International news with relevance to Thai and regional readers
Japan could allow up to 10,000 fans at sports events ahead of the Olympics, media reported Wednesday, as organisers weigh how many domestic fans can attend the Games. The measure, intended to come into force after a coronavirus state of emergency ends on June 20, will be discussed by the government’s virus taskforce on Wednesday,
GAZA (Reuters) – Israel mounted air strikes in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, the first since the end of 11 days of cross-border fighting last month, in response to incendiary balloons launched from the Palestinian territory. The flare-up, a first test for Israel‘s new government, followed a march in East Jerusalem on Tuesday by Jewish nationalists that had drawn threats of action by Hamas, the ruling militant group in Gaza. The Israeli military
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cue the fireworks. President Joe Biden wants to imbue Independence Day with new meaning this year by encouraging nationwide celebrations to mark the country’s effective return to normalcy after 16 months of coronavirus pandemic disruption. Even as the U.S. is set to cross the grim milestone of 600,000 deaths from the virus on Tuesday,
COPENHAGEN (AP) — Christian Eriksen sent his first public message from the hospital on Tuesday, thanking supporters for their “sweet and amazing” well-wishes after his collapse at the European Championship. Eriksen remains in the hospital after suffering cardiac arrest during Denmark’s game against Finland on Saturday, when he had to be resuscitated with a defibrillator
Beijing on Tuesday accused NATO of exaggerating the threat from China and “creating confrontation”, after a vow from the Western allies to work together to counter the challenges posed by its policies. NATO leaders said Monday they would join forces against the “systemic challenges” posed by China’s policies, as US President Joe Biden renewed Washington’s
The first crew for China’s new space station prepared to blast off this week for the latest step in Beijing’s ambitious programme to establish itself as a space power. The mission is China’s first crewed spaceflight in nearly five years, and a matter of prestige for the government as it prepares to mark the 100th
LONDON (Reuters) – Prime Minister Boris Johnson delayed his plans to lift most remaining COVID-19 restrictions by a month on Monday, warning that thousands more people might die if he did nothing because of the rapid spread of the more infectious Delta variant. Under the final stage of a plan outlined by Johnson in February, he had hoped to lift most social restrictions on
US President Joe Biden warned Monday that NATO must adapt to new challenges posed by China and Russia as he met fellow leaders to renew Washington’s “sacred” bond with its allies. Arriving at NATO headquarters in Brussels for a summit with his 29 counterparts, Biden stressed that the alliance was “critically important” to US security.
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Benjamin Netanyahu‘s record 12-year run as Israel‘s prime minister ended on Sunday with parliament approving a new “government of change” led by nationalist Naftali Bennett, an improbable scenario few Israelis once could have imagined. But the razor-thin 60-59 vote of confidence in a coalition of left-wing, centrist, right-wing and Arab parties with little in common except a
ADDIS ABABA, June 10 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Child labour has risen for the first time in 20 years, the United Nations said on Thursday, with one in 10 children in work worldwide and millions more at risk due to COVID-19. The number of child labourers has increased to 160 million from 152 million in
Some of the world’s leading charities and health organisations say a pledge by G7 nations to donate one billion Covid vaccines to poorer countries does not go far enough. The World Health Organization says 11 billion doses are needed to end the pandemic, and several groups called for wealthy nations to donate more vaccines —
CARBIS BAY, England (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed U.S. President Joe Biden as “a big breath of fresh air” on Thursday because he wanted to work with London on a huge range of issues ranging from climate change and COVID to security. “It’s a big breath of fresh air,” Johnson said of
