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☆ Myanmar junta imposes curfew in western city amid surge in rebel-led fighting
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 14 (Reuters) - Myanmar's junta has imposed a curfew in the western city of Sittwe, according to a government document and media reports, amid a surge in fighting on several fronts between the military and ethnic minority insurgent groups. Local media outlets Narinjara News and Western News also reported a curfew had been imposed. A Rathedaung resident told Reuters on Tuesday the area came under artillery fire overnight and that military soldiers had entered the town. "Artillery fell on a street in Rathedaung town last night. Fighting erupted on two new fronts this week, in the western states of Rakhine and Chin, which sent about 5,000 people fleeing to neighbouring India.

Persons: Kanupriya Kapoor, Michael Perry Organizations: Reuters, Local, Narinjara, Western News, Arakan Army, Artillery, Thomson Locations: Sittwe, Rakhine, Rathedaung, Myanmar, Shan State, China, Chin, India, Chin State

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen poses for a photo with Taiwan's APEC representative and TSMC founder Morris Chang at a press conference in Taipei, Taiwan November 10, 2023. REUTERS/Ann Wang Acquire Licensing RightsTAIPEI, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Taiwan is working on securing a one-on-one meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden and the island's representative at this week's APEC summit in San Francisco, but there is no message planned for China, a senior Taiwanese official said. "The two sides are discussing related arrangements," Koo said when asked whether Chang plans to hold an one-on-one meeting with Biden at APEC. Tensions over Taiwan are likely to feature when Biden meets Chinese President Xi Jinping at the summit. Chang briefly met with Xi at last year's APEC summit in Bangkok, and discussed semiconductors with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.

Persons: Tsai Ing, Morris Chang, Ann Wang, Joe Biden, Wellington Koo, Biden, Koo, Chang, Xi Jinping, Xi, Tsai, Kamala Harris, Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, Michael Martina, Trevor Hunnicutt, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Taiwan's APEC, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, APEC, Economic Cooperation, Taiwan's National Security Council, U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Rights TAIPEI, San Francisco, China, Asia, Beijing, Wellington, United States, Washington, U.S, Bangkok

☆ Myanmar rebels seek to control border with India after early wins
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Dozens of rebels battled the Myanmar military from dawn to dusk on Monday to overrun two camps abutting India's Mizoram state, as part of a widening offensive against the junta-led administration, Chin National Front (CNF) Vice Chairman Sui Khar said. Following the battle, 43 Myanmar soldiers surrendered to Indian police and are currently sheltering in Mizoram, local police official Lalmalsawma Hnamte said. "Whether they will be pushed back or not, we are waiting for further instructions from the central government," he told Reuters. Chin rebels will now look to consolidate their control along the India-Myanmar border, where the Myanmar military has two more camps, Sui Khar said. A Rathedaung resident told Reuters on Tuesday the area came under artillery fire overnight and that military soldiers had entered the town.

Persons: Sui Khar, Kyaw Naing, Lalmalsawma Hnamte, Chin, Nobel, Aung, Suu Kyi, Krishn Kaushik, Kanupriya Kapoor, Devjyot, Michael Perry, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Chin, Myanmar's, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Reuters, Human Rights Organization, Myanmar, Arakan Army, Artillery, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, India, Farkawn, Mizoram, Myanmar's Shan, Kayah, Rakhine, Chin, Rakhine's, Myanmar's Chin, India's Mizoram, China, Shan State, Sittwe, Rathedaung, Minbya, Suu, MIZORAM, DELHI

☆ Myanmar junta attacked on new fronts, thousands flee to India
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Myanmar's military junta is facing its biggest test since taking power in a 2021 coup after three ethnic minority forces launched a coordinated offensive in late October, capturing some towns and military posts. "We have conquered some posts and fighting is continuing in some other places," he said. Fighting also broke out in Chin State, which borders India, when insurgents attacked two military camps, according to an Indian official and two sources with knowledge of the assault. About 5,000 people from Myanmar crossed into India's Mizoram state to seek shelter from the fighting, said James Lalrinchhana, the deputy commissioner of a district on the Myanmar border. A spokesperson for Myanmar's junta did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment on the latest fighting.

Persons: Khine Thu, Rathedaung, James Lalrinchhana, Richard Horsey, Martin Petty, Devjyot, Robert Birsel Organizations: Myanmar, Arakan Army, Reuters Staff, Chanchinmawia, Thomson Locations: Rakhine, Chin, India, Myanmar, France, Rakhine State, Chin State, India's Mizoram, Shan State, China, Sagaing, Kayah State, MIZORAM

[1/5] U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Indonesian President Joko Widodo for talks on regional security and clean-energy transition, among other things, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., November 13, 2023. Biden greeted Indonesian President Joko Widodo at the White House as the two leaders prepare for a Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, where Washington hopes to reduce friction with Beijing. But the Biden administration is still concerned about environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards in Indonesia and is examining how such a deal might work. INDONESIA MAKES APPEAL TO U.S. ON GAZAJokowi, as the president is known, is also expected to press Biden on steps to end Israel's war with Hamas. Ceasefire is a must for the sake of humanity," Widodo said in the Oval Office before talks with Biden.

Persons: Joe Biden, Joko Widodo, Leah Millis, Joe Biden's, Xi Jinping, Biden, Xi, Widodo, Jokowi, Trevor Hunnicutt, Steve Holland, Michael Perry, Grant McCool Organizations: White, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Economic Cooperation, Biden, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, United States, Indonesia, Asia, San Francisco, Washington, Beijing, United, INDONESIA, GAZA, Gaza, Israel, Southeast Asia, China, Jakarta, Myanmar

☆ China, Pakistan navies hold drills days after Russia's historic Andaman exercise
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

At a naval base in Karachi on Saturday, the Chinese and Pakistani navies kicked off the exercise in the waters and airspace of the northern Arabian Sea in drills that include anti-submarine operations. The exercise will end on Nov. 17. During the exercise, China and Pakistan will conduct joint maritime patrols for the first time, the People's Liberation Army Daily reported on Monday. New Delhi has carefully preserved its longstanding relations with Russia, including cooperation in defence, even as its ties with Washington have grown steadily stronger. China was also not mentioned in the joint statement, even though an Indian government official said ahead of the talks that China would be one of the "key focus points".

Persons: Admiral Tributs, Admiral Panteleyev, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Ryan Woo, Lidia Kelly, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Russian Pacific Fleet, United, People's Liberation Army, Indian, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Myanmar, India, United States, Karachi, China, Pakistan, Moscow, Russian, United, Russia, U.S, New Delhi, Ukraine, . New Delhi, Washington, San Francisco, Beijing, Melbourne

☆ Fighting to Govern Myanmar, From a Teeny Office in Washington
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Hannah Beech | More About Hannah Beech | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This pro-democracy government was formed after a military coup in Myanmar deposed civilian authorities in 2021. But Washington attracts political refugees from all over the world who hope proximity to power will draw attention to their national plights. Ma Aye Chan Mon and U Moe Zaw Oo of the N.U.G. remain optimistic they can get the world to care about Myanmar, despite the destructive forces of apathy and ignorance. “They don’t even know how to pronounce Myanmar,” said Ms. Aye Chan Mon, about the reception she often receives in Washington.

Persons: ”, Ma Aye Chan, Moe, Oo, Aye Chan, “ Organizations: White, National Unity Government, Washington Locations: Myanmar, Washington, Yemen

☆ Myanmar Fighter Jet Crashes, Rebels Claim Responsibility
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - A Myanmar fighter jet has crashed during clashes between the military and an insurgent group, both sides said, in another setback for a junta facing the biggest challenge to its rule since a coup in 2021. Junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun told state-run MRTV the jet crashed due to a technical problem and the pilots had ejected safely and were in contact with the military. The military-installed president last week said Myanmar was at risk of breaking apart due to the failure to deal with the insurgency more effectively. Assaults on towns have also taken place in Sagaing region, in central Myanmar, west of Shan State. The KNDF said on its Facebook page it shot down the jet on Saturday using heavy machine guns and its members were searching for the pilots.

Persons: Zaw Min Tun, KNDF, Martin Petty, Robert Birsel Organizations: Reuters, Karenni Nationalities Defence Force, Reuters Staff Locations: Myanmar, Kayah State, Thailand, Shan State, China, Sagaing, Vietnam, Thai

☆ Myanmar fighter jet crashes, rebels claim responsibility
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 12 (Reuters) - A Myanmar fighter jet has crashed during clashes between the military and an insurgent group, both sides said, in another setback for a junta facing the biggest challenge to its rule since a coup in 2021. Junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun told state-run MRTV the jet crashed due to a technical problem and the pilots had ejected safely and were in contact with the military. The military-installed president last week said Myanmar was at risk of breaking apart due to the failure to deal with the insurgency more effectively. Assaults on towns have also taken place in Sagaing region, in central Myanmar, west of Shan State. The KNDF said on its Facebook page it shot down the jet on Saturday using heavy machine guns and its members were searching for the pilots.

Persons: Zaw Min Tun, KNDF, Martin Petty, Robert Birsel Organizations: Karenni Nationalities Defence Force, Reuters, Reuters Staff, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, Kayah State, Thailand, Shan State, China, Sagaing, Vietnam, Thai

☆ China, Pakistan Navies Hold Drills Days After Russia's Historic Andaman Exercise
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Persons: Admiral Tributs, Admiral Panteleyev, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Ryan Woo, Lidia Kelly, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Russian Pacific Fleet, United, People's Liberation Army, Indian, Beijing Locations: BEIJING, Myanmar, India, United States, Karachi, China, Pakistan, Moscow, Russian, United, Russia, U.S, New Delhi, Ukraine, . New Delhi, Washington, San Francisco, Melbourne

☆ Philip Schlamberg: Final US combat death of World War II was Jewish teen in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

“The Last Fighter Pilot” says when the service saw those scores, Schlamberg was offered his pick of jobs and chose to be a fighter pilot. During that trip, he saw Japanese war veterans up close and felt a kinship, he said. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty ImagesFitting endingsYellin died in December 2017, shortly after “The Last Fighter Pilot” was published. In the foreword to “The Last Fighter Pilot,” Yellin recounted how World War II’s end was fitting for the times. “And that the final combat life in the defense of freedom would be laid down by a teenage Jewish fighter pilot who had not yet learned to even drive a car.”

Persons: Emperor Hirohito, Jerry Yellin, Philip Schlamberg, Yellin, Schlamberg, “, ” Yellin, Hirohito, ”, Phil, they’d, Ian Hitchcock, I’m, “ I’m, ” Schlamberg, Andrew Caballero, Reynolds, Melanie Sloan, ” “, ” Sloan, Philip, Sloan, Don Brown, he’d, Schlamberg’s smarts, Jerry Yellin’s, ‘ I’m, ’ ”, Yellin’s, Michael, ’, ” Michael Yellin, Saul Loeb, Helene, Robert, Taro Yamakawa, Yamakawa, “ Yellin Organizations: CNN, US Army Air Corps, US Defense Department, Nazi, US, 78th Fighter Squadron, National Archives, Iwo, Fighter Squadron, American, T150 Defence Force Air, Culpeper Regional Airport, Getty, Abraham Lincoln High School, Army Air Corps, Memorial, of, Monuments, New, Montclair Local, Arsenal, Democracy, US Air Force, Arlington National Cemetery, “ Locations: Tokyo, Nazi Germany, Europe, Brooklyn, Iwo Jima, Ukraine, East, Sudan, Myanmar, United States, Nagasaki, Japan, Hiroshima, Utah, Townsville, Australia, Culpeper, Brandy Station, Virginia, AFP, Honolulu, Honolulu , Hawaii, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, New Jersey, America, Washington ,, Arlington, Pacific, New York

WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Joe Biden meets Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday, there will be no such thing as a small detail. Biden and Xi will meet while both attend next week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco, but even basic information has remained closely guarded. That recalls Biden's nearly three-hour meeting with Xi before the start of last year’s G-20 summit in Bali. The Chinese attach importance to the location, which this time may be more like Sunnylands than Anchorage, where top U.S. and Chinese officials held rather tense 2021 talks. Hillary Clinton's 1995 Beijing visit turned heads for a different reason when she declared that “human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights."

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Beijing’s, Bonny Lin, Biden, Xi, China’s, Biden's, Victor Cha, ” Cha, Richard Nixon, Barack Obama, Obama, Donald Trump, Bonnie Glaser, Xi's, Ryan Hass, John L, Hass, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, Fang Lizhi, “, Hillary Clinton's, Laura Bush's, Sasha Obama, Hu Jintao, Malia, Michelle, Michelle Obama, Colleen Long Organizations: WASHINGTON, China Power, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Economic Cooperation, White House, San, Communist Party, Asian Affairs, White, National Security Council, APEC, Mar, German Marshall Fund, Thornton China Center, Brookings Institute, Olympics, The New York Times, Press Locations: Washington, Asia, San Francisco, Bali, China, United States, Sunnylands, Rancho, Palm Springs , California, Lago, ”, Anchorage, Texas, Beijing, George H.W ., Thailand, Myanmar, The

Myanmar's junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing, who ousted the elected government in a coup on February 1, 2021, presides over an army parade on Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, March 27, 2021. "This is the weakest the Tatmadaw has been since the coup," the diplomat said, referring to Myanmar's military and asking not to be named. Maung Saungkha, leader of the Bamar People's Liberation Army, which contributed troops to the offensive, told Reuters the rebel alliance had spent more than a year preparing to take on the better-armed military. CHINA'S SHADOWSo far, rebel troops have faced unexpectedly weak opposition from the military, according to analysts and resistance leaders who spoke to local media. In a statement announcing the operation, the alliance said they intended to remove those enclaves, which they said were protected by the junta.

Persons: General Min Aung Hlaing, Stringer, Maung Saungkha, Nobel, Aung, Suu Kyi, Min Aung, Richard Horsey, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Armed Forces, REUTERS, Junta, United States Institute of Peace, United Nations, Liberation Army, Reuters, National Unity Government, Arakan Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, National Liberation Army, Crisis, Thomson Locations: Naypyitaw, Myanmar, BANGKOK, China, Myanmar's, Shan, Beijing, Suu, Sagaing, Arakan

☆ Myanmar president: country at risk of breaking apart due to border violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 9 (Reuters) - The president of military-ruled Myanmar has said the country is at risk of breaking apart due to ineffective management of recent violence in its border regions with China. As now is an important time for the State, the entire people need to support Tatmadaw (the military)." In the northeast, the junta has lost control of some border trade towns with China. The Chinese government also confirmed this week that there had been Chinese casualties due to military ordinance going over the border. Reporting by Reuters staff, Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kanupriya Kapoor, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Michael Perry Organizations: Administration Council, SAC, State, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, China

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference after participating in G7 ministerial meetings in Tokyo, Japan, November 8, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/Pool Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI/WASHINGTON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will hold talks with India this week that officials say will focus on security challenges in the Indo-Pacific and concerns over China, rather than the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. U.S. officials were moving swiftly to deepen ties with India while pledging support for an investigation into the June killing on Canadian soil, an American official aware of the Indo-Pacific policy said. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media. India's ties with the U.S. have grown steadily stronger on several fronts, and it has close strategic links with Israel.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Jonathan Ernst, Lloyd Austin, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Rajnath Singh, Narendra Modi's, Joe Biden's, Xi Jinping, Rick Rossow, Rossow, Krishn Kaushik, David Brunnstrom, Trevor Hunnicutt, YP Rajesh, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Officials, Ottawa, Indian, Economic Cooperation, Asia Society, South, U.S, Washington’s Center, Strategic, International Studies, Biden, YP, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, DELHI, WASHINGTON, India, China, Gaza, Ukraine, New Delhi, Canada, Washington, Asia, San Francisco, South Asia, Israel, Delhi, Russia, Washington and New Delhi, Myanmar, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Nepal

They argue that geopolitical tensions between the West and China risk the reliable supply of rare earth minerals. Aclara's Barua said that Western supply of rare earth elements will not develop if it depends on Chinese prices. "The price of any metal (rare earth or otherwise) that is coming from China or from western countries has the same pricing, so why should rare earth pricing be different?" The discussion on pricing has come up often in the Rare Earth Industry Association, said Veluri, who is also the president of the global organization with partners representing the whole rare earth value chain. "But for things like cobalt, copper, or rare earth metals there is a good strategic play to find with a mining partner."

Persons: Ramon Barua, Aclara's Barua, Veluri, Australia's, Tim Harrison, Harrison, Flavio Volpe, Volpe, Divya Rajagopal, Denny Thomas, Marguerita Choy Organizations: TORONTO, Reuters, Aclara, Earth Industry Association, Companies, Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association, Thomson Locations: China, Chile, West, Beijing, Badrinath, Denmark, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar

☆ Myanmar President: Country at Risk of Breaking Apart Due to Border Violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - The president of military-ruled Myanmar has said the country is at risk of breaking apart due to ineffective management of recent violence in its border regions with China. "If the government does not effectively manage the incidents happening in the border region, the country will be split into various parts," Myint Swe, president of the State Administration Council (SAC), told a national defence and security council meeting. As now is an important time for the State, the entire people need to support Tatmadaw (the military)." In the northeast, the junta has lost control of some border trade towns with China. The Chinese government also confirmed this week that there had been Chinese casualties due to military ordinance going over the border.

Persons: Kanupriya Kapoor, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Michael Perry Organizations: Reuters, Administration Council, SAC, State Locations: Myanmar, China

☆ An ancient missing continent was finally rediscovered 155 million years after it vanished
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A chunk of land that broke off from Australia 155 million years ago seemed to have vanished. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe continent of Argoland, which seemingly vanished after splitting from Australia 155 million years ago, has finally been discovered, according to a new study. The discovery could help explain something known as the Wallace line, which is an imaginary boundary that separates Southeast Asian and Australian fauna. With this work, they were finally able to bring Argoland's journey over the past 155 million years back to life. A map shows an approximate location of the Wallace line.

Persons: —, Argoland, Wallace, Eldert Advokaat, Advokaat, Douwe van Hinsbergen, CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN, van Hinsbergen Organizations: Service, Utrecht University, Google Locations: Australia, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Netherlands, South East Asia, Africa, South America, Argoland, Myanmar, Utrecht

☆ China urges Myanmar to cooperate on maintaining stability on border
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Myanmar should cooperate with China to maintain stability on their common border, a Chinese official said on Monday, after a surge of fighting in Myanmar between junta forces and insurgents rocked the region. "Myanmar is called on to cooperate with China to maintain stability along the China-Myanmar border, earnestly ensure the safety of the lives and property of Chinese border residents, and take effective measures to strengthen the security of Chinese personnel," Nong said. Nong, who visited Myanmar on Nov. 3-5, said China hoped Myanmar would restore stability, and it supported all parties to properly handle differences and achieve reconciliation through dialogue as soon as possible. While Western governments have condemned the Myanmar military and imposed sanctions on it, China, along with Russia, have been supportive of the generals. China says it supports Myanmar in finding its own path and has urged the international community to respect its sovereignty.

Persons: Nong, Nobel, Aung, Wang Wenbin, Ella Cao, Bernard Orr, Tom Hogue, Robert Birsel Organizations: Asia Times, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Myanmar, China, Thailand, Suu Kyi, Russia

☆ King Charles’ state visit strategy is changing Britain’s global brand
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Max Foster | Lauren Said-Moorhouse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Mombasa, Kenya CNN —A small moment during King Charles’ state visit to Kenya may have defined it. An elderly war veteran was waiting in a wheelchair for his turn to meet the British monarch at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Kariokor cemetery in Nairobi on Wednesday morning. Because anyone back then who had supported the British colonial power became a target for the Mau Mau resistance who were on their own campaign to seize their country back. Some of the 6,000 Africans rounded up in Nairobi by police searching for Mau Mau rebels in April 1953. King Charles’ moves are a progression from the way his mother operated.

Persons: King Charles ’, Graves, Samwel Nthigai Mburia, Charles ’, Elizabeth II, Mburia, King Charles, Queen Camilla, Charles, Samir Hussein, “, ” Mburia, Evelyn Kimathi, Dedan Kimathi, she’d, Evelyn, ” he’d, Mau, Queen Elizabeth II Organizations: CNN’s Royal, Kenya CNN, Commonwealth, Guinness World Records, Royals, “, Uhuru Gardens, Keystone, Hulton, European Union Locations: Mombasa, Kenya, British, Kariokor, Nairobi, Cpl, Ethiopia, Egypt, Myanmar, United Kingdom, ”, Mau Mau, Germany, France

☆ Thailand Tries to Rescue 162 Nationals Trapped in Myanmar Fighting
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand is trying to bring home 162 of its nationals trapped in Myanmar by a surge in clashes between junta troops and ethnic minority insurgents near the border with China, officials said. Heavy fighting erupted last week in northern Myanmar's Shan State where an alliance of ethnic minority forces battling for self-determination launched a series of coordinated attacks on junta positions. Newly formed pro-democracy insurgent groups have in some areas teamed up with ethnic minority guerrillas who have been campaigning for decades for greater autonomy. The latest fighting in Shan State has pushed thousands of refugees into China, and displaced thousands more internally, Myanmar media outlets reported. A "three brotherhood alliance" of ethnic minority armies in Shan and Rakhine states, said it is seeking to defend their territory and civilians from attacks by the junta.

Persons: Thais, Srettha Thavisin, Nobel, Aung, Panu, Poppy McPherson, Robert Birsel Locations: BANGKOK, Thailand, Myanmar, China, Israel, Myanmar's Shan State, Yunnan province, Thai, Suu Kyi, Shan State, Shan, Rakhine

The U.S. Treasury Department said Tuesday it was imposing sanctions on Myanmar’s state-owned Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise, a joint venture partner in all offshore gas projects and a vital source of hard cash for the military government. Canada also imposed sanctions against 39 individuals and 22 entities in coordination with the U.K. and the U.S. The sanctions are the latest the Western governments have imposed on Myanmar’s military regime, after the army seized power from the elected civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1, 2021. The Myanmar public and human rights groups had called for sanctions targeting gas revenues shortly after the army takeover. The European Union imposed sanctions against MOGE in February last year.

Persons: —, Tom Andrews, ”, Andrews, U.N, MOGE, Aung, Suu Kyi, “, ” Brian Nelson Organizations: The U.S . Treasury Department, Gas Enterprise, Treasury Department, U.S, ”, Treasury, MOGE, European Locations: BANGKOK, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, The U.S, Myanmar, U.S, Suu, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, India, South Korea, China

☆ 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

☆ Pope says two-state solution needed for Israel-Palestine
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Fadi Whadi Acquire Licensing RightsVATICAN CITY, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Wednesday a two-state solution was needed for Israel and Palestine in order to put an end to wars such as the current one and called for a special status for Jerusalem. With that wise solution, two states. The Oslo accords, two well-defined states and Jerusalem with a special status," Francis said in an interview with Italy's RAI broadcaster. Israel has consistently rejected suggestions that the city, which is sacred to Christians, Muslims and Jews, could have a special, or international, status. The war between Israel and Hamas, he said, should not make people forget other conflicts, including in Ukraine, Syria, Yemen and Myanmar.

Persons: Fadi, Pope Francis, Francis, Yitzhak Rabin, Yasser Arafat, Bill Clinton, Ehud Barak, Arafat, Israel, Gazans, Keith Wier, Franklin Paul, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, CITY, TG1, Hamas, Italy's RAI, Palestine Liberation, U.S, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestine, Jerusalem, Oslo, Israeli, Arab East Jerusalem, Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Myanmar

We continue to encourage all countries to take tangible measures to halt the flow of arms, aviation fuel, and revenue to the military regime," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a separate statement. Canada imposed sanctions against 39 individuals and 22 entities for supporting Myanmar's military regime. The U.N. human rights expert for Myanmar in September called on the United States to further tighten sanctions on the country's military rulers to include the state oil and gas enterprise. Human rights advocates have repeatedly called for sanctions on MOGE, but Washington had so far held back. Myanmar military officials have played down the impact of sanctions.

Persons: Stringer, Washington, Antony Blinken, Brian Nelson, Simon Lewis, Daphne Psaledakis, Tim Gardner, Sarah Young, Ismail Shakil, Chizu Nomiyama, Rod Nickel Organizations: Army, Bank, REUTERS, Rights, Myanma, Gas Enterprise, U.S . Treasury Department, Reuters, Treasury, Financial, United Nations, Terrorism, Financial Intelligence, Chevron Corp, Chevron, Washington, Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank, Myanma Investment, Commercial Bank, Sky Royal Hero Company, General Staff, Myanmar's Army, Navy, Air Force, Thomson Locations: Yangon, Myanmar, United States, Washington, U.S, United Kingdom, Canada, Britain

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