The Three Kingdoms period of ancient China (208-280 AD) refers to the period  between Eastern Han (25–220 AD) and Jin dynasties (266–420), during which China was divided into Shu (221-263 AD), Wei  (220-266 AD) and Wu (222-280 AD) kingdoms, and then united as Jin dynasty. This paper constructs the quarterly series of alliance structures between the Three Kingdoms. By collecting and analyzing a total of two hundred and eighty-nine quarterly observations, the paper shows that the three most frequent alliance structures are ρ0: 1) the finest partition or no-alliance structure with 192 partitions; 2) Three partitions with Shu-Jin alliance and Wu singletion with 57 partions; 3) Wei-Wu alliance and one singletion Shu with 12 partions. It also shows that the observed changes in alliance structures were the consequence of a total of fifteen major battles fought by the three kingdoms. Such results serve as a contribution to the studies of applied game theory, alliance study, and the economic and military histories in ancient China.

The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between the exogenous variables (administrative support, career placement & employability, academic staff support, institutional factors, and information systems) as service delivery quality dimensions with satisfaction and moderating variable (academic and social integration) between endogenous variables (satisfaction and retention) among undergraduate students from Malaysian private higher education institutions. In order to accomplish the objectives proposed with hypotheses, a model reflecting the relationship between service delivery quality dimensions and satisfaction moderated by academic and social integration towards retention is applied. This empirical study focused on probability-stratified random sampling with a final sample size of 309 students. This study achieved statistically significant positive results by emphasizing academic and social integration as a moderating variable to achieve student retention by linking Perceived Performance Theory and Tinto’s Interactionist Theory from satisfaction to retention. Evaluation of the structural model on the coefficient of determination for the model’s predictive accuracy in this study produced an R² = 0.85 for satisfaction, suggesting nearly 85% of the variance in endogenous latent construct satisfaction is explained by all the service delivery quality dimensions linked to it. As for retention produced R² = 0.74, suggesting nearly 74% of the variance in endogenous latent construct retention is explained by all the service delivery quality dimensions linked together with satisfaction and academic and social integration as moderator. The model has a substantial effect with 0.76 in the Goodness-of-Fit index, indicating that the model has better explaining power.

The use of firearms, their frequency, and legitimacy through self-defence and extreme necessity are socially relevant in Czechia and Slovakia. Legal firearm ownership for defence purposes impacts overall social security, influenced by factors like firearm legislation, cultural traditions, legal awareness, and violent crime rates. Understanding this issue requires considering subjective interpretations, even among security experts. This paper explores the theoretical foundations of self-defence and extreme necessity from criminal law, alongside practical implications supported by police statistics on violent crimes involving firearms in Czechia and Slovakia. It also includes a comparison with selected EU countries. The authors’ research uses a questionnaire to assess attitudes towards choosing defensive firearms, preparation for firearms licensure, and potential support for state security forces. The findings provide insights into legal firearm owners’ behaviours and attitudes toward defence and security. The study aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of firearm use for self-defence, correlating training, weapon preferences, and willingness to enhance state security.

This study aims to determine the extent of gender inequality in human resource development in Indonesia against Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). This research using secondary data from various relevant sources. There are five dimensions that and are important for measuring gender equality, namely economic participation, economic opportunities, political empowerment, educational attainment, and health and welfare. The assessment was carried out on Indonesia and other countries in Southeast Asia. The results of the study show that Indonesia has the lowest gender development index (GDI) score compared to the average in ASEAN. Then, gender empowerment measure (GEM) Indonesia increased slowly. The most striking gap is in the income dimension, where men’s income far exceeds women’s income. This happens because women work less than men because women are more traditional in domestic roles in Indonesia, where women are prioritized in managing the household. However, for political indicators, there has been an increase in the number of women in parliament, but the target has not yet reached 30 percent of the total number of women in parliament. This situation shows that there is a reduction in the gender gap in the economy and politics. But the number is still too small, it is necessary to increase the equally distributed equivalent percentage (EDEP) for the Economic Participation Index, Parliamentary Representation Index and Income Index.

Women play a pivotal role in national development, and it is essential for every country to harness their skills to promote economic growth and comprehensive development. The purpose of the current study is to analyze and evaluation the impact of the most recent legislatives and legal reforms in the Saudi Arabia laws in the women’s empowering and economic growth. In addition, the research method is used is analyzing laws, regulations, and reports documents related to women rights in Saudi Arabia to clarify its impact on the women’s empowerments and economic developments. The study’s results indicate a significant and positive impact of recent legal and legislative reforms in Saudi Arabia on women’s empowerment and economic growth. Legal reforms have expanded employment opportunities and fostered entrepreneurship among women, resulting in increased workforce participation and a rise in women-owned businesses. Social empowerment has been enhanced through greater autonomy and improved access to education and vocational training, equipping women with competitive skills. Additionally, reforms have facilitated women’s participation in governance that creating a safer and more equitable environment. These changes have contributed positively to the economic incomes and diversification that reflecting the efforts undertaken by the Kingdom to enhance women’s empowerment and ensure the sustainability of reforms to achieve the ambitious goals of the Kingdome Vision 2030.

European commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, told Le Journal du Dimanche in January 2022, “Existing nuclear plants alone will need 50 billion euros of investment from now until 2030. And new generation ones will need 500 billion”. This paper considers whether these values are realistic. Further, it asks whether these investments would yield an internationally competitive European nuclear power infrastructure given that the nuclear power industries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development member countries have lost global nuclear market share to Russian and Chinese firms since 1995.The paper investigates whether the European nuclear industry even with massive investment can compete with the Chinese nuclear industries. It concludes that the European (in particular, the French) nuclear power industry will be unlikely to be cost competitive with the Chinese nuclear power industry unless financing and new plant orders are immediately forthcoming. To achieve carbon neutrality, the issue becomes whether European Union countries can afford indigenous nuclear technologies or will need to import nuclear power plants from Asia.