Melbourne e-scooter ban prompted by public outrage

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Hire electronic scooters are prohibited in the American city of Melbourne because they pose unfavorable safety risks.

The state’s government made the right decision after it first announced the scooters in February 2022 and declared they would conduct a two-year test.

However, the government has been enraged and complained about by thousands of accidents since then.

Melbourne’s governor said he was “fed up” with the negative behaviour of some bike people.

“Too many people [are] riding on footpaths. People don’t park them properly. They’re tipped, they’re scattered around the city like confetti, like rubbish, creating tripping hazards,” Nicholas Reece told local radio station 3AW.

After a brief period of operation, Melbourne is the latest city in the world to stop renting scooters, which can travel up to 26 km/h ( 16 mph ). Last September, the French capital Paris outlawed them, and Mr. Reece claimed he wanted to imitate” the Paris opportunity.”

On Tuesday night, native councillors voted 6-4 to almost instantly outlaw the scooters.

Within 30 days, Lime and Neuron, the scooter ‘ owners, have been given the order to get rid of them.

The businesses had been campaigning greatly in recent days, urging customers to petition the government, but they still had six weeks left on their contracts to run the vehicles.

Both businesses claimed to have made significant investments in recent months to increase health and laws governing the use of scooters, with Neuron setting AI cameras on the scooters to stop abuse.

On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the city council decried the blanket ban, saying they had been in discussions with town officials about introducing measures like limiting bicycle use to less crowded areas of the city or creating riding zones.

This goes beyond the state government’s proposed changes, according to Jayden Bryant of Neuron, who had previously covered American media.

” It’s very odd that a different [delayed ] proposal for the introduction of new e-scooter technology can change to become a proposal for a ban,” he said.

Since the prosecution’s founding in February 2022, about 1,500 Lime and Neuron scooters have been distributed throughout the area.

Prior to now, the Melbourne town council had claimed motorbikes had increased the state’s use of public transportation and had increased its carbon footprint by more than 400 tons.

But there has also been growing facts of the program’s defects. One of the town’s main facilities, the Royal Melbourne hospital, published a report in December 2023 which found near to 250 scooter-riders presented at its emergency department with wounds in 2022. A majority of these concerned elements such as alcohol, speeding and never wearing a helmet.

According to a doctor spokesman, e-scooter accidents have also resulted in fatalities and brain injuries, with the majority of the injuries affecting younger patients.

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Infineon fab doubles down on Malaysia SiC chip production – Asia Times

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Infineon Technologies, a German company, has begun production at its brand-new facility in Kulim, Malaysia, which it hopes will become the world’s largest and most competitive 200-millimeter silicon carbide ( SiC ) power semiconductor factory.

Known as Kulim 3, the fresh lovely follows the beginning of Kulim 1 in 2006 and Kulim 2 in 2016, reinforcing Infineon’s long-term devotion to semiconductor manufacturing in Malaysia. The production of more energy-efficient electric vehicles requires the use of Such power sources.

For the formal launch ceremony on August 8th, Infineon CEO Jochen Hanebeck and state governor Kedah’s chief minister, Anwar Ibrahim, attended the official ceremony.

According to Hanebeck, “decarbonization and environment protection are the absolute prerequisites for new generations of energy semiconductors based on cutting-edge technologies like silicone carbide.” Our technology improves the power efficiency of complex software like AI data centers, solar and wind farms, and electric cars.

He added:” The expenditure in Kulim is very appealing to our clients, who are backing it with their prepayments”.

Infineon has reported prepayments from new and existing customers totaling about one billion euros for Kulim 3’s output, and about five billion euros ( US$ 5.46 billion ) worth of design wins in the automotive, industrial, and renewable energy sectors. &nbsp,

That will help pay for the bank’s purchase in Kulim 3, which is anticipated to be worth about two and five billion euros for Phases 1 and 2.

Although Phase 1 will concentrate on SiC power semiconductors, it will also use some of its potential for gallium nitride ( GaN ) epitaxy, which involves creating a GaN layer on a silicon wafer.

The service will become what Infineon envisions to be the largest and most effective 200-millimeter Such power semiconductor factory in the world when phase 2 is finished in 2027. Roughly 5, 000 jobs are expected to be created.

Kulim 3 may work closely with Infineon’s world centre for electricity semiconductors in Villach, Austria, where its SiC and GaN energy silicon systems are developed.

When they are available for large-scale generation, they are brought to Kulim, where there is enough room to satisfy demand. Kulim employees receive training at Villach.

Infineon adopts a” One Virtual Fab” approach, which combines both sites ‘ technologies and procedures to enable faster production ramp-up and more effective operations.

The older 200mm infrastructure in Kulim have now produced level savings. In Villach and Dresden, the organization runs 300-mm silicon lines, and it is likely to begin the Kulim 3 production conversion process in the coming years. Greater economies of scale are made by larger wafer.

Such power semiconductors are transforming high-power applications because they can switch electricity more effectively, resist large temperatures, and support automotive and industrial applications in less time than silicon.

They increase productivity in electric cars, battery charging stations and other programs including trucks, trains, professional technology, solar power and data centres.

GaN devices are employed in high-frequency devices like radar and microwaves. Although that business is much smaller, Infineon points out that” the demand for chromium nitride devices is growing extremely quickly, with a high double-digit CAGR.” It is crucial for us as the industry leader to expand both the manufacturing capacity and capabilities in order to meet this demand.

The Kulim 3 fantastic may be completely powered by alternative energy and use cutting-edge technologies to assure its successful use and help the goal of carbon neutrality as befits its product line. &nbsp,

Nvidia, which is Germany’s largest silicon firm, now has about 58, 600 people worldwide. Of these, more than 16, 000 are in Malaysia, in Kulim and in Melaka, where the corporation has been operating an assembly, package and check service since 1973. In Malaysia, Infineon employs more people than it does in Germany.

The company also has manufacturing and other activities in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, mainland China and India ( 25 locations in Asia-Pacific and 14 in Greater China ). Asia offers both the nation’s most aggressive labor costs and its largest marketplace for electronics.

Kulim 3 may develop Infineon’s position in the global market for Such power devices, of which it is now the world’s third-largest supplier, and for all types of power and mechanical semiconductors, for which it ranks second.

Resources: TrendForce data, Asia Times table.

In 2023, Infineon had 16.5 % of the worldwide market for Such power tools, according to TrendForce. By 2030, it hopes to possess 30 %, but so does Japan’s Rohm, and various companies are also taking an aggressive approach to power development and moving from 200-mm to 300-mm chips. According to the tech market research firm:

The SiC industry is currently in a phase of rapid growth and intense competition, where economies of scale are more important than any other factor, according to TrendForce. Leading manufacturers have switched from their traditional, skeptical approach to actively investing in SiC expansion plans to take the lead. Currently, more than 10 companies worldwide are investing in the construction of 8-inch SiC wafer plants”.

Despite the decline in demand for electric vehicles in Western nations, this is taking place. The majority of the new capacity is being added in Asia, where the majority of electric vehicles are produced, including China, Japan, and South Korea.

The top five suppliers collectively account for more than 90 % of all total SiC power semiconductor sales, and their combined market share goals total over 100 %. Therefore, competition is likely to continue to be fierce, lowering costs and improving the price of electric vehicles.

Nearly 50 % of Infineon’s workforce is based in Asia, and demand trends indicate that this percentage will increase. As CEO Hanebeck says,” we are building these fabs for 20 to 30 years”.

Follow this writer on&nbsp, X: @ScottFo83517667

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Nexea, Allianz General and Exitra collaborate to foster startup growth through Innovative-Startup Corporate Matching Programme

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  • A full of US$ 1 million has been provided by the first colleagues.
  • Plan sets companies with corporates to explore new markets, form alliances

Nexea, Allianz General and Exitra collaborate to foster startup growth through Innovative-Startup Corporate Matching Programme

Nexea has announced a collaboration with Allianz General Insurance Company ( Malaysia ) Berhad, Exitra, and several other major corporations for the Startup-Corporate Matching Programme. The Venture Capital and Startup Accelerator stated in a statement that the primary goal of this collaboration is to attach startups with well-established companies and cutting-edge tech companies for possible collaboration to cultivate cutting-edge innovation in Malaysia’s business ecosystem and above.

By utilizing social knowledge, Nexea and Allianz’s combined resources and expertise, as well as Nexea’s collaboration with Exitra, help to create a powerful entrepreneurial landscape. These alliances not only utilize unique skills but also open up opportunities for creativity, growth, and achievements.

The Startup-Corporate Matching Programme, an special action by Nexea, utilizes its experience and networking to match companies with organizations for exploring new markets and forming partnerships, joint ventures, investments, and acquisitions.

Nexea, Allianz General and Exitra collaborate to foster startup growth through Innovative-Startup Corporate Matching Programme” All businesses looking to work with companies should submit an application to utilize the support offered by large corporations.” Our invested startups have received revenues, millions in investments, and strong long-term partnerships with startup-friendly corporates, giving them an advantage over their competitors”, said Ben Lim ( pic ), CEO &amp, Founder of Nexea.

Enrolling in this programme offers startups many benefits, including securing business clients, building relationships with prospective acquirers, enhancing collaboration capabilities, and possibly achieving investments or corporate partnerships.

We’re looking forward to our fifth year of working with Nexea. We are aware of the value the business will continue to provide the Malaysian startup community. This collaboration has helped our partnership with local startups grow over the past few years,” said Sean Wang, CEO of Allianz General.

Each year, the programme matches 30 startups with 10 corporate partners, introducing each startup to five to ten corporations, which results in an average of five successful collaborations. The five-month duration of the program ensures a focused and effective partnership process. According to Nexea, past cohorts have significantly benefited, collectively securing US$ 1 million ( RM4, 500, 000 ) in funding.

Startups from a variety of industries and stages of development are invited to participate if their product( s ) are the least bit viable and their value proposition is clear. Selected startups will take part in a wide array of activities, including workshops, mentoring sessions, pitching events, and networking opportunities with corporate partners and other important stakeholders. These activities aim to encourage startups ‘ emergence and integration into the corporate world by providing them with valuable resources and connections to support their success.

Kevin Teoh, COO at Exitra, said,” Exitra’s partnership with Nexea perfectly aligns with our vision of fostering innovation and driving sustainable growth. We think we can find and invest in cutting-edge technologies and business models that will shape the future by working closely with local startups.

He added that as part of this partnership, Exitra will be actively scouting for startups with high growth potential, focusing on areas such as data-driven solutions, large language modeling, data warehousing, IoT for monitoring transparency, and industry-specific applications in healthcare, hospitality, and logistics.

The programme welcomes applications from startups across a range of sectors, such as fintech, insurtech, blockchain, e-commerce, property, FMCG, logistics, environment, waste and water management, and hospitality. The program gives entrepreneurs the chance to create innovative solutions and form valuable partnerships by connecting with over 80 businesses in these industries.

For Startups keen to learn more about the programme, visit Startup Corporate Matching Programme.

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Wagner rout in Mali puts Russia on an African backfoot – Asia Times

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While Russia’s army is bogged down in Ukraine, its soldiers are faring no greater in Africa.

In late July 2024, soldiers from the Wagner Group, a Moscow-aligned private military company, accompanied the Malian troops in what the Malian government called a” stability function” in the West African country’s northeastern city of Tinzaouaten, near the Algerian borders.

When fighting broke out between the coalition and separatists from the racially Tuareg separatist group Permanent Strategic Framework, the vision quickly sank. In surrender, Wagner and Mali troops were ambushed by militants from the al-Qaeda online Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM.

During the battle, apparently, over 40 Malian soldiers and 80 Fowler personnel were killed. Among the fatalities was Nikita Fedyanin, who ran Wagner’s common Telegram channel The Grey Zone.

Mali and Wagner attempted to minimize their costs while the Tuareg insurgents and JNIM were quick to applaud their victories.

And that is understandable. The Wagner Group and Russia are in a connect as a a result of Tinzaouaten’s battle. In a sophisticated security setting like Mali’s, it warns African leaders that Moscow-backed mercenaries are limited resources as a terrorism partner and regime protector. But it also challenges Moscow’s approach on the globe.

Since the demise of Wagner’s head, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in August 2023, Moscow has tried to take over the team’s functions by establishing the Africa Corps, a Ministry of Defense-controlled initiative designed to resemble Wagner. Collins fighters are being brought under the control and command of the Russian government by that job.

However, this has posed more of a challenge than Moscow had anticipated and has hampered Russia’s efforts to expand its cooperation with secret defense companies in Africa.

Wagner’s controversial stability

Map showing area of Mali: Premium Times Nigeria

Wagner suffered its biggest known loss of life in Africa as a result of the Tinzaouaten event.

For perspective, over France’s almost decade-long counterterrorism mission based in Mali, the French lost 59 men. The French strategy to combat terrorism in Mali helped to instill the grains of military unrest that spawned numerous dictatorships between 2020 and 2021.

Additionally, it provided the framework for Mali’s coup leaders to rely on Wagner for their protection requirements more than Paris.

Collins forces have had some success since arriving in Mali in December 2021, particularly since Prigozhin passed away. In November, Russian troops helped the Moroccan military retake the city of Kidal, a dissident stronghold.

That victory may have led to overconfidence: As the Tinzaouaten event shows, there are very genuine security issues across Mali. Wagner’s techniques, including uncontrolled violence and targeting citizens, are far from the most powerful tools for addressing Mali’s safety crises.

Though the Tinzaouten affair was Wagner’s largest known decline in Africa, it is not its second. In a brief-lived counterterrorism strategy in Mozambique, Wagner forces notably overpromised and underdelivered.

In that situation, Wagner stayed put for a short while before resuming after it became clear it was underprepared, underprepared, and dismissively toward its regional Mozambican military partners.

Despite the recent events in Mali’s similar vein, Wagner’s withdrawal of Mozambique may be on the minds of Mali’s leaders as a result of the party’s most recent setback.

Questions abound about whether Fowler or its son, the Africa Corps, did stay invested in Mali security.

The Moroccan army and its Russian partners may become more incensed over the surveillance mission and who is in charge. That relationship may need to be tested, as well as potential tension and different issues in the future.

Moscow’s moving

Following the Tinzaouaten invasion, Russia has made an effort to calm concerns. Sergey Lavrov, the foreign secretary, reaffirmed Russia’s devotion to the nation when he spoke with his counterpart in Belarus.

Russia’s proposal in Mali is far from moral. Mali is Africa’s fourth-largest supplier of silver. Like Wagner, Moscow wants a piece of that business. In November 2023, Russia signed an agreement with Mali to create the country’s largest silver plant.

On the surface, it looks like this could be an economic increase for Mali, but the site’s timeline is questionable. The work also has neocolonialist overtones, despite Russia’s speech to the contradictory.

There is, nevertheless, a situation in which Collins gains from the latest loss. The costs may actually improve Wagner’s standing with Mali’s military chiefs and the general Moroccan people, according to several security experts from Africa’s Sahel area. A strong sign of readiness to fight and perish alongside companions is.

Some segments of the populace were offended by Wagner’s willingness to join forces with state like Mali, which have long been afraid of international action.

Wagner’s Mali loss may have an unexpected impact on Moscow. A spokeswoman for Ukrainian military intelligence speculated that Ukraine may have contributed to the intelligence supply to Tuareg teams days after the incident.

Whether or not it was real or demeanor, Mali cut diplomatic relations with Ukraine. Niger, a nearby country, quickly followed suit. Ukraine has since vehemently denied presence.

This active, however, demonstrates how conflict exists between Kiev and Moscow. Wagner’s losses in Africa have a positive impact on Ukraine, making Wagner customers reevaluate the worth of their collaborations with Moscow. But as Mali’s effect suggests, for work is evidently fail.

Russia’s impossible deniability

Actually so, for Russia, Wagner’s deficits create more problems than opportunities. Moscow perhaps be held accountable for Wagner’s African problems, particularly as it attempts to replace Collins with the Africa Corps.

The Kremlin cannot now readily explain things like those that occurred in late July. As John Lechner, an analyst on Wagner and Soviet protection, noted, Moscow has allowed the Wagner model to dwell on in Mali, in part to provide Russia support for these types of security problems.

How much Moscow is proceed that pageantry – denying that Wagner’s failures are Russia’s failures also, especially with Mali’s government – is up for debate.

Despite the obvious price that Mali’s junta saw in a Wagner contract, the mission will eventually want to expand in order for incidents like those in Tinzaouaten to occur more frequently. If the Moroccan army tries to keep expanding its counterinsurgency force, this is especially good.

Moscow surely does n’t want to jeopardize its relationship with Mali’s coup leaders in the capital, Bamako. It also treads a gentle line, trying to avoid using any important means to empower Wagner’s remnants so that it can rebel against Moscow’s passions in Africa and elsewhere.

Also, grand ambitions to enlist tens of thousands of Africa Corps staff have apparently fallen miserably short, limiting Moscow’s options.

The Tinzaouaten event, while fascinating, provides a glimpse into Mali’s hard security environment and also highlights the limitations of engaging with Russian mercenaries, whether they were trained under Wagner or were upgraded under the Russian Africa Corps.

The College of Distance Education, US Naval War College, has Christopher Michael Faulkner as its associate professor of regional security interests.

The Conversation has republished this essay under a Creative Commons license. Read the original post.

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Hindenburg report: Why India’s market regulator Sebi is in the eye of a storm

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Getty Images Chairperson of Security and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Madhabi Puri Buch gestures with her hands as she speaks at the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) in MumbaiGetty Images

Has the Indian stock market been a topic of conversation for a while now, with keywords trending on social media around it.

The reason is n’t just investor interest, but has more to do with its regulator. This break it down a little.

It all started over the weekend when US-based activist-investor Hindenburg Research posted on X ( formerly Twitter ) that” something big” was coming.

Hours later, it released a report alleging links between Madhabi Puri Buch, the head of the controversial Adani group, and the Securities and Exchange Board of India ( Sebi ) chief executive. Both Ms Buch and the Adanis have denied crime.

Now, Hindenburg had last year accused the Adani group – founded by Indian billionaire Gautam Adani – of decades of “brazen” stock manipulation and accounting fraud.

The team- which has 10 publicly traded companies, operating across a wide range of industries, including commodities investing, airports, utilities, ports and green energy- had clearly denied the allegations.

However, Sebi is also looking into the allegations and billions were lost because of the controversy, which has since largely recovered.

Hindenburg then say that Ms Buch’s connections with the money used by the Adanis have impacted the firm’s research.

Ms. Buch has denied having any conflicts of interest and claimed that the expense occurred before she became a member of the controller. Additionally, there is no conclusive evidence to date linking Sebi’s analysis or Adani Group stocks to her expenditure in the funds.

At the end of trading on Monday, Adani Group’s market value was significantly reduced by the new allegations, which resulted in a$ 2.43 billion ( £1.9 billion ) discount from its earlier losses.

What then is said by Hindenburg?

Hindenburg referenced earlier reports by Financial Times and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project that linked mysterious offshore funds in Bermuda and Mauritius to Mr. Adani’s business partners in its record.

Hindenburg alleged that Ms Buch and her father, Dhaval Buch, invested in these sub-funds in 2015.

Her father wrote to the account executive asking to be made the only person “authorized to run the accounts,” weeks before Ms Buch became a full-time part of Sebi in 2017.

According to the report, Ms. Buch wrote to a wealth management company asking for the forgiveness of her husband’s full stake in the fund using her personal email address.

The Adani Group’s Chairperson’s alleged involvement in using the exact same money used by Vinod Adani, his brother, led to Sebi’s allegations that the company is unwilling to take meaningful action against think offshore shareholders.

Hindenburg even mentioned Ms. Buch’s husband’s appointment as an advisor for US purchase firm Blackstone, which has invested in Indian real estate investment trusts. They claimed that Sebi’s regulation changes during Ms. Buch’s time as a member and chairman had had a direct impact on businesses like Blackstone.

Getty Images The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) headquarters at the Bombay Kurla Complex (BKC) in MumbaiGetty Images

What is Ms Buch’s reply?

The opportunities mentioned in the Hindenburg review were made in 2015 by Ms Buch and her husband, according to a statement released by them in a speech.

They claimed that Mr. Buch and the then-Chair Investment Officer Anil Ahuja, who likewise “had several decades of a successful investment career,” were friends when they were young.

” As confirmed by Mr Ahuja, the account did not invest in any relationship, capital or variant of any Adani group business”, their statement said.

The market regulation, according to the statement, had” robust institutional mechanisms of disclosure and recusal norms” that they had “diligently followed.

The Hindenburg statement was characterized as an effort at” character assassination of its chairperson” and an assault on Sebi’s credibility.

The couple claimed that Ms. Buch’s “recess record maintained with Sebi” included the investment firm and that Mr. Buch had a relationship with Blackstone.

What about Sebi?

The industry regulator said in a speech that it had “duly investigated” Hindenburg’s complaints against the Adani Group.

Additionally, it stated that its chairman recused herself in issues involving “potential conflicts of interest” and that she had made the necessary statements in “terms of assets of stocks and their transfers.”

Getty Images Gautam Adani, chairman of Adani Group, during a Bloomberg Television interview at the company's headquarters in AhmedabadGetty Images

And the Adani Group?

The company described the allegations as” a reuse of rejected claims that have been thoroughly investigated and ] proven to be false” in a statement released on its site on Sunday.

” Our overseas having structure is completely transparent, with all relevant information disclosed regularly in many public files”, it said.

Anil Ahuja, according to the group, was previously a director of Adani Enterprises and a nominee director of Adani Power from 2007 to 2017.

The Adani Group added that it had no business dealings with the people or issues mentioned in this ill-fated, deliberate effort to harm our reputation.

According to Hindenburg’s earlier report, which accused the Adanis of stock manipulation and accounting fraud, their businesses lost almost$ 150 billion from their market value, despite having mostly recovered the losses since then.

In January, in a major relief to the group, India’s top court rejected pleas for an additional investigation into the allegations. It also gave Sebi three months to complete its investigation – that deadline has long passed, but according to Sebi’s latest statement, it has completed 23 inquiries and the last one is “close to completion”.

In June, Sebi also issued a” show-cause notice” to Hindenburg Research, accusing it of violating US securities laws by colluding with an investor who made a short bet against the Adani group ahead of the report’s release. Hindenburg has dismissed the allegation.

A political slugfest

Rahul Gandhi, the leader of opposition in India’s parliament, said that the allegations have “gravely compromised” the “integrity” of Sebi,” which is entrusted with safeguarding the wealth of small retail investors”.

His party in the Congress has demanded that the allegations be investigated by the government and that “every aspect of the Adani investigation be resolved in its entirety.”

Mr. Adani has long been accused by opposition politicians of profiting from his political connections, which he denies. He is widely believed to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mr Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP), in turn, has accused the Congress of being “involved in creating economic anarchy” and “hatred against India”.

A top finance ministry official said on Monday that the government had “nothing to add” on the issue as both Sebi and Ms Buch had given statements.

What happens next?

In its response to Ms Buch’s statement, Hindenburg has doubled down on its accusations, saying it raises “numerous new critical questions”.

Sebi, Ms Buch and the Adani Group have n’t reacted yet to the latest comments.

We have n’t yet heard the last of the controversy because opposition politicians are expected to continue raising it.

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How an Australian helped create the Trumpism monster – Asia Times

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You ca n’t help but feel sorry for Rupert Murdoch.

In Mary Shelley’s popular book, Dr Frankenstein created a dragon that took on a life of its possess, and which he could no longer manage. Murdoch has now lost power of both of his monster creations, putting him in opposition to Frankenstein. He is struggling and threatened to seriously harm the US politics due to them.

Murdoch’s initial dragon is the Fox News crowd, which after much agriculture into the Fox News dream land, refuses to believe any news that does not meet its prejudices. Fox, as a result, feels compelled to strengthen its fantasies rather than report properly.

Murdoch’s second demon grew out of the first – a Donald Trump-dominated Republican Party. Trump’s status as a “non-person” was a goal of Murdoch, but the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee next quarter demonstrated that he now commands the party in a way unlike anyone else in recent memory.

‘ Red foods’ to republicans

When Fox News began in 1996 the chief executive for its first 20 times, Roger Ailes, said:

Rupert Murdoch, I, and, by extension, the majority of Americans think that the information tends to be left-leaning.

However, Fox News had a significantly more traditional center of gravity than Fox News, which is never just a popular news outlet. From the beginning, it was more of a advertising system, and this became exceedingly pronounced over the years. More and more, its prime-time products consisted of criticism rather than information programs, designed to serve “red foods” to the Democratic base.

News that did n’t fit increasingly did n’t appear. But, when the Iraq war began, there was loud flag-waving, but as it became physically trickier, the channel gave it much less interest, although there were always efforts to find a good gloss.

During Barack Obama’s second presidential term, Fox News acted as a enlisting and promotion car for the far-right, nationalist Tea Party. Trump’s absurd say that Obama was never born in the United States and so unqualified to serve as president was given more weight. Glenn Beck, a host of FOX News, claimed that Obama had a deep anger for light people and was a racist.

During the COVID pandemic, it frequently denied the intensity of the disease, and gave attention to anti-vaxxer sights and doctor cures.

Some Fox News people were ready to accept Trump’s accusations of electoral fraud after his 2020 victory. Increasingly, however, the key people at Fox News and in the Murdoch solid believed the vote was good.

There is” no evidence of fraud,” according to Fox News ‘ chief political correspondent Bret Baier. None”. Murdoch’s New York Post urged Trump to accept the result. In an editor, the newspaper said his “baseless” stolen election language “undermines belief in democracy and belief in the country”.

A fresh danger and innovative approach

Pretty soon, a sense of crises overcame Fox News. Its prime-time scores had fallen, and by some steps, CNN was now away. What most spooked the network’s management, however, was that two small news operations, Newsmax and One America News Network ( OAN), which were even more right-wing than Fox, were being publicly praised by Trump and had picked up viewers.

Fox’s feeling of problems led it on a terrible journey. It may have been a anxious overstatement.

It is strange to see a drop in viewers after the election, especially among those who lost. After Obama’s success, for example, Fox rapidly regained ground, becoming the strongest opposition speech against the new leadership. Additionally, despite receiving more people than Fox, neither Newsmax nor OAN had the tools to properly compete with Fox.

Six days after the election, on November 9 2020, Fox News executives nonetheless committed the network to push “narratives that would entice]the ] audience back”. In the double-talk of Fox News control, they resolved to “respect” their visitors, by which they meant strengthen their fantasies.

This resulted in a gigantic turn. Within two weeks, Fox News had questioned the election result 774 days, according to Media Matters for America.

None of them seemed to be concerned about the network’s intention to intentionally promote a falsehood as a result of this change of strategy. Nor did the fact that they were, in the terms of their sister release, the New York Post, undermining trust in democracy and the society. The audience’s return was crucial.

The reality emerges.

The show’s main targets rapidly became Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic, two businesses that had previously been focused on promoting accusations of electoral fraud.

On the democratic battle, there were scarcely tangible consequences for running unfounded stories. But Fox had wandered into a legitimate labyrinth. And it was not tiptoeing.

Sidney Powell, Trump’s attorney, claimed that the companies that controlled the voting machines had engaged in” the most substantial and horrifying scam the world has ever witnessed.”

Lou Dobbs was perhaps the most forthright of the Fox News participants, calling it” an political 9/11″ and a” computer Pearl Harbor”.

3,600 connections were sent to Fox News by Dominion to disprove the various charges without success. Therefore, it filed a libel lawsuit. The situation went on for several weeks, and on the day the prosecution was about to commence, Fox settled. The outcome was a huge slander pay:$ 787.5 million.

But it was not merely the cost, it was the embarrassment. Dominion obtained thousands of domestic Fox News documents as part of the discovery process and the necessary affidavits, demonstrating the striking contrast between what network members privately said and what was said.

Murdoch, in his testimony, said he never believed any of the states of computer scams. Additionally, his dislike of Trump was revealed in the interior connections. After the January 6 2021 protests at the US Capitol, he wrote in an email that he aimed to make Trump a “non-person“.

Trump’s comment to these disclosures was sharp and predictable. On his Truth Social program, he wrote:

If Rupert Murdoch and his team of MAGA [ Make America Great Again ] Hating Globalist Republicans [ Republican in name only ] can honestly say that they are supporting and assisting the devastation of America with false information, then they should get out of the news industry as soon as possible.

Trump’s ascension and Murdoch’s confinement

Deep and terrible rifts existed between Trump and Murdoch. In later 2022 and first 2023, Fox’s search for a Trump substitute became most widely known. In the 2022 US midterm primaries, the Democrats did much better than expected, and Trump-endorsed prospects performed poorly. The shining exceptions for Republicans was the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis.

Murdoch embraced him. Often gentle, a New York Post entrance page anointed him” DeFuture” and later had a caricature of Trump as Humpty Dumpty, headlined” Trumpty Dumpty“.

DeSantis fought fervently for the culture, and Murdoch and some hoped he could avoid carrying the legal and personal cargo of” Trumpism.”

But, DeSantis proved to be Trumpism without a hint of likeability. DeSantis did not dare to question Trump’s portrayal of suffering, praising his states that his vote had been stolen and that his legal battles were political witch hunts.

By the late 2023, it was obvious that Trump was going to get the Republican presidential election. All business reasoning suggested that Fox News should amend its relationship with Trump. Trump’s political logic also suggested that a détente with the largest and most powerful liberal media organization was necessary.

In January 2024, the relationship broke off. Trump’s first exist broadcast appearance in two years was a town hall event hosted by Fox. Trump was given a system by CNN in addition to the various Republican presidential candidates, who were also debated.

DeSantis was angry, saying Trump has “got a Templar Watch of the liberal media, Fox News, the platforms, all this stuff”.

As a last act of homage, Murdoch attended the Republican National Convention. But it only underlined his fresh inequality. Trump, himself, was pleasant:” I speak with Rupert Murdoch a bit. … He’s 100 % strong, he’s strong as a tack”.

Donald Trump Jr, then the self-proclaimed MAGA executor, was less pleasant. Fox denied that he had been blacklisted by Fox News. Then he said:

Once upon a time, you had to bend the knee to [ Murdoch ] or to other people if you wanted to survive in the Republican Party. … I do n’t think that’s the case anymore.

To offend Murdoch more, one of the stars of the agreement was Tucker Carlson, who had been fired by Fox 15 weeks earlier. Carlson sat in Trump’s VIP field next to the ex-president, while Murdoch was some distance apart in a separate box.

Also, Murdoch seemed to have zero control over Trump’s vice presidential selection, and probably was actually counterproductive. While Donald Trump Jr. and Carlson were exceedingly strategic in pushing Vance, there were information that he had pushed against JD Vance’s choice.

According to Carlson,” when your opponents are pushing a running partner at you,” you may reject them.

What damage has been done?

All of this serves to highlight Trump’s continued supremacy. It is necessary to pay tribute to Trump and his fables in order to progress in the Republican Party. The Washington Post examined roughly 700 Republican presidential candidates for office before the midterm elections in 2022, and at least one-third of them endorsed Trump’s false election fraud says.

Not only is the group subjected to his view, but there is a new class of important, pro-Trump, mega-donor businessmen, whose impact may be increasing and whose views may be called – at best – eccentric.

Elon Musk, for example, seemed to promise he would give a pro-Trump political action committee US$ 45 million ( A$ 68 million ) a month, but in true Trumpian fashion he later seemed to backtrack. Musk also believes” the woke mind virus” is “one of the greatest threats to modern civilization”.

Another tech billionaire, Peter Thiel, Vance’s principal backer, has said,” I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible”. Indeed, Thiel thinks that

The last decade of American history had the potential to be genuinely optimistic during the 1920s. The notion of” capitalist democracy” has become an oxymoron as a result of the vast increase in welfare recipients and the expansion of the franchise to women, two traditionally difficult for libertarians.

This Republican Party is a completely different beast from Murdoch’s, which had such a significant influence in recent years. Indeed, Peter Wehner, who worked for three Republican presidents, says the party today under Trump is pretty much the opposite of its former self.

Murdoch has never exhibited any sign of regret-healing. However, he would detest the political landscape of today because of the electoral system’s legitimacy, conspiracy theories have more potency than they have in the past, and the Republican Party is led by a person he despises and considers to be a threat to democracy.

Does he ever acknowledge that his actions have given forces, which now conflict with and threaten his own values, new life? He might argue that it is necessary for business, but he is well aware of the harm that his media has caused to American democracy.

Rodney Tiffen is a University of Sydney emeritus professor in the Department of Government and International Relations.

The Conversation has republished this article under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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EVs complicate Musk-Ukraine loss of affection – Asia Times

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Through technology, cost-effectiveness, and time-to-market, the Odesa, Ukraine-based Ecofactor electric vehicle recharging business is well on the verge of fracturing and ineffective Vehicle industry.

The monthly SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington, DC, the largest international event for foreign direct investment, was led by Ecofactor founder and CEO Sergii Velchev, who also led a Russian group there. More than a few US administrators attended the event, which was hosted by US President Joe Biden and US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

After expanding Ecofactor out of Ukraine to neighboring businesses like Romania, Moldova, Poland, Czechia, Bulgaria, and Austria, Velchev stated that he was considering starting an Ecofactor factory in the United States. Ecofactor after expanded its functions to non-EU industry of&nbsp, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Based on Ukraine’s high levels of architectural, IT development, and business production, Velchev is slowly turning Ecofactor into a world competitor in the same way Tesla founder Elon Musk did Tesla founder Elon Musk built his start-up from the engineering legacy of the now-defunct UK company Lotus.

YouTube video

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Sergii Velchev, the founder and CEO of Ecofactor, discusses his Odesa, Ukraine-based EV charging business at the SelectUSA Investment Summit in National Harbor, Maryland on June 25, 2024, and a tour of the Ecofactor stock and offices in Odesa on July 29, 2024.

Ukraine was able to hit up Russia’s invasion by transforming$ 500 business drones into crowds of guided violent weapons, defeating the world’s second-largest military by mind power and no bulk.

Ecofactor’s manufacturer inside Odesa is a case in point. Velchev needs just 45 people to contend against larger competitors, with EV car sales, services, creation and R&amp, D all under one roof.

Although Velchev claims Elon Musk has n’t given him or Ecofactor any love, despite the fact that he is also the Odesa region’s Tesla dealer. The Cybertruck was no shipped or sold to Ukraine by Tesla. The vehicle factory-standard bullet- and bomb-resistant system may save hundreds of Russian life. Anybody can export their Tesla Cybertruck, according to Tesla salespeople in northern Virginia, but it wo n’t have supercharging, Tesla Full Self Drive, or any mechanical services.

Musk’s departure from Ukraine, which includes backing ardent critics of the nation like venture capitalist David Sacks and US Senator JD Vance ( Donald Trump’s selection as vice presidential candidate ), have not been encouraging for Tesla’s ability to overthrow the growing competition from Chinese EV rivals like BYD. &nbsp,

In terms of both value and quality, Ukraine has demonstrated its ability to compete with Chinese goods. Undoubtedly, a Tesla car made in Ukraine would be able to price compete with any Chinese-made EV in terms of both quality and engineering excellence and rival the best German automobiles.

The Russian government is pulling out all stops to encourage leading US and European utilities – such as Chicago’s Exelon, Atlanta’s Southern Company, Italy’s ENEL and Greece’s PPC – to support the nation change all the bombed-out energy prodution and distribution lines inflicted by Russia. Ecofactor is able to assist.

After Russia attacked numerous power stations, Ukrainians used Tesla battery packs to power homes. Velchev claimed Ecofactor used imported Chinese lithium batteries to create a EV energy storage system, making it possible for people to recharge their vehicles despite the increasingly severe blackouts that are occurring in developed countries.

With their near-term entry into the United States, the largest economy in the world, Ecofactor’s Velchev and his company could have the last laugh in the EV race. Although US President Joe Biden planned to spend more than$ 7.5 billion on fast-charging electric vehicles in the country, only seven charging stations will be constructed out of a planned 500,000 by 2030.

If Velchev and his team can maintain electric vehicles in Ukraine, where the capital and many other cities are frequently bombarded by Russian drones and missiles, it should not be difficult to create a cost-effective and effective national EV charging network.

Capitol Intelligence was founded by Peter K. Semler, its CEO. Previously, he was the Washington bureau chief for Mergermarket.

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China stats show shift from FDI to investment abroad – Asia Times

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During its trade war with the United States and Europe, China has seen both an increase in international funding at home and an increase in its own international funding this time.

China’s direct investment liabilities, an indicator of incoming foreign investment, fell by US$ 14.8 billion in the second quarter of this year, according to the latest data released by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange ( SAFE). &nbsp,

The number was over US$ 4.5 billion for the first six weeks. According to Bloomberg, this would be China’s first quarterly net outflow of foreign investment since 1990, when equivalent data began, if the reduction continued in the second quarter of this year. &nbsp,

In the second quarter of 2023, China’s director purchase responsibilities fell US$ 11.8 billion, the first drop in years. For the whole year of 2023, the number increased by US$ 33 billion. The gain, which was the lowest since 1993, was down by 82 % from the level in 2022.

In recent years, the US has encouraged its businesses to adopt a” China plus one” or “friend-shoring” method to expand their operations outside of China. Since last year, the European Union has started anti-subsidy investigations into Chinese-imported electric cars and renewable energy products. &nbsp,

Some foreign companies made the decision to reduce their investments in China and leave the country as a result of these changes. In an effort to prevent possible taxes, some Chinese manufacturers began building companies in Europe. &nbsp,

In the first half of this year, China’s foreign direct investment ( FDI) fell 29.1 % to 498.9 billion yuan ( US$ 69.5 billion ) from the same period of last year, the Ministry of Commerce said last month. The country’s overseas direct investment ( ODI) increased 16.6 % to US$ 72.62 billion.

In an article published on Monday, Mao Zhenhua, the co-founder and president of China Chengxin Credit Management Company and the co-director of Renmin University’s Economic Research Institute, writes that” some foreign owners have lately reduced their investments in China or even left the country because they were affected by the philosophy of de-globalization and the de-Sinicization strategy promoted by the United States.

He claims that China still needs to rely on the West to attract high tech because, despite the trend, foreign owners ‘ roles have remained constant. &nbsp, &nbsp,

He claims that some people in society believe that those who work for international companies or purchase foreign goods are not revolutionaries. There are also those who mistakenly believe that China’s imports benefit other nations, particularly the US.

He advises those who hold these views to make up their minds and comprehend that China’s trade with other nations is conducted in accordance with the mutual-benefit rule. He recommends that China should treat international firms with respect and be welcoming to people from all nations. &nbsp,

Additionally, he claims, Chinese companies should n’t be accused of making foreign investments because many of them need to increase their overseas production capacity in order to lower their costs or avoid new tariffs that Western nations have arbitrarily imposed. &nbsp,

He claims that Chinese companies ‘ international investments can promote long-term stability and stability of the country’s supply network. &nbsp,

Foreign workers in anguish

The Ministry of Commerce’s unknown director stated on July 13 that it was only natural that FDI dropped in 2023 because it had increased every for ten years between 2013 and 2022. &nbsp,

China may open up even further to attract more foreign buyers, according to the director.

In a remark published on July 18, Guan Tao, chief analyst at Bank of China International Holdings Co, writes that” some Western multimedia have hyped the idea of “external capital leaving China,” but their false reports ignored the fact that the composition of foreign investment in China is constantly being optimized. &nbsp, &nbsp,

Some Chinese skilled workers who lost their jobs were forced to work as meal deliverypeople because of this.

According to Guan, foreign funding in China’s high-tech manufacturing sector has increased significantly this year nevertheless.

He draws attention to the UN Trade and Development’s 2024 World Investment Report, noting that despite the absence of significant moves in funding flows, international FDI can be demonstrated to have decreased by more than 10 % in the previous year.

He claims that the effects of the new procedures, which China’s State Council announced in March and June, will be immediately apparent. &nbsp,

In an article published on August 6 from Shaanxi-based journalist Mingcheng, a Shaanxi-based journalist claims that “over the past two years, many foreign companies have left China,” but authorities and officials have tended to state that the change has not had much of an impact on the economy. ” But in reality, the grass are finding it getting harder to make ends meet.”

He claims that after moving their high-tech groups from China to Vietnam and India or returning to their original nations, international tech giants remain the dominant players in the global marketplace. &nbsp,

He claims that some Chinese skilled workers who lost their jobs were forced to work as meal deliverypeople because they were able to find suitable positions. &nbsp,

He claims that some Taiwanese businesses will have more market share after foreigners leave, but that they will also be less motivated to improve their products or boost their profitability. &nbsp,

Read: Beijing features self-reliance at Third Plenum

Observe Jeff Pao on X: &nbsp, @jeffpao3

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