Singaporean Amos Yee released from US prison on parole after serving time for sex-related offences

Singaporean Amos Yee was released on parole on Saturday, October 7, after serving a six-year sentence in the US & nbsp for online grooming and requesting naked photos of herself.

Yee, 24, admitted guilt to claims of grooming and possessing child porn and was sentenced on December 3, 2021. As part of the a & nbsp plea deal Yee had accepted, sixteen additional charges were dropped. Since his stay in October 2020, his sentence in prison has been postponed.

He was released on three years earlier after his word hearing on Friday, which was supposed to be on October 8, 2026.

Yee was released, given probation, or put on mandatory supervised released reputation, according to a text from the target warning system on Saturday, Singapore period.

As of October 7, 2023, the Illinois Department of Corrections no longer has captivity of this offender, according to the information.

The terms of his word were never made public by the Illinois Department of Corrections. Yee must be added to the registration of sexual offenders.

The target, a 14-year-old woman, was befriended by Yee in February 2019 while he was residing in Cook County, Illinois, according to information previously known to the court. Yee was 20 at the time.

He met the target online, and they started an” website suit” in which Yee kept requesting her bare-chested pictures.

He occasionally asked her to participate in role-playing and” sexual fantasies ,” according to the trial. Despite the victim’s claim that she was 14 years older, this was the case. Up until July 2019, this continued.

He allegedly used WhatsApp to” make, seek, and lure” the victim before posting pictures of her online, according to the court.

In October 2020, US marshal detained Yee at his house in the Norwood Park East neighborhood of Chicago. He was kept on custody until his sentencing and innocent appeal.

He renounced his straight to a jury trial and admitted guilt to the claims following the conclusion of the plea deal.

The prosecutor threatened to deport him back to Singapore and prevent him from entering the US in the future while he was being sentenced.

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ASEAN nations to prioritise members' rice needs: Report

KUALA LUMPUR: According to Bernama, the agrarian minister of Malaysia, Southeast Asian nations have decided to prioritize assisting one another in overcoming food scarcity and other issues. According to Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu on Friday( Oct 6 ), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN) reachedContinue Reading

Ukraine and NATO need a Russia deal now, not later

The relationships of any arrangement— if there is one — will be very different if it is reached tomorrow if the Ukraine war go much further into the future.

Ukraine will soon be forced to decide whether to continue fighting and try to prolong the war or to strike a bargain as soon as possible. & nbsp,

Ukraine would still have complete control over its five most significant locations, Kharkiv, Kiev, Dnipro, Odesa, and L’viv, even if it started political talks with Russia nowadays. Its troops would still be useful.

In a settlement, Ukraine could generate sizable amounts of agricultural and industrial output as well as exports, increasing the nation’s revenue( assuming Russian cooperation ). The self-exiled people as a whole may decide to go back. & nbsp, That would depend on the extent of post-settlement infrastructure in Ukraine. & nbsp,

More of the nation’s business foundation will be destroyed if the combat lasts longer.

The likelihood of migrants returning is less good if the battle is prolonged. & nbsp, Many of the most talented people will find employment somewhere and blend in with the local population.

Ukraine may be confident that it will maintain control of important cities, keep its armed forces up, revive its economy, or uphold an independent state if the war goes on. In addition, & nbsp,

Ukraine may continue to rely on Western assistance for very long. Additionally, it is uncertain whether the alleged billion for rebuilding may actually be available. & nbsp: If the war goes on, the cost of reconstruction will undoubtedly rise to very high levels and take decades to complete, if at all. Western nations are in a recession, and budgets are getting tighter.

These assessments of Ukraine’s little – and long-term fortunes are based on the current conflict findings, which are turning out to be very unfavorable for Ukraine.

Today, Ukraine is completely reliant on outside assistance and nbsp to maintain its war effort, pay its own workers, and compensate cultural and non-profit costs. Even with this assistance, it is evident that Ukraine’s war is dealing with serious issues that it cannot resolve.

These issues include a decrease in labor( as well as alternative issues ),

  • The lack of airpower( which a few F-16s didn’t make better )
  • The Soviet forces, which are becoming more and more worthy, are armed with contemporary arms and
  • an equipment that is constantly being attacked by long-range Russian weapons, drones and Lovely bombs.

The military is powerless to defend its people from Russian assaults. It is unable to stop the destruction of organizations.

Ukraine’s problems are made worse by the fact that its sponsors are running low on supplies and are able to take them to Ukraine.

The offer issue brings up a number of problems. The first is that weapons transfers have significantly weakened NATO nations’ home defenses. & nbsp,

The second is that the dealer nations are unable to join the conflict on behalf of Ukraine, never just because doing so would end a public German conflict, but also because they lack the resources to wage war, particularly one that is fought far outside of their borders.

Simulations conducted by the Pentagon, & nbsp, RAND, and other think tanks before the Ukraine War have demonstrated how challenging and potentially unsuccessful it would be to defend Europe from a Russian attack. & nbsp, The situation is much worse now that NATO is literally out of bullets.

Third, despite the fact that some of the best Western technology has frequently been hailed as game-changers, the Ukraine war is harming NATO’s reputation around the world.

Last but not least, the battle’s costs and outcomes are making it harder for the US to maintain stability in both the Middle East and the eastern Pacific. In this sense, the Ukraine NATO expansion, & nbsp, which has been promised since 2008 and has not yet been fully realized, is a country that has gone too far because it has given Russia more energy than the war’s planners anticipated and put the NATO alliance at real risk of disintegrating.

Germany’s Top Tank Destroyed on Ukrainian Frontlines: Leopard 2A6 and ...
destroyed Bradley fighting aircraft and Leopard pond. Image: YouTube

The geopolitical theory of Zbigniew & nbsp, Brzezinski, is largely the foundation for the US’s promotion of a Greater NATO and, consequently, the EU idea of an Even Bigger EU. A revision of Mackinder’s” tactical book” was proposed by Brzezinski.

The fundamental idea is that the US needs to control the vast majority of Asian land. Ukraine’s & nbsp, in this context, is the turning point. Beyond Ukraine, the US also wants to replace Russia in central Asia( the” stans”) and, if an alliance with Iran is possible, push Russia out of the Caucasus, according to the Biden administration. Importantly, the US has been able to persuade Armenia, a longtime Russian client, to change course and join forces with NATO. & nbsp,

Policymakers from both major political parties in Washington have been greatly influenced by Brzezinski’s book The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and its Geostrategic Imperatives( 1999 ). In essence, it is what many critics refer to as the so-called neocons’ perspective. Zbig continues to be extremely pertinent.

On December 11, 2016, a picture of former US National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski ( L) and Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was taken in Oslo. Asia Times Files, AFP, Norway Out, and Terje Bendiksby NTB Scanpix are the images.

Russia is fully aware of the goals the US is pursuing. Moscow is aware that US military, diplomatic, NGO, and CIA endeavors in its neighborhood represent a significant & nbsp challenge, despite the fact that Washington’s primary focus is on Ukraine. Andnbsp, just as the US is attempting to bring about regime change in Russia and sabotage Russian energy, Russian counter-strategie is to split NATO.

With all, Ukraine is fighting to retake the regions of its nation where thousands of Russians reside. Ukraine has been conducting a comprehensive purge rather than attempting to entice Soviet speakers back into the Russian collapse. & nbsp,

The use of the Russian speech in educational institutions, government buildings, and nbsp, including medical professionals, has been prohibited. The educating of Russian literature has been prohibited by it. Russian Catholic priests have been detained, and it has taken over Belarusian monks and churches.

Russian social sites, statues, and other examples of Russian accomplishment are reportedly being routinely destroyed by so-called vigilantes. There is no turning up and no chance of reconciliation after the Russians are expelled from Ukraine.

There are still significant amounts of Russian listeners in some regions of Ukraine. For instance, the 1.02 million-person city of Odesa has a sizable minority of 62 % Ukrainian and 29 % Russian. Jews made up 32 % of the Odesa people in the past, but today’s Jewish population is only 1.2 % due to the Nazi extinction of Jews. Russia has been asked to conquer Odesa with its troops. In addition, & nbsp,

Putin outlines desired principles of international relations
At the Valdai Forum, Putin spoke. CBC Screengrab Photo

On October 5th, Soviet President Putin discussed Russia’s war objectives at the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi.

In the conflict with Ukraine, he stated that Russia & nbsp is more concerned with safeguarding the citizens of Donbass and Crimea than it is with” looking for new territories.”

Putin’s claim does not imply that Russia will be satisfied with merely defending the regions that are already largely under Russian power if the battle continues. Additionally, it is true that Russia’s war objectives include other significant objectives, no the least of which is to keep NATO out of Ukraine. Any war arrangement in which Ukraine admits it has lost the war is subject to Russia’s desire to keep NATO out of Ukraine.

If Ukraine continues the war, the results will be significantly worse if the present battle trends continue. Andnbsp, A protracted war might result in civil war in Ukraine, a shift in military rulers, or the overthrow of the government. While some believe the war will continue for a few more years, it is doubtful that Ukraine’s military will be able to hold out for that much. & nbsp,

Instead of escalating the conflict in Ukraine, Washington politicians may be wise to try to end it. & nbsp, While some believe Biden, who has vowed to fight the war for as long as it takes, needs it for his re-election campaign, changes in public opinion suggest that strategy is incorrect. & nbsp,

Although Congress also supports funding Ukraine to some extent, it is unlikely that Ukraine will receive adequate assistance to alter the result, aside from escalating casualties on the field. Andnbsp, This gives the Ukrainian government yet more justification to request words from the Russians while it still has the opportunity. & nbsp,

Shortly, a peace agreement with Ukraine will be to the advantage of Ukraine, the US, and NATO.

Rephrasing the query

A pretty top retired military president who is a good friend of mine read the previous. Why do you think Putin has the motivation and nbsp to discuss, he questioned?

It is a reasonable problem, and I gave him the following response:

Putin is available to conversations right now for a number of reasons, in my opinion. Here they are( in no particular order ), & nbsp. & nbsp, I believe you asked a good question, and I hope the answers I’ve provided below are helpful.

1. Putin, in my opinion, doesn’t want a bigger conflict or take the chance that NATO will start one. When London suggested American boots on the ground in Ukraine earlier this week, the Russians informed the English that Russia would respond. The British defense minister’s action was a trial balloon on behalf of the Biden administration, according to & nbsp. & nbsp, Incidentally, there was a very unfavorable response from the British and NATO. That, in my opinion, reveals a lot about Putin’s thoughts as well as how eager the UK and US are.

2. Putin does not want to appear to be attempting to increase Russia beyond the more prescriptive says that Russia is making about a Russian people in Ukraine that must be safeguarded. This is significant because Russia doesn’t want to be perceived as an interventionist neocolonial power and has international ambitions. One of the causes of Russia’s minimal territorial passions, according to Putin, is this.

3. 3. Putin wants to maintain control over the Special Military Operation and prevent it from being seized by politicians or careless generals( think Medvedev or Prigozhin ), which would inevitably result in the use of WMD.

4. Putin is aware that the battle is expensive and difficult. Russia’s capabilities in terms of industrial, financial, and domestic political support may be outmatched by a larger war. Russia may also face the same issue even if the conflict lasted much longer and was not expanded. Commercially, Russia is currently on a war basis. It doesn’t continue doing that continuously.

5. 5. China, Putin’s principal friend, wants the war to be over and done with. The Chinese believe that a protracted conflict will make the US more ruthless and yet impose severe restrictions on China. The Chinese are undoubtedly pushing their personal peace plan and have admitted to Putin their concern over a protracted conflict in Ukraine.

6. For financial and strategic causes, Russia is eager to reestablish good relations with Germany. Andnbsp, Putin is aware that the reunification of Germany posed a significant threat to Russia because he worked for the KGB in the GDR( East Germany ) and is fluent in German. Putin believes that a settlement will allow for the political, social, and economical restoration of ties with the Germans. This will immediately jeopardize NATO, which is Russian territory( just as the US is attempting to destroy Russia and bring about regime change that ).

Presidents Xi Jinping of China and Vladimir Putin of Russia share a common perception. Instagram picture

7. Putin primarily views the conflict in Ukraine as an Anglo-Saxon conflict that has dragged other Europeans together. Putin, who is nearing the end of his career, may experience a huge victory if he could end the war on his words. & nbsp,

8. Putin is really concerned with maintaining the Soviet army’s trust. This is essential to the battle efforts, nbsp. The Russian military is re-energized and making significant progress, but it may also be harmful. & nbsp, The end of the Ukraine War will stifle military ambitions.

9. Russia’s finances would drastically improve after the war, primarily through exports and the transfer of American manufacturing and technology. With the introduction of nanomaterials, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and other unique capabilities, Russia needs access to northern technologies.

10. Russia can’t be very confident in China’s stability or in the US ‘ ability to avoid engaging in conflict with a struggling social and economic China while keeping an eye on it. Putin needs to fence his bets, and ending the Ukraine War may make that easier.

In conclusion, I believe Putin has significant benefits right today in terms of negotiating a deal. He has no power over the circumstance, though. Zelensky and Biden must want to strike a bargain, that much is obvious. Zelensky has set up his own capture. It will be interesting to see if he can walk out and get his voice.

Senior fellow Stephen Bryen & nbsp works for the Yorktown Institute and the Center for Security Policy. His Substack, Weapons, and Strategy was the original subject of this article. Asia Times is republishing it with their consent, nbsp.

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Nobel Prize recognizes the quantum dot revolution

It is not the first time that alchemy has received a Nobel Prize in 2023 for research in nanotechnology. However, it is arguably the most vibrant use of technologies to get connected to the award.

Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus, and Alexei Ekimov are recognized for their contributions to the identification and creation of classical lines with this year’s reward. These specifically crafted nanometer-sized contaminants, which are only a few hundred tenths the diameter of human hair, were the talk of the industry for many years.

I’ve also used them myself when speaking with developers, politicians, advocacy groups, and others about the claim and dangers of the technology as a scientist and advisor on nanotechnology.

Before Bawendi, Brus, and Ekimov’s operate on classical dots, engineers like Erik Drexler were speculating about the potential of chemically specific production in the 1980s. The mathematician Richard Feynman also made predictions about what might be possible through nanoscale engineering in 1959.

However, the three Nobel laureates from this year were a part of the first wave of contemporary nano, when scientists started using material science discoveries in everyday life.

Classical lines have a brilliant glow because they quickly absorb one color of light and reflect it back as another. When illuminated by broad spectrum light, a bottle of quantum dots glows with just one brilliant color. However, what makes them unique is that the size of their colour depends on how big or small they are. If you shrink them down, you get an extreme turquoise. The colour changes to red as you make them bigger but also nanoscale.

diagram of colorful circles of different sizes
A particle dot’s size determines the wavelength of light it emits. Maysinger, Ji, Hutter, Cooper, and CC BY

This characteristic has produced a number of startling photos of rows of vials containing classical dots of various sizes, ranging from striking blue to vivid red to greens and oranges. This presentation of the power of nanotechnology is so captivating that, in the early 2000s, classical lines came to represent the strangeness and innovation of Nanotechnology.

However, quantum dots are obviously more than just a pretty lounge strategy. They show that rather than experimenting with the substance bonds between atoms and molecules, it is possible to engineer the actual form of matter, changing things like the size, shape, and composition of materials.

The difference is significant and at the core of contemporary nano.

Concentrate on quantum physics instead of chemical ties.

The substance ties that bind a material’s constituent atoms along typically determine the wavelengths of light that it absorbs, reflects, or emits. It is possible to fine-tune these ties so that they give you the colors you want by fiddling with the science of a substance. For example, some of the earliest dyes began with a clear substance like acid, which was chemically changed to produce the desired color.

Although it’s a useful way to work with light and color, it also results in items that fade over time as those securities deteriorate. Additionally, it generally involves the use of chemicals that are dangerous to both people and the environment.

Quantum lines function in a different way. They rely on tiny cluster of semiconducting supplies rather than chemical bonds to determine the light frequencies they absorb and emit. The wavelengths of light that are emitted are then determined by the classical physics of these regions, which in turn depends on the cluster size.

When it comes to the strength and value of light that quantum dots you create, as well as their resistance to bleaching or fading, their novel uses, and- if they are cleverly engineered– their toxicity, this ability to control how a material behaves by just changing its size, is an absolute game-changer.

Some substances are, of course, entirely harmless, and quantum lines are no exception. For example, the toxic components of copper selenide were frequently the basis for beginning quantum dots. The likelihood of transfer and exposure, as well as how they compare to alternatives, must be taken into account when weighing the potential toxicity of classical lines.

people walk past colorful multi-screen display at a trade show
Today, a lot of consumer goods, including screens, frequently feature classical dots. Soeren Stache, Picture Alliance via Getty Images, and The Conversation

Since its inception, classical point technology has improved in terms of safety and effectiveness and has found its way into an increasing number of items, ranging from sensors, medical applications, displays and lights, and more. They may have lost some of their innovation as a result. It can be challenging to recall how much of a quantum leap the technology is, for example, to showcase the newest generation of bright TVs.

However, quantum lines play a crucial role in the technological revolution that is transforming how atoms and molecules are used.

” Basic scripting” at the molecular level

I discuss the idea of” base coding” in my book” Films from the Future: The Technology and Morality of Sci-Fi Movies.” The concept is straightforward: We can start to design and reengineer the world we live in if we can control the most fundamental code that defines it.

When it comes to technology, where developers use the” basic code” of 1, s, and 0’s through higher-level languages, this idea is simple to understand. It also makes feeling in science, where researchers are getting better at deciphering and writing the fundamentals of DNA and RNA, in this case by using the coding language of the chemical bases purine, guanine. nucleotides valine.

The material universe can also benefit from this capacity for working with basic codes. The code in this example is composed of atoms and molecules and how they are arranged to produce fascinating qualities.

The labor on quantum dots by Bawendi, Brus, and Ekimov is a prime example of this type of material-world basic coding. They were able to access tale quantum properties that would otherwise be inaccessible by perfectly forming small clusters of specific atoms into globular” dots.” They demonstrated the transformational power that results from coding with particles through their work.

alt
A second protein” nanocar” designed by researchers that can be controlled as it” drives” over a floor is an example of” base coding,” which uses atoms to produce material with novel properties. Alexis van Venrooy from Rice University, CC BY-ND

They made it possible for nanometer base coding to develop to the point where it is now used in products and applications that were not previously conceivable. Additionally, they served as a source of inspiration for the nano rebellion that is still going strong today. Reengineering the physical world in these cutting-edge techniques goes far beyond what is possible with more traditional systems.

A 1999 US National Science and Technology Council statement with the name Nanomaterials: Shaping the World Atom by Atom captured this chance. It doesn’t directly notice quantum dots, which I’m sure the authors are now kicking themselves for, but it does get how revolutionary the ability to orchestrate materials at the molecular scale may be.

Through their ground-breaking job, Bawendi, Brus, and Ekimov aspired to this atomic-level formation of the world. As they harnessed the quantum physics of small particles using atomically precise engineering, they were some of the first materials” base coders ,” and the Nobel committee’s recognition of this merits praise.

Arizona State University’s Andrew Maynard is a professor of innovative technology moves.

Under a Creative Commons license, this essay has been republished from The Conversation. Read the original publication.

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China-Russia ‘no-limit’ partnership punctured by power prices

The alleged” no-limits” agreement between China and Russia has come to a standstill over the price of electricity and natural gas, sparking concerns about the viability of the larger strategic alliance. & nbsp,

Due to China’s refusal to pay a 7 % price increase, Russian state-owned energy company InterRAO has limited power supplies to the northern region of the country since the beginning of this month.

While Beijing and Moscow haggle over fuel load prices, China has also reportedly refused to give final authorization for the 2 Power of Siberia pipeline initiative, which is intended to send Russian natural gas to China via Mongolia. & nbsp,

Outside of the Eurasian Economic Union, which includes Russia and several other former Soviet says, China is the largest export market for power in Russia.

Russia announced last month that export taxes related to the franc exchange rate would be applied to a variety of goods, including oil and gas. If the rouble is weaker than 80 US dollars, which it is currently trading at around 98 to the dollar, the duty rate will range from 4 % to 7 %, according to reports by Reuters.

For users in China, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, and the independent Greek region of South Ossetia, InterRAO announced in late September that electricity prices would increase by 7 % on October 1.

While pointing out that Russia sells crude petrol to India at a higher discount than it permits China, some Taiwanese critics have argued that the country’s increase in electricity prices is ridiculous. & nbsp,

The Russian ruble had been floating at about 75 francs per penny for about two years prior to the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022. The rubles, yet, fell to 134 per dollar in March of last year as a result of American sanctions, but it quickly recovered to 54 in June as concerns about sanctions’ effectiveness grew. & nbsp,

The franc has been trading at around 100 since August after easing back to around 80 in April of this year. & nbsp,

In response to the subsequent loss of the ruble, Russia wants China to pay more for its strength. Photo: Facebook

The InterRAO claimed that conversations with Mongolia, which consented to pay the higher costs, were powerful on October 2. While discussions are ongoing, the state company has begun to inflict some supply restrictions, according to its statement that it is still in talks with China.

Lu En, a Fujian-based author, wrote in an article that was published on October 4 that” even though China and Russia are deepening their participation in some areas, it does not imply that their interests are fully aligned on all problems.” ” We can see this intricate activity from Russia’s numerous price adjustments in the oil and gas supply, in addition to electricity prices.”

According to Lu,” China runs the risk of relying on a single power supply, particularly when it comes to power supplies that have an impact on the nation’s lifeline.”

He argued that China should not be long-term interested in Russia’s most recent increase in electricity prices and urged Beijing to maintain a diversified supply chain while constantly boosting its strategic energy reserves.

According to some other commentators, it’s common for China and Russia to agree on specific trade agreements. & nbsp,

A writer who goes by the pen name” Qianliyan” and claims to be an associate professor at the College of Literature and Journalism at China’s Sichuan University says in an article,” When dealing with external trade, the Chinese government has always been very rational and has a clever mind.” & nbsp,

Organization is one thing, connection is another. He claims that this should be the appropriate stance. Putin, the chairman of Russia, actually made no requests of China. We are aware that the energy field has remained involved in the negotiations regarding the electricity price increase, which have not yet been brought up to a political level.

A few agreements, such as light import prices or the price of natural gas in the 2 Power of Siberia initiative, which is intended to deliver Russian oil to China via Mongolia but is still under talks, won’t jeopardize China and Russia’s” great friendship ,” according to Qianliyan. He suggests that there shouldn’t be an exaggeration of Sino-Russian industry conflicts.

shortage of power

Through the Blagoveshchensk – Heihe power wires, Heilongjiang province of China has been importing energy from InterRAO since 1992. In 1996 and 2006, two more connectors started running. The three is transport up to 7 billion kWh of electricity annually when combined. & nbsp,

China chose to purchase more energy from InterRAO after experiencing a countrywide power shortage in September 2021. The National Energy Administration reports that in the first three quarters of 2021, Russia’s energy supplies to China increased 1.4 % year over year to 2.38 billion kWh. However, the number increased by 1.64 billion kWh in the final quarter of the same year, resulting in 134 % more energy exports than the anticipated 700 million.

4.1 % of Heilongjiang’s total electricity consumption( 113.9 trillion kWh ) in 2022 came from Russia, whose electricity supplies to China reached a record-breaking high of 4.7 billion KW.

Chinese media has reported that Russia’s energy costs have historically been fiercely competitive. According to them, in 2019, InterRAO sold 3 billion kWh of electricity to China for 776 million yuan($ 108 million ), or 0.26 kilowatts. Power plants in Heilongjiang sold light at 0.374 yuan per kWh during the same time period, 44 % more costly than Russian exports. & nbsp,

The declaration of a” no restrictions” connection between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Putin on February 4 of last year was followed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that same month.

Fu Cong, the Chinese embassy to the European Union, just asserted that” no control” was more rhetoric than reality after Russia experienced losses on the battle with no end in sight.

2 Power of Siberia

Those bilateral limitations are also seen in the stalled 2 Power of Siberia pipeline project. In July last year, Mongolian Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai said the pipeline’s feasibility study had been completed and that construction would begin in 2024. The pipeline is scheduled for completion in 2028.

Nevertheless, as of right now, China has resisted giving the job its final go-ahead while it is still engaged in talks with Russia about gas prices. & nbsp,

” Russia has less trust the more urgently it wants to close the deal.” We should maintain our composure and waited, a poet from Henan writes in an essay that was released in August. & nbsp,

On April 22, 2020, construction workers will begin work on the first portion of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline in Qinhuadao city, Hebei province in north China. Instagram photo

According to him,” Due to the Polish situation, European nations reduced their reliance on Russian oil and gas, while many nations are afraid to engage in product industry with Russia because of pressure from the US and NATO.” & nbsp,

” China is unique. The Henan-based author opines,” We are the country’s second-largest business and a military authority and are not afraid of the United States’ danger.” ” Until Russia agrees to lower oil prices, we have time and energy to delay.”

” Business advantages should always come first, despite the fact that China and Russia are naturally friends.” Russia performs its own equations as well. For instance, he claims that it sells fuel to China for US$ 80 per barrel while selling it to India for just US$ 35. He asserts that Russia is exploiting China.

According to a journalist in Shanghai, China has geopolitical concerns in addition to price and cost issues. & nbsp,

He claims that it is uncertain whether the gas pipelines will go through Mongolia. Will Mongolia shut down the pipeline if it wants to ship rare earths to the US but China rejects it in the future? & nbsp

Additionally, he claims that China may expand its energy sources rather than relying solely on Russia, which is currently experiencing severe economic unpredictability as a result of the Ukraine war.

Earlier in August, Mongolia and the US signed an” open skies” agreement that could make it easier for rare earth metals to be transported by air to the United States in the future. However, Chinese pundits have claimed that such a program must be approved by China and Russia for landlocked Mongolia. & nbsp,

Read: Unique Earths wall: US-Mongolian Aviation Pact

Read: 2 Power of Siberia to divert Europe-bound gas to China

At & nbsp, @ jeffpao3 is Jeff Pao’s Twitter account.

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Falling yen making Japan a precipitously poorer place

After the second quarter of 2020, Japan’s terms of trade — the price of imports versus exports — worse for nine quarters in a row. According to national accounts, import prices increased by 60.7 % during the same time period, while export prices decreased by only 26.7 percent.

The causes of this were dual in nature. The treatment of the world economy from the Covid – 19 pandemic and the supply shock brought on by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine both contributed to a surge in commodity prices.

The other reason was the depreciation of the yen as a result of Japan & nbsp’s loose monetary policy while the United States and Europe pursued tightening policies.

Japan’s national salary has been impacted by the worsening terms of trade. The amount of this income loss was 4.6 % of real gross national income ( GNI ). Since real GDP growth contributed 8.8 % to the real GNI growth rate during this time, investing losses weakened more than half of that factor.

At the same time, the rise in net earnings from abroad partially offset the trading loss. Real GNI increased by 3 % during that time due to the increase in interest charges internationally and the loss of the yen.

However, the Japanese economy has been severely impacted by the investing damage because it has recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic more slowly than other economies.

The rise in inflation, which caused the headline consumer price index ( CPI ) to peak at 4.3 % in January 2023, has particularly significantly deterred private consumption. It took until the first quarter of 2023 for the level of personal intake attained in 2020 to return.

Due to a lack of certainty regarding potential future growth, organization investment has likewise remained low. The core CPI, which excludes food and energy, remained below 2 % during the time due to weak domestic demand. Even when the economy experienced headline inflation rates that exceeded 4 %, the Bank of Japan was unable to alter its monetary policy position because its CPI target is 2 %.

The Bank of Japan hasn’t given up on quantitative easing just however. Photo: Twitter

Instead, the authorities took charge of fiscal policy to lessen the effects of the increase in commodity prices, particularly energy costs. & nbsp,

In order for wholesale fuel companies to cover their wholesale prices, subsidies were given to them starting in January 2022, and to electricity and city-gas companies beginning in December 2023. Value cover policies were chosen as emergency measures, even though the policies to anticipate rate increases could have been more focused and consistent with efforts to reduce electricity usage and greenhouse gas emissions.

The government also intervened in the foreign exchange market to support the yen in order to address the & nbsp, or depreciation of the currency. Since June 1998, the initiatives that were made in late 2022 were the first to help the yen.

Even though these expensive precautions were taken to protect Japan from outside shocks, the terms of trade did not begin to gradually improve until commodity prices suddenly peaked in the second quarter of 2022. & nbsp,

As of the second quarter of 2022, the total amount of cumulative trade gains from that time until the second quarter 2023 was 1.7 % of true GDP. In August 2023, the headline CPI inflation rate decreased to 3.2 % as a result of this.

The immediate position appears to have improved, but there are still a few issues. The yen began depreciating once more in May 2023 as a result of expectations that Japan’s economic policy would continue to vary from that of other economies, which partially offset the benefit of the decline in commodity prices.

Trends in the commodities industry can easily be reversed, and prices may increase once the global business regains its growth speed or if an external surprise occurs. These innovations will have a significant impact on the Japanese economy, which is highly dependent on trade and susceptible to changes in the global market.

And the long-overdue task of reshaping Japan’s business to improve its endurance has yet to be completed.

At the Japan Center for Economic Research, Jun Saito holds the title of Senior Research Fellow.

This andnbsp, post, and was originally published by East Asia Forum and are being reprinted with a Creative Commons license.

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Budget blowout keeps US economy going, until it doesn't

NEW YORK- The largest peace budget shortfall in history and a deluge of transfer payments in the form of governmental hand-outs to folks helped the US economy add an unexpectedly large 336, 000 work in September.

Today, the federal government checks nearly one-quarter of every penny spent on private consumption in the United States. Over the past four years, excess payments to Americans ( above the long-term trend ) totaled$ 15 trillion, or more than half the US economy’s annual output.

The United States must lend from or sell goods to foreigners in order to fund itself due to its negative net foreign asset place of$ 16 trillion and ongoing trade deficit. Possibly much sooner than Washington officials seem to comprehend, this could result in an Italy-like sin in which the federal government is paralyzed by the cost of paying off existing debt at a constant high yield.

Everyone is wealthy but no one has the means to live in the economy that has been created by the storm of national generosity. In 2023, the federal government will borrow about$ 2 trillion, or almost 8 % of the country’s gross domestic product ( GDP ), a deficit that was only surpassed by the Covid recession of 2020 and the Great Recession of 2008, respectively. This has never happened before during an economical growth.

Asia TImes design

Bills to people account for the majority of the boost in the gap. The Trump administration approved a$ 3 trillion emergency stimulus package in response to the country’s shutdown in April 2020. While the business was recovering, the Biden administration followed this with yet greater stimulation. As can be seen in the chart above, the amount of transfer payments is still$ 1 trillion higher annually than the pattern.

Asia Times Graphic

Since 2020, the total amount of federal payments to Americans in excess of styles has reached$ 20 trillion, or roughly three-quarters of the US economy’s yearly result. Almost all of private consumption expenditures now include exchange payments, up from just 6 % in 1946.

Asia Times Graphic
Asia Times Graphic

According to scholar Herbert Stein’s famous adage,” What doesn’t go on long, will not.” In 2023, nearly$ 1 trillion in spending will be consumed by the US due to its annual borrowing of$ 2 trillion at steadily rising interest rates. By 2053, 35 % of all federal spending may be accounted for by interest charges totaling$ 71 trillion, according to the Peterson Institute consider reservoir in Washington, DC.

The largest cause of higher bond generates during 2023 was the source of Treasuries needed to fund the gap. Analysis research can be used to demonstrate this.

The Federal Reserve’s anticipated immediately, or federal funds rate, in two ages( derived from futures markets ), and the size of its own assets profile are the only two factors used in a straightforward analysis model to explain the offer on Treasury Inflation-Proted Securities. During the Covid crisis, the Fed increased its investment by$ 5 trillion, and it is now starting to reduce that amount.

Asia Times Graphic

The result of the two forecast variables is finally calculated, and it is displayed separately on the chart above:

Asia Times Graphic

Surprisingly, this research demonstrates that over the past year, actual or inflation-protected Treasury yields haven’t been significantly impacted by Fed expectations regarding future interest rate changes.

A year ago, in October 2022, the impact of the anticipated federal funds rate on real yields reached its lowest point, just below 3 %. However, almost a full percentage point of the increase in real produces over the previous year can be attributed to the Fed Portfolio effect, which contributed to lowering yield levels between March 2021 and May 2022.

True US yields may increase as the storm of Treasuries keeps rising. A continuous burden on growth, similar to what is happening in Italy now, could result from the Federal Reserve losing control over the longer end of the yield curve.

Follow David P. Goldman at @ davidpgoldman on X, formerly Twitter.

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Can you develop a bubble milk tea addiction? How does it affect your mental health?

However, this period may have unfavorable effects. ” When addictive behaviors, like an addiction to butter tea, are used to control emotions, they may unintentionally increase reliance on these behaviors.” This, in turn, may hinder the creation of efficient mood regulation techniques, which could lead to serious mental health problems, the researchers noted.

It is possible that milk drink habit may serve as an evasion method for people to get rid of negative feelings given the fact that sadness is a significant predictor of people’s mental health outcomes, including depression, suicidal thinking, and susicidic behavior.

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How 3 OG optical shops in Singapore stood the test of time: Kwong Shin Optical, Jamco Optical, Pearl’s Optical

It takes drive and fortitude to launch a company. It takes dedication and a lot of guts to get through years of ups and downs. For more than 40 times, three locally owned visual businesses have been operating: Kwong Shin Optical, Jamco Optic, and Pearl’s. They have witnessed Singapore’s quick transition in the 1970s, developed alongside the nation, and overcame a number of difficulties brought on by societal, economic, or environmental changes.

Optometrist James Lam founded Kwong Shin Optical in 1976, but after his passing two years ago, the company is now run by his wife, Annie Lam, 64, who is the manager, and girl, Lam Hui Li, 30, who works as an optometritist at the facility. The senior Lam held list and an ocular shop owned by a relative before launching the company.

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IN FOCUS: Gender norms are evolving. Do Singaporean men still know who they want to be?

Jasper Tan, a full-time National Service member, was informed of this when he enlisted. He talked about being surrounded by other men who thought that men needed to be strong and not exhibit failing. Given that he wanted to get accepted and no bullied, this caused him to consider whether to action strong and avoid showing his personal side.

Comments like” Why are you soft” are made when some people display exposure. or” Why are you so gay?” are typical, the 21-year-old said.

Tan continued,” I don’t agree with their opinions, but occasionally correcting them will seem to offend their manliness.” & nbsp,

Kristian Marc James Paul, an fat student in an all-boys university, has some knowledge of harassment. & nbsp,

As a student, he had deep insecurities about his body and thought that, like the fitness influencers who were exploding onto YouTube and Instagram at the time, the best man should be well-built, athletic, or bodybuilder.
 
Paul, who is now 29 years old, said,” Those fears came from me feeling like there was a huge disconnect between who I was and what I thought interesting men looked like.”

After receiving a formal diagnosis of body dysmorphia in 2015, he started to think more analytically about machismo.

What exactly does being a gentleman entail? To embody ideal masculine characteristics, what does that mean ?& nbsp,

Men are only loved for their capacity to give, according to the saying.

The youngest brother of two sisters and co-founder of the creative company GRVTY Media, Jonathan Chua, remembers being a wimp when he was younger.

He remarked,” I remember trying very hard to surpass that … trying to be the strong man so they stopped calling me san jie( second sister in Mandarin ).

The 33-year-old also hosts The Daily Ketchup, a podcast where female roles and conventions are occasionally discussed in relation to current events. & nbsp,

Men, in his opinion, can occasionally display vulnerability but” cannot give in( and ) be too weak”; they also need to be strong to assume roles in society that people cannot.

Chua believes it is” actually unfair” that his family had to take care of the household responsibilities and the extended family while his father simply sat around watching TV, despite the fact that they both worked full-time. & nbsp,

But his ideas of manhood depend heavily on being a company. Chua said solemnly,” Only women and children are loved unconditionally ,” paraphrasing a line from one of comedian Chris Rock’s skits. Guys are only adored for their capacity to give.

He used the case of a situation in which his company fails and his partner has faith that he will succeed professionally.

Chua remarked,” If I don’t, I do think I will be abandoned, and I can see why.” She deserves better, in my opinion, if I don’t recover.

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