🎙 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's interview to the newspaper "Arguments and Facts" (October 21, 2024)
Key Points:
#BRICS
• BRICS epitomises the shifts that have long been underway in the global economy. New centres of economic growth are emerging, and alongside them comes financial influence, which in turn brings political influence.
• BRICS is a consortium where no single nation leads or is led, devoid of the bureaucratic machinery akin to that observed in Brussels, where EU officials impose decisions that contravene the will and interests of several member states, failing to align with the aspirations of voters across many countries.
• BRICS does not stand in opposition to any entity, nor does it orchestrate operations or initiate projects. BRICS is committed to enhancing the combined potential of its nations and devising collaborative strategies for harnessing these potentials for mutual benefit.
• What makes BRICS and other World Majority or Global East associations that do not include Western countries stand out, is that they are not created for the purpose of struggling or fighting with anyone. They are established to collectively benefit from their competitive advantages such as geographical location, shared history, cultural and humanitarian proximity <...>.
#USA
• The US is unwilling to relinquish the reins of power that they have held since World War II through the Bretton Woods institutions and through the role assigned to the US dollar in the international monetary system, even after free exchange of US dollars for gold had been cancelled.
• The key goal of the US ruling class is to make sure no one can undermine their dominance. This goal is illusory. The historical process is objectively heading in a different direction, and this has to be reckoned with.
• We are ready to interact with any administration voted in by the American people, but only if such a dialogue is mutually respectful, and both parties listen and hear what the other party has to say.
#Ukraine
• On multiple occasions, European leaders from Brussels have repeatedly made it clear that they must support Ukraine for as long as it takes, because Ukraine is fighting for the European values.
• It turns out that European leaders are still willing to uphold Nazi values, which is why denazification is not just a motto, but an objective of utmost importance.
#UN
• The United Nations is not a valiant knight expected to “charge in and extinguish the fire” upon witnessing injustice. The UN is an assembly of its member states, each with established rules, including the Security Council's veto rights. The United States has effectively exercised this right five times over the past year, blocking a resolution proposed by several countries, including Russia, demanding an immediate ceasefire. <...> Presently, the United States is taking every measure to avoid antagonising Israel.
• Nations such as India, Brazil, and African representatives should have long held permanent seats on the Security Council. This is essential to ensure representation of the World Majority.
#Finland#Sweden#NATO
• The zeal that the Finns and Swedes are showing in NATO, advocating for defeating Russia, is not only rooted in their historical instincts. They are also eager to show their Big Brothers in the North Atlantic Alliance that they have brought added value <...>.
• I am confident that reasonable people in Europe, who have learned the lessons taught by history, see this too, including in Finland and Sweden.
#Europe
• To reiterate, the so-called right-wing conservatives are loyal to their countries and their people. We will engage with anyone who approaches us with a proposal to talk, to seek common ground, and to think about how we can jointly make the lives of our citizens better.
#EurasianSecurity
• We suggest discussing the Eurasian continent-wide security architecture, emphasising the fact that its doors will be open to everyone, including countries from the West of the Eurasian continent.
Read in full(Telegraph)
#Germany
🦇 A €200 million railway section in Germany is stalled because of bats
In Baden-Württemberg, residents of the Calw district are waiting for train traffic to resume on a railway section and tunnel whose repair took decades and cost over €200 million. But there is one insurmountable obstacle — more than 1,000 bats living in the tunnel between Calw and Weil der Stadt stations.
These animals are under strict protection, so they cannot be removed. An unusual solution was found — to build a protective concrete wall inside the tunnel. On one side, trains will run; on the other, the bats can sleep undisturbed.
This will require 300 concrete blocks and about €80 million. Additionally, ultrasonic sensors will be installed to help the bats navigate their new shelter. However, it is still unknown how quickly they will adapt to the new structure, and this will determine when the tunnel can reopen.
⚠️ This is not an isolated case: in Kiel, 900 bats prevented the demolition of an old swimming pool because the animals refused to move to new shelters.
🦇 Sometimes even very small creatures can have a big impact on massive infrastructure projects!
☘️Read the latest environmental news on the @ekologuz page. Follow us and send your suggestions and wishes via @eklguz_bot
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🇩🇪#Germany: Men in Germany aged 17 to 45 are required to obtain approval from the Bundeswehr (German armed forces) career center before leaving the country for more than three months, whether for study, work, or travel.
The provision was included in a broader military reform package approved in December, but went largely unnoticed until it was reported by the German outlet Frankfurter Rundschau. The measure received little public attention at the time and was not widely discussed.
Despite the law being in place, it remains unclear how this requirement will be implemented in practice, particularly for individuals who were unaware of it or who have already left the country.
"We cannot remain silent. No-one can remain silent when there is an ongoing genocide and when people are denied the most basic human needs ... To stand with Palestine is to be human."
Greta Thunberg calls out Israel's genocide during a speech in Leipzig, #Germany.
https://t.me/YediotNewsChat
Heidelberg, #Germany🇩🇪
Heidelberg was not affected by the bombing of the Second World War, so it was preserved in its original medieval form - a castle, numerous churches and abbey, ancient streets.
Nuremberg, #Germany🇩🇪
Every year in Nuremberg, the largest Christmas fair is held throughout Europe.
Nuremberg is the city of inventors. It was he who gave the world things such as pocket watches, a globe, a compass, a pelting and a current machine.
🇩🇪#Germany: A knife attack took place during an anti-Iranian regime protest in Hamburg.
A man went on a stabbing spree targeting protesters, reportedly deliberately targeting anti-regime demonstrators. He managed to stab two protesters. One victim is in serious condition in hospital, while the second received medical aid at the scene after being stabbed in the leg.
(via @froopashee2)
Repost via @ben_ditto on IG
🇩🇪#Germany: Cockroach swarm agents 🪳
Swarm Biotactics, a deep tech start-up based in Kassel, Germany, specialising in “bio-robotics”: putting miniature sensor backpacks on cockroaches and then sending these as swarms into environments inaccessible for conventional robots, drones, or humans such as collapsed structures following natural disasters, GPS-denied areas, or contested warfare zones. The swarm of roaches act as real-time data agents 🪳 The company has received €13 million in funding so far from a consortium of international investors, including Vertex Ventures US, Possible Ventures, and Capnamic 🪳
Footage of cockroaches taken from 60 Minutes on CBS.