House to reaffirm majority vote policy on Wednesday

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Chartreuse election “on trail” for February 2

PUBLISHED: 5 Oct 2024 at 06: 05

MPs attend a House meeting on Sept 12. The House will convene on Wednesday to reaffirm its decision that a charter amendment referendum will be decided by a majority vote, says Nikorn Chamnong, secretary of the ad hoc House panel on the referendum bill. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)
Members show up at a House session on September 12. According to Nikorn Chamnong, director of the ad hoc House section on the election act, the House will join on Wednesday to reiterate its selection that a majority vote will be used to decide the outcome. ( Photo: Chanat Katanyu )

On Wednesday, the House will organize to reiterate its determination that a majority vote will be used to decide a contract amendment referendum.

MPs will unwaveringly support their claim that a simple majority vote is enough to move charter amendments, according to Nikorn Chamnong, the head of the ad-hoc House panel on the referendum bill.

Following the Senate’s earlier this week’s decision to keep two requirements for the adoption of a contract referendum: a minimal voter turnout and majority support, the meeting took place. This implies that the majority of voters must support the election and that more than 50 % of citizens must do so.

On Wednesday, Mr. Nikorn announced that the House would select 10 people to serve on a shared House-Senate council, while the Senate is scheduled to appoint 10 people to the council on October 15.

The committee will hold a meeting on October 16 through October 23 to discuss the proposed legislation and determine the required length of the bulk needed to pass a referendum on the 2017 constitution.

The costs will be forwarded to the excellent minister for distribution for royal assent if an agreement is reached by Oct. 28 and both chambers agree by that date.

The first round of the charter act referendum is likely to go as planned on February 2nd, 2014, when municipal administrative organizations are elected nationwide, according to Mr. Nikorn, if things go according to this timeline.

The Senate’s choice to keep the two conditions is expected to put off a vote on the contract update.

Mr. Nikorn expressed his hope that the House and the Senate does come to an agreement to speed up the process of enacting the contract amendments.

This is because the law act plan requires one-third of help, or 72 votes, from the Upper House, he said, adding that a discussion on the vote bill may help reduce delays or complications.

When asked about Bhumjaithai chief Anutin Charnvirakul’s assertions this week that it was more urgent than revising the contract, Mr. Nikorn responded that while it is not urgent, there is also no justification for putting it off.

The Chartthaipattana Party, according to Mr. Nikorn, is in favor of a charter update, which is a partnership policy, as well as the creation of a charter draft assembly to create a new contract to make it more equitable and widely accepted.

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Don’t forget Japan’s Gamblers, Fraudsters, Dreamers & Spies – Asia Times

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What if the rise of modern Japan was n’t shaped just by its politicians, academics, and company leaders but also by a motley crew of players, thieves, dreamers, and scouts? What if the people who had the biggest influence on Japan’s post-war conversion were n’t the historical figures but the strangers who lived in the dark?

Robert Whiting ‘s&nbsp, Gamblers, Fraudsters, Dreamers &amp, Spies: The Outsiders Who Shaped Modern Japan&nbsp, takes you on a journey into the lives of these very characters – risk-takers and rule-breakers who, through their daring and often illegal techniques, changed the face of the nation forever. &nbsp,

Whiting’s earlier works for as&nbsp, Tokyo Underworld&nbsp, and&nbsp, You Gotta Have Wa have explored both the legal underbelly and Japan’s love for baseball and in his latest work, Whiting brings us into the dark, complex world of people who never quite fit into Japan’s firm society but also managed to leave their mark. It navigates through a tricksters ‘ exhibition of personalities who defied convention and altered the course of the nation.

The authors ‘ characters range from post-war gang leaders and foreign spies to hustlers and intellectuals who saw Japan as a land of opportunity. Whiting skillfully uncovers the relationships between them, demonstrating how frequently their actions impacted the development of history in unintended methods.

Although Yoshio Kodama is not the main character in the book, I have a story about her, and I’ve also written about her in an article called” Who is Yoshio Kodama” ( ). –&nbsp, is often entertaining. Whiting wrote about Kodama in&nbsp, Tokyo Underworld&nbsp, but he pops up again in this guide.

Kodama’s history reads like a drama, blending high-level social influence, strong ties to organized crime, and secret involvement with the CIA. Kodama was a plumber, a nationalist, and a gentleman who understood the power of working in the darkness, which is the kind of personality Whiting excels at monitoring.

And, believe me, there are so many excellent reports in&nbsp, Gamblers, Fraudsters, Dreamers &amp, Spies: The Strangers Who Shaped Modern Japan&nbsp, that you’ll come back to it over and over again to learn. What I really like about Whiting’s new text is that you can learn the pages at any time you want and return and read it over and over again.

Amazon.com: Gamblers, Fraudsters, Dreamers & Spies: The Outsiders Who ...

Kodama’s lifestyle, like many of the different characters in this book, completely encapsulates the book’s key theme: Often, it’s not the constitutional or spiritual figures who shape a nation, but the outsiders willing to take risks and bend the rules to succeed. &nbsp,

Whiting has a real gift for turning history into an engaging narrative. This book is both thrilling and informative thanks to his thorough research and a storytelling that almost seems to be cinematic. The gamblers and fraudsters he writes about were n’t just criminals; they were visionaries who saw Japan as a land of opportunities, frequently daring to make moves that the conventional power structures could n’t possibly imagine.

In the same way, the spies and dreamers he encounters saw Japan as a crucial battleground during the Cold War, and their covert actions affected both Japanese and international policy. I was surprised to also read about a CIA agent who has the same last name as mine and I wrote about it on my&nbsp, substack, &nbsp, too.

Charles Kades, a stellar GHQ figure, with his mistress, Viscountess Tsuruyo Torio. ( Robert Whiting Substack ).

In&nbsp, Gamblers, Fraudsters, Dreamers &amp, Spies, Whiting also shows that it was n’t always men who played dubious roles in shaping post-war Japan.

Figures with significant political influence included Viscountess Tsuruyo Torio, who had a scandalous relationship with Colonel Charles Kades, a senior US Occupation force in Japan after World War II, and had a scandalous relationship with him.

She proves that women, too, could wield power and stir controversy behind the scenes.

Kades, a Harvard-educated lawyer, played a crucial role in drafting Japan’s post-war constitution. Despite being married, he openly visited Viscountess Torio, with her husband’s knowledge and approval.

The Viscount even seemed proud of their union, hosting Kades while still maintaining his own extramarital affairs, which led to a notable scandal.

The Moonies story is by far my absolute favorite book chapter. The CIA was a crucial component of the establishment of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA ) in 1961, which was modeled after the CIA itself, in an effort to contain communism in East Asia after the Korean War. The KCIA’s goal was to safeguard South Korea from communist influence, particularly from the North, while also serving as a tool for US geopolitical goals in the area.

Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church, a religious organization with vehement anti-communist ideology, quickly became associated with the KCIA. Brigadier General Kim Jhong-pil, the KCIA’s founder, embedded several agents within the church, recognizing its utility in combating communism. &nbsp,

Rev. Sun Myung Moon, founder of Unification Church, dead at 92 | CTV News
Rev. Sun Myung Moon, founder of Unification Church.

With CIA backing, the Unification Church expanded rapidly, aligning with pro-American political forces in both South Korea and Japan. The Unification Church’s influence spread internationally, particularly in the US, where it was involved in various political campaigns, and the CIA provided initial seed money and contacts to Moon’s ventures in the United States.

Moon’s organization was seen as a tool for shaping US foreign policy, and its support for right-wing politicians strengthened its ties to intelligence agencies. The church’s anti-communist stance and the covert support of the CIA and KCIA helped it develop into a political force, using funds raised abroad, but primarily from Japan, to further its goals.

Whiting brilliantly weaves the complex relationship between the Moonies and Japan’s political elite, particularly with his grandson Shinzo Abe and former prime minister Nobusuke Kishi.

The church gained influence within Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party ( LDP ), growing in popularity with the KCIA and receiving financial support from powerful Japanese ultranationalists like Kodama. Kishi’s ties to the church allowed the LDP to benefit from donations, free labor and political support.

Abe continued to have close ties to the church as a result of decades of this alliance. Abe even congratulated Unification Church members as late as 2021, extending the family’s relationship with the organization. In the end, his 2022 assassination resulted from the connection.

The assassin blamed the church for his family’s financial ruin ( his mother had donated vast sums to the church, driving the family into bankruptcy ) and this personal connection, combined with the church’s broader controversial practices in Japan, motivated the assassin to target Abe, believing that Abe’s political support for the church was responsible for his family’s downfall​.

Shinzo Abe: How the former Japan PM's assassination unfolded - BBC News
Tetsuya Yamagami, former prime minister Shinzo Abe, was shot shortly after the incident.

For someone like me, who has long been fascinated by the intersection of politics, power, and morality, this book is an absolute gem. My own interest in Japan’s hidden influencers is deeply influenced by Whiting’s investigation into the lives of the characters. It’s these untold stories, of people who live on the margins but exert enormous influence, that truly shape a country’s identity.

Whiting captures this theme brilliantly, drawing the reader into a world where the stakes are high, the moves are bold, and the consequences are often game-changing. The book does n’t glorify these figures, but does argue that their roles were essential to Japan’s development, shedding light on a darker side of history that is often overlooked.

In&nbsp, Gamblers, Fraudsters, Dreamers &amp, Spies: The Outsiders Who Shaped Modern Japan, &nbsp, Whiting presents a variety of compelling stories from Japan’s postwar underworld. For me, three of the most fascinating things are:

    The Allies and the Soviet Union battled for influence in Japan after World War II. Whiting delves into the Canon Agency, a black-ops spy network created by US Army Major Jack Canon. A formidable Texan with a background in explosives, Canon was given the task of conducting covert operations to expel communist sympathizers and Soviet spies. His agency was involved in sabotage, drug smuggling, and even kidnapping double agents like Wataru Kaji, all in the name of keeping Japan under American influence. Canon recruited a diverse group of Euro-American, Nisei ( second-generation Japanese-American ), and Korean-American agents, setting new standards for postwar covert operations. [ Whitting’s writings on the Canon agency have been published or republished by Asia Times. ]

  1. The Girard Incident: &nbsp, Whiting details the killing of 46-year-old Japanese woman Naka Sakai by United States Army soldier William S. Girard in Soma, Gunma Prefecture, on January 30, 1957. When Girard shot an empty grenade cartridge at her, apparently for his own amusement, Saki, a housewife who was collecting shell casings from a military base to sell for scrap, was killed. The incident led to disputes between Japan and the U.S. Army over jurisdiction, which resulted in Wilson v. Girard, a US Supreme Court case. The US Army demoted Girard, and the incident resulted in a reduction in US troops stationed in Japan. Girard also received a three-year suspended sentence from Japanese authorities.
  2. The Korean Taxi Barons: Whiting profiles the rise of the Aoki family, ethnic Koreans who overcame discrimination to build MK Taxi, one of Japan’s largest taxi firms. Sadao Aoki, the family patriarch, battled both Japanese taxi competitors and government regulators, who were reluctant to see an ethnic Korean succeed. His son Masaaki Aoki, despite facing racism in both Japan and the US, eventually took over the business, leading it to new heights, including introducing revolutionary practices like late-night taxi services. A cliffhanging book can be written about Masaaki’s demise.

Gamblers, Fraudsters, Dreamers &amp, Spies&nbsp, is a must-read for anyone intrigued by Japan’s modern history, especially those curious about the unsung individuals who played critical roles in its rise as a global power. Whiting invites us to consider a more nuanced and complex version of history, where the influence of outsiders and misfits is equal to, if not more, that of the famous figures we read about in books.

You wo n’t be disappointed by the tales of ambition, risk, and rebellion that shaped the Japan we know today.

( A footnote: Whiting was incredible in my documentary film&nbsp, The Ones Left Behind: The Plight of Single Mothers in Japan ��

Rionne’s Writings

Rionne” Fujiwara” McAvoy is a Tokyo-based Australian professional wrestler and filmmaker whose documentary” The Ones Left Behind: The Plight of Single Mothers in Japan” recently began showing in K’s Theaters in Tokyo’s Shinjuku. This article, originally published on his Substack, is republished with permission.

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As communist China turns 75 can Xi fix its economy?

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Getty Images People walk past a giant screen outside a shopping mall which displays a sign marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, on the third day of a week-long National Day holidays in Beijing on 3 October, 2024.Getty Images

The ruling Communist Party unveiled a number of methods to boost China’s struggling economy as it prepared to observe its Golden Week trip and commemorate its 75th anniversary.

The plans included support for the country’s crisis-hit home business, support for the investment industry, money handouts for the weak and more government spending.

Following the announcements, stocks in mainland China and Hong Kong experienced report benefits.

However, economists caution that the policies may not be sufficient to solve China’s financial difficulties.

Some of the new measures announced by the People’s Bank of China ( PBOC ) on 24 September took direct aim at the country’s beaten-down stock market.

The new tools included funding worth 800bn yuan ($ 114bn, £85.6bn ) that can be borrowed by insurers, brokers and asset managers to buy shares.

Pan Gongsheng, the governor, added that the central banks had assistance listed companies that wanted to buy back their own shares. He also announced plans to lower borrowing costs and allow banks to increase their financing.

Only two days after the PBOC’s news, Xi Jinping chaired a shock economy-focused conference of the country’s best officials, known as the Politburo.

Authorities made the promise to increase government spending to help the economy.

The standard Shanghai Composite Index rose by more than 8 % on Monday, the day before China began its weeklong vacation, making it its best day since the global financial crisis of 2008, when it reached its peak. The action marked the end of a 20 % increase over the course of the previous five days of protest.

The Hang Seng in Hong Kong increased by over 6 % the day after businesses closed on the island.

” Buyers loved the presentations”, China researcher, Bill Bishop said.

Mr. Xi has more pressing problems to address than just popping vodka lids, which investors may have had.

Getty Images China's President Xi Jinping speaks during a National Day reception on the eve of the 75th anniversary of the People's Republic of China.Getty Images

With the 75th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s establishment, The People’s Republic has been in existence for 74 years. Only the other big socialist sate, the Soviet Union, has since fallen.

The officials of China’s leaders have long been concerned about avoiding the death of the Soviet Union, according to Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore.

At the forefront of officials’ minds will be boosting confidence in the broader economy amid growing concerns that it may miss its own 5% annual growth target.

” In China goals must be met, by any means necessary”, said Yuen Yuen Ang, professor of political economy at Johns Hopkins University.

The management problems that failing to meet them in 2024 may cause a slow-growth and low-confidence loop.

The decline in the nation’s property market, which started three years ago, has been one of the major drags on the second-largest economy in the world.

The lately unveiled stimulus package targeted the real estate sector in addition to laws designed to boost companies.

It includes steps to boost bank financing, lower loan rates, and lower the minimum down payment requirements for first-time home buyers.

However, some people question whether these actions will be sufficient to stabilize the housing industry.

” Those procedures are delightful but unlikely to move the needle many in isolation”, said Harry Murphy Cruise, an analyst at Moody’s Analytics.

” China’s weakness stems from a crisis of confidence, not one of credit, firms and families do n’t want to borrow, regardless of how cheap it is to do so”.

Leaders pledged to use state funds to increase economic growth at the Politburo program and go beyond the interest rate reductions.

However, the officials provided much information about the size and scope of government spending aside from establishing priorities like stabilizing the housing market, encouraging usage, and boosting employment.

” If the fiscal signal fall short of market expectations, owners could be disappointed”, warned Qian Wang, chief economist for the Asia Pacific region at Vanguard.

” In contrast, cyclical plan signal does not correct the structural issues”, Ms Wang noted, hinting that without deeper changes the difficulties China’s economy experience will not go away.

Economics believe that the real estate market’s deepening issues are essential to rebalancing the business as a whole.

The most expensive expenditure is in real estate, and falling home prices have contributed to consumer confidence being sluggish.

” Ensuring the distribution of pre-sold but empty houses had been key”, said a word from Sophie Altermatt, an analyst with Julius Baer.

Governmental assistance for household incomes must move beyond one-off transfers and be provided by improved pension and social protection systems in order to boost domestic consumption on a green basis.

Getty Images Unfinished project of Evergrande Cultural Tourism City in Zhenjiang City, China.Getty Images

On the day of the 75th celebration, an editor in the state-controlled paper, People’s Daily, struck an cheerful voice, recognising that “while the journey back remains challenging, the potential is promising”.

According to the article, concepts created by President Xi such as “high-quality development” and “new productive forces” are key to unlocking that path to a better future.

The emphasis on those concepts is a result of Xi’s desire to shift from the traditional fast growth drivers, such as investment in property and infrastructure, to create a more balanced economy based on high-end industries.

The challenge China faces, according to Ms Ang, is that the “old and the new economies are deeply intertwined, if the old economy falters too quickly, it will inevitably hinder the rise of the new”.

The leadership has come to terms with this and is taking action accordingly.

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Daniel Ricciardo: How shy Aussie kid became F1 golden boy

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Facebook A young Daniel RicciardoFacebook

The American Grand Prix in 2006 featured everyone from the artist Amanda Bynes to the Dutch Prime Minister, a 70s music star, and the classic Blue Wiggle stepping pit lane, as usual.

Unnoticed in a spot, making small talk with European drivers Jarno Trulli and previous Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins, was none other than 16-year-old Daniel Ricciardo.

The Perth son had already secured a race ticket after winning the previous year’s American go-karting champion, but things changed on that fateful day in April.

Remo Luciani, a family friend and mentor, jokes that it was Hawkins who made the joke:” He was essentially drooling.”

The quiet youth, however, had his first real flavor of the existence he was fervently pursuing while rub shoulders with Formula 1 stars and hearing the rumbling sound of their engines.

” I think he saw the photo- ‘ this is where I belong, this is what I want to perform ‘”, Luciani tells the BBC.

Fast forward a few years and he’d not only be part of that world, but” a major personality” in it.

But after 13 times in the game – with an outstanding 257 races, 32 championships, and eight wins – his F1 occupation came to an end next year, after Red Bull dropped him from its staff.

He emerges as the most eminently successful and well-known driver on the circuits and as the “golden boy” of American motorsport.

Hungry and talented

Coopers Photography Ricciardo in his #3 kart leading a race in 2004Coopers Photography

From the moment his motorsport-mad parents let him on a go-kart record as a nine-year-old, Ricciardo has been making an impression.

” There’s those who get it at that age, and those that do n’t, and he got it pretty quickly”, Tiger Kart Club stalwart John Wishart says.

Ricciardo immediately established himself as a quick but trustworthy competitor with an upbeat personality and ferocious aggressive spirit, a reputation he has cherished his entire career.

Former friend of Lewis Shugar tells the BBC,” What you see on Daniel’s Television today, he was exactly the same as a kid.”

” He was always laughing and having a good time, and if things did n’t go right for him, he still had a smile on his face”, Wishart says. ” That in itself is a unique skill”.

Talk of his claim spread to the eastern coast as he began to win races all over Western Australia.

Daniel Ricciardo A young Daniel Ricciardo with a go-kart racing trophyDaniel Ricciardo

Ricciardo immediately enlisted in Remo Racing, a self-styled growth team led by Luciani in Victoria.

” He was a very, very fast person, and he was determined. He wanted to always move faster. Luciani, a racing tale and inductee into the American Motorsport Hall of Fame, says,” I could see the appetite in him.”

Ricciardo won his first race for the group in 2005, where he later won the national go-karting tournament, and continued to compete in his native state in Formula Ford.

And with that, he was on his approach abroad – a “big walk” that Ricciardo has said” changed everything”.

Each new season brought a new challenge. In 2006 he raced in Asia, before moving to Italy the year after, finally signing to the Red Bull development initiative as a” nervous” and “immature” 18-year-old in 2008.

” Having that duty, that force, all of that, it forced me to develop up”, he told CNN Sport earlier this month.

Remo Racing Daniel Ricciardo (right) and his Remo Racing teammatesRemo Racing

In 2011 he made his long-awaited grand prix comeback at Derby, on payment to Spanish group HRT, thrilling his followers back home.

One described him as beating one-in-10-million conflict.

” To stay in an F1 vehicle is something that almost anyone will ever do, so even to have that chance is incredible,” Shugar says.

The Honey Badger

Ricciardo, however, was not happy with just any location on the network, and by 2014, he had earned a contact up to the main Red Bull team in place of Mark Webber, his countryman’s compatriot.

” I’m ready”, Ricciardo declared at the time:” I’m not here to run around in 10th place”.

He lived up to his word and won three races that time, far exceeding Sebastian Vettel’s colleague and defending hero.

He became known as the” Honey Badger” after four years at Red Bull, despite his charming demeanor and deadly race intuition.

His” those fantastic late-braking maneuvers that may find individuals by surprise” were his brand, American F1 blogger Michael Lamonato told the BBC.

He’s always said he wanted a popularity that made him feared when other drivers saw him in their reflections, and I believe he actually did that.

His off-the-wall reputation was also rising, even before the popular Netflix series Drive to Survive elevated F1 to new heights of admiration.

According to Lamonato,” Daniel was one of the heroes that was beginning to overcome the sport.”

His signature shoey celebration – which is credited with popularising the practice in Australia – memeable media sound bites and humorous stunts have enamoured him to legions the world over.

Issy Futcher, a fan of Melbournian, says,” He seems like a partner, someone you could make friends with at the pub.”

” He’s made for this kind of stardom”.

Getty Images Daniel Ricciardo does a swan dive into a pool after his 2018 win in MonacoGetty Images

Two times after a botched trap stop at the same circuit saw his job at its zenith when he defended his prospect for 50 rounds in Monaco in 2018 while battling a failing website.

” This was a redemption race … it really is his defining win”, Lamonato says.

However, he was left struggling in 2023 and returned to the broader Red Bull slide as a supply drivers following his disastrous goes to Renault in 2019 and McLaren in 2021, where he struggled to recreate his past success.

He rejoined the young starting lineup in its now-named RB group way through the season, but his form never recovered after being severely injured in 2024.

Rumors started to spread, and the reading was clearly on the wall when the Singapore Grand Prix arrived on September 22. In one final gasp, Ricciardo was given a brand-new set of tires and the fastest lap of the competition.

After finishing next, the 35-year-old lingered in the aircraft for a hit.

In a sad post-race meeting, Ricciardo said he was battling a lot of thoughts.

” I’m conscious it could be it”, he said. ” I just wanted to taste the time”.

He told Sky Sports that he was “at peacefulness” with his impending fate and that he just wanted to return to the network if he could earn podiums.

Getty Images Daniel Ricciardo at the Singapore Grand PrixGetty Images

Days later, Red Bull confirmed he would be replaced for the rest of the season by young Kiwi Liam Lawson – news that stirred outrage and cries of mistreatment.

Group director Christian Horner said Ricciardo’s stats and accolades were n’t the only measure of his accomplishment.

” From the moment you arrived at Red Bull, it became clear that you were much more than just a vehicle.” Your regular joy, sense of humour and approach will leave an unforgettable legacy”, he said.

Amid a wave of tributes from his contemporaries, Ricciardo said it had been a “wild and great” trip.

” I’ve loved this sport my whole life … It’ll always have its highs and lows, but it’s been fun and truth be told I would n’t change it”, he wrote on Instagram.

” Until the next experience”.

Reputation secured

Getty Images Daniel Ricciardo celebrates as Mark Webber does a shoey.Getty Images

While the details of that subsequent trip are eagerly awaited, Lamonato claims Ricciardo has already established himself as one of the most underappreciated F1 drivers.

” Daniel Ricciardo has enormous potential, but he suffered what so many do, career bad turns,” is the best way to sum up.

Just nine drivers have started more races in his long career, and his victories and podiums both rank him among the top 40 drivers ever, which is particularly amazing considering that all of these feats were accomplished without the dominant team of the time.

And his reputation is now felt in Australia, where driving experts claim he has sparked the rise in grassroots racing participation and the emergence of the next generation of Asian sporting stars like Oscar Piastri and Jack Doohan.

Statistically, Ricciardo will be the fourth most successful Australian to have raced F1, but many think he’ll be remembered as the greatest.

Lamonato claims that” I do n’t think anyone will have had an impact similar to him in terms of bringing the sport to the audience.”

” ] He] did Australia proud”, Luciani concludes.

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Chiang Mai set to see more floods

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After constant storms, Ping River once more at critical stage

PUBLISHED: 3 Oct 2024 at 19: 43

The water level in the Ping River reached the critical level of 4.20 metres at the Nawarat Bridge monitoring station in Chiang Mai on Thursday evening. (Photo: Public Relations Office Region 3, Chiang Mai)
At the surveillance facility for the Nawarat Bridge in Chiang Mai on Thursday night, the water levels in the Ping River reached a critical stage of 4.20 meters. ( Photo: Public Relations Office Region 3, Chiang Mai )

After on Friday, further storms are anticipated in Chiang Mai, with water levels along the Ping River expected to start at 4.95 meters.

Governor Nirat Pongsitthithaworn stated on Thursday that new heavy downpours in inland places have caused the Ping River to rise quickly.

He advised riverside citizens to relocate their goods and vehicles to higher ground. In case an evacuation is required, facilities and neighborhood centers in low-lying areas have been instructed to relocate ill patients to safer locations.

All organizations are instructed to use obstacles and sandbags to protect flood-prone areas and to offer support to those in need.

According to Mr. Nirat, engineers from the Chiang Mai town are keeping an eye on the river conditions and are prepared to close any gaps in storm walls. &nbsp,

After heavy rain fell at 3am on Thursday, a flash flood was reported in the northern province’s Mae Rim city. In the Rim Nua sub-district, the flood damaged a number of homes and villas.

According to the nearby Royal Irrigation Department company, the Ping River’s depth at the Nawarat Bridge in Muang area reached a critical level of 4.20 meters at 4 p.m. on Thursday. That was a noticeable increase from 3.45 yards on Monday.

The valley was expected to crest at 4.95 feet at 2am Friday night.

Following a storm that started on Wednesday morning, the Mae Sai River overflowed in Chiang Rai near the second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in the Mae Sai area at 9am on Thursday.

National Highway 118 and some locations in Chiang Rai’s Wieang Pa Pao city were likewise flooded, according to local officials.

Governor Chucheep Pongchai in Mae Hong Son gave orders to examine the situations in flooded areas, including the Long-Necked Karen area in the Muang district’s tambon Ha Bong.

In Loei, heavy storms caused flash flooding in many domestic and farming places in Ban Nam Chan and Ban Kaeng Hin communities in Wang Saphung area.

The north, northeast, central, and eastern parts were expected to start easing on Friday as a cool before from China goes over the lower regions of Thailand, according to the Meteorological Department.

Due to the weakening influence of the cool top over the area, the eastern region of the North should anticipate more heavy downpours until Oct. 12.

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Yen at 125 less black swan than gray under Ishiba – Asia Times

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Tokyo: With the yen looking set to skyrocket, the” Ishiba shock” ruining stock investors ‘ week may only just be beginning.

The research here, of course, is to the surprise poll of Shigeru Ishiba as Japan’s probable next prime minister. The veteran lawmaker, a self-described “lone wolf”, seemed to come out of nothing last week to best eight different candidates for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s management.

However, the real wonder may be how Ishiba’s long-held beliefs set the stage for an amazing yen protest.

For now, Ishiba, 67, is downplaying his taste for Bank of Japan price hikes and a stronger renminbi. As investors speculate that Ishiba might not be the feared financial hawk, the yen is falling this week. They’re good bad.

Obviously, Ishiba’s officials warned him that perhaps BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda is bashful about more strengthening. Chances are, too, Ishiba’s inner circle is looking at slowing monetary conditions&nbsp, — and China’s brake — and realizing today might not be the day for more increases in borrowing costs.

However, Ishiba’s preferences for higher prices and a rising japanese are unlikely to hold back for very long. Since&nbsp, July 31, when the BOJ hiked short-term costs to their highest level since 2008, the renminbi has given up its sharp 2024 costs. In late June, it passed the 161 to the US level, the lowest in more than 37 times.

Since then, the dollar has rallied more than 9 %, dealing on October 3 at around 147 to the greenback. And as Ishiba transitions to the position of prime minister, there are good chances that the yen protest will push into even higher products. Could it go to 125 or higher? So do the problems about an” Ishiba shock” soon developing.

Second, Ishiba’s LDP may succeed at the September 27 snap election, the chances of which are good given the persistent turmoil among opposition events. BOJ representatives are likely to believe that Ishiba has their tails when he settles in and attempts to implement zero rates.

It’s Ishiba’s long-held conviction that the ultra-weak japanese is doing more harm than good. He told Reuters as late as August that” the Bank of Japan is on the right plan path to eventually coincide with a world with good interest rates.”

Ishiba continued,” We must realize the positive aspects of price increases, such as a property market rout, have been the focus right now, but we must understand their merits as higher interest rates may lower the costs of imports and create industry more competitive.”

The BOJ’s decision to raise prices to 0.2 % resulted in the Nikkei 225 Stock Average’s worst decline since October 1987, among other “aspects.” On Monday only, the Nikkei fell 5 % as investors assessed Ishiba’s expected economic policy mixture.

Yet it’s difficult to reject the reasoning underlying Ishiba’s take these. The argument is that 25 years of relentless exchange-rate exploitation have had a backseat, which some LDP heavyweights will acknowledge. Ishiba outshined by his surprise victory to gain the LDP election.

Sanae Takaichi, a senator, is one of them, who believes she is the natural heir to Shinzo Abe’s reflationary signal measures.

Takaichi stated on September 19 that” I think it would be terrible to raise interest rates right today.” She added that “what we’re seeing today is cost-push inflation. We must maintain economic plan until real income consistently rise.

The Ishiba believes that a quarter century of free money has stifled the need for the government to revamp labor markets, cut red tape, support a business growth, empower women, and stop the shift of economic power from Tokyo to Shanghai.

It also reduced stress on corporate CEOs to rebuild, develop and get great threats on new products, solutions and industries. It helps explain why Japan is 30th in productivity among the 38 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ( OECD ).

Beginning in 2013, the BOJ supersized quantitative easing. By 2018, the BOJ’s balance plate had surpassed the size of Japan’s US$ 4.7 trillion in annual production due to the amount of government bonds and stocks it hoarded. The BOJ had to get an leave because of that purchasing spree, which has now fallen to Ueda.

The aggressive global market response to the BOJ’s&nbsp, July 31&nbsp, tightening has left Team Ueda gun-shy about further movements. However, the need to tighten monetary policy perhaps simply grow as inflation rises.

The problem, says Takeshi Yamaguchi, analyst at Morgan Stanley MUFG, is an “increasingly extreme scarcity at smaller non-manufacturers” that’s driving “further worsening in the work situation overall”.

The biggest give boost for workers in 33 years was scored by Japanese organisations earlier this year. It’s piece of Tokyo’s work over the last few years to generate a “virtuous cycle” of salary increases. The goal is to improve corporate profits to levels that encourage also fatter pay raises, which will in turn boost consumption and GDP.

However, if these increases are not followed by steps to improve overall output, they could lead to inflation. In August, Japan’s” core” consumer price index rose at a 2.8 % year-on-year rate, well above Tokyo’s 2 % target. It marked the third straight month of motion.

” Consequently, underlying inflation may … fast another rate climb by the Bank of Japan at its October meeting”, says Marcel Thieliant, Asia-Pacific scholar at Capital Economics.

Ishiba might provide the walk with the necessary political support. Ishiba’s main objection to the poor japanese is because he thinks it’s causing him to believe that both at home and abroad. It lowers families ‘ purchasing power, making Japan prone to imported inflation caused by higher commodity prices.

Some foreign investors, however, are confounded by a very developed market maintaining a developing-nation-like exchange-rate plan. Why does investors believe that the” Japan is up” tale is true this time if Japan Inc. is not ready to grow without history’s largest corporate welfare scheme?

Some economists predict that Ishiba may back off and force the political dynasty to pressure the BOJ to raise the yen. If thus, the Fumio Kishida government’s plans will continue to exist.

According to Masafumi Yamamoto, a strategist at Mizuho Securities, Ishiba’s” attitude on financial plan is thought to be the same as the Kishida administration, which usually respects the independence of the BOJ, and he is not constantly in favor of raising interest rates.” Therefore, it is likely that the opportunities for the yen to continue to rise are limited in the run-up to the new cabinet’s formation.

We think the most recent political developments in Japan still support a more gradual than accelerated JPY appreciation path, as suggested by UBS analysts in a note.

Strategist Yukio Ishizuki from Daiwa Securities acknowledges that” Ishiba’s comments over the weekend were trying to put out the fire of his hawkish image.”

Since then, says strategist&nbsp, Jeff Weniger at&nbsp, Wisdom Tree&nbsp, Asset Management,” things have settled down. Investors have come to the realization that even if the Fed Funds Rate wins the job, there will still be a yawning gap between the two nations ‘ cost of money.

The outlook of the US Federal Reserve is in fact a wildcard. ” The lack of clarity on how the easing cycle will unfold and the inverted yield curves”, are key challenges facing global markets, says&nbsp, Teresa Ho, a strategist at&nbsp, JPMorgan Chase &amp, Co.

This might explain why so many currency traders insist that the yen wo n’t deviate too far from the current levels. Hedge funds and other speculative entities have more than 66, 000 positions positioned on a rising yen, according to data from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission ( CFTC ). That’s the most since October 2016.

The size of this position is largely due to the so-called “yen-carry trade,” which has resulted in Japan becoming the world’s top creditor nation by keeping rates at or close to zero since 1999.

Borrowing cheaply in&nbsp, yen &nbsp, and deploying those funds in higher-yielding assets around the globe became the most popular maneuver in finance. Bloomberg data puts the scale of the trade at about$ 4.4 trillion, a sum larger than India’s economy and roughly twice the size of Russia’s.

The global financial system would tremble and quake if the yen-carry trade sprang into chaos. However, a yen move toward 125 to the dollar would be less of a black swan than a gray one with Ishiba as the head of the market.

Follow William Pesek on X at @WilliamPesek

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Indian cosmology, Industry 4.0 and the coming end of work – Asia Times

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India’s ancient sages believed that a balanced society relies on the contribution of four “varnas”, generic categories representing workers, merchants, protectors, and teachers. When one of the four varnas is neglected or sidelined, society becomes conflicted and fails to reach its full potential.

The varna concept later devolved into a rigid caste system (jāti), used for political oppression, but its original framework remains valuable for understanding the modern world. The varna concept suggests that communism failed because it sidelined the merchants, and that capitalism is failing because it sidelines the workers.

Scholars have drawn parallels between the varna concept and Marxism, equating class struggle with “caste struggle.” They equate workers and merchants in the varna concept with labor and capital in Marxism. However, the four categories of the varna concept offer a more nuanced view of society and have a cosmological basis.

Varna is part of an ancient Vedic prophesy. The four varnas take turns leading society. Each varna stage advances the human condition to the next level until it reaches a new spiritual age. The prophesy is comparable to the Second Coming in Abrahamic traditions. Both offer a vista to a better world to come.

But the true value of the varna system today is that it offers a different lens for looking at the contemporary world with its many apparent contradictions, complexities, and conflicts, including the seemingly intractable conflict between the US and China.

Varna

The concept of varna was first mentioned in the Vedas around 1500 BCE. The ancient sages observed that people naturally gravitate toward specific roles within society. They classified these roles into four generic types or varnas: merchants, workers, protectors, and teachers.

Central to the varna concept is the idea that humanity moves through cycles in which each varna plays a leading role in advancing civilization, from barbarism to enlightenment. Once this cycle is completed, it starts again, reflecting the Vedic view of time as cyclical.

The four varnas cover all social human activity and are interdependent. All four are essential to a functioning society, but they hold distinct worldviews and have different desires, needs, and values.

– Teachers/Spiritual Seekers (Vipra): Enlighten others by valuing the mind, cultivating spiritual and scientific knowledge, and creating laws enforced by warriors.

– Warriors/Protectors (Kshatriya): Driven by competition, they value strength and valor, safeguarding society through order and security.

– Merchants/Entrepreneurs (Vaeshya): Skilled in managing resources, they advance society’s material prosperity.

– Workers (Sudra): Focused on practical labor, empathetic with others. They value security, but given their numbers, they can bring the system down if their needs are not met.

Varnas can overlap in each individual. Most people have traits of two or more varna types. A merchant type can also have a spiritual inclination, and a worker type can also have a merchant impulse. But one of the four varnas typically predominates in each individual.

The malignant caste system that developed in later centuries was the result of politics and human vanity. In the words of modern spiritual teacher Sadhguru, things went wrong “when the goldsmith started to feel superior to the blacksmith.” The caste system transformed the varnas from psychological profiles to lineages.

Modern applications

Despite the varna concept being tainted by centuries of abuse, it has found modern, constructive applications.

Australian scholars Peter Hayward and Joseph Voros developed the Sarkar Game, a role-playing game that is used in corporate training programs. Participants take turns assuming the role of one of the four varnas. This fosters empathy and understanding by stepping into the perspectives of others.

The game, created in collaboration with Professor Sohail Inayatullah, Chair in Futures Studies at UNESCO, helps participants navigate social dynamics and problematic hierarchies. When people adopt different varna roles, they make more informed decisions that address the concerns of all parties.

The Sarkar Game is named after Indian spiritual teacher Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar (1921-1990), founder of the socio-spiritual PROUT movement. PROUT promotes an all-encompassing social program based on the varna cycle, emphasizing physical, educational, cultural, and spiritual well-being.

Professor Inayatullah is one of PROUT’s most prominent proponents.

Varna and futurist Lawrence Taub

Varna is also central to the work of American futurist and macrohistorian Lawrence Taub (1936-2016). Taub made the daring claim that the Varna cycle can be mapped to actual (linear) human history.

Taub based his claim on the specific characteristics of the four varnas: their worldviews, ruling elites, sources of power, etc. He argued that one of the four varnas was predominant in specific cultural regions throughout human history up to the present time.   

In Taub’s model, the first Spiritual Age, Satyayuga I, was the prehistoric, animistic period. This age was global, not confined to specific regions. People believed that animals, plants, rivers, and mountains were imbued with a spiritual essence. Shaman leaders mediated the relationship between humans and nature.

The Spiritual Age was followed by the Warrior Age, the age of heroic conquest. It introduced the horrors of large-scale war but also advanced the human condition. Warrior kings Constantine and Ashoka spread Christian and Buddhist spiritual consciousness around the world.

The subsequent Merchant Age began in Europe in the early 17th century. It was marked by the Dutch Revolt against the Spanish occupiers. The Dutch Republic was ruled by merchants. They opened the world’s first stock exchange and created the Duch East-India Company, the first chartered, globe-spanning multinational trading company.

The current Worker Age began in the late 19th century when the Industrial Revolution gathered steam. Workers formed unions to fight for better working conditions, organizing strikes to press their demands. Solidarity was their most potent weapon and they gradually made progress.

In the 20th century, most industrialized countries introduced free basic education and social welfare programs. Even the US, the bulwark of capitalism, created a social safety net. President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society introduced Medicare for the elderly and Medicaid for the vulnerable.

Merchant fightback

Transitions between varna stages are marked by struggle. The ongoing shift from the Merchant Age to the Worker Age is no exception. The merchants, who retained an outsized influence on society, used a retrograde ideology, neoliberalism, in an attempt to reverse the gains of the workers.

In the 1980s, US President Ronald Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher embraced neoliberalism. They called for a reduction of the role of government in the economy, deregulation, privatization, free markets, and reducing the so-called welfare state.

Neoliberalism was a partial return to the laissez-faire capitalism of the 19th century. The merchants prioritized profits over people and moved factories to low-income countries. They deindustrialized a large part of the US and alienated millions of workers.  

Moreover, the American economy became increasingly financialized. Everything from real estate and sports franchises to art objects were traded like commodities. Money became an asset to make more money rather than to produce goods or services. The concentration of wealth increased and income disparity returned to levels not seen since the 19th century.

Ironically, billionaire entrepreneur Donald Trump was the first president to seriously challenge the neoliberal power structure. While his supporters were mostly workers, Trump had a merchant worldview. As president, he mostly adhered to the neoliberal agenda of his predecessors but gave neoliberalism a nationalistic twist.

Neoliberalism opened up the world economy and stimulated global trade, but it had a fundamental flaw. Antithetical to government interference in the economy, it prevented the country from setting national goals to deal with a changing world. The problems caused by a lack of planning and foresight became apparent in the first decades of the 21st century.

Instead of developing a long-term vision, the US government simply reacted ad hoc to global challenges. It resorted to sanctions, tariffs, subsidies for vulnerable domestic industries, and the weaponization of the dollar. The latter had the opposite of its intended effect, resulting in a global movement to de-dollarize bilateral trade.

China’s market reforms

The start of the neoliberal era coincided with China’s market reforms under Deng Xiaoping. Deng opened the country to foreign investment and allowed commerce to flourish. Communism under Mao Zedong had sidelined the merchants, but Deng, putting pragmatism over ideology, reintegrated the merchants into Chinese society.

As was the case in Russia, China’s communism movement was a revolt against the merchants, both domestic and foreign (neo) colonialists who had plundered China for a century. Led by the intelligentsia (vipras), the communist revolution was widely supported by the workers and the warriors.

Deng’s reform, which prioritized outcomes over ideology, transformed China into a global economic powerhouse. Using 5, 10, and even 50-year plans, the Chinese economy grew at breathtaking speed. The goal was Xiaokang or the creation of a “moderately prosperous society.”

Deng’s market reforms liberalized the economy, but the Communist Party retained control, in part to prevent the merchants from building a political power base and coopting government policy.

When tech billionaire Jack Ma, founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba, questioned the economic policies of the Chinese government, the government cut him down to size to let him know who is in charge.

Other billionaires got the message. Zhong Shanshan, the billionaire founder of a bottled water company, set up the “Common Prosperity Fund.” Tech giants Tencent, Alibaba, and other big companies made large contributions to the fund or launched similar initiatives in the name of “common prosperity.”

China’s rise was spectacular. The Chinese middle class today is the largest in the world by far. But its rise was predictable. In the 1980s, Japan virtually destroyed the Western consumer electronics industry and the Western automobile industry came close to meeting the same fate, rescued only by import restrictions.

China, ten times larger than Japan, applied a similar formula. Taub calls it teamwork capitalism informed by the worker worldview. He wrote: “Both value society (the State) over the individual. They stress conformity, group-mindedness, linkage, cooperation, a collective attitude, sensitivity to others, and a desire to live securely.”

The end of work

Worker varna qualities will play a key role in the Fourth Industrial, the next stage of technological development. Industry 4.0 combines multiple technologies and the social sciences to integrate Industry 4.0 into daily life. China is leading in most of the technologies that are crucial to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, China’s economic and technological influence in the world is likely to increase. For the US to keep up, it needs a plan. The same applies to the rudderless EU, like the US taken over by neoliberals. Without a plan or destination, the ship of state is lost at sea, at the mercy of the force of history.

Taub warns against the West imitating China. The Worker Age is the shortest of the four varna ages and will be superseded by the new Spiritual Age, Satyayuga II. Harbingers of this new era are the growing interest in yoga, meditation, mindfulness and ecology.

Taub argues that several traits cultivated during the merchant era – such as a well-developed ego and individualism – were out of step with the Worker Age, but these merchant traits will align more closely with Satyayuga II than the Confucian-inspired emphasis on teamwork and prioritizing society over the individual.

This may be true but the world must first navigate the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Industry 4.0 will gradually lead to the end of most work and transform society. China leads this transition and has the economies of scale to set global standards. It is bound to play a key role in mediating the transition to Setyayuga II.

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Kolkata trams: Iconic Indian city landmark faces extinction

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AFP In this photo taken on September 8, 2024, passengers commute in a tram along a street in Kolkata. Introduced in the sprawling eastern city in 1873 during the early days of the imperial British Raj, trams in Kolkata were initially horse-drawn, then steam-driven. Electric-powered trams took to the streets in 1900. AFP

Last week, authorities in the Indian city of Kolkata announced plans to eliminate trams entirely, retaining only a small heritage loop. In response, a group of activists is fighting to ensure that trams remain a vital mode of transport rather than mere nostalgic joyrides. Sandip Roy reports.

In February 2023, Kolkata celebrated 150 years of its tramways with music, cake, a beauty parade of vintage trams, including a century-old wooden car, and a cheerful tram conductor, Roberto D’Andrea, who travelled all the way from Melbourne, Australia.

Melbourne and Kolkata boast two of the oldest operational tramways in the world. Melbourne’s trams date back to 1885. Kolkata’s first tram, a horse-drawn one, started in 1873.

That’s where the similarities end.

Melbourne’s tram system is going strong despite the government once attempting to get rid of them. The system has been upgraded and some trams are solar-powered.

Kolkata’s trams have been steadily declining over the years. From 52 routes in the 1970s, down to 25 in 2015 and now to just three.

The tram cars rattle and wheeze, having not been updated in years. Even the signs inside have not changed. “Beware of pickpockets”, “No change available for 100 rupees ($1.19; $0.89) or 50” and “To stop the car please ring the bell only once”.

Now, the state government has announced that it wants to do away with trams entirely, save for one small loop as a heritage route.

But a dogged group of tram activists is fighting back.

“It’s a huge backward step as cities worldwide are ‘decarbonising transport’ because of global warming and climate change,” says Mr D’Andrea, who has helped foster a Kolkata-Melbourne tram friendship over the years.

“More than 400 cities run tram systems. Cities that dismantled their tramways are rebuilding them at great expense in places like Sydney and Helsinki and all over France. Hong Kong runs trams at high frequency on narrow streets,” he says.

But West Bengal transport minister Snehasis Chakraborty told the media: “The population and vehicular count of Kolkata have multiplied several times but the city’s roads have not widened. Road space continues to hover around 6% which is way less than Mumbai’s 18% and Delhi’s 10%.”

Both those cities once had trams. Mumbai had double-decker ones. Both have done away with them, leaving Kolkata as the only Indian city to hold onto the trundling streetcars.

In a way they have become emblematic of the city itself.

The city has other landmarks – the steel Howrah bridge, the white-domed Victoria Memorial monument, the colonial buildings in the city’s centre. But just as London has its iconic red double-decker buses, Kolkata has its trams. The ding-ding sound of the first tram of the day rattling down streets was the alarm clock many in Kolkata woke up to.

They are a familiar sight in films made in the state.

“I have used trams in two of my films and the tram depot as well,” says filmmaker Anjan Dutt.

Mahanagar (1963), by celebrated filmmaker Satyajit Ray, opens with a stunning two-minute-long tram sequence, sparks flying from the overhead cables before the camera moves inside to settle on the protagonist’s tired face as he returns home from work. Here, the tram stands in for the city itself, both its dreams and the daily grind.

In fact, Kolkata’s Belgachia tram depot, once bustling with workmen repairing, maintaining, even building trams, nowadays often doubles as a film set. “Even on a working day I saw films being shot in the workshop,” says Subir Bose, a tram company worker who retired in 2022 after 39 years of service. “A Kolkata film means they have to show a tram.”

Getty Images Trams in KolkataGetty Images

Trams are very much part of the history of the city and its sense of itself.

In 1902, Calcutta as it was known then, became the first Asian city with electric trams. Even after independence, the Calcutta Tramways Company was run from London and was listed on the London Stock Exchange till 1968. The cars were built by companies with names like Burn Standard and Jessop.

And it wasn’t just a transportation system. The tram lines knit the city together.

When bloody Hindu-Muslim riots gripped Calcutta during partition in 1947, tram workers patrolled the city in empty trams to help restore normalcy.

“My own father helped save some people from a mob,” says tram driver Gopal Ram. “Tram workers were like a family. It didn’t matter if you were Hindu or Muslim.”

Mr Ram’s great grandfather Antu Ram was a tram employee from the steam-powered days. His grandfather Mahavir and father Jagannath worked for the trams as well. Mr Ram retired recently, the fourth and last generation of his family in Kolkata trams.

In some ways, the mystery is that Kolkata’s trams have survived this long.

“In the 1950s and 60s, during the personal automobile boom, people were getting rid of trams everywhere, not just in India,” says transport consultant Suvendu Seth.

“Now they are making a comeback. The light rail in many cities in the United States is just a newer version of trams. It’s sad that we had it all the time and are neglecting it instead of improving it.”

Mr Seth says that instead of complaining about lack of road space, an innovative solution could be to make some roads open only to pedestrians and trams.

AFP oberto D'Andrea, tram conductor of Melbourne, enjoying the joyride in a newly decorated tram to celebrate the 20th anniversary (1996 - 2016) of Kolkata Melbourne Tramjatra approaching Esplanade, on December 10, 2016 in Kolkata, IndiAFP

Debashis Bhattacharyya, a retired academic and president of the Calcutta Tram Users Association, thinks trams survived in Kolkata all these years because they connected the city’s schools, hospitals and cinemas.

In the 1990s, as the count of cars and buses increased, the then Communist government in the state called trams “obsolete” and wanted to get rid of them.

“I protested,” says Mr Bhattacharyya. “If trams went, I felt my whole existence was threatened. I did exhibitions, slide shows, brought in foreign experts. The government should be applying for UNESCO heritage status for trams instead of trying to kill it off. ”

Recently, activists have been trying to use culture to save trams.

Since 1996, filmmaker Mahadeb Shi has been organising the Tramjatra festival, often in collaboration with Mr D’Andrea. Art students paint the trams and local bands perform in the streetcars.

Each Tramjatra has a theme, like Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s Gitanjali or the city’s Durga Puja festival.

“Tramjatra helped expose younger people to trams too,” says Shi.

One north Kolkata tram route was reopened recently. The West Bengal Transport Corporation also tried to make trams cool again with special projects like a tram library, an Independence Day special tram and a short-lived Tram World museum.

AFP A tram rolls along a main road which is usually jammed with traffic, during a 12-hour general strike in Kolkata on January 22, 2009. AFP

When Kolkata received a C40 Cities “Green Mobility” award in Copenhagen in 2019, mayor Firhad Hakim said trams were a key part of his vision to make the city’s transportation all-electric by 2030.

But now he seems to have forgotten that pledge. The government admits trams are a “green” mode of transport but says they are investing in other forms instead – electric buses and cars and expanding the underground metro system.

Mr Bhattacharyya says tram routes have been gobbled up by tuk-tuks which generate more employment and votes for the government. The tram depots also sit on valuable real estate the government can sell.

But Shi insists the final bell hasn’t rung yet, as the issue is now with the Calcutta High Court, which formed an advisory committee last year to explore how Kolkata’s tram services can be restored and maintained, with the state awaiting the committee’s report before taking further action.

Mr Bose, the retired tram worker, says the government could have shut down the trams long ago, but that something held it back every time. Perhaps because it too senses what trams mean for the city, he says.

“Three things made Kolkata Kolkata – the Howrah Bridge, the Victoria Memorial and the trams. It’s heart-breaking to think we could be losing one of them.”

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Philippines drops a Typhon missile gauntlet on China – Asia Times

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MANILA – The Philippines and China are staging dueling patrols and exercises this week in the South China Sea, the latest maneuvers in their ever-escalating maritime disputes. But recent moves on land threaten to tilt their tensions to a dangerous new level.

In what could evolve into a Cuban-like missile crisis, Manila recently announced it would “indefinitely” host America’s state-of-the-art Typhon missile systems, a mid-range weapon the US could bring to bear in any conflict with China over Taiwan.

Despite strong opposition by China, and initial denials by Filipino officials, there are rising indications that the Philippine military intends to keep the much-vaunted American missile systems on its soil for the long term, or even “forever”, as military chief Romeo Brawner recently quipped.  

As one senior Filipino official bluntly told the media, the Philippine government wants to give China “sleepless nights” by keeping the missile system on its soil.

The Typhon saga began earlier this year ahead of annual Philippine-US joint Balikatan exercises, the biggest ever staged.

In a “historic first”, the Pentagon deployed the newly developed missile system – capable of launching missiles including SM-6 missiles and Tomahawks over 1,600 kilometers (994 miles) – to mark a “significant step in our partnership with the Philippines.”

When China started to criticize the deployment, both American and Filipino officials were quick to downplay the move as a purely logistical exercise. In July, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi issued a strongly worded statement on the issue while accusing Manila and Washington of provoking a regional arms race.

China’s top diplomat reiterated the point during his recent trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, where he warned that US deployment of intermediate-range missiles in the Philippines “undermines regional peace and stability.”

During Yi’s conversations with his South Korean counterpart, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, in New York last weekend, the Chinese envoy reiterated that the deployment of any American weapons systems capable of striking China “is not in the interests of regional countries.”

Years earlier, China pressured South Korea against hosting America’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. Having ultimately failed to dissuade Seoul, Beijing now likely fears that Manila may seek to host yet another high-impact US weapons system.

In September, Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said Yi expressed China’s “very dramatic” concern about the Typhon’s deployment to the Philippines during talks in Laos on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meetings with Asian and Western countries.

What makes the Philippine deployment particularly sensitive to China is its proximity to Taiwan.

Beijing was already peeved with Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s decision to grant US forces rotational access to its northernmost military facilities close to Taiwan’s southern shores under the two sides’ expanded Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

The deployment of key military assets to geographically dispersed locations across the Philippines fits with the US Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) operating concept.

As Asia Times correspondent Gabriel Honrada argued earlier in these pages, “The US can spread Typhon sensors and weapons across multiple EDCA sites, employ longer-range and unmanned systems and use resilient communication links to maintain coordination and adaptability in a contested environment.”

In the event of an all-out conflict over Taiwan, Philippine-based Typhon missile systems could prove singularly crucial since they would allow the Pentagon to hit mainland and maritime Chinese bases targeting American naval assets in the area.

The geostrategic stakes are clearly high for both superpowers. Earlier, in an apparent bid to tamp down diplomatic tensions with China, US and Philippine officials signaled that the Typhon missile system would be removed from the Philippines by September. But the latest reports suggest that the weapon system will remain until at least next year’s Balikatan exercises scheduled for April

While Beijing is primarily concerned with a potential confrontation with Washington over Taiwan, Manila is focused on its own strategic interests. Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Brawner Jr has repeatedly turned down America’s offer of direct assistance amid recent tussles in the South China Sea.

At the same time, he has openly called for the long-term deployment as well as acquisition of advanced American weapons systems. Under the newly launched Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC), the Southeast Asian nation is seek to rapidly enhance its defensive capabilities vis-à-vis China.

“Not only the Typhon but also other missile systems kasi kailangan natin ng (because we need) comprehensive air defense and maritime defense systems,” Brawner Jr told reporters on the sidelines of the recent 5th Asian Defense, Security and Crisis Management Exhibition and Conference (ADAS 2024).

“ADAS 2024 provides an important venue for enhancing our defense and security capabilities by exploring cutting-edge technologies and fostering collaboration with international partners,” he added, signaling Manila’s growing appetite for not only hosting but also operating increasingly sophisticated NATO-grade weapons systems.

According to recent satellite imagery, the Laoag International Airport in Laoag, Ilocos Norte, which also happens to be the hometown of President Marcos Jr, is currently hosting the Typhon system. The northern Philippine base is less than a 30-minute flight away from southern Taiwanese cities.

“If ever it will be pulled out, it is because the objective has been achieved and it may be brought (back) in after all the repairs or the construction would have been done,” an anonymous senior Filipino official told Reuters. “We want to give [China] sleepless nights,” the official added.

“If it were up to me, if I were given the choice, I would like to have the Typhon missile system here in the Philippines forever because we need it for our defense,” Philippine top general Brawner Jr told media last week while emphasizing that he has not yet received a definitive response from the Pentagon.

Follow Richard Javad Heydarian on X at @Richeydarian

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