RT News - March 3rd 2023

Russia, terrorist attacks, Bryansk: A group of Ukraine terrorists have killed two people and injured another, a girl aged just 11 yrs old. New details emerge about the Ukrainian terrorist group whose attack on civilians in a Russian border region has left two people dead and a child wounded. The terrorists have been "pushed back" into Ukraine territory (QS according to last night's post, with missiles helping them on their way!) RT examines the evidence behind the militants' alleged neo-Nazi ideologies. Report on what is known so far, from Donald Courter. Thomas Roper talks with Rory.

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Iran: At least one hundred girls in Iran have been hospitalized with a mysterious respiratory ailment, fueling speculation that it might have been a toxic gas attack to force the closure of girls schools. Are some people trying to stop girls getting an education? What is behind the strange attacks which have affects around 700 girls? Nobody knows (yet) Yousef Jalali discusses.

Africa, Nigerian elections: Many thousands have been deprived of their right to vote as they reside in areas controlled by terrorist factions (Boko Haram). It is hoped the new president (Bola Tinubu) will put an end to the terrorism and restore peace and freedom. (QS I wish him God's speed with all of this)

Africa/France: Pres. Macron says his country has no plans to interfere in the domestic affairs of African countries, as his tour of the continent is mired by protests. The visit comes after France's military has been expelled by popular consent across several regions of Africa. (QS - Macron has got some nerve eh?? :-) ) "Africa will choose her own partners" "please go away NOW, France!"

Africa, Ethiopia, Russia: Ethiopia and Russia celebrate 125 years of diplomatic relations this month with ties getting stronger. They share cultural and religious ties amongst others. What does this milestone duration mean for them both? Bisrat Melesse reports from Addis Ababa, talks with Brooks Halu Besha and Zelaem Abebe.

Rachel Marsden comments on the plans of the European Union to ramp up it's weapon manufacturing sector (QS: maybe to get back some of their now almost completely destroyed economies)

As the first AI-powered government adviser is introduced in Romania, our guests debate whether artificial intelligence can be trusted with official policymaking. Milind Raj and Vijay Sardana debate.

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Below via RT website : --- - - -- A) --- Ex-Russian president names ‘red line’ for direct war with NATO
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1) --- US leads Ukraine war-planning drills
1a) --- Top US general inspects Ukrainian troops
1b) --- (QS comment) US citizens were told to leave Russia immediately
2) --- Russia reveals position on Istanbul grain deal
2b) --- Grain from Ukraine went to pigs in Spain
3) --- Australia vows to protect US nuclear ‘crown jewels’
4) --- Recession coming to major Western economies – Fitch
4a) --- Oil giant sued over nooses
5) --- Europe needs new NATO without US – Orban
6) --- Musk’s human brain experiments deemed premature – media
6a) --- Musk’s brain chip company under US federal investigation – media
7) --- Argentina ends deal with UK on disputed islands
8) --- US city mayor arrested in child porn case
9) --- Twitter received ‘state-sponsored blacklists’ from US – Matt Taibbi
10) --- MI5 apologizes for not preventing terror attack
11) --- China dominates global tech race – report
11b) --- US ready ‘to do more pain’ to China’s Huawei – WSJ
12) --- Russian piano prodigy wins prestigious prize in Germany
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2 Mar, 2023 20:29

A) --- Ex-Russian president names ‘red line’ for direct war with NATO

Training Ukrainians on Western weapons qualifies, said Dmitry Medvedev after the Bryansk attack

Canadian and German troops teaching Ukrainians how to use Leopard tanks already qualifies as participation in the conflict, but sending fighter jets to Poland would mean “direct entry,” former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday.

Medvedev, who is also deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, warned the US and its allies that they can be treated as parties to the conflict “if, in addition to supplying weapons, they train personnel to operate them,” citing legal precedents from the early 20th century.

Tank training on EU territory already applies, Medvedev noted on Telegram, but if that expands to fighter jets based somewhere in Poland, “that would be direct entry of the Atlanticists into war against Russia, with all the consequences that entails.”

Everyone who made the decision to deliver those weapons or repair them, along with foreign mercenaries and military trainers, ought to be considered legitimate military targets.

According to Medvedev, only fear of this has so far restrained the “infantile” West from giving airplanes and long-range weapons to Kiev, though he predicted their desire to destroy Russia would prevail before long.

While the US, NATO and the EU talk about the “freedom-loving people of Ukraine,” Thursday’s attack on Russia’s Bryansk Region shows that they are supporting “Nazi bastards, terrorist scum who attack civilians,” Medvedev said.

“These are your proteges, Mr. Sunak, Macron, Scholz and Biden!” he wrote, addressing the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, and US. “And our attitude towards you is now the same as towards them. Your countries are now participants in the terrorist acts of the Ukrainian regime, and you are direct accomplices of terrorists.”

Though the West considered him a “liberal” during his 2008-2012 presidency, Medvedev has been blunt and outspoken about the military operation in Ukraine since it was launched in February 2022. Just last month, he warned the US that its talk about “strategic defeat” means Russia now sees the conflict as existential.

A group of Ukrainian soldiers crossed the border into Russia on Thursday morning, attacking two villages and shooting up a car with civilians inside. Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the “terrorist attack” and vowed to punish the perpetrators.
https://www.rt.com/russia/572354-medvedev-nato-ukraine-war/
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3 Mar, 2023 04:02

1) --- US leads Ukraine war-planning drills

The Pentagon claims it is not a party to the conflict despite providing weapons, training, intelligence, and strategic combat decision expertise

The US military is overseeing war games to train Ukrainian officers, with the Pentagon saying the exercises will help commanders make better decisions on the battlefield. The move comes as top American officials continue to insist that Washington plays no role in Kiev’s planning in the conflict with Russia.

The table-top exercises kicked off this week at a US Army base in Wiesbaden, Germany and are set to continue for several days. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, an Army general, traveled to the base on Thursday, where he attempted to downplay the American role.

“No one is sitting there telling the Ukrainians, go left or go right or do this or do that. That is not the job of the international community,” Milley told reporters. “All we’re doing is setting up the framework and the mechanics to allow the Ukrainians to self-learn, to learn against a situation, or various scenarios.”

While officials declined to provide further details about the scenarios presented to the Ukrainian officers, Reuters reported that they would involve “thought exercises to evaluate potential military courses of action.”

The latest drills follow another round of US-led combined-arms training for Ukrainian troops elsewhere in Germany, who received instruction on a variety of American-made weapons, including Bradley Fighting Vehicles supplied in previous arms packages to Kiev.

Moscow has repeatedly warned against such training and weapons shipments, arguing they only prolong the fighting and make a diplomatic settlement impossible. On Thursday, former Russian president and current deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, said that Washington and its allies must be treated as direct parties to the conflict if “in addition to supplying weapons, they train personnel to operate them.”

“Everyone who made the decision to deliver those weapons or repair them, along with foreign mercenaries and military trainers, ought to be considered legitimate military targets,” Medvedev insisted, adding that the provision of Western warplanes to Kiev would also constitute a major ‘red line’ for Russia.

Despite tens of billions of dollars in weapons donated to Ukrainian forces, multiple training programs hosted by the US military, and Western intelligence support offered to Kiev, American officials continue to insist Washington is not a participant in the conflict. Denying Moscow’s accusations that US forces have supplied intelligence for recent attacks inside Russian territory, Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder claimed on Thursday that “we are not at war with Russia, nor do we seek war with Russia.”
https://www.rt.com/news/572365-milley-ukraine-war-planning/
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========= re-post

17 Jan, 2023 05:19

1a) --- Top US general inspects Ukrainian troops

Mark Milley visited a German camp to oversee the Pentagon’s newly expanded training program

US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, the highest-ranking officer in the American armed forces, met with Ukrainian soldiers undergoing Pentagon training at a base in Germany, where Washington recently stepped up efforts to prepare foreign troops for combat.

The general visited the US Army’s Grafenwoehr Training Area in the German state of Bavaria for just shy of two hours on Monday, overseeing training operations with Ukrainian soldiers and their American instructors.

“This is not a run-of-the-mill rotation. This is one of those moments in time where if you want to make a difference, this is it,” Milley said during a meeting with commanders.

Though journalists were allowed access to the training site, they were reportedly barred from filming or photographing the general as he spoke with Ukrainians, or from relaying the contents of their conversations.

The trip coincided with an expansion of the US training program for Ukrainian troops at the Grafenwoehr base just one day prior, with Milley saying the Pentagon now hopes to turn out 500 combat-ready soldiers in five to eight weeks. He added that the program would focus on combined arms training – referring to battlefield cooperation between infantry, armor, artillery and aerial units.

The Ukrainian soldiers will receive instruction on a wide variety of arms and equipment over the next several weeks, including the Bradley Fighting Vehicles contained in the latest $3 billion US arms package for Kiev. Milley noted that the Pentagon has offered similar training to Ukrainian soldiers since before the current conflict erupted, but said American advisers have been more focused on instruction for certain US-supplied gear since last February.

However, despite around $25 billion in direct military aid being approved by the White House since last February, Kiev has clamored for additional supplies, specifically requesting heavy armor such as the M1 Abrams main battle tank. Washington appears unwilling to grant that wish for now.

Meanwhile in Kiev, a delegation of top US military and diplomatic officials met with their Ukrainian counterparts on Monday, also holding a sit-down with President Vladimir Zelensky. The American team included Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, Under Secretary of Defense Colin Kahl and Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer, who said they met with Ukrainian officials to “discuss diplomatic efforts and security assistance to strengthen Ukraine’s security capabilities,” as well as US economic aid and future trade relations.

Moscow has repeatedly denounced the massive wave of foreign arms to Kiev, with President Vladimir Putin recently saying that Russia is now facing the combined “military potential and capabilities of almost all major NATO countries.” Insisting the support will have no effect on Russian military operations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Sunday declared that Western tanks shipped to Kiev “will burn like the rest [of their weapons].”
https://www.rt.com/news/569985-milley-inspects-ukrainian-troops/
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1b) --- (QS comment) US citizens were told to leave Russia immediately

On the 12th February 2023, the U.S. embassy in Moscow told U.S. citizens “US citizens residing or travelling in Russia should depart immediately, exercise increased caution due to the risk of wrongful detentions” and "Do not travel to Russia" https://ru.usembassy.gov/travel-advisory-russia-do-not-travel-february-12-2023/
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https://bit.ly/3KSHdoC
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In September a similar advisory was issued. https://ru.usembassy.gov/security-alert-for-u-s-citizens-in-russia/

Russia is not in the habit of making arbitrary arrests/detentions of Americans going about their normal life in Russia now or ever.

Instances of terrorism across Russia have increased recently and on 28th February Pres. Putin mentioned "extremism" 6 times in his meeting with the FSB board https://rumble.com/v2ba09m-pres.-putin-meeting-of-the-federal-security-service-board-28th-february-202.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=6

Are US .gov party to the terrorist acts and is something more dreadful planned in the coming weeks or months?
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re-post from 28th February:
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Putin accuses West of using ‘extremists’ against Russia
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The number of terrorist attacks has grown due to the US and Kiev’s willingness to use radicals to its advantage, the president said

The West never shied away from using extremists against Russia and is doing so again during the conflict in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin has said. He claimed that western intelligence agencies are aiming to restore terrorist cells inside Russia.

Countering this terrorist threat remains “an urgent” task for the country, Putin said while chairing a board meeting of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) in Moscow on Tuesday.

“Over the past year, the number of such crimes has increased, which is obviously connected to the attempts of the Kiev regime to employ terrorist methods. We are well aware of that. They have been using them in Donbass for a long time,” he said.

The West, which is backing Kiev in the conflict against Moscow, has “never shied away from using both radicals and extremists in their interests, despite all their loud statements about fighting international terrorism,” the president said.

“They always use whatever’s at hand against us. They use everything that’s possible. It was always like this and it remains so,” he said.

Active attempts are currently being made by the Western special services to restore terrorist cells inside Russia, he warned.

It’s essential to intensify counter-intelligence work and keep the Russian-Ukrainian border under extra supervision to prevent the smuggling of weapons and ammunition into Russian territory, Putin told the leadership of Russia’s main security agency.

He praised the FSB’s operatives, who have worked at the frontlines and “behind enemy lines” during the conflict in Ukraine, for their “personal courage, professionalism and determination in ensuring the security of Russia.” The agency, he said, has obtained “priceless experience” that will allow it to execute its duties even more effectively.

Putin has previously blamed Ukraine for using “terrorist tactics” following the explosion on the Crimean Bridge in early October, which Moscow insists was masterminded by Kiev. That led to a major ramping up of Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and military targets, causing rolling blackouts across the country and significantly damaging Kiev’s air defense capabilities.
https://www.rt.com/russia/572213-putin-fsb-ukrane-terrorist/
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2 Mar, 2023 22:15

2) --- Russia reveals position on Istanbul grain deal

The EU hogs grain from Ukraine while blocking the other half of the arrangement, Moscow said

The Black Sea “grain deal” arranged last August is not working as intended, because the grain from Ukraine is not going to the needy countries of Africa and Asia, while the West continues to block all Russian food and fertilizer exports, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday.

The arrangement, negotiated by the UN and signed on July 22, 2022 in Istanbul, established a safe corridor for ships bringing corn and wheat from Odessa to countries facing food insecurity. It was also supposed to re-establish the export of grain and fertilizer from Russia, the ministry noted in a statement.

Eight months later, only the first part of the deal has been implemented, and in a way “far from the declared humanitarian goals,” the ministry said. Since August 1 last year, Ukraine has exported over 23 million tons of grain, of which 70% was animal feed. Of that, the EU accounted for 47% and “upper-middle income countries” for another 34%, Moscow said, while only 2.6% is currently going to countries needing food the most.

Meanwhile, there has been “close to zero” progress in unblocking the delivery of Russian grain or fertilizer, badly needed elsewhere. Kiev has continued to block the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline “for purely political reasons,” resulting in a shortage of 2.5 million tons of raw material that could produce 7 million tons of fertilizer and feed 200 million people, the ministry said.

The US and its allies have said their sanctions do not include Russian food and fertilizer – but they have banned all Russian ships from docking in their ports or accessing insurance and brokerage service, imposing a total blockade on commercial shipping in effect, if not in name.

“It’s time to stop playing the food card. The lion’s share of grain from Ukraine goes to the European Union as fodder at dumping prices, and not to the poorest countries,” the ministry noted. “Russian agricultural exports are being blatantly hindered, no matter how much the Europeans and Americans, who are used to telling lies, try to convince everyone otherwise.”

As an example, the ministry said that 262,000 tons of Russian fertilizer has been blocked in the Dutch and Baltic state ports for months. Moscow has offered the fertilizer to African countries absolutely free of charge, yet only one shipment of 20,000 tons, destined for Malawi, has managed to depart so far.

Russia is working on its own to organize deliveries to Africa, since the UN process is plagued by such difficulties and delays, the ministry added.

Moscow is therefore forced to conclude that the grain deal “does not work,” identifying the main problem as “sabotage by Western countries” of the Russia-UN memorandum.

“It is obvious that Americans and Europeans do not care about the needs of countries in need, nor about the efforts of the UN, which they have long and persistently tried to turn into a tool for serving their political goals,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
https://www.rt.com/russia/572359-ukraine-grain-deal-sabotage/
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========================== recall, repost

15 Feb, 2023 21:47 - re - post

2b) --- Grain from Ukraine went to pigs in Spain

The scheme to ostensibly prevent famine in Africa may have benefited Iberian ham producers instead
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https://rumble.com/v29qx7c-rt-news-february-16th-2023.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=7
(includes article)
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3 Mar, 2023 05:34

3) --- Australia vows to protect US nuclear ‘crown jewels’

Canberra was promised critical submarine technology under a 2021 security pact with Washington and London

Australia has insisted it will keep US nuclear propulsion technology under tight lock and key after it gains access to sensitive information, with Canberra’s envoy to Washington pledging to safeguard America’s “crown jewels.”

Speaking to an audience at a US think tank on Thursday, outgoing Ambassador Arthur Sinodinos said much progress had been made on the three-way AUKUS deal signed between the US, Australia, and the UK in 2021, the details of which are set to be unveiled later this month.

“The very fact that the Americans are prepared to share their crown jewels with us implies that there will have to be progress on the seamless transfer of technology. None of us want this to be bogged down,” he told the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC.

“And I think that state of mind has now permeated through various levels of the [US] administration,” Sinodinos added.

Though the particulars of the submarine technology transfer have not been made public, Sinodinos stated that Australia has “assured Americans” and demonstrated “the sort of protection of information measures that we take to make sure they understand that their technology is safe in terms of leakage to third parties.”

The US maintains tight export controls on certain military hardware, which has created obstacles for past weapons transfers abroad. Sinodinos suggested Australia could be granted an exemption under the American regulations, saying “work is underway” but “it's not finished.”

In December, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with his British and Australian counterparts to further hammer out the AUKUS deal, declaring that Washington is committed to furnishing new capabilities to Australia “at the earliest possible date.” At the time, Canberra’s defense chief, Richard Marles, spoke of an “enormous sense of shared mission” between the three allies, also noting that the US rarely shares its nuclear technology, even with close partners.

Asked about the precautions Australia would take to protect sensitive information given its lack of a domestic nuclear propulsion industry, Marles said on Friday that the technology would be kept under the “highest degree” of security.

“In a short period of time we’ll be announcing the optimal pathway for Australia acquiring a nuclear-powered submarine capability, and being a nuclear steward in this context is a really important part of that announcement,” he told reporters. “It does involve a really significant hardening of security in a physical sense, with buildings and fences and the like, but also in an IT sense.”

The trilateral AUKUS pact has come under fire from Russia and China. Last month, officials in Beijing slammed the deal for promoting “nuclear proliferation” in the Indo-Pacific region. Russia has echoed similar concerns, warning that the US, UK, and Australia would soon become a “military-political alliance” and seek to spark a new conflict in Asia.
https://www.rt.com/news/572366-australia-us-crown-jewels/
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(recall that on 7th December 2022 (Speaking after meetings with Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, who also serves as defense minister and UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace) Lloyd Austin said Washington would make good on its pledge to furnish the subs to its ally. “The United States is committed to ensuring that Australia acquires this capability at the earliest possible date”

Also recall the self-declared "landmark moment" post on UK .gov website https://www.gov.uk/government/news/defence-secretary-joins-aukus-partners-in-landmark-first-meeting)
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3 Mar, 2023 05:29

4) --- Recession coming to major Western economies – Fitch

Germany and Italy will face a downturn by the end of the year despite relief measures, the rating agency predicts

Germany and Italy will slide into recession by the end of the year as inflation continues to rise, Fitch Ratings told Bloomberg on Thursday.

Although the downturn is not expected to be “severe,” the head of sovereigns and supranationals at Fitch, James McCormack, says that “recession is significant in and of itself.”

Inflation in Germany, the EU’s largest economy, accelerated in February, rising 9.3% on the year and 1% on the month, according to the latest figures from Germany’s Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). Surging food and energy prices dealt a major blow to the country’s economy despite relief measures taken by the government.

The German economy shrank by 0.4% quarter-on-quarter in the final three months of 2022. The contraction came in larger than the previously estimated 0.2% GDP drop.

In Italy, the EU’s third largest economy, consumer prices rose 9.2% in February compared with the same period last year, down from a 10% increase in January, preliminary data from the country's statistics agency ISTAT showed on Thursday.

Purchasing power in the country more than halved over the past year, according to a report by Nomisma think tank, which said that one in seven Italians complained they earned less than they required to make ends meet. A quarter of those surveyed said they spent all their money on essentials while 26% of Italian households said they feared not making it to the end of the month.

The US is also at risk of a “modest” recession by the end of the year, McCormack told Bloomberg, adding that the “UK is already probably there.”

The economist also pointed out that governments around the world are struggling to tackle the cost-of-living crisis sparked by surging food and energy prices since the start of conflict in Ukraine. So far there is little optimism about a rapid recovery and the rising costs have sent ripples of instability throughout the global economy.
https://www.rt.com/business/572323-eu-italy-germany-recession-fitch/
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3 Mar, 2023 08:24

4a) --- Oil giant sued over nooses

ExxonMobil allowed a “racially hostile work environment” to affect its Louisiana plants, a federal commission alleges

Petrochemical giant ExxonMobil allowed harassment of its black employees at a facility in Louisiana to continue by failing to properly investigate several incidents, in which a hangman’s noose was displayed there, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) had alleged.

The EEOC said in a lawsuit filed on Thursday that there were five such incidents at the Baton Rouge complex, which includes a refinery and a chemical plant. The latest one happened in December 2020. The company failed to probe some of them and did not act to stop the harassment, the body claimed.

“When employers become aware of racially offensive or threatening conduct in the workplace, they have a legal obligation to take prompt, remedial action aimed at stopping it,” Rudy Sustaita, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Houston District Office, stated.

The characterization of the incidents as racist is based on nooses being a reference to the history of the lynching of black people in the US. The EEOC claimed the employer’s inaction created a “racially hostile work environment,” but Exxon denied the allegations.

“We encourage employees to report claims like this, and we thoroughly investigated. The symbols of hate are unacceptable, offensive, and in violation of our corporate policies," spokesperson Todd Spitler said in a statement.

The EEOC said it filed the suit in the US District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana after first trying to reach a pre-litigation settlement.

There have been a number of reported noose incidents in the US in the last several years. One of the more publicized cases involved Nascar’s only black driver, Bubba Wallace. He complained in June 2020 after a team member found a noose at its assigned garage at Alabama’s Talladega Superspeedway.

The FBI concluded after an investigation that there was no hate crime, confirming that the knotted rope was used as a door pull long before Wallace’s crew arrived at the venue.
https://www.rt.com/news/572369-exxonmobil-noose-incidents-lawsuit/
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2 Mar, 2023 22:38

5) --- Europe needs new NATO without US – Orban

The EU is doing Washington’s bidding since “Americans have the last word,” the Hungarian prime minister believes

Europe needs its own military bloc free of American influence, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told Swiss magazine Weltwoche on Thursday. The politician accused the US of dragging Europe into a conflict that cannot be won and risking a global war.

“The solution would be a European NATO,” Orban said, arguing that America’s desire for further expansion of its influence is what led to the current tensions between the West and Russia.

Moscow is concerned about NATO expanding further east into Ukraine and Georgia, Orban stated, referring to his conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin just weeks before the conflict between Moscow and Kiev erupted in late February 2022.

“Putin told me his problem was with the American missile bases in Poland and Romania and possible NATO expansion in Ukraine and Georgia,” Orban told the Swiss media, noting that the Russian leader was concerned about the US potentially deploying its weapons to these nations as well.

According to the Hungarian premier, that was one of the underlying reasons behind the conflict in Ukraine. “I understand what Putin said. I do not accept what he did,” Orban explained.

He insisted that Hungary should stay out of the conflict, but added that Budapest was subjected to “constant pressure” as other Western nations “want to drag us into the war through every possible means.”

Orban believes that this is because the EU is serving the interests of the US at the expense of its own. “Decisions made by Brussels reflect American interests more often than European ones,” he said.

Orban argued that Western nations need to demonstrate a true “desire” and “will” for peace in Ukraine, adding “that will is what is lacking today, at least in the West.”

Hungary has repeatedly called for peace amid the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, and has criticized the Western sanctions imposed against Russia and arms deliveries to Ukraine. Earlier this week, Orban said that the hostilities benefitted no one in the world. Hungary was also the only NATO nation to voice support for China’s peace plan for Ukraine.
https://www.rt.com/news/572360-europe-nato-without-us-orban/
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2 Mar, 2023 23:32

6) --- Musk’s human brain experiments deemed premature – media

The Food and Drug Administration is reportedly concerned about Neuralink’s battery and potential brain tissue damage

The US Food and Drug Administration has rejected clinical trials of billionaire Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain implant, seven current and former employees told Reuters on Thursday. The regulator cited multiple safety concerns the company must address before human testing can begin – a milestone they had hoped to reach this month.

The FDA cited dozens of “deficiencies” barring the way to human trials when it rejected Neuralink last year, the employees explained. Dozens of pigs have already been used in experimental service to address the agency’s concern that the tiny threads that interface with the wearer’s brain could migrate, altering brain and implant functionality, causing inflammation, rupturing blood vessels and otherwise damaging the fragile tissue, employees said.

The FDA is also reportedly concerned about whether Neuralink can be removed without causing damage – an issue the employees claimed has not been adequately addressed, despite the company’s assurances.

Just like the lithium-ion batteries that power Musk’s Tesla electric vehicles, which can burn for hours at 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit if struck the wrong way, Neuralink’s lithium batteries could cause brain damage if they so much as overheat, experts told Reuters. The FDA wants Neuralink to prove with animal studies that the remotely-chargeable battery is “very unlikely” to fail.

Displeased with the regulatory red-light, Musk has reportedly rushed the animal experiments in an attempt to address the FDA’s safety concerns. As a result, the Department of Agriculture is looking into potential violations of the Animal Welfare Act after alarms were raised about the treatment of the animals. Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation is investigating whether Neuralink correctly followed safety procedures when disposing of chips removed from animal brains.

The Tesla tycoon has previously boasted that Neuralink is so safe he’d implant it in his own children, claimed it would restore total mobility to the paralyzed, and bragged that users would eventually “be able to save and replay memories.”

However, Neuralink’s vice president of engineering, Dongjin Seo, told a conference last month that its “primary short-term goal” was merely to help paralyzed patients use computerized text to communicate. Anything else, he said, was “long-term.”

Despite the company’s recent projection of March 7, 2023, as the day the FDA would approve human trials, employees told Reuters there were no regulatory approvals on the horizon.
============= re-post
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6 Dec, 2022 02:31 - recall

6a) --- Musk’s brain chip company under US federal investigation – media

Neuralink’s animal testing allegedly caused “needless suffering and deaths”

Elon Musk’s Neuralink Corp, a firm specializing in brain implants, is facing a federal probe due to alleged “animal-welfare violations” during product tests, Reuters reported on Monday, just days after the billionaire announced a new timeline for human clinical trials.

The US Department of Agriculture’s Inspector General launched the probe sometime in “recent months” after federal prosecutors said Neuralink could be violating the Animal Welfare Act, the outlet reported, citing government documents and multiple sources familiar with the investigation.

The Animal Welfare Act regulates the treatment of certain animals used in research and commercial product testing, prohibiting inhumane practices which cause unnecessary suffering or death.

According to more than 20 current and former Neuralink employees, as well as dozens of internal company documents, Musk has pushed researchers at his brain chip firm to “accelerate development,” in some cases resulting in “botched experiments.”

“Such failed tests have had to be repeated, increasing the number of animals being tested and killed,” employees told Reuters, adding that the number of animal deaths is higher than it needs to be “for reasons related to Musk’s demands to speed research.”

At least four experiments involving 86 pigs and two monkeys were “marred” due to “human error” in recent years, meaning the tests had to be conducted again, resulting in more animal deaths. The errors were caused by “a lack of preparation by a testing staff working in a pressure-cooker environment,” employees added.

While regulatory filings show that Neuralink has passed all prior federal inspections, sources told Reuters the company does not keep exact records for the number of animals it kills during testing. The full scope of the USDA probe is not yet clear, however, and it is unknown whether the inquiry is directly tied to the complaints raised by Neuralink employees.

Reports of the ongoing investigation came just days after Musk declared that US regulators could soon approve human testing for the Neuralink brain implant, claiming human trials may begin in just six months. The exact timeline remains hazy, however, as Musk has hinted at upcoming human trials before.

The billionaire entrepreneur has voiced hopes the brain implant will allow paralyzed people to walk again and the blind to regain their sight, among other medical miracles. While the new technology has yet to be tested on people, Musk has demonstrated the brain chip on more than one occasion, including an April 2021 presentation in which a macaque monkey purportedly played a video game using its mind alone.
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https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1380315654524301315
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https://youtu.be/rsCul1sp4hQ
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https://www.rt.com/news/567732-musk-neuralink-animal-cruelty-probe/
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2 Mar, 2023 23:57

7) --- Argentina ends deal with UK on disputed islands

The pact on the Falklands/Malvinas was seen as too much of a concession

Argentina has formally renounced a 2016 deal with the UK regarding the disputed Falklands/Malvinas islands in the South Atlantic, the site of a bloody 1982 conflict, saying on Thursday that the matter needs to be resolved under the UN guidelines on decolonization. London insists that the issue was settled after local residents chose in a referendum to be ruled by Britain.

Argentinian Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero said he had informed his British counterpart, James Cleverly, of the decision at their meeting in New Delhi, India, on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

Argentina “has proposed to resume negotiations on the question of sovereignty,” in compliance with the mandate of the UN General Assembly and the world body’s Committee on Decolonization, added Cafiero.

“The Falkland Islands are British,” Cleverly responded. “Islanders have the right to decide their own future – they have chosen to remain a self-governing UK Overseas Territory.”

Minister for the Americas David Rutley, who had just visited Buenos Aires, called the decision “disappointing” and accused Argentina of choosing to “step away from an agreement that has brought comfort to the families of those who died in the 1982 conflict.”

The disputed islands are located in the South Atlantic, about 600km off the Argentine mainland. Argentina lays claim to what it calls the Islas Malvinas, saying they were part of the territory granted independence from Spain in 1816. The UK has ruled what it calls the Falkland Islands since 1833. Argentina and the UK fought a ten-week war over the islands in 1982, which claimed almost 1,000 lives and ended in a British victory.

A nonbinding UN General Assembly resolution from 1965 called on both countries not to make unilateral changes in the dispute over the islands.

In the 2016 pact, Argentina and the UK agreed to disagree over sovereignty, but pledged to cooperate on energy, shipping, fishing, transportation, and identifying the remains of soldiers killed in the conflict. Alan Duncan, the minister who negotiated the deal with Argentina’s deputy foreign minister, Carlos Foradori, insinuated in his diaries that the talks were fueled by a constant supply of Merlot from the British Embassy’s wine cellar. Foradori has denied this.
https://www.rt.com/news/572363-argentina-uk-falklands-malvinas-pact/
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3 Mar, 2023 08:31

8) --- US city mayor arrested in child porn case

Patrick Wojahn resigned from his role in College Park, Maryland shortly before being detained

The former mayor of College Park in the US state of Maryland, Patrick Wojahn, has been arrested on multiple charges of child pornography possession and distribution. His detention came just hours after he handed in his resignation.

The Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) announced the developments on Thursday. According to a statement, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children brought a suspicious social media account to the state authorities’ attention on February 17. The tip-off said that the account “possessed and distributed suspected child pornography” which had been uploaded in January of this year.

The PGPD then used “various investigative techniques” to establish that the account “belonged to Wojahn.”

On Tuesday, detectives searched the 47-year-old official’s home, impounding “multiple cell phones, a storage device, a tablet and a computer.” Criminal charges were then brought against Wojahn, who faces 40 counts of possession and 16 counts of distribution of “child exploitative material.”

Officials noted that the investigation is ongoing.

According to a statement published by the College Park City Council, Wojahn submitted his letter of resignation “after business hours” late on Wednesday. Officials thanked him for his “dedicated service” in his role as mayor since 2015, and on the council since 2007.

In his resignation letter, which was also made public, the ex-mayor insisted that he has “cooperated fully, and will continue to cooperate, with law enforcement.” Wojahn said that he was “stepping away to deal with my own mental health,” asking former colleagues to keep him and his family “in [their] prayers.”

Wojahn’s former co-workers described the news of his arrest as a “total surprise,” adding that any residents who feel distressed by the developments are encouraged to “seek any help they feel necessary to work through this trying time.”

Mayor Pro Tem Denise Mitchell will occupy office until an election is held.

College Park is a city of just over 34,000 residents, and is home to the University of Maryland campus.
https://www.rt.com/news/572372-us-mayor-arrested-child-porn/
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2 Mar, 2023 20:56

9) --- Twitter received ‘state-sponsored blacklists’ from US – Matt Taibbi

A State Department-funded entity pushed the social media platform to ban users for spreading “disinformation”

The US State Department, both directly and through third-party organizations, pressed Twitter to censor American users for their non-existent connections to Russia, China, and Hindu nationalism, according to internal documents.

Published by journalist Matt Taibbi on Thursday, the latest ‘Twitter Files’ reveal that the company’s former trust and safety chief, Yoel Roth, was approached in 2021 and given a list of 40,000 accounts suspected of engaging in “inauthentic behavior” in support of India’s Bharatiya Janata Party.

The list was provided by the ‘Digital Forensics Research Lab’ at the Atlantic Council, a think tank funded by the US State Department’s ‘Global Engagement Center’ (GEC), as well as a host of NATO governments and weapons manufacturers.

According to the files, Roth investigated the list and found that “virtually all appear to be real people” rather than Indian bots, while Taibbi contacted several and learned that they were “ordinary Americans” with no connection whatsoever to Indian politics.
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https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1631338653707378702
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Created in the final year of the Obama administration, the GEC is a State Department entity that works with multiple US intelligence agencies to “counter foreign disinformation.” It is forbidden from operating within the United States, and recently had to cut its ties with a George Soros-backed NGO that was using its funding to target American conservative news sites.

While the list of supposed Hindu nationalists was given to Twitter via the Atlantic Council, the GEC directly passed other lists to the social media platform, including 500 accounts that were allegedly spreading Iranian “disinformation,” and 5,500 “Chinese accounts” engaged in “state-backed coordinated manipulation,” despite the fact that this latter list included multiple Western government accounts and at least three CNN employees.

Roth described the Chinese list as “a total crock,” while fellow employee Aaron Rodericks said it provided “more entertainment value than anything.”

The GEC and its organizations tangentially connected to the State Department – such as the infamous ‘Alliance for Securing Democracy’ that published the ‘Hamilton68’ dashboard of “Russian bots” – had long pressed Twitter to crack down on allegedly Kremlin-connected accounts, but Roth told staff that it was impossible to detect “Russian fingerprints” on any of the accounts.

Instead, accounts that retweeted “news sources linked to Russia” were considered Kremlin-sponsored. One list handed to Twitter by the GEC considered membership in France’s anti-government ‘Yellow Vests’ movement as “being Russia-aligned.”

While Twitter’s executives may have been skeptical of the GEC’s ‘blacklists’, the US media was not. Emails show that multiple news outlets and agencies – including the Associated Press – would receive reports from the organization, and then press Twitter to take action and ban the listed accounts.

“Reauthorization for GEC’s funding is up for a vote this year,” Taibbi wrote on Twitter on Thursday. “Can we at least stop paying to blacklist ourselves?”
https://www.rt.com/news/572357-twitter-files-state-department/
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2 Mar, 2023 21:28

10) --- MI5 apologizes for not preventing terror attack

The UK spy agency could potentially have stopped the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing if it had acted on intelligence it possessed

MI5 Director General Ken McCallum has apologized to the victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena suicide bombing, declaring he is “profoundly sorry” that the British intelligence agency failed to act on key information it already held. An inquiry published on Thursday revealed suicide bomber Salman Abedi was known to the agency before the attack.

“Having examined all the evidence, the chair of the inquiry has found that ‘there was a realistic possibility that actionable intelligence could have been obtained which might have led to actions preventing the attack,’” McCallum said, adding that he “deeply regrets” his agency’s inaction.

The inquiry found that two pieces of intelligence regarding Abedi were judged at the time to be unrelated to terrorism but in fact “transpired to be relevant to Abedi’s plan.”

“There was a significant missed opportunity to take action that might have prevented the attack,” inquiry chair Sir John Saunders admitted, noting that “an ordinary member of the public would be deeply concerned” by MI5’s response.

McCallum insisted that MI5 has made “more than 100 improvements” since the bombing, which killed 22 people attending an Ariana Grande concert at the arena, claiming the agency “continually” works to improve and vowing to “do more.”

The nature of MI5’s information on Abedi remains secret for national security reasons. The first item was considered unlikely to have uncovered Abedi’s plot, but had it been handled differently, it could have “increased the overall prospect that the attack would have been prevented” by the time the second item arrived, the inquiry states.

It blames the MI5 officer who received the data for failing to “act swiftly enough.” The report revealed that Abedi was not under active investigation despite having traveled to Libya several times with relatives during that nation’s civil war and despite having previously been flagged by MI5 computers.

While MI5 initially released a statement claiming officers had overlooked the intelligence because they thought the information related to criminal activity rather than terrorism, Saunders denied that excuse “present[ed] an accurate picture” and accused the agency of attempting to retrospectively justify not acting on it. In reality, he said, MI5’s northwestern investigative branch was “struggling to cope” with the sheer number of investigations it had open, and agents worried something would fall through the cracks.
https://www.rt.com/news/572358-mi5-apologizes-manchester-suicide-bomber/
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3 Mar, 2023 06:04

11) --- China dominates global tech race – report

Beijing has a “stunning lead” over the US in most crucial technologies, according to researcher ASPI

China is leading the world in 37 out of 44 critical and emerging technologies, a Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) study showed on Thursday. According to the security think tank, Beijing has now positioned itself as the world’s leading science and technology superpower.

ASPI’s Critical Technology Tracker covers a range of crucial fields spanning defense, space, robotics, energy, the environment, biotechnology, artificial intelligence (AI), advanced materials and key quantum technology areas. The report pointed out that in some fields, all of the world's top 10 research institutions are based in China.

It also found that a key area in which China excels is defense and space-related technologies. “China’s strides in nuclear-capable hypersonic missiles reportedly took US intelligence by surprise in August 2021,” ASPI stated.

It indicated that over the past five years, China generated 48.49% of the world’s high-impact research papers into advanced aircraft engines, including hypersonics.

The study, which was funded by the US State Department, found that the United States was often second-ranked in that race, although it led global research in high-performance computing, quantum computing and vaccines. “Our dataset reveals that there’s a large gap between China and the US, as the leading two countries, and everyone else,” it stressed.

“Western democracies are losing the global technological competition, including the race for scientific and research breakthroughs,” the report concluded, calling for greater research investment by those governments.
https://www.rt.com/business/572317-china-dominates-global-tech-race/
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1 Mar, 2023 09:39

11b) --- US ready ‘to do more pain’ to China’s Huawei – WSJ

Washington reportedly plans to halt export licenses to the tech company

The US government is considering annulling existing licenses for American firms to export items to Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing its sources.

According to the report, the measure could be viewed as broader tightening of technology trade on national security grounds.

“The policy that had allowed exports to Huawei, notwithstanding the entity listing, is being wound down,” an unnamed former senior security official familiar with the matter was quoted as saying. “The White House is now telling Commerce, ‘Cut off the 4G sales, the time has come to do more pain to Huawei, to try to finish their demise,’” he reportedly stated.

Huawei has been subjected to American export restrictions on items for 5G and other technologies for several years, but the US Department of Commerce has granted licenses for some American companies to sell certain goods and technologies to the Chinese firm.

However recently, Washington indicated that it was considering not granting any such export licenses to companies such as Qualcomm and Intel, which produce chips needed for smartphones and other devices.

Huawei was placed on a US trade blacklist in 2019, with most American suppliers barred from shipping goods and technology to the company unless they were granted licenses. The measure is aimed at cutting off the Chinese company’s ability to buy or design the semiconductor chips that power most of its products.

Tensions between the US and China, the world’s two largest economies, have been on the rise as they compete for domination in key technology areas, including semiconductors. In October, the Biden administration unveiled sweeping restrictions on China’s ability to buy semiconductors and chip-making equipment, placing the country’s companies on a list for further scrutiny.
https://www.rt.com/business/572202-us-china-huawei-technology-ban/
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also see https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/silicon-fence-around-china-almost-complete
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2 Mar, 2023 22:47

12) --- Russian piano prodigy wins prestigious prize in Germany

The triumph for 12-year-old Elisey Mysin comes as other European contests exclude his fellow citizens

Young Russian pianist Elisey Mysin has been awarded first prize in his age category at the international Robert Schumann Competition held in Dusseldorf, Germany. The event was organized in late February.

The 12-year-old Russian musician impressed the jury by first playing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s concerto for piano and orchestra No.12, before interpreting Schumann’s ‘Colorful Leaves’ pieces. Mysin has been playing piano since the age of four, and gained prominence in Russia after taking part in the popular children’s TV competition ‘Blue Bird’.

The International Robert Schumann Competition for young pianists has been held by the Society of Friends and Sponsors of the Robert Schumann High School in Dusseldorf since 2017.

Mysin’s victory comes at a time when many Western music competitions have outright excluded Russian participants on the basis of their nationality amid the conflict in Ukraine.

In April 2022, the Jean Sibelius Violin Competition held in Finland banned Russian participants despite previously selecting them on the basis of merit. The competition committee accused Russians of “atrocities” during Moscow’s military campaign.

In May 2022, a similar decision was taken by the acclaimed Rodolfo Lipizer International Violin Competition held in Italy. The move even prompted the Italian FVG Orchestra, which traditionally accompanied the competition finalists, to pull out of the event altogether. Its president, Paolo Petiziol, then condemned the organizers’ decision to ban Russians as “inexplicable” and “completely unfair.”

Kiev has repeatedly called on various Western platforms to ban Russian music and performers. In February, it urged the Swedish streaming service Spotify to remove songs by Russian artists who “support the war.” Some Western nations have also demanded a blanket ban on Russian culture.

In January, Lithuanian Culture Minister Simonas Kairys said his country’s citizens should not enjoy Russian culture as long as the conflict in Ukraine continues. While stopping short of supporting what he called an “authoritarian” administrative ban on Russian culture, the minister said he favored a “mental quarantine” on it.
https://www.rt.com/pop-culture/572361-young-pianist-win-international-competition/
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https://youtu.be/GIS1DNVqYcQ
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