Author: Desk Team

BANGKOK (AP) — The American diplomatic push aimed at countering China’s increasing influence in the Asia-Pacific region appears to be paying dividends, with many nations showing a willingness to partner with the United States, a top State Department official said Friday. U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet told The Associated Press it was noteworthy that 13 nations representing 40% of the world’s economy had signed on to the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework that President Joe Biden launched in Japan at the end of May. He said that China at around the same time failed in its attempt to get a group of Pacific islands to endorse a sweeping agreement with Beijing. China had broken from its traditional approach of negotiating one-on-one with countries behind the scenes to send Foreig

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former U.S. Army reservist described by prosecutors as a Nazi sympathizer was convicted Friday of storming the U.S. Capitol to obstruct Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory. Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, who worked a security contractor at a Navy base when he joined the pro-Trump mob on Jan. 6, was also convicted of disorderly conduct and other misdemeanors. Hale-Cussanelli took the stand in his defense and claimed he didn’t know that Congress met at the Capitol building. “I know this sounds idiotic, but I’m from New Jersey,” Hale-Cusanelli said, according to WUSA-TV. “In all my studies, I didn’t know there was an actual building that was called the ‘Capitol.’ It’s embarrassing and idiotic.” Hale-Cusanelli’s trial was the fifth before a ju

Saha lobbies ministry in bid to raise noodle prices Mr Boonsithi, right, and Mr Thamarat promote the 26th Saha Group Fair. Saha Group, the country's biggest consumer goods conglomerate, is calling on the government to allow it to raise product prices, especially Mama instant noodles, as raw material costs continue to rise. Boonsithi Chokwatana, the group's chairman, said yesterday Saha would like the Commerce Ministry, which supervises goods on the price control list, to allow it to hike on a gradual basis the prices of goods such as instant noodles and detergents because raw materials have significantly surged and keep rising because of the Russia-Ukraine war. "The prices of instant noodles are allowed to increase around the world, whether it is in Japan, China or Taiwan. If we aren't...

Police are on alert after the Royal Thai Police Office has issued a secret order to keep an eye out for spies from Iran believed to be in the region. (Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul) The Royal Thai Police (RTP) has issued a secret order to police nationwide to keep an eye out for spies from Iran believed to be in the region after one was arrested in Indonesia, prompting security fears, a police source said. The source told the Bangkok Post that security agencies are closely monitoring the movement of Iranian nationals and some Thai Muslims who are suspected to be working as spies in Thailand. National police chief Pol Gen Suwat Jangyodsuk is said to have issued an order to the RTP's Special Branch, the Central Investigation Bureau, the Metropolitan Police Bureau and all nine Provincial ...

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday that talks with China’s leader are key to regional and international peace and stability amid growing tensions over territorial disputes and Beijing’s increased military activity around Japan. “It is important to maintain stable and constructive relations” between Japan and China, Kishida said at a party leaders’ debate in Tokyo ahead of July 10 parliamentary elections. Asked about a possible summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping when the two countries mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in September, Kishida said nothing has been decided, but “Dialogue is important. I hope to think in concrete terms.” Japan sees China’s increasingly assertive military activity in the East and South China Seas as a threat t

Mapping the global economy in the second half Entering the second half of the year, financial market risks are becoming more apparent. Investors believe the risk of recession is increasing, resulting in volatile financial markets. We believe there are five major risks associated with five economic areas, as follows: First, the US economy has started to suffer from rising costs. GDP in the first quarter contracted by 1.5% from the fourth quarter of last year, due mainly to increased prices of imported goods, while exports slowed in line with the global economy. Leading economic indicators, such as the Institute of Supply Research Purchasing Managers' Index (ISM PMI), have begun to slow down sharply, reflecting the rising cost of production and rising wages. The University of Michigan con...

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Police in disputed Kashmir arrested at least 10 people during overnight raids following an anti-India protest that erupted as an Indian court sentenced a prominent Kashmiri pro-independence leader to life in prison, officials said Thursday. The protest was followed by a clash between dozens of youths and government forces that broke out after the sentencing on Wednesday of Mohammed Yasin Malik. Malik, 56, led the banned Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, one of the first armed rebel groups in the Indian-held area, but later shifted to peaceful means in seeking the end of Indian rule. Malik was arrested in 2019 and was convicted last week on charges of committing terrorist acts, illegally raising funds, belonging to a terrorist organization, and criminal conspiracy

Philippines protests China 'swarming' around disputed reef A Philippine fisherman watches a China Coast Guard vessel patrolling the disputed Scarborough Shoal, on April 5, 2017. (Photo: AFP) The Philippines has protested the "illegal" presence of over a hundred Chinese boats around a disputed reef in the flashpoint South China Sea, describing it as a source of regional instability, the government said. Authorities spotted the boats around the boomerang-shaped Whitsun Reef in April -- a year after a similar "swarming" incident caused a diplomatic row -- but the foreign office waited till Thursday to disclose it had launched a formal complaint with the Chinese embassy in Manila. Manila and Beijing have long been locked in a dispute over parts of the South China Sea, almost all of which C...

Shares rise on relief over Fed stance Recap: Global shares rose yesterday, heading for a gain on the week, after minutes from the last Fed meeting suggested the US central bank may get less aggressive on monetary policy tightening. The SET index moved in a range of 1,623.6 and 1,646.37 points this week before closing yesterday at 1,638.75, up 0.97% from the previous week, in daily turnover averaging 63.54 billion baht. Foreign investors were net buyers of 6.87 billion baht. Retail investors were net sellers of 5.07 billion, institutional investors sold 1.57 billion and brokerage firms offloaded 235.97 million baht worth of shares. Newsmakers: US President Joe Biden launched a new Asia-Pacific economic initiative on Monday in Tokyo, with 13 countries including Thailand, India and Japan ...

The Hong Kong-style diner, or cha chaan teng, has existed for decades throughout the Greater Toronto Area, spurred by the influx of immigrants in the ’80s and ’90s, but in recent years I’ve noticed another wave of new spots, this time leaning harder into the retro atmosphere of that era. Think less of the red lanterns and ornate gates of Chinatowns, and more of the mah-jong parlours, the neon signs that illuminated the busy streets, and posters for movies and television shows kids who grew up in Hong Kong watched. To find out more I reached out to Alan Wu, a Stouffville resident who’s gone viral among Chinese netizens across North America since his car hit the road in April. It’s not a flashy sports car or a classic car, but rather a Hong Kong taxi. “The taxi is the icon of Hong Kong. I