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☆ Powerball jackpot: Oregon trio revealed as winners of $1.3 billion
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Kaila Nichols | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —An Oregon man who says he’s been battling cancer for eight years and received chemotherapy just last week is among three winners of this month’s $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot. They will have a good life,” Cheng Saephan, 46, said Monday at an Oregon Lottery news conference. This win was also the largest Powerball prize won in Oregon. The winning ticket was sold at a Plaid Pantry convenience store in Portland, according to the Oregon Lottery. “She’s driving on the way to work,” Saephan said.

Persons: he’s, Cheng “ Charlie ” Saephan, Duanpen Saephan, Laiza Chao, Chao, “, ” Cheng Saephan, ” Saephan, ”, Saephan Organizations: CNN, Oregon Lottery, Plaid Pantry Locations: An Oregon, Oregon, Portland, Laos, Milwaukie , Oregon

☆ The cancer-stricken winner of the $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot in Oregon will get a $422 million lump-sum after taxes and says he'll keep playing the lottery
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewThe winner of Oregon's $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot is a 46-year-old Laos-born immigrant who opted to take his winnings in a lump-sum payment — meaning he'll get $422 million. AdvertisementThe total amount to be received by Saephan, his wife, and Chao is $422,309,193.97 after taxes, per the Oregon Lottery. Previously, the biggest Oregon jackpot was announced in 2005 and worth $340 million. The Oregon Lottery said ticket sales have since 1985 earned some $15.5 billion that goes toward parks, schools, veteran services, and other state expenses. AdvertisementThe biggest-ever lottery jackpot in the US was $2.05 billion, won by Edwin Castro in California in November 2022.

Persons: —, Cheng Saephan, he's, Saephan, who's, he'd, Laiza Chao, Chao, Edwin Castro Organizations: Service, Business, Oregon Lottery, Powerball Locations: Laos, Portland, Oregon, California, Texas , Arizona, Georgia , New Jersey, Maryland

☆ What’s Happening In Myanmar’s Civil War?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Hannah Beech | Weiyi Cai | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +16 min

RUSSIA CHINA INDIA Pacific Ocean MYANMAR INDONESIA Indian Ocean AUSTRALIA RUSSIA CHINA INDIA Pacific Ocean MYANMAR INDONESIA Indian Ocean AUSTRALIAWhat’s Happening In Myanmar’s Civil War? Parliamentary rule 1962 Military coup 1988 Nearly five decades of military rule Widespread pro-democracy protests followed by bloody military crackdown. National civil unrest 2021 Military coup ended power sharing with civilian government. Parliamentary rule Nearly five decades of military rule National civil unrest British colonial rule 1948 1988 1990 2007 2011 2021 1962 2015 Widespread pro-democracy protests followed by bloody military crackdown. National civil unrest 2021 Military coup ended power sharing with civilian government.

Persons: Adam Ferguson, Min Aung, Daw Aung, Suu Kyi, Aung, —, Tom Andrews, Chin, Rakhine Karen Mon Bamar, Kayan, Karen, Ms, hideouts Organizations: MYANMAR INDONESIA Indian Ocean, Insurgent, Council, Myanmar, 8th Battalion, Karenni Nationalities Defense Force, The New York Times, Senior, National Unity Government, People’s Defense Forces, Rebels, Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, Myanmar Peace Monitor, United Nations, General Administration Department, Union of, United, National Liberation Army Locations: RUSSIA CHINA, MYANMAR INDONESIA Indian Ocean AUSTRALIA RUSSIA CHINA, MYANMAR INDONESIA Indian, MYANMAR INDONESIA Indian Ocean AUSTRALIA, INDIA CHINA BANGLADESH Mandalay MYANMAR LAOS Naypyidaw Bay, Bengal Yangon THAILAND, INDIA CHINA Mandalay MYANMAR, Yangon THAILAND Bay, Bengal, Myanmar, Ukraine, Gaza, India, China, Karenni State, country’s, Suu, Myanmar’s, British, Sagaing Region, MYANMAR, Naypyidaw, Burma, United States, Rakhine, Thailand, Union, Union of Burma, Afghanistan

☆ What to see at the Venice Biennale 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Nicole Mowbray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —This week sees the opening of the Venice Biennale, an 8-month-long festival of art and culture staged every other year. For 2024 — the show’s 60th iteration — Brazilian curator Adriano Pedrosa has chosen the topic of “Foreigners Everywhere,” and announced an intention to spotlight artists from diverse and historically marginalized backgrounds. With the main event running from April 20 to November 24 2024, here’s our pick of what to see if you’re headed to Venice. “Willem de Kooning e l’Italia” — Willem de KooningThe show at Gallerie dell’Accademia will include 75 Willem de Kooning works, including "Screams of Children Come from Seagulls (Untitled XX)," 1975. Yoo Youngkuk Art FoundationThe first exhibition in Europe of one of Korea’s most influential artists, including many works never exhibited before outside Korea.

Persons: Adriano Pedrosa, ”, Pedrosa, —, you’re, “ Willem de Kooning, Willem de Kooning, Kooning, Gallerie, Nick, Berlinde De, Abbazia, Ewa Juszkiewicz Juszkiewicz, Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, Palazzo, Palazzo Cavanis, Ai, Peter Hujar, della, Carolina, Marcel Duchamp, Franchetti, Cindy Sherman, Louise Bourgeois, Sarah Lucas, Irving Penn, Palazzo Franchetti, Marco “, Zoe Saldana, Marco Perego, Corita, Maurizio Cattelan, Pope Francis, Inuuteq Storch, Louise Wolthers, “, John Akomfrah, John Akmofrah, Yoo, Yoo Youngkuk, Stampalia, M.F, Husain, Picasso, Viktoria Bavykina, Max Gorbatskyi, Ai Weiwei Ai Weiwei, Ela Bialkowska, Ai Weiwei, Palazzo Smith, Koo Jeong, Koo, Rick Lowe, Lowe's, Lowe Organizations: CNN, Venice Biennale, Palazzo, Sun, Danish, British, Bangkok Art Biennale Foundation Locations: Venice, Italy, “, Refuge, ” City, San Giorgio Maggiore, San, New York, Santa, San Marco, Marco, Giudecca, Corita Kent, American, Greenland, Europe, Korea, India, Sale, Ukraine, Continua, Bangkok, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Singapore, Houston

☆ I tried gourmet food prepared from chicken feathers. Here’s how it’s made – and what it tasted like
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Leah Collins | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But when I discovered a London-based project turning discarded chicken feathers into edible proteins, I admit I was skeptical. The company behind the project, Kera Protein Ltd., has a unique approach to its lab-produced protein product. Since then, he and his business partner, Tom Washington, have delved into the issue of waste management - focusing particularly on chicken feathers. To make the food we tried, Kera extracted feathers from discarded chicken carcasses in partnership with a local farm. “We hope to revolutionize the way people view chicken feathers, demonstrating their potential as a valuable resource rather than just a dirty by-product.”

Persons: London CNN — I’m, it’s, Tom Washington, It’s, Kittibanthorn, Nathan “ Phayu ” Brown, “, ”, Leah Collins, Chef Brown, Brown, Kera Organizations: CNN, London CNN, Kera Protein Ltd, Central Saint Martins, Kera Protein, Protein, Soil Association, Novel Locations: London, Kera, Thailand, Laos, Thai, Washington

☆ Mexican drug gangs ‘increasingly targeting’ Australia as meth supplies overtake rivals, police say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Drug cartels from North America have overtaken rivals in Southeast Asia to become Australia’s top suppliers of methamphetamine, police said, warning that Mexican gangs are “increasingly targeting” the country. Meanwhile, Southeast Asian meth fell to less than 15% of seizures of the drug, a highly addictive and potent stimulant. A wastewater detection program led by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission projected meth to be Australia’s second most used drug. In 2022, authorities stopped 1.8 tons of liquid meth masquerading as coconut water in Hong Kong before it reached Australia. They were bound for New Zealand, Australia and the surrounding Pacific region, police said.

Persons: Jared Taggart, Taggart, ”, Sam Gor, Terry Goldsworthy, Criminologist John Fitzgerald, Masood Karimipour Organizations: CNN —, Australian Federal Police, Police, ”, Australian Institute of Health, Welfare, Australian Criminal Intelligence, AFP, Bond University, Australian Capital Territory, University of Melbourne, Drugs, New Zealand police, Southeast, Pacific, United Nations Office Locations: North America, Southeast Asia, Australia, AFP, Mexico, United States, Canada, ” Australia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Japan , New Zealand, Hong Kong, Asia, Pacific, Queensland, American, Europe, Ukraine, New Zealand

☆ I've traveled to 9 out of 10 countries in Southeast Asia. Here are the 5 biggest mistakes I made along the way.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Going during monsoon season and not planning for the weather. Bangkok during the monsoon season. Marielle DescalsotaIn July, I traveled to Thailand on a reporting trip to cover the budding cannabis industry. I didn't plan for the weather, so I didn't have an umbrella or poncho with me and had to rush to get one at the last minute. This is a common occurrence in countries like Laos, Thailand, and the island of Borneo, which is shared between Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Persons: Marielle Descalsota Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Chakkrawat, Southeast Asia, Philippines, Laos, Borneo, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia

☆ Gangs netting up to $3 trillion a year as Southeast Asia human trafficking becomes a global crisis, Interpol says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Human trafficking-fueled fraud is exploding in Southeast Asia with organized crime rings raking in close to $3 trillion in illicit revenue annually, the head of Interpol has said in comments that reveal the huge profits being earned by cartels. One international organized crime group makes $50 billion a year, according to Interpol secretary-general Jurgen Stock, adding that $2 trillion to $3 trillion of illicit money flows through the global financial system annually. While drug trafficking contributes around 40% to 70% of organized crime income, criminal groups are also using those smuggling networks to illegally move humans, arms and stolen products among other things, Stock said. Criminal enterprises also exist in Laos, Thailand and the Philippines, with many of the lucrative online scam operations ranging from illegal gambling, to love scams and crypto fraud. Beijing has pressed Myanmar’s military government to rein in the scam operations, but with limited success.

Persons: Jurgen Stock, Stock, ” Stock, Human Rights Volker Turk Organizations: CNN, Interpol, International Monetary Fund, Covid, ”, “, United Nations, UN, Human Rights, Philippine News Agency Locations: Southeast Asia, Singapore, Asia, United States, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Philippines, China –, Beijing, China, Manila, what’s, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong

BANGKOK (AP) — Vietnamese automaker VinFast announced Tuesday that it plans to sell its electric vehicles in Thailand and said it had tied up with auto dealers to open showrooms in the country. VinFast, which only began exporting its EVs last year, faces stiff competition in Thailand from Chinese automakers like BYD. The Thai EV market is small but growing fast, buoyed by incentives and subsidies from the government. VinFast hopes to start selling both its electric scooters and electric SUVs in the country in the next two months, Vu Dang Yen Hang, chief executive officer of VinFast Thailand, told The Associated Press. But the EV market remains small, accounting for only 0.5% of EV sales worldwide in 2022.

Persons: VinFast, Tesla, Vu Dang, Hang, Pham Nhat Vuong, EVs, Vuong Organizations: Thai EV, Associated Press, Research, EV, Green SM, Nasdaq, General Motors Corp, Ford Motor Co, AP Locations: BANGKOK, Thailand, Bangkok, Thai, EVs, Southeast Asia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Ukraine, United States, North Carolina, India, Laos, U.S

☆ China is trying to connect Southeast Asia by high-speed rail. Here’s how that’s going
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Imagine jumping on a train in southwestern China, traveling some 2,000 miles and arriving in Singapore – less than 30 hours later. Southeast Asia is the “obvious” choice because of its “proximity to China,” Bowerman adds. “Beijing, I think, ultimately wants to see Southeast Asian countries within its sphere of geopolitical influence. A staff member waits for passengers to board the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train during a week-long public trial phase at the Halim station in Jakarta on September 17, 2023. “In the example of a high-speed railway line between Malaysia and Singapore, Singapore would likely have just one stop – Malaysia would have more,” Wong told CNN.

Persons: China’s, Gary Bowerman, ” Bowerman, ”, Pon Souvannaseng, Peerapon Boonyakiat, Bowerman, Pan Wenbo, Pan, Mei Wei, Wei, “ I’m, Xi Jinping’s, Souvannaseng, Hong Kong –, Hong Kong’s, Yasuyoshi Chiba, Wong Muh Rong, ” Wong Organizations: CNN, Initiative, China Railway, Reuters, East Japan Railway Co, Malaysian, Bentley University, of, Communist Party, Laos Railway, Laos Railway cumulatively, Orient Express, Getty Locations: China, Singapore, Asia, Laos, Kunming, Vientiane –, Indonesia, Jakarta, Bandung, West Java, Thailand, Bangkok, Thai, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Southeast Asia, “ China, Peerapon, Cities, Penang, Malacca, Phuket Old Town, Beijing, Vietnam, Philippines, Cambodia, Wat, Siem Reap, ”, Kowloon, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Halim, AFP, “

☆ With eyes on China, US special operators are back to battling the jungle
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

With the potential for a conflict with China in the Indo-Pacific looming ever larger in the background, the US special operations community is focusing more and more on jungle operations. A Marine Raider with Marine Forces Special Operations Command traverses a river during a jungle mobility course, Aug. 4, 2023. A Marine Raider with Marine Forces Special Operations Command navigates a single rope bridge during a jungle mobility course, Aug. 4, 2023. A history of jungle operationsUS commandos have a long history of conducting jungle operations. AdvertisementToday, as the US attempts to redirect its focus to the Indo-Pacific amid steadily rising tensions between the US and China, it looks like jungle operations are back on the menu for the US special operations community.

Persons: —, Cpl, Henry Rodriguez, skillsets, Cody Carroll, I've Organizations: Service, Pacific, Marine Raiders, Business, Tactical Tracking, Raider, Marine Forces Special Operations Command, . Marine Corps, Marine Forces Special, Command, Alamo Scouts, Military Assistance Command Vietnam, MACV, SOG, North, Vietcong, White, Pentagon, Green Berets, Navy, Force Recon, Air Commandos Locations: East, China, Oahu, Hawaii, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Vietnam, Asia, Laos, Cambodia, South Vietnam

☆ Thousands, Some in Trance, Pay Homage to Sacred Thai Tattoo Master
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( March | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The gathering at Wat Bang Phra Buddhist temple is part of a Thai Wai Khru ritual where devotees pay homage to Luang Phor Pern, the temple's formal abbot, who died in 2002. He had a reputation for refining and popularizing the temple's Sak Yant tattoo style. The idea that tattoos confer magical powers has existed in many parts of Asia for thousands of years. The tattoos' magical power were on display during the ceremony where some devotees were in a trance state, or were shouting, running and had to be held back. "I was almost shot once, but the bullet didn't come out," he said, adding that the incident made him a believer of the tattoo's magical power.

Persons: Artorn Pookasook, Sak Yant, Luang, Petcharat Mothin, Monk Tuk, Napat Wesshasartar, Panu, Clelia Oziel Locations: PATHOM, Bangkok, Thai, Asia, Cambodia, Laos

☆ The North Korean refugees sold to Chinese husbands
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

China considers North Korean refugees to be economic migrants, and forcibly deports them back to North Korea – where, as alleged defectors, they face imprisonment, possible torture or worse, activists say. During that period, she also met other North Korean refugees in the same situation – with their status public knowledge in the village, she said. According to the KFI report, the buying of a North Korean wife is “always known to the local community” but rarely reported to authorities. The other North Korean refugees she’d met in town had connections to brokers who could help them escape, while church organizations and non-profit groups discreetly helped raise funds for the journey. Brokers who remain have raised their prices due to increased risks and surveillance, while newcomers to the business are inexperienced, making it a risky gamble for North Korean refugees.

Persons: South Korea CNN — Chae, –, she’s, Yoonjung Seo, She’d, didn’t, “, ”, Chae, ” didn’t, Kim Jeong Ah, Kim, she’d, we’ll, ” Chae, Seo, Unification Ministry –, She’s, – she’s Organizations: South Korea CNN, North, CNN, North Korea –, Korea Future Initiative, KFI, US State Department, Human Rights Watch, Female North, United Nations, Liberty, Korean, Koreans, Unification Ministry, Brokers Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, China, Laos, Thailand, North Korean, Hebei, Beijing, London, Korea, Korean, North, ”, South, South Koreans

☆ I can't visualize or recall images. I make a living traveling the world and take photos to preserve my memories.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Courtesy of Kate BoardmanI've always enjoyed sharing my adventures and experiences, and capturing my life through photos and videos to show the world. Kate Boardman at the summit of Mt. AdvertisementGenerally, I feel quite safe when I'm traveling. Kate Boardman in Australia. Courtesy of Kate BoardmanThrough my content, I hope to show people that the world is not a scary place.

Persons: —, Kate Boardman, There's, I've, Kate Boardman I've, It's, Aphantasia, Boardman, Chiang Rai, You've, I'm, it's Organizations: Service, Business, Roger Williams University, White Locations: Massachusetts, Vietnam, Australia, Guatemala, Bahrain, Germany, France, Thailand, Indonesia, Luang Prabang, Laos, Mexico, Cancun, Rio Dulce , Guatemala, Rhode Island, Bali, Cambodia, Mt, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, Iran, Pink Lake, Kate Boardman Vietnam, Italy, Krabi, I'm

☆ Singapore brokered a deal with Taylor Swift, so she wouldn't take the Eras Tour to other Southeast Asian countries. Now, a Philippines lawmaker is calling it out.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Eve Crosbie | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewThere's a feud between Singapore and neighboring government officials — and it's all down to Taylor Swift. "Some $3 million in grants were allegedly given by the Singapore government to AEG to host the concert in Singapore. AdvertisementFans of US singer Taylor Swift arrive for the first of the pop star's six sold-out Eras Tour concerts at the National Stadium in Singapore on March 2, 2024. Taylor Swift performs at the National Stadium on March 2, 2024 in Singapore. He claimed he was told the Singapore government offered $2 million to $3 million per show in exchange for exclusivity.

Persons: —, Taylor Swift, Joey Salceda, Swift, Salceda, Rosland Rahman, Ashok Kumar, Srettha Thavisin, Angel Zhong Organizations: Service, Business, Philippines, Department of Foreign Affairs, Singapore, AEG, The Straits Times, Getty, GMA Network, Association of South East Asian Nations, Sky News, BBC News, CNA, Finance, RMIT University, Forbes Locations: Singapore, Philippines, Southeast Asia, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Bangkok, Thailand

☆ Delivery Hero ends talks to sell Foodpanda in Southeast Asia after months of negotiations
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Insulated food bags branded with the logo of Foodpanda, a meal-delivery service operated by Delivery Hero, sit at the company's operations center in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, March 16, 2018. German food delivery giant Delivery Hero announced it has ended negotiations with an undisclosed third party regarding the potential sale of its Foodpanda business in selected Southeast Asian markets, where it is attempting to downsize. In a press release on Wednesday, Delivery Hero said the relevant parties failed to agree on the terms. "The decision to terminate negotiations after months of discussions was taken after careful consideration," said Niklas Östberg, CEO and co-founder of Delivery Hero. Just last week, Östberg said he was happy to hold onto the Foodpanda brand, after the German company's share price plunged on reports that negotiations to sell the Southeast Asian units had collapsed.

Persons: Niklas Östberg, Östberg Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos

☆ We've visited 50 states and 91 countries and almost always choose hotels over Airbnbs. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Initially, we were going to live in a golf community in Palm City, Florida, and also do some traveling. Courtesy of John and Beverly MartinJohn: When COVID hit, we realized we couldn't travel internationally. So we sold our house, bought the Airstream for $50,000, and visited all 50 states and 51 national parks in two years. John: After about a year, we started noticing we could stay at hotels for a similar price to the Airbnbs. Beverly: We've had some amazing stays, like a luxury hotel in Delhi.

Persons: —, John Martin, Beverly, Beverly Martin John, Bev, Beverly Martin Beverly, John, We've, Airbnb, we're, We're, would've Organizations: Service, Beverly, Central America, The, YouTube, Kruger National Park Locations: United States, Palm City , Florida, Beverly, New Zealand, California, Florida, Greece, Panama, Sri Lanka, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Europe, Central, Asia, Norway, Albania, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Santorini, Hyatts, Laos, Delhi, South Africa, Victoria Falls, West Africa

☆ I traveled to 4 European countries via train, and I made 3 major mistakes along the way
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In early February, I went on a two-week trip to Europe, on a mission to travel to six countries — including four of them by train. Here are three major mistakes I made along the way, and what you can do to avoid them. While some train rides — like the one from Venice to Rome on the Italian train company Trenitalia — were empty, others were packed. Many European train routes have multiple stops, and passengers simply get on and off the train. At boarding, hundreds of passengers scrambled for a seat, while I struggled to hoist my massive bag up the train.

Persons: —, Marielle, Trenitalia Organizations: Service, Union, China Railway, SBB, Swiss, Südtiroler Platz Locations: Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Europe, Zurich, Rome, Freiburg, Breisgau, Innsbruck, Venice, Thailand, Laos, China, Vientiane, Swiss, Buchs, Southeast Asia, Budapest

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Nine members of the United Nations Security Council condemned “indiscriminate” airstrikes by Myanmar's military against civilians before an envoy briefed the council Monday as part of regional efforts to implement a peace plan that has so far been largely ineffective. Before the council meeting, nine of the 15 council members stood before reporters to support a statement read by Britain’s U.N. The United States pushed for an enforceable Security Council resolution to prevent Myanmar from getting jet fuel, the council diplomat said. According to the council diplomat, China, which has close ties to Myanmar, emphasized the need to give ASEAN's efforts time and space. Russia, which also has links to Myanmar, reiterated that the council shouldn’t be interfering in the country’s internal affairs.

Persons: Alounkeo Kittikhoun, —, Kittikhoun, Britain’s U.N, Barbara Woodward, Myanmar’s, Aung, Suu Kyi, United States —, Saleumxay Kommasith, Win Myint, U.N, Kyaw Moe Tun, Suu Kyi’s Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, United Nations Security Council, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Lao, Arakan Army, Bangladesh, Myanmar’s Border Guard Police, Democratic, Amnesty Locations: Myanmar, ASEAN, Laos, Suu, China, Ecuador, France, Japan, Malta, South Korea, Slovenia, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Thailand, Rakhine, Bangladesh, Arakan, U.S, Union, Vietnam, Russia

☆ A millennial couple moved from the UK to Thailand to build a $94,000 farmstead in the middle of nowhere. They love it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Amanda Goh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Moving to Thailand amid pandemic restrictionsBefore the move, the couple had considered buying property in the UK but realized they had limited options due to their budget. Ben/Life in ThailandUltimately, it made more sense for them to move to Thailand for the kind of lifestyle they wanted. Ben/Life in ThailandInstead of destroying his crop, the couple decided to give the farmer a couple of months to harvest. AdvertisementA lower cost of living than in the UKBen says that the cost of living in Thailand is much lower than in the UK. "It really documents not just the house build, but everything that we went through, including the horrendous flooding," Ben said.

Persons: —, Ben, Anna, we'd, Thailand There's, We've, It's Organizations: Service, Business, YouTube Locations: Thailand, Cumbria, Nong Bua, Laos, Ben

LUANG PRABANG, Laos (AP) — Landlocked Laos doesn't have the famous beaches of its neighbors to attract tourists, but instead relies on the pristine beauty of its mountains and rivers and historical sites to bring in visitors. The crown jewel is Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where legend has it that Buddha once rested during his travels. Nestled among the mountains of northern Laos, Luang Prabang was the capital from the 14th to the 16th century before it was moved to Vientiane. “This dam won't generate a lot of power for Laos, it's going to power new shopping malls in Bangkok,” Eyler said of the Luang Prabang project. “In isolation, the potential transboundary harmful effects due to the Luang Prabang hydropower project may not be substantial," the river commission said.

Persons: Buddha, it's, ”, Brian Eyler, Stimson, Eyler, ” Eyler, Philip Hirsch, “, you've, ” Hirsch, Vietnam —, Barbara Curti Organizations: UNESCO, Asia Program, Sustainability, ” UNESCO, Associated Press, Ministry of Information, Foreign Ministry, Heritage, Monitor, Sydney University, CBA, Commission Locations: LUANG PRABANG, Laos, Prabang, Southeast Asia, Washington, Luang Prabang, Luang, Paris, New Delhi, Vientiane, Vietnam, China, Kunming, Thailand, Stimson, Bangkok, British, Cambodia, Asia, asia

☆ ASEAN Foreign Ministers Back 'Myanmar-Owned and Led' Solution to Crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

(Reuters) - Southeast Asian foreign ministers on Monday pressed for an end to Myanmar's bloody crisis and expressed unity in their backing for an ASEAN peace plan and a "Myanmar-owned and led solution" to the conflict. The ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) were attending a retreat in Luang Prabang in Laos, which is chair this year of the 10-member bloc. In a statement, they also called for a cessation of hostilities in Myanmar to allow delivery of humanitarian aid, and concerning the South China Sea, urged a conducive environment for the furthering of talks towards a code of conduct between ASEAN and China. (Reporting by Martin Petty, editing by Ed Osmond)

Persons: Martin Petty, Ed Osmond Organizations: Reuters, ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations Locations: Myanmar, Luang Prabang, Laos, China

☆ South Korea says number of North Korean defectors nearly triples in 2023, including ‘elite’ diplomats
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Gawon Bae | Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —The number of North Korean defectors entering South Korea nearly tripled in 2023 compared to the previous two years, authorities said Thursday – including a higher number of youth and members of the North Korean elite. North Korea slammed its already tight borders shut in 2020, plunging the hermit nation into even greater isolation. Only 63 defectors entered South Korea in 2021, and 67 in 2022, according to government data. China, a close ally of Pyongyang, doesn’t consider North Korean defectors to be refugees, instead seeing them as illegal economic migrants. Once back in North Korea, defectors face possible torture, sexual violence, hard labor, imprisonment in political or re-education camps, or even execution by the North Korean state, according to activists.

Persons: ”, Kim, –, Kim Jong Un Organizations: South Korea CNN, North Korean, Korea’s Unification Ministry, Ministry, North, South, North Koreans, doesn’t Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, China, Russia, Pyongyang, North Korea’s, Laos, Myanmar, South Korean, Thailand, North, Korea, North Korean

☆ Malaysia’s last tigers: Why this rare image is giving conservationists hope
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“This image is the last image of the Malayan tiger — or it’s the first image of the return of the Malayan tiger,” he says. ‘A million-dollar shot’Regular camera traps — like the hundreds already used by the park’s scientists, researchers and conservationists — are typically the size of a large smartphone and activated by broad-range motion sensors. Rondeau's high-resolution camera traps included a DSLR camera in a waterproof casing. Emmanuel Rondeau, wildlife photographerBut there’s still more work to be done. As a keystone species, tigers are essential to a healthy ecosystem – and without them, the 130-million-year-old rainforests around the Belum-Temengor complex could be threatened, too.

Persons: CNN — Emmanuel Rondeau, “, ”, Rondeau, ” Rondeau, ‘, —, I’m, ” Rondeau didn’t, ‘ I’m, Carol Debra, Azlan Mohamed, Mohamed, Debra, Emmanuel Rondeau, Stuart Chapman, Chapman, ” Stuart Chapman, Merapi Mat Razi, there’s Organizations: CNN, WWF, Peninsular Malaysia, Malayan, Malaysia, Malaysia WWF, Malaysia —, country’s, “ Tigers, US, Malayan Tiger Conservation, Tiger, WWF’s Tigers, Initiative, Tigers, WWF – Malaysia, Royal, United Nations, Conservation Task Force, Bureau Locations: Asia, Siberia, Bhutan, Malaysia, Peninsular, Southeast Asia, Belum, Asli, “, Royal Belum, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Park

☆ North Korean Hackers, Criminals Share Money Laundering Networks in Southeast Asia - UN
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Tom WilsonLONDON (Reuters) - North Korean hackers are sharing money-laundering and underground banking networks with fraudsters and drug traffickers in Southeast Asia, according to a United Nations report published on Monday, with casinos and crypto exchanges emerging as key venues for organised crime. Funds stolen by North Korean hackers are a key source of funding for Pyongyang and its weapons programmes. The junket sector has been infiltrated by organised crime for "industrial-scale money laundering and underground banking operations," with links to drug trafficking and cyberfraud, the report said. The proliferation of casinos and crypto have "supercharged" organised crime groups in Southeast Asia, UNODC Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific Jeremy Douglas told Reuters. "It's no surprise sophisticated threat actors would look to leverage the same underground banking systems and service providers," he said.

Persons: Tom Wilson LONDON, Lazarus, Pacific Jeremy Douglas, Tom Wilson, Tommy Reggiori Wilkes, Angus MacSwan Organizations: United, United Nations Office, Drugs, Korea's, United Nations, North, Casinos, Bangladesh's Central Bank, Lazarus, UNODC Regional Representative, Southeast, Pacific, Reuters Locations: Southeast Asia, United Nations, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, North, Geneva, United States, Pyongyang, Philippines

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