UN Food Chief Halved Refugee Meal Rations As Global Hunger Crisis Worsens

"Food riot risks continue to soar worldwide as the head of the food-aid branch of the United

Nations halved meal rations for refugees. 

On Monday, David Beasley, director of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), released a statement detailing "the heartbreaking decision to cut food rations for refugees who rely on us for their survival."

"As global hunger soars way beyond the resources available to feed all the families who desperately need WFP's help, we are being forced to make the heartbreaking decision to cut food rations for refugees who rely on us for their survival," Beasley said. 

Beasley pointed out that WFP already "significantly reduced" rations across its operating areas, indicating cuts up to 50% are affecting 75% of all refugees supported by WFP in Eastern Africa, including Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, and Uganda." ZH

Bank of Japan Spends A Record $81 Billion To Avert Collapse, But $10 Trillion JGB Market Is Now Completely Broken

"The amount of bonds the central bank has lent "temporarily" to financial institutions to
relieve supply tightness has hit a record, Bloomberg data show. The BOJ lent 3.2 trillion yen ($23.9 billion) of JGBs through its Securities Lending Facility on Thursday, well above the 2.3 trillion yen lent at the peak of coronavirus fears in March 2020. Bloomberg has calculated how much it cost the BOJ to preserve calm after last week's catastrophic slide in futures, and the answer is some 10.9 trillion yen ($81 billion) of government bond purchases last week, the most on record. " ZH

Fossil Fuel Disaster Accelerates As Australia Runs Low On Coal

"Australia’s biggest coal plant can’t get enough coal, as fossil fuel disaster accelerates

In its quarterly update, Origin confirms its view that the price rises were being driven by coal plant outages and high fossil fuel prices, and warns it will continue in at least the near term until more renewables can be brought into the grid.

“The challenges with coal delivery to Eraring Power Station are expected to persist into FY2023,” it says in its quarterly update.

“This is expected to result in a material increase in coal purchasing costs given high coal prices and continued exposure to high spot electricity prices." ZeroHedge

Moscow Claims Kalibr Strike Killed '50 Officers & Generals'

"Russian sources asserted that "Russian warships have destroyed a Ukrainian command center with Kalibr cruise missiles, killing dozens officers, Moscow's Defense Ministry reported on Sunday."

"More than 50 generals and officers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were killed," the official MoD statement said, detailing that it took place near the Shirokaya Dacha in Dnepropetrovsk Region, allegedly striking a compound that was being used as a meeting of trop brass from multiple Ukrainian army units." ZH

Did Europe's Latest (& Little Noticed) Anti-Russia Move Just Push The World Closer To WW3?

"Quite possibly the biggest Russia-West provocation of the entire four-month long war in

Ukraine has occurred this weekend, but few in the media establishment seem to be taking notice of the singular event which has the potential to quickly spiral toward a WW3 scenario.

Baltic EU/NATO member Lithuania has implemented a ban on all rail transit goods going to Russia's far-western exclave of Kaliningrad, after transport authorities initially announced the provocative measure on Friday. "The EU sanctions list notably includes coal, metals." This has given way to fears of panic buying breaking out in Kaliningrad Oblast, which is Russian sovereign territory on the Baltic Sea, but which is sandwiched between Lithuania and Poland, and is thus reliant on overland shipping for passage via its EU neighbors." 

ZeroHedge

Poland Pokes Holes in Biden Plan to Access Ukrainian Grain

"Biden has suggested building a host of silos on the Ukrainian-Polish border to help move the
globally relied upon grain out of the war-torn nation by rail.

However, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister, Henryk Kowalczyk, has poked holes in the plan, saying that — while he thinks it is “remarkably interesting” — the scheme is lacking in detail, and would likely take months to complete.

“…for the time being it is a preliminary declaration which requires many detailed solutions to be worked out,” Kowalczyk said in a post uploaded online." Breitbart

Russian TV Broadcasts Video of Captured Americans Fighting in Ukraine

"Russian television broadcasted a video Friday of two American military veterans who were
captured after assisting Ukrainian forces. NBC News reported Thursday the two, Andy Huynh, 27, and Alexander Drueke, 39, volunteered to assist Ukrainian forces against Russia’s invasion, which began in February." NEWSMAX

Zelensky visits war-torn southern city as battles rage

"Zelensky visited the war-damaged southern city of Mykolaiv on Saturday for the first time
since the Russian invasion as "fierce battles" raged again in the eastern Donbas region. Russian forces have directed their firepower on the east and south of Ukraine in recent weeks." France24

Japan deploys MSDF fleet to Indo-Pacific with eye on China

"Japan has dispatched a Maritime Self-Defense Force flotilla on a deployment to 11 Indo-
Pacific countries and one foreign territory as part of joint naval exercises with the United States and other countries undertaken to counter a more assertive China.

In the annual deployment that will run to Oct 28, the MSDF fleet will make port calls in the Pacific island nations of the Solomon Islands, Tonga and Fiji for the first time, according to the Defense Ministry.

The fleet will also take part in the Rim of the Pacific exercise -- the world's largest multinational naval exercise -- the Pacific Vanguard exercise involving Australia, Japan, the United States and South Korea, and other drills, the ministry said." JapanTimes

Abbott Infant Formula Plant Closed Again After Flooding

"EleCare specialty infant formula production at Abbott's Michigan plant has been halted after
severe storms triggered flooding in the plant. The closure comes less than two weeks after the factory resumed production following a months-long shutdown that fueled a national formula shortage." 

U.S. News&WorldReport

Thousands of cattle dead amid continuing heat wave

"Thousands of cattle in Kansas have died in recent days due to high heat and humidity, dealing
a blow to one of the country’s leading cattle production states as the industry grapples with extreme weather and rising production costs linked to the war in Ukraine." ABC

Russian-flagged ships transporting Ukrainian grain to Syria

"Russian-flagged ships have been carrying grain harvested in Ukraine last season and
transported it to Syria, U.S. satellite imagery company Maxar said." JustNews

5 injured as Ukrainian ballistic missile intercepted over Donetsk

"Five people have been injured in the town of Komsomolskoye in the southeast of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) in the wake of a Ukrainian missile strike that was intercepted by the local militias." RT

German Official Warns Of Gas Shortages, Bankruptcies, Massive Price Hikes That Will Send "Shockwaves Throughout The Country"

"A gas shortage and high prices will send “shockwaves through the country,” leading to
landlords cutting the heat for tenants and widespread company bankruptcies, warned Klaus Müller, the head of Germany’s Federal Network Agency, which is the regulatory office for electricity, gas, telecommunications, postal services, and railway markets. Müller says he expects gas prices to continue to climb, resulting in increased inflation that goes far beyond energy. He also warns that there will be a dramatic lack of gas in the winter, which could lead to landlords turning down the heat to save on energy. In turn, Germans may have to grapple with colder apartments." ZeroHedge

China ready to supply components for aircraft to Russia

"China is ready to supply components for aircraft to Russian airlines, Chinese Ambassador to Moscow Zhang Hanhui told TASS.

"We are ready to supply components to Russia, we are organizing such cooperation," he said. "[Airlines] are currently addressing [it], they have certain channels, there are no restrictions from the Chinese side," the diplomat added." Tass