Author: BlackMask Financial

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Boosters Effectively Fend Off Delta, Omicron Variants in Studies…. Get Vaxid do not become a meat loaf!!

  • Overall, antibody levels were nearly 2.5 times higher against Omicron after three doses
  • Study confirms that three doses of COVID-19 vaccine are essential to boost antibodies

A third dose of COVID-19 vaccine increases the level of antibodies that can effectively neutralise the Omicron variant of coronavirus, according to a study published in The Lancet journal. Researchers from Francis Crick Institute and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), UK, found that antibodies generated in people who had received only two doses of either the AstraZeneca or the Pfizer vaccine were less able to neutralise Omicron as compared to Alpha and Delta variants. They also found that antibody levels dropped off in the first three months following the second dose but a third ‘booster’ dose raised levels of antibodies that effectively neutralise the Omicron variant. The study found that in people who had received the Pfizer vaccine for all three doses, antibody levels against Omicron after a third dose were similar to those previously reached against Delta after only two shots. Overall, antibody levels were nearly 2.5 times higher against Omicron after three doses compared to after two jabs, according to the researchers. Higher levels of antibodies against Omicron were also found in people who received two doses of either vaccine and also reported previously having COVID-19 symptoms, compared to those who didn’t have disease symptoms in past. While levels of antibodies alone do not predict vaccine effectiveness, they are a very good indicator of protection against severe COVID-19, the researchers noted. The study confirms that three doses of COVID-19 vaccine are essential to boost antibodies to quantifiable levels and maximise the amount of protection against severe disease and hospitalisation. “People who have queued outside vaccinations centres should be reassured that a vaccine booster is the best way of protecting them from Omicron,” said Emma Wall, an infectious diseases consultant at UCLH Biomedical Research Centre of NIHR. “And for people who haven’t yet had a booster or even a first dose, it’s not too late,” Emma said in a statement. The researchers analysed 620 blood samples from 364 people who enrolled in the study. They tested the ability of antibodies to block entry of the virus into cells, so called ‘neutralising antibodies’, against different variants of SARS-CoV-2, including Omicron. The researchers also included synthetic neutralising antibodies that are currently in use for COVID-19 treatment to test if they have neutralising activity against variants of SARS-CoV-2. The team found that Xevudy (sotrovimab), a recently-approved synthetic monoclonal antibody used to prevent and treat patients at risk of developing severe COVID-19, was able to neutralise the Omicron variant. “We have really important early data to suggest that at least some versions of synthetic antibodies that we currently use to treat certain patients, are likely to be effective against this new variant,” Bryan Williams, UCLH Director of Research, added. David LV Bauer, from Francis Crick Institute, said while Omicron has considerably more mutations than other recent variants, such as Alpha and Delta, the study shows that the boosters push the immune system to make a broad response capable of tackling it. “This new variant can overcome the immune blockade put in place by two vaccine doses, but thankfully following the third dose, neutralising activity is robust in the vast majority of people,” Wall said. “A third dose builds our defences higher, making it harder for the virus to cause severe COVID-19,” she explained. NN: I have now  had my 4 shot the third booster on January 11 with no side effects. I beg you to do so. And yes it is your right not to vaccinate if you chose

Sometimes you got to give up something to get something

 

I do no stop with booster shots. I self isolate when i went for my booster shot i wore my mask with the UPLA filter. I take my CronaVits ever day. And i take a profrolatic dose of Ivermectin (prescribed by my Doctor) of 18 Mg per week and have done so for over a year now. I also test on a weekly bases using a home PCR test kit. So far no one in my bubble has gotten sick nor tested positive. AND just about everyone around me has tested positive, many have gotten symptoms and some have died. So you do as you please. The latest fucking idiot anti vaccer to die was Meat Loaf. Loved his music but like so many show people he was not the sharpest pencil in the box.

One of my favorite songs and one of the greatest duetts

Sometimes you got to give up something to get something
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Schlumberger’s profit jumps as higher oil prices spur drilling demand

(Reuters) – Schlumberger NV, the world’s largest oilfield services company, reported a rise in fourth-quarter profit on Friday that beat expectations, as higher crude and natural gas prices drove up demand for its services and equipment. Oil prices surged about 50% last year and are now trading at seven-year highs on the back of a COVID-19 vaccine-fueled demand recovery and tight supplies. “Absent any further COVID-related disruption, oil demand is expected to exceed pre-pandemic levels before the end of the year and to further strengthen in 2023,” Schlumberger Chief Executive Officer Olivier Le Peuch said.

In North America, strong offshore and land drilling activity and an uptick in exploration data licensing for the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and Permian Basin drove a 13% sequential jump in revenue.

Schlumberger shares were down 1.58% in pre-market trading at $36.46 as Brent oil futures fell about 1.7% on Friday to $86.87 a barrel. Wall Street analysts said the results were positive, with the exception of the company’s decision to keep its dividend flat. “There was an expectation of a dividend raise. I believe they will raise the dividend once the leverage targets are met,” said James West, a senior managing director with Evercore ISI. Schlumberger’s fourth-quarter adjusted net income rose to $587 million, or 41 cents per share, above Wall Street estimates of 39 cents per share, according to Refinitiv IBES. The company beat last year’s fourth-quarter earnings of $309 million, or 22 cents per share. Fourth-quarter revenue of $6.23 billion also topped analysts’ forecast of $6.09 billion. The worldwide rig count was 1,563 at the end of the fourth quarter, compared with 1,104 in 2020, according to Baker Hughes data. NN: See this? It the oil price killer.  All that spin about no capital fir new wells goes up in smoke. These guys do not punch holes in the ground unless they are paid in full//// The oil rush is on

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Evergrande bondholders warn of legal action

A group of international bondholders in the embattled Chinese property developer Evergrande have hired an offshore law firm and warned of legal action if the company continues to refuse “substantive engagement” over its finances and restructuring plans. The group of unnamed bondholders, who describe themselves in a statement as “large and reputable international investors with deep experience and high standing in the international capital markets”, said they had been forced to consider legal action after repeatedly receiving “little more than vague assurances of intent, lacking in both detail and substance”. Operating under the acronym AHG, the group has added the offshore law firm Harneys to its roster of advisers, which includes the law firm Kirkland & Ellis and tje investment bank Moelis, who have been working with the bondholders since September.

China’s second-biggest property developer, Evergrande has nearly $20bn (£14.7bn) of international market bonds that have been deemed to be in cross-default by ratings firms after missed payments, and has more than $300bn in total liabilities.

“The AHG believes it has been left with no option but to seriously consider enforcement actions,” the bondholders said in a statement released on Thursday. “The AHG is prepared to take all necessary actions to vehemently defend its legal rights and protect its legitimate interests.” The bondholder group complained in October of a lack of engagement from Evergrande, which in December set up a risk management committee and repeatedly promised to engage with all stakeholders. Evergrande, which is embarking on one of China’s biggest ever restructuring processes, has now resumed work at more than 90% of its projects. However, the bondholder group said it needed full transparency on the company’s plans and wanted it to halt more asset sales unless the AHG was consulted. “The AHG recognises the group’s recent efforts in resuming over 90% of its construction projects, and want to be a part of a solution to help the group during these hard times,” the letter said. “In this respect, the AHG requests the group to promptly engage with the AHG, provide full transparency in relation to the group’s financial position and liabilities and refrain from making any further asset disposals without consulting the AHG.” The bondholder group said it hoped that by making a public statement, and threatening legal action, it would “prompt immediate, meaningful and substantive actions and not just words” from Evergrande. NN: I urged our sophisticated traders to buy distressed Evergrande Dollar bonds. I have done this before Evergrande bond holders will be paid. They will take a 20 – 30% haircut. You will make a lot of money since you bought them at 20cents on the dollar.   What you are sseing is simply a negotiation session,

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Tensions over Ukraine: Russia says threat by Biden risks destabilising situation

  • Kremlin denounced US President Biden for saying a “disaster” awaited Russia if it attacked Ukraine.
  • Russia stressed that the statement is destabilized an already tense situation.
  • Statements like that, said Kremlin spokesman, “can facilitate the destabilization of the situation.”

The Kremlin on Thursday denounced US President Joe Biden for saying a “disaster” awaited Russia if it attacked Ukraine, reported news agency AFP. Russia stressed that the statement is destabilized an already tense situation. Statements like that said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, “can facilitate the destabilization of the situation.” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Thursday that there would be a “swift, severe” response from the United States and its allies if Russia sends military forces into Ukraine. Blinken’s comments in Berlin appeared to be another effort to clear up any confusion about the position of the U.S. and its NATO allies after U.S. President Joe Biden was heavily criticized for saying a “minor incursion” by Russia would elicit a lesser response. “If any Russian military forces move across the Ukrainian border and commit new acts of aggression against Ukraine, that will be met with a swift, severe, united response from the United States and our allies and partners,” Blinken told reporters. Top American and European diplomats are seeking to project a united front to Russia over concerns that it may be planning an invasion of Ukraine. Russia has massed an estimated 100,000 troops near Ukraine, and Biden said Wednesday he thinks Moscow will invade. He warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that his country would pay a “dear price” in lives lost and a possible cutoff from the global banking system if it does.

Against that backdrop, Blinken held talks Thursday with diplomats from Germany, France and Britain — a so-called Quad meeting. A day earlier, he met Ukraine’s president in Kyiv to discuss the threat.

Russia has denied it is planning an invasion and, in turn, accused the West on Thursday of plotting “provocations” in Ukraine, citing the delivery of weapons to the country by British military transport planes in recent days. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova alleged that Ukrainian and Western talk of an imminent Russian attack was a “cover for staging large-scale provocations of their own, including those of military character.” The U.S. and its NATO allies face a difficult task on the Ukraine crisis. Biden has said he is not planning to send combat troops in the case of a further Russian invasion. But he could pursue a range of less dramatic yet still risky military options, including supporting a post-invasion Ukrainian resistance. The rationale for not directly joining a Russia-Ukraine war is simple. The United States has no treaty obligation to Ukraine, and war with Russia would be an enormous gamble. But doing too little has its risks, too. The challenges of keeping the United States and its NATO allies united in their response to Russia were on display Wednesday, when Biden warned Russia against any invasion but also said a “minor incursion” would elicit a lesser response. He later sought to clarify that he was referring to a non-military action, such as a cyberattack — but the remark elicited a barrage of criticism at home that he was not being tough enough on Russia and raised the specter of possible divisions abroad. In explaining the remark, Biden said “it’s very important that we keep everyone in NATO on the same page.” Blinken, the top American diplomat, is set to deliver a speech on the Ukraine crisis later Thursday in the German capital before flying on to Geneva, where he will meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday. In his speech to the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences, Blinken will elaborate on the American position on Ukraine, the broader historical context of the current crisis, and the need for allies to present a unified front to confront Russia’s aggression and violations of international norms, U.S. officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to publicly preview Blinken’s speech. Blinken is also expected to address the Russian people to outline the costs that their country will pay should it move ahead with an invasion, they said. While the meeting in Berlin will focus primarily on Ukraine, the ongoing talks over reviving a deal aimed at limiting Iran’s nuclear program will also be discussed, according to the officials. Following his meeting with Bilnken this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to arrive Thursday in Poland, which has long supported Ukraine’s efforts to move closer to the democratic Western world. That move westward is a key point of contention in the standoff with Russia. Moscow wants guarantees that NATO will not expand to include Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations and that the alliance won’t deploy weapons to those countries. Washington and its allies firmly rejected Moscow’s demands in security talks last week, but kept the door open to possible further talks on arms control and confidence-building measures to reduce tensions. NN: This is making the markets very very nervous.

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Biden reveals an uncomfortable truth about NATO’s divide on Russian aggression in Ukraine

(CNN)US President Joe Biden’s admission that Western allies are not entirely united on how they would respond to a “minor” Russian incursion into Ukraine has sparked an uproar in Kiev. They were also met with concern in Europe, where officials and observers said Biden’s candid remarks had turned a spotlight on an uncomfortable truth at a dangerous moment.  Foreign diplomats and experts said Biden’s comments were also an acknowledgment of a harsh reality: as tensions rise on the Ukrainian border, NATO allies are not all on the same page. During a rare news conference on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of his inauguration, Biden said: “It’s one thing if it’s a minor incursion and we end up having to fight about what to do and not do. But if they actually do what they’re capable of doing with the forces amassed on the border, it is going to be a disaster for Russia if they further invade Ukraine.”

When asked to clarify what a “minor incursion” was, the President said he drew the line at “Russian forces crossing the border, killing Ukrainian fighters,” before adding that “there are differences in NATO as to what countries are willing to do, depending on what happens.”
The White House later clarified that Biden would consider any movement of Russian troops over the border as an invasion and would act accordingly — and that lesser acts of Russian aggression, like a cyberattack, would be met with a reciprocal response. There is “some truth there, which didn’t need to be said out loud,” one NATO diplomat told CNN Thursday. “It’s not like the Russians didn’t know that, say, a cyber-attack against Ukraine wouldn’t trigger a full-scale response.” This sentiment was echoed by a senior EU diplomat who said, “I think he was actually quite truthful in what he said. Whether it was politically OK, I don’t know.”
The fear is that Biden saying this publicly will give Russian President Vladimir Putin the green light to escalate what is already a very dangerous situation. Biden said in the same answer that he predicts Russia will “move in” to Ukraine, which warned earlier this week that the build-up of Russian troops near the border between the two nations was “almost completed.”The NATO diplomat who spoke to CNN said that there is a “lack of clarity” over what the specific response would be from NATO allies to specific Russian actions.
“There aren’t yet staked out positions,” the diplomat explained, but said it would probably “break out on the lines you would expect — US, UK, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Easterners would have a low-trigger threshold, everyone else a higher one.” Europe’s disunity, while less dramatic than Moscow might like, was visible earlier in the week, when French President Emmanuel Macron said the European Parliament should seek to agree a new security deal with Russia and enter its own dialogue with the Kremlin. Macron has long supported the EU taking greater control of its defense and security capabilities and has led calls for a standing European army. However, even EU member states are divided on how far that should go. And countries that previously lived under the rule of the Soviet Union are deeply skeptical of doing anything that might undermine NATO, the US-led military alliance that underpins European security. Most European countries are members of NATO.
Riho Terras, a former commander of the Estonia’s military, said, “Macron has an infamous quality to think out of the box and throw ideas that have little to do with the real world,” and that his “proposal to launch the EU dialogue with Russia falls to the same category.”
Alexander Stubb, former prime minister of Finland — another country that shares a border with Russia — says that while “strengthening European defense would certainly help, it would not be in Finland’s interest to duplicate what NATO is already doing.” Finland is not currently a NATO member. What impact will Biden’s words actually have on the situation in Ukraine? Experts were divided given the unpredictability of the situation. Terras said Russia invading Ukraine “a bit more” was not something the West should tolerate and that Biden’s comments could “simply encourage Putin to seize the opportunity and launch a ‘minor incursion’ but by his (own) definition.”
Velina Tchakarova, director of the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy, believes that Biden’s comments will have “a devastating psychological effect on the European NATO allies as well as the Ukrainian establishment,” but that they would likely not factor in Putin’s thinking much because “Moscow is used to the diplomatic language of Western officials and does not take it at face value.” Keir Giles, a senior fellow at Chatham House and author of the forthcoming book “How Russia Gets Its Way,” says: “the effect of his comments in Russia may well be just as much confusion they have caused elsewhere, as Russia’s government apparatus struggles to unscramble the mixed messages from Washington.” On the whole, most EU officials that spoke to CNN don’t think that Biden’s comments will prompt a major escalation from the Kremlin. What they are deeply upset by, however, is the finger being pointed at Europe’s disunity on security quite so directly.
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Russia moves troops westward attack through Belarus

Russia is a sending an unspecified number of troops from the country’s far east to Belarus for major war games, officials said Tuesday, a deployment that will further beef up Russian military assets near Ukraine amid Western fears of a planned invasion. Amid the soaring tensions, the White House warned that Russia could attack its neighbor at “any point,” while the U.K. delivered a batch of anti-tank weapons to Ukraine. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said the joint drills with Belarus would involve practicing a joint response to external threats. Ukrainian officials have warned that Russia could launch an attack on Ukraine from various directions, including from its ally Belarus. The U.S. again stressed its concern Tuesday, with White House press secretary Jen Psaki describing the Russian forces’ move into Belarus as part of as “extremely dangerous situation.” “We’re now at a stage where Russia could at any point launch an attack in Ukraine,” she said. The State Department and others in the U.S. government have re-emphasized a standing commitment to Ukraine’s security and territorial sovereignty. A series of talks last week between Russia, the U.S. and NATO failed to quell the tensions over Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Geneva on Friday in another attempt to defuse the crisis. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday it has received a shipment of anti-tank weapons from the U.K., noting that they will help “strengthen our defense capability.” The statement didn’t say how many weapons were delivered. Russia already has started moving troops for the war games in Belarus. Fomin said it would take through Feb. 9 to fully deploy weapons and personnel for the Allied Resolve 2022 drills, which are expected to take place Feb. 10-20.

‘NATO allies are ready to meet with Russia again, and today I have invited Russia and all the NATO allies to attend a series of meetings in the NATO-Russia Council in the near future to address our concerns but also listen to Russia’s concerns.’ — Jens Stoltenberg, NATO

Fomin didn’t say how many troops will be involved in the drills, but mentioned that Russia will deploy a dozen Su-35 fighter jets and several air defense units to Belarus. The deployment would bolster an estimated 100,000 Russian troops with tanks and other heavy weapons who are already amassed near Ukraine in what the West fears could be a prelude to an invasion. Russia has denied an intention to attack its neighbor but demanded guarantees from the West that NATO will not expand to Ukraine or other ex-Soviet nations or place its troops and weapons there. Washington and its allies firmly rejected Moscow’s demands during Russia-U.S. negotiations in Geneva and a related NATO-Russia meeting in Brussels last week. Fomin said the drills in Belarus, which involve an unspecified number of troops from Russia’s Eastern Military District, reflect the need to practice concentrating the country’s entire military potential in the west. “A situation may arise when forces and means of the regional group of forces will be insufficient to ensure reliable security of the union state, and we must be ready to strengthen it,” Fomin said at a meeting with foreign military attaches. “We have reached an understanding with Belarus that it’s necessary to engage the entire military potential for joint defense.” Belarus’s authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenka, said the joint maneuvers will be conducted on Belarus’s western border and also in the country’s south, where it borders Ukraine. Amid the tensions, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday it was speeding up efforts to form reserve battalions that would allow for the rapid deployment of 130,000 recruits to expand the country’s 246,000-strong military. The battalions from the newly formed Territorial Defense Forces could include reservists from aged 18 to 60. The United States and its allies have urged Russia to deescalate the situation by calling back the troops amassed near Ukraine. “In recent weeks, more than 100,000 Russian troops with tanks and guns have gathered near Ukraine without an understandable reason, and it’s hard not to understand that as a threat,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told reporters Tuesday after talks in Moscow with her Russian counterpart, Lavrov. Lavrov responded by restating Moscow’s argument that it’s free to deploy its forces wherever it considers it necessary on its territory. “We can’t accept demands about our armed forces on our own territory,” Lavrov said, adding that “troops’ training is something that every country does.” “We aren’t threatening anyone, but we are hearing threats to us,” he added. “We will decide how to react depending on what specific steps our partners will take.” Baerbock emphasized that the West was ready “for a serious dialogue on mutual agreements and steps to bring everyone in Europe more security.” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Tuesday. He said “the main task now is to make progress on the political way forward” to prevent a military attack against Ukraine. “NATO allies are ready to meet with Russia again, and today I have invited Russia and all the NATO allies to attend a series of meetings in the NATO-Russia Council in the near future to address our concerns but also listen to Russia’s concerns,” Stoltenberg said. He added that NATO “in the near future” will deliver its written proposals in response to Russian demands and “hopefully we can begin meeting after that.” “We need to see what Russia says, and that will be a kind of pivotal moment,” the NATO chief said. Lavrov, meanwhile, reaffirmed that Russia wants a quick Western answer to its demand for security guarantees that would preclude NATO’s expansion to Ukraine and limit its presence in Eastern Europe. He repeated that in a phone conversation with Blinken, who will visit Ukraine on Wednesday and meet with Lavrov on Friday. Lavrov also urged Blinken “not to spread speculation about the alleged ‘Russian aggression’ being prepared,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Speaking on a visit Tuesday to Ukraine, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly denounced the Russian troop buildup as unacceptable. She noted Canada’s efforts to help train Ukraine’s military, adding that it’s currently considering Ukraine’s demand to provide it with military equipment and will make “a decision in a timely manner.” Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 after the ouster of Ukraine’s Moscow-friendly leader and also threw its weight behind a separatist insurgency that took over large sections in eastern Ukraine. More than 14,000 people have been killed in nearly eight years of fighting there.

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Ukraine warns Russia almost completed build up of forces near border

(CNN) — Ukraine has warned that Russia has “almost completed” its build-up of forces that could be used for an offensive against the country, compounding fears that Moscow could launch an invasion at any time. According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s latest intelligence assessment.  Russia has now deployed more than 127,000 troops in the region. “The full strength of RF AF (Russian Federation’s Armed Forces) land group at the Ukrainian direction — (is) over 106,000 personnel. Together with the sea and air component, the total number of personnel is over 127,000 servicemen,” the assessment said. The assessment called the situation “difficult,” and said Ukraine believes Russia is “trying to split and weaken the European Union and NATO.” Russia’s actions are also “aimed at limiting the capabilities of the United States,” the assessment said, “to ensure security on the European continent.” The assessment comes after three rounds of diplomatic talks between Russia and the West aimed at de-escalating the crisis failed to produce a resolution last week. US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said last Wednesday it was unclear whether Moscow intended to use the talks as a pretext to claim that diplomacy cannot work. Ukrainian military intelligence said Russia has deployed troops from its central and eastern regions to its western border “on a permanent basis.” At the end of December and in January, Russia has been moving “stockpiles of ammunition, field hospitals and security services” to the border, it said, which according to Ukraine “confirms the preparation for offensive operations.” The new assessment also said Russia supports more than 35,000 rebels in eastern Ukraine and has about 3,000 of its own military personnel based in rebel territory. Moscow denies having any forces in eastern Ukraine. Russia’s intelligence activity against Ukraine has also intensified, the assessment said, with additional radio and satellite traffic units being deployed near the Ukrainian border and reconnaissance flights along the border having tripled since this time last year. The Ukrainian military also said Russia could use medium-range missile weapons to “destroy vital objects,” noting “additional tactical groups of ‘Iskander’ operational-tactical missiles” have been transferred to the border. As of mid-January, there are 36 Iskander launchers near Ukraine, according to the assessment. Iskander missiles are capable of striking targets 500-700 km (approximately 310-430 miles) away and could now target areas including the capital, Kyiv, it said. The Ukrainian document warned a new potential front line has now emerged along its northern border with Belarus, a key Kremlin ally. “The territory of Belarus should be considered as a full-fledged theater of operations that Russia can use to expand aggression against Ukraine,” the Ukrainian military intelligence document said. US State Department officials underlined those concerns Tuesday, saying Russia’s bolstered troop presence in Belarus has increased their capabilities along the Ukrainian border and led to heightened concerns about an invasion. “What it represents is an increased capability for Russia to launch this attack. Increased opportunity, increased avenues, increased risk,” a senior US State Department official said, adding that the troops were moved into Belarus without sufficient notice. In Belarus,  Russia is “preying on (Belarusian leader Alexander) Lukashenko’s vulnerability and calling in some of those accumulated IOUs,” the official said. “The timing is notable and of course raises concerns that Russia could intend to station troops in Belarus under the guise of joint military exercises in order potentially to attack Ukraine from the North,” the official said. While the official would not speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intent when it comes to moving troops into Belarus, the official described Putin as “an opportunist.” “We’ve seen warning signs that the dynamics inside Belarus are enabling Russia to further prey on Lukashenko’s self-inflicted vulnerability,” the official said. US officials have said a Russian invasion of Ukraine could happen at any point in the next month or two. “Russian military plans to begin activities several weeks before a military invasion are something we’ve been watching closely and our assessment has been that could happen anytime between mid-January and mid-February,” a second senior State Department official explained. The United States is looking closely at whether Lukashenko still has the levers of control in his country — or whether the decision-making has been largely passed over to Russia. Belarus has become an “increasingly destabilizing actor in the region” the first State Department official said, pointing to a number of recent actions such as manufacturing a migrant crisis on the Poland-Belarus border, arresting activists and holding more than 900 political prisoners. Ukraine’s assessment comes as the country’s former President, Petro Poroshenko, told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday that “the whole world should be united against Putin,” and that Ukraine should be allowed to join NATO. The billionaire led Ukraine from 2014 until 2019, taking power shortly after Russia invaded and subsequently annexed Crimea. He was defeated in the 2019 presidential election by incumbent Volodymyr Zelensky. “It is absolutely necessary that there is international solidarity and unity” against Putin, Poroshenko said, adding that Western allies should not trust the Russian leader. The 56-year-old also called for an increase in international sanctions against Russia. “We need to make Russia weaker, and to make Russia weaker, we can do that through the sanctions. We should make Ukraine stronger. And day by day, we should receive new effective defensive lethal weapons,” he said. Poroshenko also said “nobody knows, including Putin” whether a Russian invasion will actually happen and a lot will depend on the introduction of sanctions. Calling a potential invasion a “crazy decision,” he said the international community should “increase significantly the price Putin should pay” if Russian forces cross the Ukrainian border. When asked whether endemic corruption is a reason Ukraine has not been accepted as a member of NATO, Poroshenko pointed blame at his successor, Zelensky, for a “backslide” of corruption reforms. Poroshenko returned to the capital, Kyiv, on Monday to face treason charges linked to the financing of Russian-backed separatist fighters through illegal coal sales in 2014 and 2015. When pressed on the charges he faces, Poroshenko said the accusations were  “politically motivated” and that prosecutors had “zero evidence.” According to Reuters, critics say his return to Ukraine is serving as an badly timed distraction amid the political crisis with Russia. NN: our analysis is Russia is not planning a full blown invasion of Ukraine. Tthat would take 500,000 troops and drag NATO into the fray. Putin is to smart for that. Instead he will  go in through South-west Belarus.  Advancing on Kyiv from farther west would mean Russian forces could bypass the Pripet marshes and Chernobyl area. This was confirmed to me when satellite photos showed Russian troop entering Belarus. Putan has gotten Minsk’s support,  In a speech to mark Orthodox Christmas on 7 January, the Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko, said his country would “do everything” to take back Ukraine. Putin just called in that chip

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OPEC Sees Robust Demand And Well-Supported Oil Market In 2022

LONDON: OPEC on Tuesday stuck to its forecast for robust growth in world oil demand in 2022 despite the Omicron coronavirus variant and expected interest rate hikes, predicting the oil market would remain well supported through the year.

The upbeat view from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries comes as oil prices have reached the highest since 2014. Tight supply has given impetus to the rally, and OPEC’s report also showed the group undershot a pledged oil-output rise in December. In a monthly report, OPEC said it expects world oil demand in 2022 to rise by 4.15 million barrels per day (bpd), unchanged from last month. Oil use will surpass the 100 million bpd mark in the third quarter, also in line with last month’s forecast. “While the new Omicron variant may have an impact in the first half of 2022, which is dependent on any further lockdown measures and rising hospitalisation levels impacting the workforce, projections for economic growth remain robust,” OPEC said in the report. Interest rate rises, expected in 2022 to keep a lid on inflation and seen by some as risk to oil demand, are unlikely to dent the outlook, OPEC said. Expected U.S. rate hikes in the second quarter would coincide with the northern hemisphere driving season, which boosts fuel demand, it said. “Monetary actions are not expected to hinder underlying global economic growth momentum, but rather serve to recalibrate otherwise overheating economies,” OPEC said. “The oil market is expected to remain well-supported throughout 2022.” This year’s demand rise will take oil use above pre-pandemic levels. On an annual basis according to OPEC, the world last used over 100 million bpd of oil in 2019. Oil rose after the report was issued and was trading close to $88 a barrel, having hit $88.13 on Tuesday, the highest since October 2014. The report also showed higher output from OPEC as the group and allies, known as OPEC+, gradually unwind record output cuts put in place last year. OPEC+ has aimed to raise output by 400,000 bpd a month, with about 253,000 bpd of that due to come from the 10 OPEC members covered by the deal, but production has increased by less than that as some producers struggle to pump more. The report showed OPEC output in December rose by 170,000 bpd to 27.88 million bpd, undershooting the rise OPEC was allowed. Libya and Nigeria both had a drop in output alongside gains in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. Traders are watching for signs of a big rebound in U.S. shale supply as higher prices prompt more investment, which could prove a headwind to OPEC+ efforts to support the market. OPEC raised its forecast for growth in 2022 production of U.S. tight oil, another term for shale, to 670,000 bpd from 600,000 bpd. The growth forecast for overall non-OPEC supply in 2022 was left unchanged. OPEC said it expects the world to need 28.9 million bpd from its members in 2022, unchanged from last month and theoretically allowing further increases in output. NN: Their are 3 key players here. The Sadie’s,Russia and US shale producers. For  Putin oil is a tool to manipulate  Europe as he contemplates his next move in e Ukraine. With prices over $80 a barrel the Saudi’s are rolling in cash. Their only worry is US shale producers. Speaking of US shale producers…. its off to the races. At oil over $80 at the well head they are in dream land. Plenty of new pipelines to move oil and plenty of completed wells to bring on line. US producers will easily make up any short falls putting a cap on prices.

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US closes lower, Dow sinks almost 550 points

Major stock markets in the United States closed lower on Tuesday after Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc. announced a delay in deploying the C-band fifth-generation (5G) technology around some of the nation’s airports. The installation process itself caused several countries to temporarily halt flights to the US as they stressed their concerns about the system. Earlier, the newest report showed a monthly decline in builder confidence. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 1.51% or 542 points lower as Goldman Sachs Group Inc. plunged by 6.97%. The Nasdaq 100 fell by 2.57% or 400 points. The S&P 500 went down by 1.83%. Moderna Inc. was the worst performer on both of the latter indexes, plummeting by 8.85% NN: This is a very dangerous time. We have a Fed Reserve meting soon and we have a chance Russia will invade the Ukraine.Add to that the Corona mutation spreading far and wide.  With so many events in flux it is prudent to wait on our upcoming trades in oil and the NASDAQ 100.

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You must avoid at all costs getting infected by Omicron

  • A fast-spreading Omicron variant that causes milder illness compared with previous versions of the coronavirus has fueled the view that COVID-19 poses less of a risk than in the past.
  • Research has indicated that Omicron may be more likely to lead to an asymptomatic case of COVID-19 than prior variants.
  • For those who do have symptoms, a higher proportion experience very mild illness, such as sore throat or runny nose, without the breathing difficulties typical of earlier infections.

A fast-spreading Omicron variant that causes milder illness compared with previous versions of the coronavirus has fueled the view that COVID-19 poses less of a risk than in the past. In which case, some ask, why go to great lengths to prevent getting infected now, since everybody will be exposed to the virus sooner or later? Here is why experts say it is not time to be complacent about Omicron:

YOU COULD STILL BECOME VERY ILL

Research has indicated that Omicron may be more likely to lead to an asymptomatic case of COVID-19 than prior variants. For those who do have symptoms, a higher proportion experience very mild illness, such as sore throat or runny nose, without the breathing difficulties typical of earlier infections.

But the extraordinary spread of Omicron in many countries means that in absolute numbers, more people will experience severe disease. In particular, recent data from Italy and Germany show that people who are not vaccinated are far more vulnerable when it comes to hospitalization, intensive care and death.

“I agree that sooner or later everyone will be exposed, but later is better,” said virus expert Michel Nussenzweig of Rockefeller University. “Why? Because later we will have better and more available medicines and better vaccines.”

YOU COULD INFECT OTHERS

You might become only mildly ill, but you could pass the virus to someone else at risk for critical illness, even if you have antibodies from a prior infection or from vaccination, said Akiko Iwasaki, who studies viral immunology at Yale University.

OMICRON’S LONG-TERM EFFECTS ARE UNKNOWN

Infections with earlier variants of the coronavirus, including mild infections and “breakthrough” cases after vaccination, sometimes caused the lingering, debilitating long-haul COVID syndrome.

“We have no data yet on what proportion of infections with Omicron… end up with Long COVID,” Iwasaki said.

“People who underestimate Omicron as ‘mild’ are putting themselves at risk of debilitating disease that can linger for months or years.”

Also unclear is whether Omicron will have any of the “silent” effects seen with earlier variants, such as self-attacking antibodies, sperm impairments and changes in insulin-producing cells.

MEDICATIONS ARE IN SHORT SUPPLY

Omicron treatments are so limited that doctors must ration them. Two of the three antibody drugs used during past COVID-19 waves are ineffective against this variant.

The third, sotrovimab, from GlaxoSmithKline, is in short supply, as is a new oral antiviral treatment called Paxlovid, from Pfizer Inc, that appears effective against Omicron. If you get sick, you might not have access to treatments.

HOSPITALS ARE FILLING UP

In fully vaccinated and boosted individuals without underlying medical conditions, Omicron “will not do too much damage,” said David Ho, professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia University.

Still, the fewer infections, the better, especially now, “when the hospitals are already overwhelmed, and the peak of Omicron wave is yet to come” for most of the United States, Ho said.

Due to record numbers of infected patients, hospitals have had to postpone elective surgeries and cancer treatments. And during past surges, overwhelmed hospitals have been unable to properly treat other emergencies, such as heart attacks.

MORE INFECTIONS MEAN MORE NEW VARIANTS

Omicron is the fifth highly significant variant of the original SARS-COV-2, and it remains to be seen if the ability of the virus to mutate further will slow down.

High infection rates also give the virus more opportunities to mutate, and there’s no guarantee that a new version of coronavirus would be more benign than its predecessors.

“SARS-CoV-2 has surprised us in many different ways over the past two years, and we have no way of predicting the evolutionary trajectory of this virus