The very popular Shinzo Abe, a longtime friend of President Trump, stepped down as Prime Minister of Japan in 2020, but has been campaigning for various politicians as he remains active in politics.   An assassin shot him moments ago:

TOKYO — Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot and gravely injured while campaigning Friday in south-central Japan, according to public broadcaster NHK.

Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, was giving a speech in the city of Nara when he was shot around 11:30 a.m. (10:30 p.m. Thursday ET). NHK, citing the local fire department, reported that Abe was in a state of “cardiopulmonary arrest.” It said the suspected shooter appeared to have been apprehended.

Elections for the upper house of the Japanese Parliament are Sunday. Abe, 67, who stepped down in 2020, was campaigning for other members of the governing Liberal Democratic Party but is not a candidate himself. (LINK)

UPDATE:  Shinzo Abe was shot from behind by a 40-year-old assassin using a shotgun.  Shooter fired two shots.  Shinzo Abe fell after the second shot. UPDATE 2: NO VITAL SIGNS

Pictures below of Abe and the shooter.  Warning.  Disturbing.

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For those not paying close attention, the G7 is in serious trouble right now.  The G7 includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Italy, Japan and Germany.  The EU and Japan are on the verge of a central bank financial crisis.  Germany is the heart of the EU and their economy is FUBAR as a result of sanctions against Russia, their energy dependence and an internal inflation rate exceeding 30%.

The G7 spending response to the COVID pandemic, a collective decision outlined by the World Economic Forum and central bank organizers, has created a massive inflation crisis amid all attached economies.  Making matters worse the Build Back Better agenda promoting climate friendly energy policy over fossil fuels is pouring gasoline on the raging inferno of economic disruption.

The EU and Japanese central banks are tenuous at best, and the U.S. has seemingly positioned Europe and Asia for even further economic pain as a result of sanctions against Russia (EU) and a contracting U.S. economy impacting Asia.  The intentional global cleaving is not working out too well as the G7 leaders assemble for their summit in the Bavarian Alps.   This is the backdrop for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.  In essence, the G7 climate policy cannot be sustained simultaneously with the German economy surviving:

GERMANY –  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said he wants to put soaring inflation, the energy crisis and climate change at the center of the agenda when he meets fellow G7 leaders at Schloss Elmau in the Bavarian Alps.  

Germany, which holds this year’s G7 rotating presidency, is hosting the gathering of the heads of state and government of the world’s seven leading industrialized nations from Sunday through Tuesday.

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During a joint press conference held in Tokyo, Japan, held by Joe Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Biden was asked about the financial pain Americans are feeling with massive increases in gasoline prices.

Outlining how his energy policy is directly related to the gasoline price, Joe Biden said: “Here’s the situation. And when it comes to the gas prices, we’re going through an incredible transition that is taking place that, God willing, when it’s over, we’ll be stronger and the world will be stronger and less reliant on fossil fuels when this is over.” Yet again proving the intent of the administration is to implement the ‘Green New Deal’ through executive action.  WATCH:

https://youtu.be/s3mtbvZdpEA

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This admission is akin to former President Obama saying, “energy prices would necessarily skyrocket” in order to achieve the goals of the administration.

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Behind the headline is a qualifier that most will miss. “We will urge the companies affected not to follow Putin’s demand.”  The problem for the G7 political leaders is that most of the transactions are between private companies.  The heads of the U.S, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and the U.K, can stake a position, but the ultimate decision around the transaction in the hands of the private company buyers.

Russia can set the terms.  Whether the G7 political leaders shout ‘breach of contract‘ is seemingly a moot point.  In the big picture, the politicians have already breached the terms of prior trade agreements with sanctions.  Russia can turn off the supply or demand payment in rubles as terms of sale.

BERLIN (AP) — The Group of Seven major economies agreed Monday to reject Moscow’s demand to pay for Russian natural gas exports in rubles.

German energy minister Robert Habeck told reporters that “all G-7 ministers agreed completely that this (would be) a one-sided and clear breach of the existing contracts” for natural gas, which is used to heat homes, generate electricity and power industry.

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Each year on December 7, we honor and remember the 2,403 service members and civilians who were killed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.  A further 1,178 people were injured in the attack, which permanently sank two U.S. Navy battleships (the USS Arizona and the USS Utah) and destroyed 188 aircraft.

Today is the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor Events Page

The majority of prior studies for the COVID-19 vaccinations -writ large- generate an efficacy range around 60 to 70 percent in prevention of COVID hospitalization.  The efficacy for virus infection is essentially nil.   The vaccine does nothing to prevent infection or transmission; their only claims are now a reduction in hospitalization rates.

Therapeutics, preventative medicines and healthy lifestyle choices to avoid negative outcomes, have been mostly ignored, often ridiculed, and largely downplayed by politicians, media and Big Pharma.   Instead their preferred collective strategy has been a massive, overemphasized and almost exclusive effort to force vaccinations as the only medical option for SARS-CoV-2 infections.

The most studied and widespread therapeutic treatment on a global scale has been the use of an oral antiviral pill known as Ivermectin and a regime of supportive medications.   Japan and India have embraced the Ivermectin protocol with reported large scale success rates.

However, the U.S., Europe and Australia have focused exclusively on treating and chasing the SARS-CoV-2 virus with vaccines for the virus and boosters for the variants.

Today Pfizer, the #1 vaccine maker on a global scale, is introducing their version of a pill form of therapeutic.   With Ivermectin, a Merck product, costing somewhere around 30¢/dose, it appears Pfizer sees an opening for a $xx/dose pill option to enhance their growing profit margin.  It is interesting to note the Pfizer study for their pill was conducted on a non-vaccinated population.

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President Obama was well known for his diplomatic blunders, stumbles and curt demeanor with many foreign dignitaries including Queen Elizabeth II.  Unsurprisingly it appears the JoeBama administration is picking up right where Obama left off.

Japanese Prime Minister Joshihide Suga was the first world leader to visit the White House since Biden’s  installation, and the poor form began with no-one greeting the head of the Japanese government upon arrival.  When you consider the leftist narrative about stopping Asian hate, there is a rather ironic aspect to this visit and snub.

Once Prime Minister Suga was inside the White House he was shunned for the greeting by his diplomatic peer, Joe Biden.  Instead, Kamala Harris was dispatched to deliver introductory remarks.  Beyond the inappropriate form, the subtle message of Kamala Harris being the acting head of the executive branch was on display.

Once PM Suga and Joe Biden sat down things got worse.  By the time they both attended the Rose Garden joint press conference, Biden was calling Japanese Master’s Champion Hideki Matsuyama “a boy”.  Biden said: “I know how proud you are of the people of Japan are. And you’ve got a Japanese boy coming over here, and guess what, he won the Masters.“

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A few days ago Samsung announced they would stop production and manufacturing of Televisions in China by November.  Today they announce they will stop the sales of high-tech chips to Chinese owned Hauwei.

ANDROID HEADLINES – In the latest blow to Huawei, South Korean chip manufacturers Samsung and HK Hynix will reportedly cease all trades with the Chinese company beginning next week. This comes after the US Department of Commerce last month announced an amendment to the trade restrictions it imposed on Huawei back in May.

According to reports from various Korean news outlets, the companies will suspend trade on September 15th. That’s when the new set of rules come into effect. The rules bar any American or non-American company that uses a US-origin software or technology from selling components to Huawei. Any such trade would require the companies to obtain special approval from the American government.

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Several Asian news outlets are now confirming that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is likely to step down from his position due to a mounting health concern.

PM Abe is one of the strong nationalist politicians who align with the MAGA agenda of President Donald Trump.  Both leaders were friends even before President Trump stepped into politics.  Abe is a good friend to the White House and one of the key elements of the Indo-Pacific policy initiatives. His support & leadership will be missed on the international stage.   Expect further details later today. No doubt he and President Trump have talked.

Osaka – Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to step down as prime minister amid speculation over his health, NHK reported Friday, throwing the political center of Nagatacho in turmoil over the question of who will take over.

Abe is expected to speak to reporters at 5 p.m.

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Well done Team U.S.A.

This is a very significant trade development as it is the culmination of a lot background work and a trilateral trade alliance based on economic nationalism. The U.S, Japan and India have been working on the Indo-Pacific trade reset for several years.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Trump already sealed their component.  Now it appears India and the U.S. have reached terms. Very important. First, the report:

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India and the United States are closing in on a trade deal, India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday, after two years of negotiations.

“In the long term, I believe we have a quick trade deal which has some of the pending matters built up over the last couple of years, which we need to get out of the way quickly. We are almost there,” Goyal said at the U.S.-India Business Council’s India Ideas Summit, being conducted virtually.

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