In Niger, over four in ten children lack a birth certificate
Niger's fertility rate is one of the world's highest.
Originally published on Global Voices
Screengrab from Tv5 Monde's YouTube channel
In Niger, one of the larger countries in West Africa, it is difficult to get an exact figure for the population size, estimated at more than 20 million. This is mainly due to parents not registering children at birth. Four out of ten children in the country are not officially registered.
Several reasons are behind this, such as a lack of knowledge of the process for obtaining birth certificates, or the parents’ negligence in declaring births. As Ibrahim Malangoni, National Director of Niger’s Register Office, explained to Tv5monde Info:
La population ne se fait pas encore systématiquement enregistrer dès que des événements d'état civil surviennent dans leur famille. Elle attend toujours que le besoin s'en fasse sentir. Par exemple, pour l'école, pour la justice, que le besoin se fasse sentir pour d'autres circonstances de la vie, pour bénéficier d'une bourse, pour ouvrir un compte à la banque, et donc c'est à ce moment-là que les gens se rendent compte qu'ils doivent faire l'acte d'état civil, alors qu'ils auraient dû le faire plus tôt quand c'était gratuit.
Members of the public still do not systematically register such events as soon as they happen. People often wait until they feel it is necessary to do it. For example, for school, for court matters, or in other situations such as to benefit from a scholarship or to open a bank account, and it is only at that moment that people realize they need to officially register themselves, when they should have done it previously when it was free.
However, slow administration and a lack of infrastructure are also part of the problem. The state has less presence in more remote areas. Residents of these villages are also often unable to afford trips to towns to get their children’s documents.
The Moroccan website Le360 illustrated this problem with a real-life example:
Nadia Salou […] comme sa soeur Zeneba, 9 ans, et le petit Abdoulkarim, 4 ans […]n’existent que par leur prénom. Leur maman Aïchata Hassan, originaire du petit village rural d’Alzou dans une zone reculée de la région de Tillabéri (ouest), a accouché à son domicile et aucun agent de l’Etat n’a pu inscrire les naissances au registre. Elle disposait de soixante jours pour aller déclarer chaque enfant. Mais ses faibles revenus, l’éloignement de la ville et les coûts de transport l’en ont dissuadée. Et surtout au village, ce bout de papier, l’acte de naissance, « ne sert pas à grand-chose », dit-elle.
Nadia Salou […] like her sister Zeneba, 9 years old, and little Abdoulkarim, 4 years old […] exist only through their first names. Their mother Aichata Hassan, originally from the small rural village of Alzou in a remote area of the Western Tillabéri region, gave birth at her home and no civil servant was available to officially register the births. She had sixty days to go and register each child. But her low income, remoteness from the city and the transport costs dissuaded her from doing it. And especially in her village, this piece of paper, the birth certificate, “is not of much use,” she said.
In the same article Idrissa Illiassou, an educational advisor, lamented:
Beaucoup d’enfants de l’école sont dans cette situation. Des jeunes sans acte de naissance, ça va donner des adultes sans papier d’identité, ils seront exclus .
Many children at school are in this situation. Young people without a birth certificate, who will become adults without identity papers, they will be excluded.
Various projects launched to improve the situation
Since over five years ago, various initiatives have been launched in the country to deal with this serious problem. International organizations have held more and more group sessions (where birth certificates are issued en masse in the community) and awareness-raising events, digitalized the sector, and conducted campaigns alongside local NGOs.
This is, for example, what the NGO Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is doing, as highlighted by this tweet..
“Si vous voulez vous déplacer, vous devez avoir ce document. Quand j'aurai mon acte de naissance, je pourrai rendre visite à mon oncle à Niamey.” -Fati
Au #Niger nous assistons les personnes déplacées à obtenir des documents civils tels que des actes de naissance. pic.twitter.com/X0XYFisdMW— NRC Central and West Africa (@NRC_CWA) December 22, 2021
If you want to travel around, you must have this document. When I have my birth certificate, I’ll be able to visit my uncle in Niamey. -Fati
In #Niger we assist displaced people in obtaining official documents such as birth certificates.
In this video from Tv5monde Info, Jan Egeland, secretary general of NRC, points out that:
“Avec un investissement mineur de l’État et des partenaires, vous pouvez procurer à ces garçons et ces filles du pays le plus jeune du monde de l’espoir”.
“With a minor investment from the state and its partners, you can give these boys and girls in the world's youngest country hope”.
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC), another NGO working with displaced and conflict-affected people in Africa, is doing similar work on the ground in collaboration with local bodies. In February 2022, the organization helped to obtain 500 birth certificates, as explained in this online post.
Projet SHIFT @DanishMFA: le partenaire AREN a mené des activités de recensement afin d’établir 500 actes de naissances pour des personnes déplacées et hôtes dans 2 communes au #Niger, qui récupéreront 2 copies de leur acte de naissance prochainement! #ICLA #documentationcivile pic.twitter.com/IqCeQHJo1e
— DRC West Africa, Sahel & North Africa (@drcwestafrica) February 3, 2022
Project SHIFT @DanishMFA: partner AREN conducted census activities in order to obtain 500 birth certificates for displaced people and hosts in 2 towns in #Niger, who will collect 2 copies of their birth certificate soon!
#ICLA #documentationcivile
The International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF) also played its part to help Niger deal with the challenge. In 2020, it launched a pilot program in the central-eastern Zinder region, at the request of Niger, which allowed the registration of more than 7,300 individuals, 90 percent of whom were children.
Saray Lawali, 40 years old, one of those who benefited from the OIF’s pilot program, recalled how lacking a birth certificate had been difficult:
« Sans pièces d’identité, vous ne pouvez pas circuler librement dans le pays et, pour les mêmes raisons, vous ne pouvez pas accéder à des emplois. »
“Without identity documents, you cannot move freely around the country and, for the same reason, you cannot access jobs.”
The United Nations agency responsible for promoting children’s rights in Niger, UNICEF Niger, has also headed initiatives which have led to a marked improvement in the situation.
Au #Niger, 6 enfants sur 10 ont un acte de naissance.
Le système de l’état civil bénéficie de l’appui de l’@dueniger depuis 2012. Cet appui a permis une amélioration dans la gestion du système de l’état civil, la déclaration des faits de l’état civil et la délivrance des actes. pic.twitter.com/o1vkFiDtfP— UNICEF Niger (@Unicefniger) October 12, 2022
“With the digitalized system, not only will we be able to work faster, but it will also be better archived. I am now practicing by filling in existing records on the computer. Today, I’ve already done almost 20 registrations.”
In #Niger, 6 out of 10 children have a birth certificate. The system for registering citizens’ documents has been supported by @dueniger since 2012. This support has allowed improvements in managing citizens’ records, registering changes in people’s status, and issuing documents.
The main challenge: digitalizing the data
In this digital age, archiving data is not yet part of common practice in Niger. As well as the difficulties in registering children at birth, it is also difficult to access documents which are available and searchable online. Internet access is low in the country, with a penetration rate of 22.4 percent in early 2023.
In 2021, with support from UNICEF Niger and the European Union, Niger’s government launched a project to digitalize the system of citizens’ records, to be able to adapt policies according to the data. This has been promoted in order to help with demand and supply planning, for example for social services and monitoring children's welfare. However, it remains dependent on the development of internet access.
In this video from TV5Monde Info, Ibrahim Malangoni, National Director of the Niger’s Register Office observed:
Aujourd’hui, le taux d’enregistrement des enfants à la naissance dans les délais est de 60%. Quatre enfants sur dix restent donc invisibles aux yeux de l’État. Mais c’est déjà un taux remarquable parce qu’il n’y a pas si longtemps, en 2007, nous étions à peine à 30% .
Today, the rate of prompt registration of newborn children is 60 percent. Four out of ten children thus remain invisible to the state. But this is already a remarkable rate because not so long ago, in 2007, we were barely at 30 percent.
This progress is all the more important and necessary as Niger has one of the world’s highest population growth rates, at 3.2%, which is directly linked to a fertility rate of 6.2 children per woman, according to the National Survey on Fertility and Morality of Children under five years old (ENAFEME Niger 2021). The population is characterized by its youth – 15 years old on average – which results from the very high birth rate. As such, the population could reach 35 million by 2033.
Written by Jean Sovon Translated by Liam Anderson · View original post [fr]
Part of the Russian diaspora joins global protests marking the first anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine
Ukrainians are still the main force behind anti-war protests abroad
Originally published on Global Voices
Ukrainian freedom march in Berlin. Photo by Global Voices
February 24, 2024 marks the 365th day of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, following a previous one in 2014. Around that date, several groups of Russians living abroad have gathered and demonstrated publicly to state their full support to Ukraine, and their rejection of Putin's imperialistic and authoritarian ideology.
When Moscow annexed parts of Eastern Ukraine and Crimea in 2014, there was little protest in Russia and among Russians living abroad. Following the 2022 invasion, things have changed significantly. Inside Russia, the government is keen to display a show of unity rallying behind Putin: On February 23rd, buses brought around 100,000 people to the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow to take place in a massive political meeting and music show in support of what is still called a “special Military Operation” in Russia. Yet in the course of 2022, there were only 18 days when no one was actually arrested for protesting the war inside Russia.
The main difference, though, can be seen abroad. Several oppositional organizations, along with groups of individuals have called for public action to unite, and to join Ukrainians and their supporters around the date of February 24. This includes the Free Russia Foundation, a US-based group acting for democracy in Russia:
We, Russians, demand the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine’s internationally recognized territory! Let us show the world that Russians publicly condemn the actions of the Russian government. Wherever you may be, join the anti-war protest in your city on Feb 24! pic.twitter.com/bjVTE4y7Yc
— Free Russia Foundation 4freerussia.org (@4freerussia_org) February 22, 2023
Many others also launched similar calls. For example, the daughter of murdered opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, Zhanna Nemtsova, posted that she was going to a protest in Lisbon, and called for every Russian abroad to join Ukrainians.
Завтра и в выходные по всему миру пройдут акции против российского вторжения в Украину. Я считаю, что надо выходить. Все формы солидарности с украинцами кроме массового уличного протеста невидимы 1/4 pic.twitter.com/23MzgCcV4Z
— Zhanna Nemtsova (@ZhannaNemtsova) February 23, 2023
Tomorrow and over the weekend, protests against Russia's invasion of Ukraine will take place around the world. I think we should go out. Except for mass street protest, all other forms of solidarity with Ukrainians remain invisible 1/4 pic.twitter.com/23MzgCcV4Z
— Zhanna Nemtsova (@ZhannaNemtsova) February 23, 2023
The Anti-Corruption Foundation, also based in the US, and associated with Alexey Navalny, a key political opponent to Putin leader currently imprisoned in Russia, launched a similar call:
Russians all over the world organize anti-war rallies!
Find your city on the list and join: https://t.co/jLrBREv51m 1/2 pic.twitter.com/Jf7JixPksn
— The Anti-Corruption Foundation (@ACF_int) February 23, 2023
The calls were heard and turned into small and larger street events in over 100 locations around the world, including Berlin and Prague were Global Voices went to observe the events.
Berlin: united from the start
Screen shot from the Facebook page of the event
In Berlin, the Ukrainian freedom march gathered over ten thousand people and ended traditionally at the Brandenburg Tor, marching in front of the Russian Embassy located on the Unter den Linden avenue.
Ukrainians, Germans, as well as Russians and people of other nationalities joined and marched together.
Here is a billboard in Russian shown at the Berlin demonstration that reads: “Russian Mothers: Overthrow Putin!”
Photo by Daria Dergacheva, used with permission.
Prague: one degree of separation
Prague is an important center for three communities all affected in different ways by the war: Ukrainians, Russians and Belarusians.
Ukrainians have traditionally lived in former Czechoslovakia as one of the recognized minorities since the establishment of the country in 1918, where they accounted for nearly 5 percent of the total population in the east. After the Czech republic was established in 1993, Ukrainians moved in mostly for economic reasons. In 2021, the Ukrainian community, which includes workers, mostly in the service and construction industries, but also students, medical staff, and wealthy investors, was estimated nearing 200,000 people. After February 24, 2022, many Ukrainians were given shelter in the Czech Republic – an estimated half-a-million live now in the country.
The Russian migration dates from 1917 when subjects of the Russian Empire who opposed the Bolshevik Revolution sought refuge across Europe. In then Czechoslovakia, the government launched a special program, called Ruská pomocná akce [Russian Help Program] that provided refugee status and support for schools, and universities in Russian, but also in Ukrainian and Belarusian. After WWI and particularly after the 1968 invasion by Warsaw Pact armies, the number of Soviet soldiers and their families – who were of many ethnicities including Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian- stationed in Czechoslovakia was estimated over 110,000 . A new group of Russians started migrating in the mid 1990s, including businesspeople, students, but also over the years, opponents to Putin's government. Today there are an estimated 100,000 Russians – some with Czech or other citizenships – living in the Czech Republic.
Outdoor exhibition on Republic Square in Prague showcasing independent Russian support to Ukraine. Photo by Filip Noubel, used with permission.
Belarusians, present from 1917, have also started moving in the mid-1990s and today represent a mixed community of IT specialists, students, opponents to president Lukashenka and wealthy investors estimated to number at least 4,000 people and is probably much larger in reality.
The sometimes overlapping but mostly divergent history of those three groups in the Czech Republic is probably one of the reasons why on February 24, 2023, Ukrainians and Russians started their demonstration separately.
On the Russian side, the Prague-based Russian Anti-War Committee organized an exhibition in the center of the city, on Republic Square, to showcase the work of Russian volunteers supporting Ukraine and Ukrainians. These initiatives include collection of funds and humanitarian help, free Czech classes for Ukrainian refugees, support in finding jobs in the Czech Republic, programs for children.
Outdoor exhibition on Republic Square in Prague showcasing independent Russian support to Ukraine. Photo by Filip Noubel, used with permission.
Anton Litvin, a key figure in the anti-Putin movement among Prague-based Russians gave an opening speech under the white-blue-white flag symbolizing an anti-Putin Russia to a crowd of around 100 people, and invited several leaders of the community to speak about their work and motivations
Some of the recurrent themes of the speeches revealed the anxiety of many Russians who live abroad, oppose Putin and support Ukraine: a deep sense of guilt and shame of being Russian or speaking Russian, the moral obligation to no longer remain silent, the sense of gratitude towards Czech society and authorities, the therapeutic impact of providing help, and more importantly, the need to self-decolonize and be extremely mindful of respecting Ukrainian feelings. Many also acknowledged their position of privilege in comparison to those opposing their government inside Russia, where any public demonstration of anti-Putin or anti-war sentiment is immediately severely punished.
After the meeting, Litvin proposed to join the Ukrainian-led demonstration in nearby Wenceslas Square on an individual basis. He also requested everyone to remove all protest signs in Russian, including the white-blue-white flag to respect Ukrainian feelings. Indeed many Ukrainians accuse Russians, including today's opponents of Putin, of having remained largely silent after the 2014 invasion, and thus declare any Russian presence as unacceptable, including at meetings in support of Ukraine.
For more about the white-blue-white flag, read For Russians living abroad and denouncing Ukraine's invasion, a new flag symbolizes opposition to Putin.
The white-blue-white flag is the only flag used by anti-Putin Russians on Republic Square in Prague. Photo by Filip Noubel, used with permission.
At the main demonstration organized by Ukrainians on Wenceslas Square, other flags were rolled out, such as the anti-Lukashenka white-red-white flag.
The Belarusian white-red-white flag is the symbol of anti-Lukashenka opposition and was widely present at the pro-Ukraine demonstration on Wenceslas Square in Prague. Photo by Filip Noubel, used with permission.
And a mix of Ukrainian and Czech flags as well.
Photo by Filip Noubel, used with permission.
This billboard summarizes the attitude of many Czechs supporting Ukraine: it reads “when the last Ukrainian soldier falls, Putin will come to get you.”
Photo by Filip Noubel, used with permission.
Written by Daria Dergacheva, Filip Noubel
Boeing Will Close It's Super Hornet Production Line In 2025
Boeing's Super Hornet family. Front to back: a single-seat F/A-18E, a two-seat F/A-18F, and an EA-18G.
Boeing Warzone/The Drive: Boeing To End F/A-18 Super Hornet Production In Two Years
Boeing says a potential foreign contract could prolong Super Hornet production for two years, but the writing is on the wall for the line.
Boeing says that it expects to end production of new F/A-18E/F Super Hornets in 2025. It has left open the possibility that it could still be building Super Hornets two years after that for an unspecified "international customer," which is very likely a reference to a potential Indian Navy contract. No matter what, by all indications, the company is expecting to stop making new F/A-18E/F before the end of the decade.
The company announced its timeline for shuttering the F/A-18E/F production line, which is located within its facility in St. Louis, in a press release today. As it stands now, the only orders for Super Hornets that Boeing has left to fulfill are for the U.S. Navy. These jets, as well as examples of the EA-18G Growler electronic warfare derivative, are only currently in service with the Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: An end of an era.
Boeing Will Close It's Super Hornet Production Line In 2025
Boeing will close Super Hornet production line in 2025 -- Defense News
Boeing to stop production of F/A-18 Super Hornet jets in 2025 -- Reuters
End Of An Era! Super Hornets ‘Concede’ To F-35C; Boeing Announces Closure Of Production Lines For F/A-18 Jets -- EurAsian Times
Boeing unveils plans to end production of its St. Louis-made F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet -- St. Louis Business Journal
Is President Biden Pushing Us Into World War III?
Matt Margolis: Is Joe Biden Getting Us Into a Nuclear World War III?
On March 11, 2022, Joe Biden said that sending tanks to Ukraine would start World War III. “The idea that we’re going to send in offensive equipment and have planes and tanks and trains going in with American pilots and American crews — just understand, don’t kid yourself, no matter what y’all say, that’s called World War III.”
Curiously, at the end of January, in the midst of the classified documents scandal, Joe Biden flip-flopped and decided to send 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks, eight M88 recovery vehicles, and more than 500 armored vehicles to Ukraine.
So, World War III it is, I guess. Thanks, Joe.
At the time of the announcement, Biden claimed that it was Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin who recommended the move. However, just a week prior, both Austin and Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Mark Milley expressed opposition to sending tanks to Ukraine because it would take too long to train the Ukraine military how to use them, and they had plenty of tanks already at their disposal, including captured Russian tanks. So, naturally, I have my doubts.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: This is a debate that Americans should gave. But they are not .... Shhh! Nobody talk about WWIII (Hot Air).
Hat tip to Instapundit.
This News Story Did Not Make The Front Page: "Fire 'Involving URANIUM' Breaks Out At Tennessee National Security Complex"
* The Oak Ridge complex was home to the Manhattan Project for research and development during World War II
* An NNSA spokesperson confirmed that the fire started at 9.15am at the federal facility
* Authorities confirmed that the material involved in the fire was a metal compound of uranium.
A fire 'involving uranium' broke out at a National Security Complex in Tennessee with all staff being evacuated from the site.
The National Nuclear Security Administration said that an emergency response responded to the blaze on Wednesday morning at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge.
All of their 200 employees were accounted for, with other buildings next to the site being evacuated as a precaution.
Read more ....
Update #1: Fire at Y-12 contained; no injuries, contaminations reported (AP)
Update #2: Fire contained at Tennessee uranium processing facility, nuclear safety officials say (USA Today)
WNU Editor: I only learned about this news story last night. You would think that a fire at a National Security Complex that processes nuclear materials would be front page news everywhere. But it was not.
Body found in search for British actor Mackenzie Crook's missing sister-in-law Laurel Aldridge
A body was found amid the search for missing British woman Laurel Aldridge on Friday.
Aldridge, the sister-in-law of actor Mackenzie Crook, was last photographed leaving her home in Walberton, West Sussex on February 14.
The 62-year-old woman was last seen near Slindon Cricket Club, which is 2.5 miles away from her home.
Authorities have not confirmed that the body is hers, but Aldridge's son Matthew announced on Facebook that his mother's body was found.
FBI FINDS WASHINGTON BOY IN MISSOURI 7 MONTHS AFTER DISAPPEARANCE; GRANDPARENTS FACE CHARGES
"After a long and exhausting search, today we found Laurel," Matthew wrote. "We can share that she was found lying in a beautiful woodland and she is now at peace."
"We will miss her every day, but we are so proud of everything she achieved in her 62 years on this earth," the post continued. "Laurel was a wonderful, creative, fiercely-intelligent person, who taught us all the meaning of empathy, dependability, and love."
WYOMING POLICE LOCATE MISSING ROMANCE NOVELIST WHO ALLEGEDLY FLED TO HAWAII AFTER ARREST
The grieving son also asked for privacy and thanked his community for supporting his family amid the search.
Aldridge's brother-in-law, Mackenzie Crook, is known for acting in "Pirates of the Caribbean" in addition to playing Gareth Keenan in "The Office".
Crook previously asked the British public to be on the lookout for his missing sister-in-law in the West Sussex area.
"'She left the house with nothing but what she was wearing, with no keys and no phone. She has not been seen since," Crook said to ITV's Good Morning Britain.
"She missed her fifth chemo session last Tuesday and we think that is what has triggered some sort of crisis in her and she has gone off for a long walk somewhere," he added.
Hong Kong model's ex-husband, family, arrested after body found dismembered
Warning: Details in this story are disturbing.
Police in Hong Kong arrested four people in relation to the dismemberment and murder of 28-year-old model Abby Choi.
Choi was reported missing on Tuesday, and authorities believe that her body was dismembered, according to the New York Daily News. Police allege that there was a dispute between Choi and her ex-husband's family over finances.
Her ex-husband, 28-year-old Alex Kwong, was arrested at a ferry terminal in Hong Kong on Saturday.
At the time, Kwong was carrying $63,700 in Hong Kong dollars and several luxury watches worth around $510,000. Police told the South China Morning Post that they believe he was trying to flee Hong Kong when he was arrested.
Both of Kwong's parents in addition to his brother were previously charged with Choi's murder.
Choi was last seen by her ex-brother-in-law, who reportedly worked as her driver. The model was allegedly knocked unconscious after she got into his car on Feb. 21, and then was driven to the location where she was allegedly killed.
Chinese officials believe that Choi's ex-father-in-law was the mastermind for the plot to kill the model because of a property dispute worth millions of dollars.
PENNSYLVANIA WOMAN KILLED BY POLICE IN PITTSBURGH WAS HAVING 'MENTAL BREAKDOWN': COUSIN
Police believe that Kwong's family gave false statements to police. Authorities found Choi's legs in a refrigerator and human tissue that was placed in pots of soup at a Lung Mei Village rental home.
Superintendent of the Kowloon West Regional Crime Unit, Alan Chung, told reporters on Saturday that some body parts haven't been found.
"Tools that are used to dismember human bodies were found in the flat, including meat grinders, chainsaws, long raincoats, gloves, and masks," Chung said.
He added that the rental home which was occupied by the model's ex-father-in-law appeared to have been "arranged by cold-blooded killers meticulously."
CIA Director Bill Burns Confirms Reports That China May Send Lethal Aid To Russia In Its War Against Ukraine
CIA Director William Burns says the U.S. is “confident” that China is "considering the provision of lethal equipment" to aid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Burns told @margbrennan that the U.S. is hoping to "deter" Beijing from making a "very risky and unwise bet.” pic.twitter.com/9iD5XLGAy0
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) February 25, 2023
CBS News: CIA confirms possibility of Chinese lethal aid to Russia
In an exclusive interview with CBS News, CIA Director Bill Burns confirmed the possibility that China may send lethal aid to Russia in its war against Ukraine.
"We're confident that the Chinese leadership is considering the provision of lethal equipment," Burns told "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan on Friday.
The revelation that China's President Xi Jinping is mulling this escalation is a dramatic change from past Biden administration assessments. Earlier this month, Burns told students at Georgetown University that Xi had been "very reluctant to provide the kind of lethal weapons to Russia to use in Ukraine that the Russians are very much interested in."
Burns emphasized that China has not yet made the decision to transfer lethal aid to Russia, and shed light on the logic behind the Biden administration's decision to make this intelligence public.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: CIA Director William Burns says China has not yet made the decision to transfer lethal aid to Russia. But even though the above twitter video is a short clip, listening to him my gut tells me that the CIA Director already knows Beijing will soon start shipping lethal weaponry and ammunition to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine.
It is only a question of when the logistics are in place to make it happen, and if China's roadmap to end the Russia - Ukraine war is ignored. Since the US and its European allies have already rejected China's "peace plan" to end the war (link here), it looks like that decision may come sooner rather than later.
U.S. Officials Say China Is Now Considering Sending Russia Artillery Shells
China considers sending Russia artillery shells, U.S. officials say © Heidi Levine for The Washington Post
Washington Post: China considers sending Russia artillery shells, U.S. officials say
China is considering sending Russia lethal military aid in the form of artillery shells as President Vladimir Putin’s army rapidly depletes its supply of ammunition a year into his invasion of Ukraine, U.S. officials said, a prospect that has alarmed those in the Biden administration who believe Beijing has the ability to transform the war’s trajectory.
There is no evidence that any weapons transfers have occurred, these officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the U.S. government’s assessment. But if China does move ahead, it would mark the first time Beijing has provided lethal aid in the conflict despite repeated warnings by the United States not to provide such support. It would also violate the spirit of a peace plan Chinese leaders proposed Friday.
President Biden said Friday that he does not expect China to provide significant weapons assistance to Russia.
“I don’t anticipate — we haven’t seen it yet — but I don’t anticipate a major initiative on the part of China providing weaponry to Russia,” he said in an interview with ABC News. When asked if any future support would cross a red line, Biden said that the United States “would respond.”
Read more ....
WNU Editor: A few days ago this blog commented on US concerns that China may send military equipment and ammunition to Russia to assist in their military operations in Ukraine, and I explained why these concerns were/are justified.
Bottom line.
The West is currently not in a position to compete with China's manufacturing capacity, and if China should decide to supply Russia with equipment and munitions, Ukraine and its allies will lose what is now a war of attrition.
And it gets worse.
Since that post a long time friend that I trust in China told me that if Beijing believes Russia will be defeated in Ukraine, they will intervene. According to him he believes the decision has been by the leadership that it is now in China's vital strategic interest that Russia does not lose in Ukraine, and it all stems from the belief that if Russia falls, China will be next.
If this is all true .... and I believe it is .... this alliance between Russia and China (and I can say that it is an alliance right now) will be a game changer. The world's resource superpower in alliance with the world's manufacturing superpower will be a bloc that cannot be contained.
A prediction.
This China - Russia alliance will be seen by future historians as President Biden's biggest foreign policy mistake if not disaster. That after almost 50 years of US efforts starting under President Nixon to make sure that such an alliance did not happen because of its geopolitical implications, within the past year the Biden administration did not only make it happen, but forced it to happen through threats and no longer respecting long established understandings on what are Russia's and China's core security "red lines".
U.S. Army Officials Are Confident That They Can Keep Pace With China's Military Expansion
U.S. Army and Chinese PLA military personnel attend a disaster management exchange near Nanjing, China, November 17, 2018. Photo by Aly Song/Reuters
VOA: US Army Officials Confident in Competition with China
WASHINGTON — Not all branches of the U.S. military are equally worried about keeping pace with China’s military expansion.
While U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro warned earlier this week that he needed more ships to meet the threat posed by China’s rapidly expanding naval forces, top Army officials believe U.S. ground forces still hold a critical edge over their Chinese counterparts.
“The human dimension of the United States Army, I think, is a comparative advantage,” U.S. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth cautioned during a breakfast in Washington on Thursday with the Defense Writers Group. “The quality of how our soldiers are trained, the kind of leaders that they have, the kind of combat experience that the force has.”
Army Chief of Staff General James McConville added that the quality of leadership, especially that rising from the ranks of the Army’s enlisted soldiers, cannot be understated.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: PLA ground forces boast about 975,000 active-duty personnel. The U.S Army has about 485,000 soldiers and they are not meeting their recruitment goals.
China is currently the manufacturing superpower of the world. The U.S. is not.
My money is on China, and I am not alone in that assessment .... U.S. Navy Secretary Says China's Naval Fleet Is Growing And The US 'Can't Keep Up' With Warship Production (February 23, 2023).
Chinese Jet Intercepts US Spy Plane Over South China Sea
Kadena Air Base, Japan CNN — The US Navy reconnaissance jet flies at 21,500 feet over the South China Sea, 30 miles from the contested Paracel Islands, a group of about 130 small atolls, the biggest of which are home to Chinese military bases.
A voice, saying it’s coming from a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) airport, crackles over the radio of the US Navy P-8 Poseidon as a CNN crew, given rare access aboard the US flight, listens in.
“American aircraft. Chinese airspace is 12 nautical miles. Not approaching any more or you bear all responsibility,” it says.
In a few minutes, a Chinese fighter jet armed with air-to-air missiles intercepts the US plane, nestling in just 500 feet off its port side.
The Chinese fighter jet was so close, the CNN crew could see the pilots turning their heads to look at them – and could make out the red star on the tail fins and the missiles it was armed with.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Apparently this is happening all the time.
Chinese Jet Intercepts US Spy Plane Over South China Sea
Chinese fighter jet flies within 500 feet of U.S. patrol over South China Sea -- NBC
Chinese military orders US plane away from its airspace, flies fighter jet 500 feet from wing -- FOX News
Chinese Jet Intercepts US Spy Plane Over South China Sea -- Zero Hedge
Chinese Fighter Jet Harasses U.S. Navy Plane With CNN Camera Crew Inside -- Daily Wire
Russia - Ukraine War: Military Summary And Analysis For 2.25.2023 (Video)
WNU Editor: A lot of updates on the Russia - Ukraine war from the Military Summary channel. Alexander Mercouris gives his update on the war below.
Tweets On The Russia - Ukraine War
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 25 February 2023
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) February 25, 2023
Find out more about Defence Intelligence: https://t.co/dnK9iMITD3
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/vozmOE36aJ
Fighting is grinding on in Ukraine after the country marked the anniversary of Russia's invasion, with Ukrainian authorities on Saturday reporting dozens of new Russian strikes and attacks on cities in the east and south. https://t.co/amf0horqck
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 25, 2023
Here are today's control-of-terrain maps for #Russia's invasion of #Ukraine from @TheStudyofWar and @criticalthreats
— ISW (@TheStudyofWar) February 25, 2023
Click here to see our interactive map, updated daily: https://t.co/tXBburiWEN pic.twitter.com/GZ4h3TxTx1
Ukraine's President Zelensky wants China's leader Xi Jinping meeting following peace plan https://t.co/3pPlslHE8Z
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 25, 2023
This has been going on for some time in Ukraine - there are worse videos than this. And yet our leaders declined to mention the truth & send millions of our tax dollars to fund these people. https://t.co/6A3KuCt3a6
— Lara Logan (@laralogan) February 25, 2023
#UPDATE "Deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline towards Poland were stopped by the Russian side," Polish energy group PKN Orlen said in a statement to AFP.
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 25, 2023
Full story: https://t.co/cPvTVKTYTN pic.twitter.com/tkBlSj8RQD
A year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, both sides are preparing to set the stage for a potentially even more disastrous phase of the war. https://t.co/rsN7x0mXDm pic.twitter.com/4VhIDsi4uM
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 25, 2023
VIDEO: On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with missile strikes on several cities and ground forces entering the country. A year into the war, tens of thousands of lives have been lost and millions of people have been displaced pic.twitter.com/Mo1IGJkcE4
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 24, 2023
Tweets Of The Day
A meeting of finance chiefs of the Group of 20 leading economies ended on Saturday without a consensus, with Russia and China objecting to the description of the war in Ukraine in a final document. https://t.co/eHI09ML1nI
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 25, 2023
French President Emmanuel Macron says he will visit China in April and urged Beijing to help 'put pressure' on Russia to end the war in Ukraine https://t.co/5CphKWc2La pic.twitter.com/hn2iQjYWFw
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 25, 2023
Vote counting under way in Nigeria's election but final results may take days https://t.co/0EavLRoT1b
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 25, 2023
Jordan is to host a 'political-security' meeting between Israel and the Palestinians on Sunday to try to restore calm in the occupied territories after deadly violence https://t.co/apKDRCaAMZ pic.twitter.com/M5RKpwo3te
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 25, 2023
🇮🇷 🚀 IRGC: Iran has developed a cruise missile with a range of 1,650 km
— AZ 🛰🌏🌍🌎 (@AZgeopolitics) February 25, 2023
The television broadcast what it said was the first footage showing the new Paveh cruise missile. — Reuters pic.twitter.com/A8B1ZvoKpH
An Iranian general warned his country is still seeking to kill former US president Donald Trump and his secretary of state Mike Pompeo in revenge for assassinating Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' foreign operationshttps://t.co/63bQZwYvzD
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 25, 2023
2,000 suspected gang members have been moved to a newly opened ‘mega prison,’ in El Salvador. President Nayib Bukele announced the move on Twitter, saying that they had been transferred to the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism https://t.co/IUL4xjiVgD pic.twitter.com/9Gf4HRmA3R
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 25, 2023
WATCH: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter watched a sports event attended by government officials, according to state media https://t.co/qRWq9F6mq0 pic.twitter.com/yBSbsHwJvY
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 25, 2023
Is Ukrainian President Zelensky Using A "Doppelganger"?
👴🇺🇦🇺🇸During Biden's visit Zelensky had a doppelganger pic.twitter.com/tH8NC5xgsJ
— AZ 🛰🌏🌍🌎 (@AZgeopolitics) February 25, 2023
WNU Editor: This story is making the rounds in both Russian and Ukrainian social media .... The Kremlin's chief propagandist Solovyov exposed Zelensky's "double" - bodyguard Maksym (TSN.ua).
The use of "doppelgangers" by leaders during wartime is nothing new. So the possibility that one of President Zelensky's personal bodyguards looks like him should surprise no one.
As for Putin. Western media has been speculating for years that Putin uses "doppelgangers" .... Putin has 'doppelgänger on standby' in case he's 'unable to fulfil engagements' (Metro).
A Great Moment In The United Nations Security Council Yesterday
WNU Editor: All lives matter.Awkward moment in UN Security Council just now. Ukraine FM asked members to stand for a moment of silence in memory of lives lost to Russian aggression.
— Bahman Kalbasi (@BahmanKalbasi) February 24, 2023
Russian diplomats refused to stand saying they will only do so if it is in memory of all victims since 2014. Watch the rest. pic.twitter.com/U84Poslyrx
Behind bars: Thousands of criminals, including notorious MS-13 gang members, start filling new 'mega prison'
El Salvador has started to fill its mega-prison with a transfer of 2,000 gang members and criminals, including members of MS-13 and Barrio-18.
"Today at dawn, in a single operation, we transferred the first 2,000 gang members to the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT)," El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele wrote on Twitter. "This will be their new home, where they won't be able to do any more harm to the population."
Bukele also posted a video on Twitter that showed prisoners, bound by shackles at their ankles and with hands behind their backs, running into the new facility. The prisoners wore white shorts and had shaved heads, with many men bearing gang tattoos.
The prisoners can be seen sitting tightly packed together on the floor of the facility with their hands behind their heads while they stare down at their feet.
SEVEN KILLED IN BRAZILIAN POOL HALL MASSACRE AFTER LOSERS MOCKED: VIDEO
The new 40,000-person facility opened last month after an accelerated building schedule, doubling El Salvador’s prison capacity in less than a year. The prison is one of Latin America’s largest, with 37 guard towers and eight cellblocks that will be "impossible to escape."
Bukele declared a "state of exception" in March 2022 as he empowered his government to crack down on gang members by loosening the country’s arrest laws, such as no longer requiring a warrant for an arrest and granting the government access to citizens’ communications.
COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT PETRO SIGNS TRADE DEAL WITH VENEZUELA'S MADURO ON BORDER
He pushed through the new measure following three days of violence left 87 people dead. Bukele blamed MS-13 for the violence, and authorities claimed that they had captured the MS-13 leaders who had ordered the killings, during the statewide sweep.
U.S. prosecutors have connected MS-13 to dozens of murders in the New York metro area and Long Island over the past decade, with terrorism charges announced against 14 of the gangs' leaders in 2021, The New York Times reported.
El Salvador’s congress extended the state of exception several times, resulting in more than 46,000 arrests of alleged gang members. That number surged to over 62,000 by the end of the year, including alleged collaborators.
A poll by Cid Gallup last year found that 91% of those surveyed supported the more aggressive crackdown, Bloomberg reported.
But human rights organizations argue that innocent people have been caught up in the policy, including at least dozens who have died in police custody.
One woman told The Guardian that her husband, brother and nephew were arrested a week ago while unloading a truck for their business, and police have not yet explained why they were taken into custody.
Reuters contributed to this report.
El Salvador Tecoluca Prison
Iran says new long-range cruise missile can strike US ships within 1,000 miles
Iran has unveiled its latest long-range cruise missile, stating that it will be able to strike U.S. ships within 1,000 miles.
The missile and its long-range capabilities were displayed via state media Saturday.
"Our cruise missile with a range of 1,650 km has been added to the missile arsenal of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Revolutionary Guard's aerospace division, told state TV, according to a Reuters translation.
Hajizadeh claimed that Iran has "limited" the missile's range "as a sign of respect to Europe," according to The Associated Press.
He added, "God willing the Europeans will keep this respect."
The display of firepower is the culmination of months of boasting from Iranian officials.
Defense officials have previously noted Iran’s tendency to exaggerate when it comes to its military capabilities.
"This is the camera mounted on the cruise [missile]. As you see it's flying 40 to 50 meters above ground. It's a phenomenon, and considering its range of 1,650 kilometers no comment is needed. The others should do their own math," Hajizadeh said.
The comments made by a top official in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard come as Western-Iranian ties are increasingly strained over Tehran's supply of drones to Russia and their use in Ukraine.
Fox News' Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
Iran shows off new long-range cruise missile (1)
Chinese officials confronts US diplomat, draws 'red lines' over Hong Kong speech
A diplomat with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs met with a US consul over remarks lamenting Hong Kong's future under the Chinese Communist Party.
U.S. Consul General Gregory May said last month that he was concerned about Hong Kong's status as a business hub without the guaranteed freedoms enjoyed prior to the island's return to China.
"The National Security Law and actions taken by Beijing and Hong Kong authorities may negatively impact company staff, finances, legal compliance reputation and operations," May said in January.
BIDEN EXTENDS DEPORTATION PROTECTIONS FOR HONG KONG RESIDENTS AMID 'INCREASING REPRESSION' IN CHINA
May went on to warn that "companies should be aware that the risks faced in mainland China are now increasingly present here in Hong Kong."
May's comments incensed Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials, who have for years attempted to suppress criticism of their regime's governance of the island.
High-ranking CCP diplomat Liu Guangyuan reportedly met with May after the comments, complaining about the consul's evaluation of Hong Kong.
"Liu also drew three red lines for US consul general and US consulate general in Hong Kong, which is not to endanger China’s national security, not to engage in political infiltration in Hong Kong, and not to slander or damage Hong Kong’s development prospect," the diplomat's office told the Associated Press.
The Chinese government moved to stifle opposition following protests in Hong Kong in 2019 against a proposed law allowing extraditions to mainland China. Under the national security law, which took effect in June 2020, police cracked down on opposition politicians, activists and demonstrators.
HONG KONG ENDS YEAR-LONG HAMSTER IMPORT BAN: REPORT
Since China imposed its national security law, at least 150 opposition politicians, activists and protesters have been taken into custody on politically motivated charges, including secession, subversion, terrorist activities, and collusion with a foreign country or external elements, according to the White House.
Earlier this year, President Biden extended the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) program, which protects Hong Kong residents in the U.S. from deportation, due to "increased repression" from the Chinese government, less than two weeks before it was set to expire.
Biden first extended the DED program to Hong Kong residents on Aug. 5, 2021, which deferred the deportation of Hong Kong residents for 18 months.
International Symposium On The Communist Party Of China's History Of 100 Years
Editor's Note
French woman bites off tongue of suspected would-be rapist in country illegally
A French woman reportedly bit off part of an attempted rapist's tongue and handed it to police.
According to France Bleu, the 57-year-old woman was walking her dog at 4 a.m. early Sunday morning when her would-be rapist approached her.
The man forcibly kissed and hugged her while touching himself, the report says.
The woman struggled against him and managed to bite off part of his tongue during the attack. She kept the piece of evidence and handed it to police shortly after.
The suspect, a Tunisian immigrant in his 30s, claims that the woman jumped him. He was taken into police custody after being found wounded at the scene of the attack.
The accused rapist was reportedly in France illegally. The government issued an order for the man to leave French territory.
PARIS TRAIN STATION ATTACKER SHOT AFTER INJURING 6 WITH ‘BLADED WEAPON’
No other details about the crime were immediately available.
Avignon is a city in southern France, over 350 miles south of Paris. It is located near the Mediterranean Sea.
Ukraine President Zelensky Says He Plans To Meet Chinese President Xi On Proposed Peace Plan
Ukraine President Zelensky
Yahoo News: Zelensky plans to meet with China's Xi on proposed peace plan
On Friday, China’s Foreign Ministry announced a 12-point proposal that called for a resumption of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.
LONDON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday said he planned to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping about China's proposed peace plan, released on the first anniversary of the war.
“China started talking about Ukraine, and I think this is a good thing,” Zelensky said at a news conference one year after Russia’s invasion. “But it actually begs the question, what will these words be followed with? The steps next are important.”
Read more ....
Update: Ukraine's Zelensky says he plans to meet China's Xi (Jerusalem Post)
WNU Editor: I will be surprised if this meeting happens. But if it does happen, the Russian offensive that everyone has been talking about for the past two months will be delayed.
Argentina mom and her female partner sentenced in murder, sexual abuse of 5-year-old son: reports
An Argentinian mom and her female partner accused of killing and sexually abusing the mother’s 5-year-old son were sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday, according to reports.
The Buenos Aires Times reported that Magdalena Espósito Valenti, the mother of 5-year-old Lucio Dupuy, and her partner, Abigail Páez were previously found guilty of aggravated homicide, and after 15 days of deliberating on a sentence, the Oral Court of Santa Rosa in La Pampa settled on life terms for both women.
The two women are accused of beating Lucio to death on Nov. 26, 2021.
CONVICTED KILLER NICKNAMED ‘THE SPIDER’ BUSTED TRYING TO ESCAPE FROM PRISON DISGUISED AS SHEEP
The pair were responsible for caring for the child, and both were charged with aggravated homicide in the boy's death. Páez was found guilty on an additional count of sexual abuse, according to InfoBae.
The Times reported that according to the allegations, Valenti and Páez killed Lucio between 5:30 p.m. and 7:40 p.m., after months of abuse.
At one point, the women alleged said that the boy fell during an attempted robbery of their home. The women were arrested after medical tests painted a picture of abuse.
Their attorneys claim neither woman intended to kill Lucio.
POLICE CAPTURE 5 MISSOURI INMATES, INCLUDING 3 SEX OFFENDERS, WHO PULLED OFF DARING JAIL BREAK
Neither Valenti or Páez were at the reading of the verdict, handed down by Judges Alejandra Ongaro, Daniel Sáez Zamora and Andrés Olié.
The same judges found Valenti guilty of three counts of aggravated homicide, the publication reported, though she was not found guilty of sexual abuse.
Páez, on the other hand, was found guilty of "seriously outrageous sexual abuse," the Times reported, based on her being a guardian of the minor and taking advantage of living together to commit the offense.
Páez was also convicted of two counts of aggravated homicide, qualified by intent and malice aforethought.
ECUADORIAN FUGITIVE WANTED FOR KILLING WIFE IN 2019 ARRESTED IN SOUTH CAROLINA
According to the ruling, both Páez and Valenti understood the crime they committed and were to register as sex offenders.
The judges wrote in their decision that Páez "has clear notions of right and wrong, just and unjust, lawful and unlawful, knows that the alleged act constitutes a crime and knows the responsibilities that would correspond to her, that is, she understands the criminality of her acts and can direct her actions."
Prosecutor Verónica Ferrero told the Times that both Valenti and Páez would be jailed for the rest of their lives.
"Because of the article of the Penal Code under which they were sentenced, the defendants cannot ask for parole even when they are over 50 years old," the prosecutor said. "It is a life sentence, they have no possibility of release; they cannot ask for parole after any term has passed."
Argentina women Magdalena Espósito Valenti and Abigail Páez
Yemeni rebels frustrated by leader's calls to delay seccession
Yemen’s southern separatists on Friday slammed statements by their ally, the head of Yemen's presidential council, in which he said that now is not the right time to discuss southern independence.
The comments come as Saudi Arabia, which leads a coalition fighting for Yemen’s internationally recognized government that includes the separatists, and their rivals the Houthi rebels are in back-channel talks on the country's wider war.
In a statement, the Southern Transitional Council, an umbrella group of heavily armed and well-financed militias propped up by the United Arab Emirates, said that the comments, "showed a lack of seriousness."
SAUDI ARABIA INVESTS $1B IN YEMEN'S CENTRAL BANK
It was in response to an interview published on Thursday in the London-based newspaper "Asharq Al-Awsat," in which the head of Yemen's Presidential Council Rashid al-Alami said "talking about a solution at this time might not be appropriate," in reference to the issue of southern separatism.
The council's statement said the "southern issue cannot be allowed to be moved or delayed," it said, adding that it would be in violation of previous agreements between the country's internationally recognized government and the council.
Reports of revived communications between Yemen's warring sides in the Gulf Arab country of Oman, a traditional mediator in the Middle East, surfaced earlier this year.
The separatists, represented by Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council, are an umbrella group of heavily armed and well-financed militias propped up by the United Arab Emirates. Though the UAE is officially part of the Saudi-led coalition, its support for the separatists has threatened the alliance. The separatists enjoy loyalty through much of southern Yemen, and have repeatedly pushed to break up Yemen into two countries, as it was between 1967 and 1990.
FIGHTING CONTINUES IN YEMEN AS US SEEKS CEASEFIRE IN WORLD'S WORST HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
Yemen’s war began in 2014 when the Houthis swept down from their northern stronghold and seized the capital, Sanaa, along with much of the country's north. In response, the Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 to try to restore the internationally recognized government to power.
Al-Alami, a Saudi ally and currently on a diplomatic tour of Europe, became head of Yemen's presidential council last April. He told Asharq Al-Awsat that while he supports Saudi Arabia taking the lead as mediator in the Omani-brokered dialogue, any final peace agreement must be between the internationally recognized government and the Houthi rebels.
Yemen's war has killed more than 150,000 people, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, including over 15,000 civilians, and has become a proxy war in the region. It has also spawned one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, pushing the Mideast’s poorest nation into near famine.
Yemen-United-Nations
China unveils peace plan to wary Zelenskyy
China called for a cease-fire and peace talks between Ukraine and Russia on Friday, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cautiously welcomed Beijing’s involvement -- but said success would depend on actions not words.
Beijing claims to have a neutral stance in the war that began one year ago, but has also said it has a "no limits friendship" with Russia and has refused to criticize Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, or even refer to it as an invasion. It has accused the West of provoking the conflict and "fanning the flames" by providing Ukraine with defensive arms.
"I believe that the fact that China started talking about Ukraine is not bad," Zelenskyy told a news conference Friday. "But the question is what follows the words. The question is in the steps and where they will lead to."
CHINA TIGHTENS TIES WITH RUSSIA, CLAIMING BOTH PROMOTE 'WORLD PEACE' DESPITE UKRAINE WAR
The plan released by China’s Foreign Ministry mainly reiterated long-held positions, and analysts said Beijing would be an unlikely broker.
But some observers warned that Ukraine and its allies need to tread carefully, saying that rejection of what China sees as its peace overture could move Beijing closer toward providing arms to Russia instead.
Volodymyr Fesenko, head of the Kyiv-based Penta Center independent think tank, believes that Zelenskyy "will try to play with China... in order not to allow China and Russia to come closer together."
"As long as China comes up with peacemaker initiatives, it will be forced to maintain neutrality and to abstain from supplying weapons and direct military assistance to Russia," Fesenko told The Associated Press.
Ukraine also might see "a scenario in which China is at least pressuring Russia to contain the use of nuclear weapons and create a mechanism to control nuclear power plants in Ukraine," he said.
For Beijing's part, it needed to clarify its stance, whether or not Kyiv and Moscow pay much heed, said Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Beijing’s Renmin University.
"China feels it necessary to repeat its self-perceived neutrality at this juncture, to save some international influence by not only criticizing NATO but also distinguishing itself from Russia’s behavior," Shi said.
China's proposal calls for the territorial integrity of all countries to be respected, but does not say what will happen to the regions Russia has occupied since the invasion. It also calls for an end to "unilateral" sanctions on Russia, indirectly criticizes the expansion of the NATO alliance, and condemns threats of nuclear force.
The proposal is "an attempt for public relations on the part of China," said Li Mingjiang, a professor and international security expert at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. "I’m not convinced that this policy is going to improve their credibility in being an honest broker."
Russia’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the proposal and said it shares China's ideas, including the rejection of Western sanctions. At the same time, ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reaffirmed Moscow's demand for Ukraine to acknowledge Russia's land gains, renounce its bid to join NATO and assume a neutral status, among other conditions for peace.
Ukraine has said it will not agree to any peace without the return of all its territory.
Zelenskyy's adviser Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted that any peace plan that envisages only a ceasefire and allows Russia to continue occupying any part of Ukraine "isn’t about peace, but about freezing the war, Ukraine's defeat, next stages of Russian genocide."
Ukraine's allies also expressed skepticism. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on CNN that his first reaction to the proposal was that "it could stop at point one, which is: Respect the sovereignty of all nations."
He added: "This war could end tomorrow if Russia stopped attacking Ukraine and withdrew its forces.... This was a war of choice."
German government spokesman Wolfgang Buchner said the Chinese proposal contained several important points, but was missing a key one: "first and foremost the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine."
China abstained Thursday when the U.N. General Assembly approved a nonbinding resolution that calls for Russia to end hostilities in Ukraine and withdraw its forces.
Its 12-point peace proposal also urges measures to prevent attacks on civilians, keep nuclear facilities safe, establish humanitarian corridors and ensure the export of grain. It called for an end to the "Cold War mentality" — China’s standard term for what it regards as U.S. hegemony and maintenance of alliances such as NATO.
"Dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution to the Ukraine crisis." the proposal said. It offered no details on what form talks should take but said "China will continue to play a constructive role in this regard."
Zelenskyy said Friday that his main goal was making sure China doesn’t supply weapons to Russia. And he expressed hope that China’s involvement could be useful in isolating Russia. "Our task is to gather everyone to isolate the one," he said.
US SENDING UP TO 200 MORE TROOPS TO TAIWAN AS CHINA TENSIONS GROW
He also said he’d like to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping: "I believe that it will benefit our countries and the security of the world."
China's proposal comes as U.S.-China relations have hit a historic low over Taiwan, disputes over trade and technology, human rights, and China’s aggressive actions in the South China Sea.
The U.S. recently said China may be preparing to provide Russia with military aid, an allegation that Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin called "nothing more than slander and smears."
On Friday he referred to a "massive disinformation in this respect against China."
Wang was responding to a report in the German magazine Der Spiegel that Russia’s military was negotiating with a small Chinese drone manufacturer for the "components and know-how" to allow the country to manufacture about 100 suicide drones a month.
putin_xi
Italy's high court upholds tough prison regime for militant
Italy’s high court on Friday reaffirmed a strict prison regime for an Italian left-wing militant whose cause has been taken up by anarchist groups in several countries that have staged attacks on Italian diplomatic missions.
The Court of Cassation rejected an appeal by lawyers for Alfredo Cospito, who has been on a hunger strike since October to protest the prison regime reserved for terrorists and mafia bosses, according to LaPresse news agency and RAI state television. Cospito, 55, is serving a 10-year sentence for shooting in the leg an energy executive for a state-controlled company and 20 years for a series of dynamite attacks in Italy.
An appeals court in Turin last spring toughened his prison conditions to include solitary confinement except for one hour a day, and a strict limit on family visits. The regime is imposed on prisoners who are considered to pose a danger even from inside prison.
After a tribunal reaffirmed the decision in December, there were more than a dozen attacks on Italian diplomatic interests abroad that have been claimed by or linked to anarchist groups acting in solidarity with Cospito.
ITALIAN COURT ACQUITS MOST DEFENDANTS IN TRIAL OVER AVALANCHE THAT KILLED 29
On Thursday, anarchists unfurled a banner down the front of Italy’s Altar of the Nation reading "Italy tortures" and similar banners were unfurled outside the Court of Cassation, amid a heavy police presence, as judges considered their verdict during eight hours of consultation Friday.
No injuries have been reported in the attacks, which have included torching of cars and vandalism on diplomatic targets in Argentina, Bolivia, Germany, Greece, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. Those attacking the consulate in Spain wrote "freedom for Cospito" at the site.
The Interior Ministry has defended the use of the strict prison regime for Cospito, saying the attacks only reinforce the need for such measures.
In late January, Cospito was transferred from his prison in Sardinia to a facility in Milan that has a wing for specialized medical care, given the deterioration of his health from the hunger strike.
Drone strike in Syria kills 2 al-Qaida-linked operatives
A drone strike believed to have been carried out by the U.S.-led coalition in northwestern Syria on Friday killed two operatives with an al-Qaida-linked group, Syrian opposition activists said.
The two militants were killed while riding a motorcycle near the northern village of Qah, close to the Turkish border, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, and several other activist collectives.
There was no immediate comment from the U.S. military. The strike was the latest in a series of attacks over the past years targeting al-Qaida-linked militants in northwestern Syria.
The opposition’s Syrian Civil Defense, also known as White Helmets, said its members extinguished a fire caused by the drone strike, adding that two "unknown persons" were killed.
The Observatory said the two were members of Horas al-Din, which is Arabic for "Guardians of Religion." The group includes hardcore al-Qaida members who broke away from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the strongest insurgent group in Idlib province. Idlib is the last major rebel enclave in war-torn Syria.
The Observatory also said that one of the two killed men was an Iraqi citizen.
In June last year, a drone strike by the U.S.-led coalition in Idlib province killed Abu Hamzah al Yemeni. a senior member of Horas al-Din.
In 2017, a U.S. airstrike killed a former aide to Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida’s second in command in Syria, Abu al-Kheir al-Masri.
The former top U.S. envoy to the coalition battling the Islamic State group, Brett McGurk, said at the time when he was in the post that Idlib is the largest al-Qaida haven since bin Laden’s days in Afghanistan.
UN condemns Haitian gang violence spike
A powerful gang has taken over numerous communities in central Haiti in recent weeks, killing at least 69 people and forcing authorities to abandon several police stations, the United Nations said Friday.
An additional 83 people have been injured amid a surge in violence reported in the Artibonite Valley that officials blame on a local gang called "Baz Gran Grif," which roughly translates into "Big Claw."
The United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti known as BINUH said the gang has "established a climate of terror, characterized by looting, assassinations, kidnappings, destruction, extortion, hijacking of goods and trucks and acts of rape on young girls and women."
SUSPECTED HAITIAN GANG MEMBER TIED TO MURDERS OF 6 COPS ARRESTED
BINUH said it is "alarmed by the speed with which the gang has extended its activities to new areas, and by the fleeing of police in multiple communities."
The gang is accused of killing seven officers with Haiti’s National Police in a single day in late January as part of continuing attacks that have forced one hospital that serves some 700,000 people in the region to suspend all services a week ago. Schools also remain closed, while commercial activity and public transportation have slowed, the U.N. said.
Gang activity had been largely confined to Port-au-Prince, with gangs controlling an estimated 60% of the capital, but they have become increasingly powerful and violent elsewhere.
U.N. officials said that thousands of people in the central communities of Liancourt, Verrettes, Petite Rivière de l ’Artibonite and Estère have fled to other neighborhoods to escape the ongoing violence.
"This cycle of violence absolutely must be stopped," BINUH said. "We urge the authorities to do everything to protect the inhabitants of the region as well as their property."
The increase in violence in Haiti’s central region comes as Prime Minister Ariel Henry continues to plead for the deployment of foreign troops, a request first made in October. The international community has instead opted to impose sanctions and send military equipment and other resources.
Last month, U.N. officials reiterated that gang violence in Haiti has reached a level not seen in decades, and that gangs have grown more powerful since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
DOTCOM_STATE_COUNTRY_NEWS_NORTH_AMERICA (2)
Dutch Intelligence Says Russia Is ‘Mapping’ Its Critical Energy Infrastructure
Offshore windfarm in Denmark (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Politico: Russia ‘mapping’ critical energy infrastructure, say Dutch intelligence agencies
The report warns that “vital marine infrastructure” could be vulnerable to sabotage.
Russia is “covertly mapping” critical infrastructure in the North Sea, including gas pipelines and wind farms, in preparation for potential acts of sabotage, according to a report by Dutch intelligence agencies.
The joint report by the Dutch intelligence services AIVD and MIVD warns that “vital marine infrastructure” could be vulnerable to sabotage and that Russia is undertaking “activities that indicate espionage and acts to prepare for disruption and sabotage.”
Russia was “very interested in how they could sabotage the energy infrastructure” MIVD director Jan Swillens told a news conference on Monday, adding that a Russian ship had been detected at an offshore wind farm.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: This warning follows the expulsion of Russian diplomats .... Netherlands orders Russian diplomats to leave (Al Jazeera).
Dutch Intelligence Says Russia Is ‘Mapping’ Its Critical Energy Infrastructure
Dutch Intelligence: Russia May Be Preparing To Sabotage Energy Infrastructure -- OilPrice.com
Russia targets Netherlands' North Sea infrastructure, says Dutch intelligence agency -- Reuters
Belgian justice minister warns of sabotage following reports of Russian ‘spy ship’ in North Sea -- Politico
Russia - Ukraine War: Military Summary And Analysis For 2.24.2023 (Video)
WNU Editor: A lot of updates on the Russia - Ukraine war from the Military Summary channel. Alexander Mercouris gives his update on the war below.
Tweets On The Russia - Ukraine War
#UPDATE Here's the latest on the situation in #Ukraine, on the 1st anniversary of Russia's invasion
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 24, 2023
➡️ Zelensky says Kyiv will do everything to defeat Moscow this year
➡️ US, G7 partners ramp up sanctions on Russia
➡️ First Western tanks arrive in Ukrainehttps://t.co/YqYjQORuxh pic.twitter.com/8OBvUYvAJf
The US announced new sanctions to mark the anniversary of the war in Ukraine, targeting both Russian and "third-country actors" across Europe, Asia and the Middle East that have helped Moscow get around previous sanctions.
— DW News (@dwnews) February 24, 2023
Follow the latest updates 👇 https://t.co/oemwu6QHr2
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 24 February 2023
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) February 24, 2023
Find out more about Defence Intelligence: https://t.co/FlQbFgxAlv
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/3WHAZabLSA
NEW: The #Kremlin appears to be setting conditions for false flag operations on the #Chernihiv Oblast international border and in #Moldova ahead of the one-year anniversary of #Russia’s full-scale invasion of #Ukraine.
— ISW (@TheStudyofWar) February 24, 2023
Read our latest w/ @criticalthreats: https://t.co/cTkzz0qVTi pic.twitter.com/Mcij44wj6Q
'I am proud of you': Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy marks first anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion https://t.co/RwoUHHt7Xd pic.twitter.com/p5MjCxfNd3
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 24, 2023
🇵🇱🪖🇺🇦 The first video with "Leopard 2" tanks, 4 of which arrived to Ukraine from Poland pic.twitter.com/UmYfTARpOv
— AZ 🛰🌏🌍🌎 (@AZgeopolitics) February 24, 2023
A Russian T-72 tank, destroyed on March 31 last year in the battle for Kyiv, will spend the weekend in front of the Russian embassy in the center of Berlin as part of a protest pic.twitter.com/QdDeKOfdJi
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 24, 2023
Russia's invasion has destroyed Ukraine's economy, causing €130 billion in damages to infrastructure and forcing millions into poverty. And the costs extend to the rest of the world too.
— DW News (@dwnews) February 24, 2023
Here are 10 graphics showing the effects of the war in numbers: https://t.co/kDk9lg6JXe pic.twitter.com/JJOGOgPw2R
Landmarks around the world were lit blue and yellow in solidarity to mark one year since Russia invaded Ukraine. Some also used the anniversary for protests. pic.twitter.com/YtoF7SQSqc
— DW News (@dwnews) February 24, 2023
Tweets Of The Day
From the latest on the ongoing war in Ukraine to a monster storm that pounded the U.S. Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, these are the 5⃣ stories you need to know today pic.twitter.com/EwRLpEkNAY
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 24, 2023
A Chinese diplomat has met with the U.S. consul general in Hong Kong and warned him not to cross “red lines” to protest what China called his “inappropriate” interference in the territory’s affairs. https://t.co/mej6aW1wtT
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 24, 2023
Finance minsters from around the G20 met in India under the shadow of war. The conflict in Ukraine, which marked one year the same day, is likely to dominate the two-day gathering https://t.co/kuqEeNsFJ5 pic.twitter.com/ERyeZYkREk
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 24, 2023
First lady Jill Biden gave one of the clearest indications yet that President Joe Biden will run for a second term, in an exclusive @AP interview. https://t.co/hJcTNOdUgm
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 24, 2023
North Korea nuclear tests put masses at radioactive risk: rights group https://t.co/rZ5KJAiAEN
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 24, 2023
Russia launches empty ship to International Space Station to eventually bring home three astronauts whose return vehicle was damaged by a tiny meteoroidhttps://t.co/hd6VZggmhe pic.twitter.com/wNBh8YWBXI
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 24, 2023
Abdul and Mohammed Rabbani had spent more than two decades in detention without charges.
— DW News (@dwnews) February 24, 2023
The release means there are now 32 detainees still left in Guantanamo. https://t.co/VC10i9PzwZ
This is the third video I've seen in the last three months of a black high school student striking a white female teacher.
— Monitoring Bias (@monitoringbias) February 24, 2023
I know this is a tired formulation, but: Just imagine the lectures we'd be getting from the NYT op-ed page if the races were reversed in these videos. https://t.co/aidH7Lppi8
Reporter's Notebook: What Russia can and can't afford
There was hope the unprecedented and severe Western sanctions slapped on Russia after it invaded Ukraine would prompt Moscow to cave to pressure and change course. That hasn’t happened yet, and, on the surface and for now, Russia is getting by.
President Vladimir Putin may not have managed to adequately feed or arm his troops, but as we saw in his recent State of the Union address, he has grandiose plans for projects like roads, schools and housing all to be upgraded and expanded in 2023. Such promised largesse is apparently part of the master plan Putin has had since the beginning.
"The regime has tried to do everything — especially in the first few months of the war — so people in the big cities especially wouldn’t feel the country is at war," said Peter Mironenko, editor of one of Russia’s top independent economic news outlets The Bell, adding it is still a crime for Russian journalists to call it war.
"Prices did go higher last year in Russia, surely, but they got higher in Europe too," Mironenko added. He explained that most Russians are not particularly feeling the pinch. Despite expectations Russia’s economy would tank last year, growth was only down 3%, and the International Monetary Fund expects modest growth this year.
PUTIN ISSUES NUCLEAR WARNING AS RUSSIA'S ASSAULT ON UKRAINE HITS SECOND YEAR
Putin in his speech boasted minimum wages had gone up 20% in 2022 and would go up another 18% this year. Loans will be handed out like candy if his words are true.
For now, it seems, Russia can pay for its war, so far boosted by its oil revenues. Energy prices rose in 2022. Russia raked in over $200 billion for it last year. Through various schemes, however, a significant amount of petrol revenue is landing in the private sector. A mere detail, Mironenko says. He said the state is already shaking companies down for some of their profits to help with the bottom line. And those companies are in no position to decline.
But Russia’s budget deficit is growing in recent months — "whopping" was the word Mironenko used in our conversation. But its reserves remain large to the tune of at least $120 billion and public debt is low, he says.
But there are two sides to every kopek, and there are cracks in the edifice. Putin claims Russia’s relative economic success during trying circumstances is not down to printing money, but Mironenko says the treasury effectively is doing that while cleverly keeping it from flowing too quickly into the economy to further drive prices up.
The Russian president also made a big deal about record unemployment, which Mironenko points out is actually a problem when you consider it has a lot to do with the massive brain drain caused by the war. Conservatively, 500,000 to 700,000 Russians have left since February 2022. Some suggest it’s more like a million.
"The recent emigration was of highly educated and professional people, and it will create enormous problems for the labor market," Mironenko says. "It is very tight. There was also a loss of manpower due to mobilization. So, employers are having real trouble finding people."
Mironenko says that there are supply chain problems and cites massive delays recently in the issuing of biometric passports because there is just one factory in Russia that produces the chips they require. Before the war, Russia could outsource some of the production, but no more. Imported consumer goods, however, are still finding their way in.
Sanctions, it seems, will take a bit more time to have a real and visible impact on Russia.
"They didn’t destroy the Russian economy at once but have put it on a path of long and slow stagnation," Mironenko said. "We have this figure of minus 3% growth in 2022, but the GDP was expected to rise by 3%.
"So, we are actually talking about a difference of 6% and not minus 3. And if you have ten years of economic growth or decline like this when the world economy is rising by 3 or 4% a year, this would put Russia into a bad state. But it won’t be quick."
Putin
Germany, France and Britain Are Considering A Security Pact With Ukraine As A Way To Encourage Kyiv To Start Peace Talks With Russia
Breaking: The biggest NATO members in Europe are considering a security pact with Ukraine as a way to encourage Kyiv to start peace talks with Russia https://t.co/PALhN4mTED
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) February 24, 2023
Market Watch/WSJ: NATO would envelop Ukraine in defense pact under new plan pitched by big European members of Western alliance
Germany, France and Britain seeking to encourage Ukrainian peace talks with Russia on anniversary of Putin’s unprovoked invasion
BERLIN — Germany, France and Britain see stronger ties between NATO and Ukraine as a way to encourage Kyiv to start peace talks with Russia even if Moscow continues to occupy Ukrainian territory, officials from the three governments said.
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last week laid out a blueprint for an agreement to give Ukraine much broader access to advanced military equipment, weapons and ammunition to defend itself once the war ends.
He said the plan should be on the agenda for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s annual meeting in July.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Maybe later in the year this German/U.K./French proposal may get somewhere. But right now Moscow and Kyiv are focused on waging war, and engaging in peace talks is not on their priority list.
Here’s How Much Aid The U.S. Has Sent To Ukraine In Six Charts
Council on Foreign Relations: How Much Aid Has the U.S. Sent Ukraine? Here Are Six Charts.
Six graphics illustrate the extraordinary level of support the United States has provided Ukraine this past year in its war against Russian invaders.
Every year, the United States sends billions of dollars in aid—and much more than any other country—to beneficiaries around the world in pursuit of its security, economic, and humanitarian interests.
Heading into 2022, U.S. foreign assistance was driven by various priorities of the Biden administration, including combating climate change, responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, and countering authoritarianism. But since Russia’s invasion in February of that year, Ukraine has become far and away the top recipient of U.S. foreign aid. It’s the first time that a European country has held the top spot since the Harry S. Truman administration directed vast sums into rebuilding the continent through the Marshall Plan after World War II.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Here are the countries that have sent aid to Ukraine .... Countries That Have Sent the Most Aid to Ukraine (US News and World Review).
White House To Send Another $2B Aid Package To Ukraine
* The U.S. announced a new $2 billion military aid package for Ukraine, along with sanctions and tariff increases on Russia, on the first anniversary of Moscow’s invasion.
* The weapons package announced by the Department of Defense includes funding for contracts for HIMARS rockets, drones and counter-drone equipment, mine-clearing devices, 155-millimeter artillery ammunition and secure lines of communication.
* President Joe Biden met virtually with leaders of the G-7 and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday morning to mark the occasion, one year after the group first met to discuss aid.
* Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv on Monday ahead of his trip to Warsaw, Poland where he delivered a speech marking the anniversary.
WASHINGTON — The United States marked the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Friday by authorizing $2 billion in aid to Ukraine and ramping up sanctions and tariffs on Moscow in an effort to bolster Kyiv’s war effort.
President Joe Biden and leaders of the Group of Seven leading world economies also met virtually with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday and agreed to remain united in supporting Ukraine as Russia’s onslaught continues.
The countries have taken a leading role in sending military and financial aid to Ukraine and attempting to hamper Russia’s economy to limit the strength of its assault.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: The US Secretary of Defense is right .... US defense secretary tells CNN military aid to Ukraine will ‘change the dynamics’ of war with Russia (CNN). If it was not for US arms, the Russia - Ukraine war would have ended months ago.
But there could be a heavy cost to giving Ukraine this aid should the US finds itself engaged in a war .... U.S. could face weapons shortage as it supplies military aid to Ukraine, war game shows (CBS).
White House To Send Another $2B Aid Package To Ukraine
US commits $2 billion in drones, ammunition, aid to Ukraine -- AP
US Readies New $2 Billion Aid Package for Ukraine -- Bloomberg
US vows to send more drones, aid to Ukraine on war’s anniversary -- Defense News
10 killed in riots in Indonesia’s restive Papua province
Ten people were killed and more than 20 others wounded in a riot in Indonesia’s Papua province, police said on Friday.
The riots began Thursday afternoon in Wamena town in the Jayawijaya district of Papua, the country's easternmost province, amid reports of a child kidnapping.
Local police who had responded to a report about the kidnapping — which police later said was a hoax — were attacked with rocks and arrows. Officers fired warning shots, hoping the people would disperse, Papua police spokesperson Ignatius Benny Ady Prabowo said in a written statement Friday.
"The masses, who were increasingly anarchic, did not want to listen to the appeals from the officers. They did not want to disperse when they were given warning shots and even attacked the officers with arrows," Prabowo said.
Two civilians died after allegedly being hit by arrows and sharp weapons. At least 20 people were wounded in the riots, including 18 police and military officers.
Rioters also burned shophouses and other buildings, set up roadblocks and attacked vehicles.
Prabowo said the situation was now "recovering and under control."
Security officers were in the area and leaders pledged to investigate the incident.
Tensions in the restive region have spiked in the past year, with dozens of rebels, security forces and civilians killed in clashes.
A pilot from New Zealand was taken hostage by separatist rebels in Papua in early February. The Indonesian military said in a statement that community leaders and religious leaders, along with the regional government, were working to secure the pilot's release.
Last July, gunmen believed to be separatist rebels killed 10 traders who came from other Indonesian islands and an indigenous Papuan. Rebel spokesperson Sebby Sambom accused the victims of being spies for the government.
TikTok claims EU didn't notify them of continent-wide employee ban
TikTok accused the European Commission on Friday of failing to consult it over a decision to ban the Chinese short video sharing app from staff phones on cybersecurity grounds, a move subsequently followed by another top EU body.
The app, which is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, is facing growing scrutiny from Western authorities over concerns that China's government could use it to harvest people's data. Beijing has regularly denied having any such intentions.
The EU executive and the EU Council, which brings together representatives of the member states to set policy priorities, said on Thursday staff will also be required to remove TikTok from personal mobile devices that have access to corporate services.
EUROPEAN UNION EXECUTIVES TEMPORARILY BAN TIKTOK FROM EMPLOYEE'S PHONES AS A CYBERSECURITY MEASURE
TikTok, which has in the past said that data on its service can not be accessed by Beijing, said it had not been told or contacted by either institution ahead of their decisions.
"So we are really operating under a cloud. And the lack of transparency and the lack of due process. Quite frankly one would expect, you know, some sort of engagement on this matter," Caroline Greer, TikTok's director of public policy and government relations, told Reuters.
She said she could not respond to the bodies' cybersecurity concerns because they had not spelled them out.
The European Commission pointed to EU industry chief Thierry Breton's comments at a news conference on Thursday where he said the EU executive does not have to give reasons for decisions taken to ensure its proper functions.
"To suspend the use of TikTok is a purely internal decision for cybersecurity reasons to protect the Council General Secretariat's (GSC) data and staff. As the GSC has no contractual relationship with TikTok, there is no obligation to consult or inform them," an EU official said.
NORWEGIAN JUSTICE MINISTER APOLOGIZES FOR USING TIKTOK ON WORK PHONE
Greer said TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, who met Breton and other commissioners in Brussels in January, was "concerned and a little puzzled".
"He has always been very available, you know, responding to the Commission ... We have reached out for a meeting in whatever shape or form they would like that to happen."
Other EU institutions should do their own research before making decisions on the app, Greer said.
TikTok is banned on U.S. Senate employees' government-owned devices and also in India. The European Parliament has not taken such a step.
michael_bennet_tiktok
G7 Imposes More Sanctions On Russia
Reuters: U.S. Targets Russia With Sanctions, Tariffs on War Anniversary
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States marked the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Friday with new sanctions, export controls and tariffs against Russia and its allies aimed at undermining Moscow's ability to wage war.
Washington also said it would provide another $2 billion in weaponry for Kyiv as it prepares for a spring offensive. The aid did not include F-16 fighter jets that Ukraine has requested.
President Joe Biden consulted leaders of the G7 bloc of wealthy nations and Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy to discuss more aid.
The United States joined with G7 allies with plans to impose sanctions that will target 200 individuals and entities and a dozen Russian financial institutions.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Countries and middlemen are making a fortune by evading/ignoring Russian sanctions to sell their resources to nations that need it. They are not going to stop, and these sanctions are not going to impact the bottom line of the Russian economy.
The only way these sanctions can work ifs if you blockade Russian ports and seize ships that are carrying Russian resources. But such actions will not only mean a direct war against Russia, but also a breakdown in relations with countries that are dependent on Russian resources (China and India to name a few).
G7 Imposes More Sanctions On Russia
US announces sweeping new Russia sanctions 1 year into war -- AP
New US sanctions for Russia on war anniversary -- BBC
G7 members meet virtually as Biden unveils sweeping new US sanctions on Russia -- USA Today
US Targets Bank With UAE Ties in New Phase of Russia Sanctions -- Bloomberg
M23 rebels gain more ground in Congo
A rebel group linked with neighboring Rwanda seized more territory Friday, threatening supply routes to the regional capital, as fighting intensified in conflict-ridden east Congo, local residents and aid workers said.
As M23 rebels captured the village of Mushaki in North Kivu province after more than two days of fighting with government forces and militias, civilians — including refugees from other areas — fled.
Fighting in eastern Congo has been simmering for decades as more than 120 groups fight for power, land and valuable mineral resources — while others try to defend their communities. But it spiked in late 2021 when M23, which was largely dormant for nearly a decade, resurfaced and started capturing territory.
CONGO REPORTS 32 CIVILIANS KILLED BY REBELS, MILITIAS
M23 rose to prominence 10 years ago when its fighters seized Goma, eastern Congo’s largest city on the border with Rwanda. It derives its name from a March 23, 2009, peace deal, which it accuses the Congo government of not implementing.
The capture of Mushaki threatens to cut off transport into the regional capital Goma, an analyst said.
"The main supply routes into Goma look increasingly tenuous and capturing towns on major roads will bring in more tax revenue for M23 helping further offensives," said Benjamin Hunter, Africa analyst for Verisk Maplecroft a risk assessment firm.
For months Congo has accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 group and powerful voices in the West back that assertion — which Rwanda denies. Earlier this month regional heads of state urged an immediate cease-fire by all parties and sought more troops for a regional force sent to eastern Congo last year.
But external pressure is yielding little as fighting intensifies and expands with both sides blaming the other.
Congo's army is respecting the ceasefire and only responds to attacks when the Rwandan army and M23 try to infiltrate its positions, said Lt. Col. Guillaume Ndjike, spokesman for the army in the east.
M23 political spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka said the rebels are defending themselves against the government and a coalition of armed groups who use attack helicopters and heavy artillery to "bomb indiscriminately heavily populated areas under M23 control."
Meanwhile civilians are bearing the brunt of the fighting. Some 5.5 million people are internally displaced in eastern Congo, according to the United Nations, many of whom have been uprooted multiple times.
"I had just fled to Karuba, now I’ve run away again. We are under fire here," Pierre Nsabimana, a Mushaki resident told the Associated Press by phone after fleeing the village.
Aid groups say villagers can't be used as bargaining chips.
"The civilian population is this region (is) exhausted economically and traumatized emotionally. They deserve peace," said Caitlin Brady, director for Congo at the Norwegian Refugee Council.
Africa-News
Russian President Putin And Ousted Afghan President Gave US President Biden The Highest-Value Gifts In 2021
President Joe Biden holds a gift he received from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as they meet in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022, in Washington. Patrick Semansky/AP
Huffington Post: Putin And Ousted Afghan President Gave Biden The Highest-Value Gifts In 2021
Gifts from Russian President Vladimir Putin and the deposed leader of Afghanistan were among the most notable received by President Joe Biden from foreign leaders in 2021, records from the State Department’s protocol office show.
Documents detailing the gifts were released Thursday, coming at a time when the two leaders’ ties with Biden are in a much different place than when the gifts were given.
Read more ....
Update: Putin gave Biden a $12,000 writing set in 2021. It was among the unusual presents world leaders offered the US president that year (Business Insider).
WNU Editor: Being US President means getting a lot of gifts. Here is the list of gifts that President Biden received in 2021 .... Office of the Chief of Protocol; Gifts to Federal Employees From Foreign Government Sources Reported to Employing Agencies in Calendar Year 2021 (Federal Register).
Barbara Requa, visionary of Jamaican dance, passes on
‘[H]er pioneering work in dance education in Jamaica is unparalleled’
Originally published on Global Voices
Screenshots of Barbara Requa's piece ‘Treadmill’ being performed by dancer Arlene Richards, taken from the National Dance Theatre Company's YouTube video ‘TREADMILL’ (1985) choreographed by Barbara Requa and ‘ONE TIME’ (1986) choreographed by Sheila Barnett.
Pioneering Jamaican dancer, choreographer, educator and cultural icon Barbara Requa passed away on February 22, at the age of 90. As a founding member of the National Dance Theatre Company (NDTC), which celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2022, Requa helped lay the groundwork for post-Independence dance theatre on the island. She was also a founding member (and later, Dean) of the School of Dance, which has since become part of the Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts, and of Dance and the Child International.
Jamaican-born dancer Lisa Wilson, who now lectures at the University of Cape Town, posted a heartfelt tribute on Facebook, where she recalled Requa's lofty principles, wit, “genuine heart,” and “calming presence”:
If you asked me who I admired in dance in Jamaica, easily Barbara Requa's name would be mentioned. Mi spirit jus tek to di lady. She was a beautiful dancer back in the day and her pioneering work in dance education in Jamaica is unparalleled. Her life was totally dedicated to giving dance space and place in the education system and in people's lives. I truly admired her passion for dance. In many of our conversations she would get teary speaking about dance and its value to us as a people. She had achieved so much yet, she was still so humble. She seemed to embody the dance administrator-educator-performer-mentor-mother-grandmother-wife roles seamlessly. I truly admired her ability to juggle all those identities and to juggle them well. In my eyes she was all woman.
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia “Babsy” Grange tweeted her condolences:
Heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the late Barbara Requa, especially to the @NDTCJAMAICA family.
This educator/dancer/choreographer was an inspiration to a generation of Jamaican creatives and many others from across the Anglophone Caribbean. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/IetfgJqa13
— Hon.Olivia Grange (@Babsy_grange) February 23, 2023
Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts shared:
We pause to pay tribute to Dancer Extraordinaire, Visionary and co-founder of the School of Dance, Barbara Requa. She served the College in a number of roles; Dean for the Performing Arts School and Acting Principal. pic.twitter.com/bL5dNRHdwp
— Edna Manley College (@EMCJamaica) February 23, 2023
Requa grew up on the Appleton Estate in St. Elizabeth, where her father, Henry Grant, was a manager. Dancing was her dream, but she also studied music at high school and beyond, for eight years, with the piano as her instrument of choice. Throughout her life, she was a lover of jazz and classical music.
Requa’s creative career took shape during her years studying at St. Andrew's High School for Girls in Kingston. At 17, she fulfilled her dream and joined the dance school of the legendary Ivy Baxter, who developed the “barefoot” style of dancing in the 1950s. An early member of this group was Rex Nettleford who, along with Eddy Thomas, co-founded the NDTC in 1962, the year Jamaica gained its Independence from Britain. Requa was therefore in inspirational company from the start of her dancing career.
In 1955, she continued her education in dance composition at the Dartford College of Physical Education, as well as the Laban Technique at Goldsmith's College in London, UK. On returning to Jamaica, she was invited by her alma mater, St. Andrew's, to teach physical education and dance. She also taught at The Mico University College, a teacher training college. Known for her graceful style and remarkable energy in dancing, she joined Nettleford in performing in the National Pantomime's 1959, 1960 and 1961 productions. In 1963, her role in Nettleford's “Woman in Dialogue for Three” was highly acclaimed. Many other memorable performance followed. Between 1982 and 1995, she choreographed five major works for the company, one of which (“Treadmill,”) was remounted by the NDTC in 2022:
NDTC 60 OPENS FRIDAY, JULY 22 AT THE LITTLE THEATRE: Don't miss the special remount of Barbara Requa's ‘Treadmill’ (1985) during this season's presentation to be danced by principal dancer Kerry-Ann Henry with Mark Phinn, Marlon D. Simms and Patrick Earle. pic.twitter.com/GMFxkzNEoN
— NDTC of Jamaica (@NDTCJAMAICA) July 8, 2022
On its website, the company added:
To the NDTC, Mrs. Requa brought technical versatility and a sound knowledge of movements as well as performing style. Her strength is rooted in a deep understanding of the dancer’s instrument and the possible range of movement in space, due in part to her Laban studies.
Requa had a lifelong passion for education. The dance classes that she started for children at her home eventually evolved into the Jamaica School of Dance, which began operating in 1970 at Kingston's Little Theatre. It was a partnership among Requa and two fellow dance pioneers, Bert Rose and Sheila Barnett. The dance school would later become one of four departments at the Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts. Requa also traveled extensively, teaching at various international workshops and seminars.
After more than 30 years at Edna Manley College, Requa retired as Dean in 2004. However, she continued to teach and mentor young people, firmly believing that dance should be integrated into Jamaica's school curriculum at both primary and secondary levels. She also continued to work with the College's alumni fund, which she founded in 1998. On her retirement, she received the Order of Distinction, a national honour, as well as a Centenary Medal and a Silver Musgrave Medal from the Institute of Jamaica for her contribution to the arts. In 2019, she was recognised by the Rex Nettleford Foundation for her work, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Edna Manley College in 2022.
Last year, podcaster Tenement Yaad Media celebrated Requa's career for Caribbean Women's History Month:
The Yaad celebrates March as #CaribbeanWomenHistoryMonth & to kick off our month long celebration, we highlight one of the region's widely acclaimed dancers, Barbara Requa, one of the founders of @NDTCJAMAICA
See below for highlights of her life
Artwork by @natashashaneek pic.twitter.com/YatwKESAyg
— Tenement Yaad Media (@tenementyaad_) March 2, 2022
In many ways, Barbara Requa was the last of a formidable group of creatives, who together shaped Jamaica's dance landscape, from Independence onwards. Their legacy is a powerful one; the institutions Requa and her peers co-founded have maintained their strong reputation over decades, both at home and abroad, spawning several active dance groups that still exist and perform regularly. Moreover, as a cultural expression, dance continues to enjoy a resurgence in popularity, with numerous reggae, dancehall and street dance competitions, including the annual government-sponsored Performing Arts Competition, taking place across the island.
Written by Emma Lewis
9 Charts On The Russia-Ukraine War
Gallup: 9 Charts on the Russia-Ukraine War
As the Russia-Ukraine war crosses the one-year mark, we are taking stock of public opinion across Ukraine, the U.S. and Russia. While the war has continued to spiral between offensives and counteroffensives, overall, the conflict has reached a stalemate. But how has public sentiment played into the key dimensions of this conflict?
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Here are some charts on Russia .... One Year of Russia’s War on Ukraine, in Graphs (Moscow Times).
U.S. And The EU Dismiss China's Peace Initiative To End The Ukraine War
Bloomberg: China Cease-Fire Proposal for Ukraine Falls Flat With US, Allies
China called for a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine in a position paper on ending the war that offered some reprieve to Moscow but was quickly dismissed by Kyiv’s allies as the conflict enters its second year.
Several of the 12 points outlined by China in the document issued Friday would, if carried out, offer clear benefits to Russian President Vladimir Putin. That includes a cease-fire, which would freeze Russian troops in place on Ukrainian territory, as well as a call to immediately end all sanctions not endorsed by the UN Security Council, where Russia holds veto power.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, speaking on CNN, brushed off the Chinese proposal, saying it should have ended after the first bullet point, which calls for “respecting the sovereignty of all countries.”
Read more ....
Update: U.S. and E.U. Balk at China’s ‘Peace Proposal’ for War in Ukraine (Time)
WNU Editor: Chinese media is covering this story extensively .... China urges Russia-Ukraine ceasefire, offers path to peace in position paper, shows sincerity in global governance (Global Times).
As expected by this blog. Ukraine has rejected China's ceasefire proposal .... Chinese call for Ukraine ceasefire rebuffed by Kyiv (Reuters), but are still open for talks .... Zelenskyy gives qualified support for China proposals on war (AP). Russia has welcomed the Chinese initiative .... Russia welcomes China peace plan, says it is open to talks (Reuters).
As to what is my take on this Chinese effort.
I expected more from this Chinese 12-point peace document. To begin. This Chinese document is not a peace plan/road map to peace/or proposal to end the Russia - Ukraine war. It is a document/position paper that states 12 essential principles that China believes should be followed to resolve this conflict.
Unfortunately, I know some of these principles will be rejected by the West. From the ending of the 'Cold War mentality' (i.e. the ending of blocs like NATO), the ending of sanctions not approved by the UN (i.e. the ending of sanctions on Russia), and stopping the shipment of weapons by other countries to one side (i.e. the West arms shipments to Ukraine).
But even with this difference in opinions, I do not believe the West should treat this Chinese initiative as DOA. It is a document that is intended to begin the discussion to end the war, and China is more than willing to use its clout to be the middleman to facilitate this process.
A prediction.
The West will formally reject China's initiative in the coming days. Ukraine will enter into talks with China in the hope that these discussions will delay the expected Russian counter-offensive, but in the end will walk away from the table saying it cannot accept the conditions to end the war. The rest of the world will see the Chinese proposals/principles as reasonable, that in the end will only accelerate the further splitting of the West from the rest of the world.
Madeleine McCann disappearance: Polish police reportedly dispute woman's claims she is missing British girl
Police in Wroclaw, Poland, are reportedly disputing a young woman's claims that she may be missing Madeleine McCann, a British girl who disappeared from a family vacation in Portugal in 2007.
The Polish woman, Julia Faustyna, who also goes by Julia Wendlet, has been claiming on Instagram and TikTok that she may be the missing toddler due to similarities in their appearance and age. She has amassed tens of thousands of followers as a result.
But Paweł Noga from the Provincial Police Headquarters in Wrocław told the Polish news outlet Gazeta that they have "ruled out" Faustyna's version of events to be "true," according to an English translation of the outlet's report.
Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, along with their three children — Madeleine and twins Sean and Amelie — were on vacation in Praia da Luz, Portugal, when Madeline was taken from her bed on May 3, 2007. The family was staying in a ground-floor apartment.
Faustyna's account began posting photos two weeks ago. The Polish woman says she has a spot in her right eye and a beauty mark on her cheek that resemble McCann's. She also claims that details of her childhood don't add up, leading her to believe that she was abducted as a toddler.
"I don’t remember most of my childhood but my earliest memory is very strong and It’s about holidays in hot place where was beach and White or very light [colored] buildings with [apartments]," Faustyna said in an Instagram post from her account, "@iammadeleinemccann."
MADELEINE MCCANN ABDUCTION SUSPECT CLAIMS TO HAVE ALIBI: REPORT
Her accounts on Instagram and TikTok quickly went viral. She said in an update last week that Kate and Gerry McCann had agreed to a DNA test, which a family attorney did not confirm to Fox News Digital.
"Due to an active police investigation, Gerry and Kate are not issuing any statements or giving interviews unless requested by The Metropolitan Police," a spokesperson for the Official Find Madeleine Campaign said in a statement.
Social media users, who were at first curious about Faustyna's claims, are now wary about the viral account. Faustyna shot back at her critics in a statement posted to Instagram Thursday.
BRITISH GIRL MADELEINE MCCANN STILL MISSING AFTER 15 YEARS
"If you don't like me, please unfollow[.] I don't want fans or followers[.] I closed my Facebook account and Tik Tok [sic] so people can't make fun of me ok?" she wrote. "LEAVE ME ALONE."
A Polish blog for missing persons posted a purported statement from "Julia W's" family to Facebook.
"For us as a family it is obvious that Julia is our daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, cousin and step niece. We have memories, we have pictures," a translated version of the statement reads. "Julia also has these photos, because she took them from the family home with the birth certificate, as well as numerous hospital discharges."
MADELEINE MCCANN: PORTUGUESE PROSECUTORS IDENTIFY SUSPECT IN PROBE OF MISSING GIRL
The statement adds that Faustyna has had "numerous therapies, medicines, psychologists and psychiatrists," but she "moved out of the house" and "refuses treatment."
"[Julia] once wanted to be a singer, a model. She always wanted to be popular. What's happening now she got 1 million followers. We're afraid Julia will carry the inevitable. The internet won't forget, and it's obvious that Julia isn't Maddie. We are devastated at this current situation. At the same time, we would like to announce that we will not do interviews, publish any photos, comment on articles. Please direct any questions or concerns to the Spokesperson of the Provincial Police Command in Wrocław," the statement continues.
The Metropolitan Police of London told Fox News Digital that they have no new comment on the investigation.
"We continue to support colleagues in Germany with their investigation," the Met Police said.
In 2020, German police named convicted child abuser and drug dealer Christian Brueckner, 45, as a suspect in the 3-year-old's disappearance, though Brueckner, a German citizen, continues to deny involvement in the case.
Brueckner is currently serving time in a German prison for drug crimes. He also has a pending seven-year sentence connected to the 2005 rape of a 72-year-old American woman in Praia da Luz.
McCann's family is accepting donations for the search for Madaeliene through their website, findmadeleine.com.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Faustyna
Red flags: China, North Korea flex military capabilities as fears over new conflicts continue to rise in Asia
The Philippines and Taiwan sounded alarm bells after detecting dozens of suspected Chinese vessels and aircraft across the South China Sea on Friday.
"To undermine the Taiwanese public’s faith in the ability of the armed forces to protect the island’s sovereignty, China’s near-daily aerial and naval incursions will probably increase in number and intensity over the course of the coming year," Craig Singleton, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.
The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense issued a statement saying that it had detected 37 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and six PLA Navy vessels around Taiwan at around 6 a.m.
An update noted that 12 of the aircraft had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone.
US SENDING UP TO 200 MORE TROOPS TO TAIWAN AS CHINA TENSIONS GROW
The island responded by dispatching aircraft and naval vessels to monitor the Chinese crafts.
Around the same time, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) issued a statement claiming that a patrol aircraft had spotted at least 26 suspected Chinese "maritime militia vessels" during a flyover of the South China Sea.
The vessels were spotted within the Philippine exclusive economic zone, which the Philippines has exclusive rights to the sea resources, Radio Free Asia reported.
The plane "received inaudible radio challenges, both in English and Chinese from CCG-5304 [a Chinese vessel] currently continuing to maintain presence in the area," the PCG said in a statement.
PENTAGON SAYS MAJORITY OF DOWNED CHINESE SPY CRAFT FOUND
Reporters aboard the flight said they heard warnings that the plane was "entering the vicinity of Chinese territory" and was requested the leave the area.
"These latest exercises are broadly consistent with the 'new normal' China established in the region after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's travel to Taiwan last August, in which China now regularly conducts military maneuvers much closer to Taiwan’s shores," Singleton explained.
"All told, China doubled its annual incursions into Taiwan’s air defense zone from 538 in 2021 to 1,241 in 2022," he continued. "Likewise, China intensified its cyber-attacks against Taiwanese governmental and financial institutions, as well as launched disinformation campaigns aimed at subverting Taiwan’s political process."
"Xi’s problem in all this—which he may not yet realize—is that China’s aggressive attempts at sub-crisis maneuvering could have the unintended effect of catalyzing the very superpower crisis he seeks to avoid," Singleton concluded. "Gaming out gray zone escalation suggests such provocations could lead the United States and its allies to embrace more forceful counter-responses in the future."
11-YEAR-OLD CAMBODIAN GIRL DIES FROM BIRD FLU IN COUNTRY'S FIRST KNOWN HUMAN INFECTION SINCE 2014
China’s military activity in the region follows reports that North Korea test-fired long-range cruise missiles off its eastern coast on Thursday. Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency said the four missiles flew for nearly three hours after being launched from the northeastern coast, drew oval and figure-eight patterns above the sea, and showed they can hit targets 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) away.
The launches, initially reported by Pyongyang and later confirmed by South Korea’s military, were intended to verify the reliability of the missiles and the rapid response capabilities of the weapons. South Korea’s joint chiefs of staffs said the details described by North Korea "had discrepancies," but did not elaborate.
The launches came as the U.S. and South Korean defense officials held a Deterrence Strategy Committee Table-Top Exercise (DSC TTX) at the Pentagon. A day before that, North Korea launched a Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, with Kim Jong Un's sister saying that they were "using the Pacific" as their "firing range."
"Given the DPRK’s recent aggressive nuclear policy and advancements in nuclear capabilities, the TTX scenario focused on the possibility of the DPRK’s use of nuclear weapons," the Pentagon said Thursday.
Tensions in the region have increased after the U.S. held joint training exercises with Britain and Australia to strengthen air defenses against Chinese aircraft.
The joint exercise, dubbed Red Flag, lasted for three weeks, giving pilots the chance to practice combat against peer and near-peer technology. The exercises included F-22s, F-35s, B-52s, F-16s and C-130s based out of Nellis Air Force Base.
"[China is] just the pacing challenge that we train to so that we're ready ... We think that if we're ready for China, we're ready for anybody," U.S. Air Force Colonel Jared Hutchinson told Reuters.
Anders Hagstrom and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
78666b23-CHINA-RUSSIA-JOINT NAVAL EXERCISE (CN)
Russia Fully Reopens Crimea Bridge After Being Heavily Damaged In An Attack Last Year
Close view of the traffic and the repair work on the Crimea Bridge over the Kerch Strait, in Kerch, Crimea October 12, 2022. (Reuters)
Moscow Times/AFP: Russia Fully Reopens Crimea Bridge to Cars on Eve of Anniversary
Moscow on Thursday announced the full reopening to road traffic of the controversial Crimea Bridge, which has been closed and under repair since it was badly damaged in an explosion in October.
The announcement came on the eve of the first anniversary of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, with both Moscow and Kyiv keen to control the narrative and project images of victory.
Moscow has always blamed Kyiv for the attack on the bridge, which links the Moscow-annexed Crimean peninsula to mainland Russia and is known to be a prestige project for Russian President Vladimir Putin personally. Kyiv has always denied its involvement in the attack, however.
"All lanes of the Crimean bridge are fully open to car traffic 39 days ahead of schedule," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said, according to his press service.
Read more ....
Update #1: Crimean Bridge repairs completed after terrorist attack – official (RT)
Update #2: Russia 'fully Opens' Crimea Bridge '39 Days Ahead Of Schedule' On Eve Of War Anniversary (Republic World)
WNU Editor: Russia used the attack on the Crimea Bridge to justify its attacks on Ukraine's electrical grid. Attacks that are continuing .... The Impact of Russian Missile Strikes on Ukraine’s Power Grid (New Yorker).
Father of girl who died from bird flu also contracts the virus, health officials say risk of spreading is low
The father of an 11-year-old girl in Cambodia who died this week after contracting bird flu has tested positive for the virus but has not displayed any major symptoms, health authorities said Friday.
The death came amid heightened concerns over a wave of bird flu that has spread through much of the world since late 2021, posing a potential public health risk.
The girl, from a village in the southeastern province of Prey Veng, died Wednesday at a hospital in the capital, Phnom Penh, shortly after tests confirmed she had Type A H5N1 bird flu, according to Cambodia’s Health Ministry. She had fallen ill on Feb. 16, and when her condition declined she was sent to the hospital with a fever as high as 102 degrees Fahrenheit with coughing and throat pain.
Bird flu, also known as avian influenza, normally spreads between sick poultry but can sometimes spread from poultry to humans. The recent detection of infections in a variety of mammals, including at a large mink farm in Spain, has raised concern among experts that the virus could evolve to spread more easily between people, and potentially trigger a pandemic.
11-YEAR-OLD CAMBODIAN GIRL DIES FROM BIRD FLU IN COUNTRY'S FIRST KNOWN HUMAN INFECTION SINCE 2014
Health Ministry spokesperson Ly Sovann told The Associated Press that the Cambodian father’s case is under investigation, and it was not yet known how he was infected. He has been put in isolation at a local district hospital for monitoring and treatment.
A ministry team collected samples from 12 people from the dead girl's village known to have had direct contact with her, and laboratory tests confirmed Friday that only her father was infected.
Health professionals have expressed concern about a wave of bird flu that has spread worldwide in the past year and a half, but consider the current risk to humans to be low.
"There is always a risk of human infection, particularly in people in close contact with poultry or wild birds, and this risk increases during times where circulation of avian influenza is particularly high, as it is now," Jonathan Ball, professor of molecular virology at England’s University of Nottingham, said in an emailed statement.
BIRD FLU KILLS SEA LIONS AND THOUSANDS OF PELICANS IN PERU'S PROTECTED AREAS
"Thankfully, human infections are still rare, and the likelihood of onward human to human transmission very low. But this virus keeps cropping up in various mammals and this could potentially increase the possibility of further human infections. The risk to humans is still very low, but it’s important that we continue to monitor circulation of flu in both bird and mammal populations and do everything we can to reduce the number of infections seen," Ball added.
According to the World Health Organization, there were 56 bird flu cases in humans in Cambodia from 2003 until 2014, and 37 of them were fatal. Globally, about 870 human infections and 457 deaths have been reported to the WHO in 21 countries, for an overall case fatality rate of 53%. But the pace has slowed, and there have been about 170 infections and 50 deaths in the last seven years. In the vast majority of cases, the infected people got it directly from infected birds.
"Between 2005 and 2020, 246 million poultry died or were culled because of avian influenza," says the World Organization for Animal Health.
"Since October 2021, an unprecedented number of outbreaks has been reported in several regions of the world, reaching new geographical areas and causing devastating impacts on animal health and welfare," the Paris-based agency says on its website.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agrees that the current H5N1 outbreak is mostly an animal health issue.
"However, people should avoid direct and close contact with sick or dead wild birds, poultry, and wild animals," it warns on its website. "People should not consume uncooked or undercooked poultry or poultry products, including raw eggs. Consuming properly cooked poultry, poultry products, and eggs is safe."
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Nigerian police arrest lawmaker accused of carrying $500K in cash the day before elections
Police in Nigeria arrested a lawmaker who allegedly was carrying nearly $500,000 in cash in a battleground state a day before the country's presidential and parliamentary elections, raising fresh concerns Friday about the influence of money in the vote.
Chinyere Igwe, a member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, was found traveling with the money inside a bag in his car around 2 a.m. along with a distribution list, Rivers state police spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko said.
It is illegal to move undeclared cash of more than $10,000 in Nigeria. Authorities were interrogating the lawmaker Friday, Iringe-Koko said.
Authorities in Kano state, meanwhile, announced the arrests of more than 60 "suspected thugs with dangerous weapons" after supporters of political parties clashed Thursday. Local media reported one person was burned to death in the violence.
Nigerian voters are heading to the polls Saturday to select a new president following the second and final term of incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari. They also are electing a new national legislature.
Three front-runners have emerged from a field of 18 presidential candidates, including the ruling party’s Bola Tinubu and the main opposition party's Atiku Abubakar. Most polls have favored Peter Obi, a third-party hopeful.
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM SUMMIT BRINGS TOGETHER POLITICIANS FROM BOTH SIDES OF AISLE FOR GLOBAL EVENT
The election comes amid a currency shortage in Africa's most populous nation, raising concerns about whether it will affect voter turnout. Authorities announced the switch to a new naira note in November, but the change has led to shortfalls of bank notes nationwide.
At the same time, there have been doubts about the ability of Nigerian authorities to curb the influence of money in the country's elections.
Observer groups have documented political parties making payments ranging from $1.09 to $10.90 to people willing to vote for their candidates, a tactic used amid high unemployment and poverty rates in the country.
"Vote buying remains a major threat to our democracy," Mahmood Yakubu, the head of Nigeria’s election commission, told reporters Thursday.
The use of mobile phones is prohibited at Nigeria’s voting stations, Yakubu said. Authorities introduced the ban to counter voters photographing ballots as evidence in exchange for cash from political parties.
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Yale professor suggesting ‘mass suicide’ of elderly 'inappropriate' but understandable: Japanese commentator
A Yale professor’s recently surfaced suggestion that Japan’s elderly commit mass suicide was "inappropriate" but understandable given the social burdens the country's aging population has caused, a Japanese political commentator told Fox News.
"Our frustration piles up and the frustration is real," Yoko Ishii, a YouTuber, told Fox News. "So, I can actually understand if one uses this extreme way of expression, even though it is inappropriate."
WATCH MORE FOX NEWS DIGITAL ORIGINALS HERE
Dr. Yusuke Narita, a Japanese economics professor at Yale University, recently suggested the mass suicide of Japan's elderly as a solution to burdens stemming from an aging population, such as the need for pension reform and, according to younger generations, fresh faces in government.
"I feel like the only solution is pretty clear," Narita said during an online news program in 2021, according to The New York Times. "In the end, isn't it mass suicide and mass 'seppuku' of the elderly?"
"Seppuku" is a Japanese term referring to a samurai's ritualistic suicide, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.
TOKYO TO GIVE 5,000 YEN IN MONTHLY BENEFITS PER CHILD
Ishii said she's witnessed younger Japanese express financial resentment toward older generations.
"This is the common understanding of Japanese people about our society, that it's obvious that our population is declining, and the older people are getting even older," she told Fox News. "So, that means that our burdens as a society [are] getting bigger."
"But then young people can't afford to support them," Ishii added.
Japan has the second-highest proportion of people aged 65 or over in the world, according to the United Nations. And the country’s worker pool — which supports a federal pension program — is shrinking amid a plunging birth rate.
"There is criticism that older people are receiving too much pension money and the young people are supporting all the old people, even those who are wealthy," Shun Otokita, a member of Japan’s upper house of parliament, recently said according to The New York Times.
In addition, much of Japan’s younger generation feels that their interests are not adequately represented in government — despite low voter turnout among the demographic — Ishii said.
"Young people don't go vote," she told Fox News. "Our voting rate is usually within the range of 30% to 50%."
"The politicians or candidates don't have to listen to young people," Ishii continued. "In order to get votes, they just need to listen to the elderly people."
Just 34% of 18 and 19-year-olds voted in Japan’s parliamentary election last July, Bloomberg reported.
To hear more of Ishii's reaction to Narita's mass suicide remarks, click here.
World's Oldest Woman Turns 115
Dutch parliamentary inquiry releases damning report into government's handling of natural gas extraction
A Dutch parliamentary inquiry released a damning report Friday into the government's handling of lucrative natural gas extraction that caused a string of earthquakes in the northern province of Groningen, saying that authorities put profits before people.
"The interests of the people of Groningen have been structurally ignored in natural gas extraction in Groningen, with disastrous consequences for the people of Groningen," the commission said in a statement.
The conclusions in the nearly 2,000-page report are the latest damaging blow to the credibility of Dutch governments that have been led for more than a decade by Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
He declined Friday to react to the report's findings, but acknowledged that the conclusions were "hard and painful" and underscore why people in Groningen "are angry and sad and that people feel unsafe and abandoned."
Two years ago, Rutte's last ruling coalition resigned over a parliamentary inquiry's report into a scandal over efforts to stamp out child welfare payment fraud that wrongly labeled thousands of parents as fraudsters.
NETHERLANDS REPORTEDLY SET TO FORCIBLY CLOSE 3,000 FARMS TO COMPLY WITH EU MANDATE
Hans Vijlbrief, the government's minister in charge of mines, said Friday was a day for the people of Groningen and not for political consequences.
"I, myself, feel shame about what has happened here and that means we have to do something about it," he told reporters.
Gas was extracted in Groningen for decades by a consortium including energy giants Shell and ExxonMobil before the Dutch government, spurred into action by the quakes that were shaking homes in the region, took a decision in 2018 to gradually stop pumping gas out of the ground.
The Dutch state earned 363 billion euros from Groningen gas, the report said. Extraction from the Groningen field — one of the world's largest at 2,800 billion cubic meters — has now all but stopped, with only enough pumped to keep gas installations in the region operational. The field is not expected to re-open even amid the energy worries prompted by Russia's yearlong war in Ukraine.
Thousands of households are still waiting for their homes to be strengthened after years of shaking damaged buildings. Thousands more are awaiting compensation.
An organization that represents many of them, Groninger Bodem Beweging, said the inquiry report could be summed up with the words: "Too little, too late," and called for action from the government.
WORLD CUP 2022: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NETHERLANDS
The commission said the government and energy companies used what they called "security of supply" as a "smoke screen."
It made a string of recommendations, including that the government make the processing of claims for damage easier, ensure enough money is available for compensation and strengthen the role of the country's mining regulator.
Marjan van Loon, president director of Shell Netherlands, said the report was right to focus on the plight of people in Groningen.
"Groningen residents bore a large part of the burden of gas production and saw only a small part of the benefits," she said in a written statement.
"As a company, we have important lessons to learn here. Looking to the future, we believe that things can and must be improved. We are therefore engaged in discussions with the government to find a way to make this happen," she added.
ExxonMobil did not immediately react.
NAM, the Dutch gas drilling company that includes Shell and ExxonMobil, acknowledged in a written statement that it had "played an important role in this crisis."
The company's director, Johan Atema, said "it is clear that we must pay more attention to the society in which we work. It is up to us to show that we, as a company, from learned from this."
AP23055503366489
Latin America walks a fine line between East and West amidst Ukrainian conflict and China-U.S. tensions
How long will it be able to maintain this difficult balance?
Originally published on Global Voices
Illustration by Erick Retana
This article was written by Leonardo Oliva, a member of the CONNECTAS editorial board, and republished in Global Voices under a media partnership.
When U.S. Air Force jets shot down three “unidentified flying objects” in February, the term UFO trended on Twitter before being swept up by the Super Bowl. These strange UFOs fueled conspiracy and supernatural theories about aliens coming to conquer Earth. However, as White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had to clarify, “there is no indication of alien or extraterrestrial activity” in the detected objects.
These mysterious episodes came after the U.S. shot down the 60-meter Chinese balloon on Feb. 4 after flying at 18,000 meters over much of the U.S. territory. The event sparked Washington's anger with Beijing, accused of using these balloons as part of an espionage program. In response, China claimed that the United States has violated its airspace with balloons more than ten times in a year, fueling a diplomatic escalation that has generated the biggest crisis between the two powers in the last decade.
The Sino-U.S. escalation comes as Feb. 24 marks the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which put Eastern Europe at war and the world on the brink of catastrophe.
While bombs continue to explode in the Ukrainian region of Donbass, and amidst the prospect of a “Cold War” between the United States, China, and Russia, Latin America is watching these armed, diplomatic, and commercial confrontations from afar. This distance from which Latin American countries view the conflict led to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba's recent call for them to abandon their “neutrality.”
“We call on all the leaders of the Latin American and Caribbean region to put aside this so-called neutrality and get on the right side of history,” he said from the Ukrainian capital in a videoconference with journalists from the region.
Latin American leaders’ stance
This distant, or rather ambiguous, position was evident in the meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Feb. 11 in Washington. There, far from agreeing to join the U.S. president's leadership in uniting the world community against the Russian invasion, the newly elected Brazilian president offered himself as the leader of a “peace club” that would include countries such as India and China to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Two weeks earlier, Lula had rejected a request from German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz, who was on an official visit to Brazil, to send ammunition to Ukraine. He said he did not want to “provoke the Russians” and added that “Russia has made a crass mistake by invading the territory of another country. But I believe that when one doesn't want to [discuss], neither of us can [talk].”
Lula's non-interventionism coincides with the position of most Latin American countries since Russia attacked Ukraine a year ago. Apart from Nicaragua, Cuba, and Venezuela, and to a lesser extent Bolivia, which have condoned the invasion, the rest of the governments have preferred to remain as aloof as possible. They have not joined in the trade sanctions against Moscow nor sent arms to the Ukrainian forces. “It's a bit along the same lines as in Africa,” analyzes Ignacio Hutin, an Argentine journalist and expert on Eastern Europe, who has covered some of the fighting in Ukraine.
Latin America needs investments and it does not matter if they come from Russia, China, the United States, the European Union or whoever. You cannot have a fight with anyone.
For his part, international analyst Vanni Pettinà agrees that there is a “certain coldness” in Latin America regarding the war in Ukraine. And he explains it in a historical aspect: that of seeing Russia as a counterweight to the North American hegemony. Pettinà, who is a researcher at the Center for Historical Studies at the College of Mexico, affirms:
This anti-imperialism is automatically activated in the presence of a U.S. intervention, but not when another power violates international law.
Until Russia decided to invade Ukrainian territory, Vladimir Putin's government maintained some presence in Latin America, which some see as relevant and others minimize. The former Chilean ambassador to Moscow, Pablo Cabrera, says: “I have never considered Russia to have a very incisive influence beyond the sale of military supplies to some countries. It had perhaps a greater influence during the Cold War, but after its exit from Cuba and its relative involvement in Venezuela, it lost it.” Hutin, on the other hand, does value the Russian presence in the region, although he admits that at the diplomatic level, it lost influence after the invasion of Ukraine. He adds:
But in commercial terms, I would say that Latin America continues to have a good relationship with Russia. The case of fertilizers that Moscow sells to Brazil is quite famous, and it will not stop selling it to Brazil.
Adapting to a shifting geopolitical reality
It seems that Latin America maintains this difficult political balance to avoid alienating any power. But after a year of a war that seemed short-lived and now is threatening to spread in time (and space?), the world turns its eyes to the mysterious Chinese balloons that, reportedly, also flew over other countries such as Colombia.
Can Latin American governments continue to look through binoculars at these conflicts between powers without being drawn into one position or the other, as they have done in the face of bombs in Eastern Europe? “It is in everyone's interest that the decade-long competition between the United States and China does not escalate, as has happened at least since the Trump presidency, into a path of increasingly open hostility,” Pettinà responds.
A return to a global segmentation into blocs that reduce the space for autonomy and force countries to align themselves with one option or another is a scenario that has historically not favored Latin America.
Former Ambassador Cabrera believes that in the face of the Russian invasion, Latin America exhibited “ideological divisions that do not correspond to a humanitarian catastrophe such as this one.” And that “in accordance with its tradition, it should have had a common position in the face of war, of adherence to international peace and security.” Cabrera bets that in 2023 the region will adopt this attitude in the face of the possible extension of a conflict whose end, however, he does not see so far away.
For the time being, as Hutin anticipates, “there will probably be a major military escalation by Russian troops in the coming weeks,” just on the first anniversary of an attack that only the United States and the European Union immediately and unequivocally condemned. For its part, China initially adopted a distant position, which today is increasingly close to Moscow, while sending spy balloons (that are of meteorological nature, according to Beijing) to fly over U.S. skies, carrying out threatening military exercises in Taiwan and waging a trade war with the United States with no winner in sight.
There are, as the scholar Enrique Gomáriz Moraga wrote, the signs of a global transformation toward a bipolar world. One where a new Eurasian center of power, based on authoritarianism, seeks to displace the old one, centered on the Atlantic alliance and Western-style democracy. In this context, Latin American governments must decide whether to continue to walk the tightrope of ambiguity, with the danger of being swept away by the winds of a new cold war.
Written by Connectas Translated by Melissa Vida · View original post [es]
Russian UN Ambassador Says Russia-EU Relations ‘No Longer Exist’
RT: Russia-EU relations ‘no longer exist’ – Moscow
The bloc chose economic ruin to be a vassal of the US, Moscow’s envoy to the UN has said
Relations between the European Union and Russia are practically nonexistent, consumed by the abyss of EU subservience to the US, the Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia told the Security Council on Thursday.
Moscow had said in June 2022 that the “bottom had fallen out” when it came to relations with Brussels, Nebenzia said in his speech at the UN.
“It turns out there was an entire abyss below still, that swallowed up not only our relations – which are basically nonexistent now – but also the EU itself,” he said.
“A year after completely severing ties with our country, the GDP growth of the EU has stuck near zero. At the same time, record inflation rates are measured by double-digit indicators. Rejoicing that it jumped off the ‘Russian gas needle,’ the EU got hooked on ‘hard drugs’ – expensive American liquefied natural gas,” the Russian diplomat added.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Saying relations "no longer exist" is an understatement. The only thing left is the closing of embassies, and if that happens, history tells us that the next step will be war.
Kremlin Doubles Down On Claims That Ukraine Is Preparing To Attack Transnistria
Meduza: Russia doubles down on claims that Kyiv is preparing to attack Transnistria
Less than 24 hours after claiming Ukraine is preparing to carry out a false-flag attack in Transnistria, Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Thursday evening that it had detected a “significant build-up” of Ukrainian troops and military vehicles near the “Ukrainian-Transnistrian border.”
The operation that Moscow accused Ukraine of planning “poses a direct threat to the Russian peacekeeping force” in Transnistria, the Russian agency reported, vowing that Russia’s military will “respond appropriately” to the attack.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Russia has just issued a warning that any attack against its forces in Transnistria will be seen as an attack by the West on Russia .... Moscow warns of any action against its Moldova peacekeepers (Reuters). More here .... Russia warns US, NATO, and Ukraine over Transnistria (RT).
Update: The above video is an update and analysis from the Military Summary channel on the Transnistria/Moldova crisis.
Kremlin Doubles Down On Claims That Ukraine Is Preparing To Attack Transnistria
Russian Defense Ministry: Ukraine Has Intensified Preparations for Invasion of Transnistria -- Sputnik
Kiev steps up preparations for Transnistria invasion — Russian defense ministry -- TASS
Russia accuses Ukraine of 'staging' justification to invade Moldova -- Euronews
Senior Russian official threatens Polish borders as Moscow mounts aggression against other European nations
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Friday issued a direct threat against NATO after he called on Moscow to push Western defenses outside of Ukraine and across "the borders of Poland."
Medvedev, the current deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, made several radical claims against the U.S., its NATO allies and Ukraine in a Telegram post marking the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
He repeated false talking points issued by Russian President Vladimir Putin alleging that Russian troops are fighting against neo-Nazism in Ukraine and suggested any attempts to restart peace talks will fail because of the West’s determination to weaken Moscow and "bleed" it dry.
RUSSIA'S WAR IN UKRAINE HITS ONE-YEAR MARK AS PUTIN DIGS IN, ZELENSKYY PUSHES VICTORY. WHAT’S NEXT?
His comments Friday coincided with Poland’s first delivery of over a dozen German-made Leopard II tanks to Ukraine, Polish Minister of National Defense Mariusz Blaszczak announced at the start a National Security Council meeting, according to Ukrinform.
President Biden met with leaders from the Bucharest 9 (B9) in Poland earlier this week to reaffirm the U.S.’s commitment to European security and to the alliance that flanks the eastern front.
Biden reminded Putin earlier this week of the principles of NATO’s Article 5 charter, which says that an attack against one NATO country will prompt a response from all 30-member nations – a warfront that Russia is unlikely to be able to handle.
"I've said it to you many times, I'll say it again [so its] absolutely clear," Biden said during a summit in Warsaw. "Article 5 is a sacred commitment the United States has made. We will defend literally every inch of NATO. Every inch."
Russian expert and former Defense Intelligence Agency intel officer for Russian Doctrine & Strategy Rebekah Koffler dismissed Medvedev’s comments as "absurd" and "propaganda."
"Russia will never attack a NATO country, because it would trigger Article 5 collective defense, allowing the U.S. and NATO to obliterate Russia," she said. "Putin is not suicidal."
RUSSIAN INVASION: WHAT IS NATO'S ARTICLE 5?
The U.K. defense ministry on Friday assessed that Russia’s strategy in Ukraine has once again changed after failing to make any significant gains since Kyiv began ousting Russian forces in September.
"The Russian leadership is likely pursuing a long-term operation where they bank that Russia’s advantages in population and resources will eventually exhaust Ukraine," the ministry said. Adding that Russia plans to "degrade" the Ukrainian military, rather than being focused on seizing substantial new territory."
But it’s not only Ukraine that Moscow has set its sights on.
Russia has renewed threats made against Moldova, a former Soviet state west of Ukraine and where a contingent of Russian sympathizers remain in an area known as Transnistria.
The Moldovan government on Thursday dismissed claims issued by Russia’s defense ministry that suggested Ukraine planned to invade the Russian separatist region.
The allegations came just one month after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv had thwarted Russian plans to overthrow Moldova, which its government later confirmed.
European nations have called on the U.S. to send more troops to be permanently stationed in Baltic States like Poland as another deterrent against Russian aggression. But as Koffler pointed out, threats issued against Moldova are not met with the same level of deterrence as those issued against NATO allies.
"Moldova is a different story, being a former Soviet republic, which is not part of NATO," Koffler said. "Moldova is on Putin’s target list. However, it is unlikely that Putin will go after Moldova at this time, as his military is stretched thin now."
'Defender Of The Fatherland Day' Observed In Moscow
Russian President Putin Announces The Deployment Of Sarmat Nuclear Missiles This Year
The Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile is launched during a test at Plesetsk cosmodrome in Russia's Arkhangelsk region on April 20, 2022 [File: Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via Reuters]
Reuters: Putin says Russia to deploy Sarmat nuclear missiles
MOSCOW (Reuters) -President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia would pay increased attention to boosting its nuclear forces by deploying a much delayed new intercontinental ballistic missile, rolling out hypersonic missiles and adding new nuclear submarines.
A year since ordering the invasion of Ukraine, Putin has signalled he is ready to rip up the architecture of nuclear arms control - including the big powers' moratorium on nuclear testing - unless the West backs off in Ukraine.
Putin on Tuesday sought to underscore Russian resolve in Ukraine by suspending a landmark nuclear arms control treaty, announcing new strategic systems had been put on combat duty and warning that Moscow could resume nuclear tests.
Read more ....
Russian President Putin Announces The Deployment Of Sarmat Nuclear Missiles
Putin says Russia will continue developing nuclear capabilities -- DPA
Putin says Russia to deploy Sarmat nuclear missiles this year -- Al Jazeera
Putin Says Sarmat Nuclear Missile to Be Deployed This Year -- Defense Post
Vladimir Putin vows to strengthen Russia's nuclear forces to guarantee its sovereignty -- ABC News Australia
Putin's 'Sarmat' Nuclear Missiles Compared to U.S. 'Minuteman' Rockets -- DNYUZ/Newsweek
Will Russia Launch Their New Offensive From Moldova Or Belarus?
A Ukrainian serviceman of the 17th Independent Tanks Brigade drives a T-64 tank, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, near the frontline town of Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine February 23. REUTERS/Marko Djurica
DNYUZ/New York Times: Ukraine prepares itself for the possibility of Russian aggression via Moldova and Belarus.
KYIV, Ukraine — As Ukrainian forces battle Russian attacks along the 600-mile front line and warn of an imminent large-scale missile bombardment, Kyiv is also casting an anxious eye on Russian threats via Belarus and Moldova that officials say pose minimal immediate risks but cannot be ignored.
While military analysts have expressed doubt about Russia’s ability to open and sustain a new front in the war, Ukrainian and Western officials have warned that Moscow could try and divert Ukrainian resources through feints and deceptions, which could come from anywhere.
This week, Ukraine deployed more troops to its border with Moldova, and the Ukrainian military has in recent months increased military drills near its border with Belarus and in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: Russia has troops and equipment in Belarus, but there is not enough there to launch an offensive on Ukraine from there. Even more so against Moldova.
Update: A part of me is hoping and praying that Russia will not launch this major counter-operation that many have been predicting for the past month, and there are signs that it may not happen.
Here are some of my observations:
1) China has initiated a peace process. And while the US, NATO, and some EU states have rejected this effort, Kyiv has only publicly refused the provision of an immediate ceasefire but still wants to have talks with China. If this happens, Moscow will not order the start of this counter-operation until the Chinese have completed their efforts. That may take weeks, if not months.
2) Russia has not ordered another mobilization. The military experts that I trust tell me that it would not make sense to launch a large-scale military operation if you do not have reserves in place to fall-back on if the offensive fails. But there is one big mobilization that is going to occur in the next two months. Every year young Russian males must serve in the military and that period of conscription occurs later in the spring. This may become the "second mobilization" of soldiers who will free up those who are currently providing the support structure of the Russian military and who may be deployed to Ukraine. Needless to say that the men who were conscripted last spring will not be permitted to go home until this war is over.
3) Does Russia have enough weapons and ammo to maintain a major offensive? I know Russian industry is now in full war-time production mode. But it takes time to build-up your stockpiles and equipment. According to some Russian military bloggers that I follow, they believe it will only be in the summer time that Russia will have the firepower to launch such an offensive.
4) Western intelligence has yet to see any mass movement of Russian forces to the front lines. It takes time to forward deploy a massive army, and unless the Russian army is very good at concealing their movements from Western spy satellites and communications interceptions (which I doubt), this offensive may be delayed.
Russian tank destroyed in Ukraine is put on display outside Russian embassy in Germany
One of the many Russian tanks that have been destroyed in the war in Ukraine has now been put on display by activists outside Russia’s embassy in Berlin.
The turret of the rusty T-72 B1, which was taken out of service by an anti-tank mine near Kyiv on March 31, 2022, according to Reuters, is now pointed in the direction of the diplomatic post.
"The broken tank signifies downfall. Ukraine is going to be Putin's Stalingrad," Wieland Giebel, an organizer of the demonstration, was quoted as saying.
Giebel told Reuters that the tank was brought to Germany with assistance from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry and the Ukrainian National Museum of Military History.
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: UKRAINE WAR ONE YEAR ON, HUMAN TRAGEDIES AND TRIUMPHS
The tank is set to remain outside the embassy until Monday before touring through Europe, the news agency adds.
CHINA RELEASES 12-POINT PEACE PLAN FOR RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Friday marks the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s military said Friday that 3,363 Russian tanks have been destroyed so far in the bloody conflict.
The number could not be independently verified.
Russia tank Berlin
Picture Of The Day
The Eiffel Tower is lit up in the national blue-and-yellow colours of Ukraine, to mark the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Paris, France, February 23, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier
WNU Editor: The above picture came from this photo-gallery .... Top photos of the day (Reuters).
Russian invasion: What is NATO's Article 5?
President Biden on Wednesday met with leaders of NATO nations dubbed the Bucharest 9 (B9) – which flank the eastern front and stand as the first line of defense against Russia – to reaffirm the alliance's commitment to Article 5 and the protections it grants all member nations.
Article 5 of NATO’s Washington Treaty, known as "the principle of collective defense," obliges all member countries to come to the aid of another member whose sovereignty or territorial integrity is under threat.
NATO defines this core principle as "very heart of NATO’s founding treaty."
"Collective defense means that an attack against one Ally is considered as an attack against all Allies," the NATO charter outlines. "It remains a unique and enduring principle that binds its members together."
WHAT VICTORY FOR UKRAINE LOOKS LIKE BEYOND BORDER SECURITY: CHIEF DEFENSE ADVISER
The war in Ukraine has dragged on for nearly a year, far outstripping what Russian President Vladimir Putin thought of Ukraine's defenses or NATO's ability to remain a united front.
However, it has also increased concerns regarding what the threat of a prolonged war means for European security and whether the conflict could spill over into NATO territory.
"As NATO's eastern flank, you're on the front lines of our collective defense," Biden said to B9 leaders. "And you know better than anyone what's at stake in this conflict, not just for Ukraine, but for the freedom of democracies throughout Europe and around the world.
"I've said it to you many times, I'll say it again [so its] absolutely clear. Article 5 is a sacred commitment the United States has made. We will defend literally every inch of NATO. Every inch," he added.
However, Ukraine is not a NATO member country.
While Ukraine has contributed to NATO operations and missions in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, this is not enough to warrant the full protection of all NATO nations.
While NATO has pledged to back Ukraine with defensive aid to win the war against Russia, it has stopped short of sending in boots on the ground – a stipulation only afforded to the 30-member nations.
Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv had applied to become a member of NATO in September, which would serve as a deterrent against future Russian aggression.
Though the NATO charter stipulates that no nation can be fully considered or accepted as a member while it is engaged in conflict.
Putin has claimed that he was prompted to launch his "special military operation" into Ukraine over the threat that Kyiv and NATO posed in expanding the alliance – an excuse Western officials have flatly rejected.
RUSSIA DECRIES UKRAINE'S CALLS FOR NATO-LIKE SECURITY COALITION AS 'PROLOGUE' TO WWIII
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has said it is Ukraine's right to seek membership and has refused Russian attempts to blackball Kyiv from being able to join the alliance.
Biden on Wednesday was not alone is his steadfast commitment not only to NATO, but to Ukraine during the Wednesday meeting.
Romania President Klaus Iohannis, who helped establish the B9 in 2015 in wake of Russia's aggression in Eastern Europe following the 2014 invasion of Ukraine and subsequent illegal annexation of Crimea, echoed Biden's commitments.
"We…the leaders of the eastern flank have the duty to stand firm in defense of our peace. We must continue to stand firm in delivering on our commitments to support Ukraine for as long as it needs to win this war," he said. "This is what Romania will continue to do.
"We are not alone in this endeavor," he added.
The meeting of the NATO leaders came not only as the war nears the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but followed the pronouncement by Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, when he said the U.S. is concerned that Moscow is now turning to China for lethal aid.
Security officials are greatly concerned by the threat China's participation in the war would bring as it would not only change the dynamic on the battlefield in Ukraine but would force European nations to cut economic ties and further strain relations between China and the West.
This geopolitical divide between democracies and autocracies would create its own challenges, particularly as it relates to security concerns over Taiwan.
China has denied it is considering aiding Russia in its war effort, though Moscow received Beijing's top diplomat Tuesday for discussions on the war.
"We must break the cycle of Russian aggression," Stoltenberg warned. "We don't know when the war will end, but when it does, we need to ensure that history does not repeat itself.
"We have seen the Russian pattern of aggression over many years: Georgia in 2008, Crimea and Donbas in 2014, and then the full-fledged invasion of Ukraine last year," he added. "We cannot allow Russia to continue to chip away at European security.
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