>>16029934 UN suspends Russia from Human Rights Council

Russia warned them yesterday, dont do this, now comes the pain of revelations of what this counsel actually does. Guaranteed a lot of dirt coming out on these countries that voted to suspend Russia!

7 Apr, 2022 15:54

UN suspends Russia from Human Rights Council

The US proposed the move after videos alleging atrocities in Bucha, Ukraine

The United Nations’ General Assembly voted on Thursday to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council. The US-proposed resolution received 93 votes, with 24 countries opposed and 58 abstaining.

China, a fellow permanent Security Council member, was a prominent “no” vote. Among the abstentions, the most prominent were India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.

US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield had called for Russia to be expelled from the 47-nation body on Monday, calling its participation a “farce,” after videos and photos from the town near Kiev showed dead bodies of what appeared to be civilians. Ukraine and the US accused Russia of a massacre, which Moscow has vehemently denied.

“We believe that the members of the Russian forces committed war crimes in Ukraine, and we believe that Russia needs to be held accountable,” Thomas-Greenfield said Monday.

When Moscow called for an emergency Security Council session on the investigation of the alleged atrocities, the UK – currently presiding – refused. The US and its allies instead chose to ratchet up sanctions against Russia, based entirely on Ukrainian allegations as the presumption of Russian guilt.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba cheered Thursday’s vote. “War criminals have no place in UN bodies aimed at protecting human rights. Grateful to all member states which supported the relevant UNGA resolution and chose the right side of history,” he tweeted.

Moscow has said that attempts to expel Russia from the Human Rights Council are political and undertaken by countries who seek to continue “the politics of neo-colonialism of human rights” in international relations.

Gennady Gatilov, Russia’s ambassador to the UN mission in Geneva, called the US resolution “unfounded and purely emotional bravado that looks good on camera — just how the US likes it,” and accused Washington of “exploiting” the Ukrainian crisis for its own benefit.

Back in June 2018, during the presidency of Donald Trump, the US resigned from the Human Rights Council itself, denouncing many of its members as “authoritarian governments” with “abhorrent human rights records.” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at the time that Washington “will not take lectures from hypocritical bodies and institutions, as America… selflessly gives its blood and treasure to help the defenseless.” The Biden administration returned to the UN body in October 2021.

https://www.rt.com/russia/553481-un-human-rights-council/

7 Apr, 2022 15:14

US withdraws from cybersecurity dialogue – Moscow

Russia has accused the White House of unilaterally pulling back from the negotiation process

Anything Trump was for, this Admin is against!

The United States has unilaterally closed communication channels with Russia regarding cybersecurity, Russian Security Council Deputy Secretary Oleg Khramov has said.

The two nations previously exchanged lists of critical internet infrastructure under the auspices of the Russian Security Council and the US National Security Council, after Moscow sent Washington proposals aimed at taking joint measures to protect both countries’ critical infrastructure from cyberattacks.

“The White House has now notified us that it is unilaterally withdrawing from the negotiation process and closing the communication channel,” Khramov announced.

Russia and the US previously agreed that it was “critically important” for the two countries to work together and “combine our efforts to fight cybercrime instead of barking at one another like dogs,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said after his summit with US President Joe Biden last summer.

Khramov claims that US Cyber Command is being actively pumped up with taxpayer dollars and intends to launch a preemptive cyberattack against Russia.

Washington previously accused Moscow of planning cyberattacks against the US out of “revenge” for the West’s sanctions; however, Khramov said Russia’s doctrine prevents it from carrying out these attacks, and that it is in fact the US that has forward “cyberbases” in countries such as Germany and the Baltic states, where he said there are hundreds of professional hackers working for the US.

Khramov also quoted a statement from the chief of the US Central Security Service, who stated that the US must “defend forward” and take the cyberspace war to the adversary, as is the case with traditional warfare, adding that “Persistent engagement of our adversaries in cyberspace cannot be successful if our actions are limited to DOD networks.”

https://www.rt.com/russia/553474-washington-withdrew-cybersecurity-dialogue/

7 Apr, 2022 14:42

HomeWorld News

EU Parliament approves total Russian energy ban

The resolution is non-binding, and some gas-dependent states may not comply

These people are crazy, all citizens should revolt, because it will harm them the worst and first!

The European Parliament passed a resolution on Thursday demanding “an immediate full embargo on Russian imports of oil, coal, nuclear fuel and gas.” The bloc’s legislature also demanded Russia be completely cut off from the SWIFT banking network and booted from international organizations.

The resolution, which is not legally binding and only advisory in nature, passed by 513 votes to 22 and 19 abstentions. The total embargo on Russian energy that it demands goes well beyond the EU’s existing plan to reduce its reliance on Russian gas by two thirds before the end of the year, and to phase out Russian fossil fuels before 2030.

Such a move could have significant consequences across Europe. Russia supplies around 40% of the EU’s imported gas and 27% of its oil. Some countries are even more heavily reliant on Russian energy, with more than half of Germany’s gas and a third of its oil coming from Russia. While German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed reticence at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demand for paying for Russian gas with rubles, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has warned that cutting off this vital energy source would grind the economy of Germany - Europe’s industrial powerhouse - to a halt.

For some gas- and oil-dependent countries, the parliament’s vote is likely to be ignored. In Hungary for example, Prime Minister Viktor Orban has stated that he will continue to buy Russian gas, and will pay for it in rubles. Budapest counts on Russia to deliver all of its gas, and Orban himself has declared an embargo “out of the question.”

Other countries have told their citizens to brace for energy rationing and sharp increases in the cost of living. So too has US President Joe Biden, who said during a visit last month that “eliminating Russian gas will have costs for Europe,” but “it’s not only the right thing to do from a moral standpoint… it's gonna put us on a much stronger strategic footing.”

American Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), a more expensive fuel that must be transported by ship to special delivery terminals, could alleviate a percentage of the continent’s demands.

Thursday’s resolution also called for Russia to be expelled from the UN Human Rights Council, Interpol, the World Trade Organisation, UNESCO and other international organizations, and for all of the country’s banks to be removed from the SWIFT banking network.

In addition, it demanded that arms shipments to Ukraine “must continue and be stepped up.” While individual countries within the EU have funneled arms to the Ukrainian military, the bloc as a whole broke with tradition in February when foreign policy chiefJosep Borrell announced that it would send nearly half a billion euros worth of “lethal aid” to Kiev.

Although Thursday’s resolution passed with overwhelming support, there was some dissent in the parliament. Irish MEP Clare Daly said that as a result of EU sanctions, “Russia is undeterred, while EU citizens face disastrous inflation, rocketing energy costs, and a historic decline in living standards.”

https://www.rt.com/news/553471-eu-parliament-russian-energy-ban/

7 Apr, 2022 13:53

West accused of ‘piracy’

Western sanctions were meant to rob Russia and hurt every one of its citizens, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin claims

I bet a lot of EU leaders regret the day they listened to the retard running the US, and getting involved with Ukraine! Russians are tough people, nothing will dissuade them from fulfilling their plan created over 8 years.

Western nations wanted to destroy the Russian economy with sanctions, some of which are in essence nothing short of outright piracy, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin warned on Thursday, as he delivered his yearly government performance report to parliament.

“Unfriendly nations found no better way than to return to the typical pirate practice, if we call a spade a spade. By freezing our assets, they de facto robbed the country,” the prime minister said.

Mishustin was referring to the decision to freeze Russian foreign reserves denominated in dollars and euros, which amounted to about $300 billion.

According to White House statements, theUS is trying to force Russia to default on its sovereign debt, having banned Moscow earlier this week from using funds under American jurisdiction to make payments on its loans. Officials said the Kremlin will now have to “choose between draining its available funds to make debt payments or default.”

Russia reportedly paid interest on its debt in rubles this week. It also announced that it would require buyers of its natural gas to make payments to a Russian bank, which will then exchange the money into rubles.

Moscow said the scheme was designed to protect its profits from being frozen. Some Western nations buying Russian fuel have declared they will not pay in rubles because the current contracts do not require them to do so.

During his report to the lawmakers, Mishustin conceded that the economic pressure against the country has had a serious effect. “The current situation can be called without reservation the most difficult in the three decades of [modern] Russian history,” he said.

However, the PM insisted that his government could deal with the issues presented by the Western moves. “Those who are trying to isolate us and cut us out of the world economy will fail,” he said. “Our nation is integrated into the global processes.”

He called on opposition factions in the parliament to rally behind the government and help it steer the nation through the crisis. Doing so is necessary to protect the interests of the Russian people, he said.

“Whatever disputes we may have about the development of the country and various parts of life in it, I am certain that we are united on the goals of defending our citizens and national security,” he said.

The US and its allies targeted Russia with an unprecedented number of economic sanctions in retaliation to Moscow’s military attack against Ukraine in late February. Mishustin said Western nations launched the onslaught “to stir panic and hurt everyone” in Russia.

“The architects of the strategy expected this sanctions storm to destroy our economy within days. This scenario did not come to fruition,” the prime minister said.

https://www.rt.com/russia/553465-russian-reserves-piracy-mishustin/

7 Apr, 2022 14:58

Kremlin sets timetable for Russia’s economic recovery

At least six months are needed to offset the impact of the sanctions, the prime minister says

The Russian economy is currently facing its most challenging situation in three decades, but the West will not succeed in its attempts to isolate the country, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told the State Duma on Thursday. He said that Russia will need at least six months to rebuild its economy from the impact of the unprecedented wave of Western sanctions.

“The economy needs time to rebuild. It is impossible with such a blow not to have at least six months to rebuild,” Mishustin said, commenting on the deputies’ proposals to create a real and working import substitution system in Russia.

The prime minister explained that the government is taking all possible measures to support enterprises, set up new production chains and stimulate employment. Businesses, for their part, must also adequately assess their capabilities, he noted. The situation provided room for new business opportunities, as foreign companies leaving Russia would make space for others.

Moreover, Moscow has allies and partners with which it will continue working, and there are those who want to build businesses there. The authorities will continue supporting investors, including foreign ones, planning to strengthen cooperation with EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union) partners, Mishustin said.

“Now, this is a powerful incentive to look at and arrange either full import substitution in our country, or find new chains in friendly countries. We understand this perfectly, and our entire policy is aimed at this,” he stressed.

https://www.rt.com/business/553461-russia-timetable-economic-recovery/

7 Apr, 2022 12:40

HomeBusiness News

Oil major reveals the cost of leaving Russia

Shell to write off as much as $5 billion in assets due to exit

Shell was probably promised by Potato that we would give them the money back!

British oil giant Shell has confirmed a potential hit to the company of €3.7-€4.6 billion ($4 to $5 billion) from offloading its Russian assets as the company decided to pull out of the country amid Western sanctions.

“For the first quarter 2022 results, the post-tax impact from impairment of non-current assets and additional charges (e.g. write-downs of receivable, expected credit losses, and onerous contracts) relating to Russia activities are expected to be $4 to $5 billion,” the London-based multinational said in a statement on Thursday.

Further details of the impact of ongoing developments in Ukraine will be set out in Shell’s first-quarter earnings report on May 5.

Shell announced plans to “withdraw from its involvement in all Russian hydrocarbons” in March, citing Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine. The company also said it would immediately cease all spot purchases of Russian crude oil.

Later, the oil company had to apologize for purchasing Russian crude in March, pledging to commit the profits to humanitarian aid for Ukraine.

“Shell has not renewed longer-term contracts for Russian oil, and will only do so under explicit government direction, but we are legally obliged to take delivery of crude bought under contracts that were signed before the invasion,” the latest statement reads.

Shell’s share price fell 1.8% in early trade on Thursday.

https://www.rt.com/business/553454-shell-exit-russia-losses/

7 Apr, 2022 12:00

Russian Railways blocked from paying Western bondholders

The company is on the UK sanctions list, preventing payments

Russian Railways (RZD) said on Thursday it was unable to make coupon payments on its dollar-denominated Eurobonds on time due to technical problems with Western banks. The company was hit with UK sanctions last month, so any bond payments are considered frozen assets and blocked on the account of the agent bank.

RZD was supposed to redeem the issue of Eurobonds with a nominal volume of about $605 million on April 5 and pay interest on it. However, the issuer of Eurobonds, RZD Capital, was unable to obtain funds from Russian Railways to pay the holders of the debt securities. The received funds were blocked on the accounts of RZD Capital, which makes it impossible to transfer them to bondholders.

Russian Railways was hit with British sanctions on March 24. The company said it is taking all available actions to fulfill its obligations to the holders of securities. It had applied to the UK Financial Sanctions Enforcement Authority (OFSI) for a license to service its debt obligations. However, it could take several weeks to process the request, RZD says.

Earlier, Russian Railways failed to make coupon payments on Eurobonds denominated in rubles, Swiss francs, and British pounds on time. It has warned that payments on Eurobonds may be delayed or suspended indefinitely by the relevant payment agents or correspondent banks due to their internal compliance procedures.

https://www.rt.com/business/553451-russian-railways-blocked-paying-bondholders/

>>16030751

So all those senators brought the judgement of God & Jesus down upon their heads today. The final judgement is on its way for them, God is sending millstones

NYT's Top Editor Orders Reporters To "Meaningfully Reduce" Twitter Usage As Musk Joins Company's Board

The company know the lie and dont want them banned, and this proves twitter was always a propaganda outlet for the left

Tyler Durden's Photo

BY TYLER DURDEN

THURSDAY, APR 07, 2022 - 12:25 PM

How's this for interesting timing?

Just days after Elon Musk - a self-described "free speech absolutist" - unveiled a 9.2% stake in Twitter and was rewarded with a seat on the company's board, eliciting cheers from Republicans and conservatives who have long seen their speech suppressed on the platform, the NYT's executive editor has reportedly ordered the paper's army of reporters (many of whom are among the platform's most closely followed journalists) to reduce the amount of time they spend tweeting.

The order from the NYT comes as Musk has promised to make 'significant improvements' to the platform. He had previously opined that the Twitter algorithm should be open source. Conservatives have also used the platform to lobby Musk to reinstate Trump's twitter account.

Citing an internal memo, Business Insider reports that NYT Executive Editor Dean Baquet on Thursday ordered his staff to consider a Twitter "reset", and that using the platform is now "purely optional" for its journalists.

"If you do choose to stay on, we encourage you to meaningfully reduce how much time you're spending on the platform, tweeting or scrolling, in relation to other parts of your job," he wrote.

He also claimed the NYT would step up efforts to support reporters who find themselves on the receiving end of "harassment" on the platform (following the viral interview with former NYT staffer Taylor Lorenz, who wept during an interview with MSNBC while describing the targeted harassment she has experienced on social media).

"This is an industry-wide scourge, but we are determined to take action," he wrote.

Baquet also demanded that reporters and all NYT employees refrain from attacking one another on the platform.

Baquet also said that "tweets or subtweets that attack, criticize or undermine the work of your colleagues are not allowed."

We can't help but notice how this last requirement follows an incident at rival the Washington Post, where reporter Felicia Sonmez publicly attacked her editors for barring her from covering issues related to sexual assault (a lawsuit she filed against the paper was later thrown out by a judge).

But left-wing journalists aren't the only ones who are clearly anxious about Musk's plans for Twitter. Several Twitter employees have anonymously complained to media outlets about their 'concerns' that Musk might roll back policies governing 'harmful' and 'abusive' content on the platform.

https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/nyts-top-editor-orders-reporters-meaningfully-reduce-twitter-usage-musk-joins-companys