Pakistan Says It's Ready to Buy Russian Oil
Pakistan's Finance Minister, Ishaq Dar, said Wednesday that his country was ready to buy Russian oil at prices equivalent to or lower than Indian rates amid Pakistan's severe economic crisis.
According to Dar, who just returned from a visit to the US, Pakistan is "actively considering" purchasing Russian oil, while assuring that Islamabad would not turn to the Paris Club for debt rescheduling of $27B.
Narrative A
Given the volatility and competition in the global energy market amid the Ukraine war, Pakistan should explore new ways to reduce its energy dependence and diversify its supply sources. Although it makes sense to enter into new energy partnerships — such as with Russia —Islamabad needs to explore its domestic energy potential and also focus on renewables.
Narrative B
Pakistani relations are not only growing with Russia. Closer Pakistan-China ties and US security interests should be another reason for pragmatic re-engagement with the strategically important Asian country. Washington should not only intensify energy cooperation but also provide market access for Pakistani exports and encourage American direct investment. It's a crucial time for Washington to deepen energy and other ties to Islamabad.
NYC Opens Tent Shelter For Asylum Seekers
On Wednesday, New York City opened the Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center, an emergency tent shelter that will temporarily house 500 people bused into the city by Republican governors. The decision comes ahead of the midterm elections set to take place in early November.
The policy was announced over a week after Mayor Eric Adams declared a state of emergency in the city and warned that the influx of new migrants was overwhelming NYC's shelter system. As of Saturday, more than 19.4K people had entered the accommodation system in recent months.
Democratic narrative
This new facility will help New York City to humanely receive migrants that have been arriving from the southern border, allowing them to recuperate as well as reach their relatives. Unlike Southern Republican governors, who are causing this crisis by coercing migrants out of their jurisdictions, Democrats like Mayor Adams are working to support and assist these vulnerable people.
Republican narrative
Though Mayor Adams has long denied favoring migrants, and has vowed not to divert resources away from New Yorkers in dire need of services, the opening of the Randall's Island shelter has clearly showed the contrary. Compared to the spartan shelters — which house homeless New Yorkers — migrants will enjoy an accommodation wonderland that includes laundry services, three meals a day, and video games, all at the expense of the US taxpayer.
Nerd narrative
There is a 50% chance that at least 208K refugees will be admitted to the US from 2021 to 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Day 239 Roundup: Rolling Blackouts Planned Throughout Ukraine; More Strikes on Energy Infrastructure
Following a fortnight of Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure — which have driven numerous areas into darkness — Ukraine's principal energy provider, Ukrenergo, began imposing rolling blackouts across the country on Thursday.
A statement from Ukrenergo's press office said: "The reason for [Thursday's] restrictions is the lack of power in the system." They also stated that they couldn't "rule out" asking for the support of Ukrainians more often as the nation faces "the onset of the cold weather."
Anti-Russia narrative
Russia's attacks on civilian infrastructure — namely on Ukrainian supplies of electricity, water, and heating — as winter approaches constitute war crimes. They must be met with a strong response from the international community.
Pro-Russia narrative
Russia's response to Ukraine's actions has so far been restrained, but Moscow has repeatedly warned that its patience is not infinite. In the wake of ongoing terror attacks — including the strike on the Crimean Bridge — Russia's tough response has been long coming.
Nerd narrative
There's a 45% chance that Vladimir Putin will be charged with war crimes by the International Criminal Court before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Australia Committed to Military Cooperation with Indonesia
Australia's Dept. of Defense said PM Anthony Albanese's government would continue to provide military training, conduct joint exercises, and export weapons to Indonesia, despite alleged human rights abuses by Jakarta in West Papua.
The two countries have a longstanding military relationship, including joint training exercises between Australia's special forces (SAS) and Indonesian Kopassus special forces.
Establishment-critical narrative
By selling weapons to Indonesia, the Australian government is unquestionably an accomplice to the murder and oppression of the West Papuans. Not only is Australia exporting weapons used to commit atrocities, the government actively tries to hide evidence of human rights violations so they don't look bad on the world stage.
Pro-establishment narrative
A strong military alliance between Australia and Indonesia is more important than ever, as China's rapid growth in the Pacific threatens to dismantle the strategic goals and partnerships with Western states. As two of the region's most powerful maritime forces, this is necessary for deterring encroachment by China.
Iranian Schoolgirl Allegedly Beaten to Death by Security Forces
A schoolgirl died last week after Iranian security forces allegedly beat her and several classmates for refusing to sing an anthem praising the country's supreme leader, a local teachers' association said.
Asra Panahi was among several students from the Shahed girls' high school in Ardabil who were allegedly forced to attend a ceremony praising Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. They reportedly refused to sing, chanting slogans against inequality and discrimination instead.
Pro-establishment narrative
This is yet another death of a young girl at the hands of Iran's brutal security regime — a rotten system that has pushed the country's youth to its absolute limits. It has already fostered a volatile environment by failing to tackle the economic crisis, and repressing women through the criminalization of "immodest dressing" has only amplified discontent. Iranians cannot blindly comply with these orders any longer.
Establishment-critical narrative
Iran's riots have nothing to do with the death of Amini — and now Panahi — but everything to do with the enemies of Iran exploiting the tragic event for the purpose of creating chaos in the country. This was simply the right excuse at the right time. However, Iranians can count on their government to remain firm in its opposition to meddling from Western hegemony and Israel's Zionist regime.
UK: Liz Truss Resigns as PM
On Thursday, Liz Truss announced her resignation as UK prime minister and Conservative party leader. Coming just 45 days after she took over the role from Boris Johnson, she is the shortest-serving PM in British history.
Speaking outside Downing Street, Truss stated: "I came into office at a time of great economic and international instability." After touching on the cost of living crisis and her attempt to implement "low-tax, high-growth" economic policies, Truss confirmed that she couldn't "deliver the mandate" on which the Conservative Party had elected her.
Right narrative
Truss's premiership has been doomed for a while — it's a relief that by resigning power so swiftly, she has offered the Conservative party a chance to unite around a new leader. The only way forward is for Tory MPs to stabilize around a mandate of fiscal discipline to create a clear dividing line from Labour.
Left narrative
This is a shambolic end to an even more catastrophic tenure of Conservative leadership. The British people have faced 12 years of Tory PMs — now the markets are in chaos, the cost of living crisis is worsening, and, as usual, it will be the poorest in society paying the price for the failures of the political classes. The UK needs a general election and a Labour government.
Nerd narrative
There is an 84% chance that the UK will have a Labour government before June 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
France Repatriates 40 Children, 15 Women From Syria
On Thursday, France announced it completed a new operation to return 55 French nationals — 15 women and 40 children — from Kurdish-run camps in northeastern Syria. Once in France, the children were sent to childcare services, and the women were transferred to judicial authorities.
This is the latest move since France initiated its policy of bringing women and children back in July.
Establishment-critical narrative
France was correct in its original decision not to repatriate these individuals. While they may be French nationals, they're also adults who chose to fight for ISIS, fully aware of the traitorous act they were committing. Western states who bend their knee to the demands of the human rights courts will only risk innocent lives to save Jihadi traitors in foreign lands.
Pro-establishment narrative
The most important question here is whether children should be punished for the crimes of their parents, and the answer is clearly no. While the adults who chose to leave and fight for a terrorist caliphate should still be tried and punished, their trial should be on Western soil so their children can be freed from their parent's sins.
US Midterm Poll: Crucial Latino Voters 'Cool' on Both Parties
Among 1,005 US Hispanic/Latino individuals surveyed for an Axios-Ipsos Latino poll released weeks before the November midterm elections, 33% said they’d vote Democrat, while 18% were leaning Republican, 23% said they didn’t know how they would vote, 17% said they wouldn’t vote.
In terms of top concerns, 37% of respondents cited inflation, and 36% pointed to crime. Immigration (26%), climate change (25%), health care (20%), political extremism or polarization (17%), taxes (14%), racial injustice (13%), and abortion (12%) rounded out the other issues.
Democratic narrative
Continuing to focus on abortion — which crosses all demographics and geographies — is a way to win with Latinos and all ethnic groups. The abortion issue shows how extreme and out-of-touch Republicans are on numerous issues and will be pivotal to the Democrats' messaging with Latinos in the final weeks until the midterms.
Republican narrative
Democrats can keep focusing on abortion all they want, but that focus is just one of many issues that are turning Latino voters against them. In crucial regions, Latino voters are turning to Republicans to tackle issues like crime and inflation. The Democrats' path of preaching "wokeness" isn't working.
Nerd narrative
There is a 75% chance Republicans gain control of the US House of Representatives after the 2022 midterm elections, according to the Metaculus community.
FDA Panel Votes to Remove Makena From Market
On Wednesday, the US Food and Drug Admin. (FDA) advisory committee voted 14-1 to remove the drug Makena, which was expected to reduce the risk of preterm births, from the market “while an appropriate confirmatory study is designed and conducted.”
After a three-day hearing, members of the FDA’s Obstetrics, Reproductive and Urologic Drugs Advisory Committee also voted 15-0 that a post-market trial didn’t show any benefit to babies, and 13-1 (with one abstention) that evidence didn’t show that Makena had reduced the risk of preterm birth in women who had experienced one.
Narrative A
This drug’s ineffectiveness exposes the flaws in the FDA's accelerated approval program. After approval, drug companies are required to conduct follow-up tests, but there’s no timetable and no incentive for doing so. Drugs that don’t work, or might even cause harm, are allowed to remain on the shelves for too long after approval.
Narrative B
The FDA's accelerated approval track isn’t perfect, but it’s necessary. In some cases, it could take decades to learn if a drug is an effective cure, and many with terminal diseases don’t have that type of time. With willing recipients of the drugs on hand — and the FDA enforcing necessary tests and requiring confirming data from companies — this program has been, and should continue to be, a positive.
Arizona Asks Feds to Probe Alleged Voter Intimidation
Following reports of a voter allegedly being followed by a group of people to an early voting ballot drop box, the Arizona Sec. of State's office has referred the alleged voter intimidation case to the offices of the US Dept. of Justice and Arizona Attorney General.
The unidentified voters complaint stated a group were "filming and photographing my wife and I as we approached the dropbox and accusing us of being a mule," adding, "They took...photographs of our license plate.”
Democratic narrative
Intimidation tactics like this are the work of dangerous groups like Clean Elections USA, whose founder has frequently appeared on election-denying Steve Bannon's show. They openly brag about spying on and following voters; this is clearly the work of dangerous MAGA Republicans in another attempt to steal an election.
Republican narrative
Though any form of illegal stalking, harassment, or voter intimidation should be condemned, there is a need for thorough ballot drop box monitoring, which is lacking in certain states. If we want every American to feel the upcoming elections are secure and legitimate, every state must do its part in implementing proper ballot surveillance.
Narrative C
Extensive studies have demonstrated that voter fraud in the US is extremely rare, and allegations that this occurred in the 2020 election — or will occur in the midterms — are baseless. While election integrity must absolutely be protected, chasing phantom voter fraud shouldn't be used as an excuse to undermine free and fair access to voting.
Nerd narrative
There's a 24% chance that Republican Blake Masters will win the 2022 United States Senate election in Arizona, according to the Metaculus prediction community.