Latest news with #anti-West
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Putin Rallies 'True Friends' Before Russia's Revenge; Shoigu In N. Korea, Lukashenko Meets Xi
Is an anti-West axis forming faster than expected? Just days after Ukraine's daring drone strikes deep inside Russia, Moscow's allies are rallying. Belarusian President Lukashenko landed in Beijing, where Xi Jinping welcomed him as a 'true friend' and vowed deeper strategic cooperation. Isolated by sanctions and shunned by the West, Belarus is doubling down on ties with China. Meanwhile, Russia's top security chief, Sergei Shoigu, arrived in North Korea for high-level talks with Kim Jong Un, signaling intensifying military coordination under the 2024 strategic agreement. As Belarus tilts East and Pyongyang embraces Moscow, a clear four-nation bloc—Russia, China, Belarus, North Korea—is emerging in defiance of the Western-led world order.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
OPINION: Ottawa and Carney must get serious and listen to the West
If Prime Minister Mark Carney doesn't listen to the West, it's going to cost Canada. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe are demanding that Ottawa stop stomping on their provinces' natural resource production. Smith is telling Carney to scrap the 'no more pipelines' law, Bill C-69, lift the cap on Alberta's energy and cancel the looming ban on the sale of new gasoline and diesel vehicles. Moe is stepping in sync with Smith, listing Saskatchewan's demands in a letter, calling for changes to the 'no more pipelines' law, saying, 'There are a few policies that are going to have to go.' Moe is also taking aim at the industrial carbon tax, saying, 'The tax can't be charged on the electricity for Saskatchewan families.' The new prime minister says he's listening. 'I intend to govern for all Canadians,' said Carney in his election victory speech. If that's true, Carney must heed the demands of Smith and Moe, because Ottawa's anti-West policies are damaging the economy and costing taxpayers a truckload of money. How much? Ottawa's cap on oil and gas emissions, which creates a cap on production, will cost the Canadian economy about $20.5 billion and slash 40,000 jobs by 2032, according to the parliamentary budget officer. Canada has seen nearly $670 billion in natural resources projects suspended or cancelled since 2015. To put that kind of money into perspective: $670 billion would pay for the salaries of hundreds of thousands of paramedics and police officers for a decade. That's the equivalent of the value of more than one million houses in Alberta or almost two million homes in Saskatchewan. That kind of money is worth the entire income tax bills for the populations of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba for about 10 years. That's just the lost money from natural resources. Carney's looming ban on the sale of new gasoline and diesel vehicles also has a huge price tag. Canada's vehicle transition could cost up to $300 billion by 2040 to expand the electrical grid, according to a report for Natural Resources Canada. If Carney is serious about boosting the economy and governing for all Canadians, then getting the government out of the way of natural resource projects and scrapping the expensive plan to stop people from buying new gas and diesel vehicles is a good first step. The West has been firmly asking for Ottawa to mind its own business for years. Cancelling the industrial carbon tax is another way for Carney to show he's serious about growing the economy and governing for all Canadians. On the same day Carney scrapped the consumer carbon tax, the Saskatchewan government dropped its industrial carbon tax to zero. 'By eliminating industrial carbon costs, which are often passed directly on to consumers, the province is acting to protect affordability and economic competitiveness,' said the Saskatchewan government's news release. Alberta's industrial carbon tax is now frozen. Increasing the tax above its current rate would make Alberta 'exceptionally uncompetitive,' according to Alberta Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz. Business groups in both provinces lauded each premier, saying it would make their industries more competitive and help bring down costs. When Ottawa forces businesses like fuel refineries or fertilizer plants to pay the carbon tax, they pass on those costs to taxpayers when they heat their homes, fill up their cars and buy groceries. If companies are forced to cut production or leave the country because of the industrial carbon tax and policies like the energy cap, it's regular Albertans and Saskatchewanians who are hurt the most through job losses. If Carney intends to govern for all Canadians, he needs to listen to Smith and Moe and scrap the policies that are set to cost taxpayers billions and eliminate tens of thousands of jobs. Kris Sims is Alberta director and Gage Haubrich is Prairie director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
I Just Found Out About North Korea's Biggest Movie From The '80s, And The Kidnapping Story Behind It Is Even Wilder Than You Might Think
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The biggest movie in North Korean history is a monster movie based on classic kaiju movies called Pulgasari. Filmed in 1985, it was mostly the brainchild of director and producer Shin Sang-ok. It is a crazy movie, about a group of villagers who team up with a Godzilla-like monster to overthrow their country's tyrannical leader. It is, of course, steeped in anti-West, anti-South Korea messaging, as you would expect, but as B-movies go, it's not half bad. It's gone on to achieve a little bit of cult following around the world, especially in Japan. There is so much more to the story, though. As the heir apparent to his father, Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong Il was already quite powerful in the late 1970s in North Korea. The younger Kim also loved movies. He reportedly had thousands of films in his personal library and was especially fond of movies from the West, the U.S., and the U.K. He also loved classic Japanese monster movies. As a lover of movies, he set out to build a North Korean film industry in the 1970s. At first, Kim was reportedly unhappy with the results, so he hatched a plan to do something only the son of a dictator would think to do: kidnap two of South Korea's biggest stars, filmmaker Shin Sang-ok and his wife, actress Choi Eun-hee. Choi, one of South Korea's biggest stars, was kidnapped from Hong Kong in 1978 after being tricked into traveling to the then-British protectorate with a job offer. Six months later, Shin Sang-ok was searching for his then-ex-wife in Hong Kong when he was also snatched up by the North Korean regime. Like Choi, he was taken back to North Korea. After two escape attempts, he was sent to prison for five years. He was finally reunited with Choi after his release in 1983 at a party hosted by the younger Kim. Kim soon began talking about films with the two South Korean prisoners, and by 1984. Shin and Choi were making them for the regime. Of course, most had a strong state-sponsored message, but Shin did manage to convince Kim to allow him to broaden the subjects to give more international appeal. That is what led directly to Pulgasari. Production on the monster movie began in early 1985, and it included the use of an incredible 13,000 extras for some scenes, many of whom came from the North Korean army. Shin was basically given carte blanche, and in the neighborhood of $3 million (US) to make a movie inspired by Godzilla. Kim even enlisted the Japanese special effects house, Toho, to work on the movie. It's unclear if Pulgasari was ever released in North Korea; there are conflicting reports. Some sources claim the movie was a hit in its home country, others say it was put on ice by Kim, along with Shin's six other films produced under the regime, after Shin and Choi escaped North Korea during a trip to Vienna in 1986. A decade later, long after Choi and Shin's escape, the movie was released in Japan, first on VHS in 1995, then in theaters in the summer of 1998, and it became a hit. The success prompted distributors to release the movie in South Korea, though it bombed badly, likely due to understandable bias by the South Korean public towards the North. The film occasionally shows up as part of underground film festivals around the country, but is not available, as yet, on any American streaming services. A little bit of internet searching, though, and it's easy enough to find. It's not the best movie ever made, by any means, but it is a fascinating look into a culture we understand little of in the West.
The South African
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The South African
Dear President Trump: The ANC is destroying South Africa
South African capitalist activist and entrepreneur Rob Hersov has delivered a powerful open letter to US President Donald Trump and US ambassador-designate Brent Bozell, exposing the ANC's corruption, anti-American stance, and destructive governance. Hersov delivered the letter via a recent video uploaded to his Truth Report News YouTube channel. The video comes hot on the heels of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's trip to the US where he is scheduled to meet with Donald Trump in Washington DC on Wednesday. Meanwhile, in another video this month, Rob Hersov says South Africa just picked a fight with the most powerful country on Earth … America. And it wasn't by accident. It was by design – reckless, arrogant, and utterly self-destructive, he added. As always, Hersov pulled no punches. Full transcript below the video: South Africa just picked a fight with the most powerful country on Earth – America. And it wasn't by accident. It was by design – reckless, arrogant and utterly self-destructive. Let me give you the facts: South Africa is one of the top 10 countries that consistently votes against the United States in the United Nations. In 2018, South Africa's ambassador to Venezuela offered military support – military support – against a potential US invasion. The ANC has endorsed dictators like Fidel Castro, Gaddafi, Mugabe, Stalin, and even Mao Zedong. And in 2019, the US, UK, Germany and other countries warned South Africa to fix corruption or kiss investment goodbye. And what was the ANC's response? To call those countries imperialist threats and double down on their anti-West rhetoric. And in 2020, ANC members chanted, and I quote, 'One bullet, one American outside the US embassy in Pretoria.' And South Africa's embassy in Washington DC? It's essentially defunct, no ambassador for two years, pure diplomatic negligence. Mr Trump's Truth Social post 2 February was the first of many warning shots and yet the ANC did nothing. So let me give you the truth behind the numbers. South Africa's so-called non-aligned status is a lie. Publicly neutral, privately pro-China, pro-Russia, pro-Iran and cozy with human rights abusers. And what don't they want you to know? Well, the ANC is actively undermining Western partnerships. They've gutted our embassies, alienated allies and openly backed terror-linked groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. And the ANC take bribes from Iran to sue Israel and the ICJ. This isn't diplomacy, it's delusion. Free markets, crumbling, western values, rejected, and traditional principles? Traded for populist posturing and Marxist nostalgia. So here's the wake-up call. Why aren't more South Africans screaming about this? Because the ANC has wrapped itself in the liberation flag while torching the nation's future. The ANC has been bootlicking China and Russia while insulting the only countries that have ever offered us prosperity. But Donald Trump is back and he's watching, he's reading, he's listening, and he's getting ready. What's the bottom line here? Well, we have a path forward. The path forward is to fire the diplomats who can't do their job, rebuild our embassies with professionals, not cadres. And let's recommit to the West, because that's where the investment, the innovation, and the future lies. We know that, the majority of South Africans know it. The stakes? Well the stakes are high. Without AGOA we're going to lose 250 000 jobs, factories are going to close, farmers will go bankrupt, food security out the window. And the G20 Summit we're hosting this year is destined to be a humiliating disaster if President Trump and other important leaders boycott – which is likely. Other African nations are playing it smart. Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, even Zimbabwe, they're reaching out to America. They're making deals while we're burning bridges. South Africa doesn't have to be a failed state, but to save this country we need leaders with courage, not cowards in suits. We need the truth, not ideology. So here it is, loud and clear: Fix this damn foreign policy before there's nothing left to fix. Let's put South Africa first, at last. Robert Basil Hersov, born on 9 October 1960 in Johannesburg, is a business executive and entrepreneur. His grandfather, Bob Hersov, was the founder of AngloVaal, one of Southern Africa's largest mining and industrial companies. His father, Basil Hersov, ran the company from 1973 to 2001. The family sold AngloVaal in the 1990s. Rob Hersov serves as chairman and CEO (and founder) of Invest Africa, Chairman and Partner (and founder) of African Capital Investments. His parents are Basil Edward Hersov and Antoinette. Hersov matriculated from Michaelhouse in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands. In 1982 he studied at the University of Cape Town and obtained a degree. In 1989 he obtained his MBA from Harvard Business School. He began his career at Goldman Sachs in New York and then became head of the European media investment banking team at Morgan Stanley in London. From 1989 to 1991 he was business development manager at News Corporation in New York for chairman Rupert Murdoch. After this he became a board member of the luxury goods company Richemont SA, and also managed FilmNet. He then became CEO of Telepiu Srl in Milan, Italy's largest pay-TV company, belonging to the Mediaset media group, where he was also a member of the board of directors, until August 1997. In 1999, he started his own business as an investor and entrepreneur. In September 1999, he co-founded Antfactory; in November 1999, he helped found In 2021, he acquired Fisantekraal Airport, west of Durbanville, and renamed it 'Cape Winelands Airport'. He aims to develop it into a vibrant airport and secondary hub for Cape Town. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Analysis: Cyril Ramaphosa's Washington Test
When President Cyril Ramaphosa walks into the White House this week, he does so with the ghost of Volodymyr Zelensky behind him — a reminder of how Trump uses power to dominate, not negotiate. 'You have no cards,' Trump famously barked at Zelensky. Ramaphosa, it must be said, does have some cards — though Trump has more than him. This meeting is being framed as a diplomatic reset. But those familiar with Trump's foreign policy playbook know that 'reset' often means 'submit.' The White House has a bee in its bonnet over South Africa's positions on Israel, BRICS, and what it views as 'anti-West' posturing. The genocide case against Israel at the ICJ has enraged Washington. Trump's counter? Embrace fringe claims of persecution against Afrikaners — muddying the waters by mirroring the ICJ language. Yet South Africa is not without leverage. Despite domestic volatility, it holds the keys to part of the 21st-century global economy: minerals. It controls over 80% of global platinum reserves and ranks among the top producers of vanadium and manganese — all essential to battery technology, defence systems, and the green energy transition. The US Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS Act make clear that mineral supply chains are now a matter of national security. And South Africa, quite literally, is sitting on the motherlode. In return for recognition as a strategic partner, Pretoria may offer a trade deal modeled on the UK-US framework, with reciprocal tariffs around 10%. That would quietly acknowledge that AGOA — the duty-free agreement once seen as a cornerstone of US-SA ties — is effectively over. Moving from preferential access to bilateral parity signals a shift from supplicant to equal. But it comes at a price: South African exporters lose competitive edge, and Washington knows it. This may not be the end, but the beginning of a longer diplomatic dance. South Africa wants Trump to attend the G20 Heads of State Summit in Johannesburg this November, ideally with a state visit. That platform offers space for symbolism, trade deals, and strategic theatre — if this week sets the tone. But for progress, South Africa must be understood — not caricatured. There is no genocide against Afrikaners. The ICJ case is not an attack on the West, but a defence of international legal norms. Pretoria may lower the volume, but it can't walk away now. The case has advanced too far to retreat without looking weak. Meanwhile, Trump's allies are circling. Elon Musk's Starlink wants market access without BEE compliance or social investment obligations — a pressure point that will test South Africa's regulatory sovereignty and political resolve. Ramaphosa has leverage — minerals, legal capital, and moral voice. If he uses them well, this could be a moment of strategic affirmation. If not, he risks leaving Washington with the optics of diplomacy — and a deal already written in Washington ink.
