IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva warned on Monday that US economic growth is “unlikely to last.”

“Our World Economic Outlook shows the global economy converging back to a rather weak trend rate of growth. Yes, the US economy still looks like it’s firing on all cylinders, but that is unlikely to last,” Georgieva said in a keynote address at the annual EU budget conference.

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Burial Sites of Tortured Civilians Discovered in Avdeyevka — Russian Investigative Committee

The buried bodies of civilians showing signs of torture were discovered in Avdeyevka, DPR. Investigators have begun working on this case, the Investigative Committee of Russia reported.

“The Investigative Committee of Russia will work on the latest crimes of the Ukrainian military against civilians of the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, as well as the Donetsk People’s Republic. It is reported that burials of civilians with traces of torture were discovered in Avdeyevka (DPR)", the Investigative Committee said in a statement.

Russian investigators will establish all the circumstances of the incident and persons involved in the crimes. Avdeyevka, a northern suburb of Donetsk turned by the Ukrainian army into a heavily-fortified area, was liberated by the Russian army on February 17.

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Ex-Pentagon advisor says Russia’s Mideast clout 'very strong,' while US looks 'ridiculous'

Russia’s position in the Middle East is strong, while the United States looks “ridiculous,” is the frank assessment given by retired US Army Col. Douglas Macgregor in a new post on X.

Casting a critical eye on the US strategy in the Middle East, the former Pentagon advisor wrote:

“Strategically, Putin holds all the cards in the Middle East. He is widely respected in the region and has practiced restraint. If you look at this like a branding exercise, our branding is seriously damaged in the Middle East. We look ridiculous and Russia looks strong.”

As the Mideast simmers, the Biden administration has been using a facade of diplomacy – which failed spectacularly – to push its own regional interests. The US-led efforts to smear and isolate Moscow with respect to the region have similarly been fruitless, as Russian President Vladimir Putin's highly successful Middle East tour in December 2023 proved.

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Happy end: A man from Odessa managed to escape from the military recruiters who were hunting Ukrainians to send them into the meat grinder.

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Russian troops eliminated at least 10 Ukrainian militants using mortars in the Zaporozhye region.

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The US found five Israeli units responsible for gross violations of human rights, state department said.

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Zelensky’s ‘delusional’ 10-year funding plan may be domino that topples US-led economic order

Neither Kiev, nor Washington have the long-term financial wherewithal to continue the proxy war with Russia for another decade, renowned economist and author Dr. Rodney Shakespeare told Sputnik, commenting on President Zelensky’s plans to secure long-term US funding for Ukraine into the mid-2030s.

In Ukraine’s case, “the loss of productive assets in east Ukraine, the rapidly weakening military situation, and the dislocations produced by the war mean that the Ukrainian economy is a basket case (which will get worse, if that is possible),” Shakespeare said.

As far as the US is concerned, the Washington establishment may be able to ignore rising poverty and debt levels, crumbling infrastructure and other domestic problems to send more money to Ukraine in the short term, but in combination with other factors, the funding could become the straw that breaks the back of the US Empire over the long run, the academic believes.

“The long term consequences could be dire because the funding will be taking place in circumstances in which other big negative factors will be operating e.g., a weakening of the US dollar; a global shift from unilateral to multilateral power; a possible global financial collapse (starting with banks in the USA); and the great technological shift by which actual production is increasingly being done by the capital instruments rather than by human labor,” Dr. Shakespeare explained.

It’s unfortunate that the Biden administration and the entire US political class seems to have “deluded” themselves into thinking that the US economy is prosperous and doing well enough to continue pursuing imperious ambitions abroad, the economist added, warning that American society “is showing signs of a coming profound disintegration,” and US foreign policy only expected to hasten the process.

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Sanctions against Russia are not working, Harriet Baldwin, Chair of the UK House of Commons Treasury Select Committee, has admitted.

“There’s a general consensus that sanctions are not working in terms of their stated intent — causing real trouble for the Russian economy . . . The IMF are forecasting it’s going to be one of the strongest economies this year," Baldwin said in an interview with the FT.

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📹 WATCH: Russian T-80BVM tank wipes out a Ukrainian stronghold to the south of Donetsk.

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🔺Zelensky’s ‘delusional’ 10-year funding plan may be domino that topples US-led economic order

🔺Ex-Pentagon advisor says Russia’s Mideast clout 'very strong,' while US looks 'ridiculous'

🔺Burial Sites of Tortured Civilians Discovered in Avdeyevka — Russian Investigative Committee

🔺US economic growth is “unlikely to last” — IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva

🔺The only right is right to die for US? Ukraine regime ramps up assault on human rights

🔺Russian tanks give Ukrainian army Hell, wiping out its strongholds — officer

🔺Ukraine’s push for security pact with US sign of its 'looming military collapse' — ex-Pentagon analyst

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Ukraine is already receiving weapons that the US previously announced as part of a renewed military aid program, the White House stated

Texas state police have started arresting pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of Austin, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

“Hands off students,” students began shouting when the police officers started arresting the protesters.

“We need a medic,” one of the students shouted.

The state troopers have encircled the protesters' encampment on the university lawn, while legal observers from the Austin Lawyers Guild are surrounding the officers.

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