Author: Makoto Ichikawa

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Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation issues statement on Moscow terrorist attack

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has issued a statement on Friday’s deadly attack in Moscow, in which at least 113 people died.

In the statement, entitled “Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on the Terrorist Attack at Moscow Crocus Concert Hall”, the Ministry states:

“We are shocked by the deaths of dozens of people and hundreds injured in a terrorist attack at the Moscow Crocus Concert Hall on 22 March 2024.

The Royal Government of Cambodia condemns the vicious attack in the strongest possible terms.

We extend our deepest condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims and the Government of the Russian Federation, and wish a speedy and full recovery to those injured.

Cambodia reiterates that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of motivation. We stand with the Russian government and people during this time of grief.”

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Trump poised for billions as stock market deal passes

Donald Trump appears to be scrambling for funds to pay a $464m (£365m) fraud fine. Could the stock market ride to his rescue? 

Trump Media, which runs the social media platform Truth Social, is poised to become a publicly listed company, after a majority of shareholders of Digital World Acquisition Corp voted on Friday to acquire it. 

Mr Trump is due to have a stake of at least 58% in the merged company, worth nearly $3bn at Digital World’s current share prices. 

It’s an astonishing potential windfall for Mr Trump in exchange for a business whose own auditor warned last year it was at risk of failure. 

Never mind the many red flags associated with the deal, including unresolved lawsuits from former business partners. There’s also an $18m settlement that Digital World agreed to pay last year to resolve fraud charges over how the merger plan came together.

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Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter fired after reports of theft

Baseball sensation Shohei Ohtani’s long-time interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, has been fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers after allegations of theft connected to illegal gambling.

According to ESPN, at least $4.5m (£3.5m) was transferred from Ohtani’s bank account to a bookmaker. Ohtani is not accused of wrongdoing.

Mr Mizuhara spoke to the sports network about his gambling debts on Tuesday.

The news comes as Ohtani made his regular season debut with the Dodgers.

The team’s senior communications director has told the BBC that they are gathering information and that they “can confirm that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara has been terminated”.

ESPN has said it reviewed bank information showing Ohtani’s name on two $500,000 payments, one sent in September and the other in October, to a bookmaking operation run by Mathew Bowyer.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Mr Bowyer was investigated by a prosecution team targeting a multimillion-dollar illegal sports betting scheme but was not charged with a crime.

Sports betting is legal in 38 states in America but it remains illegal in California. 

Major League Baseball has its own policy that bans “any player, umpire, or Club or League official or employee” from betting on any baseball game and placing bets with illegal bookmakers.

It is not known whether any of Mr Mizuhara’s sports gambling involved baseball games. No one has alleged that Ohtani placed any bets.

Mr Mizuhara reportedly said in his interview with ESPN that he had asked the baseball star for help with his gambling debts.

“Obviously, [Ohtani] wasn’t happy about it and said he would help me out to make sure I never do this again,” Mr Mizuhara reportedly said.

“I want everyone to know Shohei had zero involvement in betting. I want people to know I did not know this was illegal. I learned my lesson the hard way. I will never do sports betting ever again.”

A spokesman for Ohtani initially told ESPN that the former Los Angeles Angels star had transferred funds to cover his interpreter’s gambling debts but he has since recanted this account. 

Mr Mizuhara himself has reportedly changed his story, now saying that Ohtani did not know about the gambling debts and did not transfer the money.

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Chinese vice president meets Cambodian King, Queen Mother

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk in Beijing on Thursday.

Noting that China and Cambodia are good neighbours, good friends and good partners, Han said bilateral relations have withstood the test of the evolving international landscape and remained rock-solid for more than half a century, setting a fine example of equality and mutual benefits between countries of different sizes.

He said that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, China and Cambodia have ushered in a new era of building a high-quality, high-level and high-standard China-Cambodia community with a shared future.

“China stands ready to work with Cambodia to implement the important consensus reached between the leaders of the two countries, push for new progress in China-Cambodia comprehensive strategic cooperation and bring more benefits to the two peoples,” Han added.

Sihamoni and Monineath expressed appreciation for China’s long-term selfless assistance to Cambodia and a series of global initiatives proposed by China, noting that Cambodia firmly abides by the one-China principle and is willing to join hands with China to build a Cambodia-China community with a shared future, deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields and pass on the traditional friendship from generation to generation.Xinhua

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10,000 witness Spring Equinox sunrise at Angkor Wat

More than 10,000 tourists woke up at 5am yesterday to visit Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap to watch the Spring Equinox sunrise.

Seng Sotheara, Director of the Department of Natural Cultural Tourism of Apsara Authority, said more than 10,000 foreign visitors and Cambodian people visited the temple to enjoy the sunrise above the central tower of Angkor Wat temple.

He estimated that more than 2,500 international tourists along with 7,500 Cambodian visitors flocked to the site before dawn.

Each year, the equinox occurs twice, during the spring dry season, which is the Vernal Equinox on March 21, and during the fall rainy season, which is the Autumnal Equinox and occurs on September 22 this year.

The two equinoxes are the only times during the year when the axis of the Earth is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun. During an equinox, the duration of the sun in the sky is exactly equal to the period of nighttime darkness around the world.

Some of the tourists visiting the temple waited on the edge of the moat in front of the temple, while others came to sit in the old library of Angkor Wat in front of the main temple. Yet others waited near the north and south ponds of the temple to see the view and snap photos.

The central causeway was packed with visitors trying to snap photos of the rising sun.

Some of the local visitors from Siem Reap said, while they’ve visited Angkor Wat many times before this was the first time they got up early enough to visit before 5am to watch the beauty of the sunrise over the central tower of Angkor Wat temple.

The sky was cloudless and the rising sun reflected over the pond, radiating a golden glow above the temple. Everyone admired the breathtaking sight.

Tourists visiting from the United States expressed surprise and delight at seeing the sunrise over Angkor Wat. They said that the sight of the sun rising exactly over the middle of the central tower of the temple was an amazing experience. The visitors added that the unique experience cannot be compared to any other natural event on Earth.

Minister of Tourism Sok Soken addressed the press at a conference hosted by the Club of Cambodian Journalists yesterday morning at Angkor Wat.

He said the ministry is considering how to develop the experience of visitors to Angkor Wat, as well as about how to promote tourism in Cambodia more effectively.

The minister said that people around the world know about the special sunrise at Angkor Wat during the equinox, and that the extraordinary event is a chance to build cultural ties around the world, and to share Cambodia’s cultural heritage.

He added that the Angkor Wat Archaeological Park area is under the administration of the Apsara Authority. However, there has been discussion about reviewing current ticket prices and the type of services available to visitors.

“We have to look ahead to the future in order to evaluate the cost of visiting the Angkor Park,” said the minister.

He added, “We want to advertise Angkor Wat and the services on offer here, and we know the ticket price has to be acceptable to everyone.”

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NewJeans wins Group of the Year at Billboard

Marking a significant moment in K-Pop history, NewJeans has become the first K-pop act to win Group of the Year at the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards. The group received the honor during the awards ceremony held at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles on Wednesday (U.S. time). They also performed “Super Shy” and “ETA” during the event. The group, which debuted in 2022, has been lauded for leading “the new wave of girl groups in K-pop, a genre that has long been dominated by men.” Established in 2007, the Billboard Women in Music Awards recognize women who have significantly impacted the music industry throughout the year.

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BoA to release new single on March 26

BoA will release a new single, according to SM Entertainment.

The single, titled ‘Emptiness,’ will drop at 6 p.m. on March 26. 

BoA was involved in the composition, lyrics, and arrangement of the song. She has previously released self-composed music including ‘Only One,’ which was the title track of her seventh album.  

Recently, the singer acted in the television series ‘Marry My Husband’ and produced the debut single for SM Entertainment’s latest boy group NCT Wish.

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Boeing: How much trouble is the company in?

“It’s as if I’m watching a troubled child” is how Captain Dennis Tajer describes flying a Boeing 737 Max.

The head of the Allied Pilots Association, the pilots union for American Airlines, insists he would never board an aircraft if it were not safe. 

But he says he can no longer take the quality of the plane he’s flying for granted.

“I’m at an alert status that I’ve never had to be in on a Boeing airplane,” he says.

“Because I don’t trust that they’ve followed the processes that have previously kept me safe on Boeing airplanes for over three decades.”

Executives at the aerospace giant’s shiny new headquarters in Arlington, Virginia could be forgiven for feeling like they are under siege.

Every day seems to bring more bad headlines for the company, which is coming under pressure from regulators and airlines, and has seen its reputation badly damaged.

The trouble began in January, when a disused emergency exit door blew off a brand new Boeing 737 Max shortly after take-off from Portland International Airport.

An initial report from the US National Transportation Safety Board concluded that four bolts meant to attach the door securely to the aircraft had not been fitted.

Boeing is reportedly facing a criminal investigation into the incident itself, as well as legal action from passengers aboard the plane.

Five years ago Boeing faced one of the biggest scandals in its history, after two brand new 737 Max planes were lost in almost identical accidents that cost 346 lives.

The cause was flawed flight control software, details of which it was accused of deliberately concealing from regulators. 

The company agreed to pay $2.5bn (£1.8bn) to settle fraud charges, and admitted deception, though in later court hearings it formally pleaded not guilty. It subsequently faced widespread accusations that it had put profits ahead of passengers’ lives. 

It reaffirmed its commitment to safety, and in early 2020 its newly appointed chief executive Dave Calhoun promised it could “do better. Much better.”

Yet the scrutiny that followed the incident in January this year has called that commitment into question.

Addressing those concerns, Mr Calhoun said: “We will go slow, we will not rush the system and we will take our time to do it right.”

Earlier this month the US regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration, said that a six-week audit of the 737 Max production process at Boeing and its supplier Spirit Aerosystems had found “multiple instances where the companies failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements”.

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Japan: N. Korea Fires Second Suspected Ballistic Missile

North Korea appears to have fired at least two ballistic missiles on Monday. 

Japan said that North Korea fired a second suspected ballistic missile on Monday morning, which also fell in waters outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone(EEZ).

According to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK, Japan’s defense ministry said North Korea fired what appeared to be a ballistic missile at 8:24 a.m. and Japan’s coast guard said the missile already landed in waters outside Japan’s EEZ. 

The announcement came soon after the ministry said the North had fired a suspected ballistic missile at 7:54 a.m., which fell outside the EEZ. 

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reportedly ordered the government to collect and analyze information regarding the launch and ensure the swift and accurate disclosure of information to the public. 

He also instructed the government to make every effort to confirm the safety of aircraft and ships.

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Silva fires Man City into FA Cup semi-finals, Coventry stun Wolves

MANCHESTER, United Kingdom – Bernardo Silva scored twice as Manchester City beat Newcastle 2-0 to reach the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday, while Coventry struck twice in stoppage time to stun Wolves 3-2.

Holders City remain on course to repeat their treble triumph of Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup last season as Pep Guardiola’s men stretched their unbeaten run in all competitions to 22 games.

Fortune favoured the English champions, though, as twice Silva’s shots took deflections to wrong-foot Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.

The Portuguese international opened the scoring on 13 minutes when his effort looped in off Dan Burn.

Silva’s second deflected off Sven Botman, but Dubravka should still have done better as the ball trickled underneath him.

At the other end, City’s number one goalkeeper Ederson was not missed as Stefan Ortega produced a brilliant save to deny Alexander Isak pulling a goal back for Newcastle.

Dubravka made amends for his earlier error with fine saves from Jeremy Doku either side of half-time to keep the score down.

But it was too little, too late for Newcastle’s hopes of silverware this season as the Magpies remain without a major trophy since 1969.

City are the first side to ever reach the FA Cup semi-finals in six consecutive seasons.

“I know we play to win the finals, but to win it, you have to win the earlier rounds,” said Guardiola.

“To run and play the way they did is incredible. Congratulations to the team, no one has done that before.”

By contrast, Coventry reached their first semi-final since they won the competition for the only time in 1987 in a five-goal thriller at Molineux.

The Sky Blues led early in the second half through Ellis Simms’ controversial opener after a VAR check for potential handball by the Coventry striker.

But the Championship side looked to have blown their chance to reach Wembley when Wolves themselves scored twice in the final seven minutes of the 90.

Rayan Ait-Nouri pounced on an error from Joel Latibeaudiere to smash home the equaliser and then set up his fellow left-back Hugo Bueno to fire into the bottom corner for his first senior goal.

However, Simms’ second goal of the match levelled in the 97th minute before he teed up American international Haji Wright to fire into the corner three minutes later.

The drama did not end there as Wolves boss Gary O’Neil labelled Coventry manager Mark Robins’ celebrations in the face of a teenage ball boy “disgusting”.

Robins apologised after being riled by the ball boy’s attempts to waste time late in the game.

A founder member of the Premier League, Coventry sank from the top down to the fourth tier of English football as recently as the 2017/18 season.

But they have achieved two promotions under Robins and narrowly missed out on a return to the Premier League last season, losing the Championship playoff final to Luton on penalties.

Wembley awaits once more in the last four, but Robins is realistic of his side’s chances of glory with the likes of City or Liverpool potentially waiting in the semis.

“We have got a small chance. We are going to Wembley and we are going to enjoy that game,” added Robins.

Liverpool travel to Manchester United in the pick of Sunday’s quarter-final ties, while Chelsea host Leicester.