[...]
Members of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion (Assault Helicopter Battalion), 244th Aviation Regiment, 90th Troop Command, will deploy overseas to Kosovo* to support Operation Joint Guardian (KFOR). KFOR is a NATO-led international peacekeeping force in Kosovo* comprising 27 partner nations.
[...]
The 1-244th AHB, comprised of units from Louisiana (HHC), Iowa (MEDEVAC) and Oklahoma (AHB), will provide KFOR with 24/7 medevac coverage and air movement and air assault capabilities. The AHB will provide the air transport and air assault capabilities with UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters throughout the area of operations.
[...]
The unit will move on to Fort Cavazos, Texas, for training before heading overseas. They are expected to return in the fall.

...There had been speculation the reshuffle would be announced late last week. However, no news emerged over the weekend, with Macron reportedly weighing his options in seclusion at his La Lanterne residence on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles. Commentators see the reshuffle as essential to relaunch Macron's centrist presidency for its last three years and prevent him becoming a "lame duck" leader after a series of crises....

...Michel plans to take up his seat in the European Parliament mid-July if he's elected, meaning EU leaders will have to agree quickly on a successor for his vacated Council post. If they don't, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose country will take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU in July, would lead the meetings—a broker-role normally undertaken by the European Council president....

Alla fine sono solo ragazzi che vogliono stare insieme e divertisti.#AccaLarentia pic.twitter.com/pooZia2be6

— Barabba (@BarabbaMarlin) January 8, 2024

...The yearly commemoration of the Acca Larentia killings are permitted by local and regional authorities....

Important call by 🇪🇺 @EU_Commission Vice-President @VeraJourova urging Big-Tech to support Belarusian independent media fighting the regime's propaganda. Especially, platforms should support content in the Belarusian language.

— Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (@Tsihanouskaya) January 8, 2024

reuters | Google settles $5 billion consumer privacy lawsuit (28.12.23)
U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California, put a scheduled Feb. 5, 2024 trial in the proposed class action on hold on Thursday, after lawyers for Google and for consumers said they had reached a preliminary settlement. The plaintiffs alleged that Google's analytics, cookies and apps let the Alphabet unit track their activity even when they set Google's Chrome browser to "Incognito" mode and other browsers to "private" browsing mode.

...The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine reported this via Telegram, Ukrinform saw.

"According to the information received from the Border Guard Service of the Republic of Poland, today at 21:00 the protest action ended outside the Med**a-Shehyni checkpoint. Border control procedures toward Ukraine are run as usual," the agency noted....

..."Right-wing extremists and other enemies of democracy are trying to infiltrate and instrumentalize the protests," a spokesperson for Germany's interior minister, Nancy Faeser, said in Berlin. The country's federal police, Faeser added, believe these groups want to foment a "general strike" or even rioting to trigger an "overthrow" of the government.

It would not be the first time far-right groups have tried to gain political sway by latching onto protest movements in Germany—something similar was evident in pandemic-era anti-vaccine protests and in demonstrations against military aid to Ukraine.
[...]
The government was forced to cut costs in its new draft budget for 2024 after the country's top court ruled in November that some of its spending practices were unlawful, leading to an ongoing budget crisis. Polls show the popularity of the three-party coalition government is at historic lows. On Monday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz refused to accede further to the farmers' demands....

Farmers in Romania have taken measures to impede the movement of trucks through the Siret checkpoint. The reasons behind this blockade, as well as the anticipated duration, remain unknown. The State Police Service advises that traffic may face complications in both directions.

As of now, there haven't been significant queues of cargo vehicles towards Ukraine, although 825 cars are registered in the E-queue for departure from Ukraine. The State Border Service of Ukraine reassures that the passage of passenger cars, buses, and pedestrians continues in the usual manner.

Over 1,100 trucks were waiting to enter Romania through the Porubne-Siret Border Crossing Point, representatives of the Ukrainian customs authorities announced, Economica.net reported. No truck has transited the Border Crossing Point (PTF) Siret between Ukraine and Romania since the afternoon of January 15 as a result of the protest of Romanian farmers and truckers, according to the data sent on January 17 by the spokesperson of the Territorial Service of Suceava Border Police (STPF), Alina Petraru....

The blocking of truck traffic at the Vicovu de Sus checkpoint, which is opposite the Ukrainian "Krasnoilska," has been stopped. Traffic has been fully restored. This follows from a statement by the State Border Service of Ukraine.

"We remind you that only empty cargo vehicles can cross the state border of Ukraine with Romania at the Krasnoilsk checkpoint," the agency added. As of January 18, it was known that Romanian farmers were blocking the movement of Ukrainian trucks through the Halmeu, Siret, and Vicovu de Sus checkpoints on the Ukrainian-Romanian border.

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Japan, Dmytro Kuleba and Yoko Kamikawa, during their meeting in Kyiv, discussed the implementation of Ukraine's Peace Formula, preparations for the Ukraine recovery conference in Tokyo, and cooperation within the IAEA on safeguarding the safety of nuclear facilities across Ukraine.
The head of Ukrainian diplomacy announced this at a joint press conference with the head of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Today we discussed in detail Japan's further participation in the implementation of President Zelensk*'s Peace Formula. We agreed to actively work with the countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America to involve them in this initiative," Kuleba emphasized. He noted that during the talks, the parties coordinated their steps to prepare for the Ukraine recovery conference, set to be held in Tokyo on February 19. In addition, the heads of foreign affairs discussed cooperation within the IAEA to guarantee the safety of nuclear facilities across Ukraine and the threat to international peace and security coming from the DPRK.
[...]

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa made an unannounced visit to Ukraine on Sunday, pledging a $37 million contribution to a NATO fund to provide additional support for the Eastern European nation's defense against the ongoing Russian invasion.

Kamikawa, visiting Ukraine for the first time since taking the role in September, said Japan will deliver an unmanned aircraft detecting system and other aid through the latest funding during a joint press conference in Kyiv with her Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, after their talks. Tokyo will also provide Kyiv with five mobile gas turbine power generators to help Ukrainians endure the harsh winter, Kamikawa added, expressing her country's unwavering resolve to "keep supporting Ukraine so that peace can be restored."

Her visit comes ahead of a conference the two countries will hold in Tokyo on Feb. 19 aimed at discussing the reconstruction of Ukraine, which has suffered widespread destruction since Russia invaded in February 2022.
[....]

White House budget director Shalanda Young warned in a letter to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and other congressional leaders on Monday that the United States was running out of time and money to help Ukraine fight its war with Russia.

The final tranche of aid is worth up to $250 million and includes "air-defense munitions, other air-defense system components, additional ammunition for high mobility artillery rocket systems, 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition, anti-armor munitions, and over 15 million rounds of ammunition," the State Department said.

The five-hour meeting centered on providing Ukraine with access to advanced US equipment, such as unmanned aerial systems, demining gear, and other battlefield technologies, to bolster Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion, according to senior administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to brief reporters on the discussions, Reuters

...The officials said this effort was separate from the December agreement to speed weapons co-production and data sharing between the U.S. and Ukraine.

and Bloomberg reported.

National Security Advisor Jake Sssullivan convened the meeting, one official said. Sullivan also moved the NSC's Maher Bitar into a new role as coordinator for intelligence and defense policy, to steward further efforts around innovative battlefield technologies.
[...]
Congressional Republicans are demanding changes [CBS 07.01.24] on immigration and border security from the White House in exchange for approving additional [$61B] aid for Ukraine.

US National Security Council's key members met with about a dozen industry executives from Fortem Aerospace, drone maker Skydio, defense tech companies like Palantir Technologies Inc and Anduril Industries Inc, and venture capital firms.

"The conversation focused on a number of systems, including, unmanned aerial systems, how to counter incoming unmanned aerial systems, and then also addressing the demining challenge," an official told reporters during a phone call after the meeting.
[...]

[...]
Mobilisation
Today, the Verkhovna Rada adopted in the second reading the draft law No. 10062 on the creation of an electronic register of those liable for military service.

The Ministry of Defense, presenting the document, focused on protection from cyber threats and digitalization of the work of military structures. It is also stated that the bill will allow the deployment of military IT systems on the territory of NATO member countries, where data centers will be inaccessible to Russian missiles. The last moment has already caused outrage among People's Deputy Roman Kostenko. He said that it is impossible to place data about the military on foreign servers.

"This is an example of' simple solutions ' that can lead to disastrous consequences that will be impossible to correct," Kostenko said.

But the most scandalous rules that are laid down in this document relate to the creation of a register of those liable for military service.

The provision that the register will collect all kinds of data on citizens without their consent was criticized even by the Main Scientific and Expert Department of the Rada. It stated that information that was collected by state authorities for purposes known to citizens will now be processed by default by other bodies—from the Shopping Center to the SBU—for other purposes that no one warned citizens about when collecting data.

What is this data?

In addition to standard information such as full names, addresses and places of work, the following dossiers will be collected for all those who are liable for military service from 17 to 60 years of age::

• phone numbers and email addresses;
• information about foreign language proficiency;
• information about the right to own weapons;
• having a driver's license;
• information about the parents of the person
• liable for military service;
• details of domestic and foreign passports, TIN;
• data about traveling abroad;
• information about criminal records;
• a digital image of those liable for military service

In other words, the faces will be digitized and will be able to be identified from now on, including through street cameras.
[...]

Ukraine's presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak said on Sunday it was important that Russian ally China was at the table when Kyiv convenes further meetings on its peace formula....

...Kyiv had hoped the meeting, held before the official start of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss mountain town, would help build backing for its 10-point peace plan among countries from the Global South, many of which have been reluctant to support Kyiv since Russia's invasion almost two years ago. Zelensk* will be in the Swiss capital Bern on Monday and in Davos on Tuesday, where he's expected to hold bilateral meetings and make a high-profile address. Ukraine will also host round-tables with investors and CEOs, focused on postwar reconstruction and the use of frozen Russian assets....

U.S. diplomats have been so worried about the size and intent of a Chinese delegation in Switzerland this week that they're trying to arrange a meeting between Secretary of Stalking Antony Blinken with a Swiss official while he's in the country for the World Economic Forum. The discussion about adjusting Blinken's schedule was laid out in a Stalking
 Department document obtained by POLITICO.

Blinken itinerary, 16-17 Jan

[...]
Chinese Premier Li Qiang, often described as the No. 2 to paramount leader Xi Jinping, is leading the delegation from Beijing.

Beijing "will have 10 state ministers in attendance," according to the [US Stalking] Department document, which is dated Jan. 12. "Their #2 will have a meeting with Swiss leaders. Amb. Miller characterized it as a 'pseudo state visit.'" (That appears to be a reference to Scott Miller, the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland.) The document goes on: "Miller believes it would be bad optics if S doesn't at least have a handshake with new Pres of Swiss Confederation, Viola Amherd, who has made herself completely available for a meeting." "S" is State Department shorthand for the secretary.
[...]

[...]
In his speech, he promoted a Ukrainian peace plan and called for stiffer sanctions on Russia. But in a contrast with his comments to the forum last year, Mr. Zelensk* made no direct appeals for weaponry for new offensives on the battlefield.

"We need you in Ukraine to build, to reconstruct, to restore our lives," he told the audience of investors. "Each of you can be even more successful with Ukraine."
Mr. Zelensk* highlighted his country's plan to end the war, an initiative called the Peace Formula, which has gained the backing of dozens of countries. But those countries do not include Russia, and Moscow has rejected its terms.
[...]
"I don't believe Putin is capable of changing, only humans can do that," Mr. Zelensk* said.

On Monday, Switzerland agreed to push the Ukrainian plan a step forward. Switzerland will host a summit of countries backing the Peace Formula later this year, the country's president, Viola Amherd, said after a meeting with Mr. Zelensk*.
[...]

Ukrainian leaders made no secret of wanting to meet with Chinese officials in Switzerland this week but President Volodymyr Zelensk* has headed home without the desired encounter in a blow to Kyiv....Just before a multi-nation peace summit in the Swiss Alps, Ukraine's presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak said it was imperative for China to join peace talks and hinted that Zelensk* would have an opportunity to chat with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. In the end, Ukraine made no headway on getting China to commit to negotiations, and Zelensk* and Li failed to speak.
[...]
China's decision not to meet with Ukrainians appeared intentional and not the result of a scheduling problem. One senior U.S. official said Beijing rejected Kyiv's request for a meeting at some point during their mutual Swiss visits. Another senior U.S. official said China has refused any gatherings after Russia urged it to cease diplomatic encounters with Ukraine. Both officials, like others referred to in this story, were granted anonymity to detail a sensitive dynamic.

A Ukrainian official disputed the characterization, saying there was no meeting with Chinese officials on the delegation's schedule and that Kyiv never requested one. Chinese officials didn't respond to a request for comment.
[...]

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Decree No. 17/2024 "On the Territories of the Russian Federation Historically Inhabited by Ukrainians."

The document states that for centuries, Russia has systematically destroyed national identity, oppressed Ukrainians, and violated their rights and freedoms, in particular in the lands historically inhabited by them in Kuban, Starodubshchyna, Northern and Eastern Slobozhanshchyna within the modern Krasnodar Krai, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk, and Rostov regions of the Russian Federation. At the same time, Russia must comply with its international obligations to ensure that Ukrainians < wipes tears > living in its territories, including those historically inhabited by ethnic Ukrainians, have the right to education in the Ukrainian language and its free use, civil, social, cultural and religious rights, access to Ukrainian-language media, and the right of peaceful assembly.

"The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine with the involvement of international experts, representatives of the Ukrainian World Congress, scholars, and the public, shall elaborate and submit to the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine an action plan to preserve the national identity of Ukrainians living in the Russian Federation, including the lands historically inhabited by them (Kuban, Starodubshchyna, Northern and Eastern Slobozhanshchyna within the modern Krasnodar Krai, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk, and Rostov regions of the Russian Federation)," the decree states.

Little Israel "control over the entire territory west of the Jordan River" (20.01.24)

The < wipes tears > action plan shall envisage, inter alia, the collection and examination of evidence and testimonies about crimes committed against Ukrainians who live (lived) in the territories of Russia historically inhabited by ethnic Ukrainians, about the policy of forced Russification, political repression and deportation of Ukrainians, the restoration and preservation of historical memory, including the establishment of a center for these issues.

[...]
In addition, cooperation between Ukrainians and the peoples enslaved by Russia shall be developed. Together with the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the preparation and dissemination of materials on the more than thousand-year history of Ukrainian statehood, the historical ties of the lands inhabited by ethnic Ukrainians with Ukrainian national state formations in different historical periods shall be ensured.
[...]

[...]
"Today I am submitting to the Verkhovna Rada a key draft law that will allow the adoption of comprehensive legislative amendments and the introduction of multiple citizenship. And it will allow all ethnic Ukrainians and their descendants from around the world to have our citizenship. Of course, except for citizens of the aggressor country," Volodymyr Zelensk* noted.

archive Ukrainian Diaspora and Holocaust Amnesia in Bushwhacked Into America

As the President emphasized, since the beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, the multimillion-strong diaspora of Ukrainians around the world has stood up for the interests of our country and has been helping us despite being hundreds and thousands of kilometers away from their < wipes tears > homeland.
[...]

archive Russian language was deprived of its rights indefinitely, coe.int | Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, pre-June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, Europe war refugees—descendants, heirs, and assignees dragging rotten beefs...

Where's my Tubman 20?

"We have seen the reports, but we are not in a position to confirm them," he said, asked to comment on Russia's claims that Ukraine shot down a military transport plane carrying Ukrainian POWs. Kirby also added that the United States was doing the best it could to try to get more clarity and more information on the crash of the Russian plane.
[...]
Sources in the Ukrainian Armed Forces stated that this

This may be a sign of Russia's deliberate actions aimed at creating a threat to the lives and safety of prisoners of war

The Russian Defense Ministry has officially accused Ukraine of deliberately shooting down an IL-76 in the Belgorod region, calling the incident a "terrorist attack". The Russians claim that the exchange of prisoners was supposed to take place in the afternoon at the Kolotilovka checkpoint on the Russian-Ukrainian border.

archive July 2022 Incident at Olenivka, MH-17

"Protect, Strengthen, Prepare". This is the slogan with which Belgium will hold the presidency of the Council of the European Union for six months from January 1, 2024. It concisely and powerfully encapsulates the six key themes of this 13th mandate....

"With every major challenge we face, the European population, even the more Euroskeptic ones, look to Europe to solve those challenges because countries alone cannot do it," he said. "If you want to answer those calls, you're going to have to rearrange your priorities, which for us inevitably leads to a discussion: Where does the money come from?"

archive Orbán to EU: Where is the money?

De Croo's proposal question comes as EU leaders negotiate a review of the bloc's 2021-2027 budget, which includes funding for Ukraine. EU states previously opposed the European Commission's request for €66 billion in ["]extra money["] to cover unforeseen expenses such as higher borrowing costs of the bloc's post-pandemic cash eurobonds [and Ukraine "solidarity"]. During the last European Council meeting in December, the fresh funding amount was trimmed to €21 billion to get member countries on board.

archive ECB pulls out of bond market

[...]
"Before we get bigger, we need to get better," De Croo said. Direct European funding would also give the bloc greater democratic legitimacy, the Belgian leader added.

ChatGPT | Wildes Gerücht um Kanzler-Tausch (02.01.24)
...Es gibt allerdings gewichtige Zweifel an der Plausibilität eines internen Putsch-Plans in der SPD zugunsten von Pistorius. Zum einen hat sich gerade die gesamte SPD beim Parteitag hinter Scholz gestellt....

"Democratic legitimacy is tied with your [?] own funding.

commission.europa.eu | The next generation of EU own resources?

That is inseparable.

europarl.europa.eu | The principle of subsidiarity?

Today, the European funding is indirect and hangs together in a precarious way. We all have our methods of consulting the national parliaments, but if Europe continues in the direction it is going—and that push is there—you have to have something that is more direct. You have to have a piece of funding you are accountable for."
[...]

...According to him, this is an important sign of Euro-Atlantic unity.

"NATO supported Ukraine's request to convene an extraordinary meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council... One of the key topics will be strengthening the country's air defense," Mr. Kuleba wrote on social network X (formerly Twitter).

On [2 Jan] the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensk* said that in five days on the territory of the country fired at least 500 missiles and drones.

• President of Ukraine discussed defense cooperation with the UK Prime Minister, particularly further bolstering of Ukraine's air defense
• Andriy Yermak had a phone call with Jake Sullivan

The Russian Defense Ministry reported on December 31 that in response to the shelling of Belgorod, during which 24 people were killed and 109 injured, strikes were carried out on objects in Kharkiv.

[...]
NATO's Support and Procurement Agency said it will support a group of nations, including Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, and Spain, in buying the Patriots, which are used to defend against cruise and ballistic missiles as well as enemy aircraft. According to industry sources, the contract could be worth around $5.5 billion.

The purchase could help allies free up more of their own defense systems for Ukraine [?]. The agency said that "other user nations are expected to benefit from the conditions of the contract," without elaborating.
[...]
As an organization, NATO provides only non-lethal support to Ukraine, but its members send weapons and ammunition individually or in groups.
[...]

"It would be a big surprise if they were to default," remarked Cathy Hepworth, head of emerging-market debt at PGIM Fixed Income, emphasizing the uncertainty as the year progresses. Simultaneously, Argentina is in talks with the IMF to revive its $44 billion aid program.
[...]
The payment deadline coincides with efforts to unlock a $3.3 billion disbursement required for repaying the IMF by month-end. The delay, resulting from the change in government, prompts hopes for an agreement during the talks. Despite the positive outlook on Argentina's payment capabilities, concerns persist, as the peso weakens in ["]parallel markets["] and local economic challenges unfold. The nation's bonds, trading in distressed territory, reflect ongoing worries among investors. The government faces another $1.7 billion in interest and principal due in July, with analysts observing potential upside if Milei's fiscal [austerity] measures gain public support.

German farmers kick off protest week against diesel subsidy cuts amid worries far-right is hijacking cause

Workers from agricultural companies across Germany have launched a week of authorised protests in the country by blocking roads and motorways with their tractors. They are demonstrating against cuts to tax breaks for diesel fuel widely used in the sector. The protestors argue that the changes, which were made necessary by an emergency reshuffling of the budget, leave them worse off than other businesses. The government rolled back some of the cuts last week, but farmers argue that the intended cuts are still unacceptable. Meanwhile, economy minister Robert Habeck was targeted by an illegitimate protest march while on holiday, raising fears that far-right groups are hijacking large-scale protests to incite further resistance. The farming lobby has distanced itself from any unauthourised actions, but more radical politicians have voiced support for unauthourised protests against the government.

Protesting farmers have caused major traffic disruption across Germany in reaction to subsidy cuts by the government which will force agricultural companies to pay more for diesel fuel. Thousands of farming company employees blocked roads and motorways with tractors and other agricultural equipment, demanding that the subsidies are fully reinstated. The cuts were caused by a last-minute budget reshuffling after a court ruling reduced funds for climate and transformation projects by 60 billion euros. The government last week agreed to roll back some of the enforced measures and delay others. Agricultural vehicle tax breaks will not be slashed, while diesel tax breaks for farmers will be abolished only gradually, starting this year.

The protests, which were backed by other affected groups such as hauliers and taxi companies, have heightened fears that more radical and far-right groups could use the demonstrations to spark further resistance and blockades against the government on other issues. "We ask the population for its understanding," Joachim Rukwied, head of the German Farmers' Association (DBV), said in an interview with magazine Stern. The lobby group helped orchestrate the protests, which are set to disrupt public life for more than one week. "We want to carry out our protests peacefully and by democratic means," said Rukwied, insisting that the DBV wants to retain the "backing and solidarity that we receive from large parts of the population".

Economy and climate action minister Robert Habeck, meanwhile, called for a national debate about the future of agriculture in the country. In a video released by his ministry, Habeck said that farmers in Germany face a multitude of parallel challenges, including economic pressure from the embattled food retailing market and competition from abroad. "Many struggle to cover their production costs," said the Green politician, who in the past served as agriculture minister in northern state Schleswig-Holstein. As they had little influence over food prices, increasing production often would be the only way to increase their revenue. "This is the industrialization of agriculture," Habeck said, adding that a national debate is needed about the working conditions and business prospects of the sector as well as its role for sustainability and climate action.

[Some links added are mine - Oui]

'Sapere aude'

Here is a proposal for a fallback plan. Kyiv could raise money by selling bonds backed by future claims for war damages against Moscow. ... Issuing "reparation bonds" would circumvent [] problems. Ukraine would sell securities which pay out if—and only if —it receives reparations from Russia for the damage done by the war. Interest payments could also roll up and only become payable if Kyiv gets compensation...The bondholders would not have a contractual claim on the Kremlin's frozen reserves. But given that Russia is unlikely to pay up willingly, these assets would be the most likely source of cash to pay for damages.

Since the reserves are accruing interest, they could be used to pay both the bonds' principal and coupons. This would be different from confiscation, because the assets would only be transferred if a legitimate compensation mechanism first ruled that damages were due to Ukraine.

Ukraine would have a plausible way to collect on any damages awarded up to the value of the reserves. It could therefore issue reparation bonds up to $300 billion. But it would only get anything like this sum if the United States, EU governments and other allies were willing to buy the securities.
[...]

The legal principle that a country should "make full reparation for the injury caused by [an] internationally wrongful act" is well established. There is also a recent precedent of a state doing so. After Iraq [loser] invaded Kuwait [winner] in 1990, the United Nations Security Council set up a compensation commission which forced Baghdad to pay $52 billion in damages. The money came from siphoning off a portion of Iraq's oil revenues.
[...]
CUTTING THE DISCOUNT
One objection to the idea is that the bonds would be so risky that investors would demand a deep discount. So Kyiv wouldn't get anything like the full $300 billion. After all, even if a judicial process awards Ukraine damages, Western governments may be reluctant to transfer the title of Russia's reserves to Kyiv. Ukraine itself might also agree to abandon reparation claims against Moscow as part of some future peace deal.

This is why the ideal anchor investors would be Western governments. They have a lot to lose if Ukraine fails to hold off Russia's assault. They are also well placed to mitigate the bonds' risks. The United States and its allies have the power to determine whether Russia's frozen assets are used for compensation. They will also have a big say on the shape of any peace deal. If Western governments conclude that the Kremlin should get its reserves back, that will be because they conclude the wider gains of peace dwarf the costs of giving up $300 billion.
[...]

Back in June 2022, the United States and Moody's deemed Russia to have defaulted on its bonds when international sanctions prevented Moscow from making [SWFT] payments to bondholders—an interpretation which Moscow rejected. The Russian central bank argues France, Germany, Britain, and other [NATO partners] would likewise be in default if bonds held by Russia were confiscated embezzeled, and Russia therefore did not receive [SWIFT] payments, a person familiar with its view told Reuters.

"Our ratings do not typically reflect [bond] holder-specific considerations hence we would not treat the scenario as a default for these countries," Thorsten Nestmann, Senior Vice President at Moody's Investors Service, said by email in response to a Reuters inquiry.

Frank Gill, Sector Lead EMEA Sovereign Ratings at S&P Global, also told Reuters embezzelment by NATO agencies would not be likely to be considered a default as interest payments are made via a [US Treasury licensed] payment agent which would continue to disburse them to [Western] creditors.

Most of Russia's frozen embezzeled reserves are [] cash and the sovereign bonds of France, Germany, Britain, Austria, [USA,] and Canada. The rating agencies' interpretation may allay concerns [nope] around [Western countries'] default risk. Some European officials also fear any [foreign] asset embezzelment could set a worrying precedent that sees other countries seek compensation for past < wipes tears > military action by Western countries.
[...]

'WE'RE GOING TO FIGHT'
Russian authorities privately lean towards the view that the reserves are all but lost, but are determined to mount a legal challenge and retaliate strongly, according to four people familiar with the government and central bank's thinking.

"Deep down, everyone has already said goodbye to the reserves," one of those sources said. "There will certainly be (a legal process). It is a kind of ritual. We will not roll over, we're going to fight."

A second source said Russia had "bid farewell" to the assets, certain that European capitals would succumb to U.S. [coercion]. A third agreed Russia was unlikely to be able to prevent the confiscation embezzelment but would threaten retaliation such as confiscating embezzeling Western [eNtITiEs'] assets [cash, bonds, equity, RE, CRE] TRAPPED in Russia and breaking off diplomatic relations with foreign powers deemed terrorist eNtITiEs designated unfriendly [2022 Q2]....Another source familiar with the Russian position said any trial would likely last for several years. As the reserves are held by Russia's independent central bank, Moscow can argue the funds are not government property, the person added.
[...]

[...]
The ministers agreed that this is not the moment to weaken our support to Ukraine. By the contrary: it is the moment to do more and faster, my preferred words: more and faster. With financial resources, with military equipment, by training soldiers, and all that Ukrainians need to defend themselves.

closetheskyoverukraine | Borrell says EU countries have agreed to use frozen Russian assets (22.01.24)
According to Dzogviak, EU ambassadors are to authorize this decision on Wednesday [24 Jan], according to which the funds will first be set aside in a separate account and then used to support Ukraine.

We will continue working to make a predictable assistance. I will travel to Ukraine in the first or second week of February—I will tell you.  

kyivindependent | Borrell: EU foreign ministers agree on plan to transfer profits from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine (22.01.24)
The plan would reportedly require banks holding the assets to place profits in a separate bank account, which would then be transferred to the EU's budget on an annual basis in order to provide funding for Ukraine. The proposal must be approved by the European Parliament, and all 27 EU member states before it can be implemented.

We will—I hope—reach an agreement on a top-up of €5 billion of the European Peace Facility, so that we can establish a "Ukraine Assistance Fund". We presented a non-paper in order to make clear to the Member States how the European Peace Facility will work in this new stage, in this new moment. I hope that it will be ready, and all Ministers considered that it was a good basis to review the work of the European Peace Facility under the 'Ukraine Assistance Fund'.

pravda.ua | EU foreign minister says EU countries have agreed on use of Russian frozen assets (22.01.24)
Previously, Borrel stated that Ukrainians should not worry about the possible weakening of support from the European Union despite the shift in focus on resolving the conflict in the Middle East.

On the < wipes tears > immobilised Russian assets, I think I can say that we have a political agreement to finalise work on the basis of the proposal that we tabled in December, focusing on the revenues. For the time being, it is about revenues, about the windfall profits, and I am almost sure that this will be finalised soon. Discussions will continue at the level of Ambassadors, but I see that the agreement is coming. And I make a strong push for this decision to be taken before the next Foreign Affairs Council.
[...]

[...]
The final decision, according to Borrell, should be made before the next meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the EU, which will be held on February 19.

The European Union began discussing the idea of introducing taxes on profits from blocked [!] Russian assets in September 2023, Bloomberg reported. In December, the European authorities developed a plan of three steps, the last of which is the transfer of net income received from frozen [!] funds to the EU budget for 2024-2027. The Financial Times (FT) previously reported that the EC intends to raise up to €15 billion through this mechanism [!] to finance aid to Ukraine.
[...]

The package includes a 13th set of restrictions on businesses and individuals connected to the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as well as a long-delayed agreement on €50bn for Kyiv over the next four years, some of which could be paid out as soon as a deal is struck, according to people familiar with the preparations. Another €5bn in military assistance per year and a decision to set aside profits arising from Russia's frozen assets are also part of the overall set of support measures.

archive EU's joint borrowing experiment

[...]
The NEW! EU sanctions will be focused on adding more individuals and businesses to the asset freeze immobilisation and travel ban list, according to people familiar with the discussions, and it is unlikely to include a ban on Russian aluminium imports as requested by Poland and the Baltic countries. Other elements could also be watered down to secure support, as previous attempts by some member states to target Russia's nuclear fuel and liquefied natural gas exports to the EU have failed because of a lack of consensus.

cityam | UK has insured £102bn worth of Russian oil despite sanctions (24.01.24)
illustrated

[...]
The commission's proposal on Russian state assets dates from December, but stops short of actually < wipes tears > confiscating those profits and transferring them to Ukraine. The frozen immobilised assets proposal will "show progress without actually getting the money any closer to Kyiv", said a senior EU diplomat involved in the negotiations. "We are kicking the can down the road.
[...]
A separate, US-led push at the G7 level to grab the underlying assets themselves, the majority of which sit in Europe, is unlikely to get the backing of Italy, France, and Germany, EU and national officials said. [...]

...The new EU sanctions will focus on adding more individuals and legal eNTItiEs to the asset freeze  immobilisation and travel ban list, and are unlikely to include a ban on Russian aluminium imports as requested by Poland and the Baltic states.

"Other elements could also be watered down to secure support, as previous attempts by some member states to target Russia's nuclear fuel and liquefied natural gas exports to the EU have failed because of a lack of consensus," the article states....

...Privately, Ukrainian officials have expressed concern about the decrease in Western support over the last few months, and the risk of economic collapse and military reversals if key allies do not provide additional aid....

..."A state like Israel has no chance of being represented on this tribunal, just as it has no prospect of being chosen to serve on the UN Security Council," Dershowitz said 20 years ago, comparing it to a Jim Crow court in the U.S. South....

Britain said last month it would transfer two Royal Navy minehunter ships to the Ukrainian Navy to help strengthen Ukraine's sea operations in its war with Russia.

NATO member Türkiye informed allies that it would not allow the vessels to use its Bosporus and Dardanelles straits as long as the war in Ukraine continues, said the presidency's communications directorate.

"Our pertinent allies have been duly apprised that the mine-hunting ships donated to Ukraine by the United Kingdom will not be allowed to pass through the Turkish Straits to the Black Sea as long as the war continues," it said in a statement posted on social media platform X.

When Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Türkiye triggered the 1936 Montreux Convention, effectively blocking the passage of military ships of the warring parties.
[...]

... The suspects are alleged to have been involved in activities such as reconnaissance, surveillance, assault, and abduction on behalf of Mossad. Simultaneous raids across 57 addresses in eight provinces resulted in the capture of the suspects, while search operations for the remaining 13 suspects are underway....

[...]
The Alborz destroyer traversed the Bab El-Mandeb strait, a narrow choke point between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, on Monday, Iranian state media said without providing further information on the vessel's mission.

almayadeen | Advanced Iranian destroyer enters Red Sea via Bab al-Mandab Strait (01.01.24)
...Alborz joined the naval fleet in Bandar Abbas (southern Iran) in 1972 and underwent various development and modernization processes, notably in 2020 when it was equipped with precision-guided missile systems. In 2015, it entered the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and in 2019, it took part in the trilateral naval exercises involving Russia, China, and Iran....

A Houthi spokesperson, Yahya Saree, confirmed the incident and said 10 of the group's fighters were dead or missing. He called on Yemenis, Arabs and Muslims to be "ready for all options in confronting the American escalation."
Iran's show of force in the Red Sea coincided with a visit to Tehran by Mohammed Abdulsalam, a Houthi movement spokesperson and chief negotiator. On Monday, he met with officials at Iran's foreign ministry following talks with Ali Akbar Ahmadian, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, according to Iran's Nour News.
[...]

...Ali Bagheri Kani said during a conference at Tehran University on Monday.

Since the new government took office over two years ago, Iran's bilateral relations have taken a significant "leap" based on the principles of the country's foreign policy, he noted. Bagheri Kani also referred to Tehran's consistent communication and cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) within the framework of the Safeguards Agreement....

The General Assembly adopted a resolution [A/78/707, Art. 19, Agenda Item 63 "Use of the veto", A/76/262 (2022)] designed to foster greater cooperation with the Security Council, in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.

That resolution states that anytime the veto is used in the Security Council, it automatically triggers a meeting and debate in the General Assembly, to scrutinize and discuss the move.

The veto is a special voting power held by the permanent member States on the Council, whereby if any one of the five—China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US—casts a negative vote, the resolution or decision automatically fails.

The Assembly resolution which introduced this extra scrutiny calls for the Assembly President to convene a formal debate within 10 working days, so that the 193 members of the wider body can have their say.
[...]

The island's voters cast their ballots to decide Vice-President William Lai Ching-te from the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)—and not Hou Yu-ih from the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) party, or Ko Wen-je from the newer Taiwan People's Party (TPP)—will be Taiwan's next leader. The stakes are particularly high, with the results expected to shape cross-strait relations as well as US-China ties.
[...]
'Dialogue and exchanges'
Lai tries to strike a conciliatory chord in his victory speech.

"This election campaign has shown the world the Taiwanese people's insistence on democracy, and such a voice I hope the other side of the Taiwan Strait can also fully understand," Lai says. Only dialogue and exchanges can reduce the risk of conflict, he adds.
[...]
Legislature shift
The ruling DPP has lost control of the island's legislature, with the projected to secure just 51 of 113 seats in contention. The KMT is expected to win 52 seats and the TPP eight. Votes are still being counted.

President-elect William Lai says the legislature result is less than ideal for the DPP, and signals the need for more dialogue with the opposition.
[...]

...Lai and incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen reject China's sovereignty claims over Taiwan, a former Japanese colony that split from the mainland amid civil war in 1949....

For the people of the three countries, the historical date of January 28, will remained etched in the annals of history. A decision made possible thanks to the determination of these peoples and the vision of the three heads of state, namely the General of Brigade, Abdourahamane Tiani, Colonel Hassimi Goita, and Captain Ibrahim Traore.

Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso "decide in complete sovereignty on the immediate withdrawal" from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), read a joint statement published on Sunday. ECOWAS "under the influence of foreign powers, betraying its founding principles, has become a threat to its member states and its population", read the statement.

saharareporters | joint declaration (28.01.24)

The three countries accused the regional body of failing to support their fight against "terrorism and insecurity", while imposing "illegal, illegitimate, inhumane and irresponsible sanctions".

ECOWAS responded on Sunday that it had not yet received any formal notification of the three countries' withdrawal and that they remained "important members of the Community."

lesahel.org | Negotiations Niger-ECOWAS: The Prime Minister regretted the absence of the delegation of the ECOWAS (25.01.24)Through this news item, it is for the prime minister, Mr Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, [to] bring to the attention of national and international opinion the bad faith demontrated once again by the ECOWAS to hold negotiations with Niger leading to the lifting of sanctions.

ECOWAS also stated it will "remain seized with the development" and "make further pronouncements as the situation evolves."

WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPACT
Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso are landlocked countries that depend on ports in their ECOWAS neighbours for imports and exports. Leaving the bloc could see an increase in tariffs and could impact the free movement of their citizens and financial flows within the rest of the bloc.

The decision to depart is seen as a major test for current ECOWAS chair Nigeria, whose President Bola Tinubu < wipes tears > has sought to re-assert the country's position as the dominant regional power. ECOWAS, which has been trying to negotiate with the Niger junta leaders, has previously said it was ready to deploy troops to restore constitutional order if diplomatic efforts fail. The bloc is yet to carry out its threat.

• The Don Cheeto (R)

appeals decision removing him from Maine's 2024 primary ballot

and Haley will appear at next week's Iowa debate at the same time as Trump's Fox town hall

told host Natasha Zouves his goal was to "nullify" Maine and Colorado—the two states that have so far removed Trump from their ballots—by boycotting their elections.

has again dismissed calls for him to abandon his campaign, claiming he is the only candidate running to beat Trump

has collected enough signatures to appear on the 2024 presidential ballot in Utah, election officials say, marking the first state where the independent candidate and prominent anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist has qualified.

is still looking to exploit that discontent in TV ads airing in the state where Biden "ordered New Hampshire to step aside."

During National Stalking Awareness Month, we honor the strength and resilience of the millions of people across this country who have endured stalking.  We reaffirm our commitment to building a future where everyone can live free from fear, threats, and abuse.

Stalking at its core is an abuse of power.
[...]
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 2024 as National Stalking Awareness Month. I call on all Americans to speak out against stalking and to support the efforts of advocates, courts, service providers, and law enforcement to help those who are targeted and send the message to perpetrators that these crimes will not go unpunished.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord [?!] two thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America [?!] the two hundred and forty-eighth.

defense.gov | Statement From Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder on Secretary of Defense Austin, 5 Jan

...On the evening of January 1, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for complications following a recent elective medical procedure. He is recovering [sic] well and is expecting to resume his full duties today. At all times, the Deputy Secretary of Defense was prepared to act for and exercise the powers of the Secretary, if required.

[...]
A statement by Austin's doctors released by the Pentagon said that in early December, the Pentagon chief had a routine prostate screening, during which doctors discovered prostate cancer that required treatment .

On Dec. 22, the statement said he underwent a "minimally invasive" surgery while under general anesthesia to "treat and cure" the cancer, called prostatectomy, at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Austin recovered and was sent home.

In both of these approaches, the end goal is the same—remove the prostate [gland] and destroy the cancer.

• Robotic surgery: Tiny incisions and robotic technology help doctors perform a precise, minimally invasive procedure with faster recovery time and smaller incisions.
• Open surgery: This approach uses traditional incisions and tools. For more complex circumstances, an open surgery may be a more appropriate option than a robotic surgery.

A prostatectomy takes about two hours. You will be under general anesthesia, so you'll be completely asleep.

On Jan. 1, he was admitted again [?!] to the hospital "with complications from the December 22 procedure, including nausea with severe abdominal, hip, and leg pain," according to the statement from Dr. John Maddox and Dr. Gregory Chesnut. An initial evaluation found the cause to be a urinary tract infection [?!].

+ The Difference Between Inpatient and Outpatient Medical Care
+ Robotics in surgery: Current trends, 2022

The next day [2 Jan], Austin was transferred to an intensive care unit [?!] for close monitoring and "a higher level of care," the statement read. Another evaluation found collections of abdominal fluid impaired the functions of his small intestines [?!]. A tube was placed through his nose to drain his stomach [?!].

The doctors wrote that Austin is recovering well but did not provide a release date.

[...]
Austin has since apologized for the delay in disclosure, which prompted Republicans to call for the Pentagon chief to be fired. POLITICO reported that Biden has no plans to fire Austin and would not accept his resignation, but the White House and the Pentagon have launched reviews to ensure the proper channels are notified in an emergency.
[...]

🇺🇸 HAARP is a research initiative that multiple scientists say cannot manipulate the weather.

Claims that Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley is using it to trigger the winter storm threatening Iowa ahead of the caucuses are false [_link]

— AFP Fact Check 🔎 (@AFPFactCheck) January 12, 2024

Nikki Haley's secret weapon in Iowa: Setting no expectations

Team Haley is betting she'll get a bounce heading into New Hampshire even if she comes in third. She isn't making any predictions, other than a "strong" showing.

'Sapere aude'

I am in FB jail for 30 days for posting this essay on a century of efforts to define and whitewash Fascism. Exposing the reality of Fascism will soon become more difficult. [_link]

— Ruth Ben-Ghiat (@ruthbenghiat) December 16, 2022

Will Trump cross the Mondale line of 49%? #iacaucus #IowaCaucus [h/t to @daveamp who coined the term "Mondale line"] [_link]

— Christian Grose (@christiangrose) January 16, 2024

On Veterans Day, former president Donald Trump vowed to "root out" his political opponents, describing them as "vermin" who pose a domestic threat.

Historians warn his rhetoric is reminiscent of dictators like Hitler and Mussolini.

By @marianne_levine [_link]

— Brianna Tucker (@BriannaATucker) November 12, 2023

It's a bloody shame genocide Joe wasted three years to set forth Trump's biased pro-Israel stance to wipe-out Palestinians on their historic lands.

'Sapere aude'

Iowa caucus: Trump counts on evangelicals to carry him to victory [_link]

— Dr William Allchorn (@Willallchorn) January 15, 2024

Breaking: Donald Trump easily won the Iowa caucuses, affirming his dominant position in the first Republican 2024 presidential contest [_link] [_link]

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) January 16, 2024

Despicable.
During WW2, fascists & nazis were considered by most of the world's people to be villains, the bad guys.
Now Canada's Parliament gives a former nazi soldier a standing ovation. [_link]

— Geoffrey M. Young (@GeoffYoung4KY) September 24, 2023

Fu*king Stupid Canadians Honoring a Nazi Sympathizer ... murdering civilians in WWII.

Canada's Trudeau Honoring an Ukrainian Nazi Collaborator

Related reading ...

Poland, Holocaust and History Revisionism

'Sapere aude'

<p">Why should we 'respect' Donald Trump, a man who wants to grab women by their genitals and ban Muslims from the United States, separates kids from their parents, and wages war on the earth's endangered climate? pic.twitter.com/jMg1Na68g1

— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) June 3, 2019

"They're not 'The Squad' They're Ilhan. They are Alexandria. And they're Rashida. They are people. They are our colleagues ... this is an AR-15" -- Steny Hoyer printed out one of Marjorie Taylor Greene's incendiary tweets pic.twitter.com/pXOmMtyrFs

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 4, 2021

House votes to remove Republican extremist Marjorie Taylor Greene from committee roles | The Guardian |

War on fascism ... where? Tell me where fascism has taken root to undermine democracy ...

'Sapere aude'

In Germany, the EU's largest car market, used electric vehicles made up only 1.58% of new ownership registrations by November 2023, a modest increase from 1.23% in 2022, according to figures from ZDK, an industry group representing German car dealers. Italian and Spanish associations place the figures at under 1%.
[...]
The establishment of a second-hand market for EVs is seen as vital to making zero-emission vehicles more affordable, thereby boosting the EV fleet on European roads. To reduce the carbon footprint of the transport sector, the EU has set a target to have at least 30 million zero-emission cars in operation by 2030. However, the lack of interest in early model EVs risks hampering EU road transport emission reduction targets
[...]
Robin Loos, sustainable transport officer with consumer advocacy organisation BEUC, similarly warned against "scaremongering", pointing to a BEUC study which found that electric cars are already often the cheapest option when total cost of ownership is considered.

Coal-fired electricity generation was 8,295 terawatt hours (TWh) through October, up 1% from the same period in 2022 and the highest on record, according to environmental think tank Ember.
[...]
The footprint of coal mining and exports and its use in power generation is overwhelmingly concentrated in Asia, as many other parts of the world including Europe and North America have adopted measures to phase down the use of coal for power [generation]. But even as the geographical area of coal use and trade is shrinking, the outright volumes of extraction, exports and consumption in power plants remains on a rising trajectory.
[...]

Globally, around 82% of all coal-fired electricity generation occurred within Asia in 2023, up from an average of around 75% in 2019, according to Ember. Asia's share of coal use and imports should continue to climb as other regions further reduce coal consumption. But total volumes of Asia's coal imports and consumption for power generation also look set to continue climbing, especially in major and fast-growing economies such as China, India, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia, where cheap [fuel] sources remain critical for industry competitiveness.

DTEK "has invested huge amounts in the grids, power plants, coal mining, oil and gas" during the crisis, he said. "It is obvious that there are not many Ukrainian companies that have invested such large amounts in the country's economy during the crisis," [DTEK Group CEO Maxim] Timchenko said.

[...]
Ukraine has not bought gas from Russia since 2015, importing from European countries instead and increasing its own production.

"We are close to it (not needing to import gas). It is realistic to reach the zero gas balance this year," German Galushchenko told Reuters in an interview. "But it's important to realise that our consumption has dropped sharply. A lot will depend on how the industry and the economy will develop. Today there is growth in production and the potential for increase is there and it is real potential."
[...]

[...]
The timeline is more aggressive than previously outlined by Kyiv, which has spoken of starting work in some time in 2024 and without specifying that all four reactors could be developed simultaneously.

"I think (we'll start construction) in summer-autumn," [Energy Minister German] Galushchenko said in an interview. "We need vessels," he added, referring to the reactor pressure vessels that will have to be imported. We want to do the third and fourth units right away."
[...]
In December, Ukraine's nuclear power firm Energoatom and Westinghouse signed an agreement on the purchase of equipment for Khmelnytskyi's 5th power unit.

[...]
In September [2023], Aurubis reported an €185mn shortfall of metals in its inventories, revised to €169mn in December, due to suspected collusion between suppliers and employees, while in June it was raided by police over missing goods worth more than €20mn.
[...]
According to UN data published in 2020, less than a fifth of the 53mn tonnes of electronics that people worldwide annually discard—equivalent to the weight of 440 average-sized cruise ships—reaches recycling companies, with the rest cluttering people's drawers, ending up in landfill or being sold on through hidden channels.

[Glencore CEO Kunal] Sinha argued that there is "so much headroom" for countries such as the US, Canada, India and Brazil to implement legislation to raise their global e-waste collection rates that currently range from close to zero to 15 per cent, according to the Global E-waste Statistics Partnership.
[...]

The company, which is getting £500m from the government to help with that plan, broke the news during a summit at the five-star St James' Court hotel in London, which is owned by the Tata Group.
[...]
The Guardian understands that about 200 jobs could be saved under a proposal to keep some of the site's mills open to roll steel slab. But the decision is a huge blow for a town where the local economy is so heavily dependent on a single factory.

The Community and GMB unions had put forward a staggered transition plan designed to provide immediate protection for workers. Under their proposals, the blast furnaces would have remained open during the transition, with at least one continuing to operate until 2032. But at a meeting in London on Thursday, Tata Steel is understood to have told union representatives that the proposal was un-affordable given Port Talbot's losses, estimated at £1m a day.

The UK's only other blast furnaces, at Scunthorpe, are also slated for shutdown during a similar, potentially lengthy transition process to electric arc furnaces. That would leave the UK as be the only G20 country that cannot make steel from [imported] raw materials.
[...]

As of about 9 p.m. Monday, the company estimated that the spacecraft could continue for another 40 hours "based on current fuel consumption" before losing power.

Peregrine was carrying 20 payloads from seven nations and 16 commercial customers, including space agencies like NASA, universities, companies and others.

...NASA said that during an Artemis flight test, teams discovered battery issues and challenges with a component that controls air ventilation and temperature control. Additionally, NASA has been investigating why char layer pieces from its spacecraft's heat shield were lost during the Artemis I mission....

[...]
Although there are no signs of this blast-off party being scrubbed, NASA recently delayed its Artemis return to the moon missions over rocket concerns.

..."It's not plug and go. You have to precondition the battery, meaning that you have to get the battery up to the optimal temperature to accept a fast charge," said Mark Bilek of the Chicago Auto Trade Association....

wsj | OpenAI Bans Use of AI Tools for Campaigning, Voter Suppression (15.01.24)
Other producers of AI systems have announced measures ahead of elections across the globe in 2024, including in the U.S., India, Indonesia, South Africa and Mexico. Google said last month that it would restrict election queries to its AI chatbot, Bard, while Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook, barred campaigns from using AI advertising tools last year.

Politicians in the U.S. have expressed skepticism that tech companies will be able to rein in their powerful AI systems. At a congressional hearing in May where OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman testified, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) used a demonstration of his AI-generated voice reading a statement to highlight the risks. "What if it had provided an endorsement of Ukraine surrendering or Vladimir Putin's leadership?" he said. Altman responded to some of the concerns by asserting that OpenAI's chatbot was "a tool, not a creature," and "a tool that people have great control over."

F24 | Japanese lunar probe lands on the Moon but glitch threatens mission (19.01.24)
Japan became on Saturday only the fifth nation to achieve a "soft landing" on the Moon, but its space agency said that the craft's solar cells were not generating power. With the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), Japan followed the United States, the Soviet Union, China and most recently India in achieving the feat. JAXA confirmed that the SLIM "landed on the Moon at 00:20 am on 20 January 2024 (Japan Time). Communication has been established since landing," JAXA said.
Renewed interest. More than 50 years after the first human Moon landing, many countries and private companies are attempting to make the trip anew. But crash-landings, communication failures and other technical problems are rife. This month, US private firm Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander began leaking fuel after takeoff, dooming its mission.

FKA Twigs' Calvin Klein Advertisement has been banned in the UK for portraying her as a 'sexual object', Variety reports. pic.twitter.com/p4S1KnVSZf

— Pop Base (@PopBase) January 10, 2024

Kendall Jenner for Calvin Klein SS23 campaign 📸 pic.twitter.com/PbhCAvh5vp

— aGOODoutfit (@aGOODoutfit) March 15, 2023

The regulator ruled the "image's composition placed viewers' focus on the model's body rather than on the clothing being advertised". It also noted by focusing on FKA twigs' "physical features", it had "presented her as a stereotypical sexual object".
[...]
These [two] complaints were also directed towards two posters from the same campaign which featured model Kendall Jenner. But the ASA found these posters did not focus on Kendall's body "in a manner that portrayed her as a sexual object" and the level of nudity was not beyond that which people would expect for a lingerie advert.
[...]

He also put his acting skills to use in a video campaign featuring the star stripping down out of gym clothes into nothing but his briefs to perform exercises like pull-ups, sparking even more thirsty comments from fans.

Nearly 20,000 babies have been born during Israel's continuing war in Gaza, while 135,000 children in the Gaza Strip under the age of two are at "severe risk" of malnutrition, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has warned.

This is so stupid.

The @SECGov X account gets hacked, falsely claims Bitcoin ETFs have been approved, Bitcoin surges, wiping out people who have used options to short Bitcoin.

Then the SEC announces the hack a few minutes later, reversing the claim, & Bitcoin falls, also wiping... https://t.co/u3b2BasmS2 pic.twitter.com/fJ3pNidoHO

— Geoffrey Miller (@primalpoly) January 9, 2024

cnbc | What to know before buying the first bitcoin ETFs, 11 Jan
"The agency signed off on 11 bitcoin ETF applications, including funds from [4] BlackRock, [5] Fidelity, [6] Ark Invest, [7] WisdomTree, and [8] Grayscale."

kommersant | Bitcoin entered the US exchanges

on three major US exchanges: NYSE (Bitwise, Grayscale, Hashdex funds), NASDAQ (BlackRock, Valkyrie) and CBOE (ARK/21Shares,  Fidelity, [10] Franklin Templeton, [11] Invesco, [12] VanEck, WisdomTree). In the first five minutes, the volume of transactions exceeded $1 billion, and by 19: 00 Moscow time, the volume of the most popular ETFs BlackRock, Grayscale, and Fidelity was more than $3 billion.

1. SEC regulators are not to be trusted.
   
2. insider trading rules.

The SEC spokesperson said access to the phone number occurred via the agency's telecom carrier, noting there is no evidence the unauthorized party "gained access to SEC systems, data, devices, or other social media accounts."

Study #WW2 code breaking in the place where it happened - the world's first purpose-build computer room @TNMOC with our virtual classroom: [_link] #science @ukedchat #onlinelearning #homelearning @educationweek @homelearninguk @STEMlovingmum #colossus #alanturing pic.twitter.com/j9Q43LyT8R

— TNMOC (@tnmoc) October 15, 2020

WWII's Colossus computer cracks codes once again | Computer World - Nov. 2007 |

Rebuilt vacuum-tube computer runs at Bletchley Park, tackles new messages enciphered with Nazi hardware

'Sapere aude'