Loei’s cable car project put on hold over environment concerns
According to Patcharawat Wongsuwan, secretary of natural resources and culture, the Phu Kradueng wire car task has been shelved due to worries about how it will affect the environment.
Pol Gen Patcharawat claimed that the government refused to approve the finances required to fund the new style of the eagerly anticipated wire car at the well-liked tourist destination in Loei yesterday at a smart cabinet meeting in Nong Bua Lamphu.
Since the project’s original environmental impact assessment ( EIA ) was completed more than 20 years ago, the relevant agencies are unable to conduct another one without a new design.
Jatuporn Buruspat, the agency’s lasting secretary, has been told to speak with the appropriate agencies before approving the request, according to Pol Gen Patcharawat.
Puangpet Chunlaiad, the chancellor of the PM’s Office, stated just before the meeting that the municipal authorities of Loei had requested 28 million baht from the cabinet in order to get the project started. The project was initially approved more than twenty years ago.
Before the cabinet can reconsider it, the new EIA will be sent to the Ministry of Sports and Tourism for review by the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration ( Dasta ), she said.
As a previous Loei MP, Ms. Puangpet continued,” I want to see the cable car built so that visitors can get Phu Kradueng and take in the sights from the bottom all year long.”
20 or 30 years back, the project’s initial approval was given, but it has never been carried out. For the benefit of the people of Loei, I want this job to be a success, Ms. Puangpet said.
According to Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, the appropriate authorities are still coming up with ideas to make the Phu Kradueng wire vehicle project a reality.
There are worries about the site’s effects on the environment, he said, so careful consideration is required.
Dasta requested permission from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation to survey the area for the cord car job, according to Attapapol Charoenchansa, the department’s acting captain.
Dasta has until September 30th, 2025, to finish the survey in accordance with the current requirements.
However, Dasta director Athikun Kongmee stated that the organization hopes to finish and deliver the project’s EIA to the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning ( Onep) by the following year, speaking shortly after the government rejected the funding request.
However, Ornyupa Sangkamarn, the Seub Nakhasathien Foundation’s secretary general, expressed worries about the effect the cord car would have on the natural diversity of the mountain.
She claimed that the cable car will draw more people to the area, which may harm the castle’s biodiversity.
The Phu Kradueng area shop operator association’s chairman, Sutham Thammachart, stated that he wholeheartedly supported the wire car project, which would significantly increase the tourism sector in the province.
Several parties ‘unhappy’ with MFP amnesty bill
PUBLISHED: 4:00 on December 5, 2023.
According to Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, an amnesty bill proposed by the main opposition Move Forward Party ( MFP ) has encountered opposition from a number of other parties due to its inclusion of lese majeste offenses.
While some parities support the amnesty bill’s objectives, he claimed, each harbors its own reservations about particular provisions, especially the suggested pardoning of those accused of or found guilty of lese majeste. The MFP’s parole request has divided public opinion, according to Mr. Phumtham, a senior member of the ruling Pheu Thai Party who also serves as commerce secretary. If the disagreements can be resolved and the expenses does not further enrage the public, the party is willing to lend its support.
According to Cholnan Srikaew, the administrative board of Pheu Thai and the legal team had weigh whether the party or the government should propose its own asylum legislation.
Dr. Cholnan, a former Pheu Thai head, responded that the party has not yet discussed the rumors in the media claiming the secretary-general of the country may consider the group’s own version. He added that particular agreements might need to be made in order for the proposed amnesty to receive support from all parties.
Varawut Silpa-archa, the president of the Chartthaipattana Party, declared that his party opposes issuing asylum to those accused of or found guilty of lese majeste or other serious offenses that could harm the country.
While noting that fraud cases over the past 20 years have had nothing to do with promoting social peace, Mr. Varawut, the Minister of Social Development and Human Security, stated that he has not yet studied the specifics of the MFP’s asylum costs.
Director of the Chartthaipattana Party Nikorn Chamnong said he supports the government’s plan for its own amnesty bill but emphasized that any plan may eliminate lese qualifications and serious crimes.
A different asylum plan was welcomed by MFP MP Parit Wacharasindhu, who claimed that it would enable the House to hold a more in-depth discussion.
When questioned about the group’s input-gathering battle, he responded that the MFP wants to involve all related parties, especially the state, in the issue in order to get the needed support from government MPs to pass the bill into law.
On October 5, the House Speaker received the MFP-proposed expenses. The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, the Women’s Democratic Reform Committee, and other organizations are likely to gain from the asylum request.
Raimondo calls out Nvidia for China shipments
United States Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo has criticized Nvidia Corp., the largest producer of artificial intelligence ( AI ) chips in the world, for its plans to introduce downgraded products for China in an effort to circumvent US chip export restrictions.  ,
Raimondo told an audience at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California on December 2 that” China wakes up trying to figure out how to accomplish an end run around our trade settings… which means every second of every day, we have to wake up tightening those settings and being more severe about police with our friends.”
She warned Nvidia, which had attempted to deliver the A800 and H800 chips to China after the US outlawed the export of the faster A100and H100 chips in October 2022, that she would take control of a device the very next day if it was redesigned to have an AI-enabled cut line.  ,
She claimed that in order to improve the enforcement of the US’s device export controls, her division needs additional resources in addition to the latest US$ 200 million budget. China is” the biggest risk we’ve always had,” she emphasized, while” China is no our friend.”
State advertising in China criticized Raimondo for her remarks. They claimed that the US’s desire to do business with China and its perception of the nation as a menace rather than ally or companion are incompatible.
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According to a Beijing-based columnist using the pen name” Haishangke” in an article published on Monday, Raimondo stated at the Reagan National Defense Forum that the US wants to further develop business relations with China while also stressing that China is not the United States ‘ friend. ” In order to get the US Congress to give her a larger budget, she promoted the device trade controls against China.”
She” confirmed the creation of a China-US working group on the lieutenant governmental level and agreed to allow business members to participate in it when Raimondo visited China in August.” Is n’t there a close trade relationship between the two nations? Says Haishangke. Why does n’t China support the US? Is China the US’s foe or possible foe?
He claims that the US has never given much thought to the errors it has made in Sino-US trade. ” It has shifted its commitments to China but has not proposed any sensible measures to improve the diplomatic relations between the two countries.”
He claims that the US is concerned as China approaches it in terms of overall regional power, including economy. According to him, Beijing will keep expanding its AI businesses until they are sufficiently large one time for the US to no longer be able to resist.
Do business with everyone, please.
The US loosened trade restrictions in October 2022 to forbid the sale of Nvidia’s A100 and H100 cards to China. In order to satisfy the demand from China, Nvidia next unveiled the A800 and H800 cards.  ,
Chinese internet tycoons Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, and TikTok owner ByteDance reportedly ordered 100,000 A800 processors and other graphics processing units ( GPUs ) from Nvidia for US$ 5 billion in August of this year.
However, due to the US’s stricter import restrictions on October 17, Nvidia was unable to continue shipping its A800, H800s, L40S, and RTX 4090 chips to China. For China’s marketplaces, the corporation attempted to introduce the H20 cards, a slower version of H100, but it later postponed the release until the first third of 2024.
At an event in New York, Nvidia’s Chief Executive Jensen Huang stated to the media,” We’re a company that was built for business, so we try to do business with everyone we can.” ” On the other hand, our federal profitability and safety are important.
Huang claimed that the Biden administration’s attempt to cut off China from the US chip offer was a crucial one for the safety of the United States.  ,
A” complete freedom of the supply chain is not really useful factor for a decade or two,” he continued.
He claimed that although China does not have access to the most cutting-edge Nvidia chips, the nation can also find a way to acquire it or find home chipmakers, such as Huawei Technologies, to match it.
collaborate with friends
At the Reagan National Defense Forum on Saturday, Raimondo reminded a crowd that it’s critical to safeguard the country ‘ armed forces’ national security.
I am aware that some of the CEOs of device companies in this crowd were irritated with me when I said that because you were losing money. Because of the way living is, protecting our national safety is more important than making quick money, she said.
” Republic benefits your firms.” Legislation is good for your businesses both locally and globally, she said.
She stated that the US will utilize its import restrictions on chips in collaboration with its supporters, including Japan, the Netherlands, and Europe.
The China Society for World Trade Organization Studies ‘ vice president, Huo Jianguo, stated that it is difficult for the US to persuade other nations to impose its device restrictions on China. He claimed that in order to implement its chip export controls, the US will have to pay higher prices.  ,
According to Zhou Mi, a scientist at the Chinese Ministry of Commerce,” the ongoing conflict between US federal agencies and businesses demonstrates that unnatural trade controls are against the regulations of the business.”
According to Zhou,” US high tech firms are well aware that losing the chance to expand their businesses in China will hurt their profits and future growth, and that their technological progress may be hampered by the United States ‘ self-imposed restrictions.”
Due to the high demand for its items worldwide, Nvidia has not yet experienced any negative effects. The company’s profit increased by 206 % year over year in the quarter ending October 29, and its gross income rose to US$ 9.24 billion from US$ 680 million.
Read: China will use localized chips to satisfy AI market demand.
At , @jeffpao3 is Jeff Pao’s Twitter account.
Cyclone Michaung: Heavy rains batter India’s southern coast
ReutersIndia’s southern coastline has been battered by heavy rains and strong winds from a serious tectonic storm, and there have been reports of some fatalities.
In the states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, thousands of residents of low-lying regions have been evicted.
The town of Chennai has experienced flooding in some residential areas, with cars being swept away and trees being uprooted.
One of India’s busiest airports, Chennai, ceased functions on Monday.
According to the Reuters news company, two people were killed in Chengalpattu when a roof collapsed due to rain.
With wind speeds of up to 110 km/h (68 mph ), Cyclone Michaung is anticipated to land on Tuesday morning in Andhra Pradesh between Nellore and Machilipatnam.
Pieces of the claims of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, as well as schools, have received a red notice from weather officials. In at least four regions, institutions and lenders have closed on Monday and will do so again on Tuesday.
Factory closures in and around Chennai, a significant electronics and developing hub, including iPhone production facilities, according to Reuters.
Over the past 24 hours, very heavy rain has fallen in northern Tamil Nadu, Rayalaseema, and Andhra Pradesh. Rain and wind instructions have been issued for some of those three states as well as Telangana and Odisha.
People in southern Andhra Pradesh, north Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry should stay inside, according to a warning from India’s weather department.
Additionally, it stated that significant housing harm was anticipated in the area and issued a warning to fishermen not to venture out to sea in several southern areas.
Additionally, the Bay of Bengal has received a storm caution in some areas.
Over the next 24 hours, it’s likely that more than 20 centimeters ( eight inches ) of rain will fall in some areas of Andhra Pradesh.
Perungudi recorded the heaviest snowfall of 29 cm, while some locations in Chennai have recorded up to 25 cm of rain in the previous 24 hours.
According to Reuters, nearly 7, 000 persons have been evacuated from the state’s southern regions, and an extra 21, 000 may do so depending on the way and intensity of the storm.
For Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, West Uttar Pradesh, and East Rajasthan, a warning for thick clouds has also been issued.
By Wednesday night, the worst of the wind is anticipated to be over.
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US warship shoots drones after Houthi attack on commercial vessels
‘ENABLED BY IRAN’ “We also have every reason to believe that these attacks, while launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran. The United States will consider all appropriate responses in full coordination with its international allies and partners,” it said. The Houthis claimed responsibility for attacksContinue Reading
6 more Thai hostages back home from Gaza: foreign ministry
PUBLISHED: 21:45 on December 4, 2023.
The Foreign Ministry announced on Monday that a second class of Thai victims had been returned home after being freed by Hamas insurgents in the Gaza Strip.
At Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, people of the six farm workers rushed to embrace their loved ones.
Owat Suriyasri, 40, expressed his gratitude to the Thai and Israeli governments, saying,” I’m glad to be back.”
According to the Labour Ministry, one of the returnees suffered abdominal injury while being held by Hamas.
About 30,000 Thai laborers, mostly from the remote north, worked in Israel’s agriculture industry prior to the war, making them one of the largest migratory worker groups in the nation.
To give cash back to their families, some of whom are the only providers, many people traveled to Israel in search of higher pay. There have been 9, 000 Thai repatriations thus much.
According to the government, during the assault on Israel on October 7, Hamas attackers killed 39 Thais and kidnapped 32 Thai laborers. In the assault, over 1, 200 people were killed, and more than 240 were taken hostage.
Next year, the first group of 17 Thai captives returned, leaving nine still in prison.
Tourist dies hours after completing 233m bungee jump from Macau Tower: Report
According to local media reports, a 56-year-old Japanese tourist passed away hours after successfully bungee jumping from Macau Tower on Sunday ( Dec 3 ).  ,
The man felt out of breath after completing the 233m leap at about 4.30 pm, according to Hong Kong information website HK01.
When the man stopped breathing, he was taken to , Conde S Januario Hospital despite having no obvious accidents. He was afterward declared to be useless.  ,
Kyle Hackett oversees Skypark, the well-liked interest at Macau Tower. The service is referred to as the highest professional bungee jump in the world on the Skypark site.  ,
Each jump costs 2,888 Macanese Pataca ( US$ 359 ) for each participant.  ,
In addition to bungee jumping, AJ Hackett also runs the Skywalk on a system around the castle and the 338-meter climb to the top of the mast.  ,
Potential participants are advised to share their pertinent medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, epilepsy, neurological disorders, pneumonia, and physical impairments, on their website, according to Skypark by AJ Hackett.  ,
Individuals must sign a liability waiver form informing them of the dangers associated with the engagement, according to its listing on the go and services booking website Klook. A parent or legal guardian had warning the waiver form on the participant’s behalf if they are a minor.  ,
Additionally, the task is not advised for individuals with specific health conditions like high blood pressure or epilepsy.  ,
For more details, CNA has gotten in touch with the facility’s manager, AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand.  ,
2 cats in a flat? Welfare groups cheer AVS move but call for enforced sterilisation, ‘responsible’ ownership
Some people brought up potential hostilities between neighbors.
According to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ( SPCA ), common complaints from cat owners ‘ neighbors include hoarding cats that causes unpleasant odors, clogging the hallway with litter boxes, food bowls and water, and allowing cats to roam outside.
Members of the public may be inconvenienced if animals urinate or defecate randomly outside, according to Ms. Aarthi Sankar, executive director of SPCA. Cat cages can even occupy space in common hallways and, if kept for an extended period of time, can occasionally become a security issue.
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There were calling for sterilization to been made mandatory among those who support the proposal as well.
Since we have long supported kitty ownership in HDB flats and more stringent rules, the SPCA “welcomes the request,” according to Ms. Sankar.
To prevent accidental breeding, she continued,” We also urge the authorities to consider mandating sterilisation for all pet cats ( regardless of the number ).
According to her, sterilization can improve overall animal health and address behavioral issues like caterwauling.
On Saturday, AVS declared that it would clearly promote cat sterilization. If the pet is sterilised, cat licenses may have lifetime validity, and those that are not will only have a limited amount of validity.
The Cat Welfare Society ( CWS ) president, Ms. Thenuga Vijakumar, referred to the proposal’s “glaring lacuna” as the absence of mandatory sterilization.
The “best practice” is to ensure that all pet cats are sterilized unless there is a vet-certified reason never to, she said, adding that even one cat may cause possible noise or wandering and marking complaints when it gets hot.
She claimed that the world supports the need for licensing requirements and was encouraged to learn that AVS is considering lifting the ban on animals in HDB flats.
Interpretation Problems
Both the CWS and the SPCA stated that owners of cats with more than two animals need to communicate clearly.
Mr. Tan announced the proposed system and stated that owners of multiple cats may qualify for licenses to retain all of their current animals, content to AVS’s approval and welfare checks.
The public’s misinterpretation of the proposed level, according to Ms. Vijakumar, is the biggest issue that may develop even today.
She continued,” Those who have more than two animals may leave or “recklessly give their cat away” if that occurs.
Most cat users have one to three cats, according to CWS research from the last two years.
Bodies found in wreck of US military aircraft near Japan
ReutersFive bodies have been discovered in the wreckage of a US martial plane that crashed last year close to Yakushima area by American and Asian research teams.
Eight people were aboard the CV-22 Osprey cross plane when it crashed last month. Prior to that, only one had been discovered.
Five bodies were discovered on Monday, and two of them have been found.
Tokyo requested that the US ground its Osprey flights in the nation in response to the accident.
The Osprey was traveling toward Kadena Air Base in Okinawa at the time of the fall from a US Marine Corps air center in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Before crashing abroad, it demanded an incident getting on Yukushima Island.
Eventually, witness claimed that the plane flipped over and caught fire before colliding. Uncertainty still surrounds the incident’s origin.
When their exterior boats and dive teams were able to trace remains, along with the primary aircraft of the airplane aircraft, US Air Force Special Operations Command claimed in a statement on Monday.
The statement continued,” Efforts to recover the remaining staff members from the wreckage continue.” They have not yet been named.
Just days after the accident, the initial victim’s body was found.
He was assigned to Yokota Air Base in Japan as Staff Sgt. Jake Galliher, a 24 year-old tribal of Massachusetts, by the Air Force.
Ospreys, which were first introduced in 2007, can be used as both helicopters and aircraft planes.
A unique Osprey type crashed during a martial training in Australia in August, killing three US Marines and injuring 20 people.
Five Marines were killed in another accident involving an Osprey in the California desert next month.
Ospreys was merely operated by Japan, which last year briefly grounded its own fleet of aircraft.
Additionally, it requested that the US ground its 30 Osprey aircraft stationed in Japan until further checks may be done to ensure their security.
Japan will generally be barred from the crash investigation as part of a Japan-US military agreement.
Japan was incensed by this principle and the US’s refusal to soil its fleet.
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Why are leaders still flying to climate summits by private jet?
At the most recent UN climate summit in Dubai, COP28, more than 70 000 members from nearly 200 nations include Raji Sunak, David Cameron, and King Charles. However, they are just a few of the thousands who will have flown that on their own. The British monarch, foreign secretary, and prime minister actually took three different planes to their destinations.
Around 315 private jet flights were made at COP27 in Egypt last season. This is a remarkable data, especially given that fewer earth leaders attended the COP because some were preoccupied with Bali’s G20 summit.
To calculate the carbon footprints of traveling to this year’s meeting, COP28 in Dubai, for various modes of transportation, including private jets, we assembled a group of scientific experts. In the end, we want to give participants the tools they need to choose climate-conscious go.
In order to discourage participants from using private jet unless absolutely necessary for safety, we furthermore compared the carbon footprints of the previous three Officers to help determine where the conferences might be held.
Although we do n’t yet have complete data, the use of private jets last year—and probably this year as well—indicates that this is becoming the new norm and has progressed beyond just the most important world leaders.
carbon footprints of various modes of transportation
According to pollution from burning jet energy and because mist routes help produce high-altitude clouds that trap more heat in the atmosphere, flying is already one of the most carbon-intensive modes of transportation. Additionally, decarbonization is particularly challenging because we cannot just use electric planes in their place.
Personal jet travel is the most damaging function of all because it uses a lot of fuel while transporting some people. According to French scholar Thomas Piketty, if we are to combat climate change, we must address them because they serve as an illustration of school inequality.
Their usage by well-known individuals blatantly undermines the purpose of a climate conference and exemplifies the lack of commitment to sustainable practices as well as the disconnect between economic concerns and individual behavior.
This runs the risk of forming and influencing public opinion. According to earlier studies, people are less likely to get climate action seriously if they believe their leaders are failing to contribute.
Prior to the formal peer review, we looked at the use of private jets for the COP27 in Egypt ( our findings are available as a preprint ). The majority of private flights were short-haul, frequently lasting only an hour between the capital city of Cairo and the seminar location in Sharm El-Sheikh. As takeoff and landing consume more energy than cruising, planes are even less effective over shorter distances.
Therefore, avoiding small airlines and private aircraft is essential. In light of this, we looked into a variety of vacation choices for individuals from the UK, where we are based, to travel to COP28 in Dubai.
Even after taking into account a flight from Istanbul because you ca n’t travel the entire distance to Dubai by train or coach, private jet travel pollutes the area 11 times more than commercial aircraft, 35 times worse than train, and 52 times the amount of coach travel. For those traveling from the UK, this year’s pollutants may be higher due to the longer trip to Dubai than Egypt.
Transport from London to COP28 carbon intensity ( grams of CO2equivalent ):
The UNFCCC, the UN system that chooses where Criminal meetings will take place, may bear some of the blame for flight emissions. Conflict zones surround Dubai, making flying that necessary because they obstruct area pathways from Europe, Asia, and Africa.
While the majority of delegates will want to travel sustainably, their choices will depend on the availability of other modes of transportation, such as healthy land routes, and, for those traveling farther away, at the very least, the ability to fly directly to reduce their carbon emissions.
In this regard, Dubai is a wise choice because it has many direct flights and there is less need for following or internal flights due to its proximity to major airline hubs.
Our study emphasizes the necessity of properly weighing the effects of traveling to COP meetings on the carbon footprint. In the end, decision-makers may need to choose the spots of climate change conferences that will help reduce the carbon footprint of the attendees.
But, personal aircraft are still not advised. They have a much larger carbon footprint than other modes of transportation, worsen current weather agreements inequalities, and mislead the earth.
Professor Priti Parikh is Professor of Infrastructure Engineering and International Development at UCL, Carole Roberts is Researcher at Carbon Footprint of Transport, Mark Maslin teaches Natural Sciences there, and Prof.
Under a Creative Commons license, this post has been republished from The Conversation. read the article in its entirety.