Coordinated attacks, bombings rock Narathiwat
21 October 2023 at 12:50 PUBLISHED
NARATHIWAT- In the earlier hours of Saturday, police reported that alleged insurgents launched a series of coordinated attacks in the Tak Bai area of this southwestern boundary province.
According to Pol Lt Col Jarukit Sridech, the acting chief of the Tak Bai police station, who was alerted at 1.30 am, an improvised explosive device( IED ), assembled inside a fire extinguisher cylinder, was detonated outside the gold shop in tambon Chehe, causing damage to the front part of that shop.
He claimed that around 50 meters from the golden shop, a group of unidentified gunmen even started firing at the security checkpoint. Seven of the soldiers stationed there responded by firing up at the intruders, sparking a gunfight that lasted for more than 30 minutes. After forces arrived, the militants fled into a nearby bush.
A power pole that was destroyed by a roadside bomb 200 meters from the station was reported to officers afterwards. On the other side of the street, beneath a power mast, they also found an explosive system.
When two more IEDs were discovered along a nearby street in tambon Chehe on Saturday morning, villagers alerted the police, and the area was cordoned off.
In Narathiwat, numerous power beams fell on the streets, obstructing traffic paths. ( Photo provided )
Police were afterwards informed of another roadside bomb in Tak Bai’s tambon Khosit. Ten power poles collapsed as a result of the explosion, briefly obstructing customers.
The acting commander of the Muno police station, Pol Col Direk Chomyong, reported two instances in the tambon muno neighborhood of Narathiwat: two power poles were damaged by a homemade bomb that was detonated, and another power plant was discovered beneath another mast.
The matter is still being looked into, he said.
A chance for GCC and ASEAN to âre-globalizeâ the world
All eye were on the GCC’s” seem East” plan as officials from the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations met this week in Riyadh. The GCC – ASEAN ties are prepared for a reset after more than 20 years of sluggish cooperation.
The GCC – ASEAN yearly trade bill, which is roughly andnbsp, or US$ 10 billion, might now appear substantial at first glance. The GCC is ASEAN’s fourth-largest buying partner, trailing only China, India, and the European Union.
These numbers, however, are insignificant in light of the potential. The bilateral trade between the alliances could expand significantly as economic growth in both areas quickens, with a combined GDP of around$ 5.5 trillion. & nbsp,
The foundations for this expansion are already in place. Some member states have signed comprehensive economic partnership agreements( CEPAs ), and it is possible that they will continue to do so in the future. When considered collectively, the potential for cooperation is enormous.
Although oil will continue to play a significant role in the agreement, the GCC countries’ monetary vision and diversification plans also include numerous other industries.
The recently agreed-upon & nbsp, India, the Middle East, and Europe Economic Corridor, will create new trading opportunities, fortify energy resource pipelines, enhance digital connectivity. Similar to this, the ASEAN Connectivity 2025 initiative aims to foster community, inclusivity, and competitiveness within the alliance.
The GCC’s active market and its members’ financial diplomacy complement those of ASEAN nations. Fresh collaborations between sovereign wealth funds in both alliances will be made possible by this. & nbsp,
The biggest obstacle may still be the historical failure to encourage more significant administrative assistance.
Although the coalitions made their first official gathering in 1990, the first ministerial meeting wasn’t held until 2009. The ASEAN-GCC Joint Vision & nbsp on Trade, which was adopted at that meeting, made numerous promises but produced less-than-anticipated outcomes.
renewed opportunity for advancement & nbsp,
An opportunity to change this was the peak in Riyadh. & nbsp,
Some GCC nations, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have now started to expand their alliances. Both have received invitations to or have signed up for global forums like BRICS-plus, the Group of Twenty, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
A proper association with ASEAN is now a real possibility as foreign ministers from both coalitions meet every year and the GCC states’ financial stature is rising.
This may then lead to fresh political and safety assistance. States in both coalitions are caught in the middle as tensions between the United States and China worsen. In order to provide the GCC and ASEAN with new channels of engagement, this week’s summit does continue to link financial, political, and security dynamics.
Symmetrically, this is already taking place. After Indonesia and Cambodia, Vietnam will be the next nation to mark a CEPA with the UAE. Contrary to free-trade partnerships, CEPAs include services, which encourages economic growth. A year after the UAE and India signed a CEPA in 2022, trade between the two nations increased by 6.9 %.
Talks between nations may also open the door for a more comprehensive GCC-ASEAN free trade agreement. A free-trade agreement between Singapore and Qatar was signed in 2008, and it was later expanded to include the full GCC. With ASEAN, a similar development is feasible.
A potential like that is by no means assured. The GCC is not a uniform organization, and the interests of its members range, making it challenging to reach consensus on financial problems. The China-GCC FTA & nbsp has been stalled despite previous attempts by the European Union, the US, and India to sign a free-trade agreement with the GCC. & nbsp,
However, developing nations like those in ASEAN want to rekindle bilateral and multilateral ties. The competitive advantages of the two blocs’ nations may give the Global South’s press for South-South participation more vigor.
The desire to restructure global supply chains is one of the partnerships that GCC says prioritize in order to achieve their corporate objectives. Knowing this, ASEAN nations does work to develop hospitable business conditions that support this goal. To increase their relationship, the two sides had collaborate, for instance, with China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
For decades, the GCC has been focusing on the East in an effort to forge long-term trade ties that will extend economic and political dependency away from the West. The process of” re-globalization” is speeding up this andnbsp, and as it does, the rules of economic diplomacy are changing. & nbsp,
The most recent chance to guarantee that those laws favor developing nations in Asia and the Middle East was this year’s summit in Saudi Arabia. & nbsp,
The Syndication Bureau, which holds trademark, provided this article.
‘Til trash do us part: Taiwan couple embraces garbage wedding shoot
NANTOU COUNTY, Taiwan: A Japanese couple dressed in a tux and gown embrace in an unconventional wedding photo, one the environmentally aware bride hopes will deter her guests from producing needless garbage. Iris Hsueh, a Greenpeace candidate, and her fiancé are getting married in January and have asked visitors toContinue Reading
India completes crucial test in crewed space mission after delay
MUMBAI: Hours after the planned lift-off was halted, India’s ambitious crewed space mission Gaganyaan completed a crucial test on Saturday( Oct 21 ), according to the Indian Space Research Organization ( ISRO ) and nbsp. ISRO posted on X, the previously known Twitter software,” Rationale for the release keep isContinue Reading
Biden hitches Israel aid to less popular Ukraine war support
In a televised speech on Thursday evening, US President Joe Biden discussed his views on both the Hamas-Israeli conflict and Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
When Hamas invaded Israel from the Gaza Strip and Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine 22 months earlier, his conversation vividly described the atrocities meted out to human subjects of both problems.
Biden mentioned conversations with Egyptian leaders and the Palestinian Authority, which controls portions of the West Bank, and expressed love to Israeli civilians who were not affiliated with Hamas. He declared that because the US is the” beacon to the world ,” it is America’s responsibility to support Israel and Ukraine in their conflicts.
He supported the Polish effort to drive the Russians out of their nation. He did the same for Israel, but there was a distinction between Israel and Ukraine, which is evicting an armed party from country it has determined is not its own and that it does not wish to hold.
What happens, in essence, after the war is over? When the Israel-Hamas conflict, which is currently entering its second month, is over, Biden only briefly mentioned his own desire. He spent one sentence discussing his preferred result, adhering to the so-called two-state solution — i. e. the establishment of a Palestinian condition that includes Israel, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank.
We never abandon a two-state answer, he declared.
Since with least 1991, the United States has constantly favored this idea. Biden didn’t provide a plan for how to accomplish it.
The two-state option is opposed by Hamas, which was established during a Arab rising in 1987, while the Palestinian Authority accepts it. Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, even opposes it.
Throughout his whole social job, which includes five terms as prime minister, Netanyahu has opposed the two-state solution. The number of Israelis living in the West Bank has increased from about 115 000 to over 465 000 since Netanyahu second assumed power in 1993.
Israeli officials stated during Biden’s visit that until Hamas is vanquished, talks of a solution to the protracted Israeli issue must be postponed.
In any case, Biden appeared to be more focused on government in Washington than on achieving coming peace. He included a portion of his speech in which he pleaded with the US Congress to approve the combined congressional package of mutual aid for Israel and Ukraine.
Nearly no criticism is raised by help to Israel, but there is suspicion among Republican Party opposition politicians regarding the effectiveness and scope of assistance to Ukraine. Biden wants to use the Ukraine request to the common one for Israel in order to avoid a contentious conversation. & nbsp,
This discussion may seem insignificant, but the financial issue is what raises worries about not only US involvement in the current military conflict but also potential future ones in a world of intensifying conflict.
Additionally, both political parties view China’s alleged danger as a significant security concern. Biden had intended to carry out a so-called” pin to China” of defense solutions to fortify the threats of East Asia when he took office in 2020.
However, the US has promised to support Ukraine for as long as it takes to drive out the Russians in the interim. Israel, the Middle East’s most potent military power, is currently receiving lots of arms from it. Additionally, Biden has threatened to use force against Iran if it gets involved in the Hamas conflict.
Concern over the US’s ability to carry the burden of being what was once referred to as the” worlds police” has arisen as a result of rising global volatility.
A quarter-century of Pax-Americana, a period following the end of the Cold War in which only the US had the military might, resources, and determination to rule world politics, is also foreshadowed by literary and academic comment.
Recent articles with a funeral theme that focus on the decline of US influence and power have titles like” The Last Days of Pax Americana” and” Towards the End of Patx America.” as well as” The Pax American Death Throes.”
For worries have been dismissed by Biden. He even brought up the early post-Cold Revolution years, when US influence seemed endless, in addition to his statement that” America is a lighthouse.”
He cited the late Madeleine Albright, the hawkish secretary of state for President Bill Clinton, who called the US the” essential nation” when publicly defending a four-day US assault of then-bête noire Iraq.
In addition to supporting Israel, Biden’s brief journey was intended to influence how Israel conducts war in order to prevent harming residents. Biden claimed in a televised speech that he advised Netanyahu to adhere to the” laws of war” and not be” blinded by rage.”
There is a lack of sympathy for Palestinians in Israel; during Hamas’ foray into Israel, 1,400 Israelis were brutally murdered, many of them.
Biden’s two specific requests immediately came under fire. He declared that Israel do make sure that Egypt’s food and water supplies entered the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu had previously stated that he would forbid the entry of food and water into Gaza from the outside.
However, as soon as Biden appeared on television, Netanyahu and Iranian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi began arguing over who would inspect the shipment to make sure no arms were concealed inside.
Israel had warned Palestinians to abandon the northern Gaza neighborhoods before his visit in order to reduce the risk of fighting when Israel strikes back on the ground. Israelis did not protest the commands much, but international human rights activists argued that such behavior amounted to war crimes.
Biden tried to separate the general populace from Hamas in a message to Israeli civilians by empathizing with their suffering. About 4,000 Palestinians have so far perished as a result of Jewish gun and missile fire. Hamas has not provided any information regarding the number of warriors among them.
Biden didn’t go into detail about how the Israelis and Palestinians would set up a two-state solution; he also left out who would be in charge of Gaza does Israel be successful in destroying Hamas, as Netanyahu has promised.
The confusion dates up to the US’s 2003 occupation of Iraq following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. At the time, US General David Petraeus, who oversaw US troops in northeastern Iraq, expressed concern over a lack of precision regarding the nation’s future.
He asked angrily,” Show me how this ends.” For Israel and the Palestinians, the same problem could be posed and should be addressed.
Singapore police investigating activist Gilbert Goh for holding Israel-Hamas sign at Speakers’ Corner
Singapore: On Saturday, October 21, the Singapore authorities announced that they were looking into advocate Gilbert Goh for holding up a sign in front of Speakers’ Corner in Hong Lim Park that was connected to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Due to public safety and security concerns brought on by escalating tensions, the police and National Parks Board announced earlier this week, on Wednesday, & nbsp, that it would reject applications to hold events and public assemblies related to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The following morning, Goh shared a black-and-white picture of himself at Speakers’ Corner on Instagram with the words” Peace never battle.” Israel, put an end to the shooting in Gaza! Transfer all the hostages, Hamas!
Later, a unique, colored version of the image was shared on social media, including on the Reddit platform and by an alternative news outlet called Wake Up Singapore.
The police stated on Saturday that they were” aware of & nbsp ,” a social media post allegedly depicting the Israeli-Hamas conflict outside the Speakers’ Corner, and that” investigations are ongoing.”
Goh wasn’t given a name.
Srisuwan takes aim at ankle bracelet ‘bid rigging’
PUBLISHED: 08:05 on October 21, 2023.
Srisuwan Janya, a political activist, petitioned the Justice Ministry on Friday asking it to convene an investigation into alleged bid rigging in the purchase of out-of-date electronic monitoring ( EM ) ankle bracelets valued at 1.6 billion baht.
Premchai Karnasuta, a design tycoon, was released from Thong Pha Phum jail on Tuesday, prompting the filing of the plea. He was exempt from wearing an EM bracelet, according to the Department of Corrections( DoC ), as the tracker could harm diabetes-related wounds.
According to Mr. Srisuwan, there has long been a problem odor associated with the purchase of EM resources. According to his investigation, academics who were close to the winning bidder formed a Terms of Reference ( ToR ) committee. Yet some council members admitted they had never been to a meeting. The advocate also discovered that the ToR’s and purchasing documents’ required committee names were absent.
He claimed that in light of all these issues, DoC’s senior officials acted carelessly during the purchasing process.
Additionally, the technology is out of date and the features of the EM jewelry have been in use for seven years. The technology is currently more sophisticated, and the sizing is smaller but still strong, similar to a watch. Even if an convict is in a cave or deep water, fresh EM bracelets have better tracking devices, according to Mr. Srisuwan.
But, the Justice Ministry continues to use the same EM bracelet features. This might work in the secret company’s favor, he said.
With a total expenditure of 1.6 billion ringgit, or roughly 73, 333 per collection, 60, 000 EM jewelry have so far been purchased. But, EM jewelry currently cost on average 7,700 baht per collection. If large-lot purchases are made, rates may be lower. The government is getting ready to request a northern budget of 1.2 billion ringgit to buy the identical old EM bracelets. This has to stop, he declared.
He stated,” We demand that the Justice Ministry abandons the innovative procurement program and establishes a committee to investigate.”
Two 14-year-olds nabbed in Yishun for suspected drug offences involving crystal meth
SINGAPORE: As part of a 12-day islandwide battle by the Central Narcotics Bureau that ended on Friday( Oct 20 ), two 14-year-old boys were detained for suspected drug offenses involving crystal meth or frost. Police detained the second 14-year-old in a home near Yishun Street 51 in the evening ofContinue Reading
Review of Prawit watch case rejected
21 October 2023 at 7:45 p.m.
In a situation involving Prawit Wongsuwon’s opulent wristwatches, the anti-graft organization asked for evaluation, but the Supreme Administrative Court rejected that demand on Friday.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission( NACC ), which had been ordered to reveal the specifics of its investigation into the wristwatch controversy to political activist Veera Somkhwamkid, claimed there was no basis for the review sought by the court.
When Gen Prawit did not list 22 luxury watches and jewelry on his list of assets, the NACC ruled 5:3 in December 2018 that there was no evidence to support the claim that he had erroneously declared his money. They belonged to companions, according to Gen Prawit, and were since given back.
When Gen Prawit was seen wearing a silver Richard Mille RM 029 valued at about 2.5 million ringgit and an engagement ring on December 4, 2017, at an event held at the Government House, the luxury watch investigation was launched.
Mr. Veera petitioned the Supreme Administrative Court for the publication of the investigation’s information after the NACC dismissed the event, and the request was ultimately granted.
The NACC was mandated by the court’s decision to give Mr. Veera access to three pieces of data.
Fact-finding information, the anti-graft officials in charge of the case’s opinions, and meeting reports from the NACC were all included in them.
However, the NACC merely provided Mr. Veera with two pieces of information and refused to share the views of the case’s anti-graft officials.
The NACC secretary-general Niwatchai Kasemmongkol stated in an interview in August that the organization needed to maintain its integrity and that it was necessary to black out the witness names in the documents given to Mr. Veera in order to preserve the witnesses’ personality and dignity.
A hard act to follow
There are both excitement and skepticism about the Move Forward Party’s( MFP ) future as a result of the change in the guard.
Political pundits were attentively observing who would take the helm when Parliament’s largest group, which has 151 MPs, called an assembly next month to choose a new innovator and board executives.
Pita Limjarorenrat, who shot to political stardom and was credited with adding paint to the MFP’s splendor and propelling the group to vote success, left the management unoccupied with his resignation.
Mr. Pita resigned because the Constitutional Court was getting involved in his high-profile television holding case, which was keeping the MFP from taking the lead in the opposition.
Mr. Pita has been suspended as an MP by the Constitutional Court pending a decision in the ownership event. The longer his expulsion lasts, the more politically the MFP stands to lose by not being able to find someone who can shine in the position of opposition leader.
In order for the group to focus on the task of monitoring the government, plan called for Mr. Pita to resign as MFP head and let his son take over.
There was much rumor that there would be a two-horse competition in the days leading up to the MFP management vote.
Sirikanya Tansakul was the front-runner after being brought to the fore during the election strategy when she displayed the vision and certifications required to persuade voters she may be elected finance minister.
The party secretary-general, Chaithawat Tulathon, who was dubbed the party’s brain and principal strategist, was the other solid contender.
Because of what they perceived to be Ms. Sirikanya’s poor performance during election fundraising, some experts gave her the thumbs down.
On the other hand, Mr. Chaithawat outshone her with his outer personality, which reflected his delicacy, maturity, and level-headedness. He is regarded as one of the main designers of MFP plans, which are responsible for the party’s distinctiveness.
No one objected when Mr. Chaithawat, who received 330 votes at the party assembly, was irresistibly chosen to succeed Mrs. Pita. Just three abstained and five voted against him.
But the defeat speech he gave shocked a lot of social observers.
If and when Mr. Pita makes a return as an MP,” The new directors and I are prepared to endure down.”
According to Mr. Chaithawat,” The changes in leadership that have occurred today [ Sept 24 ] are therefore temporary.
But, Mr. Pita, who was present at the command election, expressed a conflicting opinion when he said that his son was the real deal.
A social supply believes Mr. Chaithawat may be in the long run as MFP boss, despite the fact that his speech raised questions about how he was supposed to lead the party.
The Future Forward Party ( FFP ), which later became the MFP, was co-founded by the Songkhla native. The previous FFP head Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, who is now in charge of the Progressive Movement, and he had collaborated carefully.
Their relationship began when they were the editors of Fah Diew Gun( Same Sky ), a publication known for occasionally delving deeply into social criticism and political activism.
According to the cause, Mr. Pita’s decision to step down as MFP leader may involve more than first appears. His departure might have come at the perfect time to provide the MFP with the most leverage possible as a” professional – active” main opposition party that wants to maximize its influence on the political scene.
A youthful, flamboyant politician with a good family and education, Mr. Pita— a successful MFP poster boy— has proven to be an enormous advantage for the group during elections. He used his charisma to support the MFP win its election, and the leader needs to have a different set of skills in order to keep the party’s popularity up until the next election and realize its goal of staging an overwhelming victory and running the government alone.
According to the source, this is where Mr. Chaithawat’s strong hands in management, strategy development, and strategic foresight will be tested.
The MFP has established itself as a force to be reckoned with when criticizing the government— a posh name for finding fault with it.
A trust gap experienced by Pheu Thai may cause the swing of public support to jump in favor of the MFP in a social environment divided into two camps, one led by the ruling party and the other by it. The group may find comfort in the knowledge that it can replicate an election succeed but by a much wider leeway in subsequent polls if the MFP you gain and maintain the pounds of popularity.
Wallet problems might get worse.
Srettha: Protects divisive plan
The Pheu Thai Party-led government had come up with a good reason to reconsider its 10, 000 baht digital budget policy in response to criticism from financial experts, including past Bank of Thailand governors.
Sadly, when urging the followers of the contentious program to voice their opinions, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin let the opportunity to change the program or backwards out slip away, according to observers.
He used his X accounts, formerly known as Twitter, to muster the people behind the game show during a visit to Phitsanulok last weekend, in addition to asking locals to talk out if they agreed with the scheme’s merits.
” Don’t allow people who are opposed to this plan quit it without good reason if you agree with me and support it.” And let us understand if you like it and think the plan is a good idea. Mr. Srettha wrote,” We’re these to work for you, so we need your help.
The text of the prime minister is not well received by the policy’s detractors.
They worry that it might spark a clash between supporters and opponents of the plan, and by urging the followers to speak out, the prime minister might be perceived as preparing to conceal behind the backing he has amassed should something go wrong with the scheme’s application.
It’s completely out of line to motivate people to confront each other when damage happens in the future because they didn’t put the blame on the people.
Acting Democrat head Jurin Laksanawisit was cited as saying,” Moreover, it feels like people could be used as a weapon to prevent taking duty.”
Mr. Srettha defended himself by saying he was only attempting to gauge public opinion— both positive and negative — about the digital wallet plan with no intention of inciting conflict or causing divisions.
Reviewers of the policy claim that the nation is in a good position to weather economic pain, but they are particularly worried about where the money will come from to fund the plan.
It is estimated that the system may cost a staggering 560 billion baht to fund, and it is still unfamiliar where the money will come from. This could have significant effects on both the public debt and the economy at large.
The number of people aged 16 and older who are eligible to receive the pamphlets is estimated to be around 54.8 million, according to the authorities, so the funds is probably smaller than previously estimated.
The digital wallet plan will be a pilot of the market, which is expected to grow by an average of 5 % periodically during the government’s four-year expression, and it also makes the case that the national economy is not already reaching its full potential.
Political scientist Phichai Ratnatilaka Na Bhuket from the National Institute of Development Administration ( Nida ) has no doubt that the Pheu Thai-led government will continue with the plan despite the criticism, though it is likely to make adjustments to keep it afloat.
Since the Covid – 19 crisis has passed, the freebie is widely regarded as unnecessary, according to the researcher, so the government should prepare for harsher criticism and stronger weight without fine-tuning the flyer scheme.
He doubts that anyone in Pheu Thai, who proposed the plan during the election campaign, is knowledgeable about how to carry it out successfully.
He believed that rather than being carefully planned and its possible effects on the economy considered, the digital wallet scheme was hastily developed with the intention of appealing to voters in order for Pheu Thai to level a landslide success.
There is also a real risk of how tragic it would be if the bag plan were to experience widespread corruption, such as the Yingluck Shinawatra administration’s rice-pledging program, which resulted in enormous financial losses.
According to Mr. Phichai,” I believe it would be truly beneficial for the nation if this scheme were to be abandoned or subjected to such rigorous scrutiny that it cannot continue.”
The plan will be put into action by the state in February of next year.
Express watchdogs like the National Anti-Corruption Commission and activists like Dr. Warong Dechkitvigrom, who gained notoriety for exposing the rice-pledging system scandal, are keeping a close eye on it.
Dr. Warong, also known as” Dr. Rice” for his extensive research into the rice pledging policy, took action this week by submitting a request to the Office of the Ombudsman requesting that it investigate the digital wallet legislation and request that the Administrative Court revoke its ban.