China Pulverizes $10 Million Worth of Ivory in Fight Against Illegal Trade

Today China destroyed six tons of ivory from its official stockpile in an effort to discourage the ongoing trade the illicit substance. China is one of the world’s biggest markets for ivory from elephant tusks due to the material’s perceived value as a status symbol and the country’s growing middle class. Even though the Chinese government still has an undisclosed amount of ivory stored away, wildlife groups say the unprecedented move shows growing concern about the black market trade by authorities.

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Singapore to buy French Aster-30 surface-to-air missile system

Published on 18 Oct 2013 | Originally published on September 17, 2013 

Singapore will acquire a new European-made missile system named the Aster-30, the country's Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said this week.

The city-state will buy the new surface-to-air missiles to replace the aging I-HAWK, already in service for 30 years, the minister announced on Monday.

"The Aster will allow us to engage multiple threats simultaneously and from a longer distance," Dr Ng told parliament. 

The Aster, developed by French firm MBDE Systems, like the I-HAWK from U.S. contractor Raytheon, is just over five meters in length, though it is 140 kilograms lighter and has a greater range than the I-HAWK.

Both systems rely on networked sensors for targeting information, though the Aster's are more advanced. The I-HAWK has a maximum range of 45 km. 

The Aster-30 has a range of 70 km and is more effective at engaging multiple air threats simultaneously.

Singapore has the largest defense budget in Southeast Asia, due to a cashed-up government benefiting from the country's robust economic growth.

It has set aside SG$12.34 billion ($9.8 billion) for defense in 2013, up from Sg$11.83 billion the previous year, the website Defence News reported.

Protesters Call for Ouster of Thai Prime Minister

The group which calls itself ‘V for Thailand’ has already organized three mass assemblies in Thailand’s capital this month demanding the ouster of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Wearing white Guy Fawkes masks, protesters have decried the alleged corruption in the government.

So far, the group has only managed to gather more than a thousand people in Bangkok although it claims it has strong support in many provinces.

Yingluck is the younger sister of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who is convicted of plunder. Her critics accuse her of being a puppet of her brother.

In recent years, various groups have organized massive street rallies which made a huge impact on Thai politics. Among the big groups are the Yellow Shirts (anti-Thaksin and pro-monarchy) and Red Shirts (mostly pro-Thaksin).

China & India on collision course, in the South China Sea, as oil & gas tension mounts

Published on Dec 7, 2012 : India has warned it's prepared to use force to secure its economic interests in the South China Sea.

It's after allegations that Beijing had deliberately hampered its rival's oil and gas exploration efforts.

From rice to robots: Is Vietnam's workforce ready for the future?

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Social media is lying to you about Burma’s Muslim ‘cleansing’?

CHECK THIS OUT!

Don't you wonder sometimes, that the information we are being fed on daily basis can be untrue entirely or exaggerated to the point where it loses all its truth? PHOTO: REUTERS

Social networking sites are abuzz with news about Muslims being killed in Burma.You can see the sporadic posting of pictures by different people with captions like ‘Muslims killing in Burma’, ‘Muslims slaughtered by Buddhists in Burma’ and so on.

Thus, I took on the mission to sort the truth out for myself once and for all and researched some pictures that I felt were dubious. Below are a few pictures and their original copies. You can evidently see the gross difference between them and how they are thrown out of context.

This was a picture shared on Facebook.

I have found the original version which reads differently to the the one posted on the social networking site.

This picture was taken in 2010 after an earthquake in China and captures the efforts put in by the Tibetans to help rescue the victims. Now, Islamic political parties and some other elements are sharing this image as Muslim killing and their slaughter in Burma.

Another widely circulated  picture captioned “More then 1,000 people killed in Burma” is also fake.

Read More | 19 July 2012 

Australia's Policy Shift in the Pacific.

Published on May 15, 2012 by STRATFORvideo : Stratfor (Dispatch) Vice President of East Asia Analysis Rodger Baker examines the recent shift in Australia's foreign policy toward Fiji as Canberra adjusts to the growing competition in the region.

Thailand to revise constitution.

Uploaded by presstvmobile on Feb 9, 2012 - Thailand constitution plan sparks controversy.

India is a nuclear power & biggest democracy but..

Infants still dying at hospital in India's West Bengal

Uploaded by AlJazeeraEnglish on 25 Jan 2012 Dozens of babies have died in the past two weeks at a hospital in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal. The latest deaths in the district of Malda come after reports of 25 babies dying in a six-day period in November at the same facility.

State health officials blame social issues for the deaths, Al Jazeera's Prerna Suri reports from Malda. They say almost all the children were either underweight at birth, or that they were in critical condition when they arrived. Mothers in the region are having children as early as the age of 12 or 13 years old, the government says.

The Revolution Business.

Are they genuine or a set up?

Pakistan: Neglected Millions of Sindh Floods

The 2010 floods in Pakistan displaced millions and were a major setback for the national economy. They affected vast areas mainly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh and took a toll of hundreds of lives. Despite the repeated statements from the government, no practical steps were taken to tackle the possibility of future floods and the consequence of this gross negligence is that floods are yet again wrecking havoc this year.

Unlike last year, the eye of the storm this year is Sindh where flood waters have razed in numerous villages and displaced millions. According toAsian Human Rights Commission, the loss of crops due to floods in Sindh is estimated to have caused 5.6 billion rupees in damages. The extent of inundation can be gauged from the fact that out of 23 districts of Sindh, 22 have been directly or indirectly affected by the deluge.

Aerial view of Shahdadpur, which has been inundated by widespread flooding. Image by Rajput Yasir, copyright Demotix (18/9/2011).

Lamenting the utter lack of efficiency on the part of the government to tackle the situation, the Human Rights Commission article states:

It is only now that the government is examining the conditions of the bunds and embankments which are only just, if at all, holding the flood waters at bay. In the meantime hundreds ofthousands of people are trapped due to the flooding of the roads and it is the women and children who are suffering the most due to the lack of safe drinking water, milk and food. As was seen in the last catastrophe the response from the government was very slow due to the lack of a proper relief system and resources.

Like last year, a number of social initiatives have been launched to help out the displaced flood affectees. Among these efforts is the one launched by Faisal Kapadiaand Dr Awab Alvi, two notable social activists and bloggers (and Global Voices authors).

Full Report - Global Voice | 21Sept 2011

Iceland-China resort deal stirs controversy.

Uploaded by AlJazeeraEnglish on 2 Sep 2011 - Iceland's government is divided over a plan to sell a large area of the island to a Chinese tycoon. Huang Nubo has a preliminary agreement to buy a remote area of land for almost $9m to build a resort. But there are concerns the deal is a cover for China to gain a strategic foothold in the area.

The Aftermath :

Australian court blocks Malaysia refugee swap 

Uploaded by AlJazeeraEnglish on 1 Sep 2011 - Australia's immigration department is refusing to speculate about what will happen to asylum seekers being held on Christmas island. The refugees were on their way to Malaysia as part of a swap deal, but on Monday, the high court ruled the deal illegal.

  

'Red Market' Boom: Indians forced to sell organs to survive.

RussiaToday on Aug 21, 2011 - In India, not everyone is benefiting from the economic boom. Tragically, some people are selling their own body parts to survive. And a scarcity of donors means the grim and illegal organ trade is thriving.

China Irks Neighbors as Tensions Rise in South China Sea.

5 Jun 2011 - Tensions in the South China Sea over territorial disputes are rising once again with China clashing with Vietnam and the Philippines recently. The disputes come as the United States and ASEAN try to help those with claims in the resource rich waters resolve their differences through dialogue and avoid the use of force or threats. VOA's William Ide has more.

Rear Earths Plant under construction in Malaysia.

Apr 19, 2011 - Australian miners Lynas (dumping) toxic industry in Malaysia. Malaysia becomes a pawn in the Industrial West Vs China trade war.

Japan Nuclear partial meltdown!

hjmanan on Mar 30, 2011
:: Plutonium Found in Soil
:: Radiation detected in 12US States
:: Partial Meltdown
:: 4 Reactors decommissioned

Mark 1 GE design reactors faulty & MNC's concerned only Sales.

RussiaToday on Mar 16, 2011 - Japan is struggling to control the reactors damaged by the disasterous earthquake as radiation levels continue to rise and a partial meltdown of nuclear fuel is feared in two facilities at the Fukushima plant. Workers were withdrawn after the danger of exposure peaked - the alert also saw plans to drop water from helicopters, adandoned.

Pakistan floods: Six months on in Sindh

ukdfid | January 26, 2011 - how the UK government is helping Pakistan? Has the promise by others reached Pakistan?

The scale of the flooding in Pakistan was unprecedented. Ten years of rain fell in one week, 20 million people were affected, 14 million needed immediate humanitarian assistance. At the height of the crisis the water spanned an area the size of England.

Six months on, the vast majority of people who were forced to flee from the floods have returned home. But many families have lost everything and the humanitarian challenge is shifting as people rejoin their communities.

Myanmar rebel armies join forces.

AlJazeeraEnglish | November 11, 2010 - Al Jazeera has confirmed that two of Myanmar's rebel armies have joined forces, ahead of a feared crackdown by the military government.

The move comes after thousands of civilians fled into Thailand earlier this week, after renewed fighting near the border with Thailand.

Al Jazeera's Aela Callan reports.