International news with relevance to Thai and regional readers
The World Economic Forum (WEF) on Monday postponed its annual meeting in Davos due to the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, putting off the event scheduled for January until mid-2022. A month before world business and political leader were due to gather in the Swiss ski resort, its organisers said they had decided to
Beijing (AFP) – Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai has denied accusing anyone of sexual assault in her first media comments since publicly alleging that a top Communist Party official forced her to have sex. The quickly-censored claims posted on social media last month by the former Wimbledon and French Open doubles champion sparked international concern, with the
Pro-Beijing candidates dominated Hong Kong’s legislative elections, beating out moderates and independents in the city’s first public poll after Beijing passed a resolution to amend the city’s election laws. Candidates loyal to Beijing won a majority of the seats in Sunday’s election after the laws were changed to ensure that only pro-Beijing “patriots” could run
Osaka (AFP) – At least 24 people were killed after a blaze gutted a mental health clinic in a commercial building in the Japanese city of Osaka on Friday, local media said, with police reportedly considering the incident a possible arson. The charred interior of the clinic was visible through blackened and broken window frames as firefighters
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Friday commemorated the 10th anniversary of former leader Kim Jong Il’s death with calls for greater public loyalty toward his son and current leader Kim Jong Un, who is struggling to navigate the country out of deepening pandemic-related hardships. In his 10 years at the helm of
The European Union is under assault from Russia on multiple fronts and must unite behind new economic sanctions, Baltic and central European leaders said on Thursday, with Lithuania citing a risk of possible Russian military strikes from Belarus. The warnings at an EU summit were some of the most direct in recent weeks as the
Paris (AFP) – There are currently 488 media professionals imprisoned around the world, the highest number since Reporters Without Borders began counting more than 25 years ago, the NGO announced Thursday. By contrast, the number killed this year — 46 — was the lowest since it began issuing annual tallies, due to the relative stabilisation of conflicts
HONOLULU (Reuters) – U.S. military commanders in the Pacific have built a software tool to predict how the Chinese government will react to U.S. actions in the region like military sales, U.S.-backed military activity and even congressional visits to hotspots like Taiwan. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks was briefed on the new tool during a visit to United States Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii on Tuesday. The tool calculates “strategic
BERLIN, Dec 15 (Reuters) – German police said on Wednesday they had uncovered a plot by anti-vaccination activists in Saxony to murder the eastern German state’s premier, adding to concerns about increasingly violent protests over plans for mandatory vaccinations. The plan to kill Michael Kretschmer, leader of a state in which COVID-19 infection rates are
It has long been a dream of South Korean President Moon to formally end the war with the North, but analysts caution the idea may not be strategically sound or politically feasible. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said this week that the US, China and North Korea agreed in principle on declaring a formal end to the Korean
BRUSSELS (AP) — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday that omicron is expected to be the dominant coronavirus variant in the 27-nation bloc by mid-January, amid concerns that a dramatic rise of in infections will leave Europe shrouded in gloom during the festive season. The head of the EU’s executive branch, however, said that
TAIPEI (Reuters) – Nicaragua’s decision last week to cut ties with Taiwan was part of a deliberate move by China to target the island’s diplomatic allies after it was excluded from a democracy summit hosted by Washington, Taiwan’s foreign minister said on Tuesday. Nicaragua broke its longstanding diplomatic ties with Taiwan last week, switching allegiance to Beijing in a
