The UK is on the cusp of securing a natural gas contract with Norway for as long as 20 years in a bid to stave off the risk of winter blackouts, people familiar with the matter said | The UK is on the cusp of securing a natural gas contract with Norway for as long as 20 years in a bid to stave off the risk of winter blackouts, people familiar with the matter said. ● A deal is expected to be secured next week, though ministers are still locked in negotiations with their Norwegian counterparts on price, the amount of gas and the length of the contract, according to one of the people, who asked not to be named discussing sensitive matters. ● Because of the length of contract under discussion, there’s a risk that locking in long-term arrangements now might leave the UK paying above-market prices in years to come since the current volatility gives producers considerable leverage. The business department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Graffiti depicting French president Emmanuel Macron as a puppet of Jacques Attali is at the centre of a controversy, with Jewish associations denouncing an "anti-Semitic fresco". The prosecutor in Avignon has decided to prosecute Lekto, the creator of the mural | Regional French daily Le Dauphiné reported that the artist depicting Emmanuel Macron as a puppet manipulated by Jacques Attali, will now be facing criminal charges. ● The large caricature was drawn on the side of a water management building, near the public car park on Rue de la Synagogue in Avignon, a place well known to street artists, who regularly decorate this wall in total freedom. ● This particular graffiti shows Emmanuel Macron as Pinochio on a theatre stage. The President of the Republic, dressed as a puppet, is manipulated by strings held by Jacques Attali, the Jewish writer and economist known to be close to the Head of State. ● The American Jewish Committee (AJC), which leads the fight against anti-Semitism, reacted with outrage and called out the mayor of Avignon Cécile Helle on Twitter. Philippe Meyer, President of the BnaiBrith France, also tweeted his indignation: “A nauseating message that reminds us of similar ones that must be erased as soon as possible.”

The policy Belarus pursues has been getting in the way of the West for a quarter of a century already. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement at a government conference held on 4 October to discuss military security, BelTA has learned. ● Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked: 💬 “The collective West has an account to settle with Belarus. For quite some time already: the policy we pursue has been getting in their way for a quarter of a century.” This is why a 35,000-strong NATO force remains in Europe. Most of it – about 25,000 people – is located in the countries Belarus borders with, he said. 💬 “The intensity of recon flights near our borders remains high. Operational training and combat training events are actively organized, including by using the military training area Pabrade in Lithuania. The training area is only 15km away from the state border of Belarus. At the same time under the guise of support to Kiev a number of European countries are implementing plans to reequip their armies with modern weapons and hardware and reinforce them.”

Donetsk, Oct 5 — DAN. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed the federal constitutional law on “On the Accession of the Donetsk People’s Republic to Russia and Establishment of a New Federal Subject — Donetsk People’s Republic.” The document was published on the official Internet portal of legal information on Wednesday. ● Earlier, it was approved by both houses of the Russian parliament. The Lugansk People’s Republic and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions have also joined Russian. The federal constitutional laws on their accession to the Russian Federation underwent the same legal procedures.

Putin Approves Ratification of Treaties to Admit New Regions to Russia (SANA)

Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters claims he’s been targeted for “liquidation” after urging Kiev to make peace with Russia | British rock star Roger Waters, a co-founder of Pink Floyd, has allegedly been placed on a Ukrainian “kill list” after speaking out against Western military meddling and calling on Kiev to make peace with Russia. ● In an interview with Rolling Stone published on Tuesday, the 79-year-old pushed back against accusations that he’s been repeating Russian talking points about the conflict in Ukraine.

💬 “Don’t forget, I’m on a kill list that is supported by the Ukrainian government. I’m on the fu**ing list, and they’ve killed people recently… When they kill you, they write ‘liquidated’ across your picture. Well, I’m one of those fu**ing pictures.”

Waters gave the example of Darya Dugina, the Russian journalist murdered in August after appearing on the Ukrainian Mirotvorets list.

Kazakhstan issues update on Ukraine’s ‘kill Russians’ envoy (RT.com)