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world news Dialuna 21 Februari 2022

Australia says China warship fired laser at

its patrol plane

(AP) — The Australian Beijing’s growing clout in could have endangered the
Defense Department said the western Pacific and else- safety and lives of the ADF
that a Chinese navy ship where. personnel.”
fired a laser at one of its The department said in a Lasers present a serious prob-
surveillance aircraft, put- statement Saturday that the lem because when aimed at
ting the lives of the crew laser came from a People’s aircraft they can injure pilots
in danger. Liberation Army Navy ves- or temporarily blind them --
sel. It was accompanying which can present safety risks
The incident happened on another Chinese ship that particularly as they are taking
Thursday when the P-8A transited through the Torres off and landing.
Poseidon plane detected a la- Strait. Both ships were now
ser illuminating the aircraft in the Coral Sea, east of Aus- Two years ago, the U.S. also were hit by lasers while ex- injuries to two American pi-
while in flight over Austra- tralia, it said. accused the Chinese navy of ercising in the South China lots.
lia’s northern approaches, the firing a laser at one if its Pose- Sea, forcing them to land as a Tensions have ratcheted up
department said. “Illumination of the aircraft idon planes over the Pacific. precaution. In 2018, the U.S. particularly in the South
by the Chinese vessel is a China denied it, saying the issued a formal complaint China Sea, which Beijing
Such episodes are not un- serious safety incident,” the plane had circled at low alti- to the Chinese government claims almost in its entirety,
common as the U.S. and its Defense Department said. tude over its warship despite over the use of high-grade la- while the U.S. and its allies
allies accuse China of assert- “We strongly condemn un- repeated warnings. sers near the military base in insist on freedom of naviga-
ing its military might, and professional and unsafe mili- In 2019, Australian navy he- Djibouti that were directed at tion and overflight in inter-
have taken steps to challenge tary conduct. These actions licopter pilots reported being aircraft and resulted in minor national waters.

Hong Kong says anti-virus controls

might be tightened

Health Secretary Sophia ordered closed. struction crews from main-
Chan, speaking on a radio The territory had 6,067 con- land China will build isola-
program, gave no details of firmed cases in the previous tion units for 10,000 people
possible new restrictions and 24 hours. That was close to after crowding at hospitals
called on the public to stay at Thursday’s 6,116 cases, its forced patients to wait out-
home. highest daily total yet. doors in winter cold.
Hong Kong already is operat- Chief Executive Carrie Also Sunday, the government
ing under its strictest curbs Lam said last week the rapid said Environment Secretary
on travel, business and public spread of the omicron vari- Wong Kam-sing would work
(AP) — Stringent anti- tions, the territory’s top activity since the pandemic ant was overwhelming Hong from home after his driver
virus controls that ban health official said Sun- began. In place since Feb. 10, Kong hospitals. The govern- received a preliminary posi-
public gatherings in Hong day, as 14 deaths and more they also prohibit gatherings ment said Thursday that 90% tive virus test result. Wong
Kong of more than two than 6,000 new cases were of more than two house- of hospital beds were filled. tested negative but he and his
people might be tightened reported. holds. Restaurants, hair sa- driver will undergo addition-
to stop a surge in infec- lons and religious sites were To ease the pressure, con- al testing.

It’s still Bangkok: Thailand quells talk of

name change

(AP) — No, English speak- way the capital would be re-
ers and others using the ferred to internationally from As speculation grew, the
Roman alphabet aren’t “Krung Thep Maha Nakhon; Royal Society on Wednesday
going to have to start call- Bangkok” to “Krung Thep clarified in a Facebook post
ing the Thai capital by its Maha Nakhon (Bangkok).” that their new guidance was
local name, Krung Thep simply a stylistic change.
Maha Nakhon, and drop As people sought to divine
the more familiar “Bang- the meaning behind chang- “Writing the capital city’s of-
kok.” ing the semicolon to paren- ficial name with the Roman
theses, many put great weight alphabet can be done both as
That’s the message from to the accompanying expla- Krung Thep Maha Nakon
Thailand’s Royal Society, nation that it would “revise” and Bangkok,” the govern-
which is responsible for aca- the name of the capital city ment agency said, allaying
demic and linguistic stan- and keep the “former” name the fears of any non-Thai
dards, after a seemingly in brackets. speakers about adopting the The Thai name for Bangkok, Phop Noppharat Ratchathani
innocuous change in punc- more complicated name. Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, Burirom Udomratchaniwet
tuation in official guidance The capital is already offi- is actually a short form of the Mahasathan Amon Piman
sparked a flurry of specula- cially known in the Thai lan- Even if the Royal Society had capital’s full name, which is Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya
tion that the city’s name was guage as Krung Thep Maha meant to change the name to rooted in Pali and Sanskrit Witsanukam Prasit.
being changed. Nakhon, which literally the one used by Thais, how- and is more of a phrase to de-
means “great city of angels,” ever, there is another option scribe the city than a name: That is the world’s longest
It started when the Cabinet and most Thais shorten it to that would have been an even Krung Thep Mahanakhon place name, according to the
on Tuesday approved a Royal just Krung Thep in conversa- greater challenge for foreign Amon Rattanakosin Mahin- Guinness World Records.
Society proposal changing the tion. tongues. thara Ayuthaya Mahadilok