World

WASHINGTON :The United States on Tuesday named former senior diplomat Joseph Yun to lead languishing talks with three tiny but strategically important Pacific Island countries, a signal that countering China remains a US priority despite Russia's war in Ukraine. The State Department confirmed the appointment of Yun, who served as U.S. special envoy for North Korea under former US presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, in response to queries from Reuters. "In light of the critical nature of these complex negotiations, President Biden is appointing Ambassador Joseph Yun as Special Presidential Envoy for Compact Negotiations," a statement from the department said. "We are currently engaged in negotiating amendments to certain provisions of the Compacts of Free Association with the FAS, ...

Panasonic Corp. plans to build a U.S. factory to supply Tesla Inc. with lithium-ion batteries, NHK has reported, seeking to ramp up production to meet anticipated demand for electric vehicles. The Japanese electronics conglomerate is looking at sites in Oklahoma and Kansas to build the plant, the public broadcaster reported, citing an unidentified source. Tesla is bringing a new factory online in nearby Texas, where it recently established a new headquarters in Austin. Panasonic has a longstanding relationship with Tesla, with the two companies jointly operating the massive battery plant known as the Gigafactory outside of Reno, Nevada. The batteries to be built in any new U.S. factory will probably be 4680 cells, a new type with a 46-millimeter diameter and 80-millimeter height. Because...

BANGKOK: Thailand's embattled prime minister will hold talks with party leaders in his ruling coalition Thursday (Mar 17) as he seeks to control growing divisions that could lead to early elections later this year. Prayut Chan-o-cha heads a sprawling coalition facing criticism over his mismanagement of COVID-19, a pandemic economy still in the doldrums and simmering tensions over huge 2021 pro-democracy protests that have dominated the past 12 months. The turbulent political atmosphere in Southeast Asia's second-largest economy has seen a weakened opposition agitate for the prime minister to step down, calling for a no-confidence debate when parliament resumes in May. And on Monday, General Prayut's one-time mentor, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, said early elections could be h...

Japan’s Rui Hachimura and the Washington Wizards will play the Golden State Warriors in two NBA preseason games outside Tokyo before the 2022-23 campaign begins, the league announced Monday. The first NBA games held outside North America since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic will be played Sept. 30 and October 2 at Saitama Super Arena, which can expand to a maximum capacity of 36,500 spectators. It’s a signal sport is returning to an era not seen since the pandemic shut down the league two years ago. “Having our teams resume international travel is a sign we’re getting back to a more normal way of life,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver. “The fact we can bring NBA basketball to other continents again is extremely encouraging.” Hachimura, in his third season with the Wizards, became...

BEIJING: China posted a steep jump in daily COVID-19 infections on Tuesday (Mar 15), with new cases more than doubling from a day earlier to a two-year high as a virus outbreak expanded rapidly in the country's northeast. A total of 3,507 domestically transmitted cases with confirmed symptoms were reported on Monday across more than a dozen provinces and municipalities, the National Health Commission said, up from 1,337 a day earlier. China's case load is still tiny by global standards, but health experts said the rate of increase in daily cases over the next few weeks will be a crucial factor in determining whether its tough "dynamic clearance" approach - which aims to contain each outbreak - is still effective against the rapidly spreading Omicron variant. A COVID-19 forecasting syste...

The China Eastern Airlines Corp. jet was flying a normal route to Guangzhou when it suddenly nosed over, at cruise altitude, and dove. That’s about all that is known for certain about the unusual crash that killed all 132 people aboard the aircraft Monday in China’s worst aviation accident in more than a decade. While there have been a handful of crashes in which an airliner plunged from cruising altitude, few, if any, fit the extreme profile of the Boeing Co. 737-800 as it pointed steeply toward the ground, according to veteran crash investigators and previous accident reports. “It’s an odd profile,” said John Cox, an aviation safety consultant and former 737 pilot. “It’s hard to get the airplane to do this.” As investigators search for the plane’s two crash-proof recorders and begin ...

A special Southeast Asian envoy started meetings on Monday (Mar 21) aimed at ending hostilities in Myanmar, a visit met with anger from opposition groups who said it showed deference to its military rulers and disdain for the will of the people. Authorities in Cambodia, the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), have been tight-lipped about the schedule of envoy Prak Sokhonn, which a spokesman said was "to ensure the smooth process of the visit". Myanmar state media showed footage of the envoy meeting junta head Min Aung Hlaing at the beginning of the three-day trip, which aims to start a peace process the generals agreed to last year. Some ASEAN members are frustrated over the lack of progress and have barred the junta from attending summits. The military-controll...

A rapid spread in COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong has put the plight of domestic helpers in the global financial hub in the spotlight after some were fired or made homeless by their employers when they tested positive for coronavirus. Hong Kong has around 340,000 domestic helpers, most hailing from either the Philippines or Indonesia. Many families in the city depend on live-in helpers for housekeeping and to look after the elderly and children, with the minimum wage set at 4,630 Hong Kong dollars ($593) per month. Under Hong Kong law, migrant domestic workers must live with their employers, often residing in tiny rooms or sharing the bedrooms of the children they care for. Reports from helper support groups and local media of these workers being kicked out or fired have triggered appeals f...

How will Russia’s invasion of Ukraine impact the Indo-Pacific? Much depends on how the crisis resolves, but it’s not likely to shape events as many anticipate. Europe is half a world away, Russia has both a marginal presence — meaning it poses little threat — and a distinct role (arms supplier) in this region, and the logic behind diplomacy and national security policy in regional capitals regarding Moscow remains compelling. Sylvie Kauffmann, editorial director and columnist at the French newspaper Le Monde, argued in The Financial Times last week that “a new Europe is emerging” in the wake of the invasion, citing Jean Monnet, one of the founding fathers of the European Union, who said that Europe “will be forged in crises.” She anticipates that this week’s meeting of EU heads of state...

:"Saturday Night Live" comic Pete Davidson has been confirmed as the next celebrity in line for a ride to the edge of space courtesy of Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin astro-tourism company, with his suborbital flight set for next week. The 28-year-old comedian and boyfriend of socialite and reality TV star Kim Kardashian was announced by Blue Origin on Monday as an "honorary guest" joining five paying customers for the company's fourth commercial flight since last summer. Davidson, who had no immediate comment on his selection, was reported to have been in discussions with Blue Origin earlier this month. His five fellow citizen astronauts-to-be are: angel investor Marty Allen, real estate veteran Marc Hagle and his wife Sharon Hagle, University of North Carolina professor Jim Kitchen and Georg...