Dead bodies are being stored in makeshift morgues to deal with a backlog of deaths over the winter months as the United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS) struggles to cope and hospitals reach full capacity. Temporary mortuary sites are being opened up across the UK in a bid to deal with increased demand following a deadly Christmas/New Year holiday period. | Some sites that were erected to compensate for the number of Covid-19 deaths during the pandemic are now reopening their doors again. Others installed include one at a council gritting yard in Salisbury, Wiltshire, and another at a former landfill site near a nature reserve in Wollaston, Northamptonshire. It is estimated around 4,000 more Brits died than normal towards the end of the year - with a combination of flu, Covid and hospital and ambulance delays all blamed. As a result, the refrigerated units - some which resemble shipping containers - are being used to cope with the current winter death rates.

■ SHOCKING - 50 000 excess deaths in Britain (01/14/23)

Fixing the sabotaged pipelines and resuming imports from Russia would be cheaper than buying LNG, Saxony’s governor has said | The governor of the German state of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer, has called for the repair of the sabotaged Nord Stream pipelines, arguing that operators are running out of time before the vital gas link becomes unusable. In an interview with Germany’s Funke Media Group on Saturday, Kretschmer said that while 💬 “the issue of Russian gas is not on the table” as long as the conflict in Ukraine is ongoing, Germany must preserve the option to “buy something other than expensive liquefied natural gas after the war.” Therefore the Russian-German consortium responsible for Nord Stream “must ensure that the pipeline can be repaired.” “We’re running out of time. If the damage is not repaired, Nord Stream will become unusable for a long time.” ● Germany began importing Russian gas via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline in 2011, until deliveries were halted by Russia’s Gazprom in September after it said EU sanctions were impeding vital maintenance. Its sister pipeline, Nord Stream 2, was due to come online this year, but certification was indefinitely suspended by Berlin in February, days before Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a phone call on Saturday that London would send Kiev 12 Challenger 2 tanks. 💬 "The Prime Minister outlined the UK’s ambition to intensify our support to Ukraine, including through the provision of Challenger 2 tanks and additional artillery systems," Sunak's office said. ● Sunak and Zelenskyy also agreed on "the need to seize on this moment with an acceleration of global military and diplomatic support to Ukraine," in particular, welcoming the commitment by Poland and other countries to start sending tanks to Kiev.

■ UK PM confirms tank shipment to Ukraine

The growing role of digital currencies draws the attention of the world's governments seeking to find a way to stabilize their countries' financial systems by introducing new technologies. | The Bank of Tanzania is considering the introduction of a central bank digital currency (CBDC), the institution stated, saying that it "has adopted a phased, cautious and risk based approach" to the issue. ● The central bank is taking into account the experience of other states, noting that six countries have canceled the adoption of CBDC due to challenges in the implementation phase. ● In October 2021, Nigeria became the first African country to introduce the use of a central bank digital currency, eNaira. According to the country's government, the currency "serves as both a medium of exchange and a store of value, offering better payment prospects in retail transactions when compared to cash payments." South Africa and Ghana have been reported to participate in pilot CBDC projects, with several other African countries being in the research stage.

New communications equipment capable of working under strong radio-electronic impact has been supplied to the Belarusian army, the country's defense ministry said on Saturday. | The newly supplied armaments and military equipment are "capable of operating in conditions of strong radio-electronic impact, while ensuring accurate data transmission in digital mode to the end recipient," Belarusian State Authority for Military Industry (SAMI) deputy chief Oleg Mishchenko said. ● Army supplies prioritize radar and satellite communications equipment and electronic warfare tools, as well as the equipment for air defense, such as the Russian-made S-400 and Tor systems, which have already been put into service, the Belarusian defense ministry's broadcaster, VoenTV, reported within the same Telegram post.

■ Russia sends high-ranking military representative to closest ally (01/13/23)