Author: Desk Team

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine's president praised the United States for including tank-killing armoured vehicles in its latest multibillion-dollar package of military aid, saying they are “exactly what is needed” for Ukrainian troops locked in combat against Russian forces, even as both sides celebrated Orthodox Christmas on Saturday. The White House announcement Friday of $3.75 billion in weapons and other aid for Ukraine and its European backers came as Moscow said its troops are observing a short Orthodox Christmas ceasefire. Ukrainian officials denounced the unilateral 36-hour pause as a ploy and said it appeared to have been ignored by some of Moscow's forces pressing ahead with the nearly 11-month invasion. Ukrainian officials reported Russian shelling attacks in the Dnipropetrovsk and Z

Flowers and face masks as Chinese tourists return to Thailand ravellers from a Xiamen Airlines flight are greeted by Thai health and government officials as they arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok on Monday. (AFP photo) Chinese tourists bounded back into Thailand on Monday after Beijing eased travel rules, welcomed at Bangkok's main airport by officials with flowers and gift bags. The kingdom was heavily reliant on visitors from China pre-pandemic, with Chinese travellers accounting for roughly 30% of foreign tourists. The economy has been battered by Covid-19 and the current global downturn, with officials now hopeful Beijing's decision to reopen could help its recovery. The 269 arrivals on a flight from the southeastern Chinese city of Xiamen on Monday were greeted with flowe...

Myanmar shadow government raises $100m to oppose junta In this file photo taken on May 02, 2021 protesters hold posters in support of the National Unity Government (NUG) during a demonstration against the military coup on "Global Myanmar Spring Revolution Day" in Taunggyi, Shan state. (AFP) Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government said it has raised more than $100 million to fund its democracy effort and topple the junta. About 45% of the funds are from the sales of so-called Spring Revolution Special Treasury Bonds, according to Tin Tun Naing, shadow minister for planning, finance and investment. The debt doesn’t pay interest and the capital will be repaid only when the democracy effort is successful. Funds were also raised through the auction of military-linked properties. While bu

Chinese tourists visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok before the Covid-19 pandemic. (File photo) The government is gearing up to welcome Chinese tourists back after Beijing decided to lift travel curbs earlier than expected. Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob said on Wednesday he and Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn were invited to attend a Jan 5 meeting with the Public Health Ministry at Government House to prepare for the return of Chinese tourists. Mr Saksayam said the Ministry of Public Health is also coordinating with the Chinese embassy for details about China's reopening to help prepare travel measures. He expressed confidence that the Ministry of Public Health will be able to manage the Covid-19 situation. Moreover, the return of Chinese trav...

China sends 57 planes near Taiwan in high-intensity combat exercise FILE PHOTO: Aircraft carriers and aeroplanes are seen in front of Chinese and Taiwanese flags in this illustration, August 6, 2022. (Reuters) China sent 57 planes and four warships close to Taiwan in the 24 hours before 6am on Monday, in what appeared to be a part of joint navy and air force combat drills announced by the People's Liberation Army’s Eastern Theatre Command late on Sunday. In a chart of the PLA aircraft flight paths released by the Taiwanese defence ministry on Monday, 28 of the planes appeared to be blocking off three sides of the self-ruled island. In a statement accompanying the chart, the ministry said 23 of the planes had crossed the median line between the island and mainland China. These included

WASHINGTON – The United States and Japan on Friday launched a task force to promote human rights and international labour standards in supply chains, amid shared concerns about China’s treatment of Uighur Muslims, and said they would invite other governments to join the initiative. The two sides also signed an updated memorandum of cooperation on cyber security to strengthen operational collaboration and hosted a roundtable with Japanese business representatives on upholding human rights and preventing use of forced labour in supply chains, a US statement said. The signings came ahead of a visit to Washington next week by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for talks expected to focus on shared concerns about China’s growing might and other pressing international issues. US Trade Repr

NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecutors are dropping charges against a New York City police officer and military veteran who was accused of helping the Chinese government keep tabs on Tibetans in the United States, a case that U.S. authorities once publicized as an “insider threat.” A court date is scheduled Thursday in Brooklyn after federal prosecutors told a judge they want to dismiss their case against Baimadajie Angwang. “As a result of our continued investigation, the government obtained additional information bearing on the charges,” prosecutors from the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney’s office and the Department of Justice headquarters said in a court filing Friday. The prosecutors said they “assessed the evidence as a whole in light of that information” and concluded they wanted to drop the case “in

CP Foton Sales to spend B1bn on factory Mr Kritsana sees bright business prospects for the sale of both ICE-powered vehicles and EVs in the domestic commercial vehicle market this year. CP Foton Sales Co, a Thai-Chinese automaker in the commercial vehicle segment, plans to spend 1 billion baht building a factory to assemble electric vehicles (EVs) and oil-powered vehicles in Thailand by 2026. "The plant would be the company's second car assembly facility in Asean after Malaysia," said Kritsana Settharangkul, managing director of CP Foton Sales. The company wants to team up with a business partner to push ahead with this project, he said. CP Foton Sales, a joint venture between China's Foton Motor Group and CP Group, was established in 2019. "We want to sell cars in the domestic marke...

Philippine Nobel laureate acquitted of tax evasion but still faces more legal challenges Rappler CEO and Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa celebrates her acquittal on charges of tax evasion, outside the Court of Tax Appeals in Quezon City, Philippines on Wednesday. (Photo: Reuters) MANILA: Philippine Nobel Prize winner Maria Ressa has been acquitted of tax evasion, among several charges the crusading journalist has long maintained are politically motivated, calling the ruling a victory for “truth”. Ressa, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov in 2021, still faces three other cases, including a cyber libel conviction now under appeal that could mean nearly seven years in prison. “Today, facts win. Truth wins,” a teary-eyed and defiant Ressa told reporters on W

Change tack on Myanmar 2023 will be a year of reckoning for Myanmar. In August next year, the country will hold an election, which many believe will be a one-horse race. Such a result will certainly be a headache for the international community, especially supranational bodies like the United Nations. If the junta under the State Administration Council (SAC) wins the elections, more countries, especially those in the West, will act more aggressively against the SAC and its allies. As such, 2023 looks set to be a complicated year for Thailand's bilateral relationship with Myanmar. Unlike most critics of Myanmar, many of whom are separated by distance, Thailand has been playing the role of the understanding neighbour for the past two years. Considering both nations share a 2,400-kilomet...