China-brokered Iran-Saudi Deal Threatens to Push US Out of the Gulf and Washington Knows It
The Biden administration’s utter lack of involvement in the negotiations which culminated in the Iran-Saudi diplomatic deal secured by China is a warning sign signaling the waning of Washington’s influence and power in the Middle East, virtually all major US media analyses covering the story have admitted.
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The Biden administration’s utter lack of involvement in the negotiations which culminated in the Iran-Saudi diplomatic deal secured by China is a warning sign signaling the waning of Washington’s influence and power in the Middle East, virtually all major US media analyses covering the story have admitted.
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German intelligence is aware of 61 "extremists and politically motivated criminals" from Germany who have traveled eastward to Ukraine since the start of the conflict last winter, local media reported.
Of them, at least 29 are believed to be still in Ukraine, a German daily cited sources from the German security community as saying. The BfV intelligence agency did not say whether they were involved directly in the fighting and on which side.
The report also cited federal police as saying that 31 of the identified extremists stood to the right of the political spectrum. A further 24 were classified as supporters of "foreign ideology or extremism," while a handful others were religious fanatics. One person was labeled as a left-leaning extremist, the report said.
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Of them, at least 29 are believed to be still in Ukraine, a German daily cited sources from the German security community as saying. The BfV intelligence agency did not say whether they were involved directly in the fighting and on which side.
The report also cited federal police as saying that 31 of the identified extremists stood to the right of the political spectrum. A further 24 were classified as supporters of "foreign ideology or extremism," while a handful others were religious fanatics. One person was labeled as a left-leaning extremist, the report said.
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🦁😴 Look at this (still) sleeping beauty!
The Moscow Zoo has shared footage of a lioness welcoming a new day! She gorgeously walks around only to find her royal breakfast served!
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The Moscow Zoo has shared footage of a lioness welcoming a new day! She gorgeously walks around only to find her royal breakfast served!
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🎈 Japanese start-up conducts 1,000-metre-high manned balloon flight aimed at providing "space experience" to customers in the future
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📈💰 The UK finance ministry scrambled on Saturday to protect British tech start-up sector from the fallout of the US-based Silicon Valley Bank (SVB)’s implosion.
"We are working with the Bank of England to ensure that Silicon Valley Bank UK's failure is managed smoothly, and that any disruption is minimized," a Treasury spokesperson was quoted as saying by a British TV Channel.
US banking regulators shut the tech lender on Friday after a two-day run on the bank. It reportedly ranked as the 16th largest US bank at the end of 2022, with more than $200 billion in assets and $175 billion in deposits.
Dozens of UK tech companies that had been banking with SVB wrote to finance minister Jeremy Hunt on Saturday to request state intervention, warning they could become technically insolvent overnight if no action was taken.
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"We are working with the Bank of England to ensure that Silicon Valley Bank UK's failure is managed smoothly, and that any disruption is minimized," a Treasury spokesperson was quoted as saying by a British TV Channel.
US banking regulators shut the tech lender on Friday after a two-day run on the bank. It reportedly ranked as the 16th largest US bank at the end of 2022, with more than $200 billion in assets and $175 billion in deposits.
Dozens of UK tech companies that had been banking with SVB wrote to finance minister Jeremy Hunt on Saturday to request state intervention, warning they could become technically insolvent overnight if no action was taken.
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Sending NATO Troops to Ukraine Could Have World-Ending Consequences, US Politician Warns
“These ‘Western countries’ better think again about doing anything like that. Then they’d better think again and again. It’s insane. It could lead to the destruction by Russia of any country that sends troops; or it could lead to a nuclear war that could kill everyone on earth,” Kentucky progressive Democrat Geoffrey M Young has urged.
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“These ‘Western countries’ better think again about doing anything like that. Then they’d better think again and again. It’s insane. It could lead to the destruction by Russia of any country that sends troops; or it could lead to a nuclear war that could kill everyone on earth,” Kentucky progressive Democrat Geoffrey M Young has urged.
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Wild Thai Macaques Could Throw Monkey Wrench in Human Evolution Narrative, Study Says
Wild monkeys observed in the forests of Thailand were able to create stone artifacts “indistinguishable from what we see at the beginning of the [human] archeological record — what we see as the onset of being human,” said Lydia Luncz of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, a co-author on the study.
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Wild monkeys observed in the forests of Thailand were able to create stone artifacts “indistinguishable from what we see at the beginning of the [human] archeological record — what we see as the onset of being human,” said Lydia Luncz of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, a co-author on the study.
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Over 1,000 Californians Forced to Evacuate After Levee Fails
Dramatic footage posted on social media showed early-morning rescues being carried out for residents who’d become trapped in their parked vehicle by rising floodwaters.
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Dramatic footage posted on social media showed early-morning rescues being carried out for residents who’d become trapped in their parked vehicle by rising floodwaters.
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‘Almost Like You Want to Find Nothing’: Experts Slam Norfolk Southern ‘Air Tests’ in East Palestine
The ‘air testing’ recently conducted in East Palestine residents’ homes was deficient in a number of key ways and was actually carried out by a company contracted by the rail company Norfolk Southern, a new report has revealed.
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The ‘air testing’ recently conducted in East Palestine residents’ homes was deficient in a number of key ways and was actually carried out by a company contracted by the rail company Norfolk Southern, a new report has revealed.
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Biden's Visit to Kiev Cost Ukrainian Taxpayers More Than $1.6Mln, Reports Say
US President Joe Biden on 20 February made an unannounced visit to Kiev to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and discuss US weapon supplies.
And his visit to Kiev has cost Ukrainian taxpayers more than $1.6Mln, according to media reports citing authorities. In contrast, the average monthly salary in Ukraine is approximately $400.
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US President Joe Biden on 20 February made an unannounced visit to Kiev to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and discuss US weapon supplies.
And his visit to Kiev has cost Ukrainian taxpayers more than $1.6Mln, according to media reports citing authorities. In contrast, the average monthly salary in Ukraine is approximately $400.
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🇨🇳Deputies of China’s National People's Congress (NPC) have approved the appointment of 65-year-old general Li Shangfu to the post of Minister of National Defence. The vote was held on Sunday during the fifth plenary meeting of the first session of the 14th NPC.
Li Shangfu has been under US sanctions for military cooperation with Russia.
Ding Xuexiang, He Lifeng, Zhang Guoqing and Liu Guozhong were approved for the posts of vice premiers on Sunday. Li Shangfu, Wang Xiaohong, Wu Zhenglong, Shen Yiqin and Qin Gang were endorsed as Chinese state councilors.
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Li Shangfu has been under US sanctions for military cooperation with Russia.
Ding Xuexiang, He Lifeng, Zhang Guoqing and Liu Guozhong were approved for the posts of vice premiers on Sunday. Li Shangfu, Wang Xiaohong, Wu Zhenglong, Shen Yiqin and Qin Gang were endorsed as Chinese state councilors.
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🇨🇭An estimated 2,000-3,000 people took part in a rally in the Swiss capital of Bern, calling on the country’s government to maintain a policy of neutrality in relation to the events in Ukraine, local media report.
The protest was held on Saturday evening in Bern’s main square, where the government buildings are located. The demonstrators were urging the Swiss authorities to terminate sanctions against Russia and have Switzerland return to "100% neutrality."
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The protest was held on Saturday evening in Bern’s main square, where the government buildings are located. The demonstrators were urging the Swiss authorities to terminate sanctions against Russia and have Switzerland return to "100% neutrality."
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'Appalling' State of European Defense & Its 'Dependence on US' Exposed By Ukrainian Conflict
The mood first started shifting against the US among its allies on the European continent late last year, as both officials and diplomats began to accuse Washington of profiteering out of the Ukraine crisis via energy and weapons sales, while their own stockpiles were "almost empty" and critical defense capabilities were lacking.
The conflagration in Ukraine and the western push to pump the Kiev regime with military support has laid bare the "appalling state" of the European continent’s own defense capabilities, a US publication has noted. Furthermore, the present developments have thrown the spotlight on the European defense industry's overly high dependence on the United States.
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The mood first started shifting against the US among its allies on the European continent late last year, as both officials and diplomats began to accuse Washington of profiteering out of the Ukraine crisis via energy and weapons sales, while their own stockpiles were "almost empty" and critical defense capabilities were lacking.
The conflagration in Ukraine and the western push to pump the Kiev regime with military support has laid bare the "appalling state" of the European continent’s own defense capabilities, a US publication has noted. Furthermore, the present developments have thrown the spotlight on the European defense industry's overly high dependence on the United States.
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Ukraine foils the process of creating a safety zone around the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, Vladimir Rogov, a senior official of the Zaporozhye regional administration, told Sputnik on Sunday.
"The plant's safety is guaranteed by two components: the absence of shelling by the militants of the Ukrainian armed forces and the proper protection provided by the Russian national guard," Rogov said.
He added that Kiev demands the demilitarization of the plant's vicinity in order to take advantage of the moment, take local residents hostage, seize the nuclear facility and create a bridgehead for the offensive.
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"The plant's safety is guaranteed by two components: the absence of shelling by the militants of the Ukrainian armed forces and the proper protection provided by the Russian national guard," Rogov said.
He added that Kiev demands the demilitarization of the plant's vicinity in order to take advantage of the moment, take local residents hostage, seize the nuclear facility and create a bridgehead for the offensive.
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🇰🇵 Kim Jong Un held a meeting with the ruling party's military commission to discuss war deterrence measures, dispatching the army to construction sites across the country, as well as rural development, state media reported.
The fifth enlarged meeting of the eighth Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea discussed and adopted "the important practical steps" for making use of North Korea's war deterrent in dealing with "the war provocations of the US and South Korea [that] are reaching the red line," report said.
The session also discussed the duties of the Korean People's Army (KPA) for accelerating rural development, regional construction and "grand socialist construction," as well as "dispatching the KPA to the major theaters for rapid development in socialist construction," the state media said.
Kim reportedly noted that the army should become "a driving force and model" in the socialist rural construction and economic development.
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The fifth enlarged meeting of the eighth Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea discussed and adopted "the important practical steps" for making use of North Korea's war deterrent in dealing with "the war provocations of the US and South Korea [that] are reaching the red line," report said.
The session also discussed the duties of the Korean People's Army (KPA) for accelerating rural development, regional construction and "grand socialist construction," as well as "dispatching the KPA to the major theaters for rapid development in socialist construction," the state media said.
Kim reportedly noted that the army should become "a driving force and model" in the socialist rural construction and economic development.
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🇸🇦📊 Saudi state oil and gas giant Aramco made a record net profit of $161.1 billion in 2022, up 46.5% year-on-year, the company said.
The record net income was underpinned by stronger crude oil prices in 2022, increased sales volumes and improved margins in the oil refining sector, the company added. Aramco's free cash flow hit a record $148.5 billion in 2022, up 38% from 2021, the statement read.
The company also announced a $19.5 billion fourth-quarter dividend due in the first quarter of 2023, which represents a 4.0% increase compared to the previous quarter. Aramco's capital expenditure rose 18% year-on-year in 2022, to $37.6 billion. The company expects 2023 capital expenditure to be in the range from $45-55 billion including external investments.
The company's average daily hydrocarbon production in 2022 was 13.6 million barrels of oil equivalent, including 11.5 million barrels per day of total liquids, the statement added.
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The record net income was underpinned by stronger crude oil prices in 2022, increased sales volumes and improved margins in the oil refining sector, the company added. Aramco's free cash flow hit a record $148.5 billion in 2022, up 38% from 2021, the statement read.
The company also announced a $19.5 billion fourth-quarter dividend due in the first quarter of 2023, which represents a 4.0% increase compared to the previous quarter. Aramco's capital expenditure rose 18% year-on-year in 2022, to $37.6 billion. The company expects 2023 capital expenditure to be in the range from $45-55 billion including external investments.
The company's average daily hydrocarbon production in 2022 was 13.6 million barrels of oil equivalent, including 11.5 million barrels per day of total liquids, the statement added.
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🚰 Trouble in Borrell's "Garden"? Dutch police blast Extinction Rebellion protesters with water cannons during climate protest in Hague
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❗️Russian MoD briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:
▪️The Russian Army thwarted the actions of five Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the Kupyansk direction;
▪️Ukrainian losses in the Donetsk region amounted to more than 220 servicemen;
▪️Russian troops eliminated three Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the Zaporozhye region;
▪️Ukrainian losses in the Krasny Liman direction amounted to up to 100 servicemen;
▪️Russian forces eliminated over 50 Ukrainian servicemen and destroyed a D-30 howitzer in the South-Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions.
▪️Russian air defense systems shot down two Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopters, intercepted seven HIMARS and Uragan MLRS rockets, and destroyed one UAV;
▪️One Ukrainian ammunition depot was destroyed near the city of Zaporozhye;
▪️Russian troops destroyed a Ukrainian Gvozdika self-propelled gun in the Kherson direction.
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▪️The Russian Army thwarted the actions of five Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the Kupyansk direction;
▪️Ukrainian losses in the Donetsk region amounted to more than 220 servicemen;
▪️Russian troops eliminated three Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the Zaporozhye region;
▪️Ukrainian losses in the Krasny Liman direction amounted to up to 100 servicemen;
▪️Russian forces eliminated over 50 Ukrainian servicemen and destroyed a D-30 howitzer in the South-Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions.
▪️Russian air defense systems shot down two Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopters, intercepted seven HIMARS and Uragan MLRS rockets, and destroyed one UAV;
▪️One Ukrainian ammunition depot was destroyed near the city of Zaporozhye;
▪️Russian troops destroyed a Ukrainian Gvozdika self-propelled gun in the Kherson direction.
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UK's Sunak Heads to US for Latest Phase of AUKUS Deal Amid Inflated Allegations of China Threat
The sitdown in San Diego, California, on Monday, will come amid reports that Canberra is hoping to beef up its naval capabilities with nuclear-powered submarines via a multi-stage program. On the eve of the visit to the US, Rishi Sunak, referencing AUKUS, hailed “global alliances” as “our greatest source of strength and security”.
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The sitdown in San Diego, California, on Monday, will come amid reports that Canberra is hoping to beef up its naval capabilities with nuclear-powered submarines via a multi-stage program. On the eve of the visit to the US, Rishi Sunak, referencing AUKUS, hailed “global alliances” as “our greatest source of strength and security”.
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The Swiss military began to dispose of 60 operational UK Rapier anti-aircraft missile systems, a Swiss newspaper reported.
Kai-Gunnar Sievert, a spokesman for the Swiss Federal Office for Defense Procurement, told the newspaper that the first out of four Rapier batches had already been dismantled. Switzerland purchased Rapiers in the 1980s and has begun to decommission them since late 2022, the report said.
According to the Swiss government's decree of 2006, foreign weapons not in service should primarily be sold to the manufacturing country, which is the UK in the case of Rapier. Some Swiss lawmakers believe that Rapiers could have been handed over to Ukraine following their sale, the report said. In particular, a lawmaker of the Green Liberal Party called the decision to write off the current defensive weapons "absurd," saying that the transfer of Rapiers to Ukraine would be legally possible.
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Kai-Gunnar Sievert, a spokesman for the Swiss Federal Office for Defense Procurement, told the newspaper that the first out of four Rapier batches had already been dismantled. Switzerland purchased Rapiers in the 1980s and has begun to decommission them since late 2022, the report said.
According to the Swiss government's decree of 2006, foreign weapons not in service should primarily be sold to the manufacturing country, which is the UK in the case of Rapier. Some Swiss lawmakers believe that Rapiers could have been handed over to Ukraine following their sale, the report said. In particular, a lawmaker of the Green Liberal Party called the decision to write off the current defensive weapons "absurd," saying that the transfer of Rapiers to Ukraine would be legally possible.
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