‘Stress’ Could be Valid For Prescribing Weed: Thai FDA

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13 February 2019, 17:09

BANGKOK — Stress is among a number of symptoms the Food and Drug Administration is considering for treatment with medical cannabis, the regulator said Wednesday.

Following an amnesty plan announced yesterday for pot smokers, the administration’s chief executive said today that officials are making the final decisions on which diseases and symptoms will be included in guidelines for treatment, and what type of cannabis medications are needed for them.

According to Tares Krassanairawiwong, the administration is classifying potential valid conditions into into three groups.

The first includes those that existing scientific proof shows can be treated by marijuana: nausea in cancer patients, epilepsy in children unresponsive to other treatment, multiple sclerosis and chronic pain. The second are those for which cannabis can improve quality of life: Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, stress and terminally ill patients. The third group includes conditions for which cannabis would be an experimental treatment, such as the use of its extract to kill cancer cells.

Tares said the latter two groups will be more open and flexible in terms of regulation, but all patients need to be under medical care, whether by certified professionals or licensed traditional practitioners.

He added that the departments overseeing both modern and traditional medicine are working on their own lists of diseases and specific treatments for them.

Under the landmark decriminalization legislation passed by the interim assembly in late December, the FDA has the authority to regulate the use and distribution of medical cannabis.

Mikimoto Unveils Latest Collection ‘Praise to Nature’ Inspired by Natural Beauty (Sponsored)

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Khaosod English

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13 February 2019, 16:39

Pearl is regarded as the king of gemstone, created meticulously by nature. Pearl also symbolizes purity, delicate elegance and timelessness, and it is believed that peal brings love, happiness and success to those who wear, making it highly revered women’s jewellry of all time. Among the most trusted and lauded pearl accessory brands is Mikimoto, the number one jewellry brand from Japan.

Mikimoto professes priceless purity to women in every occasion with fine jewellry crafted with the roundest, purest and most lustrous peals that are the 1% best quality. Only one in every hundred pearls is selected to construct the most exquisite pearl accessory. Mikimoto is ready to unveil the new exclusive collection, “Praise to Nature”, for Thai pearl lovers to marvel at Mikimoto Boutique at M Level of Siam Paragon.

At the beginning of the 19th century, Mikimoto established its unique craftsmanship and design philosophy as the distinctive Mikimoto style, combining traditional Japanese golden work techniques and European jewellry design. Since then, Mikimoto has continued its evolution in every sense for over the century.

Praise to Nature was first launched in 2017 to celebrate the grand re-opening of Mikimoto’s boutique in Ginza 4-Chome. Mikimoto’s aspiration was for people and nature to live in harmony, and came from his love of the sea-nurtured peals. The exquisite craftsmanship of the jewellry captures the dynamically changing moments of life. Yoko Takano, of the designers for this collection, expresses gratitude and appreciation to Mother Nature to mark the next stage of Mikimoto’s journey as the originator of cultured pearls since 126 years ago with this ever-growing collection.

The necklace in Praise to Nature collection is inspired by the dazzling hues of Paraiba Tourmaline. The designer wishes to capture the exuberant energy of the butterflies that flock together in spring and floats onward to the sky. Gold pearls represent the radiance of the sunrise on the sea, while the white pearls symbolize the moon illuminating the inky-black ocean. The natural flow of colours of the pearls and the coloured gemstones reflects the tranquillity of the sea. The collection comprises of the 18K white gold necklace with white South Sea cultured pearl, Akoya cultured pearl, sapphire, garnet, alexandrite and diamond worth of 70,000,000 yen (20 million baht). The 18K white gold earrings, worth of 10,000,000 yen or 3 million baht, are created with white South Sea cultured pearl, sapphire, garnet, alexandrite and diamond.

The collection “Jeux de Rubans”, influenced by ribbons, is a luxurious and whimsical portrayal of the timeless motif of ribbons, which is loved all over the world that boosts confidence, joy and happiness for women in every occasion. The necklace in this collection is made of 18K white gold with white South Sea cultured pearl, Akoya cultured pearl, sapphire and diamond as well as earrings and ring that reflect the haute craftsmanship of the creator.

Apart from the two aforementioned collections, Mikimoto also offers various other masterpieces created from King of the Ocean and other precious gemstones. Necklace, pendant, ring, earrings and brooch include white Akoya cultured pearl and white South Sea cultured pearl with diamond, Akoya cultured pearl necklace with jade and diamond, Akoya cultured pearl necklace with diamond, golden South Sea cultured pearl necklace with diamond, white South Sea cultured pearl necklace with aquamarine and diamond, golden South Sea cultured pearl earrings with diamond, black South Sea cultured pearl earrings with diamond, white South Sea cultured pearl earrings with aquamarine and diamond, white South Sea cultured pearl ring with diamond, Akoya cultured pearl ring with white South Sea cultured pearl and diamond, aquamarine ring with diamond and Akoya cultured pearl brooch with diamond.

Immerse in the precious beauty of pearl, the King of the Ocean, in the timeless collection, Praise to Nature, along with other masterpieces at Mikimoto Boutique, M Level of Siam Paragon. For more information, call 02-129-4444-5.

Royal Fraud Acquitted of Human Trafficking

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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13 February 2019, 15:16

Monta Yokrattanakan is fingerprinted upon her arrest in July 2016.

BANGKOK — The court acquitted a well-known socialite of human trafficking Monday, though she will continue to serve a sentence for royal defamation.

Monta Yokrattanakan, better known as Ying Kai, was cleared of charges that she enslaved three women and forced them to work as her housekeepers for nearly four years.

Rejecting the prosecution’s argument that she held them captive from 2006 to 2010, the court said the three women testified that they had access to phones and received money from Monta to go on leisure trips.

Socialite Accused of Flaunting Royal Title Goes to Jail

The 62-year-old broke down in tears in the courtroom upon hearing the verdict and thanked the judges for their verdict.

Monta’s high-profile arrest in 2016 came as a shock to many because the socialite was a regular among the upper stratosphere of society. Apart from human trafficking charges, police also accused her of insulting the royal family by claiming false ties to the monarchy for personal gain.

The arrest was part of a purge of those allegedly perpetrating fraud by exploiting ties to the monarchy.

The court found her guilty of two separate counts of royal defamation in 2017 and 2018. She’s serving a prison sentence of 14 years.

Monta is currently jailed in Klong Prem Central Prison.

Instagram Removes Gay Muslim Comics After Indonesia Warning

By

Associated Press

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13 February 2019, 14:44

A screenshot of the cartoon strip Instagram removed after the Indonesian government said it was pornographic. Image: Alpantuni / Instagram

JAKARTA — Instagram has removed an account that published comic strips depicting the struggles of gay Muslims in Indonesia following a frenzy of moral outrage online in the world’s biggest Muslim nation.

The Ministry of Communications said Wednesday that the account under the username Alpatuni was pornographic, which violated the law on information and electronic transactions. It was closed after the communications minister wrote a warning letter to Instagram, the ministry said.

The comics depicted gay characters facing discrimination and abuse, which has become increasingly common in Indonesia since late 2015 when conservative politicians and religious leaders began a campaign of portraying lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people as a threat to the nation.

An account of the same name on Facebook, which owns Instagram, was also no longer accessible.

Facebook’s regional office in Singapore said its Instagram arm was preparing a response to the controversy.

The social media company is regularly in the crosshairs of regulators, rights groups and the public as it unsuccessfully tries to balance what CEO Mark Zuckerberg has called “giving people a voice” and demands for censorship of content posted on the Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platforms.

The Indonesian ministry said it appreciated that members of the community reported the gay Muslim account, which “accelerated” its removal.

Some Indonesian netizens in turn congratulated the ministry. On Twitter, Fahmi Alfansi Pane, a policy analyst at the Indonesian parliament, thanked officials for “acting decisively” to protect public morality but also told The Associated Press he had never seen the comics.

Local media, quoting the communications minister, reported the ministry would block Instagram in Indonesia if the Alpatuni account wasn’t removed.

The government frequently threatens to block Western social media and internet companies for content deemed illegal but has never taken such measures, possibly fearful of a public backlash due to the huge popularity of the services with Indonesians.

In 2017, it briefly and partially blocked the Telegram messaging app because of its failure to remove groups linked to violent jihad.

Story: Stephen Wright

Belgian PM Criticizes UN Report on Racism in Belgium

By

Associated Press

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13 February 2019, 14:29

A male missionary from the Congo Balolo Mission holds the arm of a Congolese man in the Congo Free State. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

BRUSSELS — Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel says he is baffled by a preliminary U.N. report that said racial discrimination against Africans “is endemic” in Belgium’s institutions and that the nation needs to apologize for the crimes committed during its colonization of Congo.

He says Belgium will await the full U.N. expert report in September but says the U.N. Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent has produced “a very strange report.”

Belgium’s actions in Congo have long been criticized as one of the worst examples of colonial abuse. Some experts say King Leopold reigned over the mass deaths of millions of Congolese.

But Michel told the VRT network that the story of colonialism “is not only about Belgium, but also about many other European nations.”

Ratchaprasong’s Newest Mall ‘The Market’ Opens on V-Day

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Chayanit Itthipongmaetee, Staff Reporter

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13 February 2019, 12:47

An April 26 photo file of The Market. Photo: The Market Bangkok / Facebook

BANGKOK — CentralWorld. Central Chidlom. Gaysorn Village. In case it lacked shopping opportunities, Ratchadamri Road is adding another mall tomorrow.

After several months of delay, The Market Bangkok has set its official opening for Thursday, which just happens to be Valentine’s Day.

Owned by The Platinum Group, the six-story, mixed-use project sits on 21 rai and cost 9 billion baht to build. It includes two Marriott-owned hotels – Fairfield and Moxy Hotel Bangkok Ratchaprasong. The Market Bangkok shopping mall features more than 1,200 shops selling food, drinks, clothing and more.

It sells itself as “Bangkok New Dream.”

The Market Bangkok is located on Ratchadamri Road next to Big C Ratchadamri. It can be reached via skywalk from BTS Chit Lom.

50625269 1159355674246177 8864024106157211648 o e1550036813884 — Photo: The Market Bangkok / Facebook

Smog Surges Over Thailand’s Two Major Cities

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Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

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13 February 2019, 12:36

BANGKOK — Thailand featured two of the world’s most-polluted cities Wednesday morning, according to independent – not government – monitoring.

Chiang Mai and Bangkok ranked seventh and ninth respectively in a list of polluted urban centers, according to data from AirVisual. The capital’s air quality was indexed at 166, while Chiang Mai’s was 180, both of which are considered “unhealthy.”

However, the official government source of air quality information still offered a much rosier assessment. According to the Pollution Control Department’s Air4Thai app, most of Bangkok was shown to be only moderately polluted.

“Air4Thai is not real-time. The reported results are four hours behind. The reporting system needs to change,” said Tara Buakamsri, director of Greenpeace Thailand. “We’ve all had to rely on other apps, which are real time.”

Tara said the air in both cities was unhealthy. Exercising outdoors and opening windows is discouraged and the use of masks and air filters is strongly recommended.

Tara said the smog is expected to lay stagnant over the cities for the next couple of days, since there is little wind to flush it out over the Gulf of Thailand.

“Many spots in Bangkok will cage in the smog as well, especially between tall condos as big as malls. Even if the air quality is good in Bangkok on many days, some spots will continue to hold in dust,” he said.

Thai cities have been on alert since January for high levels of PM2.5 particles – the smallest and most harmful type – while the government has continued to field discredited solutions such as spraying water into the air.

Schools were closed for several days at the end of January and the public has scrambled to purchase masks.

Smog in Chiang Mai, known for its unclean air, is caused by both transportation emissions and slash-and-burn farming.

Bangkok Schools Ordered Closed Due to Smog

‘I Don’t Know What to Do’ About Smog: Bangkok Governor

Bangkok’s Air More Toxic Than You Think: Greenpeace

Worsening Smog Spreads Across Metropolitan Bangkok

Rail Construction Halted, Drivers Fined as Smog Persists

Bangkok Pollution Has Always Been Bad – So Have the Solutions: Experts

Burning Sugarcane Stalks Contributes to Smog: Activists

Chiang Mai Has Worst Small Particle Pollution in Thailand: Greenpeace

Facing its Demise, Thai Raksa Chart Demands Fair Trial

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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13 February 2019, 12:17

Thai Raksa Chart Party executives arrive at party headquarters Tuesday.

Update: Members of the Election Commission delivered a formal recommendation Wednesday afternoon to the Constitutional Court that the Thai Raksa Chart Party be disbanded.

BANGKOK — The party under investigation for allegedly exploiting the monarchy by nominating a former princess said Wednesday the case against it must proceed fairly.

In a statement released to the media, Thai Raksa Chart slammed the Election Commission for launching its investigation without hearing from the accused. The party, part of a faction loyal to former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, could be disbanded if found guilty.

“The Election Commission must exercise its power in accordance with the rule of law under Section 3 of the Constitution,” part of the statement read. “Party disbandment would also affect the rights of the party and its members, who are protected by Section 4 of the Constitution.”

Despite widespread reports the commission had ruled to disband Thai Raksa Chart yesterday afternoon, the commission later released a statement saying it had not yet made a decision. Despite that, commissioners showed up early Wednesday afternoon to the Constitutional Court with a recommendation to disband the party based on a decision reached yesterday.

Thai Raksa Chart argued the the party is entitled by election regulations to state its case before the commission and contest any punishment.

The case is part of ongoing political fallout over the party’s Friday nomination of Ubolratana Mahidol to be its candidate for prime minister in the March 24 election. The nomination was blocked by His Majesty the King, who ruled that Ubolratana was still part of the royal family and therefore cannot run for office.

Ubolratana herself has continued to insist, as recently as Tuesday night, that she had “quit a long time ago.”

While King Vajiralongkorn’s decree had no official legal standing, his edict interpreting the law is considered final by many, including the Election Commission.

Current election laws ban any use or mention of the monarchy for one’s political advantage. If found guilty, 14 executives of Thai Raksa Chart would be barred from politics up to 10 years. More than 200 candidates fielded by the party would also be banned from the race.

And the damages may not be contained to Thai Raksa Chart. Law scholar and former constitution drafter Jade Donavanik warned that the commission could take another step and disband all other pro-Thaksin parties on the grounds that they “colluded” in the election campaign.

Belgium to Shut Airspace for 24 Hours Due to Strike

By

Associated Press

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13 February 2019, 11:44

An Brussels Airlines Airbus 319 taxis in 2013 at Heathrow Airport in London, England. Photo: Mark Harkin / Flickr

BRUSSELS — Belgium’s air traffic control authority said Tuesday it is shutting down the country’s airspace for 24 hours due to staffing uncertainties caused by a nation-wide strike.

The authority, called skeyes, said it is forced to shut down Belgian airspace from 10:00 pm (2100 GMT) Tuesday until 10:00 pm Wednesday.

It said in a statement that it “does not have sufficient insight into the staffing levels during the industrial action that will start tonight.”

Belgian rail and other public transport systems are due to be hit hard during the 24-hour strike called by unions after the breakdown of wage talks. Police, postal and hospital services will also be affected.

International trains like the Eurostar, Thalys and TGV services are unlikely to be disrupted.

An estimated 650 flights pass through the main Brussels airport each day. Authorities there have warned that no flights will be operating and have asked passengers not to come to the airport.

The airport in the nearby city of Charleroi, which handles about 140 flights daily, had already been ordered closed on Wednesday due to the strike.

European air traffic authority Eurocontrol will manage all flights over Belgian territory above an altitude of 7,500 meters (24,600 feet).

‘Alita: Battle Angel’ Is Big Eyes and Big Effects

By

Associated Press

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13 February 2019, 11:37

Alita is just like a typical teenage girl. She loves chocolate, breaks curfew and crushes on a bad boy with floppy hair, a leather jacket and a motorcycle. But Alita isn’t typical in other ways. For one, she can slice apart a single falling tear with her ferocious battle sword.

Those are the two sides brought up by ”Alita: Battle Angel ,” our film entry into the thrilling manga world of artist Yukito Kishiro and imagined for the screen by producer James Cameron and director Robert Rodriguez. The film crams in so many plot lines that it risks being overstuffed but somehow stays true to its mesmerizing vision and emerges as a sci-fi success, if not a triumph.

Alita is both machine and human and the big-budget screen adaptation is both live action and computer generated, each element present in Alita herself, played with equal parts tenderness and ferocity by Rosa Salazar. She’s been given huge CG eyes but they’re not as distracting as you may fear. Somehow, Salazar still conveys deep emotion without a crucial acting tool. The film also has appearances by Jennifer Connelly, who is chilly and mysterious, and Mahershala Ali, who is chilly and dangerous.

The film begins with Alita’s torso found in a junk heap by a compassionate cyber-physician played by Christoph Waltz. The year is 2563 and we are in the crowded, chaotic streets of Iron City, a melting pot of survivors from a post-apocalyptic war. Cyborgs are everywhere and getting fresh parts seems to fuel the economy. (Curiously, plastic umbrellas are still in use. Cities can float in the sky here, but the population still relies on cheap plastic umbrellas.)

Alita’s human core is given a body and she awakens but has no memory of what came before. She must find out who she is and what her destiny is. “Whose rules do I live by?” she asks. Meanwhile, she falls for a human cyborg jacker (bland but hunky Keean Johnson) who has some moral issues to work out since he’s romancing a cyborg by day and slicing them apart at night.

There are several subplots involving cyberpunk bounty hunters, a ruling elite that lives in the sky and the town’s favorite sport — Motorball, a combination meth-fueled roller derby and Death Race. The film is rated PG-13 but there’s quite a bit of cyber-gore here, including gouging out eyeballs (more than once) and slicing metal folk in half or amputating them. If these were human, we’d be moving toward an R for sure.

The filmmakers are not afraid of making our heroine absolutely lethal and yet swooningly immature (she actually digs into her chest and offers her own artificial beating heart to her boyfriend, later laughingly admitting that gesture was “intense.”) She can give a beat-down to a roomful of hardened killers but still curl up on the couch and put her head on her adoptive dad’s chest. She can do flips worthy of an Olympic gymnast but her dad still wants her to wear knee pads and a helmet while competing at Motorball — against lasers, huge spinning saws and knives.

Alita has a strong moral compass — “I do not stand by in the presence of evil,” she announces — and, thankfully, triggering her special brand of martial arts mayhem must be earned. When a cute dog is senselessly slaughtered (relax, off camera), she dabs its blood on her face out of respect and revenge, squints really hard and coils up like lethal spring. It’s very clear whoever did that will not survive the next 5 minutes.

“Alita: Battle Angel,” which, in the end, needs more humor and less violence, kind of staggers quietly to its end. A sequel isn’t just hinted at — it’s practically dangled in front of our eyes as Alita looks heavenward to the next battlefield in the sky city. Well, count us in. Like Hailee Steinfeld in “Bumblebee,” Salazar’s Alita is part of a welcome wave of films about complex young women who know how to handle even the worst machines. Girls rule.

“Alita: Battle Angel,” a Twentieth Century Fox release, is rated PG-13 for “sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language.” Running time: 122 minutes. Three stars out of four.

Story: Mark Kennedy

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