Kepala Pengawal Iran memperingatkan pengunjuk rasa: 'Hari ini adalah hari terakhir kerusuhan'

Panglima Korps Pengawal Revolusi Islam Hossein Salami menyampaikan pidato selama peringatan empat puluh hari, setelah pembunuhan komandan tertinggi Pasukan Quds Iran Qassem Soleimani dalam serangan udara AS di Bandara Baghdad, di Grand Mosalla di Teheran, Iran 13 Februari 2020. Nazanin Tabatabaee/WANA (Kantor Berita Asia Barat) via REUTERS

Kepala Pengawal Revolusi Iran yang kuat memperingatkan para pemrotes bahwa Sabtu akan menjadi hari terakhir mereka turun ke jalan, dalam tanda paling jelas bahwa pasukan keamanan dapat mengintensifkan tindakan keras mereka terhadap kerusuhan nasional.

Iran telah dicengkeram oleh protes sejak kematian wanita Kurdi berusia 22 tahun Mahsa Amini dalam tahanan polisi moral bulan lalu, yang merupakan salah satu tantangan paling berani bagi kepemimpinan ulama sejak revolusi 1979.

"Jangan turun ke jalan! Hari ini adalah hari terakhir kerusuhan," kata komandan Pengawal Hossein Salami dalam beberapa bahasa paling keras yang digunakan dalam krisis, yang oleh para pemimpin Iran menyalahkan musuh asingnya termasuk Israel dan Amerika Serikat.

"Rencana jahat ini, adalah rencana yang ditetaskan ... di Gedung Putih dan rezim Zionis," kata Salami. "Jangan menjual kehormatan Anda ke Amerika dan jangan menampar wajah pasukan keamanan yang membela Anda."

Orang-orang Iran telah menentang peringatan semacam itu selama pemberontakan rakyat di mana perempuan memainkan peran penting. Ada lebih banyak laporan pertumpahan darah baru dan protes baru pada hari Sabtu.

Kelompok hak asasi manusia Hengaw melaporkan pasukan keamanan menembaki siswa di sekolah perempuan di kota Saqez. Di pos lain, dikatakan pasukan keamanan menembaki siswa di sebuah universitas kedokteran di Sanandaj, ibu kota provinsi Kurdistan.

Beberapa siswa terluka, salah satunya tertembak di kepala, kata Hengaw. Reuters tidak dapat memverifikasi laporan tersebut.

Sabtu malam, lebih banyak protes pecah di kota Marivan, Kurdi, menurut video media sosial yang menunjukkan para demonstran mulai menembaki jalan-jalan ketika suara tembakan terdengar.

Akun Twitter 1500tasvir, yang memiliki hampir 300.000 pengikut, memposting video yang katanya menunjukkan pengunjuk rasa di kota barat laut Astara, menyalakan api unggun dengan puing-puing dan sepeda motor yang disita dari polisi.

Dalam unjuk rasa pembangkangan lainnya, pengunjuk rasa di kota kecil utara Lasht-e Nesha mengadakan rapat umum jalanan yang meneriakkan "Ulama tersesat!", menurut sebuah video di 1500tasvir.

Rekaman itu tidak dapat diautentikasi oleh Aha Dua Permata.

PROTESTERS ON TRIAL

Pengawal Revolusi yang ditakuti secara luas, pasukan elit dengan rekam jejak penumpasan perbedaan pendapat, yang melapor langsung kepada Pemimpin Tertinggi Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, belum dikerahkan sejak demonstrasi dimulai bulan lalu.

Namun peringatan dari Salami menunjukkan bahwa Khamenei dapat melepaskan mereka dalam menghadapi demonstrasi tanpa henti yang sekarang difokuskan untuk menggulingkan Republik Islam.

Video yang diposting sebelumnya di media sosial oleh kelompok aktivis dimaksudkan untuk menunjukkan protes di sejumlah universitas di seluruh negeri di kota-kota termasuk Kerman, Mashhad, Qazvin, Ahvaz, Arak, Kermanshah, Yazd, Bushehr dan selusin kampus di ibukota, Teheran.

Kantor berita aktivis HRANA mengatakan 272 pengunjuk rasa telah tewas dalam kerusuhan pada hari Jumat termasuk 39 anak di bawah umur. Sekitar 34 anggota pasukan keamanan juga tewas. Hampir 14.000 orang telah ditangkap dalam protes di 129 kota besar dan kecil dan sekitar 115 universitas, katanya.

Pengadilan Revolusioner garis keras memulai persidangan terhadap beberapa dari 315 pengunjuk rasa yang didakwa sejauh ini di Teheran, setidaknya lima di antaranya dituduh melakukan pelanggaran berat, kantor berita resmi IRNA melaporkan.

Para terdakwa termasuk seorang pria yang dituduh memukul dan membunuh seorang petugas polisi dengan mobilnya dan melukai lima orang lainnya, kata IRNA. Dia didakwa dengan "menyebarkan korupsi di bumi", sebuah pelanggaran yang dapat dihukum mati di bawah hukum Islam Iran.

Seorang pria lain didakwa dengan pelanggaran berat "moharebeh", karena diduga menyerang polisi dengan pisau dan membantu membakar gedung pemerintah di sebuah kota dekat Teheran, tambah IRNA.

Pengadilan dipimpin oleh Abolghassem Salavati, seorang hakim yang dikenakan sanksi oleh Amerika Serikat pada 2019 setelah menuduhnya menghukum warga negara Iran dan warga negara ganda karena menggunakan kebebasan berbicara dan berkumpul.

Salami mengeluarkan peringatannya kepada para pemrotes saat dia berbicara di pemakaman bagi para korban yang tewas dalam serangan minggu ini yang diklaim oleh Negara Islam.

Seorang pria yang menurut kelompok militan melakukan serangan, yang menewaskan 15 jemaah di kuil Shah Cheragh di kota Shiraz, berjanji setia kepada Negara Islam dalam sebuah video yang diposting di akun Telegramnya pada hari Sabtu. Para pejabat Iran mengatakan dia meninggal karena luka-luka yang diderita selama penangkapannya.

Kiev carried out terrorist attack on Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol - ministry

Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
©Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS

The Kiev regime carried out a terrorist attack on the ships of the Black Sea Fleet and civilian ships in Sevastopol, using drones, the Russian Ministry of Defense told reporters on Saturday.

"Today at 04:20 am, the Kiev regime carried out a terrorist attack on ships of the Black Sea Fleet and civilian ships," the ministry said.

According to the statement, nine drones and seven autonomous marine unmanned vehicles were involved in the attack. "All air targets were destroyed," the ministry said.

The Black Sea Fleet ships that were attacked earlier on Saturday were involved in ensuring the security of the grain corridor used to export agricultural goods from Ukrainian ports.

"The Black Sea Fleet ships that were the target of the terrorist attack are involved in ensuring the safety of the grain corridor within the international initiative to export agricultural products from Ukrainian ports," the Defense Ministry said.

According to the governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhaev, the attack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the use of drones in the waters of the Sevastopol Bay on Saturday was the most massive offensive since the beginning of the special operation.

"Today we witnessed the most massive attack by UAVs and remote-controlled surface drones in the waters of the Sevastopol Bay in the history [of the special military operation]," Razvozhaev said. He noted that all broadcasts from CCTV cameras in Sevastopol that were previously available to civilians will be closed.

British experts

Experts from the UK Royal Navy, who were preparing military personnel of Ukraine’s 73rd Maritime Special Operations Center for the recent terrorist attack in Sevastopol, were also involved in the Nord Stream gas pipelines sabotage.

"According to the information available to us, representatives of the UK Navy participated in planning, supporting, and executing the terrorist act in the Baltic Sea on September 26 in order to disrupt the Nord Stream and the Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines," the statement said.

According to the ministry, British experts also prepared Ukrainian military for the terrorist attack in Sevastopol. "The preparation of this terrorist act and the training of military personnel of the Ukrainian 73rd Maritime Special Operations Center were carried out under the guidance of British specialists located in the city of Ochakov, Nikolaev region," the department said.

The Ministry reported earlier on Saturday that Ukraine carried out a terrorist attack on the ships of the Black Sea Fleet and civilian ships in Sevastopol, using drones. "Today at 04:20 am, the Kiev regime carried out a terrorist attack on ships of the Black Sea Fleet and civilian ships," the ministry said.

According to the statement, nine drones and seven autonomous marine unmanned vehicles were involved in the attack, all air targets were destroyed.

Officials: 59 dead after Halloween crowd surge in Seoul

Rescue teams work at the scene where dozens of people were injured in a stampede during a Halloween festival in Seoul, South Korea, October 29, 2022. Kim Hong-ji | Reuters

At least 59 people were killed and 150 more were injured after being crushed by a large crowd pushing forward on a narrow street during Halloween festivities in the capital Seoul, South Korean officials said.

Choi Seong-beom, chief of Seoul’s Yongsan fire department, said the death toll could grow as emergency workers were continuing to transport the injured to hospitals across Seoul following the stampede in the leisure district of Itaewon Saturday night.

Officials say it was believed that people were crushed to death after a large crowd began pushing forward in a narrow alley near Hamilton Hotel, a major party spot in Seoul.

More than 400 emergency workers and 140 vehicles from around the nation, including all available personnel in Seoul, were deployed to the streets to treat the injured.

The National Fire Agency separately said in a statement that officials were still trying to determine the exact number of emergency patients

TV footage and photos from the scene showed ambulance vehicles lined up in streets amid a heavy police presence and emergency workers moving the injured in stretchers. Emergency workers and pedestrians were also seen performing CPR on people lying in the streets.

In one section, paramedics were seen checking the status of a dozen or more people who lied motionless under blue blankets.

Police, which were restricting traffic in nearby areas to speed up the transportation of the injured to hospitals across the city, also confirmed that dozens of people were being given CPR on Itaewon streets. The Seoul Metropolitan Government issued emergency text messages urging people in the area to swiftly return home.

A local police officer said he was also informed that a stampede occurred on Itaewon’s streets where a crowd of people gathered for Halloween festivities. The officer requested anonymity, saying the details of the incident was still under investigation.

Some local media reports earlier said the crush happened after a large number of people rushed to an Itaewon bar after hearing an unidentified celebrity visited there.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a statement calling for officials to ensure swift treatment for those injured and review the safety of the festivity sites. He also instructed the Health Ministry to swiftly deploy disaster medical assistance teams and secure beds in nearby hospital to treat the injured.

Local media said around 100,000 people flocked to Itaewon streets for the Halloween festivities, which were the biggest since the start of the pandemic following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in recent months.

Russia Suspends Participation in Grain Deal, MoD Says

©AP Photo

Over the past days, Ukrainian forces have carried out several terror attacks against Crimea and against Russian ships in the Black Sea.

The Russian Defense Ministry stated on Saturday that Moscow is suspending participation in the grain deal, which foresaw the transportation of food and fertilizers from Ukrainian ports via the Black Sea.

"In view of the terrorist attack, carried out by the Kiev regime on October 29 - with the participation of British specialists - against ships of the Black Sea Fleet and civilian vessels involved in ensuring the security of the grain corridor, the Russian side suspends participation in the implementation of agreements on the export of agricultural products from Ukrainian ports," an official statement read.

The Russian foreign ministry also noted that the deal has been "suspended indefinitely", since Moscow can't guarantee the safety of the civilian vessels amid Ukrainian attacks. The ministry added that the relevant instructions have been issued for the Russian representatives at the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul, which controls the transportation of Ukrainian grains.

Meanwhile, a source in the UN noted that Russia plans to request a Security Council meeting regarding the issue.

Earlier in the day, the MoD said that the preparation of the morning drone attack on Sevastopol was carried out under the guidance of UK specialists in the city of Ochakov. According to the ministry, the attack involved 16 air and sea drones and slightly damaged the Russian naval minesweeper of the Black Sea Fleet.

Grain for Europe?

Russian authorities had previously criticized the deal - while the accord was supposed to prevent food scarcity among the most vulnerable countries, a large amount of it ended up in Europe instead of Asia and Africa.

Commenting on the recent food deliveries, Russian Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev noted that from 60% to 100% of the food was apprehended by the EU nations, while the situation in the developing countries had deteriorated. At the same time, he noted that Russia is ready to deliver up to 500,000 tons of grain to the developing countries.

The first commercial vessel that left Ukraine under the Black Sea grain deal was inspected in Istanbul on Wednesday and cleared to proceed to Lebanon, the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) said
©Sputnik / Maksim Durnev

The agreement was struck on July 22 by Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey in order to provide a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships with food and fertilizer exports from Ukrainian ports — Odessa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhnoe.

At the same time, Moscow noted that the part of the deal concerning Russian food exports was not working altogether, which may lead to the termination of the agreements.

Jembatan Ledeng Bogor Ditutup Sampai 11 November, Ini Jalur Alternatifnya

Jembatan Ledeng Bogor, di Kelurahan Gunung Batu, Kecamatan Bogor Barat, Kota Bogor. Foto/IST

Akses Jembatan Ledeng Bogor, di Kelurahan Gunung Batu, Kecamatan Bogor Barat, Kota Bogor, ditutup sementara ini. Penutupan itu dilakukan lantaran adanya renovasi di Jembatan Ledeng Bogor.

Penutupan Jembatan Ledeng Bogor tersebut mulai dari 29 Oktober 2022 sampai 11 November 2022, atau 14 hari.

Jembatan Ledeng yang bahan materialnya terbuat dari papan kayu untuk pijakan, saat ini dinilai membahayakan, untuk itu akan diganti menggunakan plat besi, yang mana dinilai lebih kuat dan aman saat dilaui oleh warga, terlebih menggunakan kendaraan roda dua.

Terlebih, longsor yang terjadi pada Jalan TB Muhammad Falak membuat Jembatan Ledeng Sindangsari itu menjadi jalur alternatif bagi banyak pengendara. Bahkan jumlah penggunanya meningkat hingga 10 kali lipat.

“Papan-papan kayu yang selama ini jadi tumpuan warga yang melintas akan diganti dengan plat besi yang lebih kokoh,” kata Lurah Gunung Batu, Delly Thamrin.

Intensitas jumlah pengendara, kata Delly, semakin banyak, tapi kondisi papan Jembatan Ledeng Bogor semakin rusak.

Ia khawatir timbul musibah yang tidak diinginkan, untuk itu renovasi secepatnya diperlukan, dan untuk sementara waktu petugas tutup jembatan Ledeng untuk para warga.

“Sempat diperbaiki beberapa kali melalui swadaya warga dan bantuan anggota dewan. Terakhir, papan jembatan ditambal dan diganti pada Minggu kemarin,” jelasnya.

Akses Jembatan Ledeng Bogor tersebut merupakan akses vital yang menghubungkan Kelurahan Gunung Batu dan Kelurahan Kebon Kelapa Kota Bogor. Untuk itu perbaikan terhadap papan kayu yang keropos sedang dilakukan.

Usai Longsor Jembatan Cisadane di jalan Darul Quran Bogor Masih Tutup, Katanya Sih Lagi Nyusun Perhitungan Desain

Jembatan Cisadane Bogor yang berada di Kecamatan Bogor Barat, Kota Bogor sudah hampir dua minggu masih ditutup dan tampak horor.

Kondisi Jembatan Cisadane, Kota Bogor, usai amblas akibat longsor.

Kepala Dinas Pekerjaan Umum dan Penataan Ruang (PUPR) Kota Bogor, Chusnul Rozaqi menjelaskan saat ini perhitungan desain perbaikan Jembatan Cisadane Bogor tengah memasuki tahap final.

Setelah itu, pihaknya akan langsung mengajukan pekerjaan fisik jalur Jembatan Cisadane Bogor melalui pos anggaran Bantuan Tidak Terduga (BTT) di Pemkot Bogor.

“Mudah-mudahan hari ini sudah final, kita rencanakan langsung ajukan ke BTT dan dilakukan pekerjaan fisiknya.Mudah-mudahan di minggu awal November sudah bisa dilakukan pekerjaannya,” sambungnya.

Soal desain perbaikan Jalan Tb KH M Falak, dijelaskan Chusnul, pihaknya akan melakukan perbaikan di turap-nya. Di mana, turap ini berfungsi untuk menahan longsoran dari badan jalan yang saat ini menyebabkan kejadian longsor tersebut.

Adapun, turap jalur Jembatan Cisadane Bogor ini nantinya akan dibangun dengan kepanjangan sekitar 20 meter dan ketinggian sekitar 10 meter.

"Mudah-mudahan sih dua bulan ya, akhir tahun mudah-mudahan selesai (pekerjaan perbaikannya),” ucapnya.

Diakui Chusnul, dalam pekerjaan perbaikan jalan di Jembatan Cisadane Bogor ini, yang mengerjakan pembangunan nantinya adalah pihak ketiga.

Sementara terkait jumlah anggaran, pihaknya belum sampai menghitung kesitu, karena masih konsentrasi ke penyelesaian desain perbaikannya.

“Kalau RAB gampang itu. Yang pasti pekerjaan perbaikan harus disegerakan, kalau itu tidak ditangani secara darurat akan menimbulkan korban jiwa,. Kalau tidak ditangani segera juga permasalahan transportasi di Gunung Batu, Jalan Perintis ini juga macet,” lanjutnya.

Pada kesempatan ini Chusnul meminta kepada pengendara agar tidak memaksakan terlebih dahulu melintasi Jembatan Darul Quran. Karena, khawatir akan terjadi longsor susulan.

“Kalau dilewati, nanti ada longsor lagi, jatuh, ada korban jiwa, kita jadi masalah lagi. Karena motor lewat saja getarannya bikin longsor. Jadi belum boleh dilewati kendaraan,” ujarnya.

Diketahui, hujan deras disertai angin kencang yang melanda Kota Bogor, hari Selasa sore, 11/10/2022, menyebabkan bencana tanah longsor di dekat jembatan Darul Qur’an tepatnya di Jalan KH Tb M Falak, Kecamatan Bogor Barat, Kota Bogor.

Alhasil, jalan yang menghubungkan Jalan Semeru dengan Jalan Raya Loji-Gunungbatu pun ditutup hingga waktu yang belum bisa ditentukan.

“Jalan ini untuk sementara ditutup untuk kendaraan roda empat. Hanya bisa dilalui kendaraan roda dua dan pejalan kaki,” kata Kasi Pengendalian Pembangunan Kecamatan Bogor Barat, Dedi Rusmana, Selasa (11/10) malam.

Ia belum bisa memastikan jalan kembali dibuka normal sembari menunggu assesmen.

“Jadi sementara ditutup,” ujar Aceng, sapaan karibnya.

Ia menjelaskan, kejadian tanah longsor di jalur Jembatan Cisadane Bogor tersebut diperkirakan terjadi sore hari saat hujan deras melanda atau sekitar pukul 15:30 WIB. “Ya kejadiannya pas hujan deras saja, sore hari itu,” tandasnya.

Tol Bocini Siap Digunakan Pas Natal dan Tahun Baru

Waskita Karya

Polres Sukabumi memastikan jalan tol Bocimi dari Cigombong, Kabupaten Bogor hingga Cibadak, Kabupaten Sukabumi sudah bisa digunakan saat perayaan Natal 2022 dan Tahun Baru 2023.

"Kami dan petugas Dinas Perhubungan kabupaten Sukabumi meninjau langsung proses pengerjaan pembangunan Jalan Tol Bocimi sesi II Cigombong-Cibadak sepanjang 11,9 km. Dari hasil peninjauan itu kami optimis ruas jalan itu sudah bisa digunakan saat perayaan Natal dan Tahun Baru," kata Kapolres Sukabumi AKBP Dedy Dharmawansyah di Sukabumi pada Sabtu, 29 Oktober 2022.

AKBP Dedy menerangkan bahwa, peninjauan pengerjaan pembangunan ruas jalan tol ini untuk memastikan kesiapan sarana dan prasarana saat libur Natal dan Tahun Baru, karena pihaknya memprediksi pada musim liburan itu jumlah wisatanya yang datang ke wilayah Kabupaten Sukabumi khususnya ke wilayah hukum Polres Sukabumi akan jauh meningkat dibandingkan tahun lalu.

Oleh karena itu, pihaknya mempersiapkan berbagai hal sejak dini untuk memastikan layanan, keselamatan dan keamanan warga yang merayakan Natal serta Tahun Baru di wilayah Sukakabumi.

Selain itu juga, kedatangan pihaknya ke lokasi proyek pembangunan jalan tol ini untuk berkoordinasi dengan pihak pengembang untuk memastikan bahwa pada Desember 2022 ruas Tol Bocimi dari Cigombong hingga Cibadak sudah bisa digunakan.

Jelang Nataru, Polres Sukabumi lakukan pengecekan Jalur Tol Bocini

Peninjauan ini untuk mempersiapkan personelnya yang nantinya ditempatkan di ruas jalan tol tersebut dalam hal pengamanan untuk mengantisipasi terjadinya hal-hal yang tidak diinginkan seperti kecelakaan lalu lintas dan lainnya.

"Kami pun sudah memberikan instruksi kepada para kapolsek yang wilayah hukumnya masuk di ruas Jalan Tol Bocimi untuk memberikan pengaman kepada pekerja proyek pembangunan jika membutuhkan pengamanan di malam hari," tambahnya.

Dedy mengatakan bahwa, dengan dimanfaatkan ruas Tol Bocimi hingga Cibadak tentunya akan mempermudah warga khususnya yang ingin datang ke Sukabumi karena bisa lebih efisien baik di waktu maupun biaya.

Informasinya, pengerjaan pembangunan tersebut akan selesai pada Desember 2022 sehingga dipastikan ruas jalan tol ini sudah bisa melayani masyarakat baik dari arah Sukabumi menuju Bogor maupun sebaliknya.

Dengan dimanfaatkan jalan tol itu tentu bisa mengurai kepadatan arus kendaraan di jalan utama Sukabumi-Bogor sehingga bisa mencegah terjadinya kemacetan arus lalu lintas. Pihaknya juga sudah berkoordinasi dengan pihak pengembang yakni PT Waskita, terkait beberapa titik yang rawan.

“Apabila membutuhkan pengamanan di malam hari, karena banyak material, sekaligus kami melakukan pengecekan jalur yang akan digunakan pada saat Nataru nanti. Dan ada daerah yang belum selesai kami meminta para kapolsek untuk dibantu apakah pekerjaan malam dibantu pengamanannya,” paparnya lagi.

Masih kata Dedy, berdasarkan hasil pengecekan di lapangan, dipastikan pada jalan tol ruas Cigombong-Cibadak akan selesai sesuai jadwal yang sudah ditentukan.

“Cuma satu titik yang agak terlambat di akhir pembangunan jembatan. Namun kami sudah berkoordinasi dengan pihak PT Waskita Karya dan proyek jalan tol menggunakan jalan kanan. Nanti akan ada pengerasan sehingga jalan bisa digunakan kendaraan roda empat, Insyaallah Desember bisa beres,” tutupnya

Informasinya, pengerjaan pembangunan tersebut akan selesai pada Desember 2022 sehingga dipastikan ruas jalan tol ini sudah bisa melayani masyarakat baik dari arah Sukabumi menuju Bogor maupun sebaliknya.

Proyek jalan tol Bogor-Ciawi-Sukabumi (Bocimi) merupakan salah satu dari rangkaian Proyek Strategis Nasional yang dicanangkan oleh Pemerintah. Tol Bocimi diharapkan dapat mengurangi kemacetan yang selama ini terjadi bila ada perjalanan yang menuju ke arah Sukabumi.

Jalur Tol Bocimi melintasi dua kabupaten yang ada di Indonesia, yakni Kabupaten Bogor dan Sukabumi. Dengan total investasi sebesar Rp 7,77 triliun, ruas jalan tol Bocimi memiliki panjang 54 kilometer dan pembangunannya dibagi atas 4 seksi, yakni seksi 1 Ciawi-Cigombong dengan panjang 15,35 kilometer, seksi 2 Cigombong-Cibadak dengan panjang 11,9 kilometer, seksi 3 Cibadak-Sukabumi dengan panjang 13,7 kilometer dan terakhir seksi 4 Sukabumi Barat-Sukabumi Timur dengan panjang 13,05 kilometer.

Pembangunan jalan tol Bocini sendiri disambut dengan baik oleh Gubernur Jawa Barat Ahmad Heryawan dan berharap pembangunanya akan berjalan sampai selesai. Menurutnya, rencana proses pembangunan tol Bocimi sebenarnya sudah direncanakan sejak tahun 1997 dan ini merupakan perencanaan yang keempat.

Russian MoD: UK Royal Navy Officials Involved in Nord Stream Terrorist Act

©Sputnik / Grigory Sysoev / Go to the mediabank

Moscow classifies the Nord Stream pipeline blasts as acts of international terrorism, as Denmark and Sweden bar Russia from probing the incidents. The Russian Foreign Ministry underscores that the investigation can be considered reliable and objective only if Moscow participates in it.

The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has stated that UK Royal Navy officials took part in the planning and implementation of a terrorist attack on the Nord Stream gas pipeline network in the Baltic Sea on September 26.

"According to the obtained data, the UK Navy representatives took part in planning, organizing and carrying out the terrorist act in the Baltic Sea on September 26, 2022 to blow up the Nord Stream-1 and Nord Stream-2 gas pipelines," the MoD said in a statement on Saturday.

In late September, the suspected explosions occurred at three of the four strings of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 underwater pipelines, built to carry a combined annual 110 billion cubic meters of Russian gas to Europe under the Baltic Sea.

The bombing halted gas deliveries to Germany ahead of the cold season, prompting a gas price hike and a scramble for alternative sources of fuel in the European Union.

The Swedish and Danish authorities suspect that the incident was the result of sabotage, with both countries barring Russia from investigating the attack. The Russian Prosecutor General's Office classified the pipeline blasts as acts of international terrorism. According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, the investigation of terrorist attacks can only be considered reliable and objective if Moscow takes part in the probe.

The operator company Nord Stream AG later said that the damage to the pipeline system is unprecedented, while Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that it was a deliberate assault on Europe's energy infrastructure, hinting that the US and Britain could be responsible for the blasts.

A joint venture by the Russian energy giant Gazprom and four Western European energy companies, Nord Stream 2, is a 1,230 km twin gas pipeline along the bottom of the Baltic Sea which complements the existing Nord Stream 1 network.

Construction on Nord Stream 2 was completed in September 2021 but Germany delayed its operational certification and halted the process indefinitely in February, shortly before Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine

Twitter's banned account holders knock at Elon Musk's door

Elon Musk's Twitter account, October 28, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

Mere hours after Elon Musk kicked off a new era at Twitter Inc, the billionaire owner was deluged with pleas and demands from banned account holders and world leaders.

The flood of requests underscore the challenge the CEO of electric car maker Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) faces, balancing a promise to restore free speech while preventing the platform from descending into a 'hellscape,' as he had vowed in an open letter to advertisers on Thursday.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who was permanently banned from Twitter over accusations of inciting violence after the Jan. 6, 2021 capitol riots, welcomed the takeover, but said little about a return to Twitter. "I am very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands, and will no longer be run by Radical Left Lunatics and Maniacs who truly hate our country."

Dmitry Medvedev, former Russia president and current deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, tweeted his congratulations: "Good luck @elonmusk in overcoming political bias and ideological dictatorship on Twitter. And quit that Starlink in Ukraine business."

Good luck @elonmusk in overcoming political bias and ideological dictatorship on Twitter. And quit 👋 that Starlink in Ukraine business

— Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) October 28, 2022

Others asked Musk to reverse penalties inflicted by the social media platform. In response to @catturd2, an anonymous account with 852,000 followers, known for being a big supporter of Trump's election fraud claims, and who said it was "shadowbanned," Musk tweeted "I will be digging in more today."

The editor-in-chief of Russian state-controlled broadcaster RT, Margarita Simonyan, asked Musk to "unban RT and Sputnik accounts and take the shadow ban off mine as well?"

Elon @elonmusk, since you’re all for free speech, maybe unban RT and Sputnik accounts and take the shadow ban off mine as well?

— Маргарита Симоньян (@M_Simonyan) October 27, 2022

The pressure is mounting on Musk and Twitter as he is set to address the Twitter staff on Friday after closing the deal.

"Hey @ElonMusk, now that you own Twitter, will you help fight back against Trudeau's online censorship bill C-11?" tweeted Canada Proud, an organization working to vote out Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

"First I've heard," Musk responded in a tweet on Friday.

DAY ONE

Several employees who spoke with Reuters on Friday said there had been no communication from management about what happens next.

Musk was expected to address employees on Friday, but the employees said they had not received any notice by the late afternoon.

Two sources familiar with the matter said Musk's teams were investigating Twitter's code and asking questions about how aspects of the platform work.

Musk appeared to have joined the company's Slack channel by Friday, according to a screenshot seen by Reuters.

Musk also tweeted on Friday that Twitter will form a "content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints," and that no major decisions on moderation or account reinstatements will be made before it convenes.

Despite an appeal to advertisers on Thursday that he hoped to make Twitter "the most respected advertising platform in the world," at least one major automaker - GM (GM.N) - said it temporarily paused its advertising and was working to "understand the direction of the platform under their new ownership."

Employees also continued to fret about the future of their jobs. Fewer than 10% of 266 Twitter employees who participated in a poll on messaging app Blind expected to still have their jobs in three months. Blind allows employees to air grievances anonymously after they sign up with corporate emails.

Musk fired Twitter Chief Executive Parag Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal and legal affairs and policy chief Vijaya Gadde, according to people familiar with the matter. He had accused them of misleading him and Twitter investors over the number of fake accounts on the platform.

Agrawal and Segal were in Twitter's San Francisco headquarters when the deal closed and were escorted out, the sources added.

Musk, who also runs rocket company SpaceX, plans to become Twitter's interim CEO, according to a person familiar with the matter and following an earlier report by Reuters. Musk also plans to scrap permanent bans on users, Bloomberg said, citing a person familiar with the matter.

'CHIEF TWIT'

Before closing the deal, Musk walked into Twitter's headquarters on Wednesday with a big grin and a porcelain sink, subsequently tweeting "let that sink in." He changed his Twitter profile description to "Chief Twit."

European regulators also reiterated past warnings that, under Musk's leadership, Twitter must still abide by the region's Digital Services Act, which levies hefty fines on companies if they do not control illegal content.

"In Europe, the bird will fly by our EU rules," EU industry chief Thierry Breton tweeted on Friday morning.

European Parliament lawmaker and civil rights proponent Patrick Breyer suggested people look for alternatives where privacy is a priority.

"Twitter already knows our personalities dangerously well due to its pervasive surveillance of our every click. Now this knowledge will be falling into Musk's hands."

Musk has indicated he sees Twitter as a foundation for creating a "super app" that offers everything from money transfers to shopping and ride-hailing.

But Twitter is struggling to engage its most active users who are vital to the business. These "heavy tweeters" account for less than 10% of monthly overall users but generate 90% of all tweets and half of global revenue.

Musk will face a challenge building revenue "given that the controversial opinions he appears to want to give more of a free rein to are often unpalatable to advertisers," said Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Susannah Streeter.

As news of the deal spread, some Twitter users were quick to flag their willingness to walk away.

"I will be happy to leave in a heartbeat if Musk, well, acts as we all expect him to," said a user with the @mustlovedogsxo account.