https://english.almayadeen.net/news/miscellaneous/evacuation-order-to-2mln-in-southwestern-japan-over-powerful

Evacuation order to 2mln in southwestern Japan over powerful typhoon

As typhoon Nanmadol approaches the Japanese island of Kyushu, about 1,962,000 people in more than 965,000 households have been told to evacuate, according to Japanese broadcaster NHK.

The fourth of five possible threat levels is an evacuation order, which indicates advice to move to a safe location while evacuation is still possible. The fifth and highest level indicates the urgency to preserve life.

Nearly 68,000 people in the cities of Izumi and Nishinoomote in Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyushu are on level 5 alert.

The typhoon is currently located south of the island of Kyushu and is traveling northwest. In the core of the storm, wind speeds reach 50 meters per second (111 miles per hour), with gusts reaching 70.

In Kagoshima Prefecture, wind gusts of up to 42 meters per second have already been recorded. Experts warn that waves at sea can reach 14 meters in height. Floods and landslides are also severe hazards, according to meteorologists.

As a result of the storm, 510 flights were canceled, while ferries and high-speed trains were suspended in several areas. In addition, more than 22,000 houses in the zone of the typhoon were left without electricity.

Last month, over 72,000 people in Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, were ordered to evacuate the area as Typhoon Meari approached, amid fears of heavy rainfall, mudslides, and flooding, according to the Kyodo news agency.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/economics/sweden-not-well-prepared-for-power-shortages-official

Sweden not well prepared for power shortages – Official

Heading into a winter of crisis in terms of energy rationing, Sweden lacks preparedness for possible power cuts, Jan-Olof Olsson, the head of supply preparedness at the Swedish civil contingencies agency MSB said.

"Unfortunately, preparedness is generally very poor. Back in 2011, we identified 50,000 socially important businesses in Sweden that depended on power supply," Olsson told public broadcaster SVT.

Power rationing could have an impact on traffic lights, trams, communications, and heating, in addition to properties' electronic locks, the broadcaster said.

The Swedish statistics agency revealed that power costs were up 29% in August. Energy prices have been driving other costs of living upwards, also leading food prices to rise for nine months in a row.

The EU has been preparing for a gas shortage this winter. On a proposal from the European Commission, European energy ministers had approved a 15% reduction in their gas consumption between August 1 and March 31, compared to their average consumption over the same period in the past five years.

Sweden, which has the highest gasoline prices in Europe, announced a temporary tax decrease in March as part of a $1.5 billion package of measures.

Sweden can provide 2,400 megawatts, but the country is also facing potential shortages and has already resorted to oil backup plants.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen proposed on Wednesday that the bloc's 27 nations agree on placing a price cap on Russian gas imports.

Von der Leyen's decision comes as a means of imposing further sanctions on Russia as the West looks for more means of punishing the country over the Ukraine war.

Capping prices, as some Western countries are considering, "would be an absolutely stupid decision," Putin told the Eastern Economic Forum in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok.

The G7 industrialized nations pledged last week to work quickly to establish a price cap on Russian oil imports in order to cut off a key source of funding for Moscow's military activity in Ukraine.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/inflation-sparks-protests-in-austria

Inflation sparks protests in Austria

Thousands of Austrians took to the streets on Saturday, enraged by the government's inaction in addressing rising living costs.

The Austrian trade union federation OeGB organized the nationwide protest to put pressure on the conservative-Green coalition, which it accused of "watching idly as our lives become unaffordable."

20,000 Austrians attended a "Prices Down" rally in downtown Vienna, as per OeGB. Meanwhile, the city police department refused to share their estimates.

In Linz, Bruck a der Mur, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt St. Polten, Eisenstadt, and Bregenz, another 10,000 people demonstrated.

Unionists accused the big businesses of taking advantage of private consumers who are struggling to pay skyrocketing energy, heating, as well as food bills.

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen claimed that his position did not allow him to attend the rally, expressing solidarity with the protesters.

"This solidarity should not only be felt in the heart but, above all, in the wallet of those who are wondering how to pay for their shopping at the end of the month," he posted on social media.

In his account, Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig stated that the skyrocketing rise in prices is a major challenge for a large portion of the population, voicing his support for the unionists' demand for pay raises.

Statistics Austria, an Austrian federal agency, said on Friday that inflation remained above the high level of 9% in August.

In August, inflation was 9.3 percent, 0.1 percentage points lower than the revised July rate of 9.4 percent. However, despite government anti-inflationary policies, energy and food prices have continued to rise, according to Statistics Austria.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the US and the EU have multiplied punitive measures to isolate Russia by targeting its banking system and freezing the assets of its leaders and its industries.

Many of the consequences, such as higher gas, electricity, and food prices, have already occurred or will occur. Meanwhile, western citizens are bearing the brunt of the sanctions on Russia, as gas prices are rising in a suffocating manner.

>>17538080

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/when-zelensky-entourage-depicts-nazism-photos-vanish-into-th

When Zelensky entourage depicts Nazism, photos vanish into thin air

The presidential office of Ukraine has changed the images published during Vladimir Zelensky's visit to the town of Izium in the country's east. All outlets have silently removed a photo of one of Zelensky's armed guards sporting an SS-style patch.

The image, which was first shared on the presidential website, Telegram, and other social media platforms, depicted a soldier holding a stylized skull and crossbones emblem similar to that used by the 3rd SS Panzer Division 'Totenkopf'.

The insignia, commonly viewed as a hate symbol, is popular among neo-Nazis.

The patch appeared to be a contemporary, "tactical" version of the emblem, with the skull wearing a ballistic helmet and using headphones. The helmet, however, looks to bear the skeleton key symbol, which is the insignia of the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler.

However, the apparent attempt at damage control was only partially effective. The patch may still be seen in part on another shot on one of Zelensky's social media pages.

Ukrainian officials have frequently denied the presence of neo-Nazis in the country's military, calling such claims "Russian propaganda". Despite this, Ukrainian soldiers wearing various neo-Nazi emblems have been shown in official images published by the country's authorities on numerous occasions.

Zelensky shared this image on Instagram in late August showing a Ukrainian soldier donning the patch of the SS's 14th Waffen Grenadier Division, commonly known as the 1st Galician Division. The battalion, which was mostly made up of Ukrainian volunteers from the Galicia region, is well known for perpetrating war crimes and slaughtering Polish citizens during WWII.

The President's office posted a photo of a Ukrainian artilleryman wearing an original 'Totenkopf' patch earlier this year. Ironically, the shot was included in a collection of images commemorating WWII Victory Day and was also posted by the country's Defense Ministry.

Zelensky’s office, in addition to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, released a photo of a Ukrainian troop in May, heavily armed, wearing a ‘death head’ patch on his chest. Russia, in response, highlighted the influence that extremist groups have on Ukraine.

Kiev’s army has openly neo-Nazi battalions operating on the battlefronts against Russia, holding neo-Nazi symbols out in the open, raising questions about Europe’s commitment and claims of combatting Nazism.

The Aidar Battalion’s motto is inspired by the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler's dictatorship state from the 1930s through the 1940s. In 2014, Amnesty International released a report exposing the human rights abuses of the Aidar Battalion, whose actions amount to war crimes, particularly in the Lug\ansk region where the group has carried out abductions, unlawful detention, ill-treatment, theft, extortion, and possible executions.

In March, the National Guard of Ukraine's Twitter account released a video, boasting about Azov fighters greasing their bullets with lard to be used against Muslim Chechens on the Russian side. The Azov battalion is a part of the Ukrainian National Guard - a wing of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, which flaunts its Nazism very openly.

The video came as a direct threat to Muslims who hold the Islamic beliefs that pig is prohibited for their consumption, and that it's an impure substance.

The Tweet captioned, "Azov fighters of the National Guard greased the bullets with lard against the Kadyrov orcs," referring to Ramzan Kadyrov, who is the president of the Chechen republic.

The United States and Canada over the years have aided the neo-Nazi units with weapons and training, strengthening their presence in Ukraine.

>> Nice nail polish despite how hard it is to live in Ukraine because of the war.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-house-speaker-pelosi-arrives-in-armenia:-embassy

US House Speaker Pelosi arrives in Armenia: Embassy

US House Speaker Pelosi arrived in Yerevan on Saturday for her first visit to the Caucasian country, as per the US embassy.

"U.S. Congressional Delegation led by Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi arrived in Yerevan for her first visit to Armenia. Welcome Madam Speaker!" the diplomatic mission said.

The embassy released photos of the senior Democrat getting out of a plane with House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone and Representatives Anna Eshoo and Jackie Speier.

It is reported that Pelosi will meet with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan, and other senior officials to discuss bilateral relations as well as the region's current security situation, which has seen a spike in violence this week.

This comes just a few days after a ceasefire was reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani Haqqn news portal, which cited sources, revealed that Yerevan and Baku agreed to a truce at 05:00 GMT.

Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a 22-day war over the mountainous region in the fall of 2020. It ended in a Russia-brokered peace deal that saw the Armenian-dominated self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh cede parts of Nagorno-Karabakh under its control to Azerbaijan.

The two countries agreed to a complete ceasefire and exchange of prisoners, while Russia deployed peacekeepers to the region.

However, clashes erupt every now and then between both sides despite the Russian-backed ceasefire agreement. Last month, tensions erupted over Nagorno-Karabakh as three soldiers were killed and Azerbaijan said it had taken control of several strategic heights in the disputed region.

The US will seek an immediate end to fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed in calls with leaders of the two countries amid renewed shelling on the border.

According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, it would be a "good thing" if Russia could utilize its clout in the area to end hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

In the same context, Iran has expressed its readiness to help settle the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It is calling for restraint and resolution of disagreements through peaceful means and based on international law, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israeli-pm-to-meet-erdogan-on-sidelines-of-un-general-assemb

Israeli PM to meet Erdogan on sidelines of UN General Assembly

Following years of strained relations between Turkey and the Israeli occupation, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, as per Lapid's office.

Lapid will also meet with UK Foreign Secretary Liam Fox, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, as well as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Lapid's office added.

Turkey ignores Palestine, bolsters ties with 'Israel'

Relations between Turkey and “Israel” deteriorated due to the occupation’s policies toward Palestinians, according to Turkey, culminating in the withdrawal of both countries' ambassadors in 2018.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was considered by some a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause.

However, he has been lately reaching out to “Israel”, aiming to repair relations as Turkey's official inflation rate was at a 20-year-high in April, which posed a significant challenge to Erdogan's government.

It is worth noting that the talks between Erdogan and his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog took place amid a widespread Israeli crackdown on Palestinians during the holy month of Ramadan.

Many of Turkey's social issues, economists contend, are the result of Erdogan's unusual economic policy, which has pushed many foreign investors away from the once-promising growing market.

Erdogan decided to open his country's doors to the Israeli occupation to quench Turkey’s thirst for investors, turning a blind eye to the ongoing murder of Palestinians and the endless violations of human rights.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/thousands-of-french-protestors-demand-withdrawal-from-nato-a

Thousands of French protestors demand withdrawal from NATO and EU

Several thousand protestors gathered on Paris' Palais-Royal Square on Saturday after the right-wing Patriots party called for the resignation of French President Emmanuel Macron, according to a Sputnik correspondent.

The Patriots once again called for protests after the initial demonstrations that took place on September 3rd. The protesters want Macron to leave office and withdraw from both NATO and the EU.

With only 40% of the French population in favor of the anti-Russian sanctions, the most recent Elabe poll revealed that support for anti-Russian sanctions is on the decline across France. The poll showed that 32% of French people believed that anti-Russia sanctions must be restricted to diminish their effect on the livelihoods of the French people. However, a staggering 27%, more than half of those who support sanctions against Russia, have stated that they are against economic sanctions altogether.

Since 2021, energy costs, across the EU, have been rising as part of a global trend. Fuel costs have skyrocketed since the start of the war in Ukraine and the adoption of various multiple sanction packages against Moscow by the West, prompting several European countries to take emergency measures.

Divided opinions

With the increase in demand for power, a number of nations have declared a desire to build nuclear infrastructure, including China, which already possesses the most reactors, the Czech Republic, India, and Poland since nuclear energy provides an alternative to coal.

Similar goals are shared by the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and even the United States, where President Joe Biden's investment plan promotes the growth of the sector.

Due to the possibility of catastrophic accidents and the ongoing debate over how to adequately dispose of radioactive waste, IPCC experts acknowledge that the use of nuclear energy "can be constrained by societal preferences."

Some countries, like New Zealand, oppose nuclear, and the issue has also been hotly debated in the European Union over whether it should be listed as "green" energy.

>>17538159

At first glance, I thought the logo had Hunter Biden meme in it. But then I noticed there is no sunglasses and no red scarf.

>>17538173

Dasting

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/nato-planned-blocs-expansion-near-russias-borders-years-ago

NATO planned bloc’s expansion near Russia's borders years ago

The head of NATO's Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, stated on Saturday that NATO began planning its expansion near Russia's borders several years ago.

Earlier on Saturday, the NATO Military Committee met in Estonia, where Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Christopher Cavoli outlined to NATO member countries his strategic considerations for NATO's efforts on the eastern flank, among other things.

"We’re talking about the biggest overhaul of our military structures since 1949. The planning for that started several years ago, but now we’re implementing it," Bauer said at a press conference.

NATO leaders agreed on a plan for a significant build-up of the alliance's forces at the end of June, on the eastern flank by 2023, amid Russia's military operation in Ukraine.

The alliance revealed plans to increase the number of prepared forces on the eastern flank to more than 300,000 soldiers in the near future. In addition, it intends to increase the composition of combat groups to the brigade level.

Moreover, NATO countries pledged to increase defense spending.

NATO is closely collaborating with the defense sector to restock its arsenal, which has been depleted as a result of the supply of armaments to Ukraine by the bloc, according to the NATO Secretary-General.

"NATO is working closely with defense industry in order to replenish stocks for the military equipment the allies have sent to Ukraine," Stoltenberg said on the sidelines of a forum organized by US magazine Foreign Policy, adding that NATO countries were also asking defense companies to ramp up their production.

The Secretary-General added that the need for additional help for Ukraine was still urgent, and it was crucial to make sure that the bloc had adequate weapons and other equipment to stockpile and support Kiev militarily.

Germany, one of the NATO countries actively selling weapons to Ukraine, hit its cap on arms supplies to Kiev last week, according to German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/macrons-party-officially-changes-name-to-renaissance

Macron's party officially changes name to Renaissance

On the evening of the first round of the presidential election, French President Emmanuel Macron decided to change the name of his party to Renaissance, according to french media.

On September 16 and 17, Macron called on his supporters to get down to practical work and "refound" La République en Marche (LRM).

It is unclear how many of his supporters voted, but the President thanked "all those who, for six years and until this evening, committed themselves to work alongside me to transcend their differences, to come together in a great political movement."

After two days of voting by members on the new statutes and the new leadership, the leading political party will officially be renamed Renaissance on Sunday evening.

The results will be unveiled at a founding party congress, where Renaissance's leader, Stéphane Séjourné, will deliver a speech.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne wants a party that is “open, transgressive, innovative."

Stanislas Guerini, the outgoing Secretary-General, defines Renaissance as “the party that defends freedoms, all freedoms."

Stéphane Séjourné speaks of “radical reformism” in what may sound like an oxymoron.

The four pillars are ecology, where the Secretary-General said, "We are the only green party in government," work, with Elisabeth Borne saying, "We are proud to make it a cardinal value," equal opportunities, and the fight against discrimination and finally sovereignty “which goes through Europe," added the Prime Minister.

However, within a short time span, the President had to lower his ambitions.

The desire to found a single unifying party has been reduced to a merger between LRM and only two small satellite parties: the center-left Territoires de Progrès led by Labor Minister Olivier Dussopt and center-right Agir led by Franck Riester, the minister of relations with Parliament.

La République en Marche's two allies, François Bayrou's centrist MoDem and Edouard Philippe's center-right Horizons, are reluctant to lose their autonomy.

En Commun, the majority's environmentalists branch led by the former environment minister Barbara Pompili and former MP Hugues Renson, does not intend to merge either.

Renaissance is a political project put together by Séjourné, in conjunction with the Elysée, and is intended to prepare the best process for designating a successor to Emmanuel Macron in 2027, when he reaches the end of his second term.

Some important political figures who have long been disinterested in LRM have decided to step in.

While Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin will be responsible for training party members, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire will be in charge of ideas.