An expanded meeting of the Board of the Ministry of Defenсe was held in Moscow on December 21. During the meeting, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu delivered a keynote speech. President Vladimir Putin also spoke at the meeting. Below are key remarks that Shoigu and Putin made about the army, the special operation and priority tasks for 2023. Russian President Vladimir Putin: Of course, the hostilities and military operations are always associated with tragedy and loss of lives. We understand this very well, we are aware of this. But since this [conflict] is inevitable, better today than tomorrow. I think that everyone present in this auditorium perfectly understands what I am talking about. I still consider the Ukrainian people our brotherly nation. What is happening now is a tragedy, but it does not come as a result of our policy. We need to study NATO's experience and tactics in order to include that in the troops training programme and equipping the army. NATO weapons must be analyzed and used to build the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Russia will continue to develop the nuclear triad. This is the main guarantee of maintaining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. As many as 150,000 of the 300,000 mobilised are now undergoing training at training grounds. The other half is in the zone of hostilities. This is enough for the special operation. The past mobilisation has revealed certain problems. To eliminate them, we need to modernise the system of military commissariats. The hostilities have identified issues that need to be worked on, including communication issues. The Ministry of Defence should be attentive to criticism. The ministry should respond to it in a timely manner. Everything a fighter needs must be modern and reliable. Officers and sergeants who have gained experience in the special operation should be assigned to new positions as a matter of priority. It is necessary to develop and use drones in the army — they must be everywhere. We need to expand the arsenal of modern attack weapons. Sarmat intercontinental missiles will be put on combat duty in the near future. The Admiral Gorshkov frigate with state-of-the-art Zirkon hypersonic missile systems will enter combat service in early 2023. We need to saturate the troops with everything necessary — from modern first-aid kits to sights. Everything is important on the battlefield. There are no restrictions to finance the Russian Armed Forces. The country gives the army everything they ask for. We've got everything. We look forward to constructive and meaningful negotiations with a visible end result that would ensure equal security for all, within a certain timeframe. We will not engage in the militarization of the country and economy. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu:

Starting from May, Russia may start buying foreign currency for its reserves again. The country's budget has stabilized thanks to the growth of oil and gas export revenues, Bloomberg reports. The growth in revenues from the sale of energy products is already close to the target level. Since February of this year, the Russian Ministry of Finance has been selling reserves in Chinese yuan to cover the budget deficit. In April, sales collapsed by 50 percent compared to the beginning of the year. From May, purchases are likely to begin, Bloomberg notes. Such purchases can be relatively small at first — an equivalent of about $200 million in yuan. For the time being, Russia currently replenishes the National Welfare Fund only by purchasing Chinese currency.

Kremlin's official spokesman Dmitry Peskov gave an interview to the MGIMO 360 news channel, in which he answered questions about the presidential election, Russia's nuclear rhetoric and enemies. According to Peskov, Russia's next president should be "the same as [Vladimir] Putin… or different, but the same." "Putin has not announced his intention to run. But I sincerely want to believe that he will do it. I have no doubt that he will win the election, I have no doubt that he will continue to be our president. We'll see," Peskov said.

On Thursday, February 29, Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered his annual Address to the Federal Assembly. In the beginning of the speech, he touched on the topics of the special military operation in Ukraine, relations with the West, strategic stability, and later proceeded to announce a number of new national projects, changes in economic and social sphere. About special military operation Putin recalled that 2024 marks the tenth anniversary of the "legendary Russian Spring.” "The love that the people living in Crimea and new regions share for their homeland evokes pride," Vladimir Putin said.

Registration is open for DWC’s free and updated lunchtime webinar series, including our eight-part boot camp training for those new to workers’ compensation.

Scam artists often follow a large storm or disaster. The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) has tips to help recognize and avoid common contracting scams.

The Russian forces struck the building of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that housed the control center for unmanned aerial vehicles, the Russian Defence Ministry said. The ministry did not specify any details of the attack. In total, 44 group strikes were carried out during the week from October 26 to November 1. The Russian Armed Forces struck Ukraine's energy facilities, airfields and railways with high-precision weapons. The energy facilities that were targeted in the attack provided the military-industrial complex of Ukraine.

Mos.ru photo A treasure of copper coins and part of wooden pavement of the XVIII century has been found on the Boulevard Ring in Moscow. Preparatory work for redevelopment under My Street project helped archeologists of the capital to find dozens of personal objects as well as remnants of the city infrastructure. The age is of 100-500 years. Everything was found on the Boulevard Ring while preparing trenches for further communications. There were found parts of the drainage systems, tram lines, as well as utility, and smaller household items. Remnants of the wooden pavement of the XVIII century were found on the Strastnoy Boulevard.

US pilots told a story about Soviet pilots of MiG aircraft that took off to intercept enemy aircraft at the height of the Cold War. Soviet pilots were making jokes during the operations, Theaviationgeekclub website wrote with reference to a collection of stories dedicated to the Douglas F3D Skyknight air missions. "The first time we were intercepted, they reported that we were taking pictures of them, as we were carrying 35 mm hand-held cameras. Normally, it would be on the pilot's side where the interceptors were, and the ECMO would lean across and snap some pictures of them. And the Russians would report, "They're taking pictures of us. What should we do?” One of the Russian controllers had a sense of humour and said "Smile”. Who would have thought the Russians had any sense of humour at all?" Skyknight pilot Chuck Houseman said. The book also said that US pilots, who were collecting reconnaissance data near the Soviet borders in the Far East, thought of Soviet pilots as friendly individuals compared to pilots from other communist countries. According to the author of the book and aviation expert Joe Copalman, the midair encounters had always been quiet as the United States had not violated state borders and performed its tasks within international space.

Roman Abramovich, a Russian billionaire entrepreneur, bought Turkey's Goztepe football club (Göztepe S. K.), D-Smar Spor reported via Twitter. Abramovich, the owner of London's Chelsea and the Turkish side have agreed on the details of the deal. Göztepe's acquisition by Abramovich is to be officially announced on April 8. Reports about Roman Abramovich's interest in another football club first appeared on March 23. After 31 matches, Göztepe was ranked 18th in the Turkish Super League. The team faced the risk of leaving the elite division.

Andrei Rublev is one of the Russian tennis players banned from the Wimbledon tournament. He defeated world number one Novak Djokovic in the Serbia Open 2022 final in Belgrade today. Rublev, who is only eighth in the world rankings, beat his opponent 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 6-0.

Formula 1 (F1) has been striving to become more environmentally friendly in recent years while still remaining relevant beyond the race track. The series has included more technology that is seen in street cars, such as small-displacement engines with turbos and hybridization. However, F1's CEO, Stefano Domenicali, has said in an interview with an Italian paper that the series will "never go electric." F1 sees synthetic fuels, also known as e-fuels, as the future of the series. These lab-created fuels are already in limited production but come with an extreme cost. However, this is not a problem for motorsport. F1's goal is to have e-fuels powering the grid by 2026 and then working towards finding a way to use them in passenger cars as combustion bans start to take effect in nations in the 2030s, just as F1 hopes to become carbon neutral.

President of Turkey's Ankaragucu football club, Faruk Koca, punched referee Halil Umut Meler in the face after the match of the 15th round of the Super League, Sabah Spor reports. Faruk Koca punched the referee in the face knocking him down on the lawn. Several other men ran up to the referee the next moment and kicked him in the head. The incident occurred after the final whistle. According to Koca, he wanted to spit the referee in the face, but decided to hit him not too hard. The referee was hospitalised.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been chosen the world's best soccer player for the third time, just before his thirtieth birthday. The record-breaking Portuguese forward, currently at Real Madrid, saw his superb performance in 2014 crowned at the highest level: Cristiano Ronaldo is the best soccer player on the Planet. Cristiano Ronaldo won his third title of best soccer player for the year, after the Ballon d'Or for Best European Player in 2008, and simultaneously, the FIFA Best Player of the Year in the same year, and the amalgamated title, FIFA Ballon d'Or, in 2013 and 2014, after a marvelous season in which he scored 60 goals in 61 appearances and helped Real Madrid to the FIFA World Club Championship, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the Spanish Copa del Rey. Signaling his victory with the words "I would like to thank all of those who voted for me, my president, my coach and Real Madrid. It has been an unforgettable year. To win this trophy at the end of it is something incredibly unique, " Ronaldo obtained 37.66% of the vote, Messi had 15.76% and Neuer 15.72%.

The opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang is to begin on Friday, February 9, at 14:00 MSK. One hundred and sixty-eight athletes from Russia will take part in the Games for sure, but their quantity may increase. The second hearing of the panel of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was held on Feb. 8. For the time of the Olympics, judges stay in Pyeongchang. Today, they looked into the cases of 45 athletes and two coaches from Russia, who still have a chance to perform at the Games.They received such an opportunity after the first meeting, at which the CAS issued a decision that came contrary to the position of the IOC, but the decision was consistent with common sense. Having not heard any evidence to establish the guilt of several Russian athletes, the CAS sustained their appeals. Afterwards, the Russian athletes appealed against the non-admission to the Olympics.During the second hearing, CAS arbitrators considered the cases of 13 athletes and two coaches who had been acquitted. They also looked into the cases of 32 athletes who had never been suspected of violating anti-doping rules. None of them have received invitations from the IOC. They are stars of Russian sports - Anton Shipulin (biathlon), Victor An (speed skating) and Sergei Ustyugov (skier). Which abbreviation is worse: CAS, WADA, or IOC? Head coach of the Russian national luge team, Albert Demchenko, Tatyana Ivanova (sleigh) and Elena Nikitina (skeleton) had an opportunity to speak at the hearings. They told reporters later that they could not say anything about the hearings, and expressed a hope that common sense would prevail. According to Albert Demchenko, CAS arbitrators have listened to all arguments of the Russians.Earlier, skeletonist Elena Nikitina expressed the general idea of the outcast athletes. In an interview with R-Sport, she said that CAS made an independent and fair decision at first hearings contrary to that of the IOC, which gave the Russian athletes more confidence. The athlete also said that she would not mind moving into the Olympic Village even on the opening day of the Games.The head of the Russian Bobsleigh Federation, Sergei Parkhomenko, said that Russian bobsleighers would fly to South Korea as soon as they are allowed to do so. Nick Butler of Inside The Games shared insider information on Twitter. A reliable source, he wrote, informed him that the lawsuits from the Russian athletes would be sustained partially - some would be allowed to take part in the Games, but some others would not. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the IOC remain dissatisfied with the decision that CAS made during the first hearing. WADA officials said that the CAS verdict may cause anxiety and disappointment among athletes.However, it was only the Germans, who publicly supported the decision of the International Olympic Committee not to admit even acquitted Russian athletes. The head of the German delegation, Dirk Schimmelpfennig, told Munchner Merkur that the IOC rightly sticks to its original opinion, and this comes as "an important signal about the equality of all athletes - a signal about the ongoing struggle against doping."IOC President Thomas Bach stated that one needs to reform the CAS. All of a sudden, it turned out that the court in Lausanne makes the decisions that the IOC does not like, because the attacks against the Russian athletes were unfounded. Vice president of the Curling Federation of Russia, Andrei Sozin, said that the IOC behaves like a feudal lord who chooses whom of his slaves can be admitted to the Olympics. Yet, the Russians do not agree with that role that someone wants them to play. Evgeny ShurshakovPravda.Ru Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru

Fans from all over the world continue coming to Russia for the World Cup. In Moscow, football fans paralyzed many pedestrian streets having arranged mass festivities there. Most fans gathered on Nikolskaya Street, which is adjacent to Red Square. Crowds of football fans gathered on Nikolskaya Street to support their national teams. Russia is welcoming fans of all ages - one can see elderly people holding hands, young people partying and even young parents with children. Light garlands above the street created a very special atmosphere of a football carnival against the background of facades of historical buildings covered with flags of the countries participating in the championship.Representatives of Latin and South America predictably turned out to be most active football fans, for whom football is a religion. Peruvians and Mexicans attracted people's attention by performing  national dances and playing traditional musical instruments. Fans from Argentina gathered the largest number of fans around themselves as they were singing the national anthem in unison, infecting everyone around with football fever.The Moscow police were behaving in a very friendly way with foreign guests, but were firmly suppressing all attempts of the latter to drink alcoholic beverages in public places. Of course, unpleasant incidents are unavoidable, and foreign football fans already appear in crime reports. In St. Petersburg, a fan from Morocco was robbed after visiting the festival of FIFA fans on Konyushennaya Square. On the way back, the man found that he lost 2,500 euros and his iPhone 7. The loss was evaluated at about 200,000 rubles. The Moroccan fan could only speak Arabic, and it took police officers a lot of time to understand what he was trying to say.On June 11, a Chinese woman reported the loss of a designer backpack and an amount of money worth 3,000 dollars. The same day, an American man addressed the police saying that he was left without cash. A 25-year-old Egyptian reported the loss of his luggage. The young man could not overcome the language barrier and resorted to the help of his friend, who could speak English. It turned out that the men forgot about their bag with tickets inside as they were stunned with views of St. Petersburg. In Kaliningrad, Nigerian football fans asked local authorities permission to bring live chickens to the stadium. The authorities had to decline. For Nigerian fans, a chicken is their mascot that they bring to every venue.  They did not specify what they needed the chickens for, although it is generally believed that African football fans usually practice various magic rituals during football matches, and chickens are widely used in Africa for sacrifice. Nigeria will play against Croatia in Kaliningrad on June 16. World Cup 2018 scheduleJune 14thGroup A. Moscow, "Luzhniki". Russia - Saudi Arabia 18:00June 15thGroup A. Ekaterinburg. Egypt - Uruguay 15:00Group B. St. Petersburg. Morocco - Iran 18:00Group B. Sochi. Portugal - Spain 21:00June 16thGroup S. Kazan. France - Australia 13:00Group D. Moscow, "Spartacus." Argentina - Iceland 16:00Group S. Saransk. Peru - Denmark 19:00Group D. Kaliningrad. Croatia - Nigeria 22:00June 17Group E. Samara. Costa Rica - Serbia 15:00Group F. Moscow, "Luzhniki". Germany - Mexico 18:00Group E. Rostov-on-Don. Brazil - Switzerland 21:00June, 18thGroup F. Nizhny Novgorod. Sweden - South Korea 15:00Group G. Sochi. Belgium - Panama 18:00Group G. Volgograd. Tunisia - England 21:00June 19Group H. Saransk. Colombia - Japan 15:00Group H. Moscow, "Spartacus." Poland - Senegal 18:00Group A. St. Petersburg. Russia to Egypt 21:00June 20thGroup B. Moscow, "Luzhniki". Portugal - Morocco 15:00Group A. Rostov-on-Don. Uruguay - Saudi Arabia 18:00Group B. Kazan. Iran - Spain 21:0021st of JuneGroup S. Samara. Denmark-Australia 15:00Group C. Ekaterinburg. France - Peru 18:00Group D. Nizhny Novgorod. Argentina - Croatia 21:0022nd of JuneGroup E. St. Petersburg. Brazil - Costa Rica 15:00Group D. Volgograd. Nigeria - Iceland 18:00Group E. Kaliningrad. Switzerland - Serbia 21:00June 23Group G. Moscow, "Spartacus." Belgium - Tunisia 15:00Group F. Rostov-on-Don. South Korea - Mexico 18:00Group F. Sochi. Germany - Sweden 21:00June 24Group G. Nizhny Novgorod. England - Panama 15:00Group H. Ekaterinburg. Japan - Senegal 18:00Group H. Kazan. Poland - Colombia 21:00June 25thGroup A. Volgograd. Saudi Arabia - Egypt 17:00Group A. Samara. Uruguay - Russia 17:00Group B. Kaliningrad. Spain - Morocco 21:00Group B. Saransk. Iran - Portugal 21:00June 26thGroup C. Moscow, "Luzhniki". Denmark-France 17:00Group S. Sochi. Australia - Peru 17:00Group D. St. Petersburg. Nigeria - Argentina 21:00Group D. Rostov-on-Don. Iceland - Croatia 21:0027th of JuneGroup F. Kazan. South Korea - Germany 17:00Group F. Ekaterinburg. Mexico - Sweden 17:00Group E. Moscow, "Spartacus." Brazil - Serbia 21:00Group E. Nizhny Novgorod. Switzerland - Costa Rica 21:00June 28thGroup H. Volgograd. Japan - Poland 17:00Group H. Samara. Senegal - Colombia 17:00Group G. Kaliningrad. England - Belgium 21:00Group G. Saransk. Panama - Tunisia 21:00Playoff schedule30 June1/8 finals. Kazan. C1-D2 17:001/8 finals. Sochi. 1A - 2B 21:00July 11/8 finals. Moscow, the Luzhniki Stadium. B1 - A2 17:001/8 finals. Nizhny Novgorod. D1 - C2 21:002 July1/8 finals. Samara. E1 - F2 17:001/8 finals. Rostov-on-Don. G1 - H2 21:003 July1/8 finals. St. Petersburg. F1 - E2 17:001/8 finals. Moscow, "Spartacus." H1 - G2 21:006 July1/4 finals. Nizhny Novgorod. (A1-B2) - (C1-D2) 17:001/4 finals. Kazan. (E1 - F2) - (G1 - H2) 21:00July 7th1/4 finals. Samara. (F1 - E2) - (H1 - G2) 17:001/4 finals. Sochi. (B1-A2) - (D1-C2) 21:0010 July1/2 finals. St. Petersburg. 9pmJuly 11th1/2 finals. Moscow, the Luzhniki Stadium. 9pmthe 14 th of JulyMatch for third place. St. Petersburg. 5pmJuly 15The final. Moscow, Luzhniki 18:00

Photo credits: Wikipedia/Faren29/CC BY-SA 4.0 By Romer Cherubim, UK Anthony Joshua lost his four heavyweight boxing titles on 01 June in spectacular fashion against Andy Ruiz Jr. at Madison Square Garden, NYC, USA. Eddie Hearn's master plan to introduce Joshua to the American public and make him look good, failed. Hearn did everything in his power to help Joshua to win his first defence of his heavyweight crown on American soil. By selecting Andy Ruiz Jr. as Joshua's next opponent, with Ruiz Jr. having only six weeks' notice of the fight, Hearn was convinced that Joshua was guaranteed an easy pay day. However, the likeable Ruiz Jr. tore up the script and proved all doubters wrong by producing a skillful display of boxing and sticking to a workable game plan. This was not a one punch wonder.

Does Russia want its athletes humiliated at the Olympic Games again? Will Russia boycott the Games this time? Olympic alternative to Russian national anthem In December 2020, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) prohibited Russian athletes from performing at world championships and Olympic Games under the national flag and deprived them of the right to perform the Russian national anthem. To crown it all, Russia was deprived of the right to host such sports events too.A number of active Russian politicians started looking for an alternative to the Russian national anthem and picked up the idea for the Russian athletes to perform ​​the famous WWII song "Katyusha." Some of them were not even embarrassed by the fact that the IOC requires not to include any mentioning of any war or any war-related topic in the Games, including in opening and closing ceremonies. They apparently assumed that the rest of the world should accept World War II as an excuse for Russia's current problems. On March 13, 2021, CAS rejected the request from the Russian Olympic Committee to use the "Katyusha" song as a replacement for the Russian anthem at the upcoming Olympic Games in the summer of 2021 in Tokyo and in February 2022 in Beijing. The court clarified that the concept of "any anthem associated with Russia" applied to all songs associated with Russia. However, the court decision did not close the discussion in Russia anyway, and the search for the replacement for the Russian national anthem continues. Does Russia need the white flag in sports? This is strange indeed: if Russia can stand up against the world supremacist state in Syria, return territories in Europe, ignore the work in the Council of Europe and make harsh statements about its readiness to terminate relations with the European Union, then why not slam the door to the IOC?Why should Russia should feel humiliated to participate in the Olympics? Those who believe that one needs to think about the athletes and their most important sports competitions, may forget to think that it goes about Russian athletes being Russian citizens. Does Russia need athletes that do not want to sacrifice their achievements and victories for sake of their country's dignity? Or does Russia need to live up to the interests of a handful of athletes to the detriment of its own national interests and interests of millions of other Russian citizens, who are not thrilled at the whole idea of Russia's sports humiliation?

On Thursday, March 21, the Soyuz-2.1a rocket with the Soyuz MS-25 manned spacecraft was supposed to blast off from launch pad No. 31 (Vostok) at Baikonur Cosmodrome. The rocket launch was aborted at the last moment. The countdown was stopped approximately 20 seconds before the start time. "Attention at the launch complex. The launch was automatically aborted. Bring the units of the launch complex to their original condition. Prepare to be parked for 24 hours,” the announcer of the broadcast hosted by Roscosmos said. The launch was dedicated to the 90th anniversary of Soviet cosmonaut and first man in space Yuri Gagarin.

China has unveiled its latest scientific development — a spheric police robot capable of pursuing criminals. The robot is equipped with artificial intelligence and can operate autonomously. Unlike Western analogues that are mostly used for surveillance purposes, the Chinese robot can effectively operate in a variety of conditions. The new Chinese robot can float and roll both on smooth asphalt and off-road terrain. Even dirt and height will not be an obstacle in its path. It can even fall from a height to continue its mission.  The robot is capable of confronting perpetrators and shooting nets to immobilise them until the human police arrive. It attacks opponents at speeds of up to 35 km/h, and also acts as part of a group with other robots. Its body is very hard to destroy. 

By Farhad Akhmedov Armenian people should reconcile with their neighbors and abandon anti-Semitism, as states the former member of the Russian Federation Council Farhad Akhmedov. No one would consider a pedophile a decent person, nor should anyone consider a racist or anti-Semite person as someone respectable. If you justify such people and their actions, then you are a racist and an anti-Semite yourself.

The United States has been losing its global hegemony. The non-western world is opposed to the concept of global hegemony. Everything will happen within the next decade, Western analysts predict. Nevertheless, the Americans still have a chance to achieve the world order that suits them, if they make certain concessions, Jorgen Erstroem Moeller, former State Secretary of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in an article for The National Interest. Moeller drew attention to Vladimir Putin's announcement of partial call-up of reservists, the referenda and saw a threat of the use of nuclear force. The situation is indeed very alarming, but the United States could now take the world out of chaos that was created by Russia and the United States. At the same time, chances for Washington to demonstrate common sense are slim as the US has contributed greatly to the current crisis as well. 

It appears that Western media have received another thesis that they need to hammer into the minds of Western people. In today's CNN article about Armageddon, White House reporter Stephen Collinson called Vladimir Putin a "self-styled" president for the first time. CNN depends on commercial and diplomatic support from the US government. Therefore, the broadcaster receives instructions on how to interpret things directly from the White House. CNN has spent millions covering the war in Ukraine, The New York Times said. Collinson does not try to analyse that the "self-styled president" was elected by the overwhelming majority and why his popularity ratings go off scale compared to those of Western leaders. The goal is to hammer this idea into people's heads.

My Thought of the Day  A Pentagon enforcement agent twice had arrived in Cyprus to make sure our government complies with all the American instructions on sanctions against Russia in support of Ukraine and also to insist on the prosecution of Greek Cypriots and Companies who continue to disobey their instructions! The Cyprus government promised to prosecute all of those found guilty. That’s a pre-condition for purchasing arms from America! The EU on the other hand behaves in a much worse manner; not only Cyprus it’s ordered to impose EU sanctions against Russians at the detriment of its own economy, but it also demands social, judicial and economic obedience on how to run the country. If that’s not bad enough, Cyprus it’s also punished with massive fines for rule breaking! Meanwhile, Turkey is busy with the Islamization of the occupied northern part of our island! Last week it turned its attention to desecrate the most sacred Christian monastery of Apostolos Andreas and has proceeded to turn part of it into a Muslim prayer mosque. This is a blatant insult to all Orthodox Greeks and an inexcusable desecration to the Hellenic Orthodox faith. The Cyprus government has decided to make an “official complaint” to the UN, knowing it would amount to nothing! And, here we are! From one frying pan straight into another!  Is Cyprus a free nation or a subservient state incapable of producing a strong decisive government to run the country and develop its own policies free from foreign meddling but instead, bows subservience to the EU—and now the United States doctrine— by showing absolute submissiveness? Is there hope for a country governed by such a mentality? Andreas C ChrysafisAuthor/Artist/WriterAugust 1 2023

In addition to promises regarding domestic policy, the candidates in the current US presidential elections have released indicative statements about their attitude to major international conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have spoken about Russia as well to outline how they would build future relations with Moscow. Trump has repeatedly stated that he will quickly end the conflict in Ukraine should he return to the Oval Office. "I will literally call two people the same night that I am announced as the winner: Putin and Zelensky. We will make a deal within 24 hours," Trump said.

US President-elect Donald Trump allowed for a possibility of talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin after his victory in the US presidential election. He has already spoken with 70 world leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but Putin was not among them, Trump said. "I think we'll talk," US President-elect Donald Trump said. In an interview with NBC, Trump also noted that he had agreed to have lunch with US President Joe Biden in the near future.

The so-called “Peace Summit” held in Switzerland had an obvious outcome. It didn't lead anywhere. It could, since from the beginning the failure of the alleged negotiations was imminent. Convened at the request of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, the high-level meeting was not attended by Russia. As the Brazilian government rightly argued, a meeting that wants to discuss the steps to end a conflict cannot take place without all sides of the conflict being represented and with the same rights to speak. Russia was not invited. He had also already said that he would not participate in a meeting in Switzerland anyway, since the country abandoned its traditional neutrality status by joining the United States and Europe's campaign against the Russians.

The current Sinophobia in the 2nd Cold War between the U. S. and China has contributed to the 2nd strategic mistake that the U. S. is making by allying with India against China (without examining thoroughly its long-term consequences) -- just as the U. S. made the 1st strategic mistake by aligning with China against the U. S. S.R. in the 1st Cold War (also without examining thoroughly its long-term consequences). In global geopolitics, a friend of today can become an enemy of tomorrow. Therefore, is it too late for the U. S. to correct this 2nd strategic mistake by handling India with great care, due to the latter's hegemonic ambition as a new world power, which will then lead to the coming of what I call "Indophobia” in the next decade(s)? 1. Introduction: Historical Background In my 1999 book titled "The Future of Human Civilization” (published in 1999), I had already untimely predicted the emergence of China as the dominant global power on Earth in the following decades, as it was based on the untimely prediction made in my 1995 doctoral dissertation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.). In my 2007 book titled "Beyond the World of Titans, and the Remaking of World Order” (published in 2007), I had already untimely predicted the emergence of China and India as the two "hyper-empires” in the top (1st) tier of global politics, with the U. S. and the EU falling to the 2nd tier (as the two "meso-empires”).

The big loser in the French elections was not the far right. It's true that if it hadn't been for the spurious agreements between the New Popular Front and the Macronists, the National Regroupment would have grown even more. But the result of the second round is not exactly a victory for the left. After Marine Le Pen's RN led the first round of the elections, the leaders of the NFP fell into the trap of the French press and Emmanuel Macron, abandoning numerous candidates of their own to increase the chances of the neoliberal right linked to the Renaissance party beating the far right.  The French big bourgeoisie called for a "republican front" to create a "cordon sanitaire" made up of the left and the neoliberal right in order to prevent a landslide victory for the RN, which led to agreements in around 220 constituencies for the candidate with supposedly the least chance of winning the RN to abandon the race in favour of the candidate with the greatest chance. Except that most of the abandonments were by the NFP so that Macron's allies could beat Le Pen's allies, even though the NFP came second in the first round, far ahead of Macron's coalition.

US Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris unveiled her platform. Predictably, Karris advocates for more migrants and more rights for those representing the LGBT* community.   Unpredictably, though, Kamala Harris proposed to introduce state regulation of prices. Donald Trump has recently called Kamala Harris a "communist", but she is as far from Marxism as Adolf Hitler was far from pacifism. Modern American pseudo-Marxism and leftism has nothing to do with social justice at all. It is not corporations, not financial monsters, but the middle classes that are supposed to become its victims.

By the 2020s, in spite of centuries after the Emancipation Proclamation (in 1863) and decades or generations of Black empowerment, there is still something fundamentally missing in the Black American identity, because the latter has failed to substantially "de-colonize" the violent colonial legacy (like the ruthless importation of Black slaves, not just the near-extermination of Native Americans) in the Thirteen British Colonies (and later the United States) in early American history. A good beginning for a long-term solution (de-colonization) is to understand in what ways the "average" Black American mindset has lost its average Black "African" roots, with the resultant effect of "inferiority complex" among Black Americans (involving both "self-hatred" within the oppressed and "anger" or "hatred" towards the oppressor, which vary in degree from person to person), on "average." Although this essay uses the case of Black Americans for analysis, the logical implication is much broader, since the same reasoning can be applied to Black communities around the world (outside sub-Saharan Africa), be they in Central America, South America, the Caribbean, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, North Africa, the Oceania, and the like.

The recent flare-up of conflict in the Middle East, particularly triggered by the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran by a suspected Israeli airstrike, represents not only a humanitarian and political crisis but also a looming energy crisis ahead. As tensions between Israel, backed by the United States, and Iran, along with its allies like Hezbollah and other Middle Eastern states, intensify, the risks to energy resources and supply routes, both on land and at sea, are becoming increasingly evident. The region's significant oil and gas reserves, crucial to global markets, are now under threat, and any disruption of these supplies could have far-reaching consequences for energy security worldwide. The assassination of Haniyeh, a central figure in Hamas, has ignited a dangerous new phase in the already volatile Middle East. Iran, a key supporter of Hamas and Hezbollah, has found itself at the heart of a growing coalition of Middle Eastern countries rallying against Israel. This development risks drawing the entire region into a broader confrontation, with profound implications not just for regional stability but also for global energy markets.

We are in a dangerous place, the black and white areas defined by The Global Thinking Project…and the Fake News story.  We are in a dangerous place, where the term Fake News has been hijacked to censor out everything that does not follow the Global Thinking Project, which is basically a unilateral straight-.line-on-a-map dogma defining This Is How We All Think. The Internet was praised for bringing us a wide range of information in real time, enabling us to think for ourselves and choose our sources. I myself was one of the pioneers of Intervention Journalism, telling it as it is, as it really is, including my opinion sometimes, but outside the tidy little news package edited to follow the editorial line of the Mainstream Media, funded and financed and made viable by media companies which would not toss a cent to any publication deemed outside the little box. I would take great offence at being classified over the years as a vendor of Fake News, since I do a lot of reading and listening before starting to write and speak and only write when I am sure I know what I am speaking about.

The Russian leadership verbally approves and supports the China-Brazil peace plan for Ukraine. In reality, it is just diplomacy so as not to offend the "allies". China and Brazil peace plan for Ukraine The plan to establish peace in Ukraine called "Common Understandings Between China and Brazil on Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis" will be presented on September 27 in New York with the participation of delegations from 20 countries of the Global South, including Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the UAE. Representatives of European countries and the United States were not invited to the meeting.

Marginal result with diaspora fake votes calls the legitimacy of the constitutional referendum in Moldova into question. The next two weeks before the second round of the presidential elections will be dangerous. Constitutional referendum in Moldova is illegitimate The EU spent huge amounts of money to promote the idea of European course in Moldova. In a nutshell, the essence of this idea is about the "Anti-Russia" project: Visits of European ambassadors, "Citizens for Europe" rallies, campaign trips in blue minibuses, all kinds of concerts demonstrations and other events with blue flags. The pro-Western media machine was trying to convince the Moldovans that the idea of the European integration would receive the support of 70 percent of voters.

The October 18 blackout paralyzed Cuba completely. The Cuban government tries to shrug the problem off by making references to the economic blockade, although the leadership of the island of freedom with no electricity should rather look at its own effectiveness. Total blackout in Cuba: three days without electricity and water Blackout, or apagon in Spanish, is a long-standing problem in Cuba that the island nation has been living with since the 1970s. Yet, this is the first time when the country experienced such a large-scale accident. On Friday, October 18, the Cuban electrical system was completely shut down as a result of an emergency at its main thermal power plant Antonio Guteras in Matanzas. This thermal power plant has not been modernized since 1988. The Cubans had to live without electricity and water for three days. All institutions and industries stopped and thus put the country's security in jeopardy.

The current Israeli escalation of violent conflicts with multiple adversaries in the Middle East, in a way which is both excessive in scale and emotional in tone, while under the unconditional support of the United States, spells trouble for Western power politics in years to come. This is a classic example of the self-destructiveness of power politics in the long term, when power is unchecked in wreaking havoc on others for short-term "feel good" gains, under the temptation of unrealistic goals (wishful thinking).  1. Introduction: Israel, the United States, and Western Power Politics There are 3 important factors contributing to the unconditional support of Israel by the United States in recent decades.

The American stock market has approximately 250 trading days a year. Of which, there are around 60 trading days remaining. At present, the market has reached more than 45 "New All-Time Highs!” in 2024.

“Truth is the first casualty of war!” It’s a good line. Not mine. That belongs to George Orwell in the 1940s…or perhaps Arthur Ponsonby in 1928…or maybe United States Senator Hiram Johnson in 1918…or probably Samuel Johnson in 1758…or possibly, as with most things, Aeschylus in 500 B.C. Actually, no one is aware of the origin as even with first documented uses it is referenced as “an ancient proverb”.

Your author is a peculiar individual and not only for his love of Loly Hardcore. (Incidentally, VLAD, you keep giving speeches about repopulating Russia but no Loly on my doorstep yet…it was my understanding Russian shills were compensated spectacularly!?!…*sigh*…) Anyway — as your Humble Correspondent was reminiscing — the more I exist the more unusual I become.

Perhaps my view on the victory of Donald Trump is unorthodox for Europe and certainly for a Leftist but hear me out Contrary to the flow here in Europe and certainly contrary to the flow of the Leftist Group, I am not dismayed or even surprised at the astonishing victory of Donald Trump in this 2024 Presidential election of the United States of America. In fact, I have been predicting it for the last year. And come to think of it, Donald Trump’s victory is not that astonishing. It is a remarkable political comeback, that is true, for an able politician, a man with tremendous political skills and enormous capacity in communication and political marketing, which will write his epitaph as one of the most extraordinary Presidents of the United States of America in the years to come.

In October 2024, Russia announced plans to significantly increase year-round shipping through the Northern Sea Route (NSR), aiming a boost in cargo volume to over 200 million tons annually by 2030 — a critical step in transforming the Arctic into a global trade corridor. With 2023's cargo volume already reaching 36.254 million tons, despite a slight dip this year so far mainly due to delays in launching major raw material projects like Arctic LNG 2, the route continues to demonstrate its growing role in Russia's trade and energy strategy. The Northern Sea Route, stretching across Russia's Arctic coastline, has long been eyed as a potential alternative to the Suez Canal for connecting Europe and Asia. With shorter transit times — promising to reduce the distance between Asia and Europe by 10 to 14 days compared to the Suez Canal route — and bypassing congested chokepoints, the NSR offers the promise of a more direct, efficient maritime route between the two continents. This October's decision is only the latest in a series of strategic moves by Russia to establish the NSR as a primary passage for international sea-based trade, catalyzed by Russia's growing ties with both China and India, who are actively seeking reliable access to the Arctic. Amid escalating tensions, particularly the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, which has the potential to severely disrupt sea trade along the Suez Canal, the NSR's strategic importance becomes even more pronounced.

Notorious pop MMA fighter Nabi Nabiev faces seven years in prison for assaulting another pop fighter, Arkady Osipyan. Law enforcement officers detained Nabi Nabiev at a Moscow airport as he was returning from filming a sports reality show. Law-enforcers told Nabiev that Osipyan filed a statement against him after the fight. Nabiev was charged with hooliganism and placed under house arrest. Nabiev's upcoming fights have been canceled. In April 2024, Nabi Nabiev was expelled from Hardcore Fighting after he started a mass brawl at one of the shows. Then the promotion terminated the contract with Nabi and kicked him out for unsportsmanlike behaviour. Nabiev thus ended up in the reality show of another promotion in Thailand.

As many as 100 armed men tried to seize the Archangel Michael Cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) in the city of Cherkassy. The attackers smashed windows, broke doors, played songs about Stepan Bandera and threatened parishioners who were standing inside during the liturgy. One of the priests was injured. The invaders were wearing military uniforms. They managed to get to the altar in an attempt to force the believers out of the church, but the people fought back fiercely.  Metropolitan Theodosius of the UOC arrived to the cathedral with parishioners, the situation calmed down for a while, but the fights resumed soon. Theodosius was hurt during one of them.

The practice of "lotus births" has grown by 30 percent in Russia lately. When practicing lotus delivery, women leave the umbilical cord uncut after childbirth and wait for it to dry off naturally. It is believed that the child builds a connection with space and becomes less aggressive. Lotus births can be found on the list of services provided by private clinics. Newborns are left connected to the placenta for the period of time that they "need.” This period of time can last from a few hours to 10 days. The followers of the lotus birth practice believe that they thus do not disrupt the natural course of events. In classic childbirth, one allegedly programs an incorrect code of life into the baby, "where breathing is associated with aggression."

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beslan. The head of state visited the City of Angels memorial complex — a large cemetery where 266 victims of the monstrous 2004 terrorist attack were buried. The attack that took place on September 1 at Beslan's School No. 1 claimed the lives of 334 people. September 2024 will mark 20 years since the tragedy. A monument on the territory of the complex, the Tree of Sorrow, was built in memory of the hostages who fell victim to the terrorist attack. There is also a monument to the fighters of the Alpha and Vympel special forces who died during the assault.

On Monday, September 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the nation with a speech to commemorate the Day of Reunification of Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, as well as the Zaporizhzhya and Kherson Regions with Russia. When congratulating citizens of Russia on this "truly fateful event," he said that Russia had not abandoned "its brothers and sisters" in the Donbass region. The Russian Federation is the historical homeland of the Donbass, he said. Russia tried to achieve a peaceful resolution to the gravest conflict, but "the negotiations ended up with lies, forgery and deception on the part of Western elites that turned Ukraine into their colony, a military base aimed at Russia," the Russian leader added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrates his 72nd birthday on October 7. The politician is expected to spend the day working. The head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov was one of the first to congratulate the Russian leader. He wished him good health, prosperity, happiness, long life, good luck and success in his difficult work. As the press secretary of the Russian leader Dmitry Peskov said, Putin will spend his birthday working.

Eight Russian generals from various security agencies lost their posts in one day, a RIA Novosti source said. Some of the resignations have been officially announced. The list of the dismissed generals includes: head of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Stavropol Territory, Major General of Justice Igor Ivanov (he held the position since May 2022), head of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Buryatia Vyacheslav Sukhorukov, deputy director of the operational management department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, Major General Alexander Molchanov, head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations for the Moscow Region, Lieutenant General Sergei Poletykin, head of the Rostov Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations Sergei Filippov. General Sergei Poletykin was relieved of his post upon attaining the maximum service age of 60. According to TASS, he will be transferred to another job.

Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov informed President Vladimir Putin about practicing nuclear strike tasks. During the meeting with the top leadership of the country, the Defence Minister gave the floor to Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov. Gerasimov serves as the commander of the Russian Armed Forces in the zone of the special military operation. In his report to President Vladimir Putin, Gerasimov said that a strategic missile submarine, a land-based mobile Yars missile system, as well as Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers were involved in the drills.