BANGKOK, March 26 -- The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) index on Monday fell over concerns of a political gridlock following Sunday's general election, but the baht's value strengthened as investors offloaded their US dollar holdings. Thailand's benchmark index closed at 1,625.91 points, down 20.38 points or 1.24%, in turnover worth 47 billion baht. A dip in Thailand's stock market followed a broader equity sell-off seen across Asia, with Japan's Nikkei 225 index dropping the most by 3%. Late on Monday afternoon, the Election Commission (EC) announced so far Pheu Thai Party's unofficial tally of constituency seats stood at 137, compared with the Palang Pracharath Party's (PPRP) 97. Pheu Thai needs help from other parties to garner the 251 votes for the right to nominate the prime minister -- who is then subject to a vote from the 500 MPs together with the 250 senators. EC secretary-general Ittiporn Boonprakong said official results from at least 95% of the House of Representatives' seats will not be finalised until May 9. Pattera Dilokrungthirapop, chairwoman of the Association of Securities Companies, said the Thai stock market dropped on Monday because of a previous plunge in the Dow Jones index following steep differences between China and the US ahead of another round of bilateral trade talks. Although the general election is over, attention is fixed on which party, Pheu Thai or PPRP, will be successful in setting up a new government, said Mrs Pattera. A close race between the two political parties mean market participants are concerned about government stability in the future, she said. "The global stock markets plunged on Monday after the Sino-US trade negotiations saw no progress," said Paiboon Nalinthrangkurn, chairman of the Federation of Thai Capital Market Organizations. Both PPRP and Pheu Thai have an opportunity as leading parties to form a coalition government, while future government stability will help attract foreign inflows expected to be worth around 100 billion baht, said Mr Paiboon. No matter which party manages to form a government, Thailand's GDP growth is not projected to expand significantly as the economy still relies on exports and tourism, with government spending and private consumption still making up minor proportions, he said. Despite a sell-off in the SET index, an opposite direction was seen for the baht as the local currency's value strengthened against the greenback. The baht is the best performing currency in Asia, gaining around 3% year-to-date. It rose to 31.63 against the dollar as of Monday's press time from 31.68 logged on Friday. The US Federal Reserve's dovish comment that it was unlikely to lift interest rates this year contributed to the firmer baht, said Jitipol Puksamatanan, chief markets strategist of the global markets group at Krungthai Bank. But the baht's value is likely to reverse in the upcoming period as heightening political uncertainties in forming a new government should pressure the local currency, said Mr Jitipol. Such movement should be short-lived once a new government is formed after the electoral process, he said. Ariya Tiranaprakij, senior executive vice-president of the Thai Bond Market Association (TBMA), said the yield gap between short-term and long-term US Treasury bonds was negative on Friday following the Fed's signal it would maintain interest rates, prompting the market to shift from high-risk assets to safe-haven counterparts amid concerns that an inverted yield curve is a sign of a recession. Non-resident flows in the Thai bond market were registered at 162 million baht on Monday, according to TBMA data. Returns on government short-term and long-term bonds remain positive, but returns have dipped slightly by around 1-4 basis points, said Ms Ariya.
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"Posing the question 'Does Islam have a place in the Netherlands?' in our national political debate shows that questioning elementary rights of immigrant communities has become mainstream." ROTTERDAM, March 26 -- Last week's provincial elections in the Netherlands saw the far-right Forum voor Democratie (FvD), or Forum for Democracy, make significant gains in the upper house of the Senate. Winning most votes and 13 seats - more than Prime Minister Mark Rutte's party - the result surprised observers. FvD previously had no seats in the 75-member house. The Dutch went to the ballot box just two days afteran attack in Utrecht in which three people were killed. In the aftermath of the violence, all parties apart from FvD suspended their campaigning. The party is led by 36-year-old Thierry Baudet, who was quick to blame the government's migration policy for the assault. "This is a combination of an honour killing and a half-terrorist motive," he told supporters at a rally afterwards. Dutch prosecutors say they plan to bring "terrorism charges" against a man of Turkish origin for the attacks. FvD, which currently holds two seats in parliament, opposes immigration and advocates for "Nexit": the Netherlands leaving the European Union. Baudet talks about a "Dutch First" economic and cultural ideology which shares parallels with US President Donald Trump's "America First" rhetoric. In his victory speech on Wednesday, Baudet blamed the establishment for what he described as the decay of Dutch culture. "We are standing amidst the debris of what was once the greatest and most beautiful civilisation the world has ever known," he said, blaming universities, journalists and politicians for undermining the potential of the Netherlands on the world stage. Baudet has become known in the Netherlands for his hardline views. He has spoken out against immigration, the EU and last year said in an interview that women were less ambitious than men. Laura van der Sanden, who lives and works in Amsterdam, says she is taken aback by the results, particularly given the perceived liberal Dutch mentality. "I'm surprised," she said. "Actually, it's more accurate to say that I'm disappointed." Professor Jan Jaap de Ruiter at Tilburg University, who lives in Utrecht, says that while some people are shocked by the success of FvD, there were signs of its rise before the attack in the city. "The polls already indicated he was going for a major win," he said, suggesting Baudet's ability to position himself as an intellectual while advocating for populist policies has encouraged people to vote for his party. "Baudet is very well versed, his victory speech was full of references to classical literature and poets. "It attracts some people because he's talking about a Netherlands which is independent and not part of the European Union. He conjures up this nostalgia for a Netherlands which has never really existed." Turnout in the provincial elections was slightly higher than four years ago at 54 percent, although lower than in general elections. Diederick van der Wijk, cofounder and director of Refugees Forward - an organisation which helps refugees in the Netherlands to develop business ideas, says that FvD plays on people's fears. "FvD provides the traditionally powerful the false hope that this process of emancipation by immigrant communities can be stopped, and that the old boys can maintain their positions of power. The Dutch should rather embrace this transition into a more natural and sustainable balance of economic and political power." He said that the Netherlands should address how immigration is discussed in public debate. "Forum voor Democratie's rise is a big punch in the face for immigrants of first, second and third generations who work hard to make a contribution to Dutch society and climb up the ladders in their professional careers. Anas Ragheb, a Syrian who has settled in the Netherlands, is a social entrepreneur. He said that the narrative around refugees in the country has also contributed to FvD's success. "There is too much talk in the media about refugees being jobless and staying on welfare for longer than four years," he said. "The consequences of this victory for the Forum voor Democratie are huge on the community of newcomers. The hate speech and Islamophobia will increase and society will be polarised." When the Senate is seated in May, Prime Minister Rutte's People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, which has now lost its majority in the upper house, will now need to work with the opposition groups. "We are going to have to get to work. We have to talk with other parties so we can continue to lead this country well," he said on Wednesday after the results. Geert Wilders's far-right Freedom Party, which shares some parallels with FvD, lost four seats in the elections going from nine to five. Kafui Adjogatse, a Briton who works in international development in Amsterdam, is concerned about how FvD and Baudet have managed to gloss over their hardline views. "They've repackaged a lot of nativist, racist and harshly anti-immigration rhetoric in what is seemingly a sleek and sophisticated exterior," he says, "but ultimately they're racists in suits." BEIRUT, March 26 -- The economic situation in Lebanon, which provides shelter for 1.5 million Syrian refugees, may push them toward migration to Europe, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Tuesday at a meeting with State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin. "We have 500,000 Palestinian refugees and about 1.5 million Syrians. It is a high figure for our country," Aoun stressed. "Europe is directly interested in solving the situation, as Syrian refugees staying in Lebanon are not satisfied with the economic situation in the country and new and new migrant waves to Europe will start soon." CARACAS, March 26 -- Venezuela has been left without power for the second time in 24 hours following an act of sabotage at the Simon Bolivar Hydroelectric Plant, the country’s Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez said on Tuesday, as cited by the Venezolana de Television TV channel. According to Rodriguez, the blackout was a result of "an attack on the Simon Bolivar Hydroelectric Plant" that took place on Monday night. "Power lines were damaged," the minister said. Rodriguez emphasized that "the country’s authorities are assessing the damage." He did not say how many Venezuelan states had been left without electricity. On Monday, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido said that a new power outage had affected 17 of the country’s states. Rodriguez later blamed the government’s opponents for "attacking the national power grid" and announced that power supplies had been restored to almost all of the country. Power outage The Venezuelan capital of Caracas and 20 of the country’s 23 regions were first left without electricity on March 7. The National Electric Company said the blackout had been caused by an accident at the Simon Bolivar Hydroelectric Plant, which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro blamed on "US imperialism." However, the US Department of State denied any involvement. Venezuela crisis On January 23, Venezuelan parliament speaker Juan Guaido, whose appointment to that position had been cancelled by the country’s Supreme Court, declared himself interim president at a rally in the country’s capital of Caracas. Several countries, including the United States, Lima Group members (excluding Mexico), Australia, Albania, Georgia and Israel, as well as the Organization of American States, recognized him. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, in turn, blasted the move as a coup staged by Washington and said he was severing diplomatic ties with the US. On February 4, most of the European Union member states recognized Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president. In contrast, Russia, Belarus, Bolivia, Iran, Cuba, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Syria and Turkey voiced support for Maduro, while China called for resolving all differences peacefully and warned against foreign interference. The United Nations secretary general, in turn, called for dialogue to resolve the crisis. BANGKOK, March 26 -- Thailand's 2014 coup leader and junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha is one step closer to power after a shock election Sunday that lifted his party ahead in the popular vote.
Army-aligned Phalang Pracharat won more than 7.6 million votes, about 400,000 votes ahead of Pheu Thai, the party linked to exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra. But preliminary figures show Pheu Thai has won in 137 constituency seats nationwide, compared to Phalang Pracharat's 97. So who is actually leading, and what happens next? Who won the election? Both parties have claimed the right to lead Thailand's next government, leaving voters confused. Phalang Pracharat believes winning the popular vote gives them the mandate. But Pheu Thai disputes this, saying they now hold more of the 350 available constituency seats in the 500-seat lower house. This is where it gets tricky. Both are now in negotiations with other smaller parties to cobble together a majority in the lower house. But results for an additional 150 "party list" seats, which will take more of the popular vote into account, have yet to be released. Loyalties up for grabs include Bhumjaithai, which won 39 constituency seats, and political newcomer Future Forward, led by telegenic frontman and fierce junta critic Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit. All told, the victorious party need 376 seats of the 750-member combined upper and lower houses to pick a prime minister. But the upper house or senate is a 250-member body appointed by the junta, virtually guaranteeing Phalang Pracharat success. Was it 'free and fair'? Billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra, who has been in self-exile since 2008, told AFP in an interview that the election was "definitely" rigged. Pressure is mounting on the Election Commission to explain several allegations of irregularities, and the hashtag #RiggedElection has trended on Thai Twitter. Poll monitor ANFREL says there were 2.8 million invalidated ballots, or around 6 percent of the total, and the tabulation of votes were "deeply flawed". But it also said that shortcomings may not significantly have impacted the result. "I have brought up many, many aspects of this election and repeatedly said it did not meet with certain standards," said ANFREL secretary general Rohana Hettiarachchie, who pointed to the legal framework underpinning the poll such as the appointed senate. But "I think it is unfair if we conclude whether it is free and fair or not." A candidate from the Democrat Party -- which dropped to fifth in the popular vote -- filed a complaint Monday about vote-buying in a southern province the night before the poll. According to the commission's own figures, the number of ballots cast in some provinces far exceeded the voter turnout -- but was dismissed as "human error" when questioned by reporters. By Tuesday more than 700,000 people had signed a petition to dissolve the Election Commission. Pheu Thai's prime minister candidate Sudarat Keyuraphan said her party was probing several irregularities in the polls. How did Prayut's party perform so well? Pheu Thai and other pro-democracy parties hoped to leverage discontent with a junta that has ruled Thailand for nearly five years after ousting the administration of Thaksin's sister Yingluck in 2014. But before the elections, junta-aligned Phalang Pracharat poached more than 40 MPs from the Pheu Thai party, many of them stalwarts in their constituencies. These politicians are often seen as the solvers of local problems, and Thai voters -- especially in more rural areas -- are likely to remain loyal to their patron instead of any party ideology. Under the wing of most politicians are also people known as "canvassers" working to persuade locals -- either in cash or in kind. Analysts say the impact canvassers have in elections is pivotal. Phalang Pracharat may have also benefited from an election eve message from Thailand's king, who urged voters to support "good people" and not those who create "chaos". The junta has portrayed itself as the defender of the monarchy. WASHINGTON, March 26 -- A major Greenland glacier that was one of the fastest shrinking ice and snow masses on Earth is growing again, a new NASA study finds. The Jakobshavn glacier around 2012 was retreating about 1.8 miles (3 kilometers) and thinning nearly 130 feet (almost 40 meters) annually. But it started growing again at about the same rate in the past two years, according to a study in Monday’s Nature Geoscience. “That was kind of a surprise. We kind of got used to a runaway system,” said Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland ice and climate scientist Jason Box. “The good news is that it’s a reminder that it’s not necessarily going that fast. But it is going.” Box, who wasn’t part of the study, said Jakobshavn is “arguably the most important Greenland glacier because it discharges the most ice in the northern hemisphere. For all of Greenland, it is king.” A natural cyclical cooling of North Atlantic waters likely caused the glacier to reverse course, said study lead author Ala Khazendar, a NASA glaciologist on the Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG) project. Khazendar and colleagues say this coincides with a flip of the North Atlantic Oscillation — a natural and temporary cooling and warming of parts of the ocean that is like a distant cousin to El Nino in the Pacific. The water in Disko Bay, where Jakobshavn hits the ocean, is about 3.6 degrees cooler (2 degrees Celsius) than a few years ago, study authors said. While this is “good news” on a temporary basis, this is "real good news" on the long term because it tells scientists that ocean temperature is a bigger player in glacier retreats and advances than previously thought, said NASA climate scientist Josh Willis, a study co-author. Over the decades the water has been and will be warming from man-made climate change, he said, noting that about 90 percent of the heat trapped by greenhouse gases goes into the oceans. “In the long run we’ll probably have to raise our predictions of sea level rise again,” Willis said. Think of the ocean temperatures near Greenland like an escalator that’s rising slowly from global warming, Khazendar said. But the natural North Atlantic Oscillation sometimes is like jumping down a few steps or jumping up a few steps. The water can get cooler and have effects, but in the long run it is getting warmer and the melting will be worse, he said. Four outside scientists said the study and results make sense. University of Washington ice scientist Ian Joughin, who wasn’t part of the study and predicted such a change seven years ago, said it would be a “grave mistake” to interpret the latest data as contradicting climate change science. What’s happening, Joughin said, is “to a large extent, a temporary blip. Downturns do occur in the stock market, but overall the long term trajectory is up. This is really the same thing.” BANGKOK March 25 -- Confusion and complaints over preliminary results in Thailand's election mounted on Monday after the first poll since a 2014 coup, with the junta primed to retain its grip on power despite only having a slight edge in the popular vote. Election officials released the first unofficial preliminary results for seats in the lower house Monday as a blizzard of complaints over apparent mistakes in the count and possible irregularities at the polls rolled in. Sunday's election -- seen as a referendum on the military -- was held under new rules written by the junta to ease its transformation into a civilian government.Despite that headstart, analysts had not expected the army-linked Phalang Pracharat party to win the popular vote, given anger at junta rule and the enduring popularity of Pheu Thai -- the party of ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra. But preliminary figures showed Phalang Pracharat -- with 2014 coup leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha as its candidate for prime minister -- ahead in the popular vote. It had racked up more than 7.6 million votes with more than 90 percent of ballots tallied, giving any government it tries to form a claim to legitimacy. That is nearly half a million more votes than Pheu Thai, which nonetheless had earned 137 of the 350 available constituency seats in the lower house compared to Phalang Pracharat's 97, according to preliminary figures released later Monday. There are still 150 "party list" seats in the lower house up for grabs, which is where the popular vote will matter more. But no matter how the numbers play out, coup leader Prayut's party will benefit from a military-appointed 250-member Senate. That means Pheu Thai would need to cobble together 376 votes in the lower house to override the Senate advantage, while the junta only needs 126. As rivals scrambled to seize the momentum and persuade other parties to join forces in a coalition, Pheu Thai's prime ministerial candidate Sudarat Keyuraphan said her party had won the "mandate from the people" to form a government. She also pointed to "irregularities" and said her party was "gathering evidence about the election process". Pheu Thai will have to try and build a pro-democracy coalition, lassoing in Future Forward -- a new upstart anti-junta party which has won the hearts of millennials, claimed over five million mainly youth votes and 30 lower house constituency seats. Future Forward leader Thanathorn Juangroongruankit, whose party is key to any alliance, told reporters Monday that his "greatest concern" is the junta staying in power. Nearly 1.9 million votes had been invalidated with 93 percent of votes tallied. But the Election Commission defended itself against critics accusing it of bungling the process. "Please wait.. this is Thailand, we are not like other countries who have an election one day and form a government the next," said Jarungvith Phumma, EC secretary-general. The commission sidestepped questions over wildly inaccurate poll returns reported late Sunday in several constituencies, with another official calling it "human error". Thaksin, the self-exiled billionaire ex-cop turned-Thai premier, who is at the crux of Thailand's political breakdown, reached out to shocked supporters in the pro-democracy camp. "As long as we still have breath, we can not give up," he said in a Facebook post on Monday. BRISBANE, March 25 -- Airline advertisements accused of “making light” of sexual exploitation in Thailand have been removed from all Brisbane City Council buses. A recent AirAsia advertising campaign ran a slogan saying "Get off in Thailand" in large type above the words "Fly direct from Brisbane to Bangkok". National regulator Ad Standards said while it had not received any complaints about the advertisement on the bus, it had received one complaint about the same advertisement on a billboard. The same ad is still on a billboard at Brisbane Airport, however the airport tweeted on Monday afternoon that it was being removed as a priority. Collective Shout spokeswoman Melinda Liszewski said she was having dinner with friends in West End on Friday night when she spotted the bus parked opposite. Taking a photo, she sent it to her colleagues and they agreed it was a "dog whistle" to people who travelled to Thailand for sex tourism. Ms Liszewski said a research paper had found about 250,000 western men visit Thailand every year for the sole purpose of sexually exploiting women and children. "It’s appalling that an ad like that would appear on a Brisbane bus," she said. "Looking at the bus advertisement I’m not willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that it was an accident." AirAsia began a new direct flight route between Brisbane and Bangkok in February this year. An AirAsia spokesman said the campaign had since ended and the last advertisements were being removed around the city. "We take community feedback extremely seriously and sincerely apologise for the concerns raised," the spokesman said. ALP councillor Kara Cook (Morningside) said she had written to public and active transport chair and deputy mayor Adrian Schrinner on Monday calling for any buses still carrying the slogan to be pulled off the road. "This advertisement is completely inappropriate and makes light of the appalling situation facing many women and children who are victims of sexual exploitation in Thailand," Cr Cook said. "We know that Thailand has high rates of human trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and children, this is a serious issue and these buses should be immediately removed from circulation. "Council cannot sit on their hands when it comes to council-owned buses. We have a responsibility." A Brisbane City Council spokeswoman said AirAsia had advised the council the campaign had ended and the advertisements had been removed in a process starting on March 17. "The wraps were installed on buses from 18 February, however, have all since been removed as part of the campaign ending," the spokeswoman said. The council spokeswoman said the council didn't determine the suitability of individual advertisements. "The Advertising Standards Bureau sets advertising guidelines to deem what is acceptable and also deals with complaints about advertising," she said. But Ms Liszewski said that wasn't good enough and said the lesson for all companies was to take responsibility. "They are responsible for what they put on their vehicles, on the front of their businesses and even the owners of the billboards and signs, they also have a responsibility," she said. "There is some advertising which is just blatantly sexist and in this case promoting sex tourism, that’s horrific. How did that get through so many people? "You can’t fob these things off to Ad Standards board." TEL AVIV, March 25 -- Seven Israeli citizens were hospitalized with injuries of varying severity on Monday after a rocket was launched from the Gaza Strip that hit a residential building in the moshav of Mishmeret in Central Israel, the national medical service, Magen David Adom, reported. "Seven people were evacuated to a hospital with injuries: a 60-year-old woman in moderate condition with shrapnel wounds and burns, a 30-year-old woman in moderate condition with shrapnel wounds to her leg, as well as five more wounded including children aged 12, 3 and 6 months," the service’s communique reads. Earlier, the Israeli military reported that they had detected a missile launch in the Gaza Strip aimed at Central Israel. "After the reports of air raid sirens having been triggered on the Sharon plain (north of Tel Aviv) we detected a missile that had been fired from the Gaza Strip," the army press service said. The military previously reported that sirens had been triggered on the Sharon plain, in the Hefer Valley Regional Council. The police press service said that the missile had hit a residential building in the Mishmeret moshav, sparking a fire. For first time since 2014 - when Israel launched a 50-day long operation dubbed Protective Edge - on March 14, air raid sirens went off in the greater Tel Aviv region. The military then said that two missile were launched towards Tel Aviv, with no casualties reported. The Iron Dome missile defense system didn't intercept the rockets, while Israel in retaliation hit a few dozen military targets in the Gaza Strip, the army press service also added. WASHINGTON, March 25 -- Democrats are demanding Attorney General William Barr, who was appointed to his post only in February by president Donald Trump, release the full report of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller to support his conclusion that the evidence Mueller gathered is insufficient for obstruction charges against the president. They also contend that Barr's summary raises as many questions as it answers. A summary of the Mueller report, the final act in the two year-long Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, was released Sunday, two days after Mueller submitted the report to Barr on March 22. Mueller handed-in his report and ended the probe on Friday without further indictments, according to sources in the Department of Justice quoted by media. Mueller's job was to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign, and possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, as well as any other matters arising from the investigation. In a four-page letter to Congress on Sunday, Barr wrote Mueller did not conclude whether Trump obstructed justice. He does, however, quote the special counsel as saying, "while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him." Barr said he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein "have concluded that the evidence developed during the Special Counsel's investigation is not sufficient to establish that the President committed an obstruction-of-justice offense." Barr further wrote Mueller "did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated" with Russia." "The investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities," according to Barr in his letter. Democrats quickly questioned the conclusions drawn by Barr from Mueller's report. They asked why Barr decided the evidence gathered isn't sufficient for obstruction charges. Democrats opposed Barr's appointment as attorney general, and were skeptical of Barr's promise made in January he would "provide as much transparency as I can" regarding final report about Mueller's investigation. "Special Counsel Mueller clearly and explicitly is not exonerating the President, and we must hear from AG Barr about his decision making and see all the underlying evidence for the American people to know all the facts," tweeted Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. "There must be full transparency in what Special Counsel Mueller uncovered to not exonerate the President from wrongdoing. DOJ owes the public more than just a brief synopsis and decision not to go any further in their work," he said in a second tweet. Democrats have the House GOP on their side as regards releasing the full Mueller report to the public. In a rare display of bipartisanship in an era of deep political division, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives voted 420-0 in favor of a non-binding resolution demanding the public release of Mueller's full report. The GOP-held Senate blocked the measure, however. The White House, which repeatedly slammed the probe as a "witch hunt," was expectedly pleased by Barr's summary. "The Special Counsel did not find any collusion and did not find any obstruction. Attorney General Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein further determined there was no obstruction. The findings of the Department of Justice are a total and complete exoneration of the President of the United States," said White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders in a statement. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York is still conducting criminal probes into Trump and his associates, as is the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. STOCKHOLM, March 24 -- Independent journalist and freedom fighter Katerina Janouch wrote a short introduction for an article in her own online magazine “Katerina Magasin”. The article, written by another Swedish writer – Madeleine Rönnqvist Lilja, is about the British freedom fighter Tommy Robinson. In her text, Katerina wrote: “Defending freedom of expression when you agree is a breeze, but if we are to have any freedom of speech worth mentioning, it must also be defended when it is challenged and not all agree.” She then pointed out that it “may be your turn next”. And Swedish Facebook took Katerina at her word and suspended her. Their actions cannot be interpreted in any other way than as a clear signal against freedom of expression – and in particular against the idea that we should accept the views of others even if we disagree with them. In a comment on the suspension, Katerina writes: “Seven days of suspension was the result when I published an article about the British free speech hero Tommy Robinson on Facebook. The article was published on March 10, but I was suspended now, twelve days later. Perhaps a censorship committee was needed to conclude that the content was so offensive that it violated Facebook’s community standards? There is also a threatening tone in which it is pointed out that I can be further penalised if I dare publish something equally inappropriate again. Madeleine’s article is about freedom of speech, and that all opinions, even the ones we disagree with should be allowed, without the person stating them being threatened and harassed and called a dissident. “Tommy Robinson’s issue is ours”, was my headline and what do you know, sooner than I could imagine Tommy Robinson’s issue was mine. Which people can we write about on Facebook? Perhaps the powerful social media platform should provide a list of which individuals we cannot mention by name. If someone previously doubted that freedom of expression is under attack, this is clear proof that that is the case. I wish I could write “see you on Facebook in a week” but at the moment I don’t know if I want to come back. Please continue reading Katerina Magasin! And spread the links. My own platform, no one can take away from me – at least not yet.” BANGKOK, March 24 -- Thailand's pro-military party has taken the lead in the country's first general election since the military coup of 2014, according to preliminary results. The vote pits a royalist junta headed by former general Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha against a "democratic front" led by the political party he ousted. Electoral Commission figures show:
Democracy or chaos? "I am happy to see citizens come out and exercise their voting rights," Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha told reporters on Sunday after casting his vote. "I want to see love and unity. Everybody has one vote, one voice. Everybody wants democracy." The vote was foreshadowed by a cryptic last-minute warning from King Maha Vajiralongkorn who urged voters to support "good" leaders to prevent "chaos." "I am old enough to choose myself" began trending on social media late Saturday in defiance of the king's statement. Critics say the electoral system, revised and rewritten by the ruling junta, gives a built-in advantage to pro-military parties. They claim the system is rigged to prevent the Pheu Thai Party — linked to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra — from returning to power. Forming a government The formation of a new government, likely to be unstable and short-lived, could take weeks of haggling. Pheu Thai is set to be the largest party, with Prayuth’s new military proxy Palang Pracharat projected to finish in second place. The Senate’s role in voting for a prime minister means that Palang Pracharat party needs only 126 in the House of Representatives to control the government, while the democratic front need 376. What are Thai voters voting for? They are voting for lawmakers in the 500-seat House of Representatives, the lower house of parliament, which along with the upper chamber of the Senate — appointed entirely by the ruling junta — will select the next government. Millions of new voters More than 7 million younger voters were able to cast their ballot for the first time, with the last election having taken place in 2011. KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 -- The J-10 “Vigorous Dragon” is a mainstay of China’s effort to modernize its large fleet of single-engine jet fighters, with 350 already in service. An agile tactical fighter similar to the ubiquitous F-16 Fighting Falcon , the Vigorous Dragon was the first domestic Chinese design roughly on par with Western and Russian fourth-generation fighters . However, there is considerable evidence that the J-10’s development was heavily informed by a jet fighter developed by Israel with U.S. engines in the 1980s. Israel first manufactured its own jets after its order of French Dassault Mirage Vs was embargoed in 1967. Israeli agents obtained Mirage V schematics (and most likely manufacturing components and even airframes), allowing Israel Aerospace Industries to produce two domestic clones: the Nesher and the improved Kfir. These both served with the IAF and were exported broad. Mayor of New York City Robert Anderson Van Wyck breaks ground for a new underground "Rapid Transit Railroad" that would link Manhattan and Brooklyn. Between 1969–1979, the IAF received high-performance twin-engine F-4 Phantom fighters and F-15 Eagles from the United States. However, it still wanted a cheaper single-engine tactical fighter to replace its increasingly vulnerable A-4 Skyhawk and Nesher jets. So why not also build the Nesher’s replacement domestically? The resulting dapper IAI Lavi (Lion Cub) had delta-wings (good for high-speed performance) combined with canards, a second set of small wings near the nose for improved lift and maneuverability. The Lion Cub was so maneuverable it was aerodynamically unstable, but an advanced quadruple-redundant fly-by-wire flight control system counter-acted the instability. Composite materials were extensively incorporated to lower the Lavi’s weight down to just 7.25-tons empty. A compact Pratt & Whitney 1120 turbofan slung under the belly delivered large amounts of thrust, allowing the little Lavi to fly far and fast carrying up to a sixteen-thousand-pound payload. In fact, with the exception of the canards, the Lavi closely resembled in appearance and capability the U.S.-built F-16s that entered Israeli Air Force service in 1980. These soon saw extensive combat service, destroying the Iraqi Osirak nuclear reactor and shooting down over forty Syrian fighters over Lebanon without loss. Israeli and U.S. critics of the Lavi pointed out Israel was investing $2 billion in development costs to reinvent an airplane it had already bought from the United States. The more ground-attack oriented Lavi did differ in a few respects, however. It had a lower maximum speed of Mach 1.6-1.8 compared to the Falcon’s Mach 2, but had 50 percent longer range. It also had a powerful internal mounted jamming system for self-protection. The Lavi’s Israeli-designed avionics were comparable to the later F-16C model than the more rudimentary F-16A. owever, by the 1980s jet fighter development costs had grown exponentially as they grew more and more sophisticated; and, unlike the Nesher and Kfir, the Lavi was not cloned from an existing design. IAI hoped to make back the costs by exporting the Lavi, particularly to states facing embargoes due to poor human-rights records such as Apartheid-era South Africa, Chile and Argentina. But the U.S., provider of 40 percent of the Lavi components, didn’t want to subsidize a competitor for the F-16. Washington signaled it would only cooperate if Israel refrained from exporting the Lavi. By 1987 IAI had built two flying two-seat Lavi prototypes which demonstrated excellent performance in eighty-two test flights. Three more were under construction. It had also tested the PW1120 turbofans on an F-4 ‘Super Phantom’ which demonstrated such extraordinary performance it even flew a demo at the Paris Air Show and was briefly considered for export. However, the extraordinary financial commitments the Lavi entailed made it extremely politically divisive. On August 30, in an 11-12 vote, the Israeli cabinet canceled the Lavi. Ninety additional F-16s were procured instead. From Israel to China Thus ended Israel’s production of domestic jet fighters—but not of advanced weapons and components for jet fighters, which was greatly boosted by technologies developed for the Lavi. One notable export was the Python-3 heat-seeking missile, which boasted the then still-rare ability to engage planes from any aspect using a helmet-mounted sight. The technology was licensed for production by China’s Xi’an Aircraft Corporation in 1989 as the PL-8 missile, which remains in service today. Other technologies transferred include the E/LM-2035 doppler radar (derivatives installed on the J-8 and J-10 fighter) and the Tamam inertial navigation system. In fact, during the 1980s, the U.S. and Western Europe were also exporting military technology to China, then seen as a counter-balance to the Soviet Union. U.S. firms even explored co-developing updated J-7 and J-8 fighters for Beijing. However, Chinese-Western defense cooperation ended abruptly following the Tiananmen Square massacre on June 4, 1989. However, in the mid-1990s, U.S. newspapers began reporting that intelligence agencies were concerned about continued Israeli technology transfers to China—including some components given to Israel by the United States. This included allegations that Israel had transferred Lavi technology for China’s program to develop a fourth-generation jet fighter. The Chengdu Aircraft Corporation had begun work on the J-10 in 1988 under engineer Song Wecong, who can be seen next to a Lavi in this photo (fourth from the right). In his book Lavi: the United States, Israel and a Controversial Fighter, John W. Golan wrote: Israeli involvement in the J-10 appears to have begun at around the same time that China first opened diplomatic relations with Israel in January 1992 . . . Israeli contractors were engaged to provide the aerodynamic and structural outlines for the J-10. The Israeli influences on the J-10’s design are unmistakable: a close-coupled, canard-delta arrangement; a single-engine fighter featuring a ventral engine inlet; twin ventral strakes; and an area-ruled fuselage. You can see the striking resemblance in these photo comparisons. Concerns over Israel-China technology transfers spurred Congress to ban exporting the hi-tech F-22 Raptor stealth fighter . Unfortunately, the lack of export orders combined with later defense spending cuts, led to the premature closure of the F-22s production line . In its final years, the Clinton administration also blocked Israel from exporting its Phalcon airborne early-warning aircraft, forcing China to spend years domestically developing a wide variety of its own AEW aircraft. According to Golan, “Israeli involvement in the J-10 program appears to have been curtailed at around the same time, with Russia stepping in to market Soviet-developed avionics systems to supply production versions of the aircraft.” Both Song and IAI officials have staunchly denied collaboration in the J-10’s development. However, in 2008, Jane’s reported that in extended interviews with several visiting Russian engineers that Chengdu “benefited from significant, direct input from Israel's Lavi programme - including access to the Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) Lavi aircraft itself . . . This has included extensive design and performance modeling, wind-tunnel testing and advanced aerodynamic design input . . . Jane's was told how Chengdu officials of the highest level stated how they had one of the IAI Lavi prototypes in their facilities.” Hypothetically, Jane’s Russian sources may have been spreading misinformation. Russia’s aviation industry has a decidedly love-hate relationship with China. However, if Israel did transfer Lavi technology to China—both parties would have strong incentives to deny it. At any rate, the J-10 is more inspired by the Lavi than an outright clone. It is significantly longer and heavier, and has different wings. In his book, Golan explains that China lacked access to the compact PW1120 engine and the capability for wide-scale manufacturing of lightweight composite components. (China finally achieved the latter with the Y-20 transport plane .) Therefore, Song had to lengthen the J-10’s fuselage by two meters to accommodate a Russian AL-31F turbofan, resulting in an 11.75-ton jet. Nonetheless, the J-10 remain an agile, versatile and inexpensive multirole fighter designed from the outset to incorporate hi-tech avionic systems and guided weapons. Though not a cutting-edge stealth aircraft , it marked an important milestone in China’s military modernization—achieved, most likely, with a little foreign assistance. |
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