„Es ist ein fataler Irrtum zu glauben, dass sich die Zukunftsaussichten der Ukraine verbessern, je länger der Krieg dauert“
“It is a fatal mistake to believe that #Ukraine's future prospects will improve the longer the war lasts”

Quelle und mehr

It is obvious that Washington is leaving the war by shifting all responsibility to Europe and is instead prioritising the procurement of #contracts for the American #military-industrial complex, which is what the bulk of the 10-year plan with Kiev will revolve around - rearming Ukraine and enriching American companies. Although the US is slowly leaving the war, it does not indicate that Washington is serious about #negotiations, which Kujat highlights Moscow had been urging for from as early as 2021.
source and more

Poland’s rise to European PV heavyweight – Part 1

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Given Poland is still firmly the largest hard coal producer in Europe, its attempts to decarbonise through renewables are critical for the climate mitigation agenda. With just 2GW of solar installed at the end of 2019, Poland has seen a meteoric rise towards becoming the third largest solar PV market in Europe in terms of installations. with 12GW installed […]
https://www.pv-tech.org/polands-rise-to-european-pv-heavyweight-part-1/
#econergy, #articles, #features, #difference, #reads, #featured, #long, #contracts

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#Crypto winter is here—and #NFT #artist #royalties are under #hreat

source: https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/12/02/nft-artist-royalties-under-threat

Even though NFT creator fees are #contracts, #blockchain #code cannot actually enforce #token transfer stipulations, rendering those contracts essentially voluntary by design. From an operational perspective, royalties were never guaranteed on the blockchain; instead, the documentation of each NFT only requests a royalty, a procedure that platforms have previously honoured in more favourable #market conditions.

In the end, apart from the #scam, there is not much left to speak about in favor of Crypto.

#news #crime #cybercrime #money #finance #fail #technology #software #wtf #omg

From War Resisters International:

War Profiteer Profile: Krušik Valjevo

Krušik Valjevo is a #Serbian state-owned arms company founded in 1939. They specialise in the production of high-explosive mortar shells, grenades, air #bombs and mines. The company’s revenue in 2018 was €94m, and they employ over 3,000 people. The company claims to have #contracts with over 70 countries, with key exports to #UAE, Cyprus, #USA, Bulgaria and #SaudiArabia.

The company’s main facilities were heavily bombed in 1999 during the Kosovo #war, with hundreds of bombs calling on the factory, including by #NATO carpet bombing raids – workers have described the experience of working in the factory while it was being bombed, the steps taken during the war to move equipment to other facilities, and how when martial law was declared workers were expected to continue working.

The state-owned company has a close relationship with Serbian politicans and their families. For example, in 2018 it was reported that the Serbian Interior Minister’s father was involved in an arms deal with Saudi Arabia.

Read more at https://wri-irg.org/en/story/2022/war-profiteer-profile-krusik-valjevo

#corruption #militarism #antiwar #pacifist #pacifism #HumanRights

The Most Surveilled Place in #America

source: https://www.theverge.com/c/23203881/border-patrol-wall-surveillance-tech

Between 2008 and 2020, ICE and CBP issued more than $55 billion in #contracts for detention, “smart border” #technologies, and #surveillance tools, a report by the Immigrant Defense Project found. The #migrant #smuggling #industry is much more difficult to quantify, but one 2018 United Nations report estimated its worldwide worth as somewhere between $5.7 and $7 billion. The two industries — one licit and one illicit — need each other to function. Both exist because #legal #migration is nearly impossible.

#USA #border #problem #refugees #technology #security #police #politics #news #economy

#EU: #MEPs vs #Commission in #court over #vaccine #contracts

source: https://www.euractiv.com/section/coronavirus/news/meps-vs-commission-in-court-over-vaccine-contracts/

“For nine months the Commission has refused to disclose them, but after being heavily criticised for the opacity of its vaccine #policy, they have published heavily redacted contracts,” she said adding that it is “clearly insufficient”.

#pandemic #corona #coronavirus #politics #transparency #democracy #finance #health #europe #news #economy #pharmacy #problem

It never stops.

Good Law Project has uncovered remarkable evidence that a Tory Minister brought a former Chair of the Tory Party, a man who now runs a lobbying firm, into the heart of Government to work on the massive multi-billion PPE procurement process. Having got his feet under the table that former Chair lobbied to win PPE contracts for at least one, and possibly a number, of clients of his lobbying firm.

The Tory Minister is Lord Bethell. The former Tory Party Chair is Lord Feldman - once described as David Cameron’s oldest and best friend - and he worked for Bethell from 23 March to 15 May 2020. And his huge lobbying firm is Tulchan, whose client list includes Bunzl Healthcare. 

Bunzl was given a £22.6m PPE contract by the Department for Health without any competition in April 2020, smack bang in the middle of the period Feldman was working with Bethell. And we have also learned, from Government’s own documents, that: 

• Feldman was involved in the award of this contract.
  • Bunzl had been removed from the Department for Health’s ‘approved suppliers list’ - and Feldman got them back on.
  • An email from Feldman to Bunzl on 22 March 2020 states that he was acting as “an unpaid advisor to Matthew Hancock at the department of health...but that there have been some historic issues which mean that you have been removed from the approved suppliers list. I would like to remedy that as soon as possible”.
     
• On the same day, he emailed Bunzl, copying in Andrew Wood whom he describes as “the person leading the accelerated procurement process in Cabinet Office” and said “I have spoken to him [Andy Wood] about Bunzl and the opportunity for you to supply the UK Government with equipment. He will be in touch”.
   
• And then, several days later, when Bunzl thought the deal was not progressing quickly enough, it asked Feldman to intervene - which he did. On 25 March Feldman wrote directly to the line manager of the official dealing with Bunzl, encouraging him to expedite the contract award process: “We need to move quickly”. 

We fear these revelations just scratch the surface. We have seen Lord Feldman’s ‘Declarations of interest form’ and it contains a list of his other conflicts of interest. But Government has concealed these other names:

> “some of our clients [Tulchan Communication LLP], as well as many other companies are offering assistance to the government during the covid-19 crisis. This includes [REDACTED], Bunzl, [REDACTED], [REDACTED], [REDACTED]”.

Despite requests from our lawyers Government is refusing to confirm which other companies linked to Cameron’s oldest friend and his lobbying firm Tulchan Communications were introduced to Government and/or won public contracts. 

We have now launched formal Judicial Review proceedings. If you would like to help us challenge this extraordinary abuse of power - you can do so here. 

We are publishing the Judicial Review Bundle we’ve submitted to the Court. Our amended Statement of Facts and Grounds and my Witness Statement are well worth a read.

Thank you, 

Jo Maugham QC

Director of Good Law Project
https://goodlawproject.org

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Good Law Project is able to carry out its work thanks to donations from thousands of people. If you are in a position to do so, you can make a donation here.

#Tulchan #BorisJohnson #AndrewWood #contracts #UK #ToryMinister #UnitedKingdom #PPE #Covid19UK #ToryPartyChair #lobbying #corporations #pandemic #LordBethell #BunzlHealthcare #Bethell #JudicialReview #LordFeldman #cronyism #Benzl