I see that temperatures in the Polar regions are up 30 degrees than normal. Scientists are said to be astounded and say this fits in with nothing they know of so called Global warming.
Prayers for the dead and their families.+ Chinese airliner crashes with 132 aboard in country’s south By KEN MORITSUGU19 minutes ago https://apnews.com/article/china-media-accidents-b0644cb141eb7313bfa4e1e250033017
I meant to post the following article yesterday. China appears to be possibly creating it's own no-fly zone in the South China Sea. China has fully militarized three islands in South China Sea, US admiral says John C Aquilino says Beijing is flexing its military muscle by arming isles with fighter jets, anti-ship systems and other military facilities 3/20/22 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ee-islands-in-south-china-sea-us-admiral-says Chinese structures and buildings at the man-made island on Mischief Reef at the Spratlys group of islands in the South China Sea. China has fully militarized at least three of several islands it built in the disputed region. Photograph: Aaron Favila/AP South China Sea, arming them with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile systems, laser and jamming equipment and fighter jets in an increasingly aggressive move that threatens all nations operating nearby, a top US military commander said Sunday. US Indo-Pacific commander Admiral John C Aquilino said the hostile actions were in stark contrast to the Chinese president Xi Jinping’s past assurances that Beijing would not transform the artificial islands in contested waters into military bases. The efforts were part of China’s flexing its military muscle, he said. “Over the past 20 years we’ve witnessed the largest military buildup since world war two by the PRC,” Aquilino told the Associated Press in an interview, using the initials of China’s formal name. “They have advanced all their capabilities and that buildup of weaponization is destabilizing to the region.” What happened when a Chinese ship shone a laser at an Australian plane – and why does it matter? Read more There were no immediate comments from Chinese officials. Beijing maintains its military profile is purely defensive, arranged to protect what it says are its sovereign rights. But after years of increased military spending, China now boasts the world’s second-largest defense budget after the US and is rapidly modernizing its force with weapons systems including the J-20 stealth fighter, hypersonic missiles and two aircraft carriers, with a third under construction. Aquilino spoke with the Associated Press onboard a US navy reconnaissance aircraft that flew near Chinese-held outposts in the South China Sea’s Spratly archipelago, one of the most hotly contested regions in the world. During the patrol, the P-8A Poseidon plane was repeatedly warned by Chinese callers that it illegally entered what they said was China’s territory and ordered the plane to move away. “China has sovereignty over the Spratly islands, as well as surrounding maritime areas. Stay away immediately to avoid misjudgment,” one of the stern radio messages said in a veiled threat. But the US navy plane dismissed the multiple warnings and pressed on defiantly with its reconnaissance in brief but tense moments witnessed by two AP journalists invited onboard. “I am a sovereign immune United States naval aircraft conducting lawful military activities beyond the national airspace of any coastal state,” a US pilot radioed back to the Chinese. “Exercising these rights is guaranteed by international law and I am operating with due regard to the rights and duties of all states,” he said. Navy commanding officer Joel Martinez, who led the P-8A Poseidon’s crew, said there had been an incident in which a Chinese jet flew close to a US aircraft in a dangerous manoeuvre in the disputed region. The US flight crew reminded the Chinese to comply with aviation safety regulations, he said. As the P-8A Poseidon flew near the Chinese-occupied reefs, some appeared to house multi-story buildings, warehouses, hangars, seaports, runways and radars. Near Fiery Cross, more than 40 vessels could be seen apparently anchored. Aquilino said the construction of missile arsenals, aircraft hangars, radar systems and other military facilities on Mischief Reef, Subi Reef and Fiery Cross appeared to have been completed but it remained to be seen if China would pursue the construction of military infrastructure in other areas. “The function of those islands is to expand the offensive capability of the PRC beyond their continental shores,” he said. “They can fly fighters, bombers plus all those offensive capabilities of missile systems.” Admiral John C Aquilino (left) commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, looks at videos of Chinese structures and buildings on board a US P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance plane flying in the South China Sea on Sunday. Photograph: Aaron Favila/AP He said any military and civilian plane flying over the disputed waterway could easily get within range of the Chinese islands’ missile system. “So that’s the threat that exists, that’s why it’s so concerning for the militarization of these islands,” he said. “They threaten all nations who operate in the vicinity and all the international sea and airspace.” China sought to shore up its vast territorial claims over virtually the entire South China Sea by building island bases on coral atolls nearly a decade ago. The US responded by sending its warships through the region in what it calls freedom of operation missions. The US has no claims itself but has deployed navy ships and aircraft for decades to patrol and promote free navigation in international waterway and airspace. China routinely objects to any action by the US military in the region. The other parties – the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei – claim all or part of the sea, through which approximately $5tn in goods are shipped every year. Despite China’s aggression, the long-simmering territorial conflicts should only be resolved peacefully, Aquilino said, and cited the Philippine government’s successful move to bring its disputes with China to international arbitration in 2013 as a good template.
Azorean island of São Jorge rocked by more than 1,800 quakes, on watch for eruption O JORNAL WITH LUSA | O JORNAL | 7 hours ago ANGRA DO HEROÍSMO, Azores – More than 1,800 earthquakes have been recorded on the island of São Jorge, Azores, since Saturday afternoon, but the regional health secretary said on Tuesday that there was currently no evidence of volcanic activity. Clélio Meneses also said competent authorities were keeping an eye out and would inform the population of any danger. Seismic activity on the island of São Jorge, Azores. More than 1,800 earthquakes have rocked the island since Saturday. SEISMOVULCANIC SURVEILLANCE AND INFORMATION CENTER OF THE AZORES (CIVISA) “There is no sign or evidence of volcanic activity, either by satellite or sensors. All seismic occurrences have a tectonic origin. However, due to the history and the successive location of the epicentres, this situation may occur,” Clélio Meneses said at a press conference in Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira. According to the regional health secretary, the seismic activity is at a depth of between six and 12 kilometers (3.7 to 7.5 miles), which “does not indicate any imminent risk of volcanic activity,” but the situation may change. “It is a sign, experts say, that it is not too close to the surface, which is conducive to a volcanic eruption. However, all this is being monitored rigorously, with precision, to safeguard people’s safety,” he said. Up to the press conference, only 94 of the earthquakes - registered in the magnitude 1.7 to 3.3 range - were felt by the population. Clélio Meneses stressed that official entities are not “hiding anything” from the population and that they are monitoring the situation “to the minute,” being prepared to take decisions in case of “greater emergency.” “If we start noticing that these seismic events are rising to the surface, it’s a sign of concern, and we’ll tell people,” he added. Meneses also stressed that the seismic crisis is being monitored permanently by various entities, with the technical expertise of the Seismovulcanic Surveillance and Information Centre of the Azores (CIVISA) and the Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). “Our advice is that people keep as calm as possible but be attentive to the information given,” he said. Meneses also advised against travelling to the island of São Jorge. “It is advised not to travel in this situation of seismic crisis. If there is an event with a greater impact, he explained that there would be more people” to be evacuated. Portugal’s Prime Minister António Costa said today that he has made available to the Azores “all the resources of the Republic that are necessary” in this seismic crisis, in addition to the support offered by the Armed Forces and the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere. He also indicated that he will remain “in direct and permanent contact” with the president of the Regional Government of the Azores. Meanwhile, the mayor of Velas, São Jorge, said that some precautions are being taken just in case. Luís Silveira revealed that “one more helicopter and one more plane have been stationed at the Lajes Base” in the event they are needed, and “a ship is arriving at São Jorge island.” He said a military camp is also being prepared, which will be located in the municipality of Calheta. “All people will be placed in the area of Relvinha, Ribeira Seca, and the Calheta Health Center will be the reference,” stated Luís Silveira. https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.heraldnews.com/amp/7141926001
Israel blocked Ukraine from buying Pegasus spyware, fearing Russia’s anger https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/23/israel-ukraine-pegasus-spyware-russia I've been wondering if there will ever come a point where Russia's strong ties to Israel (even in the midst of war) will shake America's historic support for the country
Luan, Imho this definitely appears to be a sign of the possibility of fire falling from Heaven, maybe. The fact that this island is part of Portugal is interesting. I looked up the last time a volcano in Portugal erupted was in 2001. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_volcanoes_in_Portugal . Thank you for posting this, it is something to pray about. +
The Azores--as I understand it--are suboceanically connected to the Canary Islands. Same fault lines. This does not Bode well.
I'm sure that everyone from the US is aware of this but just in case I'm posting about it. Confusion continues to run rampant... I'm praying that the confusion ends soon.+ Blackburn to Jackson: Can you define ‘the word woman’? The Tennessee Republican’s line of questioning hit on nearly every political hot-button issue. By Myah Ward 03/22/2022 10:38 PM EDT As the confirmation hearing for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson went into hour 13, Sen. Marsha Blackburn asked the Supreme Court nominee on Tuesday to define the word “woman.” “I can’t — ” Jackson replied. “You can’t?” Blackburn said. “Not in this context. I’m not a biologist,” Jackson said. “The meaning of the word woman is so unclear and controversial that you can’t give me a definition?” Blackburn asked. The Tennessee Republican’s line of questioning hit on nearly every political hot-button issue, from critical race theory to teaching children about gender identity in schools to Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer on the University of Pennsylvania’s women’s team. Jackson said her role as a judge would be to address disputes about a definition and to interpret the law. “The fact that you can’t give me a straight answer about something as fundamental as what a woman is underscores the dangers of the kind of progressive education that we are hearing about,” Blackburn said, before turning to Thomas, who has been at the center of the debate over policies for transgender athletes. Blackburn asked what message allowing Thomas to compete sends to “girls who aspire to compete and win in sports?” Live Updates: Jackson’s confirmation hearings The latest updates from Jackson’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings “Senator, I’m not sure what message that sends. If you’re asking me about the legal issues related to it — those are topics that are being hotly discussed, as you say, and could come to the court,” Jackson said before Blackburn cut her off, to explain her view of what message this delivers to young women. “I think it tells our girls that their voices don’t matter,” Blackburn responded. “I think it tells them that they’re second-class citizens. And parents want to have a Supreme Court justice who is committed to preserving parental autonomy and protecting our nation’s children.” https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/22/blackburn-jackson-define-the-word-woman-00019543 [Please click for video] *** Babylon Bee setup a quiz about this. Not so much funny but sad... https://babylonbee.com/news/do-you-...tus-nominee-take-the-simple-one-question-quiz *** Edited to add: This is a good sign that more and more people are fighting back against the depravity. https://salemnewschannel.com/some-d...bsite&utm_medium=embed&utm_campaign=snc-today
Yemen's Houthis claims attack Aramco refinery in Saudi Arabia's Jeddah | World English News | WION 163,993 views | Mar 26, 2022 Houthi rebels have struck a fuel depot in Jeddah. Despite the attack, Formula Grand Prix went ahead. Meanwhile, Saudi launched counter-strike on rebels.
Everyone here is probably aware of the following but just in case... Shanghai locks down as COVID surges in China's financial hub By Andrew Galbraith and David Stanway March 28, 2022 https://www.reuters.com/world/china...matic-covid-cases-lockdowns-begin-2022-03-28/ ChinaShanghai locks down as COVID surges in China's financial hub, article with video ChinaShanghai's COVID 'slice and grid' model comes under pressure as cases surge, article with image SHANGHAI, March 28 (Reuters) - China's financial hub of Shanghai launched a two-stage lockdown of its 26 million residents on Monday, closing bridges and tunnels and restricting highway traffic in a scramble to contain surging COVID-19 cases. The snap lockdown, announced by the local government late on Sunday, will split China's most populous city roughly along the Huangpu River for nine days to allow for "staggered" testing by healthcare workers in white hazmat suits. It is the biggest COVID-related disruption to hit Shanghai, and sent prices of commodities including oil and copper lower on fears that any further curbs could hurt demand in China, the world's second-largest economy. read more Residents east of the Huangpu were confined to their homes. Some said healthcare workers arrived to conduct tests as early as 7 a.m. on Monday. Those in the west rushed to stockpile food and other goods as they prepared for a similar fate from April 1. Delivery services were overwhelmed and supermarkets ran low on supplies. Several social media users posted images of what they had managed to buy. "Many wholesale markets are now closed," Bi Yingwu, a 50-year old stallholder, said. "Some vendors are reluctant to buy in vegetables. If we cannot get vegetables from wholesalers or the wet market is closed, we are finished." The curbs mark a turnaround for Shanghai's authorities, who as recently as Saturday denied the city would be locked down as it pursued a more piecemeal "slicing and gridding" approach to try to rein in infections. read more Wu Fan, a member of Shanghai's expert COVID team, said recent mass testing had found "large scale" infections throughout the city, triggering the stronger response. "Containing the large scale outbreak in our city is very important because, once infected people are put under control, we have blocked transmission," she told a briefing. Infection and death numbers are low by global standards. But China has imposed a zero-COVID policy that has all but closed its borders to travellers for two years, and rushes to shut off every chain of infection. Shanghai recorded a record 3,450 asymptomatic COVID cases on Sunday, accounting for nearly 70% of the nationwide total, along with 50 symptomatic cases. read more Shanghai said earlier this month its daily testing capacity was around 3 million, but Chen Erzhen, a doctor in charge of a city quarantine facility, warned it still might not be enough to outpace the spread of the virus. "When case numbers reach a certain level, the difficulty of relying upon previous staff deployments increases by a large degree," he told government newspaper Liberation Daily. The new lockdown should at least ensure the "stillness" required to bring the outbreak under control, he added. Wu had told a briefing on Saturday that Shanghai could not be locked down for long because of the important role it played in the national and even global economy. But following Sunday's about-turn, mass testing disrupted transport, healthcare and a wide range of economic activities, with citywide land sales also halted on Monday. Shanghai's Public Security Bureau said it was closing cross-river bridges and tunnels, and highway tollbooths concentrated in the city's east until April 1. However, ports and the city's two airports remained open. Shanghai also ordered firms to shut, exempting those offering public services or supplying food, although factories that managed to put in "closed-loop" systems could continue production. Some hospitals also suspended services as they release staff and other resources to assist with mass testing. U.S. automaker Tesla (TSLA.O) is suspending production at its factory, located in a district impacted by the first stage of the lockdown, for four days, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters. read more Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) , however, whose Shanghai plant is in a part of the city that is set to be tested in the second stage, said its production in the city was ongoing. [nP8N2VV00E]
Varney: Your electric bill is going up – a lot Energy prices surge under the Biden administration as calls to increase production rise By FOX Business Staff | https://www.foxbusiness.com/varney-co/varney-your-electric-bill-is-going-up-a-lot | 3/29/2022 Stuart Varney: Your electric bill is going up 'a lot' FOX Business host Stuart Varney argues the Biden administration is "still opposed to fracking and pipelines" despite surging energy costs for Americans. In his latest "My Take," "Varney & Co." host Stuart Varney warns of skyrocketing electric bills as the Biden team seeks to please the climate crowd's green energy demands. STUART VARNEY: I've been hearing from my relatives in Britain. They're not happy. Their electricity bills have doubled in the last two months. They are paying the price for the U.K.'s ultra-green policies. Britain is very green. It prides itself of being in the vanguard of the climate fight. Now they've got to pay for it. Same here. Your electric bill is going up, a lot. It varies from state to state, but in New England, New York and California, you're looking at a nasty spike. We are paying the price for the climate crowd's green dreams. A TIMELINE OF BIDEN'S ACTIONS ON OIL AND GAS REVEAL WHERE HIS PRIORITIES ARE The difference between the U.K. and America, is that they, over there, are doing something about it. They know they need more fossil fuel, so they're going back to coal, going back to oil and gas exploration and extending the life of nuclear power plants. There is no such policy reversal here. The Biden team is still opposed to fracking and pipelines, and still makes the drilling permit process onerous in the extreme. Instead, the greens, like Sen. Bernie Sanders, want a windfall profits tax on the oil companies. Just like Jimmy Carter 40 years ago. As if that would make any difference to the supply of energy! BIDEN PITCHES LARGEST TAX HIKE IN HISTORY AS PART OF $5.8T BUDGET REQUEST Two weeks ago, the Wall Street Journal suggested a question for President Biden: "Mr. President, will you do everything in your regulatory power to make it easier for American companies to produce more oil and gas?" The answer to that question, if it were asked, should be: Yes, in this emergency, we'll do everything we can. But so far, the Biden energy team has done nothing. Check your electric bill, you're not going to be happy....
Jeff Bezos is putting $1 billion towards opening several free Montessori-inspired schools in poor areas using "same set of principles that have driven Amazon". More news here: https://www.montessorieducation.com...o-open-first-preschool-inspired-by-montessori Lord have Mercy on those kids and please, may the illumination of conscience come quickly.
Weather . . .in northern Indiana we have had strong winds all night. A friend of mine in Tennessee reports they are having strong winds and fire in the woods. Lots of houses there gone. They had to evac their home and take what they could fit in their cars. They don't know yet if the house and business are still there. Over 1000 acres burned in that area, don't know about other areas.
