FIFA-gate: Platini is 'biggest loser,' says analyst

"I think in many respects, Platini here is the biggest loser. He has got the most to lose here"

PARIS: -- The banning of Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini has rocked the world of football.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880584-fifa-gate-platini-is-biggest-loser-says-analyst/

Spain: sailing in uncharted political waters



MADRID: -- Spain is sailing in uncharted political waters following the most fragmented national election in the country’s history.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880585-spain-sailing-in-uncharted-political-waters/

Russia to hit Ukraine with food embargo over new free trade deal with EU



MOSCOW: -- Russia says a ban on Western food products will also apply to Ukraine from the start of next year when a free trade agreement comes into force between Kyiv and the European Union.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880586-russia-to-hit-ukraine-with-food-embargo-over-new-free-trade-deal-with-eu/

Suicide bomber kills six NATO soldiers in Afghanistan



BAGRAM: -- Six NATO soldiers have been killed in a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880587-suicide-bomber-kills-six-nato-soldiers-in-afghanistan/

Polish police seize biggest-ever haul of cocaine



WARSAW: -- Several people have been arrested in Poland following the country’s biggest-ever seizure of cocaine.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880588-polish-police-seize-biggest-ever-haul-of-cocaine/

Man arrested over Air France bomb scare



PARIS: -- A man has been arrested after an Air France jet was forced to make an emergency landing in Kenya due to a bomb scare.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880589-man-arrested-over-air-france-bomb-scare/

Israel to deploy new missile interceptor



JERUSALEM: -- Israel plans to deploy its new medium-range missile interceptor by mid-2016.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880590-israel-to-deploy-new-missile-interceptor/

SU-24 data recorders "unreadable"



MOSCOW: -- Russian investigators say the black box from a military jet shot down by Turkey on the Syrian border last month is too damaged to be of any use.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880592-su-24-jets-flight-data-recorders-unreadable/

Brussels: five detained in probe linked to Paris attacks



BRUSSELS: -- Five people have been detained in Brussels, as part of an investigation linked to last month’s Paris attacks.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880593-brussels-five-detained-in-probe-linked-to-paris-attacks/

UPDATE:

Deadly Las Vegas crash treated as 'intentional,' but not terrorism



"The car was like a bowling ball and the human bodies were like pins."

LAS VEGAS: -- “The car was like a bowling ball and the human bodies were like pins” was the description one eyewitness gave after a motorist ploughed into a crowded Las Vegas pavement.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880376-11-taken-to-hospital-after-car-hits-people-on-las-vegas-strip/?p=10219355#entry10219355

UPDATE:

Police: Driver in Vegas crash was seeking estranged partner
By SALLY HO and KEN RITTER

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A homeless woman accused of slamming a car carrying her 3-year-old daughter into a crowd of pedestrians on the Las Vegas Strip was likely on her way to Dallas to find the girl's estranged father, authorities said Monday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880376-11-taken-to-hospital-after-car-hits-people-on-las-vegas-strip/?p=10219365#entry10219365

Obama: Trump exploiting blue-collar fears in campaign
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE

HONOLULU (AP) — President Barack Obama, in a broadside against the leading Republican presidential candidate, says billionaire Donald Trump is "exploiting" the fears that working-class men in particular have about the economy and stagnant wages.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880594-obama-trump-exploiting-blue-collar-fears-in-campaign/

Lindsey Graham ends his 2016 presidential campaign
By LAURIE KELLMAN and BILL BARROW

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham ended his 2016 campaign for president Monday, saying he remains committed to working to achieve security for the American people and helping the GOP expand its base.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880595-lindsey-graham-ends-his-2016-presidential-campaign/

Street gangs migrate from drugs to white-collar crimes
By COLLEEN LONG

NEW YORK (AP) — The Van Dyke Money Gang in New York made off with more than $1.5 million this year — but it wasn't in gunpoint robberies or drug running, it was a Western Union money order scheme. In New Jersey, 111 Neighborhood Crips used a machine to make dozens of fake gift cards for supermarkets, pharmacies and hardware stores. In South Florida, gangs steal identities to file false tax returns.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880596-us-street-gangs-migrate-from-drugs-to-white-collar-crimes/

Belgian citizens leave Burundi amid upsurge in violence



"It's really an atmosphere of insecurity, very uncertain... You never know whether you can move around or not, so it's really difficult"

BRUSSELS: -- People are leaving Burundi, amid an upsurge in violence there – with some touching down at Brussels airport.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880599-belgian-citizens-leave-burundi-amid-upsurge-in-violence/

US eases restrictions on blood donations from gay men
MATTHEW PERRONE, AP Health Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The three-decade-old U.S. ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men was formally lifted Monday, but major restrictions will continue to limit who can donate.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880606-us-eases-restrictions-on-blood-donations-from-gay-men/

As migrants continue to drown in the Mediterranean, Germany steps up efforts to manage an unprecedented number of asylum seekers



BERLIN: -- Two migrants lost their lives on Monday in when a boat carrying more than a hundred people ran into trouble in the Mediterranean.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880609-germany-steps-up-efforts-to-manage-an-unprecedented-number-of-asylum-seekers/

Malaysia to join US, Thailand and South Korea in military exercise

KUALA LUMPUR: -- Malaysia will join the United States, Thailand and South Korea in the Combined Arms Live-Fire Exercise (Calfex), in conjunction with the Cobra Gold military training exercise next year.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880617-malaysia-to-join-us-thailand-and-south-korea-in-military-exercise/

BEIJING (AP) - China state broadcaster says lawyer Pu Zhiqiang gets suspended sentence in online speech case.

UPDATE:

Arrested Indonesians “receive funding from Syria”



JAKARTA: -- Police said some of the Indonesian men arrested at the weekend after tip-offs that they were planning a string of militant attacks had received funding from Syria, hardening evidence of their links to Islamic State, The Jakarta Globe reported.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880200-indonesian-police-say-new-year-terror-plot-foiled-five-held/#entry10219866

Australia looms large in latest National Rifle Association manifesto
Nick O'Malley
US correspondent for Fairfax Media

- Clinton's wish for Australian-style gun laws
- Obama says US gun laws must be changed

Washington: As Democratic candidates make gun control part of the presidential campaign debate, the National Rifle Association has published an entire issue of its political journal, America's First Freedom, based largely on warning its readers of the threat of Australian-style gun laws.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880623-australia-looms-large-in-latest-national-rifle-association-manifesto/

Indonesia govt announces economic stimulus packages



JAKARTA: -- The Jakarta Globe reported that the Indonesian government on Monday unveiled its eight set of stimulus packages, highlighting a map policy to streamline land-acquisition for infrastructure development and two other policies to spur growth in oil and gas and the aviation sectors.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880625-indonesia-govt-announces-economic-stimulus-packages/

Malaysia aims to be on Tier 1 of US Trafficking in Persons Report by 2020



KUALA LUMPUR: -- Malaysia's level of commitment to tackle human trafficking issues remain high with efforts to put the country on Tier 1 of the United State Department's Trafficking in Persons report by 2020, New Straits Times reported, citing Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880629-malaysia-aims-to-be-on-tier-1-of-us-trafficking-in-persons-report-by-2020/

Obama criticizes media's saturated coverage of terror attacks for amplifying fear about IS threat
English.news.cn

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama criticized the U.S. media's saturated coverage of recent terror attacks by Islamic State (IS) for whipping up the public's fear about the group's threat.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880594-obama-trump-exploiting-blue-collar-fears-in-campaign/#entry10219970

Overnight prayers across the country to usher in New Year 2016 and to honour Their Majesties



BANGKOK: -- The Supreme Sangha Council yesterday agreed to hold New Year prayer session at temples and Buddhist centres nationwide at midnight on New Year ’s Eve to usher in the coming year, and as honour to Their Majesties King and Queen.

The overnight prayer session is aimed to campaign for all devout Buddhists to refrain from all types of vices and to allow them to participate in an overnight prayer session for good luck for the coming year.

Temples across the country are advised to hold a prayer session starting from 11 pm on December 31, 2015, until after midnight, or the beginning of the New Year January 1, 2016.

Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha will preside over the prayer at Wat Pak Nam Pasicharoen Temple in Samut Prakarn province.

Meanwhile all temples across the country will be simultaneously holding the prayer sessions, including Wat Debsirin, Wat Traimitwaittayaram, Wat Samphanthawong, Wat Yannawa, Wat Saket Rajawora Mahviharn and Wat Rama 9 Karnchanapisek, along with 30,000 Buddhist centres in the country, and 500 other temples around the world.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/overnight-prayers-across-the-country-to-usher-in-new-year-2016-and-to-honour-their-majesties


-- Thai PBS 2015-12-22

Presidential protection, immunity bill put forward



YANGON: -- The incumbent government of Myanmar has proposed a piece of legislation, published in Monday’s state-run newspapers, seeking to protect the former president after he or she steps down, The Irrawaddy reported.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880637-myanmar-presidential-protection-immunity-bill-put-forward/

SET up 11.86 points at opening /Bangkok Post

Vietnam raises bird flu alert as deadly viruses infect more people in China



HANOI: -- Vietnam's health and agriculture ministries are beefing up measures against bird flu after recent reports of people contracting several deadly virus strains in China, Thanh Nien News reported.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880639-vietnam-raises-bird-flu-alert-as-deadly-viruses-infect-more-people-in-china/

NBTC officially endorses 4G license bidders

BANGKOK, 22 December 2015 (NNT) - The National Telecommunications Commission of the NBTC has officially endorsed two winning bidders of the recent 4G license auction.

Secretary-General of the National Broadcasting Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) Thakorn Tantasith said the regulator will inform the two winners, Jas Mobile Broadband (JAS) and True Move H Universal Communication (True Move), to deposit roughly four billion baht, or 50% of the starting bid, as the first installment. The two mobile network operators are required by the NBTC to pay in four installments.

They are also expected to submit to the NBTC a letter of guarantee from the bank within 90 days. JAS and True Move have each acquired a 900-megahertz license at the bidding prices of roughly 75.6 billion baht and 76.3 billion baht, respectively.

The NBTC has claimed that 4G services will be cheaper than 3G ones by 26 satang per gigabyte, while voice services will cost mobile phone users between 69 – 72 satang per minute.

Meanwhile, AIS customers who subscribe to 2G service on the 900 MHz spectrum will no longer be able to use their sim cards once the NBTC issues licenses to the two winning bidders.


-- NNT 2015-12-22

Chinese lawyer gets suspended sentence in online speech case

BEIJING (AP) — A prominent Chinese lawyer is expected to be freed after a Beijing court gave him a suspended jail sentence after finding him guilty in a case involving online comments critical of the ruling Communist Party.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880644-chinese-lawyer-pu-zhiqiang-gets-suspended-sentence-in-online-speech-case/