Bangkok

World 03/20/19, 20:24

The leader of Thailand's oldest political party said if he becomes prime minister after Sunday's elections, he will make forceful but careful efforts to undo undemocratic provisions in the constitution imposed by the military government that seized power in 2014.Abhisit Vejjajiva, head of the Democrat Party and a former prime ...

World 03/20/19, 00:46

Pocketbook issues may not sway the outcome of Sunday's election in Thailand, given the bigger debate among voters over whether they support or oppose the military junta that has ruled the country since a 2014 coup.Experts say that widespread dissatisfaction, especially among the have-nots, with how the economy is doing ...

World 03/19/19, 00:36

Fall armyworms, a longtime American pest, are munching their way around the globe, raising alarm now in Asia after entrenching themselves in Africa.Experts say the insect was first found outside the Americas in 2016, in Africa, where it has infested up to half of some crops of maize, sorghum and ...

World 03/14/19, 20:06

You could call it the 7 million-voter question: Will young people like the ones who turned out on a recent Saturday night to listen to politically hip rappers also make it to the polls for Thailand's upcoming general election? And do they share the anger at the established order being ...

Soccer 03/11/19, 22:34

A former Bahraini soccer player and refugee has become an Australian citizen, after a detention in a Thai prison and an extradition request from his homeland raised international concern.Hakeem al-Araiby told reporters he's "an Aussie now" and is happy to be safe.The 25-year-old soccer player fled Bahrain citing political repression ...

Business 03/11/19, 02:58

Shares were mostly higher in Asia on Monday as investors awaited further developments in trade talks between the U.S. and China.The Shanghai Composite jumped 1.9 percent to 3,026.99 and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong gained 0.9 percent to 28,494.76. Japan's Nikkei 225 index added 0.5 percent to 21,125.09 and ...

World 03/01/19, 00:15

The Associated Press has named Ken Moritsugu as its new Greater China News Director.From a base in Beijing, Moritsugu will oversee reporters, photographers, videojournalists and researchers in the Chinese capital and in AP bureaus in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei, Taiwan.The announcement of his appointment to the new role was ...

Soccer 02/18/19, 03:41

Australian Federal Police did not know a Bahraini soccer player was a refugee who feared persecution in his homeland when the agency alerted Bahrain and Thailand that he was on a flight bound for Bangkok, a top police official said Monday.Police Deputy Commissioner Ramzi Jabbour told a Senate committee the ...

Soccer 02/13/19, 19:33

A refugee soccer player who was detained in Thailand for three months under threat of extradition to Bahrain came to the Australian capital on Thursday to thank the prime minister for his freedom.Hakeem al-Araibi flew to Canberra on Wednesday, only a day after arriving home in Melbourne on a flight ...

Soccer 02/11/19, 21:42

A refugee soccer player has returned home to a celebrity welcome in Australia hours after the threat of extradition to Bahrain was lifted three months after he was detained in Thailand.Hundreds of supporters carrying welcome signs were waiting at Melbourne Airport on Tuesday when Hakeem al-Araibi arrived on a commercial ...

World 02/08/19, 04:45

Red lanterns adore a temple fair for the Lunar New Year in Beijing.In other images from the Asia-Pacific region this week, Australian-based soccer player Hakeem al-Araibi arrives for a hearing in a Bangkok court as he fights extradition request by Bahrain, the country he fled citing political persecution.Chinese travelers endure ...

Europe 02/08/19, 03:04

The selection of the elder sister of Thailand's king as a political party nominee for prime minister has upended a tradition of the palace playing no public role in politics. Most but not all modern monarchies steer clear of direct involvement in electoral politics or governing. Here is a look ...

Sports 02/06/19, 06:27

Thailand's government insisted Monday it cannot free a detained soccer player who has refugee status in Australia until hearings on Bahrain's request for his extradition are completed.Thailand has come under great pressure from Australia's government, sporting bodies and human rights groups to send Hakeem al-Araibi back to Australia. He was ...

Soccer 02/05/19, 19:36

Australian soccer authorities have canceled a game in Thailand to protest the continued detention in Bangkok of a refugee player who is fighting extradition to Bahrain.Football Federation Australia announced Wednesday it had scrapped the game against China, a scheduled warmup ahead of next month's qualifiers for the Asian under-23 championships.Former ...

Sports 02/04/19, 02:39

The Latest on a detained soccer player's extradition case in Thailand (all times local):1:30 p.m.The soccer players' union in Australia has called on the International Olympic Committee and soccer's governing body to consider sporting sanctions against Thailand and Bahrain following the continued detention of refugee footballer Hakeen al-Araibi in Bangkok.Professional ...

Soccer 02/04/19, 00:59

The Latest on a detained soccer player's extradition case in Thailand (all times local):12:30 p.m.A soccer player who has refugee status in Australia has told a Thai court that he refuses to be voluntarily extradited to Bahrain.His home country has asked for his return to serve a prison sentence for ...

Soccer 02/03/19, 21:27

A soccer player who has refugee status in Australia has pleaded for Thailand to not send him home to Bahrain, which is seeking his extradition to serve a prison sentence for a crime he denies.Hakeem al-Araibi spoke as he arrived Monday at the Bangkok court hearing his case. He said, ...

Sports 02/01/19, 03:17

Thai prosecutors submitted a request in court Friday for Thailand to extradite to Bahrain a detained soccer player who has refugee status in Australia.Hakeem al-Araibi, a former player on Bahrain's national team, has said he fled his home country due to political repression and human rights groups and activists fear ...

World 01/31/19, 22:56

The world's largest annual migration is taking place in China as millions of people travel home to celebrate the Lunar New Year.In other images from the Asia-Pacific region this week, people in Bangkok wore masks to filter out air pollution, which forced schools to close temporarily.Malaysia's King Sultan Abdullah Sultan ...

Health 01/31/19, 01:26

A fleet of drones, trucks and small planes are spraying water to try to reduce dust around Bangkok while the governor invited critics to brainstorm better ideas to improve the air quality in the Thai capital.Unhealthy levels of air pollution forced city schools to close Wednesday for the rest of ...