The firing of an air-defense missile into Belarus is a very serious incident that risked prompting an international escalation of the conflict. Ukraine needs to conduct a thorough review to prevent this type of potentially inflammatory event from occurring again.
The Kremlin is desperate to involve Belarus in its war of aggression in Ukraine. As such, it cannot be ruled out that Russia deliberately laid a route for one of its missiles that would lead to it being intercepted over the territory of the country.
The S-300 is a Soviet-era weapon used by both Russia and Ukraine. It's notoriously unreliable and is known to miss its targets and go astray. Although undesirable, there's nothing strange or suspicious about this incident.
There's a 1% chance that Russian or Belarusian troops will cross the land border between Belarus and either the Volyn or Rivne oblasts by 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
This move will not only hurt household economics globally but also reduce supplies of the world's most-used cooking oils, thus creating additional upward pressure for food prices well into 2023. The Indonesian government must rethink the policy change as it strains global food insecurity and poses significant risks to palm fruit farmers' livelihoods.
Indonesia must first address food security issues domestically before it shifts its focus globally. The move may be harsh, but it's necessary to stabilize domestic prices of palm oil, considering the festive season is bound to affect the demand and supply equation. Furthermore, Malaysia will be able to pick up some of the export slack while Indonesia enforces this temporary change in regulation.
Continuous use of palm oil in food and biofuels will have a catastrophic impact on the planet. Apart from making Indonesia a primary emitter of carbon emissions, palm oil plantations have already resulted in industrial-scale deforestation, threatening several plant and animal species. Though reducing the dependency on Indonesia's palm markets may be challenging, the world must look for an alternative — no matter the cost.
While rare, this isn't the first time the FDA has deviated from its advisory committee's recommendation. The FDA, understanding the public attention this drug approval would get, has rightly stood by its reasoning, including the life-threatening nature of Alzheimer's, its unmet need for treatment, and the evidence that the drug reduces brain plaques. As with all approved drugs, the FDA has closely monitored its success as it entered the market.
This report is not surprising in the slightest, as the FDA has been engaged in blatant drug approval corruption for a long time. While this may not be widely known, large pharmaceutical companies literally fund the FDA's drug review studies in what's known as its "user fee" program, leading to a never-ending cycle of regulatory capture.
The release of the returns is the final act in a saga that Trump's incessant fighting has dragged out for years. Much of the information Trump sought to keep private became public irrespectively, and the reality is that for all of his claims of being a great businessman, his companies have been losing millions for years. This release remains a blow to the former president.
To no one's surprise, the big tax return release was just an anticlimactic witch hunt. What it did show is that while he was focused on being president, Trump's companies did take a financial dive, which is why he paid very little in income tax. This was nothing more than a political farce that has opened the door to future harassment.
There's a 15% chance that Trump will be jailed or incarcerated before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
China is facing a staggering COVID surge with the rollback of its zero-COVID policy. As cases and deaths increase, this new anti-viral drug will be very helpful, especially as the country experiences a shortage of Paxlovid and other COVID-specific medications.
While VV116 may seem like a promising alternative to Paxlovid, it has not been studied enough. The clinical trials involved too small of a control group, and the results were not clear enough for many authorities and regulators to want to approve or manufacture the drug. It's too early to tell if the new treatment will be able to help China's roiling COVID surge.
The US's ongoing interference in oil-rich Syria continues to exacerbate problems in the Middle East and raise questions about its true motives. Washington politicians, and their defense-contract donors, seemingly love to prolong wars, but there's no rational reason to stay in Syria at this point. Only if the US and its partners leave Syria will the country be able to find lasting peace again.
While IS may not be perceived as the grave threat it was in the past decade — largely thanks to US efforts — it's still a dangerous terror organization whose actions have, and will continue to, destroy the lives of thousands. Syria has been in disarray since the start of its civil war, and its regime cannot resolve the problems of the region alone. US-led global action is required to bring stability and human rights to Syria.
Getting humiliated by Greta Thunberg seems to be the least of Andrew Tate’s concerns now that he's been arrested on human trafficking and rape charges. Tate has made countless vile comments about women, so it should not be surprising that he could engage in such horrendous abuse. Tate is unquestioningly a bad actor, and his criminal activity needs to be investigated.
The circumstances of Tate's arrest are suspicious. He's faced similar charges before, which the controversial social media influencer said was "swatting" and related to his accumulation of wealth, including cryptocurrency. The inane "pizza box" conspiracy theory is already debunked, and forthcoming information could shed light on Tate's situation.
Camacho was responsible for a violent, far-right coup against a democratically elected government. The allegations of fraud are dubious at best, and the power grab led to death and destruction across Bolivia. The government is seeking justice for the victims of this violence through the legal system, even at the risk of violence from Camacho's many vocal supporters.
Camacho is an outspoken critic of the MAS regime, and this is a blatant act of retaliation against him and his allies. Unable to cope with his widespread popularity in one of Bolivia's fastest-growing regions, the regime has resorted to dictatorial tactics by fabricating these charges. This is a dark day for democracy, as a popular, incumbent governor is arrested for opposing the ruling government.
This was a show trial aimed at silencing Aung San Suu Kyi and removing her from the political landscape. The US's targeted sanctions of the military junta, however, will help support those working towards the shoring up of democracy in Myanmar. Under Biden's leadership, the US has clearly signaled its solidarity with the people of Myanmar and its willingness to hold the nation's military accountable for countless human rights violations.
The US is continuing to fail to take an effective stance against human rights abuses in Myanmar. American officials only throw humanitarian crumbs towards populations who lack proxy value, while giving billions to big-ticket, election-friendly issues like the Russia-Ukraine war. Issues affecting Europe remain a priority, as 55M people in Myanmar struggle to stay alive and eke out an existence under an unforgiving dictatorship.
Food safety and product quality are the highest priorities for Hershey and other members of the National Confectioners Association. Hershey’s chocolates are made in strict compliance with the Association's California Proposition 65 settlement which establishes strict requirements for lead and cadmium levels. The products in question are well below any dangerous level and are safe to enjoy.
Heavy metals such as lead and cadmium are extremely dangerous to consume, and only one ounce of Hershey’s dark chocolate is well above a safe level. These metals pose a threat to children and can cause severe developmental issues. Chocolate companies must be held responsible and ensure their consumers know what they’re eating.