RT News - December 29th 2022

In Cambodia a hotel blaze has left at least 10 dead and 30 injured.

Shelling of Donetsk continued yesterday with 16 rockets landing on residential/civilian only areas of Donetsk city; officials say the latest Ukrainian artillery attacks have killed one person and wounded two others. RT talks to a local woman who was lucky to survive.

A monument of Catherine the Great in Odessa is being taken down (1)

The National Endowment for Democracy (Oxymoron) is setting about a project to highlight Russia's colonialism (QS: NED also pays for Bellingcat and other "worthwhile projects". In fact I think as long as you are prepared to go all out at the risk of looking completely silly, anyone could apply for for NED funding?)

Sergei Lavrov was in an interview with Russia's TV Channel One; extract.

A Ukrainian politician gets caught red-handed with a fake news story, as she posts an old photo of an Irish boy, claiming he's a child victim of the Ukraine conflict. It's not the first time.

The Telegraph publish a photograph attached to an article which contained the Nazi skull and bones symbol (SS Waffen). After the vote by all NATO member states in the United Nations General Assembly (and their allies) against the resolution "Combating Glorification of Nazism, Refugees, Displaced Persons, Protecting Children from Sexual Exploitation" on 16th December 2022, and, as far as I know, nobody has spoken up about this officially (or is even looking) where does that leave the average citizen? Remember these votes are cast on instruction from the country's ambassadors, by their .govs (one of dozens of my tweets which has got not comment or reaction https://twitter.com/DontDenyThe/status/1605979457986052096 makes me wonder why I bother sometimes)

Africa: South Sudan is to send troops to help in DR Congo. The problem with M23 rebels continues. Report.

South Africa experiences a record number of power outages this year, with a total of 200 hundred days of electricity cuts. What can be done?

Nigeria. 14 people have been killed by a drunk driver as he crashed into a crowd at an annual festival.

In the Philippines, 29 are killed and many missing after flash floods after heavy rainfall.

A huge pile-up in dense fog happened in Zhenzhou region of China. One person is reported killed with 7 others injured.

Serbia/Kosovo tensions. The Serbian President says Belgrade is committed to peace in the region whilst ironically Kosovo now blames Russia for the matter.

Israel. The new "government" is to be sworn in today. RT's Maria Finoshina talks to Russia's FM to Israel Anatoly Viktorov about the future's prospects. He said history shows Russia is willing to work well with any Israeli .gov

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(1, part report) The monument of Catherine the Great in Odessa.

Odessa decided to scrap the statue of Catherine the Great in November, by presidential request. The monument to the 18th century Russian empress, which also honors some of her top statesmen, was first erected in Odessa in 1900. The Bolshevik government removed it in 1920, but in 2007 the city brought it back – using the original figures of Catherine’s associates and recasting the empress’ effigy – as a reminder of the role that the ruler played in its history. She is credited with founding Odessa, though some in Ukraine have called that a “myth” because an older settlement predated the city.

Nationalist forces in Ukraine have long called for the statue’s removal, denouncing it as a symbol of Russian oppression. President Vladimir Zelensky formally urged getting rid of it in July, after an "online petition" to replace it with a statute to American porn actor Billy Herrington passed a legal threshold for consideration. The monument was targeted by vandals on several occasions this year.

Odessa Mayor Gennady Trukhanov expressed support for the plan and claimed it was backed by the public. Only about 8,000 people out of nearly a million residents participated in the opinion poll he cited.
(QS - will try to find out more) https://www.rt.com/russia/569061-odessa-monument-demolition-catherine/
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29 Dec, 2022 00:03

2) --- Germans told to prepare for nuclear emergencies

The head of the country’s radiation protection office says the Ukraine conflict could cause a wide range of catastrophes

Residents in Germany must make preparations for nuclear emergencies, the President of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Inge Paulini, warned on Wednesday.

In an interview with Funke media group newspapers, Paulini pointed out that “radiation does not stop at the borders,” and claimed that the ongoing military conflict between Moscow and Kiev has “made it clear to the general public that we have to be and remain prepared for a wide variety of nuclear emergencies.”

Russia has repeatedly insisted that it does not intend to use atomic weapons in Ukraine and has referred to its nuclear doctrine which only allows the use of such munitions in a retaliatory fashion or in the case the country is faced with an existential threat from conventional warfare.

Paulini also criticized Germany’s neighbors who have not phased out nuclear energy from their power grid. “On the contrary, many of our neighboring countries are planning new power plants,” she said, warning of the risks of accidents at these facilities, which could affect all of Europe.

Germany in recent years has launched an initiative to wean itself off of nuclear energy, with the country’s Green Party pointing to the potentially catastrophic risks associated with producing it. The nation only has three operational nuclear power plants remaining after MPs voted in November to extend their operations until April 2023 in light of the ongoing energy crisis in Europe.

Meanwhile, vice president of the Bundestag and FDP member Wolfgang Kubicki has blasted the government’s refusal to revise its overall approach to nuclear power plants and has warned of a potential default unless something is done to address the energy crisis.

“We don't want gas and oil supplies from Russia any more, at the same time our ‘green’ friends are restarting coal-fired power plants, while preventing a reasonable extension of the life of nuclear power plants,” Kubicki said earlier this week.
https://www.rt.com/news/569076-germany-prepare-nuclear-emergencies/
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28 Dec, 2022 16:22

3) --- Putin promises improved business environment

The government will support high-tech industries and investments, the Russian president has said

Moscow will continue to promote the development of modern, high-tech companies and create comfortable conditions for investors to work in the country, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.

The statement was made during the launch of the Pskov Titan-Polymer Plant, which is expected to strengthen Russia’s industrial sovereignty and contribute to import substitution of polymer products used in the pharmaceutical industry and food packaging, among other areas.

Putin, who was participating in the event via video link, talked about plans to form an industrial cluster of enterprises in Pskov Region that will use Titan-Polymer products as raw materials. This will help create new jobs and strengthen the economy and social sphere of the region, he said.

“I hope that next year we will have … even more launches of such high-tech industries [in Russia],” the president stated.

A recent study by McKinsey’s former Russian division, consulting company Yakov & Partners, shows that the business climate in Russia has been improving despite a series of sweeping Western sanctions. Half of the largest Russian companies have reported an improvement in business conditions in the country and three-quarters expect the situation to continue to improve in 2023. This may indicate a recovery in sentiment in the Russian economy, according to the authors of the study.
https://www.rt.com/business/569068-putin-promises-improved-business-environment/
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29 Dec, 2022 10:07

4) --- Kiev braces for blackouts amid reported missile barrage

Air attacks have been observed throughout the country, some successfully striking energy sites, Ukrainian officials have said

Ukrainian officials and media reported a Russian missile barrage on Thursday, with explosions said to be heard throughout the country. The capital of Kiev faces new blackouts, its mayor has warned, while other cities reported experiencing power disruptions.

An air alert was issued early in the morning across all of Ukraine. Blast sounds, which some officials attributed to Ukrainian air defenses engaging Russian missiles, were reported in several large cities, including Kiev, Odessa, Kharkov and Dnepropetrovsk.

The mayor of the city of Kharkov, Igor Terekhov, reported that some of the missiles had hit targets in his city, without identifying them. The head of Kharkov Region, Oleg Sinegubov, said there were four rocket hits and that critical infrastructure was targeted.

Odessa Region Governor Maxim Marchenko reported that a strike on energy infrastructure caused a partial blackout in the province. Debris of an intercepted Russian missile fell on a residential building, he claimed.

Vitaly Klitschko, the mayor of the Ukrainian capital, warned residents about possible power cuts and urged them to stockpile water and charge their devices. Lviv Mayor Andrey Sadovoy, reported that 90% of his city was without power, forcing the suspension of trams and trolleys.

The Russian military did not immediately confirm firing a barrage of missiles on Thursday. Mikhail Podoliak, an advisor to the office of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, claimed in a tweet that Moscow had fired over 120 missiles.

Ukraine has been experiencing power shortages since October, when Russia began targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure. The shift in military tactics came after a truck bomb exploded on Russia’s iconic Crimean Bridge, killing three civilians, including the rigged vehicle’s driver. Russian investigators said that Ukrainian military intelligence had masterminded the attack.

President Vladimir Putin subsequently stated that this was one of several Ukrainian “terrorist attacks” against critical Russian infrastructure that cannot be left without a response. The Russian military claims to select targets based on their value to Ukraine’s military capabilities, and that the damage inflicted has significantly decreased Kiev’s ability to deliver weapons and troops to the front.

Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko assessed last week that it would take six months to “stabilize” the country’s energy system, provided that Russia stops causing damage to it.
https://www.rt.com/russia/569100-ukraine-missile-barrage-blackout/
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