https://english.almayadeen.net/news/technology/chinese-scientists-first-to-clone-arctic-wolf—sinogene-bio
Chinese scientists first to clone arctic wolf - SinoGene Biotechnology
China's scientists were the first in the world to clone the arctic wolf, with the first one born in June and the second to be born in the near future, Mi Jidong, CEO of the Beijing-based gene firm SinoGene Biotechnology Co, said on Monday.
"The world's first cloned arctic wolf was born a hundred days ago. We organized a press conference to witness this important day together, and I think that this is not only an achievement of SinoGene and Harbin Sun Asia Polar Park, but also our new attempt and a breakthrough in the field of protection and breeding of endangered wild animal species," Mi said during a presentation.
The wolf named Maya was born on June 10 and is very healthy. The donor cell used in the process came from a wild female arctic wolf's skin sample. Its oocyte was from a female dog and its surrogate mother was a beagle, Zhao Jianping, SinoGene's deputy general manager, revealed.
The birth of the world's first cloned wild arctic wolf is a milestone in cloning technology and of great significance to the conservation of endangered and rare animals, experts believe.
"To save the endangered animal, we started the research cooperation with Harbin Polarland on cloning the arctic wolf in 2020. After two years of painstaking efforts, the arctic wolf was cloned successfully. It is the first case of its kind in the world," Mi said.
The procedure is safe for dogs, and the life expectancy and health are expected to be the same as in breeds of natural dogs, the CEO told Sputnik.
He Zhengming, the head of the Chinese Experimental Animal Resources Research Institute for Food and Drug Control, revealed to the Global Times on Monday that cloned animals have the ability to reproduce if they have intact fertilized eggs. Cloning technology has the ability to copy all genetic data for selective breeding; thus, it diversifies the population of endangered animals.
In 2016, the first dog was cloned by SinoGene by using a gene editing method.
>>The name Maya has been linked to several origins and as a result, has several meanings. It’s most commonly linked to Indian origins, where it means “dream” or “illusion” in Sanskrit, which is the sacred language of Hinduism. It is also considered an alternative name for Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, love, beauty, and joy.
In Greek, Maya means “good mother,” the Greek variation of the name is also sometimes spelled Maia. In Greek mythology, Maya was the mother of the Greek god Hermes, son of Zeus. She was also the eldest of the Pleiades, who were the seven daughters of the titan Atlas. The Romans also lay claim to the origin of the name Maya. They believe that Maya was the earth’s mother and goddess of spring. She was named after the month of May.
In Hebrew, Maya is thought to mean “water,” derived from the word “Mayim” of the same meaning. It could also mean “from God.” The name Maya is also sometimes given in honor of the Maya people of southern Mexico and some parts of Central America.
>>HINDUISM
the supernatural power wielded by gods and demons.
HINDUISM•BUDDHISM
the power by which the universe becomes manifest; the illusion or appearance of the phenomenal world.
Watch the water?
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/economics/salaries-of-low-paid-eu-workers-devalued-by-19:-trade-unions
Salaries of low-paid EU workers devalued by 19%: Trade unions
Low-wage workers' salaries in Europe depreciated by 19% in 2022, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) reported on Monday.
"Europe’s lowest paid workers have seen the value of their wages fall by up to 19% this year," the ETUC said on Twitter.
ETUC also recalled that the average price of bread in Europe increased in August by 18% year-on-year, according to the European Statistical Office (Eurostat), while inflation was about 10.1% in the region. The prices of meat, vegetable cooking oils, and fats have also increased, as per Eurostat.
"Europe needs a pay rise - we want bread and roses too!" the ETUC said.
A couple of weeks ago, ETUC called for anti-crisis measures to protect incomes and jobs, as well as increases to minimum wages, and urged EU countries to support collective bargaining so other workers may obtain wage hikes. It also called on European nations to tax windfall profits made by energy companies.
The disruptions in supply chains following Russia's operation in Ukraine and the subsequent comprehensive Western sanctions imposed on Russia caused a sharp increase in energy and food prices across the EU. Russia and Ukraine account for the production of almost a third of the world's wheat and barley and half of its sunflower oil. On July 22, Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey signed an UN-brokered agreement to provide a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships carrying food and fertilizer exports from Black Sea ports.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/economics/sweden-hikes-interest-rates-as-decades-high-inflation-hits-c
Sweden hikes interest rates as decades-high inflation hits country
Amid the highest inflation rate hitting the country since 1991 of 9.0 recorded in August, the central bank of Sweden announced on Tuesday an interest rate hike of 1 percentage point, the biggest since 1993.
In a statement, Sweden's Riksbank said, “The development of inflation going forward is still difficult to assess and the Riksbank will adapt monetary policy as necessary to ensure that inflation is brought back to the target.”
Sweden's Riksbank warned that inflation is too high stating, “Rising prices and higher interest costs are being felt by households and companies, and many households will have significantly higher living costs,” adding that it would be even more painful for Swedish households if inflation remains at such high levels.
The bank also announced that the rate "will continue to be raised in the coming six months" and now expects the economy to shrink by 0.7% next year.
Earlier, the Swedish statistics agency revealed that power costs were up 29% in August. Energy prices have been driving other costs of living upward, also leading food prices to rise for nine months in a row.
Sweden, which has the highest gasoline prices in Europe, announced a temporary tax decrease in March as part of a $1.5 billion package of measures.
Central Banks worldwide have been battling against high inflation rates, as factors such as rising energy prices and Covid residual imbalances have been pressing the economies with no signs of relief in the short-term.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/economics/lebanese-currency-hits-lowest-value-ever-against-us-dollar
Lebanese currency hits lowest value ever against US dollar
The Lebanese pound on Monday plunged to a new low against the US dollar on the black market amid a severe economic crisis that has caused depositors to be angry and led to anti-government protests.
Recent weeks have witnessed a series of incidents involving armed individuals with real or fake guns holding up banks to demand access to their frozen savings.
A few days ago, Lebanese woman Sali Hafiz was able to retrieve around $13,000 of her blocked deposits after briefly holding up a branch of BLOM bank in Beirut.
Hafiz stated that she needed her savings withdrawn in order to treat her cancer-stricken sister.
As public frustration with bank policies increases, more citizens are hailing such actions as heroic and rightful on social media. For instance, Bassam Al-Sheikh Hussein, a Lebanese man detained a bank hostage in order to retrieve a small part of his savings to pay for his father's urgent surgery.
The Lebanese pound fell to 38,600 against the US dollar on Monday morning and then to 39,000 in the evening, according to websites monitoring the exchange rate, a record low for the Lebanese currency.
The Lebanese pound was pegged for decades at 1,507 to the dollar, meaning that it has lost around 95% of its value since 2019.
Consequently, dozens stormed through a metal gate outside the Justice Palace in Beirut on Monday to object to the detention of two people over bank hold-ups carried out last week, while others angered by the country's deep economic crash blockaded roads in Beirut and in the northern port city of Tripoli.
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation arrived in Lebanon also on Monday to follow up on the implementation of the reforms it demands, following April's agreement on a $3 billion loan program.
Lebanon reached a staff-level agreement (SLA) with the international lender in April for a $3 billion bailout, outlining roughly ten preconditions, including the adoption of the country's 2022 budget, that must be met before the program is approved by the IMF board.
"There's been slow progress in implementing some of the critical actions that we think are required to move forward with a programme," IMF spokesman Gerry Rice said last week.
The escalation against the banking sector comes after Lebanese banks decided to lock most of the depositors' savings as the country undergoes one of the world's worst financial crises in recent history, rendering the overwhelming majority of the population unable to pay for basic goods.
Responding to the series of hold-ups - which have amounted to 7 - the Association of Banks issued a statement in which they voiced their decision to close down all banks for a period of 3 days in order to carry out necessary measures.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/economics/germany:-imports-from-russia-increased-by-326-in-2022
Germany: Imports from Russia increased by 32.6% in 2022
German imports from Russia have increased over the first seven months of this year by 32.6% in annual terms, amounting to $27.9 billion, the Russian Trade Mission in Berlin told RIA Novosti on Monday, citing data from Germany's federal statistical office.
The Russian trade representative in Germany, Andrey Sobolev, estimates that imports of fuel and energy items increased by 40.5% from January to July. Russian gold purchases have increased by more than ten times, while silver imports have increased by roughly five times as much. The EU country has also boosted purchases of other metals from Russia, including copper, aluminum, and nickel.
German exports to Russia fell by 43.6% to $10.2 billion from the same time last year. Germany's trade deficit was $17.7 billion as a result of declining exports, according to the data.
Despite the general decline in exports to Russia, the trade representative explained that “there was an increase in supplies from Germany of pharmaceutical products, seeds and fruits.”
Russia made up 2.3% of total German foreign trade and was the fourth most important country for German goods outside of the EU in 2021. US analytics firm S&P Global warned in April of a possible financial shock if there’s a “trade rupture” between the two countries.
A few days earlier, the German government announced on September 16 that it was taking control of the German operations of Russian energy firm Rosneft in a bid to secure energy supplies affected by the European sanctions on Russia in the wake of the Ukraine war.
Germany placed the German subsidiaries of Rosneft under the trusteeship of the Federal Network Agency, the economy ministry said in a statement.
"The trust management will counter the threat to the security of energy supply," it said, as Rosneft's subsidiaries make up around 12% of the country's oil refining capacity.
The companies affected by the decision are Rosneft Deutschland GmbH (RDG) and RN Refining & Marketing GmbH (RNRM), in addition to PCK Schwedt, MiRo, and Bayernoil, all of which are refineries.
Italy and Germany are now the two largest European countries most exposed to a gas supply shock due to their extensive use of natural gas and significant reliance on Russia, according to S&P Global Ratings.
About 60% of Germany's natural gas supply was piped in from Russia in 2020, primarily under long-term contracts.
https://english.almayadeen.net/articles/analysis/john-henry-patterson:-godfather-of-the-israeli-occupation-fo
John Henry Patterson: Godfather of the Israeli Occupation Forces
In West Belfast, in the north of Ireland, there is a large and detailed mural extolling the career of Lt Col John Henry Patterson. Patterson was a British army officer who was described by Benjamin Netanyahu as the “Godfather” of the Israeli Occupation Forces. But who was Patterson? And what does his history tell us about the affinities between settler colonialism in Ireland and in Palestine?
John Henry Patterson – fighting for the empire
Born in 1867, Lt Col John Henry Patterson, of British settler stock in Ireland, enlisted in the British military at seventeen years of age. At the age of 31 was posted to Uganda where he is said – in the text on the mural - to have calmed the “superstitious natives” by killing two man-eating lions. In recent years Patterson’s account of the activities of the lions has been challenged.
He re-enlisted in the Army and fought in the second Boer war (1899-1902). The British, who were in pursuit of newly discovered gold deposits, fought Dutch or “Boer” settlers for territory, using scorched earth policies and setting up concentration camps for Dutch settler women and children.
With the UVF
In 1913 Patterson joined the Ulster Volunteer Force an illegal militia set up by Protestant settlers in the north of Ireland to resist decolonisation by force of arms. Viciously anti-Irish, they formed from a milieu which subjected Belfast to “a reign of terror”. As the London Star reported in July 1912: “The reign of terror continues in Belfast, and matters have arrival at such a stage that either a Catholic or a man possessed of progressive ideas is not safe walking in the streets. Night after night the streets are paraded by Orange mobs looking for victims, and it matters little whether they are male or female, the same brutality is meted out.”.
The Zion Mule Corps and the Jewish Legion
In the 1914-18 war Patterson, a convinced Christian Zionist, founded and commanded the “Zion Mule Corps” an all-Jewish unit, which was involved in the fighting at Gallipoli. Patterson wrote a book about this experience called With the Zionists at Gallipoli. The unit was then disbanded, but later in 1917, in collaboration with the extremist “revisionist” Zionist, Vladimir Jabotinsky, a so-called “Jewish Legion” was formed. It fought the Muslim army of the Ottomans in Occupied Al-Quds, writing a memoir of the experience under the title With the Judaeans in the Palestine campaign. This paved the way for the British Mandate and the horrors of the later Zionist military occupation in 1948.
One of the soldiers under Patterson command was David Green, who later became the first Prime Minister of the Zionist entity under the name David Ben Gurion. As with many Zionists, his name was changed as part of the fraudulent attempt to claim some kind of historical link of Eastern European Jews to Palestine.
Buried in occupied Palestine, 2014
Patterson died in the US 1947, but in 2014 his remains were transported across the Atlantic and reinterred in a grave in Netanya (a town built in part on the Palestinian village of Umm Khalid which was ethnically cleansed in 1948) beside the remains of other members of the Jewish legion. Minister of Defense Moshe Ya’alon, Science and Technology Minister Jacob Perry, and dozens of other senior regime figures attended, along with the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who gave an oration. Patterson was described by Netanyahu as the “Godfather of the Israeli Army”. Patterson personally knew Netanyahu’s father Ben-Zion, who was Jabotinsky’s aide in the US, having also been part of the so-called “Bergson group” – another name for the US branch of the Irgun terror gang. When Ben-Zion’s first child was born Patterson was appointed godfather and the child was named Jonathan after him. Jonathan subsequently joined the occupation forces and was killed at Entebbe, helping to launch the political career of Benjamin, his younger brother.
The mural for Patterson in Belfast
The mural of John Henry Patterson which celebrates settler colonialism and ethnic cleansing on three continents is situated on the Loyalist side of the so-called “peace-line” in West Belfast. It is a structure not too dissimilar to the Zionist “separation wall”, though the barriers were originally erected to protect Catholics in the Lower Falls from Loyalist gangs from 1969 onwards. That period saw the “biggest forced population movement in Europe since the Second World War”, as “60,000 Belfast residents were intimidated out of their homes”, mostly Catholics, by loyalist gangs.
Part 1
The mural of Patterson has been attacked or defaced more than once, leading to allegations of “bigotry” and “hate crime”. But it is not “anti-Protestant” to criticise the racist ideology of Ulster loyalism, just as it is not “anti-Jewish” to criticise the racist ideology of Zionism.
Ulster Loyalism support for Zionism
But this mural is not an isolated expression of the links between Zionism and Loyalism. Ronald Storrs, the governor of Occupied Al-Quds between 1917 and 1926, wrote in his memoirs that one implicit purpose of Zionist colonization in Palestine was “forming for England ‘a little loyal Jewish Ulster’ in a sea of potentially hostile Arabism.” The similarities remain today. In occupied al Quds Zionist settlers celebrate the annual “Dance of Flags” or “Flags March” on “Occupied Al-Quds Day”. This traditionally involves settlers rampaging round the old city chanting “Death to the Arabs”, “May your village burn,” or “Mohammed is dead.” This is uncannily similar to the annual 12th of July parades in the north of Ireland which celebrate Protestant/British domination over the Irish. In Loyalist areas the flag of Israel proudly flies beside the British Union Jack, the Loyalist “Red hand of Ulster” and the flags of loyalist death squads, such as the UVF. The intimidatory parades on the 12th of July are joined by huge bonfires which are set ablaze with symbols of Irish Republicanism, effigies of prominent Catholics hung by the neck, banners reading “Kill all Taigs” or “All Taigs are targets” [Taig is a racist term for Catholics or Irish people] and yes, Palestinian flags too.
Irish Republican sympathy for the Palestinians
On the republican side, by contrast, there are murals celebrating Palestinian resistance and the solidarity and common struggle between the Irish Republican and Palestine liberation movements. In Derry’s Bogside, where British paratroopers murdered 14 unarmed civilian on Bloody Sunday in January 1972, Palestinian flags fly all year round, BDS is supported and Palestinian resistance celebrated.
Raytheon occupation and closure
It was in Derry, let’s remember, where the Raytheon factory was occupied by Palestine solidarity activists starting in 2006, forcing the company to close the factory and stop the supply of weapons to "Israel". It was this victory that inspired Palestine Action to take on Elbit systems in the UK chasing them from two sites so far.
Settler colonialism structures conflict
What is it about the north of Ireland that the occupation of Palestine is so keenly debated there? We are told that Ireland is just a matter of old sectarian hatreds, of a “tribalism” which should have been left behind decades ago. Some, like the British Priest Giles Fraser, scorn the idea that Ireland and Palestine are similar. He writes: “By seeing one set of troubles though the lens of another, we create an intractable confusion that does nothing to further the cause of peace.”
But the reality is that the affinity of Irish Republicans for the Palestinians and of Loyalists for Zionism flows directly from the parallel settler colonial dynamic of both conflicts. When the people of Derry say “Free Palestine”, they do it from an instinctive feel for the oppression of the Palestinians borne from their own experience of British-backed settler colonialism in Ireland.
Ulster Loyalism and Zionism are ideological twins and John Henry Patterson was a symptom of the close relationship between differing settler colonial projects, united in their racist contempt for the natives and support for ethnic cleansing.
Part 2 - End
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-rep:-war-in-taiwan-would-be-protracted-conflict
US Rep: War in Taiwan would be protracted conflict
Any potential war over Taiwan would be a protracted conflict that would require both the US and Taiwan to acquire large numbers of munitions to win it, according to Mike Gallagher on Monday.
"We have to assume that any war over Taiwan would be a protracted conflict which not only means American forces will go Winchester rapidly but Taiwan itself will need large stores of munitions pre-positioned and ready to replace losses ahead of time," Gallagher said, during an event for the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.
"And, in my opinion, that only magnifies the need for a massive pre-war expansion in munitions productions [in the United States]."
He added that because now the US is no longer a party to the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), Washington does not need to withhold itself from massing the amount of firepower that would be needed to deter - or, if necessary, defeat a "Chinese invasion" of Taiwan. Hence, the US has an opportunity to "reestablish conventional deterrence in the Indo-Pacific in the critical theater," Gallagher added.
In order for the US to avoid a disastrous defeat in Taiwan, ground-launched missiles represent Washington's best bet, according to the Republican representative.
On Sunday, US President Joe Biden made again a statement that the White House apologized for two months back: The US forces would defend Taiwan in case of a Chinese attack.
In a statement to Sputnik on Monday, the Chinese Embassy in the US said that China has strong dissatisfaction and opposition to Biden's ongoing statements that the US would defend Taiwan from Chinese forces.
Read next: China urges the US to stop playing the 'Taiwan card'
"China expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the remarks by the US side. The US president has made such remarks several times and every time the administration would clarify that there is no change in its policy on Taiwan," said Liu Pengyu, Chinese Embassy spokesperson.
Matters which have to do with Taiwan are purely China's internal affair that requires no foreign interference, said Liu, asserting that there is no room for compromise or concession when it comes to Chinese sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Furthermore, with stress on zero-interference and territorial integrity, Beijing urges the US to stick to its commitments and abide by the One-China principle, in addition to the three Sino-US joint communique that form the foundations for Chinese-US bilateral relations.
During Sunday's interview, Biden said that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping both agree with the One China policy. However, the US President also claimed that Taiwan forms its own opinion with respect to pursuing independence but the United States is not encouraging it to be independent.
CBS News followed up on Biden's interview and asked the White House about the President's remarks regarding defending Taiwan. The White House replied by saying again that the United States' policy on Taiwan has not changed.
Washington backs bill to treat Taiwan as 'equivalent to foreign govts'
This back-and-forth comes after the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee pushed forward last Thursday the Taiwan Policy Act of 2022, which will provide Taiwan with $4.5 billion in security aid and a $2 billion loan guarantee for the purchase of military equipment.
The bill will provide Taiwan with aid over four years, in addition to designating the island as a "Major Non-NATO ally."
In addition, the legislation will also direct the US government to engage with the Taiwanese government as a legitimate representative of the population on the island, prohibiting restrictions and limits regarding engagements between US officials and their Taiwanese counterparts.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-tanks-absolutely-on-the-table-for-ukraine:-pentagon
US tanks ‘absolutely on the table’ for Ukraine: Pentagon
The United States may give "NATO compatible" tanks to the Ukrainian military to replace outdated Soviet-era equipment as Kiev continues to press for a constant stream of Western weapons despite severe fighting with Russian troops, according to a senior Pentagon official.
The defense employee was questioned by reporters at an unnamed briefing on Monday about whether the White House would take into account heavy armor in future aid packages to Ukraine, adding that Ukrainian MPs had just traveled to the US capital to specifically demand tanks.
“Tanks are absolutely on the table along with other areas,” the official said, noting that while Ukrainian troops are more familiar with “Soviet type tanks,” the Pentagon recognizes “that there will be a day when they may want to transition and may need to transition to NATO compatible models.”
When questioned about whether Western tanks would be part of the next arms shipments, the official said that would depend on how quickly Ukrainian forces could be trained to operate and maintain the vehicles, but added that the Joe Biden administration is "definitely receptive" to the notion.
Last week, the White House revealed a $600 million security package to Kiev, marking Biden's 21st Presidential weapons drawdown for Ukraine. The package includes additional rounds for US-provided High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), 36,000 artillery shells, 1,000 precision-guided munitions, anda number of tansport vehicles and small arms.
Washington has increased its armament supplies throughout the crisis, eventually deciding to give long-range artillery platforms and multi-launch rocket systems like the HIMARS months into the conflict. The Pentagon has chosen instead to enable the transfer of equipment from third nations like Poland and the Czech Republic rather than providing some of the most advanced weaponry now used by the US military, such as heavy armor or fighter jets.
Ukrainian leaders continue to demand heavier weapons, despite the fact that Biden has approved more than $15 billion in direct military aid to Ukraine since Russia sent soldiers there in late February. Kiev has recently asked Germany for Leopard battle tanks, Marder infantry combat vehicles, and Gepard anti-aircraft tanks in addition to American armor, but Berlin has been hesitant to comply.
“No country has delivered Western-built infantry fighting vehicles or main battle tanks so far,” German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said in an event last week, adding “We have agreed with our partners that Germany will not take such action unilaterally.”
The US defense official did not specify what kind of tanks the Pentagon considers for Ukraine, referring only to “NATO compatible models.” Several M1 Abrams configurations are currently export-ready and serve as Washington's primary battle tank, according to the official.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/liz-truss-vows-to-send-military-aid-worth-billions-to-kiev
Liz Truss vows to send "military aid worth billions" to Kiev
On her first trip as UK Prime Minister, Liz Truss has arrived in the United States, where she will meet with US President Joe Biden.
Relations between Biden and Truss have already been stressed over the latter’s threats to rip up the post-Brexit trading arrangements in Northern Ireland.
Biden has voiced concern that the Brexit squabble will jeopardize provincial peace, and he has been hesitant to reach a free trade agreement with the UK as a result.
However, the two leaders are likely to find common ground in pursuing a tough stance against Russia, as well as a hawkish stance toward China.
Truss will exploit her visit to the United Nations General Assembly in New York to reiterate UK's long-term commitment to the war in Ukraine, vowing to send at least £2.3 billion ($2.6 billion) in military supplies in 2023.
It is worth noting that the UK is already the second largest military supplier to Ukraine after the US.
Prior to the visit, Truss said: “Ukraine’s victories in recent weeks have been inspirational. Time and time again these brave people have defied the doubters and showed what they can do when given the military, economic and political support they need”.
“My message to the people of Ukraine is this: the UK will continue to be right behind you every step of the way. Your security is our security,” she added.
Elsewhere in her remarks, Truss said: “By turning off the taps of Nord Stream gas pipeline, Putin has consigned millions of people in Europe to a colder and more difficult winter”.
“Too many lives – in Ukraine, in Europe, and around the world – are being manipulated by a dependence on Russian energy. We need to work together to end this once and for all.”
Meanwhile, Gazprom Management Committee Deputy Chairman Oleg Aksyutin has lately said that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline could solve all of the European Union's current energy problems; however, European politicians are opposing this decision.
In the same context, he affirmed that Gazprom is still carrying out all of its investment projects.
In this regard, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, that the West should contact Kiev if they want another route for gas deliveries.
"Call Kiev, let them open the second route," Putin told reporters, adding that Gazprom always fulfills its contractual obligations, and he noted that Europe can always lift sanctions from the Nord Stream 2 pipeline if they face issues with gas shortages.
Putin added that the Siemens company confirmed that the turbines of the Nord Stream pipeline are out of service.
"They saw and recorded it. They put their signatures under the act. It [the turbine] is necessary to repair, it is impossible to operate," Putin said.
Truss will also meet with other leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron during her two-day visit to New York.
Following her trip, Truss is expected to finalize her mini-budget, which is expected to confirm national insurance cuts.
This is happening as global inflation is soaring, with the UK's accelerating at the fastest pace in 40 years in July, reaching double-digits and adding more pressure on the Bank of England.
Last month, the consumer price index boosted up 10.1% on an annual basis, surpassing the FXStreet-cited market consensus of 9.8% and speeding up from 9.4% in June.
The last time inflation was this extreme was in 1982 - 40 years ago.
Furthermore, research by the International Monetary Fund showed that the increasing energy crisis is wreaking havoc on British family budgets more than any other country in Western Europe.
>> Worst king and worst PM in the history of the UK at the same time.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/kremlin-rebuffs-mass-burial-discoveries-as-lies
Kremlin rebuffs mass burial discoveries as 'lies'
The Kremlin dismissed on Monday that its forces were responsible for large-scale killings in east Ukraine, accusing Kiev of fabricating its claims of mass graves discovered in the recaptured territory of Izyum.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "These are lies, “adding Russia "will stand up for the truth in this story".
This comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recorded a video address in English last Thursday claiming that a mass grave had been allegedly discovered in Izyum, where representatives of foreign media outlets were brought to the following day. Another shock came as an armed guard who works for Zelensky was later spotted with a Nazi insignia during his visit to Izyum.
Last Sunday, Russian military sources told Al Mayadeen's correspondent: "The Ukrainian forces took over abandoned or nearly abandoned towns in the Kharkov region on the outskirts of Balakliya, Izyum, and the Russian forces did not have any notable presence in the towns, except for a small number of detachments dedicated to carrying out reconnaissance missions".
Member of the Russian Civic Chamber, Alexander Malkevich, has lately said as quoted by TASS that Ukrainian soldiers killed in the Kharkov Region were portrayed as victims of alleged repressions by Russia.
According to Malkevich, the presence of foreign media at the location was critical to showcase this issue in the press and stain Russia's name with accusations of mass slaughter, adding: "We are being shown multiple graves, they begin to dig them up, show the bodies. Actually, Russian troops and frequently the officials from military-civilian administrations were burying those killed Ukrainian soldiers that were abandoned on a battlefield by their so-called comrades. Now they are being passed off as the victims of Russian repressions while actually, those are the Ukrainians whom their so-called comrades-in-arms didn’t care about".
The withdrawal from Kharkov to Donetsk, Moscow explained, was carried out over the course of a three-day operation conducted to minimize Russian losses.
The Russian Civic Chamber member further relayed Kiev's disinterest in the fate of the bodies of the Ukrainian troops: "The same is happening on the border of the Kherson and Nikolayev Regions where endless staged attacks are underway for the sake of promoting Zelensky. We know that [head of the Nikolayev regional state administration Vitaly] Kim refuses to take the bodies of those killed. That is, essentially, in any location where the Ukrainian Army is sacrificing its soldiers by dozens and hundreds, it is possible to set up many of such Bucha-like staged events following a known technology".
Back on April 3, Bucha was the center of Kiev's accusations of an alleged Russian massacre of civilians, which the Russian Defense Ministry rejected, stating through its military agency that its Armed Forces had left Bucha on March 30, and surprisingly "the evidence of crimes" came to light four days later, after Ukrainian Security Service officers arrived to the region. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov condemned the Bucha allegation and labeled it as a "fake attack". Even Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented that the Bucha incident is a criminal act, not only committed by those who killed the residents, but by the string-pullers in the West who used their information tools.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/erdogan:-turkey-will-take-care-of-itself-if-us-doesnt-send-f
Erdogan: Turkey will take care of itself if US doesn't send F-16 jets
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed that his country is not dependent on the F-16 fighter jets from the United States.
Turkey was notified by the US earlier about its exclusion from the program for the supply of advanced F-35 jets due to Ankara's purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems.
After canceling the joint memorandum on the F-16 with Turkey, Washington signed it with the seven remaining partners - the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Denmark, Canada and Norway.
The Turkish president subsequently revealed that the US invited Ankara to buy other fighters, but of the fourth generation F-16. The deal is in Washington's interest, according to the State Department which is actively lobbying for the deal, which must be agreed on in the US Congress.
"We have spoken to the Republicans, and we have received the support of the Republicans. If we can't get the results out of the United States about the F-16s, what are we going to do? Of course, we're going to take care of our own selves," Erdogan said in an interview with PBS.
Putin seeks to end crisis in Ukraine as soon as possible: Erdogan
According to Erdogan, whose interview with PBS was relayed by the newspaper Yeni Safak, Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to put an end to the Ukraine conflict as quickly as possible.
The Turkish leader recalled that he had a meeting with Putin in Uzbekistan and added that Ukraine must be in agreement with Russia.
He claimed that he is still hopeful about setting up a meeting between Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.
Erdogan also told PBS that Ankara does not intend to report to the EU for participation in the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Samarkand.
Earlier, the Turkish leader said Ankara's goal is membership in the SCO. He stressed that Turkey is holding talks with all countries, because it is part of the world.
Bad flower decoration choice.