Miscellaneous News

shiftenter said:

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Here in Japan we can meet any kinds of fetish without a hitch.

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Sardaukar20 said:

Trump imposes tariffs on 60 countries, citing forced labour.

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See, forced labour isn't just a China thing! 59 other countries practiced them too. Among them we have Canada, UK, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and even Supapowar India. Shame on them!

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Thecore said:

They're never gonna touch the interest rates, are they? 200 yen to a dollar by the end of the year. The yen still has a long ways to drop. Remember, it was trading at 250 to a dollar before they got plaza accorded. Unfortunately for them, a low yen doesn't help after all their manufacturing has been stolen by the US via auto on-shoring or simply done better by China. They are only good for a cheap vacation now, which sucks for them because they hate tourists so much. Rice will be a luxury item for them soon.

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hifisnow said:

Yet she still uses that cursed old flag of Chaos China (now coopted by Hanjian China and has become more cursed somehow). Before she removes that thing from her handle she is still part of that brainrot.

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shiftenter said:

Information gathering by Japan Ground Self-Defense Force units includes items on "sexual preferences" and "relationships with the opposite sex," targeting Japanese university professors and others.

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force intelligence unit suspected of investigating "patriotism" and other topics collected from thousands of Professors; possibly violating civilian control.​

It was revealed on the 22nd July, through interviews with former JGSDF veterans and related documents, that the "Local Intelligence Unit," the intelligence division of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's Central Intelligence Unit (located in Asaka Garrison, Tokyo), is systematically investigating and collecting information on the thoughts and beliefs of Japanese citizens, including vario university professors and NPO representatives, regarding "patriotism" and "sentiments towards the Japan Self Defense Forces." The unit's mission was set to be originally overseas intelligence gathering is being carried out on domestic intelligence gathering activities without clear legal basis, and the information collected may amount to thousands of people. The details of the activities are said to be unknown to politicians and bureaucrats, including the Minister of Defense, raising concerns that it may be a violation of civilian control. The Local Intelligence Unit was established in 2007 with the purpose of operating overseas, based on the lessons learned from the lack of local information during the JSDF's deployment to Iraq from 2003. It is based at Asaka Garrison and, according to sources, has about 50 to 60 members. However, in reality, the majority of the team members are collecting personal information of citizens within the country.

According to documents obtained by the Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun, the names and backgrounds of the university professors and others surveyed, as well as their "sentiments toward Japan," "sentiments toward the Self-Defense Forces," and "thoughts and beliefs," were compiled in detail in a report called "Personal Basic Source Data", and it is believed that at least several thousand copies are stored and shared within the Asaka Garrison. One former member testified, "We did not obtain consent from the subjects. The purpose of the activities and the legal basis were never explained within the unit." The collected information delved into the inner thoughts of individuals. In the "patriotism" section of a report for a male representative of an NPO, specific actions were recorded, such as "arguing fiercely" when mistaken for a Chinese person overseas. Many of the subjects of the survey were experts well-versed in overseas affairs, and it appears that the local intelligence unit conducted ideological screening to determine whether these individuals were usable as sources of information. A male university professor who was the subject of the investigation told Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun in an interview, "I have been contacted by someone claiming to be a member of the Self-Defense Forces, but I never imagined that my personal information was being collected. I have absolutely no consent to the collection of my information."

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The Ministry of Defense stated, "We are not aware of the collection of citizens' personal information that is the premise of the reporting. It will take time to verify the facts, but we intend to take some kind of action." Professor Sota Kimura, a scholar focusing on constitutional law in Tokyo Metropolitan University pointed out, "The purpose of using the collected information has not been specified, and there are doubts as to whether sensitive information is being managed appropriately. Investigating people's inner thoughts could lead to thought suppression. It is necessary to put control in place at the detection stage." (Yasushi Ueki, Satoshi Koyama, Maho Sakoda)

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AI translation and proofread by me.

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In a case involving the Ground Self-Defense Force's Central Intelligence Unit (located in Asaka Garrison, Tokyo and Saitama), the "Field Intelligence Unit," which is suspected of systematically investigating and collecting information on the thoughts and beliefs of Japanese citizens, including university professors, regarding "patriotism," it was revealed on the 23rd through interviews with former members that the investigation items included extremely private information such as sexual fetishes, relationships with the opposite sex, and physical characteristics.

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China refiners snap up September Russian crude, eye Iranian oil as Mideast supply risks grow​

• Strong demand for Russian oil from China to replace Mideast supply
• Two Chinese refiners buy most of the September-loading ESPO
• Some independents seek to resell Mideast crude for profit
• Chinese refiners in talks to buy cheaper Iranian oil

SINGAPORE, July 23 (Reuters) - Some Chinese refiners have ramped up purchases of sanctioned Russian ‌crude despite shrinking discounts, as an escalation in the Iran war disrupts exports from the Middle East, sources familiar with the situation said.

Chinese independent refiners made rare purchases of non-sanctioned Middle East crude at wide discounts when exports gushed out during the short-lived truce between the U.S. and Iran.

A resumption of attacks and shipping blockades in the Strait of Hormuz is again throttling oil shipments through the crucial waterway, and Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis are also threatening to block Saudi oil exports from ⁠the Red Sea.

Faced with disruptions, Chinese refiners recently snapped up crude from their biggest supplier Russia and resumed talks to buy Iranian oil, traders said.

Two major Chinese refiners bought most of the Russian ESPO Blend crude loading from the Pacific port of Kozmino in September, three trade sources said.

Two of them said the cargoes were sold at a discount of $1 to $3 per barrel to ICE Brent, compared with a discount of around $4 per barrel for August-loading ESPO. Robust demand from India, another major Russian oil buyer, has supported prices.

An executive at India's Bharat Petroleum Corp (BPCL.NS) said on Thursday that the refiner has raised Russian oil processing in the June quarter and added that traders are not offering discounts on Russian crude sales.

"Given the uncertainty in the Middle East, ‌ESPO is ⁠a safer bet, and it is also cheaper," said one of the sources who is a trader with a Chinese refiner.

SHANDONG TEAPOTS IN TALKS FOR FRESH IRANIAN OIL CARGOES

Independent refiners, also known as teapots, in eastern China's Shandong refining hub are discussing deals with Iranian oil sellers, the sources said.

This week, Iranian Pars crude, a heavy grade, was sold at a discount of about $8 a barrel to ICE Brent ⁠for delivery to Shandong, widening from an earlier offer of about $6, one of the traders said. Offers for Iran Light have also slipped to discounts of about $3 to $4 a barrel compared with about $3 last week.

Teapots are not in a rush to buy crude as their refining margins ⁠have worsened with Brent surging to nearly $100 a barrel, the sources said.

The independent refiners had previously bought around 20 million barrels of Middle Eastern crude for loading in July to August, with some of them looking to resell the oil this week for ⁠profits, traders said.

The cargoes had been offered to end-users in neighbouring countries including Taiwan and South Korea at premiums of $6 to $9 per barrel to Dubai benchmark on delivered basis, two traders said. It was not immediately clear if any deals were concluded.

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Chinese independent refiners made rare purchases of non-sanctioned Middle East crude at wide discounts when exports gushed out during the short-lived truce between the U.S. and Iran.

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The independent refiners had previously bought around 20 million barrels of Middle Eastern crude for loading in July to August, with some of them looking to resell the oil this week for ⁠profits. The cargoes had been offered to end-users in neighbouring countries including Taiwan and South Korea at premiums of $6 to $9 per barrel to Dubai benchmark

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FriedButter said:

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Kinda surprised that oil was selling at a “wide discount” with the massive shortage amid the flimsy ceasefire. Crude discounts are $1-3 for Russian ESPO, $8 for heavy Iranian crude, and $3 for light Iranian crude.

Some others are reselling their crude to other Asian countries for an $6 to $9 premium.

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Sardaukar20 said:

Mild graphic scenes.

Damn, the Indian police were reportedly brutal on protesters.

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They have reportedly used the notorious pellet guns on protesters, and even threatened a female protester with sexual assault.

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Randomuser said:

See this is why I never got deep into Pokemon Cards, MTG, Yu Gi Oh etc. Too much P2W which is also based a lot on luck. You can buy 10 packs and get nothing. Meanwhile the guy next to you on his first try gets that very rare exclusive card that breaks the entire game when used properly.

Oh and if you don't live in this certain area and didn't attend this certain event at a certain date and time then too bad. You miss out on this event exclusive card which could make your deck almost unbeatable.

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