This article made me hopeful in the long term but also curious. How are lgbqt+ rights in South Africa compared to say europe, canzuk etc? Seems open enough they can protest like this?

In even the most southern tip of my country the difference between winter daylight and summet daylight is about 5 hours. There is no way people are ignorant to this. The reason we hold on to it is the cost of changing. Thats pretty much it. Ironically though it also costs an economy quite a lot to keep too. The switch is counter productive economically speaking

But this will surely rebuild global investor confidence in China! /s

To be honest, this is likely half as much a warning to Ukraine/helping keep the face of pressure for their suzerain, but also likely half as a backup in case Putin invades a Belarus that resists integration. Even Lukashenko acknowledged Russia's annexation plans and tacitly dismissed them.

Yes, that was in case of the need for future mobilizations. Unlike Russia, it's quite easy to fact check because Ukraine welcomes tonnes of international corps. Not sure what you are getting at.

Super important distinctions thanks for this post.

And Russia is forcing them. But to be honest, Ukraine's forces have quite a lot of older volunteers too, but the difference is they volunteered willingly and many of them vets from the now long conflict.

As a Canadian, the US has routinely ignores WTO rulings related to softwood lumber. Rules for thee but not for me. And yet of course the US complains when other large parties like China routinely ignore it too. I honestly think if the US had embraced rules-based order after the Cold War there would be less precedent available for today's despots to also think rules are for weak nations.

Unrelated, but I always found it fascinating that the Romans brought Christianity to the Isle, and to Ireland. But after the fall of the romans, paganism re-spread. Ireland contributed to the British regaining christianity like a century later iirc.

Im sorry you have to go through all these steps of control and corruption. Sucks.