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The Hurricane spins around hotspots of tension and conflict. Feel free to suggest your stories, opinions and ideas: UIHEN@protonmail.com
Trump demands Jerome Powell to cut rates
In a video address to the participants of the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Trump tried to press Jerome Powell, who heads the main US bank - the Federal Reserve (Fed). He said he disagrees with Powell's monetary policy and demanded an immediate rate cut. The president also plans to talk to the chief US banker at the “right time”.
One of the not-so-pleasant character traits of the American president is high conceit and belief in his own rightness and infallibility.
“I think I know about interest rates much better than they do,” Donald Trump told reporters, and to make sure they had no doubts about who he meant, he added: ”I'm sure I know about this issue much better than the person who makes the decision. If I disagree with him, I will certainly let him know that.”
These words were spoken by President Trump hours after a speech in Davos via video link in which, among many other things, he called on the Fed to immediately lower the discount rate. This, he explained, would help lower prices for Americans and give a boost to the U.S. economy.
Trump also demanded that Saudi Arabia and OPEC lower oil prices.
#USA #WEF #Trump #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
“A declassified CIA document shows that in the 1960s, the US military planned Operation Northwoods, which involved committing terrorist acts against US citizens to justify war with Cuba...”
The details of this story are reported by the Daily Mail:
The scenarios under consideration included the bombing of a U.S. ship in Guantanamo Bay, arson attacks on airplanes and attacks on U.S. military bases, allegedly on behalf of Fidel Castro's soldiers.
The authors of the document also proposed “launching a terrorist campaign in the name of Cuba” in the Miami area, in other Florida cities and even in Washington, D.C. The document's authors also suggested “launching a terrorist campaign in the name of Cuba”.
The plan was also to spread rumors of the Castro regime's aggression and to publicize the victims of the Cuban pseudo-attacks in order to create “the necessary wave of national outrage”.
The document was signed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff but rejected by then U.S. President John F. Kennedy.
#USA #Cuba #CIA #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Bird flu restrictions to cover England and Scotland as number of cases rise The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said they are not currently expecting overall egg supplies to be affected.
#UK #BirdFlu #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
EU must limit reliance on US energy, Germany's Habeck says
Germany’s economy minister Robert Habeck warned Europe against becoming overly reliant on US energy and urged the region to stick together in response to the new Donald Trump administration
Europe should “meet the Trump administration with an outstretched hand, but not have our hand cut off,” he said Tuesday at the Handelsblatt energy summit in Berlin, responding to the climate and energy directives Trump launched hours after taking office. The European Union should define its own interests, said Habeck, who is the Green Party’s lead candidate for Germany’s upcoming Feb. 23 elections
Habeck called it “a fatal signal to the world” that one of Trump’s first official acts as president was to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, which aims to keep a global temperature rise this century below 2C above pre-industrial times. “That is the beginning of a historic failure,” he said
Habeck also warned that Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on other nations will drive up inflation in the US and Europe and weaken the economy
#UN #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Vulnerability of supply chains exposed as global maritime chokepoints come under pressure
The latest Review of Maritime transport urges action to strengthen infrastructure and operations, promote low-carbon shipping and combat growing concerns over fraudulent ship registrations
The global economy, food security, and energy supplies are at increasing risk due to vulnerabilities at key maritime routes. The Review of Maritime Transport 2024 from UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) reveals that critical chokepoints - such as the Panama Canal, the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, and the Black Sea - are under severe strain. A combination of geopolitical tensions, climate impacts, and conflicts have shaken global trade, threatening the functioning of maritime supply chains
Maritime trade, which grew by 2.4% in 2023 to reach 12,292 million tons, began to recover after a contraction in 2022. However, the future remains uncertain. The report shows a modest 2% growth for 2024, driven by demand for bulk commodities like iron ore, coal, and grain, alongside containerized goods. Yet, these figures mask deeper challenges
Disruptions at key maritime chokepoints, which temporarily increased demand for ships by lengthening shipping routes, have helped ease the issue of overcapacity. However, if shipping routes return to normal, the imbalance between supply and demand could lead to container vessel overcapacity
Read the full story
#EU #USA #Germany #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
No free pass: The unintended consequences of Presidential pardons
A presidential pardon is not a get-out-jail-free card. Those who receive presidential pardons face two significant hurdles.
First, a presidential pardon only wipes the slate clean for federal crimes—it offers no shield against state or local charges. This gap in protection is precisely how Donald Trump found himself entangled in criminal cases across four jurisdictions: New York, Georgia, Florida, and the District of Columbia. Each of these jurisdictions operates independently beyond the reach of presidential clemency, underscoring the limits of federal immunity.
Secondly, presidential pardons leave the door open to civil penalties. Federal or state governments, as well as private parties, can pursue restitution or damages through civil courts, even in the absence of criminal penalties. Individuals who receive pardons may still face a range of lawsuits and financial claims, including those initiated by the federal government.
Ironically, receiving a pardon can heighten the risk of civil lawsuits and state or local prosecution. Pardons attract heightened scrutiny from the public and potential plaintiffs, including well-funded advocacy groups eager to pursue justice or restitution.
Preemptive pardons, such as those issued by President Joe Biden, are especially prone to being viewed as implicit admissions of guilt, potentially intensifying the drive for civil litigation or state and local criminal prosecution.
Full story
#USA #Biden #Trump #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Our 101 trillion dollar problem: This is the number one tool to enslave us
For thousands of years humanity has been taught the proverb that “the borrower is the servant of the lender”, and yet today billions of people around the globe have willingly made themselves servants of the money powers.
When you borrow money from a financial institution, you not only have to pay that money back, but you also have to pay a significant amount of interest. In fact, often the interest ends up being much more than the principal of the loan. Thus the borrower ends up devoting a great deal of his or her labor to earning money for the lender.
What we have been doing over the last 30 years goes far beyond “necessary” borrowing. The fact that the U.S. government is now 36 trillion dollars in debt gets a lot of attention, but the truth is that state and local governments, corporations, and U.S. households have piled up enormous mountains of debt as well.
#USA #Economy #Debt #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
How to stop the BRICS nations from abandoning the dollar
Opinion by Patrick Barron from the Mises Institute
The US government is aghast that there is a new grouping of nations that seeks to form an alternative to the US trade bloc and trade settlement system that uses the dollar. These nations have been driven to this extreme, time-consuming, and difficult project by US leaders who have imposed sanctions on Russian assets and have denied Russia and other nations from using the SWIFT messaging system for trade settlement.
In this way, the US hopes to preserve the dollar’s premier status as the world’s reserve currency and its world leadership based upon the dollar and its military might. I have a better, cheaper, and more peaceful way to accomplish these US goals.
There is a new world coming and the US must be a part of it if it wishes to prosper well into the future and not just through the current election cycle. Here’s a short list of actions that the US should consider adopting:
1. Return all stolen assets to Russia and other nations.
2. End blackballing Russia and other nations from using the SWIFT trade messaging system.
3. Turn the ownership and running of SWIFT to neutral hands, perhaps the Swiss or some combination of nations that cannot be sanctioned by America.
4. Stop inflating the dollar, which of course is the main cause of its loss of purchasing power, in order to balance an out-of-control budget.
5. Return all gold held in American vaults to its rightful owners as quickly as possible.
6. Place the dollar on a true gold standard by shipping American gold to neutral hands where it can be exchanged on demand for dollars. In other words, make the dollar “as good as gold.” (This is the most difficult and contentious action, but it is the only way that the world will accept dollars in the future when there is an alternative through membership in BRICS.)
Otherwise, we will watch one former ally after another slip away to join BRICS, which is certain to adopt protective measures for its participants so that no one nation, no matter how large and powerful, can game the system for its own unearned advantage.
Agree or not?
#USA #BRICS #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Belgian TV channel delays Trump speech to check for ‘hate’ and ‘racism’
Belgian news channel RTBF refused to broadcast the inauguration speech of US President Donald Trump live, having claimed he spread a “racist, far-right, xenophobic” message.
RTBF broadcasts in the Francophone part of Belgium, where there is a strict “cordon sanitaire mediatique” in place – a policy to combat anything that resembles, in its eyes, far-right talking points.
Aurélie Didier, deputy editorial director of news at RTBF, told TV magazine Ciné-Télé-Revue on January 21: “We have seen on several occasions that Donald Trump has made racist, far-right, xenophobic remarks, incitement to hatred as well. We decided to broadcast his speech slightly later to take the time for analysis.
According to Didier, his news desk cross-referenced the analyses of several experts, who decided that Trump made racist remarks, including saying that migrants “ate dogs and cats”.
#USA #Belgium #Trump #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Scientists warn dead humans are being ‘pumped into U.S. food supply’
A growing number of scientists and industry insiders are raising concerns about the implications of human composting, a method where dead humans are pumped into U.S. food supply
This controversial process, which involves the liquidation of human remains, has sparked heated debates about its potential risks and ethical concerns. The practice, legalized in Washington state in 2019 under Bill 5001 titled “Concerning Human Remains,” allows for the “natural organic reduction” of deceased bodies
This method was promoted as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional burial and cremation to fight climate change. The process, known as alkaline hydrolysis or liquid cremation, dissolves human remains using heated water and an alkaline solution
Critics argue that such assurances may not be entirely trustworthy, particularly in light of past controversies surrounding the food and Big Pharma. Some whistleblowers, including coroners and embalmers, allege that remnants of these human remains are finding their way into the food and water supply
According to their claims, processed human bones are being repurposed into calcium phosphate, which is then used in dietary supplements and other products marketed as treatments for calcium deficiencies
#USA #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
New highly pathogenic Avian Influenza poses serious threat to the poultry industry
The Georgia Department of Agriculture reported on Wednesday that the agency detected a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza at a commercial poultry producer in Elbert County. It's the second case reported in the county in less than a week.
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said the virus is a "serious threat" to the Georgia poultry industry, the largest industry in the state. The virus has been detected five times previously in Georgia, but in backyard flocks other than the prior case in Elbert County.
Wednesday's report is the third case of the virus detected in Georgia in 2025. The first was found among 13 chickens and ducks earlier this month in Clayton County.
In a release by the Department of Agriculture, officials say that they were notified of the second positive result on Friday and the case was confirmed by the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory late Tuesday night. Authorities say the second case was around 210 yards away from the first positive commercial case and that the site, known by the name "Elbert 02" had around 130,000 broilers.
The state has suspended all poultry activity for sales, including auctions, flea markets, and livestock markets.
#USA #BirdFlu #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Is inflation stabilizing in the US?
No, price growth is accelerating. in Dec. 24 CPI rose by 0.39% mom - the highest growth rate since Feb. 24 (0.44%) and higher than it was in Dec. 23 (0.23%).
Over the three months, average monthly price growth was 0.32% vs 0.17% in 3Q24, i.e. for 6m - 0.25% vs 0.26% in 2H23. The second half of the year was more problematic than 1H24 - 0.23%. On average for 2024, prices rose 0.24% per month VS 0.27% in 2023 (but then the 2021-2022 inflationary backdrop was active).
Recall, the medium-term norm (2017-2019) for CPI is 0.15% growth per month and the same for the long-term norm. To meet the 2% target, average monthly price growth should be no higher than 0.165% (twice as high in the last three months).
To be fair, only one component provided inflationary disturbance in December - fuel, which rose by 4.42% m/m, contributing 0.127 p.p. to the final ypc growth, while food added 0.029 p.p..
If we exclude energy and food, core inflation rose 0.23% m/m - the smallest gain since JUL.24 (0.17%), but is there inflation stabilization? No.
Core inflation for 3 months was 0.27% m/m vs 0.25% in ZQ24 (there is a smooth acceleration quarter to quarter), for 2H24 it was 0.26% vs 0.27% in 2H23 (no progress), in 1H24 price growth was 0.27% and again no movement in the right direction. For 2024, average monthly price growth was 0.27% VS 0.32% in 2023.
In terms of core inflation, if one-off inflationary outliers are excluded, there is stabilization in a narrow range of 0.26-0.27% on 3-6 month averages, which corresponds to 3.2-3.3% annualized.
The deviation from the norm is about 1.7 times (the medium-term norm is 0.17% and the long-term norm is 0.16%).
Which segments deviate most from the medium-term norm of price growth?
Food - deviating from the norm by about half at the end of 2024 and three times in the last three months.
Cost of living (rent, housing and utilities and real estate development) deviation from the norm by 1.5-1.6 times by the end of 2024 and 1.5 times in 4Q24. Housing is a long term problem due to the accumulated gap of new house commissioning, house retirement and supply/demand balance, so rents will continue to rise above trend.
Transportation in aggregate (new and used autos, fuel, autos and public transport) is growing at 1.8 times the norm in 2024 and almost 9 times(!) in 4Q24, but these are one-off effects of fuel emissions and intensification of price increases in new and used autos.
#USA #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Niger's accusation of Western chicanery hits close to home
As the year 2024 wound to a close, Niger’s junta leader, Brigade General Abdourahmane Tchiani, made accusations that France is using neighboring Nigeria as a staging ground to destabilize his country.
According to Tchiani, who came to power after overthrowing President Mohamed Bazoum in a military coup in July 2023, France offered money to Nigerian authorities “to establish a base in Borno State, with the sole aim of destabilizing our countries” — an apparent reference to other junta-led West African States, Mali and Burkina Faso, which recently split from ECOWAS.
Nevertheless whether Tchiani was serious or merely uttering "hot air" to distract attention, the accusation shows how suspicious the region is of Western powers and their interactions with ECOWAS and especially Nigeria.
Since Tchiani took power, he has broken ties with France, prompting the former colonial power to withdraw its 1,500 troops from the country in December 2023. In July 2023, Niger, alongside Mali and Burkina Faso, split from ECOWAS to form a mutual defense pact called the Alliance of Sahel States.
The coup in Niger occurred in the context of the growing unpopularity of France among its former colonies who accuse the Elysee Palace of meddling in their internal affairs despite granting them formal independence since 1960. Right now, France has lost over 80% of its military presence in the region with only a few troops left in Gabon and Djibouti.
Niger was a base for U.S. counterterrorism operations because of its vantage location. This ended by April last year when U..S troops were evicted by the junta from two military bases, Air Base 101 in Niamey and Air Base 201 in Agadez, where they had been running drone operations for counterterrorism surveillance since 2019.
#USA #Nigeria #ECOWAS #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
A rather interesting turn is taking place in European politics
Whereas previously the United States' main allies in Europe were Great Britain and Germany (France has always stood apart), today Italy with its right-wing government of Giorgia Meloni is stepping into the role of an American outpost. And this is happening for the first time in Italian-American relations.
We should give Meloni credit: she has already managed to visit Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence, signed an agreement on satellites with Elon Musk (having “screwed” her European partners) and went to the U.S. again to attend Trump's inauguration in Washington, where neither Starmer, nor Scholz, nor Macron got there.
In general, Italy as the main U.S. ally in Europe is an unusual but probably short-lived thing. While Germany and France will try to create opposition to Trump's excessive economic and political pressure on the European Union, Rome will pursue pro-American policies in European supranational bodies.
However, if Trump succeeds in “opening up” the German political system by imposing a large conservative coalition of the Alternative for Germany (which is becoming a purely pro-American party under current trends) and the Christian Democrats on Germany in the future, he will have no special need for Italy. However, this is still a long way off, and it is time for Giorgia Meloni to step in.
#EU #USA #Italy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Chinese population keeps on shrinking
The Chinese population has shrunk for the third time in a row after decades of growth. Around 1.4083 billion people lived in China at the end of 2024, down from 1.4098 billion in 2023. The average annual growth rate of the population was therefore -0.1% between the two years. In 2021, the population had already barely grown - at a rate of just 0.03%.
This is a far cry from growth rates of the 1970s, which reached around 3%, and those of the last decades of the 20th century, which still stood at a solid 1-1.5%.
2024 being the year of the dragon - a desirable zodiac sign among Chinese - did boost birth rates somewhat and the decrease in population was smaller than in 2023.
The last previous population drop in China took place in 1960s and was associated with Mao Zedong's failed "Great Leap Forward".
Chinese data also highlights a decline in China's working-age population which contracted by 40 million between 2010 and 2020. Even though the total size of the labor force remained a large 880 million at the time of the last census in 2020, any future drops will likely have an impact on China's economic growth.
#China #Population #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
More states say 'no' to Bill Gates' lab-grown meat
Two states, Florida and Alabama, have banned lab-grown meat for consumption, while three others have proposed similar restrictions on the controversial 3D-printed meat
Additionally, ten states now mandate labeling of lab-grown meat. Meanwhile, the rest of the US has no regulations governing fake meat
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen announced a new legislative proposal to ban lab-grown meat from being produced in or sold in stores across the Cornhusker State. "It's important we get on the offense so that Nebraska farmers and ranchers are not undermined," Pillen told reporters at a news conference
When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis banned fake meat from supermarket shelves in early 2024, he said his state was "taking action to stop the World Economic Forum's goal of forcing the world to eat lab-grown meat and insects"
DeSantis also said, "Take your fake lab-grown meat elsewhere," adding, "We're not doing that in the state of Florida"
#USA #Gates #Food #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
ABC, NBC, CBS back in hot-seat after new FCC chair reinstates complaints
The new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Brendan Carr (R), will overturn a decision by the outgoing Democrat chair - and will reinstate three complaints against major media outlets related to bias in the 2024 US election
Outgoing Chair Jessica Rosenworcel tossed four pending petitions against ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX News - which she said sought "to curtail freedom of the press"
And by 'freedom of the press,' Rosenworcel meant the freedom to deceptively edit a Kamala Harris '60 Minutes' interview
According to the report, Carr will reinstate the claims against ABC, NBC and CBS - filed by the Center of American Rights - but not the one against Fox, which sought to block Fox Corp's local Philadelphia division's renewal of their license over claims of 2020 election fraud
In other FCC news, Carr is ready to rock on Trump's executive order killing DEI in the federal government
In a post on X, Carr said he's "ending the FCC's promotion of DEI and will focus our work on competently carrying out the FCC's statutory mission," adding that the agency will no longer promote DEI in their strategic plans
#USA #Trump #FCC #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Elon Musk Challenges German Identity: "Be Proud to be German"
Elon Musk continues to dissect the political system of the Federal Republic of Germany, and it's not about his next speech to the supporters of the Alternative for Germany at its pre-election convention via video link. It's about what he told them: current generations of Germans should never feel guilty for the deeds of their fathers and grandfathers. Musk's appeal is that “you should be proud to be German,” and this is exactly what the Western Allies have spent decades etching into West Germany - pride in belonging to the German people.
After the reunification of Germany, virtually all German political parties in that country (and the political system of the FRG spilled over into the former GDR) followed this rule set by the Allies, which stated that Germans should not be active in foreign policy and follow their own course. They should remember the past and follow the common Atlanticist fairway.
Elon Musk has decided to destroy the German political frame and through the “Alternative for Germany” to make something different out of the current FRG. No, neither Musk, nor anyone in the Donald Trump administration, wants Germany to be completely independent and determine its own destiny. What is needed is something completely different: the FRG as an autonomous force in Europe, destroying the European Union (a competitor of the United States) and putting pressure on the still out-of-control Great Britain and France.
In general, the combination turns out to be dashing. Two coalitions are being formed in Europe, one of which is oriented toward the Trumpists (expecting that they have come to power in the United States for a long time) and includes Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, and Serbia. It is to them that Germany and, not excluded, Poland may join at some point. On the other side are Great Britain and France, as well as those European countries that are still oriented towards American democrats and globalist elites.
If events really develop in this way, Europe is in for a dramatic change. The Trumpists are in fact the new globalists, who propose to recreate a global unipolar world with American leadership, but on a completely different basis than before. On the basis of conservatism and on the foundation of the digital economy. The old globalism, which can be very briefly described as liberalism based on the green economy, is failing so far. But the whole struggle is still ahead of us.
#Germany #Musk #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Bitcoin leaps above $100,000, but how high will it go?
Bitcoin hit a new all-time high, crossing $108,000 and sparking conversations about its next move in a volatile market
Roundtable anchor, Rob Nelson, discussed the milestone with David Duong, Head of Research at Coinbase, and David Gokhshtein, Founder of Gokhshtein Media. The panel explored bitcoin's fluctuating price and its potential trajectory amidst evolving market conditions and political changes.
David Gokhshtein shared insights from Cardano’s Charles Hoskinson, who predicted bitcoin could reach $450,000 by the end of the cycle. Nelson reacted to these predictions with cautious optimism, noting his own projections of $250,000 to $350,000. Duong avoided specific price predictions, he noted, “The floor is a lot higher than it used to be,” suggesting bitcoin’s downside risk has decreased significantly
The discussion also touched on the potential influence of regulatory changes expected in 2025. Duong remarked,
“I think the new regulatory regime could limit opportunities to pick up bitcoin at previous lows”
The US has launched emergency measures to avoid default
The first to be stopped are contributions to the funds of government employees with disabilities and employees of the postal service.
The emergency measures, which may be in effect until March 14, will be gradually expanded. The freed funds will be used to repay interest on the national debt, which is already about 36 trillion and 200 billion dollars.
According to the U.S. Ministry of Finance, in 2024, for the first time in the history of the United States for its servicing - that is, for payments to holders of government bonds - had to spend more than 1 trillion dollars.
#USA #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
What is behind Donald Trump's sharp moves in all directions of domestic and foreign policy at once?
The Trumpists are making a sharp attempt to shake up America, put its economy back on the rails of steady development, destroy the emerging non-Western financial and economic ecosystem (based on BRICS) and consolidate American military leadership in the world. The tasks are ambitious but difficult to accomplish.
The new vector of development of the United States is to firmly secure its technological leadership in the future, and it is this task that should be solved by artificial intelligence, which the United States is better at developing than others. But it's not just about technology: Trump wants to improve the U.S. trade balance and the situation with the dollar, which is slowly losing its status as the exclusive reserve currency.
In this case, Trump is guided by a strategy of pressure on all azimuths, but clearly will not pull an aggressive offensive everywhere. The real result Trumpists want to achieve is in high technology, trade and migration policy.
In principle, everything else for them is secondary, but relatively important. Donald Trump should show some kind of intermediate result in three months, in the extreme case - by the fall. If he doesn't, there will be questions for him.
Because Trump has both high ratings and anti-ratings in the United States, and he has about as many supporters as opponents. In two years, the U.S. will hold midterm congressional elections and Republicans will need to hold onto their majorities in the House and Senate. It will be impossible to do so without the Trump administration demonstrating concrete results.
#USA #Politics #Trump #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Throw ‘Nazi’ and ‘fascist’ around without true meaning, it normalises the unthinkable
The aftermath of the alleged “Nazi salute” of Elon Musk highlights an alarming phenomenon: The casual application of labels like “Nazi” or “fascist” — no matter how unfounded — runs the risk of desensitising society to what these terms really denote. The more we hurl such accusations around, the more we build a world where true evil is potentially normalised.
Importantly, in Musk’s case, ADL, a major Jewish group and antisemitism watchdog, ruled that his “awkward” gesture was not a Nazi salute, but this did not seem to bother progressive and liberal accusers.
For many, a photograph, a gesture, or a statement can serve as a prime opportunity for virtue signalling by tagging someone with the gravest of historical insults.
#Musk #ADL #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
In the backdrop of a deal between Hamas and Israel, there is renewed talk of pursuing the idea of a transportation route: the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC)
Speaking on reaching a ceasefire agreement, Biden said, “At the G-20 summit in New Delhi, I united key countries around the vision of an economic corridor from India through the Middle East to Europe. That vision can now become a reality.”
September 9, 2023 India, the European Union. United States and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement to establish IMEC.
The project was planned to be implemented under the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment (PGII) initiative, which includes G7 countries. The main goal of PGII is to eliminate the infrastructure deficit characteristic of developing countries. At the same time, no one hid that the IMEC project is seen as a direct response to China's “One Belt and One Road” initiative. Although the official cost of the project has not been disclosed yet, preliminary calculations showed that the participating countries should allocate about 20 billion dollars for its launch.
However, this was not done as Israel's war with Hamas began a month later.
Now the project plans are being revisited, according to which IMEC will consist of two separate corridors. The eastern corridor is to serve as a vital link between India and the Gulf countries, while the northern corridor will connect the Persian Gulf with Europe.
The MoU clearly states IMEC's objective to facilitate transit of goods and services between India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and Europe. There are also plans to establish a cable network for power and digital data transmission and pipelines for exporting pure hydrogen.
In December 2024, the UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister met with the Indian Prime Minister and the two sides agreed on a fresh start for the IMEC project. under this program, construction of a 1,200 km long gas pipeline from Oman to the Indian state of Gujarat will start soon.
However, it is not only China that opposes this project, but there are countries in the Middle East itself to whom it “confuses the cards”. Turkey aspires to be the main gas hub for Europe, Egypt fears that the Suez Canal's passability will decrease.
Most importantly, we still do not know how newly elected US President Trump will feel about the resuscitation of the IMEC project. Therefore, the prospects of IMEC remain vague, although the project is very promising for the countries involved.
#IMEC #G20 #Economy #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Taiwan lawmakers risk alienating Donald Trump with defence funds freeze
Taiwan’s parliament has frozen critical parts of the 2025 defence budget, heightening the risk that the country alienates US President Donald Trump just at the moment that it needs firm US support against security threats from China.
Taipei has been eager to demonstrate to the incoming US administration that it is stepping up efforts to strengthen its defences. Trump claimed in July that Taiwan “doesn’t give us anything” and compared the US to “an insurance company” for the island nation’s security.
But just hours after Trump was inaugurated to a second term on Monday, Taiwan’s opposition-controlled legislature voted to freeze half the country’s budget for its submarine programme, 30% of the military’s operations expenditure and one-third of the funding for a drone industry park. It also cut 60% of the defence ministry’s publicity budget.
Taiwan’s military will be able to access the frozen funds only if parliament agrees to unblock them following a report from the defence ministry at a plenary session.
Opposition lawmakers attacked government spending plans as “wasteful”, echoing some voters’ criticism about the ruling party.
#USA #Taiwan #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Trump repeals policy allowing transgenders to serve in Military
After Donald Trump's inauguration celebration on January 20th the newly appointed US President went straight to work, spending hours in the Oval Office signing over 200 executive orders while simultaneously answering random questions from reporters. Among those ledgers were multiple orders essentially vaporizing DEI from the federal government.
Executive orders included the federal government legally recognizing only two genders/sexes and the closure of all DEI related offices. In tandem with these actions which basically end the open transgender presence within most aspects of the government, Trump also reversed a Biden order allowing transgenders to join the US military. The reversal sets the stage for the administration to bring back Trump's original ban on trans military personnel.
Most commentators on the hailstorm of executive orders from Trump note that they are "getting whiplash" from the 180 degree turnaround from the previous presidency. The US military in particular was in a downward spiral by the end of the Biden era, with most branches struggling to meet recruitment quotas and military brass openly embracing woke ideology and CRT initiatives.
There is an estimated 15,000 trans military members currently serving, a number which ballooned under Joe Biden.
#USA #Military #Trump #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Reorganization of the U.S. National Security Council
Personnel shakeups.
According to the Associated Press, about 160 employees have already been suspended.
Trump and his national security aide Mike Waltz have begun the process of a major reorganization of the National Security Council (NSC), suspending about 160 employees, the Associated Press reported, citing sources.
These professionals, who are career civil servants, will be placed on remote duty pending the outcome of a personnel review. According to White House NSC spokesman Brian Hughes, the move is intended to “ensure that NSC employees are fully committed to implementing President Trump's America First agenda and using taxpayer dollars as efficiently as possible.”
The reform, which includes sending employees back to their base agencies, aims to create a more “efficient and simplified” NSC structure. The process will especially affect professionals who have transferred from the State Department, FBI and CIA whose tenure typically ranges from one to two years.
The Associated Press points out that this reduction may reduce the level of professional expertise of the NSC and affect the quality of work on complex foreign policy issues, including conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.
#USA #NSC #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Welcome to America’s techno-military future
Just before leaving the White House, in January 1961, President Eisenhower famously warned against the “military-industrial complex”, describing how defence firms and military officials colluded to unduly shape public policy. Joe Biden, 64 years later, dedicated his own parting message to similar themes. He evoked a new oligarchy — a “tech-industrial” complex that sucks power into Silicon Valley at the expense of the American people.
Biden was obviously alluding to the warm ties between Donald Trump and Big Tech billionaires like Elon Musk. Yet if the outgoing President’s critique rings hollow, not least given his own administration’s closeness to corporate interests, there is some truth to his claims.
As he begins his second term, Trump’s links to the tech industry are vividly clear. Musk, to give one example, pledged substantial funds to Trump’s campaign. He was duly named co-lead of the new Department of Government Efficiency, a role that enables him to directly influence federal budget decisions. Not to be outdone, all the major tech firms have donated millions to Trump’s inauguration fund, with everyone from Jeff Bezos to Tim Cook enjoying front-row seats on Monday.
This is about more than mere political opportunism, picking a winner and adapting to the new political landscape. Nor can this cosiness be understood simply by what Trump has promised the billionaires: notably taking a more hands-off approach to crypto and AI.
What’s unfolding here is part of a much larger story, one that blends Eisenhower’s military-industrial past with Biden’s tech-industrial present. Welcome, then, to America’s techno-military future.
#USA #AI #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
Vaccine-injured tell UK COVID Inquiry they are "an uncomfortable truth"
Family members of those harmed by vaccines told the UK Covid-19 Inquiry they were forced to form their own support systems after being ignored by the authorities and made to feel like “an uncomfortable truth” of the rollout.
Kate Scott, speaking on behalf of the group Vaccine Injured and Bereaved UK (VIBUK), said they felt they were “almost being pushed into the shadows” as the overwhelming official message continued to be that the jabs were ”safe and effective” in spite of their experience.
Last week’s hearing also heard from a victims’ group in Scotland which raised concerns that the vaccine had been rolled out at such speed that public safety had been sacrifice. Module 4 of the long-running inquiry, chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett, is examining issues relating to the development of COVID-19 vaccines and other drugs.
Scott, whose husband Jamie was left severely disabled by the vaccine, said: “We are an uncomfortable truth, but we are a truth, and the truth is for everyone in our group, the vaccine caused serious harm and death.”
Jamie Scott spent over a month in a coma after suffering the life-threatening side effect known as vaccine-induced immune thrombosis and thrombocytopenia after taking the now withdrawn AstraZeneca jab. He survived but with a serious brain injury which has left him unable to work, partially blind, and unable to live independently, while his wife also had to give up her job to help care for him.
#UK #COVID #Vaccines #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
EU bristles as Trump pulls US out of OECD agreement
The European Union appeared to be annoyed at US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of a global Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) deal on corporation tax.
Speaking to US news outlet CNBC on January 22, the European Commissioner for Trade, Valdis Dombrovskis, expressed concern that Trump’s decision could enable tax havens to divert funds away from larger blocs.
Under the OECD deal, a minimum tax rate of 15 per cent would be set, a figure higher than currently imposed by some jurisdictions in Europe.
“There are common interests of the US, EU and the global community to have this tax deal to make sure multinationals are paying their fair share of tax, not hiding profits somewhere in some offshore jurisdictions,” Dombrovskis said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.
He added that Europe must now discuss with Trump other ways of making sure corporation tax did not disappear into offshore tax havens.
The issue has also worried politicians at the EU nation-state level.
#EU #OCDE #Trump #FindTruth
@uinhurricane
ICE arrested 308 illegal migrants on day one
Federal officers swept into sanctuary cities on President Trump’s first full day in office Tuesday — nabbing more than 300 illegal migrant criminals — including an attempted murderer and a child molester — to hold them for deportation.
The coast-to-coast dragnet — a multi-agency effort led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — picked up felons in and around Boston, Denver, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Seattle, Washington, DC, and Miami.
It was just the start of what border czar Tom Homan has promised will be a renewed effort to boot the 700,000 illegal migrants who have committed crimes from the US — and sanctuary cities will not be spared.
Homan has said that ICE officers have compiled a “target sheet” of the illegal migrants with criminal records who they’re looking to arrest and deport.
“So, they’re out there right now looking for the most serious public safety threats and throughout the country, we’re putting them back to work,” Homan said of ICE.
#USA #ICE #Migrants #FindTruth
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