#storage in qatar

[orienttech]

Ensure Warehouse Safety & Efficiency with This Pallet Rack Inspection Checklist

Pallet racking in Qatar allows products to be stored and organized in a secure and efficient manner at any warehouse or distribution center. It is important to note in this regard that pallet racks are prone to damage or wear over time, putting inventory and workers at risk. It's vital to conduct periodic pallet rack inspections in order to identify and eliminate potential safety hazards. A pallet rack inspection checklist is provided in this article to help you ensure warehouse safety and efficiency.

Conduct Visual Inspections Regularly

Check Load Limits

Check for Rack Stability

Verify Beam Connections

Inspect Wire Decking

Check Aisle Width

Keep the Warehouse Clean

Train Employees on Safety

A pallet rack inspection checklist is an essential thing for ensuring warehouse safety and efficiency. Regular inspections can help you identify potential hazards before they become serious safety concerns. Racks & Shelving Storage Solutions in Qatar can ensure that you

[moonystoes]

Who? - Elisa De Almeida x singer!reader

summary: when the public thinks y/n is dating a football player... a male player. Inspired by this

A/n: this shit made me wanna kms. i really thought social media au would be easier since it's not writing. but holy shit editing this was ass. also the fact that it took me around 10 hours yesterday only?? and 138 pictures. but lowkey... making fake beef and conversations was kinda fun lol.

warning: nothing, but this is the first time i made a social media au so it may be bad...and the quality of these screenshots are shit. also...I worked really hard editing the time of those screenshots (except the second one... i forgot) they will help you understand the timeline. I recommend reading this in white mode so the tweets can look smoother.

face claim :@itsouidad on instagram

y/nl/n

liked by ayanakamura_officiel, brahim, jackie_groenen_14, and 39,968 others

y/nl/n smiles and preparations, 2 days until I meet you guys 🫶(also happy new years lollll 😭😭)

احبكم كثيرررر 🩷🇶🇦

view all 7,983 comments

user1 IS THAT SOUQ WAQIF???? GUYS KILL ME SHE WAS RIGHT AROUND ME AND MY BLIND ASS DIDNT SEEEE 😭😭😭💔💔

user2 wait they allow women to not wear the scarf there?

↳ user3 @User2 girl what?? yes tf, get out of the propaganda ffs

ayanakamura_officiel ohh la laaa

↳ y/nl/n @Ayanakamura_officiel 💍 yes or no?

↳ user3 @y/nl/n lmfaoooo y/n keeps forgetting shes famous now

y/nbiggestfan awhhh how is it babee?

↳ y/nl/n @y/nbiggestfan everyone is so sweet and generous 🤧🥹🥹, i can't wait to meet yall

y/nupdates have fun sweetie!! enjoy it

↳ y/nl/n @y/nupdates thank you Emi 🫶

jackie_groenen_14

liked by elisadealmeida5, psg_feminines, and 13,622 others

tagged: elisadealmeida5, sakinakarchaoui, grace_geyoro, psg_feminines, qatarairways

jackie_groenen_14 always learning with the girls, it was nice to have some special days with my 2nd fam ❤️💙

view all 58 comments

y/nl/n what were you thinking in the 5th slide lolll

↳ jackie_groenen_14 @y/nl/n i thought you said it was cute :(((

↳username1 @jackie_groenen_14 im so confused how do they know each other

elisadealmeida5

liked by y/nl/n, jackie_groenen_14, grace_geyoro, and 74,567 others

elisadealmeida5 Great time together in doha 🇶🇦

Thanks for the amazing experience ✨️

@psg_feminines

@Visitqatar

@qatarcreates

@Qatarairways

#parissaintgermain #psg #paris

View all 321 comments

_clarehunt 🥰🥰

jackie_groenen_14 baby ❤️

user54 تهبلللل اخخخخ

user42 lindaaaa😩

user11 who was she giggling with on the 5th pic ugh 😩😩

y/nl/n

Liked by elisadealmeida5, kehlani, brahim, and 36,641 others

y/nl/n thank you so much Qatar for this experience, too many pretty places my phone storage is gonna explode ☹️

Thank you @dohamusicfestival for this unforgettable moment, and to everyone involved (that old lady that was making Nutella bread in souq waqif, I will never forget you 👆)

View all 2521 comments

user5 you're always welcome back!💞💞

user3 maybe that girl on Twitter wasn't so blind... I swear it's the same place

↳ user1 @user3 babe that's The Pearl it's literally like number 1 on tourist attraction place

↳ user3 @user1 so? They could go together

↳ user1 @user3 I still don't understand the fascination of them going together, like she can have friends. I know she's antisocial and makes jokes about it but I promise she's not a baby 🙏🙏

Cutiedealmeida uploaded a thread

"can I get a kiss?" - fan of Elisa's

Elisa: "sorry, I'm not single sorry" 💔

-

-

oh my god elisa speaks in English again! Does this confirm that our favorite football player is taken...or is she just saying that as the girl looks much younger? Who knows! I guess we have to wait till Eli confirms her relationship...video credits: @emiliaaa.zl 🤞❤️ #elisadealmeida #footballnews #psg #psgfeminines

View all 58 comments

↳ user1 FUCK MY LIFE

↳ user2 she literally just confirmed it by saying she's not single 💀💀 do you want her to post a sloppy make out picture or what

↳user3 let me not just say anything...

↳user4 @user3 do you know who is the gf?

↳user3 @user4 nope I was just jealous 😁

fanofyn @ynupdates do you think it could be her?

↳ ynupdates @fanofyn y/n never said she's not single. And even if she is taken, there is barely any proof of it being Elisa 🤞

elisadealmeida5 uploaded a story

y/nl/n

Liked by elisadealmeida5, kehlani, brahim, and 79,751 others

Y/n ☀️❄️

View all 9562 comments

User1 she couldn't think of a caption so she used emojis lol

↳ y/nl/n @User1 stop exposing me 😔

Besfriend can't believe you ditched me for this 💔💔

↳ y/nl/n @Bestfriend stopppp I asked you if you wanted to come 😭😭

Jackie_groenen_14 the sunglasses and the smile 😍😍

↳y/nl/n @jackie_groenen_14 shut up I'm blushing 🤚

User2 SHUT UP SHES WITH THAT PLAYER

↳user3 @User2 that place is very popular lol every rich person is there right now

↳user2 @User3 man I can't even be fucking delusional anymore without yall

↳user4 @User2 I believe you, they were posing the same way too ✊️

↳user2 @User4 WHAT THE HELL I DIDNT EVEN NOTICE THAT

Y/nl/n uploaded a story

elisadealmeida5 uploaded a story

Y/nl/n

Liked by elisadealmeida5, brahim, kehlani, and 156,164 others

Y/nl/n good night and good win 🙏 Hala madrid 🤍

View all 12736 comments

User1 wait she's actually with brahim????

↳user2 @User1 I'd cry

User3 slut, only cares about players for money

↳user4 @User3 get a fucking life weirdo

User5 nooo the men found out about her :(( she will literally get hate on every post now

Bestfriend idgaf it's visca barca

↳ y/nl/n @Bestfriend babe... this isn't you 😔😔

user6 she's wearing a Spain shirt 👀

↳ user7 @User6 isn't brahim Moroccan?

↳user6 @User7 he's half Spanish, and before he got into the Moroccan team he wanted to play for the Spanish one but he wasn't good enough for them ig😬😬

User8 BABBYYYYY LOOK AT MY GIRL LIKE WOW

User9 awh she's so happy for her boyfriend ;((

User10 the last slide is brahim?

User11 awhh it's so cute how she's teaching him how to eat with his hand, but the food looks too hot tho 😭😭

Y/nl/n uploaded a story

Y/nupdates_page

Liked by user1, y/nsister, and 64,652 others

Y/nupdates_page GUYS KILL MEE Y/N JUST WENT LIVE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A YEAR!...but something happened in the end as you can see from this screen-recording.

Is Y/n dating Elisa? Or was it Brahim? The audio wasn't clear, and the camera wasn't showing the door properly either! But from the small corner... the person has the same features as both brahim and Elisa. Short brown hair and fair skin... it could be either. But it's 99% Brahim since y/n never made a statement that she likes women, and she did make a lot of... interesting tweets back in the day about brahim ifykyk 🙈🙈

#y/n #music #elisadealmeida

View all 11,614 comments

user1 LMFAOOOO HER FACE

user2 idfc I'll stay delusional and pray it's Elisa

user3 wait what happened after this???

↳Y/nupdates_page @User3 she froze for 5 seconds, laughed, and then just ended it 😭😭 not even a fucking goodbye, she HATES us 😔💔💔

user4 noooo she's not single anymore💔 no more heartbroken depressing music

user5 wait who the fuck is Elisa and why does it feel like there is some inside joke that yall are hiding from me

↳Y/nupdates_page dw bae i got you, I made a post about the whole rumor a while ago 🫡

user6 HER SISTER LIKED IT

↳Y/nupdates_page @User6 she's probably sending it to the gc to laugh at her lmfao 💀💀

User7 #music ma'am are you that desperate for likes

↳Y/nupdates_page @User7 yes I'm an attention whore and the tag clearly worked.

y/nl/n

Liked by elisadealmeida5, jackie_groenen_14, kehlani, and 196,725 others

Tagged: elisadealmeida5

y/nl/n I'm so happy for my girlfriend ;((

eli, I'm so proud of you and I love you so much 🤎🤎

View all 60,624 comments

elisadealmeida5 babbyyyy❤️❤️🥺🥺

↳y/nl/n @elisadealmeida5 ❤️🤎

user1 WHICH ONE OF YALL BITCHES CALLED ME DELUSIONAL

user2 it's actually insane how we knew about this from a random tweet damn

user3 brahim didn't like this post lolll

user4 that's a girl?

user5 damn she's hot as hell

user6 I get depressed thinking she's not single but I start crying in joy when I realize it's a woman

user7 awhh she used a brown heart emoji 🤎🥺🥺🥺

↳user8 @User7 what the fuck is that supposed to mean 💀💀

↳user7 @User8 y/n has a whole album called 'Brown Hearts' lol

user9 Elisa is not single :(((((

user10 wait are they together?

↳user11 @User10 well i tell you what Sherlock Holmes you are unbelievable

↳y/nsister @User11 LMFAOAOAO

-----

i want to thank @thinkingaboutjaedyn for showing ouidad... like its insane how perfect she is for this

fun facts:

-the pictures were somehow easy to find, i was actually shocked on how i was able to find pictures from ouidad for this fic, the only time i struggled was for the 'paparazzi' pics at the end.

-the two pictures on y/n's post of her in qatar were from my sister's instagram page

if there is a mistake ignore it because im gonna kms if i have to edit this again

[news-for-muslims]

28/04/2025

📰 Recent news highlights:

🇮🇳

In a surprise attack that shook the once peaceful valley of Pahalgam in Indian administered Kashmir, 4 terrorists, allegedly backed by Pakistan made an incursion and shot 28, mostly civilians and tourists who were killed after being asked their religion. The incident has shook the state as well as the country with India cancelling almost all Pakistani Visas and repatriating all visiting pakistanis with Pakistan doing likewise.

India has accused Pakistan of orchestrating these attacks by a little known Islamist group known as TRF or The Resistance Front. Pakistan has accused India of creating a false flag event. The two have been engaged in gun fights at the border on a near daily basis, while communal violence and hate crimes in India seem to rise.

🇹🇷

An earthquake in Türkiye's Istanbul of 6.2 magnitude struck, damaging several buildings but no casualties were reported.

🇪🇨

A similar earthquake of 6.3 magnitude struck the coastal city of Esmeraldas in Ecuador with damages appearing in infrastructures and no casualties.

🇮🇷

The port city of Bandar Abbas in Iran suffered a massive explosion which have been pointed by authorities as improper handling of chemical storage units. At least 40 are reported dead and 1,000 injured. This comes in the backdrop of Iran-US nuclear talks and is being investigated further. Iranian allies poured words of support and Russia lended a hand in extinguishing of the fire.

🇨🇩

DRC has come close to a ceasefire with the M23 rebel group in Qatar mediated talks. Rwanda has been accused of helping the M23 insurgency in DRC and attempting to topple the government. So far, the ceasefire talks appear to be going positively.

🇺🇲

United States military has appeared to make a breakthrough in the hypersonic missile tech as it nicknamed the newest test missile as "Dark Eagle".

Hypersonic missiles have been the most coveted weapon by many of the world's militaries but few have come close to even inventing it. Travelling at more than 5 times the speed of sound (Mach 5+), China and Russia are usually known for having these missiles, although several other countries claim to possess this sophisticated technology.

🇪🇺

NATO "kill switch" paranoia in Europe:

Rumours spread across NATO allied countries across Europe about the procurement of the advanced F-35 fighter jets from US, which critics said had a hidden embedded code which can be remotely used by the US to switch off offensive, if not all capabilities of the F-35 fighter jets manufactured in US; if it were to be used not in the way or liking of US policymakers.

This rumour, whether true or not, set alarm bells ringing throughout European members of NATO, with Denmark saying it regrets the purchase. France and other European countries urged Europe to be independent from the US military industrial complex, which is the largest in the world, and pursue their own military development. France also made its pitch for selling its Rafale jets to the continent.

United States and its manufacturer have completely denied the accusations and rumours.

🇪🇸

Massive power outage across Spain and Portugal:

Spain and Portugal suffered a massive power outage with traffic lights, electricity, and hospital equipment out of service. A cyberattack has not yet been ruled out.

🇨🇦

A car ramming attack in a filipino festival in Vancouver, Canada has killed at least 11. Vancouver police chief has said this was committed by a lone perpetuator and therefore not a terrorist incident.

🇸🇩

In the city of Omdurman, close to the capital of Sudan's Khartoum, which was recently liberated by the Sudanese army, the RSF paramilitary forces committed a massacre of at least 31 people, among them, women and children.

🇾🇪

Yemen was recently bombed by the United States Airforce, killing 68 at a migrant detention centre. This comes amid the intensified and escalating force against Iran's "Axis of resistance" as Israel has stepped up its attacks on Lebanon and breaking the ceasefire. This strategy of simultaneous action against the Yemen's Houthis, Lebanon's Hezbollah and occupation of Southern Syria which is disrupting the supply chain of Iranian militias is creating a chokehold against any resistance against Israel.

🇵🇸

Gaza's population is said to be in a looming famine as Israel's blockade of incoming aid is crippling the needs of the Palestinian population. Meanwhile, it's bombardment is also not leaving Palestinians with any respite.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Come join our welcoming Discord community open for all:

[mariacallous]

In February of last year, Donggang Jinhui Foodstuff, a seafood-processing company in Dandong, China, threw a party. It had been a successful year: a new plant had opened, and the company had doubled the amount of squid that it exported to the United States. The party, according to videos posted on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, featured singers, instrumentalists, dancers, fireworks, and strobe lights. One aspect of the company’s success seems to have been its use of North Korean workers, who are sent by their government to work in Chinese factories, in conditions of captivity, to earn money for the state. A seafood trader who does business with Jinhui recently estimated that it employed between fifty and seventy North Koreans. Videos posted by a company representative show machines labelled in Korean, and workers with North Korean accents explaining how to clean squid. At the party, the company played songs that are popular in Pyongyang, including “People Bring Glory to Our Party” (written by North Korea’s 1989 poet laureate) and “We Will Go to Mt. Paektu” (a reference to the widely mythologized birthplace of Kim Jong Il). Performers wore North Korean colors, and the country’s flag billowed behind them; in the audience, dozens of workers held miniature flags.

Drone footage played at the event showed off Jinhui’s twenty-one-acre, fenced-in compound, which has processing and cold-storage facilities and what appears to be a seven-floor dormitory for workers. The company touted a wide array of Western certifications from organizations that claim to check workplaces for labor violations, including the use of North Korean workers. When videos of the party were posted online, a commenter—presumably befuddled, because using these workers violates U.N. sanctions—asked, “Aren’t you prohibited from filming this?”

Like Jinhui, many companies in China rely on a vast program of forced labor from North Korea. (Jinhui did not respond to requests for comment.) The program is run by various entities in the North Korean government, including a secretive agency called Room 39, which oversees activities such as money laundering and cyberattacks, and which funds the country’s nuclear- and ballistic-missile programs. (The agency is so named, according to some defectors, because it is based in the ninth room on the third floor of the Korean Workers’ Party headquarters.) Such labor transfers are not new. In 2012, North Korea sent some forty thousand workers to China. A portion of their salaries was taken by the state, providing a vital source of foreign currency for Party officials: at the time, a Seoul-based think tank estimated that the country made as much as $2.3 billion a year through the program. Since then, North Koreans have been sent to Russia, Poland, Qatar, Uruguay, and Mali.

In 2017, after North Korea tested a series of nuclear and ballistic weapons, the United Nations imposed sanctions that prohibit foreign companies from using North Korean workers. The U.S. passed a law that established a “rebuttable presumption” categorizing work by North Koreans as forced labor unless proven otherwise, and levying fines on companies that import goods tied to these workers. China is supposed to enforce the sanctions in a similar manner. Nevertheless, according to State Department estimates, there are currently as many as a hundred thousand North Koreans working in the country. Many work at construction companies, textile factories, and software firms. Some also process seafood. In 2022, according to Chinese officials running pandemic quarantines, there were some eighty thousand North Koreans just in Dandong, a hub of the seafood industry.

Last year, I set out with a team of researchers to document this phenomenon. We reviewed leaked government documents, promotional materials, satellite imagery, online forums, and local news reports. We watched hundreds of cell-phone videos published on social-media sites. In some, the presence of North Koreans was explicit. Others were examined by experts to detect North Korean accents, language usage, and other cultural markers. Reporting in China is tightly restricted for Western reporters. But we hired Chinese investigators to visit factories and record footage of production lines. I also secretly sent interview questions, through another group of investigators and their contacts, to two dozen North Koreans—twenty workers and four managers—who had recently spent time in Chinese factories. Their anonymous responses were transcribed and sent back to me.

The workers, all of whom are women, described conditions of confinement and violence at the plants. Workers are held in compounds, sometimes behind barbed wire, under the watch of security agents. Many work gruelling shifts and get at most one day off a month. Several described being beaten by the managers sent by North Korea to watch them. “It was like prison for me,” one woman said. “At first, I almost vomited at how bad it was, and, just when I got used to it, the supervisors would tell us to shut up, and curse if we talked.” Many described enduring sexual assault at the hands of their managers. “They would say I’m fuckable and then suddenly grab my body and grope my breasts and put their dirty mouth on mine and be disgusting,” a woman who did product transport at a plant in the city of Dalian said. Another, who worked at Jinhui, said, “The worst and saddest moment was when I was forced to have sexual relations when we were brought to a party with alcohol.” The workers described being kept at the factories against their will, and being threatened with severe punishment if they tried to escape. A woman who was at a factory called Dalian Haiqing Food for more than four years said, “It’s often emphasized that, if you are caught running away, you will be killed without a trace.”

In all, I identified fifteen seafood-processing plants that together seem to have used more than a thousand North Korean workers since 2017. China officially denies that North Korean laborers are in the country. But their presence is an open secret. “They are easy to distinguish,” a Dandong native wrote in a comment on Bilibili, a video-sharing site. “They all wear uniform clothes, have a leader, and follow orders.” Often, footage of the workers ends up online. In a video from a plant called Dandong Yuanyi Refined Seafoods, a dozen women perform a synchronized dance in front of a mural commemorating Youth Day, a North Korean holiday. The video features a North Korean flag emoji and the caption “Beautiful little women from North Korea in Donggang’s cold-storage facility.” (The company did not respond to requests for comment.) Remco Breuker, a North Korea specialist at Leiden University, in the Netherlands, told me, “Hundreds of thousands of North Korean workers have for decades slaved away in China and elsewhere, enriching their leader and his party while facing unconscionable abuse.”

In late 2023, an investigator hired by my team visited a Chinese plant called Donggang Xinxin Foodstuff. He found hundreds of North Korean women working under a red banner that read, in Korean, “Let’s carry out the resolution of the 8th Congress of the Workers’ Party.” (The company did not respond to requests for comment.) Soon afterward, the investigator visited a nearby plant called Donggang Haimeng Foodstuff, and found a North Korean manager sitting at a wooden desk with two miniature flags, one Chinese and one North Korean. The walls around the desk were mostly bare except for two portraits of the past North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. The manager took our investigator to the workers’ cafeteria to eat a North Korean cold-noodle dish called naengmyeon, and then gave him a tour of the processing floor. Several hundred North Korean women dressed in red uniforms, plastic aprons, and white rubber boots stood shoulder to shoulder at long metal tables under harsh lights, hunched over plastic baskets of seafood, slicing and sorting products by hand. “They work hard,” the manager said. The factory has exported thousands of tons of fish to companies that supply major U.S. retailers, including Walmart and ShopRite. (A spokesperson for Donggang Haimeng said that it does not hire North Korean workers.)

At times, China aggressively conceals the existence of the program. Alexander Dukalskis, a political-science professor at University College Dublin, said that workers have a hard time making their conditions known. “They’re in a country where they may not speak the language, are under surveillance, usually living collectively, and have no experience in contacting journalists,” he said. In late November, after my team’s investigators visited several plants, authorities distributed pamphlets on the country’s anti-espionage laws. Local officials announced that people who try “to contact North Korean workers, or to approach the workplaces of North Korean workers, will be treated as engaging in espionage activities that endanger national security, and will be punished severely.” They also warned that people who were found to be working in connection with foreign media outlets would face consequences under the Anti-Espionage Act.

Dandong, a city of more than two million people, sits on the Yalu River, just over the border from North Korea. The Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge links Dandong to the North Korean city of Sinuiju. A second bridge, bombed during the Korean War, still extends partway across the river, and serves as a platform from which Chinese residents can view the North Koreans living six hundred yards away. The Friendship Bridge is one of the Hermit Kingdom’s few gateways to the world. Some trade with North Korea is allowed under U.N. sanctions, and nearly seventy per cent of the goods exchanged between that country and China travel across this bridge. At least one department store in Dandong keeps a list of products preferred by North Korean customers. Shops sell North Korean ginseng, beer, and “7.27” cigarettes, named for the date on which the armistice ending the Korean War was signed. The city is home to a museum about the conflict, officially called the Memorial Hall of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea. On boat tours, Chinese tourists purchase bags of biscuits to toss to children on the North Korean side of the river.

Government officials carefully select workers to send to China, screening them for their political loyalties to reduce the risk of defections. To qualify, a person must generally have a job at a North Korean company and a positive evaluation from a local Party official. “These checks start at the neighborhood,” Breuker said. Candidates who have family in China, or a relative who has already defected, can be disqualified. For some positions, applicants under twenty-seven years of age who are unmarried must have living parents, who can be punished if they try to defect, according to a report from the South Korean government; applicants over twenty-seven must be married. North Korean authorities even select for height: the country’s population is chronically malnourished, and the state prefers candidates who are taller than five feet one, to avoid the official embarrassment of being represented abroad by short people. Once selected, applicants go through pre-departure training, which can last a year and often includes government-run classes covering everything from Chinese customs and etiquette to “enemy operations” and the activities of other countries’ intelligence agencies. (The North Korean government did not respond to requests for comment.)

The governments of both countries coördinate to place workers, most of whom are women, with seafood companies. The logistics are often handled by local Chinese recruitment agencies, and advertisements can be found online. A video posted on Douyin this past September announced the availability of twenty-five hundred North Koreans, and a commenter asked if they could be sent to seafood factories. A post on a forum advertised five thousand workers; a commenter asked if any spoke Mandarin, and the poster replied, “There is a team leader, management, and an interpreter.” A company called Jinuo Human Resources posted, “I am a human-resources company coöperating with the embassy, and currently have a large number of regular North Korean workers.” Several people expressed interest. (The company did not respond to requests for comment.)

Jobs in China are coveted in North Korea, because they often come with contracts promising salaries of around two hundred and seventy dollars a month. (Similar work in North Korea pays just three dollars a month.) But the jobs come with hidden costs. Workers usually sign two- or three-year contracts. When they arrive in China, managers confiscate their passports. Inside the factories, North Korean workers wear different uniforms than Chinese workers. “Without this, we couldn’t tell if one disappeared,” a manager said. Shifts run as long as sixteen hours. If workers attempt to escape, or complain to people outside the plants, their families at home can face reprisals. One seafood worker described how managers cursed at her and flicked cigarette butts. “I felt bad, and I wanted to fight them, but I had to endure,” she said. “That was when I was sad.”

Workers get few, if any, holidays or sick days. At seafood plants, the women sleep in bunk beds in locked dormitories, sometimes thirty to a room. One worker, who spent four years processing clams in Dandong, estimated that more than sixty per cent of her co-workers suffered from depression. “We regretted coming to China but couldn’t go back empty-handed,” she said. Workers are forbidden to tune in to local TV or radio. They are sometimes allowed to leave factory grounds—say, to go shopping—but generally in groups of no more than three, and accompanied by a minder. Mail is scrutinized by North Korean security agents who also “surveil the daily life and report back with official reports,” one manager said. Sometimes the women are allowed to socialize. In a video titled “North Korean beauties working in China play volleyball,” posted in 2022, women in blue-and-white uniforms exercise on the grounds of the Dandong Omeca Food seafood plant. (The company that owns the plant did not respond to requests for comment.) A commenter wrote, “The joy of poverty. That’s just how it is.”

Factories typically give the women’s money to their managers, who take cuts for themselves and the government, and hold on to the rest until the workers’ terms in China end. Kim Jieun, a North Korean defector who now works for Radio Free Asia, said that companies tell workers their money is safer this way, because it could be stolen in the dormitories. But, in the end, workers often see less than ten per cent of their promised salary. One contract that I reviewed stipulated that around forty dollars would be deducted each month by the state to pay for food. More is sometimes deducted for electricity, housing, heat, water, insurance, and “loyalty” payments to the state. Managers also hold on to wages to discourage defections. The women have been warned, Kim added, that if they try to defect “they will be immediately caught by Chinese CCTV cameras installed everywhere.” This past October, Chinese authorities repatriated around six hundred North Korean defectors. “China does not recognize North Korean defectors as refugees,” Edward Howell, who teaches politics at Oxford University, told me. “If they are caught by Chinese authorities, they will be forcibly returned to the D.P.R.K., where they face harsh punishment in labor camps.”

Chinese companies have significant incentives to use North Korean workers. They’re typically paid only a quarter of what local employees earn. And they are generally excluded from mandatory social-welfare programs (regarding retirement, medical treatment, work-related injury, and maternity), which further reduces costs. In 2017, Dandong’s Commerce Bureau announced a plan to create a cluster of garment factories that would use North Korean labor. The bureau’s Web site noted that all such workers undergo political screenings to make sure they are “rooted, red, and upright.” “The discipline among the workers is extremely strong,” it added. “There are no instances of absenteeism or insubordination toward leadership, and there are no occurrences of feigning illness or delaying work.” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to questions for this piece, but last year the Chinese Ambassador to the U.N. wrote that China has abided by sanctions even though it has sustained “great losses” as a result. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently said that China and North Korea have “enjoyed long-standing friendly ties,” adding, “The United States needs to draw lessons, correct course, step up to its responsibility, stop heightening the pressure and sanctions, stop military deterrence, and take effective steps to resume meaningful dialogue.”

North Koreans face difficult circumstances across industries. In January of this year, more than two thousand workers rioted in Jilin Province, breaking sewing machines and kitchen utensils, when they learned that their wages would be withheld. Many North Koreans—perhaps thousands—work in Russian logging, in brutal winter weather without proper clothing. Hundreds have been found working in the Russian construction industry; some lived in shipping containers or in the basements of buildings under construction, because better accommodations were not provided. One recounted working shifts that lasted from 7:30 A.M. to 3 A.M. In preparation for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, held in Russia and Qatar, thousands of North Koreans were sent to build stadiums and luxury apartments. A subcontractor who worked alongside the North Koreans in Russia told the Guardian that they lived in cramped spaces, with as many as eight people packed into a trailer, in an atmosphere of fear and abuse like “prisoners of war.”

Although it’s illegal in the U.S. to import goods made with North Korean labor, the law can be difficult to enforce. Some eighty per cent of seafood consumed in America, for example, is imported, and much of it comes from China through opaque supply chains. To trace the importation of seafood from factories that appear to be using North Korean labor, my team reviewed trade data, shipping contracts, and the codes that are stamped on seafood packages to monitor food safety. We found that, since 2017, ten of these plants have together shipped more than a hundred and twenty thousand tons of seafood to more than seventy American importers, which supplied grocery stores including Walmart, Giant, ShopRite, and the online grocer Weee! The seafood from these importers also ended up at major restaurant chains, like McDonald’s, and with Sysco, the largest food distributor in the world, which supplies almost half a million restaurants, as well as the cafeterias on American military bases, in public schools, and for the U.S. Congress. (Walmart, Weee!, and McDonald’s did not respond to requests for comment. Giant’s parent company, Ahold Delhaize, and ShopRite’s parent company, Wakefern, said their suppliers claimed that they currently do not source from the Chinese plant in question, and added that audit reports showed no evidence of forced labor.)

Two of the plants that investigators from my team visited—Dandong Galicia Seafood and Dalian Haiqing Food—had an estimated fifty to seventy North Korean workers apiece. One worker who has been employed at Galicia said that the managers are “so stingy with money that they don’t allow us to get proper medical treatment even when we are sick.” Galicia and Haiqing have shipped roughly a hundred thousand tons of seafood to American importers since 2017, and Haiqing also shipped to an importer that supplies the cafeterias of the European Parliament. (Dalian Haiqing Food said that it “does not employ overseas North Korean workers.” Dandong Galicia Seafood did not respond to requests for comment. One of the U.S. importers tied to Haiqing, Trident Seafoods, said that audits “found no evidence or even suspicion” of North Korean labor at the plant. Several companies, including Trident, High Liner, and Sysco, said that they would sever ties with the plant while they conducted their own investigations. A spokesperson for the European Parliament said that its food contractor did not supply seafood from the plant.) Breuker, from Leiden University, told me that American customers quietly benefit from this arrangement. “This labor-transfer system is for North Korea and China as economically successful as it is morally reprehensible,” he said. “It’s also a boon for the West because of the cheap goods we get as a result.”

North Korea doesn’t just export seafood workers; it also exports fish—another means by which the government secures foreign currency. Importing North Korean seafood is forbidden by U.N. sanctions, but it also tends to be inexpensive, which encourages companies to skirt the rules. Sometimes Chinese fishing companies pay the North Korean government for illegal licenses to fish in North Korea’s waters. Sometimes they buy fish from other boats at sea: a letter from a North Korean, leaked in 2022, proposed selling ten thousand tons of squid to a Chinese company in return for more than eighteen million dollars and five hundred tons of diesel fuel. Sometimes the seafood is trucked over the border. This trade is poorly hidden. In October, a Chinese man who said his last name was Cui posted a video on Douyin advertising crabs from North Korea. When someone commented, “The goods can’t be shipped,” Cui responded with laughing emojis. In other videos, he explained that he operated a processing plant in North Korea, and gave information on the timing of shipments that he planned to send across the border. When I contacted Cui, he said that he had stopped importing North Korean seafood in 2016 (though the videos were actually from last year), and added, “It’s none of your business, and I don’t care who you are.” My team found that seafood from North Korea was imported by several American distributors, including HF Foods, which supplies more than fifteen thousand Asian restaurants in the U.S. (HF Foods did not respond to requests for comment.)

Chinese companies often claim that they are in compliance with labor laws because they have passed “social audits,” which are conducted by firms that inspect worksites for abuses. But half the Chinese plants that we found using North Korean workers have certifications from the Marine Stewardship Council, which is based in the U.K. and sets standards for granting sustainability certifications, but only to companies that have also passed social audits or other labor assessments. (Jackie Marks, an M.S.C. spokesperson, told me that these social audits are conducted by a third party, and that “We make no claims about setting standards on labor.”) Last year, one of my team’s investigators visited a seafood-processing plant in northeastern China called Dandong Taifeng Foodstuff. The company has been designated a “national brand,” a status reserved for the country’s most successful companies, and supplies thousands of tons of seafood to grocery stores in the U.S. and elsewhere. At the plant, our investigator was given a tour by a North Korean manager. On the factory floor, which was lit by bright fluorescent bulbs, more than a hundred and fifty North Korean women, most of them under thirty-five years old, wore head-to-toe white protective clothing, plastic aprons, white rubber boots, and red gloves that went up to their elbows. They stood with their heads down, moving red, yellow, and blue plastic bins of seafood. Water puddled at their feet. “Quick, quick,” one woman said to the other members of her small group. (Taifeng did not respond to requests for comment.) Just weeks after that visit, the plant was recertified by the Marine Stewardship Council.

Marcus Noland, who works at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said, of social audits within the seafood industry, “The basic stance appears to be ‘See no evil.’ ” Skepticism of such audits is growing. In 2021, the U.S. State Department said that social audits in China are generally inadequate for identifying forced labor, in part because auditors rely on government translators and rarely speak directly to workers. Auditors can be reluctant to anger the companies that have hired them, and workers face reprisals for reporting abuses. This past November, U.S. Customs and Border Protection advised American companies that a credible assessment would require an “unannounced independent, third-party audit” and “interviews completed in native language.” Liana Foxvog, who works at a nonprofit called the Worker Rights Consortium, argues that assessments should involve other checks too, including off-site worker interviews. But she noted that most audits in China fall short even of C.B.P.’s standards.

Joshua Stanton, an attorney based in Washington, D.C., who helped draft the American law that banned goods produced with North Korean labor, argues that the government is not doing enough to enforce it. “The U.S. government will need to put more pressure on American companies, and those companies need to be more diligent about their suppliers and their supply chains, or face stricter sanctions,” he said. Chris Smith, a Republican congressman from New Jersey and a specialist on China, noted that social audits “create a Potemkin village.” He added, “The consequence is that millions of dollars, even federal dollars, are going to Chinese plants using North Korean workers, and that money then goes right into the hands of Kim Jong Un’s regime, which uses the money to arm our adversaries and repress its own people.”

Late last year, when I set out to contact North Koreans who had been sent to China, I ran into significant obstacles. Western journalists are barred from entering North Korea, and citizens of the country are strictly prohibited from talking freely to reporters. I hired a team of investigators in South Korea who employ contacts in North Korea to get information out of the country for local and Western news outlets—for example, about food shortages, power outages, or the rise of anti-government graffiti. The investigators compiled a list of two dozen North Koreans who had been dispatched to a half-dozen different Chinese factories, most of whom had since returned home. The investigators’ contacts then met with these workers in secret, one-on-one, so that the workers wouldn’t know one another’s identity. The meetings usually occurred in open fields, or on the street, where it’s harder for security agents to conduct surveillance.

The workers were told that their responses would be shared publicly by an American journalism outlet. They faced considerable risk speaking out; experts told me that, if they were caught, they could be executed, and their families put in prison camps. But they agreed to talk because they believe that it is important for the rest of the world to know what happens to workers who are sent to China. The North Korean contacts transcribed their answers by hand, and then took photos of the completed questionnaires and sent them, using encrypted phones, to the investigators, who sent them to me. North Koreans who are still in China were interviewed in a similar fashion. Because of these layers of protection, it is, of course, impossible to fully verify the content of the interviews. But the responses were reviewed by experts to make sure that they are consistent with what is broadly known about the work-transfer program, and in line with interviews given by North Korean defectors. (Recently, the investigators checked in on the interviewers and interviewees, and everyone was safe.)

In their answers, the workers described crushing loneliness. The work was arduous, the factories smelled, and violence was common. “They kicked us and treated us as subhuman,” the worker who processed clams in Dandong said. Asked if they could recount any happy moments, most said that there had been none. A few said that they felt relieved when they returned home and got some of their pay. “I was happy when the money wasn’t all taken out,” the woman who did product transport in Dalian said. One woman said that her experience at a Chinese plant made her feel like she “wanted to die.” Another said that she often felt tired and upset while she was working, but kept those thoughts to herself to avoid reprisals. “It was lonely,” she said. “I hated the military-like communal life.”

The most striking pattern was the women’s description of sexual abuse. Of twenty workers, seventeen said that they had been sexually assaulted by their North Korean managers. They described a range of tactics used to coerce them into having sex. Some managers pretended to wipe something from their uniforms, only to grope them. Some called them into their offices as if there were an emergency, then demanded sex. Others asked them to serve alcohol at a weekend party, then assaulted them there. “When they drank, they touched my body everywhere like playing with toys,” a woman said. The woman who did product transport in Dalian said, “When they suddenly put their mouths to mine, I wanted to throw up.” If the women didn’t comply, the managers could become violent. The worker who was at Haiqing for more than four years said, of her manager, “When he doesn’t get his way sexually, he gets angry and kicks me. . . . He calls me a ‘fucking bitch.’ ” Three of the women said that their managers had forced workers into prostitution. “Whenever they can, they flirt with us to the point of nausea and force us to have sex for money, and it’s even worse if you’re pretty,” another worker at Haiqing said. The worker from Jinhui noted, “Even when there was no work during the pandemic, the state demanded foreign-currency funds out of loyalty, so managers forced workers to sell their bodies.” The worker who spent more than four years at Haiqing said, of the managers, “They forced virgin workers into prostitution, claiming that they had to meet state-set quotas.”

The pandemic made life more difficult for many of the women. When China closed its borders, some found themselves trapped far from home. Often, their workplaces shut down, and they lost their incomes. North Korean workers sometimes pay bribes to government officials to secure posts in China, and, during the pandemic, many borrowed these funds from loan sharks. The loans, typically between two and three thousand dollars, came with high interest rates. Because of work stoppages in China, North Korean workers were unable to pay back their loans, and loan sharks sent thugs to their relatives’ homes to intimidate them. Some of their families had to sell their houses to settle the debts. In 2023, according to Radio Free Asia, two North Korean women at textile plants killed themselves. The worker who told me that she wanted to die said that such deaths are often kept hidden. “If someone dies from suicide, then the manager is responsible, so they keep it under wraps to keep it from being leaked to other workers or Chinese people,” she said.

This past year, pandemic restrictions were lifted, and the border between China and North Korea reopened. In August, some three hundred North Korean workers boarded ten buses in Dandong to go back home. Police officers lined up around the buses to prevent defections. In photos and a video of the event, some of the women can be seen hurriedly preparing to load large suitcases onto a neon-green bus, then riding away across the Friendship Bridge. In September, another three hundred boarded a passenger train to Sinuiju, and two hundred were repatriated by plane. Workers who return face intense questioning by officials. “They asked about every single thing that happened every day from morning to evening in China, about other workers, supervisors, and agents,” the worker who processed clams in Dandong explained. As 2023 ended, the North Korean government began planning to dispatch its next wave of workers. In the past couple of years, according to reporting by Hyemin Son, a North Korean defector who works for Radio Free Asia, labor brokers have requested that Chinese companies pay a large advance; they were being asked to pay ahead of time, one broker told her, because “Chinese companies cannot operate without North Korean manpower.”

Some North Korean workers have yet to go home. One woman said that she has spent the past several years gutting fish at a processing plant in Dalian. She described working late into the night and getting sores in her mouth from stress and exhaustion. In the questionnaire, I had asked about the worst part of her job, and she said, “When I am forced to have sex.” She also described a sense of imprisonment that felt suffocating. “If you show even the slightest attitude, they will treat you like an insect,” she said. “Living a life where we can’t see the outside world as we please is so difficult that it’s killing us.” ♦

[lethimfertilise]

About A Blue Stream

Ask me what dominates conversations as we step into 2025, and I’d answer without hesitation: gas. The topic has been dissected in detail by industry experts and news outlets, underscoring its critical importance. But beyond the headlines and analyses, a few lesser-discussed developments stand out, and they’re worth exploring.

The cracks in Iranian urea production started showing in December, as Iran’s gas shortages disrupted urea production. What followed was a ripple effect: Turkey ramped up purchases, creating unexpected openings for Russian suppliers to bypass Indian tenders and secure better deals elsewhere. Egyptian producers weren’t far behind, leveraging the same dynamics to their advantage. 

The end of Russian gas transit through Ukraine. Despite nearly three years of war, Russian gas continued to flow to the EU via Ukraine’s pipelines-a lifeline for many. But that era is now over, leaving all sides grappling with the fallout: 

Russia: Stuck with an oversupply of gas and limited capacity to develop new markets.  

Ukraine: Losing a critical source of transit revenue and facing rising energy costs in neighbouring Moldova and Romania. To complicate matters, the pipeline system could now become a target for Russian missiles. What’s next? A potential sale of Ukraine’s gas infrastructure, including its storage facilities, to an external player. 

The EU: Confronting intensified energy insecurity. European TTF prices have already soared to $15/MMBTu—almost double the price from a year ago.

Amid this upheaval, China emerges as the clear winner. With few alternative buyers for Russian gas, China is positioned to capitalise, potentially securing supplies on highly favourable terms. 

Meanwhile, whispers of a Qatari-Turkish pipeline through Syria were met with a firm denial from Qatar. But I can’t shake the feeling that this story is far from over. Keep an eye on this development—it may resurface in unexpected ways.

#imstory #fertilisers #fertilizers #gas #urea #market #china #iran #russia #ukraine #europe #qatar #syria #turkey #analysis 

[girlactionfigure]

*ISRAEL REALTIME* - "Connecting the World to Israel in Realtime"

HAPPY CHANUKAH !!! Chanukah night 6 TONIGHT 🕎🕎🕎🕎🕎🕎

▪️JENIN - Arab city in Samaria… IDF drone strike against terror squad, 4 eliminated. Extensive IDF activity in the city.  Throughout the night, IDF forces carried out activity that included excavations using bulldozers as well as arrests, and enemy reports say they blew up a house.

▪️GAZA FIGHT… Exchanges of fire with our forces continue so far in the following areas:  Sh'Gaea, Sheikh Zeitoun, Jabalia and Khan Yunis.  The IDF attacks continued with intensity throughout the Gaza Strip.  Arab sources report an attack on a building in the al-Zuhur neighborhood in northern Rafah resulting in many dead combatants.

▪️HOUTHIS (Yemen) HIT CARGO SHIP WITH MISSILE… The Norwegian oil tanker ship Estrinda was hit by a cruise missile fired yesterday evening at it from territory controlled by the Houthis while it was passing about 100km north of the Bab Al Mandab Straits.  US destroyer Mason responded to the distress call.  The ship is now making its way to a safe port, the 22 crew members were not injured but the vessel suffered serious damage.

▪️HOSTAGES… Palestinian Islamic Jihad says: no hostages without a ceasefire.  Saudi Al-Arabiya channel: We expect the start of serious negotiations for a new deal (for the release of hostages and prisoners) next week. Hamas demanded a total ceasefire and did not close the door to a humanitarian truce under new conditions.  Egyptian sources to Sky News in Arabic: Israel asked Egypt and Qatar to mediate in order to bring about a new hostage deal, as part of a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.  Hamas representative in Lebanon Osama Hamdan tells Al Jazeera:  The clear position of the Hamas is that there is no talk of a prisoner exchange before a complete ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

▪️HAMAS COMPLAINS ABOUT EGYPT… claiming that the Egyptian police officers at the Rafah crossing are demanding a $5,000 bribe from Palestinians who wish to leave the Strip for Egypt, and that the hospitals in Egypt to which Palestinians were evacuated, those Palestinians are treated badly and are forbidden to purchase cell phones and connect to the Internet.

▪️IDF CAPTURES… storage of over 250 mortars, rockets and RPG’s stored in a bathroom.

[bluespring864]

I just read this insane thing and thought the folks of tumblr might appreciate it

The European Parliament is a peculiarly Byzantine place, which is all the more baffling for an assembly that only sprung into life in 1979.

It’s replete with obscure working groups hived off from real committees, opaque voting procedures, feeble attempts to keep tabs on the Commission, and dull, empty plenary sessions taking place weeks after the news trigger has passed. And don’t forget the gift vault on floor 5 ½. 

And the article in full because it is insane:

Inside the European Parliament’s gift vault

APRIL 17, 2023 4:00 AM CET

BY EDDY WAX

BRUSSELS — Down a curving corridor on floor five and a half, there’s a dark alcove hiding an unmarked door. 

This is the final resting place for the European Parliament’s would-be bribes. 

The secret chamber is piled high with diplomatic gifts, all carefully labeled and left to languish in bureaucratic limbo under lock and key — neither accepted nor rejected. 

There’s the opulent; there’s the bizarre. One cupboard contains a Taiwanese wristwatch given to a Polish EU lawmaker. Another holds a pot of French mustard, a miniature Saudi Arabian door and a commemorative plaque from the Indonesian parliament.

Expensive bottles of wine, children’s toys, wireless headphones, books, stationery, figurines — five dusty containers are brimming with the forsworn freebies that governments and parliaments from all over the globe have showered on EU lawmakers. 

The crypt — essentially a glorified janitor’s closet — has sat largely unperturbed since the collection began almost 15 years ago. But in recent months, it has taken on a new significance due to revelations over alleged bribes that countries like Qatar, Morocco and Mauritania were funneling to EU lawmakers. 

The scandal, dubbed Qatargate, has prompted soul-searching within Parliament, which is now squabbling over how to revise the code of conduct that governs lawmakers’ behavior — including what they should do when offered a gift.

But here, in room 55A031 of the labyrinthine Paul-Henri Spaak building, remain the gifts given but not received.

Too small a room

Outside, there is no indication about what the room contains. It is permanently locked.

Besides the renounced gratuities, the room stores old MEP files.

POLITICO’s access to the vault was facilitated by the office of German Green MEP Daniel Freund — a vocal proponent of tougher transparency rules in the institution — plus three European Parliament officials, including a spokesperson.

“It’s a bit anticlimactic if you expected some kind of treasure trove,” Nurminen said, standing on the squeaky linoleum floor of the vault as the air conditioning thrummed in the background.

With MEPs rushing to declare many more gifts than before in light of the Qatargate scandal, this storage room could soon become too small. Between 2009 and 2014, EU lawmakers declared just 15 gifts — but in this parliamentary term, which began in 2019, they’ve already registered 266.

The higher numbers are largely due to a massive dump of gifts by Parliament President Roberta Metsola, who declared 170 gifts since the start of the year — most recently a traditional shirt from the chairman of the Ukrainian parliament and a decorative box from Harvard University.

The president’s gifts are either displayed in her office, stored in this gift vault — or already long gone. When it comes to gifts of chocolates, wine or crunchy snacks, some have been “served in the course of Parliament’s functions,” i.e. consumed during official work meetings.

Even though she missed the internal deadline to declare many of the gifts, Metsola — who has been Parliament president since January 2022 — argued she was being radically transparent by declaring the gifts and turning them over. This broke with years of the institution exempting the president from declaring gifts on the public register.

Because of this change, many gifts given to previous presidents and kept in boxes by a set of civil servants called the “protocol service” are now being transferred to this room from undisclosed locations. The Parliament spokesperson described this gift vault as the only dedicated room where such gifts to former presidents are kept.

Just 17 gifts to presidents past and present are on display in glass cabinets at the Parliament’s seat in Strasbourg, next to a tiny kiosk selling Roberta Metsola-themed stamps. They include a statuette of a horse from the United Arab Emirates’ National Council; handmade artwork from the president of Nigeria; a silver bowl from top U.S. politician Nancy Pelosi; a peace-themed mosaic from Pope Francis; and a vide-poches or decorative tray from French President Emmanuel Macron.

Manfred’s mobile

For now, the gifts in the chamber in Brussels are essentially in limbo — neither displayed nor used — a fate that might perhaps make lobbyists or foreign dignitaries think twice about going to the trouble of making any such gesture in the first place.

A case in point is a Huawei smartphone that was worth more than €150 when given to European People’s Party chief Manfred Weber by the Chinese tech company — in 2013. It’s been gathering dust here ever since.

The “end of life” rules, as Parliament speak would have it, means dead but not buried.

According to the current rules, EU lawmakers can keep these gifts permanently if it can be proved they have no “obvious” value to the Parliament. Or they may be temporarily displayed in their offices if the president gives her blessing.

In theory, parliamentarians can also bid to buy back their gifts in a public tender — but such an auction has never happened.

At a later stage of the ethics reform plan initiated by Metsola, senior parliamentarians could at some point tweak the code of conduct to allow the gifts to be given to charities — as happens with used furniture and food waste from the canteens. But such a tweak is currently not under consideration.

“If you have more presents handed into the institution, there needs to be a way to process them. So the existing 2013 rules might be revised,” the spokesperson said as the door quietly closed.

 source: politico.eu

[usafphantom2]

Russia's ally, Uzbekistan considers acquiring Dassault Rafale fighters

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 11/24/2023 - 19:00 in Military

The leadership of Uzbekistan would have expressed interest in acquiring 24 Rafale fighters. However, the exact terms and financing modalities remain undisclosed.

This information was disclosed in a publication of the industry-specific French portal, Intelligence Online.

The publication Intelligence Online reported that Uzbekistan formally requested information from France about the potential acquisition of 24 fourth-generation Dassault Rafale multifunctional fighters. The matter would have been discussed during the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to the Republic of Uzbekistan on November 2.

Despite the interest expressed, analysts are skeptical of Uzbekistan's immediate ability to secure Rafale jets. The manufacturer, Dassault Aviation, currently faces a heavy workload due to existing orders from countries such as Qatar, Croatia and Indonesia. In addition, negotiations are underway with Saudi Arabia, further complicating the production schedule.

Due to these restrictions, an alternative solution could involve France's proposal for Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters for Uzbekistan as a viable option.

Uzbekistan has the distinction of being the first country of the former Soviet bloc and, additionally, the second nation to use MiG-29, to express its intention to exchange its military fleet for Rafale jets.

A recent public disclosure revealed that, for the calendar year 2023, Uzbekistan reserved a defense budget equivalent to US$ 1.4 billion. The country's combat aviation fleet includes 12 MiG-29 and MiG-29UB aircraft currently in service, with 18 additional of the same type in storage.

In addition, Uzbekistan stored 26 Su-27 fighters for preservation. The Uzbekistan Air Force also maintains a substantial fleet, consisting of 12 Su-25 attack aircraft and 15 Su-24 bombers stored.

Tags: Military AviationDassault RafaleUzbekistan

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has work published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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How to Choose Computer Desk Furniture

People having home offices need to carefully plan the office layout and the furniture that is required. Not only will choosing the right furniture save you time and effort but money as well. Furniture that is old and uncomfortable not only spoils the ambiance and aesthetic of the home office but can also result in loss of productivity as uncomfortable furniture can de-motivate employees and hinder their abilities to give their hundred percent. And since for a home office, you are the boss and you generate your own income, thus whenever you do not give your optimal productivity, you are negatively affecting your revenue stream. Thus it is imperative that you give importance and attention when choosing office furniture as it affects your performance level.

Research states that approximately 75% of home business owners do not have the appropriate furniture for their home office. New computer desks that are spacious can transform any room into an expedient home office. The foremost important thing that you will need for your office consists of a computer desk, a computer chair and other things that are necessary for storage and shelving. In all of this, the computer desk is the bedrock for lending the distinguished look you so desire for your home office.

The appropriate computer desk can do wonder not only for the ambiance of your home office rather for your business as well. Not only does it give you ample surface to work on and use the computer, the convenience results in higher levels of motivation and eventually better performance. One can use the computer desk to segregate the area for computer usage and other files and jobs. The choice of the computer desk depends on the nature and requirements of the work. If you depend on paper work then you would need a desk that has a more flat surface. On the other hand, there are corner desks that are more suitable for small home offices and they can be simply lodged in a den or in a living or dining room.

And if you have to keep books, heavy binders, or manuals, then you may choose a computer desk with shelving or closed overhead cabinet space so that you can conveniently attain printed material without really losing any precious flat surface. Another major concern is what rooms to choose when situating a home office. Now this again is relative to the nature and requirements of your business. If your work is such that it requires daily phone calls then it is better to situate that in the living or dining room as they tend to be quiet in the daytime. However, if your work requires space and room then it is best to shift it to a basement so that it can accommodate all your files and work-related document etc. If you work part-time in the evenings, then a computer desk can be kept in your bedroom so that you can work while relaxing in your room.

The right furniture for your home office can play a monumental role in shaping your home office. And good furniture does not have to be expensive and neither does it spoil the aesthetics of your home. It all depends on what furniture you choose and where you situate it. In fact, contrary to common perception, it can be of great help to all your family members and introduce them to technological marvels in a convenient and fun way.

Get the latest updates on modern office furniture, Meeting Tables, office chairs, office desks, Office Workstations, Office Sofas, Filling Cabinets, and Reception Desks in Dubai, for detailed office furniture, please visit our website officemaster.ae

Office Furniture Abu Dhabi, Office Furniture Sharjah, Office Furniture Doha – Qatar, Office Furniture Kuwait, Office Furniture Riyadh, Office Furniture Oman

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Diesel suppliers tanker in dubai | Al Bahar SEM

Al Bahar MCEM is one of the leading online providers of diesel suppliers tanker in Dubai which are used to transport diesel fuel, as well as other fuels like gasoline and kerosene. For further details simply visit our website or call us at +971 4 459 7281.

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Everything You Need to Know About Stainless Steel Sheets

Metal Supply Centre is a leading Stainless Steel Sheets Manufacturer In India. In the world of construction, manufacturing, and design, stainless steel sheets have carved out a reputation as one of the most versatile and valuable materials available today. Known for their strength, corrosion resistance, and modern appearance, stainless steel sheets are used in everything from high-rise buildings to kitchen appliances. But what exactly makes them so special? This blog will walk you through everything you need to know about stainless steel sheets — from their composition and types to their applications and benefits.

What Are Stainless Steel Sheets?

Stainless Steel Sheets are flat, thin pieces of stainless steel alloyed primarily with chromium, along with other elements like nickel, molybdenum, and carbon. The presence of at least 10.5% chromium gives stainless steel its trademark resistance to corrosion and rust. These sheets come in various grades, thicknesses, and surface finishes to suit a wide range of industrial and consumer needs.

Common Grades of Stainless Steel Sheets

Stainless steel sheets are available in different grades, each designed for specific applications:

309 Stainless Steel: The most commonly used stainless steel sheet. It offers excellent corrosion resistance and is suitable for kitchen equipment, food processing, and architectural applications.

317 Stainless Steel: Known for its superior resistance to harsh environments, especially against chlorides and acids. It’s widely used in marine applications and chemical industries.

430 Stainless Steel: A ferritic grade with good corrosion resistance and formability, but less expensive than 304 and 316. Commonly used for decorative purposes and interior appliances.

Finishes and Thickness Options

Stainless steel sheets come in a variety of surface finishes, such as:

2B Finish: A smooth, matte finish commonly used in industrial applications.

Brushed Finish: Has a fine grain texture, often seen in appliances and kitchen décor.

Mirror Finish: Highly reflective and attractive, used in decorative applications.

Thicknesses range from extremely thin foil-like sheets to heavy-duty plates, depending on the intended use.

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Key Advantages of Stainless Steel Sheets

1. Corrosion and Rust Resistance Thanks to their chromium content, stainless steel sheets resist oxidation and corrosion, making them ideal for use in moisture-prone or chemical-heavy environments.

2. Strength and Durability Stainless steel offers high tensile strength, which allows it to withstand extreme temperatures, heavy loads, and physical wear.

3. Hygienic and Easy to Clean Non-porous and smooth surfaces make stainless steel sheets easy to sanitize, a reason they are a preferred material in kitchens, hospitals, and labs.

4. Aesthetic Appeal With their sleek and modern look, stainless steel sheets bring a polished touch to interior and exterior designs.

5. Eco-Friendly Stainless steel is 100% recyclable, and most sheets are made using a high percentage of recycled materials, making it a sustainable material choice.

Where Are Stainless Steel Sheets Used?

Construction & Architecture: Used for cladding, roofing, elevator panels, and structural components due to their strength and weather resistance.

Food & Beverage Industry: Ideal for countertops, processing equipment, and storage units due to hygienic properties.

Medical & Pharmaceutical: Used in surgical tools, tables, and lab equipment for its easy sterilization and cleanliness.

Automotive & Aerospace: Components like exhaust systems, trims, and aircraft parts rely on stainless steel for strength and longevity.

Home Appliances & Decor: Refrigerators, dishwashers, and backsplashes often feature stainless steel for its aesthetic and practical benefits.

Choosing the Right Stainless Steel Sheet

Selecting the right stainless steel sheet depends on the environment in which it will be used. For example, Grade 304 works well in most general applications, while Grade 316 is better suited for marine or chemical environments. Finishes and thicknesses should also be chosen based on the level of wear and visual appeal required.

[aquasure]

Simple Tips to Ensure Safe Drinking Water at Home

Clean and safe drinking water is essential for maintaining good health and preventing waterborne diseases. While many households assume that tap water is safe, various factors such as pipeline contamination, storage tank conditions, and local water quality can affect its purity. Here are some simple yet effective tips to ensure your family has access to safe drinking water at home.

✅ 1. Understand Your Water Source

The first step is to identify the source of your water — whether it's municipal supply, borewell, or tanker. Each source has different impurities:

Municipal water might contain chlorine, sediments, or rust.

Borewell water often has a high TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) level.

Tanker water may have microbial contamination.

Knowing your water type helps you choose the right filtration method.

✅ 2. Test Water Quality Regularly

Periodically test your water for:

TDS levels

Presence of bacteria

Chlorine and fluoride levels

You can use a simple TDS meter at home or opt for a professional test. This helps you determine if your filtration system is effective.

✅ 3. Invest in a Good Water Purifier

Not all purifiers are created equal. Depending on your water source, you might need a purifier with:

RO (Reverse Osmosis) for removing dissolved impurities like arsenic, lead, and nitrates.

UV (Ultraviolet) for killing bacteria and viruses.

UF (Ultrafiltration) for removing physical contaminants.

If you are living in Qatar, We recommend choosing a trusted RO water purifier like Aquasure, which offers advanced multi-stage filtration systems ideal for Qatar's water conditions.

✅ 4. Clean and Maintain Your Water Purifier

A neglected water purifier can become a breeding ground for germs. Follow these tips:

Change filters as recommended (usually every 6–12 months).

Clean external parts and storage tanks regularly.

Get your system serviced by professionals annually.

✅ 5. Use Covered Storage Containers

If you store drinking water manually:

Use BPA-free, food-grade plastic or stainless steel containers.

Keep them covered to prevent contamination.

Clean them thoroughly every few days.

✅ 6. Boil Water in Emergencies

In case your purifier isn't working or you're uncertain about the water source:

Boil water for 5–10 minutes to kill bacteria and viruses.

Let it cool before use, and store in a clean container.

Clean water is a necessity. Taking these simple steps can reduce your risk of waterborne illnesses and improve the quality of life for you and your loved ones.

If you're looking for a trusted partner in water purification, Aquasure offers a range of water purifiers, and water tank chillers designed to meet the needs of homes in Qatar.

🌐 Visit: https://www.aquasureqatar.com 📞 Contact Aquasure today for a free consultation!

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Creating Interiors with Multiple Use: Exceptional Interior Design Concepts for the Urban Use in Qatar

City life in Qatar is changing and so is the need for adaptable and spatially-efficient interiors. As more people occupy closer proximity to one another, busy lives, and the demand for stylish yet usable space grows, we're seeing a shift to multi-purpose events. Interior Design concepts are changing how people use their homes and companies in Qatar, getting every usable square meter out of the space.  This type of designing is very quickly moving to be a very popular way of designing in Qatar, where the demands of city life is unique.

The Role of Multi-Functional Design in Qatar

Set in cities like Doha which are known for their busy life and tight spaces, they are both a necessity as more apartments, offices and shops are built upward. The idea is to create a space with the convenience of more than one use. It is built on the premise of the creating interior that are multi-functioning and maximizing use of the space, while maintaining an element of style and comfort.

In Interior Design for Qatar, multi-functional areas can be very valuable for small residences, offices, and hotels where flexibility is a priority. A living area that doubles as an office, a bedroom that can change into a home gym, or an office that has multiple functions with flexible tables for meetings all convey the importance of multi-functional design to contemporary urban living.

Main Characteristics of Flexible Interior Design

Modular Furniture

Designs that have to do a lot must include modular furniture. Modular furniture is versatile and helpful. Examples of modular furnishings include sofa beds, expandable tables, and stackable chairs; all pushed together or removed (for making space) as the need arises. Modular furniture helps spaces used during the day function for other purposes at night.

Open-Plan Designs

Open-plan space is functional for interior designs that are used for different purposes. When walls that have no function are removed from the design, spaces appear larger and more functional or multi-purpose. In the case of homes, open kitchen design integrates both the living area and dining area with cooking to improve socializing without and decrease versatility.

Smart Storage Systems

Storing in an urban location can be a challenge, but smart solutions help keep the spaces organized with minimal effort. Adjustable shelving, hidden storage, and wall-mounted storage options help reduce clutter and make spaces the most productive. Mobile storage containers in offices and surface filing systems help to increase a work surface while keeping things organized.

Flexible Space Dividers

When you need space separation, sliding doors, folding screens and retractable walls are great space dividers. These room dividers translate rooms instantly; for example, turning a home office into a guest room, or a conference room into a home work space. The flexible spaces are being increasingly used in Interior Design in Qatar.

Technological Integration

Smart home and office technologies help with adaptive design by automating: lighting, climate, and room usage. Voice control and app-based systems offer convenience and personalization by utilizing the space to its maximum potential in multi-purpose areas.

Benefits of Multi-Purpose Spaces in Urban Qatar

Maximizes Use of Space

A multi-purpose design helps to maximize the efficiency of the space and the establishment of the space ensures nothing goes to waste. This is crucial in the Qatari cities where property prices can be expensive.

Greater Elasticity and Capacity

The ability to alter spaces effectively is extremely useful in a changing environment. Adaptive interiors permit the ability to adapt, either for visitors or a business conference.

Cost-Effective Solutions

Multipurpose rooms create a need for less rooms providing multiple occasions, thus reducing costs of the building and furniture. Both homeowners and companies can invest in flexible, high-quality products instead of multiple specialized pieces.

Greater Aesthetics and Cohesion

Adaptive design roots in successful transitions that are aesthetically appealing in both harmony and style. Unified themes, colours, and materials provide cohesion even in multi-use space.

The Future of Multi-Purpose Design in Qatar

As the population moves to urban living, the need for adaptable interior design will continue to grow. Spaces that serve multiple purposes are an intelligent approach to lifestyle changes, demonstrating the adaptability required to meet modified expectations. The trend is likely to continue, showing practical consideration in Interior Design in Qatar.

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Cooling the Gulf: A Deep Dive into Air Conditioning in the GCC

Air conditioning is more than just a modern luxury in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries—it’s a way of life. With scorching summer temperatures, dry desert climates, and high humidity levels along the coastlines, air conditioning systems have become essential for everyday comfort, health, and productivity across the Gulf. From residential apartments in Dubai to expansive malls in Riyadh and industrial hubs in Doha, air conditioning serves as the backbone of climate control throughout the region.

Climate Necessity, Not Just Comfort

The unique climate of the GCC countries—comprising Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain—demands reliable cooling solutions almost year-round. Summer temperatures often exceed 45°C (113°F), and in some areas, they can reach even higher. Combined with dust storms and humidity in coastal cities, the weather creates a physically taxing environment for residents, workers, and infrastructure.

As such, air conditioner in the GCC is not a seasonal luxury but a fundamental requirement. Homes, offices, healthcare facilities, public transportation, and schools all depend on efficient and uninterrupted air conditioning to function properly. Even agriculture and food storage depend heavily on controlled environments to ensure quality and safety.

Living with Air Conditioning: More Than Machines

In the Gulf, the relationship with air conditioning extends beyond just temperature regulation. It influences how cities are planned, how buildings are designed, and how people organize their day. For instance, many public spaces in the GCC are designed with indoor comfort in mind, resulting in widespread development of air-conditioned malls, metro systems, and indoor leisure centers.

Homes and villas are commonly built with insulation materials that retain cool air, and smart home systems often include advanced climate control as a standard feature. This shift in lifestyle is a direct result of the climate’s impact and has created a unique architectural and cultural dependency on air conditioning.

Energy Efficiency in Focus

As the use of air conditioning surges during peak summer months, energy consumption also skyrockets. This has pushed the GCC governments and private sectors to focus heavily on energy efficiency and sustainable cooling solutions. New-age air conditioners are being designed to not only cool more effectively but also consume less power, reduce environmental impact, and integrate smart technologies for better control.

In many cities, there are growing initiatives to retrofit older buildings with more efficient air conditioning systems. Additionally, there's a rise in the use of inverter-based technology, which adjusts compressor speed in response to cooling demand, reducing unnecessary energy usage. These efforts help reduce the pressure on national power grids and contribute to broader goals of environmental responsibility.

Innovations Tailored to the Desert Environment

Air conditioning systems in the GCC must withstand extreme operating conditions. Sand, heat, and saline coastal air can degrade machines faster than in temperate climates. This has led to the development of highly specialized AC units tailored specifically for desert environments. These systems often include advanced filtration to manage dust, corrosion-resistant components for coastal cities, and heavy-duty compressors built to handle long hours of operation.

Additionally, smart thermostats and zoning systems are increasingly used to manage cooling needs more precisely, ensuring that energy isn’t wasted in unoccupied areas. These innovations are not just about comfort—they also reflect the region’s adaptation to its challenging climate.

Embracing Sustainable Cooling in the GCC

As the world pushes toward carbon neutrality, the GCC is also exploring greener alternatives to conventional cooling. District cooling—where chilled water is distributed through a network of insulated pipes to cool multiple buildings—is being adopted in many new developments across cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha. This centralized approach reduces individual reliance on conventional AC units and lowers overall energy consumption.

Moreover, advancements in solar-powered air conditioning systems are being trialed in desert environments, turning the region’s abundant sunlight into an asset rather than an adversary. These systems offer hope for a future where comfort and sustainability go hand in hand.