International news with relevance to Thai and regional readers
The Chinese government sharply criticized COVID-19 testing requirements imposed on visitors from China and threatened countermeasures against countries involved, which include the U.S. and several European nations. “We believe that the entry restrictions adopted by some countries targeting China lack scientific basis, and some excessive practices are even more unacceptable,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning
Twitter says it will ease up on its 3-year-old ban on political advertising, the latest change by Elon Musk as he tries to pump up revenue after purchasing the social media platform last year. The company tweeted late Tuesday that “we’re relaxing our ads policy for cause-based ads in the US.” “We also plan to
Pioneering television journalist Barbara Walters, who upended a male-dominated industry as the first woman to anchor an evening news show in the United States, died on Friday at the age of 93, her long-time employer ABC said. Walters interviewed a host of US presidents, foreign leaders such as Anwar Sadat and Fidel Castro, and A-list
Japanese Emperor Naruhito on Monday made his first public New Year’s greetings since 2020, resuming an annual tradition with caution as the nation and the royal family gradually return to normalcy. Naruhito, joined by Empress Masako, was scheduled to make six brief appearances throughout the day at a glass-covered balcony of the palace to express
Around a dozen countries have slapped fresh travel regulations on travellers from China, as the world’s most populous nation faces a surge in Covid cases following its decision to relax strict virus restrictions. Here is a run-down of the countries that have imposed mandatory Covid tests and other rules on arrivals from China: – United States – As of January 5, the United States will require negative Covid tests taken within two days of departure — or documentation proving
Japanese Emperor Naruhito on Monday made his first public New Year’s greetings since 2020, resuming an annual tradition with caution as the nation and the royal family gradually return to normalcy. Naruhito, joined by Empress Masako, was scheduled to make six brief appearances throughout the day at a glass-covered balcony of the palace to express
South Korea and the United States are discussing possible joint planning and exercises using U.S. nuclear assets in the face of North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said in a newspaper interview. The Chosun Ilbo newspaper quoted Yoon as saying the joint planning and exercises would be aimed at
Two Palestinians, including a 17-year-old, were shot dead during clashes with the Israeli military near the occupied West Bank city of Jenin early on Monday, Palestinian sources said. A statement from the Israeli military confirmed soldiers were operating in the area in order to demolish the home of assailants Israel says were involved in the
Kim Jong Un has called for an “exponential” increase in North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, including mass producing tactical nuclear weapons and developing new missiles for nuclear counterstrikes, state media said Sunday. In a report at the end of a key party meeting in Pyongyang, Kim said the country must “overwhelmingly beef up the military muscle” in 2023 in response to what it called US and South Korean
President Xi Jinping said Saturday the “light of hope is right in front of us” as China faces an explosion of Covid-19 cases after an abrupt lifting of restrictions. Three years after the coronavirus first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan, Beijing this month began ditching its hardline containment policy known as “zero-Covid”. Chinese
Croatia on Sunday switched to the euro and entered Europe’s passport-free zone — two major milestones for the country after joining the EU nearly a decade ago. At midnight (2300 GMT Saturday) the Balkan nation bid farewell to its kuna currency and become the 20th member of the eurozone. It is now the 27th nation
(AFP) – China’s manufacturing activity contracted sharply in December for the third month in a row, according to official figures released Saturday, despite Beijing’s loosening of Covid restrictions at the beginning of the month. The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) — a key gauge of manufacturing in the world’s second-biggest economy — came in at 47
