Ukraine Hopes Home Drone Defense Can Defeat Russia

Mark Clouse March 10, 2022

Ukrainian drone owners are using their drones in a range of ways to resist the Russian army. There is a great risk involved if your drone is from China, as it has a special feature that allows the operator of the drone to be easily located. However, there are workarounds that all but eliminate the problem. The drones have been used for a variety of missions, including being used as drone suicide bombers.
The pattern is emerging for how retail drones come into play in any conflict, starting with earnestness in Syria and reaching new strategic expressions over the skies of Livya, where Turkey emerged as a drone superpower, along with China. Today, Turkey is arming the Ukrainian military with the now legendary Bayraktar,
The future of war is drones. The future of self-defense is drones. The future of associative defense is drones. The Ukraine War is becoming an inexact proving ground for the ability of drones to either defend or propel offenses in a modern conventional war. My supposition is that drones are leveling the playing field for the smaller, defensive, or insurgent powers, which could be a great opportunity for liberty to emerge, or great risk for any short-term return to stability.

Ukraine Drone Enthusiasts Form Flying Fury Force To Thwart Russian Forces

From amp.hothardware.com
2022-03-07 20:34:59

Excerpt:

Drone enthusiasts in Ukraine have volunteered to use their flying skills in an attempt to combat Russians forces. This is a major shift from flying their drones as a hobby, to flying them to save potentially save lives. One retail store in the capital city of Kyiv has emptied its stock, as it has given out some 300 DJI drones for the purpose of war related missions. Others throughout Ukraine are attempting to get their hands on more drones from friends and colleagues in Poland and other places throughout Europe.

“Why are we doing this? We have no other choice. This is our land, our home,” stated Denys Sushko, head of operations at Kyiv-based industrial drone technology company DroneUA. Before the war, the company sold mainly to farmers and energy companies.

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Report Connects Amazon to Uyghur Forced Labor Camps

Mark Clouse March 10, 2022

Amazon has been caught, again, and again and again, doing business in China with firms that do business with Chinese Forced Labor Camps. Some of these Forced Labor Camps are Uyghur labor camps. In addition to Amazon, Apple also was found to have ties to many of these same labor-camp-powered Chinese manufacturing firms. The report comes from the Tech Transparency Project.

According to Tech Transparency Project, two of these companies were Luxshare Precision Industry and AcBel Polytech, who also do business with Apple. Both Apple and Amazon have fully embraced the woketarian corporatism also reflected politically in the DNC, yet while they preach moral supremacism at home, equality, social justice, they make products for the world from the labor of political prisoners and victims of genocide.

In response to the report, Amazon Inc issued this vague statement, “Amazon complies with the laws and regulations in all jurisdictions in which it operates, and expects suppliers to adhere to our Supply Chain Standards. We take allegations of human rights abuses seriously, including those related to the use or export of forced labor. Whenever we find or receive proof of forced labor, we take action…”

Amazon suppliers reportedly have ties to forced labor camps in China

From www.yahoo.com
2022-03-08 00:28:09

Excerpt:

A number of Amazon’s Chinese suppliers are linked to from China’s Xinjiang region, according to a new from the Tech Transparency Project. The organization found that five of Amazon’s suppliers have been directly accused by watchdog groups and journalists of relying on workers from China’s many , which it uses to detain Uyghur Muslims, Kazakhs and other ethnic minorities. The suppliers produce Amazon devices and Amazon-branded products, such as the line of home goods and tech accessories.

“The findings raise questions about Amazon’s exposure to China’s repression of minority Uyghurs in Xinjiang—and the extent to which the e-commerce giant is adequately vetting its supplier relationships,” wrote the authors of the report. “Amazon says that its suppliers ‘must not use forced labor’ and that it ‘does not tolerate suppliers that traffic workers or in any other way exploit workers by means of threat, force, coercion, abduction, or fraud.’ But its supplier list tells a…

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US States Looking at TikTok’s Mental Health Threat to Kids

Mark Clouse March 3, 2022

States Attorneys Generals are looking at TikTok as a potential source of mental health threat to our children and are sending messages to TikTok that it is being investigated to discern whether or not TikTok is a mental health risk to our youth.

TikTok is under investigation by a group of state attorneys general

From mashable.com
2022-03-02 21:35:02

Excerpt:

It’s been almost 6 months since Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen made headlines sharing internal company documents showing that its company Instagram was having a negative impact on young people’s mental health.

Now, a group of state attorneys general want to turn their attention to TikTok.

In a statement shared on Wednesday, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced the launch of a “nationwide investigation” into TikTok in order to find out if the mobile video sharing company is “designing, operating, and promoting its social media platform to children, teens, and young adults in a manner that causes or exacerbates physical and mental health harms.”

SEE ALSO:

What social media platforms are doing to stop misinformation about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

As part of the investigation, state attorneys general around the country will look into whether TikTok violated consumer protections laws and “put the public at risk.” They will also investigate whether the company knew about any potential harms its platform was causing to young people.

TikTok provided Mashable with a response to the investigation announcement.

“We care deeply about building an experience that helps to protect and support the well-being of our community, and appreciate that the state attorneys general are focusing on the safety of younger users,” said a TikTok spokesperson. “We look forward to providing information on the many safety and privacy protections we have for teens.”

According to AG Healey’s press release, the investigation will focus on TikTok’s strategies and methods to boost engagement among its young user base. This includes techniques used to increase engagement and the amount of time users spend on the app.

When Facebook whistleblower Haugen went public last year, documents showed that the company, now known as Meta, knew about the mental health harm its platform could cause young people. Meta even scrapped plans of making a specific Instagram platform for kids as…

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Myanmar Junta Questions Whether China Might Ukraine Them

Mark Clouse March 2, 2022

Russia-Ukraine Crisis Prompts Myanmar Junta Emergency Meeting

From www.irrawaddy.com
2022-03-01 09:20:48

Excerpt:

Myanmar’s military regime held an emergency meeting on the Russia-Ukraine crisis in the capital Naypyitaw on February 26, to discuss how the conflict in Eastern Europe might affect Myanmar, sources told The Irrawaddy.

At the meeting, the regime assumed that Myanmar faces the risk of invasion by its neighbor China, just as Ukraine has been invaded by its neighbor Russia.

While the junta is convinced that Beijing would not invade Myanmar in normal times, it is concerned that the superpower would take matters into its own hand if and…

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India’s Russian Tanks Mean Ukraine is Tough Topic

Mark Clouse March 2, 2022

Once, India depended on force power toys from the United States and her western allies. Now, India relies more on Russian arms than American arms, even as India continues to slowly develop its own internal defense technology. For now, India faces real military threats from China and Pakistan, and her reliance on Russia for arms is causing her to take a two-step when it comes to how to address the Ukraine War.

So far, India has not strongly supported or condemned anyone, but some India YouTube news channels that regularly walk lock step with the current government have been decidedly pro Russian, and that might be explained by their dependence on Russia for military power.

Explained: How dependent is India on Russia’s weapons?

From indianexpress.com
2022-03-02 03:49:50

Excerpt:

India was reliant, almost solely on the British, and other Western nations for its arms imports immediately after Independence. But this dependence weaned, and by the 1970s India was importing several weapons systems from the USSR, making it country’s largest defence importer for decades when it came to both basic and sophisticated weapons systems. In fact, it has provided some of the most sensitive and important weapons platforms that India has required from time to time including nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers, tanks, guns, fighter jets, and missiles.

According to several people, the defence trade, which remains significant, is one of the important causes why India has not taken a critical stand openly against Russia. However, India-Russian ties cannot be viewed only from that perspective.

The legacy of buying weapons from Russia has made India somewhat dependent on it, and even though India has tried to expand the base of countries from which it buys new military systems, Russian-origin weapons still have the lion’s share. According to one estimate, the share of Russian-origin weapons and platforms across Indian armed forces is as…

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Navy Looks to Go Unmanned in a Big Way

Mark Clouse March 2, 2022

The United States Navy is well in the process of developing new platforms that are unmanned, autonomous. Now, the Navy has announced plans to develop an autonomous code standard that will enable more rapid development of autonomous platforms, but also help retrofit legacy platforms with autonomous features.

The code is to be called Unmanned Maritime Autonomous Architecture, UMAA. It is being developed by the Navy’s Rapid Autonomy Integration Lab.

Navy Setting Stage for Influx Of Autonomous Systems

From www.nationaldefensemagazine.org
2022-03-02 00:53:35

Excerpt:

The Navy — which is pursuing an ambitious unmanned systems plan through a mixture of air, surface and underwater platforms — is working to test and mature those autonomy systems through multiple programs.

These include efforts such as new autonomy standards as well as the standing up of its Rapid Autonomy Integration Lab, said Capt. Pete Small, program manager for unmanned maritime systems at Naval Sea Systems Command.

Updating legacy platforms with new autonomy software codes can be an arduous process, he said during a briefing at the Surface Navy Association’s annual conference. To combat that, the Navy is developing an autonomy standard for code development called the unmanned maritime autonomy architecture, or UMAA.

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Israel Achieves Zero Emission Green Ammonia Production

Mark Clouse March 2, 2022

The Israeli company named GenCell recently released findings that show the company was able to produce green ammonia from water using a process that requires significantly lower temperatures and pressures than current methods. This method also produces no carbon emissions, making it a zero emission process.

Green Ammonia is used primarily for agriculture, but is also being developed a viable option to fossil fuel. It is also storable, and could then be converted as needed for fertilizer or power. The breakthrough is not ready for commercial production. If the methodology proves to be cost efficient, as early results suggest it would be, then green ammonia could become far more than fertilizer in the years to come.

Israeli GenCell scientific breakthrough zero emission green ammonia – The Jerusalem Post

From www.jpost.com
2022-03-01 18:51:00

Excerpt:

Israeli company GenCell Energy has announced they’ve achieved a major scientific breakthrough that enables the production of green ammonia directly from water at a very low temperature and pressure in comparison to the traditional ammonia production processes typically carried out around the world today.

Following their evaluation of GenCell’s scientific breakthrough, Japanese technology provider TDK Corporation announced they plan to continue investing in and developing GenCell’s innovative zero-emission green ammonia synthesis project towards its next milestone.

GenCell, based in Petah Tikva, is the leading provider of hydrogen and ammonia to power solutions.

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Russia Uses Enslaved North Korean Workers

Mark Clouse February 15, 2022

Russia’s North Korean construction workers are being treated like virtual slaves by their own government handlers, and the Russians are continuing to benefit from this coerced labor. Around 20,000 North Koreans work as virtual slaves so the regime can get the cash from the Russians who are willing to pay for this slave labor.

North Koreans in Russia ordered to work in groups so they can’t escape — Radio Free Asia

From www.rfa.org
2022-02-14 21:20:02

Excerpt:

North Korean construction workers in Russia are being prohibited by their government back home from taking on small-scale side jobs, a policy change designed to prevent them from escaping, sources in Russia told RFA.

An estimated 20,000 North Koreans have been dispatched by their government to Russia to earn foreign cash for the regime. The government keeps the lion’s share of the wages they earn while abroad.

After several North Koreans disappeared while working apart from their handlers in mid-January, authorities gave the order that side jobs are no longer allowed. A Russian citizen of Korean descent from Vladivostok in the Russian Far East that authorities fear the workers will become “ideologically lax.”

“Since January, North Korean workers here in Russia have not been able to take on any individual small-scale contract work,” the source told RFA’s Korean Service on Feb. 9.

“From now on, all workers must work in groups of 10…

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Macron as EU President Bullies Britain Out of 0bil Project

Macron as EU President Bullies Britain Out of $100bil Project

Mark Clouse February 15, 2022

Macron torn apart for ‘sadomasochistic’ decision to block Britain from £80bn project | Science | News

From www.express.co.uk
2022-02-14 18:36:44

Excerpt:

French research minister Frédérique Vidal echoed the position of EU negotiators position and said Britain cannot take part in Horizon Europe until it resolves its Brexit disputes with the bloc. This is despite Britain’s participation in the EU’s key research and innovation project being a feature of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Ms Vidal said: “The association of a third country requires mutual trust between the parties and, of course, we expect the UK to demonstrate its willingness to cooperate on other ongoing discussions.”

Her comments come after Mr Macron snatched up the rotating presidency of the EU Council until June.

But the French President is yet to admit Britain back into the programme after it was banned.

Antoine Petit, chair and chief executive of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) has torn apart the decision.

He said: “It’s a punishment for all of us, it’s a punishment for Europe.

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2 Killed in Sudan Anti-Coup Protests

Mark Clouse February 15, 2022

Ex-Sudan official detained as 2 killed in anti-coup protests – Las Vegas Sun

From lasvegassun.com
2022-02-14 19:38:00

Excerpt:

Sudan’s military authorities have arrested a former senior government official a second time, his party said, and at least two demonstrators were killed as thousands once again took to the streets around the country Monday to protest an October military coup.

The Unionist Alliance party said Mohammed al-Faki Suliman, a former member of the ruling Sovereign Council, was detained Sunday in the capital of Khartoum. It said security forces stopped his vehicle as he was heading from his home to the party’s headquarters.

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