This American car is a good representation of US politics: all chromium, heavy and the “best there is” that is to say that it is more cumbersome than an oil tanker, which you need to own in order to feed the caper, every few miles. 

And this is why Jo Biden, the teleprompter-reader of his own senility or childish enthusiasm (take your pick, Dems or GOPs), had to go and crawl in front of the Little Prince Shit Mohamed Whatever to get more oil — which is contrary to the general need of trimming this unfriendly energy source in favour of windmills.

Meanwhile Europe is in the same boat, screaming at the Russians for cutting the gas while not wanting any Russian gas in support of Little Shit Volodymyr. Confused? Fluxed? You should be.  

For some, there are few things more relaxing than sticking a make-up tutorial on YouTube and settling in for a few moments of escapism.

Then there are those who like their make-up videos peppered with tales of depraved killers and their crimes.

Sound bonkers?

Not for the 6.4 million subscribers of Bailey Sarian, an LA-based make-up artist-turned-true crime maven.

Her YouTube videos combining these two utterly diametrically opposed subjects - a series called Murder, Mystery & Make-up - have turned from a hobby into a full-time career that, among other things, has led to deals with the likes of US streaming giant Netflix.

Last round of information from the [French] Scientific Council

Neither "testament" nor "feedback", this latest opinion piece is rather "a compilation" and draws three scenarios for the coming months. The Council will cease to exist with the end of the health emergency — that is to say: now.

By Delphine Roucaute

There are some on the right who thrive on the tension. And they blame the breakdown entirely on the other side. China’s statement following the first meeting between foreign ministers Penny Wong and Wang Yi has been denounced as ‘‘China’s four demands’’. One such ‘‘demand’’ is that the two countries seek common ground. Oh, the effrontery!

The other three speak of Australia regarding China as a partner rather than a rival, of positive and pragmatic social foundations, and of avoiding being controlled by any third party.

Do we really insist on being a rival, on having negative social foundations with China, or being controlled by a third party?

Appearing on last Thursday’s ABC Q&A programme, George Brandis, former Attorney General and former Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, behaved as though Australian citizens should always be grateful for the way he would protect their interests.

Questioned about his attitude to imprisoned Australian Julian Assange, he insisted on the benefits of siding with powerful establishment interests. To do otherwise, by protesting on behalf of powerless people, did not fit his idea of proper conduct, let alone of justice.

It has been quite a week for the regime in Kiev. On Sunday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suspended the head of his domestic intelligence service, Ivan Bakanov, and the Justice Ministry’s chief prosecutor, Iryna Venediktova. The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s legislature, ratified these suspensions Monday. These two officials are now fired. They both failed, it seems, to root out what the regime is calling treasonous collaborations with Russians. 

Pelosi to Blinken: Label Russia as terrorist state, or else Congress will

Her comments highlight the chasm in the actions lawmakers want the administration to take and what the secretary is comfortable doing. 

The warning, made on a call between the two earlier this week, was described to POLITICO by two sources familiar with the conversation. Spokespersons for the State Department and Pelosi’s office declined to comment.

President Vladimir Putin is “entirely too healthy,” CIA Director William Burns said on Wednesday, dispelling speculation about the Russian leader's wellbeing.

“There are a lot of rumors about President Putin’s health, and as far as we can tell, he is entirely too healthy. It’s not a formal intelligence judgment,” he said, speaking at the Aspen Security Forum.

The CIA chief’s comments were later echoed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who claimed on Thursday that the Russian leader is in good health. “Ukrainian, US, and British would-be media professionals have been spreading bogus stories about the president’s health condition in recent months. This is all hoax,” he said.

Something Happened One — By Gus Leonisky

FREE JULIAN ASSANGE NOW @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

more to come...

FREE JULIAN ASSANGE NOW......................................................................................

For every avowed supporter, however, there are multiple critics in the parliamentary party who don’t believe she has what it takes to pull off a win for the Tories in the next general election.

Many Labour MPs are openly gleeful at the prospect of facing her as PM, believing her to be wooden, gaffe-prone and likely to bomb with the public.

One Tory MP described her as "electoral kryptonite," while another said she was “divisive” and “Marmite.”

“Some people adore her, but for many, she's a real turnoff,” the former minister said. 

But all that matters, for now, are the opinions of around 200,000 Tory grassroots members, who alone will decide whether Truss or Sunak is the next prime minister.

Documents shared with MintPress reveal that Valent Projects – a shadowy communications firm that advises social media platforms such as Facebook on alleged state-backed online influence campaigns – has itself received $1.2 million from U.S. intelligence front USAID, for “counter disinformation and communications support.”

This relationship has hitherto never been publicly acknowledged, and the resulting income is not reflected in the company’s published accounts.

US President Joe Biden is acting out the script written for the so-called “Obama Doctrine” perfectly. Which is no small feat considering the man seems narcoleptic. The truly sad part of all this is that the people of the countries involved do not want war. The world does not want more war. We are sick to death of the bloodshed so that all our elites can profit. The pundits of America’s foreign policy decisions, unfortunately, do not give a damn what the normal people want. If we truly are facing an endgame, history will tell how we marched in blindfolded.

Russia's military focus in Ukraine is no longer "only" the east of the country, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said. 

In an interview with Russian state media, he implied Moscow's strategy had changed after the West supplied Ukraine with longer-range weapons. 

Russia would now have to push Ukrainian forces further from the front line to ensure its own security, he explained. 

The US had earlier accused Russia of preparing to annex parts of Ukraine. 

If Boris Johnson was expecting a teary-eyed send off from all MPs, he didn't get one at his final Prime Minister's Questions.

The outgoing prime minister's last weekly grilling at the dispatch box was not unlike his first in September 2019 - acrimonious, raucous, and littered with his colourful quips.