Quad Plus: Special Issue of the Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs
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Singapore and Malaysian Armies Conclude Bilateral Military Exercise
Singapore and Malaysian Armies Conclude Bilateral Military Exercise 13 Nov 2016 The Chief of Staff-General Staff of the Singapore Army, Brigadier-General (BG) Desmond Tan Kok Ming and the Deputy Chief of Army of the Malaysian Armed Forces, Lieutenant-General Dato' Seri Panglima Hj Ahmad Hasbullah bin Hj Mohd Nawawi, co-officiated the closing ceremony of Exercise Semangat Bersatu this morning. This year's exercise, the 22nd edition in the series of bilateral exercises between both armies, was conducted in Kluang, Johor from 3 to 13 November 2016. It involved around 980 personnel from both the 1st Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment, and the 5th Royal Malay Regiment. The exercise included professional exchanges and culminated in a combined battalion field exercise. In his closing speech, BG Tan said, "Today, the armies of Malaysia and Singapore enjoy a deep and abiding respect for each other. Through our defence relations, we find 1 greater areas of convergence between our two countries and therein forge the basis for a lasting bond… I am heartened to know that our soldiers took the opportunity to interact, to build relationships and achieve a deeper understanding of each other during the last two weeks. Through the professional exchanges and outfield exercise, our soldiers have truly demonstrated our armies' "unity in spirit", or semangat bersatu." First conducted in 1989, Exercise Semangat Bersatu serves as an important and valuable platform for professional exchanges and personnel-to-personnel interactions between the SAF and the MAF. The SAF and the MAF also interact regularly across a wide range of activities, which include bilateral exchanges and professional courses, as well as multilateral activities under the ambit of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting and the Five Power Defence Arrangements. -
Russian Offered Trump Campaign Cooperation US Govt Seeks ‘Substantial’ Jail Term for Cohen • Comey Grilled Again in Congress
InternationalEstablished 1961 SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2018 Muslims rally to defend privileges in As election approaches, religious tensions surge in Indian village multiethnic Malaysia Page 9 Page 8 WASHINGTON: Former FBI Director James Comey (center) talks to reporters following a closed House Judiciary Committee meeting to hear his testimony on Capitol Hill on Friday. — AFP Russian offered Trump campaign cooperation US govt seeks ‘substantial’ jail term for Cohen • Comey grilled again in Congress NEW YORK: US prosecutors have revealed that a himself has now admitted, with respect to both pay- posed” a meeting between Trump and Russian ate who US officials suspect is a Russian intelligence Russian offered cooperation to Donald Trump’s cam- ments, he acted in coordination with and at the President Vladimir Putin, claiming it could have a operative, and about his contacts with Trump adminis- paign as early as 2015, declaring that the president’s direction of Individual-1,” the document reads, refer- “phenomenal” impact “not only in political but in a tration officials after striking a plea agreement. The ex-lawyer Michael Cohen had provided “relevant” and ring to Trump. business dimension as well”. “Cohen, however, did not White House similarly dismissed that filing, arguing it “substantial” help to the Russia investigation. In a sep- Robert Mueller, the special counsel heading up the follow up on this invitation,” the filing added. “says absolutely nothing about the President”. “Once arate case, federal prosecutors Friday demanded “sub- probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 vote, followed The former fixer last week pleaded guilty to lying again the media is trying to create a story where there stantial” jail time of between 51 to 63 months - four to up with a separate filing saying Cohen had made “sub- to Congress in connection with a Moscow real estate isn’t one,” said Sanders. -
Note in Defense of Brazil´S Archaeological Heritage
NOTE IN DEFENSE OF BRAZIL´S ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE The Society for Brazilian Archeology (SAB) is a private, non-profit, civil association of scientific nature of 40 years, which aims to bring together archaeologists and other specialists dedicated to teaching, researching and practicing archeology and related fields, and to promote knowledge and dissemination of subjects related to archaeology and archaeological heritage. This Friday (05/22), the Society followed the manifestations of the President of the Republic, Jair Messias Bolsonaro, the Minister of the Environment, Ricardo Salles, and the Minister of Education, Abraham Weintraub, during the ministerial meeting held on April 22, 2020 – the very day Brazil was celebrating 520 years of “being discovered” by Portugal –, and was perplexed, especially by manifestations regarding Brazilian Archaeological Heritage. The President of the Republic mentioned archaeological research conducted in compliance of environmental review and cultural resources in such a manner that he demonstrated a complete lack of knowledge about the processes and absolutely no concern about the cultural heritage left by the diverse societies that inhabited the land that we now call Brazil. According to the President “IPHAN stops any construction project in Brazil, as Luciano Hang's was stopped. When there is only a petrified poop of an Indian, they stop the construction, darn it!”. The National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN), an independent federal agency, now located within the Ministry of Tourism, is responsible for the preservation of the Brazilian Cultural Heritage and, thus, for the archaeological heritage. IPHAN is responsible for protecting and advocating for the country's cultural assets, ensuring their permanence, visibility, and availability for present and future generations. -
Congress and the War in Yemen: Oversight and Legislation 2015-2019
Congress and the War in Yemen: Oversight and Legislation 2015-2019 Updated February 1, 2019 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R45046 Congress and the War in Yemen: Oversight and Legislation 2015-2019 Summary This product provides an overview of the role Congress has played in shaping U.S. policy toward the conflict in Yemen. Summary tables provide information on legislative proposals considered in the 115th and 116th Congresses. Various legislative proposals have reflected a range of congressional perspectives and priorities, including with regard to the authorization of the activities of the U.S. Armed Forces related to the conflict; the extent of U.S. logistical, material, advisory, and intelligence support for the coalition led by Saudi Arabia; the approval, disapproval, or conditioning of U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia; the appropriation of funds for U.S. operations in support of the Saudi-led coalition; the conduct of the Saudi-led coalition’s air campaign and its adherence to international humanitarian law and the laws of armed conflict; the demand for greater humanitarian access to Yemen; the call for a wider government assessment of U.S. policy toward Yemen and U.S. support to parties to the conflict; the nature and extent of U.S.-Saudi counterterrorism and border security cooperation; and the role of Iran in supplying missile technology and other weapons to the forces of the Houthi movement. The 116th Congress may continue to debate U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition and Saudi Arabia’s conduct of the war in Yemen, where fighting has continued since March 2015. -
The Pragmatics of Chaos: Parsing Bolsonaro's
Dossiê THE PRAGMATICS OF CHAOS: PARSING BOLSONARO’S UNDEMOCRATIC LANGUAGE A PRAGMÁTICA DO CAOS: ANALISANDO A LINGUAGEM ANTIDEMOCRÁTICA DE BOLSONARO Daniel N. Silva*, ** ABSTRACT This paper unpacks different layers of Jair Bolsonaro’s pragmatics of chaos – the name I give to a reflexive, ordered and laminated method of producing a permanent sentiment of agitation, murk, and discontent in political audiences while a conservative and free market agenda is radicalized in Brazil. The communicative layers are: history, exemplified by Bolsonaro’s early career in the military: from his union-like activity, to his imprisonment and to evidences of a terrorist plot; persona, indexed by the jocular, non-serious performances that made him famous as a federal representative and that have been mediatized in his executive action as president; text and talk, characterized by a general texture of incendiary framing, smoke screens, backtracking, and avoidance of debate; audiences, seen from the perspective of the digital, pedagogic and performative populism that accrued from his campaign, almost entirely designed for being engendered on the non-public space of WhatsApp groups and in public, algorithmic social media platforms. Keywords: digital populism; smoke screens; incendiary framing; backtracking; avoidance of debate. RESUMO Este artigo analisa diferentes camadas da pragmática do caos de Jair Bolsonaro – o nome que dou ao método reflexivo, ordenado e laminado de produzir um sentimento permanente de agitação, névoa e mal-estar em audiências políticas -
Blue Dots Red Roads
JULY 2020 Blue Dots AND Red Roads Frictions and the Potential for Limited Cooperation Between Chinese and U.S. International Development Models AUTHORS Matt Geraci Asiana Cooper Mengze Li JULY 2020 Blue Dots and Red Roads Frictions and the Potential for Limited Cooperation Between Chinese and U.S. International Development Models AUTHORS Matt Geraci Asiana Cooper Mengze Li I About ICAS The Institute for China-America Studies is an independent think tank funded by the Hainan Freeport Research Foundation in China. Based in the heart of Washington D.C. ICAS is uniquely situated to facilitate the exchange of ideas and people between China and the United States. We achieve this through research and partnerships with institutions and scholars in both countries, in order to provide a window into their respective worldviews. ICAS focuses on key issue areas in the U.S.-China relationship in need of greater mutual understanding. We identify promising areas for strengthening bilateral cooperation in the spheres of maritime security, Asia-Pacific economics, trade, strategic stability, international relations as well as global governance issues, and explore avenues for improving this critical bilateral relationship. ICAS is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. ICAS takes no institutional positions on policy issues. The views expressed in this document are those of the author(s) alone. © 2020 by the Institute for China-America Studies. All rights reserved. Institute for China-America Studies 1919 M St. NW Suite 310 Washington, DC 20036 202 290 3087 | www.chinaus-icas.org -
Arms Procurement Decision Making Volume II: Chile, Greece, Malaysia
4. Malaysia Dagmar Hellmann-Rajanayagam* I. Introduction Malaysia has become one of the major political players in the South-East Asian region with increasing economic weight. Even after the economic crisis of 1997–98, despite defence budgets having been slashed, the country is still deter- mined to continue to modernize and upgrade its armed forces. Malaysia grappled with the communist insurgency between 1948 and 1962. It is a democracy with a strong government, marked by ethnic imbalances and affirmative policies, strict controls on public debate and a nascent civil society. Arms procurement is dominated by the military. Public apathy and indifference towards defence matters have been a noticeable feature of the society. Public opinion has disregarded the fact that arms procurement decision making is an element of public policy making as a whole, not only restricted to decisions relating to military security. An examination of the country’s defence policy- making processes is overdue. This chapter inquires into the role, methods and processes of arms procure- ment decision making as an element of Malaysian security policy and the public policy-making process. It emphasizes the need to focus on questions of public accountability rather than transparency, as transparency is not a neutral value: in many countries it is perceived as making a country more vulnerable.1 It is up 1 Ball, D., ‘Arms and affluence: military acquisitions in the Asia–Pacific region’, eds M. Brown et al., East Asian Security (MIT Press: Cambridge, Mass., 1996), p. 106. * The author gratefully acknowledges the help of a number of people in putting this study together. -
Religion, Ethics, and Poetics in a Tamil Literary Tradition
Tacit Tirukku#a#: Religion, Ethics, and Poetics in a Tamil Literary Tradition The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Smith, Jason William. 2020. Tacit Tirukku#a#: Religion, Ethics, and Poetics in a Tamil Literary Tradition. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard Divinity School. Citable link https://nrs.harvard.edu/URN-3:HUL.INSTREPOS:37364524 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use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
Edited by – Ashis Roy
Dam Edited by – Ashis Roy Dam a structure built across a stream, river, or estuary to store water. A reservoir is created upstream of the dam to supply water for human consumption, irrigation, or industrial use. Reservoirs are also used to reduce peak discharge of floodwater, to increase the volume of water stored for generating hydroelectric power, or to increase the depth of water in a river so as to improve navigation and provide for recreation. Dams are usually of two basic types - masonry (concrete) and embankment (earth or rock-fill). Masonry dams are used to block streams running through narrow gorges, as in mountainous terrain; though such dams may be very high, the total amount of material required is much less. The choice between masonry and earthen dam and the actual design depend on the geology and configuration of the site, the functions of the dam, and cost factors. Auxiliary works for a dam include spillways, gates, or valves to control the discharge of surplus water downstream from the reservoir; an intake structure conducting water to a power station or to canals, tunnels, or pipelines for more distant use; provision for evacuating silt carried into the reservoir; and means for permitting boats or fish to cross the dam. A dam therefore is the central structure in a multipurpose scheme aiming at the conservation of water resources. Water levels in the reservoir upstream is controlled by opening and closing gates of the spillway which acts as the safety valve of the dam. In addition to spillways, openings through dams are also required for drawing off water for irrigation and water supply, for ensuring a minimum flow in the river for riparian interests downstream, for generating power, and for evacuating water and silt from the reservoir. -
The Extremist Squad of Bolsonaro
The extremist squad of Bolsonaro The far-right president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, stands out for his eccentric conservatism, as do several of his ministers. One can only look at the Brazilian Education Ministry, from which the radical Abraham Weintraub left, and now Milton Ribeiro is taking over. The first of them proposed taking those he called “scoundrels” to prison, referring to the members of the Supreme Court, who have been in conflict with the Brazilian president. Weintraub was considered one of the key men in the so-called 'cultural war' waged by Bolsonaro, aimed at liberal ideas. He himself confessed hating the concept of indigenous people and gypsies, then, left his position, now occupied by Milton Ribeiro, the fourth person to serve as Minister of Education. Ribeiro is the third evangelical pastor in Bolsonaro's team, with a high reactionary tendency and promoter of teaching in schools through punishments. In the Ministry of Justice, the ex judge Sergio Moro also resigned. He elaborated the allegations to prosecute former President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva. Moro, who faced Bolsonaro and accused him of political interference in the police department, was replaced by the Presbyterian pastor André de Almeida, another example of an intolerant religious position that surrounds the Brazilian president. But the most significant scandals came from the Ministry of Health. Among the resigning ministers in Bolsonaro’s administration, two of them belong to the health portfolio -- Luiz Henrique Mandetta and Nelson Teich, who had a number of disagreements with the president. Oddly enough, the solution to fill the gap was found by Bolsonaro, when appointing the inexperienced general Eduardo Pazuello as the new Heath Minister. -
100 Marathon Club North America Newsletter #42 04-01-15
100 MARATHON CLUB NORTH AMERICA Newsletter ##44442222 ––– April 111,1, 2012015555 100 MARATHON CLUB NORTH AMERICA REUNION MEETING Attendance at the 100 Marathon Club North America “family reunion” meeting March 27, 2015 in Selah, Washington was impacted by a traffic accident that delayed several members who were planning to attend. Attendees from Washington and Oregon were joined by members and guests from many other states and Canada. One of our special guests was Sylvia Quinn from Spokane, Washington. Sylvia is well known nationally as the long time Bloomsday race director. She has run all 38 Bloomsday races and won her age group 35 times! At Saturday’s Yakima River Canyon Marathon, Sylvia absolutely crushed the WORLD MARATHON RECORD for 78 year old women, cruising to a 4:23 finish. Congratulations, Sylvia! UPCOMING EVENTS DIRECTED BY CLUB MEMBERS 05-03-15 – Tacoma City Marathon, Tacoma, WA – Tony Phillippi 06-06-15 – Green River Marathon, Kent to Seattle, WA – Steve Barrick 09-13-15 – Skagit Flats Marathon, Burlington, WA – TTTerryTerry and Delores Sentinella Attention 100 Marathon Club North America member marathon and ultra race directors: to publicize your event(s) in this newsletter, please send us information about your race(s). 100 MARATHON CLUB NORTH AMERICA SUPPORT The 100 Marathon Club North America has no dues. Club expenses are met by donations and the small profit generated from the sale of shirts, pins (in increments of 100), and personalized medallions. Please contact us if you are interested in making a purchase. OFFICIAL 100 MARATHON CLUB NORTH AMERICA SINGLETS AVAILABLE ONON----LINELINELINE!!!! Men’s and women’s specific 100 Marathon Club North America singlets are pictured and available for ordering via the “Maniac Gear/Dues” portion of MarathonManiacs.com. -
Iasbaba's Daily Quiz – Compilation September
IASbaba’s Daily Quiz – Compilation September 2018 Q.1) ‘Chola Naikar’ tribe is found in a) Odisha b) Kerala c) Manipur d) Mizoram Q.1) Solution (b) They primarily inhabit the southern Kerala, especially Silent Valley National Park, and are one of the last remaining hunter-gatherer tribes of the region. The Cholanaikkans speak the Cholanaikkan language, which belongs to the Dravidian family. Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/kerala-after-the-deluge-no- home-in-hills/article24845254.ece Q.2) ‘Brow-antlered Deers’ are found in which of the following countries? 1. Cambodia 2. Myanmar 3. India Select the correct code: a) 1 and 3 b) 1, 2 and 3 c) 2 and 3 d) 3 Only Q.2) Solution (b) It is native to Cambodia; China; India; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Myanmar. Rucervus eldii eldii (Sangai) is an endemic and endangered subspecies of brow-antlered deer. It is now confined to a single small population at the southern end of Loktak Lake in Manipur. Its original natural habitat is the floating marshy grasslands of the Keibul Lamjao National Park, located in the southern parts of the Loktak Lake, which is the largest freshwater lake in eastern India. 1 IASbaba’s Daily Quiz – Compilation September 2018 Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/in-search-of-a- second-home-for-manipurs-brow-antlered-deer/article24843987.ece Q.3) Consider the following statements about ‘Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis’. 1. It selectively affects motor neurons, the cells that control voluntary muscles of the body. 2. It is characterized by stiff muscles, muscle twitching, and gradually worsening weakness due to muscles decreasing in size.