22 Mar, 2023 15:09

Russian TV channel unveils AI presenter

Several neural networks have reportedly been used to create the virtual weatherwoman

A local TV broadcaster in Russia’s southern Stavropol Region has unveiled an artificial weather presenter, which has been created with the help of several neural networks.

Svoye TV premiered its new program, dubbed ‘Future Forecast’, on Tuesday. The channel said it was controlled by neural networks, with “one responsible for the virtual presenter, another for preparing the text, and the third for generating graphic content.”

The program is set to go on airfive times a dayand is hosted by an AI presenter named Snezhana Tumanova (a wordplay on ‘snow’ and ‘fog’ in Russian).

“She is ambitious and seeks to completely replace human competitors. At the same time, the management of the TV channel does not intend to abandon the classic version of the forecast with a living person yet,” the channel noted.

Artificial TV presenters have been in use for several years already, with China launching an ‘English AI Anchor’ at the state-run Xinhua News Agency back in 2018. Multiple outlets have since followed suit. Last week, China’s leading newspaper, the People’s Daily, unveiled an AI presenter named ‘Ren Xiaorong’ that is set to broadcast the news 24 hours a day.

(They thought it would take blue collar jobs!)

https://www.rt.com/russia/573417-ai-weather-forecast-presenter/

Trump wants to be handcuffed for court appearance in Stormy Daniels case, sources say

People close to former president said to be unsure whether he is serious about wanting to do a perp walk

Hugo Lowell

Donald Trump has told advisers that he wants to be handcuffed when he makes an appearance in court, if he is indicted by a Manhattan grand jury for his role in paying hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels, multiple sources close to the former president have said.

The former president has reasoned that since he would need to go to the courthouse and surrender himself to authorities for fingerprinting and a mug shot anyway, the sources said,he might as well turn everything into a “spectacle”.

Trump’s increasing insistence that he wants to be handcuffed behind his back for a perp walk appears to come from various motivations, including thathe wants to project defiancein the face of what he sees as an unfair prosecution and thatit would galvanize his basefor his 2024 presidential campaign.

But above all, people close to Trump said, he was deeply anxious that any special arrangements – like making his first court appearance by video link or skulking into the courthouse – would make him look weak or like a loser.

The recent discussions that Trump has had about his surrender with close advisers at Mar-a-Lago and elsewhere opens a window on to the former president’s unique fears and anxieties as the grand jury, which next convenes on Wednesday, appears on course to return an indictment.

Trump’s legal team in the hush money case has recoiled at the idea of him going in person and recommended that Trump allow them to quietly turn himself in next week and schedule a remote appearance, even citing guidance from his Secret Service detail about potential security concerns.

But Trump has rejected that approach and told various allies over the weekend that he didn’t care if someone shot him – he would become “a martyr”. He later added thatif he got shot, he would probably win the presidency in 2024, the sources said.

It remains uncertain when the Manhattan grand jury might return an indictment in the hush money case and make him the first US president, sitting or former, to face criminal charges.

People close to Trump could not be sure how serious he isabout being handcuffed for a perp walk, but he may be thwarted in his supposed ambitions if the district attorney, Alvin Bragg, decides against handcuffing him and refuses to allow him to be marched past the cameras.

Trump’s advisers have also been unsure whether he actually grasps the enormity of what an indictment might mean for him legally, in part because he has appeared disconnected at times from the recent flurry of activity in New York as the investigation has wrapped up.

In recent days, Trump has generally weighed his predicament only in between lunches and dinners at Mar-a-Lago and playing his usual rounds of golf at his resort in Palm Beach, the sources said.

When he eventually gets settled on strategizing his response to the hush money case, the sources said, he has been more focused on how he can project an image of defiance against the prosecution and that he is unfazed by being slapped with criminal charges that could turn out to rise to a felony.

The case centers on $130,000 that Trump paid to Daniels through his then-lawyer Michael Cohen in the final days of the 2016 campaign. Trump later reimbursed Cohen with $35,000 checks using his personal funds, which were recorded as legal expenses to Cohen.

It remains unclear what charges the district attorney might seek against Trump, though some members of his legal team believe the most likely scenario involves a base charge of falsifying business records coupled with potential tax fraud because Trump would not have paid tax on the payments.

Trump has also been fixated on how an indictment might be a boon for his 2024 presidential campaign, betting that it would enrage his Maga base and force the rest of the Republican party to fall in line to defend him, in what he has already characterised as a politically motivated prosecution.

In the past,publicity over political and criminal investigations have benefited Trump’s fundraising, and forced Republican rivals to stumble between criticizing prosecutors and defending otherwise politically indefensible allegations.

Whether an indictment benefits Trump for the 2024 campaign remains to be seen given his grievance-driven campaigns have faltered in recent election cycles, with independent voters, in particular, seemingly exhausted by his constant refrains surrounding “witch-hunt” investigations. (That’s their take? Its silly)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/22/trump-wants-to-be-handcuffed-for-court-appearance-in-stormy-daniels-case-sources-say

>>18559627

Trump said in the interview with Beattie, regarding Barr’s fear of being impeached,

“I’ve been impeached twice, its no so bad! It actually made my poll numbers go up!”

22 Mar, 2023 15:29

Danish Navy present near Nord Stream 2 – media

A ship used by military divers was spotted near the sabotaged pipeline after discovery of mystery object, national daily reports

The Royal Danish Navy is believed to be conducting a diving operation to the east of the island of Bornholm, not far from the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline damaged by a blast. Newspaper Berlingske reported on Tuesday that a Flyvefisken-class patrol vessel used by military divers had been seenthere along with two other military ships. The Danish military confirmed its presence east of Bornholm but would not comment on the ships’ mission, Berlingske said.

Last week, Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen announced that his government could corroborate a report by the Russian gas giant Gazprom, the operator of the undersea pipeline, abouta strange object found near Nord Stream 2.

The company sent pictures of the item to Danish authorities, while the Russian government made a formal inquiry through its embassy, the minister said. Copenhagen treats the discovery seriously and will investigate further, Rasmussen pledged at the time.

The object was mentioned last week by Russian President Vladimir Putin in a TV interview. He said it was found during a Gazprom survey about 30 kilometers away from where the pipeline was breached. Thedevice may be an antennaused in remotely detonating a charge, the president suggested, citing experts.

Moscow asked for permission to explore further, Putin added, necessary because the object is located in Denmark's exclusive zone. Russia could organize a mission “on its own, jointly with [the Danes], or, better yet, with an international group of experts in explosives who are trained to work at such depth.”

Rasmussen said such permission would not be granted, triggering a rebuke from the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The sabotage of the two Nord Stream pipelines, which mostly run next to each other but divert a bit near Bornholm, involvedexplosions in two different general locations, one in Danish waters, the other in the Swedish zone. Three of the four strings comprising the key energy links were ruptured.

According to a report by veteran investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, the operation was ordered by US President Joe Biden, with the militaries of the US and Norway planting the charges. Both nations have denied any responsibility.

https://www.rt.com/news/573422-danish-navy-nord-stream/

22 Mar, 2023 15:10

US trying to ‘cover up’ Nord Stream sabotage role – Seymour Hersh

The CIA has been told to provide the media with an alternative story for the pipeline’s destruction, the veteran journalist claims

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh claims theUS intentionally provided false storiesto the media to cover up Washington’s involvement in the destruction of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

In a post on his Substack blog, the veteran reporter claims theCIA was tasked with preparing a cover storyin collaboration with German intelligence to provide the American and German press with an “alternative version” of the Nord Stream 2 explosions.

“In the words of the intelligence community, theagency was ‘to pulse the system’ in an effort to discount the claim that Biden had ordered the pipeline’s destruction,” Hersh wrote, citing an anonymous source with access to diplomatic intelligence.

He noted that the CIA had completed its task and, with the help of Germany, planted stories in the New York Times and German weekly Die Zeit. These referred to a supposed “ad hoc ‘off the books’ operation” carried out by a “pro-Ukrainian group,” which allegedly used a luxury sailing yacht to plant explosives on the Nord Stream pipelines.

“It was a total fabricationby American intelligence that was passed along to the Germans, and aimed at discrediting your story,” asourcewithin the American intelligence community reportedly told Hersh.

“The disinformation professionals inside the CIA understand that a propaganda gambit can only work if those on receiving are desperate for a story that can diminish or displace an unwanted truth. And the truth in question isthat President Joe Biden authorizedthe destruction of the pipelines,” he added.

In February, Hersh published a bombshell report on last September’s Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipeline blasts, accusing Washington of orchestrating the attack. The White House denied responsibility. Last week, several Western media outlets claimed the culprits may have been linked to Ukraine. Moscow dismissed the reports as “a coordinated media hoax campaign.”

https://www.rt.com/news/573428-nord-stream-us-coverup/

22 Mar, 2023 15:27

EU ‘delusional’ in its push to ‘decouple’ from Russia – bloc member's FM

Austria's Alexander Schallenberg defended Raiffeisen Bank over its business in the sanctioned country, Reuters reports

Russia will always remain important for Europe, Austria’s foreign minister told Reuters on Wednesday as he defended Raiffeisen Bank’s continued operations in the sanctioned country.

Alexander Schallenberg made his comments after the US sanctions authority launched a probe into the Austrian lender over its business related to Russia last month.

“Let’s get real,” he said.“91% of Western companies are still in Russiaand doing what is sensible: waiting, containment, ring fencing.”

Raiffeisen Bank International is Austria’s second-largest lender and, despite sanctions, still plays a critical role in the Russian economy. It’s one of only two foreign banks on the Russian central bank’s list of 13 systemically important credit institutions. The other is UniCredit, a pan-European commercial bank.

“To think that there won’t be Russia anymore and we can decouple in all areas is delusional,” Schallenberg told Reuters, adding that while Austria would loosen ties, this “can’t happen overnight.”

Schallenberg alsodiscouraged Europefrom introducing further sanctions against Russia.

“It is a very blunt weapon,” he said. “We’ve had massive sanctions packages. Give them time to work.”

https://www.rt.com/business/573430-eu-delusional-decouple-russia/

22 Mar, 2023 12:46

US must respond to Nord Stream accusations – Mexican president

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has called on Washington to answer claims about the pipeline sabotage

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has argued that the US should respond to allegations that it sabotaged the Nord Stream pipelines. The remarks came as the Mexican leader hit out at Washington following criticism of his country.

“If we are talking about acts of violence, how is it that an award-winning journalist in the United States claims that the US government sabotaged the gas pipeline from Russia to Europe?” Lopez Obrador asked during a press conference on Tuesday.

The Mexican president was referring to claims by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh that the Biden administration blew up the Nord Stream pipelines linking Russia and Germany last year.

Lopez Obrador’s remarks came as part of a rebuttal to accusations of “violence” by Mexican authorities, made in an annual human rights report issued by the US State Department this week. The report alleged “significant human rights issues” in Mexico and cited “credible reports” of unlawful or arbitrary killings by the police, as well as torture and forced disappearances.

Lopez Obrador rejected the findings as “lies,”and noted Washington’s own list of alleged wrongdoings. According to the Mexican president, thatincludes the US extradition demands against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who remains in detention in the UK.

In addition, Lopez Obrador pointed to failed American efforts to halt the opioid crisis plaguing the country, which caused over 71,000 deaths in 2022 alone from fentanyl-linked overdoses and drug poisonings.

The Mexican leader went on to arguethat“lying” and “politicking” is in Washington’s nature, and asserted that the US “do[es] not want to change, so they believe they are the government of the world, and they only see the speck in someone else’s eye and not the beam in their own.”

State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel responded to Lopez Obrador’s remarks by insisting that the US has “never been ones to indicate that we are the government of the world or some kind of edict like that.”(kek weak response!)

Patel suggested that the Mexican police, military, and other government structures were responsible for serious acts of corruption and unlawful killings, which is why these issues were highlighted in the State Department report.

Lopez Obrador, however, has repeatedly insisted that there is an “anti-Mexico”conservative element within the US government that is trying to inflame tensions between the two countries. “Mexico is safer than the United States,” the leader stated earlier this month.

(Great Bidan ruins relationship with Mexico that Trump created good relations with.)

https://www.rt.com/news/573416-us-mexico-nord-stream/

>>18559771

Thats not goodnotable

>>18559748

The majority of that article provides false assumptions

>>18559729

Kek, this whole thing is a distraction,anons what are they distracting us from researching?

>>18559720

I know

>>18559715

Thx

>>18559641

He’s really funny!

>>18559646

VeryNotableBakhmut Bloodbath of Ukrainian Soldiers. Generals have advised Zelensky to withdraw. But Zelensky continues to send his soldiers to be killed

>>18559646

I guessed over 200,000 Ukraine soldiers were killed and MacGregor just confirmed it, but he thinks it much higher, with Moscow having around 25,000 dead. Ukraine has been lying about everything. Thats why they are threatening the world for not supporting them.Bidan did say Ukraine will continue to the last Ukraine soldier

>>18559646

MacGregor talks about how are own military is not ready for a significant war. They have wasted billions with no benefit. We’ve Lost tons of equipment and only focus on buying new ones that can’t be produced in a short period of time.

Russia is only growing. Every reason to enter Ukraine were false and flawed, because it exposes our own country

22 Mar, 2023 07:19

Crimean naval base attacked by drones – governor

A sea incursion targeting Sevastopol was repelled by the city's defense systems, Mikhail Razvozhaev has claimed

At least three naval drones were involved in an early morningattack on Russian warshipsstationed at the port of Sevastopol, local Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev has reported. The city hosts Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and is occasionally targeted by Ukrainian forces.

The Russian Navy’s assets were not damaged in Wednesday’s raid, but the windows of several buildings near the coast were shattered byblast waves from the destroyed drones, the senior official wrote on social media. Russian air defenses were used to engage an aerial target during the incident, he added.

Despite sporadic attacks by Ukraine on the city of Sevastopol, located on the Crimean Peninsula, the use of naval drones, which cancarry more explosives than their airborne equivalents, is a rare event.

The last major incident involving such weapons was reported by the Russian military in late October last year, when Kiev deployed seven unmanned watercraft and nine unmanned aircraft against ships in Sevastopol harbor. Ukrainian forces managed to damage a Natya-class minesweeper, the Defense Ministry said at the time.

The Russian military claimed the Ukrainian operation was conductedwith the help of British advisersand targeted vessels that were providing safe passage for ships under a UN-mediated Black Sea grain deal. The Defense Ministry briefly suspended participation in the scheme as a result.

The grain deal, which allows Ukraine to export agricultural produce by sea, was extended for a second time last week. Moscow warned that the UN had 60 more days to deliver on the promise to have Western nations lift the restrictions hampering Russian grain and fertilizer trade, which it gave when the original agreement was signed.

https://www.rt.com/russia/573402-sevastopol-naval-drones-attack/

>>18559646

Chinas interest is not Russia and Ukraine, but its to benefit China on a rail line through Europe so they don’t have to import goods to their country through the ocean.

>>18559646

Wow MacGregor says all our police organizations in the US are infiltrated by the drug cartel from MX and SA

>>18559646

MacGregor says “We are talking about police and military powers in the US to clean up this mess. There are so many cartel and corrupt people in the US, there’s no way to clean up our country.

Q its time to release the plan

>>18560230

Amen, now. Take out Bidan, reinstall the real CiC and have MacGregor as an adviser for Trump. Now!

>>18560268

I didn’t mean kill anyone

>>18560316

It’s really bizarre for people still believe Trump is the problem. The vax killed any logical, rational problem solving with Trump haters. What a game

>>18560335

This guy is freaking out, he really thought there were more Trump haters out there, now he finds out the truth. The idiot really believed the media! Kek