife, Bushra Imran, and demanded their immediate release. The declaration agreed at the gathering also accused the government of 'fascism and political victimization' and rejected the outcome of the 2024 elections as fraudulent. It also called for repealing the 26th Amendment, which curtailed judicial autonomy by expanding parliamentary oversight of appointments, saying it had undermined judicial independence in Pakistan, and expressed solidarity with six Islamabad High Court judges who had spoken out against institutional interference. Tarar, however, dismissed the opposition's assertions, saying the participants of the conference 'had neither arguments nor facts.' 'Whenever a foreign visit to Pakistan is about to begin, especially by a foreign head of state, such actions are taken to sabotage it and damage the country's economy,' he added, noting that the conference came just ahead of the Iranian president's visit to Pakistan on Saturday.
Asharq Al-Awsat
4 days ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Russia Claims Capture of Chasiv Yar after 16-Month Battle
Russia said on Thursday it had captured the town of Chasiv Yar in eastern Ukraine after nearly 16 months of fighting, opening the way for potential further advances. Russia's Defense Ministry said in a brief statement its forces had "liberated" the town. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dismissed the claim as "disinformation". A Ukrainian military spokesperson called it "propaganda". But a video posted by a Russian military unit and verified by Reuters showed a Russian paratroop banner and the national flag being raised by soldiers in the desolate ruins of the town. Russia has been slowly grinding forward in eastern Ukraine as talks to end the 3-1/2 year war have failed to make progress towards a ceasefire, prompting US President Donald Trump to threaten new sanctions on Russia and buyers of its exports from next week. Moscow's forces are also mounting intense pressure on the city of Pokrovsk, 60 km (37 miles) southwest of Chasiv Yar. Military analyst Emil Kastehelmi, co-founder of the Finland-based Black Bird Group, said it was likely that battles were continuing near Chasiv Yar. "The terrain of Chasiv Yar has favored the defender. Forested areas, waterways, hills and a varied building stock have enabled Ukraine to conduct a defensive operation lasting over a year, in which the Russians have made minimal monthly progress," he told Reuters. GRADUAL ADVANCE Kastehelmi said it was likely that the town's fall, if confirmed, would create conditions for Russia to advance further in eastern Ukraine, but still only gradually. "The fall of the city to the enemy is nevertheless a challenging situation for Ukraine, as it will bring the Russians closer to Kostiantynivka, which Russia is now approaching from several directions," he said. "The logistics in the area will also be affected, as Russians can bring drone teams even closer." Zelenskiy, in his nightly video address, said Ukrainian units around Chasiv Yar were "defending our positions. Every Russian attempt at advancing in Donetsk region, in Sumy, in Kharkiv is thwarted in the end." Quoting a report from top Ukrainian commander Oleksandr Syrskyi, Zelenskiy said the most intensive battles were still near Pokrovsk. Ukrainian forces, he said, were repelling Russian sabotage and reconnaissance parties. The popular Ukrainian blog DeepState, which uses open-source materials to track the movements of Russian forces, also denied that Moscow's forces were in control of Chasiv Yar. The battle for Chasiv Yar began in April last year, when Russian paratroopers reached its eastern edge. Russian state media reported then that Russian soldiers had begun phoning their Ukrainian counterparts inside the town to demand they surrender or be wiped out by aerial guided bombs. The town, now destroyed, had a pre-war population of more than 12,000 and its economy was based around a factory that produced reinforced concrete products and clay used in bricks. It lies just west of Bakhmut, which Russia captured in 2023 after one of the bloodiest battles of the war.
Al Arabiya
5 days ago
- Al Arabiya
Putin signs law that fines Russians for searching ‘extremist' content online
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday put his signature to a law that fines internet users who search for web pages, books, artwork or music albums that authorities deem 'extremist.' The law, slammed by critics as another dangerous attack on freedom of thought and expression in Russia, introduces fines of up to 5,000 rubles ($64) on anyone found to have deliberately searched for, or gained access to, material listed as 'extremist materials.' More than 5,000 entries are on the official list, including songs praising Ukraine, blog posts by feminist rock band Pussy Riot and websites critical of Putin. Lawmakers in the lower house State Duma backed the bill earlier this month despite rare opposition from two parliamentary groups. Russian opposition politician Boris Nadezhdin, who organized a protest against the bill, said it was like 'something out of 1984' – a reference to George Orwell's novel about a totalitarian superstate. 'This law punishes thought crimes,' he told AFP earlier this month. The law also bans advertising for virtual private networks (VPNs) and imposes fines for transferring SIM cards to another person, both ways of browsing with more privacy. Many Russian users continue to access websites banned by the state via VPN services that allow them to get around state blocks. offensive in Ukraine in 2022. It has blocked access to dozens of Western sites, including Facebook and Instagram.
