12 May, 2022 13:43

Russia set to reap largest-ever wheat harvest

This year’s production is set to total 87 million tons, according to President Putin

Russia is expecting a bumper crop this year, including a record wheat harvest, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, citing preliminary data.

“A good harvest is expected this year. According to experts – of course, these are preliminary estimates – grain harvest can reach 130 million tons, including 87 million tons of wheat,” Putin said, noting that “this can become a record [wheat harvest] in the entire history of Russia.”

According to the Russian president, such a result “will allow not only to meet domestic needs with a margin, but also to increase supplies to the global market for our partners, which is very important for the world food markets.”

Putin added that a number of countries are facing the threat of famine,pointing out that the blame for that lies entirely on “the Western elites.”

Russia’s largest grain harvest was recorded in 2017, which came in at 135.5 million tons, including 86 million tons of wheat.

In 2020, the figure was 133.5 million tons of grain (including 85.9 million tons of wheat). Last year, the harvest stood at 121.4 million tons (with 76 million tons of wheat).

Russia is projected to retain its leadership in the world's wheat market in the coming years.

(Russia really knows how to rub their success in the face of EU and US trying to destroy them)

https://www.rt.com/business/555364-russia-record-wheat-harvest/

Two large military helos just flew over in N GA, i didnt get great pictures, but they were really loud

12 May, 2022 15:48

Moscow reacts to deadly cross-border attack

The Kremlin is calling for additional measures to strengthen security at the Ukraine border

Additional steps will be necessary to strengthen security in Russia’s regions bordering Ukraine because of repeated shelling by Kiev’s forces, President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

This comes after a Ukrainian artillery strike on Solokhi, a village in Belgorod Region located about 11 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, left seven Russian civilians injured and one dead on Wednesday.

“First and foremost, this is a situation that indicates the necessity to introduce additional measures to strengthen security in regions bordering Ukraine,” Peskov told a press briefing.

He added that the Russian military could comment on other measures that might need to be taken in connection with such attacks.

On Wednesday, Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote about the attack on Solokhi on social media, adding that 17 houses and six cars were damaged as a result of the shelling and that a 14-year-old boy was among the injured.

Belgorod Region has been shelled by Ukrainian forces several times in recent weeks, but the attack of Solokhi is the first one that has resulted in a confirmed civilian death.

Russia’s Defense Ministry has previously warned that it would intensify strikes on targets in Ukraine if the country’s armed forces continued carrying out attacks within Russia. The ministry’s spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov stated that “if such attempts continue, the Russian Federation’s Armed Forces will strike at the decision-making centers, including Kiev – something we have so far refrained from.”

(This is the third Russia has told them they will be attacked if they continue to attacks within Russian)

https://www.rt.com/russia/555380-russia-ukraine-shelling-reaction-measures/

12 May, 2022 15:34

US reveals steps to track hypersonic missiles

Two prototype spacecraft are set to be launched in 2023, the US missile defense boss has said

(It’s perplexing to me why the west always reveals their plans!)

The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is seeking to launch prototype satellites to track, monitor, and issue early warnings from space. The satellites will be used to track hypersonic, cruise, and ballistic missiles, MDA director Vice Admiral Jon A. Hill told the House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee panel on Wednesday.

The agency is currently developing the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) program, with two prototype satellites set to be launched in 2023. The HBTSS satellites will play “two major roles” in the upcoming tracking system, Hill told the panel.

“The first is to pick up the dim targets that cannot be seen by the current architecture today. So, from a ballistic perspective, we’re seeing changes there that make that fight much more challenging,” Hill explained.

But when you get to the advanced hypersonic threat, which has a global maneuver capability, we need the ability to see it from space – so global coverage and that very close proximity from space to track those sensors.

The agency is closely cooperating with the US Space Command, with Deputy Commander Lieutenant General John E. Shaw telling the panel it was “interested in any capabilities that are going to help us with any of these threats.”

“As MDA has pursued this particular program, HBTSS, the advantage of this is that we have a perspective from space that is invaluable and will allow us to get after a lot of these threats,” he said.

When put into orbit, the two satellites will “monitor tests” in the Indo-Pacific region, Hill said. “We’ll collect that data as a way to proof out that concept. We did a lot of work on the ground to show that we can extract those hot targets over a warm Earth. Now it’s about getting it into space and pulling that data down,” the official added.

While the official did not elaborate on what or whose “tests” exactly the spacecraft would be watching, deploying them to monitor the Indo-Pacific region could potentially mean they would be used to monitor China’s activities. In recent years, China has become a major player in the hypersonic missiles field, successfully testing the cutting edge technology.

Russia is another country that has been actively developing hypersonic missiles and glider vehicles, with some of them, namely the air-launched Kinzhal missiles, already adopted by the country’s military.

While the US has experienced a series of setbacks in developing hypersonic missiles of its own, it has already conducted a handful of successful tests. The latest test of one of the prototypes, the Lockheed Martin version of the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) was performed last week, according to the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

“We are still analyzing flight test data, but are confident that we will provide the US Air Force and Navy with excellent options to diversify the technology available for their future missions,”Andrew Knoedler, DARPA’s HAWC program manager for the tactical technology office, said.

https://www.rt.com/news/555368-us-hypersonic-missiles-tracking/

12 May, 2022 15:49

Russia stops gas transit through Poland

Moscow’s counter-sanctions ban the use of the Polish section of the Yamal-Europe pipeline

Russian energy major Gazprom said on Thursday it will not be able to use the Polish section of the Yamal-Europe pipeline for gas transit to Europe due to Moscow’s retaliatory sanctions.

Company spokesman Sergey Kupriyanov specified that the site belongs to EuRoPol GAZ, which is a joint venture between Gazprom and Polish gas major PGNiG. The latter is the operator of the Polish part of the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline.

On Wednesday, Moscow approved a list of companies in respect of which it will apply special economic measures. The list consists of 31 firms, including Polish EuRoPol GAZ, as well as the former German unit of Gazprom. The Russian-owned subsidiary was seized by the German authorities last month and could potentially be nationalized.

“For Gazprom, this means a ban on the use of a gas pipeline owned by EuRoPol GAZ to transport Russian gas through Poland,” the company said on its official Telegram channel.

Russian President Vladimir Putin decreed on May 3 that no Russian entity will be allowed to make deals with those on the sanctions list, or even fulfil its obligations under existing deals.

The decree forbids the export of products and raw materials to people and entities on the sanctions list.

Putin said the decree was in response to the illegal actions of the US and its allies meant to deprive Russia and its citizens and legal entities of property rights or to restrict their property rights.

The Yamal-Europe gas pipeline passes through Russia, Belarus, Poland, and Germany. Russia supplies nearly 40% of Europe’s overall gas demand, and this route accounts for nearly 15% of the country’s westbound deliveries. The pipeline has been operating in reverse mode recently, sending gas from Germany to Poland after Warsaw refused to accept Moscow’s demand to pay in rubles.

https://www.rt.com/business/555379-russia-stops-gas-transit-poland/

12 May, 2022 12:04

Russia responds to food crisis accusations

By blaming Moscow for causing the food crisis, Washington is deliberately turning the situation on its head, says Russia’s ambassador to the US

The US is deliberately turning the situation “upside down” when it claims that the food supply crisis was caused by Russia's special operation in Ukraine and allegedly its actions in the Black and Azov seas, Moscow’s Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov told journalists on Wednesday.

"The Kiev authorities are mining the waters of ports, preventing ships from delivering provisions and other goods to other states. At the same time, our efforts to coordinate the opening of humanitarian corridors continue to be ignored," he claimed, as cited by the Russian Embassy’s Telegram channel.

The diplomat went on to say that Washington persistently refuses to take responsibility for its “foreign economic blunders.”

"[US] claims that anti-Russian restrictions allegedly do not harm our food and fertilizer supplies do not stand up to scrutiny. Apparently, attempts to isolate the Russian financial system and undermine the transport sector capabilities do not count," he stated.

According to Antonov, Moscow is deeply concerned about the situation in global food markets and will continue to fulfill its obligations under international export agreements in terms of agricultural goods and fertilizers.

The US has repeatedly aссused Russia of “disrupting the global food system.” On Wednesday, American President Joe Biden claimed that Moscow’s actions in Ukraine were to be blamed not only for the global food supply shortages, but also for rising prices on American soil. He stated that the US “is fighting on two fronts.”

“At home, it’s inflation and rising prices. Abroad, it’s helping Ukrainians defend their democracy and feeding those who are left hungry around the world because Russian atrocities exist,” Biden said during a visit to an Illinois farm.

Earlier this week, Antonov warned that the US “has been swamped by a wave of Russophobia fuelled by the media at the instigation of the ruling circles.”

"The situation has taken the worst forms of the anti-communist paranoia and witch-hunt of the McCarthy era," he told Newsweek in an interview published on Wednesday.

According to Antonov, “the unprecedentedly wide-spreading campaign to cancel everything Russian is accompanied by baseless and sweeping accusations against our country aimed at creating an image of Russia as an outcast."

He pointed out that even during the Cold War, Moscow and Washington continued cultural, educational and scientific contacts. The diplomatexpressed hope that common sense would prevail and “help end the dangerous game of canceling Russia, bordering on the ideas of racial superiority."

https://www.rt.com/russia/555361-russia-food-crisis-ukraine/

>>16261375

Yeah we never see them here

>>16261330

I wouldnt be surprised if they are putting drugs in the water. Soy bois showed up quickly

>>16261316

If one country loses it, there are so many weapons on earth, the world will explode in a short period if time.

12 May, 2022 08:51

Ukraine to seize Russian banks

(Shithole country steals more money from sovereign nations again and again)

The Kiev government decided to strip the property rights of Sberbank and VEB.RF

The authorities in Kiev will forcibly seize the assets of two major Russian banks in the country, Sberbank and VEB.RF, according to media reports citing a decision published on the website of the Supreme Council of Ukraine on Thursday.

According to the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine from May 11, approved on the same day by a decree of the president of Ukraine, Kiev will withdraw 99.8% of the shares of Prominvestbank (PIB) owned by Russian state corporation VEB.RF, and 100% of the shares of the International Reserve Bank (MR Bank), owned by Sberbank of Russia.

Financial assets will also be withdrawn in the form of rights to claim the liabilities of VEB.RF to Prominvestbank for 0.93 billion Ukrainian hryvnia (around $30 million) and Sberbank of Russia to MR Bank for 14.9 billion hryvnia ($491 million).

In addition, other financial assets of these subsidiaries of Russian banks are to be withdrawn, with the exception of 3 billion hryvnia ($98 million) of MR Bank assets, which will be used to satisfy the requirements of its creditors.

On February 25, a day after Russia launched its military offensive in Ukraine, the National Bank of Ukraine revoked licenses from the two subsidiaries of Russian banks under state control. On April 8, the regulator announced that it proposed nationalizing the assets of the banks, while the head of the NBU, Kirill Shevchenko, later said that about 26 billion hryvnia (around $857 million) from the banks’ assets could be directed to the country’s state income as cash, domestic government bonds, and certificates of deposit.

VEB.RF said that it would demand compensation for the losses due to the seizure of its assets by Ukraine in international courts.

https://www.rt.com/business/555346-ukraine-sberbank-veb-assets/

12 May, 2022 13:16

HomeRussia & FSU

EU member paves way to demolishing Soviet memorial

The Latvian parliament voted in favor of stripping legal protection from war monuments

Latvian lawmakers have overwhelmingly voted to renounce part of a treaty with Russia in which Riga committed to protect and maintain war memorials in the country. Thursday’s move opens the door to the removal of a monument to Soviet soldiers who liberated Riga from Nazi occupation during World War II. The location serves as a focal point for civil confrontation over the country’s historical relations with Russia.

A 1994 agreement between Moscow and Riga on the protection of retired Russian servicemen living in Latvia includes an article on the preservation of memorials. The Latvian government pledged to preserve the sites and to allow war veterans to be buried at military cemeteries. TheRussian side reciprocated by pledging to take care of memorials and burial sites of Latvian victimsof wars and Soviet government repressions.

In a 68-18 vote on Thursday, the Latvian parliament approved the disavowal of its commitments in order to lift the legal restrictions against demolishing Soviet-era war memorials in the country. Proponents have one particular site in mind – a memorial complex erected in Riga in 1985 to commemorate the Soviet soldiers who liberated the Latvian capital from Nazi occupation. The site includes statues of Soviet soldiers and a female figure representing the Motherland.

Latvians celebrating Victory Day on May 9 flock to the location each year to lay flowers in honor of their ancestors. This year, the event became a flashpoint after the city authorities advised people not to participate, and later used a tractor to dispose of the flowers left at the memorial. The removal on Tuesday backfired, as scores of outraged people returned with more flowers.

Latvian nationalists have been calling for the demolition of the memorial for years. In 1997, members of a radical organization planted a bomb in an attempt to damage the memorial, but the IED went off prematurely and killed two of them.

One of the MPs supporting the demolition called it a symbol of Soviet occupation – and by extension, of Russia’s attack against Ukraine – during the debate in parliament on Thursday.

“It has no place in our nation and the capital. That’s what the majority believes. By taking this decision, we will secure the right to determine for ourselves what happens with Soviet monuments in our country,” Krista Baumane of the AP! alliance said, as cited by local media.

Some opposition legislators argued that the proposal was a political ploy to whip up voter support ahead of the October general election. The city mayor said on Thursday that it was highly unlikely that the proposed demolition would happen before then.

Moscow did not immediately react to the news officially, but Foreign Ministry spokeswomanMaria Zakharova commented on social media with a single word: “ghouls.”

https://www.rt.com/russia/555367-riga-war-memorial-parliament/

12 May, 2022 09:39

Treat Russia like Nazi Germany – Poland

Putin is more dangerous than Hitler and Stalin and is out to get the West, Morawiecki claimed

Russian nationalism is a mortal threat to the world and the West must do to Moscow what was once done to Nazi Germany, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki wrote in an opinion piece published by Britain’s Telegraph newspaper on Tuesday. He left out the part that ‘denazification’ of Germany came after its military defeat but said “deputinization” of Russia must start “immediately”, warning that the Western “soul” would be in peril otherwise.

Morawiecki is one of the most vocal critics of Russia and President Putin, whom he has compared to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin on many occasions. The new article made the same equation, but focused on the brand of Russian nationalism that, according to Morawiecki, Moscow uses as the rationale to pursue malign and highly dangerous policies.

The Polish official has a grim view of the Russian worldview, he explained. The so-called “Russian world” is an imperialist ideology, “the equivalent of 20th-century communism and Nazism”, he insisted, “through which Russia justifies invented rights and privileges for its country.”

Russian nationalism “is a cancer which is consuming not only the majority of Russian society, but also poses a deadly threat to the whole of Europe,” the prime minister added. “Therefore, it is not enough to support Ukraine in its military struggle with Russia. We must root out this monstrous new ideology entirely.”

The Polish official identified Putin as the linchpin of Russia’s stance. While he is “neither Hitler nor Stalin,” Putin is “unfortunately … more dangerous” thanks to deadlier weapons at his disposal, like social media, Morawiecki said.

“Not so long ago, Poland engaged in an information war with Russia over the genesis of the Second World War. We won; but Putin achieved his goals. He infected the internet with millions of instances of fake news,” he said. He was referring to Warsaw’s long-held position that Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union were equally to blame for the conflict. Moscow calls it historical revisionism that insults the sacrifices made by the Soviet people to defeat the Nazis.

Morawiecki stopped short of openly calling on NATO members to go to war against Russia, but implied it was the necessary course, calling for Russia to be given the same treatment as Nazi Germany after it was defeated.

“Just as Germany was once subject to denazification, today the only chance for Russia and the civilized world is ‘deputinisation’. If we do not engage in this task immediately, we will not only lose Ukraine, we will lose our soul and our freedom and sovereignty, as well,” he said.

He claimed that Russia “has set out on a long march towards the West” and the only choice that Poland and other Western nations had was on where to stop the country.

(These people are really sick)

https://www.rt.com/news/555351-morawiecki-russian-nationalism-cancer/

12 May, 2022 16:45

HomeWorld News

Met police referrals for Partygate top 100

The PM has been spared further fines as the investigation continues

The UK Metropolitan Police have issued another round of fixed penalty notices to government officials who violated lockdown regulations, with the total number of such fines topping out at over 100, a statement from the agency revealed on Thursday.

The announcement comes less than a month after the last round of fines, issued to attendees at a BYOB party in May 2020 attended by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Attendees were invited to that gathering for “socially distanced drinks in the No.10 garden this evening,” and the PM acknowledged his own attendance, insisting he believed “implicitly that this was a work event.”

Police had refused to say anything regarding the latest round of FPNs in the days preceding last Thursday’s local elections, even as reports began to trickle out that officials were being fined for the party. The authorities cited restrictions around communicating before the vote in explaining why they waited until May 5 to provide further updates.

Johnson was not fined for the May party, and has thus far only received one £50 FPN – for attending his own birthday party in June 2020. The police have been investigating a total of 12 events for potentially violating Covid-19 restrictions, including a so-called ‘Abba party’ which Johnson insisted was a permitted work event despite the loud music heard emanating from the Downing Street flat at the time.

While the PM’s defenders have attempted to downplay the violations, Labour leader Keir Starmer has demanded he resign along with Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who was also fined for attending the PM’s birthday party. No sitting PM had previously been found guilty of breaking the law, the PM’s detractors point out.

Fewer than a quarter of Britons polled last month said they thought Johnson was telling the truth when he said he didn’t realize the party he was attending was illegal, and nearly half of respondents suggested he should resign – including a quarter of those in his own Conservative Party.

https://www.rt.com/news/555384-partygate-referrals-top-100-johnson/

12 May, 2022 01:34

HomeWorld News

US sets intelligence ‘rules’ for Ukraine – media

The guidelines are designed to support Kiev while keeping the US out of the war, officials tell the Washington Post

The US has developed rules on sharing intelligence with Ukraine thatwould give Washington plausible deniabilitywhile providing Kiev with as much information as possible to attack the Russian military. This is according to the Washington Post, quoting unnamed officials, on Wednesday, after days of media claims about the extent of Americaninvolvement in the conflict.

The US is giving Kiev real-time information about the location and movement of Russian forces, including satellite imagery and intelligence from “sensitive” sources, US and Ukrainian officials told the outlet. One Ukrainian described the information as “very good. It tells us where the Russians are so that we can hit them.”

Last week, however, the anonymous officials apparently shared a little too much with the media, crediting US intelligence with the – alleged – Ukrainian missile strike on the Russian cruiser Moskva in April. On Friday, NBC News reported that President Joe Biden personally told both the CIA and the Pentagon to stop leaking to the media, calling it counterproductive.

The chairman of Russia’s State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, reacted to that report by saying the US was taking direct part in hostilities in Ukraine and that its leaders should be added to “the list of war criminals.”

Officials who spoke to the Postwere eager to explain that the US has technically not crossed that line. The White House has banned the sharing of two types of intelligence, they said. The first is “detailed information that would help Ukraine kill Russian leadership figures, such as the most senior military officers or ministers,” but not generals in the field. The second prohibited category includes any information pertaining to targets on Russian territory, and is “meant in part to keep the United States from becoming a party to attacks that Ukraine might launch inside Russia,” according to the Post.

Both rules appear to address recent Western media reports claiming that US intelligence has helped the Ukrainians sink the Moskva and kill several Russian generals.

While the US is “self-limiting to strategic leadership on paper,” it is not “actively helping [Ukrainians] kill generals of any kind,” one senior Pentagon official reportedly told the Post. So if a particular general is spotted at a location, the US will not tell Ukraine this – but will share information about the location of command and control facilities, where Russian senior generals tend to be present, other officials said. According to their explanation, if Ukraine then chose to attack such a facility and kill a Russian general in the process, technically the US wouldn’t have “targeted” him andWashington’s hands would be clean.

Similar sophistry was invoked in the Pentagon’s official explanation of the US role in the alleged attack on the Moskva, with officials saying only that US intelligence “helped confirm” the ship’s identity to the Ukrainians, which reportedly led to the decision to use the scarce Neptune missiles against the cruiser. According to Kiev and the Pentagon, the Ukrainian military fired two Neptunes and struck the Moskva. Russia said the cruiser was damaged in an on-board ammunition explosion and later sank in stormy seas.

https://www.rt.com/news/555339-us-ukraine-intelligence-sharing-rules/

11 May, 2022 15:27

HomeWorld News

Government will give away one million cannabis plants – media

Having legalized the drug, the Thai authorities will reportedly distribute cannabis to citizens

Thailand’s Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul gas announced that the national government will distribute one million free cannabis plants to households across the country in June to encourage Thais to grow marijuana at home, CNN reported on Wednesday.

The news follows the kingdom’s decision in January allowing its citizens to cultivate cannabis plants after notifying their local government. The plant, however, can only be used for medical purposes and cannabis cannot be distributed commercially without an appropriate license. The new rule will come into force on June 9.

Thailand’s cannabis advocates have argued that allowing households such opportunities will help the predominantly agricultural nation boost its economic recovery after the Covid pandemic.

“This will enable people and the government to generate more than 10 billion baht [per year] in revenuefrom marijuana and hemp,” argued the health minister. “People can showcase their cannabis and hemp-related products wisdom and sell their products nationwide,” he added, urging Thais to grow as many cannabis plants as they like.

While most of its neighbors have strict drug laws, in 2018, the Kingdom of Thailand became the first South Asian nation to legalize medical marijuana. Since then, it has been legal in Thailand to sell cannabis products with less than 0.2 per cent THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana. Recreational use of the drug is still outlawed in the country.

https://www.rt.com/news/555322-thailand-cannabis-free-distribute/

>>16261537

Good title and true. Ukraine is a pit of hate and crime…they will not give up until Ukraine and Russia is blown up

Anyone thinking this will end with peace are missing all the onbious clues, they want war, they need war, something extremely despicable with all these leaders marching the world to war

Russia will not be blown up, but Russia should expose everything they have been hiding now so they cant hide it later. Expose all of it!

>>16261400

So true the bankers are pissed, they are really pissed that Russia had two missions and Russia has not gone on gull scale attack on Ukraine. Althought they havd desperately tried to egg on Russia, they will not take the bait.

There diplomats are impressive, Lavrov is really genius in his handling of commentary

Czech President Milos Zeman has granted 103 citizens of his country a special exemption, allowing them to join the Ukrainian military, his office reported on Wednesday. Some 400 volunteers had applied for a waiver with the goal of fighting for Ukraine against Russia, according to official figures.

Prague requires special permission signed by the president and the prime minister to serve in a foreign military force. Otherwise, they face prosecution at home and potentially a five-year prison term. According to local media, some Czech citizens are already fighting in Ukraine.

The exceptions from criminal liability signed by the president this week were part of an agreement reached with Prime Minister Petr Fiala in March. At the time, Zeman argued against giving permission to volunteers to join Ukrainian forces. Commenting on the waivers on Wednesday, his spokesman said the president favored all forms of support of Ukraine.

The defense ministry reviews each case individually in cooperation with the interior ministry and the foreign ministry before forwarding the paperwork to the president’s office for approval. The 103 requests are about a quarter of the total number, it said. The prime minister’s office said Fiala will countersign on them.

https://www.rt.com/news/555344-czech-republic-volunteers-ukraine/

12 May, 2022 07:04

Finnish leaders make statement on NATO

(Finland bribed to join NATO)

Russia’s northern neighbor will seek membership in the US-led military bloc

President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin of Finland made a joint statement on Thursday morning, confirming their desire to become part of NATO. The country refrained from asking for accession during the Cold War, but made a U-turn after the Russian attack against Ukraine in February.

The statement expressed the view that “as a member of NATO, Finland would strengthen the entire defense alliance.” The two officials said their country “must apply for NATO membership without delay”.

NATO claims to be a purely defensive organization, but Russia, which shares a 1,340km (833-mile) land border with Finland, perceives the bloc’s expansion as a threat to its national security. Moscow warned that Helsinki will lose its status as a trusted mediator that its non-alignment stance granted it throughout much of the last century. It also said Finland’s security would be compromised rather than served by joining NATO, since Russia would have to respond to the expansion.

Russia’s attack on Ukraine, which Moscow said was partially motivated by NATO’s creeping expansion in the country, swung public opinion in Finland in favor of joining the bloc. According to recent opinion polls, around three-fourths of the population favor the move.

A special governmental body that includes the two top Finnish officials and several members of the cabinet are expected to meet later this week to pen a formal application, which will then be submitted to the Finnish parliament for approval.

The legislative bodies of each current NATO member will then need to approve the request before Finland becomes a member. Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said this week that the process will be complete no sooner than October and could take as long as 12 months.

Fellow Nordic country Sweden is also a potential applicant, but there is some disagreement in the government on whether it should seek NATO membership. The country has a tradition of non-alignment that dates back to the Napoleonic Wars. Opinion polls show that roughly half of Swedes currently favor joining NATO.

Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist said earlier this week that if his country submits an application to join NATO, he would prefer it to be processed along with Finland’s bid.

https://www.rt.com/news/555342-finland-nato-membership-bid/

Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. will be the Philippines’ new president after a landslide victory over former Vice President Leni Robredo. Marcos was congratulated by both the US and China, and has asked critics of his father – a former dictator – not to judge him by his name.

Although the official results have not yet been announced, Marcos appears to have won the weekend’s elections comfortably, securing more than 30 million votes – over twice the number of his closest rival, outgoing Vice President Leni Robredo. Sara Duterte-Carpio, the daughter of outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte, will serve as vice president, having easily dispatched her nearest rival, Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan, with a tally of over 30 million votes to 8.9 million.

US President Joe Biden phoned Marcos on Thursday to congratulate him on his victory. According to a White House statement, Biden promised to expand bilateral cooperation with the Philippines on “the fight against Covid-19, addressing the climate crisis, promoting broad-based economic growth, and respect for human rights.”

Marcos also received a message of congratulations from Chinese president Xi Jinping, who vowed to “establish a good working relationship with President-elect Marcos [and] adhere to good neighbourliness and friendship.”

Managing the Philippines’ relations with Washington and Beijing will likely prove a delicate balancing act for the incoming president. Located on the edge of the disputed South China sea, the Philippines sits on a major geopolitical fault line, and is engaged in an ongoing territorial dispute with China over numerous islands in the sea. While an international tribunal in 2016 ruled in favor of the Philippines’ claim, Marcos stated during his campaign that he would seek a new “agreement” with his “friends” in the Chinese government.

Back at home, Marcos’ victory was met with trepidation by some. While his campaign was a popular one, Amnesty International’s regional division described his win as an “ominous moment for human rights,” while Filipino activists have condemned him for refusing to “address the basic questions concerning his father’s dictatorship, of which he was very much a part.”

Marcos’ father, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., ruled the Philippines from 1965 until 1986, when the family was chased from the country amid an uprising. Marcos Sr. implemented martial law to crack down on Islamic extremism, and human rights groups say that he subjected his political opponents to torture and extrajudicial killings during the clampdown.

Marcos Sr. has also been accused of massive corruption, and to this day a commission formed to track down the wealth allegedly siphoned by the Marcos family has recovered less than half of the $10 billion the family is believed to have hidden.

‘Bongbong’, who was a governor during the final years of his father’s rule, has been accused of waging a PR campaign to “whitewash” his father’s rule and present the Marcos years as two decades of prosperity and improved living standards for Filipinos. Critics have also condemned him for not denouncing his father’s alleged crimes.

However, he asked the world on Wednesday to “judge me not by my ancestors, but by my actions,” promising more jobs, higher wages, and investment in infrastructure and agriculture.

It is widely believed that Macros will continue many of Duterte’s policies with regard to the outgoing leader’s ‘war on drugs’. Duterte, famed for his foul-mouthed tirades against his opponents, is currently facing an investigation by the International Criminal Court for the deaths of thousands of people during this crackdown, and Marcos has said that he would let investigators into the country, “but only as tourists.”

https://www.rt.com/news/555386-bongbong-marcos-wins-philippines/

>>16261670

Thats what I was thinking, not rigged at all! Wasnt the phillipines revealed used dominion machines?

Clean as a whistle, absolutely no voter fraud!

Our world is totally fucked!

>>16261652

Why is this a surprise? Or ground breaking?

>>16261581

Thats good a country thats not sctually stealing Russian assets

>>16261607

Theres no proof its another theory. Is my guess

>>16261601

Kekkkkkk sure!

>>16261597

See all these universities and researchers keep on proving the same thing over and over, thats how they make money. Another side scam to the original scam. On and on it goes.

>>16261591

Jack Dorsey is completely transhumane at this point. Weido

>>16261588

It sure is taking a lot longer then we thought it would to wake up the normies! If they turned down the hertz frequencies, they’d probably wake up on a day

>>16261587

Freak!

>>16261584

God thats adorable!

>>16261840

He just challenged her to fight and reveal anything shes done in the past and make amends, if she does that she will not be vulnerable and can win.

Since shes a fighter, she’ll take up his challenge!

Cool

>>16261418

Yeah they were flying SW (i think), also Dobbins is to the West of me.

>>16261895

Soneone has to get rid of Trudeau and the leftists in Canada, but they are also are embedded in the health system which is really the death system

>>16261983

I swear they want a civil war!

>>16261919

>Agrawal

Just wait till Agrawal has to fire himself

>>16261887

True, they lie and lie and lie again