Coronavirus Update for Phuket & Thailand
Thursday 13th of January, 2022: As of January 12th Phuket has had 452 new local infections confirmed across the island, but no new deaths, bringing the total number of people recognised as infected with COVID-19 in Phuket since Apr 3 to 24,968. Phuket is still open to...
Russia prepares to seize western firms looking to leave
May 26 (Reuters) – Russia is advancing a new law allowing it to take control of the local businesses of western companies that decide to leave in the wake of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, raising the stakes for multinationals trying to exit. The law, which could be in...
Cambodia hails US ties, seeks relief on China-linked sanctions
DAVOS (BLOOMBERG) - Cambodia said ties with the US had improved significantly and it expects the Biden administration to lift sanctions imposed over its ties with China "very soon," a senior minister said on Wednesday (May 25). "We're pushing very hard," Mr Kao...
Relaxation of mask requirement may start in provinces with improved COVID status
Some provinces in the “Green” and “Blue” zones, where the COVID-19 situation has improved satisfactorily, should be the pilot areas for the relaxation of the requirement to wear face masks in public, according to the Department of Disease Control. Other factors should...
Thai Mekong Campaigner Awarded Prominent Environmental Prize
AdvertisementA Thai environmental activist who successfully campaigned against a China-led Mekong River channel deepening project is among the recipients of the 2022 Goldman Environmental Prize. Niwat Roykaew is the head of the grassroots environmental group Rak...
Malaysia’s Domestic Political Turbulence Threatens to Derail its Foreign Policy
AdvertisementIt has been a hectic month for Malaysia on multiple fronts. The long-awaited U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit concluded on May 13 with a joint statement that reiterated multiple commitments including Indo-Pacific security, regional economic initiatives, and...
Blast tears through Kabul mosque, killing at least five
KABUL (REUTERS) - A blast tore through a mosque in Afghanistan’s capital on Wednesday evening (May 25), killing at least five people, authorities and hospitals said, the same day deadly explosions hit passenger vehicles in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif. A...
Disaster prevention, risk reduction, critical to sustainable future: UN deputy chief
Ms. Mohammed was speaking at the opening of the Seventh Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction - the first international forum on the issue since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic - bringing together governments, the UN and key stakeholders.During the...
Thai rural environmentalist wins 2022 Goldman Environmental Prize
A rural Thai teacher-turned committed protector of the mighty Mekong River, Niwat Roykaew, aka “Teacher Thi”, has been awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize for 2022, along with five other grassroots environmentalists. The other awardees are from...
Pakistan police fire teargas, baton-charge supporters of ousted PM Khan
ISLAMABAD (REUTERS) - Pakistani police fired teargas and baton-charged supporters of ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday (May 25) to block them from reaching the capital Islamabad, officials and witnesses said. Political and economic volatility has deepened...
Cryptocurrency tax exempt for trades on approved exchanges until end of 2023
Investors who trade cryptocurrencies or digital tokens through properly registered exchanges will be entitled to a 7% VAT exemption on the transfer of the digital assets, retroactively from April 1st 2022 until December 31st 2023, according a Royal Decree published in...
Marcos Considering Extension of Key US-Philippines Security Pact
AdvertisementA month ahead of taking office, Philippine President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told a U.S. official that he is considering the “re-signing or the extension” of a key military pact between the Philippines and the United States.Marcos, who won a landslide...
Japan-Trained Myanmar Air Force Officer Took Part in Bombing Raids: Activists
AdvertisementHuman rights groups are calling on the government of Japan to cease training of Myanmar military officers, after it emerged that a Japanese-trained air force commander took part in bombing raids on civilian militia forces opposed to the country’s military...