23 hours ago
EscortHer is a premier adult-classified platform in India, designed to connect users with verified and independent companions across major cities. Our mission is to provide a safe, organized, and reliable space where individuals can explore authentic companionship listings with confidence. Unlike unregulated platforms, EscortHer emphasizes transparency, accuracy, and professionalism, ensuring that every listing presents genuine information and clear, verified details.
Each profile on EscortHer undergoes a thorough verification process to confirm the authenticity of photos, service descriptions, and contact information. This commitment to accuracy ensures that users can browse with peace of mind and connect with companions who meet their preferences. By maintaining high standards for verification and quality, EscortHer has become a dependable platform for discovering companionship in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Pune.
EscortHer is designed with the user experience in mind. Its intuitive interface, well-organized categories, and advanced search filters allow visitors to find the right companion quickly and efficiently. Whether users are seeking company for social events, travel, business engagements, or personal companionship, the platform provides a smooth, professional, and private browsing experience.
Privacy and discretion are at the core of EscortHer’s operations. The platform is built to maintain confidentiality for both clients and service providers while promoting genuine, respectful, and professional interactions. EscortHer does not promote explicit content but instead focuses on authentic companionship, creating meaningful connections in a safe and secure environment.#mumbaiescorts@https://escorther.com/
Each profile on EscortHer undergoes a thorough verification process to confirm the authenticity of photos, service descriptions, and contact information. This commitment to accuracy ensures that users can browse with peace of mind and connect with companions who meet their preferences. By maintaining high standards for verification and quality, EscortHer has become a dependable platform for discovering companionship in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Pune.
EscortHer is designed with the user experience in mind. Its intuitive interface, well-organized categories, and advanced search filters allow visitors to find the right companion quickly and efficiently. Whether users are seeking company for social events, travel, business engagements, or personal companionship, the platform provides a smooth, professional, and private browsing experience.
Privacy and discretion are at the core of EscortHer’s operations. The platform is built to maintain confidentiality for both clients and service providers while promoting genuine, respectful, and professional interactions. EscortHer does not promote explicit content but instead focuses on authentic companionship, creating meaningful connections in a safe and secure environment.#mumbaiescorts@https://escorther.com/
3 days ago
HaberCrafts is a leading online retailer offering a vast, high-quality range of arts and crafts supplies, haberdashery essentials, and craft accessories — catering both to hobbyists and professional creatives. At HaberCrafts you’ll find everything from brushes & accessories, paper pads & boards, beads, sequins & stones, sewing notions and haberdashery accessories, to children’s craft kits, DIY supplies and more. With a commitment to premium high quality products, affordable prices and express delivery, HaberCrafts gives you the convenience of a full art-and-craft supply house delivered straight to your door.
Whether you’re painting, sketching, working on paper crafts, jewellery-making, sewing, or DIY home-craft projects, HaberCrafts aims to be your “go-to” hub. The store’s intuitive website layout makes it easy to browse categories like “Art Supplies,” “Crafts,” “Haberdashery,” and “Office Supplies,” helping you quickly locate what you need — from paint brushes and canvas boards to fastenings, ribbons, and sewing kits.
Whether you’re a beginner exploring arts and crafts for the first time, a parent seeking children’s craft supplies, or an experienced artist or crafter needing professional-grade materials — www.habercrafts.com offers a wide selection, reliable quality, and user-friendly service. Explore their complete range today and bring your creative ideas to life with ease!
Whether you’re painting, sketching, working on paper crafts, jewellery-making, sewing, or DIY home-craft projects, HaberCrafts aims to be your “go-to” hub. The store’s intuitive website layout makes it easy to browse categories like “Art Supplies,” “Crafts,” “Haberdashery,” and “Office Supplies,” helping you quickly locate what you need — from paint brushes and canvas boards to fastenings, ribbons, and sewing kits.
Whether you’re a beginner exploring arts and crafts for the first time, a parent seeking children’s craft supplies, or an experienced artist or crafter needing professional-grade materials — www.habercrafts.com offers a wide selection, reliable quality, and user-friendly service. Explore their complete range today and bring your creative ideas to life with ease!
10 days ago
🚀 Building a Candy AI Clone at Triple Minds — Looking for Developers!
I’m excited to share that I’ve started working on a Candy AI Clone project at Triple Minds.
This platform will include advanced AI chat companions, real-time interactions, voice features, and a fully customizable character system.
We’re expanding the team and looking for skilled developers who can contribute to this build.
We’re hiring for:
• Full-Stack Developers (React / Next.js / Node.js)
• AI/LLM Integration Engineers
• Python Backend Developers
• Real-Time Chat & WebSocket Experts
• UI/UX Designers for AI Interaction Screens
If you’ve worked on chatbots, AI companions, LLM integrations, or scalable backend systems, I’d love to connect.
https://nsfwcoders.com/cha...
I’m excited to share that I’ve started working on a Candy AI Clone project at Triple Minds.
This platform will include advanced AI chat companions, real-time interactions, voice features, and a fully customizable character system.
We’re expanding the team and looking for skilled developers who can contribute to this build.
We’re hiring for:
• Full-Stack Developers (React / Next.js / Node.js)
• AI/LLM Integration Engineers
• Python Backend Developers
• Real-Time Chat & WebSocket Experts
• UI/UX Designers for AI Interaction Screens
If you’ve worked on chatbots, AI companions, LLM integrations, or scalable backend systems, I’d love to connect.
https://nsfwcoders.com/cha...
1 month ago
Top Features Of Our Forex Trading App Development
Want to create a Forex trading app that helps traders maximize profits and gives your business an edge? Koinkart delivers Forex Trading App Development with smart automation and advanced analytics to boost ROI.
Explore the features designed for our clients:
AI-based trade insights
Automated trading bots
Low-latency order execution
Advanced risk management modules
We develop apps that make trading efficient, profitable, and user-friendly. Build your personalized Forex app today with Koinkart!
📲 Get Live Demo or Quote Now!
🌐 Website: https://www.koinkart.org/f...
📞 WhatsApp: +91 93842 63771
Want to create a Forex trading app that helps traders maximize profits and gives your business an edge? Koinkart delivers Forex Trading App Development with smart automation and advanced analytics to boost ROI.
Explore the features designed for our clients:
AI-based trade insights
Automated trading bots
Low-latency order execution
Advanced risk management modules
We develop apps that make trading efficient, profitable, and user-friendly. Build your personalized Forex app today with Koinkart!
📲 Get Live Demo or Quote Now!
🌐 Website: https://www.koinkart.org/f...
📞 WhatsApp: +91 93842 63771
2 months ago
Advance your trading strategies with crypto trading bot development. Our expert team builds intelligent bots using algorithmic strategies, real-time analytics, and blockchain integration, delivering precise and efficient solutions for businesses and professional traders.
Explore More: https://www.addustechnolog...
#CryptoTradingBot #CryptoExchange #BlockchainDevelopment #tradingbot #bot #crypto #bitcoin #cryptocurrency #cryptotradingplatform #usa #dubi #uk
Explore More: https://www.addustechnolog...
#CryptoTradingBot #CryptoExchange #BlockchainDevelopment #tradingbot #bot #crypto #bitcoin #cryptocurrency #cryptotradingplatform #usa #dubi #uk
2 months ago
In modern packaging production, the use of a precision Bottle Blowing Mould has become an essential part of ensuring product quality, consistency, and adaptability for a wide range of industries.For more details, visit https://www.qhpreformmould...
2 months ago
Fast & Reliable HFT Trading Bot Development
Koinkart specializes in enterprise-level HFT Trading Bot Development for institutions, hedge funds, and large-scale traders. Our bots are built for speed, scalability, and nonstop performance.
Check out the Features here:
High-volume trade handling
Scalable cloud infrastructure
Multi-market integration
24/7 monitoring and control
Are you joining a business Partner with Koinkart to create your high-performance HFT Trading Bot today!
📲 Get Demo or Quote Now!
🌐 Website: https://www.koinkart.org/b...
📞 WhatsApp: +91 93842 63771
Koinkart specializes in enterprise-level HFT Trading Bot Development for institutions, hedge funds, and large-scale traders. Our bots are built for speed, scalability, and nonstop performance.
Check out the Features here:
High-volume trade handling
Scalable cloud infrastructure
Multi-market integration
24/7 monitoring and control
Are you joining a business Partner with Koinkart to create your high-performance HFT Trading Bot today!
📲 Get Demo or Quote Now!
🌐 Website: https://www.koinkart.org/b...
📞 WhatsApp: +91 93842 63771
2 months ago
Markets move in milliseconds—are you keeping up? Our High-Frequency Trading (HFT) Bot Development ensures you never miss an opportunity. We build lightning-fast, intelligent bots that execute thousands of trades per second with ultra-low latency, smart algorithms, risk management, and 24/7 support. Whether you’re a hedge fund, exchange, or active trader, we deliver tomorrow’s trading technology today. 🚀
Book your free call: https://www.beleaftechnolo...
Book your free call: https://www.beleaftechnolo...
2 months ago
Expert Crypto Sniper Bot Development Services
Koinkart is the premier partner for Crypto Sniper bot development, focused on smart and reliable strategies. We design bots that follow proven signals and reduce noise so trades are more accurate and less stressful.
Check out the features here:
Focus on robust wallet encryption and secure API handling.
Multi-strategy engine
Built-in backtesting and live-paper trading options.
24/7 monitoring and incident alerts to keep bots live.
Ready to simplify trading and gain insights? Start with a free demo and setup guidance at Koinkart.org.
📲 Get Demo or Quote Now!
🌐 Website: https://www.koinkart.org/b...
📞 WhatsApp: +91 93842 63771
Koinkart is the premier partner for Crypto Sniper bot development, focused on smart and reliable strategies. We design bots that follow proven signals and reduce noise so trades are more accurate and less stressful.
Check out the features here:
Focus on robust wallet encryption and secure API handling.
Multi-strategy engine
Built-in backtesting and live-paper trading options.
24/7 monitoring and incident alerts to keep bots live.
Ready to simplify trading and gain insights? Start with a free demo and setup guidance at Koinkart.org.
📲 Get Demo or Quote Now!
🌐 Website: https://www.koinkart.org/b...
📞 WhatsApp: +91 93842 63771
2 months ago
Be Satisfied With Enough,
Work Enough (but not too much),
and Play Enough (but not too much).
Balance Service and Play, Both are Essential.
Take some time in a quiet place to contemplate
the balance between being of service -
both to this generation and to generations yet unborn -
and renewing your vitality with play and celebration.
Without play, one becomes old and dry.
Without service, life becomes meaningless.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie
Work Enough (but not too much),
and Play Enough (but not too much).
Balance Service and Play, Both are Essential.
Take some time in a quiet place to contemplate
the balance between being of service -
both to this generation and to generations yet unborn -
and renewing your vitality with play and celebration.
Without play, one becomes old and dry.
Without service, life becomes meaningless.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie
2 months ago
Today's affirmation:
I am a Unique Expression
of the Universal Fabric of Creation.
I celebrate both my uniqueness
and my connection with all that is.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie
I am a Unique Expression
of the Universal Fabric of Creation.
I celebrate both my uniqueness
and my connection with all that is.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie
2 months ago
Struggling with Losing Riders in Your Taxi Business? Learn what churn rate & retention rate mean and how a smart taxi booking app can help manage both efficiently. 🚖📲
Visit us: https://www.spotnrides.com...
#uberclone #shuttlecloneapp #UberLikeApp #lyftcloneapp #grabcloneapp #curbcloneapp #ehailingapp #gojekcloneapp #biketaxiapp #fleetmanagementapp #YandexGoClone #MultiPurposeBusinessPlatform #Taxirentalapp #cabrentalapp #shuttletaxiapp #airporttaxiapp #pointtopointtaxiapp #taxiowners #boost #readymadeapp #whitelablesolution #RideHailing #bidride #chauffeurbooking #bidridebooking #cabbooking #taxibusiness2025
Visit us: https://www.spotnrides.com...
#uberclone #shuttlecloneapp #UberLikeApp #lyftcloneapp #grabcloneapp #curbcloneapp #ehailingapp #gojekcloneapp #biketaxiapp #fleetmanagementapp #YandexGoClone #MultiPurposeBusinessPlatform #Taxirentalapp #cabrentalapp #shuttletaxiapp #airporttaxiapp #pointtopointtaxiapp #taxiowners #boost #readymadeapp #whitelablesolution #RideHailing #bidride #chauffeurbooking #bidridebooking #cabbooking #taxibusiness2025
What is Churn Rate and Retention Rate in Your Taxi Business and How to Manage Both with an App? - SpotnRides - AI Powered Taxi Booking App
By availing of an operative Uber clone app script for your taxi business, you can easily manage churn rate and retention rate concurrently.
https://www.spotnrides.com/blog/what-is-churn-rate-and-retention-rate-in-your-taxi-business-and-how-to-manage-both-with-an-app/
2 months ago
Koinkart Develop a Crypto Sniper Bot with high-speed solution
Expand your trading opportunities with Koinkart. Our Crypto Sniper Bot Development service delivers a high-speed solution that helps traders capture profits with split-second accuracy. Built for traders who want smarter entries and exits without missing opportunities.
We list out the features offered for our clients:
• Automated instant order execution
• Real-time market scanning and alerts
• Smart risk controls and take-profit settings
• User-friendly dashboard with performance tracking
• Secure architecture and regular updates
📲 Get Demo or Quote Now!
🌐 Website: https://www.koinkart.org/b...
📞 WhatsApp: +91 93842 63771
Expand your trading opportunities with Koinkart. Our Crypto Sniper Bot Development service delivers a high-speed solution that helps traders capture profits with split-second accuracy. Built for traders who want smarter entries and exits without missing opportunities.
We list out the features offered for our clients:
• Automated instant order execution
• Real-time market scanning and alerts
• Smart risk controls and take-profit settings
• User-friendly dashboard with performance tracking
• Secure architecture and regular updates
📲 Get Demo or Quote Now!
🌐 Website: https://www.koinkart.org/b...
📞 WhatsApp: +91 93842 63771
2 months ago
Deliveroo Clone App Development
https://www.v3cube.com/del...
Launch your Deliveroo clone – a ready-made food and shopping delivery business app solution. Scalable fast, maximize revenue & start delivery business today. Our Deliveroo clone script is available for both iOS & Android devices. It is on-demand food delivery platform designed to replicate the core functionality of popular food delivery services like Deliveroo.
#DeliverooClone , #deliveroocloneapp , #deliverooclonescript , #foodandshoppingdeliveryapp
https://www.v3cube.com/del...
Launch your Deliveroo clone – a ready-made food and shopping delivery business app solution. Scalable fast, maximize revenue & start delivery business today. Our Deliveroo clone script is available for both iOS & Android devices. It is on-demand food delivery platform designed to replicate the core functionality of popular food delivery services like Deliveroo.
#DeliverooClone , #deliveroocloneapp , #deliverooclonescript , #foodandshoppingdeliveryapp
Deliveroo Clone - Food, Grocery, Pharmacy Delivery App
Get your own Deliveroo Clone App to run a successful food delivery and store delivery business with ease and scalability.
https://www.v3cube.com/deliveroo-clone/
3 months ago
How Taxi Dispatch Software Addresses Your Startup Challenges?
Greetings, taxi startups!
The taxi industry is gaining momentum with the emergence of on-demand transportation. But stepping into the market through taxi booking app development isn’t easy. That’s where taxi dispatch software comes in. It enables you to automate bookings, streamline operations, and manage the platform efficiently.
Here, we list the major challenges of taxi app startups and how a dispatch solution effectively addresses them.
Let’s find it clearly!
Slow Manual Dispatch
In the early stages, taxi startups can depend on phone calls or spreadsheets to assign taxis. It leads to delays, lost business trust, mismatched driver-passenger pairings, and frustrated customers. This challenge is addressed by,
Automated GPS-based trip assignment matches riders with the nearest available driver based on their pickup location.
Cab booking software with AI features simplifies the matching within seconds, far more efficient than map-based coordination.
This also predicts demand surges during local events or peak hours, helping manage driver allocation and increase earnings.
By utilizing these capabilities, you can reduce wait times, provide faster rides, and extend cab bookings without any bottlenecks.
Summing Up
Nowadays, standing out in a competitive taxi marketplace is critical. If you’re an entrepreneur ready to launch or already running a business, it’s important to take note of the challenges and solutions mentioned above.
Consider these points, and start choosing a taxi dispatch software with these functionalities to ensure instant success and growth.
Subscribe for more updates. Thank you for reading!
https://www.trioangle.com/...
#TaxiSoftwareUSA #USATaxiTech #DispatchSoftwareUK #UKTransportTech #TaxiAppCanada #RideshareAU #TaxiSoftwareGermany #FleetManagementSoftware #RideshareTechnology #taxidispatchsoftware
Greetings, taxi startups!
The taxi industry is gaining momentum with the emergence of on-demand transportation. But stepping into the market through taxi booking app development isn’t easy. That’s where taxi dispatch software comes in. It enables you to automate bookings, streamline operations, and manage the platform efficiently.
Here, we list the major challenges of taxi app startups and how a dispatch solution effectively addresses them.
Let’s find it clearly!
Slow Manual Dispatch
In the early stages, taxi startups can depend on phone calls or spreadsheets to assign taxis. It leads to delays, lost business trust, mismatched driver-passenger pairings, and frustrated customers. This challenge is addressed by,
Automated GPS-based trip assignment matches riders with the nearest available driver based on their pickup location.
Cab booking software with AI features simplifies the matching within seconds, far more efficient than map-based coordination.
This also predicts demand surges during local events or peak hours, helping manage driver allocation and increase earnings.
By utilizing these capabilities, you can reduce wait times, provide faster rides, and extend cab bookings without any bottlenecks.
Summing Up
Nowadays, standing out in a competitive taxi marketplace is critical. If you’re an entrepreneur ready to launch or already running a business, it’s important to take note of the challenges and solutions mentioned above.
Consider these points, and start choosing a taxi dispatch software with these functionalities to ensure instant success and growth.
Subscribe for more updates. Thank you for reading!
https://www.trioangle.com/...
#TaxiSoftwareUSA #USATaxiTech #DispatchSoftwareUK #UKTransportTech #TaxiAppCanada #RideshareAU #TaxiSoftwareGermany #FleetManagementSoftware #RideshareTechnology #taxidispatchsoftware
3 months ago
Grow your crypto profits with our Triangular Arbitrage Bot Development solutions. Detect real-time price differences, minimize risks, and achieve steady returns through advanced automation designed for traders, startups, and global enterprises.
To More Information : https://www.addustechnolog...
#CryptoTrading #ArbitrageBot #CryptoProfits #BlockchainSolutions #TradingAutomation #CryptoInvestment #CryptoBusiness #FinTechSolutions #CryptoMarket
To More Information : https://www.addustechnolog...
#CryptoTrading #ArbitrageBot #CryptoProfits #BlockchainSolutions #TradingAutomation #CryptoInvestment #CryptoBusiness #FinTechSolutions #CryptoMarket
3 months ago
Build your own freelance marketplace with a fully customizable #FiverrCloneScript . Designed to support the fast-growing #GigEconomy , this solution comes with an intuitive interface, #SecurePaymentIntegration , and powerful features that benefit both #Freelancers and #Clients .
From service listings, project management, and in-app communication to ratings, reviews, and dispute resolution, this platform has everything you need to create a smooth and professional #FreelanceMarketplace .
Whether you’re looking to launch a niche talent hub or a large-scale gig platform, the #FiverrClone makes it possible to scale quickly while ensuring a seamless user experience.
https://oyelabs.com/fiverr...
From service listings, project management, and in-app communication to ratings, reviews, and dispute resolution, this platform has everything you need to create a smooth and professional #FreelanceMarketplace .
Whether you’re looking to launch a niche talent hub or a large-scale gig platform, the #FiverrClone makes it possible to scale quickly while ensuring a seamless user experience.
https://oyelabs.com/fiverr...
3 months ago
In trading, a split second can decide profit or loss. That’s why High-Frequency Trading (HFT) Bots are game changers. They trade in milliseconds, capture tiny price moves, and give you the edge. At Beleaf Technologies, the most trusted HFT Bot Development Company, we build bots that are:
✅ Ultra-fast & reliable
✅ Capable of thousands of trades/sec
✅ Tailored to your strategies
With us, speed meets efficiency—so you win.
Book your free call: https://beleaftechnologies... Whatsapp: +91 7904323274
Telegram: BeleafSoftTech
Mail to: businessbeleaftechnologies.com
✅ Ultra-fast & reliable
✅ Capable of thousands of trades/sec
✅ Tailored to your strategies
With us, speed meets efficiency—so you win.
Book your free call: https://beleaftechnologies... Whatsapp: +91 7904323274
Telegram: BeleafSoftTech
Mail to: businessbeleaftechnologies.com
3 months ago
Etsy Clone: Launch Your Profitable Online Selling App Today
Welcome, aspiring ecommerce entrepreneurs!.
The multi-vendor marketplace is booming vigorously, fueled by mobile penetration and innovative solutions. It provides immense opportunities for businesses to drive revenue and growth. An Etsy clone script is one of the most promising platforms for turning your vision into a thriving reality.
This blog guides you through the building steps and proven strategies for the Etsy Clone app. Get ready to discover here!.
What is the Etsy Clone Script?
An Etsy clone script is a built-in solution that duplicates the core features of the multi-vendor app Etsy. This is designed with dedicated features to help businesses create their own online selling app without starting development from scratch.
It allows buyers to search and purchase products from different sellers through effortless order placement and secure shipping. This white-label marketplace script works smoothly on both web and mobile platforms, offering a new shopping experience for buyers and sellers.
With this ready-made solution, you can deploy the app in a few days and quickly attract the modern community of users.
How the Etsy Clone Revolutionizes Your Business?
Now, let’ see the revolutionizing factors that make the Etsy Clone a game-changer of an eCommerce business. Dive in.
In a Nutshell,
We believe this blog provides you with detailed insights to build a successful Etsy clone app that delivers seamless buying experiences.
For more tips and updates, subscribe to my account and get upcoming guides on e-commerce marketplace app development.
Stay tuned!.
https://www.trioangle.com/...
#EtsyClone #EcommerceClone #MarketplaceScript #OnlineMarketplace #EcommerceBusiness #EtsyCloneUSA #EtsyCloneUK #EtsyCloneAustralia #EtsyCloneCanada
Welcome, aspiring ecommerce entrepreneurs!.
The multi-vendor marketplace is booming vigorously, fueled by mobile penetration and innovative solutions. It provides immense opportunities for businesses to drive revenue and growth. An Etsy clone script is one of the most promising platforms for turning your vision into a thriving reality.
This blog guides you through the building steps and proven strategies for the Etsy Clone app. Get ready to discover here!.
What is the Etsy Clone Script?
An Etsy clone script is a built-in solution that duplicates the core features of the multi-vendor app Etsy. This is designed with dedicated features to help businesses create their own online selling app without starting development from scratch.
It allows buyers to search and purchase products from different sellers through effortless order placement and secure shipping. This white-label marketplace script works smoothly on both web and mobile platforms, offering a new shopping experience for buyers and sellers.
With this ready-made solution, you can deploy the app in a few days and quickly attract the modern community of users.
How the Etsy Clone Revolutionizes Your Business?
Now, let’ see the revolutionizing factors that make the Etsy Clone a game-changer of an eCommerce business. Dive in.
In a Nutshell,
We believe this blog provides you with detailed insights to build a successful Etsy clone app that delivers seamless buying experiences.
For more tips and updates, subscribe to my account and get upcoming guides on e-commerce marketplace app development.
Stay tuned!.
https://www.trioangle.com/...
#EtsyClone #EcommerceClone #MarketplaceScript #OnlineMarketplace #EcommerceBusiness #EtsyCloneUSA #EtsyCloneUK #EtsyCloneAustralia #EtsyCloneCanada
3 months ago
Stay ahead of every trade with our MEV Bot - Beleaf Technologies
Opportunities in blockchain markets vanish in seconds. Our MEV Bot captures high-profit trades with unmatched speed and pinpoint accuracy, helping traders make smarter, faster decisions. We prioritize reliability, efficiency, and robust security so you can trade confidently without missing a single opportunity. With real-time monitoring and adaptive strategies, our solution thrives in dynamic market conditions. Experience a seamless, results-driven trading process designed to maximize gains and minimize risks.
Get a Free Consultation !
Visit Us >>>> https://www.beleaftechnolo...
Got Question ?
Let’s Talk >>>> WhatsApp: +91 7904323274
Telegram: BeleafSoftTech
Email: businessbeleaftechnologies.com
Opportunities in blockchain markets vanish in seconds. Our MEV Bot captures high-profit trades with unmatched speed and pinpoint accuracy, helping traders make smarter, faster decisions. We prioritize reliability, efficiency, and robust security so you can trade confidently without missing a single opportunity. With real-time monitoring and adaptive strategies, our solution thrives in dynamic market conditions. Experience a seamless, results-driven trading process designed to maximize gains and minimize risks.
Get a Free Consultation !
Visit Us >>>> https://www.beleaftechnolo...
Got Question ?
Let’s Talk >>>> WhatsApp: +91 7904323274
Telegram: BeleafSoftTech
Email: businessbeleaftechnologies.com
4 months ago
Did You Know “How Africa’s Gold Still Fuels the Global Economy”
How Africa’s Gold Still Fuels the Global Economy
Africa has been known as the “Gold Continent” for centuries — from the legendary wealth of ancient empires like Ghana, Mali, and Songhai to today’s massive gold mining industries.
Yet, the story of African gold is not just about riches buried underground; it’s about how this precious metal continues to shape global markets, economies, and power dynamics today.
Africa’s Rich Gold Legacy-
For centuries, African gold attracted traders, explorers, and conquerors. The Mali Empire’s Mansa Musa famously showcased his empire’s gold wealth on his pilgrimage to Mecca in the 14th century, placing West Africa on the world map as a source of immense wealth. Gold fueled the rise of kingdoms, financed trade routes, and symbolized power.
Modern Gold Production in Africa
Today, Africa remains a major gold producer. Countries like:
South Africa — once the world’s largest producer, with famous mines like Witwatersrand
Ghana — “the Gold Coast,” rich in both alluvial and deep mines
Mali — home to large-scale gold mining projects
Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, and others — significant gold producers
Gold mining is a major source of revenue, employment, and foreign exchange for these nations.
How African Gold Fuels the Global Economy
Global Supply Chains
African gold enters complex global supply chains, eventually becoming:
Jewelry worn worldwide
Electronics and smartphones (gold is an excellent conductor used in circuits)
Financial reserves and investment assets
Foreign Investment and Control
Much of Africa’s gold mining industry is operated or financed by multinational corporations headquartered in Europe, North America, and increasingly Asia. These companies:
Extract vast quantities of gold
Export most of it for refining and manufacturing abroad
Repatriate profits, often with limited benefit to local economies
Economic Impact on African Nations
Gold mining can boost economies through taxes and jobs, but challenges remain:
-Environmental degradation and social displacement
-Revenue leakages due to corruption and opaque contracts
-Unequal wealth distribution leaving many mining communities impoverished
-Gold’s Role in Financial Markets
Gold from Africa contributes to global reserves held by central banks and private investors, impacting:
-Currency stability and monetary policy
-Wealth preservation in times of economic uncertainty
The Challenges and Opportunities-
-Transparency and Fair Trade: Efforts like the Kimberley Process for diamonds have parallels in gold to reduce illegal mining and smuggling.
-Sustainable Mining Practices: Balancing economic benefits with environmental protection is crucial.
-Local Empowerment: Increasing African ownership and control over gold resources can boost development.
-Technology and Innovation: New mining technologies and better governance could improve outcomes.
Conclusion-
Africa’s gold is more than a mineral resource — it’s a link between continents, economies, and histories. While it continues to fuel the global economy, the challenge remains to ensure that the wealth generated benefits Africans themselves, helping to build sustainable prosperity across the continent.
Quote for Thought-
“Africa’s gold shines on the world stage, but its brightest future is in African hands.”
— Voices for Change
How Africa’s Gold Still Fuels the Global Economy
Africa has been known as the “Gold Continent” for centuries — from the legendary wealth of ancient empires like Ghana, Mali, and Songhai to today’s massive gold mining industries.
Yet, the story of African gold is not just about riches buried underground; it’s about how this precious metal continues to shape global markets, economies, and power dynamics today.
Africa’s Rich Gold Legacy-
For centuries, African gold attracted traders, explorers, and conquerors. The Mali Empire’s Mansa Musa famously showcased his empire’s gold wealth on his pilgrimage to Mecca in the 14th century, placing West Africa on the world map as a source of immense wealth. Gold fueled the rise of kingdoms, financed trade routes, and symbolized power.
Modern Gold Production in Africa
Today, Africa remains a major gold producer. Countries like:
South Africa — once the world’s largest producer, with famous mines like Witwatersrand
Ghana — “the Gold Coast,” rich in both alluvial and deep mines
Mali — home to large-scale gold mining projects
Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, and others — significant gold producers
Gold mining is a major source of revenue, employment, and foreign exchange for these nations.
How African Gold Fuels the Global Economy
Global Supply Chains
African gold enters complex global supply chains, eventually becoming:
Jewelry worn worldwide
Electronics and smartphones (gold is an excellent conductor used in circuits)
Financial reserves and investment assets
Foreign Investment and Control
Much of Africa’s gold mining industry is operated or financed by multinational corporations headquartered in Europe, North America, and increasingly Asia. These companies:
Extract vast quantities of gold
Export most of it for refining and manufacturing abroad
Repatriate profits, often with limited benefit to local economies
Economic Impact on African Nations
Gold mining can boost economies through taxes and jobs, but challenges remain:
-Environmental degradation and social displacement
-Revenue leakages due to corruption and opaque contracts
-Unequal wealth distribution leaving many mining communities impoverished
-Gold’s Role in Financial Markets
Gold from Africa contributes to global reserves held by central banks and private investors, impacting:
-Currency stability and monetary policy
-Wealth preservation in times of economic uncertainty
The Challenges and Opportunities-
-Transparency and Fair Trade: Efforts like the Kimberley Process for diamonds have parallels in gold to reduce illegal mining and smuggling.
-Sustainable Mining Practices: Balancing economic benefits with environmental protection is crucial.
-Local Empowerment: Increasing African ownership and control over gold resources can boost development.
-Technology and Innovation: New mining technologies and better governance could improve outcomes.
Conclusion-
Africa’s gold is more than a mineral resource — it’s a link between continents, economies, and histories. While it continues to fuel the global economy, the challenge remains to ensure that the wealth generated benefits Africans themselves, helping to build sustainable prosperity across the continent.
Quote for Thought-
“Africa’s gold shines on the world stage, but its brightest future is in African hands.”
— Voices for Change
4 months ago
Focus on Cyber Warfare and Fraud-
Are Southeast Asian nations also developing offensive cyber capabilities? If so, why?
Southeast Asian nations are increasingly developing and investing in their offensive cyber capabilities, albeit to varying degrees depending on their resources and strategic priorities. This development is often more subtle and less publicly acknowledged than defensive measures, but it's a growing trend driven by a complex mix of motivations.
Here's why:
Why Southeast Asian Nations are Developing Offensive Cyber Capabilities:
Deterrence and Self-Defense:
Responding to External Threats: Southeast Asia is a prime target for cyberattacks from major powers (like China, as seen with groups like SharpPanda) and other nation-state actors (e.g., North Korea, Russia). Developing offensive capabilities is seen as a necessary means to deter potential adversaries by demonstrating a credible ability to retaliate or impose costs in cyberspace.
Asymmetric Warfare: For smaller nations with limited conventional military power, cyber capabilities offer an asymmetric advantage. They provide a cost-effective way to project power and defend national interests against larger, more technologically advanced adversaries without resorting to traditional armed conflict.
Maintaining Sovereignty: In an increasingly digital world, the ability to operate effectively in cyberspace, including offensively, is seen as crucial for maintaining national sovereignty and protecting critical infrastructure from foreign interference or attacks.
Intelligence Gathering and Espionage:
National Security Intelligence: Offensive cyber tools are essential for gathering intelligence on geopolitical rivals, regional disputes (e.g., in the South China Sea), terrorist groups, and internal political dynamics in neighboring countries. This intelligence helps inform national security policies and decision-making.
Economic Espionage: Some nations may use offensive cyber capabilities to acquire intellectual property, trade secrets, or economic intelligence to support their national industries and accelerate economic growth. Vietnam's cyber activities, for instance, are often linked to economic espionage.
Support for Conventional Military Operations (Hybrid Warfare):
Force Multiplier: Cyber operations can serve as a force multiplier in military conflicts. They can be used to disrupt enemy command and control systems, communication networks, logistics, and critical infrastructure (e.g., power grids, transportation) before or during kinetic operations.
Preparation of the Battlefield: Offensive cyber capabilities allow for the "preparation of the digital battlefield," including gaining persistent access to adversary networks, mapping vulnerabilities, and planting malware for potential activation in a crisis.
Counter-Cybercrime and Counter-Terrorism:
While distinct from state-sponsored "offensive cyber capabilities" in a military sense, some nations may develop advanced forensic and "active defense" capabilities that blur the lines, allowing them to trace and disrupt cybercriminal or terrorist networks. This can involve operations that might be considered offensive by some definitions.
Protection of Critical National Infrastructure (CNI):
While primarily defensive, the ability to conduct offensive reconnaissance or "hunt" for threats within critical infrastructure (even abroad) might be seen as a necessary part of a comprehensive CNI protection strategy. Knowing how to attack helps inform how to defend.
Regional Geopolitical Dynamics:
The intensifying cybersecurity landscape, with major powers like the U.S. and China actively operating in cyberspace, compels Southeast Asian nations to enhance their own capabilities to avoid being passive targets or proxies in larger cyber conflicts.
Specific regional disputes (like the South China Sea) further incentivize the development of capabilities to protect national interests and gather relevant information.
Varying Degrees of Capability:
It's important to note that the level of offensive cyber capability varies significantly across Southeast Asian nations:
Singapore is widely recognized as a leader in cybersecurity within ASEAN, with significant investments in both defensive and offensive capabilities, sophisticated intelligence agencies, and a strong focus on critical infrastructure protection.
Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam also have increasingly sophisticated capabilities, driven by their strategic positions and economic development goals. Vietnam, as mentioned, has known state-sponsored groups engaged in advanced espionage.
Other nations like Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar generally have more nascent cyber defense infrastructures and limited resources, meaning their offensive capabilities would be far less developed, if present at all, and likely limited to basic actions or rely on foreign assistance.
In conclusion, the development of offensive cyber capabilities in Southeast Asia is a pragmatic response to a rapidly evolving digital threat landscape. It's driven by the need for self-defense, intelligence gathering, strategic deterrence, and the desire to project influence and protect national interests in an increasingly interconnected and contested cyberspace.
Are Southeast Asian nations also developing offensive cyber capabilities? If so, why?
Southeast Asian nations are increasingly developing and investing in their offensive cyber capabilities, albeit to varying degrees depending on their resources and strategic priorities. This development is often more subtle and less publicly acknowledged than defensive measures, but it's a growing trend driven by a complex mix of motivations.
Here's why:
Why Southeast Asian Nations are Developing Offensive Cyber Capabilities:
Deterrence and Self-Defense:
Responding to External Threats: Southeast Asia is a prime target for cyberattacks from major powers (like China, as seen with groups like SharpPanda) and other nation-state actors (e.g., North Korea, Russia). Developing offensive capabilities is seen as a necessary means to deter potential adversaries by demonstrating a credible ability to retaliate or impose costs in cyberspace.
Asymmetric Warfare: For smaller nations with limited conventional military power, cyber capabilities offer an asymmetric advantage. They provide a cost-effective way to project power and defend national interests against larger, more technologically advanced adversaries without resorting to traditional armed conflict.
Maintaining Sovereignty: In an increasingly digital world, the ability to operate effectively in cyberspace, including offensively, is seen as crucial for maintaining national sovereignty and protecting critical infrastructure from foreign interference or attacks.
Intelligence Gathering and Espionage:
National Security Intelligence: Offensive cyber tools are essential for gathering intelligence on geopolitical rivals, regional disputes (e.g., in the South China Sea), terrorist groups, and internal political dynamics in neighboring countries. This intelligence helps inform national security policies and decision-making.
Economic Espionage: Some nations may use offensive cyber capabilities to acquire intellectual property, trade secrets, or economic intelligence to support their national industries and accelerate economic growth. Vietnam's cyber activities, for instance, are often linked to economic espionage.
Support for Conventional Military Operations (Hybrid Warfare):
Force Multiplier: Cyber operations can serve as a force multiplier in military conflicts. They can be used to disrupt enemy command and control systems, communication networks, logistics, and critical infrastructure (e.g., power grids, transportation) before or during kinetic operations.
Preparation of the Battlefield: Offensive cyber capabilities allow for the "preparation of the digital battlefield," including gaining persistent access to adversary networks, mapping vulnerabilities, and planting malware for potential activation in a crisis.
Counter-Cybercrime and Counter-Terrorism:
While distinct from state-sponsored "offensive cyber capabilities" in a military sense, some nations may develop advanced forensic and "active defense" capabilities that blur the lines, allowing them to trace and disrupt cybercriminal or terrorist networks. This can involve operations that might be considered offensive by some definitions.
Protection of Critical National Infrastructure (CNI):
While primarily defensive, the ability to conduct offensive reconnaissance or "hunt" for threats within critical infrastructure (even abroad) might be seen as a necessary part of a comprehensive CNI protection strategy. Knowing how to attack helps inform how to defend.
Regional Geopolitical Dynamics:
The intensifying cybersecurity landscape, with major powers like the U.S. and China actively operating in cyberspace, compels Southeast Asian nations to enhance their own capabilities to avoid being passive targets or proxies in larger cyber conflicts.
Specific regional disputes (like the South China Sea) further incentivize the development of capabilities to protect national interests and gather relevant information.
Varying Degrees of Capability:
It's important to note that the level of offensive cyber capability varies significantly across Southeast Asian nations:
Singapore is widely recognized as a leader in cybersecurity within ASEAN, with significant investments in both defensive and offensive capabilities, sophisticated intelligence agencies, and a strong focus on critical infrastructure protection.
Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam also have increasingly sophisticated capabilities, driven by their strategic positions and economic development goals. Vietnam, as mentioned, has known state-sponsored groups engaged in advanced espionage.
Other nations like Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar generally have more nascent cyber defense infrastructures and limited resources, meaning their offensive capabilities would be far less developed, if present at all, and likely limited to basic actions or rely on foreign assistance.
In conclusion, the development of offensive cyber capabilities in Southeast Asia is a pragmatic response to a rapidly evolving digital threat landscape. It's driven by the need for self-defense, intelligence gathering, strategic deterrence, and the desire to project influence and protect national interests in an increasingly interconnected and contested cyberspace.
4 months ago
Focus Nigeria-
How can public hospitals be improved to serve the poor better?
Improving public hospitals to better serve the poor requires a comprehensive strategy that addresses the core issues of funding, infrastructure, human resources, efficiency, and patient-centered care.
For a country like Nigeria, where the majority of the population relies on public healthcare and poverty is widespread, these improvements are vital for national development and social equity.
Here's a detailed approach:
I. Increased and Transparent Funding:
Allocate More Budgetary Resources: Governments at federal, state, and local levels must significantly increase the percentage of their budgets allocated to healthcare, aiming to meet or exceed international recommendations (e.g., the Abuja Declaration's 15%).
Targeted Funding for the Poor: Earmark specific funds for initiatives that directly benefit low-income patients, such as subsidized or free essential services, medications, and diagnostic tests for those who cannot afford them.
Strengthen Health Insurance Schemes (e.g., NHIS):
Expand Coverage: Aggressively expand the reach of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to cover a larger portion of the informal sector and vulnerable populations, potentially through community-based health insurance models or state-led initiatives.
Subsidies for the Poor: Implement government subsidies or premium support for low-income households to ensure they can afford health insurance contributions.
Streamline Processes: Simplify the enrollment and claims processes for the poor to reduce bureaucratic hurdles.
Combat Corruption and Ensure Accountability:
Implement robust financial management systems, regular audits, and strict anti-corruption measures within public hospitals to prevent embezzlement and ensure funds are used for their intended purpose.
Introduce performance-based funding where hospitals receive additional funds based on patient outcomes, efficiency, and satisfaction.
II. Infrastructure and Equipment Upgrade:
Renovation and Modernization: Invest in systematic renovation and modernization of existing public hospital buildings to create clean, safe, and dignified environments.
Equip with Modern Technology: Provide essential, functional diagnostic and treatment equipment (e.g., X-ray machines, ultrasound scanners, laboratory equipment, essential surgical tools). Ensure maintenance contracts and availability of spare parts.
Reliable Utilities: Guarantee constant access to clean water, reliable electricity (invest in solar power as a sustainable backup), and proper waste management systems in all public hospitals.
Basic Amenities: Ensure availability of basic amenities like clean restrooms (separate for male/female), comfortable waiting areas, and proper ventilation.
III. Human Resources Development and Motivation:
Adequate Staffing: Recruit and retain a sufficient number of qualified doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, and other support staff to reduce workload and improve patient-to-staff ratios.
Competitive Remuneration and Welfare: Offer attractive and timely salaries, allowances, and a comprehensive benefits package (including health insurance and pensions) to stem the brain drain and motivate staff.
Continuous Professional Development (CPD): Provide regular training opportunities to upgrade skills, keep staff abreast of new medical advancements, and improve patient communication.
Ethical Conduct and Empathy Training: Conduct mandatory training on medical ethics, patient rights, empathy, and respectful communication, particularly towards low-income patients who may feel disempowered.
Performance Incentives: Introduce performance-based incentives for staff tied to patient satisfaction, quality of care, and efficiency, rather than just volume.
Safety and Security: Enhance security measures within hospital premises to protect staff from harassment or violence.
IV. Operational Efficiency and Patient-Centered Care:
Streamline Processes: Implement efficient patient flow systems, from registration to consultation, diagnosis, and treatment, to reduce long waiting times and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
Digitalization (Electronic Health Records - EHR):
Implement EHR systems to improve record-keeping, reduce errors, enhance data sharing among departments, and enable better patient tracking.
Digitalize appointment scheduling and billing to minimize human interface and reduce opportunities for corruption.
Focus on Primary Healthcare (PHC): Strengthen the referral system from PHC centers to secondary and tertiary public hospitals. Well-equipped and staffed PHCs can manage common ailments, reducing the burden on hospitals and making basic care accessible at the community level.
Culturally Sensitive Care: Train staff to understand and respect the cultural beliefs and practices of diverse patient populations, which can influence health-seeking behaviors.
Patient Feedback Mechanisms: Establish accessible and confidential channels for patients to provide feedback, lodge complaints, and make suggestions for improvement. Use this feedback to drive continuous improvement.
Transparency and Information: Clearly display service costs (if any), patients' rights, and grievance procedures. Provide clear information about treatment plans in a language patients understand.
V. Innovative Service Delivery Models:
Mobile Clinics and Outreach Programs: Implement mobile health clinics that travel to underserved rural communities, providing basic diagnostic, preventive, and primary care services, as well as health education.
Telemedicine: Leverage telemedicine for remote consultations, specialist opinions, and follow-ups, particularly for patients in remote areas where specialists are scarce. This can reduce travel costs and time for patients.
Community Health Workers (CHWs): Train and deploy CHWs from within the communities to act as a link between the community and the health system, providing basic health education, screening, and facilitating referrals.
Partnerships with NGOs and CSOs: Collaborate with non-governmental organizations and civil society organizations that have experience in delivering healthcare to underserved populations.
By implementing these strategies, public hospitals can move towards becoming trusted, accessible, and high-quality healthcare providers for all, especially the most vulnerable members of society.
How can public hospitals be improved to serve the poor better?
Improving public hospitals to better serve the poor requires a comprehensive strategy that addresses the core issues of funding, infrastructure, human resources, efficiency, and patient-centered care.
For a country like Nigeria, where the majority of the population relies on public healthcare and poverty is widespread, these improvements are vital for national development and social equity.
Here's a detailed approach:
I. Increased and Transparent Funding:
Allocate More Budgetary Resources: Governments at federal, state, and local levels must significantly increase the percentage of their budgets allocated to healthcare, aiming to meet or exceed international recommendations (e.g., the Abuja Declaration's 15%).
Targeted Funding for the Poor: Earmark specific funds for initiatives that directly benefit low-income patients, such as subsidized or free essential services, medications, and diagnostic tests for those who cannot afford them.
Strengthen Health Insurance Schemes (e.g., NHIS):
Expand Coverage: Aggressively expand the reach of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to cover a larger portion of the informal sector and vulnerable populations, potentially through community-based health insurance models or state-led initiatives.
Subsidies for the Poor: Implement government subsidies or premium support for low-income households to ensure they can afford health insurance contributions.
Streamline Processes: Simplify the enrollment and claims processes for the poor to reduce bureaucratic hurdles.
Combat Corruption and Ensure Accountability:
Implement robust financial management systems, regular audits, and strict anti-corruption measures within public hospitals to prevent embezzlement and ensure funds are used for their intended purpose.
Introduce performance-based funding where hospitals receive additional funds based on patient outcomes, efficiency, and satisfaction.
II. Infrastructure and Equipment Upgrade:
Renovation and Modernization: Invest in systematic renovation and modernization of existing public hospital buildings to create clean, safe, and dignified environments.
Equip with Modern Technology: Provide essential, functional diagnostic and treatment equipment (e.g., X-ray machines, ultrasound scanners, laboratory equipment, essential surgical tools). Ensure maintenance contracts and availability of spare parts.
Reliable Utilities: Guarantee constant access to clean water, reliable electricity (invest in solar power as a sustainable backup), and proper waste management systems in all public hospitals.
Basic Amenities: Ensure availability of basic amenities like clean restrooms (separate for male/female), comfortable waiting areas, and proper ventilation.
III. Human Resources Development and Motivation:
Adequate Staffing: Recruit and retain a sufficient number of qualified doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, and other support staff to reduce workload and improve patient-to-staff ratios.
Competitive Remuneration and Welfare: Offer attractive and timely salaries, allowances, and a comprehensive benefits package (including health insurance and pensions) to stem the brain drain and motivate staff.
Continuous Professional Development (CPD): Provide regular training opportunities to upgrade skills, keep staff abreast of new medical advancements, and improve patient communication.
Ethical Conduct and Empathy Training: Conduct mandatory training on medical ethics, patient rights, empathy, and respectful communication, particularly towards low-income patients who may feel disempowered.
Performance Incentives: Introduce performance-based incentives for staff tied to patient satisfaction, quality of care, and efficiency, rather than just volume.
Safety and Security: Enhance security measures within hospital premises to protect staff from harassment or violence.
IV. Operational Efficiency and Patient-Centered Care:
Streamline Processes: Implement efficient patient flow systems, from registration to consultation, diagnosis, and treatment, to reduce long waiting times and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
Digitalization (Electronic Health Records - EHR):
Implement EHR systems to improve record-keeping, reduce errors, enhance data sharing among departments, and enable better patient tracking.
Digitalize appointment scheduling and billing to minimize human interface and reduce opportunities for corruption.
Focus on Primary Healthcare (PHC): Strengthen the referral system from PHC centers to secondary and tertiary public hospitals. Well-equipped and staffed PHCs can manage common ailments, reducing the burden on hospitals and making basic care accessible at the community level.
Culturally Sensitive Care: Train staff to understand and respect the cultural beliefs and practices of diverse patient populations, which can influence health-seeking behaviors.
Patient Feedback Mechanisms: Establish accessible and confidential channels for patients to provide feedback, lodge complaints, and make suggestions for improvement. Use this feedback to drive continuous improvement.
Transparency and Information: Clearly display service costs (if any), patients' rights, and grievance procedures. Provide clear information about treatment plans in a language patients understand.
V. Innovative Service Delivery Models:
Mobile Clinics and Outreach Programs: Implement mobile health clinics that travel to underserved rural communities, providing basic diagnostic, preventive, and primary care services, as well as health education.
Telemedicine: Leverage telemedicine for remote consultations, specialist opinions, and follow-ups, particularly for patients in remote areas where specialists are scarce. This can reduce travel costs and time for patients.
Community Health Workers (CHWs): Train and deploy CHWs from within the communities to act as a link between the community and the health system, providing basic health education, screening, and facilitating referrals.
Partnerships with NGOs and CSOs: Collaborate with non-governmental organizations and civil society organizations that have experience in delivering healthcare to underserved populations.
By implementing these strategies, public hospitals can move towards becoming trusted, accessible, and high-quality healthcare providers for all, especially the most vulnerable members of society.
4 months ago
Focus Africa-
Are we giving up control over our supply chains, critical infrastructure, and even values?
There's a strong argument to be made that we are ceding control over our supply chains, critical infrastructure, and even cultural values due to economic dependency.
This is not a sudden surrender but a gradual process that can have profound long-term consequences for national sovereignty.
Supply Chain Control:-
Licensed by Google-
A heavy reliance on foreign imports, especially from a single country or region, means we've effectively handed over control of our supply chains to others. This vulnerability was starkly exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when global supply chains for everything from medical equipment to basic consumer goods were disrupted.
This dependence creates a major national security risk because a foreign power could use its control over these supply chains as a tool for economic coercion or sabotage. For instance, a country could restrict the export of a critical component to gain a political concession.
Critical Infrastructure-
Foreign investment in a nation's critical infrastructure—like ports, energy grids, and telecommunications networks—can be a major source of economic growth, but it also carries significant risks. Giving foreign entities control or even substantial influence over these assets could allow them to engage in espionage, disrupt services, or create vulnerabilities that could be exploited in a conflict. Many governments have created foreign investment review boards to vet such investments for national security risks, recognizing that foreign ownership of these assets can compromise a country's ability to operate independently.
Cultural Values-
Economic dependency acts as a Trojan horse for cultural influence. The influx of foreign goods and media from a dominant trading partner can subtly but powerfully shape local tastes, values, and norms.
This process, known as cultural homogenization, can lead to the erosion of local traditions and the adoption of a more universal, consumer-driven culture.
This isn't necessarily a top-down order; it often happens organically as people are exposed to and embrace popular foreign products, entertainment, and lifestyles.
Over time, this can lead to a decline in cultural identity and a shift in a nation's collective values, further entrenching the influence of the dominant foreign power.
Are we giving up control over our supply chains, critical infrastructure, and even values?
There's a strong argument to be made that we are ceding control over our supply chains, critical infrastructure, and even cultural values due to economic dependency.
This is not a sudden surrender but a gradual process that can have profound long-term consequences for national sovereignty.
Supply Chain Control:-
Licensed by Google-
A heavy reliance on foreign imports, especially from a single country or region, means we've effectively handed over control of our supply chains to others. This vulnerability was starkly exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when global supply chains for everything from medical equipment to basic consumer goods were disrupted.
This dependence creates a major national security risk because a foreign power could use its control over these supply chains as a tool for economic coercion or sabotage. For instance, a country could restrict the export of a critical component to gain a political concession.
Critical Infrastructure-
Foreign investment in a nation's critical infrastructure—like ports, energy grids, and telecommunications networks—can be a major source of economic growth, but it also carries significant risks. Giving foreign entities control or even substantial influence over these assets could allow them to engage in espionage, disrupt services, or create vulnerabilities that could be exploited in a conflict. Many governments have created foreign investment review boards to vet such investments for national security risks, recognizing that foreign ownership of these assets can compromise a country's ability to operate independently.
Cultural Values-
Economic dependency acts as a Trojan horse for cultural influence. The influx of foreign goods and media from a dominant trading partner can subtly but powerfully shape local tastes, values, and norms.
This process, known as cultural homogenization, can lead to the erosion of local traditions and the adoption of a more universal, consumer-driven culture.
This isn't necessarily a top-down order; it often happens organically as people are exposed to and embrace popular foreign products, entertainment, and lifestyles.
Over time, this can lead to a decline in cultural identity and a shift in a nation's collective values, further entrenching the influence of the dominant foreign power.
4 months ago
Focus Africa-
How does economic dependency translate into political or cultural influence from foreign powers?
Economic dependency translates into political or cultural influence from foreign powers through a process often referred to as soft power.
This influence is non-coercive and stems from the ability to attract and persuade rather than to threaten or force. When a country becomes heavily reliant on another for trade, investment, or aid, it becomes vulnerable to both direct and indirect forms of external influence.
Political Influence-
Economic dependency gives foreign powers significant political leverage. The dominant country can use its economic relationship to pressure the dependent country into aligning its policies with its own interests.
Conditional Aid and Loans: International organizations or dominant countries often attach conditions to aid or loans. These conditions may require the recipient country to adopt specific economic policies, such as deregulation, privatization, or trade liberalization, which can open up its markets to foreign corporations.
Trade Sanctions and Incentives: A foreign power can threaten to impose trade sanctions or restrict market access to influence a dependent country's political decisions, such as its stance on human rights, territorial disputes, or voting patterns in international forums like the UN. For example, a country heavily reliant on another for a specific good may be forced to make political concessions to ensure that supply chain remains open.
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): Foreign companies, backed by their home governments, can gain significant influence over the host country's domestic policy. They may pressure the government for tax breaks, relaxed labor laws, or a more favorable regulatory environment in exchange for continued investment and job creation.
Cultural Influence-
Economic dependency is a key vehicle for the spread of cultural influence. When a country's products, media, and technology dominate a market, they bring with them a set of values, norms, and lifestyles.
Media and Consumerism: The proliferation of foreign media, films, music, and social media platforms can shape a local population's tastes, values, and aspirations. This can lead to a shift away from traditional cultural practices toward a more global, often Western or Chinese, consumer culture. The popularity of a country's culture can increase demand for its goods, creating a self-reinforcing cycle.
Educational and Ideological Influence: Economic ties often lead to educational exchanges and the establishment of foreign-funded institutions. This can influence the curriculum and academic values of the dependent country. For example, a country offering scholarships or establishing cultural centers can promote its language, history, and political ideology, shaping the worldview of a new generation of leaders and professionals.
How does economic dependency translate into political or cultural influence from foreign powers?
Economic dependency translates into political or cultural influence from foreign powers through a process often referred to as soft power.
This influence is non-coercive and stems from the ability to attract and persuade rather than to threaten or force. When a country becomes heavily reliant on another for trade, investment, or aid, it becomes vulnerable to both direct and indirect forms of external influence.
Political Influence-
Economic dependency gives foreign powers significant political leverage. The dominant country can use its economic relationship to pressure the dependent country into aligning its policies with its own interests.
Conditional Aid and Loans: International organizations or dominant countries often attach conditions to aid or loans. These conditions may require the recipient country to adopt specific economic policies, such as deregulation, privatization, or trade liberalization, which can open up its markets to foreign corporations.
Trade Sanctions and Incentives: A foreign power can threaten to impose trade sanctions or restrict market access to influence a dependent country's political decisions, such as its stance on human rights, territorial disputes, or voting patterns in international forums like the UN. For example, a country heavily reliant on another for a specific good may be forced to make political concessions to ensure that supply chain remains open.
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): Foreign companies, backed by their home governments, can gain significant influence over the host country's domestic policy. They may pressure the government for tax breaks, relaxed labor laws, or a more favorable regulatory environment in exchange for continued investment and job creation.
Cultural Influence-
Economic dependency is a key vehicle for the spread of cultural influence. When a country's products, media, and technology dominate a market, they bring with them a set of values, norms, and lifestyles.
Media and Consumerism: The proliferation of foreign media, films, music, and social media platforms can shape a local population's tastes, values, and aspirations. This can lead to a shift away from traditional cultural practices toward a more global, often Western or Chinese, consumer culture. The popularity of a country's culture can increase demand for its goods, creating a self-reinforcing cycle.
Educational and Ideological Influence: Economic ties often lead to educational exchanges and the establishment of foreign-funded institutions. This can influence the curriculum and academic values of the dependent country. For example, a country offering scholarships or establishing cultural centers can promote its language, history, and political ideology, shaping the worldview of a new generation of leaders and professionals.
4 months ago
Israel, Hamas and other Islamic terror groups- All at fault.
Stop The Senseless Slaughter and Starvation in Gaza.
While the world waits and watches for a settlement of the Central European crisis, Gazans die from starvation and from wounds inflicted by Israeli bombs. Much of the world has ignored the suffering there in the same way nations did during the 1930s and 1940s when the United States and its allies were indifferent to the Nazi slaughter of millions of Jews in Europe.
The Gaza Health Ministry run by Hamas estimates that since the Hamas attack on Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, 2023, the number of dead Palestinian men, women and children comes to more than 60,000, with 80 percent of them civilians. The Reuters news agency reports that food supplies are at an all-time low and starvation is at a record high. Parents are watching their children suffer horribly, slowly waste away and eventually die a painful death. Enough already.
Israel claims that it’s military goes to great lengths to avoid civilian casualties. If that is true, military officials are doing a horrible job. Israel has already decapitated Hamas leadership and killed thousands of their soldiers. The nation’s renewed aggression is an attempt to kill a mosquito with a sledgehammer. Things are so horrible in Gaza that even diehard conservatives like Tucker Carlson and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Ga.) have complained about Israeli policies there.
Irish support for Palestinians comes naturally and runs deep. My ancestral homeland was the first member of the European Union to endorse Palestinian statehood. The Irish fully appreciate the horrors of starvation.
The great Irish famine in the 1840s was a product of deliberate state sanctioned starvation. The Bannon and Ryan families came to America in the 19th century because of English starvation policies. There was actually plenty of food in Ireland but the Brits exported everything back home except for potatoes. When the potato blight hit and the crop failed, approximately one million Irish men, women and children died from starvation and sickness and another million left their cherished homeland to settle in America and around the world.
To make the lot of the Palestinians worse, if that’s even possible, Israel wants to launch an another offensive in Gaza City and turn it into a military enclave by removing the native population. The big difference between the Irish diaspora and the natives of Gaza is they have nowhere to go to begin a new life like my family did. Trump’s crusade to deport Mexicans and Muslims doesn’t allow any opportunities here for displaced Arabs. Even the European nations sympathetic to the Palestinian cause are under pressure from anti-immigration groups.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cruel policies create more problems than it solves with military aggression and starvation in Gaza. Israeli government policies will produce short-term gain of territory for long-term pain.
Israeli’s actions will create a new generation of terrorists which will plague the nation and its allies for a generation. Clear out Gaza for the valuable real estate that may one day house a luxury Trump casino and resort on the Mediterranean. The new lavish coastal resorts inevitably will become a target for attacks by a new generation of displaced Gazans.
Israel is a small nation surrounded by danger. Survival requires friends and allies abroad. But the country’s draconian actions have eroded the respect of Europeans and Americans who have stood by the nation in the past.
Trump broke with Netanyahu who denied the existence of starvation in the strip. But the president hasn’t done anything to follow up on his pledge to feed the hungry. Napoleon said that an army marches on its stomach. Terrorists attack on empty stomachs.
Trump’s former national security advisor John Bolton believes that more than anything else his former boss wants a Nobel Peace Prize. Give the devil his due and let him have the honor if he’s brave and caring enough to send massive supplies of food and medicine there, to stop the Israeli military offensive and to force Hamas to release the Israeli hostages. If he alleviates the crisis, the world will see him in a much brighter light.
If Trump really wants to stop the senseless civilian slaughter and starvation and earn the great honor, he must turn the screws on Netanyahu. The ball is in Trump’s court.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
South Sudan ‘approves’ Israeli plan to send Gazans to country-
South Sudan’s cabinet has agreed to receive Palestinians from the Gaza Strip following a request from Israel, The Telegraph has learnt.
A foreign ministry official in Juba said the government had approved the request as part of a deal which also involved the US and United Arab Emirates.
The move comes as Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, is attempting to revive the controversial idea of “voluntary” resettlement of civilians from the enclave.
On Wednesday, South Sudan described claims of a deal as “baseless” and not reflective of official government policy.
However, it has been claimed that the government has in fact agreed to work with Israel, raising the potential of a serious row from countries who oppose any suggestion of resettlement of Gazans.
The UAE would provide accompanying funding, which would be an economic lifeline for one of the poorest countries on Earth, the foreign ministry official said.
Meanwhile, America would lift sanctions on South Sudan, and Israel would invest in health and education.
“The South Sudanese land is enough to host more people from different nations, and also it’s good for the South Sudanese to open wide the window for external business to grow the economy,” the official said.
He added that the deal had been agreed by the cabinet but faced stiff opposition elsewhere, meaning the government was unwilling to acknowledge it.
“This kind of deal is not easy for South Sudanese to understand right now and also we have a very complex political situation in South Sudan,” he said.
One MP told The Telegraph that the matter had been discussed in Parliament but rejected by a majority of parliamentarians.
He said: “I myself reject it because South Sudan is a very young country. We are not able to feed ourselves, how can we get more people to live with us?
“In the next meeting we are going to reject it again from the Parliament. This idea is unacceptable to us.”
The debate came as Sharren Haskel, Israel’s deputy foreign minister, arrived in Juba to sign a “memorandum of understanding on bilateral consultations”.
Moving them from one land already ravaged by war and famine to another would only amplify that concern.
‘Voluntary’ relocation
News of the possible South Sudan deal broke after Mr Netanyahu appeared on Israeli television to revive discussion about relocating civilians from the Strip.
The idea was first proposed by Donald Trump, the US president, in February. He said the population should be removed and Gaza completely redeveloped to become part of what he envisaged as a “riviera” in the Middle East.
The Israeli government has floated the idea of relocation, but always said that it should be voluntary.
“Give them the opportunity to leave, first of all, combat zones, and generally to leave the territory, if they want,” said Mr Netanyahu on Tuesday, in comments that did not mention South Sudan.
“We will allow this, first of all within Gaza during the fighting, and we will certainly allow them to leave Gaza as well.”
Numerous foreign capitals and international bodies have previously warned against the plan, with some questioning if resettlement from Gaza could be considered genuinely voluntary, given the catastrophic damage to infrastructure and the dire humanitarian situation.
They have also voiced fears that voluntarily displaced Palestinians would not be allowed to return, citing comments made by Mr Netanyahu’s ultra-nationalist coalition partners calling for the re-establishment of Jewish settlements in Gaza.
A feature of the recent Operation Gideon’s Chariots, Israel’s new ground offensive, has been the wide-scale demolition of residential buildings. It is likely the same tactic will be used in the upcoming assault on Gaza City, confirmed last week.
Forcibly displacing a population could be considered a war crime.
Investigating feasibility
The Associated Press reported multiple sources as confirming the current talks between Israel and South Sudan.
Joe Szlavik, founder of a US lobbying company working for South Sudan, also said that he had been briefed by officials on the talks.
He said an Israeli delegation planned to visit the country to investigate the feasibility of setting up camps.
Ms Haskel’s trip is the first official visit to South Sudan by an Israeli government representative.
In a statement, she said: “While the international community is focused solely on Gaza, South Sudan is facing a real humanitarian crisis and the threat of genuine famine.”
Obvious destinations
As neighbours with formal relations with Israel, Egypt and Jordan would be the most obvious destinations for any departing Palestinians.
However, both have staunchly opposed any such scheme, despite significant pressure from Mr Trump.
Israel is said to have held talks with Indonesia, Libya, Ethiopia, Somalia and Somaliland about the possibility of accepting Gazans, but it was reported that these had not borne fruit.
South Sudan is in desperate need of foreign cash to help itself rebuild after years of instability and war with Sudan, its Arab-dominated neighbor.
It has been reported that they accepted help from Israel’s Mossad spy agency during their civil war with Khartoum.
Emigration inevitable
South Sudan also wants Mr Trump to lift the US travel ban on the country.
But Egypt has reportedly lobbied South Sudan not to co
Stop The Senseless Slaughter and Starvation in Gaza.
While the world waits and watches for a settlement of the Central European crisis, Gazans die from starvation and from wounds inflicted by Israeli bombs. Much of the world has ignored the suffering there in the same way nations did during the 1930s and 1940s when the United States and its allies were indifferent to the Nazi slaughter of millions of Jews in Europe.
The Gaza Health Ministry run by Hamas estimates that since the Hamas attack on Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, 2023, the number of dead Palestinian men, women and children comes to more than 60,000, with 80 percent of them civilians. The Reuters news agency reports that food supplies are at an all-time low and starvation is at a record high. Parents are watching their children suffer horribly, slowly waste away and eventually die a painful death. Enough already.
Israel claims that it’s military goes to great lengths to avoid civilian casualties. If that is true, military officials are doing a horrible job. Israel has already decapitated Hamas leadership and killed thousands of their soldiers. The nation’s renewed aggression is an attempt to kill a mosquito with a sledgehammer. Things are so horrible in Gaza that even diehard conservatives like Tucker Carlson and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Ga.) have complained about Israeli policies there.
Irish support for Palestinians comes naturally and runs deep. My ancestral homeland was the first member of the European Union to endorse Palestinian statehood. The Irish fully appreciate the horrors of starvation.
The great Irish famine in the 1840s was a product of deliberate state sanctioned starvation. The Bannon and Ryan families came to America in the 19th century because of English starvation policies. There was actually plenty of food in Ireland but the Brits exported everything back home except for potatoes. When the potato blight hit and the crop failed, approximately one million Irish men, women and children died from starvation and sickness and another million left their cherished homeland to settle in America and around the world.
To make the lot of the Palestinians worse, if that’s even possible, Israel wants to launch an another offensive in Gaza City and turn it into a military enclave by removing the native population. The big difference between the Irish diaspora and the natives of Gaza is they have nowhere to go to begin a new life like my family did. Trump’s crusade to deport Mexicans and Muslims doesn’t allow any opportunities here for displaced Arabs. Even the European nations sympathetic to the Palestinian cause are under pressure from anti-immigration groups.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cruel policies create more problems than it solves with military aggression and starvation in Gaza. Israeli government policies will produce short-term gain of territory for long-term pain.
Israeli’s actions will create a new generation of terrorists which will plague the nation and its allies for a generation. Clear out Gaza for the valuable real estate that may one day house a luxury Trump casino and resort on the Mediterranean. The new lavish coastal resorts inevitably will become a target for attacks by a new generation of displaced Gazans.
Israel is a small nation surrounded by danger. Survival requires friends and allies abroad. But the country’s draconian actions have eroded the respect of Europeans and Americans who have stood by the nation in the past.
Trump broke with Netanyahu who denied the existence of starvation in the strip. But the president hasn’t done anything to follow up on his pledge to feed the hungry. Napoleon said that an army marches on its stomach. Terrorists attack on empty stomachs.
Trump’s former national security advisor John Bolton believes that more than anything else his former boss wants a Nobel Peace Prize. Give the devil his due and let him have the honor if he’s brave and caring enough to send massive supplies of food and medicine there, to stop the Israeli military offensive and to force Hamas to release the Israeli hostages. If he alleviates the crisis, the world will see him in a much brighter light.
If Trump really wants to stop the senseless civilian slaughter and starvation and earn the great honor, he must turn the screws on Netanyahu. The ball is in Trump’s court.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
South Sudan ‘approves’ Israeli plan to send Gazans to country-
South Sudan’s cabinet has agreed to receive Palestinians from the Gaza Strip following a request from Israel, The Telegraph has learnt.
A foreign ministry official in Juba said the government had approved the request as part of a deal which also involved the US and United Arab Emirates.
The move comes as Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, is attempting to revive the controversial idea of “voluntary” resettlement of civilians from the enclave.
On Wednesday, South Sudan described claims of a deal as “baseless” and not reflective of official government policy.
However, it has been claimed that the government has in fact agreed to work with Israel, raising the potential of a serious row from countries who oppose any suggestion of resettlement of Gazans.
The UAE would provide accompanying funding, which would be an economic lifeline for one of the poorest countries on Earth, the foreign ministry official said.
Meanwhile, America would lift sanctions on South Sudan, and Israel would invest in health and education.
“The South Sudanese land is enough to host more people from different nations, and also it’s good for the South Sudanese to open wide the window for external business to grow the economy,” the official said.
He added that the deal had been agreed by the cabinet but faced stiff opposition elsewhere, meaning the government was unwilling to acknowledge it.
“This kind of deal is not easy for South Sudanese to understand right now and also we have a very complex political situation in South Sudan,” he said.
One MP told The Telegraph that the matter had been discussed in Parliament but rejected by a majority of parliamentarians.
He said: “I myself reject it because South Sudan is a very young country. We are not able to feed ourselves, how can we get more people to live with us?
“In the next meeting we are going to reject it again from the Parliament. This idea is unacceptable to us.”
The debate came as Sharren Haskel, Israel’s deputy foreign minister, arrived in Juba to sign a “memorandum of understanding on bilateral consultations”.
Moving them from one land already ravaged by war and famine to another would only amplify that concern.
‘Voluntary’ relocation
News of the possible South Sudan deal broke after Mr Netanyahu appeared on Israeli television to revive discussion about relocating civilians from the Strip.
The idea was first proposed by Donald Trump, the US president, in February. He said the population should be removed and Gaza completely redeveloped to become part of what he envisaged as a “riviera” in the Middle East.
The Israeli government has floated the idea of relocation, but always said that it should be voluntary.
“Give them the opportunity to leave, first of all, combat zones, and generally to leave the territory, if they want,” said Mr Netanyahu on Tuesday, in comments that did not mention South Sudan.
“We will allow this, first of all within Gaza during the fighting, and we will certainly allow them to leave Gaza as well.”
Numerous foreign capitals and international bodies have previously warned against the plan, with some questioning if resettlement from Gaza could be considered genuinely voluntary, given the catastrophic damage to infrastructure and the dire humanitarian situation.
They have also voiced fears that voluntarily displaced Palestinians would not be allowed to return, citing comments made by Mr Netanyahu’s ultra-nationalist coalition partners calling for the re-establishment of Jewish settlements in Gaza.
A feature of the recent Operation Gideon’s Chariots, Israel’s new ground offensive, has been the wide-scale demolition of residential buildings. It is likely the same tactic will be used in the upcoming assault on Gaza City, confirmed last week.
Forcibly displacing a population could be considered a war crime.
Investigating feasibility
The Associated Press reported multiple sources as confirming the current talks between Israel and South Sudan.
Joe Szlavik, founder of a US lobbying company working for South Sudan, also said that he had been briefed by officials on the talks.
He said an Israeli delegation planned to visit the country to investigate the feasibility of setting up camps.
Ms Haskel’s trip is the first official visit to South Sudan by an Israeli government representative.
In a statement, she said: “While the international community is focused solely on Gaza, South Sudan is facing a real humanitarian crisis and the threat of genuine famine.”
Obvious destinations
As neighbours with formal relations with Israel, Egypt and Jordan would be the most obvious destinations for any departing Palestinians.
However, both have staunchly opposed any such scheme, despite significant pressure from Mr Trump.
Israel is said to have held talks with Indonesia, Libya, Ethiopia, Somalia and Somaliland about the possibility of accepting Gazans, but it was reported that these had not borne fruit.
South Sudan is in desperate need of foreign cash to help itself rebuild after years of instability and war with Sudan, its Arab-dominated neighbor.
It has been reported that they accepted help from Israel’s Mossad spy agency during their civil war with Khartoum.
Emigration inevitable
South Sudan also wants Mr Trump to lift the US travel ban on the country.
But Egypt has reportedly lobbied South Sudan not to co
4 months ago
US and Russia suggest ‘West Bank-style occupation of Ukraine’
The U.S. and Russia are set to suggest a “West Bank-style” occupation of Ukraine as a way of ending the war, according to The London Times.
Under the proposed plans, Russia would have both economic and military control of the occupied parts of Ukraine, utilizing its own governing body, mimicking Israel’s control of Palestinian territory taken from Jordan during the 1967 conflict.
The suggestion was put forward during discussions between President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and his Russian counterparts, a source with insight into the U.S. National Security Council told the paper.
Witkoff, who also serves as the White House’s Middle East envoy, reportedly backs the suggestion, which the U.S. believes will solve the issue of the Ukrainian constitution prohibiting giving up territory without organizing a referendum. While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected any notion of ceding territory, the new occupation proposal may lead to a truce following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022.
According to the proposal, Ukraine’s borders would remain officially unchanged, similar to the borders of the West Bank, even as Israel controls the territory.
“It’ll just be like Israel occupies the West Bank,” the source told The Times.
“With a governor, with an economic situation that goes into Russia, not Ukraine. But it’ll still be Ukraine, because … Ukraine will never give up its sovereignty. But the reality is it’ll be occupied territory and the model is Palestine,” the source added to the paper.
The proposal will almost certainly be part of discussions between Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin set for Friday in Alaska. On Wednesday, Zelensky met with European leaders and Trump ahead of the Russia summit. Zelensky is not set to attend Friday’s summit in person.
Trump reaffirmed during the Wednesday meeting that territorial issues can only be negotiated between Russia and Ukraine, according to French president Emmanuel Macron. The French leader also said Trump wants a ceasefire plan to be finalized during his Friday meeting.
“Any issue which deals with the territorial integrity of Ukraine cannot be discussed just like that, without looking at our constitution and the will of our people,” Zelensky told the press on Friday. “As to our principles, as to our territorial integrity, in the end, will be decided on the level of leaders. Without Ukraine (at the table), it’s impossible to achieve,” Zelensky added.
Zelensky said that a ceasefire should be reached and then security guarantees. He also said that sanctions against Russia should be imposed if no ceasefire deal is reached in Alaska.
As details of any potential ceasefire are being discussed, the U.S. believes that the “West Bank-style” deal is the reality of war and the refusal of other nations to directly fight Russia, according to The Times.
In May, U.S. Senior Director for Counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka, told Politico that “The Trump administration lives in the real world.”
“We recognize the reality on the ground,” he added. “No. 1, that’s the beginning because we’re not utopianists and we’re not human engineers. We’re not some kind of pie-in-the-sky believers in utopia.”
He went on to say that “We recognize the reality on the ground and we have one priority above all else, whether it’s the Middle East or whether it’s Ukraine. It’s to stop the bloodshed. Everything else comes after the bloodshed has been halted.”
The International Court of Justice has ruled that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank is illegal. The occupation isn’t recognized by the U.S., and it’s only partially recognized by Russia.
Last September, the United Nations ordered Israel to end the occupation by a vote of 124 to 14, with 43 countries abstaining. The resolution stated that Israel must adhere to international law within 12 months, pull back its military, end all settlement efforts, evacuate all settlers from the occupied territories, and remove parts of the wall separating the West Bank. Israel has ignored the resolution and voted against the measure, as did the U.S.
Israel has faced widespread condemnation over its occupation and the settlement efforts. More than 150 have been established in recent years. Citizens of Israel who live in the West Bank must adhere to Israeli law, while Palestinians are subject to martial law, and they’re unable to vote in Israeli national elections.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
How much territory does Russia control in Ukraine?
U.S. President Donald Trump has said that both Kyiv and Moscow will have to cede territory to end the war in Ukraine, so how much territory does Russia control in Ukraine?
Russia controls nearly 114,500 square km (44,600 square miles), or 19%, of Ukraine, including Crimea, and a major chunk of territory in the east and south-east of the country, according to open source maps of the battlefield. Ukraine does not control any internationally recognised Russian territory.
Russia says Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson - which were recognised by Moscow as part of Ukraine as the Soviet Union collapsed - are now parts of Russia.
Ukraine has repeatedly said it will never recognise Russian occupation of its land, and most countries recognise Ukraine's territory within its 1991 borders.
Following are details on the territory, Russian claims and Ukraine's position.
CRIMEA-
Russian forces in 2014 took control of Crimea, which juts out into the Black Sea off southern Ukraine, and after a disputed referendum on joining Russia, Moscow absorbed the region into Russia. Its area is about 27,000 square km.
Russia says Crimea is legally part of Russia. Ukraine's position is that Crimea is part of Ukraine, though privately some Ukrainian officials admit that it would be very hard to return Crimea to Ukrainian control by force.
Crimea was absorbed into the Russian empire by Catherine the Great in the 18th century. Russia's Black Sea naval base at Sevastopol was founded soon afterwards.
In 1921, Crimea became part of Russia within the Soviet Union until 1954, when it was handed to Ukraine, also then a Soviet republic, by Communist Party chief Nikita Khrushchev, an ethnic Ukrainian.
DONBAS-
Russia controls about 46,570 square km, or 88%, of the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, including all of the Luhansk region and 75% of the Donetsk region.
About 6,600 square km is still controlled by Ukraine but Russia has been focusing most of its energy along the front in Donetsk, pushing towards the last remaining major cities.
Russian-backed separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions broke away from Ukrainian government control in 2014 and proclaimed themselves independent "people's republics".
Putin in 2022 recognised them as independent states just days before the invasion of Ukraine.
ZAPORIZHZHIA AND KHERSON-
Russian forces control about 74% of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions of southeastern Ukraine, or about 41,176 square km. Ukraine controls about 14,500 square km across the two regions.
Putin in 2024 said that he would be willing to agree peace if Ukraine withdrew from all regions claimed but not fully controlled by Russia - an area currently of about 21,000 square km - and officially renounced its ambitions to join NATO.
Reuters reported in 2024 that Putin was open to discussing a Ukraine ceasefire deal with Trump but ruled out making any major territorial concessions and insisted that Kyiv abandon ambitions to join NATO. Two sources said Putin might be willing to withdraw from the relatively small patches of territory it holds in other areas of Ukraine.
Putin's conditions for peace include a legally binding pledge that NATO will not expand eastwards, Ukrainian neutrality and limits on its armed forces, protection for Russian speakers who live there, and acceptance of Russia's territorial gains, sources told Reuters earlier this year.
KHARKIV, SUMY AND DNIPROPETROVSK-
Russia also controls small parts of the Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions of Ukraine. Across the Sumy and Kharkiv regions, Russia controls about 400 square km of territory. In Dnipropetrovsk, Russia has a tiny area near the border.
Russia has said it is carving out a buffer zone in Sumy to protect its Kursk region from Ukrainian attack.
LEGAL STATUS OF THE TERRITORIES
Russia classes the Republic of Crimea, Sevastopol, the Luhansk People's Republic, the Donetsk People's Republic, and the regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson as subjects of the Russian Federation. Ukraine says the territories are part of Ukraine.
Most countries do not recognise the areas as part of Russia but some do. Crimea has been recognised by Syria, North Korea and Nicaragua. The United Nations General Assembly declared in 2014 the annexation illegal and recognised Crimea as part of Ukraine. The resolution was opposed by 11 countries.
Putin has repeatedly compared the fate of Kosovo and Crimea. He has accused the West of having double standards for recognizing Kosovo as an independent country in 2008 against the wishes of Serbia but opposing the recognition of Crimea. Russia opposed the independence of Kosovo.
The U.S. and Russia are set to suggest a “West Bank-style” occupation of Ukraine as a way of ending the war, according to The London Times.
Under the proposed plans, Russia would have both economic and military control of the occupied parts of Ukraine, utilizing its own governing body, mimicking Israel’s control of Palestinian territory taken from Jordan during the 1967 conflict.
The suggestion was put forward during discussions between President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and his Russian counterparts, a source with insight into the U.S. National Security Council told the paper.
Witkoff, who also serves as the White House’s Middle East envoy, reportedly backs the suggestion, which the U.S. believes will solve the issue of the Ukrainian constitution prohibiting giving up territory without organizing a referendum. While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected any notion of ceding territory, the new occupation proposal may lead to a truce following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022.
According to the proposal, Ukraine’s borders would remain officially unchanged, similar to the borders of the West Bank, even as Israel controls the territory.
“It’ll just be like Israel occupies the West Bank,” the source told The Times.
“With a governor, with an economic situation that goes into Russia, not Ukraine. But it’ll still be Ukraine, because … Ukraine will never give up its sovereignty. But the reality is it’ll be occupied territory and the model is Palestine,” the source added to the paper.
The proposal will almost certainly be part of discussions between Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin set for Friday in Alaska. On Wednesday, Zelensky met with European leaders and Trump ahead of the Russia summit. Zelensky is not set to attend Friday’s summit in person.
Trump reaffirmed during the Wednesday meeting that territorial issues can only be negotiated between Russia and Ukraine, according to French president Emmanuel Macron. The French leader also said Trump wants a ceasefire plan to be finalized during his Friday meeting.
“Any issue which deals with the territorial integrity of Ukraine cannot be discussed just like that, without looking at our constitution and the will of our people,” Zelensky told the press on Friday. “As to our principles, as to our territorial integrity, in the end, will be decided on the level of leaders. Without Ukraine (at the table), it’s impossible to achieve,” Zelensky added.
Zelensky said that a ceasefire should be reached and then security guarantees. He also said that sanctions against Russia should be imposed if no ceasefire deal is reached in Alaska.
As details of any potential ceasefire are being discussed, the U.S. believes that the “West Bank-style” deal is the reality of war and the refusal of other nations to directly fight Russia, according to The Times.
In May, U.S. Senior Director for Counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka, told Politico that “The Trump administration lives in the real world.”
“We recognize the reality on the ground,” he added. “No. 1, that’s the beginning because we’re not utopianists and we’re not human engineers. We’re not some kind of pie-in-the-sky believers in utopia.”
He went on to say that “We recognize the reality on the ground and we have one priority above all else, whether it’s the Middle East or whether it’s Ukraine. It’s to stop the bloodshed. Everything else comes after the bloodshed has been halted.”
The International Court of Justice has ruled that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank is illegal. The occupation isn’t recognized by the U.S., and it’s only partially recognized by Russia.
Last September, the United Nations ordered Israel to end the occupation by a vote of 124 to 14, with 43 countries abstaining. The resolution stated that Israel must adhere to international law within 12 months, pull back its military, end all settlement efforts, evacuate all settlers from the occupied territories, and remove parts of the wall separating the West Bank. Israel has ignored the resolution and voted against the measure, as did the U.S.
Israel has faced widespread condemnation over its occupation and the settlement efforts. More than 150 have been established in recent years. Citizens of Israel who live in the West Bank must adhere to Israeli law, while Palestinians are subject to martial law, and they’re unable to vote in Israeli national elections.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
How much territory does Russia control in Ukraine?
U.S. President Donald Trump has said that both Kyiv and Moscow will have to cede territory to end the war in Ukraine, so how much territory does Russia control in Ukraine?
Russia controls nearly 114,500 square km (44,600 square miles), or 19%, of Ukraine, including Crimea, and a major chunk of territory in the east and south-east of the country, according to open source maps of the battlefield. Ukraine does not control any internationally recognised Russian territory.
Russia says Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson - which were recognised by Moscow as part of Ukraine as the Soviet Union collapsed - are now parts of Russia.
Ukraine has repeatedly said it will never recognise Russian occupation of its land, and most countries recognise Ukraine's territory within its 1991 borders.
Following are details on the territory, Russian claims and Ukraine's position.
CRIMEA-
Russian forces in 2014 took control of Crimea, which juts out into the Black Sea off southern Ukraine, and after a disputed referendum on joining Russia, Moscow absorbed the region into Russia. Its area is about 27,000 square km.
Russia says Crimea is legally part of Russia. Ukraine's position is that Crimea is part of Ukraine, though privately some Ukrainian officials admit that it would be very hard to return Crimea to Ukrainian control by force.
Crimea was absorbed into the Russian empire by Catherine the Great in the 18th century. Russia's Black Sea naval base at Sevastopol was founded soon afterwards.
In 1921, Crimea became part of Russia within the Soviet Union until 1954, when it was handed to Ukraine, also then a Soviet republic, by Communist Party chief Nikita Khrushchev, an ethnic Ukrainian.
DONBAS-
Russia controls about 46,570 square km, or 88%, of the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, including all of the Luhansk region and 75% of the Donetsk region.
About 6,600 square km is still controlled by Ukraine but Russia has been focusing most of its energy along the front in Donetsk, pushing towards the last remaining major cities.
Russian-backed separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions broke away from Ukrainian government control in 2014 and proclaimed themselves independent "people's republics".
Putin in 2022 recognised them as independent states just days before the invasion of Ukraine.
ZAPORIZHZHIA AND KHERSON-
Russian forces control about 74% of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions of southeastern Ukraine, or about 41,176 square km. Ukraine controls about 14,500 square km across the two regions.
Putin in 2024 said that he would be willing to agree peace if Ukraine withdrew from all regions claimed but not fully controlled by Russia - an area currently of about 21,000 square km - and officially renounced its ambitions to join NATO.
Reuters reported in 2024 that Putin was open to discussing a Ukraine ceasefire deal with Trump but ruled out making any major territorial concessions and insisted that Kyiv abandon ambitions to join NATO. Two sources said Putin might be willing to withdraw from the relatively small patches of territory it holds in other areas of Ukraine.
Putin's conditions for peace include a legally binding pledge that NATO will not expand eastwards, Ukrainian neutrality and limits on its armed forces, protection for Russian speakers who live there, and acceptance of Russia's territorial gains, sources told Reuters earlier this year.
KHARKIV, SUMY AND DNIPROPETROVSK-
Russia also controls small parts of the Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions of Ukraine. Across the Sumy and Kharkiv regions, Russia controls about 400 square km of territory. In Dnipropetrovsk, Russia has a tiny area near the border.
Russia has said it is carving out a buffer zone in Sumy to protect its Kursk region from Ukrainian attack.
LEGAL STATUS OF THE TERRITORIES
Russia classes the Republic of Crimea, Sevastopol, the Luhansk People's Republic, the Donetsk People's Republic, and the regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson as subjects of the Russian Federation. Ukraine says the territories are part of Ukraine.
Most countries do not recognise the areas as part of Russia but some do. Crimea has been recognised by Syria, North Korea and Nicaragua. The United Nations General Assembly declared in 2014 the annexation illegal and recognised Crimea as part of Ukraine. The resolution was opposed by 11 countries.
Putin has repeatedly compared the fate of Kosovo and Crimea. He has accused the West of having double standards for recognizing Kosovo as an independent country in 2008 against the wishes of Serbia but opposing the recognition of Crimea. Russia opposed the independence of Kosovo.
4 months ago
How do cyber operations from groups in Iran and Vietnam compare in tactics and targets?
While both Iranian and Vietnamese cyber groups engage in state-sponsored cyber operations, their primary motivations, geopolitical contexts, and consequently, their tactics and targets, differ significantly.
Iranian Cyber Groups (e.g., APT33/Elfin, APT34/OilRig, APT35/Charming Kitten, MuddyWater)
Main Motives:
Iran's cyber activities are strongly driven by its geopolitical aspirations, regional rivalries (especially with Saudi Arabia and Israel), and desire to counter international sanctions. Their motivations include:
Espionage: Gathering intelligence on political, military, and economic developments, particularly in the Middle East, U.S., Europe, and Israel.
Disruption and Retaliation: Disrupting critical infrastructure, especially against perceived adversaries (e.g., in response to sanctions or political actions). They are willing to engage in destructive attacks.
Influence Operations: Spreading propaganda, manipulating public opinion, and sowing discord in rival nations.
Intellectual Property Theft (Secondary): While they do engage in this, it's often more opportunistic or tied to specific military/dual-use technologies rather than broad economic development.
Internal Control: Surveillance and repression of dissidents, both domestically and abroad.
Tactics:
Iranian groups often leverage a blend of technical sophistication and social engineering.
Aggressive Spear-Phishing & Social Engineering: Highly sophisticated and persistent phishing campaigns are a hallmark. They often impersonate legitimate entities (journalists, academics, government officials, recruiters) to build trust and trick targets into revealing credentials or downloading malware. They're known for using compromised accounts for further phishing.
Exploitation of Known Vulnerabilities: They are quick to exploit newly disclosed vulnerabilities (N-days) in widely used software and internet-facing systems (VPNs, firewalls, Exchange servers) to gain initial access.
Living Off The Land (LotL) & OSINT: They frequently use legitimate system tools (PowerShell, RDP, Mimikatz) and open-source intelligence (OSINT) to evade detection and understand victim networks.
Web Shells & Backdoors: Deployment of web shells for persistent access and custom backdoors.
Destructive Malware/Wipers: Iranian groups have a history of deploying destructive malware (e.g., Shamoon, ZeroCleare) to wipe data and disable systems, particularly against targets in the energy and industrial sectors.
Hybrid Operations: Increasingly, they combine hacking and data theft with information operations, leaking stolen data online, and using social media for amplification and harassment.
Ransomware (Collaborative/Opportunistic): While not their primary goal like North Korea, some Iranian groups have been observed collaborating with cybercriminal ransomware affiliates or directly deploying ransomware for financial gain or disruption.
Targets:
Middle East Region: Heavily focused on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (especially Saudi Arabia, UAE), Israel, and other regional rivals.
Government & Military: Foreign ministries, defense contractors, intelligence agencies, and government officials, particularly those involved in nuclear policy, sanctions, or regional security.
Energy Sector (Oil & Gas): A long-standing target for both espionage and potential disruption, reflecting Iran's strategic interests.
Critical Infrastructure (OT/ICS): Increasing focus on industrial control systems and operational technology, potentially for pre-positioning or disruptive attacks.
Telecommunications & Financial Services: For intelligence gathering and network access.
Journalists, Academics, Dissidents, Human Rights Activists: Both within Iran and among the diaspora, for surveillance and repression.
Vietnamese Cyber Groups (e.g., APT32/OceanLotus, APT30/Naikon)
Main Motives:
Vietnamese cyber operations are strongly linked to national economic development, protecting sovereignty claims (especially in the South China Sea), and maintaining political stability.
Economic Espionage: Stealing intellectual property, trade secrets, and competitive intelligence to support Vietnamese industries and accelerate economic growth. This is a very significant motivation.
Political Espionage: Gathering intelligence on foreign governments, political organizations, and diplomats relevant to Vietnam's geopolitical interests, particularly concerning regional rivals and partners.
Surveillance and Monitoring: Tracking and monitoring political dissidents, journalists, NGOs, and foreign entities perceived as a threat to the ruling party or national stability.
South China Sea Disputes: Gaining intelligence on rival claimants and international actors involved in the South China Sea disputes.
Tactics:
Vietnamese groups often demonstrate high levels of sophistication and persistence, with a focus on long-term access and stealth.
Sophisticated Spear-Phishing: Highly customized and contextualized spear-phishing emails, often impersonating trusted contacts or organizations, are a primary initial access vector.
Watering Hole Attacks: Compromising websites frequented by specific targets and implanting malware to infect visitors.
Custom Malware and Backdoors: Development and use of sophisticated custom malware (Remote Access Trojans, info-stealers) designed for covert data exfiltration and persistent access.
Exploitation of Zero-Day and N-Day Vulnerabilities: While less frequent than Iranian groups' aggressive N-day exploitation, they are capable of exploiting zero-days.
Supply Chain Attacks: There have been instances where Vietnamese groups have targeted software or hardware vendors to compromise their clients downstream.
Leveraging Cloud Services: Using legitimate cloud services for command and control (C2) or data exfiltration to blend in with normal network traffic.
Evasion Techniques: Employing various techniques to avoid detection by security software, including code obfuscation and anti-analysis checks.
Targets:
Southeast Asian Governments: Particularly those involved in the South China Sea disputes, for political intelligence.
Foreign Businesses & Multinational Corporations: Across various sectors (e.g., automotive, media, hospitality, manufacturing, technology, healthcare, e-commerce) for economic espionage and IP theft.
Political Dissidents & Human Rights Activists: Both domestic and international, for surveillance and control.
Journalists and NGOs: Especially those reporting on Vietnam or human rights issues.
Critical Infrastructure (Limited Public Reporting): While less publicly highlighted than Iranian or Chinese groups, there have been some reports of Vietnamese groups targeting critical infrastructure, but often for intelligence gathering rather than overt disruption.
Comparison Summary:
Feature- Iranian Cyber Groups----
Primary Motive- Geopolitical influence, regional rivalries, countering sanctions, disruption, espionage, retaliation.
Willingness for Disruption- High – known for destructive attacks/wipers.
Key Regions of Focus- Middle East (GCC, Israel), U.S., Europe.
Tactics Emphasis- Aggressive spear-phishing, N-day exploitation, LotL, web shells, destructive malware, information operations.
Financial Crime- Opportunistic ransomware or collaboration with criminals.
Vietnamese Cyber Groups-
Primary Motive-
Economic development (IP theft), political espionage (Sovereignty, South China Sea), internal control.
Willingness for Disruption-
Lower – focus on stealth, long-term access, and data exfiltration, less on overt disruption.
Key Regions of Focus-
Southeast Asia (ASEAN), U.S. (related to economic/political ties).
Tactics Emphasis-
Sophisticated spear-phishing, custom malware, watering holes, supply chain (less common), long-term stealth, cloud usage.
Financial Crime-Less prominent, but some engagement in cybercrime for revenue.
Export to Sheets-
In essence, Iranian groups are more overt and willing to engage in destructive actions driven by immediate geopolitical tensions, while Vietnamese groups are generally more focused on stealthy, long-term espionage and IP theft to support national development and strategic interests in their region.
While both Iranian and Vietnamese cyber groups engage in state-sponsored cyber operations, their primary motivations, geopolitical contexts, and consequently, their tactics and targets, differ significantly.
Iranian Cyber Groups (e.g., APT33/Elfin, APT34/OilRig, APT35/Charming Kitten, MuddyWater)
Main Motives:
Iran's cyber activities are strongly driven by its geopolitical aspirations, regional rivalries (especially with Saudi Arabia and Israel), and desire to counter international sanctions. Their motivations include:
Espionage: Gathering intelligence on political, military, and economic developments, particularly in the Middle East, U.S., Europe, and Israel.
Disruption and Retaliation: Disrupting critical infrastructure, especially against perceived adversaries (e.g., in response to sanctions or political actions). They are willing to engage in destructive attacks.
Influence Operations: Spreading propaganda, manipulating public opinion, and sowing discord in rival nations.
Intellectual Property Theft (Secondary): While they do engage in this, it's often more opportunistic or tied to specific military/dual-use technologies rather than broad economic development.
Internal Control: Surveillance and repression of dissidents, both domestically and abroad.
Tactics:
Iranian groups often leverage a blend of technical sophistication and social engineering.
Aggressive Spear-Phishing & Social Engineering: Highly sophisticated and persistent phishing campaigns are a hallmark. They often impersonate legitimate entities (journalists, academics, government officials, recruiters) to build trust and trick targets into revealing credentials or downloading malware. They're known for using compromised accounts for further phishing.
Exploitation of Known Vulnerabilities: They are quick to exploit newly disclosed vulnerabilities (N-days) in widely used software and internet-facing systems (VPNs, firewalls, Exchange servers) to gain initial access.
Living Off The Land (LotL) & OSINT: They frequently use legitimate system tools (PowerShell, RDP, Mimikatz) and open-source intelligence (OSINT) to evade detection and understand victim networks.
Web Shells & Backdoors: Deployment of web shells for persistent access and custom backdoors.
Destructive Malware/Wipers: Iranian groups have a history of deploying destructive malware (e.g., Shamoon, ZeroCleare) to wipe data and disable systems, particularly against targets in the energy and industrial sectors.
Hybrid Operations: Increasingly, they combine hacking and data theft with information operations, leaking stolen data online, and using social media for amplification and harassment.
Ransomware (Collaborative/Opportunistic): While not their primary goal like North Korea, some Iranian groups have been observed collaborating with cybercriminal ransomware affiliates or directly deploying ransomware for financial gain or disruption.
Targets:
Middle East Region: Heavily focused on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (especially Saudi Arabia, UAE), Israel, and other regional rivals.
Government & Military: Foreign ministries, defense contractors, intelligence agencies, and government officials, particularly those involved in nuclear policy, sanctions, or regional security.
Energy Sector (Oil & Gas): A long-standing target for both espionage and potential disruption, reflecting Iran's strategic interests.
Critical Infrastructure (OT/ICS): Increasing focus on industrial control systems and operational technology, potentially for pre-positioning or disruptive attacks.
Telecommunications & Financial Services: For intelligence gathering and network access.
Journalists, Academics, Dissidents, Human Rights Activists: Both within Iran and among the diaspora, for surveillance and repression.
Vietnamese Cyber Groups (e.g., APT32/OceanLotus, APT30/Naikon)
Main Motives:
Vietnamese cyber operations are strongly linked to national economic development, protecting sovereignty claims (especially in the South China Sea), and maintaining political stability.
Economic Espionage: Stealing intellectual property, trade secrets, and competitive intelligence to support Vietnamese industries and accelerate economic growth. This is a very significant motivation.
Political Espionage: Gathering intelligence on foreign governments, political organizations, and diplomats relevant to Vietnam's geopolitical interests, particularly concerning regional rivals and partners.
Surveillance and Monitoring: Tracking and monitoring political dissidents, journalists, NGOs, and foreign entities perceived as a threat to the ruling party or national stability.
South China Sea Disputes: Gaining intelligence on rival claimants and international actors involved in the South China Sea disputes.
Tactics:
Vietnamese groups often demonstrate high levels of sophistication and persistence, with a focus on long-term access and stealth.
Sophisticated Spear-Phishing: Highly customized and contextualized spear-phishing emails, often impersonating trusted contacts or organizations, are a primary initial access vector.
Watering Hole Attacks: Compromising websites frequented by specific targets and implanting malware to infect visitors.
Custom Malware and Backdoors: Development and use of sophisticated custom malware (Remote Access Trojans, info-stealers) designed for covert data exfiltration and persistent access.
Exploitation of Zero-Day and N-Day Vulnerabilities: While less frequent than Iranian groups' aggressive N-day exploitation, they are capable of exploiting zero-days.
Supply Chain Attacks: There have been instances where Vietnamese groups have targeted software or hardware vendors to compromise their clients downstream.
Leveraging Cloud Services: Using legitimate cloud services for command and control (C2) or data exfiltration to blend in with normal network traffic.
Evasion Techniques: Employing various techniques to avoid detection by security software, including code obfuscation and anti-analysis checks.
Targets:
Southeast Asian Governments: Particularly those involved in the South China Sea disputes, for political intelligence.
Foreign Businesses & Multinational Corporations: Across various sectors (e.g., automotive, media, hospitality, manufacturing, technology, healthcare, e-commerce) for economic espionage and IP theft.
Political Dissidents & Human Rights Activists: Both domestic and international, for surveillance and control.
Journalists and NGOs: Especially those reporting on Vietnam or human rights issues.
Critical Infrastructure (Limited Public Reporting): While less publicly highlighted than Iranian or Chinese groups, there have been some reports of Vietnamese groups targeting critical infrastructure, but often for intelligence gathering rather than overt disruption.
Comparison Summary:
Feature- Iranian Cyber Groups----
Primary Motive- Geopolitical influence, regional rivalries, countering sanctions, disruption, espionage, retaliation.
Willingness for Disruption- High – known for destructive attacks/wipers.
Key Regions of Focus- Middle East (GCC, Israel), U.S., Europe.
Tactics Emphasis- Aggressive spear-phishing, N-day exploitation, LotL, web shells, destructive malware, information operations.
Financial Crime- Opportunistic ransomware or collaboration with criminals.
Vietnamese Cyber Groups-
Primary Motive-
Economic development (IP theft), political espionage (Sovereignty, South China Sea), internal control.
Willingness for Disruption-
Lower – focus on stealth, long-term access, and data exfiltration, less on overt disruption.
Key Regions of Focus-
Southeast Asia (ASEAN), U.S. (related to economic/political ties).
Tactics Emphasis-
Sophisticated spear-phishing, custom malware, watering holes, supply chain (less common), long-term stealth, cloud usage.
Financial Crime-Less prominent, but some engagement in cybercrime for revenue.
Export to Sheets-
In essence, Iranian groups are more overt and willing to engage in destructive actions driven by immediate geopolitical tensions, while Vietnamese groups are generally more focused on stealthy, long-term espionage and IP theft to support national development and strategic interests in their region.
4 months ago
Mystery of why Chinese bombers flew near Alaska in 2024 exposed...
Deploying military forces is the strongest of political signals, and the most potent of these deployments is to move nuclear weapons or launch platforms near a potential adversary.
So when nuclear-capable Chinese bombers joined their Russian counterparts in joint patrols near Alaska in 2024, as well as similar flights deep into the Pacific, Western observers assumed there was a political message. Russia had been conducting such provocative flights dating back to the Cold War, but this is something new for China. Was Beijing signaling its displeasure with America over Taiwan, or warning NATO not to get involved in Asia? Was invoking the specter of Chinese bombers over America a reminder that the vast Pacific was no barrier to the long arm of Chinese power?
However, China may have had other motives for these flights, according to a U.S. expert. Beijing may have been demonstrating that nuclear bombers were now a fully functional part of its strategic triad, alongside ICBMs and ballistic missile submarines.
“It is clear that their true significance lies in China’s years-long effort to complete its nuclear triad,” Derek Solen, a researcher at the U.S. Air Force’s China Aerospace Studies Institute, wrote in a report for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s Air and Space Studies Institute.
Another possibility is that the flights were intended as a warning to the U.S. not to engage in “nuclear sharing,” in which America would station nuclear weapons in non-nuclear allies, especially Japan and South Korea. “China probably fears that the limited exchange between NATO and America’s Asian allies will eventually lead to the integration of America’s European and Asian alliance networks, resulting in the formation of a global, nuclear-armed anti-China alliance,” Solen wrote.
Deciphering Beijing’s intentions behind the bomber missions isn’t easy. There have been just nine Sino-Russian flights since the first mission in 2019, when two Chinese H-6K and two Russian Tu-95MS bombers flew over the Sea of Japan and East China Sea. Though the actual number of flights is somewhat larger — China counts multiple flights on the same day as a single flight — this leaves a small dataset to analyze.
The joint flights were mostly confined to the Sea of Japan and East China Sea until July 24, 2024, when two H-6Ks and two Tu-95s flew near Alaska. Though they didn’t penetrate U.S. airspace, they did enter the air defense identification zone, triggering interception by U.S. and Canadian fighters.
“This represented the first time that PLAAF [People’s Liberation Army Air Force] aircraft participating in a combined patrol sortied from a foreign country as well as the first time that PLAAF aircraft approached U.S. territory,” Solen noted.
A few days later came more joint flights over the Sea of Japan, East China Sea and Western Pacific, which included more advanced H-6N bombers from the 106th Brigade in Henan province, which is primarily tasked with delivering nuclear weapons. The H-6N has a range of 3,700 miles and can launch KD-21 air-launched cruise missiles with an estimated range of up to 1,300 miles. Particularly ominous was a Nov. 30, 2024, flight in which H-6Ns came within cruise missile range of Guam in what Solen believes may have been “the first serious training to conduct a nuclear strike against Guam from the air.”
Solen told Defense News that he initially believed that the flights were a political signal.
“I thought that Beijing was signaling two things simultaneously,” he said. “It was signaling that its relationship with Russia was tight and, by using the H-6, sending an indirect message to Washington that it possesses the means and the will to counter what it perceived as Washington’s moves with respect to nuclear sharing.”
But Solen was troubled by some inconsistencies. For example, the Chinese government was incensed by a July 2024 NATO summit that criticized China for supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as suggestions that NATO might expand its focus to Asia. Yet if the November 2024 flights near Guam were intended as a signal, then why wait until four months after the summit?
The joint flights also coincided with the deployment of the long-range and nuclear-capable H-6N.
“In 2019 the PLAAF officially adopted the H-6N, and in the same year renovations to the 106th Brigade’s base were likely finished,” Solen wrote. “It is interesting that the Sino-Russian combined patrols began that same year.”
Of course, the Alaska flights may have both a military and political purpose. However, Solen thinks that purely military training flights would have been confined to the East China Sea or the Sea of Japan.
Perhaps the West may never know China’s true motivations. Nonetheless, the question remains: Will China again send bombers near — or into — American airspace? China continues to be an indispensable supplier of Russia’s campaign in Ukraine, and the Chinese and Russian navies have just announced joint patrols in the Pacific. A Chinese government spokesman last year urged “relevant countries to abolish the nuclear sharing arrangement, withdraw the large number of nuclear weapons deployed in Europe, and refrain from replicating such arrangements in any form in the Asia-Pacific region.”
For now, China isn’t provoking the Trump administration, especially in the midst of a fight over tariffs.
“The fact that China and Russia still haven’t done any combined flights this year is probably a political decision,” Solen said. “At a time when they are trying to work things out with the new administration, they probably decided that it’s best to avoid action that may agitate Washington or distract from the agenda in the negotiations.”
Regular flights near U.S. territory are unlikely “because the training juice won’t be worth the squeeze,” Solen added. On the other hand, China has an incentive to practice long-range bomber flights, even just for non-nuclear missions like striking ships and bases.
“I suppose that once they’ve either resolved things with Washington or just given up on negotiations, we’ll see the combined flights resume and eventually see regular flights without the Russians,” Solen said.
Deploying military forces is the strongest of political signals, and the most potent of these deployments is to move nuclear weapons or launch platforms near a potential adversary.
So when nuclear-capable Chinese bombers joined their Russian counterparts in joint patrols near Alaska in 2024, as well as similar flights deep into the Pacific, Western observers assumed there was a political message. Russia had been conducting such provocative flights dating back to the Cold War, but this is something new for China. Was Beijing signaling its displeasure with America over Taiwan, or warning NATO not to get involved in Asia? Was invoking the specter of Chinese bombers over America a reminder that the vast Pacific was no barrier to the long arm of Chinese power?
However, China may have had other motives for these flights, according to a U.S. expert. Beijing may have been demonstrating that nuclear bombers were now a fully functional part of its strategic triad, alongside ICBMs and ballistic missile submarines.
“It is clear that their true significance lies in China’s years-long effort to complete its nuclear triad,” Derek Solen, a researcher at the U.S. Air Force’s China Aerospace Studies Institute, wrote in a report for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s Air and Space Studies Institute.
Another possibility is that the flights were intended as a warning to the U.S. not to engage in “nuclear sharing,” in which America would station nuclear weapons in non-nuclear allies, especially Japan and South Korea. “China probably fears that the limited exchange between NATO and America’s Asian allies will eventually lead to the integration of America’s European and Asian alliance networks, resulting in the formation of a global, nuclear-armed anti-China alliance,” Solen wrote.
Deciphering Beijing’s intentions behind the bomber missions isn’t easy. There have been just nine Sino-Russian flights since the first mission in 2019, when two Chinese H-6K and two Russian Tu-95MS bombers flew over the Sea of Japan and East China Sea. Though the actual number of flights is somewhat larger — China counts multiple flights on the same day as a single flight — this leaves a small dataset to analyze.
The joint flights were mostly confined to the Sea of Japan and East China Sea until July 24, 2024, when two H-6Ks and two Tu-95s flew near Alaska. Though they didn’t penetrate U.S. airspace, they did enter the air defense identification zone, triggering interception by U.S. and Canadian fighters.
“This represented the first time that PLAAF [People’s Liberation Army Air Force] aircraft participating in a combined patrol sortied from a foreign country as well as the first time that PLAAF aircraft approached U.S. territory,” Solen noted.
A few days later came more joint flights over the Sea of Japan, East China Sea and Western Pacific, which included more advanced H-6N bombers from the 106th Brigade in Henan province, which is primarily tasked with delivering nuclear weapons. The H-6N has a range of 3,700 miles and can launch KD-21 air-launched cruise missiles with an estimated range of up to 1,300 miles. Particularly ominous was a Nov. 30, 2024, flight in which H-6Ns came within cruise missile range of Guam in what Solen believes may have been “the first serious training to conduct a nuclear strike against Guam from the air.”
Solen told Defense News that he initially believed that the flights were a political signal.
“I thought that Beijing was signaling two things simultaneously,” he said. “It was signaling that its relationship with Russia was tight and, by using the H-6, sending an indirect message to Washington that it possesses the means and the will to counter what it perceived as Washington’s moves with respect to nuclear sharing.”
But Solen was troubled by some inconsistencies. For example, the Chinese government was incensed by a July 2024 NATO summit that criticized China for supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as suggestions that NATO might expand its focus to Asia. Yet if the November 2024 flights near Guam were intended as a signal, then why wait until four months after the summit?
The joint flights also coincided with the deployment of the long-range and nuclear-capable H-6N.
“In 2019 the PLAAF officially adopted the H-6N, and in the same year renovations to the 106th Brigade’s base were likely finished,” Solen wrote. “It is interesting that the Sino-Russian combined patrols began that same year.”
Of course, the Alaska flights may have both a military and political purpose. However, Solen thinks that purely military training flights would have been confined to the East China Sea or the Sea of Japan.
Perhaps the West may never know China’s true motivations. Nonetheless, the question remains: Will China again send bombers near — or into — American airspace? China continues to be an indispensable supplier of Russia’s campaign in Ukraine, and the Chinese and Russian navies have just announced joint patrols in the Pacific. A Chinese government spokesman last year urged “relevant countries to abolish the nuclear sharing arrangement, withdraw the large number of nuclear weapons deployed in Europe, and refrain from replicating such arrangements in any form in the Asia-Pacific region.”
For now, China isn’t provoking the Trump administration, especially in the midst of a fight over tariffs.
“The fact that China and Russia still haven’t done any combined flights this year is probably a political decision,” Solen said. “At a time when they are trying to work things out with the new administration, they probably decided that it’s best to avoid action that may agitate Washington or distract from the agenda in the negotiations.”
Regular flights near U.S. territory are unlikely “because the training juice won’t be worth the squeeze,” Solen added. On the other hand, China has an incentive to practice long-range bomber flights, even just for non-nuclear missions like striking ships and bases.
“I suppose that once they’ve either resolved things with Washington or just given up on negotiations, we’ll see the combined flights resume and eventually see regular flights without the Russians,” Solen said.
4 months ago
The authoritarian voice that all Chinese officials use to intimidate everyone around the world "YOU ARE PLAYING WITH FIRE"
All books texts tells of the Chinese dragon spits fire but no confirmation of burnt out area caused by dragon fire and we haven't seen a skeleton of the Chinese dragon. The world has seen those of dinosaur.
Please let's know when they find a Chinese dragon skeleton.
The phrase "you are playing with fire" is a widely recognized idiom that serves as a strong warning. It's often used to caution someone against a risky or dangerous action that could lead to severe, negative consequences. The "fire" in the phrase represents the potential for danger, destruction, or getting burned, while "playing" suggests a careless or reckless attitude towards that danger.
The phrase has been used in international diplomacy and political rhetoric for decades, but it gained significant traction in the context of discussions around Taiwan's status, particularly from Chinese officials. The Chinese government uses this phrase to signal its unwavering stance that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and that any actions suggesting otherwise are a direct challenge to its sovereignty and national security.
When directed at individuals, political leaders, or other countries, the phrase serves several purposes:
A direct threat: It implies that continued actions or statements perceived as challenging China's "One China" principle will not be tolerated and could provoke a severe response, including military action.
A show of resolve: It signals to both domestic and international audiences that China is firm in its position and is prepared to take significant steps to defend its interests.
A warning to allies: It's often used to discourage other countries from deepening their political or military ties with Taiwan, framing such actions as provocative and destabilizing to regional peace.
A diplomatic tool: While the phrase is aggressive, it is also a form of diplomatic communication. It's a way of drawing a "red line" without immediately resorting to more drastic measures. It's a warning shot, meant to deter further escalation.
In the context of Taiwan, the "fire" refers to the potential for a military conflict, which would have devastating consequences for all parties involved and could destabilize the entire global economy. The use of the phrase by Chinese officials is a deliberate and consistent part of their strategy to maintain pressure on Taiwan and its international partners, aiming to shape the narrative and prevent any actions that could be seen as moving towards formal independence.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
China's authoritative and coercive action comment around Asia and the world.
The phrase "you are playing with fire" is a core element of China's diplomatic lexicon, and its use is not limited to the issue of Taiwan. It is a powerful and intentionally provocative idiom that the Chinese government employs to articulate its "red lines" and warn against any actions it views as a direct challenge to its sovereignty, national security, and core interests.
Beyond Taiwan, this phrase and similar language are consistently used in response to criticism or actions regarding:
The South China Sea: When countries like the Philippines or Vietnam, backed by the United States and its allies, challenge China's expansive territorial claims and maritime activities in the South China Sea, Beijing's response often includes strong warnings. These warnings, while not always using the exact phrase, convey the same message of imminent danger and potential for escalation. The "fire" in this context represents the risk of military confrontation over contested islands and waterways.
Human Rights Issues: Criticisms from foreign governments and international organizations regarding China's human rights record, particularly the treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, the suppression of democracy in Hong Kong, and the repression of dissent, are met with fierce rejection. Chinese officials consistently frame such criticism as "interference in China's internal affairs." The "playing with fire" metaphor is used to warn that such meddling could lead to serious damage to diplomatic and economic relationships, and that those who push these issues too far will face consequences.
Economic and Trade Disputes: In the context of economic disputes, such as tariffs, sanctions, or export controls, China may use similar language to warn against actions it sees as a hostile attempt to contain its rise. The "fire" here is the potential for a full-blown trade war or technological decoupling, which would harm not only China but also the global economy.
The "One China" Principle: While Taiwan is the most prominent example, the "One China" principle is a broader issue that also includes Hong Kong, Tibet, and any other region China claims as its own. Any international comment or action that seems to lend legitimacy to separatist movements or challenges Beijing's authority over these regions can provoke this kind of rhetorical warning.
In essence, the phrase "you are playing with fire" is a rhetorical strategy that serves as:
A deterrence signal: It's a clear and unmistakable warning that a specific action is seen as a major provocation.
A framing device: It casts the other party as the aggressor—the one "playing" carelessly with a dangerous situation—and positions China as the rational actor trying to prevent a catastrophe.
A mobilization tool: By using such strong and evocative language, China's leadership can rally domestic nationalistic sentiment and support for its policies, reinforcing the idea that the country is under threat from external forces.
The consistent and broad application of this phrase highlights that it is not a casual or offhand comment, but a deliberate and calculated part of China's diplomatic approach to signal its resolve and to discourage what it perceives as challenges to its authority and interests.
All books texts tells of the Chinese dragon spits fire but no confirmation of burnt out area caused by dragon fire and we haven't seen a skeleton of the Chinese dragon. The world has seen those of dinosaur.
Please let's know when they find a Chinese dragon skeleton.
The phrase "you are playing with fire" is a widely recognized idiom that serves as a strong warning. It's often used to caution someone against a risky or dangerous action that could lead to severe, negative consequences. The "fire" in the phrase represents the potential for danger, destruction, or getting burned, while "playing" suggests a careless or reckless attitude towards that danger.
The phrase has been used in international diplomacy and political rhetoric for decades, but it gained significant traction in the context of discussions around Taiwan's status, particularly from Chinese officials. The Chinese government uses this phrase to signal its unwavering stance that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and that any actions suggesting otherwise are a direct challenge to its sovereignty and national security.
When directed at individuals, political leaders, or other countries, the phrase serves several purposes:
A direct threat: It implies that continued actions or statements perceived as challenging China's "One China" principle will not be tolerated and could provoke a severe response, including military action.
A show of resolve: It signals to both domestic and international audiences that China is firm in its position and is prepared to take significant steps to defend its interests.
A warning to allies: It's often used to discourage other countries from deepening their political or military ties with Taiwan, framing such actions as provocative and destabilizing to regional peace.
A diplomatic tool: While the phrase is aggressive, it is also a form of diplomatic communication. It's a way of drawing a "red line" without immediately resorting to more drastic measures. It's a warning shot, meant to deter further escalation.
In the context of Taiwan, the "fire" refers to the potential for a military conflict, which would have devastating consequences for all parties involved and could destabilize the entire global economy. The use of the phrase by Chinese officials is a deliberate and consistent part of their strategy to maintain pressure on Taiwan and its international partners, aiming to shape the narrative and prevent any actions that could be seen as moving towards formal independence.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
China's authoritative and coercive action comment around Asia and the world.
The phrase "you are playing with fire" is a core element of China's diplomatic lexicon, and its use is not limited to the issue of Taiwan. It is a powerful and intentionally provocative idiom that the Chinese government employs to articulate its "red lines" and warn against any actions it views as a direct challenge to its sovereignty, national security, and core interests.
Beyond Taiwan, this phrase and similar language are consistently used in response to criticism or actions regarding:
The South China Sea: When countries like the Philippines or Vietnam, backed by the United States and its allies, challenge China's expansive territorial claims and maritime activities in the South China Sea, Beijing's response often includes strong warnings. These warnings, while not always using the exact phrase, convey the same message of imminent danger and potential for escalation. The "fire" in this context represents the risk of military confrontation over contested islands and waterways.
Human Rights Issues: Criticisms from foreign governments and international organizations regarding China's human rights record, particularly the treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, the suppression of democracy in Hong Kong, and the repression of dissent, are met with fierce rejection. Chinese officials consistently frame such criticism as "interference in China's internal affairs." The "playing with fire" metaphor is used to warn that such meddling could lead to serious damage to diplomatic and economic relationships, and that those who push these issues too far will face consequences.
Economic and Trade Disputes: In the context of economic disputes, such as tariffs, sanctions, or export controls, China may use similar language to warn against actions it sees as a hostile attempt to contain its rise. The "fire" here is the potential for a full-blown trade war or technological decoupling, which would harm not only China but also the global economy.
The "One China" Principle: While Taiwan is the most prominent example, the "One China" principle is a broader issue that also includes Hong Kong, Tibet, and any other region China claims as its own. Any international comment or action that seems to lend legitimacy to separatist movements or challenges Beijing's authority over these regions can provoke this kind of rhetorical warning.
In essence, the phrase "you are playing with fire" is a rhetorical strategy that serves as:
A deterrence signal: It's a clear and unmistakable warning that a specific action is seen as a major provocation.
A framing device: It casts the other party as the aggressor—the one "playing" carelessly with a dangerous situation—and positions China as the rational actor trying to prevent a catastrophe.
A mobilization tool: By using such strong and evocative language, China's leadership can rally domestic nationalistic sentiment and support for its policies, reinforcing the idea that the country is under threat from external forces.
The consistent and broad application of this phrase highlights that it is not a casual or offhand comment, but a deliberate and calculated part of China's diplomatic approach to signal its resolve and to discourage what it perceives as challenges to its authority and interests.