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After Russia invaded Ukraine, the West formed what looked like an overwhelming global coalition: 141 countries supported a United Nations measure demanding that Russia unconditionally withdraw. South Korea Indonesia Israel Thailand Japan Saudi Arabia Philippines Afghanistan CambodiaBy contrast, Russia seemed isolated. Eritrea “Russian actions are being distorted” North Korea Russia Belarus Syria Eritrea “Russian actions are being distorted” North Korea Russia Belarus SyriaBut the West never won over as much of the world as it initially seemed. But like many other African countries, South Africa appears careful to balance its growing ties with Russia against maintaining a relationship with the West. Others that provided Ukraine with military support have declined to impose economic sanctions on Russia.

☆ Starbucks doubles down on Asia Pacific with biggest expansion in five years
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Starbucks will open more than 400 stores across Asia Pacific in 2023, marking its biggest expansion in the region in five years. “We are seeing headwinds shifting to tailwinds across markets around the world, including the Asia Pacific region, and continued recovery coming out of the pandemic,” he said in the statement. The metric refers to sales at stores open at least 13 months. The company’s locations elsewhere proved to be bright spots during the quarter, with revenue jumping by more than 20% year-on-year for Asia Pacific, Conway said during the presentation. Drive-thrus are becoming more popular, as customers look for more convenience, according to Emmy Kan, the firm’s Asia Pacific president.

☆ Shut out from their top destinations, Chinese travelers are turning to other places
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Chinese travelers favored Southeast Asia for trips during the Lunar New Year holidays, which ended in early February, according to Trip.com Group's Chinese language booking website, Ctrip. Overseas hotel bookings by mainland Chinese travelers quadrupled from last year too, Ctrip said. He said of the 30 million tourists Thailand is expecting this year, 12 million to 15 million may come from China. South Korea announced last week it would resume issuing short-term visas to Chinese travelers, according to Reuters. Visas aside, Chinese travelers are also worried about getting sick, said Lee.

☆ China says it will set up yuan clearing arrangements in Brazil
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Feb 7 (Reuters) - China's central bank has signed a memorandum of understanding on setting up yuan clearing arrangements in Brazil, it said on Tuesday, in a move to help boost the currency's global clout. The establishment of such arrangements for the renminbi (RMB), or the yuan, would be beneficial to cross-border transactions, and further promote bilateral trade and investment facilitation, the People's Bank of China said on Tuesday. China has in recent months signed similar yuan clearing deals with Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Laos. Two-way trade between China and Brazil reached $172 billion in 2022, according to data from Chinese customs. Reporting by Beijing Newsroom, Liangping Gao and Kevin Yao, Editing by Louise Heavens, Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UN says Myanmar opium cultivation has surged 33% amid violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Opium production in Myanmar has flourished since the military's takeover in 2021. The so-called Golden Triangle area, where the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet, has historically been a major production area for opium and hosted many of the labs that converted it to heroin. Most of the opium exported by Myanmar goes to China and Vietnam, while heroin goes to many countries across the region, Douglas said. The cultivation of opium had been trending downward in recent years before the military took control of the government in 2021. After rising slightly in 2021, that spiked in 2022 to an estimated 790 metric tons (870 tons), according to the report.

☆ Myanmar opium cultivation surging under military rule - UN report
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 26 (Reuters) - Opium cultivation in military-ruled Myanmar jumped 33% last year, reversing a six-year downward trend in the strife-torn country, a United Nations report said on Thursday. The growth was "directly connected" to the political and economic turmoil in Myanmar since the military took power in a coup nearly two years ago, an official at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said. "Without alternatives and economic stability it is likely that opium cultivation and production will continue to expand," warned UNODC Myanmar country manager Benedikt Hofmann. The eastern Shan State, which borders China, Thailand and Laos, saw the biggest increase in cultivation, at 39%. The value of opium produced annually in Myanmar can reach up to $2 billion, with much of the drug smuggled out to neighbouring countries and on to the global market, the report added.

☆ I've worked remotely from 15 different countries. Here's what I've learned and what I'd never do again.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In addition to Italy, over the last five years, Cook has worked in Kenya, Thailand, and 12 other countries. At the time, startups were the only type of company I found that were open to fully remote work. When I started doing this in 2018, remote working like this wasn't as common as it is now. Now, since more people have access to this life because of remote work, a number of companies have cropped up for this exact kind of thing. Cook serving another participant in the Italy program during dinner.

☆ Sun Cable project: Billionaires' feud over Australia-Singapore cable escalates
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The proposed Sun Cable project would see a subsea cable stretch from Darwin to Singapore. A statement from Cannon-Brookes’ private investment arm, Grok Ventures, suggested all investors except Forrest’s investment arm Squadron Energy remain committed to the cable. Tim Buckley, director of Climate Energy Finance, says the export of green hydrogen (hydrogen generated from renewable energy) is at least a decade away. “The market for green hydrogen exports has sort of deflated quite dramatically when people realize there’ll be a decade or two before you can actually ship green hydrogen anywhere overseas,” he said. For example, Xlinks plans to run a cable almost as long and powerful from Morocco to the United Kingdom.

☆ Sheng Thao, once homeless and fleeing abuse, becomes the mayor of Oakland, California
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Claire Wang | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Thao spoke with NBC Asian American about her vision for Oakland and how her upbringing shaped her advocacy for working families. Mayor-elect Sheng Thao is greeted by supporters following a news conference at City Hall in downtown Oakland, Calif., on Nov. 23, 2022. Jane Tyska / East Bay Times via Getty ImagesNBC Asian America: You’re the first Hmong American to become mayor of a major city. The Hmong community itself is already politically engaged. That’s made a huge impact especially on our Hmong girls because the Hmong community is still quite patriarchal.

☆ Myanmar junta hits out at critics while thanking some countries for help
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Myanmar’s junta chief on Wednesday lashed out at countries for intervening in his country’s affairs while thanking others for “positively” cooperating, noting how it was working closely with neighbors such as China, India and Thailand. We will work together for border stability and development,” Min Aung Hlaing said in a televised speech from a national day parade in the capital, Naypyitaw. Suu Kyi is being held in a jail in Naypyitaw in solitary confinement, and the military insists she has received due process in an independent court. The United States, the European Union and countries such as Britain and Canada have imposed sanctions on Myanmar’s military and individuals deemed to have helped the junta come to power. Referring to international pressure, Min Aung Hlaing hit out at what he said were “disruptions from countries and organizations who want to intervene in Myanmar’s internal affairs.”Still, the junta has maintained some international support.

☆ Myanmar junta hits out at critics, thanks neighbours for help
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Jan 4 (Reuters) - Myanmar's junta chief on Wednesday lashed out at countries for intervening in his country's affairs while thanking others for "positively" cooperating, noting how it was working closely with neighbours such as China, India and Thailand. We will work together for border stability and development," Min Aung Hlaing said in a televised speech from a national day parade in the capital Naypyitaw. Suu Kyi is being held in a jail in Naypyitaw in solitary confinement and the military insist she has received due process by an independent court. The United States, the European Union and countries such as Britain and Canada, have imposed sanctions on Myanmar's military and individuals deemed to have helped the junta come to power. Referring to international pressure, Min Aung Hlaing hit out at what he said were "disruptions from countries and organizations who want to intervene in Myanmar's internal affairs."

☆ A Green Beret recalls the Christmas Day mission that was almost his last
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Recon Team ST Idaho was tasked with locating and destroying a fuel pipeline inside Laos. Just shy of a month earlier, on Thanksgiving Day, ST Idaho had barely survived a cross-border operation in Cambodia. ST Idaho debated if it was possible to lose the NVA and continue their mission but ultimately deiced against it. ST Idaho adjusted its path and continued its slow progress, throwing grenades at any noise they heard, nightmares of previous close-calls on their minds. Thick black smoke choked and blinded ST Idaho, but the SOG operators could see enemy troops advancing close behind the flames.

☆ Thailand hosts Myanmar junta figures in talks, key ASEAN nations skip
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Foreign ministers of Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia and Vietnam's deputy foreign minister joined the talks hosted by Thailand's foreign minister, according to Thai foreign ministry spokeswoman Kanchana Patarachoke. "The consultation was a non-ASEAN meeting but intended to complement ASEAN’s ongoing collective efforts to find a peaceful political resolution," Kanchana said in a statement. Myanmar Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin attended along with Kan Zaw, minister for investment and foreign economic relations, and Ko Ko Hlaing, minister for international cooperation, Myanmar's foreign ministry said in a statement. The Philippines said its foreign minister would also not join, without elaborating. "Any meeting convened under ASEAN, formal or informal, should not divert from this decision," it said, according to the source.

In 2019, Cambodia supplied 8,571 of the 33,818 research monkeys imported to the U.S., or 25%. In 2021, the number of monkeys from Cambodia more than doubled to 18,870, making up nearly 60% of the 31,844 research monkeys brought to America. Earlier this year, long-tailed macaques and pig-tailed macaques were listed as endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The decades long effort by animal rights groups to derail the monkey trade has made some impact. The incident shined a rare spotlight on the monkey trade, which largely goes on outside the view of the public.

Of seven new dams planned in Laos, at least four are co-financed by Chinese companies, according to Mekong Dam Monitor data. 'WAKE-UP CALL'Farmers in the Vietnamese Mekong River Delta region were not prepared for the speed at which their landscape - and fortunes - have changed. The Mekong River Commission estimated in 2018 that total sediment flow by now would be around 47 million tonnes per year. "Mainstream dams catch everything," said economist Brian Eyler at the Stimson Center, which runs the Mekong Dam Monitor. The Xayaburi and Don Sahong dams in Laos are the most recent to come online, with Xayaburi the largest on the entire Mekong River.

☆ China Props Up Belt-and-Road Borrowers Via Unusual Channel
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Jason Douglas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Hungry for foreign currency to shore up their dwindling reserves, some troubled countries have in recent years turned to an unusual source of funds: The People’s Bank of China. China’s central bank has funneled billions over the past decade to around 20 countries, including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Argentina and Laos, via swap lines that allow overseas central banks to exchange their domestic currencies for Chinese yuan.

That made Vietnam one of the top buyers of Russian arms, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), which tracks global military expenditures. Starting Thursday, the country will host its first large-scale international arms trade fair, for which more than 170 companies from 30 countries have registered, the defence ministry said. The Defence Ministry referred questions about the country's defence industry to the Foreign Ministry, which did not respond to requests for comment. A half-dozen Russian defence firms are registered for the Hanoi fair, including Rosoboronexport, the state agency that imports and exports weapons. That year, the COVID-19 pandemic reduced Vietnam's military imports to only $32 million, of which $9 million worth were Russian arms.

☆ Soil DNA analysis from paw prints could help Sumatran tigers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In her experiments to date, Watsa has been able to detect Sumatran tiger DNA in soil and determine the sex of the animal. Paw prints made by 4-year-old Sumatran tiger Rakan at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park help researcher Mrinalini Watsa develop a cost-effective technique to detect tiger DNA in soil. He believes DNA techniques could help scientists better understand how some tigers disperse between different areas, which can be hard to pick up with cameras. “DNA techniques will also be useful where camera trapping is difficult,” he added, such as the remote, mountainous regions in Southeast Asia. The analysis of tiger DNA in soil samples could help forensic investigations in the battle against the illegal wildlife trade.

☆ This California city asked where its recycling went. The answer wasn’t pretty.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Saqib Rahim | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

In recent years the global plastic trade has shrunk amid new controls by rich and developing countries alike. U.S. plastic waste exports to Asia fell to 330 million pounds in 2021, according to government data, half their 2017 level. But even these reduced volumes, environmental groups charge, can overwhelm developing countries that lack the facilities to manage them. In May, city staff asked to divert some of Palo Alto’s waste streams to facilities in Louisiana and Southern California. The second lesson, City Manager Ed Shikada said, is that Palo Alto can’t transform the global recycling system alone.

☆ U.S. Vice President Harris announces $20 million new clean energy funding for Mekong region
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Poppy Mcpherson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BANGKOK, Nov 20 (Reuters) - U.S Vice President Kamala Harris announced $20 million in new funding for clean energy projects in the Mekong region, during the last day of her tour of Thailand on Sunday following a regional summit. She spoke to civil society and business leaders in Bangkok after the close of a meeting of the 21-member APEC bloc a day earlier. "In particular we know that the climate crisis presents a real threat to the communities who depend on the Mekong River. In Thailand, in Vietnam, Laos." Reporting by Poppy McPherson; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ US VP Harris announces $20 mln new clean energy funding for Mekong region
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Poppy Mcpherson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

☆ How small-town Maine embraced a family that fled the Taliban
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Elyse Lightman Samuels | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +36 min

CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine — Last November, at about midnight, Omid was lying in bed in his new home in Cape Elizabeth, Maine — exhausted, but unable to sleep. On this night, and on many nights during Omid's first few months in Maine, Nasir was soon at his door. Omid's family arrived in Maine just before Halloween in 2021 and recently celebrated one year in Maine. Catholic Charities, the local refugee-resettlement organization in Maine, was working with Omid's family to help them resettle. After Omid's family escaped Kabul, members of his extended family came by to collect some of their more precious items, and gave other things away.

☆ Southeast Asia leaders kick off ASEAN summit in Cambodia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Cambodia, this year's chair for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), is hosting the weekend summit in Phnom Penh — the group's first in-person meeting since the Covid pandemic. Leaders from the U.S., China, South Korea and Japan will also be meeting ASEAN leaders in Phnom Penh. "Looking to the future, ASEAN needs to strongly promote the values that have made ASEAN successful over the past five decades. The ASEAN nations want more trading partners, the more, the better," he told CNBC's "Street Signs Asia" on Thursday. The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia is a peace treaty among Southeast Asian countries established in 1976.watch now

☆ ASEAN summit begins with Myanmar likely to dominate agenda; 'little progress expected'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Cambodian Prime Minister and ASEAN host Hun Sen addressed Friday's opening ceremony with a call for vigilance and wisdom during times of economic and geopolitical turmoil. The junta has blamed a lack of progress on the pandemic and obstruction from armed resistance movements that it calls terrorists. James Crabtree, Executive Director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies-Asia, said ASEAN was struggling to cope with internal divisions over Myanmar and other issues. One Western diplomat who will attend the meeting said that while the bloc may try to make the Myanmar peace plan more action-oriented, "little progress is expected". G20 leaders are meeting in Bali next week and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum will take place in Bangkok after that.

☆ India, China to see biggest jump in real salary as Asia-Pacific leads the way next year, report shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

As inflation continues to impact global economies, Asia-Pacific is the only region that will see real salary growth in 2023, according to ECA International. As inflation continues to impact global economies, Asia-Pacific will be the only region to see real salary growth in 2023, a new survey has found. That's compared to other regions which will see drops in average real salary, the report showed. With inflation increasing significantly in 2022, 78% of countries surveyed recorded a real salary decrease, and no European country saw a real-terms salary increase. Workers in China are also amongst "a small group globally" who will receive the highest rates of real salary growth this year and the next, Quane said.

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