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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40014531

Satellite images released on Wednesday (April 13) showed the Moskva Russian missile cruiser in the port of Sevastopol before it was damaged by an ammunition blast.

The images, released by Maxar Technologies, show the vessel in and around Sevastopol on April 7 and April 10.

Moskva, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, was badly damaged when ammunition on board blew up, Interfax news agency quoted the defence ministry as saying on Thursday (April 14).

The blast is yet another military setback for Russia, which has suffered a series of blows since invading Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what Moscow calls a “special military operation” to “denazify” the country.

Interfax said all the crew had been evacuated. It cited the ministry as blaming the blast on fire and said the cause was being investigated.

A Ukrainian official earlier said the Moskva had been hit by two anti-ship missiles but did not give any evidence. The 12,500-tonne ship usually has a crew of around 500.

Although Ukrainian officials initially said all 13 guards had died in the subsequent Russian attack, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy later said some of them survived.

Maksym Marchenko, governor of the region around the Black Sea port of Odesa, earlier said the Moskva had been hit by two Ukrainian-made Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles but did not provide evidence.

Last month Ukraine said it had destroyed a large Russian landing support ship, the Orsk, on the smaller Sea of Azov to the northeast of the Black Sea. Moscow has not commented on what had happened to the ship.

Published : April 14, 2022

By : Reuters

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40014528

Over 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers have surrendered in Mariupol City as Russia’s strike on Ukrainian military targets with high-precision weapons continues, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

Video released by the ministry on Wednesday showed a Russian warship firing missiles from the waters of the Black Sea.

The ministry’s spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that 1,026 soldiers from Ukraine’s 36th marine brigade, including 162 officers, had laid down their arms near the Ilyich iron and steelworks in Mariupol.

A statement from the Russian Defense Ministry said that Russia has fully taken the port of Mariupol from the Azov battalion and freed all hostages. The rest of the Ukrainian forces and the Nazis are all sieged and unable to escape.

The Ukrainian armed forces said on Wednesday that the fighting in Mariupol was going on, but didn’t mention the surrender of Ukrainian soldiers.

Ukrainian Presidential Adviser Oleksiy Arestovich said Wednesday on social media that the 36th marine brigade successfully reinforced troops in the city of Mariupol.

Also on Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry warned that if attacks on Russian territory continue, its forces will strike at places in Ukraine, including Kyiv.

Earlier in the day, the governor of Russia’s Kursk region said that frontier guards in the region bordering Ukraine had come under fire, and the Russian forces fired back. No casualties or property damage was caused.

Published : April 14, 2022

By : Reuters

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40014527

The CDC cited the spread of the BA.2 Omicron subvariant in its decision to extend the mask requirement. The subvariant now makes up more than 85 percent of new COVID-19 cases in the United States.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday the mask order remains in effect for public transit while the agency assesses the potential impact of the rise of COVID-19 cases.
 

“In order to assess the potential impact the rise of cases has on severe disease, including hospitalizations and deaths, and health care system capacity, the CDC order will remain in place at this time,” the agency said in a statement.

The CDC cited the spread of the BA.2 Omicron subvariant in its decision to extend the mask requirement. The subvariant now makes up more than 85 percent of new COVID-19 cases in the United States.

The mask order, which was set to expire on April 18, will run through May 3.

Published : April 14, 2022

By : Xinhua

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40014526

The suspect has been charged with violating a federal prohibition on “terrorist and other violent attacks against mass transportation systems,” and may face a sentence of up to life imprisonment, according to an attorney.

The man suspect of shooting 10 commuters on a subway train in Brooklyn, New York City, was arrested on Wednesday after a 30-hour manhunt, authorities said.
 

The suspect, Frank James, was taken into custody without incident on Wednesday afternoon in Manhattan after police received a tip, New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at a press conference.

James, 62, is suspected of setting off smoke grenades and firing a handgun at least 33 times in the subway during Tuesday morning rush hour, police said.

The attack left more than 20 people injured, 10 of them from gunfire, though none were believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries.

James has been charged with violating a federal prohibition on “terrorist and other violent attacks against mass transportation systems,” Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said at the press conference, adding “if convicted, he will face a sentence of up to life imprisonment.”

James had nine prior arrests in New York and three arrests in New Jersey, according to authorities.

Authorities identified James as a person of interest Tuesday night. As of Wednesday, after the investigation linked James to the shooting in numerous ways, police said he was considered the suspect and a wanted fugitive.

Any potential motive remains unclear, and further investigation continues.

Tuesday’s attack came as the city is struggling to cope with a rise in shootings. Citywide shooting incidents increased by 16.2 percent to 115 in March from a year ago, showed data from the New York City Police Department. 

Published : April 14, 2022

By : Xinhua

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40014504

Police mounted an intense manhunt on Tuesday (April 12) for a gunman who set off two smoke bombs and opened fire in a New York subway car, injuring at least 20 people in a morning rush-hour attack that prompted new calls to fight a surge of violence in the city’s transit system.

Police said the gunman was believed to have acted alone and immediately fled the crime scene. The attack unfolded as a Manhattan-bound subway train on the N line was pulling into an underground station in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighbourhood.

Ten people were hit directly by gunfire, including five hospitalized in critical but stable condition, authorities said.

Police said 13 more people suffered from smoke inhalation or were otherwise injured in the chaos as panicked riders fled the smoke-filled subway car. Some collapsed to the pavement as they poured onto the platform of the 36th Street station. The fire department said two of those hurt were treated at the scene.

All of the victims were expected to survive their injuries, police said.

New York Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Keechant Sewell said a U-Haul van believed to be connected to the shooting was later located in Brooklyn, but the perpetrator remained at large several hours after the shooting.

At an early evening news briefing, police named a “person of interest” in the investigation as Frank James, who investigators believed had rented the U-Haul vehicle.

Police said they recovered the key to the van at the crime scene and it had been rented in Philadelphia. James had addresses in Philadelphia and Wisconsin, officials said. Attempts by Reuters to reach any of the phone numbers associated with James were unsuccessful.

The subway assailant was described by police from eyewitness accounts as a man of heavy build, wearing an orange vest, a grey sweatshirt, a green helmet and a surgical mask.

The commissioner said the attack began in the train car as it was about to enter the station. The gunman removed two canisters from his bag and opened them, sending smoke throughout the train car.

Police said the man then fired 33 rounds from a Glock 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, which was later recovered along with three extended ammunition magazines, a hatchet, some consumer-grade fireworks and a container of gasoline.

Sewell said earlier that the shooting was not being immediately treated as an act of terrorism. There was no known motive for the attack, but investigators found several social media posts linked to an individual named Frank James that mentioned homelessness and the New York City mayor, Sewell said.

Published : April 13, 2022

By : Reuters

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40014503

U.S. inflation continued to accelerate in March, as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) soared to an annual rate of 8.5 per cent, hitting its highest level since December 1981, the country’s Labor Department reported on Tuesday.

The latest data is another reminder that inflation has been persistently high, which would warrant the U.S. Federal Reserve’s more aggressive rate hikes at its upcoming policy meetings.

The CPI, which measures the prices of a basket of goods and services from gasoline to groceries and rent, came in at 8.5 per cent in March, slightly higher than the estimated 8.4 per cent.

The CPI climbed 1.2 per cent last month, said the Labor Department, adding that rising costs of energy, living and food due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and supply chain interruptions contributed to the inflation jump.

Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices jumped 6.5 per cent in March from a year earlier, the hottest since August 1982, after rising 6.4 per cent in February. The so-called core CPI nudged up 0.3 per cent following a 0.5 per cent growth in February.

The gasoline index rose 18.3 per cent in March and accounted for over half of the items’ monthly increase, said the report, adding that the food index rose 1.0 per cent.

U.S. Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard recently said it is “of paramount importance” to get inflation down, noting that the central bank is “prepared to take stronger action” if inflation indicators show such action is warranted.

According to the minutes of the Fed’s March policy meeting released last week, many participants noted that one or more 50 basis point increases in the target range could be appropriate at future meetings, particularly if inflation pressures remained elevated or intensified.

The central bank could begin reducing the size of its balance sheet as soon as May, with officials signalling their support for a monthly cap of 95 billion U.S. dollars, a much faster pace of decline in securities holdings than over the 2017-19 period.

Published : April 13, 2022

By : Reuters

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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, persistent supply chain bottlenecks and production snags caused by local COVID flare-ups have all added to Asia’s commodity cost pressures.

Profits at Ma Hong’s spicy hotpot restaurant have been squeezed by about a fifth since he opened in downtown Beijing last year, crushed by beef tripe prices that have shot up by more than 50% and the surging costs of other key ingredients.

“We sell it at the same price as before. Also with the impact of the pandemic, everybody is hanging in there. It is the same all over Beijing, we are not the only restaurant suffering,” Ma said.

Asian restaurants and street food hawkers like Ma’s face the tough choice of taking the hit from higher costs or passing them on and risk losing loyal customers.

Spiralling prices for ingredients and materials that started with supply chain snags during the COVID-19 pandemic and are now being propped up by the war in Ukraine are squeezing businesses and consumers.

Households in Asia, where tasty and affordable street food is an integral part of society and the economy, are feeling the pressure the most.

Mohammad Ilyas, a cook at a biryani store in Karachi, Pakistan, said the price of a kilogram of the seasoned rice dish, enough to feed three to four people, has doubled to 400 Pakistani rupees ($2.20).

“I have been working in this kitchen for the last 15 years,” he said. “These days prices of rice and spices have gone up so much that poor people can’t afford to eat it.”

Some businesses are dealing with the cost pressures by cutting portion sizes.

At one of Jakarta’s street food corners, nasi goreng vendor Syahrul Zainullah has reduced his servings of the signature Indonesian fried rice dish rather than raise prices or use lower grade ingredients.

In South Korea, where consumer inflation is at a decade-high, Choi Sun-Hwa, a 67-year-old kimchi shop owner, only gets seven heads of cabbage for the price she used to pay for 10.

The spicy pickled cabbage is traditionally served as a free side dish with other meals at Korean eateries, but even that has become an extravagance.

Seo Jae-Eun, a customer at Choi’s store, quips kimchi should now be called “keum-chi”, keum being Korean for gold.

“I can’t ask restaurants to give more kimchi these days and it’s too expensive to make my own at home due to high-priced vegetables…so I came here to buy it,” she said.

Choi says she won’t be able to continue if she can’t raise prices.

The price pressures are changing the eating habits of some Asian consumers.

Steven Chang, a 24-year-old service sector worker, is a regular at Just Noodles, a popular ramen store in Taipei but is reconsidering his spending.

“I live away from my parents, so I rely on restaurant food a bit more,” Chang said. “So, I will try to limit eating out and cook at home more.”

Published : April 13, 2022

By : Reuters

Ukraine’s security services on Tuesday (April 12) said they had arrested pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, who is President Vladimir Putin’s closest and most influential ally in Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had earlier published a photo of a tired-looking and handcuffed Medvedchuk, who says Putin is godfather to his daughter.

In February, Kyiv said Medvedchuk, the leader of the Opposition Platform – For Life party, had escaped from house arrest. Last year authorities opened a treason case against Medvedchuk, who denies wrongdoing.

“You can be a pro-Russian politician and work for the aggressor state for years. You may have been hiding from justice lately. You can even wear a Ukrainian military uniform for camouflage,” the security services said in an online post.

“But will it help you escape punishment? Not at all! Shackles are waiting for you and same goes for traitors to Ukraine like you.”

The post cited Ivan Bakanov, head of the secret services, as saying his operatives had “conducted a lightning-fast and dangerous multi-level special operation” to arrest Medvedchuk but did not give details.

Last month Zelenskiy said the Opposition Platform – For Life, which is Ukraine’s largest opposition movement, and several other smaller political parties with ties to Russia had been suspended.

A spokesperson for Medvedchuk was not immediately available for comment.

Published : April 13, 2022

By : Reuters

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40014468

Russia will not pause its military operation in Ukraine for subsequent rounds of peace talks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday (April 11).

Russian officials say peace talks with Ukraine are not progressing as rapidly as they would like, and have accused the West of trying to derail negotiations by raising war crimes allegations against Russian troops in Ukraine, which Moscow denies.

Speaking in an interview with Russian state television, Lavrov said he saw no reason not to continue talks with Ukraine but insisted Moscow would not halt its military operation when the sides convene again.

Lavrov said that President Vladimir Putin had ordered to suspend military action during the first round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in late February but that Moscow’s position had changed since.

“After we became convinced that the Ukrainians were not planning to reciprocate, a decision was made that during the next rounds of talks, there would be no pause (in military action) so long as a final agreement is not reached,” Lavrov said.

Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what it called a special operation to degrade its southern neighbour’s military capabilities and root out people it called dangerous nationalists.

Ukrainian forces have mounted stiff resistance and the West has imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia to force it to withdraw its forces.

Lavrov last week accused Kyiv of presenting Moscow with an “unacceptable” draft peace deal that deviated from agreements the sides had previously reached. Kyiv dismissed Lavrov’s comments at the time as a tactic to undermine Ukraine or divert attention from war crime accusations against Russian troops.

Published : April 12, 2022

By : Reuters

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https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40014466

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said in Moscow on Monday (April 11) that his meeting with Vladimir Putin did not leave him optimistic after he arrived seeking either an end to the conflict in Ukraine or humanitarian solutions for civilians there.

“Igenerally have no optimistic impression that I can report to you from this conversation with President Putin. The offensive (in eastern Ukraine) is evidently being prepared on a massive scale,” Nehammer told a news conference at the Austrian embassy after his afternoon meeting with Putin.

“Sanctions, and this was my clear message, will continue and they will get tougher and they will mean long-lasting damage for the Russian Federation for decades to come,” Nehammer said.

Neutral Austria, which obtains 80% of its natural gas from Russia, generally maintains closer ties to Moscow than much of the European Union but that has not been the case recently.

Nehammer has expressed solidarity with Ukraine and denounced apparent Russian war crimes, while his government has joined other EU countries in expelling Russian diplomats, albeit only a fraction of the large Russian diplomatic presence there.

While German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he welcomed Nehammer’s meeting with Putin, the reactions at home have included surprise, scepticism and even outright condemnation.

Published : April 12, 2022

By : Reuters