Digital arrival cards required for visits to Thailand from May 1

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

European visitors are reminded to complete the form online at least three days before they travel.

PUBLISHED: 19 Apr 2025 at 14: 03

Tourists arrive at Suvarnabhumi airport. (File photo: Somchai Poomlard)
Tourists arrive at the airport in Suvarnabhumi. Somchai Poomlard, in pictures.

Thailand’s authorities have reminded all foreign tourists visiting the country that, starting on April 28 for arrivals on May 1, they will need to complete a Thailand Digital Arrival Card ( TDAC ) at least three days before traveling.

The straightforward software replaces the conventional TM. According to assistant government official Anukool Pruksanusak, a 6 papers form can be completed on the TDAC website. Shortly, a TDAC mobile app for iOS and Android users is anticipated to be released.

The TM6 kind, which all customers had to complete in order to pass immigration, will be replaced by the TDAC. Since last year, TM6 card use has been prohibited.

Travelers are required to provide personal information, card info, travel plans, lodging options, and health status.

Travelers will receive a confirmation message to current along with travel documents upon arrival in Thailand once they have completed the TDAC type.

TDAC is not a card, but rather a online entry form designed to improve comfort and compliance with international requirements. It applies to all air, water, and land entry routes, according to Mr. Anukool.

English, Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Japanese are the five cultures that are available for instruction. Immigration regulators are coordinating arrivals with relevant organizations like the E-Visa method, public health testing, and tourism payment platforms.

Continue Reading

GE2025: New water play park, sports facilities part of S4 million 5-year plan to upgrade Marine Parade Town 

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

The newly rebuilt Mountbatten Community Club will also give its services and programming a” special target” on fitness and wellness, the city council added.

An HDB included growth at Kembangan will also include a community plaza and a sheltered multi-purpose judge, while an integrated community development at Joo Chiat will have an hall, multi-purpose hall, a black package, and a blocking workshop for leisure activities. &nbsp,

More covered linkways between important services, home stones, and transportation networks will be developed across the Marine Parade Town, according to the town government. &nbsp,

In Joo Chiat, a 10 km racing system will also be established to enhance communication, and the sidewalk along the Siglap Canal will be made more inviting with wellness decks, seats, and fitness equipment to support effective lifestyles. Additionally, flood resilience will be improved.

In his introduction to the plans to a group of residents, Dr. Tan stated that over 140 fresh projects would be implemented across all five divisions of the Marine Parade Cluster in the following five years, of course, with the disclaimer that, if we were elected, in the following five years, there would be a cap on the number of projects.

Dr. Tan, who represents the Marine Parade section in Marine Parade GRC, told reporters that the future General Election&nbsp, which will take place on May 3, was not informed that Saturday’s festival was planned.

Continue Reading

‘Only fair and proper’: Lion City Sailors call for AFC Champions League Two final to be held in Singapore

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

Following their official request from their opponents to play the match at what they thought would be a better location, Singapore Premier League ( SPL) football team Lion City Sailors on Saturday ( Apr 19 ) called for the AFC Champions League Two final to be held at Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore.

Sharjah FC, the United Arab Emirates club, claimed the facility “does not meet the desires of the supporters and stakeholders” and cited the stadium’s size and unnatural angle as the causes.

The Seamen responded to this statement on Saturday, saying:” This last may become played in Singapore. As the team that has earned the right to sponsor the last, we think it is only good and right that it take place on Taiwanese soil.

Sharjah FC&nbsp announced in an Arabic-language Facebook post on Thursday that it had written to the Asian Football Confederation ( AFC) asking for the “allocation of an appropriate stadium” to host the showpiece game.

Sharjah claimed that the 6, 000-seat Jalan Besar Stadium, which has an unnatural angle, is” not ideal” for both power and services.

Additionally, it emphasized the organization’s ability to host and host the last in a “manner befitting the importance of the contest.”

The Sailors responded by saying:” Jalan Besar Stadium has been a licensed AFC Champions League Two location that consistently goes against AFC’s rules and requirements throughout the competitors, properly hosting six home games in this tournament only.”

The ground&nbsp has a “proud story” of staging significant football games and has “more than proven itself as a competent and reliable place,” the team added.

The Sailors made history on Wednesday when they defeated American area Sydney FC 2-1 on overall to become the first Malaysian sports team to reach the last of a western competition. &nbsp,

The AFC Champions League Two last will be held on a “rotational foundation between the West Region and East Region,” as per AFC competition rules. In other words, the last is scheduled to take place in Singapore, but the precise location has not yet been made official.

The Sailors claimed the team had proven themselves capable of holding the suit on home soil after taking the scalps of more liked opponents en route to the last, including Japan’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima. &nbsp,

The Sailors praised hosting the final game of Singapore as” a just wrap-up to our Champions League Two strategy” and as a “proud moment for Singapore soccer on the western phase.”

Continue Reading

Timothy McVeigh and Donald Trump, two peas in an extremist pod – Asia Times

By:
On:
In: Asia

The Oklahoma attack may have passed away in 30 times this week.

On the morning of April 19, 1995, anti-government right-wing radical Timothy McVeigh parked a Ryder truck loaded with 5, 000 pounds of agricultural fertiliser and fuel gas at the front of the Alfred P Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.

In case one failed, McVeigh lit two distinct fuses at 9 am. The bomb detonated two minutes later, killing 168 people ( including 19 children ) and injuring close to 700 others.

Now, the bombing remains the deadliest act of private violence in United States history. Oklahoma was jedged up by 9/11, when America and the rest of the world turned their attention to the threat posed by radical Islamist extremism, according to historical memory.

Three decades later, the bomb is again on the social agenda as the right-wing extremism that sparked McVeigh’s rise.

In 2025, the hazard from US-based aggressive fanatics is believed to be “high”, according to the Department of Homeland Security. In comparison to the past 25 years combined, domestic terrorist episodes and plots against state targets nearly tripled in the five years prior to last.

The new and recent accounts of the Oklahoma bombing are both a caution about the future and a representation on the past.

Timothy McVeigh leaves the court in Oklahoma, April 21, 1995.  Photo by David Longstreath / AAP via The Talk

A “outlaw” of the right-wing.

In his award-winning book about the bombing, Homegrown ( 2023 ), US lawyer and journalist Jeffrey Toobin writes:

In the thirty years following the bombing in Oklahoma City, the nation underwent an extraordinary transition: from almost universal horror at the actions of a right-wing extremist [McVeigh ] to a president who embodied the values of the bomber.

Toobin draws foreboding parallels between the democratic desires of his subject and the views and values of the January 6 paramilitaries.

McVeigh, a Gulf War senior and gun-rights authoritarian, always claimed he bombed the Murrah creating to rally the “abuses and encroachments” of Bill Clinton’s state.

He particularly made reference to two notorious military conflictes between radicals and the government. One incident occurred in 1992 between FBI officials and light separatists at Ruby Ridge, which led to three fatalities, including the death of a 14-year-old child.

A year later, more than 75 people died in Waco, Texas, after a fight and 51-day battle between the FBI and an horrific catholic religion, the Branch Davidians.

McVeigh and other liberals argued that the Second Amendment’s 1994 restrictions on assault weapons violated McVeigh’s position. The last grass came with the abuse restrictions.

” When the guns are outlawed”, McVeigh wrote in a letter,” I become an outlaw”.

The Turner Diaries, a 1978 novel that was sometimes referred to as” the church of the racist right,” was one of his greatest influences and a constant companion. A light nationalist bombs a truck bomb in it, and the US engages in a nuclear civil conflict. McVeigh read the book during his military training and sold files at weapons shows.

His use of violence as a justification for political grievances is reflected in Toobin’s language during Trump’s presidency, Toobin contends. Most notable is his proclamation on January 6 when he exhorted his followers to “fight like hell” in Congress.

Under the 45th leader, all the changes that McVeigh embodied came together to form a single entity: political extremism, the fascination with gun right, the hunt for like-minded allies, and most importantly, the embrace of crime.

The ideals and sights that McVeigh embodied, like social extremism and cannon dogmatism, came up under Trump.  Photo: STRF STAR MAX IPx/AAP via The Talk

When deciding on the bombing’s meeting, McVeigh purposefully chose April 19 as the celebration of Waco and the start of the American War of Independence.

Like McVeigh, the protesters who stormed the Capitol saw” the revolution” as equivalent to the revolutionary battle of the Founding Fathers. They both argued that it was important to use violence to accomplish their objectives.

According to Toobin, McVeigh represents a design of the angry Trump voter in this way. The deeds of McVeigh and some Trump supporters belong to” a longer history of gun-obsessed, antidemocratic, violence-fueled extremism”.

The only distinction is that Trump’s extremist thoughts are now widely accepted.

McVeigh and the MAGA action

A fresh docudrama, McVeigh, released last month in American theaters, is a dependable account of McVeigh‘s disillusionment and animosity, and a melancholy contemplation on the complex interaction of factors that led to his radicalisation.

Director Mike Ott steers clear of the exaggeration one might anticipate.

The bombing itself is always depicted in McVeigh. Otherwise, the narrative follows the weeks leading up to the assault, carefully tracking McVeigh’s assembly of the weapon with his companion, Terry Nichols, an old military buddy.

YouTube video

[embedded material]

Solitude, in this context, is the movie’s idiom.

In an early scene, McVeigh ( played by Alfie Allen ) points a pistol at the television, miming the execution of former US Attorney General Janet Reno as she testifies at the Waco hearing.

In the final moments of the movie, we see McVeigh waiting patiently for the crimson light to change in his vehicle on the night of the attack.

McVeigh and Nichols communicate in obscene monosyllables, hiding themselves “in basic sight” thanks to their written communication. This makes their programs difficult to decipher, though we know how the story ends.

Convicted murderer behind the Oklahoma City bombing in Terry Nichols.  Photo: Donna McWilliam / AAP via The Talk

The picture has been criticized as a missed chance to thoroughly examine the equipment that radicalised McVeigh. However, the very essence of the event is the understated – and occasionally painfully boring – picture of it. Secretive thinking is unknown, and there are instances of humdrum horror and aimlessness as the group veers into violent extremism.

We didn’t pinpoint the exact time when McVeigh decides to commit to the assault, nor do we realize how it could have been prevented.

However, McVeigh can be seen as a man who is trying to “make America excellent again,” propelled by what one previous leader called his “right-wing, survivalist, paramilitary-type philosophy.”

In this way, the sluggish burn creates an ominous ambience as the movie veers toward its unavoidable realization. The movie gently conveys McVeigh’s hatred at the state and, in particular, his quest of punishment for Ruby Ridge, Waco and the abuse restrictions, as accelerating causes.

The “lone wolf” story is a misconception.

McVeigh refutes the notion that McVeigh was a wayward dog like Homegrown.

Instead of presenting McVeigh as an eccentric peculiarity or a strange stranger, the video shows how he found society in both Elohim, a little spiritual community with white supremacist orientations, and on the gun show circuit, where he sold books, bumper stickers, guns and ammunition.

Indeed, McVeigh discussed his bombing plans with others. McVeigh was connected to the Michigan Militia, an armed paramilitary group that fights against federal overreach and alleged invasions of freedom, like Terry Nichols and his brother James.

” McVeigh may have thought of himself as a lone wolf”, writes Jason Burke,” but he was not one”.

In Homegrown, Toobin also makes light of Nichols ‘ role in the federal supermax prison in Colorado, where he is still serving life without the possibility of parole. He also exposes his wife Lori and Michael Fortier, who both knew about the plot but didn’t inform the authorities.

Convicted murderer behind the Oklahoma City bombing in Terry Nichols.  Photo: Donna McWilliam / AAP via The Talk

Importantly, given the rise of extremist parties and movements, both Homegrown and McVeigh make clear there is no single cause of radicalization and no single pathway to becoming a violent extremist.

In a strange way, Toobin even suggests that McVeigh settled before the term itself even existed. He contends that McVeigh used letter writing to express his extremist beliefs and find potential allies in a digital world without social media.

Like the incels of a later day, McVeigh was unable to attract the sexual interest of women and responded with rage toward them]… ] his resentments against Blacks ( for taking his job opportunities ) and women ( for denying him companionship ) festered and grew.

McVeigh was a teenager before the modern internet, but he was intrigued by its initial iteration in the mid-1980s. He even used the code name” Wanderer” to hack into a defense department computer. He was an amateur hacker.

Still, he was unable to access social media and other digital technologies, which explains, in part, why he was dismissed as a lone wolf unable to find his “pack”.

McVeigh told his attorneys,” I think there is an army out there, ready to rise up,” despite the fact that he never discovered it.

Toobin believes if social media existed in the early 1990s, McVeigh would have been able to galvanise the army he yearned for. According to Toobin, “more than any other reason,” the internet accounts for the difference between McVeigh’s lonely crusade and the countless people who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

McVeigh’s legacy

McVeigh was executed by lethal injection on June 11, 2001, exactly three months before 9/11.

He never expressed regret for his actions. He argued that the bombing was a justification for the Clinton government’s “arrogance and oppressive power,” and he also referred to the children he killed as” collateral damage.”

Before he was executed, McVeigh requested his ashes be scattered over the Oklahoma City National Memorial, on the site where the Murrah building once stood.

Rob Nigh, his attorney and long-time friend, told him to avoid the plan, calling it” a kind of sneering double immortality for the bombing itself and for his return to the site for eternity.” Instead, McVeigh’s remains were thrown into the wind in the Rocky Mountains.

The decision, as Toobin notes, was a symbolic one:

McVeigh would be everywhere if his journey were to end in this manner. Where he continues in some ways.

Kate Cantrell is senior lecturer – writing, editing, and publishing, University of Southern Queensland

This article was republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the text of the article.

Continue Reading

China pits humanoid robots against humans in half-marathon

By:
On:
In: Asia

China: For the first time in a 21 miles race, human computers joined hundreds of riders at the Yizhuang half-marathon in Beijing on Saturday ( Apr 4).

Some of the robots from Chinese manufacturers, including DroidVP and Noetix Robotics, were shorter than 120 centimeters, while others were as large as 1.8 meters. One company claimed that its robot resembled a woman with feminine characteristics and the ability to smile and teeth.

Some businesses ran testing of their computers months before the competition. Given the need for architecture and navigation groups, Beijing authorities have described the event as more like a race car competitors.

” The computers are operating very well, quite firm… He Sishu, a worker in artificial intelligence, said,” I feel like I’m witnessing the development of computers and AI.

The drones were accompanied by animal instructors, some of whom had to rigorously support the systems throughout the contest.

One robot wore boxing gloves, and the other wore a dark hat with the Chinese phrase” Bound to Win.”

Tiangong Ultra from the Beijing Innovation Center of Human Robotics won the machine competition in two days and 40 days. The race’s male champion finished in 1 minute and 2 minutes.

Continue Reading

GE2025: WP unveils third batch of potential candidates, including senior counsel Harpreet Singh

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

The Workers ‘ Party unveiled three new potential candidates on Saturday ( Apr 19 ) that it plans to field in the upcoming May 3 General Election.

They are Mr. Harpreet Singh Nehal, Mr. Sufyan Mikhail Putra Mohd Kamil, Mr. Jasper Kuan Hon Whye, and gathering secretary-general Pritam Singh and head Sylvia Lim at a press event.

Prior to this announcement, the opposition party announced 11&nbsp and two new hopefuls: former minister Eileen Chong Pei Shan and top counselor Ong Lue Ping from the Institute of Mental Health.

A&nbsp, a <a href=”https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/ge2025-workers-party-election-manifesto-5071121″>122-page manifesto, was likewise released by the WP on Thursday at a press conference where they announced the second batch of fresh faces.

HARPRECAST SINGH NEHAL

Mr. Singh, 59, has been a managing partner of the rules company Audent Chambers since he joined in 2019. He also serves as a Senior Counsel and is a graduate of the National University of Singapore’s Diploma of Laws and Harvard Law School’s.

Mr. Singh, the parents of four children between the ages of 22 and 29, also serves on the Leadership Council of Asia at Harvard Law School.

He has been a part of the WP since about 2021, the party claims, beginning with helping with Meet-the-People Sessions in Serangoon. Since August 2023, he has been involved in sales and home visits for the group’s email, Hammer.

SUFYAN MIKHAIL PUTRA MOHD KAMIL

Mr. Sufyan, 33, was an associate chairman of a community-based law firm with expertise in business and legal matters.

According to his profile posted on the party’s site, he resigned from his position as a result of the agency’s non-partisan policy to run for office.

Since May 2024, Mr. Sufyan, who is married, has been a case contributor for Aljunied GRC’s Kaki Bukit clinic.

He also serves on the group’s policy group, has contributed to bill analysis, and has assisted with political function for the Budget 2025 and Committee of Supply conversations. &nbsp,

According to the party, he has been constantly involved in home excursions in the Punggol neighborhood.

JASPER KUAN HON WHYE

Mr. Kuan, 47, is Visa Worldwide’s Asia Pacific solution result for dispute resolution. He began his career as a professor at Catholic High School before moving to OCBC six years later, where he oversaw the launch of FRANK, an OCBC finance service designed for young people.

After the 2020 General Election, Mr. Kuan began volunteering in Hougang, helping with Meet-the-People events. &nbsp,

From 2021 to 2024, he served as Hougang MP Dennis Tan’s committee assistant and parliamentary associate. &nbsp,

He has three kids and is a dad.

Continue Reading

3 men arrested for illegally entering Singapore waters; coast guard officer injured in chase

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

The Police Coast Guard detained three men for entering Singapore’s territorial waters without permission on Saturday ( Apr 19 ), according to the Singapore Police Force ( SPF).

Coast guard officials spotted an unexplained over while patrolling along the waterways near Pulau Sarimbun, an area off Singapore’s northern coast, according to the SPF, on Friday around 2.05pm.

The over veered off in the direction of Malaysia as the officers approached.

The soldiers then followed the over, which engaged in “dangerous manoeuvres,” according to SPF.

Two people fell over but were able to climb up onto the over throughout the course of the fight, which took place within Singapore territorial waters.

The coast guard vessel was stopped double as a result of the sampan’s collision with it, according to the police. &nbsp,

Continue Reading

ABOUT POLITICS: Lacking in leadership

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

Following criticism that she failed to properly respond to the most devastating natural disaster Bangkok has seen in years, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s status has been affected by the recent disaster.

Paetongtarn: Caught on the fly

Paetongtarn: Caught on the fly

Critics claim that Ms. Paetongtarn’s authority has been harmed by natural disasters. Shortly after being elected as Chiang Rai’s prime minister on August 16 of last year, she experienced a storm crisis.

The top stood accused of making excuses to avoid visiting the flood-ravaged territory. She insisted that she had no choice but to wait for her visit to get formalized before going to work directing national interests, insisting that her championship was pending royal support.

At the time, opponents who questioned the new government’s emergency response, or lack thereof, needed to address disaster-fighting challenges, which necessitated a sizable national-scale resources, manpower, and logistics.

Despite the despair felt by storm sufferers, Ms Paetontarn was spared a severe censure on account of her becoming “new” to the best job. According to an observer, her wedding as head of the government was her keeping joy.

But, the critics warned her to take lessons from the worst flood in Chiang Rai in 30 years, which resulted in 16 fatalities and more than 14, 000 acres of farmland damage across nine towns between September 9 and December 2015.

After this crisis she was expected to assume a dominant part, been equipped with a well-formulated behavior plan ready for immediate application in the event of another disaster, according to the reviewers.

The 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar and Thailand on March 28 shook high-rises and toppled one of the State Audit Office ( SAO ) buildings in Bangkok.

Calls were made for the government to intervene as the money sprang into conflict as panic-stricken staff and residents poured onto the roads to flee the shaking buildings for protection.

Bangkok government Chadchart Sittipunt announced that open gardens may be available around the clock to provide protection to people with no property to fall back on.

However, reviewers claimed that City Hall did not designate any huts or temporary shelters for the displaced. Just individuals were present to set up wireless restaurants and distribute free lunches to those employed at the collapsed building site.

The president’s announcement came on the heels of the authorities declaring Bangkok a disaster area, which permitted the area to tap into crisis funds to listen to the crisis. For the search and rescue operations at the fell SAO tower, resources and personnel were essential.

The spectator claimed that the earthquakes had left behind a path of destruction. Some residents and residents admitted they did not know whether the plan their apartments juristic people had taken out on their behalf fully or partially covered the injury caused.

Some people were forced to rent an apartment while their flats were being repaired.

At the time of the collapsed building site, it was vague who was in charge of the search and rescue operations being conducted by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the state disaster elimination and prevention officials.

As a result the government found itself the goal of large condemnation.

The Senate has criticized the government for what it claimed was its delayed response to the earthquake.

Senator Romsit Wiriyasan made an immediate action, urging the government and important organizations to hold an Upper House discussion on the subject and making recommendations.

He said that evacuees from buildings, customers conflict which hindered liberate workers ‘ exposure to quake damaged areas, and text message warnings that took too long to approach people, reflected badly on the government’s ability to manage emergency situations.

No one saw the government’s leader step up and take over the helm of crisis management immediately after the earthquake, according to Pol Gen Maj Romsit.

Another senator, Lt. Cdr. Wutthipong Pongsuwan, demanded that the government accelerate the implementation of the so-called “cell broadcast service ( CBS ) system,” which enables the dissemination of emergency weather and natural disaster warnings via mobile phone messages.

Senator Nantana Nantavaropas said that two previous natural disasters that hit Thailand– the 2004 tsunami and the 2011 deluge– should have served as lessons.

However, in a crisis, the government appeared unprofessional and had trouble communicating effectively. She claimed that state agencies “were too slow to respond.”

Ms Paetongtarn chaired a meeting with state agencies to address the text message delays warning people about the earthquake. Attendees also included mobile phone providers like True Corporation and Advanced Info Service.

The premier inquired about sending SMS alerts as soon as a quake.

However, this was too little too late. Critics claim that the prime minister made errors frequently.

The prime minister learned of some state agencies evacuating staff from office buildings after announcing on March 31 that structural cracks and tremors had been felt and that earthquake-related situations had been managed.

The critics took Ms Paetongtarn to task for trying to explain away the scare. She argued that aftershocks in Myanmar had no bearing on the March 31 tremors.

She claimed that it had nothing to do with aftershocks or additional quakes.

The critics were also baffled by what they said was the premier’s suggestion that individual building managers were on their own in conducting quake-induced damage assessments.

I have no idea how to act when an earthquake strikes, according to Ms. Paetongtarn, to be honest.

We don’t reside in a place where earthquakes are frequent and destructive. Some people might mistakenly think they experience low blood sugar when a quake hits. We need to be taught more [about earthquakes],” she said.

Casinos are not a guaranteed bet.

Chaichanok: Catches all off guard

Chaichanok: Catches all off guard

Chaichanok Chidchob, the secretary-general of the Bhumjaithai Party, caught everyone off guard when he objected to legalizing casinos at a House meeting.

His unflinching rejection came shortly after the Pheu Thai-led government resisted trying to quicken the investigation into the casino-entertainment complex bill.

The legislation, which was initially scheduled for a first reading on April 9, was deferred to the next parliamentary session, due to begin in two months.

Observers believe that Mr. Chaichanok’s action has put the Pheu Thai Party, which initiated the policy, in a awkward position.

Opponents of the bill have been vehemently opposed, saying that it needs to be completely abandoned and not just delayed. It involves the legalization of casinos and allowing them to be a part of an entertainment complex.

” Our intention is to prevent the legalisation of casinos, not just see the bill’s deliberation delayed,” Pichit Chaimongkol, leader of the Network of Students and People for Reform of Thailand ( NSPRT), said during a recent protest.

Additionally, the government’s claim that the bill received overwhelmingly public support during its public input gathering process was met with skepticism.

The government may now be forced to consider holding a referendum on the casino proposal due to the strong opposition from the opposition in parliament and Mr. Chaichanok’s leadership, according to observers.

Stithorn Thananithichot, director of the Office of Innovation for Democracy at King Prajadhipok’s Institute, said Pheu Thai appears to be hitting roadblocks in its casino-entertainment complex bill push.

Given that Bhumjaithai is the coalition’s second-largest party and reportedly has the backing of the majority in the Senate, Mr. Chaichanok’s position should not be disregarded.

Even if the government successfully pushes the bill for House consideration in the upcoming parliamentary session, he said, passage is not guaranteed.

The bill is considered finance-related legislation, so it requires two-thirds support in the House, or at least 330 votes.

The government is currently unlikely to achieve that number, and he said that critics are expected to demand that the cabinet take responsibility if the bill fails in its first reading.

Even if the bill passes the House, the Senate poses a significant challenge and is highly likely to reject it, according to Mr. Stithorn.

” The government must have evaluated the situation and decided to back down for the time being. He said that Mr. Chaichanok’s action is a new problem.

The Bhumjaithai Secretary-General may be attempting to capitalize on the political slack of his father, Newin Chidchob, the party’s founder and de facto leader, to capitalize on the opportunity while Pheu Thai appears to be losing them, according to the analyst.

” The only thing was that he]Mr Chaichanok ] became overly emotional]during the House meeting], breaking into tears after the speech and ending up being mocked by several media outlets, “he said.

Because no political party other than the main opposition People’s Party ( PP ) is prepared for a snap election, Mr. Stithorn argued that Mr. Chaichanok’s decision won’t cause a House to dissolve.

Pheu Thai, which finished second in the most recent general election, is also aware that achieving that result will not be easy, he continued.

For the government, the best course of action is to put the casino-entertainment complex bill up for a referendum and push for the passage of the pending referendum bill after its 180-day cooling-off period has lapsed.

The government claims that 80 % of the 71,300 polled in an online public hearing conducted from February 28 to March 14 expressed support for the bill, but the general public is skeptical.

There are questions after the hearing about what the questions were, how accurately these questions were framed, and how the findings were analyzed, he said.

Former election commissioner, Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, pointed out the results of the survey showed almost identical levels of support for every aspect of the scheme, with 80.6 % to 80.75 % of people voting in favour of each of the eight topics.

According to Mr. Somchai, it was statistically assumed that 57, 500 out of 71, 303 respondents would give the same answers.

The outcome appears improbable even from Mars. Yet the cabinet believes it,” the former commissioner was quoted as saying.

According to Mr. Stithorn, the ruling party may need to negotiate with the PP to secure its support for the bill and be willing to return the favor by holding a charter rewrite referendum at the same time.

It can stifle critical voices if a referendum is conducted fairly and the bill receives majority support. If scepticism remains, the government will face resistance and Pheu Thai will continue to suffer politically, “he said.

Continue Reading

China races robots against humans in Beijing half-marathon

By:
On:
In: Asia

At Saturday’s Yizhuang half-marathon in Beijing, computers competed alongside people.

Over a 21 km ( 13 mile ) course with slopes, turns, and uneven surfaces, 21 humanoid robots, created by Chinese manufacturers, competed alongside thousands of runners.

Some computers won the race, while some struggled right from the beginning. One machine slammed into the starting area and lay straight for a while before rising and taking off.

Robots have previously competed at sports in China, but this is the first day they have done so in a half-marathon.

Continue Reading

GE2025: PAP likely to field 4 new faces in Nee Soon GRC, says Shanmugam

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on Saturday ( Apr 19 ) morning that four new faces are likely to appear on the People’s Action Party ( PAP ) slate for Nee Soon GRC at the upcoming General Election.

” A number of new eyes” have been walking in Nee Soon, Mr. Shanmugam said at an event at Rainforest Wild Asia in Mandai.

They’re likely to be, he added, regardless of whether they are candidates, or whether they are applicants at Nee Immediately.

Mr. Shanmugam, who was elected Member of Parliament ( MP ) for Nee Soon GRC in the 2020 election, also introduced the four party members who were with him on Saturday, but he made it clear that they would join him on the Nee Soon slate.

They are Dr. Syed Harun Alhabsyi, Ms. Goh Hanyan, Mr. Jackson Lam, and Ms. Lee Hui Ying.

Since the end of March, Dr. Syed Harun, a physician and past Nominated Member of Parliament, has been spotted walking the Nee Immediately. He even made a statement earlier this month that he might run for president under the PAP.

Ms. Goh has also been spotted in the electorate. She was a previous civil servant whose previous position was as a director of the Ministry of Digital Development and Information’s Smart Nation Strategy Office.

Mr. Lam previously served as chairman at PAP’s Hougang tree, and he has been volunteering at Chong Pang, which is a division of Nee Quickly GRC.

Since she was 19 years old, Ms. Lee has been a Fanny Quickly volunteer.

Ms Carrie Tan, Derrick Goh, and Louis Ng, the elected MPs from Nee Quickly GRC who were present at the Mandai Wildlife event, contributed to speculation that they would not run in the forthcoming election. &nbsp,

However, Mr. Shanmugam asserted that “nothing is confirmed until it’s confirmed.”

Nee Quickly in 2020 elected MP and Associate Professor Faishal Ibrahim were also absent from Saturday’s gathering. He made the announcement earlier this month that he would run for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC in the poll.

On Monday, Nee Quickly GRC’s standard slate for the forthcoming election is anticipated to be revealed.

PAP’s Nee Quickly squad won 61.9 percent of the vote in the 2020 election compared to Progress Singapore Party. &nbsp,

Three new eyes have been added to Red Dot United’s campaign for the five-member electorate in May 3rd.

Continue Reading