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Derek Chauvin seeking new trial after conviction in George Floyd death
Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted in the death of George Floyd, is seeking a new trial. In an 82-page brief filed Monday, Chauvin's attorney, William Mohrman, argued that it was impossible for his client to get a fair trial in Minneapolis amid the tense climate surrounding the proceedings and the pre-trial publicity. He said the media coverage of the case "glorified Floyd and demonized Chauvin."
https://www.sott.net/article/467234-Derek-Chauvin-seeking-new-trial-after-conviction-in-George-Floyd-death
Derek Chauvin seeking new trial after conviction in George Floyd death
Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted in the death of George Floyd, is seeking a new trial. In an 82-page brief filed Monday, Chauvin's attorney, William Mohrman, argued that it was impossible for his client to get a fair trial in Minneapolis amid the tense climate surrounding the proceedings and the pre-trial publicity. He said the media coverage of the case "glorified Floyd and demonized Chauvin."
https://www.sott.net/article/467234-Derek-Chauvin-seeking-new-trial-after-conviction-in-George-Floyd-death
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Ukraine could dissolve into several states - Moscow
The policy pursued by the West and the "Kiev regime" it controls may ultimately result in Ukraine falling apart and ceasing to exist as a unified state, the secretary of Russia's Security Council, Nikolay Patrushev, has predicted. "Finding no positive ways to win Ukrainians over to its side, Washington, long before the 2014 coup d'etat, has been persuading Ukrainians of the supremacy of their nation and hatred toward everything Russian," Patrushev told the Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper in an exclusive interview, excerpts from which were published Tuesday. Today, the peoples living in Ukraine are held together only by fear of nationalist battalions. Such a policy of the West and the Kiev regime it controls can result only in disintegration of Ukraine into several states.
https://www.sott.net/article/467202-Ukraine-could-dissolve-into-several-states-Moscow
Ukraine could dissolve into several states - Moscow
The policy pursued by the West and the "Kiev regime" it controls may ultimately result in Ukraine falling apart and ceasing to exist as a unified state, the secretary of Russia's Security Council, Nikolay Patrushev, has predicted. "Finding no positive ways to win Ukrainians over to its side, Washington, long before the 2014 coup d'etat, has been persuading Ukrainians of the supremacy of their nation and hatred toward everything Russian," Patrushev told the Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper in an exclusive interview, excerpts from which were published Tuesday. Today, the peoples living in Ukraine are held together only by fear of nationalist battalions. Such a policy of the West and the Kiev regime it controls can result only in disintegration of Ukraine into several states.
https://www.sott.net/article/467202-Ukraine-could-dissolve-into-several-states-Moscow
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Meteor fireball over Germany and nearby countries on April 27
We received 19 reports about a fireball seen over Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Emilia-Romagna, Hessen, Piemonte, Rheinland-Pfalz, Sachsen, Salzburg and Veneto on Wednesday, April 27th 2022 around 19:56 UT. For this event, we received one video and 8 photos.
https://www.sott.net/article/467235-Meteor-fireball-over-Germany-and-nearby-countries-on-April-27
Meteor fireball over Germany and nearby countries on April 27
We received 19 reports about a fireball seen over Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Emilia-Romagna, Hessen, Piemonte, Rheinland-Pfalz, Sachsen, Salzburg and Veneto on Wednesday, April 27th 2022 around 19:56 UT. For this event, we received one video and 8 photos.
https://www.sott.net/article/467235-Meteor-fireball-over-Germany-and-nearby-countries-on-April-27
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Toddler killed after stray dog attack in Telangana, India
A two-and-a-half-year-old boy died allegedly after a pack of stray dogs attacked him at Bada Bazaar in Charminar police station limits on Tuesday night. The child, who suffered bleeding injuries on his neck and on other parts of his bust, was rushed for emergency treatment, but was soon declared dead by doctors at Niloufer Hospital. According to the police, the attack took place around 8:30 p.m. when the boy was playing outside his grandmother's house. "It was a pack of stray dogs," aggrieved family members and locals said. A senior official said that the police had visited the site, gathered details and checked the CCTV footage and related evidence.
https://www.sott.net/article/467236-Toddler-killed-after-stray-dog-attack-in-Telangana-India
Toddler killed after stray dog attack in Telangana, India
A two-and-a-half-year-old boy died allegedly after a pack of stray dogs attacked him at Bada Bazaar in Charminar police station limits on Tuesday night. The child, who suffered bleeding injuries on his neck and on other parts of his bust, was rushed for emergency treatment, but was soon declared dead by doctors at Niloufer Hospital. According to the police, the attack took place around 8:30 p.m. when the boy was playing outside his grandmother's house. "It was a pack of stray dogs," aggrieved family members and locals said. A senior official said that the police had visited the site, gathered details and checked the CCTV footage and related evidence.
https://www.sott.net/article/467236-Toddler-killed-after-stray-dog-attack-in-Telangana-India
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Transgender rugby player slams female athletes, coach says three injured
A high school rugby league is under fire after a transgender female athlete allegedly injured three biological female players during a Saturday match. A biological male identifying and playing as a female on Guam High School's rugby team injured three biological female players from Tiyan High School during Saturday's season-opening match, according to Tiyan High School head coach Conrad Kerber.
https://www.sott.net/article/467237-Transgender-rugby-player-slams-female-athletes-coach-says-three-injured
Transgender rugby player slams female athletes, coach says three injured
A high school rugby league is under fire after a transgender female athlete allegedly injured three biological female players during a Saturday match. A biological male identifying and playing as a female on Guam High School's rugby team injured three biological female players from Tiyan High School during Saturday's season-opening match, according to Tiyan High School head coach Conrad Kerber.
https://www.sott.net/article/467237-Transgender-rugby-player-slams-female-athletes-coach-says-three-injured
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Schooling: The West's War on the West
Exasperated parents have been known to admonish their self-centered, insolent, or sulking teen-agers with the words "You are your own worst enemy." It is highly unusual, however, for privileged adults to avidly turn on the civilization that has formed them, awarded them high status, and showered them with sundry and unprecedented material comforts. Yet progressive elites in the West revel in making themselves the West's own worst enemy. History is littered with nations that have brought down calamity on their heads through reckless adventures abroad or descent into corruption and decadence at home. From Plato to Hegel, political philosophers have warned that to counter the seeds of their own destruction sown into their typical ideas and institutions, regimes should fashion an educational system that checks their worst tendencies and fosters the virtues on which their security, prosperity, and happiness depend. But in the United States - and in other western liberal democracies -...
https://www.sott.net/article/467238-Schooling-The-Wests-War-on-the-West
Schooling: The West's War on the West
Exasperated parents have been known to admonish their self-centered, insolent, or sulking teen-agers with the words "You are your own worst enemy." It is highly unusual, however, for privileged adults to avidly turn on the civilization that has formed them, awarded them high status, and showered them with sundry and unprecedented material comforts. Yet progressive elites in the West revel in making themselves the West's own worst enemy. History is littered with nations that have brought down calamity on their heads through reckless adventures abroad or descent into corruption and decadence at home. From Plato to Hegel, political philosophers have warned that to counter the seeds of their own destruction sown into their typical ideas and institutions, regimes should fashion an educational system that checks their worst tendencies and fosters the virtues on which their security, prosperity, and happiness depend. But in the United States - and in other western liberal democracies -...
https://www.sott.net/article/467238-Schooling-The-Wests-War-on-the-West
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Biden cynically uses Ukraine to cover food sabotage
It's beginning to look like some bad actors are deliberately taking steps to guarantee a coming global food crisis. Every measure that the Biden Administration strategists have been making to "control energy inflation" is damaging the supply or inflating the price of natural gas, oil and coal to the global economy. This is having a huge impact on fertilizer prices and food production. That began well before Ukraine. Now reports are circulating that Biden's people have intervened to block the freight rail shipping of fertilizer at the most critical time for spring planting. By this autumn the effects will be explosive. With the crucial time for USA spring planting at its critical phase, CF Industries of Deerfield, Illinois, the largest US supplier of nitrogen fertilizers as well as a vital diesel engine additive, issued a press release stating that, "On Friday, April 8, 2022, Union Pacific informed CF Industries without advance notice that it was mandating certain shippers to reduce...
https://www.sott.net/article/467239-Biden-cynically-uses-Ukraine-to-cover-food-sabotage
Biden cynically uses Ukraine to cover food sabotage
It's beginning to look like some bad actors are deliberately taking steps to guarantee a coming global food crisis. Every measure that the Biden Administration strategists have been making to "control energy inflation" is damaging the supply or inflating the price of natural gas, oil and coal to the global economy. This is having a huge impact on fertilizer prices and food production. That began well before Ukraine. Now reports are circulating that Biden's people have intervened to block the freight rail shipping of fertilizer at the most critical time for spring planting. By this autumn the effects will be explosive. With the crucial time for USA spring planting at its critical phase, CF Industries of Deerfield, Illinois, the largest US supplier of nitrogen fertilizers as well as a vital diesel engine additive, issued a press release stating that, "On Friday, April 8, 2022, Union Pacific informed CF Industries without advance notice that it was mandating certain shippers to reduce...
https://www.sott.net/article/467239-Biden-cynically-uses-Ukraine-to-cover-food-sabotage
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Early-season snowstorm in Neuquén, Argentina
During this week the province of Neuquén was affected by a storm of snow and white wind that caused roadblocks and blown up roofs. Gusts exceeded 100 kilometers per hour. The Undersecretary of Civil Defense and Citizen Protection, Martín Giusti, reported that from Zapala to the capital, the wind was the protagonist. As a result of the storm, the Gendarmerie had to assist a dozen people stranded on roads that became impassable. They also had to rescue several people who were isolated in rural areas of "Pino Hachado" and "Copahue".
https://www.sott.net/article/467240-Early-season-snowstorm-in-Neuquen-Argentina
Early-season snowstorm in Neuquén, Argentina
During this week the province of Neuquén was affected by a storm of snow and white wind that caused roadblocks and blown up roofs. Gusts exceeded 100 kilometers per hour. The Undersecretary of Civil Defense and Citizen Protection, Martín Giusti, reported that from Zapala to the capital, the wind was the protagonist. As a result of the storm, the Gendarmerie had to assist a dozen people stranded on roads that became impassable. They also had to rescue several people who were isolated in rural areas of "Pino Hachado" and "Copahue".
https://www.sott.net/article/467240-Early-season-snowstorm-in-Neuquen-Argentina
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Good storytelling, lasting values and Disney's demise — this is not the way
We live in an age of maximum arrogance. When you watch companies with some of the most marketable brands in the world torch them on an altar of political correctness, it's easy to just think them stupid or going with the flow of history. But they aren't. Because not only do we live in an age of maximal arrogance, we also live in the biggest self-created false realities in human history. It is the height of irony that the biggest brand in storytelling, Disney, has succumbed to its own arrogance and self-delusion, becoming trapped in a false reality that Disney should dictate the direction humanity should accept. That's what lies at the heart of Disney's troubles today. It arrogantly believed it has an obligation to decide what is and is not culturally acceptable to a majority of its customers. It completely misread the room in thinking a large percentage of its business comes from the insufferably woke suburban moms who are just as fucked up as the kids they've raised. The good news...
https://www.sott.net/article/467241-Good-storytelling-lasting-values-and-Disneys-demise-this-is-not-the-way
Good storytelling, lasting values and Disney's demise — this is not the way
We live in an age of maximum arrogance. When you watch companies with some of the most marketable brands in the world torch them on an altar of political correctness, it's easy to just think them stupid or going with the flow of history. But they aren't. Because not only do we live in an age of maximal arrogance, we also live in the biggest self-created false realities in human history. It is the height of irony that the biggest brand in storytelling, Disney, has succumbed to its own arrogance and self-delusion, becoming trapped in a false reality that Disney should dictate the direction humanity should accept. That's what lies at the heart of Disney's troubles today. It arrogantly believed it has an obligation to decide what is and is not culturally acceptable to a majority of its customers. It completely misread the room in thinking a large percentage of its business comes from the insufferably woke suburban moms who are just as fucked up as the kids they've raised. The good news...
https://www.sott.net/article/467241-Good-storytelling-lasting-values-and-Disneys-demise-this-is-not-the-way
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Bill Clinton makes a pathetic attempt to retroactively justify his decision to expand NATO in 1998
Writes a Deceitful Article in The Atlantic Magazine That Distorts History to Defend His Fateful Presidential Blunder With the Ukraine war expanding and the threat of nuclear catastrophe rising, Bill Clinton has written an article in The Atlantic magazine trying to defend what many see as indefensible: his administration's support for the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in March 1999 into Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic against a pledge by the Bush administration to Mikhail Gorbachev that NATO would not expand "one inch eastward." Clinton had been warned at the time by Russian President Boris Yeltsin (1991-1999) that NATO expansion would result in "nothing but humiliation for Russia" and could provoke a new Cold War. Yeltsin told Clinton: "How do you think it looks to us if one bloc [from the Cold War] continued to exist when the Warsaw Pact has been abolished? It's a new form of encirclement if the one surviving Cold War bloc expands right up to...
https://www.sott.net/article/467242-Bill-Clinton-makes-a-pathetic-attempt-to-retroactively-justify-his-decision-to-expand-NATO-in-1998
Bill Clinton makes a pathetic attempt to retroactively justify his decision to expand NATO in 1998
Writes a Deceitful Article in The Atlantic Magazine That Distorts History to Defend His Fateful Presidential Blunder With the Ukraine war expanding and the threat of nuclear catastrophe rising, Bill Clinton has written an article in The Atlantic magazine trying to defend what many see as indefensible: his administration's support for the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in March 1999 into Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic against a pledge by the Bush administration to Mikhail Gorbachev that NATO would not expand "one inch eastward." Clinton had been warned at the time by Russian President Boris Yeltsin (1991-1999) that NATO expansion would result in "nothing but humiliation for Russia" and could provoke a new Cold War. Yeltsin told Clinton: "How do you think it looks to us if one bloc [from the Cold War] continued to exist when the Warsaw Pact has been abolished? It's a new form of encirclement if the one surviving Cold War bloc expands right up to...
https://www.sott.net/article/467242-Bill-Clinton-makes-a-pathetic-attempt-to-retroactively-justify-his-decision-to-expand-NATO-in-1998
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Long dormant underwater volcano in Antarctica triggers 85,000 earthquakes
The swarm of 85,000 earthquakes was the strongest seismic outburst ever recorded in Antarctica. A long-dormant underwater volcano near Antarctica has woken up, triggering a swarm of 85,000 earthquakes. The swarm, which began in August 2020 and subsided by November of that year, is the strongest earthquake activity ever recorded in the region. And the quakes were likely caused by a "finger" of hot magma poking into the crust, new research finds. "There have been similar intrusions in other places on Earth, but this is the first time we have observed it there," study co-author Simone Cesca, a seismologist at the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam, told Live Science. "Normally, these processes occur over geologic time scales," as opposed to over the course of a human life span, Cesca said. "So in a way, we are lucky to see this." The swarm occurred around the Orca Seamount, an inactive volcano that rises 2,950 feet (900 meters) from the seafloor in the Bransfield...
https://www.sott.net/article/467243-Long-dormant-underwater-volcano-in-Antarctica-triggers-85000-earthquakes
Long dormant underwater volcano in Antarctica triggers 85,000 earthquakes
The swarm of 85,000 earthquakes was the strongest seismic outburst ever recorded in Antarctica. A long-dormant underwater volcano near Antarctica has woken up, triggering a swarm of 85,000 earthquakes. The swarm, which began in August 2020 and subsided by November of that year, is the strongest earthquake activity ever recorded in the region. And the quakes were likely caused by a "finger" of hot magma poking into the crust, new research finds. "There have been similar intrusions in other places on Earth, but this is the first time we have observed it there," study co-author Simone Cesca, a seismologist at the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam, told Live Science. "Normally, these processes occur over geologic time scales," as opposed to over the course of a human life span, Cesca said. "So in a way, we are lucky to see this." The swarm occurred around the Orca Seamount, an inactive volcano that rises 2,950 feet (900 meters) from the seafloor in the Bransfield...
https://www.sott.net/article/467243-Long-dormant-underwater-volcano-in-Antarctica-triggers-85000-earthquakes
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New study may explain why apathy is the first symptom of Alzheimer's
Compelling new research from the Indiana University School of Medicine has homed in on a degenerative mechanism that could explain why symptoms such as apathy are the first signs of Alzheimer's disease. The findings suggest disrupting this process could slow the progression of Alzheimer's-related dementia. A growing body of research has recently indicated apathy is one of the earliest signs of dementia. Before cognitive decline becomes apparent and memory problems arise, apathy has been found to signal the onset of neurodegeneration. But what is actually going on in the brain to cause this neuropsychiatric symptom? Pharmacologist Yao-Ying Ma spent most of her career investigating the neurological mechanisms of substance abuse. Her background in drug addiction led to a research focus on a part of the brain called the nucleus accumbens, a brain region that plays a strong role influencing motivation and reward pathways. Ma's recent research focus has shifted to neurodegenerative...
https://www.sott.net/article/467244-New-study-may-explain-why-apathy-is-the-first-symptom-of-Alzheimer-s
New study may explain why apathy is the first symptom of Alzheimer's
Compelling new research from the Indiana University School of Medicine has homed in on a degenerative mechanism that could explain why symptoms such as apathy are the first signs of Alzheimer's disease. The findings suggest disrupting this process could slow the progression of Alzheimer's-related dementia. A growing body of research has recently indicated apathy is one of the earliest signs of dementia. Before cognitive decline becomes apparent and memory problems arise, apathy has been found to signal the onset of neurodegeneration. But what is actually going on in the brain to cause this neuropsychiatric symptom? Pharmacologist Yao-Ying Ma spent most of her career investigating the neurological mechanisms of substance abuse. Her background in drug addiction led to a research focus on a part of the brain called the nucleus accumbens, a brain region that plays a strong role influencing motivation and reward pathways. Ma's recent research focus has shifted to neurodegenerative...
https://www.sott.net/article/467244-New-study-may-explain-why-apathy-is-the-first-symptom-of-Alzheimer-s
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Oklahoma governor signs ban on nonbinary gender markers on birth certificates
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill Tuesday explicitly prohibiting the use of nonbinary gender markers on state birth certificates, a ban experts say is the first of its kind in the nation. The bill followed a flap last year over the Oklahoma State Department of Health's agreement in a civil case allowing a nonbinary option. The birth certificate in that case was issued to an Oklahoma-born Oregon resident who sued after the agency initially refused the request. People who are nonbinary do not identify with traditional male or female gender assignments. News of the settlement prompted outrage among Republicans, including Stitt, and his appointee to lead the agency abruptly resigned the next day. Stitt then promptly issued an executive order prohibiting any changes to a person's gender on birth certificates, despite the settlement agreement. A civil rights group has challenged the executive order in federal court, but the state has not yet responded. Many states only offer male...
https://www.sott.net/article/467245-Oklahoma-governor-signs-ban-on-nonbinary-gender-markers-on-birth-certificates
Oklahoma governor signs ban on nonbinary gender markers on birth certificates
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill Tuesday explicitly prohibiting the use of nonbinary gender markers on state birth certificates, a ban experts say is the first of its kind in the nation. The bill followed a flap last year over the Oklahoma State Department of Health's agreement in a civil case allowing a nonbinary option. The birth certificate in that case was issued to an Oklahoma-born Oregon resident who sued after the agency initially refused the request. People who are nonbinary do not identify with traditional male or female gender assignments. News of the settlement prompted outrage among Republicans, including Stitt, and his appointee to lead the agency abruptly resigned the next day. Stitt then promptly issued an executive order prohibiting any changes to a person's gender on birth certificates, despite the settlement agreement. A civil rights group has challenged the executive order in federal court, but the state has not yet responded. Many states only offer male...
https://www.sott.net/article/467245-Oklahoma-governor-signs-ban-on-nonbinary-gender-markers-on-birth-certificates
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Scientific publishing is a scam fed by the government
It may surprise you to know that there has been an embargo against scientists with UK grants publishing in Britain's premier scientific journal, Nature. At root was a dispute about the cost of publishing scientific papers, who has the rights to see them, and at what price. In the case of Nature, that price was €9,500, about $11,300. The episode reveals more than just a haggle over price, however. Deep troubles are roiling the seemingly calm surface of scientific publishing. The dustup over Nature is newsworthy because it brought those troubles to the surface, for all to see. Beneath the surface, though, the culture and practice of science and scientific discourse has been being transformed - radically. It's a complicated story, with a complicated history. Historically, science journals were the bailiwick of science "guilds", associations of like-minded scholars that managed communication among its members. I offer an example close to my professional heart. When I was a graduate...
https://www.sott.net/article/467246-Scientific-publishing-is-a-scam-fed-by-the-government
Scientific publishing is a scam fed by the government
It may surprise you to know that there has been an embargo against scientists with UK grants publishing in Britain's premier scientific journal, Nature. At root was a dispute about the cost of publishing scientific papers, who has the rights to see them, and at what price. In the case of Nature, that price was €9,500, about $11,300. The episode reveals more than just a haggle over price, however. Deep troubles are roiling the seemingly calm surface of scientific publishing. The dustup over Nature is newsworthy because it brought those troubles to the surface, for all to see. Beneath the surface, though, the culture and practice of science and scientific discourse has been being transformed - radically. It's a complicated story, with a complicated history. Historically, science journals were the bailiwick of science "guilds", associations of like-minded scholars that managed communication among its members. I offer an example close to my professional heart. When I was a graduate...
https://www.sott.net/article/467246-Scientific-publishing-is-a-scam-fed-by-the-government
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Croatian president says Finland, Sweden cannot join NATO before election law change in BiH
Finland and Sweden cannot join the NATO alliance as long as Bosnia and Herzegovina does not change its electoral law, President Zoran Milanović said on Tuesday. The statement triggered strong reactions from Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, while the foreign ministry in Zagreb confirmed its support for Finland's NATO aspirations. Croatia's parliament "must not ratify anyone's accession to NATO" until this law has changed, Milanović told the press. Finland and Sweden's NATO accession can be discussed, but it is "a very dangerous adventure," the president also said, according to the N1 television. "It's dangerous charlatanry. As far as I'm concerned, let them join NATO... but until the issue of the election law in BiH is solved, until the Americans, the English, the Germans, if they can and want to, force (Bosniak officials) to change the election law in the next six months and give Croats their fundamental rights, the Sabor must not ratify anyone's accession to NATO. For me,...
https://www.sott.net/article/467247-Croatian-president-says-Finland-Sweden-cannot-join-NATO-before-election-law-change-in-BiH
Croatian president says Finland, Sweden cannot join NATO before election law change in BiH
Finland and Sweden cannot join the NATO alliance as long as Bosnia and Herzegovina does not change its electoral law, President Zoran Milanović said on Tuesday. The statement triggered strong reactions from Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, while the foreign ministry in Zagreb confirmed its support for Finland's NATO aspirations. Croatia's parliament "must not ratify anyone's accession to NATO" until this law has changed, Milanović told the press. Finland and Sweden's NATO accession can be discussed, but it is "a very dangerous adventure," the president also said, according to the N1 television. "It's dangerous charlatanry. As far as I'm concerned, let them join NATO... but until the issue of the election law in BiH is solved, until the Americans, the English, the Germans, if they can and want to, force (Bosniak officials) to change the election law in the next six months and give Croats their fundamental rights, the Sabor must not ratify anyone's accession to NATO. For me,...
https://www.sott.net/article/467247-Croatian-president-says-Finland-Sweden-cannot-join-NATO-before-election-law-change-in-BiH
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Leaked memo: Facebook does not control its data-sharing practices
Facebook is beginning to realize how little control it has over its ability to regulate data collection and ad operation. A recently leaked internal memo from Facebook revealed that the company has no idea where its user data are going or what it is doing with them. This revelation could complicate the company's future as a growing number of countries attempt to regulate and protect user privacy and digital ad sales. Facebook's privacy engineers, in a 2021 memo according to Motherboard, wrote: "We do not have an adequate level of control and explainability over how our systems use data, and thus we can't confidently make controlled policy changes or external commitments such as 'we will not use X data for Y purpose'. And yet, this is exactly what regulators expect us to do." The memo addressed the growing pressure from the European Union and India over the company's use of private data in advertising and claims that past policy attempts were "insufficient." The reason for problems...
https://www.sott.net/article/467248-Leaked-memo-Facebook-does-not-control-its-data-sharing-practices
Leaked memo: Facebook does not control its data-sharing practices
Facebook is beginning to realize how little control it has over its ability to regulate data collection and ad operation. A recently leaked internal memo from Facebook revealed that the company has no idea where its user data are going or what it is doing with them. This revelation could complicate the company's future as a growing number of countries attempt to regulate and protect user privacy and digital ad sales. Facebook's privacy engineers, in a 2021 memo according to Motherboard, wrote: "We do not have an adequate level of control and explainability over how our systems use data, and thus we can't confidently make controlled policy changes or external commitments such as 'we will not use X data for Y purpose'. And yet, this is exactly what regulators expect us to do." The memo addressed the growing pressure from the European Union and India over the company's use of private data in advertising and claims that past policy attempts were "insufficient." The reason for problems...
https://www.sott.net/article/467248-Leaked-memo-Facebook-does-not-control-its-data-sharing-practices
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US tech giants censored criticism of Biden over 640 times since he took office
Since the latest presidential election, Republicans have been given ample reason to suggest that Silicon Valley works 'hand in glove' with Democrats and the current administration in the United States. More than 640 cases of major tech companies censoring criticism of President Joe Biden since March 2020 have been detected by the Media Research Center (MRC), a media watchdog group. MRC's CensorTrack database, which tracks censorship of prominent political voices by major social media platforms, analyzed data over a 24-month period from March 2020 to March 2022. According to the report, tech giants such as Facebook and Twitter attempted to manipulate informational space 646 times in a two-year cycle to maintain a more positive image of President Biden. "According to the MRC, the cases of 'censorship' included 'bans, deleted content and other speech restrictions placed on those who criticized Biden on social media over the past two years." Meanwhile, the censorship was said to...
https://www.sott.net/article/467249-US-tech-giants-censored-criticism-of-Biden-over-640-times-since-he-took-office
US tech giants censored criticism of Biden over 640 times since he took office
Since the latest presidential election, Republicans have been given ample reason to suggest that Silicon Valley works 'hand in glove' with Democrats and the current administration in the United States. More than 640 cases of major tech companies censoring criticism of President Joe Biden since March 2020 have been detected by the Media Research Center (MRC), a media watchdog group. MRC's CensorTrack database, which tracks censorship of prominent political voices by major social media platforms, analyzed data over a 24-month period from March 2020 to March 2022. According to the report, tech giants such as Facebook and Twitter attempted to manipulate informational space 646 times in a two-year cycle to maintain a more positive image of President Biden. "According to the MRC, the cases of 'censorship' included 'bans, deleted content and other speech restrictions placed on those who criticized Biden on social media over the past two years." Meanwhile, the censorship was said to...
https://www.sott.net/article/467249-US-tech-giants-censored-criticism-of-Biden-over-640-times-since-he-took-office
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US will keep supporting Taiwan's 'asymmetric' defense efforts, Antony Blinken says
The US government will support Taiwan's efforts to build "asymmetric" defence capabilities meant to deter an attack by mainland China's military, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told lawmakers on Tuesday, amid questions from members of both parties about US President Joe Biden's resolve on the issue. Speaking before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Blinken said the administration was "determined to make sure that [Taiwan] has all necessary means to defend itself against any potential aggression, including unilateral action by China, to disrupt the status quo that's been in place now for many decades. We're focused on helping them think about how to strengthen asymmetric capabilities ... as a deterrent." There has been heightened concern about a possible attack on Taiwan by Beijing's military since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, and the mainland stepped up fighter jet sorties near the island even before the war began.
https://www.sott.net/article/467250-US-will-keep-supporting-Taiwans-asymmetric-defense-efforts-Antony-Blinken-says
US will keep supporting Taiwan's 'asymmetric' defense efforts, Antony Blinken says
The US government will support Taiwan's efforts to build "asymmetric" defence capabilities meant to deter an attack by mainland China's military, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told lawmakers on Tuesday, amid questions from members of both parties about US President Joe Biden's resolve on the issue. Speaking before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Blinken said the administration was "determined to make sure that [Taiwan] has all necessary means to defend itself against any potential aggression, including unilateral action by China, to disrupt the status quo that's been in place now for many decades. We're focused on helping them think about how to strengthen asymmetric capabilities ... as a deterrent." There has been heightened concern about a possible attack on Taiwan by Beijing's military since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, and the mainland stepped up fighter jet sorties near the island even before the war began.
https://www.sott.net/article/467250-US-will-keep-supporting-Taiwans-asymmetric-defense-efforts-Antony-Blinken-says
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Poland still buying Russian gas - via Germany - Polish households left without gas due to sanctions
Poland continues to buy Russian natural gas from Germany via reverse flows, after its direct supplies were suspended due to non-payment in rubles, Russia's energy giant Gazprom said on Thursday. "This week Poland refused to pay for the Russian gas with the new terms, in rubles. It was grandly announced that they no longer needed Russian gas and would not buy it any more. But in fact Poland keeps buying Russian gas after the direct supply was halted. It now buys the gas from Germany, and it comes back to Poland with the reverse flow via the Yamal-Europe pipeline," Gazprom's official representative Sergey Kupriyanov said. On Wednesday, Gazprom announced a complete halt of gas exports to Poland as Warsaw had failed to pay for its fuel in rubles in line with a new payment mechanism launched earlier this month. According to Gazprom, supplies will not resume until Warsaw complies with the new terms. Deliveries to Bulgaria were also halted, for the same reason. Poland raised its bid for...
https://www.sott.net/article/467251-Poland-still-buying-Russian-gas-via-Germany-Polish-households-left-without-gas-due-to-sanctions
Poland still buying Russian gas - via Germany - Polish households left without gas due to sanctions
Poland continues to buy Russian natural gas from Germany via reverse flows, after its direct supplies were suspended due to non-payment in rubles, Russia's energy giant Gazprom said on Thursday. "This week Poland refused to pay for the Russian gas with the new terms, in rubles. It was grandly announced that they no longer needed Russian gas and would not buy it any more. But in fact Poland keeps buying Russian gas after the direct supply was halted. It now buys the gas from Germany, and it comes back to Poland with the reverse flow via the Yamal-Europe pipeline," Gazprom's official representative Sergey Kupriyanov said. On Wednesday, Gazprom announced a complete halt of gas exports to Poland as Warsaw had failed to pay for its fuel in rubles in line with a new payment mechanism launched earlier this month. According to Gazprom, supplies will not resume until Warsaw complies with the new terms. Deliveries to Bulgaria were also halted, for the same reason. Poland raised its bid for...
https://www.sott.net/article/467251-Poland-still-buying-Russian-gas-via-Germany-Polish-households-left-without-gas-due-to-sanctions
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Most in US fear Ukraine war misinformation, mistakenly believe Russian gov't is to blame - poll
A majority of U.S. adults say misinformation around Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a major problem, and they largely fault the Russian government for spreading those falsehoods. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows 61% of people in the United States say the spread of misinformation about the war is a major problem, with only 7% saying it's not a problem. Older adults were more likely to identify the wartime misinformation as an issue, with 44% of those under 30 calling it a problem, compared with 65% of those 30 or older. Comment: This might reveal how the current generation of youth are even less capable of critical thinking, less aware of events more generally, and are more likely to believe their government than ever before; so much for a rebellious youth. It's likely that indoctrination schooling plays is partly to blame. Misleading social media posts, fake pictures or videos and propagandized headlines have proliferated on...
https://www.sott.net/article/467252-Most-in-US-fear-Ukraine-war-misinformation-mistakenly-believe-Russian-govt-is-to-blame-poll
Most in US fear Ukraine war misinformation, mistakenly believe Russian gov't is to blame - poll
A majority of U.S. adults say misinformation around Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a major problem, and they largely fault the Russian government for spreading those falsehoods. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows 61% of people in the United States say the spread of misinformation about the war is a major problem, with only 7% saying it's not a problem. Older adults were more likely to identify the wartime misinformation as an issue, with 44% of those under 30 calling it a problem, compared with 65% of those 30 or older. Comment: This might reveal how the current generation of youth are even less capable of critical thinking, less aware of events more generally, and are more likely to believe their government than ever before; so much for a rebellious youth. It's likely that indoctrination schooling plays is partly to blame. Misleading social media posts, fake pictures or videos and propagandized headlines have proliferated on...
https://www.sott.net/article/467252-Most-in-US-fear-Ukraine-war-misinformation-mistakenly-believe-Russian-govt-is-to-blame-poll
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Russia nearly doubled its income from energy sales to the EU during wartime, study shows
Moscow continues to benefit from Europe's energy dependence on Russian oil despite a reduction in sales due to sanctions imposed to pressure it to end its war against Ukraine, according to experts with a Finland-based research organization. New research by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) released on April 28 shows that Russia has nearly doubled its revenues from sales of fossil fuels to the EU during the two months of war in Ukraine. Soaring prices have more than compensated Russia for the loss in sales volume due to sanctions, the research shows. Researchers at CREA also say new sanctions promise to drive up prices even more, nullifying efforts to prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from using energy to pressure the EU and to finance the war against Ukraine. Since the start of the war, Russia has sold 46 billion euros worth of energy resources to the European Union, and the figure continues to rise. This is about twice as much as the amount of sales in...
https://www.sott.net/article/467253-Russia-nearly-doubled-its-income-from-energy-sales-to-the-EU-during-wartime-study-shows
Russia nearly doubled its income from energy sales to the EU during wartime, study shows
Moscow continues to benefit from Europe's energy dependence on Russian oil despite a reduction in sales due to sanctions imposed to pressure it to end its war against Ukraine, according to experts with a Finland-based research organization. New research by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) released on April 28 shows that Russia has nearly doubled its revenues from sales of fossil fuels to the EU during the two months of war in Ukraine. Soaring prices have more than compensated Russia for the loss in sales volume due to sanctions, the research shows. Researchers at CREA also say new sanctions promise to drive up prices even more, nullifying efforts to prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from using energy to pressure the EU and to finance the war against Ukraine. Since the start of the war, Russia has sold 46 billion euros worth of energy resources to the European Union, and the figure continues to rise. This is about twice as much as the amount of sales in...
https://www.sott.net/article/467253-Russia-nearly-doubled-its-income-from-energy-sales-to-the-EU-during-wartime-study-shows
