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Russian military explains actions near Ukrainian capital
Russian troops near the Ukrainian cities of Kiev and Chernigov are regrouping as the goal of the first stage of their military operation has been completed, the Defense Ministry claimed on Wednesday. During a regular press briefing, its spokesperson, Major General Igor Konashenkov, said the "planned regrouping of troops is taking place [in the] Kiev and Chernigov areas." He explained that the initial stage of Moscow's military operation involved forcing Ukraine's military "to concentrate its forces, means, resources and military equipment to hold large settlements in these areas, including Kiev," to tie them up, while avoiding storming the cities, and to defeat them in such a way that would prevent them from using these forces "in the main direction of operations of our Armed Forces - in the Donbass." The Donbass refers to the territory of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, recognised as independent states by Moscow, last month. Simultaneously, according to the ministry...
https://www.sott.net/article/466131-Russian-military-explains-actions-near-Ukrainian-capital

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US Army to reach its smallest size since 1940 due to recruiting difficulties
The Army this week admitted it was having problems recruiting and announced an unprecedented reduction in its numbers that would shrink the active duty Army to its smallest size since World War II. "We're facing, obviously, some challenging conditions in terms of our ability to recruit and attract talent," Under Secretary of the Army Gabe Camarillo said at a press conference on Monday. Camarillo blamed a "very tight labor market" for the Army's recruiting woes. "What we're just seeing is given the particular conditions of a very tight labor market, our ability to meet all of our projected recruiting goals were a little bit challenged in FY '22 and FY '23," he said. Camarillo said the Army's end strength, or total number of forces, would go from 485,000 soldiers currently to 476,000 in fiscal year 2022, which ends in September, and further down to 473,000 in fiscal year 2023.
https://www.sott.net/article/466132-US-Army-to-reach-its-smallest-size-since-1940-due-to-recruiting-difficulties

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Shallow earthquake of 7.0 magnitude hits off New Caledonia
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake jolted 279 km east-south-east of Tadine, New Caledonia at 0544 GMT on Thursday, the US Geological Survey said. The epicenter, with a depth of 10.0 km, was initially determined to be at 22.579 degrees south latitude and 170.3537 degrees east longitude.
https://www.sott.net/article/466133-Shallow-earthquake-of-7-0-magnitude-hits-off-New-Caledonia

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Putin signs decree creating ruble payment system for Russian gas to bolster currency
President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree forcing some purchasers of Russian gas to set up a special account to pay for their supplies as the country tries to cope with the impact of Western sanctions imposed because of Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine last month. Comment: "Unprovoked." RFE/RL will never give up their special breed of slimy journalism. Putin said after signing the decree that, from April 1, buyers of Russian gas from what Russia deems "unfriendly" countries would have to set up special "K-accounts" to transfer their payments. Once the payment is received, the funds will be exchanged into rubles. The entire payment facility will be set up and run through Russia's Gazprombank, a subsidiary of state energy giant Gazprom. Putin also said any country refusing to use the payment mechanism will be in violation of their contracts and face "corresponding repercussions." European leaders have rejected paying for deliveries in rubles, saying such a move would...
https://www.sott.net/article/466134-Putin-signs-decree-creating-ruble-payment-system-for-Russian-gas-to-bolster-currency

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Two shallow earthquakes of 6.9 and 7.0 magnitudes hit off New Caledonia 9 hours apart
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake jolted 279 km east-south-east of Tadine, New Caledonia at 0544 GMT on Thursday, the US Geological Survey said. The epicenter, with a depth of 10.0 km, was initially determined to be at 22.579 degrees south latitude and 170.3537 degrees east longitude.
https://www.sott.net/article/466133-Two-shallow-earthquakes-of-6-9-and-7-0-magnitudes-hit-off-New-Caledonia-9-hours-apart

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Travel chaos as ice and snow sweep across Scotland amid weather warning
Icy conditions across Scotland are causing travel chaos for parts of the country after heavier than expected snowfall. A yellow weather warning remained in place throughout much of the east coast and north on Thursday morning. A lorry crashed off the A9 near Aviemore at around 5.20am. The condition of the driver is unknown.
https://www.sott.net/article/466135-Travel-chaos-as-ice-and-snow-sweep-across-Scotland-amid-weather-warning

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UK Tory MP who 'wants to be transgender', became known for fleeing crash scene claiming he had PTSD after being raped & co-owning sugar daddy website
Britain's first trans MP Tory Jamie Wallis has thanked the Prime Minister and his fellow MPs for their support - hours after he dramatically came out on Twitter and revealed his rape and blackmail ordeal. At PMQs today, Boris Johnson praised the bravery of a South Wales Tory who became the UK's first openly transgender MP and also revealed he was the victim of rape and a £50,000 blackmail plot. Wallis made the revelation in a tweet at 3am after he attended a dinner for Tory MPs at which the Prime Minister poked fun at the culture war over gender identity. He added in a tweet today, that he would continue using 'he' pronouns and 'remain the same person I was yesterday'. The Prime Minister threw a dinner for his MPs at the Park Plaza near Westminster Bridge last night and opened his speech with a gag about the issue after Labour's leader refused to answer a question about whether a woman can have a penis.
https://www.sott.net/article/466118-UK-Tory-MP-who-wants-to-be-transgender-became-known-for-fleeing-crash-scene-claiming-he-had-PTSD-after-being-raped-co-owning-sugar-daddy-website

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Boris Johnson has new Ukraine 'lethal' weapons plan - media
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson allegedly told his cabinet on Tuesday that he wants to provide Ukraine with "more lethal" military aid to help the country repel the Russian attack, The Times reported on Wednesday, citing a government source. Western countries have been urgently supplying Ukraine with weapons after Moscow launched its military campaign on February 24. Kiev, however, has repeatedly asked for more aid, arguing that the current level of support is not enough. Admiral Tony Radakin, the chief of the Defense Staff, was said to have stated at the same meeting that the UK was moving to a "new phase" of its support for Ukraine.
https://www.sott.net/article/466136-Boris-Johnson-has-new-Ukraine-lethal-weapons-plan-media

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UK Tory MP who 'wants to be transgender' became known for fleeing crash scene claiming he had PTSD after being raped & co-owning sugar daddy website
Britain's first trans MP Tory Jamie Wallis has thanked the Prime Minister and his fellow MPs for their support - hours after he dramatically came out on Twitter and revealed his rape and blackmail ordeal. At PMQs today, Boris Johnson praised the bravery of a South Wales Tory who became the UK's first openly transgender MP and also revealed he was the victim of rape and a £50,000 blackmail plot. Wallis made the revelation in a tweet at 3am after he attended a dinner for Tory MPs at which the Prime Minister poked fun at the culture war over gender identity. He added in a tweet today, that he would continue using 'he' pronouns and 'remain the same person I was yesterday'. The Prime Minister threw a dinner for his MPs at the Park Plaza near Westminster Bridge last night and opened his speech with a gag about the issue after Labour's leader refused to answer a question about whether a woman can have a penis.
https://www.sott.net/article/466118-UK-Tory-MP-who-wants-to-be-transgender-became-known-for-fleeing-crash-scene-claiming-he-had-PTSD-after-being-raped-co-owning-sugar-daddy-website

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FLASHBACK: Ukraine was a playbook CIA coup d'état according to Prof Francis Boyle
The very first act of the western-backed insurrectionists which represent a small percentage of the population and have managed to overthrow the government was to attempt rob Russian speakers in Ukraine of their language. This denial by the Bandera nazi [sic] extremists and the illegitimate power in Kiev of a basic human rights for a huge percentage of the population runs contrary to international law and the European Convention of Human Rights to which Ukraine is a signatory. According to the United Nations General Assembly Declaration of Principles of International Law and under the terms of the United Nations Charter, effectively the Russia population have a right to secede from Ukraine. In an interview with the Voice of Russia Harvard Professor Francis Boyle says that there is no real government in Ukraine right now, and called it a gang of neo-Nazis, fascists and rightist thugs. There is clear cut discrimination against Russians in Ukraine with public demands in Kiev that...
https://www.sott.net/article/274755-Ukraine-was-a-playbook-CIA-coup-d-etat-according-to-Prof-Francis-Boyle

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US doesn't understand how Russia works - Kremlin
The Kremlin said on Thursday that claims of President Vladimir Putin being misled by his own military only prove how little the US really knows about Russia. The response came after the White House and the Pentagon suggested that officials were afraid to speak the truth to Putin about the performance of the Russian Army in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters he was dismayed by claims that advisers have misled the president. "As it turns out, neither the State Department nor the Pentagon have the real information of what is going on in the Kremlin. They simply don't understand President Putin, don't understand the decision-making mechanism, and don't understand the work we do," he said. According to the spokesperson: "It's not only regrettable, but also raises concerns because such lack of understanding leads to wrong, rash decisions with bad consequences."
https://www.sott.net/article/466137-US-doesnt-understand-how-Russia-works-Kremlin

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Ukraine says its defense industry has been destroyed
Russian forces have almost completely destroyed the Ukrainian defense industry and are "finishing off" the civilian one, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Alexey Arestovich, claimed on Thursday. Commenting on the most recent round of the negotiations between Kiev and Moscow, which took place earlier this week in Istanbul, Arestovich underlined that any "large-scale military aggression and peace agreement are always compromises between the sides." "Because both sides suffer losses. If you think that we do not suffer losses, then you are deeply mistaken. They have practically destroyed our military industry and in many ways are finishing it off. And in many ways they are finishing off the civilian one, deliberately destroying it," he explained. He claimed that Russia's goal is to reduce Ukraine to a state when "no one would be interested" in it, "like a destroyed territory." "This is exactly what they are doing and will keep doing," he stressed.
https://www.sott.net/article/466138-Ukraine-says-its-defense-industry-has-been-destroyed

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World must work with Taliban - Moscow
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday that the world must work more closely with the Taliban government in Afghanistan, welcoming the steps towards its recognition by the United Nations. The militant group seized power in Kabul last year, as Western forces were completing their withdrawal from the country. Lavrov was meeting with Afghanistan's acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, in Tunxi, China. "We're convinced that the international community must actively cooperate with the new government of Afghanistan, encouraging the steps towards its official recognition by the UN and all its member states," Lavrov said.
https://www.sott.net/article/466139-World-must-work-with-Taliban-Moscow

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Putin signs decree creating ruble payment system for Russian gas to bolster currency
President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree forcing some purchasers of Russian gas to set up a special account to pay for their supplies as the country tries to cope with the impact of Western sanctions imposed because of Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine last month. Comment: "Unprovoked." RFE/RL will never give up their special breed of slimy journalism. For reality, see: Russia, Ukraine & the law of war: Crime of aggression Putin said after signing the decree that, from April 1, buyers of Russian gas from what Russia deems "unfriendly" countries would have to set up special "K-accounts" to transfer their payments. Once the payment is received, the funds will be exchanged into rubles. The entire payment facility will be set up and run through Russia's Gazprombank, a subsidiary of state energy giant Gazprom. Putin also said any country refusing to use the payment mechanism will be in violation of their contracts and face "corresponding repercussions." European leaders...
https://www.sott.net/article/466134-Putin-signs-decree-creating-ruble-payment-system-for-Russian-gas-to-bolster-currency

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YouTube continues its assault on the press, removes 6 years of Chris Hedges' RT show from platform
On Monday, YouTube removed six years' worth of episodes of the Emmy-nominated show On Contact by Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges. The show was produced by RT, formerly Russia Today, but Hedges maintained editorial control. No explanation, forewarning or notice was given by YouTube, the videos simply disappeared, according to Hedges, who wrote about the experience on ScheerPost in an article titled "On Being Disappeared." "I received no inquiry or notice from YouTube. I vanished. In totalitarian systems you exist, then you don't. I suppose this was done in the name of censoring Russian propaganda, although I have a hard time seeing how a detailed discussion of "Ulysses" or the biographies of Susan Sontag and J. Robert Oppenheimer had any connection in the eyes of the most obtuse censors in Silicon Valley with Vladimir Putin. Indeed, there is not one show that dealt with Russia." On Contact contained interviews with a wide range of individuals. From social commentators...
https://www.sott.net/article/466140-YouTube-continues-its-assault-on-the-press-removes-6-years-of-Chris-Hedges-RT-show-from-platform

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Cruise ship that was 100% vaccinated hit with COVID-19 outbreak
Princess Cruises confirmed that one of its cruise liners, the Ruby Princess, reported a COVID-19 outbreak before docking in San Francisco. The cruise operator requires passengers and crew members to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.. Princess Cruises also mandates passengers to show a negative COVID-19 test and proof of vaccination to board, according to its website. Those who tested positive were "isolated and quarantined while monitored and cared for by our shipboard medical team," Princess Cruises said in a statement to news outlets Monday. It did not say how many people tested positive or when they tested positive during the cruise.
https://www.sott.net/article/466141-Cruise-ship-that-was-100-vaccinated-hit-with-COVID-19-outbreak

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Russia, India to discuss Swift alternative for rouble payments when Lavrov visits New Delhi
India's government is considering a proposal from Russia to use a system developed by the Russian central bank for bilateral payments, according to people with knowledge of the matter, as the Asian nation seeks to buy oil and weapons from the sanctions-hit country. The plan involves rupee-rouble-denominated payments using Russia's messaging system SPFS, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential deliberations. No final decision has been taken and the matter will probably be discussed when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrives in India for a two-day visit starting on Thursday. A finance ministry spokesman was not immediately available for a comment. Lavrov's visit will coincide with visits by British foreign secretary Liz Truss and US Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics Daleep Singh.
https://www.sott.net/article/466142-Russia-India-to-discuss-Swift-alternative-for-rouble-payments-when-Lavrov-visits-New-Delhi

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5,000-year population history of Xinjiang brought to light in new ancient DNA study
Xinjiang, in northwest China, lays at an important junction between east and west Eurasia and has played a historically important role in the exchange of goods and technologies between these two regions along the Silk Road. It is a complex mix of cultures and populations. However, the interflow and blending of these diverse populations in Xinjiang can be traced further back. Bronze Age mummies discovered in Tarim Basin were purported to have western features and textiles, and the discovery of 5th century C.E. texts of an extinct Indo-European language group, Tocharian, has spurred great interest in archeologists, linguists, and anthropologists. Now, a research team led by Prof. FU Qiaomei from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has unraveled the past population history of Xinjiang, China, based on information from 201 ancient genomes from 39 archeological sites.
https://www.sott.net/article/466143-5000-year-population-history-of-Xinjiang-brought-to-light-in-new-ancient-DNA-study

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Deaths among UK's homeless surges 80% in two years
Two years ago this week, the government launched a scheme called Everyone In, which did just what it said on the tin. It provided funding to ensure rough sleepers were housed in hotels or hostels during the first lockdown. In a single stroke, it essentially eradicated Britain's street homelessness crisis. It remains among the only positives to emerge from the pandemic, even if it was introduced to remedy an emergency the Conservatives had ignored during their previous decade in power. We hoped at the time it would be the start of a concerted, long-term plan to deal with homelessness in general and street homelessness in particular. How naive we were. A few months later the government quietly pulled the plug on the programme. Look around you now, and it's hard to imagine that rough sleepers were living in hotels only a couple of years ago.
https://www.sott.net/article/466144-Deaths-among-UKs-homeless-surges-80-in-two-years

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Hungary accuses Ukraine of meddling in upcoming election
Hungary's foreign minister on Wednesday accused Ukraine's leadership of attempting to interfere in the upcoming Hungarian election, a charge later denied by his Ukrainian counterpart in an episode that put further strain on relations between the two countries. In a video on social media, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto claimed that there was "ongoing coordination between the Hungarian left and representatives of the Ukrainian government," and that Ukraine was attempting to influence Hungary's April 3 election in favor of a coalition of opposition parties. Szijjarto didn't provide any evidence supporting the claim.
https://www.sott.net/article/466145-Hungary-accuses-Ukraine-of-meddling-in-upcoming-election

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Is the Biden laptop dam about to burst? WaPo, CNN go scorched earth over 'laptop from hell'
Something strange is going on with the Hunter Biden laptop story. As regular ZeroHedge readers know, the New York Post was excommunicated from social media shortly before the 2020 US election by Big Tech for reporting on shady international business dealings by the Biden family - particularly in Ukraine and China, contained within a trove of emails, text messages, photographs and financial documents that were on a laptop Hunter abandoned at a Delaware computer repair shop in April 2019. To refresh your memory: Hunter Biden Ex-Biz Associate Was Livid Over $5MM Side-Deal With Chinese: TextsWhy Is The FBI's Top Child Porn Lawyer Involved In Hunter Biden Laptop Case?Hunter Biden Laptop Linked To FBI Money Laundering InvestigationHunter Biden Witness Moved From Prison Cell After Exposing Influence-Peddling OperationChinese Money Launderer Called James Biden After FBI Arrest, Was Trying To Reach HunterSperry Exposes The Complete History Of Hunter Biden's Crony-Connected JobsLatest Cache...
https://www.sott.net/article/466146-Is-the-Biden-laptop-dam-about-to-burst-WaPo-CNN-go-scorched-earth-over-laptop-from-hell