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Volcano Erupts in Philippines

A volcano near Manila, Philippines, erupted on Saturday morning, sending thousands fleeing for their lives.

Taal volcano erupted at 7:22a.m. on Saturday morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in a statement. That eruption was followed by “nearly continuous phreatomagmatic activity” that sent plumes of ash stretching 4,900 feet into the air. It raised the alert level from two to three.

The Institute warned that further eruptions were possible and could trigger a tsunami, as well as flows of gas, debris, and ash.

Residents of five fishing and farming settlements near the lake in which the volcano is located were ordered to leave their homes. Following the order, thousands of people fled their homes.

Last July, the agency raised the alert level to three after Taal reawakened. The alert level was dropped back down to two before Saturday’s eruption.

Taal is one of the world’s smallest active volcanoes. Despite standing at only 1,020 feet, it can be deadly. An eruption in 1911 killed more than 1,300 people.

In January 2020, Taal shot a column of ash and steam as high as 15 km, which forced more than 100,000 people to evacuate while dozens of flights were canceled.

Taal Volcano sits on the Ring of Fire – a horseshoe-shaped belt in the Pacific Ocean basin where most of the world’s active volcanoes lie. It’s also where 90% of earthquakes happen as tectonic plates push against each other, causing tremors.

Suspected Poisoning

This week, it was reported that Russian-Israeli Oligarch Roman Abramovich suffered symptoms of suspected poisoning after a peace talk meeting earlier this month in Kyiv.

Ukrainian peace negotiators who participated in the meeting also suffered the same symptoms, according to the report by the Wall Street Journal, which cited people familiar with the developments.

Sources in the article blamed the suspected attack on hardliners in Moscow who oppose talks to stop the conflict that has raged since Russia invaded its neighbor last month.

Abramovich and at least two senior members of the Ukrainian negotiating team developed symptoms of constant, painful tearing, as well as red eyes and skin peeling on their faces and hands. Their conditions have since improved; it was not thought that the poisoning was meant to be fatal.

A Guardian reporter, Shaun Walker, quoted a source confirming the report and said the source added that “Roman lost his sight for several hours” and was treated in Turkey.

Western experts who probed the incident said it is hard to verify if the symptoms were caused by a chemical or biological agent, or even possibly an electromagnetic-radiation attack.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who also met with Abramovich, had not been affected.

Abramovich has been one of the only oligarchs who has spoken out publicly about his efforts to push Moscow to reach a peaceful resolution. He has shuttled between Moscow and Kyiv, as well as “other negotiating locations.”

Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Zelensky asked Washington to not put sanctions on Abramovich, as Europe did to him and other oligarchs, telling U.S. President Joe Biden that he hoped the Russian-Israeli billionaire

would be able to help mediate between Kyiv and Moscow.

Last week, the UK’s Financial Times newspaper reported that Putin personally approved Abramovich’s involvement in the peace efforts.

Maersk: Expect More Delays

Global shipping giant Maersk said a COVID-19 lockdown in China’s commercial center Shanghai is set to slow delivery times and push up transport costs even further.

In an advisory statement posted on its website on Monday, the shipping company said, “Trucking service in/out Shanghai will be severely impacted by 30% due to a full lockdown on Shanghai’s Pudong and Puxi areas in turn until 5th April.

“Consequently, there will be longer delivery time and a possible rise in transport costs such as detour fee and highway fee.”

Shanghai is currently a hotspot for COVID-19 cases. Strict lockdown measures began this week to combat rising cases across the city. It has been split into two along the Huangpu River to allow for mass testing. Those living to the east of the river are currently locked down, while those in the west undergo testing. A four-day lockdown for people living west of the river will begin on Friday when testing will begin in the east.

The city recorded 4,381 asymptomatic COVID-19 cases and 96 symptomatic cases on Monday.

Maersk said that all warehouses would remain closed in Shanghai between March 28 and April 1, while a number of depots would be closed from March 28 “until further notice,” per the statement.

China is responsible for around a third of global manufacturing.

The latest lockdown in Shanghai is also affecting a number of factories. Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory is halting production for four days due to its location in the part of the city where the first lockdown is underway.

China also placed other export hubs, including Changchun and Shenzhen,

Chinese Cyberattacks on NATO Increased 116%

The number of cyberattacks originating from Chinese IP addresses and targeting NATO countries has increased 116% since Russia invaded Ukraine, research shows.

According to the report, trends analyzed by the Check Point research cybersecurity firm also showed that cyberattacks from Chinese IPs have increased 72% worldwide.

Omer Dembinsky, data group manager at Check Point Software, noted, “As the Russia-Ukraine conflict intensifies, we grew curious around cyber-attacks originating from China. We’re seeing significant increases in cyber-attacks that originate from Chinese IP addresses.”

The statement added, “As it is difficult to determine attribution in cyber security without more evidence,” it is clear to researchers that “hackers are using Chinese servers to launch cyber-attacks world-wide, especially NATO countries.”

“The servers are likely used by hackers within China and abroad. The trend can have many meanings. For example, the increase can indicate where it is now easy or cheap to set up and operate a service or where it is more opportune to hide the real origin of the attack. It can also indicate how global cyber traffic is being routed at this moment in time.”

The increase in cyberattacks from Chinese IPs is significantly higher than the overall increase since the invasion began, researchers added.

Russia to Reduce Assault

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718.503.1318 Sunnysmiledaycamp@gmail.com 25 Carrier St. Liberty, NY Director: Mayer Lieberman on the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Chernihiv after talks took place between representatives of the two nations in Istanbul, Turkey, and as Ukrainian officials claimed Russian troops were withdrawing from battlefronts there because they had failed in their goals.

The Russian defense ministry has decided to “radically, at times, reduce military activity” in the direction of Kyiv and Chernihiv, deputy defense minister Alexander Fomin said.

Fomin noted that the ongoing discussions regarding the “neutrality and non-nuclear status of Ukraine” had contributed to the decision. More details on the steps to reduce hostilities will follow after the Russian delegation returns from Istanbul, Fomin said in remarks carried by Russian state news agency TASS.

Ukraine echoed the announcement regarding the reduction in military action, saying some Russian troops were pulling back from Kyiv and Chernihiv.

“The Russian enemy did not meet the goal of its offensive operation,” the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in an official Facebook update on Tuesday, adding that “certain units” of Russia’s military were withdrawing from battlefronts in the cities.

Even so, Ukraine warned of a “high risk” of Russian troops attacking military and civilian infrastructure. The Russian military, it claimed, was struggling to reinforce and rotate in new soldiers, due to the “refusal of personnel to participate in the so-called special operation,” and are “not able to staff even one battalion-tactical group.”

However, enough progress was made during Tuesday’s talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations to allow Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to meet, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak has said.

Talks between the two parties will “continue online 24/7,” Podolyak said, adding that Ukraine needs “clear legal wording.”

For now, it seems as if Russia is focusing on conquering the south and east of Ukraine.

Kim Jong Un Threatens Attacks

intercontinental ballistic missile in over four years.

KCNA quoted Kim as saying, “Only when one is equipped with the formidable striking capabilities, overwhelming military power that cannot be stopped by anyone, one can prevent a war, guarantee the security of the country and contain and put under control all threats and blackmails by the imperialists.”

He emphasized that North Korea will develop more “powerful strike means” and “more vigorously perfect the nuclear war deterrence of the country,” KCNA added.

Last week, North Korea performed its twelfth round of weapons tests this year, testing its new long-range Hwasong-17, which analysts say was designed to be able to strike anywhere in mainland USA.

How Oligarchs Hide Their Money

Countries around the globe are taking steps to track down Russian oligarchs’ big bucks.

According to the Atlantic Council think tank, Russians have around $1 trillion of “dark money” hidden abroad.

In its 2020 report, the think tank estimated that around one-quarter of the money is controlled by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian oligarchy.

“This money can be exploited and steered by the Kremlin for espionage, terrorism, industrial espionage, bribery, political manipulation, disinformation, and many other nefarious purposes,” the report claimed.

According to the National Endow-

20 ment for Democracy, Putin encouraged those close to him to “steal from the state budget, extort money from priThe Jewish Home | MARCH 31, 2022 vate businesses, and even orchestrate the outright seizure of profitable enterprises.” By doing this, it claimed, these individuals have created large personal fortunes. BBC noted that, according to Russian opposition leaders Boris Nemtsov and Vladimir Milov, $60 billion was transferred from the oil company Gazprom to Putin’s cronies between 2004 and 2007. According to the Atlantic Council, $36 billion in Russian money was sent to Cyprus in 2013 alone, much of it via shell companies. Then, in 2013, the International Monetary Fund convinced Cyprus to close tens of thousands of shell companies’ bank accounts. Other destinations for the Russian money are the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands. Some of the money ends up in London or New York, where it is invested and brings in profit. The most common way Russian oligarchs conceal “dark money” abroad is via shell companies. According to the Atlantic Council, “These oligarchs hire the best lawyers, auditors, bankers, and lobbyists in the world to develop legal means to conceal and launder their funds.

“A serious oligarch has layers of anonymous shell companies in a score of offshore jurisdictions, and his funds move at lightning speed between them.”

Meanwhile, since the start of the Ukraine-Russia war, various countries have taken steps to crack down on the oligarchs.

China and Nepal to Share Power

China and Nepal have agreed to conduct a feasibility study to construct a power line across the border.

The high-voltage power transmission line would be constructed across the Himalayas, officials said on Sunday.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Nepal’s Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka witnessed the signing of the agreement following talks in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu.

During the dry season, Nepal suffers power shortages. The cross-border grid would allow electricity imports from China, alleviating the issue.

In 2019, the two countries agreed to conduct a feasibility study for a railway network. No progress has been made on that project, officials said.

El Salvador Reeling from Gang Killings

El Salvador’s parliament has approved a state of emergency temporarily suspending some constitutional protections after a wave of killings attributed to criminal gangs.

On Saturday, police reported a total of 62 homicides – the highest in nearly thirty years.

On Sunday, Ernesto Castro, the Congress’ President, said, “We approve the exceptional regime, which will allow our government to protect the lives of Salvadorans and confront criminality head-on.”

The state of emergency will restrict freedom of assembly, as well as the right to be informed of the reason for arrest and access to a lawyer upon detention. It will also allow administrative detention for more than 72 hours.

President Nayib Bukele tweeted, “The measures to be taken will be implemented by the relevant institutions and announced only when necessary. For the vast majority of people, life continues normal. G-d bless us all.”

El Salvador has a long history of organized crime groups fighting against security forces and among themselves to control territory and drug routes across Central America. The small Central American country – roughly the size of Massachusetts – led the world for the number of homicides related to the size of its population for several years in a row in the 2010s.

President Nayib Bukele took office in June 2019 with broad support, after promising to stand tough against gang violence, which has racked El Salvador for decades.

In 2020, he authorized the use of lethal force by the police and army against gang members he said were taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic, after a weekend of violence left at least 50 people dead across the country.