PM dismisses reshuffle talk
PUBLISHED: 8 Jan 2025 at 08: 07
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the prime minister, refuted rumors that she has considered a government change.
The prime minister responded to rumors that some ministers would be ousted from the state as part of a planned cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday by responding to press inquiries.
Ms. Paetongtarn claimed she had not considered reshuffle the case at this time. She said she intends to schedule a meeting with her officials to learn about their problems and receive changes on the government’s progress.
She stated that she would immediately send offers for discussions to these ministers. She stated that she wanted to meet with two officials this month, but she did not specify which officials those officials would be.
In the meantime, Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul responded to questions from the internet regarding a New Year’s Eve meeting with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra about social issues.
Mr. Anutin, the interior minister, claimed that they did not discuss politicians and that their purpose was to only pay respects and change New Year’s desires with a senior official.
When questioned about whether Thaksin had given any advice on the operation of the state, he said that no work-related issues were raised. When questioned about whether or not the current political situation was being discussed, he claimed Thaksin had not raised like issues.
Chinese Communist Party’s grip on power is increasingly insecure – Asia Times
On December 31, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered his annual televised fresh time target, and critics have been quick to offer their interpretations. Some have questioned Xi’s passing mention of Taiwan’s hazard of the Chinese reunification. People have focused on Xi’s remarks about China’s business, framing them as a fearful effect to Donald Trump’s election as US leader.
However, these addresses miss the bigger picture. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP)’s ) grip on power is becoming more and more insecure, according to Xi’s new year address. This uncertainty is obvious in how Xi’s feedback, supported by the group’s control of Taiwanese media, attempted to tease the Chinese people.
The main focus of Xi’s speech was on China’s economic victory. He stressed that the Chinese economy is thriving, and explained that China’s total GDP is soon expected to surpass 130 trillion yuan ($ 17.7 trillion ). Over the past twelve months, GDP has increased by 4.9 %, or equivalent.
This has been taken a step further by studies on Xi’s speech in the Chinese internet. China Daily, the official CCP-owned paper that is often used to connect the group’s location to the Chinese people, praised Xi’s “heartening conversation” and stressed the hugeness of China’s “remarkable” growth rate. Other developed economy struggled to regular levels of 1.5 %, according to an article published on January 1.
The reality that China’s economic growth has slowed, falling from 5.2 % in 2023, is not included in the good economic criticism of Xi’s target. Although the growth rate of 4.9 % is amazing in comparison to other developed nations, it is unsatisfactory given the pace of Chinese economic progress. In the 2000s, China’s GDP increased by about 13 %, surpassing its annual growth rates of over 10 %.
One time ago, in his 2024 handle, Xi acknowledged the problems facing the Chinese market. He promised financial reforms that would reduce youth unemployment, promote job creation, and boost growth. However, despite these initiatives, China’s economic growth continues to decrease and youth unemployment remains high.
Gaslighting the Taiwanese citizens
It may be difficult to comprehend why Xi and the CCP acknowledged financial problems when China’s expansion rate was higher and celebrated financial success when progress had slowed. But it makes sense when considered through the glass of “goal-shifting” – an action that goes beyond the good flip governments put on their country’s economic efficiency.
Goal-shifting is a form of social gaslighting, in which an established purpose is” shifted” to one that is easier to achieve. This results in a presentation of an undesirable outcome as an accomplishment by the new goal’s normal by the original goal’s standard.
If we take China’s 2024 GDP growth of 4.9 % as the results, it can be viewed negatively in comparison with China’s 5.2 % rise in 2023. China’s 2024 expansion rate can be described as “remarkable” in the context of China shifting the purpose to China having higher GDP growth than other developed markets, a miracle that was never really in doubt.
The CCP appears to be using its influence and control to highlight the financial information of Xi’s speech in Chinese internet. By undermining China’s financial objectives and downplaying the struggling economy, it is gaslighting the Taiwanese people. The CCP is framing the comparative strength of Taiwanese development as a result of the party’s financial management at the same time.
The CCP has relied on the twin pillars of populism and finance to defend the validity of its state since the 1980s. Financially, its validity was upheld by decades of high rise, which has lifted more than 800 million people in China out of poverty. But, with rise slowing over the past century, the CCP has pivoted towards a reliance on populism.
The CCP and China’s patriotic activity have a symbiotic relationship. Republican tasks like those involving historical societies, patriotic statues, and museums are supported by the CCP. Nationalist organizations have a vested interest in backing the CCP as a result.
But, this connection is harmful to the CCP in the long term. The CCP may impose restrictions on republican organizations without jeopardizing its own nationalist standing. Republican groups have acted in ways that go against the CCP’s desires, including starting cyberattacks both domestically and internationally.
The twin-pillar type the CCP has relied on for centuries is faltering. In his earlier new year target, Xi took the extraordinary step of acknowledging China’s financial challenges. The CCP attempted to use the financial foundation by betting on a reverse of economic wealth in 2024, afraid to mix nationalist sentiment. This turnaround failed to materialize.
The CCP has become extremely insecure, but Xi’s 2025 new year target adjusted the objectives for judging China’s financial performance. Meanwhile, the party encouraged reporting that supported Xi’s address, spinning China’s slowing growth and worsening economic woes as a “remarkable” economic achievement.
At the University of Essex, Lewis Eves lectures on government and international relations.
This article was republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
US VP Harris to travel to Singapore, Bahrain and Germany before leaving office
The White House announced on Tuesday ( January 7 ) that US Vice President Kamala Harris would travel to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia from January 13 through January 17. The journey, which will likely be Harris ‘ previous as vice chairman before leaving department on Jan 20, doesContinue Reading
This Singapore femtech start-up created a home saliva test for women to track hormone changes in perimenopause
The 42-year-old said,” We’re very blessed in Singapore because we have several options for doctors, but I saw all sorts – conventional doctors as well as herbal and TCM practitioners.”
” I found a veterinarian in Singapore who took my specimens to a US labs.” I spent thousands of dollars on this approach, and at the conclusion, I only received a piece of paper with a number that read “perimenopause.”
” Evidently, I freaked out as I had never heard of this term, I thought it was the end of the line,” she added.
Hurtado’s veterinarian built a strategy for her, involving” diet, intake and exercise”. She lost 8kg in eight months and found the entire procedure an” eye-opener”. She also looked online for changes regarding the term “perimenopause” and discovered that it wasn’t frequently discussed.
She had previously worked for Adidas APAC for ten years, where her main responsibilities were process optimization and trend analysis, but she instantly wondered what could be done to make this scenario better for women. Making a change through innovation was one option.
Giving A MUCH CRITICAL SHIFTS PICTURE
At the time, Hurtado was employed by a nearby women’s health company, and she became connected to her co-founder, Dr. Sarita Kumble, a chemist in her early fifties who had had her fair share of perimenopause issues. Dr. Kumble was born and raised in the United States.
She told me that she would be in the middle of her innings and that she would suddenly start to get hot flushes, which no one would know because she was the only woman in the room, according to Hurtado.
She argued that as older people, we should be able to assist the next generation of people.” She wanted to make it better for people.
The two girls created a list of skilled professionals with whom they wanted to collaborate. One of them was past world champion athlete Joe Dunbar, a professor in London and expert in saliva testing, who primarily works with high-performance sportsmen.
Afghanistan shows economic gains from investing in girls’ education – Asia Times
People had been prohibited from attending university since 1996 when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2001. Utilizing information from the Labor Force and Household Studies conducted in Afghanistan in 2007, 2014, and 2020, I, along with World Bank training expert Raja Bentaouet Kattan and scholar Rafiuddin Najam from American University. We found it was tremendous.
In the midst of the Taliban’s fall, education options expanded at all rates. The infant mortality rate declined by half, and the gross national income per capita almost tripled ( in real terms in purchasing authority, from US$ 810 in 2001 to$ 2, 590 in 2020.
Ladies are at the center of the country’s economic growth during this time. The general average return on investment in schooling in Afghanistan is minimal, but it is still great for women. For example, for every additional year of schooling a woman received, her earnings increased 13 %. This is higher than the average return on investment in knowledge, which is 9 % worldwide.
Why it concerns
The Taliban re-established its hold on power in 2021 after 20 years since the first restrictions on children’s schooling.
The financial cost could exceed$ 1 billion, excluding the higher social charges posed by lower female education degrees. For context, Afghanistan’s entire gross domestic product was just$ 17 billion in 2023.
Our research demonstrates how disastrous the most recent learning ban could be for everyone in the country.
How we did our labor
Studies on the monetary gain to teaching, especially for women, is limited in Afghanistan. However, for proof is essential to comprehending the financial loss that a nation experiences when women are denied access to education and employment opportunities.
Our study sought to fill this gap by examining how income changed as a result of an extra month of education. We examined the changes that occurred between 2004, when the government made compulsory education available to both men and women starting in the fifth through eighth grades, and 2020.
Our findings indicate that excluding women from work and training is significantly more expensive than originally thought. According to our research, Afghanistan risks losing over$ 1.4 billion annually. This equates to a 2 % decrease in national income.
What’s following
Scientists have long held that investing in children’s education has a greater impact than just for each individual person. It offers generations-long economic and social benefits. Higher college enrollment costs are among these factors, as are improved health for her children.
In addition to the financial gains, additional research may be done to examine the social benefits of children’s schooling in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021. Future studies may look at the impact of investment in women’s education on public schooling by examining whether it reverses generational poverty cycles, promotes public health, and reduces inequality, giving rise to a multiple effect that benefits full communities.
Every extra day that the education restrictions on women’s education is in effect, generations get worse, losses get worse, and millions of young people’s dreams get further out of reach.
The University of Arkansas ‘ seat in training plan is Harry Anthony Patrinos.
The Conversation has republished this post under a Creative Commons license. Read the original content.
DoA to ease travel for passengers
new strategies to meet growing desire
PUBLISHED: 8 Jan 2025 at 06: 11
After seeing an increase in passenger numbers of more than 14 % during the new year, the Transport Ministry has mandated that the Department of Airports ( DoA ) take more steps to support travelers.
According to Deputy Minister Manaporn Charoensri, the DoA reported on Tuesday that there were 319, 275 passengers traveling between December 27 and January 2, an increase of 14.12 % from the same period last year.
The DoA oversees 26 flights, which generally operate private planes to Krabi, Khon Kaen and Lampang flights. Airports of Thailand ( AoT ) manage six significant international gateways, including Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, and Phuket airports.
Ms. Manaporn described how smoothly the transportation of public transportation from the flights to the cities or tourist attractions was done. People were satisfied with the companies, including the” Residing Airports” project including improving service, having designated areas for selling local materials and integrating local traditions into the airport culture, she added.
The government so mandated that the DoA implement more measures to help travellers and ensure their safety.
Ms. Manaporn stated that the DoA will make it easier to install an explosives detection system ( EDS ), a machine that checks checked baggage for explosives, in all airports under the DoA.
She claimed that 22 airports have already used the program. The DoA may also utilize an automated check-in system to make checking-in faster. To increase demand, the department may increase the number of daily flights.
Danai Raungsorn, DoA director-general, said Krabi Airport handled the most passengers during the New Year with 72, 620, followed by Udon Thani Airport ( 41, 785 ), Khon Kaen Airport ( 33, 562 ), Ubon Ratchathani Airport ( 31, 048 ), and Surat Thani Airport ( 29, 779 ).
With 477 commercial flights, Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport recorded the most commercial flights, followed by Udon Thani Airport ( 268 ), Ubon Ratchathani and Khon Kaen airports ( 202 ), Surat Thani Airport ( 22 ), and Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport ( 188 ).
Provincial airports to ease travel for passengers
new strategies to meet growing desire
PUBLISHED: 8 Jan 2025 at 06: 11
After the New Year’s Eve increase of more than 14 %, the Transport Ministry has mandated that the Department of Airports ( DoA ) take more steps to support travelers.
According to Deputy Minister Manaporn Charoensri, the DoA reported on Tuesday that there were 319, 275 passengers traveling between December 27 and January 2, an increase of 14.12 % over the same time last year.
The DoA oversees 26 flights, which generally operate private planes to Krabi, Khon Kaen and Lampang flights. Airports of Thailand ( AoT ) manage six of the world’s busiest airports, including Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, and Phuket.
Ms. Manaporn described the smooth operation of the public transportation system between the terminals and tourist destinations. People were satisfied with the companies, including the” Residing Airports” project including improving service, having designated areas for selling local materials and integrating local traditions into the airport culture, she added.
The government thus mandated that the DoA implement more measures to help travellers and ensure their safety.
Ms. Manaporn stated that the DoA will make it easier to install an explosives detection system ( EDS ), a machine that checks checked baggage for explosives, in all airports under the DoA.
She claimed that 22 flights have now rolled out the system. The DoA may also employ an involuntary check-in system to make checking-in faster. To help with higher desire, the department may increase the number of daily flights.
Danai Raungsorn, DoA director-general, said Krabi Airport handled the most passengers during the New Year with 72, 620, followed by Udon Thani Airport ( 41, 785 ), Khon Kaen Airport ( 33, 562 ), Ubon Ratchathani Airport ( 31, 048 ), and Surat Thani Airport ( 29, 779 ).
With 477 commercial flights, Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport recorded the most commercial flights, followed by Udon Thani Airport ( 268 ), Ubon Ratchathani and Khon Kaen airports ( 202 ), Surat Thani Airport ( 22 ), and Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport ( 188 ).
Flyover shut for Orange Line build
PUBLISHED: 8 Jan 2025 at 06: 02
NEWSPAPER SECTION: News
The Orange Line electric rail system’s bridge has been made operational in order to make room for the development of Charan Sanitwong Road. It is advised for motorists to use other routes to avert traffic congestion.
The Orange Line ( Bang Khun Non-Thailand Cultural Center ), or Bang Khun Non-underground station, will be located beneath the intersection where Charan Sanitwong Road crosses Liap Thang Rotfai Taling Chan Road and Sutthawat Road, according to Mass Rapid Transit Authority ( MRTA ) Deputy Governor Kittikorn Tanpao.
The bridge was closed on Monday for at least two times at 10 p.m. Its restoration is scheduled to start in December 2026, with completion expected in June 2028. On Liap Thang Rotfai Taling Chan Road and Sutthawat Road, just one email and one outgoing driveway will be closed during the closing.
To relieve traffic disturbance, the MRTA has provided alternative routes. Travelers from Ratchapunk Road heading for Siriraj Hospital you use Borommaratchachonnani Road, follow Somdet Phra Pin Klao Road, and then move onto Arun Amarin Road to reach their place.
Otherwise, they can use Phran Nok–Phutthamonthon Sai 4 Road, Phran Nok Road and Wang Lang Road to get to Siriraj Hospital.
From Liap Thang Rotfai Taling Chan Road, those arriving at Siriraj Hospital you take the Chim Phli Road, Kaeo Ngoen Thong, and Soi Charan Sanitwong 35. From that, they may reach the hospital via Wang Lang Road.
According to him, the MRTA is committed to ensuring the safety of the people and minimizing the impact of customers and environmental factors.
Opposition preps to grill coalition
Corruption, failures to be focus of debate
PUBLISHED : 8 Jan 2025 at 05:53
The opposition looks set to file a motion seeking a censure debate against the coalition government by February, while the debate is expected to come between late February and early March, said Pakornwut Udompipatskul, a People’s Party (PP) list MP and the head opposition whip.
“The debate should never be any later than the second week of March,” Mr Pakornwut said yesterday.
Among the main debate topics will be the government’s alleged failures in leading public administration, corruption, unfair acts in favour of certain conglomerates and distortion of the country’s judicial system for the benefit of an individual, he said.
These are problems the opposition has delved into and told the public about before, while there will also be some new problems that have not been revealed before, he said.
The PP is continuing to verify information about these issues to ensure the information about them, which the party currently already has in hand, is entirely correct, he said.
And if that is the case, he said, the PP believes these new issues could become a “final punch” and will convince some coalition parties to vote against the cabinet ministers allegedly involved in these issues. However, even if that does not happen and these cabinet ministers still win the no-confidence vote, at the very least, the public will be well informed about all these alleged mistakes and acts of misconduct and corruption in the coalition, he said.
“Almost all coalition parties will be grilled in the coming debate … And of course, the 14th-floor issue will be among the key debate topics,” he said, referring to the Pheu Thai Party-led coalition’s alleged interference in the Ministry of Justice’s handling of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s detention in the premium ward on the 14th floor of the Police General Hospital.
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Pol Col Tawee Sodsong said he would treat the planned censure debate as a good opportunity to tell his side of the story about the ministry’s alleged interference in correctional procedures.
Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri also said she, Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit and the other deputy minister, Surapong Piyachote, are ready for the debate. She said all transport mega projects approved in the past two years under their care are accountable and in line with the government’s transport policies.
The prime targets in this censure debate will be Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai, said Sirikanya Tansakun, a list MP and deputy PP leader.
Jail only option for ex-Thai PM Yingluck
PUBLISHED: 8 Jan 2025 at 05: 41
Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong stated on Tuesday that former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra will not be able to be detained outside of captivity if she reapprehends as prime minister because she has not yet met the new requirements for the soon-to-be-adopt alternative prison detention program.
Although Yingluck received a five-year prison sentence in August 2017, only those who have served time in prison that are not more than four years old may be eligible for the new confinement program, according to Pol Col Tawee, who refutes a past claim made by DoC director-general Sahakarn Phetnarin.
Yingluck, 57, was given a five-year prison sentence in absentia in 2017 after being found criminal by the Supreme Court’s Criminal Case Division for Holders of Political Positions for failing to stop fraud in her administration’s rice-pledging system, which cost the state about 500 billion ringgit in costs.
She has since moved worldwide.
The minister, however, declined to comment when asked if Yingluck may be eligible for a reduced statement following a petition.
The secretary cited the need for Thailand to adhere to international corrections guidelines as justification for pursuing the plan, noting that 50 of the country’s prisons are currently in really poor condition and that the majority of them are on average 90 years old.
Due to limited finances, just one innovative prison may be built each month, leaving the recent facilities overcrowded, he said.
” Some other countries have adopted similar programs”, he said.
According to a recent study conducted in Thailand, captives who have been permitted to remain detained outside of jail have a significantly lower level of incarceration than those who have received their whole sentences, he said.
The minister strongly refuted growing rumors that this incarceration solution was created to help Yingluck’s returning to Thailand, saying that” the new choice wasn’t tailor-made for any particular person but for all who are eligible for it.”
There are some issues that need to be resolved before the new detention program may be unveiled, according to the minister, even though it appears to have received most people sessions.