BRUSSELS, March 15 (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators on Tuesday raided several automotive companies and associations in several countries on suspicion of breaching the bloc's cartel rules.

The European Commission also sent companies requests for information, it said without disclosing company names.

"The inspections and requests for information concern possible collusion in relation to the collection, treatment and recovery of end-of-life cars and vans which are considered waste," the EU competition enforcer said in a statement.

German carmaker BMW said it has received a request for information and would respond.

Mercedes Benz (MBGn.DE) said it does not expect to be fined because it is a leniency applicant and is cooperating extensively with the Commission and the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

Ford (F.N) said in a statement that it had been served with a notice by CMA "relating to the recycling of old or written-off vehicles, specifically cars and vans, also known as end-of-life vehicles".

"Given the situation is ongoing it would be inappropriate for us to say more at this stage except to state that we will fully cooperate with the CMA's review," the U.S. carmaker said.

Renault (RENA.PA) said it "confirms that it was visited today by European Commission investigators" and is cooperating fully.

Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) and its premium brand Audi both declined to comment. Carmakers Stellantis (STLA.MI) and Ferrari (RACE.MI) did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The CMA also opened an investigation into a number of unnamed vehicle makers and some industry bodies and said it was cooperating with the Commission. read more

Companies found breaching EU cartel rules face fines up to 10% of their global turnover.

The Commission has in the past decade issued fines totalling about 2.2 billion euros ($2.4 billion) against car parts cartels dealing in products ranging from brakes to wire harnesses, seat belts and air bags.

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/eu-antitrust-regulators-raid-auto-companies-associations-several-eu-countries-2022-03-15/

NATO nations to meet in Brussels on March 24, says Stoltenberg

BRUSSELS, March 15 (Reuters) - NATO leaders will meet in Brussels on March 24 to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the alliance's chief wrote on Twitter.

"I have convened an extraordinary Summit on 24 March at NATO HQ," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg wrote. "We will address Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, our strong support for Ukraine, and further strengthening NATO’s deterrence & defence. At this critical time, North America & Europe must continue to stand together."

https://www.reuters.com/world/nato-nations-meet-brussels-march-24-says-stoltenberg-2022-03-15/

>>15868622

Biden expected to join EU leaders in Brussels on March 24 to discuss Ukraine

https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-expected-join-eu-leaders-brussels-march-24-discuss-ukraine-2022-03-15/

>>15867120 lb IF THAT PERSON GOT THEIR INFORMATION FROM THIS TWEET, IT WAS AN OLD VIDEO AND NOT SURE IT WAS CORRECT TRANSLATION OR IF PUTIN EVEN SAID THAT (DECEMBER 2021)

leigha

@li_leigha

·

21h

On Russian TV, Putin says that the NWO (New World Order) has been defeated!

https://twitter.com/BettySh72342155/status/1503523811517505537

Betty Shields

@BettySh72342155

This is the link you are looking for with Putin telling Russians NWO was defeated.

GESARA - Putin kicks The New World Order

Dec 8, 2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQZ2f_Z8gGE

>>15868885

China and Russia were working together BEFORE Russia invaded Ukraine

On February 4, 2022 (10 days before Russia invaded Ukraine), the BBC reported:

"China would support Russia's foreign policy aims and it supports Russian demands that NATO halt it's expansion.

"That is seen as an implicit reference to the situation in Ukraine."

Vladimir Putin: Is it for treatment?

Veronika Skvortsova: Yes, for treatment.

Meeting with Head of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency Veronika Skvortsova

Vladimir Putin had a working meeting with Head of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency (FMBA) Veronika Skvortsova.

The President was updated on the main areas of the Agency’s activities, including continued efforts against the spread of COVID-19, such as the creation of the AmpliTest diagnostic test kit, the Mir-19 antiviral medication and the Convasel vaccine against the coronavirus.

• • *

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon.

Head of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency Veronika Skvortsova: Good afternoon, Mr President.

Our task was to create a new antiviral triad: a test system, an antiviral medication and a vaccine against the coronavirus.

Since March 2020, we have created a series of high-precision and high-sensitivity AmpliTest kits. We started by creating test kits for the SARS-Cov-2 virus and then proceeded to create the AmpliTest system to detect, differentiate and identify its new strains. In particular, we created test kits for the Alpha, Beta and Gamma strains in March 2021 and for Delta and Delta Plus in July 2021. In early December, we created an AmpliTest kit, which can be used to detect three variants of the Omicron strain.

This is important because it helps us to evaluate the epidemiological situation, forecast its future course with due regard to the fundamentally different properties of the Omicron and Delta strains, and to make the necessary calculations for our medical organisations.

In December, we registered a medicine, Mir, the world’s first medication based on viral interference. It is a precision gene engineering preparation that switches off one of the sites of the SARS-CoV-2 virus genome, the most conservative one that does not change in all known lines.

Vladimir Putin: Is it for treatment?

Veronika Skvortsova: Yes, for treatment. Actually, it is an antidote, because it can reduce the viral load by 10,000 times and does not affect the human genome in the process. It is a highly secure medication that is not toxic to humans. But at the same time it works after the first inhalation. When inhaled, dendrimeric peptide in the preparation targets the delivery of the active ingredient to the upper and lower respiratory tracts.

The medication was registered in December, in the first instance, for moderately and seriously ill inpatients. Currently, research is being conducted at the outpatient level in order to use the medication whenever a patient tests positive for COVID-19. It is most effective at this stage. Experience shows that three inhalations per day for five days is enough to turn a positive PCR test into a negative one.

The medication was devised by the Institute of Immunology.

Vladimir Putin: In St Petersburg?

Veronika Skvortsova: … In Moscow, but it is produced by the St Petersburg Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums at its facilities.

Yet another medication, Leitragin, which we registered last year, also switches off one of the sites of the SARS-CoV-2 virus genome. But it is a pathogenic rather than an aetiotropic antiviral medication, which makes it possible to fully prevent the development of cytokine storm in moderately ill patients. It is also an inhaled medicine.

We have 35 research centres, all of which are working hard.

This is all we can report for now, but we have a lot of interesting R&D options under way.

Vladimir Putin: I see. And what about this?

Veronika Skvortsova: This is AmpliTest, as I said, a testing of Omicron and it variants. And Delta, separately.

Vladimir Putin: I see.

Veronika Skvortsova: It is produced by the Centre for Strategic Planning, also the FMBA’s research centre.

Vladimir Putin: All right. Thank you very much.

http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/67987

>>15869187

The President of Russia also congratulated President-Elect of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov on winning the March 12 presidential election

Telephone conversation with President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President-Elect of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov

Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimu

Vladimir Putin warmly thanked the President of Turkmenistan for his major personal contribution to expanding bilateral relations. He expressed confidence that, as Speaker of the upper house of Parliament, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov would continue to facilitate more profound strategic partnership between both countries.

The President of Russia also congratulated President-Elect of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov on winning the March 12 presidential election and wished him every success in this responsible position.

Earlier, Vladimir Putin sent a related congratulatory message to Serdar Berdimuhamedov.

http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/67988