9 Mar, 2023 12:58

Kremlin refuses to believe in pro-Ukrainian ‘Dr. Evil’

Only a well-trained intelligence service could have carried out the Nord Stream sabotage, Putin’s spokesman says

Western media reports claiming that a “pro-Ukrainian group” was behind the explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines last year are not plausible and must not distract from an investigation into the actual perpetrators of the sabotage, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

“As for a pro-Ukrainian ‘Dr. Evil’ who organized this, it’s hardly believable. The task was too difficult and was only within the scope of abilities of a well-trained, state-run intelligence service, and there aren’t too many of those in the world,” Peskov told journalists on Thursday.

Moscow believes that the investigation into the attack on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which were built to deliver Russian gas to Europe via Germany, shouldn’t be allowed to be “swept under the rug,” Peskov added.

“It’s also unacceptable for attention to be distracted to what we call an ‘unworthy object,’ to some secondary versions and theories,” he asserted.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has also commented on the recent reports in the Western media,branding them “blatant low-rating B-movie stuff.” Medvedev claimed they were aimed at “bamboozling” European citizens, who have suffered most of all from the destruction of Nord Stream.

On Tuesday, the New York Times claimed that a “pro-Ukrainian group” may have been behind the sabotage of the pipelines at the bottom of the Baltic Sea last September. The US outlet’s anonymous sources insisted that “no American or British nationals were involved” in the operation.

Also this week, several German outlets have reported that the country’s investigators probing the Nord Stream blasts had established that a yacht allegedly used in the attack belonged to a Polish-based firm but was “apparently” owned by two Ukrainians.

Commenting on Wednesday, Peskov said that the articles in the US and German media were aimed at overshadowing last month’s report by veteran American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, who blamed Washington for the attack.

According to an informed source who talked to Hersh, explosives were planted on the pipelines back in June 2022 by US Navy divers under the guise of a NATO exercise, and detonated remotely two months later. The White House has denied the claims by the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, calling them “utterly false and complete fiction.”

https://www.rt.com/russia/572690-ukraine-peskov-nord-stream/

Oh Schumer is pissed because they can’t say “Trump’s Big Lie” anymore!

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1633588333610770433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1633588333610770433%7Ctwgr%5E4942d5f67c51c6145344b832f03ffbc5392c51a2%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2023%2F03%2Felon-musk-mocks-chuck-schumer-after-he-lashes-out-over-jan-6th-footage-do-you-want-us-to-remove-this-video%2F

9 Mar, 2023 11:45

Ex-Russian president mocks Western media’s Nord Stream claims

Reports that a “pro-Ukraine” group was behind the sabotage of the pipelines sound like a B movie, Dmitry Medvedev has said

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has ridiculed Western media reports alleging that the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines was carried out by “pro-Ukraine” vigilantes, saying that the sole goal of those publications was to “bamboozle” the European audience.

On Tuesday, the New York Times claimed that a “pro-Ukrainian group” may have been behind the September explosions that disabled the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which were built to deliver Russian gas to Europe via Germany. The US paper’s anonymous sources stressed in particular that “no American or British nationals were involved” in the operation.

On the same day, a number of German outlets reported that the country’s investigators probing the Nord Stream blasts had discovered that a yacht allegedly used in the attackbelonged to a Polish-based firm but was “apparently” owned by two Ukrainians.

In his post on Telegram on Thursday, Medvedev made it clear that the idea of sabotage of such scale being carried out by “loners” without the involvement of state actors was simply laughable.

The story offered by the Western outlets to their readers was “blatant low-rating B movie stuff,” the official, who is now the deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, commented.

“Six hardened saboteurs, with a lady among them, a femme fatale (how can there be a movie without one?)went out on a yacht into the stormy Baltic Sea. They took half a ton of explosives on board and performed a beautiful dive. And then they blew up two huge pipes at the bottom, before disappearing into the sunset. Unspotted by anybody. In the sea, full of NATO ships and international surveillance systems. They also returned the yacht to the owner, being brutal, but also law-abiding,” he wrote.

“The goal of this cheap flick was to bamboozle the Europeans,” who are already getting tired of having to pay for the EU’s support to Ukraine amid the conflict with Russia, Medvedev said.

However, he pointed out thatthe “film flopped right after its premier” as the audience began asking “uncomfortable questions,” including why the initial claims of Russian involvement are now suddenly being abandoned or why must the EU keep sending arms and money to Ukrainian radicals if they were the ones who destroyed the pipelines.

(He is really funny!)

https://www.rt.com/russia/572682-medvedev-nord-stream-ukraine/

9 Mar, 2023 13:16

Pentagon blocking information on alleged war crimes in Ukraine – NYT

US military chiefs are reportedly afraid of setting a precedent in the Hague court that might lead to the prosecution of Americans

The US Department of Defense is reportedly at odds with the administration of President Joe Biden over helping theHague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) investigate alleged war crimes committed in Ukraine, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.

According to the outlet, thePentagon is currently blocking Washington from sharing evidence gathered by US intelligence agenciesabout alleged atrocities committed by Russian forces amid Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine.

The American military leaders are reportedly concerned that helping the Hague court investigate Russians could set a precedent thatcould lead to the prosecution of Americans themselves. Washington has long criticized the ICC for having “insufficient checks and balances” on the authority of its prosecutors and judges and “insufficient protection against politicized prosecutions or other abuses.”

The US officially withdrew from the ICC in 2002 and has passed laws that limit the amount of support the government can provide the court. InDecember, however, Congress modified its longstanding restrictions on American help to the ICC, allowing Washington to assist the court with investigations and prosecutions related to the war in Ukraine.

However, not everyone in the Biden administration has been on board with the policy, the NYT said, citing anonymous officials familiar with the discussions. Last month, the US National Security Council convened a cabinet-level “principals committee” in an attempt to resolve the dispute. However,Defense Secretary LLoyd Austin continued to object to sharing materials, while Biden has yet to resolve the matter, officials told the outlet.

“D.O.D. [Department of Defense] opposed the legislative change — it passed overwhelmingly — and they are now trying to undermine the letter and spirit of the law,” saidSenator Lindsey Graham, who helped push Congress to ease restrictions on aiding the ICC.“The sooner we can get the information into the hands of the I.C.C., the better off the world will be,” he told the NYT.

Russia, meanwhile, has denied allegations of war crimes in Ukraine and has decried attempts by Western countries to “whip up a quasi-judicial mechanism” to hold Moscow accountable for the purported atrocities. The Russian Foreign Ministry has said such efforts are yet another example of the West’s “practice of double standards.”

In 2017, when the ICC tried to investigate alleged US war crimes in Afghanistan, Washington imposed sanctions on court personnel, prosecutors, and their families. The sanctions were lifted by the Biden administration in 2021 and the investigation was dropped.

https://www.rt.com/news/572696-pentagon-blocking-war-crime-information/

9 Mar, 2023 12:47

Mice with two fathers created in lab – researcher

A Japanese scientist has reportedly created eggs from male skin and had surrogate mothers bear healthy pups

Scientists at a Japanese lab have produced healthy offspring from two male parents using a gene-editing technique to create viable egg cells from the skin, a leading stem cell researcher has claimed.

The breakthrough was reported on Wednesday by Professor Katsuhiko Hayashi from Osaka University during the International Summit on Human Genome Editing in London. Hayashi has been working on various techniques to make eggs from stem cells for a decade. His latest paper on the subject is pending publication in the magazine Nature, he told the BBC.

The artificial gametogenesis – or in-lab production of sex cells – was done on mice, the scientist reported in London during an update on core technologies in the field ofgenome editing. It involved reprogramming a skin cell into a pluripotent stem cell – a type of cell that can turn into other kinds of cells later.

The scientists removed theY-chromosome from the stem cells and created copies of the X-chromosome to replace it.With a full XX set, the cells turned into eggs, though only a small percentage of the source material could be made to undergo the full process.

The result was of relatively poor quality, with just seven pups coming out of 630 attempts to implant fertilized embryos into surrogate mothers, Hayashi explained during the event. But those seven “looked OK,” he added, meaning they developed normally and had offspring of their own.

In 2018, Chinese scientists reported breeding mice from same-sex parents, but in their experiment the pups turned out to be unhealthy and did not live long.

Hayashi warned that the method devised by his lab is a long way from maturity, and it may take a decade before it could be used for human fertility treatment.

The method does, however,give hope to same-sex couplesthat they may be able to have children who are genetically linked to them, although such kind of reproduction would first have to be accepted by society, the scientist argued. If that happens, he would favor such use, he told BBC.

He added thattechnically it could be possible for a man to conceive a babyusing an artificial egg made from a somatic cell and sperm, but he is “not so sure whether at this stage it is safe or acceptable for society.”

https://www.rt.com/news/572687-mice-two-fathers-research/

PN>>18473297 CIA issued advance Nord Stream warning to allies – WSJ

The CIA warned allies in the EU about a potential attack by a pro-Ukrainian group on the Nord Stream gas pipelines, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing intelligence officials.

According to the report, around June and July of last year, the CIA informed Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND) and other European agencies that three Ukrainian nationals were trying to rent out ships in states around the Baltic Sea, including Sweden, in preparation to target the pipelines, which were eventually attacked in September.

Apparently no one took the warning seriously. This story has more holes then swiss cheese!

9 Mar, 2023 14:26

Russian Jews call for ‘Holocaust’ reform

The word should be capitalized in Russian and used exclusively for WWII atrocities, a Jewish organization has argued

A Russian Jewish organization has urged national language officials to change the rules for how the word ‘Holocaust’ is used in the country’s press. It shouldexclusively refer to the extermination of Jewsduring World War II and spelled with a capital letter, it said.

The Russian Jewish Congress explained the suggestion in a statement on Thursday, reacting to the media coverage of the Holocaust commemoration week in January.

“The Holocaust is not a synonym for genocide. It’s a particular term for the mass slaughter of Jews by the Nazis during World War II,” the organization’s spokesman, Mikhail Savin, explained to the Russian media.

As any proper noun in Russian, it should be capitalized, the congress said, asking the relevant bodies in the Russian Academy of Sciences to offer their expert opinions on the matter.

Formalizing the proposed use will serve to respect the memory of the victims and prevent diluting the term, the organization argued. Treating the word any differently undermines the heroism of those who hid Jews during the Nazi occupation, fought to liberate prisoners from death camps, and otherwise helped make the death toll from the Holocaust somewhat lower, it added.

The congress said it expected discussions on the matter to take some time, and asked journalists to adopt its preferred version before the academy reached a conclusion.

The word ‘Holocaust’ originates from a Greek word for a burned sacrificeand was adopted when the Bible was translated into Greek to describe religious rites specific to Jews. It was popularized during the 20th century through the English language as a poetic term for various instances of mass murder and genocide.

Many Jewish communities prefer theBiblical Hebrew word Shoah (calamity) for the tragedy that befell the Jewish people.

(Russia lost 25 million citizens in WWII, while Jews claim 6 million. We never hear them demanding more BS so the world will never forget people died in the war. They should go to Israel, I’m sure there’s plenty of room for them. Nothing is ever enough with them!)

https://www.rt.com/russia/572694-holocaust-russian-language-reform/

9 Mar, 2023 14:28

Australian nuclear fleet ambitions emerge – Reuters

Canberra plans to buy three Virginia-class submarines from the US, with an option to procure two more, Reuters reported

Australia could procure up tofive US nuclear-powered submarinesas part of the AUKUS security pact with Washington and London, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing sources.

The report comes ahead of a meeting between US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in San Diego early next week to discuss the next steps in the AUKUS partnership.

According to four US officials interviewed by Reuters, in the early 2030s Australia would purchase three Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines and have the option to buy two more. CNN previously reported, citing sources, that the Pacific nation intended to buy at least four subs of this class.

While nuclear-powered subs do not necessarily carry nuclear weapons, they can stay underwater for longer than conventional ones and are harder to detect.

One Reuters source claimed that the AUKUS agreement would consist of several stages spanning into the late 2030s, and would see at least one US submarine visit Australian ports in the coming years. Two US officials told the agency that after those visits, Washington would forward deploy some submarines in Western Australia by around 2027.

Another key element of the deal would be thedevelopment of a new unidentified submarine classaccording to British designs, but with the use of American tech, the report says.

This echoes a Guardian report on Wednesday claiming that British Prime Minister Sunak was “enthusiastic” about the upcoming agreement, with the outlet’s sources suggesting that the UK “had succeeded in its bid to sell British-designed nuclear submarines to Australia.”

The pledge to help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines was the cornerstone of the AUKUS deal first announced in 2021 and widely regarded as a challenge to China. Beijing has repeatedly criticized the pact, arguing that it involves the “illegal transfer of nuclear weapon materials, making it essentially an act of nuclear proliferation.”

However, China is not the only country unhappy about AUKUS. By joining the pact with the US and UK, Australia scrapped a multibillion-dollar order for French submarines, leaving Paris furious.

Relations between the two countries frayed to the point that ex-French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian described Canberra’s decision as a “stab in the back,” while French President Emmanuel Macron accused former Australian PM Scott Morrison of lying.

https://www.rt.com/news/572698-australia-nuclear-subs-us/

9 Mar, 2023 14:43

Ukrainian poultry exports flood EU

Egg exports from Ukraine have soared 1370% since the bloc removed trade restrictions

EU countries are being confronted with an unchecked flow of eggs and poultry coming from Ukraine, according to the chairman of thePolish Federation of Poultry BreedersPavel Podstavka, as cited by the Polish Press Agency PAP.

During the first eight weeks of this year, Ukrainian producers sold 32,300 tons of chilled poultry products to the bloc, marking a surge of 94% compared to the same period a year ago. Exports of frozen poultry soared 171.6% to 16,660 tons. Meanwhile, sales of eggs skyrocketed by 1370% to 4,457 tons.

Podstavka attributed the unprecedented surge to the EU’s decision to temporarily abolish duties and quotas on goods from Ukrainian producers.

He said Ukrainian producers are benefiting from low costsdue to the absence of trade barriersas well as the lack of EU produce standards in Ukraine.

Last June, the European Commission temporarily removed all remaining tariffs and quota requirements on Ukrainian exports in an attempt to help the war-torn nation.

READ MORE: Ukrainian grain prices undercut EU farmers – WSJ

The move included the suspension of import duties on industrial products, and the elimination of all tariff quotas for agricultural products and of antidumping duties. The bloc also stopped applying the entry price system for fruits and vegetables.

(I’d be afraid to eat chicken from Ukraine)

https://www.rt.com/business/572692-ukraine-eggs-poultry-eu/

9 Mar, 2023 08:25

Ukraine reports multiple missile strikes on key infrastructure

Kiev’s energy minister says key sites in seven regions have come under attack

Energy infrastructurehas come under attack in a number of Ukrainian regions, the country’s energy minister, German Galushko, stated on Thursday morning.

Power-related sites in Kiev, Nikolaev, Kharkov, Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk, and Zhitomir Regions were struck by Russian missiles, Galushko claimed.

He added that Zaporozhye – which joined Russia after a referendum described as a “sham” by Kiev last year – was also affected. The northern part of the region is under Ukrainian control.

Kiev’s top military commander, General Valery Zaluzhny, added that Russia’s latest barrage involved over 80 missiles targeting sites across the country.

The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces said that Russia had launched six hypersonic Kinzhal missiles, as well as eight kamikaze drones. He claimed that many of them were intercepted or diverted from their intended targets.

The Ukrainian nuclear authority Energoatom reported that electricity supply to the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, which is controlled by Russia, had been cut.

It claimed the power loss was due to “Russian rocket shelling,” but Vladimir Rogov, a seniorRussian official in Zaporozhye Region, deniedthat there was any military action in the area that could have impacted supply. He alleged that Ukrainians had shut down the link “out of spite,” forcing the use of on-site backup generators.

DTEK, a leading Ukrainian utility, said that three power plants were damaged, without specifying their locations. A company update on repair work indicated that Odessa Region was one of those affected.

Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko stated on social media that there were at least two powerful explosions in the Ukrainian capital, with two people said to be injured. Roughly 40% of electricity consumers in the city have been left without power due to emergency shutdowns, he said.

Blackouts have been announced as a “preventive step” to avoid possible damage to the grid, according to the Kiev Region administration. The disruption prompted national train operator Ukrzaliznytsia to roll out backup diesel trains, notifying passengers of expected delays.

The Russian armed forces have launched regular attacks on parts of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which they describe as crucial to its military capabilities, though Moscow has yet to confirm Thursday’s alleged missile barrage.

https://www.rt.com/russia/572669-ukraine-energy-infrastructure-damaged/

9 Mar, 2023 09:31

Drone downed in Russian border region – governor

A “plane-type” unmanned aircraft was intercepted in Bryansk Region, the top local official has reported

The Russian military has shot down a drone over the Bryansk Region, which borders Ukraine, its governor, Aleksandr Bogomaz, has claimed. There were no casualties or damage on the ground, according to a brief statement posted on social media on Thursday.

The unmanned aircraft was destroyed by Russian air defenses near the village of Navlya, some 45km south of the regional capital city of Bryansk, and wasa “plane-type”drone, the governor explained.

In a separate incident, Ukrainian forces shelled the border village of Rakovka, damaging a resident’s home and a household outbuilding, Bogomaz said.

Bryansk Region has suffered from regular Ukrainian attacks, most of which involve cross-border shelling or drones. However, a week ago the region was targeted by a group of gunmen in an incursion.

Russia’s security agency, the FSB, reported that the group killed two civilians and injured two others, including a child, and also robbed locals and planted explosives before retreating.

Russian President Vladimir Putin branded the incursion a terrorist attack and noted that it was just the latest in a series of such plots carried out by Kiev.

https://www.rt.com/russia/572672-drone-downed-bryansk-region/

9 Mar, 2023 05:08

Michigan governor exempt from new TikTok ban

State officials have claimed the Chinese-owned video-sharing app could pose a threat to national security

Michigan has joined a growing number of states that have banned TikTok on government devices – but with some exceptions, including Governor Gretchen Whitmer, whose popular accountboasts nearly 200,000 followers.

State officials moved to ban the app earlier this month, though the decision was only confirmed on Wednesday by Michigan’s acting chief security officer, Jayson Cavendish, who told local reporters that TikTok has been “banned for state devices” since March 1.

Cavendish said the video-sharing application had been placed in a “monitored mode” back in 2020, which allowed official devices to access the site, but only after a security warning to discourage its use. TikTok is now blocked on web browsers, and though the stand-alone app can still be downloaded on state devices, it can no longer be opened.

The state government has left some exemptions for the new rule, however, allowing officials to use the app for law enforcement and “promotional” purposes, according to local media. That means Governor Whitmer – who makes near-daily TikTok posts to her more than 195,000 followers – will be permitted to continue using it.

The governor’s account has made several posts since the ban took effect, butofficials maintain that she uses a secure devicethat has never been connected to government networks.

“It’s a state of Michigan device, but it follows the guidelines that are in place for the exceptions. And the exceptions are for any department that feels that they need it for their job to convey with the public, or for investigative purposes,” said Whitmer’s spokesperson, Bobby Leddy.

He added that so far, no other state agency has requested the same exemption that Whitmer’s office was granted.

The federal government and at least 25 state administrations have enacted similar bans on official devices, according to a tally by Yahoo Finance, with many prompted to take action after FBI Director Christopher Wray claimedthe Chinese government could access data gathered by the app. A long line of state and federal officials have voiced similar privacy and national security concerns, among them Michigan’s Department of Technology, Management and Budget, which said it was reviewing possible “threats” linked to TikTok in December.

TikTok has rejected allegations that it passes data to the Chinese government, while Beijing insists the crackdown on the site across the US is merely an effort to “suppress foreign companies,” arguing that Washington “has been over-stretching the concept of national security and abusing state power” to target the popular video-sharing site, which boasts more than 1 billion monthly users worldwide.

https://www.rt.com/news/572664-michigan-governor-tiktok-ban/

So typical

9 Mar, 2023 16:41

US to discourage Africa from doing business with Russia – official

The deputy treasury secretary will pressure developing nations to toe the line on Ukraine

US Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo is planning a trip to Africa, where he will press officials in Ghana, Nigeria, and another unnamed country to cut their business ties with Russia, he said on Wednesday.

Speaking to ‘Pod Save the World’host Ben Rhodes, Adeyemo said that the trip would take place this month. The goal of the trip, he explained, will be to convince those countries that theworldwide spike in food and energy prices is the fault of Russia, even though US President Joe Biden has admitted that Washington’s sanctions on Russia have raised costs in “an awful lot of countries.”

“Our goal is to make very clear to [these] countries from an economic standpoint:your economic interests are aligned with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine ending as soon as possible,” Adeyemo said.

The US is “trying to do everything we can to reduce the costs [that Africa is] facing due to this war,” he claimed, adding that Africans “should be asking Russia to do the same.”

Ghana and Nigeria, like many other African nations, rely heavily on grain and fertilizer imports from Ukraine and Russia. Although Russia and Ukraine signed a deal last August to establish a safe corridor to transport grain from Ukrainian ports to countries facing food insecurity, Moscow warned earlier this month that EU nations and other “upper-middle income countries” are receiving 81% of the grain from Ukraine, with only 2.6% going to the countries that need it the most.

Meanwhile, Western sanctions are impeding the delivery of Russian grain by sea.Kiev also continues to block a vital ammonia pipeline, causing a shortage of the compound that could be used to produce seven million tons of fertilizer, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.

Adeyemo said that the US does not want African nations to trade with Russia. “They can support Russia, which is a small economythat’s getting smaller because of our actions, or [they] can continue to have access to doing business with companies and individuals in countries that represent more than 50% of the global economy,” he told Rhodes.

While both Ghana and Nigeria voted at the United Nations to condemn Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, neither have imposed sanctions on Moscow. The majority of UN members have taken a similar position, which the US Treasury has worked to change. In a visit to Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman last month, Brian Nelson, the department’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, warned that these countries could lose access to Western markets if they continued to trade with sanctioned Russian entities.

Adeyemo’s boss, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, went on a similar junket to Senegal, Zambia and South Africa in January.

https://www.rt.com/africa/572704-treasury-adeyemo-africa-russia/

9 Mar, 2023 16:35

Malaysia asked to reopen MH370 probe after claims of new evidence

Families of the victims have called for a renewed search after the findings of a US-based marine robotics company emerged

The Malaysian authorities are being asked to launch a new search for flight MH370, nine years after it disappeared from radars over the South China Sea. The request comes after US marine robotics company Ocean Infinity claimed to have found new evidence of the plane’s possible location.

The Boeing 777 was en route from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Beijing with 239 passengers on board on March 8, 2014, when it vanished from the grid less than an hour into its journey.

For three years, Malaysia, China, and Australia searched for the plane in the Indian Ocean, where it was believed to have crashed, only to come up empty-handed. The search was officially called off in January 2017, with no conclusion made about what could have happened to the mystery flight.

However, speaking to the Guardian on the ninth anniversary of the incident, Ocean Infinity CEO Oliver Plunkett said that after his company conducted its own unsuccessful search in 2018, it has now obtained new evidence that could finally lead to the discovery of the plane.

Although he did not share specifics of the findings, Plunkett said he hopes to convince the Malaysian government in the coming weeks to green-light another search and launch it later this year or in 2024. The initiative is also being supported by Voice370 – a group of relatives of passengers who were on board MH370 when it disappeared.

Meanwhile, a new Netflix documentary titled ‘MH370: The Plane That Disappeared’ has reignited public interest in the mystery and shed light on new theories.

Cyndi Hendry, a volunteer researcher at now-defunct satellite imagery company Tomnod, told the Netflix filmmakers that she found what looked like plane debris in the South China Sea just days after the aircraft vanished, thousands of miles from the main search area.

Hendry, who scoured satellite images, claims to have found pieces of wreckage that were an “almost perfect match” to MH370off the coast of Vietnam, close to where the plane dropped off radars.

The researcher says she tried contacting investigators and Malaysia Airlines to share her findings but claims she was ignored, after British company Inmarsat showed data which suggested the plane crashed in the Indian Ocean.

https://www.rt.com/news/572705-malaysia-mh370-new-search/

9 Mar, 2023 10:59

Georgian MPs withdraw bill after violent protests

Draft law on foreign agents “caused differences of opinion,” the ruling party conceded

The parliamentary majority in Georgia has withdrawn a controversial bill on registering ‘foreign agents’ following massive protests in the capital, Tbilisi. However,lawmakers insisted that they do not intend to drop the initiative completely.

Despite the move, the opposition has vowed to continue its protests, citing a lack of trust and the authorities’ failure to release people detained during the recent unrest.

In a joint statement on Thursday, the ruling Georgian Dream party and the People’s Power movement admitted that the bill “had caused differences of opinion in society.” If approved, it would mandate all organizations that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as foreign agents.

“The machine of lies was able to present the bill in a negative light and mislead a certain part of the public,” the statement read. It added that critics had falsely labeled the initiative as a “Russian law” and had framed it as a departure from Georgia’s “European course.”

Georgian MPs hailed the way law enforcement officers had handled this week’s unrest and claimed that “radical forces were able to involve some of the youth in illegal activities.”To disperse the crowds, police had used tear gas and water cannon, while protesters hurled Molotov cocktails and fireworks.

“Considering all of the above… we have decided to unconditionally withdraw the bill we supported without any reservations,” the statement said.

The MPs insisted that once “the emotional background subsides,” they would endeavor to “better explain to the public what the bill was for and why it was important to ensure the transparency of foreign influence in our country.”

However, the Georgian opposition signaled that it intends to continue the protests, claiming that it was not clear how the bill would be withdrawn and demanding that the authorities release all those detained during the two days of unrest. According to official data, the Georgian police arrested 133 people amid the protests.

“There will definitely be a rally today, because there are many young people who do not trust Georgian Dream,” the United National Movement said in a joint statement with other opposition groups on Facebook.

The clashes between police and protesters started on Tuesday after the Georgian parliament voted in favor of the foreign agent bill. A comparable law was adopted in Russia in 2012, which in turn bears a strong resemblance to the 1938 American Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

(Nazis, Antifa and Color Revolution won for now)

https://www.rt.com/russia/572686-georgia-foreign-agent-bill-withdrawn/