China And Brazil Strike Deal To Ditch The US Dollar

"According to the Brazilian government, China and Brazil have reached a deal to trade in their
own currencies, ditching the United States dollar as an intermediary entirely, AFP reported.

The deal, Beijing’s latest salvo against the almighty greenback, will enable China, the top rival to US economic hegemony, and Brazil, the biggest economy in Latin America, to conduct their massive trade which amounts to $150 billion per year, and financial transactions directly, exchanging yuan for reais and vice versa instead of going through the US dollar. In doing so China extends its bilateral, USD-exempting currency arrangements beyond countries such as Russia, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to now include the Latin American exporting powerhouse." ZH

Russians hit 117 Ukraine’s settlements in past day.

"Over the past day, Russian troops shelled 117 settlements in nine regions of Ukraine.

"In general, 117 settlements were shelled from various types of weapons (small arms, mortars, tanks, artillery, MLRS, S-300 missile systems, UAVs, Kh-31 cruise missile, tactical aircraft). Damage to 70 infrastructure objects was confirmed," the Military Media Center reports." Ukrin

Three power engineers blown up by mine in Kherson Oblast, 2 of them killed

"Three power engineers have been blown up by a Russian mine in the village of Posad-
Pokrovske, Kherson Oblast. Two of them have been killed." Pravada

Austrian Lawmakers Stage Mass Walkout During Zelensky Speech

 "......Zelensky's latest speech. He addressed the lower house of Austria’s parliament via
video-link on Thursday. Not far into the speech, a large group of Austrian lawmakers staged a group protest and walked out all together. They left placards on their desks with the words "space for neutrality" and "space for peace". They are not happy at the current European and US stance which has blocked negotiations." ZH

France Buys 65,000 Tons Of LNG From China In First Ever Yuan-Denominated Trade

"France bought 65,000 tons of LNG using the Chinese yuan The liquified natural gas was
bought from the UAE, the payment is settled in the Shanghai Petroleum and Natural Gas Exchange, using Chinese yuan We are witnessing the end of the US dollar hegemony." ZhaoDashui

Ukrainian Forces have destroyed a large Russian ship: thousands of tons of fuel and ammunition are burning

"The "Orsk", a large landing ship from Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, has been destroyed in the
Russia-occupied port of Berdiansk. The fire has spread to other ships, fuel and ammunition." Pravada

Air-raid warnings issued all over Ukraine

"At 13:25, the warning was issued in the city of Kyiv, and then it spread rapidly across the
regions of Ukraine. Usually, it happens when the MiG-31K jet, capable of carrying a Kinzhal aeroballistic missile, takes off." Pravada

Russia Arrests WSJ Reporter On Suspicion Of 'Espionage'

"According to the Russian news agency Interfax, a Russian court has said Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is accused of espionage, will remain in detention until May 29. " ZH

Hungary, Poland Reject "Extremely Dangerous" EU NatGas Cutback Extension

"Hungary and Poland have both voted against the European Commission’s new proposal to
extend a regulation that requires a 15 percent reduction in the use of natural gas from member states....“Brussels is once again stealthily taking powers away from member states,” said Hungary’s top diplomat." ZH

Mark Hamill Plays ‘Luke Skywalker’ to Deliver Ukraine Air Raid Warnings

"Actor Mark Hamill has joined an increasingly long line of Hollywood stars seeking to insert
themselves into the Ukraine conflict with his voice, mustering a Jedi knight’s sonorous gravitas, now used on an air raid app to warn of incoming attacks from Russia." Breitbart

Russian reconnaissance company refuses to comply with command order

"The personnel of the Russian reconnaissance company refused to comply with orders, as did
70 people from Russian volunteer units." Pravada

Russians launch air strike on Kherson region

"Russian troops have launched another air strike on the Kherson region’s Beryslav. Former
production shops and houses were damaged, and a civilian was reported injured." Pravada

Russia Test-Fires Supersonic Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles In Sea Of Japan

"Russia's military has test-fired what its defense ministry (MoD) is describing as a supersonic
missile, launching it into the Sea of Japan.

The MoD confirmed in a Telegram announcement that its ships of the Pacific Fleet successfully fired two "Moskit cruise missiles at a mock enemy sea target" - hitting the mock warship from a distance of about 62 miles. Crucially the Moskit is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead." ZH

Ukrainian Soldiers Seen With Depleted Uranium Ammo In UK

"Ukrainian soldiers have been filmed alongside depleted uranium ammunition that Britain is
supplying to their country for the fight against Russia. Britain is gifting 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine together with depleted uranium shells, which Declassified revealed." Zerohedge

Explosions were heard and the air defence system was activated in Kyiv Oblast

"Explosions were heard and the air defense system was activated in Kyiv Oblast as several
Shahed drones were destroyed." Pravada

Hungary Approves Finland's NATO Membership, While Sweden Sidelined

"Hungary's parliament approved a bill approving Finland's bid to join NATO, days
after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said his country will do the same. But Sweden has been left out in the cold by both countries, despite the two Scandinavian countries previously pledging they would enter together." ZH

‘Mega strike’ hits Germany

"Airports, bus stops, and train stations were at a standstill across Germany on Monday, as
more than 400,000 public transportation employees took part in a 24-hour strike. The workers are demanding pay rises to compensate for inflation, which has soared in Germany since last year." RT

Ukrainian Forces Shell Villages in Russia’s Kursk Region

"Ukrainian troops shelled three villages in Russia's Kursk Region, disrupted power supply and damaged buildings.

None of the local residents were injured, the committee specified, adding that some agricultural facilities were damaged." Sputnik

UK's Delivery of Depleted Uranium Shells Will Affect Ukraine Agricultural Sector

"The use of depleted uranium ammunition in Ukraine will affect the country's agriculture
sector, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

On Tuesday, UK Minister of State for Defense Annabel Goldie said that the country will provide Ukraine with depleted uranium tank ammunition, including armor piercing shells for Challenger 2 battle tanks." Sputnik

Saudi State TV Torches Biden With Parody

"Saudi Arabia and Iran have agreed to restore diplomatic relations in an agreement brokered by China. This move comes after years of rivalry and several days of negotiating in China.

This is big news for many reasons. It signals serious Chinese headway into the oil-rich Middle East — previously the sole domain of the United States and its Western allies — as well as an unprecedented unity between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shi’ite Iran. 

Saudi Arabia TV, on its program Saudi Night Live, recently parodied the degenerate American president Joseph Biden.

Joe Biden was portrayed as a hapless buffoon on “SNL” — “Saudi Night Live.”

Saudi Arabia’s state-run television network aired a skit where the actor playing the president stumbles as he climbs the staircase leading to Air Force One while the comic portraying Vice President Kamala Harris looks on in horror.

The skit poked fun at the real-life gaffes of the 80-year-old Biden, who has had a penchant for frequently losing his balance.

In another snippet from the show “Studio 22” that went viral on Friday, the actor portraying Biden is seen wrapping up a speech and waving from a podium at the White House to two flags behind him." PJM

Russia will place nuclear weapons in Belarus

"Russian tactical nuclear weapons might arrive in Belarus as early as this summer, Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed. Moscow is completing the construction of a specialized storage facility for such arms, amid repeated calls by Minsk to deploy them on its soil, he added." RT

North Macedonia to transfer 12 combat helicopters to Ukraine

"Slavjanka Petrovska, North Macedonia's Defence Minister, has said that the Macedonian
government will offer to transfer 12 Mi-24 attack helicopters to Ukraine." Pravada

Ukrainian Forces Release Video of ‘Street Fight’ with Wagner Mercs in Bakhmut

"Ukrainian forces have released what they claim is video footage of a “street fight” between the State Border Guard Service and Wagner Group mercenaries in the key battleground city of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast.

The footage, uploaded to video sharing website YouTube by the Ukrainian border guard and highlighted by state media, shows Ukrainian troops firing rocket launcher-like devices from the shattered yard of a residential building while a dog mills around them nonchalantly." Breitbart

Leader of NATO Bulgaria Says No Warplanes, Missiles, or Tanks for Ukraine

"The leader of Bulgaria, a European Union and NATO member-state, says his country will not
use its arsenal of Soviet-era warplanes, air defense missiles, and tanks to bolster the Ukrainian war machine.

President Rumen Radev says “Bulgaria does not support and is not part of the general order for the supply of shells to Ukraine” he said in reference to an EU joint procurement program." Breitbart

Iran-Backed & US Occupation Forces Currently Battling In Eastern Syria

"US forces occupying Syria's northeast are in a high state of alert, and there are reports of
ongoing gunbattles with Iran-backed militias into the night hours. It's being widely acknowledged as the most serious fighting involving American forces there since 2019, with some of the latest rocket launches targeting Omar oil field, which has long been held by US and Kurdish forces.

US officials have acknowledge to the Times that there was some kind of failure in the base's anti-air systems: 

Two U.S. officials said the main air defense system at the base was “not fully operational” at the time, raising questions about whether the attackers had detected that vulnerability and exploited it, or just happened to send the drone at that time, according to people who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the investigation." ZH

Deutsche Bank Bloodbath Reignites Global Bank Crisis Fears

"Last night, amid the Fed's H.4.1 report, we noted an unprecedented surge in foreign official Repo ($60 billion) under the Fed's new FIMA repo facility, which means that the offshore scramble for dollars was alive and well, and someone  really needed access to USD. The assumption was that it was Credit Suisse (or UBS) shoring up some shortfalls, but with the action of the last couple of days, others are worrying that there is more afoot in the EU banking system.....Deutsche Bank stock has crashed to 5-month lows.....Deutsche Bank CDS is soaring (Commerzbank is also rising rapidly) - now higher than at peak of the COVID lockdowns....other Deutsche Bank AT1 bonds have plunged in price...." ZH

Gazprom Invited to Recover Object Found Near Nord Stream Pipeline

"Denmark has invited Russian energy giant Gazprom to help recover a mystery object that was spotted near the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline six months after sections of it were sabotaged....experts believe that the object could be a signal antenna to activate an explosive in that part of the pipeline." MT

Notorious Australian neo-Nazi joins Ukrainian forces to fight Russia

"Daniel Newman, ....extremist and a violent criminal, has flown from Australia to Ukraine to join the fight against Russian troops, Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) newspaper reported. 

The development coincides with efforts by Canberra to prevent violent extremists from traveling to the war-torn country to gain combat experience, SMH said.

Newman first traveled to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and then to Europe in February, before arriving in Ukraine this month, the report claims, adding that the man had supposedly told his associates he was planning to take up arms against Russian forces.

Newman is a member of an international extremist group named Combat 18, or C18. Founded in the UK in the early 1990s, it then expanded its network to other nations in Europe and beyond. The group’s members have reportedly been linked to several murders, including in the UK and Germany. In 2019, Canada put C18 on its terrorist list.

Newman himself was previously jailed for violent offenses in the Australian state of Victoria. He then helped Australia’s neo-Nazis forge connections with prison gangs as well as set up a cell in Tasmania." RT

Estonia Expels Russian Diplomat Engaged in Undermining Security and Propaganda

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia announced on Friday that it is expelling an
employee of the Russian Federation embassy from the country.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the diplomat took an active part in undermining the security and constitutional order of Estonia. "The diplomat in question has been engaged in directly and actively undermining Estonia’s security and constitutional order, spreading propaganda that justifies Russia’s military action and causing divisions in Estonian society," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated." Pravada

US launches airstrikes in Syria

"American forces have carried out retaliatory strikes in Syria in response to a deadly drone
attack on a US-led coalition base in the northeastern part of the country, the Pentagon has said.

One US contractor was killed while five American troops and a contractor were wounded after “a one-way unmanned aerial vehicle” struck a maintenance facility near town of Hasakah around midday, the Department of Defense reported. “The intelligence community assesses the UAV to be of Iranian origin,” it added.

In the same statement, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said he had been directed by President Joe Biden to authorize “precision airstrikes tonight in eastern Syria against facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).” RT

Ukraine's Security Service detains 2 Russian agents, including design engineer of Motor Sich plant

"The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) says that its cyber specialists have exposed two
agents of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) who conducted reconnaissance and subversive activities in Kyiv Oblast and Zaporizhzhia.....n early February 2023, the Ukrainians were recruited by a career employee of the FSB Department for the Altai Republic. Recruitment took place via a Telegram channel, where the suspects periodically published their pro-Kremlin comments." Pravada

Occupiers retreat from Nova Kakhovka

"all units of the occupying army deployed in the settlement of Nova Kakhovka in Kherson
Oblast have left the town".

As the General Staff states, this was preceded by searches in the houses of the local population with the aim of looting. The occupiers "confiscated" a large quantity of household appliances and electronic devices, jewellery, clothes and mobile phones." Pravada

Seymour Hersh: CIA Planted Nord Stream Cover-Up Story

"Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh published an article on Substack that said the CIA was instructed to come up with a cover story for the Nord Stream bombings that was fed to The New York Times and the German newspaper Die Zeit.

The cover-up story was created to shift blame from the US after Hersh’s bombshell report published on February 8 that said President Biden ordered the attack on the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines, which connect Russia to Germany. "It was a total fabrication by American intelligence that was passed along to the Germans, and aimed at discrediting your story," Hersh was told by a source within the American intelligence community.

Hersh said that the CIA was ordered to come up with a cover story after President Biden met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Washington on March 3. Scholz’s visit was very brief and did not include the routine joint press briefing that usually follows a meeting between the president and another world leader. Hersh was told that his report detailing how the US took out Nord Stream was discussed by Biden and Scholz." ZH

Russia to Introduce Benefits for Children Wounded in Ukraine

 "Russia will introduce special social security benefits for children wounded in the war in
Ukraine...." MT

US Moves Drone Flight Paths Further From Crimea On Russian Threats Of "Countermeasures"

"Russia is putting the US on notice after last week's drone intercept incident which resulted in an American MQ-9 Reaper drone crashing into the Black Sea. The Pentagon said it intended to continue patrolling international territory despite the Kremlin asserting it had closed down some airspace over the Black Sea as part of its 'special operation' in Ukraine.

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov in a new warning has said Moscow will take "countermeasures" against any further US or NATO drone flights over these parts of the Black Sea where the intercept incident occurred.

"We warn them against trying to play on their nerves, testing our patience," Ryabkov said, according to RIA Novosti. The US drone "was in a zone where we introduced a special regime associated with conducting military exercises," he said." ZH

Explosion rings out in Khmelnytskyi

"An explosion rang out in the city of Khmelnytskyi in western Ukraine after an air-raid warning was issued in Khmelnytskyi Oblast...... Air defence systems were activated in Kyiv and Zhytomyr oblasts following a Russian attack." Pravada

Crimean naval base attacked by drones

"At least three naval drones were involved in an early morning attack on Russian warships
stationed at the port of Sevastopol.....The Russian Navy’s assets were not damaged but the windows of several buildings near the coast were shattered by blast waves from the destroyed drones." RT

Russia reacts to Canadian call for ‘regime change’

"The Russian Foreign Ministry has summoned Canada’s top diplomat in Moscow to lodge a formal complaint, after the Canadian foreign minister made “inadmissible remarks” earlier this month.

Melanie Joly told a news conference on March 10 that Ottawa was seeking “potential regime change in Russia.” Members of the cabinet are “seeing potential” for that outcome thanks to their efforts to isolate “the Russian regime” economically, politically and diplomatically, she stated.

The Canadian charge d’affaires in Moscow, Brian Ebel, was summoned on March 20 and issued with a formal protest over the remarks, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. Moscow believes the comments to be “inadmissible and at variance with Canada’s obligations under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.” 

Joly made the “regime change” remark soon after Ottawa announced the latest round of anti-Russia economic sanctions, which included restrictions on trade in steel and aluminum. She later doubled down on using that term, claiming she always made a distinction “between the regime and the people of a given country.” RT

French MPs threatened with guillotine ahead of crucial vote

"French politicians are being threatened with the guillotine if they attempt to protect President Emmanuel Macron’s government from a pair of no-confidence votes in Parliament, according to a handful of MPs who claimed to have received death threats over the weekend. Police told French media that hundreds of such messages had been sent to lawmakers ahead of Monday’s vote." RT

Japan PM Kishida arrives in Kyiv

“Ukraine is happy to welcome Japan’s PM Kishida Fumio. This historic visit is a sign of
solidarity and strong cooperation between Ukraine and Japan. We are grateful to Japan for its strong support and contribution to our future victory,” Ukrainian First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Emine Dzheppar wrote on Twitter." UKRIN

Ukrainian drone attack repelled in Crimea

"Several Ukrainian drones were brought down by air defenses in the town of Dzhankoy in
Crimea....One of the UAVs was destroyed above a technical college, crashing to the ground between an academic building and a dormitory." RT

Russian attacks continue after ICC arrest warrant for Putin

"Widespread Russian attacks have continued in Ukraine following the International Criminal
Court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.....The Ukrainian Air Force said in the early hours that Ukraine was attacked by 16 Russian drones.....Among the areas targeted were the capital, Kyiv, and the western Lviv province." AlJazeera

North Korea simulates tactical nuclear strike

"North Korea says it fired a missile “tipped with a test warhead simulating nuclear payload”
as part of a two-day drill over the weekend, demonstrating the country’s firepower and readiness to respond to any “reckless moves,” amid joint military exercises on the peninsula by South Korean and US forces." RT

Putin makes surprise visit to Donbass

"Russsian President Vladimir Putin has made an unannounced “working trip” to Mariupol.
The surprise visit is the first time Putin has visted the Donbass region, since it de facto broke away from Ukraine nine years ago." RT

Is The US Funding An Experiment In Digital Control In Ukraine?

".....early February 2020, the Ukrainian government launched its Diia app for smartphones.  Developed by volunteers from EPAM Systems, Diia has been touted as a way to streamline government services.  By 2021 it had allowed Ukraine to become the first European nation to accord digital passports and one of the first to issue digital drivers’ licenses.  

Federov reported in 2021 that about one-fourth of the Ukrainian population was using it, and it was gaining in popularity.  As of January 2023, about half the adult Ukrainian

population was using it.

Within a year of its launch, millions of Ukrainians found that their personal data, such as driver’s licenses, social media information, and banking information, were being traded online.  There’s always been the risk of losing your wallet and your driver’s license, but with everything online, the risks of fraud and identity theft increase astronomically.

Early on in his presidency, Zelensky talked about streamlining the voting process via the app.  Aside from the fact that experts have never agreed about the safety of online voting, by July 2022, Zelensky had banned political opposition parties and shut down media companies with alternative views. Having one central app that controls everyone’s important documents makes it far easier for any ruling party to maintain its power. Controlling elections is only the beginning.  Diia launched in February 2020, and by March 2020, Diia was helping the Ukrainian government enforce its lockdown policies.

Shortly after the Russian invasion, Diia added all kinds of new wartime features.  Ukrainians can report Russian troop movements through Diia’s chatbot, eVorog (eEnemy).  Ukrainians can receive government payments even if they’re displaced.  But Diia doesn’t stop there.Diia encourages citizens to snitch on their neighbors.  The wartime features allow any citizen to anonymously accuse any other citizen of being a Russian collaborator.  Stalin’s rule in the Soviet Union demonstrated how wrong this can go.  Ukrainians hate Stalin, and rightfully so.  But using cutting-edge technology to encourage the exact same kind of community-destroying snitching is a page right out of his playbook." ZeroHedge

Indian Official: World Needs to ‘Move On’ from Ukraine

"Amitabh Kant, India’s

negotiator at the G20 summit, said on Wednesday that the world is too preoccupied with Russia’s war in Ukraine, and should “move on” to deal with issues such as global poverty. India currently holds the rotating presidency of the G20 and seems frustrated that the war in Ukraine is consuming all attention during its tenure. India has not condemned the war, as it buys a great deal of oil and military equipment from Russia and wishes to maintain good relations with both Moscow and the West." Breitbart