On 28 September the German government adopted a long-term (until 2050) strategy of developing Germany's energy industry. The main premises of this strategy are: extending the period of operation for nuclear reactors (on average by 12 years), the extension of renewable sources of energy (firstly - wind farms offshore) and the reduction of the energy consumption of the economy (particularly in buildings). Consequently, German politicians are hoping for higher energy security, a reduction of CO2 emissions and stable energy prices.
The energy strategy and the resulting changes in a dozen or so laws will be approved by the Bundestag. However, due to complaints made by the opposition, the German Constitutional Court can reject an important element of the strategy - the extension of the operation of nuclear power plants. The full implementation of the strategy will mean a surplus of electric energy in Germany until 2020 and it will cause Germany to search for new markets to sell this surplus, for example in Poland. Another consequence of the strategy being implemented will be an intensification of Germany's actions in the EU aimed at reducing CO2 emissions.
As stated in the strategy, the German government intends to reduce CO2 emissions by 2020 (by 40% compared to the level of emissions from 1990). This new plan is also aimed at improving Germany's energy security by decreasing imports of energy resources (potentially a 28% reduction of gas and 16% of oil by 2020) and preventing a rapid increase in prices, which would affect the competitiveness of German companies. These targets are set to be reached above all thanks to increased energy efficiency (particularly through a modernisation of buildings, which consume 40% of energy in Germany), the extension of operation for nuclear power plants (replacing them with conventional power plants would amount to an additional 150 million tonnes of CO2 a year) and the extension of renewable sources of energy. In the area of the latter the priority is the construction of offshore wind-powered plants with an output of 25 GW (see Appendix). The implementation of this strategy will require many laws to be modified, including the ones regarding the regulation of the nuclear industry and which were adopted in 2002 by the government of Gerhard Schröder. The most important actions to be taken in 2011 are mainly amendments to laws (among them, maritime law) and the launch of funding programmes aimed at developing wind power plants and the transfer networks necessary with the growing number of wind farms.
The government must take into account protests from the opposition provoked by the bypassing the Bundesrat in the legislative process of reviewing the law regarding the extension of the operation of nuclear reactors. As a result of the lost election in North Rhine-Westphalia in May this year the ruling coalition does not have a majority in the chamber that groups together German Lands and for this reason it wants to change the law without obtaining the approval of the Bundesrat. The government is referring to legal analyses that state that the participation of the Bundesrat in reviewing these laws is not necessary. The opposition however claims that the review of the laws will place additional burdens on the states and hence it requires the approval of the Bundesrat. The result of this will be a complaint being submitted to the Constitutional Court and it is likely that this significant element of the strategy will be blocked. Furthermore, the opposition is planning many demonstrations in the autumn against plans to extending the operation of nuclear reactors. The attacks of the opposition also concern behind the scenes negotiations that the government has been holding with owners of the reactors within the framework of elaborating with the present strategy and which cover such topics as the financial costs of the electric energy produced by them.
The adopted strategy is de facto the first programme since 2002 which is designed to change the entirety of the energy branch and encompasses the issues of supplying electric energy and heat and the consumption of energy resources in transport. The government has succeeded in reaching a compromise regarding Germany's energy policy despite disputes within the coalition and within the government itself but at the expense of abandoning part of its ambitious plans e.g. a compulsory reduction in energy consumption in existing buildings, additional security measures against terrorist attacks on nuclear reactors. It is not certain that the strategy will be fully implemented as the opposition is very critical of it and will seek to modify energy policy if it wins the election. According to some experts, the government cannot secure huge financial support due to budgetary restraints and it will be difficult to fully attain the set objectives, e.g. a reduction in energy consumption in the construction industry. The exception should be the plan of developing offshore wind-power plants that will receive high subsidies and for this reason can be implemented more rapidly than the government has been planning. The government's strategy should also contribute to developing exports of green technologies, mainly in the field of renewable sources of energy.
From the EU perspective the adoption of this strategy means that Germany will opt to introduce the obligation to store radioactive waste at the EU level and this on a timescale adjusted to the plans for constructing German storage facilities. Due to the extended operation of nuclear reactors and reduced energy consumption, the implementation of the strategy could lead to a fall in gas consumption in Germany, which should in the long term diminish the importance of its gas cooperation with Russia. The development of wind energy in Germany may be expected, which will result in surplus of electric energy in Germany and a search for markets for it in neighbouring countries. The policy of environmental protection will remain a priority in Germany, therefore Berlin's support for a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the EU by 2020 can be expected although Berlin's position will depend on the development of related negotiations on a global level.
Programmes that offer financial support for the energy industry should contribute to the improved economic situation in Germany and, consequently, an increase in demand for imports from Central Europe, including Poland.
a) Fall in energy consumption compared with 2008 - by 20% in 2020 and 50% in 2050. In practice, energy consumption is reduced by 2.1% annually in the first period.


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Super Robot Wars
This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Super Robot Wars. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Super Robot Wars Wiki, the text of Wikipedia this page uses is covered by the Creative Commons License.
Super Robot Wars (スーパーロボット大戦, Sūpā Robotto Taisen, also known as Super Robot Taisen), commonly abbreviated as SRW and SupaRobo (スパロボ, SupaRobo), is a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by the Japanese gaming company, Banpresto, a division of Bandai Namco.
Starting out as a spinoff of the Compati Hero Series, the main feature of the franchise is having a story that crosses over several popular mecha anime, manga and video games, allowing characters and mecha from different titles to team up or battle one another. The first game in the franchise was released for the Nintendo Game Boy on April 20, 1991, later spawning numerous games that were released on various consoles and handhelds. Due to the nature of crossover games and licensing involved, only a few games have been released outside Japan, mainly from the Original Generation games, which only feature Banpresto's own original characters and mecha.
1.2 Battle
1.3 Units
1.4 Weapons
2 Super Robot Wars titles
3 Series Appearances
3.1 Banpresto Originals
4 International releases
5 Related media
5.3 Manga
5.4 Net Radio
6 Influence
Main article: Gameplay elements
The game franchise is officially Strategy Role Playing Games, with a few elements from visual novels in terms of the story and some decision making throughout the game's storyline. Most games follow a basic structure: when a stage begins, the character receives introductory dialogue between playable characters, leading to the scenario on the battlefield. To complete a scenario, the player must accomplish scenario objectives. Some scenarios are longer, with multi-part missions or have new objectives added as the story unfolds. On battlefield, the player and enemy take turns to order their units with commands available, such as movement, attacking, forming squads and casting "Spirit Commands", a set of magic-like spells unique to each pilot. Once the scenario is cleared, more dialogue is exchanged between characters before the player is taken to an intermission menu. Here, units can be upgraded or optional parts installed, characters' stats and skills can be changed or upgraded, and other maintenance actions can be performed before the player continues on with the game.
Many games also have hidden features that can only be gained through a special sequence of events or completing optional challenging objectives. Some of these bonuses include extra stages, different endings, captured enemy machines and special upgrade for specific units, such as the IWSP Pack for the GAT-X105 Strike Gundam. Characters that would normally be killed may not die as well. In some games, these are called "Skill Points" ("Battle Masteries" in the North American localizations) and the difficulty of the game increases accordingly.
In most games, the player selects or is given a Banpresto original character and machine, who is connected to the overarching storyline which ties together the events of the constituent anime for the game. Some featured anime also has their plots intertwined: in Super Robot Wars Alpha, the White Fang from New Mobile Report Gundam Wing allies with Paptimus Scirocco's rebellion from Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, resulting in the two enemy forces working together. The stories play out the events of the anime, albeit altered. It is said that the events of each game are caused by incursions known as Dimension Quakes that started several years prior with the explosion of a "dimensional bomb", thereby constantly merging and separating the various universes without anyone knowing, ensuring canonicity.
One noteworthy aspect of the Super Robot Wars games is that character death happens rarely. Players will often have the chance to prevent the death of an ally, as depicted in his or her animated series, while some games take this a step further and prevent heroic deaths freely, without extra effort on the player's part. Additionally, some enemies can be convinced (usually those who are not completely villainous, or who have good intentions) to abandon the antagonists and join the player, whether they do so in their respective series or not. When these concepts are combined, players can create a team that has no chance of existing within the original series.
Battles in Super Robot Wars are turn-based. The player usually gets to move their forces first, one at a time, then control switches to the game's AI.
When a unit attacks, the target reacts by blocking (increasing defense against the attack), or evading (reducing the attack's chance to hit), or countering (striking back with their own attack). Once chosen, the battle animation is played out. If the player unit is not destroyed and successfully damaged the enemy, then the unit gains experience points. And if the enemy is destroyed, the player will also receive money and optional parts. In later games, "Support Attacks/Defense" (where an adjacent unit that has not taken its turn yet can make a free attack/jump in front of an ally and take reduced damage) and simultaneous attacks by two or more units were introduced.
All battles are carried out either the terrain of land, air, sea or space, which affects the performance of machines, pilots and weapons in various ways. For example, most Gundam characters excel in space combat, but suffer major handicaps underwater, and techniques requiring an atmosphere, such as the Mazinger Z's "Rust Hurricane", are unusable in space. The battlefield also contains objects which grant various effects. For example, besides providing repair and energy refill, a military base also provides land units with defense bonus but will hinder them from moving freely.
In addition to standard mecha and vehicle units, the player often has one or more "Battleships", air- or spacecraft units such as the White Base, SDF-1 Macross or Daiku-Maryu that in addition to powerful long-ranged attacks, can also dock other units to refill energy, repair damage, and in some games, even switch between active and non-active units onto and off the battlefield. Battleships are powerful units, but losing one in battle is often an instant-loss situation in many stages.
Units in-game are generally separated into two categories: "super-type" (スーパー系, "super-type") and "real-type" (リアル系, "real-type"). Super robots are heavy units with exceptionally high hit points and armor, and powerful melee weapons with high energy cost, but at the near expense of evasion and accuracy. On the other hand, real robots are light units which are faster and more agile and evasive, while possessing long-range, high-accuracy weapons that consume ammunition, but at the near expense of hit points and armor. Some units are treated as "support units", regenerating hit points and/or energy to allies, while battleships and carriers serve as transports or to resupply all units, while also providing powerful fire support.
Though every unit takes a single grid on the tactical map and has little visual difference in battle animations, a larger unit gains defensive and offensive bonus against smaller units, but carry a disadvantage to evasion and accuracy. In later titles, certain attacks can bypass the size attribute, nullifying the effect of size in combat.
Some units have other unique characteristics: for example, Getter Robo can transform into different forms with new weapons and different attributes. To give the player more freedom in customization, some pilots are able to switch into other machines from the same series, such as placing MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam pilot Kamille Bidan into Judau Ashta's MSZ-010 ZZ Gundam.
Weapons carry various attributes other than range, accuracy modifier and attack power. All weapons can be divided into melee and shooting categories that determine its effectiveness by pilots' status. In some games weapons are divided into categories such as "missile" and "beam" which are less effective against opponents equipped with, for instance, jamming technology or reflective armour. Some weapons can be used after a unit has moved, while others can only be performed while remaining stationary. Other attributes can be effected by terrain or a target's defensive ability. In addition, some units make use of "MAP Weapons" which affect multiple squares at once, with some damaging everything in the area and others, such as Cybuster's Cyflash, ignoring allies. Some games feature weapons which inflict status effects on enemies that drain their energy, weaken their armor or damage the pilot's stats. Some pilots have special stats and skills that allow them to use specialized weapons, such as the "Newtype" ability being required to use the funnel weapons on the MSN-04 Sazabi or the RX-93 Nu Gundam.
As larger storage media became common from fifth generation consoles, fully animated battle sequences complete with detailed graphics, whether larger 2-D sprites, or 3-D graphics, such as the Dreamcast port of Super Robot Wars Alpha, were implemented with voice acting. The voices were provided by the same voice actors, if available, as the one in the broadcast of the anime. Some games contain CG mini-movies, depicting a certain mecha's dramatic appearance and/or transformation during the stage. Since many of the voice actors featured have worked in various anime, the games include in-jokes concerning their other roles: Amuro Ray from Gundam and Misato Katsuragi from Evangelion flirt often, referring to their voice acting roles as Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon, respectively. Hikaru Midorikawa, the voice actor for Heero Yuy (from Gundam Wing), is a huge fan of the Super Robot Wars series; in fact, he volunteers to do extra lines for no charge, and has done beta testing for Banpresto's games, with a blog alongside Banpresto's website.[1]
Since Super Robot Wars IV, many games feature a database of every character and unit appearing in the title. The database entries are written in the context of the character/unit's original story, regardless of how it is altered in the game. Players usually gain access to the profiles of units and characters already encountered during gameplay and must play through the game several times in order to complete it.
Super Robot Wars titles
Most are standalone games, whose background stories may involve the plots of the included series, but no other Super Robot Wars titles. However, there are at least five main continuities with a single overall storyline encompassing all of them:
Consists of the Super Robot Wars II, III, EX, F and F Final games (in that order).[2] F and F Final replaced Super Robot Wars IV, while Super Robot Wars II Gleam is not considered canon, due to its non-inclusion in the Complete Box set. The side-story Masō Kishin - The Lord of Elemental is divided into two parts: "Part One" occurs before the SRW II and "Part Two" after the SRW IV (IV was released before F and F Final). The primary antagonist organization of this series is known as DC (Divine Crusaders).
Masō Kishin
Consists of Super Robot Wars OG Saga: Masō Kishin – The Lord of Elemental, Masō Kishin II - Revelation of Evil God, Masō Kishin III - Pride of Justice and Masō Kishin F – Coffin of the End (in that order). Super Robot Wars Gaiden: Masō Kishin – The Lord of Elemental for the SFC originally was a spin-off from the classic series, but when ported as a remake for the NDS the Gaiden was replaced by OG Saga, also being the first use of the OG Saga prefix. The DS version later received a remake for PSP in a limited edition bundle with part 2 of this series, named Super Robot Wars OG Saga: Masō Kishin I & II. The last two titles in this series were released for the PS3 (the former also was ported to the PS Vita).
Consists of Super Robot Wars Alpha, Alpha Gaiden, Alpha 2 and Alpha 3 games (in that order). "Part One" of Masō Kishin - The Lord of Elemental also provides relevant information, taking place before Alpha.
Consists of Super Robot Wars Compact, Compact 2 and Compact 3 games for the WonderSwan (in that order). The first series game on WS Compact was remade as Compact for WonderSwan Color for the Wonderswan Color. Compact 2 was released as three chapters for the WonderSwan; the trilogy was later compiled with updated visuals, sound and new content as Super Robot Wars Impact for the PS2.
Consists of Impact and MX games for the PS2. Previously, Compact 2 was released as three chapters for the WonderSwan; the trilogy was later compiled with updated visuals, sound and new content as Impact for the PS2. Despite the sharing of gameplay mechanics between all of the Wonderswan games, and the similarities between Impact and MX, Compact 2 and Impact are not tied to any other games in the series. MX for the PS2 is seen as a direct sequel to Impact as it reuses several of the same series of the latter and has similar gameplay elements and much of its soundtrack remixed from the one in Impact. MX was ported to the PSP with minor adjustments and additions.
Original Generation
This series does not feature any manga or anime characters at all, instead starring the "Banpresto Originals", original characters made specifically for previous games in the series. This timeline draws upon from all previous continuities. Both Original Generation games for the GBA which were released in the US, were compiled with updated visuals and sound as Super Robot Wars OG Original Generations, followed by the sequel Super Robot Wars OG Gaiden, the remake version of Masō Kishin - The Lord of Elemental and its sequels, Super Robot Wars OG II, and Super Robot Wars OG The Moon Dwellers. Also part of the Original Generation series is the Endless Frontier series, composing of Endless Frontier and Endless Frontier EXCEED, which are set after OG Gaiden. This continuity is the only one to have had titles officially released in the West. The Moon Dwellers was the first in the series that had an English translation for the Asian market.
Consists of Z, Z Special Disk, ZII, and ZIII in that order. The story focuses on the Twelve Spheres, which play an important part in the game's story line.
Series Appearances
The first game featured the earliest incarnations of the Mazinger, Getter Robo, and Gundam franchises, and the three are usually present in the series. The first two, both creations of famous Japanese manga artist, Go Nagai, and his production company, Dynamic Productions, are representatives of the super robot type of units, while Gundam, realized by animator Yoshiyuki Tomino, represents the real robot units. This began a form of tradition wherein a Mazinger, a Getter Robo and a Universal Century Gundam series would always appear in some capacity, forming what fans call the "Holy Trinity"; however, newer handheld titles began omitting one or more of these series in favor of increased focus on newer properties.
As more games were released, more series were included, both from existing series and/or original units designed exclusively for the games. In later incarnations, Banpresto has expanded their original horizons, including manga like Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam in Super Robot Wars Alpha 2, video games like Virtual-On in Alpha 3, and conceptual/cancelled series like Kanzen Shouri Daiteioh in NEO. In Super Robot Wars J, Banpresto included Tekkaman Blade, a series which contains armored warriors but no mecha; this would later be followed by other series in Super Robot Wars L. In more later games, the series includes anime series that are devoid of any mecha but fits in the genre such as Armor Hunter Mellowlink, and Space Battleship Yamato 2199. Also for the first time, the franchise included series from both Kaiju and Tokusatsu genres such as Shin Godzilla and Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger in Super Robot Wars X-Ω.
Since the second game, the series has also included a number of original characters and mecha designed specifically for each game. These serve as viewpoint characters for the player, who follows the events of the game through their perspective. Most games also will end with an original threat that may ally itself with other villains from the series' involved, and usually serves as the final villain(s) in the game. These heroes and villains are collectively known as Banpresto Originals.
In 2002, Banpresto released Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation for the Game Boy Advance, which featured a roster made entirely of original characters from the previous games in the series.
International releases
While some of the featured series are well-known worldwide, many of them were released only in Japan, having little to no fame at all internationally. Because much of the appeal of any Super Robot Wars title resides in the player's knowledge of and familiarity with the various series involved, the games are most successful and have their biggest fanbase in Japan. Also, the number of titles involved within a single game means complicated rights and licensing issues when releasing it elsewhere (a problem that also affects other games, such as Jump Super Stars).
Thus far, only Original Generation games are officially released for the English market by Atlus USA. The titles of the games are written as Super Robot Taisen,[3] possibly to avoid potential confusion with the British television series, Robot Wars. The games do not have the licensing problems other games may have since only original creations not from any anime or manga series are used in the lineup, thus making it the first game in the series to be released outside of the Asian market. Atlus also released Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier for the Nintendo DS on April 28, 2009.
In addition, some games have been unofficially translated to English, such as the original Super Robot Wars, Super Robot Wars II, Super Robot Wars III, and Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden.[4] Unofficial Chinese translation have also been done to some games, such as Super Robot Wars II Gleam, Super Robot Wars IV, Super Robot Taisen Original Generation, Super Robot Wars Alpha, and Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden.
In early 2016, Namco Bandai announced that Super Robot Wars OG The Moon Dwellers and Super Robot Wars V would be given an English release for the Southeastern Asian version along with a Chinese translation.[5]
JAM Project, consisting of veteran anime theme musicians, like Ichirou Mizuki, Hironobu Kageyama, Rica Matsumoto, Eizo Sakamoto, Masaaki Endoh, Hiroshi Kitadani, Masami Okui and Yoshiki Fukuyama have also contributed to many Super Robot Wars soundtracks, usually providing the opening theme song and the song played over the closing credits. The series also spawned a set of concerts and albums called "Super Robot Spirits", where veteran vocalists—some of whom would go on to form JAM Project—sing covers of popular mecha anime openings, and in some cases, live versions of songs they themselves originally sang.
Masō Kishin Cybuster is a loose adaptation on the story of the first original Banpresto mecha in Super Robot Wars into a 26-episode series, featuring characters inspired by the allies of the Cybuster's pilot Masaki Andoh and original characters created for the anime.
In May 2005, Banpresto released the animated OVA Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Animation, a 3-part non-canonical sequel to the second Original Generation game. In 2006, the OVA was followed up by Super Robot Wars Original Generation: Divine Wars, a retelling of the plot in the first Original Generation game. A variety of drama CDs, manga and model kits accompany the Original Generation lineup. In Fall 2010, Banpresto followed up with Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Inspector, which is a retelling of the plot of Original Generation 2.
There have been several manga adaptations that retell the stories of the Super Robot Wars series. Super Robot Wars OG: Divine Wars (スーパーロボット大戦OG ディバイン・ウォーズ, Sūpā Robotto Taisen Ō Jī Dibain Wōzu) by Akihiro Kimura tells the story of the Divine Wars anime over 6 volumes published from 2006 to 2009. Meanwhile, Super Robot Wars Divine Wars OG: Record of ATX (スーパーロボット大戦OG ディバイン・ウォーズ Record of ATX, Sūpā Robotto Taisen Ō Jī Dibain Wōzu Recōdo Obu Ē Tī Ekkusu) is manga series by Tatsunosuke Yatsufusa that tells a similar story but from the ATX Team's perspective. Super Robot Wars OG Chronicle (スーパーロボット大戦OGクロニクル, Sūpā Robotto Taisen Ō Jī Kuronikuru) is a series of short stories that take place across the Original Generation timeline, written and drawn by various authors, some of the stories from OG Chronicle were incorporated into the video game Super Robot Wars Original Generation Gaiden. Chokijin RyuKoOh Denki (超機人 龍虎王伝奇, Chōkijin Ryūkoō Denki), is a 2 volume series by Masaaki Fujihara tells the background story for the original machines known as the Chokijin.
Net Radio
SRWOG Net Radio - Umasugi Wave (スパロボOGネットラジオ うますぎWAVE, Suparobo Ō Jī Neto Rajio Umasugi Wēbu) began to air to go along with the release of the Divine Wars anime. The show has been airing since January 2007 with four regular hosts, Tomokazu Sugita, Masaaki Endoh, Mai Aizawa and Rie Saitou. The show often features series' producer Takanobu Terada as a special guest. After Divine Wars ended, the show carried on and was often used to regularly feature and promoted up and coming video game titles.
Super Robot Wars eventually garners an influence on the Japanese animated industry, sparking fan interest in old anime mecha shows, some of which are first heard of or seen by fans playing the games. For example, Steel Jeeg, garnered the sequel Steel God Jeeg after its appearances in the Super Robot Wars Alpha 2 and Alpha 3.
A number of anime producers, who are fans of the games, have added allusions and homages to the series in their own works, from visual gags in Hayate the Combat Butler and Lucky Star, to similarities between Signum of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's to Lamia Loveless from Super Robot Wars A.
The games' main influence is the creation of animated shows influenced by original units and characters created for the games. The best examples are Getter Robo Armageddon, Shin Getter Robo vs Neo Getter Robo and the Mazinkaiser OVA, released in the United States in 2002. Shin Getter Robo first appeared in Ken Ishikawa's manga for Getter Robo Go, then became by its apparition in various Super Robot Wars games until receiving its aforementioned OVAs. Mazinkaiser appeared for the first time in Super Robot Wars F Final, released for the Sega Saturn and the Sony PlayStation in 1998, as an upgrade to the original Mazinger Z. Mazinger Z writer and illustrator, Go Nagai, eventually implements it into his manga as the prototype of the other Mazinger machines, and the aforementioned OVA was also created.
As many of the seiyuu who feature in the Super Robot Wars have worked in various anime over the course of their careers, many of the games include in-jokes concerning their other roles. For example, Amuro Ray from Gundam and Misato Katsuragi from Evangelion flirt often, referring to their portrayal' roles as Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon, respectively. In another example, Hojo Shingo (the pilot of GoShogun) once did impersonations of Haran Banjo (pilot of Daitarn 3) and Bright Noa (the joke being that all three were voiced by Hirotaka Suzuoki).
A number of the theme songs to the Super Robot Wars games have been performed by JAM Project, some of whose members have also performed theme songs for the various robot anime represented in the games.
Hikaru Midorikawa, the seiyuu of characters like Heero Yuy and Masaki Andoh, is a huge fan of the Super Robot Wars. In fact, he even volunteers to do extra lines for no charge, and has done beta testing for Banpresto's games. He also has a blog on Banpresto's website. [1]
It became tradition for a Super Robot Wars game to include at least three series from Mazinger, Getter Robo and Gundam. Originally, this so-called "Holy Trinity" was made up of Kouji Kabuto from Mazinger Z, Ryoma Nagare from Getter Robo and Amuro Ray from Gundam, but as of 2008, Kouji is the only human characters who have appeared in every non-original incarnation of the Super Robot Wars.
↑ "スーパーロボット大戦公式BLOG「熱血!必中!スパログ!」 - HIKARU`S VOICE"
↑ Hardcore Gaming 101: Super Robot Taisen (Classic Series)
↑ Atlus' announcement of Super Robot Taisen Original Generation in America
↑ Super Robot Taisen translation on Romhacking.net
↑ BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Asia: Super Robot Wars OG The Moon Dwellers - EN Announcement Trailer
Super Robot Wars official site
Super Robot Wars Official 20th Anniversary Website
Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation from Nintendo.com
The Gate of Magus - A fansite dedicated to the original characters and mecha of Banpresto
Super Robot Wars at Gears Online
Super Robot Wars Wikipedia article
Classic series/DC Wars series
Super Robot Wars II (Gleam) • Super Robot Wars III • Super Robot Wars EX • Super Robot Wars IV (Scramble) • Super Robot Wars Gaiden: Masō Kishin - The Lord of Elemental • Super Robot Wars F • (Final) • Super Robot Wars Complete Box • All Super Robot Wars Electronic Encyclopedia
Super Robot Wars α • Super Robot Wars α Gaiden • Super Robot Wars α II • Super Robot Wars α 3
Super Robot Wars Compact • Super Robot Wars Compact 2 (Earth Crisis • Cosmoquake • Galaxy Showdown) • Super Robot Wars Compact 3 • Super Robot Wars Impact
Super Robot Wars Z (Special Disk) • Super Robot Wars ZII (Hakai-hen) • Super Robot Wars ZII: Reborn the World (Saisei-hen)
Super Robot Wars ZIII (Jigoku-hen • Rengoku-hen • Tengoku-hen)
VXT trilogy
Super Robot Wars V • Super Robot Wars X • Super Robot Wars T
Original Generation series
Super Robot Wars Original Generation • Super Robot Wars Original Generation 2 • Super Robot Wars OG: Original Generations • Super Robot Wars OG Gaiden • 2nd Super Robot Wars Original Generation • Super Robot Wars OG: Infinite Battle • Super Robot Wars OG: The Moon Dwellers
-Masō Kishin-
Super Robot Wars Gaiden: Masō Kishin - The Lord of Elemental • Super Robot Wars OG Saga: Masō Kishin - The Lord of Elemental • Super Robot Wars OG Saga: Masō Kishin II - Revelation of Evil God • Super Robot Wars OG Saga: Masō Kishin III - Pride of Justice
Super Robot Wars OG Saga: Masō Kishin F - Coffin of the End
-Endless Frontier-
Endless Frontier: Super Robot Wars OG Saga • Endless Frontier EXCEED: Super Robot Wars OG Saga
Scramble Commander series
Super Robot Wars Scramble Commander • Super Robot Wars Scramble Commander the 2nd
Nintendo handheld games
Super Robot Wars A • R • D • J • W • K • L • UX • BX
Real Robot series
Real Robots Final Attack • Real Robot Battle Line • Real Robot Regiment
ACE1 • ACE2 • ACE3 The Final • ACE Portable • ACE:R
Super Robot Wars Card Chronicle • Super Robot Wars X-Ω • Super Robot Wars DD
Other titles and Stand Alone
Super Robot Wars • Neo Super Robot Wars • Super Robot Wars 64 • Super Robot Wars Link Battler • Super Robot Wars MX • Super Robot Wars GC • Super Robot Wars XO • Super Robot Academy • Super Robot Wars NEO • Super Robot Wars Operation Extend • Super Robot Wars 30
More Super Robot Wars Wiki
1 Super Robot Wars 30
2 Super Robot Wars X
3 Huckebein

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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This page details football records in Israel.

National team
See Israel national football team records.

League
Records in this section refer to Palestine League from its founding in 1931 to 1947, Israeli League from 1949 to 1950, Liga Alef from 1951 to 1955, Liga Leumit from 1955 to 1999 and to the Premier League since the 1999 season.

Titles
Most League titles: 23, Maccabi Tel Aviv (1936, 1937, 1941–42, 1946–47, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1953–54, 1955–56, 1957–58, 1966–68, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1991–92, 1994–95, 1995–96, 2002–03, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2018–19, 2019–20)
Most consecutive League titles: 5, Hapoel Petah Tikva (1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63)

Top-flight Appearances
Most appearances: 70 seasons, Maccabi Tel Aviv (1949–present)
Most consecutive seasons in top-flight: 70 seasons, Maccabi Tel Aviv (1949–present)

Unbeaten runs
Longest unbeaten League run: 48, Maccabi Haifa (Liga Leumit, between 3 April 1993 and 10 October 1994)

Points
Most points in a season:
2 points for a win: 47, Maccabi Netanya (Liga Leumit, 1970–71)
3 points for a win: 95, Maccabi Haifa (Liga Leumit, 1993–94)
Fewest points in a season
2 points for a win: 0, Maccabi Nes Tziona (Israeli League, 1949–50)
3 points for a win: 10, joint record:
Beitar Netanya (Liga Leumit, 1986–87)
Maccabi Jaffa (Liga Leumit, 1998–99)

Team
Most top-flight goals scored in a season: 103, Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israeli League, 1949–50)

Promotion and change in position
Highest finish by a promoted club: 1st, joint record:
 Hapoel Ramat Gan (Liga Leumit, 1963–64)
 Beitar Jerusalem (Liga Leumit, 1992–93)
Lowest finish by the previous season's champions: 16th out of 16 (relegated), Hapoel Kfar Saba (Liga Leumit, 1982–83)

Goals

Individual
Most career league goals: 207, Alon Mizrahi (1989 to 2005)
Most goals in a season: 35, Eran Zahavi (36 matches, for Maccabi Tel Aviv in the (2015–16 Premier League)
Fastest goal: 6 seconds, Ilan Bakhar (for Maccabi Herzliya v. Hapoel Be'er Sheva, 1997–98 Liga Leumit)

Premier League – Since 1999–2000 season

Titles
Most titles: 7, Maccabi Haifa
Most consecutive title wins: 3, joint record:
 Maccabi Haifa (2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06)
 Maccabi Tel Aviv (2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15)
 Hapoel Be'er Sheva (2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18)

Wins
Most wins in a season: 27, Maccabi Tel Aviv (2018–19)
Fewest wins in a season: 3, join record:
Hapoel Petah Tikva (2006–07)
Hapoel Ramat Gan (2010–11)
Most Premier League wins: 340, Maccabi Haifa (1999–present)

Draws
Most draws in a season: 18, Hapoel Haifa (1999–2000)
Fewest draws in a season: 3, Maccabi Tel Aviv (2002–03)
Most Premier League draws: 16, Beitar Jerusalem (1999–present)

Losses
Most losses in a season: 30, Tzafririm Holon (2000–01)
Fewest losses in a season: 1, joint record:
Hapoel Tel Aviv (2009–10)
Maccabi Tel Aviv (2018–19, 2019–20)
Most Premier League losses: 235, F.C. Ashdod (1999–2014, 2015–present)

Premier League Appearances
Most appearances: 20 seasons, joint record:
Beitar Jerusalem (1999–present)
Maccabi Haifa (1999–present)
Maccabi Tel Aviv (1999–present)
Most consecutive seasons in the Premier League: 20 seasons, joint record:
Beitar Jerusalem (1999–present)
Maccabi Haifa (1999–present)
Maccabi Tel Aviv (1999–present)

Points
Most points in a season:
3 points for a win: 89, Maccabi Tel Aviv (2018–19)
Fewest points in a season
3 points for a win: 12, Maccabi Netanya (2015–16)

Promotion and change in position
Highest finish by a promoted club: 3rd, Ironi Kiryat Shmona (2007–08)
Best position for promoted clubs: 3rd and 4th, Ironi Kiryat Shmona and Bnei Sakhnin (2007–08)

Goals
Most goals scored in a season: 87, Hapoel Tel Aviv (2009–10)
Most Premier League goals: 1050, Maccabi Haifa (1999–present)
Fewest goals scored in a season: 14, Maccabi Netanya (2015–16)
Most goals conceded in a season: 85, Tzafririm Holon (2000–01)
Most Premier League goals conceded: 808, F.C. Ashdod (1999–2014, 2015–present)
Fewest goals conceded in a season: 10, Maccabi Tel Aviv (2019–20)
Best points average in the Premier League: 64.94, Maccabi Haifa (1999–present)
Best goal difference in the Premier League: +469, Maccabi Haifa (1999–present)
Worst goal difference in the Premier League: –130p, Hapoel Petah Tikva (1999–2007, 2008–2012, 2013–2014)

Individual
Most Israeli Premier League goals: 128, Shay Holtzman (1999 to 2009)
Most goals in a season: 35, Eran Zahavi (36 matches), for Maccabi Tel Aviv, (2015-16)

State Cup
Most wins: 24, Maccabi Tel Aviv (1929, 1930, 1933, 1941, 1946, 1947, 1954, 1955, 1958, 1959, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1977, 1987, 1988, 1994, 1996, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2015, 2021)
Most consecutive wins: 3, Hapoel Tel Aviv (1937, 1938, 1939; 2010, 2011, 2012)
Most appearances: 36, Maccabi Tel Aviv (1929, 1930, 1933, 1934, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1946, 1947, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2015, 2016, 2017)
Biggest win: Beitar Tel Aviv 12–1 Maccabi Haifa (1942)
Most goals in a final: 13, Beitar Tel Aviv 12–1 Maccabi Haifa (1942)
Most goals by a losing side: 3 –
Hapoel Petah Tikva: Lost 3–4 against Maccabi Tel Aviv (1959)
Maccabi Haifa scored 3 times (3–3) but lost on a penalty shootout vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (1987)
Maccabi Haifa scored 3 times (3–3) but lost on a penalty shootout vs Beitar Jerusalem (1989)
Most defeats in a final: 13, Maccabi Tel Aviv (1934, 1938, 1940, 1952, 1962, 1976, 1979, 1983, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2016, 2017)

Toto Cup
Most wins: 7, Maccabi Tel Aviv (1993, 1999, 2009, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020)
Most consecutive wins: 2, joint record:
 Shimshon Tel Aviv (1987, 1988)
 Hapoel Petah Tikva (1990, 1991)
 Ironi Kiryat Shmona (2011, 2012)
 Maccabi Tel Aviv (2018, 2019)

Most successful clubs overall

The figures in bold represent the most times this competition has been won by an Israeli team.
The teams in italic represent a defunct team.

Managers
Most League title wins: Dror Kashtan, 6 (Hapoel Kfar Saba, Beitar Jerusalem, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Tel Aviv)
Most State Cup wins: Dror Kashtan, 6 (Hapoel Lod, Beitar Jerusalem, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Tel Aviv)
Most Toto Cup wins: Avram Grant, 5 (Hapoel Petah Tikva, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Maccabi Haifa)
Most Asian Champion Club Tournament wins: Yosef Merimovich, 2 (Hapoel Tel Aviv, Maccabi Tel Aviv)

Player records

Top scorers

Most appearances

Notes

External links

Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
 List of Final Tables
 List of Champions
 List of Cup Finals

Records
records and statistics
Israel

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Today, with some regret, I let go of one of the agricultural plays in my portfolio.
I wrote in a recent article about '…the increasing global demand for protein as living standards improve around the world…'. This prompted me to identify farmland as perhaps the purest investment opportunity to exploit this trend. Imagine my delight on discovering the most fertile farmland in the world coincided with some of the cheapest (productive) farmland globally. I highlighted the Black Earth region of Ukraine & Russia as one of the best farmland opportunities, and promised to write about it at a later date.
After extensive research, I identified a selection of agri-business stocks in the region and eventually homed in on a particular stock. However, I already owned Cresud (CRESY:US) at that point, and couldn't choose between them in terms of risk and reward. Ultimately, I decided on a 4-5% portfolio allocation to pure farmland, split between these two stocks. But first, let me walk you through the stocks I researched. Many were unsuitable from my current perspective, but I wanted to cover them all as they may well stimulate your own interest and research.
The next 5 are a lot more interesting. Remember, if you're analyzing land values in the regions, there's a couple of things to note: In Russia, land will be in registered ownership, in the process of ownership registration or occasionally will be leased. Steady/improving progress has been made in completing the registration process, so it's reasonable to treat land in this category as owned. Ukraine, on the other hand, does not permit foreign ownership, so farmland must be leased. Since most leases are longer-term, and/or with options to buy (upon any change in the law), I generally value leased land at a 50% discount to my owned land valuation.
what are risks in terms of investing in Ukraine and Russia ?
Is it similar or higher than investing in China ?
What are the possibilities of them being frauds ?
I hear they do Business with guns over there ?
Sorry for the questions i have no clue in terms of investing in those area.
Baically what are the chances of going to zero ? 0 to 10 ?
More generally, I've never been too concerned about risk/corruption in emerging markets – I always felt that lower valuations and higher growth prospects were adequate compensation. Also, when you consider the recent financial crises and political farce in the developed markets, I don't think it's at all clear that emerging markets are riskier..!
If you have a portfolio that is just focused on your home market/region, I think a portfolio restructuring to include a major allocation to overseas/emerging/frontier markets is an excellent idea. Yes, individual markets can prove risky (so can the US), but overall I believe you will end up with a better diversified, lower risk, higher return portfolio longer-term. If you don't feel confident yet about certain individual investments, using closed end funds/investment trusts/ETFs, even mutual funds, is a perfectly good approach also.
I see that he and Mohnish Pabrai are buddies – Pabrai's a big holder of CRESY. Interestingly, they both also talk about using checklists. I've been leaning towards this recently. I must try read The Checklist Manifesto – written by a surgeon, but v relevant I believe and I've seen it cited by quite a few people recently.
Your stock Cresud is also in the portfolio of Aquamarine Capital (Guy Spier and family).


Courts in Michigan take theft offenses seriously. These charges are brought when a prosecutor believes that a person has stolen property that belongs to someone else. Property that may be stolen includes money, goods, bank notes, book accounts, real estate deeds, public records, and receipts, among other things. If you have been charged with theft, you should retain an aggressive criminal defense attorney. Kelly Neumann is an experienced Grand Rapids and Traverse City theft lawyer who can seek to negotiate a lesser charge or to obtain a dismissal. She can also take your case to trial if that proves to be an appropriate strategy.
Theft and larceny may be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the value of the property that allegedly has been stolen. Misdemeanor larceny or petty theft may be charged when the property is worth less than $200. For example, stealing makeup and sunglasses from a drug store may be charged as misdemeanor larceny or as retail fraud in the third degree. If you are convicted of either of these offenses, you may be punished by being imprisoned for up to 93 days or paying a fine of at most $500 or three times the value of what you allegedly stole, whichever is greater. You also may face both fines and imprisonment.
When stolen property is worth between $200 and $1,000, the theft is charged as a misdemeanor. If you are convicted, you may be penalized with imprisonment for up to one year, up to $2,000 in fines or three times the property's value, whichever is greater, or both. This offense may also be charged as retail fraud in the second degree.
The theft of more valuable property is a felony. If you are charged with stealing something that is worth between $1,000 and $20,000, you may be charged with felony theft. A conviction is punishable by up to five years' imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000 or three times the property's value, or both. This charge may also be brought if the property at issue is a motor vehicle, a trailer, or a particular motor vehicle component. You may also be charged with retail fraud in the first degree if you stole the property from a store.
If you are alleged to have stolen property worth $20,000 or more, you may be charged with felony theft, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years' imprisonment, a fine of up to $15,000 or three times the property's value, whichever is greater, or both.
If you have been convicted of prior theft-related offenses, you may face greater penalties. In Michigan, the punishment may increase to the penalties associated with the next higher level of theft. For example, if you are charged with stealing a $5,000 item, but you have a criminal record with a conviction for stealing other items, you may face up to 10 years' imprisonment and fines of up to $15,000.
You should not feel daunted if you have been charged with a theft offense in Michigan. An experienced Traverse City or Grand Rapids theft attorney can examine the details of your circumstances and negotiate for a plea deal or seek to get the charges dismissed. The Neumann Law Group also represents people in Ann Arbor, Lansing, Flint, Detroit, Kalamazoo, Wyoming, Detroit, Saginaw, Muskegon, Midland, Holland, Warren, and Petoskey, as well as communities throughout the Upper Peninsula. Contact us at 800-525-NEUMANN or via our online form to set up a free appointment. We also can assist people who need a drug crime attorney or vigorous advocacy in fighting another type of charge.


Join us for a day JAM-PACKED FULL of information that will help you create and sell Family Portraiture.
The full $129 fee is due at the time of booking.
Hotel details to be announced should you wish to switch hotels from the IUSA host hotels.
The Homan's studio is about 20 minutes from downtown San Antonio on the Northside of SA.
Included in the price of the workshop is transportation to and from your hotel on January 11th.
Come and see why The Homan's studio is one of the TOP studios in Texas!


text:
Home > Defense Arguments > Seventh Circuit Suggests High Standard Under the FCA Whistleblower Retaliation Provision
By Timothy Fry and Brett Barnett
Last month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgement against an employee-whistleblower who had claimed that her former employer retaliated against her in violation of the False Claims Act's (FCA) whistleblower protection provision. Lam v. Springs Window Fashions, LLC, 37 F.4th 431 (7th Cir. 2022). The court held that her former employer's conduct fell short of "harassment" protected under the statute and that she failed to establish a causal connection between her informing management of potential false claims issues and her eventual termination. While the Seventh Circuit declined to adopt a strict test for the meaning of "harassment," its holding shows that the court believes that harassment requires significant conduct to be actionable under the FCA.
Jennifer Lam, the employee-whistleblower, began working at defendant Springs in January 2019. In her role with Springs, she oversaw the global fabric inventory and tariffs on these fabrics. Springs discovered a possible tariff problem as Lam believed a specific fabric had originated in China, instead of the manufacturer designation of Taiwan/Malaysia, which, based on new country-of-original regulations, would require Springs to pay a steep 25 percent tariff on the fabric. Lam alleged that Springs was informed about this issue by her predecessor, who had been reprimanded and forced to resign.
Lam contends that she communicated her tariff concerns to the CEO at three meetings between June and September 2019 that Springs should pay higher tariffs on the fabric, at which point the CEO would become "frustrated and visibly irritated." Lam also alleged that she was "scolded" by Senior Vice Presidents and threatened with her future job security by other members of Springs's C-Suite.
In October 2019, the General Counsel informed Lam that Springs has made a "business decision" to classify the fabric as Taiwanese/Malaysian and Lam dropped the issue. Later in 2019, Lam was put on a performance review plan although Lam contends that her boss had never indicated there had been any issues with her performance. Lam was terminated in February 2020 based on Spring's contention that Lam had failed to properly notify them and handle an audit of one of its facilities.
Lam sued in April 2020, claiming that Springs retaliated against her, in violation of the FCA's whistleblower protection provision, for bringing up the tariff issues. To prevail on this claim, Lam needed to show that her actions were taken in furtherance of the statute, that Springs knew about it, and that Springs retaliated against her because of this protected conduct. While Springs concedes the first two elements, it maintains that they did not retaliate against her. The district court, and ultimately the Seventh Circuit, agreed.
Defining harassment under the FCA is an issue of first impression for the Seventh Circuit. While the court did not settle on a definition in this case—declining to adopt one of two proposed standards, either (a) whether the conduct described would have dissuaded a reasonable worker from complaining to management (adopted by two other federal circuits) or (b) whether the retaliatory acts were severe or persuasive enough to affect the terms and conditions of her employment—the court opined on what does not constitute harassment.
The court held that, under either test, no reasonable jury could find that Lam was harassed within the meaning of the FCA and therefore it need not settle on a standard. Based on similar cases, the court found that Springs's executives comments toward her displayed a "lack of good manners" but that it would not dissuade a reasonable person from reporting a potential legal violation.
The court also rejected Lam's argument that she had been terminated in retaliation for her contention that higher tariffs were owed by Spring. In so holding, the court found that Lam's contention that she was told she did not have a long-term future at the company and being put on a performance improvement plan for reasons she believed to be pretextual could not give rise to a retaliatory discharge under the FCA. The court reasoned, in part, that Lam presented no evidence that the reasons for her firing were pretextual, principally because she failed to timely tell her boss about the audit, and it was unclear what her plan was to fix it. Given that, and the lack of evidence to the contrary, a reasonable jury would not connect her termination with her stance on tariffs.
The Seventh Circuit's opinion serves as a helpful resource for defendants, as it evidences the exacting requirements that a plaintiff must adhere to in order to properly plead a claim for retaliation under the FCA.
The authors thank McGuireWoods summer associate Jonathan Wrobel, a Loyola University Chicago School of Law rising third year student, for assistance preparing this legal alert. He is not licensed to practice law.
Seventh Circuit Clarifies Pleading Standard for Anesthesiologist's False Claims Action
Tide Is Turning Against FCA Case Dismissals
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals strikes down the liquidated-damages agreement in a #tradesecret case.… https://t.co/4KqEmz2ev8


text:
Q: is it possible to set GIF image with video? I am trying to combine video with GIF image, For this I am using     MainCompositionInst.animationTool = [AVVideoCompositionCoreAnimationTool videoCompositionCoreAnimationToolWithPostProcessingAsVideoLayer:videoLayer inLayer:parentLayer]; and in the video layer I was set GIF image but unfortunately it was not animating, So my question is that is it possible to do this ? please suggest me..
Thanks in advance.

A: Apple's support for GIF is fairly limited.
You could use this code to convert from GIF to Video:
(With the current code the gif will be cropped to 480x480. For some resolutions the output image's colors are distorted so try to use a fixed frame that you know works.
Usage:
#import "SCGIFConverter.h"

NSURL *tempFileURL = //create a NSURL to a tempfile for output

[SCGIFConverter processGIFData:data toFilePath:tempFileURL completed:^(NSString *outputFilePath, NSError *error)
 {
     //Now you can access your tempFileURL to read the movie
     //outputFilePath can be 'nil' if there was  a problem
 }];

SCGIFConverter.h
FOUNDATION_EXTERN NSString * const kGIF2MP4ConversionErrorDomain;

typedef enum {
    kGIF2MP4ConversionErrorInvalidGIFImage = 0,
    kGIF2MP4ConversionErrorAlreadyProcessing,
    kGIF2MP4ConversionErrorBufferingFailed,
    kGIF2MP4ConversionErrorInvalidResolution,
    kGIF2MP4ConversionErrorTimedOut,
} kGIF2MP4ConversionError;

typedef void (^kGIF2MP4ConversionCompleted) (NSString* outputFilePath, NSError* error);

@interface SCGIFConverter : NSObject

+ (BOOL) processGIFData: (NSData*) data
             toFilePath: (NSURL*) outFilePath
              completed: (kGIF2MP4ConversionCompleted)handler;

@end

SCGIFConverter.m
#import <AVFoundation/AVFoundation.h>
#import <ImageIO/ImageIO.h>
#import <MobileCoreServices/MobileCoreServices.h>

#import "SCGIFConverter.h"

#define FPS 30

NSString * const kGIF2MP4ConversionErrorDomain = @"GIF2MP4ConversionError";

@implementation SCGIFConverter

+ (BOOL) processGIFData: (NSData*) data
             toFilePath: (NSURL*) outFilePath
              completed: (kGIF2MP4ConversionCompleted) completionHandler {

    [[NSFileManager defaultManager] removeItemAtURL:outFilePath error:nil];

    CGImageSourceRef source = CGImageSourceCreateWithData((__bridge CFDataRef)data, NULL);
    CGImageMetadataRef meta = CGImageSourceCopyMetadataAtIndex(source, 0, NULL);
    NSLog(@"%@",meta);
    unsigned char *bytes = (unsigned char*)data.bytes;
    NSError* error = nil;

    if( !CGImageSourceGetStatus(source) == kCGImageStatusComplete ) {
        error = [NSError errorWithDomain: kGIF2MP4ConversionErrorDomain
                                    code: kGIF2MP4ConversionErrorInvalidGIFImage
                                userInfo: nil];
        CFRelease(source);
        completionHandler(outFilePath.absoluteString, error);
        return NO;
    }

    size_t sourceWidth = bytes[6] + (bytes[7]<<8), sourceHeight = bytes[8] + (bytes[9]<<8);
    sourceWidth = 480;
    sourceHeight = 480;
    //size_t sourceFrameCount = CGImageSourceGetCount(source);
    __block size_t currentFrameNumber = 0;
    __block Float64 totalFrameDelay = 0.f;

    AVAssetWriter* videoWriter = [[AVAssetWriter alloc] initWithURL: outFilePath
                                                           fileType: AVFileTypeQuickTimeMovie
                                                              error: &error];
    if( error ) {
        CFRelease(source);
        completionHandler(outFilePath.absoluteString, error);
        return NO;
    }

    if( sourceWidth > 6400 || sourceWidth == 0) {
        CFRelease(source);
        error = [NSError errorWithDomain: kGIF2MP4ConversionErrorDomain
                                    code: kGIF2MP4ConversionErrorInvalidResolution
                                userInfo: nil];
        completionHandler(outFilePath.absoluteString, error);
        return NO;
    }

    if( sourceHeight > 4800 || sourceHeight == 0 ) {
        CFRelease(source);
        error = [NSError errorWithDomain: kGIF2MP4ConversionErrorDomain
                                    code: kGIF2MP4ConversionErrorInvalidResolution
                                userInfo: nil];
        completionHandler(outFilePath.absoluteString, error);
        return NO;
    }

    size_t totalFrameCount = CGImageSourceGetCount(source);

    if( totalFrameCount <= 0 ) {
        CFRelease(source);
        error = [NSError errorWithDomain: kGIF2MP4ConversionErrorDomain
                                    code: kGIF2MP4ConversionErrorInvalidGIFImage
                                userInfo: nil];
        completionHandler(outFilePath.absoluteString, error);
        return NO;
    }

    NSDictionary *videoSettings = @{
                                    AVVideoCodecKey : AVVideoCodecH264,
                                    AVVideoWidthKey : @(sourceWidth),
                                    AVVideoHeightKey : @(sourceHeight)
                                    };

    AVAssetWriterInput* videoWriterInput = [AVAssetWriterInput assetWriterInputWithMediaType: AVMediaTypeVideo
                                                                              outputSettings: videoSettings];
    videoWriterInput.expectsMediaDataInRealTime = YES;

    NSAssert([videoWriter canAddInput: videoWriterInput], @"Video writer can not add video writer input");
    [videoWriter addInput: videoWriterInput];

    NSDictionary* attributes = @{
                                 (NSString*)kCVPixelBufferPixelFormatTypeKey : @(kCVPixelFormatType_32ARGB),
                                 (NSString*)kCVPixelBufferWidthKey : @(sourceWidth),
                                 (NSString*)kCVPixelBufferHeightKey : @(sourceHeight),
                                 (NSString*)kCVPixelBufferCGImageCompatibilityKey : @YES,
                                 (NSString*)kCVPixelBufferCGBitmapContextCompatibilityKey : @YES
                                 };

    AVAssetWriterInputPixelBufferAdaptor* adaptor = [AVAssetWriterInputPixelBufferAdaptor assetWriterInputPixelBufferAdaptorWithAssetWriterInput: videoWriterInput
                                                                                sourcePixelBufferAttributes: attributes];

    [videoWriter startWriting];
    [videoWriter startSessionAtSourceTime: CMTimeMakeWithSeconds(0, FPS)];

    while(YES) {
        if( videoWriterInput.isReadyForMoreMediaData ) {
#if DEBUG
            //NSLog(@"Drawing frame %lu/%lu", currentFrameNumber, totalFrameCount);
#endif

            NSDictionary* options = @{(NSString*)kCGImageSourceTypeIdentifierHint : (id)kUTTypeGIF};
            CGImageRef imgRef = CGImageSourceCreateImageAtIndex(source, currentFrameNumber, (__bridge CFDictionaryRef)options);
            if( imgRef ) {
                CFDictionaryRef propertiesT = CGImageSourceCopyProperties(source, NULL);

                CFDictionaryRef properties = CGImageSourceCopyPropertiesAtIndex(source, currentFrameNumber, NULL);
                CFDictionaryRef gifProperties = CFDictionaryGetValue(properties, kCGImagePropertyGIFDictionary);

                if( gifProperties ) {

                    CVPixelBufferRef pxBuffer = [self newBufferFrom: imgRef
                                                withPixelBufferPool: adaptor.pixelBufferPool
                                                      andAttributes: adaptor.sourcePixelBufferAttributes];
                    if( pxBuffer ) {
                        NSNumber* delayTime = CFDictionaryGetValue(gifProperties, kCGImagePropertyGIFDelayTime);
                        if (currentFrameNumber!=0) {
                            totalFrameDelay += delayTime.floatValue;
                        }
                        CMTime time = CMTimeMakeWithSeconds(totalFrameDelay, FPS);

                        if( ![adaptor appendPixelBuffer: pxBuffer withPresentationTime: time] ) {
                            NSLog(@"Could not save pixel buffer!: %@", videoWriter.error);
                            CFRelease(properties);
                            CGImageRelease(imgRef);
                            CVBufferRelease(pxBuffer);
                            break;
                        }

                        CVBufferRelease(pxBuffer);
                    }
                }

                if( properties ) CFRelease(properties);
                CGImageRelease(imgRef);

                currentFrameNumber++;
            }
            else {
                //was no image returned -> end of file?
                [videoWriterInput markAsFinished];

                void (^videoSaveFinished)(void) = ^{
                    AVAssetWriter * retainedVideoWriter = videoWriter;
                    completionHandler(outFilePath.absoluteString, nil);
                    retainedVideoWriter = nil;
                };

                if( [videoWriter respondsToSelector: @selector(finishWritingWithCompletionHandler:)]) {
                    [videoWriter finishWritingWithCompletionHandler: videoSaveFinished];
                }
                else {
                    [videoWriter finishWriting];
                    videoSaveFinished();
                }
                break;
            }
        }
        else {
            //NSLog(@"Was not ready...");
            [NSThread sleepForTimeInterval: 0.1];
        }
    };

    CFRelease(source);

    return YES;
};

+ (CVPixelBufferRef) newBufferFrom: (CGImageRef) frame
               withPixelBufferPool: (CVPixelBufferPoolRef) pixelBufferPool
                     andAttributes: (NSDictionary*) attributes {
    NSParameterAssert(frame);

    size_t width = 480;//CGImageGetWidth(frame);
    size_t height = 480;//CGImageGetHeight(frame);

    size_t frameHeight = height;
    size_t frameWidth = CGImageGetWidth(frame)*height/CGImageGetHeight(frame);
    if (frameWidth<width) {
        frameWidth = width;
        frameHeight = CGImageGetHeight(frame)*width/CGImageGetWidth(frame);
    }
    CGFloat relax = 0.12;
    if (frameWidth>width) {
        CGFloat factor = MAX(width/frameWidth,1-relax);
        frameWidth*=factor;
    }
    if (frameHeight>height) {
        CGFloat factor = MAX(height/frameHeight,1-relax);
        frameHeight*=factor;
    }

    size_t bpc = 8;
    CGColorSpaceRef colorSpace =  CGColorSpaceCreateDeviceRGB();

    CVPixelBufferRef pxBuffer = NULL;
    CVReturn status = kCVReturnSuccess;

    if( pixelBufferPool )
        status = CVPixelBufferPoolCreatePixelBuffer(kCFAllocatorDefault, pixelBufferPool, &pxBuffer);
    else {
        status = CVPixelBufferCreate(kCFAllocatorDefault, width, height, kCVPixelFormatType_32ARGB, (__bridge CFDictionaryRef)attributes, &pxBuffer);
    }

    NSAssert(status == kCVReturnSuccess, @"Could not create a pixel buffer");

    CVPixelBufferLockBaseAddress(pxBuffer, 0);
    void *pxData = CVPixelBufferGetBaseAddress(pxBuffer);

    size_t bytesPerRow = CVPixelBufferGetBytesPerRow(pxBuffer);

    CGContextRef context = CGBitmapContextCreate(pxData,
                                                 width,
                                                 height,
                                                 bpc,
                                                 bytesPerRow,
                                                 colorSpace,
                                                 kCGImageAlphaNoneSkipFirst);
    NSAssert(context, @"Could not create a context");

    CGContextDrawImage(context,
                       CGRectMake(-(frameWidth-(CGFloat)width)/2, -(frameHeight-(CGFloat)height)/2, frameWidth, frameHeight), frame);

    CVPixelBufferUnlockBaseAddress(pxBuffer, 0);

    CGContextRelease(context);
    CGColorSpaceRelease(colorSpace);

    return pxBuffer;
}

@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Rapid Production Marketing has worked with individual manufacturer's as well as organizations within the manufacturing community to develop everything from simple self-managed websites, social media programming & training as well as the services and functions of an outsourced Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Sales Officer. Below, please find some information about our clients and the projects we have worked on with them.
A premium manufacturer of High Performance carbide End Mills for use in non ferrous & high temp alloys. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Destiny Tool has developed a series of high performance end mills for for use in non ferrous and high temperature alloys. Our unique cutting tools are specifically designed for heavy cuts and very high material removal rates (MRR) while at the same time providing a a surface finish more commonly found in finishing tools.
Masa Tool created the The Microconic™ workholding system which is a mechanically actuated micro-workholding system for use in high precision, small diameter CNC turning applications.
As Managing Director of Sales and Marketing through Rapid Production Marketing, Mr. Martin develops and implements all aspects of the of the Microconic brand introduction.
RPM was responsible for creation & training on the development of social media and blogging for Criterion Machine Works. In fact Criterion was our very first client back in 2010.
RPM was responsible for creation & oversight of the TechniksUSA and Earth Chain social media strategy and social media team across all internal brands and platforms .
This role coordinated with the internal PR, Editorial, Marketing, Sales (inside/outisde) and Production Directors to support the Company's mission.
We ensuried that TechniksUSA's social broadcasting was fully integrated with all other efforts across the Company's portfolio.
Bernie worked with us on product development for toolholders and was instrumental in developing our magnetic workholding products. When we hired new field sales people we sent them to work with Bernie for training. Later, when Bernie set up his consulting firm, we entrusted him to build our entire social media marketing program and worked us on our acquisition strategy and new workholding product development.
The product development division of Modern Industries, a diversified, multi-division corporation founded in 1946.
They specialize in Modular Quick Change fixturing & workholding for CNC Mills. The mPower™ group was launched as a result of the first-hand the frustration with existing workholding technology.
We were certain that better methods could be developed to compress set-up times, expedite fixturing changes and improve throughput. And the dynamic, innovative thinking which they have applied to re-thinking the form and function of workholding products can translate into significant, tangible benefits for every HMC or VMC equipment operator.


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U.K. to Approve BioNTech-Pfizer Covid Vaccine Within Days: FT
Deirdre Hipwell
Nov 28 2020, 10:41 PM Nov 29 2020, 3:21 AM November 28 2020, 10:41 PM November 29 2020, 3:21 AM
(Bloomberg) -- The U.K. is about to become the first western country to approve a Covid-19 vaccine, with the independent regulator set to grant approval within days, according to the Financial Times.
The paper reports that deliveries of the vaccine developed by BioNTech SE and Pfizer Inc. will begin within hours of the authorization, citing unidentified government officials. The first injections could take place from Dec. 7, the paper said, citing individuals with knowledge of the process said
BioNTech is a German start-up working with the U.S. drug giant Pfizer to develop an inoculation against Covid-19. The U.K. has ordered 40 million doses of the two-shot product, which preliminary data found to be more than 95% effective in preventing disease.
Vaccines have to be authorized by the European Medicines Agency until the end of the Brexit transition period on Dec. 31. However, the U.K.'s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency can temporarily authorize products if there is urgent public need. Both authorities are running accelerated reviews of a number of possible vaccines being developed by different pharmaceutical companies.
U.K. Moves to Get Astra Covid Vaccine Approved Before the EU
BioNTech and Pfizer have already submitted data from a large-scale phase 3 trial, which involved more than 43,000 people, to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as well as the EMA and regulatory authorities in the U.K., Canada, Japan and Australia.
The MHRA said five days ago in a statement that it had received the necessary data from BioNTech and Pfizer to review whether the vaccine meets the required standards. It said it will only authorize the supply of the vaccine if it "meets strict standards of quality, safety, and effectiveness, and if they are satisfied the vaccine can be consistently manufactured."
The government has also indicated that it will use a similar approval procedure for a vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca Plc and the University of Oxford.
No. of Vaccine Doses Secured by U.K.
Oxford/AstraZeneca 100 million
GlaxoSmithKline/Sanofi Pasteur 60 million
Novavax 60 million
Valneva 60 million
BioNTech/Pfizer 40 million
Janssen 30 million
Moderna 5 million
Earlier this week U.K. health secretary Matt Hancock told MPs: "If these vaccines are approved, the NHS stands ready to roll them out as soon as safely possible."
The news that the U.K. could approve a vaccine comes as Nadhim Zahawi, a junior minister for the Department of Business, tweeted on Saturday that he has been asked by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to become the minister overseeing the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines. He tweeted on social media: "A big responsibility & a big operational challenge but absolutely committed to making sure we can roll out vaccines quickly-saving lives and livelihoods and helping us #buildbackbetter."


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Home/News/India/ED questions Cong leader Ahmed Patel for 3rd time in PMLA case
ED questions Cong leader Ahmed Patel for 3rd time in PMLA case
By | Updated: 2nd July 2020 1:01 pm IST
New Delhi: Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigators on Thursday began the third round of questioning of senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel at his residence here in connection with the Sandesara brothers bank fraud and money laundering case probe, officials said.
A three-member team of the central agency along with a few other officials reached Patel's 23, Mother Teresa Crescent home in the Lutyens' zone of central Delhi around 11 am.
The team members carried files, wore masks and gloves and were seen sanitising their hands and shoes before beginning the questioning as a precautionary measure in view of the coronavirus pandemic.
Agency sleuths have questioned Patel, 70, in two separate sessions clocking about 17 hours on June 27 and June 30.
He was allowed questioning at home by the agency after the Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat refused to visit the ED office citing prevailing COVID-19 guidelines that discourage senior citizens from going out.
Officials said Patel's statement is being recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) during the latest session.
He is being questioned about his purported links with Vadodara-based Sterling Biotech pharmaceutical company promoters, the Sandesara brothers, and alleged dealings of his family members with them.
The agency, last year, had questioned Patel's son Faisal Patel and son-in-law Irfan Ahmed Siddiqui in this case and recorded their statements.
READ: Bar Council of India's decision to scrap one-year LLM degree challenged in SC
The two were questioned in the context of the statement of one Sunil Yadav, an employee of the Sandesara group, which was earlier recorded before the agency.
In his statement to the ED, Yadav had said that he bore "expenses of Rs 10 lakh" for a party which was attended by Faisal, "arranged" entry in a night club for him and once delivered "Rs 5 lakh" to his driver in Khan Market on the instructions of Chetan Sandesara, one of the promoters of the pharma firm, sources had said.
Yadav had told the ED that the cash was "meant for Faisal Patel", the sources said.
The agency was also told by Yadav that Siddiqui "occupied" a house in Vasant Vihar area of Delhi that reportedly belonged to Chetan Sandesara.
This money laundering case pertains to the alleged Rs 14,500 crore bank loan fraud that is said to have been perpetrated by Sterling Biotech and its main promoters and directors — Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara, Chetankumar Jayantilal Sandesara and Deepti Sandesara — all of whom are absconding.
Nitin and Chetankumar are brothers.
The agency has alleged that this is a bigger bank scam in volume than the PNB fraud involving diamantaires Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.
READ: 15 linked to TDP, BJP held over Andhra temple incidents
The total fraud amount pegged in the PNB case is about Rs 13,400 crore.
The Sandesaras are also facing separate probes by the CBI and the Income Tax Department for their alleged nexus with some high-profile politicians and charges of corruption and tax evasion, respectively.
At present, they are stated to be based in Albania, from where India is trying to extradite them.
The ED registered a criminal case in connection with the alleged bank loan fraud on the basis of an FIR and a charge sheet filed by the CBI.
It is alleged that the company took loans of over Rs 5,383 crore from a domestic consortium led by the Andhra Bank, which later turned into non-performing assets.
Patel, while speaking to reporters on Saturday, had said he replied to the questions that the "guests" of the government posed to him.
"I am surprised that instead of fighting China… coronavirus and unemployment, the government is fighting the opposition," he had said.
The law should be allowed to take its course and someone who has not done any wrong should not fear, Patel had said.
He had accused the government of "using probe agencies every time it faced a crisis or when there was an election".
Ahmed Patel Congress Enforcement Directorate
Indian women's hockey team, Argentina juniors draw 2-2


Welcome to Table Talk Math. This week, we're taking an overhead view of Earth. Seriously!
Great news! For the Spanish version of this week's newsletter, click here. Ed Campos has joined the team to provide a Spanish-translated version of our newsletters for parents who would appreciate it. Check it out and send Ed some love! Also, feel free to share the link (bit.ly/ttm25spanish) with your Spanish-speaking friends.
How many airplanes do you see in the image above?
How many terminals do you see?
How many people do you think this airport can serve in a day?
How much would all those airplanes cost?
Why did they design the airport terminals like this?
Sometimes, the best thing we can do to understand a problem is taking a step back and looking at it from a different approach. In The Daily Overview, you get a stunning satellite image of a new place around the world, all for free. In the image above, you are looking at Chicago O'Haire International Airport, an incredibly busy and large hub for travel, both domestic and international. Even better than asking these questions, find out what questions your child(ren) have after taking a minute or two to analyze it.
For more images like this, head over to www.dailyoverview.com/fiftyseven and explore the site. Maybe it isn't a math conversation that starts up, and that's completely fine. If we can give our children a different perspective, they might just begin taking a large-scale approach to other problems that they face as well.
So here's a way to report back: what questions did you and your family come up with? Did you find out any solutions to those questions? Share them by emailing them back to me, posting them onto Twitter, or sharing them on the Table Talk Math Facebook page.


Developmental delay and autism both present a major set of obstacles to overcome. A person is not as able to process information as quickly as someone else. The world is difficult to navigate for an autistic child. There are so many challenges to overcome.
In addition to these two challenges, we are now dealing with Huntington's Disease, and Alan, who is 33 is deteriorating at an alarming rate. He doesn't eat unless someone sits with him to encourage eating, can't follow many commands, cannot shower or shave without help, and can't understand why. He sits and cries because he is weak and feels that the people who care for him are somehow causing the weakness. We explain, but he looks at us blankly.
I am sure there are other families walking this road, and I hope we can find them at some point. No, it won't make the journey any less painful, but sharing the struggles will be helpful.


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PHOTO: David Wallace on Flickr
The Belt and Road Initiative in Australia
What does China really want from all this?
Jon (Yuan) Jiang
Development, Government and governance, Trade and industry, International relations | Australia, Asia, East Asia
The influence of the Belt and Road Initiative is far more complex than international commentators have made it seem, Jon (Yuan) Jiang writes.
Australia's awkward job of straddling the two great powers of its region, the United States and China, is always the subject of much discussion, and this has been exacerbated in recent times by growing Sino-American rivalry. While claiming to strike a balance in supporting its closest ally and maintaining a productive relationship with one of its largest trading partners, strained Sino-Australian relations suggest that Beijing could believe Australia is leaning away from its influence.
As part of this, China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has become a focal point of Australia's 'China choice.' The Australian Government has only agreed to do BRI work in third countries, they have chosen not to do the same on Australian soil, declaring that BRI projects in Australia would not serve the country's 'national interest'.
In turn, the two BRI Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) that the Victorian Government has signed with Beijing regardless of this federal perspective have been fiercely criticised. United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently threatened that the United States would 'simply disconnect' from Australia in public because of the potential risks the Victorian BRI deal may bring.
Regardless of its outcomes, it's clear that the BRI and these MOUs are becoming a hotbed of debate in Australia. But is that fair, and are parts of the overall picture are missing?
Answering this question means more carefully considering the BRI and its strategic intentions. As many scholars have suggested, this could include reinforcing other countries' dependence on Chinese economic power, which could strengthen its ability to coerce them in times of escalating conflict. While this is a popular view, it is not the whole picture.
The truth is that the BRI in its current form is neither well defined nor well designed and faces many shortcomings. For instance, various provincial governments within China have begun to essentially derail Beijing's economic cooperation and peaceful development narrative.
One thing that is important about this is that not all of China is in agreement about how the BRI can be used to provide benefit to the community. But, even more crucially, it shows how decentralised the BRI actually is. Some provincial governments, for instance, simply talk of a 'bridgehead' that only vaguely alludes to a sense of growing military power. Others have conversely gone as far as to claim the BRI will restore China's 'historical glory', recalling the ancient tribute system.
More on this: Belt and Road: What's in it for China?
This is not just a matter of public discussion either. Chinese state-owned enterprises are the main participants in the BRI, but many of these are actually owned by local arms of the Chinese state, rather than the central government.
This means that BRI enterprises' interests are sometimes more aligned with seeing benefits to a local government than they are with the central government in Beijing.
This is just one example to show that the BRI is not a homogenous, cohesively executed masterplan. Instead, it is a constantly evolving and ambiguously defined network of governments and enterprises, with sometimes clashing, and sometimes overlapping interests.
That said, this makes the BRI inherently more flexible than onlookers might think. From digital and environmental developments to more recent advances in the realms of health delivery and space infrastructure, the BRI endlessly produces novel and adaptive development ideas.
This raises a crucial question. If the BRI is not actually under the total control of the central government, why does that government push it so much?
Besides its well-acknowledged considerations of economic development and improved stability, the BRI has roots in China's domestic politics, a point which has been largely ignored in the international media.
More on this: Just how efficient is China's Belt and Road?
The BRI's brand is linked strongly with the personal brand of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who put forward the idea in Kazakhstan and Indonesia in 2013. In fact, a database of Xi Jinping's Important Speeches records President Xi mentioning the BRI 1,653 times from 7 February 2014 to 23 August 2019, at an average of more than once a day.
This means it is possible to argue that the political success of President Xi, and therefore the party, is now bonded with the BRI for the Chinese public.
Even more crucially, in 2017, the BRI was incorporated into the Party Constitution in the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party, tightly securing the fate of the party's legitimacy to the success of the program.
This shows that the BRI is not a temporary phenomenon, or a simple policy framework being used as a means to execute a separate end like 'debt-trap diplomacy', but a program that is being perpetuated specifically for its own sake, and clearly intended to last beyond any one presidency or political goal.
To an authoritarian government like China's, party legitimacy is key. This means the BRI must succeed, even if its success is only nominal.
So, what does this mean for Australia? For a start, the Victorian government's MOUs are not legally binding and very vague, and if viewed from this angle of Chinese domestic politics, can be understood more completely than simply as China attempting to extend its economic influence.
Given the plans in the MOUs were 'practically meaningless' in economic terms, federal outrage at their signing is foolish. If anything, Chinese diplomats, who understood that the plans were economically unimportant, may feel slapped in the face for what was essentially an attempt to impress their bosses back home.
T his would be especially true for Chinese top officials such as Premier Li Keqiang, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and former Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, who came to Australia to accomplish something about the BRI but achieved nothing.
What criticism of the MOUs fails to understand is that for Chinese diplomats, they are essentially a sort of key performance indicator, which relates to their promotion of the BRI's 'success' to their Chinese domestic audience, who now view such success as central to the party's legitimacy.
As one commentator helpfully pointed out, these MOUs were not signed so that China could entrench its economic might in Port Melbourne, but so that diplomats can go home to their superiors and say 'Look boss, we have just signed another country to our initiative, I'll get started on the press release'.
Ultimately, any discussion of Australia's role in the BRI should understand its ties to government legitimacy in China, and that deals are likely to be important to Chinese officials as symbolic concessions that countries in the region are tacitly supporting the initiative, rather than significant for their economic influence here. This doesn't mean Australia should simply accept them, but if policymakers can remember this about the BRI, they have a better chance at making clear-headed judgments about such agreements going forward.
Jon (Yuan) Jiang is a PhD student currently studying at the Queensland University of Technology, Australia. He is affiliated with the QUT Digital Media Research Centre, and his research is currently focused on the Belt and Road Initiative.
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