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☆ Truong My Lan: Vietnamese tycoon in a race to repay $9 billion to avoid execution
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-06 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Property tycoon Truong My Lan was one of Vietnam’s richest businesswomen. On Tuesday, the 68-year-old lost her appeal against the death sentence for masterminding one of the biggest frauds in global history, in which billions vanished from Vietnam’s financial system. But prosecutors accuse her of indirectly owning 91.5% of the bank, according to state media reports of the trial. Among the total losses, $12 billion was ruled to have been embezzled, for which Lan was sentenced to death. “Vietnamese regulators were absolutely shocked at the extent and investigators were flabbergasted by the extent of the corruption,” Abuza said.

Persons: Truong, Lan, –, Donald Trump, Lan –, Humble, Ho, Minh, Eric Chu, Van Thinh Phat, Chu, Nguyen Khac Giang, Yusof, Lan’s, Maika Elan, ” Giang, Prosecutors, Sam Bankman, Giang, Nguyen Phu Trong, Minh Hoang, “, ” Lan, Doi Moi, Zachary Abuza, ” Abuza, Abuza, ” Organizations: CNN —, Saigon Joint Commercial Bank, Vietnam, Institute, CNN, Saigon Commercial Bank, Bloomberg, Getty, VnExpress, Communist Party, National War College, “ Locations: Chi Minh City, China, Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon, Vietnam, priding, Washington

☆ Laos methanol poisonings: Father of Australian teen who died urges government ‘to protect others’ from tainted alcohol
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-25 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The father of an Australian teenager who died from methanol poisoning while on a backpacking holiday has issued a plea to the Laos government to fully investigate his daughter’s death and ensure such incidents don’t happen again. Bianca Jones, 19, was one of six foreign tourists who died in a suspected mass methanol poisoning in Vang Vieng, a popular backpacker destination in northern Laos. Bianca Jones was enjoying a backpacking trip to Laos with her friend when they became severely ill after a night out in Vang Vieng. Foreign tourists float on tubes in a river in Vang Vieng, Laos, on November 19, 2024. Anupam Nath/APA major part of that much-needed revenue comes from towns like Vang Vieng.

Persons: Bianca Jones, –, Mark Jones, Bianca’s, “, …, ”, Bianca Jones ’, Holly Bowles, ” Jones, ” “, “ We’ll, Simone White, Anne, Sofie Orkild Coyman, Frela Vennervald Sorensen, James Louis Hutson, Colin Ahearn, ” Ahearn, Anupam Nath Organizations: CNN, Nine, Nine News, Lao News Agency, Vientiane Times, Laos Police Immigration Department, Associated Press, Police, Tourism, UNESCO, Initiative, China Railway Locations: Laos, Vang Vieng, British, American, Thailand, Vientiane, Vang Vieng District, Vientiane Times, Vang Vieng’s, Backpacker, Asia, Bali, ”, Southeast Asia, Vang, Luang Prabang, South Korea, China, Kunming, –

☆ Vang Vieng: What to know about the Laos city swept up in methanol deaths
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-22 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Laos has tried to rebrand Vang Vieng as less of a party destination. Vang Vieng and its mountainous surroundings are a base for outdoor activities, including kayaking, jungle trekking, parasailing, tubing and rock climbing. Foreign tourists kayaking and tubing on the Song River in Vang Vieng, Laos, on November 19. “(We are) aware of a number of cases of suspected methanol poisoning in Vang Vieng, possibly through the consumption of methanol-laced alcoholic drinks,” the US Embassy in Vientiane said in a health alert Friday. The warning came after the US State Department confirmed to CNN that an American citizen had died in Vang Vieng.

Persons: Vang Vieng, Vang, Anupam Nath, CNN’s Helen Regan, Isaac Yee, Eve Brennan Organizations: CNN, UNESCO, Vang, US State Department Locations: Southeast Asia, Vang, Laos, United States, United Kingdom, Vientiane, Luang Prabang, South Korea, China, Vang Vieng, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, American, Vietnam, Thailand, France, Russia, Japan

The military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, giving rise to intensified fighting with long-established armed groups associated with Myanmar’s ethnic minority groups, and prompting the formation of new pro-democracy militias. Two weeks later the Arakan Army launched attacks in its home western state of Rakhine, and since then other militia groups and PDFs have joined in around the country. But at the same time, resistance groups are closing in on Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city in the center of the country. The Tatmadaw has been accused of deliberately targeting civilians in retribution for perceived support for the resistance militias, something it denies. Should the Tatmadaw fall, that could lead to the fragmentation of Myanmar unless the groups work hard to resolve political and territorial differences.

Persons: Aung, Suu Kyi, Alliance —, ”, Connor Macdonald Organizations: Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Arakan Army, National Liberation Army, Alliance, Council, United Nations ’ Office, Human Rights, Army, Institute for Strategy Locations: BANGKOK, Myanmar, Russia, China, Suu, Shan, Rakhine, Kayah, Naypyidaw, Yangon, Mandalay, Myanmar’s, Chin, Paletwa, Syria, Beijing

☆ America is ready to go big on AI infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Its backers have committed to driving the "significant infrastructure investment" needed to make AI more powerful. Critically, the firms behind the fund said these infrastructure investments "will be chiefly in the United States," where it plans to fuel AI innovation and economic growth. It will also fund the energy infrastructure needed to power them. AdvertisementData centers, chip manufacturing plants, and energy supply are all vital for making AI tick. AdvertisementThe headline result was the launch of a new task force on AI data center infrastructure, designed to underscore the vital importance of building out the infrastructure needed to maintain momentum in the generative AI race.

Persons: —, MGX, Brad Smith, Lindsey Wasson, TSMC, Justin Sullivan, Getty, CBRE, Nvidia's Jensen Huang, Sam Altman, Gina Raimondo Organizations: Service, Microsoft, BlackRock, Business, Global Infrastructure Partners, REUTERS, US, Nvidia, Congress, Financial Times, Big Tech Locations: Taiwan, China, United States, Abu Dhabi, Chicago, Northern Virginia, Washington

☆ Tsai Ing-wen: the leader who put Taiwan on the map and stood up to China
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Wayne Chang | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

While supporters applaud Tsai for standing up to China, defending Taiwan’s sovereignty, freedom and democracy, critics blame her for straining ties with Beijing, stoking cross-strait tensions. Beijing, which deems the tacit agreement a precondition for dialogue, has cut official contact with Taipei since Tsai took office. Taiwan President Tsai inspects reservists at a training session at a military base in Taoyuan on May 11, 2023. But under Tsai, Taiwan has sought to enhance its asymmetric defense capabilities, developing and procuring cheaper and more mobile weapon systems that could be instrumental in halting a potential Chinese invasion. Taiwanese military experts have increasingly advocated for such an approach, noting that Taiwan can never match China in military might and assets.

Persons: Taipei CNN — Tsai Ing, introvert, ” Tsai, Xi Jinping, Xi, Tsai, stoking, Taiwan’s, Lai Ching, ”, Alex Chan Tsz Yuk, Wellington Koo, “, Vanessa Hope, Ma Ying, Taiwan's, Jose Lopes Amaral, Wen, Amanda Hsiao, Nancy Pelosi, Chien Chih, Nancy Pelosi’s, Huang, Jameson Wu, ” Sung, ” Hsiao, “ Tsai, Sawayasu Tsuji, Sung, ” Tsai’s, –, Lai Organizations: Taipei CNN, Democratic Progressive Party, DPP, Kuomintang, KMT, World Health Organization, WHO, Atlantic, Trump, Biden, International Crisis, US, Getty, World Health Assembly, National Chengchi University, Getty Images, Taiwan’s Military Academy, ” Tsai’s DPP Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, China, United States, Beijing, Tsai, Asia, Wellington, Ukraine, Gaza, Japan, Czech Republic, Republic of China, Taoyuan, AFP, Washington, Hong Kong

☆ Apple plans to spend more in Vietnam as it looks beyond China
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Apple (AAPL) has already spent almost $16 billion through its supply chain in the country since 2019, the government quoted Cook as saying. According to the statement, Cook said Apple “stands ready … to enhance cooperation and investment activities” in the Southeast Asian country. Nguyen, whose firm manages $6 billion in assets, told CNN that labor costs in Vietnam’s manufacturing sector are about half those in neighboring China. That’s a big draw for foreign tech companies looking to hire workers for their factories, and find consumers for their products. Still, Vietnam represents a far smaller market than India, which has also been wooing large foreign companies, including Tesla (TSLA), to set up factories in the country.

Persons: Tim Cook, Pham Minh Chinh, Cook, Apple “, Thuy Anh, Nguyen, Dan Ives, “ We’re, ”, “, Tuan Hung, Ho, That’s, Ives, Juliana Liu Organizations: London CNN, Apple, Vietnamese, Dragon, CNN, country’s Ministry of Planning, Investment, Wedbush Securities, Intel, Consumer, Monetary Fund Locations: Vietnam, China, Hanoi, Beijing, India, United States, Ho Chi Minh City, Washington, That’s, Europe

☆ Tycoon’s death penalty in $12.5 billion fraud case highlights Vietnam’s corruption crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

The scale of the fraud was said to be equivalent to roughly 3% of Vietnam’s economy. Though widely considered ceremonial, the presidency is one of the top three positions in Vietnam’s political hierarchy after the CPV’s Secretary General, currently Nguyen Phu Trong. In fact, the International Monetary Fund expects Vietnam’s economy to grow by 5.8% this year, compared to 4.6% for China. Their fate remains unclear, given the highly secretive nature of Vietnam’s political system. But Vietnamese political experts said a permanent appointment would not end the instability.

Persons: Truong My Lan, Van Thinh, siphoned, “, Eric Chu, Vietnam’s, Vo Van, Trong, Thuong, Vo Van Thuong, Richard A, Brooks, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Pham Binh, Le Hong Hiep, Yusof, ” Hiep, ”, Thu, General Trong, Xi Jinping, ” Zachary Abuza, Salt Bae, Lam, ” Abuza, Nguyen Phu Trong, Evelyn Hockstein, Abuza, Bui Thanh Soh, ” Soh, Vo, Xuan, Thuong’s, Le Hong Organizations: CNN, Van Thinh Phat Holdings Group, Stock Commercial Bank, Reuters, SCB, Express, Communist Party, Institute, Crisis Group, National War College, Vietnamese Communist Party, Public Security, Vietnam, International Monetary Fund, Companies, Apple, Intel, Vietnam's Communist Party General, Yusof, Brookings Institution, “, Crisis Locations: Vietnam, Saigon, People’s, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Duc, Singapore, Asia, China, Washington, “, London, Turkish, Hanoi, Bangkok

☆ Japan's market is hitting record highs. What to know about the rally and how to play it
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

U.S. equities aren't the only ones on a bull run — the Japanese stock market is also enjoying an upward climb. "It is the case that the Japanese stock market remains almost exclusively driven by foreign money," Jefferies head of global equity strategy Christopher Wood wrote in a March 7 note. According to Wood, foreign investors now own almost a third of the Japanese stock market, a dramatic rise from the 4% level in 1989, when the asset bubble reached its peak. Morgan Stanley noted that quality stocks have outperformed the broader market so far in 2024. Transitioning out of deflation Rate policy has been another big factor in the recent market rally.

Persons: Jefferies, Christopher Wood, Wood, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Makoto Furukawa, Ryota Sakagami, Citi's Sakagami Organizations: Nikkei, Global, Retailing, Holdings, Toyota Motor, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Citi, Japan, U.S, Bank of Locations: Japan, U.S, Tokyo, Bank of Japan

☆ Biden: US Does Not Support Taiwan Independence
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Steve Holland, Nandita Bose and Trevor HunnicuttWASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden said on Saturday the United States does not support the independence of Taiwan, after Taiwanese voters rebuffed China and gave the ruling party a third presidential term. "We do not support independence..." Biden said, when asked for reaction to Saturday's elections. The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 and has long said it does not support a formal declaration of independence by Taiwan. It does, however, maintain unofficial relations with the self-governed island and remains its most important backer and arms supplier. In a show of support for the government, Biden plans to dispatch an unofficial delegation to the self-governed island, according to a senior Biden administration official.

Persons: Steve Holland, Nandita Bose, Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON, Joe Biden, Democratic Progressive Party's, Lai Ching, Biden, Lai, Antony Blinken, Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, Tsai Ing, Jimmy Carter, Trevor Hunnicutt, Diane Craft, Michael Perry Organizations: Democratic Progressive, United, U.S ., Biden Locations: United States, Taiwan, China, Beijing, Taipei, Republic of Taiwan, Washington, U.S, California

☆ Herat, Afghanistan earthquake: Aid group warns devastation 'worse than we imagined'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck on Saturday 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of Herat city in the western Herat province – the third largest in Afghanistan. The world must not look away now.”A badly destroyed house, one of thousands across Herat province in western Afghanistan. UNICEF teams on the ground are calling for more urgent action and aid for families devastated by the latest earthquake. UNICEF“We will make every effort to bring quick relief to those affected,” said Fran Equiza, its representative in Afghanistan. International aid groups have said their ability to respond to calls during major disasters was heavily hampered by the Taliban’s takeover and called for more urgent global aid but only a handful of countries have publicly offered support.

Persons: ”, Thamindri de Silva, de Silva, ” “, ” de Silva, Mark Calder, “, MUHAMMAD BALABULUKI, Stéphane Dujarric, ” Dujarric, António Guterres, UNICEF “, Fran Equiza, Zabihullah Mujahid Organizations: CNN — International, World, CNN, Getty Images UN, UN, UNICEF, Sunday, Bank Locations: Afghanistan, Herat, Herat province –, Kabul, ”, AFP, Washington, Khost, Pakistan, Neighboring China

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A senior Taliban delegation was visiting western Afghanistan’s Herat province on Monday in the aftermath of the powerful earthquake that killed at least 2,000 people over the weekend and flattened entire villages, a statement said. Aid agencies and nongovernmental groups have appealed for the international community to come forward but only a handful of countries have publicly offered support, including neighboring China and Pakistan. “CARE is deeply saddened by the devastating earthquake that struck the western province of Herat," said Reshma Azmi, the group's deputy director for Afghanistan. "This comes less than seven months after another powerful earthquake hit the country, leaving thousands homeless and displaced.”Azimi was referring to the magnitude 6.5 earthquake in March that struck much of Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan. In neighboring Pakistan, the government held a special session to review aid for Afghanistan, including relief teams, food items and medicines, as well as tents and blankets.

Persons: —, Abdul Ghani Baradar, Reshma Azmi, Azimi, “, ”, Thamindri de Silva, Irfanullah Organizations: Taliban, Geological Survey, Aid, CARE USA, CARE International, CARE, Afghan Red Crescent Society Locations: ISLAMABAD, Herat, Kabul, The U.S, Afghanistan, Israel, Gaza, China, Pakistan

CNN —Pope Francis formally began his 8,000-kilometer trip to Mongolia on Saturday, a country sandwiched between Russia and China that has a tiny Catholic population. With just 1,500 Catholics in the entire country, the visit was lacking the usual fanfare and mass crowds typically associated with Pope Francis’ trips abroad. Yang Guang from China told Reuters: “I’m just extremely happy because this is the first time I’ve seen him. He came at the invite of the government and spent the first day resting,Mongolian President Ukhnaagin Khurelsukh signs the honor book alingside Pope Francis on Saturday. China is officially an atheist state, but religious practice is legal in the country – albeit under tight government supervision and surveillance.

Persons: Pope Francis, Pope Francis ’, Pope, Yang Guang, “, I’ve, It’s, I’m, Ukhnaagin Khurelsukh, alingside Pope Francis, Remo Casilli, Madame Tsetsege, ” Pope Francis, Saints Peter, Louise Delmotte, ”, Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Vatican Media, Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, Saints, Paul Catholic Cathedral, Vatican News Locations: Mongolia, Russia, China, Ulaanbaatar, Portugal, Mongolian, Moscow, Ukraine

CNN —A landslide at a jade mine in northern Myanmar has killed at least 32 people, a local fire services official told CNN on Wednesday. The landslide took place in the remote and mountainous town of Hpakant in the northern state of Kachin on Sunday, said Sa Tay Za of the Hpakant Fire Service Department. Myanmar produces about 70% of the world’s jade and Hpakant is home to some of the world’s biggest and most lucrative jade mines, worth billions of dollars. The group estimated Myanmar’s jade industry was worth about $31 billion in 2014, nearly half of the country’s official GDP that year. More than 160 people died after heavy rain triggered a landslide in a jade mine in Hpakant in 2020.

Persons: CNN —, Sa Tay, Za Organizations: CNN, Fire Service Department, Global, Resource Governance Institute Locations: Myanmar, Hpakant, Kachin, China

“I’m getting to know how to live in South Korea at Hanawon.”A Hanawon instructor in an IT education center for North Korean defectors on July 10, 2023. This approach is “outdated,” ineffective and overly restrictive, said Sokeel Park, South Korea country director for international nonprofit Liberty in North Korea (LINK), which helps North Koreans resettle in the South. North Korean defectors attend a computer class at the Hanawon facility on July 10, 2023. In 2022, the remains of a North Korean woman wrapped in winter coats found in her Seoul home. After their arduous journey, he said, North Korean defectors should have the chance to begin this new chapter on their own terms – with the freedom they risked their lives to seek.

Persons: ”, “, “ I’ve, “ I’m, Jeon Heon, Seokyong Lee, Hanawon, SeongJoon Cho, Kim, Kwon Young, ” B, Park, they’d, Kwon, he’d, she’d Organizations: South Korea CNN, South Korea –, Unification, National Intelligence Service, Liberty, CNN, Bloomberg, Getty, North, NIS, Hanawon, Authorities, South Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, Korea, China, Hanawon, North, Anseong, South, Pyongyang, North Korean, Korean

Putin used his moment to speak at the one-day summit to give his answer to that question. That event stretched over two in-person days in Samarkand, Uzbekistan and featured a number of sideline meetings between attending leaders. India announced last month that its leaders’ summit would be held virtually, without specifying why. At last year’s SCO summit, Modi told Putin in “today’s era is not an era of war.”And India has its own friction with neighboring China. In May, Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari became the most senior-level official to visit India in seven years, when he joined a SCO foreign ministers meeting.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi, Putin, Wagner, ”, ” Putin, China’s Xi, Belarus ’ Alexander Lukashenko, Iran’s Ebrahim Raisi, ” Modi, Modi, Joe Biden, Xi, ” Xi, Biden, “, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, SCO, Indian, India, China’s Foreign Ministry, India’s Ministry, External, CNN, Pakistani, Belarus Locations: Hong Kong, Moscow, Russian, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, spreadheaded, China, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Eurasia, Tuesday’s, Iran, Beijing, Samarkand, New Delhi, Pacific, ”

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden meet India?s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington, U.S., June 21, 2023. In a rare gesture, Modi has agreed to take questions from reporters with Biden at the White House on Thursday. He has not conducted a news conference since becoming prime minister nine years ago. At the same time, Biden plans to raise human rights concerns with Modi amid worries about democratic backsliding in India. Biden is under pressure by his fellow Democrats to discuss human rights with Modi.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Narendra Modi, Biden, Modi, Modi's, Elon Musk, Musk, Steve Holland, Nandita Bose, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: India's Press, REUTERS, Indian, Washington, Oval Office, White, Senior Biden, United, General Electric Co, U.S . Navy, U.S ., U.S, chipmaker Micron, Modi . Rights, Wednesday, Tesla, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, REUTERS WASHINGTON, U.S, Washington, India, China, United States, Australia, Gujarata, backsliding, New York

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden meet India?s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington, U.S., June 21, 2023. In a rare gesture, Modi has agreed to take questions from reporters with Biden at the White House on Thursday. Modi has not conducted a news conference since becoming prime minister nine years ago and his visit has drawn attention to concerns over human rights in India. Washington wants India to be a strategic counterweight to China and sees India as a critical partnership. Biden is under pressure from his fellow Democrats to discuss human rights with Modi.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Narendra Modi, Biden, Modi, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio, Ilhan Omar, Rashida, Cortez, Elon Musk, Musk, Steve Holland, Nandita Bose, Shri Navaratnam, Heather Timmons, Sharon Singleton Organizations: India's Press, REUTERS, Indian, Washington, Oval Office, White, Senior Biden, United, General Electric Co, GE, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, U.S . Navy, U.S ., U.S, chipmaker Micron, Representatives, Rights, Wednesday, Tesla, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, REUTERS WASHINGTON, U.S, India, Washington, China, United States, Australia, Gujarat, The U.S, backsliding, Cortez, New York

☆ Opinion: Biden is taking a calculated risk on India’s Modi
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Indeed, Biden will likely be accused of hypocrisy for playing down issues of human rights and democracy erosion under Modi, both accusations that Modi claims are false. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden meet at the Oval Office, in September 2021. Though Modi’s administration denies it, human rights organizations say discrimination against Muslims has worsened under Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. Officials say Biden will raise the issue of India’s human rights record and democracy backsliding, but it’s likely they will be downplayed. After all, putting human rights publicly at the heart of relations with Saudi Arabia did little more than open the region’s door to China.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Narendra Modi, Modi, Joe Biden, Biden, Sarahbeth Maney, Rahul Gandhi, “ Modi, Gandhi, It’s, “, Vladimir Putin, State Anthony Blinken, ” Biden, Facebook Modi – Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Indian, Frida Ghitis CNN, United Nations, White House, White, Bharatiya Janata Party, Journalists, Freedom House, State, Twitter, Facebook, Capitol Locations: United States, India, France, South Korea, Washington, Gujarat, Ukraine, China, Australia, Japan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Pacific, New York

☆ Front-line NATO allies worry they could be next after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and are getting ready for a fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Sinéad Baker | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

These countries along the military alliance's front line are now scrambling to make sure they're protected should the Russian military ever come knocking. "There is an imminent need of a stronger NATO presence in our region," Estonia's Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said. For nearly 14 months, the Russian military has been bogged down by its grinding war in Ukraine. More boots on the groundSome leaders in the Baltic countries have said that they ultimately want to host more NATO troops, including permanent brigades, in the years to come. So as the threat landscape continues to shift, the Baltic defense has adapted along with it, Townsend said.

☆ Photo catches Taiwan pilot with a patch of Winnie the Pooh getting punched in the face — a jab at China's Xi as Beijing ups the pressure
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Amid this, Taiwan's defense ministry published a photo of a patch worn by fighter pilots. The patch depicts a cartoon Winnie the Pooh getting punched by a bear — a dig at Xi Jinping. Her visit stoked ire in Beijing, with China's defense ministry calling it "provocative." Beijing's defense ministry said the war games — dubbed "Joint Sword" — are meant to be a "stern warning" to Taiwan, which sharply criticized the exercises. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond these activities," Taiwan's defense ministry wrote in a statement posted to social media.

[1/5] A concept model of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP)'s fighter jet is displayed at the DSEI Japan defense show at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, east of Tokyo, Japan March 15, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonTOKYO, March 15 (Reuters) - Britain and Japan are set to dominate a three-nation project with Italy to build an advanced jet fighter, with Rome set to pay around only a fifth of the overall development cost, two sources said. "The cost of the project will likely be around 40% each for Japan and Britain," one of the people with knowledge of discussions told Reuters. Japan's defence ministry said that discussions were ongoing and declined to comment on the cost sharing ratios. Details of which companies will build what components are being hammered out in regular talks between more junior government officials and contractors in Britain, Japan and Italy, the sources said.

☆ Taiwan is planning a satellite internet service amid China invasion fears after seeing how much Elon Musk's Starlink has helped in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Taiwan is courting investors to create its own satellite-based internet similar to Starlink, the FT reports. The move comes amid increasing tensions between mainland China and Taiwan. Taiwan's digital minister, Audrey Tang, told the FT: "We look at the Russian invasion of Ukraine and how Starlink has been used very successfully." Starlink is operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX, and provides internet coverage via a constellation of satellites. Taiwan's decision to look at creating satellite-based internet comes amid increasingly tense relations with neighboring China.

☆ As regional threats rise, Japan eases defense-only strategy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

With China, North Korea and Russia directly to its west and north, Japan “faces the severest and most complicated national security environment since the end of the war,” the strategy said, referring to World War II. Japan’s defense buildup has long been considered a sensitive issue at home and in the region, especially for Asian victims of Japanese wartime atrocities. Rapid advancement of missiles have become “realistic threats” in the region, making interception by existing missile defense systems more difficult, the strategy said. North Korea fired more than 30 ballistic missiles this year, including one that flew over Japan. Japan needs standoff, or long-range missiles, to strike back and prevent further attacks “as an unavoidable minimum defensive measure,” the document stated.

Earlier, South Korea's military said it scrambled fighter jets when a group of about 10 North Korean military aircraft flew close to the border dividing the two countries, amid heightened tensions over repeated North Korean missiles tests. North Korea's official KCNA news agency quoted the North Korean military as saying it took "strong military countermeasures" after South Korean artillery-fire drills on Thursday. It was at least the 41st ballistic missile launch by North Korea this year. Japan's coast guard also reported that North Korea had fired what could have been a ballistic missile and that it had already fallen. South Korea scrambled fighter jets a week ago after North Korean warplanes staged an apparent bombing drill as allied warships held missile defense drills in response to North Korean missile tests.

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