Новости за 21.02.2024

The government never cedes power willingly.

Neither should we.

If the COVID-19 debacle taught us one thing it is that, as Justice Neil Gorsuch acknowledged, “Rule by indefinite emergency edict risks leaving all of us with a shell of a democracy and civil liberties just as hollow.”

Unfortunately, we still haven’t learned.

We’re still allowing ourselves to be fully distracted by circus politics and a constant barrage of bad news screaming for attention.

Gaza. Palestinians.  Israel.  Genocide.  Taylor Swift?  This odd cobbling of words is the extent celebrities make a mockery of serious conversation, even in such middle-brow outlets as Australia’s Radio National.  Admittedly, it was breakfast, and the presenter a seasoned impressionist of journalism, but surely listeners did not have to know that Swift’s private jet had just arrived in Melbourne, making it an occasion of national significance?

Recent months have brought sharper focus to Iran’s network of non-state actors across the Middle East. While useful for military projection, Tehran has also cultivated them as political entities for decades.

As I sit to write these words on the significance of International Mother Language Day, I am filled with emotions that run deep within me. For me, today is not simply any other day of observance, but a day that represents the very essence of my being; the culmination of blood, sweat, tears, strength, and resilience that allowed for the continuation of my bloodline, and thus my bringing into existence. 

Introduction

A two-day conference on contemporary fatwas (Islamic religious edicts) was just convened recently in Singapore. Organised by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS), the conference aims to explore the role of fatwas in shaping Muslim communities and guiding them to live effectively and confidently in facing contemporary challenges in plural societies.

Among the prominent scholars who addressed the conference is the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Shaikh Dr Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam. Читать дальше...

By Joseph Clark

The Pentagon’s top artificial intelligence official laid out the Defense Department’s vision Tuesday for scaling digital data analytics and AI across the department to ensure decision advantage for the warfighter.  

Craig Martell, DOD’s chief digital and artificial intelligence officer, addressed stakeholders from throughout the department and industry as he kicked off the three-day Advantage DOD 2024: Defense Data and AI Symposium hosted by the Chief Digital... Читать дальше...

If Donald Trump takes power this November, he’ll owe his victory in no small part to one of the richest Americans alive — in 1920.

Variable solar and wind power differs from traditional power sources like coal, natural gas, or hydropower in important ways. The latter can produce power on demand, but solar and wind power are intermittent because the sun does not always shine and the wind does not always blow. Likewise, wave energy converters (WECs) are at an earlier stage of development than wind and solar power plants.

For over seven decades, the Korean Peninsula has endured the painful consequence of Cold War divisions. South Korea emerged as a vibrant democracy with global economic clout, while North Korea retreated into an insular, authoritarian state. This stark contrast reflects not just divergent political systems but also competing claims to national identity and representation. While South Korea flourished as a beacon of democracy and economic prosperity, North Korea isolated itself, prioritizing military... Читать дальше...

A guest once arrived to stay with a friend, and he was given a key to his room. Unfortunately, the key that was given was the wrong key that was replaced earlier and when he went to his room, he could not open it. He tried and tried but the key would not open the door and he got vexed at the lock and noted that, “the lock must be defective.” He kept working on trying to open the door, but it would not budge, and he turned his anger at the host whom he said, “he must be a fool to have given me... Читать дальше...

In democracies around the world, elections are the only tools and opportunity for the ruled to choose their rulers for a specific period. In Pakistan too, on February 8, Pakistan witnessed a historic moment—a day when democracy was tested, and the people’s will prevailed. Voters showed unprecedented courage despite all odds.

In Arabic, the word Jihad is a noun meaning the activity of “striving and/or persevering.” According to Prophet Muhammad there are two types of Jihad: minor and major. Once when Muslims were returning from a military expedition, which for Prophet Muhammad was a minor jihad. He said to the fighters that now they had to go through the major jihad. When Prophet Muhammad was asked what he meant by major jihad, he said it was the spiritual jihad. 

In a speech on Tuesday, Hizbullah leader Seyed Nasrallah said that the Party will continue the border offensive until at least the Gaza massacre stops. The war in Gaza however, is far from over. And Nasrallah warned that even were a ceasefire to be reached in Gaza, “should the enemy perform any action, we will return to operating according to the rules and formulas that existed before. The purpose of the resistance is to deter the enemy, and we will react accordingly.”

Recent storms knocked out the power in Sacramento, home to California’s High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA). People across the state—already told not to charge their electric cars on high-demand days—had to wonder what would have happened if the vaunted “bullet train” had been in operation.

The U.S. Congress hasn’t done much in the past month with one notable exception. The U.S. House of Representatives made progress toward establishing a commission to address the nation’s worsening fiscal situation.

There is an old saying that children should be seen and not heard. There is some truth to that saying in many situations. Especially at political protests, parents should consider heeding the message and even consider if the circumstances warrant their children being somewhere else — neither heard nor seen.

By Audrey Beaulieu

In an increasingly connected and globalized world, the age-old oversimplified, but good story of teaching someone to fish has morphed into a global conundrum of overfishing. The game rules are ones where everyone is pressured to build bigger and better fishing boats, equipped with the latest technology to haul in ever-increasing catches.

This global push has led to a frenzied race to harvest the seas. Everyone forges ahead, armed with the knowledge and resources to fish more efficiently... Читать дальше...

By Olesia Silanteva

The systematic implementation of Japan’s Tourism Strategy by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has positioned Japan as a global tourism hub, drawing millions of visitors annually to its cultural and natural landmarks. The tourist influx into major centres like Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto has intensified concentration of tourists and there are growing calls that there are just too many. 

In response, the Sustainable Tourism Promotion... Читать дальше...

Our species stands out from the animal kingdom in many ways. Some of them are obvious: we are big-brained primates who use tools and language, a social species with symbols, culture, and art. These are all artifacts of our evolution, the process by which our ancestors found adaptations that allowed them to succeed in a natural world that is often red in tooth and claw.

By Kung Chan and He Jun

On January 27, 2023, ANBOUND’s founder Kung Chan pointed out in an analysis that “the real huge impact of artificial intelligence (AI) is about to come”. Chan noted that, at that time ChatGPT which is based on OpenAI’s model, had become immensely popular, allowing visionary people to see a future form of digital intelligence. AI is no longer mere empty talks but is taking big strides. Faced with the impact of AI, most industries will be redefined, the position... Читать дальше...

With the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange talks stalled, Israel and its hardline US supporters have stepped up long-standing efforts to discredit Qatar, the main mediator between Hamas and the Israeli government.

By Nirendra Dev

(UCA News) — The decision last month by India’s federal government to “seal” the open border with Myanmar will mainly impact indigenous tribes in the northeast region such as Nagas and Mizos, most of whom are Christians and share ethnic affinity and kinship ties that cut across political borders.

There were angry outbursts by most tribal people but many sought to clarify that they “would not like to be seen as causing hurdles” in India’s effort to secure its border. Читать дальше...

Western society is largely in the grips of an entrenched mythology that premodern non-Western states and empires were organized despotically, markedly different from how humans govern themselves in the contemporary West. There's another common myth that dynamic periods of prosperity and well-being were exclusive to Europe during preindustrial times. We're still reckoning with the 19th-century academic belief that human history developed along two major paths: the West and the rest.

In practical terms, the indisputable geopolitical changes and the restructuring of global power architecture have significant impact on Russia's military influence in Saharan-Sahel region, an elongated landlocked territory located between North Africa (Maghreb) and West Africa, and also stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. Almost all West African countries face a kind of multilayered crisis. But, the G5 Sahel group was established in February 2014 to maintain security in the western... Читать дальше...

VA senator's lukewarm support is coupled with misplaced criticism and a poor grasp of reality