Putin is good at 2 things: warming the planet and making devastating weapons

This is a quick note because this news has got my goat! I have decided that Putin is good at three things: producing oil and gas and manufacturing devastating weapons. The oil and gas significantly contribute to global warming which is an existential threat to humankind while the devastating weapons he produces kills, maims thousands of people including children and destroys their homes and vital infrastructure including hospitals, schools and libraries et cetera.

So, Putin is good at making things which destroy humankind, damage humankind, damage the planet and therefore he is an incredibly negative presence on the planet. He is a menace to humankind, world peace and stability. He needs to be stopped as soon as possible.

The world in general is too tolerant of him. We simply react to what he does by for example helping Ukraine defend themselves against his illegal invasion of their country to try and annex it to Russia.

But why does humankind tolerate this man? In fact some countries support him like China, North Korea and India. This is highly immoral behaviour. It is a behaviour which damages the prospects of our very existence.

Today, in my newspaper, there is the story of Vladimir Putin visiting the leader of Mongolia which might strike some people as very strange because Mongolia is a signed up member to the International Criminal Court. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Putin for the forced deportation of Ukrainian kids. And yet, the leader of Mongolia has failed to ensure that Putin is arrested under that arrest warrant. And therefore Mongolia is supporting Putin's criminality. How does the world view that?

By newspaper also tells me that Ukrainian officials, human rights groups and Russian opposition figures have all urged Mongolia to honour its legal obligations and arrest Putin during his two-day visit. But he was greeted by the Mongolian Foreign Minister before walking down a red carpet flanked by guards. There was a guard of honour to welcome him and shepherd him through the main square for his meeting with the president. The Kremlin had earlier brushed away any speculation that Mongolia could detain him. Putin's spokesman said that there "are no worries. We have a great dialogue with our friends from Mongolia".

As I said, too many leaders in this world are supportive of Putin despite the fact that he is a persistent and serial murderer and criminal of the highest order. He needs to be stopped as stated. It appears to me that the world simply lacks enough integrity to do what is right and necessary. Mongolia's behavior also fatally undermines the ICC.

In the newspapers today, to make a point, there is the story that Russia is developing a nuclear powered, nuclear-armed cruise missile, that could, in theory, circle the earth for an indefinite period of time. It has been nicknamed "the flying Chernobyl". No doubt he is very proud of it. Another armament which threatens humanity. How can you be proud of that?

The weapon is apparently stored in a bunker in Vologda about 295 miles north of Moscow. He wants to develop invincible weapons and the most devastating weapons possible. He's constantly pronouncing to the world in shocking declarations that he will push the nuclear button if the West threatens Russia beyond a certain threshold.

These are idle threats but they are unpleasant threats. And they are getting worse. He has changed the nuclear policy of Russia. It is more likely he'll use them because he perceives a threat from the West. He is inherently hostile to the West. He can't see straight. His deeply ingrained hatred and disdain of Western values colours his thinking and behaviour.

And he's used illegal armaments against Ukraine. He has killed children in their hundreds. He is killed hundreds of thousands of animals and left many more homeless. He's killed grandmothers in their beds. He's done the most horrifically objectionable things and yet we tolerate him. 

He is a threat to humanity and he must be stopped. It needs courage and bold behaviour from the West to do this. Let's see it.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

Latvian authorities send cars of drunk drivers to Ukraine (no compensation)

If you are arrested for drink driving in Latvia, you lose your car and it is sent to Ukraine to support the country in their fight against the Russian invaders. More $1m of cars have already been sent (by Dec 2023). Lithuania is planning on doing the same. Also, all vehicles with Russian registration plates are confiscated and sent to Ukraine for the war effort. Great. Tough for Russians living in Russia.

The drivers are not compensated financially when their vehicles are confiscated due to drink driving. The confiscation is part of the penalty for the offense. In Latvia, this measure is intended to be a deterrent against driving under the influence, with the additional benefit of aiding Ukraine by providing vehicles for their efforts in the ongoing conflict.

The loss of the vehicle is a consequence of the criminal act, and the government does not provide financial compensation to the convicted drivers. This policy aims to send a strong message about the seriousness of drink driving and the importance of supporting Ukraine.

How about that? Amazing don't you think? Very bold action. The UK government might learn from that and be a lot bolder in their actions to put things right in the country. 

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

British rescuer of animals and humans shot in the head in Ukraine

A BBC2 documentary has been made about Chris Parry and it's called Hell Jumper. That's because what he did was like jumping into hell. And what he did was save the lives of people and their pets in the east of Ukraine where the Russians, as you probably know, have decimated towns and cities and razed them to the ground with incessant bombing and shelling.

Chris Parry. Image: believed Chris Parry's estate via the BBC.

Our rescue worker son always stood up to bullies like Putin. We won't forget his sacrifice. - His parents.

Chris Parry was a British volunteer. He simply was in Ukraine to help. He had a strong sense of injustice. He wanted to do something. He had no military training. He went to Ukraine eight days after the Russians invaded the country in February 2022.

He didn't tell his parents but he told his sister, Katy. She was very frightened for him. She thought that he was dramatizing the rescues that he got involved in but then learned that it was the truth.

Chris begged her not to tell mum and dad. On one occasion Chris Parry texted back that he was buzzing. He said that he had "rescued 11 people, two dogs and a budgerigar". That was in communication with his father Rob.

It's believed that he was executed by a shot to the head by the Russian Mafia group called Wagner Group.

The Sunday Times reports that Chris went missing after he had told Rob that he was buzzing about rescuing dogs and people. He was with another evacuated, Andrew Bagshaw, 48, at the time.

Their car was found abandoned. Katy was contacted, remarkably, by Russians on social media who were rubbing their hands in delight at having killed Chris. Or one of their colleagues had killed Chris.

Katy said "They sent photos of dead bodies saying, We've got your brother, he's got what he deserved."

Two weeks later, Rob received a call from Devon and Cornwall police. Rob said that they 'cried like babies'. Chris's body was returned in a prisoner swap. His clothes had been changed and his body washed. The Russians said that there had been killed in artillery fire but this was untrue. Rob says it was an execution because of the gunshot wound placement.

A coroner ruled that his killing was unlawful. His parents instinctively felt that it wasn't just another random killing. They believe, as mentioned that it was an execution. The family hope that the documentary will help highlight the plight of Ukrainians in this horrible war.

"The world has to wake up and realise that Putin is a bully and if he's not stopped, then it's not going to affect just Ukraine." The words of Christine, Chris's mother.

Rob said that, "We will do whatever we can to keep Chris's name alive and Ukraine in people's minds."

P.S. Chris had fallen love with a Ukrainian lady: Olha Volodymrivna Khomenko. They lived together. They had planned a future together. RIP Chris. A brave guy. He saved more than 400 Ukrainians. And let's remember Andrew Bagshaw too.

Hell Jumper will air on BBC2 this Wednesday at 9 pm.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Was the world ONE INCH AWAY from a US civil war and world war?

There is a reasonable argument that suggests that the recent failed assassination of Donald Trump was an event that put humankind one inch from civil war in the US followed by world war.

The bullet missed his head by one inch because (he says) he turned to his right - something he rarely does. A God given head movement he claimed. But if he hadn't moved his head and he had been killed, it might have led to a civil war in the US.

This would have led to the US stopping making payments to Ukraine to support the country and donating billions of dollars or armaments upon which Ukraine depends to defend itself from the terrorist leader of Russia, the evil Putin and his acolytes.

This would lead to Russian winning the war in Ukraine which would lead to a new world order in which Russia continued to expand by taking other countries that Putin believes should be in Russia's orbit.

This new world order would eventually lead to world war as the terrorist state called Russia placed too much stress on the West to accept their behaviour. 

There would have to be military intervention. China, North Korea and Iran would also be involved as they would became emboldened by Russia's success.

The reasonably plausible but shocking suggestion is that the world was one inch from US civil war and world war.

Crooks was a bad shot at school. Perhaps he was trying to prove to his school colleagues who bullied him that he was a good shot. Thankfully he was not.

But the event highlights how fragile the world is right now. How stressed the world is. It only takes one silly wrong move under these circumstances to begin and avalanche of violence.

And I believe that people feel this. There are signs that citizens of the West are more stressed. The canaries in the coal mine are the kids. They feel it more. In the UK there are clear signs that they are going through a kind of collective nervous breakdown with suicidal thoughts and self-harm.

Self-harm is a mental health state in which the victim is trying to wrestle back control of their lives. In a an increasingly chaotic world it is understandable that school kids feel that their lives are out of control.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

UK's Prime Minister calls Russia's bluff. War?

UK's Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has called Russia's bluff in allowing Ukraine to decide how they want to use the Storm Shadow missiles including firing them into Russia if needed to defend themselves. Zelensky has consistently said that they need to fire the missiles into Russia to destroy military installations in Russia. See update at base.

Image: MikeB

Putin has also consistently said that if this happens they will retaliate. Putin has issued many threats including the use of nuclear bombs to try and subdue the West into become submissive and to keep out of his invasion of Ukraine.

Here and now we have a real test for both Starmer and Putin. What will Putin do if anything? Was he bluffing and using empty threats or was he being truthful? Will he attack the UK? That is what he must have meant.

But how will he attack the UK? Will he destroy undersea cables that serve the nation? There are many and they are not well protected.

It is impossible to envisage Russia bombing Britain! That would be WW3. He can't do it because all NATO nations are obligated to defend each other when under attack.

So what will Putin do? The world's greatest terrorist in living memory.

Zelensky said: 

“This morning, I learned about the permission to use Storm Shadow missiles against military targets in Russian territory. Today, we had the opportunity to discuss the practical implementation of this decision.”

Zelensky has always urged his Western allies to put an end to “all limitations” placed on donated weapon systems in a speech on the fringes of the NATO summit in Washington.

Update 2 days later! From RBC Ukraine -- The Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom clarified that it did not permit Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles to strike Russian territory, citing The Telegraph. Downing Street said that the government's policy has not changed regarding the deployment of long-range missiles, despite comments from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer suggesting that he was easing restrictions on missile use.

Storm Shadow

The Storm Shadow (also known as SCALP) is a long-range, air-launched, stand-off attack missile developed by France-based MBDA Systems. Here are its key features:

1. Deployment:

   • The missile can be integrated into various aircraft, including the Tornado GR4, Tornado IDS, Saab Gripen, Mirage 2000, Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
   • It’s designed for precision strikes against high-value stationary assets such as airbases, radar installations, communications hubs, and port facilities.

2. Capabilities:

   • Range: Over 250 km (nearly 200 miles).
   • Stealth: Its low altitude and subsonic speed make it difficult to detect.
   • Guidance: Equipped with advanced navigation (INS, GPS, and terrain referencing) for exceptional accuracy.
   • Autonomy: Fully autonomous guidance system.
   • Weather: Operates day and night in all conditions.
   • Terrain Hugging: Descends to fly at low altitude to avoid detection.

The Storm Shadow missile is a formidable weapon for deep strike missions, offering precision and versatility. 🚀💥

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Russian citizens terrorised into complete silence on pain of death

This is an opinion article. It's based on the news. It is not hard news. Although I am sure many agree with me. Russian citizens are terrorised into complete silence on pain of death and indoctrinated into false beliefs. Of course the Kremlin denies it.

Image: MikeB - free to use.

Russia is not only a terrorist state, terrorising other countries. In fact Russia is terrorising the entire world because Vladimir Putin and his cabal of mafia-like comrades in the Kremlin consistently threaten nuclear war. Medvedev has threatened that they will use nuclear armaments if NATO intervenes in Ukraine and if the land in Ukraine seized by Russians is taken back as a consequence. This is threatening the world because you can't use nuclear arms against another country without a global threat.

It's almost certainly a bluff and playing poker for the Russians but it is an example of how they terrorise the rest of the world. 

And what is depressing is that the rest of the world accepts his presence. We just get around the problems as they occur and wait for the next attack or murder. Surely we can do better. Putin and his cronies need to be stopped. Russia is a bad apple in the barrel and it is poisoning the world. He has supporters from fellow dictators which indicates the moral turpitude of the world. No hope is there, really?! For instance the UN allows Russia to remain on the Security Council where their representative lies and lies and lies.

Nebenzya is brazenly lying at the UN about the attack on the children's hospital.

He has been blatantly lying for years.
And will he continue? Does the UN seem to be fine with that? https://t.co/hmnIG1d6j3 pic.twitter.com/o3EyozP1QC

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) July 9, 2024

But this article is about how Putin and his cohort of gangsters terrorise their own citizens consistently and perpetually.

Putin terrorises his own citizens by picking up people who criticise the Kremlin and Putin's diktats and then killing them by placing them into a Gulag somewhere in Siberia where they die mysteriously. The charges against these brave people are completely spurious and fictional.

If the Russian who criticises Putin isn't killed in this way they are simply murdered on the streets of Moscow or in some other place. The murders are nearly always dressed up as accidents such as "a 55-year-old man falls out of the sixth floor a block of flats". If that can't be arranged they simply shoot them in the back of the head. Nobody is ever prosecuted because this is a terrorist state. It's run by the 'mafia' which brings me to the next point and the point of this article.

Yulia Navalnaya

Yulia said: 

“When you write about this, please don't forget to write the main thing: Vladimir Putin is a murderer and a war criminal. His place is in prison, and not somewhere in The Hague, in a cosy cell with a TV, but in Russia – in the same [penal] colony and the same 2-by-3-metre cell in which he killed Alexei.”

Ой, а что не будет обычной процедуры? Иностранный агент, потом заведение уголовного дела, потом уже арест?! Когда будете писать об этом, не забудьте, пожалуйста, написать главное: Владимир Путин - убийца и военный преступник. Его место в тюрьме, и не где-нибудь в Гааге, в уютной…

— Yulia Navalnaya (@yulia_navalnaya) July 9, 2024

The Kremlin has denied ordering the killing of Mr Navalny, her husband who died under mysterious circumstances in a Siberian prison. Some say he was killed with a punch to the heart under extended freezing conditions. Yulia has vowed to fight on in his name.

All over the news today is the story of a Moscow court issuing an arrest warrant for the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. That person is Yulia Navalnaya. If I may say, she is a statuesque beauty and I mean that in the best possible way. She looks good and she is good. She has vowed to continue her husband's fight against this terrorist state.

As a consequence Putin's administration has ordered a Moscow court to issue an arrest warrant on trumped up charges which happen to be the "participation in an extremist society". Just another fictional charge which is not in any way grounded in reality.

That said, the laws of Russia as enacted by Putin's administration have effectively silenced all people in that benighted country because if you even hold up a sheet of white paper with nothing on it you are arrested as a protester against the Ukraine war. That actually happened.

A young man held up an A4 sheet of blank paper. Nothing on it at all. Within minutes the police arrested him for protesting against the war. We don't know what happened to him but he almost certainly ended up in some ghastly prison where he might well have been murdered.

In combination with terrorising Russian citizens to shut up and put up and never criticise Putin and his Mafia comrades, the Russian government indoctrinates all Russian citizens into believing that Putin is a wonderful leader in the Stalin-style. Strong and very nationalistic. The Russians like that but most of them don't understand that he is a dangerous mass murderer of the worst kind, terrorising his own citizens into complete silence.

Yulia Navalnaya lives outside Russia and she must remain outside Russia for the rest of her life because if she goes back to Russia she will be arrested and incarcerated where she will die. In fact, she must be on her guard all the time from now on because Putin likes to murder people on foreign soil as well. His tentacles spread everywhere. It isn't just murder that he engages in worldwide but his computer hackers hack into databases worldwide to try and damage economic activity in foreign countries.

A bunch of Russian hackers recently hacked into the NHS in the UK and damaged blood testing services perhaps for as long as one year. This has had a very negative impact on medical operations. Another setback to the NHS but this time from perhaps the greatest terrorist state the world has ever known.

Some examples:

Here are a couple of notable examples of Russian dissidents who were murdered, allegedly by the Kremlin:

1. Boris Nemtsov:
   • Date: February 27, 2015.
   • Details: Boris Nemtsov, a Russian politician and vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin, was assassinated while crossing the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge in central Moscow. An unknown assailant fired several shots, hitting Nemtsov in the head, heart, liver, and stomach, killing him almost instantly. His Ukrainian partner, Anna Duritskaya, witnessed the killing but was unharmed.
   • Motive: Retaliation for Nemtsov’s criticism of Putin and opposition to the government.
   • Perpetrators: Zaur Dadaev and Anzor Gubashev, among others, were convicted for their involvement in the crime.

2. Anna Politkovskaya:
   • Date: October 7, 2006 (on Putin’s birthday).
   • Details: Anna Politkovskaya, an investigative journalist and dissident, was shot dead in the elevator of her building. She worked for the Russian Novaya Gazeta newspaper and had been a fierce critic of the Kremlin.
   • Motive: Her reporting on human rights abuses and corruption in Russia.
   • Perpetrators: The murder remains unsolved, but it is widely believed to be politically motivated.

About Navalny

Alexei Navalny: A Life in Opposition

Alexei Navalny (1976-2024) was a prominent figure in Russian politics, best known for his fierce opposition to President Vladimir Putin. His life can be summarized by his work as a lawyer, anti-corruption activist, and politician.

Early Life and Education:

• Born in 1976, Navalny earned degrees in law and finance.
• He studied at Yale University's World Fellows program in 2010.

Rise to Prominence:

• Navalny gained recognition in the early 2000s through his online investigations into corruption by government officials.
• He used a LiveJournal blog and later social media to expose his findings.
• In 2011, he founded the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), which produced investigative documentaries about corruption at the highest levels of Russian government.

Political Activism:

• Navalny became a leading figure in Russia's opposition movement.
• He participated in anti-government protests and formed a political party.
• In 2013, he achieved a surprise second-place finish in the Moscow mayoral election.
• He attempted to run for president in 2018 but was barred due to a disputed embezzlement conviction.

Poisoning and Imprisonment:

• In 2020, Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent, an attack he blamed on Putin.
• He survived after receiving medical treatment in Germany.
• Upon returning to Russia in 2021, he was arrested and imprisoned on charges widely seen as politically motivated.

Legacy:

• Navalny is considered a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International and received the Sakharov Prize for his human rights work.
• Though imprisoned, he remains a symbol of opposition to Putin's regime.
• He died in prison in 2024.

It's important to note that Navalny's story is complex and controversial. Further research using the resources above can provide you with more details.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.