No takers for Kyrgyzstan’s debt-for-nature swapsÂ
Bishkek is alarmed that the world bank class is not returning Sadyr Zhaparov’s phone calls. & nbsp,
The Kyrgyz president expressed regret that no developed nation had accepted his offer to negotiate a so-called debt-for-nature” swap” in an address to the UN General Assembly last month.” I have already addressed our partners with the request to exchange external debt for environmental & nbsp, projects ,” he said. Unfortunately, we & nbsp have not gotten a response.
Surprisingly, despite the weather industry’s support for debt-for-nature” transfers ,” which are meant to roll back threats to biodiversity and the negative effects of climate change on the environment, the global community seems to have given Zhaparov the cold shoulder. In addition, & nbsp,
The climate crisis is a culture we are losing, but it is one we can win, according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Loan for nature transfers are one of the ways to turn the tide. & nbsp: Disregarding the efforts of nations like Kyrgyzstan to make such” swaps” is a failure to uphold solemn commitments to halt the negative effects of climate change. & nbsp,
Bishkek has been holding regular, if sporadic, working group discussions with its creditors about the potential for debt-for-nature & nbsp, swaps & inbph, and other hybrid arrangements for the past 20 years. & nbsp: Zhaparov raised the stakes in his most recent speech before the UN General Assembly, urging his creditors to honor their agreements. In addition, & nbsp,
What exactly are debt-for-nature transfers?
Debt-for-nature derivatives and nbsp are financial transactions in which bank nations forgive an agreed-upon part of a country’s international debts in exchange for regional investments in the debtor country.
During his time as the Smithsonian Institution’s assistant secretary for climate and physical affairs, Dr. Thomas Lovejoy, the later high priest of debt swaps, and I had the honor of working closely together in this area. & nbsp,( See his testimony before the US Senate in 1991 and his October 1984 op-ed on debt swaps in The & ndbp and New York Times, respectively. ) & nbsp,
In order to build the Center for the Study of Biological Diversity & nbsp in Guyana, we completed a hybrid debt-for-biodiversity transaction with the Royal Bank of Canada. We also supported biodiversity initiatives in the Amazon and marine habitats in Pacific waters.
At the time, our main challenge was assuring nations that debt-for-nature transfers had nothing to do with the transfer of property equity( loss of sovereignty ) to foreign interests. & nbsp,
Kyrgyzstan persists
The heads of state of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan emphasized the immediate need to solve problems with glacial melt, desert, natural source and water administration, as well as the inevitable loss of biodiversity at the UN General Assembly’s opening this year. & nbsp,
In contrast to the other Central Asian leaders, Zhaparov emphasized Kyrgyzstan’s support for” calls made at the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact in Paris [ 2023 ] to mobilize necessary financing [ for environmental initiatives ] and [ carry out ] structural reforms of the international financial architecture.”
Zhaparov argued against Bishkek’s international and bilateral debts, saying,” If we don’t start [ to reform the system ] then, then injustice in the world will increase.” Poor countries will continue to become poorer, while rich nations will keep getting richer. & nbsp,
He thinks that the current world economic system, with its disparities between wealthy and impoverished people, challenging eligibility requirements, and onerous compliance standards, has almost run its course and no longer serves the interests of low-income nations, according to a growing number of nations. & nbsp,
Kyrgyzstan is a leading candidate for mutually beneficial debt-for-nature transfers due to its external debts of no unimportant andnbsp, US$ 9.85 billion, as well as its possession of significant communities and natural resources.
The nation is interested in implementing a number of outstanding natural resource projects, including the long-term management of the Western Tien-Shan mountains, which are on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage, the protection of threatened and / or vulnerable species like the snow leopard, integrated ice and water sources management, and the preservation of numerous native tree species that are in grave danger. & nbsp,
According to all outward appearances, Zhaparov is willing to negotiate on innovative debt-for-nature or other environmental financing arrangements, such as the$ 20 million deal that Peru and the United States completed this past September to support Amazon conservation.
International and bilateral creditors in Europe and Asia could do worse than to shout at President Zhaparov given the significance of Kyrgyzstan’s healthy resources and the scope of its needs in biodiversity management. They would benefit diversity in the world, and the president did undoubtedly answer the phone. In addition, & nbsp,
Hin Leong founder and former oil tycoon OK Lim to testify in his own defence in US$111.7 million case
SINGAPORE: According to a court hearing on Friday, October 13, the founder of the defunct oil trading company Hin Leong Trading will testify in his own defense. He is charged with fraud and bank fraud in the US$ 111.7 million ( S$ 146.7 million ) event.
Three criminal charges were brought against Lim Oon Kuin, 81, in a district court in April. He was accused of two counts of cheating the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation ( HSBC ) and one count of encouraging Hin Leong Trading’s contracts executive to fabricate records.
While this test is still ongoing, more than 100 additional charges against Lim have been dropped. Even though the total volume across all costs is some times that, the amount involved in the proceeded costs for test is about US$ 111.7 million.
According to the prosecution’s case, Lim defrauded HSBC into giving Hin Leong the money by giving the impression that the oil buying firm had signed two contracts for the sale of fuel with China Aviation Oil( Singapore ) Corporation and Unipec Singapore.
Later, Hin Leong informed HSBC that it was having trouble with its profitability and would be asking its lenders for a stop agreement.
Later, Lim called HSBC staff for a conference with his two kids Lim Huey Ching and Lim Chee Meng.
The discounting applications for the sales to CAO and Unipec were allegedly sent to HSBC in error due to” miscommunication ,” according to the prosecution.
Following the phone on April 17, 2020, Hin Leong filed for insolvency days in one of the biggest falls of an oil investing company in history.
Soon after, the police launched available studies, leading to Lim’s more than 100 charges.
The prosecutor calls for a suitable time to provide information.
On Friday, Principal District Judge Toh Han Li discovered that the trial had established a circumstance against Lim on all three counts.
He requested Lim’s testimony, claiming that there was sufficient proof to support each of the accusations.
He explained to Lim that he had two options: either give a hear testimony, or decline it, giving him the chance to visit on additional witnesses for testimony.
He emphasized that if he decided not to speak, the jury might draw a negative conclusion.
Lim, who was released on S$ 4 million loan, announced his testimony through a Mandarin representative.
For the defense’s situation, fifteen days have been set aside. Lim is represented by Davinder Singh Chambers attorneys.
Dr. Yeo Seem Huat is the next witness, according to Mr. Navin Thevar, who informed the court that his customer would be one of two.
The defense attorney responded that Lim’s kids wouldn’t be called to testify” at the moment” when the prosecutor questioned them.
He continued by saying that he would be requesting more falls for Lim, who is wheelchair-bound and sick.
Lim will be giving oral testimonial, the attorney added, unless he specifically states otherwise. In that situation, he might testify through conditioned comments.
Lead attorney Christopher Goh responded by stating that he disagreed with the accuser’s use of conditioned claims as evidence in the Criminal Procedure Code.
The trial typically employs this tactic.
If this was the program the defense wanted to take, Mr. Goh said the prosecutors would have to think about it.
According to the defense’s measure, Lim is scheduled to take the walk starting on October 30 and lasting for roughly two to three days.
The High Court is currently hearing a distinct legal case against Lim. In that case, brokers are asking Lim for US$ 3.5 billion to settle the company’s obligations for what they claim to be years of scams.
Japan asks court to dissolve ‘Moonies’ church over Shinzo Abe killing
shabby picturesTetsuya Yamagami, his attacker, claimed that Abe was to blame for the church’s family going bankrupt.
The religion claims that the assassination of Abe has wrongfully denigrated it.
The Unification Church will be able to continue operating as an organization even though it will reduce its tax advantages if it is dissolved.
Yamagami asserted that his family, who had been a member of the church for three years, was compelled to make donations. Thousands of dollars’ worth of lawsuits have been filed in response to similar allegations.
A spiritual order may be dissolved under Japan’s Religious Corporations Law if its activities are” evidently recognized as being greatly harmful to people welfare.”
The temple was previously fined by Japan’s education government for failing to respond to inquiries about its activities by the Tokyo District Court.
Before his passing, there was a lot of discussion about Abe’s connection with the church, particularly on social media.
He made an appearance as a speaker on the sidelines at an event related to the chapel in 2021. Due to the church’s anti-communist attitude, his father, who was also a former prime minister, was rumored to have been close to it.
According to experts, it first arrived in Japan in the 1960s and developed relationships with officials to increase its popularity.
The church has been embroiled in controversy for decades, and detractors have called it” cult-like.”
Users who assert that they were coerced into making donations to the chapel have filed numerous complaints against it. According to their attorneys, the plaintiffs have lost at least 5.4 billion renminbi($ 39 million,£ 33 million ) over the previous five years.
The Liberal Democratic Party, led by the current prime minister, Fumio Kishida, discovered that 179 of its 379 politicians had ties to the Unification Church.
Following that, Mr. Kishida urged LDP politicians to sever ties with the Unification Church and emphasized his lack of affiliation with it personally.
After recently refusing requests to do so, he ordered an investigation into the church in October of last year and declared that” he was taking really” allegations that the congregation had taken advantage of its members for financial gain.
According to Professor Yoshihide Sakurai of Hokkaido University, who has written a guide on the Unification Church and is an authority on religion issues, the power of the” very dangerous” religion may be significantly reduced.
According to Prof. Sakurai, the public will become afraid of it, and it will be viewed as scandalous for politicians to be associated with it.
The court order never, he said, stop the group’s activities because it still has dozens of affiliated political and business organizations, such as magazine publishing companies, travel agencies, and suppliers.
The breakdown purchase might not even be granted by the court, according to Prof. Sakurai.
” Tens of thousands of supporters also claim that they chose to join the church and are still taking part in its activities. It will be challenging for the court to determine that the organization is wholly judicial because both patients and followers exist at the same time, he said.
Hideharu Tamura in Tokyo provided extra coverage.
On this account, more
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July 23, 2022
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China’s narrowing trade slump boosts recovery prospects, but challenges persist
But, Lv Daliang, the General Administration of Customs’ spokesperson, stated earlier on Friday at a press conference that China’s industry still faces an intricate and challenging physical environment. In September, China’s exports to the ASEAN countries, which have grown to be the largest business partner of the Asian giant dueContinue Reading
China, India on a tightrope over Gaza-Israel war
A group of US lawmakers were in Beijing as Hamas insurgents suddenly launched an attack across the Gaza borders. The Foreign Ministry of China issued a statement about the harm that was studiously balanced and only demanded” relax” and an immediate peace.
The Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the trip’s senior senator, expressed his hope for a stronger conviction of Hamas on social advertising while he was still in the nation.
Although China has dismissed the criticism, it highlights the difficult truth that Asiatic nations seeking to dominate the Middle East must face: politics still exist.
Strong nations in Asia have frequently envied America’s effect in the Middle East and have attempted to seize some of it. However, there are still serious, unsolved political tensions in the area, as the escalating conflict in Israel shows. And when they explode, Middle Eastern nations expect assistance, so Asiatic nations can’t just watch from the sidelines.
Due to its efforts to strengthen relationships with both Israel and the Palestinians, China’s politics is a particularly challenging juggling act. The Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas visited the nation in June, and Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel is expected to do the same after this year.
However, the same is also true for India, which has previously had close ties to the Palestinians but has been socially moving closer to Israel under Narendra Modi. Both nations seem to think they can” win from afar ,” pursuing diplomatic victories while avoiding becoming mired in the complexities of the Middle East’s wars.
Both are treading a fine line while clinging to the social victories they think they have while trying to avoid getting sucked too deeply into another round of problems. But as the conflict intensifies, maintaining that balance will need a deft juggling act.
Because Beijing has aimed to present itself as both the second power and a nation whose politics is different from that of the United States, China’s diplomatic relations will be much more difficult to navigate than those of India. Both provide difficulties.
China will need to get involved if it wants to be a power, or at the very least show that it can influence the political landscape of various nations. In light of the stunning reports of kidnapped Jewish men and women, it will need a more subtle approach to policy if it wants to differ from the United States, or even one that leans toward the Palestinian camp.
It has resorted to studied independence thus far. However, as the actual conflict breaks out and it becomes more obvious whether a Taiwanese nation is actually one of the hostages taken by Hamas, maintaining neutrality will become more difficult.
If you go too far into the Jewish station, nations outside the West will start to wonder if China has something unique to offer, and you’ll see that Beijing is being criticized for essentially siding with Hamas’ fighters. Independence eliminates a lot of choices.
Beijing, which may have been misled into thinking it was secure by brokering the Saudi-Iran rapprochement & nbsp at the beginning of the year, will be unprepared for the entire situation. However, the diplomats were attempting to open a door that because both nations desired better relationships. Longtime rivals Israel and Hamas are currently at war.
Beijing may be expected to get involved in Palestinian and Israeli government more than airily issuing calling for peace as a result of China’s June embrace of the Israeli president, which does not prevent support for Israel or criticism of Hamas.
not just it, either. Beijing’s seek for allies in the Middle East also resulted in its embrace of Bashar al-Assad next month, who made a unique journey outside of Syria.
However, there is the fact of getting engaged in distant problems once more. Does anyone think that China had support Syria if the Gaza war erupted and spilled over, as much as President Xi Jinping offered Assad financial investment and claimed that ties between the two countries had reached” corporate relationship” degree?
If Israel invades the area on foot as anticipated and the humanitarian burden starts to rise, India may also consider the firm words of support waning. That could affect public judgment both domestically and internationally. It might even result in denunciation from the Arab states, which employ a sizable number of Indian workers, complicating Modi’s situation.
Beyond the details, it draws attention to a larger problem for nations whose foreign policies are based on the notion that unresolvable conflicts ensure security.
Modi stated that a new business corridor connecting Europe to the Arab Gulf state and India may serve as the” foundation of earth trade for hundreds of years” when it was unveiled at the G20 last month. Within months, it is now facing a major challenge. because a protracted war may threaten good relationships between Saudi Arabia and Israel, which are necessary for the hall.
So, this is the conundrum facing the Eastern companies. In the Middle East, being a power seller requires more than just pleasantries; it occasionally entails getting involved in politics. Expansion of the Middle East was intended to be a means of projecting strength onto the global level for China, which competed with America, and for India, who rivaled China.
Both don’t seem to be prepared for the possibility that, in the event of a protracted regional war, they might have to do more than just provide political words. Superpower-aspiring nations may stay on the periphery.
The copyright-holding Syndication Bureau, & nbsp, provided this article.
Faisal Al Yafai is a frequent commentator on international TV news networks and is currently working on henchmen on the & nbsp, Middle & ndsb, and East & NBP.
He has covered the nbsp, Middle & Nb, East, NB, Eastern, North, South, Europe, Asia, and North Africa for media organizations like The Guardian and the BBC. & nbsp, @ FaisalAlYafai on Twitter
Woman seen in viral videos arguing with police at hospital charged with multiple offences
SINGAPORE: On Friday, October 13, a woman who had allegedly filmed herself arguing with police officers in two popular videos was charged with several offenses, including abuse and the alleged use of harsh language on an employee. Han Feizi, 29, who is on trial, appeared in court via video link.Continue Reading
Police to join illicit meat crackdowns
PUBLISHED: 10:02 on October 13, 2023.
After one of its auditors was shot dead and another was hurt during a raid in Phetchabun, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry announced that it would work with the authorities to crack down on illegal meat merchants and reduce procedures to prevent fatalities.
The death of a Phetchabun Provincial Livestock Office national on Wednesday, according to Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thamanat Prompow, is concerning, and the believe may be punished.
” Capt. Thamanat said,” I would like to express my condolences to the family of the late livestock official, whom I heard was a head of inspection unit.” The director-general of the ministry will set up payment for the victim’s household, starting at 100,000 baht.
The injured formal may also receive assistance, he continued.
He claimed that the affair won’t cause Thailand’s meat warehouse inspections to be slowed down.
Thamanat: The firing was concerning.
He claimed that with the full support of the local police, he had mandated that all municipal livestock offices evaluate meat warehouses.
” Some of the leads I’ve received suggest that[ illegal meat wholesalers ] have threatened officials along the Thai border, particularly in the Mae Sot district of Tak ,” he said.
He continued by saying that the agency’s crackdown on smuggled frozen meat may have led to the firing of the cattle officials.
According to him, in Chon Buri on September 29, on four tonnes of unlawful meat that had been seized from 161 shipping vessels were destroyed.
About 800 – 1 000 kilograms of unlawful meat were reportedly discovered at a frozen foods inventory in tambon Chang Talut in Phetchabun’s Lom Sak district on Wednesday.
Anusorn, the owner, apparently was unable to provide the authorities with evidence of the purchase of livestock.
Mr. Anusorn allegedly opened fire on them while officials were imposing a 20, 000 good for possessing illegal flesh. At the field, one national passed away, and another was taken to the hospital.
According to Phetchabun police chief Pol Maj Gen Thadech Klomkliang, Mr. Anusorn admitted to shooting the two stock authorities. According to him, the suspect has been charged with murdering an established, attempted murder, and improper gun ownership.
TikTok to take proactive steps to address issues in Malaysia
Short video game TikTok is committed to taking proactive steps to address issues brought up by Malaysia, a voice stated after the country’s government claimed the software was never fully compliant with local laws. A company director stated in an internet on Thursday, October 12, that” TikTok respects local lawsContinue Reading
North Korea denies its weapons used by Hamas against Israel
SEOUL: North Korea denied on Friday( Oct 13) that Hamas used its arms in the attack on Israel, claiming that Washington was trying to shift the blame for the fight away from itself and toward a second nation. Military experts told Radio Free Asia this week that Hamas militants mightContinue Reading
Taiwan minister says TSMC has received China chip waiver extension from US
Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC has been granted a waiver extension by the US to provide US chip equipment to its Chinese factories, according to Taiwan Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua on Friday( Oct 13 ). The Biden administration released a comprehensive set of export restrictions in October, including restricting China’s access toContinue Reading