14 Jul, 2023 11:51

US considered withdrawing NATO ‘invitation’ to Ukraine – WaPo

Officials allegedly reacted badly after President Zelensky hit out at the bloc for not clarifying timeframes for Kiev’s accession

Criticism of NATO from President Vladimir Zelensky infuriated Washington so much that officials briefly considered backtracking on a commitment to eventually invite Ukraine to join the military bloc, the Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources.

Such a move would be unprecedented for the Americans who have consistently pursued their strategic goals in the former Eastern bloc over the past few decades.

On Tuesday, at the height of the much-anticipated NATO summit in Vilnius, Zelensky blasted members of the US-led military bloc, claiming that they were discussing the wording of the communique without Ukraine.

“It’s unprecedented and absurd when [the] time frame is not set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine’s membership,” he wrote on Twitter, saying that the wording about “conditions” was too vague. “Uncertainty is weakness,” he added.

The final version of NATO’s joint communique said that the bloc’s members “will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance when allies agree and conditions are met.”

While it did not elaborate, the bloc’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said that Kiev could hope to join only if it prevails in its conflict with Moscow.

According to six people familiar with the matter, interviewed by the Post, the White House was quite roiled by Zelensky’s rebuke, with one official describing the US delegation’s reaction as “furious.”

During an unofficial meeting that followed, some officials reportedly “wanted to withdraw the reference to ‘invitation’” or find another place to put that word. Ultimately, however, the US delegation “did not specifically want to take that promise” out of the declaration, with some people fearing that changes would delay the document’s release and trigger pushback from Kiev, according to the Post.

Zelensky later changed his tune, saying that he was “grateful” to the bloc for its unprecedented support and a “very important package of guarantees.” According to a Bloomberg report on Thursday, the change in tune came after NATO leaders told the Ukrainian president to “cool down.”

Commenting on the discussions among NATO members over whether to invite Kiev to the bloc, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said that “the US played an important, decisive role in ensuring that the word ‘invitation’ appeared in the text at all,” although he complained that thefinal wording was framed “not in [a way] that satisfies us.”

(They still will not learn their lesson.)

https://www.rt.com/russia/579685-us-withdraw-invitation-ukraine-nato/

14 Jul, 2023 09:40

Russia moves towards banning sex changes

The State Duma has approved a bill in the final reading which would prohibit most medical interventions needed for transitioning

The Russian State Duma, the lower chamber of parliament, has passed legislation that makes sex transitioning in Russia illegal,with a handful of medical exceptions. Lawmakers cited moral obligations to resist the transgender “industry” and foreign influence as reasons for the amendments.

The bill, which was approved in the third and final reading on Friday, bans medical interventions aimedat changing sex, as well as relevant procedures to change the legal status of patients undergoing them.

Some medical facilities will be authorized by the government to perform procedures that are required to treat “congenital physical anomalies in formation of sex in children,”according to the draft law. A medical council will decide whether such intervention is necessary.

The restrictions are necessary to oppose the “destructive” influence on Russian society coming from the West, supporters of the bill explained.

“There iscurrently a developed industry for sex change in Russia, which includes malpracticing doctors, psychologists, a developed network of LGBT organizations and activists and other individuals,” a memorandum from sponsors justifying the bill said. “They aim their destructive activities against teenagers and the youth.

The MPs claimed that one could get amedical certificate of transsexualism, which paves the way for a sex change, foras low as $330 at a private clinic. Some allegedly issue them without a proper medical examination. The number of applications to the Russian state registrar to legally change sex has risen from 142 in 2016 to 996 last year, they noted.

State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin hailed the passage of the bill, saying it would defend the country from going in the direction of the US. He said the number of sex change surgeries in America had increased 50 times in a decade, with hundreds of thousands of people undergoing them. Volodin called the trend “monstrous” and unacceptable for Russia.

Health Minister Mikhail Murashko previously said he agreed that a patient’s wish to transition alone was not a good reason for medical intervention. The department promised to change the relevant regulations swiftly, if the bill is signed into law by President Vladimir Putin.

https://www.rt.com/russia/579684-russia-sex-change-law/

14 Jul, 2023 08:18

US could stop Ukraine conflict instantly – Hungary

Washington has not explained to its allies why it wants hostilities with Russia to continue, Viktor Orban said

The US wants the conflict in Ukraine to continue and has failed to explain its reasons to NATO allies, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said.

Orban told national broadcaster Kossuth Radio that if Washington wished, it could stop the fighting at a moment’s notice, as Kiev is fully dependent on the West in the fight against Russia.

The Hungarian leader was speaking on Friday morning, after returning from the NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius. During the event, the US-led military bloc declined to extend to Kiev a roadmap for membership. Hungary has stood out among members of the alliance by consistently criticizing Western policies on the Ukraine crisis.

“If the Americans wanted it, peace would come the next morning. Why Americans don’t want that is a question that puzzles the entire world,” Orban said. “We didn’t get an answer at the NATO summit.”

At this point, “Ukraine has lost any real sovereignty,” Orban claimed, citing Kiev’s devastated economy, and heavy dependence on Western allies for funding and weaponry.

Justifying its support for Ukraine, Washington has accused Russia of launching an “unprovoked war of aggression” against Kiev. US officials have said that inflicting a “strategic defeat” on Moscow is a primary goal.

Moscow, in turn, has accused the US of triggering the crisis by ignoring Russia’s long-running concerns over NATO expansion in Europe, while fostering a regime in Kiev that is hostile to Moscow. The Kremlin perceives the conflict as part of a US-led proxy war against Russia.

Orban went on to warn that if NATO were to admit Ukraine now, it would trigger a world war. He also highlighted the risks incurred by Western states sending increasingly sophisticated military hardware to Kiev.

The Hungarian leader also accusedKiev of using moral blackmailto receive Western support, but added that he does not blame Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for acting the way he does, as he is “fighting for the survival of his people.”

The prime minister predicted that the conflict will drag on, and EU nations – including Hungary – will bear the economic cost, including high inflation.

https://www.rt.com/news/579682-orban-us-ukraine-conflict/

14 Jul, 2023 01:51

Drone crashes in Russian ‘atomic city’ – governor

There were no injuries or damage to critical infrastructure resulting from the incident in Kurchatov, Roman Starovoyt says

A drone went down and exploded early on Friday in the Russian city of Kurchatov, an industrial hub adjacent to the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, the governor of Kursk Region has said.

“Fortunately, none of the residents were hurt. Critical facilities weren’t damaged,” Roman Starovoyt wrote on his Telegram channel.

The explosion caused minor damage to the facade of an apartment bloc, while shattering some windows, the official said, adding that his administration will help residents to carry out repairs.

Earlier, several Telegram channels reported a loud explosion in Kurchatov. Videos from the scene also captured locals finding what appear to be parts of a drone on the ground.

The city of Kurchatov is located in Kursk Region, whichshares a border with Ukraine. It was founded in the late 1960s and named after physicist Sergey Kurchatov, dubbed the“father” of the Soviet atomic bomb.

The Kursk Nuclear Power Plant sits roughly 4 kilometers (2.4 miles) outside urban areas in Kurchatov. The Energotex company, which makes equipment for nuclear reactors, is also based in the city, home to 40,000 people.

A “powerful explosion” was also reported by local media overnight in the city of Voronezh, the capital of the region to the east of Kursk.

On Friday morning, the governor of Voronezh Region, Aleksandr Gusev, said air defenseshad destroyed three incoming drones several kilometers outside the city. “There are no fatalities, injuries or destruction,” he wrote.

The Russian border regions of Kursk, Bryansk and Belgorod have been frequently shelled by artillery and attacked by drones since Moscow launched its military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. Russian officials have accused Kiev of plotting acts of sabotage targeting the country’smajor infrastructure sites, including nuclear power plants.

In early May, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said it had intercepted a Ukrainian saboteur group planning a terrorist operation against nuclear power plants in the Leningrad and Tver Regions.

The suspects were aiming to destroy more than 30 pylons bearing high-voltage lines linked to the nuclear power stations, in order to cause a shutdown of the reactors, the agency said. Two Ukrainian citizens were arrested, while another, who is believed to be in Belgium, was placed on the wanted list over the plot, according to the FSB.

https://www.rt.com/russia/579676-kurchatov-drone-attack-reports/

(Really interesting)

13 Jul, 2023 22:56

Wagner does not legally exist, Putin tells media

The Russian president has opened up about his Kremlin meeting with the mutineers

Russian law does not recognize the existence of private militarycompanies, including Wagner, President Vladimir Putin told the newspaper Kommersant on Thursday, when asked about his recent meeting with commanders of the mutinous group.

While attending a technology fair in Moscow, Putin was asked whether Wagner will continue operating as a combat formation.

“Well, PMC Wagner does not exist,” Putin told the Kommersant correspondent. “We don’t have a law on private military companies. So it simply doesn’t exist.”

“The group exists, but legally it does not,” the president clarified. “It’s a separate issue, related to legalization, that needs to be taken up by the State Duma and the government. A complicated question.”

The Russian government has long held this position when asked about the group, nominally headed by businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin. Wagner’s de facto existence was only acknowledged by the Russian military when the group became involved in the fighting in Donbass last year, in particular at Popasnaya and Artyomovsk, also known as Bakhmut.

Earlier this week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed a report by a French outlet that Putin had met with 35 members of Wagner on June 29, several days after the group engaged in an armed rebellion. On Thursday, Putin was asked to give his version of what happened.

“I don’t have a version,” the Russian president replied.“You or NATO may have a version. I have what actually happened.”

According to Putin, he wanted to meet with Wagner commanders who had fought honorably, more than with Prigozhin, though he was present as well.

“At the meeting I gave an assessment of what they did on the battlefield, and what they did during the events of June 24,” Putin said. “Third, I showed them the possible variants of how they could continue their service, including in combat. That is all.”

At one point, Putin said, he offered the men gathered at the Kremlin to continue their military service under thesame commanderthey had served with for the past 16 months, known by hiscall sign ‘Grayhair’. While many of them nodded, Prigozhin spoke up on their behalf and said they did not agree.

After laying siege to the military headquarters in Rostov and sending a convoy of vehicles towards Moscow, Prigozhin ordered Wagner to stand down on June 24, after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko mediated a deal with the Kremlin. Under the terms of the deal, Wagner would be reintegrated into the Russian armed forces, while Prigozhin would move to Belarus and the criminal case against him for armed mutiny would be dropped.

https://www.rt.com/russia/579672-putin-wagner-existence-legal/

14 Jul, 2023 06:18

Boris Johnson ‘forgets’ iPhone passcode – The Times

The former British prime minister was required to turn over text messages related to the 2020 lockdowns

Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was unable to provide WhatsApp messages requested for a government Covid-19 probe because he forgot the password to his old cell phone, The Times reported on Thursday.

Sources told the newspaper that Johnson cannot remember the passcode “with 100% confidence,” as he last used the device in 2021, while he was still prime minister. However, a representative for the former leader said he is eager to hand over the information.

“As previously stated, Mr. Johnson will cooperate fully with the inquiry. He wants to disclose any relevant material which is why he is fully cooperating with this process,” the spokesperson told The Guardian on Thursday.

While the UK Cabinet Office said it is looking to see if the password is on record, there are concerns thatJohnson’s old iPhone could automatically erase its contents if the wrong code is entered, The Times said. The office was previously ordered to comply with a High Court ruling to hand over all of Johnson’s WhatsApp messages, diaries and unredacted notebooks by Monday as part of a Covid-19 investigation.

Dating back to the height of the pandemic, Johnson’s records are thought to contain discussions about the lockdowns he imposed in 2020, among other Covid-related policies. Investigators have also sought other information on the former prime minister’s affairs, includinghow he funded £200,000 ($262,000) in renovations at his Downing Street apartment while still in office.

The Cabinet Office previously opposed the demand for Johnson’s communications, calling them “unambiguously irrelevant” to the probe, but lost its legal challenge last week. Besides the WhatsApp messages, it has since provided the rest of the material sought for the inquiry.

TheCovid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, a pressure group which helped to push for a public investigation into the government’s pandemic response, called Johnson’s excuse “a complete joke.”

“No one seriously believes that Johnson’s messages can’t be accessedbecause he forgot a passcode that he was apparently using last December,” it said, adding that the former premier “needs to take full responsibility for ensuring that these messages are shared in their entirety with the inquiry, and the inquiry must be prepared to take legal action against him if he doesn’t.”

Johnson stopped using the iPhone in question in 2021 after it was found that its number had been publicly available for more than 15 years. The device is now in the possession of Johnson’s lawyers, who have granted access to government security experts in hopes of preserving its data if the correct password cannot be found.

https://www.rt.com/news/579679-boris-johnson-phone-password/

14 Jul, 2023 00:58

Kiev bans ‘Russian culture’

The decision covers everything from books and stage shows to arts and crafts, officials in the Ukrainian capital said

The Kiev city council has voted to impose a broad moratorium on public displays of “cultural products” made using the Russian language, citing the armed conflict with Moscow.

“We must once and for all restrict the Russian-language cultural products on the territory of Ukraine’s capital,” Vadim Vasilchuk, chair of the council’s education and culture commission, said on Thursday. He labeled Russian “the language of the aggressor state that has no place in the heart of our capital.”

Vasilchuk explained that the decision means an effective ban on “books, artwork, audiovisual products, musical recordings, arts and crafts, stage and circus performances, concerts and services.”

The ruling is part of a wider state-sponsored campaign to eradicate historical and cultural ties with Russia that began in Ukraine after in 2014, when Crimea voted to join Russia following the Western-backed coup in Kiev. The movement escalated in 2022, when Moscow launched its military operation in Ukraine.

In 2015, Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, passed a law on “decommunization”aimed at removing the legacy of the Soviet Union from public spaces such as monuments as well as street and city names. In practice, the campaign has targeted everything remotely Russian, from films and TV shows to individual artists.

In April 2023, President Vladimir Zelensky signed a law that banned names and symbols associated with “Russian imperial policies.”

Moscow has repeatedly condemned Kiev’s attempts to target the centuries of shared history. President Vladimir Putin cited “the de-Russification and forced assimilation” of ethnic Russians and Russian-speakers in Ukraine and Donbass as one of the causes of the current conflict.

Putin has also blasted attacks on Russian culture in Ukraine and the West, stressing that it has been an inalienable part of European culture.“When someone is trying to destroy Russian culture, it is a suicide attempt, because they are destroying themselves,” he said earlier this month.

https://www.rt.com/russia/579675-kiev-bans-russian-culture/

How Jim Caviezel’s Faith-Based ‘Sound of Freedom’ Became This Summer’s Unlikely Box Office Hit

Rebecca RubinJul 9, 2023PT

“Sound of Freedom,” a religious thriller led by “The Passion of the Christ” star Jim Caviezel, is becoming an unlikely box office savior. The faith-based movie about child sex trafficking has collected an impressive $40 million after six days of release.

“Sound of Freedom” opened last Tuesday, generating a mighty $14.2 million on the Independence Day holiday. The film picked up another $18.2 million between Friday and Sunday, enough to place third on domestic box office charts behind “Insidious: The Red Door” ($32.6 million) and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” ($26.5 million). It’s playing in 2,850 North American theaters, a smaller footprint than “Insidious” and “Indiana Jones (3,188 theaters and 4,600 theaters, respectively).

“As with our July 4th numbers, today’s numbers exceed our expectations, and we’re going to continue this momentum,” said Brandon Purdie, head of theatrical distribution at Angel Studios, the independent studio that’s backing the film, in a statement. “We’re getting messages from all over the country telling us about packed theaters, sold-out theaters and spontaneous standing ovations for the film in numerous locations. Seeing this film has become a must, thanks to incredible word-of-mouth.”

Purdie also thanked AMC, Cinemark and Regal, which are three of the biggest movie theater chains in the country, for “having the courage to release ‘Sound of Freedom’ during the busiest movie season of the year.”

It’s one of the biggest openings in recent times for a faith-based film, according to Comscorewhich counts this spring’s Kelsey Grammar-led “Jesus Revolution” ($15.8 million debut), as other top turnouts for movies that cater to religious audiences.

Hollywood rarely backs films that are geared toward this particular demographic. But when they do, it’s a sector that has proven to reliably turn out in force. A similar crowed helped to propel the low-budget “Jesus Revolution” to $53 million, enough to rank among the top 25 domestic releases of this year. “Sound of Freedom” looks to eclipse those box office returns in a matter of days, as long as momentum sustains during the week.

It’s now being distributed independently by Angel Studios, and spent $15 million on the Caviezel-led action-thriller.

Religious and conservative media groups have rallied behind the film, which is partially crowdfunded. The Utah-based Angel Studios used other unconventional efforts to promote the film, including an app that allows people to buy and then donate tickets to those who can’t afford the price of admission. About $2.6 million of opening day sales were earned through the “Pay It Forward” app, which the company framed as a way to raise awareness about child trafficking.Alejandro Monteverde wrote and directed “Sound of Freedom,” based on the true story of Tim Ballard (Caviezel)….

Opening weekend audiences were enthusiastic,bestowing the film an “A+” CinemaScore. It’s theonly movie playingin theaters right now with that high of a grade. Ticket buyers have been predominately female, while more than 50% of cinemagoers were over the age of 45 years old.

“There’s support for the movie from white conservative political groups, but athird of the audience is Hispanic,” says David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “The inspiration, action and Latin America-based story are drawing a diverse audience, not just ethnically,” he adds, “but in age and gender.”

Critics have been mostly positive toward the movie, which holds a 76% on Rotten Tomatoes. Variety chief film critic Owen Gleiberman praised “Sound of Freedom” as “a compelling movie thatshines an authentic light on one of the crucial criminal horrors of our time, one that Hollywood has mostly shied away from.”__

Box office analysts say it’s noteworthy that “Sound of Freedom” managed to crack the top five on domestic chartsin the heat of summer, a time of year that’s traditionallyreserved for big-budget actiontentpoles, superhero sequels or escapist romps.

___“The strong response to faith-based films reflects a demand by an underserved audience who are hungry for entertainment that reflects their values and beliefs,” says Paul Dergarabedian, a senior Comscore analyst__. “Such content can indeed find an enthusiastic audience, generate solid box office and impressive profits for their investors.”

https://variety.com/2023/film/box-office/sound-of-freedom-box-office-success-1235664837/

>>19177914

Exceptionally well written article by Variety