Six Huai Khwang policemen were detained by the Criminal Court’s order on February 2, 2023 for 12 days while awaiting extortion trial against Taiwanese actress Charlene An and three male friends.
The court denied bail saying the case severely affected the image of Thailand and the justice system.
Details released by the court include three e-cigarettes led to the extortion of 18,000 baht or 6,000 baht per vapor. One of the friends of An also reportedly told police that it couldn’t have been illegal since they bought them from a vendor in Huai Khwang District.
Credit : Khaosod
An additional 3,000 baht was paid for the lack of physical passport.
On January 30, 2023 Bangkok Metropolitan Police Bureau issued a statement acknowledging that Huai Khwang checkpoint police extorted money from Taiwanese actress Charlene An as claimed by the latter.
The statement said the investigation is still in preliminary stage and it’s not yet clear if the amount paid by An was in fact 27,000 baht.
On January 28, 2023 National Police Chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas has ordered a thorough and swift investigation on the alleged extortion of 27,000 baht from An at a Bangkok police checkpoint in early Jan, said Police spokesman Pol Maj Gen Atchayon Kraithong on Saturday. No one will be spared from criminal and legal responsibility if found guilty, the spokesman added.
The move came after An hits back at earlier remark by Thai police and a grab driver.
Taiwanese actress Charlene An rebutted late on Friday saying she didn’t drink when Thai police stopped her and friends at a Bangkok checkpoint to extort money and demand police release CCTV footage.
Credit : Khaosod
“Wow, that’s not true at all! I didn’t drink at all,” An wrote on her Instagram account.
An said Thai police tried to shift the topic and they should stop taking nonsense. She added that she’s contacted Interpol about the matter.
“They are saying bad things about me to make them look good and cover up the truth,” An wrote in English on her Instagram account.
The reaction came after Thai Police said late Friday the grab driver of Taiwanese actress Charlene An was summoned and told them he saw no extortion made by police and added that An was “very drunk” on that night. The driver was identified as Vichaet, 40. No family name was given.
Credit : Instagram @charlene_an517
Earlier on the same day, Deputy Police Chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, aka “Big Joke”, said if police officers were found having extorted money from a Taiwanese actress as claimed by the latter they would face criminal charges.
An said she had to pay 27,000 baht of extortion money after Thai police stopped and search her at a checkpoint at 1am and held her and her friends for two hours after she was told her visa on arrival was not valid.
Credit : Instagram @charlene_an517
An, 32, posted on social media the incident occurred on Jan 4 while she and her friends were inside a taxi on the way back to hotel but were stopped by police at a checkpoint.
“The experience was like being in a Mexican film,” An said adding that she pleaded but to no avail. The actress said police also forced her to delete the video clip she took. She wrote that she would never return to Thailand ever again. “Goodbye Lousy Bangkok!”.
Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios arrives at the ACT Magistrates Court in Canberra, Friday, Feb. 3, 2023. Kyrgios has pleaded guilty in an Australian court to assaulting a former girlfriend during an argument in January 2021. (Mick Tsikas/AAP Image via AP)
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Nick Kyrgios had suffered severe depression, suicidal ideation and insomnia in the past, a psychologist told a court on Friday when the Australian tennis star pleaded guilty to pushing a former girlfriend to the ground two years ago.
The 2022 Wimbledon runner-up pleaded guilty in the Australian Capital Territory Magistrates Court to assaulting Chiara Passari during an argument in his hometown of Canberra in January 2021.
Magistrate Jane Campbell didn’t record a conviction against Kyrgios for reasons including that the offense was at the low end of seriousness for a common assault, and was not premeditated.
Campbell described it as an act of “stupidity” and “frustration.”
Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios, center, arrives at the ACT Magistrates Court in Canberra, Friday, Feb. 3, 2023. Kyrgios has pleaded guilty in an Australian court to assaulting a former girlfriend during an argument in January 2021. (Mick Tsikas/AAP Image via AP)
Kyrgios, who was using crutches following recent surgery on his left knee, didn’t speak to reporters as he left court but issued a statement through a management company.
“I respect today’s ruling and am grateful to the court for dismissing the charges without conviction,” Kyrgios said. “I was not in a good place when this took place and I reacted to a difficult situation in a way I deeply regret. I know it wasn’t OK and I’m sincerely sorry for the hurt I caused.
“Mental health is tough. Life can seem overwhelming. But I’ve found that getting help and working on myself has helped me to feel better and to be better.”
Kyrgios’ psychologist, Sam Borenstein, said in a written report and testimony by phone that Kyrgios had suffered major depressive episodes in the past and had used alcohol and drugs to cope. Kyrgios’ mental health led to impulsive and reckless behavior.
His recent knee injury had resulted in mild to moderate symptoms of depression, but his mental health was improving, Borenstein said.
“He’s doing very well,” Borenstein said. “His mental health has improved significantly.”
Australia’s Nick Kyrgios, left, and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic shake hands following an exhibition match on Rod Laver Arena ahead of the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
Lawyers for Kyrgios had sought to have an assault charge stemming from events two years ago dismissed on mental health grounds but the application was unsuccessful.
Kyrgios had been attempting to leave Passari during an argument at 10 p.m. on Jan. 10, 2021, outside her apartment in the inner-Canberra suburb of Kingston. He called an Uber but Passari stood in the way of him closing the front passenger side door. The driver wouldn’t leave with the door open.
Kyrgios eventually pushed Passari’s shoulders backward with open palms, causing her to fall to the pavement and graze her knee, according to agreed facts read to the court.
Passari signed a police statement alleging the assault 11 months later, after her relationship with Kyrgios had ended.
His current partner, Costeen Hatzi, wrote in a character reference that she had no concerns of violence in her relationship. Hatzi was among Kyrgios’ supporters who sat behind him in court.
Kyrgios, wearing a dark suit and using the crutches for support, first spoke in court when the magistrate asked him if he could stand to enter a plea.
Kyrgios replied: “Yep, no worries, Your Honor,” as he rose to plead guilty.
In February last year, Kyrgios opened up about his performance at the 2019 Australian Open, saying what appeared to be a positive time in his life had been “one of my darkest periods.”
“I was lonely, depressed, negative, abusing alcohol, drugs, pushed away family and friends,” he wrote on Instagram. “I felt as if I couldn’t talk or trust anyone. This was a result of not opening up and refusing to lean on my loved ones and simply just push myself little by little to be positive.”
Kyrgios made further references to his mental health struggles during his runs last year to the final at Wimbledon and the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open.
After ending Daniil Medvedev’s U.S. Open title defense last September to reach the quarterfinals, Kyrgios expressed pride at lifting himself out of “some really tough situations, mentally” and “some really scary places” off the court.
The 27-year-old Kyrgios had a career setback last month when he withdrew from the Australian Open because the knee injury which later required arthroscopic surgery.
BANGKOK — Thai universities are seeing a tenfold increase in the enrollment of students from Myanmar after the country fully reopened to foreign visitors.
Rangsit University said roughly 1,000 Myanmar nationals were enrolled in its international college during the current academic year. The most popular courses were health sciences, biomedical science, art and design, international business, and communication arts, according to the private university.
“Myanmar students choose to study at Rangsit University because of word of mouth,” Supattana Nirukkanaporn, head of the university’s international affairs office told Prachachat. “We entered the Myanmar market many years ago. Myanmar’s universities have limited seats for students and we believe the current situation in the country is pushing the new generation abroad.”
Supattana also suggested Thailand’s close proximity to Myanmar and academic reputation were among the factors attracting students from Myanmar.
“Thailand is their main destination. It’s not far from their country and they don’t find it difficult to adjust themselves here,” she said.
The shares of international students in Thailand were once dominated by Chinese students, but now students from Southeast Asian countries appear to take up the majority due to China’s border closures during the pandemic.
Another private school, University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC), said it is expecting more students from the neighboring countries, especially graduate students. The university currently enrolled 200 Myanmar students and has campuses in Yangon and Mandalay.
“I think it’s a good opportunity for the government to promote Thailand as an academic destination for foreign students,” Nattapan Buavaraporn, dean of UTCC international college, said. “We are quite outstanding among ASEAN countries. Most of our graduate students from Myanmar are entrepreneurs and this means they believe in our quality.”
There are about 27,000 international students in Thailand in the 2021 academic year, according to the higher education ministry.
Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods) has initiated the program to equip its internal auditors with extensive knowledge and expertise on food safety to ensure that its food products are safe across supply chains comply with its PS 7818: 2018: CPF Food Safety, Quality and Sustainability Management System” standard. The program will be adopted by the chicken and duck value chains to meet global compliance or obligations and to safeguard consumers including build the customer and stakeholder trust.
Mr.Siripong Arunrattana, Chief Operating Officer – Livestock Business of CP Foods stated that the internal food safety audit and competent auditors play a vital role in ensuring that safe and hygienic food comply with global standards, thereby enhancing the company’s credibility with customers and other stakeholders. The company has launched the “Smart IA-Internal Audit” project in accordance with international standard ISO 19011:2018 to enhance auditors’ abilities, competence, and comprehensive knowledge of auditing techniques.
In addition, this will standardize the efficacy and precision of the internal food safety, quality and sustainability auditing procedures. As a preliminary step, the company was assigned to implement the program in the chicken and duck supply chain. This year, the integrated duck value chain will implement the program following the integrated poultry business in Korat, Thailand.
This project is a component of the CPF Food Standard, which aims to introduce a higher level of food safety, quality and sustainability throughout its value chain in order to establish worldwide consumers trust in food safety and quality of its sustainable products.
Under the “Kitchen of the World” initiative, CP Foods’ Global Standard System Centre will continuously implement this program for three consecutive years to amplify skills and knowledge of internal auditors to become Smart Internal Auditor (Smart IA) aiming to maintain greater credibility with customers and its other stakeholders as well as to strengthen company
A high altitude balloon floats over Billings, Mont., on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. The U.S. is tracking a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been spotted over U.S. airspace for a couple days, but the Pentagon decided not to shoot it down due to risks of harm for people on the ground, officials said Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. The Pentagon would not confirm that the balloon in the photo was the surveillance balloon. (Larry Mayer/The Billings Gazette via AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is tracking a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been spotted over U.S. airspace for a couple days, but the Pentagon decided not to shoot it down due to the risk of harming people on the ground, officials said Thursday. The discovery of the balloon puts a further strain on U.S.-China relations at a time of heightened tensions.
A senior defense official told Pentagon reporters that the U.S. has “very high confidence” it is a Chinese high-altitude balloon and it was flying over sensitive sites to collect information. One of the places the balloon was spotted was Montana, which is home to one of the nation’s three nuclear missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information.
Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, provided a brief statement on the issue, saying the government continues to track the balloon. He said it is “currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.”
He said similar balloon activity has been seen in the past several years. He added that the U.S. took steps to ensure it did not collect sensitive information.
A senior administration official, who was also not authorized to publicly discuss sensitive information, said President Joe Biden was briefed and asked the military to present options. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, advised against taking “kinetic action” because of risks to the safety of people on the ground. Biden accepted that recommendation.
The defense official said the U.S. has “engaged” Chinese officials through multiple channels and communicated the seriousness of the matter.
The incident comes as Secretary of State Antony Blinken was supposed to make his first trip to Beijing, expected this weekend, to try to find some common ground. Although the trip has not been formally announced, both Beijing and Washington have been talking about his imminent arrival.
It was not immediately clear if the discovery of the balloon would impact Blinken’s travel plans.
The senior defense official said the U.S. did get fighter jets, including F-22s, ready to shoot down the balloon if ordered to by the White House. The Pentagon ultimately recommended against it, noting that even as the balloon was over a sparsely populated area of Montana, its size would create a debris field large enough that it could have put people at risk.
It was not clear what the military was doing to prevent it from collecting sensitive information or what will happen with the balloon if it isn’t shot down.
In a letter sent Thursday to Austin, Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., wrote: “The fact that this balloon was occupying Montana airspace creates significant concern that Malmstrom Air Force Base and the United States’ intercontinental ballistic missile fields are the target of this intelligence gathering mission. … It is vital to establish the flight path of this balloon, any compromised U.S. national security assets, and all telecom or IT infrastructure on the ground within the U.S. that this spy balloon was utilizing.”
FILE – Airman 1st Class Jackson Ligon, 341st Missile Maintenance Squadron technician, prepares a spacer on an intercontinental ballistic missile during a Simulated Electronic Launch-Minuteman test Sept. 22, 2020, at a launch facility near Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, Mont. (Tristan Day/U.S. Air Force via AP)
The defense official said the spy balloon was trying to fly over the Montana missile fields, but the U.S. has assessed that it has “limited” value in terms of providing China intelligence it couldn’t already collect by other means, such through spy satellites.
The official would not specify the size of the balloon, but said it was large enough that despite its high altitude, commercial pilots could see it. All air traffic was halted at Montana’s Billings Logan International Airport from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, as the military provided options to the White House.
A photograph of a large white balloon lingering over the area was captured by The Billings Gazette, but the Pentagon would not confirm if that was the surveillance balloon. The balloon could be seen drifting in and out of clouds and had what appeared to be a solar array hanging from the bottom, said Gazette photographer Larry Mayer.
The defense official said what concerned them about this launch was the altitude the balloon was flying at and the length of time it lingered over a location, without providing specifics.
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte said he was briefed Wednesday about the situation after the Montana National Guard was notified of an ongoing military operation taking place in Montana airspace, according to a statement from the Republican governor and spokesperson Brooke Stroyke.
“From the spy balloon to the Chinese Communist Party spying on Americans through TikTok to CCP-linked companies buying American farmland, I’m deeply troubled by the constant stream of alarming developments for our national security,” Gianforte said in a statement.
Tensions with China are particularly high on numerous issues, ranging from Taiwan and the South China Sea to human rights in China’s western Xinjiang region and the clampdown on democracy activists in Hong Kong. Not least on that list of irritants are China’s tacit support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, its refusal to rein in North Korea’s expanding ballistic missile program and ongoing disputes over trade and technology.
On Tuesday, Taiwan scrambled fighter jets, put its navy on alert and activated missile systems in response to nearby operations by 34 Chinese military aircraft and nine warships that are part Beijing’s strategy to unsettle and intimidate the self-governing island democracy.
FILE – Taiwanese Mirage 2000 fighter jets taxi along a runway during a drill at an airbase in Hsinchu, Taiwan, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. Photo: Johnson Lai / AP File
Twenty of those aircraft crossed the central line in the Taiwan Strait that has long been an unofficial buffer zone between the two sides, which separated during a civil war in 1949.
Beijing has also increased preparations for a potential blockade or military action against Taiwan, which has stirred increasing concern among military leaders, diplomats and elected officials in the U.S., Taiwan’s key ally.
The surveillance balloon was first reported by NBC News.
Some Montana residents reported seeing an unusual object in the sky around the time of the airport shutdown Wednesday, but it’s not clear that what they were seeing was the balloon.
From an office window in Billings, Chase Doak said he saw a “big white circle in the sky” that he said was too small to be the moon.
He took some photos, then ran home to get a camera with a stronger lens and took more photos and video. He could see it for about 45 minutes and it appeared stationary, but Doak said the video suggested it was slowly moving.
“I thought maybe it was a legitimate UFO,” he said. “So I wanted to make sure I documented it and took as many photos as I could.”
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Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Aamer Madhani in Washington and Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana, contributed to this report.
Exhibitions : 50 Years in Munich : Bridge Over Troubled Water by Somyot Hananuntasuk
A journey, indeed is what Somyot Hananuntasuk has had in his career – spanning 50 years and counting. Though not a formal retrospective, “50 Years in Munich : Bridge Over Troubled Water” gathers a collection of works by Somyot Hananuntasuk from 1972 through to 2022 – with some never before seen pieces.
Distinctively separated into three phases, the exhibition is an examination of Hananuntasuk’s life stories, one of a young Thai artist navigating his way in a foreign land, exploring his artistic voice despite the challenges and crisis he faced.
ATT 19 Art Gallery
19 Charoen Krung 30, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500
BTS: Saphan Taksin MRT: Hua Lumping
19 Jan – 19 Mar 2023
Tue – Sun 11.00-18.00 (Closed on Monday)
Manchester United's Mason Greenwood runs during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Burnley at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021.(AP Photo/Rui Vieira, File)
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood will no longer face charges of attempted rape and assault, the Crown Prosecution Service said on Thursday.
In a statement, the CPS said charges which also included controlling and coercive behaviour were discontinued.
Greenwood was formally charged in October following an investigation that began in January 2022.
“In this case, a combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction. In these circumstances, we are under a duty to stop the case,” the CPS said on Thursday, adding it has a “duty to keep cases under continuous review.”
The 21-year-old Greenwood was arrested in January 2022 after images and videos were shared on social media.
He was suspended by United and not permitted to train with the team. The club has yet to comment on the decision by the CPS.
Greater Manchester Police said it understood the reasoning for discontinuing proceedings but confirmed its “commitment to investigating allegations of violence against women and girls.”
Actress Savika “Pinky” Chaiyadej is back in show business again after the court allowed the 36-year-old star to remove her electronic tracking anklet while on bail from Forex 3D defrauding charge.
Pinky joined other actors to pay respect to Shiva Shrine at Suan Lum Night Bazaar in Bangkok on Thursday before the shooting of her latest film, Kumar.
“Sometimes fate plays trick on us. It’s up to how we will perceive it. I must consider my life as one soap opera and would like all to see me as a fighter. Let’s see how the drama ends,”
Pinky told reporters her experience while in prison was extreme but she’s now readjusted and the same person, adding that she’s innocent and will continue to fight the court case.
Who is Pinky Savika Chaiyadej
According to WIKIPEDIA, Pinky was born on 19 June 1986, in Bangkok. She is of Chinese, English, Indian, Mon, Pakistani, and Thai heritage. She had an Islamic upbringing as her father is Muslim.
She has two elder brothers, one of which was also in her first childhood lakorn. She graduated from Rangsit University with a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts and later received a master’s degree from Chalermkarnchana University.
Pinky has been in the entertainment business since she was around 8 years old, first seen in a Sony Trinitron commercial, appearing with an ape/gorilla.
She rose to fame in her teenage years when she starred alongside Veerapaph Suparbpaiboon in the action adventure lakorn, Angkor 2, and portrayed as a princess who was cursed by a sorcerer.
On 18 August 2022, she and her mother Sarinya Chaiyadej, and her elder brother Surayuth Chaiydej were among 19 people arrested for allegedly defrauding people of money via a “Forex-3D scam”. There are 9,824 victims in this case and the total damage value is 2.4 billion baht.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd James Austin III, right, shake hands with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during a courtesy call at the Malacanang Palace in Manila, Philippines on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. (Jam Sta Rosa/Pool Photo via AP)
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The United States and the Philippines announced an expansion of America’s military presence in the Southeast Asian country on Thursday, with U.S. forces granted access to four more military camps, effectively giving Washington new ground to ramp up deterrence against China.
The agreement between the longtime allies was made public during the visit of U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who has led efforts to strengthen America’s security alliances in Asia in the face of China’s increasing assertiveness toward Taiwan and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, second from left, walks past military guards during his arrival at the Department of National Defense in Camp Aguinaldo military camp in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines on Thursday February 2, 2023. (Rolex Dela Pena/Pool Photo via AP)
The allies also said that “substantial” progress has been made in projects at five Philippine military bases, where U.S. military personnel were earlier granted access by Filipino officials. Construction of American facilities at those locations has been underway for years but has been hampered by unspecified local issues.
Austin thanked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whom he briefly met in Manila, for allowing the U.S. military to broaden its presence in the Philippines, Washington’s oldest treaty ally in Asia.
“I have always said that it seems to me that the future of the Philippines and for that matter the Asia-Pacific will always have to involve the United States simply because those partnerships are so strong,” Marcos told Austin.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., center, talks with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd James Austin III, third from left, during a courtesy call at the Malacanang Palace in Manila, Philippines on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. (Jam Sta Rosa/Pool Photo via AP)
American leaders have long sought to reorient U.S. foreign policy to better reflect the rise of China as a significant military and economic competitor.
Thursday’s announcement comes as tensions between China and Taiwan have risen. China claims the self-ruled island as its own territory — to be taken by force if necessary — and Beijing has sent warships, bombers, fighter jets and support aircraft into airspace near Taiwan on a near-daily basis, sparking concerns of a potential blockade or military action.
China and the Philippines, along with Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, have also been locked in increasingly tense territorial disputes over the busy and resource-rich South China Sea. Washington lays no claims in the strategic waters but has deployed its warships and fighter and surveillance aircraft for patrols that it says promote freedom of navigation and the rule of law but have infuriated Beijing.
In a televised news conference with his Philippine counterpart, Carlito Galvez Jr., Austin gave assurances of U.S. military support and said the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which obligates the U.S. and the Philippines to help defend each other in major conflicts, “applies to armed attacks on either of our armed forces, public vessels or aircraft anywhere in the South China Sea.”
“We discussed concrete actions to address destabilizing activities in the waters,” Austin said without elaborating. “This is part of our effort to modernize our alliance and these efforts are especially important as the People’s Republic of China continues to advance its illegitimate claims in the West Philippine Sea.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswomen Mao Ning accused the U.S. on Thursday of pursuing “its selfish agenda” with the new arrangement. Beijing has long been criticized U.S.-Philippine military cooperation as an effort to contain its growing influence.
“The U.S. has adhered to a Cold War zero-sum mentality and strengthened military deployment in the region,” Mao told reporters at a daily briefing. “This is an act that escalates tensions in the region and endangers regional peace and stability.”
In their news conference, Austin and Galvez declined to provide more details on the agreement. The U.S. defense chief said it did not mean the re-establishment of permanent American bases but noted that “it’s a big deal.”
Galvez said there was a need for more consultations, including with local officials in provinces where visiting U.S. forces would establish a presence in Philippine military camps.
A few dozen leftist activities held a noisy protest Thursday and set a mock U.S. flag ablaze outside the main military camp where Austin held talks with his Philippine counterpart. While the two countries are allies, leftist groups and nationalists have resented and often protested boisterously against the U.S. military presence in this former American colony.
Demonstrators hold banners as they protest against the visit of U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin outside Camp Aguinaldo military headquarters in metro Manila, Philippines on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
The country used to host two of the largest U.S. Navy and Air Force bases outside the American mainland. The bases were shut down in the early 1990s after the Philippine Senate rejected an extension, but American forces later returned for large-scale combat exercises with Filipino troops.
The Philippine Constitution prohibits the permanent basing of foreign troops and their involvement in local combat. The countries’ Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement allows visiting American forces to indefinitely stay in rotating batches in barracks and other buildings they construct within designated Philippine camps with their defense equipment, except nuclear weapons.
Philippine military and defense officials said in November the U.S. had sought access to five more local military camps mostly in the northern Philippine region of Luzon.
Two of the additional camps where the U.S. wanted to gain access are in Cagayan province near Luzon island’s northern tip, across a sea border from Taiwan, the Taiwan Strait and southern China. Other camps that would host American forces are along the country’s western coast, including in the provinces of Palawan and Zambales, which face the disputed South China Sea.
“The Philippine-US alliance has stood the test of time and remains ironclad,” the allies said in their statement. “We look forward to the opportunities these new sites will create to expand our cooperation together.”
Austin is the latest high-ranking American official to travel to the Philippines after Vice President Kamala Harris visited in November in a sign of warming ties after a strained period under Marcos’s predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte.
Duterte had nurtured cozy ties with China and Russia and at one point threatened to sever relations with Washington, eject American forces and abrogate the Visiting Forces Agreement that allows thousands of American forces to come each year for large-scale combat exercises.
“I am confident that we will continue to work together to defend our shared values of freedom, democracy and human dignity,” Austin said. “As you heard me say before, the United States and the Philippines are more than just allies. We’re family.”
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Associated Press journalists Joeal Calupitan in Manila, the Philippines and Kiko Rosario in Bangkok, Thailand contributed to this report.
TAIYUAN, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) — As China’s Spring Festival holiday film “Full River Red” tops the country’s box office, a county in north China’s Shanxi province is having its moment.
Taiyuan ancient county, where “Full River Red” was filmed, has become a hot destination for tourists, many of whom are impressed by the county’s intricate, winding alleyways and distinct ancient courtyards as featured in the movie.
Aerial photo taken on Jan. 7, 2020 shows the snow scenery of the Taiyuan Ancient County in Taiyuan City, capital of north China’s Shanxi Province. (Xinhua/Cao Yang)
Directed by renowned filmmaker Zhang Yimou, the movie was released on Jan. 22, the first day of the Chinese New Year. The twist-filled film led the January Chinese box office, raking in approximately 3.43 billion yuan (about 510 million U.S. dollars).
Li Qing is one of the film-inspired tourists from Beijing. A fan of ancient architecture, she decided to go to the county the day after watching the movie.
Full River Red movie
“It’s interesting watching the actors going back and forth in the narrow alleyways, and the yard carries very local characteristics. My friends and I can’t wait to see the real location,” Li said while shooting a short video in the ancient county for uploading to her social media.
From Jan. 21 to 31, the county received over 400,000 tourists, compared with about 180,000 visitors during the last Spring Festival holiday. One-third of the tourists are from outside Shanxi Province, local statistics showed.
The Taiyuan Ancient County is part of the Jinyang Ancient City relics found in today’s Taiyuan city. It is dubbed the “Phoenix County” due to its overall layout that resembles a soaring phoenix. (Xinhua/Cao Yang)
Taiyuan ancient county, located in Jinyuan District in the city of Taiyuan, has a history of over 600 years. It is also famed as the “Phoenix County” due to its semblance to the traditional Chinese mythical creature.
Once dilapidated, the ancient county was put under restoration by the local authorities in 2013. In May 2021, the town reopened to the public after restoration.
Snow scenery of the Taiyuan Ancient County in Taiyuan City, capital of north China’s Shanxi Province. (Xinhua/Cao Yang)
“We have retained the original feel of the ancient county as much as possible so that more people can experience the local culture,” said Yang Runde, deputy head of the publicity department of Jinyuan District.
Today, ancient buildings and temples are dotted along the main street of the county. At night, buildings are illuminated, and various shops bustle along the streets. The area attracts tourists with its delicious Shanxi cuisine and traditional crafts such as glassware production, vinegar-making, and flower cakes.
Aerial photo taken on Jan. 7, 2020 shows the snow scenery of the Taiyuan Ancient County. (Xinhua/Cao Yang)
During the Spring Festival holiday, the county is hosting a lantern festival, where customers could enjoy lantern exhibitions, go shopping, taste local food, and watch folk performances.
“We have been tapping into the history and culture of the ancient county. Over the last two years, the county’s cultural tourism industry is more and more optimized, and the activities are getting richer,” said Yang Wenjie, who heads the brand marketing of the county.
