Thursday, March 31, 2022

Rash Of 'Significant' Earthquakes Near S Pacific Island Chain: 18 Quakes In 24 Hours, Most 4.5-5.9

Rash of 'significant-sized' earthquakes near South Pacific island chain has tsunami monitors on alert



A series of significant earthquakes near the Loyalty Islands in the South Pacific has prompted at least three local alerts to Hawaii tsunami monitors, each issuing an “all-clear.”

The latest significant earthquake, a 6.8 magnitude temblor, struck at 9:51 a.m. HST.

“A third significant earthquake in the past 24 hours has been detected southeast of the Loyalty Islands off the coast of New Caledonia. NO TSUNAMI THREAT to the Hawaiian islands is expected from the magnitude 6.8 quake detected at 9:51 am HST,” Hawaii Emergency Management wrote in a post on Twitter.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Weather Service U.S. Tsunami Warning System has registered four quakes -- the smallest of which was a 6.8 magnitude and the largest a 7.2 magnitude. Each occurred in the Loyalty Islands region of the South Pacific.

The Loyalty Islands are located just over 2,100 miles east of Australia and about 3,800 miles southwest of Hawaii.

According to data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), there have been 18 earthquakes in the area in the last 24 hours – the majority of which are between 4.5 magnitude and 5.9 magnitude.



6.8-magnitude earthquake strikes Loyalty Islands region


An earthquake of magnitude 6.8 struck southeast of the Loyalty Islands on Friday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.

The quake was at a depth of 10km, USGS said.

It is the third earthquake over magnitude 6.8 in the region since Thursday.


World Government Summit: New Financial World Order About To Shift In Dramatic Way

BOMBSHELL VIDEO: Economist at World Government Summit says new financial world order about to shift in dramatic new direction



The World Government Summit is underway this week in Abu Dhabi and we’ve already got a bombshell to report.

Dr. Pippa Malmgrem, a top American economist who served as a special adviser to former President George W. Bush, made a statement that confirms everything myself and others have been reporting for quite some time – that a cashless society is looming right around the corner.

Listen to her comments in the video clip below.

Pippa Malmgren, Economist At The World Government Summit 2022 She states her belief that the world financial system is about to switch accounting systems & digital money. Not decentralized cryptos, but centralized CBDCs (central bank digital currency)


Malmgren stated:

“We are on the brink of a dramatic change where we are about to, and I’ll say this boldly, we are about to abandon the traditional system of money and accounting and introduce a new one. And the new one; the new accounting is what we call blockchain… It means digital, it means having an almost perfect record of every single transaction that happens in the economy, which will give us far greater clarity over what’s going on.”

Who is Pippa Malmgren? She is a globalist and an elitist. Her father, Harald Malmgren, was a senior adviser to presidents John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Lyndon Johnson and Gerald Ford. Pippa has also advised presidents and prime ministers around the world. One of her favorite topics over the last two years has been “The Upside of COVID.” Like Klaus Schwab at the World Economic Forum, she sees COVID as an “opportunity” to transform the world.

According to her website:

Dr. Malmgren brings simple sensemaking to the complexities of the world economy, geopolitics and technology. She’s advised Presidents and Prime Ministers, co-founded an award-winning tech firm, worked in finance and asset management and served as a judge in The Queen’s Enterprise Awards competition and as a regulator of technology standards.

She has lectured at Sandhurst, Duke Fuqua GEMBA, INSEAD, UT Austin and Tsinghua University in Beijing.


This new money system Malmgren talks about with such enthusiasm will not only be digital, it will be centralized and it will be programmable. Do not confuse it with Bitcoin or other crypto currencies. The only thing it will share in common with other crypto is that it will be based on blockchain technology.

So what do I mean by “programmable” money?

This means the central banks will have complete control over your money and will be able to program it so that it can only be spent on certain things or in certain places. For example, have you purchased too many guns or too much ammunition over the past month? Maybe you indulged in too much frivolous travel and blew through too much gasoline? The government could easily have your money reprogrammed to limit future purchases of such taboo items. The possibilities are endless.


What’s the bottom line? Once we get digital programmable money, where and how you will be “allowed” to spend your money will depend on your social credit score.


This money will be linked to everyone’s personal digital identity. The digital ID marks the other pillar of the new digital economy that they haven’t really told you about yet. But if you read their documents at the World Economic Forum, you know it’s coming.

As I’ve stated before, the entire Great Reset hinges on two things – the establishment of a global digital currency and a global digital identity for every man, woman and child.

Pippa Malmgren is warning us. That system is at the door. And once it’s here, it marks the beginning of the end because nobody will be allowed to buy or sell without becoming a digitized, hybrid human being. I believe it will be possible for us to live outside this system for a while, but we need a plan, a network. We will need to live in community with like-minded refusniks.


The vast majority of people will walk blindly into this digital trap being set by the power elites, only to regret it later. They will lose all autonomy over their bodies, having to submit to endless booster shots, as well as over their minds. Independent critical thinkers will be banned from the system. Traditionally minded Christians and Jews will be banned. Why? Because free thought is not allowed. They talk about diversity and inclusion but that is a euphemism for a society based on total information domination, where you must not only follow but celebrate whatever lie of the day is being promoted in the mainstream corporate media and on social media.


Have you “done your part” to defeat the latest virus by getting vaccinated?

Do you “stand with Ukraine”?

Do you believe that it’s impossible to define what makes a woman a woman?

Do you believe that Biden was legitimately elected and that elections are still “free and fair” in your country?

These are just a few of the items on the litmus test of the New World Order.


Israel Increases Security As Ramadan Approaches Amid Terror Wave

Tensions continue as Ramadan approaches amid terror wave
i24NEWS



Israel planning to increase security in Jerusalem for start of Muslim holiday on Friday

Tensions in Israel are high following a series of deadly terrorist attacks, including Tuesday night's shooting attack in the central city of Bnei Brak that left five people dead.

Security has increased in Israeli cities and in the West Bank with Defense Minister Benny Gantz ordering the deployment of 1,000 troops to reinforce police.

A total of 3,000 police will be stationed at flash points in Jerusalem for the start of the Muslim holiday of Ramadan when hundreds of thousands of worshippers are expected to ascend to the Al Aqsa Mosque compound on the Temple Mount for prayers.


Operation Breakwater: Israel launches mission to counter terror

Avi Melamed, the CEO and founder of Inside the Middle East - Intelligence Perspectives, spoke to i24NEWS on the recent terror attacks across the country and the operation launched by Israel to counter them.

Following a series of fatal attacks around Israel, the military launched an overnight mission known as “Operation Breakwater” in the West Bank - arresting 31 people on suspicion of terrorism.

For the full story, click here.


PM Bennett, public security minister approve emergency police funding

Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Public Security Minister Omer Barlev greenlit around $57 million in emergency funding for the country's police as the nation confronts a new terror wave.

"Strong police equals a strong State of Israel," the premier said in a statement, according to The Times of Israel.

"We are working with all tools and in all areas to restore security, and a sense of security to the citizens of Israel."

Civilian firearm applications in Israel soar 2,500 percent amid terror wave

Civilian applications for firearms licenses grew by 2,500 percent since the recent series of terror attacks in Israel according to Channel 12.

Statistics from Israel's Public Security Ministry indicate over 1,500 people applied for the permit on Wednesday alone, a marked increase from the 60 applications usually received.


More...



Putin: Existing Contracts On Russian Gas Will Be Frozen If Not Paid In Rubles - Western Politicians Creating Crisis State

Putin: Existing Contracts on Russian Gas Will Be Frozen If They Aren't Paid in Rubles
Sputnik News



Last week, the Russian president ordered the Central Bank and government to work out the means for countries designated as 'unfriendly' by Moscow to pay for Russian gas in rubles. The G7 objected to the move and vowed not to pay. However, Berlin, one of the biggest buyers of Russian gas, has since asked how such transactions may take place.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree regulating gas trade with designated 'unfriendly' states, saying that countries wishing to do business with Moscow must open bank accounts in Russian banks, and stressing that existing contracts will be frozen unless payments are made in rubles.

"We are offering contractors from these countries a clear and transparent scheme. To buy Russian natural gas, they must open ruble accounts in Russian banks. It is from these accounts that payments will be made for gas which has been supplied as of tomorrow, 1 April," Putin said, speaking at a meeting on aviation industry matters on Thursday.

Putin stressed that Russia would continue to meet its obligations to supply gas at volumes and at prices set under existing contracts. However, the need to pay in the Russian currency is not up for negotiation, according to the president.

"No one sells anything for nothing, and we too will not engage in charity. That is, existing contracts [not paid for in rubles] will be stopped," he said. "If such payments [in rubles] are not made, we will consider this a default on obligations by buyers - with all the ensuing consequences," Putin added.

Putin announced on 23 March that Russia would require countries which have introduced sanctions against Russia to pay for their natural gas purchases in rubles. The Russian Central Bank, the government and Gazprom were given one week to amend existing contracts into rubles.
Sputnik has obtained the full text of the gas-for-rubles directive. The document, entitled "On a special procedure for the fulfillment of obligations by foreign buyers to Russian suppliers of natural gas", orders that payments for gas exported as of 1 April to countries which have engaged in "unfriendly actions against the Russian Federation, Russian legal entities and individuals" be made in rubles.
Supplies will be frozen if an attempt is made to pay in foreign currency, in the event of a failure to pay in full, or a failure to make payment from an authorised Russian bank.
"The Joint Stock Company Gazprombank, which for the purposes of this decree is an authorised bank ... opens special type K ruble accounts and special type K foreign currency accounts for payments for the gas supplied on the basis of applications made by foreign buyers," the document notes.

In his remarks on Thursday, Putin also touched on the global economic crisis threatening the planet, and who he believes is responsible.
"Global markets are falling, but the value of shares in companies in the US military-industrial complex are only growing. Capital is flowing to the United States, depriving other regions of the world of resources for development," Putin said.

US attempts to get Europe to buy expensive American liquefied natural gas are part of the same bag of tricks, according to Putin. "As a result, the Europeans are forced not only to fork out cash, but, in essence, to undermine the competitiveness of European companies with their own hands, removing them from the global market. For Europe, this means large-scale de-industrialisation and the loss of millions of jobs," he said.

Step by step, Putin suggested, western politicians were making decisions pushing the world economy to a crisis state. "They will lead to a breakdown in production and logistics ties, cause inflation to rise, and a decrease in the wellbeing of millions of people, and in the poorest countries, to the tragedy of mass starvation. The food crisis will be followed by another wave of migration, including - and above all - to European countries," he predicted.


Step by step, Putin suggested, western politicians were making decisions pushing the world economy to a crisis state. "They will lead to a breakdown in production and logistics ties, cause inflation to rise, and a decrease in the wellbeing of millions of people, and in the poorest countries, to the tragedy of mass starvation. The food crisis will be followed by another wave of migration, including - and above all - to European countries," he predicted.






France's Macron Is A Key Enabler Of NATO's Anti-Russian Provocations

France’s Macron is a key enabler of NATO’s anti-Russian provocations
RT




...Macron should have known better than to follow along with Washington’s dangerous game. He had every opportunity to adopt an independent stance amid Washington’s arming, training, and supporting of Ukraine and its brazenly anti-Russian stance that had already resulted in sanctioning the Russian-German Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline construction to the detriment of 40% of Europe’s gas supply.

As holder of the six-month rotating Council of Europe presidency, Macron sat on his hands and zipped his mouth as the EU attempted to crush Russia with sanctions, blocked Moscow’s foreign reserves, and cut it off from the global banking system. He then stood idly by while the EU quashed media outside of the heavily state-subsidized or corporate-consolidated press, thereby reducing the chance that light would be shined on the potential nefarious consequences for the French people of such actions. 

Now, with Russia asking Europe to pay for gas in rubles in the wake of the financial difficulties imposed on it by the West, Macron has decided to react. He told Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call this week “that it was not possible for Western gas clients to pay their bills in roubles,” according to Reuters. 

With Russian gas used in France for everything from industrial production to car fuel, Macron is now in a race against time. Will the French people re-elect him in April before or after they realize how badly Macron’s failure to stand up to America has effectively sanctioned French citizens? Earlier this week, Macron announced a proposal for “food vouchers to help the most modest households and the middle class families to cope with the additional costs” due to sanctions and war-related inflation of food and gas costs.


What’s next? Bread lines and rationing? These sanctions clearly don’t benefit the French people, so why did Macron not dial down the belligerence by standing up to Washington when it was cheerleading Ukrainians as proxies for its anti-Russian belligerence? He should have known from the submarine deal screw-over that Washington is always looking out for itself, even if it’s to the detriment of Europe.

It’s still not too late for Macron to make his mark on history in the way that de Gaulle did. He could publicly call on the EU to drop all Russian sanctions in light of the harm they are causing his own citizens and industry, and push Ukraine and Russia together to work out their issues while refusing to support or encourage any further NATO belligerence or interference. Doing so would represent a truly courageous and independent stance by Macron in favor of peace, French leadership, and European independence at a time when the world needs it most.





French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Thursday that their countries won’t buy Russian gas with rubles, insisting that gas contracts in euro “must be observed.” Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Berlin that payments in the EU's joint currency would be converted to rubles upon arrival in Russia. 

Speaking at a press conference in Berlin, Habeck said that the bloc would not be “blackmailed” by Russia into using rubles to buy gas. Putin has demanded that, as of Friday, “unfriendly” countries – those who “illegally” sanctioned Russia’s central bank in response to the conflict in Ukraine – will have to pay for Russian gas in Moscow's currency or have their supply cut off.

However, Habeck told reporters that existing gas contracts between European nations and Russia, which were negotiated in euro, “must be observed.” Habeck reiterated an earlier statement from the Group of Seven major economies, which read, “We will under no circumstances accept paying for gas deliveries in a currency other than the contractually agreed currency.”

Putin spoke by phone with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanel Macron on Wednesday, and outlined a system whereby both countries would continue to pay in euros, which would then be converted to rubles by Russia’s Gazprombank – which has not been sanctioned by the EU – upon receipt. “Scholz did not agree to this procedure in the conversation, but asked for written information to better understand the procedure,” a German official said, while a French official said, “France is against paying in rubles.”



It is unclear whether Habeck and Le Maire’s insistence that the original contracts in euros be honored extends to an outright rejection of the euros-to-rubles deal proposed by Putin on Wednesday. As Putin’s deal would involve interacting with Russia’s central bank, European leaders have been reluctant to agree. 


What Happens If Russia Turns Off Gas Taps To Europe?

What happens if Russia turns off the gas taps to Europe
RT




Russia has given “hostile” countries a March 31 deadline to begin payments for natural gas imports in rubles. The new currency-switch rule will affect countries that imposed economic sanctions on the nation and froze its foreign currency reserves. This particularly concerns some EU countries that rely heavily on Russian energy supplies.

What will happen after March 31?
Russia says Europe will not get free gas if countries refuse to pay in rubles. “We are not going to supply gas for free, this is clear,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. When asked whether gas would be turned off for non-payers, Peskov replied: “No payment, no gas.” He added, however, that Russia is yet to make a final decision on how to respond should European countries refuse to pay in the Russian currency.

How much does Europe depend on Russian gas?
Europe depends heavily on Russian gas for heating and power generation. Russian gas accounts for some 40% of Europe’s total consumption. The EU’s gas imports from Russia this year stood between €200 million and €800 million a day.

What happens in Europe without Russian gas?
The European Commission has said it plans to cut EU dependency on Russian gas by two-thirds this year and end its reliance on Russian supplies “well before 2030.” However, economists say it’s not easy to replace the 1,550 terawatt-hours of Russian gas delivered to the EU in 2021. Europe cannot replace the supply shortfall quickly; it will need to curb demand. Meanwhile, increased liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports in an already tight global LNG market would place immense upside pressure on prices. This would be a major hit to the European economy, which is already suffering from sky-high energy prices. A prolonged halt in supply of Russian gas would come at a cost for the EU and might even result in some countries that are more exposed to Russian gas fluctuations, like Italy and Germany, having to take emergency measures. German chancellor Olaf Scholz has warned that a ban on Russian energy imports would trigger an economic recession across Europe.

What are the wider implications?
There is a risk of a global energy crisis. Russia is the largest natural gas exporter in the world and the second-largest exporter of crude oil behind Saudi Arabia, according to the International Energy Agency. Replacing Russian gas will not be easy. Europe will have to buy gas on the open market, which means if they buy from countries like Qatar or the US they will have to pay more. It also means that the gas they buy will not go somewhere else. The result will be higher gas prices everywhere as countries outbid each other for limited supplies.

Will oil prices be affected?
Russia supplies around four million barrels of oil per day to the European Union. Unlike gas, the supply of which to a greater extent is still regulated by long-term contracts, the price of oil is volatile and is determined by supply and demand. If Europe still decides to abandon Russian oil, then crude prices could soar to $200 per barrel, or even higher, analysts warn.
  1. Who will blink first as the payment deadline approaches?
    So far, the EU and G7 nations have rejected Russia’s demand to switch their payments for gas to rubles. Russia said it will not provide free gas supplies, suggesting that it is ready to shut off the taps. If that happens Moscow would lose between €200 million to €800 million each day of the embargo. However, Russia could redirect some of the gas to Asia. Europe would likely face an economic crisis not seen since WWII, as soaring energy prices would send the region’s economies into recession. So, who will blink first? Place your bets.

Russia Warns Poland Over Becoming 'NATO's Front Line'

Kremlin Warns Poland Over Becoming 'NATO's Front Line'
TYLER DURDEN


The Kremlin has warned Poland over its increasingly provocative actions and public stance in support of Ukraine, saying these things are turning the country into 'NATO's front line' - according to new statements by Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman and former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev. He suggested this is "dangerous" even for broader European security, in what appears a veiled threat. 

"Polish propaganda is accustomed to pinning all problems on Russia, in this sense it is similar to that of the Baltics and Ukraine," he told the Solovyov Live show, in statements later translated by state media. "On Polish television, without a twinge of conscience, they have displayed a map of the partition of Ukraine… Its clear that this cannot be done legally. But Warsaw has a long-tried method of justifying its unseemly actions by skillfully using anti-Russian rhetoric," Medvedev said.


Medvedev for more than the past week has leveled consistent criticism that Washington is a "puppeteer" behind modern Poland. 

Earlier in the month The Washington Examiner related Medvedev's words as posted in an essay to social media channels as follows:

The essay, posted on Medvedev's Telegram channel, claimed that Poland and Russia have a long and "common history" that destines them to work together but that the Poles had been led astray by the U.S., "their puppeteers from across the ocean with clear signs of senile insanity."

 

This had been followed by Russian Ambassador to Poland Sergei Andreev just days ago saying it's a possibility that Moscow might be forced to shutter its embassy in Warsaw in response to Polish authorities moving to expel 45 Russian diplomats who stand accused of spying, or are at least under suspicion, with the Ukraine war ongoing. 

In particular Medvedev's newest comments take aim at Poland's reneging on crucial gas contracts...

"In 2020, Warsaw imported up to 10 billion cubic meters of Russian gas, but now it intends to abandon previous contracts. The volume of gas supplies from Russia to Poland this year has already decreased by 13% compared to last year," Medvedev  explained. "Reverse supplies of the same Russian gas have been proposed as a replacement from Germany, as well as imports of LNG from Qatar, Norway and the United States. Economic benefits have fallen victim to bad political decisions."

He identified Poland as among those leading the charge to shut down the Nord Stream 2 natural gas Russia to Germany transit project, but that ultimately blowback will come on the Poles for such 'bad' decision-making.

"It won’t likely come to a diplomatic breakdown. We may be forced to close our embassy here for a while. Of course, the Poles would have to close theirs in Moscow," he said in the interview.




Ex-Intel Officer: Ukraine A Biolab For Fifth Generation War

Ex-intel officer Jeff Prather tells Ann Vandersteel: Ukraine is a puppet of US government, a biolab for fifth generation war – Brighteon.TV



 Former intelligence officer and “Prather Point” host Jeffrey Prather told “Steel Truth” host Ann Vandersteel that Ukraine is a puppet of the United States government and a biolab for fifth generation war.

“Ukraine in itself is a biolab for fifth generational war, just as Ukraine is a puppet of the United States government – the government, not the American people. But the United States government is a puppet of the Deep State, global elites and China. And so that’s where we find ourselves now,” Prather told Vandersteel during the March 24 episode of “Steel Truth” on Brighteon.TV.

The retired special operations soldier said Russian President Vladimir Putin had to react to what was going on in Ukraine. He revealed that Putin saw the vectors, the bats and the birds being used on wind currents to take genetically modified, genetic, magnetic electronic and bioweaponry based upon CRISPR – a technology that can be used to edit genes.

Prather said intelligence is analyzed information that needs to be timely and honest. He pointed out that the mainstream media is now funded totally by the intelligence agencies, citing news anchor Anderson Cooper, who used to work at the Central Intelligence Agency(CIA).

“War changes with civilization and civilization changes with technology. And so the war that has been going on now is primarily a fifth generation information influence operation through the intelligence agencies, through Big Media and Big Tech, but really commandeered by and led by bio digicontal weapons,” Prather explained.

The former Drug Enforcement Agency special agent said the U.S. has been violating biological warfare treaties, which Russia is accusing America of in the United Nations Security Council. He added that Putin has pushed back using third generation kinetic warfare against fifth generation war through Ukraine.

Vandersteel mentioned that Putin is not part of the global Cabal and that the Russian leader is looking out for his own people and is doing what is necessary in order to expose the Cabal. She added that Putin may take all the evidence he has gathered to the International Court of Justice in The Hague and present it as true crimes against humanity aside from naming all the “bad actors” in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance.

Prather took note that Putin’s build-up was very clear and slow. And when the line was crossed, he conducted a special military operation called the denazification of Ukraine. He said there are Nazis in Ukraine who are supported by the CIA, and that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is one of them.






2022 'World Government Summit' In Dubai: Preparing To Receive The New World Order

The Opening Day Of The 2022 World Government Summit In Dubai, The First Item On The Agenda Was About Preparing To Receive The New World Order




The World Government Summit Organization is a global, neutral, non-profit organization dedicated to shaping the future of governments. The Summit, in its various activities, explores the agenda of the next generation of governments, focusing on harnessing innovation and technology to solve universal challenges facing humanity. The Summit will bring thought leaders, global experts and decision makers from around the globe to discuss how best to implement the New World Order after the Great Reset.



The World Government Summit 2022 will be held exceptionally in tandem with the closing of Expo 2020 Dubai, the largest event of its kind that brings the world together, under the theme ‘Shaping Future Governments’. The very first order of business on the agenda was preparing for the New World Order.


They have made so much forward progress towards the implementation of the New World Order that there is no longer any reason for even trying to hide it as they have done for nearly the past 80 years. This is why at the World Government Summit in Dubai that began yesterday, there was only one question on everyone’s mind. Are YOU ready for the New World Order? Apparently, they are quite ready thanks to the ground work already accomplished by the Great Reset.


FROM THE WORLD GOVERNMENT SUMMIT: The World Government Summit Organization is a global, neutral, non-profit organization dedicated to shaping the future of governments. The Summit, in its various activities, explores the agenda of the next generation of governments, focusing on harnessing innovation and technology to solve universal challenges facing humanity. The Summit will bring thought leaders, global experts and decision makers from around the globe to share and contribute to the development of tools, policies, and models that are essential in shaping future governments.

The World Government Summit is a global knowledge exchange platform for governments that was established in 2013 under the dynamic leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai and is poised to scale newer heights of excellence and inclusivity. READ MORE



EU Countries Declaring Alerts Regarding Supply Of Natural Gas

Another EU state declares gas emergency
RT



The Austrian government has declared a stage-one alert regarding the supply of natural gas, shortly after Germany did the same on Wednesday. Vienna made the move fearing shortages should Russia insist on payments in rubles, rather than the sanctioned dollars or euros.

The stage-one alert means there are “concrete and reliable indications that the gas supply could deteriorate,” Austria’s Climate Ministry announced, adding that it will be “monitoring” the situation. The country’s reserve tanks currently stand at 13%, which is about average for the season, local media reported.

“Everything will be done to ensure the gas supply for Austria’s households and businesses,” Chancellor Karl Nehammer said on Wednesday. If disruptions happen, businesses will be encouraged to seek out alternatives, while gas rationing won’t happen until stage three, the government said.

Vienna’s declaration comes hours after Berlin declared the identical stage-one emergency, fearing a possible disruption of natural gas supplies as the clock ticked closer to Russia’s deadline for “unfriendly countries” to start paying in rubles.

Germany and the rest of the EU were designated unfriendly by Moscow over their embargo on trade in euros, imposed due to Russia’s military operation in Ukraine that began last month. If Russia is unable to receive payments for the natural gas shipments in euros or dollars – the US has likewise sanctioned its currency – then it will be rubles or nothing, Moscow said. 

When EU leaders complained about how this would be breach of contract, Russia responded that their sanctions amounted to as much. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made it clear on Tuesday that Russia had no intention of supplying gas to Europe for free.

Germany’s top industrial unions have warned that delivery interruptions could result in “the rapid collapse of the industrial production chains in Europe – with worldwide consequences.”


UN Warns Of 'Food Crisis'

Mac Slavo


If you’ve been paying attention since the beginning of 2020, you knew a food crisis was coming. The media and ruling elites are just now beginning to warn that they are causing a “food crisis”, the worst of which has not been seen since WWII.

Of course, they are failing to blame the immense inflation on the fiat currency creation, and instead are resorting to blaming the conflict between Russia and Ukraine for the problem. The U.N. food chief warned Tuesday the war in Ukraine has created “a catastrophe on top of a catastrophe” and will have a global impact “beyond anything we’ve seen since World War II” because many of the Ukrainian farmers who produce a significant amount of the world’s wheat are now fighting Russians, according to a report by Time Magazine. 

David Beasley, executive director of the U.N. World Food Program, told the U.N. Security Council that already high food prices are skyrocketing. The war in Ukraine is turning “the breadbasket of the world to breadlines” for millions of its people, while devastating countries like Egypt which normally gets 85% of its grain from Ukraine, and Lebanon which got 81% in 2020, Beasley said.

Ukraine and Russia produce 30% of the world’s wheat supply, 20% of its corn, and 75%-80% of the sunflower seed oil. The World Food Program buys 50% of its grain from Ukraine, he said.

Russia is blaming the West’s sanctions for the food crisis. Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, retorted that the Russian military is “posing no threat to the freedom of civilian navigation.” He said that Russia has set up an 80 nautical-mile-long humanitarian corridor to allow foreign vessels to leave Ukrainian ports and that it is organizing humanitarian corridors every day within Ukraine to Russia and the West. “The real reasons why the global food market is facing serious turbulence are by no means in the actions of Russia, (but) rather in the unbridled sanctions hysteria that the West has unleashed against Russia without considering the population of the so-called Global South nor of its own citizens,” Nebenzia said.

Regardless, neither of these is fully to blame, both only added fuel to an already burning fire. Food was getting scarce and prices were climbing noticeably a year ago, and much earlier than that for some in certain areas of the world.

Continue to prepare until you cannot prepare anymore. Get what you need because it sure looks like there will be a time in the near future, when you cannot anymore.


Russia Has NATO Over A Barrel

Russia has NATO over a barrel
Don Surber



While the U.S. media is a-Biden the call for a regime change in Russia, I observe there already was a regime change in the world. The winners of the cold war -- NATO and the USA -- find themselves 30 years later no longer relevant.

Red China, India and all those other developing nations have developed their own economies. They are acting in their own best interests.

Sure, 141 nations voted to have the UN put a mark on Putin's permanent record for invading Ukraine. But Red China, India, Iran and a host of African nations refrained from voting. Not their monkey. Not their circus.

They do not fear retaliation by the West because frankly, they no longer need the West.

Biden and the rest of the doddering old fools and girly men running these countries do not realize how unimportant they are. Their call for economic sanctions against Russia was the biggest and hardest faceplant of the century.

At best, Biden's economic sanctions inconvenience Putin. He has had to scramble to find alternatives. But this has drawn him closer to Red China and Iran. 

But he has the upper hand because he has something Europe wants: energy.

The West turned his rubles into rubble? Fine says Putin. Now he's demanding payment in rubles.

AP reported, "German Economy Minister Robert Habeck on Monday said the Group of Seven (G7) major economies dismissed Russian President Vladimir Putin's demand to pay for gas in rubles." 

Oh?

Well, they do not get to make that decision, do they? It is Russia's oil and natural gas and if you want it, you pay what he wants in whatever currency he wants.

TASS reported, "Moscow is handling the details of its gas delivery plans to unfriendly countries for payment in rubles, but it won’t engage in charity if Europe refuses to pay in the Russian currency, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday." 

The story also said, "The Kremlin spokesman remained tight-lipped on what measures Russia might take if Europe refused to pay for gas in rubles, noting that these 'issues should be sorted out as they develop." 

He also said, "But we will definitely not supply gas for free, that’s for sure. It is hardly possible and reasonable to engage in charity in our situation."

Not a charity.

To be sure, Russia needs a cash flow and all.

But Putin has them over a barrel because they depended on him to keep them warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Biden said the U.S. will supply Europe with LNG in a few years. 

Where will the USA get the LNG? From the LNG Fairy? Biden shut down U.S. production of oil and gas.

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