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Russia says it will scale back near Kyiv as talks progress

Russia’s military said Tuesday it would “fundamentally" cut back operations near Ukraine’s capital and a northern city, as talks brought a possible deal to end a grinding and brutal war into view. Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said the move was meant to increase trust in the talks after several rounds of failed negotiations to halt the conflict that has devolved into a bloody campaign of attrition. Fomin said Moscow had decided to “fundamentally ... cut back military activity in the direction of Kyiv and Chernihiv” to “increase mutual trust and create conditions for further negotiations.” That appeared to be a goodwill gesture, but also comes as Russia’s troops have become bogged down and struggled to make major advances on the ground recently in the face of stiff Ukrainian resistance, thwarting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aim of a quick military victory. http://dlvr.it/SMZmZH

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Mariupol is 'in the hands' of Russia, mayor says

Russian forces now control the majority of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, CNN reported Monday. "[W]e are in the hands of the occupiers today," said Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko in a televised interview on Monday. According to Reuters, Boichenko, who is no longer in the city, also said that Russia's siege of Mariupol has killed nearly 5,000 people and that 160,000 people remain trapped in the city without clean water or electricity. Mariupol had a pre-invasion population of over 400,000. Ukrainian sources have accused Russian and Russian-backed separatist troops of forcibly taking thousands of Mariupol residents to Russia and of firing on proposed evacuation corridors. http://dlvr.it/SMZmZC

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And What About Those Biolabs?

The semi-official United States government plus media lie machine knows that constructing a plausible reason to bomb the crap out of someone all depends on where you begin your narrative. If you keep starting your accusations at a point where the target has done something bad, all you have to do is repeat yourself over and over again to drown out any alternative backstory that surfaces. And if you really want to demolish all contrary views, all you have to do is liken the targeted foreign leader to Adolph Hitler and keep repeating. That tactic was used with Saddam Hussein of Iraq and is now being employed against Vladimir Putin of Russia and it always works. In the current context of Ukraine versus Russia the trick has been to tie everything to the invasion by Putin’s armed forces over four weeks ago, an undoubted act of aggression. Once you establish that as your launching point, preceding developments are rendered moot. Who cares about US promises not to expand the NATO alliance eastwards after the Soviet Union broke up in 1991? And there is also Washington’s role in regime change in Ukraine in 2014? Or even the relentless demonization of Russia linked to the 2016 US presidential election followed by any unwillingness by Washington to negotiate even the most reasonable of Putin’s demands? Fuggedabout it! And also forget about considering whether or not the US has any national interest in going to war over Ukraine. Only Tucker Carlson and Tulsi Gabbard seem inclined to challenge the basic premise, which is to raise the question “Since Russia does not threaten us why are we doing this? Do we really want a possible nuclear war over Ukraine?” http://dlvr.it/SMZmZ1

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Press review: Donbass eyes referendum to join Russia and why Baku renewed Karabkah gamble

The authorities of the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) do not rule that in the near future a referendum on joining Russia may be held, according to head of the republic Leonid Pasechnik. Russia’s Federation Council has already stated that the LPR has the authority to make any self-sufficient decisions. However, there are those among Russian lawmakers who consider holding any referendums premature. At the same time, a similar initiative by the authorities of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) cannot be ruled out, Izvestia writes. These attempts may result in further anti-Russian sanctions, but Western countries are unlikely to agree to a complete break in diplomatic relations with Russia. http://dlvr.it/SMZmYx

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Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul to begin on March 29 — Turkish presidential office

Talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul will begin at 10:30 am Moscow time on March 29, the Turkish presidential office said on Monday. "Talks between the delegations will begin at 10:30 am tomorrow. They will be held at the Dolmabahce presidential office. The meeting will be held behind closed doors," it said. Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who leads the Russian delegation to the talks with Ukraine, wrote on his Telegram channel on Sunday that a regular round on online talks with Ukraine was held on Sunday. The sides, in his words, agreed to meet offline on March 29-30. Later, the Turkish presidential office said after a telephone call between Turkish and Russian Presidents, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin that the two leaders had agreed that the Russian and Ukrainian delegations would meet in Istanbul. The first round of Russian-Ukrainian talks was held in Belarus’ Gomel region on February 28. The talks lasted for five hours. The second round of talks was held on March 3 in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, in Belarus. The delegations met for the third round of talks on March 7, in the Brest region, also in Belarus. More rounds were held in the online format. http://dlvr.it/SMZmYl

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No one in Russia is thinking about using nuclear weapons, Kremlin spokesman says

No one in Russia is considering the idea of using nuclear weapons, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told PBS. The interviewer asked whether Russian President Vladimir Putin had suggested in his earlier statement that he would use nuclear weapons if a third party got involved in the conflict in Ukraine and Peskov said ‘no.’ "I don’t think so. But he was quite bold in saying ‘do not interfere, if you do, we have all the possibilities to prevent that and to punish all those who are going to interfere," he specified. When asked if he could rule out the use of nuclear weapons in the conflict on behalf of Russia, the Kremlin spokesman said: "No one is thinking about using… even about the idea of using nuclear weapons.". US President Joe Biden’s recent remark about Russian leader Vladimir Putin is quite alarming, Peskov told. http://dlvr.it/SMZmYR

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UK should become first country in the world to offer £150 genomic testing so NHS patients can get 'personalised prescriptions'

Britain should become the first country in the world to offer genetic tests that flag patients at risk of being prescribed drugs that don't work or are harmful, according to a report. The British Pharmacological Society and Royal College of Physicians have called for the NHS to enter a 'new era' of preventative medicine by offering the £150 tests. The tests spot genetic quirks that prevent people from responding to certain drugs, such as codeine. It would allow patients to get 'personalised prescriptions'. http://dlvr.it/SMZmXR

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Warning to diabetic fathers as study suggests taking metformin while trying for a baby may TRIPLE risk of having a son with genital birth defects

Fathers who take metformin are more likely to have babies born with defects, new research suggests. But experts say the risk only exists when men take the cheap diabetes drugs during conception. Defects were roughly 40 per cent more common among youngsters whose fathers were prescribed the common medication. http://dlvr.it/SMZmWK

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Get ready for Covid vaccines every SIX months: Health chief hints millions of Brits in 'relevant groups' may need boosters twice-a-year for the foreseeable future

Millions of Britons could need Covid boosters every six months for the foreseeable future, a health boss hinted today. Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), suggested the most vulnerable 'relevant groups' in society will still need regular top-up jabs. Britain is still in a 'period of uncertainty', she said, despite all restrictions being lifted more than a month ago. http://dlvr.it/SMZmVw

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U.S. Air Force budget focuses on nuclear war scenarios with Russia, China

U.S. Air Force leaders want to shed hundreds of “unnecessary” aircraft and drones and spend more on nuclear and high-tech weapons they say are better suited for a war with China or Russia. They lay out their proposal in the service’s $169 billion 2023 spending request, which is $13.2 billion higher than last year’s request. The Air Force’s budget request is “more about transformation now than it is about evolutionary change. What drives that is the threat. We need to move aggressively,” Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told reporters before the budget rollout. http://dlvr.it/SMZmSf

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Six U.S. Navy EA-18G Electronic Attack Jets Headed to Germany; Deployment Not Against Russian Action in Ukraine

The U.S. Navy’s six EA-18G electronic attack aircraft will arrive in Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, as Russia continues to fire tens of missiles every day at Ukrainian targets. The Growler jets are originally based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington State. These aircraft are said to have the world's most advanced electronic countermeasures which can jam the radars of enemy aircraft. They can also jam or interfere with the radars of ground or ship based missile launch and target tracking systems. Around mid-February, before Russia invaded Ukraine, the U.S. deployed a dozen F-35A Lightning II fighters and 350 airmen to the German base. Additionally, six KC-135 Stratotankers from the 100th Aerial Refueling Wing at RAF Mildenhall in the U.K. have been deployed to Ramstein Air Base, Germany. http://dlvr.it/SMZmRX

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U.S. anti-ballistic missile warship arrives at Polish port

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) arrived in Gdansk, Poland for a scheduled port visits to enhance U.S.-Polish relations and build NATO Alliance cohesion, March 27, 2022. The ships’ presence in the Baltic Sea is a demonstration of the U.S. Navy’s continued commitment to collective defense of the European region and reinforces the strong and historic bond between the U.S. and Polish navies. Prior to pulling into port, USS Forrest Sherman conducted seamanship and navigation drills with USS Donald Cook (DDG 75), Polish Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate ORP General Kazimierz Pulaski (FFG 272) and Polish offshore patrol vessel ORP Skazak (241). “Operating with our NATO Allies on the world stage…is what we are out here to do. Practicing our navigation and maneuvering skills allows us to train like we fight,” said Cmdr. Greg Page, commanding officer of Forrest Sherman. “This exercise allowed us to plan, integrate and operate the full range of activities we need for multi-ship coordination in a dynamic environment.” http://dlvr.it/SMZmRQ

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U.S. duping the world into believing Russia bombed Hiroshima, Nagasaki

Controversy arose among Japanese netizens after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel commemorated victims of the atomic bomb attack and discussed the Russian nuclear threat in Hiroshima on Saturday. As some Japanese netizens accused Kishida of forgetting Japan’s painful history and flattering the US, experts said that as a former target and victim of nuclear attack, Japan should react to this issue with cautious and balanced consideration rather than subserviently courting the US, expressing further concerns over Japan’s potential tendency toward the real possession of nuclear weapons. During the talk with the US envoy, Kishida said he is worried about Russia’s possible use of nuclear weapons, Jiji Press reported. However, some Japanese netizens criticized him for making use of the nuclear issue amid the Ukraine crisis to cater to the US who launched two devastating atomic bombs attack on Japan during WWII. http://dlvr.it/SMZmRM

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CrossTalk Bullhorns | Home edition | Biden's War

Rumble("play", {"video":"vw6ocw","div":"rumble_vw6ocw"}); While visiting Poland, Joe Biden said out loud what many in Russia have long believed: NATO expansion eastward has always been about forced regime change in Russia. And Ukraine has been at the center of that strategy. When people tell you who they are, believe them. http://dlvr.it/SMZmRC

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Misogynistic Racist Alert: Women, Blacks Abandoning Biden & Dems At Record Pace

According to a new poll published on Sunday, President Joe Biden’s job approval rating fell even lower this month as a staggering seven in 10 Americans think he may not be competent to address Russia’s bloody and unimpeded invasion of Ukraine. Just 40 percent of respondents to NBC’s new poll say they support the President’s White House term, the lowest recorded by the outlet’s surveys. It fell three points from January. http://dlvr.it/SMZmQv

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Ryan Grim: The New Fauci Emails Are Even More Damning Than You Think

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“Grocery Stores are Partially Empty”: Biden Tells Americans They Will Go Hungry. Blames it on Russia

The grocery store shelves are partially empty, thanks largely to the Covid lockdowns and restrictions, but if Joe Biden and his warmongering neocons have their way, the shelves will be almost completely empty. Americans are about to pay for the ruling elite’s decision to sanction Russia. Biden said the other day people will suffer under the escalating sanctions imposed on Russia. “It’s going to be real,” the president said about the impact of sanctions. “The price of these sanctions is not just imposed upon Russia; it’s imposed upon an awful lot of countries as well, including European countries and our country as well,” Biden said. “Both Russia and Ukraine have been the breadbasket of Europe in terms of wheat, for example — just to give you one example.” You heard that right. Biden expects you to sacrifice for the sake of the Azov Battalion, a gaggle of ultra-nationalists and Neo-Nazis that have killed untold numbers of ethnic Russians in Donbas since 2014 and the “Revolution of Dignity” sponsored and funded by the US State Department and the neocon Victoria Nuland. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said not to worry, Americans will not go hungry. http://dlvr.it/SMZmQS