Author Archives: Danzig

Spero Therapeutics Added to the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index – Yahoo Finance

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5G is here. The new networks are online and expanding, and customers individual consumers, institutional users, and industrial applications are starting to take advantage of the new technology. The advantages of 5G are already well-known: faster connections, more efficient upload and download capability, lower latency, greater security. 5G tech is essential for developing the full potential of autonomous vehicles and IoT projects. How it will impact ordinary life remains to be seen.Some of Wall Streets top analysts have been taking the measure of the new network, and its probably effect on related companies and their stocks. Using TipRanks database, weve pulled up the latest data on three such stocks that the analysts have tapped for gains in the growing 5G environment. CommScope Holding (COMM)We will start with CommScope, a hardware provider for network infrastructure. The company produces antennas for building and tower installation, base stations, and outdoor wireless system power supplies. As a holding company, these CommScope products are produced and marketed by subsidiaries, to customers worldwide.The company announced last month a partnership with Nokia on a passive-active antenna platform, promising a faster 5G rollout for customers. And earlier this month, CommScope announced a contract with the city of Wyandotte, Michigan, for networking installation, including 5G, and giving the company access to over 25,000 potential customers.CommScope reported $2.17 billion in Q3 revenue, up 3% year-over-year. The Broadband segment showed 20% year-over-year growth, and the free cash flow hit $350 million. JPMorgans 5-star analyst Samik Chatterjee elaborates on CommScope forward potential: Our constructive view on shares of CommScope is led by expectations for an improving outlook for the Outdoor Wireless Segment which stands positioned to benefit from the ramp in 5G densification efforts for wireless networks, in combination with continuing resilient spending from cable/broadband networks."We expect the pace of investments in the wireline network to continue, led by bandwidth requirements to support peak usage, in addition to tailwinds stemming from initiatives such as RDOF and reclamation of satellite spectrum for 5G," the analyst added.In line with these comments, Chatterjee rates the stock an Overweight (i.e. Buy), and his $18 price target suggests a 35% upside in the coming year. (To watch Chatterjees track record, click here)Chatterjee is broadly in line with the rest of Wall Street, which has assigned COMM slightly more "buy" ratings than "holds" over the past three months -- and sees the stock growing about 19% over the next 12 months, to a target price of $15.80. (See COMM stock analysis on TipRanks)Crown Castle (CCI)The next stock on our list, Crown Castle, operates as a real estate investment trust, owning and managing cell network assets, including towers and transmitter locations. The company boasts over 40,000 towers, 70,000 operational small cells, and 80,000 miles of fiberoptic lines. Crown Castles network is part of the shared infrastructure supporting the wireless communications system in the US.The expansion of 5G networks has been good to Crown Castle, and the company has seen growth and expansion.In November, Crown Castle signed an agreement with DISH, which is looking to expand its 5G footprint. The lease agreement gives DISH rental rights on up to 20,000 towers, and includes fiber transport.Quarterly revenues have held steady between $1.4 and $1.49 billion all year, with Q3, the most recent, coming at the latter value. The company saw site rental revenue gain 4% yoy. Customer rollouts to 5G, and consequent need for additional tower sites, underlies the sound financial results.The sound quarterly results allowed the company to increase its quarterly dividend by 11%. Common share holders now receive $1.33 per common share, annualizing to $5.32 and giving a yield of 3.4%.Deutsche Bank analyst Matthew Niknam sees the DISH deal as part of an overall positive picture for Crown Castle: "CCI is poised to be the early beneficiary of multiple new industry catalysts in upcoming years, including DISH's 5G build and C-Band spectrum deployments.""Specifically, we believe its agreement with DISH for up to 20k sites puts it in a premier position to be the tower partner of choice, at least early on. Our analysis indicates DISH could easily account for 10% of CCI's Tower site leasing revenue by 2027E, with the agreement (conservatively) adding $15/share in value for CCI. Second, with ~70% of CCI's sites located in the top 100 markets, we believe its portfolio over indexes to markets most likely to see initial C-Band builds," the analyst added. To this end, Niknam rates CCI a Buy along with a $180 price target. This figure implies a 17% upside from current levels. (To watch Niknams track record, click here)So, thats Deutsche Bank's view, lets turn our attention now to rest of the Street: CCI's 3 Buys and 2 Holds coalesce into a Moderate Buy rating. Should the $170.25 average price target be met, about 11% upside could be in store. (See CCI stock analysis on TipRanks)Sierra Wireless (SWIR)Based in British Columbia, Canada, Sierra Wireless designs and manufactures wireless equipment for an international customer base. The company products include machine-to-machine and mobile computing devices for use on wireless networks, as well as modems, routers, and gateways for mobile broadband wireless. Sierra holds over 550 unique patents.Sierras focus on machine-to-machine systems make its hardware especially valuable for IoT applications. The company offers 5G capable routers and broadcast solutions for IoT networks, as well as the first 5G enabled vehicle router on the market.Turning to the financials and the stock, we see the company moving in two directions at once. Quarterly revenues have been falling this year, and Q3 came in at just $113 million far down from the $144 million reported in Q2. While the quarter was generally down, the automotive business did show a 3.6% yoy increase.The companys stock, however, has been on an upward trajectory, and with a 49% year-to-date gain has outperformed the S&P 500 index.Among the bulls is Colliers analyst Charles Anderson who calls SWIR a "5G IoT play." Anderson rates the stock a Buy along with a $20 price target. This target indicates the extent of his confidence it implies a 40% one-year upside. (To watch Andersons track record, click here)Backing his stance, Anderson writes, We like the combination here of management/Board upgrades (CEOs that led turnarounds at IDTI and LSCC recently joined the Board); business model transition toward higher margin recurring revenue; 5G product cycle exposure; and depressed valuation relative to both peers and historicals""Sierra is in the process of transforming itself from a low margin supplier of cellular connectivity hardware to a higher margin supplier of full stack cellular IoT (hardware/software/service). This is both a better business model and a more compelling offering to customers," the analyst added.All in all, Sierra has an even split among the recent reviews, 2 Buys and 2 Holds, making the analyst consensus rating a Moderate Buy. (See SWIR stock analysis on TipRanks)To find good ideas for 5G stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

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Spero Therapeutics Added to the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index - Yahoo Finance

Is FibroGen Inc (FGEN) The Right Choice in Biotechnology? – InvestorsObserver

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FibroGen Inc (FGEN) is near the top in its industry group according to InvestorsObserver. FGEN gets an overall rating of 55. That means it scores higher than 55 percent of stocks. FibroGen Inc gets a 67 rank in the Biotechnology industry. Biotechnology is number 30 out of 148 industries.

Trying to find the best stocks can be a daunting task. There are a wide variety of ways to analyze stocks in order to determine which ones are performing the strongest. Investors Observer makes the entire process easier by using percentile rankings that allows you to easily find the stocks who have the strongest evaluations by analysts.

This ranking system incorporates numerous factors used by analysts to compare stocks in greater detail. This allows you to find the best stocks available in any industry with relative ease. These percentile-ranked scores using both fundamental and technical analysis give investors an easy way to view the attractiveness of specific stocks. Stocks with the highest scores have the best evaluations by analysts working on Wall Street.

FibroGen Inc (FGEN) stock is trading at $43.16 as of 11:50 AM on Thursday, Dec 17, a rise of $1.20, or 2.86% from the previous closing price of $41.96. The stock has traded between $41.87 and $43.69 so far today. Volume today is low. So far 205,869 shares have traded compared to average volume of 662,163 shares.

Click Here to get the full Stock Score Report on FibroGen Inc (FGEN) Stock.

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Is FibroGen Inc (FGEN) The Right Choice in Biotechnology? - InvestorsObserver

Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Litigation in the Federal Court of Canada – Lexology

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General outline of the system

Canada has a linkage system similar to the Hatch-Waxman system in the United States. This system is governed by the Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulations (the NOC Regulations). Those that practice in this area often call these proceedings: NOC Proceedings. The NOC Regulations apply to both pharmaceutical and biotechnology products.

In order to obtain regulatory approval for a new drug in Canada, a New Drug Submission (NDS) must be filed. If the drug is approved, a Notice of Compliance (NOC) is granted by Health Canada. Generic companies can file an Abbreviated New Drug Submission (ANDS) to obtain approval, showing bioequivalence to the innovative product (among other things). For a biosimilar, a biosimilar NDS is required. The biosimilar NDS will have a reduced data package, however, the nature of the data needed will be determined on a case-by-case basis in conjunction with Health Canada.

A company selling a drug with regulatory approval by way of an NOC from an NDS can list certain types of patents on the Patent Register (which is similar to the Orange Book). If a second company wishes to enter the market with a direct or indirect comparison to the NDS of the innovator, they must address the patents listed on the Patent Register. This is done either by agreeing to await expiry of the listed patents, or by sending a Notice of Allegation (NOA) and detailed statement setting out the reasons the patent is not infringed and/or is invalid.

Once an NOA is served, the innovator must use the NOC Regulations to litigate the issues raised in the NOA, unless there is no reasonable basis to bring an action at that time. The proceeding must be started in the Federal Court within 45 days of service of the NOA.

The generic or biosimilar filer is typically referred to as the Second Person. The innovator company selling the drug in Canada is typically referred to as the First Person. The patentee must be joined as a party to any proceeding that is started.

Due to the Federal Court hearing the majority of IP cases, its judges generally have far more experience with IP issues compared to provincial Court judges. Federal Court judges have varied backgrounds, some of which are technical.

The patent register

Patents and Certificates of Supplemental Protection (CSPs) are eligible for listing on the Patent Register if they contain a claim to the:

The notice of allegation

The NOA must contain a description of the medicinal ingredient, dosage form, strength, route of administration and use of the drug. It also must contain a statement of the legal and factual basis for the allegation(s) of non-infringement and/or invalidity made.

Additionally, the following documents must accompany the NOA:

The NOA can request the name and contact information for any inventor who might have information relevant to the invalidity allegations. The NOA can also request any laboratory notebooks, research reports or other documents relevant to determine whether a property, advantage or use asserted to be part of the invention by the Second Person to be part of the invention, had been established as of the filing date of the patent.

If the First Person is not the patentee, as is usually the case, they must forward the NOA to the patentee within five days of being served, and notify the Second Person without delay.

Pleadings

In response to an NOA, the First Person can choose to start a proceeding by issuing a Statement of Claim. Pleadings then proceed as normal. If inventor information and/or laboratory notebooks etc. are requested, they must be served with the Statement of Claim or a reason provided as to why they can only be produced later.

Pleadings set out the cause(s) of action and the relief sought, as well as any defences or counterclaims. The Statement of Claim and Statement of Defence are the main pleadings together with any Counterclaim and Defence to Counterclaim. Parties can file a Reply, but the Reply cannot raise a new cause of action. Pleadings tend to be substantive in nature, and must set out all of the material facts upon which a party relies for each allegation. Law does not need to be pled, nor does evidence. Pleadings in Canada tend to be longer and more detailed than in the United States. The pleadings form the boundaries of both discovery and the issues at trial. Thus, sufficient detail is needed to ensure that a party knows the case they have to meet and can discover other parties in relation to that case.

The First Person cannot join a patent or CSP to the proceeding that was not the subject of the NOA that gave rise to the proceeding. However, the First Person can allege infringement of all claims in the patent or CSP that was listed on the Patent Register, even if not all claims are eligible for listing.

Case management

Case management is automatically assigned in an NOC Proceeding, typically within days after such a proceeding is started. The Prothonotary (also known as a Case Management Judge) manages timelines to get to trial and hears most interlocutory motions. One of the benefits of case management is that, if the parties are in agreement, a joint letter or consent order can be submitted to the Court, rather than full motion records, thus expediting and simplifying many of the steps.

Confidentiality

The Second Person can impose confidentiality restrictions on the First Person and the patentee with respect to the regulatory documents provided. The First Person can similarly impose confidentiality restrictions on the Second Person with respect to the laboratory notebooks and other research documents provided. These unilateral impositions are binding and enforced by the Court unless set aside by motion.

Interlocutory injunctions

In an NOC Proceeding, the generic or biosimilar regulatory approval is linked to the judicial outcome. If an NOC Proceeding is started within 45 days of receipt of a NOA, the generic or biosimilar filer cannot receive regulatory approval for that drug for 24 months, or until a decision issues in their favour, whichever occurs first.

Discovery

Canadian documentary discovery is more limited than in U.S. cases. All relevant documents must be produced. However, the concept of relevance is generally described as all documents that will help or hurt either your case or the other sides, thus underscoring the importance of proper pleadings. All documents that a party plans to rely on at trial must be produced. Documents can be withheld from production if they are privileged. Furthermore, documents should not be unilaterally redacted. Parties will often agree to certain types of redactions and allow counsel to review such redactions on a counsels eyes only basis if questions arise surrounding their propriety. On motion, further documents that relate to a train of inquiry that would help or hurt the case may be ordered. Proportionality to the size of the case is also relevant to production.

Oral discovery is also much more limited. A single representative of each party is examined for discovery. This person is expected to answer or be able to obtain the answer to questions relevant to the pleadings. Undertakings may be given if the answer is not known at the time. Parties can answer irrelevant questions under objection. The Court is trending toward preferring answers given under objection compared to refusals. However, refusals can be maintained for privilege and for plainly irrelevant fishing expeditions. The discovering party can bring a motion to compel further answers if it feels that refusals were improperly given.

Answers from the discovery of the partys representative can be read in as evidence at trial by the opposing party. A party cannot use answers from discovery of their own witness.

In addition, any inventor or other assignor can be examined for discovery. Assignor discovery transcripts can only be used to impeach that person if they testify at trial, and cannot be read in as evidence at trial. Other non-parties can only be discovered with leave of the Court.

Markman hearings and summary judgment practice

Canada does not have Markman hearings per se. Summary judgment and summary trial motions are not permitted in an NOC Proceeding.

Expert witnesses

Experts are not deposed or cross-examined before trial. A schedule is set for the exchange of expert reports before trial. Parties are encouraged to make any objections to expert reports as early as possible. Often, the parties will also agree to provide expert reports to the trial judge ahead of trial.

Leave of the Court is required to call more than five experts at trial.

At trial, the expert report, once tendered, is taken as read (subject to any outstanding objections). Expert evidence in chief is generally limited, usually to between one and three hours, to highlight portions of the opinion and warm-up the expert prior to cross-examination. Cross-examination is done live before the trial judge, and is generally not subject to any time limits.

Trial

As the stay of generic or biosimilar drug approval is 24 months, the Court committed to issuing a decision within that period. Shortly after the Statement of Claim issues, the Court will assign a trial date that is 2 years, less 3 months and 2 weeks in the future. This gives 2 weeks for trial and 3 months for the Court to write its decision.

The decision maker in Federal Court is a judge only, not a jury.

Costs/attorneys fees

A portion of attorneys fees as well as reasonable disbursements (including for all testifying experts) are typically recoverable by the successful party.

Recoverable costs are generally determined by use of a tariff, specifying steps for which costs can be recovered as well as a range of units associated with each step, with the Court determining the appropriate number of units given the circumstances of each individual case. When costs are awarded pursuant to the tariff, recovery is typically around 10 per cent of actual costs.

Recently, however, the Court has tended toward awarding 25-50 per cent actual fees in big IP cases, instead of following the tariff. However, this remains a matter of discretion for the Court.

Costs are awarded at the discretion of the Federal Court, which also hears immigration and admiralty matters, as well as cases against the Federal Government. The Court is currently looking to increase the amounts recoverable under the tariff by adding additional recoverable steps; however, since IP litigants range in size and worth, it is always a balance for the Court when determining costs.

Remedies

The remedy in an NOC Proceeding is an injunction restraining issuance of market approval to the generic or biosimilar filer until the expiry of the patent at issue.

As these proceedings are pre-market entry, there are no damages or profits to seek.

Section 8 proceedings

If the First Person is unsuccessful in or discontinues the proceeding, the NOC Regulations provide a new cause of action allowing the generic or biosimilar filer to sue the innovator for compensation in respect of loss suffered from being kept off the market. The Minister of Health certifies a date upon which the Second Persons drug submission would have been approvable but for the operation of the NOC Regulations.

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Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Litigation in the Federal Court of Canada - Lexology

Where Does Auris Medical Holding Ltd (EARS) Stock Fall in the Biotechnology Field? – InvestorsObserver

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Auris Medical Holding Ltd (EARS) is around the middle of the Biotechnology industry according to InvestorsObserver. EARS received an overall rating of 52, which means that it scores higher than 52 percent of all stocks. Auris Medical Holding Ltd also achieved a score of 59 in the Biotechnology industry, putting it above 59 percent of Biotechnology stocks. Biotechnology is ranked 26 out of the 148 industries.

Analyzing stocks can be hard. There are tons of numbers and ratios, and it can be hard to remember what they all mean and what counts as good for a given value. InvestorsObserver ranks stocks on eight different metrics. We percentile rank most of our scores to make it easy for investors to understand. A score of 52 means the stock is more attractive than 52 percent of stocks.

This ranking system incorporates numerous factors used by analysts to compare stocks in greater detail. This allows you to find the best stocks available in any industry with relative ease. These percentile-ranked scores using both fundamental and technical analysis give investors an easy way to view the attractiveness of specific stocks. Stocks with the highest scores have the best evaluations by analysts working on Wall Street.

Auris Medical Holding Ltd (EARS) stock is trading at $2.70 as of 9:56 AM on Tuesday, Dec 15, a rise of $0.02, or 0.75% from the previous closing price of $2.68. The stock has traded between $2.62 and $2.87 so far today. Volume today is light. So far 137,427 shares have traded compared to average volume of 12,164,180 shares.

Click Here to get the full Stock Score Report on Auris Medical Holding Ltd (EARS) Stock.

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Where Does Auris Medical Holding Ltd (EARS) Stock Fall in the Biotechnology Field? - InvestorsObserver

What Impact Will Nanotechnology Have on IoT? – IoT For All

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As IoT matures, the sensor itself or the nerve of IoT architecture, will be deeply upgraded with sensitivity down to the molecular level. The nanosensors will be able to detect micro modifications in pressure, temperature, or chemical composition. This will allow us to collect far more precise data and measure things that cant be measured today.

The range of possibilities offered by nanosensors will change how we conceive, make, and use IoT. If we take one sector as an example, the food industry, IoTs are today mostly present in the production process.

Nanotechnologies will further bring us as far as the end-user by detecting potential health risks in each refrigerated chicken box. We can imagine that sensors all along the food cycle will drastically reduce the risk of contamination and relieve the fastidious tracing with an individual serial number. This becomes possible with a dramatic drop in size, cost, and energy needs for sensor production and installation.

The question of batteries is at the core of an IoT deployment can be problematic. It represents a substantial part of the cost during the deployment but even more for the maintenance. If you can upscale the battery duration by 10x or 100x, but also conserve the battery capacity through time by multiplying the number of the charge cycle, it is a huge disruption for the number of IoT driven economic sectors, starting with electric autonomous cars.

The batterys size will also be impactedsmaller for better capacities, unleashing business models until now stuttering, like rural autonomous deliveries or drone transportation on long distances.

The likely overall effect of nanotechnology meeting IoT will be a considerable drop in price (across the entire lifecycle production, installation, and maintenance), mostly due to the reduction of their sizes.

Straight from the prototyping phase, the cost of new IoT solutions can be cut by 97%allowing new start-ups and innovators to enter the market.This innovation can answer the increasing demand for IoT components, especially microchips, in a decentralized way. The billions of devices planned to join the market in the future wont match environmental criteria and the flexibility needed to reach an agile production system without nanotechnology.

Another characteristic of nanotechnology, and nanomaterials, is that it can offer robustness beyond imagination. As an example, some nanomaterials make glass bend instead of break, providing an incredible resistance to pressure and shock.

As we see how nanotechnology impacts IoT physically, its fabrication, and maintenance cost, we will now see that it also upgrades connectivity.

Researchers are focusing now on two types of nanotechnology connections: molecular and electromagnetic. We basically keep the actual architecture logic in both technologies: sensoraggregatorgatewaycloudbut the data is transmitted more efficiently.

We cant apprehend the future possibilities of nanotechnologies meeting IoT without taking into consideration AI and machine learning. The real revolution lies where those technologies intersect.

This is particularly relevant when discussing smart cities. IoT deployment brings traffic information to the control room. Decisions are partially automated under the control of humans. It is now impossible to fully delegate the decision to the AI, especially because of the holes in the grid. You will always have parts of the city where sensors are missing, and those holes can lead the AI to bad decisions.

Once the nanosensors are deployed directly in the streets, lights, walls, interconnected, the AI can fully operate without constant human supervision. These advancements wont only democratize and upgrade IoT, but considerably extend the range of its presence by opening new fields, markets, and business models.

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What Impact Will Nanotechnology Have on IoT? - IoT For All

NBD Nanotechnologies announces InvisiPrint MBED, an anti-fingerprint coating with embedded antimicrobial protection – PRNewswire

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NBDs proprietary dual function coating renders fingerprint smudges invisible and prevents the growth of odor and stain-causing bacteria.

InvisiPrint MBED combines best in class fingerprint hiding with exceptional antimicrobial properties. The protection of surfaces with InvisiPrint MBED is also extremely durable. When surfaces coated with InvisiPrint MBED are exposed to wear and tear similar to what mobile devices and displays typically experience throughout their service life, the 5+ log bacterial reduction is unaffected.

The low temperature and simple application process combined with excellent fingerprint hiding make InvisiPrint MBED an especially attractive option for high touch electronic displays where anti-fingerprint coatings are already applied but now require antimicrobial properties. "NBD's ability to introduce innovative product enhancements are the reasons customers continue to depend on NBD Nano for their product roadmap planning and execution. InvisiPrint MBED is yet another example where NBD is successfully providing customers with best-in-class technology," said Miguel Galvez, President of NBD Nanotechnologies.

Applications for InvisiPrint MBED include touch displays, eyewear, appliances, architectural glass, ceramics and other high touch surfaces. For more information, please contact us at [emailprotected]

About NBD Nanotechnologies.

Founded in 2012 and based in Lexington Massachusetts, NBD Nanotechnologies, is a rapidly growing specialty chemical company. NBD has a number of tailored coating solutions for the electronics and industrial sectors.

Disclaimers ISO 22196 results are insufficient to make Health Claims and InvisiPrint MBED is not registered to make EPA approved Health Claims.

SOURCE NBD Nanotechnologies, Inc.

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NBD Nanotechnologies announces InvisiPrint MBED, an anti-fingerprint coating with embedded antimicrobial protection - PRNewswire

Cybersecurity expert: After Russian hack, common security tools, including cloud-based multi-factor systems, shown to be less effective in preventing…

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Bertrand Cambou, a professor of nanotechnology and cybersecurity at Northern Arizona University, is available to discuss what went wrong in the Russian hack attack revealed this week and what organizations, including the U.S. government, can learn from the attack. Cambou is a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors and is an invention ambassador of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Bertrand Cambou

Media coverage has mentioned two specific methods the hackers used:

According to Cambou:

The use of these products is inherently risky; cloud-based email services should not be trusted for security andsensitive operations. In general, software tools with mandatoryupdates can be used as Trojan malware. These updates are forced on the client devices without authentication, and the servers havethe upper hand and are able to shortcut security.

The weak link for massive attacks is the server or cloud having the authority to infect terminal devices at large scale. Tools like MS Duo have the objective to block malicious users, not malicious cloud services.

It was reported that SolarWind customers often use Microsoft'sDUO multi-factor authentication, which did not prevent the attack.

Due to the recent attack, the information already stored on the cloud is as suspicious, and all government personal computers with the monitoring system should be quarantined, with the assumption that worms were potentially planted in the software stack. In both cases the users were interacting with contaminated networks. This is a really bad situation.

Recommendation:

Implementtwo-way authentication, which is much more secure than cloud-based multi-factor.The objective should be both to prevent a bad server to play and block malicious users.

Earlier this year, Cambou hosted industry and military partners on a multimillion-dollar cybersecurity project. Learn more about the grant from the U.S. Air Force.

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Cybersecurity expert: After Russian hack, common security tools, including cloud-based multi-factor systems, shown to be less effective in preventing...

Impact of COVID-19 on Nanocoatings for Building and Construction Market by 2027 |CTC Nanotechnology, Tesla NanoCoatings, Inframat, Theta Chemicals,…

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Nanocoatings for Building and Construction Market research report is the new statistical data source added by A2Z Market Research.

Nanocoatings for Building and Construction Market is growing at a High CAGR during the forecast period 2021-2027. The increasing interest of the individuals in this industry is that the major reason for the expansion of this market.

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CTC Nanotechnology, Tesla NanoCoatings, Inframat, Theta Chemicals, Nanophase Technologies, AdMat Innovations, Advenira Enterprises, Nanogate.

The key questions answered in this report:

Various factors are responsible for the markets growth trajectory, which are studied at length in the report. In addition, the report lists down the restraints that are posing threat to the global Nanocoatings for Building and Construction market. It also gauges the bargaining power of suppliers and buyers, threat from new entrants and product substitute, and the degree of competition prevailing in the market. The influence of the latest government guidelines is also analyzed in detail in the report. It studies the Nanocoatings for Building and Construction markets trajectory between forecast periods.

Global Nanocoatings for Building and Construction Market Segmentation:

Market Segmentation: By Type

Vapor DepositionElectroplateSprayingOther

Market Segmentation: By Application

BuildingInfrastructure

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Regions Covered in the Global Nanocoatings for Building and Construction Market Report 2021: The Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries and Egypt) North America (the United States, Mexico, and Canada) South America (Brazil etc.) Europe (Turkey, Germany, Russia UK, Italy, France, etc.) Asia-Pacific (Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Australia)

The cost analysis of the Global Nanocoatings for Building and Construction Market has been performed while keeping in view manufacturing expenses, labor cost, and raw materials and their market concentration rate, suppliers, and price trend. Other factors such as Supply chain, downstream buyers, and sourcing strategy have been assessed to provide a complete and in-depth view of the market. Buyers of the report will also be exposed to a study on market positioning with factors such as target client, brand strategy, and price strategy taken into consideration.

The report provides insights on the following pointers:

Market Penetration: Comprehensive information on the product portfolios of the top players in the Nanocoatings for Building and Construction market.

Product Development/Innovation: Detailed insights on the upcoming technologies, R&D activities, and product launches in the market.

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Market Development: Comprehensive information about emerging markets. This report analyzes the market for various segments across geographies.

Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about new products, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the Nanocoatings for Building and Construction market.

Table of Contents

Global Nanocoatings for Building and Construction Market Research Report 2021 2027

Chapter 1 Nanocoatings for Building and Construction Market Overview

Chapter 2 Global Economic Impact on Industry

Chapter 3 Global Market Competition by Manufacturers

Chapter 4 Global Production, Revenue (Value) by Region

Chapter 5 Global Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions

Chapter 6 Global Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type

Chapter 7 Global Market Analysis by Application

Chapter 8 Manufacturing Cost Analysis

Chapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers

Chapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders

Chapter 11 Market Effect Factors Analysis

Chapter 12 Global Nanocoatings for Building and Construction Market Forecast

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Impact of COVID-19 on Nanocoatings for Building and Construction Market by 2027 |CTC Nanotechnology, Tesla NanoCoatings, Inframat, Theta Chemicals,...

Seychelles, Longtime Home of BitMEX, Is Bending to US Pressure on KYC – Yahoo Finance

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The Takeaway:

Out of a list of 26 crypto exchanges domiciled in the Republic of Seychelles, approximately half have poor know-your-customer (KYC) procedures, according to blockchain tracking firm CipherTrace.

Analysis of certain Seychelles-based exchanges reveals the proportion of funds flowing to and from high risk sources and dark marketplaces.

In an interview with CoinDesk, the Seychelles Financial Services Authority acknowledged that the U.S. crackdown on crypto derivatives exchange BitMEX in October was a blowup for the island.

A former FinCEN compliance and enforcement director expects more actions from authorities investigating the Seychelles jurisdiction.

This is the first part of a two-part series. Read the second part here.

When it comes to island-hopping crypto exchanges with relaxed know-your-customer (KYC) procedures, Seychelles-domiciled BitMEX, whose senior execs were issued with arrest warrants in October, could be just the tip of the iceberg.

Places like the Republic of Seychelles, an archipelago off the coast of East Africa (population: 96,762), can be attractive to firms because of favorable tax treatment and ease of governance when setting up foundations.

Related: Self-Hosted Bitcoin Wallets Become Front Line in Fight Over Crypto Regulations

Many such jurisdictions are trying to reinvent themselves to adapt to new economic realities. Perhaps they want to be the next fintech or crypto hub and are experimenting with sandboxes and the like. Of course, some aspiring crypto centers may be more cautious than others. This often depends on the type of services already provided. Malta, for instance, already caters to a number of investment firms, while a jurisdiction like Luxembourg has a well-established financial services sector.

Things start to go awry when an enforcement action like the one against BitMEX happens. In this case, the Seychelles bore the brunt of some headline-grabbing evidence that investigators had gathered, namely BitMEXs former CEO, Arthur Hayes saying it would cost just a coconut to bribe Seychellois authorities.

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Its a point that remains contested by the Seychelles Financial Services Authority (FSA).

When we saw that comment, we as a jurisdiction and as an authority did seek clarification and an explanation about what was said, FSA chief Steve Fanny told CoinDesk in an interview.

Related: US Treasury Bulking Up Crypto Policy Advisers as Wallet Reg Rumors Swirl

Fanny claims the comment has been misconstrued. It can be construed as if Seychelles is very relaxed and you can buy your way. Or it could be construed as there was a sarcastic comment that gentleman made while under attack, he said.

In any case, such an event is bound to bring further scrutiny.

Definitely theres going to be a tightening up now because this was a big blowup for the Seychelles.

CipherTrace, which works with exchanges and also has contracts with public authorities, has been conducting ongoing research into how crypto exchanges handle their KYC and anti-money laundering (AML) responsibilities.

CipherTrace employs a two-pronged approach. Assessing KYC on-boarding involves the straightforward legwork of setting up accounts at exchanges. KYC onboarding assessment is complemented by AML analytics, also called know your transaction (KYT). This is done by moving funds around the system, a kind of crypto mystery shopping, and identifying how much is linked to high risk sources.

A combination of KYC legwork and KYT analysis yields a risk score for each exchange.

A green score means the companys KYC can pass muster with regulators. Yellow could mean the exchanges KYC is porous, so perhaps its KYC doesnt kick in unless a transaction is higher than some nominal amount. A firm might also be graded yellow if it has begun stringent KYC, but only for new customers. Red is weak, which generally means a user can carry on with little more than a valid email address.

The number of weak KYC exchanges domiciled in Seychelles (at least 12 with poor scores) is a cause for concern, especially in light of the BitMEX arrests, said CipherTrace CEO Dave Jevans.

When it comes to these companies that are domiciled in Seychelles, is the government worried? Jevans said. I mean, its not a good look.

Theres no doubt the BitMEX enforcement action has shaken up the jurisdiction.

Definitely theres going to be a tightening up now because this [BitMEX] was a big blowup for the Seychelles, said Alison Elizabeth, the head of the FSAs Regulatory Sandbox. The central bank and the Financial Intelligence Unit, together with the FSA legal teams, are making decisions concerning whats going to happen next.

Like many jurisdictions around the world, Seychelles has been implementing the AML recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global anti-money laundering watchdog. This has prompted an upgrade of Seychelles regulation. A new AML/CFT Act and Beneficial Ownership Act were introduced in March 2020.

FSA chief Fanny said that from early January 2021, firms in Seychelles will have to meet FATF requirements around KYC, AML and auditing, and there will be more fintech legislation introduced in March.

Many large companies chose to set up operations from the Seychelles, Fanny said, but there were also a lot of small companies and at one time we were not capturing all of these.

Theres a chance this was only the first pebble in an avalanche.

FSA has a leadership team of 15 covering subsections like fiduciary, insurance, capital markets and gambling (interestingly, there isnt a section on the website for crypto exchanges). There are around 360 regulated entities listed on the FSA website.

Fanny added that if Seychelles authorities have good reason, firms can be struck off the FSA register.

As a jurisdiction, we want to attract the best businesses. If you dont want to be properly regulated, move somewhere else, he said.

The BitMEX enforcement action shouldnt come as any surprise, said Gregory C. Lisa, a partner at the law firm Hogan Lovells in Washington, D.C.

Seychelles is one of those jurisdictions thats had a good share of law enforcement and regulatory scrutiny, said Lisa. There has been a growing concern about regulatory arbitrage, certainly with U.S. regulators.

During a virtual event hosted by CoinDesk in October, Heath Tarbert, outgoing chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), hinted that the next BitMEX was coming.

An investigation like the one into BitMEX is usually not a one-off, said Lisa, a former compliance and enforcement director at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).

Law enforcement, regulators and prosecutors get familiar with the space, which takes time, he said. Investigators learn about money flows, often employing forensic analysis companies like CipherTrace, Chainalyis, Elliptic and others, and begin to see patterns emerging out of that jurisdiction.

Theres a chance this was only the first pebble in an avalanche, said Lisa.

The BitMEX enforcement didnt come out of the blue. The exchange had reportedly been under investigation by the CFTC since at least July 2019, and had responded by implementing mandatory KYC in April of this year.

Since the charges were brought, BitMEX hired Malcolm Wright as chief compliance officer of 100x Group, the holding structure for the BitMEX platform. Wright is the current Chair of the Advisory Council and Co-Lead of the AML Working Group at Global Digital Finance, and former CCO at Diginex as well as Revolut. Regarding the tightening up of BitMEXs KYC, the firms user verification program has been accelerated, said Wright.

All users were required to verify by Nov. 5 in order to continue trading on our platform, Wright told CoinDesk via email. Until verified, no user could open a new position or increase an existing position. Whilst unverified, users could not receive or accrue affiliate payouts.

From Dec. 4, any users that had not completed verification became unable to withdraw funds. Funds will be recoverable from user accounts and withdrawals will be processed normally after verification, Wright added. As a result of these concerted efforts, BitMEX was recently upgraded from yellow to green KYC score by CipherTrace.

Looking back, CipherTrace data shows how BitMEXs fund flows have evolved over time and, as such, have skewed more towards opaque sources.

Going back a couple of years, money flowing into the exchange was coming from other exchanges including Poloniex and Binance, but a high proportion now flows in and out of private wallets held outside the reach of regulated exchanges.

If you compare [previous years with] last years analysis, it was mostly private wallets, said CipherTrace CEO Jevans. So over time it has migrated from exchanges to people using private wallets to try and hide the provenance of their funds. This is one of the things they [BitMEX] were really pushing.

Wright said the BitMEX platform screens for bitcoin provenance using a leading independent blockchain analytics provider, while suspicious transaction reports (STRs) are filed with the Seychelles FSA when there are doubts as to the legitimacy of any transfers.

The use of private wallets across the crypto industry has become more prevalent for a variety of legitimate reasons, Wright said, not least as an extra line of defense against potential hacks.

After opening an account at an exchange, CipherTrace discovers the thresholds for how much money can be moved about without doing significant KYC.

To build up a picture of fund flows, CipherTrace circulates crypto around a network of what it considers to be high- and low-risk exchanges and also dark marketplaces.

We move money to dark markets, we pay into ransomware and engage in commerce of all types, said John Jefferies, the firms lead financial analyst. Were able to create between 3 million and 4 million pieces of attribution data per week. Then we use a combination of machine learning and predictive analytics and clustering techniques to associate wallets with different entities, and follow the flow of funds around the internet.

Jefferies said the CipherTrace KYC grading system is a fairly dynamic state of affairs. He acknowledged there is a temporal aspect to this. In other words, how long after an exchange has done an upgrade of its KYC does it take to turn from red to green? (This idea will be explored in greater detail in the second part of this investigation.)

The green, yellow or red KYC scores given by CipherTrace are viewed in a fairly binary manner by regulators, Jefferies said. Its either good or demonstrably bad, he said. What we would call yellow and red, they would simply call bad.

In recent years a hotspot for blockchain analytics firms has been peer-to-peer exchanges, where funds are typically held in escrow ahead of a transaction between two counterparties. This approach naturally involves less in the way of centralized overbearance, and in some cases this has also meant little or no KYC. (Its worth restating the fact that crypto was originally designed this way.)

At any rate, this situation is changing, at least when it comes to well-known players like LocalBitcoins and Paxful, which have been working to improve their KYC/AML procedures.

Seychelles also has its fair share of P2P exchange activity and CipherTrace has highlighted some of this. Remitano, cited below, does a lot of business in places like Vietnam, Nigeria and Malaysia, and scores a green KYC rating, according to CipherTrace. However, analysis of the platforms trading activity shows how funds are flowing to and from high-risk exchanges.

In Remitanos case, some 5.99%, or approximately $34.5 million, of funds was received from high-risk exchanges, while 24.5%, or about $76.5 million, was sent to high-risk exchanges. Large exchanges that act as third-party custodians typically have more control over the funds that flow out than the funds that may flow in. (San Francisco-based Coinbase, for comparison, received 2.3% from high-risk sources in the past year, but only sent 0.29% out to high-risk destinations.)

You can also see in the last year that [Remitano] is sending and receiving funds from some very high-risk exchanges, said Jevans of CipherTrace.

A Remitano representative told CoinDesk via email that the exchange was considering whether to move its base away from Seychelles.

We are not sure if Seychelles would like to cut ties with [our] business due to the BitMEX situation or not, but we received a clarification information request about our business activities in the last couple of months, said the Remitano representative. We are still working closely with our service agency to make sure we are in good standing. We also are planning to move to a crypto-friendly country, but for now no decision has been made.

In terms of handling incoming flows from the darknet, illicit sources and high-yield investment products, Remitano said it is partnering with TRM, the analytics provider backed by PayPal among others.

Our product team is still working on the integration, Remitano said. We have already implemented many filters to secure our user funds and prevent the fund flow from bad sources. Our screening team may request some additional details before he/she is able to continue to trade on our platform.

CoinDesk reached out to all the firms listed by CipherTrace, but only a few replies came back.

Lo Chia Ching, head of marketing for AEX, which scored a red KYC from CipherTrace, said that in order to trade fiat a user has to share a photo ID, and that for transactions over 5,000 Chinese yuan ($765) the user is required to complete the KYC process in the form of a video.

Users can trade tokens without full KYC, but must perform KYC before swapping for fiat. KYC involves a China ID card, for example, which can be photographed, or the user can make a video, Lo Chia said via Telegram. Users cant use the [over-the-counter] function until KYC has been completed.

Mark Lamb, CEO of CoinFlex, which was graded by CipherTrace as having weak KYC, said his firms procedures meet the same measure as regulatory frameworks in Europe and many other places.

If transactions are above a certain level, more regulation is stacked on top, Lamb said. Do you think we just pulled this out of our asses?

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Seychelles, Longtime Home of BitMEX, Is Bending to US Pressure on KYC - Yahoo Finance

Seychelles and San Jose among routes axed by BA – Daily Business

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BA sees no return to pre-pandemic levels for three years

British Airways is cancelling flights to more than a dozen long-haul destinations next year as the global aviation industry continues to shrink.

Many airlines have cut staff and dropped routes as passengers avoid or are unable to travel because of the Covid pandemic.

BA has cut North America services to Calary, Charleston and Pittsburgh, Flights to Asian cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Osaka and Seoul have also gone as well popular winter destination, the Seychelles.

Dammam in Saudi Arabia, Durban in South Africa, Muscat, Jeddah and Abu Dhabi routes are all axed, and next summer will see temporary suspensions to Sydney, Bangkok and San Jose gateway to Silicon Valley.

BA said that like other airlines, the pandemic meant global travel restrictions had forced it to operate a reduced schedule. Losses totalled almost 4bn in the first half of this year.

The company has previously stated it does not expect international travel to return to pre-pandemic levels until 2023.

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Seychelles and San Jose among routes axed by BA - Daily Business

BitMEX Trading Exchange Earns Criminal and Civil Prosecution for AML Violations – JD Supra

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We all have been following the rapid growth of cryptocurrency and the creation of lucrative trading platforms. Cryptocurrency has earned the scrutiny of regulators and criminal prosecutors not for run-of-the-mill fraud schemes, but for compliance with applicable anti-money laundering laws and regulations.

Late in 2020, the Justice Department and the Commodities Futures Trade Commission (CFTC) slammed BitMEx and its principals with a coordinated criminal and civil prosecution. As the cryptocurrency markets continue to expand and new trading platforms started, DOJ, the CFTC and the SEC can be expected to exercise increasing oversight and enforcement.

In the criminal case, the Southern District of New York returned an indictment of Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo, Samuel Reed and Greg Dwyer, charging them with violating the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and conspiracy to violate the BSA by failing to implement and maintain an adequate anti-money laundering program at the Bitcoin Mercantile Exchange (BitMEX).

BitMExs platform has received more than $11 billion in bitcoin deposits and collected more than $1 billion in fees, while servicing a large number of United States-based customers.

BitMEX touted itself as the worlds largest cryptocurrency derivatives platform with billions of dollars of trading volume each day. Much of this volume involved US customers trading activity.

The defendants created an entity that was a purported off-shore crypto exchange and ignored all applicable AML laws and regulations. BitMEX was established to trade in futures contracts and derivatives tied to the value of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin. BitMEX accepted Bitcoin to margin and leverage up to 100 times leverage on certain products.

Since its inception in 2014, BitMEX solicited and served customers in the United States, and even continued to do so after allegedly withdrawing in 2015 from the United States market. While continuing to operate in the United States, BitMEX did not maintain an AML compliance program and a customer identification program otherwise known as a Know Your Customer (KYC) program.

BitMEX organized under the Seychelles laws but did not maintain any physical presence on the islands. The BitMEX principals did so to circumvent and avoid BSA and AML regulations.

Hayes, Delo and Reed statrt5ed BitMEX in 2014 and Dwyer was hired as its first employee in 2015. Because BitMEX solicited and served United States customers, BitMEX was required to register with the CFTC and to establish and maintain an AML compliance program.

In 2015, BitMEX knew (or learned) that they were subject to US laws because they served US customers. Each of the defendants knew they served US customers who continued to access the trading platform until 2018. BitMEX had policies designed to prevent US customers from using the exchange but those policies were not enforced or easily circumvented. The defendants took steps to justify avoiding AML requirements by, for example, incorporating in the Seychelles under the belief that the regulatory requirements in the Seychelles would not impose any regulatory burdens.

In a parallel civil action, the CFTC filed a civil enforcement action in federal court in New York charging five entities and three individuals with operating an unregistered trading platform and a number of specific regulatory requirements, including failing to implement required AML procedures.

The CFTC charged the three company owners, Arthur Hayes, Ben Delo and Samuel Reed, who operate BitMEX through a complex set of corporate entities, five of which were included in the civil complaint.

BitMEX failed to register as required under CFTC rules and to maintain an appropriate BSA and AML compliance program. The CFTC is seeking disgorgement of ill-gotten gain, civil monetary penalties and restitution.

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BitMEX Trading Exchange Earns Criminal and Civil Prosecution for AML Violations - JD Supra

Cabinet Business – 16th December 2020 – News – Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles

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16 December 2020 | Cabinet Business

In the absence of President Wavel Ramkalawan who is on overseas mission, Vice President Ahmed Afif chaired a scheduled meeting of the Cabinet on Wednesday 16th December, at which a number of legal and policy memoranda were considered.

Cabinet approved for the signing of the Framework Agreement between the French Embassy, Universities in Reunion and the University Hospital of Reunion on the one hand and the Department of Health and the University of Seychelles on the other hand.

Cabinet also approved the Broadcasting and Telecommunications (Per-second Billing by Operators of Public Land Mobile Network) Regulations, 2020.

Cabinet approved for the introduction of a type approval fee to be levied for each radio-communication equipment to be type approved by the Department of ICT (DICT).

Cabinet approved amendments in the legal framework for the Joint Management Area (JMA) of Extended Continental Shelf in the Mascarene plateau Region between Seychelles and Mauritius.

Cabinet also approved amendments to the Revenue Administration (Filing of Business Activity Statement) Regulation to incorporate three new forms namely the amended Business Activity Statement (BAS) form attached with the Withholding Tax Remittance form and the List of Donations for Corporate Social Responsibility Tax (CSRT) form. These amendments would contribute to an improved business development environment.

Cabinet approved amendments under the First Schedule of the Business Tax Act 2009.

Cabinet approved amendments to Schedules 4 and 5 of SI 1 of 2015 Revenue Administration (Common Reporting Standard) Regulations.

Cabinet also approved the Fisheries (Mahe Plateau Trap and Line Fishery) Regulations.

Cabinet approved the creation of a fish processing zone on Ile du Port.

Cabinet also approved for the moratorium placed on the importation of motor vehicles to be reviewed. The proposed policy would discourage the importation of motor vehicles until the national economic situation improved.

Link:

Cabinet Business - 16th December 2020 - News - Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles

President meets with Seychellois Community in the UAE – Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles

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15 December 2020 | Foreign Affairs

Currently on a 5 day working visit in the UAE, President Wavel Ramkalawan yesterday met with Seychellois professionals currently working in the UAE as well as other members of the Seychelles community established there.

During the meeting, discussions centered around the general atmosphere in Seychelles at the moment, the new approach of Government and the aspirations of the Seychellois professionals to potentially return back to Seychelles and make a positive contribution to their country.

Discussions were also held in regards to the Seychellois Diaspora playing a greater role in the development of the country. President Ramkalawan announced that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism will soon conduct a census of all Seychellois living abroad with comprehensive data on qualifications, abilities and their interest to invest in the country.

This is in line with new principle that all Seychellois should feel part of the country and have the possibility of making a contribution towards the development of their home country, Seychelles.

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President meets with Seychellois Community in the UAE - Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles

Seychelles Promoted in the First Virtual Gulf Travel Show – FTNnews.com

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Seychelles strengthens its relationships with Middle Eastern travel trade partners through the Seychelles Tourism Boards (STB) participation in the first virtual Gulf Travel Show on November 23, 2020.

The two-day virtual event united around 2,500 participants joining in from 59 countries across the globe, with the Middle East Seychelles Tourism Board Office representing the island destination in networking and paving a path towards the recovery of the tourism industry.

The first virtual edition of the GTS used an impressive and user-friendly platform which displayed the convention centre, a virtual hall, auditorium, and exhibition hall, creating an immersive virtual experience. Amongst the 40 exhibitors was the STB Team, who kept visitors updated about the destination, the latest safety measures and products. Whilst visiting these virtual booths, visitors also met with the representatives and had access to essential documents and videos.

The virtual shows gamified system fostered a dynamic atmosphere with the leader board encouraging visitors to participate in the different talks and to connect with the exhibitors. Insightful and engaging panel discussions, including an explanation of trends defined by technology companies, led by local and international industry leaders drew in visitors.

Representing STB at the event was Mr. Ahmed Fathallah, member of the STB Dubai Team, who said This show brought together industry experts, world-class speakers and attendees from across the region all under one virtual roof. STOME will continue to take part in these regional activities to continue to spearhead the gradual restart of the tourism industry. We will always be here for our trade partners and continue to offer and extend the assistance that we can give.

Hosted by TravTalk Middle East, the Gulf Travel Show provided a platform for exhibitors to, not only network and market their products, but also discover a recovery path for the tourism industry.

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Seychelles Promoted in the First Virtual Gulf Travel Show - FTNnews.com

Figure of the week: Africas visa openness continues to improve – Brookings Institution

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The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially reduced cross-border travel as countries place restrictions on movement to manage the health crisis. However, the costs of these restrictions are clear, with impacts on the global economy, supply chains, and industries such as tourism and transit. As countries begin to rebuild, the African Development Banks fifth annual Visa Openness Index Report, released on December 11, 2020, argues that increased open borders and cross-country mobility will be all the more important for economic recovery by allowing Africans to travel, invest, and do business. To provide data on these important components of economic recovery, the index measures how open African countries are with regards to visa requirements and aims to show which African countries facilitate travel for citizens of other countries and how.

Figure 1 shows that African borders have become increasingly open over the past five years. In 2020, Africans did not need a visa to travel to 26 percent of other African countries and could obtain a visa on arrival in 28 percent of African countries. Similarly, in 2020, Africans needed visas to travel to only 46 percent of other African countries. Overall, the most visa-open countries are found in East and West Africathese two regions accounted for 80 percent of the top 20 most visa-open African countries in 2020. The report further shares that three countries, The Gambia, Seychelles, and Benin, now offer visa-free access to all African visitors.

Source: African Development Bank, Visa Openness Index Report, 2020.

Substantial progress has also been made over the past five years in the use of eVisas. According to the authors, eVisas are a useful method for streamlining travel processes and facilitating visitor access: Going digital and using cutting-edge technology can speed up and secure entry for travelers, which will play a key role as countries respond to a changing travel climate due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Figure 2 shows that 24 African countriesnearly half of all African countriesoffered eVisas for African travelers in 2020. This number is a substantial increase from 2016, when only nine countries offered them. Furthermore, the report finds that 10 out of the top 20 most visa-open countries also offered eVisas for travelers.

Source: African Development Bank, Visa Openness Index Report, 2020

The report argues that there is still significant scope for African countries to become more open by, for example, offering visas on arrival for African visitors. Increased openness and integration can help develop regional tourism, bolstering an industry that plays a pivotal role in economic growth in many African countries but that has suffered a severe shock from COVID-19. For more on the potential of tourism for Africas economic growth and job creation, see Industries without smokestacks: Firm characteristics and constraints to growth by John Page.

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Figure of the week: Africas visa openness continues to improve - Brookings Institution

India needs more than Quad to secure the Indo-Pacific – The Times of India Blog

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A few days back, Moscow-due to its strategic pact with Beijing- raised questions about New Delhis alignment with Washington on the issue of Quad. Since its rebirth in 2017, the Quad has been upgraded and now signifies a coalition of like-minded democracies who want to keep international waters free. While India has rebuffed Russias comments, it needs to work on a holistic policy for the Indo Pacific region. Limiting its vision only to the Quad exposes it to political uncertainties in the US, Japan and Australia.

Indo Pacific and not Asia- Pacific as it was earlier called- signifies the centrality of the role that India plays- or is expected to play in the region. It needs to work towards two goals- cementing its position in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and towards building long term partnerships with the littorals. External affairs Minister S Jaishankar in his book highlighted New Delhis I-P strategy with IOR at the core and the Pacific Islands in the Far East at the periphery, indicating order of priority. To execute this vision, there are three important policy decisions/directions that are needed.

In the IOR, New Delhi despite its historical and cultural ties with Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles has lost out to the concerted plan by Beijing to buy influence and malign India. China- which did not even have an embassy in Male till 2011- is now Maldives largest lender with an exposure of $3.1 billion. While relations with India have been on the rise since Mohd. Ibrahim Solih came to power; New Delhi needs to do more. A recent India Out campaign by opposition points out to the deep inroads made by Beijing in Maldives and exposes New Delhis limited clout. India which needs to work on deepening its defence and security relationship with Maldives should focus on training navies of IOR littorals. For Seychelles, where its proposal to jointly develop Assumption Island has now fallen apart, India needs to show more patience and willingness to revise alternatives and bring in more transparency. In Mauritius, New Delhi can double down on its investments, on the back of its goodwill. In August 2020 as the pandemic tore the tourism-dependent economy, Mauritius declared a state of emergency. New Delhi should assist its small neighbor in its hour of crisis.

IOR littorals are acutely aware of their geostrategic importance and maritime value and will look to maximize their gains between India and China. While China will entice these smaller nations with more funds, Indian government needs to continuously highlight the pitfalls of taking Chinese money. As Former Maldivian President Modh Nasheed , in reference to the enormous debt pile from China recently said, even if we sell our grandmothers jewellery, we cannot repay the debt. Besides, India will have to continue to offer funds- in the form of grants and assistance for development projects. However, New Delhi does not have the economic heft that Beijing has; more so after coronavirus has caused enormous economic damage. India needs to get onto the high growth trajectory to create enough funds to fuel its regional ambitions. India can offer a perfect counter to Chinas debt trap model by creating long lasting partnerships and boosting the local economy, without any ecological damage.

Of course, there will be hiccups as the return of Rajapaksa a China champion in Sri Lanka highlight. While India may not be able to wean Sri Lanka out of Chinese influence, the possibility of a US-India-Sri Lanka exercise could provide an opportunity for Indian policymakers to rebuild ties. The US has a large presence in Diego Garcia south of Sri Lanka and has sought logistics support from Colombo. New Delhi could use this opportunity.

Secondly, India must move forward decisively on its roadmap for Andaman and Nicobar Islands- presently only geared towards reconnaissance. Indias projection of power play into the Western Pacific to counter China begins from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands which houses the first joint military command. There has to be a shift towards a more active engagement and collaboration with other navies-including the US Navy. India must shed its hesitation that any partnership with world powers to take on China would further increase tensions between Beijing and New Delhi. China does not suffer from any such compunctions. As recently as December 2019, Chinese research vessels violated Indias exclusive economic zone by entering in it. Beijings intentions regarding the Bay of Bengal are clear from its strategic partnerships with Myanmar, Bangladesh and Thailand. For India to have a long term response, it needs to further build on its nuclear-armed submarine capabilities housed in Andaman and Nicobar Islands- which is the flank of Bay of Bengal.

Lastly, India needs to move out of its mindset of its security policy having a continental orientation. This mindset must adapt itself to respond to present challenges. Between the period 2000-2018, China built more frigates, submarines, corvettes and destroyers than India, Japan and South Korea combined. In the last 5 years, the total tonnage of new warships and auxiliary launched by China exceeds the total tonnage of Indian Navy since independence. Even the present order book-which is woefully inadequate- is delayed by 12 years due to lack of sufficient warship building capacity. This asymmetry needs immediate attention and fund allocations.

For India to be in a commanding position in the Indo Pacific region, it needs to do more. In a post-corona economic recovery, there are competing claims for reduced government revenues and there may be legit ground to avoid a bump up in defence spends. But in a post pandemic world order, the theatre of any hostilities has shifted squarely to the seas. Can India afford to be complacent? The answer is crystal clear.

Views expressed above are the author's own.

END OF ARTICLE

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India needs more than Quad to secure the Indo-Pacific - The Times of India Blog

Liberland – Wikipedia

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Liberland, officially the Free Republic of Liberland, is a micronation claiming an uninhabited parcel of disputed land on the western bank of the Danube, between Croatia and Serbia. It was proclaimed on 13 April 2015 by Czech libertarian politician and activist Vt Jedlika.[3][9]

The official website of Liberland states that the nation was created due to the ongoing CroatiaSerbia border dispute,[10][11][12] in which some areas to the east of the Danube are claimed by both Serbia and Croatia, while some areas to the west, including the area of Liberland, are considered part of Serbia by Croatia, but Serbia does not claim them.

The size of the land in question is 7km2 (2.7sqmi), or roughly the same as Gibraltar. It has been administered by Croatia since the Croatian War of Independence.[13]There has been no diplomatic recognition of Liberland, although it has established relations with Somaliland (also unrecognized).[14][15] The land lacks infrastructure and lies on a floodplain.[16][17]

The dispute regarding the border along the Danube River valley first arose in 1947 but was left unresolved during the existence of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It became a contentious issue after the break-up of Yugoslavia. Serbia holds the opinion that the thalweg of the Danube valley and the centre line of the river represents the international border between the two countries. Croatia disagrees and claims that the international border lies along the boundaries of the cadastral municipalities located along the riverdeparting from the course at several pointsreflecting the course of the Danube which existed in the 19th century before meandering and hydraulic engineering works altered its course. As a result, Croatia claims a large part of the disputed area controlled by Serbia, while Serbia does not claim the much smaller parts controlled by Croatia.

Jedlika says that the land he has claimed, known as GornjaSiga (meaning upper tufa), was not claimed by either side.[3][9][11]

The area is about 700 hectares (1,700 acres), about the same size of Gibraltar, and most of it is covered with forests. There are no residents. A journalist from the Czech newspaper Parlamentn listy who visited the area in April 2015 found a house that had been abandoned for about thirty years, according to people living in the vicinity. The access road was reported to be in a bad condition.[18]

The Danube, an international waterway with free access to the Black Sea for several landlocked nations, runs along the self-proclaimed territory.

The flag raising in Gornja Siga was performed by Vt Jedlika and some of his associates on the same day the republic was proclaimed.[19][20] Jedlika is a member of the Czech Party of Free Citizens, which bases its values on the classical liberal ideology.[11]

Jedlika stated that no nation claims the land as its own and he therefore could claim it using the terra nullius doctrine. The border, he argued, was defined in accordance with Croatian and Serbian border claims and did not interfere with any other state's sovereignty.[3] Jedlika said in April 2015 that an official diplomatic note would be sent to both Croatia and Serbia, and later to all other states, with a formal request for international recognition.[21]

On 20 April 2015, Jedlika delivered a lecture at the Prague School of Economics, titled "Liberland how a state is born" (Czech: Liberland jak vznik stt). He discussed various aspects of the project and the interest it has attracted around the world. One topic that he brought up was the Montevideo Convention; he explained that Liberland intended to satisfy the principles of the convention, which is commonly used to define a state. At the time of the lecture, the Liberland project had assigned ten people willing to handle foreign relations.[22] Other topics covered in the lecture included the concept of voluntary taxation and how the large number of citizenship applications had made it necessary to restructure the citizenship process to be more effective, since it was only based on an e-mail account.[22]

On 18 December 2015, Jedlika held an event at which he presented the first provisional government of Liberland and its ministers of finance, foreign affairs, interior and justice as well as two vice presidents.[23]

The flag consists of a yellow backdrop (symbolizing libertarianism) with a black stripe running horizontally through the centre (symbolizing less government, anarchy/rebellion) and the coat of arms in the centre.[24][25] Within the coat of arms, the bird represents freedom, the tree represents prosperity, the blue river represents the Danube River, and the sun represents happiness.[26]

This section needs to be updated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (June 2018)

Croatian authorities have frequently blocked access to the area since the beginning of May 2015.[27][28]

In May 2015, Vt Jedlika and his translator Sven Sambunjak were briefly detained by Croatian police after making an attempt to cross the border. Jedlika spent one night in detention and then was convicted and ordered to pay a fine for illegal crossing of the Croatian border[29] but appealed the verdict. He claimed that there were at least three Liberland citizens inside the area, who came from Switzerland.[30][31][32][33] Later that month, Vt Jedlika was detained again.[34] Initially, reporters were able to enter the area with Jedlika[18] but subsequently they were also denied entry, including journalists from the Serbian public broadcast service Radio Television of Vojvodina,[35] and from the Bosnian newspaper Dnevni avaz.[36]

The detained were from various countries, including Ireland, Germany, Denmark, and the United States.[28] Croatian police have continued detaining people, including those that entered the area by boat (via an international waterway).[37][38][39] One of them, Danish activist Ulrik Grssel Haagensen, was placed in house arrest for 5 days before being sentenced to 15 days of prison, triggering some protests in Denmark.[40][41]

In May 2016, several appeals court decisions from Croatia were published. The court upheld that crossing into Liberland from Croatia is illegal, but found the convictions for entering Liberland from Serbia improper. The court said that the lower court committed "a fundamental breach of misdemeanour proceedings" and "essential procedural violations". It further ruled that "the facts were incorrectly and incompletely established [by the prosecutor] which could lead to misapplication of substantive law". A retrial was ordered in 6 of the 7 appeals. The lower court is required to determine the location of the border and the border crossing.[42]

Journalists have been uncertain as to how serious Jedlika is about his claims, with some calling it a publicity stunt.[43][44]

In an interview with Parlamentn Listy in April 2015, Jedlika claimed that he had received positive reactions for his initiative, mainly from his own party, the Party of Free Citizens, for which he was a regional chairman,[45] but also from some members of the Civic Democratic Party and the Pirate Party.[19]

On 20 May 2015, Petr Mach, the leader of the Party of Free Citizens, expressed support for the creation of a state based on ideas of freedom, adding that the Party of Free Citizens wants the Czech Republic to become a similarly free country.[46]

Dominik Stroukal from the Czech-Slovak branch of the Ludwig von Mises Institute wrote: "The escapade succeeded for Vt. The whole world reports about Liberland with words like 'tax competition', 'libertarianism', etc."[47]

Goran Vojkovi, professor of law and columnist from the Croatian news portal Index.hr, described Liberland as a "circus which threatens Croatian territory", and argued that there was a risk that Croatia's claim to control land on the other side of the Danube may be weakened by the attention that the Liberland project has drawn to the border dispute.[48]

In 2016, an article in Stratfor summarized the initiative as follows: "Liberland is a curious case because, in principle, none of the actors that could claim control over it seems interested in doing so. But this will probably remain a curiosity with negligible consequences at the international level. For the rest of the world's disputed territories, violence and diplomacy will remain the main tools to claim ownership."[49]

Legal experts in both Serbia and Croatia have said that, under international law, Jedlika lacks the right to claim the area, which is currently the subject of a dispute between the two nations.[27][50][51] Croatia and Serbia have dismissed Jedlika's claims as frivolous, although the two countries have reacted in different ways. On 24 April 2015, the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that while they consider the affair a trivial matter, the "new state" does not impinge upon the Serbian border, which is delineated by the Danube.[52] Croatia, which currently administers the land in question, has stated that after international arbitration, it should be awarded to Croatia or Serbia, not to a third party.[53]

An article in the Chicago Journal of International Law, the law review of the University of Chicago Law School, examined Liberland's claim to statehood in light of the criteria laid out by the Montevideo Convention. According to the author, "Croatias insistence that Liberland is part of Serbia could constitute a renunciation of Croatias legal rights to Liberland. Conversely, if the territory that Liberland claims as its own is Serbian, the Serbian governments renunciation of its title to that land could also be a quitclaim that would transform the legal status of the land to terra nullius. In both instances, the territory would belong to the first entity in this case Liberland to claim it. However, because of the complicated history of the Croatian-Serbian border region, it may be difficult to ascertain who the land belongs to under international law."[54]

An article in the Michigan Journal of International Law argues that the United Nations should recognize Liberland.[55]

A government with ten to twenty members has been suggested for the administration of Liberland, to be elected by electronic voting.[19] Liberland intends to operate on an open-border policy.[19] The goal of the micronation, as claimed by its website, is to create "a society where righteous people can prosper with minimal state regulations and taxes".[19][21] The founders are inspired by countries like Monaco and Liechtenstein.[21]

Liberland has published a draft version of a codified constitution[56] and a list of laws to be included in the constitution. These documents describe Liberland as a country governed under a three-power system with executive, legislative and judicial sectors that seek to promote individual rights, including property rights, freedom of speech and the right to keep and bear arms. It has also a list of criminal offences, which include "polluting environment", "public nuisance" in addition to crimes such as murder, manslaughter and theft.[57] There are plans for an official cryptocurrency called Merit,[58] although all other currencies would be allowed.[19] There will be a maximum of 700 million merits.[59]

In an attempt to gain recognition at the UN, Liberland appointed 70 representatives in over 60 countries within a year of proclamation.[60] As of February 2018, Liberland had recruited over 100 representatives in over 80 countries.[61]

According to its official web page, Liberland is currently looking for people who have respect for other people and their opinions, regardless of their race, ethnicity, orientation, or religion, have respect for private ownership which is untouchable, and have not been punished for past criminal offences.[6] Liberland received 200,000 applications in a week.[62] In the beginning of May 2015, Liberland accepted around thirty citizens. An event was supposed to take place in the claimed territory, but Croatian border police stopped the group from entering it from the Croatian side. An attempt to cross the river with fishing boats from Serbia failed because the local fishermen didn't have permits for transporting people with their boats. Serbian police informed Jedlika that anyone trying to cross the border illegally would be arrested. An improvised ceremony was instead held in Baki Monotor.[63]

On 16 February 2018, United States politician and former candidate for U.S. Presidency Ron Paul was officially presented with a Liberland passport and citizenship certificate by Jedlika and his cabinet.[64][65]

Jedlika initially offered "Liberland citizenship" for 10,000 merits, equivalent 1:1 to USD,[66][16] but later reduced it to 5,000.[6] There will be a cap of 140,000 citizenships.[59]

There has been no diplomatic recognition of Liberland by any member of the United Nations. However, Liberland has established relations with Somaliland, a self-declared state that proclaimed its independence from Somalia in 1991. Liberland and Somaliland signed a Memorandum of Understanding in September 2017 vowing to establish closer relations and cooperate in the areas of technology, energy and banking.[14][15]

Several minor parties with no elected representatives at their national level expressed support for the creation of Liberland.

A few micronations have expressed support for the idea of Liberland.

Coordinates: 45466N 185217E / 45.76833N 18.87139E / 45.76833; 18.87139

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Liberland - Wikipedia

Korean Liberals and the Sword of Justice? – koreatimes

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Korean liberals and sword of justice? - The Korea Times Opinion 2020-12-2112:44 Korean liberals and sword of justice? By David TizzardLiberalism has an insatiable desire to extinguish all existing suffering. Some characterize it as irrepressible drive, fueled by ideology and the pursuit of a promised land that will see nothing stand in its way to achieve its ends. A noted political theorist of the mid-20th century, Ken Minogue (Australian but no relation to Kylie), likened this pursuit of glory to that of St. George and the slaying of dragons. The liberal wields his sword and advances on that which terrorizes and threatens society and its inhabitants: despotism, religious bigotry, slavery, racism, xenophobia, and corruption.The liberals thus live to fight the dragon: Their position, their power, their methods, and their very nature of being are all defined in opposition to their antithetical opponent. Christopher Nolan explored similar territory in his depictions of the Batman and Joker in his 21st century trilogy.But while this seems like a clear and comprehensible narrative digestible in the modern world, Minogue took this metaphor and made it both allegoric and didactic. What happens, he asked, if the sword-wielding liberal St. George continues on the quest unopposed?St. George will initially free society from despotic kingship and emancipate the people, liberating souls and providing salvation to serfs. He will then turn his blade unto religious intolerance. This will provide the hero some time to rest. And yet, as time passes, up will rise the problems of slavery and prison conditions, the societal role of the working class, the championing of human rights, and the emancipation of women. Once again, she will unsheathe her weapon and slay dragons. This time the attacks need to be more refined and sophisticated for the problems, while still of vital importance, are more nuanced and present inside a complex structure which is otherwise deemed beneficial or necessary. The fire-breathers once more sent packing, the hero puts her feet up. But she just can't get it out of her head. Even with her hand on her heart, this is not a case of better the devil you know: this is where the wild roses grow. And so once again, the liberal hero takes up his sword and now advances on the latest enemies. As society progresses, the dragons become even more camouflaged in the very fabric of the systemnow they are vested interests, privilege, and insolence. The point Minogue was trying to make was that the liberal does not know when to rest. There will always be dragons standing in the way of that desired heaven as a place on earth (yes, that's admittedly a Belinda Carlisle reference rather than the other Kylie ones above). And so the sword never gets put away. Bewitched by utopian thoughts and intoxicated by previous success, the liberal continues to fight. A normal life, a social life, is simply no longer enough. The Batman cannot simply be Bruce Wayne no matter how hard he tries for there will always be a villain to overcome. In an existential world in which actions define one's self and one's purpose, the hero can only live by fighting for the poor and the oppressed. The dragons keep him alive just as it is rumored does the whisky of Keith Richards: to stop now would surely be fatal. But the dragons become smaller and smaller. Even non-existent! We are presented with an image of Cervantes' ingenious knight of La Mancha, Don Quixote, tilting at windmills with his loyal servant Sancho Panza. It is of course a most honorable pursuit; chivalrous to the core. But at times society will simply look at these acts and chuckle at the absurdity. In more unpleasant situations, the innocent bystanders will be inadvertently cut down by the charging knight and his weapon. Minogue of course meant this talk of dragons and saints to be applied to politics, and so what of this allegory and its relation to South Korea?The ruling party members proclaim themselves as the rightful and legitimate continuation of the dragon slayers of yore. It is their group that opposed, in turn, Japanese colonial rule, American imperialism, domestic military rule, and suffocating neo-liberal economic conditions. They are the group that have freed Korean society from tyranny and oppression and have rightfully claimed the seat of power. Theirs is the position of saintliness.But what now that they have assumed the mantle? Is it possible they are still wielding a mighty sword despite a great many of their foes having been vanquished? Is it not the case that the warrior now needs to become a diplomat or a philosopher in order to foster the long-term stability of the state and prevent further collateral damage? The ruling party has a majority in the National Assembly that allows it to pass bills unopposed but is witnessing falling public support due to a series of scandals and policies enacted that have failed to live up to the expectations of the people. It speaks of its commitment to "eradicate deep-rooted evils perpetrated by those in authority" and "deep-rooted evil in everyday life."There will always be dragons for some people, and thus there will always be a sword. For everyone else, we toil and suffer with the realities of life. Our backs broken like the proverbial shrimp as we remember that ever apt phrase from Matthew 26:52, "Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword." Ultimately, is it not time for Korean politicians, on both sides of the aisle, to put the sword away?Dr. David Tizzard (datizzard@swu.ac.kr) has a Ph.D. in Korean studies and is an assistant professor at Seoul Women's University. He discusses the week's hottest issues on TBS eFM (101.3 FM) on "Life Abroad" live every Thursday from 9:35 a.m. to 10 a.m. By David TizzardLiberalism has an insatiable desire to extinguish all existing suffering. Some characterize it as irrepressible drive, fueled by ideology and the pursuit of a promised land that will see nothing stand in its way to achieve its ends. A noted political theorist of the mid-20th century, Ken Minogue (Australian but no relation to Kylie), likened this pursuit of glory to that of St. George and the slaying of dragons. The liberal wields his sword and advances on that which terrorizes and threatens society and its inhabitants: despotism, religious bigotry, slavery, racism, xenophobia, and corruption.The liberals thus live to fight the dragon: Their position, their power, their methods, and their very nature of being are all defined in opposition to their antithetical opponent. Christopher Nolan explored similar territory in his depictions of the Batman and Joker in his 21st century trilogy.But while this seems like a clear and comprehensible narrative digestible in the modern world, Minogue took this metaphor and made it both allegoric and didactic. What happens, he asked, if the sword-wielding liberal St. George continues on the quest unopposed?St. George will initially free society from despotic kingship and emancipate the people, liberating souls and providing salvation to serfs. He will then turn his blade unto religious intolerance. This will provide the hero some time to rest. And yet, as time passes, up will rise the problems of slavery and prison conditions, the societal role of the working class, the championing of human rights, and the emancipation of women. Once again, she will unsheathe her weapon and slay dragons. This time the attacks need to be more refined and sophisticated for the problems, while still of vital importance, are more nuanced and present inside a complex structure which is otherwise deemed beneficial or necessary. The fire-breathers once more sent packing, the hero puts her feet up. But she just can't get it out of her head. Even with her hand on her heart, this is not a case of better the devil you know: this is where the wild roses grow. And so once again, the liberal hero takes up his sword and now advances on the latest enemies. As society progresses, the dragons become even more camouflaged in the very fabric of the systemnow they are vested interests, privilege, and insolence. The point Minogue was trying to make was that the liberal does not know when to rest. There will always be dragons standing in the way of that desired heaven as a place on earth (yes, that's admittedly a Belinda Carlisle reference rather than the other Kylie ones above). And so the sword never gets put away. Bewitched by utopian thoughts and intoxicated by previous success, the liberal continues to fight. A normal life, a social life, is simply no longer enough. The Batman cannot simply be Bruce Wayne no matter how hard he tries for there will always be a villain to overcome. In an existential world in which actions define one's self and one's purpose, the hero can only live by fighting for the poor and the oppressed. The dragons keep him alive just as it is rumored does the whisky of Keith Richards: to stop now would surely be fatal. But the dragons become smaller and smaller. Even non-existent! We are presented with an image of Cervantes' ingenious knight of La Mancha, Don Quixote, tilting at windmills with his loyal servant Sancho Panza. It is of course a most honorable pursuit; chivalrous to the core. But at times society will simply look at these acts and chuckle at the absurdity. In more unpleasant situations, the innocent bystanders will be inadvertently cut down by the charging knight and his weapon. Minogue of course meant this talk of dragons and saints to be applied to politics, and so what of this allegory and its relation to South Korea?The ruling party members proclaim themselves as the rightful and legitimate continuation of the dragon slayers of yore. It is their group that opposed, in turn, Japanese colonial rule, American imperialism, domestic military rule, and suffocating neo-liberal economic conditions. They are the group that have freed Korean society from tyranny and oppression and have rightfully claimed the seat of power. Theirs is the position of saintliness.But what now that they have assumed the mantle? Is it possible they are still wielding a mighty sword despite a great many of their foes having been vanquished? Is it not the case that the warrior now needs to become a diplomat or a philosopher in order to foster the long-term stability of the state and prevent further collateral damage? The ruling party has a majority in the National Assembly that allows it to pass bills unopposed but is witnessing falling public support due to a series of scandals and policies enacted that have failed to live up to the expectations of the people. It speaks of its commitment to "eradicate deep-rooted evils perpetrated by those in authority" and "deep-rooted evil in everyday life."There will always be dragons for some people, and thus there will always be a sword. For everyone else, we toil and suffer with the realities of life. Our backs broken like the proverbial shrimp as we remember that ever apt phrase from Matthew 26:52, "Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword." Ultimately, is it not time for Korean politicians, on both sides of the aisle, to put the sword away?Dr. David Tizzard (datizzard@swu.ac.kr) has a Ph.D. in Korean studies and is an assistant professor at Seoul Women's University. He discusses the week's hottest issues on TBS eFM (101.3 FM) on "Life Abroad" live every Thursday from 9:35 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Excerpt from:

Korean Liberals and the Sword of Justice? - koreatimes

Matthew McConaughey: ‘The extreme left and the extreme right completely illegitimize the other side’ | TheHill – The Hill

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Actor MatthewMcConaughey is doubling-down on comments he made last week about "illiberals" and the current state of politics in the United States.

While appearing on "Good Morning Britain" on Tuesday to promote his memoir "Greenlights," the "True Detective" star elaborated on his previousclaimsthat his Hollywood colleagues can have "condescending" and "arrogant" attitudes when it comes to the Trump supporters and the right.

Some liberals dont see theyre being cannibalised by the illiberals. @McConaughey explains he thinks free speech and both sides of being political debate are illegitimatised by the other side.@piersmorgan | @susannareid100 pic.twitter.com/fY5o4THqcs

"You need liberals. What I dont think we need is the illiberals," McConaugheytold hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid while appearing on theBritish news program. "What I dont think that some liberals see is that theyre often being cannibalized by the illiberals."

He continued, stating that both sides can be problematic and tend to cancel each other out.

"There are extremes on both sides that I think are unfair, that I dont think are the right place to be. The extreme left and the extreme right completely illegitimize the other side, the liberal and conservative side, which we need in certain places," he said. "The two extremes illegitimize those two sides. Or they exaggerate that sides stance into an irrational state that makes no sense and thats not fair when either side does that."

The Oscar-winning actor briefly mentioned "cancel culture," and how it could possiblyinfluencefree speech in the future.

"Where the waterline is going to land on this freedom of speech and what we allow and what we dont and where this cancel culture goes, where that waterline lands is a very interesting place that we are engaged in right now as a society that were trying to figure out because we havent found the right spot."

AlthoughMcConaughey previously daredAmericans to get "aggressively centric," he noted that to some degree, conflict is a necessary evil.

"Youve got to have confrontation to have unity," he said, according to Deadline. "Thats when a democracy works really well."

Link:

Matthew McConaughey: 'The extreme left and the extreme right completely illegitimize the other side' | TheHill - The Hill

Native Americans are celebrating Rep. Haaland’s nomination – PBS NewsHour

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Julian Brave Noisecat:

I think it's worth pointing out that Congresswoman Haaland was never a shoo0in for this job. And she is a relative newcomer here in Washington. It was just her first term in Congress. And unlike many of the other folks who have been put forward and nominated for cabinet positions, she does not have a long standing relationship with President-elect Biden, which is, I think, very important to the president-elect.

And despite those sort of concerns and also concerns about the very thin House Democratic majority, a very concerted and effective effort led by tribal leaders, environmentalists and progressive activists actually systematically, both in public and behind the scenes, was able to get her across the finish line and to make history. And, you know, I think that that is just a testament to what an incredible leader she is.

Folks like me and folks who have strong beliefs, injustice, justice, etc., aren't just going to go out there and advocate for anyone.

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Native Americans are celebrating Rep. Haaland's nomination - PBS NewsHour