LIVE: Whatsapp Threatens to Leave its Biggest Market India | Vantage with Palki Sharma

LIVE: Whatsapp Threatens to Leave its Biggest Market India | Vantage with Palki Sharma

hello namaskar this is first post and
you’re watching vantage with me py
Sharma
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how often do you use WhatsApp chances
are every hour of every day and if so we
have news for you WhatsApp is
threatening to leave India the company
is fighting a legal battle against the
government of India at the center of it
is encryption if WhatsApp loses the case
they could leave India that’s what
they’ve said so what exactly is this
lawsuit is WhatsApp serious about
leaving and how will it affect the
Indian users we’ll tell you all about it
meanwhile the war investig Asia
continues Saudi Arabia is now planning a
peace Summit we’ll tell you who is
invited and what’s at stake also US
Secretary of State Anthony blinkin
visited China he got a meeting and a
warning from Xi
Jinping in Europe a dire warning from
from imanuel macron the French President
says Europe could die why did he say
this and what’s his suggested treatment
in the US campus protest for Gaza
continue the focus is now on the
high-handedness of the police also in
the US US vice president Kamala Harris
had an interesting guest she welcomed
reality TV star Kim Kardashian for a
conversation on Criminal Justice Reform
and in the world of AI there is now a
pageant who will be the next Miss AI how
will the contest even work out all this
and more lined up the headlines
first the Indian Supreme Court rejects
please seeking 100% cross verification
of votes
cast using electronic voting machines
with a paper audit it also declined a
petition to bring back paper ballots the
orders came on the day the country voted
in the second phase of the general
election India seeks vij Malia’s
extradition from France according to a
new report New Delhi wants the fugitive
businessman to be extradited without any
preconditions Malia is an accused in a
billion dollar bank loan default case he
left India in March
2016 American troops to leave char it
comes just days after Washington agreed
to remove forces from neighboring Niger
around 100 US troops are stationed in
the Central African nation earlier this
month chard had asked the US military to
Halt its activities at an air base near
the
capital ban says it has no plans to sell
Tik Tok Washington wants the Chinese
Tech Giant to sell it or get banned in
the US American lawmakers have voiced
security concerns over the short video
app but Tik Tok denies Al ation of
sharing us user data with
China and candidates
Champion D gkes speaks to to first post
the Indian chess Grandmaster credits his
parents for his success it’s a first
post
exclusive uh from a very young age my
mom used to uh used to be uh we used to
talk about a lot of uh mental stuff and
we used to she used to tell me all the
all the epics and all the like Rama and
mahabarata and all the all the great
stories
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and will WhatsApp leave India it might
sound unimaginable to you after all
WhatsApp is everywhere more than 400
million Indians use it every month Rec
conduct business over WhatsApp speak to
family and friends plan meetings and
trips so life without WhatsApp may sound
impossible but a new case could change
all of that in 2021 the government of
India published new it
rules every social media company has to
follow these rules but one provision is
being challenged WhatsApp has taken the
matter to the Delhi High Court it was
their lawyer who issued this warning he
said in court that WhatsApp could leave
India so what exactly is this provision
in the it rules and why is it so
controversial the it rules talk about
the first originator of information say
there’s a piece of fake news or a hate
message on WhatsApp under the it rules
of India WhatsApp must Trace where this
message came from who drafted it first
and this person or account is called the
first
originator now who can force WhatsApp to
do this any court or compet
Authority the idea is to ensure that
fake news does not cause
trouble that the real culprits are
traced and punished but WhatsApp has
flagged an issue the messages you send
on WhatsApp are encrypted so only two
people can read them the sender and the
receiver not even WhatsApp knows what
you have sent so the company says we
cannot follow these it rules to find the
originator we must break encryption and
break breaking encryption equals
breaking privacy at least that’s what
WhatsApp is saying what about the
government of India in the past the it
Ministry has rejected this argument they
say the likes of WhatsApp already mine
user data so they cannot claim to be
guardians of
privacy well it’s a fair point but the
question is will the court agree similar
petitions have been filed across the
country all of them have been clubbed
together at the Delhi High Court they
will start hearing the case in the month
of August now this is a very complicated
issue on the one hand you have the right
to privacy the Supreme Court has said
it’s a fundamental right on the other
you have National interest what if fake
news affects public order what if it
leads to social unrest what if it
targets children surely there must be
accountability courts have said that
fundamental rights are not
absolute there must be reasonable
curbs the question is do the it rules
satisfy that yard stick or does the risk
outweigh the benefit that’s one qu
that’s one question the courts must
consider secondly do other countries do
something like this the judge put this
question to whatsapp’s lawyer he said
there is no such rule anywhere else in
the world some countries did try like
the FBI in the United States they asked
Apple to unlock iPhones belonging to
suspects but Apple denied it led to a
huge legal showdown in the US so India’s
rules are one of a kind which is why it
was always going to be a very
consequential lawsuit and what WhatsApp
has just raised the stakes let me quote
from what their lawyer said this is the
WhatsApp lawyer he said as a platform we
are saying if we are told to break
encryption then WhatsApp goes we will
have to keep a complete chain of
messages and we don’t know which ones
will be asked to be to be decrypted it
means millions and millions of messages
will have to be stored for a number of
years so WhatsApp is building a strong
case and they’re looking to fight this
out the question is what happens next
let’s assume that the court sides with
the government of India it says WhatsApp
must break
encryption then the company has two
choices one it can comply with the order
but chances are it will open the
floodgates countries across the world
will then draft similar laws and they
too will ask WhatsApp to break
encryption and if and if it’s WhatsApp
today it could be apple and others next
which brings us to the second choice for
what’s
the choice to leave India but will
WhatsApp really abandon its biggest
Market they make around $1 billion from
India can the company just walk away
from
that like I said the stakes are pretty
high in this case courts and governments
around the world will be watching
this let’s turn to West Asia now Israel
is preparing for the final stage of its
War a ground assault on Rafa but what
happens after that what will postwar
Gaza look
like Reports say Saudi Arabia could play
a role in deciding that the kingdom is
hosting a key meeting on Monday it will
bring together multiple stakeholders
like the United States the United
Kingdom the European Union Jordan Egypt
q and the Palestinian Authority they’ll
all be there for the meeting but no
Hamas and no Israel these countries will
be represented by their foreign minister
so Anthony blinkin will be flying down
on
Monday but what is the agenda here
what are they hoping to achieve some
officials are calling it a crisis
meeting the idea is to get a broad
picture of post-war Gaza who will fund
the Reconstruction who will administer
the Gaza Strip and what role will Israel
play these are some of the possible
questions on the table and no one is
expecting concrete results but the
meeting itself is symbolic why because
it’s happening in Saudi Arabia so far
the kingdom has stayed on the sidelines
they have critic ized Israel but they
haven’t we haven’t really seen any
initiatives Iran’s proxies have done the
fighting Qatar and Egypt have hosted the
peace talks Saudi Arabia was more like
the family Elder important but silent so
what role can rad play
now there are two sides to this the
first is a short-term role Gaza is
facing acute food shortage United
Nations agencies say a famine could set
in by by 6
weeks soaz needs a lot of Aid and they
need it fast plus reconstruction will
require a lot of money the United
Nations says it will cost $20 billion
the Reconstruction of Gaza Egypt says it
could cost 90 billion so Saudi money
will be necessary the kingdom is the
largest economy in the Arab world also
the natural leader of Muslim nations so
riyad’s voice will carry
weight that’s the shortterm role in the
long term Riyad will play a role in the
two-state solution and their position is
quite clear create a Palestinian State
and we will fund gaza’s reconstruction
if not do not count on us and honestly
it makes sense assume Saudi Arabia funds
gaza’s reconstruction there is no
two-state solution 10 years pass by
there is yet another flare up and Israel
flattens Gaza again so Riyad now wants
assurances assurances that Palestine
will get
statehood the question is will Israel
agree to it prime minister Benjamin is a
Palestine Hawk he’s made a career out of
rejecting the two-state solution recent
events have only hardened his
position listen to his statement from
February this year this is what netan
said Israel categorically rejects
International
dictates regarding a permanent
settlement with the
Palestinians Israel will continue to
oppose unilateral recognition of a
Palestinian State that’s what the
Israeli Prime Minister said the United
States has the same policy they do want
a two-state solution but they want
Israel to agree to it enter Saudi Arabia
it is the biggest prize for Israel’s
leadership if Riyad recognizes Israel it
could set off a chain reaction other
Muslim nations could do the same and do
not forget the economic potential Saudi
Arabia’s money plus Israel’s
technology together it could reshape
West Asia it could also seal netanyahu’s
Legacy he wouldn’t be the man who
allowed October seven to happen he would
be the man who forged friendship with
Saudi Arabia it sounds a lot better
doesn’t it so Riyad does have leverage
here but it’s also a political mindfield
for them globally Muslim sentiment has
turned against Israel so recognizing
them during or after the war will be
quite
risky which brings us to the United
States Riyad has a wish list for the us
some security guarantees extra military
aid and assistance for a nuclear program
that’s what the Saudi want if Biden
agrees to this Saudi Arabia could go
ahead hence the meeting on Monday it’s
the right time for these conversations
but a lot will depend on Israel’s
actions in the coming days they are
moving in on Rafa so despite all the
warnings an invasion now looks imminent
and that could shape the Arab world’s
decision a blood bath in Rafa would be
too hard to ignore it could bury or at
least delay the chances of a stable West
Asia
and speaking of stability the US is
looking for some with China before his
trip to Saudi Arabia Anthony blinkin
traveled to China he was looking for a
diplomatic opening he did not have much
luck though today he met Chinese
president Xi Jinping and this is what he
was
told the two countries should be
partners not Rivals mutually gain
Achievements not hurt each other both
countries should seek Common Ground
while reserving differences instead of
vicious competition both sides should
keep their word instead of saying one
thing and doing
another don’t say one thing and do
another that’s what she Jinping told
Anthony
blinken now if you want to look at the
glass half full you could say at least
the meeting happened because she doesn’t
usually meet a lot of visiting diplomats
so blinken secured a
meeting but he also got a old reception
on his agenda on Anthony Lincoln’s
agenda there were two key items
improving military to military contact
and easing travel between the US and
China that’s what he wanted to focus on
but Beijing had a different plan instead
of dwelling on these issues China told
blinkin about its red lines listen to
this we always call for respecting each
other’s core interests and urge the
United States not to interfere in
China’s Internal Affairs not to hold
China’s devel back do not interfere with
China’s sovereignity safety development
and not to step on China’s red lines on
China’s
sovereignity that’s wongi China’s
foreign minister he asked the US to
choose between stability or a downward
spiral and what are China’s red lines
South China C and Taiwan two major flash
points in the Indo Pacific where the US
and China are locking horns just this
week before blinkin arrived in China the
United States approved fresh military
aid for Taiwan plus American forces have
started military drills with the
Philippines now this is a clear
challenge to China the US is not just
stepping on Chinese red lines it is
obliterating them and blinkin gave no
indication that they’ll back off
although he did say that they want to
keep talking to
China at the very least to avoid
misunderstandings to avoid
miscalculations uh that really is a
shared responsibility that we have not
only for our own people but for people
around the
world expecting China to behave
responsibly is being too optimistic
China has a reputation of disregarding
all establishment rules established
Rules of Engagement and now they have
another act to grind the impending ban
on Tik Tok in the United
States there are also growing tensions
over Russia the US accuses China of
fueling Russia’s War Machine in fact
Anthony blinkin raised this point blank
in the meeting I reiterated our ser ious
concern about the PRC providing
components that are powering Russia’s
brutal war of aggression against
Ukraine safe to say Beijing did not
relent instead it could be planning to
double down and boost its support to
Russia because next month Vladimir Putin
will visit China most likely right after
his inauguration remember Putin just won
an election a record fifth term in
office in a few days from now he will
take the oath of office and his first
overseas visit could be to
China and what’s on Putin’s agenda
defense supplies Reports say Beijing is
selling a large number of Machine Tools
micro electronics and other paths to
Russia’s defense manufacturers this
equipment is being used to boost
production of missiles tanks aircraft
and other weapons so what Putin wants
from China is dual use
components these this is equipment that
can serve both civilian and Military
purposes hence the term dual use
and China may be open to supplying these
to Russia which makes the Thor with
America even more
unlikely have you noticed how
politicians end their speech it varies
from country to Country in the US they
say God Bless America in India they say
J hind meaning hail India in France they
say VI La France and in Saudi Arabia
they praise God and His Prophet Muhammad
different words but sentiment a nod to
Greatness a hope that your country and
culture lives
forever but Emanuel macron has chosen a
different route on Thursday he delivered
a speech in Paris he outlined his vision
for the European Union but macron did
not praise or hail Europe instead he
warned that Europe could
die PA Valerie said at the end of the
first world war that we knew from now
that our civilizations were mortal we
have to be clear about the fact that our
Europe today is Mortal it could die it
could die and that depends solely on our
choices Europe could die it’s a scary
thing for anyone to say more so for
Europe’s senior most leader to say so
why did President macron say it what was
he referring to broadly two things first
was the war in in Ukraine macron called
it the biggest threat to European
security and second Europe strategic
position macron said the EU is losing
relevance it has it is too dependent on
others in fact let me quote from that
speech this is what the French president
said the European Union bought its
energy and fertilizer from
Russia outsourced its production to
China and deepened and depended on the
US for its security it’s hard to argue
with that Europe has done exactly that
in the last few
decades but macron says no more he wants
Europe to be independent to show the
world that the EU is not a US vessel we
must continue to have Partnerships with
other countries yes meaning building a
Europe that can show that it is never
The Vessel of the United States of
America and it also knows how to speak
to all regions in the world to emerging
countries to Africa Latin
America a couple of questions here one
why is macron talking about this now and
what does he propose to do macra has
always spoken about a close-knit Europe
he once called for a European Army so
the sentiment itself is not new if
anything it’s more relevant today across
the Atlantic Donald Trump is leading the
US presidential race he is a known NATO
skeptic if he wins he will not support
Ukraine or european security not the way
Biden does so Europe must prepare for a
trump White House plus the EU itself is
going through a churn European
Parliament elections are in June this
year polls show right-wing parties
making gains they may not get a majority
but this could be the most right-wing EU
parliament in history which means less
support for Ukraine less engagement in
NATO and a possible reset with
Russia even macron is feeling the heat B
show that his party is trailing in the
in this right trailing the rightwing
rather in France in his country so the
president had to do something and what
better than an alarmist
call but does he have any concrete
proposals macron did mention a few ideas
he’s dropped his call for a European
Army but now he wants to create a
European Military Academy he also wants
a continent-wide missile Shield sort of
like an Iron Dome for
Europe then he wants closer cooperation
with Britain and finally more investment
in the European Defense industry that
last one is very important in The Last 5
Years Around
55% 55% of European arms arms reports
came from one country and that is the
United
States in in 5 years before that it was
only
35% so Europe’s dependence on the US has
increased and macron wants to reverse
that he says the EU must be able to go
to war without America and how do you do
that by making your own weapons France
and Germany are pushing on with a new
deal together they will make battle
tanks by
2040 on paper this is all very good
every country is aiming to be
self-sufficient so macron wants the same
for Europe but there’s a
problem Europe is not a country you see
there are 27 members in the European
Union many of them do not see eye to eye
they cannot agree on subsidies and Tech
laws good luck getting an agreement on
Missile
Shields plus macron is talking about a
major realignment Europe has spent 70
years in America Shadows their defense
their foreign policy their strategy all
of it was influenced by Washington so
abandoning that will take time and
investment nonetheless the French
president has openly called for it it’s
now up to his fellow EU members to
respond will they agree to this painful
reorientation or will they stick to the
status quo the elections in June could
answer that
question our next story is about Tesla a
company whose mention used to spark
excitement among both customers and
investors but I guess that was in the
past now Tesla is on a bumpy road it has
just reported its worst results in years
and that has cast a shadow on its India
plans there’s a lot of speculation after
Elon musk’s visit was cancelled is this
just a delay or are those plans on hold
Tesla is yet to clarify they’ve not
committed to setting up a manufacturing
plant in India there’s
no movement really on charging stations
Tesla is yet to approach suppliers or
any state government for that matter
basically no groundwork has
begun Elon Musk was supposed to be here
last week and to meet Prime Minister
Modi there was anticipation around the
visit a possible announcement of Tesla’s
entry into India but he called it off at
the last moment citing and I quote very
heavy Tesla
obligations since then the company has
not said much about its India plans but
it has made other announcements and that
is adding to the confusion three days
ago Tesla called off plans to build more
factories why it says it does not need
new manufacturing lines and that the
existing factories can make more cars so
if Tesla expans its existing factories
will be used they will supply vehicles
to the new markets in other words it
will be importing cars from overseas not
building them locally and investors seem
to be happy about this they believe that
new production lines increase Tesla’s
risk with this approach not having new
factories Tesla can service new markets
without any dramatic escalation in cost
that’s how the investors see it but what
does it mean for India will the
government of India be on board with
this
plan Tesla cannot just start importing
cars here if it wants to sell in India
it will have to fulfill certain
conditions the first condition is
investment Tesla needs to commit at
least $500 million in India the second
condition is domestic manufacturing
Within 3 years Tesla must start making
cars in India without meeting these
conditions Tesla will not be able to
Avail any concessions especially the
discount on import tariffs something
that Elon Musk is said to have pushed
for the new import tax is 15% earlier it
was up to 100% so from 100 to 15 there
there’s been a steep cut but Tesla can
Avail this discount only when it meets
India’s
conditions and this presents a challenge
for Elon Musk
because Tesla sales here Tesla sales are
down profits have collapsed by 55% their
margins are reducing they’ve slashed the
prices of cars to boost sales only
expansion into new markets can solve
their problems but for that to happen
they’ll have to spend some money in fact
to enter a market like India Tesla needs
more than a car factory it needs
facilities to build batteries an entire
network of charging
stations in the US for instance Tesla
has six battery factories they’re called
Giga factories what about charging
stations Tesla has around 2,000 of them
2,000 charging stations in North America
alone they’re called superchargers Tesla
claims that these superchargers can add
a mileage of over 300 kilm with just a
15minute charge if Tesla wants to extend
the same level of service in India it
will have to invest plus this is a
highly price sensitive Market the
cheapest Tesla car today costs almost
$40,000 that’s 33 lakh Indian rupees
this is too steep for Mass penetration
in a market like India local EV
manufacturers are already undercutting
Tesla they’re selling cars for as low as
$177,000 if Tesla is serious about India
it cannot rely on its brand name alone
it needs a strategy that is unique to
India something that is clearly missing
right now
in the United States the pro Gaza
protest continues it started at one
University it has now reached two dozen
students want Justice for Palestinians
but there are also reports of
anti-Semitism classes have been
disrupted commencement ceremonies have
been cancelled some very dramatic images
and strong statements have come out but
what what really stands out is the
police brutality American cops are
cracking down on students using tear gas
and rubber
bullets pushing protesters to the ground
if if it were any other country we know
the moral lectures that would have come
from the United States but since this is
the United States the world is expected
to understand our next report tells you
more Colombia Harvard NYU Yale Emerson
Georgetown and Emory these are America’s
top colleges but they’re also America’s
top protest spots right now
it started with Colombia but it has
since spread from coast to coast
students are camping on the grounds
classes are suspended in some cases
commencement ceremonies will now be
online the protests call for a permanent
ceasefire they want the us to stop
giving Aid to Israel the universities
have disagreed that there are
accusations of
anti-Semitism but what stands out is the
heavy-handedness of the police
anything we’re not doing
anything
not doing
anything not doing anything they not
doing that was the University of Texas
the students were protesting police
reached the campus scuffles broke out
and soon videos showed police pushing
protesters to the ground the university
hasn’t commented on it neither have the
police but media Reports say several
were
arrested and this is the picture
everywhere violent police brutality the
police are clashing with students They
are tearing down tents they are breaking
phones they are using tear gas they are
arresting
protesters that they’ve put all of these
students through so much violence so
much psychological trauma many of our
students now uh are afraid to come back
to campus Because
the last time they were on campus they
experienced violent police brutality so
I think this university has truly
traumatized numerous students and still
refuses to even acknowledge and is now
once again threatening police sweeps
against our student
body in Emory they even used rubber
bullets against protesters those
arrested were pushed down to the ground
in Texas troopers use their bikes to
push back the students if this was
happening anywhere else you can imagine
the head
lines police brutality at student
protests police using force on students
police showing heavy handedness there
would be widespread condemnation there
would be moral lectures there would be
articles about the erosion of democracy
but in the land of the hypocritical also
known as the United States of America
the rules change depending on
geography if someone uh for example is
is is being attacked we’re going to go
in to Columbia University as as he would
to a private home to help protect that
person but absent
excy absent um some ongoing crime um we
cannot just go on to Columbia campus as
we see fit it is up to the
university uh to decide whether or not
they want us on
campus the protests are unlikely to end
anytime soon there have been
negotiations class cancellation even
crackdowns but it only continues to
Snowball right now it spread to at least
24 universities and there could be more
in the days to come so the United States
would do well to stop playing pretend
Peacemaker and dowe the fires at home
first our next story is also from the US
it’s about their former president Donald
Trump he’s been quite busy lately the SL
of legal cases Trump has been accused of
everything really from election
interference to paying hush money to an
adult actor while he deals with all
these legal problems his advisers are
already planning ahead they’re
formulating policies for when Trump
returns to the White
House that is their hope and a new
report tells us what they’re working on
Trump’s advisers want to punish some
countries countries that want to
dollarize we’ve spoken to you about this
before about dollarization but here has
a brief overview today the US dollar is
the most important currency in the world
it’s the world’s Reserve currency the
currency all countryes hoard to protect
National wealth about 60% of the world
has savings tied to the US dollar these
are called dollar dominated
assets and what does this mean in
Practical terms it means that the US has
unreasonable control over the world’s
economy we trade with the US dollar we
save using the US dollar and we all forc
to track the US dollar to make sure we
don’t suffer because of American
policies it’s a system where we depend
on the us for our own Financial
stability so what’s the solution
dollarization moving away from this
excessive dependence on the US dollar
some countries have been trying to do
this or thinking about it making small
but defiant moves like India using the
rupee to buy oil from the UAE or
Argentina using the Chinese Yuan to pay
off a Lo own these were moves to reduce
dependency on the US dollar and help
currencies from the global South rise in
value this is dollarization in a
nutshell but obviously the US does not
like that if dollarization begins in
Earnest the US will start losing its
clout and Donald Trump is not a fan of
that idea he gave an interview recently
I’ll quote from what he
said I hate when countries go off the
dollar
I would not allow countries to go off
the dollar because when we lose that
standard that will be like losing a
revolutionary war that will be a hit to
our
country it doesn’t get clearer than that
Trump wants everyone to stay hooked to
the US dollar and now his advisers are
working to make this possible they’re
planning punishments and sanctions for
anyone who does not tow this line and
India is in their crosshairs along with
Brazil Russia China and South Africa the
bricks countries basically they have
caught Trump’s eye his advisers are
planning to Target
bricks for what was discussed last year
during the last Summit in South Africa
that was last August the bricks country
spoke about creating a new common
currency a currency to be used among
brics member nations for trade and
Investments this new brics currency was
supposed to be a hedge a protection
against the US dollar it sounds like a
smart pragmatic move a way to defend
National interest it’s an interesting
idea but it’s nowhere near becoming a
reality there are some very obvious
security issues like sharing a currency
with China so the bricks currency is
still a pip dream despite this it seems
Trump and his team feel threatened as
though this bricks currency is an attack
on the supremacy of the US dollar so it
seems they’re planning a Counter Strike
and what would that look like the
options include export controls currency
manipulation charges and
tariffs let me explain export Port
controls restrict free trade they
prevent a country from accessing some
Goods or
Technologies like what the US does with
China it prevents Beijing from accessing
Advanced computer chips that’s an export
control Trump May expand export controls
to countries that want
dollarization then we have currency
manipulation charges there are more
subtle attack a currency can be a
country rather can be branded a currency
manipulator it will affect your
reputation your currency may be shunned
and it could lose
value then we come to tariffs the
simplest form of punishment Trump may
put tariffs on goods from a country like
an additional import tax it makes an
imported product less more expensive
more expensive rather for American
customers if there’s more tariff meaning
the demand will go down because the
product has become more expensive and
the country’s trade suffers Trump and
his advisers want to impose these
punishments on bricks countries for
daring to try and replace the dollar
it’s pure mob Behavior use our currency
or
else India may be spared though New
Delhi and Washington are close allies
after all but this whole episode is
distasteful you cannot force anyone to
depend on you you have to let them make
their own way if not you aren’t an ally
you’re just a big
bully speaking of
bullies let’s turn to China and this is
about India’s neighbors three of them in
particular Bangladesh Sri Lanka and a
constant headache that is China Beijing
is making moves in South Asia it is
trying to Cozy up to India’s other
neighbors it is reaching out to
Bangladesh’s military for the first time
ever China and Bangladesh will conduct
joint military drills the exercise is
called Golden friendship
2024 since China is known for it its
dead trap proy this name re aani the
drills will begin next month meanwhile
China is also courting India’s Southern
neighbor that is Sri Lanka they’re
expecting a record Chinese investment
Beijing plans to build a $4.5 billion
oil
refinery with a domestic Focus
apparently this is a direct challenge to
Indian investment plans and it shows how
Beijing keeps undermining New Delhi
here’s our
report in early May China will be
sending troops to
Bangladesh no China isn’t starting
another territorial dispute this time
the troops have been invited they are
going to Bangladesh for joint military
drills code named China Bangladesh
golden friendship
2024 China has been investing heavily in
Bangladesh Beijing has spent $25 billion
across a number of projects China has
sent Bangladesh tanks fighter jets and
submarines as well as
well it’s been investing in every part
of Bangladesh’s defense Land Air and sea
so as a reward taka has finally allowed
Chinese troops to visit a contingent
will take part in the golden friendship
exercises these are the first ever China
Bangladesh joint drills so what will
they be doing apparently practicing
counterterrorism scenarios Chinese media
has given two examples rescuing hostages
from high jacked buses and cleaning up
terrorist camps China says this is to
deepen practical exchanges and
cooperation now China probably won’t
send troops if a Bangladeshi bus gets
hijacked and as far as Terror Camp
cleanups are concerned China has been
friends with Pakistan for a long time so
Terror cleanups aren’t exactly their
specialty these drills are just the
latest example of the China Bangladesh
military ties but daa should be wary
because China Chinese gold can transform
into NeverEnding debt before you know it
just look at Sri Lanka Sri Lanka had a
financial meltdown in
2022 they defaulted on a foreign debt
payment the economy crashed people took
to the streets they ousted the president
it was
chaos and partly to blame were Chinese
loans it was a classic example of
Chinese debt trap diplomacy but it seems
Sri Lanka has forgotten those lessons
China accepted Sri Lanka’s future
progress and
development new areas of
cooperation Ham Port at the tip of our
country Beyond Hab Port it is the Indian
oce and no other
country no other Island right down to
the South Pole please remember so Sri
Lanka also looked forward and develop
da that was Sri Lanka’s prime minister
denh Gard he was in China last month
inviting more Chinese Investments one
such investment will affect the
hambantota port it’s Sri Lanka’s second
largest port and China controls it the
port was leased to China for 99 years
this port will be getting some China
funded upgrades China’s state run oil
refiner copek plans to build a refining
plant in the port complex it cost $4.5
billion to set up now India was planning
to build a fuel pipeline that would go
to Sri Lanka directly Supply the country
with Indian fuel so is this Chinese
Refinery being built for the people of
Sri Lanka or to undermine India at every
turn China is courting India’s neighbors
showering them with gifts and then
bankrupting them with debt New Delhi
should keep an eye out or it might find
itself surrounded by countries beholden
to B
ing have you heard of Kim Kardashian
she’s a reality star turned influencer
turned business woman if you’re on
social media chances are you know about
her she started with a reality TV show
and ended up building an entire Empire
her story is that of modern day
branding using social influence to
create a brand but now she’s expanding
it she’s using her influence elsewhere
today Kim Kardashian was invited to the
White House for a round table with vice
president Kamala Harris the discussion
was on Criminal Justice
Reform how does Kim Kardashian feature
in this because it’s a cause that she’s
taken up she’s become a vocal activist
for it podcasts documentaries meetings
with policy makers visiting prisoners
Kim Kardashian has done it all the most
famous example is from 2018 When Donald
Trump was a US president he met with Kim
Kardashian they discussed the case of
Alice Johnson a 63-year-old woman who
was given a life sentence for a
nonviolent drug offense Trump granted
her clemency and she was soon out of
prison it’s one of the many cases that
Kim Kardashian has rallied for and now
she’s back at the White House to push
for reform everybody makes
mistakes and for some that might rise to
the level of being a
crime but is it not the sign of a civil
society that we allow allow people a way
to earn their way back and give them the
support and the resources they need to
do that it was actually this very room
that I was in years ago my first
clemency meeting that really inspired me
to take a journey of really helping to
figure out how I can be helpful and how
I can tell the amazing stories that I
would hear from the success stories from
um individuals like
yourself but our story is not just about
prison
reform it’s about influencers like Kim
she mentions her first clemency meeting
during the Trump Administration when she
was a regular fix at the White House she
partnered with Jared Kushner Trump
son-in-law and they worked on cases that
needed a pardon in 2020 Kim Kardashian
spoke in support of trump and his reform
but soon that relationship
soured this is a post from 2020 3 Trump
took to truth social and he called Kim
Kardashian the world’s most overrated
celebrity Kim never said who she voted
for in 2020 but it no longer matters
really this is election year in America
and Kim Kardashian is an asset the Biden
Camp knows that hence the round table
with the vice
president earlier this week Biden
granted clemency to 16 nonviolent drug
offenders he pardoned them chances are
you did not see that headline but when
Kim Kardashian talks about it you notice
That’s The Power of social media
influencers they have the reach they can
sway public opinion and that means they
can also influence policies the Biden
Administration knows that they have four
digital staffers with one job reaching
out to influencers and content creators
ahead of Joe Biden State of the Union
this year the White House hosted 70 of
them 70 creators digital Publishers and
influencers with around 100 million
followers last year lgbtq influencers
were inv Ed to celebrate same-sex
marriage in fact Biden took it one step
further he was at the Detroit Auto Show
it was supposed to be about cars instead
it became about this viral video hey
excuse me your car is awesome what do
you do for a living well I’m married to
Joe Biden and uh I uh make sure we’re
making a lot more electric vehicles in
America oh that’s amazing what kind of
car is this it’s a Cadillac okay and an
electric vehicle like that that’s
exactly right and it’s quick that’s
awesome well thank you so much you want
to get in the back and come ride with me
but I’m going all the way to Washington
here thank you so much I really
appreciate it thank you man see you guys
but they want to go to
Washington that’s not all the White
House is contemplating a briefing room
for influencers imagine that and this is
not unique to America really it’s
happening all over the world Davos
that’s the annual meeting of the world
economic Forum cop that’s the United
Nations climate Summit G20 influences
are everywhere in India they are the new
stars India has around
462 million social media users most of
them follow at least one influencer so
the issues they take up become the Talk
of the Town political parties use them
to spread their message so do other
bodies take the ele election commission
for example it is using influencers to
ask people to
vote it shows you the power they hold
influencers have a large following
they’ve earned the trust of their
followers it’s called Source credibility
the theory is about how information from
particular sources can influence
acceptance and we saw it during the
Wuhan virus pandemic people were
skeptical about vaccines but when their
favorite influencers endorsed them there
was wider acceptance It’s all about
trust really and that’s why influencers
are a hot favorite people may not trust
politicians but they trust influencers
and with that power comes great
responsibility on next story comes from
the world of AI that is artificial
intelligence and it’s going to sound
like a dystopian nightmare because we
regret to inform you but AI beauty
pageants are a thing now we talking
about Miss AI the world’s first
artificial intelligence beauty pageant
where AI generated virtual models will
compete against each
other so what will be the parameters who
will be the judge we’ll discuss that
also what is the purpose of this contest
after all beauty pageants are regressive
and demeaning add AI to the mix and will
the problems only get worse here’s our
report can artificial intelligence cure
cancer can AI prevent the next pandemic
can it unlock World Peace since AI took
the World by storm many have wondered
about its potential humans have made big
requests and AI is still working on them
but what we never asked for was this
rating and ranking women pushing
impossible beauty standards and
upholding banal and demeaning Traditions
like beauty pageant that stand for abuse
and
misogyny but no shocker AI is already
doing all of this and more case in point
Miss AI this is the world’s first
artificial intelligence beauty pageant
it has been launched by a content
creator platform the pageant will sort
through and rank virtual models these
will be AI generated pictures of women
one of them will be crowned Miss Ai and
the winner in this case the creator of
the image will get a cash prize how much
about
$8,000 and how will miss AI be chosen on
the basis of looks
obviously Additionally the judges will
also look at the implementation of AI
tools the social media clout of these
virtual models for instance their number
of followers and the so-called
personality of these AI gener rated
women the participants will be answering
a series of questions including what
would be your one dream to make the
world a better
place and who will be judging the
participants two humans and two AI
models aana Lopez and Emily
Pelini Pelini was designed by an
anonymous Creator they asked chat GPT
what the average man’s dream girl is and
the model was designed along those lines
meanwhile Lopez was built as Spain’s
first AI model its creator has been
criticized for sexualizing Lopez’s image
their response if we don’t follow this
aesthetic Brands won’t be interested the
world in general is
sexualized what an appealing response
you see beauty pageants are retrograde
this year Miss Japan gave up her crown
after Revelations about an affair Miss
France was violently criticized for her
short hair and in 2018 Miss Ukraine was
disqualified because officials found out
that she was a divorced mother that’s
not all Beauty contests are also abusive
in 2023 Miss Universe Indonesia
contestants filed police complaints over
sexual harassment at least five
participants were asked to strip down to
their
undergarments beauty pageants should
have no place in our present let alone
the future but clearly they are already
preparing for it they are evolving with
AI as if unrealistic beauty standards
were not enough we now have have
computer generated so-called Perfection
for instance in 2016 a beauty contest
was judged by Ai and it didn’t like the
participants with dark
skin also why only miss AI even though
both are problematic where is the Mr AI
contest so if we were asked this
question what would be your one dream to
make the world a better place the answer
would be quit the Antiquated toxic stunt
of beauty pageants and keep AI out of
it and now it’s time for Ved chart’s
images that tell the story in California
a historic Pier erupted in flames in
Brazil thousands of indigenous
demonstrators protested against the
government over alleged failure to
protect their ancestral lands in Japan
Transformer like robots drones and
flying taxis delighted children and
finally we are taking you back in
history on this day in 1986 the worst
nuclear accident in history unfolded the
chernobil nuclear disaster it took place
in what is now Northern Ukraine the
nuclear explosion discharged radioactive
substances into the atmosphere at least
30 people died we’re leaving you with
that thanks for watching have a good
weekend
[Applause]
hey
k
foreign
spee foreign
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
as Israel’s war in Gaza unfolds analysts
are increasingly fearful of the West
Asian conflict spilling over
and earlier this month the six-month War
saw its biggest escalation ever Iran and
Israel attacked each other directly for
the first time on April 13th Iran fired
a barrage of missiles and drones towards
Israel this was in retaliation to the
alleged Israeli attack on Tan’s
Consulate in Syria and Israel responded
with another set of air strikes pushing
West Asia to the brink this titf forat
approach led to many global leaders
raising
alarms Madame
President the Middle East is on the
brink the people of the region are
confronting a real danger of a
devastating full scale
conflict now is the time to diffuse and
deescalate now is the time for maximum
restraint now while people in West Asia
face threat of violence and destruction
other parts of the world are bracing for
the war’s impact on their
pockets West Asia is a crucial region
this is for two primary reasons oil and
shipping groups West Asia is the world’s
primary source of fossil fuels it
accounts for onethird of the world’s
total crude oil output the region is
home to five of the world’s top 10 oil
producers including Saudi Arabia the
United Arab Emirates Iraq Iran and
Kuwait any disruption in the region
impacts the supply of oil which can lead
to drastic changes in oil prices and
this is what happened last
week after Israel’s attack on Iran oil
prices spiked by over 4% the price of
one barrel of crude oil reached nearly
$90 Market analysts speculate that if
the war escalates further prices will
likely touch $100
oil and gas are just one part of the
problem though West Asia connects Asia
and Europe through Land and Sea a large
part of the world’s cargo passes through
this region the Red Sea and the straight
of huz are two of the most crucial trade
routes around 12% of the world’s
shipping cargo passes through the Red
Sea and any disruptions to these routs
is a significant red
flag in November last year here the
yemen-based houthis hijacked a
commercial ship in the Red Sea
continuous attacks by the iran-backed
rebels posed a massive threat to
shipping firms it forced ships to change
their routes this in turn increased
their Journey Time by up to 2 weeks
which further impacted the cost of goods
being transported by these
ships so if you have Systema
systematically higher shipping costs for
manufactured goods the consumer goods
that you and I buy in the shop it takes
many months to really translate into
higher prices but it will come so if
this situation
continues uh it will have a bearing also
on the prices we pay in the shop for our
consumer
goods in a report last year the World
Bank painted a grim picture of the
impact of escalating tensions in West
Asia it said that a continued rise and
oil prices could push food prices higher
that’s because of an increase in
production and transportation costs it
also flagged concerns of food insecurity
in some
regions following the war in Gaza the
average global price of wheat Rose by $6
per metric ton in October 2023 in the
same period the price of maze also
increased by $7 meanwhile the prices of
crucial fertilizer pricers climbed by up
to
$10 while prices of Commodities Rose
over threats to their supply gold also
went on an upward trajectory but for
different reasons gold is often seen as
a safe haven investment during times of
uncertainty and as the West Asian crisis
unfolded people rushed to secure their
Investments with
gold now a new escalation in the war is
expected to further push these prices
higher and all of this is likely to
severely impact our pockets raising the
cost of all essential Goods like food
and fuel in fact the international
monetary fund has also warned against
the risk of rising inflation due to
tensions in West
Asia we uh looked at a scenario where we
would have more uh geopolitical tensions
that would result in elevated oil prices
Energy prices and um shipping costs and
what we find is that this would lead to
higher price pressures in the global
economy there would be higher inflation
there would be lower output and roughly
uh the estimates we have for a sustained
increase in oil prices by about
15% uh would be an increase in inflation
globally of about
0.7 uh uh%

LIVE: Whatsapp Threatens to Leave its Biggest Market India | Vantage with Palki Sharma

Leading messaging app Whatsapp today told the Delhi High Court that if it is forced to break end-to-end encryption, it will leave India.
India is the biggest market for Whatsapp – with over 400 million users.
It is owned by Meta, the company behind Facebook. Meta’s lawyers were arguing in a case – challenging 2021 India’s Information Technology Rules. The Rules require companies like Meta to identify the first originator of information.
Whatsapp told the court that the rules violate the fundamental rights of users.
Palki Sharma brings you the full story on Vantage.

—

Whatsapp | India | Facebook | Meta | Social Media | Firstpost | World News | News Live | Vantage | Palki Sharma | News

#whatsapp #india #facebook #meta #socialmedia #firstpost #vantageonfirstpost #palkisharma #worldnews

Vantage is a ground-breaking news, opinions, and current affairs show from Firstpost. Catering to a global audience, Vantage covers the biggest news stories from a 360-degree perspective, giving viewers a chance to assess the impact of world events through a uniquely Indian lens.

The show is anchored by Palki Sharma, Managing Editor, Firstpost.

By breaking stereotypes, Vantage aims to challenge conventional wisdom and present an alternative view on global affairs, defying the norm and opening the door to new perspectives. The show goes beyond the headlines to uncover the hidden stories – making Vantage a destination for thought-provoking ideas.

Vantage airs Monday to Friday at 9 PM IST on Firstpost across all leading platforms.
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