Author: Chalermchai Lamwilai

The Chinese authorities intend to continue facilitating consultations on the resumption of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear program. This was announced on Tuesday during talks with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trend reports with reference to TASS . “China will continue to take a constructive part in the negotiations on the renewal of the JCPOA in the future, will support the legitimate rights and interests of Iran, and contribute to the speedy resolution of the nuclear issue,” China Central Television quoted him as saying. Xi Jinping noted that the Chinese government intends to expand coordination with…

U.S. officials knew about the Chinese spy balloon shot down off the coast of South Carolina from the moment it took off, sources said on Tuesday – leading to further questions about why it was not shot down sooner. The balloon took off from Hainan Island off southern China at the end of January, and entered U.S. airspace on January 28 above Alaska. It briefly entered Canada and crossed back into U.S. territory over northern Idaho on January 30, the day the White House said Biden was first briefed on it. The balloon traversed the United States, passing over multiple sensitive sites, before being shot…

Jakarta is calling Beijing’s bluff. Indonesia has moved to revive regional talks on China’s long-demanded “code of conduct” for the South China Sea. Will it force the new, “loveable” Xi Jinping to reveal his true colours? Beijing is demanding that Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan surrender their territorial rights to the South China Sea. But all have rejected its claim of “historical” ownership of the 3.5 million square kilometre waterway. Now escalating military pressure from China is forcing the traditionally non-aligned South East Asian states to seek mutual and international support. “The situation in the South China…

Survivors of military abuses in Myanmar have lodged a criminal complaint in Germany, asking prosecutors to investigate and bring to trial those responsible for committing atrocities during crackdowns on opponents of the February 2021 coup, and against the Rohingya minority. Fortify Rights, an advocacy group, announced the filing of the complaint on Tuesday. The group said the case involves 16 individuals from Myanmar and was filed with the German Office of the Federal Prosecutor last week. Matthew Smith, CEO and co-founder of Fortify Rights, said the complaint was lodged in Germany because of its universal jurisdiction laws, which allows for…

HANOI, 14th January, 2023 (WAM) — Improving the resilience of the economy and creating a premise for the building of a self-reliant economy in association with active and extensive international integration are of special significance for Vietnam, especially in the new situation, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said. In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), the minister noted that last year, the macro-economic situation was stablised, with inflation reined in and all major balances ensured. The consumer price index (CPI) expanded 3.15 percent, he said, adding that the country’s GDP growth reached 8.02 percent.…

This report aims to provide an overview of the perceptions, needs and challenges related to COVID-19, the vaccine and the booster vaccine among the migrant population in Thailand, drawing on findings from two rounds of IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix’s (DTM) COVID-19 Perception Surveys. The first round was conducted in late 2021 and early 2022, whilst the second round took place from 23 May to 30 August 2022. This report aims to provide analysis on the status quo, including with regards to the COVID-19 booster vaccine, whilst also exploring how attitudes about the COVID-19 vaccine have changed over time. Most of…

Vietnamese EV maker VinFast is going public in the U.S. VinFast on Tuesday said it has filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the first formal step toward a public offering next year. The company in March announced plans for a $2 billion factory in North Carolina and hopes to deliver its first vehicles to American customers by year-end. Citigroup Global Markets, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse and J.P. Morgan Securities are the lead bankers on the offering. VinFast will trade on the Nasdaq under the symbol “VFS” once its offering is completed. The company didn’t say how much money it’s…