Page 4 - Patrick Winn News Today

Myanmar’s civil war may be turning the corner. A pro-democratic resistance is accelerating its mission to topple a military regime, which seized power in a coup 2 1/2 years ago. A new offensive by the armed resistance is making stunning gains: pushing the regime out of cities, seizing its weapons, even capturing a brand-new bridge built by China. The World’s Patrick Winn

The war in Israel is unnerving military officials all the way to South Korea. Soldiers there are currently training alongside US forces to repel potential “Hamas-style” surprise attacks coming from North Korea — a country that's been sending weapons to Hamas, according to Seoul. The World’s Patrick Winn discusses the latest ongoing live-fire drills near the Korean border with

Of the 220 hostages being held by Hamas, 54 are Thai nationals, according to the latest Israeli government figures. They are largely agricultural workers, who come from Thailand's poorest areas to work in Israel's fields. The World’s Patrick Winn reports from Bangkok that Thailand finds itself suddenly a part of a Middle Eastern war.

What is often referred to as "lab-grown meat" has been slow to catch on. Some of it is in the name, which turns many off. But in the tiny city-state of Singapore, which has little capacity for farming, they are embracing the technology. But instead of growing beef from stem cells, they are working on growing seafood. The World's Patrick Winn reports that Singaporean companies

Malaysia has strict affirmative action laws. But they don't benefit the ethnic Chinese and Indians, minority groups that have lived in the country for centuries. Instead, the government reserves jobs and scholarships for the Malays, the ethnic majority. Malays must also have a stake in businesses. The rules, however, were recently waived for Tesla, owned by Elon Musk. The

The Unification Church — known as the Moon family "cult" to its detractors — is bracing for a Japanese government ruling that will dissolve the organization's status as a lawful church. The decision is not official, but has been leaked to Japanese media in advance of an announcement expected soon. This move is fallout from the murder of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who

The hill tribes of Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam are known for their colorful and intricate weavings and embroidery. Global fashion brands are among those who have helped themselves to the distinct patterns, replicating the designs but never paying royalties. A nonprofit collective in Laos has now pulled together the most egregious examples. From Bangkok, The World's Patrick

The Philippine Coast Guard discovered something strange over the weekend when it patrolled waters 200 miles west of Manila. One of the country’s islands is now encircled by a floating barrier: a ring of bobbing white orbs linked by cables that prevented boats from entering. China installed this barrier. It’s the latest provocation in a territorial dispute involving both the

In South Korea, corporations demand long hours from their employees, and the pressure to succeed can be intense. This is one reason many young South Koreans decide not to have kids. They simply don’t have the time. But the government wants to entice white-collar workers to have more children, and officials are now ready to try out a controversial experiment. The World’s

In the global narcotics economy, drugs generally flow in one direction — from not-so-rich parts of the world toward wealthier countries, where more people can afford to get high. But strangely enough, contraband is now flowing the other way. The drug in question is US-grown cannabis. American criminals are smuggling it en masse to Thailand. Weed is legal in nearly two dozen US