World Archives - Page 325 of 340

Pentagon says Taliban maintains Al Qaeda ties, jeopardizing US-Taliban deal

14Jul

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Pentagon says Taliban maintains Al Qaeda ties, jeopardizing US-Taliban deal

A report released by the US Department of Defense has prompted the Donald Trump administration to reconsider its deal with the Afghan movement.The report, released ahead of the American withdrawal from Afghanistan under the US-Taliban deal, says that the Taliban continues to hold relations with Al Qaeda.The report appears to be a huge embarrassment for the Trump administration, which is keen on pulling American troops out from the war-torn Central Asian country before the US presidential elections in November.For Trump, the exit will be proof to American voters that he has fulfilled one of his campaign promises to end the endless wars.According to the US-Taliban deal, the Afghan group will stop targeting US and Western-led coalition troops, promising to give no support to groups like Al Qa...

US warns companies of potential risks from human rights-related Chinese entities

13Jul

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

US warns companies of potential risks from human rights-related Chinese entities

In an advisory, the US State Department has warned American companies of the potential exposure they could face from maintaining supply chains with entities that engage in human rights abuses including the forced labor of Uighurs, ethnic Kyrgyz, ethnic Kazakhs and other Muslim minority groups, in China’s Xinjiang region and beyond."Today, the U.S. Department of State, along with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is issuing an advisory to caution businesses about the risks of supply chain links to entities that engage in human rights abuses, including forced labor in Xinjiang and elsewhere in China," the State Department said in a statement."Since 2017, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has ramped up its campai

Australia-China spat exposes China’s flawed judiciary

12Jul

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Australia-China spat exposes China’s flawed judiciary

China’s deep-rooted flaws in its judicial systems was exposed to the whole world when a Chinese court ruled an Australian citizen to death for allegedly carrying drugs on June 13.Karm Gilespie, a Sydney-based actor turned investment consultant, in his mid-fifties, was arrested on New Year's Eve in 2013 at Baiyun Airport in Guangzhou, Southern China on charges of trying to board an international flight with more than 7.5 kilograms of methamphetamine (also known as meth or crystal meth), a recreational drug in his checked-in luggage.This was the first time since the world learned of him being secretly held in jail for seven years. The development further damaged the increasingly troubled diplomatic and trade relations between Australia and China.Australia described the death sentence imposed

EU bans entry of Pakistan Airlines for six months over dubious license

12Jul

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

EU bans entry of Pakistan Airlines for six months over dubious license

The European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) has suspended the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to operate in the bloc for six months after the fake license scandal came to light.“EASA has temporarily suspended PIA's authorization to operate to the EU member states for a period of 6 months effective July 1, 2020, with the right to appeal against this decision,” a PIA statement said.The move was taken after Pakistan’s Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan in June grounded 262 pilots whose licenses were found to be “dubious”.The PIA in its statement informed that all passengers booked on its flights to European destinations will have the option to either extend their bookings to a later date or get a full refund.PIA said it would temporarily discontinue all its flights to Europe but later

Vietnam grounds all Pakistani pilots over dubious license scandal

10Jul

By Nectar GanNo Comments

Vietnam grounds all Pakistani pilots over dubious license scandal

Amid global concerns that some Pakistani pilots may have been using “dubious” licenses, the Vietnam’s aviation authority on June 29 decided to ground all Pakistani pilots working for local airlines.The Pakistan government in the same month had said that it would ground 262 airline pilots whose credentials may have been falsified, after global airlines body IATA said that irregularities found in pilot licenses at in Pakistan represent a “serious lapse” in safety controls.“The head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has ordered a suspension for all Pakistani pilots working for Vietnamese airlines,” the CAAV said in a statement.The suspension will be in effect until further notice from CAAV, it said, adding that the authority was coordinating with Pakistani authorities to revie

Coronavirus: Pakistani citizens disallowed to enter EU as the continent gears to open up

10Jul

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Coronavirus: Pakistani citizens disallowed to enter EU as the continent gears to open up

The European Union (EU) has decided that from July, its borders will be reopened to citizens from a draft list of 54 countries barring Pakistan out of it.The countries that made it to the list are -- Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Australia, Bahamas, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Egypt, Ethiopia, Georgia, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Mauritius, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Palau, Paraguay, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Serbia, South Korea, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam and Zambia.China is on the list, but subject to

US agrees to launch dialogues with EU to address threats posed by China

8Jul

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

US agrees to launch dialogues with EU to address threats posed by China

To counter and address the threats of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the “provocative military actions” of its army, the United States and the European Union have agreed to launch a dialogue, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said.Pompeo made the remarks during the Brussels Forum in a discussion with the German Marshal Fund."Enjoyed the discussions today at the German Marshall Fund's #BrusselsForum. I am excited to announce the U.S. and EU are launching a dialogue on China to address the threats the CCP poses to our common values and way of life," Pompeo wrote on Twitter on June 26.The week before, European Union chief diplomat Josep Borrell had called for talks between Europe and the United States aimed at forging a common transatlantic front against China.During talks with 27

UK Minister urges Britain to act against China’s intention to destroy HK autonomy

8Jul

By Grace TsoiNo Comments

UK Minister urges Britain to act against China’s intention to destroy HK autonomy

United Kingdom MP Stewart McDonald has asked the UK government to act against China's intention to impose its draconian national security law which intends to destroy Hong Kong's autonomy and punish people for criticizing Beijing."China has recently decided to impose a national security law on Hong Kong, bypassing its legislature, which will criminalize any act of secession, subversion, terrorism and its broad scope could see people punished for criticizing Beijing - as they are in mainland China", McDonald said in an opinion piece in Hong Kong Free Press."I call on the UK government to match the courage of the protesters and not kowtow to China's bullying," he added.The controversial legislation comprises six chapters and 66 articles. The chapters, inter alia, cover general provisions, du...

8Jul

By Desk TeamNo Comments

Common ticket vows fall flat

Common ticket vows fall flat Earlier this month, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha inaugurated a 4.3-kilometre extension of the BTS Skytrain from Kasetsart University to the Royal Forest Department. The event was marked with official fanfare but city residents had little reason to cheer. Over the past year, various extensions have sprung across the city connecting commuters from all corners to the mass transit system. However, transit operators have not been able to get one crucial thing right -- introducing a robust common ticketing system. Almost five years after it was first promised, an integrated ticketing system for public transport -- which will allow Bangkokians to travel on the BTS Skytrain, MRT, and Airport Link (ARL) using a single card -- remains out of reach. Despite ...

Tackle entrenched inequalities to end epidemics

8Jul

By Desk TeamNo Comments

Tackle entrenched inequalities to end epidemics

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 ...