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EU states raise red flag over planned sanctions on Russia – Bloomberg

 A proposed ban on the re-export of key goods could put the bloc’s businesses at a disadvantage, several nations reportedly warn Several EU member states are seeking to soften proposals by the European Commission, aimed at preventing sanctions on Russia being circumvented via third nations, Bloomberg reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter. The bloc’s executive arm recently proposed curtailing exports to nations currently able to re-export goods from the bloc to Russia – thus helping the sanctions-hit country bypass penalties imposed by Brussels over the Ukraine conflict. The measure, which could be included in a 12th package of sanctions on Russia, targets the sale of what the European Commission considers to be high-priority items, like semiconductors that can be used in weapons production. It reportedly obliges the buyer to deposit a sum in an escrow account to ensure compliance with the requirements. According to documents seen by the news agency, at least ...
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Libya hopes for breakthrough in ties with Russia - official

 The oil-rich country is seeking stabilization after the NATO-backed overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi more than a decade ago Libya is working to improve its economy by strengthening ties with Russia, the leader of the Libya's High State Council (HSC), Mohammed Takala, said in an interview published by TASS News on Tuesday. The Libyan official made the statement during a meeting with Russian Federation Council Chairwoman Valentina Matviyenko. “Through contacts like this, we are hoping to make a breakthrough in our relations and bring them to a potentially new and better level,” Takala said, according to TASS. Turmoil has plagued the once-prosperous African country since 2011, when longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown with the help of NATO, leaving Libya divided between two rival administrations, one in the capital Tripoli and the other in the eastern city of Tobruk. There have been several attempts to unite them under a single authority, but all have failed. Takala was elected ...
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Only 16% of Russians believe Ukraine is a democracy – poll 

 An even smaller share said their neighbor has national sovereignty  Russians largely perceive Ukraine as an undemocratic nation that has no independence and overwhelmingly relies on foreign military support to sustain its conflict against Moscow, an opinion poll has shown.  Pollster Russian Field revealed the attitude of citizens toward their neighbor in a study published on Saturday, based on data collected by phone from 1600 respondents in late October.   When asked if they believed Ukraine was mostly democratic or not, 67% of respondents answered in the negative. Another 16% agreed that Ukraine was a kind of democracy, while an equal share said they were not sure. Younger people and those with a doctoral degree tended to see the Ukrainian political system as democratic. Among very wealthy Russians, just 11% perceived it that way.  An overwhelming 82% of those polled agreed that Kiev is mostly unable to decide its policies independently, while just 13% b...
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South American leader to invite Putin to G20

 Brazil’s Lula da Silva would welcome the Russian president at the summit, but warns of risks associated with an ICC arrest warrant Russian President Vladimir Putin will receive an invitation to attend the G20 summit in Brazil next year, the country’s leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said. However, he added that he could not influence the Brazilian judiciary regarding the execution of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in respect of the Russian leader. Brazil is an original member of the ICC, which in March accused both Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the country’s commissioner for children’s rights, of committing a “war crime” involving the “unlawful deportation” of Ukrainian children to Russia. Moscow, which does not recognize the court’s authority, has dismissed the ICC arrest warrant as null and void. It has also placed several ICC judges on a wanted list over the move. Russian officials have also repeatedly said the decision to evacuate Ukrain...
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US drawing up plans for postwar Gaza – Politico

 Washington’s proposals could prompt criticism from Israel, the news outlet has reported US officials have been discussing how to hand control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority (PA) once the Israel-Hamas war is over, Politico reported on Monday. The preliminary plan is for a revamped PA to step in once an international force has stabilized the region, an anonymous source told the outlet.   The PA is currently in power in the West Bank, and previously controlled Gaza before being ousted by Hamas in legislative elections in 2006. Political tensions between the two groups turned violent the following year, and reconciliation efforts have failed to bring Gaza and the West Bank under single Palestinian political rule.  Washington reportedly considers the PA unfit in its current form to govern Gaza due to corruption and inefficiency. “Ultimately, we want to have a Palestinian security structure in post-conflict Gaza,” a senior official in the administration of President...
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