Delhi farmers protest

A group of Thai parents and teachers against mandates for ATK tests and face masks at schools held a protest outside of the Ministry of Education and Public Health yesterday. Many schools and universities in Thailand are back to on-site classes again, but under the Covid-19 prevention measure set by the Public Health Ministry. Every student has been asked to show an ATK test result before entering and required to wear a face mask at all times. Some parents, especially those who have young children, argue that repeated nasal swab tests can hurt their children. They also say it’s an extra expense parents have to cover. The group gathered yesterday in front of the ministries together with different signs against ATK tests and wearing masks at schools. Some held signs that said “Get ATK test every week costs too much and nonsense,” “Let’s get your child on ATK tests, and you will know how we feel,” “My child hurts, and I hurt too,” and “Public Health is brutal.” One of the protesters … [Read more...] about Parents and teachers protest against ATK test and face mask mandates at schools

Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Ministry has dusted off its calculator this morning and is predicting there will be at least 8 million tourists coming to Thailand this year. A few weeks ago they were predicting 10 – 5 million arrivals for 2022. Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn made the random prediction at the same time he told Thai media he was pushing for the resumption of the Test & Go program next month. He will propose that at a meeting of the CCSA this Thursday.The Test & Go program was part of the Thailand Pass reentry options where fully vaccinated travellers could arrive in Thailand and only have to undergo one night of quarantine in an SHA+ hotel whilst waiting for their, hopefully, negative PCR test results.The Minister said that… The resumption of Test & Go in February still allows enough time to reach 8 million arrivals this year.The Public Health Ministry is proposing to totally delist cannabis from the narcotics list, paving the way for … [Read more...] about Thailand News Update | Legalising cannabis & 8 mil tourist to Thailand in 2022

Yesterday, rangers at Khao Laem national park in Kanchanaburi ordered the removal of four homes, belonging to five people suspected of hunting and killing two endangered Bengal tigers last week. The suspects and their families, or anyone else currently living in the homes, must leave within 30 days. Those who don’t comply will be charged with violating the National Park Act by illegally occupying land inside a park. They risk a penalty of 4 to 20 years and a fine between 400,000 baht to 2,000,000 baht. Rangers had received reports of hunters killing wild animals in the national park. They search the park and found a camp where tiger pelts were hung up to dry and tiger meat was still cooking on a grill. Four suspects later turned themselves in to police. More recent reports say there are now a total of five suspects. The suspects reportedly claimed the tigers had killed and eaten 20 cows belonging to themselves and local farmers. They said they then used the corpse of one of the … [Read more...] about Alleged Bengal tiger poachers must remove their homes from national park

- A + A (Jan 19): Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd is offering bonuses of up to HK$29,000 (US$3,700) to pilots willing to endure Hong Kong’s strict quarantine regime in a bid to get more planes in the air. Captains who fly two so-called closed loop flights will get a HK$22,000 bonus, rising to HK$29,000 for four or more closed loops, according to a staff memo seen by Bloomberg News and confirmed by the airline’s press office. First officers will get HK$17,000 for two loops and HK$24,000 for four or more. Closed-loop flights involve aircrew operating flights for three to four weeks non-stop, staying in hotel isolation between flights and then spending up to two weeks in quarantine at the end of their deployment before being allowed to return home. The onerous conditions and long absences from family and friends Cathay said in a statement Wednesday that for pilots signing up for closed-loop rosters, “we have added opportunities to have more time away from flying after … [Read more...] about Cathay Pacific offers pilots US$3,700 bonuses to keep flying

Paramilitary police officers walk past the mascot of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, January 15, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo BEIJING—Behavior by athletes that violates the Olympic spirit or Chinese rules could be subject to punishment, a Beijing 2022 official said, after rights groups voiced concern about the safety of competitors if they protest at next month’s Games. Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter states that “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites,” although it was relaxed last year to allow for gestures on the field if they are made without disruption and with respect for competitors. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has made it clear that athletes are free to express their opinions on any matter in press conferences and interviews within the Olympic bubble, as long as it is not during competition or medal ceremonies. Yang Shu, deputy director general of Beijing 2022’s … [Read more...] about Beijing 2022 official warns against violations of ‘Olympic spirit’

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin In the wake of year two of a global health epidemic, year one of a new presidency, and the one-year anniversary of the attack on the United States Capitol (also referred to as the Capitol riot simply or 1/6), the job of a political journalist is, perhaps, more pivotal - and more challenging - than ever before. The Cause? Social media, no doubt, is the main culprit, compounding the proliferation of online information (much of which is false and deemed “fake news”). Content creators and distributors of such verbiage are not necessarily reliable sources. Misinformation can be shared across the globe at any given moment, where factual accuracy continues to erode. Destinations like Facebook and Twitter can be particularly limiting and ultimately dividing; where people tend to surround themselves virtually with those individuals who only share their common beliefs. And while some stories might contain a nugget (or two) of truth, … [Read more...] about Celebrating 20 Years: ‘Face The Nation’ Moderator Margaret Brennan Reflects On Two Decades In The Changing News Landscape

Supegirl wins over Ekaterina Vandaryeva in ONE: Heavy Hitters. ONE CHAMPIONSHIP PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—ONE Championship will no longer review the finish of controversial fight results after it disbanded its competition committee. As per reports, the promotion decided to scrap its review body just days after ONE: Heavy Hitters wherein Ekaterina Vandaryeva suffered a controversial split decision loss to Supergirl in their strawweight Muay Thai bout. ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong strongly criticized the decision as he awarded Vandaryeva with a $50,000 performance bonus after the January 14 card at Singapore Indoor Stadium. “Ekaterina easily won that fight, it was not even close,” said Sityodtong in a post-fight press conference. “I just don’t know what the judges were seeing, what they were judging. She was one punch, one kick away from finishing Supergirl.” “I was super impressed. I just don’t see how she lost that fight, but I’m not a judge. We try to work with … [Read more...] about ONE Championship scraps fight reviews, opts for immediate rematch

Representative image Companies operating in consumer staples are expected to report moderate growth in the third-quarter ended December, while discretionary will outperform the consumer goods pack backed by festive demand, project analysts. According to analysts, a slowdown in rural demand coupled with high inflation as FMCG companies battle raw material costs will impact their performance in Q3. “Consumer staples are likely to record slower growth, with volume growth across most firms in the low single-digits, impacted by the rural demand slowdown and the reversal of Covid-related tailwinds,” said a recent report by Emkay Global. However, an increase in sales and a rise in footfalls due to festivities in October and November are supposed to have aided the discretionary universe. “Jewellery retail should see strong underlying revenue momentum aided by share gains. Alcoholic beverage companies should see continued recovery with on-trade channel normalisation and … [Read more...] about Consumer goods Q3 preview: Discretionary to outperform staples, peg analysts

(Image: Reuters) Trade Watchlist Portfolio Message Set Alert live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More × Multiplex firms began the financial year 2022 on a disappointing note with a wash-out first quarter due to the impact of the second COVID-19 wave that led to the shutting down of cinema halls once again after they had restarted in the first phase of reopening. During the second quarter, cinemas saw some revival with theatres reopening in some states and Bollywood releasing a big venture first time in 18 months with Akshay Kumar's Bell Bottom hitting theatres on August 19. In the third quarter of FY22, analysts expect multiplexes to outperform previous quarters and generate positive cash flow on the back of a strong content lineup and reopening in major markets. "We expect multiplexes to show a good revival in Q3, driven by gradual ramp up, increase in the … [Read more...] about 6 things to watch out for as multiplex firms kick off results season on January 21

Trade Watchlist Portfolio Message Set Alert live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More × State-run power giant NTPC has emerged as the top biomass user, having co-fired about 58,000 MT of biomass, while tendering a total of 10.7 MMT over short-term and long-term basis, the power ministry said on Wednesday. As on date, approximately 59,000 metric tonnes (MT) of biomass has been co-fired in thermal power plants in the country, while tenders for 12 million metric tonnes (MMT) are at different stages of process for short-term & long-term duration, the ministry said in a statement. "The biomass co-fired in the NCR (national capital) region stands at 21,000 MT and tenders floated in the region are about 5.50 MMT. Contracts have already been awarded for more than 11 lakh MT of biomass pellets," it added. Elaborating the progress of national biomass mission, SAMARTH (Sustainable … [Read more...] about NTPC top biomass user in India, consumes 58,000 MT, tenders 10.7 MMT: Power Ministry