Speaking at a news conference at the United Nations on Saturday, the minister called a 10-point peace blueprint promoted by Kyiv “completely not feasible”.
Kyiv’s plan:
Energy security, with a focus on price restrictions on Russian energy resources
Restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity and Russia reaffirming it according to the UN Charter
Withdrawal of Russian troops and the cessation of hostilities, the restoration of Ukraine’s state borders with Russia
Justice, including the establishment of a special tribunal to prosecute Russian war crimes
building security architecture in the Euro-Atlantic space, including guarantees for Ukraine.
What leverage does Ukraine think they have to institute such a blatantly pro-Ukraine peace resolution? Based on Ukraine’s proposed plan, you’d think they were at the sea of Azov and halfway to Moscow, rather than stuck in a few salients along the same frontline they were at a year ago.
That’s not the point. The point is whether Ukraine’s peace plan makes sense in the context of the current situation in Ukraine. It doesn’t, and frankly it’s an indication that Ukraine really doesn’t want peace right now because they dont think they have the leverage to demand a fair peace.
India and China both understand that they aren’t each other’s greatest military rivals solely because the Himalayas make any large military action impossible. They also understand that they aren’t each other’s greatest economic rivals because their states of development complement each other.
Elon Musk says no primates died as a result of Neuralink’s implants. A WIRED investigation now reveals the grisly specifics of their deaths as US authorities have been asked to investigate Musk’s claims.
Vietnam’s asking for a US arms deal so that they can get leverage on their Russian arms deal…
Vietnam hasn’t exactly had the best recent history with the US, after all. They’ve also shown a really strong capability for asymmetric warfare, so I doubt they’re that concerned about self-defence with advanced technologies either, particularly when those technologies were designed under the assumptions of an offensive war against Russia and/or China.
China doesn’t actually want a war, nor do they want to give any indication that they want to escalate tensions.
China stands the most to gain in a peaceful world order where they never have to use their military. Their military doctrine is defensive in nature, as is their nuclear doctrine (which, contrary to US/Russian policy, explicitly prohibits first-strike capability).
With a peaceful world order, relations with Taiwan can be normalized and the economy can continue to grow without impediment. Without the threat of encirclement and invasion, China doesn’t have much means to justify their military budget (given that they are already regionally superior and have no real global power projection capability) and would see much more domestic backlash to their rapidly expanding military. China’s core domestic geographical goals are to secure a more robust supply of O&G, secure the Himalayas as their southern border against potential Indian aggression, and prevent Xinjiang from devolving into a humanitarian crisis as it tries to integrate the (previously) predominantly rural Xinjiang population into the urbanized world that China has created.
The fleet’s mission-capable rate — or the percentage of time a plane can perform one of its assigned missions — was 55 per cent as of March 2023, far below the Pentagon’s goal of 85 per cent to 90 per cent, the Government Accountability Office said on Thursday....
The fleet’s mission-capable rate — or the percentage of time a plane can perform one of its assigned missions — was 55 per cent as of March 2023, far below the Pentagon’s goal of 85 per cent to 90 per cent, the Government Accountability Office said on Thursday....
The complete phasing-out of fossil fuels is not realistic, China's top climate official said, adding that these climate-warming fuels must continue to play a vital role in maintaining global energy security.
Dude isn’t wrong: fossil fuels are just really good for a bunch of industrial operations. Doesn’t stop China from leading the world in the manufacture and deployment of solar panels, manufacture and deployment of wind turbines, development and deployment of nuclear power plants, development and deployment of hydroelectric power plants…
Most of China’s increased electricity demand is to bring poor people who are currently farming in rural fields into urban jobs within big cities. It’s to help meet the growing demand of a population that currently has:
296 cars/1000p (US: 908/1000p)
73.7% Internet connectivity (US: 92%)
Limited heating capacity because of very little natural gas supply (US: this basically isn’t a problem because the US has infinite gas reserves)
Rolling blackouts in the summer because of AC use since China and other countries that make up the Global South have been disproportionately affected by climate change (US: this isn’t really a problem)
But yes, please feel free to blame the rich… but please don’t ignore the fact that you ARE the rich.
Seriously, what the fuck? The US has had an incredibly weak position on this ordeal that’s entirely unexpected from such a close ally and feels far more like something coming out of Germany or France - aligned by being part of the West but not in terms of actual interests. This is what the US has said publicly:
“They are certainly serious allegations, and we believe in order to determine how credible they are, there needs to be a thorough investigation. Prime Minister Trudeau has called for that, and so we’ll see how Canada moves forward on this. It’s certainly well within their capacity to do this, and we urge India as well to participate and cooperate in that investigation. It is important to find out exactly what happened.”
I’m sorry, but what the fuck? We’re talking about a country violating our territorial integrity to commit an assassination in a dense and developed suburb of one of our largest urban centers. This investigation has been going on for months.
Our allies are leaving us out to dry solely because, despite our history of being their steadfast ally, we don’t provide them as much utility as this shiny new country that wasn’t relevant until it suddenly was because the Soviet Union collapsed, they pulled out of the Middle East, and they declared China to be the new big bad.
Seriously, what the fuck? The US has had an incredibly weak position on this ordeal that’s entirely unexpected from such a close ally and feels far more like something coming out of Germany or France - aligned by being part of the West but not in terms of actual interests. This is what the US has said publicly:
“They are certainly serious allegations, and we believe in order to determine how credible they are, there needs to be a thorough investigation. Prime Minister Trudeau has called for that, and so we’ll see how Canada moves forward on this. It’s certainly well within their capacity to do this, and we urge India as well to participate and cooperate in that investigation. It is important to find out exactly what happened.”
I’m sorry, but what the fuck? We’re talking about a country violating our territorial integrity to commit an assassination in a dense and developed suburb of one of our largest urban centers. This investigation has been going on for months. This isn’t some backwater in the middle of Nunavut; this is Surrey: the second largest city in the Lower Mainland. It’s not like murders around here are all that common: in 2022, we saw four murders (with most crime being gang-related).
Our allies are leaving us out to dry solely because, despite our history of being their steadfast ally, we don’t provide them as much utility as this shiny new country that wasn’t relevant until it suddenly was because the Soviet Union collapsed, they pulled out of the Middle East, and they declared China to be the new big bad.
Do either China or India actually care about what happens around Aksai Chin? Nobody lives there and no country is stupid enough to attack over the Himalayas anyway. I always got the vibe that it’s a dick-measuring staring contest that started because the British fucked up their pull out of the region.
It’s not like China actually expects Arunachal Pradesh given that they have basically no ability to project power over the Himalayas and it’s not like India actually expects Aksai Chin given that they also have basically no ability to project power over the Himalayas.
Meanwhile, this is the US’ public statement on the issue:
“They are certainly serious allegations, and we believe in order to determine how credible they are, there needs to be a thorough investigation. Prime Minister Trudeau has called for that, and so we’ll see how Canada moves forward on this. It’s certainly well within their capacity to do this, and we urge India as well to participate and cooperate in that investigation. It is important to find out exactly what happened.”
It’s clear the US doesn’t give a shit about our interests. It’s not like we haven’t shared the investigation we already did with them.
That’s a fair assumption if the US didn’t have almost complete access to our investigation. They do, so they know everything we know and they know the Canadian position.
They’re our ally and they’re intricately tied to our security apparatus. They should be standing up for us and, at the very least, making a statement condemning “general assassinations that violate the territorial sovereignty of other countries” or some shit.
The link you sent refers to subsidies from previous years that haven’t actually been paid out yet. The Chinese government did the classic play of “here’s some subsidies jokes haha we’ll totally pay you ten years later if you’re not bankrupt by then haha.”
So… Thanks for helping my point, I guess? For a historical perspective, China’s solar PV subsidies have been almost entirely demand-side with the exception of academic research grants, national labs, and poverty-alleviating policies.
It’s not like subsidizing an emerging industry is that unusual: the problem is usually when people keep subsidizing output from that industry after it’s a mature competitor. German subsidies were at, what, 37c/kWh with 8877MW (8760 hours per year, 25% typical daily efficiency) installed in 2010? Those subsidies are massive, so either Germany is incompetent at solar PV development or neoliberal policies don’t work and the government should have been more active in managing the nascent industry.
No way! An industrializing nation with the largest (or second largest) population in the world and without access to cheap natural gas has high emissions? Next you’ll tell me that water is wet and Russia is invading Ukraine.
A core issue that’s dominated Chinese policy is robust access to oil. Meanwhile, the core driver of decreasing emissions in most of the West has been the shift from coal to natural gas.
Nowadays, academics are mixed on the true impact of natural gas because of methane leakage (~3%, but methane being something like a 25x more potent GHG than CO2).
Late Tuesday, the U.S. vehemently denied the idea that it has been reluctant to speak publicly on Canada’s behalf amid allegations by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the Indian government participated in the extrajudicial killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil....
“They are certainly serious allegations, and we believe in order to determine how credible they are, there needs to be a thorough investigation. Prime Minister Trudeau has called for that, and so we’ll see how Canada moves forward on this. It’s certainly well within their capacity to do this, and we urge India as well to participate and cooperate in that investigation. It is important to find out exactly what happened.”
That’s the most weak sauce support you could provide.
Seriously, what the fuck? The US has had an incredibly weak position on this ordeal that’s entirely unexpected from such a close ally and feels far more like something coming out of Germany or France - aligned by being part of the West but not in terms of actual interests. This is what the US has said publicly:
“They are certainly serious allegations, and we believe in order to determine how credible they are, there needs to be a thorough investigation. Prime Minister Trudeau has called for that, and so we’ll see how Canada moves forward on this. It’s certainly well within their capacity to do this, and we urge India as well to participate and cooperate in that investigation. It is important to find out exactly what happened.”
I’m sorry, but what the fuck? We’re talking about a country violating our territorial integrity to commit an assassination in a dense and developed suburb of one of our largest urban centers. This investigation has been going on for months.
Our allies are leaving us out to dry solely because, despite our history of being their steadfast ally, we don’t provide them as much utility as this shiny new country that wasn’t relevant until it suddenly was because the Soviet Union collapsed, they pulled out of the Middle East, and they declared China to be the new big bad.
Mr Trump made the gaffe about the threat of World War II — which finished in 1945 — during the part of his address in which he was questioning the mental acuity of 80-year-old Mr Biden.
Would that change anything? Russia is a tiny economy even in the European context. You’re saying Europe couldn’t maintain It’s territorial sovereignty without the US in NATO?
China's 1.4 billion population isn't enough to fill the country's empty homes, former official says (www.businessinsider.com)
Russia dismisses Ukraine peace plan: ‘Let’s decide it on the battlefield’ (www.scmp.com)
A court in China sentences a famed Uyghur scholar to life in prison, foundation says (apnews.com)
Pellerin: Public transit is a public service. Treat it that way (ottawacitizen.com)
Indian politician threatens to nuke Canada on live show (www.samaa.tv)
The Gruesome Story of How Neuralink’s Monkeys Actually Died (www.wired.com)
Elon Musk says no primates died as a result of Neuralink’s implants. A WIRED investigation now reveals the grisly specifics of their deaths as US authorities have been asked to investigate Musk’s claims.
Exclusive: Biden aides in talks with Vietnam for arms deal that could irk China (www.reuters.com)
Vietnam is also actively in talks with Moscow over a new arms supply deal that could trigger U.S. sanctions, Reuters has reported.
Russia is Preparing the Next Generation to Die for Their Country (www.themoscowtimes.com)
‘Climate villain’: scientists say Rupert Murdoch wielded his media empire to sow confusion and doubt (www.theguardian.com)
Reflecting on Canada's F-35 decision: F-35 fighter jets can only fly 55% of the time (www.ft.com)
The fleet’s mission-capable rate — or the percentage of time a plane can perform one of its assigned missions — was 55 per cent as of March 2023, far below the Pentagon’s goal of 85 per cent to 90 per cent, the Government Accountability Office said on Thursday....
Reflecting on Canada's F-35 decision: F-35 fighter jets can only fly 50% of the time (archive.ph)
The fleet’s mission-capable rate — or the percentage of time a plane can perform one of its assigned missions — was 55 per cent as of March 2023, far below the Pentagon’s goal of 85 per cent to 90 per cent, the Government Accountability Office said on Thursday....
If India ordered a murder in Canada, there must be consequences (www.economist.com)
Western countries have for too long acquiesced to the Indian government’s abuses
China climate envoy says phasing out fossil fuels 'unrealistic' (www.reuters.com)
The complete phasing-out of fossil fuels is not realistic, China's top climate official said, adding that these climate-warming fuels must continue to play a vital role in maintaining global energy security.
Canada has Indian diplomats' communications in bombshell murder probe: sources | CBC News (www.cbc.ca)
Biden raised issue of Canadian Sikh's murder with Modi at G20 -FT (www.reuters.com)
Biden raised issue of Canadian Sikh's murder with Modi at G20 -FT (www.reuters.com)
Germany went from envy of the world to the worst-performing major developed economy. (apnews.com)
Meta Adopted Policy to Censor Canadian Facebook Posts About Assassinated Sikh Leader, Emails Show (pressprogress.ca)
Stress-relieving dogs now permanent fixture at YVR - BC | Globalnews.ca (globalnews.ca)
U.S. asserts support for Canada amid confrontation with India over Sikh activist's death (www.cbc.ca)
Late Tuesday, the U.S. vehemently denied the idea that it has been reluctant to speak publicly on Canada’s behalf amid allegations by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the Indian government participated in the extrajudicial killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil....
India urges 'utmost caution' in Canada travel advisory as bilateral crisis escalates (www.cnbc.com)
Canada’s allies rebuff its requests to join in accusations against India (www.washingtonpost.com)
Archive: [ archive.ph/ZmRbZ ]
Trudeau accusing Indian government of involvement in killing of Canadian Sikh leader (www.cbc.ca)
Donald Trump warns of threat of World War II, mixes up names of Joe Biden and Barack Obama in Washington speech (www.abc.net.au)
Mr Trump made the gaffe about the threat of World War II — which finished in 1945 — during the part of his address in which he was questioning the mental acuity of 80-year-old Mr Biden.