BANGKOK – THA president Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun said that requests from tourists for early hotel checkouts surged by 8-10% nationwide after the earthquake, particularly in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Ayutthaya. Some tourists opted to change their destinations to Pattaya and Phuket instead, he said. The association anticipates that the incident will affect foreign tourists’ confidence in safety over the next two weeks, both for those who have booked travel but have yet to arrive and for those still deciding whether to travel, he added. He expects hotel and tourism business revenue to decline by at least 10-15%. “The association…
Author: Asia News Network
KATHMANDU – The new international airport in Pokhara finally has a scheduled passenger flight—with at least one weekly trip. On Monday, Nepal-Tibet joint venture Himalaya Airlines took off from Lhasa Gonggar Airport at 2:39 pm (Chinese local time) and landed at Pokhara International Airport at 1:56 pm (local time). The flight was slightly delayed due to erratic winds. There were 107 passengers, including 32 Chinese and 75 Nepalis. The 144-seater all-economy Airbus A319 received a water cannon salute welcome at the airport. It was the first scheduled passenger flight from Pokhara since the airport’s inauguration on January 1, 2023. The…
TOKYO – The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) announced on Monday that it has designated three companies — Apple Inc., its Japanese subsidiary iTunes K.K. and Google LLC — as subjects of the smartphone software competition promotion law, a new law regulating very large IT companies in the smartphone application market. The law regulates four areas in which the IT giants dominate the market: smartphone operating systems (OS), app stores, web browsing software and search engines. Its primary purpose will be to prohibit them from blocking the entry of other companies into the market or giving preferential treatment to their…
The death toll had reached 2,719 and is expected to rise to more than 3,000, Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing said in a televised address on Tuesday. He said 4,521 people were injured, and 441 were missing. The 7.7 magnitude quake, which hit around lunchtime on Friday, was the strongest to hit the Southeast Asian country in more than a century, toppling ancient pagodas and modern buildings alike. In neighbouring Thailand, rescuers pressed on searching for life in the rubble of a collapsed skyscraper in the capital, Bangkok, but acknowledged time was against them. In Myanmar’s Mandalay area, 50…
HÀ NỘI — Authorities of Nội Bài International Airport has warned nearby residents not to fly kites, balloons or any flying objects in the aviation safety zone to avoid incidents like the one reported on Sunday afternoon. At 4.15pm on Sunday, the crew of flight VN1600, traveling from Tuy Hòa, the south-central province of Phú Yên, to Hà Nội detected a kite at an altitude of about 500 feet, approximately 3km from the threshold of runway 11L. Upon receiving this information from the crew, the control tower promptly notified relevant authorities to handle the situation, ensuring absolute safety for flight…
TOKYO – It has been discovered that junior and senior high school students who became acquainted through online games had been committing crimes using their own advanced computer program that they created with generative AI. As the digitalization of society progresses, specialized knowledge and technology is becoming increasingly accessible to children. Children need to be made aware that if they commit crimes thoughtlessly, even in the highly anonymous online space, it cannot be undone. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has arrested three junior and senior high school students aged 14 to 16 on suspicion of violating such laws as one…
BANGKOK – In promotional material posted on its official social media channels in 2024, China Railway No. 10 Engineering Group declared that its first super high-rise project built overseas would duly become its “calling card” in Thailand. A video on the state-owned Chinese contractor’s Douyin account boasted soaring drone shots of the more than 30-storey building in Bangkok, set to a frantic music score. The skyscraper bore a red banner emblazoned with Chinese characters marking the “auspicious” occasion of the tower’s “topping out”, a construction milestone referring to the completion of a building’s structural framework. On its official WeChat public…
BANGKOK – Experts warn of mass casualties and aid challenges amidst devastating seismic event and ongoing conflict A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck central Myanmar has prompted geologists and disaster experts to warn of potentially devastating consequences, citing the quake’s shallow depth, the region’s vulnerable infrastructure, and the complicating factor of an ongoing civil war. Jess Phoenix, a geologist speaking to CNN, described the earthquake’s energy release as equivalent to 334 atomic bombs, warning that aftershocks will continue to pose a significant threat for months. She highlighted the ongoing collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates as a…
KUALA LUMPUR – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) said on March 29 that it stands ready to support relief and recovery efforts following the powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck central Myanmar on March 28. “ASEAN reaffirms its solidarity with the families and communities affected by the earthquake and its impact,” ASEAN said in a statement, extending its deepest sympathies and condolences to the people of Myanmar and Thailand. Recognising the urgent need for humanitarian assistance, ASEAN said its relief and recovery efforts include deploying the ASEAN-Emergency Response and Assessment Team, utilising the Disaster Emergency Logistics System for ASEAN,…
DHAKA – Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, along with 72 others, has been sued for conspiring to overthrow the interim government through a civil war. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police filed the sedition case with the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The court took cognisance of the case and directed the CID to investigate, said a press release issued by the CID yesterday. According to the case statement, the CID received information about an online meeting held on December 19, 2024, where participants formed a platform called the “Joy Bangla Brigade” and discussed plans to bring ousted…