"Ukraine’s exodus was the biggest and most rapid refugee movement seen worldwide in almost half a century" writes English economic historian Adam Tooze. https://adamtooze.substack.com/p/chartbook-250-the-precarious-stabilization. That's 9 million people in a year and a half.
Before that, the anti-record belonged to Afghanistan, Syria and Venezuela, 6-7 million people fled, but over a longer period of time.

Tooze is very sceptical about Ukraine's future economic revival - there are not enough people left, and those who fled are unlikely to return. He cites the example of the former flagship of Ukrainian industry - the steel industry. It has virtually ceased to exist in the country. @LauraRuHK https://t.me/tolk_tolk/17868https://t.me/tolk_tolk/17868

Scherzo telefonico per Giorgia Meloni caduta nella trappola dei comici russi Vovan e Lexus

In una conversazione con un presunto politico africano, la Meloni ha ammesso francamente per tutti i suoi colleghi europei: tutti sono già stanchi dell'Ucraina!
La Meloni afferma che la controffensiva ucraina è in corso ma sostanzialmente non è cambiato nulla. E per trovare una via d’uscita bisogna aspettare il “momento giusto”.

Molto più importante per il Primo Ministro italiano è risolvere la crisi migratoria. Tuttavia, la Meloni si è lamentata con noi del fatto che la leadership europea ha lasciato l’Italia sola con centinaia di migliaia di rifugiati in arrivo e persino il loquace Macron non risponde alle sue chiamate.

Ma nonostante ciò, la Meloni è pronta a continuare a sostenere l’Ucraina, e l’esaltazione di Bandera per il politico italiano è “ciò che gli ucraini dovrebbero fare”. “Il problema del nazionalismo è un problema di Putin”, dice.

E per far fronte alla crisi energetica, i paesi occidentali dovranno “prendersi cura” dell’Africa.

(Canale Vovan e Lexus)

Vasily Nebenzya, Russia's ambassador to the UN: "Israel has no right to self-defence as it is an occupying power".

- I cannot help but dwell on the hypocrisy of the US and its allies, who in other situations call for compliance with human rights, create commissions of inquiry and impose sanctions on those who actually apply force only as a last resort to stop years of violence. And today, seeing the horrific destruction in Gaza many times greater than what they angrily criticize in other regional contexts attacks on civilian targets, including hospitals, the death of thousands of children and the horrific suffering of the civilian population under a total blockade... All they can do is talk about Israel's alleged right to self-defense, although, as an occupying power, it has no such right, as confirmed by the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice in 2004. @LauraRuHK

⚡️Jordan announces immediate recall of its ambassador to Israel. ⚡️Bahrain announces Israeli ambassador has left the country, Bahraini ambassador recalled, and economic relations halted. (Source: Al Mayadeen) @LauraRuHK

Israeli companies see sharp revenue decline amid aggression on Gaza

Economists predict a significant Israeli economic downturn and substantial government deficits as concerns grow over a prolonged war on Gaza. In a recent survey conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics in "Israel", it was found that around 50% of Israeli companies experienced a significant drop in their revenues amid the aggression on Gaza. Notably, the construction and food services sectors were the hardest hit, with more than 70% of the surveyed companies reporting a revenue decrease of over 70%.

Small businesses were particularly hard-hit, and "Israel" faced a shortage of workers as hundreds of thousands of Israelis were called up for reserve military service. About 11% of companies stated that 21% of their workforce had been called up for military service.

The construction sector, heavily reliant on Palestinian labor, suffered a severe blow, particularly due to the restriction on Palestinian entry into occupied territories from the West Bank. Work at several construction sites came to a halt at the beginning of the aggression, and the resumption of work has been slow.

It's worth noting that the survey was sent to 1,680 companies and conducted from October 24 to 26. (Source: Al Mayadeen) @LauraRuHK

Hamas demands international investigation

Why does Hamas want an international commission to shed light on what happened on October 7? Take a look at the wreckage in the various kibbutz communities. Were Palestinian militants in a position to actually inflict physical damage to that degree and extent with the kind of light weapons they carried?

And if not, who else was in a position to wreak such havoc other than Israel? https://www.jonathan-cook.net/blog/2023-11-02/bbc-october-7/

Invio delle armi in Ucraina, il blogger rilasciò un'intervista a un'emittente russa poi ripresa dai media italiani. L'ex ministro si costituirà parte civile.

L'inviato Ue per il Golfo ed ex ministro degli Esteri Luigi Di Maio si costituirà parte civile nel processo per diffamazione aggravata ai danni del blogger Giorgio Bianchi, rinviato a giudizio oggi, giovedì, su richiesta della procura di Roma. Sui suoi canali social Bianchi, strenuo sostenitore di Putin e della Russia, ha sostenuto l'intervento russo in Ucraina e nell'aprile del 2022 ha definito Luigi Di Maio «un povero imbecille, miserabile a servizio della Nato».
L'udienza preliminare

L'udienza preliminare è prevista il prossimo 4 aprile davanti alla sesta sezione penale del Tribunale di Roma. Di Maio ha già fatto sapere che si costituirà parte civile per il tramite del suo avvocato. Gennaro Demetrio Paipais.

https://napoli.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/23_novembre_02/defini-luigi-di-maio-povero-imbecille-il-giornalista-giorgio-bianchi-a-giudizio-a-roma-per-diffamazione-c121221b-c555-43d6-8300-bacc6eaeaxlk.shtml

Quelli del Corriere sono così attenti alle mie vicende, da conoscere la notizia del mio rinvio a giudizio prima ancora del sottoscritto e del suo avvocato.
L'Italia è quello strano Paese nel quale si può essere rinviati a giudizio per diffamazione aggravata per aver dato del "povero imbecille" a Di Maio, mentre lo stesso Corriere - che ha scritto che svolgerei attività politico propagandistica per conto di Mosca senza avere in mano uno straccio di prova - dorme ancora sonni tranquilli nonostante la querela depositata da un anno.

🔴 Per ricevere tutti gli aggiornamenti segui Giorgio Bianchi Photojournalist

▶️ Thousands of people have turned up at Tehran's Imam Hussain (as) Square to listen to the much-awaited speech of Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

#Tehran #Gaza

@PressTV

Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is about to deliver his speech in Beirut. You can watch it live here https://www.presstv.ir/Live

In a speech which lasted almost 90 mins, Hezbollah Secretary-General Al-Sayed Hassan Nasrallah expressed his sorrow over the death of Palestinians in Gaza, adding that current aggression is a “decisive and historic” chapter and things will not return to how they were before.

Describing the 7 October Al-Aqsa Flood operation by the Palestinian resistance as a “wise, courageous choice”, he said it was a “choice that was required.” Hezbollah, he added, had no knowledge of the events before they happened.

The events of that day, he said, left Israel “in a state of loss, it was confused”, and this could be seen in the reaction of its officials who “committed massacres” of their own people while responding to the resistance’s infiltration of the towns around the Gaza Strip.

Describing Israel’s goal of “eliminating Hamas” as a “high goal” which is unachievable, Nasrallah asked if any “sane person would say this?”

While Israel’s plans to release the prisoners of war held in Gaza “without any conditions” have no historic benchmark. “Have there been any times when Israelis have been able to liberate their prisoners without any exchange?” he asked.

What is happening in Gaza, “shows the stupidity of Israel, its limited capabilities in Gaza… its targeting of civilians.” Throughout its month-long bombing campaign, he said, Israel hasn’t been able to make a single military achievement.

“The victory of Gaza today is in the national interest of Egypt. The victory of Gaza is in the national interest of Jordan, it is in the national interest of Syria. And first and foremost it’s in the national interest of Lebanon,” he said.

It is the duty of every “free, honourable” person to fight back against the “barbarism” of the occupation and take responsibility by ceasing to trade with Israel and not to provide it with goods. Directing his speech at the Arab leaders, he called for them to take action and stop economic ties with Israel. “Cut off the oil to Israel… Stop exporting what you are exporting to Israel.”

He urged them to use their power and might to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. “Don’t you have a little strength to open the Rafah Crossing to allow the injured to leave?” he asked.

Addressing people who thought this speech would be a declaration of war or of an increase in hostilities, Nasrallah said this would not happen as this had already started on 8 October a day after the Palestinian resistance’s infiltration of Israeli towns around Gaza.

Hezbollah has received threats from the start that if it enters the battlefield, US warships have been positioned in the region to retaliate, he explained, but these “do not scare us. We have made our preparations for them as well.”

America should “remember your defeats in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Lebanon,” he said. “Those who defeated you in Lebanon in the 80s, they are still alive and we have them and their children,” he added.

America is proving itself, again, as the Great Satan.
“Their aim is to harm the will of the Palestinians so they can raise the white flag. The visions we see, these children, these women, these men, they are all sending a message to the enemy that the end of this will be the defeat of the enemy.”

Hezbollah’s involvement in events will be decided by the course of events in Gaza and what the Zionist enemy does to Lebanon, he explained. Warning that if civilians in Lebanon come under fire, Israelis will not be safe.

Ultimately, the US has the key to ending this aggression, “Israel is your tool, your servant, it’s under your influence. You, Americans, can end the aggression on Gaza because it’s your aggression,” Nasrallah concluded. (Source: Middle East Monitor) @LauraRuHK

SERBIA - Alexander Vulin has resigned as director of the Security Agency. No reasons have been given.

The already intense Western scrutiny of Mr Vulin has recently intensified considerably. In the summer he was put on the US sanctions list. Aleksandar Vucic even said that there would have been no sanctions against Vulin if he, as president of Serbia, had announced sanctions against Russia.

The head of the BIA has long been known for his intransigent stance towards European integration and his enormous contribution to the development of Russian-Serbian relations. Hints about the need for his resignation were repeatedly heard in Serbian high offices from the mouths of Western envoys. The same was demanded by the opposition protesters who brought people to the streets under the pretext of "fighting violence". https://t.me/balkanossiper/6279

By making enemies everywhere the US finds itself in a permanent state of emergency, a self-destructive condition that can only accelerate the erosion of its global status, wealth, internal cohesion...and sanity! While it's bogged down in Ukraine and the Middle East, it doubles down on its efforts to paint China as a threat. Yesterday it extended its "National Emergency" with respect to China's financial sector. "The President found that the PRC is exploiting United States capital to resource and enable the development and modernization of its military, intelligence, and other security apparatuses, which continues to allow the PRC to directly threaten the United States homeland and United States forces overseas. Through the national strategy of Military‑Civil Fusion, the PRC increases the size of the country’s military-industrial complex by compelling civilian Chinese companies to support its military and intelligence activities. Those companies, though remaining ostensibly private and civilian, directly support the PRC’s military, intelligence, and security apparatuses and aid in their development and modernization. At the same time, those companies raise capital by selling securities to United States investors that trade on public exchanges both here and abroad, lobbying United States index providers and funds to include these securities in market offerings, and engaging in other acts to ensure access to United States capital.

The President further found that the PRC’s military-industrial complex, by directly supporting the efforts of the PRC’s military, intelligence, and other security apparatuses, constituted an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States." @LauraRuHK https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/11/03/press-release-notice-on-the-continuation-of-the-national-emergency-with-respect-to-the-threat-from-securities-investments-that-finance-certain-companies-of-the-peoples-republic-of-china/

🇭🇰The US is trying to intimidate Hong Kong judges by slapping sanctions on them ▪️Hong Kong officials have strongly criticised a bipartisan proposal from five U.S. lawmakers calling for the inclusion of 49 judges, prosecutors, and officials from the city on the U.S. sanctions list. Before flying to Shanghai today, Chief Executive John Lee, while condemning the move, described it as a severe hindrance to judicial fairness and a violation of both the rule of law and the United States’ proclaimed judicial independence.

Chief Executive John Lee expressed his firm belief that Hong Kong’s judges, prosecutors, and officials would fearlessly carry out their duties. He specifically mentioned that judges would uphold their oath to adjudicate cases fairly and impartially, and other officials would not be intimidated by such deplorable acts of intimidation.

The US is hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Summit this month, but due to the sanctions imposed on him, Chief Executive John Lee will not attend.

Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki also commented on the proposed sanctions bill during an interview with Wen Wei Po. He described it as a despicable tactic to intimidate Hong Kong judges, using any means possible to overturn and alter Hong Kong’s legal system. He dismissed the US claims of “human rights,” “rule of law,” and “respect for the law” as utterly false. He further stated that when the government introduces legislation next year for Article 23 of the Basic Law, it expects opposition from foreign forces, foreign agents in Hong Kong, and anti-China elements.

In response to the proposed bill, the Hong Kong government issued a strong condemnation, stating that it vehemently opposes any so-called “sanctions” and will not be intimidated. The government spokesperson emphasized that Hong Kong will continue to fulfill its duty of safeguarding national security, and accused US politicians of engaging in political posturing with ill intentions, which has been seen through by all.

The judiciary also issued a statement strongly condemning any attempt to exert improper pressure on judges and judicial officials, including suggestions to impose sanctions. It regarded such moves as a blatant and direct affront to the rule of law and judicial independence in the city.

The Hong Kong office of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed strong disapproval and firm rejection of the bill put forward by “unscrupulous U.S. politicians.” It called on them to stop using Hong Kong as a containment tool against China and immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs, and China’s internal affairs.

If passed, the legislation would require the U.S. president to decide within 180 days whether to impose sanctions in accordance with existing laws such as the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019, and the Hong Kong Autonomy Act. Congresswoman Young Kim, chair of the House subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific, presented the bill, along with representatives Jim McGovern and John Curtis. Senators Dan Sullivan and Jeff Merkley proposed companion legislation in the Senate. (Source: Dim Sum Daily) @LauraRuHK

"U.S. and European officials have begun quietly talking to the Ukrainian government about what possible peace negotiations with Russia might entail to end the war, according to one current senior U.S. official and one former senior U.S. official." 😂 Remember when two years ago, before launching the SMO, Russia wanted nothing more than regional autonomy for the Donbass and guarantees that Ukraine would not join NATO? ▪️A peace deal now might entail Ukraine losing a significant part of its territory, neutrality, no NATO membership, disarmament and, last but not least, regime change in Kiev. ▪️A peace deal in a year time? I am sure someone is busy writing a wish list. 😏 @LauraRuHK https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/us-european-officials-broach-topic-peace-negotiations-ukraine-sources-rcna123628