World Politics

[Mark F]

1 hour ago, blue_gold_84 said:

including China, for a ceasefire and negotiations to end the war n

seems unusual for China, I thought they were benefitting from the war, cheap oil. weakenedRussia in general.

 

I just read that the Putin invasion has greatly boosted renewable energy in Europe. fossil now 27 percent of power in Germany.

no going back. 

and putin backup customer India also shelving new fossil for renewable.

(stupid not to, since it is cheaper. )

international energy agency

:Global additions of renewable power capacity are expected to jump by a third this year as growing policy momentum, higher  fossil fuel prices and energy security concerns drive strong deployment of solar PV and wind power, according to the latest update from the International Energy Agency. 

The growth is set to continue next year with the world’s total renewable electricity capacity rising to 4 500 gigawatts (GW), equal to the total power output of China and the United States combined, says the IEA’s new Renewable Energy Market Update, which was published today. 

Global renewable capacity additions are set to soar by 107 gigawatts (GW), the largest absolute increase ever, to more than 440 GW in 2023. The dynamic expansion is taking place across the world’s major markets. Renewables are at the forefront of Europe’s response to the energy crisis, accelerating their growth there. New policy measures are also helping drive significant increases in the United States and India over the next two years. China, meanwhile, is consolidating its leading position and is set to account for almost 55% of global additions of renewable power capacity in both 2023 and 2024.:

oil companies are driving themselves out of business, with the last gasp grab.

👀

Edited June 2, 2023 by Mark F

[Tracker]

2 hours ago, Mark F said:

seems unusual for China, I thought they were benefitting from the war, cheap oil. weakenedRussia in general.

 

I just read that the Putin invasion has greatly boosted renewable energy in Europe. fossil now 27 percent of power in Germany.

no going back. 

and putin backup customer India also shelving new fossil for renewable.

(stupid not to, since it is cheaper. )

international energy agency

:Global additions of renewable power capacity are expected to jump by a third this year as growing policy momentum, higher  fossil fuel prices and energy security concerns drive strong deployment of solar PV and wind power, according to the latest update from the International Energy Agency. 

The growth is set to continue next year with the world’s total renewable electricity capacity rising to 4 500 gigawatts (GW), equal to the total power output of China and the United States combined, says the IEA’s new Renewable Energy Market Update, which was published today. 

Global renewable capacity additions are set to soar by 107 gigawatts (GW), the largest absolute increase ever, to more than 440 GW in 2023. The dynamic expansion is taking place across the world’s major markets. Renewables are at the forefront of Europe’s response to the energy crisis, accelerating their growth there. New policy measures are also helping drive significant increases in the United States and India over the next two years. China, meanwhile, is consolidating its leading position and is set to account for almost 55% of global additions of renewable power capacity in both 2023 and 2024.:

oil companies are driving themselves out of business, with the last gasp grab.

👀

India has signed an agreement with Kazakhstan for a major natural gas pipeline which will reduce imports from Russia dramatically.  Putin remains a master strategist.

[WildPath]

2 hours ago, Tracker said:

India has signed an agreement with Kazakhstan for a major natural gas pipeline which will reduce imports from Russia dramatically.  Putin remains a master strategist.

Hard to be a master strategist when you only surround yourself with people who tell you what you want to hear. I believe that was a major folly of Stalin's too.

[Tracker]

Credible reports indicate that a 300-man Polish volunteer force has joined Russian resistance forces in Belgorod.

[Tracker]

(Confirmed)Polish Volunteer Corps of the Ukrainian Army published pictures, confirming it participated in the first armed raid into Belgorod Russia, together with the RDK. Russian soldiers claimed earlier they heard some of the enemies communicating in Polish.

[blue_gold_84]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-russia-war-dam-breached-1.6866723

Quote

The wall of a major dam in a part of southern Ukraine that Moscow controls collapsed Tuesday after a reported explosion, sending water gushing downriver and prompting dire warnings of ecological damage as officials from both sides in the war ordered residents to evacuate.

The fallout could have broad consequences: Flooding homes, streets and businesses downstream; depleting water levels upstream that help cool Europe's largest nuclear power plant; and draining supplies of drinking water to the south in Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed.

The Kakhovka dam break added a complex new element to Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, now in its 16th month. Ukrainian forces were widely seen to be moving forward with a long-anticipated counteroffensive in patches along more than 1,000 kilometres of front line in the east and south of Ukraine.

The damage could potentially hinder Ukraine's counteroffensive in the south, while at the same time Russia depends on the dam to supply water to the Crimea region it annexed illegally in 2014.

Ukraine accused Russian forces of blowing up the Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power station, while Russian officials on the ground blamed Ukrainian military strikes in the contested area. It was not possible to verify the claims.

**** Russia.

[Tracker]

5 hours ago, blue_gold_84 said:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-russia-war-dam-breached-1.6866723

**** Russia.

The Russians did the same thing in WW2 in trying to halt or slow German advances. All they did then was to drown some 15,000 of their own soldiers, Predictably, Russia is blaming Ukraine while saying that Russia is winning every battle and destroying a lot of Ukrainian military assets. This flooding will kill thousands of wild and domestic animals while cutting off the supply of drinking water to the whole Crimean peninsula where several thousand Russian troops are stationed. The military will probably have some stores of water but the civilian population will have little if any. This will precipitate a humanitarian crisis.

[blue_gold_84]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-flood-deaths-dam-1.6869388

Quote

Five residents of a Russian-occupied city next to a breached dam have died in massive flooding triggered by the catastrophe, its Kremlin-appointed mayor said Thursday, the first official report of deaths from one of the largest environmental crises since Russia's invasion of Ukraine more than 15 months ago.

...at least 4,000 people have been evacuated from both the Russian and Ukrainian-controlled sides of the Dnipro River, which has become part of the front line between the fighting forces.

The true scale of the disaster is yet to emerge in an affected area that was home to more than 60,000 people.

 

Ukraine's agriculture ministry on Thursday warned that several million tonnes of crops could be lost due to flooding caused by the destruction of the dam.

Vegetables, melons, grains and oilseeds were the main products grown on the affected land, the ministry said.

"Without a source of water supply, it is impossible to grow vegetables. Grain and oilseeds will be grown using an extensive model with low yields," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said the breach would flood tens of thousands of hectares of agricultural land in southern Ukraine and could turn at least 500,000 hectares of land left without irrigation into "deserts." The flooded land would require a full agro-ecological assessment of the soil condition and, in most cases, special soil restoration methods would need to be applied, the ministry said.

War crimes.

[Tracker]

BIPARTISAN SENATE MOVES TO HIT PUTIN IN THE WALLET BY TRANSFERRING SEIZED RUSSIAN ASSETS TO UKRAINE

U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Mike Rounds R-SD) have introduced the Transferring Illicit Assets to Ukraine Act. The legislation aims to provide the Department of Justice (DOJ) with more authority to transfer forfeited Russian assets to Ukraine. The senators believe that defeating Putin and supporting the Ukrainian people in their fight against the Russian invasion must remain a top priority. The bipartisan legislation would authorize the DOJ to expand its ability to seize Russian assets and send them directly to Ukraine for defense and rebuilding.

“Transferring assets seized from those aiding and abetting Putin’s barbaric invasion will help Ukraine defend and rebuild their homeland,” said Sen. Blumenthal in a statement provided to PolitcusUSA. “Our measure – targeting the ill-gotten profits of oligarchs, sanctioned companies, and others supporting Russia’s war machine – gives DOJ the tools it needs to embolden our allies. This is a critical time for Ukraine’s fight for freedom. I’m proud to join my colleagues in this bipartisan effort.”

The senators have stated that it is a crucial time for Ukraine, and the asset forfeiture bill will allow them to transfer more forfeited assets from Putin’s cronies to Ukraine to apply to the war effort. The legislation targets the ill-gotten profits of oligarchs, sanctioned companies, and others supporting Russia’s war machine. It gives DOJ the tools it needs to embolden allies and help Ukraine defend and rebuild their homeland.

“This is a crucial time for Ukraine. Our efforts to assist Ukraine in liberating their country from the Russian invasion and Senator Manchin’s asset forfeiture bill will allow us to transfer more forfeited assets from Putin’s cronies to Ukraine for them to apply to the war effort,” said Senator Graham. “A win-win for all.”

Under current authority, DOJ can only transfer to Ukraine assets forfeited from violations of select Russia-related sanctions. The first and only use of this authority occurred in February 2023 when Attorney General Merrick Garland authorized a transfer of $5.4 million forfeited from a sanctioned Russian oligarch. With expanded authority from Congress, DOJ could transfer far more assets from bad actors to support the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom.

[Tracker]

Boris Johnson Rage-Quits Politics to Avoid Facing Justice

Boris Johnson sensationally quit politics on Friday night after receiving a copy of a devastating independent report that found he had misled Parliament.

In British politics, tradition dictates that there’s no greater crime than lying to one of the world’s oldest parliaments.

Johnson’s career began with him getting fired by The Times newspaper for lying. His political career may have just been extinguished in the same way.

A cross-party inquiry has ruled that he misled Parliament over a series of parties that were held at No. 10 Downing Street while the rest of the country was locked down under coronavirus restrictions.  Chastened by the findings, the former prime minister would have faced a vote by his fellow lawmakers on whether he should be suspended for more than 10 days, as recommended by the panel.

The number of days is crucial, as anything over a 10-day suspension opens up the opportunity for his political district to “recall” Johnson from Parliament to face a public vote on his future.

Johnson has decided to quit in anger rather than face the consequences of his actions, and an embarrassing defeat by his own voters.

To any other British leader, this would be the end of their political career, but—just hours after Donald Trump became the first former president to face a federal indictment—normal rules may not apply.

Johnson hinted in a fiery statement that he could still return. “It is very sad to be leaving Parliament—at least for now—but above all I am bewildered and appalled that I can be forced out, anti-democratically,” he said.

One of Johnson’s few remaining loyalists—who coincidentally was knighted by Johnson just hours before he quit—claimed his former boss was hounded out. “Disgraceful treatment of a political leader who has made world history,” said Sir Michael Fabricant.

After months of briefing and counter-briefing between allies of Johnson and people loyal to current Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Boris tried to drag one of his successors down with him.

Johnson denied that he had deliberately lied to Parliament when he told lawmakers that there had been no parties at No. 10 during lockdown pointedly naming Sunak as one of his colleagues who also believed the rules had not been breached. Sunak was fined by the police for breaking the lockdown rules by attending a small birthday gathering given for Johnson.

[Tracker]

In Ukraine, Ukrainian armed forces are making good gains and Russian forces are falling back to secondary defensive lines. To put the lie to Russian claims that they did not blow up the dam on the Dnieper River, they have blown up a second dam deep in occupied territory. It appears that the strategy of the Ukrainian Army is to cut the occupied territory in half. The Russian army command and the leaders of the two mercenary forces are threatening each other. 

The Wagner mercenaries captured a Russian army colonel, tortured and humiliated him for his troops not providing enough support for the mercenaries. The Russian high command has done nothing except mused out loud about incorporating the mercenaries into the regular army. Fat chance of that. Putin has not been seen or heard of in over a week 

[Tracker]

Major General Sergei Goryachev, Chief of Staff of the Russian  35th Combined Arms Army confirmed killed. Must have happened while stopping the counteroffensive :D

[Tracker]

                                                                                                ITS ON!!!!!

 

                                                        

[blue_gold_84]

https://www.reuters.com/world/turkey-wont-back-swedish-nato-bid-unless-it-stops-anti-turkish-protests-erdogan-2023-06-14/

Quote

ANKARA, June 14 (Reuters) - Sweden should not expect a green light from Ankara on its NATO membership bid at the Western alliance's summit next month unless it prevents anti-Turkey protests in Stockholm, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

Turkey cannot approach Sweden's NATO bid positively while "terrorists" were protesting in Stockholm, and Turkey's position would be made clear once again in talks with Swedish officials in Ankara on Wednesday, Erdogan was quoted as telling reporters on a flight returning from Azerbaijan on Tuesday.

 

[JCon]

10 minutes ago, blue_gold_84 said:

https://www.reuters.com/world/turkey-wont-back-swedish-nato-bid-unless-it-stops-anti-turkish-protests-erdogan-2023-06-14/

 

Turkey is a bad actor and a non-democratic state. The only reason they're in NATO is because of their waterway and strategic location. This is about shaking down NATO countries for more money. 

[Tracker]

                                                               

[blue_gold_84]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65932700

Quote

Russia has already stationed a first batch of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Vladimir Putin says.

Speaking at an economic forum, he said they would only be used if Russia's territory or state was threatened.

The US government says there is no indication the Kremlin plans to use nuclear weapons to attack Ukraine.

Belarus is a key Russian ally and served as a launchpad for Mr Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

The tactical nuclear warheads are less powerful than much of the rest of Russia's nuclear arsenal. Mr Putin said the transfer would be finished by the end of the summer.

Answering questions after a speech at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russia's president said the move was about "containment" and to remind anyone "thinking of inflicting a strategic defeat on us".

When asked by the the forum's moderator about the possibility of using those weapons, he replied: "Why should we threaten the whole world? I have already said that the use of extreme measures is possible in case there is a danger to Russian statehood."

[Tracker]

2 hours ago, blue_gold_84 said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65932700

Putin is losing the war on every front, dissent is growing among his big supporters and military and he fears assassination. He is desperate for anything that could be seen as an expression of power or victory. He had lied so much and so often that literally nothing he says is believable.

[Tracker]

Netanyahu Says Israel Will Move Ahead On Contentious Judicial Overhaul Plan After Talks Crumble
- ASSOCIATED PRESS

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday his government intends to move ahead on contentious plans to change the country’s judicial system after talks aimed at finding a compromise solution appeared to be crumbling.

The government’s plans to overhaul the judiciary plunged Israel into one of its worst domestic crises ever earlier this year. Negotiations between the government and opposition parties somewhat alleviated the crisis with attempts to find a middle ground over proposed changes to the country’s justice system.

Those talks were jolted last week over a crisis surrounding the powerful regular committee responsible for picking the country’s judges. Opposition leaders said negotiations were frozen until the committee is formed.

At a meeting of his Cabinet on Sunday, Netanyahu said the opposition hadn’t been negotiating in good faith and that his government would move ahead cautiously on the overhaul.

“This week, we will begin the practical steps. We will do them in a measured way, responsibly, but in accordance with the mandate we received to make corrections to the justice system,” he said.

Netanyahu put the overhaul on hold in March after mass protests erupted in opposition to it. The decision to move ahead is likely to flare tensions and fuel the protest movement that has continued to demonstrate each Saturday, despite the plan being paused.

[Tracker]

 

 

                                   

[Tracker]

                                                           

[Tracker]

India: Government Policies, Actions Target Minorities A Year After Delhi Violence, Bias Against Muslims Taints Investigation

(New York) – Authorities in India have adopted laws and policies that systematically discriminate against Muslims and stigmatize critics of the government, Human Rights Watch said today. Prejudices embedded in the government of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have infiltrated independent institutions, such as the police and the courts, empowering nationalist groups to threaten, harass, and attack religious minorities with impunity.

February 23, 2021 marks the one-year anniversary of the communal violence in Delhi that killed 53 people, 40 of them Muslim. Instead of conducting a credible and impartial investigation, including into allegations that BJP leaders incited violence and police officials were complicit in attacks, the authorities have targeted activists and protest organizers. The authorities have lately responded to another mass protest, this time by farmers, by vilifying minority Sikh protesters and opening investigations into their alleged affiliation with separatist groups.

“The BJP’s embrace of the Hindu majority at the expense of minorities has seeped into government institutions, undermining equal protection of the law without discrimination,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The government has not only failed to protect Muslims and other minorities from attacks but is providing political patronage and cover for bigotry.”

The February 2020 attacks in Delhi had followed months of peaceful protests by Indians of all faiths against the government’s discriminatory citizenship law and proposed policies. BJP leaders and supporters attempted to discredit protesters, particularly Muslims, by accusing them of conspiring against national interests.

[Tracker]

Getting Interesting.......

 

US Senators introduced a bipartisan resolution declaring Russia's use of nuclear weapons or destruction of the occupied Zaporizhia Nuclear Powerplant in Ukraine to be an attack on NATO requiring the invocation of NATO Article 5 = NATO attack on the Russians.

[iHeart]

so what the heck is going on in Russia right now? apparently a military base is burning

https://twitter.com/Maks_NAFO_FELLA/status/1672366604535975936

 

and Putin is unreachable

https://twitter.com/saintjavelin/status/1672370387982614529

 

 

WHO WANTS POPCORN?

[Tracker]

4 minutes ago, iHeart said:

so what the heck is going on in Russia right now? apparently a military base is burning  https://twitter.com/Maks_NAFO_FELLA/status/1672366604535975936

and Putin is unreachable  https://twitter.com/saintjavelin/status/1672370387982614529

 

 

WHO WANTS POPCORN?

One thing history teaches us is that massive change can happen abruptly- like Matthias Rust's flight into Russia exposing their previously unknown lax air defence system with Breznev's subsequent sacking of almost the entire military Russian leadership. This led to the brief hope that democracy might flourish in Russia. Unfortunately, it did not and led to the rise of oligarchs and Putin.

The Russian military has lost about half of its warmaking capabilities and credible reports indicate that some 500,000 military personnel are either dead or disabled to the point where they cannot be of any military use. Moreover, the head of the mercenaries Sergei Prighozin is openly mocking the Russian military leadership and the political command. This cannot go on and a coup is entirely possible, even probable, but if that would be an improvement is unknown.