News line

Curfew lifted in Thailand’s tourist areas, not Bangkok

Thailand’s ruling military council on Tuesday lifted a curfew in some tourist areas, including the popular beach resorts of Pattaya and Phuket. The military imposed a nationwide curfew, currently running from midnight to 4am, after it seized power in a coup on May 22, Reuters reported. It will be lifted in Pattaya, Chonburi, Samui, Surat Thani and Phuket “to counter any impact it may have on the tourism industry,” the council said in a televised statement. It failed to mention the capital, Bangkok, in the measure.

Obama says commitment to Eastern Europe security 'sacrosanct,' unveils $1bn fund

US President Barack Obama on Tuesday announced a $1 billion fund to help boost the defensive capabilities of America’s European allies. He will call on Congress to approve the fund, the president said at a news conference with Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski in Warsaw. The European Reassurance Fund will build on previously announced measures by increasing the capability, readiness, and responsiveness of NATO forces, Bloomberg reported, citing a White House fact sheet. “Our commitments to Poland’s security, as well as the security of our allies in Central and Eastern Europe, is a cornerstone of our own security,” Obama said, adding that “it is sacrosanct.”

Poroshenko to take oath as Ukraine president June 7

Petro Poroshenko, who won a victory in an election on May 25, will be inaugurated as Ukraine’s new president on Saturday, June 7, Reuters reported, citing the parliamentary rule on Tuesday. Poroshenko, 48, defeated former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and other candidates in an election that was not held in some eastern parts of the country.

120 people killed in Yemen fighting between Houthi rebels, govt forces

At least 120 people were killed in northern Yemen on Monday in fighting between Shiite Muslim Houthi rebels and government forces, Reuters reported. Yemeni planes shelled positions held by Houthi fighters in Omran province and army forces clashed with the rebels, killing around 100 of them, according to Ahmed al-Bekry, deputy governor. Twenty government soldiers were also killed in the fighting, he said Tuesday.

US troops to leave Manas transit center in Kyrgyzstan in 1 week

As Manas Transit Center is winding down its activities in Kyrgyzstan, the US has transferred the base and property totaling about $30 million to Bishkek, the director of the center John S. Millard told journalists. US officials worked closely with the committee on transferring property to the government of Kyrgyzstan, and the list of assets includes equipment, facilities and generators, according to Millard. All US military based at the Manas Airport in the Kyrgyz capital will leave the country’s territory within a week, RIA Novosti quoted US Ambassador to Bishkek Pamela Spratlen as saying.

Israel accuses US of ‘sanctioning terrorism’ over ties with Palestinian unity govt

Israeli officials have accused the US of “sanctioning terrorism” after Washington announced plans late Monday night to establish ties with the newly-sworn-in Fatah-Hamas unity government, the Jerusalem Post said. Israeli officials said that if the US wants to advance peace, “it should be calling on [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud] Abbas to end his pact with Hamas and return to peace talks with Israel,” the daily reported.“With suits in the front office and terrorists in the back office, [the unity government] should not be business as usual,” Israel’s Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer wrote in a message on his Facebook page.

Japan halts development aid to Vietnam over bribery case

Japan has temporarily suspended official development aid to Vietnam over a bribery case, officials said Tuesday. Fresh yen loans and funding for an ongoing urban railway project have been frozen. The decision was taken after six Vietnamese railway officials were detained over allegations of corrupt payments, AFP reported, citing a statement by Japan’s Foreign Ministry. In March, Japanese media reported that the national tax agency had flagged up 100 million yen (US$100,000) worth of payments that could not be properly accounted for. Japan Transportation Consultants Inc. is reportedly suspected of having paid the money to officials in Vietnam, Uzbekistan and Indonesia.

Russia suspends cooperation with PACE while sanctions work against delegation

The Russian delegation will not take part in the June session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), according to Aleksey Pushkov, the chairman of the State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee.“We temporarily broke off the cooperation with the assembly while sanctions are in effect against our delegation,”he told Izvestia daily. Sergey Naryshkin, the State Duma speaker, informed the PACE leadership about Moscow’s decision in late May. The Russian delegation’s powers were partly frozen until January 2015, when the powers of all the national delegations are endorsed anew.

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Detroit museum’s art collection could be sold off to pay city’s debt

Detroit city bankruptcy managers have begun to review the monetary value of the 66,000 pieces of art currently held in the Detroit Institute of Arts. The bankrupt city initially estimated that only 1,700 or so of the museum’s pieces would be auctioned off to help pay off Detroit’s considerable debt, although the Detroit News discovered that appraisers are now examining the Institute’s entire collection. The legal fight is far from over, although attorneys have speculated that the city could reap anywhere between $454 million and $867 million, depending on how many works were purchased with public funds and if they are allowed to sell artwork previously donated by private citizens. Any deal that would spare the collection is contingent on approval from the Michigan state legislature and a majority vote by city pensioners.