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☆ World’s worst polluted cities are in Asia - India’s Begusarai topping IQAir report
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“We see that in every part of our lives that air pollution has an impact,” said IQAir Global CEO Frank Hammes. “And it typically, in some of the most polluted countries, is likely shaving off anywhere between three to six years of people’s lives. Central and South Asia were the worst performing regions globally, home to all four of the most polluted countries last year: Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Tajikistan. South Asia is of particular concern, with 29 of the 30 most polluted cities in India, Pakistan or Bangladesh. One bright spot is increasing pressure and civic engagement from communities, NGOs, companies, and scientists to monitor air quality.

Persons: ”, Frank Hammes, Hammes, “ What’s, IQAir, Chiang Mai, that’s, ” Hammes Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Health, IQAir, WHO, Dhaka, CNN, America, Reuters Locations: Hong Kong, Asia, India, India’s Bihar, Guwahati, Assam, Delhi, Mullanpur, Punjab, South Asia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Lahore, New Delhi, Finland, Estonia, Puerto Rico, Australia, New Zealand, Bermuda, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius, French Polynesia, Canada, Alberta, United States, Minneapolis, Detroit, Columbus , Ohio, Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, China, Beijing, Hotan, Southeast Asia, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Bangkok, Africa, South America, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Chad

☆ Travel news: These are the global airports passengers love the most
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —In travel news this week: passenger–pleasing airports, cool streets around the world, France’s frog-leg crisis and Ireland’s best food and drink. World’s best airportsThe busy beavers at Airports Council International have gathered nearly 600,000 surveys from travelers at more than 400 airports around the world and have revealed the passengers’ favorites. What’s Japan’s most international city? DenisTangneyJr/iStockphoto/Getty Images Topeka, Kansas: Choose Topeka doesn’t just focus on remote workers. Ron Buskirk/Alamy Stock Photo Rochester, New York: The Greater ROC Remote program offers $10,000 in grants and incentives (plus another $9,000 for home-buying grants).

Persons: South Carolina • Gerald R, Mohammed, Patrick’s, you’ll, –, Saint Patrick, ”, they’ve, John Hope Franklin, Tyler Layne, Ali Majdfar, Roberto Galan, Ron Buskirk, Denis Tangney Jr, Walter Bibikow, Ann Arbor, Paul Brady, Titanic, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Council International, Spartanburg International, Ford International, Mohammed V International, Turkey • Guayaquil International, Salalah, Oman • Sultan Hasanuddin International, Green, of, US Centers for Disease Control, John Hope Franklin Reconciliation, Getty Images, Topeka doesn’t, Getty, Shoals, ROC Remote, Images, Miami Beach Locations: Greenville, South Carolina, Michigan, Rome, Italy, Morocco • Izmir Adnan Menderes, Turkey, Ecuador, Oman • Sultan, Indonesia • Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Asia, Tokyo, Spain, Valencia, of Europe, Happy, Ireland, South Korea, Tulsa , Oklahoma, Tulsa, Tulsa West Virginia, New, West Virginia, Getty Images Indiana, Evansville, Getty Images Topeka , Kansas, Topeka, Kentucky, Mayfield, Graves, Alabama, Tuscumbia, Rochester , New York, Images Alaska, Alaska, Sitka, Getty Images Michigan, Ann

The European Union’s upcoming ban on imports linked to deforestation has been hailed as a “gold standard” in climate policy: a meaningful step to protect the world’s forests, which help remove planet-killing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. The law requires traders to trace the origins of a head-spinning variety of products — beef to books, chocolate and charcoal, lipstick and leather. To the European Union, the mandate, set to take effect next year, is a testament to the bloc’s role as a global leader on climate change. Developing countries have expressed outrage — with Malaysia and Indonesia among the most vocal. Together, the two nations supply 85 percent of the world’s palm oil, one of seven critical commodities covered by the European Union’s ban.

Organizations: European Union Locations: Malaysia, Indonesia

☆ I'm a millennial mom who's visited 57 countries with my kids thanks to many income streams, including $4,000 a month blogging and extra cash from flipping homes
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Karen Edwards has traveled to or lived in 57 countries with her husband and four children. AdvertisementThis as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Karen Edwards, who blogs about her family's life abroad. Karen Edwards' son and the camper van they lived in. My kids played with Peruvian children — it was really, really special. AdvertisementKaren Edwards' husband and children.

Persons: Karen Edwards, —, I've, Edwards, Karen Edwards I've, It's, We've, it's, Karen Edwards ⁠, they've, we'll Organizations: Service, Sri Locations: Sri Lanka, Dublin, London, Abu Dhabi, London Borough, Croydon, Southeast Asia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Canada, Argentina, US, Mexico, Bahamas, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Belize, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombo, Peru, Bolivia, Europe, Central Asia

☆ Man rescued after apparent crocodile bite in the Everglades
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A man trying to swim to shore after his recreational sailboat capsized at Everglades National Park suffered an apparent bite from an American crocodile, according to a National Park Service news release. American crocodiles vs. alligatorsAn American crocodile relaxes in Shark Valley of Everglades National Park on February 3, 2023. Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post/Getty Images/FileThe American crocodile is a federally threatened species, the NPS said, and it resembles the American alligator. (American crocodiles can also be found in some coastal areas of Caribbean islands, Mexico and South America.) American crocodiles are considered a shy and reclusive species, the FFWCC says, and crocodile attacks on humans in Florida are very rare.

Persons: Bonnie Jo Mount Organizations: CNN, National Park Service, Rangers, Miami, Dade, Rescue, “ Rangers, Washington Post, NPS, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Locations: Flamingo, Florida, Valley, United States, Caribbean, Mexico, South America, Southeast, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Africa, Asia, Indonesia, Australia

☆ 2024 is the year of the rate cut pivot — here's when the world's central banks will budge
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

EIU also expects the Bank of Japan will exit its negative interest rate policy in the second quarter. Markets currently expect the Fed to start with a 25-basis-point rate cut in June. Euro zoneThe European Central Bank last week also held its policy rate at a record high of 4%, signaling that it won't cut rates before June. JPMorgan said in a research note that the Turkish central bank may cut its policy rate in November and December, keeping its year-end policy rate forecast of 45%. IndonesiaIndonesia's central bank kept its benchmark policy rate at 6% in its recent meeting.

Persons: EIU, Jerome Powell, LSEG, Nomura, Perry Warjiyo, CNBC's JP Ong, BOK, Goldman Sachs, Goohoon Kwon, Kwon Organizations: Getty, Economist Intelligence Unit, Bank of Japan, United, United States U.S, Federal, Fed, European Central Bank, ECB, Swiss National Bank, UBS, Bank of Canada, Bank of, JPMorgan, Reserve Bank of, ANZ, New Zealand Auckland Savings Bank, Bank, Bank Indonesia, BMI, Fitch Solutions, U.S, Oxford Economics, Macquarie Locations: Czech, China, Japan, United States, Switzerland Swiss, Bank of Canada, Turkey, Turkish, Reserve Bank of Australia, New, Indonesia, South Korea, Asia

☆ 'Do I regret it? No’: AirAsia’s Tony Fernandes discusses viral topless LinkedIn post
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Tony Fernandes, chief executive officer of Capital A Bhd., during the Milken Institute Asia Summit in Singapore, on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. AirAsia founder and CEO Tony Fernandes says he does not regret the viral LinkedIn post that showed him receiving a massage during a meeting — and that transparency is worth potential controversy. The Malaysian businessman is known for an unfiltered approach to posting on social media. It has a disadvantage, that people will misrepresent and misunderstand Tony Fernandes the persona," he said. But by far the strongest reaction to a social media post by Fernandes came in October, when the businessman shared a photograph of himself shirtless in the office.

Persons: Tony Fernandes, Fernandes Organizations: Milken Institute Asia Summit, AirAsia, CNBC, Singapore Airlines Locations: Singapore, Malaysian, Indonesia

☆ The global trade system has already started planning for potential Trump win, new China tariffs
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The Trump administration used delegated authorities under three trade laws to unilaterally levy tariffs without Congressional approval. The Trump administration tariffs kickstarted a shift in supply chain strategy which, according to Frank, became more well-developed by customers during Covid, when they contemplated moving factories and production out of China. He expects any increase in tariffs during a second Trump presidency to lead to a greater shift in trade from China to Mexico to avoid the tariffs. "If you charge tariffs to China, they're going to build ... their car plants here and they're going to employ our people," Trump said. S&P Global research shows that China's share of the imports of products covered by tariffs imposed by the Trump administration has dropped.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Niki Frank, Frank, Beth Whited, they'd, Paul Brashier, Chris Rogers, Biden, Rogers, Jon Gold, John Taylor IV, Taylor, Peter Boockvar, Critics, it's, that's Organizations: United, Canada Trade, White, CNBC, Global, Trump, China, Biden, OF DHL, Union, Canadian Pacific, Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Union Pacific, ITS Logistics, P Global, Vietnam, National Retail Federation, Berlin Packaging, Trade, Bleakley Financial, ASEAN Locations: United States, Mexico, Canada, Washington , DC, U.S, OF DHL Asia, Long Beach , California, China, Union Pacific, Canadian Pacific Kansas, East, West, Vietnam, Malaysia, South Korea, CNBC Mexico, Europe, Thailand, Indonesia

☆ French appetite for frogs’ legs threatens frog species, experts warn Macron
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Catherine Nicholls | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The popularity of the famous French delicacy of cuisses de grenouille, or frogs’ legs, is threatening the existence of certain frog species, a group of more than 500 environmental campaigners has warned French President Emmanuel Macron. A joint study by Robin des Bois and Pro Wildlife found that France alone consumes more than 3,000 tons of frozen frogs’ legs a year. Vietnam is also a large exporter of frogs’ legs, but these frogs are typically farmed rather than wild, according to a media statement accompanying the letter. “But the EU still tolerates the collection of millions of animals in other countries – even if this threatens the frog populations there. The signatories called on France to develop proposals to protect declining frog species, and to ensure that the monitoring, regulation and sustainability of the trade in frogs’ legs is governed by international trade rules.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Robin des Bois, Jeff Pachoud, ” Fejervarya, Arun Roisri, ” Sandra Altherr, Alain Moussu, Moussu Organizations: CNN, Biodiversity, Pro Wildlife, European Union, Wildlife, Getty Locations: France, Pierrelatte, Lyon, AFP, Indonesia, Turkey, Albania, Vietnam, Europe

☆ Bali Nyepi: Why one of the world’s most popular islands falls completely silent for a day
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

This is Nyepi, Balinese New Year. Amanda Syrowatka, owner of the Viceroy Bali, helps manage expectations for hotel guests during Nyepi. The day before Nyepi is Ngrupuk, when giant monster effigies called ogoh ogoh, representing evil spirits, are paraded around by local children. While some tourists plan to come to Bali for Nyepi specifically to witness or take part in the holiday, some find themselves there unexpectedly. “While I might not plan a trip around Nyepi,” says Bigg, “I certainly wouldn’t mind being in Bali for it again.

Persons: CNN —, Amanda Syrowatka, Viceroy Bali, Nyepi, ”, Wayan Ari, Putu Sayoga, Agung Parameswara, Margot Biggs, “ Organizations: CNN, Local, School for International Training, Viceroy Locations: CNN — Bali, Indonesia, Bali, Putu, India, Viceroy Bali ., Nyepi, American

☆ Indonesia Investigates How Two Pilots Dozed Off During a Flight
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Muktita Suhartono | Yan Zhuang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Indonesia’s aviation authority said it would review how the country’s airlines operate night flights after both pilots on a Batik Air flight carrying 153 passengers fell asleep, causing the plane to briefly veer off course. The plane took off from Kendari at about 8 a.m., and after reaching cruising altitude, the captain took a nap while the co-pilot manned the flight, according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Committee. After about an hour, the co-pilot accidentally fell asleep, and several frantic calls from the air traffic control center and other aircraft went unanswered. About 28 minutes later, the pilot woke up, realized the plane had veered off course and woke up the co-pilot. They course-corrected, and the plane landed safely in Jakarta.

Persons: — Organizations: National Transportation Safety Locations: Kendari, Jakarta

☆ Muslims spot Ramadan crescent moon in Saudi Arabia, meaning month of fasting starts Monday for many
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Officials saw the crescent moon Sunday night in Saudi Arabia, home to the holiest sites in Islam, marking the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan for many of the world's 1.8 billion Muslims. Saudi state television reported that authorities there saw the crescent moon. However, there are some Asia-Pacific countries like Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, that will begin Ramadan on Tuesday after failing to see the crescent moon. In Saudi Arabia, the kingdom had been urging the public to watch the skies from Sunday night in preparation for the sighting of the crescent moon. The Palestinian territories will begin Ramadan on Monday as well.

Persons: Jordan, Saudi King Salman, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ramadan, Robabeh, it's, Prophet Muhammad, Israel, Jerusalem's Organizations: Iran's, Hamas, Islamic Locations: Musyari'in, Jakarta, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Islam, Saudi, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Asia, Pacific, Australia, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Oman, Israel, Gaza, Palestine, Mecca, Iran, Tehran, Persian, Nowruz, U.S, Jerusalem's Al, Aqsa, Sudan

☆ On the 5th anniversary of a fatal 737 Max crash, victims’ families want more focus on Boeing’s potential safety problems
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Even though the same jet model had crashed soon after taking off from Indonesia less than six months earlier, aviation authorities around the world had allowed the 737 Max to keep flying with passengers. A third incidentThis year, on January 5, a part of a 737 Max 9 flown by Alaska Airlines blew out, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the plane. Boeing’s production problems went beyond the design flaw that led to the crashes. “Within days of the first crash, Boeing knew there was a design defect,” Robert Clifford, one of the plaintiff attorneys in the case, told CNN. Last month, Boeing removed executive Ed Clark, the head of its 737 Max passenger jet program.

Persons: New York CNN — Michael Stumo’s, Samya Rose Stumo, ”, “, ” Michael Stumo, Michael Stumo Samya Rose, Max, Michael Stumo, We’d, ” Stumo, ” Zipporah, Joseph, ‘ something’s, ’ ” Joseph Kuria, Olivia Kuria, “ It’s, haven’t, Kruia, ” Kuria, ” Robert Clifford, people’s, Olivier Douliery, Dave Calhoun, Ed Clark, Stephen Brashear, Eduardo Soteras, David Calhoun, Mike Delaney, ” Joseph, Zipporah, Dennis Muilenburg, Calhoun, Stumo, “ I’m, Kuria, there’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, Boeing, Max, CNN, Copenhagen School of Public Health, Ethiopian, Alaska Airlines, National Transportation Safety Board, Alaska, Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Safety Board, NTSB, Alaska Airlines Flight, Alaska Air, ”, US Justice Department, FAA, Justice Department, Getty, Ethiopian Airlines, Lion Air, Airline Pilots, Association of Ethiopia Locations: New York, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Indonesia, Alaska, Portland , Oregon, Arlington , Virginia, AFP, ”, Renton , Washington, Washington

CNN —Indonesia’s transport ministry will launch an investigation after two Batik Air pilots fell asleep during a recent flight, according to state news agency Antara, citing the ministry’s civil aviation director-general M Kristi Endah Murni. The flight, BTK6723, lasted two hours and 35 minutes, and successfully landed in Jakarta, according to Antara and the preliminary report. Around 90 minutes into the flight, the second-in-command then “inadvertently fell asleep,” according to the report. Around 28 minutes after the last recorded transmission, the pilot-in-command woke up and realized the plane was not in the correct flight path. The preliminary report detailed that the pilot-in-command told the ACC that the flight had experienced a “radio communication problem” that had been resolved.

Persons: Antara, Kristi Endah Murni, “, ” Murni Organizations: CNN, National Transportation Safety, ACC, Air Locations: Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, Jakarta, ”, Indonesia

☆ Starbucks Middle East franchisee to slash over 2,000 jobs as boycotts linked to the Israel-Gaza conflict hit Western brands, says report
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. In a statement in December, Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan said protesters had been "influenced by misrepresentation on social media" of what the company stands for. AdvertisementA Starbucks spokesperson told Business Insider: "As Alshaya reviews its business portfolio they have made the difficult decision to eliminate some roles in their Starbucks store portfolio." The layoffs came as Starbucks and other Western brands such as McDonald's and KFC have faced consumer boycotts over the Israel-Gaza war. "So long as this war is going on ... we're not expecting to see any significant improvement (in these markets)," McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski said.

Persons: —, Laxman Narasimhan, AlShaya, Narasimhan, we're, Chris Kempczinski, Jack Guez Organizations: Service, Reuters, Palestine, Business, Starbucks, AlShaya, KFC, Getty Locations: East, North Africa, Gaza, Israel, Palestine, Kuwait, Indonesia, Malaysia, France, Sderot, AFP

☆ They Want to Make Palm Oil in a Lab. Without Palm Trees.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Dionne Searcey | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A handful of startups are trying to reinvent one of the most ubiquitous, but also environmentally destructive, ingredients in our diets: palm oil. Palm oil is in bread, instant noodles, Girl Scout cookies, lipstick, Nutella and ice cream, to name a few. But to make all of that oil, endless miles of rainforests worldwide — regions along the Equator vital to biodiversity and the fight against climate change — have been flattened and burned and turned into palm oil plantations. The new companies are taking their tech out of the lab and into real products. The material is made by fermentation (think breweries producing oils rather than beer) and isn’t approved for food yet.

Locations: Indonesia

☆ The captain and copilot of an A320 fell asleep for 28 minutes during a flight to Jakarta, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewThe captain and copilot of a domestic flight in Indonesia carrying 153 people fell asleep for nearly 30 minutes, a report published by Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) said. Around 45 minutes later, the captain woke up and offered to let the copilot, 28, rest, but they declined, and the captain fell back asleep. AdvertisementThe first officer spent roughly the next 20 minutes communicating with air traffic controllers and flight attendants before they "inadvertently" also fell asleep, per the report. After waking them, the captain answered another pilot's call and air traffic controllers, claiming they had suffered a "radio communication problem." According to the KNKT report, the second in command had not rested sufficiently the night before the flight.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Indonesia's National Transportation Safety, Business, Air, Indonesian Locations: Indonesia, Kendari, Indonesian, Southeast Sulawesi, Jakarta

☆ U.S. Military Enters a New Phase With Gaza Aid Operations
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Helene Cooper | Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The United States has a history of using its military to get food, water and other humanitarian relief to civilians during wars or natural disasters. But it is rare for the United States to try to provide such services for people who are being bombed with tacit U.S. support. President Biden’s decision to order the U.S. military to build a floating pier off the Gaza Strip that would allow aid to be delivered by sea puts American service members in a new phase of their humanitarian aid history. The floating pier idea came a week after Mr. Biden authorized humanitarian airdrops for Gaza, which relief experts criticized as inadequate. Even the floating pier, aid experts say, will not do enough to alleviate the suffering in the territory, where residents are on the brink of starvation.

Persons: Biden’s, Biden Organizations: Pentagon Locations: States, Haiti, Liberia, Indonesia, United States, Gaza, Israel

☆ Photographer steps inside Vietnam’s shadowy ‘click farms’
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Bibek Bhandari | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“With social media, our attention is a product for advertisers and marketers.”Jack Latham’s project took him to five click farms in Vietnam. Though it is unclear when click farms began proliferating, tech experts warned about “virtual gang masters” operating them from low-income countries as early as 2007. In the following decades, click farms exploded in number — particularly in Asia, where they can be found across India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines and beyond. The photographer added that TikTok is now the most popular platform at the click farms he visited. He included them in the book to represent the kind of content he saw being boosted by click farms.

Persons: Jack Latham, Vietnam —, ” Latham, Jack Latham’s, Latham, ”, Cambodia’s, Hun Sen, Donald Trump, — Organizations: CNN, Facebook, Twitter, China Advertising Association, “, BBC, Here Locations: Vietnam, Hanoi, Asia, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines, China, Silicon, Hong Kong, —, North Macedonia, Vevey, Switzerland

☆ Southeast Asia's smartphone market is booming so far this year as China remains sluggish, research says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Smartphone shipments in Southeast Asia continued a resurgence at the start of 2024, contrasting to a lull in other regions, as the promising market for mobile makers continues to attract more brands and investment. The top five markets in the region saw 7.26 million smartphone units shipped, marking a significant 20% increase from the same period last year, according to research from technology market analyst firm Canalys published Wednesday. The results continue a market rebound that began in the fourth quarter of 2023 when Southeast Asia phone shipments increased year-over-year for the first quarter in almost two years amid a broader post-pandemic industry recovery. "To capitalize on this market resurgence, smartphone manufacturers, which adopted conservative strategies in the last six months, are now deploying aggressive tactics to gain market dominance," he said in the release, noting trends such as affordable 5G, AI integration, ecosystem development, and channel optimization. Xiaomi, the second largest phone brand by shipments in January for that region, saw year-on-year growth of 128%, while Transsion, a relative newcomer to the market, saw growth of 190%.

Persons: Canalys, Le Xuan Organizations: Samsung Locations: Surakarta, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

If the idea of drinking civet cat coffee, which is made from feces from the Asian palm civet, is a turn-off, there may be yet another reason to rethink the drink. This week, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) issued a warning aimed at tourists in Bali after an investigator showed undercover footage of how the civet cat excrement, containing partially digested coffee beans, is obtained. Tourists be warned: stay away from civet coffee." Plus, "there's a misconception that civet coffee ... has a unique taste, and this is often perpetuated by businesses to attract consumers and justify higher prices for their products," Baker said. A young civet cat in a cage in Bali.

Persons: Jason Baker, Baker Organizations: Animals, PETA, Bali ., Getty Locations: Bali, Catur, Bahasa Indonesia, Indonesia

☆ A revived luxury cruise line wants you to spend 4 ½ months at sea sailing to 27 countries for $84,000
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

On January 11, 2026, the cruise line says its Crystal Serenity will head west from California to Pacific Islands like Bora Bora. Crystal says its 2026 world cruise will stop at Dubai. Lu ShaoJi/Getty ImagesThen, it's off to New Zealand and Australia before hitting destinations like Hong Kong, Mumbai, and Bali, Indonesia.

Persons: Lu ShaoJi Locations: California, Pacific, Bora, Dubai, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Bali, Indonesia

☆ Not Your Grandpa’s Military Surplus
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Charles W. Mcfarlane | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On a chilly afternoon in February, Logan McGrath and Mack Fritz were preparing to shoot a video advertising the green Austrian army fatigue shirts they were selling on Americana Pipedream Apparel, the online military surplus store Mr. McGrath started out of his parents’ basement in Appleton, Wis., three years ago. Tall laundry bins held hundreds of American military canteens and current-issue British camouflage uniforms and equipment. They collected Greek camouflage jackets, West German military patches and packages of vanilla poundcakes from American military rations, assembling them for orders. In the back of the warehouse, they sorted through pallets of surplus that had arrived from as far as Indonesia and Pakistan, including about 1,500 grayish-green Austrian KAZ-75 field shirts. Nearby Mr. McGrath and Mr. Fritz, both 21, worked on a video to market the shirts on their popular Instagram page.

Persons: Logan McGrath, Mack Fritz, McGrath, Post Malone, McGrath’s, Austrian KAZ, Fritz Organizations: Pipedream Apparel Locations: Appleton , Wis, German, Indonesia, Pakistan, Austrian

☆ China and Russia are outpacing the US and its allies in military technology development, Australian defense official warns
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An Australian defense official is warning about military tech gaps between the US and China. AdvertisementThe US and Australia must reinforce their industrial partnership and step up military preparations in the Indo-Pacific region amid China's increasingly aggressive behavior in the South China Sea, a high-ranking Australian defense official said this week. Jeffrey's comments come after years of rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region. Advertisement"Russia and China are outpacing the US and its allies," Jeffrey said, according to the outlet, which noted that he was discussing military technology. AdvertisementThe Department of Defense said in a recent China Military Power Report that China is "the only competitor" to the US with the intent and capacity to change the global order.

Persons: —, Hugh Jeffrey, Jeffrey, Biden Organizations: Service, Industry, Center for Strategic, International Studies, China Morning Post, Navy, US, US Army, BI, of Defense Locations: China, Asia, Australia, South China, Washington, DC, Russia, Taiwan, Indonesia

☆ Singapore's Sea Limited posts first profitable year amid efforts to defend market share against Lazada, TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Sheila Chiang | In Sheilachiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Southeast Asian tech giant Sea Limited on Monday posted its first profitable year amid efforts to defend market share against Alibaba -owned Lazada and TikTok. Net income in 2023 was $162.7 million, as compared to a net loss of $1.7 billion in 2022. Sea's e-commerce arm Shopee made a "meaningful gain in market share" in 2023 despite "intensified competition in Southeast Asia," the firm said on Monday. Sea also said Shopee's market share in the region has "solidified" and the firm intends to "maintain our market share in 2024." Tokopedia merged with TikTok Shop in Indonesia to form an enlarged Tokopedia entity, in which TikTok will take a controlling stake of 75.01%.

Persons: Forrest Li, Li, Sea's, Shopee Organizations: Alibaba Locations: MariBank, Singapore, Sea's New York, Southeast Asia, Indonesia

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