The moon’s dimming light: China sees lacklustre mooncake sales as consumers refuse to bite

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SINGAPORE: Instead of buying mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Event this year, consultant Ms Liu Siqi decided to save money and cook her own at a factory in Guangzhou, before reuniting with her home in her home, Foshan.

” I was considering whether to get them especially since Mid-Autumn is a unique time”, Ms Liu, 23, told CNA. However, I do n’t find them particularly tasty, and I believe the holiday mark-up is excessive. &nbsp,

With her eight handmade mooncakes, the recent graduate remarked that she could save up to four yuan ( US$ 0.56 ) a piece.

That’s actually as cakes prices have fallen this time. &nbsp,

According to research by Mashangying, the average market price dropped from 85.69 renminbi in 2023 to 83.36 renminbi. &nbsp,

The China Bakery and Confectionery Industry Association also found that the majority of the cheap product boxes are under 60 renminbi, and the majority of the major cakes gift boxes are more economical this time.

However, it seems as though the once-dazzling autumn pastry’s glow may have lost its appeal among consumers, with businesses also suffering from subpar sales despite the lower price point.

” We always ( purchase ) so many mooncakes during Mid-Autumn, and this year is no different”, Ms Liu said.

“( This year ) I wondered, if I brought home another ( store-bought ) box, would my family really need it”?

According to observers, it reflects new spending patterns in China, particularly among younger consumers, as individuals become more observant and pragmatic with their choices for both purchases and spending. &nbsp,

China’s extremely competitive cakes business was valued at a staggering 20 billion yuan in 2019, but revenue have decreased since the pandemic and merchants have continued to struggle. &nbsp,

While cakes sales in 2023 crossed pre-COVID rates, generating more 22 billion renminbi, the forecast this year is dimmed. &nbsp,

Cakes production is estimated to be about 300, 000 kilograms, down from 320, 000 kilograms in 2023. However, profits are projected to decline to 2019’s levels, according to a market trend statement released last month by the China Bakery and Confectionery Industry Association. &nbsp,

SIMPLICITY OVER LUXURY&nbsp,

In China, pastries are more than just a snack. Regarded as a symbol of luxury and extravagance, they are traditionally given to family, friends and relatives during the annual Mid Autumn Festival, which fell on Tuesday ( Sep 17 ). &nbsp,

The majority of Chinese buyers have become “more pragmatic”, said Ms Olivia Plotnick, chairman of Wai Social, a Shanghai-based social media marketing company– which is “in collection with broader market changes” .&nbsp,

A greater emphasis on practicality, affordability, and real value is being fueled by rising economic pressures and changing consumer values, according to Ms Plotnick. &nbsp,

” When it comes to traditional products such as mooncakes, this manifests in ( consumers ) choosing simplicity and meaningfulness over luxury”.

Ms. Liu, one of the less financially savvy shoppers, attributed this year’s decline in mooncake purchases to China’s overall economic situation. &nbsp,

” Everyone is being more budget-conscious. It’s quite normal for people to scale down their spending in such situations”, she said. ” I think it’s due to the overall economic situation, which is n’t great this year, including my personal financial situation, which is not as good as last year”.

The slowing economy and continued anti-corruption drive, as well as quality issues, are contributing factors to the decline, according to some experts.

According to Julien Lapka, founder of Inner Chapter, a brand strategy and insight studio with a base in Shanghai, a nationwide crackdown on bribery and corporate gifting negatively impacted sales this year. &nbsp,

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US sanctions should stop hurting American business – Asia Times

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Whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris will lead the next US presidency, it will need to create numerous difficult choices to ensure long-term and robust economic growth.

The incoming Biden administration’s plan to overhaul the current restrictions program in ways that put economy before politics, for example.

American businesses are suffering from politically inspired sanctions that were intended to hurt foreign adversaries who are undoubtedly doing just as much, and in some cases, more harm to US business interests.

For instance, the US tariffs on aluminum and steel tripled as a result of the escalating conflict with China, which caused the country’s companies to suffer and source input from Chinese suppliers.

In terms of the economic harm US policymakers allegedly believed they would cause, disciplinary US sanctions against Russian firms have largely failed.

However, the actions frequently have caused American businesses to boom and also have greatly impacted the country’s economy, which also contributes to Washington’s continued use of the buck as yet another form of sanctions.

Two American firms ‘ cases — International Paper Company and Arconic Corporation—stand out as sobering stories.

After the US authorities imposed sanctions against American business activities that, International Paper Co, a leading US manufacturer of packaging materials and cellulose materials, had to stop operating and promote its ownership interest in Russia.

In change, International Paper Co completely closed its three firms in Orange, Texas, Riegelwood, North Carolina, and Pensacola, Florida at the end of next year.

The shutdowns reduced the company’s production by about 1.3 million tons ( 8.3 % ), and over 900 employees were laid off. According to media reports, the complete shutdown expenses amounted to some US$ 664 million.

Despite the fact that the package did not ultimately come through, the sanctions-caused turmoil led to acquisition discussions with Suzano, the largest Portuguese papers and pulp company in Latin America. Since then, there have n’t been any known reports of the company’s production recovery or potential merger.

Perhaps more intriguing is Arconic Corporation’s event. In November 2022, the firm was essentially forced to sell 100 % of its Russia-based firm, which commenced activities in 2007.

After the sanctions-forced divestiture, Arconic Corporation recorded a$ 304 million after-tax loss on the sale in the last quarter of 2022.

According to the Des Moines Register, the firm entered into an agreement and a consolidation program in May 2023 to been acquired by money managed by Apollo Global Management, Inc. members.

In Q1 2023, Arconic Corporation’s accounts payable were$ 1.5 billion and its net profit dropped by almost 40 % to$ 25 million from$ 42 million in 2022 quarter on quarter.

Davenport Works, Arconic Corporation’s key manufacturing center located in Iowa, had 2, 400 people in the fall of 2023.

The Quad Cities Metropolitan Area, which includes Rock Island and Moline in Illinois and Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa, was finally included among the ten largest companies.

But, after the deal closed in August 2023, Arconic Corp’s stock stopped trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Since the company is then privately held, public opinion is not currently being offered on its production indicators.

These two are just two of the numerous large American firms that are enduring Washington’s increasingly harsh sanctions regime. Small and medium-sized enterprises furthermore face major challenges from US restrictions, which generally prove fatal to their operations.

If America’s following head opt to establish new politically motivated restrictions, American firms and their employees will feel the pain as much, if not more, than America’s enemies. And at a time when the US market as a whole is gaining ground. &nbsp,

However, neither candidate seems possible to roll up sanctions and emphasize US business interests. Harris’s Democrats have championed the present storm of sanctions, meaning she’ll probably survive Biden’s policies.

Trump’s success, on the other hand, is likely to ratchet up the price war he started with China in his previous administration. He has pledged to impose tariffs on nations that help de-dollarization initiatives.

In any case, regardless of which party will win the Oval Office in November, it would be wise to evaluate and modify policies that prioritize political considerations and issues over British business interests.

That would n’t need to mean burying the hatchet and making friends with Russia’s Putin or China’s Xi. The next president will still have plenty of ways to impose sanctions on allies and change them in ways that benefit American businesses rather than harm them. It’s great time to do so.

Jason Rivers is a freelance blogger and former investment bank researcher with a focus on US politics, economy, and international relations.

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Gold Apollo: Taiwan pager maker stunned by link to Lebanon attacks

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BBC A pager made by Gold Apollo BBC

The search for the originator of the pagers that exploded in Lebanon has taken an unexpected turn, heading in the direction of a Chinese business that few had heard of until this day.

In the blasts that targeted Hezbollah people on Tuesday, which sparked a gepolitical upheaval in the Middle East, at least 12 people were killed and almost 3, 000 were hurt.

Caught in the issue, Chinese firm Gold Apollo’s leader Hsu Ching-Kuang bluntly denied his organization had anything to do with the problems.

Instead, Mr. Hsu has claimed that he gave his trade level to a Hungarian business called BAC Consulting so they could use the name Gold Apollo on their own websites. BBC attempts to contact BAC have so far been fruitless.

” You look at the pictures from Lebanon”, Mr Hsu told investigators outside his firm’s practices on Wednesday. ” They do n’t have any mark saying Made in Taiwan on them, we did not make those pagers”!

The headquarters of Gold Apollo are in a huge new business area in a non-descript district of Taiwan’s money, Taipei.

Except for the two police officers stationed at the gate, who are prepared to ward off the huge bunch of reporters and Television crews squatting around, they appear exactly like any of the thousands of small buying companies and manufacturers that make up the region’s economy.

A clip of little squarish plastic devices with tiny gray LCD screens hangs on the walls of Gold Apollo’s workplace. They are all pagers.

Until this day the bank’s site had a website devoted to each, extolling its values and realities. However, the site went online as soon as information emerged that Gold Apollo was the reported owner of the weapons used in the assaults in Lebanon.

Mr. Hsu claimed that BAC Consulting pagers were used in the problems in Lebanon. He claimed that BAC Consulting and his business had entered into a three-year partnership three years ago.

The cash payments from BAC had been “very strange”, he added. There had been difficulties with the repayments, which had come through the Middle East, he told investigators, but he did not go into details.

First, he said, BAC wanted to buy pagers from Gold Apollo to offer in Europe. However, they came up with a new idea after about a year to create their personal pagers and gave Gold Apollo’s title.

We merely grant the brand’s brand a license, and Gold Apollo never participated in the product’s design or production, according to a statement.

However, the fact that there is now a team from the Taipei investigation bureau working in his office, which also contains a lot of carboard boxes, suggests that the Japanese authorities are not completely at ease.

Joy Chiang / BBC Reporters surround two police officers as they enter the offices of Gold Apollo in Taipei. Joy Chiang / BBC

Nevertheless, Mr Hsu’s statement that his company did n’t make the devices is plausible.

Taiwan’s manufacturing industry is a sizable maze of small businesses, many of which do not really produce the goods they sell. They may have research and design agencies, ownership of the brand name, and the academic house. However, the majority of the genuine production is done overseas in factories in China or Southeast Asia.

Pagers are not exactly cutting-edge systems; there are many businesses all over the world that are capable of producing them.

They are tiny television receivers that can read and display emails, with LED screens. Electric pagers were regarded as the most recent technology in the 1980s and 1990s and were used by tens of millions of people. Businesses used pagers to send brief words messages to subject people before mobile phones.

Joy Chiang / BBC Police officers inside the offices of Gold Apollo in Taipei. Joy Chiang / BBC

However, with the development of the wise phone, pagers have come to the brink of extinction. They are now a market system that hospitals can use to communicate with doctors and nurses even when other conversation lines are hampered.

Beginning in the late 2000s, Gold Apollo began producing additional short-range radios, primarily for restaurants. A round disc that is currently the most popular item the company sells to customers in restaurants and food courts is the company’s most popular product right now. It vibrates and lights off when the order is available.

As a trustworthy voicemail company, it’s possible that Gold Apollo’s model was instrumental in selling the pagers that ended up with Hezbollah.

However, in this remarkable tale, there are still more questions than answers.

Who is or was responsible for BAC Consulting that we are so little aware of?

If Gold Apollo did not produce the pagers used in the invasion in Lebanon, therefore who and where did they do?

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China’s push into Africa makes good strategic sense – Asia Times

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China’s relation with Africa is set to strengthen. At a conference in Beijing in early September, China’s leader, Xi Jinping, pledged to offer US$ 51 billion in money, funding and assistance to the globe over the next three decades, as well as upgrading diplomatic ties.

Beijing’s near relationship with Africa is not fresh. The first international trip of the year for Taiwanese foreign officials has almost always been to one or more African nations since 1950. However, Xi’s commitments are also certain to raise questions in the US and other Eastern nations, which are competing with China for worldwide influence.

They might even rekindle concerns that China might use “debt-trap diplomacy” to stifle American nations and thus gain control over them. Such is the power of this tale that South Africa’s leader, Cyril Ramaphosa, felt compelled to refuse it at the conference.

The notion of Taiwanese debt traps, especially the renowned circumstance of Sri Lanka’s port of Hambantota, which, in 2017, the Sri Lankan government leased to a Chinese firm to increase liquidity, has been debunked many times.

However, it is crucial to know what China hopes to achieve with diplomacy as American populations and economies expand and China’s relationship with them continues to grow.

China’s wedding with Africa is proper as well as economical. China’s diplomatic ties with Africa help it succeed in its goals of being a major player in a unipolar world, whether it is improving access to resources, increasing global use of its currency, or winning more vote at the UN.

The longer game

From a strictly financial view, Africa is a potentially profitable market for China. The potential for growth into Africa is enormous for Chinese companies because of its underserved industry and booming population.

This is especially true now that the African Continental Free Trade Area, which was established in 2018, opens the door to the development of cross-border price bars in Africa.

Natural tools make up the majority of the products that China exports from Africa. Many of these sources have proper importance, for instance, in manufacturing batteries. In return, Taiwanese firms export a wide range of items to Africa, including manufactured goods, industrial and agricultural machinery, and automobiles.

In terms of foreign direct investment, Chinese companies are still only the fifth-largest investors in Africa after their Dutch, French, US and UK counterparts. However, their ascent has been relatively quick, and Chinese companies have made significant investments in manufacturing and construction in addition to Western ones.

Chinese companies are major players in the construction industry in Africa, frequently working on projects that are funded by loans from Chinese banks to African governments. In 2019, for example, Chinese contractors accounted for about 60 % of the total value of construction work in Africa.

Some of China’s infrastructure projects have had little impact on Africa’s trade or economic development. And it has, admittedly, also contributed to the increased debt burden of several African countries.

The construction of the Nairobi Expressway was supposed to decongest Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi. &nbsp, Photo: Daniel Irungu / EPA via The Conversation

For instance, the expensive expressways that connect Nairobi in Kenya and Kampala in Uganda to the respective international airports have made life easier for city elites and tourists. However, they have not stimulated economic growth.

China has therefore made the recent move to reevaluate its infrastructure finance strategy. In 2021, Xi introduced the concept of” small and beautiful” projects better targeted at the partner country’s needs – a concept he repeated at the recent summit.

It is this alignment with the demands of African leaders that sets China’s engagement with Africa apart from that of the West. Many African leaders ‘ top demands include investment in manufacturing value chains and the importation of African processed goods rather than just raw resources.

Xi’s keynote speech addressed these two concerns. He vowed to increase investment in key industries and to allow for more free-flowing African goods.

China’s support to African nations is political as well as economic. African leaders have been appreciative of its non-interference in the country’s internal affairs, in stark contrast to Western nations, who frequently base their support on the respect of particular social or economic conditions.

This has, in turn, bolstered China’s diplomatic influence on the continent. How many nations maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which the Chinese government views as being part of its territory, is a good indicator of this influence. Only Eswatini and Taiwan have close ties in Africa, and only a small number of other nations have representative offices.

Another Chinese goal is to expand the global reach of its currency, the renminbi. Its goal is to contest the US dollar’s dominance, which gives America complete control over all international transactions.

Since the late 2000s, the People’s Bank of China has signed bilateral swap agreements with Morocco, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa to conduct transactions in renminbi. Additionally, China wants to increase the renminbi’s use in official lending, both through regional institutions like the New Development Bank and domestic banks like the China Development Bank.

Much like Africa’s Western partners, China pursues both political and economic interests in its dealings with the continent. But, with Western leaders paying little attention to Africa, China does n’t need to pursue debt-trap diplomacy to increase its influence there. To gain ground, it only needs to submit a stronger partnership offer.

The International Economic Development Group, ODI, has a senior research fellow named Linda Calabrese.

This article was republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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SAS collaborates with the government to advance Malaysia’s data analytics and AI capabilities

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  • attempts to have a 100-person workforce trained in AI and data analysis by 2025.
  • Engages with MDEC to help government’s modern transformation work

Left to Right: Amir Sohrabi, regional vice president for ASEAN-Korea and head of Digital Transformation for Emerging EMEA & Asia Pacific, SAS, guest-of-honour, minister of Digital Malaysia, Gobind Singh Deo, Febrianto Siboro, managing director (Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam), SAS.

Data and AI leader SAS announced its partnership with Premier Digital Tech Institutions ( PDTI ) by Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation ( MDEC ), furthering its commitment to Malaysia’s development as a digital leader. Through offering training and qualifications in Data Science and AI, the collaboration aims to provide support for MDEC’s Workforce Reskilling and Upskilling Initiative and provide students and teachers with data insights and AI abilities.

In a speech, SAS outlined its goal of training 100 pupils and teachers across PDTIs by the end of 2025, laying a solid foundation for Malaysia’s online business. This was made known during the opening of the new office for SAS, which was hosted by Gobind Singh Deo, the minister of digital Malaysia, at Menara IQ ( Persiaran TRX ). Through education courses and certifications, SAS’s announcements aim to bridge the gap between native talent desire and local talent provide.

” As a chief in information and AI, SAS is playing a crucial role in this national endeavor. Through our partnership with MDEC, we are committed to promoting retraining and upgrading in data analytics and AI, and equipping the workplace for today’s electric economy, according to Amir Sohrabi, local vice president for ASEAN-Korea and mind of modern transformation for Emerging Europe &amp, Asia Pacific, SAS.

” Our engagement with MDEC aims to ensure that Malaysia’s online business has a strong, future-ready skills network. We look forward to strengthening our engagement between the government, economy, and educational organizations to crystallize Malaysia’s leadership in modern technology. Also, we plan to make our training and certifications more visible and affordable”, he added.

However, Gobind said,” SAS has been at the vanguard of business analysis, having been established in Malaysia for over 40 times. The organization is recognised as the number one industry leader in AI and advanced analysis, with 91 of the best 100 Fortune 500 corporations as SAS clients. This partnership between SAS and MDEC is very welcome, and I encourage more businesses to work with the Ministry of Digital to expand the talent pool.

” The beginning of our Regional Hub KL business is a significant step in the SAS’s journey through Malaysia and the area. This company serves as a regional hub for Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam, fostering synergies across regions and leveraging our regional partner system to deliver and implement SAS systems for local businesses and institutions”, said Febrianto Siboro, managing director ( Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam ), SAS.

” Along with our colleagues, we will deliver relevant activities and solutions to help local businesses in banking, insurance, and other businesses harness AI properly for fraud prevention, risk reduction, and strategic decision-making”, he added.

Operating in Malaysia for more than 35 times, SAS is trusted by banks, state, and local organisations to alleviate chance and meet regulatory conformity through its solutions.

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Illegal villas closed, tenants ordered out, on Koh Samui

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PUBLISHED: 18 Sep 2024 at 10: 25

Officials post a closure notice at one of the 21 illegally built villas on the mountainside at Bo Phut on Koh Samui, Surat Thani, on Tuesday. (Photo: Internal Security Operations Command)
On Tuesday, officials post a shutdown recognize at one of the 21 improperly constructed villas on the mountain at Bo Phut on Koh Samui, Surat Thani, on the island. ( Photo: Internal Security Operations Command )

Sur THANI- Authorities have evicted 21 improperly constructed villas from Koh Samui, some of which had been ordered to evict foreigners.

Provincial, military and ombudsman’s staff on Tuesday posted closing observes at the villas, which are on Khao Ma Ngaen hills in tambon Bo Phut of the holiday island.

The 21 residences were one of 46 that were improperly constructed by three businesses in tambon Bo Phut. They had no creating mandates and encroached on the mountain. &nbsp,

There were unusual residents in three of the 21 residences. One of them, a Frenchman with a cleaning company, said he had a one-year contract and paid a monthly fee of 20, 000 baht. The residents showed up and were leaving the three residences.

The various villas had been advertised as applicable for rent, but they were all gone.

Col Dusit Kesornkaeo, an atmosphere safety commander of the Internal Security Operations Command, said on Monday that 46 residences were illegally built on a hill. Because no one had filed an appeal against the original closing order, the authorities were closing them.

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US putting stealth before speed in hypersonic missile race – Asia Times

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The US is betting on its newest cunning long-range hit weapon, which will significantly improve its arsenal of missiles and stand out from its near-peer rivals in terms of fast styles.

This month, The War Zone reported US defense contractor Lockheed Martin has unveiled the AGM-158 Extreme Range (XR ) Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile ( JASSM) variant at the Air Force Association’s Air, Space &amp, Cyber 2024 event near Washington, DC.

The XR version, designed to meet the evolving needs of warfighters, features a spread aircraft to provide more gas, a feature that extends its range to about 1, 600 kilometers, close to the Tomahawk missile.

The War Zone review notes that this improvement allows for modern integration and inline upgrades because of the modularity of the production lines. The report says the AGM-158 XR may have a 450-kilogram weapon and give a long-range, survivable hit ability against highly-defended targets, especially in the Pacific theater.

It mentions that the low-observable style and superior targeting systems increase its potency in deep fight environments.

Lockheed Martin targets a generation target of 1, 100 weapons per month, which could be used in several aircraft, including aircraft, soldiers and cargo planes. The XR variant, according to The War Zone, is anticipated to lower fuel requirements and speed up operations, giving the US government and its allies important advantages.

Testing of the AGM-158 XR is anticipated to commence in the coming years. The AGM-158 XR aims to address inadequacies in selection, endurance, and secrecy that legacy weapons like the Harpoon and Tomahawk then struggle to match against modern challenges.

Asia Times noted in April 2023 that the Harpoon, the US Navy’s major anti-ship weapon for many years, is obsolete, slow and fast countered by current weapon defenses because its assistance system lacks accuracy.

To help the weapon in locating targets in challenging coastal environments, the Harpoon Block II improve package addresses these shortcomings by including a new GPS device and trip control system. It even features a two-way datalink for mid-flight advertising and a possible infrared wanderer for all-weather features.

Still, the Harpoon might not have the necessary range and penetration capabilities for aircraft and warships to remain outside China’s anti-access/area-denial ( A2/AD ) zone.

The Harpoon’s major flaw is its limited access to appropriate launch platforms other than carrier-based ones, which may make it necessary for US Navy carriers to operate closer to the major battle area, putting these highly beneficial ships in danger. Its short range of 128 kilometers for standard versions and limited availability on compatible launch platforms.

Furthermore, its limited range and non-stealthy design may reduce its effectiveness against advanced adversaries in specific environments. Additionally, its active radar seeker and lack of stealth capabilities could aid in enemy ship defenses.

The Tomahawk is prone to increasingly advanced air defenses launched by US near-peer adversaries like China and Russia despite having a long range and a powerful warhead. However, its non-stealth design and subsonic speed make it vulnerable to these advances.

In the wake of China and Russia’s ongoing hypersonic weapons war, the US’s decision to develop a stealthy, subsonic anti-ship missile may indicate that the US has a completely different design philosophy when creating such advanced ship-killing munitions.

Fabian Hoffman and Douglas Barrie discuss the issue of speed and stealth in the design of anti-ship missiles in an article from the International Institute of Strategic Studies ( IISS) published in October 2021.

Hoffman and Barrie mention that while China and Russia favor high-speed missiles like the YJ-21 and Zircon, others, including the US and Europe, prioritize subsonic missiles with advanced maneuverability and low signatures.

In an April 2023 article for Air &amp, Space Forces Magazine, David Roza explains why the US took the latter approach in designing its next-generation anti-ship missiles. According to Rosa, the fast-paced nature of hypersonic weapons makes them more difficult to spot, such as plasma wakes and chemical reactions.

He mentions that these weapons leave distinctive light wavelengths and plumes that sophisticated sensors could track. Rosa also points out that the use of a wide range of sensors, including space-based sensors that can detect ultraviolet and hyperspectral light, makes use of hypersonic weapon’s unique weaknesses to improve missile defense capabilities.

In an April 2024 article for The Debrief, Micah Hanks points out that stealthy anti-ship missiles have a low radar cross-section and a low infrared signature, making it challenging for enemy defenses to detect and intercept them.

Hanks says semi-autonomous guidance systems reduce dependency on external intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms, ensuring effectiveness in intense electromagnetic warfare environments.

He adds that the capability to coordinate attacks through data sharing among multiple missiles provides swarm capabilities, allowing for coordinated, high-precision strikes.

The US may not be able to produce enough of these weapons in order to have a significant impact on potential regional conflicts in the Taiwan Strait or South China Sea, despite the advanced capabilities that might be present aboard the AGM-158 XR.

The US is facing numerous significant challenges in producing precision-guided munitions ( PGM ), with the production of JASSM missiles and Tomahawk Block Vs taking up to two years.

Further, due to workforce and supply chain constraints, the US defense industry struggles to increase production. Companies need stable contracts and clearer demand signals to invest in production, but the US Department of Defense’s ( DOD )’s ( DOD ) irregular orders only make things worse.

The US defense sector faces challenges because it relies on single-source sources for crucial components like rocket motors and missile energy. Additionally, there are vulnerabilities in the global supply chain, especially concerning the reliance on China for rare-earth metals.

Regulatory obstacles, including restrictive Foreign Military Sales ( FMS ) policies and International Traffic in Arms Regulations ( ITAR ), hinder the sale of arms to important allies, affecting the US defense industry’s capacity to increase production effectively.

And while coordinating the production of advanced weapons with allies can increase output, synchronizing their industrial capabilities with US military standards may pose challenges in synchronizing production and lead to potential operational delays.

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Commentary: The consumer protection crisis in Singapore’s renovation sector

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Suddenly, a regulatory body might be established to uphold dignity in the field of interior design. This organization is tasked with maintaining and updating market requirements. It can often check and evaluate businesses to make sure they are adhering to rules.

Secondly, the body should have the authority to enforce essential activities, such as issuing cautions or canceling licenses, against firms that fail to agree. This police capability will help to prevent errors and develop a tradition of accountability and professionalism within the sector, eventually safeguarding both homeowners and reliable design firms.

But, these proposed solutions have disadvantages. Interior design firms had merely pass any extra costs to customers, raising the price of renovations. Additionally, it will take time to establish any rules or regulatory bodies.

TIPS FOR Individuals

If you’re about to renovate your home, how can you minimise financial and legal challenges?

Second, do thorough research before engaging an interior artist. It’s crucial to read comments from past customers.

When hiring an interior designer, obtain a detailed contract that describes the scope of work, repayment schedule and objectives. Use an escrow payment system, which requires only money to be released after a project objectives are met with satisfaction.

Next, prioritise working with companies that have recognised business approval. For example, the Singapore Interior Design Accreditation Scheme, developed by the Society of Interior Designers, Singapore, defines the key skills and competencies of the market.

Customers can significantly lower the likelihood of falling prey to unscrupulous practices by being informed and competent.

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CNA Explains: Original equipment manufacturers or OEMs, and why companies rely on them

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What are the rewards? &nbsp,

An instant plus point is users getting their products sooner, said Asst Prof Choudhary, whose knowledge is in supply chain management.

Because some products are off the shelves, it shortens the lead time, allowing a new product to be released more quickly.

He added that the business also benefits from being able to determine the OEM’s dependability from previous client evaluations. &nbsp,

” It is a trade-off between making products available faster or cheaper, than unique”, he said. &nbsp, &nbsp,

Such an agreement furthermore lets a company focus on various factors like branding, advertising, design, sub-assembly or selling, authorities said.

” It is all about emphasis and specialisation”, said Prof De Meyer. Because of the economies of scale, this may result in better products being produced at higher quantities and so at lower costs.

How about the hazards? &nbsp,

The specialists noted that using an OEM may indicate a lack of control over the manufacturing process. &nbsp,

Prof. De Meyer cited a problem engine report from the aviation company Pratt &amp, Whitney from last year. This affected some carriers using Airbus A320 planes. &nbsp,

He added that because of their business models, Airbus and Boeing no lengthy appear to have complete control over the quality standards of their aircraft engines.

Asst. Prof. Choudhary noted on the company front that companies purchasing and marketing the same product may experience more market competition.

A company may even find it challenging to get an OEM merchandise at a desired period if the OEM places a larger order on another company’s list, he added. &nbsp,

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