There are no indications Beijing will scale back its military arsenal on islands it has built in the South China Sea, despite objections from countries that see the disputed waterway as vital to international shipping, the U.S. Pacific Fleet commander …
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On cusp of big election win, Johnson claims historic mandate for Brexit
LONDON Prime Minister Boris Johnson was on the cusp of a commanding election victory on Friday that he cast as a historic mandate to deliver Brexit on Jan. 31, Britain’s most significant geopolitical move in 70 years. For Johnson, whose 20-week tenur…
Read moreChina, Vietnam Lead Asia in Jailed Journalists
China and Vietnam are Asia’s leading jailers of journalists, with at least 48 now held in China and 12 held in Vietnam, a media freedoms watchdog group said in a report issued on Wednesday.In China, the number has increased as President Xi Jinping cons…
Read moreCivil Society Marks Human Rights Day With Call to Improve Cambodia’s Record, Save Trade Status
A group of civil society organizations in Cambodia marked International Human Rights Day on Tuesday by calling on the government to drastically improve the country’s rights record to avoid the loss of crucial tariff-free access to the European Union un…
Read moreChina expects tourism shift from U.S., Australia to Asia for Lunar New Year
China’s aviation regulator said on Thursday it expected a decline in airline capacity and bookings to the United States and Australia over the Lunar New Year period for the first time in nearly four years due to a shift in tourist destinations, Trend w…
Read moreFormer Swedish Ambassador to China to Stand Trial Over Hong Kong Bookseller Meeting
Sweden’s former ambassador to China will stand trial for diplomatic misconduct after she tried to make a deal with Beijing leading to the release of Hong Kong-based bookseller Gui Minhai, who is currently detained in China.The decision came a day after…
Read morePhilippines Bamboo Entrepreneur Digs In on Poverty and Climate Threats
LONDON – Mark Sultan Gersava grew up in poverty, one of 12 children of a slash-and-burn subsistence farmer in the Philippines province of Sultan Kudarat.Today he is the “chief executive farmer” of a company aimed at tackling that same poverty, and comb…
Read moreMyanmar Arakan Army Leader’s Wife, Family Detained in Thailand
Authorities in Thailand detained the wife and children of Arakan Army (AA) Commander-in-Chief Maj-General Tun Myat Naing this week at the Thai-Myanmar border and appear set to deport them, RFA learned on Friday.The detentions in the northern Thai city …
Read moreRising Coastal Sea Levels Pose Threat to Cities in Vietnam and Thailand
A recent study referred to by some as a Doomsday Report suggests that rising sea levels could flood three times more land than previously predicted.In Southeast Asia, if the study proves accurate, parts of Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok could be underwat…
Read moreAppeal for blood as National Blood Centre stocks run low
The National Blood Centre of the Thai Red Cross Society is appealing for blood donations from members of the public as blood reserves run low and fall short of demand.Professor Dr. Chaivech Nutprayoon, assistant secretary-general of the Thai Red Cross…
Read moreFuture Forward’s trouble both internal and external
Controversial media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul has made an intriguing point the other day when he warned Future Forward leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit against falling into a trap of old-fashion politics. The young political star was told to keep a …
Read moreKasetsart U lecturer in hot water for proposing change to Section 1 of the Constitution
A political activist has called on Kasetsart University to take disciplinary action against a lecturer, for proposing the amendment of Section 1 of the Constitution, in order to set an example for the other academics and students.Captain Songklod Chuen…
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