Strong earthquake rattles western Japan, no tsunami warning issued
Strong earthquake rattles western Japan, no tsunami warning issuedListen to this articleA building with a damaged wall is seen in Matsue, Shimane prefecture, after strong quakes hit western Japan on Tuesday. (Photo: Kyodo)A series of strong earthquakes, including the initial one with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4, rattled the western Japan prefectures of Shimane and Tottori on Tuesday, though no tsunami warning was issued, according to the country's weather agency. The Japan Meteorological Agency called for caution, warning that seismic activity remains brisk and that earthquakes of a similar scale could occur for a week. Bullet train services in western Japan were temporarily halted due to a power outage after the initial earthquake, railway operator JR West said. Sanyo Shinkansen Line services were suspended between Okayama and Hiroshima stations but resumed at around 1pm, according to JR West.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 06, 2026 09:37 UTC
Democrats rule out alliances with all ‘grey money’ parties
(Photo: Korn Chatikavanij Facebook account)The Democrat Party has indicated that it would not join any parties, in addition to Klatham, if they are supported financially by dirty businesses. Deputy leader Korn Chatikavanij said on Tuesday the party would use “grey money” connections as a basis for deciding on forming an alliance to govern Thailand after the Feb 8 election. Mr Korn said some parties were being financed by “grey money” as the financiers want to see the parties they support become a government to protect their underground businesses. The Democrats earlier named Klatham as the party they would not work with, given its alleged connection with transnational crime syndicates. It changed its name to Klatham in April 2023 and has since attracted a number of MPs from other parties.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 06, 2026 09:22 UTC
Eyeing its own security, Europe muted as Trump ousts Maduro
Eyeing its own security, Europe muted as Trump ousts MaduroListen to this articleEuropean leaders have given a muted response to US President Donald Trump's military intervention in Venezuela. But that was as far as anyone was willing to go as Europe frets about keeping Trump onside in fraught negotiations over Ukraine. The intervention in Venezuela comes as Europe has desperately been trying to mould Trump's efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine. Kyiv's backers are hoping Trump will give solid security guarantees to Ukraine as he pressures the country to give up territory for a deal. Meanwhile experts from the European Council on Foreign Relations insisted that Europe would eventually face a decision on standing up to Trump.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 06, 2026 08:17 UTC
Flash floods in Indonesia kill 14, four still missing
Flash floods in Indonesia kill 14, four still missingListen to this articleAt least 14 people have died after flash floods swept through North Sulawesi, Indonesia. (Image: Google Maps)JAKARTA — At least 14 people were killed after being swept away by flash floods in Indonesia's North Sulawesi, an official said on Tuesday, as the search for the missing continued. At least 444 people have been evacuated to local schools and churches after the flash floods, the country disaster mitigation agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said in a statement. The floods also destroyed hundreds of houses and government buildings, North Sulawesi governor Yulius Selvanus said. The flash floods took place in the peak of the wet season in Sulawesi island, as forecast by Indonesia's weather agency.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 06, 2026 07:35 UTC
Speeding declared main New Year accident culprit
Speeding declared main New Year accident culpritListen to this articleSpeeding has been the leading cause of road accidents during the New Year holiday, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. Speeding accounted for causing the highest share of crashes at 32.57%, followed by sudden lane-changing at 30.86%, he said. Narathiwat recorded the highest number of accidents and injuries at 12 on Sunday, while Phetchabun saw the most fatalities at three. Cumulative figures showed Phuket topping both accidents and injuries at 50 and 53, respectively, while Bangkok recorded the most deaths at 20. Seven provinces registered zero fatalities, he said.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 06, 2026 06:52 UTC
Over 145 nations set to exempt US firms from global minimum tax deal
Over 145 nations set to exempt US firms from global minimum tax dealListen to this articleA tax sign is on pictured on the window of an office in Los Angeles, California, the United States. (File photo: Reuters)WASHINGTON — US multinational companies will be excluded from a global minimum corporate tax rate set in 2021 under a deal agreed by more than 145 countries and regions, the US Treasury Department reported on Monday. "This side-by-side agreement recognises the tax sovereignty of the United States over the worldwide operations" of US companies, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. In 2021, the Group of 20 (G20) major economies endorsed a global minimum corporate rate of 15 percent after criticism that large US tech firms, such as Google LLC and Apple Inc, had booked profits in low- or no-levy jurisdictions. In June, Bessent said Washington agreed with other Group of Seven (G7) countries to exempt US companies from the minimum rate, vowing to work with other G20 members and the OECD.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 06, 2026 06:32 UTC
French tourist falls to his death at Koh Samui waterfall
French tourist falls to his death at Koh Samui waterfallListen to this articleRescuers recover the body of the French tourist who slipped and fell to his death at Na Muang 2 waterfall on Koh Samui on Monday afternoon. (Photos: Koh Samui police)SURAT THANI - A French tourist slipped and fell to his death while taking "selfie" photographs at a waterfall on Koh Samui. Police said he fell while visiting the Na Muang 2 waterfall around 1pm. Local officials, rescue volunteers and police recovered his body, an operation that took about three hours due to the difficult terrain. His girlfriend told police they had just finished taking photos together when Alexis slipped and fell.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 06, 2026 06:09 UTC
World 'moving towards selective authoritarianism'
Colombian President Gustavo Petro on January 4, 2026, rejected threats and accusations made against him by his US counterpart, Donald Trump, who claims, without evidence, that Petro is a drug lord. (Photo: AFP)An academic is saying the crisis in Venezuela reflects a shift towards "selective authoritarianism", noting Washington's arrest of President Nicolas Maduro is a sign of an emerging new world order that is increasingly shaped by raw power, rather than shared principles. Suriyasai Katasila, vice-president for administration at Rangsit University, said yesterday that the United States is facing unprecedented global scrutiny for what is seen by many observers as a direct intervention in Venezuela's political landscape. He said recent conflicts, from Ukraine to the Thai-Cambodian border, have exposed the limitations of international peacekeeping, revealing arrangements defined by coercion rather than consensus. He said yesterday that the long-standing antagonism between the US and Venezuela had set the stage for this latest confrontation.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 06, 2026 06:00 UTC
Key Trump remarks after U.S. operation captures Venezuela’s Maduro
U.S. President Donald Trump spoke on Saturday (January 3) and Sunday (January 4) regarding the operation in Venezuela after U.S. special forces captured its president Nicolas Maduro in a raid.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 06, 2026 05:23 UTC
Police warn of online trafficking rise
The alert came as new figures revealed a substantial rise in cyber-linked trafficking cases throughout 2025, prompting the Royal Thai Police to intensify enforcement and prevention measures nationwide. Deputy National Police Chief Pol Gen Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, also head of the Anti-Human Trafficking Centre, said on Sunday that the Royal Thai Police is prioritising efforts to combat human trafficking in response to evolving criminal tactics. Most trafficking cases, or 246 of them, involved sexual exploitation, which is 90 cases lower than the year before, at 336 cases. The 2025 statistics also underline the growing threat of cyber-enabled crime, with 170 human trafficking cases conducted through online channels, accounting for more than half of all cases, he said. In particular, this concerns groups who may be deceived into working in call centre scam networks in neighbouring countries.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 06, 2026 05:15 UTC
Greenland says 'no more fantasies' after Trump takeover remarks
Greenland's leader declared "enough is enough," and Denmark's allies in Europe affirmed that the Arctic island's future must be determined by its people, rebuffing renewed remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump about acquiring the vast territory.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 06, 2026 05:07 UTC
Denmark's PM says Trump wanting Greenland should be taken seriously
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Monday (January 5) U.S. President Donald Trump must be taken seriously when he says he wants to acquire Greenland, and she reiterated that the arctic island did not want to be part of the United States.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 06, 2026 05:07 UTC
AI takes center stage as CES 2026 unveils tech innovations
The latest tech innovations are on display at CES 2026, from Tuesday (January 6) until Friday. With artificial intelligence being used in many ways to revolutionize humanoids, toys, health and even autonomous driving.
Source:Bangkok Post
January 06, 2026 05:06 UTC
US defends Maduro operation at UN Security Council
Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, rejected accusations of aggression against Venezuela at an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting on Monday (January 5), saying the operation was a law enforcement action tied to longstanding criminal charges. Samuel Moncada, Venezuela's ambassador to the U.N., said his country was "the subject of an armed and illegitimate attack lacking all legal justification."
Source:Bangkok Post
January 06, 2026 05:02 UTC