Geo Politics

The Department of Health (DOH) should speed up its procurement of 2019 novel acute respiratory disease coronavirus (2019 nCoV ARD) rapid test kits in light of two confirmed cases in the country, one of which led to death, a senator said Wednesday. The call was made by Senator Francis Tolentino a day after the Senate held a hearing on the …

The Public Health Ministry yesterday confirmed Thailand’s first case of person-to-person transmission of the novel coronavirus, as the government starting preparing to repatriate 161 Thai nationals from China next week. Dr Sukhum Kanchanapimai, permanent secretary for the Public Health Ministry, said the virus was contracted by a local taxi driver who had never traveled to China. He was one of …

The Criminal Court has set a date to hear a case in which a police superintendent accuses former immigration chief Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn of pressing false charges against him. Pol Col Krissanapong alleged that Pol Lt Gen Surachate filed a false charge of abusing his authority against him in the Criminal Court on July 12, 2011. He said he …

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo stated that President Rodrigo Duterte’s ban on Cabinet members traveling to the United States includes personal and family trips. Panelo said Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin Jr. is being exempted from the ban. One day after Duterte imposed the ban on travel to the US, Panelo revealed the specifics of the embargo. Duterte confirmed that …

Justice and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly dismissed director general of immigration Ronny Sompie on Tuesday (28/1/2020). It was happened amid public uproar over the whereabouts of a graft fugitive, Harun Masiku. Both men have delivered conflicting statements about Harun Masiku. This Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician was the subject of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK)’s manhunt for allegedly bribing …