How Xi and Putin see a post-Ukraine war world
Just a few days after being branded a war criminal in an international arrest warrant, Russian President Vladimir Putin was talking peace with his most important ally, Chinese President Xi Jinping. The setting for the get-together was the late-15th-century Faceted Chamber, the ornate throne room of Muscovite grand princes and czars. The main topics of […]Continue Reading
PPRP exec wants to keep old coalition together
The political parties of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon and other existing partners should stick together to form the next coalition government, says a deputy leader of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP).Continue Reading
Eye on China, Hun Sen tightens his military control
As Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s plan to hand power to his eldest son gathers pace, the long-ruling premier is consolidating his control over a fractious defense ministry that some observers believe was running parallel but separate diplomatic channels to China. Tea Banh, the defense minister since the 1980s, is believed to have been the […]Continue Reading
New Thai carrier Really Cool Airlines to begin operations by end of the year
A new full-service Thai carrier, Really Cool Airlines, will begin operations by the end of the year. The airline will announce its flight routes by June this year, said CEO Patee Sarasin on Tuesday (Mar 21), adding that the focus is on international flights. “We are excited and ready toContinue Reading
Time for China to spend more and save less
The atmospherics surrounding the recent National People’s Congress all came down to one question: when exactly will China become the world’s biggest economy? Communist Party leader Xi Jinping didn’t offer a specific answer. But it’s clear that the new reform team Xi has assembled is accelerating the timeline by prioritizing consumption over investment. There’s not a […]Continue Reading
Prachin Buri people demand probe into caesium disappearance
Representatives of people from Prachin Buri province have demanded a thorough national-level investigation into the disappearance of dangerous caesium-137 from a local steam power plant, with full disclosure of the results to the public.Continue Reading
Ex-embassy staffer jailed over spycams
A former IT manager at the Australian embassy in Bangkok was sentenced on Thursday to two years in jail for installing spy cameras in women’s bathrooms at the mission.Continue Reading
Philippines’ offshore casinos: Do economic benefits outweigh social ills and crime?
Despite the economic returns, Philippine lawmakers are wary of what they say are the social costs of these online casinos, which have been linked to multiple crimes, including human trafficking. Continue Reading
Biden visit to strengthen Canada’s Pacific-nation credentials
US President Joe Biden arrives in Ottawa on Thursday for an inordinately delayed visit. Conventionally, Canada has generally been the first country to host foreign visits of newly elected American presidents. However, both Donald Trump and Biden have deviated from that norm, of course for very different reasons. Unlike Biden, who last visited Ottawa as […]Continue Reading
Hong Kong bosses in hiring mood and offering higher salaries, as city reopens and visitors return
Two in five executives in Hong Kong expect to increase their headcount this year, according to KPMG’s survey of 1,300 professionals in Hong Kong and mainland China.Continue Reading