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Money pit: Ukraine goverment signals it intends to default on tens of billions in foreign debts
Despite countless billions flooding into Ukraine, Kiev can't pay its debts. Western governments have allocated well over $100 billion to prop up Ukraine in its war against Russia, with countless billions more flooding into the country at an increasing pace. Yet as each day passes, it's becoming more and more clear that all of the money awarded and assigned to Ukraine continues to dissolve into a black hole of secrecy, corruption, deceit, and now, default. On Wednesday, Ukraine finance ministry asked foreign creditors to accept a delay in its debt repayments, requesting a two year freeze on billions of dollars in Eurobonds. Per the Financial Times, "a rescheduling would amount to a Ukrainian default" on Kiev's tens of billions in foreign debt.
https://www.sott.net/article/470115-Money-pit-Ukraine-goverment-signals-it-intends-to-default-on-tens-of-billions-in-foreign-debts
Money pit: Ukraine goverment signals it intends to default on tens of billions in foreign debts
Despite countless billions flooding into Ukraine, Kiev can't pay its debts. Western governments have allocated well over $100 billion to prop up Ukraine in its war against Russia, with countless billions more flooding into the country at an increasing pace. Yet as each day passes, it's becoming more and more clear that all of the money awarded and assigned to Ukraine continues to dissolve into a black hole of secrecy, corruption, deceit, and now, default. On Wednesday, Ukraine finance ministry asked foreign creditors to accept a delay in its debt repayments, requesting a two year freeze on billions of dollars in Eurobonds. Per the Financial Times, "a rescheduling would amount to a Ukrainian default" on Kiev's tens of billions in foreign debt.
https://www.sott.net/article/470115-Money-pit-Ukraine-goverment-signals-it-intends-to-default-on-tens-of-billions-in-foreign-debts
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Those destroying public schools don't want you thinking about alternatives
What comes after the end of public schools? Anyone who cares about the education of children should be asking that question. So of course it's one that the teachers unions don't want us to discuss. New York City schools are in trouble. As The Post reported Friday, "the city Department of Education expects to enroll roughly 28,100 fewer students this fall." Enrollment at the city's regular public schools already fell during the pandemic, and this new projection suggests it's not improving any time soon. And New York leads a large pack: California, Illinois, Oregon, Mississippi and Michigan have all seen serious losses of students departing their public-school systems. Why? A Gallup poll last week showed only 28% of Americans have "a great deal or a lot" of "confidence in U.S. public schools."
https://www.sott.net/article/470116-Those-destroying-public-schools-dont-want-you-thinking-about-alternatives
Those destroying public schools don't want you thinking about alternatives
What comes after the end of public schools? Anyone who cares about the education of children should be asking that question. So of course it's one that the teachers unions don't want us to discuss. New York City schools are in trouble. As The Post reported Friday, "the city Department of Education expects to enroll roughly 28,100 fewer students this fall." Enrollment at the city's regular public schools already fell during the pandemic, and this new projection suggests it's not improving any time soon. And New York leads a large pack: California, Illinois, Oregon, Mississippi and Michigan have all seen serious losses of students departing their public-school systems. Why? A Gallup poll last week showed only 28% of Americans have "a great deal or a lot" of "confidence in U.S. public schools."
https://www.sott.net/article/470116-Those-destroying-public-schools-dont-want-you-thinking-about-alternatives
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Earth's crust is 'dripping' under the Andes, scientists say
Beneath the Andes mountains in South America, Earth's crust is dripping into the planet's interior. Moreover, this has been occurring for millions of years - a long geological process that has produced telltale wrinkling and other features on the surface that scientists have discerned through modeling and experimentation. This might help us identify interior geological activity on other planets that don't have plate tectonics, such as Mars and Venus. It's called lithospheric dripping, and it's only been identified fairly recently here on Earth. As the rocky crust is warmed up to a certain temperature, it starts to thicken and drip down into the mantle. It's a bit like an extreme pitch drop... but the formation and release of crustal drops has effects on the surrounding surface of the planet. First, the pull of the drop forming below creates a basin on the surface above. Then, when the drop breaks off, the surface reacts by springing upward, the effects of which spread widely. "We...
https://www.sott.net/article/470117-Earths-crust-is-dripping-under-the-Andes-scientists-say
Earth's crust is 'dripping' under the Andes, scientists say
Beneath the Andes mountains in South America, Earth's crust is dripping into the planet's interior. Moreover, this has been occurring for millions of years - a long geological process that has produced telltale wrinkling and other features on the surface that scientists have discerned through modeling and experimentation. This might help us identify interior geological activity on other planets that don't have plate tectonics, such as Mars and Venus. It's called lithospheric dripping, and it's only been identified fairly recently here on Earth. As the rocky crust is warmed up to a certain temperature, it starts to thicken and drip down into the mantle. It's a bit like an extreme pitch drop... but the formation and release of crustal drops has effects on the surrounding surface of the planet. First, the pull of the drop forming below creates a basin on the surface above. Then, when the drop breaks off, the surface reacts by springing upward, the effects of which spread widely. "We...
https://www.sott.net/article/470117-Earths-crust-is-dripping-under-the-Andes-scientists-say
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Amidst 10-year drought, the Andes get much needed snowfall and are completed blanketed when viewed from space
As extreme summer heatwaves deepened droughts and fueled wildfires in the Northern Hemisphere, winter storms brewed south of the equator. In July 2022, back-to-back weather systems eased rainfall deficits in central Chile and added to the snowpack atop the Andes—a critical reserve of water for the coming summer. The blanket of fresh snow along the mountain range between Chile and Argentina is visible in the image above, acquired on July 16 by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite. Heavy rain and snow fell in the area despite La Niña conditions offshore in the Pacific that typically bring dry winters. The precipitation brought at least some temporary relief to an area suffering a decade-long drought.
https://www.sott.net/article/470118-Amidst-10-year-drought-the-Andes-get-much-needed-snowfall-and-are-completed-blanketed-when-viewed-from-space
Amidst 10-year drought, the Andes get much needed snowfall and are completed blanketed when viewed from space
As extreme summer heatwaves deepened droughts and fueled wildfires in the Northern Hemisphere, winter storms brewed south of the equator. In July 2022, back-to-back weather systems eased rainfall deficits in central Chile and added to the snowpack atop the Andes—a critical reserve of water for the coming summer. The blanket of fresh snow along the mountain range between Chile and Argentina is visible in the image above, acquired on July 16 by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite. Heavy rain and snow fell in the area despite La Niña conditions offshore in the Pacific that typically bring dry winters. The precipitation brought at least some temporary relief to an area suffering a decade-long drought.
https://www.sott.net/article/470118-Amidst-10-year-drought-the-Andes-get-much-needed-snowfall-and-are-completed-blanketed-when-viewed-from-space
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Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev lists 'Western sins'
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has compiled what he called a list of "their sins," a reference to what he sees as the shortcomings of the US and Europe. The list was published on Medvedev's Telegram channel on Thursday and comes a day after the former president outlined Russia's 'sins', a mocking exhortation to the West to blame Moscow for all manner of ills, from US President Joe Biden's gaffes to even the extinction of the dinosaurs. "THEIR SINS (what Russia is not guilty of): European fools being cynically conned by the Americans, who forced them to endure the most painful consequences of the sanctions that have hit the populations of EU countries; ordinary Europeans freezing cold in their homes this winter; the highest food inflation in decades in Europe and the United States; EU and US companies losing their multibillion-dollar investments in the Russian economy," he wrote. Medvedev added that Moscow has nothing to do with "Americans electing a strange old man with...
https://www.sott.net/article/470119-Former-Russian-president-Dmitry-Medvedev-lists-Western-sins
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev lists 'Western sins'
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has compiled what he called a list of "their sins," a reference to what he sees as the shortcomings of the US and Europe. The list was published on Medvedev's Telegram channel on Thursday and comes a day after the former president outlined Russia's 'sins', a mocking exhortation to the West to blame Moscow for all manner of ills, from US President Joe Biden's gaffes to even the extinction of the dinosaurs. "THEIR SINS (what Russia is not guilty of): European fools being cynically conned by the Americans, who forced them to endure the most painful consequences of the sanctions that have hit the populations of EU countries; ordinary Europeans freezing cold in their homes this winter; the highest food inflation in decades in Europe and the United States; EU and US companies losing their multibillion-dollar investments in the Russian economy," he wrote. Medvedev added that Moscow has nothing to do with "Americans electing a strange old man with...
https://www.sott.net/article/470119-Former-Russian-president-Dmitry-Medvedev-lists-Western-sins
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Russian forces repel neo-Nazi attack in Donbass
As Ukrainian forces recently attempted to assault the town of Belogorovka in the Lugansk People's Republic, RT had a crew nearby. TV Correspondent Murad Gazdiev reported, from the scene, that the attack, led by the infamous 'Kraken' neo-Nazi battalion, was met with a "hail of artillery fire." The offensive was successfully defeated following close-quarter combat on the outskirts of the settlement. Russian troops captured four Kraken fighters. One of them, identified only as Dmitry, told RT that morale in the nationalist unit was extremely low and the commanders treated soldiers like "earthworms" by simply "crushing them underfoot" and forcing them to launch assaults. The battalion has been stationed in the north-eastern Ukrainian city for months, Dmitry said.
https://www.sott.net/article/470120-Russian-forces-repel-neo-Nazi-attack-in-Donbass
Russian forces repel neo-Nazi attack in Donbass
As Ukrainian forces recently attempted to assault the town of Belogorovka in the Lugansk People's Republic, RT had a crew nearby. TV Correspondent Murad Gazdiev reported, from the scene, that the attack, led by the infamous 'Kraken' neo-Nazi battalion, was met with a "hail of artillery fire." The offensive was successfully defeated following close-quarter combat on the outskirts of the settlement. Russian troops captured four Kraken fighters. One of them, identified only as Dmitry, told RT that morale in the nationalist unit was extremely low and the commanders treated soldiers like "earthworms" by simply "crushing them underfoot" and forcing them to launch assaults. The battalion has been stationed in the north-eastern Ukrainian city for months, Dmitry said.
https://www.sott.net/article/470120-Russian-forces-repel-neo-Nazi-attack-in-Donbass
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Snow up to roof level depth at Batea Mahuida ski resort in Argentina
"There's much snow. It is a spectacular day, with a lot of people, the truth is that we started the season in a very nice way", says the head of operation of the Batea Mahuida, Manuel Calfuqueo and invites the Snow Park. This season they improved the service at the refuge, with more menus and better facilities. "It's a lot of snow, it's been a couple of years since it snowed so much. I think that until October, we will surely have snow", says Manuel from the hill. He accompanies his words with photos from there, in which he sees the shelter with snow up to the roof and clarifies that the hill is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the hours and services are subject to weather conditions. It's just that it hasn't stopped snowing for a few weeks. (Translated by Google)
https://www.sott.net/article/470121-Snow-up-to-roof-level-depth-at-Batea-Mahuida-ski-resort-in-Argentina
Snow up to roof level depth at Batea Mahuida ski resort in Argentina
"There's much snow. It is a spectacular day, with a lot of people, the truth is that we started the season in a very nice way", says the head of operation of the Batea Mahuida, Manuel Calfuqueo and invites the Snow Park. This season they improved the service at the refuge, with more menus and better facilities. "It's a lot of snow, it's been a couple of years since it snowed so much. I think that until October, we will surely have snow", says Manuel from the hill. He accompanies his words with photos from there, in which he sees the shelter with snow up to the roof and clarifies that the hill is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the hours and services are subject to weather conditions. It's just that it hasn't stopped snowing for a few weeks. (Translated by Google)
https://www.sott.net/article/470121-Snow-up-to-roof-level-depth-at-Batea-Mahuida-ski-resort-in-Argentina
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EU prepares for 'winter without Russian gas'
The European Union on Wednesday revealed a scheme to lower its gas use by 15% until next spring, with the European Commission ordering member states to comply with the plan. According to Commissioner Thierry Breton, the bloc is counting on some of its citizens not to be able to afford gas. The measure is part of the 'Save Gas for a Safe Winter' plan presented in Brussels and aimed at ensuring uninterrupted supply to households and essential users such as hospitals and key industries. The reductions in gas use are to remain in force until March 31, 2023. Member states will be asked to switch to renewable energy, or even coal, oil or nuclear power to achieve the target. Germany, which depends on Russia for more than half of its total gas supply, has already announced plans to restart its dormant coal plants, but industry groups say the switch will only cover 2-3% of its industrial gas demand.
https://www.sott.net/article/470122-EU-prepares-for-winter-without-Russian-gas
EU prepares for 'winter without Russian gas'
The European Union on Wednesday revealed a scheme to lower its gas use by 15% until next spring, with the European Commission ordering member states to comply with the plan. According to Commissioner Thierry Breton, the bloc is counting on some of its citizens not to be able to afford gas. The measure is part of the 'Save Gas for a Safe Winter' plan presented in Brussels and aimed at ensuring uninterrupted supply to households and essential users such as hospitals and key industries. The reductions in gas use are to remain in force until March 31, 2023. Member states will be asked to switch to renewable energy, or even coal, oil or nuclear power to achieve the target. Germany, which depends on Russia for more than half of its total gas supply, has already announced plans to restart its dormant coal plants, but industry groups say the switch will only cover 2-3% of its industrial gas demand.
https://www.sott.net/article/470122-EU-prepares-for-winter-without-Russian-gas
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Hunt for wild monkey in Japan after 10 attacks in a fortnight
Police in Japan are searching for a wild monkey that has attacked 10 people in the space of a fortnight. The attacks began on 8 July in the Ogori district of Yamaguchi prefecture in the country's south-west. In the most serious incident, it badly scratched an infant after invading a family home. "I was vacuuming when I heard my child crying, so I turned around and saw the monkey had grabbed her by the legs while she was playing on the floor. It looked like it was trying to drag her outside," the baby's mother told local media. Last weekend, the monkey opened the screen door of a first-floor apartment and scratched the leg of a four-year-old girl, leaving her with minor injuries, before attacking other people nearby, according to the Kyodo news agency.
https://www.sott.net/article/470123-Hunt-for-wild-monkey-in-Japan-after-10-attacks-in-a-fortnight
Hunt for wild monkey in Japan after 10 attacks in a fortnight
Police in Japan are searching for a wild monkey that has attacked 10 people in the space of a fortnight. The attacks began on 8 July in the Ogori district of Yamaguchi prefecture in the country's south-west. In the most serious incident, it badly scratched an infant after invading a family home. "I was vacuuming when I heard my child crying, so I turned around and saw the monkey had grabbed her by the legs while she was playing on the floor. It looked like it was trying to drag her outside," the baby's mother told local media. Last weekend, the monkey opened the screen door of a first-floor apartment and scratched the leg of a four-year-old girl, leaving her with minor injuries, before attacking other people nearby, according to the Kyodo news agency.
https://www.sott.net/article/470123-Hunt-for-wild-monkey-in-Japan-after-10-attacks-in-a-fortnight
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How a smart Middle East strategy can help Russia play a significant role in shaping the new world order
This week, Russian President Vladimir Putin travels to Tehran for a summit of the guarantors of the so-called Astana process, which aims to find a political settlement in Syria. Apart from a joint session with the other two participants, Iran's Ibrahim Raisi and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Putin will hold talks with each separately. The visit comes soon after the Russian leader's trip to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan - the latter for the Caspian summit that brought together Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and the host state. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, for his part, has recently traveled to Algeria, Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, where he also met with counterparts from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. With relations between Russia and the West beyond repair for the foreseeable future, Russian diplomacy is focusing on non-Western countries, and the Middle East and North Africa feature prominently in Moscow's new foreign-policy geography. Since Russia's...
https://www.sott.net/article/470124-How-a-smart-Middle-East-strategy-can-help-Russia-play-a-significant-role-in-shaping-the-new-world-order
How a smart Middle East strategy can help Russia play a significant role in shaping the new world order
This week, Russian President Vladimir Putin travels to Tehran for a summit of the guarantors of the so-called Astana process, which aims to find a political settlement in Syria. Apart from a joint session with the other two participants, Iran's Ibrahim Raisi and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Putin will hold talks with each separately. The visit comes soon after the Russian leader's trip to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan - the latter for the Caspian summit that brought together Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and the host state. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, for his part, has recently traveled to Algeria, Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, where he also met with counterparts from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. With relations between Russia and the West beyond repair for the foreseeable future, Russian diplomacy is focusing on non-Western countries, and the Middle East and North Africa feature prominently in Moscow's new foreign-policy geography. Since Russia's...
https://www.sott.net/article/470124-How-a-smart-Middle-East-strategy-can-help-Russia-play-a-significant-role-in-shaping-the-new-world-order
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A 20-minute storm with 12 months of consequences: Farmers devastated by crop loss in southern Alberta
Summer crops were looking hearty just two days ago, according to local farmers. But a devastating storm that swept through southern Alberta Monday afternoon has left crops looking bleak. Lethbridge County grain and sugar beet plants were left with broken and bent stalks, the once promising yield now completely flattened. Marble-sized hail, and dark, fast-moving clouds rolled across the sky early Monday. "I knew we were in for something seeing that one coming," said farmer Arnie Bergen-Henengowen.
https://www.sott.net/article/470125-A-20-minute-storm-with-12-months-of-consequences-Farmers-devastated-by-crop-loss-in-southern-Alberta
A 20-minute storm with 12 months of consequences: Farmers devastated by crop loss in southern Alberta
Summer crops were looking hearty just two days ago, according to local farmers. But a devastating storm that swept through southern Alberta Monday afternoon has left crops looking bleak. Lethbridge County grain and sugar beet plants were left with broken and bent stalks, the once promising yield now completely flattened. Marble-sized hail, and dark, fast-moving clouds rolled across the sky early Monday. "I knew we were in for something seeing that one coming," said farmer Arnie Bergen-Henengowen.
https://www.sott.net/article/470125-A-20-minute-storm-with-12-months-of-consequences-Farmers-devastated-by-crop-loss-in-southern-Alberta
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Michael Hudson: From junk economics to a false view of history - Where western civilization took a wrong turn
It may seem strange to invite an economist to give a keynote speech to a conference of the social sciences. Economists have been characterized as autistic and anti-social in the popular press for good reason. They are trained to think abstractly and use a priori deduction - based on how they think societies should develop. Today's mainstream economists look at neoliberal privatization and free-market ideals as leading society's income and wealth to settle at an optimum equilibrium without any need for government regulation - especially not of credit and debt. The only role acknowledged for government is to enforce the "sanctity of contracts" and "security of property." By this they mean the enforcement of debt contracts, even when their enforcement expropriates large numbers of indebted homeowners and other property owners. That is the history of Rome. We are seeing the same debt dynamic at work today. Yet this basic approach has led mainstream economists to insist that...
https://www.sott.net/article/470126-Michael-Hudson-From-junk-economics-to-a-false-view-of-history-Where-western-civilization-took-a-wrong-turn
Michael Hudson: From junk economics to a false view of history - Where western civilization took a wrong turn
It may seem strange to invite an economist to give a keynote speech to a conference of the social sciences. Economists have been characterized as autistic and anti-social in the popular press for good reason. They are trained to think abstractly and use a priori deduction - based on how they think societies should develop. Today's mainstream economists look at neoliberal privatization and free-market ideals as leading society's income and wealth to settle at an optimum equilibrium without any need for government regulation - especially not of credit and debt. The only role acknowledged for government is to enforce the "sanctity of contracts" and "security of property." By this they mean the enforcement of debt contracts, even when their enforcement expropriates large numbers of indebted homeowners and other property owners. That is the history of Rome. We are seeing the same debt dynamic at work today. Yet this basic approach has led mainstream economists to insist that...
https://www.sott.net/article/470126-Michael-Hudson-From-junk-economics-to-a-false-view-of-history-Where-western-civilization-took-a-wrong-turn
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NATO would have started a war if not stopped by Russia - Iran
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared on Tuesday that had Russian President Vladimir Putin "not taken the initiative" in Ukraine, the NATO alliance would have launched a war with Russia over Crimea, which Kiev claims as its own land. Speaking alongside Putin in Tehran, Khamenei stated that "as regards Ukraine, if you did not take the initiative, the other side would have initiated the war." He described the West as "completely opposed to a strong and independent Russia" and NATO as "a dangerous entity that sees no boundaries in its expansionist policy". Considered Russian land since imperial times, Crimea was an autonomous republic within the Soviet Union until it was ceded to the Ukrainian SSR by Soviet Premier Nikita Kruschev in 1954. The region fell under Ukrainian control after the breakup of the USSR, and voted to join Russia in 2014.
https://www.sott.net/article/470127-NATO-would-have-started-a-war-if-not-stopped-by-Russia-Iran
NATO would have started a war if not stopped by Russia - Iran
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared on Tuesday that had Russian President Vladimir Putin "not taken the initiative" in Ukraine, the NATO alliance would have launched a war with Russia over Crimea, which Kiev claims as its own land. Speaking alongside Putin in Tehran, Khamenei stated that "as regards Ukraine, if you did not take the initiative, the other side would have initiated the war." He described the West as "completely opposed to a strong and independent Russia" and NATO as "a dangerous entity that sees no boundaries in its expansionist policy". Considered Russian land since imperial times, Crimea was an autonomous republic within the Soviet Union until it was ceded to the Ukrainian SSR by Soviet Premier Nikita Kruschev in 1954. The region fell under Ukrainian control after the breakup of the USSR, and voted to join Russia in 2014.
https://www.sott.net/article/470127-NATO-would-have-started-a-war-if-not-stopped-by-Russia-Iran
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France outlines plans for buyout of EDF to relaunch country's nuclear industry
The French government on Tuesday outlined its plans to take full control of EDF, the highly indebted power utility that is to spearhead efforts to relaunch the country's nuclear industry. The offer to minority shareholders will be priced at 12 euros per share, meaning the operation to fully nationalise the group will cost 9.7 billion euros ($9.9 billion), the finance ministry said. The electricity provider is currently 84-percent owned by the state, with institutional and retail investors holding 15 percent and staff one percent. EDF's finances have been weighed down by declining output from France's aging nuclear power stations, which it manages, and the state-imposed policy to sell energy at below cost to consumers in an effort to help them pay their energy bills. The energy crisis triggered by Russia's war in Ukraine has added to EDF's acute difficulties, and to the urgency of ensuring France's energy security. President Emmanuel Macron's government plans to launch the buyout in...
https://www.sott.net/article/470128-France-outlines-plans-for-buyout-of-EDF-to-relaunch-countrys-nuclear-industry
France outlines plans for buyout of EDF to relaunch country's nuclear industry
The French government on Tuesday outlined its plans to take full control of EDF, the highly indebted power utility that is to spearhead efforts to relaunch the country's nuclear industry. The offer to minority shareholders will be priced at 12 euros per share, meaning the operation to fully nationalise the group will cost 9.7 billion euros ($9.9 billion), the finance ministry said. The electricity provider is currently 84-percent owned by the state, with institutional and retail investors holding 15 percent and staff one percent. EDF's finances have been weighed down by declining output from France's aging nuclear power stations, which it manages, and the state-imposed policy to sell energy at below cost to consumers in an effort to help them pay their energy bills. The energy crisis triggered by Russia's war in Ukraine has added to EDF's acute difficulties, and to the urgency of ensuring France's energy security. President Emmanuel Macron's government plans to launch the buyout in...
https://www.sott.net/article/470128-France-outlines-plans-for-buyout-of-EDF-to-relaunch-countrys-nuclear-industry
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Putin blasts 'globalist' world order as 'totalitarian'
Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted earlier today that the "globalist" world order is "totalitarian" and is "holding back creative pursuit." Putin made the comments during a forum in Moscow. The notorious leader claimed that the west had only achieved its global preeminence due to the historic plunder of other nations and had no moral right to enforce a unipolar model on the planet. "The model of the total dominance of the so-called 'golden billion' is unjust. Why should this 'golden billion' among the planet's population dominate others, impose its own rules of conduct? "Based on the illusion of 'exclusivity,' this model divides people into first and second class status, and is therefore racist and neo-colonial in its essence. "And the globalist, supposedly liberal ideology which underlies it is increasingly acquiring the features of totalitarianism, holding back creative pursuit, free historical creation."
https://www.sott.net/article/470129-Putin-blasts-globalist-world-order-as-totalitarian
Putin blasts 'globalist' world order as 'totalitarian'
Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted earlier today that the "globalist" world order is "totalitarian" and is "holding back creative pursuit." Putin made the comments during a forum in Moscow. The notorious leader claimed that the west had only achieved its global preeminence due to the historic plunder of other nations and had no moral right to enforce a unipolar model on the planet. "The model of the total dominance of the so-called 'golden billion' is unjust. Why should this 'golden billion' among the planet's population dominate others, impose its own rules of conduct? "Based on the illusion of 'exclusivity,' this model divides people into first and second class status, and is therefore racist and neo-colonial in its essence. "And the globalist, supposedly liberal ideology which underlies it is increasingly acquiring the features of totalitarianism, holding back creative pursuit, free historical creation."
https://www.sott.net/article/470129-Putin-blasts-globalist-world-order-as-totalitarian
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Biden's Hollow Middle East Trip
US President Joe Biden comes away from a four-day visit to Israel and Saudi Arabia with a handful of commitments on regional and energy security issues, many of which are little more than empty promises. The price paid for these hollow accomplishments was high. The administration of US President Joe Biden has, from its inception, placed perception management at the forefront of its national security policy, packaged into well-known tropes such as "democracy," "human rights," and the "rules-based international order." While the embrace of such policy thematics is not unique to this administration, the degree to which it has been allowed to drift away from foundation in fact, and instead craft narratives that are often more fiction than real, is alarming. No single policy moment has come close to capturing this combination of inconsistency, contradiction and half-truths as Biden's recent Middle East trip. Born from the dual needs of salving regional concerns over Iran's nuclear...
https://www.sott.net/article/470130-Bidens-Hollow-Middle-East-Trip
Biden's Hollow Middle East Trip
US President Joe Biden comes away from a four-day visit to Israel and Saudi Arabia with a handful of commitments on regional and energy security issues, many of which are little more than empty promises. The price paid for these hollow accomplishments was high. The administration of US President Joe Biden has, from its inception, placed perception management at the forefront of its national security policy, packaged into well-known tropes such as "democracy," "human rights," and the "rules-based international order." While the embrace of such policy thematics is not unique to this administration, the degree to which it has been allowed to drift away from foundation in fact, and instead craft narratives that are often more fiction than real, is alarming. No single policy moment has come close to capturing this combination of inconsistency, contradiction and half-truths as Biden's recent Middle East trip. Born from the dual needs of salving regional concerns over Iran's nuclear...
https://www.sott.net/article/470130-Bidens-Hollow-Middle-East-Trip
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Putin predicts 'revolutionary' changes
A new epoch of world history is approaching and only "truly sovereign" states will be able to succeed in the changed environment, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday. Speaking at a business forum, Putin claimed that "truly revolutionary," "enormous" changes would lead to the creation of a new, "harmonious, fairer and more community-focused and safe" world order. In this new epoch, "only truly sovereign states can ensure high growth dynamics." By the term 'sovereignty' the Russian president means "freedom of national development, and thus of each person individually," as well as "technological, cultural, intellectual, educational viability of the state" and a "responsible, active and nationally minded, nationally oriented civil society." Such a state, the president said, will serve as an example for others when it comes to "the standards and quality of people's life, the protection of traditional values and high humanistic ideals." This kind of world is in sharp...
https://www.sott.net/article/470131-Putin-predicts-revolutionary-changes
Putin predicts 'revolutionary' changes
A new epoch of world history is approaching and only "truly sovereign" states will be able to succeed in the changed environment, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday. Speaking at a business forum, Putin claimed that "truly revolutionary," "enormous" changes would lead to the creation of a new, "harmonious, fairer and more community-focused and safe" world order. In this new epoch, "only truly sovereign states can ensure high growth dynamics." By the term 'sovereignty' the Russian president means "freedom of national development, and thus of each person individually," as well as "technological, cultural, intellectual, educational viability of the state" and a "responsible, active and nationally minded, nationally oriented civil society." Such a state, the president said, will serve as an example for others when it comes to "the standards and quality of people's life, the protection of traditional values and high humanistic ideals." This kind of world is in sharp...
https://www.sott.net/article/470131-Putin-predicts-revolutionary-changes
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Leaked docs: Facebook 'bot' adviser secretly in pay of US regime change agency
Documents shared with MintPress reveal that Valent Projects - a shadowy communications firm that advises social media platforms such as Facebook on alleged state-backed online influence campaigns - has itself received $1.2 million from U.S. intelligence front USAID, for "counter disinformation and communications support." This relationship has hitherto never been publicly acknowledged, and the resulting income is not reflected in the company's published accounts. On Valent's direction, Facebook has purged huge numbers of Sudanese accounts and pages critical of the Western-backed government, helping to keep a controversial civilian and military administration in power. There are also suspicions the company may have played a role in the mass suppression of Ethiopian voices online supporting the government of Abiy Ahmed, and opposing U.S. attempts to overthrow him. Valent Projects is the creation of Amil Khan, a veteran BBC and Reuters journalist turned British intelligence-adjacent...
https://www.sott.net/article/470132-Leaked-docs-Facebook-bot-adviser-secretly-in-pay-of-US-regime-change-agency
Leaked docs: Facebook 'bot' adviser secretly in pay of US regime change agency
Documents shared with MintPress reveal that Valent Projects - a shadowy communications firm that advises social media platforms such as Facebook on alleged state-backed online influence campaigns - has itself received $1.2 million from U.S. intelligence front USAID, for "counter disinformation and communications support." This relationship has hitherto never been publicly acknowledged, and the resulting income is not reflected in the company's published accounts. On Valent's direction, Facebook has purged huge numbers of Sudanese accounts and pages critical of the Western-backed government, helping to keep a controversial civilian and military administration in power. There are also suspicions the company may have played a role in the mass suppression of Ethiopian voices online supporting the government of Abiy Ahmed, and opposing U.S. attempts to overthrow him. Valent Projects is the creation of Amil Khan, a veteran BBC and Reuters journalist turned British intelligence-adjacent...
https://www.sott.net/article/470132-Leaked-docs-Facebook-bot-adviser-secretly-in-pay-of-US-regime-change-agency
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Mystery solved: DOJ secretly thwarted release of Russia documents declassified by Trump
Department used last-minute privacy concerns to halt release, then ignored direct order from president to make memos public. In the final hours of the Trump presidency, the U.S. Justice Department raised privacy concerns to thwart the release of hundreds of pages of documents that Donald Trump had declassified to expose FBI abuses during the Russia collusion probe, and the agency then defied a subsequent order to release the materials after redactions were made, according to interviews and documents. The previously untold story of how highly anticipated declassified material never became public is contained in a memo obtained by Just the News from the National Archives that was written by then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows just hours before Trump left office on noon of Jan. 20, 2021.
https://www.sott.net/article/470133-Mystery-solved-DOJ-secretly-thwarted-release-of-Russia-documents-declassified-by-Trump
Mystery solved: DOJ secretly thwarted release of Russia documents declassified by Trump
Department used last-minute privacy concerns to halt release, then ignored direct order from president to make memos public. In the final hours of the Trump presidency, the U.S. Justice Department raised privacy concerns to thwart the release of hundreds of pages of documents that Donald Trump had declassified to expose FBI abuses during the Russia collusion probe, and the agency then defied a subsequent order to release the materials after redactions were made, according to interviews and documents. The previously untold story of how highly anticipated declassified material never became public is contained in a memo obtained by Just the News from the National Archives that was written by then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows just hours before Trump left office on noon of Jan. 20, 2021.
https://www.sott.net/article/470133-Mystery-solved-DOJ-secretly-thwarted-release-of-Russia-documents-declassified-by-Trump
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Army cuts expected force size amid unprecedented shortfall of recruits
The Army is significantly cutting the total number of soldiers it expects to have in the force over the next two years, as the U.S. military faces what a top general called "unprecedented challenges" in bringing in recruits. Army officials on Tuesday said the service will fall about 10,000 soldiers short of its planned end strength for this fiscal year, and prospects for next year are grimmer. Army Gen. Joseph Martin, vice chief of staff for the Army, said it is projecting it will have a total force of 466,400 this year, down from the expected 476,000. And the service could end 2023 with between 445,000 and 452,000 soldiers, depending on how well recruiting and retention go. With just two and a half months to go in the fiscal year, the Army has achieved just 50 percent of its recruiting goal of 60,000 soldiers, according to Lt. Col. Randee Farrell, spokeswoman for Army Secretary Christine Wormuth. Based on those numbers and trends, it is likely the Army will miss the goal by nearly...
https://www.sott.net/article/470134-Army-cuts-expected-force-size-amid-unprecedented-shortfall-of-recruits
Army cuts expected force size amid unprecedented shortfall of recruits
The Army is significantly cutting the total number of soldiers it expects to have in the force over the next two years, as the U.S. military faces what a top general called "unprecedented challenges" in bringing in recruits. Army officials on Tuesday said the service will fall about 10,000 soldiers short of its planned end strength for this fiscal year, and prospects for next year are grimmer. Army Gen. Joseph Martin, vice chief of staff for the Army, said it is projecting it will have a total force of 466,400 this year, down from the expected 476,000. And the service could end 2023 with between 445,000 and 452,000 soldiers, depending on how well recruiting and retention go. With just two and a half months to go in the fiscal year, the Army has achieved just 50 percent of its recruiting goal of 60,000 soldiers, according to Lt. Col. Randee Farrell, spokeswoman for Army Secretary Christine Wormuth. Based on those numbers and trends, it is likely the Army will miss the goal by nearly...
https://www.sott.net/article/470134-Army-cuts-expected-force-size-amid-unprecedented-shortfall-of-recruits
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Lavrov spells out what would push Moscow to redraw front line in Ukraine
Western weapon supplies will spur Russia to push forward, foreign minister says The use of Western-supplied heavy weapons by Kiev will only force Russia to move deeper into Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told RT and Sputnik on Wednesday. Lavrov told RT Editor-in-Chief, Margarita Simonyan that when negotiators met in Istanbul, Turkey on March 29-30, they were discussing "one geography," referring to the areas controlled by Russia and the forces of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR). "Our willingness to accept Ukrainian suggestions was based on the geography as of the end of March, 2022," the minister noted.
https://www.sott.net/article/470135-Lavrov-spells-out-what-would-push-Moscow-to-redraw-front-line-in-Ukraine
Lavrov spells out what would push Moscow to redraw front line in Ukraine
Western weapon supplies will spur Russia to push forward, foreign minister says The use of Western-supplied heavy weapons by Kiev will only force Russia to move deeper into Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told RT and Sputnik on Wednesday. Lavrov told RT Editor-in-Chief, Margarita Simonyan that when negotiators met in Istanbul, Turkey on March 29-30, they were discussing "one geography," referring to the areas controlled by Russia and the forces of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR). "Our willingness to accept Ukrainian suggestions was based on the geography as of the end of March, 2022," the minister noted.
https://www.sott.net/article/470135-Lavrov-spells-out-what-would-push-Moscow-to-redraw-front-line-in-Ukraine
