War in Iran tests limits of U.S. power
Foreign Affairs, 7/22–The seeming invincibility of American power heralded by the Gulf War had immediate consequences in Europe…The United States no longer enjoys the sort of military advantage it possessed in 1991. Thanks to globalization, the systems necessary to conduct precision warfare are no longer the preserve of a handful of great powers: they are accessible to a range of actors who are now able to stand up to much stronger states…A new era beckons…The United States is not capable of bending others to its will through the exercise of force at low cost…What has happened in the Strait of Hormuz may occur at an even larger scale in East Asia…
Transit workers on strike in Jackson, Mississippi
Mississippi Free Press, 7/20–Workers for JTRAN, the public transit system in Jackson, Mississippi, went on strike on July 13…following a breakdown in negotiations with the JTRAN contractor MV Transportation. The Amalgamated Transit Union Local-1208 is calling for higher pay, an end to mandatory overtime and increased sick leave protections. MV Transportation has maintained it wants to increase worker pay, but needs to modify the current route schedule to afford the raises…Although some outside bus drivers were brought in to replace Jackson’s striking union drivers, only three fixed bus routes were listed as active.
Israeli settlers attack mosques in occupied West Bank
Al Jazeera, 7/26–Palestinian officials say Israeli settlers set fire to two mosques in the occupied West Bank overnight. Abdel Azim Wadi, mayor of the town of Qusra, south of the city of Nablus, said settlers torched a mosque under construction in the southern part of the town. “The fire destroyed the mosque’s entrance and even damaged its stonework,” he said. Attackers spray-painted Hebrew graffiti on the mosque’s walls, including the word “revenge”, he added. Israeli settlers also set fire to a mosque in the village of Kour, near Tulkarem, and sprayed racist slogans on its walls, according to the Palestinian Religious Affairs Ministry.
College-aged students in India demand less corruption
UPI, 7/25– India’s education minister resigned Saturday amid a scandal that led hundreds of thousands of young people and students to the streets in one of the country’s largest protests. Demonstrations began in New Delhi in early June, after it came to light that answers to one of the country’s most prestigious college-entrance exams, taken by millions of students, had been leaked…The protests, organized by the youth-led Cockroach Janata Party, swelled to hundreds of thousands of people across the nation early this week, forcing the hand of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
Think-tank advice on wresting control of Africa’s riches
Brookings, 7/16–As the global economy reorients itself to meet the needs of the fourth industrial revolution, its dependence on particular resources has become apparent. The components of today’s energy and digital infrastructure—including fiber optic cables, solar panels, batteries, microchips, and magnets—all require critical minerals…ensuring a reliable supply of these minerals is a strategic priority for the world’s great powers…African countries…hold 30 percent of global critical mineral reserves…China in particular has leveraged a multi-decade strategy to become the dominant player in the market, controlling the majority of processing for minerals like lithium (71 percent), cobalt (80 percent), rare earth elements (92 percent), and graphite (96 percent)...
Iran’s bosses lash out Kuwait where it hurts- water in the desert
France24, 7/23–Concerns are mounting over Kuwait’s water supply after Iran once again struck power stations and desalination plants on Monday, sparking fires in a fourth consecutive day of attacks. In response, authorities have asked the public to reduce their electricity consumption – particularly the use of energy-hungry air conditioning – to ensure an uninterrupted power supply. Bahrain and Kuwait already saw Iranian strikes against their desalination plants back in March. But by striking these plants in the middle of summer, Iran has dealt a particularly painful blow to Kuwait. Kuwait has virtually no freshwater resources and 90 percent of its drinking water is generated by seawater desalination plants.
