RT News - February 3rd 2023 Late

Zaporozhye car bomb/terrorist attack. A police officer has died in the explosion this morning in the city of Energodar. No group has yet taken responsibility.
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Donetsk republic authorities say Russian troops have nearly encircled the Ukrainian-held town of Ugledar, as intense fighting in the area continue. Eight civilian only regions were shelled by Ukraine forces yesterday, leaving one person dead. Report from Roman Kosarev.
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Israel PM Netanyahu says the Palestine issue should not interfere with the normalisation of relations with other Arab states. He went on to say there are other things to talk about with Palestine apart from "security issues" and he rejects the notion of Palestinian "full sovereignty". (QS: good luck with that then Mr. N ) Musab Ibrahim talks about what's needed for peace to thrive. Israel is intending to double Palestinian taxation. Human Rights Watch class this as collective punishment and says this is war crime. Mustafa Al-Barghouti reports. (QS: I hadn't realised until now, that Israel collects the taxes of Palestine... I will try to find out more.)
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Germany has closed down RT DE - the German language programme and news outlet for Germany. It will continue to work and broadcast from Moscow. (QS : I can't say what I feel on this page) Nikki and Sonja Van Den Ende discuss (QS what can only be called desperate censorship.)
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India: Russia has backed India's bid to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Currently China, France, Russia, UK and USA are the only permanent members of UNSC which was founded in 1945. (more info https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/current-members) Dr. Swati Rao, foreign affairs expert, gives context and benefits of being a permanent member.
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U.S. Sec of State Blinken cancelled his trip to China because a Chinese weather balloon entered U.S. air space (QS: it has no engine or method of steering - bearing in mind the $$billions spent of tracking satellites the worrying thing is that it took until the balloon (where ever it's from) to get over Montana for it to be spotted, if it was from China, several thousands of miles away)
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Africa: Burkina Faso and Mali join forces to counter the ongoing threat of terrorism, amid frustration at French force's failure to tackle militant insurgencies in the region. "creating a new federation should be undertaken now". RT talks to citizens who have come under constant terror and threat over the past years. Ouezen Louis Oulon, a local correspondent talks of recent horrors and some history. (Please also catch up on previous posts on this channel or better still on the RT website where there is much more detail www.rt.com if your country hasn't censored RT and other Russian media )
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Leaked documents claim a British intelligence project spied on Palestinian refugees, using a group, previously alleged to have provided funds to Al-Qaeda. Asa Winstanley, who broke the report, talks about the findings. (QS: hope to give links to this report tomorrow)

Show more

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Below via RT website A) --- ‘Terrorist attack’ kills one in Russia – official
B) --- EU nation slams US ambassador over ‘interference’
1) --- US should get ‘filthy hands’ off Türkiye – minister
1a) --- Key NATO member state accuses allies of ‘psychological warfare’
1b) --- NATO member condemns Sweden’s response to Koran burning
2) --- John Bolton shares stance on talks with Russia in prank call (includes links to call)
3) --- Ukraine announces new ‘Attack Guard’
4) --- Trump calls for restraint in arming Ukraine
5) --- Calls of ‘treason’ as Serbian parliament debates Kosovo
6) --- China responds to spy balloon claims
7) --- Lavrov identifies root of US-Russia tensions
8) --- Kiev’s ombudsman calls for more curbs on Russian language
9) --- Sanctions on Russian oil not working – analysts
--
Extra - Iconic fashion designer dead
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3 Feb, 2023 07:00

A) --- ‘Terrorist attack’ kills one in Russia – official

A car bomb detonated in the frontline city of Energodar

A powerful car bomb has exploded in the city of Energodar in Russia’s frontline Zaporozhye Region, a senior local official reported.

According to Vladimir Rogov, the blast occurred in the morning, killing at least one person. He described the incident as a terrorist attack.

The local police force identified the victim as one of its officers in a preliminary report, TASS news agency said.

The explosion struck a residential area and was powerful enough to shatter glass as high as at the ninth floor in nearby apartment complexes, and to obliterate a car parked nearby, the official said.

Rogov posted footage purportedly shot at the scene, in which a firefighter can be seen dousing flames at the site of a car wreckage.
-- https://t.me/vrogov/7452

Zaporozhye Region, formerly a part of Ukraine, joined Russia last year after people living there voted in a referendum for the transition. Kiev dismissed the ballot as a “sham.” Energodar is notable as the site of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, the largest atomic facility in Europe.
https://www.rt.com/russia/570889-energodar-car-bomb-rogov/
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3 Feb, 2023 07:30

B) --- EU nation slams US ambassador over ‘interference’

Nobody can tell Hungary’s citizens how they should live, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto asserts

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto issued a scathing rebuke of the US ambassador to Budapest on Thursday, asserting that he has no business meddling in the nation’s internal affairs.

The minister’s comments came after Ambassador David Pressman, who has represented Washington in Budapest since September 2022, told Politico earlier this week that Hungarian policymakers “continue to push policies endorsed by [Russian President Vladimir] Putin.” He was referring to Budapest's opposition to anti-Russia sanctions and support of Moscow’s proposals for a ceasefire.

When asked to respond to the statement at a press conference, Szijjarto said, “Nobody can tell us from the outside how to live, so it is of no interest what a citizen of another country – be it an ambassador – thinks about the domestic political processes in Hungary.

“We ask for more respect for the Hungarians, even from the ambassador,” he added.

It is not Pressman’s “job to interfere in the internal affairs of Hungary,” the minister declared.

“If he wants to use his stay in Hungary to qualify the activities of the government elected by the Hungarian people with a fairly clear majority… then he will have a very difficult time,” he added.

Szijjarto noted that when Hungary receives foreign ambassadors, it expects them to behave appropriately and work to improve bilateral relations. “We welcome non-governors and non-regents,” he stated, emphasizing that the era of foreign envoys telling Hungarians how to live in their own country “is over.”

Hungary, which is heavily dependent on Russian energy, has repeatedly voiced opposition to sanctions imposed on Moscow by the West in response to the ongoing Ukraine conflict. It has argued that the restrictions have wreaked havoc on the EU economy, but failed to meaningfully weaken Russia.

Last month, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also slammed Germany’s decision to support Ukraine by supplying 14 Leopard 2 tanks, noting that such steps make Western countries active participants in the conflict. According to Orban, instead of arming Kiev, the West should pursue “a ceasefire and peace talks” in Ukraine.
https://www.rt.com/news/570891-hungary-us-ambassador-meddling/
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3 Feb, 2023 14:08

1) --- US should get ‘filthy hands’ off Türkiye – minister

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu accused Washington of working to hurt his country amid consulate closure row

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu accused US ambassador Jeffry Flake of trying to “confuse” people in the host nation and told him to get his “filthy hands” off of it. He has previously claimed that Western nations were waging “psychological warfare” to undermine tourism in Türkiye.

“I’m telling you very clearly, get your filthy hands off Türkiye. I know clearly what you have done, what steps you have taken, and how you want to confuse Türkiye,” the minister said in a speech on Friday.

Soylu claimed the first questions “every US ambassador” arriving in Türkiye was asked were “How can I stage a coup” and “How can I harm Türkiye.” The minister also stated that European nations were “run” by American diplomats.

The remarks came a day after the US and several EU nations decided to temporarily shut down their consulates in Istanbul due to “security considerations.” The foreign governments also advised their citizens to avoid tourist hotspots in Türkiye, citing a terrorist threat.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the nations involved failed to convey to Ankara any evidence that would justify the shutdowns.

“They tell us, ‘We have concrete information, there’s a threat. That’s why we’re closing’. Who did it come from? Where? Who will do it? There’s no information about that,” Cavusoglu said on Thursday.

The top diplomat described the move as “deliberate” and possibly designed to put the incumbent government into a “difficult situation” before the upcoming general elections.

Soylu assessed on the same day that the Western governments actually reacted with “psychological warfare” to Turkish plans to boost tourism in the country.

The Friday event in Antalya, during which the interior minister blasted the US ambassador, was dedicated to migration issues.

In his speech, Soylu accused Western nations of aggravating the problem that Ankara faces because of the mass migration. In particular, he expressed concern with instability in the neighboring nations of Iraq and Syria, where “state authority has completely disappeared,” according to the minister.
https://www.rt.com/news/570910-t%C3%BCrkiye-minister-us-ambassador/
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2 Feb, 2023 16:24

1a) --- Key NATO member state accuses allies of ‘psychological warfare’

Türkiye’s interior minister claims the US, the UK and several other nations are behind it

Several of Türkiye’s NATO allies are engaged in hostile activities against Ankara, the country’s Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu has claimed. His comment came shortly after the US issued a warning to its citizens in the country about the possibility of “imminent” terrorist attacks.

Speaking on Thursday, Soylu said: “On the day when we announced our target to attract 60 million tourists annually, they started psychological warfare against Türkiye.”

The UK, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and several other nations also announced their decisions to temporarily shut down their respective consulates in Istanbul, citing a terrorist threat.

Last Friday, the US diplomatic mission in the country cautioned its citizens of “possible imminent retaliatory attacks by terrorists” targeting places of worship in Türkiye.

According to the message, the heightened security risk was due to fears of reprisals by extremists “in the wake of recent Koran-burning incidents in Europe.”

The consulates of the Netherlands, the UK, Belgium, Germany and France in Istanbul announced temporary closures for security reasons a short time later.

Soylu also singled out the US for its continued support of the YPG Kurdish militia, which Ankara suspects of being behind a deadly terrorist attack in Istanbul in November last year.

“Don’t we know that you are hand in hand with those behind the attack on Istiklal Avenue?” the Turkish minister asked. He went on to argue that, if Türkiye had acted this way, it would already be labeled a terrorist state.

Relations between Ankara and the West have soured of late, following the Koran-burning stunt by Danish-Swedish far-right politician Rasmus Paludan late last month. Swedish authorities, which later condemned the controversial performance outside of the Turkish consulate in Stockholm, did not stop the protest at the time, citing freedom of expression.

Following the demonstration, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made it clear that Ankara would not support Sweden’s bid to join NATO. Sweden and Finland applied for membership of the US-led military bloc last May in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Since the unanimous support of all NATO member states is needed to accept new countries, the accession process has effectively been in limbo since then.

In setting out conditions for Sweden and Finland joining the bloc, Türkiye had demanded that the two nations cease providing support to groups that Ankara has designated as terrorists, to extradite terrorism suspects, and to end their arms embargoes.
https://www.rt.com/news/570874-t%C3%BCrkiye-west-psychological-warfare/
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31 Jan, 2023 20:15

1b) --- NATO member condemns Sweden’s response to Koran burning

Hungary’s top diplomat has argued that Stockholm should “act differently” if it wants to join the US-led military bloc

Sweden’s response to a Koran-burning demonstration that angered Türkiye was "just plain stupidity" and jeopardized a key approval needed for the Nordic country's bid to join NATO, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has claimed. The top diplomat made his comments to reporters at a press briefing on Tuesday in Budapest, where he hosted his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu.

The incident in question was a Koran-burning stunt at a January 21 political rally in Stockholm. Swedish authorities permitted the event and provided police protection, citing the country’s protections for “far-reaching freedom of expression.”

“As a Christian and as a Catholic, I must say that burning of a holy book of another religion is an unacceptable act,” Szijjarto said. He added, “Stating that the burning of a sacred book is part of freedom of speech is just plain stupidity.”
-- https://youtu.be/0zgAKPji67M
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced last week that he had ruled out approving Sweden’s application to join the US-led military bloc.

“If you are that respectful to rights and freedoms, you will respect the faith of the Republic of Türkiye or the Muslims in the first place. If you do not show this respect, then, no offense, but you will not receive any support from us with regard to NATO,” he stressed.

Sweden and Finland launched bids last year to join the Western military bloc, citing security concerns raised by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Approval from all 30 members of NATO is required to expand the group. Erdogan, who previously demanded that Sweden and Finland stop supporting Kurdish groups that Turkish officials consider to be terrorists, said the Koran-burning incident violated an agreement signed last June to address Ankara’s security concerns.

Hungary is the only other NATO member that hasn’t yet officially approved the Nordic countries’ applications. Budapest had been expected to vote on the alliance’s proposed expansion by the end of last month. Szijjarto said the issue will be taken up by Hungary’s parliament at its first 2023 session, in February.

As for Türkiye’s decision, Szijjarto said Hungary won’t attempt to influence the outcome. “I never urge any other foreign governments to do things which are not of our concern,” he said, adding that “perhaps they [Sweden] should act differently than that” if they want to secure Ankara’s backing.

Addressing Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO bids, Russia has said the expansion of the bloc would not make the European continent more stable or secure.
https://www.rt.com/news/570778-hungary-blasts-sweden-koran-burning-response/
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3 Feb, 2023 09:00

2) --- John Bolton shares stance on talks with Russia in prank call

Any attempts by EU nations to negotiate with Moscow must be snuffed out, the Republican hawk and former US national security adviser believes

As long as the Ukraine conflict can still be won military, Russian President Vladimir Putin should not be allowed to achieve his goals through political means, former US national security adviser John Bolton has said.

He made the claim during a call with notorious Russian pranksters Vovan and Lexus, who tricked the hawkish Republican, an arch-critic of the Kremlin, into thinking he was talking to former Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko.

“To me the important thing is to continue to push the Russians militarily – I think it's a winnable war – and to stop efforts by whether it’s the French or the Germans or whoever it might be to try negotiating with the Russians,” Bolton said in the recording of the conversation released by the pranksters on Thursday.

He noted that French leader Emmanuel Macron has spoken several times since the start of the conflict about the need to find a deal that would be “acceptable” to Russia.

Such statements allow Putin to suggest that “he can break Western resolve,” Bolton, who served as national security advisor under President Donald Trump and previously worked in different roles in the administrations of Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush and George W Bush, said.

“I think he [Putin] really hopes to win politically what he can’t win militarily on the battlefield. That’s where the real test is. And I think we are vulnerable,” he warned.

The Republican hawk suggested the assistance that Kiev received from the West in the run-up to the conflict was “acceptable, but not great.”

“The politicians in the West are taking more credit for NATO unity, frankly, than we deserve... Many NATO partners haven’t participated fully… our performance on sanctions enforcement [on Russia] hasn’t been what it should be,” he concluded.

Bolton is the latest of many public figures to fall victim to Vovan and Lexus, who previously managed to prank Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Polish President Andrzej Duda, the author of Harry Potter books J.K. Rowling, former US President George W. Bush and many other politicians and celebrities.
https://www.rt.com/news/570892-bolton-ukraine-talks-prank/

Links to prank call (QS: I think I have them in the right order)

https://www.reddit.com/link/10rlb81/video/wcxu0slpoqfa1/player

https://www.reddit.com/link/10rlq9c/video/34iqio9utqfa1/player

https://www.reddit.com/link/10sg3sl/video/f1qp3td4yxfa1/player

https://www.reddit.com/link/10rmzb1/video/8fy6i96h8rfa1/player

https://www.reddit.com/link/10rp6uf/video/ljv9p8jqvrfa1/player

https://www.reddit.com/link/10rsoyz/video/yl59hvonosfa1/player

https://www.reddit.com/link/10rv3bl/video/hxzdq97b5tfa1/player

https://www.reddit.com/user/VovanxLexus/
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3 Feb, 2023 12:09

3) --- Ukraine announces new ‘Attack Guard’

The Interior Ministry has urged “patriots” to enroll in volunteer brigades and “dispose of enemies”

Kiev has called on citizens to enroll in newly-created ‘storm brigades’, with acting Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klimenko saying that the government expects serving police officers, border guards, and members of the National Guard to form the core of the units.

The force, dubbed ‘Attack Guard’, is intended for Ukrainians “who have enough rage to beat the enemy,” the minister said on national television on Thursday.

“First of all, they are the people who went through the furnace of 2014-2015,” Klimenko explained as he described the intended recruits. “Some of them went to war in 2022, too. Some of them were injured.”

After the 2014 armed coup in Kiev, the new authorities relied on so-called ‘volunteer battalions’ – militia units formed predominantly from far-right Ukrainian nationalists – to fight rebel forces in the east of the county who rejected the new Ukrainian government.

Those units were given access to heavy weapons and later partially incorporated into the newly-formed National Guard. The notorious Azov Regiment is arguably the best-known entity to have followed that path.

Moscow stated the need to remove extremist forces and protect people in Donbass from a new onslaught by Kiev as among the reasons why it sent troops into Ukraine last February.

The ‘Attack Guard’ website lists eight brigades that recruits can choose from, including one named ‘Azov’. Klimenko said six of the units are meant for national guardsmen, while the other two are for police officers and border guards respectively.

Applicants can expect financial compensation, social benefits, and other perks, as well as “an opportunity to dispose of enemies,” Klimenko promised. The forces’ “immediate goal” is to fully secure Ukraine’s “internationally recognized borders.”

When asked about the new force on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that Donbass has yet to be fully secured by Russian troops, “which is why the special military operation continues.” However, Peskov added that the security of Crimea, another former part of Ukraine, “is well provided for.”

Ukraine has reportedly ramped up military mobilization due to heavy frontline losses, although Kiev denies this. Aleksey Danilov, the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, claimed in an interview this week that Ukrainians are lining up at conscription centers every day to submit information for possible mobilization.

He dismissed videos circulating online which purportedly show a heavy-handed approach by mobilization officials, claiming they showed the detentions of dangerous criminals.
https://www.rt.com/russia/570908-ukraine-offensive-guard-ministry/
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3 Feb, 2023 08:59

4) --- Trump calls for restraint in arming Ukraine

The US should send less military aid to Kiev and instead focus on a diplomatic solution to the conflict, the former president said

The US should do its best to pave the way for a peace settlement in Ukraine while scaling back the military assistance Washington is sending to Kiev, former President Donald Trump suggested on Thursday.

During an interview with American radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt, Trump was asked whether he believed the US should send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to help in its fight with Russia. “I think the United States should negotiate peace between these two countries, and I don’t think they should be sending very much,” the former president stated.

However, he also complained that the US had committed much more resources to prop up Kiev than the EU has. “The other thing is Europe has to do much more, because Europe is doing probably just a small fraction of what we’re doing,” he said, explaining that the Ukraine crisis “affects Europe more than it affects our country.”

Trump dodged the question when asked whether he wanted to completely cut off aid for Ukraine, stating instead that he wanted “to make it so that Ukraine and Russia have to… fight for the last day.”

“This thing has to stop, and it’s got to stop now. And it’s not going to stop if we continue to just load something up,” he said.

The former US leader has on numerous occasions criticized the way the administration of President Joe Biden is handling the Ukraine conflict. Last week, Trump said his successor “has brought us to the brink of World War III” through “weakness and incompetence.” He doubled down on his claim that, if he were president, the conflict between Moscow and Kiev would have never started.

On Monday, Biden stated that the US had no plans to send F-16s to Ukraine. The delivery of modern fighter jets is also said to be off the table for the EU, with the bloc’s top diplomat Josep Borrell pointing out that this idea had caused a lot of division among member states.

As of January 25, the US has committed more than $27 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, including heavy artillery and tanks, air defense systems and infantry fighting vehicles. Moscow has repeatedly warned the West against arms shipments to Ukraine, arguing that they will only prolong the conflict while making NATO a direct participant to the hostilities.
https://www.rt.com/news/570894-trump-restraint-ukraine-support/
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2 Feb, 2023 21:10

5) --- Calls of ‘treason’ as Serbian parliament debates Kosovo

President Vucic is caught between pro-NATO parties and nationalists accusing him of treason

Several members of the Serbian parliament scuffled and almost came to blows on Thursday, amid a speech by President Aleksandar Vucic about the Western proposal concerning the breakaway province of Kosovo.

“I have never seen such savages, this is incredible, shame on you,” Vucic said from the podium as lawmakers almost came to blows.

The fracas broke out after Vucic said he intended to keep negotiating with the US and the EU, while staying loyal to the “Holy Writ” of the Serbian constitution.

“I will always choose the Constitution, but I will fight as long as I can, I refuse to isolate Serbia and have our people suffer, to play the hero on someone else’s back or be the donor of someone else’s blood,” Vucic said.

Several members of the nationalist opposition held up printed signs that read “Treason” and “No to capitulation!” Meanwhile, the pro-Western parties insisted the government should recognize Kosovo as independent and impose sanctions against Russia.

At issue was the Franco-German proposal for Kosovo presented to Belgrade last month, which still hasn’t been made public. That hasn’t stopped the lawmakers from describing it as either an unacceptable ultimatum or an offer Serbia can’t refuse.
https://t.me/European_Insider/2178

Leader of the New Serbian Democrats Milos Jovanovic called it a carbon copy of the 1972 Two Germanies pact, saying that it would in practice lead to the establishment of “Greater Albania” and the total disappearance of Serbs from the province. The plan cannot be amended and needs to be rejected entirely, Jovanovic argued, while the Democratic Party’s Zoran Lutovac insisted it was not actually an ultimatum and should be accepted.

Marinika Tepic of the Freedom and Justice Party called on Vucic to “harmonize foreign policy with the EU and sanction Russia … to avoid sanctions being imposed on us.”

NATO took control of the province after months of bombing Serbia in 1999 on behalf of an ethnic Albanian insurgency. The provisional government in Pristina declared independence in 2008, with Western support. Backed by Russia and China, Belgrade has so far managed to resist pressure to recognize Kosovo.

Vucic blamed the Democrat-led government for “giving away” Kosovo, calling some opposition lawmakers “thieves and traitors” amounting to an “anti-state coalition.” He also insisted he hadn’t signed anything yet.

“I am not for Kosovo in the UN and I will never recognize an independent Kosovo,” he repeated several times.

Meanwhile, nationalist group People’s Patrol has called for a mass rally outside the presidential offices on February 15 – a state holiday celebrating Serbia’s first constitution – to “take down the treasonous Vucic regime” and reject any kind of recognition of Kosovo.
https://www.rt.com/news/570880-serbia-kosovo-parliament-fight/
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3 Feb, 2023 11:35

6) --- China responds to spy balloon claims

Beijing has warned against speculation and efforts to hype up the story

China is a responsible nation and doesn’t violate the airspace of other countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning has said following speculation that a spy balloon spotted over the US had been launched by Beijing.

The Chinese authorities are aware of reports of a surveillance balloon being discovered over American territory and are currently working to verify them, Mao stated during a briefing on Friday.

“Speculation and hype are not conducive until the facts are clear,” the spokeswoman said, as quoted by Chinese broadcaster CGTN. She expressed hope that the relevant parties would be able to resolve the issue in a “cool-headed way.”

“China is a responsible country. We act in accordance with international law. We have no intention of violating other countries’ airspace,” the spokeswoman insisted.

On Thursday, the Pentagon claimed to have discovered a spy balloon over the northern US during the previous day. The last confirmed sighting of the object was in Billings, Montana, while its current location remains disclosed.

In comments cited by the US media, an unnamed senior US defense official said Washington was “confident” that the balloon belonged to China as similar incidents had already occurred in the past few years.

The same official claimed that the flight path of the balloon had crossed “a number of sensitive sites,” but added that the craft had “limited additive value” from the perspective of intelligence gathering.

The US authorities considered shooting down the balloon, but decided against it due to concerns that people on the ground could be hurt by falling debris, the source added.

According to reports, the balloon made it to the US through Canadian territory. Canada’s defense department said it had been taking steps to ensure the security of its airspace, including monitoring for “a potential second incident.”

The balloon incursion comes just days before a planned trip to Beijing by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Mao declined to comment when asked whether the development would affect the visit in any way.
https://www.rt.com/news/570905-china-us-baloon-canada/
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2 Feb, 2023 08:51

7) --- Lavrov identifies root of US-Russia tensions

The notion of American exceptionalism drives antagonism with Russia, Moscow’s top diplomat has said

The root cause of the conflict in Ukraine is linked to Washington’s belief that the US is exceptional and the contention that this supposedly justifies its dominance, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.

Speaking during an interview with Russian television on Thursday, the top diplomat urged people to “dig deeper” in their analysis of the confrontation. American officials believe the US is “an exceptional nation, unlike any other in the world,” and that it has a duty to lead, because otherwise “there will be chaos.”

Lavrov cited an opinion piece by Jake Sullivan, national security adviser to President Joe Biden, which was published in The Atlantic magazine in 2019.

“No vision of American exceptionalism can succeed if the United States does not defeat the emerging vision that emphasizes ethnic and cultural identity,” he wrote at the time. The phrase referred to US domestic politics and how it affects the “core purpose of American foreign policy.”

Lavrov called the remark “terrible” because it denies other peoples “the right to remember their history.” The US government applies this principle globally, he suggested.

“Just like they melted in a pot everyone who arrived in America, they now want to melt everyone else, so they essentially become Americans,” the minister said.

“This exceptionalism, this absolute conviction of their infallibility and superiority – I am certain that it is the main reason why we are now confronting the nations that wage a proxy war against us through the Kiev regime.”

Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February last year, citing NATO’s creeping expansion into its neighbor and Kiev’s failure to implement an EU-mediated roadmap to peace.

The US claimed that the move was an act of “unprovoked aggression” and pledged to support Kiev with arms, money and other forms of assistance “for as long as it takes” to defeat Russia strategically. Lavrov called the conflict a proxy war waged against it by Washington and its allies to preserve Western dominance. https://rumble.com/v282566-the-us-prepared-kiev-so-it-could-start-proxy-war-against-russia-lavrov.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=7
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https://www.rt.com/russia/570846-american-exceptionalism-ukraine-lavrov/
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1 Feb, 2023 10:07

8) --- Kiev’s ombudsman calls for more curbs on Russian language

Universities should set an example by ditching the use of Russian, the commissioner for protecting the Ukrainian language says

Speaking Russian should be banned on all university campuses in Ukraine, in and outside lectures, the ombudsman in charge of protecting the Ukrainian language, Taras Kremen, has said.

Last week the renowned “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy” (NaUKMA), one of the oldest universities in Ukraine, officially forbade students and educators from using Russian within its grounds. “While teaching in Russian hasn’t been conducted at the university for a very long time, now the ban also applies to communicating with each other in the language of the occupiers,” the head of the institution's supervisory board, Gennady Zunko, announced.

Kremen reacted to the move by NaUKMA in a Facebook post on Monday, saying it was “a rather powerful initiative, which I hope will be replicated by other universities in Ukraine.”

“I support this decision and believe that every university should have the best opportunities for bringing up truly patriotic, strong-willed, educated citizens of Ukraine,” the ombudsman wrote.

He pointed to a 2019 law, stating that the only language that can be used in the education process in the country is the state language, which is Ukrainian.

Kremen urged the Ministry of Education and other relevant agencies to do their best to make sure that the law is strictly fulfilled as “violations unfortunately still occur in some higher education institutions.”

In view of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, “the issue of protecting the language and its affirmation is among the top priorities, so the field of education should be an example in matters of protecting national interests,” he stressed.

Since the fighting started in February last year, a campaign to remove all links to Russia and its culture has intensified in Ukraine. Among other things, a statue of Catherine the Great was torn down in Odessa in November, even though the city was founded on the order of the Russian Empress in 1794. Several cities, including Dnepr and Chernovtsy, have removed statues and memorial plaques dedicated to classical Russian poet Alexander Pushkin.

Moscow has denounced such policies by Kiev, saying that attempts to cancel Russian culture and the “forced Ukrainization” of the country violate international norms and infringe upon the rights of around a quarter of Ukraine’s population, who are Russian-speaking.
https://www.rt.com/russia/570798-ukraine-russian-language-kremen/
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3 Feb, 2023 16:48

9) --- Sanctions on Russian oil not working – analysts

The restrictions were invented by bureaucrats who do not understand how oil markets work, industry experts tell CNBC
Sanctions imposed by the West on Russian crude oil exports have so far “failed completely,” and new price caps could also prove ineffective, according to a CNBC report on Friday, citing analysts.

The conclusions come as the European Union plans to ban imports of Russian refined petroleum products, including diesel and jet fuel, from February 5.

The bloc had already prohibited imports of seaborne crude oil from Moscow in December. The EU, G7 countries, and Australia have also set a $60-per-barrel price cap, which blocks Western companies from providing insurance and other services to shippers of Russian oil unless the cargo is purchased at or below the set price.

The price cap “was invented by bureaucrats with finance degrees. None of them really understand oil markets,” Paul Sankey, president and lead analyst at Sankey Research, told CNBC. “It’s been a total bomb; it has failed completely,” he stressed.

According to Sankey, Russian oil supplies have not been significantly interrupted and “they’ve sustained exports at high levels.”

“I heard it from a great source that the Saudis have been asking around as to how come Russian oil is still flowing,” he said. “That brings the question of what will happen with the sanctions coming up on products, because it just doesn’t seem to work.”

The founder of analytics firm Vanda Insights, Vandana Hari, also told the US broadcaster she was skeptical about the upcoming restrictions on Russian refined oil products, noting that “the crude price cap was pretty inconsequential.”

“I think the refined product caps that they’re planning – about a $100 [per barrel] for diesel and clean products and perhaps around $45 for dirty fuels like fuel oil – are probably going to be immaterial as well,” the analyst explained.

According to Hari, Russian oil will find its way into the markets that are “still welcoming it” such as China and India.

“China and India have benefited quite a big deal last year from heavily discounted Russian crude prices and the same’s going to happen to Russian refined products,” Hari predicted, adding that it could be more complicated for Moscow to find markets for such products.

Paul Sankey also noted that “oil friendships are greasy” and there’s a lot of different ways to move Russian oil around the world, bypassing the price caps.

Meanwhile, the EU has been struggling to agree on the price cap for Russian oil products, with some members reportedly claiming the proposed level is too generous for Moscow, and seeking a lower ceiling. The measures are expected to come into effect on February 5 after gaining the approval of all 27 EU member states.
https://www.rt.com/business/570896-western-sanctions-russian-oil-fail/
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3 Feb, 2023 15:54

++ Extra ++ Iconic fashion designer dead

Paco Rabanne was best known for his eccentric space-age designs and best-selling perfumes

Spanish-born fashion designer Paco Rabanne has died aged 88 in the French town of Porstall, where he lived. His death was confirmed by Puig, which controls the fashion house and fragrance business bearing his name.

In a statement, Puig president Jose Manuel Albesa said Rabanne “marked generations with his radical vision of fashion and his legacy will live on.”

Rabanne, whose real name was Francisco Rabaneda y Cuervo, was best known for eccentric futuristic styles using materials like plastic, metal and paper, making him a major figure in the space-age fashion movement of the 1960s.

His first collection using plastics was presented in 1966 and was titled “12 Unwearable Dresses in Contemporary Materials.” Rabanne “made transgression magnetic” with his “radical, rebellious spirit,”

Paco Rabanne was born in 1934; Rabanne’s father was a colonel in the Republican military who was shot dead by Francoist troops during the Spanish Civil War. His mother was a chief seamstress at Cristobal Balenciaga’s first fashion house in the Basque country. The family later moved to Paris, where Rabanne studied architecture and began creating sketches for Dior and Givenchy.

Over the course of his career, Rabanne dressed stars from Audrey Hepburn to Lady Gaga. He retired in 1999 and had rarely made appearances in public since.

The cause of Rabanne’s death was not confirmed.
https://www.rt.com/news/570924-paco-rabanne-dead-fashion/
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