15705
Independent researcher/writer based in Hong Kong since 1997. Reformed academic. My long-form, analytical articles are collected here https://laura-ruggeri.medium.com/ email: lauraru852@yandex.ru
▪️Official contacts between Russia and North Korea are the business of the two sovereign countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a briefing, commenting on the visit of Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov to North Korea.
She also stated that she was not aware of the details of Belousov's visit and reiterated that China's position on the Ukrainian crisis remains consistent.(Source: TASS)
▪️Russian Defense Minister Belousov unexpectedly arrived on an official visit to the DPRK. According to the Ministry of Defense, in North Korea, he has scheduled a number of meetings with representatives of the military and military-political leadership of the republic.
Belousov said that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between the Russian Federation and the DPRK is aimed at reducing the risk of war in Northeast Asia. The treaty can help maintain the balance of power in the region and lay the foundation for building a new Eurasian security system, the minister added. (Source: RIA Novosti)
@LauraRuHK
It is telling that the Islamist militants in Syria launched their offensive right after the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect, Huseyin Bagci, professor of international relations and founder of Ankara Global Advisory Group, has told RT.
The terrorist group Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS), formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra, began a large-scale attack on the city of Aleppo on Wednesday. The past two days have seen the heaviest fighting in the region since 2020.
Speaking with RT on Thursday, Bagci described the fighting as “a very dangerous situation” and said the Syrian military will need to take the territory back and do it quickly.
“There will be a new type of alliance in the coming days,” he said, predicting that Türkiye, Syria and Russia will work together against the al-Qaeda-affiliated militants.
According to Bagci, “external forces” are interested in escalating the conflict in Syria. He named the US, Israel and “certain European countries.”
Türkiye initially backed the rebels that sought to topple the government in Damascus back in 2011, Bagci said, stressing that Ankara has since changed its approach and supports Syria’s territorial integrity.
If HTS militants get stronger, this will create problems for Türkiye, as well as Syria and Russia, and might trigger another surge of migrants into Europe, Bagci predicted. (Source: RT) @LauraRuHK
Life returns to Beirut's southern suburb on the first day of the ceasefire with Israel.
Читать полностью…
The Liberals' idea of democracy: elections are free and fair only when a liberal candidate wins. When voters picked the "wrong" candidate in Romania, at first they were shocked and then went looking for culprits. Now they are scrutinizing the TikTok campaign Georgescu led in the days before the election. Calin Georgescu campaigned on a Nato and EU-sceptic platform, called for the Ukraine war to end, and opposed military aid to Kiev. His message resonated with Romanians.
"We call on the CEO of TikTok to come to speak in this house and to ensure his platform conducted to no infringement under the DSA,"
"Romania is a warning bell: Radicalization and disinformation can happen all over Europe with harmful consequences,"
Biden team may escalate global tensions to highest level, FSB chief warns - Washington is unlikely to change its foreign policy following Donald Trump’s election as US president, while incumbent President Joe Biden’s team may elevate global tensions to the highest level, Alexander Bortnikov, head of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), warned.
"The election of a new US president is unlikely to lead to radical changes in Washington’s foreign policy," he stated at the 20th meeting of the heads of security and intelligence agencies of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, currently convening in Moscow.
"Moreover, it’s possible that, as part of the domestic political battle, the outgoing Biden team will seek to escalate the situation as much as possible in the regions of Eurasia that are key to the Americans, primarily in the post-Soviet nations, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia," he emphasized. "Their main goal is to complicate the next administration’s options to resolve the mounting problems," he added.
According to the FSB chief, the United States, the United Kingdom, and their allies will continue trying "to blatantly interfere in allied relations within the CIS, hinder integration processes, and undermine our joint efforts to ensure security and stability across the Commonwealth."
"Undoubtedly, we all need to be prepared for any sort of provocation," Bortnikov concluded. (Source: TASS) @LauraRuHK
Some EU member countries are trying to revise the list of critical technologies that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wants to be subject to foreign direct investment (FDI) screening. The screening requirement was one of the measures that the anti-China lobby had pushed through under the "de-risking" strategy.
According to a compromise text prepared by Hungary, which currently chairs the intergovernmental arm of the EU, the revised list no longer includes semiconductors, artificial intelligence or other strategic technologies. It appears that some EU countries are wary of overreach by the Commission into their national competence and demand more control over what investments warrant screening. @LauraRuHK
The EU will pump cash into the American military-industrial complex. France has dropped its opposition to non-EU arms manufacturers accessing EU-funded financial incentives. The main beneficiaries will be the US and UK military industry - American and British companies will be allowed to participate in the EU’s proposed European Defence Investment Plan (EDIP). @LauraRuHK
Читать полностью…
🇷🇴Romania presidential election
Calin Georgescu – who opposes arming and funding Ukraine – has surprised observers by likely topping the first round of the country’s presidential election, according to provisional results.
With more than 80 percent of ballots counted, in the early hours of Monday Georgescu, who has gained traction for his anti-Ukraine war stance, holds 22.1 percent of the vote, narrowly ahead of sitting Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who follows with just over 22 percent.
Georgescu, an ultra-religious and nationalist figure, has campaigned on reducing Romania’s reliance on imports and boosting domestic food and energy production. He has been a vocal critic of Bucharest’s role in the ongoing Ukraine conflict, arguing that NATO and the EU do not represent Romanian interests and suggesting that the war is being manipulated by American military companies. Voter turnout for the election was 52.5 percent, slightly higher than in the 2019 presidential race. The second round of voting is scheduled for December 8, following Romania’s parliamentary elections next Sunday. (Source: RT)
Russian troops are advancing in Chasov Yar in the Donetsk People’s Republic in fierce fighting, with 30% of the town being under Russia’s control now. They have gained a foothold in its industrial zone, military expert Andrey Marochko told TASS. @LauraRuHK
Читать полностью…
The Bundeswehr (Germany’s armed forces) prepared a secret plan in case of a military conflict with Russia, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported.
According to it, the 1,000-page "Operation Deutschland" plan lists all infrastructure facilities that deserve special protection, and also contains a procedure for defense or "measures to deter Russia on NATO’s eastern flank." The plan says that in such a case, Germany would become "the center of concentration for tens of thousands and possibly hundreds of thousands of troops" that would be transferred to the east, as well as military equipment, food and medical supplies.
A first meeting has even taken place in the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce where specific companies were addressed directly after the report revealed the vulnerable professions in the face of war.
Attendees were advised on striving for self-sufficiency through installing their own diesel generator or even a wind turbine.
Guidance regarding truck driving was given by Lieutenant Colonel Jörn Plischke, who said that "for every 100 employees", at least five additional truck drivers should be trained "that you don't need".
He chillingly explained: "70 per cent of all trucks on Germany's roads are driven by Eastern Europeans.
"If there is a war there, where will these people be?"
Plans have been built in Germany across the year, with its Defense Ministry confirming in July that emergency plans to move "hundreds of thousands" of Nato troops in the event of a war with Russia.
At the time, Bundeswehr Homeland Defence Command in Berlin confirmed that the secret Operation Deutschland continues to be worked at. ▪️So, why is the existence of this "secret plan" being publicized right now? I believe it's part of a psychological operation aimed at laying the ground for more austerity measures and repression of dissent. By hyping up the "Russian threat" German authorities will try to justify the unpopular increase in military spending that the hegemon demands. But rule by fear can easily backfire. When those in positions of power resort to fear to shift the blame of their disastrous domestic and foreign policies, it can lead to widespread anxiety, paranoia, and mistrust. German institutions are already caught in a downward spiral of distrust. According to all surveys conducted in the last 2 years, over a third of Germans are convinced that leaders in business, the media and government are deliberately lying to people and misleading them. @LauraRuHK
⚡️ Statement by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin
💬 Vladimir Putin: I would like to inform the military personnel of the Russian Federation Armed Forces, citizens of our country, our friends across the globe, and those who persist in the illusion that a strategic defeat can be inflicted upon Russia, about the events taking place today in the zone of the special military operation, specifically following the attacks by Western long-range weapons against our territory.
The escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, instigated by the West, continues with the United States and its NATO allies previously announcing that they authorise the use of their long-range high-precision weapons for strikes inside the Russian Federation. <...>
On November 19, six ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles produced by the United States, and on November 21, during a combined missile assault involving British Storm Shadow systems and HIMARS systems produced by the US, attacked military facilities inside the Russian Federation in the Bryansk and Kursk regions. From that point onward, as we have repeatedly emphasised in prior communications, the regional conflict in Ukraine provoked by the West has assumed elements of a global nature. <...>
I wish to underscore once again that the use by the enemy of such weapons cannot affect the course of combat operations in the special military operation zone. <...>
❗️ In response to the deployment of American and British long-range weapons, on November 21, the Russian Armed Forces delivered a combined strike on a facility within Ukraine’s defence industrial complex. In field conditions, we also carried out tests of one of Russia’s latest medium-range missile systems – in this case, carrying a non-nuclear hypersonic ballistic missile that our engineers named #Oreshnik.
The tests were successful, achieving the intended objective of the launch.
In the city of Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, one of the largest and most famous industrial complexes from the Soviet Union era, which continues to produce missiles and other armaments, was hit. <...>
As a reminder, Russia has voluntarily and unilaterally committed not to deploy intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles until US weapons of this kind appear in any region of the world.
⚠️ To reiterate, we are conducting combat tests of the Oreshnik missile system in response to NATO’s aggressive actions against Russia.
Our decision on further deployment of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles will depend on the actions of the United States and its satellites.
We consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against military facilities of those countries that allow to use their weapons against our facilities, and in case of an escalation of aggressive actions, we will respond decisively and in mirror-like manner.
I recommend that the ruling elites of the countries that are hatching plans to use their military contingents against Russia seriously consider this.
It goes without saying that when choosing, if necessary and as a retaliatory measure, targets to be hit by systems such as Oreshnik on Ukrainian territory, we will in advance suggest that civilians and citizens of friendly countries residing in those areas leave danger zones.
We will do so for humanitarian reasons, openly and publicly, without fear of counter-moves coming from the enemy, who will also be receiving this information. <...>
Air defence systems currently available in the world and missile defence systems being created by the Americans in Europe cannot intercept such missiles. It is impossible.
☝️ I would like to emphasise once again that it was not Russia, but the United States that destroyed the international security system and, by continuing to fight, cling to its hegemony, they are pushing the whole world into a global conflict.
We have always preferred and are ready now to resolve all disputes by peaceful means. But we are also ready for any turn of events.
If anyone still doubts this, make no mistake: there will always be a response.
Robert Fico and Aleksandar Vučić have expressed their intention to attend the Victory parade in Moscow on May 9, when the 80th anniversary will be celebrated. During his visit to Belgrade the prime minister of Slovakia said "I hope we will go to Moscow together, because we share the same opinion on how to fight fascism and respect the countries that took part in the liberation of our states at the end of World War II."(Source: TASS) @LauraRuHK
Читать полностью…
At long last the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Galant for war crimes carried out in Palestinian territories.
It means that all 124 state parties to the ICC are legally obliged to arrest Netanyahu and Gallant if they set foot on their territory. These include Israel’s allies such as UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, France and Italy, but not the US, which withdrew from Rome Statute.
These arrest warrants will pose significant diplomatic and political challenges for those members of the ICC that are actively supporting Israel. @LauraRuHK
A Chinese tech company has signed a deal in Brazil that positions it as a potential challenger to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet constellation in the region.
Shanghai-based SpaceSail on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding with Brazil’s state-owned telecoms firm Telecomunicacoes Brasileiras (Telebras) coinciding with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the Latin American country. The agreement will provide broadband internet services in Brazil in 2026.
SpaceSail plans to bring satellite-based internet access to areas with limited connectivity by deploying its Qianfan, or “Thousand Sails”, constellation, a low-Earth orbit satellite network currently under construction. (Source: SCMP)
@LauraRuHK
Washington has vowed to impose visa restrictions on Hong Kong officials responsible for implementation of the national security law after a Hong Kong court sentenced 45 people for subversion. After orchestrating and funding subversive activities that plunged Hong Kong into chaos, the US is imposing another round of sanctions on officials upholding the law that restored peace and order. /channel/LauraRuHK/9361
Читать полностью…
GEORGIA - Last night's Tbilisi rallies resulted in injuries to 32 Ministry of Internal Affairs employees, some seriously, including head and eye injuries requiring surgery, while 43 demonstrators were detained.
As you can see, demonstrators used laser pointers to cause eye injuries. During the 2019-20 Hong Kong riots similar pointers were aimed at the police. Link to the video. 👉/channel/SputnikGeorgia/40775
At the CSTO summit in Astana, Vladimir Putin presented some characteristics of the new Oreshnik missile, compared it with nuclear weapons and explained how Russia plans to use these weapons.
If a very large number of Oreshnik missiles are used in one strike, its power will be comparable to a nuclear weapon.
The temperature of the missile's striking elements reaches four thousand degrees.
The Oreshnik missile strikes even highly protected and deep-lying targets.
Everything in the epicenter of the explosion is divided into elementary particles, turns into dust.
The Oreshnik is not a weapon of mass destruction, it is a high-precision weapon, it does not have a nuclear charge.
We were forced to test it in combat conditions — we were forced to, as I said, in response to attacks with Western weapons on the territory of the Bryansk and Kursk regions with ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles. Of course, there are no analogues of "Oreshnik" in the world. And, I think, similar ones will not appear soon.
Serial production of the Oreshnik has begun, but we will choose weapons depending on the nature of the selected targets and the threats posed to the Russian Federation.
Russia has repeatedly drawn attention to the fact that allowing Kiev to strike with long-range missiles means direct involvement of the West in the conflict.
Russia knows how many Western weapons have been delivered to Ukraine and how many are planned to be delivered.
The leader of the Kiev regime, in addition to missiles, begs for other military equipment from his masters.
The leaders of the Kiev regime have lost their legitimacy by not going to the polls, they have no right to give orders to the armed forces.
Those who carry out the orders of the usurpers of power in Ukraine become accomplices in their crimes.
As for production of missile systems and related equipment, in Russia it is ten times more than the total production of all NATO countries combined. And next year, this production will be increased by another 25-30 percent.
Vladimir Putin is in Astana for the second time in 2024, this time on a state visit.
Relations between Moscow and Astana are developing in the best possible way, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
"Our relations are both friendly and businesslike. And everything is really developing in the most dynamic scenario, in the best possible way. We are in constant contact," the Russian president told his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Putin pointed to the fact that "a whole series of documents have been prepared [for the current talks]: a joint statement and a whole package [of agreements] in various areas." "Russia remains one of the largest trade and economic partners [of Kazakhstan], with a trade turnover of almost $28.5 billion last year. It is growing, investments are decent - $13 billion in the Kazakh economy," the Russian president noted.
"Of course, we attach great importance to the development of humanitarian ties between civic societies, education, science," Putin pointed out. According to him, the majority of foreign students studying in Russia are from Kazakhstan. The Russian leader also noted the success of interregional cooperation.
Putin thanked Tokayev for his constant attention to the development of relations between Russia and Kazakhstan. "We feel it, we feel the attention of the president of Kazakhstan. We consider Kazakhstan as our reliable friend," Putin emphasized. (Source: TASS) @LauraRuHK
Dmitry Medvedev:
American politicians and journalists are seriously discussing the consequences of the transfer of nuclear weapons to Kiev. It seems that my sad joke about the crazy senile Biden, who decided to pass away beautifully, taking with him a significant part of humanity, is turning into a frightening reality. Transfer nuclear weapons to a country that is at war with the largest nuclear power? The idea itself is so absurd that it raises suspicion of the presence of paranoid psychosis in Joe The Walking Dead and all those who argue about the expediency of such a step.
And yet I have to comment on nonsense:
1) the very threat of transferring nuclear weapons to the Kiev regime can be considered as preparation for a nuclear conflict with Russia;
2) the actual transfer of such weapons can be equated to the fait accompli of an attack on our country in the sense of paragraph 19 of the Fundamentals of State Policy in the field of nuclear deterrence.
The consequences are obvious.
China is no country for banksters - especially since it has stepped up its crackdown on financial sector corruption. Liu Lian'ge, former Party chief and chairman of Bank of China, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve in a first-instance trial on Tuesday for accepting large sums in bribes.
During his tenure from 2010 to 2023, Liu took bribes of 121 million yuan ($16.7 million) to assist with loans, projects, and personnel arrangements. He approved illegal loans amounting to 3.32 billion yuan from 2017 to 2020, causing losses of over 190.7 million yuan. His illicit gains and their proceeds will be seized and handed over to the state treasury. (Source: Global Times) @LauraRuHK
China is concerned about the US national debt, which has surpassed $36 trillion for the first time in history. The accelerated increase in the US debt presents significant challenges to the global economy, particularly affecting the developing world which is more vulnerable to economic shocks. Consequently, it is increasingly crucial for countries to make long-term strategic plans to mitigate potential financial risks.
China needs to continue advancing the internationalization of the Chinese yuan. Although the internationalization of the yuan is a long-term and complex process, it is only by continuously enhancing the international status of the yuan that China can effectively reduce its dependence on the US dollar. This move would help mitigate the potential adverse impacts of the US debt issue on China's economy.
In addition, developing countries need to actively strengthen multilateral cooperation with each other, fostering economic resilience and bargaining power in the financial world. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202411/1323764.shtml
⚡️Taiwan is deepening cooperation over drone technology with Lithuania, Latvia and Poland. 🔺Last week Taiwan’s Lin Chia-lung, in charge of Foreign Affairs, led a delegation of representatives from 20 Taiwanese drone companies to Lithuania where they attended a forum on drone technologies and signed two agreements as part of Taiwan’s efforts to expand its domestic drone manufacturing industry. 🔺On November 16, an agreement to promote drone development was signed with the Polish-Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 🔺Another MoU was signed with the Latvian Federation of Defence and Security Industries in Riga on Tuesday. @LauraRuHK
Читать полностью…
Fiji on the frontline: How America’s Pacific strategy seeks to squeeze China
Lloyd Austin became the first-ever secretary of defense to visit the South Pacific Ocean Island nation of Fiji this week.
The US and Fiji are working on a new “status of forces” agreement which would allow American troops to dramatically ramp up their presence in the island nation, Austin said, adding that the treaty will facilitate “military-to-military engagements,” including joint drills, training of Fijian troops and the deployment and redeployment of American forces. He assured, however, that the US would not be setting up a permanent base.
Fiji is the latest square in a strategic chessboard Washington is working to set up against China in America’s century-plus-year-old quest to dominate the Pacific, and its post-WWII “Island chain strategy,” which envisions the militarization of a network of islands in the region to stop China’s navy from freely maneuvering through the Pacific, and prevent commercial traffic from reaching the Asian nation in a crisis.
Besides Fiji, the Biden administration has ramped up US ‘containment’-related activities in a host of regional nations, including:
🔸 Approving a $400 million project to rebuild an airfield on Tinian Island in the Northern Mariana Islands, used in the final days of WWII to launch the bombers which dropped atomic bombs on Japan,
🔸 facilitating and overseeing a major military buildup by Taiwan, which China considers its inalienable territory, as well as Japan, Australia, Singapore and the Philippines (including through joint drills and missile deployments)
🔸 launching a new military command with Japan and South Korea, citing the “danger” emanating from China, Russia and the DPRK,
🔸 moving to upgrade a key air base in Guam that often hosts strategic nuclear bombers capable of targeting China,
🔸 mulling the permanent deployment of US nuclear weapons in allied Pacific nations,
🔸 planning to more than triple the budget of US Indo-Pacific Command from $3.5 bln this year to $11 bln in 2025 for infrastructure spending, naval ops, classified space programs and $1 bln for the Pentagon’s Maritime Strike program,
🔸 passing $4.83 bln in new spending to “deter China” in the Indo-Pacific in the spring,
🔸 inviting fellow NATO countries’ warships into Pacific waters for power projection and joint training,
🔸 inking a controversial defense pact with Papua New Guinea, which sparked protests last year over its secrecy,
🔸 and moving politically and diplomatically to try to sow chaos and undermine China’s political, economic and security outreach in the region, up to and including attempts to institute regime change in China-friendly nations, most recently in the Solomon Islands.
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
Donald Trump on Friday said he will nominate Scott Bessent as U.S. Treasury secretary. Bessent, a hedge fund manager married to a man, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, has spent his career in finance, working for short seller Jim Chanos and George Soros. Actually he was chief investment officer (CIO) of Soros Fund Management and the head of its London office when his team, betting against the British pound, garnered over $1 billion for the firm. His bet against the Japanese yen in 2013 brought additional profit. Bessent runs his own hedge fund, Key Square Group, that uses geopolitics and economics to make macro investments. Key Square received a $2 billion anchor investment from George Soros. From 2014 until 2020, Bessent was listed as a council member of International Crisis Group (ICG), an NGO/think tank linked to the CIA and all the usual "philanthropists", first and foremost Soros. ICG is part of the "billionaire complex" driving regime change wars. ▪️Bessent has advocated for deregulation, particularly to spur more bank lending and energy production, as noted in a recent opinion piece he wrote for The Wall Street Journal.
Wall Street will be pleased if Bessent is confirmed as Treasury secretary, as he has been on the side of less aggressive tariffs, which means he provides a counterweight to Trump's campaign promise to raise import duties. @LauraRuHK
Air defence systems currently available cannot intercept Russian hypersonic missiles such as the one that hit the Yuzhmash military complex in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. These missiles can carry nuclear heads. Moscow sent a warning. Will US-NATO take note or continue to deny reality? @LauraRuHK
Читать полностью…
👔 Фицо заявил, что они с Вучичем планируют вместе поехать на парад Победы в Москве 9 мая.
"Я надеюсь, что могу сказать, что в мае мы договорились, что поедем в Москву вместе, потому что мы разделяем одно и то же мнение о том, как бороться с фашизмом и уважать страны, которые присутствовали при освобождении наших государств в конце Второй мировой войны", — сказал он в ходе визита в Белград, слова премьера приводит издание "Вечерне новости".Читать полностью…
Neoliberalism is so toxic that even its main beneficiaries pretend to distance themselves from it. @LauraRuHK
Читать полностью…
Donald Trump picked lawyer Matthew Whitaker to be U.S. ambassador to NATO, selecting a loyalist with little foreign policy experience. Whitaker's perception of NATO reflects Trump's - European members of the alliance are not contributing enough and must increase defense spending. Most likely they will be forced to cough up more than the 2% of GDP agreed in the early 2000s. Keep in mind that even meeting that minimum threshold placed a huge burden on the budget and proved impossible for several member countries. @LauraRuHK
Читать полностью…
The second international forum "Dialogue on Fakes 2.0" was held in Moscow on November 20. More than 1,000 participants from 65 countries joined the forum.
The program included 7 sessions with participants discussing how to counter fakes, as well as exchanging best practices and approaches to address this problem. Within the framework of the forum, a memorandum on the establishment of an International Association for Fact-checking was signed. ▪️This is crucial given that the West is using the cover of "fact-checking" to censor and remove content that doesn't align with its narrative. The West, which produces fake news on an industrial scale, can't be the arbiter of truth for the rest of the world. ▪️Here is a video of the plenary session https://rutube.ru/video/eed6d68bd2a661f68e2e0785146a7ac9/ and a useful research paper.
https://fakes2024.dialog.info/static/files/Research_2024.pdf
Till Lindemann (lead singer of German band Rammstein) singing "Beloved City", from the 1939 Soviet film "The Fighters". In 2021 he performed on Red Square. https://rutube.ru/video/78dd56cdc88573864e4382d3d0f29901/
Читать полностью…