August 2022 | 200 comments (200 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Food for starving Africans (none / 0)

Guests: Einar Tangen, current affairs commentator
Hannah Ryder, founder and CEO of Development Reimagined
Wang Jin, professor at Northwest University of China

8 Aug
US State | Vital Partners, Shared Priorities: The Biden Administration's Sub-Saharan Africa Strategy
monologue
US State | Remarks at the Opening of the U.S.-South African Strategic Dialogue, opening remarks
FM PANDOR: Long time no see
SEC BLINKEN: floods in Durban and in Kentucky
US State | Secretary Antony J. Blinken and South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor at a Joint Press Availability, Q&A
SEC BLINKEN: repercussions of Russia's war in Ukraine
FM PANDOR: I'm glad that Secretary Blinken has confirmed that America is not asking us to choose

by Cat on Fri Aug 12th, 2022 at 10:11:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Food for starving Africans (none / 0)

For Blinken numbers count?

And, as you've heard, by 2050, one in four people on the planet we share will be African. They will shape the destiny not only of this continent but of the world.

Should be easy to copy/paste this speech for Antony's visit to Beijing soon. 😂

Key Projections The World in 2050 | PMC - 2017 |

Six of the seven largest economies in the world are projected to be emerging economies in 2050 led by China (1st), India (2nd) and Indonesia (4th)

The US could be down to third place in the global GDP rankings while the EU27's share of world GDP could fall below 10% by 2050

UK could be down to 10th place by 2050, France out of the top 10 and Italy out of the top 20 as they are overtaken by faster growing emerging economies like Mexico, Turkey and Vietnam respectively

Of the G7 countries only the US (3rd) is projected to remain in top 7!

Russia was 6th and would remain 6th, larger than any other European state. The Biden Blitzkrieg to force a war on the European continent is like throwing a wrench in well organized logistics of global economies. Doing it on its own merits won't cut it. The US needs more territory. Russia knows what it is defending to survive economically. Brussels and the EU-27 will be a footnote in history. Japan drops down to 8th followed by Germany 9th and quite optimistic a post-Brexit UK at 10th.

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sat Aug 13th, 2022 at 06:50:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Food for starving Africans (none / 0)

By 2050 the BRICS bloc of nations would be China 1st, India 2nd, Brazil 5th, Russia 6th plus South Africa. Both Turkey and Iran may have decided to be aligned with this economic bloc. Meet the new G7 🙃 ... Indonesia (4th) would be a big prize.

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sat Aug 13th, 2022 at 07:05:17 AM EST
[ Parent ]

"multipolar" BRICS loop to date (none / 0)

BRICS (2009 FTA): CN, RU, BR, IN, ZA; AR*, DZ*, EG*, ID, IR, CM*, ML*, SN*, TH*, UZ*, FJ*, ET*, KZ*

* observer, dialogue, or applicant member

APEC (1989 FTA): CN, CN-hk, CN-tw, RU, ID, SG, VN, TH, PH, MX, PE, CL, BN, PG, MY, KR; US, AU, JP, NZ, CA
ASEAN (1967 FTA): BN, KH, ID, LA, MY, MM, PH, SG, TH, VN

by Cat on Sat Aug 13th, 2022 at 05:39:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]

emerging largest economy "axis" (none / 0)

2 Feb, Drilling of China's designed deepest onshore gas well begins

Drilling of the "Dabei-401" well, designed to be China's deepest onshore gas well, has started on Tuesday in the country's northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The Tarim Oilfield said it is expected to drill 110 ultra-deep wells this year, while it drilled 23 wells with a depth of over 8,000 meters in 2021....Tarim Basin is a major petroliferous basin in China, producing one-sixth of the country's total production of natural gas.

12 Aug, Chinese Oil Giants Sinopec And PetroChina To Delist From NYSE

Apart from Sinopec and PetroChina, the other firms that had notified the NYSE of their intentions to delist were China Life Insurance and Aluminium Corporation of China (Chalco).
PetroChina said in its release that it had notified the NYSE today of its decision and would file with the SEC on or about August 29 a form to delist its ADSs from the NYSE.
American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") from the NYSE [...2000 HKSE/23.5% NYSE, 2005 HKSE, 2007 SSE] As of 9 August 2022, the issued and outstanding ADSs represented approximately 3.93% of the total [diluted] H Shares and approximately 0.45% of the total share capital of the Company.
Among the many business reasons for seeking delisting of its ADSs, PetroChina cited "the considerable administrative burden for performing the disclosure obligations as necessary for maintaining the listing of the ADSs on the NYSE as a result of the differences in the regulatory rules of multiple listing venues." ...

14 Aug China drills one of world's deepest oil deposits - Tarim Basin, Xinjiang A.R.

China's largest oil refiner Sinopec has reportedly extracted crude oil and natural gas from a newly drilled oil reserve with wells around 8,000 meters deep.... 244 tons of crude oil and 970,000 cubic meters of natural gas per day. ... The Shunbei oil and gas field has 41 ultra-deep drilling wells, and is one of the world's deepest onshore commercial oil and gas fields, according to Sinopec.

15 Aug, Wall Street on Parade sez, China Moves to Delist Five State-Owned Companies from the New York Stock Exchange

For the past two decades, China has been stonewalling U.S. regulators over access to the work papers of auditors of publicly traded companies that are based in China but listed on U.S. stock exchanges. China takes the position that these audit work papers hold state secrets and it prohibits audit firms from releasing the documents directly to U.S. regulators, effectively FLOUTING U.S. ~~accounting law~~ FASB guidance. This UNTENABLE situation finally forced the hand of Congress to take a stand in December of 2020....

Courthouse News to most ignorant, litigious investors on planet: PULL THE OTHER ONE, LADDY!

archived 9 Aug book promo, Thu Jul 28th, 2022

by Cat on Tue Aug 16th, 2022 at 11:46:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]

SIDEBAR - OH(chr) the irony (none / 0)

Politico.eu.com | UN says forced labor takes place in Xinjiang, Tibet, 18 Aug

Forced labor has taken place in the Xinjiang region of China, the U.N.'s top expert on slavery concluded in a new report which has riled Beijing.
It is "reasonable to conclude that forced labour among Uyghur, Kazakh and other ethnic minorities in sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing" took place in the western region, where China has been accused of human rights abuses against the Uyghur Muslim minority, and a "genocide" by the [U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo].
In stinging remarks, U.N. Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery Tomoya Obokata added that some aspects of China's Xinjiang policy could even amount to "enslavement as a crime against humanity."

archived CIA Report: Xinjiang Problem, 22-28 May 2022 1,660,001 km2 fly-over

Global Times | Non-jury trial for national security case to ensure a fair trial: HK Department of Justice, 17 Aug

The AFP first reported that dozens of suspects including some who were involved in organizing and planning the so-called "35-plus" political strategy in 2020 would see a non-jury trial as the case involves foreign elements. Citing the relevant documents, the AFP also said the reason of departing from the tradition of jury trial is for the personal safety of jurors and their family members, and a risk of perverting the course of justice if the trial is conducted with a jury.
[...]
The Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance, which incorporated many of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights provisions, does not provide for a right to be tried by jury in Hong Kong, so a trial by jury is not a protected right or fundamental right or constitutional right in Hong Kong, Lawrence Ma, barrister and chairman of the Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

reference
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 8(3), exceptions; Article 9, omissions
National Security Law of the People's Republic of China (2015)
The Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2021)
The Lawyers & Jurists Foundation, "SOLICITORS VS BARRISTERS"

by Cat on Thu Aug 18th, 2022 at 05:16:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: SIDEBAR - OH(chr) the irony (none / 0)

DW | How has Hong Kong weaponized its judiciary to target dissent?, 24 Aug

Two high-profile national security cases in Hong Kong will proceed without juries, according to the media in the former British colony, with some analysts interpreting this as another signal of failing judicial independence.

plea deals

[HKSAR Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China co-ordinator] Kwong [Chung-Ching] said some defendants might choose to plead guilty to receive shorter jail sentences, but they might also think that arguing in court would not make a difference for the outcome.
"Since they have been remanded for more than a year, it makes more sense to just get out of jail as soon as possible," she said.

English law: bail bonds, recognisance or remand, possibly flight risk and electronic monitoring

"The threshold for granting bail is so hard to achieve now,"she added. It's very problematic to see that we are relieved when someone received bail, because it should be a norm that most defendants should receive bail as long as they don't have a high risk of hindering case development."

reference
How to Germany | German Law and the German Legal System

There is no such thing as a jury trial in Germany and judges take on a more active role in court proceedings. Court procedures [folowing civil or criminal arraignment?] are otherwise similar to a < wipes tears >jury trial in the USA [minus 12 + 5 alternates]. Under German law the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Quora | Why does the German legal system not allow trial by jury?
"The court and legal system in Germany is very much different from what you know in the US."
Bernhard Schmeilzl, Esq. | WHERE IS MY JURY?

Litigating in a German court of law could not be any more different from what USA litigation lawyers or English barristers are used to. First, under German civil procedure rules, there is no jury, only a professional judge (usually only one, sometimes three or five). That's the ["]guy["] you need to persuade in order to win your case.

< wipes tears >

What else is different?
Well, quite a lot. For starters, there is no pre-trial discovery: actually, there is no discovery at all. There are no depositions and, normally, also no written witness statements. ...

Herzog, "Philosophical and social view of the jury : could it have a renaissance in Germany?" (2001) "lay" participation

II. The Philosophical Foundation : Hegel´s Philosophy of Rights (1821)
[...]
III. Academic and Political Criticism: Impracticability and Inefficiency of Jury Trials

by Cat on Thu Aug 25th, 2022 at 03:36:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: SIDEBAR - OH(chr) the irony (none / 0)

Readovka | "Kommersant": the Federal Penitentiary Service said that Russian pre-trial detention centers are 96% full, 25 Aug Red state, Blue state NORM!

The department said that as of August 1, 2022, 114,172 people were kept in Russian detention centers , despite the fact that they are designed for 118,495 . The Federal Penitentiary Service concluded that the filling limit was not exceeded .
[...]
Aleksey Dobrynin , Managing Partner at Pen & Paper Bar Association, pointed to the overcrowding in prisons in St. Petersburg and the region since last year, and noted that judges continue to impose detention as the main punishment , despite the instruction of the Supreme Court to choose more lenient measures of restraint for light crimes. At the same time, the heads of institutions cannot but accept new prisoners, and the problem is solved by "compacting" the cells, adding new beds.
This problem was felt most strongly in the Rostov region - there are 5 detention centers in the region, designed for a total of 3.6 thousand people, but in May of this year, the head of the local PMC, Igor Omelchenko , reported that the limits in each of them were exceeded by 100-300 prisoners....

by Cat on Fri Aug 26th, 2022 at 03:33:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: SIDEBAR - OH(chr) the irony (none / 0)

APaplainin just us
At $249 per day, prison stays leave ex-inmates deep in debt, 29 Aug "pay-to-stay"

Pay-to-stay laws were put into place in many areas during the [Reagan-Biden] tough-on-crime era of the 1980s and '90s, said Brittany Friedman, an assistant professor of sociology at University of Southern California who is leading a study of the practice.

by Cat on Mon Aug 29th, 2022 at 05:42:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

UPDATE - OH(chr) the irony report (none / 1)

OHCHR Assessment of human rights concerns in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China, 31 Aug, 48 pp

3. In light of the breadth and gravity of the allegations, and the nature of information received, OHCHR has sought access to XUAR [Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region] to verify claims since 2018.⁷ In parallel, and further to its global mandate under General Assembly resolution 48/141 and within existing resources, OHCHR has continued to monitor the situation and assess the allegations, including by reviewing and critically analysing publicly available official documentation, as well as research material, satellite imagery and other open-source information, examining their origin, credibility, weight and reliability in line with standard OHCHR methodology. Throughout OHCHR's review, particular attention was given to official Government documentation and information, including laws, policies, statistical data, court decisions, and official statements and White Papers made public by the Government, as well as a number of other documents that are in the public domain and which OHCHR has assessed as highly likely to be authentic based on strong indicia of official character.⁸ OHCHR has also closely studied information presented by the Government, including in the context of its reviews before the UN human rights treaty bodies and in response to UN Special Procedures communications, ⁹ and examined material submitted to it by academic and other institutions inside China.¹⁰. ....

Always. read. the footnotes.
a strongly worded letter
Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and Other International Organizations in Switzerland, 31 Aug in re: No.GJ/56/2022

by Cat on Thu Sep 1st, 2022 at 05:54:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Food for starving Africans (none / 0)

Bloomberg | Xi and Putin to Attend G-20 Summit in Indonesia, Jokowi [ID, G20 President Joko Widodo] Says, 19 Aug invitations

Putin and Jokowi discussed preparations for the G-20 summit in Bali in a phone call Thursday, the Kremlin said in a statement that didn't mention whether the Russian leader will attend. Putin's attendance could also bring him face to face with Volodymyr Zelensk* for the first time since Russia's invasion because the Ukrainian president is also ["]slated["] to be in Bali.[...]
"Indonesia wants to be friends with everyone," [Widodo] said. "We don't have problems with any country. Each country will have their own approach. Each leader has their own approach. But what's needed by Indonesia is investment, technology that will change our society."

archived Mass Rapid Transit, CAMPAIGN 2019, five containers of trash, ban on cattle exports
Sputnik | Indonesia Not Supporting US Initiative on [racketeering], Ambassador [Jose Tavares] Says

"Indonesia will never support initiatives that are not in line with its own national interests. Indonesia has always conducted active free foreign policy that is only in line with its national interests," the diplomat said.

Reuters | UK PM candidate Sunak: Russia's Putin should be barred from G20

Truss's campaign, asked for her position,referred to comments she made in July when she said it would be important to confront Putin in front of allies like India and Indonesia. "I would go there, and I would call Putin out," she told a televised debate on July 25.

UK and Indonesia announce new Joint Economic and Trade Committee, Apr 2021
Netherlands Becomes Indonesia's Third-Largest Investment Partner in Q2, July 2021

by Cat on Fri Aug 19th, 2022 at 03:25:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Food for starving Africans (none / 0)

Xinhua | China begins shipment of high-speed trains to Indonesia, 21 Aug

A high-speed electric passenger train and an inspection train, customized for the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway in Indonesia, left the port of Qingdao in east China's Shandong Province on Sunday.
[...]
The first trains will arrive in Jakarta by the end of August, and the delivery of the remainder will be completed in batches by the beginning of 2023, according to the company. ...With a total length of 142 kilometers, the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway connects Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, and Bandung, a famous tourist city in Indonesia.

by Cat on Wed Aug 24th, 2022 at 10:49:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Food for starving Africans (none / 0)

Captial News | "US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman [BWAH!] says the delegation will also discuss shared goals- health, security, and economic prosperity during the meeting."

Africa-press | Raila meets visiting Senator Chris Coons

Senator Coons, who is leading a congressional delegation of [anonymous] US Senate and House Representatives, commended President Kenyatta for ensuring peace and stability prevailed during the election period.
[President-elect William] Ruto on the other hand said the talks touched on the just concluded elections in the country and areas of cooperation between Kenya and the United States.

VOA | US Congressional Delegation in Kenya Amid Election CRISIS(template)

... Coons, a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and his delegation have already visited Cape Verde [sic] and Mozambique and are expected to visit Rwanda, where the Congo tensions and human rights should be on the agenda following Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Kigali [and South Africa] last week....

yahoo! AP | US senator urges Kenyan president to aid PEACEFUL transition

... After meeting with Kenyatta, Odinga, and Ruto, Coons told the AP "I was encouraged that in all three meetings we heard a commitment to a call for calm and tranquility, to respect the legal processes established in the 2010 constitution." He said the conversations were about the rule of law, the importance of free and fair elections and peaceful transitions.
"Obviously, the United States has had a very difficult experience with these issues for the past few years," Coons said, referring to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol as former President Donald Trump tried to remain in power. "I said in all three meetings we have things to learn from Kenya." ...

Kenyans | US Senator Christopher Coons' History in Kenya, 2018

In a [1984] college paper article, the [imminent] senator wrote the source of his conversion from Republican to Democrat was his [semester abroad in] Kenya. His rivals [of the Ethiopian-American persuasion] used the article to claim that Coons had confessed the Kenyan trip converted him into a Marxist.

< wipes tears >

by Cat on Thu Aug 18th, 2022 at 06:27:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Food for starving Africans (none / 1)

"Do you have something against African reporters?"

A day after the U.S. announced its new strategy towards Sub-Saharan Africa, and with a new Commander assuming command of AFRICOM today, African reporters say they have to "beg for questions" from Biden's Press Secretary. pic.twitter.com/hGP8LmLpfq
— Kawsachun News (@KawsachunNews) August 10, 2022

by Cat on Thu Aug 18th, 2022 at 08:32:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]

August 2022 | 200 comments (200 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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