Asia Pacific – Page 855 – Prologue Journal

Indonesian rice prices surge as drought crimps harvest: ‘We don’t know what’s going to happen’

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. Hot weather across Asia is driving up rice prices by as much as a fifth, fuelling concerns in Indonesia that prices could hit their highest in years. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3233134/indonesian-rice-prices-surge-drought-crimps-harvest-we-dont-know-whats-going-happen?utm_source=rss_feed

India’s Modi questioned over Adani Group’s use of ‘opaque funds’, ahead of G20 meeting

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi spoke out after an investigative report said that over a billion dollars left the country and the conglomerate used ‘opaque funds’ to invest in its own firms. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3233133/indias-modi-questioned-over-adani-groups-use-opaque-funds-ahead-g20-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed

Sri Lanka policeman sacked for playing piano while president fled: ‘He was our Nero’ he said of ex-leader

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. Constable Dayaratne was sent to protect the presidential residence the day it was stormed by protesters who forced Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country. Instead he played songs a grand piano in the building.…

Fintech giant Ant Group expands Alipay+ cross-border payments service in South Korea with ZeroPay tie-up

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. From September 1, tourists using Alipay and several affiliated digital wallets can make electronic payments in Seoul via local service ZeroPay. https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3233111/fintech-giant-ant-group-expands-alipay-cross-border-payments-service-south-korea-zeropay-tie?utm_source=rss_feed

Thai king reduces former PM Thaksin’s prison sentence to one year

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. A royal gazette said the 74-year-old billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra had ‘accepted his crime and shown remorse’. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3233103/thai-king-reduces-former-pm-thaksins-prison-sentence-one-year?utm_source=rss_feed

South Korea eyes foreign domestic helpers to ease demographic pressures

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. South Korea approved a Seoul city plan to let 100 foreign domestic workers into the country through a pilot programme aimed at boosting birth rates by helping more women rejoin the workforce. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3233076/south-korea-eyes-foreign-domestic-helpers-ease-demographic-pressures?utm_source=rss_feed

U.S. Officials Have Visited China. Will Beijing Send Anyone?

New York Times Such visits could help convey Beijing’s interest in stabilizing ties with Washington. But China has been noncommittal. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/01/world/asia/china-us-biden-xi.html

Pope Francis starts first visit to Mongolia, a nation of 1,400 Catholics on China’s doorstep

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. The 86-year-old pontiff’s trip to Buddhist-majority Mongolia is a gesture of support for the tiny community of Catholics. The voyage is also geopolitically strategic. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/3233039/pope-francis-starts-first-visit-mongolia-nation-1400-catholics-chinas-doorstep?utm_source=rss_feed

Aditya-L1 mission: India seeks to top its moon landing with spacecraft to study sun

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. India plans to launch its next space venture on Saturday: the country’s first solar observation mission, named Aditya-L1. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3233028/aditya-l1-mission-india-seeks-top-its-moon-landing-spacecraft-study-sun?utm_source=rss_feed

Troubled China-India relationship means the Asian century remains elusive

Disclaimer: The South China Morning Post’s content is directed by the Chinese Communist Party. It is not a reliable news source. While the addition of top oil-producing nations will give Brics greater heft, it is debatable whether the bloc will have enough cohesion to be effective. Strained India-China ties not only complicate the grouping’s dealings,…