China’s Maritime Militia: The ‘Gray Zone’ Force in the South China Sea

Dec 22, 2023 at 9:52 AM EST00:32

Chinese Ships Confronts Philippine Vessels Near Second Thomas Shoal

By Micah McCartney

China News Reporter, Newsweek

The maritime militia fleet is the vanguard of Beijing’s strategy to reshape the geopolitical landscape in the region, experts say, with its blue-hulled ships a frequent sight at territorial standoffs in the South China Sea.

The maritime militia is considered by analysts to be China’s third sea force alongside its navy and coast guard. The Chinese government maintains the fleet is little more than a group of patriotic fishermen.

Dubbed “little blue men” by Andrew Erickson, professor of strategy at the U.S. Naval War College’s China Maritime Studies Institute, the ships regularly join China’s coast guard in blockades against supply missions to a Philippine military outpost at the Spratly Islands’ Second Thomas Shoal, including the most recent tense showdown on December 10. A blockading militia ship was involved in a collision with a Philippine coast guard boat in October, and Manila accused another of using a sonic weapon against a fisheries bureau convoy on December 9.

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First Resident Papal Representative in Vietnam appointed

VNA Sunday, December 24, 2023 15:59  

Hanoi (VNA) Archbishop Marek Zalewski has been appointed by Pope Francis as the first Resident Papal Representative in Vietnam, the Holy See announced on December 23.

Archbishop Marek Zalewski has been appointed as Resident Papal Representative in Vietnam. (Photo: Vietnam Episcopal Council)

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Pope Francis expresses his closeness to victims of war, and urges the faithful to avoid consumerism at Christmas

to celebrate the birth of Jesus without waste, by sharing what we have with those in need.

vaticannews.va By Christopher Wells

“We are close to our brothers and sisters who are suffering from war,” Pope Francis said during his recitation of the Angelus on Sunday.

“We are thinking of Palestine, Israel, Ukraine. We are thinking, too, of all those who suffer from misery, from hunger, from slavery.”

On Christmas Eve – which this year falls on the Fourth Sunday of Advent – the Holy Father invited Christians to spend the day “in prayer, in the warmth of affection, and with sobriety.”

“Let us not confuse celebration with consumerism!” he pleaded. He urged the faithful to celebrate Christmas with simplicity, without waste, “and by sharing with those who lack necessities or companionship.”

Looking ahead to the celebration of the birth of Jesus, Pope Francis prayed that “the God who took a human heart for Himself might infuse humanity into human hearts.”

And, as usual, he asked the faithful not to forget to pray for him, before wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas.

South Africa’s state power company Eskom: how corruption and crime turned the lights off

South Africa’s state power company Eskom is battling a legacy of neglect, mismanagement and state capture as it struggles to bring an end to rolling blackouts that have severely damaged businesses and the economy

00:00 Intro

00:53 Eskom and load shedding

02:46 The township restaurant

04:01 Eskom’s priorities

05:07 The history of Eskom

07:07 The state capture years

08:50 Andre de Ruyter’s corruption battle

13:30 Inequality and crime

16:03 On patrol with a pirate security company

18:23 Government interference

19:47 The poisoning

21:49 How to fix the problem

27:30 Inside Shoprite

29:33 The environmental problem

31:16 An election is coming

Số vụ xâm hại trẻ em tăng hơn 41% năm 2023

>> 8.000 TRẺ EM BỊ XÂM HẠI TRONG 5 NĂM, 90% DO NGƯỜI THÂN QUEN – Tổng đài 111

Năm 2023, xảy ra hơn 1.800 vụ xâm hại trẻ em, tăng 41,88% so với cùng kỳ năm 2022. Đây là vấn đề được các đại biểu đề nghị cần có giải pháp khi thảo luận về Báo cáo của Chính phủ về công tác phòng chống tội phạm và vi phạm pháp luật.

Theo đại biểu, đã xảy ra nhiều vụ việc người thân, người có trách nhiệm nuôi dưỡng xâm hại thân thể, tính mạng, xâm hại tình dục trẻ em gây bức xúc dư luận. Mặc dù Quốc hội đã ban hành nghị quyết riêng về phòng chống xâm hại trẻ em từ năm 2020. Về tư pháp người chưa thành niên, Việt Nam hiện nay đang có 7 bộ luật. Song nhìn chung, công tác bảo vệ người chưa thành niên thời gian qua vẫn còn nhiều bất cập.

Theo Báo cáo thẩm tra của Ủy ban Tư pháp, tội phạm xâm hại trẻ em tăng so với cùng kỳ năm 2022, đã xảy ra 1.853 vụ tăng 41,88% .

Tình trạng người chưa thành niên vi phạm pháp luật bị xâm hại vẫn diễn biến phức tạp và có xu hướng gia tăng cũng đặt ra nhiều giải pháp mang tính đồng bộ trong thời gian tới.

Gen Z not afraid of criticizing supervisors

VNE – By Xanh Le   December 23, 2023 | 11:33 am GMT+7

Thuy Nga, 22, from Ho Chi Minh City, proposed work process improvements to her boss in a company chat group, only to be criticized for her “demands.”

A growing trend among Generation Z employees, born from 1997 onwards, is their comfort in openly critiquing or challenging their bosses. Illustration photo by Freepik

In her first month working as a content creation executive at a Ho Chi Minh City media company, Nga realized several inefficiencies in the workflow. She often received last-minute requests at 11 p.m. or midnight to complete tasks urgently by 6-7 a.m. the next morning. She was also asked to always be ready to answer calls from her supervisor, even after working hours, regardless of what she was doing when the call came.

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COP28: Ai đang gây ô nhiễm

SÁNG ÁNH 23/12/2023 13:59 GMT+7

TTCT Hội nghị thượng đỉnh COP28 về biến đổi khí hậu kết thúc tại UAE với kết quả lừng khừng…

Các họp hành kiểu này thường kết thúc như vậy. Rất nhiều quyền lợi mâu thuẫn chưa giải quyết được nên mới phải họp hành và họp hành không giải quyết được nên mới phải dung hòa, ta nâng ly uống rồi về nhà, hẹn gặp lại sau.

Mỹ là nước thải ra rác thải nhựa nhiều nhất thế giới, theo cả hai thông số tổng số rác và số rác bình quân trên đầu người. Ảnh: Getty Images

Các quyền lợi mâu thuẫn này là giữa thế giới phát triển và đang phát triển, tức là mâu thuẫn nam bắc; giữa các nước sản xuất và có tài nguyên dầu khí với các nước tiêu thụ; giữa công nghệ cũ dựa trên dầu khí, than đá, và công nghệ mới dựa trên năng lượng nắng, gió, thủy triều… 

Các mâu thuẫn về quyền lợi chẳng khi nào đơn giản. Ở mức thế giới, quốc gia, ở mức công nghệ, nó bao giờ cũng đi kèm thượng tầng văn hóa, chính trị và ý thức hệ để bảo vệ, tuyên dương, phát triển hay duy trì quyền lợi.

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In solidarity with Gaza, Bethlehem church in West Bank cancels Christmas celebrations, placing baby Jesus in the rubble

In Solidarity With Gaza, Nazareth Christians Scale Back Christmas Celebrations

In Nazareth, where Christians believe Jesus lived much of his life, Christmas celebrations have been scaled back in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Christian leaders say it is impossible to feel celebratory at this time, while business owners say trade has plummeted.

Sudan Humanitarian Update (21 December 2023)

UNOCHA.org

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Eight months after fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in mid-April, more than 6.9 millionpeople have fled their homes, taking refuge inside and outside the country, with children representing about half of the people displaced. Sudan is now the country with the largest number of displaced people and the largest child displacement crisis in the world.

According to the International Organization for Migration Displacement Tracking Matrix (IOM DTM) Sudan Weekly Displacement Snapshot (13), more than 5.5 million people have been displaced within Sudan since April 2023. People have been displaced in 6,089 locations across the country’s 18 states, an increase of 115,000 people and 160 locations in one week. The highest proportions of IDPs have been observed across South Darfur (13 per cent), East Darfur (12 per cent), River Nile (11 per cent), Aj Jazirah (9 per cent), and North Darfur (8 per cent). THE IDPs were initially displaced from 11 states. The majority of IDPs – 3.5 million people or 64 per cent of the total – have been reportedly displaced from Khartoum State; followed by South Darfur (17 per cent), North Darfur (9 per cent), Central Darfur (4 per cent), West Darfur (3 per cent) and other states. In addition, about 1.4 million people crossed into neighbouring countries since 15 April, according to UNHCR.

The total number of people displaced within Sudan is likely to increase further when the estimated 250,000-300,000 people who have been newly displaced from Wad Medani and surrounding areas in Aj Jazirah State over the past few days are registered and verified in the locations where they have sought shelter and assistance.

About 250,000-300,000 people displaced from Wad Medani and surrounding areas, Aj Jazirah State

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More than 100 container ships rerouted from Suez canal to avoid Houthi attacks

theguardian.com

Cape of Good Hope diversion adds 6,000 nautical miles and three or four weeks to delivery times and has driven up oil prices

Jasper Jolly @jjpjollyWed 20 Dec 2023 14.24 GMT

More than 100 container ships have been rerouted around southern Africa to avoid the Suez canal, in a sign of the disruption to global trade caused by Houthi rebels attacking vessels on the western coast of Yemen.

The shipping company Kuehne and Nagel said it had identified 103 ships that had already changed course, with more expected to go around South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.

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