Chinese social media abuzz as netizens follow US election results
Yao Yan, the 70-year-old owner of the restaurant, said Biden spent 79 yuan ( US$ 11 ) during his 20-minute stay on local dishes including noodles and buns.
” People were curious and wanted to try what he ate, and ( netizens ) promoted this Biden set meal online”, she said.
Images of Biden’s visit used to line the walls of the diner. The pictures, however, always returned after being removed during renovations.
” Now, no one brings up the Biden set food again”, said Yao.
China– like other countries around the world – was closely watching as the US presidential vote came to a nearby on Wednesday ( Nov 6), as the Trump era goes into history.
Yao was watching also.
” Regarding other issues ( US elections ), we are n’t particularly concerned. But as Taiwanese people, we wish for earth peace and friendship. This is our greatest purpose and wish”, Yao said.
The calculating was still going on as of 5am Eastern Time on Wednesday, but former US president Donald Trump appears to be making his first appearance in the White House. While his rival, Democrat Kamala Harris, is only a few political vote away from a clear victory, he is still a long way off.
The second US president will have significant influence on bilateral relations with China for years to come, with influences felt in international trade, diplomacy, and security.
Cartoons GALORE ON CHINESE Facebook
On Chinese social media, however, conversations are taking on a lighter voice.
Dance films of Trump are frequently appearing in articles about the elections on Chinese social media platforms. It is known as the “bath scrubbing party” in China by internet users.
Amazing parallels between US Vice President Harris and a Film cartoon character who became president are being shared on Weibo.
China welcomes Myanmar’s embattled leader on first visit since coup
Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing is on his first visit to China since he ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.
The significant losses his regime has suffered in the civil war at the hands of poorly-armed insurgents has raised questions over how long he will remain at the helm.
Thus, the offer to attend China- an important supporter, housemate and Myanmar’s largest investing partner- is important, although it is not a state visit.
Although it is far from a Chinese support of his fatal handling of the post-coup uprising in Myanmar, it does suggest that Beijing considers him as a necessary component of a solution to the conflict it.
Min Aung Hlaing, who is accompanied by a sizable group of government officials and business images, arrived on Tuesday in Kunming, a town in Yunnan’s state with a long border with Myanmar.
He is a participant in a small mountain of the’Greater Mekong Sub-region’s members.
Since the coup, the troubled president has cut a close relationship with a distant figure, and local gatherings, typically attended by Burmese leaders, have shunned him.
The couple overseas outings he has made since 2021 have generally been to Russia, then a fervent ally.
During his visit, he is expected to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who is presiding over the mountain. But this is usually a low-level event, attended by heads of government from other authoritarian governments in the region, for as Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
China often takes the metaphoric significance of political process really, and it will be aware of the message sent out by Min Aung Hlaing’s appearance at a Chinese-hosted meeting.
Given that Beijing has been a target of the civil war, it may be preparing to wash its arms of Min Aung Hlaing.
The ethnic insurgent alliance which has inflicted the greatest defeats on the Myanmar military operates along the border with China, and launched its offensive a year ago with the declared objective of shutting down scam centres of which thousands of Chinese citizens had become victims.
It was commonly believed that China had given the insurgents the go-ahead to enter and move in after the regime’s refusal to work.
Since then, though, China has tried to grip in the insurgents, to prevent an illegal decline of the military regime in Nay Pyi Daw.
Beijing is known to become urging Min Aung Hlaing to create a schedule for votes that would end military rule. It wants cross-border business restored, and optimistic Chinese investment strategies for Myanmar protected.
Numerous organizations that are battling the military takeover of Myanmar have pledged not to deal with the revolution leaders. They contend that a new national political system must be established and that the army must be put under human control.
The National Unity Government ( NUG), which represents the ousted coup-erased elected administration, has opposed China’s invitation to Min Aung Hlaing’s implicit recognition.
” Myanmar’s citizens want balance, harmony and economic expansion. It is Min Aung Hlaing and his team who are destroying these points”, said the NUG’s director, Kyaw Zaw.
” I am concerned that]the visit ] may unintentionally inspire a misinterpretation of the Chinese government among Myanmar’s public”.
However, the opposition is still far from defeating the dictatorship, and China fears that if it were to fall, even worse panic may result from various military rivalries battling for control.
It looks like China is willing to work with the junta, despite the military regime’s record of brutality and incompetence.
And for now, Chinese-led geopolitics is all there is because European influence is small.
India, Myanmar’s another huge neighbour, has concerned itself mostly with localised boundary issues.
And the work of Myanmar’s Association of South East Asian Nations, which is basically a five-point consensus reached with Min Aung Hlaing just three weeks after his revolt, have failed.
Only China can exert the willpower and control necessary to end Myanmar’s civil war.
COE premiums close lower across all categories
In the most recent bidding exercise on Wednesday ( Nov 6 ) on the last day of the month, Certificate of Entitlement ( COE ) premiums closed lower across all categories.
For all types, rates have dropped for the second time in a row in this practice.  ,
For Category A cars, or those 1, 600cc and below with horsepower not exceeding 130bhp, premiums closed at S$ 99, 889 ( US$ 75, 110 ), down from S$ 102, 900 in the last exercise.
Prices for larger and more powerful vehicles in Category B had the largest increases, falling to S$ 108, 001 from S$ 113, 890.
COEs for corporate cars, which include items cars and trucks, fell to S$ 68, 340 from S$ 72, 939 in the previous selling practice.
Motorcycle prices closed at S$ 9, 089, along from S$ 9, 589 in the last workout.
Open class Submissions, which can be used for any car form but usually being used primarily for huge cars, fell to S$ 109, 000 from S$ 114, 700.
A full of 3, 661 proposals were received, with a limit of 2, 681 COEs accessible.
Mandatory refresher training for forklift operators from 2027: MOM
SINGAPORE: Starting in 2027, all Singaporean crane operators may enroll in a guide training course at least once every three times.  , The move, announced on Wednesday ( Nov 6), is part of efforts to improve workplace safety and health ( WSH) excellence, said the Ministry of Manpower ( MOM).Continue Reading
From Taiwan to trade, China braces for more rivalry as Trump declares victory
Beijing: As Democrat Kamala Harris defeated Republican Donald Trump to win the US national election, China is set for four more years of bitter superpower conflict over trade, systems, and security issues. Voters revealed that Trump demonstrated power across large swaths of the nation, capturing a larger promote of theContinue Reading
Tourists offered free Thai holiday if they smuggle weed back to Britain
PUBLISHED: 6 Nov 2024 at 16: 41
American officials have requested that Thai officers detain Britons who smuggle marijuana back to the country in exchange for a free trip to Thailand with pocket cash.
Pol Lt Gen Phanurat Lukboon, secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board ( ONCB), revealed this to reporters on Wednesday.
He claimed that American embassy Mark Gooding gave the ONCB a visit from the UK’s National Crime Agency next month. They pleaded for help in halting the immigration of marijuana into Britain.
The group received a notification that medicine smugglers were using the Telegram chat app to recruit people in Britain. They offered complimentary tour to Thailand, plus pocket cash, in exchange for trafficking cannabis back to Britain.
According to Pol Lt. Gen. Phanurat, American officials have been seizing thousands of kilograms of illegal marijuana. This year, the amount had substantially increased.
” These people who are recruited in Britain are not defrauded. They are tempted with free trips, lodging and meals in Thailand, plus pocket cash, in exchange for their agreement to send cannabis again to Britain”, he said.
He said cocaine authorities have now begun an inspection.  ,
Additionally, Pol Lt Gen Phanurat reported that they discovered a package that had been labeled as having 210 grams of a diet product. A American man and a Dutchman who live in Bangkok received the package from the UK.
36 kg of cannabis in sealed packages, packaging materials, and 1.4 kilogrammes of cannabis resin with an illegally high tetrahydrocannabinol ( THC ) content were discovered in a search of their rented condominium and house in Bangkok.
Prin Mekanandha, ONCB director of cocaine law enforcement, said the two gentlemen had arrived in Thailand as visitors about four months ago. They allegedly sourced hemp from Thailand for smuggling to the United Kingdom.
The seized marijuana was about to be shipped in packages to Britain. He claimed that the narcotics authorities discovered slips that claimed the mailed items contained cushions.
Mr. Prin claimed that the cannabis was also being distributed to Britons and other nations who had been hired through the Telegram app and did n’t need to apply for a visa to enter the country.
According to Mr. Prin, they hid the marijuana in their bag before going back to Britain.
‘New and exciting’ collaboration opportunities for Singapore and Indonesia ahead: PM Wong
Additionally, the officials exchanged opinions on the global environment in general.
Indonesia and Singapore share several common proper perspectives of the world, according to Mr. Wong, but we are entering a more disturbing era in international affairs.
Both Singapore and Indonesia “want to be companions to all,” to be” great neighbors,” and also have close ties to both the United States and China.
” We may both workout active and independent foreign policies towards that consequence, in order to achieve mutual gain, shared interest and important, peace, stability and prosperity for ourselves and for Southeast Asia”, said Mr Wong.
The prime minister continued, adding that both leaders hoped that Singapore’s and Indonesia’s close cooperation would “provide pathfinders to promote ASEAN inclusion and make for a stronger and more united ASEAN.”
A solid ASEAN may serve us well in this more complex world, he said to reporters,” and will help ensure that the region is able to live and entice investments into Southeast Asia.”
Mr. Wong concluded his statement by saying that he looked forward to introducing and continuing his meetings with Mr. Prabowo at the upcoming Singapore-Indonesia Leaders ‘ Retreat, which will be held by Singapore in 2025.
Before the leaders ‘ first meeting on Wednesday morning, Mr. Wong presented a crown at the Jakarta-based Kalibata Heroes Cemetery before heading to Mr. Prabowo’s Istana Merdeka for his service.
Following a service attended by members of the Indonesian government and the national guard, Mr. Wong met with Mr. Prabowo and his ministers and signed a guestbook.
Mr. Wong is being accompanied by Minister of State for Digital Development, Information, and Health Rahayu Mahzam, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister of State for Manpower Tan Discover Leng, and Minister of State for Digital Development and Information.
War, inflation and wokeism return Trump to White House – Asia Times
With 95 % of the vote counted, Donald Trump’s projected triumph in Pennsylvania guarantees his election as president, making it the most amazing political reversal in American history.
Trump was confronted with two assassination attempts, a armed constitutional system, and questionable foreign-investigation investigations. Trump appeared on the campaign path as a joyful fighter and won the November 5 poll, which was widely perceived as a bitter has-been.
A perceived fragile financial performance and an unhappy foreign war also put him in the shoes of a weak opponent. Kapala Harris struggled to explain why she would perform better in Joe Biden’s incoming administration as leader than she did in Joe Biden’s incoming administration. She was the first presidential candidate in decades chosen by the party elite more than primary elections.
Donald Trump’s disdainful defense of “forever wars” helped him stand out from the rest of the Republican group in the 2016 primaries. British voters voted for peace after US voters approved the strong wall of the international policy establishment by spending$ 7 trillion in expenditures and millions of lives without meaning. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX ), who was re-elected on November 5, was the only real opposition Trump faced in 2016.
No American forces are involved in the Ukraine war, so it does n’t carry the weight that the deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan did. Trump once more dominated the ballot on foreign policy by promising to bring about harmony as soon as he took office.
Americans are suffering at home in the wake of the worst prices wave since the 1970s, and in some cases, the worst since the Civil War. The Biden presidency increased federal spending to new records, resulting in a gap of nearly 7 % of GDP, which was unheard of during the boom’s time.
In spite of the high cost of living, prices hit a record high of 18 % and is still rising at 8 %. Harris owned this outcome and avoided receiving any benefits from the internet by avoiding direct inquiries about it.
America’s left-wing historical revolutionaries went too far and moved too quickly to effect radical changes in the concept of gender. Americans are accepting citizens and overwhelmingly opposed to gay marriage.
However, the majority of the government was outraged by the hormone replacement therapy used for pre-pubescent youngsters who believed they were born with the bad sex and man transgender athletes competing in women’s activities. By a 3 to 1 ratio, Americans are against transgender players in women’s sports.
As a advocate, Trump skillfully navigated the cross-currents among important districts. Frequently perceived as a stronger admirer of Israel than Harris, Trump yet won the support of the president of Hamtramck, Michigan, the single US area with an Arab-American majority.
By excluding Gay symbols on town house, Hamtramck caused a stir in 2023. Muslims who follow a progressive educational system may care less about foreign policy than about corrupting their children.
Hillary Clinton in 2016 and the snobbishness of Democratic officials both found dangerous. A insult made by a Trump-supporting artist about Puerto Rico by President Biden in response to a joke about the election that claimed Trump voters were “garbage” went viral a week before the vote. No matter how difficult Biden tried to walk it again, this badly hurt Harris.
Hillary Clinton’s September 2016 reply to a LGTBQ charity that Trump supporters were “deplorables” became a gathering cry against pretentiousness. Mitt Romney, a Republican presidential candidate, claimed that 47 % of voters did n’t really matter at a private fundraiser in 2012. He meant that while that percentage did n’t pay federal income tax, it came out as a vote-in-the-ground defiance of the majority and helped to kill his campaign.
Despite numerous campaign path proclamations, Trump’s economics are completely clear. It is unclear whether Trump is articulating a negotiating position or a set policy proposal when he talks about punishing tariffs on China or Mexico or higher tariff barriers against the rest of the world.
That many may be learned from the published works of trusted Trump advisors like Peter Navarro. Trump’s campaign rhetoric portrayed tariffs as a cure-all for America’s industrial decline but it obviously is n’t that simple.
Trump has the opportunity to create a wonderful management. I had my turn to propose an objective to Trump, under the name,” Make Peace and Build America”. He has had an incredible return. The second portion will be even harder.
Bangladesh asks Malaysia to arrest and extradite 2 businessmen over alleged migrant worker trafficking and extortion
Ali Mohd Noor, Bestinet’s existing chief executive officer, stated in a statement to Malaysiakini on September 23 that” Bestinet denies the existence of any syndicates that are allegedly under the control of Aminul or anyone else in our jurisdiction.”  ,
According to a report released on Sep 18, the Bangladeshi media outlet Prothom Alo reported that both Mr. Aminul and Mr. Ruhul were” consoles” of a money-laundering consortium made up of 100 organizations that may continue to send migrant workers to Malaysia, despite recruitment agencies ‘ ban on sending employees there since May of this year.
According to South China Morning Post, tens of thousands of Bangladeshi immigrant workers had been victims of an extensive employment scam in Malaysia where they had to spend up to US$ 5, 000 honest for work that did n’t exist, making them work improperly to pay their debts. The entry deadline for Malaysia’s Home Affairs Ministry was May 31.
According to local recruitment agency owners in Bangladesh, cited in Prothom Alo, the official registration fee per worker is 2, 700 Bangladeshi taka ( US$ 22.59 ) but workers have been charged a fee of around 107, 000 Bangladeshi taka by the syndicate.  ,
Prothom Alo reported that while 7, 000 Bangladeshi taka is obtained by a local variety company, the remaining 100, 000 Bangladeshi taka is sent to Bestinet, through “illegal programs” as a” gang fee”. Additionally, according to Prothom Alo, a total of 50 billion Bangladeshi baht has been laundered in this manner.  ,
Mr. Ismail refuted the claims made by the local Bangladeshi press about the exorbitant application fee.
” We do n’t have any syndicate fees.” We simply gather the number allowed by the Indonesian state”, Mr Ismail said, as quoted by Malaysiakini.  ,
On June 20, Prothom Alo reported that Mr. Ruhul had refuted claims of money laundering.
” Why does anyone give me money, am I so strong? Aminul Islam is also a merchant. How does businessmen exert influence over the labor industry?” He was quoted by Prothom Alo as saying.  ,
The Bangladeshi police also requested that Malaysia temporarily stop Bestinet’s proprietary IT system, the Foreign Workers Centralized Management System ( FWCMS ), according to Bloomberg.  ,
Since 2013, the Malaysian Immigration Department has used the FWCMS platform to track and process visa applications from 15 nations ( including Bangladesh ), which have been exporting labor to Malaysia.
New Indonesia fund rings early alarm bells on Prabowo – Asia Times
Indonesia’s powerful state-owned enterprise ( SEO ) sector is on the verge of a major shake-up as the new Prabowo Subianto administration attempts to reshape the nation’s economic system.
On November 7, Prabowo’s state is expected to release information about a new super-holding organization for SOEs and another government-controlled finances to become known as the Daya Anagata Nusantara Investment Management Agency, or Danantara.
While the novel company’s specific mandate and work is unclear, the management has promoted the idea it will serve as an Indonesian version of Temasek, Singapore’s effective sovereign wealth fund.
But, feedback from the public and in-the-know sources suggest Danantara could be something entirely different, with some hesitant to accept it as a direct investment in the government’s name projects without going through the customary Ministry of Finance budget arrangement approach.
Fears about the proposed shake-up focus on two key points. First, while Danantara’s scope is unclear, it will likely overlap heavily in numerous areas with Indonesia’s existing sovereign wealth fund, the Indonesian Investment Authority ( INA ), and the Ministry for State-Owned Enterprises helmed by Erick Thorir.
Next, there are concerns that the move may aim to lead State resources toward idealistic political priorities, including his energy security, completely student lunch and food security policies, as well as potential patronage of political allies, given that the new holding company appears to be under the authority of the national office.
However, according to sources with knowledge of the situation, top SOE ministry officials were immediately notified when plans for the new holding company first appeared on October 22.
Burhannudin Abdullah, former chancellor of the Bank of Indonesia and part of the advisory committee for Prabowo, who was then president-elect, made the first proposals to reform the SOE government and create a very keeping company in a speech on September 25.
However, the sudden announcement that this concept would be put into practice still irritated many people. Many assumed that Thorir, a billionaire and influential political operator, would continue to play a significant role in bringing together and rationalizing the SOE sector under Prabowo. He was reappointed to the position he had held under President Joko Widodo.
The announcement of an apparently parallel organization, with scant details about its remit, has thrown all this into doubt. Thorir continued to appear obnoxious on Danantara as of November 4. ” I do n’t know exactly. When reporters inquired about the new holding company’s plans for November 8th, he replied,” I’m just setting up the office.”
In Indonesia, SOE control is a particularly powerful position. In 2023, SOEs controlled US$ 671 billion in assets, equivalent to 48.9 % of the country’s gross domestic product ( GDP ), in sectors spanning energy, mining, finance, agriculture and construction.
In addition to running big businesses in key sectors, Indonesia’s SOEs carry out government policies as varied as distributing subsidized fuel and food, to building new infrastructure projects, to making micro-loans to the poor. They are a potent source of patronage because of their ability to appoint people to fill positions and distribute contracts.
So what’s likely behind Danatara’s creation? Muliaman Hadad, who will head Danantara and formerly served as chair of Indonesia’s financial services authority, invoked both Singapore’s Temasek and Indonesia’s INA as models for the fund in recent comments to the press.
The analogies appear to be intended to reassure markets, even though they use very different strategies: the former focuses heavily on overseas assets plus a few strategic Singaporean companies, and the latter more on co-investing with large foreign funds in Indonesian infrastructure. Both Temasek and INA are reputable institutions that are renowned for having good governance and technocratic management.
However, initial reports and information from a variety of sources point to the possibility that Danantara will turn out to be something quite different. According to reports from Katadata, Danantara will control Indonesia’s seven SOEs, which are currently the biggest dividend-payers.
These include three big state-owned banks, namely Bank Mandiri, Bank Rakyat Indonesia and Bank Negara Indonesia, monopoly electricity distributor PLN, oil and gas giant Pertamina, telecoms conglomerate Telkom Indonesia and mining giant MIND ID.
There are also rumored plans to combine the reputable INA with Danantara, which could cause a potential cultural conflict between bureaucrats and private professionals. The INA has invested in a portfolio of private companies and SOEs with an emphasis on infrastructure, including Bank Mandiri and Bank Rakyat Indonesia.
Some special investment vehicles under the Ministry of Finance’s control, including perhaps Indonesia Infrastructure Guarantee Fund ( IIGF ) and Indonesia Infrastructure Financing ( IIF), may also come under Danantara’s control.
Some investors and analysts worry that the new super-holding company will add yet more bureaucracy and special interests to navigate and placate. Additionally, there are concerns that the new entity might undermine existing relationships that INA has with numerous large international investment, pension, and sovereign funds.
Moreover, Hadad’s appointment to head Danantara has raised certain concerns about the body’s governance.
Hadad served as Burhanuddin’s deputy when the latter oversaw payments of about$ 10 million to members of parliament and paid the legal fees for former central bank officials who were facing corruption charges when they were governor of the Bank of Indonesia.
One of those officials assisted in this way was Sudrajad Dwjiwandono – Prabowo’s brother-in-law. Burhannudin was later found guilty and given a five-year prison sentence for his actions.
There are already several indications that Prabowo wants to appoint loyalists in key positions in the SOE sector.
On November 5, it was announced that Simon Aloysius Mantiri, a member of Prabowo’s Gerindra party and deputy treasurer of his presidential campaign, would be the new CEO of the state-owned oil and gas giant Pertamina.
According to critics, more political appointments of this sort would be made through Danantara, which would increase presidential control over SOEs.
By resigning Indonesia’s trusted finance minister, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, and indicating that he could reduce funding for some of his signature policy promises, Prabowo earlier sought to calm market concerns about his robust spending plans and governance.
That did n’t address concerns about his big boat cabinet, the largest ever since the mid-1960s with some 48 ministers and 56 vice-ministers. The appointees are notably heavy on economic technocrats and heavy on political party leaders.  ,  ,
How markets will react to Nanantara’s creation is still unclear. However, as Prabowo’s vision for the fund becomes clearer, the sudden and, in many ways, suspect move taken so early in his term could well rekindle those market jitters.