Category: World

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will head the new Department of Government Efficiency in the United States. They plan to cancel thousands of regulations and reduce the federal workforce.

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy aim to abolish “thousands of regulations” and reduce the size of the federal workforce through a new government agency focused on efficiency.

Transmits UNN with a link to Newsweek and WSJ.

Billionaire Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramasavamy, who was appointed by Donald Trump to head a new department to regulate the US government's spending cuts, spoke about their ambitious government reform project.

Both of us will advise DOGE (the newly created “Department of Government Efficiency”) every step of the way on three main types of reforms: abolition of regulations, administrative cuts, and cost savings. We will focus especially on driving change through executive action based on existing legislation, rather than through the adoption of new laws

– Musk and Ramaswamy wrote in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal.

The United States imposes a ban on the supply of Taiwanese AI microchips to ChinaNov 10 2024, 11:10 AM • 22918 views

It is noted that the DOGE will submit a specific list of regulations to President Trump, who “may, through the executive branch, immediately suspend the implementation of these regulations and begin the process of review and revocation,” they wrote.

This will free individuals and companies from illegal regulations that were never passed by Congress and will stimulate the U.S. economy

– the newly appointed specialists promised.

Recall

UNN reported that Vivek Ramaswamy, head of the new Department of Government Efficiency, proposed to stop funding unauthorized federal programs. These include veterans' health care, NASA, and early childhood education.

SpaceX launched Starship: Trump watched the historic sixth flightNov 19 2024, 10:29 PM • 15950 views

Two Western officials have told Reuters that preliminary evidence shows that Russia did not use an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) to strike Ukraine on the morning of 21 November.

Source: Reuters, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The Reuters sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that this assessment was "based on initial analysis".

They did not rule out that the conclusions could change in the future.

Background:

• Earlier, some media reported that the West had doubts that Russia used an ICBM in their attack on the city of Dnipro.
• According to Ukraine’s Air Force, the Russian Federation employed an intercontinental ballistic missile in its most recent missile attack on Dnipro. According to sources of Ukrainska Pravda, it could be a missile known as Rubezh, which is capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
• The EU commented on the data, saying that if confirmed, "this will be another clear sign of escalation."

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A russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said that the US air defense base in Redzikovo was a priority target for strikes. The Polish Foreign Ministry emphasized the defensive nature of the base and announced the strengthening of NATO's eastern flank.

russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the U.S. missile defense base in Poland has long been among the possible priority targets for russia. Warsaw responded to the threats by saying that the installation in Redzikowo was purely defensive in nature. It also added that in view of repeated russian threats NATO will have to strengthen air defense of the eastern flank. This UNN reported with reference to RMF24.

Details

A spokeswoman for the russian Foreign Ministry said the launch of the base allegedly "is another blatantly provocative step" that "is part of a long-standing destructive practice of bringing NATO's military infrastructure closer to Russia's borders.

She accused the United States of actions aimed at allegedly "projecting American power" into territories far from the U.S. territory. According to Zakharova, this is intended to "put forceful pressure on Russia and some other nuclear-armed states.

Zakharova said that this leads to "an increase in strategic risk" and, as a result, "an increase in the overall level of nuclear threat." Zakharova added that "if necessary," an attack on the base could be carried out using the latest weapons.

Polish Foreign Ministry response

Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Pawel Wronski stressed that the base in Redzikow was purely defensive in nature.

It is designed to counter ballistic missiles, especially from those countries that are rogue states. These are countries that base their policies on constant threats to someone, say they will invade someone, and believe that such political plunder is their way of doing politics. If russia repeats its threats, it means that in the future, the U.S. and NATO will have to strengthen air defenses on the entire eastern flank to make such threats unrealistic

– Vronsky said.

According to him, the possibility of expanding the base in Redzikowo has already been mentioned by Deputy Prime Minister and head of the Ministry of National Defense Vladyslav Kosiniak-Kamysh.

What is consistent with this statement is that the Russian threats have been going on for a long time and are based on incorrect assumptions and claims that there are nuclear missiles in that location, which is absurd

– he added.

Speaking about the future expansion of the Redzikowo base, Wroński noted that there is a general consensus in Poland – both citizens and all political forces – that NATO's eastern flank should have the best air defense. He added that the Defense Ministry could comment on the technical aspects of this issue.

AppendixAddendum

On November 13, near the town of Redzikowo in Poland, a new U.S. air defense base was officially opened.

Merkel admits in her memoirs that she blocked Ukraine's accession to NATO out of fear of RussiaNov 21 2024, 09:56 AM • 14819 views

British intelligence agencies are checking information about Russia's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile on the Dnipro River. Western sources have not yet confirmed the use of this type of missile.

A spokesman for the British Prime Minister said that British intelligence services are "urgently" examining reports that Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile at Ukraine during the attack on Dnipro. UNN reports this with reference to The Guardian.

Details

"As you can imagine, the situation is developing rapidly, and I don't want to get ahead of our intelligence agencies who are urgently looking into these reports, but if true, it would obviously be another example of serious, reckless and escalating behavior on the part of Russia, and it would only strengthen our resolve," said spokesman Kier Starmer, speaking anonymously but for the record.

Putin was trying to raise the stakes with an intercontinental missile, there will be no surrender of Ukraine – NSDC CDCNov 21 2024, 12:34 PM • 7677 views

Addendum

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia fired an intercontinental ballistic missile and eight other missiles, shooting down six X-101s.

A Western official told ABC News that the West does not confirm the use of an intercontinental ballistic missile by the Russian army against Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that today Russia used a new Russian missile against Ukraine. All the characteristics – speed, altitude – of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Expert examinations are underway.

Russian occupation forces carried out a missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, on Thursday, 21 November. Early reports suggest 16 people were injured, including two teenagers.

Source: Serhii Lysak, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote: "Currently, it is known that two people were injured: a man, 32, and a woman, 24. They are in hospital in moderate condition."

Details: It was also reported that an administrative building was partially destroyed, and two two-storey residential buildings were damaged.

Details are being clarified.

Updated: As of 11:39, 15 people are known to have been injured in the Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih, including two teenagers. A boy, 17, has been hospitalised. Another boy, aged 16, was treated on the spot.

A total of nine people have been hospitalised, Lysak said.

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine later reported that as of 12:39, the number of casualties had risen to 16.

Photo: Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration

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The US considers the damage to two submarine cables in the Baltic Sea to be an accident, while the EU suspects sabotage. The Chinese vessel Yi Peng 3 crossed both cables during the incident.

The United States is convinced that the incident with the damage to two cables in the Baltic Sea was not a sabotage, but rather an accident, UNN reports, citing CNN.

US officials believe that the incident with the disconnection of two cables in the Baltic Sea was an accident rather than sabotage. The EU disagrees. Two cables – BCS East-West, connecting Lithuania and Sweden, and C-Lion1, connecting Finland and Germany – were suddenly interrupted on Sunday and Monday.

Among European leaders, there were those who immediately raised their suspicions. For example, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that “no one believes that these cables were accidentally cut.

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The foreign ministers of Finland and Germany said in a joint statement, that they were “deeply concerned” about the incident and said it was likely to be part of a “hybrid war,” mentioning Russia in particular in their statement. According to CNN, such statements were not made without reason.

Russia has been accused of waging a hybrid war against Europe following a series of suspicious incidents, arsons, explosions and other acts of sabotage in many European countries that have been traced back to Moscow.

In addition, the incident occurred a few weeks after the United States said it suspected that Moscow might be targeting underwater infrastructure.

russia to transfer LNG from ship to ship at sea to allow tankers to circumvent sanctions – ReutersOct 22 2024, 06:24 PM • 19745 views

Also suspicious were the movements of Russian vessels in European waters and the significant reinforcement of a specialized Russian secret marine unit tasked with exploring the seabed.

Two U.S. officials with knowledge of the incident told CNN that they did not believe Russia or any other country was involved in the cable cutting. However, they said they believe the incident was likely caused by a tightening anchor from a nearby ship.

Such accidents have happened before, although not as quickly as on Sunday and Monday. However, the law enforcement agencies in Sweden and Finland have a different opinion about this situation: they are convinced that the damage was intentional. So, for example, the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation announced the opening of a criminal investigation into alleged crimes related to serious crimes and interference with communications.

An interesting vessel

However, there is one vessel that did arouse the interest of the US authorities. According to Kpler, a ship-tracking company, the Chinese-flagged Yi Peng 3 crossed both cables around the time they were cut.

A U.S. official and a Western intelligence official have identified the vessel as being involved in the incident, but have not yet found any links between the ship and states or organizations that would have ordered such activities.

The Yi Peng 3 is currently anchored in the international waters of Kattegat, about 30 miles off the coast of Denmark and Sweden. According to Dimitris Ampatzidis, Kpler analyst, Yi Peng 3 is affiliated with Win Enterprise Ship Management and is registered as the property of Ningbo YiPeng Shipping Co Ltd.

As of November 20, 2024, neither the vessel nor these entities appear on published sanctions lists. However, historical trade data show that the vessel has transported Russian steam coal and coal from Murmansk and Nakhodka on at least seven occasions

– said Ampatzidis.

Submarine cable between Finland and Germany damaged: what is knownNov 18 2024, 12:19 PM • 14721 view

In her memoirs, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel explains her actions to slow down Ukraine's movement on the path to join NATO.

Source: Die Zeit, publishing an excerpt from Merkel's memoirs, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Merkel wrote that she had tried to slow down Ukraine's desire to join NATO as soon as possible, as she already feared a military response from Russia.

In the book, she recalled the decisive NATO summit in Bucharest in 2008, when a plan to grant candidate status to Ukraine and Georgia was discussed.

"I understood the desire of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe to become NATO members as soon as possible, but the accession of a new member was supposed to bring more security not only to them but also to NATO," Merkel said in the book.

The then Chancellor also saw risks in the treaty-based presence of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.

"None of the candidates for NATO membership had ever had such a close relationship with Russian military structures before," she said.

For reference: Angela Merkel first became a member of the Bundestag in 1990, and from 2000 to 2018, she was the leader of the right-wing conservative Christian Democratic Union. For 16 years, up until the 2021 elections, she was the permanent Chancellor of Germany, but decided not to run again.

During her tenure, Angela Merkel was considered one of the most influential politicians in Europe and the world.

However, after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Merkel was sharply criticised for her policy of appeasement of Russia, her increasing dependence on Russian gas and her refusal to admit her mistakes in office.

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Hollywood actress Jennifer Garner has decided to limit her contacts with Jennifer Lopez to children's issues.

Hollywood actress Jennifer Garner “no longer wishes” to communicate with singer Jennifer Lopez, according to sources who claim that the actress will only communicate with the singer if it concerns her children, reports Daily Mail, writes UNN.

Details

Earlier, insiders told the publication that Garner, 52, felt she was being used as a “pawn” during the breakup of Lopez's marriage to Ben Affleck.

A few months before the 55-year-old singer officially filed for divorce from the Operation Argo star, Garner took on the role of “marriage counselor” for the couple, and some friends feared she was being forced to “play the middleman.

Now Garner has decided to distance herself from Lopez and focus all interactions exclusively on the children in their large family.

“Jen no longer wants to communicate with J.Lo unless it's about the kids,” a source told the Daily Mail.

“Her friends believe that she shouldn't have allowed herself to get so involved in helping J.Lo fix her marriage to Ben,” the source said.

“Especially considering Jen felt like she was in a state of competition with JLo at times during their marriage. Jen is too kind and really wanted to help, so she tried,” the source said.

Garner's eldest daughter, 18-year-old Violet, was clearly making an effort to stay close to Lopez.

After spending the summer in the Hamptons with her former stepmother, Violet raised eyebrows in early November when Lopez's sister Linda went to visit the Yale student at the private Ivy League university.

Garner thought the interaction was “weird,” according to an insider who said that while the actress wanted to keep her distance, she never spoke ill of the On the Floor singer.

“Jen thought it was strange that J.Lo got close to Violet and then Linda showed up at Violet's school,” they said.

“Jen's loyalty is to her children's father and their children,” the insider said. – “Because they love J.Lo, Jen will never scold her or speak negatively about her.

AddendumAddendum

After her divorce in 2018, Garner started an affair with businessman John Miller. In recent weeks, reports have surfaced that the “Spy” star may be planning to marry her longtime love. According to In Touch, she and Miller are planning a wedding and may tie the knot in Paris. The publication noted that Garner even shopped for dresses while in Europe in September. Miller has two children, son Quest, 18, and daughter Violet, 16, with his ex-wife, violinist Caroline Campbell.

Garner and Affleck divorced in 2018 after 13 years of marriage, but remained close, continuing to raise their three children together.

Garner is currently busy with the new season of The Last Thing He Told Me. She will executive produce and reprise her role as Hannah Hall in the series based on the novel by Laura Dave. The first season, which became the most-watched Apple TV+ miniseries in 2023, tells the story of an artist whose life is turned upside down after her husband mysteriously disappears.

The Russians have used an intercontinental ballistic missile, a Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile and seven Kh-101 cruise missiles during an attack on the city of Dnipro on the morning of 21 November. Ukraine’s air defence has downed six Kh-101 missiles.

Source: Ukraine's Air Force

Quote: "Russian forces attacked the city of Dnipro (targeting businesses and critical infrastructure) with various types of missiles between 05:00 and 07:00 on the morning of 21 November 2024.

Specifically, an intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from Russia’s Astrakhan Oblast, a Kh-47M2 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile was fired from a MiG-31K fighter jet from Tambov Oblast and seven Kh-101 cruise missiles were launched from Tu-95MS strategic bombers (in Volgograd Oblast).

As a result of the combat efforts, Air Force anti-aircraft missile units destroyed six Kh-101 missiles. The other missiles did not cause any significant damage."

Details: The Air Force added that no information about casualties has been received.

They also urged media outlets and bloggers to share information regarding the combat activities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and any threats to Ukraine.

Background: The Russians attacked the city of Dnipro, damaging an industrial facility and causing two fires.

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