US 'Golden State Killer' pleads guilty to multiple murders
US 'Golden State Killer' pleads guilty to multiple murdersJoseph James DeAngelo Jr., pictured at his arraignment on April 27, 2018, has confessed to being the notorious "Golden State" killer and rapist who stalked California during the 1970s and 1980sLOS ANGELES - The so-called "Golden State Killer" pleaded guilty to multiple murders Monday, as well admitting to dozens of rapes and kidnappings, drawing a line under a sadistic crime spree that terrorized California for two decades. Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. confessed to being the notorious killer and rapist who stalked the state during the 1970s and 1980s, at a plea hearing held in a converted university ballroom in state capital Sacramento. The "Golden State Killer" carried out a decade-long crime spree of sadistic rapes and murders that terrorized California in the 1970s and 1980s. The known attacks began in 1975, initially in the Sacramento area of central California, before spreading out across the state. By a mid-morning recess, Sacramento Superior Court Judge Michael Bowman had accepted DeAngelo's guilty pleas to nine counts.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 29, 2020 18:33 UTC
After deadly clash, India bans 59 Chinese mobile apps over 'security'
After deadly clash, India bans 59 Chinese mobile apps over 'security'An Indian military convoy drives towards Leh in the Ladakh regionNEW DELHI - India on Monday banned 59 Chinese mobile apps, including the wildly popular TikTok and WeChat, over national security and privacy concerns just weeks after a deadly Himalayan border clash between the nuclear-armed neighbours. The apps "are engaged in activities... prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order," the ministry of information technology said in a statement. There have been calls for the banning of Chinese businesses, which export goods worth nearly $60 billion to India. Chinese mobiles have an almost 65 percent share in the local smartphone market, while video-sharing apps like TikTok and Helo are popular among India's youths. There are estimated to be about 120 million TikTok users in India, making the South Asian nation of 1.3 billion people the app's biggest international market.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 29, 2020 17:03 UTC
Israel's annexation plans 'illegal': UN rights chief
Israel's annexation plans 'illegal': UN rights chiefUN rights chief Michelle Bachelet warned that "the shockwaves of annexation will last for decades"GENEVA - Israel's aim to annex parts of the occupied West Bank is clearly "illegal", the UN's human rights chief said on Monday, warning that the consequences could be "disastrous". "Annexation is illegal. Period," the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement. The UN rights chief meanwhile stressed that there was still time to reverse the annexation plans. The UN rights chief stressed that illegal annexation would not change Israel's obligations under international law as an occupying power towards the occupied population.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 29, 2020 15:11 UTC
Airport usage less than half
Airport usage less than halfSuvarnabhumi airport on June 15 after the fourth stage of lockdown relaxation. (Photo by Varuth Hirunyatheb)Fewer than 5 million passengers have passed through the country's 28 airports since the beginning of the year. This represents a significant contraction compared to the same period last year, when 9.3 million passengers used the same airports. Mr Kawee said the 28 airports handled 4.2 million passengers from Jan 1-June 20, of whom 54 percent were on domestic flights. With the lockdown being progressively eased in recent weeks, a limited number of domestic flights have have started slowly pushing up airport usage.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 29, 2020 13:51 UTC
US Supreme Court clears way for execution resumption
US Supreme Court clears way for execution resumptionA general view of US Supreme Court in Washington on Thursday. (Reuters photo)WASHINGTON: The US Supreme Court on Monday paved the way for President Donald Trump's administration to carry out the first federal executions since 2003, turning away an appeal by four inmates challenging the lethal injection protocols due to be used. The justices left in place a lower court ruling that had let the executions proceed. The inmates — Daniel Lee, Wesley Purkey, Alfred Bourgeois and Dustin Honken — are scheduled for execution in July and August at a federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana. The brief court order said two of the four liberal justices, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor, favoured hearing the appeal.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 29, 2020 13:41 UTC
French ex-PM Fillon given five year sentence in fraud trial
French ex-PM Fillon given five year sentence in fraud trialFormer French prime minister Francois Fillon and his wife Penelope arriving at the Paris courthouse on Monday. With three years of the five years suspended, Fillon faces two years behind bars in jail. A third defendant, Marc Joulaud -- who stood in for Fillon in parliament when he was a cabinet minister, and who also hired Penelope Fillon as an assistant -- was also found guilty. He was also handed a three year suspended sentence. Penelope Fillon told the court she spent a lot of time sorting her husband's mail, attending public events near their rural manor and gathering information for his speeches.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 29, 2020 13:07 UTC
Chinese coronavirus vaccine approved for military use
Chinese coronavirus vaccine approved for military useSoldiers from China's People's Liberation Army march on Red Square during a military parade, which marks the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Moscow on June 24, 2020. (AFP photo)China's military has approved a coronavirus vaccine for use within its ranks that has been developed by its research unit and a biotech firm, the company said Monday. Hong Kong-listed CanSino Biologics said in a filing to the stock exchange that data from clinical trials showed the Chinese military vaccine had a "good safety profile" and potential to prevent disease caused by the novel coronavirus. CanSino said Monday that China's Central Military Commission approved the use of the vaccine on June 25, for one year. The vaccine was jointly developed by CanSino and the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, part of the Academy of Military Medical Sciences.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 29, 2020 10:52 UTC
At least 30 die in Bangladesh ferry accident
At least 30 die in Bangladesh ferry accidentA relative of a victim of a ferry capsized mourns as rescue workers unload bodies in Dhaka on Monday. (AFP photo)At least 30 people died and a dozen are missing after a ferry capsized and sank Monday in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka following a collision with another vessel, rescue officials said. "We have collected 30 bodies, including 20 males, seven women and three children," Abul Khair, a diver in the fire brigade, told AFP. Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority's chief, Commodore Golam Sadeqk, told AFP the single-deck ship was "not overcrowded" and sank "due to carelessness". In February 2015 at least 78 people died when an overcrowded ship collided with a cargo boat in a central Bangladesh river.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 29, 2020 10:52 UTC
“PMT The Hour Glass” introduces the new, elevated luxury watch shopping experience with #SafetyisNewLuxury campaign
“PMT The Hour Glass” introduces the new, elevated luxury watch shopping experience with #SafetyisNewLuxury campaignIn an era where hygiene and safety have become vital in every aspect of daily life, embracing safety measures has, in turn, shaped the “new normal” with practices such as keeping social distancing, wearing a face mask, and using hand sanitizer universally adopted. Having always strived to create a truly exceptional shopping experience, PMT The Hour Glass, Thailand’s leading specialty luxury watch retail group, introduces the new campaign #SafetyisNewLuxury to pave the way to a new, elevated “new normal” luxury shopping experience tailored for the lifestyles of watch collectors and enthusiasts. A series of exclusive gifts and privileges is also being lined up to present a new shopping experience where safety is tastefully integrated into the new normal luxury lifestyle. Crafted using the finest Poly-silk Mikado fabric for ultra-comfort wear and soft, silky touch on skin, the exclusive face masks are structured with a layer of filter on the inside for personal hygiene. The face masks are available in two limited editions: white with gold accents for ladies and black with grey accents for gentlemen.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 29, 2020 10:18 UTC
Stranded Filipinos fly home from Phuket
Stranded Filipinos fly home from PhuketAirport staff farewell the 183 Philippine tourists as they board a charter flight from Phuket to Manila on Monday. (Photo: Achadtaya Chuenniran)PHUKET: A total of 183 Philippine tourists stranded by the Covid-19 lockdown flew home on a special flight from this southern island province on Monday. Philippines Air Asia Flight Z28271 departed Phuket international airport at 12.45pm. The special flight was arranged by the Philippine consulate through the Foreign Ministry. The tourists were seen off at the airport's departure lounge by airport staff and immigration officials holding paper signs forming the message, "#UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN".
Source:Bangkok Post
June 29, 2020 09:33 UTC
Govt plans B50bn fund for small firms hit by pandemic
Govt plans B50bn fund for small firms hit by pandemicDeputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak gives the keynote speech for the “Rehabilitating the Thai economy in the post-Covid-19 era” seminar on June 24. (Photo supplied)The government will seek cabinet approval next week for a 50 billion baht fund to help small businesses affected by the coronavirus outbreak, Somkid Jatusripitak said on Monday. The fund will provide soft loans to those firms that have no access to funding, the deputy prime minister told reporters. Last month, Mr Somkid said the government would set up a fund worth up to 100 billion baht for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 29, 2020 09:33 UTC
250kg 'ice' seized, 3 arrested in South
250kg 'ice' seized, 3 arrested in SouthPATTANI: A combined goverment force has arrested three suspects following the seizure of 250 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine in a drug suppression operation, Narcotic Suppression Bureau chief Pol Lt Gen Chinapat Sarasin said at a press conference at the forward headquarters of the Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 in Yarang district on Monday. Pol Lt Gen Chinapat said the first suspect, Koseng Cheha, was arrested on June 26 at a security checkpoint at Ban Khuanmit in Chana district, Songkhla province, where the 10-wheel lorry he was driving was stopped for a search. Twelve fertiliser sacks containing 250kg of crystal methemphetamine were found in the back of the vehicle. Mr Koseng said he was hired by Mading Rupe to deliver the drugs to the South from Lat Lum Kaew district of Pathum Thani province. With information from Mr Koseng, the authorities on June 27 arrested Mr Mading in Thepha district of Songkhla and another suspect, Yuso Kama, in Muang district of Narathiwat.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 29, 2020 09:22 UTC
Nightlife to resume, some foreigners allowed in
Walking Street in Pattaya is quiet now, but life is expected to return after pubs, bars and other entertainment facilities reopen their doors on Wednesday. (Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)All night entertainment venues, including wet massage parlours, will open their doors again on Wednesday and some foreigners will be allowed into the country, but not tourists, as virus lockdown restrictions are further eased. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Monday gave the greenlight for all remaining entertainment facilities to reopen from Wednesday. Foreigners who have family in Thailand, and those who have homes in the kingdom, will also be allowed to return, according to the spokesman. Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said health safety measures still have to be ironed out for Thai tourists going to other countries, and foreign tourists arriving here.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 29, 2020 08:48 UTC
Panda gifted by China gives birth to second cub in Taiwan
Panda gifted by China gives birth to second cub in TaiwanThe unnamed cub was born on Sunday, the zoo said. TAIPEI: A giant panda gifted by China to Taiwan has given birth to a second female cub after being artificially inseminated, Taipei Zoo announced Monday. Yuan Yuan and her partner Tuan Tuan have been top attractions since arriving from China in 2008 as a symbol of what were then warm relations between the two sides. Yuan Yuan gave birth to a daughter Yuan Zai in 2013 -- the first giant panda born in Taiwan. China's decision to give Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan to Taiwan was a symbolic gesture when the self-ruled island was run by a Beijing-friendly Kuomintang administration.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 29, 2020 07:30 UTC
Vietnam grounds Pakistani pilots over licence concerns
Vietnam grounds Pakistani pilots over licence concernsA VietJet Air passenger plane is seen on a grass field after rolling off the runway at the Tan Son Nhat airport, in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam June 14, 2020. (Reuters file photo)HANOI: Vietnam's aviation authority said on Monday it had grounded all Pakistani pilots working for local airlines, amid concern from global regulators that some pilots may have been using "dubious" licences. "The head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has ordered a suspension for all Pakistani pilots working for Vietnamese airlines," the CAAV said in a statement on Monday. In a statement, VietJet said it had stopped assigning work to its Pakistani pilots as soon as news of the licence issue emerged and no pilots with Pakistan-issued licences were currently flying for the airline. Vietnam Airlines and Bamboo Airways were not using any pilots from Pakistan, the CAAV said.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 29, 2020 07:30 UTC