Saturday, March 12, 2022

US owes world an answer on bio lab as UN Security Council to hear Russian claim of US labs in Ukrain

Top US Biological Weapons Expert Supports and Escalates Russia's Allegations about Ukraine's Biolabs

Dr Francis Boyle drafted America’s Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act of 1989. From Reagan times, he had been intimately involved in the whole scenario surrounding biological warfare research and the parties involved. He gives especial insights into the Ukrainian biolabs, and how that links to Wuhan, the pandemic and Fauci.

Eye-opening. Scary.

`The horrific truth about the biological research labs in Ukraine.

AMERICA CAUGHT OPERATING MANY SECRET BIO-WEAPON LABS IN UKRAINE !!!.*

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*WHEN THE RUSSIANS EXPOSED THE EXISTENCE OF MANY BIO-WEAPON LABS IN UKRAINE , FUNDED N OPERATED BY USA GOVT , THEY WERE DISMISSED AS RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION.*

*NOW , UNDER OATH IN CONGRESS , VICTORIA NULAND , UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EUROPE , ADMITTED THAT THEY EXISTED , WTF !!!.*

WHO advises Ukraine to destroy pathogens in public health labs to prevent disease spread

Russia, U.S. accuse each other at UNSC over military biological research in Ukraine

China urges U.S. to disclose more details about biolabs in Ukraine

China resolutely opposes development and use of bio-chemical weapons

`China follows an independent foreign policy of peace. On Ukraine, the sovereignty & territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, purposes & principles of UN Charter observed, and legitimate security concerns of all countries taken seriously. pic.twitter.com/4jc2bGKkTB — Qin Gang 秦刚 (@AmbQinGang) March 11, 2022`

Screengrab of Russian Defence Ministry briefing showing US-sponsored biolabs on Ukraininan territory. Photo : Russian Ministry of Defence

Screengrab of Russian Defence Ministry briefing showing US-sponsored biolabs on Ukraininan territory. Photo : Russian Ministry of Defence

The Russian Defense Ministry released on Thursday documents it acquired from the personnel of a bio lab in Ukraine. The documents expose the US and its NATO allies' research on biological weapons in Ukraine, including research on spreading the highly infectious bird flu virus through migratory birds and on pathogens such as bacteria and viruses that can be transmitted from bats to humans. Russia said the documents show that a large number of serum samples belonging to the Slavs have been transferred and that the experiments in Ukraine are similar to what Japan's Unit 731 did in WWII. The documents were uploaded online by Russia for free download.
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The US reaction has somewhat missed the point. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki made eight consecutive tweets to condemn Russia for spreading disinformation, but advoided mentioning about the US' bio lab in Ukraine. She claimed that "we should all be on the lookout for Russia to possibly use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine." But she didn't offer any evidence. Such condemnation didn't help clear the doubts of people around the world. Instead, such a response is pale and illogical.
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Nevertheless, US Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland confirmed during a hearing that Ukraine has "biological research facilities" when asked if Ukraine has bioweapons. She also said the US is working with Ukraine to prevent Russia from getting "those research materials."
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The contradictive remarks futher deepened the world's doubts about the US. Does the US have a bio lab in Ukraine? Why did the labs rush to destroy the materials right after Russia-Ukraine conflict started on February 24? Are those labs engaged in scientific research or weaponizing the research results? What is the relation between the Pentagon and the US' 336 bio labs around the world? How does the US guarantee the safety of those labs? Why has the US been exclusively blocking the establishment of the verification mechanism of the Biological Weapons Convention for more than 20 years? What is it worried about? What exactly is the connection between the Fort Detrick lab and the COVID-19 pandemic?
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Biological military activities are not trivial. It is reasonable and legitimate for the international community to question the US for that. Right after WWII, the US spent 250,000 yen (several thousand US dollars at that time) on acquiring the infamous Unit 731's data, but never published what the data was used for. In nearly 30 years, the number of P4 labs on US soil increased by 750 percent - accompanied by an increasing risk of virus leakage. Because of protests from within, the US chose to establish labs overseas. Over the years, however, there have been deadly leaks linked to US military biological labs in Ukraine, South Korea, Kazakhstan and Georgia. But angry protests in those countries were simply crushed by the US manipulating public opinion.
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Biological weapons are seen as weapons of mass destruction together with nuclear and chemical weapons. Any suspicion of private development of biological weapons must be promptly investigated. Russia's information release was very specific and should draw the attention of the international community. The veracity of those materials must be determined by a multi-party inspection team led by an authoritative international organization, rather than by the US alone. The US should know that smearing others cannot bleach itself. If it is really innocent as it claims, it should take the opportunity to publish what is the truth and receive multi-party investigations to prove its innocence.
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It must be pointed out that this was an accidental discovery in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has nothing to do with the conflict itself. The determination of the merits of this incident should not be linked to the position on the Russia-Ukraine issue. The international community, including Europe, should put strong pressure on the US and not be swayed by the disinformation claims of Washington. The US owes the world an answer on this matter.

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Security Council to hear Russian claim of US labs in Ukraine

UN Russia Ukraine US Banned Weapons

UN Russia Ukraine US Banned Weapons

The U.N. Security Council scheduled a meeting Friday at Russia’s request to discuss what Moscow claims are “the military biological activities of the U.S. on the territory of Ukraine,” allegations vehemently denied by Ukraine's leader and the Biden administration.

“This is exactly the kind of false flag effort we have warned Russia might initiate to justify a biological or chemical weapons attack," Olivia Dalton, spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, said late Thursday. “We’re not going to let Russia gaslight the world or use the U.N. Security Council as a venue for promoting their disinformation.“

The Russian request, announced in a tweet Thursday afternoon from its first deputy U.N. ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky, follows the U.S. rejection of Russian accusations that Ukraine is running chemical and biological labs with U.S. support.

In response to this week’s accusations by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova — made without evidence — White House press secretary Jen Psaki warned that Russia might use chemical or biological weapons against Ukraine, the neighbor it has invaded.

Psaki called Russia’s claim “preposterous” and tweeted: “This is all an obvious ploy by Russia to try to justify its further premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified attack on Ukraine.”

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Ukraine - day 16: Russia's bioweapons claim, YouTube state media ban ..

https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2022-03-11/Ukraine-day-16-Positive-shift-in-talks-4-5-million-homeless-18jOF0W4QMg/index.html

Russia's ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia accused Ukraine of manufacturing biological weapons in a Security Council meeting./Timothy A Clary/AFP

US tries to refute 'rumors' about its bio-labs in Ukraine, but can we believe it?

The US has a rich repertoire of measures to pressure its rivals. As long as the country does ...

US-Funded Bio Labs in Ukraine Conducted Research Into Bat Coronavirus, Russian MoD Says

The American authorities previously admitted that Ukraine hosts "biological research facilities", expressing concerns they could come under the ...

US-funded bio-labs raise public health concerns

The US has admitted to setting up bio-labs in Ukraine after Russia revealed evidence of the US disposing ...

What is the US hiding in the biolabs discovered in Ukraine?

-What's the real number of US-funded biolabs in Ukraine? -What's US researching in the biolabs? -Has US transferred the test samples out of Ukraine? If US wants to prove its innocence, it has to answer these questions & fully clarify its biological-military activities. ...

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Suspicions hover over COVID-19 origins search in US

Fort Detrick, UNC labs at center of virus origins controversy

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FORT DETRICK, THE UNITED STATES BIOLOGICAL WARFARE LAB IS WHERE CORONAVIRUS ORIGINATED

Coronavirus Covid-19 started in US, CDC director says so!

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South Korea's new president Yoon Suk-yeol ready to get tough to teach 'rude boy' Kim Jong-un some manners

`Who is South Korea’s newly elected president Yoon Suk-yeol and what are his plans?

Victorious: Yoon gesturing to his supporters outside the People Power Party headquarters in Seoul. — AFP

Seoul: Threatening a pre-emptive strike, swiftly responding to missile tests, and telling “rude boy” leader Kim Jong-un to behave: South Korea’s next president looks set to get tough on the nuclear-armed North, analysts say.
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For the last five years Seoul has pursued a policy of engagement with Pyongyang, brokering high-level summits between Kim and then-US president Donald Trump while reducing joint US military drills the North sees as provocative.
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For president-elect S. Korea's new president Yoon Suk-yeol – who won a close election by a razor-thin margin yesterday – this “subservient” approach has been a manifest failure.
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The outgoing administration of President Moon Jae-in “volunteered to play middleman between the US and North Korea but was dumped by both in the end,” Yoon said in a pre-election Facebook post.
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Since the start of the year, Pyongyang has conducted a record-breaking nine weapons tests, including of banned hypersonic and medium range ballistic missiles.
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After the North test-fired what it claimed was a reconnaissance satellite component on Saturday – Seoul said it was a disguised ballistic missile – Yoon, 61, said the youthful Kim needed to be taken in hand.
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“If you give me a chance, I will teach him some manners,” he said.
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On the campaign trail, he said Kim was a “rude boy”, and promised that once he was in power, he would make the North Korean leader “snap out of it”.
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The former prosecutor has threatened a pre-emptive strike on the North “if necessary” – something analysts say is wildly unrealistic and dangerous.
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Even so, Yoon vowed to “sternly deal with the North’s illegal and irrational acts,” in his first comments as president-elect.
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“Under Yoon, we’ll probably see efforts to reset inter-Korean relations,” Soo Kim of the RAND Corporation said.
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Instead of dialogue and engagement, she said, Yoon will take a harder line, having already called for more joint drills with the US.
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“It’s a departure from the Moon administration’s prioritisation of inter-Korean engagement, to say the least,” she added.
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The “one-way love” displayed under Moon will come to an end, said Professor Park Won-gon of Ewha Womans University.
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“Yoon will certainly want to put the issue of denuclearisation in the agenda,” said Park, in contrast to the more piecemeal diplomacy pursued by his liberal predecessor.
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“It’s highly likely that North Korea will say no.”
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Yoon has even suggested buying an additional THAAD missile system from the US to counter the North – despite risks that it could prompt new economic retaliation from China, Seoul’s biggest trade partner.
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“Seoul must also retool its complex relationship with Beijing,” Yoon said in a policy statement in Foreign Affairs last month. — AFP

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S. Korea's new first lady: Entrepreneur Kim Keon-hee takes on new role

SEOUL (The Korea Herald/Asia News Network): As South Korea chose its next president in a tightly contested election on Wednesday (March 9), the spotlight also turned to Kim Keon-hee, the spouse of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, who has...

South Korea reports record high of 383,665 daily Covid-19 cases

South Korea reported a record high of 383,665 daily Covid-19 cases as of midnight Friday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 6,206,277, the health authorities said Saturday.

New era dawning for South Korea: Korea Herald

The paper says president-elect Yoon Suk-yeol ought to show a leadership of integration to unite people and move the nation forward.

North Korea’s latest missile tests a 'serious escalation': US

WASHINGTON (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): North Korea’s two recent ballistic missile tests represent a “serious escalation” the United States said on Thursday (March 10) in Washington.

S. Korea's new president to teach 'rude boy' Kim Jong-un some manners

SEOUL (AFP): Threatening a pre-emptive strike, swiftly responding to missile tests, and telling "rude boy" leader Kim Jong-un to behave: South Korea's next president looks set to get tough on the nuclear-armed North, analysts say.

South Korea's new president Yoon Suk-yeol faces diplomatic challenges

SEOUL (The Korea Herald/Asia News Network): South Korea went to the polls on Wednesday (March 9) to elect its new president, whose term will begin at the most challenging time for South Korea in recent history.

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Facing polls: Incumbent President moon Jae-in and his Cabinet saluting the South Korean flag before a meeting at the presidential blue House in Seoul - AP

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Thursday, March 10, 2022

One Covid-19 SOP with 10 rules to be enforced, and nine recommendations to apply to all from April 1, 2022

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As Malaysia transitions into the endemic phase, the government will cut down the Covid-19 standard operating procedure (SOP) from the existing 181 to just one.
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Senior Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, who heads the Ministerial Quartet, said the one SOP contains 10 requirements that will continue to be enforced under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342).

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The 10 requirements under the one SOP are:
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1. Wear a face mask when in public
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2. Operation hours must adhere to the permit or licence
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3. Maintain hand hygiene
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4. Perform Covid-19 tests according to the National Testing Strategy
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5. Manage suspected or confirmed Covid-19 cases according to the Health Ministry’s guidelines
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6. Use MySejahtera and MySJTrace for admission registration
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7. Ensure physical distancing of one metre
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8. Ensure a good ventilation system
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9. Ensure the cleanliness of premises
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10. Comply with the vaccination requirements for various activities
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The 10 requirements include the need to wear face masks and to practise physical distancing.
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“In essence, this one SOP for the ‘Transition to Endemicity’ phase has been simplified from the 181 SOP that was enforced under the National Recovery Plan.
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“This one SOP will be enforced under Act 342 from April 1.
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“All 10 requirements have been practised by the public throughout the pandemic. I believe everyone can adhere to it,” he said yesterday.
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Hishammuddin said besides the one SOP, there would also be nine guidelines for the public to follow.
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These would not be enforced, but the people would be encouraged to adhere to them to lower the risk of infection.
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“Each of the guidelines will explain how to conduct Covid-19 risk assessments and how to practise the SOP properly for the different activities,” he said.
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The guidelines cover activities related to transportation and travel; education and care; retail, food and beverage; closed workspaces; open workspaces; events, ceremonies, entertainment and tourist attractions; hotels and guest accommodations; religious events, weddings and funerals; and sports, recreation and leisure.
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He said the SOP and nine guidelines of the Transition to Endemicity phase would be published on a website that could be accessed two weeks before April 1.

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Wednesday, March 9, 2022

US may have supported the Neo-Nazi Azov Battalion, an Ukraine-based neo-Nazi military regiment founded by white supremacist

A veteran of the Ukrainian national guard's Azov Battalion conducts military exercises for civilians in Kyiv, Ukraine on January 30, 2022 [File: Gleb Garanich/Reuters] `

Profile: Who are Ukraine's far-right Azov regiment? - Al Jazeera

Russia's invasion of Ukraine draws attention to ... - USA Today

Members of Azov Battalion hold flares during a protest in Kiev on March 1, 2016. Photo: AFP

Vacationing children undergo military training at a base of the Azov battalion in Kiev on August 14, 2015. Photo: AFP

Click here to stay tuned with our live updates on Ukraine tensions.

The Azov Special Operations Detachment, also known as Azov Battalion, an infamous Ukraine-based neo-Nazi military regiment founded by white supremacists, garnered worldwide attention after its members were seen involved in the ongoing Ukraine-Russia crisis. Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia's military operation in Ukraine aimed to "demilitarize" and "de-Nazify" Ukraine.
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Last week, the Azov Battalion sparked outrage for an insulting and racist video shared by the National Guard of Ukraine (NGU) on Twitter, which appeared to show Azov members greasing bullets with pig fat. "Azov fighters of the National Guard greased the bullets with lard against the Kadyrov orcs," said the NGU account. NGU later deleted the offensive video from its account following criticism by numerous Twitter users.
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Azov Battalion is reportedly a unit of the NGU, backed by Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs. Despite its possible official background in Ukraine, Azov Battalion is known in the West for its extreme neo-Nazi stance, and for its suspected involvement in a number of terrorist attacks and separatist incitement incidents in various countries and regions, including the riots in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2019.
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Ironically, despite being widely regarded as a threat to world security and an enemy of human civilization, Azov Battalion was found to have ties not only with the Ukraine authorities but also with the US. After looking into the public information from the US government and some investigative reports by Western journalists, the Global Times discovered that American politicians, military and intelligence officers were highly likely to have had cooperation with the Azov Battalion, in order to foster extremist forces in Eastern Europe against Russia.
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What is the US behind?
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Since Azov Battalion was founded in 2014, many American media outlets have revealed its potential connections with the US authorities.
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According to a Yahoo News article from January 2022, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has been secretly training forces for Ukraine since 2015. The CIA has been overseeing a secret intensive training program in the US "for elite Ukrainian special operations forces and other intelligence personnel," the article quoted "five former intelligence and national security officials familiar with the initiative" as saying.
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The multi-week program includes training in firearms, camouflage techniques, land navigation, tactics like "cover and move," intelligence and other areas, said the former officials. In addition to the above-mentioned, the CIA also started "traveling to the front in eastern Ukraine to advise their counterparts there by 2015," Yahoo reported.

Also in 2015, the US Congress removed a ban on funding neo-Nazi groups like Azov Battalion from its year-end spending bill, said an article by The Nation magazine in January 2016. In July 2015, two Congressmen drew up an amendment to the House Defense Appropriations bill that limited "arms, training, and other assistance to the neo-Nazi Ukrainian militia, the Azov Battalion," but the amendment was removed in November following "pressure from the Pentagon," an insider told The Nation.

"Considering the fact that the US Army has been training Ukrainian armed forces and national guard troops, ... Congress and the administration have paved the way for US funding to end up in the hands of the most noxious elements circulating within Ukraine today," commented the article's author James Carden, suggesting that the US military had also engaged in the training of NGU, which may include Azov Battalion members.
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Not surprisingly, observers reportedly saw American weapons in Ukraine "flowing directly to the extremists of Azov." In December 2017, Richard Vandiver of American weapon manufacturer AirTronic told VOA that its sales of lethal weapons to Ukraine were conducted in "very close coordination" with the US Embassy, the US State Department, the Pentagon and the Ukrainian government. Weeks later, the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab confirmed in a January 2018 report that Azov Battalion was a recipient of the transfer.
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There must be some connections between Azov Battalion and the US, especially US intelligence agencies, said Li Wei, an expert on national security at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.
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"Supporting Ukraine's neo-Nazis serves the US' own interests," Li told the Global Times. "By inciting conflicts between Ukraine and Russia, the US has weakened Russia and further pushed Ukraine to NATO; it has also improved its relations with Europe, which has become more strategically dependent on the US. The US is really the biggest beneficiary of Russia-Ukraine tensions."
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In late 2021, the US was one of just two countries to vetoa United Nations (UN) draft resolution "combating the glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fueling contemporary forms of racism." The other was Ukraine. "Both countries have consistently voted against this resolution every single year since 2014," wrote an article of American magazine Jacobin in January 2022.
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With its Cold War mind-set, the US has been fanning anti-Russia flames in Eastern Europe, being very much conniving with the neo-Nazi forces there, international relations scholars criticized.
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"We've seen the US support or assist terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (ISIS)," Li said. "The US messes with the world for its own geopolitical interests."
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Evildoings around the world
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In December 2019, some Ukrainian neo-Nazis including Azov Battalion members were seen at separatist riots on the streets of Hong Kong, causing panic among local citizens, Hong Kong media reported.
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It was not the first time that Azov Battalion members were involved in terrorist or violent incidents. In March 2019, 51 people were killed at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand in a mass shooting by Australian Brenton Tarrant. Tarrant, who displayed a symbol used by Azov Battalion during the attacks, claimed in his manifesto that he had traveled to Ukraine, according to an article published on the website of the Atlantic Council in February 2020.
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US media in September 2019 reported an attempted terrorist attack by an America soldier who tried to bomb a major American news network. The soldier Jarrett William Smith, arrested by the FBI, said that he "planned to travel to Ukraine to fight with violent far-right group Azov Battalion," ABC News reported that month.
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Inside Ukraine, Azov Battalion is also infamous for its evil in the eastern region. It was accused of displacing residents after looting civilian properties between November 2015 and February 2016, according to a 2016 report by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
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The report also accused Azov Battalion of raping and torturing detainees in the Donbass region during the period. It violated international law as well as the Minsk Agreements, said the report.

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Checkmated over Ukraine; Is Ukraine a metaverse nightmare?

Malaysia will open its borders to international travellers on April 1, 2022

Malaysia to fully reopen borders from April 1 as country transits to COVID-19 endemic phase

Free to travel: Under the new rules, visitors and Malaysians who have been fully vaccinated will no longer have to quarantine when they arrive. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: In about three weeks, Malaysia will reopen its borders and those wanting to visit the country will no longer need to apply for the MyTravelPass.
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All travellers have to do is download the MySejahtera application and fill in the pre-departure form under the “Traveller” section, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
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“The reopening of the country’s borders was one of the much-awaited announcements among the rakyat.
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“We believe that the reopening of the borders on April 1 will not only bring freedom for the rakyat to travel abroad but also allow those from other countries to visit Malaysia,” he said at a press conference in Parliament yesterday.
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Visitors and Malaysians who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will no longer have to quarantine when they arrive.
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They must, however, undergo a RT-PCR test two days before departure and a professional rapid test (RTK-Antigen) upon arrival.
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“They can do the RTK test at the airport or at a health facility outside, but it must be done within 24 hours,” said Ismail Sabri.
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As for travellers who have not been fully vaccinated, he said the entry procedures will be explained by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin today.
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“The country wants to provide comfort to travellers and not complicate their travel process,” the Prime Minister added.
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As for Malaysians, he said those with valid documents are free to travel to any other country that had reopened their borders to visitors.
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For countries that had yet to fully open their borders such as Singapore, Malaysians could use the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) method, he said.
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He added that the country is also in the midst of implementing the VTL initiative with Thailand, Brunei and Indonesia.
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The country’s borders have been shut since March 2020, while entry of foreign workers has been frozen due to the pandemic.
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Ismail Sabri noted that the reopening of the borders will help revive the country’s economy, especially the tourism industry which was badly hit by the pandemic.
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Some 98.7% of Malaysia’s adult population are fully vaccinated, while 64% have received their booster shots.
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Although the country’s daily cases have shot past the 30,000 mark due to the recent Omicron outbreak, 99% of the infections are mild or asymptomatic.

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Penang-Singapore VTL-Air to start on March 16 | The Star

It's official, Penang-Singapore VTL starts March 16

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SOURCE :

World / Countries / Malaysia

Last updated: March 09, 2022, 06:57 GMT

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/malaysia/

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Experts laud China's economic stability among priorities

Aerial photo taken on Oct 15, 2019, shows a view of the Lujiazui area in Shanghai. [Photo/Xinhua]

Impressive development: Joggers at the Lujiazui financial district in Shanghai. The 5.5% target for economic growth indicates that China’s economy is rebounding after the extensive pandemic-induced lockdowns. — Bloomberg

Experts laud Beijing’s priority on economic stability `

BEIJING: China’s efforts to prioritise its economic stability are significant in many ways, experts say, as the nation’s consistency and policies offer good prospects for benefits through shared development during the post-pandemic recovery.
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On March 5, Premier Li Keqiang delivered the government work report to the fifth session of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC), in which he expounded on the “milestone” year 2021 and major tasks ahead.
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Gerald Mbanda, a Rwandan researcher and publisher on China and Africa, said the report was “impressive” as most of the socioeconomic development targets had been achieved and some exceeded their goals.
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China “has offered a great lesson that irrespective of political, economic and racial differences, the world community can enjoy the benefits of shared development, rather than competing in isolation,” Mbanda said.
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He praised China’s commitment to peaceful global development and promoting the shared values of all humanity, both of which have been central in global developmental projects like the Belt and Road Initiative, the mega infrastructure project.

New targets
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The premier also announced a series of targets for China’s development in 2022.
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These include gross domestic product growth of about 5.5%, some 11 million new urban jobs, achieving stable macroeconomic performance, maintaining job security, expanding high-level opening-up and achieving peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality.Muhammad Faisal, a research fellow at the China-Pakistan Study Centre at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, said this year’s NPC session was “significant in many ways for focusing on national economic recovery and growth after the pandemic”.
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“Although the set target of economic growth of around 5.5% is the second-lowest target during the past three decades, it indicates that China’s economy is rebounding after extensive pandemic-induced lockdowns,” he said.
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The scholar welcomed China prioritising its economic stability in 2022, which he called a “crucial year”, by offering new measures like tax cuts for businesses and the construction sector.
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The premier announced a new package of tax refunds and cuts totalling 2.5 trillion yuan (US$395.62bil or RM1.65 trillion) this year to support enterprises. — China Daily/ANN Source link

Dennis Munene, executive director of the China-Africa Center at the Africa Policy Institute, said the report clearly shows China's commitment to offering its citizens "strategic public goods" to spur economic growth and development in the post-COVID-19 era.
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Munene said the new package of tax-and-fee policies for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises is conducive to improving their cash flow, promoting consumption-driven investment, and further improving the system for refunding value-added tax credits－credits on a consumption tax levied on goods and services at each stage from production to sale.
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Faisal said as China seeks to return to a normal life and mode of production, this year could indicate the easing of restrictions and the adoption of targeted interventions against the pandemic.
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"Premier Li emphasized that local cases must be handled in a targeted manner and the normal order of work and life must be ensured. This is an important statement, considering the extensively enforced measures during the past 24 months," said Faisal.
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Glenn Wijaya, an adviser to the Center for Indonesia-China Studies, welcomed China's consistent efforts in prioritizing the green sector.
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"Green economy is something that is already ingrained (in China).Thus, this is something that is extremely constant throughout. Low carbon is a good illustration of this. It is something that is mandated by law," Wijaya said.
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China "will lead other major nations in reducing carbon emissions, because, unlike other countries, it is consistent throughout, from political pronouncements to laws and regulations that influence businesses," Wijaya said.
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"Although difficult challenges were met, the work report's great achievements give the Chinese people courage and strength to push forward with confidence in the leadership, for the commitment to improving the lives of the people, as well as giving hope that the country is steadily progressing toward realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation," Mbanda said.

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Highlights from Chinese State Councilor and FM Wang Yi's Press Conference

Chinese State Councilor and FM Wang Yi held a press conference on the sidelines of the fifth session of the 13th National People's Congress on Monday, where he answered questions related to foreign policy matters. Here are the highlights:

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West-backed anti-China organization exploits Ukraine crisis to further antagonistic agenda and division

While innocent civilians in Ukraine are suffering from the flames of conflict, which have brought the world under threat of being ripped further apart, some forces, as opposed to fixing the division, are taking advantage of the turbulence to smear China by peddling false information, aiming to "launch a war" against China.

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