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From the others idea of the coin so to speak.... "So take the YouTuber's allegations with a pinch of salt. They reportedly belong to a failed car-sharing service called Microcity, which had thousands of Kandi 11 models, as documented by the Chinese state-owned newspaper People's Daily."

Spanish rescuers are looking for a boat that vanished more than a week ago and was transporting at least 200 African migrants in the waters off the Canary Islands. According to the humanitarian organisation Walking Borders, the fishing vessel left from Kafountine, a coastal settlement in southern Senegal that is some 1,700 kilometres (1,057 miles) from Tenerife. According to the group, there are a lot of kids on board, reported Spain's Efe news agency. It is also reported that two other boats carrying dozens more persons are missing. On June 27, a boat bound for the Canary Islands left Kafountine with roughly 200 people on board. A plane had joined the search, according to the Spanish maritime rescue service, Efe. The other two vessels are largely unknown. According to Helena Maleno of Walking Borders, who was reported by the news agency Reuters, there are around 65 individuals on board one boat and up to 60 on the other, bringing the total number of persons missing across the three boats to almost 300. The news comes just after a crowded trawler capsized off the coast of Greece, causing one of Europe's deadliest Mediterranean migrant shipwrecks. The UN estimated that up to 500 people were still missing, although at least 78 drowning deaths have been confirmed. - © Copyright Asean Now 2023-07-10

Two men are carrying torches and homemade arrows as they slip into the ocean at night on an Indonesian island. They are from an indigenous community of Bajau people - renowned freedivers who find it better to hunt in the dark when fish, lobsters and sea cucumbers are less active. But they fear time is running out for their traditional way of life. "Right now, the water is still clear," says Tawing, one of the fishermen. "But it won't stay that way… nickel waste enters our water during the rainy season and the current carries it here." Nickel is an integral part of global life, used in stainless steel, mobile phones and electric car batteries. As the world shifts to greener vehicles and needs more rechargeable batteries, the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that demand for nickel will grow by at least 65% by 2030. FULL STORY

A shocking $50 billion (£39 billion) has been paid to G20 creditors by debt-ridden countries that are also extremely vulnerable to the climate problem since the start of the COVID-19 epidemic, according to a new study. The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) performed the analysis to shed light on the financial burden placed on the world's poorest and most climate-vulnerable countries as they struggle to pay back debts owed to the 20 richest countries in the world. The analysis, which is based on the most recent World Bank statistics, was released in advance of the G20 finance ministers and governors of central banks meeting in Gandhinagar, India. The analysis shows that the contributions paid by 58 LDCs and SIDS totaled $21 billion (£16 billion) in 2022, up from $14 billion (£11 billion) in 2021 and $13 billion (£10.3 billion) in 2020. The world's poorest nations, which also run the greatest risk from escalating climatic calamities, are caught in a never-ending cycle of financial hardship due to the mounting debt obligations. -- © Copyright Asean Now 2023-07-10

The CEO of the Volkswagen Group's Chinese operations, Ralf Brandstätter, has warned of recent developments within the electric vehicle market, suggesting high capital investment and discounting “will ultimately harm the interests of consumers”. In an address at the 2023 China Automobile Forum hosted by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers in Shanghai, Brandstätter said the electric vehicle market is “overheating”. “Currently, there are more than 120 car makers within the [electric vehicle] market, and about 150 new models will be launched in 2023. Intense market competition and high battery prices make them face severe economic pressure. Short-term sales success requires extremely high capital investment,” he said.

Amsterdam’s long-awaited plans to diminish its red-light district and establish a legal alternative "erotic center" continue to face pushback from sex workers, bartenders and entrepreneurs. City officials introduced new measures to crack down on related issues that make the famous red-light district less attractive, with noise limits and substance abuse at the forefront of new laws passed this spring. The chief alternative offered by Mayor Femke Halsema would see the establishment of an "erotic center" that would continue to allow legal prostitution in the city – just outside the red-light district. "An erotic center doesn’t mean that there won’t be prostitution in the red-light district," Halsema said, arguing the center would prove safer for sex workers even as they insist they prefer to remain. "It does mean that the red-light district has to lose its appeal as the most important attraction for tourists," Halsema was quoted in a report by The New York Times. FULL STORY

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Sunday accused Trump administration agencies of “colluding” with Big Tech to bury the Hunter Biden story in 2020 and criticized the former president for not firing those involved with the alleged collusion at the time. “I look back at the Hunter Biden censorship, which was a huge, huge deal to happen in the 2020 election, and yet those were Donald Trump’s own agencies that were colluding with Big Tech. I would never allow that to happen. I would fire those people immediately,” DeSantis told Maria Bartiromo in an interview on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” Republicans have raised concerns about alleged “collusion” between the FBI and social media companies in order to silence conservative viewpoints — which they say is particularly evident in Twitter’s initial decision in 2020 to limit the spread of a story containing contents of a laptop belonging to Hunter Biden. Twitter executives have since said their initial decision may have been flawed, but they adamantly insisted Democrats had no involvement in their decision. FULL STORY

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) called estimates of tens of thousands of people attending former President Trump’s campaign rallies “absurd.” Fox News’s Shannon Bream asked Christie on “Fox News Sunday” to weigh in on local authorities in South Carolina estimating that one of Trump’s recent rallies there had been attended by around 50,000 people, which Christie labeled “absurd.” He said that Trump’s rallies are meant to serve Trump, not the American people. “50,000 is absurd,” Christie told Bream. “But I am not going to get in an argument about that. Here’s why he doesn’t care about the American people. He droned on for an hour and a half yesterday in Iowa.” “He lied about the farm deal with the Chinese,” Christie continued. “They haven’t even complied with a quarter of what they agreed to Donald Trump to do in terms of buying soybeans and other things from the farmers in Iowa. And he spent the rest of the time talking about his own indictment. This is not somebody who’s fighting for the American people and their future. This is all about his ego.” FULL STORY

President Joe Biden told CNN in an exclusive interview that Ukraine is not yet ready for NATO membership, saying that Russia’s war in Ukraine needs to end before the alliance can consider adding Kyiv to its ranks. Biden told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that while discussion of Ukraine’s imminent membership in NATO was premature, the US and its allies in NATO would continue to provide President Volodymyr Zelensky and his forces the security and weaponry they need to try to end the war with Russia. Biden spoke to Zakaria ahead of his weeklong trip to Europe, which includes a NATO summit in Lithuania where Russia’s war in Ukraine and Zelensky’s push for NATO membership will be among the key issues looming over the gathering. “I don’t think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war,” Biden said. “For example, if you did that, then, you know – and I mean what I say – we’re determined to commit every inch of territory that is NATO territory. It’s a commitment that we’ve all made no matter what. If the war is going on, then we’re all in war. We’re at war with Russia, if that were the case.” Biden said that he’s spoken to Zelensky at length about the issue, saying that he’s told the Ukrainian president the US would keep providing security and weaponry for Ukraine like it does for Israel while the process plays out. FULL STORY

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has just concluded a four-day trip to China, aimed at rebuilding bridges between the two countries. Was the trip to Beijing a success? Well, by one very basic metric, yes. The US and China are once again talking to each other, face to face, politely and respectfully, if not warmly. It's a stark contrast to trans-Pacific communication during the Donald Trump administration, which was done largely via the megaphone of social media. The tone and the content from both sides is more positive and more measured. Ms Yellen said her trip would help to build a "resilient and productive channel of communication with China's new economic team". That should not be discounted. FULL STORY

US President Joe Biden has landed in the UK ahead of a Nato summit in Lithuania later this week - which comes after several allies questioned his call to send cluster bombs to Ukraine. The UK and Canada are among those who voiced concern about supplying the bombs, which are widely banned because of the danger they pose to civilians. The US says they are needed because Ukraine's weapon stocks are dwindling. The presidential plane touched down at Stansted Airport on Sunday evening. On Monday, Mr Biden will meet his British counterpart Rishi Sunak to discuss various issues, including the war in Ukraine. Mr Sunak has not directly criticised his US counterpart following Friday's cluster bomb announcement - but on Saturday he said that the UK was one of 123 countries signed up to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, an international treaty which bans the production or use of the weapons. Other US allies have gone further, however. Nato partner nation New Zealand said on Sunday the munitions could cause "huge damage to innocent people". FULL STORY

BBC Culture film critics Nicholas Barber and Caryn James pick their highlights of the year so far, including Suzume, Polite Society and John Wick: Chapter 4. Full list and reviews

Elton John told his millions of fans on Saturday night that they would remain in his "head, heart and soul", concluding his marathon farewell tour in Stockholm with one of his biggest hits - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. The 76-year-old singer has won five Grammy awards in a spectacular career spanning 50 years and nearly 4,600 performances worldwide. "It's been my lifeblood to play for you guys, and you've been absolutely magnificent," he told the audience at Sweden's Tele2 Arena. FULL REPORT

Another model consigned to history. What was your favorite version of this popular car ?

The Flying Scotsman made a historic journey to celebrate its 100 year anniversary. If you know anything about trains, you’ve probably heard of The Flying Scotsman. Often described as the world’s most famous steam locomotive, it has starred in films, broken records and toured the world. But did you know she’s now 100 years old?

It's vital to take into account an age-old hindrance to vacationers' enjoyment while arranging a trip to the Land of Smiles to explore jungles, unwind on beaches, and engage in thrilling water sports. This hindrance is the weather. Holiday hotspots from Bangkok to Koh Samui benefit from the best weather windows, which provide Thailand's visitors with mostly sunny sky. Although Thailand enjoys year-round moderate weather and pleasant average temperatures, the typically tropical environment is not without its share of wind, rain, and humidity. Wet (ruedu fon), cool (ruedu nao), and hot (ruedu ron), which determine peak and off-peak tourist seasons, respectively, and create shoulder seasons in between, are three main seasons that divide the year. Visitors should be aware of the various climates and the dreaded monsoon season that await them in the south Asian tourist destination as temperatures naturally vary throughout Thailand's vast regions from north to south and coast to coast. The monsoon season frequently forces Thai isles to close. When is it? July to October The peak of the UK summer vacation is when Thailand's "monsoon" season, which lasts for about four months, occurs. On most days, rain falls frequently but seldom in brief spurts, with the highest amounts occurring in September and October. Visitors to Thailand during the wettest months of the year may experience difficult weather conditions due to high humidity and onshore winds from the southwest monsoon over the Indian Ocean (unless you are a serious surfer). Cool Season: ‘Ruedu Nao’ When is it? November to February Intense rains is relieved from November through February by cool, dry weather. The northeast monsoon is ideal for visiting seaside resorts on Thai islands and taking cloudless pictures because it offers a gentle breeze, more comfortable temperatures (December average highs range from 27 to 30 C), and a significantly less humid atmosphere. Unsurprisingly, these four months have their highest tourism levels due to the good weather. Hot Season: ‘Ruedu Ron’ When is it? March to June Except for the northeastern mountain areas, Thailand mainly has a tropical environment with temperatures that rarely fall below 20°C. From March to June, North Thailand experiences the heaviest heat, with Chiang Mai reaching a scorching 36C in April. The absence of a breeze or cooling drizzle can make visiting Thailand's famous temples and pagodas difficult, but circumstances are a little less uncomfortable during southern holiday seasons; highs peak around 33C in Phuket, perfect for lazy beach days. Best time to Travel North It is best to travel to Bangkok and other central Thailand locations in November and December, off-peak travel season months when temperatures aren't yet at their highest and the area is just beginning to dry out. The verdant woods, waterfalls, and rolling farmland are at their most spectacular after the significant rainfall. Southeast During the 'cool season' of December to February, the weather is ideal for vacationing along Thailand's east coast, including Koh Samui and Koh Phan Ngan. In addition to producing the best waves for watersports, less rain, more temperate temperatures, and a strong breeze also make for a comfortable setting for family vacations. Southwest The monsoon season, which lasts from July to October, is when Thailand's west coast, which includes the Andaman Sea and Khao Sok National Park, is at its most pleasant. During this time, temperatures are comfortably warm, the winds are cooling, and the humidity is at a minimum. January Average temperature: 27C to 31C Hours of sunshine per day: 9 hours Average monthly rainfall: 19mm to 56mm February Average temperature: 28C to 33C Hours of sunshine per day: 8 to 9 hours Average monthly rainfall: 22mm to 30mm March Average temperature: 29C to 35C Hours of sunshine per day: 9 hours Average monthly rainfall: 52mm to 159mm April Average temperature: 29C to 36C Hours of sunshine per day: 7 to 8 hours Average monthly rainfall: 104mm to 145mm May Average temperature: 28C to 34C Hours of sunshine per day: 6 to 7 hours Average monthly rainfall: 245mm to 260mm June Average temperature: 28C to 33C Hours of sunshine per day: 5 to 6 hours Average monthly rainfall: 190mm to 290mm July Average temperature: 28C to 33C Hours of sunshine per day: 6 hours Average monthly rainfall: 199mm to 263mm August Average temperature: 28C to 32C Hours of sunshine per day: 5 to 6 hours Average monthly rainfall: 230mm to 350mm September Average temperature: 27C to 32C Hours of sunshine per day: 5 hours Average monthly rainfall: 339mm to 381mm October Average temperature: 27C to 32C Hours of sunshine per day: 6 to 7 hours Average monthly rainfall: 275mm to 376mm November Average temperature: 28C to 31C Hours of sunshine per day: 7 to 8 hours Average monthly rainfall: 56mm to 226mm December Average temperature: 27C to 30C Hours of sunshine per day: 8 to 9 hours -- © Copyright Asean Now 2023-07-0

I’m not sure quite what to make of the new Mazda CX-60, the latest addition to its range of SUVs. My test car arrived in a highly fetching shade of “platinum quartz”, a colour which sort of hovers intriguingly between beige, grey and taupe. It’s very much on-trend (I think) and contemplating its place in the spectrum occupied far too much of my time. It’s nice, anyway. Let’s continue inside… The fit and finish was mostly impeccable, as you’d expect from a Mazda. Mine was a top-of-the-range version in “Takumi” trim. The leatherwork was very bright and white, and the dash also featured tasteful wood in shades of grey. There was nothing to get your heart racing in there, but then again this is intended to be smart, reliable and habitable family transport. And you do get to enjoy a full-length panoramic glass sunroof, so at least your passengers get to see more of the world. You can easily say it’s just another mid-sized SUV in a market saturated with them. You can just as truthfully remark that there isn’t that much more that this sort of car can do that a competent old-school estate couldn’t, such as the still-attractive Mazda 6 tourer. But it seems to be what the market wants these days, and the Mazda is a competitive entrant. FULL ARTICLE

In the past few days, the Biden administration admitted that the People’s Republic of China had reactivated the Soviet Union’s old Cold War intelligence post at Lourdes, in Cuba. This revelation was soon followed by an even bigger concern: China is in talks with Cuba to stand up a military training facility within 100 miles of Florida. So, what is China doing in Cuba? Are these actions routine, or might China be planning something larger? Something that might pose a significant national security threat to America? The spy base at Lourdes on the north coast of Cuba, 93 miles south of Key West, has a long history. It operated for 40 years, from 1962 until 2002 when the nearly bankrupt Russian Federation could no longer afford to pay Cuba the $200 million a year in rent, nor keep the more than 1,500 intelligence specialists on the island. CHINA AND CUBA PARTNERSHIP A MAJOR THREAT RIGHT IN OUR BACKYARD In 2014, shortly after Russia seized Crimea and the Donbas region from Ukraine, there were reports that the Russians were looking to reopen the vast, but partially demolished facility. FULL STORY

Revelations that special counsel Jack Smith has been digging into efforts to overturn former President Donald Trump’s Arizona election loss in 2020 bolster growing indications that his investigation is nearing a critical point. New CNN reporting on Thursday also suggests that Smith remains interested in a chaotic Oval Office meeting days before Trump left office during which the former president considered some of the wildest schemes dreamed up to try to keep him in power, despite pushback from his White House counsel. Smith has already made Trump the first former president to be formally accused of federal crimes. Trump was charged last month with the willful retention of national defense information and over alleged obstruction of the investigation in connection with a trove of classified documents he kept at his Florida home after leaving office. But a flurry of details about Smith’s inquiries into alleged election-stealing efforts suggest his investigators have had an industrious summer. On Wednesday evening, for instance, Rusty Bowers – the Republican former Arizona House speaker who once said it was “foreign to my very being” to submit to Trump’s bid to subvert the Constitution – said publicly for the first time on CNN that he had spoken to the FBI. FULL STORY

Special counsel Jack Smith’s team has signaled a continued interest in a chaotic Oval Office meeting that took place in the final days of the Trump administration, during which the former president considered some of the most desperate proposals to keep him in power over objections from his White House counsel. Multiple sources told CNN that investigators have asked several witnesses before the grand jury and during interviews about the meeting, which happened about six weeks after Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. Some witnesses were asked about the meeting months ago, while several others have faced questions about it more recently, including Rudy Giuliani. Last month, for two consecutive days, Giuliani sat down with investigators for a voluntary interview about a range of topics, including the tumultuous December 2020 meeting that he attended, sources said. FULL STORY

The Biden administration wants to crack down on short-term health insurance plans, which it says can leave patients saddled with hefty medical bills. The proposed rule, announced Friday as part of a series of actions aimed at lowering health care costs, would limit the duration of these controversial plans to three months with the option of a one-month extension. It would also require that plans provide consumers with clear explanations of their benefits, which are typically less comprehensive than other policies. The proposal would largely reverse former President Donald Trump’s expansion of short-term plans in 2018, which extended the duration of the policies to just under a year and allowed them to be renewed for a total of up to 36 months. The move was one of many actions the prior administration took to chip away at the Affordable Care Act. FULL STORY

President Joe Biden told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria Friday that it was a “difficult decision” to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions for the first time, but that he was ultimately convinced to send the controversial weapons because Kyiv needs ammunition in its counteroffensive against Russia. The White House announced Friday that the president had approved the transfer of cluster munitions to Ukraine, the latest instance where the US has provided Kyiv with weapons it initially resisted sending into the war. “It was a very difficult decision on my part. And by the way, I discussed this with our allies, I discussed this with our friends up on the Hill,” Biden said, adding, “The Ukrainians are running out of ammunition.” The cluster munitions that the US will send to Ukraine will be compatible with US-provided 155mm howitzers, a key piece of artillery that has allowed Ukraine to win back territory over the last year. FULL STORY