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
In an interview with Russia 1 TV, Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yury Ushakov, was asked to comment on European leaders’ sharp U-turn - they suddenly started to voice their support for the US-proposed 30-day ceasefire after years of steady military assistance to Kiev. Ushakov replied that they are
"Like affectionate dogs at the feet of their master".
Beijing to CK Hutchison: Which side are you on? The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs liaison office has relaunched an article published by patriotic newspaper Ta Kung Pao which criticized Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing’s CK Hutchison Holdings over its Panama Canal ports sale, warning those who choose to “dance with Americans” - they will have no future even if they secure a “big deal”.
It was the second newspaper commentary about Hutchison’s port deal the Beijing offices have shared in three days.
The author of the article headlined “Great entrepreneurs are all staunch patriots” pointed out that Hutchison’s deal had fuelled concerns among Chinese citizens over why the Hong Kong-based company would transfer ports to the “ill-intentioned” US so easily and questioned the “political calculations” behind the move.
“Did the so-called smart transaction take into account the interests of the nation? Is this choice aiding and abetting evil and harming China and the world?”
“Both history and reality remind entrepreneurs at the forefront of the storm that the only way to defend the nation, win dignity and maintain their reputation is to stand firmly with the country and fight bravely in the face of US bullying.”
“China, Russia and Iran engaged in in-depth discussions on the latest state of play with regard to the nuclear issue and sanctions lifting. The three countries emphasized the necessity of terminating all unlawful unilateral sanctions.”
Fearing competition, OpenAI calls for a ban on DeepSeek. In a new policy proposal, OpenAI describes Chinese AI lab DeepSeek as “state-subsidized” and “state-controlled,” and recommends that the U.S. government consider banning models from the outfit.
The proposal, a submission for the Trump administration’s “AI Action Plan” initiative, claims that DeepSeek’s models, including its R1 “reasoning” model, are insecure because DeepSeek faces requirements under Chinese law to comply with demands for user data. Banning the use of “PRC-produced” models in all countries considered “Tier 1” under the Biden administration’s export rules would prevent privacy and “security risks,” OpenAI says, including the “risk of IP theft.”
It’s unclear whether OpenAI’s references to “models” are meant to refer to DeepSeek’s API, the lab’s open models, or both. DeepSeek’s open models don’t contain mechanisms that would allow the Chinese government to siphon user data; companies including Microsoft, Perplexity, and Amazon host them on their infrastructure.
OpenAI has previously accused DeepSeek, which rose to prominence earlier this year, of “distilling” knowledge from OpenAI’s models against its terms of service. But OpenAI’s new allegations — that DeepSeek is supported by the PRC and under its command — are an escalation of the company’s campaign against the Chinese lab.
There isn’t a clear link between the Chinese government and DeepSeek, a spin-off from a quantitative hedge fund called High-Flyer. However, the PRC has taken an increased interest in DeepSeek in recent months. Several weeks ago, DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. (Source: TechCrunch) @LauraRuHK
My older TG post and tweets about Jianwei Xun have alerted several journalists who contacted me privately to find out more about this mysterious author and his fake profile. We collated the information we could find and came to the conclusion that Jianwei Xun doesn't exist. Texts published under this name are most likely AI-generated. The author claims to be from Hong Kong, but his name is clearly made up, and there is no trace of anyone using that name in the city. Academics publish extensively before and after obtaining a PhD, a teaching and/or research position. His name draws a blank. Until his website and book appeared he hadn't published a single paper. He claims affiliations with a research centre in Berlin that doesn't exist and with an unspecified Dublin University, when in fact there are several universities in Dublin and if you studied or taught there, you would list the full name of that institution and the relevant department.
Authors who use a pen name to conceal their identity usually don't lie about academic affiliations, it's too risky and they can be easily called out on their lies. That's why i tend to believe that we are faced with an AI project. I have no idea who is behind it and the purpose of this operation. /channel/LauraRuHK/9759
'Nothing' for Russia in US ceasefire proposal, Putin aide says
“I stated our position that this is nothing other than a temporary respite for the Ukrainian military, nothing more,” Yuri Ushakov said.
“It gives us nothing. It only gives the Ukrainians an opportunity to regroup, gain strength and to continue the same thing,” he later added.
In separate comments, he also said:
“The document, it seems to me, has a hasty character... It will be necessary to work, think and take into account our position too. It outlines only the Ukrainian approach,” RIA Novosti cited Ushakov as saying. @LauraRuHK
Putin, in military fatigues, visited a command post of the Russian army in the Kursk region for the first time since Ukraine invaded this border region. There he heard a report from Chief of the General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov who explained that Russian troops have liberated more than 86% of the area occupied by Ukraine. Over the past five days, Russian forces have liberated 24 settlements and 259 square kilometers in the Kursk region while the enemy lost more than 67 thousand servicemen, including foreign mercenaries, Gerasimov stated. Putin said that it is necessary to defeat the terrorists that remain in the Kursk region, and create a security zone along the state border. Putin's attire and his use of the term "terrorists" suggest that negotiations with Kiev are unlikely until the invaders retreat, or are forcibly removed, from the Russian territory. Later the Kremlin's spokesman announced Russia's troops are entering the FINAL STAGE of the operation to liberate the region. @LauraRuHK
Читать полностью…
Russian troops are rapidly advancing in the Kursk region, where they have liberated 12 villages over the past 24 hours.
Earlier, the city of Sudzha was returned to the control of Russian forces. In the Donetsk People's Republic, Russian troops have liberated the settlements of Novomarkovo and Dneproenergia, Russia's Defense Ministry announced. ▪️This “ball” is in Russia’s court, other balls can wait. 😏 @LauraRuHK
Did you really believe that Washington would retire its infamous agitprop weapon? Well, you shouldn't pay too much attention to what Trump says and pay more attention to what Washington does. Funding has been restored and the meddling machine known as NED will continue to orchestrate and bankroll regime change and influence operations around the world. @LauraRuHK
Читать полностью…
This is not the first time that a visit to Moscow by a high-ranking foreign delegation has been accompanied by an attack by Ukrainian drones. And tonight, the Kiev regime sent drones to the capital when the OSCE Secretary General was visiting. The head of the organization that Zelensky's sponsors have reduced to a talking shop, depriving it of its original purpose - ensuring security and cooperation in Europe.
The Romanian central election authority’s decision to bar Calin Georgescu from running for president creates a dangerous precedent ahead of Moldova’s parliamentary elections, Igor Dodon, leader of Moldova’s opposition Party of Socialists and former president, said.
"The decision to bar independent candidate Georgescu from running for president causes concern in Moldova. Polls show that he is the frontrunner in presidential race and that globalists have resorted to such violations in the democratic process at our neighbors’ and barred him from the election under an invented pretext. So, what will they resort to keep Maia Sandu and her ruling Party of Action and Solidarity in power at the upcoming elections to the Moldovan parliament this autumn? Such double standards that are practiced in Romania and other countries are dangerous as they only widen a gap in society, sow the seeds of civil disobedience," he told TASS.
Earlier, Romania’s Central Electoral Bureau refused to register Georgescu as candidate for president at the May 4 election. According to the Agerpress news agency, clashes between Georgescu’s supporters and the police erupted near the building of the Central Electoral Bureau immediately after its decision was made public. (Source: TASS) @LauraRuHK
Nope. That was a psyop. The US has never suspended intelligence sharing with the Kiev regime. US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steven Witkoff told Fox News:
"My best understanding <…> is that we never shut off intelligence for anything defensive that the Ukrainians need."
US-South Korea war games go terribly wrong. Two fighter jets mistakenly bombed a village during a live-fire drill, injuring 29 people and destroying homes.
/channel/presstv/131734
The Office of the US Trade Representative will hold a hearing on Tuesday into older Chinese-made "legacy" semiconductors. These chips power everyday goods, from autos to washing machines to telecoms gear. ▪️The move comes amid reports that the US may further increase tariffs and restrictions in an effort to curb China's semiconductor industry. However, the effectiveness of these measures remains questionable. As the US intensifies its crackdown on Chinese semiconductors, a notable trend has emerged: China's integrated circuit exports are on the rise. This phenomenon underscores a critical point - Washington's efforts to suppress China's chip industry have not thwarted its continuous growth and expansion. The development of China's semiconductor manufacturing is deeply rooted in the country's comprehensive industrial foundation and well-established industrial systems. This domestic strength suggests that while external pressures may pose challenges, they are unlikely to derail the momentum of China's semiconductor sector. @LauraRuHK https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202503/1329794.shtml
Читать полностью…
Trump the "peacemaker"? Donald Trump said he ordered a series of airstrikes on Yemen on Saturday, promising to use “overwhelming lethal force”. The Houthis said at least 18 civilians were killed.
He also warned Iran to stop supporting the Houthis, promising to hold the country “fully accountable” for the actions of its proxy.
/channel/presstv/132765
Belgrade braces for mayhem.
Supporters of the ongoing protests are gathering in the Serbian capital from all over the country. Their opponents set up a camp in the Pioneer Park. Administrative buildings have been cordoned off by the police as over 80,000 protesters are expected to join today's march.
The Serbian Orthodox Church called on citizens to put an end to disagreements and start a fraternal dialogue: a special service will be held at St. Sava's Church at 5:30 p.m. today. See also 👉/channel/LauraRuHK/9826 ▪️/channel/balkanossiper/7070
The rise of sound-bite journalism, a fragmented simulacrum of political discourse, unveils not a truth but a disappearance—a vanishing of justification accelerated by the echo chambers of social media, those self-referential mirrors of a shattered public. In the hyperreal circuit, influencers receive a prompt or script from a media organization, with the help of AI they distill it into a catchy, glittering shard, polished for the viral abyss. The resulting post/tweet floods the digital void, its virality a triumph of seduction over substance. Then, in a Möbius twist of simulation, the media organization—origin and parasite at once—plucks this fabricated fragment from the stream, quoting it as if it were a voice, a real event, a trace of the social. Thus, the cycle folds upon itself: the influencer, the AI, the media, all players in a theater of signs where nothing original is produced, where the script precedes the act and the quote devours its source in the infinite loop of its own reflection. Complex issues are reduced to fragmented, attention-seeking posts, incomplete arguments that require no justification. @LauraRuHK
Читать полностью…
"For Ukraine, there are red lines – including that there can be no restrictions on the size of the defence forces and no prohibitions on Ukraine’s participation in international organisations, including the EU and NATO. The issue of NATO also came up in remarks by [Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office Andrii] Yermak, stressing that Russia must not have a veto right." @LauraRuHK
Читать полностью…
Trump ramps up sanctions on Russia's oil, gas, & banking sectors by cutting off US payment system access
Donald Trump allowed the waiver on Russian oil sales to expire this week, as he aims to leverage Russia into accepting the ceasefire proposal, Fox News reported, citing a source in the administration.
“That means European Countries and our allies can NO LONGER buy oil from Russia without sanctions from US being imposed,” Fox News reporter Edward Lawrence tweeted.
The Trump administration "remains focused on ending the fighting and fostering negotiations to end the war," the Treasury spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters. "We continue to implement our sanctions, which remain one of the levers to facilitate these goals."
Putin on the ceasefire. Great idea but...it's complicated. /channel/geopolitics_live/46081
Читать полностью…
A Global Times editorial outlines what is likely China's official position on the 30‑day ceasefire that was proposed after the US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia.
"The ceasefire is a necessary "first aid measure," but to fundamentally resolve the Ukraine crisis, a systematic "treatment plan" is still needed. At its core, this involves advocating for and practicing a new security vision that is common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable, while rejecting and opposing the erroneous practice of prioritizing one party's security over others and pursuing one's own "absolute security." Security is mutual and equal; the security of one country cannot be built on the insecurity of others. It is essential to promote and implement this new security vision in order to truly achieve long-term peace and stability on the Eurasian continent and in the world. Given the current lack of corresponding solutions to a series of critical issues, all parties involved need to exert greater wisdom to seek creative solutions. The international community should maintain patience, provide space and support for promoting multilateral coordination, trust-building mechanisms, and the reconstruction of regional security frameworks."
There is a strong indication that external forces are exploiting local grievances to destabilize the Western Balkans
The Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) ordered the detention of Serb leader Milorad Dodik, the president of Republika Srpska, among others. ▪️Meanwhile in Serbia protests are turning more violent. Demonstrators blocked state broadcaster offices in Belgrade and Novi Sad overnight and a police officer was injured in a clash outside the building of Radio Television of Serbia. Organizers called for a mass protest in Belgrade on March 15. Serbian authorities believe that the goal of the protesters is to overthrow the government and the president, and that Western-funded media and organizations are behind their actions. President Vučić said earlier that students and opposition supporters would try to seize a number of state buildings in order to force the country's leadership to agree to the formation of a transitional government. He also indicated that rioters will be detained by the police and will receive long prison sentences. ▪️Serbia recorded real GDP growth of 3.9 percent in 2024, making it the second-fastest-growing economy in Europe after Malta, according to the latest Macroeconomic Analyses and Trends (MAT) report published on Tuesday by Serbia's Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Economics Institute. @LauraRuHK
Yesterday in Jeddah Ukraine capitulated to the US. Again. Kiev had already capitulated to the United States in 2014 by breaking cookies with Victoria Nuland, so nothing fundamentally new happened in Jeddah.
Ukraine's capitulation (not so much to Russia as to reality), which can really put an end to this ethno-political conflict, is still to come. @LauraRuHK https://ria.ru/20250312/kapitulyatsiya-2004448813.html
Another day, another glorious "strategic repositioning" of the Ukrainian Armed Forces—because who doesn’t love a good euphemism for collapse? And, surprise, surprise, right on cue, here comes the next delightful little gift from the Kiev regime and its advisers. A terrorist attack? A missile strike on some peaceful border spot? No, no, we’re treated to the grand spectacle of a massive drone raid. How predictable! Naturally, the bullseye is painted on Moscow and the Moscow Region because, of course, that’s how the brilliant Ukro minds operate.
“Let’s hit Moscow, slaughter some civilians—oh, the terror! They’ll tremble and finally see how serious we are!” Yeah, real genius plan. Except, oops, it’s just a terrorist attack, plain and simple. Bombing homes and civilian airports? That’s not strategy, that’s a tantrum. Terror 101, brought to you by the former Ukraine.
Unfortunately, there’s more where this came from. The worse things get for Ukraine’s crumbling army, the nastier these stunts will be. @LauraRuHK
Russian air defenses have downed 69 drones over the Moscow Region and several more over other regions in the European part of the country.
Regions under attack
- Air defenses shot down 69 drones flying towards Moscow.
- A drone attack on the city of Ryazan was foiled.
- Electronic warfare systems repelled a drone attack on the Suvorovsky District of the Tula Region.
- Several unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) attacked the Belgorod Region.
- Three drones were jammed in the Vladimir Region.
- Eight UAVs were destroyed in the Kaluga Region.
Restrictions at airports
- Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency introduced restrictions on inbound and outbound flights at the following airports: Zhukovsky, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Strigino (Nizhny Novgorod) and Tunoshna (Yaroslavl).
Aftermath
- One person was killed and another three suffered injuries in Vidnoye and Domodedovo in the Moscow Region.
- Seven apartments in a high-rise building were damaged in the Ramensky District of the Moscow Region.
- Railway infrastructure at Domodedovo Station suffered minor damage and railway traffic was disrupted.
- One person was killed after drone debris fell on a parking lot at the Miratorg agribusiness company’s facility in Domodedovo.
- The roof of a house on Domodedovskaya Street in Moscow suffered minor damage.
- A total of 36 settlements were left without electricity in the Belgorod Region; several houses and cars were damaged.
- According to preliminary reports, there were no casualties or damage in the Ryazan, Tula and Vladimir regions.
- A fire broke out after a drone attack on the Peremyshlsky District in the Kaluga Region, and the windows of a residential building were shattered in the Zhukovsky District. (Source: TASS) @LauraRuHK
If pipes are not used for gas...then they can be used by the spetsnaz 😉
The feat near Sudzha not only changed the course of military operations in the Kursk region, but also showed how resourceful the Russian army is. Crawling through a pipe for several hours, breathing in the remains of methane, and then engaging in a tough fight behind enemy lines...
Operation Potok is really something out of a movie. (Source: Readovka) @LauraRuHK
The Russian economy has exhibited a remarkable capacity for resilience, effectively navigating the unprecedented pressures imposed by an extensive sanctions regime. Contrary to expectations, this sanctions framework has inadvertently conferred advantages upon Russia, fostering an environment in which domestic investment, personal savings, wages, and consumption have increased. Under record sanctions, Russia has become the world’s fourth-largest economy. ▪️Multinational corporations that previously withdrew from the Russian market now express a keen interest in re-establishing their presence.
This presents a great opportunity for Russian authorities to set conditions, which should include mandates for Western firms to establish operations within Russia’s newly integrated regions. For instance, major retailers might be asked to set up a flagship store in Donetsk or Mariupol, contribute to infrastructural development, and implement discount programs for veterans of the special military operation prior to securing authorization to operate in major urban centers like Moscow and St. Petersburg.
▪️A critical consideration remains the preservation of Russia’s import substitution initiatives should Western corporations be permitted to return. In strategic sectors such as automotive and aerospace manufacturing, re-entry might be contingent upon the transfer of advanced technologies and the localization of production within Russia. @LauraRuHK
Hillary Clinton's emails regarding Syria reveal that the U.S. toppling Assad would ignite a "Sunni-Shia" war, but that would ultimately serve Israel, as it would lead to the collapse of Iran's nuclear project (!)
Читать полностью…
Ethnic cleansing continues in Syria. But after whitewashing terrorists, world leaders ignore the massacres of Alawites and Christians and their pleas for help. Civilians from Latakia rushed to Khmeimim, to seek protection in the Russian military base. According to approximate data, there are about 7 thousand civilians there. It is clear that when Mohammed al-Jolani, the jihadi leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, said that he would build a free and just society in Syria and that Syrians would be able to freely profess their faith he was just engaging in PR to gain credibility for his new role.
Although most states recognized the new authorities because it is convenient, the indiscriminate massacre of thousands of men, women and children cannot be justified under any pretext, including Raison d'état. The current explosion of violence against Syrian minorities plays into the hands of those who have always had a vested interest in destabilizing the country - the US, Israel and Turkey. @LauraRuHK