Watch live: Malaysia-Singapore Leaders’ Retreat joint news conference by PMs Lawrence Wong, Anwar Ibrahim
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong are holding a joint press conference , in Putrajaya on Tuesday ( Jan 7 ) as part of the , 11th Malaysia-Singapore Leaders ‘ Retreat. Following a formal meeting for Mr. Wong’s acceptance earlier in the morning as well asContinue Reading
Thai officials confirm missing Chinese actor believed in Myanmar
PUBLISHED: 7 Jan 2025 at 10: 23
Chinese professional Wang Xing, also known as Xingxing, has been missing since crossing the border into Myanmar, according to Thai officials in Tak, and they are looking for him.
A safety supply in Tak reported on Tuesday that Thai authorities had contacted all Myanmari authorities to assist in the hunt for the artist, who, according to CCTV footage, had assuredly entered the country from Ban Mae Kon Ken in the Mae Sot city of Tak.
The actor’s family reported him missing, according to the Chinese embassy in Bangkok, and the Taiwanese consulate-general in Chiang Mai state said they were trying to locate him and that the Chinese embassy in Bangkok had received it.
After being invited to attend an interview, the comedian reportedly kept Shanghai Pudong aircraft and arrived at Suvarnabhumi aircraft outside of Bangkok on Friday, at around 3 a.m.
He made the trip via Chai Nat and Kamphaeng Phet regions to the Mae Sot city of Tak from the aircraft. He was last seen in Mae Sot around 10.10am on Friday near the border there.
South Korea investigators seek new warrant to arrest President Yoon
Son of Korea anti-graft investigators were waiting on Tuesday ( Jan.7 ) for a new court-ordered arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose failed martial law attempt threw the nation into discord. The former top prosecutor has refused to answer questions three days over a failed military lawContinue Reading
Bak kwa sellers finding ways to keep prices down ahead of peak Chinese New Year season
HIGHER COSTS OF MATERIALS
According to CNA’s inspections, some significant bak kwa retailers like Lim Chee Guan and Century Bakkwa haven’t already raised their prices as of January 5 as of yet, compared to last year.  ,
Bee Cheng Hiang and other people have substantially raised own.
Fragrance Bak Kwa, which has been able to keep prices low thanks to using cutting-edge manufacturing techniques, said it has been able to keep prices low despite the fact that its prices have dropped since last year.
” We are using various kinds of technology to help us, like using solar ( power ) in our factory to help reduce the costs and better manage the costs,” said Fragrance Bak Kwa’s director of operations.  ,
” Also, we normally pre-order our flesh, therefore we try to get the best value for our meat to keep the price affordable for our shoppers”.
Century Bakkwa told CNA that product prices are rising. It currently pays S$ 45 ( US$ 33 ) for a kilogram of the more premium Spanish Iberico pork, up from S$ 39 in previous years.
The retailer hopes that its new products will bring in more clients, despite the store’s absence of any plans to raise prices. Simbian Chua, the company’s user, reported that sales are expected to be about 25 % higher than the same time last year.
Chinese actor Wang Xing reported missing in Thailand near notorious scam hub
Following rumor that a Chinese professional vanished near the Myanmar border, China’s consul in the Thai town of Chiang Mai has promised to look into the matter.
A social media post published later on Sunday said Chinese professional Wang Xing, also known by his step name Xing Xing, went missing in Mae Sot neighborhood in northern Thailand, which borders Myanmar’s Myawaddy, a city known as a gateway for fraud compounds.
The embassy stated that the family had not been aware of any regional police reports as of Monday afternoon.
It added that the missing actor’s family members contacted the embassy on Friday and received information on the steps for reporting lost people.
According to China Newsweek, Wang has entered Myawaddy and the Chinese ambassador in Myanmar is aware of the situation.
Wang was invited to take part in a video production in Thailand and landed in Bangkok, the country’s capital, early on Friday night, according to a post on social media app Weibo by a people claiming to be Wang’s girl.
According to the blog, Wang was allegedly led through Thai multiculturalism command by a person who appeared to be a part of the film crew.
Wang was immediately booked a hotel room near the airport when a claiming associate director of the movie called him, but later learned that it would be too soon to spend the night there and urged him to get there right away.
He was then driven to Mae Sot, some 500km ( 310 miles ) from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport, before he lost contact, according to the post.
The social media users claimed she contacted both the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok and the Chiang Mai consulate right away after reporting the incident to Shanghai officers.
She continued,” The embassy and consulate told her to review the situation to Mae Sot officers.”
Zhang Yixing, celebrity Jin Chen, and Dong Chengpeng, an actor and producer much known as Da Peng, were among the Chinese celebrities who carried the article.
Another professional, Xu Dajiu, shared his experience of being “fooled” into travelling to Thailand by what he called a “fake movie team” on Sunday and Monday.
Xu claimed in two separate Weibo videos that he discovered an ad for an actors ‘ group chat for a theatre that was shot in Thailand late last year. He claimed to have contacted the person who had posted the advertisement, and that he had received confirmation that he had been chosen for the position just four minutes later.
” After I got off the plane in Bangkok, the person who picked me up was trying to remove my id, but I refused. He therefore left along with the driver”, Xu said.
Xu further explained that the “film team” had to cancel his return trip after that.
” If you are coming to Thailand to labor, especially for play shooting, don’t travel. They are all fake, he claimed, adding that he had contacted the actual production’s director via Instagram and that the advertisement he saw was fake.
On December 30, authorities in the eastern Chinese city of Wenzhou charged 16 Myanmar nationals with operating fraudulent structures that targeted Taiwanese people.
Myanmar-based swindlers lured Chinese people across the border to visit the compounds with promises of high-paying jobs, according to Procuratorial Daily, a paper work by China’s top attorney’s office.
Additionally, the gang is accused of operating sex trafficking and gambling.
US says technology giant Tencent works with Chinese military
A list of businesses it claims to work with China’s government has been added by the US to include some Chinese tech companies, including gambling and social media giant Google and battery manufacturer CATL.
The listing serves as a warning to British businesses and individuals about the dangers of conducting business with Taiwanese entities.
Inclusion does not imply an urgent restrictions, but it may put pressure on the US Treasury Department to impose sanctions on the businesses.
Google and CATL have denied working with the Chinese defense, while Beijing defended the move as “unreasonable suppression of Taiwanese companies.”
The Department of Defense’s ( DOD ) list of Chinese military companies, which is formally known as the Section 1260H list, is updated annually and now includes 134 firms.
It is a piece of Washington’s strategy to counteract what it perceives as Beijing’s efforts to increase its military might through the use of technologies from Chinese businesses, institutions, and study programs.
Tencent, the owner of the messaging app WeChat, responded to the most recent statement by saying its participation on the list was” evidently a mistake.”
” We are certainly a military firm or vendor. Unlike restrictions or export controls, this list has no effect on our company”, it said in a speech to Reuters news company.
The title was also called a mistake by CATL, who added that it “is never engaged in any military-related activities.”
According to Liu Pengyu, a representative for the Chinese embassy in Washington,” the US’s techniques violate the business competitors principles and global economic and trade guidelines that it has always advocated. They also undermine the confidence of foreign businesses in investing and operating in the United States.”
US lawmakers had pressed the Pentagon to include some of the businesses, including CATL, to the list.
Ford, a US manufacturer of automobiles, announced it would invest$ 2 billion ( 1. 6 billion ) to build a battery plant in Michigan as a result of this pressure. It has stated that it intends to use systems licensing from CATL.
A BBC request for comment was not instantly addressed by Ford.
The news comes as tensions exist between the country’s two largest markets.
However, President-elect Donald Trump, who has recently taken a strong stance against Beijing, is due to returning to the White House this quarter.
DJI, a aircraft manufacturer, and Hesai Technologies, a Lidar-maker, sued the Pentagon for being on the roster last season. Both of them are still listed as updated.
Indonesia sacks national football coach Shin Tae-yong, citing World Cup target
The head of Indonesia’s sports organization, Shin Tae-yong, criticized the country on Monday ( Jan 6), citing the need for better management as the nation competes to win the 2026 World Cup. Tens of millions of people in the East Asian island are devoted sports enthusiasts, but Indonesia’s only WorldContinue Reading
Transport Ministry to push priority projects
Red Line, double-track work to begin’ rapidly’
PUBLISHED: 7 Jan 2025 at 08: 11
The Transport Ministry is aiming to establish some essential public transport projects at the start of this year, pending the cabinet’s approval, in a bid to boost the nation’s connectivity.
According to Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit, these projects include the expansion of the State Railway of Thailand’s ( SRT ) Dark Red and Light Red lines and the second phase of double-track upgrades on key stretches in the North, Northeast and South.
Altogether, these tasks require 319 billion ringgit in assets to carry out.
The SRT wants the funds to increase from the latest 6.4 billion ringgit, he said, even though the first one, which would see Rangsit and Thammasat University’s Rangsit Campus connected by an 8.84 kilometer extension of the Dark Red energy commuter rail line, had already been approved in December.
The next project, which may depart from the main Light Red Line, is the building of a 20-kilometer drive line connecting Siriraj Hospital to Salaya.
According to Mr. Suriya, the project will begin once it has received final approval from the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council ( NESDC ) and the Budget Bureau.
The next job, the second phase of double-track updates on important extends in the North, Northeast and South, may cost about 297 billion ringgit to complete.
It will see the one record on six routes– At Nam Pho-Den Chai, Den Chai-Chiang Mai, Jira Junction-Ubon Ratchathani, Hat Yai Junction-Padang Besar, Chumphon-Surat Thani, and Surat Thani-Hat Yai-Songkhla– upgraded to two tracks to increase efficiency.
Veeris Ammarapala, SRT chancellor, said the double-track switch project may be proposed to the case maybe this month.
Once it receives the commission’s assent, the SRT will start the buying process for purchasing and building, starting with the Pak Nam Po-Den Chai and Jira Junction-Ubon Ratchathani sections.
The last to be upgraded will be the Den Chai-Chiang Mai section, as its Environmental Impact Assessment ( EIA ) is still being reviewed, Mr Veeris said.
Indonesia joins BRICS bloc as full member, Brazil says
SAO PAULO: Brazil’s government announced in a statement on Monday ( Jan 6 ) that Indonesia is officially a full member of the BRICS, further extending the group of important emerging economies that includes Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Indonesia, the fourth-largest country in the world, had recently indicatedContinue Reading
Ukraine’s renewed Kursk push flops as talk of negotiation swirls – Asia Times
On January 9th, a gathering in the Ramstein style, which is an informal name for the Ukraine Defense Contact Group made up of Kyiv and friends, will take place in Germany. The conference format names Ukraine’s security requirements. Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, will be there, and Lloyd Austin, the defence minister, will lead the US side.
In two months Donald Trump will be the US leader. Although it’s not clear whether the gathering is intended to defy Trump and his administration, Austin and Zelensky are optimistic that they will implement decisions that Trump won’t be able to change.
This is not surprising because the incoming Biden presidency is essentially conducting a destroy campaign to try to destroy Trump before he enters the White House. Therefore, the presidency has dumped additional billions into Ukraine, including cash for the authorities and weapons, and the meeting is likely to lead to even more difficult decisions.
It is unlikely that any Trump camp associates would want to speak at the Ramstein gathering, as there are no reports that they were.
Zelensky has been preparing for Ramstein by depositing his reserve in Kursk in an effort to keep onto the country Ukraine seized on August 4th, starting next month. The Russians claim they are anticipating at least one more significant effort before the Ramstein meet, despite the fact that the most recent assaults launched by Ukraine failed.
According to the Russians, between January 5th and 6th, the Ukrainians tried 10 individual attacks and suffered heavy losses. Around 480 Russian troops were reported to have been killed or injured in Kursk by the Russians. Russian costs have not been disclosed in any detail. However, reports from the area suggest that the Russians are reversing Kursk’s previous regional losses and repressuring Ukraine’s forces.
The Russians have taken control of Kurakhovo in Donetsk in the interim. The Russians say the Russians committed 15, 000 soldiers it, made up of “elite products, republican structures and international mercenaries”. Russian military observers claim that around 40 Russian tanks were destroyed and that as many as 12 000 Ukrainians were killed or wounded despite the release of no figures from the Russian defence ministry. Krukhovo served as a crucial operational hotspot for the Russian army acting in Donetsk.
Separately, Russian forces continue to advance toward Pokrovsk, a crucial railroad bridge that supplies weapons for Ukraine’s southeast front. The Russians ‘ command of almost the entire city and the battle being conducted in an industrial neighborhood are both about to end. The Russian side has published many reports claiming to have reversive the Russian offensive, but there hasn’t been any confirmation of these claims.
Ukraine also attacked the , Zaphorize Nuclear Power Plant , ( ZNPP ) with eight fixed wing drones. All were intercepted, but elements of one helicopter crashed into the ceiling of the ZNPP Training Center. Ukraine’s fixed aircraft robots are larger and bring more bombs than quadcopters.
No energy leaks or serious damage to the ZNPP have been reported by the Russians. But, Ukrainian attempts to subdue or destruction nuclear power plants are difficult to explain because Ukrainians are the most probable victims. According to debate, Ukraine wants to provoke or provoke an event that will entice NATO to defend Ukraine. If this is accurate, it would be a wonderfully jaded and dangerous move, and it would likely result in the outcome Ukraine desired.
There are a lot of contradictory reports about the efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine. Russia’s UN Ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya said that the Trump administration proposed “nothing of attention” to the Russian area. Nebenzya spoke to Rossiya-1 TV network on January 3rd, which confirmed the December 26 gathering at Dulles Airport entirely reported by , Weapons and Strategy. Nebenzya went on to remark that the Trump propositions were “unformed, obscure signs”.
The Trump administration has kept silent about its upcoming negotiations, suggesting that Ukraine was not the only touch the Dulles” route” had with them.
There are at least three more possible channels: China ( where Trump has signaled that , he and Chinese President Xi , “have been talking” through aides ), France, where Trump visited on December 7th and where Macron now says that Ukraine needs to take a “more realistic stand” on territorial issues ( as reported by , Reuters ), and Germany and Hungary where both leaders, Scholtz , and , Orbán, have been talking with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Due to the fact that Biden and his team had rejected any discussions with Russia or agreements regarding Ukraine, none of these activities have anything to do with Biden.
The Russian military speed is gaining rate after a very slow time, and the different gambits of the Zelensky plan, no question with Washington’s complete backing, remain ineffective, unrealistic and expensive. Any offer may appear, if one does, after Trump is sworn in.
Stephen Bryen is a correspondent for Asia Times and previously held the positions of assistant secretary of protection for policy and staff director of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee.  ,
This , article was first published , on his , Substack newsletter , Weapons and Strategy and is republished with authority.