6 Rohingya dead, hundreds flee after riot at Malaysian detention camp
6 Rohingya dead, hundreds flee after riot at Malaysian detention campIn this picture taken on Oct 13, 2020, Rohingya refugee Julekha Begum, who got married through IMO, a video-call application to "Abdu Hamid" (a pseudonym), a Rohingya hotel worker in Malaysia, cries at her makeshift shelter at Kutupalong Rohingya refugee camp in Ukhia. She was told it would take five days to smuggle her to Malaysia to meet the husband she barely knows. (Photo: AFP)KUALA LUMPUR: Six Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, including two children, have died after being hit by vehicles on a Malaysian highway as hundreds fled an immigration detention centre where a riot broke out early on Wednesday, officials said. A total of 582 Rohingya escaped the Sungai Bakap temporary immigration detention camp in northern Penang state by breaking down doors and barrier grills, though 362 have since been re-arrested, the immigration department said in a statement. Prior to the riot, the camp held 664 Rohingya refugees, including 137 children.
Source:Bangkok Post
April 20, 2022 17:20 UTC
Passengers still wear masks at airport after US judge rejects plane mask mandate
Industry groups and Republican lawmakers baulked and wanted the administration to end the 14-month-old mask mandate permanently. It follows a string of rulings against Biden administration directives to fight the infectious disease that has killed nearly one million Americans, including vaccine or test mandates for employers. Judge Mizelle said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had exceeded its authority with the mandate, had not sought public comment and did not adequately explain its decisions. A U.S. administration official said while the agencies were assessing potential next steps, the court's decision meant CDC's public transportation masking order was no longer in effect. The administration could still opt to appeal the order or seek an emergency delay in the order's enforcement.
Source:The Nation Bangkok
April 20, 2022 12:07 UTC
Call for merger delay amid query
He said the letter requesting a delay called for more time for authorities to suss out issues related to the merger, as the two companies are expected to complete the deal by June 15. According to Gp Capt Anudith, there are some legal loopholes governing the deal, particularly the Telecom Business Act and a TCC regulation. A 2010 regulation created by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) required merger deals to be approved by the regulator. Section 21 of the Telecom Business Act only allows the regulator to usher in measures to prevent telecom licensees from causing a monopoly or reducing or restricting competition in telecom services. The merger has drawn flak from academics and consumer advocates who say a merger would lead to market dominance and reduce competition, with consumers paying the price.
Source:Bangkok Post
April 20, 2022 11:41 UTC
Website seized by FBI, Secret Service had released NACC data which 'could have been edited'
“A preliminary investigation revealed that the released information included two sets of data published on the NACC’s website since 2019,” said the announcement. “The first set is a list of debts and assets of 780 accounts, which has also been released on two other URLs, namely http://178.128.223.11:3000/nacc and https://datathon.corrupt0.org/nacc. “The second set comprises 1,366 file cases that the NACC ruled as having merit. This data has also been released on two other URLs, namely http://178.128.223.11:3000/nacc-case and https://datathon.corrupt0.org/nacc-case,” said the anti-graft agency.
Source:The Nation Bangkok
April 20, 2022 07:10 UTC
Jurin sorry as assault probe widens
Jurin sorry as assault probe widensDemocrat Party leader Jurin Laksanawisit apologises for the sex scandal involving the party's former deputy leader Prinn Panitchpakdi at a press briefing at party headquarters on Tuesday. The briefing came after pressure grew for Mr Jurin to take steps to shore up the party's image tainted by the scandal. "Resigning [as party leader] is irresponsible because I'd be leaving problems for others to solve. To show responsibility, Mr Jurin said, he had resigned from the two committees. If further charges are pressed against Mr Prinn, the court will be asked to issue a warrant for his arrest, Pol Col Nimit said.
Source:Bangkok Post
April 20, 2022 05:12 UTC
Russia launches major 'offensive' in eastern Ukraine
Russia launches major 'offensive' in eastern UkraineNadia (right) attends the funeral of her husband and two other victims killed by Russian invaders, conducted by Andrii Holovine (centre), priest of the church of St Andrew Pervozvannoho All Saints, at a cemetery in Bucha, Ukraine on Monday. (AFP photo)Moscow launched dozens of air strikes across eastern Ukraine overnight, its defence ministry said Tuesday, after Kyiv accused Russian forces of unleashing a major new offensive in the Donbas region. "The Russian occupiers intensified offensive operations along the entire line of contact," the general staff of Ukraine's armed forces said in a report published early Tuesday. Russian shelling killed at least eight civilians in eastern Ukraine, according to local authorities. Its foreign policy chief Josep Borrell pointed to "particularly heavy attacks" in eastern and southern Ukraine and an offensive against second city Kharkiv, where officials said Russian shelling killed three people.
Source:Bangkok Post
April 19, 2022 22:47 UTC
PM presides over opening of HACKaTHAILAND
Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, Minister of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) said the spread of the Covid-19 has disrupted the way of life, economy, society, and the environment. Meanwhile, Asst Prof Dr Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin, President/CEO of depa said the HACKaTHAILAND project was initiated to raise awareness and promote digital literacy and knowledge of digital technology among Thais. The HACKaTHAILAND Competition & Beyond Hackathon features a total of 503 people in 126 participating teams. Dr Chawapol Jariyawiroj, President of Huawei Technologies (Thailand) Company Limited gave a keynote to provide inspiration for all participants in the HACKaTHAILAND Competition & Beyond Hackathon. The HACKaTHAILAND project took place from April 4 to April 17.
Source:The Nation Bangkok
April 19, 2022 18:07 UTC
Cabinet eyes new loans to fund Khon La Khrueng subsidy scheme
“We’re still discussing whether the government needs more loans or not,” he said, adding that measures have been put in place in case more loans need to be taken. “[The new loans] must be adequate. We must also see how much we have now and whether more is needed now that we cannot control external factors affecting the economy,” Prayut said. He added that the government is thinking about launching the fifth phase of the Khon La Khrueng (Let’s Go Halves) co-payment scheme to help stimulate the economy. The fourth phase was approved by the Cabinet on December 21 last year before the third phase expired on December 31.
Source:The Nation Bangkok
April 19, 2022 16:16 UTC
BoT maintains its monetary policy
The central bank has revised up its assessment of the headline inflation rate for 2022 to 4.9%. ARNUN CHOLMAHATRAKOOLThe Bank of Thailand still maintains an accommodative monetary policy to support economic recovery and views that supply-side inflationary pressure will be a temporary factor. The central bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will balance monetary policy management prudently, weighting in economic growth, financial stability and the inflation rate amid Thailand's uneven economic recovery and global shocks. Under this scenario, the central bank would keep an accommodative monetary policy supporting an economic rebound, said Piti Distatat, the Bank of Thailand's assistant governor, monetary policy group, during an analysts' meeting on Monday. He said the central bank has also assessed an upward trend of the US Federal Reserve (Fed)'s policy rate to contain the surge in inflation.
Source:Bangkok Post
April 19, 2022 05:57 UTC
War in Ukraine Deepens Debt Woes Across Developing World
(Photo: Reuters)The war in Ukraine is making it tougher for many emerging-market governments to make debt payments to foreign creditors, fueling concerns of potential crises that could shake markets and weaken the global economic recovery. Last Tuesday, Sri Lanka said it would suspend foreign debt payments and requested emergency financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund. Its finance ministry said the Ukraine war and the pandemic, which had hurt tourism revenue, left it unable to make the payments. Debt is considered distressed when a country is unable to fulfill its financial obligations and debt restructuring is required. The government got $400 million in financing last month from the World Bank and hopes to secure a lifeline from the IMF.
Source:Bangkok Post
April 19, 2022 05:57 UTC
CKPower kicks off Hing Hoi Project for 6th year running
CK Power Plc (CKPower) has now executed the Hing Hoi Project for the 6th year running as a part of the company’s CSR strategy to add value to society. Its ‘Competency-Co-Creation-Cooperation-Connection’ formula is used to enhance educational opportunities for children at Hin Hua Suea Kindergarten in Xaysomboun Province, the Lao PDR. Under the project, CKPower uses its renewable energy innovation to install solar cells and essential utilities that promote the quality of life of students and people in the community. "In its report entitled ‘6 CSR Directions in 2022: From Net Zero to Social Positive’, Thaipat Institute gave its outlook on corporate social responsibility and sustainability creation," the company said. "It indicated that the concept of social positive business it established for this year will form an important part in companies’ work to make positive impacts on society and to grow their businesses."
Source:The Nation Bangkok
April 19, 2022 04:07 UTC
EGAT offers free aircon cleaning services to reduce energy consumption
Once the application goes through, the Thai Air Conditioning Traders Association will send a staff member from a certified shop to clean the air conditioner. Suttipong said the association has joined EGAT in its push to reduce energy costs. Cleaning air conditioners every six months can reduce electricity bills by at least 10 per cent and also cut national energy consumption by around 1.3 million units per year.
Source:The Nation Bangkok
April 18, 2022 05:41 UTC
Ex-CAT chief tipped to be NT boss
Col Sanphachai HuvanandanaCol Sanphachai Huvanandana, former president of CAT Telecom and former board member of National Telecom (NT), is tipped to be the new chief of NT, according to a source at the Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry. Col Sanphachai's application was expected by various people in the industry based on his standing with some NT board members and his government ties, the source said. Three people including Col Sanphachai applied for the leadership role at the NT, founded in January last year through the merger of CAT Telecom and TOT, both state telecom enterprises. Gp Capt Somsak Khaosuwan, an NT board member, now serves as acting president of NT, a position he has held since the venture was established. NT faces critical challenges, including the protracted consolidation of CAT Telecom and TOT because of differences in their organisational culture and management structures, he said.
Source:Bangkok Post
April 18, 2022 05:31 UTC
WFH to prevent uptick after Songkran, dept says
WFH to prevent uptick after Songkran, dept saysBangkok’s Hua Lamphong railway station is packed with those coming back from their home provinces on the last day of the Songkran holidays. (Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)The Public Health Ministry is urging businesses and organisations across all sectors to ask their employees to work from home for seven days, to prevent Covid-19 infections from sharply increasing following the Songkran holiday break. He urged state agencies and private sector firms to implement a work-from-home policy for 5-7 days, in addition to regular antigen screening, to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 at workplaces. That said, any steps taken will be directed towards achieving the goal of declaring Covid-19 as an endemic disease in July. Gen Supot urged everyone to strictly abide by disease control measures once they return from their holidays, and undergo regular antigen screening to prevent another mass outbreak.
Source:Bangkok Post
April 18, 2022 05:03 UTC
Gold sales will keep baht swinging sideways this week: strategist
He believes the baht may swing sideways unless a new factor comes in. Poon said the baht is still supported by the sale of gold, but may weaken if investors sell off their Asian assets on the back of worse-than-expected news about the Chinese economy. He suggested monitoring the direction of foreign investments, as they may fluctuate based on Thailand’s Covid-19 situation. Poon said the baht’s resistance level will hover at 33.70 to 33.80, at which point exporters would offload the dollar. With high volatility in the currency market, businesses should use hedging tools like options to manage risks, he said.
Source:The Nation Bangkok
April 18, 2022 04:03 UTC