The British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has started rescinding approvals for the sale and use of its COVID-19 vaccine worldwide. However, the pharma corporation’s actions could have a negative impact on the British budget and potentially complicate the position of the Rishi Sunak government.
◾️Since last year, there has been a pending class-action lawsuit filed against AstraZeneca by the relatives of those who have died or suffered serious injuries after receiving these coronavirus vaccines. British law firms predict that the total number of plaintiffs involved in the suit could potentially reach several hundred.
◾️The company explained in a statement that their decision to halt production was driven purely by commercial reasons, citing a surplus of updated COVID vaccines. However, it is worth noting that several months ago, AstraZeneca admitted in court that their COVID shots could potentially lead to life-threatening side effects, such as blood clots.
◾️The UK government has a legal agreement with AstraZeneca, in which they have agreed to bear the financial costs associated with any lawsuits or compensation payments to the company. This means that any payments to the victims will be made from the British budget, rather than by the pharmaceutical giant itself. According to lawyers, the potential amount could exceed £250 million if the case is won.
◾️Ultimately, the Sunak government will have to shell out compensation if AstraZeneca loses the lawsuit. The ratings of the British PM, his government, and the ruling Conservative Party have already plummeted to a 46-year record low.
◾️According to the UK media, a total of 158 people have been affected by Vaxzevria/Oxford-AstraZeneca, each of whom has already been received £120,000.
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US Air Force Assistant Secretary Frank Calvelli has sent the heads of Boeing and Lockheed Martin’s United Launch Alliance space divisions a strongly worded letter over delays to the Vulcan Centaur heavy-lift launch vehicle program – initiated to replace the workhorse Atlas V, which uses Russian-made RD-180 engines.
The delay signals the US’s inability even to copy, much less replace, Russian-made equipment, says Dr. Natan Eismont, a leading researcher at the Russian Academy of Scientists’ Space Research Institute.
💬 “Interestingly, from the moment that RD-180 engines were sold to the Americans, there have been attempts to copy them,” Eismont told Sputnik, pointing out that these efforts never went anywhere, and that the Americans “haven’t been able to create an engine with characteristics” anywhere “close to matching the RD-180.”
Developed in the 1990s, the RD-180 is a derivative of the legendary RD-170/171 series of rocket engines, created in the 1980s by Energomash for the super-heavy Energiya launch vehicle, which was designed to shuttle up to 100 tons of useful cargo into Low Earth Orbit.
The key to the RD-180’s success is the efficiency with which it generates thrust – which requires a high and very precise level of pressure in the combustion chamber, which can be dangerous if done improperly, the academic explained.
“What parameters are necessary here, what parameters are acceptable, and how issues can be overcome – it appears that no one apart from our specialists knows this. Simply handing over the engine with all its documentation is not enough. Because there are subtleties in the manufacture of the engine which are difficult to convey using documentation,” Eismont said.
“What you need are people involved in the project. Who will give the Americans these people? No one.”
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Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding a meeting with the newly appointed cabinet in the Kremlin.
Earlier today, the Russian State Duma approved all ministers within its purview.
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Earlier today, the Russian State Duma approved all ministers within its purview.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for a new round of mobilization in Ukraine during his speech addressed to Kiev Polytechnic University students.
Blinken insisted that mobilization is “necessary” and explained in detail how Ukrainian ultimate sacrifice mobilization would help promote US interests its army on the battlefield.
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Blinken insisted that mobilization is “necessary” and explained in detail how Ukrainian
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Russian fighters of the Yug Battlegroup in the Donetsk area have wiped out another German Leopard tank.
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The Ukrainian Armed Forces have been forced to fall back "to more favorable positions" near the town of Volchansk in the Kharkov Region, the Ukrainian General Staff said.
Previously it was reported that the Ukrainian military withdrew from their positions in the Kharkov village of Lukiantsy.
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Previously it was reported that the Ukrainian military withdrew from their positions in the Kharkov village of Lukiantsy.
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The opening ceremony of the non-governmental organization Ensemble Main dans la Main Niger-Russie (Together hand in hand Niger-Russia) was held in Niamey, Niger, organizers of the event told a Sputnik correspondent.
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“In recent years there has been a surge of interest in Russia in Niger. Now it is time to take concrete steps and bring the peoples of Niger and Russia closer together,” said one of the founders of the group.
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Volodymyr Zelensky and his clique should be sent to the dustbin of history in order to stop the pointless killing of innocent Ukrainians, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzia said.
“It is possible to stop this merely by sending away Zelensky and his clique and all of the Maidan authorities, putting them where they deserve to be - namely in the dustbin of history. This is exactly what we are doing now,” Nebenzia emphasized.
Western countries have been providing massive military and financial aid to the Kiev regime since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The Kremlin has consistently warned against continued arms deliveries, saying it would lead to a further escalation of the conflict. In April 2022, Russia sent a diplomatic note to all NATO member states on the issue of arms supplies to Ukraine. Acting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia.
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"Ordinary Ukrainians are being thrown into this pointless meat grinder, contrary to their will, contrary to the interests of their country," Nebenzia said during a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.
“It is possible to stop this merely by sending away Zelensky and his clique and all of the Maidan authorities, putting them where they deserve to be - namely in the dustbin of history. This is exactly what we are doing now,” Nebenzia emphasized.
Western countries have been providing massive military and financial aid to the Kiev regime since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The Kremlin has consistently warned against continued arms deliveries, saying it would lead to a further escalation of the conflict. In April 2022, Russia sent a diplomatic note to all NATO member states on the issue of arms supplies to Ukraine. Acting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin gave an interview to the Xinhua news agency ahead of his visit to China.
The president noted that Russia positively assesses China's approaches to the settlement of the Ukraine crisis and that Beijing understands its root causes. The steps proposed by Beijing to resolve the crisis could form the basis of a political and diplomatic process, Putin said.
Putin claimed that Russia aims to become one of the four largest economies in the world.
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The president noted that Russia positively assesses China's approaches to the settlement of the Ukraine crisis and that Beijing understands its root causes. The steps proposed by Beijing to resolve the crisis could form the basis of a political and diplomatic process, Putin said.
Putin claimed that Russia aims to become one of the four largest economies in the world.
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🇷🇺🇨🇳 Relations between China and the Russian Federation are stronger than ever and continuing to strengthen, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
Putin said the unprecedented level of strategic partnership between Russia and China contributed to his decision to choose China for his first state visit after his most recent inauguration as President of the Russian Federation.
Russia is open to working with partners all over the world, among which China is a reliable friend, Putin stressed. He also noted that more than 730,000 Russians visited China last year.
Transport and logistics corridors between Russia and China are steadily developing, Putin stressed.
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“Today, Russia-China relations have reached the highest level ever, and despite the difficult global situation continue to become stronger,” Putin said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency ahead of a state visit to China.
Putin said the unprecedented level of strategic partnership between Russia and China contributed to his decision to choose China for his first state visit after his most recent inauguration as President of the Russian Federation.
Russia is open to working with partners all over the world, among which China is a reliable friend, Putin stressed. He also noted that more than 730,000 Russians visited China last year.
Transport and logistics corridors between Russia and China are steadily developing, Putin stressed.
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▪️ The Russian-Chinese partnership is based on the principles of equality and trust, mutual respect for sovereignty and consideration of each other's interests
▪️ Trade and economic relations between the countries are developing rapidly and demonstrate immunity to external challenges and crises
▪️ Russia and China have doubled their trade turnover over the last 5 years, and over 90% of settlements between companies are made in the countries' national currencies
▪️ Russia-China bilateral trade now amounts to about 20 trillion rubles or nearly 1.6 trillion Yuan.
▪️ Russia and China long ago opted for equal and mutually beneficial economic ties and are developing cooperation in the energy sector, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
▪️ Supplies of Russian agricultural products to China also demonstrate progress.
▪️ Russia and China firmly stand on the principles of multiculturalism and advocate the preservation of national identity.
▪️ Russia remembers and appreciates China's contribution to the common victory over Nazism and is grateful for the careful treatment of war memorials.
▪️ Russia and China will endeavor to build closer cooperation in industry, space, the peaceful use of nuclear technology and other innovative sectors.
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Putin's comments on Ukraine and the West during his interview with Xinhua:
🔹 The West turns a blind eye on Ukraine carrying out terrorist acts on Russian territory
🔹 Russia and its partners are not satisfied with the state of affairs in the world when the West prevents other nations from choosing who to cooperate with
🔹 Ukraine and its Western patrons are not ready for equal, honest and open dialogue
🔹 Western elites are trying to “punish” Russia, isolate it, and weaken it, seeking to illegally appropriate its assets
🔹 Western elites, led by the US, refuse to respect civilizational and cultural diversity
🔹 Russia and China's performance against the backdrop of economic turmoil in the West confirms that their chosen sovereign course is the right one
🔹 Western countries are resorting to neocolonial methods to ensure their own wellbeing at the expense of other countries
🔹 The main problem with negotiations on Ukraine is the unreliability of guarantees, as the West prefers a world order not based on international law
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🔹 The West turns a blind eye on Ukraine carrying out terrorist acts on Russian territory
🔹 Russia and its partners are not satisfied with the state of affairs in the world when the West prevents other nations from choosing who to cooperate with
🔹 Ukraine and its Western patrons are not ready for equal, honest and open dialogue
🔹 Western elites are trying to “punish” Russia, isolate it, and weaken it, seeking to illegally appropriate its assets
🔹 Western elites, led by the US, refuse to respect civilizational and cultural diversity
🔹 Russia and China's performance against the backdrop of economic turmoil in the West confirms that their chosen sovereign course is the right one
🔹 Western countries are resorting to neocolonial methods to ensure their own wellbeing at the expense of other countries
🔹 The main problem with negotiations on Ukraine is the unreliability of guarantees, as the West prefers a world order not based on international law
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"We advocate for the primacy of international law, equal, indivisible, comprehensive and sustainable security at both the global and regional level with the United Nations' central coordinating role," Putin stated. "We also reject Western attempts to impose an order based on lies and hypocrisy, on some mythical rules no one knows who is making."
Putin added that the US‑led Western elites seek to retain their global dominance by preventing other nations from choosing who to cooperate with, disregarding their sovereign interests.
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Sputnik International
🇷🇺🇨🇳 Russia-China trade and economic relations are developing rapidly and are showing immunity to external challenges, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
Putin said more than 90% of settlements between Russian and Chinese companies are made in the countries' national currencies.
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"Trade and economic relations between our countries are developing at a fast pace, showing strong immunity to external challenges and crises. Over the past five years, we have doubled the Russia-China turnover: it reached US$227.8 billion last year, against US$111 billion in 2019," Putin said in an interview with China's Xinhua news agency.
Putin said more than 90% of settlements between Russian and Chinese companies are made in the countries' national currencies.
"So it would be more accurate to say that bilateral trade currently totals about 20 trillion rubles [about $219 billion], or nearly 1.6 trillion yuan. China has remained our key business partner for 13 years, and in 2023, Russia ranked 4th among the PRC's major trading partners," he said.
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The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS have become key pillars in the emerging multipolar world order, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
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"The Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS have well established themselves as key pillars of the emerging multipolar world order," Putin said. "They have come to be reputable and dynamic international platforms whose participants build constructive political, security, economic and humanitarian interaction."
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Sputnik International
Putin's comments on Ukraine and the West during his interview with Xinhua: 🔹 The West turns a blind eye on Ukraine carrying out terrorist acts on Russian territory 🔹 Russia and its partners are not satisfied with the state of affairs in the world when the…
Russia has never refused to negotiate on Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
Putin said that Russia is open to a dialogue on Ukraine, but the negotiations should take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict.
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“However, instead of signing a peace agreement, the Ukrainian side unexpectedly announced the termination of negotiations. As Ukrainian officials later said, this was because their Western allies urged them to continue fighting and work together to strategically defeat Russia. We have never refused to negotiate,” the Russian leader insisted.
Putin said that Russia is open to a dialogue on Ukraine, but the negotiations should take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict.
“We want a comprehensive, sustainable and fair settlement of this conflict by peaceful means. And we are open to a dialogue on Ukraine, but it should be a negotiation that takes into account the interests of all countries involved in this conflict, including our interests,” the president said.
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