Summary

News

Europe's industry is in a slow collapse and the gas rationing hasn't even started yet, with Bloomberg saying that any crazy idea should be considered (aside from removing the sanctions - that's just absurd). The EU says that all natural gas storages should be kept at a minimum of 80% for preparation for winter (Germany can last 2.5 months if 100% full). Balkan countries are unhappy at being ignored by the EU for not improving while Ukraine is allowed to join the membership candidacy process. Only 4% of German businesses and 3% Japan's businesses are leaving Russia. Biden and Scholz are forming some kind of bromance. Boris says that the new Northern Ireland trade law which breaks the EU agreement could be passed this year. A significant number of Ukrainians in the UK face homelessness, while in the Netherlands, hundreds of Ukrainian refugees are facing eviction. France's energy situation is fucked and so they need contigency plans, and their public finances are fucked too, meaning that they can't really protect households from surging prices this year.

Asia's urban water situation is not good, with low freshwater availability and very low efficiency. Inflation and financial strain is really starting to hit Asian countries too. The DPRK denounces US aggression and vows revenge on US imperialists. Japan warns that Tokyo could have power shortages as the heat wave this year came earlier and is more intense than usual. Vietnam says that they could export more rice to help the global food situation. India could be a backdoor into Europe for Russian oil, which I'm sure European economics are very upset about. Sri Lanka sends ministers to Russia to negotiate for oil. Sydney climate protestors block roads and tunnels, making the police and nearby... whatever the Australian version of a chud is (do they also have gammons, like the UK?) very unhappy.

The US reveals they had a secret meeting with Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar about military cooperation to coordinate their air defenses against Iran. Meanwhile, Iran shoots a rocket into space, and will soon unveil new missiles with 300km range. They will also soon produce 1000 megawatts from a solar energy project. Raisi says that Iran fully backs peace in Yemen as well as lifting the siege. However, food consumption in Iran decreases as prices soar.

Egypt says that want to power their railways with hydrogen. Angola is doing better on paying off its debts to Chinese banks due to higher oil prices, though China has also helped by giving them a three-year debt moratorium signed in 2020 due to the Angolan recession from 2016-2020. Power cuts in South Africa continue as workers continue to protest. An oil/gas well in Nigeria has been spilling fossil fuels into the Niger Delta for over a week.

In the US, households are sacrificing their saving flows to keep up current rates of spending, so spending will likely slow down soon. The US military is struggling to fulful its 2022 recruiting goals, at its lowest rates in decades. Canada thinks it could still do a soft landing.

Protestors in Ecuador are forcing a halt to oil production, according to the government, due to roadblocks. Brazil's military has exacerbated the Amazon's destruction.

Food export bans by countries like India and Argentina will raise global food prices and fuel inflation if maintained, thus making a deadly positive feedback cycle. The World Bank says that inflation could last two years, and some countries will find it very difficult to avoid recession.

Conflict and Climate

Civilians continue to be evacuated from the Azot industrial zone. The US is sending an 'advanced medium-to-long range surface-to-air missile defense system' to Ukraine, as well as artillery ammo and counter-batter radars.

Russia's neighbours says that the NATO plans aren't good enough, as it assumes that e.g. Estonia would be overrun by Russia for half a year before it would then be retaken by NATO forces, and who knows what heinous war crimes Russia would be framed -- I mean, would definitely, 100% do to the people of Estonia?

Bloomberg brings up floating cities as one solution to rising sea levels. Drought increases rural suicide rates.

Dipshittery, Good Takes, and Hope

Boris says that reports about the death of democracy in the US have been exaggerated, and that America is still the "shining city on the hill". An "ex-CIA" (nobody's really ex-CIA) insider says that Putin's inner circle could oust him because of how badly things are going for them, apparently. A Minnesota publisher succumbs to suburban madness and decides to go commit suicide by going to fight for Ukraine, likely to be soon shot in the back of the head by a neo-Nazi when asked if they can retreat. Zelensky pleads with Belarusians to not let Putin drag them into this war, saying that they're "not slaves and cannon fodder", and that "your lives are worthless to them", without even a hint of irony. Two of Russia's oligarch's wives say that Putin is dying from a secret illness. UK intelligence says that Russia will rely more on reserve forces as Russia continues to lose as they retreat further west into Ukraine. An international human rights lawyer says that right now, and absolutely NOT several decades ago, is the right time to take countries bombing hospitals more seriously.

Russia slips into a forced default due to the US preventing them from paying money to bond holders, though they have set up an alternative mechanism for them to use in the meantime. Boris says that the "price of freedom is worth paying", referring to the cost of the Ukraine War. Zelensky says that he wants the war over by the end of this year. The G7 bans Russian gold imports, and then Germany says "Wait, hang on, let's talk about this for a little longer, guys!" The G7 also wants a price cap on Russian oil, which will obviously not work if you have even the slightest amount of knowledge on how trade and economics works, which they clearly don't, I guess. The G7 also launches a $600 billion infrastructure plan over 5 years to counter China's BRI, without Biden actually first asking Congress if he can have $200 billion. Politico releases an actually-okay article on the G7, revealing that there's 18,000 (!) police officers guarding them.

Left organizations in the UK are all in support of the British Rail Strike, as they lead the fight against the cost of living crisis. Latin American feminists are winning abortion rights in even very religious countries, in stark contrast to the fucking disaster in the United States right now.