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☆ Opinion: The principle that animated Henry Kissinger’s foreign policies
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Fareed Zakaria | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Editor’s Note: Fareed Zakaria hosts “Fareed Zakaria GPS,” airing at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. CNN —Henry Kissinger, who died this week at 100, may have been the most famous foreign policy practitioner in modern American history. And yet, admired or despised, he managed to hold the world’s attention long after his power waned. The Vietnam War was over. It particularly irked him that the liberal elites who had been enthusiastically in favor of the Vietnam War in 1967 became his most vicious critics within a few years.

Persons: Fareed Zakaria, “ Fareed Zakaria, CNN — Henry Kissinger, Kissinger, Martin Luther King, Jr, Robert Kennedy, Egypt, Fareed Zakaria Kissinger, Hitler, Goethe, Stalin, reread Spinoza, Henry Kissinger, Henry Kissinger’s Organizations: CNN, doer, The, Israel, Pakistan Locations: America, The United States, Vietnam, Soviet, Washington, Beijing, China, Israel, Taiwan, Moscow, United States, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Chile, Indonesia, Germany, optimists, European, Japan, Europe

☆ Ben Rhodes: Henry Kissinger, the Hypocrite - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Ben Rhodes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Mr. Kissinger was not uncomfortable with that dynamic. From the side of the free world, Mr. Kissinger backed genocidal campaigns — by Pakistan against Bengalis and by Indonesia against the East Timorese. The generous defense is that Mr. Kissinger represented an ethos that saw the ends (the defeat of the Soviet Union and revolutionary Communism) as justifying the means. Mr. Kissinger was fixated on credibility, the idea that America must impose a price on those who ignore our demands to shape the decisions of others in the future. Mr. Kissinger lived half of his life after he left government.

Persons: Kissinger, —, Salvador Allende, Allende’s, ”, Kissinger’s, Deng Xiaoping, Henry Kissinger Organizations: East, Soviet Union, Mr, Chinese Communist Party Locations: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, United States, Germany, Japan, Pakistan, Indonesia, East Timorese, Chile, Soviet, America, East Pakistan, Bangladesh, Soviet Union, China, Republic of China, Tiananmen, U.S, Taiwan

☆ 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

☆ Henry Kissinger, a dominating and polarizing force in US foreign policy, dies at 100
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Paul Leblanc | Kristin Wilson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Alfred Eisenstaedt/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images Kissinger takes a call in his office in the early 1970s. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Kissinger talks with journalists on his way to meet with NATO foreign ministers. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Kissinger, second from left, walks with Leonid Brezhnev, secretary-general of the Soviet Communist Party, in 1973. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Kissinger looks out a window at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem in 1975. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Kissinger is greeted by US Sen. John McCain after a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in 2015.

Persons: CNN — Henry Kissinger, Kissinger, Henry Kissinger, Stephen Voss, Walter, Heinz Alfred Kissinger, Henry, William P, Rogers, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Tom Blau, Richard Nixon, Nixon, Warren Burger, Alamy Kissinger, Le Duc Tho, Tho, Wally McNamee, Corbis, Zhou Enlai, Leonid Brezhnev, Dirck Halstead, Gerald Ford, Nancy, pats, King David Hotel, David Hume Kennerly, Kirk Douglas, David, Elizabeth, Mikki Ansin, Diana Walker, Peter Southwock, Princess Diana, Colin Powell, Barbara Walters, Diana, David McNew, George W, Bush, Charles Dharapak, Christian Wulff, Stephan Schraps, Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright, John Kerry, Chip Somodevilla, US Sen, John McCain, Tom Williams, Ash Carter, Yin Bogu, Cui Tiankai, Zhang Chaoqun, Donald Trump, Jim Watson, Andrew Harnik, Maximilian, Daniel Vogl, Xi Jinping, Nixon’s, Reagan, ” Kissinger, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, ”, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, “, Lincoln, Bernie Sanders, Count, ” Sanders, Clinton, “ I’ve, Zakaria Organizations: CNN, Kissinger Associates, Bettmann, Getty, Harvard University, Harvard's Center for International Affairs, National Security Council, US Arms Control, Disarmament Agency, State Department, Camera, State, Chief, Everett, Inc, Paris Peace Accords, MPI, NATO, Soviet Communist Party, Hulton, King, Times Newspapers, Concord Academy, Senate Energy, Richard, US Diplomacy Center, US, Armed Services, Nixon Library, Museum, Capitol, Science, Arts, New York’s, Nazis, United States Army, Jewish, Pentagon, CBS News, Richard Nixon Presidential Library, Republican Party Locations: Nazi Germany, Connecticut, Washington , DC, Fürth, Germany, United States, Paris, Beijing, ITAR, Washington ,, Japan, Egypt, Israel, Jerusalem, Massachusetts, Boston, New York, Yorba Linda , California, Berlin, Xinhua, AFP, Bavarian, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Chile, Soviet, Saigon, Laos, New, Furth, Nazi, Soviet Union, South Vietnam, North Vietnam, Fuerth

Another two Thai workers were set free on Tuesday, bringing the total released to 23. He said they remain in contact with him and send him updates about the release of hostages even before the news breaks. The Thai foreign ministry said three Thais were being treated for wounds in hospital. On Wednesday night, four additional Thai hostages were released. Israel says Hamas killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostages back to Gaza on Oct. 7.

Persons: Parnpree Bahiddha, Nukara, Thais, Parnpree, Lerpong Syed, Israel, Juarawee Kittisilpa, Howard Goller, Sandra Maler, Stephen Coates Organizations: Thai Foreign, Shamir Medical Center, Hamas, Iran, Reuters, Thomson Locations: TEL AVIV, Israel, Thailand, Palestinian, Gaza, Thai

☆ Chinese navy ships visit Myanmar amid heightened security tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Three Chinese navy ships have arrived in Myanmar on a goodwill visit as part of renewed Chinese defence engagement amid Chinese concern about a surge of fighting between Myanmar junta forces and insurgents near the Chinese border. The Chinese task force would "conduct naval security exercises" with Myanmar, it reported. This month, the Chinese and Vietnamese navies conducted their 35th joint patrol in Beibu Gulf since 2005, while Chinese troops held a border defence exchange with armed forces from Laos. The Chinese naval visit comes as Myanmar junta forces are battling ethnic minority insurgents near the border with China, raising concerns in China, which has called for peace. Chinese troops have been conducting live-fire drills on their side of the border since Saturday so that People's Liberation Army (PLA) forces are "ready for any emergency", the PLA Daily reported.

Persons: China's, Sun Bo, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, Robert Birsel Organizations: Myanmar, Liberation Navy, Senior, United, Liberation Army, PLA, PLA Daily, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Myanmar, Myanmar's, Yangon, Gulf, Aden, Somalia, United Arab Emirates, Southeast Asia, Beibu Gulf, Laos, China

Today, they facilitate the connection to the spiritual world she needs to help fellow refugees and their American-raised children who seek restoration of lost spirits. Male heads of households who embrace traditional animist practices perform soul-calling ceremonies, venerate ancestor spirits and invoke the protection of good spirits. On a farm north of St. Paul, Moua Yang runs the hog butcher shop he started working on with his father when he was a child. “It’s ingrained in me,” said Vue, who was born in St. Paul. “Spiritual world is confusing, but once you find a path, everything is natural,” Chad Lee said.

Persons: Mee Vang Yang, ”, Tzianeng Vang, Vang Yang’s, He's, Lee Pao Xiong, Paul, haven’t, Xiong, Moua Yang, “, it’s, Yang, Sai Vue, Vue, Janessa Moua, she’s, ” Moua, Txongpao Lee, Lee, Hlee Xiong Lee, they’re, Kevin Lee, Chad Lee Organizations: PAUL, Communist, Center, Hmong Studies, Concordia University, St, Twin Cities, Hmong Cultural, Lutheran, Press, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: Laos, Minnesota, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, United States, Thailand, California, St, Southeast Asia, Wisconsin, Paul’s

☆ Fahad Shah: Award-winning Kashmir journalist in press freedom case released after nearly two years behind bars
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —A Kashmir journalist who was arrested under India’s sedition and anti-terror laws has returned home Thursday after being released on bail following nearly two years behind bars. Critics say Shah’s case highlights declining press freedoms in the contested region. Claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan, the mountainous Kashmir region has been at the epicenter of an often-violent territorial struggle between the nuclear-armed neighbors for more than 70 years. On Monday, the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court ordered his release and quashed some of the charges, according to a court document seen by CNN. “The arrest of Fahad Shah shows Jammu and Kashmir authorities’ utter disregard for press freedom and the fundamental right of journalists to report freely and safely,” said Steven Butler, Committee to Protect Journalists’ Asia program, at the time.

Persons: Fahad Shah, Narendra Modi, Shah, India ”, ”, Fahad, Steven Butler, Modi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Kashmir’s, abetted, Jammu &, Court, CNN, Protect Journalists ’, Guardian, Human Rights Locations: Hong Kong, Kashmir Walla, Kashmir, New Delhi, India, Pakistan, Islamabad, Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Fahad Shah, Protect Journalists ’ Asia, Delhi, Laos, Philippines

☆ Philippines' Marcos says Myanmar a difficult problem for ASEAN
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Speaking at a forum in Hawaii streamed live in the Philippines on Monday, Marcos said there was commitment from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), but the issue was complex, including the humanitarian impact. "There is a great deal of impetus for ASEAN to solve this problem. But it is a very, very difficult problem," Marcos said. The Philippines will chair ASEAN in 2026 after it replaced Myanmar as host that year. Marcos, citing analyses of the recent escalation, said the junta had already lost support from its own military.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos, Jr, Vivian Balakrishnan, Sarun Charoensuwan, Pham Minh Chinh, Antonio Guterres, Joko Widodo, Marcos, upending, Mikhail Flores, Karen Lema, Neil Jerome Morales, Martin Petty Organizations: Singapore's, Vietnam's, UN, Southeast, ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Philippines, Laos, MANILA, Myanmar, Hawaii

☆ Fear is driving Chinese travelers away from two of Asia’s most popular destinations
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Shalbha Sarda | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

But both are losing ground with Chinese nationals as safety concerns rise among younger travelers. Both countries were the top choices for Chinese holidaymakers earlier this year but fell in the third quarter — Thailand to No. 8 — according to the marketing company China Trading Desk, which gauges Chinese travel sentiment on a quarterly basis. Both countries now lag behind South Korea, Malaysia and Australia in terms of Chinese travelers' next vacation destinations, with Singapore — deemed one of the safest places for travelers in 2023 — rising to the top spot. The World Health Organization and other safety groups have said seafood from Japan is safe to eat, but fears among Chinese travelers have "turned one of their most popular destinations into one of their least popular," Bhatt said.

Persons: Singapore —, Subramania Bhatt, Bhatt, Pia Oberoi, Oberoi, There's Organizations: China Trading, China, World Health Organization, United Nations, United Nations Human Rights, High, Afp, Getty, ASEAN, CNBC Locations: Japan, Thailand, Asia, Korea, Malaysia, Australia, Singapore, Southeast Asia, Thailand —, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Southeast, South Asia, China, Taiwan, America, Pacific, perpetrating, Thu, People's Republic of China

☆ See the best evening gowns at the 2023 Miss Universe competition
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Alex Rees | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Benjamin Askinas/Courtesy Miss Universe Miss Bolivia, Estefany Rivero. Benjamin Askinas/Courtesy Miss Universe Miss Brazil, Maria Brechane. Benjamin Askinas/Courtesy Miss Universe Miss Bulgaria, Yuliia Pavlikova. Benjamin Askinas/Courtesy Miss Universe Miss Slovakia, Kinga Puhová Benjamin Askinas/Courtesy Miss Universe Miss South Africa, Bryoni Govender. The 2023 Miss Universe pageant also marks longtime Miss Universe Organization President Paula Shugart’s last year.

Globally, as many as 128,000 fishers face threats of violence, debt bondage, excessive overtime and other conditions indicative of forced labor, according to the U.N.'s International Labor Organization. U.S. and European companies are under increasing pressure to clean up supply chains in labor-intensive industries where worker abuse is widespread. But ZheJiang Hairong in a statement last year to the state-owned Fujian Daily claimed ownership of only five of the 10 vessels that would later appear on the Financial Transparency Coalition's list. Pingtan last year was sanctioned by the Biden administration over allegations of illegal fishing and labor abuse. The Financial Transparency Coalition scoured government reports, media accounts and complaints by advocacy groups to come up with a list of 475 individual vessels suspected of forced labor since 2010.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Beth Lowell, Pingtan, Biden, Fu Ting, Wanqing Chen Organizations: MIAMI, Financial, Coalition, D.C, Walton Family Foundation, AP, Associated Press, International Labor Organization . U.S, Force, Group, Seven, Atmospheric Administration, Ocean Fisheries Co, Pingtan Marine Enterprises, China National Fisheries Corp, Fujian Daily, New York Stock Exchange, Washington , D.C Locations: Washington, China, Russia, Spain, Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, United States, U.S, Oceana, Panama, Belize, ZheJiang, Fujian, Washington ,, Beijing, Investigative@ap.org

☆ Laos is spiraling toward a debt crisis as China looms large
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Nyshka Chandran | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An alarming debt crisis has unfolded in Laos in recent years, raising worries about the tiny nation's obligation to its biggest creditor — China. China became the largest foreign investor in Laos in late 2013 and since then, its influence has only continued to skyrocket. Laos borrowed billions from President Xi Jinping's government to finance railways, highways and hydroelectric dams, depleting its foreign reserves in the process. It's widely feared the country may be on the brink of economic collapse if the economic crisis spins out of control. But without a clear-cut debt reduction deal with China, Laos' financial hardships will not likely ease, analysts warn.

Persons: Xi Jinping's, kip Organizations: Initiative, U.S ., Asian Development Bank Locations: Vientiane, Laos, China, Beijing

☆ Laos Buffalo Dairy: A mid-life crisis with a purpose
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Katie Lockhart | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Laos Buffalo Dairy, in the UNESCO-listed heritage town of Luang Prabang, is the country’s first dairy and buffalo farm. Laos Buffalo DairyVillagers around Luang Prabang travel up to two hours to bring their pregnant buffalo to the farm. Laos Buffalo DairyTraditionally, buffalo were used for plowing rice fields in Laos. Laos Buffalo DairyWhen the Laos Buffalo Dairy team first introduced their program to area farmers, it took roughly 18 months to convince them that it was a win-win idea. More than buffaloThe Laos Buffalo Dairy has created a free recipe book for locals that offers suggestions on how to incorporate buffalo milk into traditional Laotian dishes.

Persons: Laos CNN — We’ve, Susie Martin, Steven McWhirter, ”, Martin, Rachel O’Shea, milked, Rachel O'Shea, it’s, ’, “, The’ve Organizations: Laos CNN, Laos Buffalo Dairy, UNESCO, Porsche, Laos Buffalo Dairy Villagers, Laos Buffalo, Buffalo Bank, World Bank Locations: Luang Prabang, Laos, Asia, Laos Buffalo, Australian, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Australia, brie, parmesan, cheddar, Prabang, Rosewood, Cambodia

☆ Southeast Asia's digital economy – from e-commerce to online media – is set to hit $218 billion in 2023, report shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The yearly report analyzed the five main sectors of Southeast Asia's digital economy – e-commerce, travel, food and transport, online media and digital financial services. The report also revealed revenue in Southeast Asia's digital economy is expected to hit $100 billion this year, growing 1.7 times as fast as the region's total transaction value. "Southeast Asia's digital economy is really in the midst of an unprecedented pivot towards profitability. Despite investors being pickier, "dry powder" increased to $15.7 billion at the end of 2022, up from $12.4 billion in 2021. "This shows that there is fuel available to propel Southeast Asia's digital economy to the next stage of growth," the report said.

Persons: Carlina, Hoong, Chadha, Fock, CNBC's JP Ong Organizations: Google, Temasek, Bain & Company, Companies Locations: Asia, Southeast, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, East Timor, Papua New Guinea

☆ China and Russia take aim at US at Chinese military forum
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Yew Lun Tian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BEIJING, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Chinese and Russian military chiefs targeted the United States for criticism at a security forum in Beijing on Monday, even as China's second-most-senior military commander vowed to boost defence ties with Washington. Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu warned the West that its involvement in the Ukraine war created grave danger. China's defence minister delivered the keynote speech in previous years. China and the U.S. have had no high-level military-to-military communications since the Washington-sanctioned former Chinese defence minister, Li Shangfu, was appointed in March. It is not yet known whether the U.S. team will meet separately with Chinese military officials.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Zhang Youxia, Xi Jinping, Zhang, Li Shangfu, Li, Cynthia Xanthi, Joe Biden, Wang Yi, Biden, Yew Lun Tian, Lidia Kelly, Laurie Chen, Greg Torode, Gerry Doyle, Tom Hogue Organizations: Washington, Beijing Xiangshan, Russia's, TASS, China's, Military Commission, Communist, U.S, Reuters, Defense, U.S ., Thomson Locations: BEIJING, United States, Beijing, Ukraine, Russia, China, Taiwan, South China, Washington, U.S, Cynthia Xanthi Carras, Singapore, Laos, Mongolia, Belarus, East Timor, Myanmar, Sydney

☆ China kickstarts Xiangshan Forum in absence of defence minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Yew Lun Tian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Beijing Xiangshan Forum, China's biggest annual show of military diplomacy, started on Sunday although the Asian power is still missing a defence minister, who typically hosts this event. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu is listed in the forum's agenda as the first guest speaker at Monday's opening ceremony. This year's forum takes place at an awkward time for China when it is without a defence minister, whose main role is to engage with foreign militaries. On Tuesday, Beijing sacked its defence minister Li Shangfu but did not name a replacement. Chinese military leaders more senior than the defence minister have filled in for Li.

Persons: Xi, Sergei Shoigu, Li Shangfu, Li, Zhang Youxia, Weidong, Zhao Yufei, Wendin Smith, Yew Lun Tian, Laurie Chen, Philip Blenkinsop Organizations: Beijing Xiangshan, Russian, Xanthi, China, Defense, Reuters, Xinhua, NATO, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, China, United States, Russia, Ukraine, U.S, Xanthi Carras, Li, State, Laos, Mongolia, Vietnam, Singapore, France, Brussels

☆ Russia's Medvedev: Energy cooperation with EU is pointless
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Russia's Deputy head of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev speaks during a news conference in Vientiane, Laos, May 23, 2023. Sputnik/Yekaterina Shtukina/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 29 (Reuters) - Russia's former President, Dmitry Medevedev, was quoted as saying on Sunday that cooperation with Europe in energy matters was frozen or pointless as European countries had fallen on hard times and had poor growth prospects. "Europe has castrated itself in bloody fashion and without anaesthesia by walking away from energy cooperation with our country," Russian news agencies quoted Medvedev, now Deputy Secretary of the Security Council, as saying on social media. "This cooperation is either spoiled or frozen for some time." Medvedev, president from 2008 to 2012, has positioned himself as one of Russia's most vocal hardliners.

Persons: Dmitry Medvedev, Dmitry Medevedev, Medvedev Organizations: Sputnik, Security Council, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Vientiane, Laos, Europe, Russian

☆ China Kickstarts Xiangshan Forum in Absence of Defence Minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Yew Lun TianBEIJING (Reuters) - Beijing Xiangshan Forum, China's biggest annual show of military diplomacy, started on Sunday although the Asian power is still missing a defence minister, who typically hosts this event. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu is listed in the forum's agenda as the first guest speaker at Monday's opening ceremony. This year's forum takes place at an awkward time for China when it is without a defence minister, whose main role is to engage with foreign militaries. On Tuesday, Beijing sacked its defence minister Li Shangfu but did not name a replacement. Chinese military leaders more senior than the defence minister have filled in for Li.

Persons: Lun Tian, Xi, Sergei Shoigu, Li Shangfu, Li, Zhang Youxia, Weidong, Zhao Yufei, Wendin Smith, Yew Lun Tian, Laurie Chen, Philip Blenkinsop Organizations: Beijing Xiangshan, Russian, Xanthi, China, Defense, Reuters, Xinhua, NATO Locations: Lun Tian BEIJING, Beijing, China, United States, Russia, Ukraine, U.S, Xanthi Carras, Li, State, Laos, Mongolia, Vietnam, Singapore, France, Brussels

☆ VinFast expects sales to founder's taxi venture to extend into 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Phuong Nguyen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In an interview, VinFast CEO Le Thi Thu Thuy said VinFast had not provided any financing to GSM. "For the next two quarters we still see GSM having demand for our vehicles, both EVs and e-scooters," Thuy said. A VinFast survey showed riders who had experienced a ride in a VinFast taxi operated by GSM were four times more likely to buy than customers who took standard test drives, she said. GSM launched Vietnam's first pure EV taxi service earlier this year. Thuy said no deliveries had been made to Autonomy yet, and that VinFast was "working on options for contract execution."

Persons: VinFast, Pham Nhat Vuong, Le, Thuy, Nguyen Van Thanh, Thanh, VinFast's, Phuong Nguyen, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Green SM, GSM, EV, Thomson Locations: HANOI, Vietnam, Laos, India, Indonesia, United States, U.S, Autonomy

☆ Putin visits 'dear friend' Xi in show of no-limits partnership
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Ryan Woo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Russia's President Vladimir Putin arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport to attend the Third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China, October 17, 2023. Xi last saw his "dear friend" in Moscow just days after the warrant was issued. At the time, Xi invited Putin to attend the third Belt and Road forum in Beijing, an international cooperation forum championed by the Chinese leader. As the forum's chief guest, Putin will speak after Xi on Wednesday and will meet with the Chinese president for bilateral talks later that day. It would be Putin's third attendance of the Belt and Road Forum, which runs through Wednesday.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Parker, Xi Jinping, Putin, Wang Wentao, Xi, Ryan Woo, Lidia Kelly, Christopher Cushing, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Beijing Capital International Airport, Forum, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Court, ICC, Reuters, Chinese Commerce, Kremlin, Beijing, Olympics, Rosneft, Gazprom, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Ukraine, Hague, Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan, Soviet, Moscow, Vietnam, Thailand, Mongolia, Laos, Russia, Asia, Africa, Europe, Putin's, Melbourne

BEIJING (AP) — China's Belt and Road Initiative looks to become smaller and greener after a decade of big projects that boosted trade but left big debts and raised environmental concerns. Called “One Belt, One Road” in Chinese, the Belt and Road Initiative started as a program for Chinese companies to build transportation, energy and other infrastructure overseas funded by Chinese development bank loans. China became a major financer of development projects under BRI, on par with the World Bank. Chinese development banks provided money for the BRI projects as loans, and some governments have been unable to pay them back. Now, having learned the hard way through defaults, China development banks are pulling back.

Persons: Xi Jinping's, Xi, “, Alessia Amighini, Kevin Gallagher, Sri Lanka, Christoph Nedopil, Nedopil, Colleen Barry Organizations: BEIJING, Initiative, Silk, Italy, World Bank, Boston University Global Development Policy Center, U.S, Export, Import Bank of, Asia Institute, Griffith University, Associated Press Locations: Beijing, Africa, Asia, Latin America, China, Europe, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Kenya, Laos, Pakistan, Italy, “ Italy, Sri Lankan, Zambia, Sri, Import Bank of China, Australia, BRI, Hungary, Milan

I need to have him back, in good shape – like before he left Thailand.”Thai workers at a vineyard in southern Israel. David Silverman/Getty Images/FILE‘Palestinian workers weren’t welcome anymore’Migrant workers from Asia make up more than half of Israel’s foreign work force, often taking on jobs as caregivers and within the construction industry. Human Rights Watch called for the “immediate and unconditional release” of all hostages and said that Thai workers, along with Nepalese and Filipinos, “were simply there to earn money to support their families. Migrant workers migrating to dangerous conflict zones in search of work, with little protection and legal enforcement, has been a “big issue for decades,” said British researcher and migrant worker rights specialist Andy Hall. Thailand itself is a major destination for migrant workers, mainly from poorer neighboring countries like Cambodia and Laos, as well as war-torn Myanmar.

Persons: Chumporn, Manee Jirachart, Jobs, Manee, He’d, Srettha Thavisin, ”, Phil Robertson, Lillian Suwanrumpha, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, ’ Manee, “, ” Chumporn, David Silverman, Paul Castelvi, Nick, Paul, Ladizhinskaya, Kav LaOved, Israel ”, ” Ladizhinskaya, Robertson, ‘, Andy Hall, ” Hall, Martin Griffiths Organizations: Bangkok CNN, Hamas, CNN, “, Asia, Human Rights Watch, Getty, Labour, CNN Philippines, Rights, Agency, UN Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Israel, Gaza, United States, Canada, France, Asia, Palestinian Territories, Philippines, “ Thailand, AFP, Palestine, China, San Fernando, Pampanga, “, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar

Bangkok, Thailand CNN —A teen suspected of shooting two people dead at an upscale shopping mall in Thailand has been charged with six counts including premeditated murder, police told CNN Wednesday. The 14-year-old boy was arrested on Tuesday shortly after the shooting rampage at the busy Siam Paragon mall in central Bangkok’s bustling commercial and tourist district. Thai Police General Torsak Sukvimol told reporters Tuesday the suspect “surrendered himself” after the shooting and still had ammunition when he was apprehended. Staff repair the glass doors of a furniture store where a 14-year-old suspect was apprehended after a shooting rampage in Bangkok. And the shooting of Chinese victims in downtown Bangkok may make some tourists think twice about traveling to Thailand.

Persons: Thailand CNN —, Kanchana Patarachoke, General Nakarin Sukhonthawit, ” Nakarin, Nakarin, Lauren DeCicca, ”, Torsak Sukvimol, “, Thanamorn Noonart, Thanamorn, ” Thanamorn, Bangkok’s Pathum, “ it’s, Jack Taylor, Torsak, Lillian Suwanrumpha, Thailand ”, Srettha Thavisin, ” Srettha, Srettha Organizations: Thailand CNN, CNN, Siam Paragon, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Police, ” Police, Thai Police, Rajavithi Hospital, Video, Thai, Getty, Staff, Tourism Authority of, Survey, SAS, Institute for Health Metrics, University of Washington’s Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Siam, Myanmar, Laos, Pathum Wan, Nakhon Ratchasima, Bangkok’s, Bangkok’s Pathum Wan, Thai, AFP, China, Southeast Asia, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Cambodia, Weibo, Switzerland, Philippines, Nong Bua Lamphu

☆ NewsClick: Indian police raid news site critical of Modi's government, fueling fears for press freedom
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Those questioned include reporters, editors and contributors linked to NewsClick, an independent news website known for being fiercely critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. Some of those taken for questioning reported the raids on Twitter, now known as X, as they were taking place. India, with a population of 1.4 billion people, is the world’s largest democracy and one of the largest media markets in the world. Media personnel outside the Delhi Police's Special Cell in New Delhi, India, on Oct. 3. Altaf Qadri/APBut the Modi administration has been repeatedly accused of intimidating the press, stifling free speech, and censoring independent news organizations.

Persons: Narendra Modi’s, Prabir Purkayastha, Amit Chakravarty, Bhasha Singh, “, Abhisar Sharma, Modi, Anurag Thakur, ”, Altaf Qadri, Digipub Organizations: CNN — Police, Police, Twitter, Delhi, Cell, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, CNN, Information, . Media, of India, Press, Amnesty Locations: New Delhi, Delhi, Odisha, India, Mumbai, Laos, Djibouti

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