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submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world
 
 

Summary

The US is creating contingency plans for potential military deployments in Japan and the Philippines in case of a Taiwan crisis, according to Kyodo news.

A joint US-Japan operation plan, set for completion in December, includes deploying US Marines with HIMARS along Japan’s Nansei Islands near Taiwan, supported logistically by Japan’s military.

The US Army may also station long-range fire units in the Philippines.

This comes amid heightened tensions as China boosts military pressure on Taiwan, while the US strengthens regional alliances.

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Summary

Far-right populist Calin Georgescu led Romania’s presidential election with 22% of the vote, narrowly ahead of leftist Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu (21%), setting up a runoff on December 8.

Georgescu’s unexpected rise, driven by anti-establishment sentiment, has disrupted the political landscape.

His vague populist platform includes boosting local production and criticizing NATO. Analysts suggest his surge reflects voter dissatisfaction, with some suspecting potential Russian influence.

The election, marked by moderate turnout (52.4%), occurs amid economic challenges, high inflation, and tensions from Romania’s proximity to Ukraine’s war zone.

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Summary

China is uneasy about North Korea sending 10,000 troops to help Russia in Ukraine, fearing this alliance may hurt its interests.

The US believes the growing ties between Pyongyang and Moscow are troubling for Beijing, though China has stayed silent.

Analysts suggest China supports Russia’s survival against the West but is wary of North Korea’s military actions.

This partnership, including arms and missile technology exchanges, could strengthen US alliances in East Asia, further challenging China’s position in the region.

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Summary

Russia has reportedly recruited hundreds of Yemeni fighters to bolster its forces in Ukraine, promising high wages and Russian citizenship, according to the Financial Times.

Recruitment was facilitated by a company linked to Yemen’s Houthi rebels, amid growing ties between Russia and Iran-backed groups.

The move reflects Moscow’s reliance on foreign fighters to sustain its war effort, which has seen heavy casualties due to “meat grinder” tactics.

Similar reports have detailed recruitment of fighters from Syria and Nepal, alongside Russian reliance on mercenaries like the Wagner Group.

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Summary

Swiss voters rejected a $5.6 billion (CHF 5 billion) motorway expansion plan (52.7%) and two proposals to ease eviction rules and tighten subletting controls (53.8% and 51.6%).

Environmental concerns and housing fairness were key to the opposition.

Meanwhile, a healthcare reform to standardize funding for outpatient and inpatient care narrowly passed (53.3%), marking a rare success for health policy changes.

The results highlight public resistance to certain government-backed initiatives.

Voter turnout was 45%.

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Summary

Denmark will convert 15% of its farmland into forests and natural habitats over the next 20 years to combat fertilizer runoff, which has caused severe oxygen depletion in Danish waters and marine life loss.

The $6.1 billion plan includes planting 1 billion trees and acquiring farmland, addressing emissions from agriculture, Denmark’s largest greenhouse gas source.

The initiative supports Denmark’s 2030 goal to cut emissions by 70% from 1990 levels and makes it the first country to impose a carbon tax on agriculture under its Green Tripartite agreement.

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Summary

AI is increasingly exploited by criminals for fraud, cyberattacks, and child abuse, warns Alex Murray, UK’s national police lead for AI.

Deepfake scams, such as impersonating executives for financial heists, and generative AI used to create child abuse images or “nudify” photos for sextortion are rising concerns.

Terrorists may exploit AI for propaganda and radicalization via chatbots.

Murray urged urgent action as AI becomes more accessible, realistic, and widely used, predicting significant crime growth by 2029.

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Summary

Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy reported nearly 500 drone attacks and over 20 missile strikes by Russia in the past week, calling it a “testing ground” for Russian weapons.

Russia launched 460 Shahed drones, produced in domestic factories, which, though cost-effective and easier to neutralize, strain Ukraine’s air defenses.

Recent attacks, including Russia’s use of the Oreshnik ballistic missile, escalate tensions.

Ukraine urges allies for more air defense systems, while debates over supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles and potential NATO membership intensify among Western nations.

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Israel's government approved on Sunday a proposal by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi that mandates any government-funded body refrain from communicating with Haaretz or placing advertisements in the paper. The proposal was approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The decision, according to the government's explanation, is a reaction to "many articles that have hurt the legitimacy of the state of Israel and its right to self defense, and particularly the remarks made in London by Haaretz publisher, Amos Schocken, that support terrorism and call for imposing sanctions on the government."

The proposal did not appear on the government's agenda published ahead of the weekly cabinet meeting. The Attorney General's office, unaware of the intention to bring the proposal to a vote, did not review it at all and did not present its opinion, as customary. The resolution was presented to ministers during the discussion without any legal opinion.

In a speech at the Haaretz conference in London last month, Schocken said "the Netanyahu government doesn't care about imposing a cruel apartheid regime on the Palestinian population. It dismisses the costs of both sides for defending the settlements while fighting the Palestinian freedom fighters, that Israel calls terrorists."

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Summary

A new book, Ricardo’s Dream by Nat Dyer, reveals that Sir Isaac Newton’s wealth was closely tied to the transatlantic slave trade during his tenure as master of the mint at the Bank of England.

Newton profited from gold mined by enslaved Africans in Brazil, much of which was converted into British currency under his oversight, earning him a fee for each coin minted.

While Newton’s scientific legacy remains untarnished, the book highlights his financial entanglement with slavery, a common thread among Britain’s banking and finance elites of the era.

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The new study, funded by the government and carried out by King’s College London (KCL) and the homelessness charity Greater Change, will recruit 360 people in England and Wales. Half will continue to get help from frontline charities. The other half will get additional help from Greater Change, whose support workers will discuss their financial problems then pay for items such as rent deposits, outstanding debts, work equipment, white goods, furniture or new clothes. They do not make direct transfers to avoid benefits being stopped due to a cash influx.

Professor Michael Sanders, who runs KCL’s experimental government unit, said: “What we’re trying to understand is the boundary conditions for cash transfers. When does it work? For whom does it work? What are the amounts you need to give people in order to make it work?”

One of the first cash transfer schemes was in Mexico in 1997 and since then they have been used around the world. But most evidence is from low and middle-income countries, and there has been opposition from politicians and the public, who often believe people will spend the money unwisely. Last year researchers in Canada found that giving CA$7,500 (£4,285) to 50 homeless people in Vancouver was more effective than spending money housing them in shelters, and saved around CA$777 (£443) per person.

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The world will be “unable to cope” with the sheer volume of plastic waste a decade from now unless countries agree to curbs on production, the co-chair of a coalition of key countries has warned ahead of crunch talks on curbing global plastic pollution.

Speaking before the final, critical round of UN talks on the first global treaty to end plastic waste, in Busan, South Korea, this week, Norway’s minister for international development, Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, acknowledged the split that had developed between plastic-producing countries and others. She represents more than 60 “high ambition” nations, led by Rwanda and Norway, who want plastic pollution tackled over its full life cycle. Crucially, this means clamping down heavily on production.

While a “perfect treaty” may not be possible due to the strength of opposition, mainly from oil-producing countries, she hoped a deal could be reached that could be strengthened over time.

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But, 16 years (after the 2008 crisis), some experts believe new risks are emerging. And this time, they are linked to highly indebted companies backed by private equity firms, which are part of the growing but opaque portion of the financial system known as the shadow banking sector. Shadow banking refers to financial firms that face little to no regulation compared with traditional lenders, and includes businesses such as hedge funds, private credit and private equity funds.

While the use of securitisation dipped in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, as a result of a tarnished reputation and regulatory backlash, its popularity has subsequently risen. Today, the global securitisation market covers about £4.7tn of assets, according to estimates by analysts at RBC Capital.

In this public market, bundled loans are rated by credit rating agencies and sold on to a broad range of investors, and their terms, structure and sales are openly disclosed. These are the routes typically taken by traditional banks, which face far more stringent regulation. The remaining £120bn is made up of securitised loans bundled up by the shadow banking sector. Private securities are sold directly to a limited pool of sophisticated investors. They are less regulated, need not be reviewed by ratings agencies, and are far more opaque.

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Anti-NATO protesters gathered again in Montreal on Saturday to demand Canada withdraw from the alliance, a day after a demonstration organized by different groups resulted in arrests, burned cars and shattered windows.

the purpose of the protest was to demonstrate against what he called NATO’s “complicity with Israel’s military while it’s conducting its genocide in Gaza, … war crimes in Lebanon, Syria” and that “it’s enforcing illegal occupation of Palestinian territories.”

However, Allard rejected accusations of antisemitism. He said the protests were against the actions of the state of Israel and not Jewish people, adding that earlier this week the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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Summary

A survey by the High Pay Centre found that 55% of respondents support capping CEO pay to maintain a fair balance between workers and bosses.

The thinktank also recommends giving workers the right to vote on company boards and increasing transparency about top pay.

The UK government is under pressure to address income inequality, which has grown by 1.3% in 2022, with the poorest 20% experiencing a 3.4% reduction in disposable income while the richest 20% saw a 3.3% increase.

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Summary

The world faces an unmanageable plastic waste crisis within a decade unless countries agree to significant production cuts, warned Norway’s Anne Beathe Tvinnereim ahead of critical UN treaty talks in South Korea.

Divisions persist between plastic-producing nations, like the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, and a coalition of 60+ countries advocating for reductions across plastics’ life cycle.

Plastic use and waste are projected to triple by 2060, threatening health, biodiversity, and the climate.

The talks aim to address single-use plastics, toxic chemicals, and global production limits, but consensus remains elusive.

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Summary

France has authorized Ukraine to use French-made Scalp long-range missiles against targets in Russia for self-defense, aligning with similar decisions by the U.S. and U.K.

This comes as tensions escalate, with North Korea reportedly sending 10,000 troops to support Russia.

Ukraine has already used U.S. ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles to strike Russian military facilities, killing senior commanders and injuring a North Korean general.

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Summary

Israeli settlers in the West Bank, emboldened by Trump’s return and a far-right Israeli government, are pushing for formal sovereignty over the territory.

Settlement activity has surged to record levels under Prime Minister Netanyahu, with nearly 6,000 acres designated as state land in 2024 and dozens of new outposts established.

While settlers see this as fulfilling Biblical claims, Palestinians view it as erasing hopes for a future state.

Critics warn annexation could jeopardize regional stability and U.S.-brokered normalization efforts, such as those with Saudi Arabia.

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Summary

A police chief in central Mexico died by suicide as federal troops moved to arrest him during a large-scale anticorruption raid, “Operation Swarm.”

The operation led to the arrest of seven officials, including mayors and police chiefs, accused of ties to criminal groups involved in extortion, kidnapping, and homicide.

Cartel influence remains deeply entrenched in local governments, often through bribery, intimidation, or coercion.

The raid underscores the ongoing challenges of combating corruption and organized crime in Mexico.

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cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/48117402

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