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☆ Fireworks Factory Explosion in Thailand Kills at Least 20
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | More About Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A fireworks factory exploded in central Thailand on Wednesday, killing at least 20 people and injuring many others, according to the Thai police. After the blast, the factory, in the middle of a field in Suphan Buri Province, collapsed, leaving nothing but rubble, photographs posted online by Thai media outlets showed. “Nobody could get out. Nobody could get out,” said a distraught female resident, who was weeping as she spoke into her mobile phone, in a video posted by Channel 7, a Thai broadcaster. Another resident who was interviewed by Channel 7 said the blast was so loud that it could be heard almost a kilometer away.

Persons: ” Organizations: Thai, Channel Locations: Thailand, Suphan Buri Province, Thai

☆ Remember when Fran Fine’s fashion broke the ’90s TV show mold?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Marie Lodi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Still, not many have had the cultural impact of “The Nanny” herself, Fran Fine. Over the years, fan accounts like What Fran Wore and the Fran Fine Fashion Database have documented all of the character’s roughly 700 outfits. Drescher in character as Fran Fine in a promotional photo for "The Nanny", pictured with the show's other principcal cast members. CBS/Getty ImagesCooper says that when she first envisaged Fran’s aesthetic, it didn’t reflect early ‘90s fashion trends. It’s no wonder that after all these years, fans of “The Nanny” and fashionable TikTokers continue to cosplay as Fran in swarms.

Persons: Cher Horowitz, Dionne Davenport, “, Carrie Bradshaw, ’, Rachel Green, ”, Fran Fine, Fran, Fran Drescher, Fran Wore, Drescher, Charles Shaughnessy, Maxwell Sheffield, Daniel Davis, Niles, Lauren Lane, Babcock, Madeline Zima, Grace Sheffield, Benjamin Salisbury, Tom, Maggie Sheffield, Brenda Cooper, Shawn Holly Cookson, Terry Gordon, Cooper, Todd Oldham, Dolce, Gabbana, Bob Mackie, Anna Sui, Brenda Cooper’s, Moschino, Leger, ” Cooper, Neiman Marcus, —, ” Moschino, Jennie Walker, ” Walker, Kate Spade, Gucci, Vivienne Westwood, Cooper didn’t, suede, “ Organizations: CNN, City, Flushing, Brighton Sheffield, CBS, Getty, Vogue, “ Locations: Versace, Italian, LA

☆ Kissinger’s Legacy Still Ripples Through Vietnam and Cambodia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Mike Ives | More About Mike Ives | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

Mr. Kissinger, who died on Wednesday, shared the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating the peace accords that ended American involvement in the Vietnam War. The fighting between North Vietnam and U.S.-backed South Vietnam did not end until the North’s victory in 1975. Mr. Kissinger defended his wartime decisions for years afterward. Within Vietnam, Mr. Kissinger’s role in the war was contentious well before the fighting ended. When President Barack Obama visited in Hanoi in 2016, he said the United States would rescind a decades-old ban on sales of lethal military equipment to Vietnam.

Persons: Henry A, Kissinger, Mr, Lyndon, Richard M, Le Duc Tho, Duong Quoc, Hun Sen, ”, “, Pen, Sok, Hun Sen’s, Barack Obama, Biden’s, Chau Doan, Sun Narin, Lee Wee Organizations: Communist, Johnson Library, Museum, Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University, Vietnamese Foreign Ministry, U.S, Cambodian People’s Party, Vietnam’s Communist Party Locations: Cambodia, Vietnam, U.S, China, Southeast Asia, North Vietnam, Saigon, United States, America, Austin , Texas, Vietnamese, Hanoi, “, Khmer, Khmer Rouge, ” Vietnam, Washington, United, Russia

☆ Vietnam Relied on Environmentalists to Secure Billions. Then It Jailed Them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | More About Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The nine nations had announced in December that Vietnam would receive $15.5 billion in grants and loans in exchange for a commitment to renewable energy. Ms. Nhien, 48, never got the chance to see Vietnam present the plan. While two activists have since been released, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights said in September that the “prosecutions and the arbitrary application of restrictive legislation are having a chilling effect” on environmentalists in Vietnam. Activists and academics say that Vietnam appears to be emboldened by its growing importance to the West and has taken the opportunity to clamp down, knowing there will be few repercussions. President Biden visited Vietnam in September, elevating ties to a new strategic relationship that he said would “be a force for prosperity and security in one of the most consequential regions in the world.”

Persons: Nhien, Biden, ” Organizations: Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment, United Nations Locations: United States, Japan, Vietnam, China

Twelve of those newly released were among the roughly 75 people who had been kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7. Ruth is a retired hairdresser and seamstress, according to Kibbutz Nir Oz. Danielle Aloni; Amelia Aloni, 5Danielle Aloni and her daughter Amelia were taken hostage while visiting Ms. Aloni’s sister, Sharon Cunio, a resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz. She was kidnapped from her safe room in Kibbutz Nir Oz after her husband, Sa’id Moshe, was killed during the Hamas assault. Hanna Katzir, 76Ms. Katzir helped oversee child care in Kibbutz Nir Oz for many years, according to a niece, Dalit Katzenellenbogen, who lives in Tel Aviv.

Persons: —, Kibbutz Nir Oz, Keren Munder, Munder, Ruth Munder, Ohad Munder, Ruth, Abraham Munder, Nir Oz, Abraham’s, Roee, Ohad, Abraham, Keren, Danielle Aloni, Amelia Aloni, Amelia, Aloni’s, Sharon Cunio, Sharon, David Cunio, Emma, Yuli, ”, Aloni, Adina Moshe, Moshe, Sa’id Moshe, Naama Ben, Moshe’s, ” Yaffa, Adar, Tamir Adar, Hanna Katzir, Katzir, Katzenellenbogen, Elad Katzir, Rami, Hanna Peri, Peri, Ms, Margalit Moses, Moses, Doron Katz Asher, Raz Asher, Aviv Asher, Katz Asher, Raz, Efrat Katz, Katz, Yoni Asher, Asher, Khan Younis Organizations: Nirim Locations: Tel Aviv, Gaza, Israel, Kfar Saba, Palestinian, Nirim, South Africa, Norway, Mozambique

☆ Israel-Hamas War Indonesia Calls for More Pressure on Israel After Deadly Hospital Attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Retno Marsudi, the Indonesian foreign minister, in Beijing this week. Indonesia’s foreign minister condemned on Tuesday an attack on a hospital in the Gaza Strip as a “violation of international humanitarian law” and called on other nations to step up pressure on Israel. The attack on the Indonesian Hospital killed at least 12 people and wounded dozens, according to two members of the hospital staff and the Gaza health ministry, which blamed Israel. The strike on the Indonesian Hospital dominated the front pages of the country’s newspapers and news sites on Tuesday. The Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza, was built in response to the Gaza war of 2008.

Persons: Retno Marsudi, ”, Israel, Joko Widodo, Biden, Mr, Rofiul Haq, Reza Aldilla Kurniawan, Farid Zanzabil Al Ayubi, Sarbini Abdul Murad, Basem Naim, Retno, ” Hasya Nindita Organizations: Indonesian Hospital, Emergency, Indonesian, Israel Locations: Beijing, Gaza, Israel, Indonesia, Jakarta, Washington, United States, Beit Lahia, Malaysia

The market reaction reflects an expectation that a $4 billion payment would be manageable for Binance, four crypto investors and market participants said. Its status has for years left investors wary of risks to the wider market from a string of regulatory and legal headaches facing Binance. Any resolution of the DOJ probe would remove the risk to the crypto market of Binance's sudden collapse, said Sui Chung, CEO of crypto index provider CF Benchmarks. "Binance disappearing overnight remains a potential systemic risk to the crypto market," Chung said. Other investors cited the personal wealth of Zhao as being sufficient to cover any settlement with the DOJ.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Bitcoin, Binance, Anatoly Crachilov, Crachilov, Changpeng Zhao, Zhao, Sui Chung, Chung, Tom Wilson, Elizabeth Howcroft, Susan Fenton Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Justice Department, Bloomberg, Reuters, London, Asset Management, DOJ, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Assets Fund, Thomson Locations: Binance, London

☆ A Dying Anticorruption Crusader Considers His Life’s Own Misdeeds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | More About Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

His anticorruption crusade has made him a household name in Thailand, but Chuwit Kamolvisit would be the first to tell you that his own life has been neither admirable nor one others should emulate. A self-professed “super pimp” — and known to others as “the godfather of sex” — Mr. Chuwit, 62, once owned six massage parlors in Bangkok where 2,000 women worked for him. And he got his start as a whistle-blower, some two decades ago, by relying on his insider’s knowledge of bribery schemes. Prostitution is illegal in Thailand, and to get the authorities to look the other way, he says he gave police officers cash delivered in black bags, as well as Rolex watches and free services in his establishments.

Persons: Chuwit, ” — Organizations: Rolex Locations: Thailand, Bangkok

☆ With drones and dawn assault, Myanmar's Chin rebels open new front
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The ethnic Chin fighters said they used drones to drop bombs on the military bases, and junta soldiers fought back - especially fiercely at Khawmawi - occasionally firing mortars. At least nine Chin fighters were killed in the assault, along with six junta soldiers, two Chin rebels said, asking not to be named. Suan and Lawma's account of the battle, which was corroborated by a rebel commander and six residents who witnessed some of the fighting, provides a rare ground-level insight into a widening assault against Myanmar's military junta. After the two military camps were overrun, 43 junta soldiers crossed over to India seeking shelter and most were subsequently flown back to Myanmar. On the other side stood armed Chin rebels, under a billowing Chin flag.

Persons: Suan, Chin, Min Tun, Sui Khar, Zaw Min Tun, Krishn Kaushik, Devjyot, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Arakan Army, Brotherhood Alliance, Chin, Thomson Locations: Khawmawi, India, Myanmar, Zokhawthar, Champhai district, India's, Mizoram, Chin State, Rihkhawdar, India's Champhai, Shan State, Myanmar's, China, Rakhine State, Kayah State, Thailand

☆ Myanmar rebels seek to control border with India after early wins
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Dozens of rebels battled the Myanmar military from dawn to dusk on Monday to overrun two camps abutting India's Mizoram state, as part of a widening offensive against the junta-led administration, Chin National Front (CNF) Vice Chairman Sui Khar said. Following the battle, 43 Myanmar soldiers surrendered to Indian police and are currently sheltering in Mizoram, local police official Lalmalsawma Hnamte said. "Whether they will be pushed back or not, we are waiting for further instructions from the central government," he told Reuters. Chin rebels will now look to consolidate their control along the India-Myanmar border, where the Myanmar military has two more camps, Sui Khar said. A Rathedaung resident told Reuters on Tuesday the area came under artillery fire overnight and that military soldiers had entered the town.

Persons: Sui Khar, Kyaw Naing, Lalmalsawma Hnamte, Chin, Nobel, Aung, Suu Kyi, Krishn Kaushik, Kanupriya Kapoor, Devjyot, Michael Perry, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Chin, Myanmar's, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Reuters, Human Rights Organization, Myanmar, Arakan Army, Artillery, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, India, Farkawn, Mizoram, Myanmar's Shan, Kayah, Rakhine, Chin, Rakhine's, Myanmar's Chin, India's Mizoram, China, Shan State, Sittwe, Rathedaung, Minbya, Suu, MIZORAM, DELHI

Mr. Joko, who arrived in Washington fresh from a summit in Saudi Arabia where he condemned the war, has been vocal in criticizing Israel’s role. After Mr. Biden welcomed him to the Oval Office by celebrating a “new era of relations between the United States and Indonesia,” Mr. Joko ended his own set of remarks by calling for an end to the conflict. “Indonesia also wishes our partnership contributes to regional and global peace and prosperity,” Mr. Joko said. “So Indonesia appeals to the U.S. to do more to stop the atrocities in Gaza. On Monday, Mr. Biden and other officials called for the protection of hospitals in Gaza from attack.

Persons: Biden, Joko Widodo, Joko, Israel’s, Mr, ” Mr Organizations: White Locations: Indonesia, Gaza, United States, Washington, Saudi Arabia, “ Indonesia

She remains in limbo because divorce — and the possibility of a new marriage and a clean slate in life — is forbidden by her country’s laws. Thousands of people like Ms. Nepomuceno are trapped in long-dead marriages in the Philippines, the only country in the world, other than the Vatican, where divorce remains illegal. Partly because of their growing numbers and plight, attitudes in the country, where nearly 80 percent of the population is Catholic, have changed. Even the president has signaled openness to the idea, and the Philippines is the closest it has ever been to legalizing divorce. The powerful Catholic Church has deemed pro-divorce activism to be “irrational advocacy.” Conservative lawmakers remain steadfast in their opposition.

Persons: Mary Nepomuceno, —, Nepomuceno Organizations: Catholic, Conservative Locations: Philippines

The attacks prompted Israel to launch an intensive bombing campaign against the Gaza Strip, which is governed by Hamas. “I cannot remember a time when Israel’s struggle for security was not at the forefront of my mind,” Mr. Lew said. If confirmed, I will uphold President Biden’s commitment to deny Iran a nuclear weapon.”But his declarations did little to deter Republican senators. Senator John Barrasso, Republican of Wyoming, accused Mr. Lew of acting as the Iranian government’s banker by negotiating deals to release funds in exchange for American prisoners. “Preventing this from becoming a multifront war is hugely important for Israel, for the region, for the world,” he said.

Persons: Jacob J, Lew, Biden’s, Biden, Obama, Jim Risch of, Lew of, Lew’s, —, Chuck Schumer, Israel, Thomas R, Nides, Schumer, “, Mr, ” Mr, fides, Marco Rubio, John Barrasso, Barrasso, ” Organizations: Senate Foreign Relations, Israel, Hamas, Republican, Foreign Relations, Mr, Jewish, Investigations, State Department Locations: Israel, Gaza, Jim Risch of Idaho, Iran, United States, Florida, Oman, Tehran, Wyoming, Iranian, U.S, Saudi Arabia

☆ Jann Wenner Defends His Legacy — and His Generation’s
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The kind of interview I wanted to do was to elicit real thinking, not to confront or challenge or get somebody defensive. The editors themselves put it at four stars, and there was not a critical backlash to the thing. I confess: I probably went too far. The University of Virginia story was not a failure of intent, or an attempt to be loose with the facts. As we all know now, if somebody really wants to hoax you, there’s very little you can do about it.

Persons: let’s, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, It’s, Mick, Stone, Hunter S, Thompson, Hunter Organizations: University of Virginia, The Times

☆ Cairo: The capital of capitals evolving in the shadow of ancient mysteries
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Richard Quest | Joe Minihane | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —There are cities, there are capitals and then there is Cairo. Chaotic, enchanting and magnificent, the Egyptian capital is awe inspiring and home to a raw energy that’s all its own. A world-class museumThe Grand Egyptian Museum has been decades in the making. Fadel Dawod/Getty ImagesAway from the bustle of central Cairo is something equally, quintessentially Egyptian. Close to Aswan, around 140 miles south of Luxor, lies Philae, an ancient temple with an equally amazing modern history.

Persons: Khan el, Sui Xiankai, Karim El Hayawan, “, ”, El Hayawan, ” El, –, Fadel Dawod, Tayeb Abbas, King Ramses II, Abbas, you’ve, Luke Mackenzie, Tutankhamun, Dr, Betsy Hiel, she’s, Egypt’s, Hiel, Aznar, iStock, “ Philae, Monica Hanna, Hanna, Peter Adams, Isis, Philae Organizations: CNN, Getty, Egyptian, GEM, Kings, UNESCO Locations: Cairo, Xinhua, Luxor, Giza, Salvador, Aswan, Philae, Egypt

☆ Number of billion-dollar weather disasters in US blows through annual record with four months left in the year
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

This year’s billion-dollar disasters have caused 253 direct and indirect fatalities and have resulted in $57.6 billion in damage, NOAA data shows. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Ken Kruse looks out at floodwaters surrounding his apartment complex in Tarpon Springs, Florida, on August 30. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Florida's Fort Myers Beach is seen during high tide ahead of Hurricane Idalia on August 29. Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg/Getty Images Shelves are left empty at a Target store in Gainesville, Florida, on August 29. Sarah Salmonese sits where her apartment once stood in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Friday, August 11.

Persons: CNN — It’s, Idalia, Hilary, Rachel Cleetus, ” Cleetus, Cristobal Herrera, Shutterstock, Sean Rayford, Cheney Orr, Reuters Jewell Baggett, Ulashkevich, EFE, Thomas Simonetti, Jack Lemburg, Richard Burkhart, Douglas R, Clifford, Zuma Press Donnye Franklin, Joe Raedle, Rebecca Blackwell, Ron DeSantis, Savannah Alderman Nick Palumbo, Ken Kruse, Hurricane Idalia, Eva Marie Uzcategui, Christian Monterrosa, Stephen M, Dowell, Reagan Ortagus, Tyler, Bob Self, NOAA Ana Iris Aguiar, Alexandre Meneghini, Marco Bello, Adrees Latif, Samson, Victor Cassano's, Chris O'Meara, Yamil Lage, Sharon Walsh, Doug Engle, Christine Willis, Andrew West, Harvey, Irma, Maria, Adam Smith, Michael, Laura, Ida, Ian, ” Smith, Deanne Criswell, Sarah Salmonese, Go Nakamura, Ken Alba, Jae C, Yuki Iwamura, Patrick T, Fallon, Bryan Anselm, Mike Blake, Matthew A, Foster, Rick Bowmer, Lauren Haley, Makalea Ahhee, Justin Sullivan, Max Whittaker, Zoltan Balogh, Robert Gauthier, Mengshin Lin, Evelio Contreras, CNN Vixay Phonxaylinkham, Lana, Phonoxaylinkham, Marco Garcia, Claire Rush, Myrna Ah Hee, Sui, Ty O'Neil, Ku'u Kauanoe, ZUMA, Matthew Thayer, Criswell, It’s, ” Criswell, Cleetus, ” Organizations: CNN, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Idalia, NOAA, Tropical, Union of Concerned, “, Tampa Bay Times, ZUMA Press, Reuters, Press, Washington Post, Angels Episcopal Church, Savannah Morning, USA, Network Rescue, Zuma Press, AP Florida Gov, Savannah, Bloomberg, Getty, Duke, Orlando Sentinel, Florida Times, Union, AP, Reuters Pike Electric, Southwest Airlines, Tampa International Airport, Reuters Home Depot, Reuters Fort Myers, Federal Emergency Management, FEMA, Senate, Ukraine, New York Times, Staff, US Army National Guard, Maui Police, Facility, AP Volunteers, Grace Baptist, Volunteers, Los Angeles Times, Kahului Airport, Technologies, Kahului, AP Helicopters, Hawaii Army National Guard, Hawaii National Guard, Reuters Residents, ZUMA Passengers, Maui News Locations: United States, South, Midwest, California, Horseshoe Beach , Florida, Bend, Tampa, Horseshoe Beach, Perry , Florida, Keaton Beach , Florida, Madison , Florida, Steinhatchee , Florida, Samarra, St, Savannah , Georgia, Savannah, Steinhatchee, Crystal River , Florida, Perry, Crystal, Tarpon Springs , Florida, Mayo , Florida, Tarpon Springs, Myers, Hurricane, Gainesville , Florida, Sumterville , Florida, Johns County , Florida, Florida, NOAA, La Coloma, Cuba, Clearwater , Florida, Playa Majana, Suwannee , Florida, Batabanó, AFP, Guanimar, Ocala , Florida, USA, Reuters Fort Myers Beach, Gulf, Lahaina , Hawaii, Lahaina, Hawaii, Maui, Wahikuli, Wailuku, Kula , Hawaii, Kula, Kihei, West Maui, Grace, Napili, Honokowai, Honolulu, Maalaea, Kahului, Las Vegas, Church, Lahaina Hongwanji

☆ Biden in Vietnam Biden Visits Hanoi on Mission to Forge Deeper Ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Katie Rogers | Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Mr. Biden’s trip to Hanoi, which includes a news conference scheduled for Sunday, is centered on signing a “comprehensive strategic partnership” with the Vietnamese, a symbolic but significant status long coveted by the United States. Since taking office, Mr. Biden has sought to enhance relations with several Southeast Asian nations because of their tactical value as a bulwark against rising Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken accompanied Mr. Biden to the presidential palace, where honor guards marched to martial music before the meeting with Mr. Trong began. Earlier on Sunday, Mr. Biden concluded an eventful trip to New Delhi by joining the Group of 20 leaders at the memorial of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the champion of nonviolent struggle. The G20 summit managed to produce a surprise consensus declaration before the end of its first day.

Persons: Biden, Jon, ”, Nguyen Phu Trong, Antony J, Blinken, Mr, Trong, Narendra Modi, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Lee Wee Organizations: Air Force, U.S ., Communist Party of Vietnam, Group Locations: Vietnam, Russia, Hanoi, United States, New Delhi, U.S, China, India, Ukraine

☆ Vietnam and U.S. Forge Deeper Ties as Worries Rise About China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | More About Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

During his state visit to Vietnam on Sunday, Mr. Biden is expected to oversee the signing of a “comprehensive strategic partnership” with Hanoi, a symbolic but significant status long coveted by the United States. Vietnam has until now reserved this status for only four countries: China, Russia, India and South Korea. For years, it had resisted granting this distinction to the United States out of fear of offending China. But as Beijing continues to encroach on waters claimed by Vietnam and as the United States looks for more partners to counter China in the Indo-Pacific, the former enemies have found common ground. “Whenever they try to upgrade any significant bilateral relations, they normally tend to do it step by step because of the fear that it may cause some concern, especially from Beijing.”

Persons: Biden, ”, Nguyen Khac Giang, Yusof Organizations: Institute Locations: Vietnam, Washington, Hanoi, United States, China, Russia, India, South Korea, Beijing, Singapore

☆ From Rock Star to Bodyguard to Resisting Myanmar’s Coup in Film
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | More About Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Long before he became an award-winning filmmaker, Lynn Lynn was already a star. His voice was ubiquitous on the radio, belting out rock songs, and he played sold-out shows in stadiums across the country. But all that fame was confined to Myanmar, a country he had to flee after a February 2021 military coup. He was also close to the country’s now-imprisoned civilian leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, having once served as her bodyguard. Now living in the Thai city of Mae Sot, bordering Myanmar, the 39-year-old rocker has taken on a new identity: refugee.

Persons: Long, Lynn Lynn, selfies, Daw Aung, Suu Kyi Locations: Myanmar, Suu, Thai, Mae Sot

☆ Analysis-Grayscale victory big boost for decade-long spot bitcoin ETF push
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Hannah Lang | Chris Prentice | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

FILE PHOTO: Representations of cryptocurrency Bitcoin are placed on a PC motherboard, in this illustration taken June 16, 2023. A spot bitcoin ETF would give investors exposure to the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization without having to own it. The SEC has denied all spot bitcoin ETF applications, saying applicants have not shown they can protect investors from market manipulation. Grayscale argued the same setup should be satisfactory for its spot ETF, since both products rely on bitcoin’s underlying price. Other firms have spot bitcoin ETF applications with the SEC, including asset management giant BlackRock, Fidelity and WisdomTree.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Grayscale’s, It’s, ”, Christopher LaVigne, Withers, “, Michael Sonnenshein, Bitcoin, Sui Chung, Joseph Toner, Seth Hertlein, Ryan Louvar, Paul Grewal, ” Coinbase, Withers ’ LaVigne Organizations: WASHINGTON, REUTERS, District of Columbia, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, CNBC, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Fidelity, Coinbase, BlackRock, Supreme Locations: Washington, New York, WilmerHale, BlackRock

Representations of cryptocurrency Bitcoin are placed on a PC motherboard, in this illustration taken June 16, 2023. A spot bitcoin ETF would give investors exposure to the world's largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization without having to own it. The SEC has denied all spot bitcoin ETF applications, saying applicants have not shown they can protect investors from market manipulation. Grayscale argued the same setup should be satisfactory for its spot ETF, since both products rely on bitcoin's underlying price. Other firms have spot bitcoin ETF applications with the SEC, including asset management giant BlackRock (BLK.N), Fidelity and WisdomTree (WT.N).

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Grayscale's, It's, Christopher LaVigne, Withers, Michael Sonnenshein, Bitcoin, Sui Chung, Joseph Toner, Seth Hertlein, Ryan Louvar, Paul Grewal, Coinbase, LaVigne, Carolina Mandl, Tom Wilson, Michelle Price, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, District of Columbia, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, CNBC, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Fidelity, Coinbase, CME, BlackRock, Supreme, Thomson Locations: Washington, New York, WilmerHale, London

☆ A Global Cyber-Scam Industry Is Booming in Plain Sight in Cambodia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | More About Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Around the world, reports of cyber-scam schemes targeting unsuspecting victims online have proliferated rapidly. Southeast Asia has become a center of gravity for those criminal syndicates, often in remote and war-torn corners. But in Cambodia, the scam industry has been flourishing well within the reach of officials. Instead, they were forced to work for online scam mills while under intense surveillance in nondescript compounds, part of a multibillion dollar industry that has entrapped victims on both sides. Despite the crackdown and well-documented evidence linking well-known Cambodian officials to the mills, the country has not arrested any major figure.

Organizations: New York Times Locations: Southeast Asia, Cambodia, Cambodian

☆ How forensic investigators use DNA, fingerprints and other methods to identify remains after a fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Eric Levenson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

“DNA has been really extremely helpful for us, with the Rapid DNA,” said Alison Galloway, professor emerita of anthropology at the University of California-Santa Cruz, who helped identify remains during the Camp Fire. “If you don’t have that … then it’s a lot more difficult.”In general, forensic experts rely on DNA, dental analysis, fingerprints, medical hardware or circumstantial evidence to try to identify remains. “We’re still diligently working trying to make sure that we can identify (remains), and that’s why that DNA is so important, because we got fingerprints from three,” he said. Galloway, the forensics professor, said one of the advantages of the Rapid DNA technology is in quickly determining whether a DNA swab is usable. Maui asks for family members to come forwardFor Rapid DNA to work, family members of the missing have to willingly submit to DNA swabs.

Persons: ”, Alison Galloway, Santa Cruz, Josh Green, CBS’s, Sarah Salmonese, Go Nakamura, Ken Alba, Jae C, Yuki Iwamura, Patrick T, Fallon, Bryan Anselm, Mike Blake, Matthew A, Foster, Rick Bowmer, Lauren Haley, Makalea Ahhee, Justin Sullivan, Max Whittaker, Zoltan Balogh, Robert Gauthier, Mengshin Lin, Evelio Contreras, CNN Vixay Phonxaylinkham, Lana, Phonoxaylinkham, Marco Garcia, Claire Rush, Myrna Ah Hee, Sui, Ty O'Neil, Ku'u Kauanoe, ZUMA, Matthew Thayer, John Pelletier, “ We’re, Stephen Meer, Sudhin, –, Meer, we’ve, you’ve, you’re, ” Meer, Jonathan Masaki Shiroma, what’s, …, Robert Quinn, “, Robert Quinn’s Organizations: CNN, University of California, New York Times, Getty, Reuters, Staff, US Army National Guard, Maui Police, Facility, AP Volunteers, Grace Baptist, Volunteers, Los Angeles Times, AP, Washington Post, Kahului Airport, Technologies, Kahului, AP Helicopters, Hawaii Army National Guard, Hawaii National Guard, Reuters Residents, ZUMA Passengers, Maui News, ANDE Corp, Forensic Science, Fire, FBI, Maui Emergency Management Agency Locations: Maui, California, Santa, Hawaii, Lahaina , Hawaii, Lahaina, AFP, Wahikuli, Wailuku, Kula , Hawaii, Kula, Kihei, West Maui, Grace, Napili, Honokowai, Honolulu, Maalaea, Kahului, Las Vegas, Church, Lahaina Hongwanji, Paradise , California, Galloway, Ukraine, ”, Butte County

☆ Maui wildfires: Nearly 400 remain unaccounted for in Maui after deadly wildfires, FBI-curated list shows -- a big decline from prior estimates
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Michelle Watson Kelly Mccleary Cheri Mossburg Anna-Maja Rappard Natasha Chen | Michelle Watson | Kelly Mccleary | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Search crews and cadaver dogs have searched 100% of single-story homes in the disaster area, Maui County officials said Tuesday. Sarah Salmonese sits where her apartment once stood in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Friday, August 11. “Our primary focus in the wake of this unimaginable tragedy has been to do everything we can to support not just the people of Maui, but also Maui County. Hawaiian Electric Company serves 95% of the state’s customer base. CNN has reached out to Maui County and the Maui Police Department for comment on Krau’s claims.

Persons: who’s, “, John Pelletier, Josh Green, geolocating, Steven Merrill, Sarah Salmonese, Go Nakamura, Ken Alba, Jae C, Yuki Iwamura, Patrick T, Fallon, Bryan Anselm, Mike Blake, Matthew A, Foster, Rick Bowmer, Lauren Haley, Makalea Ahhee, Justin Sullivan, Max Whittaker, Zoltan Balogh, Robert Gauthier, Mengshin Lin, Evelio Contreras, CNN Vixay Phonxaylinkham, Lana, Phonoxaylinkham, Marco Garcia, Claire Rush, Myrna Ah Hee, Sui, Ty O'Neil, Ku'u Kauanoe, ZUMA, Matthew Thayer, John Moore, it’s, Jim Kelly, ”, Darren Pai, “ inexcusably, John Fiske, ‘, Nicholas Krau, ” Krau, Krau Organizations: CNN, FBI, ” Police, ”, Analysis, New York Times, Getty, Reuters, Staff, US Army National Guard, Maui Police, Facility, AP Volunteers, Grace Baptist, Volunteers, Los Angeles Times, AP, Washington Post, Kahului Airport, Technologies, Kahului, AP Helicopters, Hawaii Army National Guard, Hawaii National Guard, Reuters Residents, ZUMA Passengers, Maui News, Hawaiian Electric, Hawaiian Electric Company, ATF, Electric, National Weather Service, Watch, State of Hawaii Organization of Police, Maui Police Department Locations: Maui, Maui County, ” Hawaii, Lahaina –, Hawaii, Lahaina , Hawaii, Lahaina, AFP, Wahikuli, Wailuku, Kula , Hawaii, Kula, Kihei, West Maui, Grace, Napili, Honokowai, Honolulu, Maalaea, Kahului, California, Las Vegas, Church, Lahaina Hongwanji, Olinda

☆ After Thais Vote to Move Forward, the Old Guard Just Shifts Its Grip
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Sui-Lee Wee | More About Sui-Lee Wee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As the second-largest economy in Southeast Asia and an ally of the United States, Thailand was once a powerful player in the region. More recently it has suffered from a period of prolonged economic stagnation, brought about by nine years of military rule under Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the general who seized power in a coup in 2014. For the first time, disaffected young Thais questioned publicly the relevance of the country’s powerful monarchy, a topic previously considered taboo. Move Forward capitalized on this anti-royalist, anti-military sentiment, which became the bedrock of the party’s progressive platform. It announced more than 300 policy proposals, including shrinking the military budget and breaking up big business.

Persons: Prayuth Chan, Prayuth, Thais, “, It’s, ” Organizations: University of Sydney Locations: Southeast Asia, United States, Thailand, Australia

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