Assessment of US Intelligence Community on Ukraine, Russia, China and N. Korea
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 04, 2022
The US intelligence community expects the reduced tempo in fighting in Ukraine to continue in coming months, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said on Saturday.
Haines, who made the remarks at the annual Reagan National Defense Forum in California, detailed US intelligence assessments on a variety of topics, including the Ukraine war, Russia and protests in China.
Speaking about the Ukraine war, Haines said that while the conflict has wound down to an extent, the US expects both Ukraine and Russia to prepare for counteroffensives in the Spring.
“We actually have a fair amount of scepticism as to whether or not the Russians will be, in fact, prepared to do that,” she said, “And I think yeah, I think more optimistically for the Ukrainians in that time frame.”
Haines cast doubt on Russia’s ability to resupply.
“Our own sense is that they [RUSSIA] are not capable of indigenously producing what they are expending at this stage,” she said.
Haines said that dissent in Russia over the war was significant but not at a critical mass.
“You’ve seen some of the sorts of more significant figures in Russia, you know, provide more critical views of the war and what’s happening and Putin than you have in the past, but nothing that amounts to likely regime change,” she said.
Haines also spoke about protests in China over the government’s zero-Covid policy, saying that it was revelatory of Chinese President Xi’s inflexible governing style.
“I think, is highlighting the fact that despite the impact it’s having on the economy, despite the human impact of the Zero-Covid policy on communities who, you know, are experiencing this in China, he’s unwilling to take a better vaccine from the West and is instead relying on a vaccine in China that’s just not nearly as effective,” she said.
A deadly apartment fire last month in the far western city of Urumqi sparked dozens of protests against Covid curbs in over 20 cities in a wave unprecedented in mainland China since President Xi Jinping took power in 2012.
As one of the rarest species of tiger, the white tiger has typical black stripes but carries a white or near-white coat. Their unique white fur has made them popular at zoos worldwide.
There has been an absence of tigers in Bangladesh’s Chattogram zoo of late, with Chandra and Purnima passing away in 2006 and 2012, respectively.
In December 2016, however, two Royal Bengal tigers, Raj and Pori, were brought to the zoo from South Africa.
The zoo, which is located at Bangladesh’s seaport city Chattogram, about 242 km southeast of the capital Dhaka, has since been blessed with four newborn white tiger cubs.
The tiger cubs were born in July this year to the Royal Bengal tiger couple Raj and Pori.
In 2018, Pori gave birth to Shubhra, the first white tiger in Bangladesh.
As one of the rarest species of tiger, the white tiger has typical black stripes but carries a white or near-white coat. Their unique white fur has made them popular at zoos worldwide.
Officials said the birth of the white cubs was a blessing for the zoo as well as for local and foreign visitors.
The cubs, the second litter since the tiger couple were brought to the zoo, were named Padma, Meghna, Sangu, and Halda. They are all in perfect health.
Zoo authorities said they are committed to taking good care of them and attending to their needs.
The zoo’s staff had already carried out all the necessary work to give the zoo a facelift as well, amid the rush of visitors.
With Raj, Pori and their pride including the white cubs, the zoo has seen a revival and is attracting more tourists and animal lovers.
“I saw four white tiger cubs here and I really liked them,” Alicha, a visitor to the zoo, told Xinhua recently.
Alicha, who uses a single name, said, “They are so cute.”
She said she came to the zoo with her family members mainly to see the white cubs.
Many visitors can be seen walking around the outside of the enclosure of the tiger cubs, as the little cubs play with their mother.
Doctor Shahadat Hossain Shubo is the deputy curator of the zoo. He said the first white tiger was born here in 2018 and is now four years old.
Following that, four more white tiger cubs were born this year, he added.
“Including these four, we have a total of five white tigers. All five white tigers are in good health,” said Shubo.
He said, “In our breeding program here we monitor the tigers separately from birth and when we know that they (tigers) are in prime condition for mating, we mate them and then keep the female tiger in a separate enclosure.”
“Then we can monitor the mother tiger’s pregnancy and be ready for when she gives birth,” he said.
“Only one white tiger is born in every 10,000, so now many people come to see the white tigers,” he added.
“The white tiger cubs are beautiful. Naturally, we watch them closely, so that they don’t get into any kind of trouble,” said Shubo.
Shubo said they monitor them closely so that people do not disturb them and they get proper food and remain healthy.
“When the COVID-9 pandemic fully eases and tourism returns to normal in the world, we will invite tourists from all over the world, including China, to come and visit the zoo,” said the zoo official.
China’s Shenzhou-14 astronauts to return to Earth on Dec. 4
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2022
Xinhua
China’s Shenzhou-14 astronauts, who have completed all their scheduled tasks, will return to Earth on Dec. 4, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said Saturday.
The three astronauts handed over the control of the space station to the Shenzhou-15 crew on Friday evening, completing the country’s first in-orbit crew rotation, according to the CMSA.
They will touch down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The landing site is currently making preparations for the return of the three astronauts, the CMSA said
First fruit transportation train launched on China-Laos Railway
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2022
A freight train loaded with fruits from Thailand and Laos departed the Lao capital Vientiane on Friday and entered China via Mohan Port before heading to southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality.
This is the first special train for fruit transportation running along the China-Laos railway, which went into operation on Dec 3, 2021.
The train is loaded with 25 refrigerated containers of Thai longan, Lao banana and other fruits, with a total value of more than 5.5 million yuan (about 783,200 U.S. dollars).
The China-Laos railway is the first international railway project built with Chinese investment and the full application of Chinese management and technical standards. It is a docking project between the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Laos’ strategy to convert itself from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub.
The railway has enhanced connectivity between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) member states and greatly reduced the cross-border transportation cost. It has expanded the bilateral markets and promoted the development of logistics, industry and trade of countries along the railway line.
Now, many provincial regions in China have launched trains on the railway, contributing to the stability of industrial and supply chains.
At least 2,000 pro-democracy fighters have been killed in Myanmar battling a military junta that seized power last year, the head of a parallel civilian government said in an interview aired on Thursday (Dec 10), urging allies to provide military aid.
Putting down the mobile phone, talking about negative feelings with friends or seeking professional counseling are some of the methods helpful in tackling depression and anxiety during a COVID-19 outbreak, experts said.
Dine-in services at restaurants in low-risk areas in the Haizhu, Liwan and Tianhe districts in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, were allowed to resume on Thursday.
An international syndicate duping victims with fake investment and job opportunities abroad is believed to have rented a golf resort in a remote area, hoping its “call centre” in the middle of an oil palm plantation will go unnoticed.
The guessing game about who will be in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Cabinet in the unity government is expected to be answered today, a week after he took office.
The development of at least 10 types of long-range missiles is being mulled under a Defense Ministry plan, as the nation moves toward the possession of counterattack capabilities, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
Since weeks ago when Kim Jong-un revealed his 10-year-old daughter Kim Ju-ae to the world openly for the first time, her fashion style has proven to be an instant hit in North Korea, and her styling seems to be sending young North Koreans abuzz.
Southeast Asian countries have high expectations that China will soon win its fight against COVID-19. A fully recovered China matters to nations in the region, if not the whole world because it is the main driver of global economic growth.
Pakistan does have an independent foreign policy. It is not a protectorate or a colony much less a slave; it is a sovereign country free to have its own foreign policy. Pakistan did have a choice, and exercised it freely, sometimes well, sometimes badly.
When Oleksiy Arestovich, an adviser to the Ukrainian President, said earlier this week that “Vladimir Putin is living in fear for his life as his army retreats… there is no forgiveness for tsars who lose wars”, he could well have been playing mind games. But there is no denying the fact that the pressure is mounting on the Russian President after weeks of gruelling military setbacks and domestic demands to end mobilisation.
Timor Leste inaugurated a new deepwater port Wednesday operated by a French conglomerate, in the largest ever single foreign investment on an infrastructure project in Southeast Asia’s youngest country.
China-based EVE Energy Co Ltd, via its subsidiary EVE Energy Malaysia Sdn Bhd, will be investing US$422.3mil (RM1.86bil) to set up a cylindrical battery production base in Malaysia.
A Filipino American fintech company is now offering “easy, convenient, and low-cost cross-border financial services from the United States to the Philippines” including no-fee remittances.
A marked uptick in Indica rice exports to European markets is expected after Cambodia won a challenge against the European Commission’s (EC) 2019 decision to remove tariff preferences on imports of the rice from the Kingdom for three years, on grounds that the shipments were causing perceived economic damage to EU producers.
Japanese soccer fans cheered and chanted at Tokyo’s iconic Shibuya crossing after Japan beat Spain 2-1 to surge into the last 16 at dawn Friday (December 2) Japan local time.
As Hong Kong welcomes first tour group from Thailand, officials hope arrivals will rise following the relaxation Covid-19 restrictions
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2022
Hong Kong Tourism Board chairman Pang Yiu-kai said the board welcomed the government’s decision last month to allow inbound tour groups to dine in designated areas of restaurants and cut the time they spent waiting for the results of Covid-19 tests.
Pang said, “Hong Kong is one of Asia’s most festive destinations in winter. Becoming effective before the travel peak season of Christmas and Chinese New Year, the new arrangements will help bring back short-haul visitors to experience Hong Kong’s seasonal festivity, especially those from Southeast Asia. The Hong Kong Tourism Board will continue to work closely with trade partners in promoting the diverse and exciting activities and experiences in town to attract inbound visitors to the city.”
“We are glad that the announcement of the new travel guidelines has been well received by our Southeast Asian partners and consumers “, says Raymond Chan, Regional Director, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong Tourism Board. “We will be rolling out more trade and marketing activities in the upcoming months to welcome Southeast Asian group tours to Hong Kong.”
Welcoming the First Thailand Incentive Group
Hong Kong welcomed an incentive group of Thailand’s top beauty brand IB Skincare from 25 to 28 November. It is the first of a steady stream of overseas incentive groups that the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) anticipates to return to the city following further relaxation of social measures for inbound travel since mid-November.
The group was treated to unique experiences with a “wow” factor, including a specially arranged tour of the brand-new Hong Kong Palace Museum, temple-hopping and an exclusive Christmas tree light-up moment at Hong Kong WinterFest, creating unforgettable memories in Hong Kong for the incentive group members.
Kenneth Wong, General Manager, MICE & Cruise of HKTB, said: “We’re delighted to welcome our friends from Thailand to Hong Kong again. This group marked the very first of our line-up of incentive groups from short-haul markets, with even more coming in the future. It indicates encouraging overseas demand for motivational incentive programmes in Hong Kong, especially after the recent implementation of favourable arrangements for inbound tour groups,” which refer to the special arrangements for inbound tour group travellers received by licensed travel agents with pre-registered itineraries to enter tourist attractions and dine in designated catering premises that came into effect on 18 November.
He added: “We are very pleased that they enjoyed Hong Kong’s very best East-meets-West cultural celebrations, tradition immersion and brand-new attractions.”
“We missed Hong Kong a lot! Hong Kong is full of new excitement, even in the traditional temples across the city. I am impressed with the gold foil pasting on the Holy Deer at Man Mo Temple and thankful for all the warm hospitality and authentic experiences at various temples. Everyone is very welcoming too! There’s not just cultural immersion, but also new elements that enhance the overall experience,” said Pamika Laohirun, Manager, Garey Asset.
The HKTB arranged for the group an exclusive Christmas tree light-up moment at the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD), the city’s new flagship art and cultural quarter, as Hong Kong prepares to celebrate the year-end festive season.
“It was incredibly amazing to personally light up the giant Christmas tree against the backdrop of Hong Kong’s skyline!” said Chanyapuk Laohirun, Owner and Director, Garey Asset.”I would like to thank the HKTB for their dedicated support. We had a memorable evening at WKCD soaking up the joyous festive atmosphere and visiting the new Hong Kong Palace Museum. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind experience immersing in some of the best-ever East-meets-West cultural celebrations in a single trip!”
Amid complaints of a shortage in stored value Beep cards in train stations in Metro Manila, the Department of Transportation on Thursday said that the card provider has promised to deliver 150,000 cards soon.
The officials said they met with representatives of AF Payments Inc (AFPI), who claimed there were several issues in making the contactless cards that replace the previous magnetic card system under a concession agreement signed in 2016.
“The shortage, according to AFPI, was due to issues in the supply chain of electronic chips and a special gas from Russia that are used in manufacturing the cards, as well as logistics, high production costs and the closure of manufacturing sites in China due to the pandemic,” said Randolph Clet, project manager of the transport department’s automated fare collection system.
However, commuters pointed out that despite the claimed shortage of Beep cards in some LRT and MRT stations, AFPI began selling cards at 188 pesos each, without load and excluding the shipping fee, on e-commerce platforms Shopee and Lazada.
In a statement on Monday, AFPI said it had launched official online stores for Beep cards to ease the shortage of cards in various train, bus and modern jeepney stations in Metro Manila, but on Facebook Marketplace Beep cards are being sold at P120-P150 without load.
Beep cards cost only P30 at train stations.
The advocacy group Digital Pinoys on Wednesday asked the department to scrap its contract with AFPI after the latter began selling more expensive Beep cards online despite supposed “supply chain” issues on top of the complaints of “overpriced” Beep cards at the height of the pandemic in 2020.
“They said the supply is not enough, [but] how come they are able to sell it in their stores on online shopping platforms for a much higher price?” Digital Pinoys national campaigner Ronald Gustilo asked.
However, Clet echoed an official statement from AFPI saying the sale of Beep cards outside of train stations was not within the concession agreement signed in 2016 and only cards sold in train stations are covered by government subsidies.
Clet also said the department and railway operators are willing to accept proposals from other fare card issuers, as long as they meet the requirements for the government’s automated fare collection system.
But that was not enough for Senator Grace Poe, chair of the Senate committee on public services, who demanded that the Department of Transportation explain its failure to correct the problem, even with the allotted funds as subsidies to the public transport sector.
“We have allocated billions for the development and modernisation of our railway system. Our people must feel the fruits of their hard-earned taxes,” she said, adding that the current situation was a step back from the aims of the government.
In a statement, Poe lamented how the shortage has added to the struggles of commuters who now have to queue up for Beep cards.
“The time spent lining up for every single-journey ticket is a moment wasted for our already weary commuters,” she said.
Laos, China to celebrate first anniversary of high-speed railway
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2022
Laos and China will mark the first anniversary of the Laos-China Railway – a key driver of economic growth in Laos – on Saturday with a series of events.
Inaugurated on December 3, 2021, the railway connects Vientiane with Kunming in southwest China’s Yunnan province over a distance of 1,035km.
During the first year of operation, the railway sparked a surge in exports and helped to revive tourism, meeting the increasing need for travel between Vientiane and the northern provinces.
According to Xinhua, to date, the Lao section of the China-Laos Railway has shipped around 2 million tonnes of goods, most of which are cross-border goods, and has carried 1.26 million passengers.
Director of Operations at the Laos-China Railway, Du Zhigang, was quoted in Xinhua recently as saying that the amount of freight transported has increased steadily since the railway came into operation.
Goods shipped by rail from Laos include rubber, barley, rice, cassava, coffee, beer, minerals and potash, while consumer goods, machinery parts, auto parts and electronic products are shipped from China.
“We are selling a large number of tickets because people are eager to experience our modern EMU (electric multiple units) trains, especially people from neighbouring countries such as Thailand,” Du said.
Vice -president of the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Daovone Phachanthavong, told the Vientiane Times this week that the opening of the railway at the end of last year had not only been a major boost to tourism in Laos but had also improved logistics and transport, helping to boost trade between Laos and neighbouring countries.
Daovone said Laos has huge potential for investment in agriculture, especially cattle farming for export to China.
But although the railway offers opportunities for Laos to grow its economy, the government needs to do more to improve the investment climate and streamline the processing of paperwork associated with investment approval.
Daovone said the government needs to view entrepreneurs as shareholders because the growth of their businesses means more revenue generated for the country through taxes and job creation.
President of the Association of the Lao Garment Industry and vice president of the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Xaybandith Rasphone, said that unlike big companies in Thailand and China, it is very challenging for Lao companies, due to their size, to make full use of the railway.
Xaybandith was quoted in the China Daily as saying that Lao firms lacked capacity and could not yet produce goods in sufficient volume to meet the needs of the Chinese market. More support from the government is needed, he said.
Other business leaders said improvements are needed to enable easier access to the railway by Lao businesses, saying they are disadvantaged by high logistics costs and the lack of an online train ticket booking service for passengers.
US Treasury’s Adeyemo says $60 oil price cap will limit Russia’s revenues
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2022
US Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo applauded a European Union deal for a $60-a-barrel price cap on Russian oil exports on Thursday, saying this was within the range of discussed price levels and would limit Moscow’s oil revenues.
Adeyemo told the Reuters NEXT conference that he believes that EU member countries will finalize the price cap agreement because they have consistently applied sanctions to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
The European Union tentatively agreed earlier on a $60 level to start the price cap, with a regular adjustment mechanism.
“It’s in the range of prices that we’ve been talking about for a while in terms of creating and helping us do two things. One is reducing Russia’s revenues. But the second one is making sure that we keep Russian barrels on the market,” Adeyemo said.
Adeyemo told also that the price of gasoline had come down from highs seen over the summer, but prices were still too high overall, and the administration was doing everything it could to ease supply chain pressures.
Legislation like the bipartisan infrastructure law, the Inflation Control Act and a law to promote domestic semiconductor production would make long-needed investments in the economy that would help bring inflation under control, he said.
“Our goal is to really try and make sure that as we bring down inflation, we’re also making the investments to make sure the American economy is competitive, not just next year, but in the decades to come.”
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