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Agoda, a digital travel platform, has revealed the top trending holiday destinations today, as international travel is slowly regaining popularity. Explorers are dusting off their suitcases and getting ready to celebrate the holiday season after a two-year hiatus. Indians are increasingly crossing borders to satisfy their wanderlust and seek new experiences. According to Agoda Booking Data, the top five current preferences are South-East Asian countries such as <keyword id="11905404" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="thailand" source="Orion">Thailand</keyword>, <keyword id="8692" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="indonesia" source="Orion">Indonesia</keyword>, and <keyword id="6356662" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="singapore" source="Orion">Singapore</keyword>, as well as European destinations such as France and Switzerland. Indians are looking for scenic views, rich culture, and places where they can enjoy the best of both worlds (mountains and beaches). Interestingly, Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore have consistently topped the list of top destinations, and they were also the most popular pre-pandemic destinations [2019 Booking Data]. Domestic travel booking data show that the lively metropolises of New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and <keyword id="12864" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="chennai" source="Orion">Chennai</keyword> are the most popular choices within the country. It is unsurprising that <keyword id="826" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="goa" source="Orion">Goa</keyword> remains a strong contender, ranking alongside the bustling metropolises as the ideal beach destination for unwinding. Bangkok will be the world's most populous city in 2022. The bustling city has embraced the holiday season, offering nightlife, beaches, temples, culture, and cuisine, with almost entirely relaxed travel rules. Other Asian treasures that make the top five are Jeju Island, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, and Seoul. Top Global Destinations in 2022: . Bangkok . Jeju Island . Kuala Lumpur . Tokyo . Seoul . Singapore . Bali . Pattaya . Manila . Penang . Hong Kong . Busan . Osaka . Johor <keyword id="14515210" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bahru" source="Orion">Bahru</keyword> . <keyword id="582547" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="taichung" source="Orion">Taichung</keyword> "We are seeing an increase in international travel this year as travel restrictions ease, demonstrating that people have been looking forward to travelling internationally again for the past two years." Travellers are making the most of their vacations and are eager to visit both domestic and international Asian destinations." "Reliving memories as well as going back to places travelers once enjoyed seems to be the theme this summer. At Agoda, we strive to enable even more people to travel by providing best-in-class travel options both on the website and app, with great deals on accommodation, and flights along with great things to do as travel continue to get back to normal," said Omri Morgenshtern, CEO, Agoda. Summer travel facts: . Indian travellers are excited to re-visit Thailand, followed by Indonesia, Singapore, France and Switzerland this summer holiday season . Bangkok is the top <keyword id="119132" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="asia-pacific" source="Orion">Asia Pacific</keyword> destination for both US and UK travellers, and ranks in the top three spots globally for all regions . Singaporeans are visiting neighbour Malaysia the most followed by Thailand and Indonesia . Australians are the biggest international travelers to Bali, followed by Singaporeans, Koreans, and Indian travelers . American travellers' top three Asia Pacific destinations are Bangkok, Manila and Tokyo

Travel platform reveals that Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore are top destinations for Indians this summer

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A Singapore-flagged <keyword id="11984204" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="container-ship" source="Orion">container ship</keyword> crashed into a berth at Port of Taichung in <keyword id="12048018" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="taiwan" source="Orion">Taiwan</keyword> on Sunday morning.</li><li>The bow of the 13-year-old, 143-meter long Asiatic Sun appears badly damaged from the incident.</li><li>There were no casualties to crew or port staff, according to the vessel's owner, Asiatic Lloyd.</li><li>The cargo was also not damaged and the incident did not cause any pollution, the <keyword id="11921983" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="shipping" source="Orion">shipping</keyword> company said.</li></ul>Another video from Taiwan's Central News Agency showed the ship being towed away after the crash. The Port of Taichung told Insider it's investigating the incident.

Watch a stunning video of a container ship crashing into Taichung port in Taiwan

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Boba is shifting from a novelty fad to mainstream, with shops popping up across the world.</li><li>The trend began in Taiwan in the 1980s where teahouse Chun Shui Tang was a pioneer of the beverage.</li></ul>Once a novelty beverage, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-bubble-tea-compared-tiger-sugar-gong-cha-2019-10">boba or bubble tea</a> has moved into the mainstream.It's an unexpected turn for Chui Shui Tang, the teahouse in Taiwan that says it pioneered the beverage in the 1980s.Chun Shui Tang started as a traditional teahouse selling tea leaves — a dime a dozen in Taiwan. But, as Liu Han-Chieh, the teahouse's founder, found out, selling tea was harder than loving tea.Speaking to Business Insider at his company's headquarters in the central Taiwanese city of Taichung, Liu was candid about how the move benefited his business."In Taiwan, we need to sell tea leaves with a human touch — customers need to try some tea before buying tea leaves, so some would just be chatting for long hours with you over tea but not buy eventually," said Liu, 72.Furthermore, traditional Chinese tea drinking involves <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/chinese-tea-ceremonies-traditions">multiple steps,</a> which can make the sale pitch long-drawn. And when customers finally do commit to buying a bag of tea leaves, they could brew it for weeks.It's just not the best way to make money.<h2 id="d8e66081-8795-4dbd-99de-af763250d638">From chilled tea to boba milk tea</h2>Inspired by iced coffee on a trip to Japan in the early 80s, Liu went home with the idea for a hand-shaken iced tea — a bold move for the teahouse at the time, as cold tea was generally only served at street food stands, he said.Soon, Lin Hsiu-hui, a young staffer who was managing sales of chilled tea at the teahouse, was outselling his traditional hot offerings."With iced tea, you can sell to anyone from three years old to 80 years old. With hot tea, you can only sell to old people," said Liu.<div type="image" title="The first Chun Shui Tang Teahouse in Taichung, Taiwan." height="3024" width="4032" msid="112363595" hostid="261" sizebytes="1727172"></div>It also helped that the younger customer base would buy one cup of ready-made chilled tea a day instead of one bag of tea leaves a month.Liu knew he had stumbled upon a winner.Liu instructed Lin, who is now the R&amp;D director at Chun Shui Tang, to experiment with adding new ingredients to tea.Lin said she simply added her favorite childhood Taiwanese dessert treat — chewy tapioca balls — to milk tea. Liu coined the term "pearls" for the topping because they reminded him of black pearls.Liu likened the evolution of his tea offerings to coffee giant Starbucks, which was founded in 1971 and started out selling coffee beans. Now, Starbucks sells everything from beverages to meals, coffee mugs, and merchandise.Liu's daughter, Angela — who is now Chun Shui Tang's managing director — acknowledged she would like the Taiwanese tea chain to be like Starbucks is to coffee.But it has a long way to go: The tea company has over 200 outlets globally, compared to Starbucks' count of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://s203.q4cdn.com/326826266/files/doc_financials/2024/q2/2Q24-Earnings-Release-Final-4-30-24.pdf">more than 38,000.</a>And Liu, the teahouse's founder, doesn't appear to be in a rush to expand. He said he's keen on taking a longer-term approach to growing Chun Shui Tang. He's also not looking for external funding."It's a business that can be sustained for a long time. Tea has been around for the last 5,000 years, so it's a long-term game," he said.<h2 id="a7a83563-5292-46ba-9297-58ac703633fc">A controversial start becomes a global phenomenon</h2>Chun Shui Tang's claim about being the founder of boba tea isn't without controversy.A teahouse called Hanlin Tea Room in the southern city of Tainan also claims to have invented the beverage around the same time after <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businesstoday.com.tw/article/category/183016/post/202206300005/">Tu Tsung-ho, its late founder,</a> spotted white tapioca balls at a market. Hanlin Tea Room did not respond to a request for comment from BI.The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2018/11/13/2003704115">two companies were embroiled</a> in a bitter lawsuit spanning 10 years. The court eventually did not rule in either company's favor, as neither filed a patent or trademark protection.Meanwhile, pearl milk tea and its many iterations were popping up in and outside of Taiwan all the while. Today, the industry is <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/bubble-tea-market">estimated to be worth billions</a> globally.Now a global cultural phenomenon and a symbol of Taiwanese identity, the proliferation of boba tea underscores the island's soft power in an era when news constantly revolves around military threats from China, which claims Taiwan as its territory.Today, boba tea can be easily found in the US — a far cry from when Liu's daughter, Angela, was studying at Purdue University in the US some 15 years ago.<div type="image" title="Chun Shui Tang founder Liu Han-chieh and managing director Angela Liu with a bubble red tea and boba milk tea at their teahouse in Taichung, Taiwan." height="2963" width="3950" msid="112363594" hostid="261" sizebytes="1284266"></div>At the time, Liu had to get her tea leaves and pearls shipped to her. Now, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://portal.sw.nat.gov.tw/PPL/index">Taiwanese government data</a> show exports of tapioca and substitutes — which includes tapioca balls — to the US by tonnage more than doubled in the five years to 2023.In a sign that nearly every drink can now be boba-fied, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/starbucks-boba-inspired-refresher-drinks-pearls-summer-berry-photos-review-2024-6">Starbucks</a> has a take on boba too, with raspberry pearls and a summer berries mixture. None of Starbucks' boba beverages contain tea.Chun Shui Tang's executives appear unperturbed by the many shapes and forms boba tea takes these days — <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/heinz-ketchup-boba-bubble-tea-store-singapore-2022-10">Heinz ketchup</a> boba tea, anyone? — because they've already been there and done that.In 2008, Chun Shui Tang introduced a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.chunshuitang.com.tw/article-detail/creative_bubble_tea_food/">boba tea hot pot</a> with a savory <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.chunshuitang.com.tw/en/bubble-milk-tea/">tea-infused broth.</a> They've also experimented with a boba tea-infused cheese tart and with recipes that incorporate herbs.While such out-of-this-world creations are good for buzz, customers still generally prefer beverages that do not "defy common sense," said Liu.<h2 id="97f9acaa-db96-48a2-800c-b6d665e0c9ef">Father of the teahouse founder refused to speak with him for 3 years</h2>Liu comes from a family of physicians.His father, a medical doctor, cut a stern figure — except when he was drinking tea."I was five when I saw that my father was smiling only when drinking tea, so I thought, 'Tea can really make someone happy,'" said Liu.Liu wasn't cut out for medical school, and after a few years in a corporate job, he started his tea business at the age of 30. His father was supportive and gifted him a teapot, thinking he would do a "proper job" running the business.Upon learning that his son introduced a chilled tea beverage and was adding new-fangled toppings to a traditional beverage, the physician hit the roof."He thought I was fooling around," said Liu.Liu's father refused to speak to him for three years — until Liu finally showed up at the elder man's door with convincing sales figures and a shiny new car.He still keeps the teapot his father gifted close to him in the office to remind him of his first supporter.<div type="image" title="Liu Han-chieh, founder of Chun Shui Tang with a small teapot." height="3024" width="4032" msid="112363599" hostid="261" sizebytes="1180518"></div><h2 id="0ebf6d83-3d03-4f43-b678-31462246ca91">Chun Shui Tang OG shop in Taichung is a tourist hotspot</h2>Today, Liu's OG Chun Shui Tang teahouse in Taichung is on many tourists' checklists.There wasn't much activity around the area in late June when BI visited the shop. It's located on an unassuming street with an apparel shop, a law firm, and a tutoring center.But Chun Shui Tang had a steady stream of travelers heading to its shop fronted by a striking blue tiled roof.Unlike most boba tea shops today, where customers take out their beverages, Chun Shui Tang still retains its original genteel teahouse element where customers could dine in — and most do.There's also much more than boba tea on its menu. Customers can order food including noodles, various side dishes, and breakfast toast. They also still serve traditional Chinese tea.Mark Anthony Villones, a tourist from the Philippines, was at the store when BI visited. He told BI he did not quite expect to see a sit-in dining concept where customers could order more than snacks.Just like other travelers BI spoke to, Villones said he was simply there "to try the original bubble tea" with a group of friends during a holiday to Taiwan.<div type="image" title="A group of young Filipino tourists at Chun Shui Tang in Taichung Taiwan posing with their boba." height="1200" width="1600" msid="112363591" hostid="261" sizebytes="203622"></div>His friend, Kayne Sy, said she found the teahouse and boba tea — served in a tall cocktail glass — "really nice," but wasn't blown over.Her comments sum up one of Chun Shui Tang's biggest challenges: a very crowded marketplace.<h2 id="973176f2-0203-4f29-ab30-f215f6503f92">The competition is tough amid fierce competition from China</h2>Chun Shui Tang will be up for a tough fight in the global boba tea market.While Chun Shui Tang is a familiar name in Taiwan, it — alongside its younger brand, TP Tea — is not the most recognizable brand globally."Nowadays, there are more and more chain bubble tea operations in China that have ambitions to go overseas to expand their global footprint," Jason Yu, the Greater China managing director at Kantar Worldpanel, a consumer research group, told BI.Some of the mainland chains — such as Central China-based Mixue — are also backed by venture capital money, making the competition especially stiff — since the operating model is easily replicated and scalable, he added.<div type="image" title="The sign of Mixue Bingcheng is seen at its shop in Shanghai, China." height="3667" width="5500" msid="112363601" hostid="261" sizebytes="852972"></div>"Taiwan's bubble tea shops are doing well in Taiwan, but they are probably not expanding as fast as their Chinese counterparts," said Yu.As for Taiwanese firms' clout as the first to invent the product, Yu said he isn't sure that's enough to make them frontrunners in the global race."It helps with storytelling, but it's not enough," said Yu. "Being the original can give you a few marks, but it's never the whole thing. It's really about the brand, it's about the product, it's about the supply chain."After all, modern coffee culture was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/italy-invented-coffee-culture-now-its-a-coffee-time-capsule/2019/01/02/aae47a0a-0209-11e9-958c-0a601226ff6b_story.html">popularized by the Italians</a> — but it's Starbucks from the US that has become a massive global phenomenon, Yu said.Chun Shui Tang founder Liu said he isn't worried about the competition, because the market is big enough for everyone.After all, his tea business has only gotten better, not worse with more competitors — because it's through them that they learn about boba tea and his pioneer Taiwanese brand, he said."They are our helpers, not our rivals," said Liu.

Everyone from Starbucks to Chinese giants wants in on the global boba tea craze. Meet the family who started it all.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A Korean Air flight bound for Taiwan had to turn back after a pressurization fault was detected.</li><li>Flight data shows the plane dropped nearly 25,000 feet in five minutes shortly after takeoff.</li></ul>A Korean Air flight bound for Taiwan had to turn back and make an emergency landing after detecting a fault with the aircraft's pressurization system.The Boeing 737 Max 8 plane departed from Incheon International Airport at 4:45 p.m. local time on Saturday, <a target="_blank" href="https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240622002800315">Yonhap News Agency reported.</a>A pressurization fault was detected while the plane was flying over South Korea's southern Jeju Island, per Yonhap.Roughly 30 minutes after taking off, the plane started descending sharply, dropping nearly 25,000 feet in five minutes, according to data from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/ke189#35cbd925">FlightRadar24</a>.This is a common procedure when pressurization issues are detected to avoid further injury to passengers and crew from the lack of oxygen and other risks at usual cruising altitudes.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@garygaryocp/video/7383660626909908225">Videos on social media</a> show the plane shaking and oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling. Yonhap News Agency, citing information from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, reported that 15 passengers were hyperventilating and suffered from eardrum pain when the flight descended."We are fully cooperating with all relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident," a Korean Air spokesperson told Business Insider.The spokesperson said 17 passengers were evaluated at medical facilities and were discharged without severe injuries.The aircraft is just under five years old and was delivered to Korean Air in July 2022, per <a target="_blank" href="https://www.planespotters.net/airframe/boeing-737-max-8-hl8352-korean-air/3xqdq4?refresh=1">Plane Spotters Net.</a>"Our commitment to the safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remains unchanged. We apologize to all affected by this incident," the spokesperson said.Passengers on the affected plane reached Taichung International Airport safely on Sunday via a different flight, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2024/06/24/2003819818">Taipei Times reported.</a><h2 id="48c5b2e6-3010-407e-8a6a-bd2dd19e6dec">A week of plane chaos</h2>The Korean Air news comes after a week in which multiple planes were forced to make emergency landings for various reasons.On Thursday, a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/malaysia-airlines-boeing-flight-with-engine-on-fire-2024-6">Malaysia Airlines plane</a> was forced to turn around and head back to Hyderabad, India. A video showed its engine on fire, with sparks flying behind it.Also, on Thursday, a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/united-airlines-airbus-turned-back-engine-lining-fell-off-2024-6">United Airlines flight from Connecticut to Colorado</a> was cut short after a piece of its engine cover fell off during takeoff.Boeing planes have also been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-boeing-737-max-planes-have-issues-2024-1">plagued</a> by issues in recent months. In January, a door plug came off a Boeing 737 Max 9 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alaska-airlines-passengers-hit-by-debris-faulty-oxygen-masks-lawsuit-2024-1">Alaska Airlines jet</a> at 16,000 feet, resulting in a gaping hole in the plane.Several Boeing whistleblowers have since come forward with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-whistleblower-faulty-plane-parts-may-be-on-new-aircraft-2024-6">bombshell testimonies</a> alleging that the company cut corners with quality control.There have also been other instances of late where commercial planes encountered sudden drops in cruising altitude that resulted in injuries.In May, a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER airplane encountered <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/honeymooning-couple-endured-60-seconds-of-hell-aboard-sq321-flight-2024-5">turbulence so severe</a> that the plane <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/singapore-airlines-flight-turbulence-death-investigation-report-details-2024-5">dropped 178 feet in four seconds</a>.The flight from London to Singapore was cruising at an altitude of 37,000 feet over Myanmar when it was thrust up and down rapidly for 62 seconds, leading to one death and over 100 injuries.

Inside the Korean Air Boeing plane that descended 25,000 feet after a pressurization fault

<ul class="summary-list"><li>More Chinese spy balloons appear to be drifting around.</li><li>This time, Beijing is flying the balloons over neighboring Taiwan. </li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-spy-balloon-program-targeted-40-countries-biden-administration-says-2023-2">China's high-altitude balloons</a> are back.And this time Beijing is flying the balloons over neighboring Taiwan, possibly as an ominous warning message before the self-governing island's high-stakes elections.Last year, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-officials-recovering-chinese-spy-balloon-was-key-to-response-2023-2">China floated a spy balloon above the continental United States</a>, sparking a diplomatic crisis before the device was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/police-warn-not-touch-pieces-shot-down-chinese-spy-balloon-2023-2">shot down by a US fighter jet</a>.Since last month, Taiwan's defense ministry has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mnd.gov.tw/English/PublishTable.aspx?types=Military%20News%20Update&amp;Title=News%20Channel">reported</a> more than a dozen sightings of balloons from China floating over the Taiwan Strait and into the island's airspace before ultimately disappearing.Four Chinese balloons crossed the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday with three of them reportedly floating near the major Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in the city of Taichung, according to Taiwan's defense ministry.Three more Chinese balloons with altitudes of 36,000, 24,000, and 15,000 feet were again spotted on Wednesday, the defense ministry said. Another balloon was detected on Thursday.Taiwan defense ministry spokesperson Maj. Gen. Sun Li-fang told reporters this week of the balloons that the government "is closely monitoring and tracking them, responding appropriately, and is also assessing and analyzing their drift patterns," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/04/world/asia/taiwan-china-balloons.html">according to The New York Times</a>.The ministry has previously said it seems like the Chinese balloons were primarily being used for weather monitoring purposes, but it didn't comment on the latest balloon sightings, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taiwan-spots-more-chinese-balloons-says-one-flew-over-island-2024-01-04/">Reuters reported</a>.Experts told the Times that the Chinese balloons could be seen as a warning sign before the Jan. 13 presidential and parliamentary election in Taiwan."It's more an intimidating effect in what happens to be a quite sensitive time, with we in Taiwan holding our election on Jan. 13," Ko Yong-Sen, a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, a Taiwanese think tank, told the Times.Ko explained that China "may want to tone it down.""People say that it has recklessly used major weapons like planes and ships for harassment, so it's shifted to balloons that can be used for a certain kind of lower-intensity intimidation and harassment," Ko told the news outlet.Beijing claims Taiwan as its own territory, while Taiwan considers itself independent from the mainland.On Taiwan's upcoming election, a senior Chinese official recently urged the island to make the "<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/chinese-official-urges-taiwans-people-make-correct-choice-election-2024-01-03/">correct choice</a>," noting the vote could shape the prospects for peace or war.China, which rejects any notion of Taiwan's sovereignty, favors other Beijing-leaning political parties, such as the Kuomintang, over the ruling, independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party.

China's back at it with its balloons

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Dozens of Taiwanese have flocked to government offices to include the word "salmon" in their legal names.</li><li>They hope to get free <keyword id="62494" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="sushi">sushi</keyword> at Sushiro, a chain that is offering free food to anyone named "salmon."</li><li>The restaurant chain said that at least 1,000 people have participated in the promotion.</li></ul>Dozens of Taiwanese people have flocked to government offices to include the word "salmon" in their legal names to score some free sushi.According to the <a href="https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2021/03/18/2003754047">Taipei Times</a>, household registration offices have been flooded with people who were looking to change their legal names temporarily to include the words "salmon" (or gui yu, 鮭魚) in their identity cards. They were hoping to get free sushi at a conveyor sushi restaurant chain, Akindo Sushiro after the chain promised to give <a href="https://www.sohu.com/a/456053945_120135071">free meals to anyone whose name included the unusual word</a>. The chain said that for a limited time, those who could present an identity card bearing the name "salmon" could receive a complimentary meal for their whole table.Meanwhile, those whose names were homophones of the Chinese word for "salmon" could enjoy their meals at half price. No such luck for those with one homophonic character: as they were only given a 10% discount. The Times interviewed a college student in Taichung, who said she had changed her name to "Kuo Salmon Rice Bowl" to give her friends a treat, but planned to change it back the next day.Two other people that the Times spoke to said that they had eaten NT$13,000 ($459) worth of sushi at the restaurant in one sitting. "I do not think we will want to eat salmon again for a while," they said. Akindo Sushiro told the Taipei Times that 28 people had claimed free meals as of 3 pm on Wednesday, and a total of 1,000 people had participated in the quirky promo event.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wework-alumni-networking-latest-venture-dongnae-south-korea-proptech-startup-2020-7">2 former South Korea WeWorkers just launched a real-estate tech startup. Here's a look at the growing network of WeWork alumni founding and funding new companies.</a>Citizens applying for a legal name change must pay NT$80 ($3) for a new identification card and household registration certificate, according to the Taipei Department of Civil Affairs. However, the authorities cautioned as well that names can only be legally changed up to three times in <keyword id="46274" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Taiwan">Taiwan</keyword>.In light of this policy, some may live to regret opting for this name change, as the Times said a man known as Hsu had learned this little factoid the hard way after his mother told him that she had changed his name twice when he was a child.This means that Hsu may be stuck with the name "salmon" for the rest of his life. "Each person has three chances to change their name," the ministry wrote on Facebook. "Everyone, please consider your name carefully."

Dozens in Taiwan are changing their names to 'salmon' to score free sushi meals

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The man told <keyword id="46274" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Taiwan">Taiwan</keyword>ese authorities he rowed to Taiwan in a rubber boat he purchased online.</li><li>He told police officers who detained him that life in <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="China">China</keyword> was "all kinds of bad."</li><li>Taiwanese officials are investigating how he made it across the tightly patrolled Strait undetected.</li></ul>A Chinese man paddled for ten hours across the <keyword id="1602547" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Taiwan-Strait">Taiwan Strait</keyword> in a rubber dinghy - and told the Taiwanese police he left his native country in search of "freedom and equality" in a video taken of the man's arrest. According to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/05/03/china-taiwan-escape-dinghy-taobao/">the Washington Post,</a> the 35-year-old man, known only by the last name Zhou, rowed across the Strait - a 112-mile stretch of sea that separates southeastern China from Taiwan.The Post wrote that the man rowed his way across the Strait for ten hours on Saturday, sailing across on the rubber raft he purchased on Chinese e-commerce shopping site Taobao. He told the cops he outfitted the dinghy with a motor and carried 23 gallons of fuel with him. Authorities found no other belongings on Zhou's person. According to a report by the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/04/chinese-man-seeking-freedom-and-equality-says-he-travelled-to-taiwan-in-dinghy">Guardian</a>, he traveled from the seaside city of Quanzhou in China's Fujian province, and made his way across the Strait unnoticed - despite it being highly-policed and heavily patrolled by both the <a href="https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1202687.shtml">Chinese</a> and Taiwan navies. A US Defense Department <a href="https://fas.org/man/eprint/dod-china-2020.pdf">report</a> estimated that China has over 255 ships in the region, many of them armed to the teeth. The Strait has also been <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china-taiwan-idUSKBN2BU1MQ">visited by US warships multiple times in freedom-of-navigation operations</a>, <a href="https://www.insider.com/china-respond-to-all-threats-us-navy-destroyer-taiwan-strait-2021-3">a move that has not gone down well with China.</a>A video on Instagram circulated of Zhou sitting at the Taichung harbor, being interviewed by police officers. The Post confirmed the video's legitimacy with the Taiwanese Central Branch of the Coast Guard Administration. In the video, Zhou is seen holding what looks like a packet of food and telling officers that he was seeking "freedom and equality" in Taiwan. He is also heard telling officers that life in China is "all kinds of bad" and that he was not attempting to escape being arrested in China for serious crimes like murder.<h2>Dinghy crossing reveals holes in Taiwan's coastal defenses </h2>The <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210503-taiwan-investigating-china-dinghy-defector-claim">AFP</a> reported that the Taiwanese government was also investigating if there were "shortcomings" in how the Taiwan Strait is monitored. "We will get in touch with the coastguard, and we will notify each other when there is a situation, to find out the reasons and make improvements," said Taiwan defense minister Chiu Kuo-cheng to the AFP. According to the <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3132090/were-taiwans-defenses-punctured-mainland-chinese-man-rubber">South China Morning Post</a>, Chiu was also asked if Zhou's illegal crossing could have been a scheme to test how secure Taiwan's coastal defenses were. He replied that the defense ministry would "take all aspects into consideration and make preparations for all scenarios." Zhou's crossing "shows that even with the aid of radars, our coastguard or navy is not able to track the movements of small floating craft like rubber dinghies and bamboo rafts," Taiwanese lawmaker Tsai Shih-ying told the SCMP. The <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56971823">BBC</a> wrote that Zhou has been taken into police custody and is serving a 14-day quarantine at a Taiwanese detention center.Crossings from China to Taiwan are few and far between, with the last known attempt to do so <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/28/world/asia/hong-kong-activists-arrested.html">involving a group of ten Hong Kong protesters who tried to escape from the island and flee to Taiwan on a speedboat in August of last year</a>. They were <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/17/asia/hong-kong-twelve-indicted-intl-hnk/index.html">picked up by a Chinese coast guard vessel</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/30/hong-kong-china-jails-1o-who-fled-by-boat-to-taiwan-for-up-to-three-years">jailed after being tried in Shenzhen, in mainland China</a>. <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/05/02/asia/china-taiwan-strait-defector-intl-hnk/index.html">CNN</a> wrote that Taiwan does not officially allow asylum seekers to cross its borders. As such, Zhou may be jailed for three years or fined up to 90,000 New Taiwan dollars ($3,220) for the illegal crossing.

A Chinese man rowed 112 miles across the Taiwan strait in a rubber raft, seeking 'freedom and equality'

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11892748" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="china" source="Orion">China</keyword>'s rapid military modernization has stoked concerns that Beijing could soon try to seize Taiwan.</li><li>China's new high-end weaponry would be central to that effort, especially its growing helicopter fleet.</li></ul>China's rapid military modernization and rising tensions across the Taiwan Strait have stoked concerns that Beijing could soon try to seize the self-ruled island.The high-end weaponry that China has displayed in recent years, such as long-range missiles and a dizzying array of warships, would be central to such a campaign.But China's military has also added a considerable number of helicopters that would likely play an integral role in an attack on Taiwan.In December, the US Naval War College's China Maritime Studies Institute <a href="https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cmsi-maritime-reports/17/" target="_top">released a report</a> describing the threat China's growing helicopter fleet poses to Taiwan and how Taiwan can defend against it.<h2>Attack helicopters</h2><div type="image" title="China navy frigate Z-9 helicopter sailors" height="1166" width="1554" msid="90224272" hostid="261"></div>The attack helicopter force of the People's Liberation Army's ground force — the PLA Army, or PLAA — has grown dramatically over the past decade.In 2011, the PLAA fielded some 136 attack and reconnaissance helicopters in two variants. It now has three variants and a force totaling about 504 helicopters.The first and oldest of these are the roughly 234 <a href="https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.php?aircraft_id=991" target="_top">Z-9s</a>. Adopted in 1994, the Z-9 is a licensed-built military variant of the French Eurocopter AS365.The Z-9 has two small pylons able to carry up to eight anti-tank or air-to-air missiles, or two pods with rockets or machine guns. A naval variant can also carry a torpedo. Some variants feature a nose-mounted camera.China's first domestically developed attack helicopter, the <a href="https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.php?aircraft_id=600" target="_top">Z-10</a>, is a considerable upgrade. Adopted officially around 2012, it has two small wings with two hardpoints each, allowing it to carry 16 anti-tank or air-to-air missiles or four rocket pods.<div type="image" title="China army Z-10 Z-19 helicopter" height="872" width="1400" msid="90224273" hostid="261"></div>The <keyword id="13389550" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="z-10" source="Orion">Z-10</keyword> also has a 23 mm nose gun with a camera synced to the gunner's helmet, allowing the gunner to aim just by looking at targets. <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2020/02/china-unveils-latest-z-10-attack-helicopter-variant/" target="_top">Recent Z-10 variants</a> have an upward exhaust, reportedly reducing its frontal infrared signature.Chinese state media <a href="https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202112/1243058.shtml" target="_top">says</a> a typical Z-10 loadout is eight air-to-ground missiles and two rocket pods. State media claims that a Z-10 can, in a single sortie, destroy at least six enemy tanks and that a standard group of four Z-10s is able to "wipe out" three tank companies.About 150 Z-10s are believed to be in service, and some have already been <a href="https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202110/1237475.shtml" target="_top">seen</a> in Taiwan's air defense identification zone.The newest model, the <a href="https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/china%E2%80%99s-comanche-z-19-%E2%80%98black-whirlwind%E2%80%99-helicopter-has-problem-187505" target="_top">Z-19</a>, is a reconnaissance and light attack helicopter. It has a tandem-seat setup like the Z-10 but is actually more like the Z-9, as demonstrated by its enclosed helicopter tail rotor design, which reduces noise and vibrations.The <keyword id="13389551" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="z-19" source="Orion">Z-19</keyword> has two hardpoints on two small wings that can carry 16 anti-tank or air-to-air missiles or four rocket or gun pods. It has a camera but no nose-mounted cannon.Some recent Z-19 models have millimeter-wave fire-control radars mounted in domes above their rotors, similar to American AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopters. About 120 Z-19s are believed to be in the PLAA's inventory.<h2>Transportation and lift</h2><div type="image" title="Chinese PLA military Z-8 helicopter" height="1340" width="2000" msid="90224275" hostid="261"></div>Two models make up the bulk of the PLAA's transportation and lift helicopter force: the <a href="https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/changhez8transport/" target="_top">Z-8</a> and the <a href="https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.php?aircraft_id=1335" target="_top">Mi-17</a>. A third model, the <a href="https://jalopnik.com/china-s-z-20-helicopter-looks-awfully-familiar-1839076626" target="_top">Z-20</a>, entered service only recently.First adopted for the Chinese navy in the mid-1970s, the <keyword id="13389553" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="z-8" source="Orion">Z-8</keyword> is a licensed-built variant of the French Aérospatiale SA 321 Super Frelon. Able to carry 27 fully armed troops, it has two side doors and a rear ramp that allows soldiers to be deployed quickly.The Z-8 can also carry loads of more than 3 tons, such as small vehicles or artillery pieces. More recent variants, like the <a href="https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202111/1239621.shtml" target="_top">Z-8L</a>, are slightly larger and can carry even more weight. Some 111 Z-8s are in service with the PLAA today.The workhorse of PLAA's transport and lift fleet is the Russian-designed <keyword id="13389554" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mi-17" source="Orion">Mi-17</keyword>, which China adopted in the 1990s because the US refused to sell it more Sikorsky S-70C-2s, the civilian variant of the UH-60 Blackhawk, following China's deadly crackdown on protests in Tianamen Square. The PLAA now has about 278 Mi-17s in service.<div type="image" title="Harbin Z-20/UH-60 Black Hawk" height="2739" width="8410" msid="90224276" hostid="261"></div>The Mi-17 also has two side doors and a rear loading ramp, can carry more than 30 troops, and can lift about 3 tons. It can also be fitted with wings that have three hardpoints for missiles and rocket pods.The newest transport model, the <keyword id="13389552" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="z-20" source="Orion">Z-20</keyword>, appears largely based on the UH-60 Blackhawk but with one less helicopter blade. Adopted in 2019, it is a more modern design featuring <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/columnist/cox/2014/03/30/fly-by-wire-cockpit-controls/7026935/" target="_top">fly-by-wire</a> technology. It can carry 12 to 15 troops.Adopted in 2019, only around 24 Z-20s are believed to be in service, though more are undoubtedly on the way.A number of Z-20 variants are in development, including a <a href="https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38509/chinas-z-20-black-hawk-clone-is-now-packing-air-to-ground-missiles" target="_top">missile-carrying model</a>, one capable of <a href="https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202202/1251518.shtml" target="_top">aerial-refueling</a>, and even a <a href="https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/40853/stealthy-variant-of-chinas-z-20-black-hawk-clone-emerges-in-concept-model-form" target="_top">stealth version</a> that may draw on China's study of the US helicopter that crashed during the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound.<h2>How China would use them</h2><div type="image" title="Chinese air force special operations troops" height="1333" width="2000" msid="90224282" hostid="261"></div>According to the report, the Chinese could use their helicopters two ways: in a conventional full-scale air assault or in an unconventional and limited air assault tailored for a long-term fight.In both cases, the helicopter assaults would happen in conjunction with amphibious landings, though those operations would mostly be meant to pull Taiwan's troops toward its coasts and away from the island's interior.The first scenario would involve using all or most of the PLAA's helicopters at the same time to seize key targets deep inside Taiwan as quickly as possible.The helos would cross the Taiwan Strait following a massive bombardment meant to level as much of the island's defenses as possible. Key targets for assault groups could include the <a href="https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/33591/chinas-biggest-base-has-huge-replicas-of-taiwans-presidential-building-and-the-eiffel-tower" target="_top">Presidential Office Building</a>, Taipei Songshan and Kaohsiung airports (identified as "crown jewels" in the report), Taoyuan Airport and Taichung Airport, and military bases and harbors. Chinese paratroopers would also likely be involved to fill in any gaps.The report estimates that despite losses to combat and attrition, the PLAA could "optimistically ... plan for four total cross-strait insertions in the first 24 hours," and, assuming proper maintenance and crew swaps, "keep the helicopters flying all day."The second scenario would be on a considerably smaller scale, with multiple waves of helicopters assaulting Taiwan over a longer period.<div type="image" title="China Mi-17 military helicopter soldiers" height="1333" width="2000" msid="90224284" hostid="261"></div>The first wave, made up of older Mi-17s, would likely be a one-way trip. By attacking similar targets, they could force the Taiwanese to expend most of their anti-air capabilities and effectively reveal their defenses. Later waves of more modern Chinese helos would then attempt to take out those defenses.Though the helicopters in the latter scenario would face much higher attrition, not needing to make a return flight would allow the PLAA to stage those helicopters farther from China's coast. That would help conceal the buildup from satellites, which may have greater appeal for Beijing after the weeks of coverage documenting Russia's military <a href="https://www.space.com/ukraine-russia-military-activity-satellite-photos-maxar" target="_top">buildup around Ukraine</a>.The report says the PLAA is "at best a decade away" from being able to carry out either scenario, noting that its overall number of helicopters is much lower than what would be needed for such operations and that it has a lack of experience with helicopters and a low level of interoperability among its forces.The report also notes that Taiwan has some advantages as the defender. Its terrain limits where attacking helicopters could land and the routes they could take, which means Taiwan could tailor the location and <a href="https://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/the-us-army-fears-russias-others-helicopter-killer-mines-18925" target="_top">capabilities</a> of its defenses.Taiwan could also practice defending against these specific scenarios, which the authors say would send "clear signals" that Taipei is thinking about what Beijing could throw at it.

China's military is bulking up its helicopter fleet. Here's how it could use its new helos against Taiwan.

<ul><li>The US Secretary of State <keyword id="3109665" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mike-Pompeo">Mike Pompeo</keyword> has called China’s claims in the <keyword id="430735" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="South-China-Sea">South China Sea</keyword> ‘unlawful’. </li><li>Vietnam is mulling legal action to assert its maritime claim in the oceanic region. </li><li>The International Tribunal at The Hague already ruled China’s historic claims to the South China Sea don’t have any legal basis — a ruling that China rejects. </li></ul>The South China Sea is one of the biggest flashpoints in Asia. Since last week, animosity between the US and China has hit a new high since US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called China’s claims ‘<a href="https://www.state.gov/u-s-position-on-maritime-claims-in-the-south-china-sea/">unlawful</a>’ and accused Beijing of conducting a ‘campaign of bullying’. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="76948715" title="The US is officially rejecting Beijing's disputed claims to most of the South China Sea and its 'predatory' moves to impose them" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Closer to home, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam are on the offensive against China’s claims over the 3.5 million square kilometres of the oceanic region. However, to avoid taking sides, most of them have issued statements saying that Beijing should follow international law in relation to the South China Sea to back up the US’ remarks. The dispute dates back to December 1947 when then-Republic of China issued a u-shaped line demarcating their territory in the South China Sea — now, known as the nine-dash line. <div type="image" title="south china sea map" msid="77060649" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;China&amp;#39;s nine-dash line in the South China Sea&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> China’s accuses the US of escalating tensions in the region “The United States champions a free and open Indo-Pacific,” said <a href="https://www.state.gov/u-s-position-on-maritime-claims-in-the-south-china-sea/">Pompeo</a> just days after the US Navy had sent two aircraft carriers to conduct operations and exercises in the region on July 4, America’s Independence Day. Meanwhile, Beijing was already carrying out military exercises in the South China Sea from July 1 to July 5. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="77027256" title="The US Navy again has 2 carrier strike groups in the South China Sea as the US and China trade jabs" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> After Pompeo’s remarks, the <a href="http://www.china-embassy.org/chn/zmgx/t1797516.htm">Chinese foreign ministry</a> stated that the US’ remarks, “turns the South China Sea into a tense situation, provokes China’s relationship with regional countries, and unreasonably accuses China. China is firmly opposed to this.” US assistant secretary of state for East Asia said that the US was within in its rights to sanction Chinese officials and companies that pursued China’s illegal claims in the South China Sea. Neighbours point the finger at China Taiwan has been increasing the frequency of its military drills after accusing Chinese military aircraft of ‘frequent incursions’ into the island’s air defence. Taiwan’s army is carrying out a live-fire drill in the city of Taichung amid rising tensions. According to President Tsai Ing-wen, the military exercise is based on the scenario of an invasion by the Chinese military. During its annual Han Kuang military exercise, Taiwan also fired a live torpedo from one its submarines — the first time it has deployed such a weapon in 13 years. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="76723441" title="China may keep pushing into neighbouring territories for the next ten years, experts say based on Beijing's timelines" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> In its annual defence review, Japan called out China and its naval activities as a matter of grave concern. It accused Beijing of trying to alter the status quo in the East and South China Seas. China has trespassed into Malaysian waters 89 times between 2016 to 2019, according to the government in Kuala Lumpur. In May, a Chinese research vessel was caught in a one-month-long standoff against Malaysian ships in Malaysia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) — what many believed was suspiciously close to a Malayish drillship was operating The rivals have accused each other of stoking tension in the strategic waterway at a time of strained relations over everything from the new coronavirus to trade to Hong Kong. China is trying to build-up allies Chinese diplomat Luo Zhaohui <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3093724/vietnam-takes-more-assertive-approach-south-china-sea-beijing">met with his Vietnamese counterpart</a> Le Hoai on Thursday, July 16, to discuss the South China Sea. The development comes after the Being-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank announced that it would lend $100 million to the Vietnam Prosperity Joint Stock Commercial Bank. Vietnam is mulling legal action to assert its maritime claim. The country’s deputy foreign minister said that the country would prefer to negotiate but other measures haven’t been ruled out. The history of China’s claims in the South China Sea Until the 1930s there were no claims of sovereignty over the South China Sea. However, since then it has become one of the world’s busiest shipping routes with vast oil and gas reserves beneath the sea bed that everyone wants. The issue of China’s rights in the South China Sea ran back to 2016 when the International Tribunal in The Hague ruled that China had no legal basis to claim historical rights to the South China Sea. China, in return, rejected the ruling. The first claim was filed by the Philippines. The next is currently in Vietnam’s hands. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="52299863" title="China isn't the only one building islands in the South China Sea" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> China, Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia have all claimed islands and built military bases on them to assert their sovereignty. China, on this front, has been the most aggressive. China's claim to the South China Sea is indicated by the nine-dash line — the same claim that the International Tribunal scrapped. Since 2014, the US government claims that China has reclaimed more than 3,000 hectares in the Nansha or Spratly Islands. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/not-only-india-hong-kong-taiwan-vietnam-and-japan-also-facing-chinese-army-aggression-on-border-issue/slidelist/76418800.cms">China’s aggression isn’t only aimed at India — but at least four other countries in the region</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/china-may-keep-pushing-into-neighbouring-territories-for-the-next-ten-years-experts-say-based-on-beijings-timelines/articleshow/76723441.cms">China may keep pushing into neighbouring territories for the next ten years, experts say based on Beijing's timelines</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/world/news/the-gops-china-hardliners-are-too-scared-to-stand-up-too-trump-and-look-more-toothless-by-the-day/articleshow/77051244.cms">The GOP's China hardliners are too scared to stand up too Trump and look more toothless by the day</a>

The rising heat in the South China Sea should be a cause for concern

AP Photo/Wally Santana <keyword id="46274" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Taiwan">Taiwan</keyword> air force stand in attention in front of a battery of the indigenous Tien Chien "Sky Sword" surface to air missiles during an exercise at the air base, Tuesday, Aug. 24, in Chiayi, central Taiwan. <ul class="summary-list"><li>Taiwan is scrambling to hide secret military sites exposed to the general public by new maps from Google, Taiwanese media reported Friday.</li><li>The new 3D renderings revealed the National Security Bureau, the Military Intelligence Bureau, and a previously secret Patriot <keyword id="43035" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Missile">missile</keyword> base, among other <keyword id="6354810" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="defense">defense</keyword> infrastructure.</li><li>The defense ministry has reportedly called for calm and is currently discussing the matter with Google.</li></ul>Google released new maps of Taiwan Wednesday, and in the process, exposed some of the island's hidden missile sites, Taiwanese media <a href="https://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/201902155002.aspx">reported</a> Friday. Taiwan, a self-ruled democratic territory perceived in Beijing as a renegade province, faces an ever-present threat from the massive Chinese military force situated just across the strait. China maintains that it will use force to achieve reunification if necessary. Therefore, Taiwan must be strategic and cautious in its handling of its limited yet advanced armed forces. Google Maps, as part of an effort to produce 3D maps of the world that began in 2012, released impressive three-dimensional renderings of Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan and Taichung Wednesday. And, that's when the general public began finding things that were supposed to secret. New city maps from Google offered a clear look at some of the island's defense infrastructure, Taiwan News <a href="https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3638800">reported</a> Friday. Visible in the new maps are the National Security Bureau, the Military Intelligence Bureau, and a previously secret Patriot missile base, Taiwan's Central News Agency <a href="http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201902150022.aspx">reported</a>. The missiles and the launchers are easily observable in the maps. The Ministry of National Defense is currently in talks with Google over the issue. Minister of National Defense Yen De-fa has urged the public to remain calm, insisting that the "location of defense infrastructure in times of peace does not indicate its location during times of war." While concerning, the exposure may not be a severe problem for the island. "Actually, the confidential parts are all inside the structures which would be highly difficult to expose through the 3D maps," a defense official <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/2186351/taiwans-darkest-military-secrets-revealed-google-maps">told</a> the South China Morning Post. Taiwan's military is taking steps to combat observation by commercial satellite technology, a problem for militaries around the world. Taiwan, in particular, has dealt with issues like this before. The Taiwanese defense ministry had to ask Google in 2016 to blur out a military installation on an island in the South China Sea known as Itu Aba, Reuters <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-21/taiwan-asks-google-to-blur-south-china-sea-facility-images/7866578">reported</a> at the time. <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/twin-brothers-chicago-helped-take-down-el-chapo-margarito-pedro-flores-wives-cocaine-traffickers2017-6">The wives of high-level cocaine traffickers reveal how their husbands took down 'El Chapo'</a></h3> <pre style="display: none;">function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</pre>

Google Maps just accidentally exposed Taiwan's secret missile sites

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Cousins Maine LobsterLooking back, they can see going on the show was one of their best decisions. Barbara Corcoran and the cofounders of Cousins Maine Lobster, Jim Tselikis and Sabin Lomac, pictured.</div></div></div><ul><li>The founders of Cousins Maine Lobster appeared on "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/shark-tank">Shark Tank</a>" in 2012. They landed a $55,000 deal with Barbara Corcoran.</li><li>When the "Shark Tank" producers initially reached out to them, the founders declined - twice - because their business was only two months old.</li><li>Looking back, they say going on the show was one of the best decisions they've ever made.</li></ul> Cousins Maine Lobster opened for business in April 2012. In July, they landed a $55,000 deal with Barbara Corcoran on "Shark Tank."But the <a href="https://www.cousinsmainelobster.com/">Cousins Maine Lobster</a> founders - Jim Tselikis and Sabin Lomac - very nearly missed out on this opportunity.Tselikis told Business Insider that the "Shark Tank" producers reached out to them and invited them to try out for the show shortly after Cousins Maine Lobster launched. The founders declined - twice."Looking back," Tselikis said, "it's one of those things where you think, 'What the hell were we thinking?' But what we were thinking was: We have two months of business, we don't know where we're headed, we don't have a lot of history to justify certain valuations."What's more, Tselikis said, they didn't know how or whether they wanted to scale their company. At the time, Cousins Maine Lobster was a lone food truck in southern California.Finally, the founders relented and agreed to try out for "Shark Tank."Initially, they were asking for $55,000 in exchange for 5% of their company, noting that they couldn't keep up with customer demand and needed the Sharks' help.Unsurprisingly, some of the Sharks were skeptical. Kevin O'Leary (a.k.a. "Mr. Wonderful") couldn't fathom why the founders were valuing the business at over $1 million, given that they had just $150,000 in sales so far.Daymond John said the founders' valuation was "crazy" and asked them to give him their best offer. Tselikis and Lomac came back with 7% to 8%. John declined and went out.Robert Herjavec then offered the founders $55,000 for 25%. The founders turned him down, so he offered them $100,000 instead."You don't need that much money," said Barbara Corcoran, adding that she was a "genius marketer" and sharing all the ways she'd change the company's branding.After a quick round of negotiations, Corcoran and the founders agreed on a deal: $55,000 in exchange for 15% of the company.Today, according to the company's website, they have 20 <a href="https://www.cousinsmainelobster.com/locations/#trucks">trucks</a> in 13 cities throughout the US and <a href="https://www.cousinsmainelobster.com/locations/#restaurants">restaurants</a> in cities including Taichung, Taiwan. <a href="http://time.com/money/5259196/cousins-maine-lobster-worth-interview/">According to Money</a>, the company brought in more than $20 million in 2017.Tselikis said of the company's appearance on "Shark Tank," "Looking back, it's probably one of the best decisions we ever made." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shark-tank-star-barbara-corcoran-real-estate-mogul-success-video-2017-11">'Shark Tank' star Barbara Corcoran: How I went from a 10-kid household and more than 20 jobs to become a real estate mogul</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

'What the hell were we thinking?' Startup founders who landed a $55,000 deal on 'Shark Tank' nearly missed their big break

IBM will now help <keyword id="6359081" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Surat">Surat</keyword>, Allahabad and <keyword id="6368842" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Vizag">Vizag</keyword> with waste management, disaster management and citizen services and will transform them into ‘<keyword id="6377036" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="smart-cities">smart cities</keyword>’. 
 
The tech giant has selected these Indian cities among 16 global locations for its smart cities programme, under which IBM will send a team of experts to each of the chosen cities to analyse data about critical issues faced by local bodies. 
 
Each consulting engagement under the 'Smarter Cities Challenge' has a commercial value of $500,000. Delhi, Ahmedabad, Pune and Chennai have already received the grant in the past. 
 "The initiative gives us the opportunity to work with city municipal corporations on diverse societal issues from transportation to disaster management, healthcare to waste management and share recommendations to become more effective in transforming citizen services," <keyword id="123121" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="IBM-India">IBM India</keyword> Head Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs Mamtha Sharma told PTI. 
 
Other chosen cities include Amsterdam (Netherlands), Athens (Greece), Denver, Detroit, Memphis, Rochester (New York) in the US, Melbourne (Australia), San Isidro (Peru), Santiago (Chile), Sekondi (Ghana), Taichung (Taiwan), Xuzhou and Huizhou (China). 
 Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> had vowed 100 smart cities by 2022 to meet the increasing urban population, which is expected to rise by more than 400 million people to 814 million by 2050. 
 
The Finance Ministry had allocated Rs 7,060 crore for developing these smart cities. 
 
The world is keen on setting up smart cities, where technology can help citizens access, in real time, infrastructure services like traffic, parking, lighting, and water. 
As per the news agency, by the end of 2016, IBM estimates to make such grants to more than 130 cities, with nearly 800 of IBM top experts delivering pro bono services valued at more than USD 66 million. 
 
"For the first time, in addition to providing pro bono consulting services, IBM will use IBM Watson Analytics Professional Edition to help take the city's pulse, as expressed on social media. 
 
"This might include studying travel patterns, public health, or the effects of man-made and weather events," Sharma told PTI. 
 
(Image:Reuters)

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