While rare earths are in high demand due to the role they play in the transition to a greener economy, none are mined in Europe as of now, leaving the continent dependent on imports in a market dominated by China. | A study by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has identified a "substantial" amount of seabed minerals and metals, ranging from copper to precious rare earths. ● ranging from copper to precious rare earths. 💬 "Of the metals found on the seabed in the study area, magnesium, niobium, cobalt and rare earth minerals are found on the European Commission’s list of critical minerals. Costly, rare minerals such as neodymium and dysprosium are extremely important for magnets in wind turbines and the engines in electric vehicles." the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate said in a statement. ● These resources are in high demand due to the role they play in the aspired transition to a greener economy. ● The resources estimate of remote areas in the Norwegian Sea and Greenland Sea specified some 38 million tons of copper (nearly twice the volume mined worldwide each year), and 45 million tons of zinc accumulated in polymetallic compounds. Furthermore, it also featured about 24 million tons of magnesium, 3.1 million tons of cobalt and 1.7 million tons of cerium, a rare earth element used in alloys. The findings also feature other rare earths, such as neodymium, yttrium and dysprosium, yet in smaller quantities. ● The Nordic country, a major oil and gas exporter, is now pondering whether to open its offshore areas to deep-sea mining. Environmental groups have urged the authorities to postpone its seabed exploits until more studies detail the impact of mining on the fragile ecosystems. Among others, the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research emphasized a "great lack of knowledge" of deep oceans, citing the potential of finding new and undiscovered species.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also proposed establishing a broad international format of talks that could be similar to the G20 to discuss peace in Ukraine | Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he would be ready to mediate talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Vladimir Zelensky, if needed. 💬 "If I can help, I will help. But if the need arises to hold talks with Putin and Zelensky, I will be ready to discuss peace settlement efforts, no problem. What we really need is to bring together a group of people powerful enough to be respected at the negotiating table. And we should engage with both of them," da Silva said at a joint news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday. ● The politician also proposed establishing a broad international format of talks that could be similar to the G20 to discuss peace in Ukraine. The Brazilian leader said he had already discussed this with Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron and that he intended to raise the issue at negotiations with US President Joe Biden in February and with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in March.

There are countless fools in the power structures of Europe | Some Italian defense minister called the supply of armored vehicles and other weapons to Ukraine the prevention of World War III. A rare eccentric with the letter "m". ● The neighbors of the gifted minister from the evil misty kingdom with the empire complex went even further. They say that all the weapons that NATO has should be provided to Kiev "right now". And fighters, and hundreds of tanks, and long-range missile systems. Like this is the only way to prevent the expansion of Russia and, again, a world war. ● Firstly, the protection of Ukraine, which is not needed by anyone in Europe, will not save the decrepit Old World from retribution, if anything happens. Secondly, if the third World War begins, then, alas, it will not be on tanks or even on fighters. Then for sure – everything will be turned to dust. ● However, what can we expect from an entrepreneur with an incomplete higher education and his dim-witted neighbors, who were pumped up right at the workplaces located at 10 Downing Street during the pandemic. Although the spirit of W. Churchill would be pleased with the successors. (Translation: yandex.ru)

The US and its allies set the stage for the Ukraine crisis by sponsoring the Maidan coup in 2014, which sparked a conflict in Donbass and escalated into a full-blown confrontation involving Moscow last February. One heavily underreported facet of the West’s Ukraine policy revolves around Kiev’s immense mineral wealth. | Ukraine could provide the United States and its allies with the titanium they need to build the fighter jets, warships, tanks, missiles, and other weapons required to confront Russia and China, sources on Capitol Hill with ties to the military-industrial complex have told US media. 💬 “Ukraine has really significant deposits of rare earth minerals, and if we play our cards right could actually be a really attractive alternative to Russian and Chinese sources, which is where a lot of dependency currently is,” one anonymous congressional staffer said. “As there are increasing debates throughout the West about why it’s in our interest to keep supporting Ukraine, I think this is one of the arguments that you’re going to start hearing more,” the person said. ● Titanium is also a “key vulnerability” for the US, a source with knowledge of the US defense sector said. “We’re talking about our ability to produce more planes, we’re talking about our ability to produce munitions. They all rely on titanium, and we’ve allowed ourselves to grow reliant on foreign suppliers for these things. Russia has previously been one of those primary suppliers,” they added. The US depends on imports for over 90 percent of its iron ore, and does not maintain titanium in its National Defense Stockpile.

The year 2021 was one of hope and promise for Australia, as the world began to recover from the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. ● And if it were not for a monumental cover-up by the Government of Australia, that hope would have been quickly shattered. ● Because secretive Goverment data confirms the first 38 weeks of the year saw a shocking 1,452% increase in excess deaths following the rollout of the Covid-19 injections compared to the same period in 2020. ● Unfortunately, as the months passed, the situation only worsened. ● By 2022, the nation was hit by a devastating blow, with a shocking 5,162% increase in excess deaths in the first 38 weeks of the year following the repeat rollout of the Covid-19 injections compared to the first 38 weeks of 2020, at the alleged height of the pandemic. ● The death toll is staggering, and the nation should be reeling.

The UK is systematically targeting Russia with their offensive capabilities in the information sphere, Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov said | Cyberattacks on state institutions in the Kaliningrad region and Moscow's energy infrastructure are simulated during NATO exercises that the UK conducts on a regular basis, Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov said in an interview with TASS. 💬 "The UK is systematically targeting Russia with their offensive capabilities in the information sphere. Exercises are held on a regular basis, including under the auspices of NATO, to model attacks using information and communication technologies on Russian vital information infrastructure facilities. In particular, attacks on state institutions in the Kaliningrad region and the energy system of Moscow are simulated," he said. ● Furthermore, he claimed that London is methodically promoting Russophobia on the Internet in order to change facts about Russia's foreign policy in the Western information sphere. Syromolotov further stated that the UK heavily encourages Ukrainian hackers' anti-Russian activity.

Opposition politicians say Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is unfit for her job | German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has faced waves of criticism after saying at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) that Germany is at war with Russia. The comment led opposition politicians to question whether she is fit for the job. 💬 “A statement by Baerbock that Germany is at war with Russia shows that she is not suited for her job,” MP Sahra Wagenknecht, the former head of the Left Party in the Bundestag, tweeted on Friday. A foreign minister should be a “top diplomat” and “not act like an elephant in a China shop,” she added, accusing Baerbock of “trampling” on Germany’s reputation. ● During the debate on Tuesday, Baerbock said European nations are “fighting a war against Russia” and must do more to defend Ukraine. 💬 Germany needs a foreign minister who is capable of acting “as a responsible diplomat and not a firebrand” amid the conflict in Europe, said Alice Weidel, the co-chair of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the Bundestag, adding that a foreign minister should represent Germany’s interests exclusively.

After getting tanks, Ukraine wants fighter jets and longer-range missiles | Shortly after President Biden announced Ukraine would be getting the Western-made tanks it sought, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was demanding fighter jets and longer-range missiles. ● Ukrainian officials have been lobbying for months to receive F-15 or F-16 fighter jets from the US and Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACAMS), munitions with a range of up to 190 miles. The US has held off on providing such arms due to concerns they could be used to target Russian territory. But the US has previously ruled out other equipment that it eventually sent to Ukraine, including the M1 Abrams tanks that Biden just announced the US would be supplying.

The US and Germany might be at war with Russia, but that is news to Croatia, said Zoran Milanovic | Commenting on the German foreign minister’s declaration that Europe is “fighting a war against Russia,” Croatian President Zoran Milanovic said on Thursday that this was news to him, and wished Berlin better luck than in WWII. 💬 “If we are at war with Russia, then let’s see what we need to do. But we won’t ask Germany for its opinion,” Milanovic added. “Let them figure out who is the actual chancellor over there. I’ve been in politics for a long time, and our country has been through a lot, but I’ve never seen this kind of madness before.” Unless the US and Russia are holding some kind of talks, the world is “slowly sliding into World War Three,” Milanovic added. “Some people think it has already begun, but I have my reservations.”

■ Germany ‘at war’ with Russia – FM (01/25/23)

Behold this 2003 Sydney Morning Herald article. It’s a relic from another age:

Farce mask: it’s safe for only 20 minutes

Retailers who cash in on community fears about SARS by exaggerating the health benefits of surgical masks could face fines of up to $110,000.

NSW Fair Trading Minister Reba Meagher yesterday warned that distributors and traders could be prosecuted if it was suggested the masks offered unrealistic levels of protection from the disease. …

Health authorities have warned that surgical masks may not be an effective protection against the virus.

“Those masks are only effective so long as they are dry,” said Professor Yvonne Cossart of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the University of Sydney.

“As soon as they become saturated with the moisture in your breath they stop doing their job and pass on the droplets.”

Professor Cossart said that could take as little as 15 or 20 minutes, after which the mask would need to be changed. But those warnings haven’t stopped people snapping up the masks, with retailers reporting they are having trouble keeping up with demand.

John Bell from the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, who owns a pharmacy in Woollahra, Sydney, said mask supplies were running low. …

“I think they’re of marginal benefit,” he said. “In a way they give some comfort to people who think they're doing as much as they can do to prevent the infection.” …

Dmitry Medvedev has accused Washington of reaching the limits of ”moral degradation” | The US has reached the limits of “cynicism” and “moral degradation” by claiming to sympathize with Russians while providing weapons that kill them, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said in a Telegram post on Thursday. ● The remarks came in response to a short video message published by the US embassy in Moscow on Wednesday, in which it highlighted the “commonness” of the cultures and achievements of both countries while stating that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine was “unworthy” of the Russian people. 💬 “The US spends tens of billions [of dollars] on the war in Ukraine, supplying enormous quantities of its weapons and exterminating thousands of people through a proxy [war],” the former president said, adding that Washington and its “lackeys” killing the Russian people would be never forgiven.

Manfred Weber, leader of the European People's Party, the largest in the European Parliament, on Thursday said that the European Union needs to switch to war economy against the backdrop of the Ukrainian crisis. | European countries are currently unable to quickly provide the necessary weapons "neither for their own defense, nor for Ukraine." In this regard the EU countries should increase their capacities for the production of weapons and ammunition, he said. Weber added that he was disappointed by the recent German-French talks, which resulted in "nothing concrete." In his opinion, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron have not yet been able to respond to "historical challenges."

■ Now Send Fighter Jets: Ukraine Wants Air Superiority After Securing Battle Tanks (TPV)

Nearly 3,000 more Britons are dying than average on a weekly basis, and it’s not Covid-19 that’s responsible | Troubled by national statistics showing 20% excess deaths per week, UK MPs have demanded an investigation, the Daily Mail reported on Tuesday. Unlike the last time excess deaths reached such levels, during the second Covid-19 wave, few of these deaths could be attributed to the virus. ● Speaking before the House of Commons on Tuesday, Conservative MP Esther McVey skewered Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty for blaming the spike in non-Covid excess deaths on “patients not getting statins or blood pressure medicines during the pandemic,” pointing out that the monthly figures for statin prescriptions had remained constant. 💬 “Where is the evidence? And if there isn’t one, what is causing these excess deaths?” she asked, demanding the minister “commit to an urgent and thorough investigation of the matter.” “Where is the evidence? And if there isn’t one, what is causing these excess deaths?” she asked, demanding the minister “commit to an urgent and thorough investigation of the matter.” Labour shadow public health minister Andrew Gwynne described health secretary Steve Barclay as “part man, part ostrich” over his refusal to confront the issue, accusing PM Rishi Sunak’s government of “denial and buck-passing.” “There were 50,000 more deaths than we would have otherwise expected in 2022,” he told the House of Commons on Tuesday. “Excluding the pandemic, that’s the worst figure since 1951.”

■ SHOCKING - 50 000 excess deaths in Britain (01/14/23)
■ Temporary morgues are being opened across UK to deal with surge in deaths (01/15/23)
■ Pandemic of the Vaccinated: Japan’s excess deaths are four times higher after Pfizer “booster” shots (01/14/23)
■ Sudden Death: The No. 1 Cause of Death for Under 65s in 2021 (01/12/23)
■ Flu/Covid Multi-Jabbing a Virtual Death Sentence (Stephen Lendman)

Annalena Baerbock made the admission in a debate with EU colleagues, pushing for the delivery of tanks to Kiev | Arguing in favor of sending tanks to Kiev, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said EU countries were fighting a war against Russia. US and EU officials have previously gone out of their way to claim they were not a party to the conflict in Ukraine. 💬 “And therefore I’ve said already in the last days – yes, we have to do more to defend Ukraine. Yes, we have to do more also on tanks,” Baerbock said during a debate at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Tuesday. “But the most important and the crucial part is that we do it together and that we do not do the blame game in Europe, because we are fighting a war against Russia and not against each other.” ● While Chancellor Olaf Scholz has insisted that Germany ought to support Ukraine but avoid direct confrontation with Russia, his coalition partner Baerbock has taken a more hawkish position. According to German media, her Green Party has been in favor of sending Leopard 2 tanks to Kiev, and eventually managed to pressure Scholz into agreeing. Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht, who was reluctant to send tanks to Ukraine, was pushed to resign.

Moscow’s envoy to the US said Washington seeks to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Russia using Ukraine as a “proxy” | Any American battle tanks sent to Ukraine will be destroyed by Russian forces, Moscow’s ambassador to the United States has warned, after media reports said the White House now plans to supply Kiev with heavy armor despite its previous refusals. ● Asked about the potential shipment of the M1 Abrams main battle tank to Ukraine, Russia’s ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, said the move would only escalate American involvement in the conflict and goes far beyond offering “defensive weapons.” 💬 “If a decision to transfer to Kiev M1 Abrams is made, American tanks without any doubt will be destroyed, as all other samples of NATO military equipment,” the envoy said, adding that “The Americans are constantly raising the ‘bar’ of military assistance to their puppet government.”

■ US May Send Up to 50 Abrams Tanks to Ukraine This Week, Media Reports
■ Scholz Decided to Send Leopard 2A6 Tanks to Kiev, German Media Reports
■ Switzerland makes decision on weapons for Ukraine
■ LIST OF FOREIGN AID TO UKRAINE DURING THE RUSSO-UKRAINIAN WAR
■ Why Russia should win the war in Ukraine (Eric Zuesse)

Pekka Haavisto previously proposed that Helsinki may consider joining the military bloc alone if Türkiye blocks Sweden’s bid | Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto has backpedaled on his previous remark in which he suggested Helsinki could move forward with its NATO application alone if Türkiye continues to block neighboring Sweden’s bid. Clarifying his position on Tuesday, the diplomat insisted that Helsinki’s goal of becoming part of the military bloc together with Stockholm remains unchanged.

■ Finnish Foreign Ministry admits possible accession to NATO without Sweden (01/24/23)

Heads up! The WEF lizard people are on the march to stop any mention or questioning of eating insects over beef, climate lockdowns, and Big Pharma's deadly mRNA clot shots European official warns Musk era of 'Wild West' for free speech is over: 'There will be sanctions' --Euronews Next reported that Europe is pushing legislation that will force online platforms to remove 'disinformation' | 23 Jan 2023 | European politician Věra Jourová warned Elon Musk from the World Economic Forum in Davos that Twitter will face "sanctions" if it does not shut down some forms of speech. Jourová, the European Commission's Vice President for Values and Transparency, told Euronews Next that Twitter may face penalties for enabling free speech in violation of European Union regulations. "The time of the Wild West is over," she said. "We will have the Digital Services Act [DSA]. We will have the Code of Practice as a part of this legislation," Jourová said. "So, after Mr. Musk took over Twitter with his 'freedom of speech absolutism' - we are the protectors of freedom of speech as well. But at the same time, we cannot accept, for instance, illegal content online and so on. So, our message was clear: we have rules which have to be complied with, otherwise there will be sanctions." [Jourová: No. And if you're on your fourth booster, it's likely that its your era that will soon be over.]

■ EU Globalist Threatens Elon Musk With “Sanctions” If He Allows Free Speech on Twitter (Summit News)
■ Davos: Foreign Minister Of Slovenia Demands That Nations “Respect The Rules Of The World Order” (Summit News)

HELSINKI, January 24 - RIA Novosti. Finland, which submitted a joint application for NATO membership with Sweden in May, may consider continuing the accession procedure without Stockholm, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said. | Sweden's relations with Turkey have deteriorated over the protests of the past few days in Stockholm. Ankara later said Sweden should not count on Turkish support for its NATO bid. 💬 "We need to assess the situation. Has something happened, that in the long run would hinder Sweden's progress in the project (joining NATO)? It's too early to talk about it," - Haavisto said on the air of the public broadcasting corporation YLE, answering the question if it makes sense for Finland to continue moving at the same pace as Sweden when approving the application. Finland and Sweden submitted a joint application to join the North Atlantic Alliance in May 2022, which has been ratified by 28 countries out of 30, with the exception of Hungary and Turkey.(Translation: DeepL.com)

Not all german politicians have forgotten history pic.twitter.com/0fU1vRX4Sq

— Levi (@Levi_godman) January 19, 2023

A legislator in the German Bundestag addressed the House today regarding the effort to supply German tanks to Ukraine, to use against Russia. Holy Sh*t did he strike a nerve; other Legislators openly gasped in horror! Watch the 30 second video with translation.

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has denied the claim, urging Radoslaw Sikorski to retract and “weigh his words” | Former Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has suggested that the government in Warsaw considered partitioning Ukraine in the first weeks of the military conflict between Kiev and Moscow. His comments came in an interview with Radio ZET on Monday, prompting a strong retort from the country’s prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki. ● Sikorski was asked if the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) government had ever entertained the idea of dividing up Ukraine. He replied by stating that 💬 there was “a moment of hesitation in the first 10 days of the war, when we all didn’t know how it would go, that maybe Ukraine would fall.” “Had it not been for the heroism of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and the help of the West, things could have been different,” Sikorski said. ● His remarks soon drew a reaction from Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who accused Sikorski of behaving “like a Russian propagandist.” [sic]

■ Ex-Polish FM deletes tweet implying US sabotaged gas pipeline (RT.com-29 Sep, 2022)(“Thank you, USA.”)

Should its territory be threatened, Russia will retaliate with “more powerful weapons,” the Duma speaker has said | A “global tragedy” could be in store for humanity if the West keeps supplying weapons to Ukraine, Russia's most senior lawmaker has warned. Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the State Duma, also suggested that Moscow could retaliate with more powerful arms, should its territory be threatened. Volodin’s remarks came days after a meeting at US Ramstein air base in Germany at which Western powers pledged to continue supporting Kiev. ● On Sunday, Volodin took to Telegram to point out that should the weapons provided by the US and fellow NATO member states be used to 💬 “strike civilian cities and to attempt to seize our territories, as they threaten [to do],” Moscow would respond with “more powerful weapons.” The Russian lawmaker went on to argue that Western officials should be aware of their responsibility to avert such a scenario. ● The Ukrainian leadership insists on regaining control of all the territories that were within the country's borders established following the collapse of the Soviet Union back in 1991. Kiev says it is prepared to retake those regions by force if Moscow refuses to relinquish them. Crimea became part of Russia following a referendum back in 2014, while four other regions followed suit last year. On Wednesday, the New York Times, citing several anonymous US officials, reported that the Biden administration is now more likely to consider providing Ukraine with striking capabilities needed to hit targets in Crimea.

■ Russia and West on verge of ‘real war’ – Lavrov (RT.com)
■ Putin ally says new weapons for Kyiv will lead to global catastrophe (Reuters)

■ Ex-Russian president predicts new anti-US military alliance | The Ukraine crisis may lead to the founding of a bloc of countries “fed up” with Washington, Dmitry Medvedev says. The continuous flow of military aid to Kiev clearly shows that the collective West is seeking to “wear out or, preferably, destroy” Russia, the country’s former president, Dmitry Medvedev, remarked on Sunday. The effort, however, may ultimately backfire for the US and its allies, he believes. 💬 “The meeting at Ramstein and the allocation of heavy weaponry to Kiev leave no doubt that our enemies will be trying to wear us out for an indefinite period of time, or, preferably, to destroy us,” the ex-president wrote. However, the prolongation of the hostilities in Ukraine may ultimately lead to the emergence of a new military bloc that brings together nations “fed up with the Americans,” Medvedev suggested. “This has always happened in the history of mankind during long wars. And the US then will finally abandon old Europe and what remains of the unfortunate Ukrainians, and the world will return to an equilibrium once again,” the former leader said, warning, however, that it might be “too late” before this happens.

“At a cost of tens of millions of pounds this pointless piece of theater is a slap in the face for millions of people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis,” an anti-monarchist protest group declared. | The UK’s King Charles has rejected pleas for a more modest coronation, royal aides have reportedly told British media, as an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis is forcing a shocking number of Britons out of their homes and into food banks. Promising the planned celebration will be “a glorious advertisement for the UK,” royal aides reportedly told the Sunday Times that Charles is “actively involved and engaged in” planning to ensure his coronation day is “a thing of splendor,” with “pomp, pageantry, braids, brass and fly-pasts.”