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https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/russia-amb-wants-to-believe-us-moscow-not-on-verge-of-nuclea
Russia Amb. 'wants to believe' US, Moscow not on verge of nuclear war
The United States is incapable of holding negotiations and it is joining forces with its allies to push Kiev to move against Russia and its territories in an attempt to defeat Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Friday.
"The US is not capable of negotiating in general and is pushing Kiev together with London and other NATO countries to move hostilities to our territory, trying to fight until the last Ukrainian to inflict what they call a 'strategic defeat' on Russia," Ryabkov added during a press conference in Moscow.
"Nuclear blackmail has also begun to be used," the senior Russian diplomat noted amid fears on both sides of a nuclear escalation.
Ryabkov said the US deliberately lowered the nuclear threshold, thus, posing threat to Russia's nuclear security.
The Russian diplomat stressed that while his country made no threats against anyone with nuclear weapons, it still warned against the risk of interfering with its goals in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had also accused the west of using the threat of nuclear weapons to blackmail Russia and warned that Moscow will use all means in case its territorial integrity is threatened.
Putin's words prompted US National Security Coordinator John Kirby to say his country took the Russian President's words about nuclear weapons use seriously, though he stressed that Washington saw no need to boost the readiness of its own strategic deterrent forces in the meantime.
Referring to NATO expansion toward Russia's borders, Putin said the West was making schemes to destroy Russia, engaging in "nuclear blackmail" by bringing up the potential use of nuclear weapons against Moscow, and accused the United States, the European Union, and Britain of encouraging Ukraine to push military operations into Russia itself.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday that Western countries were becoming a party to the Ukraine war by sending weapons to Kiev with the aim of prolonging the war by as much as possible.
The top Russian diplomat also highlighted that the West's policy meant that its involvement in the conflict made them a party to the war.
Where are Russia and the US on nuclear war?
The Russian ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, said Friday he wanted to believe his country and the United States were not yet on the verge of nuclear war despite there being many difficulties in their relations.
"With each day, that little, which still glimmers in contacts between the two countries, is fading away. I want to believe that despite all the difficulties, Americans and we are yet to be on the verge of a nuclear conflict," Antonov added.
Russia is still committed to the principle that there is no winner in the nuclear war so it should never be instigated, the ambassador stressed.
"In its aggressive anti-Russian policy, the West has crossed every line," the Russian President said Wednesday. "This is not a bluff. And those who try to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the weathervane can turn and point towards them," he stressed.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/referenda-in-lpr-dpr-and-zaporozhye-begin-amidst-security-me
Referenda in LPR, DPR, and Zaporozhye begin amidst security measures
The voting in the referenda on Russian accession of the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics (DPR and LPR) as well as the Zaporozhye region has begun early on Friday.
The subject of having the referenda promptly was addressed earlier this week by the DPR and LPR public chambers, making official appeals to the rulers of their respective republics on Monday. A day later, the referendum dates were determined, and local legislatures overwhelmingly enacted referendum laws, while elections officials authorized the procedure.
Residents of the Zaporozhye and Kherson areas joined the initiative on Tuesday, after local public organizations submitted identical demands to their authorities. The decree was posted on the Telegram channel of Yegeny Balitsky, the head of the Zaporozhye region's military-civilian administration. The decree of Kherson regional military-civilian administration head Vladimir Saldo also went into force, according to information relayed by the regional administration to TASS.
Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated in a televised address on Wednesday morning that Russia will support the referendum results.
Polling stations will be open for one day only.
On the eve of the vote, the format of the plebiscite was the source of much debate according to TASS. Due to time constraints and technological concerns, it was decided to use traditional paper ballots rather than digital voting. For security considerations, in-person voting will be limited to September 27, with voting arranged in communities and door-to-door on the remaining days.
DPR and LPR residents will be asked if they "support their republic's accession to Russia as a federal subject."
Residents of Zaporozhye and Kherson will be polled to see if they "favor the region's secession from Ukraine, the creation of an independent country, and subsequent accession to Russia as a federal subject."
Ballots will be printed in Russian in the DPR and LPR, where Russian is the only recognized state language. The question will be presented in both Ukrainian and Russian in the Zaporozhye and Kherson areas.
Russia's polling locations
Several residents of Donbass, Zaporozhye, and Kherson were driven to abandon their homes as a result of continued Ukrainian artillery strikes. They will be able to vote in territories other than those mentioned, including Russia, TASS reported.
There will be up to 450 voting booths put up across the DPR, with an additional 200 set up for persons evacuated to Russia.
Residents of the LPR will be able to vote in 461 polling stations located across the republic, as well as in all Russian regions, where a total of 201 polling stations have been established.
Authorities in the Zaporozhye Region announced the installation of 394 voting booths around the region, as well as an additional 58 in Russia, the LPR, the DPR, and the Kherson Region.
Apart from their home area, where eight territorial and 198 district election commissions have been established, inhabitants of the Kherson Region will be able to vote in Crimea and a number of Russian cities, including Moscow.
The Central Election Commission in Kherson anticipates that around 750,000 people will vote. Around 750,000 people are registered to vote in the Zaporozhye Region. DPR has printed around 1.5 million ballots for its citizens.
Transparency and legitimacy
All four areas indicated their willingness, TASS reported, to be monitored by foreign observers in order to ensure maximum openness and legitimacy.
Part 1
Yelena Kravchenko, Chairperson of the LPR Central Election Commission (CEC), stated on Wednesday that the CEC was accepting and "considering" applications from international observers, however, she did not specify the nations. According to the election official, international observers and Civic Chamber observers would be present at voting locations as well as outside them on election day.
The DPR CEC stated that it anticipates international observers and offered to provide further information after they have been accredited.
Marina Zakharova, the chairperson of the Kherson Region's election commission, stated that invitations had been extended "to a large number of countries."
The Russian Central Election Commission has agreed to deploy its own observers to supervise the referenda. The State Duma announced that representatives of all parliamentary groups will be invited to participate in the vote monitoring.
Security measures strengthened
Because of the threat of Ukrainian shelling and subversive operations, local authorities across the country are prepared to enhance security during election days, according to information from TASS.
The Zaporozhye Region, according to Vladimir Rogov, head of the civic movement 'We Are Together with Russia,' has "switched to the regime of counter-terrorism operation in the form of drills," with the involvement of heavy military equipment and beefed-up air defenses. During the referendum, entrances to cities in the Zaporozhye Regions will be controlled, and groups of voting officials going door-to-door will be guarded by police officers. Canine units and bomb squads inspected all polling locations before to the vote, according to Yevgeny Balitsky, Head of the Zaporozhye Region's Military-Civilian Administration.
The voting locations in the Kherson area will be secured by police and the Russian National Guard.
Along with the police, the LPR intends to seek the assistance of the Russian Defense Ministry's personnel in security operations. The DPR authorities stated that Russian troops will support law enforcement and the People's Militia in maintaining polling station security.
Part 2 - End
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-french-observers-monitoring-referendum-in-kherson-region
US, French observers monitoring referendum in Kherson region
Observers from France and the United States are monitoring the courses of the referendum taking place in Kherson, according to Marina Zakharova, the spokeswoman of the local election commission.
"Foreign observers have already arrived, they are representatives of two countries - France and the United States. They expressed a desire to travel to remote areas of the Kherson region, and we provided them with such an opportunity. At the moment they are working with our voters," Zakharova told reporters.
Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson, on Tuesday, announced that they would hold referenda on the accession into the Russian federation between September 23 and September 27.
Yesterday, Thursday, NATO countries have announced their disapproval of the referenda according to a statement revealed. The statement, furthermore, wrote that NATO allies won't recognize the republics due to the "illegal and illegitimate annexation."
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg considered that the next referenda on joining Russia will be viewed as "illegitimate" and the international community should denounce them.
On Wednesday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell threatened Russia with new sanctions in the event of referenda.
"Russia, its political leadership, and all those involved in these 'referenda' and other violations of international law in Ukraine will be held accountable, and additional restrictive measures against Russia would be considered," the statement read.
After the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics demanded help from Russia amid intensive offensives by Ukrainian troops, the Kherson Region and most of Zaporozhye region of Ukraine became controlled by Russia's military.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/boeing-charged-with-misleading-investors-on-737-max-safety
Boeing charged with misleading investors on 737 MAX safety
Boeing was fined $200 million by US securities officials over the misleading assurances of the world's largest aerospace company about the safety of the 737 MAX airplane following two fatal crashes, regulators announced Thursday.
The company agreed to pay a penalty to settle charges it "negligently" violated the US security laws' antifraud provisions, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission, which said the company and its leader "put profits over people."
Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing's former chief executive, also accepted to pay $1 million to settle the same charges in a civil case.
This comes following October 2018's Lion Air Crash in Indonesia and March 2019's Ethiopian Airlines crash in Ethiopia that took the lives of nearly 350 passengers.
Muilenburg approved one month after the first crash a Boeing press release that "selectively highlighted certain facts," implying that what contributed to the crash were poor aircraft maintenance and a pilot error.
Following the second crash, both Muilenburg and Boeing confirmed to the public that there was "no surprise or gap" in MAX's federal certification despite being aware of opposite information, the SEC said.
Boeing misled investors about the safety of the 737 MAX
In a press release, SEC chair Gary Gensler said that "In times of crisis and tragedy, it is especially important that public companies and executives provide full, fair, and truthful disclosures to the markets," adding, "The Boeing Company and its former CEO, Dennis Muilenburg, failed in this most basic obligation. They misled investors by providing assurances about the safety of the 737 MAX, despite knowing about serious safety concerns."
By agreeing to pay the penalties, both Muilenburg and Boeing did not admit or deny the agency's findings, the SEC said.
The company's spokesperson commented that Boeing said the agreement "fully resolves" the SEC's inquiry and is part of the company's "broader effort to responsibly resolve outstanding legal matters related to the 737 MAX accidents in a manner that serves the best interests of our shareholders, employees, and other stakeholders."
A lawyer representing the families of the Ethiopian Airlines flight's victims called for "Muilenburg or anyone else who persuaded the government to keep the MAX 737 Boeing flying" to be "fully investigated for conduct that could be criminal in nature."
After the crashes, and following a 20-month grounding, Boeing's 737 MAX was approved to return to service after being cleared by air safety authorities in November 2020.
The Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was a principal cause of both crashes since it was responsible for preventing the plane from stalling as it ascended; instead, it forced the nose of the plane downward. The Federal Aviation Administration demanded Boeing upgrade this system to address the flaw.
Boeing agreed to pay $2.5 billion in January 2021 to settle a US criminal charge over claims it defrauded regulators overseeing the 737 MAX.
Close to 666. Will it hit it?
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/khashoggis-wife-to-sue-nso-for-spying-on-her-alongside-ksa-u
Khashoggi's wife to sue NSO for spying on her alongside KSA, UAE
The wife of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi disclosed that she was targeted by the Israeli Pegasus spyware, and is preparing to take its manufacturer, NSO Group, in the US to court.
Hanan Elatr also stated her intention to sue Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the account of their attempts to install the Pegasus software on her phone to spy on her, as she attempts to obtain proof and evidence from Agnès Callamard, the former UN official who investigated the murder in her role as special rapporteur for extrajudicial killings.
Currently residing in the US where she is seeking political asylum, Elatr believes that there are two mobile phones, an iPad and a laptop that belonged to her husband, suspected to be in the hands of the Turkish authorities, that she is wanting to recover to support her case.
Her legal counsel, Randa Fahmy, tried to reclaim the electronics from the Turkish embassy in Washington last year but to no avail because officials insisted she apply legally in Turkey for the retrieval request.
Targeting Elatr
In a collaborative investigation by the Guardian and its partners in the Pegasus Project last year, new evidence exposed that an NSO client targeted Elatr just a few months before her husband’s murder, between November 2017 and April 2018. Khashoggi was brutally killed and dismembered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October of that year. In 2017, NSO sold Pegasus to Saudi Arabia. The spyware was employed as part of a merciless drive to quell internal dissent and track down Saudi dissidents overseas, according to a report by The New York Times.
Upon the conclusion of a forensic examination of Elatr’s Android phone last year, it was revealed that she received four text messages including malicious links connected to Pegasus, even though a full successful installation was not proven by the analysis. However, Pegasus software has the power to transform a phone into a surveillance device, activating microphones and cameras without the knowledge of its user. Following her arrest in Dubai airport in April 2018 by UAE intelligence services, Elatr’s phone was confiscated and upon examination later on, it was revealed that there was an attempt to install the software at that time.
Callamard, who is advocating in Elatr's case, stated that she had been prohibited previously from restoring the devices, saying: “As UN special rapporteur investigating the Saudi state murder of Jamal Khashoggi, I was aware from the very first days that the Turkish authorities were holding Jamal’s phones and his computer as part of their investigation. From the very beginning of my investigation, in my meetings with the prosecutor, I asked whether they had investigated whether the phones or computers had been hacked but never got any reply except that it was ‘ongoing’."
She further added: “On my last meeting with the prosecutor, I suggested that maybe other experts, such as within the FBI, should be brought in given how difficult it is to trace and identify spywares such as Pegasus. But they refused or resisted the proposal. I was hoping that during the trial in Turkey, the prosecutor will reveal information they had collected on Jamal’s phones or computer. But as we know this sadly did not happen and the trial in Turkey has now been brought to an abrupt end. Without justice delivered.”
In light of Elatr's claims against the scandal-riddled Israeli company, a spokesman for the spyware manufacturer rejected the allegations, adding: “NSO has repeatedly stated that our technology was not associated in any way with the murder of Jamal Khashoggi or any of his family members, including Hanan Elatr.”
But Elatr was adamant on resorting to the US courts for full disclosure regarding the short period before her husband's murder and who was potentially spying on him. This may have to be rushed as the White House is urged to intervene after a decision was taken by a Turkish court to suspend a trial in absentia of 26 Saudis accused of carrying out the murder before it is transferred to Saudi Arabia. Turkey's Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag stated that the Turkish court's decision to stop proceedings in the case of slain opposition Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi is legal.
Part 1
Now serving as the secretary general of Amnesty International, Callamard expressed that she had been notified of Elatr's efforts to regain the devices from the Turkish authorities and reiterated her support for Elatr and her stance on the matter: “The Turkish government has been clear that it does not intend to proceed with the investigation and the trial. It should therefore hand over any evidence still in its hands to those which are truly and authentically determined to reveal the truth about Jamal’s killing. Determining whether his phones had been hacked, whether he was under digital surveillance, identifying the spywares – these are all crucial elements both for the purpose of truth telling and for understanding and preventing targeting of dissidents.”
US intelligence agencies deduced that the cold-blooded murder was approved by the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), which he in return denied by labeling it a “heinous crime” and a “mistake … committed by officials working for the Saudi government”. Of the 11 men prosecuted by the Saudi government for the murder, five of them were sentenced to death, but their sentences were later overruled.
Part 2 - End
Opera singer
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