BlackRock Assets Hit Record $10 Trillion, Powered by ETFs

Firm added a net $169 billion in long-term investment vehicles

Asset manager also benefited from rally in markets last year

BlackRock Inc. became the first public asset manager to hit $10 trillion in assets, propelled by a surge in fourth-quarter flows into its exchange-traded funds.

Investors poured a net $104 billion into ETFs in the three months ended Dec. 31, the firm said Friday in a statement – a record for the company.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-14/blackrock-s-assets-pass-10-trillion-for-the-first-time?sref=i4qXzk6d

Facebook Parent Company Meta Sued for $3.2 Billion in First-of-Its-Kind UK Class Action Lawsuit

Facebook parent company Meta is being sued for £2.3 billion ($3.2 billion) in a first-of-its-kind lawsuit in the United Kingdom for allegedly abusing its market dominance and exploiting user data.

The social media giant is being sued by competition law expert Dr. Liza Lovdahl Gormsen, who took to Twitter on Friday to announce the class-action lawsuit against Meta on behalf of affected UK Facebook users.

“Facebook is by far the largest social network in the UK. Yet, there was a dark side to Facebook’s ubiquity: it is alleged to have abused its market dominance to impose unfair terms and conditions on ordinary Britons giving it the power to exploit their personal data,” Lovdahl Gormsen said in a statement. “As many as 44 million UK Facebook users may have been subject to this abuse by Facebook.”

“By exploiting users’ data, both within the Facebook platform and off-platform through mechanisms like the Facebook Pixel, the company was able to build very detailed pictures of users’ internet usage,” Gormsen said. “By using deep data profiles of its users, the company generated excessive profits.”

Gormsen, who specializes in EU and UK Competition Law; UK Company Law and Corporate Governance, went on to claim that Facebook had abused its market dominance to “strike an unfair bargain with users, imposing terms and conditions on a take it or leave basis to access to its social network in exchange for users’ highly valuable personal data, and zero monetary recompense.”

The lawsuit, which will be heard by London’s Competition Appeal Tribunal, argues that Facebook set an “unfair price” for its 44 million affected UK users and should pay them compensation for the exploitation of their data between 2015 and 2019.

“The ‘price’ set for gaining access to the social network was the surrender of UK users’ highly valuable personal data on a take it or leave it basis for using the network,” Gormsen said. “In return, users only received ‘free’ access to Facebook’s social network, and zero monetary recompense whilst Facebook generated billions in revenues from its users’ data. This unfair deal was only possible due to Facebook’s market dominance.”

Dr. Gormsen said her lawyers, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP, have informed Meta of the claim. The lawsuit is seeking £2.3 billion in damages plus interest.

Due to the sheer scale of Facebook’s user base, the class action lawsuit is being done as an “opt-out” collective action, meaning that affected UK users will automatically be a part of the claim unless they decide to opt-out from it.

Facebook told Reuters that people used its services because it delivered value for them and “they have meaningful control of what information they share on Meta’s platforms and who with.”

The Epoch Times has contacted a Meta spokesperson for comment.

https://www.ntd.com/facebook-parent-company-meta-sued-for-3-2-billion-in-first-of-its-kind-uk-class-action-lawsuit_727363.html

Nancy Pelosi’s son linked to five shady companies probed by feds: report

Paul Pelosi Jr., the son of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has reportedly been linked to at least five business entities under investigation by authorities for alleged fraud.

The 52-year-old Paul Pelsoi Jr., the only son of Nancy and Paul Pelosi Sr., was hired by several firms that were subject to both federal and state probes, and meanwhile has “connections to a host of fraudsters, rule-breakers and convicted criminals,” although he has never been charged himself, according to DailyMail.com.

The website reports that in February 2007, Pelosi Jr. was hired as senior vice president by Omaha-based InfoUSA, a database marketing company that was investigated by the Iowa Attorney General’s Office several years earlier for allegedly selling consumer data to fraudsters.

The data was then used to scam sick and gullible elderly people out of money, it was alleged. The investigation was closed and no arrests were made. Pelosi Jr., who was paid a salary of $180,000 per year, joined the firm after the probe ended.

InfoUSA was founded by Vin Gupta, a major donor to former President Bill Clinton. The Associated Press reported that Gupta and his company were investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2007.

The probe was launched after Gupta was sued by shareholders who allege he misused company funds to fly Bill and Hillary Clinton on private corporate jets.

In 2010, the SEC charged Gupta and two others for “funneling illegal compensation to himself in the form of perks worth millions of dollars.” The case was eventually settled. Gupta did not admit or deny the allegations.

in 2009, Paul Jr. co-founded Natural Blue Resources Inc, an investment company whose stated mission was to “create, acquire, or otherwise invest in environmentally-friendly companies, including an initiative to locate, purify, and sell water recovered from underground aquifers in New Mexico and other areas with depleting water resources.”

But the SEC alleged that the company was secretly run by two convicted fraudsters — James E. Cohen and Joseph Corazzi. In 2014, the agency brought fraud charges against Cohen, Corazzi, former New Mexico Gov. Toney Anaya, and a former executive at the company, Erik Perry.

https://nypost.com/2022/01/14/nancy-pelosis-son-linked-to-firms-probed-by-feds/

Microsoft orders probe of Bill Gates harassment allegations

Microsoft has tapped an outside law firm to probe its handling of workplace sexual harassment, including allegations against its founder Bill Gates, the company revealed on Thursday.

The tech giant said law firm Arent Fox will compile a report detailing the effectiveness of its internal policies on workplace sexual harassment and gender discrimination. The announcement followed mounting pressure from shareholders to address the situation.

The report will include a summary of any investigations into top Microsoft executives, including its board’s 2019 investigation into claims against Gates. The billionaire was accused of engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a female Microsoft employee.

“Our culture remains our number one priority and the entire Board appreciates the critical importance of a safe and inclusive environment for all Microsoft employees,” Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella said in a statement.

“We’re committed not just to reviewing the report but learning from the assessment so we can continue to improve the experiences of our employees,” he added.

https://nypost.com/2022/01/14/microsoft-orders-probe-of-bill-gates-harassment-allegations/

US Official: Russia Prepping Pretext for Ukraine Invasion

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has determined a Russian effort is underway to create a pretext for its troops to potentially further invade Ukraine, and Moscow has already prepositioned operatives to conduct “a false-flag operation” in eastern Ukraine, a U.S. official said Friday.

The administration believes Russia is also laying the groundwork through a social media disinformation campaign by framing Ukraine as an aggressor that has been preparing an imminent attack against Russian forces in eastern Ukraine, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the official wasn’t authorized to discuss sensitive intelligence on the record,

U.S. intelligence officials have determined Russia has already dispatched operatives trained in urban warfare who could use explosives to carry out acts of sabotage against Russia’s own proxy forces — blaming the acts on Ukraine — if Russian President Vladimir Putin decides he wants to move forward with an invasion, the official added.

The new intelligence was unveiled after a series of talks between Russia and the U.S. and western allies this week in Europe aimed at heading off the escalating crisis made little progress.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Thursday said that the U.S. intelligence community has not made an assessment that the Russians, who have massed some 100,000 troops on the Ukraine border, have definitively decided to take a military course of action in Ukraine.

But Sullivan said Russia is laying the groundwork to invade under false pretenses should Putin decide to go that route. He said the Russians have been planning “sabotage activities and information operations” that accuse Ukraine of prepping for its own imminent attack against Russian forces in Eastern Ukraine.

He said that the move is similar to what Kremlin did in the leadup to Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that had been under Ukraine’s jurisdiction since 1954.

https://www.breitbart.com/news/us-official-russia-prepping-pretext-for-ukraine-invasion/

Labour Party Accepted £700,000 From Alleged Chinese Communist Spy: Report

Christine Lee, the alleged Chinese Communist spy, reportedly donated over £700,000 to the left-wing Labour Party in Britain as a part of a “political interference” campaign orchestrated by Beijing.

On Thursday, it was revealed that MI5 had contacted the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, warning that the founder of the “British Chinese Project”, Christine Lee had been working to engage with members of parliament to “subvert the process” of democracy.

The main target of the alleged espionage plot centred around former socialist Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Barry Gardiner MP.

Lee donated nearly £700,000 in political contributions to the Labour Party, according to The Sun, the vast majority of which directly went into the coffers of former Blair-era minister and Corbyn-era shadow cabinet member Barry Gardiner. Mr Gardiner is reported to have received over £500,000 from Ms Lee over a six-year period.

Beyond the financial investment, the Labour MP was also revealed to have been employing the alleged Chinese spy’s son until Thursday morning, when he claims he was first notified by security services of Ms Lee being an agent of espionage.

“I then went and I immediately contacted her son who has worked in my office as the diary manager and I asked him to tender his resignation forthwith, which he did,” Mr Gardiner told Sky News.

“But I want to stress to you that the security services said to me they had no information that led them to believe that he was aware of his mother’s illegal activity.”

Mr Gardner did admit that he had “spoken openly and frankly” with British intelligence services “for a number of years” about his relationship with Ms Lee. However, he claimed that he was never told to cut off ties with the alleged spy and said that there was “no evidence” that the money she donated to him came from the regime in Beijing.

The Labour MP went on to suggest that his past criticisms of the Chinese Communist Party on issues such as climate change and human rights demonstrated that he was not beholden to China.

The Chinese Communist Party has previously targeted left-wing politicians in a similar manner, including California Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein, who reportedly employed a Chinese spy as her driver for twenty years.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2022/01/14/labour-party-accepted-700000-from-alleged-chinese-spy-report/

Prince Charles and William Behind Move to Strip Andrew of Royal Title

Prince Charles and Prince William are said to have been the main influence behind the Queen’s decision to strip Andrew of his Royal titles, Royal insiders claim.

Following a meeting with the two princes on Wednesday the 12th of January, Queen Elizabeth II reportedly made the decision to strip Prince Andrew of his Royal and military titles as well as his patronages, meaning he can no longer be referred to as ‘His Royal Highness’ (HRH), a report in British tabloid The Sun claims, citing Royal sources.

Prince William is claimed to be the key influence in convincing the Queen to remove Andrew’s titles allegedly warning her the situation was “grave”.

Prince Charles is said to have shared his son’s concerns about Andrew, and helped persuade the Queen to strip her once “favourite” son’s titles, demoting him to the status of a private citizen.

A palace source told Breitbart London that “we all know the Queen relies heavily on the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge”, both of whom have a “vested interest” in the reputation of the Monarchy and are “actively involved in these discussions, which have been going on for quite some time”.

Following a ninety-minute meeting with Andrew, where he was privately told about the decision, the Royal Family released a statement on January 13th that publicly announced Andrew was to be stripped of his titles, just over 24 hours after Prince Charles and William met with the Queen.

Rafe Heydel-Mankoo, Co-editor of Burke’s World Orders of Knighthood told Breitbart London: “Pride comes before a fall and its rather ironic that the once high-and-mighty Duke of York, who lobbied so hard and unsuccessfully for Royal roles for his two HRH daughters, should end up losing both his own Royal role and his use of HRH”.

The move to remove Andrew, 61, from public Royal life may actually benefit his case as he is now able to face charges as a “private citizen” without any accusations that he is using the British monarchy’s influence to sway any outcome, The Sun reports.

Prince Andrew previously ‘voluntarily’ opted to step down from his Royal duties when his relationship with the disgraced paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein came to light in 2019.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2022/01/14/prince-charles-and-william-behind-move-to-strip-andrew-of-royal-title/

NATO, US brought world close to brink of nuclear war during talks with Russia - expert

Representative of the Schiller Institute in New York Richard Black said that West needs to give up its violent fantasy of getting win Russia and China

NEW YORK, January 14. /TASS/. The behavior of the US and NATO during talks on security guarantees with Russia in Geneva and Brussels brought the world closer to the brink of the nuclear war and further consultations can be useful only in case the West changes its approaches, representative of the Schiller Institute in New York Richard Black told TASS.

"What NATO and US have done from Monday through Wednesday [consultations with Russia were held on different floors from January 10 to 12 - TASS] on this going week is to bring the world close to the brink of nuclear war by insisting on the continuance of placing the weapons with nuclear strike capability not near but at Russia’s border," Black said.

"What is needed is a new world security architecture, which guarantees all nations security and it includes Russia and the United States. West needs to give up its violent fantasy of getting win Russia and China," the expert noted.

"What is required is a new set of economic relations, which is based on the common development of the productive forces of both the East and West," Black added. "If there is change over the next hours or days coming from NATO and the US, then talks could be profitable. If not - then the likelihood of confrontation and nuclear war increases greatly," the expert noted.

"Where we stand now is we are on the very brink of confrontation which can lead us to world war," Black stressed.

https://tass.com/world/1387969

Serbia: 3,000 to sue NATO over depleted uranium bombing

Two new lawsuits against NATO will be brought to the Higher Court in Belgrade on behalf of Serbian victims of the 1999 depleted uranium bombing in Yugoslavia, a year after the first claim over the issue was filed, lawyer Srdjan Aleksic told Sputnik.

The first lawsuit, over 20 years after the bombing, was filed in January 2021. Aleksic was working on material evidence to represent the interests of a Yugoslavian officer with cancer because of the airstrikes.

“On January 20, we are filing two new lawsuits in Belgrade from two victims and we hope that then every month, we will file two or three more [lawsuits]. It takes time and money for the work of an expert in explosives and weapons and a medical examiner’s conclusion. It must be clearly proved that NATO carried out depleted uranium bombings where the plaintiffs were located. It also has to be proved that the plaintiffs’ cancer has been caused by radiation from NATO uranium,” Aleksic said.

NATO could have used conventional weapons; however, it chose to use depleted uranium on the territory of Serbia, the lawyer went on, which will have a detrimental effect on people for many years to come.

“This is a war crime and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization must compensate for damage to the Serbian citizens,” Aleksic said.

The lawyer added that last year’s claim was forwarded to NATO headquarters, but so far without acknowledgment of having been received. However, the Higher Court in Belgrade may pass a verdict to NATO even if the alliance does not take part in the proceedings under the Serbian legislation, Aleksic explained.

https://antibellum679354512.wordpress.com/2022/01/13/serbia-3000-to-sue-nato-over-depleted-uranium-bombing/

Acquiring Natural Immunity Intentionally Carries a 5-Year Sentence in Switzerland

Covid infection parties are becoming more popular in Switzerland, although authorities have confirmed that the practice is illegal.

Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) confirmed this week that intentionally contracting Covid-19 is illegal and leaves you liable to a prison sentence of up to five years.

Some vaccine-skeptic people in Switzerland go to great lengths to catch coronavirus so they can receive a Covid certificate after recovery.

They apparently advertise on social media looking for contaminated people who can transmit the virus to them.

The FOPH said that not only is the practice illegal, but it’s dangerous – both for the person contracting the virus and for others as purposefully getting Covid meant it was more likely to spread further.

“This contributes to accelerate the transmission of the virus and the gravity of the epidemic. People are taking risks (which endanger) their relatives and for society”,

While advocates of contracting the virus rather than being vaccinated argue that the immunity is stronger, doctors say this is not always the case due to the unpredictable nature of the virus.

Contracting the virus can also produce unpredictable side effects, which experts say are far more dangerous than the vaccine itself.

Claude-François Robert, a cantonal doctor in Neuchâtel, told Switzerland’s RTS he “strongly advised against self-infection. Nothing can be controlled with natural infection, we have a ten times higher risk of myocarditis by natural infection than by the vaccine. [Lie.]

“The vaccine is a safe product.”

https://anti-empire.com/acquiring-natural-immunity-intentionally-carries-a-5-year-sentence-in-switzerland/

SCOTUS VIPERS BETRAYED US AGAIN – TOM RENZ

https://rumble.com/vsjvh3-scotus-vipers-betrayed-us-again-tom-renz.html

Universities Received Millions in COVID Relief; Some are Still Imposing Delays, Remote Instruction

Campus Reform revisited the money universities received in 2020 through the CARES Act.

This legislation gave universities billions to help students directly and make campuses better equipped for the pandemic.

In 2020, the federal government gave American colleges and universities approximately $14 billion in relief through the CARES Act. As part of the $2.2 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package, the CARES Act allocation mandated that approximately half its funds be used for emergency student aid.

Now, nearly two years after President Donald Trump signed the CARES Act in March 2020, numerous institutions that received aid are delaying in-person learning due to the Omicron variant.

By Jan. 7, seven out of 10 University of California campuses announced “revisions to their winter quarter or winter semester plans.” Winter sessions precede the spring semester, which traditionally starts in mid-to-late January.

Those seven universities received nearly $224 million in CARES funds, according to the Department of Education website.

Though the CARES Act’s institutional use portion, according to the Internal Revenue Service, aimed to “support institutions as they cope with the immediate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including school closures,” recipient universities are now handling the Omicron spike in varied ways.

For example, the University of Washington, which received approximately $39.7 million in CARES funds, enabled its professors to choose remote instruction through Jan. 28. However, Washington State University, which received approximately $21.8 million, is conducting in-person classes for the entire spring semester.

https://www.activistpost.com/2022/01/universities-received-millions-in-covid-relief-some-are-still-imposing-delays-remote-instruction.html

Iraq war: Secret memo reveals Bush-Blair plans to topple Saddam Hussein

US president told British PM he 'didn't care' who replaced Saddam Hussein as pair plotted PR campaign to sell war a year before invasion

George W Bush told Tony Blair he did not know who would replace Saddam Hussein in Iraq when they toppled him and that he “did not much care”, according to an explosive top secret account of the meeting seen by Middle East Eye.

The former US president was blithe about the consequences of launching an invasion at a crucial meeting with the British prime minister at his Texas ranch in 2002, almost a year before the war was launched.

“He didn’t know who would take Saddam’s place if and when we toppled him. But he didn’t much care. He was working on the assumption that anyone would be an improvement,” the British memo, written by Blair's top foreign policy adviser at the time, reads.

Bush believed - but the memo says he would not say publicly - that a “moderate secular regime” in post-Saddam Iraq would have a favourable impact both on Saudi Arabia - a close US ally - and Iran.

He had said it was essential to ensure that acting against Saddam would enhance rather than diminish regional stability. Bush "had therefore reassured the Turks that there was no question of the break-up of Iraq and the emergence of a Kurdish state".

The memo also reveals how as early as April 2002, more than eight months before United Nations weapons inspectors went into Iraq, Blair was aware that they might have to “adjust their approach” should Saddam give them free rein.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iraq-war-bush-blair-secret-memo-reveal-plans-topple-saddam

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jul/06/mi6-stood-by-bogus-intelligence-until-after-iraq-invasion

The Report of the Iraq Inquiry

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20171123122743/http://www.iraqinquiry.org.uk/the-report/

Top EU official: I was previously pessimistic, but nuclear deal with Iran possible

Foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says final accord could be concluded ‘in coming weeks,’ but French FM warns talks progressing ‘much too slowly to be able to reach a result’

The European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Friday that a renewed deal with Iran on curtailing its nuclear program remained “possible” as talks in Vienna advance in a “better atmosphere.”

“We’re arriving at the end of a long process… there’s a better atmosphere since Christmas — before Christmas I was very pessimistic. Today I believe reaching an accord is possible,” he said after an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers.

He said a final deal could be concluded “in the coming weeks.”

“I still maintain the hope that it would be possible to remake this agreement and have it function as it did before the American withdrawal,” he added.

His comments came as Russia also said Friday it was cautiously optimistic over “progress” made at negotiations.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during a press conference he was “optimistic” about the direction of talks.

“There’s real progress. There’s real desire — primarily between Iran and the United States — to understand specific concerns and how these concerns can be considered in the general package” of documents, Lavrov said.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman echoed that sentiment earlier this week, saying that efforts by “all parties” to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers had resulted in “good progress” during the Vienna talks.

But Borrell spoke alongside French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who reiterated his view that the talks are progressing “much too slowly to be able to reach a result.”

https://www.timesofisrael.com/top-eu-official-i-was-previously-pessimistic-but-nuclear-deal-with-iran-possible/

Biden-Backed Solar Company Lied About Effectiveness of Solar Modules, Lawsuit Says

Biden gave First Solar $500 million loan last month

Investors are suing a Biden-backed solar energy company that received a $500 million federal loan last month, claiming the company lied to shareholders about the effectiveness and financial viability of its solar modules.

A Michigan municipal pension fund alleges that executives at First Solar, which is owned by Biden megadonor and Walmart heir Lukas Walton, made "false and misleading statements" to investors and failed to disclose that its solar module was "grossly underperforming and was unable to hit its wattage targets." Those claims and omissions, the fund alleges, artificially inflated the company's stock price in 2019 and led to investor losses.

The class-action suit comes after the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) granted First Solar a $500 million federal loan in December to build a module manufacturing facility in India as part of President Joe Biden's "Build Back Better World" initiative. The funding drew concerns from ethics watchdogs that questioned whether the company's political connections—including Walton's substantial donations in 2020 to Biden and the Democratic National Committee—played any role in the decision. The DFC has denied any political considerations.

First Solar and the DFC did not respond to requests for comment.

In the lawsuit filed last week, the Pontiac City General Employees Retirement System claimed that First Solar's CEO and other senior executives failed to disclose that the company's solar module technology was "not commercially ready at the time of its release, had a component that was failing in the field and causing fires, was not able to hit its projected and touted wattage targets, and had an inconsistent output—all of which put First Solar at a competitive disadvantage."

Lawyers for the plaintiffs said investors became aware of these inconsistencies after a series of reports by the financial analysis firm Barclays, which downgraded First Solar's stock rating in January 2020.

"Defendants made materially false and misleading statements and omissions, and engaged in a scheme to deceive the market. This artificially inflated the price of First Solar common stock and operated as a fraud or deceit on the [investors]," said the lawsuit. "Later, when Defendants' prior misrepresentations and fraudulent conduct were disclosed to the market, the price of First Solar stock fell precipitously as the prior artificial inflation came out of the price over time."

In 2020, First Solar paid $350 million to settle another shareholder lawsuit brought by two U.K. pension funds that claimed the company had made misleading financial statements that artificially inflated its stock price between 2008 and 2012.

https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/biden-backed-solar-company-lied-about-effectiveness-of-solar-modules-lawsuit-says/

Japan Risks Turning Into NATO Staging Ground Akin To Ukraine

The Japanese government, led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, has been militarizing the country since October last year in violation of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution. Article 9 states that “[Japan aspires] sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained.”

To achieve this goal, Japan never built up a serious military fitting of the country’s global importance, nor other means of war as the right to wage war is not recognized by the Constitution. Kishida continues the line of previous prime ministers and members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party though, who have violated the peace clause in the constitution in many ways.

Japan has long had a Self-Defense Force of 300,000 soldiers – that is more than the 240,000 active and reserve personnel of the French military (not including paramilitary forces) and the 231,000 active and reserve personnel of the British military. This is in addition to weapons that are comparable to many Western European armies. The Japanese Navy goes far beyond national waters, especially when we recall that a Japanese warship sailed off the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea recently, an issue that Japan is not a disputant of.

In a statement, Kishida acknowledged the possibility of missile strikes against military targets in neighbouring countries, but he did not specify whether he meant North Korea, China or Russia. By alluding to threats, without specifying what the exact threat is, the Kishida government is planning an unprecedented increase in defense spending in the 2022/2023 fiscal year. The Japanese defense budget, usually not exceeding 1% of the country’s GDP, will now double to rise to 2% of GDP. Scarily, this budget increase will be used to modify cruise missiles so that the range can reach neighbouring countries.

In the new year, Tokyo hosts the 4th QUAD Summit (USA, Australia, India and Japan). The QUAD organization can be seen as a precursor to an Indo-Pacific NATO aimed against China in particular, but potentially also against Russian interests in the region. It is for this reason that the Kishida government has particularly strengthened military ties with the US, Australia and India.

https://southfront.org/japan-risks-turning-into-nato-staging-ground-akin-to-ukraine/

Hackers Blocked Websites Of Ukrainian Ministries, Urging Ukrainians To “Prepare For The Worst”

Last night, official websites of the ministries of Ukraine were hacked. All the information on the websites disappeared, and a message was published urging Ukrainians to “prepare for the worst.”

The websites of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs were hacked, and the portals of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Ministry of Sports, the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Ecology, the Ministry of Energy were blocked and could not be opened.

An appeal appeared on the websites claiming that all personal data of citizens was “uploaded to the network”, and the information on the computer is destroyed and cannot be restored.

“All information about you has become public, be afraid and wait for the worst. This is for your past, present and future. For Volhynia, for the OUN UPA, for Galicia, for Polesie and for historical lands,” the message reads.

The message was published in three languages: Ukrainian, Russian and Polish.

Some local media reported that photos of naked women were published on the main page of the Ministry of Education and Science website.

The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine later said that the agency’s website was subjected to a “global attack” and was temporarily disabled. The ministry claimed that the repair work was underway and “cyber police are working.”

According to the special communication service, no personal data was leaked as a result of the attack, the work of most websites has already been restored.

Earlier, in 2017, the website of the Ministry of Education and Science was subjected to another hacker attack. Then the agency, after restoring access to the system, reported that the data on the main page had been changed, and the resource temporarily did not work.

https://southfront.org/hackers-blocked-websites-of-ukrainian-ministries-urging-ukrainians-to-prepare-for-the-worst/

https://twitter.com/RaheemKassam/status/1482060270247849997

Over 1 530 firearms taken off the streets in Europol-coordinated operation

A total of 1 534 firearms have been seized in an international law enforcement operation targeting the illegal trade of converted alarm and gas weapons. These blank firing pistols have become a weapon of choice for criminals as they can easily be converted to discharge live ammunition. Such a firearm is believed to have been used to kill the Dutch crime reporter shot in Amsterdam in July of last year.

This operation, known as Conversus, was led by the Romanian National Police (Poliția Română) in the framework of the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT). It focused around an action week coordinated by Europol between 13-17 December 2021 and involved law enforcement from 24 countries, alongside Eurojust and the European Commission.

Results

House searches conducted: over 260

Gas/alarm pistols seized: 1 534

Ammunition seized: 17 464 pieces

Pyrotechnics seized: 6 550 kg

Intelligence-led action

Until recently, most of the blank firing weapons seized in Europe were imported into the EU from Turkey. The Turkish authorities have since changed their legislation to address this threat. Once in the EU, these weapons are typically purchased for a low price from legal markets, before being illegally trafficked to other countries where a permit is required to acquire, import and possess such a firearm.

The action week was preceded by operational upstream work earlier in the year to identify the buyers and dealers involved in this illegal trade. The Romanian National Police, together with its Bulgarian and North Macedonian counterparts, collected data on the sellers which was then analysed by Europol to pin down buyers and suspicious transactions.

The following countries took part in this coordinated action: Romania, Bulgaria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Finland, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Switzerland, Norway, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine and Kosovo*

• This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/99 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

Eurojust stands ready to support national authorities with the cross-border judicial cooperation, at their request.

https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/over-1-530-firearms-taken-streets-in-europol-coordinated-operation

Former Acting Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Defraud the U.S. Government

Charges Involve Theft of Proprietary Software

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-acting-inspector-general-us-department-homeland-security-pleads-guilty-scheme-defraud

Former Treasurer of Perry County Agricultural Society Pleads Guilty to Fraud

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdil/pr/former-treasurer-perry-county-agricultural-society-pleads-guilty-fraud

Banker sentenced for obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent loans

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdga/pr/banker-sentenced-obtaining-hundreds-thousands-dollars-fraudulent-loans

Multi-Count Federal Indictment Returned for Labor Trafficking Violations

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/pr/multi-count-federal-indictment-returned-labor-trafficking-violations

Former DoD OIG Official Sentenced for Accepting Bribes and Defrauding the United States

https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/former-dod-oig-official-sentenced-accepting-bribes-and-defrauding-united-states

Mandatory Vaccines for Truckers entering Canada is back on–starting Sunday!!

A day after the Canadian Border Services Agency said an incoming vaccine mandate for truck drivers crossing from the United States would not be going into effect this week, the federal government said the reversal was all a mistake.

The CBSA’s comment to The Canadian Press, which created much confusion within the trucking industry, “was provided in error,” said a joint statement released late Thursday afternoon by three federal cabinet ministers.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino did not provide an explanation on how the mistake was made.

On Wednesday evening, the CBSA spokesperson said Canadian truck drivers would not have to quarantine if they are unvaccinated or had received only one dose.

But the ministers said beginning Saturday, Canadian truckers must be vaccinated if they want to avoid quarantine and molecular tests. Unvaccinated American big-riggers will be turned back at the border.

The United States is preparing to impose similar restrictions on Canadian truckers, expected to take effect on Jan. 22.

“Our teams have been in touch with industry representatives to ensure they have the correct information,” the ministers’ statement said.

Business groups have spent months vocalizing concerns about the vaccine requirement for truck drivers, noting it could slow down cross-border trade and drive up the cost of goods.

Canadian Trucking Alliance president Stephen Laskowski said in an interview that the alliance was made aware Wednesday of the CBSA’s comments, which created confusion because the position was a “fundamental deviation” from what the alliance had been told previously.

The alliance has warned of a significant driver shortage, with a survey it conducted suggesting that 10 per cent to 15 per cent of the 120,000 Canadian drivers crossing the border could leave the industry when the vaccine mandate is introduced.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-vaccine-mandate-truckers-cross-border-ottwawa-cbsa/

Schrödinger's Bat:

COVID vaccine mandates are necessary because the protected need to be

protected from the unprotected by forcing the unprotected to use the

protection that didn't protect the protected.

World Council for Health Reveals Spike Protein Detox

If you had COVID-19 or received a COVID-19 injection, you may have dangerous spike proteins circulating in your body

Spike proteins can circulate in your body after infection or injection, causing damage to cells, tissues and organs

The World Council for Health has released a spike protein detox guide, which provides straightforward steps you can take to potentially lessen the effects of toxic spike protein in your body

Spike protein inhibitors and neutralizers include pine needles, ivermectin, neem, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and glutathione

The top 10 spike protein detox essentials include vitamin D, vitamin C, nigella seed, quercetin, zinc, curcumin, milk thistle extract, NAC, ivermectin and magnesium

https://truthbasedmedia.com/2021/12/22/world-council-for-health-reveals-spike-protein-detox/

North Korea Threatens Biden then Launches Two More Ballistic Missiles for Third Time This Month – Biden Goes Silent

North Korea today launched two more missiles for the third time this month and threatens Biden with a response due to sanctions. Biden goes silent.

American Military News reported:

North Korea test-fired two more ballistic missiles for the third time this month on Friday just hours after threatening the United States with a “stronger and certain reaction” to sanctions.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command confirmed North Korea’s launch in a statement on Friday, saying, “We are aware of the ballistic missile launch and are consulting closely with our allies and partners. While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies, the missile launch highlights the destabilizing impact of the DPRK’s illicit weapons program. The U.S. commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remains ironclad.”

According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, the South Korean military “detected two projectiles believed to be short-range ballistic missiles” that North Korea fired towards the East Sea from Uiju, North Pyonganbuk-do, ABC News reported.

The launch came just hours after a North Korean foreign ministry spokesperson expressed anger over sanctions implemented by the U.S. this week. On Wednesday, the U.S. State Department sanctioned eight individuals and entities linked to North Korea’s weapons programs. The U.S. also suggested that the U.N. Security Council impose new sanctions on North Korea.

“The U.S. is intentionally escalating the situation even with the activation of independent sanctions, not content with referring the D.P.R.K.’s just activity to the U.N. Security Council,” the North Korean foreign ministry said in a statement, according to the New York Times. “If the U.S. adopts such a confrontational stance, the D.P.R.K. will be forced to take stronger and certain reaction to it.”

Cheong Seong-Change from South Korea’s Sejong Institute said Friday’s launches reflected North Korea’s irritation with U.S. sanctions.

The Biden Administration has not responded to these actions by the North Koreans. It’s as if Biden doesn’t know what to do or is too scared to do it. Biden has been silent to actions by China, Russia, North Korea and Iran in the past few weeks.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/01/north-korea-threatens-biden-launches-two-ballistic-missiles-third-time-month-biden-goes-silent/

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/01/north-korea-threatens-biden-launches-two-ballistic-missiles-third-time-month-biden-goes-silent/

Russian father who was suspected of stabbing paedophile friend to death after discovering he had raped his daughter, six, will NOT be charged with murder

Vyacheslav Matrosov, 34, attacked his former friend Oleg Sviridov, 32, last year

Matrosov attacked Sviridov after learning he had sexually abused his daughter

Matrosov killed the paedophile after seeing graphic evidence on friend's phone

The former rocket factory engineer will not be convicted for Sviridov's murder

But he now faces prosecution for inciting Sviridov to commit suicide

Sviridov's body was found in a shallow grave he appeared to have dug himself

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10403131/Father-34-attacked-best-friend-sexually-abused-daughter-NOT-face-murder-charge.html

Deliberate release - masonic floor - mockery - controlled narrative

>>15374686

Puerto Rico Mandates COVID-19 Booster Shots for Students Over Age 12

Students aged 12 and older are required to get a COVID-19 booster shot in Puerto Rico as the governor of the island nation announced a string of new measures on Thursday targeting public schools, the entertainment sector, and tourism.

Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, a Democrat, stressed in a series of posts on social media that every eligible Puerto Rican “should get their booster as soon as possible.”

Pierluisi underscored that the deadline for students to get the jab is Feb. 15, adding that these shots will be a requirement to follow face-to-face classes.

“This includes college and technical degree students,” he said. “Students who for any medical or religious reason do not get the booster dose will be required to have a qualified viral test, including antigen testing, every seven days.”

https://www.ntd.com/puerto-rico-mandates-covid-19-booster-shots-for-students-over-age-12_727368.html

>>15374733