Indonesians Urged To Abandon Western Payment Systems

The leader of Indonesia says the country must reduce its dependence on foreign payment systems to negate potentially disastrous economic consequences should the country ever find itself in the crosshairs of Western sanctions.

Addressing a business forum in Jakarta this week, President Joko Widodo argued that Indonesia must shield itself from geopolitical disruptions, citing the sanctions attack on Russia’s financial sector by the US, EU, and their allies over the conflict in Ukraine.

“Be very careful. We must remember the sanctions imposed by the US on Russia. Visa and Mastercard could be a problem,” Widodo said on Wednesday at a gathering that promoted the use of Indonesian-made products and services.

This is an example of the decoupling I have talked about many times on the channel

Indonesia's decoupling move

This is a must-watch! Al-Diddou, in my estimation, is the greatest scholar of our era. I only wish this interview was longer

https://youtu.be/sW02g6nfwK0

Germany Warns Regions: Handouts Are Over

The central German government has warned the country’s regions that the days of generous handouts to offset the impact of the Ukraine conflict and the energy crisis are over.

Deputy Finance Minister Luise Hoelscher claimed, “all of this burden-sharing is based on decisions taken in exceptional political and economic situations… It cannot be the yardstick for coping with future challenges.”

While federal debt hit €129.3 billion ($139.36bn) last year, the states posted a surplus of €12.4 billion ($13.36bn).

⚡️US Agency for International Development (USAID) to appoint a representative that will develop the "US government strategy for Moldova."

The advisor's job will be to analyze the political context of the country, and develop tools to influence public opinion and "fight against Russian aggression in the region."

Advisor will earn a massive $600,000 annual salary to carry out the dirty work of Empire - in a country where the average salary is just $7,500/year.

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🇺🇬 The Ugandan parliament passed an anti-homosexual law

Uganda's parliament on Tuesday passed a law that criminalises identifying as LGBT.

More than 30 African countries, including Uganda, have already banned same-sex relations. The new law appears to be the first to outlaw merely identifying as LGBT, according to Human Rights Watch.

Violations under the law draw steep penalties including death for aggravated homosexuality and life in prison for gay sex. Aggravated homosexuality involves gay sex with people under 18 years old or when the perpetrator is HIV positive, among other categories, according to the law.

#Uganda

@africaintel

An elderly Muslim man was set on fire in Birmingham, UK on his way home from the masjid last night.

Maghrib here in Malaysia.
Ramadan Mubarak everyone!

City hall burning in Bordeaux.

Is anyone in the discussion in Paris right now?

While many of us, for obvious reasons, find the protests in France encouraging; I would just say that I instinctively suspect chaotic and violent protests that do not appear to be adhering to a coherent strategy. Meaning: these are ultimately training exercises for the security forces in counter-insurgency and urban warfare — which coincidentally act as an insurgency generator. This is destabilisation, polarisation, militancy-creation, and tend to only empower the state further to fight their own citizens. We have already seen the French Interior Minister alleging that there have been groups of rioters specifically interested in murdering police officers; which is not something you say when you are trying to de-escalate or calm the situation, but rather when you expect and intend for the situation to worsen. The future of Europe is violent, in my opinion.

Congressional hearings on banning tiktok

Dissent is all "Russian-backed," "Russian agitprop", "Russian infiltration". Typically, if this was Latin America, Africa, or the Middle East, we would expect to see violent crackdowns designed to incite violent opposition and militancy. Untracked small arms from Ukraine (Poland), could show up in the hands of suddenly formed radical groups, but we'll see whether or not Europe will get the full destabilisation program right away, or implemented gradually

Obviously, this would normally be a prelude to violent intervention by the US, either directly or more often covertly; perhaps through the fabrication of Muslim extremist groups. Defiance of the US and the owners and controllers of global capital by individual nations is perilous; there is a tremendous need for cooperation and unity between African Muslim countries and the broader Muslim world, as well as across the Global South as a whole

🇹🇩 Chad nationalized all assets owned by Exxon Mobil

Chad has nationalized all the assets and rights including hydrocarbon permits and exploration and production authorisations that belonged to a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil, Chad's energy and hydrocarbons ministry said in a statement.

Exxon Mobil said in December that it had closed the sale of its operations Chad and Cameroon to London-listed Savannah Energy in a $407 million deal, but the Chadian government contested the agreement, saying the final terms were different from what Exxon Mobil had presented.

It warned that it may ask courts to block Savannah's purchase of Exxon's assets in the country and take further steps to protect its interests.

Exxon's assets included a 40% stake in Chad's Doba oil project, which comprises seven producing oilfields with combined output of 28,000 barrels per day

#Chad

@africaintel

Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim visited Saudi Arabia and was snubbed by MBS; this is not good. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the Gulf States are quickly emerging as a force in the Muslim world for enabling our nations to decouple from the West and carve out a more independent and sovereign future. Malaysia should be building and enhancing ties with the Khaleej, economically and politically; it does not bode well that MBS would not give Anwar the time of day. It is worth mentioning that former PM Muhyiddin Yassin (whom the current PH government is — in my opinion — persecuting to undermine the opposition) was welcomed by MBS and even escorted inside the Ka'abah when he visited.