The dire energy crisis is homegrown, but part of the problem is that South Africa has a growing demand for energy while leading the industrialized world in coal consumption. That's why the government is boldly embracing a plan to switch to renewable energy without sacrificing economic growth. If the transition succeeds — and South Africa receives billions in support — it could boost the economy and make the country a model for coal-dependent countries.
It is unlikely that declaring a state of disaster will change the country's dire energy crisis anytime soon. The measure will not turn an incompetent government into a competent one and will instead lead to less accountability but more corruption. The extreme measure is primarily an expression of desperation, as evidenced by the government's intention to appoint a Minister of Electricity to deal with the crisis. South Africa faces a bleak and shaky future.
There's a 50% chance that at least a 3.34% share of Africa's total primary energy will come from nuclear (fission & fusion) in 2050, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Though the US has lifted some sanctions, this is largely a superficial move to avoid criticism of its brutal sanctions regime. If sanctions weren't obstructing aid delivery, why did the US lift some of them? All routes from Turkey into the country's north have been destroyed, making it even more necessary for Western governments to work directly with the Syrian state to help alleviate this crisis. The West must lift all of these cruel sanctions.
The US should not and will not work with a government that has killed hundreds of thousands of its own people with barrel bombs, starvation sieges, and chemical weapons. US sanctions on Syria have a very minor effect on aid delivery, as such areas are excluded from the sanctions which largely target individuals and companies, and any possible hindrances have now been lifted. The US will do everything it can via the NGOs with which it has worked for years to provide Syrians with aid, but it will not assist Bashar al-Assad, Syria's dictator after he destroyed his own country.
The Lukashenko regime is cracking down on the dissent ripping through Belarus, and the conviction of Andrzej Poczobut — only guilty of fighting for the truth — is just one demonstration of this. More than 35K people have been arrested, many have been beaten, and tens of thousands of others have fled in fear for their lives. Poland, and the West, can't stand by idly amid this repression.
Ripple effects from the Western-sponsored migration crisis are fueling unrest in Belarus, and the closure of the Bobrowniki-Bierestowica border will only worsen this. In an attempt to thrust its vision of democracy on other nations, the West, particularly the US, has instigated a succession of regional conflicts in the Middle East and Northern Africa, resulting in massive migration flows. Rather than imposing further sanctions, constructive dialogue — as advocated for by Minsk — is the way forward.
Poland — which touts an open-door policy to Ukrainian refugees — has a history of unlawfully and violently throwing Belarusian migrants back across the border into the hands of an oppressive and cruel regime. This inhumane policy has exacerbated the migrant crisis at the border and is unacceptable for an EU country.
There's a 50% chance that Pres. Lukashenko will leave power in Belarus by December 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
This invasion is an egregious violation of international law. Putin's ultimate aim is to restore the Soviet empire, even if it takes massive bloodshed and false pretexts such as calling the 2014 Ukrainian revolution after an election a "coup". This unprovoked attack is the latest chapter in Putin's Orwellian attempt to rewrite history.
NATO and the US have ignored Russia's security concerns by breaking its promise not to expand eastward in return for German reunification. These concerns are legitimate and taking them seriously would have avoided the Ukraine tragedy.
There is a 2% chance that Ukraine will officially recognize a former Ukrainian territory (Luhansk, Donetsk, or Crimea) as independent before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Though there's still research to be done, this study has discovered a novel virus-binding protein that could help create future treatment strategies. Not only can LRRC15 capture and immobilize COVID in human airways, but it can possibly even help fibroblast cells pass these immobilized cells onto the lung for further protection. This is an exciting breakthrough.
This is undoubtedly promising news, but it's tainted by its late arrival. Although the vaccine has helped protect millions, it consumed researchers' energy and resources, resulting in research like this — which should have taken place when the pandemic began — being neglected. Doctors should learn this lesson and spread out their resources should another viral outbreak ever occur again.
There's a 50% chance that there will be at least 18 named variants of SARS-CoV-2 in its first 10 years, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Few people can bring the perspective about the Capitol riots that Pence can, considering he was both pressured by Trump to not certify the votes and hunted down by the rioters. The former VP has already shared his story and opinions in public appearances, so giving an honest account to law enforcement shouldn’t be an issue. He should ignore any executive privilege claims and do what’s best for America.
Pence should take his cue from Trump, who has pointed out that Smith is a politically-motivated prosecutor who is running an illegitimate investigation. Smith has botched prosecutions in the past — both domestically and overseas — and there’s no way anyone, let alone the former vice president, should tell Smith anything.
News surrounding Hunter Biden's laptop has continually been the source of desperate lies by Democrats, attempting to brush over the actions of the Biden family. Despite their best attempts, the stage has now been set by Comer for Republicans to finally force the truth out of the Biden family and the Biden administration.
It is hypocritical for Comer to investigate and complain about the Biden family when he himself has used his position in the past to help his brother out of COVID Paycheck Protection Program loans. Rather than spending all its time on politically-motivated character assassination, the GOP machine would do better to address more important issues of value to the American people.
There is a 37% chance that Hunter Biden will be indicted by Nov. 5, 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
The European Parliament prides itself on being above corruption, which is why the vast majority of MEPs — who are not involved in this case — have called for swift and concrete measures to be implemented in response to these bribery allegations. Radical actions, such as the criminalization of all corruption through the "defense of democracy package," are set to be imposed to quash the behavior of this rogue minority.
The irony of these so-called socialist European MEPs engaging in bribery and fraud is incredible, and the few arrests made so far may only be the tip of the iceberg in the European Parliament. Up to 60 MEPs could potentially be involved — those outside of this chaos should watch this space and note the display of hypocrisy as it unfolds.
This latest attack by a Palestinian extremist, brutally killing an innocent six-year-old boy, illustrates why Israel needs to enhance its efforts to root out terrorism and protect the Israeli people. As tough as his policies are, security minister Ben Gvir has seen many Israelis die on his watch, and it's time he strengthens enforcement. This conflict is not subsiding, and Israel is obligated to defend itself.
All violence is tragic and must be condemned, but people must not forget the violence and oppression first imposed by Israel’s apartheid regime. Palestinians are being abused, dispossessed, and even killed every day, and something must be done to dismantle the occupation of the West Bank. As governments and international organizations increasingly speak out against Israel, they must not cower in the face of public backlash and lobbying efforts.
These migrants are poor, homeless, and hungry refugees, not so-called illegal aliens, and DeSantis is using them to gain traction ahead of his potential presidential run. The governor and his GOP allies are outright admitting that this is a political stunt, which makes it all the worse. If signed, DeSantis' human trafficking policy will continue to target people based on race and national origin — constitutional violations that have already been brought up in previous lawsuits.
Florida Republicans and their governor are using this as a national political stunt, but it's not to boost DeSantis' presidential bid. Florida and other border states have been left with no other choice as the Biden admin. ignores the country's illegal immigration crisis. This is the only way to make Democrats up north aware of this fact, and as long as their concerns keep falling on deaf ears, state governments are going to have to keep shipping the problem to their doorstep.
Though these migrant flights are understandable, governors like DeSantis in Florida and Greg Abbott in Texas shouldn't be pushing illegals further into the country; they should be deporting them. As Kari Lake promised to do if she became governor of Arizona, they should correctly categorize this crisis as an invasion and deport each undocumented immigrant back to where they came from.