More generation capacity needed to meet Singaporeâs growing electricity demand: Tan See Leng
The Keppel Sakra Cogen Plant, which will be located in the Sakra sector of Jurong Island, is expected to be completed in the first half of 2026.
It will produce up to 600 megawatts of electricity, or about 8 per cent of the country’s peak electricity demand in 2022.
“As electricity demand will continue to increase, we will need more generation capacity while ensuring that the power sector transitions to a net-zero future,” said Mr Ngiam Shih Chun, chief executive of the Energy Market Authority.
“The hydrogen-ready Keppel Sakra Cogen Plant is a good example of the infrastructure we need, and we encourage other generation companies to make similar investments.”
China ramps up efforts to prevent flooding amid heavy rains
BEIJING: With more heavy rain forecast in the coming days, China has activated an emergency response in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and ramped up flood control efforts in the Hai river basin, Xinhua reported on Thursday (Jul 20). The Ministry of Water Resources will make preparations for flood storage in reservoirsContinue Reading
IHG Hotels & Resortsâ Vignette Collection débuts in Phnom Penh – Southeast Asia Globe
IHG Hotels & Resorts today announces a partnership with Odom Living Co., Ltd. to introduce Vignette Collection to Phnom Penh in 2027.
Located in the heart of Cambodia’s bustling capital, the 50-room Vignette Collection Phnom Penh Odom will provide guests with an exclusive Luxury & Lifestyle destination and joins a family of distinctive, elegant, and intriguing luxury and lifestyle hotels. Created for the next generation of luxury travellers, each property is unique yet connected by a shared vision to make a positive change for people, place, and planet.
The second IHG Hotels & Resorts property to open in Cambodia – following Six Senses Krabey Island – Vignette Collection Phnom Penh Odom joins one of the world’s largest luxury and lifestyle portfolios with more than 450 open hotels and over 100,000 rooms. Vignette Collection is IHG’s first collection brand and joins Six Senses, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Regent Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants and Hotel Indigo.
Patrick Finn, Vice President, Development, South East Asia & Korea, IHG Hotels & Resorts said: “Vignette Collection is IHG’s newest Luxury & Lifestyle brand, and already growing quickly in many markets. It’s the perfect choice for partners seeking a distinctive identity for their hotel, while benefiting from our global scale, systems, and expertise as the second largest Luxury & Lifestyle hotel operator in the world.
“It’s been wonderful to work with Odom to bring Vignette Collection hotel to Cambodia’s capital city. Since launching in 2021, Vignette Collection has opened six properties in destinations including Brisbane, Bangkok, Porto and Washington, and grown a pipeline of 15 outstanding hotels. Over the next 10 years we anticipate a rapid expansion of Vignette Collection, reaching 100 properties globally, attracting guests who seek authentic, experiential and considerate stays.”
Kim Leang Kean, Odom Board Chairman and Founder of real estate developer ULS added: “Phnom Penh is a vibrant city with a rich history, incredible architecture, mouth-watering food and a unique culture, and we believe that Vignette Collection Phnom Penh Odom will further enhance its status as a must-visit destination.
“The Vignette Collection brand experience of authentic one-of-a-kind stays, each with its own distinct outlook and story to tell, is perfectly suited to attracting the next generation of travellers to this thriving city. Surrounded by an exciting mix of upmarket retail outlets, office spaces, hotel and residences, it will quickly become the place to be for visitors and locals alike.”
Located on the top seven floors of Odom Tower – the 45-storey office component of the mixed-use development ODOM, Vignette Collection Phnom Penh Odom is conveniently situated along Preah Norodom Boulevard, a major road in Central Phnom Penh. With its central location within the Tonle Bassac district, it will be close to many international embassies and Cambodian government agencies, as well as international businesses and non-government organisations.
Vignette Collection Phnom Penh Odom will feature 50 rooms and suites and facilities including two restaurants, a rooftop bar, a lobby lounge, a swimming pool, fitness centre, a members-only private club and four meeting rooms.
The brand has expanded quickly in Southeast Asia, with the opening of Sindhorn Midtown Hotel Bangkok, Vignette Collection in 2022, with the rebrand of Dinso Resort & Villas Phuket, Thailand following later this year and two further hotels in The Aquatique Pattaya and Bangkok Chinatown.
Vignette Collection, IHG’s first collection brand, is a family of one-of-a-kind properties in sought-after urban and resort locations where the next generation of Luxury & Lifestyle travellers can indulge in stays that weave responsibility, community and locality together, backed by the reassurance of the company’s trusted reputation and leading loyalty offer.
About IHG Hotels & Resorts
Held under the umbrella of InterContinental Hotels Group PLC holding company, IHG Hotels & Resorts is a global hospitality company, providing True Hospitality for Good. With a family of 18 hotel brands and IHG One Rewards, one of the world’s largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,000 open hotels in over 100 countries, and more than 1,800 in the development pipeline.
For IHG’s latest news, visit their Newsroom and follow them on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
About Vignette Collection
Vignette Collection is IHG Hotels & Resorts’ first collection brand. A family of one-of-a-kind properties in sought-after urban and resort locations where guests can indulge in a growing passion for stays that are authentic, experiential and considerate. Here for the next generation of luxury travellers seeking both discovery and purpose, Vignette Collection weaves responsibility, community and locality together for stays that are as distinct as our hotels.
For more information, visit vignettecollectionhotels.com.
About ODOM
Nestled in central Phnom Penh, ODOM is a world-class mixed-use development comprising two towers: the 45-storey Odom Tower, offering 40,000 sqm of Grade A offices; and Odom Living, featuring 22 floors of spacious one to four bedrooms apartments for modern families and professionals. The towers are connected by Odom Square, a five-storey podium with green and commercial space for communities to thrive.
ODOM’s lead developer is Urban Living Solutions (ULS), a Cambodian-owned company focused on community-centered development.
Hundreds of baby seahorses released in Sydney Harbour
Scientists say they have completed the world’s largest release of seahorses into Sydney Harbour to boost population numbers. The White’s Seahorse is endemic to Australia’s east coast and became endangered in 2020 due to pollution and habitat loss.
Earlier this year, the Sydney Institute of Marine Science captured three pregnant males and helped raise their babies in captivity to improve their chances of survival. The 380 juveniles were released with tags that will enable researchers to monitor their growth and reproductive success in the wild.
Locals seek damages for ruined homes
Residents still in the dark on BMA compensation plan
Residents whose homes were damaged by the collapse of an elevated road project on Luang Phaeng Road in Bangkok’s Lat Krabang district on July 10 are urging the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to speed up the distribution of compensation and other financial aid.
The 600-metre section of the On Nut-Lat Krabang elevated road project, stretching from Lotus’s Lat Krabang to Jorakay Noi Police Station, collapsed on July 10, killing two people and injuring 12 others.
One of the affected residents, Apisit Laosinat, told the Bangkok Post that a crane at the construction site crashed on the three-storey shophouse where he lives with ten of his relatives. While the building sustained serious damage, no one was injured as no one was on the top floor when the crane collapsed, he said.
“My father and I were repairing motorbikes when the crane hit our roof. My brother said that the crane was blocked by a pole in front of the shophouse, but there were bits from the crane which came through the walls,” Mr Apisit said.
As a result, Mr Apisit said his family have had to temporarily move out of the shophouse, which they have been renting for 40 years.
“We were lucky that no one was hurt in the incident. But who can guarantee that there won’t be another collapse?” he said.
Mr Apisit said as of Tuesday, no one had reached out to his family or other affected residents to inform them about the compensation that they are entitled to from the contractor and the BMA.
To date, he added, he has only received 50,000 baht from the contractor, which he said was meant to cover emergency expenses, such as baby diapers and formula.
The contractor told them that they must consult their insurance company before the company can offer full compensation.
Sarut Kreutaweechote, 81, Mr Apisit’s neighbour, told the Bangkok Post that officials told him to immediately vacate his shophouse after the incident.
Officials gave me a budget of 3,500 baht to rent an apartment. Where can I find an apartment that cheap?: Sarut Kreutaweechai. (Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)
However, he moved back in despite the risk of further accidents because he couldn’t afford to live in a hotel.
“Officials gave me a budget of 3,500 baht to rent an apartment. Where can I find an apartment that cheap?” said Mr Sarut.
He revealed that local residents in Lat Krabang district have repeatedly voiced their opposition to the flyover, as they believed it wouldn’t resolve chronic traffic congestion in the area.
Instead, he said, locals would rather see Lat Krabang Road widened to accommodate more traffic.
“The construction site is a major source of pollution. Sometimes, they would work on the project in the middle of the night, which is a nuisance,” Mr Sarut said.
Wisanu Subsompon, a deputy Bangkok governor, said the project must be finished by December next year. As such, the contractor has been ordered to fix the project’s foundations to prevent similar accidents from happening.
“If the flyover construction is not completed by next December, the contractor will be fined according to the contract,” he added.
Japan’s inflation may have peaked, no imminent change seen to BOJ policy
TOKYO: Japan’s core inflation stayed above the central bank’s 2 per cent target in June for the 15th straight month but an index stripping away the effect of energy costs slowed, data showed, suggesting that prolonged commodity-driven price pressures may have peaked. Yet, with services price growth also slowing lastContinue Reading
Prayut meets Saudi official
PUBLISHED : 21 Jul 2023 at 06:27
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Thursday welcomed the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s Consultative Assembly to discuss opportunities for tourism and investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).
Tipanan Sirichana, a deputy government spokeswoman, said Saudi Arabia’s delegation led by Abdullah Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Sheikh met with Gen Prayut, the caretaker prime minister, and his team as part of their scheduled visit to Thailand.
The meeting at Government House was aimed at strengthening their legislative cooperation. Gen Prayut said the discussion would help speed up cooperation while tightening their relationship, said Ms Tipanan.
She said the discussion mainly focused on ways of elevating ties and investment opportunities, especially in the EEC area, which covers the three eastern provinces of Chon Buri, Rayong and Chachoengsao.
The discussion also discussed the opportunity for visa waivers, both for special passport holders and tourists, in an attempt to promote more tourism opportunities.
Both sides agreed to support each other under various multilateral agreements, including those made with the United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The Saudi team also included its Ambassador to Thailand Abdulrahman Abdulaziz Alsuhaibani, and other members of the Consultative Assembly.
According to the deputy government spokeswoman, the meeting was the first time Thailand had welcomed a legislative delegation from the country since normal ties were restored in the wake of Gen Prayut’s visit to Riyadh last year to sign numerous MoUs.
His trip was taken at the invitation of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the crown prince, and was seen as making a historic breakthrough after years of frayed ties and diplomatic conflict.
Still an enigma, Prigozhin resurfaces in Belarus
One of my readers took note that I was wrong about Yevgeney Prigozhin. I had argued that Prigozhin was no longer the leader of Wagner and had been sidelined and was missing. But I was not right, assuming the news reports that Prigozhin has surfaced in Belarus are correct.
The official Russian press is entirely silent on the matter, so what we have to go on is a brief statement attributed to Prigozhin and a very fuzzy video of Prigozhin welcoming the Wagner troops. The person pictured could be anyone but is said to be Prigozhin.
Presumably, these troops arriving in Belarus were part of a large convoy that traveled from Russia last week.
I am working on the assumption that the Prigozhin statement and the video are real and that Prigozhin is back in command of Wagner forces in Belarus: The man who at one moment was seen as a traitor is now back in business.
There may be good reason to welcome Wagner forces in Belarus, as the authorities there are keenly worried that Poland may launch an attack on the border in an effort to split Russian army forces in Ukraine. The appearance of Wagner troops in Belarus appears to checkmate any idea of a Polish attack.
My good friend Larry Johnson has the opinion that the Prigozhin affair was contrived and that Putin and the GRU (Russia’s military intelligence) worked together to expose Western intelligence meddling in Russia and to identify disloyal military leaders. This argument fits with unconfirmed stories that as many as 16 Russian military leaders already have been purged.
When you deal with Russia you always have to try to separate what is real from what is fake. Sometimes in Russia, this is called Matryoshka, named after the famous Matryoshka dolls that feature one doll inside another. I keep a set that I picked up a long time ago when Yeltsin was Russia’s President. Pictured below is a Gorbachev set.
The problem with the conspiracy theory is that it would have been hugely risky for Putin. There are still many questions.
Why did Putin reach out to his pal in Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, to help broker a deal with Prigozhin? Or did Lukashenko actually approach Prigozhin and then involve Putin?
Why did Putin make a deal with Prigozhin that, while halting the coup operation, left Prigozhin in a powerful and dangerous position? Similarly, why did Putin call it an insurrection and traitorous after the deal had been struck, but then reverse course again so that Prigozhin is back in operation in Belarus?
How come the army did not send forces to Moscow to block Prigozhin? In fact, the forces coming to Mosccow’s rescue were the FSB, the police, and a Chechen unit.
After the deal brokered by Lukashenko, the Russian authorities began cracking down on Prigozhin’s holdings. The raid on his mansion in St. Petersburg was filmed and broadcast in Russia in an effort to discredit him. At the same time, Prigozhin’s social network, which is extensive, was allegedly taken over by the authorities. Prigozhin lost his multi-billion dollar food and provisions contract with the Russian army. It was reported that Prigozhin’s people working in operations outside of Russia, particularly in Africa, were going to be replaced by regular Russian army personnel (which led to strong complaints from the leader of the Central African Republic and others).
Moscow backed down on replacing Wagner forces in Africa. Just recently there was a “normal” rotation of Wagner personnel.
Who actually controls Wagner also isn’t at all clear. Putin had selected Andrei Troshev (Grey Hair”) to head Wagner, something he made clear on June 29th when he met with Wagner commanders, including Prigozhin. Is Troshev in charge of Wagner forces in Belarus, as well as in Russia and Ukraine? The answer is that we don’t know. If Troshev is in charge, and Prigozhin is in Belarus, what is Prigozhin’s role? If the news reports are accurate, is Prigozhin now in overall command of Wagner forces in Belarus? Does that extend to the Wagner forces in Russia and Ukraine?
Then there is the problem of “General Armageddon” Sergey Surovikin, who still is missing. There is an unconfirmed rumor that he is going to meet with Putin this week. The issue with Surovikin is whether he was connected to Russian army leaders who supported a coup that would replace Chief of the General Staff Gerasimov and Defense Minister Shoigu. We don’t know what the Kremlin knows or doesn’t know about any of this.
Finally, there is a potentially related issue of the apparent dismissal of General Ivan Popov, commander of the 58th Combined Arms Army fighting in Zaphorize, Ukraine. Popov was a popular and effective commander, and his success in pushing back the Ukrainian offensive in Zaphorize should have made him a hero. He was fired when he openly complained about “the lack of counter-battery combat, the absence of artillery reconnaissance stations and the mass deaths and injuries of our brothers from enemy artillery.”
Prigozhin said a lot worse things than Popov, but he was never fired or criticized or arrested. In fact, when he voiced many of his complaints the army leadership was forced to fix some of the problems and provide support, whether it was shortages of ammunition and supplies or protecting the flanks of Wagner forces fighting in Bakhmut.
(A Telegram channel described as “close to Prigozhin” has released figures on Wagner losses in Ukraine. According to this channel, many of the killed were recruited from Russian prison camps.)
It seems that Popov’s getting fired, in the middle of the war, has more to do with extreme nervousness in the army leadership about who is trustworthy and who is not then with Popov’s specific complaints. One is reminded of George Patton’s removal in the Second World War, in part for slapping a wounded soldier but, in reality, because he had become a nuisance. After Normandy, Patton would be brought back, mostly because he was a great military leader and, despite his foibles, was loved by his troops and was a fearless, effective commander. What will become of Popov we do not know.
It remains unclear how serious the situation is for Putin. If the Prigozhin affair was a charade, what could be gained by it at the height of the Ukrainian offensive? Unless, of course, the army wanted out of the war, not because Russia was winning or losing, but because the human cost of the war was too painful. Many senior officers on the Russian side have been killed in the conflict. Many soldiers have been killed in battle. Despite various Kremlin opinion polls, among the educated elite of the country there must be great unhappiness over the war. That certainly would spill over into the military leadership ranks.
The other factor, rarely accounted for, is that Russia’s elite classes have been cut off from the West and, in a number of high-profile cases, have lost their property abroad thanks to Western sanctions. These seizures on the one hand and travel and banking restrictions on the other must have caused great unhappiness among the special group previously rewarded by Putin for their loyalty. When they compare Ukraine with their personal fortunes, they naturally favor their personal fortunes – if they still have them.
Russia has always depended on its elites, who are generously rewarded for loyalty to the government. If the elites defect, then Putin faces a nearly insurmountable problem staying in power.
15m foreign visitors arrive by mid-year
PUBLISHED : 21 Jul 2023 at 05:53
Thailand has welcomed 15 million international arrivals within the first seven months of this year, according to deputy government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek.
On Thursday, Ms Rachada said that school summer breaks in northern hemisphere countries have contributed to the increasing number of international tourists in Thailand.
Amidst this, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has pushed its new tourism campaign, “Amazing Thailand Health and Wellness: New Chapters New Experience”, which aims to promote medical tourism to attract wellness tourists with high purchasing power.
For domestic tourism, TAT plans to promote local attractions in every region to disperse tourism-generated income to locals across Thailand.
Ms Rachada said that TAT expects to see three trillion baht in revenue from tourism next year, with 1.92 trillion baht from international tourists and 1.08 trillion baht from domestic ones.
Apart from being a well-known destination for tourists after Covid-19, Thailand has become a popular location for filmmaking this year.
The Department of Tourism’s Thailand Film Office (TFO) said on Wednesday that there were 246 productions from 32 countries using Thailand as a filming location in the first half of 2023. The TFO said 143 foreign films were shot in Thailand for the same period last year.
The United States is reported to have spent the most on filmmaking in Thailand, with 519 million baht for 14 projects, followed by China with 349 million baht for 17 projects, Hong Kong with 328 million baht for 11 projects, the United Kingdom with 261 million baht for 19 projects and Germany with 201 million baht for 11 projects.
The TFO said the Thai government led by Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, has offered incentives to foreign filmmakers to choose Thailand as their film location, such as a 15%-20% cash rebate for those who invest at least 50 million baht while filming in Thailand.
The process of granting work permits for foreign filmmakers to shoot in Thailand has also been made convenient, with three days for visa assessment for an advert or music video production and 5-10 days for a film, series or reality show production, the TFO said.
In 2023, Thailand was a shooting location for the popular Korean TV series King the Land and the Chinese variety show Keep Running.
Experts query Pita snub
Nixing renomination ‘unconstitutional’
Legal experts are questioning whether a parliamentary resolution rejecting the renomination of Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat for prime minister was constitutional, suggesting the issue should be taken to the Constitutional Court for a ruling.
Borwornsak Uwanno, former chair of a constitution drafting committee, on Thursday slammed the resolution on Facebook, saying the Constitutional Court should look into the issue.
“Invoking a parliamentary session regulation has crippled the constitution despite the fact the charter specifically covers the prime ministerial election,” he wrote. “It’s a pity for Thailand.”
He said he was disappointed with MPs who voted against Mr Pita’s renomination.
He noted that the parliament’s interpretation was not final. Anyone who thought their rights were affected over this matter could petition the Ombudsman to determine whether the parliamentary resolution was a breach of Section 213 of the constitution, he said, apparently referring to Mr Pita.
The petition can be submitted to the Ombudsman, who will submit the petition to the Constitutional Court, Mr Borwornsak said, adding the affected person can also directly petition the court if the Ombudsman doesn’t.
“I will wait and see if parliament’s action violated the constitution,” he said. “I will see how the Constitutional Court will rule on this.”
Invoking a parliamentary session regulation has crippled the constitution despite the fact that the charter specifically covers the prime ministerial election, says Borwornsak Uwanno, former chair of a constitution drafting committee.
His comments came after a majority of MPs and senators voted on Wednesday to reject Mr Pita’s renomination on the grounds that parliamentary meeting regulation No.41 prohibited the resubmission of a failed motion during the same parliamentary session unless new circumstances were factored in.
They argued that an earlier motion regarding Mr Pita’s nomination was already rejected by parliament on July 13, when he failed to get the needed majority of votes in the first round.
Jade Donavanik, legal scholar and ex-adviser to a charter drafting panel, said that he believed Mr Pita’s nomination on July 13 was not a motion, so the regulation should not have been applied.
“The nomination of a prime minister candidate was not a motion. But the debate in parliament was off point,” Mr Jade said.
Khomsan Phokhong, law lecturer at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, pointed out that Regulation No.41 could be waived only if a new factor was introduced. For example, Mr Pita could be renominated for the prime minister post for the next round of a vote on Thursday if other candidates were also nominated alongside him.
“This means the circumstances are different, and the parliament president can decide to permit Mr Pita’s renomination,” Mr Khomsan said.
The nomination of a prime minister candidate was not a motion. But the debate in parliament was off point, says Jade Donavanik, a legal scholar.
In response to Mr Borwornsak, Sen Seree Suwanpanont, a former constitution drafter, said that hundreds of MPs and senators agreed that Mr Pita’s renomination was not permitted under the parliamentary meeting regulation and thus they voted against Mr Pita’s second bid.
“The MFP can renominate Mr Pita for a new round of voting as it wishes, but we will stand by the same principle,” Sen Seree said. “The party has the right to petition the Ombudsman or the Constitutional Court.”
Meanwhile, MFP secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon said on Thursday that he met key Pheu Thai figures for talks on how to proceed with the formation of a new government.
“We are trying to ensure that a government comprising the eight coalition partners is formed successfully,” he said.
Asked what the MFP would do if Pheu Thai nominated its candidate, Srettha Thavisin, for the next round of a PM vote, he said the matter would be discussed at a meeting of MPs and executives of the MFP.
Asked about Mr Srettha’s comments that Pheu Thai will oppose any change to Section 112 of the Criminal Code, Mr Chaithawat only said that there was no discussion with Pheu Thai yet.
“The eight coalition allies will meet for talks in the next few days and things will become clear,” he said.
This means the circumstances are different and the parliament president can decide to permit Mr Pita’s renomination, says Khomsan Phokhong, a law lecturer.