International news with relevance to Thai and regional readers
The upcoming Taylor Swift concerts in Singapore have received financial support from the Singapore government in the form of a grant, as reported by the Straits Times online. Tourism-related sectors, such as hospitality, retail, travel, and dining, are likely to benefit from the concerts, as other cities in which the pop superstar has performed have
Chinese-Australian dissident Yang Jun will not appeal a suspended death sentence imposed by a Beijing court, his family said Wednesday in a statement denouncing China’s “inhumane” justice system. Yang was handed a suspended death sentence earlier this month after a court found him guilty of opaque “espionage” charges, which the Australian citizen has forcefully denied.
The Royal Thai Air Force plans to acquire 12 new fighter jets — either the US F-16 or the Swedish Gripen — to replace an aging fleet in the coming years after failing last year to procure its No. 1 choice: the most advanced US F-35. The acquisition plan would be released when the Air
United Nations, United States – The UN Security Council will vote on a new draft resolution Tuesday calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, despite the threat of a third US veto on such a text. The document, prepared by Algeria, “demands an immediate humanitarian ceasefire that must be respected by all parties.” The vote comes
Moscou, Russia – Russian courts have sentenced dozens of people detained at events commemorating Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny to short prison sentences, official court announcements showed, with 154 sentenced in Saint Petersburg alone. Details of rulings published by the city’s court service on Saturday and Sunday showed 154 people had been given jail time of up
New York, United States -A New York judge ordered Donald Trump to pay $355 million over fraud allegations and banned him from running companies in the state for three years Friday in a major blow to his business empire and financial standing. Trump — almost certain to be the Republican presidential nominee this November — was
TikTok clips, animation and all things filmed – video is a ubiquitous medium with huge influence, but the knowledge and equipment needed to put ideas on a screen can be expensive and hard to come by. Thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), these barriers are being lowered. Artificial intelligence (AI) industry leader OpenAI announced their newest
Berlin, Germany – Supporters of Alexei Navalny turned out across Europe and in the United States on Friday to pay tribute to the man widely acknowledged as Russia’s main opposition figure, even when he was behind bars. Navalny’s death was announced earlier in the day by officials in the Arctic prison where he was serving a
Protesters hurled soup at a Monet painting on Saturday in a museum in southeast France, the latest action by a campaign group that pulled a similar stunt on the Mona Lisa last month. The Musee des Beaux-Arts in France’s third largest city said in a communique that the attack on Claude Monet’s “Le Printemps” (Spring) took place at
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahindra-Nukara is scheduled to meet the US State Secretary Antony Blinken in Washington DC on Monday to discuss bilateral issues with the Myanmar crisis on the top agenda, according to a highly informed source. Parnpree will leave Bangkok on Saturday for a two-day official visit from Feb 10-12
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin delivered his Chinese New Year message today, wishing a prosperous year for the relationship, trade and investment between Thailand and China and increased visits by the peoples of the two countries. “Thailand welcomes and is ready to provide security for Chinese tourists, as Thais and Chinese are brothers and sisters,” he
US President Joe Biden has confused a European leader with a dead predecessor for the second time in a week, telling a campaign event he met Helmut Kohl four years after the German chancellor passed away. The 81-year-old’s gaffe late Wednesday came days after he said he had spoken to long-dead French president Francois Mitterrand, instead of
