Asia Pacific – Page 1339 – Prologue Journal

Apple’s India sales surge nearly 50 per cent to US$6 billion as first retail stores set to open

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. Apple only accounts for about 4 per cent of India’s 700-million-strong smartphone market, but it ranks No 1 in unit sales of devices above US$365. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3217315/apples-india-sales-surge-nearly-50-cent-us6-billion-first-retail-stores-set-open?utm_source=rss_feed

In Pakistan, Economic Crisis Mutes Ramadan Celebrations

New York Times Rampant inflation, damaged crops and the war in Ukraine have sent food prices soaring during the Muslim holy month of daytime fasting and nighttime feasting. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/17/world/asia/pakistan-economy-ramadan.html

Australian accused of helping Chinese spies worried they were watching him, court hears: ‘that’s how it works in China’

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. Alexander Csergo, the second person ever to be charged under Australia’s foreign interference law, is accused of accepting cash-filled envelopes in return for writing reports on his home country. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3217298/australian-accused-helping-chinese-spies-worried-they-were-watching-him-court-hears-thats-how-it?utm_source=rss_feed

South Korea’s Samsung considers ditching Google for Bing

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. The switch would put at risk an estimated US$3 billion in annual revenue for Google, as its search dominance comes under threat from Bing’s inclusion of ChatGPT-like responses to user queries. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3217291/south-koreas-samsung-considers-ditching-google-bing?utm_source=rss_feed

Taiwan stands to lose investment, supply chains, if PLA keeps up military drills

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. Analysts say multinationals, including Taiwan’s prized semiconductor firms, are expected to double down on searches for production sites elsewhere as cross-strait tensions rise after the latest round of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) drills. https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3217076/taiwan-stands-lose-investment-supply-chains-if-pla-keeps-military-drills?utm_source=rss_feed

Japan marvels at heroics of fishermen who subdued PM Kishida’s smoke-bomb attacker

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. The fishermen sprang into action as soon as they saw an object flying overhead towards Japan’s prime minister. Their heroics prompted many online to wonder if they were plain-clothes police officers. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3217281/japan-marvels-heroics-fishermen-who-subdued-pm-kishidas-smoke-bomb-attacker?utm_source=rss_feed

Chinese engineer arrested in Pakistan for ‘insulting Allah’ in Ramadan row, provoking angry mob

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. A source involved in the arrest said scores of infuriated Pakistani labourers descended on the engineer’s office, apparently intent on attacking him, following a heated dispute about the slow pace of work during Ramadan.…

Is China’s move to resolve Australia barley row masking a ‘strategic’ bid to join the CPTPP?

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. The move will help achieve several goals for Beijing, including putting a ‘bilateral irritant’ to bed and improving its global trade image, observers say. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3216963/chinas-move-resolve-australia-barley-row-masking-strategic-bid-join-cptpp?utm_source=rss_feed

She died 4 days after getting her Covid booster jab. Singapore paid her family in the Philippines US$169,000

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. Filipino Ontal Charlene Vargas died of myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart. A coroner ruled it was likely related to the vaccine she had received. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3217275/she-died-4-days-after-getting-her-covid-booster-jab-singapore-paid-her-family-philippines-us169000?utm_source=rss_feed

Thailand’s tricky consignment law leaves Hongkonger with US$120,000 hole in his pocket after Phuket developer goes under during Covid-19

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. Attracted by Phuket’s serene waters and tourism appeal, Swiss national Reda Abouhanine bought a unit in a resort project in 2017. Construction came to a standstill in 2020 due to the pandemic, and never…