WORLD BRIEFING: January 19, 2024
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says he has informed U.S. that he opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of any postwar scenario. He said Israel "must have security control over the entire territory west of the Jordan River," adding: That collides with the idea of sovereignty. What can we do?…This truth I tell to our American friends, and I put the brakes on the attempt to coerce us to a reality that would endanger the state of Israel," he said. Netanyahu said he had relayed his positions to the Americans. "The prime minister needs to be capable of saying no to our friends," he added - AP
Responding to Mr Netanyahu's latest comments, White House national security adviser John Kirby said his government would not stop working towards a two-state solution, adding there would be "no reoccupation of Gaza." - BBC
Around 24,500 people have died in Gaza since Israel began its operation there, according to the Health Ministry - PBS Newshour
The United States has added a company from the UAE that trades in Russian oil to the sanctions list. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Hennesea Shipping Co Ltd, the ultimate owner of 18 Liberian-flagged tankers acquired in late 2022, the Treasury Department said in a statement. One of the company's ships, the "XS Atlantica", was carrying crude oil of Russian origin, sold at a price above the $60 limit set by the countries of the "Group of Seven". The company used the services of an American provider of maritime services, which made it possible to prosecute - Radio Liberty
European Parliament backs resolution calling for suspending Hungary's EU voting rights. The resolution, supported by 345 MEPs with 104 voting against and 29 abstaining, calls on the European Council to examine whether Hungary is committing a "serious and persistent breach" of the bloc's values under Article 7.2 of the EU treaty. If the remaining 26 members agree that a breach is occurring, a qualified majority of the Council can suspend some of Hungary's membership rights, including voting rights, under Article 7.3. Slovakia said earlier this week it opposes any restrictions on Hungary's EU rights - Kyiv Independent
The Ukrainian hacker group Blackjack (which works under the supervision of the Ukr. Security Service) hacked the construction department of the Russian Ministry of Defense that builds military bases and fortifications. Hackers were able to obtain more than 1.2 TB of classified data incl. the maps of 500+ military bases, arsenals, HQs, air defense installations, and quarters all across the Russian Federation and on the occupied Ukrainian territory. Also, hackers erased 7 servers of the Russian MoD and disabled 150 of their computers. [Source: The New Voice news website]
