DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ China Rounds Up 31,000 Suspects in Sweeping ‘Pig-Butchering’ Crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Feliz Solomon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Many of the suspects were swept up in raids in Myanmar, in territories controlled by rebel armies, warlords and narcotics traffickers. Photo: Associated PressFor months, China has tried to break up cybercrime syndicates that operate from shadowy compounds across the border in neighboring countries and swindle people around the world. The scammers call the fraud “pig-butchering”: They “fatten” victims by gaining their trust online, convince them to transfer large sums of money and then “butcher” them by absconding with the loot.

Persons: fatten Locations: Myanmar, China

☆ China Unleashes Crackdown on ‘Pig Butchering.’ (It Isn’t What You Think.)
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Feliz Solomon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

It’s called “pig butchering.”Armies of scammers operating from lawless corners of Southeast Asia—often controlled by Chinese crime bosses—connect with people all over the world through online messages. They foster elaborate, sometimes romantic, relationships, and then coax their targets into making bogus investments. Over time, they make it appear that the investments are growing to get victims to send more money. Then, they disappear.

Persons: It’s Locations: Southeast Asia

Forest City has since been referred to as a “ghost city,” like the megadevelopments across China that were built on big dreams but never completed. Country Garden Pacificview rejected the moniker, saying more than 80% of residential units have been sold. But most of them appear to have been bought as investments and no one lives in them.

Persons: Pacificview Locations: Forest, ”, China

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/the-100-billion-luxury-complex-thats-sitting-empty-and-unfinished-9eee134a

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ Feliz Solomon — Reporter at The Wall Street Journal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Feliz Solomon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Feliz SolomonFeliz Solomon covers Southeast Asia for The Wall Street Journal. Based in Singapore, she reports on political, economic and social developments throughout the region. Feliz has worked in Asia for more than a decade and joined the Journal in 2019. She previously lived in Hong Kong, Myanmar and Thailand, where she began her career as an editor for Burmese journalists who operated in exile to evade censorship in their home country. Prior to joining the Journal, she worked for Time Magazine covering current events including Hong Kong’s anti-extradition protests, the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar and the Thai cave rescue.

Persons: Feliz, Hong Kong’s Organizations: The Wall Street, U.S, Time Magazine Locations: Feliz Solomon, Southeast Asia, Singapore, Myanmar, Asia, China, Hong Kong, Thailand

☆ Thailand Picks a New Leader, Opening Door for U.S. to Revive Key Alliance
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Feliz Solomon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/thailand-picks-a-new-leader-opening-door-for-u-s-to-revive-key-alliance-60c6f429

Persons: Dow Jones, 60c6f429 Locations: asia, thailand

☆ Water Cannons and Lasers: South China Sea Standoff Around World War II-Era Ship Heats Up
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Feliz Solomon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/water-cannons-and-lasers-south-china-sea-standoff-around-world-war-ii-era-ship-heats-up-6d24d8d0

Persons: Dow Jones Locations: asia

☆ 540 Days at CIA Black Sites. 18 Years at Guantanamo Without Charge. Hundreds of Paintings, Now Out in The World.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Feliz Solomon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In the early days of America’s war on terror, U.S. authorities detained Ahmed Rabbani thinking he was someone else. They soon realized their mistake but later said he himself had facilitated terrorists. After 18½ years at Guantanamo Bay, he stepped off a plane in Pakistan in February—a free but broken man. Years of hunger strikes and force feeding have left him unable to eat most solid food. “If I fall asleep, I wake back up immediately.”

Persons: Ahmed Rabbani, Rabbani, “, ” Locations: Guantanamo, Pakistan

☆ Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi, Serving 33-Year Sentence, Gets Surprise Partial Pardon
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Feliz Solomon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/myanmars-aung-san-suu-kyi-serving-33-year-sentence-gets-surprise-partial-pardon-74eae973

Persons: Dow Jones, 74eae973

☆ A $6 Billion China-Built Railway Is on the Move With a Vast New Network Down the Track
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Feliz Solomon | Photographs Lauren Decicca For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-grand-vision-for-a-vast-rail-network-transforms-a-neighboring-country-17f067cc

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ China’s Grand Vision for a Vast Rail Network Transforms a Neighboring Country
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Feliz Solomon | Photos Lauren Decicca For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-grand-vision-for-a-vast-rail-network-transforms-a-neighboring-country-17f067cc

Persons: Dow Jones

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/worlds-biggest-tourism-spenders-arent-travelingand-may-not-for-years-3195de39

☆ Young, Harvard-Educated Politician Shakes Up Thailand’s Old Guard
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Feliz Solomon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Move Forward is led by businessman-turned-politician Pita Limjaroenrat, a 42-year-old popular with young voters. Photo: Sakchai Lalit/Associated PressThree years ago, a small upstart political party emerged as the voice of a new generation of Thailand’s progressive youth, taking on the country’s powerful military and monarchy. Few predicted it would rapidly rise to the top. In elections Sunday, Move Forward left behind all its competitors to become the largest party in the lower house of parliament, eclipsing even the military’s longstanding political rival, the opposition Pheu Thai Party, which is led by the influential Shinawatra family.

☆ An Extraordinary Mission to Find an American WWII Bomber Crew at the Bottom of the Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Feliz Solomon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

SINGAPORE—In the spring of 1944, Second Lt. Thomas V. Kelly Jr.’s mother received a one-page letter at her home in Livermore, Calif., informing her that her son was killed in action. His plane was hit by antiaircraft fire and disintegrated midair during a mission in New Guinea, his commander wrote. “Unfortunately this is the only information we can furnish,” the letter read.

☆ Thai Voters Back Pro-Democracy Parties in Blow to Military
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Feliz Solomon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat said Sunday the party’s success surpassed his expectations. Photo: jack taylor/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesThailand’s pro-democracy parties emerged as the biggest winners in nationwide elections held on Sunday—a repudiation of the pro-military establishment that has kept a grip on power since a coup in 2014. Move Forward, a relatively new party popular among progressive young voters, won 151 seats out of 500 in the Lower House of Parliament. Pheu Thai, a party linked to a political movement that has long been the army’s chief rival, came in second with 141 seats. Despite its weak showing, the military could still have a say in who forms the next government.

☆ Thailand Pro-Democracy Candidates Push to Break Military Grip in Election
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Feliz Solomon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A Pheu Thai party supporter wearing a cap with a photo of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Photo: rungroj yongrit/EPA/ShutterstockMillions of Thais are set to vote in nationwide elections Sunday that pit the country’s pro-military establishment, which has kept a grip on power for almost a decade, against pro-democracy opposition forces seeking to retake control. Thailand has for years weathered political turmoil, becoming a symbol of democratic decline, according to foes of the government. After leading a 2014 coup, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan -ocha, a former army leader, oversaw the writing of a new constitution that was widely seen as a tool to give the military electoral legitimacy. It paved the way for Mr. Prayuth to become the country’s elected prime minister after the last national vote in 2019.

☆ ‘That’s Just Crazy’: The Metropolis Where Rents Rise 60%, 75%, Even 100%
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Feliz Solomon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Soaring residential rents are weighing on Singapore’s bid to overtake Hong Kong as Asia’s premier financial hub. Photo: how hwee young/ShutterstockSINGAPORE—In February, five months before the lease was up on her Singapore condo, Sally Shoult asked her real-estate agent to delicately sound out the landlord about renewing. Then she braced for impact. “I’d been hearing horror stories,” says Mrs. Shoult, a 39-year-old freelance copywriter from the U.K. “I was of two minds about whether I should even ask.”

☆ The Metropolis Where Rents Rise 60%, 75%, Even 100%
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Feliz Solomon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Chinese Rocket Debris Showers Intrigue on a Remote Fishing Village
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Feliz Solomon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

POBLACION, Philippines—The skies over the island of Mindoro are usually undisturbed, and many villagers push off around 3 a.m. to stake out the best fishing spots before first light. Andryan Pelayo returns most days with styrofoam coolers full of grouper. On an early morning in November, he spotted an unusual catch bobbing in the water—a 20-foot long piece of metal. “My first thought was, ‘This is worth some money,’” the 30-year-old fisherman recalls.

India is monitoring a strategically located island in the Bay of Bengal over concerns China could be involved in a buildup of infrastructure there, including an expanded airstrip, aircraft hangars, a pier and a dome that protects radar equipment, Indian security officials said. Satellite images captured over a decade show the gradual buildup on Myanmar’s Great Coco Island, which lies north of an archipelago that hosts a significant Indian military presence, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In addition to the new infrastructure, equipment is visible at the site that could be used to track aircraft, one of the officials said.

☆ Myanmar Military’s Attack Leaves Village In Ruins, Strewn With Charred Human Remains
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Feliz Solomon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The aftermath of the attack on the central Myanmar village of Pa Zi Gyi. A day after Myanmar’s junta unleashed one its deadliest attacks since seizing power in a coup more than two years ago, Ko Nyan sorted through the charred remains of those who had perished, helping to count the dead. A military helicopter and two jet fighters flew over his central Myanmar village of Pa Zi Gyi on Wednesday, sending a chill through his spine, said the 40-year-old who survived the assault.

☆ Philippines Says Chinese Ship Flashed Military-Grade Laser to Disrupt Coast Guard Mission
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Feliz Solomon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

China’s coast guard used a military-grade laser to disrupt a resupply mission by the Philippines in the South China Sea, Philippine authorities said—the latest in a series of encounters that have raised tensions in the disputed waterway. The Philippine coast guard said in a statement Monday that Chinese coast guard vessels accompanied by boats belonging to China’s maritime militia created a blockade Feb. 6 around an atoll known as Second Thomas Shoal, which China also claims. The statement said the Chinese vessels deliberately prevented Philippine vessels from reaching an outpost there that has been a source of contention between the two nations in the past.

☆ Thailand Pins Hopes on Return of Long-Missed Chinese Tourists
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Feliz Solomon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

BANG BO, Thailand—When the buses stopped coming in early 2020, it wasn’t long before businesses began dropping like flies. Then the hot-pot place let its lease expire. Now, this cluster of three-star hotels near Thailand’s main international airport is coming back to life as China reopens its borders. Neatly uniformed staff at Chor Cher, a resort that catered almost exclusively to Chinese tourists, come to work daily even though all of its 389 rooms are still empty. The walls shimmer with a fresh coat of paint and new furniture is in place.

☆ U.S., Philippines Strike Military-Base Deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Feliz Solomon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The U.S. reached an agreement that gives it access to four more military bases in the Philippines, broadening Washington’s efforts to counter China’s influence and strengthening an alliance that a few years ago appeared in danger of collapse. The deal was announced Thursday during a visit to the Philippines by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin . The U.S. Department of Defense said the expanded access will strengthen the alliance and accelerate modernization of combined military capabilities.

☆ Sim Wong Hoo, Creator of Sound Blaster, Inspired Asian Tech Innovators
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Feliz Solomon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In the late 1990s, before Singapore was known as a global center of digital innovation, Sim Wong Hoo had a theory about what was holding his country back. Mr. Sim, who went on to become the city-state’s first tech billionaire, called it the “No U-Turn Syndrome,” or NUTS. In the U.S., he said, cars could turn around anywhere unless a sign told them not to. But in Singapore, drivers wouldn’t dare if it wasn’t expressly allowed. The “no rule, no do” mentality kept Singaporeans from thinking outside the box, he said.

Search resuls for: "Feliz Solomon"

25 mentions found