Thread image created by yours truly, depicting Iran and Pakistan very impolitely not asking whether America, on the other side of the planet, is okay with them transporting gas around.
The Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline has long been obstructed by American involvement in the region. Iran completed its section of the pipeline quite quickly, but Pakistan has been unable to finish its construction for a decade due to the fear of falling afoul of American sanctions on Iran. The United States has repeatedly tried to pressure Pakistan to give up the project and obtain gas from other countries instead. Recent articles on the state of the pipeline are contradictory, with some stating that Iran or Pakistan have given up on the pipeline while American sanctions persist. Pakistani officials reject this framing, saying that they are still working with Iran to try and get the project completed somehow. Nonetheless, Iran is becoming increasingly frustrated and is threatening a legal battle and a demand for reparations.
Meanwhile, back in Niger, the $13 billion under-construction pipeline connecting Nigeria and other West African countries to Spain and Italy will likely face delays due to the sanctions applied by the West and ECOWAS on Niger. Those following the European gas fiasco will be aware that while Spain and Italy have been impacted by the energy crisis, they have been very busy making deals with African countries to replace their Russian gas, and thus stand a better chance than Germany of making it through the crisis with their industries somewhat intact. The coup has thrown a wrench into their plans, though they can still obtain some gas from northern African countries.
And, last but not least, America tried for years to stop the construction of the Nord Stream pipelines between Germany and Russia, which culminated in them deciding to blow them up late last year.
All in all - the United States really does not like it when countries build up energy infrastructure and gain some independence from them.
Here is the map of the Ukraine conflict, courtesy of Wikipedia.
This week's first update is here in the comments.
This week's second update is here in the comments.
This week's third update is here in the comments.
Links and Stuff
The bulletins site is down.
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Add to the above list if you can.
Resources For Understanding The War
Defense Politics Asia's youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don't want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it's just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists' side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Telegram Channels
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
Pro-Russian
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR's former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR's forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster's telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a 'propaganda tax', if you don't believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
Last week's discussion post.
expand
More Koreans to suffer from ‘climate depression’: experts^ANN^
Young people reject partisan bickering^ANN^
:matt-jokerfied:
Biden ready to meet Kim without preconditions, Kirby says^AM^
Household wealth rose in Singapore, defying downtrend elsewhere: UBS-Credit Suisse report^ANN^
Indonesia’s per capita income to double in next decade, Jokowi predicts^ANN^
Indonesia, Singapore debut linked cross-border QR payment system^ANN^ Indonesia delays $20bn green plan, after split with rich nations on grants and new coal plants^CCN^
Australia identifies 5 mines of lithium, cobalt for India^Bilaterals^
Hyundai takes over General Motors plant in India^ANN^
Gig workers in India are exposed to highly polluted air and carcinogens, finds preliminary study^Mongabay^
India may import wheat from Russia at discount^ANN^
India to buy a record 9mn tonnes of discounted Russian wheat to head off domestic price spike^BNE^
Myanmar eyes surge in rice exports after India curbs supply^ANN^
2 US House members visit Solomon Islands but prime minister is ‘unavailable’ for meeting^SCMP^
lmfao.
Africa
Niger coup is doomed to "failure" - Nicolas Sarkozy^AN^
Daily survival becomes a struggle for Niger residents^AN^
France’s colonial legacy, US’ security concerns intersect in Niger; Russians at the gates look for new hunting grounds^Bhadrakumar^
ECOWAS defense chiefs meet on deployment of standby force to Niger^CGTN^
At least 36 Nigerian soldiers killed in ambush, helicopter crash^AN^
There will be no further increase in petrol price - Tinubu^AN^
Angolan president João Lourenço pledges more diverse funding for investment in southern Africa^EN^ Tanzanian farmers benefit from introduction of Chinese agricultural technology^PD^
Over 60 dead in migrant boat sinking off Cape Verde coast^AN^
Libya: release of the leader of the militia at the center of the fighting^AN^
Chad: outbreak of a dengue "epidemic" in the east (health minister)^AN^
South Africa opposition parties join forces in bid to unseat ruling ANC^AN^
Senegal: Sonko on life support according to his lawyers and his party^AN^
North America
Three largest U.S. airlines to double flights to China^CGTN^ US to impose tariffs on tin mill steel from China, Canada and Germany^SCMP^
CW: suicide, prisons
Suicide Watch Incidents in Louisiana Prisons Spike by Nearly a Third on Extreme Heat Days, a New Study Finds^ICN^
end CW
As EU Weans Itself From Russian Energy, U.S. Shale Gas Industry Pushes New LNG Export Plant in Pennsylvania^DeSmog^
US judge declines to block Florida law restricting Chinese from buying property^SCMP^
U.S. gas prices hit 10-month highs amid tighter supplies, heatwaves^PD^
Giuliani Was in the Running to Be Trump’s Attorney General. His Authoritarian Rule as Mayor Suggests a Nightmare Outcome^WSoP^
Mega Banks Take Down Stock Prices after a Fitch Warning About a Possible Downgrade to JPMorgan Chase and Its Peers^WSoP^
Teamsters and Auto Workers Are Raising the Bar for Contract Campaigns^LN^ In UAW’s Negotiations With the Big Three Automakers, Ending Tiers Is a Central Demand^Jacobin^
Safe staffing, wage hike in new pact for 8,000 NYC nurses^PW^
U.S. East Palestine residents endure toxic train wreck ordeal^PD^
How Maui’s wildfires became the country’s deadliest in more than a century^PW^ Maui’s deadly fires: Government failures and disaster capitalism^GL^ Maui wildfire devastation exposes the legacy of colonialism^MR^ Amid Maui fire devastation, Big Oil tries to kill Hawaii climate lawsuit^RNN^
expand
Latin America
‘Worse than the Special Period’: Cuba’s food situation more desperate by the day^PW^
US escalates trade dispute over GM corn, challenges Mexico’s food sovereignty^Bilaterals^
El Salvador’s model of authoritarianism may be spreading to countries like Costa Rica and Honduras^RNN^
Critiques of Costa Rica's Chaves might be legitimate, less certain of Hondura's Castro. Rolling my eyes at the use of "authoritarianism" either way.
What Will Change in Guatemala with the 2023 Presidential Elections?^Resumen^
Jesuit university closed in Nicaragua for “terrorism”^MP^
...
Eyeing normalizing ties with Maduro's Venezuela, France appoints envoy^AM^
Venezuela's oil production signals remarkable rebound^AM^
Colombian president wants to amend free trade accord with US^Bilaterals^
Russia overtakes US to become Brazil’s top fuel supplier – Bloomberg^RT^ Brazil: Agrarian reform to focus on women^MP^ Bolsanaro’s Butchery: CIA Fingerprints Are All Over Brazil’s Indigenous Genocide ^MPN^
The War Against The West
Zelensky holds court with Ukraine’s most notorious neo-Nazi^GrayZone^
US approves F-16 fighter jets to be re-exported to Ukraine^FT^
US approves sending F-16s to Ukraine from Denmark and Netherlands^Euractiv^ Ukraine’s counteroffensive has failed – US congressman^RT^
Better Late Than Never? Spain’s El País Sounds Alarm Over Consequences of Ukraine “Proxy War” for EU’s Future^NC^
Ukraine tells military-age citizens to ‘overcome their fear’ in recruitment campaign^Euractiv^
DPRK, Russia agree to military cooperation: report^CGTN^
Philippines-Japan relations now evolving to include defence: Marcos^ANN^
Retrospectives, Analysis, History, Theory, and Technology
Summer of the Hawks^SeymourHersh^
NYT Reveals That a Tech Mogul Likes China—and That McCarthyism Is Alive and Well^FAIR^
The nonsensical ‘right and left need to unite to take on elites’ take that just won’t die^RNN^
Yes! Thank you, RNN! What a gallery of bad takes they've collected. Cenk Uygur, Matt Stoller, Glenn Greenwald, Matt Taibbi... e.g, from Greenwald:
They might share antipathy, but one side wants to create something better in its place whereas the other wants to repurpose them to better oppress minorities. It's obviously true that the elite are designing and amplifying a narrative of political polarization, but we shouldn't play into that narrative by suggesting "What if we all just held hands?" We should reject the framing entirely and say "Actually, we need to overthrow them and also the right-wing are genocidal fascists and we cannot ally with them."
Eugene Debs Really Loved Bicycles^Jacobin^
8 scientists win China's 2023 Future Science Prize^CGTN^ China’s robotics industry makes big strides^ANN^
Chinese scientists realize precise artificial synthesis of hexose from CO2^CGTN^
expand
LGBTQIA+
CW: transphobia
Chess Governing Body Bars Trans Women From Women's Competitions^Advocate^
80% of LGBTQ+ People Feel Less Safe Due to Gender-Affirming Care Bans^Advocate^
North Carolina Lawmakers Override Governor's Veto of 3 Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills^Advocate^
end CW
Climate and the Environment
Efforts made to bring back red-crowned cranes from brink of extinction^ANN^
Irish fishermen fear climate crisis will end fishing in Ireland^AM^
Can US and EU unseat China as the dominant supplier of green energy tech globally? Highly unlikely, experts say^SCMP^
China to scale up wind and solar recycling to tackle environmental impact of decommissioned hardware^SCMP^
Discrediting carbon credits^Ecologist^
Carbon capture is only a way to make people feel good about continuing emissions^BNE^
Essentially, yes.
Joe Biden’s DOJ Is Claiming “There Is No Constitutional Right to a Stable Climate”^Jacobin^
California’s Top Methane Emitter is a Vast Cattle Feedlot. For Now, Federal and State Greenhouse Gas Regulators Are Giving It a Pass.^ICN^
A Texas Dairy Ranks Among the State’s Biggest Methane Emitters. But Don’t Ask the EPA or the State About It^ICN^
Microplastics in J&K’s waterbodies dangerous to ecosystems and humans alike^Mongabay^
How an ancient Chinese city used ‘collective power’ to divert the threat of floods^SCMP^
I Love My Trans Comrades!
Check out !traaaaaaannnnnnnnnns@hexbear.net !
They think that men are naturally smarter than women, I guess
It's been a few years since I watched it, and it's not specifically about trans people, but I remember Shaun made (as usual) an excellent video about women and chess, dismantling the ridiculous arguments that because there are more higher-ranked male chess players, men's brainpans are better suited (than those of the emotional feeemale) for the kind of logical thinking that chess requires.
hey please remember to use ! when you link comms so that users from other instances and those that use apps especially have a much easier time navigating to the comm, like !traaaaaaannnnnnnnnns@hexbear.net