Giorgia Meloni on Pope John Paul II:
"He never tired of repeating that there is no Europe without Christianity —Christian, patriot, also a critic of mass immigration. Today, John Paul II would be on the European Union's blacklist as a dangerous subversive, but not for us."
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What is certain is that the courage of all those who took to the streets in Iran marks a turning point for every regime that insists on not respecting the rights of women.We all know that the Islamic Revolution vastly limited the rights of women in Iran. According to the World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Index, Iran ranks 140th out of 144 countries as regards gender equality. The data, however, cannot express the powerful stories of real people. Mahsa Amini, who was murdered because some tufts of her hair were protruding from her Islamic head scarf, could have been any Iranian woman. That is why Iran’s women flooded the streets carrying signs with the words, “We are all Ahsa Amini.” That is why they are burning their hijabs and cutting their hair. That is why many men are demonstrating by their side. Iran, some say, has found its George Floyd, in the sense that the protests of Iranian citizens against the country’s authoritarian regime are not just an expression of rage for the shocking murder of the 22-year-old woman. They are voices that seek greater change. The question, therefore, is whether the demonstrations will develop into a mass anti-government movement. What is certain is that the courage of all those who took to the streets in Iran marks a turning point for every regime that insists on not respecting the rights of women. The protests reveal in the most emphatic manner that Iranian women are determined to claim that to which they are entitled. They are prepared to struggle, and any means of violent coercion will not terrorise them. They are accustomed to it. Therefore, all they have to lose is a life with the fear of Iran’s morality police – literally and metaphorically. A Research Institute of Retail Consumer Goods study found two out of three households turn off their electricity as they cannot pay the bills, while 67 percent have cut spending on food. We have read patiently and in good faith the energy and environment ministry’s 23 energy-saving tips for winter. A typical example was don’t cover your radiators (with doilies for example). It might have added that everyone in the family should sleep together in the same room so that the rest of the rooms need not be heated, and if you sleep hugged it is even better, because heat is transmitted more easily between two bodies. As the Greek saying goes, “Cold, weather for two”. Other advice included the use duct tape so the cold air will not flow in, and placing LED bulbs in all your lighting fixtures, even if you don’t have the money to buy them. We were told to install thermostats everywhere, shut appliances when they are not in use, install solar panel water heaters, buy new door frames that are energy efficient with thermal insulation, prepare food with pressure cookers, replace boilers, and buy new energy-efficient appliances. They might have added we should wash our clothes by hand in a washtub as in the olden days. This is all well and good, but one might ask, how many households are in a position to implement the proposals? How many of them have hundreds or thousands of euros to spare to replace appliances or heating systems? How many families can cut off the heating in their kids’ bedrooms, and how many can change door frames or install a solar panel water heater? According to a study conducted a few months ago by the Poulantzas Institute, in Greece there is an extremely high level of energy poverty. Specifically, even before the beginning of the current energy crisis, let alone the coming “black” winter that we are all expecting in our country, the data was bleak. One in two households finds it difficult to cover its energy needs. Seven out of ten households that find it difficult to cover their energy needs have a monthly income of under 1,500 euros. One in three households limits basic needs (such as food and medicines) to pay its energy bills. Four out of ten households heat only part of their homes. Three out of four households are not in a financial position to implement energy-saving interventions at home. One in three households delays payment of energy bills, while one in two households has bloated bills. Two out of three households did not receive a government heating subsidy. A study issued yesterday by the Research Institute of Retail Consumer Goods (IELKA), indicates that two out of three households turn off their electricity because they cannot pay the bills, while 67 percent have cut spending even on food purchases. Is all this not enough for the government to comprehend that its energy-saving proposals are at best childish? It is acting as if it is teaching a primary school lesson in environmental and energy sensitivity. One thing is certain. The government is not addressing the overwhelming majority of Greeks that lives on a monthly income of up to 1,000 euros. It is not addressing families that aside from household bills must pay the expenses of a child studying at university. It is not addressing the unemployed, and particularly young people who cannot find a decent job with decent wages. Moreover, it is not addressing hundreds of thousands of families in the provinces, the grandmas and grandpas in the villages, who not only do not have radiators, but can barely afford το light a wood-burning heater. A state that operates under the rule of law and that protects its citizens is not a state that subsidises poverty and offers such energy-saving tips. It does what is necessary to eradicate poverty. As long as politicians display a sort of Marie Antoinette syndrome in the way they treat people, and as long as citizens will die because they cannot adjust to the new era [as one minister declared], there will be destitution and energy poverty, and winters like the one of 1942, when Greece was under occupation. Therefore, let us not later wonder about the coming social unrest. Let us not be taken aback by the burgeoning popular rage against “left-wing” and “right-wing” policies, that seem to have landed from other planets. By Vasilis Kanellis / in.gr Alonso and Hamilton were team-mates for just the one year back in 2007 but they certainly managed to pack that sole season with drama, as they ended up missing out on the Drivers’ title by the narrowest of margins with Kimi Raikkonen stealing in. Indeed, it was a rivalry based on both men battling for supremacy within the team, with Fernando arriving as a reigning double world champion and Lewis turning up as one of the most exciting talents around. Both felt as though the team should have been built around them and there was a number of flashpoints through the season, with the rivalry still strong, though not as intense, today. Indeed, in the battle to get the edge over his team-mate, Priestly has revealed the lengths Fernando went to to try and get his mechanics working double hard. Fernando Alonso brings out the bribes at McLaren “One of Fernando’s tactics is to try and bring the whole team over to his side of the garage,” Priestly said to the Pitstop podcast. “He tries to wrestle control. There was a moment during 2007 when we had them both where Fernando turned up at a race and I arrived and Fernando’s manager or his trainer is handing out little brown envelopes stuffed with cash to everybody who wasn’t on Lewis’ car. VIDEO: Marc Priestley explains Fernando Alonso’s incredible tactics to win support at McLaren ahead of Lewis Hamilton “So his team, the support team, I was running the t-car team, we all got these little brown envelopes and I remember opening up the envelope and there was like €1,500 or something. “It was so dodgy, first of all you just get an unmarked brown envelope and I’m like ‘thanks very much what’s that’ and the trainer wanders off and you’re left with this thing and you open it up and it’s literally just full of cash. “You start looking around and your colleagues have all got them going ‘have you opened yours? How much did you get?’ And all of a sudden this starts spreading around the team and the only people that didn’t get them were Lewis’ crew. “All of a sudden it starts to dawn on us what’s happened here, he’s looking to gain support, he’s trying to encourage, let’s say, people to support his side of this intense battle that they were in.” Source:givemesport.com NEW YORK: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday expressed hope that talks underway between authorities in Saudi Arabia and Iran will help to ease tensions in the Gulf region. “I hope that the dialogue that started between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and other forms of dialogue in the region, will produce results and will allow a reduction of the tension in the Gulf,” he told Arab News. It came as he reflected on the role the Kingdom, the UAE other Gulf nations can play in tackling global crises — including food insecurity, climate-related emergencies and energy shortages — and regional conflicts such as those in Syria, Yemen, Libya and between the Israelis and Palestinians. “I am sure that (Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the entire Gulf Cooperation Council) will be quite active in relation to the promotion of peaceful solutions in their neighborhood: In Syria, Libya, Yemen or in any other country that is close to them,” said Guterres. “I think the people of Syria, the people of Libya, the people of Yemen have already suffered too much. And my appeal is for everybody to come together to solve those problems.” The UN chief also said he hopes that “GCC countries, which have a huge capacity for production, will contribute to (resolving) the energy crisis in the world.” Turning to the latest developments in Libya, Guterres said that the supposed ceasefire there “is not in sight.” He added: “It’s difficult to know what is the biggest challenge that requires action. We must preserve peace between (the rival authorities in the) east and west but that also means preserving peace in relation to the recent confrontations that happened in Tripoli. “With the militias supporting either (Government of National Unity Prime Minister Abdul Hamid) Dbeibah or (Government of National Stability leader Fathi) Bashaga, we need hostilities (to stop.) That is fundamental.” Guterres said that legitimacy remains a problem in Libya and he called for a quick agreement between the House of Representatives in the east of the country and the High Council of State that would allow the implementation of legal changes required for national elections to take place. He urged external actors involved in Libya to “fully support the process of reconciliation” and back the political process that could lead to the election of a “legitimate government that everybody accepts.” Speaking on Wednesday during a news conference to mark the start of the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly the previous day, Guterres, who had just returned from a visit to flood-ravaged Pakistan, prefaced his remarks with a striking message denouncing the “sheer inadequacy of the global response to the climate crisis” and urging the international community to take more-aggressive action to mitigate its effects. Describing the ongoing “climate carnage” in Pakistan, which has so far resulted in the deaths of more than 1,300 people and caused damages estimated at more than $30 billion, Guterres said his trip to the stricken country was a “window into the future.” He added: “A future of permanent and ubiquitous climate chaos on an unimaginable scale: Devastating loss of life, enormous human suffering, and massive damage to infrastructure and livelihoods. “What is happening in Pakistan demonstrates the sheer inadequacy of the global response to the climate crisis, and the betrayal and injustice at the heart of it. It is simply heartbreaking. “No picture can convey the scope of this catastrophe. The flooded area is three times the size of my entire country, Portugal.” Guterres once again pointed out that although the greenhouse-gas emissions that cause the planet to heat up and its glaciers to melt are overwhelmingly produced by the world’s richest nations, it is poorer countries such as Pakistan that bear the brunt of resultant extreme-weather events and the death and destruction they bring. “Whether it’s Pakistan, the Horn of Africa, the Sahel, small islands or the least-developed countries, the world’s most vulnerable — who did nothing to cause this crisis — are paying a horrific price for decades of intransigence by big emitters,” he said. “G20 countries are responsible for 80 percent of emissions. If one-third of G20 countries was underwater today, as it could be tomorrow, perhaps they would find it easier to agree on drastic cuts to emissions.” He warned that continued inaction now will cause occurrences of devastating weather events to multiply in the future. The repercussions, including instability and global mass migration, will be felt “for years to come,” he added “My message to world leaders gathering here is clear: Lower the temperature — now. Don’t flood the world today; don’t drown it tomorrow,” said Guterres. Geopolitical divides have never been so extreme, he added, and are paralyzing efforts to address global challenges. “Our world is blighted by war, battered by climate chaos, scarred by hate and shamed by poverty, hunger and inequality,” Guterres said. The human solidarity enshrined in the words of the UN charter is “being devoured by the acids of nationalism and self-interest, shocking disregard for the poorest and most vulnerable in our world, (and) by politicians who play to people’s worst instincts, for partisan gain.” He concluded by reiterating the importance of offering hope to people. “This year’s general debate must be about providing hope and overcoming the divisions that are dramatically impacting the world,” Guterres said. “That hope can only come through the dialogue and debate that are the beating heart of the United Nations and that must prevail … against all divisions.” defencenet.ae Deal to swap BMP-1s in Greek arsenal for German-made Marders finalized; former headed to Ukraine16/9/2022 An initial agreement to send 40 Greek army BMP-1s to Ukraine in exchange for a same-number of German-made Marder infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) appears finalized. According to an announcement on Friday by Greece’s defense ministry, the agreement will proceed as planned. Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had first discussed the issue of a “swap” of armored personnel carriers, although the prospect appeared to have stalled over the past few months. The Soviet-designed and Warsaw Pact-made BMP-1 can be immediately deployed by Ukrainian armed forces, given that the specific IFVs are compatible with ammunition and other materiel currently used by that country’s armed forces to fight against an ongoing Russian invasion of the country. Conversely, Greece will replace its 1980s-era IFVs with more modern and upgraded German armor. German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht essentially confirmed that the agreement would go ahead, speaking in Berlin on Thursday. in.gr The organisers of the banned Belgrade EuroPride have submitted a petition with 27,000 signatures to the government, asking President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Ana Brnabic to “make it possible to hold EuroPride 2022 as planned”. They have said they will gather despite a police ban, having announced the new route for the walk, from the Constitutional Court to Tasmajdan sports center in Belgrade, where a music concert will be held later. “We insist that EuroPride be held in the format we predicted; there was not a single incident during the four days [of Pride week]. We have been put in a situation where we have no choice; despite the police ban, we will gather,” Goran Miletic, one of the organizers, said. He said they had again submitted an application to the police for an outdoor gathering on Saturday. “We will pass by the Constitutional Court and will try to submit an application to the Constitutional Court again today,” said Miletic, referring to the fact that the Constitutional Court has four times declared Pride parade bans unconstitutional. Some 45 Serbian NGOs have asked state institutions to support freedom of assembly for members of the LGBTIQ+ community, it was announced on Friday. The government on Tuesday banned the planned march, citing a “risk of violence” after right-wing, anti-LGBT groups announced they would also march through the capital on the same day. Police banned right-wing protests as well. The decision followed weeks of anti-LGBT agitation from the Serbian Orthodox Church and right-wing groups. Several right-wing groups also announced protests on Saturday, although the police have banned their gatherings as well. On different social media networks, people have been urged to gather in front of several churches. The main gathering is scheduled to muster in front of the huge St Sava church in the city centre. A neo-fascist organization, Srpska akcija, (“Serbian Action”) on Friday on its Telegram group called on people to be on alert on Saturday. “Orthodox Serbs who participated in the three-fold magnificent walk and prayer must not fall asleep now, but closely monitor the situation and be ready to react on Saturday if need be,” they said, referring to an earlier anti-EuroPride rally. On Wednesday People’s Patrols, a xenophobic right-wing organization known for attacking migrants and refugees, called on people to gather from early on Saturday in the city centre to prevent the “cunning” EuroPride organizers from making a move. “We have so many churches in the very centre of Belgrade where we can gather for the morning liturgy, so, God help us, we will fill the streets of the capital city with the holy cross … it is a small sacrifice to set aside the morning and afternoon for the defence of family and religion,” they said on their Telegram page. A Serbian MP and leader of the right-wing Dveri party, Bosko Obradovic, on Wednesday called on people to remain “vigilant”, saying the prohibited EuroPride walk may yet go ahead on Saturday despite the official ban. “We need to be ready to go out again and again for new processions and family walks to defend our children from LGBT propaganda. Their goal is not a gay parade but the re-education of our children, and Christian, family and traditional Serbia must know and prevent that,” Obradovic said. Obradovic on Friday announced that if EuroPride is held, it will be proof that Serbia is an EU and NATO colony. The embassies of several countries in Serbia meanwhile expressed their full support for the members of the LGBTIQ community on the occasion of EuroPride, and expressed the hope that a solution will be found that will allow a peaceful, legal and safe walk in Saturday, according to a letter of support shared by the Dutch embassy on its Twitter account. The letter was signed by the embassies of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, the Netherlands, Finland, France, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, Britain and the US. President Vucic said on Friday that the law and the decisions of the Ministry of Interior on a ban of EuroPride will be respected, adding that he will not react to the topic anymore, saying it is “corruptly imposed”. “I will not deal with that topic, corruptly imposed on the Serbian people and all those who are in favour but also those who are extremely against the walk; are all participating in a hybrid war against their country,” Vucic said. https://balkaninsight.com/ Roger Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam singles champion, will retire from top-level tennis after the Laver Cup in London later this month. Swiss Federer, 41, has not played since Wimbledon 2021, after which he had a third knee operation. "My body's message to me lately has been clear," Federer said. "I have played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years. Now I must recognise when it is time to end my competitive career." He added: "To the game of tennis, I love you and will never leave you." Federer has struggled with a knee problem for the past three years that has restricted him to only three of the 11 Grand Slams staged since the start of 2020. He has not played a competitive match since losing to Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon last summer. He subsequently announced he needed more surgery on his knee having previously had two operations in 2020. The creation of an integrated information system for the National Health System of Cyprus has been undertaken by OTE Group, following an open international tender. As stated in a relevant announcement, this is a flagship project of the Ministry of Health of Cyprus and the State Health Services Organisation of Cyprus (SHSO), aiming to upgrade, simplify and automate the procedures and health services provided to the citizens of Cyprus, with the assistance of technology. The project includes the functional, operational and technological modernisation of all Public Health Units (hospitals and health centres). The information system The integrated health information system to be implemented by OTE Group will include all the functions of a modern hospital. The management of the patient’s health record and the entire hospitalization process, from admission to the hospital to discharge, including prescription, will now be done electronically. The system will also include the operational functions of the health units, such as the management of clinical laboratories, the Intensive Care Unit, the Blood Bank, but also administrative functions such as human resources management, cost control, stock and facilities management, etc. In this way, as noted in the OTE statement, the level of health services enjoyed by patients will be upgraded, while public hospitals and health centres will increase their productivity, while reducing workload. At the same time, they will make easier use of information for quick decision-making and more efficient management. The project To implement the project, OTE Group is undertaking the implementation study, design, development and installation of specialized software, as well as the implementation of two fully equipped private data centers. In addition, it will supply and install all the peripheral equipment (PCs, laptops, tablets, etc.) and will train the administrative and scientific staff of the health units in the use of the equipment and the individual subsystems of the health information system. This highly complex project has a total duration of up to 16 years. The development of the systems will be implemented within 2 years, with the OTE Group taking over the operational support for 8 plus 5 years. “A New, digital era” The Chief Executive Officer of the State health services organisation, Stavridis, said: “With the new Information System we are improving the health services provided, reducing operational costs, increasing productivity, ridding the Organization of outdated systems and reducing human errors.” “With this great project, the National Health System of Cyprus is moving into the new digital era. We thank the Ministry of Health for the trust they have shown us by awarding us the contract. Both the complexity of the project and its importance for Cyprus make it a great challenge. Thanks to the experience and high level of expertise of our people, I am confident that we will carry it out in the best possible way”, said Mr. Lykourgos Antonopoulos, ICT Sales Director of OTE Group. in.gr The number of employed persons amounted to 4,116,125, increasing by 133,094 persons as compared with July 2021The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in July 2022, in Greece, amounted to 12.6% compared to the downwards 14.1% in July 2021 and to the upwards revised 12.3% in June 2022 The number of employed persons amounted to 4,116,125 persons increasing by 133,094 persons as compared with July 2021 (+3.3%) and decreasing by 29,013 persons compared with June 2022 (-0.7%) The number of unemployed persons amounted to 591,209 decreasing by 63,165 persons as compared with July 2021 (-9.7%) and increasing by 10,509 persons compared with June 2022 (+1.8%). The number of persons outside the labour force, i.e., persons under the age of 75, that neither work nor look for a job, amounted to 3,121,452, decreasing by 101,966 persons as compared with July 2021 (-3.2%) and increasing by 16,465 persons compared with June 2022 (+0.5%). “God save the King,” said the head of ceremonies. Great Britain thus had officially proclaimed a new king, Charles III. Each of the members of the Privy Council signed his proclamation and then the sovereign did. A thousand-year-old ceremony from the time of the Saxons. This is how the continuity of a 1000-year monarchy was signed in the United Kingdom, whose transition represents today Carlos III, the new king. The sovereign was officially nominated at 10:05 a.m. on Saturday, after the death of Elizabeth II, his mother. On the balcony of St James’s Palace, under a gray sky, Charles III was officially proclaimed King, after a ritual ceremony, with all the military ceremonial typical of the British Royal Family and their uniforms. The King’s Guards in the courtyard. Cannons began firing from the Tower of London. then three Cheers to His Majesty. After the applause, the royal guard intoned “God save the King”. An ancient ceremonyIn the Norman Palace of St James, next to Buckingham Palace, on The Mall boulevard, the Privy Council met, announced and signed the proclamation of Charles III as the new British sovereign. All in mourning, with black ties or dark suits. The first to sign the decree was his son and heir, the Prince of Wales, William, and the Queen consort Camilla, called Regina, and Prime Minister Liz Truss. Plus the Archbishop of Canterbury, the head of the Anglican church, who will have the responsibility of crowning the new king. His son Harry was not at the ceremony, even though he is fifth in line to the throne. He is not part of the Privy Council, having left the country. But he, his wife and his children and his family are princes and his Royal Highness, entitled to reverence now, as direct children of the sovereign. But Harry is still King’s Counsel as he was before the Queen, even if he doesn’t exercise it. unique choreography The new Prince of Wales, William, with Queen Camilla and King Charles III. Reuters photo.The new king was accompanied by his son William, who was nominated Prince of Wales by his father yesterday, in his speech to the Nation. Camilla, the Queen Consort, was also there. In the oldest British legislative institution, a thousand-year-old choreography was maintained. A throne on a platform, which included the letter ER (Elizabeth Regina). They must now be reupholstered as CR, Charles Rex. After his proclamation, the king entered dressed in a jacket, surrounded by his wife and his son. The sovereign made the first declaration of him. “It is my most painful duty to announce to you the death of my beloved mother, the Queen,” he said. “The irreparable loss that we all suffer.” “It is the greatest comfort to me to know of the sympathy expressed by so many to my sister and brothers, and that such overwhelming affection and support is extended to our entire family,” she continued. “To all of us as a family in this kingdom, and to the larger family of nations of which it is a part, my mother set an example of lifelong love and selfless service,” he said in his first address. “My mother’s reign was unmatched in its length, dedication and devotion. “Even as we grieve, we give thanks for this faithful life,” he said. He said he will dedicate “what remains of my life” to his new role. King Charles III signed two copies to confirm the oath has been taken, before Prince William and Queen Consort Camilla sign as witnesses. He then signed the declaration of eight orders of the Accession Cluncil, which proclaimed him. He declared a holiday on the day of his mother’s funeral, the exact day of which has not yet been set. The mighty of the kingdom Former British Prime Ministers and main political leaders participated in the proclamation ceremony of Carlos III. AFP photo.In a burgundy damask room, with the great works of the royal art gallery, there were former prime ministers like Boris Johnson, David Cameron, John Major, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and Theresa May, all in the front row and chatting. They were joined by the leaders of the opposition, the heads of the other political parties and all those who had the privilege of having been nominated by Queen Elizabeth in the Privy Council and meeting in the greatest secrecy. For the first time in history, the ceremony was televised .In the first part the sovereign was not present. It was chaired by Penny Mordaunt, one of the aspiring prime ministers and a member of the Privy since she was defense secretary. All in mourning, in a ceremony as gloomy as it is hopeful. It was the symbol of continuity, in the midst of a mournful silence. how was the ceremonyPenny Mordaunt officially announced the death of the queen and the proclamation of the new sovereign was signed. It was the first time since 1952 that this ceremony has been held since Isabel II assumed the throne, after the death of her father. Charles, the former Prince of Wales, was automatically nominated king on Thursday after his mother died. The inauguration ceremony is a fundamental constitutional step and an essential chapter in the nomination of the new monarch. Until now it had been a men’s event. It is the first time that women participate in the inauguration ceremony of a king. The new king was waiting for them in another room, with his burgundy throne in the middle. Everyone looked astonished. It was the first time they had entered a similar setting for the inauguration of a king in Great Britain. Three generations of Britons never saw it. There were the most important men and women in the country contributing to his nomination. In one gallery there were sympathy books to write their condolences, which each of the guests signed. But a new style, less impenetrable, more emotional and temperamental, is being born with Charles III. In his speeches, in his gestures, he is closer than his mother, Queen Elizabeth, who made mystery the instrument to remain on the throne for 70 years. Modernization has begun in the House of Windsor, with a new seal but the same traditions. Source: Clarin The seven-time champion has been given his fourth power unit of the season - one more than is permitted. Hamilton's brand-new third engine was damaged when he crashed into Alpine's Fernando Alonso at the Belgian Grand Prix. Mercedes say they are still working out a "recovery plan" for the engine. "That's my doing," said Hamilton. "We're still hopeful we can use that again but I have to recover the best I can from the back." The third engine needed repairs after Hamilton continued after his first-lap incident with Alonso with fluids leaking out of the car, before being ordered to stop on track half a lap later. The penalty almost certainly takes Hamilton out of the fight for victory at Monza, which gives him one less race to play with to retain his record of being the only driver in F1 history to win a grand prix in every season of his career. But Hamilton, who was in the running for a win in the Netherlands last weekend until a late safety car scuppered his chances, said that record had "zero importance" to him. "I don't care about records," he said. "But I am focused on getting that win. "I am grateful that each year since 2007 we have had an opportunity to win. I do believe we will have a chance this year. We still have seven races to go and it is definitely a big goal to get back to the front. "I have no idea where our car is going to be great. It was a surprise when I got into the car last weekend." Eighth title still a target Hamilton has yet to win a race in the 2022 season but the seven-time world champion was closer than ever to taking the chequered flag at Zandvoort last weekendHamilton said he was determined to win an eighth world title, as well as to continue his work promoting diversity in motorsport, and dropped a hint he is likely to continue in F1 after his current Mercedes contract expires at the end of 2023. "For me it's about winning another world championship," he said. "The feeling of winning it is so unique and special. But of course the idea that no driver in history has gone past seven, you want to try to accomplish that. "But as you get older you appreciate the journey is what's important and the people you bring with you. With the work we're doing with Mission 44, there is a much bigger picture. But the eighth title remains a goal and I would be so proud to do it with this team. "I feel healthier than I've ever felt - I focus a lot on that. I'm feeling fit, I love what I'm doing and I don't plan on stopping any time soon. "My goal has always been to be with Mercedes. I love that we have the long partnership we have. I love that we are embarking on lots of positive things. I want to be a part of that. I will always be with Mercedes to the day I die and I feel I can race for quite a bit longer. So I will be potentially steering towards that." Verstappen's march set to continue Hamilton's penalty removes one potential front-runner from the fight for victory in a race that Red Bull's Max Verstappen starts as strong favourite. The Dutchman has won the last four grands prix and is romping away with the championship, 109 points ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who had been his main rival until the Italian team's season began to fall apart with a series of reliability problems and strategic errors. Ferrari are celebrating their 75th anniversary as a car company this weekend with a revised livery featuring flashes of yellow on the car's red paintwork, reflecting the historic colour of Modena. Report But Leclerc said he was not hopeful of a strong result. "I expect it to be a bit of a difficult weekend," he said. "We expect Red Bull to be stronger. The track doesn't suit our car. But we have had some good and bad surprises this season, so let's hope for a good one." Leclerc's fears are rooted in the Red Bull's straight-line speed advantage. He said: "We seem to be a bit quicker in the corners but on tracks like here it is not enough to gain back the advantage on the straights. I think that will be the case this weekend." Verstappen, who has won 10 of the 15 races this year and is on course to smash the records for wins in a season held by Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel at 13, said: "The last few years, we have never been quick on the straights so when you come here, some tracks you can get away with it by trying to run a little lower downforce. But then here everyone runs low downforce and then you cannot hide that any more. "But this year we have been the opposite, we have been really quick on the straight and I hope we can show that again this weekend." There are expected to be more engine penalties for other drivers as the weekend progresses, and Haas have confirmed already that Mick Schumacher will have a five-place grid penalty for using too many gearboxes. BBC.com North Macedonia’s four Sukhoi Su-25 ground attack jets may already be in Ukraine, footage uploaded on Google Earth suggests. North Macedonian authorities previously declined to confirm or deny media reports that they had been sent to Ukraine. The new image, taken from the military section of the airport in the capital, Skopje, uploaded on Google earth in August, shows the four jets missing from the spot where they were kept for ten years. The jets had been decommissioned from active service but kept in a conserved state for possible future use. A satellite image taken earlier this year, until few days showed the jets in their usual place, and Google Earth’s historic imagery of the same spot suggests they had been sitting there at least since 2012. BIRN on Monday asked North Macedonia’s Defence Ministry sources about the jets’ whereabouts and whether they had been moved to another location or donated to Ukraine. The sources only referred to the ministry’s previous statement from early August, when it neither confirmed nor denied reports that the planes had been sent to Ukraine. The ministry said all data on military hardware sent to Ukraine would be disclosed “in a transparent manner” in due time, when it is deemed safe to do so. Since early August, no one has been able to visually confirm whether these jets have been moved, as the area at the airport where these and other aircraft are kept conserved is secluded from prying eyes with embankments. North Macedonia bought the four Soviet-made Su-25 jets from Ukraine in 2001, to help deal with the country’s short-lived ethnic Albanian insurgency. They saw little use after the conflict ended later that year. Practically retired in 2004, they have since stayed put in the military base at Skopje airport with the idea of eventually selling or discarding them. North Macedonia’s military plans do not envisage new jets and focus on maintaining and modernising a helicopter force. Although far from cutting-edge, the jets are regarded as still effective weapons. Often compared to the US-made A-10 Thunderbolt, the Su-25 is built to bust enemy tanks and infantry close to the frontline and sustain heavy anti-aircraft damage in the process, heightening the survival chances of the crew. The jets are currently in use on the frontline in Ukraine by both Ukrainian defenders and Russian aggressors. North Macedonia, which joined NATO in 2020, in late July confirmed it had sent 30 Soviet-era T-72 tanks to Ukraine, after photo and video footage of them being transported out of the country was leaked on social media. It has remained tight-lipped about other possible shipments. https://balkaninsight.com/ The British and the Americans are pushing adamantly for the Kherson operation. It will be ironic though should this turn out to be the error of judgment by the West that pulls the first thread out from their Ukrainian project. Kiev is losing its desperate gamble to show the world that its war with Russia is no lost cause. The Zelensky team has been under intense Western pressure to launch its long-mooted counter-offensive on Kherson. Back in July, Richard Moore, the head of MI6, speaking at the Aspen Security Forum, was predicting that the Russian forces were ‘about to run out of steam’ and that the stalled Russian advance gave Ukrainian forces the “opportunity to strike back with the increasing amounts of good weaponry they have received”. It was a clear prompt from British Intelligence that some counter-attack was expected from Zelensky. Well... that was in July. And a few days ago, the Kherson counter-offensive finally was launched amidst considerable pre-launch ‘hype’ in the Anglo Media. Reports and corroboratory photographs suggest, however, that not only has the offensive begun as a grisly failure - with the Ukrainians pushed back from the few villages they initially took in a tactical thrust - but significantly, Ukrainian forces suffered severe losses. More than 1,700 men were lost in this first clash. How quickly contexts shift in these tumultuous times: The Russians were never stalled; it just suits Moscow to ‘slow walk’ their military operation in Ukraine. The extended military timeline simply offers more scope for Moscow’s energy squeeze on Europe to bite. Incrementally advancing, classical artillery warfare also limits Russian casualties, whilst inflicting bigger losses on their enemy. That is the narrow context. The wider context reveals the ground shaking beneath Zelensky’s feet: European public opinion has begun to cascade in criticism of Europe’s sanctions on Russia, and amidst deepening war fatigue as the slow, calibrated steamroller of Russian artillery fire trundles onwards. Zelensky is at risk of seeing his Western support subside or disappear. Ukraine notably has been unable to reinforce besieged positions, or counter attack, and then hold re-conquered territory. Consequently, we have seen the EU financial contribution to Ukraine increasingly questioned as its public face an inflation-led austerity -- together with fewer EU weapons systems being shipped. Even the Americans are shrinking the weapons’ deliveries as their own (explicitly insufficient) inventories sink towards critical. Europeans are in crisis faced with huge bills for energy usage; with small and medium-sized businesses simply priced into bankruptcy, they are turning on their leaders. This is why the West sees it as so critical to show the electorate at least some tangible, sustained result from its war in Ukraine -- even if that ‘victory’ would be more optics and PR than substance. The Kherson counter-offensive was supposed to be ‘it’, but it’s not going to work. And the consequences will ripple through the American and European polity. The anxiety in the West touches on deeper layers. It is not just rooted in Ukraine. The global structure is changing. Trade as we know it - a system that depended on an interconnected world, and on long complicated supply lines - is already gone, and is not returning any time soon. Furthermore, the disruption to those complex ‘just in time’ supply lines through sanctioning Russia is the reason why soaring inflation will not be tamed any time soon, either. Complex supply chains work only in peacetime, but not when the world is at war, be it a hot war or an economic war. Yet more significant is the ‘mega picture’ that is worrying the West -- which is that the former inter-connectedness that now is palpably fracturing into separate trade spheres very simply underwrote Western low inflation (Chinese cheap manufactured goods, and Russian cheap energy). And contingent upon that low inflation flowed the companion piece of a decades-long era of low-interest rates. These together comprised the very ‘stuff’ of the Western global economic success, and also defined its vulnerability: top-heavy debt loads. The West became very rich by ‘printing’ money to buy many more consumer goods than the value of the output made warranted. But that ability to ‘print’ arose from unique circumstances of low inflation - that was, in turn, enabled by cheap exports coming from Russia and China. Naturally, the West crucially doesn’t want the low inflation paradigm to end, but in this conflicted era where commodities, factories, and fleets of ships are dominated by states (Russia and China) that are in conflict with the West, the low inflation world has reached its end. In today’s paradigm -- of a Kherson counter-offensive ‘flop’ -- Western leaders will be, at the least, forced to test the viability of continuing their policy framework as the reality hits home that energy supply inexorably limits the extent to which these "Save Ukraine" policies can be pursued (without provoking popular revolt at home). This unfolding ‘reality’, of course, similarly limits by extension, the derivative Western geo-strategic objective associated with Ukraine --which is the saving of the ‘liberal rules order’ (so central to Western care); an order that is already threatened by geo-strategic structural change. What is paradoxical to this affair are reports that Zelensky was warned by his Chief of Military Staff, Zaluzhny, and the High Command, that attacking the Russians in the Kherson region might lead the Ukrainian forces into a trap -- a lure, in other words. They warned him against the Kherson offensive (on flat steppe land with few fortified trenches and little forest cover), as likely to lead to substantial losses in manpower, as well as to the demoralization of troops. They proposed an offensive centered around Izium in the Kharkiv Oblast, instead. But they were overruled. Zelensky, to be fair, has a dilemma: The British and the Americans are pushing adamantly for the Kherson operation -- they have been talking about it for months, and it is they who ‘pay the piper’. It will be ironic, however, should this turn out to be the error of judgment by the West that pulls the first thread out from their Ukrainian project. (Alastair Crooke Source: Al Mayadeen English) The opinions mentioned in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Al mayadeen, but rather express the opinion of its writer exclusively. Russia has detected more than 50 US-run biolabs near its borders, and it plans to present the evidence to the UN Office in Geneva next week. Russia is preparing to present evidence to the UN Office in Geneva next week that proves the Pentagon has been illegally researching bioweapons at US-run labs in Ukraine, a senior Russian military official said Saturday. "We want that organizations overseeing the implementation of the [Biological and Toxin Weapons] Convention and the international community to take note of these biological threats," Igor Kirillov told a news briefing. The head of Russia's Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Protection Force, Igor Kirillov, revealed evidence that the US and Ukraine had violated articles I and IV of the convention. The convention clearly prohibits signatories from developing, producing, or stockpiling dangerous agents or toxins and permits them to take necessary action to prevent such actions. Igor revealed to sources on August 4 that the Kremlin was "considering the possibility that the US Agency for International Development (USAID) is involved in the emergence of the new coronavirus." He told sources that the organization launched a program called PREDICT in 2009, which was used to detect emerging disease threats at their source. The program was used to study new strains of Coronavirus and captured bats that carry these viruses, the official said. In response to these statements, US Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland, which has waged a misinformation war regarding US Biolabs in Ukraine, has repeatedly dismissed the many invitations Russia has sent to discuss the matter. Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova revealed in March that data on biological laboratories found in Ukraine does not help the case of the US against claims regarding its compliance with the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC). Additionally, Moscow found that President Biden's son, Hunter Biden, helped finance military research into dangerous pathogens at Biolabs in Ukraine, depending on new emails from his infamous laptop. Russia has detected more than 50 US-run Biolabs near its borders, Kirillov said. China’s estimates suggest there are more than 300 US-affiliated Biolabs operating in 30 countries. Nonetheless, their presence has increased the number of infectious outbreaks and has led to the spread of non-endemic pathogens. Russia has recorded a rise in cases of brucellosis, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, West Nile fever, and African swine fever in its territories bordering Ukraine in the past decade, the official said further. He said the Russian Defense Ministry had documents proving that Ukraine had been shipping abroad dangerous pathogens and disease carriers as well as tissue and blood samples taken from patients. At least 16,000 such samples have been transferred to the US and its allies in the past years. (By Al Mayadeen English Source: Agencies) Canadian police have launched a huge manhunt for two men suspected of stabbing at least 10 people to death in a rampage that has shocked the nation. Two suspects named as Damien Sanderson and Myles Sanderson are on the run and considered armed and dangerous. Victims were found in 13 locations in the remote indigenous community James Smith Cree Nation and nearby Weldon. It is of the deadliest acts of mass violence Canada has seen. PM Justin Trudeau said it was "heartbreaking". At least 15 others were injured in the killing spree, with police urging residents to be extremely vigilant as they conduct a search operation across one of Canada's largest and most remote regions. "I am shocked and devastated by the horrific attacks today," Mr Trudeau said in a statement. "Those responsible for today's abhorrent attacks must be fully brought to justice." As news of the stabbings broke, a dangerous person alert was sent to all mobile phones across the provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta - an enormous region almost half the size of Europe. A state of emergency was declared in the James Smith Cree Nation - a community of about 2,000 residents north-east of the village of Weldon, which is home to just 200 people. "Do not leave a secure location. Use caution allowing others into your residence," Saskatchewan Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) warned people across the search area. Numerous checkpoints have been set up and drivers have been urged not to pick up hitchhikers. There is still no word on a motive for the crimes. Rhonda Blackmore, Commanding Officer for Saskatchewan RCMP said that some people may have been targeted, while others are believed to have been "attacked randomly". The relationship between Damien Sanderson, 31, and Myles Sanderson, 30, is unclear, and the authorities have so far provided no further details. At a news briefing on Sunday evening, police said there could be more injured people than the 15 they already knew about, who had taken themselves to hospital. The first emergency call was made to police at 05:40 local time on Sunday morning in the provincial capital Regina, about 280km (173 miles) south of Weldon. This was quickly followed by many more calls for help, developing into what police described as a "rapidly unfolding event". Logan Stein, a local journalist, told the BBC that the region was extremely remote. He said that the attackers appeared to have gone door-to-door attacking locals. The suspects were last seen by members of the public in Regina at about lunchtime on Sunday, and may be travelling in a black Nissan Rogue, Officer Blackmore said. "They are considered armed and dangerous... If you see the suspects or their vehicle, do not approach them, immediately leave the area and call 911." Weldon resident Diane Shier said her neighbour, a man who lived with his grandson, was killed, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported. He was described by another resident, Robert Rush, as a gentle, widowed man in his 70s. "He wouldn't hurt a fly," Mr Rush was quoted as saying. BBC.co.uk Four people are feared dead after a private jet ‘carrying a family’ crashed into the Baltic Sea after ‘rapidly losing altitude’ off the coast of Latvia. NATO jets scrambled to intercept the plane thought to be carrying four people before it crashed into the sea this evening after taking off from Spain. A private Cessna plane crashed off into the Baltic Sea, Sweden's rescue service said, after an erratic flight course with nobody visible in the cockpit. It is understood that four people were onboard, according to reports from German news site Bild. They are said to be the pilot, along with a man, woman and their daughter, with rescue efforts underway. Officials have warned that the chance of finding survivors in the crash is low. The Austrian-registered Cessna 551 aircraft was flying from Jerez in southern Spain. File image The plane turned twice, at Paris and Cologne, before heading straight out over the Baltic, passing near the Swedish island of Gotland The Austrian-registered Cessna 551 aircraft was flying from Jerez in southern Spain, from where it took off just before 2pm without a set destination, according to FlightRadar24 website. The plane turned twice, at Paris and Cologne, before heading straight out over the Baltic, passing near the Swedish island of Gotland. Just after 6.30pm, it was listed on the flight tracker as rapidly losing speed and altitude. 'We've learned that the plane has crashed (in the ocean) north-west of the town of Ventspils in Latvia,' a spokesperson for Sweden's rescue service said. 'It has disappeared from the radar.' The Swedish Maritime Administration has sent rescue boats, planes and a helicopter to the crash site, with the country's coast guards confirming that the wreckage has been found, the Mirror reported. Lars Antonsson, of Sweden's Maritime and Air Rescue Centre, said that he chance of finding survivors from the crash is 'minimal'. The German news site reported that the plane's pilot reported an issue with the cabin pressure soon after take-off. A Lithuanian air force helicopter was dispatched to the crash site for search and rescue at neighbouring Latvia's request, a Lithuanian air force spokesperson said. Just three years after leading the Conservatives to their biggest election victory in 30 years, Boris Johnson is stepping down as prime minister. The man who dreamed as a child of being "world king" is now planning his next career move. His biographer Andrew Gimson says he is not "the sort of person who would go to the country and do lots of good work for the local church and live a life of blameless obscurity". So what could he do next? Return to writing Mr Johnson had a highly-paid career in journalism before entering politics and continued to write for newspapers and magazines as he climbed the greasy pole at Westminster - only giving it up days before he became PM. He had been paid £275,000 a year to write a weekly column for the Daily Telegraph and there could be a media bidding war to secure the former PM's services. He may also be tempted by offers to write his memoirs, a guaranteed earner for former prime ministers. Literary agents have predicted he could be paid "north of £1m" for a book on his time in power. Mr Johnson has already written eight books (if you count collections of his newspaper columns), including a best-selling biography of his hero, Winston Churchill, and the political satire Seventy-two Virgins. But his first post-Downing Street task will be to finally finish his biography of William Shakespeare, which he has been writing, on and off, for the past seven years. Publishers Hodder & Stoughton bought the rights to "Shakespeare: The Riddle of Genius" in 2015, for a reported £500,000. The book was due out in 2016. But winning the Brexit vote, becoming foreign secretary and then prime minister derailed Mr Johnson's writing schedule. "Shakespeare is about power and about when it's right to rebel and kill a king," according to Mr Gimson, who has a second volume of his biography on Mr Johnson coming out next month. "Now his own party will turn against him he may have a ready-made ending to his book." Speaking circuit One way former prime ministers can make a large amount of money is through public speaking. Mr Johnson's predecessor Theresa May has earned £715,000 from making nine speeches in 2022 alone. Mr Johnson's talent for comedy made him a favourite on the after-dinner circuit before he gained power. But he can also turn his hand to more heavyweight fare. In March 2019, when he was between government roles, he was paid more than £160,000 for giving two speeches - to a bank and an Indian media group. "Undoubtedly he will do a lot of writing and speaking," says Lord Udny-Lister, a long-time advisor to Mr Johnson. Lord Udny-Lister, who served as Mr Jonson's chief of staff while mayor and again as prime minister, said his old boss "will speak on subjects close to his heart" after he stands down. "Things like Ukraine, where you can already see the western alliance sagging," the Conservative peer added. The financial benefits of a speaking career will not be lost on the ex-PM, says Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London. "By all accounts, Boris Johnson is obsessed with money and his lack thereof compared to so many of his friends. He will do whatever he can to put that situation right." Step away from politics There has been a lot of speculation about whether Mr Johnson will remain as an MP. It seems unlikely that he will be offered a cabinet job by the next PM. So it would mean a return to the backbenches - something he has done before after political setbacks. No matter what happens he will be banned from directly lobbying the government for two years after leaving office, under the Ministerial Code. "I don't see him walking away from parliament that quickly," Lord Udny-Lister said. "But I don't think he's going to just sit there throwing rocks from the back bench either." Mr Johnson's hand could be forced if he is found to have misled parliament over parties in Downing Street during lockdown by a committee of MPs, which could lead to him being suspended from the Commons. And with a majority of 7,100, he is not certain to retain his Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat at the next election, if there is a significant swing away from the Conservatives. Political comeback In his final appearance at Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Johnson declared "mission largely accomplished, for now" before signing-off with "hasta la vista, baby." He could only have dropped a heavier hint that he was not finished yet if he had used another catchphrase from the Terminator films: "I'll be back." Could he really return, perhaps as leader of the opposition if his successor loses the next general election? Prof Bale, who has written a history of the Conservative Party, said a return can't be ruled out, but he argues the party would have to be "pretty desperate". "It would make me seriously worried about the future of the Conservative Party if they returned to Boris Johnson," he added. Jacob Rees-Mogg, a long-time ally of Mr Johnson, who did not want him to quit, recently pointed out no one had come back having lost the leadership since William Gladstone. But Mr Gimson is not concerned about historical comparisons. "No matter what he does, there will remain a cult of Boris Johnson. Lots of people have been prime minister two or three times with a gap". Boris Johnson pledges to give his "full and unqualified support" to whoever takes over from him in No 10. Go his own way? Whatever he does he will have the Public Duty Cost Allowance to help him along the way. The scheme, introduced by John Major, provides funds of up to £115,000 a year to former prime ministers to be spent on office and secretarial costs. Mr Johnson has defied the normal rules of politics for so long it is hard to believe he will follow the path of those who have gone before him. "He's never been an either-or-person, he's been a have-your-cake-and-eat-it person," said Mr Gimson. "Whatever he does I think he will be very busy, he can't bear inactivity." Prof Bale agrees: "There's no zero-sum game for him here," he said. "The political campaigning, the comeback and the money-making can go hand-in-hand." SOURCE: BBC.com India's prime minister has described the death of the billionaire former chairman of Tata, the country's largest conglomerate, as a "big loss" for the business world. Cyrus Mistry died on Sunday in a road accident while travelling to Mumbai. One other person was killed and two more passengers were injured, police in India's western Maharastra state said. Mr Mistry, who was 54, was ousted as Tata chairman in 2016, following criticism of his performance. He was replaced by Ratan Tata - the man who Mr Mistry had himself replaced just four years earlier. The boardroom coup was shrouded in mystery, and sparked a long-running legal battle in which India's top court eventually ruled in Tata's favour. The company operates in more than 100 countries - offering products including salt, steel and software - and had a revenue of $130bn (£110bn) last year. Mr Mistry and his companions were travelling in a Mercedes car through the Palghar district of Maharashtra when the accident happened on Sunday afternoon, police said. The vehicle is said to hit a divider in the road, while crossing a bridge over a river, and Mr Mistry subsequently died at the crash scene. At least two others were taken to hospital. In a tweet, Mr Modi called Mr Mistry a "promising business leader who believed in India's economic prowess". The deputy chief minister of Maharashtra state has ordered a police investigation. The crash brought into focus the country's high number of road accidents, with government data showing that these claimed 150,000 lives in 2021 - an average of 18 per hour. BBC.com RIYADH — Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan expressed Saudi Arabia’s solidarity with Iraq and its people, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Wednesday. Prince Faisal reiterated during a phone call with his Iraqi counterpart Dr. Fuad Hussein, the Kingdom’s support for everything that guarantees security and stability and preserves the capabilities and gains of Iraq and its people. The two sides also reviewed aspects of Saudi-Iraqi relations and ways to support and enhance them to serve the interests of the two countries and the two peoples. They also discussed several regional and international issues of common interest. On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia called on all parties and political forces in Iraq to stand united in order to preserve the rights and gains of the people. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said that it is following with great concern the developments of the situation in Iraq, expressing regret over the recent clashes that resulted in several deaths and injuries. Saudi Arabia supports all efforts aimed at sparing Iraq and its people the scourge of division and internal conflict, it mentioned. The Kingdom urged all parties and political forces in Iraq to resort to peaceful solutions to address the demands of the Iraqi people in a way that guarantees security, stability and prosperity for the country and its people. https://www.defencenet.ae/ Members of the ruling majority which ousted the long-ruling Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, from power in the 2020 elections, on Friday agreed to form a new government and lead the state out of a deep crisis. The coalition government collapsed on February 4 after parliament backed a vote of no-confidence called by the ruling Black on White bloc and opposition parties. On April 28, Black on White and the pro-Serbian Socialist People’s Party and the opposition formed a minority government led by Back on White’s Dritan Abazovic. But on August 19, this was toppled by the DPS, smaller parties in the ruling coalition and the opposition Democratic Montenegro. After the meeting of former ruling majority representatives, the head of the pro-Serbian Democratic Front coalition, Andrija Mandic, said that the winners of the August 2020 elections had signed an agreement on forming a new government. “In the coming days, we will start talks to define other elements, such as the election of new parliamentary leadership and a new government,” Mandic told a press conference. The agreement was signed by members of For the Future of Montenegro, Peace is Our Nation and Black on White, which together have 41 of the 81 seats in parliament. According to the agreement, the new government should prepare for early elections, which should be organized in spring 2023, together with presidential elections. It is also agreed that the new government’s priority will be European integration, economic reforms and the fight against organized crime and corruption. The new ruling majority also pledged to intensify dialogue on electoral legislative reforms and elect a new Supreme State Prosecutor and Constitutional Court members. Outgoing Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic praised the agreement, stressing that his Black on White bloc will have its own demands during the negotiations. “If there is an agreement of the new majority that I will be prime minister, that’s good. If not, I will affirm my vision and policy from another position, even from the opposition, if necessary,” Abazovic warned. Meanwhile, parliament postponed discussion of the initiative to axe parliament speaker Danijela Djurovic, which was proposed by For the Future of Montenegro and Black on White on August 17. Djurovic, a Socialist People’s Party MP, was elected on April 28, after the former parliament speaker and leader of Peace is Our Nation, Aleksa Becic, was sacked on February 7. Peace is Our Nation MP Momo Koprivica said they will insist on electing a new parliament speaker, stressing that political negotiations should start from scratch. “We insist on Djurovic’s dismissal because no one has the right to blackmail and condition implementation of this agreement,” Koprivica said in parliament. Three blocs won a slender majority in parliament in August 2020, ousting President Milo Djukanovic’s DPS’s almost three decades in power. https://balkaninsight.com/ Sept 1 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday stressed the importance of teaching a Kremlin-approved version of history, saying many children in eastern Ukraine did not know that Ukraine and Russia had once been part of the same country. Putin met selected schoolchildren from all over Russia in a classroom in Kaliningrad for the "Talking about what's important" lesson that starts the school year nationwide, restating his assertion that he had been forced to send troops to defend the Russian-speakers of eastern Ukraine. Advertisement · Scroll to continue Report an adIn an hour-long question-and-answer session, Putin said he had been shocked to discover that children in east Ukraine did not know their country had been part of the Soviet Union with Russia, and that correcting the record was a vital task. Putin called the wave of protests that forced Ukraine's pro-Russian president from office in 2014 a "coup". "Everybody thinks that some kind of aggression is coming from the Russian side today," Putin said, in a televised session that verged on the awkward as a succession of children asked to shake his hand. Report an ad"But nobody understands, nobody knows that, after the coup in 2014, the residents of Donetsk, a large part of Luhansk and Crimea did not want to recognise the coup," Putin said. "A war was started against them - and it was waged for eight years." Shortly after President Viktor Yanukovych fled Kyiv, Russia seized and annexed Crimea, and backed rebels who succeeded in taking control of parts of Luhansk and Donetsk in east Ukraine. Report an adKyiv and its allies dismiss the idea that Russian-speakers had been persecuted as a baseless pretext for Moscow to try to seize more of Ukraine and topple President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Putin said it was important that schools in Russia and Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine teach the Moscow-approved curriculum - which largely disavows Ukraine's sovereignty and history as an independent nation since 1991. Since invading Ukraine, the Kremlin has pushed schools to be more patriotic: from Thursday, all pupils start the week with a flag-raising ceremony and the playing of the national anthem. Putin also chaired a board meeting of a new government-created youth group drawing on the traditions of the Soviet-era Komsomol and Pioneers - youth wings of the Communist Party. The still-unnamed group is the latest iteration of attempts to forge a nationwide pro-Kremlin youth movement. Previous versions include the now-defunct "Nashi" ("Our People"), which had more than 100,000 members at its height in the 2000s. (REUTERS) Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanges a high five with a student during an open lesson on Knowledge Day in Kaliningrad, Russia September 1, 2022. Sputnik/Alexey Maishev/Pool via REUTERS Russian President Vladimir Putin conducts an open lesson on Knowledge Day in Kaliningrad, Russia September 1, 2022. Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via REUTERS Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanges a high five with a student during an open lesson on Knowledge Day in Kaliningrad, Russia September 1, 2022. Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via REUTERS Russian President Vladimir Putin conducts an open lesson on Knowledge Day in Kaliningrad, Russia September 1, 2022. Sputnik/Alexey Maishev/Pool via REUTERS Russian President Vladimir Putin conducts an open lesson on Knowledge Day in Kaliningrad, Russia September 1, 2022. Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via REUTERS Russian President Vladimir Putin conducts an open lesson on Knowledge Day in Kaliningrad, Russia September 1, 2022. Sputnik/Alexey Maishev/Pool via REUTERS A reveler covered in tomato pulp stands on a street flooded with crushed tomatoes during the annual “Tomatina” festival in the eastern town of Bunol After two years without being held because of the pandemic of Covid-19the traditional tomato war, called “La Tomatina”, took place again in Spain this Wednesday, 31st. According to the organizers, around 20 thousand people took to the streets of the country to participate in the festival. According to the agency Associated Press, trucks took 130 tons of tomatoes to be used on the “battlefield”. Those who wanted to participate in the event had to pay an amount of 12 euros (R$ 60 reais at the current price) for an hour of fight and, at the end, they were entitled to a hose bath. To avoid injury, participants must wear swimming goggles to protect their eyes. “Tomatina” is inspired by a food fight between children that took place in 1945. Since 1980, the event has gained media attention and turned into an international spectacle, which has attracted people from all countries. it is always held on the last Wednesday of August. This year, the festival celebrated its 75th anniversary and 20 years since Spain turned it into a tourist attraction. Source: Jovempan The head of state got a house in an elite resort, where there are only show business stars and oligarchs around Zelensky owns a mansion in an elite resort. Collage “Today” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is getting rid of real estate not only in Ukraine. He owns a luxurious villa in one of the most expensive resorts in Italy, Forte dei Marmi. But it turns out that the head of state put up this house for sale for 4.5 million euros. The journalists of the Country who visited the “presidential” villa learned about this. Where is the house and how much did it buy The resort of Forte dei Marmi is located in Tuscany on the coast of the Ligurian Sea. Zelensky’s 2018 declaration indicated that he and his wife Elena began to own a 413 sq. M. House in Italy. m. since 2015, which was issued to the Italian company San Tommaso SRL. It cost them UAH 88.5 million (EUR 3.1 million at that time). But the declaration for 2020 indicates that only his wife already owns the San Tommaso SRL company. On the territory there is a mansion and a swimming pool. Photo: “Country”At the beginning of the presidential election campaign, Zelensky said they say, “they bought real estate because of the imperfect banking system in Ukraine.” A source from an Italian real estate agency told Ukrainian journalists that the house was put up for sale for 4.5 million euros. “For the last three years, the estate, which is located just 400 meters from the sea, has been rented for 12 thousand euros per month. Now it is rented by a US citizen with his family. They have been living there since July, but should leave in early October.”, – said the agency. It is curious that Zelensky’s mansion is already on several real estate sites, but the price and owners are not indicated – only during a personal meeting with a realtor. What about the villa itselfThe Zelensky House is located in the very center of Forte dei Marmi. There are jogging and cycling tracks, cozy restaurants and beautiful houses. And the beaches of Forte dei Marmi are recognized as some of the best in Italy. On the territory of the plot there is a two-storey house of 480 sq. m and a swimming pool. There is nothing superfluous in the villa. Photo: “Country”On the first floor there is a living room with a dining area and access to the terrace, a kitchen, one bedroom with its own bathroom, another additional bathroom and a laundry room. And no gold – everything is laconic. Photo: “Country”On the second floor there are four bedrooms with their own bathrooms. On the ground floor there is a spa area with a sauna and jacuzzi, a gym, a bathroom and a small staff apartment. There are also massage tables in the house. Well, how can you do without your sportsman. Photo: “Country” And the neighbors are only stars The resort of Forte dei Marmi was chosen by Russian and Ukrainian celebrities and nicknamed among themselves “Beach Courchevel”. It was there that in 2015 the singer Vera Brezhneva played a wedding with the composer Konstantin Meladze, the journalist Ksenia Sobchak had a rest more than once. And this year the wife of the governor of Cherkasy Yelizaveta Yurusheva was seen there and, they say, the deputy head of the OP Kirill Timoshenko flew there with his wife. Also, the Russian singer Irina Allegrova even sold an apartment in Miami for a house with a swimming pool in an Italian resort for 2 million euros. Rich Russians own a third of all houses on the coast here, which is about 2,500 villas. The oligarchs Roman Abramovich and Oleg Deripaska have been spotted here many times. Note that even as president, Zelensky continues to receive considerable income for his past activities. Last year, together with his wife, he earned a total of more than UAH 20 million, and the salary was only UAH 336 thousand per year. . Source: https://globalhappenings.com/opinion/15391.html As the agreement between Kosovo and Serbia on crossing borders using only IDs comes into force tonight, a big disclaimer written in English and Serbian on the Serbian side of the frontier reminds the public of Serbia’s continued non-recognition of Kosovo’s independence. “Enabling the use of Identity Cards issued by Pristina (Kosovo) is done exclusively for practical reasons, for the purpose of making the position of individuals easier and for enabling their freedom of movement in accordance with the Agreement on Freedom of Movement reached in dialogue in 2011; it cannot be interpreted as recognition of unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo,” the disclaimer reads. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s independence, declared in February 2008, insisting it remains a province of Serbia. The disclaimer confirms this, saying the permitted use of Kosovo IDs in Serbia “is without prejudice to determining Kosovo’s final status”. The deal reached last weekend in Brussels put an end to a nearly 11-year period when Serbia issued entry-exit documents to Kosovo citizens replacing the IDs issued by Kosovo for their stay in Serbia. While the issue of IDs now looks settled, it is still not known how or when the Kosovo government’s disputed decision on licence plates will be implemented. That decision gives Kosovo Serbs two months, until October 31, to exchange their current vehicle plates for Kosovo-issed plates, marked RKS. Serbia-issued plates bear the acronyms of Kosovo towns such as KM, PR, PZ, UR and GL. The August 27 deal on IDs was the first time Kosovo leader Albin Kurti and Serbia’s Aleksander Vucic had agreed on something more than 13 months since they first faced each other in Brussels. However, the deal is only an oral agreement. Serbia’s Vucic clarified on Sunday that this is “an oral agreement, the [previous] one in writing was made in 2011”. The Kosovo government decided in June that every person presenting themselves to cross the state border using personal IDs issued by Serbian authorities will now be issued temporary declaration forms valid for 90 days that replace the Serbian-issued document. The decision reciprocates Serbia’s non-recognition of Kosovo-issued IDs, introducing the same measure that Serbia has implemented towards Kosovo citizens since 2011. The changes announced by Kosovo triggered serious tensions in the Serb-majority north of Kosovo around a month ago, when Kosovo Serbs set up barricades and Kosovo police closed the border crossings. Vucic and Kurti discussed the issue at their unsuccessful meeting on August 18 but found no solution. https://balkaninsight.com/ |