MEPs demand a just transition to climate-neutral economy to tackle ongoing social crises.

Are they dumb? What a morons in union. Compromising the fundamentals of the European Union in the 21st century, surrendering to demands of the capitalist center of the New World Order, permitting Biden's Blitzkrieg across Europe demanding war with Russia in lieu of exertion in diplomacy after Angela Merkel was gone, leaving Macron standing alone.

Will never happen in this decade. we are all from Mars now.

'Sapere aude'

if observers are right, Conservative leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis, 55, is set to win a second term as prime minister with his New Democracy party, especially as under a new electoral system he will benefit from a bonus of 25-50 seats given to the winning party, depending on its performance.

The agreement paves the way for introducing new rules to collectively manage the reception and relocation of asylum seekers. Last year [2022], the EU received more than 962,000 asylum applications, the highest figure since 2016.
[...]
At the end of the meeting, Malmer Stenergard confirmed the one-off payment for each rejected applicant will be provisionally set at €20,000, which will then be channelled into a yet-to-defined common EU fund. The number of relocation will be 30,000 asylum seekers per year. Additional provisions have been included in case the pledges fall short of the target.

concilium.europa.eu | Migration policy: Council reaches agreement on key asylum and migration laws (08.06.23)
"To balance the current system whereby a few member states are responsible for the vast majority of asylum applications, a new solidarity mechanism is being proposed that is simple, predictable and workable. The new rules combine mandatory solidarity with flexibility for member states as regards the choice of the individual contributions. These contributions include relocation, financial contributions or alternative solidarity measures such as deployment of personnel or measures focusing on capacity building. Member states have full discretion as to the type of solidarity they contribute. No member state will ever be obliged to carry out relocations.

The political agreement allows the EU Council to start negotiations with the European Parliament, which has a somewhat diverging position on the matter. The goal is to wrap up the legislation before next year's EU elections.
[...]

On 17 May a revised compromise text (pdf) was circulated...This followed a previous version circulated on 15 May dealing with border procedures (pdf); on the same day, a document containing member states' comments (pdf) on a previous version of the text was also distributed within the Council.
[...]

German open arms policy for migration from Latin America ...

We Want You!

Your carers for our elderly and your electricians and technicians to maintain our high standards of heavy (war) industry

Latin America has long since found its way to our labour market. Brazilian carers [?] and Colombian electricians are already being met with open arms in Germany. We want to develop this partnership further.

Almost echoes the words of CDU Chancellor Angela Merkel from 2015 when all hell broke lose with war refugees from Afghanistan. Iraq, Libya and Syria. Traces of US-UK-NATO aggression.

• Angela Merkel's Leadership in the Refugee Crisis
• Can the state turn away refugees at the German border? Chancellor Merkel is against it
• How Angela Merkel's great migrant gamble paid off

The target looks achievable, however, given that the number of people arriving in Germany fell to about 280,000 last year from 890,000 in 2015. A further drop is expected this year.

In addition, the two parties agreed to push for an immigration law that would give priority to migrants with skills to plug gaps in the labor market. There is broad support for that from the FDP and Greens.

For history's sake, the chancellor doing the talking ...

Mind you ... opening the gateways of hell to the gardens of Eden according to Borrell.

'Sapere aude'

German Foreign Policy Her Style

'Sapere aude'

NEVER forget that in 2021 Baerbock bragged at the atlantic council about her German NZI granpa fighting in 1945.
"And my own grandfather fought like in the winter of [1945] at this river, at this border. [Oder-Neisse Line] And I was there standing in 2004 on this bridge."

Annalena Baerbock on a 'transatlantic green deal' and German strategies in facing Russia and China | Atlantic Council - May 6, 2021 |

FAREED ZAKARIA: Would it be fair to say what you're describing is a kind of a Green Party and your leadership that would, I think, be reassuring to most Americans, in the sense that it seems to affirm the Atlantic alliance, affirm NATO. You know, affirm the importance of thinking about human rights. And so I'm wondering, this is--this moment happened before when Joschka Fischer became foreign minister. And people who had worried that--in that case, I think he was a little older than you--so had in the 1980s thrown a couple of Molotov cocktails in anti-American demonstrations. That he turned out to be actually a very pro-NATO, pro--even pro-US foreign minister. Would you say that this is a model you look at favorably, that of Joschka Fischer in government?

ANNALENA BAERBOCK: Well, he's part of my party. And actually, when he was foreign minister, just at this moment I joined the party. This was in 2004, actually, like a really emotional moment for me because it was the first of May in 2004 when Europe did its enlargement to the east. So European countries joined the EU, especially from the east, and I come from a region around Berlin. It's called Brandenburg. It was eastern Germany. And it has a direct border over the Oder River to Poland. And my own grandfather fought like in the winter of [1945] at this river, at this border.

• The Red Army invades Berlin and overruns the last German defences | D-day 1945 |

And I was there standing in 2004 on this bridge, which obviously was rebuilt between Poland and Germany, when Joschka Fischer as foreign minister, together with his colleague from the Polish side, was celebrating again the reunification of Europe.

And this was really the moment when I thought, wow, we are standing of the shoulders not only on Joschka Fischer, but also of our grandparents, who made it possible that countries who were enemies are again not only in peace but in friendship together. And this is what the ground where I'm standing on, fighting for a Europe which lives in friendship, in a common integrated market. And for this, we need institutions like the EU, like a strong transatlantic relation, because this wouldn't have been possible, our reunification, without support from the US. So it's, yeah, building on our history. But this is really important for me. Otherwise, it won't make sense to become a chancellor.

History is nothing which just flows like a river. It's always a moment where people have to take the courage to build the future actively. So it doesn't make sense to say I just follow up what Joschka Fischer did fifteen years ago. I take the best from the past to bring it in the future.

And coming back to your question also with the NATO, for example, I think the most important thing is to put out a new strategic agenda. What is the role of the NATO in the year of 2021 and not in 2004? And we have, unluckily, faced Ukraine situation. We have seen that what we believed back in 2004, that there is never again war in Europe, is not true. And therefore, we have to redefine our strategic goals within NATO, within the EU, and coming up with the new challenges ahead, also fulfill it with resources, for example with military expenditures.

But--this is also important for 2021--the threats are not only cyber, it's the climate crisis. It's COVID. It's pandemics worldwide. So for me it's so important that it's not building a new wall around Europe or transatlantic region, but really seeing that we work together in a world of institution of strong human rights, but being aware that we have other countries like China, like Russia who are also in a new strategic fight with us.

Related reading ...

From a European Neighborhood Policy toward a New Ostpolitik - The Potential Impact of German Policy

'Sapere aude'

French President Emmanuel Macron has asked South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for an invitation to the upcoming BRICS summit in Pretoria, French newspaper L'Opinion reported on Monday. Macron's recent attempts to win over his African counterparts have fallen flat.
[...]
According to one "well-informed" source, Ramaphosa was non-committal. "Presence at this summit was mentioned during the conversation between the two leaders, but Pretoria gave no indication of whether or not to extend this meeting to other international leaders," the source said.

French President Emmanuel Macron has asked South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for an invitation to the upcoming BRICS summit in Pretoria, French newspaper L'Opinion reported on Monday. Macron's recent attempts to win over his African counterparts have fallen flat.

Macron raised the possibility of attending the summit during a phone call with Ramaphosa earlier this month, L'Opinion stated, citing sources in the Elysee palace.

If Macron were to attend the summit, he would be the first leader of a G7 nation to do so. BRICS leaders and Macron apparently share a desire < wipes tears > to overhaul the [PRICE CAP COALITION] financial and geopolitical order, with Macron hosting a conference in Paris next week aimed at overhauling the [G7] financial system to better benefit the developing world
[...]

[...]
South Africa is also facing a challenge [?] related to organizing the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the summit, to avoid possible arrest at the request of the International Criminal Court [ICC]. Various options have been considered, including holding a video conference, granting diplomatic immunity, or relocating [?] the summit to China.

[...]
ANN GARRISON: David, I think the ICC would be a laughingstock for its racist hypocrisy if there weren't so many lives lost in the crimes that it considers and fails to consider, but this indictment has the world's attention and it's awkward for South Africa. Can you explain South Africa's legal position as a state party that still accepts the jurisdiction of the court? What does the Rome Statute or any related documents say?
DAVID PAUL JACOBS: The Rome Statute gives the ICC the "authority to make requests to States Parties for cooperation."  South Africa is a state party to the Rome Statute, although in 2016, South Africa indicated its intention to withdraw from the Statute, and later reversed itself.

The obligation to cooperate with the ICC is tempered by Article 98 of the statute [ p 55] which provides that:
[...]

In the years to come, the European Union will likely face difficult [PLANNED] decisions: whether to back the United States in its geopolitical ["]competition["] with China; whether to punish CHINA for its support of Russia; whether to rebuild relations with RUSSIA after the war.

These decisions will affect European citizens - whose support European leaders will need for their foreign policy choices. Two years ago, the European Council on Foreign Relations conducted a study of public opinion about how Europeans see their place in the world. The results pointed to a cooperative European mindset whereby, in a world of competing great powers, Europeans preferred to cultivate [DELIBERATE] partnerships with various countries and advocated a largely values-based foreign policy.
[...]
The [PLANNED] direction of European foreign policy will have a massive impact on the lives of every European citizen - be it through their exposure to security threats, supply chain disruptions, or the volatility of the financial market. Their opinions will enable or constrain European leaders' ability to negotiate a common European foreign policy. As these leaders re-adjust their relationships with the US, CHINA, and RUSSIA, they not only need to reach agreement among themselves - they also need to build a public consensus around European foreign policy. Otherwise, there is likely to be growing mistrust of the elites < wipes tears > and the EU, and a populist backlash in the European parliamentary election in 2024 and in national elections.

In April 2023, ECFR conducted an opinion poll across 11[/27] EU member states - Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Sweden - to understand how European citizens see their place in the world today. The results of the poll show that their cooperative foreign policy instincts are adapting slowly to the new geopolitical reality that is characterised by growing polarisation.
[...]
[EC Pres. Ursula] Von der Leyen dispensed with the EU's established triad [?] to describe China as a "partner, competitor, and [PERVASIVE] rival" and emphasised the need for active, [DELIBERATE], multidimensional risk minimisation in Europe's dealings with Beijing. With this strategy [sic] of "de-risking", she pushed for a new consensus in Europe on the importance of revisiting its relationship with China.
[...]
The findings of ECFR's latest poll show that, in many ways, European citizens are more on Team Macron than Team von der Leyen.
[...]

Very disappointing position of @EUCouncil on the anti-#SLAPP directive. This will not protect journalists against abusive lawsuits filed to silent them! [_link]

— Julie Majerczak 🇺🇦 (@JulieMajerczak) June 13, 2023

Pandora's box

Unsurprisingly, journalists and privacy advocates are not happy with the Council's suggested tweaks.

"National security is a classic exception. It opens the door to all kinds of abuse," Julie Majerczak, head of the Brussels bureau of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), told POLITICO, calling it a "Pandora's box."

Together with 59 other civil society organizations, RSF wrote an open letter to EU deputy ambassadors, urging them to reconsider their position. The current compromise "is not only weakening safeguards against the deployment of spyware but also strongly incentivizes their use based solely on member states' discretion," the signatories said.

Majerczak is calling for strong legal safeguards -- failing the withdrawal of the national security clause -- like involving judicial authorities, should a government decide to spy on a reporter.

Nothing is set in stone. Once the Council has agreed on its mandate, it will have to negotiate with the Parliament -- which has yet to reach its position -- and the Commission before the new rules can enter into force.

We need Australia in the tank coalition of free nations.

Dear Australians, this message is for you:

Each and every tank we receive from Australia will help us break through the enemy's defenses - and as a result, regain our land and save the lives of our people. pic.twitter.com/AgHKurHdYz

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) June 1, 2023

The United Nations Environment Program said in a report last year that the metal's "chemical toxicity" presents the greatest potential danger, and "it can cause skin irritation, kidney failure, and increase the risks of cancer."

John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, said in March that the Russian argument was disingenuous and that Moscow's principal concern was the heightened threat to its tanks. "This kind of ammunition is fairly commonplace," he said, adding that studies indicate it isn't a radioactive threat. But at the time the U.S. wasn't providing Ukraine with any depleted-uranium rounds.
[...]

Some Pentagon officials favor providing cluster munitions--known as ["]dual-purpose improved conventional munitions["]--to Ukraine's forces to help them counter Russian forces. NATO's top commander, Gen.
Christopher Cavoli, has told Congress that that such weapons could be "very effective" against concentrations of Russian troops and equipment.
Officials at the NSC and State Department have resisted providing cluster munitions. Human-rights activists and some allied nations have raised concerns that unexploded ordnance in the ground could lead to civilian casualties long after the conflict is over.

On June 21, Ukraine will present another "Marshall Plan" in London. Forbes learned the details of the energy part of the reconstruction program

By 2050, Ukraine will become the energy hub of Europe, electricity production will increase 7 times, gas production - 4 times, oil - more than 6 times. More than $400 billion [!] will be invested in the energy sector. The government will present this future of Ukrainian energy to international partners and donors in London at the international conference on the recovery of Ukraine (URC 2023). What else does the plan for rebuilding the Ukrainian energy industry include and how realistic it is.

Almost a year ago, at the beginning of July 2022, the Ukrainian government in the Swiss city of Lugano presented to its partners a 10-year post-war reconstruction plan for Ukraine worth $750 billion. At that time, the government received many assurances of willingness to help, but no financial results followed. One of the reasons for the failure was that the plan covered too many directions and projects.
[...]

archived icog.es | The Mineral resources of Ukraine

How realistic are the plans

"These numbers have nothing to do with reality," says Oleksandr Kharchenko, director of the Energy Research Center. The plans significantly exceed Ukraine's already ambitious energy strategy, he adds. The energy strategy envisages the construction of 20.5 GW of nuclear generation, 29.1 GW of wind energy and 12.8 GW of solar generation by 2050.

[...]
The key role in the preparation of the presentation, which will be presented in London, is played by Rostislav Shurma, the deputy head of the President's Office, interlocutors in the government, the Ministry of Energy, state and private energy companies, who were involved in the preparation of the presentation to varying degrees, told Forbes. Forbes reached out to Shurma, but he declined to comment.

The preparation of the presentation took place virtually behind closed doors, says Forbes interlocutor in the government. "It is wrong. Materials for such a forum should be discussed in an expert environment," he adds.

Experts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) need access to a location near Ukraine's Zaporizh* Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) to clarify the reason for a significant discrepancy between different measurements of the height of the reservoir that is supplying water to cool the facility's six reactors and spent fuel storage, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

The level of the Kakhovka reservoir has been dropping rapidly since the downstream dam was severely damaged five days ago, but the ZNPP reported over the weekend that it had been stable for about a day as measured at the inlet of the Zaporizh* Thermal Power Plant (ZTPP) where water is pumped into a channel for use at the nearby nuclear power plant.

By 9am local time today, the water level by the ZTPP was estimated at 11.27 metres [!], down from nearly 17 metres before the dam was breached, according to data received by the IAEA experts at the ZNPP site.
[...]
At the current height of the reservoir by the ZTPP, the water pumps continue to be operable. At the moment, however, they are not continuously being operated as both the ZTPP channel and the large cooling pond near the ZNPP are full, holding sufficient water reserves for several months of cooling requirements.

The ZNPP cooling pond and the ZTPP discharge channel are both integral to continuing to supply cooling water and the Director General stressed again that maintaining their integrity is vital for the safety of the plant.

"The thermal power plant plays a key role for the safety and security of the nuclear power plant a few kilometres away. I fully expect that our experts will be able to go there very soon to independently assess the situation. I will also personally raise this important matter with the Zaporizh* Nuclear Power Plant," [Grassi] added.

A new water pumping unit was sent to the Zaporozh* facility, a senior Russian official has said.
[...]
"We can say with high confidence that the nuclear safety of the Zaporozh* Nuclear Power Plant will be maintained in full," [Rosenergoatom adviser Renat Karchaa] told the Rossiya-24 TV channel. He added that a mobile pumping station was being delivered from a nuclear plant in Smolensk to help cool the reactors if necessary.

Grossi had been expected to visit the facility on Wednesday following talks with President Volodymyr Zelensk* in Kyiv on Tuesday, but a diplomatic source said the visit would be delayed by "some hours"...Russian news agency Interfax quoted a Russian-installed local official as saying Grossi would visit on Thursday.

Details: "He is waiting to be able to travel safely," said a senior Ukrainian government official who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. The official did not say when Grossi would arrive at the plant. At the same time, TASS writes that the visit has been postponed to [Thursday] 15 June.

"The mission is being postponed for a day," Renat Karchaa, advisor to the Director General of the Rosenergoatom concern, told the agency, without specifying the reason.

vOLdEmRT | Deaths confirmed in frontline dam rupture (08.06.23)
At least 5 people were killed and 41 were injured in the wake of the breach of the Kakhovka [HPP] dam, the mayor of the city hosting the damaged structure has said.
"Reports came today that out of the seven people, who were grazing cattle, five died. We are in the process of evacuating the other two," Novaya Kakhovka Mayor Vladimir Leontyev reported during an interview on Thursday.

jwld.pl | Large and smal reservoirs of Ukraine (2022)

Novaya Kakhovka is located on the ["]left shore["] of the river and is controlled by Russia, while Ukraine controls the opposite side of the Kherson region. Ukrainian officials said there were some fatalities after the flooding on the ["]right shore["] as well. Water levels in the city rose by 12 meters [!] after the dam was breached, before starting to slowly recede by Tuesday [06.06.23] evening. Russian authorities estimated that 14 settlements were in the impact area. In addition to the direct damage to buildings, infrastructure, and fields, the incident caused the draining of a water reservoir, which was used to feed a canal transporting fresh water to Russia's Crimea.

Kiev claimed that Russian troops blew up the dam to prevent a possible [UAF] amphibious operation across the Dnieper in Kherson Region. Ukrainian officials say that charges were planted inside the dam, which the Russian Defense Ministry has denied. Moscow in turn blamed the Ukrainians, citing their [UAF] record of shelling the strategically important facility.
[...]

strana.ua | Zelensk* arrived in Kherson today and visited the crossing through which residents are being evacuated (08.06.23)
"Our task is to protect life as much as possible and help people," Zelensky said.

Dnieper River topographic map

On the eve of the Kherson region, they reported the evacuation of residents  from areas near the Kakhovka reservoir, in Kherson, water began to arrive in some areas. About 16 thousand [16K] people live in the flood zone.

Today, the governor of the [right bank] Kherson region, Alexander Prokudin, said that as of the morning, 1,999 people had been evacuated from the right bank of the Kherson region, of which almost one and a half thousand [1,500]  were from the Korabel district in Kherson. Earlier we wrote that residents are being evacuated from the Ostrov microdistrict in Kherson by boat. This is done by both employees of the State Emergency Service and volunteers. And in the flood zone on the day of the explosion of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station, 52 people were rescued .

The shelling came just after Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensk* visited a ["]crossing point["] where people were being evacuated from flooded areas and called for "a clear and quick global response" to Tuesday's bombing of the ["left bank" of the] Nova Kakhovka [HPP] dam, which Kyiv and its allies say the Kremlin orchestrated [a/k/a mined].

"Orcs have just fired at School No. 2 where people from flooded homes were gathering," said Yevhen Rischuk, the Ukrainian mayor-in-exile of the occupied town of ["left bank"] Oleshky, which has been hit hard by the floodwaters. "Orcs" is the nickname Ukrainians use for Russian forces. Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office subsequently reported that nine civilians have been wounded in the city of Kherson.
[...]
On Wednesday, Zelensk* told Axel Springer [!], POLITICO's parent company, that Russian forces were shooting at Ukrainian rescuers attempting to reach those trapped in flood-struck areas of occupied Kherson. "As soon as our helpers try to rescue them, they are shot at," Zelensk* said.

"Russians are shelling the shores and the central district" of Kherson, the [Kherson] region's governor, Oleksandr Prokudin, said in a statement. ... Prokudin said that as of Thursday morning, the water level in Kherson had risen [?]  by 5.61 meters [from 11m - 12m?]. He said 600 square kilometers of the Kherson region is under water, of which 32 percent is on the Ukrainian-held ["right"] bank of the Dnipro River and 68 percent is on the Russian-occupied ["left"] bank.

Source: Yevhen Ryshchuk, the mayor of Oleshky, on Facebook; Suspilne news outlet; Radio Liberty, referring to Tetiana Hasanenko, Head of the Oleshky Military Administration

Kremlin-backed local authorities claim they are rescuing residents from the left bank of the Dnipro River, with some 1,300 out of 40,000 evacuated. Painting a rosy picture, Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed acting governor of Kherson, said in a statement that children have been removed from the flood zone and sent "to the sea to good holiday camps in the Kherson region, or Crimea." He continued: "As for the adult residents, few show a desire to evacuate. People want to wait until the water comes down and continue to work on their land."

But those on the ground report a different reality.

Ten natives of the town of Oleshky and the village of Kardashynka, located some 20 kilometers and 36 kilometers southeast of the city of Kherson respectively, told POLITICO that locals tried to flee immediately after the dam blasts—but Russian troops blocked them and forced them to return home to wait for an official list of evacuees who would be bussed out of the area. And Russian forces are actively preventing Kyiv's authorities from rescuing those who are trapped by floodwaters in occupied areas, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensk* said in an exclusive interview.

"From the roofs of the flooded houses, people see drowned people floating by," Zelensk* said. "It's very hard to get people out of the occupied ["left bank"] part of Kherson region. When our ["volunteer"] forces try to get them out, they are shot at by occupiers from a distance."
[...]"On the territory of the left bank that is not under Ukrainian control, evacuation is required for 20 settlements [!], with an estimated population of 25,000 [!] people," [Ukraine's Environment Minister Ruslan] Strilets said, adding: "The Russian occupying authorities are not providing evacuation assistance to the people."

Russian troops seemed disoriented by the scale of the disaster after the dam burst, eyewitnesses indicated.

"They left their own soldiers and weapons there," said Oleksandra, a resident of Oleshky who has also been helping coordinate local rescue efforts. Oleksandra asked for her surname to be withheld due to safety concerns.
[...]
Some Russian soldiers have attempted to help those in some parts of the disaster zone, Oleksandra said, but the efforts are sporadic and complicated by a lack of trust in the occupying forces. Told that Russian authorities had arranged for busses to shuttle them to safety, locals were terrified at the thought of boarding them: "They did not know where Russians would take them. They were afraid to be deported to Russia," said Oleksandra.

[...]
Ukraine has cut four bridges close to [Kherson] city and has also targeted Russian military infrastructure in the province, using artillery supplied by the West. Mr. [Vladimir] Saldo [RU gov] said that the evacuation, which was organized initially by the local authorities, applied to people living on both banks of the river.
[...]

[...]
Since the start of October, Ukrainian forces have burst through Russia's front lines there [Kherson] in their biggest advance in the south since the war began. They have since moved rapidly along the river's western bank, aiming to cut off thousands of Russian troops from supply lines and potential routes of retreat. Kyiv says it has recaptured more than 400 square kilometres (155 miles) in the Kherson region in less than a week, with its forces bearing down towards the three-kilometre-long (two-mile-long) Nova Kakhovka dam that provides one of the last river crossings.
[...]

Russian-installed governor Vladimir Saldo said authorities were moving civilians to the left (east) bank of the Dnipro River in order to "keep people safe" and allow the military to "act resolutely".

Lars Wilderäng (22.10.22)
Modeled by Dämmningsverket AB using the US Army Corps of Engineers (SACE) software HEC-RAS 6.3. The terrain data comes from Nasa.'s Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) and are available from the United States Geographical Survey (USGS). The model is not based on actual measurements of the current state of the Dnipro flow, waterline, temperature, humidity, air pressure, wind speed and anytning else which would affect the model, but on assumptions for a worst case. Assumptions include that the water-level in the dam is 13 meters above the Dnipro downstream, and that the dam break over an hour expands to a width of approximately 200 meters break in the dam. The destruction of the dam by Russia woudl be a war crime according to the Geneva Convention.

The American aerospace company Maxar Technologies on its Twitter page released satellite images showing that the Russian occupiers damaged the dam of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant [HPP] in the Kherson Region. The images show that individual sections of the dam and locks have been destroyed. In general, the damage looks like significant. At the same time, according to CNN, referring to the analysis of satellite images of Maxar Technologies, water flows from three lock gates on the dam.

🇺🇦 Ukraine has demanded a billion dollars after the explosion of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station.

The head of Ukrhydroenergo said that the hydroelectric power station cannot be restored and it needs to be built anew.

"To build a new station, you need at least 5... pic.twitter.com/ys7yNWfd3o

— Zlatti71 (@djuric_zlatko) June 8, 2023

Ukraine's domestic security agency, SBU, posted a one-and-a-half-minute audio recording on its Telegram channel in which two men are heard discussing in Russian the aftermath of the dam collapse.

"The invaders wanted to blackmail Ukraine by blowing up the dam and staged a man-made disaster in the south of our country."

Meanwhile, seismic data picked up by the NORSAR observatory in Norway showed activity at 2:54 a.m. local time on June 6 indicating an explosion -- with the timing of the explosion coinciding with media reports of the dam collapse.

"The signal that we are analyzing, the way the energy is recorded on the sensors at distance, clearly shows us that this is an explosive-type character compared to many other explosions that we monitored in the past," Volker Oye, head of research at NORSAR told Reuters on Friday.

Kakhovskaya HPP Dam is the sixth, lower stage of the Dnieper Cascade. The North Crimean Canal feeds from the Kakhovka Reservoir. Earlier, the scientific director of the Institute of Water Problems, Viktor Danilov-Danilyan, explained to RG that Crimea could do without a canal at all and live more or less normally. The only thing that will have to be abandoned is RICE SOWING. "Crimeans don't have to worry this year: the reservoirs of the North Crimean Canal are about 80 percent full, and that's enough for the season," he stressed.

In the Kherson Region, the water level in the Dnieper has returned to its natural riverbad after the Russians [?] blew up the Kakhovka HEPP. Now the level fluctuations correspond to the natural fluctuations of this time of year. This is reported by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU).
[...]
Two settlements (two houses) on the ["]right bank["] of the Dnieper and 17 settlements in the temporarily occupied territory ["left bank"] of the Kherson Region remain flooded.

Work on pumping out water is ongoing. Over the past day, 72,000 tons of water were pumped out of 56 basements. Since the beginning of the works, more than 373,008 tons of water have been pumped out of 923 houses and basements.

As Ukrainian News Agency [ukranews] earlier reported [translator disabled], two weeks after the incident, the water level in the Kakhovka Reservoir Dnieper River dropped below the level at which water can be taken from it. Later, specialists of Ukrhydroenergo [19.06.23] assumed that the ["natural"] water level in the reservoir Dnieper could drop to 7 meters.

After the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant's dam by the Russian occupiers...

We previously reported that it may take at least 6 years to dismantle the destroyed dam of the Kakhovka HEPP and build a new structure.

He said this during a speech in the Verkhovna Rada, RBC-Ukraine reports. According to Zelensk*, all the world's best physical and mental rehabilitation practices should be applied in Ukraine.

"All the best world practices, all the most effective practices, all decisions, no matter how difficult or unusual they may seem for us, must be applied in Ukraine so that Ukrainians, all our citizens, do not have to endure the pain, stress, and trauma of war," the President said. Zelensk* supported not only the legalization of medical cannabis, but its controlled production in Ukraine.

"In particular, we must finally honestly legalize cannabis-based medicines, relevant scientific research and controlled Ukrainian production for all who need it," Zelensk* said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated this during a speech in the Verkhovna Rada on Constitution Day, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"The specific goal for Ukraine's GDP is a trillion [US?] dollars [UAH 36,834,420,427,700]. Yes, a trillion dollars is a very, very high bar, and it seems to be unrealistic. But Ukraine's potential can provide it," the head of state said.

"Ukraine will abandon the idea that Ukrainian labor should be cheap. The cheap labor of our people was supposed to be a competitive advantage of Ukraine. We aim to achieve a level of wages that could be determined by the formula: neighbors in the European Union plus 30 percent. After the victory, Ukraine will rely primarily on skilled labor and therefore on education," Zelensk* said.
[...]
As reported, First Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko said at Ukraine Recovery Conference in London that Ukraine aims to increase its gross domestic product (GDP) to USD 1 trillion in ten years.

"Ukraine needs a new economic model. Without this, it will be impossible to achieve the set and very ambitious goal - Ukraine's GDP should total $1 trillion in 10 years," [PM Denys] Shmyhal said at the Cabinet's meeting, Ukrinform reports.

According to him, the Ministry of Economy will play the main role in the fulfillment of this goal and therefore will present a clear and comprehensive strategy for the new economy of Ukraine. Private capital and entrepreneurs will take the lead in this economic model.

In turn, the Head of Government added, the role of the state in the economy will be drastically reduced. Privatization will continue and corporate governance reform will be completed, radical deregulation will be carried out, and all business services will be digitized.

Pre-war taxes will return from August. Rada voted to abolish the single tax of 2% for businesses (30.06.23)
... The adoption of the bill is one of the conditions of the program with the IMF. wrote about it in detail earlier. ["Business is waiting for a double increase in the single tax - they paid 2% of turnover, it will be 5%."] ...

"As we said, the focus should not be just on the GDP figure. New jobs and new businesses are the indicators by which the work will be evaluated. One of the key elements of the economic philosophy is the principle that Ukraine bets on recycling. Not the export of raw materials, but the export of finished products. Inclusion of Ukraine in European and global production chains," Shmyhal noted.
[...]

Major-General Kyrylo Budanov, 37, was last seen in early June in a flashy promotional video from the Ukrainian military about their counter-offensive, titled Plans Love Silence.

Fate Kyrylo Budanov @MofA

'Sapere aude'

Not Budanov, but too UA commander likely being treated in a German hospital with brain trauma and in coma.

Russian President Vladimir Putin does not rule out that Ukrainian Army Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny could be abroad

DARPA and Ukroboronprom

'Sapere aude'

The criminal case against Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) founder Evgeny Prigozhin will be dropped and he will leave Russia, the Kremlin announced on Saturday evening. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov revealed that Prigozhin, a Saint Petersburg tycoon who made his initial fortune in catering, "will go to Belarus." He added that Wagner's fighters will not be persecuted, taking into account their efforts on the frontlines of the Ukraine conflict. Peskov explained that President Vladimir Putin's team "have always respected their exploits." PMC contractors who refused to take part in the mutiny—and whole units did not—will be allowed to sign contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry, Peskov stated.

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya* has called on Belarusians to not let an opportunity to save Belarus go to waste. The Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment, a group of Belarusian opposition volunteers defending Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, has said the military and civilians in Belarus should "wait for a signal".

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Telegram; the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment on Telegram (both made their appeals in Belarusian)

Quote from Tsikhanouskaya: "Putin might try to drag the Belarusian military into his own internal conflict, and make us part of this conflict. I want to call on Belarusian diplomats, the military, and law enforcement agencies to remember that we have our own national interests. Putin and Prigozhin are no friends to Belarus. You do not have to choose their side. The people of Belarus have to defend their own country.

The Situation In Russia Has Been Stabilized. Military Summary And Analysis For 2023.06.25

People are joking that Belarus currently has nuclear weapons, and Belarus has Prigozhin, and basically Belarus has the most powerful weapons in the world.

It is not clear who can feast on berries at such prices, except to buy by the piece, Kiev residents are outraged in social networks.
[...]
According to Oleg Pendzin, head of the Economic Discussion Club, the record price tags for cherries, blueberries and raspberries can be explained by the fact that imported products are now presented. And since logistics has risen in price, so have the price tags. When the season of domestic berries begins, prices will decrease, but will still be higher than last year. For example, Ukrainian cherries will not be enough, because Melitopol and some other settlements of the Zapor*zh* region, where the main supplies came from earlier, remain captured by the Russians and there will be no supplies from there this season.

According to him, nuclear reactors without cooling can melt down in a period of 10 hours to 14 days. He believes that Russia will be able to increase the voltage in the plant's power lines, which will lead to a nuclear accident in a shorter time.

"The plan of the terrorist attack at the ZNPP has been fully developed and approved. They can use technical means to accelerate the catastrophe," Budanov added.

"...The Israeli leadership hides behind verbal demagoguery about its neutrality (which it no longer hides) and forms ties with the Russian Federation. In reality, the alleged 'neutrality' of the Israeli government is clearly a pro-Russian stance.

"We call on the Israeli government to change its position, support Ukraine with protective measures, support elections and the world democratic order. We expect Israel to be on the right side of history," the Ukrainian embassy said in a statement.

"On Friday evening, June 23, in Uzhgorod in the restaurant "Three Aces", the head of the counterintelligence department of the SBU, Panarin Andrei, together with his subordinates, were loud during the rest. At the same time, General Mikulin was in the restaurant, who was meeting with an assistant to the people's deputy from the ruling Servant of the People party Lyudmila Marchenko - Ruman Vayel and representatives of an international European organization. Mikulin made a remark to representatives of the counterintelligence of the SBU that they were behaving loudly. They, without understanding, began to beat Mikulin, "says the source.

According to him, the counterintelligence officers did not stop there.

"Having beaten Mikulin right in the establishment, a group of counterintelligence officers took Mikulin to the forest, where they beat him again, knocked out his teeth and took away his iPhone 14 mobile phone," the source says.

Today, the British general and member of the House of Lords, Richard Dannat, suggested that the forces of "Wagner" and Prigozhin could still be useful to the Kremlin and could launch an attack on the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the territory of Belarus to Kiev.

"The fact that he left for Belarus raises some concerns," he told Sky News.

According to Dannat, if Prigozhin "has retained combat-ready combat forces around him, then he again poses a threat to the Ukrainian flank closest to Kyiv." He considers it "quite possible" that Russia could use the Wagner PMC to go to Kyiv again.

The Ukrainian command commented on this forecast and stated that the situation on the border with Belarus is stable and controlled.

"I want to assure everyone that the situation in the northern operational zone remains stable and controlled. Our troops continue to build up defense assets. All services, from intelligence to engineering troops, are working in an enhanced mode.

"So far, neither the build-up of equipment nor the manpower of the enemy has been observed. The border of the state is under reliable protection 24/7," said the commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Sergey Naev.

... The online Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted across the country and polled [n=] 1,004 adults, including 400 Democrats and 383 Republicans. Error of representativeness [sic] 4%....

Simple ... keep your side of the bargain ...WIN the war and reconquer all territory.

Peace can only be reached through military might. 🤥

By its conception, how it should have moved forward ...

• NATO Address by Lithuanian President - 16 Oct. 1996

But no, the Empire decided to call the Russian Federation a pariah state that needed to be taken out. Stop the bloodshed you moron.

'Sapere aude'

8 Jan 2023: "Korean scenario", "Korean-style armistice"

360° thread music

Allies Pressure Biden to Hasten NATO Membership for Ukraine, 14 June NSA "equities"

[...]
The issue of how to define Ukraine's future in the alliance has overtaken a second question, how to come up long-term security assurances for Ukraine. Mr. Biden's aides are telling members of Congress they want to move to something akin to what they call "the Israel model," which has a 10-year-long < wipes tears > security commitment with the United States.

While Ukraine's would almost certainly be shorter, the idea, administration officials say, would be to convince Mr. Putin that the flow of arms and training to Kyiv will not flag -- and to bleed some of the politics out of episodic debates about how much aid to commit to Ukraine in the next six months or a year.
[...]

SYDORENKO: Firstly, Russia is responsible for this. Secondly, it was Russia itself that blew up the dam. Do you agree with any of these statements?
NATO: Again, Secretary General was very clear in what he said. The dam would not have been destroyed if it were not Russia's war. It's very clear. Indeed it was in Russian hands already for a year. The Russians were running it. There are all types of evidence. NATO is not in the business of gathering evidence and neither running investigations. So let me stop with that.
[...]
SYDORENKO: Mrs. Ambassador, I agree that practical assistance is much needed. However, for a country aspiring to become a NATO member and having strong support for membership within its society, it is also important to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
NATO: The decision to grant membership future for Ukraine was made in 2008 in Bucharest. So the leaders at that summit in 2008 made that decision. It was also a clear sense that Ukraine will need a membership action plan [MAP, 23.05.23] to implement that which is not yet. It did not happen.

This issue brief evaluates membership and other security options for the alliance and its members to consider. The options range from formal actions by NATO as a whole to collective or individualized efforts by member nations. The brief recommends that for geopolitical and values-based reasons, the alliance should, at a minimum, offer Ukraine a Membership Action Plan (MAP) or its equivalent supported by security guarantees that will help ensure success in its fight against Russia and strengthen security in Europe for the long term.

SYDORENKO: I apologise, but I have to interrupt you here. Ukraine is clearly stating, at the official level, that it does not accept the option of receiving MAP (presidential decree of constitutional jurisdiction). President Zelensk* has made this clear. I understand that it is not up to you or me to make this decision and that it is a matter for the leaders of the Allies to consider.
NATO: That was in 2008 what the leaders decided. The cooperation, the integration of Ukraine, the practical work is very, very comprehensive. It really includes all the areas from civil to military to everything. That is what makes Ukraine special. It's not only the words; it's not a sort of paper but real work. That's what NATO is about - real work.

An essential part of all this is obviously, Ukraine has to leave victorious in the war. There has to be an independent democratic Ukraine that can join NATO after the war. During the war, the perspective is important. That's why Secretary General went to Kyiv, and we affirmed the decision of the Allies that Ukraine would be a member of NATO.
[...]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensk* warned in a television interview on Thursday that the United States could face the "collapse of NATO" or a direct conflict with Russia if Ukraine does not win the war.

Zelensk*'s comments come less than four weeks before a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, where support for Ukraine will be a central topic on the agenda for the military alliance. President Joe Biden is also expected to announce increased security guarantees for Ukraine ahead of the summit in July.

Speaking through an interpreter, Zelensk* issued a stark warning to any American politician or 2024 presidential candidate who is skeptical about providing more aid to equip K**v in its war against Russia. "Is he ready to go to war? To fight, to send his kids? Are they ready to die?" Zelensk* asked. "Because anyway, they will have to do this if NATO gets involved."

The financial institution which performed the worst in the DNB analysis was not identified by name. One of the problems is that they do not always search for every spelling of a name on the sanctions list.

"These are really kindergarten mistakes. In the sanction regulations, the name of the sanctioned person is often spelled in five ways, so in English, Dutch, Russian, Ukrainian, and then possibly an extra spelling, because this has been handled poorly before," Heleen over de Linden, an expert on economic sanctions, told the NL Times.

Eva Kaili is back with a new story: There's a conspiracy | Politico |

The Qatargate suspect is pushing to reframe her case as an anti-spying morality tale, prompting some incredulity.

'Sapere aude'

The resistance from France has complicated months of discussion within NATO to create the alliance's first outpost [FALSE] in the Indo-Pacific region, according to eight people familiar with the situation.

• US Military Bases in Japan: 8
• NATO | Relations with Japan
"NATO and Japan have been engaged in dialogue and cooperation since initial contacts in the early 1990s. Japan is one of a number of countries beyond the Euro-Atlantic area—often referred to as "partners across the globe"—with which NATO is developing relations."
• NATO and Japan conduct first ever joint ["]counter-piracy["] drill (25.09.14)
• Galic, M., Navigation by Sun and Compass, Policy Brief One
"That Japan and NATO developed formal relations only in the waning days of the Cold War is no coincidence. France's 1983 focus on NATO's European identity reflected the Alliance's formal mission of defending Western Europe's territorial integrity from Soviet aggression."

The push to open a small ["NATO"] base in Tokyo next year comes as the US and Japan urge Europe to become more involved in Asia security issues, particularly as concern mounts about possible future Chinese military action against Taiwan.
[...]
One French official said Paris believed NATO's charter required the alliance to limit its geographic reach to the "north Atlantic". But the official also suggested it could undermine European credibility with China in regard to the war in Ukraine, particularly in terms of asking Beijing not to supply arms to Russia. One of the people familiar with the debate inside NATO said France was reluctant to back anything "that contributes to NATO-China tension"
[...]

antaranews | President Joko Widodo to open 2023 MNEK in Makassar Strait (28.05.23)
"'The opening is on June 5, 2023, and will be opened by President Joko Widodo,' Makassar Navy Base VI Commander Brigadier General Amir Kasman said here on Sunday. He said MNEK [2023 Komodo Multilateral Naval Exercise] is a non-war exercise that prioritizes maritime cooperation in the region, disaster mitigation, and humanitarian operations. The drill is aimed to strengthen cooperation between the Indonesian Navy and friendly countries such as the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Netherlands, the Philippines, Pakistan, Singapore, Russia, Thailand, Timor Leste, and the United Kingdom."

Macron's resistance comes two months after he angered the US and other allies by suggesting, during a visit to China [06.04.23], that Europe should distance itself from US-China tensions over Taiwan.

Setting up a new NATO office requires unanimous support from the North Atlantic Council, NATO's highest political decision-making body, which means France has the power to stop the move. NATO declined to give details about "ongoing deliberations". The Japanese government did not comment. But a Japanese official said Tokyo wanted to strengthen ties with the alliance. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
[...]

In addition to its formal partnerships, NATO cooperates with a range of countries which are not part of these structures. Often referred to as "Partners across the globe", these countries develop cooperation with NATO in areas of mutual interest, including emerging security challenges, and some contribute actively to NATO operations either militarily or in some other way.

Reuters: According to a news report, French President Emmanuel Macron has objected to NATO's proposal to open an office in Tokyo, saying NATO should remain focused on its own north Atlantic region. What is the ministry's comment on this? 
Wang Wenbin: We have noted relevant reports. NATO has publicly stated on many occasions that it remains a regional alliance and does not seek a geopolitical breakthrough. Asia lies beyond the geographical scope of the North Atlantic and has no need for a replica of NATO. However, we have seen NATO bent on going east into this region, interfering in regional affairs and inciting bloc confrontation. What is NATO really up to? This calls for high vigilance among countries in the world, particularly in Asia. As I said yesterday, the attitude of the majority of countries in the region is very clear. They oppose the emergence of military blocs in the region. They don't welcome NATO's outreach in Asia. They don't want a replica of bloc confrontation in Asia. And they certainly will not allow any Cold War or hot war to happen again in Asia. NATO needs to have a sober understanding of this. Japan should make the right call in keeping with the region's stability and development interests and refrain from doing anything that may undermine mutual trust between regional countries and peace and stability in the region.

Bloomberg: The US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that military interception maneuvers by Chinese ships and planes suggest a growing aggressiveness from Beijing and could lead to an accident. What's the foreign ministry's comment on Mr. Kirby's remarks? ...

Economic output in the 20 countries that use the euro currency dropped 0.1% in both the final three months of 2022 [Q4] and the first three months of this year [Q1] from the previous quarter, according to the European Union's statistics agency Eurostat....However, the economists on a panel that declares eurozone recessions use a broader set of data including unemployment figures and European labour markets have held up to recent economic shocks.
[...]

Jake Ssssullivan, the White House national security adviser, has agreed to attend the meeting in Copenhagen with officials from countries including India, Brazil, and South Africa, according to people familiar with the plans. The list of attendees has not been finalised and could change before the gathering, one of the people cautioned.
[...]
One of the people familiar with the plans said that, following the Ukrainian request, Washington has been encouraging China, India, Brazil, Turkey, and South Africa to attend. Ssssullivan will travel with < wipes tears > Victoria Nuland, the number-three official at the US state department. A  senior EU official will also participate. The White House declined to comment

Two people familiar with the plans said the officials would discuss peace principles for Ukraine in an informal setting. One stressed that the meeting was not intended to result in any concrete outcome.

AP | G7 'outreach' an effort to build consensus on global issues like Ukraine, China, climate change (19.05.23)
Leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy democracies are joining their counterparts from other countries during their summit in Japan in an effort to expand the G7's sway and to include voices from the so-called Global South....

Ssssullivan this week said that while India had a different perspective on the war in Ukraine, it would be useful to discuss the conflict with Modi. He added that Zelensk* had urged Biden to engage with leaders such as Modi, [current G20 president].

"We think this actually sends a message to the [Price Cap] coalition and Ukraine that we're working to advocate on their behalf with a broader range of countries than just those that show up around the table either in NATO. . . or at the G7," Ssssullivan told reporters this week, when discussing Modi's visit [to USA].

Explaining a joke is no fun at all!

I needed drag up every archived note on the subject of RU-CN oil and gas JVs.

BTW kommersant | Dubai is like oil, 31 May

The Dubai variety is the main benchmark used in oil supplies to Asia; in particular, exports of raw materials via the ESPO oil pipeline are tied to it, while Brent [is] used mainly in European trading. "If Russian oil does not enter the European market, then there is no reference price for Russian oil that does not enter," the head of Rosneft said back in February. "Reference prices will be formed where oil volumes actually go," Mr. Sechin said.
[...]
Dubai is a medium-sulfur oil grade close in its characteristics to Urals, while BrentIt is a light low-sulphur oil [like WTI and ESPO].

msnbc | OPEC excludes some WSJ, Reuters, and Bloomberg reporters from meeting, 1 June commodity speculators

The OPEC Secretariat, which oversees media accreditation, on Tuesday issued invitations to some journalists to cover the June 3-4 meetings on-site.

The Asian Clearing Union (ACU)—a nine-member group of central banks including those of [BT, BT, MV, MM, NP, LK,] India, Pakistan, and Iran - has decided to launch a new cross-border financial ["]messaging system["] in June, as an alternative to SWIFT, according to the Iranian newspaper Kayhan.

The daily cited Central Bank of Iran deputy governor Mohsen Karimi as saying the new payment system is capable of completely replacing SWIFT and could facilitate the global de-dollarization push. The regulator reportedly stated last week that the new financial system will be used only by ACU member-states, but that others, including sanctioned countries like Syria, could apply for membership. Belarus and Mauritius have already reportedly reached out to the union.
[...]
Speaking at the ACU meeting in Tehran last week, Central Bank of Iran governor Mohammad Reza Farzin claimed that dropping the US dollar would help to protect member states' foreign exchange reserves while still enabling effective settlement of bilateral trade deals.

Sources told The Hindu that one of the reasons may heen do to "scheduling difficulties", and that the government had not received final confirmations from some of the SCO leaders, including China and Pakistan. In addition, the coninuing war in UKRAINE anD recent escalation of drone attacks in Kiev and Moscow may have cast a show over the participation of Rusian President Vladimir Putin.

SCO (2001 NGO): CN, RU, IN, PK, KZ, KG, TJ, UZ, IR, AM*, AF*, AZ*, BY*, TR*, LK*, KH*, SA*, EG*, MY*, MV*, KW*, AE*

Prime Minister Narenda Modi's own travel schedule is also quite busy, said officials, including a state visit to the United States (June 19-24) and a visit to Paris for the National Day parade on July 14.

Another pending issue is the [incomplete] conference venue [construction] at Pragati Maidan that was originally supposed to be ready in time for the G20 Ministerial meetings earlier this year as well as the SCO summit and the G20 summit in September.

indiatvnews | New Parliament Opening: Who are in support and who are boycotting May 28 ceremony (26.05.23), deccanherald | Chhatisgarh CM Baghel slams PM Modi over Parliament inauguration event (26-28.05.23), AP | Modi opponents boycott opening of new Indian Parliament; PM says it breaks with colonial past (28.05.23), bbc | New parliament: PM Modi inaugurates building amid opposition boycott, pmindia.gov.in | PM's address at the celebration of dedication of New Parliament Building to the Nation (28.05.23, Hindi only)

[...]
The MEA statement said that the theme of this year's SCO summit is "Towards a SECURE SCO" which stands for Security; Economy (and trade); Connectivity; Unity; Respect (for sovereign and territorial integrity); and Environment. India has also set up new working groups during the year on several issues[—] including Start-ups and Innovation, Traditional Medicine, and Digital Inclusion—and hosted a total of 134 SCO meetings and events, including 14 ministerial-level meetings.

TRT | South African delegation blocked from leaving plane in Poland A charter flight carrying security forces and journalists was blocked upon landing at Warsaw Chopin Airport on Thursday, with Polish authorities not allowing those on board to disembark, South African officials said on Friday. .... some journalists aboard the aircraft reported they had been finally allowed to disembark after more than 24 hours on the tarmac, although it was not immediately clear whether they would be allowed to travel onwards.

About 120 people were stuck on the plane, who were all on their way to a peace summit in Ukraine. Some of the passengers are now disembarking and going to a hotel. Poland's actions have left President Cyril Ramaphosa, who travelled separately to Ukraine, without some of his security detail. This prompted a furious reaction from Mr Ramaphosa's head of security, Maj Gen Wally Rhoode.

The group was held hostage for over 20 hours after being barred from disembarking from their plane at Warsaw Chopin Airport in Poland, because they failed to produce original documents for the weapons which they have carried.

"We landed at the Warsaw Chopin Airport in Poland at around 13:30 on Thursday. We weren't allowed to disembark. It's now 14:07 on Friday. Can you imagine what it feels like?" tweeted Journalist Amanda Khoza who is part of the group.

On 15 June, a plane carrying members of the security team of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was detained at Warsaw Chopin Airport. The situation resulted from a failure to comply with standard entry procedures required by the Polish side. Dangerous goods were on board the plane, which South African representatives did not have permission to bring in. In addition, there were persons on board the aircraft of whose presence the Polish side had not been notified beforehand.

Air defense sirens blared Friday in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, as a delegation of African heads of state met with government leaders with hopes to broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia. Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko posted on social media that there was an explosion in the central Podil district. "Missiles are still flying towards Kyiv," he said on the social media platform Telegram.

South African presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya has accused Reuters of peddling lies, after the news agency claimed that a Russian missile strike sent his delegation running for a bunker in Kiev. It was not the first time Ukrainian authorities sounded air raid sirens when foreign leaders arrived in the city. Magwenya arrived in Kiev on Friday with President Cyril Ramaphosa, who along with five other African leaders met with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensk* to promote a negotiated end to the conflict with Russia.
[...]

ruptly | Poland-Ukraine: African leaders and PMs hold talks during train ride to Kiev for peace mission, A/V (EN) with report
...Later on Friday, the African delegation will depart Kiev towards St Petersburg, where the leaders are planning to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday.

However, no sirens or explosions were actually heard, Magwenya said. "We didn't hear any explosions," he tweeted. "Instead, we saw people going on about their day leisurely. Everything seems normal from what we have experienced thus far."

Politigibberish | Biden rolls out red carpet for Modi, despite concerns over human rights, 20 June

Though he leads the world's largest democracy, Modi has ruled as an autocratic-leaning Hindu nationalist whose government has overseen a crackdown on everyone from journalists to political opposition leaders as part of a larger targeting of Indian Muslims.

For Biden, this is more than a mere inconvenience. Human rights advocates have criticized him not just for hosting Modi, but for throwing him a state dinner, a prestigious honor bestowed upon only two other foreign leaders since Biden took office.

In private, White House officials concede they are bound by realpolitik. India is viewed as a crucial partner in the United States' ["]rivalry["] with CHINA. More broadly, the global contest between democracies and autocracies has defined Biden's foreign policy and the president has made the decision to cozy up to the region's [LARGEST, FASTEST GROWING] democracy, even if it is a deeply flawed one.
[...]

SPOILER ALERT Indian oil companies can also purchase oil at any price they want

Obama gave his comments ahead of the official state visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been criticized for his government's treatment of Muslims and a weakening of press freedoms. He added that protecting the rights of minority groups in India is essential.

wsj | Why Narendra Modi Was Banned From the U.S. (02.05.14)
"The 2005 decision by the George W. Bush administration now puts President Barack Obama in a bind."
obamawhitehouse | President Obama Meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (30.09.14)
"The President recognized the Prime Minister's historic victory in the Indian general election earlier this year"
Remarks With Vice President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (30.09.14)
"BIDEN: a portrait—a copy of a portrait of my great-great-great grandfather who—the Irish part of me is hard to admit, but was an English sea captain who settled and lived in India, and there are three Biden families in Mumbai."

"Part of my argument would be that if you do not protect the rights of ethnic minorities in India, then there is a strong possibility India at some point starts pulling apart. And we've seen what happens when you start getting those kinds of large internal conflicts," he said.

brookings | Mr. Modi goes to Washington (again) (03.06.16)
"Do not, however, expect to hear the word 'Pakistan'"

"But you have to do business with them—because they're important for national security reasons—there are a range of economic interests," he said. "If the president meets with Prime Minister Modi, then the protection of the MUSLIM minority in a majority-Hindu India, that's something worth mentioning," Obama added.

In a tweet, the New York Democrat urged her colleagues who stand for "pluralism, tolerance, and freedom of speech" to join her boycott. [...] Her statement comes a day after Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), the two MUSLIM women in Congress, said they would not be attending the Indian leader's speech.

"I'm actually really surprised," Modi said in response before launching into a full-throated assertion that India is still a strong democratic nation. "Indeed, India is a democracy," Modi said.

BIDEN:...Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your partnership. And I'll turn it over to you. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Modi! Modi! Modi!
PRIME MINISTER MODI: (Speaks Hindi.) (Applause.)
Thank you, President Biden, for your friendship. ... The people of the Indian community are enhancing India's glory in the U.S. through their talent, hard work, and dedication.

There are students in this room who are discovering the inner workings of semiconductors--starting in middle and high school--or training for other cutting-edge jobs.

Reuters reported.

Indian citizens are by far the most active users of the U.S. H-1B program and made up 73% of the nearly 442,000 H-1B workers in fiscal year 2022.

"We all recognize that mobility of our people is a huge asset to us," said another U.S. official. "And so our goal is to approach that in a sort of multifaceted way. The State Department already has been working very hard to find creative ways to make changes to things."
[...]
The companies using the most H-1B workers in recent years include the Indian-based Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services as well as Amazon, Alphabet, and Meta in the U.S., according to U.S. government data.

The US State Department could make the announcement on Thursday that a small number of Indians and other foreign workers on H-1B visas will be able to renew those visas in the US, without the need to having to travel to other nations, Reuters reported citing one of the sources, part of a pilot program that could be expanded in coming years.
[...]

rollcall | Modi's speech draws mixed lawmaker response amid rights concerns (23.06.23)
...In a speech well-spiced with lines aimed at eliciting strong applause from different congressional groups, including those concerned with climate change, women's political and economic opportunities, terrorism, and business development in individual U.S. states, Modi seemed to generate enthusiasm only when he spoke of the strength of the Indian-American diaspora, growing bilateral defense cooperation, Ukraine, maintaining a free Indo-Pacific, and the future of the U.S.-India relationship. The loudest cheers as well as piercing wolf whistles came from the galleries, filled with some of the U.S.'s roughly 4 million Indian Americans. Guests in the galleries chanted 'Modi! Modi! Modi' as well as in Hindi, 'Victory to the motherland' at the end of the roughly one-hour speech....

(PMO album)
pmindia.gov | A/V recording (EN), "live" tweets, and prepared text (EN, Hindi-Devanagari)

Sonic boom: F-16s investigate unresponsive plane in restricted airspace over DC

No heroes, no villains, just four deaths in a small civilian plane crash in mountains of Virginia.

'Sapere aude'

He faces seven charges, including willfully retaining national defense secrets in violation of the Espionage Act, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and making false statements (The Washington Post, The New York Times, CNN)

Ukraine needs advanced capabilities to help sustain their efforts in the long term and control the skies. That's why we asked @POTUS to send 4th gen fighter aircraft and long range missile systems to Ukraine. Now's the time to lean in. pic.twitter.com/rUHHrwn5OT

— Rep. Jason Crow (@RepJasonCrow) June 8, 2023

C-SPAN | Former Special Counsel John Durham Testifies on His Investigation of the FBI, Part 2, 21 June A/V (EN), run time 01:23:06

ABC News | House erupts in disorder after Republicans censure HUAC Meister Uniparty Marshall Adam Schiff, 21 June: "213-209, with Republicans voting yes, Democrats voting no, and six GOP lawmakers voting present"

[...]
"Racial classifications are wrong," Patrick Strawbridge, an attorney from Consovoy McCarthy representing the group, said during oral arguments. "That principle was enshrined in our law at great cost following the Civil War. A century of resistance to race neutrality followed, but this Court's landmark decision in Brown [v. Board of Education] finally and firmly rejected the view that racial classifications have any role to play in providing educational opportunities."
[...]

The Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement announced on 1 June the success of its years-long campaign against the operations of [UK] corporate security giant [AUS-subsidiary] G4S in Israel.

"In a major win for human rights activism against corporate complicity, the world's largest private security [US Inc.] company Allied Universal, which owns G4S, has decided to sell all its remaining business in apartheid Israel," BDS said in a statement.

The group added, "This follows years of an effective #StopG4S campaign waged by the BDS movement for Palestinian rights."

According to BDS, the campaign "led to high-profile divestment from G4S by the Church of Sweden, the United Methodist Church, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a Kuwaiti investment fund, UN agencies [!], trade unions, universities, and restaurant chains, among others, compelling the company in 2016 to divest from Israel's prison system, military checkpoints, and illegal settlements. Yet the company remained invested in Policity."
[...]

2007

Micron Technology Inc. on March 21 officially opened a new manufacturing facility in Xi'an, China. The facility, Micron's first manufacturing facility in China, is designed for assembly and test operations for Micron's semiconductor products, including dynamic random access memory, NAND flash memory and CMOS image sensors....

How many Micron plants in China now?
8

• Shanghai
• Shenzhen
• Xi'an
• Hsinchu
• Taichung
• Taipei
• Taoyuan

How does the State Council of China define "key information infrastructure"?

as China defines it

Article 2　The key information infrastructure mentioned in these regulations refers to public communication and information services, energy, transportation, water conservancy, finance, public services, e-government, national defense science and technology industry and other important industries and fields, as well as other infrastructures once damaged, loss of function or data leakage, which may seriously endanger national security, national economy and people's livelihood, and important network facilities and information systems of public interest.

[...]
The authority did not specify how Micron poses a cybersecurity risk, but it did cite China's Cybersecurity Law that took effect in 2016

Article 2 This Law applies to the construction, operation, maintenance and use of networks within the territory of the People's Republic of China, as well as the supervision and management of network security.

a wide-ranging regulation aimed at strengthening the government's oversight on the internet, with rules like real-name verification and storing local user data on local servers.

Both Democrats and Republicans say a supplemental for Ukraine could be a way to pad defense spending.

SEC Charges Coinbase for Operating as an Unregistered Securities Exchange, Broker, and Clearing Agency, 6 June
"Coinbase also charged for the unregistered offer and sale of securities in connection with its staking-as-a-service program."

archived SWIFT-like CBDC preppers, FTX bankruptcy, SEC's equivocation in Always read the footnotes

Ep. 5 As in most of the developing world, it's safer to be the president's son than his opponent. pic.twitter.com/AtRRaxYSjs

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) June 20, 2023

errata
Rt Rev Dr Cornel West goes (G)

D510 disinterest drama
Progressive democrats mull frustration

NEW! US Center for Reproductive Rights Restrictions as to Reasons® map

archived old US Center for Reproductive Rights map, Biden says 'yes, worldwide green zone, blue zone, tabloid Senate Democrats, September 2021 public property panic

U.S. congressional delegation arrives on 5-day trip to Taiwan | Feb. 19, 2023 |

MOFA welcomes visit of US congressional delegation to Taiwan | March 16, 2023 |

The visit of a bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation to Taiwan is welcomed by the government and people, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs March 15.
 
Led by Rep. Ken Calvert, chair of the defense subcommittee under the Appropriations Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, the group comprises other AC members Reps. Ed Case, Tom Cole, Mike Garcia, David Joyce and Steve Womack.
 
During the delegation's two-day trip, members had an audience with President Tsai Ing-wen, met with National Security Council Secretary-General Wellington Koo and attended a banquet hosted by Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu. Discussion topics spanned strengthening bilateral security cooperation and the advancement of economic and trade ties.
 
According to the MOFA, delegation members have been vocal advocates for Taiwan for many years, for example, calling for the country's inclusion in World Health Organization and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity. The ministry added they also supported signing of a bilateral trade agreement.

Biden hasn't changed U.S. policy on Taiwan, Jake Sullivan says | 5 days ago |

Why Lithuania and Czechia are pursuing closer ties with Republic of China, Taiwan

Czechia and Lithuania have broken from their European peers to take a more assertive approach towards relations with Taiwan. Their actions test the unity of the European Union's China policy and the power of the single market. 

EU to cohost GCTF meeting | April 14, 2021 |

The EU for the first time is to join Taiwan, the US and Japan to host a meeting of the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The virtual meeting would focus on supply chain restructuring, and financing for small and medium-sized enterprises, Department of North American Affairs Director-General Douglas Hsu (徐佑典) told a news briefing in Taipei.

Collection of U.S. actions inconsistent with words on China

'Sapere aude'

While hyping the spy installation in Cuba, in recent days, US media also reported on US Secretary of State  Antony Blinken's plan to visit China "as soon as next week" following his trip to the Middle East. However, neither China nor the US has officially released any information on his visit to China in the coming weeks.
[...]
In February, Blinken announced he was postponing his reported trip to China in response to the flying of what Washington labeled a "spy balloon" over the US. However, China never released or confirmed any information on Blinken's visit and blasted the hype over the balloon incident.
[...]
By hyping such accusations, the US can appear to gain the upper hand in dialogues and stand on the "moral high ground" to shame the other side for playing dirty while the US is "working to promote dialogue," said Wang.

China is now pursuing "a strategy that fuels The Contestation of Norms®", relying on its diaspora and cultural network to challenge and undermine the Western order. Like Russia, China uses "information manipulation, cyber-attacks, and espionage".

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang had a phone call with US Secretary of Stalking Antony Blinken at the latter's request on Wednesday [14 June] Beijing time shortly before the Chinese foreign ministry confirmed that Blinken will visit China on Sunday and Monday [17-18 June]. In the phone call, Qin expounded China's firm stance on core concerns such as the Taiwan question. The phone call serves as a reminder to the US side that it should "hold a correct attitude" for high-level meetings while correcting its wrong deeds, some experts said.

During the phone call with Blinken, Qin pointed out that since the beginning of the year, China-US relations have faced new difficulties and challenges, and the responsibility for this is clear. China has always viewed and handled China-US relations following the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Qin told Blinken during the phone call that he hopes that the US will take practical actions to implement the important consensus reached between the two heads of state on the sidelines of the G20 Bali summit in November 2022 and the relevant commitments made by the US, move toward China, effectively manage differences, promote exchanges and cooperation, and get China-US relations back on track to a healthy and stable development.

Blinken will meet senior Chinese officials where he will discuss the importance of maintaining OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION to "responsibly manage" the US-China relationship. He will also raise bilateral issues of concern, global and regional matters, and potential cooperation on shared transnational challenges, according to a readout from the US Department of State.
[...]

In London, the Secretary will attend the Ukraine Recovery Conference to help mobilize international support from the public and private sector to help Ukraine recover from Russia's brutal and ongoing attacks. While there, he will also meet with counterparts from the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and other partners and allies.

Anadolu Agency: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Qin Gang on the phone this morning. Can you give any details about the exchange? The US media reported that Blinken will visit Beijing on June 18. Can you confirm that information? Is there any plan for the visit?
Wang Wenbin: State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang had a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at US request this morning.
[...]
AFP: We've seen media reports that British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has been formally invited to visit China. The trip is reportedly expected to take place this summer. Can you confirm this? 
Wang Wenbin: On the visit you asked about, I have nothing to offer.

archived Now we are in CPTPP we should do our utmost to work with the others to veto China joining

[...]AFP: US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said yesterday that institutions like the IMF and the World Bank reflect American values and serve as a counterweight to unsustainable lending from others like China.

Testimony of Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen Before the Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives (13.06.23)
...the international financial institutions [IFIs] advance U.S. national interests by fostering a more resilient global economy....The World Bank and other multilateral development banks have also provided essential support to Ukraine....These institutions reflect American values. Assistance from the IFIs comes with strong requirements for governance, accountability, and debt sustainability. It serves as an important counterweight to nontransparent, unsustainable lending from others like China....

She also said she doesn't think China should qualify for the World Bank's loans. Do you have any response to Yellen's comments? 
Wang Wenbin: The IMF and the World Bank are multilateral financial institutions and platforms that reflect the trend towards greater democracy in international relations and advance international cooperation on the basis of fully taking into account the interests of all member states. The IMF is not the "International Monetary Fund of the United States", neither is the World Bank for that matter.
[...]

Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen at U.S.-India Business Council Ideas Summit (13.06.23)
...We are working closely with India, Australia, and Japan through the Quad. And we are writing new rules for the 21st century economy with India and a dozen other countries through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework [IPEF].... We are collaborating with India to deliver tangible outcomes on the G20's work to enhance cross-border payments as well as our financial inclusion efforts to connect the unbanked around the world ....

...In 2019, South Africa GDP was an estimated $358.8 billion (current market exchange rates); real GDP was up by an estimated 0.2%; and the population was 59 million. (Source: IMF) U.S. goods and services trade with South Africa totaled an estimated $17.8 billion in 2019....

South Africa stands to lose as much as USD 32.4 billion in export revenue, almost a 10th of its gross domestic product, should some of its main trading partners retaliate against its unwillingness to take a stance against Russia's war in Ukraine. "Together, the EU and US account for 30.4% of total exports by South Africa," compared with Russia's 0.23%, or 0.07% of GDP, said Ndivhuho Netshitenzhe, an economist at Stanlib Asset Management (Pty) Ltd., an investment manager with more than ZAR 650 billion (USD 34.4 billion) in assets under management.

A bipartisan group [Senators COONS and RISCH, Reprsentatives MEEKS and McCAUL] of [US] American lawmakers has asked the Biden administration [Stalker BLINKEN, USTR TAI, NSA Advisssor SsssULLIVAN] to punish South Africa for what they see as the country's support of Russia's war in Ukraine by moving a major trade conference scheduled to be held in South Africa this year to another country.

The request, made in a letter sent last week

...While we understand that the AGOA eligibility review process for 2024 is underway and that decisions have not yet been made, we question whether a country in danger of losing AGOA benefits should havethe privilege of hosting the 2023 AGOA Forum. Our concerns are shared by many South African citizens and businesses, who are increasingly vocal about deteriorating conditions in the country...

is the first concrete effort at retaliation by members of the U.S. government over the growing view in Washington that South Africa's relationship with Russia is moving in a direction that threatens America's national interests. The letter, obtained by NY Yella Cake, centers on an annual forum for the African Growth and Opportunity Act and Millennium Challege [!] Act Modernization Act], or AGOA.

The act provides duty-free access to the U.S. trade market for about three dozen African nations.

The term "eligible sub-Saharan African country'' means a country that the President has determined meets the eligibility requirements set forth in section 104 of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 3703)

South Africa, one of the continent's most developed [developing] economies, is its biggest beneficiary, exporting about $3 billion worth of goods to the United States through AGOA last year.

U.S. officials have US Amb. Rueben Brigety said intelligence suggests that South Africa may have helped supply Russia with arms for the war. South African officials say the country is "nonaligned" on the conflict, and deny selling weapons to Russia. [US] American lawmakers and the Biden administration have been at odds over how to respond to the suspicion.
[...]

Separately, Zelensk*'s adviser, Mikhail Podol*ak was recorded saying: "The most important thing that they had to do was the a misinfomation task, saying that they don't see in any missile in the air, that it all was a distraction, a fabrication. This was a primitive attempt to win attention warfare."

Corporate interest in reducing and offsetting greenhouse gas emissions has grown substantially in the past decade. With more than one-third of the world's largest publicly traded companies now committed to net-zero goals, according to the Net Zero Tracker, carbon credit offsets have been touted as a way for the private sector to reach its decarbonization targets.

One nature-based offset, soil carbon credit, has begun to gain traction particularly in the US and Australia, yet several challenges impede the take-off of such projects globally.

Opportunities

The intersection of voluntary carbon markets and agriculture has become increasingly important in the face of global climate change.

The agriculture industry contributes significantly to GHG emissions, yet there are numerous opportunities for the implementation of agricultural practices that reduce, avoid, or remove emissions from the sector.....

College Tour Twan Huys interviews CEO van Mercedes-Benz Ola Kaellenius at Technical University in Delft

Close business relationship with the Chinese ... extremely successful selling 750,000 cars each year, represents about a third of total production ... more than the American and European markt combined ⁉️

Wtf is Annalena Baerbock and the hype on human rights in Xinjiang ... a MIC war narrative pushed by compliant western MSM. Spy balloons and fair trade practice ...

'Sapere aude'

New Nord Stream Cover-Up Story Is Based On Dubious 'Leak' [_link] pic.twitter.com/84nNT1wqTF

— Moon of Alabama (@MoonofA) June 6, 2023

I am truly amazed by the Ukrainian Navy's ability to sail undetected for 10k miles roundtrip & blow up the Nord Stream pipeline with their Navy Seals! I trust Washington Post & CIA, which assures me that this is totally plausible, despite Ukraine not having a functioning Navy. pic.twitter.com/tltR9DhoRA

— Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) June 6, 2023

Ministers urge caution over reports pro-Ukrainian group behind gas pipeline blasts

• German prosecutors searched boat Nord Stream saboteurs may have used | The Guardian |
• "Der Spiegel": a Bavaria C50 yacht was used for the sabotage of the Nord Stream

  The boat, called "Andromeda", would have left the port of Rostock on 6 September, to stop at the island of Ruegen and the Danish island of Christianso, in the vicinity of which the explosions took place on 26 September