Unheard Lennon tape goes on sale in DenmarkPlucky Danish students braved a snowstorm in remote Jutland to snare an exclusive with Lennon and Yoko Ono for their school paper. The 33-minute tape was recorded on Jan 5, 1970 when the former Beatle spent winter in a remote corner of Jutland in western Denmark with his wife Yoko Ono. "We went into the living room and saw John and Yoko sitting on the sofa, it was fantastic. "I was sitting next to Yoko Ono and John Lennon was sitting next to Yoko and we talked, we had a good time," said Hojen, who is now 68. "We would be happy if a museum was interested, or why not Yoko Ono herself?"

September 28, 2021 03:45 UTC

No time to wait: world premiere for new Bond movieThe film's release was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic and three previous scheduled premieres were postonedLONDON - Celebrities and royals walk the red carpet in central London on Tuesday for the much-delayed world premiere of the latest James Bond film, "No Time To Die". - Craig bows out -In the latest film, reportedly costing $250 million (pound sterling182 million, 214 million euros), Bond returns to active service after retirement, vowing: "I have to finish this." After "Spectre" in 2015, Craig told Time Out magazine he would rather "slash his wrists" than reprise the role. The Bond films are based on a character created by upper-class British writer Ian Fleming in novels published in the 1950s and 1960s. In the film, Bond spars with a black female MI6 agent, played by Briton Lashana Lynch, and has to take a back seat to her as she flies a plane.

September 28, 2021 03:45 UTC

Exporters sign up to anti-WMD proliferation trade controlsA total of eighty-two companies and individuals are interested in setting up an internal compliance programme (ICP) scheme to prevent trade activities pertaining to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) under the Trade Controls on Weapons of Mass Destruction Related Items Act (TCWMD Act). Dhadchyarbhon Abhimontejchbud, deputy director-general of the DFT, said those companies and individuals are likely to officially submit their applications to the department next month. The department is expected to finish appraising and evaluating applicants’ qualifications and be able to announce qualified applicants this year, he said. Without the ICP scheme, their goods may be halted or held back by the government’s order. It is important that the entrepreneurs have to be concerned about their buyers and the destinations of their products’ end-users,” said Mr Dhadchyarbhon.

September 28, 2021 03:33 UTC

"For me, the '80s were a sickness of the Path," Barboza Vargas told AFP, wearing a colorful crown of parrot feathers and hedgehog quills. "We are convinced that this (conflict) has betrayed our Ashaninka people throughout the Amazon enough," the 62-year-old Barboza Vargas said of his people. They were the main Amazonian indigenous victims of the Shining Path during the Peruvian civil war, from 1980 to 2000. According to testimonies gathered by the CVR in 2003, Shining Path guerillas kidnapped Ashaninka people, forcing them to work as servants and farm hands. He said Shining Path stabbed his mother Victoria and his siblings Sonia, Alicia, Norma and Simon.

September 28, 2021 02:03 UTC

Evergrande fuels concerns over China's housing bubbleA state crackdown on China's colossal property market has helped send Evergrande to the brink of collapseBEIJING - A state crackdown on China's colossal property market has helped send one of its biggest developers to the brink of collapse, and analysts warn the fallout could lead to the bursting of a bubble that has been building for more than two decades. China's property market has been a critical part of the economy, as Beijing's promise to improve people's living standards translated into new homes that in turn fuelled massive construction. Last year, Beijing introduced metrics to cap debt ratios called "three red lines" and tightened scrutiny over crucial funding raised by pre-sale deposits. But if it sparked wider problems, Wu said, the government would likely have to ease the three red lines and engineer a softer landing. Property sales and prices have weakened in recent months while Evergrande stole headlines, according to data analytics company China Beige Book.

September 28, 2021 01:52 UTC





Ford announces $11.4 bn investment for electric vehicle productionFord Motor Company's CEO Jim Farley poses next to the newly unveiled electric F-150 Lightning outside of their Dearborn, Michigan headquarters in May 2021; he said the company seeks to deliver electric vehicles "for the many rather than the few"WASHINGTON - US car manufacturer Ford said Monday it plans to invest $11.4 billion in electric vehicle production, building four new plants that will create 11,000 new jobs by 2025. Together with its South Korean partner SK Innovation, Ford will build the factories in Kentucky and Tennessee, the automaker said in a statement. Ford will invest $7 billion, part of a $30 billion investment already announced last spring, and SK Innovation will put up the remainder. Ford said it would be the "largest, most advanced, most efficient auto production complex in its 118-year history" and would place the company at the forefront of the country's shift to electric vehicles. Executive Chair Bill Ford said, "This is a transformative moment where Ford will lead America's transition to electric vehicles and usher in a new era of clean, carbon-neutral manufacturing."

September 28, 2021 01:30 UTC

Iran's nuclear program has crossed 'all red lines': Israel PMIsraeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, addressing the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly, accused Iran of breaching "all red lines" aimed at curbing its nuclear weapons program. UNITED NATIONS (UNITED STATES) - Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Monday Iran had breached all the "red lines" aimed at curbing its nuclear weapons program, but that Israel "will not allow" Tehran to get the bomb. "Iran's nuclear weapon program is at a critical point, all red lines have been crossed," said Bennett, who took office in June. Iran, which says its nuclear program is for civilian purposes, said Friday that it expected talks to resume soon on reviving a 2015 landmark agreement scaling back its program in exchange for sanctions relief. "The current US approach of putting the Iran nuclear program back in a box, I'd accept that," Gantz told the magazine, in what was perceived by some Israeli experts as a policy shift.

September 28, 2021 01:07 UTC

New Covid cases dip below 10,000A boy reacts as a health worker tries to convince him to take a Covid-19 test in Klong Toey district, Bangkok, last Saturday. (Photo: Somchai Poomlard)Thailand logged 9,489 new Covid-19 cases and 129 more fatalities during the previous 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry announced on Tuesday morning. The new cases fell from 10,288 announced on Monday when the country recorded 101 more deaths. Since the pandemic started early last year, there have been 1,581,415 Covid-19 cases, with 1,448,206 complete recoveries so far. Global Covid-19 cases rose by 371,530 in 24 hours (up from 323,764) to 233.09 million.

September 28, 2021 00:56 UTC

North Korea fires 'unidentified projectile': South's militaryNorth Korea has carried out several missile tests in September 2021, including this launch of a new type of long-range cruise missileSEOUL - Nuclear-armed North Korea fired an 'unidentified projectile' into the sea off its east coast, the South's military said Tuesday. A Japanese defence ministry spokesman told AFP on condition of anonymity that the projectile "appears to be a ballistic missile". Pyongyang is under multiple sets of international sanctions over its banned nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programmes. Seoul also successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile for the first time, making it one of a handful of nations with the advanced technology. The administration of US President Joe Biden has repeatedly said that it is willing to meet North Korean officials anywhere, at any time, without preconditions, in its efforts to seek denuclearisation.

September 27, 2021 23:03 UTC

Operators vow to tackle SMS spamMajor mobile operators plan to tackle spam SMS messages involving gambling to safeguard members of the public. (Bangkok Post photo)Major mobile operators have vowed to tackle spam SMS messages involving gambling, obscenity and scams, in line with the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC)'s requests to safeguard members of the public. Last week the NBTC held talks with several major telecom operators, asking them to gear up efforts to clamp down on unlawful SMS messages through self-regulation. TUC will also seek cooperation with other telecom operators to gather information about illicit SMS messages as part of collective efforts to block them. Any customers receiving undesirable SMS messages can report them to the AIS Call Centre via *137 in order to block them.

September 27, 2021 22:52 UTC

Koeman seeks extra time as Barca get set for BenficaRonald Koeman is on thin ice ahead of Barcelona's Champions League game away at Benfica on Wednesday. MADRID: Ronald Koeman’s future as Barcelona coach may already be decided but the outcome of the next two games, starting with Benfica in the Champions League on Wednesday, could buy him some extra time. "The club has been on the crest of a wave for many years and we are not used to this," Pique said. After drawing with Granada, Koeman seemed both to dismiss Barcelona's possession mantra and denigrate his players in one breath. "We are Barcelona, we are going for La Liga and the Champions League and all the competitions we are in," said Fati on Sunday.

September 27, 2021 22:07 UTC

NT strives for clear 5G investment planClarity in National Telecom (NT)'s 5G investment plan is expected to be seen by the end of this year as the company figures out ways to end uncertainty over its business outlook. The 700MHz band was obtained through CAT Telecom, which won the licence in the 5G spectrum auction in February last year. Plans for the 5G investment have yet to emerge from NT. Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, minister of Digital Economy and Society, told the Bangkok Post that NT can no longer prolong the ambiguity of its 5G business plan as it would badly affect its future business roadmap. A source on the NT board said that a feasibility proposal by NT's management for the 5G business remains unconvincing in the eyes of the board.

September 27, 2021 21:56 UTC

Mr Uthai (right) attaches a charger in the presence of Peerapatr Sirichantaropart, managing director, Sharge Management Co.SET-listed developer Sansiri Plc will spend 500 million baht to install 1,500 electric vehicle (EV) wall chargers at new housing units being launched in 2021-22 to capitalise on rising EV sales. "The wall charger is faster than a plug at home or only five hours," he said. We aim to install 1,500 units by the end of 2022." Sansiri is eyeing installation of EV wall chargers at cheaper projects with units priced between two to three million baht, but EV car prices should be lower, Mr Uthai said. Over the past 10 years, Sansiri has installed a total of 95 EV chargers in common areas at 28 residential projects in Greater Bangkok, housing around 20,000 families.

September 27, 2021 21:56 UTC

CPN, partners launch J Food FestivalFrom left Mr Nattakit, ML Kwantip Devakula (Chef Pom), and Phattaraporn Phenpraphat, head of commercialisation at Central Pattana. Central Pattana Plc (CPN), the operator of centralwOrld, CentralPlaza, CentralFestival, Central Phuket and Central Village, in tandem with affiliate Central FoodPark, is joining hands with its business partners Thaitheparos plc and Dairy Plus Co -- the manufacturer and distributor of Dna Soy milk -- to hold the 'Thailand J Food Festival 2021' at Central shopping centres nationwide, offering a variety of vegetarian food in one place from Oct 5-14. Nattakit Tangpoonsinthana, executive vice-president of marketing at Central Pattana, said this year the vegetarian festival is held under the concept of 'J Integrated Lifestyle', combining traditional vegetarianism with the latest trends. "We're also collaborating with world-famous restaurants to launch international vegetarian menus, including Italian-style vegetarian food from Italian Osteria, Korean-style vegetarian food from Over Seoul, and Singaporean-style vegetarian dishes from Chuan Kitchen, in addition to world-class restaurants such as Din Tai Fung, Hai Di Lao and TP Tea, which will also launch their first vegan bubble tea at CentralWorld," he said. It is anticipated that the vegetarian festival at Central shopping centres nationwide will help stimulate spending at the end of the year and cause customer traffic to increase by 15-20%.

September 27, 2021 21:56 UTC

To operate under Energy For AllAbsolute Clean Energy Plc (ACE), a biomass power plant developer and operator, plans to spend 4.72 billion baht developing 18 biogas-fired power plant projects under Energy For All renewable scheme as it continues to expand its power business domestically and internationally. The company earlier proposed 29 power plant projects in an Energy for All auction, but only 18 projects, with installed capacity of 59MW in total, are qualified to join the scheme. ACE plans to develop 18 biogas power plant projects in Buri Ram, Ratchaburi, Chiang Rai and Kamphaeng Phet, said Mr Teerawut. ACE continues to seek new investment opportunities in the renewable energy segment in the country and overseas. Projects include biomass and biogas-fired power plants, waste-to-energy power plants, solar energy and hybrid fuel development.

September 27, 2021 21:56 UTC