Author: News Desk

Tackle entrenched inequalities to end epidemics An anti-Aids campaigner holds a flag raising awareness about the disease that affects millions around the world. Bangkok Post photo Like the HIV epidemic before it, Covid-19 is exploiting the extreme inequalities between countries and within them among disadvantaged and vulnerable communities. I am proud that decades of experience in responding to HIV are being used in the fight against the coronavirus and that activists all over the world are working hard to make sure that the disruption to HIV services is minimised. But I am also deeply concerned. Even before the onset of Covid-19, the world was failing in its commitment to end the HIV epidemic by 2030. The UNAIDS new "Global Report, Seizing The Moment: tackling entrenched inequalities ...

HONG KONG - Video app company Zoom said Thursday it regretted that some meetings involving U.S.-based Chinese dissidents were disrupted, as meanwhile a prominent Hong Kong activist said his account was blocked despite the city’s guarantees of free speech. Zoom is headquartered in San Jose, California, but conducts much of its research and development in mainland China. Use of the virtual meetings app has skyrocketed during the pandemic. The company confirmed reports that it had reactivated the Zoom accounts of a U.S.-based group of dissidents that were suspended after they held an online event commemorating the June 4, 1989, crackdown on protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. “We regret that a few recent meetings with participants both inside and outside of China were negatively impa

Asean committed to reduce post-pandemic impacts Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc addresses the 36th Asean summit video conference, attended by other leaders in Hanoi, on Friday. (Reuters photo) HANOI: Asean leaders on Friday committed themselves to seek comprehensive ways to ease the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and get the sputtering Southeast Asian economy back on a growth path. The leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations discussed the issues facing the region at a summit held virtually due to the pandemic, with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc serving as a host. The leaders in a joint statement pledged to strengthen mechanisms to create a region "capable of dealing with the current global challenges" and "reduce the impacts of Covid...

SEATTLE - A U.S. judge on Friday ordered Seattle police to temporarily stop using tear gas, pepper spray and flash-bang devices to break up largely peaceful protests, a victory for groups who say authorities have overreacted to recent demonstrations over police brutality and racial injustice. The liberal city with a lengthy history of massive, frequent protests has taken hits from all sides — from demonstrators, some city officials, the president and now a judge — over the way it’s responded to crowds taking to the streets following George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police. Those on the right say the mayor and police chief aren’t being tough enough on protesters who have taken over part of a neighbourhood near downtown Seattle, while those on the left say police tactics hav

PARIS - France announced Wednesday that it is suspending its involvement in a NATO naval operation in the Mediterranean Sea after a standoff with a Turkish warship, amid growing tensions within the military alliance over the conflict in Libya. France’s Defence Ministry said that the government sent a letter Tuesday to NATO saying it is halting its participation in Sea Guardian “temporarily.” It came after NATO investigators submitted their report into the June 10 incident. A ministry official said France wants NATO allies to “solemnly reaffirm their attachment” to the arms embargo on Libya, which is being policed in part by a European Union naval operation. The official was speaking on condition of anonymity under the government’s customary practices. France has accused Turkey of repeat

Spectators gather on “taxi boats” as they prepare to watch local surfers in action at Teahupoo off the coast of Tahiti in French Polynesia on May 11. Teahupoo has been chosen to host the surfing events of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (AFP Photo) Tahiti and other islands will be opened to international travel next month as French Polynesia tries to salvage its vital tourism industry, the government said on Saturday. The French overseas territory in the South Pacific halted all international flights in March in a bid to contain the coronavirus, and it has reported just 60 cases of the disease and no deaths among its population of about 280,000. But with no tourists for three months, the economy has been ravaged, and all of its hotels have been shuttered, triggering calls in the industry

China ambush in Himalayas threatens peace Never bring a knife to a gunfight, the saying goes, but China does it differently. It brings clubs. On Monday, China and India had the nastiest frontier incident since their border war of 1962. In the Galwan Valley of the Aksai Chin, a disputed region the size of Switzerland in the western Himalayas, Chinese and Indian border patrols clashed and twenty Indian soldiers were killed -- yet not a shot was fired. The killing was all done with clubs, stones and bare hands. Killing people without firearms is actually quite hard, but the fact that the fight happened on a steep ridge at night makes it easier to understand how so many died: many apparently fell or were pushed to their deaths. What's not so easy to explain is why most or all of the dead w...

VANCING THAILAND’S MEDICAL DEVICE MANUFACTURING New Opportunities Arising As the pandemic of the COVID-19 virus rapidly increased the global use of medical devices, the Thai government is stepping up its efforts to attract foreign investors looking at expanding their manufacturing base in this promising industry. The continuous growth of Thailand’s healthcare services from the population, medical tourists and expatriates has driven the growth of the medical device supply chain. According to Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration, the country is home to around 500 medical device manufacturers and 2,500 medical device importers operating at present. Ranging from small and medium-sized enterprises to international giants, the companies are catering to the demand for a variety of product

Malaysia resumes travel, haircuts and retail therapy as coronavirus curbs ease Visitors look at a giraffe at National Zoo which re-opened after lockdown, amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Wednesday. (Reuters photo) KUALA LUMPUR: Hair salons and shopping malls reopened, traffic jams returned and interstate travel resumed in Malaysia on Wednesday in a further easing of coronavirus restrictions to revive an economy hard hit by the pandemic. In the capital Kuala Lumpur, customers queued for temperature checks at malls while shop staff added the finishing touches to window displays. Barber shops and beauty salons were reopening to customers after having to remain shut for nearly three months. "Thank God the government decided to ease movement con...