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29/09/2023
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Taiwan president christens 1st indigenous submarine

Tsai says Narwhal's launch is 'substantial step in boosting self-sufficiency in defense and protecting its territorial waters'

By Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) 

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Thursday (Sept. 28) uploaded a post to X (formerly Twitter) marking the historic launch of Taiwan's first domestically-built submarine.

Tsai presided over the launch ceremony for the Hai Kun (海鯤), or "Narwhal" in English, at CSBC Corporation’s Kaohsiung shipyard. During a speech she delivered at the event, she declared "History will always remember this day" and despite the challenges encountered over the past three years, the vessel's presence behind her proved "We did it!"

Tsai said that the submarines are an important part of developing the Navy's asymmetric combat capabilities. She said that it is vital for Taiwan to implement "national defense independence," enabling its combat capabilities to be continuously updated.

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FSLN troll farm operates from the offices of Nicaragua's Supreme Court

  • A former Judicial branch employee reveals the use of public resources and government workers to distribute propaganda and attack opponents on social media

Corte Suprema de Justicia, NicaraguaSept.20.– A few yards from the main entrance of the Supreme Court (CSJ), to the right of a blue gate, operates one of the "branches" of the Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (FSLN) troll farm dedicated to spreading propaganda and attacking those who the regime considers opponents through social media, a former employee of the Judiciary confirmed to CONFIDENCIAL.

The existence of this office in the main headquarters of the Nicaraguan judiciary was revealed by CONFIDENCIAL in the article “Lazaro” accounts: Ortega dictatorship evades Meta and brings back “troll farms” in Nicaragua published in August of this year, and the former judicial official now shares details of its operation.

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Good democratic governance and deliberative democracy

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopts new standards.

Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe Strasbourg, Sept.6.– The Committee of Ministers has adopted new recommendations to member states on good democratic governance and deliberative democracy.

The first sets out the fundamentals of good democratic governance, covering the protection and promotion of democracy; respect for human rights and the rule of law; public ethics and integrity; good administration, and delivery of high-quality public services. It expands on 12 key principles to guide the actions of decision-makers and public institutions at all levels, and to clarify the standards expected (see also explanatory memorandum).

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Congress of Local and Regional Authorities to assess implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government

France ratified the European Charter of Local Self-Government in 2007. Countries that have ratified the Charter are bound by its provisions. The Charter requires the implementation of a minimum set of rights that form the essential basis of local self-government in Europe. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe ensures that these principles are respected in the 46 Council of Europe member states.

 

Congress of Local & Regional Authorities logo

 



Paris, Sept.4 (DP.net).– A delegation from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities made up of rapporteurs Bryony Rudkin and Matija Kovač will carry out the second part of the monitoring visit to assess the implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in the country since the previous monitoring report adopted by the Congress in 2016. The first part of this monitoring visit took place from 7 to 9 March 2023.

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UN appeals for nuclear test ban amid ‘alarming rise in global mistrust’

UN LogoThe United Nations on Tuesday called
for more global action to end nuclear testing,
warning against the danger of “collective suicide”.

United Nations NY, Sept.1.– In his message marking the International Day against Nuclear Tests, Secretary-General António Guterres appealed for key countries to ratify the international treaty that bans experiments for both peaceful and military purposes.

‘Recipe for annihilation’

This year, we face an alarming rise in global mistrust and division,” he said. “At a time in which nearly 13,000 nuclear weapons are stockpiled around the world — and countries are working to improve their accuracy, reach and destructive power — this is a recipe for annihilation.” Nuclear test ban demonstration

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) therefore represents “a fundamental step in our quest for a world free of nuclear weapons,” he added.

The treaty opened for signature in September 1996 but has yet to enter into force because it must be signed and ratified by 44 specific nuclear technology holder countries, eight of which have yet to ratify it: China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Pakistan and the United States.
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