Some of the faithful who gathered at the monastery admonished the Ukrainian government officials, arguing that the latter were "warring against God."
Christians in Ukraine rallied to nonviolently protect a famous monastery in Kiev from attempts by the Zelensky regime to seize it and evict the monks living there.
Videos that emerged online show Christian faithful gather in front of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and pray, preventing the government commission sent to do an inventory of the monastery from entering.
Some of the believers can be heard admonishing the government officials, telling them “You are warring against God” and “We do you no harm, let us pray for our husbands.”
Earlier this month, the National Kiev-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Preserve in Ukraine ordered the monks of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) to vacate the premises of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, after Ukrainian government accused the UOC of violating the terms of an agreement on the use of state property.
Unable to enter the monastery and perform its task, the commission ended up leaving the scene, having accomplished nothing.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s minister of culture suggested that the monks could stay if they were to join the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).
Earlier in the day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia strongly condemns Ukraine’s decision to evict monks from the Kiev-Pechesk Lavra monastery.
"We condemn. We strongly condemn these actions. We condemn the pressure that is being exerted on the clergy, which is being exerted on the Russian Orthodox Church," Peskov told reporters.
When asked about possible evacuation of monks to Russia, the Kremlin spokesman said that everything depends on their own decisions but "no one will remain indifferent" to their fate.
China and Brazil are moving to a new level of bilateral trade. China has made a strong move to increase its economic influence in Latin America. Brazil's example could stimulate the displacement of the dollar from the Southern Common Market's (MERCOSUR) trade with China.
China and Brazil have signed an agreement to trade using their local currencies. The announcement was made Wednesday at a high-level China-Brazil business forum in Beijing.
The two sides will set up a clearing house to facilitate settlements without using the US dollar and loans in local currencies. This will help companies make transactions easier and cheaper. Settlement in local currencies will also minimize financial risks in trade transactions due to fluctuations in the dollar's exchange rate.
The instability of the US financial system, and consequently the dollar, is one of the main incentives for transferring payments to yuan and Brazilian reals, Chen Fengying, a research fellow at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, told Sputnik.
“In the wake of the current international financial crisis, many countries are taking steps to diversify their currency baskets. The exchange rate volatility is mainly due to a sharp increase in interest rates by the Fed. This is causing market anxiety due to the uncertainty of US monetary policy, which reflects on the stability of the dollar. In the past, both China and Brazil were in the dollar zone, and it was necessary for the dollar to remain stable in order to maintain bilateral trade stability.
The current instability of the US dollar exchange rate negatively affects bilateral trade and investment and is detrimental to the interests of China and Brazil. In addition to Brazil and China, Russia and countries in the Middle East also use the method of settlement in local currency on the basis of swap agreements. This allows them to minimize risks, protect their interests and assess the potential of their own currencies.”
Brazil is China's ninth largest trading partner, and China is Brazil's largest trading partner. China overtook the US as Brazil's top trading partner in 2009. According to statistics from China's General Administration of Customs, bilateral trade reached $171.49 billion in 2022, an increase of 4.9 % from the previous year. Brazil's exports to China totaled $89.43 billion in 2022, according to official Brazilian data, or 26.8 % of its total exports.
The transition to local currencies will promote the development of China-Brazil cooperation in food and minerals, and also open up new opportunities for the export of high value-added goods from China to Brazil and from Brazil to China. These are the most promising areas of cooperation identified at the Beijing Business Forum.
According to expert Chen Fengying, the transfer of investments into local currencies will also bring significant bonuses. Brazil has become China's largest investment destination in Latin America.
“Brazil's decision to trade with China using its own currencies is correct and timely, especially in the context of the annual growth of bilateral trade. Settlement in local currencies can best support the stability of bilateral trade, strengthen the confidence of capital market participants in the future, and reduce the costs for companies caused by fluctuations in the U.S. dollar exchange rate. Under the announced agreement, only trade transactions between China and Brazil will be conducted in local currency for the time being. Both sides will benefit even more from expanding the scope of the agreement to include investment.”
More than 25 countries, including Chile and Argentina, already settle their accounts with China in yuan. Brazil's example may encourage other Chinese partners in the region to switch to trade settlements in national currencies, said Mikhail Belyaev, a Russian independent expert on financial and economic issues:
“It is certainly a strong example for other countries to take the same step as Brazil. The whole of Latin America is under quite strong American influence, including financial influence. Brazil is also keeping an eye on America. But it is moving away from the dollar because it benefits from it. The dollar is ‘toxic.’ And if it is ‘toxic’ for Russia today, it does not mean that it will not be ‘toxic’ for, say, Brazil or any other Latin American country tomorrow. This fact serves as a catalyst for countries in the region to follow Brazil's example and develop trade settlements with China in their national currencies. At the same time, it strengthens China's economic and financial influence in the region.”
After Argentina, Brazil is the second Mercosur country to switch to local currencies for its trade with China. This is a strong incentive for the other two Mercosur players, Uruguay and Paraguay. Especially since China and Uruguay are negotiating a free trade agreement.
Para pemain tim nasional Indonesia U-20 kompak mengenakan pita hitam, yang menjadi simbol kesedihan mereka karena Piala Dunia U-20 batal diselenggarakan di Tanah Air.
Sebelumnya FIFA telah membatalkan penyelenggaraan Piala Dunia U-20 di Indonesia, melalui pernyataan di laman resminya. Upaya Ketua Umum PSSI Erick Thohir untuk berkomunikasi dengan FIFA ternyata gagal membuahkan hasil yang menggembirakan bagi publik sepak bola Tanah Air.
"Perasaan kita tentu sangat sedih dan kecewa. Kita sudah latihan bersama sekitar dua tahun tapi apa boleh buat, kejadian ini membuat mimpi kita terkubur," kata bek tim nasional Indonesia U-20 Kadek Arel Priyatna dalam pernyataan tertulis yang diterima pewarta di Jakarta, Kamis malam.
"Ini kita memakai simbol pita hitam, simbol duka cita terhadap Piala Dunia U-20 yang batal. Kita berharap para suporter juga bisa menggunakannya," tambah pemain Bali United tersebut.
Kisruh mengenai penyelenggaraan Piala Dunia U-20 di Indonesia memantik perdebatan banyak pihak, terutama setelah dua gubernur yang provinsinya diamanahi tanggung jawab untuk menjadi tempat pertandingan menyatakan penolakannya terhadap kedatangan timnas Israel.
Gubernur Bali I Wayan Koster sempat menyurati Menteri Pemuda dan Olahraga untuk menyatakan keberatannya tersebut, sedangkan Gubernur Jawa Tengah Ganjar Pranowo sempat memberikan pernyataan tertulis dengan inti serupa. Hal tersebut kemudian memuncak pada keputusan FIFA untuk membatalkan penyelenggaraan ajang dua tahunan tersebut di Indonesia.
Kadek sendiri menyatakan dirinya merasa semakin sedih, karena salah satu pihak yang menolak kedatangan tim peserta adalah Gubernur Bali.
"Jujur saya kaget, kepala daerah saya sendiri yang menolak Israel. Seharusnya itu kan bisa menambah wawasan wisatawan tentang Bali di mata dunia," ucap pemain 17 tahun itu.
Partisipasi Indonesia di Piala Dunia U-20 sebenarnya masih belum jelas, karena FIFA hanya membatalkan penyelenggaraan di Indonesia dan bukan menyatakan tim Garuda Nusantara telah dicoret sepenuhnya. Selain itu, total sudah ada 24 tim yang dipastikan akan mengikuti ajang tersebut.
"Kita belum tahu keputusan selanjutnya. Kita berharap kalau pindah tempatnya, kita masih diperkenankan (bermain). Karena kualifikasi sudah ada 24 tim, harapan kita itu saja," kata Wakil Ketua Umum PSSI Zainudin Amali saat menemui para pemain timnas U-20 pada Kamis siang.
The US Armed Forces must stop provoking China in the South China Sea, otherwise they will bear responsibility for any potential incidents, Chinese Defense Ministry Spokesman Tan Kefei warned on Thursday.
The comment was Tan’s response to a US Navy vessel that allegedly sailed near the China-controlled Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.
"We sternly demand that the United States immediately stop such provocations, otherwise it will bear full responsibility for all the serious consequences of their causing a potential incident," the Chinese Defense Ministry quoted him as saying on WeChat.
"The Chinese People’s Liberation Army will take all necessary measures to protect national sovereignty and security and will resolutely defend peace and stability in the South China Sea," Tan assured.
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Milius passed near the Paracel Islands last Friday. China’s top brass claimed that the US warship did this without the Chinese government’s permission and had violated China’s sovereignty. The US 7th Fleet replied by saying in a news release that the US destroyer had acted in line with international law, while conducting a freedom of navigation operation (FONOP).
Beijing has disputed the territorial jurisdiction of some islands in the South China Sea where large hydrocarbon reserves were found with Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia. The most disputed territories are the Xisha Islands, also known as the Paracel Islands, the Nansha or Spratly Islands and Huangyan Island (Scarborough Reef).
China strongly opposes the United States' sensationalization of the "China threat" in its new defense act, said Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, a spokesman for China's Defense Ministry.
Tan said in a news release on Saturday that the US' National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 involves a number of negative provisions regarding China. It plays up the so-called "China threat" in disregard of facts and brazenly interferes with China's internal affairs to fabricate excuses for expanding military expenditures and maintaining its hegemony, he said.
"Such acts have not only harmed China's sovereignty, security and interests, but have also poisoned the ties between the two countries and the two militaries," said Tan. "China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to the US' move, and has lodged solemn representations with the US."
The spokesman said that China is following a path of peaceful development and a national defense policy that is defensive in nature, and has always taken concrete actions to safeguard world peace, foster the common development and strive for a better, shared future for mankind. The Chinese military has always been a staunch force for protecting world peace and stability and this fact has been recognized by the international community and brooks no denigration, according to Tan.
In stark contrast, the US has either waged wars against other countries or created conflicts, causing massive casualties and displacement of innocent civilians.
"Facts have proved again and again that the US is the very direct threat to the international order and the driver behind turbulence in many regions," he noted.
Speaking about the Taiwan question, the spokesman said that, for a certain period, the US has been constantly distorting and invalidating the one-China principle, frequently selling arms to Taiwan, strengthening its military connection with Taiwan and concocting Taiwan-related acts that damage China's sovereignty. These moves have seriously jeopardized the peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits and increase the risk of China-US military confrontation.
"The People's Liberation Army is, as always, ready to resolutely safeguard our national reunification and territorial integrity," Tan said.
"We urge the US to abandon its obsession with this zero-sum game and adopt objective and rational perspective of China's national defense and military, truly respect China's core interests and major concerns, and work with China to implement the consensus reached by our national leaders. Only in this way, can the military-to-military relations between the two countries get back on track," he stressed.
China willing to work with Russian military on several fronts - Chinese defence ministry
China said its military was willing to work together with the Russian military to strengthen strategic communication and coordination, the Chinese defence ministry said on Thursday.
The two countries would work together to implement global security initiatives, said Tan Kefei, a spokesman at the Chinese defence ministry, at a regular press conference.
Tan said the two countries would deepen military trust and jointly safeguard international fairness and justice.
They will also further organise joint maritime, air patrols and joint exercises, Tan said.
China President Xi Jinping recently visited Russia and met with President Vladimir Putin - a visit the United States denounced.
The United States should pay attention to the situation in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra (Kiev Monastery of the Caves), and not engage in moralizing about democracy, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said.
"Americans should find courage to move from moralizing at the 'Summit for Democracy' towards meaningful steps to stop blasphemy and crackdown on the Orthodox community," Antonov said in a statement.
On March 10, the National Kiev-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Preserve in Ukraine ordered the monks based in the monastery to leave it by March 29 after an interdepartmental Ukrainian commission accused the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) of violating the terms of an agreement on the use of state property. Ukrainian Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko said the monks could stay in the Lavra if they joined the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).
The Russian Orthodox Church says the UOC is a "self-governing church with the rights of broad autonomy" within the Moscow Patriarchate. However, in the wake of the special military operation that Russia launched in Ukraine more than a year ago, the UOC said it was independent from the Moscow Patriarchate and did not support the operation. In January, the Ukrainian government submitted a bill to parliament that seeks to ban the UOC in Ukraine if its connection with Russia is proven.
REC to Promote Russian Products on China's Most Popular Messaging App, WeChat
The Russian Export Center (REC, part of the VEB.RF) is launching an official account on WeChat, a multipurpose social media, messaging and payment app developed in China.
Russian goods presented in national online stores under the "Made in Russia" brand will be promoted there for free, the center reports.
"WeChat can be said to be the national social network of the Celestial Empire, as 90% of the country's residents use it. They use it for both personal and business purposes. And of course, they pay attention to the goods advertised there.
That is why we have opened a WeChat account so that every consumer in China knows where to find high-quality Russian products and what their special features are. All goods certified as "Made in Russia" and placed in national stores on popular Chinese marketplaces will be promoted there. This promotion will be free of charge for the exporting companies themselves," said Alexey Murzenok, Director of International Partnership Programs at the Russian Export Center.
To take advantage of promotional opportunities in the Chinese market, an exporter must submit an online application for placement in one of the national stores through the My Export digital platform and obtain a "Made in Russia" certificate.
In order to find the REC’s account on WeChat, just type "Made in Russia" in the search box. The first publication there is a general article with links to active national stores. In the near future, a catalog of Russian-certified products will appear there. It will provide the Chinese public with information and links to Russian products that can be purchased. The promotion of the account will also be launched very soon. In addition, the first advertising campaign will be devoted to the relaunch of the project to develop a network of national online stores, of which there are already more than 10 in China, and the national "Made in Russia" brand promotion program.
If an exporter wants to get his goods into the network of national stores on Chinese marketplaces and advertise on WeChat, he should take the following steps: first, he needs to use the free international marketplace selection service on the "My Export" digital platform. It will help him determine the target country for export, as well as analyze the company's readiness to export and the company's development strategy.
Then the exporter must choose the National Store, which is located in one of the Chinese marketplaces, and apply for placement and promotion there. This can be done at the exporter's own expense or with government support from regional export support centers - this option is available to small and medium-sized enterprises. The service includes the design and placement of product cards in the marketplace account, export shipment support and advice on import conditions, as well as organizing sales for 12 months and basic promotion.
The exporter can obtain a "Made in Russia" certificate both before submitting an online application for placement and promotion in national stores, and during the service process itself. It is important to note that the "Made in Russia" certificate is issued only for voluntary certificates of conformity. You can find out all the details and submit an application at the REC’s website.
After the product hits the online shelf, Chinese WeChat users learn about it through a promotion with a "Made in Russia" account.
National stores are joint online stores on foreign marketplaces where you can find Russian goods in various categories from different sellers. In addition, the goods must have a "Made in Russia" certificate. The project is promoted by the Russian Export Center in cooperation with the Russian government under the national brand "Made in Russia".
In total, there are 30 national stores in China, Turkey, Vietnam and other countries in Southeast Asia. For example, national stores in China are located on marketplaces such as Kuaishou, Douyin, Tmall, 1919 and Taobao; in Turkey - on Trendyol and Amazon; in Southeast Asia - on Lazada and Shopee.
Every Little Bit Helps: South African Eco-Activist Promotes Preservation of Oceans Around Africa
March 30 marks the International Day of Zero Waste. As stated by the United Nations General Assembly, this day is designed to draw people's attention to sustainable consumption and production patterns. The initiative is aimed at moving the world closer to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
People should not think what they are doing does not make a difference, even small gestures could help preserve the planet, South African Zoe Prinsloo, Founder of Save a Fishie, said in an interview with Sputnik.
Ahead of the UN-designated Zero Waste Day, Sputnik interviewed a South African environmental activist, who has been doing beach clean-ups since she was 10 years old in order to save the oceans from pollution.
The founder and CEO of Save a Fishie, an environmental organization created five years ago and operating on South African beaches, said it was hard to find a way to make a difference for polluted oceans. This is why she started doing beach clean-ups, she added.
"My vision with Save A Fishie is to help the average person who wants to help the planet but isn't sure how; saving the planet can be quite intimidating to a lot of people so I try to encourage everyone that if we all just picked up a few pieces of litter whether at our local beach, park or road it can make the world of a difference and in-turn save lots of fishies!" the activist said.
Prinsloo, who was nominated as one of the Top 100 Young African Conservationists and won the Youth division for the Business Person of the year 2021, also outlined the obstacles she faces in her work.
"I am self-funded and cleaning the beach is not exactly a paying job. I am so passionate about what I do, so I rely on sponsored clean-ups from companies, donations and people buying my eco-friendly products to keep my dream alive of doing this full-time," she stated.
Answering a question on what could be done by government and communities to assist her, Zoe said sharing the company's "social media posts and campaigns, liking and following" it on those platforms would help Save a Fishie grow.
Another option, she added, is to attend beach clean-ups.
"The more hands we have, the more litter we can remove from the beach before the tide washes it back out to sea," Prinsloo stated.
Speaking about the sufficiency of available facilities for combatting waste problems, the activist noted that more recycling depots and drop-off points along with better education around the state of oceans, the effects of certain actions, and what people can do would definitely help.
In her opinion, living a waste-free lifestyle nowadays is very important, "considering how fast paced we are moving." A waste-free lifestyle can be healthier and much more beneficial for people and the planet, she added.
"It may sometimes be a bit harder in the beginning but in the long run will save you lots of time and money. It also helps us appreciate everything we have and everything our planet has given us," Prinsloo stated.
The eco-activist also sent a message to people, particularly young Africans, on Zero Waste Day, saying "never feel like you are not doing enough or that what you are doing is not making a difference. Honestly trust and believe that every little piece is making a difference and
Sputnik talked to Prinsloo on the eve of the International Day of Zero Waste - an initiative designed to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns, society's move towards circularity and awareness about how zero-waste initiatives help approach to achieving the 2030 Sustanable Development Goals.
The SDG set by the United Nations in 2015 imply 17 goals to achieve by 2030, including those aimed at tackling climate change, preserving oceans, forests, and fighting pollution.
Promoting zero-waste initiatives through this international day, which was adopted by a UN General Assembly resolution on December 14, 2022 and is to be observed on March 30 annually, can help advance all the SDG.
South Africa, as one of the fastest developing African nations, generates a lot of waste, which require an adequate response. According to the UN-Habitat, a UN-controlled program designed to promote sustainable development of localities, South Africa is expected to start producing more than 20 million metric tons per year by 2025.
Trash Free Initiatives Require More Funds and Cooperation
During the annual climate conference held in November 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, the host country's Foreign Minister and COP27 President Sameh Shoukry said African nations require additional funding to confront the negative effects of climate change.
"Indeed, African countries suffer greatly from the effects of climate change without being major contributors to this problem," Shoukry stated at a press conference.
He added that Africa needs assistance in adapting to climate change, and it is important to provide countries of the continent with necessary state-of-the-art technological solutions.
At the same time, Africans more actively draw attention to use of the continent's own institutions and funds in solving their problems.
For instance, Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo during the US-Africa Leaders' Summit in Washington in December 2022, urged Africans not to rely on the West financially.
"If we stop being beggars and spend African money inside the continent, Africa will not need to ask for respect from anyone, we will get the respect we deserve. If we make it prosperous as it should be, respect will follow," he noted.
Akufo-Addo also called for solidarity between African nations, saying the continent's skills and manpower are sufficient to make "Africa work."
Along with him, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa said that African nations could cooperate more to provide more African solutions.
Breaking: Russia’s main security agency said it had detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, for what it described as espionage
An undated photo of journalist Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal Moscow bureau reporter who was detained on Thursday by Russia's Federal Security Service. (AFP/Getty Images)
Russia’s FSB security service said on Thursday that a reporter with the US newspaper The Wall Street Journal, Evan Gershkovich, had been detained in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg on suspicion of espionage, the Interfax news agency reported.
In a statement quoted by Interfax, the FSB said it had “stopped the illegal activities of US citizen Gershkovich Evan, born in 1991, a correspondent of the Moscow bureau of the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, accredited at the Russian Foreign Ministry, who is suspected of spying in the interests of the American government”.
No comment was immediately available from the newspaper.
The statement said Gershkovich had been tasked “by the American side” with gathering information on “the activities of one of the enterprises of the military-defence complex”. It provided no evidence.
Gershkovich is the first reporter for an American news outlet to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War. His arrest comes amid the bitter tensions between Moscow and Washington over the fighting in Ukraine.
Gershkovich’s last report from Moscow, published earlier this week, focused on the Russian economy’s slowdown amid Western sanctions imposed when Russian troops entered Ukraine last year.
Before joining The Wall Street Journal, 31-year-old Gershkovich worked for Agence France-Presse in Moscow.
He was previously a reporter for The Moscow Times, an English-language news website.
Gershkovich speaks Russian. His parents live in the United States but are originally from the Soviet Union.
Mr. Gershkovich reports on Russia as part of the Journal’s Moscow bureau. He is accredited to work as a journalist in Russia by the country’s foreign ministry, the FSB said.
The FSB said it had “stopped the illegal activities” Mr. Gershkovich was conducting and that an espionage case had been opened against him in Yekaterinburg.
