World Watching Geo-Politics #34
Huge UFO Mothership Has Entered Our Solar System, Say Astronomers
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Just 1 Percent of American Voters Describe Biden’s Economy as ‘Excellent’ Ahead of Midterms
A new poll shows that just 1 percent of registered U.S. voters say the economy under President Joe Biden is “excellent,” a figure that dropped to zero when the survey … -
Republican lawmakers have taken aim at the ranked choice system used in Alaska after former governor Sarah Palin lost to … -
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking that the Department of … -
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has lost his bid to quash a subpoena for his testimony before a special grand jury in … -
In a rare primetime address, President Joe Biden accused former President Donald Trump and so-called “MAGA Republicans” of having … -
Former President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers fired back on Thursday after President Joe Biden delivered a prime-time … -
As Floridians and New Yorkers voted in primaries on Aug. 23, House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and … -
White House officials have suggested that President Joe Biden’s student loan debt cancellation program will be fully funded by … -
The embattled environmental, social, and governance (ESG) movement has another new foe: Inspire Investing, a Christian financial firm … -
Doug Mastriano, the Republican candidate for Pennsylvania governor, filed a lawsuit against the Jan. 6 committee on Thursday, … -
A Congressional race on Portland’s outskirts is becoming an expensive one that both parties deem worthy of significant … -
Bruce Fenton sees the current era as “times of radical change,” “the kind of change that you only … -
The House and Senate Galleries, where the public can view legislative proceedings, have been closed since the COVID-19 …
Photo: AP / Ben Curtis
Ethiopian and Eritrean government forces have launched an attack in Ethiopia’s northern region of Tigray, targeting rebel forces. Getachew Reda, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) spokesperson, said on Thursday that both nations’ forces had attacked rebels in Adayabo in the north of the region. A… read full story
“an invasion in the direction of Wag, Wolqait and our border areas with Sudan [Amhara region]“
Photo: Ethiopian government soldiers ride in the back of a truck on a road leading to Abi Adi, in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia on May 11, 2021. A year after war began there, the findings of the only human rights investigation allowed in Ethiopia’s blockaded Tigray region will be released Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)
Al Jazeera English | Live
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Our impartial, fact-based reporting wins worldwide praise and respect. It is our unique brand of journalism that the world has come to rely on.
We are reshaping global media and constantly working to strengthen our reputation as one of the world’s most respected news and current affairs channels.
Al Jazeera English, we focus on people and events that affect people’s lives. We bring topics to light that often go under-reported, listening to all sides of the story and giving a ‘voice to the voiceless’.
Reaching more than 270 million households in over 140 countries across the globe, our viewers trust Al Jazeera English to keep them informed, inspired, and entertained.
Our impartial, fact-based reporting wins worldwide praise and respect. It is our unique brand of journalism that the world has come to rely on.
We are reshaping global media and constantly working to strengthen our reputation as one of the world’s most respected news and current affairs channels.
AP / Liu Zheng
China urges U.S. not to miscalculate resolve to defend sovereignty, territorial integrity
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Friday urged the U.S. side not to miscalculate China’s firm resolve to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Wang made the remarks at a daily news briefing, in response to…
US and Taiwan to launch formal trade talks in fall | DW News
AP / Vahid Salemi
Are Iran and the West about to finally agree a nuclear deal?
Tehran, Iran – A European proposal to restore the 2015 nuclear agreement between Western countries and Iran appears to be gaining traction, with sources revealing to Al Jazeera Arabic details of the proposed agreement, and indicating that there is broad…
Iran nuclear talks to restart in Vienna with EU mediation
AP / Farah Abdi Warsameh
At least 10 killed as gunmen storm hotel in Somali capital
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — At least 10 people were killed in an attack by Islamic militants who stormed a hotel in Somalia’s capital late Friday, police and eyewitnesses said. Several other people were injured and…
Somalia Terror Attack Live Updates: Al-Shabaab Attack On Hotel Hayat | Al-Qaeda | 26/11 Like Attack
AP / Efrem Lukatsky
Drones, missiles and more in new USD 775 million US arms package for Ukraine
The US Defence Department has announced that it would provide a new USD 775 million in additional military assistance to Ukraine, including HIMARS missiles, artillery, and mine-clearing systems. The package will be sent through the Presidential Drawdown…
US approves more military aid to Ukraine | DW News
AP
Iran marks CIA-orchestrated 1953 coup d’état, slams US as ‘record-holder’ in wars, coups
Tehran says the United States is a record-holder of interfering in the affairs of independent states, naming the US-orchestrated coup of 1953 in Iran as an instance of that “dark history.” Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan’ani took to Twitter on Friday to…
Operation Ajax: CIA Oil Coup in Iran – COLD WAR
AP / John Minchillo
‘Not going anywhere’: The Palestinian NGOs shut down by Israel
Ramallah, occupied West Bank – For the seven Palestinian civil society and human rights organisations forcibly shut by Israeli raids on Thursday, the reasons are quite clear. According to Mazen Rantisi, head of the board of directors of the Health Work…
Israel raids seven Palestinian civil society NGOs
AP / Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo
Russia, US confrontation will impose global starvation
Watch video of violent confrontation between U.S. and Russian troops in Syria.
UN / Eskinder Debebe
UN fails to reach agreement to extend Taliban travel ban waiver
Afghan women’s rights activist tells her story one year after Taliban took over Kabul
AP / Andrew Harnik
Islamic State militant gets life in US prison over killing of hostages
Islamic State “Beatle” El Shafee Elsheikh given 8 life sentences – BBC News
AP / Johnson Lai
21 warplanes, 5 naval ships from China tracked around Taiwan: Report
Gravitas: China simulates an invasion of Taiwan
AP / Marco Ugarte
Mexico arrests ex-attorney general in missing students case
Former attorney-general arrested in Mexico
AP
Putin allows inspectors to visit Russia-held nuclear plant
Fresh shelling at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, strike reignite tussle between Russia and Ukraine
The agony of the WestRising tensions (25)by
Dr. Volodymyr & Mr. Zelensky: the dark side of the Ukrainian presidentby Guy Mettan
The scuttling of peace in EuropeRising tensions (24)by
Zelensky government orders destruction of 100 million books
Poland and UkraineRising tensions (22)by
Voltairenet.org is taking a hiatus
The ideology of the banderistsRising tensions (23)by
Paradoxes of Russophobia
The French need to talk to each otherby
Russia threatens Western decision-making centers
EU-Russia agreement on supplying Kaliningrad
Ukraine destroys its Nova Kakhovka factory
AP / Hiro Komae
World musn’t pay for Japan’s irresponsible act
AP / Hassene Dridi
Why is Tunisia’s new proposed constitution so controversial?
AP / Ng Han Guan
Why is the world worried about China’s property crisis?
AP / Sunday Alamba, File
Today’s youths will change Africa for the better
It might not seem so at the moment, but things are likely to change in Africa?for the better?in the next two years. That’s not an idle forecast, but rather one that is backed by empirical evidence. It’s one of the key findings of the second edition of the…
THIS is how we will change South Africa for the better
European Community / Dati Bendo
President Sisi: Egypt sought to reach common vision over GERD
CAIRO – 21 July 2022: Egypt believes in the unity of the Nile Basin countries. We sought to reach a common vision with Sudan and Ethiopia regarding the issue of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, and reach a legal, binding and comprehensive agreement…
AP / Brian Inganga
Candidate’s Unexpected Rise Could Affect Outcome in Kenya Presidential Election
Just weeks before Kenya holds a presidential election, analysts say the unexpected, growing popularity of one candidate could deliver some unpredictability to the outcome. George Wajackoyah ranks a distant third behind front-runners Raila Odinga and William…
Probable Outcome of the 2022 Kenya Presidential Election
AP / Ghaith Alsayed, File
Turkiye Denies Responsibility For Deadly Bombardment On Iraqi Resort
(MENAFN- IANS) Ankara, July 21 (IANS) Turkey has denied responsibility for a deadly bombardment on a resort in Iraq‘s semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan, urging Iraqi authorities to keep off the ‘influence and propaganda’ of the Kurdistan…
US Drops Bombs on ‘Islamic State-Infested’ Iraq Island
AP / Petros Karadjias
Mali expels spokesperson of UN peacekeeping mission
Mali is expelling the spokesperson of the UN’s peacekeeping force in the country over posts he made on Twitter, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday. MINUSMA spokesperson Olivier Salgado has been given 72 hours to leave over “tendentious and unacceptable”…
Mali expels spokesman of UN peacekeeping mission • FRANCE 24 English
AP / Evan Vucci
Energy & Environment — Biden calls climate an ‘emergency,’ vows action
President Biden stopped short of issuing a climate emergency declaration Wednesday, but is vowing action to combat global warming. We’ll look at the president’s speech in Massachusetts. Plus: A new push for offshore wind in the Gulf of Mexico, and…
‘This is an emergency’: Biden unveils executive action on climate
AP / Francisco Seco
Kremlin seeks to exploit wariness over refugees in Europe
Teen Ukrainian refugee who endured month in custody reunited with aunt in San Francisco
Saul Loeb/Pool Photo via AP
Ukraine war has made my son want to be a soldier – Zelenska
Ukrainian forces go on the offensive
Creative Commons / Gage Skidmore https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en
January 6 panel to show Trump violated law by refusing to stop Capitol attack
A Reporter’s Footage from Inside the Capitol Siege | The New Yorker
AP / Gray Gibson/U.S. Navy
CIA chief: China set for takeover of Taiwan in next few years
Former CIA Agent Mike Baker on China’s 2049 Plan
AP / Rafiq Maqbool
Fresh fears of Sri Lanka unrest as former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is made president
Sri Lankan PM elected as president to fireworks and protests
AP / Farah Abdi Warsameh
Al-Shabab Attacks Somali Towns Close to Ethiopian Border
Somalia: Alshabab launched attacks Somali towns near Ethiopian border
AP / Manish Swarup
India: Voting for Presidential election today; Droupadi Murmu, Yashwant Sinha in fray
Voting to elect the 15th President of India will be held on Monday as the tenure of Ram Nath Kovind will end on July 24. National Democratic Alliance‘s (NDA) presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu and joint opposition…
India TV LIVE: Presidential Election 2022 LIVE | Draupadi Murmu | Yashwant Sinha | LIVE Hindi News
AP / Alexander Zemlianichenko
Iran, Russia, Turkey presidents to talk Syria war in Tehran
Russia, Turkey and Iran have in recent years met to discuss Syria as part of the so-called “Astana peace process” to end more than 11 years of conflict in the Arab country. ...…
Russia, Turkey & Iran To Hold Summit On Syria Crisis l Bid To Curb US’ Influence In The Region?
Civilians killed as Russia intensifies attacks across Ukraine
Russian forces fire missiles and shells across Ukraine after military announces it is stepping up its onslaught.
Published On 16 Jul 2022
Russian forces have fired missiles and shells at cities and towns across Ukraine after Russia’s military announced it was stepping up its onslaught against its neighbour, with Ukrainian officials reporting that at least 17 more civilians had been killed.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu gave “instructions to further intensify the actions of units in all operational areas, in order to exclude the possibility of the Kyiv regime launching massive rocket and artillery attacks on civilian infrastructure and residents of settlements in the Donbas and other regions,” his ministry said on Saturday.
Russia’s military campaign has been focusing on the eastern Donbas region, but the new attacks hit areas in the north and south as well. Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, has seen especially severe bombardments in recent days, with Ukrainian officials and local commanders voicing fears that a second full-scale Russian assault on the northern city may be looming.
At least three civilians were killed and three more were injured on Saturday in a pre-dawn Russian rocket attack on the northern Ukrainian city of Chuhuiv, which is close to Kharkiv and only 120km (75 miles) from the Russian border, a regional police chief said.
Serhiy Bolvinov, the deputy head of Kharkiv’s regional police force, said the rockets partly destroyed a two-storey apartment building.
“Four Russian rockets, presumably fired from around (the Russian city of) Belgorod at night, at about 3:30am, hit a residential building, a school and administrative buildings,” Bolvinov wrote on Facebook. He said the bodies of the three dead civilians were found under the rubble.
In the neighbouring Sumy region, one civilian was killed and at least seven more were injured after Russians opened mortar and artillery fire on three towns and villages not far from the Russian border, regional governor Dmytro Zhyvytsky said Saturday on Telegram.
In the embattled eastern Donetsk region, seven civilians were killed and 14 wounded in the last 24 hours in attacks on cities, its governor said Saturday.
Later in the day, on the outskirts of Pokrovsk, a city in the Donetsk region, a woman said a neighbour was killed by a rocket attack Saturday afternoon. Tetiana Pashko told The Associated Press she herself suffered a cut on her leg, and one of her family’s dogs was killed.
She said her 35-year-old neighbour, killed while in her front yard, had evacuated earlier this year as authorities had requested but had returned home after being unable to support herself. Several homes on a quiet residential street were damaged, with doors and roofs torn up or ripped away.
In the neighbouring Luhansk region, Ukrainian troops repelled a Russian overnight assault on a strategic eastern highway, regional governor Serhiy Haidai said, adding that Russia had been attempting to capture the main road between the cities of Lysychansk and Bakhmut for more than two months.
“They still cannot control several kilometres of this road,” Haidai wrote in a Telegram post.
The Luhansk and Donetsk regions make up the Donbas, an eastern industrial region that used to power Ukraine’s economy and has mostly been taken over by Russian and separatist forces.
In Ukraine’s south, two people were wounded by Russian shelling in the town of Bashtanka, northeast of the Black Sea city of Mykolaiv, according the regional governor, Vitaliy Kim. He said Mykolaiv itself came under renewed Russian fire before dawn Saturday. On Friday, he posted videos of what he said was a Russian missile attack on the city’s two largest universities and denounced Russia as “a terrorist state”.
In Odesa, a port city on the Black Sea, a Russian missile hit a warehouse, engulfing it in flames and sending up a plume of black smoke, but no injuries were reported, local officials said.
Russia accused of shelling from captured nuclear plant
Two people were killed and a woman was hospitalised after a Russian rocket hit the eastern riverside city of Nikopol, emergency services said. Dnipro regional governor Valentyn Reznichenko said a five-storey apartment block, a school and a vocational school building were damaged.
Ukraine’s atomic energy agency accused Russia of using Europe’s largest nuclear power plant to store weapons and shell the surrounding regions of Nikopol and Dnipro that were hit Saturday.
Petro Kotin, president of Ukrainian nuclear agency Energoatom, called the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant “extremely tense” with up to 500 Russian soldiers controlling the plant.
The plant in southeast Ukraine has been under Russian control since the early weeks of Moscow’s invasion, though it is still operated by Ukrainian staff.
“The occupiers bring their machinery there, including missile systems, from which they already shell the other side of the river Dnieper and the territory of Nikopol,” he said in a Ukrainian television interview broadcast Friday.
The Ukrainian air force said Russian forces fired six more cruise missiles on Saturday from strategic bombers in the Caspian Sea, and two hit a farm in the Cherkasy region along the Dnieper River. No one was hurt, but agricultural equipment was destroyed and some cattle were killed, regional governor Ihor Taburets said.
The Ukrainian air force said the other four missiles were intercepted.
On Friday, cruise missiles fired by Russian bombers struck Dnipro, a major city in southeastern Ukraine on the Dnieper River, killing at least three people and wounding 16, Ukrainian officials said. In a news briefing Saturday, Russian defence officials claimed that the attack had destroyed “workshops producing components for, and repairing, Tochka-U ballistic missiles, as well as multiple rocket launchers”.
Peacekeepers will leave a strategic Red Sea island, boosting the prospect of contact between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its 143rd day, we take a look at the main developments.
Lawmakers pass a deal aimed at settling a dispute with Bulgaria, clearing the way to long-due EU membership talks.
Ministers pledge to address global food insecurity, rising debt and energy crises but make few policy breakthroughs.
Iran says the Americans provided deliberate support to a group that is accused of killing 17,000 Iranians over decades.
Three of the people killed were members of security forces and three were civilians, security ministry says.
More than 100 social leaders killed so far this year, rights group says, as Colombia grapples with surging violence.
President Joe Biden says US will remain an active and engaged partner in the Middle East, focusing on regional ties.
Officials issue health warnings as Europe braces for a new heatwave in the coming days.
Navy helicopter carrying 15 people during operation to arrest high-profile cartel leader crashes, killing 14 on board.
Ukraine/Russia War Update – Scott Ritter w/ Judge Napolitano (Video) (rumormillnews.com) —-(video)
CORTES: Warriors v. Warmongers – The America First Candidates Using Ukraine AGAINST Washington’s War Machine. Video
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How Attractive Is Socialism Now?
In Charles Dickens’s much-loved story “A Christmas Carol,” the crotchety protagonist, Ebenezer Scrooge, is visited by three spirits. The third visitor, the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, gave Scrooge a sneak preview of how bleak and tragic his life would be if he stayed on the same course. … -
Courting Policy Failure
European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde seems even less aware than Federal Reserve (Fed) Chairman Jerome Powell. Both face pressure to deal with intense inflations—8.3 percent in the last year in the United States and 7.5 percent in the eurozone. But since the necessary response risks recession, Powell … -
Guangdong Allegedly Shifting to ‘Wartime System’ Would Pose an Imminent Threat to Taiwan: Analyst
A recently leaked recording of an alleged meeting between leaders of southern China’s Guangdong Military Zone and the provincial Party committee shows participants pushing for a wartime deployment in the province, which would add more tension to the nearby Taiwan Strait. On May 15, a Youtube account Lude Media revealed a … -
Federal Control of Abortion Laws Is Modern Colonialism
Commentary The abortion debate in the United States has become essentially a debate over how much abortion policy ought to be centralized at the federal level. Given that there is no real chance of a nationwide abortion ban, whether or not the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down Roe v. Wade is a … -
The Pandemic of Executive Overreach Comes to an End. When Will the Next One Begin?
Commentary Over the past few decades, the executive branch of the federal government has taken an increasingly autocratic approach to governing. Past presidents have unilaterally attempted to bypass Congress due to partisan gridlock and the inevitable tug-of-war involved in governing a nation of 330 million people. President Joe Biden has … -
It’s Not Just the USA: The Economic Instability Is Global
Commentary The actions of the authorities in developed countries, essentially an extension of the Keynesian economic policy discourse, have brought their economies into disrepute. These actions consist of immense stimulus and virtually unfunded government indexation of voter income in the face of expected impoverishment amid COVID, lockdowns, and other global … -
How Did the Pandemic Affect Orange County Cities’ Finances?
The COVID-19 lockdown was ordered by Gov. Newsom on March 4, 2020. Seeing South Coast Plaza’s parking lot empty during the middle of the day was an eerie experience. Losing sales tax revenue certainly impacted Costa Mesa. Having the Angels play without fans in the seats, a convention center … -
Joe Oliver: Canada and the US Share a Litany of Harmful Policies
Victor Davis Hanson raised an alarm in a recent column about a litany of unchartered developments besetting the United States that risk becoming unimaginable. Hanson believes the traditional bedrocks of the American system are dissolving, including a stable economy, energy independence, hallowed universities, and a credible criminal justice system. … -
The Russo-Ukrainian War: A New Opportunity for Demagogues to Destroy Freedoms at Home
Commentary Politicians thoroughly enjoy times of war. Periods of bellicosity are when the most power-hungry members of the political class indulge in their most depraved political fantasies. The Russo-Ukrainian War has been no exception to this trend. Since World War II, Western politicians have taken advantage of the largest conventional … -
Secure Your County and the Country Will Follow
I’ve dedicated myself to learn about the voting process in America ever since I lived through the disastrous Virginia elections of November 2019. The outcome for my specific House of Delegates race didn’t make any sense. I wanted to find out more and understand the true mechanics of how … -
Leon Fontaine: Wake Up to ‘Woke’
A Calgary Home Depot ignited a Twitter storm in March when someone posted an internal document instructing employees on how to identify social—or white—privilege. One line reads, “If you’re confident that the police exist to protect you, you have white privilege.” And if you don’t have to “explain that …
6hr
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Opinion: Classical Liberals and Conservatives Take Note: Lessons from the Australian 2022 Election
The 2022 election saw both Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese play the same game—cling to the political centre and attack each other’s personalities rather than their policies. This meant there was little differentiation between the parties for voters to choose from. Soon after, the results came in, with voters … -
Constitutional Originalists Love America
I fled academia in 2010 because of its increasingly bizarre environment. Since that time, the situation has only gotten worse. This is reflected in the scholarly journals, where they publish more and more silly stuff. Recently, for example, I learned that a journal published an article (pdf) claiming that … -
Elon Musk Is Taking a Page From Donald Trump’s Book: Part I
Elon Musk’s acquisition of social media giant Twitter could be just the start of his public service to America. To the great consternation of the American Left, Musk is in the process of acquiring Twitter. Is this a random—albeit very surprising—act on the part of Musk, or is it …
The CFO’s of Pfizer and Moderna Both Resign After Reports That Vaccines Are KILLING People — MSM Completely SILENT
[Note: Some words and/or phrases appearing in quotes in this report are English language approximations of Russian words/phrases having no exact counterpart.]
The Dog That Ain’t Barking in Ukraine
Le Pen shrugs off market ‘doom-mongering’ as French election race tightens
Issued on:
Polls suggest Marine Le Pen is heading for a rematch of her 2017 duel with President Emmanuel Macron. © Michel Euler, AP
French far-right candidate Marine Le Pen shrugged off investor jitters triggered by her rise in the polls ahead of Sunday’s first round of the presidential election, saying her economic platform was meant to work for voters, not the markets.
Long unfazed by what looked like an easy path to re-election for President Emmanuel Macron, markets woke up this week as Le Pen narrowed the gap enough in opinion polls for a potential victory to fall within the margin of error.
Le Pen scoffed at what she called “doom-mongering”, telling RTL radio on Thursday that her programme aimed to support business and “give money back to the French” by lowering VAT as well as France’s contribution to the EU budget.
“The policies I want to implement are not meant for the stock markets, which will be a change from Emmanuel Macron,” she said. “It’s not the markets that create jobs, it’s not international finance.”
Macron is still ahead in all opinion polls. But his late start with a lacklustre campaign has pushed even some in his camp to say a win for Le Pen could be possible.
Polls suggest Le Pen is 3% to 7% ahead of third-place leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon, meaning she is likely to qualify for the all-important run-off on April 24.
>> Closing in on Macron: Could Le Pen’s blandest campaign be her most successful yet?
Second-round data also looks encouraging for Le Pen, who has significantly narrowed the gap with Macron since she lost by more than 20 percentage points five years ago.
Some pollsters this week said the gap had shrunk to as little as 4%, with a probable high level of abstention adding uncertainty.
Losing faith in democracy: France’s abstention problem
“There is a dynamic in favour of Marine Le Pen,” said Ifop pollster Frederic Dabi, adding that there was a possibility that she could overtake Macron to lead the first round, though he was still ahead for now.
“The second round will be very tight,” he said, adding that Macron was still the most likely winner but all would depend on which camp is better at getting the vote out.
Macron camp counter-attacks
The prospect of a tight race has pushed France’s borrowing costs up as investors grow jittery over a closer-than-expected race.
France saw firm investor demand at a monthly long-term bond auction on Thursday, but the public debt management agency had to more than double the interest rate on its 10-year benchmark bond to 1.17% from only 0.52% the previous month.
On Thursday, Macron’s campaign fought back on the economic front.
“I want people to realise what France would be like under Marine Le Pen,” Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told broadcaster Franceinfo. “There would be more inflation,” he said, and more taxes to fund her plan to nationalise toll roads.
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“And there would be less sovereignty, because we would be allies of Russia, of Vladimir Putin,” he added, attacking Le Pen over her longstanding admiration of the leader – which she has toned down and nuanced since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The pro-business Institut Montaigne think-tank has said Le Pen’s programme, which aims to lower the retirement age to 60 and cut taxes on energy, could come in at a cost 75% higher than she estimates.
Macron himself, long focused on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is now concentrating his campaign on purchasing power, which Le Pen has successfully focused on for months.
The incumbent president promised on Wednesday to increase pensions as French households struggle with surging prices amid the fallout from the war in Ukraine.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
MARIUPOL: REMNANTS OF UKRAINE’S 503RD MARINE BATTALION SURRENDERED IN FULL
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On 4 April, 267 soldiers and officers of the 503rd Independent Battalion of the Ukrainian Navy surrendered in Mariupol. This was the entire surviving personnel of the unit.
The battalion was assigned to the 36th Independent Marines Brigade of the Ukrainian Navy.
The unit lost more than 50% of its personnel killed and wounded in the fighting for Mariupol.
Video Player
In the video below, a captured soldier from the 503rd battalion, excited to be alive and unbeaten, says that all the time their main task was to retreat.
Video Player
All surrendered AFU soldiers are in good health. The lightly wounded were given the necessary medical treatment. The soldiers have been provided with food and basic necessities in full.
This approach executed by the Russian army is radically different from what AFU soldiers do with captive, mostly wounded, Russian soldiers.
The Russian Defence Ministry also said that starting from 9:30 a.m. on April 5 it organizes a humanitarian corridor for soldiers of the AFU territorial defence units and foreign mercenaries to leave the encircled areas of Mariupol.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
- New Evidences Shed Light On Alleged Massacre In Bucha, Kiev Region (Video, Photo)
- From 30 to 40 Ukrainian Children Disappeared Without A Trace In Spain
- Shocking Evidence Of Ukrainian Regime’s Essence (Video 21+) (Updated)
- Battle Of Mariupol Entered Its Final Phase
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Thrilling QFS Breakthrough
We’re practically a breath away from everything we’ve been working towards, praying for, envisioning and affirming thanks to the tireless, genius and miraculous Q Team and White Hats.
Charlie Ward, Mark Z, Chas Carter and David Mahoney posted a video on 3-30-22 outlining the AMAZING breakthrough interface between the thousands of years ahead off-world technology that is the Quantum Financial System and the old Legacy Banking System of Earth.
Ukraine Asks European Nations to Close Border With Russia, Belarus
A map of the refugees fleeing the Russian invasion in Ukraine. (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)
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NEW: Progress Being Made in Peace Agreement Between Russia and Ukraine (1 m) (views: 642)
GeorgeEaton — Saturday, 2-Apr-2022 02:11:24
Whistleblower Goes Public With Proof Of Election Fraud On A Global Scale – Maria Zack’s Earth Shattering Testimony
Posted By: Sacred_Scientist
Date: Saturday, 26-Mar-2022 15:06:15
www.rumormill.news/196079
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Putin Beheads Bioweapon Engineers in Ukraine
On what he said would be his final update until the war was won, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday told Donald J. Trump that he had ordered the execution of 12 international bioweapon engineers whom Russian forces had captured in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, said a Mar-a-Lago source privy to the conversation.
Putin referred to the engineers as transnational criminals, saying Ukraine would no longer be a breeding ground for Western “pestilence,” a word he has often used to reference bioweapon facilities and child trafficking syndicates.
In what could rightfully be called a communal execution, his military commanders had assembled the 12 criminals and, on Putin’s orders, beheaded them one by one. Each of the condemned, except the last to die, was forced to watch the brutal, grisly scene. Many pleaded for their lives as they watched in horror their associates’ heads being sawed off at the neck. Some tried to shut their eyes, but Russian soldiers forced those eyes open with their thumbs. Half of the group pissed themselves before their heads were lopped off.
Putin said he had captured them alive because he wanted to send a clear, undiluted message to the CEOs of bioweapon consortiums that had manufactured weapons of mass destruction on Ukrainian soil.
“Putin told Trump the executions were videoed, that he’s going to send the video to the people responsible for building those labs. He also said two American ‘filth and scum’ were among the group killed, that a video of their beheading would be shipped to DARPA,” our source said.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is a research and development agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of emerging technologies for use by the military. Putin alleged that DARPA had controlled two biologic/chemical research facilities in central Ukraine.
“This is how we do it in Russia, President Trump. No lengthy trial, no tribunal to waste time. We know these men were guilty because we caught them; if they were innocent, we would not go after them. I am not sorry to inform you two Americans were killed. They were criminals,” Putin reportedly told Trump.
“Well, President Putin, I think you know what you’re doing, and frankly, I think you have the right idea. What’s going on with these labs is a huge disgrace and catastrophe,” Trump replied.
In closing, Putin told President Trump “The war is almost over,” but did not elucidate on how long ‘almost’ would be.
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Putin Lays Out Two ‘Most Difficult’ Demands of Ukraine Amid Ceasefire Talks: Report
Russian President Vladimir Putin laid out several demands for Ukraine including two “most difficult issues” during a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. The demands can be divided into …
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Russia’s space agency on Saturday dismissed Western media reports suggesting Russian cosmonauts joining the International Space Station (ISS) … -
New Brunswick says its COVID-19 vaccine mandate will no longer be a condition of employment for civil servants … -
TUNIS—The death toll from a migrant shipwreck off Tunisia on Friday has risen to 17 people, most of … -
The leader of a convoy of fire engines carrying thousands of pieces of equipment which is bound for … -
Poland is overwhelmed by refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine, and working to guide disoriented new arrivals as … -
The Russo-Ukrainian war is a “turning point for the world,” the UK’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on … -
CAIRO—Nearly 200 people have been wounded in the latest protests to erupt in the Sudanese capital over deteriorating … -
Russia’s largest lender Sberbank on Friday said sanctions on its operations meant its customers would be unable to … -
Russia said on Saturday that it has used hypersonic missiles to destroy Ukrainian military assets in what marks … -
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, lawmakers in Taiwan are calling for an increase in its military conscription period. … -
Indonesia’s government issued a new regulation on Friday that raises the palm oil export levy up to $375 … -
A tri-national released from an Iranian prison on the same day two British-Iranians were allowed to return to … -
The United States said Friday that it was “profoundly disappointed and troubled” by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s visit … -
The mass exodus of international brands from the Russian Federation has prompted the emergence of knock-off imitators, which … -
TOKYO—The Bank of Japan (BOJ) maintained its massive stimulus on Friday and warned of heightening risks to a … -
Russia’s biggest cargo airline Volga-Dnepr Group has suspended all flights using Boeing aircraft due to Western sanctions, it … -
WELLINGTON, New Zealand—When is a potato not a potato? When it’s a tuber of a gourd, according to … -
Politicians in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) have called for a tailor-made disaster funding system … -
A factory on the outskirts of Lviv, Ukraine, was attacked Friday morning by rocket fire. NTD was in … -
The latest on the Russia–Ukraine crisis, March 19. Click here for updates from March 18. Lavrov: Moscow Will … -
India has extended a $1 billion credit line to debt-ridden Sri Lanka, offering support to the island nation … -
![[Premiering 3/19 at 7:30PM ET] Laura Dodsworth: How Government Exploited Fear and Human Psychology During the Pandemic](https://img.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2022/03/19/Laura-Dodsworth-205x123.jpg)
This episode will premiere on Saturday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET. If you have trouble seeing the … -
Commentary Kimberley Jane Kitching, a Labor senator for the Australian state of Victoria, died unexpectedly on March 10 … -
The Brazilian Supreme Court has ordered social platform Telegram to be suspended and barred from operating in the …