Chinese air force alarms Taiwan with massive flyby

Taiwan scrambled its own jets and activated air defenses

Taiwanese military scrambled fighter jets and prepared air defense missile systems after a group of 39 Chinese planes, including a bomber, were allegedly spotted entering its Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense claimed that dozens of Chinese planes had crossed its southwest ADIZ, prompting the island to activate its military resources “to monitor” their activities.

The planes allegedly included dozens of J-10 and J-16 fighter jets, and a Xian H-6 bomber, as well as several Y-8 and Y-9 military transport aircraft.

https://www.rt.com/news/546903-china-taiwan-jets-flyby/

FBI raids Covid testing company in fraud probe

The Center for Covid Control is accused of providing ‘deceptive’ test results

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted a search of a Covid-19 testing company which has been accused of providing “inaccurate and deceptive” results and enriching its owners.

The Illinois headquarters of the Center for Covid Control – which has received more than $124 million from the US government for its Doctors Clinical Lab – was searched by federal agents on Saturday just days after the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit accusing the company of providing bogus test results.

FBI Chicago spokesperson Siobhan Johnson told USA Today that the Bureau “was conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity” at the company’s HQ in Rolling Meadows, while a spokesperson for the Illinois Attorney General’s Office told the newspaper that it was “absolutely committed to protecting residents from those who attempt to profit off of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.”

https://www.rt.com/news/546904-fbi-raids-covid-testing-company/

Multiple Explosions Sound Off in Abu Dhabi Amid Air Defense Activity

Three individuals were killed in Abu Dhabi last week after the Houthi faction launched a series of hostile attacks using cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and drones targeting an Emirati oil facility near the Al-Dhafra Air Base. The attack saw the first use of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system. Not all rockets were intercepted.

Air defense systems in the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi were activated after again detecting incoming hostile projectiles early Monday morning.

Reported footage from the scene showed air defense systems intercepting enemy targets.

https://sputniknews.com/20220124/sirens-sound-off-in-abu-dhabi-amid-reports-of-explosions-air-defense-activity-1092473400.html

Duma Deputy Chair Insists Gold-Backed Stablecoins & Crypto-Mining Be Allowed In Russia 'To Circumvent Sanctions'

First there was Tether; the controversial dollar-backed cryptocurrency that so many of the US establishment are fearmongering about. Then the Chinese launched a gold-backed, yuan-denominated oil futures contract. After that came Petro, the industry's first oil-backed crypto issued by the Venezuelan government. And now we might be about to see the first gold-backed cryptocurrency - by a central bank, no less.

As Putin advisor Sergey Glazyev has said in the past, "the ruble is the most gold-backed currency in the world," and judging by reports from the RIA Novosti news agency tonight, the days of a digital, gold-backed-Ruble could be getting closer.

But first, some background of just how Russia's dollar-gold-crypto thinking has evolved over the past few years…

In May 2018, Russia began to accelerate its de-dollarization strategy by dumping a record amount of US Treasuries from its reserves.

Also in May 2018, the Central Bank of Russia released a report May 30, stating that crypto assets do not currently threaten global financial stability as the global volume of crypto transactions is very low.

According to the report, crypto assets do not pose a risk to global financial stability, because at present the volume of crypto asset transactions is very low compared to the scale of the global financial system. The relation of this segment to the financial system is insignificant, according to the report.

But, the paper states that crypto assets could constitute a risk to financial stability in the case of further market growth, large-scale involvement of retail and institutional investors, banks, and other market players. According the the central bank’s report, the high price volatility of crypto assets prevents them from being a reliable standard of value, means of exchange, and store of value.

In June 2018, Russia announced plans to double its gold-mining production.

While Russia is currently the world's third biggest gold miner after Australia and China, that could change in less than a decade, according to Mikhail Leskov, deputy CEO at the Moscow-based Institute of Geotechnology, as quoted by Vedomosti. This would make Russia the world's second largest producer of the precious metal.

In March 2021, the Russian Finance Ministry gave the green light for the Russian National Wealth fund to diversify and invest in gold and other precious metals.

According to a report by RT, this is part of a broader move to de-dollarize the wealth fund.

https://www.zerohedge.com/crypto/duma-deputy-chair-insists-gold-backed-stablecoins-crypto-mining-allowed-russia-circumvent

Iran regains UN voting rights

South Korea used Tehran’s own frozen assets to pay off its debt to the global organization

Majid Takht Ravanchi, Iran’s ambassador and permanent representative to the UN, confirmed on Sunday that Iran has earned back its voting rights after its membership fees were paid.

The suspended voting rights should be back in place on Monday. The $18 million that was paid for by South Korea with Iranian assets, frozen due to US sanctions. There is currently over $7 billion in Iranian oil shipment payments frozen in two South Korean banks, according to AFP.

Seoul’s finance ministry also announced the payment had been in a Sunday statement following Tehran requesting last week that the frozen funds be used to cover the membership costs.

Iran’s voting rights had been suspended earlier this month, along with multiple other countries, over unpaid membership dues. Iran has cited US sanctions as making it difficult to keep up with UN payments, even having their voting rights suspended last year. Iran has said the money in South Korea is being held “hostage,” while Seoul would not confirm how much of the $7 billion remains after this week’s UN payment.

https://www.rt.com/news/546900-iran-united-nations-voting-rights/

Schweizer: Biden, Family Have Received ‘Some $31 Million’ from Individuals Linked to ‘Highest Levels of Chinese Intelligence’

Breitbart News senior contributor Peter Schweizer on Sunday revealed how the Biden family have profited from business with individuals “linked to the highest levels of Chinese intelligence.”

Schweizer, the author of Red-Handed: How American Elites Get Rich Helping China Win, said Biden’s son Hunter, while the elder Biden was serving as both vice president and president, was engaged in deals with individuals tied to the highest levels of Chinese intelligence. He called the Biden family’s business dealings “unprecedented.”

“One of the most startling things we uncovered is the simple fact that the Biden family, while he was vice president of the United States and continuing when he became president, received some $31 million from Chinese individuals who are linked to the highest levels of Chinese intelligence,” Schweizer outlined on Fox News Channel’s Life, Liberty & Levin.

He continued, “And these deals, which we lay out in the book, were carried out by a couple of individuals. One is a guy named Che Feng. Hunter Biden, in the Hunter Biden emails, refers to him as the Super Chairman. That’s kind of his nickname for him, and he says in one email, ‘I don’t believe in the lottery anymore, but I believe in the Super Chairman.'”

“His business partner was the vice minister at the ministry for state security,” Schweizer added. “He was in charge of, among other things, recruiting foreign nationals to spy for China. He was the head of something called the Number Eight Bureau. It doesn’t get any higher than that. These are the sorts of individuals that were striking deals with Hunter Biden. In this particular case, Che Feng happened to help a $20 million deal be secured. Another individual that helped arrange that deal is a guy named Mr. Zhao. Mr. Zhao helped with that $20 million deal. He also sent $5 million to Hunter Biden, and he sent that money from a very interesting business called Harvest Global.”

According to Schweizer, Jiao’s business partner is “the daughter of the former head of the ministry of state security.”

“This is the guy who runs the entire spy apparatus for China,” Schweizer emphasized. “Again, it does not get any higher than that.”

“And for the life of me, Mark, this is unprecedented,” he added. “I don’t know of a time in American history where the American first family has had this kind of a financial bond with a foreign intelligence service, particularly a foreign intelligence service that wants to defeat the United States in global competition.”

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/01/23/schweizer-biden-family-have-received-31-million-from-individuals-linked-to-chinese-intelligence/

FALLING APART: Latest Health Data From Scotland Mirrors the UK – Unvaccinated Have Lower Covid-19 Case, Hospitalization, AND DEATH RATES Than the ‘Fully Vaxxed’

The latest public health data published by the Scottish Government reveals that the COVID-19 “age-standardized case rate” is at its highest among the double-jabbed ‘fully vaccinated’ – and it isn’t particularly close.

The update also showed the sharp negative efficiency was maintained throughout double vaccinated rates for hospitalizations and deaths over the past four weeks.

And just like in the UK, the group who has fared the best when it comes to avoiding the Wu-flu over the past four weeks has been the unvaccinated.

So much for the US public health regime’s bogus claim that, despite not preventing transmission, vaccines are “incredibly safe” and “protect against severe illness and death.”

What else are they hiding?

According to Table 14 of this week’s “Public Health Scotland COVID-19 & Winter Statistical Report,” which shows the rate of infection over the past 4 weeks, the double/triple vaxxed are more likely to catch the virus, checking in at a rate of 865.79 per 100,000 and 481.49 per 100,000, respectively.

In comparison, the unjabbed case rate is just 412.77 per 100,000.

From PHS Table 14:

As for the hospitalizations and deaths among the vaccinated, the data isn’t much better.

What the PHS report makes clear is that the twice-jabbed are experiencing a higher rate of severe illness than anyone else, and, concerningly, the difference has only been getting worse as time continues.

From PHS table 15 (rate of hospitalizations):

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/01/falling-apart-latest-health-data-scotland-mirrors-uk-unvaccinated-lower-covid-19-case-hospitalization-death-rates-fully-vaxxed/

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/01/falling-apart-latest-health-data-scotland-mirrors-uk-unvaccinated-lower-covid-19-case-hospitalization-death-rates-fully-vaxxed/

Jacinda Ardern slammed over 'draconian' red light restrictions, decision to cancel her wedding as Omicron hits New Zealand

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's decision to move New Zealand into "red light" restrictions after a handful of people tested positive for Omicron has been met with mixed messages, with some arguing she's just "delaying the inevitable".

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Sunday revealed the entire country was moving to a red light coronavirus restriction after nine people tested positive for the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

The country is under a red traffic light setting, meaning strict capacity limits will apply to hospitality venues, events and gatherings.

While some supported Ms Ardern's decision, British commentator Piers Morgan took a swipe at her "draconian" new restrictions, claiming the people of New Zealand were trapped in a "perpetual pandemic prison camp".

"Given over 90% of New Zealand’s eligible population has had at least 2 doses of covid vaccine, and Omicron is indisputably a significantly less severe strain of the virus, I’m not sure why Jacinda Ardern is implementing draconian new restrictions & cancelling her wedding?" he tweeted on Monday.

"New Zealand is also trapped in a perpetual pandemic prison camp.

"Vaccines + much milder Omicron is the most likely way out of this. NZ has very high vaccination levels now so shouldn't continue with Ardern's unachievable zero COVID ambition."

Morgan's comments come after Ms Ardern revealed she had postponed her wedding - that was due in a couple of weeks' time - in light of the Omicron outbreak.

"I am no different to - dare I say it - thousands of other New Zealanders who have had much more devastating impacts from the pandemic," she told reporters on Sunday.

"The most gutting of which is the inability to be with a loved one sometimes when they’re gravely ill. That will far, far outstrip any sadness I experience."

https://www.skynews.com.au/world-news/jacinda-ardern-slammed-over-draconian-red-light-restrictions-decision-to-cancel-her-wedding-as-omicron-hits-new-zealand/news-story/860228cf52784fb9956b9a04ed149ec9

Six million Australians are now eligible for FREE rapid antigen tests - so are YOU one of them, and how do you get them?

Six million Australians eligible for free rapid antigen tests starting on Monday

Concession card holders can claim up to ten self-test kits over three months

Pharmacists are concerned chemists will struggle to meet 'extreme' demand

In a seperate scheme pupils and teachers in NSW will receive two free tests

Schools and early learning centres in Victoria to be delivered 6.6 million RATs

Six million Australians are officially eligible to receive free rapid antigen tests, however pharmacies are concerned over whether there will be any to give out.

Concession card holders will be able to claim up to 10 of the free self-test kits over a three-month period starting from Monday.

Pensioners, veterans and low-income earners will be able to access RATs for free and can claim a maximum of five tests per month.

However, pharmacies fear nationwide shortages will leave customers empty-handed amid surging demand for the devices.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10433211/Six-million-Aussies-officially-eligible-free-rapid-antigen-tests-despite-nationwide-shortages.html

US Venue Church pastor Tavner Smith caught ‘half-naked’ with employee

A Tennessee megachurch pastor is taking a sabbatical to “spend time with God” after he and a married parishioner were caught half-naked by shocked worshippers.

The US megachurch pastor at the centre of an adultery scandal has said he is taking a sabbatical to “spend time with God”, after he and a married parishioner were reportedly caught half naked by a group of church volunteers.

In an Instagram post, Pastor Tavner Smith announced he was taking time away from the Venue Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in order to “fill up, spend time with God, and get some counselling”.

Last November, the scandal-hit minister was surprised by a group of church volunteers at his home. When they arrived, they apparently found the pastor dressed only in his boxer shorts, with the unnamed female church employee wearing just a towel, The Sun reports.

Pastor Smith and the woman reportedly tried to avert suspicion by telling the group of volunteers they had been making chilli for hot dogs and had accidentally spilt some on their clothes, according to the Daily Beast.

However, the volunteers were apparently unconvinced, with one of them telling the outlet: “I don’t think none of us was that dumb.

https://www.news.com.au/world/north-america/us-venue-church-pastor-tavner-smith-caught-halfnaked-with-employee/news-story/23c9f2e6b6ae618bf44e5b2b16c32aef

Edo vigilante rescues 28 victims of human trafficking in Benin

BENIN – A team of local vigilantes in Benin City, the Edo State capital, has rescued 28 victims of human trafficking.

State coordinator, Edo State Community Vigilante Security Network, Oboh Emmanuel Otoide, disclosed this weekend in Benin while addressing journalists.

He said the victims, between the ages of 13 and 17 years, were rescued during a stop and search operation by his men.

He said, “The victims were rescued by our men around 2 a.m on Tuesday along Akpakpava Road in Benin City. Three suspects, including two drivers conveying the victims to their destinations were arrested during the operation and handed over to the Department of State Services for further investigations.

“Our preliminary investigations revealed that the victims were being moved from the South East, enroute Edo State, to the South West of the country.”

Oboh said in another operation, officials of the Edo State Community Vigilante Security Network arrested a man who robs people of their personal belongings while pretending to be insane.

“The man who identified himself as Olatunji was arrested around Baptist Church at Ring Road, Benin City and has been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force. Among the items recovered from the suspects include ATM cards belonging to victims of his criminal acts”, he said.

He said the Edo State Community Vigilante Security Network is working assiduously with other security agencies in the state to secure the state.

The coordinator urged residents to report criminal activities to Edo State Community Vigilante Security Network Central Base Control Room through 09153333340 or 09153333341.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/01/edo-vigilante-rescues-28-victims-of-human-trafficking-in-benin/