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For today’s trip, we
- take a look at how EU bullies a nation most kossacks have never heard of.
- admire the hostile nations list issued by Russia
- pay our respects to “Father of hybrid rice”
- pop into Mexico to see a political Demolition derby
- puzzle over how in Samoa, the first ever woman head of government is prevented from being sworn in
- look in on volcano eruption in DR Congo
- check out how Falklands is preparing tocelebrate liberation
- read about Eurovision and what we can learn about Europe from it
EU - Vanuatu: Bullying: European Union has been pounding on Vanuatu. EU Arbitrarily Blacklists Vanuatu and EU Ambassador confirms Vanuatu on EU and France blacklists and Gov't denounces EU list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions
Over at The Diplomat (20 May 2021) Francois Chani Tabisal gets round to writing about it Colonialism Redux: How the EU Is Punishing a Tiny Island Nation for Not ‘Playing Fair’
The unequal matchup between a bureaucratic behemoth and Vanuatu reveals more about history and geopolitics than it does about financial irregularities.
In January 2015 the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) reported one of its member jurisdictions for serious anti-money laundering and counterterrorist financing (AML&CTF) deficiencies. The member in question was Vanuatu: a sprinkling of volcanic islands in the South Pacific, with a population of barely 300,000 Ni-Vanuatu. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), responding to the APG at its February 2016 plenary session in Paris, placed Vanuatu on its dreaded grey list.
The FATF represents 39 member nations and organizations, including the APG, and was created in 1989 by the G-7 to spearhead anti-money laundering and, later, counterterrorist financing efforts. By setting world standards for financial compliance, it also functions as the gatekeeper for international trade. And that’s precisely where this story begins.
The FATF black list is a formidable instrument. Only North Korea and Iran enjoy full pariah status on the list. But even grey-listing has ramifications, complicating international fund transfers, foreign direct investment, and correspondent banking. It’s tantamount to a global bureaucratic shunning, as other financial centers embargo the listed party.
Russia - Enemies list: Russia recently released its list of nations it considers unfriendly/hostile. Reactions to the list seem a littleunfazed. Modern Diplomacy (23 may 2021) List of Russia’s unfriendly states: “Is that all?”
On May 13th, 2021, Russia published “the list of unfriendly states of the Russian Federation,” which currently consists of two states – the United States of America and the Czech Republic. The following decree was introduced in accordance with the Executive Order of the President of the Russian Federation from April 23rd, 2021, “On measures (countermeasures) in response to unfriendly actions of foreign states” which will remain in force “until the cancellation of the measures (countermeasures) it has established”. According to this document, the following states will be limited in signing any types of contracts “leading to labour relations with individuals on the territory of the Russian Federation.” After it enters in force, the Czech Republic will be able to sign only 19 contracts, and the USA will be completely restricted from signing any of them. Such a choice didn`t surprise anyone taking into account the preceding events. For the last several weeks mass media is watching closely what is happening in Czechia. The whole situation remains unclear, no responsible found, and no exact investigation had been conducted so far. However, the consequences of this accident influenced Russian diplomats who had to leave the country. As for the USA, the situation is clear enough – Russia and the USA haven`t been friends on the international arena for quite a long time.
Long before releasing the final version of the list, the Russian side repeatedly mentioned its plans on creating it. In April 2021, Maria Zakharova, official Spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mentioned that “the creation is in progress. As we all understand clearly, everything started with another round of unfriendly actions of the USA, <…> so I can confirm that the USA is on the list.” “Unfriendly actions became the reason of taking measures on equalizing conditions in which our diplomatic missions have to work,” – added Sergei Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia.
According to the official order, there are only two countries on the list – the USA and Czechia. However, many experts also express opinions that this list can be extended. Sergei Ryabkov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, supports this idea because “what we see in the order is the reflection of the real facts.” Maria Zakharova underlined that this order is a countermeasure on hostile actions of other states: “we have always highlighted completely peaceful character of our foreign policy. But we have also always highlighted that all actions defined by us as “hostile” won`t be left unanswered. And the measures taken now are, indeed, one of such measures.”
China - Mourning and preparing for funeral: Chinese and worldwide hero Yuan Longping (wiki) has died. Over at SCMP (22 May 2021) an coverage of the news.
China’s ‘father of hybrid rice’ Yuan Longping dies at 90
Yuan Longping, China’s “father of hybrid rice” and hailed for his contributions to the country’s food security, died on Saturday. He was 90 years old.
The Chinese agronomist was known for developing the first hybrid rice varieties in the 1970s and regarded as a national hero for boosting grain harvests and helping to feed the world’s most populous country.
The official Hunan Daily newspaper reported that Yuan died of multiple organ failure in hospital in Changsha, the capital of central China’s Hunan province, just after 1pm.
News of Yuan’s death prompted a flood of tributes online and was a top-ranking topic on Chinese microblogging site Weibo.
Mexico - President does what?: I hold my hands up, I am not familiar with Mexican politics and I do not track it either. Plenty of other kossacks usually write about and are more familiar. Hopefully one of them will write an article. meanwhile here from Asia Times (22 May 2021) Mexico’s demolition derby: AMLO breaks all the laws
With crucial midterm elections in two weeks, the political situation in Mexico is deteriorating quickly. The government is promoting polarization and violent confrontation as it perverts the law to go after its political enemies and support its candidates and friends.
Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador, widely known by his initials AMLO, has finally revealed his authoritarian aims by blatantly breaking the laws that rule the electoral process. These preclude public officials from supporting parties or candidates in forthcoming elections.
AMLO has effectively declared himself the sole arbiter of Mexico’s democratic processes. He has repeatedly disqualified the National Electoral Institute (INE), the respected authority in charge of organizing and overseeing free, fair, and competitive elections since its creation as an independent entity in 1997.
Samoa - Stop first ever woman Prime Minister Being sworn in: Just as we were getting ready to celebrate, (jubilatory aspects were even mentioned just yesterday Daily Kos Community: This Week In The War On Women)
Unfortunately, that was not to be. Al Jazeera (23 May 2021) Samoa crisis deepens as head of state suspends parliament
Samoa has plunged into fresh political turmoil after its head of state abruptly cancelled a parliamentary session expected to confirm the Pacific nation’s first change of government in almost 40 years.
Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II’s order late on Saturday came two days before Samoa’s newly elected parliament was set to convene and swear in opposition FAST Party leader Fiame Naomi Mata’afa as the country’s first female prime minister.
In a brief proclamation posted on Facebook, Sualauvi said he was suspending parliament “until such time as to be announced and for reasons that I will make known in due course”.
FAST said it would petition the Supreme Court to overturn the order on Sunday.
Bangladesh: Over at Dhaka Tribune() Julian Francis penned OP-ED: Memories of a massacre
From the genocide of 1971 to the humanitarian crisis of 2021
During the month of April, the news channels, talk shows, and newspapers have had many relevant subjects to cover, such as the serious Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh and India, climate change discussions and negotiations, the George Floyd case judgment in the US, and the ongoing tensions between the superpowers.
However, many of us who were involved in India with the refugee relief work in 1971 remember the chaotic situations which were taking place in India, particularly in West Bengal and Tripura during the month of April 1971. The government of India, the West Bengal, Tripura, Assam and Meghalaya state governments, UN agencies and NGOs, both national and international, were trying to come to terms with the floods of traumatized Bangladeshi refugees streaming across the border between India and (then) East Pakistan.
Those of us on the ground found it difficult to obtain reliable information. International media personnel had been deported in late March from Dhaka and most of the other foreigners working in East Pakistan were evacuated by early April 1971. We relied on the personal accounts of the refugee families arriving at different border crossings. It was estimated that about 1 million refugees had crossed the border into India at different places by the end of April 1971.
DR Congo - Volcano eruptions: I picked Deutche Welles becasue they have better photographs, DR Congo: Volcano eruption prompts Goma evacuation
The Congolese government said it was evacuating Goma, a city of nearly 2 million people, after the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo. Lava reached the city's airport but stopped short of the urban areas.
A smoking trail of lava from a volcanic eruption appeared to have stopped a few hundred meters short of the city of Goma, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on Sunday.
The military governor of the region said: "The lava halted near Buhene on the outskirts of Goma" but that the city itself had been "spared."
Nevertheless, General Constant Ndima said that five people had lost there lives in related accidents.
Falklands - Liberation celebration: Falklands is preparing tocelebrate liberation from war/occupation by Argentina. Merco Press Falklands, 40th anniversary of liberation to be a year of commemoration and celebration
Falkland Islanders are hoping to mark the 40th Liberation anniversary with a year of events that both commemorate the liberation of the islands and look to their future, the Chair of the 40th-anniversary committee told Mercopress this week.
Phyl Rendell MBE said, ‘obviously it's all about commemorating those who sacrificed their lives for the Falklands and gave us our liberation. But we also want to showcase the modern Falklands and what has been achieved in the last 40 years and that there's a good future going forward.
‘Our strap-line is “Looking forward at 40”, so really it's about celebrating as well as commemorating: celebrating what we've managed to do in the Falklands and the achievements of everybody, from government to the private sector and the future for young Falkland islanders. That's really what we're trying to get across throughout the year.’
EuroVision: With the Eurovision and allthe related drams that seemtocropupevery year, over at Global Voices, What Eurovision tells us about Europe
For its many fans, the Eurovision Song Contest has long been an annual ritual, with the television broadcast watched by hundreds of millions and the entries closely scrutinized and criticized—notably, these days, on social media and on Eurovision-focused YouTube channels. For others, it’s a kitschy, over-long event that, after 65 years, has overstayed its welcome.
But love it or hate it, there’s no doubt that Eurovision—and the reactions it evokes—provides a compelling lens through which to regard contemporary Europe, its politics, its self-image and its presumed values.
The Eurovision Song Contest was born in 1956 as an annual television show in which a handful of countries in Western Europe competed with songs in their own language. The contest is still organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), an alliance of public service media outlets, and with this year’s event marking the 64th edition, it’s one of the longest-running and most popular shows in television history.
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