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Time of India
4 hours ago
- Science
- Time of India
Face to face with the past: What Keeladi reveals about ancient Tamil civilisation
The Tamil Nadu state archaeology department, which took over excavations at Keeladi from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in 2018, obtained 29 radiocarbon dates from US lab Beta Analytics. These range from 580 BCE to 200 CE and confirm the site is contemporaneous with the urbanisation of the Gangetic plains and is part of India's second urbanisation, which took place in the 6th century BCE. Archaeologists have pieced together — after studying residue in bowls and potsherds, skulls and bone fragments, and fossilised algae in terracotta pipes and ring wells — how people lived on the banks of the Vaigai some 2,500 years ago.
Memri
a day ago
- Politics
- Memri
The Historical Context Of The South China Sea Territorial Conflict
On July 12, 2016, exactly, nine years ago, the Permanent Court of Arbitration delivered its final ruling on the case filed by the Philippines against China over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.[1] The court affirmed that China's claim, as embodied by its nine-dash line, has no basis under international law.[2] This following analysis provides the historical context of the disputed waters. (Source: X) The waters first appeared in Indian, Arab, and Chinese historical records as early 206 BCE. The waters were depicted as fishing grounds and trading routes that connected Eastern and Western Asia to Southeast Asia. The waters are peppered with tiny islands and sunken reefs. There, safe havens were built by ancient seafarers as they navigated the open sea. Artifacts originating from a myriad of cultures were found in the islets suggesting that they were used not by one but a host of civilizations. Fast forward to World War II, it became clear that the waters were strategic in a time of war. They were used by Japan as naval outposts during the expansion of its empire in South East Asia. In the 1960s, it was discovered that beneath the seas lie an estimated 11 billion barrels of oil, 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 10 percent of the world's fishing resources. It has also emerged as one of the most important global trading routes. The strategic importance of the waters could not be denied. Of particular interest is the Spratly Islands. The Spratlys is a group of some 100 islets, reefs and shoals. It straddles the Philippines to the east, Vietnam to the west, Malaysia and Brunei to the south, and China and Taiwan to the north. Control over the Spratlys allows military projection and surveillance over the entire Asian region. Six nations claim ownership of the Spratlys but China claims not only the Spratlys but all of the South China Sea. Satellite images shows that Beijing had already constructed artificial islands with airstrips, missile platforms and harbors at Fiery Cross Reef, Subi Reef, and Mischief Reef, among others. Tensions have been escalating, thanks to China's coercive activities and bad behavior. To defuse tensions, ASEAN called for the establishment of a code of conduct as early as 2002. But drafting the code did not start until 2017. By mid‑2023, the second version of the code of conduct was completed with China and ASEAN agreeing to write a third version due to significant disagreements. ASEAN claimants (notably the Philippines, Vietnam) want a legally binding agreement enforceable under international law. China insists on a non-binding framework. Moreover, China is pushing to exclude third‑party military navies (like the U.S.) from the agreement, which ASEAN found self-serving and unacceptable. Without a functioning code of conduct, China has aggressively asserted its claims by way of coercion and deployment of grey zone tactics. The Philippine-China Conflict The Philippine-China stand-off started in 2013, when, in a unilateral act of aggression, China announced that the Spratlys, Parcel islands and Macclesfeild Bank would be administered by Sansha City, a territory of China. Suspicions were rife that China would build a military base to support its navy and air force – something China vehemently denied. Years later, the suspicions were proven true and China was caught in its own lie. The Chinese Coast Guard roped off the entrance of the Scarborough lagoon preventing Philippine vessels from entering, including those of fishermen. The Chinese accosted Philippine vessels that traversed the area, confiscated their contents and detained the crew. It was a blatant disrespect of Philippine sovereignty. The Philippines resisted China's bullying and moved swiftly to defend its sovereignty. It did what any law-abiding republic would do – it took China to court. It was the only claimant of the disputed territories with the courage to do so. In 2014, the Philippines filed a case against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration of the United Nations Convention of the Laws of the Seas (UNCLOS). The Philippines argued that China's territorial claim was in defiance of the UNCLOS accord for which both China and the Philippines are signatories. The Philippines further argued that the basis of China's claim, its nine-dash line, was conjured out of convenience only in 1946 in contrast to Philippine historical claims whose basis are nautical records dating back to the XV century. For those unaware, China's campaign to claim the entire South China Sea for itself started when a power vacuum arose after Japan's defeat in World War II. In 1946, China's Ministry of Interior Committee deployed two geography students named Fu Jiaojin and Zheng Ziyue to define China's boundaries in the South China Sea. The basis of their claim was an atlas drafted in 1936 by Bai Meichu, a Chinese professor whose atlas was proven to be riddled with errors. The dashes drawn by the two students were a cartographic sketch without clearly defined boundaries. It does not specify where exactly the sovereignty ends and what rights China claims (sovereignty, historic fishing rights, administrative control, etc.). Its ambiguity was deliberate as it allows China to assert a wide range of claims flexibly. The nine-dash line is a preposterous claim by any account. It is for this reason that the international community supports the Philippine's legal argument and absolutely no nation support's China's claim. In 2016, the tribunal ruled in the Philippine's favor saying that China's nine-dash Line is invalid and illegal. It further ruled that China has no legal claim nor historical rights over Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone and that it had behaved unlawfully. The ruling bestows upon the Philippines the legal rights on the waters. On the next installment, an in-depth analysis will be provided on the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. *Andrew J. Masigan is the MEMRI China Media Studies Project Special Advisor. He is a Manila-based economist, businessman, and political columnist for The Philippine Star. Masigan's articles in MEMRI are also published in The Philippine Star.
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Tyranny is an ever-present threat to civilisations. Here's how Classical Greece and China dealt with it
We're just a few months into US president Donald Trump's second term but his rule has already been repeatedly compared to tyranny. This may all feel very new to Americans, and to the rest of us watching on from around the world. But the threat of tyranny is an ancient one. We can learn much from how people in ancient Greece and China dealt with this issue. Where does tyranny come from? The peoples of classical Greece were separated into city-states known as the polis. A few of these, such as Athens and Argos, were democratic. Others, such as Rhodes or Chios, had had democratic features such as civic participation in public life. These city-states routinely faced external enemies but also the threat of tyrannical take-over from within. Things came to a head in 510 BCE under the rule of an oppressive tyrant known as Hippias. He was ultimately expelled, leading eventually to the establishment of democracy through reforms made under an Athenian statesmen called Cleisthenes. According to Plato, tyranny is the most degenerate political regime and emerges out of democracy's excesses. He argued that as democratic citizens become accustomed to living by pleasure rather than reason or duty to the public good, society becomes fragmented.
AllAfrica
2 days ago
- Business
- AllAfrica
Lithium outlook: low prices, solid fundamentals
Recently, various media outlets reported the results and conclusions of a study published in June by Chile's Copper Commission (Cochilco), the government agency responsible for market analysis and research on mining trends. The report describes an oversupply situation in the lithium market and the current low prices, while also forecasting a long-term rebound. To understand this scenario, it's necessary to look beyond the short-term fluctuations and return to the market fundamentals. Unlike metals such as copper, which humanity has used since the Metal Ages over 7,000 BCE, lithium is a much more recent material. Its industrial use began in the 19th century CE and remained for a long time limited to very specific applications, such as pharmaceuticals or aerospace. It was only in recent decades, and especially in recent years, that lithium gained global strategic importance. The advent of the energy transition – with electromobility as its flagship – has structurally transformed the market. Reflecting this shift, the price of lithium, historically close to US$ 10,000/t of Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (LCE), soared to over $ 70,000 a ton in 2022. This boom, driven by a sudden and sustained surge in demand, attracted numerous new suppliers to the market. Traditional mining companies, emerging firms and even oil companies such as Exxon began exploring entry into the lithium supply chain, looking to tap unconventional resources like lithium contained in petroleum brines. The expectation of extraordinary returns triggered a rush to explore and develop projects, especially in Africa and Australia, where many hard-rock lithium deposits were discovered and advanced. (The most notable case is Manono in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with reserves equivalent to a third of those in the Salar de Atacama.) This boom led Australia to overtake Chile as the world's largest producer, while installed capacity expanded aggressively worldwide. This phenomenon of overinvestment – extensively documented by agencies such as Cochilco – largely explains the abrupt increase in supply and the subsequent price collapse we see today. Today, lithium is trading at around US$ 8,700/t LCE. However, as Cochilco notes, this scenario is not sustainable because the industry does not generate profits at these prices. In the short term, it is expected that a significant number of marginal suppliers – those who entered the market when the expected price far exceeded any incentive price—will exit the market. This natural adjustment should help ease the current oversupply and allow for a gradual price recovery. We estimate that the long-term price of lithium should settle in the range of US$ 12,000 to US$ 16,000/t, which ensures attractive minimum profitability for the industry. This outlook is based on the fact that lithium's structural fundamentals remain strong. The energy transition, especially the growth of electromobility and renewable energy storage, continues to be a robust driver, despite temporary disruptions like trade disputes between major powers. While we are unlikely to see again the extraordinary prices that exceeded US$ 70,000/t in 2022, the lithium market has room to stabilize at sustainable and profitable levels. A projected range between US$ 12,000 and US$ 16,000/t offers sufficient conditions to enable investment, sustain supply growth and provide long-term certainty for an industry that is strategic to the energy transition. Patricio Faúndez is country manager for GEM Mining Consulting in Singapore.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Top Telecom Pick: Should You Choose Telus or BCE?
Written by Adam Othman at The Motley Fool Canada Successful dividend investing in the stock market is all about making high-quality picks from the right sectors that can distribute payouts comfortably, supported by solid underlying businesses. Looking into stock from the top companies in industries that can align with your passive income goals is a good way to go about this. The Canadian telecom sector is highly consolidated and well-established, and has a few recession-resistant names that many investors like to own in their portfolios. Most of the top telecom stocks offer shareholders an attractive dividend yield supported by solid fundamentals. Two Canadian telcos are the top considerations for many investors. Each has its own strategic approach to respond to changing market conditions. Dividend-centric investors should consider these carefully to make a well-informed decision before investing in Canadian telecom stocks. Today, we'll take a good look at Telus Corp. (TSX:T) and BCE Inc. (TSX:BCE) to help you determine which might be the better pick for your self-directed portfolio. Telus is one of the Big Three telcos in the country. Boasting a $34.3 billion market cap, it has over 9 million mobile customers across the country, accounting for roughly a third of the market. The company provides internet, TV, and landline services. It has also recently started upgrading from its legacy copper network to fibre optic cables to offer better value for money to customers. Besides this, Telus has several subsidiaries operating across different sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, security, and international business services. As of this writing, Telus stock trades for $22.65 per share and boasts a 7.4% dividend yield. Despite high-yielding dividends, its payout ratio is in the reliable 60–75% of free cash flow range. The company's diversified revenue streams, increased earnings, and sustainable payout ratio make it an attractive investment to consider. BCE is another one of the Big Three, boasting a $29.7 billion market capitalization. It offers wireless and internet services, broadband, landline services, and has a considerable media segment that holds digital media, TV, and radio assets. BCE recently announced a 56% dividend cut, effectively slashing the payouts to relieve itself from double-digit yields that we are seeing of late. The dividend cut did not go well with plenty of investors, but it might be a good decision. Slashing payouts to more sustainable levels means that the company has better financial flexibility to fuel future growth. The more the company can grow, the better returns it can offer to investors in the long run. Being the biggest driving force behind 5G technology in Canada, BCE could benefit from having better financials. As of this writing, it trades for $32.60 per share and boasts a 5.4% dividend yield. Dividend-focused investors seeking immediate returns might not appreciate the dividend cut announced by BCE. However, those with a long-term investment horizon might appreciate the change because it lets the telco improve its financials over time at the cost of lower dividends for the time being. Telus offers the promise of growth through dividends that it does not plan to cut. It also has the backing of several diversified revenue streams that might make payouts more sustainable for the company. Between the two, it is difficult to make the wrong decision for your self-directed portfolio. If you're seeking higher-yielding immediate returns through dividends, Telus wins. If you're willing to invest with plenty of patience for potentially better long-term returns, BCE might be a better pick. The post Top Telecom Pick: Should You Choose Telus or BCE? appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. Before you buy stock in BCE, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor Canada analyst team just identified what they believe are the Top Stocks for 2025 and Beyond for investors to buy now… and BCE wasn't one of them. The Top Stocks that made the cut could potentially produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider MercadoLibre, which we first recommended on January 8, 2014 ... if you invested $1,000 in the 'eBay of Latin America' at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $24,927.94!* Stock Advisor Canada provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month – one from Canada and one from the U.S. The Stock Advisor Canada service has outperformed the return of S&P/TSX Composite Index by 30 percentage points since 2013*. See the Top Stocks * Returns as of 6/23/25 More reading 10 Stocks Every Canadian Should Own in 2025 [PREMIUM PICKS] Market Volatility Toolkit A Commonsense Cash Back Credit Card We Love Fool contributor Adam Othman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends TELUS. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 2025
