MCC is nothing more than an aid project: Bhattarai
Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) Federal Council Chairman Baburam Bhattarai said that the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) agreement is nothing more than an aid project between Nepal and the United States.
Speaking at a Parliament meeting held on Sunday, Bhattarai claimed that there is nothing that should be protested in the MCC.
“MCC was a general grant. But, we made a mountain out of a molehill,” Bhattarai said, adding, “This is nothing but an aid project.”
He also apologised for violating the sovereign rights of the people.
“The sovereign power of the people is expressed through the Parliament. I am sad to say that we have been holding the House of Representatives hostage for the last six months. This has violated the sovereign rights of the people,” Bhattarai said.
Russia suspends cooperation with Europe on space launches from French Guiana
Russia’s space agency Roskosmos is suspending cooperation with Europe on space launches from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana in response to Western sanctions over Ukraine, Roskosmos head Dmitry Rogozin said on Saturday, Reuters reported.
“In response to EU sanctions against our companies, Roskosmos is suspending cooperation with European partners on space launches from Kourou, and is withdrawing its technical staff… from French Guiana,” Rogozin said in a post on his Telegram channel.
Galileo is Europe’s global navigation satellite system which provides positioning and timing information used in mobile phones, cars, railways and aviation. Copernicus delivers earth observation data, documenting climate change, for example.
“We will take all necessary decisions in time to work on the development of the second generation of these two sovereign spacial infrastructures,” EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, responsible for space issues in the bloc’s executive Commission, said on Twitter.
“We are also prepared to act determinedly together with the member states to protect these critical infrastructures in case of an attack, and to continue the development of Ariane 6 and VegaC to guarantee the strategic autonomy with regard to carrier rockets.”
Ukraine rejects Russian offer of talks in Belarus
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy rejected a Russian offer of talks in Belarus on Sunday, saying Minsk itself was complicit in the Russian invasion, but leaving the door open to negotiations in other locations, Reuters reported.
The Kremlin said on Sunday its delegation was ready to meet Ukrainian officials in the Belarusian city of Gomel.
RT, other Russian channels blocked from earning ad dollars
Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google barred on Saturday Russia’s state-owned media outlet RT and other channels from receiving money for ads on their websites, apps and YouTube videos, similar to a move by Facebook after the invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reported.
Citing “extraordinary circumstances,” Google’s YouTube unit said it was “pausing a number of channels’ ability to monetize on YouTube.” These included several Russian channels affiliated with recent sanctions, such as those by the European Union.
Ad placement is largely controlled by YouTube.
Google added later that it was also barring Russian state-funded media outlets from using its ad technology to generate revenue on their own websites and apps.
In addition, the Russian media will not be able to buy ads through Google Tools or place ads on Google services such as search and Gmail, spokesman Michael Aciman said.
“We’re actively monitoring new developments and will take further steps if necessary,” Aciman said.
On Wednesday, the European Union unveiled sanctions on individuals such as Margarita Simonyan, whom it called RT’s editor-in-chief and “a central figure” of Russian propaganda.
Videos from affected media will also come up less often in recommendations, YouTube spokesperson Farshad Shadloo said. He added that RT and several other channels would no longer be accessible in Ukraine after a Ukrainian government request.
On Saturday, Ukraine Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Twitter he contacted YouTube “to block the propagandist Russian channels — such as Russia 24, TASS, RIA Novosti.”
RT and Simonyan did not respond to requests for comment. YouTube declined to identify the other channels restricted.
For years, lawmakers and some users have urged Google for more action on channels linked to the Russian government, concerned that they spread misinformation and should not profit by it.
Russia received an estimated $7 million to $32 million over the two years to December 2018 from ads across 26 YouTube channels it backed, digital researcher Omelas told Reuters at the time.
YouTube has previously said it did not treat state-funded media channels that comply with its rules differently from others when it comes to sharing ad revenue.
On Friday, Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc (FB.O) barred Russian state media from running ads or generating revenue from ads on its services.
