Day: January 7, 2024

Chinese officials named and shamed for ‘lying flat’ by local governments, sending shock waves through civil service

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A Nanshan government employee named Huang confirmed on Friday that the name and shame announcement was genuine. The list was the result of “interviews, ground surveys, democratic evaluation and review”, he said. A search of local information web pages shows the targeted workers are all among the lowest grade of officials, variously managing a local grid, neighbourhood committee, or working in the town’s cultural and tourism office. What is ‘lying flat’, and why are Chinese officials standing up to it? According to Huang, the eight officials all ranked last in…

Bangladesh PM Hasina Secures Fourth Straight Term

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DHAKA, Bangladesh —  Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina won her fourth straight term as her party secured an absolute majority amid low turnout in the general election boycotted by the main opposition, the country’s poll body said Monday. Her Awami League party has 165 out of 224 seats in Sunday’s election with the outcome of the rest of the seats still unannounced, according to unofficial results released the Election Commission said. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), who participated in the 2018 polls but stayed away in 2014, boycotted…

Seoul declares maritime buffer zone with North ineffective

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South Korea has officially declared that the maritime buffer zone with North Korea no longer exists, setting a precondition for Seoul and Washington to conduct reconnaissance operations near the border in response to Pyongyang’s ongoing military provocations. “North Korea has breached the September 19th military agreement over 3,000 times and has conducted artillery fire in the West Sea [Yellow Sea] over the last three days. As a result, the zone designated for the cessation of hostile actions effectively, no longer exists,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Monday.…

Indonesia’s Presidential Hopefuls Face Off in Debate

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Jakarta, Indonesia —  Indonesia’s presidential candidates held a second debate on Sunday, where they discussed defense, geopolitics, and diplomacy. Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, former Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, and former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan will compete in a Feb. 14 election to lead the world’s largest archipelagic nation. Nearly 205 million people are eligible to cast their ballots in the vote, aiming to determine the successor of President Joko Widodo after his 10-year tenure. Frontrunner Subianto stated that if elected, he would strive to maintain positive relationships with all…

Chinese scientists convert coal into protein to answer animal feed demand in major breakthrough

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Despite having been the world leader in pig and aquaculture production for several years, China depends heavily on imported soybeans for animal feed, with an annual import volume of about 100 million tonnes and a dependency rate exceeding 80 per cent. Developing fast, efficient methods of producing high-quality proteins is therefore very important. And the most promising solution lies in biotechnology synthesis. There are several routes for biological protein synthesis. The simplest involves converting by-products from the food and agricultural industries, such as corn steep liquor, distillers grains and straw,…

Sheikh Hasina wins fifth term in power at Bangladesh election

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Sheikh Hasina has extended her two-decade rule over Bangladesh after a crackdown on her rivals eased the path to victory at Sunday’s election and highlighted the geopolitical rift between the US and rising Asian powers. The prime minister’s Awami League party went into the vote practically unchallenged after authorities arrested thousands of members of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist party in the weeks leading up to the polls in the country…

Hyundai is big in America after focusing on smaller EVs

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While America’s carmakers worked to develop electric pick-up trucks, Korean rival Hyundai went smaller — and won bigger. By focusing on sleeker sedans and compact SUVs that consumers can afford, the Korean group and its sister brand Kia have together overtaken Ford and General Motors to claim second place in US electric vehicle sales behind Tesla. Combined US EV market share for the two brands was 7.5 per cent for the first three-quarters of 2023, well behind Tesla on 57.4 per cent, but ahead of GM’s Chevrolet on 5.9 per…

Taiwan Hits Campaign Fever Pitch in Final Weekend Before Poll

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Kaohsiung, Taiwan —  Tens of thousands of people gathered in southern Taiwan for “Super Sunday” rallies by three presidential candidates making a final weekend push before a crucial January 13 election. The poll is being closely watched from Beijing to Washington, with the winner set to determine the future of the democratic island’s relations with an increasingly aggressive China. Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory, and President Xi Jinping has in recent years intensified rhetoric about “unification” while refusing to rule out the use of force to bring…

Cathay Pacific Cuts Flights to Avoid Lunar New Year Cancellations

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Seoul, South Korea —  Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways will cut a dozen flights a day on average until the end of February, the airline said Sunday, in a move to avoid cancellations as the busy Lunar New Year travel season approaches. Cathay had to cancel some flights over the peak travel period for Christmas and the year end because its operations were stretched, it said in a statement. “[Cathay] has consolidated on average six flight pairs per day for the rest of January and February, focusing on routes with…