Coffeesforclosers

Pakistan claiming 5 shootdowns, 1 Indian AF Rafale confirmed shot down, reportedly by Chinese made J10 fighters with Chinese-made AAMs. There's pictures floating around supposedly of Indian MiG and Sukhoi wreckage as well

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I'd second your nomination for SecState at least.

Wait. Hold on. You mean you can't get peace unless all the sides want peace because they've stopped thinking they can win? It's like @B-Man posted an article saying that exact thing...two years ago? Why is B-Man smarter than POTUS?

(1) It is recognized that there is no right under the Constitution of Canada to effect the secession of a province from Canada unilaterally and that, therefore, an amendment to the Constitution of Canada would be required for any province to secede from Canada, which in turn would require negotiations involving at least the governments of all of the provinces and the Government of Canada. "No Minister of the Crown shall propose a constitutional amendment to effect the secession of a province from Canada unless the Government of Canada has addressed, in its negotiations, the terms of secession that are relevant in the circumstances, including the division of assets and liabilities, any changes to the borders of the province, the rights, interests and territorial claims of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada, and the protection of minority rights". To make a long story short, the rest of Canada gets a veto on whatever Alberta votes for. Then the PM gets a veto too. If Alberta decides they don't care, it's grounds to invoke the Emergencies Act, formerly the War Measures Act, and things get interesting.

If George Pataki wanted a second act, now's the time. 79 is the new 60 if our last two presidents are any indication. Otherwise the GOP will run some Ultra-Maga, primary voter candidate who will lose to Hochul by far, far less than they should, but they'll lose anyway.

This should be interesting. I don't think anybody at the Conclave is in a rush to run back a lot of Pope Francis' policies and their attendant controversies, but most of the College of Cardinals are Francis appointees. Alongside this, the Conclave has to weigh striking where the iron's hot, like supporting the Church's rapid expansion in Africa and Asia, vs try to revive the Church where it's dying (Europe, North America), or under attack and losing ground (Latin and South America). I honestly think the College will pivot hard to Africa and Asia. It's where the global economy will be expanding and where the most souls are now and will be in the future. That's not without risk (China's government sponsored atheism, India's government sponsored Hinduism, Islam's entrenchment in Saharan Africa, North Africa and Central Asia, etc), but you bring the gospel where the people are.

Putin rededicating his country to war and rattling the nuclear sabre for the thousandth time.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yg456mzn8o The BBC has a quick breakdown of the US/Ukraine minerals deal, since Ukraine has published it. Ukraine did quite well apparently.

Ukraine signs the mineral deal, and suddenly we start shipping them arms and ammunition again.

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Russia's peace conditions in 2025 are exactly the same as Russia's war goals from 2022. Anybody know what they're thinking?

We've come full circle.

I hear lightbulbs going on.