Monday, May 31, 2021

Russia To Build Up Its Military Presence Along its European Borders In Response To US-Led NATO Bloc Build Up

A T-72 tank crosses a water obstacle via a floating bridge during a drill involving elements of the 5th Russian Army which are crossing local water bodies at Sergeyevsky Training Ground in the Primorye Territory, Russia. © Sputnik / Vitaliy Ankov 

RT: Russia to marshal 20 new military formations, armed with latest weaponry, in response to heightened NATO activity near its borders 

Russia has announced that it will revamp and upgrade its military presence along its European borders in response to a reported buildup by the US-led NATO bloc, as well as stepping up the presence of both its navy and warplanes. 

Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Monday that more than a dozen new units would be formed in the Western Military District, which covers much of the European portion of Russia, following increased activity in the region.  

Read more .... 

More News On Russia Building Up Its Military Presence Along its European Borders  

Russia to form 20 new military units in west to counter NATO -- AP  

Russia to deploy military units near border in response to NATO - minister -- Reuters  

Russia Plans to Build Up Troops Near Western Border to Combat Increasing Threat from NATO -- Newsweek 

Russia to Create About 20 New Units in Its Western Military District to 'Adequately' Counter NATO -- Spuntik

Pakistan's Economic Crisis Worsens As China Refuses To Provide Additional Loans Or Debt Relief

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan (2nd R) attends talks with China's President Xi Jinping (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on November 2, 2018. Photo: AFP / Thomas Peter / Pool  

Asia Times: Pakistan begs China for power debt forgiveness 

Islamabad may decline to pay Chinese banks it owes billions in perceived as onerous take-or-pay power production contracts 

PESHAWAR – Pakistan’s debt problems are escalating as liabilities due on China-funded energy projects established under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) surpass $31 billion and Beijing declines to restructure $3 billion in liabilities coming due that Islamabad possibly won’t pay. 

The debt load, owed largely for the building of independent power producers (IPPs) on take-or-pay power generation contracts, is substantially more than the $19 billion in total invested in the plants, according to reports and industry analysts. 

Pakistan is obliged to pay $5.9 billion to the power companies for take-or-pay capacity payments alone over the next four years by 2025. Those will entail more pay than take at current power usage rates.  

Read more ....  

Update: Pakistan economic crisis intensifies as China refuses to provide debt relief (ANI)  

WNU Editor: Three days ago I put up this post .... China’s Bond Defaults Are Exploding. What Does This Mean? (May 28, 2021). In short .... China is getting rid of all of its bad debts, zombie companies, and non-functioning assets. 

The Chinese are now implementing this policy towards countries that are deeply in debt to them, and who want to renegotiate better terms. Pakistan is one of those countries. 

But Beijing is treating these countries the same way that they are dealing with their own companies and institutions who are deeply in debt and who want to make a deal. Bottom line. There is going to be no renegotiating or debt forgiveness. You pay what you owe, and forget about getting any debt forgiveness. 

This is big news, and it will have global implications. 

As for Pakistan. They must have got the message last month when the Chinese said no to an expected  loan for a massive infrastructure project .... China reluctant to clear $6 billion loan for CPEC project over debt concern (Hindustan Times). Pakistan expected that money, and it must have come as a big surprise to them when China said no. Since then it has been all downhill for Pakistan, with access to credit becoming very difficult to obtain.

Peru Triples Its Pandemic Death Toll, Now Worst In The World Per Capita

 

Reuters: Peru revises pandemic death toll, now worst in the world per capita 

LIMA (Reuters) -Peru on Monday almost tripled its official COVID-19 death toll to 180,764, following a government review, making it the country with the worst death rate per capita, according to Johns Hopkins University data. 

Peru has been among the hardest hit Latin America countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, with its hospitals overcrowded with patients and demand for oxygen outstripping availability. 

Experts had long warned that the true death toll was being under-counted in official statistics. 

The government said it will now update its death count, which stood at 69,342 as of Sunday, in part because of a lack of testing that made it difficult to confirm whether a person had died due to the virus or some other cause.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Here is an easy prediction. When this is all over, Peru will not be the only country revising Covid-19 death totals. 

More News On Peru Revising Its Pandemic Death Total  

Covid: Peru more than doubles death toll after review -- BBC  

New data in Peru show COVID-19 death toll is over 180,000 -- AP  

Peru Revises Covid-19 Death Total to Triple Official Figures -- New York Times  

Peru triples coronavirus death toll, giving it the worst mortality rare in the world -- 9News  

Peru More Than Doubles Official Covid Death Toll to 180000 -- Bloomberg  

Peru adjusts COVID-19 death toll, now highest per capita overall -- Al Jazeera

UN's Nuclear Watchdog Says Iran Has Failed To Explain Uranium Traces Found At Several Sites

The IAEA suspects Iran has been boosting uranium enrichment since April, dampening hopes of salvaging the JCPOA  

RFE: UN's Nuclear Watchdog Says Iran Has Failed To Explain Uranium Traces 

The UN's nuclear watchdog agency said on May 31 that Iran has failed to explain traces of uranium found at several undeclared sites and that it continues to breach enrichment limits spelled out in the 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers. 

The news, outlined in two separate reports by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), could complicate talks currently underway in Vienna to revive the deal. 

One report by IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said that Tehran has failed to provide “the necessary explanation for the presence of the nuclear material particles at any of the three locations where the agency has conducted complementary accesses [inspections]."  

Read more .... 

More News On The UN's Nuclear Watchdog Saying Iran Has Failed To Explain Uranium Traces Found At Several Sites  

Iran fails to explain uranium traces found at several sites -IAEA report -- Reuters  

UN nuclear watchdog chides Iran over uranium enrichment -- DW  

Iran nuclear program: UN watchdog unable to access data since February -- The Guardian  

UN watchdog: Access to key Iranian data lacking since Feb 23 -- AP

Is 'Patient Su' Covid's Patient Zero?

China has been accused of fiddling statistics and distorting its role in the early days of the spread (Image: REUTERS)  

Daily Mail: Is 'Patient Su' Covid's Patient Zero? IAN BIRRELL, who's led the way in exposing Beijing's lies, reveals how a woman aged 61 was diagnosed with virus THREE weeks before China admits that it even existed 

* Mistake by Chinese official may have disclosed details of early Covid case 

* Error shows the woman, 61, lived about a mile from a coronavirus research lab 

* She was also close to a stop for the high-speed rail line that spread the virus 

A mistake by a leading Chinese official may have disclosed the name, address and details about one of the first people suspected of being infected with Covid-19 in Wuhan, three weeks before Beijing authorities claim they detected the initial case. 

The astonishing error, revealed in a screen-grab sent to a Chinese medical journal, shows that the 61-year-old woman, known as ‘Patient Su’, lived about a mile from one of the city’s main coronavirus research labs. 

She was also close to a stop for the high-speed rail line that is believed to have played a key role in spreading the virus around the city of 11 million people.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Scientists hunt for 'Patient Su' woman who could be mystery 'Covid patient zero' (Mirror)  

Update #2: 61-Year-Old Woman Living Near Wuhan Lab May Have Been 'Patient Zero' - Three Weeks Before CCP Claims First Case (Zero Hedge)  

WNU Editor: This new information on patient zero is coming from within China itself .... not from the West. The claim is that this was an accidental disclosure by a leading Chinese official. 

Hmmmm .... maybe not. 

My gut is telling me that there are probably many medical experts and specialists in China who are eager to tell the truth on the origins of Covid-19. And this may be the first of many leaks that will be "accidentally" released in the coming months.

Is Benjamin Netanyahu's Days As Israel's Prime minister Numbered?

 

 CBC: Benjamin Netanyahu is on cusp of being ousted, but don't write his political obituary just yet 

Coalition deal between rivals must still be approved in parliament, and Israeli PM has proven resilient 

A flurry of promises, backroom deal-making and last-minute shifts in political allegiance marked what seems to be the final days of Benjamin Netanyahu's long tenure as prime minister of Israel. 

When the dust settled, Naftali Bennett, Netanyahu's former defence minister and chief of staff, appeared poised to emerge as prime minister, leading an unlikely coalition that spans the breadth of the Israeli political spectrum — from hawkish right-wing parties to centrists and left-wing activists.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The media narrative for the entire weekend was that Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's days were numbered. 

Maybe so. But not today. 

More News On The Efforts To Replace Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu 

Israel's Lapid says 'many obstacles' remain before forming coalition -- AFP  

Netanyahu's opponents hashing out deal as deadline looms -- Politico/AP 

Israel: who are the politicians trying to oust Netanyahu? -- The Guardian  

Is Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year reign OVER? Rivals of Israel's longest-serving PM agree to form coalition government -- Daily Mail

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Says There Is No Common Ground Between The U.S. And Russia In The Upcoming Biden - Putin Summit

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov's comments came as Russia's ties with the US and its Western allies are languishing at post-Cold War lows [File: Thomas Peter/Pool via Reuters]  

CNBC/Reuters: Russia tells U.S. to expect ‘uncomfortable’ signals ahead of Putin-Biden summit  

Russia said on Monday it would send what it described as “uncomfortable” signals to the United States ahead of a summit between the two countries’ leaders next month and announced it was beefing up its western border militarily. 

The comments came a day after U.S. President Joe Biden said he would press Russian President Vladimir Putin to respect human rights when the two leaders meet in Geneva on June 16. Relations between the two powers are at post-Cold War lows. 

“The Americans must assume that a number of signals from Moscow ... will be uncomfortable for them, including in the coming days,” Sergei Ryabkov, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, was quoted as saying by the RIA news agency.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: We now know where the Biden-Putin summit is going to take place .... Geneva Hotel That Could Host Putin-Biden Summit Has All Rooms Booked for Mid-June (Sputnik). 

More News On Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister's Remarks On The Upcoming Biden - Putin Summit  

Pre-summit agendas of Moscow, Washington do not coincide, senior diplomat says -- TASS  

Russia warns U.S. of 'uncomfortable' signals ahead of Biden-Putin summit -- The Hill  

Russian ministers signal defensive posture ahead of Putin-Biden summit next month -- DW  

Russia threatens Biden with 'uncomfortable signals' in chilling warning ahead of summit -- Daily Express  

Russia tells US to expect ‘uncomfortable’ signals ahead of summit -- Al Jazeera

This US Vice-Admiral Is Praising The Navy's Littoral Combat Ships In The South Shina Sea

The Independence-variant littoral combat ships USS Montgomery (LCS 8) and USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) operate in the South China Sea, accompanied by an MH-60S Sea Hawk assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23, Jan. 28, 2020. US Navy photo  

USNI News: 7th Fleet CO: Deployed LCS USS Gabrielle Giffords ‘Pretty Much Owned’ South China Sea 

The Navy is now pushing the Littoral Combat Ships out into the Pacific in force after more than a decade of stops and starts and studies. 

Today, there are two LCS deployed to the western Pacific – USS Tulsa (LCS-16) and USS Charleston (LCS-18) . By the end of the year there’ll be four and the end of 2022 there could be eight, the commander of U.S. Japan-based 7th Fleet said on Thursday. 

“Before you start throwing darts, I’m a big fan of the platform,” Vice Adm. Bill Merz said on Thursday, speaking at the Mine Warfare Association International Mine Technology Symposium.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Vice Adm. Bill Merz may want more littoral combat ships, but the Pentagon has other plans .... Navy Tries to Cut Four Littoral Combat Ships to Save $186M in FY 22 Budget (USNI News).

US Military Wants To Harvest Solar Energy In Space And Beam It To Earth

 

Science Times: Space Solar Power Could Revolutionize Energy As US Air Force Plans to Harvest This Unlimited Source 

Around two months ago, Space.com reported that a US military space plane is being tested to gather space solar power from the Sun while flying on Earth's orbit. 

The classified mission of the X-37B robotic space plane of the US Space Force flew past 300 days in Earth's orbit that is said to carry the research Photovoltaic Radio-frequency Antenna Module Flight Experiment (PRAM-FX) that investigates transforming solar energy and convert it into RF power.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: US Air Force Plans to Harvest Solar Energy in Space, Send It to Earth (Gadgets360) 

Update #2: US Military Plans To Harvest Solar Energy In Space, Beam It To Earth (Zero Hedge)  

WNU Editor: I first heard about this concept about 20 years ago. It looks like the technology and engineering has now caught-up to make it practical.

West Africa Leaders Suspend Mali From The Regional Bloc Over Coup

 

 France 24: West African bloc ECOWAS suspends Mali over coup 

West African leaders decided at an extraordinary summit on Sunday to suspend Mali from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bodies after a second coup in nine months by the poor Sahel country's military, but stopped short of reimposing sanctions. 

The putsch had sparked warnings of fresh sanctions and deep concerns over stability in the volatile Sahel region. 

Ten regional heads of state and three foreign ministers attended the summit in the Ghanaian capital Accra, with former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan serving as mediator in the crisis. 

"The suspension from ECOWAS takes immediate effect until the deadline of the end of February 2022 when they are supposed to hand over to a democratically elected government," Ghana's Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey said after the meeting.

Read more .... 

 More News On West Africa Leaders Suspending Mali  

West Africa leaders suspend Mali from region bloc over coup -- AP  

Mali Coup: Mali president chop Ecowas suspension, order to return to civilian rule -- BBC  

ECOWAS suspends Mali after second coup in nine months -- The Cable 

ECOWAS suspends Mali over second coup in nine months -- Al Jazeera

China Scrambles To Save China-EU Investment Deal And Pushes To Shelve Sanctions

SCMP: China-EU investment deal: Beijing calls on France to help unfreeze debate, shelved over sanctions 

Beijing has called on France to help restart discussions on an investment treaty between China and the European Union (EU), after Brussels voted last week to freeze talks until sanctions on European lawmakers were dropped. 

China’s commerce ministry said in a statement on Wednesday minister Wang Wentao had raised the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) in a video conference call with Franck Riester, the French minister delegate for foreign trade. 

“It is hoped that France will play an active role in boosting the signing and entry-into-effect of the pact as soon as possible,” Wang said during the meeting on Tuesday, adding it was a “win-win agreement”.  

Read more ....  

Update: China Scrambles To Save EU Investment Deal After Xi's Hardline Diplomacy "Backfires" (Zero Hedge)  

WNU Editor: The Chinese are not only focusing on France to reverse this EU decision .... Spanish PM touts EU recovery plan opportunities to China's Xi (Today Online).

WHO Director-General Wants A Pandemic Treaty

World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva  

Reuters: WHO's Tedros says "time has come" for pandemic treaty 

GENEVA (Reuters) - The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) called on Monday for speedily launching global negotiations to agree on an international treaty on pandemic preparedness and response. 

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, also told a closing session of its annual week-long ministerial assembly that the U.N. agency required sustainable and flexible funding.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Talks on this treaty are to begin in November .... WHA to hold pandemic treaty talks in November (CIDRAP). The leadership of WHO may want this treaty, but there is major opposition to it .... US and Russia seek to squash talks for pandemic treaty (Politico.eu). 

As to what is my take. 

WHO completely failed in the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Delaying in calling this a pandemic when other major countries were doing so last year still irks me. And now they want more power and authority?!?!?! 

The first thing that should happen is the leadership of the World Health Organization being held accountable for their mishandling of this pandemic. 

But here is an easy prediction. 

That is the last thing that the WHO Director-General Tedros wants.

WHO-Affiliated Expert Says US Must Share Intelligence On Covid Origins

A logo is pictured outside a building of the World Health Organization (WHO) during an executive board meeting on update on the coronavirus outbreak, in Geneva, Switzerland, February 6, 2020. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo  

The Guardian: US must share intelligence on Covid origins, WHO-affiliated expert says 

Theory that coronavirus leaked out of a Wuhan lab was ‘not off the table’, Dale Fisher says 

A health expert affiliated with the World Health Organization has called on the US to share any intelligence it has about the origins of the coronavirus outbreak with the WHO and the scientific community. 

Last week the Wall Street Journal cited US intelligence agencies who said they were told that three unnamed members of staff at a lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan were sick enough to go hospital in November 2019 with Covid-like symptoms. 

US intelligence chiefs later stressed they did not know how the virus was transmitted initially, but that they had two theories: either it emerged naturally from human contact with infected animals, or it was a laboratory accident.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: So this WHO-affiliated expert is saying the US intelligence community must share how they got their data and their intel with the World Health Organization. Here is an easy prediction. That is not going to happen.

The Pentagon's Upcoming UFO Report, Explained (Video)

 

WNU Editor: The Pentagon's UFO report is to be released to Congress on June 25 (or sooner). I personally do not expect any surprises. But this debate has definitely become mainstream in Washington DC .... How Harry Reid, a Terrorist Interrogator and the Singer From Blink-182 Took UFOs Mainstream (Politico).

US National Security Agency Reportedly Spied On German Chancellor Angela Merkel And Other Top European Politicians With Denmark's Help

 

DW: Danish secret service helped US spy on Germany's Angela Merkel: report 

Denmark's complicity in the NSA spying scandal against German politicians has been revealed in a joint European media investigation. 

Denmark's secret service helped the US National Security Agency (NSA) spy on EU leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a European media investigation published on Sunday revealed. 

The disclosure that the US had been spying on its allies first came to light in 2013, but it is only now that journalists have gained access to reports detailing the support given to the NSA by the Danish Defense Intelligence Service (FE).  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Germany wants answers .... Germany seeks ‘clarification’ over media report claiming Denmark’s secret service helped NSA spy on Merkel (RT). More here .... Europe demands answers after US-Danish spying claims (France 24). 

More News On The US National Security Agency Reportedly Spying On German Chancellor Angela Merkel And Other Top European Politicians With Denmark's Help 

NSA spying row: Denmark accused of helping US spy on European officials -- BBC  

U.S. spied on Merkel and other Europeans through Danish cables - broadcaster DR -- Reuters  

Denmark helped US spy on Merkel and European allies, says report -- France 24  

Denmark helped US spy on Angela Merkel and European allies – report -- The Guardian  

US security agency spied on Merkel, other top European officials through Danish cables -- Euractiv  

The US reportedly spied on Angela Merkel and other top European politicians with Denmark's help -- Business Insider  

France says allegations of US espionage on European leaders are ‘extremely serious’ & may have ‘consequences -- RT  

Did Denmark help the US spy on European leaders? -- Euronews/AP

Memorial Day -- The First Proclamation

HEADQUARTERS GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC

General Orders No.11, WASHINGTON, D.C., May 5, 1868

I. The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet church-yard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.

We are organized, comrades, as our regulations tell us, for the purpose among other things, "of preserving and strengthening those kind and fraternal feelings which have bound together the soldiers, sailors, and marines who united to suppress the late rebellion." What can aid more to assure this result than cherishing tenderly the memory of our heroic dead, who made their breasts a barricade between our country and its foes? Their soldier lives were the reveille of freedom to a race in chains, and their deaths the tattoo of rebellious tyranny in arms. We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. All that the consecrated wealth and taste of the nation can add to their adornment and security is but a fitting tribute to the memory of her slain defenders. Let no wanton foot tread rudely on such hallowed grounds. Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.

If our eyes grow dull, other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain to us.

Let us, then, at the time appointed gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with the choicest flowers of spring-time; let us raise above them the dear old flag they saved from dishonor; let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us a sacred charge upon a nation's gratitude, the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan.

II. It is the purpose of the Commander-in-Chief to inaugurate this observance with the hope that it will be kept up from year to year, while a survivor of the war remains to honor the memory of his departed comrades. He earnestly desires the public press to lend its friendly aid in bringing to the notice of comrades in all parts of the country in time for simultaneous compliance therewith.

III. Department commanders will use efforts to make this order effective.

By order of

JOHN A. LOGAN,
Commander-in-Chief

N.P. CHIPMAN,
Adjutant General

Official:
WM. T. COLLINS, A.A.G.

The CIA Remeber Their Fallen On Memorial Day

CBS: Secret concert held for children of fallen heroes 

Each year, intelligence professionals, special operators and the children of fallen heroes gather for a heartfelt cause — with no written invitations and a time and place so secret, it's on a need-to-know basis. 

A professional keeper of secrets, retired CIA officer Mark Kelton now sits on the board of an event so cloak and dagger, even the name is shrouded in secrecy. 

"We like to call it a 'covert concert event,'" he told CBS News' Catherine Herridge. "We come from a secret world, it's on a need-to-know basis, and that adds somewhat to the mystique of the event." 

Some past performers are far from unknown – ZZ Top, The Steve Miller Band and Peter Frampton. One year, Lenny Kravitz rubbed shoulders with a four-star general. 

To date, more than $3.5 million in scholarships has been raised for the CIA, Special Operations and Defense Intelligence memorial foundations. 

 Read more ....

WNU Editor: This year's concert emcee and a scholarship recipient was Alison Spann. Her CIA-officer father, Mike Spann, was the first American killed in Afghanistan after 9/11.

More Memorial Day Video Tributes

MEMORIAL DAY (VIDEO TRIBUTES)

Memorial Day Video Tribune

My Favorite Military Tribute Video


My Comment: Every Memorial Day this is the video that I play .... and today is no exception.

My Three Pics For Memorial Day



The photo, taken by The New York Times’s Todd Heisler, while he was a staff photographer at The Rocky Mountain News in 2005. The night before the burial of her husband’s body, Katherine Cathey refused to leave the coffin, asking to sleep next to his body for the last time. The Marines made a bed for her. Associated Press/Rocky Mountain News, Todd Heisler

The When And Where 1.2 Million Americans Died Fighting Wars Since The American Revolution



ABC News: Memorial Day: When and Where 1.2M People Died Fighting for America

At least 1.2 million people have died fighting for America during its wars dating back 241 years, according to Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs data.

Most died in battle, while many others never landed abroad but are no less honored on this Memorial Day.

Here’s a by-the-numbers breakdown of when and where they died, as of May 27, starting with the American Revolution:

Read more ....

Tweets Of The Day

The Royal Navy’s Most Powerful Warships Have Spent Most Of Their Time In Port Due To Serious Maintenance Issues

HMS Portland had not left harbour since 2018 and has only been at sea for 41 days in the last four yearsCredit: PA:Press Association  

The SUN: HIGH & DRY Royal Navy’s most powerful warships spend year stuck in port with maintenance problems 

TWO of the Royal Navy’s most powerful warships have spent the past year stuck in port with maintenance problems, defence chiefs have admitted. 

The £1billion Type 45 destroyers have been docked in Portsmouth while Russia steps up its hostile presence around British waters. 

HMS Daring has not spent a single day at sea since 2017, when it sailed for a total of just 85 days.

Its 8,000-ton sister ship HMS Duncan was also confined to Portsmouth for the whole of 2020. 

Navy chiefs discovered problems with the engines of the six Type 45 destroyers in 2016 but it has taken taken years to solve the issue.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: This is a sobering stat .... Latest MoD figures show all six destroyers spent a total of 339 days at sea for the whole of 2020.

Picture Of The Day

Sunlit Transit The Coast Guard cutters Maui and Robert Goldman travel in the Persian Gulf, May 24, 2021.

U.S. Air Force Plans To Buy 145 B-21 Raider Bombers

Warzone/The Drive: Plan To Buy 145 B-21 Raider Bombers Gets Endorsement From Biden Air Force Nominee 

The Air Force wants to acquire a B-21 fleet that is nearly seven times bigger than its current B-2 stealth bomber force. 

Frank Kendall, President Joe Biden's nominee to become the next Secretary of the Air Force, says he supports the service's current position that it needs to acquire at least 145 stealthy B-21 Raiders in the coming years. These aircraft, work on which is steadily progressing, are set to supplant its existing B-2 Spirit stealth bomber fleet, which comprises just 21 jets, in total, not all of which are available for combat operations, as well as its aging B-1Bs. 

Kendall, who has worked in the halls of the U.S. government in the past, including for a time as Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, made his remarks about the B-21 fleet during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on May 25, 2021. Then-Air Force Chief of Staff General David Goldfein had first publicly mentioned plans for a B-21 fleet with 145 aircraft during a separate congressional hearing in 2020.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The US Air force has a long way to go before we see 145 operational B-21 bombers.

Sunday, May 30, 2021

Two GOP Lawmakers Launch A Whistleblower Site To Combat 'Woke Ideology' In The U.S. Military

Zero Hedge/Epoch Times: "We Are Going To Expose You": Crenshaw, Cotton Create Military Whistleblower Site To Combat 'Woke Ideology' 

Two GOP lawmakers this week launched a campaign calling on whistleblowers in the military to come forward with their experiences in training programs that promote critical race theory or “diversity, equity, and inclusion.” 

  “We won’t let our military fall to woke ideology,” Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), a former Navy SEAL, wrote in a tweet on Friday while linking to a website where informants can submit their accounts. 

   “With written permission, we will anonymously publish egregious complaints on social media and tell the country what’s happening in our military.” 

“For too long, progressive Pentagon staffers have been calling the shots for our warfighters,” said Crenshaw about the web page posted in conjunction with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), a former Army captain.  

Read more ....  

WNY Editor: My gut tells me that this "whistle blower" site is going to be flooded with stories. The website is here .... Whistleblower Form.

President Biden And His Allies Received Campaign Cash From A Top Russia Lobbyist In 2020 Before Nord Stream 2 Decision

© Provided by Washington Examiner  

NYPost: Biden received funds from top Russia lobbyist before Nord Stream 2 giveaway 

President Biden and his allies raked in campaign cash from a top Russia lobbyist in 2020, just months before his administration’s decision to scrap sanctions on a controversial firm building a Russian oil pipeline to Germany. 

Richard Burt, a managing partner at McLarty Associates and a former US ambassador to Germany during the Reagan administration, ponied up $4,000 for Joe Biden in October 2020 and dropped another $10,000 in the lefty-aligned political action committee Unite The County in March 2020, FEC records show. 

In addition to violating Biden’s own campaign pledge not to take lobbyist cash, the money from Burt is particularly noteworthy as he is currently directly engaged in lobbying activities for Nord Stream 2 AG.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Biden received funds from top Russia lobbyist before Nord Stream 2 giveaway (FOX News) Update #2: Biden received funds from Russian lobbyist before conceding on major pipeline: Report (Washington Examiner)  

WNU Editor: They returned the money when the Post broke the story.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu May Be Ousted By An Opposition Coalition

 

The Guardian: Israeli opposition figures reach deal aimed at ousting Netanyahu 

Far-right politician Naftali Bennett says he has agreed to a deal with Yair Lapid to forge a coalition government 

The far-right Israeli politician Naftali Bennett and opposition leader Yair Lapid have agreed to forge a coalition government that would oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from his 12 straight years in power. 

“It’s my intention to do my utmost in order to form a national unity government along with my friend Yair Lapid, so that, God willing, together we can save the country from a tailspin and return Israel to its course,” said Bennett, a former settler leader and religious nationalist, in a televised address.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu has responded to the formation of this new coalition .... Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu fires back at coalition effort to oust him: 'Fraud of the century' (FOX News). 

More News On Israeli Opposition Leaders Joining Together To Oust Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 

Rivals Move Closer to Ousting Him, Forming Government -- Bloomberg  

Israeli opposition parties reach agreement to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- Washington Post

Israeli opposition inch closer to deal to oust Netanyahu -- BBC  

Israel: Netanyahu rival agrees to join coalition to unseat him -- DW  

Benjamin Netanyahu, the longest-running Israeli prime minister, could be ousted in days after rivals agree to work on unity government -- CNN  

Netanyahu could lose PM job as rivals attempt to join forces -- AP

Israeli coalition says it has votes to unseat Netanyahu -- The Hill  

Anti-Bibi bloc inches closer to ousting unsinkable Israeli PM as Netanyahu’s last-ditch bid for government rotation rejected -- RT 

Netanyahu Faces Shocking Ouster After Israeli Opposition Reaches Deal To Form Government -- Zero Hedge

ABC News Admits That Former President Trump May Have Been Right When He Said The Pandmic Began From A Wuhan Lab Leak

WNU Editor: I expect more media admissions in the coming days and weeks. 

I have also discovered that many are now more openly talking about this theory than in the past. Was listening to a podcast this afternoon, and the host admitted that since President Biden started to talk about it, he now feels confident that he can talk about it without fear that Facebook and Twitter may cancel him out.

China Says Covid Origins Probe Should Be Focused On U.S. Military Labs

In this Feb. 24 photo, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian speaks during a daily briefing at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Beijing. © Andy Wong/AP  

Washington Post: As U.S. calls for focus on covid origins, China repeats speculation about U.S. military base 

China reacted angrily to the Biden administration’s calls for a harder investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, by accusing the United States of hypocrisy and suggesting it needed to open its own biological laboratories to international inspection.

Speaking at a media briefing in Beijing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian said that President Biden’s call for more scrutiny of the still-disputed origins of coronavirus was politically motivated and showed that the United States “does not care about facts and truth, nor is it interested in serious scientific origin tracing.”  

Read more ....  

Update: China counters Biden's Covid origins lab probe ... by calling for a US lab probe (CNN)  

WNU Editor: These Chinese claims and statements are being made to influence Chinese public opinion .... not international opinion.And from what I am hearing. It has been very effective.

Russia Bails Out Belarussian President Lukashenko Again

 

Daily Mail: President Putin and Belarus leader Lukashenko 'agree loan deal' during a yacht tour in Sochi amid international uproar over the hijacking of Ryanair flight to detain dissident journalist 

* Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko went on a yacht tour in Sochi today 

* Russia will move ahead with a second £352million loan to Belarus next month 

* Lukashenko ordered hijacking of Ryanair plane as it crossed Belarusian airspace 

* Dissident blogger Roman Protasevich and girlfriend Sofia Sapega were arrested 

Vladimir Putin and Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko have 'agreed a loan deal' during a yacht tour in Sochi amid international uproar over the hijacking of a Ryanair flight to detain a dissident journalist. 

The Russian President and Mr Lukashenko held a second day of talks - as well as a yacht tour - in the southern Russian city of Sochi on Saturday. 

The former-Soviet superpower will move ahead with a second £352million loan to Belarus next month amid the latest standoff with the West.  

Read more .... 

More News On President Putin and Belarus Leader Lukashenko Meeting In The Southern Russian City Of Sochi  

Vladimir Putin hosts Alexander Lukashenko amid wave of criticism from the West -- DW  

Russia Ready To Send $500 Million Loan Tranche To Belarusian Government -- RFE  

Russia confirms $500m loan for Belarus as West toughens sanctions -- Al Jazeera  

Russia confirms second loan for Belarus in talks in Sochi -- Global Times  

WNU Editor: Throwing good money after bad. That is how I describe this. 

I also noticed that Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko brought his son (and presumed heir) to this meeting with Putin on his boat. 

President Biden Sends A Warning To Xi And Putin In A Memorial Day Speech

 

FOX News: Biden sends Xi, Putin warning while remembering son Beau, fallen troops in Memorial Day speech 

President Biden sent a warning to the presidents of China and Russia during his Memorial Day address on Sunday. 

"I had a long conversation for two hours recently with [Chinese] President Xi [Jinping], making it clear to him we could do nothing but speak out for human rights around the world because that's who we are," Biden said.

"I'll be meeting with [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin in a couple weeks in Geneva making it clear that we will not stand by and let him abuse those rights."  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Biden pays tribute to late son Beau during Memorial Day remarks in Delaware as he vows to tell Putin US will 'not stand by and let him abuse human rights' (Daily Mail)  

Update #2: 'This is a hard day for us': Biden honors son Beau in Memorial Day remarks on anniversary of his death (USA Today)  

WNU Editor: This is news that I did not know. President Biden says he had a two-hour call with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

President Biden's White House Is 'A Monday-Through-Friday Kind Of Place'

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden return to the White House after a trip to Camp David, in Washington, March 21, 2021. REUTERS/Erin Scott  

CNN: For Biden, the White House is 'a Monday-through-Friday kind of place' 

(CNN)Beginning in 1973, when he was a United States Senator from Delaware, Joe Biden had a ritual: nearly every evening he would hop a train back to Wilmington after his work day on Capitol Hill, spending most nights and weekends at the place he considered home, 100 miles from Washington. 

Doing so earned him the nickname "Amtrak Joe," and in 2011, the Wilmington depot was renamed the Joseph R. Biden Jr. Railroad Station. In all, he took more than 8,000 of those roundtrips during his 36 years in the Senate and, though less frequently, his eight years as vice president, no small feat for a busy politician. 

Turns out old habits die hard. 

Since taking office four months ago, the President has spent more weekends away from the White House than he has stayed there, almost three times as many. Counting this Memorial Day weekend, Biden has been in Wilmington nine weekends and passed five weekends at the presidential retreat, Camp David, in rural Maryland. The numbers far exceed any modern president's weekends off-campus at this point in his tenure. 

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The White House says he is busy from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM on weekdays (Monday to Friday) . I am not sure about that. When compared to Presidents Obama and Trump, his schedule looks very light .... Joe Biden - President's Public Schedule (Factbase)

Chinese Warships Patrolling Off America's East Coast?

June 20, 2016: A Chinese fleet participates in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) multinational naval exercises with US warships in west Pacific Ocean. /Xinhua Photo  

Gordon G. Chang, Gatestone Institute: Coming Soon: China's Navy Patrolling Off New York 

* Chinese planners are not only thinking of the continent [Africa], they are also eyeing islands in the Atlantic, specifically Terceira, one of the Azores. 

* On that island, part of Portugal, there is a port and, of even greater interest, Air Base No. 4. Better known as Lajes Field, the facility is jointly operated by the U.S. Air Force and its Portuguese counterpart. 

* If China controlled the base, the Atlantic would no longer be secure.... Chinese planes could patrol the northern and central portions of the Atlantic and thereby cut air and sea traffic between the U.S. and Europe. Beijing would also be able to deny access to the nearby Mediterranean Sea. 

* Pentagon budget cutters have been scaling back activities at Lajes, making it a "ghost base." As a result, Lajes is ripe for China to take it over. 

* China could get a base even closer than [Lajes]. About 90 miles east of Palm Beach, on Grand Bahama Island, a Hong Kong-based business is spending about $3 billion on a deep-water container facility, the Freeport Container Port.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Before the Chinese navy patrol the east coast, they will first be patrolling the west coast.

Are Two Iranian Warships Headed To Venezuela?

US security agencies are keep a close eye on two Iranian naval vessels that may be headed toward Venezuela. The former oil tanker, Makran, is one of two ships currently sailing south along the east coast of Africa 

Daily Mail: US security agencies are monitoring TWO Iranian warships 'heading towards Venezuela' amid fears they could be used to intimidate Washington 

* Two Iranian warships are headed south along the east coast of Africa 

* It's unclear where they are headed, but US security experts believe they may be traveling toward Venezuela 

* Iran and Venezuela have become close allies in the past decade; both have been heavily sanctioned by the US 

* Venezuela is located just 1,500 miles from mainland America, and Iranian warships in the region may intimidate Washington 

US security agencies are keep a close eye on two Iranian warships that may be headed toward Venezuela. 

An Iranian frigate and a former oil tanker known as the Makran are currently sailing south along the east coast of Africa, anonymous sources told Politico on Saturday. Intelligence officials remain mystified by Iran's motivations with the two vessels and they are unsure what kind of cargo they may be holding. 

However, if the ships do end up in Venezuela it could be a sign Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is trying to intimidate Washington. 

Read more .... 

More News On Reports That Two Iranian Warships Are Headed To Venezuela  

U.S. monitoring Iranian warships that may be headed to Venezuela -- Politico 

Iranian warships possibly headed to Venezuela reportedly spark US concern -- The Hill  

US officials monitoring two Iranian navy ships that may be headed to Venezuela: report -- Arab News

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris Gives Commencement Address At Naval Academy. Slammed For Smiling Tone Deaf Memorial Day Tweet

Her post included a candid photo of herself smiling with the caption: 'Enjoy the long weekend' 

 

Daily Mail: 'Enjoy the long weekend': Kamala Harris is slammed for smiling tone deaf Memorial Day tweet that doesn't acknowledge fallen soldiers 

 * Kamala Harris' post included a candid photo of herself smiling with the caption: 'Enjoy the long weekend' 

 * The tweet came ahead of Memorial Day without mentioning fallen soldiers 

 * It also came hours after she praised Midshipman Sydney Barber -the first black woman to serve as Brigade Commander at the U.S. Naval Academy

* Harris also spoke at the U.S. Naval Academy's graduation and commissioning ceremony on Friday 

* During that speech, she called the United States military 'the best, the bravest, and the most brilliant' 

* Air National Guard Lt. Colonel Adam Kinzinger blasted her tweet as 'tone deaf' 

* Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that even her seven-year-old son 'understands what this weekend is about' 

Vice President Kamala Harris has been accused of 'disgusting' disrespect by members of the military after tweeting 'Enjoy the long weekend' ahead of Memorial Day without mentioning fallen soldiers. 

The post included a candid photo of herself smiling and comes hours after she posted a tweet praising Midshipman Sydney Barber who made history as the first black woman to serve as Brigade Commander at the U.S. Naval Academy. 

Harris also spoke at the U.S. Naval Academy's graduation and commissioning ceremony on Friday during which she called the United States military 'the best, the bravest, and the most brilliant.' 

 Read more ....  

Update #1: Vice President Kamala Harris under fire for 'disrespectful' tweet -- FOX News 

Update #2: VP Harris' VERY woke joke about female Marines flops during her Naval Academy commencement speech - two weeks after Biden slammed graduating Coast Guard class as 'dull' -- Daily Mail  

WNU Editor: Usually the press ignore the Vice-President. But Vice-President Harris has definitely been receiving a lot of negative coverage in the past few months.

U.S. Missile Test Fails To Intercept Mid-Range Ballistic Missile Target

FILE PHOTO: A ballistic missile target launches from the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands, Kauai, Hawaii, September 12, 2018 © Ryan Keith / Missile Defense Agency via DVIDS  

Daily Mail (Reuters): US fails to intercept medium-range ballistic missile test target 

* The MDA, an agency under the Department of Defense, routinely conducts missile defense tests 

A U.S. warship failed to intercept a medium-range ballistic missile test target on Saturday, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said. 

 'The objective of the test was to demonstrate the capability of a ballistic missile defense-configured Aegis ship to detect, track, engage and intercept a medium-range ballistic missile target' with a salvo of two Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) Dual II missiles, the agency said in a statement.  

Read more .... 

More News On The Recent U.S. Missile Test Failure  

Missile Defense Test Fails off Kauai Following Appearance by Russian Spy Ship -- Military.com/The Honolulu Star-Advertiser 

US warship FAILS to intercept mid-range ballistic missile target… amid reports of ‘Russian spy ship’ off Hawaii -- RT  

US Aegis Combat System Fails to Intercept Target, Pentagon Agency Says -- Sputnik

French President Macron Threatens To Pull Troops From Mali If ‘Radical Islamism’ Takes Hold

 

France 24: Macron threatens to pull troops from Mali if ‘radical Islamism’ takes hold 

President Emmanuel Macron warned in comments published Sunday that France will pull its troops out of Mali if it lurches towards radical Islamism following the second coup in nine months. 

France has around 5,100 troops in the region under its so-called Barkhane operation which spans five countries in the Sahel -- Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. 

The mission, headquartered in Chad, was launched after France intervened to fend off a jihadist advance in Mali in 2013.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Macron threatens to withdraw French troops from Mali (BBC)  

Update #2: Macron warns of Mali withdrawal as coup leader summoned to Ecowas summit (RFI)  

WNU Editor: Mali's coup leader is heading to Ghana for emergency talks .... Mali coup leader heads to Ghana for ECOWAS crisis talks (Al Jazeera).

Vietnam Detects New Highly Transmissible Coronavirus Variant

 

Daily Mail: Now Vietnam detects a new hybrid of Indian AND UK Covid variants that spreads quickly by air 

* Vietnam health minister said the country has discovered new variant of Covid-19 

* The virus is believed to be a hybrid of strains first found in both India and the UK

* Nguyen Thanh Long said tests suggest the strain spreads more easily through air 

* He did not specify how many cases had been identified with the new Covid strain 

Vietnam has discovered a new variant of Covid-19 that is a hybrid of the Indian and UK strains, health officials confirmed on Saturday. 

Scientists in Vietnam examined the genetic makeup of the virus that had infected recent patients and found the new variant, according to health minister Nguyen Thanh Long. 

Long, who is a doctor, said laboratory tests suggest that the new strain, which is a combination of the Indian and British variants, may spread more easily by air than other versions of the virus.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Vietnam is far behind in its vaccination efforts. This could become a crisis situation very quickly. 

More News On Vietnam Detecting A New Highly Transmissible Coronavirus Variant  

Vietnam discovers new Covid-19 strain, hybrid of Indian and British variants -- France 24  

Covid: Vietnam detect new UK-Indian variant according to health officials -- BBC

Vietnam Detects New Highly Transmissible Coronavirus Variant -- NPR 

Vietnamese Health Ministry announces discovery of a new hybrid UK-India coronavirus variant -- Euronews/AP  

Vietnam detects new hybrid variant amid COVID surge -- DW 

'Very Dangerous' COVID Variant Found in Vietnam Highly Transmissible, Replicates Quickly -- Newsweek

Concern as quick-spreading Covid virus variant discovered in Vietnam -- RFI  

Vietnam identifies a highly contagious new coronavirus variant with strains from the UK and India -- Business Insider