International news with relevance to Thai and regional readers
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday Washington was imposing visa restrictions on Chinese officials responsible for restricting freedoms in Hong Kong, but he did not name any of those targeted. The move comes ahead of a three-day meeting of China’s parliament from Sunday expected to enact new national security
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday announced the city-state would hold a national election imminently as he was satisfied a vote could be held safely despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The nomination day for the vote will be June 30, with polling day to be announced later, the prime minister’s
(Reuters) – TikTok users and fans of Korean pop music took partial credit for inflating attendance expectations at a less-than-full arena at President Donald Trump’s first political rally in months, held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday. Social media users on platforms including the popular video-sharing app have said they completed the free online registration for
LONDON (Reuters) – Prime Minister Boris Johnson will unveil the latest easing of Britain’s coronavirus lockdown on Tuesday when he will also announce the conclusion of a review into whether a two-metre rule on social distancing should be relaxed, his office said. Britain’s economy has been hammered by the lockdown to stop the spread of
It has taken Thailand more than 50 years to develop the healthcare system whose strengths shone out in the global fight against COVID-19. Thailand won praise from all sides, including the World Health Organisation, and has just been ranked second in the Global COVID-19 Index (GCI), which measured 184 countries’ effectiveness in dealing with the
SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea is gearing up to send propaganda leaflets over its southern border, denouncing North Korean defectors and South Korea, its state media said on Saturday, the latest retaliation for leaflets from the South as bilateral tensions rise. Enraged North Korean people across the country “are actively pushing forward with the preparations
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s government will announce in the coming days whether it will reduce its two-meter social distancing rule for England, a minister said. Many employers, especially in the hospitality and leisure sectors, have said the rule that people must remain two meters apart will stop them from getting back to speed as the
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Australia’s second most populous state announced on Saturday it will reinstate tighter restrictions on home and public gatherings after logging a double digit rise in coronavirus cases for a fourth straight day. Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews chastised people for ignoring guidelines on social contact by engaging in behaviour such as kissing
DETROIT (AP) — Protesters marched over the Brooklyn Bridge, chanted “We want justice now!” near St. Louis’ Gateway Arch, prayed in Atlanta and paused for a moment of silence at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, as Americans marked Juneteenth Friday with new urgency amid protests to demand racial justice. The holiday, which
The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) will launch its first satellite into the space this Friday from the Ariane Launch Area 1 in French Guiana, a territory of the French Republic on the Atlantic northeast coast of South America. The RTAF satellite, named Napa-1, will be launched into low earth orbit at an attitude of
MANILA (Reuters) – The head of a Philippine news website known for its tough scrutiny of President Rodrigo Duterte faces up to six years in jail after being found guilty of cyber libel by a Manila court on Monday in what is being seen as a test case for media freedom in the country. Maria
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European countries ease some border controls on Monday after coronavirus lockdowns, but Spain’s continued closure, a patchwork of restrictions elsewhere and new ways of working mean pre-pandemic levels of travel are a long way off. The Schengen area of 22 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland operates control-free crossings, but
