russia ukraine

  • World News

    Mysterious drone attack damages Moscow buildings, raises security concerns

    Numerous buildings in Moscow sustained damage following an unidentified drone attack, although no serious injuries or fatalities were reported. Russian security services continue to investigate the incident, with no confirmation of the origin of the drones. Sergey Sobyanin, Moscow Mayor, assured that no one sustained serious injuries from the attack and emergency responders reached all affected areas. Social media footage…

  • World News

    Russia warns Kyiv of harsh response to future incursions after Belgorod attack

    Russia has issued a stern warning to Kyiv, stating that it will retaliate “extremely” harshly to any future incursions, following a significant attack on Russian soil. This comes after Moscow deployed jets and artillery to repel an armed group that crossed over from Ukraine. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu addressed military officials, stating that Russia would continue to respond promptly…

  • World News

    Council of Europe gathers to discuss future prosecution of Russian leaders

    A year after Russia’s expulsion from the Council of Europe (CoE) due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the leaders of the 46-nation human rights body convened in Iceland to take preliminary steps toward the potential prosecution of Russian leaders. The summit’s main focus was the creation of a “register of damages” to document evidence for use in a special…

  • World News

    Tributes pour in for AFP journalist killed in Ukraine

    Grief and condolences have been flooding in following the tragic death of AFP journalist Arman Soldin, who was killed while covering the conflict in Ukraine – Europe’s deadliest since World War II. Soldin’s death occurred when the AFP team he was with came under fire by Grad rockets while accompanying a group of Ukrainian soldiers near Bakhmut, which has remained…

  • World News

    Russian trains hit by explosives near Ukraine

    An unidentified explosive device has derailed a Russian freight train near the border with Ukraine, marking the second such incident in two consecutive days. This comes amid a series of attacks in Russia and Crimea, including a drone strike on an oil depot and power lines being blown up near Saint Petersburg. The explosions and strikes come as Russia prepares…

  • China News

    Xi tells world to stop interfering in China’s internal affairs

    President Xi Jinping sprung no surprises in his opening speech at China’s 20th Party Congress in Beijing yesterday. The Chinese leader emphasized his commitment to the mainland’s zero-Covid-19 policy, safeguarding national security, attracting talent, and a pledge toward the one country, two systems principle of socialism with Chinese characteristics in Hong Kong, Macau, and the eventual reunification of Taiwan. In…

  • Politics News

    Thailand’s nonpartisan stance sensible in China-US Cold War

    Thailand yesterday was urged to maintain its neutrality as tensions between the globe’s two economic giants, China and the United States, continue to gather pace. Thailand last week was criticized for maintaining a neutral stance regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict as the West continues to impose sanctions on the former Soviet state. The kingdom has been also condemned in the past…

  • China News

    The QUAD Summit in Tokyo – what is QUAD, who’s attending and what are they talking about?

    Leaders of the US, Australia, Japan and India are meeting today at the QUAD Summit 2022 in Tokyo to discuss the ever-growing economic influence of China in the region, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and India’s ongoing trade war and relationship with Russia. US President Joe Biden yesterday stoked regional political fires, prior to today’s summit, during a media conference with…

  • World News

    Thailand’s PM Prayut invites US to invest in supply chains

    As part of his visit to the US, Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has attended the 2nd ASEAN-US Special Summit in Washington last week. Now, he is inviting the US to invest or set up supply chains in Thailand to fill gaps created by the Russia-Ukraine crisis. And not the least the ongoing disruption of China’s part in the supply chain…

  • World News

    Ukraine’s Zelensky defies Russia’s ultimatum to lay down weapons

    As Russian forces plunder through the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky says the situation there is “inhuman”. Russian troops first encircled Mariupol last month. Yesterday (Saturday), Russia gave Ukrainian forces an ultimatum to lay down their weapons by 6am Moscow time (10am Bangkok time) today. In response, Zelensky hit back by warning Russia… “the elimination of our…

  • World News

    Russian tourism staff claims interest in Thailand travel has spiked for Russians

    More Russians are reportedly interested in venturing down to Thailand. After Russia announced earlier this week it would lift Covid-19 restrictions on flights to 52 countries, starting April 9, some Russian tourism staff claim there was a massive increase in Thailand search inquiries by Russians. Searches for tickets to Thailand reportedly went up by 20%, according to one popular vacation…

  • World News

    Missile attack on train station kills 52 Ukrainians, Russia denies involvement

    Six weeks after Russia first invaded Ukraine, a missile struck a train station in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk yesterday, killing 52 people. Russia denies being behind the attack, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the bombing had been reported in Russia before the missiles had even landed. Zelensky said the attack showed “evil with no limits”. Zelensky called for…

  • World News

    What do Thais of different ages think of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?

    Thais of different ages appear to have a wide range of opinions on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Young Thais are more likely to support Ukraine against Russia’s invasion than older generations, according to some academics. A professor of international relations at Thammasat University, Kitti Prasirtsuk, told the Guardian that the way young Thais think of their own government has impacted their…

  • World News

    Phuket’s Soi Dog Foundation to give US$250,000 to Ukrainian pets

    Phuket’s Soi Dog Foundation plans to give a grant of US$250,ooo to a clinic in Poland for Ukrainian pets whose owners fled Russia’s invasion. The money will also help a Polish animal society give immediate care to pets in desperate need right now. An estimated 40,000 dogs and cats have come with their owners to Poland since the invasion began…

  • World News

    Russia conducts drills on territory disputed with Japan

    Japanese media reported today that over 3,000 Russian troops are conducting military drills on Tokyo’s Kuril islands. Japan’s Foreign Ministry and Prime Minister’s Office could not be reached outside business hours to comment on the exercises. Russia calls the chain of four islands part of its Kuril chain, while Japan calls them part of its northern territory. In its drills,…

  • World News

    Amidst shortage, cooking oil ‘mafias’ form in Indonesia

    As the global price on crude palm oil surges, Indonesia faces a shortage of cooking oil. The Russia-Ukraine crisis has impacted the supply of vegetable oil in Indonesia, making palm oil more expensive. In November last year, the global CPO price was about US$1,300 per tonne. Now, it’s US$1,600 per tonne. Indonesian authorities tried to enforce one price, 14,000 rupiah…

  • World News

    Over 100 Thais apply to give stranded Ukrainians shelter, donate 5 million baht

    Ukraine’s charge d’affaires to Thailand announced at a press conference yesterday that over 100 Thais have applied to give free accommodation to Ukrainians stranded in Thailand. The charge d’affaires added that there are over 3,000 Ukrainians stranded in Thailand. He said the Ukraine launched a website to provide free accommodation to Ukrainians stranded abroad. Thais submitted over 100 proposals on the…

  • World News

    Tourism school helps stranded Russians and Ukrainians in Koh Samui

    A tourism school is helping stranded Russians and Ukrainians in Koh Samui stay in a hotel for about 4,000 baht a month. This is for up to 30 rooms at a hotel on Chaweng beach. Many Ukrainians can’t return home due to the violence from Russia’s invasion, while many Russians’ flights home have been canceled. Many Russians also can’t access…

  • Economy News

    Thailand’s power will be more expensive in May

    From May until August, Thailand’s electricity price will rise to four baht per kilowatt hour, going up by 0.23-1.3 baht per unit. The country’s Energy Regulatory Commission is raising fuel tariffs following Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. An ERC spokesman said another reason for the price surge is the declining supply of natural gas from the Gulf of Thailand. Russia’s…

  • World News

    Russian Embassy in Bangkok works with Thai tourism to help those stranded

    The Russian embassy in Bangkok is working with Thai tourism authorities to help Russians stuck in Thailand following flight cancelations and payment problems. At a press conference yesterday, Russia’s ambassador to Thailand said 1,500 letters have been issued to extend visas for the roughly 6,500 Russians stranded across the country. This news comes after the Russian Consulate in Phuket announced…

  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Today | Health ministry suggests dry activities for Songkran

    The Covid-19 death toll is much higher than what has been officially reported, according to a recent analysis published in The Lancet, a medical journal. The analysis estimates that the global number of fatalities related to the Covid-19 pandemic reached 18.2 million by December 31, 2021, which triples the number of deaths reported at 5.94 million. The findings were based…

  • World News

    Ukraine president vows to defend Kyiv “relentlessly”

    Even though Russian forces have killed at least 579 Ukrainian civilians in its now 18-day long invasion, Ukraine isn’t going down without a fight. The country’s president vowed “relentless defense” in the capital city of Kyiv last night, despite Russian troops advancing so far that there are fears of Kyiv becoming encircled “imminently”. AFP journalists say Russians are meeting resistance…

  • World News

    YouTube blocks Russian state media across the globe

    Youtube is now blocking Russian state media channels all around the world. At first, Youtube only banned Russian media in Europe. Youtube’s guidelines prohibit content that minimalises, trivialises, or denies well-documented violent events. As a part of this guideline, the channel said it will now block content that denies the invasion, or claims it is a ‘peacekeeping operation’. “In line…

  • World News

    Russian soldiers kidnap Ukrainian mayor, president compares to Islamic State

    10 Russian soldiers kidnapped mayor Ivan Fedorov of the Ukrainian city of Melitopol yesterday. Ukrainian parliament members allege the soldiers kidnapped him when he was at the city’s crisis centre dealing with supply issues. In a video message last night, Ukraine’s president confirmed the kidnapping, and described the mayor as a brave man who defends his community. “This is obviously…

  • World News

    Phuket call centre for Russians and Ukrainians gets positive reviews

    Russians and Ukrainians stranded in Phuket are reportedly grateful for a new call centre that Phuket authorities set up to help them. One Thai guide who speaks Russian said he took calls from both Russians and Ukrainians to help them coordinate with Phuket immigration on visa issues. “The felt that they were not abandoned”. The director of the Tourism Authority…

  • World News

    Thailand confirms neutral stance, encourages ‘dialogue’ on Russia-Ukraine

    A government spokesman confirmed yesterday that Thailand will remain neutral on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The spokesman said due to the threat by Covid-19, Thailand doesn’t want any international conflict to worsen the public health crisis. He also restated what foreign ministers have said, that all parties should excersise “maximum restraint”. He stressed that PM Prayut has supported a policy of…

  • World News

    Thai Foreign Minister calls for Russia-Ukraine negotiations

    Thailand’s Foreign Minister spoke out yesterday, calling for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. He says that even though it will be difficult, every party wants to see the situation return to normal. He said there will be negative consequences if the conflict is not resolved, adding that if the situation does not return to normal soon, it would “cause an…

  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Update | Thai F-16 fighter crashed during a training session

    The National Energy Policy Committee is meeting today to discuss Thailand’s soaring energy prices, including efforts to maintain the cap on diesel prices at below 30 baht a litre. Like the rest of the world, Thailand is suffering under a wave of inflation and high energy costs at the moment. Yesterday the Deputy PM and Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow said…

  • World News

    Amidst boycott of Russia, Putin threatens Ukrainian ‘statehood’

    Amidst a boycott of Russia by several international corporations, Russian president Vladimir Putin threatened the existence of Ukrainian statehood yesterday. “The current (Ukrainian) authorities must understand that if they continue to do what they are doing, they are putting in question the future of Ukrainian statehood”. The most recent high profile boycott of Russia involves Mastercard and Visa suspending operations…

  • World News

    Mastercard and Visa suspend services in Russia, Russian banks downplay effects

    Mastercard and Visa have announced that they will suspend their services in Russia. Visa cards issued in Russia will also stop working outside the country. The US President Joe Biden said that he welcomes the suspension. Meanwhile, Russian banks are downplaying the effects it will have on their clients. The Russia Central Bank stressed that cards would still operate normally…

  • World News

    Russians in Phuket granted 1 month extension to stay

    Despite Russia banning Facebook in the country just 2 days ago, the Russian Consulate in Phuket has posted on its own Facebook page yesterday to announce that Russian citizens in Phuket can stay at least month longer than the original date on their visa. To do this, Russian travellers must go to Phuket immigration with their original letter from the…

  • World News

    Russian embassy warns Thais “don’t fight with Ukrainians”, threatens prosecution

    Yesterday, the Embassy of Russia in Bangkok posted on Facebook urging Thais not to join the Ukrainian military. The post was originally in Russian, but viewers can see a translated version in English. The embassy alleges that under international law, such ‘merceneries’ who join Ukrainian forces are not qualified as combatants, and have no status as prisoners of war. It…

  • World News

    Russia threatens up to 15 years for ‘fake news’ on military actions in Ukraine

    Russia amended its criminal code yesterday and passed a law making the spread of ‘fake’ information a criminal offense. Intentionally spreading so-called fake information about the country’s military actions in the Ukraine can now be punishable with fines, and up to 15 years imprisonment. Russia’s lower house of parliament outlined a ‘sliding scale’ of penalties for people who have discredited…

  • World News

    Thailand ‘worried’ about Ukraine violence, humanitarian crisis, representative tells UN

    After Thailand backed a UN resolution against Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine, the country’s Permanent Representative said it is ‘worried’ about the ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis in the Ukraine. At a special session of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, the representative said the violence will impact the rest of the world as well. “…will cause wider impacts for…

  • World News

    China asked Russia not to invade Ukraine… until after the Olympics

    In early February, China asked Russia to delay its invasion of Ukraine until after the Winter Olympics in Beijing, according to a New York Times report, which quoted a European official and officials from the Biden administration, who cited a report from a Western intelligence agency. The intelligence report showed that high-level Chinese officials had some degree of knowledge regarding…

  • World News

    China asked Russia not to invade Ukraine — until after the Olympics, Biden officials say

    In early February, China asked Russia to delay its invasion of Ukraine until after the Winter Olympics in Beijing, according to a New York Times report, which quoted a European official and officials from the Biden administration, who cited a report from a Western intelligence agency. The intelligence report showed that high-level Chinese officials had some degree of knowledge regarding…

  • World News

    38 Thais evacuated from Ukraine to Bangkok, 58 more arriving today

    The first group of 38 Thai citizens evacuated from the Ukraine arrived in Bangkok this morning. Thailand’s embassy in Warsaw, Poland, posted on Facebook yesterday saying another 58 Thais will arrive midday today from Warsaw. Those who arrived this morning were taken to be isolated and an infectious diseases institute in Nonthaburi. There they wait for the results of Covid-19…