Martin Plaut

2 weeks ago | martinplaut.com | Martin Plaut

Trump awarded Golden Lettuce, by Liz Truss – Britain’s disastrous Prime Minister who crashed the economy in a few weeks, and was ousted in less time than a lettuce survived in British fridges!The EconomistApr 3rd 2025IF YOU failed to spot America being “looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far” or it being cruelly denied a “turn to prosper”, then congratulations: you have a firmer grip on reality than the president of the United States.

2 weeks ago | martinplaut.com | Martin Plaut

Cape Town is close to reopening critical passenger rail lines to link the black suburbs with the centre of the city which were closed for the past six years, against all the odds. 03 April 2025 by Matthew Hirsch Financial MailWestern Cap suburban trains. Picture: Matthew HirschA train every 10 minutes with an average waiting time of five minutes. These are the ambitious plans of Western Cape railroad boss Raymond Maseko for routes plagued by delays.

2 weeks ago | martinplaut.com | Martin Plaut

Pretoria’s support for rogue states and actors—Russia, Cuba, Libya, Iran, and non-state groups like Hamas—has been a persistent irritant. While South Africa frames these relationships as both a demonstration of its nonalignment and a principled stand against imperialism, rooted in the support it received during its anti-apartheid struggle, the United States today looks at these choices through a contemporary geopolitical lens and sees them as a threatening alignment with adversaries.

3 weeks ago | martinplaut.com | Martin Plaut

African Union (AU) mediators arrived in Juba, South Sudan, engaging in discussions aimed at averting a resurgence of conflict following the recent house arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar, which has escalated tensions in the country. The AU delegation’s visit is part of broader efforts to support the peace process, as calls for Machar’s immediate release grow, with concerns that his detention could jeopardize the 2018 peace agreement that ended the previous conflict.

3 weeks ago | martinplaut.com | Martin Plaut

Russia not hit. Why? “They are sanctioned.” So is there no trade with the USA? Oh yes there is! “U.S. total goods trade with Russia were an estimated $3.5 billion in 2024.” This is from the official US site. Russia Trade SummaryU.S. total goods trade with Russia were an estimated $3.5 billion in 2024. U.S. goods exports to Russia in 2024 were $526.1 million, down 12.3 percent ($73.5 million) from 2023.