The World Blog by humble servant.

Global manufacturers have been quietly shrinking their products without lowering prices, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday. So-called “shrinkflation,” occurs when companies pass their costs on to customers, and the news agency claims it's accelerating worldwide. In the US, a small box of Kleenex now has 60 tissues while a few months ago it had 65. The size of yogurts has also shrunk. In Britain, Nestle reduced its Nescafe Azera Americano coffee tins from 100 grams to 90 grams. In India, a bar of Vim dish soap has contracted from 155 grams to 135 grams. “It comes in waves. We happen to be in a tidal wave at the moment because of inflation,” consumer advocate and former assistant attorney general in Massachusetts Edgar Dworsky told AP. He has documented shrinkflation on his Consumer World website for decades. Dworsky began noticing smaller boxes in the cereal aisle last fall and says shrinkflation has ballooned since then. He claims the practice appeals to manufacturers...

The US government has supported 46 facilities in Ukraine over the past 20 years, but as part of a peaceful public health project rather than to develop biological weapons, the Pentagon said on Thursday. The US military accused Russia and China of “spreading disinformation and sowing mistrust” about its efforts to rid the world of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). This is the first time the US Department of Defense disclosed the exact number of facilities its government has supported in Ukraine, in a document titled ‘Fact Sheet on WMD Threat Reduction Efforts.’ According to the Pentagon, the US has “worked collaboratively to improve Ukraine’s biological safety, security, and disease surveillance for both human and animal health,” by providing support to “46 peaceful Ukrainian laboratories, health facilities, and disease diagnostic sites over the last two decades.” These programs have focused on “improving public health and agricultural safety measures at the nexus of nonproliferatio...

Russia is now getting more money from its fossil fuel trade than it did before the start of its military operation in Ukraine, which prompted some Western nations to target Moscow with a barrage of sanctions, US Senior Advisor for Global Energy Security Amos Hochstein told American senators on Thursday. Global energy prices that were already on the rise and have apparently been driven further up by Western sanctions against Russia have helped Moscow alleviate the impact of Western restrictions, the official, who had previously served as the US energy security envoy, admitted. When asked whether Moscow was getting more money from its oil and gas trade now than it did several months ago, Hochstein replied: “I cannot deny that.” The official was speaking to the Senate Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation. The US moved to restrict all imports of Russian crude oil, some petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, and coal in early March as part of a sanctions drive sp...

A group of US congressmen from both parties is moving to give the Pentagon even more money in order to replenish the largely depleted stockpile of strategic minerals, alarmed that most of the antimony used by the American defense industry comes from China. The metal is crucial in the production of semiconductors, batteries and ammunition, among other things. The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) “is concerned about recent geopolitical dynamics with Russia and China and how that could accelerate supply chain disruptions, particularly with antimony,” said a report released on Wednesday. Antimony is usually combined with lead and tin to make bearings and lead-acid batteries. It is also used in semiconductor devices. Its military applications range from bullets and explosives to night-vision goggles and even nuclear weapons, according to Defense News. “China is the largest producer of mined and refined antimony and a major source of imports for the United States,” said a 2020 report...

US Senator Debbie Stabenow is facing a flood of criticism on social media after she bragged about the advantages of having an electric car, which means she doesn’t have to think about soaring fuel costs as she travels from Michigan to Washington, DC. As the Senate Finance Committee discussed rising gas prices on Tuesday, the Democrat revealed that she had recently got an electric car and can happily pass all the gas stations on her way from her constituency to the capital. “It didn’t matter how high it was,” the smiling senator said, referring to the price of fuel. She told committee members and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who was also present, that she’s looking forward to a time when people will no longer be dependent on the “whims of the oil companies and international markets.” Psaki roasted for saying Taliban must ‘assess role in international community’ as militants seize 60% of Afghani Social media users were quick to point out that millions of people are currently ...