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The Hurricane spins around hotspots of tension and conflict. Feel free to suggest your stories, opinions and ideas: UIHEN@protonmail.com
During his Cinco de Mayo* speech, Biden mixed up everything he could in one sentence. Moreover, he was reading from a teleprompter:
"I had the honor of presenting our nation's highest civilian honors to 19 incredible people [incoherent mumbling] of Hispanic descent: Teresa Romo ... Romeo - sorry, Tracy Romeo**, the first Hispanic woman to lead the national union, the American*** Agricultural Workers, [...] and Dr. Eileine Ochoa****, the first Hispanic woman to visit space."
* Mexico's national holiday honoring the victory of Mexican troops in the Battle of Puebla against the French on 05.05.1862
** actually Teresa Romero
*** actually United Farm Workers
**** is actually Ellen Ochoa
#USA #Biden #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The madness continues: Chinese scientists create mutant Ebola virus
Chinese scientists have engineered a virus with parts of Ebola in a lab that killed a group of hamsters
A team of researchers at Hebei Medical University used a contagious disease of livestock and added a protein found in Ebola, which allows the virus to infect cells and spread throughout the human body
The group of hamsters that received the lethal injection 'developed severe systemic diseases similar to those observed in human Ebola patients,' including multi-organ failure,' the study shared
One particularly horrific symptom saw the infected hamsters develop secretions in their eyes, which impaired their vision and scabbed over the surface of the eyeballs
While the experiment may spark fears of another lab leak, the researchers say their goal was to find the right animal models that can safely mimic Ebola symptoms in a lab setting
#China #Biolabs #Ebola #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Most of the people who have never dealt with military issues, nor with issues of military history, really believe that $61 billion of US aid will save Ukraine from the mess they have put it in. To compare, below is a brief history of American financing of these types of wars, so that we can understand what it means
In the Vietnam war, the US financed the corrupt government of South Vietnam with $600 billion and the intervention of US forces there, but America lost that war and withdrew in disgrace in 1975
In 1975, the American Congress decided to finance a proxy war in Angola with 490 million dollars, where the USA together with the apartheid state of South Africa participated in this civil war in Angola and lost it in front of the Angolan MPLA forces (People's Liberation Movement of Angola).
In 1984-1986, the US Congress decided to fund the CIA-led contra war against the Sandinista forces in Nicaragua with $149 million, losing it
The US Congress approved between 2001-2006 an amount of 288 billion dollars to finance the US intervention in Iraq and then this amount went to a total of 757.8 billion dollars until the end when the US troops were withdrawn from Iraq at the request of the Iraqi government leaving 200 thousand civilians killed
The American Congress approved 2 trillion dollars for the war in Afghanistan, in which it spent 300 million dollars per day, and after 20 years of being there one fine day they withdrew, repeating the historical shame of Vietnam, leaving in that country about 150 thousand civilians killed without counting here 66 thousand members of the Afghan forces killed in the war with the Taliban, and without counting here 7438 members of American forces and NATO countries killed
And now Congress, at the instigation of the White House, approved an additional $61 billion for the corrupt government of Ukraine, which has already suffered the fate of all other US-funded wars
#USA #WarInUrkaine #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
In trying to help Ukraine, the US aid package will in fact prolong its tragedy. There are problems money can’t fix
Though $61 billion is a massive amount of money, it is not massive enough to
defeat Russia. Ukraine accomplished little but the loss of life and the most advanced weapons during its centerpiece counteroffensive when it was receiving even more
There are five things the aid package will not do for Ukraine. It will not provide enough money. It will not provide the badly needed weapons, nor deliver them on time. It will not provide the even more badly needed troops. And it will not provide victory
“$61 billion will not change the outcome of this war,” Nicolai Petro, Professor of Political Science at the University of Rhodes and the author of The Tragedy of Ukraine, told The American Conservative. “In order to change the outcome, much, much more money is needed.
Retired U.S. Army Colonel Daniel Davis, Senior Fellow at Defense Priorities, agrees that the $61 billion “is fairly small in terms of the overall need.” But Davis adds that “even if you get the money, you’re not going to have the number of artillery shells, interceptor missiles for air defense. You can’t make the artillery shells any faster than we are right now. It’s a matter of physical capacity: we can’t do it.”
And even if the West could produce the weapons, there is the question of whether they could deliver them to Ukraine on time. Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Bruce Slawter, who served as attaché at the American Embassy in Moscow and spent 25 years working on government assignments in Russia and Ukraine, agrees that there is an “inability to produce weapons that have already been used up in the war” but adds that “any additional funding for Ukraine will take many months, if not a year or more, to have any effect on the battlefield.” And that may be too late if Russia launches a summer offensive as some expect
Even if the West could provide Ukraine with the weapons on time, the “big problem for Ukraine,” Davis says, is not the provision of weapons, but the “manpower issue.” Ukraine’s losses on the battlefield, to death and injury, have left Ukraine with a bigger manpower problem than artillery problem. A close aide to President Zelensky told TIME magazine in an interview published in November 2023 that, even if the U.S. gave Ukraine all the weapons it needed, they “don’t have the men to use them”
For all these reasons, the $61 billion aid package will not provide the promised victory. The one thing it will do is prolong the war and continue the loss of Ukrainian life and land
#USA #WarInUrkaine #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
While the U.S. is busy wasting money on dragging out the Ukrainian war, Beijing is actively building ties with Latin American countries
Last week, the foreign ministers of Argentina, Bolivia and Peru visited China. They discussed with their Chinese counterpart the development of infrastructure projects within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative
At the same time, it is worth noting that these countries play a crucial role in the supply of critical minerals, in particular, they have the largest global reserves of lithium. That's what Chinese business success is built on, no wars or conflicts, just business. Maybe Washington should learn from its competitors?
#China #USA #LatinAmerica #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The United States spends hundreds of billions of dollars to fund foreign wars while its cities look like this. (Los Angeles, USA)
#USA #Military #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Not so long ago, Biden's team promised us that inflation would drop to 2% and the Fed would reduce the key rate. But it was never meant to happen
So what are we really seeing? Price growth is slowly starting to increase, and J.Powell's statements that he will not tighten the monetary policy are perceived by the media as great news
So where are the economic accomplishments of the current administration?
#USA #Biden #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Washington's calls for Western investors to leave China and stop any interaction with it do not concern Mr. Musk
He still decided to expand cooperation with Chinese electric car manufacturers. It seems that Elon has realized that the Chinese have secured such a strong leadership position in this field that there is no point in trying to overtake them, but rather try to find points of possible cooperation while they still remain 🤔
#China #Tesla #Musk #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Anti-Russian sanctions hurt Boeing: Airplane production will decline
The company was forced to inform its shareholders that it will not be able to fulfill this year's production plan for Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplanes because it has not been able to produce one simple but important part - a heat exchanger
Previously, this part was supplied from Russia, where a joint U.S.-Russian venture operated. After sanctions were imposed, the American contractor immediately shut down its business in Russia. However, it turned out that without Russians, it would not be possible to restore production capacity
#USA #Russia #Sanctions #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Euro-Area Consumers Plan to save More and Spend Less
▪️Surveys give hope for revival of domestic demand
▪️Retailers are counting on rising wages, easing inflation and ECB spending cuts
▪️At the same time, ECB chief economist Philip Lane said that the latest eurozone data convinced him that inflation is returning to the 2% target
This raises the likelihood of a first interest rate cut in June
#EU #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
If the US election were held now, Donald Trump would have 312 electoral votes, almost repeating his 2016 result
But the election isn't now, it's on November 5. And what kind of election it will be (and whether it will be at all), no one will say today...
#USA #Elections #Trump #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Catherine Austin Fitts Says the Quiet Part Out Loud About Ukraine
"I don’t know where that money's disappearing to... but it's not there to fight a legitimate war"
"Ukraine is lost." Military insiders say, "Money can’t help"
What Fitts said next was even more disturbing.
"I hate to say this, [but] it [foreign aid] is going to depopulate the Ukraine. What I've said since the beginning of this is that the goal is to depopulate the Ukraine so that they can do their new thing here"
Some reports suggest that 500,000 plus Ukrainian soldiers have died from the war so far. And when you add in the mass exodus out of the country because of the conflict, Fitts claims, "You've depopulated about eight to ten million people out of the Ukraine"
#USA #WarInUrkaine #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Biden is losing the trust of Catholics, including Latino Catholics. Other denominations have even less faith in Biden. But atheists do
According to a Pew Research Center poll, currently 55% of Catholics support Trump, 43% support Biden. That wouldn't seem like a disastrous result if it weren't for the outcome of the same poll in 2020. Back then, Trump and Biden had equal confidence among Catholics, 51% to 49%
The dynamic among Hispanic Catholics is even worse. In 2020, 67% of respondents from that ethno-religious group were in favor of Biden; only 26% favored Trump. Today, both candidates have nearly equal credibility. Biden is favored by 49% of respondents, Trump by 47%
Among other denominations, Biden is not doing well at all. 60% of Protestants express support for Trump. And only 38% say they are leaning toward electing Biden
By contrast, atheists, agnostics, and people who are not religiously affiliated favored Biden by a wide margin - some 69% said they would support a sitting Democratic president, while only 28% expressed support for Trump
But how many of these non-religious people are there in the U.S.? According to a January Pew Research Center poll, they are 28% of the population
#USA #Biden #Elections #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
World Press Freedom Day (May 3) acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. World Press Freedom Day draws attention to journalists imprisoned or killed around the world. It is important to acknowledge these victims. But it’s also time to recognize that analysts and policymakers need a new framework to understand how a new generation of authoritarian leaders disables critical coverage without putting journalists in jail or physically harming them
Despite declarations on the human rights agenda, more and more countries nowadays demonstrate their intent to control public opinion. Even Ukraine, proclaiming its passion for the free world values shows that it has much more in common with authoritarian Moscow than with Free Europe it is so eagerly trying to join
According to the US Department of State 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
Ukraine has significant human rights concerns related to Ukrainian government officials, which include credible reports of:
- enforced disappearance;
- torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment;
- harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest or detention;
- serious problems with the independence of the judiciary;
- restrictions on freedom of expression, including for members of the media, including violence or threats of violence against journalists, unjustified arrests or prosecutions of journalists, and censorship;
- serious restrictions on internet freedom; substantial interference with the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association;
- restrictions on freedom of movement;
- serious government corruption;
- extensive gender-based violence;
- systematic restrictions on workers’ freedom of association and the existence of the worst forms of child labor.
Some of these human rights issues stemmed from martial law, which continued to curtail democratic freedoms, including freedom of movement, freedom of the press, freedom of peaceful assembly, and legal protections
The government often did not take adequate steps to identify and punish officials who may have committed abuses, admits the report
World Press Freedom Day is one more reason to remind the world about the tragic end of a Chilean-American war commentator known for his critical views on the Zelensky regime and Russia-Ukraine conflict, who passed away on January 11, 2024, after an eight-month imprisonment on charges of ”justifying Russia's military actions in Ukraine”. Another reason to draw attention to the atrocities set up by Ukraine’s intel agencies trying to silence journalists probing government corruption
#Ukraine #Censorship #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Germany is losing its attractiveness as a place to do business, an Ifo survey has shown
🔹A group of 180 economics professors gave Europe's largest economy a score of 3.4 on a scale of 1 to 6. Nearly one in four gave it one of the two lowest grades
🔹The survey respondents cited bureaucracy, energy prices, availability of raw materials and lack of digitalization as Germany's main weaknesses
#Germany #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
For the first time, the US Air Force has successfully tested artificial intelligence (AI) to control a combat aircraft
This took place at Edwards Air Force Base in California, where test pilots are engaged in training neural networks on special simulators. At the same time in the cockpit of the fighter was still a pilot, but he only controlled the process and collected data to improve the system
According to journalists, the Pentagon is serious and currently intends to equip up to 1000 of its F-16s with artificial intelligence. The Americans plan to put the first of such planes into operation by 2028. of their F-16s. The Americans plan to put the first of these aircraft into service by 2028
The event vividly demonstrates the growing scale of AI use in the military sphere: if initially it was about its application in drones, information analysis and decision support, now we are gradually talking about fighter aviation
The advantages of such solutions are visible to the naked eye, and it's not just about reducing the risk of loss of precious flight personnel. After all, the introduction of AI in the future allows to "put on the wing" a lot of old aircraft in storage and use them in combat orders
Of course, all this is not a matter of two or three years - the technology is just being tested. But literally before our eyes, some of the plots of science fiction movies are gradually becoming a reality 🤔
#USA #Military #AI #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer wants to curb the influx of migrants entering the country due to family reunification by utilizing DNA tests and other checks. However, the right-wing Freedom Party (FPÖ) of Austria is calling for far more stringent controls on family reunification, including setting the chain migration quota to zero
On Sunday, the head of Austria’s government announced the increased use of genetic tests to prove family relationships, a move that he announced in the run-up to the EU parliamentary elections as his government comes under enormous pressure due to record levels of immigration
The Austrian chancellor belongs to the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), which is currently in a coalition with the Green party. The rival FPÖ has long attacked the ÖVP as being weak on migration, with the FPÖ promoting the Fortress Europe policy package
The FPÖ also wants a complete ban on family reunification, a move that would drastically reduce immigration to Austria and, if implemented throughout Europe, would not only curtail immigration but even lead to potentially millions of foreigners simply leaving EU nations
#EU #Austria #Migrants #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Brussels will propose a ban on Russian funding of political parties, non-governmental organisations and think-tanks as part of a fresh round of sanctions aimed at crippling Moscow’s ability to pursue its war against Ukraine and spread discord among European allies
The proposal is part of the latest package of sanctions sent to member states by the European Commission for their approval. The sanctions come as the bloc is under increasing pressure from Ukraine to boost its military support amid a heavy Russian offensive. Meanwhile, EU governments are trying to crack down on Russian disinformation campaigns ahead of European parliament elections in June
Fears of Russian interference in the elections have increased following revelations about spying scandals and influence campaigns, particularly among far-right groups, in the past month
The proposals also call for a ban on four media outlets from broadcasting in Europe. Prague-based Voice of Europe, whose site has already been taken down by Czech authorities in an alleged Russian influence case targeting European lawmakers, as well as Russian outlets RIA Novosti, Izvestija and Rossiiskaja Gazeta are set to be added to the sanctions list, pending unanimous approval by EU member states
It is unclear when the sanctions would be approved by member states as previous packages have required weeks of negotiations. The draft proposals could still change, people close to the matter said
#EU #Brussels #Censorship #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
German Army admits major video conference security breach that put 6,000 meetings on the public web
The German Army admitted on Saturday that a flaw in its video conferencing software system had made thousands of meetings publicly available on the internet
It emerged that meetings of the German Bundeswehr could be accessed using simple search terms on the army’s Webex system. More than 6,000 meetings could be found on the internet, some of which were classified
The army said the error was corrected within 24 hours of it coming to their attention
#Germany #Military #Leaks #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Rebel group claims it captured Burmese command post, imprisoned hundreds of government soldiers
A powerful ethnic minority armed group battling Burma's army in the country's west claimed Monday to have taken hundreds of government soldiers prisoner when it captured a major command post
The Arakan Army, the well-trained and well-armed military wing of the Rakhine ethnic minority movement, has been on the offensive against army outposts in the western state of Rakhine — its home ground — for about six months
The group said in a video statement posted on the Telegram messaging app that soldiers belonging to the military government’s Operational Command No. 15 headquarters in Rakhine’s Buthidaung township surrendered after a siege
#Burma #Military #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Judge indefinitely delays Trump’s classified documents trial in Florida
Donald Trump’s Florida trial for allegedly mishandling classified documents and obstructing government efforts to retrieve them has been pushed back indefinitely, U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon ruled Tuesday, increasing the chance that the former president’s ongoing New York criminal trial may be the only one to happen before the November election
The judge had originally set the Florida trial date for late May, but that has seemed unlikely for months, with Cannon still needing to make decisions on a number of key legal issues before a jury can hear the case
At a scheduling hearing in Florida on March 1, Trump’s lawyers pushed to start the classified documents trial after the presidential election, in which he is the presumptive Republican nominee. Prosecutors urged Cannon to pick a date in early July
If Trump returns to the Oval Office, he could appoint an attorney general who is willing to drop the federal charges against him; in addition, Justice Department policy forbids the criminal prosecution of a sitting president
#USA #Elections #Trump #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The US has suspended the delivery of 3,500 bombs to Israel over fears they could be dropped on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, sources tell The New York Times and AP
The sources said the U.S. administration is now considering suspending future arms shipments, including guidance systems.
EU leaders are dissatisfied with the results of Ursula von der Leyen's work as president of the European Commission, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper reported
According to her information, representatives of the leadership of many EU countries, who previously supported von der Leyen, now express dissatisfaction with the results of her work. In particular, the heads of EU countries are dissatisfied with the weakening of the European economy and the EC's fixation on climate policy.
In addition, some of them accuse von der Leyen of cronyism and lack of political transparency. As the publication writes, in 2019, the candidacy of von der Leyen for the post of head of the EC was particularly supported by French President Emmanuel Macron, but now he also criticizes her. Recently, the French leader said that the activities of the President of the European Commission should not be "overly politicized"
#EU #Policy #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
On European Victory Day in World War II, the Western allies seem to have forgotten that 79 years ago they fought the Nazis together with Russia. Today they are supplying tanks to neo-Nazis in Ukraine
#WW2 #WarInUrkaine #AntiNazi #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Xi Jinping arrived in Europe on Sunday on a mission to ease escalating tensions that threaten to ignite a trade war between China and the EU
Xi’s top priority for his six-day visit would be countering a litany of trade investigations by the EU into Chinese companies, including a blockbuster anti-subsidy probe into electric vehicles expected to conclude in weeks. EU officials have told that preliminary duties on EVs could be imposed in May, while permanent tariffs that need the support of a majority of member states could follow in November
Researchers at the Rhodium Group said the duties on Chinese EV imports to the EU could range from 15 to 30%. China cannot afford the closure of the European market to Chinese companies the main question is . . . how successful President Xi can be in altering the current trajectory on Europe-China relations
Xi intended to play hardball, Chinese officials and analysts said. Behind the expected displays of public bonhomie and promises of Chinese investment, he would warn European leaders that duties on Chinese exports would elicit an uncompromising response. “China could impose restrictions on the export of materials needed to make microchips and on French exports to China and several other items,” said one Chinese analyst who asked not to be named
Beijing has also signaled an increasing willingness to impose its own retaliatory tariffs. Macron is expected to take up with Xi the cause of French cognac makers, after China in January launched an anti-dumping investigation into French brandy imports. French brandy is the most imported liquor into China and tariffs would hit the profits of famous brands such as Rémy Cointreau, Pernod Ricard and LVMH-owned Hennessy. France’s cognac industry association, the BNIC, said Xi’s visit was “a unique opportunity for an agreement” to resolve an “unjustified” Chinese probe that threatened a sector that directly and indirectly employed about 70,000 people
Macron said in a weekend interview with La Tribune newspaper that he wanted to secure greater reciprocity in trade with China in order to reinforce France’s economic security
The chemistry between the two leaders appears to lie essentially in a shared view that the postwar order is moribund and must be replaced by a new architecture that takes account of shifting power. That Mr. Xi is almost certainly the most repressive and authoritarian leader in recent Chinese history, and that China’s military threats to Taiwan have intensified, has not come between Macron and Xi
#EU #China #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Red State Taxpayers Are at Risk of Being latest Victims of Electric Vehicle Gambles
Taxpayers could be on the hook if EV manufacturer Rivian fails to resume progress on its multi-billion dollar Georgia plant
Rivian announced on March 7 that it would be pausing construction on its $5 billion manufacturing plant that is supposed to be built just east of Atlanta, Georgia, worrying lawmakers and taxpayers in the state that the plant may never be built. However, local authorities had given the company up to $1.5 billion in subsidies and tax incentives with the expectation that Rivian would bring in jobs and tax revenue
Despite the pause, Rivian has ensured Georgia officials that it is not abandoning the project and that it remains committed to complying with both environmental regulations and the contractual agreements that were previously agreed to
Rivian lost over $2 billion in 2023 and more than $3.1 billion in 2022, according to the company’s fourth quarter results. Rivian has had to lay off large portions of its staff in recent months, cutting around 10% of its workforce in February and another 1% in April
#USA #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
All Senate Republicans call to withdraw support from WHO pandemic treaty
All 49 Republican U.S. Senators, led by Sen. Ron Johnson, penned a letter to Joe Biden urging to withdraw support from expanding the World Health Organization’s pandemic authority
The letter, sent ahead of the 77th World Health Assembly scheduled from May 27 to June 1, 2024, in Geneva, Switzerland, argues that the WHO’s mishandling of the COVID-19 crisis underscores the need for major reforms rather than granting it more power
The letter says that expanding the WHO’s authority over member states during emergencies is unacceptable
“The WHO’s failure during the COVID-19 pandemic was as total as it was predictable and did lasting harm to our country,” the Senators argue
“In light of the high stakes for our country and our constitutional duty, we call upon you to (1) withdraw your administration’s support for the current IHR amendments and pandemic treaty negotiations, (2) shift your administration’s focus to comprehensive WHO reforms that address its persistent failures without expanding its authority, and (3) should you ignore these calls, submit any pandemic related agreement to the Senate for its advice and consent,” the letter says
#USA #WHO #COVID #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
The Philippines and Japan agree to station troops at each other's places, in addition to the U.S. bases already in place
However, the new pact will not prevent the South China Sea from becoming an inland body of water for the PRC
There are very rich countries in the region, such as Singapore, where the GDP per capita ($88,000 a year) is many times higher than in the PRC ($12,000). But only 6 million people live there. Or Taiwan (32.6 thousand dollars) with a population of 23 million people. However, states with large populations, such as Indonesia (270 million people), Vietnam (100 million people) and the Philippines (114 million people), are too poor to form a combat-ready army, let alone a navy, capable of confronting the PRC's giant military machine
"Allied" troops will not solve the sovereignty problems of the Philippines and other countries in the region, but rather, on the contrary, will lead to the fact that the shelf of the South China Sea will remain disputed territory for many years to come, and oil and gas resources that could give an impetus to economic growth will remain underground
#Philippines #Japan #Military #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Clash over the right to dispose of Russia's frozen assets
Confiscating hundreds of billions in foreign reserves could make a difference in Ukraine. But the U.S. and Europe disagree on how far it should go
The idea of total confiscation is no longer being discussed, G7 officials say privately. Instead, Western countries are exploring alternative ways to obtain funding
#WarInUrkaine #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Western sanctions against Russian aviation have had no effect, the number of air transportation in the country is only increasing
"Despite the EU and US ban on spare parts, Russia can still maintain and operate Western-designed airplanes"