7 Oct, 2025 12:53

ECB boss warns EU against seizing Russian assets

The European Commission has proposed using the frozen funds to guarantee loans to Kiev

Any EU move touse frozen Russian state assets to support Ukraine must comply with international law, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said on Monday, adding that the institution was following the process closely.

The comment comes as EU nations’ leaders are discussing a plan to provide Kiev with a €140 billion ($164 billion) loan backed by Russia’s immobilized central bank assets.

The scheme, designed to avoid the legal hurdle of outright confiscation, would invest the blocked Russian funds into EU-backed bonds. The proceeds would then be used to pay off a “reparations loan” to Ukraine.

“We very much expect that any scheme that is discussed and eventually introduced at some point in time will be done in accordance with international rules, with international law,” Lagarde told a parliamentary hearing in Strasbourg, according to Reuters.

The ECB chief has expressed concern that alegally contentious move could undermine the euro’s credibility, deter investment in euro-denominated assets, and pose a risk to financial stability.

“From my vantage point, and with in mind financial stability and the strength of the euro, we will be looking very attentively to make sure that what is proposed is in accordance with international law (and) is mindful of financial stability,” Lagarde said.

Proceeds from matured bonds, in which frozen Russian assets were invested following the 2022 escalation of the Ukraine conflict, are now held at Belgium’s Euroclear.

The depository holds approximately two-thirds of the $300 billion in Russian sovereign assetsimmobilized by Western nations.Lagarde has warned that any further action requires consensus among all jurisdictions holding such assets.

The EU has transferred over a billion from interest to Kiev so far. Some of the bloc’s members, however, continue to voice concerns about the legal risks associated with such a step.

Last week, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said his country would not agree to an EU plan that leverages frozen Russian central bank assets to fund loans for Ukraine without firm guarantees of shared financial responsibility.

French President Emmanuel Macron said last month that central bank assets cannot be seized without harming “credibility,” while Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the EU plan “theft” and warned those responsible “will be subjected to legal prosecution.”

https://www.rt.com/business/626025-lagarde-frozen-assets/

Lagarde took a long time before chastising them for their stupid idea, it's been held since March of 2022, the funds have accumulated a lot of interest. The very idea of seizing and then stealing Russia’s sovereign money and then stealing the interest on that money, is hideous and an international crime, that the EU refuses to admit. It’s ridiculous, the EU Mafia is worse the the real Mafia.

CNN 10/7/2025

Trump calls on Google to bring back Univision to YouTube TV, calls it ‘very bad’ for GOP ahead of midterms

ByBrian Stelter, sure sign the whole article is snarky, stupid, lying and insolent), CNN Updated: 6:14 PM EDT, Sun October 5, 2025

Portraying Univision as a crucial political tool for Republicans, President Donald Trump is publicly pressing Google to restore access to Univision on the YouTube TV streaming platform.

YouTube TV dropped Univision’s channels almost a week ago when the two companies could not reach an agreement about a new carriage contract.

Having the leading Spanish language broadcaster in the United States blacked out on YouTube TV “is VERY BAD for Republicans in the upcoming Midterms,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Saturday night.

Trump urged Google, “for the purpose of FAIRNESS,” to “please let Univision back!”

The post was another example of Trump publicly pressuring a media company — this time one of the biggest in the world, YouTube, which has billions of monthly users.

YouTube, for its part, told CNN on Sunday that “we remain open to negotiating an agreement that reflects their performance on YouTube TV. Until then, their content remains unavailable on YouTube TV.”

As that statement indicates, TV carriage negotiations are usually legal and PR battles. But Univision has sought to make this one a political battle, as well, enlisting support from numerous lawmakers, and now the president.

“Thank you very much President Trump for recognizing the impact of Univision and the importance of Hispanics,” Televisa Univision CEO Daniel Alegre wrote on social media while highlighting Trump’s post.

“We take pride in Univision representing the voice of Hispanic America,” Alegre said. “It is our priority to bring Univision back to YouTube TV.”

YouTube TV is a fast-growing alternative to traditional cable and satellite packages, providing a recognizable bundle of channels for a monthly fee.

YouTube TV indicated its lack of a new carriage deal with Univision is due to the company’s unrealistic demands.

“TelevisaUnivision has over 160 million subscribers and billions of views across YouTube, where they generate ad revenue from their content,” a spokesperson said. “On our paid live TV subscription service, YouTube TV, however, TelevisaUnivision only represents a tiny fraction of overall consumption.”

Trump’s apparent concern is more personal.(WTF, why does CNN let Stelter write anything, he's always going to lie or make up conspiracy theories.)

“They were so good to me with their highest rated ever political Special, and I set a Republican Record in Hispanic voting,” he wrote in Saturday’s post, viewing Univision as a key campaign asset.

Univision values its relationship with the president, too. The network has warmed up to Trump from a corporate perspective as its owners have pursued what some have called a more centrist approach.

The timing of Trump’s message to YouTube was striking because the platform struck a settlement agreement with Trump just a few days ago,resolving a lawsuit Trump filed after he was suspended by social media platforms following the January 6, 2021, insurrection. Stelter LIAR

YouTube agreed to pay $22 million to the nonprofit Trust for the National Mall, which is “dedicated to restoring, preserving, and elevating the National Mall, to support the construction of the White House State Ballroom,” according to a court filing.

https://lite.cnn.com/2025/10/05/business/trump-univision-youtube-google-midterms

7 Oct, 2025 16:49

Macron must resign – France’s former PM

Edouard Philippe has urged the French leader to call an early presidential election due to the deepening political crisis

Former French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has called on French President Emmanuel Macron to step down amid France’s deepening political crisis.

On Monday, Sebastien Lecornu became the fifth French prime minister to resign under Macron in just two years, stepping down mere hours after unveiling a new cabinet.

Since taking office in 2017, Macron has seen seven of his prime ministers resign, including Edouard Philippe (July 2020), Jean Castex (April 2022), Elisabeth Borne (January 2024), Gabriel Attal (July 2024), Michel Barnier (December 2024), Francois Bayrou (September 2025). Lecornu’s resignation this week is the latest; it comes amid a split in parliament over the government’s efforts to pass a budget aimed at curbing the nation’s rising debt.

Macron should leave after the budget is adopted and announce an early presidential election, Philippe told the French radio station RTL on Tuesday.

”I’m not for an immediate and brutal resignation … but [the president] must take an initiative,” Philippe said.

Philippe described some of Macron’s choices for prime minister as “curious” and called his decision to dissolve the National Assembly in June 2024 “disastrous.” The move, prompted by his coalition’s defeat in the European Parliament elections, was widely seen as a gamble that backfired, producing a hung parliament and halting much of the country’s legislative work.

Philippe was the longest-serving prime minister since Macron’s arrival at the Elysee Palace in 2017. During his tenure, he oversaw major labor and tax reforms and managed the controversial fuel tax hike that triggered the Yellow Vests protests in late 2018. He resigned in 2020 during Macron’s pre-election reshuffle, later founding his own center-right party and officially declaring his candidacy for the 2027 presidential race.

If Macron were to step down, France would be required to hold a presidential election within 20 to 35 days. A new Elabe poll found that over 86% of respondents see the current situation as “a sad spectacle” produced by “the political class, which is not up to the task,” while 51% believe the president’s departure could help “unblock” the political impasse.

https://www.rt.com/news/626047-france-macron-must-resign/

7 Oct, 2025 11:38

Ukrainian drone targets nuclear plant inside Russia – operator

The UAV hit a cooling tower at the Novovoronezh NPP after being diverted by electronic warfare means, Rosenergoatom has said

A Ukrainian drone has targeted a nuclear power station in Russia’s Voronezh Region overnight, Rosenergoatom, a state-run company which operates the country’s nuclear power plants, has said.

The UAV hit a cooling tower of the sixth power-generating unit at the Novovoronezh NPP after being diverted by electronic warfare means, the company said in a statement on Telegram on Tuesday.

There was no damage or injuries as a result of the incident, the statement read. A dark mark was left in the spot where the drone struck the tower, it added.

The attack did not affect the operations of the station, with the radiation level on site remaining unchanged and corresponding to natural levels, Rosenergoatom said.

"This is yet another act of aggression by the Ukrainian military against the Russian nuclear power plants.Previously, it had attempted attacks against the main facilities of the Kursk and Smolensk Nuclear Power Plants,” the company stated.

In late September, a Ukrainian drone hit one of the auxiliary buildings at Russia’s Kursk NPP, on the day when International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi was visiting Moscow.

A few days before that, the power lines feeding Russia’s Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, the largest facility of its kind in Europe, were struck by Ukrainian artillery, forcing the station to switch to generators.

Speaking at the Valdai forum in Sochi last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Ukraine was “playing a dangerous game” by going after Russian nuclear stations.

The government in Kiev “should also understand… they still have operating nuclear power plants on their side. So, what is stopping us from responding in kind? They better think about it,” Putin said.

https://www.rt.com/russia/626029-ukraine-drone-voronezh-nuclear/

7 Oct, 2025 19:59

Biden buried Ukraine ‘corruption’ report – declassified docs

The former US president demanded a coverup of Kiev’s views on his business dealings, according to unveiled CIA records

Joe Biden asked the CIA to cover up a report about his family’s alleged corrupt business activities in Ukraine while he was serving as US vice president in 2015, according to declassified agency documents.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe published the mostly redacted records on Tuesday. (the same redacted records we so that had everything blacked out)

One of the documents was a government email sent to the agency and dated February 10, 2016.

“Good morning, I just spoke with Vice President / National Security Adviser andhe would strongly prefer the report not/not be disseminated. Thanks for understanding,” it said.

The sender’s name was redacted, leaving just the title PDB Briefer. The Presidential Daily Brief is a top secret document for daily distribution to the US president and a small number of top level approved officials.

The report in question said that Ukrainian officials in the administration of then President PyotrPoroshenko “expressed bewilderment and disappointment” at Biden’s December 2015 visit.

These officials viewed the alleged ties of the US Vice President’s family to corruption in Ukraine as evidence of a double-standard within the US Government towards matters of corruption and political power.

Biden’s convicted felon son, Hunter, held a lucrative position on the board of Ukrainian energy conglomerate Burisma Holdings during his father’s vice presidential term.

The elder Biden has publicly admitted to pressuring Kiev into firing a prosecutor general who was investigating the company in 2016. However, he denied ever taking bribes or having knowledge of Hunter’s foreign business affairs.

In December of last year, Biden signed a broad pardon for his son, u-turning on prior promises not to do so. The pardon shields Hunter from any prosecution for crimes committed between 2014 and 2024.

Rampant corruption in Ukraine has led US officials to voice concerns over potential embezzlement of aid. Recent opinion polls say the majority of Ukrainians see the problem as getting worse.

https://www.rt.com/news/626051-biden-corruption-ukraine-declassified/

I can’t wait for the FSB to release reports on Bidan’s and give them to Trump.

>>23706310

7 Apr, 2025 16:37

Hunter Biden asked Obama-era official to help Ukrainian company – NYT

(So now the NYTs is releasing info they would never print or admit before.)

The son of the US vice president at the time reportedly sought State Department support for Burisma’s dealings in Italy

Hunter Biden requested assistance from a US State Department official on behalf of Ukrainian energy company Burisma while his father, Joe Biden, was vice president in the Obama administration, the New York Times has reported, citing released federal files.

In 2016, Hunter wrote a letter to the American ambassador to Rome, John Phillips, where he openly asked him to help arrange a meeting between Burisma representatives and the governor of the Italianregion of Tuscany, the NYT said, citing the published document. The Ukrainian gas producer he was working for at the time had licensing issues for a project in the area, the paper reported.

Hunter was hired by Burisma to serve on its board in 2014, soon after the Maidan coup in Kievin which the government of President Viktor Yanukovich was overthrown. He served in this capacity until 2019.

In the document, which included Burisma’s letterhead, Biden asked the ambassador for “support and guidance in arranging [the] meeting.” In his response, which was also published by the NYT,the ambassador said he had a “good working relationship” with the governor, and that he asked a “senior commercial officer” at the embassy to “facilitate contact” with the Italian authorities.

Hunter did not mention his father in his letter but pointed to a personal meeting he had with Phillips during a Biden family trip to Rome over the Thanksgiving holiday in 2015, the NYT reported.

According to the newspaper, the request resulted in nothing and the meeting never took place. A lawyer for Hunter Biden previously described the letter as a “proper request.” Phillips claimed he did not recall the letter, and Burisma did not comment on the report, according to the NYT.

Hunter’s dealings with the energy company have long been the subject of controversy. Former business partner Devon Archer previously testified to the Republican-led House Oversight Committee that Hunter had personally asked his father to disrupt the Ukrainian investigation into Burisma.

Joe Biden publicly claimed he was responsible for the dismissal of Ukrainian Prosecutor Viktor Shokin, who was investigating the company.However, he denied that he accepted bribes or had any knowledge of his son’s foreign business dealings.

https://www.rt.com/news/615356-hunter-biden-us-help-burisma/

when to hell is any of this criminal crime family be put in jail

7 Oct, 2025 19:58

Polish PM against handing over Nord Stream bombing suspect to Berlin

The conduits should have never been built anyway, Donald Tusk has said

Polish Prime MinisterDonald Tusk has expressed his opposition to extraditing a Ukrainian suspect in the Nord Stream sabotage case to Germany. The Polish authorities detained the man last month. Berlin’s previous request for his arrest wasreportedly obstructedby the Polish government in 2024.

It is ultimately up to a court to decide whether the suspect identified by the media as Vladimir Z. will be handed over to Berlin, Tusk told a press conference on Tuesday. However,he maintained that the move would not be good for Warsaw. (???)

“It is certainly not in the interest of Poland… to hand over this citizen to a foreign country,” the prime minister said. “The problem of Europe, the problem of Ukraine, the problem of Lithuania and Polandis not that Nord Stream 2 was blown up, but that it was built.”

The German authorities have not commented on Tusk’s remarks.

Vladimir Z. was detained in the city of Pruszkow in late September. The suspect is aUkrainian diving instructor, who was reportedly part of a team behind the Nord Stream pipeline explosions. The four undersea pipelines were rendered inoperable in September 2022 as a result of a sabotage. German prosecutors have attributed the underwater blasts to a small group of Ukrainian nationals that sailed to the scene aboard the rented yacht Andromeda.

Moscow has rejected Berlin’s version,dismissing the claim that a small group of Ukrainians carried out the sabotage as “ridiculous.” Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested the US likely orchestrated the operation.

Warsaw, which has been one of Kiev’s staunchest backers since 2022, allegedly considered granting asylum to the suspect, according to a September report by Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski also repeatedly stated that he was ready to do so.

Previous media reports also suggested thatPolish officials helped Vladimir Z. avoid arrest on a German request last year by tipping him off. A vehicle with Ukrainian diplomatic plates reportedly allowed him to flee to Ukraine.

https://www.rt.com/news/626049-polish-nord-stream-suspect-berlin/

(Was Poland involved in blowing up Nord Stream, it seems every country knew about it, before Russia did?)

7 Oct, 2025 09:08

Western-backed opposition has attempted five coups in four years – Georgian PM

Politicians with no public support are focused on destabilizing the country, Irakli Kobakhidze claims

Georgia’s foreign-backed radical oppositionhas repeatedly failed to win electionsand has instead turned to attempts to overthrow the government, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said following renewed unrest in Tbilisi.

Following municipal elections in which Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze of the ruling Georgian Dream party was re-elected, protesters sought to breach the presidential residence in the nation’s capital on Saturday night, leading to violent clashes with police.

Speaking on national television on Monday, Kobakhidze claimed thatthe radical opposition had “lost ten elections and staged five coup attempts in just four years,” describing its actions as deliberate sabotage.

According to Kobakhidze, around500 mostly young activistsrotate through street rallies orchestrated by opposition politicians who cannot gain real support through elections and instead seek to “create permanent problems for the country.”

“Some 50 or 100 people blocking the streets are harassing four million citizens who want peace, progress, and development,” he said, adding thatlaw enforcement would intensify efforts to identify and prosecute those engaged in political violence.

The prime minister accused the opposition’s leaders, including Georgia’s former President Salome Zourabichvili,of being “foreign agents made from the same mold.” He claimed that Zourabichvili, who refused to step down after her term expired last December, planned to seize the presidential office with the help of riotersbut “fled like a rat when the ship began to sink.”

Opposition parties have accused the government of election fraud and demanded fresh polls through protests backed by Western countries, which in turn have accused Tbilisi of authoritarian drift.

Georgian officials have dismissed the allegations as politically motivated attacks against the country’s conservative policies andnew laws requiring transparency for foreign-funded political groups.

https://www.rt.com/russia/626013-georgia-fifth-coup-attempt/

7 Oct, 2025 10:18

Classified legal opinion justifies US strikes against drug cartels – CNN

The report follows a series of American attacks on boats claimed to have been carrying narcotics off the Venezuelan coast

The administration of US President Donald Trump has produced a top-secret legal opinion authorizing the use of force against a list of drug cartels, going beyond those officially designated by Washington as terrorist groups, CNN has reported, citing multiple informed sources.

In recent weeks, the US has sunk at least four boats it claimed were carrying narcotics off the coast of Venezuela, killing more than 20 people. The president of the oil-rich Latin American nation, Nicolas Maduro, has denied Washington’s accusations of having links to drug trafficking and insisted that the attacks were part of an attempt to depose him.

The previously unreported legal opinion by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel is a cornerstone of the Trump administration’s campaign against the cartels, which also includes an expansion of the CIA’s powers to act in Latin America, the broadcaster said in an article on Tuesday.

The document argues that the US president can authorize the use of deadly force against a wide range of drug trafficking groups due to them posing an imminent threat to the American people, the sources said.

Former associate general counsel at the Defense Department, Sarah Harrison, to whom CNN described the opinion, said that if it is “as broad as it seems, it would mean DOJ has interpreted the president to have such extraordinary powers that he alone can decide to prosecute a war far broader than what Congress authorized after the attacks on 9/11.”

“By this logic, any small, medium or big group that is trafficking drugs into the US – the administration could claim it amounts to an attack against the United States and respond with lethal force,” Harrison added.

According to the broadcaster, multiple Pentagon military lawyers have suggested that the US attacks on boasts off Venezuela’s coast “do not appear lawful.” However, they lack the authority to overrule the opinion by the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel.

"The way forward is just to eat it and put your head down and act in accordance with [Secretary of War Pete] Hegseth’s new policies,” one of the lawyers said.

https://www.rt.com/news/626017-us-drugs-cartels-venezuela/