Ukraine

By Wandile Sihlobo, Stellenbosch University | – If Russia keeps to the deal it has signed with Ukraine allowing for the resumption of grain exports, much needed relief will be provided to importing countries, including many in Africa. Ukraine, which has about 22 million tonnes of grain (wheat, maize, sunflower seed and other grains) in […]

Apartheid

Israel bombs Civilian Apt. Bldg. in Gaza City, Killing 10, Wounding 55; When Russia does it, it is a War Crime

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Maram Humaid at Al Jazeera English reports that Israeli fighter jets bombed the civilian Palestine Towers apartment building in downtown Gaza City on Friday, killing 10, including a five-year-old girl, a Quds Brigades commander and wounding 55 other persons. The little girl, Alaa Qadooum, and her father were on a […]

Climate Crisis

Germany: Löwenbräu, other Beer Brands to be Made with Wind and Solar as Russian Gas Turns Unreliable

Clean Energy Wire

By Hannah Naylor | – inFranken.de / Süddeutsche Zeitung ( Clean Energy Wire ) – Bavarian breweries concerned about possible gas shortages are developing contingency plans to avoid a complete halt of beer production, reports regional news website inFranken.de. Munich breweries are considering switching to other energy sources, such as oil or renewables, but these […]

Food Security

The Turkey-Russia-Ukraine Grain Agreement and the Weaponization of Food

John Feffer

( Foreign Policy in Focus ) – When Russia bombed the port in Odesa last week, it was not an auspicious beginning to the new deal on grain exports. If anyone believed that this agreement between Moscow and Kyiv would have some positive spillover effect on the war grinding on elsewhere in Ukraine, the Russian […]

Israel

Israel fears a Nightmare Scenario as the Crisis with Russia escalates

Middle East Monitor

By Adnan Abu Amer | – Israel is convinced that Moscow’s threat to close down the Jewish Agency in Russia is retaliation for the Zionist state’s positions on the war in Ukraine. In fact, Israel now fears that the crisis with Russia will escalate further, which has prompted officials in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs […]

Featured

Russia announces $40 Bn. Investment in Iran Oil & Gas, as Khamenei Supports Putin’s invasion of Ukraine

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The leaders of Russia, Iran and Turkey arrived on Tuesday in Tehran for a summit on guaranteeing the Syrian peace process in the framework of the Astana negotiations. But since this summit took place in the wake of President Joe Biden’s trip to the Middle East to create a united […]

Arms Sales

A Powerful Turkish Drone Is Helping Ukraine Fight Russia. It’s Also Killing Civilians Across the Globe.

ProPublica

By Umar Farooq | – ( ProPublica) – Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was in a tough spot last August when he paid a visit to Turkey. For nearly a year, his government had been at war with rebels from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, which was now pushing south from its stronghold near the […]

China

In Saudi Arabia, Biden Plays Defense against Russia, China, Iran

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Although President Joe Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia was ostensibly about petroleum and attempting to lower gasoline prices in the US, it doesn’t seem to me that that rationale entirely explains Biden’s about-face on Saudi Arabia. For one thing, Biden must have been told that Saudi Arabia does not have […]

European Union

As Biden sends more Troops to Eastern Europe, how do US Commitments now Compare to those of the Cold War?

The Conversation

By Christoph Bluth, University of Bradford | – (The Conversation) – US president Joe Biden is beefing up the US military presence in eastern Europe as a reaction to the Ukraine war. Biden plans to redeploy troops from Germany to Poland and Romania and send more destroyers to strengthen Nato’s naval presence on its southern […]