21 May, 2022 18:55

Inflation imperils Boris Johnson’s grip on power

Brits forego heating and stay home because of surging prices, say handling of cost crisis will be top election issue, poll shows

(RT always uses the best pictures of BoJo)

A new poll suggests UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is likely headed for defeat in the country’s next election unless he can begin to convince voters that his party has the right leadership to ease an inflation crisis that is eating away at their standard of living.

The poll, conducted by Savanta ComRes for the Daily Mail and released on Saturday, revealed that only 24% of voters see Johnson’s Tories as the best party to manage the inflation crisis, compared with 39% who chose the opposition Labour Party. Dealing with surging prices will be the top election issue, the survey showed, as 90% of respondents said it will be an important factor in their vote.

Inflation accelerated to a 40-year high of 9% in the 12 months to April, the UK government reported this week, crimping the lifestyles of most Brits. Six in 10 voters have already begun spending more time at home rather than going out, and 51% are wearing more layers of clothing to avoid using their heaters, the Daily Mail poll showed.

Boris must get a grip on the cost of living crisis or LOSE the next election https://t.co/BD8vfYK5IQ

— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) May 21, 2022

With petrol and diesel prices rising to all-time highs, 44% of voters have turned to walking and cycling more instead of driving. Three in 10 have canceled subscriptions, such as streaming services and gym memberships.

The poll found that many voters have been forced to take more drastic steps, including 21% who skipped meals regularly and 20% who borrowed money from family or friends. Meanwhile, 11% have stopped making loan payments, and 19% have either gone to a food bank or thought about doing so to put meals on the table.

As for who voters blame for the inflation crisis, the top choice was the UK government at 25%, the poll found. This was followed by the Russia-Ukraine conflict at 22%, and the Covid-19 pandemic at 20%. A whopping 74% said the UK economy is worse than it was six months ago.

Brits are looking to the government to help them get through the crisis, with 73% calling for a higher minimum wage, 72% favoring cuts to fuel taxes, and 65% supporting acceleration of a planned reduction in income taxes. Strong majorities also called for reducing environmental levies on energy bills and scrapping a planned increase in national insurance premiums. About 75% said the government should impose a windfall tax on the profits of energy companies.

The poll showed that 40% of respondents plan to vote for the Labour Party in the next election, while 34% favor Johnson’s Conservative Party. The remaining 26% intend to vote for minor opposition parties

https://www.rt.com/news/555893-poll-boris-johnson-inflation/

21 May, 2022 15:08

Zelensky reveals size of Ukrainian force fighting Russia

The national military now consists of 700,000 people, the president claims

(And they are still losing? Hmm, seems fake and ghey)

The size of the Ukrainian military is now almost six times larger than it was at the beginning of the conflict between Kiev and Moscow, President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed.

“We needed an army of more than 250,000 or 260,000, but there were only around 120,000” battle-ready troops in Ukraine before the start of the Russian military operation in late February, Zelensky told Ukraine 24 outlet on Friday.

The president noted that he’d given an order in early 2022 to boost the number of soldiers by another 100,000 “no matter if we had the money or not.” Buthe acknowledged that even those numbers weren’t enough to stop the Russian military.

“Today it’s 700,000. Now you see the results of the work of 700,000 who are fighting,” he added.

Zelensky ordered a general mobilization after the start of the conflict, saying that all men aged between 18 and 60 should stay in the country and fight.

Earlier this week, a law was submitted to the Ukrainian parliament calling for those males who still managed to flee and failed to return to the country within 30 days to be deprived of their citizenship.

Russia attacked its neighboring state almost three months ago, following Ukraine’s failure to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements, first signed in 2014, and Moscow’s eventual recognition of the Donbass republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. The German- and French-brokered protocol was designed to give the breakaway regions special status within the Ukrainian state.

The Kremlin has since demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join the US-led NATO military bloc. Kiev insists the Russian offensive was completely unprovoked and has denied claims it was planning to retake the two republics by force.

https://www.rt.com/russia/555883-zelensky-military-size-ukraine/

21 May, 2022 16:03

Australian PM concedes as Labor takes power

Scott Morrison acknowledges loss in federal election

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has admitted defeat following the country’s federal elections on Saturday, calling Labor Party chief Anthony Albanese to congratulate him on his victory.

The PM conceded in a televised speech from Liberal headquarters in Sydney, adding that he would stand down as the party’s leader.

“On a night like tonight it is proper to acknowledge the functioning of our democracy. I have always believed in Australians and their judgment, and I’ve always been prepared to accept their verdicts, and tonight they have delivered their verdict,” Morrison said.

The Liberal Party lost more than 12 seats during the election. While vote counting had not been completed at the time of Morrison’s concession speech, the Labor Party’s victory appeared certain, winning at least 72 of the parliament’s 151 seats. Morrison’s Liberals nabbed just 54, while independents and third parties – led by the Greens, who secured their best election results yet – have netted 11 thus far, according to ABC. Labor needs 76 seats to form a majority government.

Morrison, who served just one term in office, was not the only prominent Liberal to lose out in the election. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, viewed as Morrison’s most likely successor, was also knocked out of his post.

Morrison’s conservative government had been widely panned going into the election for what many viewed as its abysmally poor handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and natural disasters, specifically the devastating fires that preceded the coronavirus outbreak.

Albanese thanked his constituents for “vot[ing] for change,” ticking off several policy points in his victory speech with promises to “end the climate wars,” launch a “national anti-corruption commission,” strengthen the country’s healthcare and aged care, and turn Australia into a “renewable energy superpower.” His win is the first victory for Labor since 2007.

https://www.rt.com/news/555888-morrison-concedes-australia-federal-election/

21 May, 2022 11:35

US plans to help ‘destroy’ Russian fleet – Ukrainian official

The Pentagon has denied claims made by an Internal Affairs Ministry adviser

A top Ukrainian adviser has claimed that the United States is drawing up plans to sink Russian warships and ‘destroy’ its Black Sea Fleet, following reports that Washington is seeking to provide advanced anti-ship missiles to the Ukrainian military. The Pentagon has denied the allegations.

Ukrainian Internal Affairs Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko made the statement on social media on Thursday, saying that discussions are now underway in relation to how the US could help to break a Russian blockade of Black Sea ports.

“The US is preparing a plan for the destruction of the Black Sea Fleet,” he wrote. “The effective work of the Ukrainians on [Russian] warships convinced [the US] to prepare a plan to unblock the ports. Deliveries of powerful anti-ship weapons (Harpoon and Naval Strike Missile with a range of 250-300km) are being discussed.”

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby denied the Kiev official’s claims, stating during a Friday press briefing “I can tell you definitively that that’s not true.”

Gerashchenko had cited a recent Reuters report stating that the Biden administration was “working to put advanced anti-ship missiles in the hands of Ukrainian fighters to help defeat Russia’s naval blockade,” referring to the Harpoon and Naval Strike missiles by name.

The report noted some obstacles in sending such weapons to Kiev, however, including the “limited availability of platforms to launch Harpoons from shore,” given that it is largely a sea-based missile.

When asked about anti-ship missiles, Kirby said he would not “get ahead of decisions that haven’t been made.” He pointed out that the US is “talking to the Ukrainians every day,” adding that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had spoken with Ukrainian Minister of Defense Alexey Reznikov on Friday.

“When we have decisions, we come right out here and issue a press release,” Kirby stated.

The reported discussions around anti-ship munitions follow media reports that Washington may have helped Ukrainian forces to sink Russia’s Black Sea flagship – the guided-missile cruiser 'Moskva' – off the coast of Odessa last month. US officials have denied those suggestions, with Kirby stating that Kiev has its “own intelligence capabilities to track and target Russian naval vessels, as they did in this case,” and that US intelligence was not provided to help locate and strike the ship.

Moscow has offered a different version of events, maintaining that the 'Moskva' sank after a fire triggered a blast in a munitions magazine, but has confirmed the death of one sailor and that 27 others are currently missing in action since the ship was lost.

Though US officials have yet to publicly confirm whether anti-ship weapons are slated for Ukraine, American military aid to the country has steadily escalated since Russia’s attack commenced in late February. The recent passage of a massive new $40 billion aid package brought total US assistance to nearly $54 billion since March. Hardware currently being provided includes anti-tank Javelin missiles, anti-aircraft Stingers, long-range artillery pieces, armored vehicles, drones, light arms and ammunition, and other gear. The latest aid bill is also expected to provide for Patriot anti-air missile batteries, despite previous comments from Pentagon officials saying the weapon was off the table.

“There's no discussion about putting a Patriot battery in Ukraine. In order to do that you have to put US troops with it to operate it,” a senior defense official told media in March. “It is not a system that the Ukrainians are familiar with and as we have made very clear, there will be no US troops fighting in Ukraine.”

It’s unclear what has changed since then, and White House and Defense Department officials have offered few details on whose forces will operate the Patriot batteries or the exact location of their deployment during recent briefings.

https://www.rt.com/news/555859-us-destroy-russian-fleet/

21 May, 2022 11:57

World’s ‘first autonomous sea drone carrier’ unveiled

The vessel can reportedly carry dozens of drones, unmanned ships and submersibles

China has unveiled the world’s first autonomous drone carrier vessel, which can be used for both maritime research and security purposes, hosting dozens of unmanned planes, local media have reported.

According to the South China Morning Post, the launch of the 88-meter ship named Zhu Hai Yun took place on Wednesday. The vessel can either be controlled remotely or navigate autonomously in open water, the report said, adding that it will contribute greatly to marine scientific research and observation. The Zhu Hai Yun could be deployed for marine disaster prevention and offshore wind farm maintenance, China’s Science and Technology Daily reports.

Aside from these civilian uses, the carrier could also reportedly be deployed to intercept “invasive targets.”

The Zhu Hai Yun, which aside from a swarm of drones hosts unmanned ships and submersibles, is able to navigate without human intervention thanks to a unique on-board artificial intelligence system. Called the Intelligent Mobile Ocean Stereo Observing System (IMOSOS), it was developed by the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory.

Speaking to the Science and Technology Daily outlet last year, Chen Dake, the director of the laboratory, said the “intelligent, unmanned ship is a beautiful, new ‘marine species’ that will bring revolutionary changes for ocean observation.”

The drone carrier can reach speeds of up to 18 knots (33km per hour), Chinese media reported.

The Zhu Hai Yun, all parts of which were designed and manufactured in China, is expected to enter service by the end of the year.

Turkey has also been pursuing similar technology. Last May, Forbes reported that national drone manufacturer Baykar had come up with a way to turn the Anadolu assault ship into a drone carrier. But judging by media reports, Ankara has not yet carried out the project.

https://www.rt.com/news/555870-china-world-first-autonomous-drone-carrier/

21 May, 2022

Zelensky gives details on Azovstal surrender

Ukrainian fighters laid down their arms after getting a “signal” from Kiev, the president insists

The Ukrainian troops and members of the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion, who had been holed up at the Azovstal plant in Mariupol for weeks, surrendered to Russian forces on orders from Kiev, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed.

“The guys had received a signal from the military that they have every right to come out and save their lives,” Zelensky told Ukraine 24 outlet on Friday.

Russia had announced the full liberation of Azovstal on the same day, saying more than 2,400 Ukrainian combatants, including their commanders, had surrendered during the week.

They laid down their arms without any preconditions following talks with the Russian forces, according to Moscow. Wounded fighters are being treated in hospital, while the rest have reportedly been taken to penitentiary facilities in the Donbass.

During the siege of the steel plant, Moscow insisted that those inside were suffering heavy losses, lacking food and water and wanted to surrender, but couldn’t do so without the approval of the Ukrainian government, fearing that they could be court-martialed. But Kiev had been reluctant to give the necessary order.

Zelensky claimedthat Ukrainian intelligence services had overseen what he described as the “withdrawal of the defenders of [Azovstal], the preparations for dialogue, exchange and so on.”

“We’re going to bring them home,” he said of the surrendered fighters. However, the president added that a lot depends on whether the UN, the Red Cross and Russia follow through on their commitments.

Despite Kiev earlier saying there was no way for it to help those inside Azovstal by military means, Zelensky said he’d had been in talks with foreign partners to supply weapons that could allow the Ukrainian forces to reach the steel plant.

Many Ukrainian pilots also died trying to make their way to Azovstal, he said, adding that there were plans to airdrop drugs and food at the plant.

“A lot of things were happening that none of us could comment on officially. The aerial corridors to Azovstal were lacking because of the strong Russian air defenses,” the Ukrainian leader revealed.

Mariupol has seen the heaviest fighting since the start of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine in late February, suffering immense destruction. Moscow announced the capture of the strategic port city a month ago. Azovstal had remained the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the area, but the steel plant and its massive underground network has now also fallen under Russian control

https://www.rt.com/russia/555877-zelensky-azovstal-surrender-ukraine/

>>16317617

Serious and heartfelt prayers for Dr. Zelenko, save his life God, and if its his time, give him peace and grace in your light. This man is a hero and savior. Bless him with your angels and protection always, and make sure the doctors working with him have his best interests and health in mind,

Amen

>>16317583

kek, so funny

(Can some anon convert the video from RT of the Azovs surrendering, its freaking weird)

20 May, 2022 18:44

Azovstal ‘fully liberated’ – Russian military

The last members of Ukraine’s neo-Nazi Azov unit have surrendered in Mariupol

The entire territory of the Azovstal factory complex in Mariupol has been liberated, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Friday. More than 2,400 people surrounded inside for almost a month, including Ukrainian servicemen and members of the neo-Nazi Azov unit, have laid down their arms and surrendered.

“The last group of 531 militants surrendered today,” the Russian military spokesman, Major-General Igor Konashenkov, said in a statement. He added that a total of “2,439 Azov Nazis” and Ukrainian servicemen had laid down their arms since May 16, and that the entire Azovstal complex is now under control of Russian armed forces.

Azov and remnants of Ukrainian regular troops retreated into the sprawling steel factory on the coast of Mariupol, where they were completely surrounded on April 21. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the military not to storm the complex but to blockade it “so a fly can’t get inside” and compel the militants to surrender.

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu informed Putin on Friday of the successful completion of the operation, Konashenkov said. He also said that Azov commander had to be transported in an armored car for his safety.

Theso-called “commander” of the Azov Naziswas taken away from the factory in a special armored car, due to the hatred of Mariupol residents and their desire for revenge against him for numerous atrocities.

In a video released on social media earlier in the day, Azov commander Svyatoslav “Kalyna” Palamar denied he had left the factory and said he was conducting a “certain operation” whose details he could not disclose. Palamar thanked “the world” and Ukraine for support, and signed off with “see you.”

After the first batch of militants surrendered on Monday, the government in Kiev announced the “end of combat operations” in Mariupol and said it had ordered the Azovstal troops to save their lives. President Volodymyr Zelensky personally said on May 18 that the “evacuation mission” from Azovstal was being “supervised by our military and intelligence officers” with the involvement of “the most influential international mediators.”

Both Ukraine and most Western media outlets avoided the word “surrender,” even when the Russian military published videos clearly showing the militants laying down their weapons.

https://www.rt.com/russia/555848-azovstal-surrender-liberated-military/

20 May, 2022 16:34

Ukraine considers depriving citizenship

The proposed law would target men who left the country during martial law and failed to return within 30 days

Ukrainian lawmakers have introduced a bill that seeks to deprive conscripts of citizenship if they have left the country during martial law.

Such a move would be a breach of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is regarded as the foundation of international human rights law. The 1948 proclamation makes the “arbitrary deprivation of nationality” an offence.

In a bill registered in the Verkhovna Rada – Kiev’s parliament – on Tuesday, lawmakers proposed several amendments to legislation defining the legal regime under martial law intended to “strengthen the economy and defensive capabilities of the country.”

One of the proposals suggests that anyone liable for military service may be deprived of Ukrainian citizenship if they left the country and failed to return within 30 days.

The measure would apply to those who left and did not return without a valid reason, such as a ban on leaving the host country, natural disasters, accidents, business trips, official work abroad, hospitalization or other circumstances preventing the individual from returning back home.

The bill also states that the measures would extend to individuals who have left for the Russian Federation amid the ongoing military conflict between Moscow and Kiev and those who have submitted a written refusal to mobilize.

On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on the extension of martial lawand the terms of general mobilization in the country by 90 days, which is now awaiting approval by the Supreme Council of Ukraine.

Under Ukraine’s martial law, men between the ages of 18 and60are prohibited from leaving the country and all citizens liable for military service are required to participate in the general mobilization of all reserve forces.

https://www.rt.com/news/555835-ukraine-deprive-conscripts-citizenship/

>>16317959

agreed