Month: August 2022

Venezuela Stops Oil Shipments To Europe As Alternatives To Russian Energy Dry Up

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

The writing is on the wall for Europe in terms of this coming winter – It’s going to get ugly. With natural gas imports from Russia cut by 80% through Nord Stream 1 along with the majority of oil shipments, the EU is going to be scrambling for whatever fuel sources they can find to supply electricity and heating through the coming winter. Two sources that were originally suggested as alternatives were Iran and Venezuela.

Venezuela Stops Oil Shipments To Europe As Alternatives To Russian Energy Dry Up

Related:

Venezuela: Oil Production Declines as Shipments to Europe Suspended

Caracas’ oil operations were affected by mechanical disruptions caused by alleged attacks against oil facilities. On July 16 a natural gas pipeline explosion and a power outage interrupted PDVSA’s supply to its main crude production and export hub, the José Antonio Anzoátegui industrial complex in eastern Venezuela.

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With the operational disruption depleting Venezuela’s lightest oil grade stocks, Iran recently began to increase its supply of 29.5°API blend, a lighter alternative to Venezuela’s 16°API Merey, in order to boost fuel production and free domestic upgraded blends for exports.

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However, anonymous sources revealed that Caracas might suspend crude cargoes to Europe while the industry recovers from recent setbacks. PDVSA is reportedly negotiating the terms of the oil-for-debt agreements with Eni and Repsol to receive fuel while still settling long-standing debts owed to the two companies.

Neither Venezuela’s Oil Ministry nor PDVSA has issued statements confirming the alleged halted shipments to Europe or the renegotiation of the swap deals.

Europe Looks To Reduce Dependence On China’s Critical Minerals

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Europe Looks To Reduce Dependence On China’s Critical Minerals

China is the dominant player on the markets for the materials used in solar panels, batteries, and magnets. European countries have recently ramped up efforts to establish local supply chains and diversify imports away from one dominant supplier, especially if this supplier is Russian ally China.

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According to the European Commission, China provides 98% of the EU’s supply of rare earth elements (REE).

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China could reduce exports of critical materials, as authorities said in the latest five-year plan that the country would cut overseas shipments to meet the rise in demand domestically, Deutsche Welle noted earlier this year.

Germany’s economy, Europe’s biggest, became more dependent on China during the first half of 2022, according to a study by the German Economic Institute (IW) seen by Reuters.

Google Maps Is Misleading Users Searching For Abortion Clinics…And The GOP Is Threatening The Company If It Fixes That

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)1 Comment

Google Maps Is Misleading Users Searching For Abortion Clinics… And The GOP Is Threatening The Company If It Fixes That

Related:

Google Maps Regularly Misleads People Searching for Abortion Clinics

“When my partner left the room, I mentioned that I was in an abusive relationship,” said Chey, who asked that her full name be withheld for medical privacy reasons. The staff working at the CPC said that was all the more reason to have the baby. “They told me that carrying a pregnancy could help repair my relationship, that it would cause my partner to step up as a man, and that I would find purpose in life again.”

Domestic Violence And Pregnancy

Pregnant and recently pregnant women are more likely to be victims of homicide than any other cause of death.

A significant proportion of all female homicide victims are killed by their intimate partners.

Domestic violence during pregnancy puts your life and the life of your baby at risk.

Domestic violence is the number one cause of injury to women.

Abusive partners do not stop their violence after the baby is born.

Abusive partners do not become good fathers after the baby is born.

Abuse and Domestic Violence During Pregnancy

Cops Throw Man Suffering Diabetic Shock in Jail, Watch Him Die

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

When he was arrested in February of this year, Gilbert Gil, 67, had committed no crime and had harmed no one. Sadly, however, his innocence offered no protection from the pernicious abuse of the California police state.

Cops Throw Man Suffering Diabetic Shock in Jail, Watch Him Die

It’s sad that the police didn’t think about the possibility of these people having low blood sugar (lack of training?!)! I grew up with a diabetic and when their blood sugar gets too low, they tend to slur their words and their breath can smell like alcohol!

US bombs Somalia for the third time this summer

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

US bombs Somalia for the third time this summer

Bottom line, it’s been a long time since the United States was not bombing Somalia. This comes after a particularly bloody period during the GWOT in which the CIA was using the country to detain and torture terror suspects from across North Africa. Whether this has ultimately been a good thing for the country or for the broader security of the region, one need only to look at the continued instability and impoverishment of the people, and of course, the persistent presence of al-Shabab itself.