WASHINGTON: Kremlin critic and chess legend Garry Kasparov on Tuesday called for a stronger Western response to Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine and said Russian dissident voices must be included in efforts to stand up to Vladimir Putin.
In an interview with AFP, the former world chess champion who last week was put on Russia’s list of “extremists,” called for more military aid to Kyiv against a “terrorist regime that only understands force.”
Kasparov, 60, blamed the Kremlin for the death in prison last month of opposition leader Alexei Navalny and said it marked a new low in Putin’s crackdown on dissent.
“Navalny’s murder...is a new milestone,” Kasparov said. “We are dealing with an enemy who wants to win this war, because Putin is waging war not only against Ukraine, NATO and the EU, but also against the liberal world order.”
Navalny, the Russian president’s main opponent, died suddenly at the age of 47 in an Arctic prison in mid-February of what officials said were “natural causes.” Navalny’s team and Western leaders blame the Kremlin, which denies responsibility.
Navalny was buried in Moscow earlier this month, with tens of thousands of Russians queuing to lay flowers despite the threat of arrest in a striking display of dissent. His widow Yuliya Navalnaya pledged to continue his work.
Kasparov, widely viewed as one of the world’s greatest chess players, retired from chess in 2005 to focus on political activism and has lived in exile in New York for the past decade.
In the interview, Kasparov urged the West to include Russian opposition voices in efforts to oppose Putin’s aggression.
“In order to defeat Putinism and all the forces of evil that it represents, there needs to be a coalition that would include this Russian component, like (Charles) de Gaulle’s Free French,” Kasparov said referring to the French resistance movement during World War II, which de Gaulle headed from London.
“The people who are ready to say: ‘The regime is illegitimate, the war is criminal, Crimea is Ukrainian’ must become a part of this fight.” Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.
Kasparov said he and other dissidents are working on formulating a path forward for the Russian opposition. “We need to create a matrix of a free Russia outside of Russia today, what we call half-jokingly a virtual Taiwan.”
The Russian opposition, however, is notoriously fragmented and Navalny’s team has in the past clashed with Kasparov.
Fresh disagreements emerged among Kremlin critics in recent weeks over how to register protest in this weekend’s presidential election, which Putin is sure to win without any real opponents allowed on the ballot and election officials under his thumb.
Kasparov urged Western countries to welcome anti-war Russians, including programmers and engineers involved in the making of drones and other weapons.
“Give them a chance to leave, give them a chance to switch to the other side,” Kasparov said. “I think this would sharply undermine Putin’s ability to wage war.”
Kasparov expressed frustration with the West’s reluctance to fully back Ukraine’s war against the Russian invasion, now in its third year. Kyiv has been struggling on the battlefield with crucial aid military delayed in the US Congress.
Kasparov said Western sanctions imposed on Russia have achieved little and called on more funding for Ukraine, including from confiscated Russian assets, and long-range missiles.
President Joe Biden “promised devastating consequences. And where are those devastating consequences?” Kasparov asked.
“Unfortunately, the West is lagging behind, and any weakness demonstrated by the West is an invitation to Putin for more aggression.”
Kasparov spoke to AFP on the sidelines of a gathering in Washington of the World Liberty Congress, a coalition of pro-democracy activists from 60 countries.
“We believe that from Russia to Venezuela, to China to Africa, all the authoritarian regimes and dictators are working together... voting for each other at the United Nations,” said US-based Iranian dissident Masih Alinejad.
“The bad guys are united,” Alinejad, who heads the organization, said at a joint press conference. “The time has come for the good people from authoritarian regimes to be united as well to expand our ideology, which is democracy, dignity, and freedom.”
Formed last year, the World Liberty Congress espouses non-violent protest, provides support to grassroots activists in home countries as well as political prisoners and their families.
Putin ‘only understands force:’ Russian chess legend
https://arab.news/wev6j
Putin ‘only understands force:’ Russian chess legend
- Garry Kasparov, 60, blamed the Kremlin for the death in prison last month of opposition leader Alexei Navalny and said it marked a new low in Putin’s crackdown on dissent
- Kasparov, widely viewed as one of the world’s greatest chess players, retired from chess in 2005 to focus on political activism and has lived in exile in New York for the past decade
Ex-servicemen to be re-deployed as security guards in Kashmir, says Indian govt
- Around 4,000 veterans have been "identified" as non-combatant volunteers
SRINAGAR, India: Military veterans will be redeployed as security guards in Indian Kashmir, New Delhi said on Saturday.
The government of Jammu and Kashmir approved a "proposal for mobilising ex-servicemen to safeguard vital infrastructure across the union territory," according to a government press release.
Around 4,000 veterans have been "identified" as non-combatant volunteers, out of which 435 have licensed personal weapons, it said.
This will help by "significantly enhancing the capacity to respond effectively to localised security situations," the government added.
Veterans will work in "static guard" roles, focusing on "presence-based deterrence and local coordination."
India already has an estimated half a million soldiers permanently deployed in its part of Kashmir.
A similar veteran volunteer program took place with 2,500 veterans during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the government.
Philippines records surge in tourists from Middle East
- Philippines has been recognized as an emerging Muslim-friendly destination in recent years
- Last year, it launched a beach for Muslim women travelers in top resort island Boracay
MANILA: The Philippines has recorded significant growth in tourists from the Middle East, the Department of Tourism said on Sunday, following various campaigns to attract more travelers from the region.
Tourism is a key sector for the Philippines, and its government has lately been trying to attract more visitors from the Middle East by creating Muslim-friendly destinations and ensuring that they have access to halal products and services.
Those efforts, part of the Philippines’ move to diversify its economy away from dependency in the declining Chinese market, have led to a surge in international tourism arrivals from countries in the Middle East and the Gulf Cooperation Council, Philippine Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said.
“We are targeting markets such as the Middle East and the GCC, as well as India,” she said in a statement.
“Because of our efforts to diversify, we are seeing, for example, from the Middle East and the GCC, an average of no less than 500 to 800 percent growth rate in terms of international tourism arrivals.”
The Philippines’ tourism sector has been recovering since the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced most tourism destinations in the country to shut down and resulted in a decline of foreign arrivals by more than 80 percent compared to 2019 numbers.
As tourism started to rebound, the Middle Eastern market was among the ones showing “promising signs of recovery” last year, a Department of Tourism report said.
The UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain are among the countries showing a positive recovery rate, “signifying a steady return of visitors from the Gulf region,” according to the report.
In 2024, the Philippines was recognized as an Emerging Muslim-friendly non-Organization of Islamic Cooperation Destination by the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index.
The index is an annual report benchmarking destinations in the Muslim travel market.
The archipelagic country known for its white-sand beaches, diving spots and rich culture, also won the award in 2023 and has since boosted efforts to attract visitors from the Middle East.
Last year, it launched a beach for Muslim women travelers in Boracay, the country’s top resort island and one of the world’s most popular.
The Department of Tourism also partnered with Emirates Airlines in April to jointly promote the Philippines, targeting the Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and European markets.
“The beauty of coming to the Philippines is that it is a very diversified destination. We are able to cater to any type of traveler, whether you are a solo traveler, a couple, (or) a family,” Frasco said.
“With the number of islands that we have and the readiness of these destinations, then we are excited to welcome people of all nationalities.”
British politician urges UK to act on Israel as Gaza faces ‘cruel destitution’
- Liberal Democrat Layla Moran, of Palestinian descent, said a critical tone had yet to translate into meaningful policy change
LONDON: A British politician of Palestinian descent has called on the UK government to back its tougher rhetoric on Israel with tangible action, warning that people in Gaza are facing “unbearably cruel levels of destitution.”
Liberal Democrat Layla Moran said that although ministers had recently adopted a more critical tone, this had yet to translate into meaningful policy change, The Guardian reported on Sunday.
“I remain frustrated that while the government’s words and tone have changed, in terms of concrete actions, not much has changed,” she said.
Her comments come amid growing international pressure over Israel’s expanded military campaign in Gaza and its restriction of humanitarian aid.
On Wednesday, Hamish Falconer, minister for the Middle East, described Israel’s aid blockade as “appalling,” “cruel,” and “indefensible.”
Foreign Secretary David Lammy also confirmed that the UK was in discussions with France and Saudi Arabia about recognizing a Palestinian state, ahead of a planned international conference in Paris in June.
Moran urged the UK to move forward with recognition, arguing it would “safeguard Palestinian interests and also send a very clear signal to Israel that there are consequences to their actions.”
She also criticized the government for continuing to allow trade from illegal Israeli settlements and for supplying arms to Israel, adding: “They’re still arming Israel when they shouldn’t be.”
Mogadishu suicide bomber kills at least 10 at army recruitment drive
- Dozens of abandoned shoes and the remains of the suicide bomber were visible at the scene
- Medical staff at military hospital said they received 30 injured people from the blast and 6 of them died immediately
MOGADISHU: At least 10 people were killed on Sunday after a suicide bomber targeted a queue of young recruits registering at the Damanyo military base in the Somali capital Mogadishu, witnesses told Reuters.
Teenagers were lining up at the base’s gate when the attacker detonated their explosives, they said.
A military captain who gave his name as Suleiman described the attack as he had seen it unfold.
“I was on the other side of the road. A speeding tuk-tuk stopped, a man alighted, ran into the queue, and then blew himself up. I saw 10 people dead, including recruits and passers-by. The death toll may rise,” he said.
Dozens of abandoned shoes and the remains of the suicide bomber were visible at the scene.
Another witness, Abdisalan Mohamed, said he had seen “hundreds of teenagers at the gate as we passed by in a bus.”
“Abruptly, a deafening blast occurred, and the area was covered by dense smoke. We could not see the details of casualties,” he said.
Medical staff at the military hospital told Reuters they had received 30 injured people from the blast and that six of them had died immediately.
Government forces quickly cordoned off the entire area.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack and government officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
The attack echoed a similar incident in 2023 when a suicide bomber killed 25 soldiers at the Jale Siyad base, located opposite the Damanyo facility.
Sunday’s attack followed the assassination on Saturday of Col. Abdirahmaan Hujaale, commander of battalion 26, in the Hiiran region, amid local reports of Al-Shabab militant infiltration into government and security forces.
Building fire kills 17, injures others in southern India
- Fires are common in India, where building laws and safety norms are often flouted by builders and residents
HYDERABAD, India: At least 17 people were killed and several injured in a fire that broke out at a building near the historic Charminar monument in southern Hyderabad city, officials said Sunday.
Several people were found unconscious and rushed to various hospitals, according to local media. They said the building housed a jewelry store at ground level and residential space above.
“The accident happened due to a short circuit and many people have died,” federal minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader G Kishan Reddy told reporters at the site of the accident.
Director general of Telangana fire services Y Nagi Reddy told reporters that 21 people were in the three-story building when the fire started on the ground floor early on Sunday.
“17 people, who were shifted to the hospital in an unconscious state, could not survive. The staircase was very narrow, which made escape difficult. There was only one exit, and the fire had blocked it,” he said.
The fire was brought under control.
Prime minister Narendra Modi announced financial compensation for the victims’ families and said in a post on X that he was “deeply anguished by the loss of lives.”
Fires are common in India, where building laws and safety norms are often flouted by builders and residents.
