Authored by Katabella Roberts via The EPoch Times,

The Biden administration on Thursday suggested that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman be granted immunity from a lawsuit filed against him over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

In a court filing, the administration noted the crown prince’s appointment as prime minister in September, which they said made him “the sitting head of government of a foreign state.”

“Under common law principles of immunity articulated by the Executive Branch in the exercise of its Constitutional authority over foreign affairs and informed by customary international law, Prime Minister Bin Salman as a sitting head of government is immune while in office from the jurisdiction of the United States District Court in this suit,” the court filing reads.

The filing noted, however, that the Biden administration, in making the immunity determination, takes “no view on the merits of the present suit and reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of the heinous murder of Jamal Khashoggi.”

Ultimately, a judge will have the final say on whether or not to grant immunity to the crown prince.

Thursday’s filing is the result of a lawsuit filed by Khashoggi’s fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, and the rights group Khashoggi founded, Democracy for the Arab World Now.

On Twitter, Cengiz took aim at the Biden administration’s immunity request, saying that by doing so, the U.S. government has “saved the murderer” and that the president, has “saved the criminal and got involved in the crime himself.”

“The United States state department has granted immunity to #MBS. It wasn’t a decision everyone expected. We thought maybe there would be a light to justice from #USA But again, money came first.” she wrote.

In a follow-up post, the human rights activists declared that “Jamal died again today.”

People hold posters of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, near the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, on Oct. 2, 2020. (Emrah Gurel/AP Photo)

U-Turn for Biden

Biden’s decision marks a stark U-turn from his previous stance on former Washington Post columnist Khashoggi’s 2018 killing inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

The U.S. intelligence community has tied the death to the crown prince, who they believe approved the killing, although Khashoggi’s remains have never been found.

Khashoggi was an outspoken critic of the Saudi government, which has repeatedly come under fire from human rights organizations and United Nations bodies over its human rights violations and laws that restrict political and religious expression, including its silencing of individuals it considers rivals or critics.

However, officials in the country have rejected any links to the crown prince and Khashoggi’s death and denied accusations of human rights abuses.

Earlier this year, Biden faced criticism after he opted to share a fist bump with the crown prince during a visit to the Gulf kingdom as he sought to persuade Saudi Arabia to produce more oil amid soaring gas prices in the United States.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its oil-producing allies, OPEC+, agreed to slash their oil output just weeks later.

A State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Axios that the Justice Department filed what it called the “suggestion of immunity,” at the request of the State Department, “based on longstanding and well-established principles” of law, including international law “which the United States has consistently and across administrations applied to heads of state, heads of government, and foreign ministers while they are in office.”

“This Suggestion of Immunity does not reflect an assessment on the merits of the case. It speaks to nothing on broader policy or the state of relations. This was purely a legal determination,” the spokesperson said.

The Epoch Times has contacted the State Department for comment.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy wrote in a memo shared with employees and published on the company’s website that layoffs will continue through early 2023, indicating the souring macroeconomic backdrop has put the company in a “challenging spot” after years of “rapid hiring.” 

“Our annual planning process extends into the new year, which means there will be more role reductions as leaders continue to make adjustments. Those decisions will be shared with impacted employees and organizations early in 2023,” Jassy wrote in the memo. 

He continued: “Amazon has weathered uncertainty and difficult economies in the past, and we will continue to do so.” 

Earlier this week, NYTimes published a report that America’s second-largest employer [Amazon] is preparing to cut 10,000 jobs in its retail division and human resources segments. 

Jassy didn’t say how many employees will get fired early next year but did point out there will be “reductions in our Stores and [People, Experience, and Technology] organizations.” 

“We haven’t concluded yet exactly how many other roles will be impacted (we know that there will be reductions in our Stores and PXT organizations), but each leader will communicate to their respective teams when we have the details nailed down.” 

Amazon’s announcement comes after a massive surge in tech layoffs this month (conveniently after the midterm elections). Notice momentum in layoffs is rapidly accelerating. 

We should also note the story count for articles across the internet about job cuts, firings, and layoffs has just spiked to the highest levels since 2014/15. This may indicate trouble ahead for the economy and a possible peak in treasury yields. 

Here’s Jassy’s memo to staff and the public about layoffs continuing through early next year:

Two weeks ago, Beth shared that S-team and I decided to pause new incremental hires in our corporate workforce. Today, I want to share some information about role eliminations. We are in the middle of our annual operating planning review where we look at each of our businesses and make decisions about what we believe we should change. Leaders across the company are working with their teams and looking at their workforce levels, investments they want to make in the future, and prioritizing what matters most to customers and the long-term health of our businesses. This year’s review is more difficult due to the fact that the economy remains in a challenging spot and we’ve hired rapidly the last several years.

Yesterday, we communicated the difficult decision to eliminate a number of positions across our Devices and Books businesses, and also announced a voluntary reduction offer for some employees in our People, Experience, and Technology (PXT) organization. Our annual planning process extends into the new year, which means there will be more role reductions as leaders continue to make adjustments. Those decisions will be shared with impacted employees and organizations early in 2023. We haven’t concluded yet exactly how many other roles will be impacted (we know that there will be reductions in our Stores and PXT organizations), but each leader will communicate to their respective teams when we have the details nailed down. And, as has been the case this week, we will prioritize communicating directly with impacted employees before making broad public or internal announcements.

I’ve been in this role now for about a year and a half, and without a doubt, this is the most difficult decision we’ve made during that time (and, we’ve had to make some very tough calls over the past couple of years, particularly during the heart of the pandemic). It’s not lost on me or any of the leaders who make these decisions that these aren’t just roles we’re eliminating, but rather, people with emotions, ambitions, and responsibilities whose lives will be impacted. We are working to support those who are affected and trying to help them find new roles on teams that have a need; and in cases where that’s not possible, we are offering packages that include a separation payment, transitional health insurance benefits, and external job placement support.

Amazon has weathered uncertainty and difficult economies in the past, and we will continue to do so. We have big opportunities ahead, both in our more established businesses like Stores, Advertising, and AWS, but also in our newer initiatives that we’ve been working on for a number of years and have conviction in pursuing (e.g. Prime Video, Alexa, Kuiper, Zoox, and Healthcare). The key will be to do what Amazon does best – obsess over customers and invent relentlessly on their behalf – and if we do that, we should all be very optimistic about Amazon’s future. I know I am.

I want to thank each of you for your continuing contributions during this challenging time and as we gear up to deliver for customers during the busy shopping season.

Thanks,

Andy

Authored by Charles Kennedy via OilPrice.com,

The UK is raising the windfall tax on the profits of oil and gas operators in the North Sea while also expanding the tax to include low-cost electricity generators in the Autumn Statement of the UK’s budget unveiled by the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, on Thursday.

The UK has had a windfall tax on oil and gas firms operating in the North Sea since May, when the current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, then Boris Johnson’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced a temporary 25% Energy Profits Levy for oil and gas companies, reflecting their extraordinary profits as oil and gas prices surged.

Commenting on the new budget measures, Sunak said today that “Today’s Autumn Statement delivers the long-term stability this country needs.”

“The Autumn Statement sets out reforms to ensure businesses in the energy sector who are making extraordinary profits contribute more,” the UK government said.

Thus, the UK is raising the Energy Profits Levy by 10 percentage points to 35% from January 1, 2023, and is extending it to the end of March 2028, from December 31, 2025, as originally planned when the levy was 25%.

The government expects the Energy Profits Levy to raise over £40 billion by 2027-28.

The hike in the levy lifts total oil and gas taxation in the UK to a grand total of 75%, Bloomberg’s energy and commodities columnist Javier Blas noted.

The government is also introducing a new temporary 45% Electricity Generator Levy that will be applied to the extraordinary returns being made by electricity generators. The levy will be introduced from January 1, 2023, and is then forecast to raise around £14.2 billion over the forecast period (2022- 2028). The levy will be applied to groups generating electricity from nuclear, renewable, and biomass sources “who are benefitting from a significant increase in the price received for their output without a corresponding increase in the costs of generation.”

Oil and gas firms and power producers have warned the government for weeks that what was then rumored hikes in windfall taxes would undermine investment in the UK energy system.

“Imposing sudden extra taxes will make it even harder for these companies to invest in UK energy production – both the gas and oil we need today, and the wind, hydrogen and other low-carbon energies we need to reach net zero by 2050,” leading industry group Offshore Energies UK said earlier this month.

Linda Cook, CEO at the leading independent oil and gas producer in the North Sea, Harbour Energy, wrote an open letter to the Chancellor earlier this week, saying that “Should the chancellor levy UK oil and gas companies further — a second time in six months — he risks driving investment out of the UK altogether.”

The G20 has issued a formal decree promoting vaccine passports as preparation for any future pandemic response in its final communique. Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, speaking on the matter on behalf of the G20 host country, had earlier in the summit called for a “digital health certificate” using WHO standards.

Sadikin advocated for that he dubbed a “digital health certificate” which shows whether a person has been “vaccinated or tested properly” so that only then “you can move around”. Watch his comments during a G20 Bali panel discussion earlier in the week…

G20 to adopt Vaccine Passports using WHO standards

“Let’s have a digital health certificate acknowledged by WHO… if you have been vaccinated or tested properly, then you can move around”, said the Indonesian health minister in Bali…

No thanks …

🔊sound …🤡🌎 pic.twitter.com/VDM1qK4xW5

— Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) November 16, 2022

A somewhat more vaguely-worded version of these recommendations was included in the official G20 leaders’ declaration, which calls for digital COVID-19 certificates, or often simply called vaccine passports.

The section of the final communique, which is republished and available on the White House website, which deals with vaccines and the Covid-19 pandemic begins, “We recognize that the extensive COVID-19 immunization is a global public good and we will advance our effort to ensure timely, equitable and universal access to safe, affordable, quality and effective vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics (VTDs).”

While describing the need for greater collaboration among nations during any future pandemic response, it continues in this section, “We remain committed to embedding a multisectoral One Health approach and enhancing global surveillance, including genomic surveillance, in order to detect pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) that may threaten human health.”

And then the following is introduced in Article 23: 

We acknowledge the importance of shared technical standards and verification methods, under the framework of the IHR (2005), to facilitate seamless international travel, interoperability, and recognizing digital solutions and non-digital solutions, including proof of vaccinations.

We support continued international dialogue and collaboration on the establishment of trusted global digital health networks as part of the efforts to strengthen prevention and response to future pandemics, that should capitalize and build on the success of the existing standards and digital COVID-19 certificates.

Interestingly, the next paragraph of the formal declaration, article 24, goes on to describe the need to for global institutions to fight against ‘disinformation’. 

G20 – BREAKING: leaders have just signed a declaration which states that vaccine passports will be adopted to “facilitate” all international travel

This means any vaccination the WHO determines you should have.

Changing your rights & freedoms forever.

Silence from the media. pic.twitter.com/0pHISCcVaM

— Bernie’s Tweets (@BernieSpofforth) November 17, 2022

Article 24 of the final G20 declaration begins, “The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the transformation of the digital ecosystem and digital economy.”

And then leads into to the following statement later in the section: “We acknowledge the importance to counter disinformation campaigns, cyber threats, online abuse, and ensuring security in connectivity infrastructure.”

So as predicted by many early on in the pandemic (who were all dismissed and condemned as “conspiracy theorists”), a future proposed standardized vaccine passport will be accompanied by efforts for greater standardization and policing against ‘disinformation’ – likely to include any speech critical of the type of regimen that G20 leaders wish to enact. 

As for the type of speech which will be allowed under such a program, it’s helpful to recall the New Zealand prime minister’s words…

“Unless you hear it from us, it is not the truth. Dismiss anything else. We will continue to be your single source of truth.” -Jacinda Ardern

“if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed – if all records told the same tale, then the lie became truth” -1984, Orwell pic.twitter.com/wHCnl52Rnv

— New World Odor™ (@hugh_mankind) July 22, 2022

Authored by Owen Evans via The Epoch Times,

Major supermarket chains Asda and Lidl have started to ration the number of boxes of eggs customers can buy owing to supply chain issues.

Both stores said the measure is temporary and because of avian flu which has disrupted the supply of some egg ranges.

Waitrose said it had not introduced any limits but was “continuing to monitor customer demand.”

Other major retailers including Tesco, Morrisons, Marks and Spencer and Co-op said they were not limiting sales. Sainsbury is stocking eggs imported from Italy.

Last week, the government said that the UK is facing its largest-ever outbreak of bird flu with over 200 cases confirmed across the country since late October 2021.

While acknowledging bird flu, poultry farmers say that energy costs and retailers buying produce at low prices are now tightening the supply of eggs.

‘Media Is Getting It Wrong’

Full-time fourth-generation farmer Ioan Humphreys told The Epoch Times that there is going to be an “egg shortage.”

Humphreys has a farm in Wales with 32,000 free-range hens. On Nov. 8 he posted a video to Twitter that had over 125,000 views in which he argued that “avian flu is not the main reason we’re in an egg shortage. Supermarkets doing as they please again.”

On Thursday, he posted another video in which he said that “the mainstream media can’t get their head around the fact that it’s the supermarkets’ fault for this egg shortage, not avian flu.”

Humphreys claims the supermarkets are not paying farmers for the eggs despite upping the price for the consumer. The price increase is not reaching farmers even though costs for producing feed, electricity, and new birds have gone up.

“They are taking things a bit overboard by rationing, it’ll create panic buying. The media is getting it wrong by saying it’s bird flu when it’s the supermarkets not buying for a fair price which is the issue,” he told The Epoch Times.

“There is going to be an egg shortage, there will be less, and farmers can’t afford to produce,” he said.

“There was bird flu last year and there wasn’t a shortage of eggs because we could afford to produce,” he added.

Last week, a spokesman for the British Free Range Egg Producers Association, told The Epoch Times that over a third of egg farmers are considering quitting the industry because they say it is no longer economically viable to farm hens.

The issue of rationing reached the House of Commons on Thursday.

Labour MP Dan Jarvis asked environment secretary Therese Coffey, “Avian influenza has meant that the British Free Range [Egg] Producers Association have said that a third of members have cut back on production, so, can the secretary of state say what the government is doing to help poultry farmers through what is a very challenging time?”

“The minister for food, farming, and fishing is meeting the industry on a regular basis, a weekly basis, is my understanding,” said Coffey.

“I think it’s fair to say retailers have not directly contacted the department to indicate supply chains, although I am conscious of what is happening in individual shelves,” she said.

“But recognising there are still about nearly 14 million egg-laying hens available, I’m confident we can get through this supply difficulty in the short term,” added Coffey.

Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, told The Epoch Times by email: “While avian flu has disrupted the supply of some egg ranges, retailers are experts at managing supply chains and are working hard to minimise impact on customers. Some stores have introduced temporary limits on the number of boxes customers can buy to ensure availability for everyone.”

“Supermarkets source the vast majority of their food from the UK and know they need to pay a sustainable price to egg farmers but are constrained by how much additional cost they can pass onto consumers during a cost-of-living crisis,” he added.

Ukraine’s largest city and capital of Kyiv, with about 3 million residents, saw half its home and businesses plunged into darkness following Tuesday’s largescale Russian airstrikes which once again targeted energy infrastructure nationwide. Much of the electricity was restored in the capital city Wednesday, while much of it remained off in many other parts of the country.

In a rare occurrence, most of the western city of Lviv had also been plunged into darkness this week, after what authorities called the biggest wave of Russian strikes on power facilities since the invasion began.

“Photos of Kyiv draped in darkness have become a shareable illustration of winter in Ukraine this year: dark, cold, dangerous,” observed The Hill. “Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is under attack from Russia, which has failed to defeat Ukrainian forces on the battlefield and is now once again targeting civilians.”

An estimated 100 missiles had rained down on Ukrainian cities over the span of just a couple hours on Tuesday, chiefly targeting the energy grid. 

President Zelensky had already earlier in November warned that 40% of the country’s energy system has been destroyed. 

One Kyiv resident, Vladimir Yanachuk, was cited in NPR as saying, “We are not afraid about this. Ukrainians are not afraid about this,” while acknowledging: “Winter will be hard. But this winter will be hard not only for Ukrainians, but for Russian soldiers too.”

Temperatures in the capital and other parts of Ukraine have dipped below freezing this week, with the first snow fall of the season dusting Kyiv. 

The AFP reports, “The first snow of the winter falls on Maidan Square in Kyiv, blanketing its statues and anti-tank obstacles as the Ukrainian capital faces blackouts and power outages from a fresh series of Russian strikes targeting the country’s energy infrastructure.”

Sirens and snow in Kyiv this morning pic.twitter.com/0VyHQOTrx2

— Rohit Kachroo (@RohitKachrooITV) November 17, 2022

Meanwhile The New York Times notes the continued emergency that the country’s vital nuclear power plants are facing, given they themselves must rely on the national grid for aspects of their normal operations. 

NetBlocks metrics on the day of Russia’s large-scale strikes this week…

⚠️ Confirmed: #Ukraine is currently experiencing a major internet disruption; live metrics show national connectivity at 67% of previous levels; the incident comes amid reports of one of the most intense Russian missile attacks to date 📉

📰 Background: https://t.co/S0qJQ7CbNv pic.twitter.com/XE4w2o1Uzp

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) November 15, 2022

“Ukraine relies on its three working nuclear power plants — Khmelnytskyi, Rivne and South Ukraine — to generate much of the power used in the country. It is now struggling to keep open these Ukrainian-controlled plants amid Russia’s assault on the energy grid,” The Times reports.

Via OilPrice.com,

• A study on government electricity and gas price data reveals that Brits pay the world’s highest energy bills.

• Norway is the country with by far the biggest increase in electricity prices worldwide

• The UK’s energy price cap was recently raised from 28p to 34p per kWh.

New research reveals that the UK has the highest electricity bills.

Brits pay more for their power than anywhere else on the planet.

A new study looked at Government data on electricity and gas prices from the past five years to analyse the impact of the worsening cost of living crisis and discover which countries have had the biggest year-on-year increase in energy prices. The data, compiled by BOXT, was shared with City A.M. today

The UK’s energy price cap was recently raised from 28p to 34p per kWh.

Much like the rest of the world, prices have increased due to reduced supply from Russia due to the Ukraine conflict, as well as the after-effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

The UK’s neighbours in the Republic of Ireland have the second highest electricity cost, paying 18.99p per kWh. That’s 53 per cent more expensive than the average of these 24 countries.

However, prices are slightly more affordable when it comes to gas in Ireland, which stands at 5.21p per kWh.

The countries with the highest electricity prices

Residents of Spain are paying an average of 18.51p per kWh. Electricity prices in Spain recently hit a historical high and were recently capped at €130 (£112) per megawatt hour, down from €210 (£181).

Norway is the country with by far the biggest increase in electricity prices worldwide – 91 per cent increase in electricity cost in pence/kWh since 2016.

Top 10 countries with the biggest electricity bill price increase:

The second highest electricity rises are in Finland – Since 2016, Finnish residents have seen their electricity bills increase by almost two-fifths (37%) on average.

Tied in third place are the Czech Republic, Denmark, and the United Kingdom, with a 35% increase in electricity prices. 

Typically it is Saudi Arabia that makes headlines for its yearly mass executions. For example in March of this year the kingdom executed 81 men in a single day, which is a record in the modern political history of the country. 

But another close regional US ally now grabbing headlines for the practice of mass execution is Kuwait. This week it put seven people to death, including women, state-run KUNA news agency confirmed Wednesday. 

“The inmates who were hanged on Wednesday were four Kuwaitis, a Pakistani, a Syrian and an Ethiopian. Two of the seven were women,” Al Jazeera reported. 

The last such execution in Kuwait was in 2017, when seven people were hanged on the same day. State media indicated the executions this week were for premeditated murder and other unnamed charges, and were carried out at a central prison.

The European Union, as well as international rights monitors such as Amnesty International had attempted to intervene, urging a halt to the executions, but to no avail.

“The EU calls for a halt to executions and for a complete de facto moratorium on carrying out death penalty, as a first step towards a formal and full abolition of the death penalty in Kuwait,” the EU said in a statement. It condemned the death penalty as a “a cruel and inhumane punishment.”

You will find more infographics at Statista

The EU indicated that Kuwait’s ambassador to Brussels will be summoned over the matter. Historically, Kuwait and other regional governments have conducted executions on convictions of drug trafficking as well. 

Authored by Andrew Korybko via Substack,

The Ukrainian leadership was well aware of what happened but decided to propagate the most dangerous conspiracy theory in history in an attempt to spark World War III. The Western public would do well to dwell on this since it means that they’ve been forced by their governments into subsidizing what can objectively be described as a literal apocalyptic death cult that lied to their leaders in an attempt to get them to bomb Russia and thus likely end the world.

NATO and Russia briefly stood on the brink of World War III Tuesday evening after Ukraine accidentally bombed Poland. The incident happened as its forces were trying to intercept incoming Russian missiles during what’s been described as Moscow’s fiercest attack of its special operation thus far that some speculated coincided with the failure of rumored ceasefire talks. Instead of shooting down the Russian missile, Kiev’s S-300 malfunctioned and ended up dropping into Poland, where it killed two people.

The Ukrainian leadership was well aware of what happened but decided to propagate the most dangerous conspiracy theory in history in an attempt to literally spark World War III. Zelensky lied to the world by describing his forces’ accidental bombing of Poland as “a Russian missile strike on collective security” and telling NATO that “We need to act.” His Foreign Minister in turn gaslit by claiming that all allegations that his side was responsible for this incident are nothing but “Russian propaganda”.

To his credit, Biden told the press in response to a question about whether Russia was responsible that “There is preliminary information that contests that. It is unlikely in the lines of the trajectory that it was fired from Russia, but we’ll see.” In the same article reporting his words, the Associated Press also cited three unnamed US officials who said “preliminary assessments suggested the missile was fired by Ukrainian forces at an incoming Russian missile”.

There’s no reason to doubt Biden’s assessment nor that of those three unnamed US officials. After all, if any of them had any credible reason to suspect that Russia bombed NATO-ally Poland – whether accidentally or not – then they’d have reacted very differently due to their collective security commitments under Article 5. Quite clearly, just like with the Nord Stream terrorist attack that was in all likelihood carried out by the Anglo-American Axis, NATO doesn’t truly hold Moscow responsible.

This objective conclusion, which is informed by the public assessment shared by none other than the US President and therefore can’t by any stretch of the imagination of described as so-called “Russian propaganda”, proves that Kiev was indeed conspiring to trick NATO into starting World War III. That realization contradictions so-called “conventional wisdom” of the Ukrainian Conflict thus far since the public in the US-led West’s Golden Billion has been under the false impression that Kiev is “winning”.

Had that really been the case, then its President and Foreign Minister wouldn’t have lied to the world by blaming Russia after their own forces accidentally bombed Poland, which was indisputably an attempt to manipulate NATO into directly reacting in what almost certainly would have been a kinetic manner. A conventional attack by NATO against Russia, whether within its universally recognized pre-2014 borders or those former Ukrainian regions that reunified with it afterwards, would have sparked a wider war.

The very fact that Kiev’s top officials literally conspired to set that apocalyptic scenario into motion suggests that their side isn’t as confident with its newfound on-the-ground gains as it publicly claims. Rather, they seem to fear that the rumored ceasefire talks between Russia and the US over the past week coupled with its NATO patrons’ limited military-industrial capacity to maintain the scope, scale, and pace of their aid will inevitably result in unbearable pressure upon it to compromise with Moscow.

That’s unacceptable to its hyper-nationalist leadership and those of its people who’ve been brainwashed into expecting the maximum fulfilment of their side’s objectives in the conflict, which translates into reconquering the Crimea, Donbass, and Novorosissya regions that all reunified with Russia. Failing that, it’s unlikely that Zelensky and his clique could maintain their grip on power in the face of populist protests, especially if hyper-nationalist elements of the SBU support that Color Revolution scenario.

It was therefore purely with their own political interests in mind that they conspired to trick NATO into starting World War III by lying to their allies in claiming that it was Russia that deliberately bombed Poland and not their own forces that accidentally did so while trying to shoot down its enemy’s missiles. Put simply, the Ukrainian leadership would rather risk a nuclear apocalypse provoked by their conspiracy theory than risk being overthrown through a popular uprising backed by the SBU.  

The Western public would do well to dwell on this since it means that they’ve been forced by their governments into subsidizing what can objectively be described as a literal apocalyptic death cult that lied to their leaders in an attempt to get them to bomb Russia and thus likely spark World War III. The Ukrainian leadership is therefore a danger not just to its own people and Russia’s, but to the entire world. There’s no doubt that its patrons must urgently force it to accept a ceasefire before it’s too late.

Authored by Pepe Escobar via The Asia Times,

Xi has few reasons to take Biden – rather, the group writing every script in the background – at face value…

Balinese culture, a perpetual exercise in sophisticated subtlety, makes no distinction between the secular and the supernatural – sekala and niskala.

Sekala is what our senses may discern. As in the ritualized gestures of world leaders – real and minor – at a highly polarized G20.

Niskala is what cannot be sensed directly and can only be “suggested”. And that also applies to geopolitics.

The Balinese highlight may have featured an intersection of sekala and niskala: the much ballyhooed Xi-Biden face-to-face (or face to earpiece).

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs preferred to cut to the chase, selecting the Top Two highlights.

1. Xi told Biden – rather, his earpiece – that Taiwan independence is simply out of the question.

2. Xi also hopes that NATO, EU and US will engage in “comprehensive dialogue” with Moscow.

Asian cultures – be they Balinese or Confucianist – are non-confrontational. Xi laid out three layers of common interests: prevent conflict and confrontation, leading to peaceful coexistence; benefit from each other’s development; and promote post-COVID global recovery, tackle climate change and face regional problems via coordination.

Significantly, the 3h30 meeting happened at the Chinese delegation’s residence in Bali, and not at the G20 venue. And it was requested by the White House.

Biden, according to the Chinese, affirmed that the US does not seek a New Cold War; does not support “Taiwan independence”; does not support “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan”; does not seek “decoupling” from China; and does not want to contain China.

Now tell that to the Straussians/neo-cons/neoliberalcons bent on containing China. Reality spells out that Xi has few reasons to take “Biden” – rather the combo writing every script in the background – at face value. So as it stands, we remain in niskala.

That zero-sum game

Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo was dealt a terrible hand: how to hold a G20 to discuss food and energy security, sustainable development, and climate issues, when everything under the sun is polarized by the war in Ukraine.

Widodo did his best, urging all at the G20 to “end the war”, with a subtle hint that “being responsible means creating not zero-sum situations.”

The problem is a great deal of the G20 arrived in Bali bent on zero-sum – seeking confrontation (with Russia) and hardly any diplomatic conversation.

The US and UK delegations avowedly wanted to snub Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov every step of the way. France and Germany is a different matter: Lavrov did speak briefly with both Macron and Scholz. And told them Kiev wants no negotiation.

Lavrov also revealed something quite significant for the Global South:

“US and the EU have given the UN Secretary General written promises that restrictions on the export of Russian grain and fertilizers will be lifted – let’s see how this is implemented.”

The traditional group photo ahead of the G20 – a staple of every summit in Asia – had to be delayed. Because – who else – “Biden” and Sunak, US and UK, refused to be in the same picture with Lavrov.

Such childish, un-diplomatic hysterics is profoundly disrespectful towards ritual Balinese graciousness, politeness and a non-confrontational ethos.

The Western spin is that “most G20 countries” wanted to condemn Russia in Ukraine. Nonsense. Diplomatic sources hinted it may be in fact a 50/50 split. Condemnation comes from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, UK, US and EU. Non-condemnation from Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye and of course Russia.

Graphically: Global South against Global North.

So the joint statement will refer to the impacts of the “war in Ukraine” on the global economy, and not “Russia’s war in Ukraine”.

The collapse of the EU economy

What was not happening in Bali enveloped the island in an extra layer of niskala. Which brings us to Ankara.

The fog thickened because on the backdrop of the G20, the US and Russia were talking in Ankara, represented by CIA director William Burns and SVR (Foreign Intel) director Sergei Naryshkin.

No one knows what exactly was being negotiated. A ceasefire is only one among possible scenarios. And yet heated rhetoric from NATO in Brussels to Kiev suggests escalation prevailing over some sort of reconciliation.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was adamant; de facto and de jure, Ukraine can’t and does not want to negotiate. So the Special Military Operation (SMO) will continue.

NATO is training fresh units. Next possible targets are the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant and the left bank of the Dnieper – or even more pressure in the north of Lugansk. For their part, Russian military channels advance the possibility of a winter offensive on Nikolaev: only 30 km away from Russian positions.

Serious Russian military analysts know what serious Pentagon analysts must also know: Russia used at best only 10% of its military potential so far. No regular forces; most of them are DPR and LPR militias, Wagner commandos, Kadyrov’s Chechens and volunteers.

The Americans suddenly interested in talking, and Macron and Scholz approaching Lavrov, point to the heart of the matter: the EU and the UK may not survive next winter, 2023-2024, without Gazprom.

The IEA has calculated that the overall deficit by then will approach 30 billion cubic meters. And that presupposes “ideal” circumstances this coming winter: mostly warm; China still under lockdowns; much lower gas consumption in Europe; even increased production (from Norway?)

The IEA ‘s models are working with two or three waves of price increases in the next 12 months. EU budgets are already on red alert – compensating the losses caused by the current energy suicide. By the end of 2023, that may reach 1 trillion euros.

Any additional, unpredictable costs throughout 2023 mean that the EU economy will completely collapse: industry shutdown across the spectrum, euro in free fall, rise of inflation, debt corroding every latitude from the Club Med nations to France and Germany.

Dominatrix Ursula von der Leyen, leading the European Commission (EC), of course should be discussing all that – in the interests of EU nations – with global players in Bali. Instead her only agenda, once again, was demonization of Russia. No niskala here; just tawdry cognitive dissonance.