World
Taiwan Scrambles Jets And Puts Missile, Naval And Land Units On Alert Over China’s Military Drills
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan scrambled jets and placed missile, navy, and ground forces on notice Thursday in response to Chinese military maneuvers near the self-governing island democracy, whose new president took office this week.
The Chinese military claimed its two-day operations around Taiwan were punishment for separatist forces seeking independence. Beijing claims the island is part of China’s national territory, and the People’s Liberation Army sends navy ships and warplanes into the Taiwan Strait and other areas around the island daily to wear down Taiwan’s defenses and intimidate its people, who strongly support their de facto independence
Taiwan Scrambles Jets And Puts Missile, Naval And Land Units On Alert Over China’s Military Drills
China’s “irrational provocation has jeopardized regional peace and stability,” according to the island’s Defense Ministry. It stated that Taiwan will not seek confrontations but “will not shy away from one.”
“This pretext for conducting military exercises not only does not contribute to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, but also shows its hegemonic nature at heart,” said the ministry.
In his inauguration speech on Monday, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te urged Beijing to end its military intimidation and promised to “neither yield nor provoke” the mainland Communist Party leadership.
“Faced with external challenges and threats, we will continue to uphold the values of freedom and democracy,” Lai told sailors and top security officials Thursday while visiting a naval facility in Taoyuan, just south of Taipei.
While not directly referring to China’s actions, he stated that international society was concerned about Taiwan’s security. This is likely due to its critical role in supply chains for the most advanced computer chips and its democratic bulwark against Chinese attempts to assert control over the Asia-Pacific.
Lai has stated that he seeks engagement with Beijing while retaining Taiwan’s existing status and avoiding disputes that may involve the island’s principal ally, the United States, and other regional partners such as Japan and Australia
The main opposition, the Nationalist Party, widely regarded as pro-China, also criticized Beijing’s activities.
The Nationalists, sometimes called the KMT, “the opposite side of the (Taiwan Strait) to exercise restraint, cease unnecessary maneuvers, avoid a conflict in the Taiwan Strait and maintain the cherish the results of peace and development between the sides.
Thursday’s tensions arose amid protests outside Taiwan’s legislature over plans by the Nationalists and their allies to utilize their small majority to ram through legislation that might alter military expenditures and critical judicial and administrative appointments.
The People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command stated on its official Weibo account that the land, navy, and air exercises around Taiwan are intended to test PLA units’ navy and air capabilities and joint strike abilities to hit targets and take control of the battlefield.
“This is also a powerful punishment for the separatist forces seeking ‘independence’ and a serious warning to external forces for interference and provocation,” stated the statement.
The PLA also released a map of the anticipated training region, which includes five distinct spots around Taiwan’s main island and neighboring islands, such as Matsu and Kinmen, which are closer to the Chinese mainland than Taiwan.
Taiwan Scrambles Jets And Puts Missile, Naval And Land Units On Alert Over China’s Military Drills
In a statement, China’s coast guard also said that it had organized a fleet to conduct law enforcement drills around two islands near the Taiwanese-controlled island groupings of Kinmen and Matsu, which are just off the Chinese coast.
While China has labeled the exercises as retribution for Taiwan’s election results, the Democratic Progressive Party has now dominated the island’s administration for more than a decade, despite the pro-China Nationalist Party gaining a one-seat majority in parliament
Speaking in Australia, Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Stephen Sklenka, the deputy commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, urged Asia-Pacific nations to criticize China’s military exercises.
“There’s no surprise whenever there’s an action that highlights Taiwan in the international sphere, the Chinese feel compelled to make some kind of form of statement,” Sklenka told the National Press Club of Australia in Canberra, referring to Monday’s presidential inauguration.
“Just because we expect that behavior doesn’t mean we shouldn’t denounce it, and we must do it openly. And it must come not only from us, but also, I believe, from other nations in the region. It’s one thing for the US to denounce China, but I feel it has a considerably greater impact when it comes from countries in this region,” Sklenka remarked.
Taiwan Scrambles Jets And Puts Missile, Naval And Land Units On Alert Over China’s Military Drills
While visiting the United States, Japan’s top ambassador declared that Japan and Taiwan share values and principles such as freedom, democracy, basic rights, and the rule of law.
“(Taiwan) is an extremely important partner with whom we have close economic relations and people exchanges, as well as a precious friend,” Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa told reporters in Washington after meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
She stated that the two ministers discussed Taiwan and the significance of keeping the Taiwan Strait, one of the world’s most significant maritime routes, peaceful.
SOURCE – (AP)
World
Do Microplastics in the Atmosphere Endanger Your Fertility?
(VOR News) – It is quite possible that the presence of small microplastic particles in the air may be a contributing factor to a wide variety of health problems, including malignancies of the lungs and colon.
This is something that needs additional research to be determined. There is one more item to take into consideration, and that is the potential that this is the exact circumstance.
A recent study found that tires and debris that are decomposing shed minute fragments of plastic that go airborne, so creating a form of air pollution that is not particularly widely known. This type of pollution is caused by the degradation of plastic. An example of this type of pollution is that which is discharged into the atmosphere.
The industry refers to microplastic as “air pollution.”
According to the findings of a researcher named Tracey Woodruff, who is a professor of obstetrics, gynaecology, and reproductive sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, “These microplastics are basically particulate matter from air pollution,” and it is common knowledge that this particular type of air pollution is particularly hazardous.
The researchers who supplied background notes stated that the size of microplastics is less than 5 millimetres, which is smaller than a grain of rice.
This information was provided, according to researchers. These details were supplied by the researchers who conducted the study. These particulars were provided by researchers who were responsible for carrying out the study.
The amount of plastic that is created on a yearly basis by enterprises all over the world is roughly 460 million tonnes, as indicated by the data that were provided by academics all over the world. The forecasts indicate that by the year 2050, this quantity is anticipated to have increased to 1.1 billion tonnes.
Driving is a substantial contributor to the amount of plastic that is floating around in the atmosphere, according to the conclusions of the experts who conducted the study about the phenomenon. When tires are worn down to the point where they scrape against the surface of the road, they allow microplastics to be released into the environment.
As a result of the tires wearing down, this occurs. This impact is brought about as a consequence of the inevitable amount of wear and tear that tires are subjected to.
A study that was published on December 18 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology was the result of researchers conducting an examination of data collected from over 3,000 previous investigations.
The paper was published as a consequence of this procedure. The review was constructed with the help of this analysis that was carried out.
Microplastic used this analysis to put together the review.
A number of diseases, such as cancer, lung problems, and infertility, may be influenced by the presence of microplastics in the air, according to the data, which led to the conclusion that this may be the case.
Despite the fact that the vast majority of the studies that were incorporated into the study were carried out on animals, the researchers claimed that it is very certainly plausible that the findings can also be applied to people. The fact that the majority of investigations were conducted on animals does not change the reality that this is the case.
“We urge regulatory agencies and policy leaders to consider the growing evidence of health harms from microplastics, including colon and lung cancer,” stated Nicholas Chartres, the principal investigator and senior research fellow at the University of Sydney.
The organisation reported this comment. The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) issued a press release on behalf of the organisation that contained this statement. The news release was disseminated to the public. We are convinced that state officials will act quickly to make sure that no leaks of this kind occur, which is of the highest importance.
SOURCE: USN
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World
Russian Oil Ships In The Kerch Strait Are Undergoing Rescue Operations.
(VOR News) – Following Sunday’s powerful storm, a Russian oil tanker carrying hundreds of tonnes of oil products ultimately broke apart, causing an oil spill into the Kerch Strait below. Additionally, Russian officials reported that the damage was causing problems for another vessel.
Sunday, Russian authorities announced an emergency rescue operation.
According to the Russian state news agency TASS, which claimed the Emergency Situations Ministry as its source, the Volgoneft-212 tanker, carrying fuel oil and carrying thirteen crew members, ran aground and suffered damage to its bow. A shipment of fuel oil was being transported by the tanker.
Authorities have told the public that the damage was brought on by the extreme weather conditions that are currently occurring.
A second tanker, the Volgoneft-239, was damaged during the storm and is currently stranded in the same area with 14 crew members on board, according to the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The tanker was discovered abandoned and alone in the same spot.
Additional tankers also suffered damage. The 132-meter-long cruiser, which was constructed in 1973, hangs the Russian flag around its neck.
The footage posted by state media showed the 136-meter Volgoneft-212 tanker, which was cut in two with its bow underwater, and waves crashing over its deck. At least one person lost his life as a result of this tragedy. This led to the opening of two distinct criminal investigations by the Russian authorities to look into potential violations of certain safety regulations.
Having flown the Russian flag since 1969, the yacht was finished.
Rosmorrechflot, the Russian government agency in charge of water transportation, reported a petroleum product spill.
It is believed that the cargo capacity of each tanker is around 4,200 tonnes of oil products.
The magnitude of the leak and the cause of the substantial damage one of the tankers received were not specified in the official remarks. This is in accordance with the official remarks.
Several news sites cited Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov as saying that President Vladimir Putin directed the formation of a working committee to handle the rescue effort and lessen the effects of the oil disaster.
Peskov recommended that the government appoint the working committee’s members. This comment was made public right after Putin met with the ministries responsible for ecology and disaster management.
The Russian government has said that it will be sending more than fifty individuals and pieces of equipment to the area in response to the current crisis. Mi-8 helicopters and rescue tugboats are examples of these people and tools.
The news that experts are presently investigating the damage at the event site was announced by Svetlana Radionova, who is in charge of Rosprirodnadzor, Russia’s natural resources regulating entity.
Kommersant reports that Volgoneft-212 used 4,300 tonnes of fuel oil.
The footage, which showed a partially submerged ship and murky water on rough seas, was posted to Telegram without the owner’s consent.
The warships were located in the Kerch Strait, which separates Crimea from the Russian mainland, when the distress signals were sent out.
The Kerch Strait is a crucial international marine passage that connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov, allowing for easier traffic between the two bodies of water. It also acts as a border between Russia and the Crimean Peninsula, which is under Russian occupation. The Kerch Strait is located in the centre of the two nations.
The peninsula has remained a major source of contention between the two national governments ever since Russia annexed it from Ukraine in 2014. Russia was the one who seized the peninsula. Ukraine brought legal action against Russia before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016.
Specifically, the lawsuit claimed that Russia intended to illegally take over a location. The argument was supported by evidence pertaining to Russia’s conduct in the region. In 2021, the Russian Federation closed the strait for several consecutive months
SOURCE: VN
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World
Japan List Cannabis as Narcotic Criminalizes Recreational Use
TOKYO – Japan updated its cannabis and narcotics control legislation on Thursday, criminalizing cannabis (Marijuana) use and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), imposing a maximum seven-year prison sentence.
While the possession, transmission, and cultivation of cannabis and THC were already prohibited in Japan, the new rules will classify them as narcotics and criminalize their use as well, with a prison sentence of up to seven years for violations.
The amended regulations also legalize medical items containing cannabis-derived compounds that are beneficial and safe.
In 2019, 1.8 percent of the Japanese population had used cannabis at least once, making it the country’s second most popular illicit substance behind methamphetamine.
In 2023, a record 6,703 people were probed in cannabis-related criminal cases in Japan, topping methamphetamine cases for the first time, according to the Health, Labour, and Welfare Ministry. Seventy percent of instances involved people under the age of thirty.
A nationwide poll performed the same year by the ministry’s research group estimated that approximately 200,000 people had consumed marijuana within the previous year.
Japan previously did not penalize cannabis usage, apparently taking into account farmers who may have accidentally ingested the drug while producing cannabis plants for use in hemp products.
The amendments will also lift a restriction on cannabis-derived medicines, putting them under a licensing system similar to other drugs used for pain relief and other purposes.
Drugs derived from cannabis plants were only allowed in clinical studies in Japan, but patient groups have been advocating for access to cannabis-derived cannabidiol treatments already licensed in Europe and the United States for illnesses like severe epilepsy.
Cannabis cultivation dates back to the Jōmon period of Japanese prehistory, roughly six to ten thousand years ago (source: Wikipedia).
Cannabis hemp, as one of Japan’s first cultivated plants, provided an essential supply of plant fibre for clothing, cordage, and Shinto ritual goods, among other uses.
For much of Japanese history, hemp was common for fabric and food before cotton emerged as the country’s dominant fibre crop during industrialization during the Meiji period.
Following the end of World War II and the occupation of Japan, the Cannabis Control Law prohibited cannabis possession and manufacturing.
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