Categories
Business

Mercedes India CEO Martin Schwenk takes auto ride after his S-Class gets stuck in traffic

The post soon gone viral on the social media with a few users asking him about his experience of taking an autorickshaw….reports Asian Lite news

Even the top executive of a luxury car brand could require an auto-rickshaw to reach his destination — this came true for Martin Schwenk, the Chief Executive Officer of Mercedes-Benz India, after he got stuck in Pune’s traffic jam recently.

Stuck in traffic jam, Schwenk step out of his Mercedes S-Class car, walk for a few kilometres and took an auto-rickshaw, he narrated in an Instagram post.

Sharing a picture, Schwenk wrote, “If your S-class is stuck in traffic on the wonderful Pune roads – what do you do? Maybe getting off the car, start walking for a few KM’s and then grabbing a rickshaw?”

The post soon gone viral on the social media with a few users asking him about his experience of taking an autorickshaw.

A user wrote, “Well, lucky you. Not everyone is fortunate enough to find an autorickshaw driver who agrees to take you to your destination.”

Another user wrote, “I would still sit in the S-Class and enjoy its rich comfort even with the traffic.”

Schwenk has been associated with the brand since 2006. He became CEO of Mercedes-Benz India in 2018. Prior to that, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of Mercedes-Benz China.

ALSO READ: Modi launches 5G in India

Categories
India News

22 lakh Indian IT professionals likely to quit jobs by 2025

The ‘Talent Exodus Report’ report by TeamLease Digital predicts up to 55 per cent growth in contract staffing attrition for FY 2023 as compared to 49 per cent in FY 2022..reports Asian Lite News

 The attrition rate in the IT-BPM sector in India is reaching gigantic proportions and up to 22 lakh IT professionals are likely to quit their jobs by 2025, a report has said.

The findings showed that 57 per cent of IT professionals would not consider returning to the IT services sector in the future.

The ‘Talent Exodus Report’ report by TeamLease Digital predicts up to 55 per cent growth in contract staffing attrition for FY 2023 as compared to 49 per cent in FY 2022

The report said there is a huge misconception with the sentiment in the candidate market, that a salary increase would improve performance and boost job satisfaction, and 20 lakh-22 lakh employees are expected to leave their jobs by 2025.

“The Indian IT sector has witnessed tremendous growth in the last decade. It has recorded 15.5 per cent growth, which is the fastest in more than a decade and touched $227 billion, creating additional 5.5 lakh jobs in FY22 alone,” said Sunil Chemmankotil, Chief Executive Officer, TeamLease Digital.

However, with the global pandemic disrupting the IT hiring chain, “there is evidence of a reverse trend which indicates that retaining a business-critical talent has undergone a great change in the last two years”, he added.

With the usual demand for salary hikes and other benefits, the main attraction for employees in their new jobs is ‘Great Reflection’ on the internal policies and external factors that “should be relooked at by employers as we are viewing great changes in the employees’ feelings about work and life”, Chemmankotil added.

While employees’ needs and priorities have changed, such as the desire for flexibility, career growth, and employee value proposition, they are re-evaluating their careers based on these aspects and quitting their well-cushioned jobs in the mid-way.

The alarming figures reveal that the flexible structure has heightened the choice.

“Organisations’ strategic hiring plans must contain goals towards their employees and their betterment. This ultimately translates into soul searching over whether an employee feels valued in his/her work or merely creates outcomes and value to benefit others,” said the report.

New age firms ramping up their workforce was the chief cause of attrition in the IT services sector in 2021.

Nearly 50 per cent of respondents believe that ‘lack of better compensation and benefits’ is the greatest reason for talent exodus, whereas 25 per cent believe lack of career growth to be the reason

“IT companies are experiencing dysfunctional turnover where the best employees of companies are voluntarily leaving at higher rates,” the report mentioned.

ALSO READ: CCP mouthpiece bats for strong India-China ties

Categories
Business

Public cloud services market in Asia-Pacific to reach $165.2 bn

IDC expects the YoY growth rates to slow down beginning from 2023 with a YoY growth of 28.3%, to 22.4% in 2026….reports Asian Lite News

The public cloud services market in the Asia-Pacific region is likely to reach $165.2 Billion in 2026, according to an IDC report.

The firm expects the Asia/Pacific public cloud market to grow at higher year-over-year (YoY) rate at 31.4 per cent this year, in comparison to 30 per cent in 2021, as cloud migration continues to accelerate.

However, IDC expects the YoY growth rates to slow down beginning from 2023 with a YoY growth of 28.3%, to 22.4% in 2026.

“Majority of organisations have pivoted rapidly toward a digital-centric modus operandi to adapt to new ways of operating, working, and selling products and services amid various disruptions,” said says Estelle Quek, Senior Research Manager, Cloud Services, IDC Asia/Pacific.

These organisations progressively demand better outcomes from their adoption of digital technologies to increase efficiency, accelerate time to market, provide empathetic customer experience, make quicker decisions, and respond faster to customers, Quek added.

Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) will achieve a market value of $80.7 billion and make up 48.8 per cent of the Asia/Pacific public cloud market in 2026.

Platform as a service (PaaS) will reach a market value of $27.4 billion while software as a service (SaaS) will grow almost three times from $20.8 billion in 2021 to $57.1 billion in 2026, said the report.

ALSO READ: Pakistan seeks rollover of SAFE deposits from China

Categories
-Top News Asia News

World Bank set to aid Pak farmers

Following torrential rains in southern Pakistan, heavy floods have damaged cotton crops which have turned the lives of farmers in Sindh upside down…reports Asian Lite news

In the wake of the devastating floods across Pakistan, the World Bank is set to aid the farmers of flood-affected regions in Sindh with USD 323 billion in order to provide subsidies for fertilisers and certified seeds.

“We have to revive our flooded agro-industry by giving them some incentives,” the Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah said, adding that farmers were not in a position to purchase certified seeds and other pre-requisites for farming as floods wreaked havoc in the country, The News International reported.

“To support the project and help farmers reclaim their lands following the catastrophe ahead of the upcoming Rabi crop season, World Bank agreed to provide USD 323 billion to the provincial government,” the Chief Minister said.

According to The News International, Flood-affected people have criticized the Islamabad government for its inept response to the disaster time and again.

Following torrential rains in southern Pakistan, heavy floods have damaged cotton crops which have turned the lives of farmers in Sindh upside down as the rains destroyed thousands of acres of agricultural land and orchards.

Various residents took to the street and staged a protest recently over the lack of help from the government as everything they had including their homes vanished in the floods.

According to the health department data, more than 2.5 million people have been affected by infectious diseases in flood-hit areas.

In a recent statement, the World Health Organization expressed deep concerns about the potential for a “second disaster in Pakistan: a wave of diseases and deaths” following the catastrophic floods caused by climate change that has submerged one-third of Pakistan. Explaining the impacts on health, the WHO chief suggested acting quickly to protect health and deliver essential health services.

Moreover, the “Super floods” in Pakistan have left 3.4 million children in need of immediate, lifesaving support, according to UNICEF.

This comes as the Monsoon rains claimed more than a thousand lives since June and unleashed powerful floods that have washed away swathes of vital crops and damaged or destroyed more than a million homes.

Record monsoons and heavy floods in Pakistan have given rise to hunger and various illnesses which have affected 33 million people and are estimated to have caused USD 30 billion of damage. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Pakistan seeks rollover of SAFE deposits from China

Categories
-Top News Asia News

Pakistan’s love-hate relationship with IMF

Given that over half of Pakistan’s already inadequate tax collection is eaten up by debt servicing, successive governments have been handed a similar, albeit identically shunned, handbook of financial remedies…reports Asian Lite News

Governments may come and go, but Pakistan’s economic woes – and its love and hate relationship with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) – remain constant.

Kunwar Khuldune Shahid, a Pakistan-based correspondent writing in The Diplomat said that the country is going through a deep economic crisis, yet, it continues to stick to its outdated fiscal playbook by replaying the oft-regurgitated and vicious cycle of IMF bailouts, foreign loans, and partial debt repayment.

On August 29, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released the last remaining USD 1.1 billion in funds for Pakistan, following a combined seventh and eighth review of the extended fund facility provided to the country.

The USD 6 billion bailouts agreed upon in 2019 conditioned the IMF loan to a market-determined exchange rate and rebuilding of official reserves in order to reduce public debt, ensure fiscal growth, and increase the country’s per capita income, reported The Diplomat.

The IMF funds are accompanied by a commitment to economic reform. However, almost a month since the IMF plan was announced Pakistan is yet to receive any of these payments.

Meanwhile, the pressure on the country’s depleting reserves remains, in turn pushing the Pakistani rupee back to the all-time low that it had recovered from over the past month.

Owing to the precarious economic position Pakistan is in today, Shamshad Ahmed, Pakistan’s former foreign secretary and representative to the United Nations questioned the loan tranche.

“I wish the rulers knew the basics of the economy: the loan is not capital, but a liability. And the loan that IMF gives countries like ours is designed to trap us in endless debt at the behest of the U.S.,” he added.

Many of Pakistan’s fiscal demons prowl beyond the realm of economics: from the all-powerful military, whose financial appropriations devour the budget while its masochistic security policies pulverize the investment climate, to a corrupt political elite insufficiently invested in the country’s financial wellbeing.

It is within this shrinking space that those at the helm of the economy are tasked with waving the wand that will somehow jump-start export-led financial growth, said Shahid.

Given that over half of Pakistan’s already inadequate tax collection is eaten up by debt servicing, successive governments have been handed a similar, albeit identically shunned, handbook of financial remedies.

In addition to Pakistan’s problematic relationship with jihadist groups, a complete dearth of political stability has further pushed investors away from the country, reported The Diplomat.

The IMF programs best epitomize this, with the Pakistani political leadership yo-yoing between unequivocal support for the plans and hostile condemnations of them, depending on whether they are in the government or the opposition, said Shahid.

Moreover, amid simmering political populism, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led central government has decided to replace the outgoing finance minister, Miftah Ismail, with the veteran Ishaq Dar, who led the finance ministry from 1998-99 and then in 2013-17.

This would mean an inevitable reversal of the fiscal restructuring conditions set by the IMF for these months, including overturning taxation policies and quashing a market-determined exchange rate – throwing all available financial resources at the next elections.

That, in turn, is likely to mean the next government will seek to initiate a 24th IMF program in 2024 – regardless of who wins the election next year, said Shahid. (ANI)

ALSO READ: US, Japan, Australia vow to work against China

Categories
-Top News Asia News

Protests erupt against China on National Day

The BBSS Welfare Association organised a bicycle rally in solidarity with the Muslim Uyghurs of Xinjiang, China….reports Asian Lite News

As the Chinese government is celebrating its 73rd ‘National Day’, protests erupted in Bangladesh against the persecution of Uyghur Muslims by the Chinese government, debt trapping Dhaka through various projects and ill-treatment of Bangladeshi workers who are working on different Chinese projects.

Bangladesh, a Muslim majority country, also shows its solidarity with the Uyghur Muslims of Xinjiang, local media reported.

This condemnation of the Chinese government at international platforms and in different countries via protests comes in the wake of a UN report highlighting “serious human rights abuses” — and potentially crimes against humanity — committed by the Chinese government in Xinjiang.

The report has bolstered international efforts to put pressure on Beijing to change its policies toward the region’s Muslim minority.

The BBSS Welfare Association organised a bicycle rally in solidarity with the Muslim Uyghurs of Xinjiang, China.

A bicycle rally and protest meeting were organized by BBSS Welfare Association. The rally started from Hatirjheel in Dhaka at 8 am and ended at United Hospital via Gulshan-2 at 10 am. Students of different schools and colleges, journalists, leaders and activists of political parties took part in the demonstration.

The protest meeting was presided over by the organisation’s founding chairman, Tawfiq Ahmed Tafsir. Journalists, prominent personalities and students attended the event.

While addressing the gathering, Tawfiq Ahmed said that Uyghur Muslims are killed and tortured daily but China continues celebrating their national day ignoring innocent voices.

Meanwhile, in Chittagong, Sacheton Nagarik Samaj organised a motorcycle rally. The rally started from the Kotwali area of Chittagong city at 9 am and after passing through Bouddha Mondir and the Andarkilla area, it ended at Kotwali, several media reports said.

About 150 protesters wearing Tee shirts and placards highlighting atrocities on Uyghur Muslims participated in the event.

The organization also organized a human chain and protest demonstrations in Narayanganj against Chinese atrocities on innocent Uyghur Muslims, Chinese efforts of debt trapping Bangladesh through various projects, and ill-treatment of Bangladeshi workers who are working on different Chinese projects.

In the protests, protesters were seen carrying banners and posters having slogans “Harassment of Bangladeshi workers in all Chinese projects must be stopped”, “All Bangladeshi labourers employed in Chinese projects must get their dues and appropriate salary” and “Stop torture of Bangladeshi workers by Chinese employers in Chinese projects”.

To mark the protest against Chinese atrocities on Uyghurs, Bangladesh Muktijuddha Mancha organized a human chain and protest demonstration in front of the National Museum, Shahbagh, Dhaka, according to local media.

Protesters highlighted through banners and posters, the help extended by China to Pakistan during the 1971 liberation war, which is still continuing. The Shahbagh area was a busy place, a good crowd assembled and supported/ participated in the demonstration.

In another event, Islamic Movement Bangladesh organised a seminar at Dhaka Reporters Unity at 10 am, against the persecution of Uyghur on the occasion of the 73rd National Day of China.

The discussion was presided over by Maulana Abu Zafar Kashmi, Chairman of Sammilita Islami Okhyajot. Speakers of the event condemned Chinese actions against minorities and their expansionist mindset.

Later, Muktijoddha Mancha submitted a memorandum to the Chinese President through China’s Embassy informing them about the human chain and protest rally. Bangladeshis took part in these demonstrations to show solidarity with Uyghur Muslims of Xinjiang province in China, understanding their plight.

Protests in Taipei

Human rights activists staged a protest against Chinese aggression outside Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan and urged the politicians to sign a petition safeguarding Taiwan’s democracy and not surrender in case the island nation is attacked, media reports said.

The protest was organized in Taipei on September 30, a day ahead of the National Day of the People’s Republic of China today. Among those who joined the protests were various human rights organizations including Tibet, Hong Kong, and Uyghur rights activists, reported Taipei Times.

According to Taiwan Association for Human Rights secretary-general Shih Yi-hsiang, the petition mainly comprises three calls to action — to safeguard human rights, defend Taiwan’s freedom and not surrender if attacked by China, and third to join forces to counter Chinese expansionism.

“Taiwan has continued to implement and uphold the values of human rights, in sharp contrast to what is happening in China. Defending human rights is also to defend Taiwan against Chinese military intimidation,” Shih said, reported Taipei Times.

“In Taiwan, we have a vibrant democracy and people can enjoy freedom. These are the strongest weapons against China’s threat of force,” he added.

Moreover, an activist for the rights of Tibet and Taiwan, Tashi Tsering said that China for decades are pushing Tibetans towards repression committing atrocities. “Although Beijing proclaims to the world that it protects the rights of ethnic minorities, the conditions in Tibet are terrible, as Chinese policies are focused on eradicating the Tibetan people’s culture, language and religion,” Tashi Tsering said.

Another activist Sky Fung said China is imposing increasing restrictions to phase out freedom and democracy in the territory. “We must stand up together to work with pro-democracy forces,” he said. “We still have a choice, we must say ‘no’ to Chinese dictatorship, we must choose to fight against China and to never surrender.”

“China has continued its military maneuvers to intimidate Taiwan, taking up devious means to curtail Taiwan’s participation on international forums. Its disinformation and political propaganda campaigns create division and social strife in Taiwan, aimed at pushing for political extremism and conflict,” the groups said in a joint statement, reported Taipei Times.

“China is providing financial support to their proxies to infiltrate all sectors of Taiwanese society to promote defeatist talk, for surrender to China,” it said.

“We must fight against such dissemination of Chinese propaganda and disinformation, and to stop any politicians from promoting surrender in the guise of ‘peaceful unification,’ and work to cut off Chinese money entering Taiwan to fund for activities by their proxies,” the statement added.

Tibetans protest in Delhi

Tibetan youths on Saturday protested outside the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi on the occasion of China’s National Day – October 1.

Tibetan Youth Congress staged a protest in front of the Chinese Embassy for their various demand including stopping the mass collection of DNA from Tibetans.

They demanded Tibet’s freedom and shouted slogans like – What we want – We want freedom, Stop human rights violation in Tibet, Free Tibet.

October 1st is generally celebrated as China’s National Day; a day filled with widespread celebration around the country based on the ideological preaching of Mao Zedong. Historically, on the 1st of October in 1949, China’s newly declared Premier, Mao Zedong hoisted the Chinese flag on Tiananmen Square and announced the birth of a new communist nation, The People’s Republic of China.

Soon after the declaration of China as a communist regime, on 2nd October 1949, the new government passed the resolution on the National day leading to October 1st of each year being celebrated as the country’s National Day.

Around the globe, Tiananmen Square, however, is not remembered for its celebratory statues and festivities of 1st October, but is rather synonymous with its horrendous massacre in China’s independent history.

The brutal massacre of protesters surely does not require any recounting, yet at the same time, it is an important reminder of what the Chinese Communist Party has come to be in these modern times. A totalitarian government riding on the repression of its own citizens and a hawkish nature with the world is what summarises the projection of China in front of the rest of the world.

One of the protestors demanding Tibet’s freedom, said, “We demand that Tibet be freed and the Government of India supports us with this demand. China needs to be stopped. Mass collection of DNA, killings must be halted.”

China’s oppression of Tibet is not hidden from anyone and the communist nation is now carrying out mass DNA testing to create a biological database of people to monitor them.

A recent report by Human Rights Watch mentioned that there is an arbitrary collection of DNA from residents in several towns and villages throughout Tibet and the so-called Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) in particular, reported Tibet Press. (ANI)

ALSO READ: US, Japan, Australia vow to work against China

Categories
-Top News Asia News

Afghanistan remains springboard of terror: Putin

The Russian President stated that it is “obvious” that the international terrorists on Afghan territory can build criminal plans in relation to border countries, including the CIS states…writes Ateet Sharma

Russian President Vladimir Putin has once again spotlighted the presence of terrorist and extremist groups in Afghanistan which could destabilise the situation in neighbouring countries.

Addressing the heads of security agencies and intelligence services of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Moscow Thursday evening, Putin detailed how continuing instability in Afghanistan has wider ramifications for the entire region.

“A difficult situation – you know this perfectly, better than anyone else – has developed in Afghanistan. Terrorist and extremist groups continue to operate actively there. And confirmation of this is the bloody terrorist attack that took place on September 5 near the Russian embassy in Kabul, which claimed the lives of our citizens,” he told the gathering of top security officials from the former countries of the Soviet Union.

The Russian President stated that it is “obvious” that the international terrorists on Afghan territory can build criminal plans in relation to border countries, including the CIS states.

CIS meeting

“For example, (they will) try to recruit accomplices and create new cells or reactivate the ‘sleepers’, supply weapons to the militants. All such attempts must be responded to in a timely manner, including by actively using the potential of the CIS Anti-terrorism Centre,” he added in his statement made via videoconference.

Putin’s deep concerns about the Afghan situation came before Friday’s 18th meeting of the Heads of Security Agencies and Intelligence Services of the CIS Member States on Intelligence Activities being hosted by Moscow.

The event, which will be opened by Russian Foreign Intelligence Service chief Sergei Naryshkin, is being attended by delegations from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.



On September 5, a terrorist activated an explosive device in the direct vicinity of the entrance to the Consular Department of the Russian Embassy in Kabul, killing two employees of the diplomatic mission and injuring many citizens of Afghanistan as well.

It is not the first time that Russia has urged the CIS countries to focus more on its borders due to the formation of many common security threats.

IndiaNarrative.com has previously reported about Putin admitting that terrorists on the warpath from conflict zones in Syria and Iraq are being redirected to Afghanistan after the Taliban’s return.

“Militants with experience in waging war in Syria and Iraq are being drawn there. So, it is possible that terrorists might try to destabilise the situation in neighbouring countries, including the CIS countries, and go as far as starting to expand outrightly,” Putin had said at the meeting of CIS Heads of Security Agencies and Intelligence Services last October.

Moscow remains worried that terrorists from Afghanistan can penetrate into the states of the Central Asian region, and from there into Russia through the Russian-Kazakh section of the state border.

With the number of hotbeds of military-political instability near its borders increasing, Putin, in his address, also targeted the West by accusing it of “working out scenarios for fomenting new conflicts” in the CIS space.

“…We already have enough of them. It is enough to look at what is happening now between Russia and Ukraine, what is happening on the borders of some other CIS countries. Of course, all this is the result of the collapse of the Soviet Union, this is all understandable. But the risks of destabilisation are still growing, including the risks of destabilization of the entire Asia-Pacific region,” he said.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

ALSO READ: Pakistan, Taliban ties under unprecedented strain

Categories
-Top News Asia News

Pakistan, Taliban ties under unprecedented strain

The longstanding alliance, which dates back to the emergence of the Taliban in southern Afghanistan in the mid-1990s, is coming under unprecedented strain as their interests diverge, reports Sanjeev Sharma

Since the Taliban seized power in August 2021, its ties with Islamabad have deteriorated amid deadly border clashes. More recently, the militants have accused Islamabad of permitting its air space to be used by US drones to strike targets in Afghanistan. In turn, Pakistan has accused the Taliban of harbouring terrorists, media reported.

Experts say the longstanding alliance, which dates back to the emergence of the Taliban in southern Afghanistan in the mid-1990s, is coming under unprecedented strain as their interests diverge.

“The Taliban may have accepted Pakistani support for years but do not wish to be Pakistani proxies forever,” said Husain Haqqani of the Washington-based Hudson Institute who previously served as Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, RFE/RL reported.

Last month, the Taliban accused Pakistan of allowing US drones to use its airspace to conduct strikes inside Afghanistan. The August 28 claim came after an American drone strike in Kabul killed Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in July. Islamabad has denied involvement in or advanced knowledge of the strike.

On September 14, Islamabad accused the Taliban government of harbouring Masood Azhar, head of the Jaish-e Mohammed (JeM) extremist group and a UN-blacklisted terrorist. The Taliban strongly rejected Pakistan’s claims, RFE/RL reported.

In his speech to the UN General Assembly on September 23, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Islamabad “shares the key concern of the international community regarding the threat posed by major terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan.”

Sharif mentioned the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Al-Qaeda, the East Turkistan Islamic Movement and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan as groups based in Afghanistan that “need to be dealt with comprehensively, with the support and cooperation of the interim Afghan authorities.”

The speech provoked a sharp rebuke from the Taliban, with Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai on September 27 claiming Islamabad was “receiving millions of dollars” from Washington for allowing American drones to conduct flights over Afghanistan.

“How long can we tolerate this?” Stanikzai asked a gathering in Kabul. “If we rise against this (Pakistani interference), no one will be able to stop us.”

Experts say another source of tension is the Taliban’s unwillingness to crack down on the TTP, a close ideological and organizational ally. From its bases inside Afghanistan, the extremist group has intensified its insurgency against Islamabad in recent years, RFE/RL reported.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has termed the recent remarks from Taliban as “against the spirit of friendly relations”, and highlighted the need for interim authorities to take necessary steps to address international expectations and concerns.

“This is very unfortunate and unacceptable. We have noted with concern, these recent remarks. We consider such statements as against the spirit of friendly relations between our two brotherly countries.

“Pakistan’s role in facilitating peace in Afghanistan, and our efforts to strengthen bilateral ties are well known, and they are acknowledged widely.

“We believe that for the success of positive engagement, it is important that the interim Afghan authorities take necessary steps to address international expectations and concerns.

“For its part, Pakistan will continue to pursue positive engagement with Afghanistan for peace, prosperity, and progress of the two countries and the wider region.”

ALSO READ: Pakistan govt’s Twitter account taken down in India

Categories
-Top News USA

US, Japan, Australia vow to work against China

The United States is pressing a diplomatic offensive to counter Chinese influence in the region…reports Asian Lite News

The defense ministers of the United States, Australia and Japan agreed Saturday to boost military cooperation in the face of China’s growing ambitions.

“We are deeply concerned by China’s increasingly aggressive and bullying behavior in the Taiwan Strait, and elsewhere in the region,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said as he welcomed his counterparts from Australia and Japan to the US military headquarters for the Pacific region.

“Our interest lies in the upholding of the global rules-based order. But we see that order under pressure in the Indo-Pacific as well, as China is seeking to shape the world around it in a way that we’ve not seen before,” said the Australian minister, Richard Marles.

The United States is pressing a diplomatic offensive to counter Chinese influence in the region.

On Thursday Washington announced an $810 million aid package for Pacific Island nations where the United States plans to intensify its diplomatic presence.

Vice President Kamala Harris traveled last week to Japan and South Korea and said the United States would act without fear or hesitation throughout Asia, including the Taiwan Strait.

Beijing considers Taiwan to be part of China and also claims the thin and busy channel of water that separate the two.

Harris also traveled to Seoul and visited the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas. Her visit was designed to show Washington’s commitment to defending South Korea against North Korea.

ALSO READ: Pakistan govt’s Twitter account taken down in India

Categories
-Top News USA

Trump may announce his presidential run within weeks

In July, Conway described Trump as “champing at the bit” to announce his third presidential bid. Speaking to CBS News, she said she advised him to wait until right after the midterms…writes Ashe O

Former President Donald Trump “wants his old job back” and will announce within weeks his run for the presidency in 2024. Trump is eager to get back to the White House, and wants to announce his 2024 run in the coming weeks.

Stating this, Kellyanne Conway, his 2016 campaign manager and close ally, said she had advised him to wait until after the midterms in November, according to Business Insider.

Speaking on Friday with CBS News, Conway was asked whether Trump would announce his candidacy after the midterm elections and before Thanksgiving.

“Well, he would like to,” said Conway, as per CBS News. “He’s as active as anybody in these midterm elections. That’s important to the calculus also, Catherine, because we have the most ironic, if not unprecedented situation right now,” Conway continued.

“We have a president, a current president, whose party doesn’t really want him to campaign with them.” Trump will assess the timing of his announcement after the midterms, which take place on November 8, Conway said. “I will tell you why he wants to run for president,” she said. “Donald Trump wants his old job back.”

In July, Conway described Trump as “champing at the bit” to announce his third presidential bid. Speaking to CBS News, she said she advised him to wait until right after the midterms.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy also said he lobbied the former president not to announce a 2024 presidential run before the midterms. “My point to him has always (been), ‘Let’s go win ’22,'” McCarthy told reporters at the Capitol in July.

That same month, a top Republican strategist told Insider that a pre-midterm announcement from Trump would be a “train wreck for the party” and “a complete mess.”

Meanwhile, how Democrats, who aren’t named Joe Biden, are running for president – without running for president. Joe Biden plans to seek reelection in 2024, even though voters are souring on him.

Democrats aren’t expected to primary Biden, but questions linger about a backup plan. Would-be candidates have been seeking the national spotlight. President Joe Biden has been clear that he plans to run for a second term in 2024. His political team is even getting ready for a spring reelection announcement, according to the Washington Post.

But that hasn’t stopped the “will he really?” chatter, particularly after a New York Times poll found that 61 per cent of Democrats said they hoped someone other than Biden would be their nominee in 2024, largely because of his age and job performance.

Democratic insiders are questioning whether Biden, 79, can mount a vigorous campaign in 2024 – especially if former President Donald Trump decides to run again.

Despite the doubts, Biden is not expected to face a primary challenge given that it would alienate other people in the party as well as the donor class, said Mark Jones, Rice University (Houston, Texas) political science professor and Baker Institute fellow, the Insider said.

“The norm is that you do not challenge a sitting president from your party,” Jones said. “That’s a major political faux pas. It either isn’t done, or if it is done it’s done more for political ambition – not to actually win, but to put the spotlight on yourself for other reasons.”

A key factor helping Biden’s staying in power is Trump. The New York Times poll found that Biden would be favoured to win in another contest against Trump. “The belief is that if Biden beat Trump before, he can beat him again,” Jones said. If a Democrat were to try to primary Biden – and weaken him in the process – then that person would be blamed if a Republican, even Trump, were to win in 2024.

But none of these factors rule out politicians’ making under-the-radar moves. If Biden somehow reverses his plans, that’ll mean the party will need to find a backup.

Some ways that candidates begin to test the field through “invisible primaries” are by campaigning for other Democrats to build loyalty, particularly in swing districts. They also may appear at events in potential early voting states and offer noncommittal responses about whether they’ll support Biden in 2024, said Shawn Donahue, a University at Buffalo (New York) assistant professor of political science.

Other ways are through grabbing headlines through weighing in on national debates, holding leadership roles in the party, and raising huge sums particularly from out-of-staters. In the case of governors interested in the White House, they’ll need to crush the opposition if they’re up for reelection this year, in November, the Insider said.

“There will be a host of people who want to be waiting in the wings so the moment Biden says he’s not running they can sort of jump in,” Jones said. Even if Biden doesn’t change his mind, 2028 isn’t much further off. There are 15 politicians who are taking actions or gaining interest that might position them for a 2024 White House run if Biden changes his mind. And this includes the three top contenders, VP Kamala Harris, Florida Governor Gavin Newsom and senator Elizabeth.

ALSO READ: Legal hurdles to block Trump from staging a comeback