DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Chinese Lunar New Year travel chaos as extreme weather leaves drivers stuck in cars
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Marc Stewart | Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Beijing CNN —Blizzards and freezing rain have brought massive disruption to China’s peak Lunar New Year travel rush, leaving drivers stuck in cars on icy highways and passengers struggling to rebook canceled trains and flights. Sections of 90 major highways impacted by snow and ice were closed across China as of Tuesday morning, according to state-affiliated Beijing News. Others show crowds of stranded passengers in train stations, in one case with an announcement blaring: “No trains are leaving today. Tang flipped through his camera, where images showed piles of snow on both sides of the road and a long traffic jam. Another wave of precipitation is forecast through midweek slightly further south than the snow over the weekend, according to CNN Weather.

Persons: Yang Guang, Tang Zitao, Tang, ”, we’d, It’s Organizations: Beijing CNN, Visual China, CNN, Spring, CNN Weather Locations: China, Beijing, Hubei, Anhui, Wuhan, Henan province, Tang

☆ Demand for shipments from China via rail through Russia has 'skyrocketed' since the Red Sea attacks
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

And — while it only represents a very small proportion of containers moved between the Far East and Europe — rail routes via Russia have seen an uptick in interest too. Rail through RussiaFirms have raised concerns about sending goods via rail through Russia, Sciglaite said. A train engine pulls carriages that started their journey in Yiwu, China into Barking rail freight terminal on January 18, 2017 in the U.K. Igor Tambaca, managing director of Rail Bridge Cargo, a Dutch logistics company, said China-Europe rail route bookings were up 37% over the past four weeks. Tambaca said the cost of sending one forty-foot container (FEU) from China to Europe via rail is currently around $7,900.

Persons: Liu Wenhua, Julija, RailGate, Hapag Lloyd, Sciglaite, Dan Kitwood, Igor Tambaca, Tambaca, Maria Magdalena Pavitsich, Pavitsich, Vladimir Putin, Davies Turner Organizations: China News Service, Getty, Air, CNBC, Rail, Cargo, OBB Rail Cargo Group, FEU, Initiative, British Locations: China, Europe, Russia, Manzhouli, Vietnam, Xeneta, East, European, Rotterdam, South Africa's, Ukraine, Yiwu, Barking, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium, France, Red, Dutch, Turkey, Austrian, Asia, Xian, Chengdu, Suez, Africa, Moscow, Central Siberia, Beijing, Wuhan, Duisburg

☆ Zelenskyy's aides kept an emergency escape train on standby for him at the start of the war. He never took it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Zelenskyy's aides had a train ready for him to escape on in February 2022, a new book says. Zelenskyy refused to use the train and defiantly stayed to lead Ukraine's defense against Russia. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementAt the outbreak of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's security service kept a train idling in Kyiv to enable a quick escape out of the city, according to a new biography. Ukraine's then-defense minister, Oleksiy Reznikov, said that Russia was trying to make Zelenskyy panic and run, according to Shuster.

Persons: Zelenskyy's, Zelenskyy, —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy's, Volodymyr Zelensky, Simon Shuster, Shuster, Ukraine's, Oleksiy Reznikov, Olena Zelenska, Pierre Crom, Viktor Yanukovych, Joe Biden —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Russia, Service, Reuters, Armed Forces of Locations: Ukrainian, Ukraine, Kyiv, Kyiv's, Russia, Poland, Armed Forces of Ukraine

☆ Ayodhya Ram Mandir: A decades long Hindu nationalist dream is about to be achieved. What does this mean?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Ahead of the event, Modi has been fasting and praying in an 11-day ritual steeped in Hindu religious symbolism. But many Hindus believe the Babri Masjid was built on the ruins of a Hindu temple, allegedly destroyed by Babar, the first Mughal emperor of South Asia. The site is significant to them because they believe it’s the birthplace of Lord Ram, now honored with the construction of the new Ram Mandir. Hindu nationalist groups had for years campaigned to demolish the mosque to build a temple in its place. Muslims pray for peace ahead of verdict on a disputed religious site in Ayodhya, inside a mosque premises in Ahmedabad, India, November 8, 2019.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Modi, Lord Ram, ”, ” Modi, Babar, Douglas E, Curran, “, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Amit Dave, “ Young, Asaduddin Owaisi, Sudhanshu Trivedi, Larsen, Toubro Organizations: CNN, country’s, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, YouTube, India’s, AP, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Indian National Congress Locations: Indian, Ayodhya, India, Babri, South Asia, Uttar Pradesh, Ahmedabad

☆ A Japanese man who made a living from letting people rent him to do absolutely nothing says he now does it for fun
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Morimoto, who began his "Rental Person" service in 2018, says he has been hired more than 4,000 times. He recounted the incident in his memoir, "Rental Person Who Does Nothing," a translation of which hit bookstores in the US on January 9. She stared up at the ceiling and looked very upset," Morimoto wrote. "At first, I thought it might be fun, but it wasn't really — if you're not interested, you're not interested," he continued. "It's funny that someone like Rental Person should be in demand.

Persons: —, Shoji Morimoto, Morimoto, I've, Morimoto doesn't Organizations: Service, Business, Reuters

The Ram Mandir's opening Monday would fulfill a decadeslong Hindu nationalist pledge that is expected to resonate with voters during the upcoming national election expected in April or May. The narrow roads have given way to four-lane pilgrim route, including the newly developed 13-kilometer (8-mile) Ram Path leading to the temple. At least two head priests from a Hindu sect have refused to go the opening ceremony, saying consecrating an unfinished temple goes against Hindu scriptures. And volunteers from Modi’s party and other Hindu nationalist groups are going door to door, distributing religious flags and pamphlets. Many others shared Bhatia's feelings about the temple's opening.

Persons: Lord Ram, Hinduism’s, Ram, Narendra Modi's, Modi, Ananya Sharma, ” Sharma, Om Prakash Bhatia, —, marigold, “ Lord Ram, ” Bhatia, “ Jai Sri Ram, ”, “, Gaurav Shourey, ” ___ Banerjee, Piyush Nagpal Organizations: DELHI, Bharatiya Janata Party, Associated Press Locations: India's, Ayodhya, homestays, India, Modi, Indian, New Delhi, vermillion, Lucknow

☆ Cabbing in Italy can be a gnarly affair. Here’s how to navigate it
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-27 | by ( Clement Tan | Jonathan Delise | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

I knew something was amiss when the taxi meter read 10.50 euros as we pulled away from the Roma Termini train station. Some travel sites suggest there's an additional 2 euro surcharge for all taxi rides from Roma Termini, although that information is not listed on official sites. Before arriving in Italy, download taxi hailing apps associated with the major Italian taxi companies, such as ItTaxi, FreeNow and Free Taxi. The event took place on Nov. 9, 2023, in Rome, Italy. Do your researchLearn to recognize official white cabs and the various city emblems, and where taxi drivers post their taxi licenses and vehicle registration numbers.

Persons: Milan —, Roberto Gualtieri, Eugenio Patane, Claudia Gualdi, Francesca Volpi, Aurelian, Gabriel Bouys Organizations: Taxi, Mayor, Mobility, Nurphoto, Getty, Bloomberg, Fiumicino Airport, AFP Locations: Roma, Italy, Trastevere, Rome, Piazza del, Riskline, Duomo, Milan, Florence

Protests are expected throughout this week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ conference, which could draw more than 20,000 attendees, including hundreds of international journalists. San Francisco has a long tradition of loud and vigorous protests, as do trade talks. In 1999, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Seattle during a World Trade Organization conference. San Francisco Police Department Chief Bill Scott said he expects several protests a day, although it's uncertain how many will materialize. “People are welcome to exercise their constitutional rights in San Francisco, but we will not tolerate people committing acts of violence, or property destruction or any other crime,” Scott said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Suzanne Ali, ”, Bill Scott, ” Scott, “, Biden, Xi Jinping, Rory McVeigh, Xi, Vo Van Thuong, Bongbong Marcos, Ferdinand Marcos, Nik Evasco, “ It's, Huizhong Wu Organizations: FRANCISCO, —, Sunday, Economic Cooperation, ’, APEC, Moscone Center, Palestinian Youth Movement, U.S, Hamas, Trade Organization, Protesters, Thai, San Francisco Police Department, Center, University of Notre Dame, United Vietnamese American Community of, International Coalition for Human Rights, Associated Press Locations: Israel, San Francisco, Asia, Francisco, Seattle, Chile, Thailand, Bangkok, China, U.S, Mexico, Brazil, Philippines, United Vietnamese American Community of Northern California, Vietnam

About a mile away from the start of the march, about 1,000 people lined the streets to watch the remembrance events at the Cenotaph war memorial. Among the crowd, some right-wing counter-protesters opposed to the pro-Palestinian march chanted messages including "We want out country back". DISRESPECTFULSunak has criticised the pro-Palestinian rally as disrespectful amid concerns it could spark violence. There has been strong support and sympathy for Israel from Western governments, including Britain's, and many citizens over the Hamas attacks. But the Israeli response has also prompted anger, with weekly protests in London demanding a ceasefire.

Persons: Hollie Adams, Laurence Taylor, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Suella Braverman, Taylor, I've, Michael Holden, Hannah McKay, Sarah Young, Ed Osmond, Helen Popper Our Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Government, Cenotaph . Police, Charing, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, PSC, U.S, Embassy, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, London, Britain, Palestine, Waterloo, Victoria, Downing, Western

☆ Turmoil in UK government after key minister slams police ahead of pro-Palestinian march on Armistice Day
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

On Saturday, the UK will mark Armistice Day – the date commemorating the de-facto end of World War I. Also on Saturday, pro-Palestinian protesters will march through central London demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Every living UK Prime Minister lays a wreath at the monument, along with other senior politicians, visiting dignitaries and members of the royal family. Banning such a protest in the name of those who died for precisely these sorts of freedoms is not the best look on Armistice Day. The Conservative Party’s poll ratings are poor and Sunak is already barely holding together a fragile coalition of parliamentarians.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Suella Braverman, Leon Neal, Banning, Sunak’s, Braverman, ” Braverman, Keir Starmer, Downing, Mark Kerrison, ” Sunak, Brexit, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, – Organizations: London CNN, Getty, London’s Metropolitan Police Service, Conservative, National Conservatism Conference, Emmanuel Centre, Conservative Party Locations: London, Israel, Downing, Times, England, Gaza, Northern Irish, Charing, Westminster

☆ IMF upgrades China's 2023, 2024 GDP growth forecasts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

People wait to board trains at the Shanghai Hongqiao railway station ahead of the National Day holiday, in Shanghai, China September 28, 2023. GDP growth could slow to 4.6% in 2024 because of continued weakness in China's property sector and subdued external demand, the IMF said in a press release, albeit better than its October expectation of 4.2% in the IMF's World Economic Outlook (WEO). The combination of the downturn in the property sector and local government debt crunch could wipe out much of China's long-term growth potential, economists say. Local debt has reached 92 trillion yuan ($12.6 trillion), or 76% of China's economic output in 2022, up from 62.2% in 2019. China should also develop a comprehensive restructuring strategy to reduce the debt level of local government financing vehicles (LGFVs), she said.

Persons: Aly, IMF's, Gita Gopinath, Gopinath, LGFVs, Joe Cash, Ryan Woo, Edmund Klamann, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Monetary Fund, China's, Communist Party, Thomson Locations: Shanghai Hongqiao, Shanghai, China, Rights BEIJING, Gopinath

☆ Exclusive: China's cabinet curbs debt growth in 12 "high risk" regions - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The sources were citing a cabinet document dated late September that was delivered to local governments and state lenders this month. The move by China's cabinet, or the State Council, to contain local government debt has not been previously reported. HIGH-RISK REGIONSThe 12 regions were previously identified as areas with "high risks" of defaulting on debt obligations. The massive piles of debt highlights local governments' financial stress, fuelling concerns of a systemic financial crisis. The bond issuance is widely believed to be part of Beijing's measures to defuse debt risks of LGFVs.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, Don Durfee, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Tyrone, Rights, State Council, Council, LGFVs, Communist Party, Reuters, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Central, Hong Kong, China, Rights BEIJING, Liaoning, Jilin, North Korea, Guizhou, Yunnan, Tianjin, Chongqing

☆ France boosts air, rail security amid rise in bomb hoaxes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

French police stand guard in front of the Chateau de Versailles (Palace of Versailles) as tourists enter again after the Palace was evacuated for security reasons, in Versailles, near Paris, France, October 17, 2023. REUTERS/Clotaire Achi/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - France, already on its highest security alert, is to boost security at airports around the capital and on trains after a wave of bomb hoaxes, the transport minister said on Sunday. Alongside the heightened risk, there were "people who are playing with fear", he said, referring to the wave of fake bomb alerts that have hit transport networks, schools and cultural centres over the last week. Since last Wednesday, there have been 70 bomb hoaxes in airports in France, he said, adding that almost all of these alerts were sent from the same Swiss-based email address. Beaune told France Inter that hoaxes are not "small jokes, they are serious crimes" and that they will be investigated.

Persons: Chateau, Clotaire, Clement Beaune, Layli Foroudi, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, ., SNCF, France Inter, Thomson Locations: Versailles, Paris, France, Arras, Europe, Beaune, Swiss

☆ Helen Garner Keeps ‘Paradise Lost’ and a Bible Close at Hand
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Urn Burial,” by Sir Thomas Browne, “Paradise Lost,” by John Milton, the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. What’s the last great book you read? “Party Going,” by Henry Green (1939). In fact Henry Green might be my favorite writer of all time. Can a great book be badly written?

Persons: Sir Thomas Browne, John Milton, King James Bible, James Baldwin, Henry Green Organizations: “ Locations: London

☆ At Least 4 Killed, Nearly 100 Injured as Train Derails in India
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

(Reuters) - At least four people were killed and nearly 100 injured as an express train derailed in the Indian state of Bihar on Wednesday, various media reports said. Some coaches of North-East Express train, which runs from Delhi to Assam derailed at the Raghunathpur railway station in Bihar's Buxar district around 4:05 p.m. GMT on Wednesday, the reports said. Due to the accident, movement on both up and down tracks have been disrupted, leading to diversion of several passenger and goods trains, reports added. (Reporting by Shivani Tanna in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler and Lisa Shumaker)

Persons: Shivani Tanna, Leslie Adler, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Reuters, East Express Locations: Indian, Bihar, Delhi, Assam, Raghunathpur, Bihar's Buxar, Bengaluru

☆ China's Golden Week: expected consumption boom disappoints
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —China has concluded its Golden Week holiday on a muted note, with key travel and spending data showing weaker-than-expected recovery in consumption amid a wider economic slump. Before the holiday, the ministry had expected domestic travel to hit 896 million trips, and tourism spending to reach 782.5 billion yuan ($107 billion). According to the National Immigration Administration, on average 1.48 million people crossed the border every day during the Golden Week holiday. Weakness at the box officeChina’s box office hit multi-year lows during the holiday week. A recovery in domestic consumption not related to the Golden Week also fell short of expectations.

Persons: ” Goldman Sachs, Tesla, BYD Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Ministry of Culture, Tourism, National Immigration Administration, Shenyang North Railway, Stringer, Getty, Citi, Entertainment, Tencent, China Passenger Car Association Sunday, CNN, EV Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, China's, Liaoning, AFP, Tourism

☆ Hong Kong and Australia set for stronger start; China returns from Golden Week
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Passengers wait for trains at Guangzhou South Railway Station on Sept. 27, 2023, just days before the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays. Asia-Pacific markets are set for a positive start to the week as Chinese markets come back from a week long Golden Week holiday. Investors will be watching inflation readings and trade data out from China and India later this week, as well as a monetary policy decision from Singapore's central bank. Japan and South Korea's markets are closed Monday for a holiday.

Organizations: Guangzhou South Railway Locations: Guangzhou, Asia, Pacific, China, India, Singapore's, Japan, South

☆ Hroza, Ukraine missile strike: No military targets in village hit by 'inhuman' Russian attack, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Vasco Cotovio Radina Gigova Svitlana Vlasova Helen Regan | Vasco Cotovio | Radina Gigova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Members of Ukraine's emergency services at the scene of a Russian missile strike in the village of Hroza, Kharkiv region, eastern Ukraine on October 5. At least 16 people were injured, including an 11-month-old baby, said Oleh Syniehubov, the head of Kharkiv region’s military administration. Ukraine's emergency services work through the night digging through the rubble in the aftermath of a Russian missile attack. Police and military experts work at the site of a Russian military strike in Hroza. The Ukrainian military has since been trying to resist advances from Moscow.

Persons: ” Sergey Bolvinov, Vasco Cotovio, CNN Bolvinov, ”, Ihor Terekhov, Terekhov, Oleh Syniehubov, Dmytro Chubenko, Chubenko, Hroza, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Pedro Sánchez, Olaf Scholz, Zelensky, Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy, Karine Jean, Pierre, Sofiia Gatilova Organizations: Ukraine CNN, CNN, Hroza, Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s, RBC, Spanish, White, Ukraine, Police, NATO, Ukrainian Locations: Hroza, Ukraine, Russian, Ukrainian, Kupiansk, Kharkiv, Kramatorsk, Dnipro, Granada, Spain, Germany, “, Kyiv, Moscow, Russia

CNN —A Russian missile strike killed at least 51 people in a village near the eastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk on Thursday, officials say, in what would be one of the deadliest attacks against civilians since the conflict began. Moscow’s forces targeted a cafe and a shop in Hroza, in the Kharkiv region, soon after midday local time (5 a.m. Hroza is located about 40 kilometers from the frontlines of the war near Kupiansk, the city in Kharkiv that Russian forces seized early on in the war before losing it a year ago. The Ukrainian military has since been trying to resist advances from Moscow. The UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine said images arriving from the scene of the attack “are absolutely horrifying,” accusing Russian forces of carrying out a war crime.

Persons: Ihor Klymenko, Dmytro Chubenko, Oleh Synehubov, Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy, Klymenko, ”, “, Rustem Umerov, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Europe’s, Denys Shmyhal, ” Shmyhal, ” Denise Brown Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian, Ukrainian Defense, NATO, “, Ukranian, Russian Locations: Russian, Ukrainian, Kupiansk, Hroza, Kharkiv, Kramatorsk, Hrova, Ukraine, Pervomaiske, Moscow, Russia, Kyiv, Granada, Spain, “ Russia

☆ A night inside a strip club near Ukraine’s front lines
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Anna Conkling | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

By mid-afternoon, nine women have gathered around the dance pole at Flash Dancers, the only women-owned exotic dance club in Kharkiv. Valerii Kseniya, Flash Dancers' co-owner, in an undated photograph from her career as a professional dancer (left), and in July 2023. Iva Sidash for InsiderWhen Dana first joined Flash Dancers, Valeriya said, she was shy, silent, and not open to speaking with the team. Iva Sidash for InsiderOver the past year, several soldiers who were regulars at Flash Dancers have been killed in the fighting. Iva Sidash for InsiderThe evening at Flash Dancers could serve as a microcosm of Ukraine's tentative but determined return to normality.

Persons: Valeriya Zavadskaya, Christina Aguilera's, bam, Iva Sidash, Valeriya, Cher, proprietorship, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Valeriya's, Valeriia Kseniya, Kseniya, Valerii Kseniya, —, Valeriya's lapdogs, Sara, Lady —, grimly, Dana, hasn't, they're, Gyrating, doesn't, they've, Yurii Tryfan, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Tryfan, Lyuda, Maksyum, Pavlo, trundle, We've, Anna Conkling, Elle Organizations: showtime, Boys, Komsomol, league, Communist Party, Hustler, National University of Kharkiv, Valeriya, Flash Dancers, Monetary Fund Locations: Kharkiv, Ukraine's, Russian, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, bam, Soviet, South Korea, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Italy, Asia, Russia, Ukraine's Crimean, Moulin Rouge, Drohobych, Polish, USSR, Bakhmut, Kupyansk, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Berlin

☆ China PMI, bumper 'Golden Week' travel give glimmers of hope for economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

PMI data released by Caixin Media and S&P Global showed both manufacturing and services losing some momentum. “We see increasing evidence of a near-term growth stabilization,” Nomura analysts said in a research note on Saturday, thanks partly to the raft of policy measures unveiled since late July, they added. While domestic travel for the Golden Week holiday appears strong, Chinese consumers are leaving the mainland in fewer numbers. Preliminary statistics from ForwardKeys, a global travel data provider, last week showed that Chinese travel within Asia was down 33% on pre-pandemic levels. On the first day of the Golden Week holiday, the number of mainland Chinese tourists entering Hong Kong was still less than half of 2018’s level, the city’s government said over the weekend.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Stringer, “, ” Nomura, Julie Kozack, Xu Jiayin, Xu Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, National Bureau, Statistics, PMI, Caixin Media, P Global, Getty, China State Railway Group, Ministry, Transport, Ministry of Culture, Tourism, NBS, ” Citi, International Monetary Fund, Bank, Golden, Evergrande Group Locations: Hong Kong, Nantong, China's Jiangsu, AFP, China, Hangzhou, China's, Zhejiang, Beijing, Asia

☆ Indonesia launches first bullet train, WHOOSH, funded by China's Belt and Road infrastructure initiative
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Part of China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative and largely funded by Chinese state-owned firms, the $7.3 billion project opened to the public on Sunday. The train will travel between the capital Jakarta and Bandung in West Java, Indonesia’s second-largest city and a major arts and culture hub. Indonesia's outgoing President Joko Widodo rides the high-speed railway during a test ride in Jakarta. Akbar Nugroho Gumay/APWidodo and Chinese Premier Li Qiang were photographed taking test rides on the new high-speed railway throughout September. The train deal was first signed in 2015 as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and construction began later that year.

Persons: Dwiyana Slamet Riyadi, Dwiyana, Yasuyoshi Chiba, Joko Widodo, Xi Jinping, Akbar Nugroho Gumay, Li Qiang, ” Organizations: CNN —, Kereta, Surabaya –, PT, PT KCIC, Initiative Locations: CNN — Indonesia, Jakarta, Bandung, West Java, Indonesian, Indonesia China, Halim, East Jakarta, Padalarang, West Bandung, Surabaya, East Java Province, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Borobudur, AFP, Indonesia, Southeast, China, Rempang, Indonesia’s Riau

☆ China launches first cross-sea bullet train line near Taiwan Strait
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A bullet train speeds during its debut near a railway station in Shanghai January 28, 2007. A bullet train departed from Fuzhou, the capital of east China's Fujian province Thursday morning, setting up the opening of the 277-km (172-mile) Fuzhou-Xiamen-Zhangzhou railway, Xinhua reported. China Railway Siyuan Survey and Design Group Co Ltd designed the railway project. China recently announced details of its plan to turn Fujian into a zone for integrated development with Taiwan, which sits opposite the province. Separately, earlier this week China unveiled its first commercial suspended monorail line in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province.

Persons: Aly Song, Bernard Orr, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, China State Railway Group Co, China Railway Siyuan Survey, Design, China Daily, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, CHINA, Rights BEIJING, China, Fujian, Taiwan Strait, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Xinhua, Taiwan, Wuhan, Hubei province, Beijing

☆ US-made ATACMS cluster missiles could give Ukraine's HIMARS the power to punish Russia's artillery and 'cut off' its army, former US artillery officer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

One variant that could help Kyiv is the M39 cluster missile, which has nearly 1,000 submunitions. Rice has lobbied for Washington to send cluster munitions since July 2022, and his efforts have also focused on cluster rockets and missiles. Fewer of these were produced compared to the older M39 cluster variant, military research indicates. That's what ATACMS cluster missiles will help do, he said. With longer-range M39 ATACMS missiles packed with far more explosive submunitions, this becomes even more of a deadly challenge for Moscow's army.

Persons: —, Biden, ATACMS, Dan Rice, Rice, Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Getty Images Rice, Zelenskyy, Maj, Charlie Dietz, Ukraine's, Serhii Mykhalchuk, there's, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Service, MGM, Tactical Missile, Artillery, White, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Army Tactical Missile, Korean Defense Ministry, Getty Images, Department of Defense, State Department, Kyiv, Black, Getty Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russian, Crimean, Washington, France, Desert Storm, Iraqi, South Korea, U.S, Crimea, Donetsk Oblast, Azov, Russia, Kerch, Moscow

Demonstrators hold placards next to a banner as they attend a protest against the sharing of Cauvery river water with neighbouring Tamil Nadu state, in Bengaluru, India, September 26, 2023. Schools and colleges were shut in the capital of the southern state of Karnataka, home to more than 3,500 tech companies. "I can shed my blood but I don't want to give water to Tamil Nadu," said one protester, Ravi Mallikarjuna. The delay provoked small demonstrations near a railway station in Tamil Nadu. The Cauvery river originates in the Karnataka region of Talakaveri, flowing through Tamil Nadu into the Bay of Bengal.

Persons: Dhanya, Santosh Babu, Ravi Mallikarjuna, Shivakumar, Ramachandra, Rupam Jain, Miral Fahmy, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Inc, Walmart, Police, Farmers, Google, Schools, Supreme, Tamil, Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Thomson Locations: Tamil Nadu, Bengaluru, India, BENGALURU, India's, Karnataka, Farmers, Bengal

Search resuls for: "Railway Station"

25 mentions found