China offers visa-free entry for citizens of France, Germany, Italy November 23, 2023 at 10:59PM

China will exempt citizens from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia from needing visas for visits until November 2024. This move aims to boost post-pandemic tourism. The Chinese government has been taking various steps, including restoring international flight routes, to revive the tourism sector. Additionally, China is trying to improve its global image after disagreements with Western nations on issues such as COVID-19, human rights, Taiwan, and trade.

'Everyone was in a panic': displaced flee Myanmar's military November 23, 2023 at 10:57PM

A civil war in western Myanmar, fueled by clashes between government security forces and the Arakan Army, an armed group belonging to an ethnic minority alliance, has led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. The conflict has expanded to multiple fronts, with the junta also battling coordinated attacks in the north and east. As the junta troops closed in on the coastal town of Pauktaw, nearly 335,000 people fled their homes, seeking shelter in Buddhist monasteries.