North Korea: Putin gifts Pyongyang zoo with lion, brown bears
In yet another example of the burgeoning ties between Moscow and Pyongyang, Russian President Vladimir Putin has presented more than 70 animals to the country’s major park, including a bear and two brown bears.
Putin’s culture minister, Alexander Kozlov, brought the pets to the North Vietnamese funds on board a cargo aircraft, Kozlov’s department said on its established Telegram channel on Wednesday.
According to Kozlov’s company, the delivery of creatures from Moscow even contained mandarin ducks, five macaws, and dozens of pheasants.
The gift comes weeks after the US and South Korea revealed that North Korea had sent thousands of troops to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine.
The Russian culture secretary even paid Kim a sincere visit while she was in Pyongyang.
Russia has recently sent creatures to North Korea, which is not the first time it has happened.
Earlier this year, Putin reportedly gave North Korean leader Kim Jong Un 24 pure-bred animals as a reward for North Korea’s supply of artillery shells.
Given that both Russia and Kim are currently facing West restrictions, Putin and Kim have recently strengthened their partnership.
Trump card or wild card? What Trump 2.0 could spell for Taiwan, China and regional stability
ALL EYES ON TRUMP’S CABINET PICKS
In light of this, observers claim that Mr. Trump’s team selections have attracted a lot of attention in Taiwan because of how much influence the appointees have over management plan.
” More so for the US than most institutions, staff is policy”, Mr Steven Okun, top assistant from the public affairs advisory firm APAC Advisors, previously told CNA.
Given their history of pro-Taiwan statements, Associate Professor Chong Ja Ian from the National University of Singapore ( NUS) told CNA that the appointment of Mr. Marco Rubio and Mr. Mike Waltz as US secretary of state and as national security advisor was likely to some degree reassure Taipei.
In 2019, after Mr Xi made a new contact for Taiwan to embrace “peaceful unification” with China and accept independence, Mr Rubio reaffirmed his support for the island in a statement, describing it as” an impartial republic and strong supporter of the United States”. In response to China’s increasingly extreme rhetoric and deeds, he added that the US may strengthen ties with Taiwan.
Additionally, Mr. Rubio has introduced a number of laws to increase Taiwan’s help from the United States.
By establishing a status similar to that of an adviser to a foreign nation or international organization as required by the senate, one of these laws aims to strengthen US-Taiwan relationships.
Another initiative, the Taiwan Peace Through Strength Act, aims to boost joint military education, increase access to weapons, and establish a munitions consolidation account.
The new Trump 2.0 administration, which includes former military personnel and newscaster Pete Hegseth, even nominates two candidates for defence minister, along with Mr. Rubio and Mr. Waltz.
Observers have noted that all three people have a vehement criticism of China. They are known for calling for strong countermeasures and highlighting alleged and alleged threats that Beijing poses across a range of industries.
Dr. Wu anticipates that Mr. Rubio will use his position as secretary of state to support strong measures to issue Beijing on a global scale in fields like industry, technology, and security. This may preoccup China, according to the foreign affairs observer, which might lead to a lessening concentrate on putting pressure on Taiwan in the future.
Assoc Prof. Chong agrees that Mr. Trump’s government may benefit from having China hawks in crucial diplomatic and security positions. However, he also noted the great churn of important leaders during Mr Trump’s day in the Oval Office.
“( Trump ) has a tendency to cycle through his key personnel quickly, particularly when their loyalty is called into question. But, the question of how long Mr Rubio will remain in office is uncertain”, said Assoc Prof Chong, who is also a non-resident professor at Carnegie China.
Man charged with deflating tyres of five cars at Woodlands carpark
SINGAPORE: A 23-year-old man was on Thursday ( Nov 21 ) charged with causing public nuisance by , deflating the tyres of five cars at a carpark in Woodlands.
Additionally, Benjamin Chia Yit Loong is accused of sticking brochures on the windshields of the vehicles in Woodlands Drive 14 at , Blocks 517A and 519A.
He reportedly did this between 10am and 12pm on Tuesday.
He faces a single command of causing displeasure to the government, which carries a prison expression of up to three months, a fine of up to S$ 2, 000 ( US$ 1, 500 ), or both consequences.
Chia was released on S$ 5, 000 bail after the trial requested that the event been waited a month for further investigation.
QR code clearance trial for bus travellers to begin at Singapore checkpoints
As part of a trial starting on November 23, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority ( ICA ) announced on Thursday ( Nov. 21 ) that travelers who travel through the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints will soon be able to pass through immigration using QR codes.
Tuas Checkpoint may begin the prosecution on November 23 and Woodlands Checkpoint will begin on November 28.
At Woodlands and Tuas Checkpoints, according to ICA in a Facebook article, it will be conducted at specific automatic roads and unique help roads.
The vehicle halls will have signs indicating the trial lanes, and ICA agents will be on standby, according to the authority.
The test is available to Singapore people, permanent residents, long-term go buyers, and international visitors who have visited the country earlier.
In order to improve the QR code clearing process, ICA said,” Eligible vehicle passengers are encouraged to take part in the test to enable ICA fine tune our processes for better traveller experience at bus halls.”
Police chief orders probe into alleged molestation by lecturer
PUBLISHED: 21 Nov 2024 at 11: 08
According to claims that a police investigator and a professor at the Police Cadet Academy made a student intoxicated and sexually assaulted him at the club, the federal police commander, Pol Gen Kitrat Phanphet, has ordered an investigation.
On Wednesday, Pol Gen Kitrat told the academy’s captain that any offender would experience severe disciplinary action and possible misconduct penalties. He even gave the cadet’s requested to file a formal problem.
According to reports, the professor was a police officer who taught law and English at the university in the Nakhon Pathom district.
Last Saturday evening, a student apparently was lured to a locker room close to the rugby field.
The cadet supposedly consumed three bottles of alcohol and two extra bottles of beer that while trying to masturbate him.
According to reports, the student may not be the only survivor of the accused officials, who were ex-academy classmates.
Police cadet school admits sexual harassment
The police chief urges victims to file formal complaints and declares that criminals will not be spared.
PUBLISHED: 21 Nov 2024 at 11: 08
UPDATED: 21 Nov 2024 at 14: 32
A first-year police cadet was sexually harassed by an instructor and the instructor’s friend, according to a report from the Royal Police Cadet Academy ( RPCA ).
The academy’s assistant director, Pol Maj Gen. Sakrapee Priewpanich, claimed the institution had investigated the incident after it was first reported on social advertising and that it had determined that it was true.
He claimed that he had assigned the Cadet Command Division’s commander to question both sides and take appropriate action.
According to Pol Maj Gen Sakrapee, the student has the right to consult with his parents about what to do because he has legal rights and the option to report a criminal complaint.
He assured that the university would n’t cover up the incident. He claimed that the problem would be resolved in a simple manner because it would be harmed by it.
According to Pol Maj Gen Sakrapee, a council will be established to thoroughly examine the situation and decide whether the teacher should be suspended from his position or permanently.
The school’s answer comes in response to a Facebook post by a well-known Facebook group called” Bigkren” calling on Kittharath Punpetch to investigate an alleged sexual harassment scandal.
According to the article, one of the school’s instructors and a police officer’s friend had inappropriate behavior toward a cadet and had used their seniority to force him into doing their bidding.
The professor and his friend apparently forced the cadet to drink alcohol while they waited for him around the bleachers on November 16.
The student was therefore approached by the couple and attempted to assist him in a masturbation act.
The cadet’s officer identified the affair as sexual harassment and reported it to him.
The professor had allegedly engaged in different types of wrongdoing with cadets several times, and even though the problem was reported to commanding officers, it was not handled properly, according to the article on the” Bigkren” accounts. This was disturbing recruits ‘ families, it added.
It stated that testimony were being asked to provide evidence against the harassers and that testimony had been gathered.
On Wednesday, Pol Gen Kittharath ordered an investigation into the claims. He warned of serious administrative consequences and probable misconduct. He even gave the cadet’s requested to file a formal problem.
According to reports, the professor was a police officer who taught rules and English at the university in the Nakhon Pathom district.
Thunderstorm warning issued for South
PUBLISHED: 21 Nov 2024 at 11: 05
The southern area is being prepared for severe thunderstorms, heavy rain, gusty winds, and hard ocean conditions from Thursday through Saturday, according to the meteorological department’s warning.  ,
The only provinces that are free from the instructions are Ranong and Phuket, which are 12 of the 14 along the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea, which are subject to severe weather.  ,
The organization warned of possible mudslides and landslides in hilly and rough areas as a result of the heavy rainfall and reported that the waves in the gulf may reach heights of at least two meters.
Archegos founder Bill Hwang sentenced to 18 years in prison
Former Wall Street investment, Sung Kook” Bill” Hwang, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison in a huge scam circumstance that cost businesses billions of dollars.
Hwang was found guilty of fraud and business manipulation in a 2021 case involving his investment portfolio Archegos Capital Management.
Before announcing the statement, US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein said,” The amount of costs that were caused by your do is larger than any other loss I have dealt with,” according to estimates cited by Reuters media company.
Although the prison sentence for white collar crimes was somewhat shorter than the 21-year prison sentence requested by the prosecution, it is still exceedingly long.
The prosecutor has not yet made an announcement regarding the matter, though the prosecution had even requested compensation. On Thursday, the sentencing hearing will begin.
Hwang was found guilty of lying to the largest investment bankers because he had allegedly lied to many companies in secret.
One of the largest wall account collapses since the 2008 financial crisis occurred when Archegos ‘ failure to pay its creditors caused a massive stock sell-off, which caused the bank to quickly collapse in less than a week.
Credit Suisse, which has since become a part of UBS, Nomura, and Morgan Stanley, are just a few of the major banks that suffered significant losses as a result of Archegos ‘ collapse.
Hwang’s doctors had called for him not to get punished, citing his Christian beliefs and his donations to charity.
They also said his wealth, which at one point was valued at an estimated$ 30bn ( £23.7bn ), had fallen to an estimated$ 55m.
The judge called the requests for leniency “utterly ridiculous” due to the money involved and compared Hwang to the disgraced founder of FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, who received a 25-year sentence for fraud last year, according to Bloomberg.
Hwang’s attorneys did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment right away.
Hwang’s assistant at Archegos and co-defendant, Patrick Halligan, who was also found guilty on three legal fees at the same test, is set to be sentenced at a hearing scheduled for 27 January.
Time for world to pivot away from the US economy – Asia Times
Donald Trump’s win in the 2024 vote and his danger to impose taxes on all American imports highlight a significant issue for the worldwide market.
The US has won more Nobel rewards in the last five years than any other nation combined and has spent more on research and development than any other nation combined. The world is envious of its innovations and economical accomplishments. However, the rest of the world must exert every effort to avoid becoming very dependant on it.
And if Harris had prevailed, there would n’t have been much of a change.
Donald Trump’s” America first” strategy has actually been republican. The US has been largely inward-looking ever since the power independence policy of past president Barack Obama, putting an end to industrial job outsourcing.
Trump’s first policy was to take higher prices for US consumers, which would have meant imposing high tariffs on nearly every investing partner, to protect regional producers.
For example, Trump’s 2018 levies on washing machines from all over the world mean US consumers have been paying 12 % more for these items.
President Joe Biden– in certainly a more polite way– then increased some of the Trump tariffs: up to 100 % on electric vehicles, 50 % on solar cells and 25 % on batteries from China. This was a clear decision to slow down the energy move in a climate disaster to safeguard US production.
Biden launched a payment competition while agreeing to a tariff truce with Europe, which may have sparked a potentially yet worse conflict.
For example, the US Inflation Reduction Act provides$ 369 billion in incentives for sectors like renewable energy and electric cars. Additionally, the Chips Act authorized$ 52 billion to support the production of computer and semiconductor chips.
China, Europe and the rest of the world
Although this US commercial plan may have been biased toward the outside, there are still serious implications for the rest of the world. China, after years of largely export-based growth, may now deal with huge problems of business overcapacity.
The nation is now attempting to expand its trading partners and encourage more private usage.
Europe, despite a very small budget requirement, spends a lot of money in the rebate competition. Germany, a country facing sluggish growth and big doubts about its , industrial model, is committed to matching US subsidies, offering, for instance,  , €900 million  , ($ 950 million ) to Swedish battery makers Northvolt to continue producing in the country.
All those grants are causing a negative impact to the global business and could have easily funded urgent needs like solar panel and battery-powered electricity across the entire African continent. Meanwhile, China has replaced the US and Europe as the largest buyer in Africa, following its own interest for organic sources.
Ideas may be fixed by the approaching Trump mission.
One may say that if the Biden administration had known more about the effects of an invasion and had given Kyiv modern arms before the war, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, along with the thousands of deaths that ensuing, and the energy crisis that ensued, could have been avoided.
But the responsible is mostly on Europe. Trump had a right to credit where it’s expected for his first-term warning about Germany’s proper issue of becoming too dependent on Russian gas.
By putting an end to China’s personal tax battle on Chinese technology like solar panels and electric cars, there is a clear path ahead.
Alternatively of importing record quantities of wet oil from the US, Europe would reestablish some of its original power by producing more of its own fresh energy. China could use its considerable liquidity on Russia to put an end to Ukraine’s war, and it could also learn a few things from working with Chinese companies.
The European Union may put more effort into achieving its goals, which is to sign trade agreements and use them to decrease global carbon emissions. Never just China and Europe are the subjects. After years of , ongoing improvement , in all main dimensions of human existence, the world is moving downward.
The number of people facing starvation is increasing, taking us back to the rates of 2008-9. War is raging in Gaza, Sudan, Myanmar, Syria, and presently Lebanon. Since 2010, there have n’t been as many civilian casualties in the world.
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For better or worse, it is doubtful that a Trump administration may change the way of lower US meddling. Additionally, it is unlikely to be a major force in the fight against climate change, trade liberalization, or tranquility.
America wo n’t help the world because it is alone.
What will happen to the US is unknown. Trump’s transfer may be largely a continuation of his previous ten years. The US economy will become less important as a result of expensive tariffs or the destruction of the organizations that contributed to its economic powerhouse status.
Americans have chosen this option, and the rest of the world must accept it. The only thing the universe can do in the interim is to learn how to collaborate more effectively without becoming overly dependent on one another.
Renaud Foucart is mature teacher in finance, Lancaster University Management School, Lancaster University
The Conversation has republished this post under a Creative Commons license. Read the original content.
ECDA to launch home-based childminding services pilot in December
Cheap OPTION FOR Families
According to ECDA, this is part of the administration’s efforts to provide families greater confidence during their toddler’s first stage of life.
” The pilot aims to develop childminding solutions to be an affordable, safe and reliable child caring choice for parents”, said the company.  ,
The government will pay for its service while it is in business.  ,
From Monday through Friday, excluding breaks, these incentives will be available for treatment provided in five- or 10-hour stones between 7am and 7pm.
Parents have the freedom to choose how many times a week they need baby childminding service and how many hours a day, according to ECDA.
Parents who simply need specific days of the week’s worth of treatment will only be responsible for the hours worked, it added.  ,
The five-hour and 10-hour blocks will cost S$ 16.50 ( US$ 12.30 ) and S$ 33 respectively excluding Goods and Services Tax ( GST ).
According to ECDA, full-time use of the companies – , where families subscribe to 10-hour stones for five times per week for four weeks– had cost S$ 719.40 a fortnight, inclusive of GST.  ,
According to the organization, this is less expensive than the current average price of childminder service.  ,
According to a previous MSF report, parents who opt for private childminding services, which are usually provided by home-based nannies, can expect to pay anywhere between S$ 1, 200 and S$ 2, 800 per month.  ,
According to ECDA, the incentives are limited to 10 hours a day during weekends to help childminders harmony their job, personal pledges, and needs.  ,
Parents can create individual agreements with the users based on their regular prices, outside the pilot, if they need more than 10 hours of childminding services or if they need them on weekends between 7am and 7pm, according to the statement.  ,
According to the statement, kids can use the money from their Child Development Account to pay for childminding services as well.