International Relations Watch

Britain’s army has been put on standby to deliver fuel amidst a worsening fuel supply crisis in the United Kingdom.

According to mainstream narrative, there are sufficient supplies of fuel, however panic buying at the petrol stations – and lack of truck drivers has drained the supply system. The fuel crisis has impacted everyday lives, but also jobs such as taxi drivers, delivery drivers and of course essential workers.

The average price of a litre of petrol rose to 1.366 pounds ($1.86) an all-time high in almost 9 years.

There are many who blame the current crisis upon Brexit, the pandemic, lorry drivers and truck drivers and many other things. However, the real issue at hand is the inefficiency of the British government. Signs of a worsening fuel and energy crisis has been coming down on the United Kingdom for a couple of months now.

With the army on standby to battle the fuel crisis. Some 150-300 army drivers are getting ready to be deployed.

FUN FACT: There are 8 thousand 500 fuel stations in the UK. Not sure what impact 150-300 army drivers is going to make.





🇬🇧⛽️

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲’𝘀 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝘃𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀

Two weeks ago, Evergrande, China’s biggest real estate developer issued a public statement admitting that it was facing ‘unprecedented difficulties’. The broader Evergrande group not just operate in real estate development in China (for which it has more than 1300 projects in more than 280 cities across China), but its business practices range from wealth management to electric vehicles and food and manufacturing. However, the new warning presents danger that the indebted property developer’s liquidity crisis is now showing worsening signs across its other businesses as well. Shares of Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group (NEV) dropped as much as 26 per cent on Monday after it warned of a liquidity squeeze. Whats next for Evergrande is still unclear. A bailout or a default?







📉🇨🇳

A new wave of fear swept across global markets as Evergrande, the Chinese most indebted real estate developer on Monday floated towards the brink of default worrying both domestic and international peers.

The world’s second largest economy is under serious pressure to play out the recent event, as headlines all over the mainstream media urged that Evergrande could default on its astonishing debt because of a cash crunch.

This news, also send shockwaves in the crypto market. Bitcoin is falling as fears of the Evergrande crisis sweep through global markets.

Evergrande is one of China’s largest real estate developer that employs about 200,000 people. In addition, it also indirectly helps sustain more than 3.8 million jobs each year. The company itself is part of the Global 500, meaning that it’s also one of the world’s biggest businesses by revenue. However, right now, the property firm is struggling to manage its $300 billion mountain of debt.







🇨🇳🏦

AUKUS ALLIANCE
THE COMING WAR ON CHINA

A new powerful security triangle launched between Australia, United Kingdom and the United States is sending shock waves around the world in international relations. The new alliance is aimed at pooling U.S. and British expertise and technology to develop a nuclear powered submarine fleet for Australia over the coming decades. However, more than technology sharing, the new alliance is also seen critical in maintaining American presence in the South China Sea, where the rise of China is seen as an increasing threat.

But if one is asking, why is this deal so different from all the other military deals done in the past, then it should be noted: - In the entire history of the United States, such technology is shared only once and that too back in 1958 only with the United Kingdom.

What is the Chinese response?

China is calling this AUKUS agreement ‘extremely irresponsible’. In addition, China also went after Australia directly telling the aussies that with this move, it can now consider itself as an adversary AND that it should prepare for the worst!

Is this really about a war with China as many seem to suggest that the United States is building towards OR is it really just about business? The business of weapon sales, given the United States is the largest exporter of weapons in the entire world?






🇨🇳🇦🇺
#1958

𝗜𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝘆𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲!

In a surprising turn of events, the sale of Australia’s biggest airport is closer to being finalized as an infrastructure investor group won permission on Monday to conduct due diligence on Sydney Airport Holdings, after increasing its takeover offer to A$ 23.6 billion.

It is of course a risky AND a long-term bet on the travel sector, that has been injured by the Covid-19 pandemic and the on-going worsening situation of the economy. The country however, plans to, gradually, re-open travel once 80 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated.

A successful takeover would be among the largest buyouts ever of an Australian firm. In addition, an SAA spokesperson said the consortium welcomed the announcement and looked forward to working with Sydney Airport’s board to finalize the transaction.






🇦🇺🛫

There is no doubt about the fact that the unexpected U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan has left the country in serious troubles. However, a deepening financial crisis is one that needs serious attention.

The U.S. has frozen nearly $9.5 billion in assets belonging to the Afghan central bank and stopped shipments of cash to the nation as it tries to keep a Taliban-led government from accessing the money. In addition, any central bank assets that the Afghan government has in the U.S. will not be available to the Taliban, which remains on the Treasury Department’s sanctions designation list.

With all that is happening in and around Afghanistan, the country is in fact undergoing the perfect setting for crypto adoption. It is important to note, the recent political turmoil in Afghanistan has resulted in a steep hike in crypto usage. Afghanistan ranks 20th in 2021’s Global Cryptocurrency Adoption Index.

There is no doubt about that fact that war generates a lot of money, and in the case of Afghanistan, there are beneficiaries that have profited from the war. And the crypto market known for its anonymity, the moving of large amounts of money is – without a doubt – taking place right now in the crypto market.

Should the Taliban adopt cryptocurrencies? If they should, how will such a volatile financial market play in the longer run for Afghanistan?





🪙 🇦🇫

There is no doubt about the fact that Pakistan as a state has been going through some major difficulties in the past two decades. But for the most part, Pakistan’s problems both within, and, on the outer spectrum started when it decided to join United States war on terror and allowed the U.S. to use its territory for the war on terror in Afghanistan. Since then, Pakistan has been on a sharp decline both internally and externally. Although it can now be concluded that joining the U.S.’s war on terror was not a good idea for Pakistan in the first place, but as it unfolds, it seems like Pakistan didn’t have much of a choice.

Having considered itself (Pakistan) as an ally to the United States, the country was unclear about the agenda and the role it was taking in the entire war on terror in Afghanistan. And as clear as it is now, the United States itself, was in fact, un clear about its role in Afghanistan therefore blaming Pakistan for its failures in fighting the war on terror in Afghanistan.

So why is Pakistan claiming diplomatic victory in Afghanistan?

From drone attacks within its territories, to repeatedly being blamed for not doing enough in the fight against terrorism. There is indeed a significant shift in Pakistan’s foreign policy today.

For the most part, Pakistan repeatedly over the last two decades called out for a non-military solution in Afghanistan. And as it unfolds, there is, in fact, no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan.

Successively, Pakistan is now hosting military and diplomatic personnel from NATO and U.S. army in its country for a safe passage during transit. Furthermore, the Taliban have invited Pakistan along with China, Russia, Turkey, Qatar and Iran to attend the government formation ceremony.









🇵🇰🇦🇫

With the U.S withdrawal from Afghanistan completed in August this year, the outlook for the region of South East Asia is changing. For all we know, the United States spent 20 years in Afghanistan fighting a threat of terror, reconstructing Afghanistan, promoting democracy in the war torn country and bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan. None of which it had been able to achieve.

Fast forward 20 years, the U.S withdraws from Afghanistan, leaving Bagram base in the middle of the night AND leaving behind millions dollars’ worth of military arsenal.

So what is next for South East Asia?

It is not wrong to suggest that there is a completely new dynamic emerging in South East Asia. There are significant players emerging in South East Asia. For example, Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan for that matter. However, the dynamics of politics this time are centered around geopolitics and economics.

It can be argued that the unexpected U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan might have happened in an attempt to create chaos with spill overs through borders to the neighboring countries. Creating experiences like that of the 1900s. However, it was well played by the South Eastern players this time.




🪙⚖️

Officially, Australia’s economy bounced back from the COVID recession, as the nation’s economy grew by 0.7 per cent in the June quarter. However, the figures for the three months to June do not give the full picture of the economy that is suffering from long lockdown in Australia’s two biggest cities i.e. Sydney and Melbourne.

While Australia may have avoided a technical recession, for those who understand the capitalist economics, the bigger picture looks grey.

More than half of Australia’s citizens are confined to their homes. Jobs have vaporized. 25 000 job loses a week! Businesses are shutting. Office spaces are vacating. Building blocks and apartments that were once rented out at peak prices have dropped down to minimal. If one ever wonders what it looks like to live in a recession, well this is it.






🇦🇺🎳

There is no doubt about the fact that democracy was the most successful political idea of the 20th century. However, as it unfolds, democracy is losing its value. In the battle against the spread of Covid-19, the hard-core measures taken by governments worldwide is demonstrating a trade-off between public health and fundamental democratic principles. The Covid-19 pandemic, has put democratic governments in a difficult position. High uncertainty caused by Covid-19 pandemic is pushing governments to adapt measures that during normal times contradict with fundamental democratic principles. A total of 160,000 people protested across France earlier last week rejecting the country’s Covid health pass system which according to the protestors unfairly restricts the unvaccinated. Same time last week, Australian police arrested hundreds of anti-lockdown protestors in Melbourne and Sydney and seven officers were taken to the hospital as a result of clashes. The police had to use pepper spray in Melbourne to disperse crowds of more than 4000 surging in the city. The arrested people now face fines of up to A$ 5000 each for breaching public health orders.






⚖️ 🚨
#ᴜɴᴠᴀᴄᴄɪɴᴀᴛᴇᴅ

The Afghan peace process initiated in 2020 in Doha, Qatar – is aimed at ending the ongoing war in Afghanistan. The war, that began in 2001, is the longest war that the United States has been involved in.
But in a broader spectrum, the war in Afghanistan presents a huge challenge for the region of Central/South Asia. For many countries in the region, peace in Afghanistan is as important as it is for the entire region. Because it is only through peace in Afghanistan, that the historic silk route can be revived.
The Silk Road was the main transportation route connecting ancient China with Western Europe. The Silk Road undoubtedly played a significant role in the economic, political and military development of ancient China. Commodities such as paper and gunpowder, both invented by the Chinese had lasting impacts on the culture and history in the West. Paper was invented in China during the 3rd Century and it was through the Silk Road, that its use spread. Arriving first in Samarkand in around 700 A.D., before moving to Europe through the then-Islamic ports of Sicily and Spain.
Today, the Chinese push for the revival of the historic Silk Road is substantial in achieving its economic dominance – AND Afghanistan isthe last piece in the puzzle. If put in place correctly, peace in Afghanistan will not only benefit Afghanistan, but all countries in the region including China, Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and so on.






✌🏻🇦🇫🇵🇰

Lithium, a chemical element – is a soft, silvery white alkali metal. As conventional power plants are replaced by intermittent renewable generation, the demand for high performing Lithium is rising across the world.
With the days of hydrocarbon and fossil fuels numbered, economic actors are now beginning to understand the urgency in upgrading the current model of production based solely on the use of hydrocarbons and fossil fuels. The increase in the acceptance of moving away from an energy-based production model towards a broader electric model of production requires large scale use and mining of Lithium.
In 2021, most lithium is used to make lithium-ion batteries for electric cars and mobile devices.
However, the wide scale use of Lithium consists of batteries (not just electric cars and mobile devices, but all varieties of technology), ceramics and glass, lubricating greases, metallurgy, silicon nano-wielding (silicon Nano-wields in electronic components for electric batteries and other devices), pyrotechnics, air purification, optics, organic and polymer chemistry, military (high energy additives to rocket propellants), thermonuclear weapons, Nuclear, medicine and so on.
And right now, Afghanistan is sitting on deposits estimated to be worth more than $1 trillion or more, including what may be the world’s largest lithium reserves – but only if anyone can get them out of the ground.