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Biden warns of global food shortages as Russia-Ukraine war upends wheat supplies
President Biden on Thursday warned of global food shortages as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine — predicting that the war would upend global wheat supplies. Russia and Ukraine jointly supply about a fourth of the world's wheat exports. "With regard to food shortages, yes we did talk about food shortages. And then it's going to be real," Biden said at a press conference in Belgium after attending meetings of NATO and G7 leaders. "The price of the sanctions is not just imposed upon Russia. It's post upon an awful lot of countries as well, including European countries and our country as well," Biden said.
https://www.sott.net/article/465905-Biden-warns-of-global-food-shortages-as-Russia-Ukraine-war-upends-wheat-supplies
Biden warns of global food shortages as Russia-Ukraine war upends wheat supplies
President Biden on Thursday warned of global food shortages as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine — predicting that the war would upend global wheat supplies. Russia and Ukraine jointly supply about a fourth of the world's wheat exports. "With regard to food shortages, yes we did talk about food shortages. And then it's going to be real," Biden said at a press conference in Belgium after attending meetings of NATO and G7 leaders. "The price of the sanctions is not just imposed upon Russia. It's post upon an awful lot of countries as well, including European countries and our country as well," Biden said.
https://www.sott.net/article/465905-Biden-warns-of-global-food-shortages-as-Russia-Ukraine-war-upends-wheat-supplies
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US volunteers reach the frontline of the war in Ukraine
US volunteers have been seen in video footage from the frontlines in Ukraine, suggesting that the international legion fighting alongside the Ukrainian army is playing an increasingly active role. Two video clips featuring US fighters appeared on Twitter on Thursday: one showing an American in combat gear posing in front of the burnt remains of what he said was a Russian tank. Off camera, a Ukrainian shouts "Welcome to America!" and the American repeats the phrase. In the other, narrated by a different soldier with an American accent, shows a detachment of soldiers taking cover by a wall alongside a road, in a village the narrator claims they have recaptured from the Russians. The first video was posted by James Vasquez, a US army veteran and building contractor from Connecticut, who, according to his Twitter feed, arrived in Poland on 15 March and crossed into Ukraine the next day, bringing with him several surveillance drones. He was sent to the frontlines from Lviv on 18 March....
https://www.sott.net/article/465906-US-volunteers-reach-the-frontline-of-the-war-in-Ukraine
US volunteers reach the frontline of the war in Ukraine
US volunteers have been seen in video footage from the frontlines in Ukraine, suggesting that the international legion fighting alongside the Ukrainian army is playing an increasingly active role. Two video clips featuring US fighters appeared on Twitter on Thursday: one showing an American in combat gear posing in front of the burnt remains of what he said was a Russian tank. Off camera, a Ukrainian shouts "Welcome to America!" and the American repeats the phrase. In the other, narrated by a different soldier with an American accent, shows a detachment of soldiers taking cover by a wall alongside a road, in a village the narrator claims they have recaptured from the Russians. The first video was posted by James Vasquez, a US army veteran and building contractor from Connecticut, who, according to his Twitter feed, arrived in Poland on 15 March and crossed into Ukraine the next day, bringing with him several surveillance drones. He was sent to the frontlines from Lviv on 18 March....
https://www.sott.net/article/465906-US-volunteers-reach-the-frontline-of-the-war-in-Ukraine
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Mayor Eric Adams exempts NYC athletes from vaccine mandate — but other city workers aren't so lucky
New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced an exemption on Thursday for city-based athletes and performers from NYC's vaccine mandate following plenty of pressure, most notably the bad optics of NBA star Kyrie Irving being barred from playing in Brooklyn Nets' home games — yet being allowed to enter the Nets' arena as a spectator and sit courtside. Other city workers are still required to abide by the mandate, however, and leaders of their unions aren't happy, the New York Post reported. What are the details? The paper said the exemption for athletes and performers is effective immediately. "Being healthy is not just about being physically healthy, but being economically healthy," Adams said at Citi Field, according to the Post. The stadium is the home of major league baseball's New York Mets.
https://www.sott.net/article/465907-Mayor-Eric-Adams-exempts-NYC-athletes-from-vaccine-mandate-but-other-city-workers-arent-so-lucky
Mayor Eric Adams exempts NYC athletes from vaccine mandate — but other city workers aren't so lucky
New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced an exemption on Thursday for city-based athletes and performers from NYC's vaccine mandate following plenty of pressure, most notably the bad optics of NBA star Kyrie Irving being barred from playing in Brooklyn Nets' home games — yet being allowed to enter the Nets' arena as a spectator and sit courtside. Other city workers are still required to abide by the mandate, however, and leaders of their unions aren't happy, the New York Post reported. What are the details? The paper said the exemption for athletes and performers is effective immediately. "Being healthy is not just about being physically healthy, but being economically healthy," Adams said at Citi Field, according to the Post. The stadium is the home of major league baseball's New York Mets.
https://www.sott.net/article/465907-Mayor-Eric-Adams-exempts-NYC-athletes-from-vaccine-mandate-but-other-city-workers-arent-so-lucky
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China grounds Boeing 737s after deadly crash
The same type of aircraft was involved in this week's accident that killed 132 people China Eastern Airlines and its subsidiaries have temporarily grounded 223 Boeing 737-800 aircraft, the company's spokesperson Liu Xiaodong said in a press conference on Thursday, according to CNN. On Monday, China Eastern Airlines flight 5735 crashed in a remote, mountainous region in the south of the country as it flew from Kunming to Guangzhou. The flight had 132 people on board - 123 passengers and nine crew. No survivors had been found after three days of search efforts, Chinese investigators said on Wednesday. The grounded aircraft are undergoing safety inspection and maintenance to ensure that they are safe to fly, Liu said. The airline launched a sweeping safety overhaul after the accident, the spokesman added.
https://www.sott.net/article/465908-China-grounds-Boeing-737s-after-deadly-crash
China grounds Boeing 737s after deadly crash
The same type of aircraft was involved in this week's accident that killed 132 people China Eastern Airlines and its subsidiaries have temporarily grounded 223 Boeing 737-800 aircraft, the company's spokesperson Liu Xiaodong said in a press conference on Thursday, according to CNN. On Monday, China Eastern Airlines flight 5735 crashed in a remote, mountainous region in the south of the country as it flew from Kunming to Guangzhou. The flight had 132 people on board - 123 passengers and nine crew. No survivors had been found after three days of search efforts, Chinese investigators said on Wednesday. The grounded aircraft are undergoing safety inspection and maintenance to ensure that they are safe to fly, Liu said. The airline launched a sweeping safety overhaul after the accident, the spokesman added.
https://www.sott.net/article/465908-China-grounds-Boeing-737s-after-deadly-crash
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Safe streets require the political will to punish crime
As this crime wave rages, Republicans must ignore the false promise of a soft-on-crime utopia. "Let's not abandon our streets," Joe Biden lectured in his State of the Union last week. But his weak overtures to law and order in the speech rang hollow, as his administration — and just about every other career politician in Washington — sinks deeper into the quagmire of so-called "criminal justice reform." This soft-on-crime movement is led by activists who don't care about public safety at all. After years of crime reduction, American cities have become even more dangerous than they were in the 1980s. Murders are up, along with carjackings, robberies, shoplifting, public violence, and vandalism. Some progressives have tried to manipulate statistics and "contextualize" the recent crime surge, but Americans aren't buying it. We know a policy failure when it's staring us in the face.
https://www.sott.net/article/465909-Safe-streets-require-the-political-will-to-punish-crime
Safe streets require the political will to punish crime
As this crime wave rages, Republicans must ignore the false promise of a soft-on-crime utopia. "Let's not abandon our streets," Joe Biden lectured in his State of the Union last week. But his weak overtures to law and order in the speech rang hollow, as his administration — and just about every other career politician in Washington — sinks deeper into the quagmire of so-called "criminal justice reform." This soft-on-crime movement is led by activists who don't care about public safety at all. After years of crime reduction, American cities have become even more dangerous than they were in the 1980s. Murders are up, along with carjackings, robberies, shoplifting, public violence, and vandalism. Some progressives have tried to manipulate statistics and "contextualize" the recent crime surge, but Americans aren't buying it. We know a policy failure when it's staring us in the face.
https://www.sott.net/article/465909-Safe-streets-require-the-political-will-to-punish-crime
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We've discovered why some whales stop feeding in response to the sound of sonar
In September 2002, a number of beaked whales were stranded and killed in the Canary Islands during a NATO naval exercise. It was the first time we started to get a real understanding of the negative effects of sonar sounds on cetaceans, which includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. But why did the noise of sonar seem to affect beaked whales in particular, rather than other species of cetacean? In our new research, we've discovered that the response of each species to predators could explain why some whales and dolphins are more sensitive to this human-made noise. It was back in the early 2000s that we (along with other researchers around the world) began to study the impact of sonar on free-ranging whales. These new "behavioral responses studies" exposed different cetacean species to gradually increasing levels of sonar - with careful monitoring to keep the animals from harm. We were then able to identify the level of sonar noise at which behavioral changes began to occur. From...
https://www.sott.net/article/465910-We-ve-discovered-why-some-whales-stop-feeding-in-response-to-the-sound-of-sonar
We've discovered why some whales stop feeding in response to the sound of sonar
In September 2002, a number of beaked whales were stranded and killed in the Canary Islands during a NATO naval exercise. It was the first time we started to get a real understanding of the negative effects of sonar sounds on cetaceans, which includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. But why did the noise of sonar seem to affect beaked whales in particular, rather than other species of cetacean? In our new research, we've discovered that the response of each species to predators could explain why some whales and dolphins are more sensitive to this human-made noise. It was back in the early 2000s that we (along with other researchers around the world) began to study the impact of sonar on free-ranging whales. These new "behavioral responses studies" exposed different cetacean species to gradually increasing levels of sonar - with careful monitoring to keep the animals from harm. We were then able to identify the level of sonar noise at which behavioral changes began to occur. From...
https://www.sott.net/article/465910-We-ve-discovered-why-some-whales-stop-feeding-in-response-to-the-sound-of-sonar
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Reject Ketanji Brown Jackson for SCOTUS
The issue with Ketanji Brown Jackson, the 51-year-old federal appellate judge who is our senile president's Supreme Court nominee, is not necessarily her on-paper qualifications. By most traditional metrics, she is "qualified": She has served as both a district court and appellate court judge, served as vice chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, formerly clerked for Justice Stephen Breyer (the man she has been nominated to replace) and is a double-Harvard alum. In terms of "objective" criteria, this is an impressive resume. Instead, the issue with Judge Jackson is that she is a left-wing ideologue who, if successfully confirmed by the Senate, will devote the next few decades endeavoring to move the Supreme Court far to the left. All relevant indications are that she will approach her job not like her (slightly) more pragmatic former boss, but like a leftist activist — in the mode of her possible future colleague, the midwit partisan flack Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
https://www.sott.net/article/465911-Reject-Ketanji-Brown-Jackson-for-SCOTUS
Reject Ketanji Brown Jackson for SCOTUS
The issue with Ketanji Brown Jackson, the 51-year-old federal appellate judge who is our senile president's Supreme Court nominee, is not necessarily her on-paper qualifications. By most traditional metrics, she is "qualified": She has served as both a district court and appellate court judge, served as vice chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, formerly clerked for Justice Stephen Breyer (the man she has been nominated to replace) and is a double-Harvard alum. In terms of "objective" criteria, this is an impressive resume. Instead, the issue with Judge Jackson is that she is a left-wing ideologue who, if successfully confirmed by the Senate, will devote the next few decades endeavoring to move the Supreme Court far to the left. All relevant indications are that she will approach her job not like her (slightly) more pragmatic former boss, but like a leftist activist — in the mode of her possible future colleague, the midwit partisan flack Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
https://www.sott.net/article/465911-Reject-Ketanji-Brown-Jackson-for-SCOTUS
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BEST OF THE WEB: NATO Wants a Ground-War in Ukraine
"While the US succeeded in goading the Russian government to take the first shot, it is clear that the war in Ukraine is the first stage of a much broader conflict. Having provoked the Russian government into a desperate and disastrous invasion of Ukraine, the United States is using the war to reassert its global hegemony, building a war coalition for what the United States has termed "great power conflict" targeting not only Russia, but China as well." Andre Damon, World Socialist Web Site "What is important to our managerial and foreign policy elites, is, above all, the major effort and push for a globalist "Great Reset" using the Ukrainian conflict to finally accomplish their objective of bringing the entire world in accord with their plans for a New World Order. And to do that, Russia, which now stands athwart their designs, must be diminished and brought into line." Boyd D. Cathey, The Unz Review Why is NATO sending more lethal weaponry to Ukraine? Didn't Putin say that poring...
https://www.sott.net/article/465912-NATO-Wants-a-Ground-War-in-Ukraine
BEST OF THE WEB: NATO Wants a Ground-War in Ukraine
"While the US succeeded in goading the Russian government to take the first shot, it is clear that the war in Ukraine is the first stage of a much broader conflict. Having provoked the Russian government into a desperate and disastrous invasion of Ukraine, the United States is using the war to reassert its global hegemony, building a war coalition for what the United States has termed "great power conflict" targeting not only Russia, but China as well." Andre Damon, World Socialist Web Site "What is important to our managerial and foreign policy elites, is, above all, the major effort and push for a globalist "Great Reset" using the Ukrainian conflict to finally accomplish their objective of bringing the entire world in accord with their plans for a New World Order. And to do that, Russia, which now stands athwart their designs, must be diminished and brought into line." Boyd D. Cathey, The Unz Review Why is NATO sending more lethal weaponry to Ukraine? Didn't Putin say that poring...
https://www.sott.net/article/465912-NATO-Wants-a-Ground-War-in-Ukraine
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Oil prices surging to $200 a barrel could send the economy into recession: Goldman Sachs
Should oil prices explode to $200 a barrel as some experts have warned, Goldman Sachs thinks the U.S. economy would probably enter a recession (or already be in one). In a new note on Thursday, Goldman Sachs chief economist Jan Hatzius said: "We estimate that it would take a sustained oil price increase to $200 per barrel to produce an income shock similar in magnitude to those that precipitated the 1974 and 1979 recessions — and this would significantly increase the 2022 recession odds." Oil prices have come off their highs of around $140 a barrel seen at the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, but remain uncomfortably high. Brent crude oil hovered at $122 a barrel Thursday amid concerns on a new spate of sanctions on Russia by the West. Prices for Brent crude oil have more than doubled compared to this time last year. RBC Capital Markets analyst Michael Tran on Yahoo Finance Live said: "It is not unfathomable for prices to rocket to $200 a barrel by summer, spur a recession and end...
https://www.sott.net/article/465913-Oil-prices-surging-to-200-a-barrel-could-send-the-economy-into-recession-Goldman-Sachs
Oil prices surging to $200 a barrel could send the economy into recession: Goldman Sachs
Should oil prices explode to $200 a barrel as some experts have warned, Goldman Sachs thinks the U.S. economy would probably enter a recession (or already be in one). In a new note on Thursday, Goldman Sachs chief economist Jan Hatzius said: "We estimate that it would take a sustained oil price increase to $200 per barrel to produce an income shock similar in magnitude to those that precipitated the 1974 and 1979 recessions — and this would significantly increase the 2022 recession odds." Oil prices have come off their highs of around $140 a barrel seen at the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, but remain uncomfortably high. Brent crude oil hovered at $122 a barrel Thursday amid concerns on a new spate of sanctions on Russia by the West. Prices for Brent crude oil have more than doubled compared to this time last year. RBC Capital Markets analyst Michael Tran on Yahoo Finance Live said: "It is not unfathomable for prices to rocket to $200 a barrel by summer, spur a recession and end...
https://www.sott.net/article/465913-Oil-prices-surging-to-200-a-barrel-could-send-the-economy-into-recession-Goldman-Sachs
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George Bush and Tony Blair lack the moral authority to lecture Russia on Ukraine
Current and former Western leaders who have achieved eternal notoriety for launching the Iraq War, as well as other military disasters, are clearly the wrong people to lecture Russia over its actions in Ukraine. As George W. Bush and Tony Blair are emerging from political retirement to pontificate on Russia's "authoritarian bullying" against Ukraine, the question arises: Does such a surreal spectacle underscore the public's notorious short-term memory, or does it prove the media's vast power to shape public opinion in favor of its latest agenda? All things considered, it's most likely a wicked combination of the two noxious ingredients. Whatever the case, it defies reality that these former US and British leaders, whose past military exploits have been described in some quarters as actual war crimes, are now weighing in on the legitimacy of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, or any other conflict for that matter. To put it another way, Bush and Blair acting like long-haired anti-war...
https://www.sott.net/article/465914-George-Bush-and-Tony-Blair-lack-the-moral-authority-to-lecture-Russia-on-Ukraine
George Bush and Tony Blair lack the moral authority to lecture Russia on Ukraine
Current and former Western leaders who have achieved eternal notoriety for launching the Iraq War, as well as other military disasters, are clearly the wrong people to lecture Russia over its actions in Ukraine. As George W. Bush and Tony Blair are emerging from political retirement to pontificate on Russia's "authoritarian bullying" against Ukraine, the question arises: Does such a surreal spectacle underscore the public's notorious short-term memory, or does it prove the media's vast power to shape public opinion in favor of its latest agenda? All things considered, it's most likely a wicked combination of the two noxious ingredients. Whatever the case, it defies reality that these former US and British leaders, whose past military exploits have been described in some quarters as actual war crimes, are now weighing in on the legitimacy of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, or any other conflict for that matter. To put it another way, Bush and Blair acting like long-haired anti-war...
https://www.sott.net/article/465914-George-Bush-and-Tony-Blair-lack-the-moral-authority-to-lecture-Russia-on-Ukraine
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Donald Trump sues Hillary Clinton over 2016 Russian collusion allegations
Donald Trump on Thursday sued his rival in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Hillary Clinton, and several other Democrats, alleging that they tried to rig that election by tying his campaign to Russia. The lawsuit covers a long list of grievances the Republican former president repeatedly aired during his four years in the White House after beating Clinton, and comes as he continues to falsely claim that his 2020 election defeat by Democratic President Joe Biden was the result of widespread fraud. "Acting in concert, the Defendants maliciously conspired to weave a false narrative that their Republican opponent, Donald J. Trump, was colluding with a hostile foreign sovereignty," the former president alleged in a 108-page lawsuit filed in a federal court in Florida. The suit alleges "racketeering" and a "conspiracy to commit injurious falsehood," among other claims. A Clinton representative did not respond to a request for comment.
https://www.sott.net/article/465915-Donald-Trump-sues-Hillary-Clinton-over-2016-Russian-collusion-allegations
Donald Trump sues Hillary Clinton over 2016 Russian collusion allegations
Donald Trump on Thursday sued his rival in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Hillary Clinton, and several other Democrats, alleging that they tried to rig that election by tying his campaign to Russia. The lawsuit covers a long list of grievances the Republican former president repeatedly aired during his four years in the White House after beating Clinton, and comes as he continues to falsely claim that his 2020 election defeat by Democratic President Joe Biden was the result of widespread fraud. "Acting in concert, the Defendants maliciously conspired to weave a false narrative that their Republican opponent, Donald J. Trump, was colluding with a hostile foreign sovereignty," the former president alleged in a 108-page lawsuit filed in a federal court in Florida. The suit alleges "racketeering" and a "conspiracy to commit injurious falsehood," among other claims. A Clinton representative did not respond to a request for comment.
https://www.sott.net/article/465915-Donald-Trump-sues-Hillary-Clinton-over-2016-Russian-collusion-allegations
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The Bidens funded the activities of secret US biolabs
A growing number of independent media and civil society organizations are joining the investigation of hundreds of secret US biological laboratories around the world, including around Russia and China, rightfully suspected of developing and testing internationally banned biological weapons, to prevent Washington from launching a new, this time biological war in the world. The New Eastern Outlook has been involved in this investigation for a number of years, and its sources have repeatedly uncovered US criminal activity in Ukraine, Georgia and the Central Asian countries. It is noteworthy that the more justified and documented such criminal activity by the United States becomes, the louder the "objections" from Washington resound. And on March 22, in a meeting with business representatives, even US President Joe Biden tried to assure that the United States allegedly has no biological or chemical weapons in Europe. "It's just not true, I guarantee it," Biden said. At the same time,...
https://www.sott.net/article/465916-The-Bidens-funded-the-activities-of-secret-US-biolabs
The Bidens funded the activities of secret US biolabs
A growing number of independent media and civil society organizations are joining the investigation of hundreds of secret US biological laboratories around the world, including around Russia and China, rightfully suspected of developing and testing internationally banned biological weapons, to prevent Washington from launching a new, this time biological war in the world. The New Eastern Outlook has been involved in this investigation for a number of years, and its sources have repeatedly uncovered US criminal activity in Ukraine, Georgia and the Central Asian countries. It is noteworthy that the more justified and documented such criminal activity by the United States becomes, the louder the "objections" from Washington resound. And on March 22, in a meeting with business representatives, even US President Joe Biden tried to assure that the United States allegedly has no biological or chemical weapons in Europe. "It's just not true, I guarantee it," Biden said. At the same time,...
https://www.sott.net/article/465916-The-Bidens-funded-the-activities-of-secret-US-biolabs
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Hunter Biden's Investment Fund connected to financing of Pentagon-Funded Biolabs in Ukraine: MoD
In recent weeks, the Russian Defence Ministry has peeled back layers of information about 30 Pentagon-funded biolabs feared to be engaged in dangerous and illegal research into deadly pathogens in Ukraine. US officials and media initially denied that the labs existed, but a senior Biden administration official later confirmed their presence. An investment firm connected to US President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden has been implicated in the financing of the Pentagon's military biological programme in Ukraine, the head of Russia's Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defence Troops has announced, citing fresh documents. RCBD Troops chief Igor Kirillov said in a briefing Thursday: "Incoming materials have allowed us to trace the scheme of interaction between US government bodies and Ukraine's biolabs. The involvement in the financing of these activities by structures close to the current US leadership, in particular the Rosemont Seneca investment fund managed by Hunter Biden, draws...
https://www.sott.net/article/465917-Hunter-Bidens-Investment-Fund-connected-to-financing-of-Pentagon-Funded-Biolabs-in-Ukraine-MoD
Hunter Biden's Investment Fund connected to financing of Pentagon-Funded Biolabs in Ukraine: MoD
In recent weeks, the Russian Defence Ministry has peeled back layers of information about 30 Pentagon-funded biolabs feared to be engaged in dangerous and illegal research into deadly pathogens in Ukraine. US officials and media initially denied that the labs existed, but a senior Biden administration official later confirmed their presence. An investment firm connected to US President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden has been implicated in the financing of the Pentagon's military biological programme in Ukraine, the head of Russia's Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defence Troops has announced, citing fresh documents. RCBD Troops chief Igor Kirillov said in a briefing Thursday: "Incoming materials have allowed us to trace the scheme of interaction between US government bodies and Ukraine's biolabs. The involvement in the financing of these activities by structures close to the current US leadership, in particular the Rosemont Seneca investment fund managed by Hunter Biden, draws...
https://www.sott.net/article/465917-Hunter-Bidens-Investment-Fund-connected-to-financing-of-Pentagon-Funded-Biolabs-in-Ukraine-MoD
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Delhi calls off top meeting with UK delegates after PM pressures India to distance itself from Russia
A high-powered cross-party UK delegation to India led by the Commons Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, and his deputy has been called off at the last minute in a sign of a growing rift over India's refusal to distance itself from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The 10-strong delegation has been in discussion with India since January and was planning to visit Delhi and Rajasthan, but the Indian high commission is understood to have raised objections at the last minute. Boris Johnson spoke with Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, on Tuesday in an attempt to use his influence to persuade India to take a more robust position over the Russian invasion. India has not imposed sanctions or even condemned Russia, its biggest supplier of military hardware. Comment: India has much more than just a military relationship with Russia, although these kinds of insidious slights are to be expected from The Guardian these days: Can India facilitate the Global South's alternative financial transactions...
https://www.sott.net/article/465899-Delhi-calls-off-top-meeting-with-UK-delegates-after-PM-pressures-India-to-distance-itself-from-Russia
Delhi calls off top meeting with UK delegates after PM pressures India to distance itself from Russia
A high-powered cross-party UK delegation to India led by the Commons Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, and his deputy has been called off at the last minute in a sign of a growing rift over India's refusal to distance itself from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The 10-strong delegation has been in discussion with India since January and was planning to visit Delhi and Rajasthan, but the Indian high commission is understood to have raised objections at the last minute. Boris Johnson spoke with Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, on Tuesday in an attempt to use his influence to persuade India to take a more robust position over the Russian invasion. India has not imposed sanctions or even condemned Russia, its biggest supplier of military hardware. Comment: India has much more than just a military relationship with Russia, although these kinds of insidious slights are to be expected from The Guardian these days: Can India facilitate the Global South's alternative financial transactions...
https://www.sott.net/article/465899-Delhi-calls-off-top-meeting-with-UK-delegates-after-PM-pressures-India-to-distance-itself-from-Russia
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Intense Saharan dust sandstorm hits Spain for the second time
A huge Saharan dust storm has swept across Spain for the second time. Residents in Costa del Sol woke up to eerie skies with an orange hue caused by tiny particles of dust that had travelled thousands of miles across the Mediterranean Sea on Thursday. Amber weather warnings are in place in Malaga as the red dust - accompanied by heavy rainfall and strong winds - continues to cause poor visibility for drivers. The sandstorm has caused several cancellations and flight delays at Malaga Airport. The dust cloud blanketed streets and houses in southern regions and turned skies orange last week.
https://www.sott.net/article/465918-Intense-Saharan-dust-sandstorm-hits-Spain-for-the-second-time
Intense Saharan dust sandstorm hits Spain for the second time
A huge Saharan dust storm has swept across Spain for the second time. Residents in Costa del Sol woke up to eerie skies with an orange hue caused by tiny particles of dust that had travelled thousands of miles across the Mediterranean Sea on Thursday. Amber weather warnings are in place in Malaga as the red dust - accompanied by heavy rainfall and strong winds - continues to cause poor visibility for drivers. The sandstorm has caused several cancellations and flight delays at Malaga Airport. The dust cloud blanketed streets and houses in southern regions and turned skies orange last week.
https://www.sott.net/article/465918-Intense-Saharan-dust-sandstorm-hits-Spain-for-the-second-time
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BBC correspondent shaping Ukraine war coverage is PR operative involved in "war-messaging tool"
BBC reports on the suspicious destruction of a theater in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol were co-authored by a Ukrainian PR agent tied to a firm at the forefront of her country's information warfare efforts. Before serving as a fixer and reporter for the BBC in Ukraine, Orysia Khimiak handled PR for a start-up called Reface which created what the Washington Post called a "reality distorting app" now serving as "a kind of Ukrainian war-messaging tool." According to her Linkedin profile, Khimiak was the director of PR for Reface until October 2021. While working that job, Khimiak says she built "long-term relationships with editors and media representatives." She has also overseen a PR course for the Kiev-based Projector Institute, whose website currently greets visitors with the slogan, "Glory to Ukraine. We Will Win." With her wealth of media contacts, Khimiak now plays an instrumental role in shaping BBC's coverage of the Russian-Ukrainian war. She has even shared a byline with...
https://www.sott.net/article/465919-BBC-correspondent-shaping-Ukraine-war-coverage-is-PR-operative-involved-in-war-messaging-tool
BBC correspondent shaping Ukraine war coverage is PR operative involved in "war-messaging tool"
BBC reports on the suspicious destruction of a theater in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol were co-authored by a Ukrainian PR agent tied to a firm at the forefront of her country's information warfare efforts. Before serving as a fixer and reporter for the BBC in Ukraine, Orysia Khimiak handled PR for a start-up called Reface which created what the Washington Post called a "reality distorting app" now serving as "a kind of Ukrainian war-messaging tool." According to her Linkedin profile, Khimiak was the director of PR for Reface until October 2021. While working that job, Khimiak says she built "long-term relationships with editors and media representatives." She has also overseen a PR course for the Kiev-based Projector Institute, whose website currently greets visitors with the slogan, "Glory to Ukraine. We Will Win." With her wealth of media contacts, Khimiak now plays an instrumental role in shaping BBC's coverage of the Russian-Ukrainian war. She has even shared a byline with...
https://www.sott.net/article/465919-BBC-correspondent-shaping-Ukraine-war-coverage-is-PR-operative-involved-in-war-messaging-tool
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Russian military leaders rejecting 'outreach' from US counterparts - Pentagon
Top U.S. defense officials have received no response to outreach to their Russian counterparts since the start of the war in Ukraine. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gen. Valery Gerasimov "have so far declined to engage" in phone calls with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "Over the past month, Secretary Austin and Chairman Milley have sought, and continue to seek, calls with their Russian counterparts. Minister Shoigu and General Gerasimov have so far declined to engage," Kirby said. Relations between the two countries on the diplomatic front have deteriorated as well. Russia this week warned the U.S. that relations could be severed over President Biden calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal and informed the U.S. Embassy in Moscow that it was expelling some diplomats.
https://www.sott.net/article/465920-Russian-military-leaders-rejecting-outreach-from-US-counterparts-Pentagon
Russian military leaders rejecting 'outreach' from US counterparts - Pentagon
Top U.S. defense officials have received no response to outreach to their Russian counterparts since the start of the war in Ukraine. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gen. Valery Gerasimov "have so far declined to engage" in phone calls with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "Over the past month, Secretary Austin and Chairman Milley have sought, and continue to seek, calls with their Russian counterparts. Minister Shoigu and General Gerasimov have so far declined to engage," Kirby said. Relations between the two countries on the diplomatic front have deteriorated as well. Russia this week warned the U.S. that relations could be severed over President Biden calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal and informed the U.S. Embassy in Moscow that it was expelling some diplomats.
https://www.sott.net/article/465920-Russian-military-leaders-rejecting-outreach-from-US-counterparts-Pentagon
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Ukrainian-American criticizes Western war drive with Russia: US is using Ukraine as 'cannon fodder'
A left-wing peace activist raised in Ukraine explains how the US government created the crisis, backing two coups in a decade, fueling a devastating civil war, and exploiting his nation as a proxy against Russia. I am a Ukrainian-American. I grew up and spent over half of my life in Ukraine, although now I live in the United States. I wanted to explain my thoughts on the ongoing crisis with Russia, because mainstream corporate media outlets don't ever share perspectives like mine.
https://www.sott.net/article/465921-Ukrainian-American-criticizes-Western-war-drive-with-Russia-US-is-using-Ukraine-as-cannon-fodder
Ukrainian-American criticizes Western war drive with Russia: US is using Ukraine as 'cannon fodder'
A left-wing peace activist raised in Ukraine explains how the US government created the crisis, backing two coups in a decade, fueling a devastating civil war, and exploiting his nation as a proxy against Russia. I am a Ukrainian-American. I grew up and spent over half of my life in Ukraine, although now I live in the United States. I wanted to explain my thoughts on the ongoing crisis with Russia, because mainstream corporate media outlets don't ever share perspectives like mine.
https://www.sott.net/article/465921-Ukrainian-American-criticizes-Western-war-drive-with-Russia-US-is-using-Ukraine-as-cannon-fodder
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UK Home Secretary calls Russians 'barbarians', welcomes Ukrainian nationalists during prank call - Youtube censors video
Two Russian phone pranksters released the full video of their call to UK Home Secretary Priti Patel on Friday. In it, Patel calls Russians "barbarians," promises to step up spying on Russians in the UK, and is tricked into calling the pranksters "incredible heroes" and admits that her own country "plays dirty." The duo - real names Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexei Stolyarov - who call themselves 'Vovan and Lexus', set up a video call with Patel last week, in which one impersonated Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal. After releasing a teaser clip from the conversation on Thursday, in which Patel said that Britons were fine with Ukrainian "nationalists" settling in their country, the pair released the full 15-minute conversation on Friday.
https://www.sott.net/article/465922-UK-Home-Secretary-calls-Russians-barbarians-welcomes-Ukrainian-nationalists-during-prank-call-Youtube-censors-video
UK Home Secretary calls Russians 'barbarians', welcomes Ukrainian nationalists during prank call - Youtube censors video
Two Russian phone pranksters released the full video of their call to UK Home Secretary Priti Patel on Friday. In it, Patel calls Russians "barbarians," promises to step up spying on Russians in the UK, and is tricked into calling the pranksters "incredible heroes" and admits that her own country "plays dirty." The duo - real names Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexei Stolyarov - who call themselves 'Vovan and Lexus', set up a video call with Patel last week, in which one impersonated Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal. After releasing a teaser clip from the conversation on Thursday, in which Patel said that Britons were fine with Ukrainian "nationalists" settling in their country, the pair released the full 15-minute conversation on Friday.
https://www.sott.net/article/465922-UK-Home-Secretary-calls-Russians-barbarians-welcomes-Ukrainian-nationalists-during-prank-call-Youtube-censors-video
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The road to Ukraine started with 1999's Kosovo War
Pretty much everyone who has spent the past month moralizing about the sanctity of borders, sovereignty of countries, and how unacceptable it was for great powers to "bully" smaller neighbors - thinking of Russia and Ukraine - paused on Thursday to sing praises to a woman that championed all of those things back in 1999. Except since it was NATO doing them to Yugoslavia, Madeleine Albright was a hero and an icon, obviously. On March 24, 1999, NATO launched an air war against Serbia and Montenegro, then known as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The publicly stated aim of Operation Allied Force was to compel Belgrade to accept the ultimatum given at the French chateau of Rambouillet the month before: Hand the province of Kosovo over to NATO "peacekeepers" and allow ethnic Albanian separatists to declare independence.
https://www.sott.net/article/465923-The-road-to-Ukraine-started-with-1999s-Kosovo-War
The road to Ukraine started with 1999's Kosovo War
Pretty much everyone who has spent the past month moralizing about the sanctity of borders, sovereignty of countries, and how unacceptable it was for great powers to "bully" smaller neighbors - thinking of Russia and Ukraine - paused on Thursday to sing praises to a woman that championed all of those things back in 1999. Except since it was NATO doing them to Yugoslavia, Madeleine Albright was a hero and an icon, obviously. On March 24, 1999, NATO launched an air war against Serbia and Montenegro, then known as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The publicly stated aim of Operation Allied Force was to compel Belgrade to accept the ultimatum given at the French chateau of Rambouillet the month before: Hand the province of Kosovo over to NATO "peacekeepers" and allow ethnic Albanian separatists to declare independence.
https://www.sott.net/article/465923-The-road-to-Ukraine-started-with-1999s-Kosovo-War
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North Korea has likely tested a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile, Japan says - South Korea launches missile in response
North Korea likely tested a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile on Thursday, Japan's government said, prompting international outcry at a time when global attention is focused on Russia's war with Ukraine. It is the first suspected launch of an ICBM by the nuclear-armed country since November 2017 and represents a major escalation of tensions over North Korea's weapons program. The U.S., South Korea and Japan have all condemned the test. Speaking to reporters, Japan's Deputy Defense Minister Makoto Oniki said Thursday's missile launch may be a new model of ICBM because it flew much further than the previous test-fire.
https://www.sott.net/article/465924-North-Korea-has-likely-tested-a-new-type-of-intercontinental-ballistic-missile-Japan-says-South-Korea-launches-missile-in-response
North Korea has likely tested a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile, Japan says - South Korea launches missile in response
North Korea likely tested a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile on Thursday, Japan's government said, prompting international outcry at a time when global attention is focused on Russia's war with Ukraine. It is the first suspected launch of an ICBM by the nuclear-armed country since November 2017 and represents a major escalation of tensions over North Korea's weapons program. The U.S., South Korea and Japan have all condemned the test. Speaking to reporters, Japan's Deputy Defense Minister Makoto Oniki said Thursday's missile launch may be a new model of ICBM because it flew much further than the previous test-fire.
https://www.sott.net/article/465924-North-Korea-has-likely-tested-a-new-type-of-intercontinental-ballistic-missile-Japan-says-South-Korea-launches-missile-in-response
