Kayaker missing off the coast of Sentosa; search operation ongoing
SINGAPORE: An investigation into the disappearance of a paddler off Sentosa is ongoing. A person was reported missing off the coast of Sentosa island, according to the Singapore Civil Defence Force( SCDF ), which announced on Sunday( Oct 22) that it had been alerted at around 10.25 a.m. A kayakerContinue Reading
Thai injury toll in Israel rises to 18
22 October 2023 at 18:47 PUBLISHED
While the death toll and the number of kidnapped Thais in Israel remained the same, the Foreign Affairs Ministry reported two more injured Thai people it.
According to the minister’s report from Sunday, there are now two to 18 more injured Thais in Israel as a result of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The death toll and the number of Thais kidnapped, however, remained the same at 30 and 19, both.
Srettha Thavisin, the prime minister, stated on Sunday that Thai officials were negotiating for the transfer of kidnapped Thais using every means at their disposal, including personal relationships.
According to the Department of Consular Affairs, 2, 608 Thai people traveled from Israel and NBP on 15 flights between October 11 and 22( Sunday ).
Seven Thai technical individuals were among the returnees on Sunday after they and their guardians made the decision to end their jobs in Israel first for the sake of safety. According to the Education Ministry, 71 additional technical kids stayed in Israel to finish their internship programs.
House to deliberate Move Forward charter referendum motion Oct 25-26
22 October 2023 at 17:23 PUBLISHED
Government whip chief Adisorn Piengkes announced on Sunday that the House of Representatives will vote on a motion put forth by the Move Forward Party ( MFP ) on October 24. The public vote will be held on the proposed charter amendments.
The MFP’s action has been placed on the House plan, according to Mr. Adisorn, a Pheu Thai listing MP, and will be discussed in accordance with the rules outlined in the open referendum law.
Whips from the state bloc’s parties would convene on October 24 at 9 am to discuss a joint position on the activity. & nbsp, He said that after the MFP had explained it, a decision would be made regarding whether to support it.
The action would be sent to the case after receiving Senate approval if it is approved by the House of Representatives. According to Mr. Adisorn, the action may be dropped if it is rejected by the Senate.
The motion, according to Parit Wacharasindhu, the Move Forward MP and spokesman, would ask the people in a referendum whether they approve the creation of an entirely new constitution to replace the military-drafted 2017 constitution and that the new charter should & nbsp, be written by an assembly whose members are directly elected by them.
He thought it would be beneficial for the House of Representatives to hear views on its own plan for a public election, despite the fact that the government side has established itself.
Thousands flock to Ko Chang for 3-day weekend
22 October 2023 at 16:21 PUBLISHED
TRAT: Over the three-day trip this weekend, tourists flocked to the Ko Chang territories in this eastern state.
The Mu Ko Chang National Park’s captain, Polwaree Buchakiat, announced on Sunday that a sizable number of tourists, particularly visit organizations, arrived at the archipelago this weekend. King Chulalongkorn Day, which even coincides with the end of the school year, falls on Monday.
According to him, tourists visited the local Mu Ko Rang islands’ stunning dive sites as well as the rivers Klong Plu and Than Mayom.
According to Mr. Polwaree, the Mu Ko Chang National Park department received significantly more access fees this month only than usual. & nbsp, rather than Chinese visitors, the majority were Thais and Europeans.
” It looks like the wind will be good. Wonderful seas can be found. It is beautiful and the water is crystal clear. So, tourists like to swim. Even though it occasionally rains, it is not a barrier, the garden chief said.
According to Saksit Moongkarn, a former chairman of Trat’s Tourism Council, on 25, 000 people arrived over the course of this extended weekend.
Over the past week, around 1, 200 vehicles have crossed onto Ko Chang isle daily, and about 600 visitors have arrived in trip groups each day, according to him.
According to Mr. Saksit, the number of Chinese visitors was fairly low because Ko Chang has not yet gained popularity among them.
Watch: Boats collide in disputed waters
In disputed South China Sea waters, the Philippines has charged that China’s coast guard injured a Filipino offer ship by colliding with it.
China claimed that the Philippines” consciously stirred up problem.”
Authorities in the Philippines claimed that a Taiwanese military ship collided with savagely on Sunday in another incident that occurred even close to Second Thomas Shoal.
The Philippines’ military has made images available that allegedly depicts the fatalities public.
Muslims’ spiritual leader in Thailand dies day after brother murdered
22 October 2023 at 13:55 PUBLISHED
One morning after his younger brother was fatally stabbed, Aziz Phitakkumpol, the spiritual head of Thailand’s Muslims, passed away on Sunday night at the age of 76 in a Bangkok doctor.
Aziz, the 18th Chularajmontri( Muslims’ spiritual leader ) of Thailand & nbsp, passed away at 10.32 am on Sunday in King Cholalongkorn Memorial Hospital, where he had previously been admitted, according to the Sheikul Islam Office.
His death rite was set for Monday at 10 a.m. at the main mosque in Songkhla, his home responsibility,’ s Hat Yai area.
Aziz was conceived on March 6, 1947. He served as a senator, the head of the Thai Central Islamic Council, and the chair of Songkhla’s Islamic Committee.
A 42-year-old male repeatedly stabbed his younger brother Loh Phitakkumpol, 71, on the side of the road in the Sing Nakhon area of Songkhla with a 50-centimeter-long knife on Saturday.
Officers detained the think, Rohim Kongkalimeen, a local who appeared to be under the influence of drugs. Loh passed away from his injuries at Songkhla Hospital.
Over 100 test positive for drugs in Pathum Thani club raid
22 October 2023 at 13:14 PUBLISHED
PATHUM THANI: On Sunday night, 137 clubgoers tested positive for drugs during a attack on an entertainment facility in the Lam Luk Ka area.
Ansit Sampantarat, director-general of the Interior Ministry’s Department of Provincial Administration, led the 1.45 a.m. attack on MEM Exclusive Club, also known as MME Pub, on Hathairat Road in the Lam Luk Ka region. The Region 1 Office of Narcotic Control Board and regional defense participants provided assistance. Officers were not involved in the operation.
At the time of the attack, there were about 300 people inside the restaurant. Five of them lacked id cards, and many were younger than 20 years old.
Blood tests among the customers yielded 137 good results.
The pub owner and various managers were detained and accused of opening and running the establishment without a permit, selling alcohol to minors, doing so during off-limits hours, and inciting youths to misbehave.
The bar patrons who tested positive for medicines had to go through legal proceedings.
According to Mr. Ansit, the attack came in response to complaints made by locals to the Damrongtham Centre of the Interior Ministry alleging that the saloon had unlawfully permitted children under the age of 20 inside and that it had been used for drug sales and use. Additionally, according to the complaints, the restaurant was occasionally opened until 6 a.m.
He had given the city chief the go-ahead to deliver a statement to the provincial government that called for the establishment to be shut down for five years.
Hezbollah holds key to a wider Israel-Hamas war
Lebanon, which is on the verge of economic and political flop, runs the risk of getting caught up in Israel and Hamas’ escalating conflict.
Since Hamas’ surprise attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of almost 1,400 citizens and Israel’s declaration of war the following morning, Hezbollah has been preparing for the possibility of joining the conflict.
The Iranian militant group has repeatedly attacked Zionist targets from Lebanon, drawing fire from the Israeli Defense Forces in retaliation. Over a hundred people have perished, mainly Hezbollah fighters, but there have also been some civilian deaths on both sides of the border, including one who worked for Reuters.
I have concentrated my historical exploration and instruction on the dynamics of Israeli, Palestinian, and Palestinian conflict and assistance.
The now significant violence and destruction in southeastern Israel and Gaza will probably be greatly exacerbated by additional huge casualties in Lebanon, Israel, and possibly other Middle Eastern countries if a war breaks out between Hezbollah and Israel.
Is the well-being of Lebanon or serving as a placeholder for Iran Hezbollah’s decision to completely join the war may provide an answer to the question that has been preoccupying experts of the business for decades.
A conflict that dates back centuries
Since 1948, the Israeli-Palestinian issue has been escalating into Lebanon as a result of the creation of Israel and the eviction of Palestinians, also known as the Nakba or disaster.
No Arab nation has actually been more impacted by this issue. In 1948, around 100,000 Palestinians sought shelter in Lebanon. They are denied simple right now, and there are approximately 210, 000 of them.
Some Lebanese have expressed resentment toward the Palestinian refugees living in the nation and charge them for the start of the country’s civil war, which lasted from 1975 to 1990, in research. During the battle, an estimated 120, 000 people perished, the marks of which can still be seen in Beirut’s money.
Israel was heavily involved in the civil conflict in Lebanese. It fought against Israeli armies, which used Lebanon as a foundation to start attacks against the Jewish position, and supported Christian militia groups.
Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 in an effort to overthrow the Palestine Liberation Organization and install a pro-Israeli Religious authorities in Beirut. Neither goal was accomplished.
Hezbollah emerges as the most powerful army in Lebanon.
Lebanon and its politicians have been dominated by a religious program since its founding in 1920, in which government and state jobs are divided among the 18 formally recognized religious groups, most importantly Sunnis, Maronite Christians, Druze, and Shiites. Each faction has a requirement for representation in the state.
Since 1932, no official census has been conducted, making the Shiite population the largest sect in the nation, accounting for between 30 % and 40 % of the total population. However, an exact number is unknown due to the issue’s sensitivity.
Lebanon’s religious system has produced what academics refer to as” cross sovereignty” for decades. Political leaders who speak on behalf of their sects in a segregated method work both inside and outside of the state machinery by offering their constituents services that are typically handled by the government, such as marriage licenses and armed protection.
In order to combat Israel’s intrusion, Hezbollah was established in 1982 with assistance from Iran and Syria. It is by far the most powerful social, socioeconomic, and military power in the nation. This is a result of Iran’s backing and the strong and cohesive inner social structure among Islamist adherents there. Although not all Shiites identify with Hezbollah, there is no doubt that many of them share its triggers.
Hezbollah also functions as a state unto itself while adhering to the variant structure of the religious system. For instance, it offers Shiites social, academic, and economical services and boasts a military force that is significantly more powerful than the official Lebanese army.
In actuality, Hezbollah has benefited more from this religious cross system than any other party.
Lebanon is in unison
Even under the pressure of the 2011-starting Syrian civil war, Lebanon has managed to maintain some stability and vitality despite its poor state and shattered political system.
Years of Ponzi-like economic mismanagement, increased loans, and a sharp drop in foreign remittances caused the Palestinian economy to collapse in October 2019. It is regarded by the World Bank as one of the worst economic crisis to have occurred since the mid-19th decade.
The” October 17 revolution ,” in which the Lebanese demanded social and economic justice, an end to corruption, and the dismantling of the sectarian political system, was sparked by the crisis and spread across the nation. International donors became concerned as a result, international money fled the nation, banks closed their doors to savers, the government defaulted on its debts, and the local coin fell.
The socioeconomic and political situations in the nation were made worse by a massive explosion at the Beirut port in August 2020 that killed 225 people and caused billions of dollars in destruction. Additionally, the Palestinian political structure has been completely dysfunctional since October 2022 due to the political class’s failure to agree on a new leader and government.
Hezbollah has emerged as a steadfast keeper of the social system that supported it and has been least impacted by the country’s national problems among political forces.
Some people now view Lebanon as a failed condition, so joining another conflict is the last thing the nation needs.
” Return to the Stone Age”?
However, it is not up to the Syrian government to decide whether Lebanon finally joins the war.
Druze and Maronite political figures, who have historically opposed Hezbollah’s military identity in Lebanon, as well as the latest interim prime minister, Najib Mikati, have issued warnings against going to war with Israel.
Mikati acknowledged that he lacks the authority to decide whether Lebanon will go to war, which is a reflection of the contradictions in the Syrian social system, where Hezbollah and, consequently, Iran are responsible for making the most important choice any national leadership could make, namely, whether to declare war.
Hassan Nasrallah, the head of the Hezbollah, has frequently emphasized that the organization’s main responsibility is to uphold the independence of Lebanon.
On the other hand, its primary role in the Syrian civil war, which saved Bashar Assad’s state, has openly shown its dedication to Iran. However, that conflict was primarily fought on Arab earth. A conflict with Israel would be very dissimilar.
If Hezbollah joined the conflict with Israel out of alleged help for Palestinians in Gaza, it would be another dreadful chapter in Lebanon’s history. It might cause Israel to attempt to give Lebanon” up to the Stone Age ,” in the terms of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Hezbollah’s secretary-general, Nasrallah, has previously responded.
Additionally, it may probably spark the larger regional conflict that US leaders, including President Joe Biden, have fought valiantly to prevent. Additionally, Lebanon would be on the verge of total and inevitable collapse.
Professor of history and harmony studies at the University of Notre Dame, Asher Kaufman
Under a Creative Commons license, this article is republished from The Conversation. read the article in its entirety.
South China Sea: China coast guard hit Philippine ship, Manila says
ReutersA source boat carrying Filipinos was allegedly collided with by China’s coast guard in the South China Sea, according to the Philippines.
In the Second Thomas Shoal, where tensions have risen in recent months, the Filipino ship was en route to a Spanish island on Sunday.
Manila claimed that Beijing’s” risky blocking maneuvers” put the safety of the Filipino team in danger.
China, however, claimed that the Philippines” consciously stirred up problem.”
A few Filipino troops on the island, a marooned and crumbling navy ship, have frequently played cat and mouse around the shoal while Chinese and Spanish ships have been required to pay monthly rations.
However, according to Filipino government, since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took company in June 2022 and sought closer military ties with Washington, Beijing’s main competitor for control in the resource-rich and proper water, China has become more intense.
Authorities in the Philippines claimed that on Sunday, a Taiwanese military ship collided with an Asian coast guard ship in another incident that occurred close to Second Thomas Shoal.
According to Manila, a second source ship was ready to make it to the Spanish island in the shoal.
Nearly the entire South China Sea, including the Spratly Islands, where the Second Thomas Shoal is situated, is claimed by Beijing. Its maritime says are consistent with those of other nations, such as the Philippines and Vietnam.
In 2016, based on a situation presented by Manila, an global arbitration court in The Hague ruled that China’s extensive sea says lacked merit. Beijing has declined to acknowledge it.
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One-third of intended returnees have arrived from Israel
22 October 2023 at 12:08 PUBLISHED
According to the everlasting director for labor, about one-third of the Thais in Israel who want to transfer to their country during the conflict with Hamas have now returned.
2, 823 Thais, generally staff, had now returned from Israel, according to Phairoj Chotikasatien, continuous director for labor, who announced this on Sunday.
They were one of the 8,439 Thai immigrants who expressed a desire to go back home. 118 more Thais in Israel confirmed their desire to remain that, according to Mr. Phairoj.
Thai returnees will be transported from Tel Aviv to Dubai by chartered planes, where they will wait for connecting flights to Thailand, according to the permanent secretary of Thailand. For the returnees, more airlines will be scheduled.
According to Mr. Phairoj, Thai returnees who made their own way home could later present their travel documents — boarding passes, air fare receipts, and air tickets— to request reimbursement.