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https://www.newsweek.com/iran-shiraz-protesters-palestinian-1896011

Remember how pro-Kremlin ATRL users told us that Europe would freeze to death without russian gas, and russia would do just fine because it would be able to pivot to China? Well, they were terribly wrong. Russia's Gazprom has recorded enormous losses after being dumped by Europe, and there is no demand for russian gas in China. To put this into context, Gazprom used to be the world's third-biggest company in 2008 when Germany's ruling elites were still busy gaslighting us about how Europe needed russian gas. Russian energy giant Gazprom plunged to its biggest loss in at least a quarter of a century after gas sales more than halved in the fallout from Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine. The loss of Rbs629bn ($6.9bn) in 2023 underlines how the Russian president's invasion of Ukraine has ravaged the state-owned natural gas monopoly, leading to plummeting sales in Europe, its main source of income. The Kremlin and Gazprom have trumpeted growing Chinese purchases of Russian gas as an eventual replacement. Those exports, however, were only 22bn cubic metres last year against the 230bn cubic metres a year Russia exported on average in the decade before the Ukraine invasion. https://www.ft.com/content/f6ba327b-5200-4deb-ba95-fba3bbd6536a

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The Biden administration is set to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance, marking a significant shift in U.S. drug policy. This move would acknowledge marijuana’s potential medical benefits and reduce restrictions on its research and pharmaceutical use. The Department of Health and Human Services supports this change, highlighting marijuana’s lower health risks compared to other controlled substances. The rescheduling could benefit the $34 billion cannabis industry by easing tax burdens and potentially reducing the black market. However, some critics argue that it could lead to increased marketing targeted at children and ignore the risks associated with high-potency marijuana. The decision is still subject to a public review period and potential congressional intervention. Source

'Sex is biological fact, NHS declares in landmark shift against gender ideology Campaigners welcome change to constitution, which will ban trans women from female-only wards, as 'return to common sense'' The Telegraph: https://archive.is/hEdp5

The procedure, which rejuvinates skin and improves the appearance of wrinkles, gained popularity after Kim Kardashian got a vampire facial during an episode of Kim and Kourtney Take Miami

The South African Geographical Names Council (SAGNC) has significantly changed the names of the country's geographic entities. The council aims to ensure that the names of places reflect the diverse cultures and languages of South Africa rather than remnants of colonial and apartheid pasts. The SAGNC was established by the South African Geographical Names Council Act of 1998, and since then, it has approved changes for 1,505 place names, including 85 towns. This initiative has led to renaming various geographical locations such as towns, rivers, mountains, and streets. The council aims to make public spaces' names resonate more with the local inhabitants' identity and heritage. The SAGNC's efforts have significantly shifted towards a more inclusive and respectful naming system that celebrates the country's rich cultural diversity. Some of the changes: Port Elizabeth → Gqeberha Morgan's Bay → Gxarha Cradock → Nxuba Uitenhage → Kariega King Williamstown → Qonce Queenstown → Komani Grahamstown → Makhanda Fort Beaufort → KwaMaqoma Somerset East → KwaNojoli Graaff-Reinet → Robert Sobkwe or Fred Hufkie Adendorp → Kwa Mseki Bishop Limba Aberdeen → Camdeboo Nieu-Bethesda → Kwa Noheleni https://www.nrclitchi.org/south-africa-renamed-85-cities/

WASHINGTON — Amid growing protests on college campuses by pro-Palestinian demonstrators, the White House is planning for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to have a minimal presence for a traditional rite of spring: delivering commencement addresses. Biden is scheduled to speak at Morehouse College and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in May, while Harris is only slated to give a graduation speech at the Air Force Academy. First lady Jill Biden, who teaches at a community college, is expected to deliver a commencement address, though no school has been named. Two White House officials noted that the number of speeches for Biden and Harris is similar to the two previous years. By comparison, when then-President Barack Obama was seeking re-election in 2012, he delivered addresses at the Air Force Academy, Barnard College and Joplin High School. That same year, then-Vice President Biden spoke at West Point and high schools in the battleground states of Virginia and Florida. Another White House official declined to preview how Biden might address the campus unrest. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters this week that Biden always views these addresses "as a special time to deliver a message — an encouraging message, a message that's hopefully uplifting to the graduates and their families." Full article: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/white-house-plans-limit-bidens-graduation-speeches-campuses-erupt-prot-rcna149137

"Growing concerns" that Ozempic will disrupt big tobacco, candy companies, and alcohol brands, according to Morgan Stanley Are GLP-1 drugs the first real threat to the hyper-processed food and alcohol industries? Until recently, the dominance of ultra-processed food and alcohol companies has seemed unassailable. With corporate food engineers cranking out more and more hyper-palatable products, the negative health impacts seemed to only be moving in one direction. The tide might be about to turn. Morgan Stanley recently did a survey of people taking GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic or Mounjaro. CNBC and Quartz got private looks at the survey results. Quartz wrote: full article: https://curingaddiction.substack.com/p/growing-concerns-that-ozempic-will

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iraq-criminalises-same-sex-relationships-with-maximum-15-years-prison-2024-04-27/ Thanks Shias and Iran

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During a session at Queen's Park on Thursday, MPP for Hamilton Centre Sarah Jama was asked to leave the house because she was wearing a keffiyeh. A keffiyeh is a black and white checkered scarf traditionally worn across much of the Middle East and has come to symbolize solidarity with Palestinians. Jama, who was a former NDP MPP until she was removed from the party back in October over her comments on the Israel-Gaza war, was asked to leave the chamber by House Speaker Ted Arnott. Earlier this month, Arnott banned keffiyehs in the legislature over concerns that wearing one made an overtly political statement. NDP Leader Marit Stiles issued a motion last week to overturn the ban, but that failed to pass. https://nowtoronto.com/news/canadians-react-after-mpp-sarah-jama-asked-to-leave-legislature-for-wearing-keffiyeh/

From Business Insider: you after finding out your flight to puerto vallarta got delayed & you won't be reimbursed BEFORE this change takes effect

Half of Americans — including 42% of Democrats — say they'd support mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, according to a new Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll. And 30% of Democrats — as well as 46% of Republicans — now say they'd end birthright citizenship, something guaranteed under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. Why it matters: Americans are open to former President Trump's harshest immigration plans, spurred on by a record surge of illegal border crossings and a relentless messaging war waged by Republicans. Axios Vibe Check: Amid a record number of border crossings, nearly two-thirds of Americans said illegal immigration is a real crisis, not a politically driven media narrative. https://www.axios.com/2024/04/25/trump-biden-americans-illegal-immigration-poll —— Where do we go from here? Seems like the global left is losing the debate on immigration to right wing.