News

Britain's Starmer meets China's Xi for talks on trade, security
BEIJING - Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, seeking closer trade ties while balancing sensitive issues of national security and human rights.

Unsafe levels of smog in Bangkok and 57 provinces
Unsafe levels of ultrafine dust blanketed 57 provinces and Bangkok and one province, Samut Songkhram, faced a red level of harmful smog.

No ICE at Winter Olympics, says US envoy
MILAN - A branch of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sent to Italy for the Winter Olympics will not carry out patrols and will have only an “advisory” role, Washington’s ambassador to Rome said on Wednesday.

China's ambassador warns Australia on buyback of key port
SYDNEY - China will act to defend its companies' interests if Australia forcibly buys back control of the strategic northern port of Darwin, Beijing's ambassador has warned.

People’s Party stands behind crusading doctor
The People’s Party says Dr Supat Hasuwannakit remains its lawful MP candidate in Constituency 2 of Songkhla province for the Feb 8 election, despite a decision by a Ministry of Public Health panel to dismiss him from the civil service.

Goldman Sachs cuts Indonesian equities rating after MSCI flags investability risk
SINGAPORE - Goldman Sachs cut ​its rating on Indonesian equities on Thursday and said a potential outflow in billions of dollars could be on the cards after MSCI flagged transparency problems and warned it could be downgraded to frontier market status.

Philippines hosts Asean foreign ministers' retreat to tackle regional issues
CEBU, ‍Philippines - ‍Foreign ‍ministers from Southeast Asia began a meeting on Thursday to tackle ‌key issues in the region, ​including tensions in the South China Sea, an escalating civil war in Myanmar and a border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia.

Springsteen releases fiery ode to Minneapolis shooting victims
WASHINGTON - American rock hero Bruce Springsteen dived into the outrage over the Trump administration's immigration crackdown with a fiery song released on Wednesday that pays tribute to two protesters fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis.

Tesla profits tumble on lower EV sales, AI spending surge
NEW YORK - Tesla reported a 61-percent drop in fourth-quarter profits on Wednesday due to lower auto sales and increased expenses as CEO Elon Musk ramps up technology investments.

Online platforms offer filtering to fight AI slop
NEW YORK - As "AI slop" floods the internet, efforts are mounting to stem an online deluge of shoddy images and videos made using increasingly advanced tech tools.