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

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

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

☆ Japan’s New Royal Instagram Page Forgoes Flash for Formality
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Kiuko Notoya | Mike Ives | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Anyone expecting the Japanese royal family’s new Instagram account to generate memes or showcase a new side of the world’s oldest continuous monarchy should lower their expectations. Just some royals politely posing for pictures in their usual, formal way. The new Instagram page for Japan’s Imperial Household Agency — its first on any social media platform — posted its first image early Monday morning. By Tuesday evening, it had uploaded 19 more and collected nearly half a million followers. The page mostly shows Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and sometimes their daughter, Princess Aiko, standing up, sitting down or bowing at formal events over the past three months.

Persons: Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako, Princess Aiko Organizations: Imperial Household Agency —, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum Locations: Tokyo, Kenya, Brunei

☆ Oil prices underpinned by U.S. inventory data, attacks on Russian refineries
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This picture taken on Jan.12, 2024 shows onshore oil pumps in Tutong district in Brunei. Oil extended gains in Asian trade on Thursday after a surprise drop in U.S. crude stockpiles indicated strengthening demand, while possible supply disruptions following Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries also underpinned prices. After seriously damaging Lukoil's refinery in Nizhny Novgorod on Tuesday, Ukraine hit refineries in the Rostov and Ryazan regions, Russian officials said. Two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters that the refinery had been forced to shut down two primary oil refining units. Gasoline inventories slid for a sixth straight week, falling by 5.7 million barrels to 234.1 million barrels, the EIA said, triple the expectations for a 1.9 million-barrel draw.

Persons: Vladimir Putin Organizations: Oil, U.S, West Texas, Rosneft's, Reuters, Energy Information Administration, EIA Locations: Tutong district, Brunei, Brent, Ukrainian, Nizhny Novgorod, Ukraine, Rostov, Ryazan, Rosneft's, Russian, Russia, U.S, Gulf

☆ Boeing sales unfreeze but they’re still well below normal
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But the company also had three canceled orders in January, giving it zero net orders for that month, the worst month for sales in years. Rebound from worst month since pandemicJanuary had been the worst month for sales for Boeing since airlines were struggling with massive losses during the pandemic. The last time Boeing had between one and three gross orders was in June, 2020, when it had only one jet order. The company sold 10 of the troubled 737 Max jets in February, all to unidentified customers. Southwest had planned to also take delivery of a total of 79 737 Max jets, but it no longer expects to get any of the 737 Max 7 jets it had hoped to get this year.

Persons: That’s, Max Organizations: New, New York CNN, Boeing, Alaska Airlines, Alaska Air, Southwest, Royal Brunei Airlines, United Airlines, Ryanair, Sun Express, –, China Southern, FAA, Max, Federal Aviation Administration Locations: New York, Alaska, Singapore, United, Southwest, Air India, flydubai, Korean, – Air China, China Southern, Xiamen, Shandong, Donghai, China

☆ 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

☆ South China Sea: On board an outnumbered Philippine ship facing down Chinese aggression
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Rebecca Wright | Ivan Watson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Near Second Thomas Shoal, South China Sea CNN —As dawn slowly broke on the horizon, a large fleet of Chinese vessels came into view from the deck of a Philippine Coast Guard ship as it entered the contested waters of the South China Sea. Filipino soldiers on the dilapidated Sierra Madre ship, anchored near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, on May 11, 2015. The US military also maintains a regular presence in the South China Sea, with aircraft overflights, so-called “freedom of navigation” operations, and patrols and exercises with allies and partners to assert that the South China Sea is an international waterway. The Philippine Coast Guard said it counted five China Coast Guard vessels and 18 boats belonging to Beijing’s “maritime militia." Rebecca Wright/CNNTarriela, the Coast Guard spokesperson, said a China Coast Guard vessel had come within 20 yards (60 feet) of the Cabra.

Persons: David, Goliath, “, ”, Thomas Shoal, Rebecca Wright, Sabina, Ritchie, Jiao, –, Jay Tarriela, Mao Ning, China Coast Guard “, Thomas, Ferdinand “ Bongbong ” Marcos Jr, Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos Jr, Jose Manuel Romualdez, CNN Tarriela, Tomas Etzler, Erik de Castro, month’s, ” Tarriela, ‘, Collin Koh, ” Koh, Ray Powell, SeaLight, “ Will, ” Powell, we’ve Organizations: South China, CNN, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine, Armed Forces, China Coast Guard, ” CNN, Philippine Navy, Coast Guard, Foreign Ministry, Sierra Madre, Center for Strategic, Studies, China Power, Ministry, Washington, Philippine News Agency . Diplomacy, Coast Guardians, Guard, Madre, Reuters, USS, China, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, National Security, Stanford University Locations: South, South China, Philippines, United States, Philippine, China, Bulilyan, Palawan, Sierra Madre, Sierra, The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, Madre, Hague, Beijing, China’s, Manila, Shanghai, Singapore

☆ Why Australia keeps an arm’s length from South China Sea tensions, even as it draws closer with the Philippines
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —When Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. addressed the Australian Parliament last week there was no mistaking the fighting talk. The Philippines accused China's coast guard of setting up the barrier at the mouth of the disputed fishing ground. That meeting will also be attended by several other nations with territorial disagreements with China – including Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia. Collin Koh, research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said Australia was unlikely to back any tough language at the summit pertaining to the South China Sea or any other hot-button issue. As Bisley put it, “We don’t like what China does, but we’re not going to put ourselves in harm’s way.”

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, ”, Marcos, Rodrigo Duterte, –, Thomas Shoal, David, China’s, Marcos ’, China –, Scott Morrison, Collin Koh, Penny Wong annouced, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Lukas Coch, Susannah Patton, it’s, ” Patton, China’s aggressions, Wang Wenbin, Nick Bisley, Bisley, we’re Organizations: CNN, Maxar, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, China, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Australia, Australian, Partners, Reuters, South China, Southeast Asia, Lowy Institute, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, La Trobe University Locations: Philippines, China, South China, Manila, China’s, Philippine, Scarborough, Scarborough Shoal, Hague, United States, Canberra, Australia, Melbourne, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, Beijing, Singapore, South, Penny Wong annouced Canberra, Southeast Asia, Japan, India

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

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

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

☆ Oil falls after U.S. Fed governor says no rush to cut interest rates
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

This picture taken on Jan.12, 2024 shows onshore oil pumps in Tutong district in Brunei. Oil prices fell on Friday after a U.S. Fed official said interest rate cuts should be delayed at least two more months. Higher interest rates for longer slow economic growth, which curbs oil demand. Waller also pushed back on the idea that the Fed risks sending the economy into recession if it waits too long to cut rates, saying the Fed can afford to "wait a little longer". Oil futures had settled higher on Thursday as hostilities continued in the Red Sea, with Iran-aligned Houthis stepping up attacks near Yemen to show support for Palestinians in the Gaza war.

Persons: Christopher Waller, Waller, Benjamin Netanyahu's Organizations: U.S, Fed, Brent, West Texas, . Federal, Israel Locations: Tutong district, Brunei, U.S, Red, Iran, Yemen, Gaza, Paris

☆ Philippines Accuses China of Dangerous Maneuvers Near Scarborough Shoal
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines' coast guard (PCG) on Sunday accused China of "dangerous and blocking" maneuvers while its vessel patrolled near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea this month. Four Chinese maritime militia vessels were also present near the shoal, the PCG said. Located within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ), Scarborough shoal is also claimed by China, making it one of Asia's most contested maritime features and a flashpoint for flare-ups. The PCG said its vessel was in the area to protect Filipino fishermen "from further harassment" in their traditional fishing ground. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce.

Persons: Teresa Magbanua, BRP Teresa Magbanua, Hague, China's, Mikhail Flores, Sonali Paul Organizations: Sunday, BRP, CCG Locations: MANILA, Philippines, China, Scarborough Shoal, South China, Manila's, Manila, Scarborough, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Beijing

☆ An America Where Guns Do the Talking
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Rachel Louise Snyder | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

ONE NATION UNDER GUNS: How Gun Culture Distorts Our History and Threatens Our Democracy, by Dominic ErdozainWHAT WE’VE BECOME: Living and Dying in a Country of Arms, by Jonathan M. MetzlLast year, a friend from Brunei visited me in the United States. She is American but was raised in Sudan and has lived in Cambodia and Scotland, among other places. We were talking about the rise in anxiety among teenagers in America when another friend texted me; her daughter had just arrived home from school, where she’d spent the afternoon in lockdown. Are mass shootings, record suicides and endless homicides the new norm even for those of us who aren’t interested in accumulating arsenals? deliveryman knocks on Erdozain’s door, he dives for cover like a “shot fox.” As with the lockdown at my friend’s daughter’s school, the threat abates, but the emotional tremors linger.

Persons: Dominic Erdozain, Jonathan M, Metzl, texted, she’d, “ They’re, Carol Anderson, Michael Waldman, Akhil Reed Amar, we’ve, You’re, deliveryman Locations: Brunei, United States, Sudan, Cambodia, Scotland, America

☆ Philippine Says Armed Forces to Ensure 'Unimpeded and Peaceful' Exploration in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Manila calls the portion of the South China Sea that is within its EEZ as the West Philippine Sea, where it has had a series of confrontations with China with both trading accusations of provoking conflict. In addition to the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei claim parts of the South China Sea disputed by China, which claims almost all of the sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce. Plans by a Philippine firm to drill for oil and natural gas on the Reed Bank in the South China Sea have been hampered for years by the territorial dispute. The encroacher has a vast area of sea," Teodoro said. China and the Philippines agreed last week to improve maritime communication and to properly manage conflicts and differences in the South China Sea through friendly talks.

Persons: Gilberto Teodoro, Teodoro, China's, Neil Jerome Morales, Karen Lema, Michael Perry Organizations: Manila Overseas Press Club, South China, West, Reed Bank Locations: MANILA, Philippines, Manila, West Philippines, South, West Philippine, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Beijing, Philippine, South China

☆ Pacific Nations Meet in China to Discuss Naval Issues
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The three-day talks among 70 representatives from 30 countries come amid heightened tension in the South China Sea, particularly sea encounters between China and the Philippines. This week's working group meeting lays the groundwork for a biennial Western Pacific Naval Symposium set for the eastern city of Qingdao in April. Since 2002, China and Southeast Asian nations have tried to establish a framework to negotiate a code of conduct for the South China Sea, but progress has been glacial. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration said China's South China Sea claims had no legal basis, in a ruling rejected by Beijing. The concerns of members of the Pacific naval symposium go beyond the South China Sea, however.

Persons: Ryan Woo, Albee Zhang, Jacqueline Wong, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Naval, South China, U.S ., Pacific, South Locations: BEIJING, Japan, Russia, United States, China's, Nanjing, South China, China, Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Manila, South, U.S, Qingdao, Southeast, Beijing, South Korea, North Korea

☆ Brunei comes to a standstill for royal wedding of Prince Abdul Mateen
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Life in the tiny oil-rich kingdom of Brunei came to a standstill Sunday for a grand royal wedding attended by heads of state and royals from Bhutan and Middle Eastern countries, the highlight of 10 days of celebrations. The lavish ceremony saw Prince Abdul Mateen, the tenth child and fourth son of Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, wed his long-time partner, Yang Mulia Anisha Rosnah, the granddaughter of a royal adviser. Mohd Rasfan/AFP/Getty ImagesThe 32-year-old prince, a British-trained and educated military officer in the Brunei Royal Armed Forces who’s sixth in line to his father’s throne, has become the modern face of Brunei’s royal family. Iqbal Selamat/AFP/Getty ImagesThe royal wedding at Brunei's Istana Nural Palace. To Their Majesties Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Queen Raja Isteri, our warmest congratulations on this happy occasion.”Prince Mateen kneels before his father, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, after the solemnization ceremony.

Persons: Prince Abdul Mateen, Brunei’s, Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Yang Mulia, Rosnah, Nurul Iman, Bandar Seri Begawan, Mateen, Mohd Rasfan, Michael Jackson, Britain’s, Prince Charles, Teh Firdaus, –, Iqbal Selamat, Lee Hsien Loong, Hassanal Bolkiah, Raja Isteri, ” Prince Mateen, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Mateen’s, Hassanal Organizations: CNN, Nurul, Royce, Getty, Brunei Royal Armed Forces who’s, Abaca Press, United Arab, Singapore Prime, AP, of Defense Locations: Brunei, Bhutan, Middle, Brunei’s Sultan, Bandar Seri, Bandar Seri Begawan, AFP, British, Malaysian, Nural, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Borneo, Britain

☆ Want to avoid crowds while traveling? Here's the 'not hot' list for 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-28 | by ( Quek Jie Ann | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Adventure travel company Intrepid Travel's new "Not Hot" list is out — spotlighting overlooked travel spots around the world. The 2024 list calls attention to two destinations in Asia, two in Europe and one in Central America. Source: Intrepid TravelUnlike Italy's tourist-saturated Positano, travelers visiting Corsica can "enjoy a more authentic, tranquil, and immersive experience ... without the overwhelming crowds," according to a press release by Intrepid Travel. Intrepid Travel recommends Panama for those who wish to "immerse themselves in local traditions, folklore, and contemporary arts ... that differs from the more European-centric cultural landscape," the press release stated. Source: Intrepid Travel

Persons: Matt Berna, Nick Lim, Lim, Gonzalo Azumendi, Emberá, David C Tomlinson Organizations: Intrepid, Americas, Intrepid Travel, CNBC Travel, UNESCO, Heritage, Euromonitor International, Japan National Tourism Organization, Korea Tourism Organization, The Travel Corporation, CNBC, Trip.com, La Amistad, Bank, Getty Locations: Asia, Europe, Central America, Corsica Corsica, France, Corsica, Seoul Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul, Korea, Intrepid Travel Tokyo, Tokyo, Panama Panama, Central American, Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama, Panama Viejo, Casco, Darien, La, Guna, Corfu Greece, Santorini, Mykonos, Kefalonia, Corfu, Greece, Split, Dubrovnik, Croatia, Borneo Borneo, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Kalimantan, Indonesian, Sarawak, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysian, Indonesian's Kalimantan

☆ Top China, U.S. military leaders hold first meeting in more than a year
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-22 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Other Southeast Asian countries such as Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam also claim parts of the South China Sea. "The key to developing a healthy, stable, and sustainable military-to-military relationship is ... a correct understanding of China," China's Defense Ministry said in a readout of the Brown-Liu virtual call. China has consistently maintained its claim over self-governed Taiwan and the majority of the South China Sea. The U.S. has documented more than 180 coercive and risky air intercepts against its aircraft in the region between 2021 and 2023, according to its latest China Military Power Report. This includes their bilateral Defense Policy Coordination Talks, Military Maritime Consultative Agreement talks, and opening lines of communication between the leaders of the respective military commands in the South China Sea and the broader Pacific.

Persons: Cope, Charles Brown, Liu Zhenli, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, General Brown, General Liu, Nancy Pelosi, Brown, Liu, — CNBC's Evelyn Cheng Organizations: Air Force, Clark Air Base, U.S, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Economic Cooperation, Biden, Beijing, U.S ., Defense Ministry, U.S . Defense Department, People's Liberation Army, Maritime, Eurasia Group Locations: Philippines, Mabalacat, Pampanga, Asia, San Francisco, Eurasia, China, Taiwan, Beijing, Singapore, Manila, South China, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, United States, The Hague, U.S, South

☆ Philippines deploys vessels to monitor 'illegal' presence of Chinese boats in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A Philippine Coast Guard personnel looks through a binocular while conducting a resupply mission for Filipino troops stationed at a grounded warship in the South China Sea, October 4, 2023. The West Philippine Sea is Manila's term for waters in the South China Sea that fall within its 200-nautical mile EEZ. An international tribunal invalidated China's claim to 90% of the South China Sea in 2016, but Beijing does not recognise the ruling. The Philippines is ramping up efforts to counter what it describes as China's "aggressive activities" in the South China Sea, which has also become a naval flashpoint for Chinese and U.S. tension. China has accused the Philippines of enlisting "foreign forces" to patrol the South China Sea and stirring up trouble.

Persons: Adrian Portugal, Julian Felipe Reef, Karen Lema, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Philippine Coast Guard, REUTERS, Rights, South China, Embassy, Thomson Locations: South China, Rights MANILA, South, Manila, Philippines, West Philippine, Philippine, Beijing, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, United States, Australia, The Philippines

☆ CNN took an 11-day cruise through some of the most-contested waters on Earth. Here’s what we learned
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +23 min

China claims almost all of the 1.3 million-square-mile South China Sea as its sovereign territory. In daylight hours in the South China Sea, from Ottawa’s flight deck or outdoor bridge wings, Chinese warships are often visible to the naked eye. Aviator Gregory Cole/Canadian Armed Forces PhotoOn October 29, things take a potentially dangerous turn, one that could have cost lives and ratcheted up tensions in the South China Sea to new levels. Radar operators scan their instruments in a Canadian antisubmarine warfare helicopter over the East China Sea. Hammerhead targets drones await their fate on the deck of the frigate HMCS Ottawa in the South China Sea.

Persons: Sam Patchell, Jacob Broderick ,, Ben Hughes, Gregory Cole, he’s, “, King Neptune, Xi Jinping, Brad Lendon, Rafael Peralta, Collin Koh, ” Patchell, Patchell, Aviator Gregory Cole, ”, haven’t, Xi, Rob Millen, they’d, Long, Peralta, It’s, Qinetiq, Noble, That’s, Cmdr, Sean Milley, Christine Hurov, Wally Shirra, it’s, Wally Schirra, Loverboy’s, Australia’s, doesn’t, We’ll Organizations: HMCS, HMCS Ottawa CNN, Royal Canadian Navy, Canada, United, Naval Warfare Officers, Canadian Armed Forces, US Navy, Ottawa, CNN, Canada’s Defense Ministry, Chinese Communist Party, Coast Guard, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, People’s Liberation Army Navy, PLA Navy, United Nations, Ottawa's, Cyclone, Canadian, Royal Canadian Air Force, Chinese Defense Ministry, Pentagon, troika, Peralta, Brisbane, CNN Radio, New, New Zealand Navy’s, Cmdr, HMNZS Aotearoa, Australian, Southern Hemisphere, One Locations: HMCS Ottawa, Taiwan, Ottawa, China, United States, Canadian, South China, Gaza, Ukraine, East, Washington, Singapore, Beijing, Spratly, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Chinese, South, East China, CNN Beijing, Canada, Gulf of Mexico, West Coast, Australian, Brisbane, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Okinawa, replenishments, Aotearoa, American, Ottawa’s

☆ Philippines builds new coast guard station on island in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An aerial view shows the Philippine-occupied Thitu Island, locally known as Pag-asa, in the contested Spratly Islands, South China Sea, March 9, 2023. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMANILA, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The Philippines has built a new coast guard station on the contested island of Thitu in the South China Sea, boosting its ability to monitor movements of Chinese vessels and aircraft in the busy disputed waterway. Inaugurated on Friday, the new three-storey facility is equipped with state-of-the art technology such as radar, automatic identification, satellite communication, and coastal cameras, the Philippine coast guard said in a statement. Manila's outpost of Thitu is its biggest and most strategically important in the South China Sea, largely claimed by Beijing, despite conflicting territorial claims by several regional nations. Besides the Philippines, Brunei, China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam have competing claims of sovereignty in the South China Sea, a conduit for goods in excess of $3 trillion every year.

Persons: Eloisa Lopez, Eduardo Ano, Thitu, Karen Lema, Mikhail Flores, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, People's Liberation Army, PLA ) Navy, Philippine, Thomson Locations: Philippine, Thitu, Pag, Spratly Islands, South China, Rights MANILA, Philippines, Manila, Spratly, Beijing, Palawan, Brunei, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam

☆ Southeast Asia is on the cusp of a 'supercharged' digital payments revolution, PwC says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Widespread mobile ownership, together with rapid digitalization after the pandemic, helped spur the expansion of digital financial services in Southeast Asia, said PwC. PwC"This enhanced availability and convenience of digital payments will see the bulk of the regional population leveraging mainstream digital financial products, such as e-wallets, further expediting the expansion of financial services," said PwC. watch now"Consumers are adopting digital financial services at a rapid pace. Cash is no longer king, as digital payments now make up more than 50% of the region's transactions," a recent Google, Temasek and Bain & Company report wrote. "In some regions such as Southeast Asia, [digital payments via e-wallets] are already more common than physical card payments and set to dominate point-of-sale [systems] overall," wrote Dan Jones and Alex Walker of OliverWyman.

Persons: PwC, hawkers, —, Cash, Dan Jones, Alex Walker of OliverWyman Organizations: Banking, Getty, Careem, Mercado Libre, Temasek, Bain & Company Locations: China, East Asia, Shanghai, Banking Asia, Asia, Southeast Asia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Laos, Cambodia, Paytm, India, AliPay, Latin America

☆ With geopolitical tensions mounting, Bernstein expects 3 defense stocks to soar 20%
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"The rising geopolitical threats in APAC has been a driver of military spending for the Western nations. In addition, APAC countries have become more important for their own military expenditures, which present some opportunities for Western defense contractors through either exports or partnerships," they added. Quoting research from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute , Bernstein said that global defense spending reached a record high of $2.2 trillion last year. Why is defense spending on the rise? For instance, South Korea's defense spending is high given its longstanding tensions with neighbor North Korea.

Persons: AllianceBernstein, Bernstein, Northrop Grumman, CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Asia, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Boeing Co, Dassault Aviation, U.S Locations: Asia, Pacific, U.S, APAC, Stockholm, China, North Korea, North America, Europe, Russia, Japan, Australia, United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Soviet, Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei

☆ Chinese fighter jets 'orbit' Philippine patrol aircraft, Manila says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MANILA, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Two Chinese fighter jets were monitored "orbiting" a Philippine aircraft participating in patrols with Australia in the South China Sea but did not cause any untoward incident, Manila said on Sunday. China has accused the Philippines of enlisting "foreign forces" to patrol the South China Sea and stirring up trouble. The West Philippine Sea is Manila's term for waters in the South China Sea that fall within its exclusive economic zone. The Chinese aircraft continued on its flight route without further incident, Trinidad said. Participating in the joint drills were two Philippine navy vessels and five Philippine surveillance aircraft, and Australia's frigate Toowoomba and P8-A maritime surveillance aircraft.

Persons: China's, Xerxes Trinidad, Romeo Brawner, Karen Lema, William Mallard Organizations: ., South China, Toowoomba, Thomson Locations: MANILA, Philippine, Australia, South, Manila, Philippines, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, South China, U.S, West Philippine, Trinidad

☆ Philippines, Australia start sea, air patrols in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Earvin Perias/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMANILA, Nov 25 (Reuters) - The Philippines and Australia began their first joint sea and air patrols in the South China Sea on Saturday, days after Manila took similar steps with the U.S. as Pacific nations warily eye an increasingly assertive China. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The Philippines is ramping up efforts to counter what it describes as China's "aggressive activities" in the South China Sea, which has also become a flashpoint for Chinese and U.S. tensions around naval operations. The patrols will be carried out in the West Philippine Sea, said Philippine Department of National Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong, using Manila's term for waters in the South China Sea that fall within its exclusive economic zone. China has accused the Philippines of enlisting "foreign forces" to patrol the South China Sea and stirring up trouble.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Anthony Albanese, Earvin, China's, Richard Marles, Marcos, Marles, Arsenio Andolong, Karen Lema, William Mallard Organizations: Australia's, Rights, Australia, ., Philippine, Australian Defence Force, Armed Forces, Philippine Department of National Defense, South China, Toowoomba, Cooperative, Thomson Locations: Manila, Philippines, Rights MANILA, South, China, Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, South China, U.S, West Philippine, Philippine, United, Taiwan, West Philippine Sea

☆ China, US exchange accusations over US vessel in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, Nov 26 (Reuters) - China and the United States exchanged accusations at the weekend over the disputed South China Sea, after China's military said it had driven away a U.S. warship that the U.S. Navy said was on a routine freedom of navigation operation. The U.S. Navy said on Sunday that the Hopper had "asserted navigational rights in the South China Sea near the Paracel Islands, consistent with international law". China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. This weekend's incident, China said, "proves that the United States is an out-and-out 'security risk creator' in the South China Sea". "Unlawful and sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea pose a serious threat to the freedom of the seas."

Persons: Hopper, China's, Kristina Weidemann, Casey, Laurie Chen, Ben Blanchard, Mark Potter, Edmund Klamann Organizations: United, U.S . Navy, People's Liberation Army Southern Theatre Command, U.S, Australia, Philippine, U.S . 7th Fleet, U.S . State Department, Casey Hall, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, SHANGHAI, China, United States, U.S, South China, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Beijing, Manila, South, Shanghai, Taipei

Travellers walk with their suitcases at Beijing Daxing International Airport in Beijing, China April 24, 2023. A recent Pew Research Center survey in 24 countries revealed that views of China were broadly negative, with 67% of adults expressing unfavourable views. Visa-free travel to Germany for Chinese nationals would only be possible if all members of the European Schengen Agreement approved, she said. This month, China expanded its visa-free transit policy to 54 countries to include citizens of Norway. It resumed 15-day visa-free entry for citizens of Singapore and Brunei in July.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Patricia Flor, Catherine Colonna, Wang Yi, Joe Cash, Ethan Wang, Ryan Woo, Christopher Cushing, Kim Coghill, Miral Organizations: Beijing Daxing International, REUTERS, Rights, Pew Research Center, Visa, French, Chamber of Commerce, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Taiwan, Norway, Singapore, Brunei

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