Heatwaves threaten to reverse India’s social progress

According to our original research, 90 % of Indians were at an increased risk of going hungry, losing money, or dying young in April 2022 due to record-breaking wildfires.

Excessive heat has returned earlier this year after 2022 was named the hottest in 122 years, with more than 60 % of India recording above-normal maximum degrees for April, according to the nation’s Meteorological Department. This year, El Nio, a natural climate event that can raise global temperatures, is already anticipated.

More than 1.4 billion Indians’ quality of life could be negatively impacted by the rising frequency of such devastating heatwaves, which could block or even reverse India’s headway in reducing poverty, bread and earnings security, and gender equality.

Excessive heat is expected to happen once every 30 year or so in the North Eastern continent as a natural phenomenon. This is no longer the case as a result of climate alteration caused by humans. Since 1992 together, India has lost more than 24, 000 people as a result of heatwave-related illnesses, with the most severe one occurring in May 1998, which claimed 3,058 world.

Ahmedabad’s western city experienced heatwaves in May 2010 that reached 47.8 degrees Celsius and increased heat-related hospital admissions of newborns by 43 %, making it one of the first cities in the nation to implement a heat action plan intended to direct preparations and emergency responses, which has since saved thousands of lives.

More than 2, 330 people died as a result of the 2015 heat wave, which also prompted the government department for crisis management to establish guidelines for preventing deaths during heatwaves and encourage American states to create their own plans.

India’s socioeconomic development could be stymied if these measures aren’t put into practice. Excessive heat could cost India 2.8 % and 8.7 % of its GDP by 2050 and 2100, respectively, if proper heat action plans are not developed. This is a concerning direction, especially in light of India’s ambition to reach ten trillion dollars in the economy by 2030.

A” real – feel” measurement

Only if heat action plans can accurately depict the effects of heatwaves on the whole population are they good. The government needs to understand how the general public feels in order for American authorities to identify when deadly heat is found( and emergency action is required ).

The fire index, a widely used environmental health indicator in the US, was used by the authors of this article to calculate how warm the human body is likely to look in relation to air temperature and humidity levels. This enabled us to map the vulnerability of Indians to heat waves and find that 90 % of the nation was at risk of suffering severe consequences from the heatwave last year.

It’s crucial to accurately gauge India’n susceptibility to destructive degrees. The physical risks that heat poses to human health are not taken into account by the American government’s measure, the weather vulnerability index.

Our study demonstrated that our fire score provided a” real-feel” measurement for excessive heat by combining air temperature and relative humidity levels. Or, to put it another way, how intense the fire felt for those who felt it.

Wildfires should not be underestimated.

India’s progress toward a number of sustainable development objectives may be slowed down or even reversed by underestimating the effects of intense warmth. These include issues with inequality, economic growth, technological innovation, hunger, thirst, health and well-being, and biodiversity.

This is particularly concerning given that over the past 20 years, while the frequency of extreme weather events has increased, India’s progress toward achieving these objectives has slowed.

For instance, extreme heat may intensify rainfall by drying up the soil and disrupting rainfall patterns, inevitably affecting crop production and food security and endangering the health and wellbeing of a significant portion of American society.

Millions of residual and little landholding farmers’ jobs, health, and ability to adapt and take up different livelihoods are all in danger due to productivity losses in this sector, which is primarily an agricultural economy.

Increased water – and insect-borne problems, which could further strain India’s already underfunded public health system, is another worrying trend brought on by wildfires.

Thousands of remote residents move to India’s towns each year in search of a better quality of life. However, heatwaves also have a devastating impact on the nation’s urban population.

The 2022 wildfires essentially threatened the entire city of Delhi and its 32 million residents. The majority of immigrants are compelled to relocate to the state’s poorest neighborhoods, where the effects of wildfires are especially disastrous. Unfortunately, these areas also lack the resources to purchase air conditioning that could lessen their suffering.

People in most impoverished areas of New Delhi depend on public drinking deliveries to stay cool during the summer. iStock image
People in most impoverished areas of New Delhi depend on public drinking deliveries to stay cool during the summer. iStock image

People will not be able to withstand the extreme heat seen in recent years without immediate improvements to the current methods for assessing India’s sensibility to climate change.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, wildfires in South Asia will intensify and become more regular this decade. Plans for fire action may be essential in accelerating efforts to lessen and respond to the effects, but they must take into account how complex India’s climate change vulnerabilities are.

Given that 70 % of the country’s creating share has yet to be produced, it is crucial to place a strong emphasis on making Indian cities resistant to excessive heat. In the next ten years, cities will experience an explosion in population. By creating new houses that are easier to keep warm, there is a chance to include techniques for adjusting to excessive heat.

Banking, urban design, and education are required to help people adapt as more people in India are anticipated to experience even greater warmth variations in the future.

This article is republished fromThe Conversationunder a Creative Commons license. Read theoriginal article.

Continue Reading

Thaksin says he’ll be back soon after Paetongtarn gives birth

Red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship supporters hold a birthday party for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawtra in Bangkok on July 26, 2016, when he turned 67 years old. (File photo)
Red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship supporters hold a birthday party for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawtra in Bangkok on July 26, 2016, when he turned 67 years old. (File photo)

Fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra wrote on social media that now his seventh and youngest grandchild has been born, he will be back soon because at 73 years old, he wants to care of his grandchildren.

Thaksin on Monday morning wrote on Twitter that he was delighted with the news that his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra had just borne his seventh grandchild.

He added that all seven were born after he had to leave the country.

“I’d like to ask for permission to return to take care of the grandchildren because I will be 74 years old this July. See you soon,” Thaksin wrote.

Ms Paetongtarn, a prime ministerial candidate from the Pheu Thai Party, wrote on Instagram that her son was named Phruethasin Suksawat and his nickname was Thasin.

She thanked everyone for giving her moral support and said she would meet the press soon when she had recovered from labour.

On Oct 21, 2008, the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions sentenced Thaksin to two years in jail, convicting him of violating the National Counter Corruption Act in the Ratchadaphisek land purchase case.

He was charged with abusing his authority while being prime minister when he gave consent to his then-wife Khunying Potjaman na Pombejra to participate in the auction of 33 rai of land on Thiam Ruam Mit Road in the Ratchadaphisek area put on the block by the Bank of Thailand’s Financial Institutions Development Fund.

He fled the country in 2008, just before the court handed down the sentence. 

He jumped bail after attending the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games with his then-wife in Beijing in August 2008. The couple later divorced and she returned to Thailand.

Thaksin was stripped of his police lieutenant colonel rank in September 2015. The board of the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School alumni also resolved to withdraw his alumnus achievement awards.

In 2019, His Majesty the King recalled the royal decorations bestowed on him.

In 2010 he told red-shirt protesters who supported him that he would return to join them when “the first bullet is fired” at them. Bullets were then fired.

Continue Reading

Marcos Jr in US with money, guns and China on his mind

MANILA- A significant incident occurred in the fiercely contested South China Sea just days after the original Foreign Foreign Minister Qin Gang arrived in Manila to resolve increasingly tense diplomatic relations.

On April 23, during a routine” sovereignty patrol” near the Second Thomas Shoal, two Chinese Coast Guard( CCG ) ships reportedly intercepted their ships. According to a PCG statement regarding the incident, the CCG” exhibited angry tactics” and” engaged in harmful manoeuvres.” & nbsp,

As the original Ferdinand Marcos Jr leadership turned back to traditional allies, including the US, the event marked at least the fifth such incident in the previous year only. Additionally, it happened just days before the president of the Philippines, who recently attended sizable US-Philippines more, arrives in the White House as new diplomatic military ties are beginning to take shape.

Marcos Jr. has emphasized that trade and investment, not geopolitics, will be the main focus of his five-day trip to Washington, where he is scheduled to meet with US President Joe Biden, top business figures in Congress, and give a speech at the influential Center for Strategic and International Studies( CSIS ) think tank.

On April 30, Marcos Jr. made his second trip to the country since taking office the previous years. The positive outlook on US relations stands in stark contrast to Manila’s current interactions with Beijing. & nbsp,

Foreign Minister Qin’s hosts in the Philippines paid him a rather tepid visit during his first trip to Manila in his capacity as the new diplomatic leader of China.

The days of cordial relations between top Chinese and Filipino diplomats, particularly during the early years of the pro-Beijing Rodrigo Duterte presidency( 2016 – 2022 ), are long gone. & nbsp,

The trip, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, was intended to” produce mutual trust” and” properly handle differences” between the parties. In a press briefing last month, the Chinese foreign ministry added,” China looks forward to strengthening communication with the & nbsp, Philippines, through this visit.”

On April 23, Manila, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang shared an uncomfortable embrace. Picture: Handout

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs ( DFA ) also emphasized the necessity of continuing ongoing negotiations to increase bilateral trade and investment as well as the need for diplomatic solutions to”r ] egional security issues of mutual concern.”

Marcos Jr. secured new investment pledges totaling more than$ 22 billion during his January trip to Beijing. However, there are growing concerns that China may not keep its word, particularly as the Philippines strengthens America’s military presence there as a result of an expanded Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement( EDCA ), particularly close to the South China Sea and the southern shores of Taiwan.

According to all indications, the Chinese foreign leader’s troubleshooting visit, which took place at the same time as significant US-Philippines wargames close to the South China Sea, was ineffective. The two legs were only able to agree on the necessity of establishing” more lines of connections” during his brief journey to Manila.

However, recent history, including the” beautiful era” of diplomatic relations under pro-Bachin Duterte, demonstrates that even courteous diplomatic ties frequently fall short of preventing serious escalation in the South China Sea. This was most notably demonstrated during the 2019 Reed Bank crisis, when a suspected Chinese military vessel sank an Indonesian fishing vessel there.

Marcos Jr. became the first Filipino chairman in recent memory to physically attend the Balikatan( shoulder to shoulder) exercises between the US and the Philippines not long after the Chinese envoy left. A report 17,600 soldiers and personnel, including those from Australia and Japan, took part in this year’s drills, which mimicked the falling of a hostile vehicle.

The Filipino president” witnessed the live-fire sea training involving the falling of an elderly Philippines Navy ship, hoping the land may benefit from enhanced cooperation with the United States ,” according to the Malacaang Palace.

China’s response can be seen in the event involving the seacoast police on April 23. During US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s view in February of last year, just one week after Manila announced the full application of EDCA, a Chinese ship aimed its military-grade light at an American coast guard ship.

On February 6, 2023, a cargo belonging to the Chinese Coast Guard fired lasers at sailor from the Philippines in the South China Sea. Philippine Coast Guard / Handout Image

From Manila’s approach, Beijing appears to be more interested in undermining the rapidly growing security partnership between the South Asian country and the US by using intimidation tactics rather than making actual concessions. As a result, Marcos Jr. ‘ s visit to the White House this week— the first in almost ten years— is particularly significant.

The need for the Philippine-US bond to” evolve” in accordance with the demands of the time has been emphasized by the president of Philippines.

Even days before taking off for Washington, DC, Marcos said in a mix of English and Tagalog,” We have to develop it because it is evolving, and we need to alter it. The environment we are facing in the South China Sea, the environment in Taiwan, North Korea are evolving.

Ma Teresita Daza, the spokesperson for foreign affairs, emphasized the” desire for collaborations not only with the United States to develop and it is critical because the conditions are changing” during a pre-departure presentation, emphasizing Manila’s growing sense of anxiety. There are many new difficulties that must be overcome for any agreement to be effective.

Given that the expanded EDCA gives the Pentagon access to local facilities in the north Philippines, tensions over Taiwan’s neighbor will undoubtedly be a hot topic. The Armed Forces of the Philippines( AFP ) has made it clear that, should the need arise, EDCA may be expanded even further. & nbsp,

Colonel Medel Aguilar, & nbsp, the AFP’s spokesperson, stated to the media last week that” we need a 360-degree protection capability for the[ AFP ]] if we are to protect our sovereignty and territorial integrity, including the protection of maritime resources that should be enjoyed by our people.”

The AFP spokesman continued,” Moderization also entails acquiring facilities, such as airports, camp for our soldiers, and places to store supplies in times of crisis.” We are the ones who actually gain from EDCA services in the end.

At the White House last week, Marcos Jr. and US counterpart Joe Biden may discuss Taiwan-related tensions, but the discussions will center on trade and investment, according to a renowned Filipino diplomat.

On October 10, 2019, the Philippine and US Marines participated in a surface-to-air weapon model as part of the Kamandag combined train. Image: Lance Cpl. US Marine Corps’ Brenda Tuck

Despite a century-old bond, the Philippines and the US have rather low trade ties with their neighbors, including communist Vietnam, which is currently the seventh-largest trading partner of the United States.

The Philippines only exported$ 11 billion worth of goods to the US last year, compared to ten times that amount from a number of its neighbors. In a similar vein, US companies invested tens of billions in other Asian economies, while US foreign direct investment ( FDI ) stock in the Philippines reached$ 5.2 billion in 2020.

In order to increase America’s investment and trade footprint in Asia, Marcos Jr. will therefore argue that either a bilateral free trade agreement or further substantiation of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework ( IPEF ) is necessary.

We usually return to trade, not help, in our relationships with the US, as the Filipino leader stated shortly after winning the presidency last year.

In reference to his choice to add the US-sponsored IPEF, he added,” We have to open as much of the market as we can to industry, and that’s where this kind of agreement will come in.”

At @ Richeydarian, follow Richard Javad Heydari on Twitter.

Continue Reading

Jock Zonfrillo: MasterChef Australia host dies suddenly, aged 46

Jock Zonfrilloshabby pictures

Jock Zonfrillo, an award-winning restaurant and MasterChef Australia network, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 46.

Before opening his own restaurant in Adelaide in 2013, the Scotsman collaborated with well-known restaurants in acclaimed eateries all over the world.

Network 10 confirmed his passing on the day MasterChef’s 2023 season premiere was scheduled to heat.

Zonfrillo’s wife and four children, who in a statement claimed their hearts were” shattered ,” are still alive.

It said,” So many words can describe him, so many reviews may be told, but right now we’re too confused to get them into terms.”

Keep this happy Scot in your emotions when you have your last whisky, for those who crossed his route, became his partner, or were fortunate enough to be his life.

The sun was also honored by Network 10, who claimed that he had inspired a generation of home cooks.

” Jock’s personality, wicked sense of humor, compassion, devotion, and love for food and his life may be measured.” He may be missed a lot.

It stated that MasterChef will never discuss this year as scheduled.

Related Subjects

Continue Reading

Station master praised for saving elderly woman’s life

Security camera footage showed an elderly woman was crossing a rail track at Ban Song railway station in Surat Thani's Wiang Sa district on Sunday while a train was arriving at the station. Her life was saved by the station master. (Screenshot from footage of the State Railway of Thailand)
On Sunday, a train was arriving at the Ban Song rail station in Surat Thani’s Wiang Sa territory when security camera footage showed an old lady crossing the line. The post master saved her life. ( Screenshot taken from video of the Thai State Railway )

SURAT THANI: A 75-year-old women with impaired hearing was about to be struck by a station on Sunday when members of the public praised the station master of Ban Song rail station in the Wiang Sa territory for saving her life.

The woman was seen crossing a rail track at around 9.50 am on Sunday as express train No. 85( Bangkok – Nakhon Si Thammarat ) was approaching the station, according to security camera footage. The women had no idea that she was in danger at all.

Before the person would have been hit by the practice, place control Thitipong Piripol ran out of his work and pushed her off the road watch.

Later, it was discovered that the person was blind.

Governor of the State Railway of Thailand Nirut Maneephan was ecstatic about Mr. Thitipong’s valiant title.

Before walking, riding, or driving across a bridge line, he urged everyone to exercise caution and make sure it is safe.

Continue Reading

Japan’s grand plan to power into the EV fast lane

Japanese businesses have a long history of falling behind in the electric vehicle( EV ) market, but plans to quicken vehicle assembly and the production of batteries, motors, and electronic components could quickly catch up.

Japan Inc. ‘ s action should increase the pressure on EV prices, hasten the switch away from internal combustion engines, and generally benefit consumers.

Toyota currently has the highest number of car sales of any other company in the world, while Honda and Nissan already hold strong positions in international rating. Nissan, however, is the only Japanese company that is listed among the top 15 EV producers thanks to the Renault – Nissan-Mitse Alliance.

With less than one-fifth the efficiency of industry leader BYD, the Alliance ranked 10th in 2022. Toyota and Honda may turn their sizable worldwide franchises and consumer popularity into significant EV market shares if they want to continue leading the auto industry.

Furthermore, neither should be incapable of reaching EV speeds.

Honda announced on April 26 that by 2040, all of its car models will be fuel cell electric vehicles ( EVs ). The company intends to produce more than two million Batteries annually by 2030 in order to achieve this goal. Many objectives include:

  • In the US, two EV models that were co-developed with GM and one that used Honda’s inner electric vehicle platform were introduced in 2024 and 2025, respectively. GM’s acquisition of chargers and the creation of a joint venture with LG Energy Solution to produce chargers.
  • 10 EV models will be introduced in China by 2027, and 100 % of the market will have sold by 2030. greater cooperation with power producer CATL.
  • By 2026, four EV models will be available in Japan, along with home and social paying services. purchase of batteries from Envision AESC, a Japanese-founded business that is now 80 % owned by Nissan and 20 % by China’s ENvision Group.
  • For entry in the next half of the century, solid-state batteries were being developed. Continue working with US battery R & amp, D company SES.

Honda, GS Yuasa, and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry ( METI ) announced joint plans on April 28 to invest 434 billion yen( US$ 3.2 billion ) in a new lithium-ion battery factory in Japan, with government subsidies covering more than 35 % of the cost.

The start of construction is expected in 2027. The Chinese government declared chargers to be a tactical device in December of last year.

Honda and North Korean steel producer POSCO announced plans to work together on the present and recycling of battery materials as well as the mass production of EV motor steel earlier this month.

In the meantime, Toyota intends to launch 10 different battery-powered EV models and increase monthly supply from 1.5 million models by 2026 to 3.5 million by 2030.

Within the same time frame, Prime Planet Energy & amp, Solutions, the company’s battery supplier in Japan, intends to increase production. Prime Planet produces batteries for Tesla and is owned by Toyota 51 % and Panasonic 49 %, respectively. Toyota in China receives chargers from CTL and BYD.

In the financial year ending March 2023, 27 % of Toyota’s unit prices were hybrid vehicles, but the majority of them were full hybrids, which continue to use internal combustion engines.

Some plug-in hybrid used a device as their primary source of power. The information underlying the EV Unit Production map above includes plug-in hybrids and battery-powered electric vehicles, but not full ones.

( See The high, high cost of Toyota’s EV blunder by William Pesek for a more dubious view of its switch to electric vehicles. )

Toyota is attempting to catch up to the EV market. Twitter look

The price cuts by Tesla and the announcement of an EV with a cut-rate of$ 11,400 by BYD are proof that the auto industry has entered an age of value. However, the trend toward lower EV costs has been clear for a while.

The$ 4,500 Hongguang Mini EV from China and Suzuki Motor’s intention to introduce a 1 million yen minicar in Japan by 2025 both garnered attention in 2021. The Hongguang Mini was the wave of the future, according to Shigenobu Nagamori, president of EV machine manufacturer Nidec, who spoke to the media that same year.

The price market in EVs will be more intense, just like in home appliances, he predicted, with new competitors entering the market from outside the vehicle industry.

The psychological equivalent of a$ 10, 000 price point in the US is one million yen($ 7, 500 ). It was already a yardstick two years ago.

Falling price made it impossible for smaller and less wealthy manufacturers to develop their own vehicles, so Nidec entered the EV engine markets in 2018 with the intention of building up huge economies of scale and capturing a sizable portion of the market. The application of this strategy is well under way.

Nidec sold 949,000 of its E-Axle systems( electric traction motor and related components ) in the fiscal year that ended on March 31, 2023, with 86 % of them in China and 14 % in Europe. Over the past three decades, the number of ships has increased by nearly 20 years and by 2.8 years from the previous year.

Nidec anticipates selling 1.7 million elements and breaking even this fiscal years. It intends to sell more than 3 million elements in financial 2025 and 10 million by 2030. According to Nidec’s management, that would give the business a 26 % market share globally.

The competition for EV motors is undoubtedly crowded. Aisin, a Hitachi and Toyota advertising in Japan, Bosch, Continental, and Daimler in Germany, Borg-Warner and Dana in the US; BYD, Shaanxi Automobile and Hepu Power in China; and numerous other international rivals compete with Nidec.

Economy of scale is essential for survival as a result of the ongoing worldwide competition that has driven both EV and machine costs down. Nidec manufactures EV actuators in China and Europe and is constructing a shop in Mexico for this reason, as well as to be close to its customers and prevent trade resistance.

15 different models made by a dozen automakers, including Guangzhou Auto Group Co, Ltd ( GAC ) and its joint ventures with Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi Motors, Geely, and Smart Automobile, have so far used Nidec’s EV motors and E-Axle systems.

Tunnel Magneto-Resist ( TMR ) sensor production will be doubled at the Asama Techno Factory in Nagano, according to plans made by Japanese electronic parts manufacturer TDK on April 27. The increase in production ought to start in the first half of 2025.

TMR sensors have increased precision, dependability, and lower power consumption thanks to the company’s core magnetic and thin-film technologies.

In terms of EV-related detectors, TDK is in the lead. TDK, Twitter, and Screengrab images

They are also used in robots and other commercial machinery and are highly sought after by the car business for e-axle and power wheel motor control, in braking systems, and as active sensors for power control.

Temperature and pressure detectors, accelerometers, device systems, rechargeable batteries, power supplies, and silent components are also provided by TDK to the automotive and other industries.

Due in large part to engine electricity, including ADAS and EV formation, which is increasing the number of parts per vehicle, TDK’s prices increased by 15 % in the fiscal year ended March 2023.

Due to its high reliance on smartphone demand and relatively low gear to the car industry, Murata, the largest exporter of batteries and other quiet parts in Japan and the entire world, reported a 7 % decline in sales in the year to March.

Follow this author on Twitter at @ ScottFo83517667.

Continue Reading

Car saleswoman raped, brutally murdered

A suspected rapist and murderer, left, is seen in surveillance camera footage sitting with his victim at a coffee shop in San Sai district, Chiang Mai, on Saturday. (Screenshot from MCOT TV)
On Saturday, a suspected murderer and perpetrator, left, is seen in surveillance camera images sitting with his victim in Chiang Mai’s San Sai district. ( MCOT TV screenshot )

CHIANG MAI: A used car salesperson was seduced by a rumored replicate murderer who pretended to be an interested party before brutally killing her at the motel.

One day after the murder, at around 3.30 p.m. on Sunday, Nathapol Panpadungsap, a 40-year-old believe, was detained by police and locals in Muang city.

According to police, on Saturday at around 3 p.m., the soldier lured the 35-year-old victim to a coffee shop close to her used car industry in the San Sai area, claiming he had even driven past the car owner’s property. The defendant purchased coffee at the coffee shop while dressed in a polo shirt and pants, and she also handed him the car quote form.

Later, he ordered the person to get on his delivery vehicle. According to the suspect, who was cited by police, he killed her after raped her at a nearby guesthouse.

He then checked into another campground in the Muang city after loading the body onto the pickup truck. He called his girlfriend to come pick him up from the place after leaving the body there.

Later, he went back to the room by himself and made a longer reservation — apparently to buy himself some time to get away.

Officers discovered the woman’s body in the room, face up on the bed, with evidence of murder. She appeared to have been strangled by a rope around her neck, her hands were tied, and the back of her head had been smashed with nail.

On his arms and head, the arrested believe had nail wounds.

According to the officers, the suspect was previously detained for raping two women in Bangkok, Doi Saket city, and Muang district car theft.

Continue Reading