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September 2022 | 296 comments (296 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
Re: September 2022 (none / 0)
EUROPE
by Bernard (bernard) on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 01:14:53 PM EST
September 2022 cap mania (none / 0)
oilprice | European Comission Calls For Price Cap On Russian Natural Gas, 2 Sep supply chain discipline --> zero
"I firmly believe that it is now time for a price cap on Russian pipeline gas to Europe," von der Leyen said [...] Nord Stream 1 is operating at 20% capacity

by Cat on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 03:35:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 cap mania (none / 0)
Politico.eu.com | Russia's energy [embargo] runs out of gas -- for now, 31 Aug omen
The price of gas on the benchmark Dutch TTF hub was trading at €239.10 per megawatt hour on Wednesday, down from €265.33 on Tuesday and well below [26 Aug] Friday's record peak of €346.52. ... The lack of a panicked market reaction to Russia shutting down Nord Stream for maintenance -- a claim that Western European politicians disputed -- doesn't mean that the Kremlin cutting off deliveries will have no consequences....
by Cat on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 11:23:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 cap mania (none / 0)
Politico.eu.com | Gazprom reportedly to increase transfer gas to EU via Ukraine, 3 Sep transit fees
Russia's Gazprom said on Saturday it would increase its shipments of gas to Europe via Ukraine, according to [Les Echos].
[...]
The company said it would ship some 42.7 million cubic meters of natural gas through Ukraine to Europe on Saturday, Reuters reported. Flows from the entry point at Sudzha were slightly higher compared to Friday's 41.3 million cubic meters, but that doesn't make up for the shortfall in gas that was expected to flow from Nord Stream 1
archived May 2022 Ukraine EMBARGO map
by Cat on Sat Sep 3rd, 2022 at 02:53:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 cap mania (none / 0)
yahoo! Bloomberg | Stressed by Margin Calls of $1.5 Trillion - Equinor, 6 Sep cockroach alerts
"Liquidity support is going to be needed," Helge Haugane, Equinor's senior vice president for gas and power, said in an interview. The issue is focused on derivatives trading, while the physical market is functioning, he said, adding that the energy company's estimate for $1.5 trillion to prop up so-called paper trading is "conservative."
[...]
So far Germany has introduced Europe's biggest scheme to backstop companies affected by the fallout of the war in Ukraine, setting aside 7 billion euros in loans to be made available to companies facing liquidity issues. German energy giant Uniper SE last week sought an extra 4 billion euros after fully using a 9 billion-euro existing facility, while Austria extended a 2 billion-euro credit to cover the trading positions of Vienna's municipal power utility. Finland and Sweden announced a $33 billion emergency liquidity facility Sunday to backstop utilities through loans and credit guarantees.
[...]
"Power is a local, i.e. domestic, market, so in this case it would be possible to do something governments could control," Haugane said. "But the issue of a gas price cap is different, because the natural gas market is global, and hence not that easy to manage."
[...]
The European Commission is also examining measures to help with liquidity. These could include credit lines from the European Central Bank, new products as margin collateral, and temporary suspensions of derivatives markets, according to a policy background paper seen by Bloomberg News.
[...]
"I have not seen any of the major trading houses have a liquidity issue, they all managed to find lines of credits and bank facilities and they are all making more money than they have ever made," Souki said in an interview at Gastech. "For the utilities in Europe, it is a serious issue because they are buying gas that is now all of the sudden is extremely expensive, and they are regulated by their respective governments."
HOLD THE PHONE ...
RT | Fall in Russia's share of EU gas disclosed
The share of Russian gas in the European Union market has plummeted from 50% to 9% since the beginning of the current year, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday....
Who is collecting premium from 90% share of EU market?
Russian gas imports by EU nations have inevitably been decreasing, Macron told a news conference following a phone call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. He stressed that it was necessary to act against speculation on energy prices at the EU level, adding that France was in favor of putting a cap on the price of [discount] Russian pipeline gas ...
wut
another helping of "no" cap! NO CAP!, 5 Sep
"OPEC+ agrees small oil production cut"
by Cat on Wed Sep 7th, 2022 at 03:21:26 AM EST
[ Parent ]
single-entry systemic system synergy (none / 0)
by Cat on Wed Sep 7th, 2022 at 02:53:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: single-entry systemic system synergy (none / 0)
More from Habeck
Er weiß, wie man die Herzen berührt: Bundeswirtschaftsminister Robert Habeck hat heute tröstende Worte an eine Beerdigungsgesellschaft gerichtet, die sich anlässlich des Todes von Heidrun Märting (†93) versammelt hatte.

"Keine Sorge!", beruhigte der Grünen-Politiker die Trauernden. "Ihre Oma ist nicht tot, sie hat nur einfach erst mal aufgehört zu atmen."

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Wed Sep 7th, 2022 at 03:31:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
conservation of energy (none / 0)
by Cat on Wed Sep 7th, 2022 at 03:37:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
[INCONTINENCE ALERT] (none / 0)
Exhibit A: Macron: France, Germany to provide each other with gas, electricity, to weather crisis, Exhibit B: Macron in favor of European mutual aid to tax 'superprofits' and avoid shortages, ...

No need to continue my search for The Missing-5-Minute Monday Morning Macron waterloo tape ...

APsplainin EU ["EMBARGO"] price cap on Russian gas, energy companies to pay, 7 Sep blood, stone

European Union countries should set a price cap on Russian natural gas and seek a "solidarity contribution" from European oil and gas companies making extraordinary profits as the war in Ukraine drives up energy costs, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday. ... She declined to recommend any price cap levels, saying that should be agreed during emergency talks among EU energy ministers Friday. The bloc's executive arm is putting a raft of proposals on the table for the ministers to discuss.
[...]
Russian pipeline gas accounted for 40% of all imported gas into Europe before Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February but now only accounts for 9%, von der Leyen [eh?]. Norway now delivers more gas to the bloc than Russia.
archived Norway does not plan to sell gas at below market price...
by Cat on Wed Sep 7th, 2022 at 06:09:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 cap mania (none / 0)
vOLdEmoRT: EU suggests price cap on US LNG, 7 Sep
Brussels is examining the possibility of a price ceiling on all gas imported into the EU, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.
< wipes tears >
"LNG is scarce and can be rerouted to different regions... We [want to] stay competitive for LNG suppliers but make sure that the prices we pay are not extraordinarily high but in a decent range," she told reporters.
< wipes tears >
EU countries mostly import the costly LNG from the US and Qatar, using it to diversify gas imports in light of
[INCONTINENCE ALERT]
shrinking supplies from Russia. However, some analysts warn that producers might not be eager European countries if their profits are capped.
[...]
She noted that since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine, the share of Russian pipeline gas in the EU's total imports has dropped from 40% to 9% while Norway has replaced Russia as the bloc's leading gas supplier.
archived deadlock, "divertible" contracts and stinky beggars
by Cat on Wed Sep 7th, 2022 at 08:14:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]
September 2022 alternate cap mania (none / 0)
Bloomberg | EU Weighs Gas [EMBARGO] Price Caps and Benchmarks to COMBAT ["shrinking"] Russian Squeeze, 5 Sep Macron Monday hot cake
The European Union is weighing new gas benchmarks and price caps as Moscow's tightening supply squeeze forces the 27-nation bloc to assess drastic measures to curb spiking energy costs.
[...]
As part of preparations for the gathering, the European Commission is also assessing options to subject the Dutch Title Transfer Facility -- the virtual gas marketplace whose main index is used for long-term contracts in Europe -- to financial supervision to avoid speculation, according to internal EU documents seen by Bloomberg News on Monday.
build back better merit order
"The price premium [op margin, net profit] between the TTF and Europe's LNG delivered ex-ship < wipes tears > indices has widened significantly bringing up questions about its representativeness as an index for linking the contracts in the whole EU-27," the commission said in the document.
--OR--
As a last resort in case of supply disruption in Europe, the EU could also explore temporarily pegging the TTF to the JKM Asian benchmark as a dynamic cap. Yet that would require the use of other hubs or mechanisms to allocate gas inside Europe, the commission said in the document on benchmarks for The Wholesale Gas Market.
buh-bye OPEC. buh-bye Brent. buh-bye WTI
"In this situation, JKM would become The World Price for international gas for some time," the commission said. "The Wholesale mMarket would be therefore determined by LNG supply/demand, and not by the EU's internal bottlenecks. < wipes tears > LNG would still be attracted by the fact transport costs ["a few euros"] are lower to the EU."
< wipes tears >
In the document, the commission stressed that while Russia has already sharply reduced shipments to the EU, this option should only be considered if the bloc is ready to accept a full disruption.

"The price cap should be designed in a way that Russia finds itself worse off under a gas delivery stop than complying with the price cap," the commission said in the document. "Given that in the previous decade (2010/2020), prices of Russian gas have settled between 5 euros and 35 euros/MWh, any cap above that level would ensure that Russia would be above its marginal production costs."

EC | EU-U.S. LNG TRADE a/o Jan 2022
"Europe is currently importing around 90% of the gas it needs [...] Since the meeting of US and EU Commission Presidents in 2018, U.S. LNG exports into Europe increased by 2240%.[...]The fact is that U.S. LNG, if priced competitively, can play an important role in EU gas supply, enhancing diversification and EU energy security."
by Cat on Wed Sep 7th, 2022 at 09:11:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]
September 2022 alternate cap mania (none / 1)
The EU imported 155 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2021 from Russia, including liquefied natural gas (LNG).
soooo how to cap US-LNG imports without capping US-LNG prices by Q4?
at USD 40 or EUR 40? Srsly?
S&P | Global gas-to-oil fuel switching to jump 80% as European, Asian gas prices soar, 7 Sep
"The daily physical assessment reached $71.01/MMBtu on Aug. 25, the highest level since March 7, when the benchmark hit a record-high $84.76/MMBtu."
by Cat on Thu Sep 8th, 2022 at 12:27:02 AM EST
[ Parent ]
September 2022 cap mania UPDATE< (none / 1)
Politico.eu.com | Cap the cost of all gas imports to EU, Belgian PM says, 8 Sep scope adjustment
The European Union should impose a radical plan to cut the cost of energy by capping the price paid for gas imported from anywhere else in the world, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said in an interview
The Plan objective—which is not absolute elimination of EU fuel consumption and waste (Q)—has not changed. The feasible domain of EU enforcement has. Establishing an explicit boundary of rationality around the EU27 is nice, given that lingering errors in EU problem recognition d/b/a sanctions against Russian gas restrain holy free trade NORMS and indiscriminately penalize ROW.
cap only on gas imported from Russia...the [sic] mounting economic crises, fueled by Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine ...cutting gas supplied to the bloc in retaliation for sanctions imposed on Moscow by Brussels
Eurocentricity will not go quietly into the night, figuratively speaking.
Under De Croo's proposal, the cap on all [EU27] gas imports would need to be implemented in a "dynamic way" [EUR-denominated value band; See EC draft] to ensure that there was still a reason [other than "sustainable" value-add/margin/profit transactions?] for traders to sell gas [produced by "third-countries" anywhere] to Europe rather than, for example, in Asian markets.

Asian [LNG] prices are currently about half of those in Europe ["ex-post": "a few euro" freight by wght + P&I + customs FTE admin], De Croo said. If Europe sets The Price Cap 5 percent higher than [JKM] Asia [index], he explained, "all traders in the world will still continue to sell in Europe, because you they still get a price that is more attractive greater than Asia buyers can afford."

epiphany however fleeting
Earlier on Thursday, Belgium's Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten went even further and said Belgium would not support the Commission's plan to impose a price cap specifically on Russian gas imports.

"A cap on Russian gas only is a purely political objective," the Green politician told reporters. "I don't see the added value in that. We will not agree to this."

EC | draft electricity market emergency interventions
NB. disposition of revenue earned by renewable energy generators to maintenance of fossil fuel P&E
by Cat on Fri Sep 9th, 2022 at 02:17:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]
detail: "inframarginal technology" (none / 0)
APsplainin Summer of '22 brought record heat, solar power to Europe, 8 Sep
The [Ember] group said [18/]27-nation bloc generated [12.2]% of its electricity from solar power from May to August, up from 9% during the same period last year. Solar energy narrowly topped the share provided from wind [11.7%] or hydropower [11%], while coming in just below that produced from burning coal [16.5%].

Ember said that without the 99.4 terrawatt hours of electricity provided by solar, the EU would have had to buy 20 billion cubic meters of gas, costing about 29 billion euros (nearly $29 billion) during the four-month period.

...In order for solar capacity and generation to match necessary ambition by 2030 --
as well as REPowerEU targets -- this rate of deployment must continue. However, Ember's recent analysis shows that projections for the upcoming years fall short of the goal, with annual capacity additions in 2026 meeting only 46% of the value required under 1.5C pathways. This is largely due to permitting bottlenecks, with several countries exceeding the legally binding limits of project development times—these barriers need to be addressed for solar to keep growing....

The Netherlands and Germany, not known for their sunny climates, had the highest share of electricity from solar, followed by Spain. Poland saw the biggest increase in solar power generation compared with 2018, increasing installed capacity 26-fold, the report said....

Ember Group methodology
by Cat on Sat Sep 10th, 2022 at 02:09:40 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: detail: "inframarginal technology" (none / 0)
My solar panels on the coast in The Hague +30% 🌤☀️ Nice 😄

'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Sat Sep 10th, 2022 at 07:57:01 AM EST
[ Parent ]
[INCONTINENCE ALERT] (none / 0)
euractiv | EU countries call on Brussels to cap gas prices, but leave out details, 9 Sep longitudinal embargo studies
...Germany, for its part, suggested that a complete ["]stoppage["] in Russian gas imports would not do more harm to its economy since Moscow has already ["]halted["] deliveries exports through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline last week.

"Germany no longer gets Russian gas and we can still store it," said German economy and climate minister Robert Habeck. "This means that the market no longer expects us to collapse if there is no Russian gas."...

archived What this means, I believe, is ... in Krugman-Admits-He-Was-Wrong! (Pt. 1?)
illustrated
by Cat on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 01:47:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 cap mania (none / 0)
US Treasury | Preliminary Guidance on Implementation of a Maritime Services Policy
and Related Price Exception for Seaborne Russian Oil, 9 Sep rackeeteering
As part of a coalition of countries including the G7 and the EU, the United States will implement
a policy with regards to a broad range of services related to the maritime transportation (the
"maritime services policy") of Russian Federation origin crude oil and petroleum products ("seaborne Russian oil"). This ban will take effect on December 5, 2022 with respect to maritime transportation of crude oil and on February 5, 2023 with respect to maritime transportation of petroleum products.

This policy, constructed as a ban on services, will have an important exception: jurisdictions or
actors that purchase seaborne Russian oil at or below a price cap to be established by the coalition (the "price exception") will expressly be able to receive such services. This policy is intended to expressly establish a framework for Russian oil to be exported by sea under a capped price and achieve three objectives: (i) maintain a reliable supply of seaborne Russian oil to the global market; (ii) reduce upward pressure on energy prices; and (iii) reduce the revenues the Russian Federation earns from oil after its own war of choice in Ukraine has inflated global energy prices
[...]
7. How will the recordkeeping and attestation process work?
[table]
OFAC [US Office of Foreign Assets Control] will expect the actors in Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 to retain relevant records for five years.
[...]
8. What are some possible red flags for price cap evasion?
[...]
9. How will OFAC enforce the price cap?
As described above, the recordkeeping and attestation process is intended to create a "safe
harbor" from liability for service providers for violations of the maritime services policy in cases
where service providers inadvertently deal in oil purchased above the price cap due to falsified
records provided by illicit actors. For example, where a service provider without direct access to
price information reasonably relies on a customer attestation, that service provider will not be
held liable for potential sanctions breaches because of illicit actors who seek to cause a violation
of the maritime services policy or evade OFAC sanctions. ...
10. What are examples of permissible vs. prohibited transactions? ...

by Cat on Sun Sep 11th, 2022 at 01:53:31 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Let's recap (none / 0)
NATO do not possess sufficient oil, gas, coal, sundry rare earth mineral reserves (category: national security) to maintain "developed nation" political economy. Instead, members rely on "functioning" production sharing agreements (PSAs) and exports from rest of world who do possess "strategic resources".
by Cat on Thu Sep 15th, 2022 at 03:50:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]
[INCONTINENCE ALERT] (none / 0)
Bloomberg | Now Hiring: US Seeks Economist to Scrutinize Sanction Spillovers, 22 Sep
The department is advertising for a "chief sanctions economist" whose job will be to advise Treasury on everything from monetary policy to exchange rates to "energy, multilateral and bilateral assistance, official debt and related issues," according to a job description obtained by Bloomberg News ahead of its posting.
• prequisite undergraduate degree, Top Secret clearance
That economist will head the newly created Sanctions Economic Analysis Unit, which will also hire two staff-level economists.
• porfolio 37 programs, 12,000 eNiTiTIes
Brian Tool, a senior fellow at Atlantic Council who is a former senior adviser at Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, said it was about time for the new office to help make better strategic decisions.

"It is encouraging to see Treasury beginning to move in that direction," Tool said in a sext message. "Russia sanctions aren't going away, and there is great consternation among the commentariat on how strong sanctions could be used against China if necessary."

by Cat on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 10:28:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 cap mania (none / 0)
euractiv | Next Russia sanctions package to tackle evasion, but nuclear, oil-price cap likely to stay out, 26 Sep frustrated homicidal maniacs
several EU diplomats said after consultations for a seventh Russia sanctions package over the weekend left some more hawkish member states dissatisfied.
[...]
Measures proposed by the bloc's Russia hawks would, among others, include targeting nuclear, luxury goods and Russia's IT and tech sectors as well as excluding more banks from the SWIFT messaging system, according to a position paper seen by EURACTIV. Germany, EU diplomats say, would be on board for more too, having pushed for a ban on EU companies providing finance to metal and rare-earth mines in Russia and on imports of uranium.
[...]
Nuclear energy, a key sector for countries like France and Bulgaria, is unlikely to be included in the [sanctions] package and has raised concerns among some member states over the maintenance of Europe's [old] nuclear power plants, several EU diplomats briefed on the weekend talks told EURACTIV.

The measure would have hit "the construction of facilities or installation of equipment for, or the provision of services, equipment or technology for, activities related to power generation or electricity production both in Russia or abroad". This could have affected the construction of Hungary's Russian-backed expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant, which Budapest would have certainly vetoed.
[...]
It is likely that, at least in the short term, Brussels will look at tackling high gas prices via talks with [AUTHORITARIAN] supplier countries rather than capping imports.

euractive | RWE agrees UAE supply deal: Dec 2022 137,000 cm delivery to start
A group of EU member states, including the Netherlands, France, Poland[,] and the Baltics [Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia] have suggested a new listing criterion in which assisting with sanctions evasion and circumvention could become a ground for sanctioning individuals and entities.
US memo: What are some possible red flags for [G7 sanctions] evasion?
Hawkish member states Poland, Ireland, Lithuania, Estonia[,] and Latvia had also proposed introducing a retaliatory ban on imports of diamonds from Russia, where Alrosa is the world's largest producer of rough gems....
Alrosa | Operations, illustrated
by Cat on Mon Sep 26th, 2022 at 08:33:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
Ukriform | Funds for small-scale privatization to be directed to Ukrainian army needs, 1 Sep 150 SOE auctions
"The first auctions have already been announced. The list of privatization assets will be supplemented by those enterprises that are currently under ministries," said First Vice Prime Minister - Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko. According to her, as of today, more than 3,000 enterprises are in state ownership. 1,800 of them are not engaged in economic activity.
by Cat on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 04:06:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
Ukriform | IAEA mission should achieve demilitarization of ZNPP - Zelensky, 2 Sep
The president said this in his address to the participants in the annual international economic Ambrosetti Forum.
[...]
"Obviously, the occupiers felt that in the presence of a free media it would be impossible to lie to the IAEA and the whole world. Free media scares Russia. And this says everything at once - if you do not allow independent journalists to the plant, it means you are definitely aware of your responsibility for the catastrophe that the plant is on the verge of, and you are afraid that the world will draw conclusions about your responsibility," Zelensk* said.
Ukriform | Russians lie and hinder activities of IAEA mission at Zaporizhzhia NPP - Energoatom
According to Energoatom, most 'global media' representatives who came to Zaporizh* NPP yesterday were Russian propagandists. Buses with Ukrainian and foreign journalists attempting to access the plant together with the IAEA mission from the territory of Ukraine were not allowed through the Russian checkpoint.
[...]
In addition, the IAEA mission was not allowed to enter the Zaporizh* NPP emergency response center, where armed Russian troops are remaining now. Thus, some armed Russian soldiers were simply 'hidden' at the plant, as the IAEA representatives were not supposed to see them. Energoatom emphasized the IAEA mission was offered a 'staged performance', in which the so-called 'Ener*odar residents' were complaining of shelling, allegedly by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
[...]
"We understand that, under such conditions, it will be difficult for the IAEA to give an objective assessment of the situation at Zaporizh* NPP. Instead, we emphasize that it is impossible to implement all the nuclear and radiation safety recommendations of the mission as long as the plant remains under the control of Russian occupation troops," Energoatom noted.
Pravda.ua | [Mikhail] Podoliak[Podolyak] called it strange that the IAEA mission stayed at the ZNPP for only 2 hours, 1 Sep
by Cat on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 04:30:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine daily briefing | Facebook , 18.00 02.09.2022 (machine translation)
[...]
In the Zaporizhzhya region, the enemy shelled objects in the areas of Novoocheretuvate, Novosilka, Vremivka, Novopil, Novodarivka, Zaliznychne, Dorozhnyanka, Novodanilivka, and Biloghirya settlements.
[...]
There is still a threat of missile strikes on objects and infrastructure elements deep in the territory of Ukraine.

The enemy company, which was based in the "Lost World" sports club, left Kherson and took the looted property to the temporarily occupied territory of the Republic of Crimea in 5 awning trucks.

In connection with the arrival of the IAEA commission, the occupiers removed all military equipment from the territory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. About 100 units were moved to the Atom Energomash plant, the rest were distributed in the nearest settlements.

It has been confirmed that 3 enemy artillery systems, as well as a warehouse with ammunition and a company of personnel were destroyed by accurate strikes of our troops in the areas of Kherson and Ener*odar settlements. The wounded were taken to medical facilities near Borozenskoe, Kherson region. Due to the inadequate level of medical care, most of the occupiers died from their injuries.

Aviation of the Air Force, together with the army aviation of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, continues to strike critical enemy objects, accumulations of manpower and military equipment, control points, and warehouses with ammunition and fuel.

We believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine! Together to victory! Glory to Ukraine!

In the Slavyansk direction, enemy units fired from tanks, mortars, barrel artillery, and rocket salvo fire systems at the areas of Vernopillya, Brazhivka, Dibrivne, Dolyna, Bogorodichne, Donetske, Raihorodok, and Krasnopillya settlements. The enemy did not conduct active offensive actions.

by Cat on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 06:39:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
Ukraine - Battle Of The Izium Bulge?
by Cat on Sat Sep 10th, 2022 at 03:10:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Ukraine - Battle Of The Izium Bulge? UPDATE (none / 0)

Reuters | Ukraine says hundreds of bodies found in mass burial site

Ukrainian officials said on Friday they had found hundreds of bodies, some with their hands tied behind their backs, buried in territory recaptured from Russian forces, in what President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called proof of war crimes by the invaders.

Zelenskiy told Reuters in an interview many corpses were also interred in other sites in the northeast and appealed for foreign powers to step up weapons supplies, saying the outcome of the war hinged on their swift delivery....

Sky News | 'Mass burial site containing 440 graves' found in Izyum after city liberated by Ukrainian forces
"'We want the world to know what is really happening and what the Russian occupation has led to,' Volodymyr Zelensk* said in a nightly video address to the nation."
AP | Ukrainian president: Burial site contains torture victims
"Digging in the rain, workers hauled body after body out of the sandy soil in a misty pine forest near Izium."
CNN | Some bodies found at mass burial site in Izium show 'signs of torture,' Ukraine says
"Izium was subject to intense Russian artillery attacks in April...."

Slava Ukraini!

by Cat on Sat Sep 17th, 2022 at 03:41:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Ukraine - Battle of the Izium Bulge? (none / 1)
My earlier post ...

UK Reuters As Main Purveyor of War Lies

Zelensky admitted 150-200 of his men died each day in the slaughter of war

24 Hours later ...

Reuters Pulls Article Bound Bodies Izium Graves

Advisory - Story has been withdrawn - Multiple bodies found at mass burial site in Ukraine's Izium with rope around necks | Reuters |

Yesterday's Reuters article

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sat Sep 17th, 2022 at 04:09:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Ukraine - Battle of the Izium Bulge? (none / 0)

oops
by Cat on Sat Sep 17th, 2022 at 10:19:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Slava Ukraini! literacy (none / 0)
DW | #NAFO: Ukraine's ["]info warriors["] battling Russian trolls, 17 Sep
The North Atlantic Fella Organization, or NAFO, is a global internet army employing witty memes -- most featuring a dog -- that challenge Russian disinformation online.

"For many years, Russia has been waging a serious information war globally," said Ivana Stradner, a NAFO member, fellow with the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute and writer for the Kyiv Post newspaper.

At the start of the Ukraine war in February, the [G7] had done little to counter Russia's fake news with "offensive information operations," she added.

This information war imbalance has been corrected to an extent by NAFO, or the North Atlantic Fella Organization, a play on NATO that creates humorous memes to satirize Russian claims, for example, that it is not invading Ukraine but simply liberating it from Nazis -- ironic considering Ukraine has a Jewish president....

Kyiv Post | Outrage as Ukraine Finds Mass Grave Near Liberated Izyum, 17 Sep
The European Union is "deeply shocked" at the newest discovery of a mass grave left by the Russians in the nearly seven-month-old war, said the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
[...]
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the graves likely provided more evidence that Russia is committing war crimes in its pro-Western neighbor, and French President Emmanuel Macron said what happened in Izyum were atrocities.
KIRBY-CONTENT
Putin, at [the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)] in Uzbekistan, was told by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that now was "not a time for war".
...I know that today's era is not of war and we have spoken to you many times on the phone that democracy, diplomacy[,] and dialogue are such things that touch the world. Today we will get a chance to discuss how we can move forward on the path of peace in the coming days. I will also get an opportunity to understand your view point....
The discovery also came a day after Putin admitted that China[] whose leader Xi Jinping was also attending the [SCO] summit[] had expressed "concerns" about the situation in Ukraine[] which Russian forces invaded on February 24.
Kyiv Post | Zelensky Raises Ukrainian Flag in Liberated Izium, 14 Sep
Kyiv Post | China Isolates Russia, 17 Sep
< wipes tears >

archived PUTIN and XI 15 Sep, MODI 16 Sep  "readouts"

by Cat on Sat Sep 17th, 2022 at 11:22:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Slava Ukraini! KIRBY-CONTENT (none / 0)
Indian Punchline | India's gaffe at Samarkand, 20 Sep
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Samarkand on September 16 after the SCO Summit turned into a media scandal. The Western media zeroed in on six words culled out of context in the PM's opening remarks -- "today's era is not of war" --  to triumphantly proclaim that India is finally distancing itself from Russia on Ukraine issue, as the US and European leaders have been incessantly demanding.

Of course, this motivated interpretation lacks empirical evidence and is, therefore, malicious. Besides, Modi also spoke with a rare interplay of emotions by underscoring the quintessence of the Indian-Russian relationship, as well as his two decade-long association with Putin.

The steamy part cooked up by the US media shows the desperation on the part of the "Collective West" to isolate Russia at a time when even western leaders have candidly admitted that the bulk of the non-western world does not identify with the western narrative on Ukraine and refuses to roll back their relationship with Russia. ...

oh
APsplainin | World opinion shifts against Russia as Ukraine worries grow, 23 Sep
by Cat on Sat Sep 24th, 2022 at 02:28:53 AM EST
[ Parent ]
KIRBY-CONTENT: casualty (none / 0)
Quote Investigator
by Cat on Sat Sep 24th, 2022 at 03:27:26 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Slava Ukraini! KIRBY-CONTENT (none / 0)
Politio.com | China faces skeptics with UNGA pitch for global leader status, 23 Sep "concerns"
China's President Xi Jinping Zoomed into the U.N. General Assembly last year CROWING  about how his country had beaten Covid, opposed foreign military interventions[,] and led the way in advancing democracy and rule of law [trans. international norms?].

Since then, China has taken RUSSIA'S SIDE in the Ukraine war. It's menaced the democratic island of Taiwan and stamped out the vestiges of free rule in [British] Hong Kong. And its vaunted economy has sputtered due to its DRACONIAN zero-Covid strategy. No wonder DEMOCRACIES aren't so thrilled about Beijing MUCKING about The Global Order [trans. rules-based order?].
[...]
Instead, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will address the General Assembly -- though now RELEGATED to a WEEKEND TIME SLOT < wipes tears > -- to project an IMAGE [trans. icon?] of his boss [??] as a resolute global statesman with innovative solutions to the world's most intractable problems.

Expect Wang to lace his speech [24 Sep] with the usual bromides about "win-win cooperation," "inclusive growth" and a "people-centered approach" [trans. people before profit?] designed to portray Xi as a staunch defender of the U.N. system.

But that verbal SMOKESCREEN aims to mitigate international dismay about China's ALIGNMENT [trans. free trade?] with Russia's Ukraine INVASION, its abuses of Xinjiang [U*GHURS,] and its AGRESSIVE military intimidation of Taiwan [trans. G7 arms sales?].
[...]
Look for Wang to dole out some HONEY [trans. USD-denominated loans?] to the developing world while he SPRAYS VINEGAR  on what he referred to last month as U.S. "unilateralism and bullying."...

< wipes tears > memorable quotes
Express Tribune | Guterres to take up 'debt swaps' with IMF, WB, 11 Sep
IMF | Debt-for-Climate Swaps: Analysis, Design, and Implementation, 11 Aug
"partial debt relief operations conditional on debtor commitments to undertake ["]climate-related["] investments [capEx]" exchanged for creditors' ownership interest in public property
reference
What is a debt-for-equity swap?
selling the farm
by Cat on Sat Sep 24th, 2022 at 08:18:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Slava Ukraini! KIRBY-CONTENT subplot (none / 1)
CBS | Transcript: National security adviser Jake Sullivan on "Face the Nation", 25 Sep "busy man watching the world"
...MARGARET BRENNAN: Vladimir Putin will carry out this annexation of eastern Ukraine within the next few days. If Russia is expanding its NUCLEAR UMBRELLA over this part of the country. Does that put the US in more direct conflict with Russia? And does a nuclear weapon being used there, p-put Russia in conflict directly with the US and NATO?
JAKE SULLIVAN: We have been crystal clear up to and including President Biden that we will not recognize the sham referenda, they in no way represent the will of the Ukrainian people. And we will treat this territory for what it is - Ukrainian territory, not Russian territory. And we will continue to support the Ukrainians as they seek to de[-]occupy this territory. So we've been clear, we're not going to stop or slow down our support to the Ukrainians, no matter what Putin tries to do with these-these fake elections and fake referenda and annexation. Now, when it comes to the question of nuclear use, President Putin's been waving around the nuclear card < wipes tears > at various points through this conflict the last few days are not the first time-
BRENNAN: -But he hasn't been as cornered as he is now.
SULLIVAN: It's true, and it is a matter that we have to take deadly seriously because it is a matter of paramount seriousness - the possible use of NUCLEAR WEAPONS for the first time since the Second World War [August 1945]. We have communicated directly, privately, at very high levels to the Kremlin, that any use of NUCLEAR WEAPONS will be met with catastrophic consequences for Russia, that the United States in our allies will respond decisively. And we have been clear and specific about what that will entail. We have, in public, been equally clear, as a matter of principle, that the United States will respond decisively if Russia uses NUCLEAR WEAPONS and that we will continue to support Ukraine in its efforts to defend its country and defend its democracy.
BRENNAN: Russia has been talking about this power plant rather than NUCLEAR WEAPONS just for the past 24 hours. Where does that fall? Is this an escalating threat?
SULLIVAN: So, for your viewers, there is a nuclear power plant < wipes tears > that is in Russian occupied portions of Ukraine. It has been put into cold shutdown to make it less likely that there's some kind of catastrophic incident at the plant. It is actually still being operated by the Ukrainian operators who are essentially at GUNPOINT from the Russian occupying forces. And the Russians have been consistently implying that there may be some kind of accident at this plant. ...
Readovka | Zaporozh* nuclear power plants and thermal power plants cut off the supply of electricity to the Kherson region, 19 Sep
archived Casualty, Jake Sullivan on NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO, 'strategic ambiguity', GET A ROOM, En Route Madrid, Jake Set Out Threats, Jake Sullivan Warns
by Cat on Sun Sep 25th, 2022 at 09:17:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Slava Ukraini! : Bal'more Minute (none / 1)
Kherson, Khark*v counter-offensives and a NPP "cold shutdown"

Ukraine Today | The OPU confirmed the attack on Kharkiv CHPP-5, one of the largest in Ukraine, 9/11

On Sunday evening, September 11, the Russian invaders attacked the thermal power plant in Kharkov, one of the largest in Ukraine.

Mikhail Podol*ak, adviser to the chairman of the OPU [!], announced this.

"Direct deliberate strikes on critical civilian infrastructure, in particular on the largest Kharkiv CHP-5, is an unconditional manifestation of Russia's terrorism and its desire to massively leave civilians without light and heat. Such a cowardly" answer "for the flight of its own army from the [Khark*v region, Iz*um] battlefield," he stressed.
[...]
"Kharkov and Donetsk regions are completely de-energized, partially Zaporozh*, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy regions. Russian terrorists remain terrorists and hit critical infrastructure. No military facilities, only the goal is to leave people without light and heat," [Zelensk*] wrote on Twitter.
[...]
As UNIAN wrote, on the evening of Sunday, September 11, an air alert was announced throughout Ukraine.

Critical infrastructure attacked, in several regions of Ukraine there is no electricity and water: what is known
"Dear citizens! At the moment, the territory of the community is completely de-energized due to the fact that the occupiers hit critical infrastructure facilities! Please remain calm. Kharkovoblenergo is already working on resolving this issue!", the message says.
Aftershock | Ukropressa: Decommunization [BWAH!] of infrastructure has begun
In addition, there were reports in social networks about the blackout of settlements in the Dnepropetrovsk, Khark*v, Poltava, Odessa [?!] and Zaporozh* regions. There are also reports of problems with the water supply. 

The head of the Poltava OVA [!] Dmitry Lunin, without giving any reason for the problem, said: "Electricity and water supply in the region will soon be restored. Power engineers are already working." 

The speaker of the Odesa OVA Serhiy Bratchuk said that the situation in the region is completely under control. All services work in accordance with certain tasks....

well, alrighty then
by Cat on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 12:24:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Slava Ukraini! : Bal'more Minute (none / 1)
'tis but a scratch
by Cat on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 03:32:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Slava Ukraini! 6-minute read (none / 0)
"Hear what Zelensk* would tell Trump about Putin"

Politico.eu.com | Ukraine intends to push Russia entirely out, Zelenskyy says as counteroffensive continues, 9/11

"Our main goal is to de-occupy our whole territory," Zelensk* said through a translator on CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS. "The main goal is de-occupation. We just cannot allow Russia to continue the same occupation that they started back in 2014."
[...]
Zelensk* referred to Russia's occupation as "cannibalism," but said the source of Ukraine's strength lies in its willingness to hold out. He met with host Zakaria in an outdoor walking interview, which Zakaria pointed to as significant, given the threats on Zelensk*'s life.
by Cat on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 05:00:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"threats on Zelensk*'s life" UPDATE (none / 0)
BBC | Ukraine President Zelensky involved in car accident but 'not seriously hurt', 14 Sep Freud
c. 1914 critical injury
The president was examined by a doctor, no serious injuries were found," he said. The driver of the car that collided with the motorcade was treated at the scene and driven away in an ambulance.

Mr Nykyforov said all the circumstances of the traffic accident were being investigated by law enforcement officers. He provided no further details....

archived APsplainin not that "resistance", the other one
by Cat on Thu Sep 15th, 2022 at 04:12:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
APsplainin Kherson, Khark*v counter-offensives, 12 Sep
Ukraine makes more gains, pushes back to NE border in places - video
As blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flags fluttered over newly liberated towns, the Ukrainian military said its troops had freed more than 20 settlements in 24 hours. In recent days, Kyiv's forces have captured territory at least twice the size of greater London, according to the British Defense Ministry.

After months of little discernible movement on the battlefield, the momentum has lifted Ukrainian morale and provoked rare [Russian] public criticism of Russian President Vladimir PUTIN'S WAR. While Ukrainian cities began emerging from Russian occupation, a local leader alleged that the Kremlin's troops had committed atrocities against civilians there similar to those in other places seized by Moscow.
[...]
"The Russians were here in the morning. Then at noon, they suddenly started shouting wildly and began to run away, charging off in tanks and armored vehicles," Dmytro Hrushchenko, a resident of recently liberated Zaliznychne, a small town near the eastern front line, told Sky News of the quick withdrawal.

MSN Newsweek | Ukraine Map Reveals How Invasion Is Being Rolled Back 200 Days to 24 Feb
Video taken by the Ukrainian military showed soldiers raising the Ukrainian flag over battle-damaged buildings. In one scene, a fighter wiped his boots on a Russian flag on the ground. Other videos showed Ukrainians inspecting the wreckage of Russian military vehicles, including tanks.
[...]
Denis Pushilin, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, told Russian television that Ukrainian troops were mounting assaults on the town of Lyman, a rail hub captured by Russia in late May that offers access to bridges over the nearby Siversky Donets river. Pushilin said that pro-Kremlin soldiers "are holding them back, and the situation, despite the fact that it remains difficult, remains controllable."

The Donetsk [oblast] is one of two ["breakaway republics", "Russian puppet states"] that make up Ukraine's industrial heartland known as the Donbas [DPR, LPR], which continues to be a key target [?] of Russia's offensive.
[...]
The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said Monday that Kyiv "will likely increasingly dictate the location and nature of the major fighting."
[...]
Some analysts praised Ukraine's initial move on the south[west] Kherson area for drawing the attention of enemy troops there, before pouncing on more depleted Russian lines in the northeast [Khark*v]. Even around Kherson, Russia is struggling to bring forces across the Dnieper to stop the Ukrainian offensive there, the British military said.

by Cat on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 05:48:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The president's speech (none / 0)
Without You! - Zelensky's Address to Russia
"Without gas or without you? - The answer is without you. Without electricity or without you? - Without you. Without water or without you? - Without you. Without food or without you? - Without you.

"For us, cold, hunger, darkness and thirst are not as dangerous and deadly as friendship and brotherhood with you. But history shows everyone and everything in its place. And we will have gas, electricity, water and food, and it will be without you!", Volodymyr Zelensky addressed to Russia.

by Bernard (bernard) on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 06:32:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Slava Ukraini! : counter-offensives (none / 1)
Euromaidan Press | Ukraine LIBERATES one more village in Donetsk Oblast, improves positions near Bakhmut - GenStaff, 23 Sep illustrated
Ukraine has liberated Yatskivka village (Donetsk Oblast) from Russian occupation and improved their tactical positions near Bakhmut, Deputy Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksiy Hromov said
kalerkantho AFP | Two dead in Kherson hotel strike: Officials, 25 Sep
"Today, at around 05:30 (0230 GMT), the Ukrainian armed forces fired a missile on the Play Hotel by Ribas" in Kherson, the regional Russian-controlled administration said in a statement....
Al Mayadeen | Ukrainian troops shell hotel housing journalists, staff in Kherson, 25 Sep
Ukrainian troops shell a hotel in the center of Kherson with US-supplied HIMARS systems, killing two people.
[...]
This comes as the Kherson Region, along with Donetsk, Lugansk, and Zaporozhye are holding referenda that began on September 23 on the accession into the Russian Federation.

Observers from France and the United States are monitoring the courses of the referendum taking place in Kherson, according to Marina Zakharova, the chairperson of the region's election commission.

US, French observers monitoring referendum in Kherson region

"Foreign observers have already arrived, they are representatives of two countries - France and the United States. They expressed a desire to travel to remote areas of the Kherson region, and we provided them with such an opportunity. At the moment they are working with our voters," [Kherson election commision chair Marina] Zakharova told reporters...

RFERL | Russia, Ukraine Trade Accusations Of Shelling In Southern Ukraine Amid Sham Referendums In Occupied Territories, 25 Sep
by Cat on Sun Sep 25th, 2022 at 02:22:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
French overlookers (none / 0)
I confess that piqued my curiosity :

Xavier Moreau, André Chanclu, Yvan Benedetti ou encore Arnaud Develay... Plusieurs figures de l'extrême droite radicale et du complotisme hexagonal ont fait le déplacement côté russe pour jouer le rôle d'«observateurs étrangers» des référendums d'annexion organisés par Moscou dans le Donbass.

(but why do you quote only secondary sources, rather than the horse's mouth, ou HMV?)

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Thu Sep 29th, 2022 at 12:33:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Slava Ukraini! : counter-offensives (none / 0)
So long Lyman! You so nearly made it to Russia

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Thu Sep 29th, 2022 at 12:35:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
tabloid USAToday | Ukrainian troops OVERRUN Russian forces, break through lines in recently annexed Kherson: Updates, 3 Oct LIVE
A Ukrainian counteroffensive that already has reclaimed thousands of miles is breaking through Russian lines in the Kherson region recently annexed by Moscow, Kremlin-installed officials said Monday.

Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed head of Ukraine's Kherson region, said on state television that multiple settlements about 70 miles northeast of the city of Kherson on the bank of the Dnieper River had been overrun.

"It's tense, let's put it that way," Saldo said in a translation by Reuters....

by Cat on Mon Oct 3rd, 2022 at 05:51:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
Wait! Slow down! Did we cross a red line? Anyone see a red line?

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Tue Oct 4th, 2022 at 10:35:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
by Cat on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 07:03:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
by Bernard (bernard) on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 08:51:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
He's probably kicking himself that he didn't in 2014.
by generic on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 09:11:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
oilprice | Europe's Energy Crisis Has Ended Its Era century Of Abundance

archived solidarity with Germany, Conference on the Future of Europe

by Cat on Sat Sep 3rd, 2022 at 05:56:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
yahoo! sports Reuters | Russian diaspora in Köln holds rare rally against sanctions
The diaspora's ranks have been swelled further by Russians who left the country in protest at the invasion. "We came here to show that there are many Russian speakers who believe that Putin slided towards a fascist regime," said Ivan Belousov, a counter-protester.
by Cat on Mon Sep 5th, 2022 at 12:03:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
Ukranews | European Commission Will Allocate EUR 500 Million In Budget Support To Ukraine, 5 Sep
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced this on his Telegram channel, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"Ukraine and the EU have signed five agreements at once that bring our country closer to joining the European Union and contribute to the stability of our state in the war against the Russian aggressor," he wrote. ...

Consilium | Joint press release following the 8th Association Council meeting between the EU and Ukraine, 5 Sep "readout"
by Cat on Mon Sep 5th, 2022 at 09:03:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
Economic Truth | Zelensky opened trading on the New York Stock Exchange, 6 Mar
President Volodymyr Zelensk* virtually opened stock trading at the New York Stock Exchange and presented the Advantage Ukraine portal with opportunities to invest in the Ukrainian economy. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Economy.
[...]
The Advantage Ukraine initiative is aimed at attracting investments to the country. The platform collects investment projects and opportunities in 10 industries such as: defense-industrial complex, metallurgy, energy, agro-complex, woodworking and furniture manufacturing, innovative technologies, logistics and infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, natural resources, industrial production.

Ukraine offers everyone interested a menu of potential opportunities worth more than $400 billion. The portal covers public-private partnerships, privatization and private enterprises. It is noted that the Ukrainian delegation presented an investment plan in Lugano, and currently the list of real projects is increasing and becoming more diverse.
[...]
In order to create a safe and transparent environment for attracting business, Ukraine seeks to obtain investment guarantees from the "Big Seven" countries and the EU, and also wants to reform the tax system and is forming a legislative framework.

archived July 2022 bootstraps, illustrated
Pravda.ua | The Pentagon confirmed the success of Ukraine's counteroffensive in the south
A representative of the US Department of Defense, Brigadier General Pat Ryder, confirmed on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces have regained control over several villages near Kherson.

This is reported by "European Truth" with reference to The Guardian .
[...]
According to media reports, the administration of US President Joe Biden has been helping the Ukrainian military prepare for a counter-offensive in the south for the past two months, meeting their specific requests for military assistance.

Ukranews | Ukraine will increase electricity exports to EU to 300 MW during peak hours, 5 Sep
The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity has increased the available capacity for the export of electricity from Ukraine to the European Union
[...]
On the first day of delivery on September 5, it will be distributed in the direction of Romania in the amount of 125 MW, and Slovakia - 175 MW in the day and night hours of the auctions for access to interstate crossings. And from September 6 - to both countries equally: 150 MW during the day and evening and 125 MW at night to each country.
archived connecting Ukraine 21 July 2021
As Ukrainian News reported, since the end of June, Ukraine has earned UAH 2 billion [EUR 54,690,849] from exporting electricity to Europe.
Ukranews | Zelenskyy Against Shutdown Of Zaporizh* NPP
by Cat on Tue Sep 6th, 2022 at 10:29:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
SIDEBAR adjustment bureau (none / 0)
moral hazard v book value v replacement cost v NPV
euractiv | euractive | Russian invasion of Ukraine caused over $97 billion in damages - World Bank, Ukrainian.gov, and EC reports

$750 BILLION RECOVERY PLAN
controversial units of measurement

by Cat on Fri Sep 9th, 2022 at 02:47:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
errata: Advantate Ukraine IPO (none / 0)
typo:  6 Mar s/b 6 Sep

search for Advantage Ukraine NYSE ticker symbol returns ...

Bloomberg | President H.E. Volodymyr Zelenskyy rings bell at NYSE to signify Ukraine is open for business, 6 Sep business wire
Ukraine PFTS Index, 1Y-10Y trend
Largest Ukrainian (PFTS) Stocks by Market Cap, a/o 10 Sep 2022
NYSE listed non-US issuers a/o 31 May 2021 (the most recent public data available)
NB: American Depository Receipts (ADR) and American Depository Shares (ADS)
List of Ukraine ADRs Trading on Major US Stock Exchanges & the Over-the-Counter (OTC) Exchange*: background EME directory

The Ukrainian Exchange was formed in 2008 with financial instruments ranging from cash equities to futures and options being traded. Its also worth noting that the Moscow Exchange (MOEX) was the Ukrainian Exchange's main shareholder; but in Q1 2016, Dragon Capital and UNIVER Investment Group bought MOEX's stake.

In addition, the PFTS Ukraine Stock Exchange has been in operation since 1997 and is a member of the International Association of CIS Exchanges and correspondent member of the World Federation of Exchanges.

search for Advantage Ukraine closing price 9 Sep 2022 returns ...

Ukraine Today | The "Advantage Ukraine" project, 26 Aug

Reuters | Ukraine's Zelenskiy 'rings' NYSE bell, seeks $400 bln in foreign investment, 6 Sep

The Hill | Zelensk* pitches investors on Ukraine while virtually ringing NYSE bell, 6 Sep

by Cat on Sun Sep 11th, 2022 at 02:33:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]
starving Africans (none / 0)
Pravda.ua | The ["]blockade["] continues. How to get rid of the 60-kilometer queue of trucks at the border with Poland?, 9 Sep
The queue of more than 2,600 trucks stretched for 58 km and almost reached the city of Kovel. Trucks are slowly moving towards the Yagodin checkpoint.
[...]
Several factors contributed to the traffic jam at the Polish border.

The first—Ukrainian farmers harvest and sell it to neighboring countries. According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, 625,000 tons of food was exported by road transport in August, which is seven times more than in April.
[...]
The second is that Poland should speed up the phytosanitary inspection of Ukrainian cargoes, because now Ukraine exports three times more food by road. However, cargo inspection has slowed down. According to [UA] Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Mustafa Nayem, at the end of August, the speed of phytosanitary inspection decreased four times compared to the pre-war period.

The third is strikes by Polish truck drivers, who are blocking the road. They are protesting because of the loss of the opportunity to travel outside the queue. ... This may become a difficult test for the Ukrainian economy. Highways through the western border are the largest source of foreign currency for Ukrainian exporters and a reliable shoulder during the port blockade. 40% of all automobile exports of Ukraine account for the checkpoint in Yahodyna. ...

Slava Ukraini!

Statement by the United Nations Coordinator for the 'Black Sea Grain Initiative' Amir Abdulla, 27 Aug
"The silos in Ukraine are still stocked with millions of tons of produce from previous harvests. The Black Sea Grain Initiative has started creating some space but much more grain needs to shift to make space for the new harvest."
JCC | Black Sea Grain Initiative Joint Coordination Centre Operational Update --departures to IT, TR
"As of 19 August, the total tonnage of grain and foodstuffs exported from the three Ukrainian ports is 656,349 metric tons."
archived UN | JCC Progress report, 1-15 August 2022

by Cat on Sat Sep 10th, 2022 at 12:42:27 AM EST
[ Parent ]
starving Africans : errata (none / 0)
JCC | Vessel Movements, table data
"As of 9 September 2022, 108 voyages from Ukrainian ports have carried 2,463,991 metric tons of grains and other foodstuffs, of which outbound 3 to Egypt, 1 to Kenya
by Cat on Sat Sep 10th, 2022 at 12:57:22 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: starving Africans (none / 0)
Pravda.ua | British intelligence: [World] lied about grain export from Ukraine to deflect blame, 9 Sep
Russia is waging a deliberate disinformation campaign to deflect blame for food insecurity, discredit Ukraine, and minimize resistance to its invasion of Ukraine.

As "European Truth" reports, this is stated in  the intelligence review  of the Ministry of Defense of Britain, published on Sunday.

They remind us that on September 7, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that only 60,000 tons of grain exported from Ukraine through the "grain corridor" were sent to developing countries, and most of it was delivered to EU countries.

"Putin's claims are untrue. According to the UN, about 30% of the grain was delivered to low- and middle-income countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia," British intelligence said.

archived wheat, "grain", coarse grain, der Korn (corn)

trivia proper use of Oxford comma. Slava Ukraini!

by Cat on Sun Sep 11th, 2022 at 01:10:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: starving Africans (none / 1)
Politico.eu.com | France-Romania deal to export more grain from Ukraine to be signed Monday, 9/11
Agreement comes after Russia threatened to limit grain shipments through the Black Sea. [FALSE]
[...]
The French and Romanian governments on Monday will sign an agreement allowing more grain exports from Ukraine to reach Europe and beyond, said France's Transport Minister Clément Beaune Sunday.

"Tomorrow I will sign an agreement with Romania to allow Ukraine to send even more grain, because it is an essential resource for the country and for many other countries that benefit from it," Beaune told French radio FranceInter, adding that the cereals will be shipped "to Europe and to developing countries, especially in the Mediterranean, which need it for food and for their survival almost."

< wipes tears >
It comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin last week threatened to limit grain exports through the Black Sea and claimed that most of the cereals leaving Ukraine were feeding the EU market instead of going to developing countries.

A British defense intelligence bulletin on Sunday stated that "Putin's claim is not true. According to UN figures, around 30 percent has been supplied to low and middle-income countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia."

The U.K. Defense Ministry added that "Russia is pursuing a deliberate misinformation strategy as it seeks to deflect blame for food insecurity issues, discredit Ukraine and minimize opposition to its invasion."

Beaune said the deal with Romania will cover exports "by river, sea and land."

archived MY 2020/2021, MY 2021/2022, JCC "vessel movement"
by Cat on Sun Sep 11th, 2022 at 06:26:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: starving Africans (none / 0)
Kiev Security Compact meant to enslave EU, Russian diplomat says | TASS |

'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Wed Sep 14th, 2022 at 12:06:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: starving Africans (none / 0)
Reuters | Zelensk* tells Russia: hand over POWs in return for ammonia exports 16 Sep
he would only support the idea of reopening Russian ammonia exports through Ukraine if Moscow handed Ukrainian prisoners of war back to Kyiv.
[...]
"I am against supplying ammonia from the Russian Federation through our territory. I would only do it in exchange for our prisoners. This is what I offered the UN," he said in an interview at his presidential office.

The United Nations has proposed that ammonia gas owned by Russian fertiliser producer Uralchem be pumped by pipeline to the Ukrainian border, where it would be bought by the U.S.-based commodities trader Trammo.

The [Ukraine] pipeline is designed to pump up to 2.5 million tonnes of ammonia per year from Russia's Volga region to Ukraine's Black Sea port of Pivdennyi, known as Yuzhny in Russian, near Odesa.

It was shut down [by Ukraine] fter Russia sent its troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24.

archived S&P Commodity Insights, Odesa, Chornomorsk, Pivdenny ports, JCC Progress report, 1-15 August 2022 including ammonia
by Cat on Sat Sep 17th, 2022 at 05:47:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: starving Africans (none / 1)
S&P to PUTIN LIARS worldwide: Platts to resume use of market information for Ukrainian corn and wheat
Effective Sept. 22, Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, will resume the use of bids, offers, trades and indicative market values for corn and wheat loading from Ukraine.

Platts will now consider this information for its assessments.

Where verifiable market data cannot be observed, Platts may make use of other relevant market information as well as the effect of movements in related markets through spread differentials

Slava Ukraini!
by Cat on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 02:08:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Slava Ukraini! (none / 1)
Meanwhile...

by Bernard (bernard) on Sun Sep 11th, 2022 at 01:14:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]
re-tread: Slava Ukraini! (none / 1)
published 13 Sep, while the iron is HOT!

The Kyiv Security Compact International Guarantees for Ukraine: Recommendations, 9 pp (EN)

The Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances [1994] proved worthless. No sufficiently robust, legally and politically binding measures were in place to deter Russian aggression. Unless Ukraine is provided with unique and effective security guarantees - embedded in an eventual peace process - there is no reason to believe that this will not happen again. Ukraine is on the path to EU membership and as a future EU member will benefit from the EU's own mutual defence clause. Ukraine's aspiration to join NATO and benefit from its mutual defence arrangements is safeguarded in its Constitution [sic]. This aspiration is the sovereign decision of Ukraine. Both NATO and EU membership will significantly bolster Ukraine's security in the long-term. However, Ukraine needs security guarantees now.
< wipes tears >
KEY RECOMMENDATION$
• The strongest security guarantee for Ukraine lies in its capacity to defend itself against an aggressor under the UN Charter's article 51. To do so, Ukraine needs the resources to maintain a significant defensive force capable of withstanding the Russian Federation's armed forces and paramilitaries.
• This requires a multi-decade effort of sustained investment in Ukraine's defence industrial base, scalable weapons transfers and intelligence support from allies, intensive training missions and joint exercises under the European Union and NATO flags.
• The security guarantees will be positive; they lay out a range of commitments made by a group of guarantors, together with Ukraine. They need to be binding based on bilateral agreements, but brought together under a joint strategic partnership document - called the Kyiv Security Compact.
• The Compact will bring a core group of allied countries together with Ukraine. This could include the US, UK, Canada, Poland, Italy, Germany, France, Australia, Turkey, and Nordic, Baltic, Central and Eastern European countries.

A broader group of international partners including Japan [!], South Korea [!], among others, should also support a set of non-military guarantees based on sanctions. It would include snapback sanctions ["evergreen" TOU], which are automatically re-applied in case of further Russian aggression. A legal framework should be developed which will allow authorities to seize the property of the aggressor, its sovereign funds and reserves, and the assets of its citizens and entities on the sanctions list. The funds raised should be directed to repair the war damage inflicted on Ukraine.

The guarantees framework may be supplemented by additional agreements, dealing with specific issues not covered in the layers of guarantees discussed in this document. It may include an agreement, or set of agreements, between Ukraine and countries producing anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense equipment to provide Ukraine with modern and effective air defense and anti-missile defense systems in sufficient quantity to ensure a "closed sky" from air attacks.

The package of guarantees may additionally include regional agreements on the Black Sea [FKA Montreux] with Turkey and other littoral states like Romania and Bulgaria.

VICTORY!
A. SECURITY GUARANTEES - COMMITMENTS BY A CORE GROUP OF GUARANTORS REGARDING UKRAINE'S SELF-DEFENCE CAPABILITIES AND CAPACITIES TO DETER AN ATTACK

CONCEPT AND PRINCIPLES
[...]
The guarantees must not constrain Ukraine to limit the size or strength of its armed forces. Nor should they be drawn in exchange for a specific status, such as neutrality, or put other obligations or restraints on Ukraine. With those guarantees, Ukraine will sustain its capacity to ensure its self-defence. Their aim is to strengthen Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and political independence within its internationally recognized borders. The guarantees should also support Ukraine's commitment to continuing democratic reforms, as specified in the European Council Conclusions of June 23-24, 2022 on granting Ukraine EU candidate status. Effective security for Ukraine is closely related to a modern society that guarantees its citizens their fundamental rights....

Ukriform | Security guarantees are not an alternative to Ukraine's membership in NATO - Yermak
"This is definitely not an alternative to Ukraine's course toward NATO membership, 100 percent. Because it (Euro-Atlantic integration - ed.), first of all, is in our Constitution and, of course, it is for the time being, while Ukraine is not a member of NATO," Yermak said....
by Cat on Tue Sep 13th, 2022 at 05:05:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]
hOLYymuTterAGOTT (none / 0)
To achieve thi$$$, Ukraine will need the group of international guarantors to:
  • Provide financial aid and direct investments, including through future reconstruction instruments, to support the national defence budget, as well as ensuring financial assistance (including non-repayable grants) to restore the infrastructure of Ukraine, which was destroyed or damaged by military actions.
  • Allocate reconstruction funds, including non-repayable financial assistance, towards supporting and building Ukraine's new national defence industrial base.
  • Offer technology transfers and arms export.
  • Coordinate closely among each other to supply capabilities, military equipment, ammunition, and services.
  • Establish regular training exercises to Ukrainian forces.
  • Establish a cooperation program on cyber defence and security; and countering cyber threats.
  • An enhanced intelligence cooperation, including frequent sharing of intelligence and establishing a regular cooperation between the intelligence services of Ukraine and guarantor states.
Nothing screams peace treaty and an armistice quite like "non-repayable financial assistance" AND "non-repayable grants".
by Cat on Tue Sep 13th, 2022 at 05:31:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: hOLYymuTterAGOTT (none / 0)
automaticity has entered the room.
by Cat on Tue Sep 13th, 2022 at 05:40:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: hOLYymuTterAGOTT (none / 1)
DW | Ukraine pushes for security guarantees in new world order (FP headline:"Ukraine calls for post-war security guarantees"), 16 Sep
In a new blueprint for a postwar order, several countries are to guarantee Ukraine's security as a precursor to NATO membership. Russia has expressed its disapproval in no uncertain terms.

John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the US National Security Council, said he had seen a shift in momentum after Ukrainian forces recaptured vast areas in the northeast around the city of Kharkiv in recent days.

[INCONTINENCE ALERT]
Others are more skeptical.

Eberhard Zorn, inspector general of the Bundeswehr, the German army, sees at best "counterattacks that can be used to win back towns or individual sections of the front, but not to push Russia back on a broad front," as he told German news magazine Focus on Saturday.

From its recent position of relative strength, the Ukrainian leadership has now presented a security concept for the postwar period.....

homicidal maniacs FTW! Slava Ukraini!
by Cat on Fri Sep 16th, 2022 at 03:07:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: hOLYymuTterAGOTT (none / 0)
UNGA running time 11:39:34, Zelensk* Zoom call 01:44:28

Ukriform | Zelensk*  five points of peace formula, 22 Sep

"All five items of our formula - punishment for aggression, protection of life, restoration of security and territorial integrity, security guarantees and determination to defend oneself - this is the formula of crime and punishment, which is already well known to Russia," he said.

The only thing missing from this formula is neutrality, he added. "Those who speak of neutrality, when human values ​​and peace are under attack, mean something else. They talk about indifference. Everyone for themselves - here is what they say," the president explained. "This is what creates the conditions for war."

Slava Ukraini!
by Cat on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 08:27:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]
errata: Zoom call 07:44:28 (none / 0)
by Cat on Fri Sep 23rd, 2022 at 09:48:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: re-tread: Slava Ukraini! (3.50 / 2)
On Twitter this video and account was quickly suspended ...

US Soldiers in Izium

"Hey boys, where are we? Izium."

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Tue Sep 13th, 2022 at 06:38:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: re-tread: Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
The same trope has been used by Russian "communication" before: these are no longer "Ukrainian Nazis" but NATO soldiers, black and English speaking. Because "NATO soldiers" can only be Americans and black - casual racism is very much alive in Russia.

Official Russian cheer-leading cannot admit being possibly defeated by their "colonials"; nothing new: back in the 1950s, France couldn't admit being defeated by the Vietnamese and the Algerians; yet this is precisely what happened. Russia's colonial empire is following the same path.

by Bernard (bernard) on Tue Sep 13th, 2022 at 08:02:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: re-tread: Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
The black ones in winter camo must be behind the camera.
Good catch!
by Cat on Tue Sep 13th, 2022 at 11:23:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: re-tread: Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
Directly from the source (Russia state TV):
"There are no Ukrainians left in some cities near Kharkiv. There are the British, some negroes, speaking English, commanding and reporting in the English language to some English commanders."

by Bernard (bernard) on Fri Sep 16th, 2022 at 08:17:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]
MSNBC Affirmative Action: Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
MSN | Malcolm Nance Reports from Ukraine After Joining Foreign Legion, Tells CNN: 'There Are No Nazis in This Country', Apr 2022
yahoo! NBC Universal | Malcolm Nance details experience in Ukraine and global extremism, July 2022
by Cat on Sat Sep 17th, 2022 at 04:27:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
< wipes tears > (none / 0)
International Legion
"They were Malcom Nance."
Slava Ukraini!
by Cat on Sat Sep 17th, 2022 at 05:00:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]
casual racism FAKE NEWS (none / 1)
Police have arrested the man responsible for assaulting two Ukrainian women in France. While the man was initially believed to be Russian, a press release by the prosecutor in Nice on Wednesday has revealed the assailant is in fact a former Ukrainian soldier.
[...]
On Tuesday, French police arrested a man who had confessed to attacking the two women. He turned out to be a 33-year-old man who had arrived in France seven months ago after having previously served in the Ukrainian military. Police say the man admitted assaulting the women, but downplayed the severity of his attack and insisted he merely "slapped" them, as reported by the 20 Minutes news outlet. The Ukrainian also stated that he thought the women he attacked were Russian nationals because of their "Russian accent."
Slava Ukraini!
The Ukrainian embassy in France had assured, through a tweet, that it "cooperated with the French authorities for a rapid investigation", denouncing a "heinous incident".
free uighur!
by Cat on Thu Sep 15th, 2022 at 06:48:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: casual racism FAKE NEWS (none / 0)
«Je n'imaginais pas vivre ça en France» : Alina, réfugiée ukrainienne, victime d'une violente agression - Le Parisien.fr
Note du 16 septembre : Le procureur de Nice Xavier Bonhomme a indiqué dans un communiqué publié le 14 septembre que l'agresseur avait été interpellé et interrogé en garde à vue. Présenté au départ comme une Russe, il serait en réalité d'origine ukrainienne. L'homme a reconnu les violences en les minimisant et sera jugé le 17 novembre 2022 par le tribunal correctionnel pour des faits de « violence en raison de la race, de l'ethnie ou de la religion ». Il encourt jusqu'à trois ans de prison et 45 000 euros d'amende.
by Bernard (bernard) on Sun Sep 18th, 2022 at 08:38:02 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Falling... (none / 0)
For years, there's been a pandemic of Russian oligarchs all over the world suddenly seized with an irresistible urge to throw themselves through higher floors open windows. A new variant in this epidemic clumsiness: falling off a boat. Start of a new trend?

Putin's Man in the Far East Dies in Bizarre Fall From Boat

A Russian executive tasked with helping to oversee development in the country's Far East died in a bizarre fall from a moving boat just days after attending an economic forum with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ivan Pechorin's death was confirmed by the Far East and Arctic Development Corporation, where he had served as aviation director. The corporation has been tasked by the Russian government with developing resources in the Far East and Arctic. Pechorin was reportedly in charge of developing aviation accessibility in the Far East by modernizing airport infrastructure and constructing new runways, among other things.

by Bernard (bernard) on Wed Sep 14th, 2022 at 08:42:16 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Meanwhile in Russia (none / 0)
by Bernard (bernard) on Wed Sep 14th, 2022 at 12:38:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Falling... (none / 0)
Wikipedia page: 2022 Russian businessmen mystery deaths
by Bernard (bernard) on Thu Sep 15th, 2022 at 08:35:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Falling... (none / 0)
Take the elevator instead...

by Bernard (bernard) on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 04:49:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Falling... (none / 0)
That's a good idea for American CEOs as well. (Do Russian ones also sell their stock before falling?)
by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 06:34:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Falling... (none / 0)
A new Russian trend: Defenestroika.
by Bernard (bernard) on Fri Sep 23rd, 2022 at 12:05:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]
It's raining banksters! Hallelujah! (none / 1)
8-min techno cover by muh-jeebus-jubilee-right-around-the-corner

reference
Studs Terkel, Hard Times, 1986. paper and archive.org
WaPoo | THE JUMPERS OF '29, Oct 1987 LOL!
"The New York correspondent for one of London's sensationalist tabloids wired home that lower Broadway was clogged with corpses."

Toronto Star | The myth of post-crash pavement suicides, Jan 2009 LOL!
"It's Thursday, Oct. 24, 1929: a black day in economic history. The New York Times reports that 11 speculators have taken their lives amid the onset of a market meltdown. But wait. Of those 11 suicides, none actually involved a plunge onto Wall Street. And yet..."

History101.com | Myth or fact: Did investors really jump out of windows after the 1929 stock market crash?, 24 Sep 2022 LOL!

They were confused
During the stock market crash, around $50 billion US dollars were lost. Everyone was confused and devastated at the numbers, but they didn't jump out their office windows on Black Thursday. Instead, they walked around Wall Street in a state of shock.

The suicide rate increased in the United States during the Great Depression, but that's across the entire nation -- not the stock investors on Black Thursday. So, where did the rumor originate? Well, there's one small truth....

The story changed over time
There was one suicide during the stock market crash, but the day after Black Thursday, not on that day. It was reported by none other than Winston Churchill [!], who was visiting New York and saw a man jump out of a window of a 15-story building....

by Cat on Sat Sep 24th, 2022 at 07:09:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
APsplainin: "Zelensk* then held a signing ceremony of his own in Kyiv, releasing video of him putting pen to papers that he said were a formal NATO membership request."
by Cat on Fri Sep 30th, 2022 at 04:13:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Machine Gun Preacher: Slava Ukraini! (none / 1)
NATO Secretary General at the European Parliament, 27 SEP 2022, A/V (EN) "paradox" and "escalation" sermon, running time 00:16:16
aa.com.tr | Ukraine applies for NATO membership under accelerated procedure, 30 Sep
It was only minutes after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed documents on the establishment of four new regions in Russia that Zelensk* said "de facto Ukraine made its way" to the alliance.

"De facto, we have already made our way to NATO. De facto, we have already proven our compatibility with the Alliance's standards. They are real for Ukraine - real on the battlefield and in all aspects of our cooperation.

"We trust each other, we help each other, and we protect each other. This is the Alliance," the Ukrainian leader said on Telegram.

"De facto. Today, Ukraine is submitting an application to do this de jure. According to a procedure that will fit our goal to protect our entire community. In an expedited manner. We are taking our decisive step by signing Ukraine's application for accelerated membership in NATO," he wrote.

NATO (a/o 30.09.22) AL, ME*, MK*, TR*; EU: BE, BG, HR, CZ, DK, ES, EE, FR, DE, GR, HU, IT, LV, LA, LX, NL, PL, PT, RO, SI, SK; EEA: IS, NO; UK, US, CA
Telesur | US and NATO Commit to Ukrainian Territorial Integrity, 30 Sep
On Friday, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary Jens Stoltenberg expressed their "firm commitment" to "the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine." Their statements came after the ceremony by which President Vladimir Putin signed the accession treaties of the Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporizh* regions to Russia.

During a phone conversation, Sullivan and Stoltenberg shared their concern about Russia's "illegitimate" attempts to annex territory from Ukraine through referendums. [...] The phone call coincides with the Ukrainian request to join NATO, which President Volodymyr Zelensk* made in response to the admission of the four regions to the Russian federation. ...

NATO | Press point with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, 30 Sep "As delivered)" + Q&A
...This land grab is illegal and illegitimate. NATO Allies do not, and will not, recognise any of this territory as part of Russia. We call on all states to reject Russia's blatant attempts at territorial conquest.

These lands are Ukraine. Donetsk is Ukraine. Luhansk is Ukraine. Kherson is Ukraine. Zaporizhzh* is Ukraine. Just like Crimea is Ukraine.
[...]
NATO is not party to the conflict. But we provide support to Ukraine so it can uphold its right for self-defence, enshrined in the UN Charter. Ours is a defensive Alliance. We stand united and determined
to defend and protect every NATO Ally. And every inch of Allied territory....

whitehouse | Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Call with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, 30 Sep IMDB loaded 5 Reqwiaments waiver
wc: 79
by Cat on Fri Sep 30th, 2022 at 08:56:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Machine Gun Preacher: Slava Ukraini! (none / 1)
C-SPAN | White House Daily Briefing with Jake "The Snake" Sullivan, 30 Sep
Q1:[@11:22] Ukraine is seeking acelerated membership in NATO. Is that something that is possible or something you would seriously consider?
SULLIVAN: The United States has been clear for decades that we support an open door policy for NATO, any decision on NATO membership is between the thirty allies and the countries aspiring to join. Right now, our view is that the best way for us to support Ukraine is through practical, on-the-ground support in Ukraine and the process in Brussels should be taken up at a different time.
minval.az | "'Now we cannot accept Ukraine into NATO, this decision is made through a meeting of 30 partner countries,' he added. In addition, Stoltenberg noted that NATO would not advise Ukraine to reduce combat activity in order to avoid escalation."
Q2.1: Thanks, Jake. In his speech this morning the president called the Nord Stream pipeline attack, quote, a deliberate act of sabotage [unquote], and he said now the Russians are pumping out misinformation and lies about it. Should we take that to mean, the US now believes Russia was likely responsible for the act of sabotage?
SULLIVAN: Well, first, Russia has done what it frequently does: When it is responsible for something which is make accusations that it was really someone else who did it. We've seen this repeatedly over time. But the president was also clear today that there is more work to do on the investigation before the United State government is prepared to make an attribution in this case. One of the practical reasons for that is, because gas is emanating from these pipelines, the Danish authorities and other authorities involved can't actually get down to the source of the leak to do forensics on what appears to be an explosion. So we will have to wait until a combination of physical inspection, intelligence gathering, and consultation with our allies can make a definitive determination. But what we can say uniquivocally is, the suggestion Russia has made about the United States and other countries are flat out false. Russia knows they're false, but, of course, this is part of their playbook.
Readovka: "The Nord Stream operator plans to fix leaks on the gas pipeline by Monday, October 3. According to a company representative, it is impossible to draw unambiguous conclusions about the timing before experts assess the scale of the consequences, writes Reuters."
Q2.2: But how many countries are even capable of carrying out the kind of attack we saw with hundreds of kilograms of explosives two hundred fifty feet below the surface of the sea?
SULLIVAN: Not many. And I think this is obviously an act of sabotage that took place. We believe in the neighborhood of seventy to eighty meters, two hundred thirty to two hundred seventy feet under the ocean. You know, that takes some degree of sophistication. I dont't want to get ahead of myself....
Look, this is not a Snowden kind of thing. I think what he did was wrong. He went too far. He gave away too much. Unlike Snowden who was a contractor, I was in NSA. I believe in the agency. So what I'm willing to give you will be limited, but we're talking because everyone is getting the story wrong, and we have to get it right. We have to understand these new weapons. The stakes are too high. We did stuxnet. It's a fact. You know, we came so fucking close to disaster, and we're still on the edge. It was a huge, multinational, interagency operation. In the US, it was CIA, NSA, and the military Cyber Command. From Britain we used raw intel out of GCHQ. But the main partner was Israel. Over there Mossad ran the show, and the technical work was done by Unit 8200. Israel is really the key to the story.

Inside The Rock, we were furious. The Israelis took our code, the delivery system, and changed it. Then, on their own, without our agreement, they just fucking launched it. 2010. Around the same time they started killing Iranian scientists. Then, they fucked up the code. Instead of hiding, the code started shutting down computers. So naturally people noticed. Because they were in a hurry, they opened Pandora's box. They let it out, then it spread all over the world.
— Zero Days

by Cat on Sat Oct 1st, 2022 at 05:56:02 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Machine Gun Preacher: UPDATE! (none / 1)
machine trans.: The Nord Stream AG company has informed the Danish Energy Agency that a stable pressure now appears to have been achieved on the two Nord Stream 1 pipelines. This indicates that the blow-out of gas from the last two leaks has now also been completed.

'Twas foretold! Gah bless de fish!

by Cat on Sun Oct 2nd, 2022 at 04:37:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]
errata (none / 1)
"The Rock" s/b the ROC, Remote Operations Center
as in
Fresh from the surge, I went to work at NSA in '07 in a supervisory capacity. Fort Meade. You know, I commuted to that massive complex every single day. I was in TAO-S321, "The ROC." TAO is Tailored Access Operations. It's where the NSA hackers work. Of course, we didn't call them that. On-net operators, they're the only people at NSA allowed to break in or attack on the internet. Inside TAO headquarters in the ROC, Remote Operations Center. If the US government wants to get in somewhere, it goes to the ROC. I mean, we were flooded with requests, so many that we could only do about 30% of the missions that were requested of uat one time throuth the web, but also by hijacking shipments of parts. You know, sometimes the CIA would assist in putting implants in machines, so once inside a target network, we could just watch or we could attack. We never called it stuxnet. That was the name invented by the antivirus guys.
— Zero Days
by Cat on Sun Oct 2nd, 2022 at 04:46:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
Trapped like rats without visas!
by Cat on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 02:19:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Slava Ukraini! (none / 1)
Russians don't need a visa to go to Turkey.

by Bernard (bernard) on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 04:40:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
Daily Sabah | Erdoğan says discussed with Putin flights from Russia to Turkish Cyprus, 22 Sep
Ministry of Tourism
Flights from Russia would provide support for the economy there, given the potential tourism income, Erdoğan was quoted as telling reporters in New York, where he attended the annual U.N. General Assembly of world leaders.

"If direct flights start from Russia to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, we will of course be pleased," Erdoğan said.

BASTID!
Turkish media reported TRNC Transport Minister Erhan Arıklı as saying that two Russian airlines were interested in starting flights to the new Ercan Airport, which will be opened on Nov. 15.
Daily Sabah | Russians can claim asylum in EU, bloc's migration spox says, 22 Sep teaser
"This is an unprecedented situation," Anita Hipper, a spokesperson responsible for migration said. Applications would need to be considered on a case-by-case basis, Hipper said, adding work was ongoing with EU member states to find a joint approach.

Czechia Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky struck a different tone on Thursday, however, saying the country would not give refuge to Russians who refused military service....

by Cat on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 07:29:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
tabloid Türkiye | Final Destinations , 22 Sep
Tickets for the Moscow-Belgrade flights operated by Air Serbia, the only European carrier besides Turkish Airlines to maintain flights to Russia despite a European Union flight embargo, quickly sold out for the next several days. The price for flights from Moscow to Istanbul or Dubai increased within minutes before jumping again, reaching as high as 9,200 euros ($9,119) for a one-way economy class fare....
BASTID!
The head of the Duma's defense committee, Andrei Kartapolov, said there would be no additional restrictions on reservists leaving Russia based on this mobilization. But he also advised individuals who could be eligible for the call-up against "traveling to resorts in Türkiye."

"Spend your vacation at the resorts of Crimea < wipes tears > or (Russia's southern) Krasnodar region," Russian media quoted Kartapolov as saying.

SOLD OUT!
A group based in Serbia, called Russians, Belarussians, Ukrainians[,] and Serbs Together Against War, tweeted that there were no available flights to Belgrade from Russia until mid-October. Flights to Türkiye, Georgia[,] or Armenia also sold out, according to the Belgrade-based group.

by Cat on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 08:09:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
APsplainin Moscow tries to draft fleeing Russian men at the borders, 28 Sep UPDATE
Volunteers on the Georgian side of the border also have brought water, blankets and other assistance. ... North Ossetia restricted many passenger cars from entering its territory, and set up a draft office at the Verkhy Lars border crossing, Russian news agencies said. ... Another such draft checkpoint was set up in Russia along the Finnish border, according to the independent Russian news outlet Meduza.
[...]
Protesters carrying Georgian and Ukrainian flags and signs like "Russia Kills" greeted Russians at the border Wednesday. Giga Lemonjava of the political party Droa, which organized the protest, said the evacuees [?] threaten Georgia's security and economy.
[...]
There also are long lines at the border with Kazakhstan, which has taken in more than 98,000 [!] Russians in the past week.
by Cat on Wed Sep 28th, 2022 at 07:44:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
BASTIDS!, 23 Sep
"Deserters threatened with serious repression can, as a rule, obtain international protection in Germany," Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in an interview with the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

"Anyone who courageously opposes Putin's regime and thereby falls into great danger, can file for asylum on grounds of political persecution," she said.

German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann tweeted using the hashtag "partial mobilization" that "apparently, many Russians are leaving their homeland -- anyone who hates Putin's path and loves liberal democracy is welcome in Germany."

oil and water
Since February 24, Germany has taken in around 1 million Ukrainians fleeing Russia's invasion [+ 1.4M MENA 'fugees], but also welcomed Russian dissidents. According to Faeser, 438 Russian dissidents, including journalists, have also benefited from an accelerated process to obtain protection in Germany.

However, she pointed out that political asylum is not automatically granted; applicants are first subjected to security checks....

tell that to FI, PL, ES, LV, LT human rights watch!
On Wednesday, officials from the EU's Baltic member states said they will not offer refuge to any Russians fleeing Moscow's partial mobilization. Earlier this week, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania closed their borders to most Russian citizens in response to the wide domestic support in Russia for the war in Ukraine....
by Cat on Fri Sep 23rd, 2022 at 06:36:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
Reuters | Russia, Ukraine announce major surprise prisoner swap, 22 Sep
Russia and Ukraine carried out an unexpected prisoner swap on Wednesday, the largest since the war began and involving almost 300 people, including 10 foreigners and the commanders who led a prolonged Ukrainian defence of Mariupol earlier this year.

The foreigners released included two Britons and a Moroccan who had been sentenced to death in June after being captured fighting for Ukraine. Also freed were three other Britons, two Americans, a Croatian, and a Swedish national.
[...]
Zelensk* thanked Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan for his help and said five senior Ukrainian commanders would remain in Turkey until the end of the war.

death row
Saudi Arabia brokered an arrangement whereby the 10 foreigners were flown to Saudi Arabia. The mediation involved Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has maintained close TIES WITH PUTIN.

The freed prisoners included U.S. citizens Alexander Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27, both from Alabama, who were captured in June while fighting in eastern Ukraine. Also freed were Britons Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner[,] and Moroccan Brahim Saadoun, who were all sentenced to death by a court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic....

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on September 20, 2022
Hubei Media Group: We have learned that the second Middle East Security Forum will be held in Beijing on September 21 in an online-plus-offline format by the China Institute of International Studies. Can you share more information? 
Wang Wenbin: The world has entered a new period of volatility and transformation. The Middle East is facing new security challenges. China attaches great importance to peace and security in the Middle East....
by Cat on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 04:10:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
SIDEBAR denoument (none / 0)
Guardian | British Man released by Russia says he was 'treated worse than dog', 25 Sep war crime gothic
forced to sing the Russian national anthem every morning, and if they did not comply they would be "punished for it. You would get beaten."...

having fallen in love with a Ukrainian woman, Diane Okovyta, and joined the marines ...

slept on a mat infested with lice and cockroaches. Because there was no toilet....

survived for three weeks by eating pieces of bread and water. The only time he was let out of his cell was to do propaganda or take phone calls....

captors threatened to cut off his ear. He was beaten for having a tattoo of a Ukrainian trident...

a Russian who was guarding Aslin then asked him: "Do you want a quick death or a beautiful death?"

[Aiden] Aslin said he responded that he wanted a quick death but was told: "You're going to have a beautiful death[,] and I'm going to make sure it's a beautiful death."

repatriation
After being was reunited with his mother and his  fiancée this week, Aslin said: "I never thought I'd get out alive."
by Cat on Sun Sep 25th, 2022 at 06:29:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: SIDEBAR denoument (none / 0)
Not In Detention, Torture and Simulated Rape

Training Mental Toughness - The Future of Mental Welfare | By Damien De Pyle of Signals Platoon in the 5th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment |

Related reading ...

Reports, allegations and inquiries into serious misconduct by Australian troops in Afghanistan
ADF accused of cruel treatment persons under their control

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Sun Sep 25th, 2022 at 07:19:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
mail-in ballots ar SATAN!!
by Cat on Fri Sep 23rd, 2022 at 06:49:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
HOLD THE PHONE .... (none / 0)
Strana.news | From September 23 to 27, "referendums" will be held not only in the occupied territories, but also in Russia, 22 Sep scare quotes
From September 23 to 27, "referendums" on the annexation of the occupied territories to the Russian Federation will be held not only in these territories, but also in Russia.

"Polling stations" will be opened in all regions of the Russian Federation, and several in large cities. For example, in Moscow in every district. They will also work in every major district of the Moscow region. The same applies to the annexed Crimea. Many points for "voting" in the Rostov [RU] region.
[...]
This means that not only refugees from the LDNR and other regions of Ukraine will be able to vote in Russia (according to TASS, more than 4.2 million citizens have arrived in the Russian Federation since February), but also citizens who conditionally moved from Donetsk to Moscow 20 years ago, who have an expired Ukrainian passport. ...

by Cat on Sun Sep 25th, 2022 at 04:11:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Slava Ukraini! (none / 0)
wut: Russia readies annexation of territory as big as Portugal
by Cat on Wed Sep 28th, 2022 at 03:03:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
September 2022 "political union" (none / 0)
Arab News | Tell us if you love a Palestinian, Israeli Defense Ministry orders foreigners, 3 Sep
If any foreigner marries a Palestinian, immigration restrictions mean they will need to leave after 27 months and cannot return for at least half a year.
[...]
Regulations include a demand that foreigners inform the Israeli authorities within 30 days of starting a relationship with a Palestinian ID holder.
[...]
The European Commission said that it was concerned about the restrictions on foreign students and academics at Palestinian universities, which the BBC reported was shared with the "highest levels" of the Israeli authorities....
by Cat on Sat Sep 3rd, 2022 at 09:10:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 "political union" (none / 1)
Telesur | Thousands Demand the Resignation of the Government in Prague, 3 Sep photos
The organisers said after the end of the demonstration that if the government does not resign by 25 September, they will announce pressure actions and will plan for another protest on 28 September.

"We demand the establishment of a temporary government of experts and the calling of early elections. If the government does not resign by 25 September, we will declare the right to resistance under the Constitution of the Czech Republic at a nationwide demonstration and announce coercive actions. We are already in talks with trade unions, businessmen, farmers, mayors, transport operators and other organisations to declare a strike," the organisers warned.
[...]
According to [EUCo pres] Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS), the event was called by forces that claim to have a pro-Russian orientation, are close to extremists and are against the interests of the Czech Republic. However, the protest are so far peaceful and without any serious problems.

APspainin
Some of the groups represented at the demonstration included the major anti-migrant populist Freedom and Direct Democracy party and the Communist Party. The protesters demanded the resignation of the current coalition government led by conservative Prime Minister Petr Fiala, criticizing it for a number of issues, including its Western-oriented policies.
euractiv
"The aim of our demonstration is to demand change, mainly in solving the issue of energy prices, especially electricity and gas, which will destroy our economy this autumn," event co-organizer Jiri Havel told iDNES.cz news website.
[4 Sep] An unfortunate statement, politicians evaluate Fial's words about the pro-Russian forces at the protest
Government ministers and opposition politicians react to Prime Minister Petr Fiala's statement about the pro-Russian conveners of Saturday's demonstration against the government. According to the governor of the South Bohemian Region and the chairman of the Association of Regions, Martin Kuba, his words were unfortunate. According to him, the government should not underestimate people's fear of the current price hike and crisis and should make it clear to them that it will guide them through the situation....
The protest at Wenceslas Square in the city centre was held a day after the government survived a no-confidence vote amid opposition claims of inaction against inflation and energy prices. The vote showed how Europe's energy crisis is fuelling political instability as soaring power prices stoke inflation, already at levels unseen in three decades.
by Cat on Sun Sep 4th, 2022 at 06:00:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 "political union" (none / 0)
G7 OHCR
Austria's Volker Turk appointed UN human rights chief
"Deputy US Ambassador to the United Nations Lisa Carty said Turk 'must serve as an independent, impartial, and unwavering voice for human rights issues around the world.'"

G7 MIC
EU plans new military aid for gas-rich Mozambique amid energy crisis
"The energy squeeze due to the Ukraine war has added impetus to Europe's scramble for gas off Mozambique's northern coast, where Western oil firms are planning to build a massive liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal."

G7 πορνεία
Russia is preventing access to Ukraine war prisoners, [G7] UN says
"a 'welcoming process' whereby they are forced to walk or run between rows of Russian guards who take turns severely beating them as they enter the facilities"

by Cat on Fri Sep 9th, 2022 at 10:05:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 "political union" (none / 0)
vOldeMoRT: US rule out Russia visa ban, 3 Sep
Washington won't restrict the visas for all Russians as a punishment for Russia's actions in Ukraine, said John Kirby, US National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, in an interview with the Dozhd TV channel that was released on Saturday.

The US has introduced visa restrictions for individual Russians whom it considers to be "regime supporters," Kirby said. However, Washington doesn't believe that "holding all Russians accountable" is a productive measure, as the US' decisions shouldn't be turned into a war with the entire Russian people.

archived "Our sanctions don't affect ..."
It is not the Russian people who should be blamed, but "president [Vladimir] Putin and his cabinet," he explained.

On August 31, the foreign ministers of the 27 EU countries decided to suspend the visa facilitation agreement with Russia

EU foreign ministers agree to suspend visa facilitation agreement
... The ministers primarily discussed two topics, namely the EU's relations with Africa and the Russian aggression against Ukraine. The main outcome of the meeting was agreement among the Member States to suspend the visa facilitation agreement.
[...]
According to [Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Jan] Lipavský, it is also however necessary to achieve mutual understanding between the Member States. On the one hand, there is the problem of the northern states that directly border Russia and which are seeing the arrival of large numbers of Russians. On the other hand, the individual Member States have differing stances on the issue. What is important now is that the European Commission and EU institutions prepare a proposal that reflects these different aspects....
which means reducing the number of visas issued and making it more difficult to obtain them. The details remain unclear, yet it's certain that the introduction of the ban will result in more difficult, longer and more expensive procedures for Russians to obtain a Schengen visa.
archived Josep Borrell Sealing Europe's Fate

trivia
RUSSIAN FEDERATION PASSPORT DASHBOARD
mobility score | passport power rank (2015-2022)

by Cat on Sun Sep 4th, 2022 at 08:54:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 "political union" (none / 1)
VRT News | Energy crisis: "Opportunity to leap forward" says Mr De Croo, 4 Sep dont-say-fuel
Mr De Croo conceded the situation was now serious. Rising energy prices form a threat to the economy. The premier insists any cap on gas prices needs to be agreed at the European level. European energy ministers meet next Friday.

The premier expressed his anger at the fact that Europe had failed to act with speed. Belgium alone can't sort it he noted: "At long last the European commission is now signalling comprehension: citizens need to be protected".
[...]
The Belgian leader has been accused of fuelling panic by suggesting the next five to ten winters will be difficult. Mr De Croo refused to withdraw his words: "This is the reality. If we can get a grip on this, we're in for five difficult years. If we fail due to poor policies, it's ten difficult years. As a country and as a continent we can sort it, if we get all our ducks in a row. We can leap forward twenty years by loosening ties with fossil fuels and countries we prefer not to trade with"

victory!
"Our reliance on Russian gas has already decreased enormously.  We thought it would take years. If we do a good job, it will be a matter of months. During these months we will do our utmost to the chart a course through the crisis for everybody. People need to understand this is a temporary [?] solution. We won't leave people in the cold or allow them to lose their jobs. We will take action".
The Plan
belgium.be | A federal crisis plan to COMBAT soaring energy prices, 2 Sep
The federal government has decided to extend the support measures (VAT reduction and social rate for one million households) to cope with the explosive increase in energy prices. The banks are committed to protecting the most affected families. Measures will be taken to skim off [dont-say-tax] the industry's excess[?] profits to finance a solidarity fund. The government also calls on Belgians and companies to reduce their consumption and set a good example....
fail
The problem = prices
The current wholesale prices for gas and electricity are so disproportionately high that market intervention is required. In Asia, the wholesale price of LNG is € 150/MWh and in [*-]America € 30/MWh. There is no reason why gas prices in Europe (€ 300/MWh) should disproportionally higher, when transport [from WHERE? HOW?] to Europe only costs a few euros per MWh.

Like the high gas price, the wholesale price of electricity no longer reflects the [power plant] production cost of [distributing] electricity. A great deal of energy is generated by (renewable and nuclear) plants that do not face rising fuel costs. In Europe, there is a wide chasm between the actual costs and current prices. This means the market is no longer functioning. ...

archived "Our sanctions don't affect ..."
by Cat on Mon Sep 5th, 2022 at 08:18:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 "political union" (none / 0)
MENAFN | Jonas Gahr Store to Ursula vdL, 13 Sep
"A maximum price does not change the fundamental issue that there is a gas shortage in Europe."
oh
by Cat on Tue Sep 13th, 2022 at 06:06:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 "political union" (none / 1)
euractiv | EU's von der Leyen rows back on plans to cap [EU RUSSIAN EMBARGO] fossil gas prices, 14 Sep
In her annual State of the Union speech before the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday (14 September), Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said negotiation would be a more efficient way to lower gas prices, which are set on the global market.
oh
by Cat on Wed Sep 14th, 2022 at 05:39:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
September 2022 syntax (none / 0)
APsplainin EU chief wants to tap excess producer profits, 14 Sep *-English
A top European Union official unveiled a plan Wednesday to cap the revenue [dont-say-cost] of electricity producers [ENTSO-E operators?!] that are making extraordinary profits because of the effects [nth derivative] of Russia's war in Ukraine and climate change, saying the proposal could raise $140 billion [if enacted by EU27 parliaments] to help people hit by spiraling energy prices.
archived "Our sanctions don't affect ..."
"Russia keeps actively manipulating our [global?] energy [dont-say-fuel] market," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told EU lawmakers in Strasbourg, France. "So, this market is not functioning anymore."
O RLY? What is perfect competition?  inna HFT forward contract "environment"? Possibly, a (tight|loose|flex) PANDEMIC labor.market(workforce size)?
"These companies are making revenues they never accounted for, they never even dream[ed] of," von der Leyen said. "In these times, it is wrong to receive extraordinary record revenues and profits benefiting from war and on the back of consumers."
archived 1973-1974 "oil crisis" and anteKyoto Jimmy Carter freedom molecules
During her State of the European Union address to the EU assembly, attended by Olena Zelenska, wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensk*, von der Leyen said company "profits must be shared [dont-say-tax] and channeled to those who need it the most.[dont-say-subsidy]"
[...]
Most of the money would come by setting a price cap [sic] on electricity produced through renewable energy sources and nuclear power ["inframarginal technology"] of 180 euros [DOWN from €200!] per megawatt hour, less than half the current price. EU countries would also collect a "solidarity contribution" [dont-say-tax] from oil, gas[,] and coal refineries [?!] earning 20% more [operating, EBITDA, or "net"?] profit than they averaged over the last three years.

With [EU] Russia [EMBARGO] tightening the natural gas ["Nordstrom"] taps, demand for gas and electricity also must be reduced, even if reserves of the fuel are on average 84% full across the EU. Capping [EU retail] prices [to subsidize EU "energy" trading] will not draw down use [O RLY?], so the European Commission also wants people HH rate-payers to consume less [so "energy intensive" industries can consume more], particularly during peak [1st shift] hours. ....

fail
by Cat on Wed Sep 14th, 2022 at 07:05:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 "political union" (none / 0)
EC | 2022 State of the Union Address by President von der Leyen, 14 Sep "Check against delivery"
by Cat on Wed Sep 14th, 2022 at 10:43:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 "political union" (none / 1)
BrusselsTimes.com | Doel 3: Shutdown confirmed for Friday despite politicians' pleas, 23 Sep inframarginal price cap foo(demand)
...In spite of this, the Doel 1 and 2, as well as the Tihange 1 reactors (that started producing power in 1985) were allowed to extend their operations until 2025....
by Cat on Sat Sep 24th, 2022 at 07:22:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 "political union" (none / 0)
They'll have to restart more coal fueled power plants.
by Bernard (bernard) on Mon Sep 26th, 2022 at 08:14:26 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 "political union" (none / 0)


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Mon Sep 26th, 2022 at 08:33:14 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Nuclear Danger Near Dutch Border - 2012 (none / 0)
Perhaps recognizing nuclear safety regulations are imperative?

Belgium shuts down nuclear reactor over suspected vessel cracking | Bellona - Aug. 10, 2012 |

But the wear and tear on one of its reactor vessel is an alarming sign for at least three other European countries and possibly more worldwide, all of which purchased vessels from the same now-bankrupt Dutch manufacturer.

Nils Bøhmer, Bellona's general director and nuclear physicist said that similar problem will begin to appear worldwide due to ageing nuclear reactors, whose average lifespan is about 30 years.

The wear and tear observed in Beligium, said Bøhmer, "is something that comes of neutron radiation from power generation" within the reactor core that is housed by the vessel.

"This will, as reactors get older, cause cracks," in reactor vessels said Bøhmer.

The 1,006 MW Doel No 3 reactor, operated by GDF Suez unit Electrabel, is scheduled to close in 10 years according to the nuclear exit plan the Belgian government adopted in July. A pressurized water reactor, it went into service in 1982.

The suspected fractures at the reactor, 25 kilometers  north of Antwerp near the Dutch border, which provides a sixth of Belgium's nuclear-generated power, do not pose any health and safety threat, said AFCN, the country's nuclear watchdog.

Some 9 million people live within a 75 kilometer radius of the plant.



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Mon Sep 26th, 2022 at 08:35:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]
September 2022 "political union" UPDATE (none / 0)
euractiv | LEAK: Brussels floats ["non-paper"] for capping gas [explosion] prices, 29 Sep
w"Establishing the appropriate level for the cap would be a challenging exercise due to internal and global market dynamics and entailing risks from the point of view of security of supply," the non-paper reads. "Furthermore, the risk of triggering supply disruptions from third-countries supplies is higher for a generalised wholesale price cap than it is for a price cap on the imports of pipeline gas."
[...]
Once again, it advocates for a cap on Russian gas imports, which currently make up 9% of EU supply
nope. Try again.
The European Commission says it is ready to discuss developing a temporary EU framework to limit the influence [?] of high gas prices on electricity prices.
[...]
Other ideas include engaging with "reliable supply partners" to reach a "common understanding" on reducing prices and a new "transactions-based LNG benchmark" to encourage more accurate pricing.
oh. prix fixe Nordic NG and US LNG racketeering for the world, now that EU's Russian gas pipes are empty. OK.
If this measure were to work, it would require creating a body at the EU level to replace the workings of the market and ensure gas is sent to places with scarce supply.

A price cap would also remove the financial incentive for consumers to reduce consumption, so there would need to be a "significantly more drastic" demand reduction framework, including curtailment, to address the increase in demand due to a lower price.

wut
The EU would also need to find "significant financial resources" to attract gas to Europe if global gas prices are higher than The Cap™.

The Commission non-paper can be consulted below or downloaded here.

Politico.eu.com | Germany introduces €200 billion gas price cap to counter Russia's 'energy war', 29 Sep dont-say-EU-embargo
Under the proposed scheme, the state will set a limit for [retail] gas prices and pay the difference between that [retail] cap and what gas importers pay on the world market.
dont-say-supply-challenged
"We want to clearly separate crisis spending from our regular budget management," Lindner said, insisting that the German government remained committed to a conservative fiscal policy that aims to limit inflation, which is expected to reach 10 percent in Germany.

"We want to send a very clear signal to the capital markets: Even if we now use such a defensive umbrella, Germany will stick to its stability-oriented, sustainability-oriented fiscal policy," Lindner said, adding: "German government bonds remain the gold standard in the world."

Politico.eu.com | EU announces Russian oil price cap in NEW! sanctions plan, 29 Sep dont-say-zero
by Cat on Thu Sep 29th, 2022 at 01:50:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]
SIDEBAR dont-say-IMF (none / 0)
kawsachunnews | IMF Tells Bolivia to Drop its Successful Economic Model, 16 Sep
... The bulk of public investment is destined for infrastructure, while the majority of subsidies are for ensuring the price of fuel doesn't rise. Bolivia is the only country in the region to see no rise in fuel prices, a policy that has kept inflation at less than 2%, unlike the rest of South America.

The report even states that fuel prices must rise, and the inflation that would inevitably cause could be offset by cash-transfer [payments] programs for the poorest sectors, says the IMF: "The successful implementation of an increase in domestic fuel prices will require recycling a part of the budget savings in cash transfer programs aimed at the poorest deciles of the population."...

by Cat on Thu Sep 29th, 2022 at 02:01:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Fixing gas prices (none / 0)
oh. prix fixe Nordic NG and US LNG racketeering for the world, now that EU's Russian gas pipes are empty. OK.

Oh, so you're a neolib now? Don't like socialism? Planned market economies?


It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Thu Sep 29th, 2022 at 02:52:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Fixing gas prices (none / 0)
Nooooo, I'm a silent member of teh EU Comish, antitrust division. mwahahahahahahahahha
by Cat on Thu Sep 29th, 2022 at 04:13:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Lindner-Scholz "umbrella" UPDATE (none / 0)
Politico.eu.com | German audit court slams Scholz's €200B gas price cap, 30 Sep
"'When money is drawn down from special funds, the state has to borrow. Ultimately, special funds, even if they are not called that, are federal debt,' the auditor's court president said."
by Cat on Sat Oct 1st, 2022 at 01:15:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]
September 2022 "political union" (4.00 / 2)
by Cat on Fri Sep 9th, 2022 at 02:53:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 "political union" (none / 0)
NATO | Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the US Secretary of State, Antony J. Blinken, 9 Sep press conference

US State Dept | Secretary Antony J. Blinken And NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at a Joint Press Availability, 9 Sep audience (including a Blinken prefatory monologue)

US DOD | Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Visit to Czechia Republic
wc: 134

by Cat on Fri Sep 9th, 2022 at 11:12:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 "political union" (none / 1)
ELECTION 2022 September 11
Politico.eu.com | 'Make Sweden great again.' Far right on the cusp of power, 8 Sep Sweden Democrats (SD) v Swedish Social Democrats (SD) Politico poll of polls smoke
[SD leader Jimmie] Åkesson is unlikely to become prime minister[,] if his side wins because the opposition bloc's other parties -- the center-right Moderates, Christian Democrats[,] and Liberals -- have said they back Moderate leader Ulf Kristersson for the role, even if his party polls less well than SD.

But the emergence of SD as a key player in Swedish policymaking would still be a radical shock to the Nordic state's political system, which for the past century has been based largely on consensus < wipes tears > building.

While Sweden's immigration policies have long been liberal < wipes tears > SD's platform would aim for zero asylum seekers. Sweden's criminal justice system has traditionally focused on rehabilitation rather than punishment but SD is calling for longer prison sentences and wider use of deportation.

"Deport foreign criminals ... and no discussion," says one of SD's new election posters. ...

by Cat on Sun Sep 11th, 2022 at 05:47:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 "political union" (none / 0)
😂

Rightwing bloc heading to victory in Swedish election, 90% of vote count suggests

#MSGA #WeAreNato #Ukraine 🇺🇦

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 02:01:29 AM EST
[ Parent ]
How do overseas votes split? (none / 0)
I'm guessing they will favour the left, but I don't know if the effect is big enough. It's tight enough that it may matter.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 07:34:09 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 "political union" (none / 0)
Politico.eu.com | EU intelligence chief cancels Taiwan trip after Beijing learns his secret plans, 13 Sep
José Casimiro Morgado, director of the European Union Intelligence and Situation Centre, was supposed to make the below-the-radar visit to meet Taiwanese officials in October, according to the diplomats.

However, the EU spy chief's plan came to a halt after Beijing got hold of the information and put pressure on the EU to scrap what would have been an unusually sensitive visit amid China's escalating military threats on Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its own territory.

I question your morality.
The development calls into question whether a human or data leak from the EU was involved, with diplomats also concerned about the EU's change of plans after Beijing's intervention.
[...]
The revelation also sheds further light on the quiet deceitful diplomacy between the EU and Taiwan, after last year's covert trip to Brussels by Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu. The EU Intelligence and Situation Centre, known in the Brussels bubble as INTCEN, focuses on civilian "intelligence-based situational awareness" and forms one of two pillars of the EU's "single intelligence analysis capacity," alongside the military-focused Intelligence Directorate of the EU Military Staff....
by Cat on Wed Sep 14th, 2022 at 02:26:27 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 "political union" (none / 0)
platform worker entered the room, Jan 2022. Who knew zero-hour contracts and terms were sooo technical?
The intention, amongst other things, is to improve working conditions by ensuring that there is the 'correct' determination of their employment status.
concept of "employer" is not well understood, so...
The Court of Justice of the European Union has historically interpreted the EU concept of 'worker' very widely, and has always emphasized the need for legal 'subordination' or control and direction of the worker. The Draft Directive provides that when a digital labor platform [sic] 'controls' the work of the platform worker, there will be a presumption that an employment relationship exists - i.e. the onus will no longer be on, for example, the individual to prove that this is the case....
euractiv | EU institutions inch closer to an agreement on platform worker status, 14 Sep
New compromise amendments, which EURACTIV obtained, indicate explicit wording has been added in the binding part of the legal text to confirm that "the legal presumption does not produce the effect of an automatic reclassification of all persons performing platform work as platform workers, since the presumption is rebuttable."
file in Mental disorder is a communicable disease
EC | EU proposes directive to protect the rights of platform workers, 17 Mar
by Cat on Fri Sep 16th, 2022 at 12:07:46 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 "political union" (none / 0)

Parliament set for clash with EU countries over new energy savings target, 15 Sep
"Parliament has today voted for ambitious and binding energy efficiency targets for the EU and for individual member states," the Danish MEP said after the vote on Wednesday (14 September). The position was adopted with 469 votes in favour, 93 against and 82 abstentions.

With the plenary vote cleared, Parliament can now enter negotiations with the [European] Council [of the European Union?] and the [European] Commission as part of so-called "trilogue" talks to finalise the law....

EP President to campaign to open EU treaties, "constitutional convention" UPDATE
by Cat on Fri Sep 16th, 2022 at 12:18:44 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 "political union" (none / 0)
Syriza.gr | Tsipras: SYRIZA's lead in the elections for the new change in the country, 18 Sep transcript (machine trans.), A/V 00:27:33 (GR) no closed caption
G. LOTSOPOULOU (ERT 3): Thank you, Mr. President. And above all, thank you for consistently honoring ERT3. We listened to you in your speech yesterday and we heard a series of announcements that correspond on the one hand to an increase in spending and on the other to a decrease in revenue. We heard about the increase in the minimum wage, about the return of retroactives, about indexation, about mother's allowance, I will not list them all. And on the other hand, the reduction of the Excise Tax and the VAT correspond to a reduction in revenues.

I would like to ask you how cost effective and reliable this program is and how after these announcements you will answer your political opponents who accuse you that with these announcements and this program you will either lead the country to a new memorandum or they will stay just some announcements that will never materialize and cheap promises.

AL. TSIPRAS: Ms. Lotsopoulou, thank you for the question. They accuse us of the possibility of leading the country to memorandums again, those who led us to memorandums. Who bankrupted the country, left it bankrupt in 2009 and who today follow the same recipes of bankruptcy. And they blame us for managing this bankruptcy, getting the country off the books. Because today we are in danger of having eavesdropping on this issue as well. They are undermining the great achievement of the SYRIZA government which was to create a framework of fiscal stability and sustainability, to regulate the debt so that it is sustainable with a clean corridor to the next low repayments....

by Cat on Tue Sep 20th, 2022 at 09:42:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 "political union" (none / 0)
Politico.eu.com | Veni, vidi, veto: Giorgia Meloni's march on Brussels, 22 Sep wut
Italy's far-right firebrand is poised to join like-minded leaders in Poland and Hungary as a spoiler to European Union ambitions
by Cat on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 02:25:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Russia willing to supply Germany with gas (none / 0)
TASS
Russia is ready to start pumping gas through the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday at the Eastern Economic Forum.

"We are not building anything for no reason. We have received and perfected the necessary technology. We will turn on Nord Stream 2 if necessary," Putin said.

According to him, Nord Stream 1 is currently virtually closed, and the West claims that Moscow is using the gas pipeline as an energy weapon. "Nonsense. We supply as much as our partners need - we fulfill whatever they put in the application," Putin added.

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Wed Sep 7th, 2022 at 03:57:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 (none / 0)
by Bernard (bernard) on Wed Sep 14th, 2022 at 01:19:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]
EHCR condemns France on refusal to repatriate (4.00 / 2)
Enforceable legal precedent for 27 European countries
The European court of human rights has condemned France over its refusal to repatriate French women who travelled to Syria with their partners to join Islamic State and are currently being held with their children at Kurdish-run prison camps.

The ruling will be studied closely by other countries who still have citizens detained in camps in north-eastern Syria, including the UK.

The Strasbourg-based court - which is not a body of the European Union - ruled that Paris must swiftly re-examine requests made by the parents of the two women that they should be allowed to return to France with the children they gave birth to in Syria. The judges found that France's refusal to repatriate the women and children was in violation of the right of a person to "enter the territory of the state of which they are a national".

The ruling did not grant a general right to repatriation, but said there should be safeguards against any potentially "arbitrary" decision-making. It said an independent body should be able to examine decisions made about individuals. France had not provided sufficient reviews to ensure that its refusal to repatriate was not arbitrary. France must now re-examine the cases of the women and their children and provide guarantees on its decision-making process.

Macron had been stonewalling on this issue for several years, but saw this decision coming, and repatriated a first batch of 51 mothers and children in July. There are about 350 French citizens left in Kurdish-run Syrian camps.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Thu Sep 15th, 2022 at 06:15:38 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: EHCR condemns France on refusal to repatriate (none / 0)
There are about 350 French citizens left in Kurdish-run Syrian camps.

...including a large number of children.

by Bernard (bernard) on Thu Sep 15th, 2022 at 08:42:02 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Mir fällt zum Zustand der EU nichts ein (none / 0)
Did Sonneborn really mean to compare von der Leyen with Hitler? Heise.de
Sehr geehrte Frau von der Leyen,

mit Karl Kraus zu sprechen: Mir fällt zum Zustand der EU nichts ein.

Um uns von einem Gas-Lieferanten zu lösen, der einen brutalen Angriffskrieg führt, - Putin -, haben Sie uns einen gesucht, der einen brutalen Angriffskrieg führt - Aliyev.

Auch wenn viele deutsche Medien schweigen - derzeit überfällt die Öldiktatur, die Sie zum "vertrauenswürdigen Partner" erklärt haben, das demokratische Armenien.

Respekt für Ihre Wahl, immerhin liegt unser neuer bester Kumpel Aserbaidschan in Sachen Demokratie, Presse und bürgerliche Freiheiten noch weit hinter Russland.

Nur bei der Bestechung korrupter CDU-Honks ist Aliyev ganz vorn.

Als Sie Ihren Dienst hier antraten, dachte ich, Sie seien lediglich unfähig und ein bisschen kriminell, inzwischen weiß ich, dass Sie auch beeindruckend moralfrei sind:

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Fri Sep 16th, 2022 at 11:36:15 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Ukrainians attacked in Framce (none / 0)
RT (extended extract for those of you inside the Iron Curtain who can't see it)
Police have arrested a man responsible for assaulting two Ukrainian women in France. While he was initially believed to be Russian, a press release by the prosecutor in Nice on Wednesday has revealed the assailant is in fact a former Ukrainian soldier.

The two victims, Ukrainian refugees Alina and her mother Elena, initially reported that their assailant was a Russian-speaking man who apparently attacked them for listening to Ukrainian music on their phones as they were walking along the beach.

"When we heard how he spoke, we understood" that he was Russian, Alina told local news outlets. The two women sustained several injuries in the attack as doctors say Elena has a broken nose, while Alina may have suffered a concussion.

When it was first reported, the incident drew outrage from Kiev as the media and several officials were quick to report that the assailant was Russian. In response to the reports, many commenters wrote on social media that the incident was an example of how dangerous Russian people were.

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Fri Sep 16th, 2022 at 04:10:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Christ becomes Jewish/Palestinian (none / 0)
This is not exactly news (about a year old), but I just noticed the painting today and looked it up. Here is what he looks like now

The red cloak is a symbol of the Passion, of course.

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Sat Sep 24th, 2022 at 07:28:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Promises made, promises kept (none / 1)

by generic on Tue Sep 27th, 2022 at 05:56:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Promises made, promises kept (none / 0)
by generic on Tue Sep 27th, 2022 at 06:01:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Special Maintenance Operation (none / 0)
Percussive Maintenance has entered the room...

by Bernard (bernard) on Wed Sep 28th, 2022 at 04:05:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]
[INCONTINENCE ALERT] (none / 0)
by Cat on Wed Sep 28th, 2022 at 04:11:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Shorely some coincidence... (none / 0)
The Nordstream explosions happened the same day as this:
by Bernard (bernard) on Wed Sep 28th, 2022 at 06:21:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Beyond parody (none / 0)

How dare they threaten the invaders?

by Bernard (bernard) on Thu Sep 29th, 2022 at 02:52:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 (none / 0)
PFEFFLE'S BREXIT
by Bernard (bernard) on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 01:15:04 PM EST
Mental disorder is a communicable disease (none / 1)
Not that embargo. The other one., 2 Sep "new terrain"
The Russian announcement—seen in the west as a piece of TRANSPARENT [?] BLACKMAIL.
copy editor STAT!
came hours after the G7 finance ministers pressed ahead with an elaborate plan, first outlined by the US at the G7 leaders summit in June, to put a [price] cap on [EU]  Russian ["embargo"] oil prices.
[...]
An audacious piece of [G7] market intervention, the plan retains many inherent flaws. Underwriters claim they do not know the price of the ["Russian-origin"] oil that the ship they have insured will sell.
S&P Global Commodity Insights (price discovery)
  • Platts excludes Russian-origin material from European LPG assessments effective Sept 1

  • Platts excludes Russian-origin material from European gasoline assessments effective Sept 1

  • Platts excludes Russian-origin material from European jet fuel assessments effective Sep 1, 2022

  • Platts excludes Russian-origin product from European 1%S FO and 0.5%S MF assessments from Sept. 1

  • Platts discontinues nine Asia clean tanker assessments, from Sept 1

  • Platts to discontinue Indonesia's Handil Mix, Australia's Gippsland crude assessments from Jan 1, 2023

  • Platts to discontinue assessments of Abu Dhabi crudes differentials to OSP from Jan 1, 2023

  • Discontinued USDA third party grains and biofuels symbols

  • Platts discontinues some third-party grains data, August 31

  • Platts discontinues publishing assessments for Eagle Ford Postings Average, August 22

  • Discontinued CEC carbon credit symbols, August 16
Despite the work since the G7, no target price has been agreed and the noises out of the London insurance industry are not enthusiastic. But the plan does now have the enthusiastic endorsement of [] UK Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and, more importantly[,] US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. But [G7 racketeering] remains a long-term plan on a drawing board.

By contrast, PUTIN already has powerful destructive levers 9/10 the law at his disposal.

by Cat on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 10:12:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Mental disorder is a communicable disease (none / 0)
by Cat on Thu Sep 29th, 2022 at 04:16:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 universal credit (none / 0)
Prem Sikka | Visiting pawnbrokers showed me just how much people are struggling during the cost of living crisis, 2 Sep
The cold economic data does not even begin to tell the human stories behind the numbers. So, I decided to visit a few pawnshops in South East England to see what is happening. I spoke to the shop managers, and I stood outside to speak to people coming into the shops.

People go to pawnshops to pledge items of value and get some cash. Some are reasonably well-off and need immediate cash, but don't have the kind of security that a bank would accept. So they turn to pawnbrokers. Many can't get bank loans and overdrafts because of low income or paucity of acceptable collateral.

Depending upon the amounts and duration of the loan or agreement, the rate of interest varies. One pawnbroker gave an example - "Amount of credit £100; duration of agreement 6 months; rate of interest 119.9% (fixed) p.a. Total amount payable: £159.94 in one instalment", and another mentioned a rate of 155.8 %APR. The Bank of England base rate is 1.75%. Each hike in the base rate has a knock-on effect on the interest rate charged by pawnbrokers. ...

by Cat on Sat Sep 3rd, 2022 at 08:57:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Exchange rates (none / 1)
Exchange rates in Lithuania
Scots pound sterling (SCP)

Škotijos svaras yra Škotijos valiuta. Čia galite pamatyti koks yra Škotijos svaro kursas ExchangeLT valiutos keityklose. Valiutos skaičiuoklėje sužinokite kokiu kursu ir kiek tiksliai gausite Škotijos svarų, konvertavę norimą valiutą. Keičiame poromis: eurai (EUR) į svarus (SCP), svarai (SCP) į eurus (EUR), doleriai (USD) į svarus (SCP), svarai (SCP) į dolerius (USD). Škotijos svarų skaičiuoklėje galite rezervuoti norimą sumą ir atsiimti Jums patogiausioje valiutos keitykloje.

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Tue Sep 6th, 2022 at 12:41:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]
plot holes (none / 0)
TASS | Russian-issued Mastercard, Visa to keep functioning in Russia -- Central Bank, 5 Mar
"However, trans-border operations will not be available."

RFERL | Credit Card Tourism: Russians Avoid Sanctions By Flying To Uzbekistan For VISA, Mastercards, 31 Mar VEDI Group tours
"The clients are free to open an [debit] account in the local currency [UZS], the som [KGS], or choose dollar [USD] or euro [EUR] accounts"

by Cat on Tue Sep 6th, 2022 at 09:24:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Exchange rates (none / 0)
US Treasury | Treasury Targets Additional Facilitators of Russia's Aggression in Ukraine, 15 Sep central booking
Today, as part of its continued response to Russia's HORRIFIC war of aggression against Ukraine, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated 22 individuals and 2 entities, including   multiple individuals who have furthered the Government of the Russian Federation's (GoR) objectives in Ukraine, both prior to and during Russia's further invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Also included among those being designated is Task Force Rusich, a neo-Nazi < eyebrow > paramilitary group that has participated in combat alongside Russia's military in Ukraine, as well as two of its senior leaders.

Today's action is being taken in coordination with those taken by the U.S. Department of Commerce, which is imposing additional export control measures to further align with partners and allies, as well as by the U.S. Department of State, which is targeting Russia's defense and high-technology industries, as well as proxy authorities. ...

FURTHER ISOLATING RUSSIA'S FINANCIAL SYSTEM AND COUNTERING EVASION
In response to Russia's February 2022 further invasion of Ukraine, the United States and an international coalition of allies and partners took swift action to substantially sever Russia's access to the world's financial infrastructure. In response, Russia has scrambled to find new ways to process payments and conduct transactions. Directly and indirectly, Russia's financial technocrats have supported the Kremlin's unprovoked war. Today's designations target those efforts. OFAC is also publishing a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) to provide additional guidance on the heightened risk of facilitating Russia's efforts to evade sanctions through the ["]expanded use["] of the National Payment Card System (NSPK) or the Mir National Payment System, given the broad sanctions imposed on Russia's financial system this year.
[...]
PROHIBITION ON QUANTUM COMPUTING SERVICES AND EXPANSION OF SANCTIONS AUTHORITIES
Treasury is also taking additional action to cut off Russia's access to a key service from U.S. companies. Today, OFAC issued a determination pursuant to E.O. 14071 prohibiting the exportation, re[-]exportation, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly [CHIP 4 Indo-Pac supply chain?], from the United States, or by a United States person, wherever located, of quantum computing services to any person located in the Russian Federation.
[...]
In parallel with this action, OFAC has identified the quantum computing sector < eyebrow > of the Russian Federation economy pursuant to E.O. 14024. This determination allows for sanctions to be imposed on any individual or entity determined to operate or have operated in this sector of the Russian Federation economy and, thereby, expands the United States' ability to swiftly impose additional economic costs on Russia for its WAR OF CHOICE in Ukraine....
KIRBY-CONTENT CLOAKING DEVICE: "China's 'questions and concerns' over Ukraine"
by Cat on Thu Sep 15th, 2022 at 11:02:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Cloaking Device (none / 0)
Daily Sabah | Russia hides details, but says Mir bank cards still work in Türkiye, 22 Sep
Russia's central bank vowed last week to expand the number of countries that accept its Mir cards, despite new U.S. sanctions targeting people and entities accused of helping Moscow skirt financial sanctions.

Denizbank and İşbank, two private lenders in Türkiye, a leading destination for Russian travelers < wipes tears >, suspended the use of Mir after Washington included NSPK head Vladimir Komlev in its sanctions program, imposed in response to Russia's military campaign in Ukraine.

But Komlev told a banking forum in Kazan: "We are not considering the option of completely abandoning the use of Mir cards abroad ... The level of concern and noise ... is quite over the top."

< wipe tears >
"The Americans have always said that sanctions apply to those areas of financial activity where the dollar is involved. The Mir card does not use the dollar and it is does not fall under U.S. sanctions policy by any criteria.

"The U.S. has not even imposed sanctions on Mir cards ... but we see that countries friendly to us are abandoning this instrument that we were planning to develop," [VTB Bank CEO Andrei Kostin]said, referring to Türkiye, Vietnam[,] and Kazakhstan.

Beyond Türkiye, the cards are currently only accepted in a few countries such as Cuba, South Korea, Vietnam[,] and a handful of former Soviet republics.

by Cat on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 07:43:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
ill-conceived headline w/e 10 Sep (none / 0)
New UK Cabinet is diverse in makeup and solidly on the right
by Cat on Wed Sep 7th, 2022 at 05:14:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Call for entries (none / 0)
ill-conceived headline w/e 1 Oct

  1. 'Iranian women are furious' over headscarf death

  2. Federal court finds 3rd Iowa ag-gag law unconstitutional
by Cat on Wed Sep 28th, 2022 at 07:34:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 (none / 0)
Medvedev Goes Medieval: 'One freak after another'
Out goes the freak guy, in comes the freak lady
[...]
an incompetent and mediocre thermonuclear Russophobe who has no elementary ideas about politics, history, geography, but wants to defeat Russia in everything
[...]
She will quarrel with everyone, fail in everything, and leave in disgrace, like her predecessor, shaggy Boriska. It seems that in Britain, which is famous for its traditions, a new tradition has emerged
FIFTH WAVE cruise for a bruising developing ...
by Cat on Wed Sep 7th, 2022 at 09:28:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Weather (none / 0)
The National
THE Met Office has scaled back its weather forecast output as a mark of respect following the Queen's death.
by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Fri Sep 9th, 2022 at 11:38:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 (none / 0)

d/b/a generational wealth transfer taxation without representation value added slavery in European intellectual history
by Cat on Fri Sep 9th, 2022 at 04:06:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]
September 2022 memento mori (none / 0)
Mercouris
... She became queen in 1952. This was a time when Britain was still an empire, Britain still had huge numbers of imperial possessions. It was a very homogeneous society. It was very socially disciplined. It was very christian. It was extremely honest. I mean, corruption was almost unheard of in British public life at that time. Where the leadership, people who occupied positions of authority, did so with a very strong sense of responsibility. I mean, this is something that developed over a long time, hadn't always existed, but in 1952 people in positions of authority did feel responsible for, you know, what happened and what they did.

There's a very famous case around the time when the queen became queen in 1952 when a British minister went to the House of Commons, said something in complete good faith. He gave a report to the House of Commons about something his ministry had done which was in complete good faith. It then turned out that it was wrong, and the House of Commons had been misled, and that minister felt obliged to resign. He decided that because he said something to the House of Commons that wasn't true, he felt that he had to resign. Well, that is inconceivable today. The queen in a kind of a way, she remained that. She continued [GESTICUALTING] to follow the ethos of the world that Britain, the kind of Britain, that she became queen of in 1952. She never evolved, if you like, out of it....

What Was The Mau Mau Uprising?, 1952 - 1960
How Nigeria gain independence, 1960
Remembering Nigeria's Biafra war that many prefer to forget, 1967-1970
Cameroon-A controversial independence, 1959, 1961, 1972
Fiji from 1844 to 1970, 1987-2013 "coup cycle"
France24 | 'Colonialism wasn't the Queen's fault': Our Observers react to Elizabeth II's death
Fiji, Nigeria, Cameroon, Canada: "mixed feelings"
by Cat on Sun Sep 11th, 2022 at 10:57:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The Crown in parliament (none / 1)
express & star | Woman arrested after protester holds anti-monarchy sign in Edinburgh, 9/11
She held a sign saying "f*** imperialism, abolish monarchy". Officers appeared behind her and took her away, prompting the crowd to applaud. One man shouted: "Let her go, it's free speech," while others yelled: "Have some respect."
[...]
During the first proclamation of Charles, the Lord Lyon King of Arms gave a speech before declaring "God save the King", which the crowd repeated.
Newsqueak | King Charles Protesters Arrested in U.K.--'Outrageous Assault on Democracy', 12 Sep
Two anti-royalist protesters were arrested in the U.K. over the weekend amid King Charles III's ascension to the throne, with one activist calling the moves "an outrageous assault on democracy"
[...]One anti-royalist protester who got arrested on Sunday was close to a remembrance ceremony at Mercat Cross in Edinburgh, by St Giles' Cathedral, where the Queen's coffin will lie on Monday.
[...]
Symon Hill, 45, was also arrested for shouting "who elected him?" during a reading of a proclamation in Oxford, England on Sunday. ...Speaking to The Guardian, Hill said: "I don't think I've ever seen anyone arrested on such threadbare grounds, let alone experienced it myself.
[...]
A Thames Valley police spokesperson said: "A 45-year-old man was arrested in connection with a disturbance that was caused during the county proclamation ceremony of King Charles III in Oxford.
archived Tue Mar 16th, 2021, BoJo Parliament, retrieved 17 Aug 2022
"He has subsequently been de-arrested < wipes tears > and is engaging with us voluntarily as we investigate a public order offense. The man was arrested on suspicion of a public order offense [under section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986]."
by Cat on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 02:52:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The Year of the Lord 1539 (none / 1)
1539: 31 Henry 8 c.8: Proclamation by the Crown

The King for the time being, with the advice of his council, or the more part of them, may set forth proclamations under such penalties and pains as to him and them shall seem necessary, which shall be observed as though they were made by act of parliament; but this shall not be prejudicial to any person's inheritance, offices, liberties, goods, chattels or life; and whosoever shall willingly offend any article contained in the said proclamations, shall pay such forfeitures, or be so long imprisoned, as shall be expressed in the said proclamations; and if any offending will depart the realm, to the intent he will not answer his said offence, he shall be adjudged a traitor.


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 04:02:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The Crown in parliament (none / 0)


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 04:02:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]
archived (none / 0)
oh noooooes, BoJo lied to the aged good, sweet queen Lilbet who granted his request to dissolve parliament!

41.Two fundamental principles of our constitutional law  are relevant to the present case. The  first is the principle of Parliamentary sovereignty: that laws enacted by the Crown in Parliament are the supreme form of law in our legal system, with which everyone, including the Government, must comply. However, the effect which the courts have given to Parliamentary sovereignty is not  confined to recognising the status of the legislation enacted by the Crown in Parliament as our highest form of law.
[...]
42.The sovereignty  of Parliament would, however, be undermined as the foundational principle of our constitution if the executive could, through the use of the prerogative, prevent Parliament from exercising its legislative authority for as long as it pleased. That, however, would be the position if there was no legal limit upon the power to prorogue Parliament (subject to a few exceptional circumstances in which, under statute, Parliament can meet while it stands  prorogued). An unlimited power of prorogation would therefore be incompatible with the legal principle of Parliamentary sovereignty.
Tue Sep 24th, 2019 in A few first principles
by Cat on Tue Sep 13th, 2022 at 01:29:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The Bat Man: Kiss of Death (none / 0)
Liz Truss to meet Joe Biden ahead of queen's funeral, "community spread"

+ AU, NZ, CA, PL, IE

by Cat on Fri Sep 16th, 2022 at 05:29:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Union is now on a shoogly peg (none / 0)
The National
THE rule of Charles III may weaken Scots' commitment to the Union, according to the royal biographer Clive Irving.

"The Queen held everything ­together," he said. "Having been on the throne for so long, she ­represented a degree and continuity that can't be replicated."

The author of The Last Queen also predicted the SNP's current ­commitment to the monarchy will "expire" with the Queen's death, ­according to Time Magazine.

Recent polls have found that only 52% of Scots think Charles will be a good king, compared with 75% who thought the Queen performed her role well.

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Sun Sep 11th, 2022 at 10:02:12 AM EST
[ Parent ]
ill-conceived healine w/e 10 Sep (none / 0)
The short, unhappy life of Elizabeth Windsor
by Cat on Sun Sep 11th, 2022 at 06:15:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Shrek 5 or Prince Bride 2? (none / 0)
You be the judge.
by Cat on Sun Sep 11th, 2022 at 11:38:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Shrek 5 or Prince Bride 2? (none / 1)
They cancelled all the football in the UK on Saturday. That alone gave Charles the Third a bad start in public opinion.

They also saddled him with an unpopular name : the first was executed; the second teed up the Glorious Revolution which curtailed royal power.

So the king-in-waiting got his revenge on the world by naming his sons William (II being that Orange fellow) and Henry (the ninth?)

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 10:59:57 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Shrek 5 or Prince Bride 2? (4.00 / 2)
the first was executed; the second teed up the Glorious Revolution which curtailed royal power.

I thought that the third was Charles Edward Stuart.

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 11:06:09 AM EST
[ Parent ]
King Stephen (none / 0)
Postamate
Veteran Kenyan politician Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka has expressed interest in succeeding Queen Elizabeth in the Monarchy of the United Kingdom.

Following the untimely death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Kalonzo tossed his hat into the ring and expressed confidence that the people of the United Kingdom would appoint him King as restitution for the colonial misdeeds.

[...]

"By tradition, the person who succeeds the queen must be in Kenya when the queen dies. Everybody knows Steve was in Kenya and all the other people trying to snatch away the seat from him were not in Kenya.

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 10:33:59 AM EST
[ Parent ]
< wipes tears > (none / 0)
by Cat on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 11:29:12 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: King Stephen (none / 0)
by Cat on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 03:11:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: King Stephen (none / 0)
They claim it was a mistake. Does anybody believe that?
by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 09:05:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The British press (none / 0)
The National
AFTER one of their members was arrested for an anti-monarchy protest in Edinburgh, the international media has been queuing up to speak to the Scottish campaign group Our Republic.

Among the UK media however, there has been "almost complete radio silence".

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 09:04:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"almost complete radio silence" (none / 0)
hmm, yes, well, IT CAN BE REVEALED: my Z-informant tells me trending twitter hashtags have been multiplying like stars, so to speak, all weekend.
by Cat on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 at 09:25:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Disturbance in Burke's press (none / 0)
APsplainin Leaky pen and staff job cuts: King Charles under scrutiny, 14 Sep patronage bin
The Public and Commercial Services Union called the royals' decision to inform staff of job cuts during a period of mourning "nothing short of heartless."

"While some changes across the households were to be expected, as roles across the royal family change, the scale and speed at which this has been announced is callous in the extreme," the [hereditary Public and Commercial Services UnionPublic and Commercial Services Union] general secretary, Mark Serwotka, said

UK Burke's Peerage
US The Social Register aka "Black Book"
by Cat on Thu Sep 15th, 2022 at 04:43:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Clear Brexit dividend (none / 0)
by Bernard (bernard) on Thu Sep 15th, 2022 at 06:37:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Solving Britain's health problems (none / 0)
Telegraph
Therese Coffey has told workers in the Department of Health and Social Care to stop using the Oxford comma in their communications.

The Health Secretary's office issued guidance to staff to advise them on her working preferences after she was appointed to the role earlier this month during the formation of Liz Truss's new administration.

With Covid, monkeypox, and polio, is this her top priority?
by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Fri Sep 16th, 2022 at 04:58:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"stop using the Oxford comma"? (none / 0)
SATAN!!!
by Cat on Fri Sep 16th, 2022 at 05:04:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]
DICTION CORNER (none / 0)
deliminater
deliminater
deliminater
eliminater
by Cat on Sat Sep 17th, 2022 at 05:28:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 (none / 0)
by Bernard (bernard) on Fri Sep 16th, 2022 at 08:27:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 (none / 0)
Maduro be, like, HOLD UP THERE, missy
"Many question whether sanctions on Venezuela should be eased to reduce the burden on Europe and North America felt due to the loss of Russian oil supplies."
by Cat on Tue Sep 20th, 2022 at 04:03:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
September 2022 hunan rights watch (none / 0)
DW | UN report: Venezuela committing crimes against humanity to crush opposition, 21 Sep
In an effort to quash political opposition in the beleaguered Latin American country.

Complied by the UN's Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the report outlines the extensive use of arbitrary arrest and torture in Venezuela since 2014.

Findings were based on interviews with 471 victims, their families and their legal representatives, as well as another 50 individuals who worked for Venezuela's General Office of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM), National Intelligence Service (SEBIN), and other government entities.
[...]
Maduro personally involved in abuses

The report clearly condemns President Maduro's hands-on role in the well-organized system designed to crush dissent. It also rebukes Venezuelan authorities for failing to hold abusers accountable.

"The Venezuelan authorities have failed to hold perpetrators to account and provide reparations to victims in a context where judicial reforms announced from 2021 have failed to address the justice system's lack of independence and impartiality," the UN mission said.
[...]
Tuesday's report was the third published on Venezuela to date. The mission is scheduled to share its findings with the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in the coming weeks.

OHCHR | Biographies of the members of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, ICC alum + 2
• Marta Valiñas (Portugal)
• Francisco Cox Vial (Chile)
• Patricia Tappatá Valdez (Argentina)
• Paul Seils (United Kingdom)
Hearts on Venezuela | Statement by Marta Valiñas, Chair of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, at the 49th session of the Human Rights Council, 28 Mar 2022
CRS | Venezuela: Background and U.S. Relations, 28 Apr 2021
OAS | FACT SHEET: OAS General Secretariat2 Dec 2020
by Cat on Wed Sep 21st, 2022 at 07:13:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]
23 September 2022 parity watch (none / 0)
GBP:USD, 1:1.08
GBP:EUR, 1:1.12

< tiny fist of fury >

by Cat on Fri Sep 23rd, 2022 at 06:42:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]
means. motive. opportunity. (none / 1)
Bloomberg | UK Becomes Net Electricity Exporter (4:46 p.m.), 29 Sep
The UK exported more power than it imported during the second quarter of the year for the first time since 2010. The volume both of electricity and gas leaving the UK jumped nearly 600% in the three months to June this year compared to the previous year, according to UK government data.

It's unclear whether such high volumes of exports can be sustained. There's likely to be rising demand within the UK as it gets dark and cold, meaning some flows out of the country may have to be curtailed when supplies get tight.

RWE to Restart Three Idled Lignite Plants (2:55 p.m.)
RWE AG will bring back three lignite-fired power plants that had been on standby in October, the company said in a statement.

Germany plans to rely more on coal and lignite this winter to help keep the lights on and reduce gas use in electricity generation.

Algeria Locks In Higher Gas Price Deals (2:50 p.m)
Algeria will benefit from higher natural gas prices as it locks in deals with two European Union nations anxious to secure enough natural gas supplies for the coming winter.

State-controlled Algerian energy producer Sonatrach Group concluded a deal with Italy's Enel SpA on Wednesday and said it will soon announce one with Naturgy Energy Group SA, ending a months-long stalemate with the Spanish utility over contractual price revisions.  

Germany Pushes Uniper to Get Rid of Russian Assets (1:50 p.m.)
Germany risks being left holding 2.2 billion euros of unsellable Russian energy assets when it takes over Uniper SE at the end of the year.

archived divest? HOW?
The government may have no choice but to give up the assets. Even if a sale were possible, President Vladimir Putin [?!]
archived EU-US sanctions piled so high ...
has made it almost impossible for international energy companies to secure big financial gains [?!] when they exit Russia.
Sputnik | UK Offers Denmark Help in PROBING Nord Stream Incidents, 1 Oct, (not MSM corrobrated)
The United Kingdom has suggested assisting Denmark in the ongoing investigation of simultaneous attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines, with both sides being equally of the opinion that the incident was an act of sabotage, the UK government said on Saturday.

"[Danish] Prime Minister [Mette] Frederiksen updated [UK] Prime Minister [Liz Truss] on the damage caused to the Nord Stream pipelines last week. They agreed the incidents were clearly an act of sabotage. The Prime Minister offered the UK's support for the ongoing investigation," the UK government said in a statement.


by Cat on Sat Oct 1st, 2022 at 06:18:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: means. motive. opportunity. (none / 0)
gov.uk | PM meeting with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen: 1 October 2022
... The leaders stressed the need to stay united in the face of Russia's despicable actions in Ukraine.

Prime Minister Frederiksen updated the Prime Minister on the damage caused to the Nord Stream pipelines last week. They agreed the incidents were clearly an act of sabotage. The Prime Minister offered the UK's support for the ongoing investigation.

The leaders agreed that the safety and security of the Baltic Sea is in everyone's interest, and welcomed increased cooperation through the Joint Expeditionary Force....

by Cat on Sat Oct 1st, 2022 at 07:00:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 (none / 0)
POST-TRUMP'S USA
by Bernard (bernard) on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 01:15:19 PM EST
The Bat Man (none / 0)

BATTLE FOR THE SOUL OF THE NATION
by Cat on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 04:43:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
needs moar mask. no cape! NO CAPES! (none / 0)
by Cat on Sat Sep 3rd, 2022 at 01:38:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"greatest political self-own " (none / 1)
idunno about that.

22 June 2011 - 29 Feb 2020 - 30 Aug 2021
Timeline of U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan, abridged

15 Feb 2022
Executive Order 14064

15 Aug
Biden administration refuses to release $7 billion in frozen funds from Afghanistan after US forces found and killed Al Qaeda's leader in Kabul

18 Aug
Families of 9/11 victims urge Biden to send frozen assets back to Afghan people

etc.

archived That's where 9/11 was launched from

by Cat on Sat Sep 3rd, 2022 at 03:55:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: "greatest political self-own " (none / 0)
TO: heart of NIMBY
by Cat on Thu Sep 15th, 2022 at 04:20:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"blue state" violence (none / 1)
"The children Gov. Abbott abandoned in Martha's Vineyard, the children that Gov. DeSantis abandoned as well, you know, deserve better. They deserve better than being left on the streets of DC or being left in Martha's Vineyard," Jean-Pierre said, erroneously attributing the migrants who were sent to Martha's Vineyard to [Texass Gov Greg] Abbott.
Massachusetts [GOP] governor Charlie Baker said Friday, he is deploying up to 125 National Guard members in response to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sending a group of just 50 illegal immigrants to Martha's Vineyard.
Jean-Pierre said, "What they are doing is an illegal stunt, is a political stunt. And it's really just disrespectful to humanity. It doesn't afford them any dignity ... it is just cruel."
"According to a very reliable source the migrants will soon be put on a boat and become Falmouths problem....

Now, do Rehobeth.

by Cat on Fri Sep 16th, 2022 at 06:34:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"blue state" violence (none / 0)
Think of the children!
by Cat on Sat Sep 17th, 2022 at 04:35:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]
[INCONTINENCE ALERT] (none / 0)
"White House Monitoring Reports About Migrants Being Flown to Biden's Home State Delaware"
"Yes, we have received word of the flights," Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing. "We are coordinating closely with state officials and local service providers who are prepared to welcome at these families in an orderly manner as they pursue their asylum claims."

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is reportedly behind the move to send a plane with migrants to an airport near Biden's' vacation home in Rehoboth, Delaware.

< checks watch >
Now do Watch Hill.
by Cat on Tue Sep 20th, 2022 at 09:27:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: "greatest political self-own " (none / 0)
courthousenews | Opponents of [Formosa] plastics plant celebrate order revoking permits, 16 Sep supply chain "tensions"
Judge White found that Formosa's proposed $9.4 billion plant would emit - by its own calculations - pollutants in such high quantity and so harmful into the surrounding air that even brief exposure would pose a threat to human health in an area she noted is notorious for already containing more cancer-causing toxins than 99.6% of other industrial areas nationwide. The region is widely known as "Cancer Alley."
wikiwtf Formosa Petrochemical, wholly-owned subsiaary of Formosa Plastics Group
www Formosa Plastics®
TPE, TPE:6505, TWD, 1301.TW  company history (2018)
FT investors' profile
archived
Uniper to buy gas elsewhere, Aug 2022
plans to sell more very low sulphur fuel oil due to higher margins, Aug 2022
Pelosi to meet Taiwan's president, Aug 2022
Living off CHEMICAL WASTE, Feb 2019
by Cat on Sat Sep 17th, 2022 at 03:06:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"greatest political self-own " (none / 0)
Russia 'alarmed' at no US visas to attend UN leaders meeting General Assembly, 3 Sep
not a single member of the 56-member Russian advance team and delegation headed by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has received a U.S. entry visa
US, UK do not do international law. m'k?
The [RF permanent] ambassador [to the UN Vassily Nebenzia] stressed that the United States, as the host country of the United Nations, is legally required to issue visas, adding that application to attend the high-level U.N. meetings starting Sept. 19 had been submitted to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.
[...]
The Russian ambassador quoted from the 1947 agreement between the United Nations and the United States which states that "visas shall be granted without charge and as promptly as possible" and that this "shall be applicable irrespective of the relations existing between the governments of the persons referred to ... and the government of the United States."
sucker!
by Cat on Sat Sep 3rd, 2022 at 04:07:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: "greatest political self-own " (none / 1)
Travel advisory US citizens to Russia - Level 4: Do Not Travel

Biden's Axis of Evil: North Korea - Russia - Afghanistan - China - Solomon Islands. Where is the pop corn 🌽 next 10 years



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Wed Sep 7th, 2022 at 05:55:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Happy Vanuatu Day! (none / 0)
by Cat on Fri Sep 9th, 2022 at 03:13:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
APsplainin (none / 1)
China, Solomons ink draft of controversial security pact, 31 Mar
"drawing concerns from traditional partners New Zealand, Australia and the United States"
Readout of Senior Administration Travel to Hawaii, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands
China's security deal with Solomons raises alarm in Pacific, 6 Apr
"Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. have all expressed alarm"
Statement by Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States on the Establishment of the Partners in the Blue Pacific (PBP)
Australia says its navy can resume visits to Solomon Islands, 6 Sep
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed to reporters that military ships from New Zealand and Fiji would also be allowed to visit the South Pacific nation. [...]Asked if she was disappointed the U.S. wasn't also given an exemption, Wong said the Solomon Islands had indicated it was making its decisions on a case-by-case basis."They are a sovereign nation and that's a matter for them," Wong told the broadcaster. "What I would say is that the U.S. has a long history of presence in the Pacific, going back to World War II."
Statement by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on the First U.S.-Pacific Island Country Summit
PIC (1971 Pacific Islands Forum): AU, NZ; Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Tokelau, Vanuatu
QUAD (2007 mil): US, AU, JP, IN (2021), KR* (2022)
PBP (2022 NGO): US, UK, NZ, JP, EU
IPEF (2022 NGO): US, AU, JP, IN, NZ, KR, ID*, BN*, MY*, PH*, SG*, TH*, VN*
by Cat on Fri Sep 9th, 2022 at 10:36:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]
SIDEBAR genuflection (none / 0)
Kapmark | Dunderheaded Diplomacy: Australia's Funding Offer to the Solomon Islands, 9 Sep
What is it about Australian diplomacy that makes it so clumsy and dunderheaded? Is it the harsh delivery, the tactless expression, or the inability to do things with subtle reflection? On September 6, Australian diplomacy gave another display of such form with Foreign Minister Penny Wong's remarks about the Solomon Islands elections.
[...]
After the bitter, condescending tenure of the Morrison government, which saw South Pacific states mocked for their climate change concerns, Canberra's perceived paternalism is not welcome. The statement that thundered Canberra's way was one of stern disapproval. "The timing of the public media announcement by the Australian government is in effect a strategy to influence how Members of Parliament will vote on this Bill during the second reading on Thursday 8th September 2022."....
Reuters | Solomon Islands votes to delay election despite opposition, 8 Sep
Sogavare said he was rushing the legislation through because of the risk of protests. The bill, which passed with 37 votes in favour to 10 against, changes the constitution to allow the election to be delayed until 2024 from 2023. Two lawmakers were absent....
archived fweedom and fiefdom, English law, Empire Building South-East Asia
by Cat on Sun Sep 11th, 2022 at 01:38:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"greatest political self-own " NEW! (none / 1)
U.S. considers China sanctions to deter Taiwan action, Taiwan presses EU, 13 Sep
The Sources® said the deliberations in Washington and Taipei's separate lobbying of EU envoys were both at an early stage -- a response to fears of a Chinese invasion which have grown as military tensions escalate in the Taiwan Strait.
[...]
Reuters was unable to learn details on what specific sanctions were under consideration, but some analysts suggested China's military could be the focus.

"Big picture, initial sanctions conversations will likely revolve around curtailing China's access to certain technologies required to sustain a military operation against Taiwan," said Craig Singleton at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
[...]
Taiwan had already broached sanctions with European officials after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but China's recent military exercises have seen Taiwan's position harden, Six Sources® briefed on the Taiwan-Europe discussions told Reuters.

Top Taiwanese officials' calls for sanctions preparations have intensified in recent weeks. A recent Chinese white paper, which withdrew a promise not to send troops or administrators to Taiwan if Beijing takes control of the island, has prompted a redoubling of their efforts with Europe.

Taiwan has not asked for anything specific, only for Europe to plan what actions it may take if China attacked, one source briefed on discussions said, and has asked Europe to warn China privately that it would face Consequences™.

• yahoo! New Voice of Ukraine | EU fails to agree Russia [embargo] gas price [fix and bid-rigging], but will introduce windfall tax on energy companies, 9 Sep
• euractiv | Ukraine calls for more Western arms after Russia pullback, 13 Sep
Feed me Seymour!
by Cat on Tue Sep 13th, 2022 at 11:15:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: "greatest political self-own " NEW! (none / 1)
Market Watch | U.S. plans new curbs on sanctions against exports of chips, chip-making tools to China: report, 9/11
The Biden administration plans to expand export restrictions for U.S. chip companies to China, according to a new report. ...The restrictions barred those companies from sanctions against exporting semiconductor equipment to Chinese chip makers that were making sub-14-nanometer processes, unless first approved by the Commerce Department, according to Reuters.
Reuters | Tesla considering lithium refinery in Texas, seeks tax relief, 9 Sep
The report said the new curbs would also codify restrictions sent last month to Nvidia Corp. NVDA, -0.93% and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. AMD, -1.17% against shipping certain AI chips to China. Nvidia shares sank to a 52-week low after disclosing the restrictions. The broader restrictions could impact a number of other major tech companies, including Intel Corp. INTC, -0.38%, Dell Technologies Inc. DELL, -0.24% and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Co. HPE, 0.35%, according to the report.

Reuters also said other restrictions may be added.

USGS | Mineral Commodity Summaries, lithium, Jan 2022
"The only lithium production in the United States was from one brine operation in Nevada."
McKinsey | These countries are driving lithium production, 25 May 2022
GRAPHIC WARNING: USGS color-coded top 10 reserves by geo-concentration
INN | Lithium Market Update: Q2 2022 in Review, 4 Aug China's supply chain discipline? RLY?
At the end of 2021, most analysts agreed that demand would outpace supply in 2022, and they were forecasting a deficit ahead. Even though a supply response is expected from the market, which could alleviate the current tightness, demand for lithium is still expected to be higher as EV sales continue to increase in key markets.

archived "Stabbed in the back", CHIPS for America Act of 2022, Economics for Taiwan Chips Industry, US, Europe's tech supply chain is at risk, EC bid for strategic autonomy, ASML: Lynchpin In Chips

CHIP 4 (USC 2022): US, JP, CN-tw, *KR
PBP (2022 NGO): US, UK, NZ, JP, EU
IPEF (2022 NGO): US, AU, JP, IN, NZ, KR, ID*, BN*, MY*, PH*, SG*, TH*, VN*

by Cat on Thu Sep 15th, 2022 at 02:23:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: "greatest political self-own " NEW! (none / 1)
QUAD (2007 mil): US, AU, JP, IN (2021), KR* (2022)
IPEF (2022 NGO): US, AU, JP, IN, NZ, KR, ID*, BN*, MY*, PH*, SG*, TH*, VN*
CHIP 4 (2022): US, JP, CN-tw, *KR

parity watch
USD:KRW, 1:1,385
EUR:KRW, 1,387
RMB:KRW, 1:198
JPY:KRW, 1:9.6

Hankyorah | Economic ministers of S. Korea, China sign flurry of MoUs to bolster cooperation, 29 Aug

Both Choo and He expressed their agreement on the strongly complementary nature of the South Korean and Chinese economies and their close linkage in supply chain terms....
China Daily | 13th China-Japan-ROK Culture Ministers' Meeting kicks off in Qufu, 29 Aug
[Minister of Culture and Tourism] Hu also called for the three countries to set up a model of cultural industrial cooperation, explore new models of intangible cultural heritage cooperation and dissemination, and strengthen exchanges and deepen communication among the young people from the three countries....
Kyodo | Japan eager to hold foreign ministerial talks with China in Sept., 2 Sep
Hayashi said, "Nothing has been decided" with regard to a possible meeting with the Chinese foreign minister on the sidelines of the General Assembly, which will hold its annual general debate from Sept. 21 through 27.
Hankykoreh | 70% of Korean semiconductor experts see sector as in or nearing crisis, 6 Sep
Uncertainty has been on the rise with the fall in semiconductor prices as a result of weak demand connected with global inflation. Another concern is the US' increased export restrictions targeting China, including restrictions on semiconductor materials and software.
Some experts are even predicting a total price collapse in the fourth quarter....
US State | United States of America-Republic of Korea Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG), 8 Sep
The EDSCG provides an opportunity for the two governments to discuss peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific.  President Joseph R. Biden and President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea agreed to re-establish the EDSCG at the May 2022 Summit in Seoul. This will be the first EDSCG meeting since 2018.
Hankyoreh | Yoon's foreign policy acumen to be put to test by flurry, 14 Sep
Yoon Suk-yeol is about to embark on two weeks of back-to-back diplomatic engagements, starting with his meeting with Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, and including trips to the UK, the US and Canada. Whether he will be able to showcase his diplomatic ability by solving conundrums facing South Korea ...
Yonhap | Yoon, Biden could discuss currency swap at summit: officia16 Sep
When pressed to clarify whether the subject could be discussed between the two governments, [Sr Secretary for economic affairs] Choi [Sang-mok] stressed that he expected such discussions only because the two leaders had agreed to cooperate on the matter in May.
DOD | Joint Statement on the [EDSCG], 16 Sep
...The United States reiterated its ironclad and unwavering commitment to draw on the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear, conventional, missile defense, and other advanced non-nuclear capabilities, to provide extended deterrence for the ROK. The United States and the ROK made clear that any DPRK nuclear attack would be met with an overwhelming and decisive response. Both sides also confirmed their will to continue and strengthen close Alliance consultation regarding U.S. nuclear and missile defense policy....
Reuters | China, AUKUS countries clash at IAEA over nuclear submarine plan, 16 Sep
by Cat on Sat Sep 17th, 2022 at 08:38:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"greatest political self-own " : BONUS (none / 0)
Yonhap | Maryland Gov. Hogan expects 'compromise' over controversial law on inflation after midterm elections, 17 Sep
He raised the possibility of a breakthrough on the controversial matter after the November midterm elections, speaking at a press conference in Seoul. The governor highlighted his commitment to efforts to insulate Seoul-Washington relations from the negative impact of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). But he pointed out the realistic difficulty of "totally reversing" the legislation before the elections ....
With focus on testing, Maryland buys 500,000 coronavirus test kits from South Korea, April 2020
Critics Say Hogan Should Have Acknowledged Problems With Korean Test Kits, Dec 2020
Audit: Hogan Administration Spent $11.9 Million on South Korean COVID Tests, Apr 2021
archived "Maglev" Hogan has spoken (approved by Yumi), market making
by Cat on Sat Sep 17th, 2022 at 09:04:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: "greatest political self-own " NEW! (none / 0)
US Inflation Reduction Act: currency manipulation w/e 24 Sep

Mainichi | Japan's intervention unlikely to stem yen's slide, 23 Sep

The dollar briefly plummeted below 141 yen from a 24-year high near 146 yen Thursday after the government stepped into the market to stem the yen's slide. The action took the market somewhat by surprise, even though repeated warnings by Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki against the yen's recent rapid decline to 24-year lows against the U.S. currency had left the market nervous, said Masahiro Yamaguchi, head of investment research at SMBC Trust Bank.
[...]
The Swiss National Bank on Thursday raised its benchmark interest rate by 0.75 percentage point, marking the end of an era of negative rates [NIRP] in Europe.
[...]
Analysts say Japanese authorities could act again if the dollar climbs to around 145 yen, as seen in Thursday's intervention, and market players will be nervous about crossing that line.

Masato Kanda, vice finance minister for international affairs, told reporters after the intervention that the ministry "will continue to watch foreign exchange movements with a sense of urgency."

Analysts say yen-buying intervention is more difficult than yen-selling as authorities have to rely on foreign reserves to sell in the market. Japan's foreign reserves, mainly composed of securities and deposits denominated in foreign currencies, stood at $1.29 trillion at the end of August, according to official data.

Hanyoreh | As exchange rate soars, will US Fed agree to currency swap with S. Korea?, 22 Sep
the size of the currency swap that is being requested by South Korea and the current attitude of the Fed remain unknown. In the past, the Fed has made decisions on currency swaps based purely on economic and financial logic, such as when many countries face difficulties securing dollar liquidity.
[...]
The Fed currently has a "permanent" currency swap agreement in place with five partners, namely the EU, Japan, the UK, Canada[,] and Switzerland [CHF] and and has also signed temporary emergency currency swap deals (for six months) with other countries when deemed necessary....
Yonhap | S. Korea vows steps to stabilize bond market over growing volatility, 23 Sep
South Korea plans to take measures to stabilize the bond market [ASEAN+3] if necessary as market volatility has grown over the U.S.' recent rate hikes, a senior finance ministry official said Friday.
Yonhap | Presidential office defends Yoon over apparent use of foul language, 22 Sep hot mic
In the video, Yoon is seen talking with U.S. President Joe Biden at a fundraiser for fighting infectious diseases in New York on Wednesday. As he turns away to leave, he appears to tell his aides with vulgar language that it would be embarrassing for Biden if the National Assembly did not approve of something unspecified.
[...]
"He wasn't speaking publicly on the stage but in passing, and although I don't know who recorded it and how, I actually think it should be verified," the official told reporters in New York.
[...]
"It's quite regrettable that a diplomatic disaster is being talked about over something like that when he is doing everything to complete a demanding schedule in the national interest of the Republic of Korea."...
Hankyoreh | Yoon's hot mic moment was reference to Korean opposition parties, not Biden, says spokesperson, 23 Sep
by Cat on Fri Sep 23rd, 2022 at 05:45:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: "greatest political self-own " NEW! (none / 0)
Politico.com | Biden administration scales back student debt relief amid legal concerns, 29 Sep
The agency said it would still provide debt relief to borrowers "who have applied to consolidate into the Direct Loan program prior to Sept. 29, 2022." But the department said that path is no longer available to borrowers after the new guidance.
The Hill | Biden's student borrower forgiveness program updated to exclude private loans, 29 Sep
As of Thursday, borrowers with federal student loans not held by the Education Department are no longer eligible to obtain one-time debt relief by consolidating those loans into Direct Loans, the guidance said.
[...]
The White House [downplayed the CBO report], saying it's unlikely that 90 percent of eligible borrowers will take advantage of the program. Biden's plan also faced the first second of its legal challenges this week.
The Hill | Judge denies student debt cancellation lawsuit, 29 Sep
A federal judge on Thursday denied a challenge to President Biden's student debt forgiveness plan filed by the Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF).
Nebraska Atty Gen | Six States File a Challenge to the Biden Administration's Student Loan Cancellation Program, 29 Sep
Today, six states [NE, MO, AR, IA, KS, SC] filed a challenge to the Biden Administration's student loan cancellation program in federal court in Missouri. In it, they ask the Court for an immediate temporary restraining order pausing the program. Prompt relief is being sought because the Biden Administration has indicated it will start cancelling loan balances as early as next week.
MEMORANDUM OPINION FOR THE GENERAL COUNSEL DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, 23 Aug 2022
by Cat on Sun Oct 2nd, 2022 at 12:26:50 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Step.2. PROFIT! (none / 0)
by Cat on Sat Sep 3rd, 2022 at 01:41:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Step 3. SUCKERS! (none / 1)
20 June
Shutdown Extended of Fire-Damaged Texas LNG Export Site
23 Aug
Freeport LNG aims for November restart at fire-hit Texas plant

archived closed for at least three weeks BP, TotalEnergies, Jera Co.,  Osaka Gas Co, E&S Co., etc.

by Cat on Sat Sep 3rd, 2022 at 06:14:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Step 3. SUCKERS! (none / 1)
Meet The Bronx-Born Billionaire Exporting America's Shale Gas Bonanza
"Having spent $14 billion, he now owns a controlling interest in Freeport LNG, which chills and exports 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day, most of it so-called shale gas, horizontally drilled, hydraulically fracked." in theory.
by Cat on Mon Sep 5th, 2022 at 12:16:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Step 3. SUCKERS! (none / 1)
500 years G7 supply chain arbitrage d/b/a re-export, "globalism," and "factoryless production" grinding to a close happens to coincide with a concerted, patronizing effort by G7 concern trolls to enforce prix fixe/bbl/mcf and bid-rigging worldwide on upstream "energy" sources.

IEA | U.S. Natural Gas [modal] Exports and Re-Exports by [destination] Country, MoM Jan-June 2022
N.B. USD price W = "Withheld to avoid disclosure of individual company data."

IEA | NATURAL GAS projection, illustrated
• Global gas-to-liquids [LNG] growth is dominated by two [GTL] projects in South Africa and Uzbekistan; also implausible  Nigeria, Qatar CapEx, 2005-2040
• Underground Natural Gas Working Storage Capacity, contiguous USA: decline
• U.S. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Proved Reserves, YE 2020: decline, decline respectively
• Perspectives on the Development of LNG Market Hubs in the Asia Pacific Region: whine

Global liquefaction capacity is projected to increase by one-third by 2020.
[obsolete info]
Asian markets lack a transparent pricing benchmark.
Although Asia is the major natural gas-consuming region (accounting for one-third of the global natural gas trade and three-quarters of the global LNG trade), the region lacks a liquid and transparent LNG pricing benchmark similar to the Henry Hub in the United States or the National Balancing Point in the United Kingdom...
[...]
Multiple initiatives are underway to facilitate price discovery in Asian LNG markets
Japan, China, and Singapore are now developing regional trading hubs in Asia Pacific markets and have launched LNG pricing indexes to increase the transparency in price formation. ...
African OPEC members reject oil price cuts-Moustache (1981)
OPEC Fund | The path to Africa's energy transition, 2021
Africa must forgo gas exploration to avert climate disaster-Guterres, 2022
Africa Report | 'We are not the problem' - Africa insists on gas as transition fuel, 2022
2%, 3.4%, 9% continental contribution to GHG emissions depending on phase of the moon afflicting ICCP-Green Deal studies to date

supra S&P Global Commodity Insight embargo, IEA origin story

by Cat on Mon Sep 5th, 2022 at 07:04:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Step 3. UPDATE (none / 0)
archived
hiring freeze and full employment
zero percent inflation and negative numbers

NEW!
• Bloomberg | Yellen Says No Strong Labor Market in Long Run If Inflation High, 9/11

..."The Fed is going to need great skill and also some good luck to achieve what we sometimes call a soft landing," Yellen said Sunday in an interview on CNN's "State of the Union."
[...]
The Treasury chief also said the US economy's growth rate was slowing, a natural consequence of rising rates, though the labor market remained "exceptionally strong" with almost two vacancies [JOLTS series] for every worker looking for a job....
• The Hill | How long COVID is impacting the nationwide labor shortage, 5 Sep
... Roughly 16 million working-age Americans said they had long COVID in a June survey conducted by the Census Bureau, but it's unclear how many of them are still too sick to work....
• supra How will OFAC enforce the [Russian-origin oil] price cap?
by Cat on Sun Sep 11th, 2022 at 09:42:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Step 3. SUCKERS! (none / 1)
FedEx issues ominous warning about the global economy, shares tumble, 16 Sep
"Global volumes declined as macroeconomic trends significantly worsened later in the quarter, both internationally and in the U.S." FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam warned in the release.
[...]
Cost-cutting measures outlined by FedEx include reducing flights, temporarily parking aircraft, closing more than 90 FedEx office locations, and deferring hiring plans....
by Cat on Thu Sep 15th, 2022 at 11:18:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Step 3. SUCKERS! (none / 0)
White House | Executive Order on the Implementation of the Energy and Infrastructure Provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, 12 Sep
Sec. 4.  Interagency Coordination.  (a)  To further the robust implementation of the energy and infrastructure provisions of the Act, Executive Order 14008 is amended as follows:...
archived so abstract as to be useless in practice in Energy as a System, Systems as Synergy
by Cat on Fri Sep 16th, 2022 at 05:22:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The Bat Man (none / 0)
by Cat on Sat Sep 3rd, 2022 at 06:29:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The Black Man (none / 0)
archived This is America, 2019
by Cat on Sun Sep 11th, 2022 at 08:46:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The Bat Man: Kiss of Death (none / 0)
Pelosi going to Armenia amid renewed clashes with Azerbaijan, 15 Sep
by Cat on Fri Sep 16th, 2022 at 02:59:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The Bat Man: Kiss of Death (none / 0)
Biden, Wutshistits to discuss Ukraine, 16 Sep
During the Blinken visit, Pandor accused the U.S. and other Western powers of focusing on the Ukraine conflict to the detriment of crises around the globe.
PREPOSTEROUS!
archived food for starving Africans inna tribal patent omicron moneypox PANDEMIC
by Cat on Fri Sep 16th, 2022 at 03:53:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The Bat Man: Kiss of Death (none / 0)
White House | Readout of Meeting Between President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, 16 Sep wc: 138
White House | Remarks by Vice President Harris and President Ramaphosa of the Republic of South Africa Before Bilateral Meeting, 16 Sep transcript
[...]
PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA:  Thank you so much.
VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS:  And thank you to the press.  Thank you.
presidency.gov.za | Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa during the meeting with the congressional black caucus and anti-apartheid veterans during his visit to the United States, 16 prepared remarks
...The Congressional Black Caucus should hold the US government to account for its implementation of the US Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa, which acknowledges the role of the African continent in global affairs and seeks a partnership among equals. We are therefore concerned the possible implications for the African Continent if the 'Countering Malign Russian Activities Bill' were to become US law. The law could have the unintended consequence of punishing the continent for efforts to advance development and growth.

Both the US and Russia are strategic partners for South Africa. As a sovereign country that pursues an independent foreign policy, the Bill seems to punish those who hold independent views. It is disappointing that this Bill has been crafted at a time when President Biden has sought to engage African countries on the basis of respect for their independence and sovereignty.....

presidency.gov.za | President Ramaphosa concludes positive Washington DC visit, 16 Sep topical PR
• The Citizen | US bill to counter 'malign' Russian activities could badly affect Africa, says Ramaphosa16 Sep
• Sahara Reporters | Don't Tell Us Who To Associate With - South African President Tells US Not To 'Punish' Continent Over Russia Relationship, 16 Sep
archived H.R.7311 - Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa Act May 2022
ROLL CALL 27 Apr 2022, 415-9 inc CBC (54 House, 2 Senate not Harris), NV 5 (inc 1 FL-D)
University D'Oh Bulletin skin folk ain't kin folk
by Cat on Sat Sep 17th, 2022 at 07:01:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The Bat Man BONUS (none / 0)
Kyiv Post | US, South Africa Leaders Vow Cooperation After Ukraine, 17 Sep
"Biden has not yet visited but has pledged a renewed interest, including with a summit of African leaders planned in Washington this December."

The Hill | opEd | At the US-Africa Leaders Summit, launch 'Process Africa', 15 Aug

Several weeks ago, President Biden announced that he will host a U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington in December. It's about time. This is the first U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit since 2014, and just the second such meeting ever. China, meanwhile, has held its comparable Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) every three years since 2000, and that has provided a leadership and messaging advantage for China in Africa.
[...]
One of the biggest problems in Africa is that the continent does not process much of the food that is grown there. Despite having a large and robust agricultural base, there has been a long history of sending all or much of [raw material] abroad to be processed. Processing is a very lucrative part of the food value-added chain, usually much larger than the value of the crop itself....
no kidding
Why has this pattern developed? There are several reasons, but it is partly a remnant of the colonial history of much of Africa. European colonial powers were happy to have raw material such as unprocessed food grown on the continent in their colonies. But they insisted that the food be sent to Europe for processing so they could capture the value-added stage. ....
landssakes. Does vdL know about this?
by Cat on Sat Sep 17th, 2022 at 11:36:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The Bat Man: Kiss of Death (none / 1)
Telesur | President Ramaphosa Cancels UNGA Address to Deal With Blackouts, 19 Sep pun
On Monday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa canceled his planned address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York and will return home after attending British Queen Elizabeth's funeral to deal with nationwide blackouts.

South Africa continues to endure long hours without electricity due to the breakdown of five generating units, the power utility Electricity Supply Commission (Eskom) said.

The country is currently at load shedding level six, meaning that the power utility must remove 6,000 megawatts of power from the grid. During this stage, the country can go without electricity for up to at least six to eight hours per day. Eskom said the country lost about 7,210 MW due to planned maintenance and 16,597 MW of capacity was lost to breakdowns.

"The system has been under pressure over the past week. This has caused us to run our reserves -- our diesel and our dams - very hard and we are now in a situation where we urgently need to replenish these reserves in order to maintain an adequate safety buffer as we are required to do by The Grid Code," said Eskom Chief Operating Officer Jan Oberholzer on Sunday.
[...]
Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said the government is eroding the little confidence citizens have regarding its leadership due to the current Stage 6 of nationwide rolling blackouts. The trade union said the government has poorly addressed the issue and called on the president to find a permanent solution to the crisis.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has reiterated its call for President Ramaphosa and the government to account for the energy response plan, saying Eskom is not entirely to blame for the country's power CRISIS....

Guterres be, like, Geopolitical Divides Undermine International Law, 20 Sep
"Our world is in big trouble."
by Cat on Tue Sep 20th, 2022 at 06:59:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The Bat Man: Kiss of Death (none / 0)
The US government is here to help
you help US
by Cat on Fri Sep 16th, 2022 at 04:20:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The Bat Man slide-rule (none / 0)
by Cat on Mon Sep 19th, 2022 at 08:19:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
tabloid USA , ironically, disapproves of (none / 1)
the repitition of high- and low-brow comedy gold, parody, jokes, cartoons, metaphors, similes, photo caption contests, gaffes, sarcasm, buzzwords, euphemism, neologism, and other inconcongrous lines of communication that OCCUPY public domains AROUND THE WORLD.

FEAR NOT! Help for the walking wounded and purveyors of rhetorical violence is on th way. You too can learn how to speak harmlessly by applying this simply formula to every thought!

by Cat on Tue Sep 20th, 2022 at 12:34:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]
GRAPHIC WARNING (none / 1)
post-capitalist anime (EN)
by Cat on Tue Sep 27th, 2022 at 05:11:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]
GRAPHIC WARNING (none / 1)
election interference and disinformation!
by Cat on Tue Sep 27th, 2022 at 11:03:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]
GRAPHIC WARNING (none / 1)
by Cat on Wed Sep 28th, 2022 at 02:38:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
GRAPHIC WARNING (none / 0)
by Cat on Thu Sep 29th, 2022 at 05:25:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
GRAPHIC WARNING (none / 1)
by Cat on Fri Sep 30th, 2022 at 11:57:25 AM EST
[ Parent ]
We didn't do it and we won't do it again? (none / 0)
I'm convinced. Though it seems the Americans are trying to send a different message.

CIA Warned Europe of Potential Attacks on Nord Stream Pipelines - The New York Times

The C.I.A. issued a vague warning in June to a number of European nations, including Germany, that the two Nord Stream gas pipelines that carry natural gas from Russia could be targeted in forthcoming attacks, three senior officials familiar with the intelligence said on Tuesday.

CIA Warned Europe of Potential Attacks on Nord Stream Pipelines - The New York Times

While some European governments were quick to charge Russian sabotage, American government officials said other possibilities also existed that could explain what happened.
by generic on Fri Sep 30th, 2022 at 12:06:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Trying to tell us something? (none / 0)
by generic on Sat Oct 1st, 2022 at 05:13:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"hundreds of kilograms of explosives" (none / 0)
Better Together!
by Cat on Sat Oct 1st, 2022 at 05:40:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Anyway, we should al cheer up (none / 1)
by generic on Sat Oct 1st, 2022 at 05:49:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Fuming Freeland (none / 0)
Politico | Meet the Trudeau protege who might one day have his job, 26 Sep
Mélanie Joly's political resume is longer than you might think -- student activist leader, out-of-the-blue candidate who nearly became a big-city mayor and now Canada's face on the world stage....
Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly At a Joint Press Availability, 30 Sep full monte
...I think everyone by now is well aware of something that Mélanie alluded to more broadly, but specific to Russia, which is the outrageous misinformation and disinformation campaigns that it engages in.  So I really have nothing to say to the absurd allegation from President Putin that we or other partners or allies are somehow responsible for this, but we will get to the bottom of what happened, and we'll share that information as soon as we're - as soon as we have it.  But I don't want to get ahead of the investigation that's ongoing....
archived Commerce secretary: China virus could bring jobs back to US
by Cat on Sun Oct 2nd, 2022 at 12:41:27 AM EST
[ Parent ]
GRAPHIC WARNING (none / 0)
"Strong communicator. I like that!" (EN)
by Cat on Fri Sep 30th, 2022 at 03:44:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: GRAPHIC WARNING (none / 0)
Making the point 😂

'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Fri Sep 30th, 2022 at 05:03:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
GRAPHIC WARNING (none / 0)

oilprice.com citing Zero Hedge citing Forbes.hu supply map attributed to Reuters

(What you get when you attempt to corroborate voLDemORT reporting that OPEC+ "mulls" an October 100M bpd cut--2 mo old reminder or additional cut, totalling 200M bpd?)

by Cat on Mon Oct 3rd, 2022 at 07:33:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
SIDEBAR ill-conceived headline w/e 1 Oct (none / 0)
Reuters | TurkStream gas pipeline says Netherlands withdraws licence, to continue gas exports, 29 Sep
The Russian-owned operator of the TurkStream gas pipeline said on Thursday that the Netherlands had withdrawn its export licence, but it will continue gas transportation, adding that it had requested the resumption of the license.

Russia and Turkey formally launched TurkStream with capacity of 31.5 billion cubic metres per year in January 2020. The pipeline, which allows Moscow to bypass Ukraine as a transit route to Europe, carries Russian natural gas to southern Europe through the Black Sea and Turkey. ...

Sputnik | Gazprom Starts Pumping Extra Gas to Hungary Via TurkStream, 13 Aug 2022 +2.6 mcm
by Cat on Mon Oct 3rd, 2022 at 07:44:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The Bat Man: Kiss of Death (none / 0)
an indictment, of sorts, finally

New York sues Donald Trump, company and family members over widespread fraud claims, seeks at least $250 million in penalties, 21 Sep

The 220-page civil lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court seeks at least $250 million in damages.
[...]
James said she has asked federal prosecutors in Manhattan and to the Internal Revenue Service to investigate Trump for possible federal crimes. She said that evidence obtained during her three-year civil probe of Trump indicated possible crimes of bank fraud and making false statements to financial institutions.

James said Trump massively overstated the values of his assets in statements to banks, insurance companies and the IRS to obtain more favorable loan and insurance terms for his company, as well as to lower its tax obligations.
[...]
The seven-count suit alleges persistent and repeated fraud; falsifying business records; conspiracy to falsify business records; issuing false financial statements; conspiracy to falsify false financial statements; insurance fraud; conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.

A spokesman for the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment on James' criminal referral about Trump to that office.

NY v Donald J. Trump, et al., 222 pp

summary: conspiracy to falsify business records and commit insurance fraud
MIA: NY and federal tax evasion
penalty: $250M unlawful gains + interest

by Cat on Wed Sep 21st, 2022 at 06:24:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: The Bat Man: Kiss of Death (none / 1)
"Mr. Trump's Statements of Financial Condition for the period 2011 through 2021 were fraudulent and misleading in both their composition and presentation," the complaint says.

So they could have stopped his presidency if they had done their job in time.

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 07:58:30 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Hopefully for Her It Was a No-Cure No-Pay Deal (none / 0)



'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Fri Sep 23rd, 2022 at 03:50:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 (none / 0)
 WORLD 
by Bernard (bernard) on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 01:15:34 PM EST
Jon Stewart honours Nazis (none / 0)
The Gray Zone
by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 06:37:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Arrival (none / 0)
RFERL | Russia To Launch [Vostok] Exercises With China, India Amid Heightened Tensions, 1-9 Sep
"India also belongs to several multilateral blocs that include both Russia and China -- from the BRICS with Brazil and South Africa to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization with Pakistan and Central Asian countries."
WION | INS Vikrant is symbol of new India's potential, says PM Modi, 2 Sep A/V (EN, Hindi)

MEMORABLE QUOTE (2016)

COL. WEBER: Two years ago, you did some Farsi translations for Army intelligence. You made quick work of those insurgent videos.
LOUISE: You made quick work of those insurgents.
WEBER: You are on the top of everyone's list when it comes to translations. And you have another two years in the SSBI. So you still have top secret clearance. That's why I'm in your office and not at Berkeley. I have something I need you to translate for me.
[AUDIO RECORDING]
Now you heard it. What do you make of it?
LOUISE: How many?
WEBER: How many what?
LOUISE: How many speaking?
WEBER: Two. Assume they were not speaking at the same time.
LOUISE: Are sure? Did they have mouths?
WEBER: How would you approach translating this? Do you hear any words? Phrases?
LOUISE: I don't know.
WEBER: So what can you tell me?
LOUISE: I can tell you that it's impossible to translate from an audio file. I would need to be there to interact with them.
WEBER: You didn't need that with the Farsi translations.
LOUISE: I didn't need it because I already knew the language. Bu this, this is ...
WEBER: I know what you're doing.
LOUISE: Tell me what I'm doing.
WEBER: I'm not taking you to Montana. It's all I can do keeping it from turning into a tourist site for everybody who has a TS clearance.
LOUISE: I'm just telling you what it would take to do this job.
WEBER: This is not a negotiation. If I leave here, your chance is gone.
LOUISE: Colonel? You mentioned Berkeley. Are you going to ask Danvers next>
WEBER: Maybe.
LOUISE: Before you commit to him, ask him the Sanskrit word for "war" and its translation.
[24 HOURS LATER]
WEBER: Gavisti. He says it means "an argument". What do you say it means?
LOUISE: "A desire for more cows."
WEBER: Pack yyour bags.
by Cat on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 10:42:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Arrival : errata (none / 0)
APsplainin RFERL
The Russian Defense Ministry said that the Vostok 2022 (East 2022) exercise will be held until Sept. 7 at seven firing ranges in ["]Russia["]'s Far East and the Sea of Japan and involve more than 50,000 troops and over 5,000 weapons units, including 140 aircraft and 60 warships.
copy editor STAT!
Russian General Staff chief, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, will personally oversee the drills involving troops from several ex-Soviet nations [sic], China, India, Laos, Mongolia, Nicaragua[,] and Syria.
RFERL: CN, IN, LA, MN, NI, DZ, SY (G20, EAS, QUAD, SCO, CELAC, INSTC, OPEC, OIC, BRICS, CPEC, LMC) "as well as" BY, KZ, KG, and TJ ("ex-Soviet nations"; current CSTO)
The [RF] Defense Ministry noted that as part of the maneuvers, the Russian and Chinese navies in the Sea of Japan will "practice joint action to protect sea communications, areas of marine economic activity and support for ground troops in littoral areas."
by Cat on Sat Sep 3rd, 2022 at 04:38:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Arrival (none / 0)
Awful Avalanche | Ukraine War Day #193: Russian Signallers Best In The World!, 4 Sep
This morning I was browsing the Russian MSM and I saw this piece, which linked to this piece. I found this interesting, because it doesn't seem like radio signallers get as much attention or admiration as they used to. I am sure we all grew up on those thrilling stories about WWII, the breaking of the German Enigma code, that sort of thing.
[...]
The first piece is entitled "The Tuva Phenomenon", and this story reminds me of those American Navajo Indian Codetalkers of WWII. Although the Navajos had no particular reason to be patriotic to the Federal Government of the United States of America (allude to the infamous Long Walk of 1864), their leaders felt it would be best for their people if they were allowed to contribute to the war effort against the Japanese.
[...]
In 1944 Tuva joined the USSR more or less voluntarily; and in 1992 was a signatory to the treaty which created the Russian Federation. This country lies way out there in southern Siberia, bordering on Mongolia, to the South. Ethnic Tuvans speak Tuvan as their native language. According to wiki[wtf], Tuvan is a member of the Turkic language family. The grammar is Turkic, but the vocabulary includes many borrowed words from Mongolian, Tibetan, and Russian. Just from scanning the description, one can see that Tuvan is a very complex language, both phonologically (it has relatively few consonants, but many vowels and also length and pitch) and grammatically. Which would make it perfect as the kind of language that nobody can learn unless they imbibed it with their mother's milk!

archived Ethnologue, Step 1. in Has the backstop back-fired on Ireland?, Vinay Lal

by Cat on Sun Sep 4th, 2022 at 09:19:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
SIDEBAR: Arrival (none / 0)
Politico.eu.com | Algeria's move to English signals erosion of France's sway, 2 Sep
by Cat on Sun Sep 4th, 2022 at 09:50:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]
DZ: Arrival (none / 0)
Dzayer, the local name for Algeria
by Cat on Mon Sep 5th, 2022 at 01:09:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Wien: Arrival (none / 0)

syllables that changed the world
by Cat on Mon Sep 5th, 2022 at 01:05:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Czechia: Arrival (none / 0)
euractiv | What's in a name? Czechs learn to live in 'Czechia', 5 Sep integrity
Nearly three decades after Czechoslovakia peacefully split into two states, Czechs are still looking for a proper name in English for their country.
archived countries that changed their names--and why
"The current mess... in naming our country is the biggest obstacle to creating a 'brand'. We want to change it," said [Deputy FM Martin] Dvorak.
by Cat on Mon Sep 5th, 2022 at 08:48:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Arrival: vice squad (none / 0)
voldemoRT: Russia and China launch joint Pacific, 15 Sep
Representing the Russian Pacific Fleet is the frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov, corvettes Sovershenny, Gromky and Aldar Tsydenzhapov, and the medium naval tanker Pechenga, Moscow said. The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) sent the destroyer Nanchang, the frigate Yancheng, and the supply ship Dongpinghu.

While the Russian Defense Ministry did not specify the area of operations for the joint patrol, in a video shared on Telegram, Pacific Fleet deputy commander Aleksandr Bagdasarov mentioned the Sea of Okhotsk, north of Japan.

The joint naval mission comes on the heels of Vostok 2022, the week-long war games in the Russian Far East, involving more than 50,000 troops from 13 countries. According to Major General Vladimir Omelyanovich, the purpose of the event was to "create a coalition force that would plan and implement a special military operation aimed at ensuring peace and security in the region."

by Cat on Thu Sep 15th, 2022 at 10:32:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
September 2022 more constitutional amdts (none / 1)
TASS | Tokayev resigns. Who will become the new president of Kazakhstan, 2 Sep long story, short
Tokayev's speech was extremely unexpected for the population and the expert community. The powers of the president [Tokayev] end only after two years, and before that there was not a single hint of a new electoral process [eg. confidence vote, dissolved parl).

"For me, the interests of the state are above all. Therefore, I am ready to shorten the term and go to early elections," the head of Kazakhstan said in parliament.

term limit controversy
the term of office will be increased from five to seven years and at the same time re-election will be banned. The question of the sequence in which this will happen has caused controversy in the media. Many believed that the amendment would come into force after the election, meaning that the new president would serve for five years and then be able to run for another seven years.

[...]"The current campaign will be held according to a new principle. That is, before the elections, the parliament will introduce Tokayev's proposal into the legislation, which now allows running for two terms of five years," political analyst Islam Kuraev explained to RIA Novosti.

Kazakhstan is the first country in the post-Soviet space that introduces a one-term limit. Right now, in neighboring Uzbekistan, they are preparing a constitutional reform that will allow President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to participate in elections for the third time. And last year in Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon won for the fifth time.
[...]
In addition, a new government will be formed in Kazakhstan in the first half of next year [2023]. "We will get a new composition of deputies representing the interests of wide groups of citizens.[...]," the leader of the country explained.

resignation Nursultan Nazarbayev
Experts interviewed by RIA Novosti are convinced that it was this episode that prompted the Kazakh leader to hold snap elections. "Tokayev wants to finally gain legitimacy after the well-known events at the beginning of the year. He needs to clarify which part of the citizens supports him. And of course, he hopes to win...."
[...]
One way or another, such initiatives will open a new milestone in the politics of the republic. It doesn't matter if Tokayev wins, but early elections will have a positive impact on the democratic principles developing inside the country.
archived Kazakhstan Unrest, CSTO, Central Referendum Commission
by Cat on Sun Sep 4th, 2022 at 12:12:24 AM EST
[ Parent ]
2022 more constitutional amdts UPDATE (none / 0)
Astana Times | Kazakh Parliament Adopts Constitutional Amendments on Single Presidential Term and Renaming of Capital, 16 Sep
the presidential term in Kazakhstan will be increased from five to seven years, and the right to be elected will be limited to one tenure.
[...]
stablishment of a new institution of the Constitutional Court, the reduction of the President's authority while expanding the powers of the Parliament, the implementation of a mixed electoral system, the simplification of the procedure for registering parties, and the strengthening of the regions' independence, forms a new institutional design of the state structure with an optimal balance between the branches of power.
akoda | President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took part in the Summit of the Council of Heads of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Member States in an enlarged format
"In his speech, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev focused on the priority areas of development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization [SCO]."
Astana Times | SCO Summit: President Tokayev Focuses on Transit and Transport, Food and Energy Security, 17 Sep excerpts
by Cat on Sat Sep 17th, 2022 at 10:01:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 (none / 0)
to attrit has entered the room.
by Cat on Sat Sep 10th, 2022 at 08:41:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 (none / 0)
stateization has entered the room
by Cat on Sun Sep 11th, 2022 at 03:00:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 (none / 0)
presentism has entered the room.
by Cat on Sun Sep 11th, 2022 at 05:23:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 (none / 0)
macrozonation has entered the room.
by Cat on Sun Sep 18th, 2022 at 01:32:38 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Soviet empire (none / 0)
Yesterday: Azerbaijan and Armenia. Today, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Are things unraveling in the Soviet Russian empire?


by Bernard (bernard) on Wed Sep 14th, 2022 at 08:48:15 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Soviet empire (none / 1)
Conflict in the Caucasus, still under-reported.
by Bernard (bernard) on Thu Sep 15th, 2022 at 05:35:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Russian & Former USSR (none / 0)
RT published an informative article; one that academics might categorize a "survey" historiography summarizing Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan territorial conflicts before and after the Glasnost fracture in central planning. It's brief yet too long to reproduce in whole or part here. What I find surprising is the authors' criticism of post-imperial bolshivik indifference to ethnic traditions when drawing political divisions (read: administrative districts). To my mind, each "geopolitical time bomb" recalls the organizational method employed by Great Powers to rationalize (read: simplify ) mangement rules, later divestment or, ahem, liberation, of their "over-seas territories". Vestgial "borders" are  a living legacy with which SCO Council members are all too familiar.

Another Afghanistan in the making? How a fully-fledged war between two ex-Soviet states could threaten stability in Central Asia, What has happened on the border of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan and where will it lead?

Introduction

While the leaders of more than 20 major Asian countries - including Russia, China, Turkey, and India - held talks in the ancient city of Samarkand only a few hundred kilometers away, large-scale hostilities erupted on the border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, last week. As their presidents also participated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, the conflict erupted with the use of heavy weapons and claimed hundreds of lives.

It all began on Wednesday, when the Kyrgyz border service discovered their Tajik counterparts had taken up combat positions on part of the state border, thus nullifying previously reached agreements. In response to the demand to leave the territory, they opened fire. Fighting with the use of heavy weapons continued for several days. The death toll was much higher than in the course of several past incidents. Some 59 deaths were reported in Bishkek and 41 in Dushanbe. Most likely, these are not the final numbers.

On Monday, the heads of the intelligence services of the two countries signed a peace protocol. However, the reasons that forced the parties to take up arms have not disappeared, making a repetition of the conflict almost inevitable.

Gordian Knot of the East
[...]

by Cat on Fri Sep 23rd, 2022 at 12:11:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 (none / 0)
LIVING OFF THE PLANET
Environment, Energy, Agriculture, Food
by Bernard (bernard) on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 01:15:46 PM EST
September 2022 9/10 the law (none / 0)
voLDeMoRT | Nord Stream 1 gas supply to EU stopped indefinitely - Gazprom, 2 Sep
[EMBARGO] DETAILS TO FOLLOW
by Cat on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 04:57:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 Nippon (none / 1)
Kyodo News | Tokyo Gas, Kyushu Electric renew deals to buy Russian LNG, 30 Aug  
"The decision follows Moscow's establishment of a new  operator for the [Sakhalin-2 ] project in the Russian Far East after Western energy firms withdrew their investments"
Asahi Shimbun | Prices to rise for nearly 10,000 food products in fall, 1 Sep
The average price increase rate in the latest survey was 14 percent.

The survey found that the costs of 9,414 food products will rise this autumn, bringing the total number of more expensive food items this year to 20,056. ...Food makers were already prepared to pass on the rising costs of crude oil and ingredients to consumers.
[...]
The government plans to maintain the current resale price of imported wheat for millers when it sets a new price in October as part of measures to help ease the pressure on consumers.

Mainichi | Japan, Taiwan to begin talks on evacuation plans amid China's threats
As Japan has no diplomatic ties with democratic Taiwan, the delegation will act in lieu of the country's government, which cannot have direct contact with the island's administration, lower house lawmaker Minoru Kihara told Kyodo News.
[...]
More than 20,000 Japanese citizens live in Taiwan. Japan usually sends Self-Defense Forces aircraft to evacuate its nationals in an emergency in another nation, but it is uncertain whether they can land on the island, which China claims as its territory.
Asahi Shimbun | Yen plummets to 24-year low of 140 against the U.S. dollar, 2 Sep
factors prompted traders to sell yen and buy U.S. dollars, pushing the value of the Japanese currency to its lowest level since 1998
Mainichi | Japan's foreign minister, top US Marine discuss China concerns
[Yoshimasa] Hayashi and [Commandant Gen. David] Berger also agreed on the importance of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, pledging to continue cooperating closely in strengthening the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance.
[...]
Later in the day, Berger held separate meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada. Kishida said Japan will proactively work on realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific, a vision pushed by both nations to counter China's rise. Hamada said cooperation between Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force and the U.S. Marine Corps is more important than ever.
Kyodo News | Japan's exports of sanctions-exempt used vehicles to Russia surge
by Cat on Sat Sep 3rd, 2022 at 12:39:19 AM EST
[ Parent ]
September 2022 Abememorial (none / 0)
Mainichi | 30% support state funeral for ex-PM Abe, 53% opposed: poll, 23 Aug
"Another 17% said they were undecided about the plans for the state funeral following the assassination of Abe in July, the poll conducted by the Mainichi Shimbun and the Social Survey Research Center found."
Mainichi | Many local Japan assemblies adopt statements urging ex-PM Abe's state funeral be canceled, 22 Sep
In Kochi Prefecture in western Japan, the Otsuki Municipal Assembly passed a written opinion calling for cancellation of Abe's state funeral in a unanimous vote on Sept. 15, excluding the speaker and one absent member. The statement claims that, "Holding a state funeral should be decided in the Diet," and that, "Public opinion is evenly divided (over the state funeral), and carrying it out could create problems in the future."
[...]
The 10-member Nichinan Municipal Assembly in Tottori Prefecture, also in western Japan, adopted a resolution calling for the cancellation of Abe's state funeral in a unanimous vote on Sept. 8, excluding the speaker. The resolution states that, "The state funeral lacks clear legal basis, and public opinion has been split into two. The state funeral should be canceled in light of the actual circumstances surrounding funerals for past prime ministers."
[...]
According to a tally by the Mainichi Shimbun, local assemblies of at least 12 municipalities in Japan have adopted a statement or resolution calling for canceling the state funeral or withdrawing the plan. These include assemblies in the city of Kunitachi in suburban Tokyo, the city of Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture[,] and the village of Ooshika in Nagano Prefecture....
Kyodo | State funeral for ex-PM Abe staged amid strong public opposition, 27 Sep
The National Police Agency has mobilized up to 20,000 officers to enforce strict security in the capital, particularly around the Nippon Budokan hall where the ceremony was held.
[...]
Opponents of the funeral have repeatedly held rallies in front of the prime minister's office, parliament building and elsewhere and filed lawsuits demanding that the event be scrapped. At a park near the venue, meanwhile, large numbers of people gathered to lay flowers from early in the morning.
A pair of large photographs of Abe were set up at the park, and entry was restricted to those placing flowers. After going through a security check, visitors placed flowers in a designated area and paid tribute to the former prime minister.
Earlier this month, a man set himself on fire on a street near the prime minister's office, police said, apparently intending to commit suicide in protest against the planned state funeral.
[...]
Among the more than 700 foreign guests
"Enough with humiliating ourselves diplomatically for the sake of a South Korea-Japan summit!" members of the group Movement for One Korea chanted [...] "The visits to pay respects at Yasukuni Shrine, the gaffes and denials of the truth regarding the Japanese military 'comfort women,' the sloppily put-together December 2015 comfort women agreement, the demands to take down Statues of Peace -- all of these happened during Shinzo Abe's term," the group said, stressing that the South Korean delegation should not attend his funeral.
are U.S. Vice President Kamala?! Harris, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi[,] and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach. All the guests, who were required by the Japanese government to wear protective face masks to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, laid flowers on a table below Abe's portrait....
Hankyoreh | Yoon returns from headache-filled trip to calls to reshuffle security team, 26 Sep
At his first stop in the UK, Yoon drew much criticism for his decision to send condolences for the death of Queen Elizabeth II without paying his respects in person. An expected South Korea-US summit failed to pan out in New York, where Yoon was visiting to attend a UN General Assembly session, and the trip produced nothing in the way of visible results on protectionist terms in the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) after the presidential office itself raised the South Korean public's hopes for them. In the case of Japan, the Yoon administration invited accusations of "submissiveness" with a cursory summit of ambiguous nature....
by Cat on Wed Sep 28th, 2022 at 12:48:48 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 omen (none / 0)
NASA administrator touts Artemis I as the key to our future on Mars
by Cat on Sat Sep 3rd, 2022 at 06:19:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]
September 2022 space force (none / 0)

stretch goals

by Cat on Thu Sep 15th, 2022 at 02:40:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]
September 2022 (none / 0)
by Cat on Sat Sep 24th, 2022 at 01:25:09 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 (none / 0)
 LIVING ON THE PLANET 
 Society, Culture, History, Information 
by Bernard (bernard) on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 01:15:58 PM EST
September 2022 ancient history (none / 0)
The Postil | The Moral Foundations of Anglo-American Culture, 1 Sep civilization
What is Anglo-American culture? By Anglo-American culture, we understand the kind of culture that emerged in North-Western Europe, especially England, in the post-Renaissance and post-Reformation period and eventually spread to the United States. The most distinctive institutions of Anglo-American culture are individual autonomy, the rule of law, a republican form of government, and a market economy....
The Postil | In Defense of German Colonialism, 1 Sep postcard
Bismarck's ironclad indifference towards the colonies cracked in 1883 when a failed tobacco merchant from Bremen named Adolf Lüderitz wired to say that he had run up the German flag on a thin strip of land on the Atlantic coast of southern Africa. Lüderitz had bought the land from natives of the Nama tribe for two hundred loaded rifles and a box of gold. The Nama needed the rifles for their ongoing wars against their historic enemies, the Herero. Bismarck at last gave in. Following his recognition of Lüderitzland (population twenty), Bismarck told the Reichstag that henceforth he would fly the flag whenever established German merchants requested the protection of the state. "We do not want to install colonies artificially," Bismarck sighed. "When they emerge, however, we will try to protect them." His hope was for empire on the cheap: "Clerks from the trading houses, not German generals," would handle the functions of government. ...
archived US judge dismisses Namibian genocide claims against Germany
by Cat on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 05:14:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
sorry, not sorry ancient history (none / 0)
DW | Germany rejects new negotiations over Namibia genocide, 2 Sep
Angry Herero and Namas took the capital Windhoek after the negotiations were concluded in May last year. A parliamentary debate about the agreement in September 2021 was also accompanied by loud protests. The mood inside the chamber was equally emotional: Angry opposition members blasted the outcome of the negotiations, with even some MPs from the ruling SWAPO party voicing concern. So far, the government has not put the agreement to a vote in the national assembly.
[...]
Germany's lower parliament, the Bundestag, does not plan to vote on the agreement at all.

"It is correct that the fully negotiated joined declaration is not an agreement under international law and does not require ratification by the German Bundestag," the government wrote.

by Cat on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 09:43:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]
sorry, not sorry ancient history (none / 1)

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on September 1, 2022
Reuters: Germany's defense chief told Reuters that Germany will expand its military presence in the Indo-Pacific by sending more warships and joining drills with allies as it keeps an eye on the enormous build-up of China's armed forces. How do you comment about this?

Wang Wenbin: The public statement about demonstrating Germany's military presence in other parts of the world by the German Chief of Staff of the Federal Armed Forces might evoke negative associations in many countries. ...

by Cat on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 10:53:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
SIDEBAR I feel seen (none / 1)
Politico.com |Biden's Pacific Island summit tests U.S. regional credibility , 22 Sep
Joe Tzu arms sale summit 28-29
Those initiatives include greater military cooperation between the U.S. and Pacific Island countries. The U.S. will conclude an 11-day military exercise tomorrow/Friday in Fiji that included personnel from Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
PIC (1971 Pacific Islands Forum): AU, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Tokelau, Vanuatu; IN*, ID*, TH*, MY*, PH*, CN*, JP*, KR*; EU-CO*, TR*, UK*, US*, CA*, FR*, DE*, IT*  ES*; CU*
Long time, no see. Campbell's challenge is a widespread perception among Pacific Island countries that the U.S. is unreliable.

"America premised their whole efforts in the Pacific on [Cold War] geostrategic competition, and once that [Soviet] threat was gone, America didn't see the reason to be in the Pacific anymore," said PATRICIA O'BRIEN, professor of history in the Asian Studies Program at Georgetown University. "[That] provided huge openings for China once they were ready to expand into the Pacific in the 2000s."

For many Pacific Islanders, the most visible symbols of U.S. engagement are the remains of former World War II battlefields < wipes tears > such as Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. That influence vacuum has lubricated China's steady diplomatic outreach in the absence of a competitive U.S. alternative.

archived PANDOR to BLINKEN, fweedom and fiefdom
by Cat on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 03:10:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
UPDATE I feel seen (none / 0)
Politico | DEFIANCE by Marshall Islands and Solomon Islands cast shadow over Biden's Pacific Summit, 28 Sep, Day 1 off the reservation
the Solomon Islands, which signed a controversial security pact with China earlier this year, is refusing to sign an 11-point summit declaration "designed to provide a framework for intensified U.S. engagement in the Pacific," the Australian Broadcasting Corporation [ABCnet.au] reported Tuesday.
"the remains of former World War II battlefields such as Guadalcanal"
The administration is coordinating its summit outreach with its Partners in the Blue Pacific initiative allies Japan, Australia, New Zealand[, EU,] and the United Kingdom "to add more resources, more capacity, more diplomatic engagement as a whole," said The Official®. The summit will also mark the launch of the U.S. government's first-ever Pacific Strategy [since WWII], a regional-specific compliment [sic] to the administration's China-containing Indo-Pacific Strategy launched in September 2021.

"This [strategy]* is specifically aimed at the concerns and the objectives in the Pacific as a whole ... [and]* about how to organize the disparate elements of the U.S. government toward tackling issues like climate change, training, issues associated with [over]*fishing, investments in technology," The Official® said.

fail
The administration will deploy Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo[,] and Biden's climate envoy John Kerry on Wednesday [29 Sep] to tout the administration's determination to improve Pacific Island countries' links to the U.S.
"questions and concerns"
But the Marshall Islands' move to freeze talks on COFA [Compact of Free Association, Dept. Interior] renewal [sic] is a kick in the teeth to the administration just days after Special Presidential Envoy Ambassador Joseph Yun told POLITICO that the State Department was on track to renew COFAs with Palau, Micronesia[,] and the Marshall Islands by end-2022 after six months of intensive negotiations. And it raises questions about the Biden administration's strategy to use those COFAs to effectively firewall those three countries from Beijing's efforts to displace the U.S. as the region's dominant superpower....
* brackets in original
archived AUKUS/IPEF update: pivot to Paris Accord  June 2022

Sputnik | Solomon Islands Deals a Blow to US by Refusing to Sign Pacific Declaration, 28 Sep
"The Pacific leaders have also compared US draft declaration with a similar proposal put forth by China in June. Pacific Island leaders rejected it and asked China to come up with a fresh document."

reference
GAO, "COMPACTS OF FREE ASSOCIATION, Implications of Planned Ending of Some U.S.
Economic Assistance", Feb 2022, 200 pp; no Solomon Islands COFA
Guardian | US Pacific summit faces rocky start as [PIC] leaders reject Washington's offers, 28 Sep

The 11-point declaration of US-Pacific partnership, a draft of which has been seen by the Guardian, commits Pacific countries and the US to working together "in the face of a worsening climate crisis and an increasingly complex geopolitical environment".

The [US] draft differs markedly from the sweeping regional economic and security deal that China presented to 10 Pacific countries earlier this year, which was ultimately rejected by Pacific leaders.

wut
China's deal was incredibly detailed, committing to particular sums of money, programs and even outlining the number Chinese art troupes that would be sent to the islands as part of a cultural exchange program. [...] The draft declaration with the US is far more general, committing to principles of engagement - such as bolstering Pacific regionalism, tackling the climate crisis, advancing economic growth, protecting the Blue Pacific[,] and maintaining peace and security - rather than outlining specific policies and promises
by Cat on Wed Sep 28th, 2022 at 01:10:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]
SIDEBAR I feel seen, D2 (none / 0)
whitehouse.gov | Declaration on U.S.-Pacific Partnership, 29 Sep 11-point cover story
Pacific Islands Forum signatures (1971 PIC): AU, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Tokelau, Vanuatu
+ 1: USA

annotations (ICYM p 1 in GAO Feb 2022 report, prepared for Manchin and Murkowski)
Macau News | US announces $810 mn in new funding for Pacific Islands at summit, 30 Sep

The White House said $600 million will be in the form of a 10-year package to clean up and develop dirty waters to support the tuna [!] industry, while the United States will also expand climate and development aid and its diplomatic presence.
[...]
The Biden administration also announced that the United States would recognize Cook Islands and Niue, a self-governing territory whose foreign and defense policies and currency are linked to New Zealand. The step will allow the United States to increase its diplomatic footprint in the Cook Island and Niue, which have fewer than 20,000 inhabitants but constitute a sprawling economic zone in the South Pacific.
[...]
Launching a new strategy for engagement, Biden also designated a veteran US ambassador in the region, Frankie Reed, as the first-ever US envoy to the Pacific Islands Forum. The United States earlier announced the restoration of an embassy in the Solomon Islands, amid the heavy presence of China, and the White House said Thursday [29 Sep] that US embassies would also open in Tonga and Kiribati.
* liberated observer, dialogue: IN*, ID*, TH*, MY*, PH*, CN*, JP*, KR*; EU-CO*, TR*, UK*, US*, CA*, FR*, DE*, IT*,  ES*; CU*
The White House said that Canada and Germany will join and that France -- itself a South Pacific power [!] -- as well as the European Union, South Korea[,] and India would participate as non-members.
[...]
Speaking to AFP, [Solomon Islands PM Manasseh] Sogavare said that negotiations in Washington had addressed his concerns "in a positive way" ahead of the expected unveiling of a partnership declaration with the United States.

"We had specific issues on certain regional organizations such as ASEAN and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue being included as no consultations with them have happened with Pacific small island developing states," Sogavare said, referring to the Southeast Asian bloc and the four-way Quad of the United States, Australia, Japan[,] and India. Sogavare said that his government also sought to insert language on a "cessation of hostilities and a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine [!] war." ...

Bloomberg | Solomons Signs US-Led Pacific Deal After Historic Meeting, 29 Sep money quote
• Biden commits more than $810 million to new [top up] Pacific initiative [COFA trust fund]
• Washington is trying to counter Beijing's diplomacy in Pacific
[...]
In the past year, the US and Australia have been increasingly concerned about growing Chinese government influence in the Pacific and have escalated diplomatic activity in the region. The UNEXPECTED announcement in April of a ["]security agreement["] being struck between China and the Solomon Islands was a major diplomatic win for Beijing [and Solomon Islands].
[...]
"We hope the US will offer support for these countries' development and revitalization, instead of using cooperation as a pretext to engage in geopolitical rivalry and replicate bloc confrontation," [Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman] Mao [Ning] said.
change.org | Jordon Steele-John's response, 29 Sep AUKUS
I am pleased to let you know that In the Australian Senate today I tabled this petition and supported its calls for Australia to withdraw from AUKUS, end the development of nuclear submarines and put a stop to Australia's integration with the US military. ...
by Cat on Fri Sep 30th, 2022 at 02:06:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: sorry, not sorry ancient history (none / 1)
PressTV.ir | US, Canadian warships transit through Taiwan Strait, irking China, 21 Sep
The latest American naval operation through the Taiwan Strait also came on the heels of a move by the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee to pass the Taiwan Policy Act of 2022, which now heads to the Senate floor. The act is aimed at designating Taipei a "Major Non-NATO Ally" and to provide "almost $4.5 billion in security assistance" to the self-ruled territory "over the next four years."
Bloomberg | Russia, Iran, China to Hold Joint Navy Drills in Indian Ocean, 22 Sep
Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency reported. Other countries including Oman and Pakistan may also join the drills, Mehr cited Iranian Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri as saying, without giving further details.

The three nations started joint exercises in December 2019, according to Iranian state media, to deal with unspecified "threats in the region." China's military spokesman at the time described the exercises as a "normal military exchange." The most recent round was in January.

by Cat on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 11:02:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]
SIDEBAR social distancing (none / 1)
2020
Media International Australia: "In April to June 2020, Russia passed through a major COVID-19 lockdown..."
2021
Moscow Times: "A year ago today Russia went into its first -- and only -- coronavirus lockdown."
New Yorker: "Why Russia Hasn't Cracked Down on COVID-19"
2022
Reuters: "Russia scraps remaining COVID restrictions"
CNN: "Macron warns of 'crisis of democracies,' including in US, in exclusive US interview," 22 Sep
"I hate lecturing people and saying, 'I'm worried for you.' ... But I do believe that what is at stake is what we built in the 18th century," Macron said an interview.
[...]
The mobilization means [Russian Federation] citizens who are in the reserve could be called up, and those with military experience would be subject to conscription, Putin said, adding that the necessary decree had already been signed and took effect on Wednesday.
[...]
"And I have no rational explanation," he added, calling the invasion the "strategy of Germany intervention" and a "post-Covid-19 consequence" because of Putin's isolation during the pandemic.
archived Is that you, Bernard?
by Cat on Fri Sep 23rd, 2022 at 01:21:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]
sorry, not sorry ancient history (none / 0)
the 1947 partition of British India and ...

by Cat on Sat Sep 3rd, 2022 at 01:23:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 ancient history (none / 0)
NY Yella Cake -100: PROGRESS!
The Vatican is livid about the Earl of Balfour's proposal for safeguarding the holy places in Palestine, because Catholics will only be a minority on the sub-commissions.
[...]
As the final loss of Greece in its war with Turkey draws near, Britain, France, Italy, and the US are sending warships to Smyrna to protect their nationals. The NYT, in an editorial entitled "The White Man's Burden," says that Britain, France & Italy have "the responsibility of defending civilized European peoples against a hopelessly unprogressive Asiatic foe."
[...]
In another op-ed page appeal to civilization, the NYT accuses the railroad employees of "Uncivilized Strike Methods."
[...]
Rumors that Éamon de Valera and Erskine Childers have been captured. Fact Check: Not so True.


wutshistits: From government insider to holy warrior
archived More on Evangelism, "religious dysphoria", proselytizing hysteria , GD IV spirituality
by Cat on Wed Sep 7th, 2022 at 10:40:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]
September 2022 ancient abundance (none / 1)
by Cat on Fri Sep 9th, 2022 at 02:24:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 (none / 0)
by Cat on Sat Sep 3rd, 2022 at 06:25:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]
representative democracy (none / 0)

BONUS
Russia closes 'Nordstrom 1.'
WHO PAYS FOR THAT??!

by Cat on Wed Sep 7th, 2022 at 03:26:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: representative democracy (none / 0)

500 YEARS AGO
by Cat on Fri Sep 30th, 2022 at 06:47:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 whale song (none / 0)
China Daily | Chinese underwater acoustic communication machine achieves long-distance transmission, 2021
The acoustic signal at a lower frequency can be transmitted farther underwater, said Qu Fengzhong, a professor with Zhejiang University. But the bandwidth available for communication at low frequencies is very limited. Thus it is difficult for underwater acoustic communication to meet the requirements of high speeds and long distances.
SCMP | Chinese scientists develop long-distance underwater communication in South China Sea, 17 Sep 2022
Chinese researchers say they have developed and tested in the depths of the South China Sea underwater communication technology that would allow submarines and drones to maintain contact over more than 30,000 sq km (11,600 square miles) - about the area of Belgium. ...
historicity I've got a fun story about low-freq communication in NYC c. 2001 that stopped my free-range 2 y.o. Z-informant and a buncha adults in their tracks at the intersection of Houston and B'way ...
by Cat on Sat Sep 17th, 2022 at 05:13:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 (none / 0)
From the "You can't make that up" department:

by Bernard (bernard) on Tue Sep 20th, 2022 at 08:51:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]
yes, I resemble this remark. (none / 0)
by Cat on Sun Sep 25th, 2022 at 05:16:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 (none / 0)
ON THIS DATE
by Bernard (bernard) on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 01:16:10 PM EST
2 September 2022 (none / 0)
NY Yella Cake -100:  There comes a time in the history of all nations when the people must be advised whether they have a government or not
"The US refuses to adhere to a League of Nations plan to restrict private arms sales, effectively killing it."
AMERICA REJECTS LEAGUE'S ARMS PLAN
St. Germain Convention Against Private Traffic Is Now Considered Dead.
---
LEAGUE ADRESSED DIRECT
---
State Department Writes to Secretary—American to Guard Palestine Holy Places.
...China, Chile, Brazil, Finland, Guatamala, Greece, Haiti, Peru, [kingdom of] Siam [Thailand  constitutional monarchy, 1939 coup,] and Venezuela already have ratified the convention, but as none of these countries manufacture arms this fact is regared as immaterial. Other countries, including Great Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Poland, Canada[,] and Czecoslavakia had notified the Secretariat of the League of Nations that they would reatify the compact when the allied and associated powers had signified their intention of ratifying. ...
by Cat on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 06:04:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]
5 September 2022 (none / 0)
Gurdian | Priti Patel resigns as home secretary after Liz Truss wins battle to become next prime minister
LIVE! nonsequiturs
MSN Independent | Read her 'Dear Boris' letter in full, 5 Sep
...To support this work, I have signed new international returns agreements with India, Albania, Serbia, Nigeria, and Pakistan, with work underway to negotiate more agreements and to remove more people who should not be in this country and who have abused our hospitality.

At the same time, we have strengthened our country's proud record of providing sanctuary and refuge to those in genuine need by establishing safe routes, including for NOs, Afghans and Ukrainians. Britain has always been a beacon for freedom and democracy, and I have been proud to work with you over the last three years to make that light shine brighter.

All this has been achieved despite the relentless efforts of our political opponents, and left-wing activists, lawyers and campaigners who have sought to block these measures, regardless of what the majority of people in the UK want. While they stand up for the criminals, terrorists, people smugglers,

Those with no right to be in the UK, and people who threaten public safety and would do our country harm, we have never faltered and never stopped doing what is right to protect the public....

by Cat on Mon Sep 5th, 2022 at 07:37:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]
9 September 1939 (none / 0)
by Bernard (bernard) on Sun Sep 11th, 2022 at 01:20:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
New York Yella Cake -100 (none / 0)
Smyrna straw hat riot Des Moines capital punishment no commas
+100 novelty act
Alabama says it won't be ready to use nitrogen hypoxia method at Sept. 22 execution
by Cat on Fri Sep 16th, 2022 at 07:04:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
17 September 1939 (none / 0)
by Bernard (bernard) on Sun Sep 18th, 2022 at 08:47:34 AM EST
[ Parent ]
20 September 2022 (none / 0)
New York Yella Cake -100: Harding to World War Veterans: Drop Dead
Hearst, Kemal Pasha informs France, and a memorable persoanl ad.
The Bulgarian prime minister announces that King Boris is looking to marry a rich, beautiful, rich, young, rich American girl. He doesn't have anyone in particular in mind.
by Cat on Tue Sep 20th, 2022 at 09:24:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
20 September 2019 (none / 0)
'Area 51 Raid'
by Cat on Tue Sep 20th, 2022 at 10:06:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]
22 September 2022 (none / 0)
Today marks the 160th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. However ....
Zhao Lijian: Slave trade was an original sin of the US. Slavery remained legal in the US for a third of the country's 246-year history. According to Statista LOL!, a German statistics company, there were nearly 700,000 Black slaves in the US in 1790, and the number exceeded 3.95 million in 1860.

The US issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862. However, today, 160 years later, African Americans still find themselves not emancipated from the yoke of racial discrimination. Statistics show that African Americans, who account for less than 13% of the US population, are more than twice as likely to be shot by the police....

by Cat on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 04:16:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
American Prison Slavery ICE (none / 0)

For-profit detention centers ...

Ending Forced Labor In Ice Detention Centers: A New Approach

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 06:04:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: American Prison Slavery ICE (none / 0)


'Sapere aude'
by Oui (Oui) on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 06:05:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: American Prison Slavery ICE (none / 0)

From plantation to prison: how oppression led to high rates of disease, death for Black North Carolinians

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Thu Sep 22nd, 2022 at 06:07:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]
28 September 1939 (none / 0)

German-Soviet Boundary and Friendship Treaty - Wiki

by Bernard (bernard) on Thu Sep 29th, 2022 at 01:18:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: 28 September 1939 (none / 1)
When, on August 23rd, I saw the inconspicuous Havas message on the third page of the Eclaireur du Sud-Est, saying that a treaty of non-aggression had been signed between Germany and the Soviet Union, I began beating my temples with my fists.
 [...]
 I tried to explain to her what it meant - to the world in general and to me and my friends in particular. What it meant to that better, optimistic half of humanity which was called the Left because it believed in social evolution and which, however opposed to the methods employed by Stalin and his disciples, still consciously or unconsciously believed that Russia was the only promising social experiment in this wretched century.

- Scum of the earth, Arthur Koestler.

I understand that there are quite a lot of people on the left who have quite strong vestiges or echoes of that sentiment about Russia (I can't honestly say I understand why). But I have a question for anyone who recognises themself in that category :

Is there anything that a Russian leader could do, which would provoke that beating my temples with my fists moment?

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Fri Sep 30th, 2022 at 10:11:14 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: September 2022 (none / 0)
 PEOPLE AND KLATSCH 
by Bernard (bernard) on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 01:16:19 PM EST
Re: September 2022 (none / 0)
by Bernard (bernard) on Fri Sep 2nd, 2022 at 09:09:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The stupidest statement on Covid? (none / 0)
National Review
White House Covid Adviser: `God Gave Us Two Arms' for Covid and Flu Vaccines
by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Wed Sep 7th, 2022 at 09:37:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
[INCONTINENCE ALERT] (none / 0)
by Cat on Wed Sep 7th, 2022 at 09:46:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

September 2022 | 296 comments (296 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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