Air-conditioning, overseas holidays essential for Singaporeans, but streaming services are not: SMU study

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The study captured the responses to all 51 items in a table, split into whether respondents answered “yes” or “no” to whether each item was essential. 

The top five items where respondents answered “yes” were a refrigerator at 99.5 per cent, public transportation for day-to-day commutes at 98.5 per cent, a stove or a cooking device at 97.3 per cent, personal hygiene products at 97.1 per cent and a mattress at 96.5 per cent.

Of the respondents, 63.6 per cent felt that air-conditioning was essential. The authors said that views on this differed greatly across income groups. During discussions, some felt air-conditioning was necessary to counter the heat in Singapore while others felt it was a luxury given the high electricity bills associated with it.

At the bottom of the list were paid streaming services, such as Netflix, at 37.5 per cent, domestic help for caregiving at 33.1 per cent, private enrichment lessons at 29.5 per cent, and both domestic help for household chores and annual staycations at 27.4 per cent each. 

Notably, smartphones with data plans, and savings for at least three months’ worth of expenses for emergencies figured high on the list, with 93.3 per cent and 95 per cent respectively considering the item to be essential. 

Activities that were considered essential by Singaporeans include family bonding outside of the home at 90.4 per cent, free time for hobbies at 86.4 per cent, going out with friends at 84.7 per cent, dining out at restaurants at least once a month at 62.1 per cent, and an annual overseas vacation in a Southeast Asia country at 56.3 per cent. 

The study noted how annual overseas vacations in Southeast Asia countries ranked higher than annual staycations. 

“This possibly reflects the importance that respondents place on fulfilling leisure and social participation needs outside of the country,” it said. 

“Based on our focus group discussions, respondents generally perceived destinations like Malaysia or Batam to be more affordable compared to a local staycation.”

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The push for micro-credentials in Singapore: What are they and are they for you?

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HOW THEY WORK IN SOME INSTANCES

These courses can go a long way, according to Associate Professor May Lim, assistant professor of applied learning at the Singapore Institute of Technology ( SIT ), which offers micro-credentials for the tech and sustainability sectors.

She said a two-day training on artificial intelligence that teaches broad stroke is not suitable for those who want to work with machine learning or information engineers.

” If I want to heavy swim and have true skills … I need a substantial amount of understanding, which is what a micro-credential is about”, she told CNA’s Singapore Tonight.

SIT even takes note of pupils ‘ due teaching so it can provide the appropriate micro-credentials, said Assoc Prof Lim.

Additionally, the institutes develop curriculums that incorporate more than just one company. For instance, the Singapore University of Social Sciences ( SUSS) and the Singapore University of Technology and Design ( SUTD ) collaborated to obtain a joint professional certification in generative AI.

According to Associate Professor Guan Chon of the SUSS Academy, who was also on the show, her university concentrates on the introduction and information technology and storytelling units, while SUTD concentrates on design and development. &nbsp,

” We click each other’s capabilities and we build a better product up”, she said. &nbsp,

THE INDUSTRY’S Part

Skills development companions did priest IHL micro-credentials offered in emerging or in-demand industries in accordance with a new program and honor those who have obtained the necessary knowledge through recognized qualifications.

For instance, the Institution of Engineers Singapore ( IES ) has worked with enterprises to set out the key skills required for engineers in sustainability, and has identified institutes ‘ micro-credentials that cover these skills.

Trainees who have completed the micro-credentials necessary for the core competencies covered by Tion and who pass the expert analysis will receive a chartership documentation.

Southeast Asia’s largest telecommunication company Singtel is one of the businesses that will help employees in pursuing this new IES’s chartership certification process.

Singtel will use this new qualification route to expand a core group of experts with experience in fields like conservation monitoring and green design to achieve its goal of reaching net zero by 2045.

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Africa can learn from China about growing cities – Asia Times

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The financial growth strategies of African and Asian nations have frequently been compared. With a US$ 251 per capita GDP in 1987, China was less developed than the majority of American nations. Uganda’s GDP per capita in US dollar terms that year was$ 392, Zambia’s$ 319 and Ghana’s$ 354. But now China has GDP per capita of$ 6, 091 and it is the country’s second largest economy. In Uganda, per capita GDP is still only US$ 964.

Both Asia and Africa have grown in population at comparable rates. With the projected population growth of nearly 1 billion more than the rest of the world in 2050, Africa is moving toward its fastest industrial shift to date. Earlier, China was in the best location: between 1978 and 2010, over 700 million folks moved to China’s places. Southeast Asia’s urbanization rates are remarkable, and many of these countries have not yet completed their metropolitan transformations.

There’s a change, also. Urbanization and industrialization have been combined in China and Southeast Asia, which has resulted in increased economic efficiency and reduced hunger. In Africa, the same style has never existed.

Much has been written to compare how the industrial change occurred, mainly in China, and what other parts of the world may take its cue from. The “best practices” identified include guidelines around specific financial areas, which have now proliferated across Africa.

Success in propagation has been limited, at best. It’s not always remembered that China’s accomplishment did not happen instantaneously. Not all areas benefited likewise, and the procedure was n’t straight.

But things did happen in China and some benefited. China’s economic changes over this time were strong, wide, and uneven, as noted by Chinese professor Yuen Yuen Ang in her book How China Left the Poverty Trap. What insights and ideas does that bring to Africa?

Africa: industrialization without industrialisation

No region has reached middle-income position without undergoing a well-managed process of urban change. Yet, although the urban change in many African nations is also quicker than China’s, it has mostly been decoupled from modernization. What the Egyptian experience is demonstrating is that when urbanization is not correlated with investments in open infrastructure and services, it may increase the drawbacks of thick living, such as the growth of informal settlements, congestion, and contagion, as most recently demonstrated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The majority of publications about and comparing industrialization in China and Africa originate in the northwest of the world. Less quantitative analysis has been done by urban African researchers.

This offers a teaching opportunity, through better understanding some of the particulars of what really happened. So, as an American industrial professor myself, I did some preliminary research on this a few years ago, along with co-authors. In” Is Africa study from the Chinese urbanization account,” we published our results. – a working papers.

Our summary was” Indeed”– but with caveats.

The second caveat is visible but needs to be clarified. China is a big state. Africa, by contrast, is a diverse continent with 54 states and even more diversity in its towns.

Learning should n’t necessarily imply adopting directly what China did, which was very context-specific. Instead, Africa’s scholars and policymakers now have the advantage of retrospective research, and they should use this to critically evaluate what worked and what did n’t, and why.

Probably most important, analytical understanding can and should get both ways.

Strong dive into China’s industrialization

Kudos to Hong Kong’s top-talent card program, which allows me to live and work in the area for two years, I now have the best opportunity to expand on this research and gain valuable experience from the Eastern region itself.

Almost a year into my remain, and through my expanding sites into the state, intellectual and private-sector circles in Hong Kong, China and beyond, my own knowledge of the industrialization processes around is growing.

It’s a crucial time to talk to people, particularly with China. Through its Belt-and-Road Initiative, China is immediately shaping many American cities via investments and plans. It’s obvious in motorways, railways and exclusive economic zones.

There has been growing concern about the volume, type, and amount of Taiwanese debt that some nations are absorbing, and under what circumstances. Therefore, it is crucial to comprehend what might be influencing policies and funding decisions from the standpoint of China.

In a series of posts for The Conversation Africa, I may reflect on what I’m learning over the course of the upcoming season. Based on my research and my research on American urbanization over the past ten years, these will touch on some of the things I believe to be the most significant aspects of the Egyptian urban perspective. I’ll even draw on the writings of scientists who have studied and written about industrialization both in the Southeast Asian region and in China.

Topics will include funding of common equipment, urban planning, exclusive economic zones and intelligent cities, among others. These reflections may also serve as the foundation for a proper publishing that I intend to write.

I reject the notion of establishing “best techniques” and finding” a model” that can be instantly replicated. As noted, China’s industrial change, although it happened fast, did not happen overnight and was, like everywhere else in the globe, rooted in serious traditional, administrative, economic and cultural contexts.

I want to know and analyze precisely these peculiarities: the muddle of the plan process, how policies were adapted to the local context, challenges China faced, and opportunities and challenges that we can draw from decades of experience. These will guide “deposits” for what Yuen Yuen Ang, in an article, calls the” Non-Best Practice Bank of Knowledge“, with the emphasis on the fact that” remedies can come in many forms, even in methods that contradict American best techniques”.

Astrid R. N. Haas is an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto.

This is the first of a series of articles in The Conversation Africa to examine the urbanization of Africa and learn from the experiences of other nations. It has been republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Yellen’s de-dollarization fears will only get worse – Asia Times

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US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen made an unusual attendance in the middle of a commonplace Parliamentary hearing on July 9: De-dollarization is then her greatest concern.

It’s a sharp turn-around for a US market king who has long said the dollar is in danger of losing its position as the world’s dominant reserve currency due to sanctions or other plan errors, despite the obviousness of it. In March 2022, for example, &nbsp, Yellen&nbsp, said” I do n’t think the dollar has any serious competition and it’s not likely to for a long time”.

The original Federal Reserve chairman remarked that” when you think about what makes the money a reserve money, it’s that we have the deepest and most liquid investment businesses of any country on earth. Treasury assets are safe, secure and exceedingly liquid. We have a strong economic and financial structure, as well as the rule of law. There is n’t really a reserve currency that can compete with it.

What a change two decades have made. Doubts of a “weaponized” dollars have the Global South joining forces with increasing necessity to find an alternative. &nbsp,

And two factors in Washington are accelerating this energetic in real time. One is the rising US national debt, which is$ 35 trillion in the air. The other is a US election cycle that is getting more and more off the rails, like what international owners have never seen.

Now, Donald Trump is telegraphing 60 % taxes on all Chinese products, at least. The former US president has threatened to impose a 1 % taxes on all US-bound vehicles. That results in Joe Biden’s troubled White House competing with Trump to win the China trade battle.

Add to the uncertainty about whether Biden will even be the Democrat Party candidate. Questions abound about the senator ‘s&nbsp, mental health&nbsp, following his disastrous June 27 argument over Trump.

Asia is instantly confronted with the” Project 2025″ sport program devised by his caregivers as the chances of a Trump 2.0 White House rise, despite worries that Trump does get another chance at some contentious things on his 2017-2021 want list.

There is talk of ending the Federal Reserve and switching to a gold-backed money as part of the 900-page Project 2025 program created by the Heritage Foundation. Trump in the past has hinted at defaulting on US loan, devaluing the money and shaking down supporters that number America forces – such as Japan and South Korea– for&nbsp, protection&nbsp, income.

Also if he loses the November 5 election, Trump will almost certainly claim scams. Now, Trump and his best friends refuse to undertake to accepting a loss, almost ensuring another Capitol Hill&nbsp, insurrection&nbsp, equivalent to January 6, 2021.

It’s important to keep in mind that the social discord that caused that riot led to Fitch Ratings ‘ decision to revoke Washington’s AAA status in August 2023. Since then, Moody’s Investors Service, the guard of Washington’s sole remaining AAA, has pointed to conflicts over funding the government and raising the legal debt sky as threats to view.

The consequences from a possible Moody’s drop worries Asia significantly. This area has the largest stocks of US Treasury securities everywhere, accounting for roughly US$ 3 trillion. Japan has the most at US$ 1.2 trillion, &nbsp, China&nbsp, is second with$ 770 billion.

However, Yellen’s career might be remembered as the one when the dollar’s velocity actually changed. It was evident by 2022 and 2023, argues analyst Stephen Jen, CEO at Eurizon SLJ Capital, that the economy’s loss of business share was accelerating. It was last year when the dollar’s tally of total global official reserves fell to 58 % from 73 % in 2001 – back when it was, in Jen’s words, an “indisputable hegemonic reserve”.

” The buck suffered a spectacular collapse in 2022 in its market share as a supply money, probably due to its muscular usage of restrictions”, Jen argues. ” Outstanding actions taken by the US and its supporters against Russia have startled big reserve-holding countries” – most of the Global South, emerging markets.

Though King Dollar also reigns, Jen argues, its ongoing supremacy “is not preordained” amid work among the BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa – and abroad, including Southeast Asia, to de-throne the&nbsp, US money.

” The prevalent see of’ nothing-to-see-here’ on the US dollars as a reserve money seems to trivial and complacent”, Jen argues. The World South is unable to completely avoid using the money, but a large portion of it has now become disinclined to do so, according to what needs to be appreciated by investors.

So why would the Washington establishment been lending its support to those who are most interested in devaluing the dollar?

During the time that Chinese leader Xi Jinping has been in power, localization has been top of the list. There is great news that China’s economy will become more and more influential globally.

Yet Beijing’s hesitancy to allow complete devaluation limits the dollar’s power. So do questions about the yuan’s trajectory, suggesting Xi ‘s&nbsp, de-dollarization&nbsp, drive is working better overseas – in terms of trade and official support – than at home.

One solution is for Xi and Premier Li Qiang to accelerate changes in the sectors of imports, regional state funding, capital markets growth, and innovation-focused growth engines. Beijing also needs to completely convert the yuan to raise trust.

According to Alexandra Prokopenko, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, “it’s believed that the yuan ca n’t become a full-fledged reserve currency because of the current restrictions on capital transactions in China.” Although Russia and other significant economies are using the Yuan to “help the Taiwanese authorities make it into an international reserve currency,” according to Prokopenko, structural limitations prevent it from being a “reliable replacement” for the dollar at this time.

Also, Xi’s “yuanization” strategy is gaining traction. In March, the yuan hit a&nbsp, record high of 47 % of global payments by value.

Team Xi has consistently made significant and regular progress toward replacing the dollars as the economic system’s statement since 2016. That time, Beijing secured a spot in the International Monetary Fund’s” special&nbsp, drawing-rights” system. It put the yuan into the world’s most unique currency team along with the money, euro, yen and the lb.

According to SWIFT, the yuan held the position of the world’s currency with the fourth-largest share of international payments in 2023. &nbsp, It also overtook the dollar as China’s most used cross-border monetary unit, a first.

Trump’s engineering of a weaker dollar would significantly improve the strategy. That would greatly reduce trust in US Treasury securities, a cornerstone holding for central banks around the globe, boosting America’s borrowing costs.

The scheme would imperil Washington’s ability to defy financial gravity. Thanks to reserve-currency status, the US enjoys any number of&nbsp, special&nbsp, benefits. This “exorbitant privilege”, as 1960s French Finance Minister Valéry Giscard d’Estaing famously called it, allows Washington to live far beyond its means.

All this explains why the dollar continues to rise even as Washington’s national debt approaches US$ 35 trillion. &nbsp, The&nbsp, dollar is up 13 % &nbsp, so far this year versus the yen and 11 % versus the euro.

Biden’s White House also imperiled trust in the dollar. Along with continued debt accumulation, Team Biden’s decision to freeze portions of Russia’s currency reserves over its Ukraine invasion crossed a line with many global investors.

Dmitry Dolgin, economist at ING Bank, thinks yuanization remains largely on the agenda. Beijing has n’t let up on broadening currency swap arrangements, promoting yuan transactions and expanding China’s Cross-Border Interbank Payment System ( CIPS) aiming to replace SWIFT.

According to Dolgin,” It appears that China’s expanding trade ties and financial infrastructure indicate that the potential for further yuanization has not been exhausted.”

Neither have efforts to create a BRICS currency. BRICS has even greater firepower, considering it’s allying with Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates and others. At last week ‘s&nbsp, Shanghai Cooperation Organization&nbsp, summit, China, Russia and their geopolitical comrades did their best to” to show the world that the West’s attempts to contain them are not working”, notes Tom Miller, analyst at Gavekal Research.

In June, the yuan’s share of&nbsp, Russia’s foreign exchange market hit 99.6 %. The Moscow Exchange had to stop selling dollars and the euro as a direct result of sanctions. &nbsp, In May, prior to the implementation of new US sanctions, the yuan’s share was just 53.6 %.

Not everyone is persuaded that the dollar will never run out. Analysts at the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center think the dollar’s dominance is actually growing. Its brawn is driven by a buoyant US economy, attractive yields and geopolitical uncertainty.

One problem, they write in a recent report, is that China’s currency is n’t ready for prime time. &nbsp,

According to Atlantic Council analysts,” this is possibly due to reserve managers ‘ concern about China’s economy, Beijing’s position on the Russia-Ukraine war, and a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, which contribute to the perception of the renminbi as a geopolitically risky reserve currency.”

But the preponderance of available evidence suggests that, as 2024 unfolds, Yellen’s fears about de-dollarization are n’t just valid – they’re being realized by the day.

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Commentary: Jemaah Islamiyah is no more, but the terror threat it poses will persist

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Frequent Risks

The possible formation of splinter groups by another top leaders and members who might not agree with the dissolution poses the initial threat.

The majority of JI people are likely to pursue the dissolution call. As a result of a revamped selection process and domestic surveillance system, JI individuals recruited over the past century have been mostly disciplined in accordance with the news.

Nevertheless, there are radical groups in JI that may believe. However, there has been precedence of like factions operating autonomously.

Imaruddin made use of the immediate power vacuum created by Para Wijayanto’s imprisonment in 2019 to launch attacks, an action JI has forbidden since 2011. His faction made plans to attack Chinese-Indonesian owned stores in Banten, West Java and East Java, amassed over 260 million rupiah ( US$ 16, 060 ), and procured two firearms before being arrested.

The second risk is a plot to invade well-known religious organizations and mobilise public support for the establishment of an Islamic express in Indonesia.

In the past ten years, JI’s preferred strategy has changed from using violence to using dakwah ( preaching ). Some JI researchers claimed that “if establishing an Islamist position were the purpose, above-ground organizations like the Islamic Defenders Front had made more progress than JI.”

Finally, JI recognised that it does not need to prospect dakwah efforts. It has been releasing JI seniors from the organization’s structure so they can get on community leadership positions. Ahmad Zain-An-Najah, the most well-known case of this, was a member of the influential Indonesian Ulema Council when he was detained for JI connections in 2021.

Even after the organization stops operating, JI was continue its efforts to support JI radical ideology.

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Blackpink’s Jisoo made a surprise trip to Singapore for Cartier launch party; Jackson Wang also attended

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Jisoo’s looks, in particular, was a wonder as there had been no indication that the 29-year-old K-pop hero had left South Korea. Online fans even called her” a ninja”, with one fan writing:” Another episode of Jisoo being a ninja because ( in ) her last update, she was filming ( and ) then now, she’s in Singapore.

During the event, Jisoo was seen interacting with North Vietnamese actress  Roh Yoon-seo as well as Anne Yitzhakov and Yanina Novitskaya  – the CEO of Cartier Southeast Asia and the controlling director of Cartier Singapore, both.

The Blackpink member’s time in Singapore did, however, appear to be brief when she was filmed arriving at South Korea’s Incheon Airport on Thursday morning ( Jul 11 ).

Jisoo shared a few photos of her day in Singapore in a blog on the lover messaging app Bubble, one of which showed her holding a crab spear.

She wrote:” Blinks [fans of Blackpink]! I’m up in Korea. Haha. Korea has a distinct sky! It’s no raining? ! Although I was disappointed that my journey to Singapore was so brief, we all ate chili shrimp after finishing my schedule. “

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NATO: Beyond the North Atlantic – Asia Times

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This article was first published by Pacific Forum, a 1975-founded international policy research institute based in Honolulu.

NATO’s Washington Summit marks the Alliance’s 75th&nbsp, season. The feeling is barely joyful. Two and a half times into Russia’s war of Ukraine, the West’s ability to stay the course is exceedingly in question.

However, even if previous United States President Donald Trump does not win in November, recent&nbsp, polling&nbsp, suggests some Americans share his views that Europeans need to carry the lion’s share for their country’s protection given another pressures on the United States.

For pre-occupations, understandable as they are, may n’t allow another crucial challenge to pass down NATO’s mission in DC: Indo-Pacific protection.

In 2022, NATO recognized China as a proper challenge, an extraordinary step. While Beijing’s so-called” no limits&nbsp, relationship” announced only weeks before Russia’s war was a motivator, so too was China’s increasing antagonism over problems like the South China Sea and Taiwan. As Japan’s Prime Minister&nbsp, Fumio Kishida&nbsp, put it, some feared that” tomorrow’s Ukraine may be tomorrow’s East Asia”.

As a result, NATO has been deepening its partnerships with the so-called” Indo-Pacific Four ( IP4 )”: Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea. Therefore far, however, these connections have been limited to political discourse and new technology partnerships. According to Article 30 of the Washington mountain declaration from the NATO head of state and government, it reads this manner:

We may meet with the management of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea, and the European Union to examine common security issues and areas of assistance. &nbsp, The Indo-Pacific is essential for NATO, given that advances in that place directly impact Euro-Atlantic protection. &nbsp, We welcome the continuing efforts of our Asia-Pacific companions to Euro-Atlantic safety. &nbsp, We are strengthening speech to address cross-regional challenges and are enhancing our practical assistance, including through premier projects in the areas of supporting Ukraine, computer army, countering propaganda, and systems. These initiatives will strengthen our ability to collaborate on shared stability goals.

Not all in the Indo-Pacific have welcomed this new interest, with the Ukraine war and growing US-China conflicts crystalizing&nbsp, distinctions of opinion&nbsp, in Southeast Asia, in special, regarding how best to handle local protection.

The risk of a local disaster or conflict between great powers continues to grow despite any doubts about a NATO part in the region. This year, the South China Sea’s aggression has increased significantly, putting the possibility of a mistake that could quickly turn into a global problems. Russia and North Korea’s new mutual&nbsp, defense pact&nbsp, had more destabilize the Asian Peninsula as well as creating still more difficulties for Ukraine.

However, China’s army is now larger than America’s and its air pressure on-course to&nbsp, statistically overtake&nbsp, the United States. China has also been honing methods to&nbsp, isolate Taiwan, while a growing army of rockets and&nbsp, nuclear weapons&nbsp, provides Beijing with more choices to hinder any US treatment.

As the country’s stock, China already has the foundation for a battle economy on unparalleled scale. By contrast, American garrisons are depleted, and commercial bases never yet mobilized. At the same time, weakening financial development, failures in the real estate market, rising youth&nbsp, unemployment&nbsp, and multinational&nbsp, business flight&nbsp, could all see President Xi’s power extremely challenged. This could see him cornered into an act of aggression, given Beijing’s strategy of coercion against Taiwan appears to be failing.

The effects of such crises coming on top of the conflict in Ukraine as well as the Middle East’s growing violence may be catastrophic. If China were to become an equal or dominant security power in the Indo-Pacific, for example, that could force regional nations to realign their posture. Alternatively, America and China might be propelled into a devastating war costing the global economy to the tune of&nbsp,$ 10 trillion. Any conflict could fundamentally deteriorate the United States ‘ ability to contribute to European security, and both the Indo-Pacific and Europe would be affected by these developments.

In response, it seems that the two countries have a common interest in NATO intervening more to deter a conflict in East Asia. A more strategic plan by the alliance might also safeguard US security interests in the future. Given the threat posed by Russia, Europe may balk at additional commitments, just as Indo-Pacific centrality might be threatened by a larger NATO presence. Leaving the problem to America and its regional allies, however, ignores two critical problems.

First, the Indo-Pacific lacks the type of collective defense enjoyed by NATO. Instead, bilateral “hub and spokes” treaties with the United States, overlaid with a plethora of sometimes-competing minilateral pacts, predominate.

Former Supreme Allied Commander Europe Admiral James Stavridis&nbsp, recently suggested&nbsp, extending NATO membership to Indo-Pacific countries to overcome this challenge. This may not be a quick fix, however, given protracted debates over European enlargement. Nor would all in Indo-Pacific welcome such an offer given varying regional perspectives.

Second, when it comes to US-China tensions, the military balance of power is currently in Beijing’s favor due to proximity, mass, and technological edge. Some NATO countries ‘ initiatives, often with Indo-Pacific partners, will close the gap, but none will be operational before Xi’s declaration of the People’s Liberation Army’s readiness for war in 2027.

NATO must therefore act decisively and boldly to stop aggression, but in ways that neither outweigh the regional threat nor drain resources spent defending against Russia in the Euro-Atlantic. Rather than deploying forces on-masse, then, a new alliance strategy could instead be developed around four pillars:

  • First, NATO might alter its boundaries to include US-held territory in the Pacific, including the state of Hawaii and Guam. They are currently exempt from the collective defense guarantee under Article 5, but adding them could deter aggressors from firing missiles against US regional forces in an escalating crisis.
  • Second, NATO could assist Indo-Pacific partners in developing regional interoperability, which the alliance has benefited from for decades, allowing them to react to any aggression more quickly. In situations where opposing theaters collaborate, this would also aid in theater coordination.
  • It would be a quick way to synchronize the content and timing of NATO exercises with those taking place in the Indo-Pacific. This would encourage the US’s strategy of moving theaters and help allies create multiple predicaments for China, Russia, and North Korea.
  • Fourth measure, the alliance might develop a number of emergency plans to react to scenarios in which Eurasian autocracies act violently. For one thing, blocking the flow of global goods would be necessary for what is likely to be a protracted war. Many of these trade routes are within the NATO’s purview but are beyond that of the PLA and are tasks that are best suited for the Alliance’s 300 patrol vessels, leaving high-end platforms to concentrate on Russia.

NATO could do all of which relatively quickly to close a temporal deterrence gap between the US and its Indo-Pacific partners. Given the increased risk and repercussions of a new crisis or conflict, the Alliance and its Indo-Pacific partners may want to take this next step in their burgeoning relations while acknowledging these proposals as paradigm-changing proposals.

Former Director of Strategic Analysis and Futures at the Defense Concepts and Doctrine Center, UK Royal Navy Commodore Peter Olive ( retired ).

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Solarvest appoints Daniel Ruppert as chief investment officer to drive investment strategies 

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  • Appointment reaffirms Solarvest’s devotion to its clean energy expenditure strategy
  • has more than 15 years of experience in business administration and investment banks.

Executive director and group CEO of Solarvest, Davis Chong (left) & Daniel Ruppert, chief investment officer, Solarvest

With effect from July 1st, 2024, local clean energy specialist Solarvest Holdings Berhad announced the appointment of Daniel Ruppert as its main investment officer.

The company stated in a statement that this visit confirms its commitment to advance its investment strategy in the clean electricity sector, both regionally and vertically. Through new and brownfield investments throughout Southeast Asia, Solarvest aims to have 1GW of fresh energy assets as part of its five-year plan. This proper visit is expected to expand the group’s international business expansion, further develop Solarvest’s position as a leading clean energy player, and drive innovation in green solutions.

Executive director and team CEO of Solarvest, Davis Chong Chun Shiong, said,” In early 2022, we introduced a five-year strategic strategy with an overarching purpose to spark exponential rise in the renewable energy industry through EPCC, property rights, and the development of a clean energy ecology. To promote this goal, we are delighted to welcome Daniel Ruppert. He will be very important in accelerating Solarvest’s efforts to promote regional leadership and promote green growth across different sectors. Ruppert is a useful addition to our team, positioned to lead our expense initiatives because of his thorough knowledge and active participation in the green energy sector.

Ruppert brings over 15 years of experience in investment banking and business control, with a significant track record in the Technology, Media, Telecommunications, and energy fields. His knowledge will help to guide Solarvest’s investment plans and help it advance its progress trajectory.

I’m honoured to be a part of Solarvest and play a role in driving this change because we are in a very interesting time when the energy transition propels important progress in Southeast Asia. We  intend to diversify with numerous investments in clean energy infrastructure beyond our present solar pipeline, which is 6. 1 GWp. We will welcome administrative and impact investors to meet our growth journey and take part in the economic returns as part of our expense strategy,” Ruppert said. &nbsp,

He added that Solarvest will likewise do co-investment partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, and shared projects. With the company’s proven track record in renewable, he said Solarvest is ready to become a larger person in Asean’s energy system.

Ruppert’s fresh role includes clean electricity property acquisitions, portfolio management, risk management, and proper money planning. He is now looking for Asean location investment opportunities for different clean energy technologies. This encompasses solar, wind, electricity, biogas/biomass, power store, energy efficiency, and the EV habitat.

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Poland calls for closer medical tech ties

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PUBLISHED: 10 Jul 2024 at 07: 14

Poland calls for closer medical tech ties
Thai and Polish medical technology entrepreneurs on Tuesday pose for a group photo with Polish ambassador, Artur Dmochowski (centre with glasses ), and, Wiwat Hemmondharop, Vice Chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries, ( on ambassador’s left ) before the seminar. Poramet Tangsathaporn

Although Thailand and Poland have near trade ties, according to Polish embassy Artur Dmochowski, the two nations should think about enhancing their business cooperation, particularly through investment in medical technology.

Mr. Dmochowski stated that the European Union would like to establish stronger connections in economic, business, and scientific transfers with Thailand during a seminar held in Bangkok on Tuesday to highlight the advancement of Finnish medical technology.

He claimed that Thailand is one of the best places in the world for clinical hospitality because of its high-quality healthcare system.

The Polish skilled industry, however, is fast-growing, and the individuals working in the sector are very experienced and intellectual, while labour costs are low, he said. He added that for business contacts could benefit both Thailand’s proper position in the center of Southeast Asia and Poland’s in northern Europe.

I believe that both factors can take advantage of this opportunity to improve their close ties and enhance our diplomatic financial cooperation, he said.

Wiwat Hemmondharop, evil president of the Federation of Thai Industries, said the health sector, mainly medical clusters, ranks among the 46 key industries the union is working on.

He claimed that Thailand has some of the best facilities and highly skilled personnel while Poland and Europe are perceived as having advanced health systems.

With these benefits in mind, he said it is time to collaborate to make Thailand a hotspot for Asean nations ‘ medical technology.

However, Mr. Wiwat claimed that the automobile industry has been affected by the rising demand for electric vehicles, and that nearly a million workers at Circuit vehicle manufacturers are now at risk of being laid off.

Thus, the league is urging automakers to reconsider their strategies and switch to more advanced manufacturing methods like medical technology and equipment.

” Polish shareholders, especially in the high-technology medical field, are pleasant in Thailand. We may transfer knowledge and expertise, as well as have long-term assistance”, Mr Wiwat said.

Polish Medical Technologies will be exhibited at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center’s Medlab Asia &amp, Asia Health 2024, which begins today and goes until July 12.

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