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FLASHBACK: At the Zero Hour in Kharkiv
Ten hours before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, I was in Kyiv. I responded to a knock on my door to find my Belarusian flatmate asking for advice. She and her partner had recently fled political persecution in Belarus and weren't thrilled about packing up again. What did I think? I said it was imperative she left immediately — not tomorrow, but tonight. For months we had been reading intelligence assessments claiming an invasion was likely, even telling us the exact day. Each time, it would pass with no invasion. But tomorrow it's really happening! No matter how convincing the intelligence and how clear the indicators were, there was an equally legitimate sense of incredulity. I didn't expect to see any action in Kyiv, let alone from afar, so I was heading to the eastern city of Kharkiv to see things for myself. As I left, the ambient mood around me was anxious and uncertain. War would be terribly costly for Russia: a fractured Europe would unite, Russia would become a global...
https://www.sott.net/article/467115-At-the-Zero-Hour-in-Kharkiv
FLASHBACK: At the Zero Hour in Kharkiv
Ten hours before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, I was in Kyiv. I responded to a knock on my door to find my Belarusian flatmate asking for advice. She and her partner had recently fled political persecution in Belarus and weren't thrilled about packing up again. What did I think? I said it was imperative she left immediately — not tomorrow, but tonight. For months we had been reading intelligence assessments claiming an invasion was likely, even telling us the exact day. Each time, it would pass with no invasion. But tomorrow it's really happening! No matter how convincing the intelligence and how clear the indicators were, there was an equally legitimate sense of incredulity. I didn't expect to see any action in Kyiv, let alone from afar, so I was heading to the eastern city of Kharkiv to see things for myself. As I left, the ambient mood around me was anxious and uncertain. War would be terribly costly for Russia: a fractured Europe would unite, Russia would become a global...
https://www.sott.net/article/467115-At-the-Zero-Hour-in-Kharkiv
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Trump showcases trailer of explosive '2000 Mules' documentary of the 2020 election fraud
Former President Donald Trump on Saturday evening played the trailer of the forthcoming explosive documentary "2000 Mules" which reveals a wide scale ballot trafficking network of ballot harvesters across several swing states. Trump played the trailer at the rally where he is campaigning with J.D. Vance, the candidate he endorsed for U.S. Senate in this year's Ohio GOP Senate primary. The documentary, the product of a years-long investigation by election integrity group True The Vote and produced by conservative filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza, has been long-awaited and is chock full of surveillance footage showing specific instances of people taking multiple ballots to drop boxes and making trips to several boxes around their states. The investigation has been anticipated since Breitbart News first revealed it last summer, and Trump has been hyping it for some time now in statements and commentary.
https://www.sott.net/article/467116-Trump-showcases-trailer-of-explosive-2000-Mules-documentary-of-the-2020-election-fraud
Trump showcases trailer of explosive '2000 Mules' documentary of the 2020 election fraud
Former President Donald Trump on Saturday evening played the trailer of the forthcoming explosive documentary "2000 Mules" which reveals a wide scale ballot trafficking network of ballot harvesters across several swing states. Trump played the trailer at the rally where he is campaigning with J.D. Vance, the candidate he endorsed for U.S. Senate in this year's Ohio GOP Senate primary. The documentary, the product of a years-long investigation by election integrity group True The Vote and produced by conservative filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza, has been long-awaited and is chock full of surveillance footage showing specific instances of people taking multiple ballots to drop boxes and making trips to several boxes around their states. The investigation has been anticipated since Breitbart News first revealed it last summer, and Trump has been hyping it for some time now in statements and commentary.
https://www.sott.net/article/467116-Trump-showcases-trailer-of-explosive-2000-Mules-documentary-of-the-2020-election-fraud
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Taking away special privileges for woke corporations is not "authoritarian"
For many years now I have been pointing out that there is a false public perception of the relationship between governments and corporations. In the past the belief has been that government is supposed to keep private business in check while private business is supposed to limit government intrusion through the assertion of property rights. But when it comes to major corporations there is no such game of balance. In reality, international conglomerates like Disney generally do whatever they please because they are PARTNERS with government. For whatever reason, certain companies are afforded special treatment by state and federal institutions and what this does is create problems. This is not a free market system, rather, it is socialist and monopolistic. Subsidies and incentives can sometimes be used to encourage business growth, but when they are afforded to only a tiny handful of mega-corporations the result is the opposite; the growth of competition is stifled and small to...
https://www.sott.net/article/467117-Taking-away-special-privileges-for-woke-corporations-is-not-authoritarian
Taking away special privileges for woke corporations is not "authoritarian"
For many years now I have been pointing out that there is a false public perception of the relationship between governments and corporations. In the past the belief has been that government is supposed to keep private business in check while private business is supposed to limit government intrusion through the assertion of property rights. But when it comes to major corporations there is no such game of balance. In reality, international conglomerates like Disney generally do whatever they please because they are PARTNERS with government. For whatever reason, certain companies are afforded special treatment by state and federal institutions and what this does is create problems. This is not a free market system, rather, it is socialist and monopolistic. Subsidies and incentives can sometimes be used to encourage business growth, but when they are afforded to only a tiny handful of mega-corporations the result is the opposite; the growth of competition is stifled and small to...
https://www.sott.net/article/467117-Taking-away-special-privileges-for-woke-corporations-is-not-authoritarian
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Musk victory: Reuters reports Twitter accepts Elon's original $43 billion offer
The world's richest man is set to complete his hostile takeover of Twitter for $43 billion, according to news reports. Reuters released an exclusive saying that Twitter is "nearing a deal to sell" itself to Tesla CEO Elon Musk for "$54.20 per share in cash." That was the original price Musk offered when he launched his bid to own the company. Twitter may announce the deal "later on Monday once its board has met to recommend the transaction to Twitter shareholders, the sources said." The latest development follows reports that Twitter was reconsidering Musk's offer after he secured $46.5 billion in financing to back his takeover. Musk was reportedly "exploring a tender offer to purchase some or all shares of the company directly from its shareholders" after Twitter's board failed to respond to his initial offer.
https://www.sott.net/article/467118-Musk-victory-Reuters-reports-Twitter-accepts-Elons-original-43-billion-offer
Musk victory: Reuters reports Twitter accepts Elon's original $43 billion offer
The world's richest man is set to complete his hostile takeover of Twitter for $43 billion, according to news reports. Reuters released an exclusive saying that Twitter is "nearing a deal to sell" itself to Tesla CEO Elon Musk for "$54.20 per share in cash." That was the original price Musk offered when he launched his bid to own the company. Twitter may announce the deal "later on Monday once its board has met to recommend the transaction to Twitter shareholders, the sources said." The latest development follows reports that Twitter was reconsidering Musk's offer after he secured $46.5 billion in financing to back his takeover. Musk was reportedly "exploring a tender offer to purchase some or all shares of the company directly from its shareholders" after Twitter's board failed to respond to his initial offer.
https://www.sott.net/article/467118-Musk-victory-Reuters-reports-Twitter-accepts-Elons-original-43-billion-offer
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Russia urges its allies to dump dollar and euro for trade deals
Moscow has called on trading partners to switch to national currencies Russia should increase settlements in national currencies with partner countries, Denis Manturov, head of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, said at the plenary session of the Innoprom international exhibition in Uzbekistan on Monday. He was addressing countries within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), of which Russia is a member.
https://www.sott.net/article/467119-Russia-urges-its-allies-to-dump-dollar-and-euro-for-trade-deals
Russia urges its allies to dump dollar and euro for trade deals
Moscow has called on trading partners to switch to national currencies Russia should increase settlements in national currencies with partner countries, Denis Manturov, head of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, said at the plenary session of the Innoprom international exhibition in Uzbekistan on Monday. He was addressing countries within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), of which Russia is a member.
https://www.sott.net/article/467119-Russia-urges-its-allies-to-dump-dollar-and-euro-for-trade-deals
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Five Greens/EFA MEPs launch legal action for access to information on vaccine contract transparency
Today, Greens/EFA MEPs Margrete Auken, Kim van Sparrentak, Tilly Metz, Jutta Paulus, and Michele Rivasi submitted an application to the European Court of Justice against the European Commission, requesting access to key information on the Commission's contracts with pharmaceutical companies on the purchase agreements of COVID-19 vaccines. This court case follows the Commission's repeated refusal to provide the public with anything but heavily redacted versions of the contracts. The redactions made it impossible to understand the content of the agreements. Transparency builds trust in the institutions' ability to roll out public health programmes.
https://www.sott.net/article/467120-Five-Greens-EFA-MEPs-launch-legal-action-for-access-to-information-on-vaccine-contract-transparency
Five Greens/EFA MEPs launch legal action for access to information on vaccine contract transparency
Today, Greens/EFA MEPs Margrete Auken, Kim van Sparrentak, Tilly Metz, Jutta Paulus, and Michele Rivasi submitted an application to the European Court of Justice against the European Commission, requesting access to key information on the Commission's contracts with pharmaceutical companies on the purchase agreements of COVID-19 vaccines. This court case follows the Commission's repeated refusal to provide the public with anything but heavily redacted versions of the contracts. The redactions made it impossible to understand the content of the agreements. Transparency builds trust in the institutions' ability to roll out public health programmes.
https://www.sott.net/article/467120-Five-Greens-EFA-MEPs-launch-legal-action-for-access-to-information-on-vaccine-contract-transparency
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Leslie Dowless, key figure in NC absentee ballot fraud probe, dies
Leslie McCrae Dowless Jr., the key player in a North Carolina absentee ballot fraud probe that led to a do-over congressional election, has died. His daughter, Andrea Dowless Heverly, wrote that her father "passed away peacefully" Sunday morning, according to a social media post. He had been diagnosed with an advanced form of lung cancer and died at his daughter's home in Bladen County, his friend Jay DeLancy told The Associated Press in a brief interview. Dowless was in his mid-60s. The political operative was set to go on trial this summer on more than a dozen state criminal counts related to absentee ballot activities for the 2016 general election and the 2018 primary and general elections. A half-dozen others were also charged.
https://www.sott.net/article/467121-Leslie-Dowless-key-figure-in-NC-absentee-ballot-fraud-probe-dies
Leslie Dowless, key figure in NC absentee ballot fraud probe, dies
Leslie McCrae Dowless Jr., the key player in a North Carolina absentee ballot fraud probe that led to a do-over congressional election, has died. His daughter, Andrea Dowless Heverly, wrote that her father "passed away peacefully" Sunday morning, according to a social media post. He had been diagnosed with an advanced form of lung cancer and died at his daughter's home in Bladen County, his friend Jay DeLancy told The Associated Press in a brief interview. Dowless was in his mid-60s. The political operative was set to go on trial this summer on more than a dozen state criminal counts related to absentee ballot activities for the 2016 general election and the 2018 primary and general elections. A half-dozen others were also charged.
https://www.sott.net/article/467121-Leslie-Dowless-key-figure-in-NC-absentee-ballot-fraud-probe-dies
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Two large Marsquakes recorded on planet's far side
The seismometer placed on Mars by NASA's InSight lander has recorded its two largest seismic events to date: a magnitude 4.2 and a magnitude 4.1 marsquake. The pair are the first recorded events to occur on the planet's far side from the lander and are five times stronger than the previous largest event recorded. Seismic wave data from the events could help researchers learn more about the interior layers of Mars, particularly its core-mantle boundary, researchers from InSight's Marsquake Service (MQS) report in The Seismic Record. Anna Horleston of the University of Bristol and colleagues were able to identify reflected PP and SS waves from the magnitude 4.2 event, called S0976a, and locate its origin in the Valles Marineris, a massive canyon network that is one of Mars' most distinguishing geological features and one of the largest graben systems in the Solar System. Earlier orbital images of cross-cutting faults and landslides suggested the area would be seismically active, but...
https://www.sott.net/article/467122-Two-large-Marsquakes-recorded-on-planets-far-side
Two large Marsquakes recorded on planet's far side
The seismometer placed on Mars by NASA's InSight lander has recorded its two largest seismic events to date: a magnitude 4.2 and a magnitude 4.1 marsquake. The pair are the first recorded events to occur on the planet's far side from the lander and are five times stronger than the previous largest event recorded. Seismic wave data from the events could help researchers learn more about the interior layers of Mars, particularly its core-mantle boundary, researchers from InSight's Marsquake Service (MQS) report in The Seismic Record. Anna Horleston of the University of Bristol and colleagues were able to identify reflected PP and SS waves from the magnitude 4.2 event, called S0976a, and locate its origin in the Valles Marineris, a massive canyon network that is one of Mars' most distinguishing geological features and one of the largest graben systems in the Solar System. Earlier orbital images of cross-cutting faults and landslides suggested the area would be seismically active, but...
https://www.sott.net/article/467122-Two-large-Marsquakes-recorded-on-planets-far-side
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Austin: US would like Russian military 'weakened'
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Monday that the U.S. would like to see Russia's military "weakened to a degree." The big picture: Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday. Austin and Blinken promised Zelensky over $300 million in foreign military financing and noted that the U.S. had approved a $165 million sale of ammunition.They also said that U.S. diplomats will return to Ukraine this week.What they're saying: "We want to see Russia weakened to a degree that it can't do the kinds of things it has done in invading Ukraine," Austin told reporters in Poland. "It has already lost a lot of military capability and a lot of its troops, quite frankly," Austin added. "And we want to see them not have the capability to very quickly reproduce that capability."
https://www.sott.net/article/467123-Austin-US-would-like-Russian-military-weakened
Austin: US would like Russian military 'weakened'
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Monday that the U.S. would like to see Russia's military "weakened to a degree." The big picture: Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday. Austin and Blinken promised Zelensky over $300 million in foreign military financing and noted that the U.S. had approved a $165 million sale of ammunition.They also said that U.S. diplomats will return to Ukraine this week.What they're saying: "We want to see Russia weakened to a degree that it can't do the kinds of things it has done in invading Ukraine," Austin told reporters in Poland. "It has already lost a lot of military capability and a lot of its troops, quite frankly," Austin added. "And we want to see them not have the capability to very quickly reproduce that capability."
https://www.sott.net/article/467123-Austin-US-would-like-Russian-military-weakened
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What, not executed? Forensic study shows dozens of Bucha civilians were killed by metal darts from artillery
Dozens of civilians who died during the Russian occupation of the Ukrainian city of Bucha were killed by tiny metal arrows from shells of a type fired by Russian artillery, forensic doctors have said. Comment: They can't go one sentence without introducing a stunning example of bias. This artillery is used by both Russian and Ukrainian military. Pathologists and coroners who are carrying out postmortems on bodies found in mass graves in the region north of Kyiv, where occupying Russian forces have been accused of atrocities, said they had found small metal darts, called fléchettes, embedded in people's heads and chests. "We found several really thin, nail-like objects in the bodies of men and women and so did others of my colleagues in the region," Vladyslav Pirovskyi, a Ukrainian forensic doctor, told the Guardian. "It is very hard to find those in the body, they are too thin. The majority of these bodies come from the Bucha-Irpin region." Independent weapons experts who reviewed...
https://www.sott.net/article/467124-What-not-executed-Forensic-study-shows-dozens-of-Bucha-civilians-were-killed-by-metal-darts-from-artillery
What, not executed? Forensic study shows dozens of Bucha civilians were killed by metal darts from artillery
Dozens of civilians who died during the Russian occupation of the Ukrainian city of Bucha were killed by tiny metal arrows from shells of a type fired by Russian artillery, forensic doctors have said. Comment: They can't go one sentence without introducing a stunning example of bias. This artillery is used by both Russian and Ukrainian military. Pathologists and coroners who are carrying out postmortems on bodies found in mass graves in the region north of Kyiv, where occupying Russian forces have been accused of atrocities, said they had found small metal darts, called fléchettes, embedded in people's heads and chests. "We found several really thin, nail-like objects in the bodies of men and women and so did others of my colleagues in the region," Vladyslav Pirovskyi, a Ukrainian forensic doctor, told the Guardian. "It is very hard to find those in the body, they are too thin. The majority of these bodies come from the Bucha-Irpin region." Independent weapons experts who reviewed...
https://www.sott.net/article/467124-What-not-executed-Forensic-study-shows-dozens-of-Bucha-civilians-were-killed-by-metal-darts-from-artillery
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5 signs they are CREATING a food crisis
It's no secret that, according to politicians and the corporate press, "food shortages" and a "food supply crises" have been on the way for a while now. They have been regularly predicted for several years. What's really strange is that despite its near-constant incipience, the food shortage never seems to actually arrive and is always blamed on something new. As long ago as 2012, "scientists" were predicting that climate change and a lack of clean water would create "food shortages" that would "turn the world vegetarian by 2050". In 2019, UN "experts" warned that "climate change was threatening the world's food supply". Later the same year, the UK was warned that they could expect a food shortage as a result of "post-Brexit chaos". By early March 2020 supermarkets were already "warning" that the government had been too slow to act on the coronavirus outbreak, and they might run out of food. (They never actually did). A month later, in April 2020 when the "pandemic" was less than...
https://www.sott.net/article/467125-5-signs-they-are-CREATING-a-food-crisis
5 signs they are CREATING a food crisis
It's no secret that, according to politicians and the corporate press, "food shortages" and a "food supply crises" have been on the way for a while now. They have been regularly predicted for several years. What's really strange is that despite its near-constant incipience, the food shortage never seems to actually arrive and is always blamed on something new. As long ago as 2012, "scientists" were predicting that climate change and a lack of clean water would create "food shortages" that would "turn the world vegetarian by 2050". In 2019, UN "experts" warned that "climate change was threatening the world's food supply". Later the same year, the UK was warned that they could expect a food shortage as a result of "post-Brexit chaos". By early March 2020 supermarkets were already "warning" that the government had been too slow to act on the coronavirus outbreak, and they might run out of food. (They never actually did). A month later, in April 2020 when the "pandemic" was less than...
https://www.sott.net/article/467125-5-signs-they-are-CREATING-a-food-crisis
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Ukrainian nationalists interrupt civilians' evacuation from Mariupol
The evacuation of civilians from the Ukrainian city of Mariupol was interrupted by Ukrainian nationalists who mortar shelled the gathering location of evacuation from the Azovstal steel plant territory, DPR People's spokesman Eduard Basurin said on Saturday. Earlier on Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk said that Ukrainian authorities are planning to evacuate today, Saturday, women, children, and the elderly from Mariupol. She said on Telegram: "About Mariupol: today we are again trying to evacuate women, children, and the elderly. Now we are beginning to gather at the ringway near the Port City Mall. If everything goes according to plan, at about 12.00 we will start the evacuation." Basurin was quoted by the DPR People's Militia as saying on Telegram: "At the request of Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister I. Vereshchuk, Russia organized a humanitarian corridor and provided transport for the evacuation of civilians from Mariupol today. This peaceful action was interrupted...
https://www.sott.net/article/467126-Ukrainian-nationalists-interrupt-civilians-evacuation-from-Mariupol
Ukrainian nationalists interrupt civilians' evacuation from Mariupol
The evacuation of civilians from the Ukrainian city of Mariupol was interrupted by Ukrainian nationalists who mortar shelled the gathering location of evacuation from the Azovstal steel plant territory, DPR People's spokesman Eduard Basurin said on Saturday. Earlier on Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk said that Ukrainian authorities are planning to evacuate today, Saturday, women, children, and the elderly from Mariupol. She said on Telegram: "About Mariupol: today we are again trying to evacuate women, children, and the elderly. Now we are beginning to gather at the ringway near the Port City Mall. If everything goes according to plan, at about 12.00 we will start the evacuation." Basurin was quoted by the DPR People's Militia as saying on Telegram: "At the request of Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister I. Vereshchuk, Russia organized a humanitarian corridor and provided transport for the evacuation of civilians from Mariupol today. This peaceful action was interrupted...
https://www.sott.net/article/467126-Ukrainian-nationalists-interrupt-civilians-evacuation-from-Mariupol
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'A magnet for conspiracy theories': Wikipedia kills entry for Hunter Biden's investment company
Wikipedia editors are under fire this week for removing the entry for Rosemont Seneca Partners, the investment company connected to Hunter Biden and his alleged multimillion dollar influence peddling schemes. The site bizarrely claimed that the company was "not notable." The timing itself is notable given the new disclosure that Hunter Biden's business partner, Eric Schwerin, made at least 19 visits to the White House and other official locations between 2009 and 2015. That included a meeting with then-Vice President Joe Biden despite Biden's repeated claim that he knew nothing about his son's business dealings. Schwerin was the president of Rosemont Seneca. Wikipedia has been accused of raw bias in removing the entry at a time when interest in the company is at its peak, including the possibility of an indictment of Hunter Biden over his financial dealings. Rosemont Seneca is one of the most searched terms for those trying to understand the background on the Biden business...
https://www.sott.net/article/467127-A-magnet-for-conspiracy-theories-Wikipedia-kills-entry-for-Hunter-Bidens-investment-company
'A magnet for conspiracy theories': Wikipedia kills entry for Hunter Biden's investment company
Wikipedia editors are under fire this week for removing the entry for Rosemont Seneca Partners, the investment company connected to Hunter Biden and his alleged multimillion dollar influence peddling schemes. The site bizarrely claimed that the company was "not notable." The timing itself is notable given the new disclosure that Hunter Biden's business partner, Eric Schwerin, made at least 19 visits to the White House and other official locations between 2009 and 2015. That included a meeting with then-Vice President Joe Biden despite Biden's repeated claim that he knew nothing about his son's business dealings. Schwerin was the president of Rosemont Seneca. Wikipedia has been accused of raw bias in removing the entry at a time when interest in the company is at its peak, including the possibility of an indictment of Hunter Biden over his financial dealings. Rosemont Seneca is one of the most searched terms for those trying to understand the background on the Biden business...
https://www.sott.net/article/467127-A-magnet-for-conspiracy-theories-Wikipedia-kills-entry-for-Hunter-Bidens-investment-company
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Oil depot on fire in Russian region bordering Ukraine
A fire broke out on Monday morning at an oil depot in Bryansk, a large Russian city around 150km from Ukraine, and 370km south-west of Moscow. The blaze occurred at a premises operated by Transneft-Druzhba JSC and at another location, officials told RIA Novosti. No casualties have been reported and there is no threat to residential buildings, the Ministry of Emergency Situations has advised. "The evacuation of the population is not planned. According to preliminary information, there were no victims," its press service stated, according to TASS. Local residents have reported that explosions were heard and sirens are audible in social media videos.
https://www.sott.net/article/467128-Oil-depot-on-fire-in-Russian-region-bordering-Ukraine
Oil depot on fire in Russian region bordering Ukraine
A fire broke out on Monday morning at an oil depot in Bryansk, a large Russian city around 150km from Ukraine, and 370km south-west of Moscow. The blaze occurred at a premises operated by Transneft-Druzhba JSC and at another location, officials told RIA Novosti. No casualties have been reported and there is no threat to residential buildings, the Ministry of Emergency Situations has advised. "The evacuation of the population is not planned. According to preliminary information, there were no victims," its press service stated, according to TASS. Local residents have reported that explosions were heard and sirens are audible in social media videos.
https://www.sott.net/article/467128-Oil-depot-on-fire-in-Russian-region-bordering-Ukraine
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Jill Biden was against picking Kamala Harris as husband's running mate, new book reveals
First Lady Jill Biden was against choosing Kamala Harris as her husband Joe Biden's running mate after she attacked him during a primary debate, according to an upcoming new book. The first lady's vexations were revealed in a bombshell new book by New York Times reporters Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns titled This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America's Future, due to be released in May. After learning that Harris was the leading candidate for the job, according to an excerpt of the book provided to Fox News, Jill Biden said: "There are millions of people in the United States. Why do we have to choose the one who attacked Joe?" Many from Biden's inner circle, however, believed that Harris would give the president the best chance of winning the election, according to the book.
https://www.sott.net/article/467129-Jill-Biden-was-against-picking-Kamala-Harris-as-husbands-running-mate-new-book-reveals
Jill Biden was against picking Kamala Harris as husband's running mate, new book reveals
First Lady Jill Biden was against choosing Kamala Harris as her husband Joe Biden's running mate after she attacked him during a primary debate, according to an upcoming new book. The first lady's vexations were revealed in a bombshell new book by New York Times reporters Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns titled This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America's Future, due to be released in May. After learning that Harris was the leading candidate for the job, according to an excerpt of the book provided to Fox News, Jill Biden said: "There are millions of people in the United States. Why do we have to choose the one who attacked Joe?" Many from Biden's inner circle, however, believed that Harris would give the president the best chance of winning the election, according to the book.
https://www.sott.net/article/467129-Jill-Biden-was-against-picking-Kamala-Harris-as-husbands-running-mate-new-book-reveals
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Communist China has thrown out the old rules of war
When I first read the Chinese war manual Unrestricted Warfare in 1999, I thought it was wacky. I was flying B-2 Stealth bombers out of Whiteman Air Force Base in western Missouri and reading a lot about war. As an Air Force officer, I thought it was part of my day job to understand the bigger picture - even though the prevailing attitude in the military was "Just fly the planes." Unrestricted Warfare was one of those books that caused a stir among some military folks because it had recently been translated into English. It had that insider whiff of mystery and secrets, a peek into the mind of the Chinese Communist Party. Despite that mystique, not a lot of people were finishing the book. For one thing, regardless of its title, no one thought we were ever going to be fighting a war with China, so it seemed like a lot of work for very little payoff. For another, the book itself is not a light read. It is a dense compendium of strategy, economics, social theory, and futuristic...
https://www.sott.net/article/467130-Communist-China-has-thrown-out-the-old-rules-of-war
Communist China has thrown out the old rules of war
When I first read the Chinese war manual Unrestricted Warfare in 1999, I thought it was wacky. I was flying B-2 Stealth bombers out of Whiteman Air Force Base in western Missouri and reading a lot about war. As an Air Force officer, I thought it was part of my day job to understand the bigger picture - even though the prevailing attitude in the military was "Just fly the planes." Unrestricted Warfare was one of those books that caused a stir among some military folks because it had recently been translated into English. It had that insider whiff of mystery and secrets, a peek into the mind of the Chinese Communist Party. Despite that mystique, not a lot of people were finishing the book. For one thing, regardless of its title, no one thought we were ever going to be fighting a war with China, so it seemed like a lot of work for very little payoff. For another, the book itself is not a light read. It is a dense compendium of strategy, economics, social theory, and futuristic...
https://www.sott.net/article/467130-Communist-China-has-thrown-out-the-old-rules-of-war
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Poland's Ukrainization puts the final nail in PiS' faux nationalist project
There's no denying that PiS' faux nationalist project has utterly failed. Patriotic Poles won't be distracted by vague foreign policy victories that have yet to even happen and might never transpire, nor will they let PiS' rabid Russophobia influence them into forgiving it for their country's forced Ukrainization. It's impossible for anyone to seriously describe Poland's ruling "Law & Justice" (PiS per its Polish abbreviation) party as "nationalists" after they willingly allowed their country's Ukrainization by hosting over 3 million refugees from that former Soviet Republic. Warsaw's population jumped by 15-20% according to Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski as quoted by the New York Times (NYT) in their article about this issue titled "Warsaw's Welcome Mat Risks Unraveling Under The Pressure Of A New Wave Of Refugees". The outlet also revealed some other intriguing facts, including Trzaskowski's concern that "these costs (related to accommodating so many refugees) amount to hundreds of...
https://www.sott.net/article/467131-Polands-Ukrainization-puts-the-final-nail-in-PiS-faux-nationalist-project
Poland's Ukrainization puts the final nail in PiS' faux nationalist project
There's no denying that PiS' faux nationalist project has utterly failed. Patriotic Poles won't be distracted by vague foreign policy victories that have yet to even happen and might never transpire, nor will they let PiS' rabid Russophobia influence them into forgiving it for their country's forced Ukrainization. It's impossible for anyone to seriously describe Poland's ruling "Law & Justice" (PiS per its Polish abbreviation) party as "nationalists" after they willingly allowed their country's Ukrainization by hosting over 3 million refugees from that former Soviet Republic. Warsaw's population jumped by 15-20% according to Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski as quoted by the New York Times (NYT) in their article about this issue titled "Warsaw's Welcome Mat Risks Unraveling Under The Pressure Of A New Wave Of Refugees". The outlet also revealed some other intriguing facts, including Trzaskowski's concern that "these costs (related to accommodating so many refugees) amount to hundreds of...
https://www.sott.net/article/467131-Polands-Ukrainization-puts-the-final-nail-in-PiS-faux-nationalist-project
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Secrets of the command bunker underneath Azovstal revealed in Russian media reports
On the day before Good Friday (Orthodox), Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu reported at the Kremlin to President Vladimir Putin that at Mariupol, inside the Azovstal steel works, about two thousand troops remain underground, including foreigners. Putin issued the following order: "There is no need to penetrate these catacombs and crawl under these industrial facilities. Seal off the industrial zone completely." Four days earlier on April 17, the Defence Ministry spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov told the press that "up to four hundred foreign mercenaries were trapped [at Azovstal]... Most of them are citizens of European countries, as well as Canada. We have already reported earlier that radio conversations between militants in Mariupol are conducted in six foreign languages" Today, an unusually detailed report by the Moscow internet broadcaster Tsargrad was published to signal the strategic significance and political value of the NATO officers in their command bunker...
https://www.sott.net/article/467132-Secrets-of-the-command-bunker-underneath-Azovstal-revealed-in-Russian-media-reports
Secrets of the command bunker underneath Azovstal revealed in Russian media reports
On the day before Good Friday (Orthodox), Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu reported at the Kremlin to President Vladimir Putin that at Mariupol, inside the Azovstal steel works, about two thousand troops remain underground, including foreigners. Putin issued the following order: "There is no need to penetrate these catacombs and crawl under these industrial facilities. Seal off the industrial zone completely." Four days earlier on April 17, the Defence Ministry spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov told the press that "up to four hundred foreign mercenaries were trapped [at Azovstal]... Most of them are citizens of European countries, as well as Canada. We have already reported earlier that radio conversations between militants in Mariupol are conducted in six foreign languages" Today, an unusually detailed report by the Moscow internet broadcaster Tsargrad was published to signal the strategic significance and political value of the NATO officers in their command bunker...
https://www.sott.net/article/467132-Secrets-of-the-command-bunker-underneath-Azovstal-revealed-in-Russian-media-reports
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Putin promises normal business environment for companies that remain
Russia faces unprecedented sanctions pressure that continues to intensify, President Vladimir Putin said on Monday, noting that despite the prevailing conditions, the country's economy has the opportunity to function stably and smoothly. He has promised to support businesses as much as possible, including foreign firms that have stayed in Russia. To do that, it is necessary to respect the rights of business owners and support them to the full, including by reducing the administrative burden, Putin said. Foreign companies that have remained in Russia despite sanctions pressure should be allowed to "work peacefully," he added. The Russian president earlier instructed the government to allocate additional resources to support small and medium-sized businesses and create better growth conditions for new industries based on new and yet-to-be-developed supply chains. Putin also said he believes that sanctions will result in new leaders emerging in the Russian market.
https://www.sott.net/article/467133-Putin-promises-normal-business-environment-for-companies-that-remain
Putin promises normal business environment for companies that remain
Russia faces unprecedented sanctions pressure that continues to intensify, President Vladimir Putin said on Monday, noting that despite the prevailing conditions, the country's economy has the opportunity to function stably and smoothly. He has promised to support businesses as much as possible, including foreign firms that have stayed in Russia. To do that, it is necessary to respect the rights of business owners and support them to the full, including by reducing the administrative burden, Putin said. Foreign companies that have remained in Russia despite sanctions pressure should be allowed to "work peacefully," he added. The Russian president earlier instructed the government to allocate additional resources to support small and medium-sized businesses and create better growth conditions for new industries based on new and yet-to-be-developed supply chains. Putin also said he believes that sanctions will result in new leaders emerging in the Russian market.
https://www.sott.net/article/467133-Putin-promises-normal-business-environment-for-companies-that-remain
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Obama, Clinton rail against free speech under guise of fighting 'misinformation'
Over the last 24 hours, former President Barack Obama and twice-failed presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton have come out against free speech - calling for big tech to go further to censor views they disagree with. On Thursday, Obama told an audience at Stanford University that tech companies are "turbo-charging some of humanity's worst impulses," adding "One of the biggest reasons for the weakening of democracy is the profound change that's taken place in how we communicate and consume information." He then said that people are 'dying because of disinformation.'
https://www.sott.net/article/467134-Obama-Clinton-rail-against-free-speech-under-guise-of-fighting-misinformation
Obama, Clinton rail against free speech under guise of fighting 'misinformation'
Over the last 24 hours, former President Barack Obama and twice-failed presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton have come out against free speech - calling for big tech to go further to censor views they disagree with. On Thursday, Obama told an audience at Stanford University that tech companies are "turbo-charging some of humanity's worst impulses," adding "One of the biggest reasons for the weakening of democracy is the profound change that's taken place in how we communicate and consume information." He then said that people are 'dying because of disinformation.'
https://www.sott.net/article/467134-Obama-Clinton-rail-against-free-speech-under-guise-of-fighting-misinformation
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Europe's big energy problems and the birth of a new relationship with Russia
"Energy makes energy anyhow So spend yourself and get rich right now" — Marillion "Rich" This day has been a long time coming. From the moment, more than a decade ago, when it was finally admitted that Europe was destined to be an energy importer, we were going to see the climax of the showdown between the West and Russia. Europe as energy importer always meant that time was on Russia's side. All it had to do was draw the conflict out long enough, survive long enough, to force Europe into submission. Russia has the energy Europe needs, no one else can supply it, therefore the final decision will be to accept this fate. No amount of financial wizardry, pathetic virtue signaling about Climate Change, malinvestment into inefficient and unsustainable 'renewables,' or military threats would ultimately change the outcome of this story. Output off the North Slope has fallen off and Groningen's gas fields are drying up faster than Hillary's va-jay-jay with each twist of John Durham's...
https://www.sott.net/article/467135-Europes-big-energy-problems-and-the-birth-of-a-new-relationship-with-Russia
Europe's big energy problems and the birth of a new relationship with Russia
"Energy makes energy anyhow So spend yourself and get rich right now" — Marillion "Rich" This day has been a long time coming. From the moment, more than a decade ago, when it was finally admitted that Europe was destined to be an energy importer, we were going to see the climax of the showdown between the West and Russia. Europe as energy importer always meant that time was on Russia's side. All it had to do was draw the conflict out long enough, survive long enough, to force Europe into submission. Russia has the energy Europe needs, no one else can supply it, therefore the final decision will be to accept this fate. No amount of financial wizardry, pathetic virtue signaling about Climate Change, malinvestment into inefficient and unsustainable 'renewables,' or military threats would ultimately change the outcome of this story. Output off the North Slope has fallen off and Groningen's gas fields are drying up faster than Hillary's va-jay-jay with each twist of John Durham's...
https://www.sott.net/article/467135-Europes-big-energy-problems-and-the-birth-of-a-new-relationship-with-Russia
