Rescuers struggle to find Nepal quake survivors, deaths at 137
KATHMANDU: After the country’s worst disaster in eight decades killed 137 citizens and shook houses as far away as New Delhi, liberate workers in Nepal started digging through the rubble of collapsed buildings with their fingers on Saturday( Nov 4 ). According to Nepal’s National Seismological Centre, the earthquake struckContinue Reading
Phichit gun modifier caught
Officers who broke into an online class buying modified weapons identified the suspect.
4 November 2023 at 17:18 PUBLISHED
In Phichit state, a 24-year-old man has been detained for turning plain weapons into weapons and selling them online.
A home in the Thap Khlo district’s tambon Khao Sai was the subject of a search warrant issued by the Phichit Provincial Court on Thursday by Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau( CCIB ) police on Saturday morning.
Officers surrounded the house before spotting Prinya Petchjinda, a person who would later be identified as trying to leave on foot. Four pencil guns and six rounds of.38 weapons were discovered on the suspect when they apprehended him. He was apparently evading the police while attempting to rid of the items.
A modified empty weapon that could be used as a weapon, along with 43 pencil guns, 26 weapon barrels, 20 firing pins and 23 magazines, as well as various other gun parts, were discovered in the home.
Seven trash pills were also discovered by police inside a zipped case concealed in the cylinder of an airsoft rifle.
Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol, the head of the national officers, ordered the research as part of a assault on the purchase of firearms and modified weaponry online.
Mr. Prinya was discovered by CCIB authorities after they broke into a covert online marketplace that traded illegal firearms and modified arms.
The suspect acknowledged creating and altering firearms for purchase over the previous two years, demonstrating his ability to sell four to five pieces per month for pencil guns between 1,200 and 1,500 baht. For up to 15, 000 baht each, he sold plain weapons designed to hold real weapons.
Mr. Prinya acknowledged to the police that he used social media and online groups to conduct business, but added that officials even paid him income.
He is currently being processed in accordance with lawful techniques after being accused of breaking the law regarding firearms and ammunition as well as illegally possessing both weapons and drugs.
In attacks on two warehouses in the Rat Burana city on Thursday, Bangkok police seized a sizable number of fake firearms and nbsp.
Following the murders that claimed three lives on October 3 in a Bangkok shopping store, authorities have intensified their efforts to stop the sale of illegal weapons and near legal gaps.
The teen who was detained in connection with the Siam Paragon shootings was carrying a blanks-firing weapons that he had purchased online. Later, he modified it so that true guns could be fired.
In order to lessen gun-related murder, authorities have even vowed to increase gun controls.
MIC wings play crucial role in tackling current challenges, says Saravanan
KUALA LUMPUR: According to MIC deputy leader Datuk Seri M. Saravanan, the Youth, Wanita, Putera, and Puteri arms can help the group overcome the country’s current political difficulties.
Even though the group had to be” impartial” in order to continue its goal of promoting the voice of the Indian community in the national political industry, he said the leadership’s and the four wings’ passion was very convincing.
” When we ( MIC ) had representation in the federal government, I used to convene the assembly of all four wings of the party, but today I preside over this assembly without any of us having representation within the central government.”
The 36th National MIC Wanita, Youth, Putera, and Puteri annual meetings will be held here on Saturday, November 4, and he said,” But today I can see that the spirit shown by all( delegates ) wings is very reassuring.”
Datuk Rosni Zahari, the president of Wanita Umno and the chairman of the Barisan Nasional ( BN ), was also present. – Bernama
Police investigating case of unnatural death at Bukit Merah View
According to his brother-in-law, the dying, whose last name is Jamaludin, was a master in his fifties who resided on the second floor of Blk 117.
Retiree Hassan Abdul Ghani claimed that his wife, the deceased’s older girl, was at work when she received a visit in the morning informing her that her nephew had passed away.
The woman, who works as a clean, returned to her Jurong home and broke the news to Mr. Hassan.
Mr. Hassan said his wife appeared anxious when he asked how she was feeling at the time.
After 10 a.m., the pair made their way over to the wall in Bukit Merah View.
The 65-year-old remarked that he had never seen his brother-in-law in a while and that they were not particularly nearby.
Myanmar ethnic groups seize more outposts in junta offensive
The junta declared on Saturday that it would retaliate against the attacks on its forces because the Kachin Independence Army( KIA ), another ethnic armed group based in a neighboring state, had joined them. The KIA’s headquarters are located in the isolated city of Laiza, which is on the ChineseContinue Reading
Almost all Singapore households have internet access, smartphone ownership at 97%
TECHNOLOGY ATTITUDES AND Online SKILLS
The report listed five crucial modern skills: establishing and maintaining hardware and software, online information discovery and communication, interacting with the authorities and other service providers, and avoiding online dangers.
In general, the population’s modern skills improved, but seniors in particular.
Seniors’ use of mobile payments increased to 66 % from 17 % in 2018. The proportion of people who use the internet to find information increased from 61 % in 2017 to 86 % today.
81 % of seniors check the veracity of information found in online news reports. The fact that more people of all ages do this, according to IMDA, is” reassuring.”
IMDA emphasized once more that the government has a” online first” plan, but not one where important government services are still made available to those who are unable to use digital channels.
It discovered that nearly two in three Singaporeans are eager to try out new technologies and that more than eight in ten of them agree that modern technologies have made their lives easier.
However, only about one in two Singaporeans express a willingness to accept the risks associated with technology use, making them wary of the dangers that come with digitalization, such as false information and online frauds.
More can be done, according to IMDA, to assist parents in better guiding their kids through virtual environments in a secure, responsible, and observant way.
Building trust and confidence in the safety and security of online websites, as well as inspiring enthusiasm for new modern technologies and their possible, are additional areas that need to be improved.
Third warden faces arrest warrant over prisoner’s escape
4 November 2023 at 12: 31 PUBLISHED
NAKHON SI THAMMARAT- A warrant has been approved for the arrest of a second prison warden in connection with the Oct. 22 release of prisoner Chaowalit Thongduang, also known as” Sia Paeng Nanod ,” from custody.
Weerachai Nuduang’s collar warrant was approved on Friday evening by the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases. He is currently incarcerated at Nakhon Si Thammarat Central Prison. He was accused of dereliction of duty under Criminal Court Section 157.
Weerachai reportedly changed Chaowalit’s fetters the day before his hospital escape, and fellow wardens were keeping a close eye on him for it. Second sheriff facing an arrest warrant was him. In addition, & nbsp,
Warinthorn Thongprachong, 41, and Ekkalak Chaiyakarn, 35, two prison jailers on charges of dereliction of duty related to Chaowalit’s escape, had formerly had arrest warrants approved by the court.
On October 22, Chaowalit, 37, who was incarcerated for attempted murder, escaped from Maharat Nakhon Si Thammarat.
After being taken to the hospital for medical treatment, the prisoner was later admitted after collapsing and complaining of excruciating leg pain. He’s still out there.
According to a cause, Warinthorn and Ekkalak approached Pol Maj Gen Somchai Suetongtrakul, the police chief of Nakhon Si Thammarat, on Saturday morning to request his retreat. Weerachai even made a police report about his resignation.
The seven offenders who were sought for aiding Chaowalit’s leave have all been taken into custody.
For attempted murder in connection with an equipped attack on police during an attempted suicide on September 2, 2019, Chaowalit was given a 20-year, six-month prison term by the Phatthalung Provincial Court next year.
In January 2022, he started serving his sentence at Phatthalung Prison, and on August 7 of this year, it was transferred to Nakhon Si Thammarat Prison.
Numerous other legal costs are also brought against the fugitive.
Validity of HDB flat eligibility letters to be extended to 9 months
SINGAPORE: From the current six months, the validity of all new and existing HDB Flat Eligibility ( HFE ) letters will be increased to nine months by The Housing and Development Board ( HDB ).
Both new and resale straight buyers will have more time during the extended accuracy time to secure their houses and lessen the number of subsequent applications.
HDB stated in a press release on Saturday( Nov. 4 ) that the extension would go into effect on Tuesday when their current HFE letters expire.
In May of this year, the HFE letter took the place of the HDB Loan Eligibility ( HLE ) letter, streamlining the home buying process by combining the various eligibility evaluations for home purchases, housing grants, and HDA housing loans.
More than 65, 000 programs from both new and resale level buyers have been processed by HDB since its inception, 60, 600 of which have received HFE letters and been approved.
In the October 2023 Build-to-Order ( BTO ) sales exercise, about 11, 000 people with valid HFE letters applied for a flat. & nbsp,
HDB’s work to” provide greater advantage” for smooth consumers in their home buying process include extending the validity of all existing and new HFE words to nine months. & nbsp,
Existing HFE letters will include their accuracy extended to nine months from the time of the letter’s issue, and applicants who have received a current letter will gradually receive SMS notifications of this automatic expansion. & nbsp,
According to HDB, new programs for HFE letters and those that are being processed will be processed with andnbsp, a nine-month window of time after the letter’s release date.
For smooth clients who need more time to secure their houses, it was added that the validity extension would even help to lessen the number of reapplications and file submissions needed.
According to HDB, the longer accuracy time may also enable BTO straight applicants to take part in more sales launches, depending on when the HFE email is issued. & nbsp,
BTO SALES LAUNCH DECEMBER
Flat buyers are advised to request an HFE letter and submit all necessary documents by November 11 in order to apply for a flat during the upcoming BTO & nbsp sales launch.
After receiving all necessary documents, running of an HFE email application typically takes about a month. During busy times, such as when BTO sales are launched, it may take longer.
To ensure that their software may be processed quickly, HDB advised those planning to purchase a home to submit their HFE letter as soon as possible and to provide all necessary paperwork.
In the last sales campaign of 2023, HDB did present approximately 6, 010 BTO apartments across eight projects. One of these projects, which will be the first & nbsp, flats to be constructed in the region in 35 years, is scheduled to take place at a building on Sin Ming Road in Bishan.
The final of three projects in Ulu Pandan’s northeast quarter may also be included in the sales exercise for December; the first two were launched in November 2022 and February 2023, both. & nbsp,
China’s Middle East gambit upended by Israel-Hamas war
On October 30, 2023, rumors started to circulate that Israel was missing from the mapping services offered by Chinese tech firms Baidu and Alibaba, effectively indicating — or so some thought — that Beijing was supporting Hamas in the ongoing conflict.
Within days, Chinese officials started to refute that claim, pointing out that the names do look on official maps of the nation and that Hamas’ attack on October 7 had never altered the maps provided by China’s software companies.
In fact, the Chinese Foreign Ministry seized the chance to emphasize that China was no siding with either side in the conflict. Instead, Beijing asserted that it upheld the right of the Arab people under international humanitarian law as well as Israel’s right to self-defense.
Nobody should have been surprised by this claim of harmony and even-handedness. For more than ten years, it has served as the cornerstone of China’s strategic approach to the Middle East. During that time, Beijing has worked to present itself as a friend to everyone in the area and an army of none.
However, the chart incident highlights a challenge Beijing is currently facing due to the crisis. Beijing’s tactical approach to the Middle East is becoming more and more challenging to maintain as a result of the fragmentation that has taken hold over this issue, both within China and around the world.
The Israel-Hamas war, which has so far been centered on the idea of” balanced diplomacy ,” is, in my opinion, the toughest test yet for President Xi Jinping’s Middle East strategy, according to a scholar who teaches classes on China foreign policy.
Growing pro-Palestinian opinion in China and the nation’s historical sentiments in the area imply that if Xi is forced off the impartiality path, he will support the Palestinians over the Israelis.
Beijing, however, would prefer not to make that decision for smart economical and foreign policy considerations. Making this decision, in my opinion, would effectively put an end to China’s ten-year effort to establish itself as a powerful” helpful plumber” in the area— an outside force that aims to mediate peace agreements and establish an incredibly diverse regional economic and security order.
Beijing’s goals and tactics
Since around 2012, there hasn’t been any consensus in political lines that China was not the country that invested in the Middle East. Since then, China has made significant political efforts to increase its influence in the area.
The entire corporate vision of Beijing for the Middle East is one in which China’s influence is greatly increased while the US is drastically reduced.
On the one hand, this is merely a geographical expression of the world vision as outlined in numerous Chinese foreign policy initiatives, including the Community of Common Destiny, International Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative. All of these initiatives are intended, at least in part, to charm to nations in the Global South that feel extremely cut off from the US-led rules-based global order.
This perception is based on worries that China’s access to Middle Eastern oil and gas exports would be jeopardized if the United States maintained its control there.
That does not imply that Beijing wants to overthrow the United States as the region’s dominant force. Given the strength of the money and the US’s long-standing ties to some of its largest economy, that is impossible.
Instead, China’s stated strategy is to encourage regional multi-alignment, which entails encouraging unique nations to cooperate with China in areas like infrastructure and trade. By doing this, China and other players in the area become more friendly, and any incentives to join unique US-led blocs are also undermined.
Through what are referred to in Chinese government documents as” balanced diplomacy” and” positive balancing ,” Beijing aims to encourage multi-alignment.
Healthy diplomacy entails no siding with one side in a number of issues, including the Israeli-Palestinian one, and not creating any enemies. Good managing focuses on pursuing closer assistance with one regional power, such as Iran, in the hope that this will encourage other nations to do the same, like the Arab Gulf nations.
China’s victory in the Middle East
Beijing’s approach was starting to pay off before the Hamas assault on Israel on October 7.
China and Saudi Arabia formed a complete corporate alliance in 2016, and Iran and China agreed to work together for 25 years in 2020. Beijing has strengthened its economic relations with a number of other Gulf nations during that time, including Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Oman.
China has strengthened its economic relations with Egypt outside of the Gulf, to the point where it is now the biggest investment in the Suez Canal Area Development Project. Additionally, it has made investments in restoration initiatives in Iraq and Syria.
China reached a deal earlier this year to re-establish diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which was both significant progress and established China as the region’s leading negotiator.
In fact, Beijing started to place itself as a possible mediator between Israel and the Palestinians after that victory.
Effects of the Israel-Has War
But, the Israel-Hamas conflict has complicated how China approaches the Middle East.
Beijing initially responded to the issue by maintaining a fair delicacy. China’s leaders did not condemn Hamas in the wake of the attack on October 7; instead, they urged both sides to” exercise restraint” and to accept a” two-state solution.”
This is in line with Beijing’s long-standing plan of” non-interfering” in internal affairs of other nations and its core strategic approach to the area.
However, the negative stance clashed with the United States’ and some European countries’ strategies, which pushed China to take a more assertive position.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reiterated China’s position that every nation has the right to self-defense in response to stress from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and people. He did, however, add a caveat, saying that Israel” if uphold international humanitarian law and safeguard civilians’ health.”
And that making reflects a change in Beijing’s tone, which has gradually shifted toward making claims that are critical of Israel and friendly to the Palestinians.
Due to its failure to urge Israel to end its battle on Gaza, China used its reject energy at the UN on October 25 to obstruct a US resolution that called for an emergency humanitarian pause.
Zhang Jun, the UN ambassador for China, stated that the choice was made in response to” powerful appeals of the entire world, in particular the Egyptian places.”
promoting the South of the world
Given Beijing’s financial problems and political ambitions, such a change is not surprising.
Compared to Israel, China is much more seriously reliant on commerce with the various nations it has forged economic ties with in the Middle East and North Africa.
Beijing has strong monetary incentives to support Israel if political pressures force China to choose between the Arab world and Israel.
However, China has yet another compelling reason to support the Palestinians. Beijing aspires to become regarded as the Global South’s savior. And by supporting Israel, you run the risk of alienating that growing segment.
The Palestinians’ struggle against Israel is viewed as akin to fighting invasion or resisting” segregation” in nations throughout Africa, Latin America, and above. Under that perspective, siding with Israel may put China on the colonial oppressor’s area.
The Belt and Road Initiative, China’s system development program, and its efforts to persuade more nations from the Global South to meet what is now the BRICS economic union run the risk of undermining the diplomatic and economic work China has done.
China’s officials may be considering its maps of the Middle East and pondering whether there is still room for fair geopolitics, even though they may not have changed them.
Professor of Political Science Andrew Latham teaches at Macalester College.
Under a Creative Commons license, this essay has been republished from The Conversation. Read the original publication.
India should cooperate with Canadaâs probe of Sikh’s killing
Another step in the ongoing diplomatic crisis between the two countries was New Delhi’s demand that Canada return 41 ambassadors from India by October 10. India used the idea of political equality as the justification for its need.
By the date andnbsp, Canada and its political staff did not withdraw and rather chose to hold covert talks with India in an effort to end the crisis. 41 American diplomats left on October 19 in response to New Delhi’s threat to withdraw their political immunity after trying unsuccessfully to convince India. In response to this innovative development, Canada is not taking any hostile action.
After Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s violent andnbsp allegations of American presence in the murder of pro-Khalistan head Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed in British Columbia in June, the political crisis broke out. India responded to Canada’s expulsion of a top American diplomat by expelling another American diplomat.
The Indian diaspora & nbsp in Canada was negatively impacted by New Delhi’s travel warnings and suspension of visa services. Recently, partial visa services have resumed and India & nbsp, which is a positive sign for de-escalation.
While attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Trudeau & nbsp reaffirmed his accusations. In the midst of tense political relations, he urged India to assist with the research.
Canadian media outlets Revelations in & nbsp have significantly increased the credibility of Trudeau’s claims. According to reports, Five Eyes allies, an intelligence-sharing system that includes the United States, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, shared some of the data supporting the allegations, including human knowledge and intercepted communications between American diplomats.
Claims of Indian involvement in the shooting have been dismissed by the Indian government as” immoral.”
India asserts that Canada andnbsp did never divulge any certain details regarding Nijjar’s murder. However, media reports from unnamed American officials have shown that Indian officials did not dispute the existence of this intelligence during personal discussions.
During the 2023 Group of Twenty Summit in New Delhi, Justin Trudeau brought up this subject with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Jody Thomas, Canada’s national security and intelligence advisor, has traveled to India half since August to speak with her American rival about the situation. According to reports, Modi and US President Joe Biden both brought up the subject at the G20 Summit.
The largest Hindu community in the world is found in Canada, and some of its members have backed the Khalistan movement. India & nbsp has repeatedly expressed concerns about Canada’s perceived leniency toward Sikh extremism and terrorism. It believes that the support of sikhs for an independent state of Khalistan poses a serious threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Ottawa emphasizes that peaceful protests fall within the purview of this political construction and defends the right to freedom of expression in democratic societies.
US worries
The United States has made it clear that it is strongly collaborating with Canada and is extremely concerned about these claims. Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, has andnbsp rejected media accounts that suggested there should be a border between the United States and Canada, demonstrating that the country takes this issue significantly.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken & nbsp urged India to work with the Canadian investigation during a meeting with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
India is a crucial ally for Canada and its friends in their efforts to counter autocratic regimes like China’s and share political ideals with them. China’s military attacks into disputed areas along the American border pose a serious threat to India.
India alone never shop this perceived Chinese danger and needs assistance from European nations given Beijing’s excellent military and economic might.
The corporate ties that support New Delhi’s relationships with Western nations should be strengthened, as should its democratic credentials. Concerns about authoritarian trends under the Modi administration have been raised by India’s democratic backsliding has & nbsp. If true, India’s alleged role in the murder of a pro-Khalistan president in Canada demonstrates the assertive foreign policy of New Delhi.
This happens as India’s democratic allies are attempting to harmonize their Indo-Pacific approaches at a crucial time. Concerns have been raised by the tragedy about India’s potential to act in a similar manner in various nations, including Australia, the United States, and the UK. Additionally, these countries have sizable Hindu diasporas that support the Khalistan movements.
Ottawa considers India’s alleged involvement in the assassination of a French national on American soil to be gravely violating Canadian sovereignty. India may actively work with Canada in the continued investigations if it maintains its innocence and has nothing to hide. New Delhi may act to ensure that the perpetrators receive judge if it is established that American officials were involved.
A prime example is the 2018 slaying of Jamal Khashoggi, a US citizen and nbsp who was critical of the Saudi government. Washington pursued righteousness for the death of its citizen despite having close economic and geopolitical ties to Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi government initially denied being involved, but under pressure from the US, it acknowledged its part and participated in the examinations. In the end, this assistance resulted in the judgment of eight people.
Governments must be steadfast in their dedication to protecting and defending personal freedom. Recognizing that working with Canada on these studies is India’s best course of action is in its best interest. Engagement, however, seems highly unlikely given India’s & nbsp, the crisis’ increase, and its lack of interest in assistance.
This article and its accompanying article were first published by East Asia Forum, a nonprofit organization based at the Australian National University’s College of Asia and the Pacific and housed within the & nbsp, Crawford School of Public Policy. It is republished with a Creative Commons permit.