A Beijing court on Monday (February 5) handed Australian writer Yang Hengjun a suspended death sentence on espionage charges, threatening a recent rebound in bilateral ties that followed several years of strained relations between Beijing and Canberra.
Londoners on Monday (February 5) evening said they were shocked and saddened to hear about King Charles' cancer diagnosis. "My thoughts are with him, with the family," said Musu Kaikai, a political officer with the Commonwealth Secretariat.
Cambodian PM to visit, disputed border oil reserves on agendaCambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, front right, accompanies Srettha Thavisin from Phnom Penh International Airport after the Thai prime minister arrived there on Sept 28 last year. He will meet with Prime MInister Srettha Thavisin at Government House. The Foreign Ministry and Government House on Monday announced the one-day visit by the Cambodian prime minister, with expansion of a wide range of cooperation on the agenda - from border issues to transport, trade and investment. The previous government of prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha also tried to end the impasse on the issue, but there was no progress. One official believed joint development would be impossible as long as the two countries were adamant the marine border must be settled first.
Brit charged over sex with underage girlsOfficers question James Alexander Oldfield, 35, a British national, who was arrested in Sathon district of Bangkok on Saturday on charges of buying sex from underage girls in Hua Hin. (Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham)A British man has been arrested in Bangkok on charges of buying sex from underage girls following the arrest of two women acting as procurers in Hua Hin last August. Police arrested James Alexander Oldfield, 35, on Yen Akat Road in Sathon district on Saturday. The arrest was part of an investigation into the customers of two women who had taken girls aged under 18 to sell sex to tourists in Hua Hin. Investigators learned that he had fled to Bangkok, where they tracked him to a residence in Sathon district.
Still, the good repute of the nation's Royal Thai Police has yet again been damaged. The Royal Thai Police will then be known as perfect, and praise alone will be forthcoming. In this context, extensive climate change awareness is the need of the hour. First up, the younger generation including students must be made aware of climate change crises and its ramifications. On the whole, it is all about more climate actions on the ground through rigorous green activities globally.
Fisheries chiefs spell out the end for 'foreign' tilapiaRight The Fisheries Department launches fishing boats with certified fishing nets used for catching Blackchin tilapia in Samut Sakhon on Friday. The Department of Fisheries has launched a campaign to eradicate Blackchin tilapia from Thai waterways and fishing spots. Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Captain Thamanat Prompow revealed on Friday that growing numbers of Blackchin tilapia are threatening local marine life and fish farms in several provinces. Blackchin tilapia are an alien species that threaten local marine life. (Photos: Nutthawat Wichieanbut)According to Mr Bancha, the fish breed in Samut Songkhram, Samut Prakan, Phetchaburi, Bangkok, Chanthaburi, Rayong, Ratchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla and Samut Sakhon.
The National Vaccine Institute issued this explanation: "Long Covid-19, or Post Covid-19 condition, [is] a condition that can occur after recovering from Covid-19, but it is not linked to Covid-19 vaccination. Meanwhile, according to the World Health Organization, the causes of Long Covid-19 and why individuals are affected differently are still unclear". In summary, this means that the NVI acknowledges they don't know the causes of long Covid, but they know it is not the vaccines. The m-RNA gene modifying vaccines cause the body to manufacture spike protein. We know vaccination causes and exacerbates existing cancer, heart disease, and a host of other problems -- why not simply acknowledge the truth?
Yaowarat Road in Bangkok's Chinatown is lit up with decorative lights in celebration of Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb 10 this year. The light-up ceremony is held to mark the 49th anniversary of cultural cooperation between the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and China.
Tips for the youngRe: "DLA says it's time to listen to youth", (BP, Jan 29). We learn about life from experience. The one thing youth should avoid is political perception. In the interests of democracy, youth should gain experience of life apolitically. They live integrally with the laws of nature: the fundamental facts of life on this planet -- the basis of democratic wisdom.
(Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)The Transport Ministry will adjust new bus route numbers following passenger complaints about the change. Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said on Friday he had ordered the Land Transport Department to modify all new route numbers by removing the dash between the zone and route numbers, aiming to alleviate confusion among travellers. Buses serving Greater Bangkok underwent route number changes last month as part of an effort to reform the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA). It adjustment has stirred confusion among passengers, many have criticised the bus agency, the department and the ministry for altering familiar route numbers. Even the BMTA labour union staunchly opposed the idea and urged the transport minister and related agencies to revert to the old bus numbers.
Re: "Scandal taints Thai rice", (Editorial, Jan 30). Our arch-competitor Vietnam last year alone received 1 billion baht to develop rice seeds. Their strains are so good that Thai farmers reportedly smuggle their seeds in to grow locally. Instead of billions for rice subsidies, we should spend those billions on R&D to develop the strains most wanted by our markets and develop ways to add value to rice -- like domestically. While we await our R&D results, buy improved strains from other countries and sell them at subsidised prices to farmers to grow.
U.S. senators on Wednesday (January 31) grilled leaders of the biggest social media companies and said Congress must quickly pass legislation, as one lawmaker accused the companies of having "blood on their hands" for failing to protect children from escalating threats of sexual predation on their platforms.
Transport Minister Suriya JungrungreangkitThe Transport Ministry has unveiled its plans to invest 652 billion baht in about 150 transport projects this and next year to improve the country's infrastructure. Speaking after a seminar on policy on Wednesday, Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said 64 projects would be launched this year and 31 more are in the pipeline with a total budget of 389 billion baht. Next year, the ministry has 57 new projects in the pipeline worth a total of 263 billion baht, he said. Nine railway projects will be launched this year such as a double-track railway running from Nakhon Pathom to Hua Hin, Hua Hin to Prachuap Khiri Khan and Prachuap Khiri Khan to Chumphon. The ministry has also planned to develop regional ports connecting Krabi, Phangnga and Phuket this year, Mr Suriya said.
Pita: Court backed him over shareholdingAttention will once again be on a Constitutional Court ruling on Move Forward Party (MFP) affairs when on Wednesday the court passes judgement on whether the party's efforts to amend the lese majeste law are constitutional. He said the petitioner only asked the court to stop any action deemed as an attempt to overthrow the constitutional monarchy, not dissolve the party. Mr Parit also said that if the court rules against the MFP, the party already has a contingency plan in place to deal with any unfavourable ruling. According to observers, Mr Theerayut's petition was based on a Constitutional Court ruling delivered on Nov 10, 2021. The court ruled that the actions of three protest leaders at a rally at Thammasat University in August 2020 were an attempt to overthrow the constitutional monarchy.
Paetongtarn: Films 'good ads' for govtThe government will promote a slew of Thai movies at international film festivals starting with six movies at the Osaka Asian Film Festival in March, according to Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Pheu Thai Party leader and chairwoman of the National Committee on Soft Power Development. "We hope to have good news," she said, of the Thai entrants' chances of scooping an award at the festival. "They will represent the policy to support Thai movies in international film festivals, which is the result of brainstorming between movie directors and the National Committee on Soft Power Development. It is a big step to show the government is serious about supporting the movie industry and promoting Thai culture," she said. "The government is now looking forward to supporting more movie screenings at other international film festivals, such as the International Film Festival Rotterdam and the Berlin International Film Festival," said Ms Paetongtarn.
