Security key to military-led Kabul airlift
Security key to military-led Kabul airliftGerman troops board a plane in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, heading to Kabul. PARIS: The military airlift of thousands of people fleeing the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan is posing a massive challenge to international forces, heavily dependent on securing Kabul airport and access from surrounding areas, experts say. According to the daily US Air Force Times, control of air movements into Kabul is the responsibility of US airmen based at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. - Security concern -Some of the 4,000 US troops in Kabul -- soon to be 6,000 -- are also tasked with for managing aircraft movements on the ground, said John Wesley, a military airlift specialist at MilAirX. "My concern is the security, and how fast our troops have had to react.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 18, 2021 15:11 UTC
R. Kelly sex crimes trial begins in New York
Jury selection has begun in the trial of disgraced RnB star R Kelly, seen here in 2019NEW YORK - R. Kelly's highly anticipated sex abuse trial got underway Wednesday in New York where the disgraced R&B superstar faces a slew of charges, including racketeering and sexual exploitation of a child. For decades the Grammy-winning artist born Robert Sylvester Kelly has faced accusations including making child pornography, sex with minors, operating a sex cult and sexual battery. His career began to crumble in January 2019 after the release of the explosive docuseries "Surviving R. Kelly," which renewed focus on the R&B luminary's checkered history in a post-#MeToo era. The New York trial is the first to put Kelly on the stand in connection with the raft of indictments. The trial is due to last a month and a jury of seven men and five women will decide Kelly's fate.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 18, 2021 14:48 UTC
Vocational student leaders deny link with Din Daeng clashes
Vocational student leaders deny link with Din Daeng clashesProtesters gather at Democracy Monument on Wednesday calling for the ouster of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. (Photo: Pattarapong chatpattarasill)Vocational student leaders on Wednesday denied they were behind clashes in Bangkok's Din Daeng area and called on protesters to end violent tactics. They also dismissed the idea that they were engineering clashes with police in Din Daeng. Vocational student leaders spoke publicly about the issue for the first time in order to clarify their stance and end rumours that they were connected to the violence. "Din Daeng intersection should not be known in history as a place of conflict and a place where lives were lost," he said.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 18, 2021 12:25 UTC
Auction for satellite orbital slot cancelled again
Its shares sank after a planned auction for satellite orbital slot packages was scrapped. (Bangkok Post file photo)The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has decided to cancel a satellite orbital slot auction slated for Aug 28 after only one contender was left in the contest. NBTC acting secretary-general Trairat Viriyasirikul on Wednesday announced the decision to scrap the auction planned for Aug 28, citing a lack of bids for four satellite orbital slot packages. The U-turn left TC Space Connect, wholly owned by SET-listed satellite service provider Thaicom, as the sole bidder. On July 7, the telecom regulator decided to postpone the auction to from July 24 to Aug 28 after TC Space Connect was the only firm to participate in the bidding.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 18, 2021 11:03 UTC
Infected rally leaders in 'good condition', says prison boss
Infected rally leaders in 'good condition', says prison bossParit ‘Penguin’ Chiwarak is taken into detention last September pending trial on sedition and lese majeste charges. (File photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)Three anti-government protest leaders who tested positive for Covid-19 during their detention remain in "good condition", according to the Corrections Department. His pulse and oxygen saturation level were also normal, the deputy director-general said, and he could eat and sleep. He also lost his sense of smell, but his pulse and oxygen saturation level were normal. Other rally leaders tested negative for Covid-19, Mr Thawatchai said.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 18, 2021 10:41 UTC
Air force officer disciplined for 'offending' police
Air force officer disciplined for 'offending' policePolice officers are stationed on a flyover during a clash with protesters in Din Daeng area on Monday. (Photo: Pornprom Satrabhaya)Disciplinary action has been taken against an air force officer for posting social media comments about police actions to disperse demonstrators at Din Daeng intersection in Bangkok, an air force source said. A committee was set up to conduct a disciplinary investigation against the pilot officer, a student at the air force's flight training school, said the source. The training school has taken four punitive actions against him -- a flight suspension, a two-week confinement, three days of hard labour and a deduction of points for behaviour. Air force personnel are not barred from expressing opinions in a democracy, the source said, but they should avoid making remarks that could offend people and lead to a conflict.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 18, 2021 10:18 UTC
Hong Kong quarantine U-turn a sucker punch for battered hotels sector
Passengers arrive at Hong Kong International Airport to be transported to designated quarantine hotels in this file photo from June 30, 2021. The latest setback could potentially convince more hotel owners to consider converting properties for uses such as serviced flats and residential buildings. "We see the Hong Kong hotel market's recovery falling behind that of Macau, Singapore and Taiwan," said Govinda Singh, executive director, valuation and advisory services, Asia at Colliers. Currently, Hong Kong hotels are wholly dependent on the local market and have launched various promotions to attract "staycations". And although the outlook for the hotels segment remains bleak, local hotels are likely to survive in the coming months.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 18, 2021 08:26 UTC
Surge in Asia Pacific’s largest manufacturing centres driven by global demand
Surge in Asia Pacific’s largest manufacturing centres driven by global demandChina strengthens its leading position as the most attractive manufacturing hub globally; Thailand sees improvement in cost profile. Asia Pacific’s largest manufacturing centres have rebounded strongly as economies across the globe have reopened and driven demand for key products, according to Cushman & Wakefield’s 2021 Global Manufacturing Risk Index, which assesses the most advantageous locations for global manufacturing among 47 countries in Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific. Risk Scenario: Early and effective lockdowns to control the first wave of the pandemic helped China’s manufacturing sector rebound after Q1 2020. Strong performance of its manufacturing sector during the rest of 2020 contributed to a “better-than-expected” first place ranking on the risk scenario. AppendixTable 1: Bounce Back RatingTable 2: Baseline ScenarioTable 3: Cost ScenarioTable 4: Risk ScenarioClick here to download the Cushman & Wakefield’s 2021 Global Manufacturing Risk Index.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 18, 2021 08:26 UTC
Indonesia project to convert fuel-powered motorbikes to electric
Indonesia project to convert fuel-powered motorbikes to electricFILE PHOTO: Motorbike taxi drivers drive with backpack-style plastic partitions on to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Jakarta, Indonesia, June 10, 2020, (Antara Foto/Galih Pradipta/via Reuters)JAKARTA: Indonesia on Wednesday launched a pilot project to convert motorcycles that run on combustion engines into electric-powered vehicles, part of a national drive to make transport more environmentally friendly, the energy ministry said. The project has successfully converted 10 such motorbikes and is aiming to convert 90 more by November, the ministry said in a statement. Under its national strategy, the government has set a target of having 13 million electric motorbikes - including converted ones - and 2.2 million electric cars on the roads by 2030. The government is also working on converting public buses that use fossil fuel into electric buses, a transport ministry official told the same event. The country also has ambitious plans of becoming a global hub for production of batteries and electric vehicles, to take advantage of its rich supplies of nickel laterite ore used in lithium batteries.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 18, 2021 07:52 UTC
Death toll since Myanmar coup tops 1,000, says activist group
Death toll since Myanmar coup tops 1,000, says activist groupFILE PHOTO: The daughter of Zwee Htet Soe, a protester who died during a demonstration against the military coup on March 3, cries during her father's funeral in Yangon on March 5, 2021. (AFP)The death toll as a result of Myanmar's Feb 1 coup passed 1,000 on Wednesday, according to an official of the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners (AAPP) activist group, which has been recording killings by security forces. A spokesman for the ruling junta did not respond to a call to request comment. The military authorities have previously said the AAPP figures, widely cited by international organisations, are exaggerated. The army has also said scores of members of the security forces have been killed.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 18, 2021 06:33 UTC
Some at Bank of Thailand pushed for rate cut – minutes
Some at Bank of Thailand pushed for rate cut – minutesTwo members of Thailand's monetary policy committee who pushed unsuccessfully for a rate cut earlier this month argued preemptive action was needed because of the risks of an economic slowdown in the period ahead, minutes of the meeting showed. On Aug 4, the committee voted 4-2 to keep the Bank of Thailand's (BoT) one-day repurchase rate at a record low of 0.50%, with two dissenters wanting a quarter point cut. It was the first split decision since a rate cut in May 2020, raising some expectations of a rate cut at the BoT's next meeting on Sept 29. Members agreed that monetary policy remained accommodative and financial measures would be more effective and targeted than cutting the policy rate which was a "blunt instrument", the minutes said. "They thus voted to cut the policy rate at this meeting, although the policy rate was deemed less targeted and effective than other financial and fiscal measures, to mitigate heightening risks in the period ahead," the minutes said.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 18, 2021 05:37 UTC
Singapore watchdog probes game giant Ubisoft over harassment claims
Singapore watchdog probes game giant Ubisoft over harassment claimsFrench video game giant Ubisoft is under investigation in Singapore over claims of sexual harassment and racial discriminationSINGAPORE - Video game giant Ubisoft's Singapore office is under investigation over claims of sexual harassment and racial discrimination, a watchdog said, in the latest controversy for the French firm. The Singapore employment watchdog TAFEP said Tuesday it began investigating after receiving "anonymous feedback containing links to media articles about allegations of workplace harassment and unfair treatment at Ubisoft Singapore". It also urged anyone with knowledge of criminal conduct such as sexual harassment and assault to report the incidents to the police. Ubisoft Singapore said in a statement to AFP it was aware of the allegations made to the watchdog. "Every Ubisoft studio, including Ubisoft Singapore, strives to create and foster a culture that team members and partners can be proud of.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 18, 2021 05:26 UTC
Hong Kong students arrested for 'advocating terrorism'
Hong Kong students arrested for 'advocating terrorism'On July 1, a man stabbed a police officer in a Hong Kong shopping district before taking his own life. HONG KONG: Four student leaders from Hong Kong's top university were arrested on Wednesday for "advocating terrorism", police said. "Four men aged between 18 and 20 were arrested today, they are members of the student union and the student union council," he told reporters. Advocating terrorism carries up to 10 years in jail and is covered by Hong Kong's national security law. The security law has been combined with an official campaign to purge Hong Kong of any elements deemed "unpatriotic".
Source:Bangkok Post
August 18, 2021 05:26 UTC
Longan exports to China resume
Longan exports to China resumeWorkers are seen at a longan processing plant in Lamphun province. (File photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)China allowed 56 longan packaging companies to resume exporting Thai longan to China on Aug 17, reversing a ban imposed on Aug 13, according to the Commerce Ministry. They were among 75 longan sorting and packaging companies earlier banned. The latest ban was imposed last Friday after Thai longan were found to be contaminated with mealybugs. The remaining companies can also resume their longan exports to China in the future if they can prove to have implemented effective measures to screen out pests in their exports, Ms Mallika said.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 18, 2021 05:03 UTC
Woman gets 2 Covid shots in one day
Woman gets 2 Covid shots in one daySomwang Jukul (left) shows an arm in a video with her son, while talking to Thai media about how she got two shots of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Saturday. An old woman accidentally received two jabs of the AstraZeneca vaccine when she went to a vaccination centre in Buriram on Saturday. Grandma Somwang Jukul received two shots of AZ at the same time on Aug 14. Mrs Somwang, 70, told Thai media that on that day she went to the vaccination centre with her family. They all had an appointment to receive a second vaccine shot, after getting the first shot of Sinovac on July 24.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 18, 2021 04:29 UTC