March 2021 – Page 56 – THE OVAL CIRCLE

Op-ed

Biden’s awkward threat of retaliatory cyber attacks belies US uncertainty and insecurity on all things Russia

Posted on March 11, 2021March 11, 2021By Editor

By leaking plans for “covert” cyber-retaliation against Russia, the Biden administration allows domestic political considerations to trump legitimate national security concerns by painting Russia as the all-purpose bogeyman. … Read More >Biden’s awkward threat of retaliatory cyber attacks belies US uncertainty and insecurity on all things Russia

Russia becomes net exporter of food for first time in post-Soviet history

Posted on March 11, 2021March 11, 2021By Editor

Russia exported 79 million tons of food products last year, worth $30.7 billion, the AgroExport center under the country’s Ministry of Agriculture said in its latest report. … Read More >Russia becomes net exporter of food for first time in post-Soviet history

Russia

Kremlin ‘alarmed’ by reports US considering cyberattack against Russia, as official government websites suddenly taken offline

Posted on March 11, 2021March 11, 2021By Editor

Russian officials have demanded Washington categorically rule out acts of cyberterrorism against the country, after Western media reported the US was mulling digital “retaliation” for a colossal hacker attack it blames on Moscow. … Read More >Kremlin ‘alarmed’ by reports US considering cyberattack against Russia, as official government websites suddenly taken offline

Russia

Russia begins SLOWING DOWN Twitter over child porn, suicide & drug-use claims as regulator warns it could BLOCK service altogether

Posted on March 11, 2021March 11, 2021By Editor

Twitter users in Russia are about to find it takes longer to share their thoughts online, as authorities start slowing the service’s connection speeds amid a row over illegal content hosted by the US-based social media giant. … Read More >Russia begins SLOWING DOWN Twitter over child porn, suicide & drug-use claims as regulator warns it could BLOCK service altogether

EU

‘No indication’ AstraZeneca Covid vaccine causes death, EU drug regulator says after Austria pauses rollout over safety fears

Posted on March 11, 2021March 11, 2021By Editor

There is no evidence so far to link the death and illness of two people in Austria to their vaccination with AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 jab, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has said after a preliminary review of the batch used. … Read More >‘No indication’ AstraZeneca Covid vaccine causes death, EU drug regulator says after Austria pauses rollout over safety fears

Videos

The Next Step for My Birth Mother, Visiting my Birth Father Soon and Exploring Moscow

Posted on March 11, 2021March 11, 2021By Editor

The Next Step for My Birth Mother, Visiting my Birth Father Soon and Exploring Moscow … Read More >The Next Step for My Birth Mother, Visiting my Birth Father Soon and Exploring Moscow

EU

Narco-busting nan: Italian grandmother helps police bust mafia cocaine ring after grandson’s drug addiction

Posted on March 11, 2021March 11, 2021By Editor

A grandmother’s tip-off over fears for her drug-addicted grandson has led anti-mafia police in Italy to arrest 33 people for alleged drug trafficking and for possession of illegal weapons in the southern region of Calabria. … Read More >Narco-busting nan: Italian grandmother helps police bust mafia cocaine ring after grandson’s drug addiction

World

UNICEF boss pleads for an extra $1 BILLION in funding to support global Covid-19 vaccine rollout

Posted on March 11, 2021March 11, 2021By Editor

The executive director of UNICEF has said the agency needs a further $1 billion of funding to ensure it can supply Covid-19 vaccines through the COVAX program and support healthcare systems in the world’s poorest nations. … Read More >UNICEF boss pleads for an extra $1 BILLION in funding to support global Covid-19 vaccine rollout

World

TikTok implementing features to ‘promote kindness’, will tell users to ‘reconsider posting’ mean comments

Posted on March 11, 2021March 11, 2021By Editor

Popular short-video platform TikTok has unveiled a series of new features it says have been designed to encourage positivity on the platform and crack down on abusive comments. … Read More >TikTok implementing features to ‘promote kindness’, will tell users to ‘reconsider posting’ mean comments

World

Libya’s parliament backs unity government, PM calls on citizens to ‘forget their grudges’

Posted on March 11, 2021March 11, 2021By Editor

Libya’s parliament has given its approval to Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibeh’s cabinet during a vote in the war-torn city of Sirte, with representatives overwhelmingly backing the motion by 132 votes to two. … Read More >Libya’s parliament backs unity government, PM calls on citizens to ‘forget their grudges’