Late K-pop star's ex jailed for sex video blackmail
The portrait of late K-pop star Goo Hara is seen surrounded by flowers at a memorial altar at a hospital in Seoul on Nov 25, 2019. (AFP file photo)The ex-boyfriend of late K-pop star Goo Hara was jailed by an appeal court Thursday for blackmailing her over sex videos that played a part in her apparent suicide. In 2018, Goo -- a member of former girl group Kara -- told local media that her ex had threatened "to end her entertainment career" by leaking their sex videos. His blackmail over the footage had "seriously damaged" the late star's reputation, it said, and had left her with "irreversible trauma". Goo's death came a month after Sulli -- another K-pop star and a close friend of hers -- took her own life after a long struggle with online bullying.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 02, 2020 08:03 UTC
Bangkok wet market reopens after fire
Bangkok wet market reopens after fireFirefighters work at the Ying Charoen market in Bang Khen district, Bangkok, on Thursday. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)Most of the Ying Charoen market in Bangkok's Bang Khen district has been reopened after fire destroyed about 160 stalls. About 10% of the market structure was damaged and remained cordoned off as 70% of stalls reopened. There were about 1,500 stalls trading at the six-decade-old market. One of the structures damaged was a gold shop, whose owner estimated damage would exceed 1 million baht.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 02, 2020 07:18 UTC
China and UK clash over fate of Hong Kongers
China and UK clash over fate of Hong KongersRiot police detain a man after they cleared protesters taking part in a rally against a new national security law in Hong KongHONG KONG: China promised Thursday to take countermeasures against Britain if it presses ahead with plans to extend citizenship rights to Hong Kongers after Beijing imposed a sweeping security law on the restless financial hub. It has responded by announcing plans to allow millions of Hong Kongers with British National Overseas status to relocate with their families and eventually apply for citizenship. That move has infuriated Beijing, which says Britain promised not to grant full citizenship rights to Hong Kongers ahead of the 1997 handover. On Thursday, Australian leader Scott Morrison said he was "very actively" considering offering Hong Kongers safe haven. It also criticised "the total absence of meaningful consultation" with Hong Kongers before the law was passed.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 02, 2020 07:18 UTC
China tech giant Tencent duped by saucy scammers
China tech giant Tencent duped by saucy scammersTencent owns the messaging app WeChat. BEIJING: Chinese tech giant Tencent has been fooled by impostors posing as representatives of the country's most famous chilli sauce brand, police said, in a saga that nearly pitched the two famous brands against each other in court. But as confusion reigned, Lao Gan Ma said in a statement that it had never entered the commercial agreement with Tencent, and reported the matter to the authorities. Preliminary investigations showed the trio had faked a Lao Gan Ma company seal and pretended to be managers of the chilli firm to sign a cooperation agreement with Tencent. Lao Gan Ma, a table-top staple in China whose name translates to "Old Godmother", hails from Guiyang and has found a fan base both at home and abroad.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 02, 2020 07:18 UTC
UK to ditch travel quarantine for Thailand, 75 countries: report
UK to ditch travel quarantine for Thailand, 75 countries: reportTravellers are seen wearing protective face masks and visors at Heathrow Airport in London, June 8, 2020. (Reuters file photo)The British government will effectively ditch its air bridge plans and simply end the coronavirus quarantine rules for those arriving from 75 countries so that people can go on holiday, The Daily Telegraph reported. The newspaper said the UK would shortly lift a ban on non-essential travel to nearly all EU destinations, the British territories including Bermuda and Gibraltar, and Turkey, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand. Britain said on Friday that it would ditch a 14-day quarantine period for people arriving from countries such as France, Greece and Spain. Simon Clarke, a junior housing, communities and local government minister, said the government was working on an announcement on travel.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 02, 2020 07:07 UTC
At least 113 dead in Myanmar jade mine landslide
At least 113 dead in Myanmar jade mine landslideRescuers attempting to locate survivors after a landslide at a jade mine in Hpakant, Kachin state, Myanmar on Thursday. (Myanmar Fire Services Department/AFP photo)The death toll from a mud slide at a jade mine in northern Myanmar surged to over 100 Thursday, authorities said, in one of the worst accidents ever to hit the perilous industry. "A total of 113 bodies been found so far," Myanmar Fire Service said in a Facebook post. A local police officer said search and rescue efforts had been suspended due to heavy rains. Archive video:
Source:Bangkok Post
July 02, 2020 06:45 UTC
Diabetes and obesity found to increase COVID-19 severity
Significant risk factors for severe COVID-19 diseaseAlthough there is inadequate data to indicate whether people with diabetes and/or obesity are more likely to get infected with COVID-19 than the general population, clinical research has suggested that diabetes and obesity are firmly associated with increased risk of COVID-19 complications or severe symptoms. Diabetes and COVID-19 diseaseWhen patients with diabetes cannot control their sugar levels, they are generally at risk for a number of diabetes-related complications. This appears to be for the following reasons:- Higher-than-normal blood sugar levels weaken the immune system, causing an impaired immune response. Poor blood sugar control affects the immune system and fluid balance and worsens the co-morbidity and diabetes complications. Obesity and COVID-19 diseaseObesity is also associated with other underlying conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, all of which likewise increase the risk of developing severe symptoms or complications due to COVID-19 disease.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 02, 2020 06:45 UTC
6 new Covid quarantine cases Thursday
6 new Covid quarantine cases ThursdayStudents from the Wichuthit school in Bangkok eat their lunch after the government eased isolation measures and introduced social distancing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease, as schools nationwide reopened, on Wednesday. (Reuters photo)The government on Thursday reported six new coronavirus cases detected in quarantine, taking the country to 38 days without a local transmission, while global Covid-19 cases rose at a record pace. All six new cases were Thai nationals who recently returned from Indonesia, South Africa and Sudan. They were quarantined in Chon Buri province and tested positive for Covid-19 on June 29 while being asymptomatic. He was quarantined in Chon Buri and tested positive on June 29 while being asymptomatic.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 02, 2020 04:44 UTC
Judge lifts ban on 'tell-all' book by Trump's niece
Judge lifts ban on 'tell-all' book by Trump's nieceThe ruling allows publisher Simon & Schuster to print and distribute the 240-page book by Mary Trump, who dubs the US president 'the world's most dangerous man'. WASHINGTON: An appeals court judge in New York has lifted a temporary ban on the publication of a potentially explosive "tell-all" book by President Donald Trump's niece, court documents showed. Nevertheless Simon & Schuster "is not a party to the agreement," so the block of their publication of the book "is vacated," he ruled. In a statement, Mary Trump's attorney Ted Boutrous said the lifting of the prior restraint against the publisher was "very good news." Mary Trump's legal team said they were hoping for a July 10 hearing, which will most likely take place virtually.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 02, 2020 03:56 UTC
Banks demoted from list of most valuable companies
Banks demoted from list of most valuable companies(Photo supplied)Thailand’s biggest banks aren’t so large when it comes to their market values. “The most natural outward moves for Thai banks would be to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, though Bangkok Bank’s recent acquisition in Indonesia may spur other large lenders’ M&A interest too,” she said. Siam Commercial currently ranks 11th among Thai companies by market capitalisation, with Kasikornbank Plc and Bangkok Bank Plc at 12th and 16th, respectively. “Thai banks behave like an oligopoly and haven’t let their margins collapse through aggressive price undercutting,” Ms Gera said. “The major Thai banks are well-managed with a focus on profitability instead of size.”
Source:Bangkok Post
July 02, 2020 03:45 UTC
Phuket nightlife restarts with a whimper
Phuket nightlife restarts with a whimperOfficials man a health checkpoint on Soi Bang La near Patong beach in Phuket province on Wednesday night. Provincial authorities inspected Phuket's nightlife area on Soi Bang La during the night, but many premises remained shuttered. "Not many operators have resumed their businesses on Soi Bang La because foreign tourists have not arrived yet. The operators who did open their doors were cooperating well with the strict disease control measures, the mayor said. Soi Bang La is dubbed by some travel websites as Phuket's version of Bangkok's Patpong due to its bustling nightlife.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 02, 2020 03:33 UTC
Novartis agrees to $642mn US settlement over kickbacks
Novartis agrees to $642mn US settlement over kickbacksNovartis' headquarters in Basel, SwitzerlandWASHINGTON - Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis has agreed to pay more than $642 million to settle a lawsuit which accused it of paying kickbacks to doctors, among other allegations, the US Department of Justice said Wednesday. Novartis is accused of having hosted tens of thousands of speaker programs and events which the Department of Justice said were used to bribe physicians. Representatives often dropped doctors from the speaker program if they failed to increase prescriptions, the Department of Justice said. The Department of Justice said the activity was the result of decisions made by top management at Novartis’ North American headquarters in New Jersey. Under the settlement, Novartis will participate in a five-year corporate integrity agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services to address company conduct.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 02, 2020 03:00 UTC
Actor Geoffrey Rush wins 'largest ever' Australian defamation payout
Hollywood star Geoffrey Rush will receive US$2 million after a court ruled a Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper had defamed the actor. SYDNEY: Hollywood star Geoffrey Rush won a record multimillion-dollar payout Thursday after an appeal by a Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper against a defamation ruling was thrown out by an Australian court. The Oscar-winner will receive US$2 million for lost earnings and compensation after a court rejected an appeal seeking reduced costs and a retrial of the case. Local media said the sum awarded to Rush was the largest ever paid to an individual in Australia, which has notoriously strict defamation laws. Rush won the Best Actor Academy Award in 1997 for his role in "Shine" and is one of the few stars to have also won a Golden Globe, an Emmy and a Tony Award.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 02, 2020 01:52 UTC
Formula One in brave new world as Verstappen seeks repeat Austria triumph
Formula One in brave new world as Verstappen seeks repeat Austria triumphVictory path: Max Verstappen take the win in Austria in 2019. SPIELBERG: Max Verstappen will seek a hat-trick of home wins for Red Bull and an early lead in the drivers championship at this weekend's delayed and somewhat surreal season-opening Austrian Grand Prix. "The most important thing for me is to have a competitive car and to perform at my best. "So I don't expect an easy win – I think Mercedes will be very strong again and they are the ones to beat." Hamilton this year bids for a record-equalling seventh drivers title as he campaigns passionately for greater diversity, and against racism, in the sport.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 02, 2020 01:30 UTC
Tourism in Thailand to lose up to $47bn from Covid-19: UN study
(Reuters photo)GENEVA: Global tourism revenues are expected to fall by up to US$3.3 trillion due to Covid-19 restrictions, with Thailand standing to lose $47 billion, according to a UN study published on Wednesday. The 'Covid-19 and Tourism' report released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) is based on three scenarios for the industry, with lockdown measures lasting 4 months, 8 months and 12 months. In those scenarios, revenues would fall $1.17 trillion, $2.22 trillion and $3.3 trillion respectively or between 1.5-4.2% of the world's gross domestic product (GDP). "International tourism has been almost totally suspended, and domestic tourism curtailed by lockdown conditions imposed in many countries," the report said. The Unctad report covers 65 individual countries and regions.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 02, 2020 01:18 UTC