Russian gas mega project to China close to completion

Russian gas mega project to China close to completion (Source RT) Gazprom will soon complete its part of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline to China, the Russian company announced on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. The pipeline will be one of the world’s largest.

We have to weld 40 kilometers,” Gazprom Deputy Chairman of the Management Committee Vitaly Markelov.

Last week, on September 5, Gazprom reported that 2,000 kilometers of pipes were welded and laid from Yakutia, Russia to the Russian-Chinese border, which is 93 percent of its length. Gazprom and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) signed an agreement for gas to be supplied via the eastern route (the Power of Siberia gas pipeline) in 2014. The 30-year agreement provides for Russian gas deliveries to China at 38 billion cubic meters per year. Gas supplies will start in December 2019.

The construction was hardly easy for Gazprom, since the pipeline route passes through swampy, mountainous areas, with the extreme environmental conditions of Siberia. By building it, Gazprom intends not only to supply gas to China, but also contribute to the social and economic development of Russia’s Far East and gasification of the Russian regions.

 

America Could Soon Have a New Way to Start a Nuclear War

America Could Soon Have a New Way to Start a Nuclear War (Source The National Interest)

US Air Force weapons developers are working with industry to pursue early prototypes of a new air-launched, nuclear-armed cruise missile able to pinpoint targets with possible attacks from much farther ranges than bombers can typically attack. Service engineers and weapons architects are now working with industry partners on early concepts, configurations and prototypes for the weapon – which is slated to be operational by the end of the next decade – late 2020s. Many senior Pentagon and Air Force officials believe the emerging nuclear-armed Long Range Stand-Off weapon will enable strike forces to attack deep within enemy territory and help overcome high-tech challenges posed by emerging adversary air defenses.

The Air Force awarded two $900 million LRSO deals last year to both Raytheon and Lockheed Martin as a key step toward selecting one vendor for the next phase of the weapon’s development. Due to fast growing emerging threats, the Air Force now envisions an operational LRSO by the end of the 2020s – as opposed to prior thoughts they it may not be ready until the 2030s. While many details of the weapons progress are not available naturally for security reasons, Air Force officials tell Warrior Maven that plans to move into the Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase are on track for 2022. A cruise missile armed with nuclear weapons could, among many things, potentially hold targets at risk which might be inaccessible to even stealth bombers in some instances.

 

 

 

Russia joins forces with China in largest war games since Soviet era

Russia joins forces with China in largest war games since Soviet era (Source telegraph.co.uk)

Russia began its largest war games since the Cold War on Tuesday, drilling hundreds of thousands of troops alongside forces from its growing ally China.

With 300,000 soldiers, 36,000 vehicles, 1,000 aircraft and 80 ships, the Vostok exercises in eastern Russia will be even bigger than the USSR’s 1981 Zapad training, according to defence ministry claims. They will last a week and take place across nine training grounds as well as in the Sea of Japan and near the Bering Strait.

Defence ministry video showed tanks and missile launchers streaming across dusty fields, rocket launchers and artillery loading onto ships and marines landing on the Arctic coast under the cover of attack helicopters.

As their forces began the movements, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping baked crepes, filled them with caviar and washed them down with vodka shots at the eastern economic forum in Vladivostok. The manoeuvres are a triumphant moment for Mr Putin, who has made the military modernisation a top priority following post-Soviet stagnation and highlighted fantastic-sounding new nuclear weapons in his state-of-the-nation speech in March. A US spy plane reported over the Sea of Japan hinted at the unease of Western countries with Russia’s biggest-ever exercises. Coming a week before a summit between the leaders of North and South Korea, the war games will reiterate Moscow’s bid to become a major military and diplomatic player in the region.

Germany Plans SWIFT Destruction of U.S. Financial System

Germany Plans SWIFT Destruction of U.S. Financial System (Source thetrumpet.com) Europe’s declaration of independence from the United States reached the economic realm last week. Last Monday, France and Germany announced that they were working on a new international trading system beyond U.S. control.

“We must increase Europe’s autonomy and sovereignty in trade, economic and financial policies,” said German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. “It will not be easy, but we have already begun to do it.” French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire agreed, saying, “With Germany, we are determined to work on an independent European or Franco-German financing tool which would allow us to avoid being the collateral victims of U.S. extra-territorial sanctions. I want Europe to be a sovereign continent, not a vassal, and that means having totally independent financing instruments that do not today exist.” One of the most concrete of these is a plan to create a European rival to the swiftinternational payment system. “If that does happen, it could possibly lead the way towards Europe redefining itself geopolitically in terms of its military and strategic independence,” wrote Pepe Escobar for the Asia Times.

It may sound like a technical problem, but this is about Europe joining Russia and China to shut the U.S. out of global trade, just as the Trumpet has been warning for years.

When China outlined its plans for a new version of swift, the Trumpet’s Robert Morley called it a possible “turning point for the … United States’ economic dominance.”

swift is a messaging system that allows banks to send transaction details to each other. It is the main form of international communication for banks, transmitting 15 million messages per day. swift is based in Brussels, but it takes orders from the U.S. America uses this power to cut off nations from the global financial system.

Most recently, the U.S. ordered swift to cut off Iran, starting November 4. Without swift, Iranian banks will have no way to communicate with the global banking community. Combine America’s power over swift with the fact that the dollar is the world’s most common reserve currency and the most used currency in world trade, and it means America is an economic superpower. The rest of the world is not happy about this. Europe may want to trade with Iran. But unless it makes some big changes, starting on November 4, it will be very hard for it to do so. China created its China International Payment System (cips) as an alternative to swift in 2015. Early this year Russia tested its own version of swift. Now Europe is working on its own system. This is a huge shift. China’s yuan has a long way to go to challenge the dollar’s supremacy. It is used in only 1.6 percent of international payment transactions. The Russian ruble is even further from being able to challenge the dollar. But the euro has almost caught up already: It is used in 36 percent of international transactions, versus the dollar’s 39.9 percent. The euro’s use as a reserve currency is still a long way behind the dollar. Europe needs to come up with a convincing and permanent solution to the euro crisis to gain the long-term trust of investors. But once that happens, the euro will become a very credible challenger to the dollar.

Prof. Christopher Bovis told Deutsche Welle that Europe’s work on an alternative swift had already begun: “The European Commission has been developing a system, a parallel system to swift, which will allow Iran to interface with European financial systems, European clearing systems, using the nominations supported and created by the European Investment Bank based on the euro.”

California Wildfire Map: Delta Fire Closes Down 50 Miles of I-5, Showing No Sign of Slowing

California Wildfire Map: Delta Fire Closes Down 50 Miles of I-5, Showing No Sign of Slowing (Source Time.com)

California’s Delta Fire has continued to spread, shutting down 50 miles of I-5 as passengers were forced to abandon their cars and flee to safety. The wildfire, which started near Lake Shasta last Wednesday, has already burned through 25 square miles. On Wednesday the fire spread more rapidly, burning through 15,000 acres in California’s Shasta County in just one day. As of Thursday morning, the Shasta County Sheriffs Office issued a mandatory evacuation order for residents living along Interstate 5 from exit 707 to 714. Residents of nearby Dunsmuir, Calif., have been told to be ready to evacuate as the wildfire shows no sign of slowing down due to weather conditions. The California wildfire map below shows how far the Delta fire has spread. Dry bush and low humidity has challenged firefighters as they attempt to tame the blaze. The cause of the fire is not yet known, but was listed as “human”- meaning it could have been accidental or purposely started. Fire officials say they expect the fire to spread further north towards Gibson, east towards Green Mountains and west towards Damnation Peak. Fire officials added that by Friday the wildfire could reach the area recently ravaged by the Hirz Fire, which is currently 75% contained. The California Interagency Incident Management Team assumed command over the Delta wildfire as of Wednesday. They posted an update on their website on Thursday afternoon and said it continued to grow aggressively with flame reaching 300 feet high.

“Firefighters are working quickly to protect communities and structures immediately threatened by the fire. Dozers are being mobilized to construct fuel breaks and control lines north of the fire front to assist with protecting life and property. Aircraft will be used extensively for water and retardant drops in order to assist with protecting values at risk and slowing the fire’s progression.”

 

Japan earthquake: Eight dead and dozens missing in landslides

Japan earthquake: Eight dead and dozens missing in landslides (Source Yahoo)At least eight people were killed killed and 32 were missing, Japanese media reported, after a powerful earthquake paralysed the northern island of Hokkaido on Thursday, triggering landslides and knocking out power to its 5.3 million residents.

Aerial footage showed dozens of landslides exposing barren hillsides near the town of Atsuma in southern Hokkaido, with mounds of reddish earth and fallen trees piled up at the edge of green fields. The collapsed remains of what appeared to be houses or barns were scattered about.

Six of the deaths were in the village of Atsuma, National broadcaster NHK reported. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that 25,000 troops and other personnel were being dispatched to the area to help with rescue operations.

Hurricane Florence expected to strengthen as it nears the East Coast

Hurricane Florence expected to strengthen as it nears the East Coast (Source usatoday.com)Hurricane Florence continues to creep closer to the United States – but whether, where and when it might strike remains a mystery.

Still almost 1,800 miles from the East Coast, the Category 1 storm remains a week away, according to the latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center.

“It is far too soon to speculate what, if any, impacts Florence may have on the U.S. East Coast next week,” the hurricane center said Thursday afternoon. But in the meantime, waves from the distant storm will soon start to affect coastal communities. “Regardless of Florence’s eventual track, large swells emanating from the hurricane will reach Bermuda beginning on Friday and portions of the U.S. East Coast this weekend, resulting in life-threatening surf and rip currents,” the hurricane center said. Florence was east of the Bahamas on Thursday afternoon and moving northwest at 10 mph.

Most storms in that region tend to curve away from the United States. But an unusually strong ridge of high pressure could block that path, weather.us meteorologist Ryan Maue said. “If you live anywhere from coastal Georgia to coastal Massachusetts, start planning now,” Weather Channel meteorologist Mike Bettes said.

Winds peaked at 130 mph Wednesday before weakening to 80 mph on Thursday. They’re expected to weaken further over the next couple of days – potentially down to tropical storm status – before regaining strength to 120 mph, a Category 3 hurricane by early next week.

 

Study: CBD From Marijuana May ‘Reset’ The Brain To Counteract Symptoms Of Psychosis

Study: CBD From Marijuana May ‘Reset’ The Brain To Counteract Symptoms Of Psychosis (Source forbes.com)

Cannabidiol (CBD), the non-intoxicating compound in marijuana, continues drawing attention as a potential treatment for disorders and illnesses ranging from epilepsy to cancer. Now a new brain imaging study suggests that a single dose of CBD can reduce symptoms of psychosis by “resetting” activity in three brain areas. If replicable, the study offers the first evidence-based explanation for how CBD works in the brain to counteract psychosis, with results that could help generate new treatments.

Psychosis is not a single condition or disorder, but is rather a symptom of other disorders characterized by detachment from reality. Seeing, hearing or believing things that aren’t real, including hallucinations, is typical of a psychotic episode. While the exact causes of psychosis aren’t known, it’s thought to be triggered by mental illness, trauma, substance abuse and extreme stress. Even lack of sleep can spark an episode. While psychosis is most often associated with schizophrenia, it actually affects a much larger segment of the population. At least 100,000 people a year experience their first onset of psychosis in the U.S., according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

What is The 25th Amendment? Anonymous NYT Op-Ed Reports Trump Cabinet Whispering About Invoking Rule

What is The 25th Amendment? Anonymous NYT Op-Ed Reports Trump Cabinet Whispering About Invoking Rule (Source newsweek.com) In a scathing anonymous op-ed written by a senior official inside the Trump administration, the author wrote that the president’s cabinet has whispered about invoking the 25th Amendment, which would jumpstart the lengthy process of removing Donald Trump from the Oval Office. “Given the instability many witnessed, there were early whispers within the cabinet of invoking the 25th Amendment, which would start a complex process for removing the president,” the author wrote in the piece, which was published on Wednesday by The New York Times.

The source goes on to write that “no one wanted to precipitate a constitutional crisis. So we will do what we can to steer the administration in the right direction until—one way or another—it’s over.”

The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that if the people in the president’s innermost circle, the cabinet, believe that the commander-in-chief is unfit to hold office something can be quickly done to legally remove them from office. The amendment, proposed by Congress and ratified by the states after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, details the procedure for replacing a president or vice president in the event of death, resignation, removal or incapacitation. The amendment can be carried out whenever the vice president and a majority of the sitting cabinet members decide that the president is declared “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.”

‘EU COULD COLLAPSE!’ French minster says Brussels ‘CRIPPLED by doubt’ amid far-right rise

‘EU COULD COLLAPSE!’ French minster says Brussels ‘CRIPPLED by doubt’ amid far-right rise (Source express.co.uk) FRENCH European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau yesterday warned the European project was at a crossroads and at risk of falling apart if far-right, populist parties expand their power in the European parliament next year. he centrist official said that “only Europeans” were blind to the attractiveness of the Brussels bloc, which she said “no fewer than 10 countries” wanted to join.

Mrs Loiseau told students at Paris’ Sciences Po university: “We are at one of those pivotal moments in the history of European construction, which finds itself at a crossroads. [The European project] could collapse.

“It is a construction which isn’t over … [Europe’s future] has not been written in advance.” France’s young President Emmanuel Macron is pushing the concept of more Europe and more integration, but his plans are being stalled by the rising tide of euroscepticism sweeping western democracies.