Commentary: Breaking the vicious cycle of haze and climate change in Southeast Asia

TO Alleviate HAZE, GET ON THE Earth

South Asian maritime haze pollution is recognized as a complex issue that necessitates multi-stakeholder engagement with local communities, municipal governments, corporations, and civil society.

Since the 1990s, ASEAN has been actively working to reduce haze, and in 2015, the Singaporean government passed a law prohibiting intergovernmental waste. Researchers have spent years carefully analyzing the haze’s underlying reasons, factors, impacts, and implications. But the issue keeps coming up every season.

It is now time to move beyond the realms of diplomacy and academia and engage the public to convince towns, businesses, and institutions that it is in their best interests to protect peat. Simply put, every effort we make to keep our coal reserves in our peatlands may contribute to the prevention of our climate and haze.

In this regard, the region’s current speed in using carbon prices tools and the creation of voluntary carbon emissions trading markets( as Indonesia has just done ) may provide a window of opportunity to encourage stakeholders to scale-up their conservation efforts and produce high-quality carbon credits that can be monetized.

For instance, the United Kingdom has developed the Peatland Code, a cutting-edge organic capital financing mechanism that uses an independent standard to provide independent validation and verification for projects involving the restoration of peatlands.

Through this, the UK has been using a combination of public and private funding to register about 200 peatland jobs in its nationwide registry and track the total amount of emissions reduced and the place restored. The need for individualized job reviews is replaced by the Code, which reassures investors of best practices.

Development toward these opportunities in the peatlands of Southeast Asia may be diverse. According to international standards, the results may be measurable, actionable, and factual.

In the current brass environment, this may be difficult, but the advantages are well worth it. For peatland populations, this might lead to better standard of living. The same could contribute to corporate conservation moves. They may improve national carbon products account for governments. It might eventually signify for the area the realization of the” Haze-Free ASEAN” perspective.

At the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute’s ASEAN Studies Centre, Sharon Seah serves as Senior Fellow and Coordinator. At the University of Malaya’s Department of International and Strategic Studies, Helena Varkkey teaches climate politics and leadership as an associate doctor. This article first appeared on the website Fulcrum of the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.

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Penang State, Digital Penang, Sunway Education Group and Khazanah collaborate to launch 42 Penang

spear Malaysia’s technical skills, foster online skill, and encourage tech innovation in andnbsp, region.Initiative demonstrates a shared dedication to creating abilities for the modern economy.In George Town, Penang, the renowned global computer science school & nbsp, 42 Pennang will be established as part of a historic partnership announced by the Pennan…Continue Reading

Why Hamas needs terror, escalation and global disruption

Hamas’ assault on Israel exemplifies the nature of violence in many ways. Hundreds of people have been killed and abducted as a result of the team’s size incursions into Israeli towns. When it comes to inciting feelings of despair and escalating the situation, the book seems to have done this.

However, it also serves as a reminder that violence depends on the unique circumstances of the condition from which it arises, and that its effects frequently extend well beyond national borders, as pioneering antiterrorism expert Martha Crenshaw teaches.

Three of the many measurements that could be made are noteworthy. Terrorism is first and foremost a greatly developed form of psychological warfare by character.

Compared to disease, automobile accidents, and cardiovascular diseases, violence kills far fewer people, but polls consistently indicate that many people are still very worried about it.

Privacy, fraud, and surprise are the foundations of terrorism. Extremism is like a stage for getting media attention, so whenever possible, it should be impressive, destructive, and uncontrolled.

For terrorists, striking on symbolic dates and saturating the internet with creative, bone-chilling videos( including fake ones ) is essential. It gives them the ability to exaggerate events and give life to person’s worst nightmares. In this feeling, Hamas handled everything.

As alarms sounded behind and Hamas rocket attacks were launched from the Gaza Strip, smoke billowed over private Israeli neighborhoods. NDTV Screengrab picture

ability and desire

Second, the likelihood of a terrorist strike depends on the desire and skills of jihadists, as well as popular counter-terrorism scientist Boaz Ganor has argued.

Hamas evidently still has an unyielding, partially spiritual motivation despite the ceasefire that was agreed upon at the end of the 2014 Gaza battle. Its founding charter, which states that” There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through jihad ,” is consistent with its use of violence. Global events, activities, and ideas are all a waste of time.

However, in addition to having a very strong desire that justifies mass murder, Hamas also possesses numerous capabilities, such as weapons, money, intelligence, and political coverage, much of which is provided by Iran.

The team’s arsenal includes paragliders to avoid more technologically advanced defense systems as well as less traditional methods to improve casualties, such as bulldozers that tear down fences.

Hamas is alleged to have used tunnels, booby traps and hundreds of individuals who are not always affiliated with the group but are still prepared to fight to the death to elicit lethal resistance from Israeli troops in past conflicts. Israel may anticipate a comparable outcome if it invades Gaza once more.

Its criminal attacks are quite likely to continue cyclically because it has the capacity to fight a protracted conflict and the desire to eliminate as many people as possible.

eliciting a response

Second, the attack emphasizes terrorism’s desire for reaction and escalation, particularly in light of the group that commits it receiving dwindling domestic and international assistance.

Hamas probably needs this increase in a twisted method. Growing numbers of Gazan citizens have apparently been protesting the team’s leadership in recent weeks, accusing it of corruption and failing to improve living conditions.

Most importantly, however, because it would immediately negate Israel’s anti-Israel stance, the growing likelihood of an arrangement between Israel and Saudi Arabia would be a serious blow to Hamas’ reputation within the Muslim world.

Hamas can divert Palestinian attention from its issues and gain points in its competition with the rival Palestinian Authority ( PA ) now that it has successfully incited Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed” mighty revenge.”

Hamas did quell criticism from PA and others in the West Bank, who will never support Israel, if Israel attacks, by uniting the Arab people behind its symbol. The Israeli-Saudi agreement is probably going to fall apart.

Iran: Hezbollah supporters display images of the late defense leader Qasem Soleimani, who was assassinated by Israeli cleverness in 2020, to commemorate the Hama’s strategy. Abedin Taherkenareh, EPA, EFE via The Conversation, and nbsp

There’s more. Hezbollah, the criminal organization in charge of the area, also wants to escalate the conflict, so it could spread to southern Lebanon since well.

Due to accusations of corruption, involvement in the Palestinian conflict, and tampering with the criminal investigation into the 2020 Beirut port fire, Hezbollah, like Hamas, has been losing control over various facets of Palestinian society.

Iran may also view war as a fantastic opportunity to weaken Israel and severely jeopardize pacts with Saudi Arabia, Tehran’s another major regional rival.

Israel runs the risk of becoming mired in a terrible, protracted fight in which its soldiers must search door-to-door for Hamas agents. By turning them into Palestine’s sole, genuine supporters in the eyes of its people, this may cause hundreds, if not hundreds, of deaths and accomplish what Hamas and Hezbollah seek.

Numerous soul-searching concerns are frequently raised by large-scale, sensationalized criminal problems. This may require re-examining knowledge sharing and analysis functions in the case of Israel and its supporters.

What are the best ways to combat this kind of violence, and what does success actually entail? They might come to the conclusion that a defense reaction is crucial as the idea of winning becomes more and more hazy. However, nobody will try to escape this by bombing or using the officers.

Michele Groppi teaches security studies at the Defense Studies Department of King’s College London.

Under a Creative Commons license, this post has been republished from The Conversation. Read the original publication.

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How Sodium-ion could fuel next generation of EVs

If the weather issue is to be solved, gasoline and diesel-burning vehicles may be replaced with renewable energy sources. The best option is widely believed to be electric vehicles( EVs ).

This is due to the fact that solar energy from the network can be used to power Vehicles, eliminating the need for fossil energy. The internal combustion engine in the majority of modern cars can only effectively convert about 30 % of the energy from fuel, whereas they can store and release this energy with nearly 100 % efficiency.

Batteries have lives mileages comparable to those of traditional cars and can be recharged thousands of times. The rechargeable power is what makes this architecture effort possible.

The highest performing power systems currently on the market is lithium-ion. The price of lithium hydroxide only increased tenfold between late 2020 and 2022, despite the fact that demand for these batteries is skyrocketing and the cost of the raw materials required to make them is great.

Finding the raw materials for lithium-ion batteries may be challenging and costly for companies because over 84 % of known potassium deposits are concentrated in Argentina, Australia, Chile, and China.

Fortunately, batteries made of potassium ions rather than lithium could solve these issues and eventually result in EVs that are less expensive to purchase.

Potassium – ion vs. calcium

A battery’s two wires, known as the cathode and anodes, resemble bread slices with an electrolyte filling and can be compared to a hamburger. The solution is usually a liquid that soaks all of the electrodes and contains an extremely high concentration of dissolved ions.

The atoms move towards the electrode when the device is being recharged and are kept there until more energy is required. They reverse direction into the anode when the car is turned on, creating an electrical current that powers the motors that propel the vehicle forward through the physical circuit.

Since the particles are small and light, sodium is the ideal factor to use. As a result, they can move quickly and be tightly packed inside the wires, creating batteries that you charge in as little as 20 minutes.

However, calcium comes in a close second.

Since potassium is located directly below sodium in the periodic table, it has a number of chemical characteristics, including the speed with which it can move through battery materials. However, it benefits from being 1,000 days more prevalent than sodium on Earth.

The primary component used to create sodium-ion batteries, sodium hydroxide( or soda ash ), can either be found in rocks and salt lake salts or it can be produced in factories using water and stone. These two vitamins can be found in abundance and are both easily available.

Piles of white sodium in separate brine pools.
Substances that contain potassium are widely available and essentially limitless. Timo Volz / Unsplash, CC BY

Switching from sodium to potassium atom batteries may lessen reliance on important minerals and produce more affordable battery packs. But can Batteries still be powered by them?

The newest lithium-ion batteries can run an EV for between 300 and 400 yards on a single full fee.

However, potassium ions are a third larger and three times heavier than sodium. In order to maintain the same amount of energy, the wires in sodium-ion batteries may be thicker and heavier.

price advantages

Recent developments have caused calcium batteries to start to compete with some lithium-ion systems, particularly those that use lithium iron phosphate electrolytes, also known as LFP in the industry. Although LFP-containing batteries can’t store energy as tightly as the best-in-class technology, they are becoming more and more significant because they’re usually about 20 % less expensive.

Although a variety of sodium-ion electrolytes are being developed, the batteries that pack the most power use layered oxide casings. These chargers are sufficient to produce 150 to 250 mile-per-mile, less expensive customer Vehicles. According to recent research, the newest sodium-ion battery packs can also cost less than LFP batteries because their natural materials are less expensive.

As a result, sodium-ion technology is able to produce affordable EVs with wide enough variety to appeal to commuters and capital drivers in particular.

China has previously acknowledged this possibility. Recently, the Chinese power company CATL announced that it plans to provide sodium-ion chargers to Chinese automaker Chery for a new EV design.

A sodium-powered unit with a 155-mile range has also been unveiled by two other Chinese manufacturers, HiNa and JAC Group, and is reportedly selling for around US$ 10,000 in China.

A charger plugged into an electric car.
Sodium-ion batteries can create less expensive( though lower-range ) EVs. Chuttersnap / Unsplash, CC BY

The future of sodium-ion electric vehicles

There is still a lot of room to increase the power density of sodium-ion chargers.

The cathode is one barrier. The power weight may be increased by using twice as many cathode materials to balance both sides of the burger because even the best layers of oxide can only store approximately half as numerous sodium ions as the anodes.

Fresh cathode materials are being developed as a result of research to improve EV driving ranges by storing more potassium ions in their structures and producing higher voltage.

The EV industry is now starting to see the entry of sodium-ion batteries. Depending on financial headwinds and advancements in materials science, it is unclear how much they will go in their competition with shorter-range lithium batteries.

At the very least, you can be certain that you’ll learn a lot more about potassium ion EVs.

Robert House, Research Fellow at the Royal Academy of Engineering, University of Oxford

Disclosure: The Royal Academy of Engineering, UKRI, the Henry Royce Institute, and the Faraday Institution all provide financing to Robert House. He collaborates attentively with Faradion Ltd. and receives funding from them.

Under a Creative Commons license, this essay has been republished from The Conversation. Read the article in its entirety.

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Russia’s war loss is Kazakhstan’s brain gain

In some important business, Kazakhstan has been experiencing a” head dump” of skilled and educated staff for more than ten years. This might be beginning to alter.

Fuel and gas-fueled economic development in Kazakhstan has slowed in part as a result of changes in commodities prices around the world. The government has made an effort to extend the market in order to encourage long-term growth. However, a severe skill shortage has resulted from insufficient primary education, and some skilled workers have moved abroad in search of better opportunities.

With initiatives like the Bolashak programme, which offered scholarships to Kazakhs to pursue their education at unusual universities, officials in Kazakhstan have made an effort to stop the brain drain. The system was partially successful, but it fell short in important areas like data technology. Additionally, some academics decided never to go back to Kazakhstan for personal or professional reasons.

Surprisingly, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to a significant emigration of both individuals and businesses from Russia to Kazakhstan. This is opening up a brand-new possibility for long-term” head gain” and economical advancement. However, due to an overly optimistic balancing of competing policy objectives, Kazakh policymakers run the risk of missing this chance.

Russia has experienced three significant ripples of migration since its invasion of Ukraine. Software workers and outspoken war opponents were among the first wave to flee persecution. This marked the start of a tendency for Russian small and medium-sized businesses to relocate to Kazakhstan, where Almaty is the country’s largest metropolis. The number of Soviet businesses in Kazakhstan increased by about 4,000 between January and September 2022.

Around July 2022, a second immigration wave took place. This included people with less portable businesses and families with children who were in school age who planned to leave at the start of the battle but needed longer periods of preparation.

Following the limited participation order issued by Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 21, 2022, a second wave appeared. In the week after the mobilization, 98, 000 Russians fled to Kazakhstan & nbsp.

Russians flee Putin’s limited participation as drone footage of Soviet border crossings with neighboring nations is captured. Screengrab / Al Jazeera photo

Even as state media pundits branded the emigrants( relokants ) traitors during the first two waves, Russian officials’ responses were muted. More rage was sparked by the third wave & nbsp. For” draft dodgers and those who surrender willingly ,” Russia introduced lengthy prison sentences. In the third wave, about 700,000 Russians — mostly men qualified for partial mobilization — fled.

Relokants & nbsp, a sizable portion of the population, are fighting-age men with their families and partners. Many of them are experienced professionals in fields like artistic industries, health services, and information technology.

Some areas of northern Kazakhstan experienced significant labor shortages prior to the war, which were alleviated by the Russian immigrants. 20 job openings for Russian doctors were advertised by one district hospital in Ayagoz, Abai Province, & nbsp, and they were given” comfortable housing” as an incentive.

Obviously, a large number of immigrants likewise flocked to Almaty and Astana, two of Kazakhstan’s major cities, which helped to boost the real estate market. Rents for one-room apartments in Almaty & nbsp’s middle-income neighborhoods increased by$ 415 to$ 1040 per month between March and July 2022.

Kazakh policy must strike a balance between its domestic and foreign policy priorities and relokants & nbsp. Kazakh officials must be cautious to avoid upsetting their northern neighbour given Russian military involvement in towns like Zhanaozen during andnbsp, as well as widespread unrest in Kazakhstan during 2022. & nbsp,

Some Kazakh institutions still have remnants of Communist rule, and Kazakhstan’s primary working terminology is still Russian.

However, since the invasion of Ukraine, Kazakhs’ attitudes toward Moscow have deteriorated. The number of Kazakhs who thought Russia would invade Kazakhstan had doubled six months after the initial intrusion. Mood against war was mixed with sympathy for common Russians fleeing its repercussions.

Around the middle of 2022, a backlash against Soviet immigration started to appear on Telegram and online chat board. According to an A & nbsp poll conducted in December 2022, 38 % of Kazakhs were against the immigration of migrants. According to the ballot, worries about rising costs and apprehension about immigrant social unrest were the main causes of the growing foe. & nbsp,

30 % of respondents to the survey also expressed concern that” followers of the Russian earth” were infiltrating Kazakhstan in a concerted effort to destroy the nation.

The Kazakhstan-Russia border has historically been somewhat open because both nations are members of the Eurasian Economic Union. The Kazakh government changed its border restrictions in December 2022, prompting instructions andnbsp that officials were making long-term living in the nation unaffordable for many & nBsP, relokants. & nbsp,

Arriving Russians lining up at a register office in Kazakhstan’s Almaty. Screengrab / CNN photo

More than 90 out of 180 times were no longer permitted for approaching Eurasian Economic Union visitors to stay in Kazakhstan. As a result, Soviet immigrants were compelled to obtain official documents like property permits.

Some Russians who entered Kazakhstan rather registered to stay in Uzbekistan without much trouble because they were able to get stable employment there. However, Kazakh politicians kept tightening their immigration restrictions in 2023 by mandating that registration be accompanied by knowledge of the language, history, and culture of their people.

When Kazakhstan gained its independence in 1991, Kazakhs made up only 40 % of the population and Slavs 44 %. Kazakhs will make up the majority of the people in 2023, but Russian effect will still be felt strongly. The president’s ability to accommodate immigrants is constrained by domestic political and transnational sensibilities.

The wartime wave of relokants & nbsp offers an influx of new talent, regardless of the reason for the government’s tightening of immigration. This represents Kazakhstan’s best opportunity in years to combat the supremacy of oil and gas and sluggish economic development.

Misha Monteiro-Benson works as a research associate at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute.

This andnbsp, post, and was initially published by East Asia Forum and are being reprinted with permission from Creative Commons.

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When war tech doesn’t work as advertised

Along with Israel’s much-discussed knowledge loss, there is growing awareness that many of the high-tech weapons produced by the United States and Israel don’t live up to expectations. & nbsp, Many European systems operate in a similar manner.

For instance, we were informed that the German Leopards and the Abrams tanks were far better to Russian tanks and may transform the Ukrainian battlefield. The Ukrainians understand and have publicly stated that if those vehicles are used, they will be destroyed, so much, the Abrams tanks have not been sent into war.

The Leopard vehicles were also intended to be a game-changer. However, Russian guns, uavs, and mines have destroyed the tanks despite their excellent electronics and targeting systems, cutting-edge weapons and excellent gasoline power plant.

The Europeans’ interest in a new tank to remove the Leopard and French Leclerc tank may come as no little surprise, especially the Germans, French, Spanish, and Italians. However, the concept of this cylinder predates Ukraine and needs to be updated. In any case, if a new tank is actually built, it will take between ten and fifteen years to complete.

A pond belonging to the French Leclerc on Bastille Day. Wikipedia image

Unfortunately, at the same time that Israeli intelligence failed in its mission, we don’t know if that failure was technological or analytical. In Israel, the highly successful Iron Dome air defense system & nbsp was swamped by thousands of Hamas missiles and unable to protect civilians from missile damage.

What we do know is that Hamas was able to breach Israel’s sophisticated fence system on the Gaza border and launch a massive land invasion while also launching airborne attacks( missiles, drone, & nbsp, paragliders) and seaborne assaults( go-fast boats ).

Additionally, there is a statement claiming that Iron Dome’s communications and nbsp IP addresses were compromised. The revelation of Iron Dome’s Internet addresses could result in the system being blocked or diverted, but this record has not been verified and may never be. & nbsp,

The issue of security affects command and control systems in the US, Europe, and Israel. & nbsp, Because the Russians have created a variety of jamming systems, there have been significant issues with Western hardware in Ukraine.

A picture of the Stinger missile’s issue is available. Stingers gained notoriety in the middle of the 1980s when the US gave them to the Mujahideen in Afghanistan, where the transportable one-man air defense weapon was used to destroy low-flying Russian aircraft gunships, transportation aircraft, and fighters. The Russians lacked efficient defenses. & nbsp,

The Stinger Missile That Made Afghanistan's History - WSJ
A champion from the Mujahideen with Stinger. Rare Historical Photos

More than 1,400 Stinger missiles, both from battle stocks, have been sent by the US to Ukraine. The 250 Stingers were suddenly delivered in May of last year after Taiwan’s order for them was delayed from 2019 to 2023. & nbsp,

The US no longer produces innovative Stingers; instead, it only renovates existing ones. The US Army has today announced a plan to launch an” faster and more survivable” Stinger weapon. RTX and Lockheed Martin, two protection companies, are preparing to face off against one another to create the Stinger’s replacement. & nbsp, However, the project has come to a halt because there is currently no funding available.

The Army estimates that it will take five years to create the fresh Stinger. & nbsp, Then the missiles will need to be produced, which will take an additional two to four years. & nbsp, In reality, it means that the US will only have a small number of outdated Stinger missiles because the majority of them have been sold to foreign buyers, particularly Ukraine.

The Army has discovered that Russian blocking systems have exposed older Stingers, which is also noteworthy. Additionally, The Army is aware that Choppers are not very effective against drones, which lowers expectations that they will be a match for extremely potent armor-killing aircraft like Russia’s Lancet. & nbsp,

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ZARA Lancet from Russia is loitering arms. Featured image: Wikipedia

The Ukraine War appears to have taught the Army a valuable lessons, but it is still taking some time to develop an option. & nbsp,

Additionally, it significantly complicates the standard platform by giving the potential Stinger a ability against drones. Additionally, the Army has not thought about using a man-portable anti-drone weapon and an aeroplane weapon separately.

The Army has also decided that it will try to design a” new” Abrams, known as the M1E3, rather than upgrading the existing Abrahms tanks that are already in stock— a project it has already started calling & nbsp, SEPv4.

The Army wants to make the M1E3 a ground-up style that is lighter and better protected, particularly from behind attacks from enemy planes and robots. & nbsp, It has long been understood that tanks are more vulnerable from above due to a lack of armor protection.

Instead of continuing with the Jewish Trophy Active Defense System, which now provides 360-degree protection, the Army wants to build in effective protection. & nbsp, The Army claims that Trophy is too heavy given the tank’s enormous weight even without Trophy installed. Without team, ammunition, or add-on systems, the Abrams container currently weighs 70 tons.

With some of the Leopards and British Challengers stuck in mud and smooth surface, Ukraine has shown that large heavy vehicles have significant running issues there. Additionally, ultra-heavy tanks immediately tear up roads and clear tank tracks.

The Army’s ability to produce the M1E3 Abrams container is unknown. The plan is no finalized, and it might not be feasible.

A specific issue coming out of Ukraine is the risk of mine. The Russians have flooded areas and roads with air-launched mine. It is challenging to clear them, and the Russians have consistently destroyed mine-clearing tools provided by the US and NATO.

The Russians have also improved their mine-clearing collection costs in the interim. Forbes claims that the MICLIC system is a” rocket-propelled, rope-like explosive.” The series charge is carried across the minefield by the rocket as it is propelled into the air. The plan is for the ensuing burst to set off any underground mines, rapidly clearing a path.

World War II saw the development of MICLIC methods, and Canada produced the Snake and Conger, two-man compact models. The British created Giant Viper, a much more extensive structure, in the 1950s.

The M58 is the latest US system. Ukraine has received it, but few, if any, of them have been observed on the field. & nbsp, For transportation, it needs a truck or an armored vehicle.

US armoured cars, particularly the Bradley, have performed poorly in Ukraine, much like tank. Similar to the German Marder, France’s AMX – 10C, and other armored personnel carriers, Russian artillery, mining, helicopters outfitted with anti-tank and nbsp, as well as missiles and drones like the Lancet, have shown to be effective goals. In addition, & nbsp,

There are solutions to defend the topside of armoured vehicles, but there aren’t many options to shield the armor’s bottom.

The US has long been aware that mine were a problem for weapons, whether they were used by an enemy with specialized equipment or even by shady organizations like al Qaeda, the Taliban, and ISIS in Iraq and Afghanistan.

These adversaries employed makeshift explosives( IEDs ). Because they were constructed from larger gun shells and had a triggering system, IEDS were frequently better to little land mines.

Some people used basic car door openers or mobile devices. Others used force plates to set off an explosion. Others, particularly IEDs in populated areas, were hard-wired to a local controller. In addition, & nbsp,

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The Syrian Police found an IED in Baghdad in November 2005, and weapons was rigged for it. American Security Today picture

Mine Resistant Ambush Protected ( MRAP ) vehicles were created by the US to transport troops. & nbsp, Mine weight is usually achieved by deflecting violent chargers using a V-Hull style. Big tires, an elevated interruption to lessen blast effects, and domestic blast-resistant seats help to reduce the vehicle’s ability to withstand an IED or mine explosion.

The US-made M1224( and various versions ) MaxxPro MRAP is one method that can be seen on the Ukrainian battlefield. 200 MaxxPros & nbsp have been sent by the US to Ukraine, where they are being used as attack vehicles. The outcomes are almost homicidal. & nbsp,

Lorena on Twitter: "Vehículo blindado estadounidense International ...
a MaxxPro that was destroyed. The staff survived after an IED blew off the front of the car. Image: Twitter

Oryx claims that as of October, Ukraine had already lost 62 MaxxPros( 47 completely destroyed, 8 damaged, 5 abandoned, and 2 captured ), or more than 30 % of the supplied vehicles. It is unknown if gun, anti-tank weapons, drones, or plane gunships were used to destroy the vehicles. MRAPs are a fairly safe way to transport troops away from the entrance lines, but they are extremely vulnerable otherwise, it is likely to be demonstrated once all the evidence is in. & nbsp,

A MRAP you transport about 10 soldiers and generally has a team of three. In addition, & nbsp,

Effective safety, better weapons and failsafe systems, ranging from mechanical systems like smoke canisters to advanced electro-optical jamming systems can help to mitigate some of the weaknesses of armoured systems. These vulnerabilities can be found in tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, or armor-equipped troop carriers like MRAPs.

One way to make it more difficult for an foe to pin this equipment is to use tanks and armor with small thermal signatures that you run at night without headlights. This would also necessitate the enemy having great night vision equipment connected to their anti-tank weapons.

However, the fact remains that on the current field, armor of all kinds faces significant survival challenges. Whether contemporary armored platforms are still front-line weapons is one of the unanswered & nbsp questions. Unfortunately, there aren’t many great choices.

By moving troops at night and launching attacks from ahead positions at dawn, Ukraine has attempted to penetrate the battlefield with sparse armor. It has occasionally hitched rides on pickup trucks and outdated vehicles. Ukraine has paid a very high price for using what amounts to an updated human wave attack, according to & nbsp. & nbsp,

Similar issues recently surfaced in Israel, where the opponent invaded enemy territory with only mild weapons, forcing the Jewish defenders to engage in combat with guns and rifles. Heavy equipment was not of much use, & nbsp. Israel suffered numerous civil and military deaths.

Americans should be aware that even if all the money in the world is immediately available and all developing potential is entirely functional, replacing lost tools, teaching lessons, or developing new solutions can take period— in reality years. & nbsp, However, the alternative — moving forward without making any changes— is even worse.

The US Army and, most likely, its NATO allies are now realizing that the NATO alliance & nbsp’s approach to warfighting needs to change immediately. This was evident well before the Ukraine War because calculations revealed some of the key issues.

Israel must change its doctrines andnbsp in order to accurately account for the new threats it faces once it has overcome the quick crisis or even during this problems.

It is abundantly clear that the entire strategy, as well as the theory and capabilities of warfighting, need to be updated, revised, and, in some cases, eliminated.

Stephen Bryen, who oversaw the Near East Subcommittee of the
As a lieutenant director of security, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and nbsp
is currently a senior fellow at Yorktown Institute and the & nbsp, Center for Security Policy.

His Substack, Weapons, and Strategy was the original subject of this andnbsp’s content. Asia Times is republishing it with their consent, nbsp.

 

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China’s youth unemployment poses long-lasting risks

Youth unemployment is a problem that affects all countries, but in China, the level of 21.3 % is particularly concerning because it could have an impact on other markets and political relationships in addition to being high.

The National Bureau of Statistics of China announced it would stop reporting age-specific data because it needed to” increase and improve labour force study statistics” at the same time as the rate’s discharge, which more than doubled the pre-Covid rate of May 2018.

Because of societal expectations and state policy, youth unemployment is a complicated problem, but it is even more so in China.

According to the Hukou structure, families in China must register before their residence, place of employment, and access to public services are all decided by the authorities.

Remote residents are frequently prevented by the system from utilizing industrial opportunities, which can affect their employment prospects.

The objectives that come with being the only child in the family as a result of China’s one-child scheme, which was abandoned just seven years ago, only serve to increase the stress and uncertainty felt by this demographic.

The” Ant Tribe” phenomenon

Lian Si, a sociologist, coined the term” Ant Tribe” in 2009 to describe highly educated young people trapped in low-paying, temporary jobs that impede skill development.

These young people are unable to amass cultural funds, which creates a vicious cycle that is difficult to break. This highlights a break in the profession ecology and reduces their return on their educational investment.

The” Ant Tribe” phenomenon is more than just a sign of a flawed economy. It also reveals a deeper emotional and psychological issue. Being over-educated and underemployed causes significant emotional trauma, including anxiety, depression and hopelessness.

Social changes like the” lying flat” movement and the rise of” full-time children” in China further complicate this emotional toll.

These trends redefine household expectations and challenge established standards of success, adding a new layer to the emotional challenges the younger generation faces. Long-term effects can result in a less effective and impressive workplace.

There is a disconnect between school programs and job market requirements despite the rapid growth of higher education.

Programs frequently prioritize idea over practical abilities, leaving graduates unprepared for the workforce. For instance, executive students may concentrate on calculations and theories while ignoring practical applications like internships.

Chinese students in a classroom taking notes
Some job seekers are forced to go back to school because there are so many unqualified applicants. Shutterstock via The Conversation image

Furthermore, the market is flooded with overqualified applicants, particularly in the engineering, finance, and healthcare industries. This disparity encourages numerous people to pursue further studies.

4.74 million individuals took the graduate entrance examination in 2023, a startling 135 % increase over the 2.01 million test-takers in 2017. Children unemployment and underemployment are made worse by this pattern.

The overall effect

The children unemployment issue in China has a ripple effect that should not be understated. High unemployment costs, particularly in countries with a sizable children people, can cause civil unrest, according to UNICEF warnings.

By obtaining a social certificate based on economic stability and prosperity, the Chinese Communist Party has long maintained its autocratic stance.

China may undergo a major internal energy transition if rising youngsters unemployment undermines this license by encouraging social disengagement or radicalization.

For unrest may flow over into foreign relations in a world that is increasingly attached. Particularly among countries with nearby financial ties to China, civil unrest can make a country less firm and thus less appealing to foreign investment.

Given China’s crucial role in global supply stores, such an inner turmoil also poses a threat to destroy supply chain worldwide.

Domestic strife and social unrest can have an impact on a nation’s international relations, as demonstrated by historic examples like the Arab Spring and Brexit.

The Arab Spring resulted in the overthrow of numerous governments, local unrest, an impact on world oil prices, and the need for European nations to reevaluate their overseas policies.

Large group of people carrying placards protesting against Brexit
Brexit-related instability in Britain resulted in adjustments to international policy. Shutterstock via The Conversation, a photograph

Similar to how Brexit affected international trade agreements, caused social restructuring, and forced the European Union to reevaluate its foreign policy as a whole.

Although youth unemployment is a worldwide issue, we cannot afford to ignore it given the scope of the issue in China and its potential wider impact on connected markets.

What steps is China take to address the issue?

China can draw plan inspiration from other nations’ effective initiatives, like Germany’s two vocational training system. In order to better match education with labor market demands, this system makes sure that students are both professionally prepared and almost experienced.

It’s also important to address the urban / rural divide. China may encourage job growth in rural places by providing financial incentives, such as tax breaks and offers. Related strategies have been used in Australia and the US to draw medical professionals to sparsely populated areas.

The psychological impact of chronic poverty, which gets worse the longer graduates are unemployed, needs to be reduced in China as well. The problem has gotten worse since Covid, with 40 % of Chinese children reportedly being prone to mental health issues.

This is where companies for young people‘s mental heath, like those offered in Australia, might be helpful. These programs not only help the person, but they also help create a more involved, productive workforce that is crucial for the health of the country.

The unstable nature of the concert market has the potential to make the unemployment issue worse. Some Western nations, like France and the Netherlands, take job staff into account and provide social security benefits. In China, a similar concept could be used to offer advantages like pension plans and health insurance.

Last but not least, the scope and complexity of adolescent employment call for a multi-pronged strategy that crosses national boundaries.

Countries may actively collaborate on global initiatives to create career opportunities for youth and deliberately discuss effective employment strategies. The secret to creating a fresh, productive workforce that is stable worldwide is collaboration.

It’s not just a good plan to invest in younger people. It is morally necessary for shared growth and international security.

Senior Lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington’s Te Herenga Waka is Christian Yao.

Under a Creative Commons license, this post has been republished from The Conversation. read the article in its entirety.

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What’s behind Samsung, SK Hynix chip war waivers?

An export restrictions agreement meant to keep Seoul in line with Washington’s larger tech war against China will allow North Korean tech companies to send American chip-making tools to their factories in China without getting agreement from US authorities.

The US Commerce Department is updating its” validated close person” list, according to South Korea’s presidential office, on Monday( October 9) to enable chipmakers Samsung and SK Hynix to provide specific US chip-making devices to their China-based production facilities for an indefinite period.

Which entities may get exports of which technology is particularly indicated on the list. Companies on the list are exempt from licensing requirements in order to deliver US software products to China. & nbsp,

In response to the US news, Choi Sang-mok, South Korea’s senior political minister for economic matters, stated that” difficulties about North Korean silicon firms’ operations and investments in China have been greatly eased.” & nbsp,

On the other hand, Foreign critics were less than enthusiastic about the carefully considered US choice. & nbsp,

An unknown investment in the chip industry stated to the Economic Observer in China on Tuesday that the US’s most recent decision should not be interpreted as a rest of the nations’ device export restrictions against China. To suggest that the US will remove its chip limits for Chinese chipmakers is premature.

He pointed out that North Korean chipmakers operate independently on the mainland of China and do not frequently collaborate or interact with native Taiwanese manufacturers. The US statement, according to him, will only strengthen economic ties between China and South Korea and lessen geopolitical tensions in the area. & nbsp,

According to a Chinese device expert, the US statement aims to lessen the damaging effects of its sanctions against China on the two South Korean companies, which are powerful negotiators because of their dominance in the memory chip industry. & nbsp,

As of the end of June this year, Samsung and SK Hynix jointly held a 50 % share in the global NAND flash market and 70 % share, according to market intelligence provider Trendforce.

Currently, Samsung manufactures 40 % of its NAND chips at its Xi’an, China, plant, compared to SK Hynix’s 20 % and 40 % DRAM chips, respectively, in Dalian and Wuxi.

DRAM chips, which are typically used in gadgets to speed up getting, lose the data they store when the power is turned off. NAND cards, which are primarily used in USB memory sticks and painful drives, can store data without power.

In an article, a Hubei-based author with the last name Wu asserts that the US wants North Korean businesses to outdo their Chinese competitors by pouring their memory chips into Chinese markets.

” The US forbade all China-based chipmakers, with the exception of South Asian ones, from obtaining its chip-making machinery.” What caused it to do that? Wu claims. ” The US may want to use South Korean companies to reduce China’s semiconductor business ,” we may be warned.

He claims that the US wants to support North Korean businesses in order to drive out Chinese rivals after realizing that its limits had failed to stop China from grooming its unique chipmakers over the past few years. He asserts that in the 1980s, the US employed the exact strategy to stifle Japan’s chip industry. & nbsp,

In order to give local chipmakers and their vendors enough money to survive and expand their businesses, he adds, China should promote its state-owned enterprises to purchase Chinese chips. & nbsp,

The Bureau of Industry and Security ( BIS ) of the US Commerce Department put a number of new restrictions on China’s chip industry on October 7 of last year. At the time, it stated that in order to receive US chip-making tools, any China-based chip factory that produces DRAM cards of 18 micrometers or less or NAND flash memory cards with 128 layers or more must apply for a certificate. In addition, & nbsp,

It stated that while services owned by multinational corporations will be decided on a case-by-case schedule, those held by Chinese institutions will likely be denied.

The US government after granted Samsung and SK Hynix a one-year waiver to remain shipping US goods to China in response to their opposition. Media reports in late August claimed that the US would prolong the exemption, which was set to expire on October 11th. The ban has now been lifted indefinitely by the two Vietnamese companies. & nbsp,

The US choice, according to Samsung, will considerably allay concerns about how its chip factories in China will operate. However, SK Hynix stated that the choice will contribute to stabilizing global semiconductor products.

The two biggest memory chip producers in China are Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp ( YMTC ) and ChangXin Memory technologies( CXMT ). According to reports, YMTC is able to produce 232-layer NAND chips( the more layers there are, the more store there is on a memory chip ). Now, CXMT may produce 19nm DRAM chips. & nbsp,

In contrast, Samsung has begun mass-producing 236-layer NAND fries and plans to do so in 2024. In order to make 321-layer Switch cards in the first half of 2025, SK Hynix is currently producing 10nm DRAM bits and 238 – layerNAND chip. & nbsp,

According to some Chinese critics, Samsung and SK Hynix can then increase their China-based creation and possibly launch a price war to take over China’s market. They claimed that several Chinese manufacturers of digital goods might try to use South Asian chips, which are typically of higher quality than those produced in China. & nbsp,

Huawei Technologies unveiled the Mate60 Pro, its flagship handset, on August 29. Its Kirin 9000s computer was a self-developed model. & nbsp,

The Kirn 9000s is a 7nm chip made by China’s top chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp( SMIC ), according to Canadian research firm TechInsights. Additionally, it claimed to have discovered two SK Hynix chips — a DRAM and a NAND chip — in the Mate60 Pro.

According to public data, SK Hynix’s DRAM and NAND chips could be produced at speeds of 50 % and 100 %, respectively, faster than those of CXMT and YMTC.

Read: The US extends the China device pavement waiver for the fabs of the allies.

@ jeffpao3 Follow Jeff Pao on Twitter at & nbsp.

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