Forest loss from rubber ‘greatly exceeds’ estimates

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Worries about the sustainability of agricultural goods in Southeast Asia are raised by a new study.

PUBLISHED: 19 October 2023 at 15: 37

Forest loss from rubber ‘greatly exceeds’ estimates
A nearby farmer in Phuket gets ready to click a rubber tree. Achadtaya Chuenniran is shown in the picture.

According to a recent research study, forest loss caused by plastic production in Southeast Asia may be two to three times greater than previously thought, highlighting the difficulties importers are facing as they struggle to find responsible supplies.

An international team of researchers warned that rising global rubber demand is putting pressure on natural forests and causing biodiversity loss, with Southeast Asia, which accounts for 90 % of global production, bearing the brunt.

In a report that was published in the medical journal Nature, the researchers claimed that, in comparison to goods like soy and palm oil, earlier data suggested that rubber was an insignificant problem when it came to deforestation.

However, high-resolution satellite data suggested that forest losses” significantly exceed” earlier estimates, which helped determine more estates run by smallholders.

Since 1993, plastic crops have destroyed more than 4 million acres of woodland, with Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia accounting for two-thirds.

More than 14 million acres of the region’s area, including the two major rubber-producing provinces in China, Yunnan and Hainan, are devoted to plastic, away from 10 million in 2020.

With some plantations built during a plastic boom 20 years ago now being put to other uses after an economic downturn in 2011, full losses may be even higher.

At the end of the following year, a law will go into effect in the European Union to forbid product importers from purchasing goods that cause forest loss.

The law was initially only applicable to soybean, beef, palm oil, lumber, coconut, and coffee; rubber was later added at the EU lawmakers’ request in December.

Manufacturers had provide documentation demonstrating that their goods do not originate from land that has been deforested after 2020 in order to avoid fines.

According to Antje Ahrends of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and the study’s lead author, the laws may encourage consumers to purchase plastic from large suppliers with simpler supply stores.

It is challenging for traders and manufacturers to find precise plastic purchasing areas and to confirm that no forest has occurred due to the numerous stages in the plastic supply range and the dispersed nature of plastic manufacturing, she said.

According to her, groups like the Forest Stewardship Council are working to increase traceability for smallholders— who account for 85 % of the world’s production — and make sure their rubber can be sold in Europe. & nbsp,

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Japan’s railgun ready to fire at China’s hypersonic threat

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A Warzone record indicates that Japan has successfully tested a medium-caliber marine electric railgun via an onshore platform, indicating the potential for high-tech change of Tokyo’s defensive posture.

The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force( JMSDF) collaborated with the country’s Acquisition Technology & amp, Logistics Agency( ATLA ), a division of the Ministry of Defense( MOD ), for the test.

The rocket can be seen firing projectiles from a variety of angles in movie footage that was captured during ATLA’s testing. In contrast to the chemical propellants used by conventional guns, a railgun uses magnetic energy to accelerate projectiles at speeds that could reach supersonic speeds. According to reports, Japan would use the weapons both at sea and on land.

According to the Warzone report, the medium-sized electric rocket mockup from ATLA can fire 40 mm steel projectiles weighing 320 grams each. According to the statement, ATLA plans to finally run its weapons on 20 megajoules( MJ ) of charge power.

When they are ready for deployment, it is unknown which ships Japan might eventually install coming railguns on.

However, according to the Warzone report, Japan has recently suggested the possibility of mounting them on some of its JMSDF ships. According to the review, they could also be mounted onto Japan’s in-development versatile missile defence vessels.

Given the expanding threats Japan faces in the Indo-Pacific, including China and North Korea’s expanding weapon and fast weapon arsenals, the successful development of railguns is more important than ever.

In the area, there is a rocket competition. China may have been testing the tech since 2018, according to reports. Its ship-mounted rocket appears to have been mounted on a Type – 072 getting ship that has been modified to house the heavy electronics of the weapon.

a Chinese rocket design. Ministry of Defense of Japan

Japan is currently working on different high-tech arms projects. Japan’s MOD has announced research and development programs for potential marine methods, particularly those related to the marine area, according to Naval News this month.

These include Combat Support Multipurpose Unmanned Surface Vessels ( USV ), unmanned amphibious assault vehicles( AAV ), anti-torpedo torpedoids( ATT ), and combat management systems, according to Naval News.

Combat Support Multipurpose USVs, according to Naval News, are sizable, robotic area arteries that can be operated remotely or independently from a land-based control center. According to the mission, they want to remove loads like sensors, anti-ship missiles, and torpedoes so they can avoid enemy threats by submerging themselves.

According to the report, unmanned amphibious vehicles are made to protect beachheads before manned aerial vehicles( AAVs ). It states that in order to compact the chassis and open up indoor space, they may overcome reefs using strong propulsion and use electrical power-assist technology.

According to Naval News, the JMSDF is attempting to increase its capacity to mitigate high-performance missiles launched by enemy submarines. The goal of the system is to enhance Type 12 torpedoes’ ability and the radar of destroyers outfitted with them to early-stage enemy detection.

Japan is working with the US to develop the Glide Phase Interceptor( GPI ) and a domestically produced system for future destroyers in order to counter hypersonic threats. A new multi-band radar will be created as part of the program to detect high-speed, highly maneuverable, small targets along with a new Combat Management System( CMS ) for destroyers.

According to Naval News, Japan is also working on the so-called New Ship-to-Air Missile ( N-SAM ), which will be used to combat hypersonic glide vehicles( HGVs ). The New Ship to Air Missile ( N – SAM ), which the JMSDF recently acquired as part of the 2024 fiscal year defense budget, will serve as the foundation for the N-SAM.

Through improved fire control systems( FCS ) installed abroad destroyers, the N-SAM will be better able to detect, track, and engage HGVs that fly at high altitudes, speeds, or irregular trajectories. According to Naval News, these different pieces of HGV-countering products will be retrofitted on existing ships and installed on new ships that are scheduled to become built in 2031.

The success of Japan’s rocket project may have been greatly influenced by its bond with the US. Stew Magnuson claims that Japan has sought to collaborate with the US on a rocket program aimed at destroying fast arms in an article published in April 2023 for National Defense Magazine.

Magnuson mentions that despite the US Navy abandoning the systems in 2021 after 15 years of research and US$ 500 million spent to create a rocket for its ships, Japan has sought to collaborate with it.

Magnuson points out that Japan Steel Works is the main company for the program in Tokyo. He mentions that General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems, an American security firm, has collaborated with Japan’s ATLA and Japan Steel Works to explain its rocket system.

Magnuson also discusses the difficulties in using ship-based railguns to combat fast weapons, including their high energy needs and potential for heat. He contends that a land-based type might be able to assist with those problems.

In general, the US-Japan rocket alliance does provide a means of integrating Japan into the tech-focused US security architecture of the Pacific. It would be difficult for Japan to join the high-tech AUKUS bond, which is made up of the US, UK, and Australia, due to speech, society, political and historical variations.

Japan would also be unable to take part in AUKUS ‘ nuclear submarine programme, a crucial part of the alliance, due to its misgivings about the military use of nuclear technologies.

However, the introduction of Combat Support Multipurpose USVs and autonomous AAVs along with long-range counterstrike features may indicate a shift from Japan’s standard defense to an expeditionary-oriented unpleasant position.

Robotic send systems integrated into the JMSDF’s ship, according to Takashi Morimoto in a US Naval Institute post from February 2023, did maintain operational capabilities in the Sea of Japan and help close the gap left by redeploying some of the fleet to Okinawa.

Morimoto adds that the Japan Self-Defense Forces ( JSDF ) need to develop a more cooperative mindset, improve their expeditionary capabilities, and overcome distance limitations.

Unmanned AAVs can help shipping activities like transporting personnel and materials while minimizing fatalities as advance components of an amphibious landing operation to recapture distant islands, according to Jr. Ng in an article published in Asian Military Review in January 2023.

However, Japan still faces significant proper, functional, and tactical obstacles as it reorients toward expeditionary warfare capabilities.

On board the JS Izumo marine ship, Chinese navy officers stroll along the flight deck. Asia Times Files / AFP image

While a sizable portion of Japan’s protection development efforts are focused on the development of amphibious war capabilities, according to Benjamin Schreer in an article published in October 2020 for War on The Rocks, China has an improved ability to target large amputeous ships and support components.

According to Schreer, a risky, possible out-of-date defense tactic used by Japan to thwart China’s expanding and increasingly sophisticated military power is still in place.

Schreer advises Japan to switch from an” active rejection” defense strategy to an amphibious warfare approach centered on big, vulnerable landing ships geared to recapture contested islands.

Instead of looking for its quick, early defeat in the inner anti-access / area denial( A2 / AD ) ring, he writes that strategy should aim to develop a more resilient Japanese capability to thwart Chinese power projection over the course of an extended campaign.

In accordance with a broader definition of” island defense ,” he proposes that Japan’s amphibious forces consider themselves to be elite commando units or” marine raiders” tasked with carrying out other types of amphia missions.

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Widodo dynasty taking controversial form in Indonesia

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JAKARTA- & nbsp, Indonesia’s Constitutional Court has made it possible for Prabowo Subianto, the front-runner in the February 14 presidential vote, to have his 36-year-old boy, Solo Town Mayor Gibran Rakabuming, as his working mate. However, neither has stated whether they will adhere to the court’s ruling and nbsp, to work together.

The highest court in the nation rejected one petition that called for lowering the age of political and vice-presidential candidates from 40 to 35, but it ruled in favor of another that would allow them to run for the same positions regardless of age if they had run in a local election.

Legitimate researchers claim that the court was right to reject three requests to lower the time restriction, claiming that lawmakers in the People’s Consultative Assembly, the highest legislative system of the nation, should give it some thought. & nbsp,

The 5 – 4 decision on the individual request is widely regarded as an effort to maintain Widdo’s dynasty, a phenomenon that has only recently begun to take hold in Indonesia, and to increase his influence beyond the end of his presidency in October of next year, when he is anticipated to resume his role as the head of an influential political party.

Anwar Usman, 66, the general justice of the Constitutional Court, who expressed his private opinions on the matter in an earlier common speech by noting that the Prophet Muhammad appointed a 16-year-old boy as his military commander, did not sit well with many reviewers.

At a conference where Usman was not present, one of the nine judges, Saldi Asra, asserted that the initial decision to drop the situation had been made by the other eight. However, the majority of the chair members changed their minds when Usman was current at a minute session.

The case has sparked enraged censure in polite society, endangering Widoo’s reputation and legacy and leaving the court vulnerable to claims that the decision was made with just one family in mind.

According to an editorial published in The Jakarta Post,” politics operates under the presumption that everyone follows the same game rules and has equal access to all sources.” ” The judge’s decision will put a long shadow over Indian democracy in addition to casting doubt on the legitimacy of the election the following year.”

Gibran Rakabuming, the son of President Joko Widoo, makes a place on the speaker. Screengrab / Instagram photo

Prabowo may be able to comprehend the rising tide of hate over the court ruling in addition to being well informed of Widodok’s enduring popularity and the importance of his support. Candidates’ week-long registration period officially kicks off today, October 19( nbsp ).

If Gibran does join Prabowo, it will start a public feud between Widodu and the Struggle, the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party( PDI-P ), of which he continues to hold office. Megawati Sukarnoputri is the party’s leader and has consistently demanded fealty from the president.

Having once been hailed as the” common man president ,” Widobo has evolved into a chilly, calculating politician who is dissatisfied with the way the Covid-19 pandemic robbed him of two years of his ten-year presidency and left his supporters trying in vain to extend his second term.

Goenawan Mohamad, an essayist and former Tempo magazine editor who was once a fervent supporter of Widoo — whom he once called Indonesia’s best president — fears that history is repeating itself.

He draws attention to the fact that, like autocratic tyrant Suharto, Widoo has fallen victim to an obsession to praise and idolatry. ” He no longer can get criticized, and he does not heed wise counsel, such as to delay the construction of a new federal capital.”

And finally, as I have gradually learned, President Jokowi ( Widoho’s nickname ) & nbsp is doing what Suharto did: treating his children with special consideration.

possibly with a minor distinction. While Suharto’s children, the former dictator & nbsp, amassed wealth through lucrative contracts, Widdo is thought to be creating a political dynasty in the Philippine style in which he will continue to have an active behind-the-scenes influence.

Past Central Java government Ganjar Pranowo, a candidate for president of the PDI-P, is now actually paired with political coordinating secretary Mohammad Mahfud Mahmodin. The move will also probably cause open conflict between Widdo and Megawati.

The smallest Indonesian Solidarity Party( PSI ), one of the petitioners in the Constitutional Court, which will contest the February’s simultaneous legislative election, was led by Widodok ‘ youngest son Kaesaeng Pangarep, 28, days before the court issued its & nbsp decision.

Kaesaeng, a PDI-P official like his father and brother, was the first part of the Widodou family to explicitly defect from the ruling party. In more recent times, & nbsp, the vast volunteer network of Widoho known as Projo, has formally thrown its backing behind Prabowo.

Prabowo Subianto, the defence minister of Indonesia, hopes that his next attempt at the presidency in 2024 will be successful. Asia Times Files, AFP, and Adek Berry

That also leaves the president to take what would be a turning point in Indian politics after months of being on the outside and insisting on staying out of the political culture. & nbsp,

Anies Baswedan, the third-placed opposition candidate, is likely to withdraw from the race in the first round of voting, so Prabowo has a slight advantage over Pranowo in most polls. However, his sizable group of conservative Muslim citizens is expected to lag behind him in July’s next round.

While Prabowo struggles to pick a running mate, PDI-P has beaten its competition by selecting East Java-born Mahfud as its vice-presidential prospect.

Mahfud was actually Widoo’s running mate in 2018, but after his alliance friends rejected him, the leader was forced to switch partners out of concern that he had his own political aspirations.

The leader of his own National Awakening Party( PKB ), Muhaimin Iskander, and Muhammad Romahurmuziy, a senior member of the mass Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama( NU ), which was the most popular vote-getter on Java, the country’s most populous island, were Mahfuds’ two main rivals at the time.

Why then Mahfud then? For starters, the fourth-ranked group has joined Prabowo’s alliance, making his PKB membership useless. Mahfud’s knowledge might be more significant.

In addition to serving as the defence minister in the Abdurarrhman Wahid’s government and a former chief justice of the Constitutional Court, he has also served as Widoho, the second-term president, and frequently astounded onlookers with his revolutionary views.

At the presidential vote the following year, Ganjar Pranowo will fly the PDI-P decision symbol. Instagram picture

Pranowo, who recently retired after serving as governor of Central Java for ten years, is a one-time regional senator with little to no experience in the executive branch. In contrast to Widodok, he is known for consistently deferring to Megawati, even when selecting his running mate.

Widodok does not lend itself to a comparable contrast. As president of his Javan town of Solo, the original equipment manufacturer showed an amazing perspective. After, he earned important points during his two years as governor of bustling Jakarta between 2012 and 2014.

Megawati was forced to belatedly step aside for him as the PDI – P’s & nbsp candidate in the 2014 presidential election because of his unmatched popularity, which reached levels of 4,5, 6, and 5, respectively. Since then, the two have disagreed, in large part because Megawati has consistently insisted that she is the group leader’s better.

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UN inspectors test Fukushima fish

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To confirm Japan’s findings, the IAEA group, which included researchers from China, South Korea, and Canada, was gathering samples of seafood, water,and sediment this week. According to Paul McGinnity, a vision representative, the goal was” to determine whether the Chinese labs are measuring and analysing appropriately” deuterium levels. Tritium isContinue Reading

Despite ambitions, Ankara’s role in Gaza will be limited

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Regional capabilities are concentrating on rescuing human lives and bringing about a peace as tensions rise in and around Gaza and Israel pounds the Hamas enclave as it gets ready to launch an invasion. & nbsp,

The two countries seen as the most probable mediators in a fight that runs the risk of outpacing Hamas are Egypt, with its land borders, and Qatar. Turkey, however, is yet another competitor that must be taken into account.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey and a fervent Hamas champion, has saved the United States his harshest criticism since the problems. He & nbsp has warned that US military operations in the area could result in” serious massacres” in Gaza and continues to advocate for an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital within the 1967 borders.

Ankara has been urged to step inside by foreign officials in turn. Annalena Baerbock, the foreign minister of Germany, urged Turkey to use its diplomatic relations with Hamas to drive for the release of victims, including German citizens. Hakan Fidan, Baerbock’s Greek counterpart, responded by revealing a Turkish peace strategy.

relationships to Hamas

But is Turkey being asked to do more by the West than it can provide? The global community appears ready and willing to accept assistance wherever it may appear, eager for a remedy. However, there are two causes why Ankara is not likely to be that location.

The first is simply that Ankara’s connection with Hamas is very comfortable for some planet leaders to take, despite the fact that it may be helpful in this circumstance. & nbsp,

The second, which is more complex, concerns Turkey’s conflict in northern Syria with the Syrian Democratic Forces ( SDF ), which are dominated by Kurds. & nbsp,

Turkey has not designated Hamas as a criminal organization, in contrast to many Western nations. Ankara, on the other hand, has developed closer relations with the organization over the past ten years.

With Turkey’s approval, Hamas established an company in Istanbul in 2012. Ahmet Davutoglu, the then-foreign chancellor, saw closer ties with Hamas as a means of preserving his influence in the area as the Syrian civil war grew.

This raised questions in Israel, where ties with Ankara had deteriorated following the Gaza fleet assault in May 2010. Nine activists were killed and 10 Jewish soldiers were injured during an Israeli military operation against the Greek send Mavi Marmara, which was attempting to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

When the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs & nbsp published a report in December 2021 accusing Hamas of planning and directing hundreds of terror attacks against Israelis from its Istanbul headquarters, relations were further strained. The report was based on Israeli intelligence.

The Erdogan leadership, however, doubled down and granted citizenship to senior Hamas leaders and workers rather than severing its ties to the organization. & nbsp,

Older political leader Ismail Haniyeh and commander Saleh al-Arouri,” two of the possible masterminds behind the latest attacks ,” are among the top Hamas officials, according to Sinan Ciddi, a Turkey expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington.

After Turkey and Israel resumed full diplomatic ties in August of last year, signs that relations were beginning to strengthen are expected to be derailed by the Hamas harm.

It should come as no surprise that US and Israeli leaders are now urging Turkey to define its stance on Hamas, shut down the organization’s Greek offices, and revoke its leaders’ Turkish passports. Therefore, Erdogan must decide whether he wants to be a mediator or negotiator.

The Shiite query

The next obstacle, Turkey’s ties to the Kurds and the SDF, is even more overwhelming.

Turkey has launched an offensive against the People’s Defense Units( YPG ), primarily Kurdish and nbsp, militant organizations that make up the Western-backed SDF, as long as it has maintained ties to militant Hamas. Due to their affiliation with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party ( PKK ), which runs an armed guerrilla movement inside Turkey, Erdogan has branded the YPG as terrorists. & nbsp,

US President Joe Biden and his team recently launched an executive order to increase the US military’s presence in the region after a strike against the SDF and Turkey drone attack in northern Syria.

Turkey’s conflict with the PKK and, by association, the YPG / SDF has also given Europe geopolitical problems. Sweden, a potential part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, has been charged by Erdogan with housing PKK soldiers. He has obstructed Sweden’s application to join NATO as retribution.

Erdogan’s anti-American speech and Turkish actions are seen by Washington as attempts to drive the US off Palestinian soil. This explains why trust between the two friends is at an all-time low and why Secretary of State Antony Blinken did not visit Turkey during his most recent visit of the Middle East. & nbsp,

President Biden, who arrived in Israel this month, is unlikely to turn to Erdogan in this dire situation in such a poisonous environment. Despite Ankara’s ambitions, Egypt and Qatar will be on the board as Washington looks for a way out of the Gaza crisis.

The copyright-holding Syndication Bureau, & nbsp, provided this article.

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Israel: beyond Hamas

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Despite how terrible it may have been, the new Hamas attack on Israel and the huge intelligence failure it exposed posed no real threat to the State of Israel.

Local strife, on the other hand, that has been building for the past three years and shows no signs of abating, is gradually evolving into an existentialist crises that poses a threat to the very underpinnings of the state as it was established by its founding fathers.

Granted, this was not an overnight process but quite a gradual deterioration that was hampered by an increase in sporadic situations. These gradually merged into a fad that appears to have no way out.

Flight 002 of the Jewish flight El Al, which took off from New York to Tel Aviv on November 19, 2018, was postponed by five days due to bad weather. There was an unexpected noise on board as the plane approached Athens, which is about two days from Tel Aviv.

Some of the customers lost control and demanded that the plane touch down in Athens. They asserted that if it had traveled to Tel Aviv, it would have arrived after the start of the Sabbath, which they found unpleasant. & nbsp,

However, other individuals insisted that the flight go on as scheduled.

The noise quickly intensified to the point where the pilot decided to land in Athens for safety reasons as passengers began noisily taunting one another. That, until the Sabbath was over and the plane was continue its flight, the passengers were housed at El Al’s cost in a hotel.

The struggles of El Al Flight 002 were merely the beginning of a problem that had its roots in 1948 and is now heralding an existential issue that jeopardizes the State of Israel’s continued living in its current form.

The Declaration of Independence

Israel’s The Declaration of Independence was adopted on May 14, 1948, by  a “provisional council” of Palestinian Jews. The council, which included representatives of the full spectrum of Jewish Palestinian society, from ultra-Orthodox to reform Jews to secular liberal socialists, was not one likely to come to a consensus; but a consensus was what David Ben-Gurion, the founding father of Israel, was striving for.  

In order to achieve this, he acceded to the needs of the ultra-Orthodox majority, who demanded that students attending Torah rabbinic schools remain exempt from military service.

Likewise, while the The Declaration of Independence guaranteed all rights irrespective of “race, religion and sex,” it was agreed that this would be a guiding principle but not a legal pronouncement, as it contravened traditional Jewish Halacha law as regards the role of women.

Left unanswered by the The Declaration of Independence were a number of substantive questions; if Israel was the land of the Jews, would an Israeli Jew who converted to another religion lose his citizenship? And if a non-Jew could be a citizen of Israel, would he have to submit to Jewish traditional law? And, last but not least, who was a Jew and who was to decide who was a Jew and who was not? 

Role of the Knesset

Israel had little choice but to tackle questions that did not concern matters of instant necessity because it was surrounded by hostile Arab says that openly advocated wiping it off the chart. It continued in this way, without a constitution and with its legislature, the Knesset, eventually enacting 13″ standard laws” and nbsp as necessary.

This legal void had been tolerated as long as Israel was under attack from its Muslim companions. However, over time, shifts in Jewish culture and the introduction of a semblance of peace have pushed the system dangerously close to collapse. The end result is an existentialist problems that now poses a threat to Israel’s founding principles.

Israel is a parliamentary democracy where laws are passed by the 120-seat legislature. The Supreme Court is the only restriction placed on parliament because there is no law and, as a result, no legal court. In fact, just the Supreme Court has the authority to overturn a parliamentary voting.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently attempting to emasculate that court. If productive, this move may open the floodgates of a parliamentary outpouring orchestrated by the right and the ultra-Orthodox, which could very well alter the course of Israel.

Israel has 43 social functions, of which 12 are represented in the Knesset, and has a population of about 9.3 million. As a result, Likud, Netanyahu’s group, which only has 32 votes, is forced to form an alliance with other parties in order to secure at least 61 votes for the formation of the government. The State of Israel & nbsp, as it has persisted to this day, is likely to be overthrown as a result of this alliance between Netanyahu and the ultra-Orthodox community.

The might of the Haredim

Currently, the majority of the population of Israel is made up of 18 % Haredi ultra-Orthodox, 25 % traditionalists, and 40 % secular people, excluding Muslims and Christians. The Haredim are their own planet within this portrait.

They do not identify as Zionists, live in closed communities, talk typically Hebrew among themselves, and firmly believe that Halacha, Hebrew traditional law, supersedes state laws. & nbsp,

They finally reside in the equivalent of a socio-economic embryo on the periphery of Jewish community. Only 13 % of the men have finished high school, compared to 80 % for the general population, and about 50 % of them are unemployed and live off state subsidies and nbsp.

They reject liberal education, gender equality, individual freedom, and democracy in general and would rather study Torah than look for a job that would pay well. & nbsp,

Some of Israel’s organizations have slanted to adapt to their values over the past few decades. They are not only exempt from military service because they are Torah pupils, but Conservative rabbis are the only ones who can legally marry Jews.

There are now about 400, 000 Jewish citizens who identify as Jews but are not recognized as such because only Catholic rabbinical courts can decide who is Jewish.

In a similar vein, Egged, the regional bus company, is prohibited from operating on the Sabbath and is required by law to close all eateries. This regulation is impractical because 70 % of the population wants restaurants to remain open.

The hard right’s bond with the Haredim puts them in conflict with major Israel, and the idea that the nation has been” hijacked by religious zealots” is beginning to take shape.

Half of the companies founded in March of this year are registered as foreign companies, and high-tech companies are beginning to keep Israel. When people are denied the opportunity to board railways on the grounds that they are not gender-segregated, some reserve members are now refusing to serve in the military, and resentment toward violence on a grassroots level is growing. & nbsp,

The Haredim will make up 30 % of the people by 2062, with an average of seven kids per family, according to statistical styles. With this date approaching, it is not just debate as to whether the State of Israel as a whole can last until finally, beyond, and in what form.

Halacha Jewish religious law may take precedence over state laws in the eyes of the Haredim. Their goal is to guarantee Israel’s adherence to Halacha in this way. Democracy is not a problem if it is governed by the lot; the Haredim and the extreme right do, albeit quite weakly, control it. The problem is that the majority is imposing a code of conduct on the majority that is inconsistent with how democracy should operate in the twenty-first century.

The problem is much more complex for Israel than it is for Hamas, Hezbollah, the Palestinian people, or even the Egyptian and NBP state. It is home and can only be dealt with internally. The issue is how.

It might be appealing to curb the Haredim’s authority by mandating that voting be contingent upon military company, but this would likely necessitate a vote by parliament. The alternative choice is a” European solution.”

Switzerland is a confederation of 26 territories, each with its own parliament, government, administration, educational system, & nbsp, money, and officers. Giving the Haredim their own space without endangering the rights of their fellow Israelis or the viability of the State of Israel could be greatly aided by Israel’s” cantonization,” which may well include one or several Palestinian” cantons” in addition to secular ones and those belonging to the” Haredi.”

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The plan to keep Belt and Road growing and revving

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China has vowed to advance its Belt and Road Initiative ( BRI ) through eight significant steps, including the expansion of its manufacturing industry and the introduction of higher-caliber research facilities and overseas investment projects. & nbsp,

According to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who spoke at the next Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on Wednesday( October 18 ), China may offer more funding assistance for BRI projects based on market and company operations.

According to Xi,” China proposed the Belt and Road teamwork, but its advantages and options are for the world to share.” He claimed that innovative partnerships for US$ 92.27 billion were finalized at the CEO Conference held during the Belt and Road Forum.

The occasion commemorated the tenth anniversary of the BRI, Xi’s recognizable trade-promotion program. More than 200 BRI assistance partnerships with more than 150 nations and 30 global institutions were signed by China by June 2023.

The following are the eight steps to keep the BRI updated in the future:

1. Create a system for road connectivity and multifaceted belts.

2. Encourage a global market

3. Implement real-world collaboration to help the development of high-quality Belt and Roads

4.. 4. Encourage environmentally friendly creation

5. 5. advanced technological and scientific development

6. Help individuals through exchanges and nbsp,

7. Encourage Belt and Road assistance based on morality

8. Increase administrative development for global cooperation on the Belt and Road

Actions 2, 3, and 5 are among them, and the others are standard directives with quantifiable goals. & nbsp,

China announced that it will lift all limitations on foreign funding access in its manufacturing sector in order to support an empty global economy. According to the announcement made at the website, the nation wants to increase its overall trade in goods and service to$ 32 trillion and$ 5 trillion, both, between 2024 and 2028.

China’s commerce with emerging Asia is booming. Chris Clayton / DTN Photo

China’s industry last year was$ 6.3 trillion in products and$ 889 billion in service. According to calculations from Asia Times, the nation’s trade goals can be translated into an annual increase of 0.6 % in goods and 4 % in services between 2024 and 2028.

” In our free trade sections, we have now removed all things from the negative list for the manufacturing field. According to Bai Ming, a scientist with the Ministry of Commerce’s Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, we may then carry out the same action across the country. China welcomes foreign firms to invest in its manufacturing industry and wants to see a higher level opening up.

According to Bai, China may use resources from around the world to grow from a sizable developing nation to one that is strong. & nbsp,

Overseas companies are still not permitted to print or produce Chinese medicine in China unless they are doing so in areas that have been specifically designated as free trade zones. It was announced that these limitations would shortly been lifted.

Bill capture criticism

China has come under fire from the West over the past ten years for setting so-called” loan traps” for Belt and Road nations.

When the South Asian nation was unable to pay off its Belt and Road obligations in 2017, the Hambantota International Port, a deep water service in Sri Lanka, had its 70 % interest leased to China Merchants Port Holdings for 99 years for$ 1.12 billion. Similar incidents were even reported in Zambia, Jordan, and Laos. & nbsp,

China has also come under fire for failing to offer some nations’ design workers a secure workplace. & nbsp, Since 2016, many Belt and Road nations have slowed down their infrastructure projects related to China as this criticism grew.

Despite these setbacks, China announced on Wednesday that to support Belt and Road construction, the Export – Import Bank of China and the China Development Bank will each set up a 350 billion yuan($ 48.75 billion ) financing window.

According to the database of the Boston University Global Development Policy ( GDP ) Center, China’s Overseas Development Finance ( CODF ) reached$ 498 billion between 2008 and 2021, involving a total of 1,099 Chinese overseas development finance commitments made to 100 countries, mostly in Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America.

The GDP Center stated in a comment earlier this year that” as Chinese international development fund has decreased in overall price, so too has the regular loan commitment size ,” both in terms of economic value and the geographic footprint of funded projects. This pattern represents the new” tiny is stunning” approach to Chinese economic engagement, which places a higher priority on smaller, more focused projects.

According to some Chinese commentators, it is not China’s sin that developing nations were unable to pay off their debts.

” China had made a long-term arrangement regarding Zambia’s loan organizing program, which was suggested by the International Monetary Fund.” According to Zhang Yansheng, general researcher at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, the plan was rejected by American creditors, which led to Zambia’s debt crisis.

Since the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, he claimed, developed nations in the West have used quantitative measures to strengthen their economies, but these actions, coupled with level increases, have made developing nations’ debt burdens worse. He claimed that as these developing nations experienced recession, their debt-to-GDP numbers increased tremendously. & nbsp,

On October 18, 2023, Xi Jinping, the president of China, will speak at the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. Image: People.com.cn

In his speech, Xi stated that China will implement 1, 000 small-scale” livelihood assistance” projects and improve its cooperation with Belt and Road nations in technical education. More will be done, he said, to guarantee the security of BRI workers and projects.

Xi added that China may contribute an extra 80 billion yuan to the Silk Road Fund. The Silk Road Fund received an additional 100 billion yuan in 2017 after being founded in 2014 with a$ 40 billion initial investment. It has so far made investments totaling$ 20 billion in 60 different tasks.

In the upcoming five years, China plans to build 100 combined laboratories with another Belt and Road parties and support fresh scientists from other nations to work on short-term projects in the nation.

With more than 30 Belt and Road nations, China has set up 53 shared facilities for agriculture, new strength, and public health as of the end of 2022. & nbsp,

To create sophisticated power power, China and Russia established a laboratory in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, in December 2021. China and Belarus set up a lab in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, in August of last year to investigate cell systems. & nbsp,

Study: Putin and Xi meet with a similar perspective on the Gaza conflict.

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

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Analysis: Malaysia’s pro-Palestinian stance and ties with Hamas — under the spotlight but not under pressure

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NO Cause FOR A Position Transform

Analyst James Chin, a professor of Eastern studies at the University of Tasmania, told CNA that Mr. Anwar officially reiterated Malaysia’s position on the matter and its support for the Palestinian cause while taking domestic government into account.

He continued,” We know the Americans don’t like it, but they’ll understand why he’s doing it— to demonstrate his standing within the Arab community.”

There won’t get any pushback in all, generally speaking. Everyone is aware that it is democratic grandstanding, and he is not the only one who is engaging in it. Indian organizations are also engaged in it. It is neither novel nor sudden. & nbsp,

Pushing for support for the Parti Se-Islam Malaysia( PAS ) was a good way to demonstrate Mr. Anwar’s Islamic credentials, according to Prof. Chin, as the majority of Malay voters support it. & nbsp,

Because there are sizable Arab populations in Singapore, the southern Philippines, and southern Thailand, in addition to the Muslim-majority countries of Indonesia and Malaysia, it is also a great issue for him to assume some sort of leadership position among Southeast Asian nations, he said. & nbsp,

Dr. Azmi of the Nusantara Academy thought that because Malaysia’s position did not include a significant impact, it wouldn’t have an impact on how the nation interacted with the West.

Saudi Arabia, which has a significant effect in that area, is no Malaysia, in my opinion. Therefore, he said,” When Malaysia says this, it won’t change the harmony of politics it.”

Nazri Aziz, the ambassador of Malaysia to the United States, informed Malay journalist Astro Awani that the Department of State was dissatisfied with Malaysia’s position on the matter.

Nevertheless, he asserted that the nation do not give in to pressure from any group for Hamas and Palestine’s support. & nbsp,

The former ambassador, Mr. Ignatius, stated that each nation in the region has its own distinct viewpoints on its positions as a result of different factors.

” We have consistently insisted that until a deal is reached, Israel will not be recognized.

Yet Arab nations have normalized relations, but this is our stance, and we have remained steadfast in it. It comes down to maxims, and one of the few rules we have upheld day in and day out, he said.

Mr. Ignatius even doesn’t understand why the conflict between Israel and Hamas should have an impact on Malaysia’s relations with other nations simply because of their divergent viewpoints.

He asserted that, for instance, not every nation in ASEAN needs to share a place on every issue, particularly non-regional problems. & nbsp,

We can only be accountable for our placement, he said. Another nations does have a position that is opposed to ours or be more natural.

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National Data Sharing Policy Discussion panel: Data is the new currency, yes, but…

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Palnellists advise concentrating on the information required for andnbsp targets.Industry & amp, regulator engagement key & nbsp, provided to ensure access to the right data and the appropriate dataFor businesses looking to maximize the value of information in decision-making, adopting information insights can be a game-changer. Malaysia has been actively growing…Continue Reading

Analysis: Indonesia kicks off election season today to pick new president, legislators next February – here’s what to expect

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JAKARTA: On Thursday, October 19, Indonesia formally launched its election process. Registration is available for candidates interested in participating in a number of elections, including the race to elect the nation’s next president. On February 14, 2024, more than 204 million Indonesians did cast their ballots as the third-largest democracyContinue Reading