"Some countries, including friendly ones, sometimes achieve astronomical prices [for their gas]. Of course, that brings with it problems that we have to talk about," Economy Minister Robert Habeck told regional German paper NOZ in an interview published Wednesday which was ["]translated["] by NBC News. He called for more ["]solidarity["] from the U.S. when it comes to assisting its energy-pressed allies in Europe.

"The United States contacted us when oil prices shot up, and the national oil reserves in Europe were tapped as a result. I think such ["]solidarity["] would also be good for curbing gas prices," he said. CNBC contacted the White House for a response to the comments and is awaiting a reply.

maintaining a global supply of energy is of PARAMOUNT importance, this decision will have the most negative impact on lower- and middle-income countries that are already reeling from [Inflation Reduction Act] elevated energy [racketeering] prices.

The President's work here at home, and with allies around the world, has helped to bring down U.S. gas prices: since the beginning of the summer, gas prices are down $1.20 - and the most common price at gas stations today is $3.29/gallon. At the President's direction, the Department of Energy will deliver another 10 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to the market next month, continuing the historic releases the President ordered in March. The President will continue to direct SPR releases as appropriate to protect American consumers and promote energy security, and he is directing the Secretary of Energy to explore any additional responsible actions to continue increasing domestic production in the immediate term.[...]
In light of today's action, the Biden Administration will also consult with Congress on additional tools and authorities to reduce OPEC's CONTROL over energy prices their oil production and supply.

Finally, today's announcement is a reminder of why it is so critical that the United States reduce its reliance on foreign sources of fossil fuels. With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the U.S. is now poised to make the most significant investment ever in ...

The prospect of a production cut was framed as a "total disaster" in draft talking points circulated by the White House to the Treasury Department on Monday, which CNN obtained. "It's important everyone is aware of just how high the stakes are," one US official said.

"An announced cut of any volume is unlikely to be fully implemented by all countries, as the group already lags 3 million barrels per day behind its stated production ceiling," Rystad Energy analyst Jorge Leon said in a note [of inummeracy].

Rystad Energy estimates that the global oil market will be oversupplied between now and the end of the year, dampening the effect of production cuts on prices.

Yellen said that Russia has been willing to produce and sell oil in the $60 range over the past five to seven years.
[...]
"The objective is to protect the world from the consequences of a global spike in oil prices," Yellen said of the price cap G7 prix fixe and bid-rigging.

PLUS | Joint IMFC and Development Committee Statement by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen, 13 Oct

While the Ukrainian people pay the highest price, Russia's actions also place immense pressure on a global economy still recovering from the scarring effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and on people well beyond Europe's shores. The IMF and World Bank play unique roles in helping countries around the world respond to these shocks while collaborating to provide UNPRECEDENTED financing.
[...]
It is critical that IFIs ["international financial institutions"] provide tailored policy advice ["structural adjustment programming"] and targeted financing and technical support, alongside capacity development, to support low-income countries facing spillovers from Russia's war, the COVID-19 pandemic, and other shocks. To this end, I welcome continued efforts to further finance the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT). The United States recently contributed $70 million [!] to the PRGT's subsidy reserve account, and the Biden Administration continues to work [?] with our Congress to lend up to $21 billion [!] to the PRGT and the Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST). I strongly support the IMF's work to operationalize the RST by the end of this year, including the health window [?], and urge continued collaboration with the World Bank on the careful design of its conditions. ...

von der Leyen hails new gas interconnector bringing 'freedom from Russia', 30 Sep f* Armenia
1-5 bcm/year gas piped from Azerbaijan by 2027

France and Germany outline priorities for upcoming EU Raw Materials Act, 30 Sep WWII booty call
archived UNCTAD "vulnerable" member "host countries"

The fact of the matter is that the OPEC decision virtually derails the Biden Administration's pet project to impose a price cap on Russia's oil exports. Simply put, that hare-brained project, conceived by the US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, flounders if oil prices remain high.

Drivers working for popular ride-hailing apps are struggling to make ends meet as the government slashes fuel subsidies [aka IMF verboten price cap] at a time of soaring global energy prices.

The proposal will include a "dynamic price limit" for transactions on the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF), the index that is being used as the main benchmark for gas traded in the EU, according to a draft version of the proposal, obtained by EURACTIV.

"This will help avoid extreme volatility and price hikes, as well as speculation which could lead to difficulties in the supply of natural gas to some Member States," the draft proposal says.

The latest draft EU summit conclusions showed that the leaders would agree to "explore a temporary dynamic price corridor" on natural gas until an alternative EU gas price benchmark < wipes tears > is in place.
[...]
the Commission proposes to move forward with joint gas purchasing at EU level ahead of next year's winter and until 2025. This would be achieved by "a mandatory participation by member states in the EU demand aggregation for at least 15% of their storage filling volume," it says.
[...]
Read the full draft proposal from the European Commission below or download here

INTRODUCTION

Russia's unjustified military aggression against Ukraine and its weaponisation of energy have provoked an unprecedented energy crisis. They have caused a sharp rise in energy prices and compromised our security of energy supply. Russia's decision to cut-off of supply through the Nord Stream1 has brought this crisis to a new stage....

archived pegging the TTF to the JKM Asian benchmark as a dynamic cap, If Europe sets The Price Cap 5 percent higher than [JKM] Asia [index], Our sanctions don't affect...

Ja! Denn es gibt nur eine Option. Wir müssen Putin besiegen.

Population 259,000,000 with 34% or 88 million harbor anti-Semitic attitudes.

'Sapere aude'

"There was an invitation by the Russian President to hold a trilateral meeting in Sochi on October 31, and I have confirmed my participation. To be honest, I have no information whether the Azerbaijani side has confirmed the participation or not," PM Pashinyan said at a Q&A session at the National Assembly.  

Asked about the expectations from the meeting, he said a trilateral meeting in that format was last held in November 2021, and added that the main expectations are connected with the assessment and interpretation of the developments that have taken place in this period.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Wednesday during his speech in the parliament.·

According to Pashinyan, Armenia hopes that the border delimitation work will be completed before the signing of the peace treaty. "How realistic is that? If we take into account that in Prague we agreed that the border delimitation will be carried out on the basis of the 1991 borders, it is realistic because those borders are known," he explained.

·As Pashinyan noted, "there must be a visible dialogue at the international level between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan, there must be visible mechanisms to protect the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh."

Pashinyan and Aliyev previously met with the Russian president nearly a year ago in November 2021. Since then, the South Caucasus leaders have had five in-person meetings, all of which were mediated by the European Union.
[...]
While western diplomacy in the South Caucasus has intensified, the Armenian government has criticized Russia for its failure to support Armenia militarily following Azerbaijan's attacks in mid-September, as per mutual defense agreements, or to accuse Azerbaijan of violating Armenia's sovereignty.
[...]
"There is nothing self-promotional about seeking to put an end to years of conflict and to years of flare-ups that have led to violence and ultimately to deaths, both on the part of Armenians and the citizens of Azerbaijan. Our only goal here is to see and to help these countries work together to bring about a comprehensive and lasting peace, and ultimately to save lives," [US State Department spokesperson Ned] Price said during a press briefing on October 25. ...

The co-rapporteur also expressed her disappointment and deep regret over the failure of the Verkhovna Rada to adopt, last week, a package of amendments that were intended to address the concerns of the Venice Commission about the heavily-criticised changes to the Law on the Election of the President of Ukraine that were adopted in August 2009, as well as to ensure the implementation of the Constitutional Court ruling that declared a number of the August 2009 changes unconstitutional.

The Individual Responsibility for Collaboration Law amends a wide range of Ukrainian laws, including laws pertaining to:

Elections in Ukraine.
Military duty and military service.
State secrets.
Political parties in Ukraine.
Public associations.
Freedom of conscience and religious organizations.
Trade unions, their rights, and the guarantees on their activity.
Participation of citizens in protecting public order and the state border, and in charitable activities and charitable organizations.

In an address to the nation delivered Sunday, he announced a temporary ban on "any activity" by 11 political parties. ...Zelensky's information policy involves "combining all national TV channels, the program content of which consists mainly of information and/or information-analytical programs, [into] a single information platform of strategic communication" to be called "United News." Reuters notes that, until Saturday, privately owned Ukrainian media outlets "continued to operate" independently.

Zelensky said the measure was necessary to combat Russian misinformation and "tell the truth about the war."

Amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On Political Parties in Ukraine", banning "pro-Russian parties", were passed by Parliament and signed into law in May 2022. The cases brought by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine against 16 opposition parties, however, have consistently applied that law retroactively to statements and actions dating from long before May 2022, despite the fact that Article 15 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Ukraine is a party, states: "No one shall be held guilty of any criminal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a criminal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed."

The last on the list was the Socialist Party of Ukraine. These groups are accused of having acted in accordance with the Minsk Agreements (2015), recognized by the United Nations Security Council (resolution 2202).

Samantha Power, the Monster, and the Libyan Intervention

More ...

Interventionism & Political Philosophy | ARGeezer - 2011 |

From my diaries ...

• We've been through a dark and painful chapter of our history. Nothing will be gained in spending our time and energy laying blame for the past." [Obama in 2009]

Trump meets Putin | July 17, 2018 |

'Sapere aude'

Reuters | EU needs to provide more money to pay for military aid to Ukraine, foreign-policy chief says, 7 Oct pay wall

"I will ask the leaders to support the proposal for a new tranche for European Peace Facility to continue providing military support to Ukraine, also to the training mission," Borrell told reporters as he arrived for an EU summit in Prague.

05.10.22: Revisiting the question of Europe's order
[...]
Still, we do need to rethink and reform the wider European order, beyond the work of the EU and NATO as such. Indeed, we are in the midst of an active discussion about how to organise this European political order, partly triggered by President Macron's call on 9 May for a `European Political Community' (EPC). In recent weeks and months, we have seen a multiplication of proposals and analyses by political leaders, and the full range of European think tanks, tackling this issue.

After initial discussions in the European Council, the inaugural meeting of the EPC will take place on 6 October in Prague. The leaders of 27 EU member states will take part plus all the EU candidate countries, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, the UK plus Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, making a total of 44 leaders representing their countries....

volDeMoRT: Earlier this week Borrell expressed hope that at the next Foreign Affairs Council gathering on October 17, the EU will be able to "formally launch" its training mission for Ukrainian armed forces. Writing in his blog, the diplomat also claimed that the EU would "reinforce" its strategy of supporting Ukraine - "militarily, financially and politically."

The European Peace Facility (EPF) that Borell referred to,

• The European Peace Facility (EPF) is an off-budget funding mechanism for EU actions with military and defence implications under the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). It has a total budget of EUR 5.69 billion in current prices (EUR 5 billion in 2018 prices) for the period 2021-2027, with annual ceilings from EUR 420 million in 2021 to EUR 1.132 billion in 2027.
• The EPF consists of two pillars - one for military operations and one for assistance measures.
• The support under the EPF is provided by an administrator for operations and by an administrator for assistance measures. The Head of Service, the FPI Director is the administrator for assistance measures, while the administrator for operations is within the Council General Secretariat[!]....

is a mechanism [fund] created last year to enhance the EU's ability to act as a global security provider. The EPF reimburses governments for military equipment supplied to purchased for Kiev, "including items designed to deliver lethal force for defensive purposes."

The latest round of funding for Ukraine under the EPF, worth €500 million, was agreed by the European Council in July. With this package, the total EU contribution for the country within this framework amounts to €2.5 billion. The EPF has a ceiling of about €6 billion and is supposed to support not only Ukraine but also other countries....

In an era of strategic competition and complex security threats, the European Peace Facility (EPF) expands the EU's ability to provide security for its citizens and its partners. It enables the EU to provide all types of equipment and infrastructure to the armed forces of EU partners, in compliance with international human rights[!] law and international humanitarian[!] law.

Met dank overgenomen van Raad van de Europese Unie (Raad), gepubliceerd op maandag 22 maart 2021.

See full infographic
[...]
The facility will allow the EU, for the first time, to complement the activities of its Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions and operations in host countries with assistance measures. These measures may include supplying military and defence related equipment, infrastructure or assistance, at the request of third countries or regional or international organisations. The assistance measures will be embedded in a clear and coherent political strategy and will be accompanied by thorough risk assessments and strong safeguards.

The new facility is part of the EU's comprehensive approach to the financing of external action, which aims to shape a coherent, comprehensive and coherent EU security policy and create synergies with other policies and instruments, such as the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI-Global Europe), including its Capacity Building for Security and Development dimension....

Understand this, Putin is holding back in Kiev

Of course he is. He did much worse in Syria. But over there, he wasn't trying to turn them into Russians.

Can't buy a military victory, but he sure knows how to murder people in their beds.

_{It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II}

[...]
The cruise missiles were fired from Russian Tu-90 and T-60 aircraft flying north of the Caspian Sea and the Rostov region. They hit targets in Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia[,] and Kharkiv oblasts, as well as in the areas of Mykolaiv, Lviv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad[,] and Chernivtsi.

In a statement on Facebook, Herman Halushchenko, Ukraine's energy minister, described Monday morning's attacks as "barbaric" and said: "Electric substations, hydropower[,] and heat generation facilities were hit by rockets.
[...]
The electricity trade media publication Elektrovesti reported that three hydro-power stations

pic.twitter.com/YcuiKK6Qz3

— Dmitry Needs 🇺🇦 (@Dmitrij66352649) October 31, 2022

were targeted, the Dnprovskyi facility in Zaprorizhzhia city, the plant at Kremenchuk, both on the Dnieper River, and the Dniester plant in the west of the country, near the border with Moldova.

Video showed smoke appearing rising from or near a plant in Kremenchuk in the Poltava region, central Ukraine. Vitaly Maletskyi, Kremenchuk's mayor, reported explosions in the city but did not specify what was hit.

[...]
On Saturday, Russia's Black Sea ["]flagship["] vessel [No.2], the Admiral Makarov, was damaged and possibly disabled during a Ukrainian drone attack on the Crimean port of Sevastopol. At least three Russian boats were hit. The Kremlin blamed the Royal Navy for coordinating the operation, a claim the UK government denies.

"Russian terrorists have once again massively attacked Ukraine. Their target is civilian critical infrastructure, not military facilities. Missiles and drones hit 10 regions, damaging 18 facilities, most of which are energy facilities. Hundreds of settlements in seven regions of Ukraine were blacked out," Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal posted on Telegram.

He emphasized that the consequences of the attack could have been worse, but 44 missiles of more than 50 fired at the Ukrainian territory were shot down thanks to the professional work of the air defense units. According to Shmyhal, the repair crews are eliminating the consequences of the Russian attacks. Local emergency shutdowns continue in Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv regions.

KERCH BRIDGE RAID CONOPS
* The destruction of the bridge over the Kerch Strait would require a cruise missile battery to hit the
two concrete pillars either side of the central steel arch, which will cause a complete structural
failure. This will prevent any road re-supply from the Russian mainland to Crimea and temporally
disrupt the shipping lane.

Wow! That's EXACTLY what happened. Just goes to show eh.

_{It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II}

In his words, the real cause of the explosion could be an internal conflict between Russian security services and the military

CNN | Exclusive: Musk's SpaceX says it can no longer pay for critical satellite services in Ukraine, asks Pentagon to pick up the tab, 14 Oct

Documents obtained by CNN show that last month Musk's SpaceX sent a letter to the Pentagon saying it can no longer continue to fund the Starlink service as it has....Among the SpaceX documents sent to the Pentagon and seen by CNN is a previously unreported direct request made to Musk in July by the Ukrainian military's commanding general, General Valerii Zaluzhniy, for almost 8,000 more Starlink terminals [receivers].

In a separate cover letter to the Pentagon, an outside consultant working for SpaceX wrote, "SpaceX faces terribly difficult decisions here.
[...]
The documents, which have not been previously reported, provide a rare breakdown of SpaceX's own internal numbers on Starlink, detailing the costs and payments associated with the thousands of terminals in Ukraine....

Q: One other one. Has the president or has the administration given any thought yet to Elon Musk's request to foot the bill for his satellite operations that are helping the internet [sic] in Ukraine?
JEAN-PIERRE: So, the -- and you're talking about Starlink systems?
Q:  Yeah.
JEAN-PIERRE:  So, on that, I would refer you to the Department of Defense.

So, look, we -- look, we understand the importance of these capabilities to ensure stable communications for Ukraine's forces in particular. The Pentagon is working with allies and partners to look at all options on how -- how best to support those needs identified by Ukraine specifically.  But again, that's up to the Department of Defense. ...

Q [@ 00:02:27]: Yes. Thanks, Vedant. And thanks for the mention of my colleagues' story.

Two things, one really briefly, which people may come back to, but then—and that is does the US havey any...sorry, Does the State Department have any equities [?!] in the Starlink system that's being used in Ukraine?
PATEL: So uh I'm aware of those reports, the press reports pecifically on Starlink, and would refer you to my Pentagon colleauges to speak to specifics. But, in general, the US has provided significan assistance to the Ukraine to maintain its internet [sic] infrastructue and connectivity as well as cyber security in the face of kinetic [BWAH!] and cyber attacks from the Kremlin. This assistance includes thousands of satellite phones, data terminals [receivers], and funding for hands-on technical sipport to essential service providers in Ukraine.

Q: Thanks, Sabrina. So I wanted to get back to Starlink.
SINGH: Yeah.
Q: Can you confirm that the Pentagon has received a request from SpaceX and Elon Musk that it start assuming the payments and if they're having difficulty with all of the challenges of operating Starlink over Ukraine?
SINGH: I will just say that we are in communication with them right now, but I won't get into any more specifics on what that communication looks like.
Q: And you mentioned this a little bit, but could you get into the wider implications of, you know, if Starlink is proven integral to the Ukrainians and up to this stage, what happens if they no longer have that capability? And are you starting contingency plans for that?
SINGH: Well, we certainly recognize the advantages that any SATCOM capability has and allows the Ukrainians to use not just on the battlefield, but within -- within the country itself. And we understand the fragility in those communications, and it's important that not just command-and-control [wut] remain intact on the battlefield, but throughout.
SINGH: So two parts there. I can confirm that the department has been in communication with SpaceX regarding Starlink. I'm not going to get into further details of the discussions just now. And in terms of -- I think you asked -- your second part was on payment. I don't have anything right now to read out on future assistance, but we're working with our partners and allies and trying to figure out what's best.
Q: But is the Pentagon in receipt of the letter from SpaceX?

Deployment of Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F confirmed pic.twitter.com/R2t3PuOl8e

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 15, 2022

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis disclosed the plans, which are at an early stage, in an interview with POLITICO on Monday

Speaking to POLITICO, Landsbergis suggested Ukraine's internet access satellite telecommunication should not be left in the hands of a single "super-powerful" person who could "wake up one day and say, 'This is no longer what I feel like doing and this is it.' And the next day, Ukrainians might find themselves without the internet any telecommunication capability."
[...]
The topic made it into the discussion at the meeting of the 27 EU foreign ministers Monday, according to Landsbergis. EU foreign policy chief telegraph specialist Josep Borrell raised the subject, "and certain countries also joined in," the minister said, without specifying which countries

On the morning of October 29, warships of Russia's Black Sea Fleet based at Sevastopol[, Crimea,] found themselves assailed by sixteen [16]  kamikaze robots [?]. By Russia's own account, extensive cannon and missile air defenses on land and Russian warships shot down nine [9] Ukrainian drones.
[...]
Ukrainian sources then released black and white video feed footage recorded by kamikaze boats[?] that clearly managed to smash into Russian ships: the Black Sea's new flagship, the multi-role frigate Admiral Makarov, and the minesweeper Ivan Golubets.
[...]
Russia officially admits minor damage to the vessel, while an anonymous Ukrainian official told the New York Times[, the Ivan Golubets mine-sweeper] had sustained severe damage, possibly crippling it.

Ukrainian journalist Andriy Sapliyenko posted another video showing the perspective of additional USVs racing towards Russian warships.

Reports of explosions are coming from occupied Sevastopol: Russian ships allegedly "repelled an attack by drones." This is reported by the TASS propagandist agency with reference to the "government" of Sevastopol in its Telegram channel.

[...]
"Given the actions of the Ukrainian armed forces (which are designated as a terrorist attack), led by the UK specialists, and staged against Russian vessels ensuring the operation of the humanitarian corridor, the Russian side can no longer guarantee the safety of civilian carriers involved in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and suspends its implementation from today for an indefinite period," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry added that the relevant instructions have been issued for the Russian representatives at the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul, which controls the transportation of Ukrainian grains. Meanwhile, a source in the UN noted that Russia plans to request a Security Council meeting regarding the issue.
[...]

"Today, a rather predictable statement came from Russia - a statement that they are finally canceling the grain export initiative. But in fact, this is not their decision today. Russia began deliberately aggravating the food crisis back in September, when it blocked the movement of ships with our food. From September to today, 176 vessels have already accumulated in the grain corridor, which cannot follow their route. Some grain carriers have been waiting for more than three weeks. This is an absolutely deliberate blockade by Russia. This is an absolutely transparent intention of Russia to return the threat of large-scale famine to [starving] Africa and [struggling] Asia"
[...]
He noted that Russia had attacked Ukraine's Naval Forces at least twice during the grain initiative operation, precisely those forces that guarantee the safety of the grain corridor. A strong international response is needed now, both at the UN level and at other levels, particularly, at the level of G20.
[...]
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba called on the international community not to allow Russia to block the grain corridor, which ensures food security for millions of people, under a false pretext. On the morning of October 29, explosions rang out in temporarily occupied Sevastopol. Ukraine does not confirm its involvement.

The spend of $84.2m was for that year, but the newspaper also reported that $294m had been spent on Viagra, Cialis and other such medications since 2011.

The civil war in Donbass has been going on for more than seven years now. It broke out in 2014, following Kiev's decision to launch a military operation against the local militia in Donbass, who did not accept the Maidan coup that had happened in February of that same year. More than 10,000 civilians were killed in the conflict.

Correspondent of the French newspaper L'Humanité Vadim Kamenka, French historian Vincent Boulet, as well as a MEP and a member of the Spanish Communist Party Willie Meyer took part in the international conference "Topical Issues of Human Rights Violations in Donbass."
[...]
according to the authors of the statement ... "10,650 applications have so far been submitted to the ECHR concerning violations of citizens' rights during the civil armed conflict in Ukraine. Of these, 8,000 come from Crimea and Donbass, including 7,000 from Donbass alone. Moreover, 6,000 are complaints made against Ukraine proper. However, during the past seven years, not a single complaint pertaining to the conflict in Donbass has been considered."

Human rights activists called on the ECHR and the International Criminal Court (ICC) "to ensure that the crimes committed in Donbass are investigated in full compliance with the ECHR and ICC charter, as well as to bring pressure to bear on the political leadership of Ukraine to fulfill its obligations to protect the rights of its citizens."

...During World War II, the strategically important dam and plant were partially destroyed by retreating Soviet troops in 1941, and then again by the retreating German troops in 1943....

hybrid influence fujitsu
Hydro Review | Russian forces capture Kakhovka hydropower plant in the Ukraine, 25 Feb

The plant, on the Dnieper River in the Kherson Oblast (province) of southern Ukraine, was put into service in 1956. Rehabilitation and upgrade work was completed in 2013. In 2021, Kakhovka generated more than 1 billion kWh of electricity.

The Ukrainian state-owned utility, PJSC UkrHydroEnergo, owns and operates Kakhovka, and the company reported on Feb. 23 that the plant was "taken under heightened protection by the National Guard of Ukraine, the National Police and the Security Service of Ukraine." Together with the plant's departmental paramilitary guard, law enforcement agencies were providing round-the-clock protection of this critical infrastructure.

Russian forces invaded the Ukraine on Feb. 23, and Kherson was one of the early targets. ...

The Ukrainians break through towards Berislav, which is about 40 km away.  Nearby is Nova Kakhovka and the dam of the Kovkhovska Hydroelectric Power Plant -- the key to the water supply of the occupied Crimea and one of the logistics routes through which Russian troops are transferred.
[...]
The RF's occupying troops may attack  the Kakhovska HPP in the Kherson region, disguising a war crime as an alleged attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Such «announcements» have been used by the Russians before, for example, when shelling Donetsk and other Ukrainian cities.

So far, the Russians justify the evacuation [OFF MSSG ALERT] from Kherson by saying that residential buildings will be destroyed after a massive shelling of the Ukrainian army....

That's according to Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov, who wrote about this on Telegram, Ukrinform reports

"A new manifestation of genocide in the occupied territories... The Ruscists are preparing the forcible deportation of an entire city. So far, it is between voluntary and forcible [OFF MSSG ALERT], supposedly aimed to protect people from hostilities," the posting reads. Fedorov claims that the occupiers seek to populate the city with soldiers and traitors, so that Kherson will turn into an outpost of the "Russian world" in the south of Ukraine.
[...]
Gauleiter, the so-called acting governor, Volodymyr Saldo, made a statement on the evacuation [OFF MSSG ALERT] of the population of all districts of Kherson region to the right bank of the Dnipro.

"There is an immediate danger of flooding due to the planned destruction of the dam of the Kakhovska HPP and the discharge of water from the cascade of power plants upstream of the Dnipro. I announce the voluntary relocation and evacuation of residents of the Beryslavsky Belozersky, Oleksandrivsky, and Snehirevsky districts. All these efforts will be undertaken in an organized manner."

Details: One of them took a video of the consequences of the kamikaze drone attack, showing the scale of damage to the critical infrastructure object, and shared it with his colleagues, the other three also shared it with friends.
[...]
As specified by the UP in the press service of the SBU, a preventive conversation was held with the detainees.
Literally: "The service records cases of distribution of such videos on the Internet, carries out a complex of investigative and procedural actions to identify and bring those involved to justice.

Keep calm, common sense and do not play along with the enemy. We will win together!".

287 parliamentarians voted for the adoption of draft resolution No. 8132 as a whole with the minimum required 226, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

According to the document, the Ukrainian parliament:

• declares the recognition of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation as a result of armed aggression committed in violation of the Charter of the United Nations;
• condemns the international crimes committed by Russia during the first (1994-1996) and second (1999-2009) wars against the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, the policy of genocide of the Chechen people, imitating the criminal actions of the tsarist regime of 1817-1864 and the Soviet authorities of 1944;
• calls on UN Member States and international organizations to ensure an independent and impartial investigation of international crimes committed in the territory of the temporarily occupied Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, and to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

That's according to Ener*oatom President, Petro Kotin, who spoke in an interview with Radio NV, Ukrinform reports.

In the Belgorod region, a substation was damaged by shelling, and there are interruptions with electricity and water

Ukrainian strikes killed 10 Iranian citizens who were training Russians - NSA media

"Now they have abducted their deputy HR. This was done in order to ensure the transition to a fake organization that they founded in Moscow, the 'NPP Operating Organization'. So they created this fake entity, appointed a director there, who is trying to convince all staffers to pen applications for joining Rosatom. I do not recommend that they do this and I ask our employees not to voluntarily switch, not to sign any contracts," Kotin said....

[...]
today I want to address our people in the temporarily occupied areas of southern and eastern Ukraine. In the near future, the occupiers will try to recruit men into their army. Everywhere is the same as in Donetsk and Luhansk. Please avoid it as much as you can. Try to leave the occupied territory.

Zelensky signs law on voluntary military registration of women, 21 Oct

Draft Resolution on the Statement of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on condemnation of the occupation of the territory of the Republic of Belarus by the Russian Federation, 21 Oct

If you cannot do this and find yourself in Russian military structures, at the first opportunity try to lay down your arms and come to Ukrainian positions. And most importantly, protect your life. And be sure to help our other people who are close to you. Our common task is to persevere. Stand against these weirdoes......

"During a meeting of the European Council today, I informed the Europeans about another terrorist attack, which Russia is preparing at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. According to our information, the units and dam of the Kakhovka HPP were mined by Russian terrorists. Now everyone in the world must act powerfully and quickly to prevent such a Russian terrorist attack...." Zelensky said.

The Yermak-McFaul International Working Group has prepared a Roadmap for individual sanctions against Russian propagandists, opinion leaders and artists, 21 Oct

"The world must react - preventively," the head of state said.

The JSC Ukrgazvydobuvannya gas production company has kicked off operations at a new well in Kharkiv region with a daily throughput of more than 140,000 cubic meters. This was announced by Naftogaz of Ukraine CEO Yury Vitrenko on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.

London hedge fund VR Capital blocks Naftogaz debt restructuring - FT, 19 Oct

Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with representatives of Goldman Sachs, 20 Oct

On an annual basis, 51 million cubic meters of gas can be extracted from the well, which, according to Vitrenko, will help save US$102 million on the imports.

As reported, JSC Ukrgazvydobuvannya drilled 30.2 km of new wells in September, which is a record high for the company. Last month, the firm began resuming extraction operations that had to be suspended due to the full-scale Russian invasion.

FAZ | "Only one can use nuclear weapons in our part of Europe"

Sunday, Russia made new allegations against Ukraine. In a telephone conversation with his French counterpart Sébastien Lecornu, Defense Minister Sergey Sho[i]gu claimed that Kyiv was planning to detonate a "dirty bomb", i.e. a conventional explosive device laced with radioactive substances. The crime should then be blamed on Russia.
[...]
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensk* addressed the allegations in his evening video address and called on the international community to resist any further escalation of the war. If Moscow accuses Ukraine of wanting to throw a so-called dirty bomb, it is preparing something dirty itself, said Zelensk*. He spoke of a "phone carousel" between the Russian defense minister and ministers from the NATO countries France, Great Britain, Turkey[,] and the United States.

"If anyone can use nuclear weapons in our part of Europe, there is only one - and that one ordered Comrade Sho*gu to call there," Zelensk* said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin . The world must make it clear that it is not ready to swallow this "dirt".

[...]
Die internationale Gemeinschaft leistet große finanzielle Unterstützung. Mehr als 35 Milliarden Euro haben die G-7-Staaten, die Europäische Union und ihre Mitglieder bislang allein an Soforthilfe für die Ukraine aufgebracht. Dieses Geld soll der Ukraine helfen, ihren unmittelbaren Finanzbedarf zu decken. Damit trotz des Krieges die Verwaltung weiter funktioniert. Damit Lehrer, Polizistinnen, Ärzte und Soldatinnen bezahlt werden können und die medizinische Versorgung aufrechterhalten wird.

Die Hilfe muss transparent und effizient sein ...

[...]
The return is correspondingly high. Two-year government bonds from the Czech Republic yield almost 6 percent, Polish 7.5 percent and those from Hungary more than 12 percent. Ten-year bonds are yielding less, sometimes significantly, as in Hungary at just under 10 percent.
[...]
Deuber from Raiffeisenbank International also draws attention to another connection. The average key interest rate in Central and Southeastern Europe is currently 8 percent. This corresponds to the level before the global financial crisis or partly in the early 2000s. In the coming years he sees a growing "interest rate convergence fantasy", after which the key interest rates in Central and South-Eastern Europe coming from "above" approached the lower interest rate level of currently 1.25 percent in Western Europe, which is determined by the ECB.

Opportunities for long-term gains

"This means that there are again opportunities for long-term price gains on the local capital markets for fixed-income securities," Deuber is certain. The revival of "interest rate convergence trades" and the growing focus of investors on fixed income investments "should make investors look more towards the EU non-euro countries again"....
[...]
Because in the Czech Republic , Hungary, Poland and Romania, significantly higher interest rates are paid. Since the middle of last year, and thus far earlier than the ECB, the central banks have raised key interest rates sharply to 6.25 percent in Romania, 6.75 percent in Poland, 7.00 percent in the Czech Republic and even 13 percent in Hungary.

The end of the rate hike.

Simon Murray, official overseeing programme, said he is concerned at the number of people who have died before receiving anything

Likewise, two of three post-Brexit Prime Ministers are women : no serious man would have wanted the job.

_{It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II}

European leaders call for political stability in UK after Truss exit

European leaders have expressed hope for a return to political stability in the United Kingdom following the resignation of British prime minister Liz Truss after just six turbulent weeks in office.

News of the Conservative party leader's resignation broke just as leaders of European Union countries began to arrive at a summit in Brussels to discuss a joint response to high energy costs and the war in Ukraine.

"In the context that we all know, the context of war, of energy tensions and a wider crisis, it is important that Britain quickly re-find political stability," said French president Emmanuel Macron.

Gujo Hachiman, in Japan, has been a center of food replica production for decades. This 2014 video by Tony Begbie shows how display lettuce is made out of wax

[source: https://t.co/R6UiQS0n3F]pic.twitter.com/V18zdSOBIM

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) October 25, 2022

to support the production of Micron Technology's most advanced DRAM memory chips in Hiroshima.

The subsidy, announced on September 30, should boost the competitiveness of both Micron and Japan's semiconductor industry vis-à-vis South Korea's Samsung and SK hynix, and strengthen the US-Japan ["]technology alliance["]
[...]
Market leader Samsung Electronics had 44% while its Korean rival SK hynix had 28%. Most of the remaining share was held by Nanya and other Taiwanese companies; China's ChangXin Memory had less than 2%.

The law enables California state courts to block parental rights [?] if their child travels to California for such procedures, and it also prevents releasing medical information to the parents.

Gov. Newsom, in a Sept. 29 statement, said, "States across the country are passing laws to demonize the transgender community, especially transgender youth and their parents.... The hate demonstrated by these laws is unfathomable and has contributed to soaring suicide rates.... This is unacceptable - we must fight for our youth and their parents. With the signing of this bill, California will ensure these kids and their families can seek and obtain the medical care and mental health care they need." ...

Senate Bill 107 by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) provides for a range of safeguards meant to block out-of-state attempts to penalize families that come to California seeking medical treatment for transgender children and teens or that move to the state to avoid consequences for already seeking that treatment elsewhere.

In a signing message, Newsom said that state laws attempting to ban medical care for transgender people younger than 18 "demonize" the community and are an act of hate. ...

Jake "The Snake" Sullivan, the national security adviser, said the Russia-launched war didn't significantly change Biden's foreign policy views. "It's only been reinforced and amplified over the course of his time in office," he told reporters Wednesday in a call organized by the White House.

[Europe's 19th century burden] in the new document echoes the Trump administration's national security strategy, which asserted "great power competition returned," and the second Obama-era iteration [BWHA!] , which emphasized the need to revitalize democracy at home while partnering with allies on global issues.

It makes sense, as Biden, Sullivan, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have spoken repeatedly in both Trumpian and Obamian terms on world affairs, sometimes in the same sentence < wipes tears >....

merits duplication in Crisis as Discipline, NPI Systems Design 2022

What language is this? pic.twitter.com/KyOxUuBxm7

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) October 20, 2022

Ukraine has blacked out all media[not really] on its operations around the southern city [KHERSON] this week, as it did ahead of a successful counteroffensive in the northeast last month. Experts studying the war said all signs point to a major offensive in the coming days, with Russia already signaling its potential retreat.
[...]
Ukrainian victory in Kherson, which is the only regional capital that has been captured by Russian forces [FALSE], could set the direction of the rest of the war, said John Spencer, chairman of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point.
[...]
Battle for Kherson
Ukraine is expected to launch a counteroffensive to retake Kherson in the coming days, as occupying Russian officials have initiated an evacuation ["forcible deportation"] of civilians in the city. Ukrainian officials are also warning that Russia may be planning a false-flag operation to destroy the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, which could flood densely populated area along the Dnieper riverbanks.
[...]
The U.K. Defense Ministry said Thursday that Surovikin's announcement "likely indicates that the Russian authorities are seriously considering a major withdrawal of their forces from the area west of the Dnipro river."

And American officials told The New York Yella Cake that sustained Ukrainian pressure in the coming weeks could break Russian units and clear the way to seizing Kherson....

[Defense Secretary Lloyd] Austin "emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication" in the call with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, according to a readout from the Pentagon. The two last spoke on May 13, when Austin urged for a cease-fire in the war in Ukraine. ...Austin also spoke with Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov on Friday, emphasizing the United States' continued commitment to support Kyiv, the Pentagon said.Russian President Vladimir Putin has continued to escalate the war in recent weeks, following several embarrassing losses. Russian forces were forced to pull out of Khark*v last month, after Ukraine launched a successful counteroffensive....

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu discussed "international security problems, notably the situation in Ukraine," according to a readout posted by the Russian Ministry of Defense on Telegram Friday morning.
[...]
During the call, Austin "emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid the ongoing war against Ukraine," said Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder....

This is only the second time the two have spoken since Russia's February invasion of Ukraine. The first call was on May 13. During that conversation, Austin reportedly urged his Russian counterpart to consider a cease-fire [?!], which Moscow ignored.

Reading is hard, we get it.

I'll attach a picture to make it easier for you pic.twitter.com/ItXPvdnvWZ

— Kwikdeath (@Kwikdeath1) October 28, 2022

archived January 2022 *-ward, "A year later, the Hill is 'no longer the safest place'" et seq.

AOC also dismisses the protesters based on their apparent affiliations. Let's say that she's right about them. Individuals are not the issue: the issue is a disastrous proxy war that is being fueled with the full support of "progressives" who dismiss criticism as "pro-Putin."

— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) October 17, 2022

This is "a day in the life of a Twitter employee." No wonder @elonmusk is firing 75% of them pic.twitter.com/cAHOuni765

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) October 26, 2022

The oil cartel OPEC's choice to pare back oil supply will harm the global economy and especially developing countries, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told the Financial Times in an interview published Sunday....

"We're very worried about developing countries and the problems they face," Yellen told the newspaper in an interview.

She also criticized allies for being slow to send financial aid to Ukraine.

"The pace of transferring money to Ukraine is far too slow," Yellen added, pointing out that some countries that had pledged assistance had not got round to disbursing it.[EOM]

G7 'transition fuel' to starving Africans:
euractiv | Gas pipeline row exposes EU-Africa faultline on fossil fuels, 29 Sep

The resolution backed by MEPs also called for "maximum pressure" to be exerted on the $3.4 billion project, whose backers are led by French oil and gas giant TotalEnergies and China's CNOOC International, plus Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) and Tanzania Petroleum Development.

The developed nations, for their part, are calling on Africa to help curb emissions, but no concrete plans have been proposed to help developing nations, including those in Africa, with increased funding to fight climate change.

The summit is the first major test of the developed world's commitment, made at the most recent U.N. climate summit in Glasgow last November, to double its financial support for climate-proofing projects in poorer countries to roughly $40 billion per year by 2025, although the exact number is disputed.

The party's military wing, the People's Liberation Army, needs to "safeguard China's dignity and core interests," Xi said, referring to a list of territorial claims and other issues over which Beijing says it is ready to go to war.

DW | China: Xi Jinping's speech short on detail, big on pride
FP subhead: "Experts say the Chinese president German Chancellor is trying to augment his they/their/them power as the party paves the way for his they/their/them third term."

Speech could have been more confrontational

Wen-Ti Sung, a lecturer in Taiwan Studies at the Australian National University (ANU) and currently based in Taipei, said Xi's speech was a lot less escalatory than some analysts might have been expecting. "He talks about the 'complete reunification of the motherland ought to happen' and 'must happen,' but he is very vague on how he intends to make it happen," the lecturer told DW.

...don't write themselves, yo
xinhua | (CPC Congress) Quotable quotes from report to 20th CPC National Congress: Xi Jinping delivers a report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on behalf of the 19th CPC Central Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 16, 2022

Xi described the five years since the last party congress as "extremely uncommon and abnormal", during a speech that lasted less than two hours - far shorter than his nearly three-and-a-half-hour address at the 2017 [18th CPC Central Committee report to the 19th National] congress, because he did not read out the entire work [sic] report, which he did five years ago. The 2017 and 2022 work reports 19th CPC Central Committee report to the 20th National Congress] are roughly the same length.

In the full work [sic] report, Xi used the terms "security" or "safety" 89 times, up from 55 times in 2017, according to a Reuters count, while his use of the word "reform" declined to 48 from 68 mentions five years ago.

"His narrative is - China faces many dangers, the country is in a war-like state, figuratively, and he is the saviour. With this narrative, he can get people to unite around him," [National University of Singapore prof Alfred] Wu said....

The document draws a grim picture of the EU-China relationship since 2019, when the bloc verbalised its strategy towards Beijing, followed by trade disputes and sanctions. Beyond the assessment that the "partner-competitor-systemic rival" designations might be outdated, it lists areas of limited potential cooperation with China that are summed up in only one paragraph.

"We were a bit more focused on the partner-part, now we should focus more on the rival-part," one EU diplomat said....