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☆ Hundreds of thousands of fish died in a single reservoir in Vietnam, another sign of how climate change is strangling the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Meghan Morris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A prolonged drought in southeast Asia contributed to massive fish deaths in southern Vietnam. The climate crisis and human development threaten the Mekong Delta, a key global agricultural center. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . In Vietnam, the maze of wetlands that comprise the Mekong Delta is called the country's "rice bowl" because of the vast agriculture it supports. Related storiesMeanwhile, in southern Vietnam, hundreds of thousands of fish died in a reservoir last month as temperatures peaked over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and no rain fell for weeks, the AFP reported.

Persons: —, El Niño, they're, Ksor Phung, VnExpress Organizations: Service, Mekong Delta, country's Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment, World Bank, AFP, Residents, Business, Getty, Commission Locations: Asia, Vietnam, Delta, El, Mekong

☆ India election 2024: Voters battle extreme temperatures as intense heat wave hits region
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New Delhi CNN —Indian voters are battling sweltering conditions to take part in the world’s biggest election as a severe heat wave hits parts of the country and authorities forecast a hotter-than-normal summer for the South Asian nation. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said a heat wave will affect parts of south and east India until the end of the week, including four states that are voting on Friday. Climate politicsIndia, the world’s most populous nation with 1.4 billion people, often experiences heat waves during the summer months of May and June. But in recent years, they have arrived earlier and become more prolonged, with scientists linking some of these longer and more intense heat waves to the climate crisis. Last year successive heat waves hit India again, closing schools, damaging crops and putting pressure on energy supplies.

Persons: Gandhi Ray, ”, “, Noemi Cassanelli, Narendra Modi, ” Ray, Commision, Aditya Valiathan Pillai, climatologist Maximiliano Herrera Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN —, South, India Meteorological Department, IMD, CNN, National Disaster Management Authority, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Indian National Congress, World Meteorological Organization Locations: New Delhi, India, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Baripada, Khammam, Banka district, Maharashtra, Pakistan, Mumbai, Bangladesh, Asia, Thailand, Philippines, Mekong, Vietnam

☆ Searing heat is back across Southeast Asia and it’s not going away anytime soon
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The death of a toddler from extreme heat highlighted the risk of climate-related illnesses across Malaysia. And in the Philippines, hundreds of schools suspended classes after daily temperatures soared past 107 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius). Sweltering heat is back in Southeast Asia, one of the regions most vulnerable to climate change. But alongside these natural variations, the world continues to blast through climate records, with deadly heat waves becoming the norm. A resident attempts to pump underground water from a dried reservoir in Vietnam's central Ninh Thuan province during a heat wave and drought on April 6, 2024.

Persons: climatologist Maximiliano Herrera, Herrera, “, ” Herrera, ”, El Niño, Stringer, Adly Zahari, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Aidil Iman Aidid, fasted Organizations: CNN, Getty, El, heatstroke, Education, Philippines Locations: Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Bangkok, Rice, Ninh Thuan, AFP, Asia, Pahang, Kelantan, Sabah, Borneo, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Manila

☆ 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

☆ The ‘war photographer’ surveying the liminal spaces of conflict—and peace
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Dan Q. Dao | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —An-My Lê doesn’t identify as a war photographer. Courtesy the artist/Marian Goodman GalleryAn-My Lê. Courtesy the artist/Marian Goodman Gallery“It doesn’t have the same explosive, devastating quality of real combat,” Lê said of the series. Courtesy the artist/Marian Goodman GalleryA portrait of an arresting gear mechanic on board the USS Ronald Reagan, also from "Events Ashore." Courtesy the artist/Marian Goodman GalleryLê’s work doesn’t impose any particular morality on the viewer; instead, she intentionally utilizes distance and scale to convey a complexity often overlooked.

Persons: it’s, Marian Goodman, ” Lê, Lê, ”, “, Preble, Ronald Reagan, we’re, “ I’m, Gustave Le Gray, Manning, ineffable, John, Jonathan Dorado, — Organizations: CNN, US, Stabilization, Museum of Modern Art, “, Marines, Conservatives, Rail, Navy, MoMA Locations: United States, Vietnam, New York, Iraq, Afghanistan, California, Rivers, ”, Hudson, Mekong and Mississippi, Asia, Africa, USS New Hampshire, Da Nang, Ghanaian, Tortuga, “ Manning, Bayou St, New Orleans

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

☆ 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

☆ John Kerry to step down as US climate envoy
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —US climate envoy John Kerry plans to step down from his post by this spring, a source close to Kerry confirmed to CNN. Kerry is leaving the position after three years at the helm of US climate diplomacy under the Biden administration. Kerry specifically prioritized restarting international climate talks between the US and China, and was key in negotiating the November Sunnylands agreement, a wide-ranging climate agreement between the two countries before COP28. And in 2019, Kerry co-founded a bipartisan initiative of world leaders and celebrities to combat the climate crisis called World War Zero. In 2009, when Biden became vice president, Kerry took over his role as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Persons: John Kerry, Kerry, Biden, Axios, Joe Biden, Michael Dukakis, George W, Bush, Barack Obama Organizations: CNN, Economic, Munich, Conference, Democratic, Biden, White, Senate, Gov, Senate Foreign Relations, Navy, Silver Star, Star Locations: Dubai, Kerry, China, Paris, Massachusetts, Vietnam

☆ I traveled to over 7 countries in 2023. Here are 4 of the most affordable cities I visited.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Dominique Mills | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

I traveled to over seven countries in 2023, and some places stood out for being budget-friendly. Porto, Portugal, and Chiang Mai, Thailand, offered affordable accommodations and fun activities. Here are the four most affordable places I visited in 2023. Chiang Mai, Thailand, was culture-rich and inexpensiveChiang Mai, Thailand, was inexpensive but beautiful. Dominique MillsNestled in the lush greenery of Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai is one of my favorite cities to visit.

Persons: Chiang, —, Dominique Mills, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Dominique Mills I've Organizations: Service, UNESCO, US Department of State Locations: Porto, Portugal, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Hanoi, Vietnam, Douro, Northern Thailand, Bangkok, Old City, Soi, Prabang, Laos, Luang Prabang, Asia, Vientiane, Indochina

☆ Dwindling fish stocks hit incomes in Cambodia, prey to climate change
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A general view of a floating fishing village near Kampong Phluk at Tonle Sap Lake, in Siem Reap, Cambodia November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Chantha Lach Acquire Licensing RightsKAMPONG PHLUK, Cambodia, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Fisherman Siem Huat has seen fish stocks dwindle in recent years in Cambodia's majestic Tonle Sap Lake, and with them, his family's sole source of income. "Sometimes there is rainfall in the wrong months or it gets so hot I can't go out to fish," said the 45-year-old Siem Huat, as he navigated his boat through mangroves to pull in nets carrying disappointingly few fish. The Mekong River typically swells in the rainy season as it converges with Cambodia's Tonle Sap River, sending an unusual reversed flow into the Tonle Sap Lake that fills up the latter and spawns bountiful fish stocks. Reporting by Chantha Lach, Napat Wesshasartar; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor and Clarence FrenandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Chantha Lach, Siem, Napat, Kanupriya Kapoor, Clarence Frenandez Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Kampong Phluk, Tonle Sap, Siem Reap, Cambodia, PHLUK, Asia's, Sap, Dubai

Today, they facilitate the connection to the spiritual world she needs to help fellow refugees and their American-raised children who seek restoration of lost spirits. Male heads of households who embrace traditional animist practices perform soul-calling ceremonies, venerate ancestor spirits and invoke the protection of good spirits. On a farm north of St. Paul, Moua Yang runs the hog butcher shop he started working on with his father when he was a child. “It’s ingrained in me,” said Vue, who was born in St. Paul. “Spiritual world is confusing, but once you find a path, everything is natural,” Chad Lee said.

Persons: Mee Vang Yang, ”, Tzianeng Vang, Vang Yang’s, He's, Lee Pao Xiong, Paul, haven’t, Xiong, Moua Yang, “, it’s, Yang, Sai Vue, Vue, Janessa Moua, she’s, ” Moua, Txongpao Lee, Lee, Hlee Xiong Lee, they’re, Kevin Lee, Chad Lee Organizations: PAUL, Communist, Center, Hmong Studies, Concordia University, St, Twin Cities, Hmong Cultural, Lutheran, Press, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: Laos, Minnesota, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, United States, Thailand, California, St, Southeast Asia, Wisconsin, Paul’s

Chen told CNN he “felt sad, angry and afraid” after receiving such a call on July 21, when police told him to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. When evening fell, he crossed the border into the Laos mountains, he told CNN – and by early August, he’d crossed the Mekong River and entered Thailand. Many Chinese dissidents do not feel safe in Thailand given the government’s often friendly links with Beijing, and in the past dissidents based there have turned up in Chinese custody. Soon after posting his video, Chen was taken for questioning by Taiwan’s immigration authorities and the Mainland Affairs Council, he told CNN. Laos lies across China’s southwestern border and has long been a common, albeit risky, exit point for Chinese dissidents trying to leave the country.

Persons: Taiwan CNN —, Chen Siming, Chen, Xi Jinping, “, ”, he’d, Beijing’s, Jiang Yefei, Dong Guangping –, Lu Siwei, Lu, Wang Dan Organizations: Taiwan CNN, CNN, United Nations, Refugees, Taoyuan International Airport, Chinese Communist Party, Communist Party, Mainland Affairs Council, UNHCR, Taiwan Affairs Office Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, United States, Canada, Thailand, China, Beijing, Laos, Guangzhou, Taoyuan, Hong Kong, West, Southeast Asia

☆ I'm a solo female traveler from Europe. Here's why I chose to go to Vietnam
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Lucy Handley | Lisa Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Ho Chi Minh City highlightsI'd been warned about congestion in Ho Chi Minh City, which has a population of around 9 million. Tips for traveling in Vietnam Vietnam varies from hot and dry to cold and rainy, depending on the time of year. The Saigon Opera House in Ho Chi Minh City is an example of French architecture in the city. Although I only stayed a short time, I fell in love with Ho Chi Minh City's grand architecture, history and general buzz. The Mekong DeltaSouthwest of Ho Chi Minh City lies the Mekong Delta, a region of rice paddies, rivers and floating markets.

Persons: Ho, I'd, Ho Chi Minh, Ben Nghe, Mongkol, Rex, Eugene Ferret, It's, Bob Henry, Ucg, Thanh, Virgin Mary, Phan Thi Kim Phuc, Lucy Handley Thanh, Antonin Emery, Marius Mallein, Jolie, Minh, Cai, Andrew Woodley, Mark Barnett, expat Organizations: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's National Authority of Tourism, Sapa, Chi Minh City People's, Rex, Saigon Opera House, Saigon Opera, Getty, Central Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, Vietnam Locations: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta, Phu, Gulf, Thailand, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam Vietnam, Hanoi, Hoi, Nguyen Hue, Ben, Chi Minh City, Ville, France, Saigon, French, Saigon Saigon, Mekong, Delta, homestays, My, Tho, Con Quy, Can, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, U.S, cassia, mealtimes

☆ How a Record-Setting Giant Fish Could Help Save Its Home River
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Rachel Nuwer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Researchers may have solved a big mystery surrounding a very big fish. Around the world, freshwater fish are in trouble. The fish, a female, weighed 661 pounds, or about 300 kilograms, and set a record for the heaviest freshwater fish ever caught. The discovery was surprising because the species, known as the giant freshwater stingray, like many of the other big fish of the Mekong, is listed as endangered. “It’s a shock and also opens the door to so many questions.”Nearly a third of freshwater fish worldwide are threatened with extinction.

Persons: Moby Dick, ”, Zeb Hogan, “ Organizations: University of Nevada Locations: Reno

The Hindu Kush Himalaya stretches 3,500 km (2,175 miles) across Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan. At 1.5 degrees Celsius or 2C of warming above preindustrial temperatures, glaciers across the entire region will lose 30% to 50% of their volume by 2100, the report said. At 3C of warming — what the world is roughly on track for under current climate policies — glaciers in the Eastern Himalaya, which includes Nepal and Bhutan, will lose up to 75% of their ice. THE FULL PICTUREScientists have struggled to assess how climate change is affecting the Hindu Kush Himalaya. “We have a better sense of what the loss will be through to 2100 at different levels of global warming.”LIVELIHOODS AT RISKWith this newfound understanding comes grave concern for the people living in the Hindu Kush Himalaya.

Persons: Tika Gurung, “ We’re, we’re, ”, Philippus Wester, Wester, Tobias Bolch, “, “ We’ve, Amina Maharjan, Gloria Dickie, Frances Kerry Organizations: Integrated Mountain Development, United, “, Graz University of Technology, Thomson Locations: Langtang, Nepal, 1.5C, Asia’s, Kathmandu, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, North, Rocky, United States, it’s, Austria, Wester, ”, London

☆ This man is traveling the world on non-motorized transport
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Not even an elevator,” Pukonen says of his epic adventure, which has seen him travel around 80,000 kilometers without using motorized transport. Ambitious questAdventurer Markus Pukonen has spent over seven years traveling the world using non-motorized transport. Before beginning the trip, Pukonen founded nonprofit organization Routes of Change, with the aim of raising funds and awareness for small social and environmental organizations throughout his journey. “So the fact that what I’m doing is such a crazy, astonishing thing [to some people] is really, really bizarre to me. Although Pukonen has used almost every form of non-motorized transport possible during the journey, he says there’s nothing quite like traveling on water.

Persons: Markus Pukonen, Pukonen, he’d, “, it’s, ”, he’s, ” Pukonen, Randy Mitson, ’, “ I’ve, ” He’s, “ I’m Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, Children’s, Swift, Toronto Locations: Toronto, rafted, Mississippi, Canada, Lake Ontario, Columbia, Washington, Hawaii, Macau, Vietnam, kayaked, Indonesia, Canadian, Winnipeg, Tofino, Vancouver Island, India, Seychelles, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Brazil, Florida, Savannah , Georgia, North America's, Superior, Georgia, Maine, Hudson, New York, Caribbean, Tobago, Asia, Pukonen, British Columbia

☆ As climate change hits, China weighs new water megaprojects
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( David Stanway | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"What they have been doing so far is using engineering solutions to try to physically supply water and fix their water problem," said Mark Wang, a geographer at Melbourne University who studies the impact of China's water infrastructure. "If China can reduce water use and increase efficiency, it doesn't need mega-diversion projects." Total investment in fixed water assets exceeded 1.1 trillion yuan ($154 billion) last year, up 44% compared with 2021, analysts said. It rose 15.6% to 407 billion yuan in the first quarter of 2023 and officials say even more funding will be made available. 'CHAIN REACTIONS'Part of the new plan involves the expansion of the South-North Water Diversion Project (SNWDP), an ambitious engineering project that diverts surplus Yangtze River water to the arid Yellow River basin in the north.

Persons: Li Guoying, Mark Wang, Wang, Genevieve Donnellon, Gorges, David Stanway, Gerry Doyle Organizations: of Water, Melbourne University, China's Ministry of Water Resources, Oxford Global Society, Diversion, Thomson Locations: China, SINGAPORE, Sichuan, Liangshan County, Poyang Lake, Tibet, India

☆ An angler reeled in a record-breaking 9-foot 'prehistoric' catfish. He let it go because he didn't want to 'stress' the amazing creature.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An angler caught a 9-foot-long "monster" catfish in an Italian river after a 40-minute battle. The enormous wels catfish is likely "world record" breaking in length. It was the new world record catfish," Biancardi wrote on his fishing team's Madcat's blog. Describing the battle to land the amazing creature, Biancardi wrote on Madcat's website, "I calmly managed to fight what I felt to be a prehistoric fish." This fish will beat the International Game Fish Association's current wels catfish length record by 1.57 inches if confirmed by the association.

Persons: Alessandro Biancardi, —, Biancardi, Madcat Organizations: Service, Game Fish Association Locations: Italian, Po, Italy, Europe, USA, Mekong, Thailand

SINGAPORE, June 4 (Reuters) - Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu told Asia's top security summit on Sunday that conflict with the United States would be an "unbearable disaster" but that his country sought dialogue over confrontation. "It is undeniable that a severe conflict or confrontation between China and the U.S. will be an unbearable disaster for the world." China's military criticised the United States and Canada for "deliberately provoking risk" after their warships staged a rare joint sailing through the sensitive strait. Canadian defence minister Anita Anand said that Canada would continue to sail where international law allows, including the Strait, and that "actors in this region must engage responsibly”. In his speech, Li said China would not allow such freedom-of-navigation patrols by the United States and its allies to be "a pretext to exercise hegemony of navigation."

Persons: Li Shangfu, Li, Joe Biden's, Anita Anand, Richard Marles, Defense Lloyd Austin, Austin, Cui Tiankai, Chong Ja Ian, ”, Chen Lin, Greg Torode, Xinghui, Ben Blanchard, Kanupriya Kapoor, Gerry Doyle, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Chinese Defence, U.S, National Defence, People's Liberation Army, U.S . Navy, Pacific Command, Defense, Reuters, National University of Singapore, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, United States, Singapore, China, U.S, Washington, Beijing, Taiwan, South, Chinese, Taiwan Straits, Canada, Britain ., Russia, Xinghui Kok, Taipei

☆ Indonesia proposes demilitarised zone, UN referendum for Ukraine peace plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Kanupriya Kapoor | Thomson Reuters | Edits Breaking News Across Southeast Asia Covers Longform Stories On Politics | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, June 3 (Reuters) - Indonesia's defence minister on Saturday proposed a peace plan for the war in Ukraine, calling for a demilitarised zone and a United Nations referendum in what he called disputed territory. He proposed a multi-point plan including a ceasefire "in place at present positions of both conflicting parties" and establishing a demilitarised zone by withdrawing 15 kilometres (nearly 10 miles) from each party's forward position. "We cannot stop supporting militarily Ukraine because we don't want the peace which is ... the peace of the surrender. Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskiy has proposed a 10-point peace plan, which calls on Russia to withdraw all its troops from Ukraine. Chief diplomatic adviser Ihor Zhovkva said Ukraine had no interest in a ceasefire that locks in Russian territorial gains.

Persons: Subianto, Prabowo, Joko Widodo's, Josep Borrell Fontelles, Borrell, Volodymr Zelenskiy, Ihor Zhovkva, Kanupriya Kapoor, Gerry Doyle Organizations: United, United Nations, UN, Union's European Commission, Ukraine, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Ukraine, United Nations, Singapore, Russia, Moscow, Kyiv

SINGAPORE, June 3 (Reuters) - Ukraine's plans for a counteroffensive against Russian occupation remain on track, its deputy defence minister told Reuters on Saturday, despite an "unprecedented" wave of missile and drone attacks across the country in recent weeks. Havrylov called Russia's heavy use of ballistic missiles in May a "last strategic resort" and noted that his country's air defence systems had been "more than 90 percent effective" against the attacks. For Russia "it was a huge surprise to find that the effectiveness of (their ballistic missiles) was almost zero against modern air defence systems, which we received from our partners," he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday his country was ready to launch a much-awaited counter-offensive. The addition of modern fighter aircraft such as F-16s would improve the country's air defence capabilities, Havrylov said.

Persons: Volodymyr V, Havrylov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ben Wallace, Kanupriya Kapoor, Gerry Doyle, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Reuters, Patriot, IRIS, NATO, British Storm, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Ukraine, Kyiv, Singapore, Russia, United States, Germany, Moscow, Vilnius, Lithuania, Crimea

SINGAPORE, June 3 (Reuters) - South Korea's defence minister said on Saturday that some countries were "ignoring North Korea's unlawful behaviour", which he said threatens to weaken U.N. sanctions against its missile and nuclear programmes. On Wednesday, North Korea launched its first spy satellite into space, although it ended in failure with the booster and payload plunging into the sea. The South Korean minister reiterated that coordination with the United States and Japan to deter North Korea was important. The three countries have agreed to begin sharing North Korean missile warning data in real time "within this year", South Korea's defence ministry said in a statement after a meeting between the South Korean, U.S. and Japanese defence chiefs. North Korea argues it has a sovereign right to space development.

Persons: Lee Jong, Lee, Kanupriya Kapoor, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Robert Birsel, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: . Security, North, " Defence, South, South Korean, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, U.N, China, Russia, U.S, North Korea, United States, Singapore, Pacific, Japan, North

☆ Vietnam to cut annual rice exports by 44% to 4 million tons by 2030
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Vietnam aims to cut its rice exports to 4 million tons a year by 2030, the government said in a document detailing its rice export strategy, down from 7.1 million tons last year. Rice export revenue will fall to $2.62 billion a year by 2030, down from $3.45 billion in 2022, the document said. Vietnam will diversify its rice export markets to reduce its reliance on any country, the government document said. "I doubt the strategy will materialize, as rice production depends on supply and demand, not on a government decision," another rice trader in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang said. Rice exports from Vietnam in the first four months of this year rose 40.7% from a year earlier to 2.9 million tonnes, according to government customs data.

☆ Rice. Half of Humanity Eats It. And Climate Change Is Wrecking It.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Somini Sengupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

Sometimes there’s not enough rain when seedlings need water, or too much when the plants need to keep their heads above water. Rice farmers are shifting their planting calendars. On top of that, there’s climate change: It has upended the rhythm of sunshine and rain that rice depends on. That’s a fraction of the emissions from coal, oil and gas, which together account for 35 percent of methane emissions. His experiment, carried out over seven years, concluded that by not flooding the fields continuously, farmers can reduce rice methane emissions by more than 60 percent.

☆ These maps show how far China's freight railways are stretching across Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — In the last two years, China has announced the opening of new freight train lines, while cross-border railways have become a feature in President Xi Jinping's meetings with regional leaders. Here's a look at where the rail lines are being built across the Asian continent. In the last six months, China also opened freight train lines to Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, according to state media. Those freight lines are in addition to China's relatively older rail network through central Asia — connecting Yiwu in eastern China to London. While it's difficult to verify how operational all the rail lines are, official reports offer a glimpse at how China's Belt and Road ambitions are panning out.

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