International news with relevance to Thai and regional readers
Russia delivered less gas to Europe on Wednesday in a further escalation of an energy stand-off between Moscow and the European Union that will make it harder, and costlier, for the bloc to fill up storage ahead of the winter heating season. The cut in supplies, flagged by Gazprom earlier this week, has reduced the capacity of Nord Stream 1 pipeline – the major
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A strong earthquake set off landslides and damaged buildings in the northern Philippines on Wednesday, killing at least five people and injuring dozens. In the capital, hospital patients were evacuated and terrified people rushed outdoors. The 7-magnitude quake was centered in a mountainous area of Abra province, said Renato Solidum, the
BRUSSELS, July 26 (Reuters) – European Union countries approved a weakened emergency plan to curb their gas demand on Tuesday, after striking compromise deals to limit the cuts for some countries, as they brace for further Russian reductions in supply. Europe faces an increased gas squeeze from Wednesday, when Russian’s Gazprom has said it would cut flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany to a fifth
TAIPEI, July 25 (Reuters) – Roads emptied and people were ordered to stay indoors in parts of Taiwan, including its capital Taipei, on Monday for an air-raid exercise as the island steps up preparations in the event of a Chinese attack. Sirens sounded at 1:30 p.m. (0530 GMT) for the mandatory street evacuation drills, which
KYIV, July 24 (Reuters) – Ukraine’s health ministry said at least 18 medical personnel had been killed and nearly 900 medical facilities damaged or destroyed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which entered its sixth month on Sunday. In a Facebook post, the health ministry said that over 50 medical workers had been wounded by Russian
AFP – The World Health Organization on Saturday declared the monkeypox outbreak, which has affected nearly 17,000 people in 74 countries, to be a global health emergency — the highest alarm it can sound. “I have decided that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia’s military fired a barrage of missiles Saturday at an airfield in central Ukraine, killing at least three people, while Ukrainian forces launched rocket strikes on river crossings in a Russian-occupied southern region. The attacks on key infrastructure on the 150th day of Russia’s war in Ukraine marked new attempts by
As the World Health Organization’s emergency committee convened Thursday to consider for the second time within weeks whether to declare monkeypox a global crisis, some scientists said the striking differences between the outbreaks in Africa and in developed countries will complicate any coordinated response. African officials say they are already treating the continent’s epidemic as
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday and went into isolation with mild symptoms. White House officials went all-out to show that the 79-year-old U.S. leader could power through the virus and keep working because he was vaccinated and boosted. In a navy blazer and Oxford shirt, Biden recorded a
HONG KONG (AP) — The oldest-ever male giant panda in captivity has died at age 35 at a Hong Kong theme park after his health deteriorated. An An lived most of his life at Ocean Park after he and a female panda were gifted to Hong Kong by China in 1999. The female panda, Jia
July 21 (Reuters) – Russia is resuming supplies of gas via a major pipeline to Europe on Thursday, the pipeline operator said, amid concerns Moscow would use its vast energy exports to push back against Western pressure over its invasion of Ukraine. The resumption of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline at reduced capacity following a
China appears determined on using force in Taiwan, with Russia’s experience in Ukraine affecting Beijing’s calculations on when and how — not whether — to invade, the head of the CIA said Wednesday. Appearing at the Aspen Security Forum, Central Intelligence Agency Director Bill Burns said that China likely saw in Ukraine that “you don’t
