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Revulsion With Putin Sparks Int. Outcry — More Unity than Expected

The Hillww

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has provoked an international outcry that has led to a more unified response from the international community than many might have expected.

It’s also led to a series of surprise moves, form Germany joining efforts to arm the Ukrainian resistance to Switzerland imposing sanctions on Russia.

Germany’s decision to send anti-tank weapons and Stinger missiles to Ukraine represented a reversal of a longstanding policy of not sending weapons into conflict zones. Berlin also said it would boost military spending to above 2 percent of gross domestic product.

“This is really the first time that we’ve seen Germany do that since the end of the Cold War,” said Charles Kupchan, former senior director for European affairs on the National Security Council under the Obama administration.

The moves are good news for the White House and President Biden, who devoted significant time to uniting allies behind a common approach to counter Russian President Vladimir Putin in the event of a Russian invasion.

Russia’s weeklong assault on Ukraine has spawned a refugee crisis and killed thousands of civilians, with world leaders and government officials warning that Russian-led atrocities are likely to escalate.

Widespread revulsion to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has united the global community as well as Democrats and Republicans in Congress — at least for the most part.

“President Putin has been one of the greatest unifiers of NATO in modern history, so I guess that is one thing we can thank him for,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said this week.

House lawmakers told The Hill they were heartened by resounding bipartisan support for the administration’s strategy toward Ukraine, signaled with spontaneous applause during a classified briefing by senior administration officials at the Capitol on Monday.

Biden also received bipartisan applause when he rebuked Putin during his first State of the Union on Tuesday.

And Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) emerged from the classified briefing for senators on Monday to tell reporters that “the administration has done a really sound job in bringing together our allies and friends from around the world and presenting a united front against a very evil, ambitious leader of Russia.”

Thomas Rid, professor of strategic studies at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, said during a panel discussion that Putin’s actions had achieved “​​what no European politician has achieved in a generation, he made the European Union discover its spine.”

He added that Russia’s invasion has managed “to get Germany over historic trauma. The historic trauma was for a long time never to fight again, avoiding wars by not fighting, by not providing weapons, but of course now we have shifted and now have the approach that avoiding war means defending yourself.”

But not all close American allies and partners have fallen in line with Biden’s strategy.

Israel initially held back from condemning outright Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Jerusalem relies on strategic communication with Moscow to carry out military operations in Syria against Iran and its proxy forces.

That hesitation drew pushback from stalwart Israel allies in Congress. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he was “concerned” over Israel’s position but, after speaking with Israeli officials and Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., said he is encouraged by new steps from Jerusalem.

This includes Israel voting in favor of a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday that condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has also spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and is delivering a 100-ton humanitarian aid package. Bennett has also reportedly offered Israel to act as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine.

But Zelensky, who is Jewish, told an Israeli news outlet on Thursday that while he is appreciative of support expressed by the Israeli public, “I don’t feel the Israeli prime minister has wrapped himself in the Ukrainian flag.”

“I spoke with the Israeli leadership, we have not bad relations — but these things are tested in times of crisis,” he reportedly said during a press conference in Kyiv.

Graham told The Hill that Jerusalem’s initial hesitation was a “hiccup.”

“I came away pleased,” he said of talks with Israeli officials. “They jumped on the [U.N.] resolution yesterday, they’ve been providing pretty robust assistance, they’re having constant contact with the Ukrainian president and his team, so I think we had a hiccup early on and hope we’re in a better position and I believe we are.”

Another holdout country that is challenging the administration’s global response is India, which has a historically close relationship with Moscow rooted in importing and relying on Russian military equipment.

India abstained from voting at the U.N., in both the Security Council and the General Assembly, on the resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Donald Lu, the assistant secretary of State for South Asian affairs, told lawmakers on Wednesday that the administration has been in a “pitched battle” to get India to more publicly commit itself to the U.S. position against Russia and is weighing sanctions against New Delhi over its Russian military stockpiles.

Biden spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday along with leaders of Australia and Japan under the banner of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, a security grouping focused on the Indo-Pacific.

Psaki did not address a reporter’s question over whether India’s relationship with Russia was discussed, saying only that the Quad conversation was “constructive.”

Pakistan is another challenge for the U.S. over its close ties with Russia. Pakistan is a key military partner for the U.S. in its counterterrorism operations in South Asia.

Lu, during the hearing with lawmakers, said a visit by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to Moscow on the day that Russia launched its invasion against Ukraine has hurt communication between Washington and Islamabad.

“I think we’re trying to figure out how to engage with the prime minister following that decision,” the assistant secretary said.

And China has not backed down from supporting Russia’s position in the conflict, despite reported efforts by the administration to recruit Beijing to help stop war in Ukraine.

Relations between the U.S. and China are at a nadir, and export controls and sanctions recently imposed on Russia by the West may ultimately have the effect of pushing Russia and China closer together.

In the Gulf, Saudi Arabia has resisted calls to increase oil exports to prevent energy prices from spiking for global consumers amid Russia’s invasion.

Psaki on Thursday said that administration officials last engaged directly with the Saudis in Riyadh on global energy markets in February related to Russia’s then-potential invasion of Ukraine, but had no announcements about upcoming communication.

The United Arab Emirates, another key oil exporter, has also resisted taking a public stance against Russia. The UAE abstained from voting on the U.N. Security Council for the resolution against Russia, but voted in the affirmative in the General Assembly.

Yousef Al Otaiba, the Emirati envoy to the U.S., said that relations between Washington and Abu Dhabi are going through a “stress test, but I am confident that we will get out of it and get to a better place,” Reuters reported.

Biden is coming under increasing pressure to impose sanctions on Russia’s oil and gas sector. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday added her name to a list of lawmakers who have backed a ban on U.S. imports of Russian oil.

But the administration has stopped short of targeting Russia’s energy sector thus far in part due to Europe’s heavy reliance on Russian oil and natural gas.

Experts say it’s part of deliberate effort to stay in concert with allies on sanctions policy.

“I think that the Biden administration has been right to put a priority on solidarity, and that’s part because sanctions are most effective when they are broadly applied and in part because I think it’s important to maintain a united front against Putin,” said Kupchan. “In some cases, you maintain a united front by going with the consensus even if that consensus may be less than you want.”

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Ukraine wants special tribunal to judge Putin

The Ukrainian government and a former British prime minister are pushing for a special criminal tribunal to prosecute Russian President Vladimir Putin and his allies over the invasion of Ukraine.

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the call for a body to investigate the "crime of aggression" was based on the tribunals that prosecuted senior Nazis after World War II.

The Netherlands-based International Criminal Court is already investigating allegations that Russia has committed war crimes in Ukraine. But while it can investigate genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, Russia has not signed up to a separate ICC statute under which nations pledge not to commit "crimes of aggression."

LIVE UPDATES: Putin calls on countries to normalise relations with Moscow

Gordon Brown (Getty)

Brown said that "this act of aggression by Russia … cannot go uninvestigated, unprosecuted and unpunished."

"Putin must not be able to escape justice," he said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba welcomed the call for a tribunal, which is backed by legal experts and academics from around the world.

READ MORE: Fire out after Russian 'projectile' hits Europe's biggest nuclear plant

"We are fighting against an enemy who is much stronger than us. But international law is on our side," Kuleba told a meeting in London by video link from Ukraine.

Earlier, the UN's top human rights body has voted overwhelmingly to appoint a three-person panel of experts to monitor human rights in Ukraine, where Russian forces are invading.

Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in the launch of a new ferry via a conference call at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 4, 2022. A view damaged city centre after Russian air raid in Chernigiv, Ukraine, Thursday, March 3, 2022.

The Human Rights Council voted 32-2, with 13 abstentions, to pass a resolution that was presented by many Western countries and others who have spoken out against Moscow's attack on its neighbour.

Only Russia and Eritrea opposed the resolution, with China abstaining.

The vote Friday was the culmination of an urgent debate called by Ukraine, during which most council members lambasted Russia.

Ukraine's deputy Foreign Minister Emine Aiiarovna Dzhaparova is seen on a TV monitor speech, during the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council about the Urgent Debate on the "situation of human rights in Ukraine stemming from the Russian aggression" at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday, March 3, 2022.   https://twitter.com/UN_HRC/status/1499696876601462789?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Many Western envoys sported blue or yellow ties, scarves, jackets or ribbons on their lapels, in a reference to the colours of the Ukrainian flag. Far-flung countries such as Gambia and Malaysia spoke out against the invasion.

The result testified to growing international isolation of Russia: On Monday, five countries — including China — had voted against Ukraine's effort to convene the urgent debate.

Ukraine's ambassador Yevheniia Filipenko, her eyes red with emotion, told delegates after the vote: "I thank all those who voted for the right course."

WORLD VIEW: Ukraine Nuke Plant Hit, India Emissions, China Soft on Russia, More

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March 04, 2022

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Hiding in Plain Sight: Arrest of Longtime Canadian Fugitive Stuns Puerto Rico

He is accused in the killing of a rival gang member at a Vancouver strip mall in February 2009

Conor Vincent D'Monte
RCMP/The Canadian Press via AP

In this undated photo released by Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Conor Vincent D’Monte is shown in an unknown location.

 

Last week, phones across Puerto Rico began to ding as members of a private WhatsApp group dedicated to helping others in the U.S. territory stared at their screens in disbelief.

The businessman they knew as the administrator of that chat and as someone who organized philanthropic efforts such as a Christmas toy drive for needy children and renovations for an elementary school had just been arrested.

Conor Vincent D’Monte, known as Johnny Williams in Puerto Rico, was allegedly a leader of a violent gang sought by Canadian authorities on charges including first-degree murder. He had been on the run for more than a decade.

“It’s like a Netflix story,” said Antonio Torres, chief deputy U.S. Marshal for the district of Puerto Rico.

Authorities don’t know exactly when D’Monte, 44, arrived in Puerto Rico, but they believe he had been using the alias “Johnny Williams” on the island for at least several months. The 6-foot-1 fugitive settled into a rural, eastern mountain community near El Yunque rainforest, living in a house in front of a street with no name in a working-class neighborhood, Torres said.

Every month, D’Monte would accompany employees of a nonprofit organization known as Karma Honey Project and attend a farmer’s market in the nearby city of Carolina, said a woman who lived in the same community as him and sold goods next to his stall. She declined to give her name out of fear.

“No one knew anything,” she said, adding that she always was struck by his quiet demeanor. “We were surprised.”

D’Monte remains in federal prison in Puerto Rico as he awaits an extradition process. His public defense attorney declined comment, but she noted in a court hearing on Thursday that D’Monte, who has Canadian and Irish citizenship, requested that the consulates of those countries be notified.

Those who met D’Monte said he never made any efforts to hide. He even met with Puerto Rico’s agriculture secretary and a local senator and was invited to the governor’s mansion last month for his role in trying to save honeybees after Hurricane Maria as part of his involvement with the Karma Honey Project, a nonprofit company created in February 2019. Its president, Candice Galek, is a Miami entrepreneur and former model. Neither Galek nor her company returned messages for comment.

In its 2020 annual report, the most recent one available, the company stated that its volume of business did not exceed $3 million. Its balance sheet noted that it had no assets or liabilities, according to filings with Puerto Rico’s Registry of Corporations and Entities.

“The guy fooled us all,” said a Puerto Rican businessman who asked that his name not be used out of fear.

He said he met D’Monte in the early days of the pandemic after being added to his WhatsApp group, and that D’Monte was known as “Johnny Teeth,” because his teeth were so white and straight. The businessman described D’Monte as a “tremendous sales guy” who was very jovial.

“It struck me that he didn’t have Facebook or any of those things because he truly was a great networker,” the businessman said, adding that D’Monte once called him asking if he could borrow a hammer since he was helping repair a school.

When he was working on the Christmas toy drive, D’Monte messaged his WhatsApp group warning they were 500 presents short and that he was “grinding” to get donations as he noted that the prices went up 40% at the toy distributor warehouse: “Caught us off guard. Will figure it out. Universe conspires,” he wrote, adding three different star emojis.

It’s unclear why D’Monte chose Puerto Rico or if he knew anyone in the U.S. territory.

He is accused in the killing of a rival gang member at a Vancouver strip mall in February 2009, at a time when that part of British Columbia was experiencing one of the worst gang violence outbreaks in its history, according to a police statement.

D’Monte also is accused of conspiring to murder two alleged rival gang members known as the Bacon Brothers, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The United Nations gang that D’Monte belongs to is considered one of the most powerful ones in British Columbia and is best known for exporting one of the most popular marijuana strains in the U.S. mainland: the B.C. bud.

At its height, the gang had an estimated 200 members, and they often sport tattoos of tigers, dragons and Chinese characters. The gang also imports firearms and other drugs including cocaine, making millions of dollars a year, said Keiron McConnell, a criminal justice expert and professor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey, British Columbia.

“Anyone thinking that Mr. D’Monte was a street corner hustler, it couldn’t be further than the truth,” he said in a phone interview. “Mr. D’Monte was a fairly sophisticated individual.”

McConnell said it’s highly unusual for fugitives to be on the run for as long as D’Monte and to successfully assimilate themselves into a community.

D’Monte, whom police said has traveled to Spain and Asia and is associated with a drug network in Mexico, was last seen in the Vancouver area in January 2011. After that, he vanished until he reappeared in Puerto Rico more than a decade later.

Torres, with the U.S. Marshals Service, said high-profile fugitives often assume the profile of a very wealthy person because they have the means.

“It doesn’t raise any red flags,” he said. “It will draw attention, but not suspicion. They just act like a businessman.”

Three weeks before federal agents arrested D’Monte, Torres said his agency finally had collected enough information to identify the fugitive, noting they never received any tips.

As D’Monte drove through the popular tourist district of Isla Verde on Feb. 25, the agents closed in.

“He acted surprised,” Torres said, adding that he didn’t resist arrest.

D’Monte was alone, except for a 9mm at his side.

Copyright AP – Associated Press

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SA woman wins $4.8 million on accidental extra lotto ticket

Most people who buy a lotto ticket dream their entry will be the lucky winner.

But a South Australian woman needed an incredible extra slice of luck to go her way.

The woman from Port Adelaide had bought two standard game tickets for Thursday night's Set for Life draw from the Plympton Newsagency and was mistakenly given a third, which turned out to have the winning numbers.

READ MORE: Mosque bombed in north-west Pakistan, at least 30 killed

The Port Adelaide winner has been a regular customer at the Plympton newsagency.

The woman will now receive $20,000 a month for the next 20 years, which will come to a total of $4.8 million.

"So happy as well yeah. Very happy, and also very, very excited," owner of the Plympton Newsagency Holly He told 9News.

Plympton Newsagency employee Ashley Qui said she's still in shock.

"We got a division one winner in the shop and I still can't believe it," Ms Qui said.

"I talked with the winner, and she tells us how happy she was and how she can change her life."

READ MORE: Russian attack on nuclear plant labelled 'catastrophic' by top Ukrainian official in Australia

The woman will now receive $20,000 a month for the next 20 years, which will come to a total of $4.8 million.

The winner has been a regular customer at the newsagency and she returned to share a little of her winnings with the owners.

Ally Ramsamy from The Lott — the lotteries manager in most of Australia — said she has spoken with the winner, who has begun planning how she'll spend her money.

"She said she wanted to share it with her family, her friends and then donate to the charities that really mean something to her," Ms Ramsamy said.

Bahamas: 179 Haitian Migrants Intercepted by US Coast Guard

On Sunday, the US Coast Guard intercepted a vessel with 179 Haitian migrants approximately 30 miles off Andros, in The Bahamas.

According to a US Coast Guard news release, the occupants were transferred to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force. “An Air Station Clearwater C-130 airplane crew spotted the overloaded vessel at approximately 11:00 p.m. and reported the vessel to the nearby cutters and command center watchstanders,” the release stated.

The authorities did not report the group’s health status of Haitian immigrants or whether they included women and children. They only noted that once they boarded the Coast Guard vessel, “all migrants received food, water, shelter, and medical assistance.”

Lt. Vladimir Jimenez, law enforcement duty officer of the Seventh Coast Guard District command center, added that the Coast Guard and partner agencies continue to patrol in the air and on the water to deter these types of “unsafe voyages.” “The probability of a successful migration voyage is low, and when these voyages are stopped, people should expect to be returned to their country of origin.”

Last January, the US Coast Guard intercepted another boat near the Florida Keys carrying 176 Haitians, ten of whom had to be taken to hospital with symptoms of dehydration.

The US Coast Guard has noted that since October 1, 2021, Coast Guard crews have rescued 993 Haitians compared to 1,527 Haitian migrants in the fiscal year 2021; 418 Haitian migrants in the fiscal year 2020; 932 Haitian migrants in the fiscal year 2019; 609 Haitian migrants in the fiscal year 2018; and 419 Haitian migrants in the fiscal year 2017.

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