I am soon getting a Forester and plan to use it a bit off the paved roads, but not really much: still, 95% to maybe even 98% of my driving would be on tarmac. Even when I'd get off the road, I'd stick to gravel and forest roads: no rock crawling or anything like that, just the mild stuff.
Since the off-road part is rather small, but kind of certain (there are places in the mountains I'd like to go to, and I don't plan on taking them off my travel bucket list), I am unsure whether I really do need to get the AT tires, or I can just stick to some SUV all-season tires. Now, there are a couple of considerations here...
First and foremost, I live in Europe, and the offer of AT tires around here is MUCH worse than in America or Australia, for instance. Also, when taking only the "mild" AT tires into consideration, the ones with the 3PMSF sign (which I want to have), the size I need (225/60 R17) is basically offered just by Bridgestone and Yokohama. It's the very new Dueler AT002 and the tried and true Geolandar AT G015 that I can get, and that's pretty much it. Luckily, they both seem fine a choice and are not very expensive (Yokohama is about 25% cheaper to buy).
Now, reading about the internal constructions of some of the all-season tires (which is how we call the all-weather tires in Europe, meaning they all have the 3PMSF certification), I can see it's the same (or very similar) to the ones of the mild AT tires. Usually, it's something like "two high-strength steel belts and a single ply nylon layer atop a dual-ply polyester body casing". Of course, the AT tires have the thread which is a bit more aggressive, especially the sidewall, plus they usually have more thread-depth. This makes them a bit more puncture-resistant, but is this difference really that big, considering the internal construction similarities?
On the other hand, the thread differences make them heavier and tougher to handle, meaning they will probably provide for worse performance on-road, especially in wet conditions. Also, the economy should be worse with AT tires, but that doesn't concern me at all. What I would like to know, though, is how much worse are they on-road, compared to the all-season tires? Especially in dry&wet braking (I am not a very spirited driver, so I do not require some top-level handling characteristics).
The biggest problem now is that there are almost NO tests that compare the two groups. The only one I found is this one:
https://www.tyrereviews.com/Article/2018-Auto-Bild-SUV-All-Season-Tyre-Test.htm
I've looked on tyrereviews.com (obviously), tire-rack (even though it's not a European site, they still have great tests), tiredriver.com, AutoBild, AutoZeitung, AutoExpress... Nothing very useful. Does anybody else know about some other direct comparisons? I don't care much about the performance of the tires on gravel/dirt, as long as they are not too sensitive (in terms of getting damaged).
Basically, if the ATs are not much worse than the all-season tires (Goodyear Vector 4season SUV Gen-3 or Yokohama Geolandar CV 4S G061, for instance) in the dry&wet, I would go with them. If there is a substantial difference in braking/aquaplaning, like 15-20% or more, I'd definitely go with the AS tires, having in mind my more on-road oriented needs, and I'd just target a model which is a bit more sturdily designed and constructed.
TL;DR - are there any tests that answer the question from the topic title?

Bundesliga Matchday 32
Sat 04.05.2024, 15:30
MHP-Arena (Stuttgart)
#VfBFCB
Link to Press Conference.
​

• Team News: Stadium sold out, 60k full house. Nartey still unavailable. Daxo in rehab, Vagnoman out, Egloff out. Massimo also out. Millot and Mittelstädt can't play due to yellow cards.

​

• Reporter: How did you find the Dortmund CL win meaning VfB have qualified for the Champions League. Did you drink a beer?

Hoeneß: I watched the game and yeah, I celebrated the qualification. Its immense. Its very special, and unusual to get in due to the 5th spot being granted to Germany. But we will keep pushing as we want to earn that spot on our own merit by not finishing lower than 4th. No beers last night, I had one today. but just one so far ;)

​

• R: The fans are very hyped and there is lots of chat about potential teams that VfB could play. Do you have any personal teams you would love to play?

H: We did have a look at the pots before while the trainer team had a beer together and sure, Pot 1 and 2 are full of huge teams with huge history, Real Madrid away would be amazing of course, and there are a few trainers where it would be a treat to come up against. But we will take what will comes.

​

• R: Blah blah blah FC Bayern, Rangnick, Hoeneß trainer question from Bild reporter.

H: I have answered this question previously , nothing has changed.

​

• R: What do you think Bayern will do in regards to rotation with their Champions League games. And how will you cover your two suspended players?

H: Yeah I am sure Bayern will change some things up, they have a huge upcoming game. And it will be irrelevant who they put out, it will be a top team. They have been playing fantastically the last few weeks, with plenty of changes to their team. Their CL game will not make it easier for us. Stiller will come in and not sure yet who the 2nd will be.

​

• R: After securing Champions League, do you call Fabian Wohlgemuth straight away and say we need this this and this? And how is your working relationship with him?

H: From day one we have had a great partnership. The Squad planning isn't something we started after Dortmund won. We have plenty of scenarios that have been talked about. No, no call was made, but to have CL secured with 3 matchdays left to play. That is fantastic. The aim before this season was to secure our place in the BL for next season as early as possible. Just confirms what a crazy season this has been.

​

• R: How do you think the CL qualification will help the one or two players that may have transfer ambitions for next season? Might help them decide to stay?

H: Yeah, and with our Fans as well. When you have been part of a squad and that squad qualified for the Champions League and the fans have followed the entire way, made every home and away game special, you probably want to know how crazy can it get in the Champions League at home and away with our fans. Our players are looking at their careers, their identity etc. They also all know what they have at this club. I know they all love playing, training and sitting in the dressing room with their fellow players, and playing CL together next season is of course going to help. But in the end this sport is business, and there is no guarantee that everyone will be be here next season.

​

• R: Are you going to go up on to the fence by the Kurve after the game? You said you would when the team has achieved something?

H: we have two more games at home, we shall see what happens, it needs to be the right moment and situation. We shall see, even though I am not a fan of standing in the limelight, I will probably do this, as we all together have achieved something special.

​
Our record against them: 119 Games, 19 wins, 22 draws, 78 losses. 140 goals for, 274 against.
Join the Subreddit Discord for lots of great VfB chat, and match threads with over 100 participants each game.
​

16-minute read.

anti-corruption: authorities reach an asset forfeiture settlement with ex-Governor of Tavush

The Anti-Corruption Court read a verdict to reaffirm the settlement reached between authorities and a Serj-era governor accused of possessing properties with illegal origins. The ex-Gov Hovik Abovyan will transfer 75% of the assets, a total of ֏609 million, to the state.
In 2021 the ex-Gov was charged with falsifying income declaration documents during his tenure. Prosecutors began investigating his assets shortly afterward.
P.S. One of the listed "illegal" properties is a cubic Mercedes-Benz G500.
source, source,

police will use cameras to catch drivers not wearing seat belts

POLICE: Speeding is the most common cause of fatal car accidents. However, your chances of surviving a speeding accident are far greater if you and all the passengers are wearing seat belts. Unless we see progress soon, we're going to start using cameras to hold every violating driver accountable. Once again, we urge everyone to follow the seat belt rules unconditionally.
source,

desperate residents of Nagorno-Karabakh were mixing wood dust with scarce food to survive during the 2022-2023 hunger blockade by Azerbaijan that ended with total ethnic cleansing in September: VIDEO

video, video,

Glory to Arstotzka

Russia and Belarus continue to integrate into a Union State. Russian press writes that a joint media holding will be launched by 2025 as part of the "Union State" efforts. The organization will receive ₽1 billion in funding to kickstart.
source,

Armenia sent election observers to the U.S.

Los Angeles invited ranking members of Armenia's electoral commission to observe the presidential Primaries earlier this month.
source,

Armenia did not send election observers to Russia as part of a CSTO mission

source,

Russians formed "kilometer-long" lines in Yerevan and Gyumri under the rain to vote in Russia's "presidential elections"

There were five polling stations across Armenia. The lines were particularly long in the noon as part of a Russian opposition campaign "Noon against Putin". The idea was to convince anti-Putin voters to get out to vote together as a silent protest.

... Russian election results in Armenia

Yerevan had 6,002 voters: Davankov 50%, Putin 33%.
Gyumri had 1,234 voters: Putin 58%, Davankov 31%.
Russian opposition figures, including a survey organizer, implied that the organizers might have falsified the election results to boost Putin's numbers. They said the exit polls showed only 20% support for Putin in Gyumri. However, the survey organizer added that many elderly voters and dual citizens refused to take part in exit polls and that some of them said they "still maintain connection with Russia."

... the percentage of votes captured by Putin in various capitals

Baku 77%
Bishkek 74%
Tashkent 58%
Yerevan 33%
video, source, source, video, video, video, Rotenberg, video, source, source, source, source, source,

Ilham Aliyev congratulates Putin

Putin thanked Aliyev for paying attention.
source,

Russian economist Guriyev about the economy of Russia and protests by the families of mobilized troops

REPORTER: Putin announced tax increases during the speech to parliament. Is this an unpopular but necessary decision?
GURIYEV: Exactly. Tax hikes are not popular in any country. Putin understands that the sanctions have, after all, limited the amount of cash in his pocket. Let me remind you that Putin drastically increased military expenditures in 2024 and he is worried now about running out of money.
The liquid portion of the National Welfare Fund as of January was approximately $56 billion. Half of it is in Chinese yuans and the other half in gold. Gold is not easy to sell. That's why Putin is raising the taxes.
When you look at the deficit and the funds necessary to fund the war, Putin will run out of money by early 2025 without raising taxes. He has decided to raise the taxes and reduce expenditures on healthcare instead of stopping the war. He is relying on OMON to suppress any public protests to tax hikes. The killing of Navalny and more recently the physical attack on dissident Volkov is part of the strategy to deprive the dissatisfied population of leaders.
Tax hikes will not only take wealth from citizens but will also reduce economic growth in the civilian sector. This is a blow to the civilian workforce. The unemployment rate is currently low partly because of high levels of defense manufacturing, but anyone not in this sector is going to suffer from the tax hikes.
REPORTER: Will the tax hike weaken or strengthen Putin's grip on power?
GURIYEV: There will be more public dissatisfaction and more resources to suppress it.
REPORTER: Is Putin distracting the public from the war, especially ahead of the presidential elections?
GURIYEV: Putin cannot lose this war. Nobody else needs this war, it's unpopular. Protests are growing among families of mobilized troops who want them returned. Putin is cash-strapped here because he needs more money to hire mercenaries to replace them. Putin cannot afford to lose this war, otherwise, the generals will begin to wonder why they have to continue to serve someone who sacrificed hundreds of thousands of their men in vain. "I could do better than Putin. I did a great job leading my army while Putin sabotaged us by not supplying tanks and soldiers. Maybe we should replace Putin with someone who is more determined." There is a real physical threat to Putin, so he will do anything unpopular, like raising taxes, to deliver those tanks and mercenaries. No one else needs this war.
REPORTER: Could Putin lose the war despite these efforts?
GURIYEV: I'm not a military expert. I don't know how many missiles and jets Ukraine would need to win the war. The situation is currently difficult for Ukraine. There have been no major movements on LoC for around a year and Ukraine is short of ammunition. This is why here in Paris there is a discussion about significantly escalating the type of support for Ukraine if there is a threat to Odesa or Kyiv.
REPORTER: Is there any imminent threat to Putin?
GURIYEV: He has many problems but there is currently no "Prigozhin", no cracks in the system, and no visible conspiracy brewing against him. If there was a process against him we wouldn't read about it in newspapers, it would be a secret process, so maybe there is a process that we are not aware of.
Today the biggest threat to Putin is the growing movement by the families of mobilized troops. The regime can't publicly beat the soldiers' wives with batons like they do others because the soldiers on the frontlines wouldn't like it, which is why so far the regime has chosen to scare or bribe the leaders of this movement. They are also detaining the journalists covering the families' protests to prevent the story from spreading.
Putin doesn't have many options here. These mobilized troops have been on the frontlines for 1.5 years. To replace them he'd need to announce a highly unpopular mobilization or spend a lot of money to hire their replacements. This is why Putin is facing economic and political problems.
This is also why it's so important to raise awareness about the protests by the families of mobilized troops. We remember the important role that soldiers' mothers played during the war in Chechnya. Imperial wars always work the same way: no resistance initially but protests grow as more coffins and wounded return from frontlines. This was the case for the USSR in Afghanistan, the U.S. in Vietnam, and France in Algiers.
There have been instances of Putin's regime threatening and scaring the families of soldiers to prevent them from being as outspoken. There have been instances of "bribing" them. They will also promote fake family members who will claim everything is great with their sons. It's necessary to spread the word about this growing movement so other families will know they aren't alone, that they can join a movement, and that it's relatively safe. //
source,

High-Tech Minister Hayrapetyan about possibly restricting Russian state television channels in Armenian public multiplex for anti-Armenian coverage

REPORTER: Russia24 television channel recently broadcasted yet another anti-Armenian program. How do you plan to address this issue?
MINISTER: Soon we will hold consultations in Moscow to discuss the bilateral broadcasting agreement. Armenia will present solutions to protect Armenia's state interests. No broadcasted content should meddle in Armenia's internal affairs or insult the symbols of the Republic of Armenia or the dignity of the Armenian population.
REPORTER: There was a similar meeting earlier [under the former High-Tech Minister, fired a few months ago] but Russia claimed Armenia did not present any examples.
MINISTER: Correct. There were negotiations in December. We haven't seen any improvement in the quality of the broadcasted content and problematic content is aired frequently. That means the mechanisms of control envisaged under the AM-RU broadcasting agreement aren't functioning. The Armenian side will present solutions. We will present examples of violations.
REPORTER: Will you remove Russian state channels from Armenia's public multiplex?
MINISTER: I will refrain from disclosing the details of the proposals we plan to submit to the Russian side.
source,

man arrested after breaking a government building window with a stone

[Նիկօլ դավաջան?]
video,

government launches a tender to select a company for the implementation of the new biometric passport & ID system with European eIDAS 2.0 standards

It's mandatory for visa liberalization with the EU.
source,

Armenia-Kazakhstan relations

Kazakh FM visited Yerevan on Monday to meet his Armenian counterpart. They discussed the Crossroads of Peace logistics project, direct AM-KZ flights, the AM-AZ peace efforts, and the idea of forming an AM-KZ business and investment council.
KAZAKH FM: Our exports to Armenia grew by 23% to only $58 million. We have the potential to increase it by $350 million. Armenia has over 100 businesses with Kazakh capital, and Kazakhstan has 435 companies with Armenian capital. We intend to launch direct Yerevan-Astana flights to boost these ties.
Armenia's Crossroads of Peace project is a complementary opportunity for our countries. We intend to cooperate with Armenia so that the middle corridor can operate at its full potential.
The 25,000-strong Armenian diaspora of Kazakhstan plays an important role in strengthening cultural and business ties. //
The foreign ministers signed a 2024-2025 cooperation plan.
source, source, source, source,

PM Pashinyan visited Tavush border villages to discuss the upcoming border delimitation plans with residents

Pashinyan announced the visit last week during the press conference. Residents said almost every family residing in the villages of Voskepar and Kirants sent a member to participate in the Q&A with Pashinyan on Monday.
PASHINYAN: The border delimitation process is entering a practical phase. Delimitation is a process to reaffirm where the countries are on the ground. Why am I in village Voskepar today? We see a realistic opportunity to begin the AM-AZ delimitation from this area: Baghanis-Berkaber. What is unique about this area? As you are aware, Azerbaijan has raised the question of 4 non-enclave villages. In turn, we have raised the issue of lands belonging to 31 Armenian villages. In response to our demands, Azerbaijan says none of the "immediate" areas of these villages, in other words, the areas where people live, are under the control of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has suggested addressing "living" areas of villages first, followed by pastures and other territories. We argue that all territories of a village are important. But we shouldn't fight a war over this. We have decided to launch the delimitation process from this section of the border. It will strengthen the security of Armenia and nearby villagers. //
MAYOR Of NOYEMBERYAN: The 4 Azerbaijani ex-villages are: Baghanis Ayrum, Ayrumnel [?], Kheyrimli [?], Nerkin Aksipara [?]. Pashinyan said there might be war if the borders aren't delimited. [Audio quality is bad] There are 4 Armenian houses that fall into Azerbaijani territory, 3 of which are populated. This area will be neutral [no soldiers on either side] so an entire district will be a neutral zone. They offered to cover the cost of moving those [presumably 4] houses but we are against it. Our [villagers'] suggestion is to exchange with Azerbaijan the 850-hectare Armenian area near the Berkaber reservoir currently under Azeri control with the highway near Voskepar so our houses won't be affected. //
MAYOR of KIRANTS (on the border): The only thing villagers care about is peace. Pashinyan informed us that [Armenian] villages won't be surrendered and that this is a delimitation process. As for Azerbaijan's demands, it's about 4 villages of Azerbaijan. We also have Armenian territories currently under Azerbaijani control. We need to delimit the borders and return our territories. Pashinyan agrees with us. We need to return territories belonging to 31 Armenian villages. //
Since the borders are twisted in this region, some villagers wanted to know if they'll be able to use existing roads to reach pastures or neighboring settlements without having to cross the Azeri border after the delimitation. Pashinyan collected the residents' questions and will meet them again "several times" with more answers "before a decision is made", said the participants. "There is no final decision on anything yet."
AREG KOCHINYAN (analyst): The topic is the delimitation of territories immediately on the border, not the enclaves. Azerbaijan wants "4 Azerbaijani villages" that are immediately on the border. The first step is to agree to use maps that hold legal power. It will be a great diplomatic accomplishment if Azerbaijan agrees to use legal maps and principles for the entire AM-AZ border delimitation process in exchange for starting the delimitation from these 4 villages. Lack of agreement around legal maps is the #1 issue stalling the peace process today. The #2 issue is the unblocking of communications. It's worth noting that Turkey's Foreign Minister Fidan recently used the term "route" instead of "corridor". I have noticed a similar trend in Azerbaijan as well.
REPORTER: Why are the political forces that always accuse Pashinyan of "surrendering" things, for example, HHK Edward Sharmazanov, also criticizing Pashinyan for NOT surrendering a Zangezur corridor to Russia? Sharmazanov said we would not have lost Nagorno-Karabakh had Pashinyan agreed to give the Zangezur corridor.
AREG KOCHINYAN: It's not really "surrendering" when you fight until the end and sometimes are forced to step back. We did not surrender Nagorno-Karabakh, which is why we had the war. As for surrendering a corridor to Russia, we have surrendered many things to Russia over the last 30 years. Did that help us? Armenian leaders, including Pashinyan, took steps to appease Russia, up until mid-2022. And what was the result of that? Just accept the fact that Turkey and Azerbaijan are far more valuable to Russia. This is the root of problems. Period. To blame Armenia for the deeds of others is mankurtism.
REPORTER: Ukraine chose Europe. See what happened to Ukraine?
AREG KOCHINYAN: Armenia chose Russia over Europe in 2013. See what happened to Armenia? Why do we need Russia anymore if we don't have Nagorno-Karabakh?
REPORTER: ... so they can protect our border with Turkey.
AREG KOCHINYAN: Does anyone believe the Russian army will open fire at the Turkish army and stop them if they decide to invade Armenia? How long are we going to be this naïve?
source, source, video, source, source, source, source,

did Israel cancel the sale of some weapons to Azerbaijan?

On March 11 the press reported that Israel sold a Sky Dew "flying radar" to Azerbaijan. It's a system manufactured jointly with the US. Unnamed Israeli sources have since informed Shepher Media that the report was false.
The source says Israel is exercising caution because of the US's heavy diplomatic involvement in the AM-AZ peace process. There is no outright "order" from Washington not to sell weapons, but Israel has decided not to approve the sale of certain systems, says the source.
The source says Azerbaijan is also attempting to purchase heavier warheads and electronic warfare systems.
The source confirmed the earlier reports that Azerbaijan wants to acquire two surveillance satellites with a resolution of <1 meter.
source,

Azerbaijan agreed to host U.S. envoy Bono after shunning him earlier this year

Bono and FM Bayramov discussed the AM-AZ peace process in Baku despite Aliyev's earlier complaints that the U.S. is "biased".
source,

Armenian manufacturer begins producing toothpaste with fruit flavor

The manufacturer imports the ingredients from the UK and Germany and produces 5,000/day with flavors of apricot, watermelon, etc. They plan to export some of it to CIS and the Middle East.
The production launched in December after a $0.5 million investment and tax breaks with the help of Enterprise Armenia - the country's National Investment Agency.
video,

Yerevan municipality goes berserk on illegal ad banners and billboards: VIDEO

2,000 removed in 2 months. They were removed from streets, bus stops, and building façades.
It's a result of a new ordinance approved last year that gave non-compliant ad owners until the end of the year to remedy the issue to avoid removal.
The new law specifies the locations authorized for ads and their aesthetic standards. Shop owners are given example images showing where the entrance ads are allowed, the ratios, the height from the ground, etc.
The city sent inspectors to remove non-compliant ads from Baghramyan Ave last year. Similar enforcement is planned elsewhere this year: Halabyan, Kievyan St, Kievyan Bridge & adjacent, Sasna Tsrer, Tigran Petrosyan, Komitas, and Hrachya Kochar.
video,

Yerevan municipality continues to replace illegal garages and fences in condo backyards with playgrounds and gardens: VIDEO

video,

Yerevan is bribing dog owners ahead of a potentially unpopular decision: VIDEO

The city is building a dog park in the Arabkir district, similar to the ones built in several other districts.
The city says they soon plan to require dog owners to microchip666BillGates their pets, so these parks are a bribe to keep the potentially unhappy owners quiet.
The city will also launch the construction of a large concentration camp for stray dogs.
Glory to Arstotzka.
Long live cats.
video,

3D model of the proposed renovation and expansion of Yerevan Zoo: VIDEO

Last year the government delimited the Zoo's borders and realized it owns an additional 5 hectares adjacent to it. A development plan was drafted.
The zoo is buying new cages because it has animals that aren't being displayed to visitors due to a lack of appropriate enclosures.
New animals: White tiger, African goats, African hyena-like wild dogs.
This year: New alleys, POIs, educational guides, new cages.
A bus in front of Yeritasardakan subway station will take you to the zoo free of charge on weekends, starting in May.
Bunka the elephant needs sexy time so they are going to get a female after expanding the enclosure this year.
video,

government discussed the Academic City

PASHINYAN: In the long run, every university should move out of Yerevan and Kentron to the Academic City [15-20 minutes with public transport]. There should be no university in Armenia outside of Academic City. Today we have 60 "universities" across Armenia with a massive administrative overhead, 60 rectors, 120 vice-rectors, hundreds of deans, and close to a thousand vice-deans.
So it is not surprising that whenever we talk about the reforms of the university system, certain tensions arise because we are talking about depriving thousands of people of their statuses from their point of view.
This is a strategic area for Armenia yet none of these universities meet international standards; they would all shut down if we were to introduce EU standards today, or if we attempted to enforce our domestic requirements. That is how the idea of Academic City was born. They simply don't meet the standards, even physical facility standards. Their infrastructure and modern education are incompatible.
By the way, these 60 universities sometimes drag us into international scandals that affect Armenia's reputation. There are tens of publications on international outlets about the corruption and fake diplomas by Armenian universities. We can't enforce the rules on universities selectively so the entire field needs a rework.
After the reforms and the relocation to the Academic City, the existing university buildings must be managed by a reputable international organization and the revenue from their utilization should be used for the development of universities. //
The Academic City will have 6 clusters: educational, arts, technology, classic, medical, and military. The arts cluster will include the Conservatory, the Academy of Fine Arts, Taterakan, and several other cultural structures. The government is cooperating with Western universities to form the clusters.
PASHINYAN (November): We should focus on quality over quantity. Today we have "universities" in provinces with standards so low that they shouldn't be called universities at all. After the establishment of Academic City, the only place you will find universities in Armenia will be the Academic City. In provinces, we will develop colleges with higher standards to train experts so people can remain in their communities and find jobs if they wish. You won't be required to attend a university to be skilled and financially successful. Today Armenia has a shortage of skilled welders. They get paid very high wages but this field has been neglected for years and there is not enough interest in it. We can't have a so-called "university" on every corner. It has led to quality issues that we are forced to deal with today. Those who want to study will be able to study. This isn't about there not being a university "close enough" to someone's community and them having to travel to Yerevan. They will be able to get admitted, travel there, and study in a large academic environment that promotes education. I'm from a province myself. When you travel to a new environment and become part of a big educational system, it changes your mindset, it becomes part of your education. We need to teach young students to get out of their homes and see the world. Gaining this experience is part of becoming an adult. After all, mom and dad aren't going to hold your hand your entire life. Living an independent life and having to gain new skills to resolve your new problems is also education. When I was a newspaper editor, one time a man in his 50s entered my office with his daughter in her 20s. "Hello. I want my daughter to work at your publication." I told him that the job of a journalist is a very serious one. If your adult child doesn't have the determination to independently come and apply, are you going to sit down with her during interviews and write the articles with her? We need to end the practice of holding a child's hand forever. Let them go see the world. Then you wonder why they don't have a job and courage. You are not giving them an opportunity to face challenges. Release them from the incubator. They need to travel to the Academic City, enter the new campus, engage with new people and a new environment, and learn to resolve new problems. Our students will cooperate with foreign students in Academic City and gain new experiences. Engaging with a foreigner, a foreign culture, is also a prerequisite for training good diplomats. //
source, source, source,

German scientists bring 2 robots to Armenia to test them for Mars mission

The Austrian Space Agency recently launched a project called "Amadee-24" in Armenia to train international astronauts for future Mars missions. Germans are testing new robots and astronaut suits. Scientists believe that humanity needs another 15 years to set foot on Mars.
Deutsche Forscher üben Suche nach Außerirdischen, soure,

this winter was the hottest in 57 years in Armenia

2023-2024: -1.48C avg.
1961-1990: -5.5C avg.
source,

Monday, March 04 - Sunday, March 10, 2024

Top Highlights

score	comments	title & link
292	52 comments	[Highlights] Cucu! 🇪🇸
77	11 comments	[Highlights] Hazard’s Performance Against Sunderland back in 2013

 

Top 5 Posts

score	comments	title & link
2,364	180 comments	[Loanees] West Ham 0 - [1] Burnley - Fofana 11' DDF SCREAMER
1,383	540 comments	[Tier 2] [BILD] Thomas Tuchel is closely monitoring what is happening at Chelsea. He is obviously not resentful and hasn't closed to the idea of returning to Todd Boehly, who obviously understood that his club was doing better with Tuchel on his bench.
880	90 comments	[Social Media & Photos] Big 🪓
875	36 comments	[Throwback] 119 years ago, on this day 10 March 1905, Chelsea FC was born in The Rising Sun pub (currently The Butcher's Hook) opposite the main entrance to Stamford Bridge. Happy birthday Chelsea
768	222 comments	[Social Media & Photos] He’s among our new managerial list.. lmaooo

 

Top 5 Comments

score	comment
1,128	Orin_Swift said It’s like two exes realizing how good they had it with one another.
1,022	AntoHanSolo said I mean getting De Zerbi would be fucking hilarious at this point
928	Zarly88 said It's the perfect plan: sack Tuchel, hire a couple of schmucks and a club legend that take us nowhere, and just hire Tuchel again. OUR RIVALS WILL NEVER SEE IT COMING ![gif](giphy|l0...
912	PhilosopherCold_7 said Haha got to be the worst transfer in our history
764	Zarly88 said https://i.redd.it/oyxnn75jjxmc1.gif

 

Welcome to the Peanut Gallery! Your daily dose of unfounded speculation.
Please remember that I know nothing.
United States::

Sky News reported that the U.S. Consulate in Erbil was attacked by "long-range missiles with great destructive capacity." Additionally, Sky News reported that several missiles were intercepted before reaching the U.S. base at Erbil airport.

Okay. So apparently this is happening. I’m told Iran missed the US Consulate and instead murdered a prominent member of the Kurdish community. The word going around is that this guy was well liked, though that may be a disinformation campaign, perhaps with the goal of encouraging military action in Yemen. To be honest it’s getting really fucking hard to tell lately. The amount of misinformation swirling around is the worst I’ve ever seen it.
Iran is trying to draw the West into a war. That much is clear. They’d like to make the war out to be our fault, and they’d like it if we put boots on the ground in Yemen. That is also clear. If both of these things are true, then Biden cannot allow himself to fall for this obvious trap. We need to find an alternative to blunt application of force.
Biden should ignore Yemen and strike Iranian assets. That’s play here. The Houthis are nothing without their Persian backers, they take literal direction from the IRGC, so to resolve this problem we must strike at the root. It’s time to make Iran pay for their transgressions—not a lot, but this warrants a direct response.

Donald Trump romped to a decisive victory Monday night in the frigid Iowa caucuses, cementing his formidable grip over the Republican Party and pushing the nation closer to a historic modern rematch with President Biden.

Yep. DJT won Iowa decisively. Somewhat surprisingly, Haley came in third, DeSantis in second. Here’s a helpful cheat sheet for the type who voted for each candidate:

1. Donald Trump: MAGA-rabid fascists, foaming at the mouth with zealous bloodlust.
   
2. Ron DeSantis: MAGA-rabid fascists, yet still able to hold a coherent conversation. These are the folks who aren’t in it for Trump, rather they think of fascism as more of a, “Movement, you know? Really get this whole white-power thing going. Grassroots.”
   
3. Nicki Haley: Bog-standard conservatives staring slack-jawed at the staggering consequences of their own ineptitude. Good job.
   

But that’s not the takeaway. The takeaway is that Republican voter turnout to the Iowa Caucus was a historic low. That’s fantastic news. Despite the bravado, despite the chest thumping and victimhood, people aren’t excited to vote for Trump. They see the writing on the wall. Trump is going down in flames, and even the shit-tier economy, Biden’s abysmal poll numbers, and the GOP’s endless drama, less and less seem to think voting for DJT is going to help.
Let’s hope this trend continues. We’ll know more as we move deeper into the primary.
Ukraine:

Ukrainian officials announced that Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft and severely damaged an Il-22 airborne command post aircraft on the night of January 14.

Fuck yeah! The wins just keep coming.
I have no damn clue how they pulled this off, but it sure-as-fuck wasn’t a Patriot battery. My totally ungrounded theory is that Ukraine spent several weeks clearing AA from Kherson Oblast, charted a path, and chucked an F-16 through the corridor to fire off an over-the-horizon strike on a bright-as-fuck radar signature. So, you know, if people start spreading that rumor know that you heard it here first. I started that disinformation completely unfounded and based purely upon supposition. Call ‘em out on it and link back here. It’ll help this place grow.
Short-term ISW says the consequences for this shoot-down will mean a difficult time targeting strikes on Ukrainian assets in Kherson Oblast, strategic or otherwise. Long-term...who the fuck knows? Long-term hasn’t been a word in the Russian lexicon for almost two years at this point.

A senior Ukrainian intelligence official confirmed that Russian forces can generate forces at a rate equal to Russian monthly personnel losses, which is consistent with ISW’s assessment that Russian forces are able to conduct routine operational level rotations in Ukraine.

Yeah, okay...so like 1k / day? But for how long? I have to ask. How long can the Kremlin continue to hide the effects of their crypto mobilization? How are they going to mesh this with their exacerbating labor shortage? Their declining demographic situation?
These are all uncomfortable questions, both for Russia and for Putin. These are atrocious losses against an opponent purely on the defensive. Think about it, Ukraine isn’t attacking anywhere. Eight hundred a day is what the Kremlin now suffers baseline.

German outlet BILD reported on classified German documents describing a hypothetical scenario to prepare for a possible future conflict between NATO and Russia. Developing such scenarios, which are usually classified, is a normal task for professional military staffs.

This thing hit the front page of /noncredibledefense today. I dismissed it at the time because...well, I was on /noncredibledefense. But apparently it was real. The plan is purely military worst-case-scenario thinking. It’s their job to war game this sort of thing. Still terrifying to think about, though.

Russia and Iran are preparing to sign a Grand Interstate Treaty to further develop Russian-Iranian military-technological cooperation.

Okay...so is that going to be their alliance name? Kinda lame if you ask me. The Grand Interstate doesn’t have the same ring as the Axis Powers or the Triple Entente. Trust the Kremlin to give our generation the shittiest version of our grandparent’s defining conflict.

Russian forces made confirmed advances west of Donetsk City and near Krynky amid continued positional fighting along the entire line of contact.

The lines are more fluid than they might seem. Confirmed advance means someone got to someplace new and took a photo; it doesn’t mean they held that new place, nor that they’re still there, nor that the attack succeeded. Nor that the place was more than a foot or two farther than the day before. It just means somebody crawled on their belly to take a picture in a new locale.
That’s not why I’m bringing this to your attention.

Russian sources claimed that freezing weather conditions are inhibiting Ukrainian boat movements and landings on the east bank because the Dnipro and Konka rivers and channels are frozen.[79]

Are they fucking high? Like, yeah, sure, the temperature sometimes drops below freezing, but it’s not exactly sub-zero, is it? And considering a river generally, you know, moves, it keeps a constant inflow of heat into the system to prevent icing over. The temperature has to be considerably below zero for an extended period of time for the fucking Konka to freeze.
I wonder if this has anything to do with the bullshit excuse they gave about why they can’t put planes in Kherson Oblast, that it was “too cold” to fly a fucking jet.

The Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) stated that Ukrainian resistance forces detonated a Russian military UAZ Patriot vehicle in occupied Melitopol, Zaporizhia Oblast, injuring four Russian personnel and killing an unspecified number of personnel.

Hell yeah! Well done, GUR. It seems Melitipol partisans are alive and well.

Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko confirmed that Russian authorities have deported over 2,100 Ukrainians, including 500 children, to Russia for medical reasons in 2023.

Please give Ukraine what they need to bring this to an end.
'Q’ For the Community:

• What do you think of the Iran-Russia alliance name? Think it needs some work?

• Join the conversation over on /TheNuttySpectacle.

It's kind of stomach churning, but I'd like to hear what you guys think...
The LINK https://www.reddit.com/NonCredibleDefense/comments/197h6mp/supposed_leaked_ww3/
Image of graphic depiction: https://preview.redd.it/6llc49k8mncc1.jpeg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=39c3859d6d214972088a0cb2d5df8484ab14122a
A good summary:
Nervous_Promotion819·9 hr. ago
By the way, this is not a Russian plan that was gained by German intelligence, but rather a simulation game by the Bundeswehr on how a Russian attack on NATO could proceed. It was passed on to BILD by someone...
„In a secret document, the German Ministry of Defense realistically describes the "path to conflict", in other words, the beginning of a hot war between Russia and NATO in shocking detail,
▶︎ The secret Bundeswehr document "Collective Defense 2025" considers the beginning of the conflict in February 2024.
▶︎ Russia is launching another wave of mobilization and conscripting an additional 200,000 people into the army.
▶︎ Then the Kremlin begins a large-scale spring offensive against the background of insufficient support from the West of Ukraine.
▶︎ The Russian offensive will succeed by June 2024 and push the Ukrainian army back.
▶︎ Russia will provoke aggression against ethnic Russian minorities in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
▶︎ Clashes are taking place, which Russia is using as a pretext to start the massive West 2024 exercise involving 50,000 soldiers in western Russia and Belarus starting this September.
▶︎ In October 2024, Russia transfers troops and medium-range missiles to Kaliningrad and continues to arm its enclave with propaganda lies about an imminent NATO attack.
▶︎ The secret goal of the Kremlin: to conquer the "Suwalk corridor" between Belarus and Kaliningrad.
▶︎ From December 2024, an artificially created "border conflict" and "riots with numerous murders" will take place in the area of ​​the "Suwalki Corridor".
▶︎ At the very moment when the USA is paralyzed after the elections, Russia repeats the algorithm of intervention in Eastern Ukraine in 2014 on the territory of NATO, and this is in the scenario of the Bundeswehr exercises.
▶︎In January 2025, a special meeting of the NATO Council will be held, at which Poland and the Baltic states report on the growing threat from Russia.
▶︎ Russia is using propaganda to call black white and, under the pretext of threatening NATO, is moving additional troops to the Baltics and Belarus, especially in March 2025.
▶︎ In May 2025, NATO will decide on "measures for credible deterrence" to prevent a Russian attack on the "Suwalk Corridor" from the direction of Belarus and Kaliningrad.
▶︎ On X-Day, according to a secret Bundeswehr document, the NATO commander-in-chief orders 300,000 troops, including 30,000 Bundeswehr soldiers, to be transferred to the eastern flank.
This scenario is likely to be considered for NATO exercises.“

Can we please ban some of these shittier tabloids/aggregators from this sub (bvbnewsblog Twitter account, Bild/SportBild, etc.)? It's cool that there are now places on the internet where you can get all BVB news at one place but there's so much blatant misleading news being shared both on here and Twitter that it's starting to make this place really difficult to browse properly
Everyone knows that Bild is a notorious tabloid known to sensationalize/overblow tame stories for clicks/paper sales, and this can be seen from them making a narrative like

• "BVB players are HAPPY to see Jude leave as he was TOO ambitious for these mentality midgets"
• or shit like "the ENTIRE BVB team led by SHIT playing REUS is planning a COUP D'ETAT against TERZIC" rn.

And it is very embarrassing that people both on here and Twitter eat it up like it's a completely true story.
As for bvbnewsblog, someone on here pointed out that they misconstrued info from Berger saying "some players don't like Terzic's tactics" to making up a story about how specific struggling players are all against Terzic's tactics (who can really know who specifically was against it?). Not to mention they terribly translate and summarize Bild's/Berger's/RN's/whoever tf's German language articles to the English only speaking portion of the fanbase as well.
Obviously, those 2 accounts/newspapers aren't the only offenders in all of this, in fact it's mostly everyone (including me typing about this issue rn) who shares/comments on any misleading BVB-related tweets/posts/etc that are at fault in this issue rn.
Anyways, what do y'all think of this misinformation spread going on amongst BVB fans during our shit form? What do you think should be done in this subreddit in particular? Let me know in the comments

Welcome to the Peanut Gallery! Your daily dose of unfounded speculation.
Please remember that I know nothing.
Ukraine:

Russian President Vladimir Putin displayed notable confidence in publicly discussing Russia’s war on Ukraine during a joint event combining his annual press conference and “Direct Line” forum on December 14 but did not clearly define his envisioned end state for the full-scale invasion he launched on February 24, 2022. Putin reiterated his maximalist objectives for the Russian war in Ukraine, which are likely purposefully opaque to be inclusive of additional goals that Putin may seek to pursue now or later.

Whew! Putin’s live Q&A—who the fuck cares?
There’s not really much to say about it, to be honest. It was a choreographed event in every sense of the word. Putin even did the little thing where he listens to some whining stooge in the audience, then fixes the thing the stooge was whining about right then and there.
“See?! Can’t you see how nice and loving and totally not corrupt the tzar is? The government may be shitty, but he’s just as troubled by it as you are.” <--- That shit will play on every Kremlin propaganda outlet from now until election day. They will hammer it into their people’s skulls with a mallet and chisel if they must. Because Putin is building legitimacy, which he’ll need to further mobilize his state.
Putin’s problem, though, is that the Russian people don’t want war. They want nothing to do with this whole affair in Ukraine. Nothing. And without their buy in, Putin can’t bring the full potential of the state to bear. There will always be a corrupt official skimming off the top; a general inflating victory; or conscripts pawning diesel for heroin. Without a unifying cause, society succumbs to the Tragedy of the Commons as all prioritize self-interest over the welfare of the collective.

These maximalist objectives also do not exclude Russia’s annexation of occupied Ukrainian territories or additional territorial conquests.

Putin is trying to solve the problem I outlined above with hate. His hope is that if he infuses the Russian public with enough fury at Ukraine and the West, enough vitriol, that he’ll get them to unify out of rage. Revanchism is his tool of choice...and I’ve got to admit, it’s a potent one...or at least it would be if the Russian public hadn’t spent the last twenty-years suckling at the state’s welfare teat made fat from oil. Going from apathetic and comfortable, to angry and violent about some lost past is a pretty big ask.
Yet that’s exactly how Putin is beginning to frame it. It’s hard to tell whether he’s trapped in his own delusion here, or if he genuinely believes that he can democratically convince the West to cease supporting Ukraine. I don’t think he quite understands how the military industrial complex works. Short of starvation, there’s no stopping it, and once that additional manufacturing capacity comes online it’s going to run. And run. And run until supply meets demand. Whether gifted or bought, Ukraine will have her ammo.

German outlet BILD stated on December 14 that unspecified intelligence findings and sources indicate that Russia plans to occupy Ukrainian territory beyond the four (illegally) annexed Ukrainian oblasts throughout 2024-2026.

Again, delusional.
Putin couldn’t take Kyiv when he was at his height, so what the fuck is he thinking? Why is the MoD even planning for additional conquests? Shouldn’t they focus instead on stabilizing the front line? This honestly feels like Hitler in his bunker ordering around ghost divisions. He’s even got the same pathological hunger for good news (though he probably tells himself his need is purely utilitarian.)

Putin attempted to rhetorically contextualize Russia's continued maximalist objectives in Ukraine within the wider conception of Russian "sovereignty," an ideological line that has been consistent in the Kremlin's framing of Russian national security and foreign policy since before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

A term he refused to define in the middle of his four-hour live Q&A. What he means is, “My sovereignty to do what I please with the land and people I arbitrary decided are mine.”

Putin claimed that the Russian force grouping in Ukraine is far larger than even Russian officials have characterized, likely in an attempt to both address persistent Russian concerns about a new mobilization wave and to demoralize the West and Ukraine.

One of Putin’s goals that night was to downplay the prospect of mobilization. This objective is absolutely vital, for the Russian people are terrified at the prospect, but the desperation for one grows more intense with each passing day. Russia’s Avdiivka offensive stalled out; the mud’s making life miserable up in Kupyansk; and Ukraine is still on the wrong side of the fucking river.

Putin notably addressed the tactical and operational situation in east (left) bank Kherson Oblast but refrained from discussing active Russian offensive operations in eastern Ukraine.

Putin addressed it specifically to call out Teplinsky. He’s miffed Russia's best general hasn’t managed to dislodge Ukraine from the east bank of the Dnipro, so he’s bitching about it on national television.
I don’t think it’s Teplinsky’s fault, though. The poor fascist might have nothing to work with. He’s got a motley collection of different divisions—mobilized, conscripts, volunteers—all mixed together in fractional units. All of that adds up to a need to communicate orders through multiple, fractured chains of command. And these soldiers have every incentive to misinterpret orders, or transmit incorrect information.
Putin’s expectations are unreasonable. His army is in such a miserable state that successful offensive action is almost inconceivable. Avdiivka was it. That was the limit of what Russia could muster.

Putin’s public discussions about issues at the front and about the Russian war effort in general may redirect public anger about problems in the war toward the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD).

Simply beautiful. Putin caps off his whole thing by directing public ire towards the MoD. He’s trying to use the same scapegoat that turned Prigozhin rabid.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba published an op-ed entitled “There is a Path to Victory in Ukraine” on December 15, wherein he argues that Ukrainian military objectives remain feasible despite increasingly pessimistic discussions in the West.

Zelensky said it, said it loud for everyone to hear, “Russia has had no victories in 2023.” They’ve taken no new ground, suffered a nearly fatal mutiny, and lack the capacity to remove their dead around Avdiivka. Not once has Russia demonstrated an improvement in capacity. The trend is clear. This is an army in terminal decline.
We’re worried. I get that. Trump is scary; Biden is old; Putin is loud; and all the world seems to be going to shit. But we can’t succumb to that fear, because the moment we do is the moment we make it our reality. It’s the moment that we admit that we’re not strong enough, that we can’t make the world a better place. That we’re too weak to fight back.
And respectfully? I think that’s bullshit.

Occupation authorities continue efforts to destroy Ukrainian national and historical identity. The Ukrainian Resistance Center reported on December 13 that occupation authorities held a “Narodov Rossii” (“Peoples of Russia”) festival in occupied Luhansk City and forced Ukrainian school children to participate.[101] Occupation authorities attempted to convince the children to identify as Russian by falsely claiming that the Ukrainian identity is fake.

• Please give Ukraine what they need to bring this to an end.

The Peanut Gallery:

• If you enjoyed what you read, consider joining us over on /TheNuttySpectacle.

'Q’ For the Community:
Let’s say the worst happens and Trump gets in the White House. What can Ukraine do to win the war?

Welcome to the Peanut Gallery! Your daily dose of unfounded speculation.
Please remember that I know nothing.
The Nutty Spectacle:
You know? It’s been a while since I handed out some flair. I doll it out mostly as the whim strikes, for I am as fickle as I am fine, and each must be crafted to the person.
Today I grant 4charactersnospaces the flair of Matilda’s Waltz Instructor. May he spend many a day whittling down at the billabong.
Ukraine:

Russian President Vladimir Putin displayed notable confidence in publicly discussing Russia’s war on Ukraine during a joint event combining his annual press conference and “Direct Line” forum on December 14 but did not clearly define his envisioned end state for the full-scale invasion he launched on February 24, 2022. Putin reiterated his maximalist objectives for the Russian war in Ukraine, which are likely purposefully opaque to be inclusive of additional goals that Putin may seek to pursue now or later.

Whew! Putin’s live Q&A—who the fuck cares?
There’s not really much to say about it, to be honest. It was a choreographed event in every sense of the word. Putin even did the little thing where he listens to some whining stooge in the audience, then fixes the thing the stooge was whining about right then and there.
“See?! Can’t you see how nice and loving and totally not corrupt the tzar is? The government may be shitty, but he’s just as troubled by it as you are.” <--- That shit will play on every Kremlin propaganda outlet from now until election day. They will hammer it into their people’s skulls with a mallet and chisel if they must. Because Putin is building legitimacy, which he’ll need to further mobilize his state.
Putin’s problem, though, is that the Russian people don’t want war. They want nothing to do with this whole affair in Ukraine. Nothing. And without their buy in, Putin can’t bring the full potential of the state to bear. There will always be a corrupt official skimming off the top; a general inflating victory; or conscripts pawning diesel for heroin. Without a unifying cause, society succumbs to the Tragedy of the Commons as all prioritize self-interest over the welfare of the collective.

These maximalist objectives also do not exclude Russia’s annexation of occupied Ukrainian territories or additional territorial conquests.

Putin is trying to solve the problem I outlined above with hate. His hope is that if he infuses the Russian public with enough fury at Ukraine and the West, enough vitriol, that he’ll get them to unify out of rage. Revanchism is his tool of choice...and I’ve got to admit, it’s a potent one...or at least it would be if the Russian public hadn’t spent the last twenty-years suckling at the state’s welfare teat made fat from oil. Going from apathetic and comfortable, to angry and violent about some lost past is a pretty big ask.
Yet that’s exactly how Putin is beginning to frame it. It’s hard to tell whether he’s trapped in his own delusion here, or if he genuinely believes that he can democratically convince the West to cease supporting Ukraine. I don’t think he quite understands how the military industrial complex works. Short of starvation, there’s no stopping it, and once that additional manufacturing capacity comes online it’s going to run. And run. And run until supply meets demand. Whether gifted or bought, Ukraine will have her ammo.

German outlet BILD stated on December 14 that unspecified intelligence findings and sources indicate that Russia plans to occupy Ukrainian territory beyond the four (illegally) annexed Ukrainian oblasts throughout 2024-2026.

Again, delusional.
Putin couldn’t take Kyiv when he was at his height, so what the fuck is he thinking? Why is the MoD even planning for additional conquests? Shouldn’t they focus instead on stabilizing the front line? This honestly feels like Hitler in his bunker ordering around ghost divisions. He’s even got the same pathological hunger for good news (though he probably tells himself his need is purely utilitarian.)

Putin attempted to rhetorically contextualize Russia's continued maximalist objectives in Ukraine within the wider conception of Russian "sovereignty," an ideological line that has been consistent in the Kremlin's framing of Russian national security and foreign policy since before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

A term he refused to define in the middle of his four-hour live Q&A. What he means is, “My sovereignty to do what I please with the land and people I arbitrary decided are mine.”

Putin claimed that the Russian force grouping in Ukraine is far larger than even Russian officials have characterized, likely in an attempt to both address persistent Russian concerns about a new mobilization wave and to demoralize the West and Ukraine.

One of Putin’s goals that night was to downplay the prospect of mobilization. This objective is absolutely vital, for the Russian people are terrified at the prospect, but the desperation for one grows more intense with each passing day. Russia’s Avdiivka offensive stalled out; the mud’s making life miserable up in Kupyansk; and Ukraine is still on the wrong side of the fucking river.

Putin notably addressed the tactical and operational situation in east (left) bank Kherson Oblast but refrained from discussing active Russian offensive operations in eastern Ukraine.

Putin addressed it specifically to call out Teplinsky. He’s miffed Russia's best general hasn’t managed to dislodge Ukraine from the east bank of the Dnipro, so he’s bitching about it on national television.
I don’t think it’s Teplinsky’s fault, though. The poor fascist might have nothing to work with. He’s got a motley collection of different divisions—mobilized, conscripts, volunteers—all mixed together in fractional units. All of that adds up to a need to communicate orders through multiple, fractured chains of command. And these soldiers have every incentive to misinterpret orders, or transmit incorrect information.
Putin’s expectations are unreasonable. His army is in such a miserable state that successful offensive action is almost inconceivable. Avdiivka was it. That was the limit of what Russia could muster.

Putin’s public discussions about issues at the front and about the Russian war effort in general may redirect public anger about problems in the war toward the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD).

Simply beautiful. Putin caps off his whole thing by directing public ire towards the MoD. He’s trying to use the same scapegoat that turned Prigozhin rabid.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba published an op-ed entitled “There is a Path to Victory in Ukraine” on December 15, wherein he argues that Ukrainian military objectives remain feasible despite increasingly pessimistic discussions in the West.

Zelensky said it, said it loud for everyone to hear, “Russia has had no victories in 2023.” They’ve taken no new ground, suffered a nearly fatal mutiny, and lack the capacity to remove their dead around Avdiivka. Not once has Russia demonstrated an improvement in capabilities. The trend is clear. This is an army in terminal decline.
We’re worried. I get that. Trump is scary; Biden is old; Putin is loud; and all the world seems to be going to shit. But we can’t succumb to that fear, because the moment we do is the moment we make it our reality. It’s the moment that we admit that we’re not strong enough, that we can’t make the world a better place. That we’re too weak to fight back.
And respectfully? I think that’s bullshit.

Occupation authorities continue efforts to destroy Ukrainian national and historical identity. The Ukrainian Resistance Center reported on December 13 that occupation authorities held a “Narodov Rossii” (“Peoples of Russia”) festival in occupied Luhansk City and forced Ukrainian school children to participate.[101] Occupation authorities attempted to convince the children to identify as Russian by falsely claiming that the Ukrainian identity is fake.

• Please give Ukraine what they need to bring this to an end.

The Peanut Gallery:

• If you enjoyed what you read, consider joining us over on /TheNuttySpectacle.

'Q’ For the Community:

• Let’s say the worst happens and Trump gets in the White House. What can Ukraine do to win the war?

So after 1800h i built my first main belt, i played many playthroughs, most non vanilla and also modtly stopped after ending all scirnce because i wasn't able to plan ahead and needed to redo my spaghetti. This time i built 1 main belt with 3 belts iron and copper in, 1 coal, stone and a piope for oil and water respectively. I built my base up to do 1 science/s and it went kinda well, what's still missing to me is that it really looks good, i still have spaghetti at each science module (especially yellow and purple). I did not belt elec. Circ. Because i didn't calculate them into the raw resources (i am planning on learning angular and want to bild a website to calculate all raw resources required) I would love some general tips, there are so beatiful builds and i don't want to copy but want to learn how to make it pretty.
I watched some videos of nilaus which helped alot in planning, but still i feel like missing alot.

Good morning. US stock futures moved higher in Thursday morning trading as investors digested news of the Federal Reserve’s plan for multiple rate cuts in 2024.
S&P 500 +0.24% Dow +0.21% Nasdaq +0.34%
🏛️ Fed maintains steady hand on interest rates, signals cuts might be around the corner
📝 Our report: The Federal Reserve played it cool, keeping its benchmark interest rate in a range of 5.25%-5.50%, the highest level in 22 years. But fear not, they dropped a hint that they might sprinkle some rate cuts —75 basis points worth — over the next year.
🔑 Key points:

• The Fed has moved in 25-basis-point increments over the last year, indicating the central bank now expects to cut interest rates three times in 2024.
• Fed Chair Jerome Powell reiterated several times at his press conference that the Fed still needs to see more evidence that inflation is moving down to its 2% goal and made it clear the economy could still move in surprising directions next year.
• The Fed chair also declined to provide any guidance on when the Fed might cut rates, but made it clear that Fed officials are beginning the conversation of when to dial back policy restraints.

💡 So what: When the Fed starts cutting interest rates, it typically aims to stimulate economic activity. Here's the lowdown: lower interest rates can encourage borrowing and spending, which, in turn, may boost investment, consumer spending, and overall economic growth. It's like giving the economy a little financial espresso shot.
🧾 Credit report cleansed of medical debt
WHAT: New York residents can now breathe a sigh of relief knowing that their credit reports are on a diet—no more unexpected visits from the ghost of medical bills past! Governor Kathy Hochul signed a bill, giving unpaid medical debt the boot from credit reports. The law prohibits credit agencies from collecting information about or reporting medical debt. The law also bans hospitals and health care providers in the state from reporting such debt to the agencies.
WHY: New York is the second state after Colorado to enact such a law. A similar nationwide measure is being considered by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
​
🪥 Dental doors close
WHAT: SmileDirectClub, the once-toothy grin guru, seems to have taken a hiatus from its global alignment endeavors, hitting the pause button on those life-changing teeth tweaks. The company announced it was shutting down its global operations and halting teeth-alignment treatments.
WHY: When SmileDirectClub's stock began trading on the stock market in 2019, the company was valued at about $8.9 billion. But the stock plummeted in value over time as the company proved to be unprofitable year after year. In 2022, SmileDirectClub lost $86.4 million.
​
📰 OpenAI pays up for news content
WHAT: OpenAI, the genius behind ChatGPT, is shelling out big bucks, tens of millions in euros to be exact, to media powerhouse Axel Springer for the VIP access to its treasure trove of news articles and content. Under the agreement, San Francisco-based OpenAI will get to use articles and other content from Axel Springer publications, including Politico, Business Insider, and the European properties Bild and Die Welt.
WHY: OpenAI’s partnership with Axel Springer comes after months of clashes between news publishers and tech companies over how their content can be used to train AI systems. OpenAI and its competitors need extensive amounts of data, including the written word, to power conversational chatbots like ChatGPT.

Info
This was inspired by a ghost song, and I thought about it as a despair-like song, but then it became this also spoiler for trigger happy havoc,goodbye despair,ultra despair girls, and maybe a bit of the anime.
The song inspiration is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inRXBlYgMGI.
And because of the inspiration that the character looks like, credit goes to Monster Girl Maker.
📷
Ultimat phiction (something with meds)
A strange person who always could read people and was born in a orphanage and was always told they were spicale and then when one of the kids got sick and because of that they learned of things of medicine and how it could help and because how they could read people they were able to give meds to people to cure people and whould give them diffrent medicen even thought the doc percribeded it to them because they would help them and when they got to hopes peak they ended up helping people there they tried to even stop junko from her despair but because of that they had to hurt people in a sense so junko or her sister never got people to despair and because that junko reading skills forced them to go into the killing game the first one but during it they were felling despair but in a god complex way and when they some how surized the killing game and when junko died her disaper will win but they were filled with neither hope or despair but an gray area kina like nagito but worse and when the others left to make the future fondation they stayed around and looked around the school and fond the lair were junko wored from the outside and saw a picture with a note “if something goes wrong to towa and help my ‘dauter’ cause in her stead despair will continue”
Despair
With the note her hand she took meds to keep her sanity what little she had left to fit in the despair and she got to know some remainat despair and told them how junko was recarintd into a child and they will contun to raise them and other kids so dispair will never die and for that they cheared and was praised on being a god of sorts and when heading to towa they saw a white haired man in a chain and fallowed them thought monica and her friends weren’t happy of the new arrival they showed monica the picture and note and they because the mother of the group and help build the paridice/dispair and with monica despair was wining and the paridice was bing bilt for the other kids so they won’t complain but when nagie’s sister and toko trying to stop it she fully broke she wanted to be a god so with her quick wit and meds she got nagto to take monica away to safety to deal with the brats and though she lost she wasn’t in despair but hopeful ing the wrong reasons and siad she would come back for there rezenange and when they ecapted they say izure who was heading to the hopes building with chips and smiled knowing what the chips were for and when trying to finding monica and servant to make sure they were okay they were knocked out
Hope?
When they woke up they were in a boat in chains but when they tried to be free they couldn’t and say sevent who was relly a climate nagito from an upstair class room and meet izure and was told the plan was ready and was calmed down and conzinced everyone to kindly go into the pods and when they did thought everyones memories were erased their’s were not because they were not a remainat of hope or despair but something unknow in the gray and when the killing game started they were not scared they thought it would be fun to cause cassos or be a true god and when baka was killed and taratu exsuted they would because the new leader thought it whent to there head they stoped the killing but with there taictis and meds they never killed anyone but they perfutly framed everyone and got sertine people killed but who they could never frame and kill was nagito because of there dumb luck because if the virise would spread junko could come back as a bot and despair would win but when looking around the last island and thinking of a plan nagito tried to conzince them to return to normal and end this and give up being the mastermind and this god like creature but when looking at them her head hurt and looked at him fully “servent hope will never win nor despair it will always battle yers later this game we play people will love to see it later for there own injoment so why not have fun pulse your geting mercy from your god that’s why you didn’t everyone the truth when nekomarue was dead you found the book didn’t you i tried to get there before you would but your dum luck won and you found the book and ‘gained your memories didn’t you” and when he looked at me He knew I was speaking his kind of crazy and the truth, so in the end, he accepted his fate. He died. I hoped despair would win. The hope foundation ruined the planes, and hope won. But when I woke up, everyone was back to their normal selves, and I knew that hope would win this time, but I let hope win. I'm sorry. Junko and Izure, I tried, but everyone slowly returned to normal. To help with the despair and the killing games, the meds I gave made them forget it all, like it was a bad dream.
future
Because despair was still in me, I wrote their stories, not the grates, because I'm not the ultimate writer, but because of it, all people thought it was fiction that some crazy weirdo told, and when I got older, kids played them and their stories, but with all my money and mediation, I made the Donganrompa project, and people and actors loved it so their stories could be told of the battle of hope and despair. wich was antoner title of the prodject but donganrompa had that crisma pazzas that junko loved and the mistry and unknown tell of it like izue did and i played as junko in alot of it and when a young gire pain girl i saddle can’t rember her name she always said was plain wanted to take over and she did she said your dream will live forever and thought i wihed i had a kid when i was in the hoptile for my bad health cause of age moica visted me and thanked me thought she couldn’t spread despair like her big sister wanted she learned to be a computer genius and how to bild monacunas so she said thanks and she talked about her and her friends got together agine thought it took a bit for them to get along like they did long ago but they siad they missed me and monice said something i will never forget if i have a next life “thoght despair never won or that weirdo servant’s hope your are the true god and you fixed us all to not rember the past in a bad way but make it fun and for the future hopefully we can make some new fun” and she winked and left and i knew that she was like me neither hope nor disparity, but gray

Quotes from Harry Kane's interview with Sport-Bild
https://imgur.com/a/eSAKqjf

The following comments on leadership
"It's in my nature. That's how I am. When I'm on the pitch, I want to keep an eye on everything, for example when the opponent has a set piece. The team had problems last season defending set pieces. I can help with that and share my views. We have good leaders here at Bayern. We talk to each other a lot, whether on the pitch or in the dressing room. I don't have to change much to be a leader"
On potentially joining Bayern's team council
"I still don't know the plans of the club and the coach regarding that. I'd be happy to be part of it if I'm asked to. But regardless of whether I'm on the team council or not - if I have an opinion regarding a topic, I'll say it"
On personally shaking hands with each steward and club employee at Bayern
"Of course I'd shake hands with people I meet here. That's just my personality. We're all part of the same team - and all deserve the same respect. That will never change in my life"

I have tried many things for over 4 years. Diet, supplements that kill, bind, and detox.
Three Huge things for my sibo helped me more than anything

1. Taking ox bile
2. doing activated charcoal within 2 hours of meals with herbal antibiotics and Ox bile.
3. doing Mag O7 (or oxy powder) to keep moving and high dose to flush the bowl when needed

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OX BILE cured my sibo. (along with herbals like nutricidin) I had tried over 15-20 things and it wasn't till I started nutricidin that I notice improvement but just couldn't stay healed, Bile deficieny was my root cause. I am even going for a HIDA scan on livegall. in 10 days and Will find out even more. I was able to eat almost all veggies except still gluten and diary free (sinuses) and I still avoid Citrobacter loving foods like fructans in banana, onions, and garlic.Bile is a powerful antimicrobial and detergent similar to dish soap. You may need bile if you take motility activator by integrative theraputic and then get rib cage pain right side. I did. Symptoms of bile sludge and blockage is fat film on toilet bowl, floating stool , right rib cage pain, and nausea when eating high fat meals.
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I have done mega igg 2000, gi defend both are immunoglobulins but they make me feel more immune response to die off and LPS toxins.I have done activated charcoal and gi detox plus for months with little success. morning and night BUT When I took the activated charcoal 1.5 to 2 hours after my bile, it is changing my life. I am now able to tolerate antimicrobials like bile and herbs without the 10/10 horrible die off , headaches, severe brain fog, so bad I couldnt drive.By taking it 2 hours after meals it reduces all of this by about 70% and is MUCH more tolerable. I plan to do the same with GI detox but have been using activated charcoal for a few days and it is a miracle. 2 hours after a meal or even sooner I take 1000 -1500 mg of charcoal.I feel taking it morning and night as well helps to mop up any excess toxins and is good to do but doing it 2 hours after antimicrobles has be life changing. I am no longer scared and anxious to do antimicrobials or bild and now CAN FINALLY FINISH OFF this citrobacter, proteium mirabilus, staphilococus streptococcus and VERY HIGH CANDIDA. Bile can give horrible headaches at the dose needed to help with fatty meals and gall bladder sludge. It can be taken on an empty stomach at lower does to help liver more than digestion and charcoal can be taken 1 hour after to mop up all it kills has it's detergent effects on.Studies show Act. Charcoal ADSORBS SIBO GASES. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3521259/#:~:text=In%20comparison%20to%20a%20placebo%2C%20activated%20charcoal%20significantly,significantly%20reduced%20in%20both%20groups%20by%20activated%20charcoal.
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3 Mag O7 (amazon) or Oxy Powder has been great for me for over a year. WIth my constipaton sibo, I had to use it often to keep moving. Starting motility activator helped until i had gallstone /gall duct blockage that made me realize I was so severe bile deficient. Diarrhea can cause bile deficient as 95% of bile is reabsorbed at the last part of small intestine and sent back to liver while the rest of the bile goes into intestines as it is phase 3 liver detox. Reabsorbing these things is NASTY!
Before the Charcoal (OR GI DETOX EVEN BETTER , more expensive though , 1 lb activated charcoal nutricost is around 20 bucks!) , I would take my antimicrobials at lunch supper then 4-7 hours later, do 4-5 mag 07 /oxy powder and flush bowels (liquid/watery stools) and It would really help with die off. Now I can just take 1-2 and keep moving as well as eat salads, veggies and fiber to keep moving. Salads are my natural laxative, it goes right through me.
I feel I am healing but it has been so dire, i almost died last year , I lost 49 lbs, I did probiotics 2 years but never helped.. had to stop, kill, address Bile deficiency with Bilex Ox Bile and then BIND AND FLUSH with Charcoal and Mag oxide Mag 07.
I hope this helps someone.
Now I have to do kill phase for 1-3 months with Justin health, The Nutricidin last capsule I took today from Redmountainclinic.com I am on my 3rd functional doctor and have learned so much from each one, similar to collage professors.Then I will reintroduce probiotics and BENEFICIAL YEAST Saccromyces boullardi to KEEP CANDIDA GONE FOREVER!!!!!!! Megaspore is worthless for some yeast and My mom took 1 every day for a year and her GI map showed tons of yeast and the megaspore overpopulated her gut.Learning every day. Still more to go but Now I feel like I can actually do the protocols instead of taking 1 capsule and being sick for 4 days. then doing 1 more and sick another 4 days...
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God bless each of you who are suffering, Keep seeking and you will find. 4 years of severe issues and 12 years of gut issues after taking 2 months of Keflex antibioitcs for an ankle surgery infection and watching everyone stuff their face with food and I would react to all gluten and foods, Yeah, It's rough, parties, holidays, everyone eating and you cant and if you do, YOU SUFFER. keep praying, I know it is hard during our darkest moments and nothing on earth helps.
Still having candida and brain fog so please excuse my typos, grammer and other issues. Now I can kill it without feeling like the die off was killing me. 70% reduction is a great start. I think I will get 90% if I take it morning and night AND 2 hours after meals. I will try Gi Detox 1-2 hours after meals next as It binds more kinds of toxins than activated charcoal alone. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0021979701977720 http://crushcandida.com/activated-charcoal-candida/
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https://www.ambersnaturalnutrition.com/how-poor-bile-production-and-flow-can-cause-sibo/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3521259/#:~:text=In%20comparison%20to%20a%20placebo%2C%20activated%20charcoal%20significantly,significantly%20reduced%20in%20both%20groups%20by%20activated%20charcoal.
GREAT podcast https://www.thesibodoctor.com/2017/10/09/sibo-and-detoxification-with-dr-chris-shade/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34424785/

Excerpt:
The neocon trend represents but one facet to the U.S. that nonetheless has captured and held the commanding heights of U.S. policy-making for decades.
Sometimes politics, like human beings, has a ‘destiny’ – somehow etched from within its nature; often one that is unpredictable, and different from that which is desired or expected.
It seems that Yevgeni Prigozhin was such a figure. He is now described as a western ‘useful idiot’, but then aren’t all those who agree to play out particularly incendiary destinies ‘useful idiots’ – if not of some foreign power – then of their own destiny?
Treading such a path is highly stressful, and it is not uncommon that ‘doubles’ do go rogue (and unexpectedly turn vindictive) if they feel that they have been left abandoned at the critical point on their path.
Clearly, there are aspects to the Prigozhin story that the principal actors will not wish to unveil under the glare of public spotlight. They will remain shrouded as their exposure will impinge on interests and less visible players. Some raw sides to politics will be protected.
CNN has cited U.S. sources who informed the platform that their country’s intelligence agencies had “extremely detailed” knowledge of Prigozhin’s plans, “including where and how Wagner was planning to advance”. After the march began, the U.S. ordered its allies to “remain silent and not give Putin any opening” to blame them for his armed rebellion. The sources also alleged to CNN that “Ukrainians were being cautioned by allies to not to provoke the situation”, because “You just don’t want to feed into the narrative that this was [an] initiative by us”.
It is best not to take any statement at face value, however, in such convoluted affairs. Nevertheless, if western intelligence services were more deeply involved – something the head of the Russian National Guard, Gen. Viktor Zolotov, speaking after President Putin on Friday, noted with “certainty” – namely that Prigozhin’s mutiny “was inspired by western special services – but which then, was overlaid by Prigozhin’s own inflated ambitions”.
Zolotov said that before the start of the rebellion “the camp of Prigozhin” had been deliberately leaking “focused” information about a possible mutiny coming sometime between last Thursday and Sunday.
Zolotov’s description begs the question at what point did Prigozhin’s ‘inflated ambitions’ superimpose themselves and conflate with western ‘inspiration’? Was it at the moment that the Russian Ministry of Defence determined to take the Wagner group away from him? The government was requiring all Wagner forces sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defence by 1 July 2023.
In other words, rather than remaining a private military company led by Prigozhin, Wagner would be incorporated into the actual Russian military command structure. It has also been reported that the Russian Ministry of Defence has been cancelling contracts on Prigozhin’s business ventures that have been helping supply the Russian military – these were lucrative deals for him.
It is possible that Prigozhin couldn’t accept this reality, and that he launched the insurrection plan in a temper tantrum. We do not know. Zolotov said only that, whether western agents may, or may not, have been directly involved in conducting the operation would be investigated. No doubt, ‘uncle’ Lukashenko will draw out the truth from Prigozhin.
Yet, whether it was western inspiration or inflated ambition, Prigozhin’s destiny was launched: Both unpredictable and most certainly different from that which he himself either desired or expected (as he finds himself today, exiled to Belarus).
But who is the ‘useful idiot’ – Prigozhin or the western intelligence services, who now have a prime débacle on their hands (however much they pretend otherwise)? First, their financial war on Russia failed; their attempt at diplomatic isolation has had no success beyond the tight western bloc; the Ukrainian ‘offensive’ has achieved almost nothing; and now their “libidinal excitement at a Russian civil war that was certain to feature ‘Russians … killing Russians” was popped within hours.
Russia and Putin emerge much the stronger. Putin praised the “restraint, cohesion and patriotism” that the Russian people had shown; their “civic solidarity and “high consolidation”; and their “firm line … (in) taking an explicit position of supporting constitutional order”.
Whilst Putin roundly condemned the “mutiny plotters” as people full of malignity and evil intentions, he did not identify these plotters with “the majority of Wagner Group soldiers and commanders” (who Putin insisted), “are also Russian patriots, loyal to their people and their state” – and to whom, Putin expressed his “gratitude” and whom he absolved of ‘treachery’. (It would be difficult in any case, to cast the Wagner PMC as a rogue mercenary group outside the law. It was founded and commanded by former GRU officers. It was funded by the State; and provisioned by the MoD). Not surprisingly, Putin was generous to the patriots and legendary victors of the ‘battle of Bakhmut’.
Not so generous however was Putin when he touched on the “the enemies of Russia – the neo-Nazis in Kiev, their Western patrons and other national traitors” who would have benefitted, had the coup succeeded: “They miscalculated” – (implying they had ‘calculated’ aforehand).
What is left now for President Biden? Doing more of the same? For, like Prigozhin, Biden is playing out his own incendiary destiny – ‘inspired’ by his neocon advisers, and conflated by ambition too – to be recognised as a successful American ‘War President’. Prigozhin and Biden may have more in common than they dare to imagine.
And in the confusion that ensued last weekend in the U.S., Tucker Carlson dared to imagine a simple question: “Why exactly are we at war with Russia?”
It is a question – increasingly, an existential question – that should be posed to the EU leaders too – who, from the Maidan Coup onwards, have adopted policies that go against their own economic and security interests.
From the Maidan regime-change onward, the EU eschewed building any substantive relations with Russia. It opted instead, to undermine Minsk, and actively to build and equip a large Ukrainian Army to repress dissent to the Maidan ‘coupists’ agenda.
“Instead, since the start of the conflict”, Thomas Fazi writes, “European nations have unquestioningly deferred to U.S. strategy, placing heavy sanctions on Russia; joining America’s proxy war, by providing ever-growing levels of military aid to Ukraine and supporting the narrative of a conflict that can only be resolved with Ukraine’s total military victory. This strategy, contrary to that of the other major actors involved, has jeopardized Europe’s strategic interests, from both an economic and a security perspective”.
In economic terms, the EU followed the U.S. lead in sanctioning Russia in a way that, plainly said, mortgages the economic future of Europe for years ahead.
The full subservience to wider NATO-isation has brought too (from a U.S. perspective) the demand that Europe support U.S. strategic industrial policy – and help ensure American technological dominance vis-à-vis China. The EU can do so only by acquiescing to U.S. industrial policy and by circumscribing their economic relations with China according to American concepts of strategic technologies. This is what Europe is doing.
A recent report on the EU’s Weakening and the “Art of Vasslisation” (European Council for Foreign Relations) forewarns:
“On the crudest GDP measure, the U.S. has dramatically outgrown the EU and the United Kingdom combined over the last 15 years … America’s economy is now nearly one-third bigger. It is more than 50 per cent larger than the EU without the UK …
“American technological dominance over Europe has also grown. The large U.S. tech companies … are now close to dominating the tech landscape in Europe as they do in the U.S. Europeans are trying to use competition policy to push back against this dominance … But, unlike the Chinese, they have been unable to develop local alternatives – so, these efforts seem doomed to failure … Since 2008, Europeans have in addition also suffered a dramatic loss of military power when compared to the U.S.
“Conceptually, European allies have a role in the geo-economic struggle with China, but it is not, as during the cold war, to become rich and contribute to the military defence of the central front. To the contrary, their key role – from a U.S. perspective – is that the EU supports U.S. strategic industrial policy and helps ensure American technological dominance vis-à-vis China … They can do so by acquiescing to U.S. industrial policy and by circumscribing their economic relations with China according to American concepts of strategic technologies”.
Europe, in short, has made itself a vassal – a willing, submissive vassal. When the EU followed the U.S. and embraced sanctioning Russia, EU leaders anticipated the rapid financial collapse of Russia. They were wrong. When the EU selflessly disavowed the purchase of Russian energy, they calculated that Russia could not manage economically – absent the EU market – and would quickly capitulate. They were wrong. When NATO led the war on Russia (via Ukraine), the EU expected a rapid rout of Russian and Donbas forces. They were wrong. When Prigozhin launched his ‘insurrection’, EU leaders looked eagerly to immediate civil war. They were wrong again.
Now the EU finds itself locked into forever sanctions on Russia (with China to follow); a forever subsidy to ‘Kiev’; a forever cycle of NATO militarism; and an economy sliding into de-industrialisation, high energy costs and relative diminishment. The EU has not achieved its longer-for ‘global player’ status. By every measure, Europe has a diminished economy, and diminished agency around the globe.
When will EU leaders offer some accountability for their wrong decisions? When will they answer the Carlson question: Why exactly is it an European interest to be at war with Russia?
Why was it in the European interest to condition any resolution to the conflict with Russia on complete Ukrainian victory? Was this decision properly thought through?
For the last thirty years, neo-cons have dominated U.S. foreign policy: The Guardian, as one example, has noted that as a subsidiary of Axel Springer, which has long-standing ties to the neocon clique, every employee at Politico is expected to be “pro-U.S., pro-NATO, pro-Israel, pro-austerity, pro-capital, anti-Russia, anti-China”. Springer said that they would not require Politico employees to sign documents in support of a transatlantic alliance, though this policy is enforced at the German newspaper Bild, another Springer subsidiary.
Europe is not ‘America’. The neocon trend represents but one facet to the U.S. that nonetheless has captured and held the commanding heights of U.S. policy-making for decades. It has failed in all that it has endeavoured, and has become increasingly detached from (even) the most basic interests of most Americans. Yet the EU leadership has made Europe subservient to this particular current – embracing it, and its inherent authoritarianism, with gusto.
Has this uniform ‘destiny’ benefitted the citizens of Europe? It has not. Have not its results proved unpredictable and different from that which was initially desired or expected? Recall: ‘Destiny can be a b*tch’!
https://thealtworld.com/alastair_crooke/prigozhin-and-the-diminishment-of-europe

DESPERATE cops are plotting a “game-changing” move to snare the prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, an insider has claimed. Ex-pal turned police informer Helge ­B is currently assisting officers investigating Christian Brueckner. Police scouring the Arade Dam reservoir for the body of Madeleine McCann[/caption] Christian B is the prime suspect in Maddie’s disappearance Maddie disappeared from her holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2007[/caption] And Sun Online understands police plan to hand a dossier on Christian B, 45, to his former friend in a bid to throw up fresh leads. They also want to speak to Helge B, 52, about a number of new leads they are working on. Our insider said: “Helge spent many years at the side of Christian B travelling with him and being his partner in crime. “This means he has a huge amount of knowledge about where Christian was, what he was doing and what his motivations were for him being in particular places at specific times. “There are a number of leads and clues officers have on Brueckner that they think Helge could provide more information on. “They genuinely do believe he can be a game-changer in their investigation into Christian B.” Portuguese Police however are less sure. Sun Online understands that officers in the Algarve resort where Maddie went missing think German cops are “running down dark alleys”. A source said: “They seem to think he holds all the cards, but Portuguese detectives regard him more like a crank and a joker. “A lot of what the German officers are doing is basically going back through old leads and down dark alleys.” Sniffer dogs and radar were used during the three-day search last month of Arade Dam reservoir. The prime suspect, German national Christian B, referred to the remote Algarve spot as his “little paradise”. According to German tabloid Bild, however, detectives are likely to say that the evidence they need to nail B is not there. Last week we told how the prime suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance boasted about being a “master criminal”, a leading witness revealed. Christian B is also alleged to have bragged about how he could outwit cops – telling pals it was easier to get away with crimes in Portugal than in Germany. Helge ­B is understood to have told police of Christian B’s gloats amid a fresh probe into the convicted sex offender. Helge B met his fellow German a year before Maddie vanished aged three and was the person who identified Christian B to cops in connection with her disappearance. A source in Portugal, who is close to the investigation, told The Sun: “Helge B has spoken at length to officers about the time he spent with Christian B, where they were carrying out crimes together side by side. “He told them how Christian B often boasted of being really, really good at what he did, a master criminal and how the police were useless. “He was particularly disparaging about Portuguese officers saying it was much easier to get away with stuff in Portugal than in Germany.” It comes after The Sun on Sunday revealed how Helge B claimed Christian B had a burglary tool kit that could unlock any security door. He boasted about the tools, which raise fresh doubts over the official theory that ­Maddie’s kidnapper clambered in through a window of holiday apartment 5a in Praia da Luz. German police are said to be “electrified” by the lock pick kit discovery — and are also probing the possibility Christian B used car paint solvent to sedate Maddie. German prosecutors hope to use the lock picks evidence to nail Christian B, who is in jail for drugs crimes and appealing a seven-year sentence for raping a woman of 72. Helge B said he found the kit at Christian B’s Algarve home. The petty criminal had decided to ransack it with friend Manfred Seyferth after learning Christian B was serving time for theft. Helge B, who kept the kit and told German police about it, added: “You can use it to pick any lock, including security locks.” The 14 picks, seen by The Sun on Sunday, are black stainless steel and each is designed for a ­specific door type. Ex-pal turned police informer Helge ­B is currently assisting officers Holes dug apparently for soil samples in the area around Barragem do Arade reservoir[/caption] Police prepare to search a reservoir for the body of Maddie[/caption] https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/23008442/madeleine-mccann-update-suspect-christian-b/