UN Women: Focus on global business leaders to foster SDGs
2018/09/29
UN Women convenes global business and philanthropic leaders to help accelerate SDG action through women’s empowerment
SDG 5 Forum participants included Al Waleed Philanthropies, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Chanel Foundation, Ford Foundation, Procter & Gamble, Revlon, Unilever, WPP and others committed to achieve gender equality by 2030.
New York - One thousand days into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and counting down to 2030, which is the deadline for achieving global gender equality under SDG 5, UN Women convened business and philanthropic leaders on the margins of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 73) to step up commitments on gender equality and women’s empowerment. Global business and philanthropic leaders pledged more than USD 70 million in 2018 (USD 13 million of which was pledged at the UNGA 73 SDG 5 Forum today) to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment through UN Women.
No single country has ever achieved gender equality, and according to industry estimates this failure will cost USD 28 trillion1 by 2025. Forum participants focused on how public and private sectors can bolster efforts to achieve global gender equality by 2030.
“Every day there is more evidence of what the world is missing when it falls short of equality between women and men. Our globally agreed roadmap of the 2030 Agenda puts the drive for that equality right at the centre of all the goals to be achieved,” said UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. “Governments, civil society and the business world all contributed to that vision and must act together in shaping the solution. These combined forces are critical if we are to make unstoppable progress by 2020 and meet the 2030 target.”
UN Women was established in 2010 to help the world end gender inequality and the 17 SDGs were adopted by global leaders in 2015, with SDG 5 focusing on achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment in every country of the world. The World Economic Forum estimates that it will take 217 years to achieve gender equality at the current rate of progress.
The SDG 5 Forum builds on UN Women’s work across sectors, including this month’s launch of the Global Innovation Coalition for Change’s (GICC) Gender Innovation Principles, a global set of standards adopted by an alliance of 27 partners from private sector, non-profit organizations and academic institutions that takes a gender-responsive approach to innovation and technology. The financial commitments at the SDG 5 Forum and from UN Women’s strategic partnerships will support efforts toward innovation, eliminating violence against women and girls, generating gender equality data and evidence, fast tracking women’s economic empowerment, ensuring education, providing access to health services and protection of women’s livelihoods in crisis settings, as well as building climate resilience in sustainable agricultural food chains that benefit women farmers.
Global business and philanthropy leaders that pledged support at today’s event through UN Women to countries around the world included: Al Waleed Philanthropies, Chanel Foundation, Revlon, WPP and Zonta International Foundation. UN Women continues to benefit from financial support from foundations and global organizations such as Alibaba Group, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, International Olympic Committee, Procter & Gamble and Unilever, as well as public sector funding that enables private sector engagement from the European Union and the NAMA Women Advancement Establishment.
UN Women has established several mechanisms to mobilize private sector and foundations in the world’s quest to achieve SDG 5 by 2030 including the 1,800 companies that signed onto the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), the HeForShe impact movement, Common Ground, the GICC, and the Unstereotype Alliance participants.
To date, UN Women has continued to connect women, governments, and communities to foster change across sectors, from using technology to increase the income of women in agriculture to help them secure decent jobs, to supporting the reform discriminatory laws worldwide. UN Women has trained more than 7,000 women leaders in politics and governance last year alone, and over 1.5 billion women and girls in 52 countries are better protected from violence through stronger legal frameworks.
Follow the hashtag #TimeIsNow and @UN_Women on Twitter for updates.
1 McKinsey & Company, 2015, “The Power of Parity: How Advancing Women’s Equality can add $12 Trillion to Global Growth.” https://ift.tt/2Ol1sOB p. 1
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UN Women is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. For more information, visit www.unwomen.org. UN Women, 220 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017, New York. Tel: +1 646 781-4400. Fax: +1 646 781-4496.
Editorial note from Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey
Media Partner UN Women
Heralding the Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, the term for the eight Millennium Development Goals expired and 2016 began with a new 15-year cycle, launching the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Welcome to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted unanimously by 193 Heads of State.
What is the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development?
There are seventeen goals and 169 targets which aim to eradicate poverty, fight inequality and approach climate change solutions over the next decade and a half. In the words of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, "The seventeen Sustainable Development Goals are our shared vision of humanity and a social contract between the world's leaders and the people".
Three vectors are to be approached in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - the social, economic and environmental dimensions, involving both developed and developing countries and the SDGs go further than the Millennium Development Goals in scope, encompassing peace and justice. In short, the SDGs are a blueprint for the implementation of common universal values, globally.
Building on the MDGs
The Millennium Development Goals, implemented in the year 2000 were: to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and empower women; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; and develop a global partnership for development. According to the UNO, "significant progress" was made in a number of areas, although the goals were not met in full.
Over the 15-year period, 6.2 million malaria deaths were averted, the number of people living in extreme poverty was more than halved and primary school enrolment increased from 83 to 91 per cent. Great strides were made towards gender parity in school enrolment in the first three cycles (primary, secondary and tertiary), under-fives mortality decreased by over 50 per cent, maternal mortality decreased by 45 per cent, HIV infections fell by 40 per cent while ODA (Official Development Aid) increased by 66 per cent.
This does not mean that everyone was covered by these success stories - millions of people were excluded and inclusion and equality were not achieved universally in terms of gender, ethnicity, geographic location, age or disability. Here is where the SDGs step onto the stage.
What are the SDGs?
SDG1: No poverty; SDG2: Zero hunger; SDG3: Good health and well-being; SDG4: Quality education; SDG5: Gender equality; SDG6: Clean water and sanitation; SDG7: Affordable and clean energy; SDG8: Decent work and economic growth; SDG9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure; SDG10: Reduced inequalities; SDG11: sustainable cities and communities; SDG12: Responsible consumption and production; SDG13: Climate action; SDG14: Life below water; SDG 15: Life on land; SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions; SDG 17: Partnership for the goals.
Conclusion: If the world could concentrate on global humanitarian and ecological issues, focusing on development of resources over deployment of troops, spending trillions of dollars annually on these projects rather than military expenditure, these goals would already have been reached. However, without goals, there are no objectives or targets and in achieving these, Humankind is collectively under the spotlight.
The individual can make a difference, for inside the political systems currently followed are interwoven mechanisms which allow people to select or deselect a representative (Congressperson, Member of Parliament, Deputy and so on) depending on the way they vote. Bringing issues onto the political agenda and holding representatives accountable is a powerful and meaningful way in which people can make a difference.
Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey
Pravda.Ru
Photo: By Marco Carrasco - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://ift.tt/2IoGWap
Putin in Azerbaijan: Israel will have to leave Moscow's sphere of influence
2018/09/28
Russian President Vladimir Putin came to Baku to participate in the Russian-Azerbaijani interregional forum. Putin will also attend the final stage of the World Judo Championship. However, behind closed doors, Putin and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev also discussed topics of military-technical cooperation, the CSTO, as well as issues of the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
The Kremlin watched closely the recent visit of Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman to Azerbaijan. Lieberman promised to supply state-of-the-art air defense systems to Azerbaijan to build an echeloned defense system the border with Armenia. In addition, Azerbaijan will continue purchasing unmanned aerial vehicles from Israel, after they proved to be highly effective in the course of hostilities in the zone of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict in April 2016.
Naturally, Moscow wants to seize the initiative from Israel, especially after the shutdown of the Ilyushin Il-20 aircraft over Syria. The Kremlin would not want Azerbaijan - a key country in Transcaucasia - to cooperate closely with Israel.
What can Russia offer in return?
President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, paid a visit to Russia in September of 2018. Aliyev then stated publicly that Azerbaijan had acquired weapons from Russia totalling $5 billion, and this number will grow. According to the Azerbaijani leader, Russia is "the world's most important producer and supplier of military products to international markets." Therefore, Azerbaijan will continue modernizing its army with Russia's help.
Is Azerbaijan going to become a full-fledged participant in the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO)? However, Azerbaijan is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, which binds the country to maintain neutrality in foreign policy issues and refrain from joining any defense alliances.
Nevertheless, Azerbaijan may join the CSTO, if Putin allows Aliyev to carry out a quick military operation to regain control over five areas adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh (the five territories are currently occupied by Armenian troops).
Putin's reaction to this proposal is not known yet. A lot of things in this situation will depend on the policy of new Armenian leader Nikol Pashinyan. If he continues taking Armenia out of the orbit of Moscow's influence to build closer ties with the EU and NATO instead, Moscow will not be delighted with such a development.
The Armenian administration understands the prospect and tries to maintain friendly relations with Moscow, while making steps towards the European Union and NATO at the same time.
Meanwhile, Armenia is keeping an eye on Putin's visit to Azerbaijan and wants to know every single detail of the talks in Baku. From Baku, Putin is flying to Dushanbe for the summit of the CIS countries, where he may try to arrange the meeting between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, taking into consideration the fact that Ilham Aliyev and Nikol Pashinyan have never met before.
In any case, Azerbaijan has not joined the Collective Security Treaty Organization yet. Interestingly, Azerbaijan's military aviation did not take part in military exercises of air defense forces of the Commonwealth of Independent States that kicked off on September 27. A report from the Russian Defence Ministry said that as many as 100 aircraft from seven CIS countries take part in the exercises: Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Azerbaijan is not among them.
Also read:
Putin concludes secret military deal with Azerbaijan
Let Azerbaijan take Nagorno Karabakh back
Russia's new combat drone ready for maiden flight
2018/09/28
Russia is about to complete the ground trials of the new combat unmanned aerial vehicle known as "Hunter." The new UAV will perform its maiden flight in the near future. The ground tests of the new vehicle were conducted in the Crimea and Novosibirsk.
Source: mtdata.ru
"In October, it is planned to begin the final stage of frequency trials for the Hunter glider, after which it will be possible to talk about the readiness of the drone for its maiden flight," a source close to the Russian Defense Ministry said. Flight tests for the Hunter drone are scheduled for 2019.
Frequency, or vibration trials, are an important stage on the way to aerial trials. They make it possible to determine frequency drift in the design of an aircraft. As a rule, upon the completion of frequency trials, engineers give their conclusion required for the first flight of an aircraft.
The Hunter combat drone is developed by Sukhoi design bureau. All the tactical and technical characteristics of the new drone are kept secret. It is known, however, that the strike drone is equipped with the artificial intelligence of a sixth-generation fighter. The take-off weight of the drone is 20 tons, which makes it a real heavyweight aircraft among other models of unmanned vehicles that are currently being developed in Russia. A photo of the Hunter drone appeared on the Internet in 2017. Judging by the picture, the UAV is developed according to the "flying wing" aerodynamic principle.
White Helmets in the UK: 'Brave individuals' to breathe new life in Salisbury drama
2018/09/28
Having been evacuated from Syria, some of White Helmets filmmakers may settle in the UK and thus bring new details to the story about Salisbury poisoners.
Source: REX/Shutterstock
British Foreign Secretary released a special statement, in which he praised the White Helmets organization: "I am therefore proud that the UK is resettling these brave individuals and their families and giving them the opportunity to rebuild their lives here. The actions of the White Helmets demonstrate true modern day heroism. They are rightly respected for their courageous, life-saving work and have previously been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. We welcome the first White Helmets to be resettled in the UK," British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said.
In this context, I would not be surprised if Osama bin Laden could be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. They do not award this prize posthumously, but Mr. Bin Laden is no different than the "heroes of modern times" in the interpretation of the head of the British Foreign Office.
Against the background of the sluggish creativity of Theresa May's producing center and the degradation of the plot lines in the Salisbury drama, the White Helmets could revitalize the production, given that they have an extensive experience in the field of fake cinematography.
Protective suits worn by British special forces on the crime scene scare viewers off. However, everyone wants to see "brave individuals" grabbing water hoses and throwing themselves into the epicenter of a chemical attack wearing white helmets only. Viewers would be so impressed with their heroism that it would never occur to them that a human being can hardly survive or remain unharmed having been exposed to combat nerve agents wearing just helmets for protection. As is well known, cinematography works miracles.
The White Helmets do not use any computer technologies in their production. They make raw video products for those always willing to consume political popcorn.
As long as British officials welcome them with open arms in the UK, their creativity may get a second wind and expand fake horizons, so to speak. By and large, it was the White Helmets that triggered the US missile attack on Syria.
To distract people's attention from the failure of Brexit negotiations, Theresa May also needs to find another gust of Novichok wind. The British administration wants to kill the clock and make the Salisbury story continue, even though nothing is known about the fate of the phenomenal survivor - Sergei Skripal himself.
What if the White Helmets conduct their own investigation into the Salisbury incident and find out that Novichok nerve agent was produced somewhere near Russia's Hmeymim airbase in Syria with Putin and Assad supervising the production personally. This could be a great scenario to play on.
Also read:
Israel's humanism smells blood and chlorine
White Helmets accuse Russia of killing 44 civilians in Idlib
China names three most wanted Russian defense technologies
2018/09/28
The Russian Federation has a powerful and modern army, Chinese publication Jinri Toutiao said.
Source: Mil.ru
Russia is one of the top arms producers in the world, the article in the Chinese newspaper said. Russia is also one of the world's largest arms exporters. At the same time, however, Russia has three technologies that the country is not going to sell to anyone ever.
Firstly, Chinese journalists write, this is the nuclear submarines production technology. Moscow had no equals at this point during the times of the Soviet Union. Today, Russia continues gaining experience in this field.
Secondly, Russia will never share its Sarmat missile system technology, the Chinese newspaper wrote. The Sarmat is a monster weapon capable of overcoming any antiaircraft defense systems of the enemy.
To crown it all, Russia will never share the aircraft engine technology. China would not refuse from assistance in this area, because the country has considerable difficulties with developing its own aircraft engines. However, this is not likely to happen, the article says.
Not that long ago, China purchased a batch of Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 missile systems from Russia. The United States imposed a package of sanctions on China for the move.
Also read:
USA punishes China for purchasing arms from Russia
China suddenly builds 6th-generation fighter jet
Monster Sarmat missile ready for trials
World Trade Organisation fears world trade war
2018/09/28
The head of the World Trade Organisation, Roberto Azevedo, believes that the world is standing on the verge of a global trade war. The official called on the governments of all countries to consolidate their efforts in confronting the impending disaster.
Roberto Azevedo said that the world economy was facing multiple challenges and problems these days. Tensions in the world continue growing owing to, inter alia, Western sanctions and trade restrictions. These problems and challenges, Azevedo said, are not going to end in the foreseeable future.
The head of the WTO also said that problems in global economy will affect all countries of the world without exception. Reduction of jobs, a significant decrease in exports, large companies going bankrupt - these are just a few of the challenges that the world may face already soon, Roberto Azevedo said.
There are many ways to prevent a global economic collapse from happening, the head of the WTO believes. For example, reducing the number of trade restrictions and sanctions is one of them. Above all, Azevedo believes, all civilised countries should join their efforts in preventing a global trade war.
New iPhones come to Russia: First customer comes drunk, loses money
2018/09/28
On September 28, Apple started selling its new iPhones in Russia. The official start of the sales ended the story about the line outside an Apple's retailer store on Tverskaya Street in Moscow.
Source: Fotodom.ru/Kommersant
The customer, who entered the store first on September 28, could not buy a new iPhone. The man, who seemed to be drunk, said that he had lost the money as he was standing in the line for three days. The man, who introduced himself as Valery, also said that he had purchased a place in the line for himself for 50,000 rubles ($770).
"I bought a place in the queue for 50,000 rubles five hours before the store opened, but while I was standing there, I lost 170,000 rubles ($2,600) that I had in my pocket," the customer said.
It appears, though, that the man was simply standing in the line for a few days in an attempt to sell his place there to someone else, but failed.
When the store on Tverskaya Street opened, the first eight customers simply left the queue. It just so happened that the first customer of a new device was the ninth person in the line. The people were standing in the line in a hope that someone would pay them good money for the right to become the first owner of a new iPhone in Russia.
In Moscow, people started joining the queue a week before the official start of sales of the new phones in Russia. Soon afterwards, one could finds curious classified ads on the net, where people were offering their places in the line on Tverskaya Street for a lot of money. The first person in the line posted an ad saying that he was ready to sell his place for 500,000 rubles ($7,700).
One of those in the line told reporters that the people in the queue were aggressive and angry. One of the fans of the US-based corporation brought a war veteran to the store claiming that veterans had the right to queue-jump to be the first.
It is worthy of note that the weather in Moscow has been not very pleasant recently. Daytime temperatures barely climb above 10 degrees Centigrade, and the people outside the store had to endure cold, strong wind and drizzling rain non-stop.
Nikolai Valuev snickers at poor Russians who made him rich MP
2018/09/28
Nikolai Valuev, formerly a famous boxer and now a member of the Russian Parliament, answered a question about poverty in Russia.
Source: Nikolai Valuevs charity fund
In "Ask Valuev a question" rubric of a special website, Russian citizens can post their questions to the famous MP. Alevtina Makarova, a resident of the Kemerovo region, wrote: "It's unpleasant and even shameful to live poorly in such a wealthy country as Russia. That's all what I wanted to say..."
Valuev replied that he understood an "unfinished sentence," and agreed with the author.
"One can talk about it forever, and the answer will be incomplete too," he wrote before quoting Soviet classic Vasily Shukshin: "It's not shameful to be poor, it's shameful to be cheap." Valuev also called upon the woman not to take his reasoning personally.
The callousness of the former boxer outraged social networkers. "Flaunted his intellect, didn't he?" critics of the deputy noted.
Valuev commented later that people preferred to react aggressively to Shukshin. "Let us not subject the classics," he wrote adding that his phrase was pulled out of context and misunderstood.
It is worthy of note that Nikolai Valuev, a people's representative, earlier declared his earnings in 2017 on the level of 10 million rubles (about $154,000).
USA's paranoia of sanctions not going to end after Trump
2018/09/27
US officials said that sanctions would not be the only tool to contain the Russian Federation. Russia's foreign policy is "unacceptable" and "malicious" for Washington. Representatives of the US administration said that they would introduce a number of restrictions against people in President Putin's inner circle.
Source: Fotodom.ru/DP
It is unclear what the US wants to achieve. If the Americans are satisfied with the effect of their sanctions against the Russian Federation, then they would not be saying anything else about new instruments of pressure. If their sanctions do not reach the desired effect, and they continue imposing them, it is obvious that the Americans discredit themselves with this behaviour.
Valery Garbuzov, director of the Institute of the USA and Canada of the Russian Academy of Sciences, talked to Pravda.Ru about the tools that the United States can additionally employ to put more pressure on Russia.
"The policy to contain Russia has been formed for a long period of time. Sanctions appear to be its main instrument. This is the instrument that the United States loves most. As for other ways of showing influence on Russia, one can only guess. I would assume that the United States may wrap up its dialogue with Russia. This would be a lot worse than sanctions. In this case, if problems between the two countries arise, there is no way to solve them, because the United States refuses to negotiate. Expulsion of diplomats - this could also be a method of diplomatic attack. Restricting Russia's arms supplies is a combination of sanctions and political pressure.
"The United States has chosen its course, so the Americans can come up with new ideas. They can expand sanctions - personal, sectoral, financial and others. They can also punish everyone who violate them. I do not expect that the United States will change its sanctions regime either during Trump's presidency or afterwards," the expert told Pravda.Ru.
Also read:
The Statue of Liberty will be dismantled when USA imposes sanctions on all countries of the world
Russian officials celebrate 60th anti-Russian sanction
India decides to buy S-400 systems from Russia worth nearly $6 billion
2018/09/27
India is ready to conclude an agreement with Russia on the purchase of S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems. USA's recent sanctions against China for purchasing Russia's renowned anti-aircraft missile complexes have not affected the position of New Delhi.
Source: Mil.ru
India has decided to purchase five S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems from Russia for $5.43 billion, Indian publication The Economic Times wrote with reference to sources in the government of India.
The final decision on the purchase of S-400 systems from Russia was made at a meeting of the security committee of the Indian government headed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The contract is to be signed during Putin's upcoming visit to India on October 4-5, the newspaper wrote.
Representatives of the Indian government have not confirmed the information yet.
According to The Economic Times, India will pay 15% of the contract amount in advance. The rest of the mount will be transferred depending on delivery terms. The first complex is to be delivered to the place of service in India within 24 months after the conclusion of the contract.
The Indian contract for the purchase of S-400 from Russia is connected with the position of the United States. The US CAATSA law involves the introduction of secondary sanctions against the organisations that enter into "significant transactions" with sanctioned Russian companies, such as, for example, Rosoboronexport (defence export company). On September 20, Washington imposed sanctions on the Department of Military Training and Procurement of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China for buying ten Su-35 fighters and S-400 complexes from Russia.
US officials also said that other countries willing to purchase S-400 from Russia may fall under sanctions too. Mike Pompeo, the head of the State Department and US Secretary of Defence James Mattis flew to India to discuss the situation. At a press conference in New Delhi on September 6, Pompeo noted that a decision had not been made, but "Washington understands the history of relations between India and Russia." "Our effort here is not to penalise a great strategic partner like India," Pompeo told reporters after top level talks with Indian leader
Moscow and New Delhi agreed the S-400 deal worth $6 billion in the spring of 2018. Later, Dmitry Shugaev, the director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation of Russia, said that Russia decided to lower the price for the strategic partner.
Also read:
Russia starts executing S-400 deal with Turkey
Russia sells S-400 missile systems to India
USA punishes China for purchasing arms from Russia
S-400 system on guard of Moscow
Russian opposition MPs accept pension reform without a fight
2018/09/27
On Wednesday, September 26, the Russian parliament, the State Duma, gave the second reading to the government bill on the pension reform. Officially, it goes about a move to improve the pension law. In fact, however, the authorities prefer not to talk about the "improvement" as it basically raises the retirement age in Russia.
Source: Fotodom.ru/Kommersant
Three hundred and twenty-six out of 450 MPs supported the bill. Only 59 voted against it and one abstained.
Here is some more food for thought in numbers. The ruling United Russia party counts 342 MPs. Obviously, their votes would be enough to approve the document. Communists come second - 42 MPs. LDPR is next with 39 MPs. Just Russia counts 23 deputies, two others are exempt from parliament factions.
All the three opposition factions were originally opposed to raising the retirement age in Russia. However, 59 out of 104 opposition MPs voted in favor of the bill. Forty-five others did no find such an opportunity for themselves.
Moreover, prior to the vote on the bill, the MPs approved nine of Putin's amendments to it. One of them lowers the retirement age for women from 63 to 60 years.
After the vote, the leader of the United Russia faction, Sergei Neverov, noted with satisfaction that no one voted against president's amendments. "Presidential amendments were supported by representatives of all political factions in the State Duma: 385 voted for them, no one either abstained or voted against the amendments," the official said.
"It is also very important that all factions without exception supported the ratification of the International Labor Organization Convention (415 votes for), and issues of medical examination of persons of pre-retirement age (419 votes for)," also noted Neverov.
State Duma deputy from the Communist Party faction, Leonid Kalashnikov, explained the paradoxical behavior of his faction to Pravda.Ru. According to Communists, there is no paradox here - the faction cares about the people.
"We believe that we can make people's lives easier, at least with the help of the draft law that we have here. We can not vote against it if these amendments suggest making people's lives easier. They do help in the draft. In general, we vote against the law about the pension reform. However, United Russia will adopt it anyway, so we vote to make people's lives easier, at least a little," Leonid Kalashnikov told Pravda.Ru.
Also read:
Putin: I don't like the idea of the pension reform
Putin about the pension reform in Russia: All details
Skripal poisoner 'Colonel Chepiga' sounds utterly ridiculous
2018/09/27
The poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury overgrows with rumours. No one has ever produced clear evidence of Russia's involvement in the poisoning, but the West continues imposing sanctions against Russia in connection with this incident.
Source: YouTube screencap/Ruptly
Most recently, it was reported that one of the alleged poisoners of Sergei Skripal - Ruslan Boshirov - is in fact a GRU Colonel, whose real name is Anatoly Chepiga. Supposedly, Chepiga even bears the title of the Hero of Russia.
Evgeny Lobachev, a retired Major-General of the Russian FSB, shared his thoughts on this "investigation" with Pravda.Ru.
"A colonel, a hero of Russia? Jesus, please do not say such a stupid thing ever again! He does not look like one, not even close. If he had been entrusted to go there to distract relevant agencies, he wouldn't have done that. I do not want to say anything about him as a person, but the way that they behaved there in Salisbury does not even come close to how special agents act. This is impossible by definition. It appears that those two people have set themselves up intentionally in most idiotic situations that no agent would ever allow to happen.
"All this information is thinly veined, but Theresa May cannot pedal back on this because she would have to leave office immediately. She only needs to distract people's attention against the grand Brexit failure," Mr. Lobachev told Pravda.Ru
Also read:
Former GRU officer exposes two Russian spies
Russian spies Petrov and Boshirov say they work in fitness industry
How far can Europe go in its opposition to USA?
2018/09/27
In 2015, a number of countries, including Russia and the United States, concluded an agreement on the settlement of the issue of nuclear weapons in Iran. A couple of years later, Washington has decided to withdraw from the international treaty, even though concluding that agreement was a very hard nut to crack.
As long as the USA has pulled out from the agreement, US sanctions and trade restrictions against Iran were effected again. This troubles Europe a lot, as many European countries cooperate with Iranian companies.
The European Union now intends to set up a special agency that would make it possible for the EU to bypass American sanctions. How far can Europe go in an effort to oppose the US policy of sanctions?
Konstantin Blokhin, an expert at the Center for Security Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, believes that the threats and warnings that come from US officials can only make their European counterparts more determined in their actions to oppose Washington.
"Obviously, with all those harsh statements, the US government can only set a half of European countries against Washington. However, this is only a half. Germany, France or, for example, Italy defend their interests and try to find an individual political vision of the current political situation. Many other countries of Europe simply follow the United States - Poland, the Baltic States, Romania and others. All this suggests that one can hardly call Europe an integral entity.
Europe depends on the United States of America a lot. Many children of European top officials go to the USA to study. Most likely, European countries simply decide to patiently wait for Donald Trump's presidency to end in a hope that when he leaves the White House, the situation will improve. It seems to me that European countries do not seek world supremacy now. They do not have any serious political ambition. Generally speaking, I do not think that they are willing and able to resist the States. Europe is much more concerned about being economically secure and stable," the expert told Pravda.Ru
Also read:
Statue of Liberty to be dismantled when USA imposes sanctions on all countries of the world
Gaddafi's predictions come true as Americans gang rape the world
Europe fed up with USA's whims
Statue of Liberty will be dismantled when US imposes sanctions on all countries of the world
2018/09/26
The most recent meeting of the UN General Assembly has showed a rather high level of contradictions between participating countries.
Source: Fotodom.ru/DP
Predictably, US President Donald Trump delivered a speech, in which he once again positioned the United States of America as navel of the Earth, the exceptional center of everything. This is not news to anyone.
Trump put special emphasis on Iran - this is the most popular topic after the DPRK and the anticipation of another meeting between the leaders of the United States and North Korea. Having obtained a new and probably the only friend among world leaders, Trump has become a little bit of Kim Jong-un himself, at least, to a certain extent.
The sanctions policy of the United States has affected many countries, including Washington's allies. Obviously, the toppling of the ayatollah regime that the Americans had brought to power in Iran a while back is only a cover for the general public. Washington can only care less about any regime, if it comes in line with American exceptionalism.
Iran is more like a tool for manipulating Europe and the Gulf States rather than a real threat. The US has done its best to drive a wedge between the Islamic Republic of Iran and other oil-rich countries of the region.
When Europe decided not to obey the United States in economic matters, it became a real challenge to the American supremacy. Germany - the strongest European economy - even dared to develop business with Russia, dodging Washington's sweaty open arms.
How can the USA put the Europeans in place? The first thing that comes to mind is to point at the enemy of mankind and continue putting the pressure of sanctions to achieve the desired level of obedience.
As for Russia, the country does not look like "in tatters." The sanctions that the European Union imposed at Washington's behest on Russian private business and state-owned companies have affected Europe at a much greater extent.
The trade war with China, which began with the introduction of tariffs on Chinese goods, is likely to continue for years to come. The process has already begun with the introduction of restrictions for the Chinese military because of the acquisition of Russian arms.
Sanctions against Iran have affected China, Russia, and the EU. Having confirmed Iran's compliance with the provisions of the agreement on its nuclear program, Russia, the UK, France, Germany and China actually ignored the view from the United States. The president of France even spoke about the agony of G7 - the club of America's die-hard fans.
The announcement from the head of EU diplomacy, Federica Mogherini, about the creation of a special mechanism that will give the EU a possibility to circumvent US sanctions against the European companies cooperating with Iran, looks like an open challenge to the citadel of global democracy.
John Bolton, an adviser to US President, warned the EU and other countries that still maintain their sovereignty that Washington would not let the mechanism work. Most likely, the USA will come up with new methods to punish the EU, so the current situation comes ans a test of independence for the European Union.
Europe used to be independent before Brussels started establishing EU structures and appointing European commissioners. Having renounced their sovereignty to the benefit of union organizations, the EU can go even farther and renounce political identity.
The Americans had invested a lot in the work to create an illusion of free European citizen who does not have the feeling of national identity and patriotism.
John Bolton stated at the anti-Iranian conference in New York that the US would be aggressive and unwavering on Iran sanctions. Mr. Bolton even called on the IAEA to inspect a number of Iranian facilities on the basis of reports from Israeli intelligence services. Why not inspect Israeli facilities to finally find out if there are any nuclear ones?
This way or other, the campaign to struggle against all those "bloody regimes" is based on money issues, rather than on ideals of democracy. One may assume that the Statue of Liberty will have to be dismantled when the USA imposes sanctions on all countries of the world in an effort to counter its adversaries.
Also read:
United States of America revising its history and exceptionalism
Lunacy of sanctions and psychosis of US exceptionalism
Why is USA so much obsessed with Russia?
UN Women and WFP harness innovation for women’s economic empowerment in crisis situations
2018/09/26
UN Women and WFP harness innovation for women’s economic empowerment in crisis situations
NEW YORK/ROME — UN Women and the World Food Programme (WFP) are breaking new ground by using blockchain to assist Syrian refugee women participating in UN Women’s cash for work programmes at the Za’atari and Azraq refugee camps in Jordan.
Traditionally, cash transfers have been made available to refugees via third-party financial service providers such as banks. Through the partnership, Syrian refugee women who participate in the UN Women cash for work programme will be able to access their funds directly and the accounts will be kept securely on a blockchain network. Previously women received a monthly entitlement in the form of cash on a set date. Through blockchain, UN Women and WFP are exploring the possibility of providing female refugees with cash back at WFP-contracted supermarkets or pay for their purchases directly.
The partnership stems from WFP’s Building Blocks project, which already provides cash transfers to 106,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan through a blockchain based system.
Highlighting why technologies like blockchain have a key role to play in accelerating women’s economic empowerment, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said: “We know that women in crisis situations and displacement settings tend to have lower digital literacy than men, and often lack access to the technology and connectivity that are so critical in today’s world. UN Women is partnering with WFP to change this by using innovative technology to drive change for women in the most challenging settings and to accelerate progress towards women’s economic empowerment on a large scale.”
How it will work: A Syrian woman will scan her eye to request cash back at WFP-contracted supermarkets. This will link to her account on the blockchain, and the amount of the cash distribution is automatically sent to Building Blocks. The fact that UN Women and WFP validate each other’s transaction through a common blockchain network, results in improved security and accountability. There are also opportunities for cost and risk reduction, as well as increased harmonization of aid efforts.
“At WFP, we will explore every possible way to deliver the help people need, in the most efficient and effective means available. Our work with UN Women to help female Syrian refugees is yet another sign of that innovative spirit, in this case using technology to make an even bigger impact on the lives of those we serve,” said David Beasley, Executive Director of WFP.
UN Women also aspires to increase the financial literacy of their recipients through expense tracking and budgeting seminars conducted at their ‘Oases’, where recipients would also be able to view their Building Blocks accounts and its history online. In Za’atari and Azraq camps, UN Women’s four Oases centres are increasing training opportunities to women and girls focused on digital literacy. They provide a holistic approach to resilience and empowerment for women and girls through livelihoods opportunities; protection and prevention of gender-based violence; remedial education and civic engagement opportunities; and access to childcare. Since 2012, UN Women has supported women in refugee camps by providing them with skills, access to public space and economic independence, including the largest female-focused cash-for-work programme.
Women are disproportionately affected by humanitarian crises; many of them are forced by conflict to become the primary breadwinners, while bearing the responsibility of taking care of their children and families.
________________________________________
UN Women is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide.
Photo: By Amanda Lucidon, Official White House Photo - Flickr, Public Domain, https://ift.tt/2xDXl6C
Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey (Media Partner, UN Women)
It has been seen time and again that when women are involved in conflict solving programs, far more long-lasting and deep-seated solutions are found, that is why women should be part of peace processes. It makes sense to have more women involved in government, as well, so that we do not reach the levels of violence which explode into conflict, fuelled by those who make a living out of trafficking waepons to murder people.
UN Women fights for women’s rights, not only against gender violence but also for women’s empowerment. This is translated into equal rights, the right to educarion and healthcare, the right to live and perform as equals in our society living under the UN precepts of human rights, starting with the inviolability of the person.
That so many more sexual predators are being outed and held to account is a positive response to the thousands of women who have been abused but who are too frightened to come forward. This also means that the justice systems must be accurate and convict based on evidence and not hearsay, so as not to discredit those who have fought so hard to make sure rights are respected.
Su-57 fifth-generation fighter to be armed with ultra-long-range hypersonic missile
2018/09/26
The ultra-long-range hypersonic missile R-37M will be used for the fifth generation Su-57 fighter jet, Boris Obnosov, the general director of Tactical Missile Armament Corporation said. According to the official, the missile will be mounted on the aircraft on external suspension.
Source: Wikipedia
In July, it was reported that the missile was going through the final stage of trials. It was reported that the R-37M hypersonic missile will be able to strike high-speed targets at a range of more than 300 km. The missile is capable of developing a hypersonic speed up to 6 Mach at the final stage of its flight.
The R-37M missile comes as a development of the R-37 ultra-long-range missile of the previous generation, the development of which was launched in the early 1980s. The size of the missile (more than four meters long and the starting weight of six tons) limits its use to only the MiG-31 interceptor aircraft. The work to create the R-37M was launched in the late 2000s.
Sukhoi Su-57 (formerly known as PAKFA T-50) is a Russian multi-purpose fifth-generation fighter aircraft. The fighter is designed to have supercruise, supermaneuverability, stealth, and advanced avionics to overcome the prior generation fighter aircraft as well as ground and naval defences. The Su-57 is intended to succeed the MiG-29 and Su-27in the Russian Air Force.
During Army-2018 forum, the United Aviation Corporation and the Defence Ministry of the Russian Federation concluded an agreement for the shipment of two Su-57 aircraft for Russia's Air Force before 2020.
Also read:
Pilot shares his impressions after flying Su-57
India disappointed with Russia's Su-57 fifth-generation fighter
Su-57: Russia's fifth-generation fighter aircraft
Russia to build unmanned alternative to Armata tank
2018/09/26
Uralvagonzavod, or UZV - a Russian company that makes military, specialized vehicles and railroad cars - - announced a new project to build an unmanned version of the T-72BZ tank. UVZ CEO Alexander Potapov said on the sidelines of ADEX 2018 arms show in Baku that the chassis of the T-72 was chosen as an alternative to Armata tank for financial and technical opportunities.
Source: Mil.ru
"We are talking about the development process for the time being. One must first proceed from financial and technical abilities in the first place, of course," Potapov said.
The official did not specify the date when the first modernized T-72 is going to be created.
In the summer of 2018, Yuri Borisov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation for the Defense Industry, said that the Russian Armed Forces did not intend to purchase Armata tanks because the vehicle was too expensive.
"Why should we inundate the Armed Forces with Armata tanks if we have a highly popular T-72 tank. Everyone wants this tank, and the T-72 is much superior to Abrams, Leclercs and Leopards tanks," Yuri Borisov said.
At ADEX 2018 arms show in Baku, Uralvagonzavod showcases T-90C tank, Terminator armored fighting vehicle, BREM-1M, IMR-3M.
Also read:
Russia builds new weapons renouncing Armata tank
Russia gives up on helicopter carriers, Armata tanks and Su-57 fighter jets
Terminator: Russia's new tank based on Armata platform
Chelyabinsk drowning in its own garbage
2018/09/26
A state of emergency has been declared in Chelyabinsk. The city has been drowning in piles of household garbage since September 11.
Source: Social media
Putin's aide in the Urals Federal District, Nikolai Tsukanov, instructed Chelyabinsk region Governor Boris Dubrovsky to normalize the situation with the removal of garbage from the city within three days. Tsukanov demanded law enforcement agencies should investigate into the causes of the garbage crisis in the city and bring those guilty to criminal account.
A regime of extra high hazard was announced in Chelyabinsk on September 23 after a number of garbage-clearing companies refused to take household waste to a new landfill. The new landfill was opened instead of the older one, which was put in operation in 1989, but was closed. The new landfill is located at a greater distance from the city, and representatives of garbage-clearing companies complained that they would run higher transportation costs.
After the situation attracted the attention of the Kremlin, as many as 84 specialized vehicles were involved in the works to clear the streets of the city from garbage. The works are conducted 24/7.
Chelyabinsk is a city and the administrative center of Chelyabinsk region located in the Urals Federal Disctrict. The city has a population of around 1.130 million people. The city gained global attention in 2013, when a superbolide meteor exploded above the territory of the Chelyabinsk region at an altitude of 25-30 kilometers. The power of the explosion was about 500 kilotons of TNT (about 1.8 PJ), which is 20-30 times more energy than was released from the atomic bomb exploded in Hiroshima. Luckily, thanks to the high altitude of the explosion the city managed to avoid large casualties and destruction.
Terrorists don’t go to Syria – they stay in Russia
2018/09/26
Supporters of international terrorists no longer look for opportunities to travel abroad to take part in hostilities. Their leaders order them to stay on the territory of the Russian Federation, Andrei Kokourov, a senior representative for the National Anti-Terrorist Committee said.
Source: National Anti-Terrorist Committee
"The leaders of international terrorist organizations order their supporters not to travel outside the Russian Federation - either to Syria or to other countries - but to stay in places of their residence where they can create cells and prepare terrorist acts," the official said during the forum for counteraction to the ideology of terrorism in the educational sphere.
Special services also note the trend, in which people radicalize themselves at their own will and start showing interest in radical ideologies without external influence.
In 2017, Kokourov said, Russian special services prevented as many as 61 terrorist crimes and 18 terrorist acts as they were being prepared. At the same time, the level of the terrorist threat in the Russian Federation has been decreasing steadily, he added.
The struggle against terrorism is entering a new stage. Today, even children can pose a threat as terrorists. Underage individuals committed terrorist attacks in the town of Shali, Chechnya, on August 20, 2018. Two young people wielding knives tried to enter the territory of the Interior Ministry in Shali, wounded two policemen and were killed. After that, in the village of Mesker-Yurt, an unknown person exploded himself near the police post, was wounded and later died at hospital. On a highway to Chechnya's capital Grozny, the driver of a Mercedes vehicle attempted to run over a law enforcement officer and then knocked down two traffic police officers trying to get away from the chase. The assailant and his accomplice were killed.
All those attackers were underage individuals: the oldest of them was 16, while the youngest was 11 years old. The Islamic State terrorist organization (banned in Russia) claimed responsibility for those attacks and later published a video showing a group of teenagers swearing an oath to the terrorist group.
It's too early for Russia to think of China as alternative to the West
2018/09/25
On September 25, the head of the Chinese delegation to international trade negotiations (ministerial level), Fu Ziying, said that China and Russia can overcome various kinds of hindrances and difficulties together owing to the complementarity of their economies.
Pravda.Ru turned to Andrei Ostrovsky, Deputy Director of the Institute for Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, to find out an expert view of the current state of affairs in the economic cooperation between Russia and China.
"The main problem here is that the Russian economy is not in a position to respond to China's challenges. Back in 1995, the volume of our economies was comparable. Today, China is eight times ahead of Russia in terms of GDP. China's needs in Russia's raw materials are enormous: oil, natural gas, timber, fish, agricultural products. Can Russia satisfy Chinese needs? China's market counts one billion four hundred million people. Can Russia satisfy China's needs for soybeans or wheat?
"We have opportunities to develop contacts in the field of science and technology. In China, they started building their own nuclear reactors. Russia currently helps China build only one nuclear power plant, while the Americans and the French build a lot more in southern China.
"The same goes for the construction of aircraft. We do not use all opportunities, the level of our cooperation with China is insufficient. The amount of mutual investment is minimal. Money does not flow to China from Russia - it flows to Western countries. Russia receives not more than one billion dollars of investments a year. We can do more, but we are not doing it.
The Russian-Chinese trade is based on the currency of third countries, mainly the US dollar. This means that the money goes through American banks. Working with American banks today automatically implies the use of sanctions. We must work directly through the Russian ruble and the Chinese yuan. When we work directly and pay in national currencies, then everything will be different.
Also read:
Russia can replace USA on Chinese market
The Chinese dragon and the Russian bear build new world order together
Russia and China unite against NATO
Poland's plan to dig navigable canal through Baltic Spit irritates the Kremlin
2018/09/25
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of Poland's Law and Justice party, promised that the construction of a canal cutting the Baltic Spit (also known as Vistula Spit) would be an important milestone not only for the development of the economy, but also for strengthening Poland's sovereignty.
"I do not know who will do it, but someone from the government will start doing it in the near future, because all formalities have been solved," the politician said.
The campaign to dig in the canal will kick off as soon as Poland and the European Union settle all legal formalities. "The times when the Russians dictated to us what we can and can not do on our territory are over," Kaczynski said.
Russia treats Poland's initiative extremely negatively. Poland's move to dig the canal through the Baltic Spit may trigger an ecological disaster. The Polish authorities claim in response that Russia's Nord Stream-1 and Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline projects harm nature too. "Gas pipelines are being built in violation of environmental safety in the Baltic Sea, but the construction of the canal poses no threat," Jaroslaw Kaczynski said, the brother of late Polish President Lech Kaczynski who was killed in a plane crash over Smolensk in 2010.
Russia has been showing concerns since the time when the information about Poland's ambitious plans was made public for the first time. In 2017, the head of the Ministry of Nature of the Russian Federation, Sergey Donskoi, informed his Polish colleague, Minister of the Environment of Poland Jan Szyszko, that the ecosystem of the Baltic Spit was extremely vulnerable to any type of anthropogenic impact.
Russia hopes that the government of Poland will act responsibly in relation to the unique flora and fauna of the Baltic Spit. Moscow also expects to receive detailed information on the project from Warsaw even before Poland makes a final decision on the construction of the canal.
The construction of a navigable canal will require a whole complex of coastal protection measures, because the soil in the area is mainly composed of sandy rocks. Shallow waters of the Gulf of Kaliningrad will require dredging works to build a fairway for the passage of large-capacity vessels.
The Baltic Spit, or Vistula Spit, is an aeolian sand spit, or peninsular stretch of land, which separates Vistula Lagoon from Gdańsk Bay in the Baltic Sea, with its tip separated from the mainland by the Strait of Baltiysk. The border between Poland and Russia's Kaliningrad enclave bisects it, politically dividing the spit in half between the two countries. The westernmost point of Russia is located on the Vistula Spit. The Polish part contains a number of tourist resorts.
Photo credit: Poland's Ministry for Marine Economy and Inland Navigation
Israel is always right, just because it is Israel. However, Russia is not addicted to BDSM
2018/09/25
The Russian military have repeatedly warned Israel of the need to behave. Until recently, Russia has turned a blind eye on Israeli air raids in Syria.
When someone asks for something in an amicable way, there is always a temptation to ignore decency. Israel deceived the Russian military by designating the wrong area of their attacks on Syria. The crew of the Ilyushin Il-20 executed the order to fly to a safe area, but was shot down with a Syrian missile.
According to the report from the Russian Defence Ministry, Russia's S-400 anti-aircraft missile system deployed in Syria recorded every second of movement in Syrian airspace. The ministry acknowledged that it was a Syrian missile that shot down the Russian spy plane.
If Russia had deployed an S-400 complex in Syria, Turkey would not have downed the Su-24 bomber plane in November 2014. If Syria had had an S-300, all those men aboard the downed Il-20 would have been alive. The S-300 can detect Russian aircraft easily, but the lives of 15 Russian men have been lost.
Syria's airspace has been mayhem since the beginning of the war. It appears that anyone can fly in there and bomb the country. The French and the British are there, the Americans drop their bombs on Syria and launch Tomahawk missiles. However, representatives of the Russian Defence Ministry acknowledge that the Americans treat Russian military men in Syria with respect. The Americans always warn Russia accordingly and in advance of all their movements and actions, and this is the main reason why Russia has not had any problems with the Americans in Syria yet.
Benjamin Netanyahu's dream is coming true. Not only Russia will supply S-300 to Syria, but the country will outfit Syrian command posts with automated systems to identify Russian planes. In addition, Russia will take efforts to close the west of Syria with the help of the radio suppression system.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said that the delivery of advanced weapons into "irresponsible hands" would raise the level of risks in the region. It appears that the Israeli military man, who picked up the phone a minute before the Il-20 was downed, was a highly responsible individual.
Russia has listened to Israel before to remove Israel's concerns over the Golan Heights and other sensitive issues. Now Israel is naturally concerned. The US military are worried too. They think that US Air Force may come across certain difficulties in Syria. Of course, they are supposed to be concerned because no one has ever asked them to come to Syria to bomb and kill. Can anyone imagine the USA or Israel giving permission to another country to bomb their infrastructure that someone else deemed military? Yet, they believe that they have the right to bomb other countries.
"Israel is always right, just because it is Israel." This thesis smells of exceptionalism, similarly to American transatlantic fundamentalism. Perhaps, the amended configuration of Syrian air defenses and the determination of the Russian Defence Ministry to protect the Russian contingent in Syria will play a positive role.
Aggravation is not beneficial to anyone, but the tendency to turn the other cheek would already look like BDSM addiction. There is no hysteria in Russia. The Israelis displayed ungentlemanly conduct, and Russia had to change the rules to meet the realities of the moment. Nothing personal.
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru
Also read:
How Russia can respond to Israel following Il-20 shootdown
Israel's humanism smells blood, TNT and chlorine
Russia blames Israel for Il-20 shootdown in Syria
Will Russia and USA clash in Syria?
2018/09/25
What is the role of the Kurds in the Syrian crisis and its resolution? What is in store for these long-suffering people in the war-torn country? Are Russia and USA going to clash in Syria?
Pravda.Ru asked these questions to Valery Yemelyanov - chairman of the Information and Analytical Center "Time and Peace," orientalist, expert on the "Kurdish issue." He believes that postponing the solution of the Syrian crisis can be lethal to many.
"One does not talk about the Kurds much in light of the Syrian crisis. Does it mean that the Syrian conflict can be resolved without the Kurdish factor?"
"I do not think so. Roughly speaking, it was not the Kurdish issue that became the cause of the current civil war in Syria. The crisis started because of deep social contradictions in the Syrian society on the whole. The Kurds were sufficiently marginalised and oppressed under Assad's Baathist regime. They took advantage of this situation to declare and somehow implement their natural rights, which the Baath regime had taken away from them.Today, Syria as a stable country is impossible unless the Kurdish issue is solved."
"Why is it so taking into consideration the fact that Syria has been living without a solution of the "Kurdish question" for years?"
"True, but can you call that life? One can now see what was happening during the 1990s. The situation was favourable in general, but it was hiding repressive measures against the Sunnis and the Kurds. The Baathist regime deprived as many as 300,000 Kurds of their citizenship, let along other repressions. Therefore, Syria will not be able to exist peacefully unless the Kurdish issue is resolved no matter who heads the country - Assad or anyone else."
"Russia proposed the draft constitution on Syria, and the document touches upon the rights of the Kurds too. To which extent is Moscow ready to show influence on Damascus in this particular questions?"
"It's hard to tell. Judging by real policy and by what we can see now, Moscow and other great powers have lesser leverage today than they did during the time of global confrontation between the USSR and the United States. Regional powers enjoy their power and independence too. They are ready to accept recommendations from other countries, but they make it clear that they it will be up to them to make a final decision. Russia has a capacity to show influence on the issue, but not as much as it was during the times of the Soviet Union."
"Do the Kurds interfere with the solution of the Syrian crisis today?"
- In my opinion, they help in the process, because there can be only two options: either the collapse of Syria, or Syria as a single state with the Kurdish autonomy. As history shows, a multi-ethnic state, in which several different peoples co-exist, is not really vital. One needs a compromise. This compromise can only be possible in the form of autonomy. Otherwise, an irreversible process of disintegration will be launched."
"Do you think the Syrian administration understands this?"
"I think they understand, but it is difficult for us to talk about what is happening inside the Syrian establishment. This is a closed corporation, where much depends on personal and clan interests. I think that there are sober politicians, they have always been there, but one needs to see what forces influence the course of Syrian policies."
"What is going to happen to Syria against the backdrop of the situation in Idlib?"
"Idlib is a critical moment indeed. One is left to wonder whether it is going to be possible to avoid clashes between the Syrians and the Turks there. In fact, it goes about a possible confrontation between the USA, Iran and Russia. One needs to decide something about the crisis here and now. I think that the negotiation process will enter a more constructive new phase. If we look at all these processes - the talks in Astana, Geneva and the rest, it becomes clear that they are moving into the stage of negotiations for the sake of negotiations, This is a deadlock, especially in such a dramatic situation."
"Is it possible to find a solution for the Kurdish crisis to in the next few years in Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Iran?"
"Unfortunately, the Kurdish society lacks political realism. They first need to abandon a number of myths. First, the Greater Kurdistan is the first one of them. The second and third myth is about the hopes for US aircraft to appear in the skies above the Kurds and bomb their enemies. Many Kurds also believe that no one is going to help them ever. The truth is that one needs to develop pragmatic diplomacy for all directions and make constructive suggestions. In the near future, one should deal with the question of the status of the Kurds and their self-determination."
Pravda.Ru
Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru
Also read:
Turks and Kurds: One of a kind
The Kurds deserve their independence like no one else
Iraqi Kurdistan will never materialise
US disappoints credulous Kurds
Gaddafi's predictions come true as Americans gang rape the world
2018/09/24
If in 2010 we could hear the head of the National Oil Corporation (NOC) of Libya, Mustafa Sanall, saying that Tripoli was on the verge of a fuel crisis, that would be akin to a report about the disappearance of sand in the Sahara. Today, this is part of objective reality that leads to the future of nowhere.
Source: REX/Shutterstock
"Only three full fuel storages remain for the whole of Tripoli, the situation is very complicated ... The city may remain without gasoline, diesel fuel and gas," Mustafa Sanalla stated in his video message on Facebook.
If only Muammar Gaddafi had such an opportunity, he would have liked the post of the head of the National Oil Corporation of Libya. He would have liked the post from the netherworld and put a smilie next to it too.
The civil war in Libya began in 2011. "Peaceful civilians" suddenly showed their ability to handle not only small arms, but also complex military equipment. The wealthy country that used to feed all of Maghreb has turned into an exemplary mess very quickly.
As many as twelve fuel storage facilities were destroyed in Tripoli during the unrest. More than 60 people died in armed clashes in Tripoli only in August of 2018.
It seems that all are fighting against all as officials from Western countries are expressing their concerns and migrants are fleeing to other countries in a desperate effort to survive.
Muammar Gaddafi used to warn of such consequences. Libya used to be a buffer zone that was holding back the migration traffic preventing radical Islamists from raising their heads.
The weapons that were plundered at warehouses of the Libyan army migrated to Syria. It is quite possible that Gaddafi's guns are killing Russian soldiers somewhere near Aleppo or Idlib.
For Western democracies, there is no law. It is customary for the countries suffering from acute exceptionalism to bomb others at their own discretion, and a resolution from the UN Security Council is not required at all.
When Muammar Gaddafi spoke about a possibility to switch from US dollars to euros for Libyan oil deals, his future was predetermined. The issue of preserving the dominance of the dollar as the main reserve currency is still relevant.
The West started putting pressure on Russia long before 2014. All the fairy tales about the Crimea as a reason for sanctions were only a convenient excuse, just like the replacement of the Jackson-Vanik amendment with Magnitsky's act. China fell under the pressure of sanctions of the West too. It appears that the Americans were not at all enthusiastic about the news of the yuan becoming one of the world's reserve currencies.
Indeed, how dare they run US-independent policy? They should have followed the example of the European Union that turned independent states of the Old World into US-ditto entities. European leaders still may show verbal cramps of disagreement with their role of corps de ballet in the great American dance show. In fact, they obey almost all ideas of their exceptional transatlantic ally.
Europe is living under US sanctions too. The United States is preparing sanctions for Iran, as well for India, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and other countries that decided to buy Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile systems and Su-35 fighters from Russia.
The attempt of the sanctions gang rape may boomerang on the United States itself. The trade war is gathering pace and may eventually go out of control. Russia has clearly declared its unwillingness to accept USA's global leadership. Iran, being a full-fledged veteran of US sanctions pressure, reacts rigidly to new restrictions. China has changed the benevolent tone and is frowning at the US. It's hard to predict what India and Turkey can do, but Saudi Arabia is unlikely to swallow the sanctions pill. This country has every opportunity to pinch the Americans very hard.
Also read:
What Russia needs to learn from Gaddafi's mistakes
How many aircraft and pilots Russia has lost in Syria so far
2018/09/24
Russia lost its Ilyushin Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft on September 17 when the pilots of Israeli fighter jets put the Il-20 in the line of fire of Syrian air defence systems. It just so happened that a Russian-made S-200 missile struck the Russian aircraft, having killed 15 Russian servicemen.
Source: Mil.ru
On November 24, 2015, a Turkish F-16 fighter deliberately and knowingly shot down the Russian Su-24M bomber plane. The pilots ejected, but one of them - lieutenant-colonel Oleg Peshkov was killed, whereas navigator Konstantin Murakhtin was rescued in a special operation, in which a Mi-8 helicopter was lost too. Terrorists opened fire at the helicopter killing seaman Alexander Pozynich. The Su-24 shootdown incident aggravated relations between Russia and Turkey. The ties between the countries began improving only after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan apologised to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
On April 12, 2016, a Mi-28N helicopter crashed in Syria's Homs Province. Both crew members were killed - pilot Andrey Okladnikov and navigator Viktor Pankov. The helicopter crashed as a result of a piloting error.
On August 1, 2016, a Mi-8AMTSh helicopter was shot down above the province of Idlib. The helicopter was downed as it was returning to Hmeymim airbase after delivering humanitarian cargo to Aleppo. Three were crew members and two officers of the Russian Reconciliation Center on board - all of them were killed.
On November 3, 2016, a Mi-35M Russian military helicopter made an emergency landing about 40 km to the northwest of Palmyra. After the landing, all crew members were attacked with mortar fire. The helicopter was damaged and was unable to return to the airdrome; the crew were evacuated. The next day terrorists posted a video on the Internet showing the destruction of the abandoned Mi-35.
On October 10, 2017, a Su-24 bomber plane skidded off the runway. The aircraft was completely destroyed as a result of the accident. Both pilots on board did not have time to eject and were killed. Officials with the Defence Ministry said that the incident occurred because of a technical malfunction.
On December 31, 2017, a Mi-24 helicopter crashed 15 km from Hama airfield. Two pilots were killed, a mechanic survived but was seriously injured. The Defence Ministry said that the helicopter crashed as a result of hard landing caused by a technical malfunction.
On February 3, a Su-25 attack aircraft crashed when flying above the de-escalation zone of Idlib. The pilot, Roman Filipov, managed to eject, but landed on the territory controlled by terrorists. He entered into a battle with terrorists, but was killed. According to the Defence Ministry, the Su-25 attack aircraft was shot down from a man-portable air defence system (MANPAD). Filipov was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Russia in accordance with the decree signed by President Putin.
On March 6, an Antonov An-26 transport aircraft crashed when landing at Hmeymim airbase. The aircraft hit the ground being only 500 meters away from the runway. There were 39 military men, including major general and 26 officers on board - all of them were killed. According to the Ministry, weather conditions were favourable for landing, the aircraft was not attacked from the ground either. Technical reasons are believed to be the prime cause of this accident.
On May 3, a Sukhoi Su-30SM fighter crashed during takeoff from Hmeymim airbase. Officials with the Defence Ministry said that there was no fire impact made, and the plane could crash as a result of a bird strike. Representatives of the ministry noted that two pilots on board were trying to steer the aircraft to the last minute, but were killed in the accident.
On May 7, a multi-purpose Ka-52 attack helicopter crashed during a scheduled flight above eastern regions of Syria. Both pilots aboard were killed. The Defence Ministry said that the helicopter crashed as a result of a technical malfunction. However, the Kommersant newspaper wrote citing sources in the military administration that the helicopter was shot down from a MANPAD.
On September 17, Russia lost the Ilyushin Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft with 15 people on board. The wreckage was found in the afternoon off the coast of the Syrian province of Latakia. Representatives of the Defence Ministry stated that the plane was shot down from a S-200 complex of Syrian air defence forces after pilots of Israeli fighter jets set the Russian airplane up causing it to be shot down.
Inside Russian airbase in Syria. Pravda.Ru exclusive
Russia to ship S-300 to Syria after Il-20 shootdown
2018/09/24
After the incident with the shootdown of the Ilyushin Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea, Russia will supply an S-300 anti-aircraft missile system to Syria, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said. The Russian Il-20 was shot down by Syrian air defence systems when Israeli fighters struck the territory of the republic.
Russia will ship the S-300 SAM to Syria within the next two weeks. The S-300 complex "is capable of intercepting air attack weapons at the range of more than 250 km and strike several air targets at a time.
"In 2013, at the request of the Israeli side, we suspended the supplies of the S-300 complex to Syria," Shoigu said, stressing that the complex had been prepared for shipment, and Syrian servicemen had received the necessary training by that time. "Today the situation has changed. And it was not our fault," Shoigu said.
In addition, Russia will equip command posts of Syrian air defence units with automated command and control systems. This will give Syrian air defences an opportunity to identify all Russian aircraft.
The Russian military department will also take measures targeting electronic suppression of satellite navigation, airborne radar (radar) and communications systems of combat aircraft attacking targets in Syria (above the water area of the Mediterranean Sea adjacent to the Arab Republic).
"We are convinced that the implementation of these measures will cool some hotheads and keep them away from taking unreasonable actions that threaten our servicemen," said Sergei Shoigu, adding that Moscow will react accordingly otherwise.
Also read:
How can Russia respond to Israel after Il-20 shootdown
Syria to defend itself with Russia's S-300
On the collapse of civility in Western nations: living in the era of 'not nice'
2018/09/24
By Michael Pravica
Source: Fotodom.ru
In case you haven't noticed it, things seem to be going from bad to worse. Day in and day out, there is an astonishing level of ever-worsening anarchy and barbarity in our society. Driving on our roads is like racing in a demolition derby. Few signal their intentions switching lanes (e.g.). No one opens doors for anyone anymore. Few help old people cross the street. People don't say "hello" or even smile on the street.
Less and less of us communicate as actual humans - preferring sterile, noncommittal texting, Fa-cebook, Twitter, Instagram and other electronic/robotic means to "connect with" our many fake/virtual "friends." The mainstream media supplies us a steady diet of violence, sex, filthy dirty dumb "humor," and caters to the lowest common denominator of society with coprolalia and vicious slander freely dis-tributed to the masses. Daily, we read about the incessant back and forth battles that Donald Trump is having with the "fake news" corporate-controlled mainstream media which are getting ever more des-perate and vicious. So much so that ubiquitous "anonymous" and fake sources trying to create division and paranoia within the President's inner circle and within the nation at large. We read about ongo-ing Twitter missives between various celebrities chock full of delicious insults and uncouth language. "Celebrities" routinely bash our President and have even committed grotesque public animalistic actions (e.g. "comedian" Kathy Griffin mockingly holding Donald Trump's severed head). Obviously, to them, there is no limit to the depth of their hatred and amoral depravity (even if viewed by children) and they will do literally anything including break the law to get their way.
The online comments on various media forums have descended into name calling and vicious com-ments from anonymous anti-intellectual trolls promoting this or that view and are pretty much useless. No one is really even talking/discussing/debating anymore. They (including paid psy-ops trolls) are all shouting their point of view (with all caps) and insulting anyone who disagrees with them. But they aren't persuading anyone as no one really ever budges from their "I'm always right and you're wrong" stances. Professors have even been savagely and physically attacked by mobs criticizing a controversial invited speaker. As exposed in the last election, thugs are paid to make commotion and provoke trouble at meetings to violently advance a particular agenda George Soros "colored revolu-tion"/"Pussy Riot" style. We as a society appear to be going backward in time a few centuries to the Medieval Ages. What is happening to my country?
The situation in Western nations - particularly the US - is getting worse. We are no longer civil when we talk to one another and it is clear that we are losing the ability to properly and civilly debate one an-other. This turning us into a highly polarized and charged society of "us and thems" which can only lead to civil war and anarchy. However, given the impression promulgated within the mainstream media, President Trump and his "deplorables" are solely to blame for the sorry collapse of civility within West-ern, particularly American society. Sadly, as an activist for over 25 years, I have seen this collapse in ci-vility elsewhere in the world and I see a pattern that has been tested elsewhere and is now being em-ployed here. Western societies are being prepped for and encouraged into violence, just as the Hitler Youth/Brownshirts were encouraged to use violence to promote and enforce the wills of the Nazi party. I am worried that there is a similar effort to produce a divided, conquered, and violent socie-ties in the West for similar "thuggish" objectives of the globalist "elites" who aim to enslave all humanity and the culpability of Western corporate-controlled mainstream media in fomenting this incivility and anarchy.
To that end, it is instructive to examine the Yugoslav civil wars to better understand how foreign agents can provoke violence via vitriol. When the mainstream media was in its element spewing anti-Serbian propaganda and outright lies, US "diplomat" Richard Holbrooke called the Serbs "murderous assholes." Our own "distinguished" Madeleine Albright called protestors (who were actually not Serbian) who civilly challenged her at a book signing "Disgusting Serbs, get out!." (Ironically, she was actually saved by Serbs during WWII.) Ahhh, US diplomacy at its finest!
Fast forwarding from Yugoslavia to the Ukraine, one of our "exemplary" models of a "diplomat," Vic-toria Nuland, was caught saying: "Fxxx the EU." Not nice! And she certainly did this to the Ukraine and to the EU by encouraging the fascist mob overthrow of the Ukraine's democratically-elected government provoking a civil war which resulted in the retaking of the Crimea and other histori-cally-Russian speaking territories by Russia.
Considering yet more examples of "not nice" barbarity from our "leaders," It was well known but not reported that Bill and Hillary Clinton regularly swore at each other and at their staff and threw things at one another. Richard Nixon also had a fondness for using guttural language/swear words. Yet, during these earlier times, the media chose not to report these inappropriate exchanges because airing dirty laundry didn't serve the nation. However, today, nothing is sacrosanct anymore. Anything and everything that can boost views, increase "likes" and views and be used against Donald Trump will be broadcast. The mainstream media "elites" are so desperate to get rid of the legally-elected US president (just like they were gunning to get rid of democratically-elected Viktor Yanukovych in the Ukraine) that they are using similar thuggish tactics and reporting to slander the Commander- in-Chief - throwing everything they have (including the kitchen sink) at Donald Trump - so much so that many people are just becoming desensitized to the astonishing cacophony of immature shrill. The end result is that few true thinkers believe the mainstream media or the deep state anymore due to the lies told thousands of times over.
It seems that today, the mob rule techniques honed in the Ukraine, Yugoslavia, and in other seemingly endless "color revolutions," that were the "brain"child of George Soros, have been brought to America in a desperate effort to unseat Donald Trump. Though I'm not a Donald Trump fan, I see tremendous energy and money squandered to engineer a violent overthrow (or even assassination) of a President who was elected fairly and squarely, and thus, by seeking to change the rules of democracy by which my nation has been successfully using for over two centuries, this effort will bring America into a reign of terror and fascist chaos because that's what the "elites" want.
When we lose the ability to be civil to one another, the only remaining alternative is violence. Is this really where the mainstream media want to take us? Civil war? Race Riots? That Donald Trump, like so many "elites," is not an intellectual and doesn't always mince words is no surprise. Few Presidents ever were. What is surprising is the fanaticism and fervor that the mainstream media will report anything even if it makes the US look bad (e.g. Donald Trump's alleged "Shixxxhole countries" comment). There are apparently no boundaries in respectable reporting anymore which is to me a sign of desperation in the mainstream media.
The terrifying aspect of this "thuggization"/"mob-itization" of America vis a vis the mainstream me-dia is that diplomacy and civil debate are being vanquished as means to resolve issues and find common ground which merely encourages violence. This will bring us anarchy and civil war which may lead to WWIII given the absolutely bizarre and illogical effort to blame the Russian "bogeyman" for all of our ills.
To borrow the Chinese curse: "We live in interesting times" that are just "not nice."
Michael Pravica, Ph.D.
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