CRIMINAL CRYPTO CAPITALI$M

A crypto investor lost $120,000 from clicking on one bad link. 

His horror story is becoming increasingly common.

Carmela Chirinos

Tue, March 8, 2022

Crypto crimes are on the rise, and a man who lost $120,000 after clicking one bad link shows how vulnerable investors are right now.

Reddit user PowerofTheGods said he had been investing since 2016 and kept his investments in a Ledger Nano S (a crypto wallet) and four Metamask digital hot wallets. When he checked his accounts last December, he noticed they were empty. At the time, the currency was valued at more than $120,000.

He later realized that hackers stole his crypto after he clicked one bad link.

His story is becoming increasingly common. In 2021, criminals stole $14 billion in cryptocurrency, a 79% increase from the previous year, according to a recent Fortune story.

Crypto horror story goes viral

The man who lost $120,000 recently went viral by sharing his story on Reddit's r/Cryptocurrency thread.

PowerOfTheGods wrote he believes he lost his investment after clicking on a malicious link while web surfing. While his ledger was unlocked, a Trojan took control of his browser and wiped his wallet in a matter of minutes.

While the user reported the alleged crime to the authorities, there was nothing they could do because cryptocurrency is still largely unregulated. After he shared his story on Reddit, he found other users who reported similar experiences.

How crypto scammers attack

In addition to targeting crypto users with bad links, criminals are using other scams to steal currency.

"Rugpulls" are an increasingly common scam where crypto developers push a new project to investors and disappear with millions of dollars. In 2021, this accounted for 37% of all cryptocurrencies scams, a jump from 1% the previous year.

Pulling out these types of scams is relatively easy, which is why it has become so popular. New tokens can be created on Ethereum or another blockchain, and can then be listed on peer-to-peer marketplaces or decentralized exchanges.

How to stay safe as a crypto investor

• Keep an eye open for scammers. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

• Don’t open any links or attachments that look suspicious.

• Enable two-factor authentication for online accounts.

• Look at the 24-hour trading volume of cryptocurrencies to assess the liquidity.

• Stay informed, and read up on crypto before you make any decisions.

Crypto regulation is on the way

This week, President Biden is expected to sign an executive order directing agencies like the Treasury and the Justice Department to look into the ramifications of creating a U.S. central bank for digital currencies. They will also explore whether a new law is needed to create a currency, according to Reuters.

The order will also outline policies and regulations for the cryptocurrency market. The order will also ensure that American cryptocurrency laws align with those of U.S. allies, and will task the Financial Stability Oversight Council to investigate any financial concerns, according to the Associated Press.

In 180 days, we could see a shift in policy that could take the country a step closer to creating a central digital currency bank, or a delay should this move require congressional approval.

This order comes amid increasing concern that Russian elites will use cryptocurrencies to work around Western sanctions that have cut off Russia from the global economy. There is also concern that China will create its own cryptocurrency.

On Monday, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network warned financial institutions to watch Russian entities trying to avoid sanctions.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

Mexican women protest femicides as president warns against violence


International Women's Day demonstration in Mexico City

Tue, March 8, 2022, 
By Ana Isabel Martinez and Adriana Barrera

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -An International Women's Day rally in Mexico drew mass protests against violence on Tuesday, with marches in the capital passing by the presidential palace and national monuments that had been cordoned off with huge metal fences amid fears of unrest.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who has been accused of not doing enough to stem the rise in femicides, urged calm while warning that the protests could turn violent.

Mexico City police said they seized Molotov cocktails, weapons such as bats and hammers and fireworks from protesters in the afternoon.

Local media also reported two protesters belonging to the so-called black bloc were injured after swinging at a glass bus stop, which came crashing down on top of them.

Mexican authorities had erected a protective metal barrier around the National Palace, the seat of government where the presidential family lives, and other historic buildings ahead of the protests.

"MEXICO FEMICIDE" was daubed in towering white letters on the black metal cordon in front of the Palace, which faces the Zocalo main square, the stage for many major demonstrations.

Mexico recorded 969 femicides last year, up slightly from 949 in 2020, according to government figures.

But activists say the true figures are likely much higher, and some estimate 10 women a day are murdered because of their gender.

A group of protesters chanted "Women united, will never be defeated," as they arrived near the National Palace, waving white flags.

Others, donned in purple bandanas for the region's feminist movement or green in support of abortion rights, marched down one of Mexico City's main avenues holding banners and posters with feminist slogans.

Frida Moreno, a 21-year-old student who said abusive teachers scarred her upbringing, believed she felt duty-bound to march so other young girls would be spared similar experiences.

"Although I feel privileged because I live in a safe area, no one can guarantee that one day I will not disappear ... and appear in a vacant lot dead, raped," said Moreno, on the verge of tears.

Lopez Obrador, who appointed women to half his Cabinet posts, rejects claims by activists that he is not interested in tackling femicides, saying progress has been made to defend women's rights.

Asked on Tuesday morning if protests could be violent, as one government official had predicted, Lopez Obrador nodded.

"There is infiltration of the feminist movement in general by conservative groups," he said, noting it was wrong "to use violence for political purposes."

The Mexico City government had said it would deploy dozens of paramedics as well as an all-female police force.

(Reporting by Ana Isabel Martinez and Adriana Barrera in Mexico CityAdditional reporting by Kylie Madry and Lizbeth Diaz and Mexico CityEditing by Drazen Jorgic, Richard Chang and Matthew Lewis)

FASCISM IN AMERIKA

'Don't Say Gay' bill passes in Florida, goes to governor

ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE

Tue, March 8, 2022, 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida's Republican-dominated legislature passed a bill Tuesday to forbid instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, rejecting a wave of criticism from Democrats that it marginalizes LGBTQ people.

The proposal, which opponents have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, now moves to the desk of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to sign it into law.

Since its inception, the measure has drawn intense opposition from LGBTQ advocates, students, national Democrats, the White House and the entertainment industry, amid increased attention on Florida as Republicans push culture war legislation and DeSantis ascends in the GOP as a potential 2024 presidential candidate.

“This bill, from its introduction, has been used as vehicle to marginalize and attack LGTBQ people," said Rep. Carlos G. Smith, a Democrat who is gay, adding that it "sends a terrible message to our youth that there is something wrong with LGBTQ people, that there is something so dangerous or inappropriate about us that we have to be prohibited and censored from the classroom.”

The bill states: “Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.” Parents would be able to sue districts over violations.

Republican Rep. Joe Harding, who sponsored the measure, and other GOP lawmakers in Florida have argued that parents should be broaching these subjects with their children, rather than educators. It would not bar spontaneous discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools but instead is intended to prevent districts from integrating the subjects into official curriculum, Harding and supporters have said.

“I know how important it is to empower parents in this relationship. I want to encourage parents across Florida to own it,” said Sen. Dennis Baxley, a Republican who carried the bill in the Senate. “They’re your kids, and it is tough — it’s tough to figure out what influences will be on them and what kinds of decisions they will make and how that all comes out.”

Democrats have often said the bill’s language, particularly the phrases “classroom instruction” and “age appropriate,” could be interpreted broadly enough that discussion in any grade could trigger lawsuits from parents and therefore could create a classroom atmosphere where teachers would avoid the subjects.

Statewide, the bill has sparked a swell of protests and student walkouts. Dozens of students and advocates flooded committee rooms during the proposal’s early stages and then packed into the halls of the legislature as it moved toward final passage, often with chants of “We say gay!”

“We have failed as a legislature if hundreds of kids stand outside screaming for their rights and you can't explain to fifth graders and sixth graders and eighth graders simple definitions of your bill. You've failed,” said Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Democrat.

In the bill’s early stages, Harding filed an amendment that would have effectively required a school to inform parents if a student came out as LGBTQ to a teacher, renewing widespread condemnation of the measure. Harding withdrew the amendment as it picked up attention in media and online.

“Nothing in the amendment was about outing a student. Rather than battle misinformation related to the amendment, I decided to focus on the primary bill that empowers parents to be engaged in their children’s lives,” Harding said in a statement.

DeSantis has chafed at calling the proposal the “Don’t Say Gay” bill because he said it would apply to instruction on any gender identity or sexual orientation. He said it was inappropriate for teachers to discuss those issues with children in kindergarten through third grade.

“We’re going to make sure that parents are able to send their kid to kindergarten without some of this stuff injected into their school curriculum,” the governor said Monday.

The White House, which has sparred frequently with DeSantis over a wide range of policy, had previously criticized the measure and President Joe Biden, a Democrat, has called it “hateful.” On Tuesday, shortly after the measure passed the statehouse, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona issued a statement that read “leaders in Florida are prioritizing hateful bills that hurt some of the students most in need.”

“The Department of Education has made clear that all schools receiving federal funding must follow federal civil rights law, including Title IX’s protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity,” Cardona wrote. "We stand with our LGBTQ+ students in Florida and across the country, and urge Florida leaders to make sure all their students are protected and supported.”

APPEALING TO BRITISH CHAUVINISM

Ukraine's president Zelenskyy invokes
Churchill and Shakespeare in
impassioned plea to UK Parliament


Nadine Batchelor-Hunt
·Political Correspondent - Yahoo News UK
Tue, March 8, 2022,

Ukraine's president delivered a rousing and impassioned speech to British MPs on Tuesday, in which he thanked Boris Johnson and invoked Winston Churchill as he vowed to fight Russian troops in the air, sea and on the streets.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy received a standing ovation from MPs in the Commons as he appeared via video link from Kyiv, where he has resolutely remained with his people since Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion nearly two weeks ago.

He used his speech to repeat his call for a no-fly zone to be established by the West, begging for the UK to "make sure that our Ukrainian skies are safe".

Read more: Putin 'extremely paranoid' US is plotting to overthrow him: 'He could double down'

The historic address, the first time a foreign leader has spoken directly to MPs in the Commons, came shortly after the UK announced it would phase out the import of Russian oil and oil products by the end of the year as part of a ratcheting up of sanctions on Moscow.

Addressing MPs, Zelenskyy spoke of the devastation being wrought on his country and vowed that Ukrainians would keep fighting against the "terrorist state".

He drew comparisons between Nazis and the Second World War, and invoked Churchill as he cited Britain's spirit in fighting Adolf Hitler.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy invoked Winston Churchill as he described his country's struggle against Vladimir Putin. (UK Parliament / Jessica Taylor)

The House of Commons gave Zelenskyy a standing ovation as he appeared via video link from Kyiv. (UK Parliament / Jessica Taylor)

In a nod to William Shakespeare, Zelenskyy questioned whether Ukraine was "to be or not to be" following the invasion, before firmly stating it is "Yes! To be."

Referencing Churchill, Zelenskyy said: "We will not give up and we will not lose.

"We will fight to the end at sea in the air. We will continue fighting for our land whatever the cost.

"We will fight in the forests, in the fields, on the shores, in the streets.

"We will fight on the banks of the rivers and we are looking for your help - for the help of the civilised countries.

"We are thankful for this help and I'm very grateful to you, Boris."

Zelenskyy thanked Boris Johnson for his support. (UK Parliament / Jessica Taylor)

Zelenskyy has refused to leave Ukraine despite the Russian invasion - reportedly telling the US "I need ammunition, not a ride" when offered support to escape. (Getty Images)

Zelenskyy appealed for more support, including a plea for Western countries to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

He said: "Please increase the pressure of sanctions against this country and please recognise this country as a terrorist state.

"And please make sure that our Ukrainian skies are safe and that you do what needs to be done."

The Ukrainian president was met with another standing ovation as he finished his speech before the video link to Kyiv ended.

Johnson, responding to the speech, told the House of Commons: "Never before in all our centuries of our parliamentary democracy has the House listened to such an address.

"In a great European capital now within range of Russian guns, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is standing firm for democracy and for freedom."

'If you do not have the power to close the skies, then give me planes!' Zelensky told the West at a press conference last week. (Getty Images)

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also lauded Zelenskyy.

"Every one of us has been moved by the bravery, the resolve, and the leadership of president Zelensky," Starmer said.

Read more: Russian invasion 'not going well... getting more desperate', says UK minister

"Invading troops march through his streets, shells rain down on his people, and assassins seek his life.

"No-one would have blamed him for fleeing but instead, he has stayed in Kyiv to lead the Ukrainian people and to fight."

Debris lies scattered around a hole in a road following an airstrike in Bila Tserkva, Kyiv Oblast. (Reuters)

Buildings damaged by shelling during Russia's invasion of Ukraine in Kharkiv on Tuesday. (Reuters)

Zelenskyy has emerged as a heroic figure throughout Russia's invasion, becoming a symbol of hope for Ukrainians and refusing to leave Kyiv despite the threats to his safety.

Despite repeatedly calling for the West to implement a no-fly zone over Ukraine to limit the amount of destruction Russia is able to inflict, NATO has ruled out such a move – citing it could trigger a war with Russia, a nuclear power.

Read more: Putin isn't insane and won't use nuclear weapons, says Russia's ex-foreign minister

Zelenskyy has also asked the UK to step up sanctions on Russia, and requested more weapons, with calls from a growing number of Ukrainian politicians for fighter jets.

"If you do not have the power to close the skies, then give me planes!" said Zelenskyy last week.

The UK has donated around £400m to Ukraine so far, as well as providing defensive military equipment for the Ukrainian military.

Britain mulls giving ‘Starstreak’ air-defense weapons to Ukraine


CARL COURT

Andrew Chuter
Wed, March 9, 2022, 10:56 AM·4 min read

LONDON — Britain has stepped up its supply of weapons to the Ukrainian military, adding Starstreak anti-air missiles to a list that already includes significant numbers of anti-tank weapons.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told lawmakers Mar. 9 that the government was “exploring” the supply of Starstreak but later confirmed that the decision had already been taken in principle to provide the Thales UK-built, short-range weapon.

Issues such as training still had to be resolved, however, said the defense secretary.

Wallace also told Parliament that Britain would supply limited numbers of Lockheed Martin- and Raytheon-built Javelin anti-tank missiles alongside non-lethal items such as ration packs and medical supplies.

“We believe that this system will remain within the definition of defensive weapons but will allow the defending force to better defend the skies,” Wallace said, referring to the Starstreak capabilities.

Wallace told lawmakers that Russia was now using unguided bombs, and that with 95 percent of its forces around Ukraine committed, Moscow was trying to encourage private Russian troops from organizations like the Wagner Group to join the fight.

Citing Ukrainian data, he said Russia is believed to have lost 285 tanks, 985 armored vehicles, 44 aircraft, 48 helicopters, 109 artillery pieces. Some 11,000 Russian troops had been killed, he added, noting that the Ukrainian figures were unverified.

Starstreak is a high-velocity missile designed to provide air defense against helicopters, low flying fixed wing jets and unmanned air vehicles out to a range upwards of 4 miles.

The British have fielded the weapon since 1997, first mounted on an armored vehicle, but more recently as a lightweight, multiple-missile launcher and in shoulder-launched configurations.

Starstreak is the second significant weapon system supplied to the Ukrainian military by the British recently.

Just ahead of the Russian invasion Royal Air Force C-17 airlifters delivered Next Generation Light Anti-tank Weapons (NLAW) to Ukraine.

Like the Starstreak, the NLAW was built at a Thales UK factory just outside Belfast, Northern Ireland, although the anti-tank weapon was largely developed by Saab in Sweden as a collaborative effort between the two countries.

Wallace updated lawmakers on the volume of NLAWs supplied to the Ukraine, saying Britain had initially provided 2000 weapons but had now increased that number to 3615 missiles, with efforts continuing to deliver more.

The weapons are coming from British military stockpiles. Wallace said work was underway to replenish them.

The weapons supply is part of a wider aid contribution from the British, which includes a big increase in humanitarian donations by the government.

Although Britain is pouring money into aid and the supply of weapons Wallace didn’t address the broader issue of increased defense spending during his statement.

The government announced a £16.5 billion ($22.3 billion) increase over four years in 2021, but a yet-bigger increase would appear to have broad support across Parliament.

The parliamentary Defence Committee has been advocating a substantial rise in Britain’s underfunded military for several years.

A plan for increased spending could come as soon as the next few weeks.

How much is enough is a difficult question, said John Louth, an independent defense analyst here.

“They will have to consider going back to the 1980s spending levels if not before,” he added. “Certainly I can see it going up to 3.5% of gross domestic product [from 2percent now], maybe a little more. The lesson from the Cold War though is that it’s no good doing that unless you are taking an integrated approach with allies.”

Like other analysts here Louth reckons the government’s integrated defense review, released just 12 months ago, will need a rethink, if not shredding, in the wake of the Russian invasion.

Louth said rethinking the role and capabilities of Britain’s shrinking army Army was the immediate priority.

“The British Army have to wake up to the fact that the future isn’t going to be exquisite, highly technical stand-off weapons. It is probably going to be lots of people in traditional looking vehicles with the ability to maneuver. It changes the sense of the Army just being a recruiting ground for the special forces,” he said.

Ukraine posts image of dog tag it said belonged to a killed mercenary from the Wagner Group, said to be charged with assassinating Zelenskyy

Alexandra Ma

Wed, March 9, 2022, 

• Ukraine has alleged that members of Russia's mercenary Wagner Group are fighting there.

• Officials on Tuesday shared photos of a dog tag it said belonged to a killed member of the group.

• Recent reports said Wagner Group agents were ordered to hunt and kill Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Ukraine's defense ministry posted photos of a dog tag it said belonged to one of the Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary group who were said to be charged with assassinating President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"Wagnerists are already dying on the territory of Ukraine," the defense ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate wrote in a Tuesday Facebook post accompanying the photos.

The defense ministry did not say how many people had been killed or how many dog tags it had collected.

The photo of the dog tag showed, on one side, a website, a phone number with a Syrian country code, and an email address. The other side said "Please help and contact us" in English, French, and Arabic.

The defense ministry said the dog tag was made for use in the Syrian war, which the US believes the Wagner Group was involved in. Multiple reports from 2017 and 2018 said the group was contracted by a Syrian state-owned oil company to capture and secure oil and gas fields from ISIS.

Insider was unable to access the website inscribed on the dog tag, and received an automated message saying the phone number was unavailable.

Upon contacting the email address for a request for comment, Insider received an auto-reply that said: "This email address has been hijacked by Anonymous. You can respond, I am reading all emails. Glory to Ukraine!"

After asking who the email address belonged to, the person operating the account told Insider that they took over the email account after seeing the dog tag photos, and that it was not clear if it previously belonged to the Wagner Group.

In its Facebook post, the Ukrainian defense ministry said the Wagner Group was helping Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, and that some of its agents were "already participating in combat operations on the territory of Ukraine in the army of the aggressor."

It is not entirely clear who runs or finances the Wagner Group, but Yevgeny Prigozhin, an oligarch and ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been most frequently linked to the organization.

In 2020, the US Treasury said Prigozhin was "believed to be the financier" of the group. The European Parliament also described Prigozhin as having financial links to the group.

Multiple reports published in the run-up to and during Russia's invasion, including by the Daily Beast and The Times of London, said Wagner Group mercenaries were being dispatched to Ukraine.

The Times of London reported late last month that Russia ordered Wagner Group mercenaries in Kyiv to wipe out Zelenskyy's government, and offered them financial bonuses if they succeeded.

The Times reported last week that Ukraine had foiled at least three assassination attempts by the Wagner Group and Chechen special forces on Zelenskyy in the prior week, without giving specifics.

Zelenskyy previously warned that he was the "number one target" for Russia.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Zelenskyy Speaks Out After Leaked UN Email Instructs Staff Not To Say 'War'

Marita Vlachou

Wed, March 9, 2022, 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed a leaked U.N. email instructing staff not to characterize Russia’s attack on Ukraine as a “war” or “invasion,” but instead as a “conflict” or “military offensive.”

“I know this outraged many, and not only in Ukraine,” Zelensky said on a video posted on Telegram on Tuesday, according to CNN.

The U.N. email, with the subject line “Ukraine crisis communication guidelines,” was intended for internal use by staff. It also reminded workers to be careful about personal use of social media.

“We, as international civil servants, have a responsibility to be impartial,” the email read.

Zelenskyy said his representatives contacted the U.N. following the disclosure, first reported in the Irish Times on Tuesday.

“We made everything clear and quickly received assurances: there will be no lies in the U.N. structures,” Zelenskyy said. “There will be no playing along with the aggressor. The word ‘war’ will be heard on this site. Because that is the truth. We will not allow anyone in the world to ignore the suffering and murder of our people, our children.”

Earlier, Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba accused the U.N. of censorship.

“It’s hard to believe that the UN could essentially impose the same kind of censorship as the Kremlin imposes inside Russia now by banning the use of words ‘war’ and ‘invasion’ among UN staff,” Kuleba tweeted on Tuesday. “I urge the UN to swiftly refute such reports if they are false. UN reputation at stake.”

In a since-deleted tweet posted on Tuesday, the official U.N. spokesperson account said the staff email was “fake.” A subsequent tweet omitted that assertion.

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the U.N. secretary-general, did not deny the email was sent to staff, but told the Irish Times “it can not be considered official policy.”

Dujarric on Tuesday told reporters at the U.N. daily press briefing that there were no banned words for staff on the subject of Ukraine.

“I just wanted to correct the mistaken impression that U.N. staff were told to avoid using certain words to describe the situation in Ukraine,” Dujarric said. “It’s simply not the case that there was some sort of global instructions to all U.N. staff not to use words like ‘war’ or ‘invasion’ to describe the situation.”

Two million Ukrainians have fled their country since the Russian invasion began, according to the U.N.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Ukraine energy minister says Russians are forcing staff of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to participate in the creation of propaganda

Published: March 9, 2022
By Associated Press

A still frame from livestreamed video on March 4 from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Authority showing explosions amid Russian shelling of the complex.

 LAURENT FIEVET/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES

LVIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s energy minister said Russian forces that now control a Ukrainian nuclear plant are forcing the exhausted staff to record an address that they plan to use for propaganda purposes.

Russian troops have been in control of the Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest in Europe, since seizing it an attack on Friday that set a building on fire and raised fears of a nuclear disaster. It was later determined that no radiation was released.

Don’t miss: Russia disputes widespread conclusion that its military initiated agonizing incident at Zaporizhzhia nuclear complex

Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said on Facebook that about 500 Russian soldiers and 50 pieces of heavy equipment are inside the station. He said the Ukrainian staff are “physically and emotionally exhausted.”

Russia describes the war as a “special military operation” and says it is conducting targeted attacks. Halushchenko’s reference to propaganda appears to refer to Russian efforts to show it is not endangering Ukrainian civilians or infrastructure.

Read on: Ukraine calls for ceasefire for urgent Chernobyl repairs after nuclear plant is reportedly knocked off power grid

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for CHERNOBYL 

Germany vetoes nuclear power extension, aims for LNG terminal in 2024


FILE PHOTO: Security route in front of the generator of a nuclear reactor block
Tue, March 8, 2022,


BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany on Tuesday poured cold water on extending the life-span of its nuclear plants to help cut its reliance on Russian gas, saying it needed instead to build up alternative energy sources at "Tesla speed".

Economy Minister Robert Habeck said the country's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, announced last weekend, should be ready within two years.

In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Europe's largest economy late last month floated the idea of keeping nuclear plants as part of its energy mix to diversify away from Russia, which delivers most of Germany's natural gas.

But the economy and environment ministries said on Tuesday that after looking at both short-term and mid-term scenarios, they had decided that the costs and risks of keeping nuclear facilities open outweighed limited benefits. Germany's last remaining nuclear plants are due to close this year.

"As a result of weighing up the benefits and risks, an extension of the operating lives of the three remaining nuclear power plants is not recommended, also in view of the current gas crisis," the ministries said in a joint statement.

Germany's remaining three nuclear plants are operated by energy firms EnBW, RWE and E.ON.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Germany has mapped out changes to its energy system to cut dependence on Russian gas, which accounts for two thirds of Germany's natural gas imports.

After talks with the energy ministers of Germany's 16 states, Habeck said the country must diversify its energy sources, including by building an LNG terminal in the north, as fast as possible.

"We totally agree that the construction of electricity networks, LNG terminals and renewable energy must be done at 'Tesla speed'," Habeck told a news conference.

Asked how long it would take before the planned LNG terminal can replace Russian gas, Habeck referred to the two years it took Tesla to complete construction of its megafactory outside Berlin.

Other alternatives under consideration include more solar and wind power and keeping coal-fired power plants that are due to shut down on standby for emergencies.

(Reporting by Maria Sheahan, Christoph Steitz and Joseph Nasr; Editing by Zuzanna SzymanskaEditing by Paul Carrel and Susan Fenton)

A Canadian satellite company is providing real-time imagery to Ukraine to help track Russian troop movements


Urooba Jamal
Wed, March 9, 2022, 

Maxar satellite imagery of burning homes and impact craters in Rivnopillya, Ukraine 

Satellite image (c) 2022 Maxar Technologies


Remote sensing technology can track the movements of Russian soldiers.


Ukraine's digital transformation minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, had previously appealed for satellite data.


The Canadian firm's assistance forms part of growing international support for Ukraine's defense.

A Canadian satellite builder and operator is providing Ukraine with real-time satellite imagery to help it monitor Russian troop movements.

The technology provided by Ontario-based MDA uses remote sensing to track Russian forces on the ground in Ukraine in real-time, including at night or when conditions are cloudy, Reuters first reported.

The company received approval from the Canadian government on March 4 to share the imagery with Ukraine, Reuters reported.

Ukraine's armed forces, greatly outnumbered by Russian firepower and troops, have been receiving support from international donors to help mount a defense against Russia's invasion. Countries have provided weapons, expertise, and other forms of assistance but have refused to send troops to Ukraine amid concerns that it would escalate the conflict.

Ukraine's minister of digital transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, on March 1 made an appeal via his Twitter feed seeking synthetic aperture radar, or SAR, satellite data to help monitor Russian forces.

"We badly need the opportunity to watch the movement of Russian troops, especially at night when our technologies are blind," Federov said.

In addition to tracking troops, images from MDA's technology can pick out vehicles, infrastructure, and ships in all weather conditions, MDA's CEO, Mike Greenley, told Reuters.

"We can deliver intelligence reports and people can make determinations of what's going on the ground, or on the sea, from our radar imagery," Greenley told the agency.

Greenley told Reuters that the intelligence is sent securely via Western-based commercial agencies or governments, and the company has tightened its security in anticipation of any Russian retaliation.

MDA did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment made outside normal working hours.

MDA satellite imagery may prove useful in monitoring the 40-mile-long convoy of Russian military vehicles that is stationed 18 miles north of Kyiv and includes tanks, armored vehicles, artillery and supplies.

Federov's Twitter appeal had also stated that the imagery and other open source tools could provide information about military buildups in neighboring countries as well as refugee flows.

Canada's support for Ukraine includes sending 4,500 M72 rocket launchers and 7,500 hand grenades to Ukraine, in addition to slapping tariffs on Russian imports and easing the immigration process for Ukrainians, The Globe and Mail reported.

Before and after satellite imagery highlights the devastation from Russia's attacks on Mariupol, Ukraine


Charles R. Davis
Wed, March 9, 2022, 

Satellite images show damaged houses in Mariupol, Ukraine

Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies


The Ukrainian port city of Mariupol is being bombed and besieged by Russian forces.


Satellite images show what the city of more than 400,000 people looked like before and after the attack.


Ukraine accused Russia on Wednesday of bombing a maternity hospital in the city.

Before Russia's invasion last month, Mariupol was a bustling port city in southern Ukraine. But since the war began, it has been besieged and repeatedly struck by Russian airstrikes and artillery fire, with civilians reportedly shelled as they try to flee.

On Wednesday, the situation became even more grim, with reports that Russian attacks had leveled a children's and maternity hospital in the city of roughly 400,000 people.


Satellite images taken by the US firm Maxar Technologies — from June 2021 and March 9, 2022 — show the physical devastation from two weeks of war that have also killed more than 1,000 Ukrainian civilians.

Buildings and homes in Mariupol before the invasion

Buildings and homes before the invasion in Mariupol, Ukraine, June 21, 2021.Maxar

Destroyed buildings in homes in Mariupol after the invasion

Destroyed buildings in homes after the invasion in Mariupol, Ukraine, March 9, 2022.Maxar

Grocery stores and shopping malls before the invasion in western Mariupol

Grocery stores and shopping malls before the invasion in western Mariupol, Ukraine, June 21, 2021.Maxar

Destroyed grocery stores and shopping malls after the invasion in western Mariupol

Destroyed grocery stores and shopping malls after the invasion in western Mariupol, Ukraine, March 9, 2022.Maxar

Portcity shopping mall and other stores before the invasion in western Mariupol

Portcity shopping mall and other stores before the invasion in western Mariupol, Ukraine, June 21, 2021Maxar

Portcity shopping mall and other stores after the invasion in western Mariupol

Heavily damaged Portcity shopping mall and other stores after the invasion in western Mariupol, Ukraine, March 9, 2022.Maxar

Homes and buildings before the invasion in eastern Mariupol

Homes and buildings before the invasion in eastern Mariupol, Ukraine, June 21, 2021.Maxar

Homes and buildings after the invasion in eastern Mariupol

Homes and buildings after the invasion in eastern Mariupol, Ukraine, March 9, 2022.Maxar

The premier of Alberta is pushing for the revival of the Trump-backed Keystone XL oil pipeline to replace Russian imports to the US

Huileng Tan
Tue, March 8, 2022

These pipes were to be used at the Keystone XL project that was officially terminated in June 2021.Terray Sylvester/Reuters


President Biden revoked a key permit for the Keystone XL pipeline in 2021.


The pipeline's developer officially terminated the project in June.


On Monday, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said the US could "come back to the table and help us build Keystone XL."

A Canadian politician is pushing for the the revival of the Keystone XL oil pipeline project that President Joe Biden canceled in January 2021. The move would boost US energy security amid the war in Ukraine.

"If the United States is serious about this, they could come back to the table and help us build Keystone XL," Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said at a news conference on Monday, according to a video posted to Canada's Global News website.

Kenney added that had Biden not shut down plans for the pipeline, the "democratic energy" it provided could have, by the end of the year, been displacing the "Russian conflict oil that's filled with the blood of Ukrainians."

The Obama administration rejected the pipeline due to environmental concerns, but President Donald Trump revived the project in 2017 and construction started in 2020. The pipeline's developer, TC Energy, terminated the $9 billion project in June. Less than 10% of the pipeline had been constructed when Biden revoked a key permit last January, according to the Reuters Fact Check team.

The Keystone XL pipeline was slated to cover about 1,240 miles from Alberta to Nebraska, and to be able to carry 830,000 barrels of crude oil a day, per the Alberta government's website. The US imported about 209,000 barrels of crude oil each day from Russia in 2021, according to the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers trade association.

Kenney said the Keystone XL pipeline could be built by the first quarter of 2023 if the Biden administration gives the go ahead, according to Global News.

Calgary-based TC Energy told Insider the existing Keystone pipeline system "will continue to provide unique, stable and safe source of energy to meet increasing US energy demands."

Oil prices surge

The US is now considering a ban on Russian oil imports on its own, according to Reuters, citing two people familiar with the matter. This would come at a sensitive time as oil prices have surged 60% this year to a multiyear high.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki suggested Monday that resuming the Keystone XL pipeline project would not affect gas prices. This is as "the oil is continuing to flow in, just through other means. So it actually would have nothing to do with the current supply imbalance," Psaki said, according to an official transcript.

"What we can do to prevent this from being a challenge in future crises, the best thing we can do, is reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and foreign oil, because that will help us have a reliable source of energy so that we're not worried about gas prices going up because of the whims of a foreign dictator," Psaki added.

US crude oil production reached 11.8 million barrels a day in November and is set to rise to record highs at 12 million barrels a day in 2022 and 12.6 million barrels a day in 2013, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Alberta Premier Calls U.S. Preference for OPEC ‘Inexplicable’


Paul Takahashi
Tue, March 8, 2022,

(Bloomberg) -- Alberta Premier Jason Kenney urged the U.S. to change its energy policies that he said prioritizes oil and gas imports from OPEC countries over liberal democracies like Canada.

The head of Canada’s largest oil-producing province, speaking at CERAWeek by S&P Global on Tuesday, commended President Joe Biden’s decision earlier to ban imports of Russian crude in the wake of the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

However, Kenney questioned Biden’s 2021 decision to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline connecting Alberta’s oil sands to Gulf Coast refineries, and his administration’s recent requests to OPEC countries such as Venezuela to pump more oil to ease price.

“It is inexplicable for us as Canadians to watch what’s happening in American policy emanating from Washington right now, an administration that understandably is desperate to replace Russian imports with oil from somewhere else,” Kenney said.

“How could this be that Canada’s closest friend and ally would make an arbitrary and retroactive decision to limit exports from a friendly allied liberal democracy while pleading with the socialist dictatorship of Venezuela, the mullahs in Iran and with other OPEC dictatorships to sell them oil to the United States?” he said.

Kenney called for bilateral talks between the U.S. and Canada to improve energy security, and for Canada to prioritize the construction of more liquefied natural gas terminals to export more energy to Europe. He also urged investors to rethink corporate environmental, social and governance goals, in order to consider oil and gas investments in liberal democracies that have more transparent environmental records.

“It’s time to add a second S to the ESG, and that is security,” Kenney said. “It’s something we can no longer pretend is immaterial to ethical investment in energy.”

(Corrects year in third paragraph)