In the search for unanimity on the appointment of the new NATO chief, the number of supporters for Mark Rutte is now estimated at 28. This should convince four more NATO member states of the candidacy of the current Dutch Prime Minister. There is cautious optimism in government circles about Rutte's chances, although it is emphasized that unanimity is a condition for the appointment. It's not that far yet. For example, there is resistance from Hungary. Romania has put forward its President Klaus Johannis as an opposing candidate. Last month, the American capital Washington announced that President Biden supports Rutte's appointment. Shortly afterwards, expressions of support followed from the United Kingdom and France, among others. At that time, the number of supporters for Rutte was still estimated at 20 out of 31 countries by the website Politico. Sweden is now also a member of NATO and the support of 28 of the 32 member states is assumed. Dutch soldiers Rutte is in Lithuania on Tuesday. He arrived in the morning at the NATO base Rukla, west of the capital Vilnius. Dutch soldiers are also stationed at the camp. Later he meets Lithuanian President Nauseda. The day ends with a European working dinner with several fellow government leaders, at the invitation of European President Charles Michel. The European meeting is the reason for the lightning visit to Lithuania, but above the visit there is of course the fact that Rutte is in the race to become Secretary General of NATO. At the beginning of the day, Lithuania did not yet know whether it considers Rutte to be the right candidate for the post. However, in The Hague it can be heard that things are also 'looking good' with support around the Baltic states, in addition to Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. Later on Tuesday, Rutte will hold a joint press conference with his Lithuanian host, President Nauseda. This week, a formal decision on the successor to Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg would be made at a ministerial NATO summit. The American ambassador to the organization had indicated that Washington would like to complete the appointment in the first quarter of this year. That turns out not to have worked; A number of countries in Eastern Europe in particular are not yet outspoken in favor of Rutte's candidacy. People in that region believe that they deserve a stronger say within the alliance, because the secretaries-general are usually supplied from the west of Europe. For example, the Hungarian Foreign Minister said that his country could not vote for Rutte because of his strong position at European level towards Budapest.
0 Comments
New CEO may have Acted with insider InformationThe administrative chaos at Ajax has reached a new low. The supervisory board led by Michael van Praag has suspended Alex Kroes with immediate effect.
The new CEO of Ajax is suspected by the commissioners of having purchased Ajax shares when he already knew that he would become the new general manager. In the press release, Ajax states: “The Supervisory Board learned that Kroes purchased more than 17,000 Ajax shares a week before the publication of his intended appointment on August 2, 2023. The Supervisory Board has obtained external legal advice, which shows that it is very likely that he has committed insider trading. Insider trading is a criminal offence.” In the press release, Ajax states: “The Supervisory Board learned that Kroes purchased more than 17,000 Ajax shares a week before the publication of his intended appointment on August 2, 2023. The Supervisory Board has obtained external legal advice, which shows that it is very likely that he has committed insider trading. Insider trading is a criminal offence.” Supervisory Board chairman Michael van Praag said in a response: “We are very unpleasantly surprised that this is now happening to Ajax, because this is very bad for the club and for everyone who cares about the club. The actions of Alex Kroes are not compatible with what we stand for with Ajax. The moment at which he bought the shares means that he was trading with insider information. A listed company cannot tolerate such a violation of the law, especially if it concerns the CEO. After careful deliberation, the Supervisory Board has come to the conclusion that Alex's position as a board member of Ajax is not tenable. I think it is important to add that the technical policy will continue with the people we have for it and on the path that Ajax has already taken with Alex.” Sheltering from the sun on a street corner, Kridsada Ahjed rues the day he got involved with the loan sharks who now gobble up most of his daily earnings.
“I went to the loan sharks because people like me – with no assets or savings – cannot qualify to get help from legitimate banks,” Ahjed, a 40-year-old motorcycle taxi driver said. “Now almost everything I make in a day goes towards paying the interest on my debt.” Kridsada is far from alone. Thailand’s household debt reached nearly 87 percent of gross domestic product last year, according to the Bank of Thailand, among the highest on earth. Nearly $1.5bn of that debt is estimated to be made up of high-interest informal loans. Kridsada’s personal crisis is part of a wider malaise that has gripped Thailand’s economy. After decades of solid growth, Thailand is displaying all of the hallmarks of the middle-income trap, analysts say, where a combination of low productivity and poor education leaves much of the workforce stuck in low-paid, low-skilled work. “Thailand suffers not only from the slow return of demand from major export markets, but also from the changing nature of globalisation that hurts its competitiveness,” Pavida Pananond, a professor of international business at Thammasat Business School, said. “International trade is being driven more by value-added services that require higher local skills and capabilities. This requires a systemic upgrading of the labour force and local firms’ sophistication beyond short-term handouts and investment incentives.” Whereas other Southeast Asian countries are bouncing back strongly from the economic shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, Thailand has faltered. Thailand’s economy grew just 1.9 percent last year, according to state economic planners, compared with growth of 5 percent or higher in the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. Even neighbouring Malaysia, a significantly more developed economy with lower expectations for growth, registered a 3.7 percent expansion. Despite the recovery of Thailand’s key tourism sector, which accounts for about one-fifth of the economy, its prospects are not looking much better in 2024. The World Bank on Monday said it expected the Thai economy to grow 2.8 percent this year, slightly better than Bangkok’s own estimates. The Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia are expected to see growth of between 4.3 and 5.8 percent. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who came to office in August after nearly a decade of military rule, has declared the economic situation a “crisis”. Srettha, a property mogul-turned-politician, proudly calls himself the “salesman” of Thailand. Since taking power in a compromise with the royalist establishment to block the reformist Move Forward Party, the 62-year-old political neophyte has travelled the world to seek out free trade deals and promote the country as a base for global manufacturing supply chains. But after years of Bangkok shirking from fundamental economic reforms, there are fears the economy may be resistant to a quick fix. Critics say that Thailand’s military leaders for years turned off global investors, became too reliant on China’s economic rise and squandered the potential of young Thais by neglecting to fund an education system capable of producing a workforce suited to the digital era. The World Bank said in a report released last month that two-thirds of Thai youth and adults were “below the threshold levels of foundational reading literacy”, while three-quarters had poor digital literacy skills. Meanwhile, Thailand’s English language proficiency ranks among the lowest in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). To stimulate the economy, Srettha has proposed providing a 10,000-baht ($280) cash handout to virtually every Thai aged more than 16 – a policy economists and political rivals have slammed as wasteful – expanding visa-free entry to more countries, and legalising casinos. Production of Taurus missiles, which Kiev has been pressuring Berlin to supply for use against Russia, is currently suspended, the head of the German branch of European arms manufacturer MBDA has said.
Around 600 of the missiles have so far been produced at a facility in the State of Bavaria, but the company cannot make more of them because it has no current contract with the German authorities, Thomas Gottschild said in an interview with the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper on Saturday. The production lines for the Taurus are still available, so MBDA could “ramp up” deliveries of the missiles “at any time,” the executive said. “To do this, however, we would need a new order for these weapons,” he added. The company cannot make reserves of the missiles because it is prohibited under German law, he explained. The halt in production is always a “challenge” for the defense industry, Gottschild stressed. “Our suppliers, who are often small and medium-sized enterprises... often cannot afford financially to maintain production lines. So if we were to receive new orders for the Taurus, our suppliers would first have to reposition themselves and, for example, secure the raw materials they need,” he explained. The Taurus missile has a range of over 500km (around 310 miles) and “is only detected very late by radar” as it moves at a low altitude, the executive said. “This capability profile is in high demand, especially in Ukraine.” However, Gottschild declined to answer a question on whether Kiev should be given the missiles, calling it a “political decision” that should be made by the German government. Chancellor Olaf Scholz doubled down on his refusal to provide Ukraine with Taurus missiles in mid-March, telling parliament that “this is a very long-range weapon” that could not be used without the deployment of German soldiers.” The statement was made just over a week after the publication by RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan of a leaked recording, in which high-ranking German officers discussed the possible use of Taurus missiles against the Crimean Bridge, and spoke about maintaining plausible deniability in the event of such an attack on Russian territory. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the leak “once again confirms the direct involvement of… the so-called collective West in the conflict around Ukraine,” while Russia’s First Deputy Permanent Representative at the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, suggested that it revealed Germany’s “new colors,” portraying it as “lying, mean, aggressive, revanchist and Russophobic.” The German authorities confirmed the authenticity of the recording, but claimed that Moscow took the conversation out of context in an attempt to cause division among Ukraine’s allies in the West. Easter, the most significant event in the Christian calendar, commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It is a time of profound spiritual significance, marking the triumph of life over death and the promise of redemption for all believers. This essay delves into the rich history and profound meaning of Christian Easter, tracing its origins, exploring its theological significance, and reflecting on its enduring relevance in the lives of believers today.
Historical Origins The origins of Easter can be traced back to the events described in the New Testament Gospels, which recount the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. According to Christian tradition, Jesus was crucified on Good Friday, a day of solemn reflection and mourning for believers. His body was placed in a tomb, where it remained until the third day, when he rose from the dead, thereby conquering sin and death. The early Christian community celebrated the resurrection of Jesus as the culmination of God's redemptive plan for humanity. The timing of Easter, which falls on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox, was established by the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE, ensuring that it coincided with the Jewish festival of Passover and the arrival of spring. Key Themes and Symbols Easter is replete with rich symbolism and profound theological themes that resonate deeply with believers. The image of the empty tomb serves as a powerful symbol of hope and renewal, signifying the victory of Christ over the forces of darkness and the promise of new life for all who believe in him. Moreover, Easter is associated with a number of ancient symbols, such as the Easter lily, which represents purity and resurrection, and the Easter egg, a symbol of new life and fertility. These symbols serve as tangible reminders of the spiritual truths embodied in the Easter story and provide opportunities for believers to reflect on the deeper meaning of the resurrection. Theological Significance At the heart of the Easter story lies the central tenet of the Christian faith: the belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For Christians, the resurrection is not merely a historical event but a theological reality that lies at the core of their faith. It is the linchpin of Christian hope, offering assurance of salvation, forgiveness of sins, and eternal life with God. Furthermore, the resurrection of Jesus serves as a paradigm for spiritual transformation and renewal in the lives of believers. Just as Christ was raised from the dead, Christians are called to die to sin and be raised to newness of life through faith in him. Easter thus represents not only a past event but an ongoing process of personal and communal renewal in Christ. Relevance and Celebration Today In the modern world, Easter continues to hold profound significance for Christians around the globe. It is a time of joyous celebration, as believers gather in churches and homes to proclaim the resurrection of Jesus Christ and rejoice in the hope of salvation. Moreover, Easter serves as a reminder of the transformative power of faith in the midst of adversity and suffering. In a world marked by violence, injustice, and despair, the message of Easter offers a beacon of hope, pointing to the ultimate triumph of love over hatred and life over death. Christian Easter stands as a testament to the central truth of the Christian faith: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a time of celebration, reflection, and renewal, as believers worldwide commemorate the victory of Christ over sin and death. As we journey through the Easter season, may we be reminded of the profound hope and joy that spring forth from the empty tomb, and may we embrace the transformative power of resurrection in our lives and communities. The Netherlands will deploy a Patriot air defence unit to its NATO ally Lithuania as part of a summer joint air defence exercise, the Dutch Défense Ministry announced this week.
The several-week-long drill is essential to strengthening air defences on the eastern flank, the Dutch military claimed in a press release on Thursday. The stated goal is to test the ability of NATO troops to quickly transport and deploy such units to a given area. The decision to position a US-made system near the Russian border “contributes to the readiness of NATO air defence,” Dutch Défense Minister Kajsa Ollongren claimed in the release. Vilnius welcomed the exercise as excellent news, noting the Dutch will be training in the no-notice redeployment of such units alongside the Lithuanian armed forces. The US-led military bloc’s Enhanced Forward Presence forces are “vital for the Baltic states’ security,” Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas said on Friday, calling for more deployments and exercises involving NATO aircraft and ground-based air defense systems in her country. It’s unclear what the Dutch deployment of Patriot units in Lithuania will entail. A single battery of the air defence system consists of multiple truck-mounted units, including power, radar, antenna, engagement control and other support vehicles, as well as up to eight launchers with interceptor missiles. The Netherlands has been one of the few countries to supply two of their Patriot launchers to Ukraine, along with the US and Germany, which each sent a full battery. The deployment will follow NATO’ ongoing military exercise Steadfast Defender 2024, one of the biggest in decades, which features some 90,000 troops, more than a thousand combat vehicles, over 50 naval vessels, 80 helicopters, drones and fighter jets from all 32 member states. Russia has stated the US-led military bloc’s increased military spending and increasingly frequent military drills demonstrate its “increasingly aggressive nature.” The drills are practicing a “scenario of armed confrontation with Russia,” increasing tensions and destabilizing the world, Russian Security Council secretary Nikolay Patrushev said in early March. Patrushev described NATO as “an important tool of Washington’s influence on other countries,” which, over the 75 years of its existence as a self-described guarantor of peace and democracy “unleashed more than a hundred wars and military conflicts around the world and is getting ready for more.” After Beijing imposed the draconian National Security Law for Hong Kong in 2020, the UK, Canada and Australia responded by opening “lifeboat schemes,” or special immigration pathways, for Hong Kongers. Article 23, the latest tightening of the screws on Hong Kong freedoms, requires a similar response from the European Union.
The UK provided an escape valve by allowing Hong Kongers with British National (Overseas) (BNO) status to apply for a visa with a permanent residence pathway in Britain. More than 160,000 Hong Kongers have resettled in the UK alone since the imposition of the law, and London has taken further steps to welcome them in anticipation of the passage of Article 23. Canada launched programs to provide permanent residency to Hong Kong residents who have graduated from a selected post-secondary institutions in Canada, and to Hong Kongers who have completed post-secondary education and have worked in Canada for a minimum of one year. Australia enabled Hong Kongers completing eligible tertiary studies to apply for a temporary graduate visa after their studies, with a pathway to permanent residency. This week, the Hong Kong government enacted the Safeguarding National Security Bill, colloquially known as “Article 23 legislation,” in the territory. Article 23 is a domestic, albeit more severe, version of the National Security Law, and was first proposed in 2003. Under the Basic Law of Hong Kong, the city’s constitution, the Hong Kong government is required to introduce legislation to safeguard national security. In recent days Hong Kong officials have said that it is their constitutional “duty” to introduce Article 23 legislation, but I am not sure that broad and unclear language is what the writers of the Basic Law had in mind. When the Hong Kong authorities attempted to introduce Article 23 in 2003, more than 500,000 Hong Kongers protested, and the plans were abandoned. But today, the Hong Kong people do not have a choice nor the right to protest without facing serious repercussions. Vague terms Under directives from Beijing to pass Article 23 “as soon as possible,” the Hong Kong government left a few days to consider a public consultation process which received over 13,000 submissions and for the Hong Kong Legislative Council to review and make amendments to the 212-page bill. Article 23 prohibits seven types of activities: treason, secession, sedition, subversion, theft of state secrets, foreign political organizations or bodies conducting political activities in Hong Kong, and political organizations or bodies in Hong Kong establishing ties with foreign political organizations or bodies. The language surrounding what constitutes these activities is vague to intentionally allow the government to criminalize whatsoever and whosoever it wishes. For example, starting with the definition of ‘national security’, the bill reads “specific measures to be taken to safeguard national security will depend on the actual situation in the HKSAR.” Under which circumstances, and in what situations, will certain individuals and organizations be criminalized? This language not only mirrors the definition of national security on mainland China, but potentially contravenes the “principle of legal certainty” protected under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Malaysian police have apprehended a heavily armed Israeli national who investigators believe might be a Mossad hitman and a member of a larger spy ring.
The suspect recently arrived in the country on a French passport and claims he had come to murder a fellow Israeli in a family dispute. The arrest was announced by Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain during a press conference on Friday. The 36-year-old suspect entered Malaysia on March 12, and was staying at a hotel in the country’s capital of Kuala Lumpur at the time of his arrest. “During questioning, the suspect produced another passport which was issued by Israel. The six guns were found in a bag in his hotel room,” Husain said. The suspect reportedly told police he had come to the country to find and kill a fellow Israeli national, citing a “family issue” as his motive. However, Husain noted that the man refused to divulge information about his job, and said investigators could not rule out that the suspect was linked to Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. “We don’t fully believe what this suspect is telling us, maybe he has another agenda because he has been here since March 12. We found that the weapons were bought using cryptocurrency,” the official said. Police are now investigating how exactly the arsenal, which included various types of pistols, had been smuggled into the country. The police also seized some 200 rounds of ammunition, while three of the guns were loaded, the official noted. The investigation also believes the suspected hitman likely had accomplices in the country and presumably was a member of a larger group. “We have not identified the others. We will also check the authenticity of his passport with the French embassy,” the inspector-general said. Thus far, neither France nor Israel has made any public remarks on the affair. A Mount Everest trekking guide has called for "strict rules" imposed by Nepal's government to combat the "huge problem" of trash on Mount Everest, including banning litterers from all mountains for "a lifetime." Officials of Nepal’s Mountaineering Association are warning that climbers leaving human waste on Mount Everest are causing real health issues. The problem is deemed to be so serious that it could even lead to the spread of diseases. So, how much poopy and other garbage calls the planet's highest mountain home? A Tech Times story describes the mountain as "the world's highest garbage dump." But Alton Byers, a mountain geologist at the Institute for Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado Boulder, said this description is not entirely accurate. The problem, he told Live Science, is worse in areas off the mountain than on it. In surrounding areas, you'll find dozens of landfills at various lodges and villages throughout Sagarmatha National Park, where Mount Everest resides. The peak of Mount Everest rests at 29,029 feet (8,848 meters) above sea level, on the northern edge of Sagarmatha National Park, within the Khumbu region of Nepal. Everest is part of the Himalayas, a mountain range in Asia stretching about 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) across the countries of Bhutan, India, Nepal, China, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The range resulted from the Indian subcontinent crashing into the Tibetan plateau 40 million to 50 million years ago, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In 1922, several mountaineers and others who were part of the British Mount Everest expedition made the first attempt to reach the top of the world, but were unsuccessful. In 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first people to successfully reach the summit. Since then, thousands of adventurers have followed in the expedition's footsteps. In the late 1990s, Everest became a major destination for adventure tourists. More recently, Sagarmatha National Park has seen upwards of 150,000 visitors every year, with several hundreds attempting an Everest climb, according to Byers. [Photos: The World's Tallest Mountains] Climbers traveling to the bottom of the majestic mountain for the first time might be surprised to find half-buried fluorescent tents, fuel bottles and other miscellaneous pieces of old camp sites strewn about the base camps. For the most part, other climbers and porters will clean up the camp sites before the climbing season ends, Byers said. "It's remarkable how clean they've been able to keep it of litter," he said. The real problem is what happens with that litter. Many (selfish) climbers believe that harsh weather, the monsoon snows, or disposal in a crevasse will keep the mountain clean—that the crap they leave will somehow harmlessly dissolve into the mountain. This may have been true during the first four decades after Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay achieved the first summit, in 1953, when only a handful of climbers attempted the summit each year. But traffic has dramatically increased with the emergence of commercial guided trips in the past 20 years, and so has the amount of human waste we’ve left on the mountain. Decades worth of shit is just sitting up there. As 700 climbers and Sherpas gear up to attempt the mountain over the next six weeks of the climbing season, now is an appropriate time to ask: How much longer can we ignore Everest’s waste problem?
Former US President Donald Trump is now richer than billionaire financier George Soros, after his social media company’s successful debut on Nasdaq this week added billions of dollars to his fortune.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Trump’s net worth has soared by more than $4 billion this year to an estimated $7.8 billion. Trump ranked 328th on the list at Wednesday’s market close, while the 93-year-old Soros was down in 375th with an estimated $7.2 billion net worth. A hedge fund manager, Soros shot to infamy for crashing the British pound in 1992. Meanwhile, Trump’s increased wealth also placed him above the likes of billionaire entrepreneur and ABC ‘Shark Tank’ star Mark Cuban ($7.3 billion), Home Depot cofounder Bernie Marcus ($6.9 billion), oil-dynasty heir Gordon Getty ($6.2 billion), and Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings ($5.9 billion). The former US president’s net worth more than doubled this year thanks to his 58% stake in Trump Media & Technology Group, which effectively went public this week after merging with Digital World Acquisition Corp. Trump Media stock, whose new ticker corresponds to the former president’s initials, has attracted significant attention, gaining nearly 60% in the first half hour of trading on Monday. This comes as Trump faces hundreds of millions of dollars in growing legal fees and penalties as a result of numerous lawsuits, which the presumptive Republican presidential nominee has denounced as spurious and politically motivated. As part of a process in which New York State Attorney General Letitia James accused Trump’s business of fraud, Judge Arthur Engoron last month demanded a $454 million bond for the former president to even file an appeal. James was preparing to seize Trump’s Manhattan properties when an appeals court announced on Monday that it would reduce the bond to $175 million and extend the filing deadline by ten more days. Earlier this month, Trump was forced to raise a bond of $91.6 million to appeal a defamation judgment against E. Jean Carroll. Trump is still appealing the $5 million judgment a jury awarded to Carroll last May after determining the former president had sexually abused her. What will happen when Russia destroys US-made F-16 fighter jets that eventually made it to Ukraine, just as it has other Western equipment?
Several NATO member states have promised to donate their F-16s to Kiev and have trained Ukrainian pilots to fly them, but no deliveries have been made yet. Russia has warned the West that fielding the nuclear-capable jets will represent an unacceptable escalation of the Ukraine conflict. “ If they deliver the F-16s, I think you know better than others that this will not change the situation on the battlefield,” the president said. “And we will destroy these planes just as we have destroyed tanks, armored vehicles, and other equipment, including multiple launch rocket systems.” The comments came during Putin’s visit to Torzhok air base in Tver Region, home of the 344th Training Center for Russian combat pilots, including personnel being trained to take part in the Ukraine conflict. F-16s flown by Ukrainian pilots but based in third countries will nevertheless be legitimate targets for Russia, Putin added. “Of course, if they are used from airfields of third countries, they become a legitimate target for us, wherever they are located,” he said. Russia is well aware that the 1970s jet can potentially carry nuclear weapons, and this will be taken into account in combat operations, Putin noted. Kiev has lost much of its air force over the past two years, including Soviet-era jets donated by several NATO members as replacements. The Ukrainian government eventually asked the US-led bloc for F-16s. The single-engine fighter is a late 1970s design, originally manufactured by General Dynamics before it was acquired by Lockheed Martin. It requires pristine runways, which are in short supply in Ukraine, prompting speculation that Ukrainian-operated jets might be stationed in nearby NATO countries instead. Ukraine can use Telegram for influence operations but the messaging application still represents a threat, the head of the Ukrainian military intelligence service (GUR), Kirill Budanov, said on Wednesday.
In comments sent to the media by Kiev’s Center for Strategic Communications, Budanov admitted the wide reach of the encrypted instant-messaging platform, calling it both an opportunity and a problem. “From the viewpoint of national security, Telegram is definitely a problem,” Budanov said. “Anyone can create a channel, start writing whatever he wants, and – when someone tries to do something about it – hides behind freedom of the press.” “I am absolutely against the suppression of freedom of speech. But this is too much,” Budanov added. “This is not freedom of the media, it is something else.” Telegram was created as an instant-messaging platform by Russian entrepreneurs Pavel and Nikolay Durov in 2013. What sets it apart from similar applications, such as WhatsApp and Viber, is the ability to create public broadcast channels and discussion groups. It is currently the number one messaging app in Ukraine. “The most interesting thing is that everyone reads Telegram,” Budanov said. While this may have a “destructive effect” inside Ukraine, it also allows Kiev to spread its message in the Russian-controlled territories, he added. His comments come two days after several Ukrainian lawmakers proposed a bill to “regulate” Telegram. The proposal defines messaging platforms as a separate legal category and creates reporting requirements for “providers of information” using them. If passed, it would require any messaging platforms operating in Ukraine to have a registered office in the country – unless they are headquartered in the EU – and disclose their ownership structure and funding to the government. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has consolidated all media outlets under the state’s umbrella, citing martial law imposed due to the conflict with Russia. Officials in Kiev have repeatedly lamented the fact that Telegram has enabled citizens to bypass government censorship. Last month, a parliamentary committee agreed that the platform should be banned in Ukraine. This prompted criticism from a National Security and Defense Council official in charge of “countering disinformation,” who argued that Ukraine was using the platform to “strangle the pro-Russian segments of the media field” and that banning it would be “impossible.” Ukraine is not the first country in Europe to ban the Telegram App. Also the Spain National Court ordered to suspend the use of the App last week. India has “firmly reiterated” its support for the Philippines and its “national sovereignty,” as Manila remains locked in a territorial dispute with Beijing in the South China Sea. Tensions have further increased amid a pivot by the Philippines back towards the US.
Speaking on Tuesday alongside Philippines Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo after bilateral talks in Manila, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar stated “it is essential” that nations such as theirs “cooperate more closely to shape the emerging order.” “Every country has the right to uphold and enforce its national sovereignty,” the Indian diplomat added. Responding to Jaishankar’s remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian declared that “any third party is not in a position to interfere” in the maritime dispute between Beijing and Manila. Tensions have been running high in the South China Sea since Manila allowed the US greater access to four more military bases in 2023, as part of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) signed in 2014. Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, brushing off rival claims from other countries, including the Philippines. Last week, Manila summoned Beijing’s envoy after accusing Chinese vessels of damaging a Philippines supply ship and injuring a crew close to a disputed shoal. Jaishankar’s comments also come in the wake of New Delhi’s own border tensions with Beijing over India’s Arunachal Pradesh state. China also claims the area, which it calls 'Zangnan’. Earlier this month, Beijing criticized Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the region. During his visit, Modi inaugurated a tunnel that could hasten a military deployment to forward areas near the contested border with China. Reacting to Chinese comments, the Indian Foreign Ministry called Beijing’s claims over the region “absurd” and insisted that “repeating baseless arguments… does not lend such claims any validity.” Meanwhile, the US has sought to weigh in, stating that it recognizes Arunachal Pradesh as part of India and “strongly opposes” China’s “unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims.” Beijing responded by accusing Washington of interference. “China strongly deplores and firmly opposes this,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin said at a press conference in Beijing last week. “The China-India boundary question is a matter between the two countries and has nothing to do with the US side.” Police in China are stepping up spot searches of people’s phones for apps enabling them to bypass the Great Firewall of government internet censorship, residents told Radio Free Asia in recent interviews. A resident of the southwestern province of Sichuan who gave only the surname Huang for fear of reprisals said he had recently been stopped on the subway in the provincial capital, Chengdu. “This happened to me in Chengdu,” Huang said. “A police officer stopped me on the subway and wanted to check my phone, but I didn't allow him to.” “I told him he had no law enforcement powers and he let it go,” he said. Chinese authorities have stepped up spot checking operations on the streets and on public transport in the years since the “white paper” protest movement of 2022, which the government blamed on infiltration by “foreign forces,” and have been forcing people to download an “anti-fraud” app that monitors their phone usage, according to recent interviews. Huang said he has also seen police checking people’s phones on the streets of Shanghai and Beijing.
He said anyone who gets hauled in to “drink tea” with the feared state security police will have their phone checked as a matter of routine, meaning that people need to delete such software or reset to factory settings to avoid discovery. He said that while some uncensored content occasionally gets through, there isn’t as much as before the current crackdown. According to Huang, the current crackdown was sparked by the “white paper” protests, after which the authorities have targeted university students to crack down on people going “over the wall” to get content that hasn’t been censored by the ruling Chinese Communist Party.
‘You have to be especially careful’ A mobile phone repair specialist in the southern province of Guangdong who declined to be named for fear of reprisals said the police-approved “anti-fraud” app can also detect the presence of circumvention tools on any phone where it has been installed. “As long as your phone has the anti-fraud app installed, they will know what you are doing,” she said. “You have to be especially careful now if you want to get around the Wall.” A screenshot provided by a resident of the central province of Hubei showed an SMS alert from the provincial police department warning them that circumvention software had been detected on their phone, in violation of the Online Security Law The user was ordered to cease and desist or report to the local police station, on pain of further “enforcement measures,” according to the text message. According to the X citizen journalist account “Mr Li is not your teacher,” a student at the School of Electronic Information and Computer Engineering at Sichuan’s Institute of Industrial Technology was recently disciplined for “ignoring online security regulations” and using software to bypass the Great Firewall on many occasions between Feb. 29 and March 11, according to a photo of the school’s disciplinary announcement. They had accessed content on overseas websites and reposted it to two WeChat groups, which “violates the school’s student regulations,” the notice said. The student was given a warning under the college’s disciplinary code, it said. Last month, China’s state security police started combing through the account’s follower list and putting pressure on people living in China to unfollow it, the journalist reported. China’s Cyberspace Administration has also been stepping up its campaign to remove unapproved content from Chinese social media platforms, reporting that it revoked the licenses of more than 10,000 websites in 2023, and hauled in more than 10,000 “for interviews.” The websites were being targeted for “spreading false information, incitement of confrontation and other harmful content,” state news agency Xinhua reported on Jan. 31. Former US President Donald Trump has warned that Israel is “losing a lot of support” and must “finish up” its war in Gaza before its reputation declines any further. The comments represented a rare moment of criticism of the Jewish state by Trump.
In an interview with Israel Hayom partially published on Monday, Trump said that he would have acted “very much the same way as you did” if the US was attacked like Israel was by Hamas in October. “Only a fool would not do that,” Trump added. However, Trump called Israel’s wholesale destruction of civilian homes in Gaza “a very big mistake.” “It’s a very bad picture for the world. The world is seeing this…every night, I would watch buildings pour down on people,” Trump continued. “Go and do what you have to do. But you don’t do that,” he told the Israeli newspaper. “And I think that’s one of the reasons that there has been a lot of kickback. If people didn’t see that, every single night I’d watch and every single one of those... And I think Israel wanted to show that it’s tough, but sometimes you shouldn’t be doing that.” Trump was a close ally of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his term in the White House, and described himself as “history’s most pro-Israel US president.” He imposed sanctions on Iran at Netanyahu’s request, moved the US embassy in Israel to West Jerusalem, and brokered the Abraham Accords, which saw Israel normalize relations with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Sudan. However, this relationship soured after Netanyahu congratulated US President Joe Biden on his electoral victory over Trump in 2020. Speaking to Fox News in October, Trump claimed that Netanyahu was “not prepared” for Hamas’ attack. At a campaign event later that day, Trump declared that Netanyahu needed to “straighten out” his intelligence apparatus. With the war in Gaza approaching the six-month mark, the former president urged Netanyahu to bring it to a swift conclusion, telling his Israeli interviewers that “you’re losing a lot of support” internationally. “You have to finish up your war,” he said. “You gotta get it done. And, I am sure you will do that. And we gotta get to peace, we can’t have this going on.” Netahyahu has vowed to continue fighting until Israel achieves “total victory over Hamas,” and has promised to invade the city of Rafah – currently home to more than a million displaced Gazan civilians – in defiance of the White House’s pleas. The Israeli leader on Monday canceled a visit to Washington by an Israeli delegation to discuss the planned Rafah operation, after the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The resolution passed thanks to the US abstaining from the vote. Given Washington’s typically unconditional support for Israel at the UN, the abstention and failure to veto by the US was seen by pundits as an historic show of dissatisfaction with Netanyahu’s conduct in Gaza. Israel declared war on Hamas on October 7, after the militants carried out a cross-border raid, killing more than 1,100 people and taking at least 250 hostages. Israeli forces have killed more than 32,000 Palstinians in the time since, according to the enclave’s health authorities. |
Thank you for choosing to make a difference through your donation. We appreciate your support.
This website uses marketing and tracking technologies. Opting out of this will opt you out of all cookies, except for those needed to run the website. Note that some products may not work as well without tracking cookies. Opt Out of CookiesCategories
All
Archives
April 2024
|