Ballon d’Or 1sts: Modric Wins, Hegerberg Takes Women’s Award

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4 December 2018, 11:53

Olympique Lyonnais' Ada Hegerberg with the Women's Ballon d'Or, center, poses with Real Madrid's Luka Modric, with the Ballon d'Or, left, and Paris St Germain's Kylian Mbappe with the Kopa Trophy, right, during the Golden Ball award ceremony Monday at the Grand Palais in Paris, France. Photo: Christophe Ena / Associated Press

PARIS — Luka Modric ended the long reign of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo by winning the Ballon d’Or for the first time on Monday, while another first saw Norwegian forward Ada Hegerberg win the inaugural women’s trophy.

Messi and Ronaldo had won every Ballon d’Or since 2008, and usually fought only each other for the greatest recognition among soccer’s elite. Women’s fight for recognition on the biggest stage took a big step with Hegerberg’s award.

Modric won the Champions League with Real Madrid and then guided Croatia to the World Cup final in July. The midfielder was voted player of the tournament.

“As a kid we all have dreams. My dream was to play for a big club and win important trophies,” Modric said. “The Ballon d’Or was more than just a dream for me and it is really an honor and a privilege to hold this trophy.”

Ronaldo was second in the polling followed by France forward Antoine Griezmann. France’s teen star, Kylian Mbappe, was fourth. Brazil star Neymar was third last year but only 12th this time. Messi was fifth in the voting, having been runner-up to Ronaldo the past two years and in the top three every year since 2007. Modric had never previously been in the top three.

“2018 is a dream year for me,” the 33-year-old Modric said. “Throughout my career I realized hard work, persistence and belief in yourself in difficult moments are the foundations of success.”

Modric’s father was shown on the big screen wiping away tears during the ceremony at the imperious Grand Palais in Paris.

Ronaldo missed out on a record sixth award, which would have moved him one ahead of Messi. The last player to win it before those two started dominating world soccer awards was Brazil midfielder Kaka with AC Milan in 2007.

Ronaldo also won the Champions League last season with Modric, before leaving to join Juventus. He scored a hat trick against Spain at the World Cup but he failed to make an impression when Portugal lost to Uruguay in the round of 16.

Mbappe and Griezmann scored in the 4-2 World Cup final win against Croatia. Mbappe earned a domestic treble with Paris Saint-Germain. Griezmann also scored twice for Atletico Madrid in the Europa League final win against Marseille.

France coach Didier Deschamps said a France player should have won the award.

“They deserve it because of what they did with the national team at the World Cup and also because of the trophies they won with their clubs,” Deschamps said.

The 19-year-old Mbappe – the youngest player to score in a World Cup final – won the Raymond Kopa Trophy awarded to the best young player.

France Football magazine has been awarding the Ballon d’Or since 1956, and created a women’s award for the first time this year.

Hegerberg is a three-time Women’s Champions League winner with French side Lyon and scored a tournament-record 15 times last season.

“I want to say thanks to France Football. It’s a huge step for women’s football,” Hegerberg said. “I want to end this speech with a message to all young girls in the world. Believe in yourselves.”

The outspoken 23-year-old Hegerberg said she won’t play for Norway at the Women’s World Cup in France next June.

Taking a stand against what she describes as a lack of respect for female players in Norway, she hasn’t played for the national team since 2017 when it crashed out of the group stage of the Women’s European Championship without scoring a goal.

Speaking in an interview shortly before collecting her Ballon d’Or, Hegerberg told The Associated Press on Monday she has no plans to reconsider her decision taken to preserve her “authenticity and my values, as a person, as a footballer.”

“A lot of things need to be done to make the conditions better for women who play football,” she said. “It’s all about how we respect women’s football. I don’t think the respect has been there.

“Sometimes you have to take tough decisions to stay true to yourself. I let them know, quite clearly, what I found wasn’t working.”

Story: John Pugmire, Jerome Leicester

Bangkok, Phuket Host Film Fest to Raise Awareness About Ocean

By

Chayanit Itthipongmaetee, Staff Reporter

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4 December 2018, 11:34

BANGKOK — An art space in western Bangkok will screen movies to raise awareness about protecting the sea next week.

Bangkok Ocean in Motion Film Festival returns to the capital for the second year. This year’s event will present features and short documentaries portraying the ocean, its environment and the issues that surround it.

The films include “Scarlet’s Tale,” about a bond between a man and a great white shark who took his leg. “Penguin Protectors” follows a group of dedicated people in South Africa who try to save the African penguin from extinction.

The story of a whale sculpture made from tons of plastic in the heart of Belgium’s Bruges will be told in “The Making of Skyscraper.” The full schedule is available online.

Films will be screened with Thai subtitles.

Organized by non-profit Ocean Recovery Alliance, Tourism Authority of Thailand, UN Environment and more, the festival will start at 7pm on Dec. 14 and Dec. 15 at Bangkok’s Changchui.

Those in Phuket will also get a chance to attend the festival, as it runs Dec. 12 at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa and Dec. 13 at Cafe Del Mar. Both shows will start at 7pm.

CP Foods Certified World Class IT Standards

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Khaosod English

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4 December 2018, 11:20

Charoen Pokphand Foods (CP Foods) announced that Charoen Pokphand Malaysia (CP Malaysia) recently certified two ISO standards for IT systems while CP Foods IT center is certified SAM Certificate by Microsoft.

Mr. Praderm Chotisuparach, Executive Vice President – Computer Office of CP Foods, announced that BSI (British Standards Institution) Malaysia, a well-known certification body in Malaysia, has certified CP Malaysia on ISO27001: 2013, a certification for Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) and ISO20000: 2011 that provides the standardization for IT Service Management (ITSM). Moreover, CP Foods IT Center is now certified Software Asset Management (SAM Certificate) by Microsoft Operations Pte Ltd.

Mr.Praderm explained that ISO27001 reflected the operational excellence in information assets security while being certified on ISO20000: 2011 means the quality of company’s IT service has met users and consumers’ expectations.

“Information security is vital for the business. We need to be sure that the company’s information, especially our customer data, remains confidential.” Mr. Praderm said, stressing importance of IT security in a digital economy.

CP Foods IT service is focusing on consumer experience enhancement by moving toward innovative services to provide consumer satisfaction in a timely manner.

Beside ISO standard certifications in Malaysia, the IT center also received SAM Certificate from Microsoft Operations Pte Ltd. for the effectiveness of its software assets management, ensuring the integrity, security as well as reducing cost of operation from software duplications. The company has adopted software management system since 2010.

“Software Asset Management has improved the efficiency of CP Foods’ IT works. It helps us to reduce cost of operation and ensure that CP Foods’ software licenses is compliant,” he said. “The company strives to maintain the standard of software management to make our stakeholders confident in our integrity and good governance.”

Asian Stocks Slip on Worries Over US-China Tariffs Truce

By

Associated Press

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4 December 2018, 10:50

A bank employee stands near screens showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at the foreign exchange dealing room in July in Seoul, South Korea. Photo: Lee Jin-man / Associated Press

SINGAPORE — Asian shares were mostly lower Tuesday as investors wondered if a 90-day tariff truce was enough for the U.S. and China to resolve a range of issues from technology development to trade.

Keeping Score

Thailand’s SET was up 0.01 percent Tuesday morning, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index shed 0.7 percent in early trading to 22,418.87 and the Kospi in South Korea lost 0.4 percent to 2,122.53. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 0.2 percent to 27,139.87 while the Shanghai Composite index added 0.1 percent to 2,657.35. Both Chinese indexes finished more than 2 percent higher on Monday. The S&P ASX/200 in Australia gave up 0.7 percent to 5,729.40. Shares fell in Taiwan and Singapore but rose in Indonesia and the Philippines.

Wall Street

A cease-fire in a trade dispute between the world’s two largest economies lifted major U.S. indexes on Monday. The S&P 500 index jumped 1.1 percent to 2,790.37, after gaining close to 5 percent last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 1.1 percent higher at 25,826.43. The Nasdaq composite added 1.5 percent to 7,441.51. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks picked up 1 percent to 1,548.96.

US-China Truce

On Saturday, a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping ended with a verbal agreement to hold off on further tariffs for at least 90 days. Trump was set to raise tariffs from 10 to 25 percent on USD$200 billion in Chinese goods, starting Jan. 1. In return, the White House said Xi will buy a “very substantial amount” of U.S. agricultural, energy and industrial products. On Monday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told reporters that the leaders had detailed conversations on 142 items and will need to turn pointers into a “real agreement” in the coming months.

Analyst’s Take

“Markets are reflecting a fragile truce between the U.S. and China after an initial sigh of relief. Investors are taking some money off the table as they figure out the details of what the leaders have agreed to and how long the truce can last,” said Song Seng Wun, an economist at CIMB Private Banking.

Energy

Oil prices are rallying ahead of an OPEC meeting on Thursday, where members are expected to cut output in 2019. News that the Canadian province of Alberta will cut production by 325,000 barrels a day also boosted sentiment. Benchmark U.S. crude gained 51 cents to $53.46 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It added $2.02 to settle at $52.95 a barrel on Monday. Brent crude rose 52 cents to $62.21 per barrel. It ticked up $2.23 to $61.69 a barrel in London.

Currencies

The dollar weakened to 113.34 yen from 113.63 yen late Monday. The euro rose to $1.1367 from $1.1353.

Story: Annabelle Liang

New Zealand to Allow Smoother Border Access to South Koreans

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Associated Press

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4 December 2018, 09:42

In this image made from a video, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, left, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in shake hands in Auckland, New Zealand Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018. Photo: NZ POOL via AP

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand will soon allow smoother immigration procedures for visitors from South Korea and plans to improve pension portability between the two countries.

Ardern made the announcement Tuesday after meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in Auckland. Moon and his wife, Kim Jung-sook, arrived in New Zealand late Sunday for a visit and are due to leave Tuesday.

Ardern said she discussed a wide range of issues with Moon, including global efforts to denuclearize North Korea and regional cooperation in the Pacific.

Ardern said that beginning next year, New Zealand will allow South Korean passport holders to enter through automated “eGate” immigration lanes. She said New Zealand hopes to soon sign off on a new social security agreement with South Korea.

NZ Tourist Sexually Assaulted Near Grand Palace, Police Say

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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3 December 2018, 17:38

BANGKOK — Police said Monday they’re hunting down a construction worker who allegedly assaulted a tourist from New Zealand in the vicinity of the Grand Palace last week.

The court Sunday approved an arrest warrant for Arnat Ukdee, 34, on the charge of rape, and police have alerted all border controls to be vigilant lest he attempts to flee the country, police spokesman Krissana Pattanacharoen told reporters.

Col. Krissana said Arnat assaulted the tourist at about 3am on Saturday opposite Wat Ratchabophit while she was lost in the area.

S 20627772 — Picture of Arnat Ukdee released by the police.

Other police officials have previously played down the nature of the alleged crime. Bangkok police commander Sutthipong Wongpin told reporters Arnat “obscenely” fondled the victim, while a local police chief said there was no rape.

“It didn’t escalate to rape,” Col. Kiat Kabbua, head of Samranrat Police Station, said by phone.

He added that police are checking security cameras to look for the suspect.

THAI Taps Worldpay for Payments Innovation (Sponsored)

By

Khaosod English

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3 December 2018, 17:05

Mr. Phil Pomford, General Manager, Asia-Pacific Global Ecommerce, Worldpay; Mr. Shane Happach, EVP Global eCommerce, Worldpay; Mr. Wiwat Piyawiroj , THAI Executive Vice President, Commercial; Mrs. Pariya Chulkaratana, THAI Vice President, e-Commerce and Ancillary Marketing

BANGKOK — Thai Airways International (THAI), the flagship carrier airline of Thailand, has selected Worldpay, Inc. (NYSE: WP; LSE: WPY) as its international payments partner, as it targets overseas growth.

To support its sustainable growth strategy, THAI needed an experienced partner to help it manage the complexities of cross-border payments, and optimise the online booking journey across both mobile and desktop. Worldpay, a leader in card and alternative payments with global coverage, was selected for its international reach and unrivalled experience in the airline industry. Worldpay works with 88 of the world’s biggest airlines and has more than 25 years of experience in the sector.

Consumer preferences are changing; whilst flights have traditionally been booked using credit cards, alternative payment methods (APMs) are growing in popularity. With 28 percent of Thai consumers using bank transfers as their preferred method for shopping online, the ability to offer local payment options will allow companies to make the most of Southeast Asia’s second largest economy. Additionally, global mCommerce penetration is set to rise from 38 percent in 2018 to 49 percent in 2022, which suggests that mCommerce is on track to overtake desktop sales by 2023. To adapt to this shift, Worldpay will support THAI in widening its breadth of payment methods and transaction currencies to appeal to the changing purchasing patterns of customers.

THAI will initially focus its payment optimisation efforts on Australia and Europe – two key markets for the company. In Australia, the carrier’s passenger traffic is growing by two percent year-over-year, while in Europe passenger traffic is growing at a rate of 2.5 percent each year. A range of APMs such as iDEAL, Trustly, SOFORT and Giropay will be rolled out over the coming months to make it easier for European travellers to book online. The THAI payment team will then expand their initiatives to India, China, and the rest of Asia Pacific.

Worldpay will also help THAI execute their commercial strategy through advanced data analytics capabilities, which provide rich insight into transaction approval rates and payment costs. This data will enable the airline to expedite new sales strategies, and optimise their payments infrastructure and cross-border operations.

Wiwat Piyawiroj, THAI Executive Vice President, Commercial comments: “Tourism is booming in Thailand, with a 7.7% increase in domestic flights year-over-year for our service. Yet the market is also incredibly competitive, so it is vital to ensure we can best service our customers and their needs. Thanks to Worldpay, we will be able to offer a variety of payment methods that caters to the tastes of travellers all over the world, making it easier for them to book the holidays they want. As we grow, Worldpay will be a vital strategic payments partner and key to our continued success.”

Phil Pomford, general manager for Asia Pacific, Global Enterprise eCommerce at Worldpay, said: “With global passenger numbers on track to double over the next 20 years, and Thailand forecast to enter the top 10 aviation markets by 2030, it is a hugely exciting time for THAI. We are delighted to support our partner as they continue to grow. Travellers are continuously evolving the ways in which they buy flights, and airlines must keep pace to match these shifting patterns. The airline industry has never been more competitive, and we look forward to helping THAI capitalise upon the opportunities ahead.”

About Worldpay
Worldpay, Inc. (NYSE: WP; LSE: WPY) is a leading payments technology company with unique capability to power global Omni-commerce. With an integrated technology platform, Worldpay offers a comprehensive suite of products and services, delivered globally through a single provider. Worldpay processes over 40 billion transactions annually, supporting more than 300 payment types across 146 countries and 126 currencies. The company is focused on expanding into high-growth markets and customer segments, including global eCommerce, integrated payments and B2B. Visit us at www.worldpay.com.

About THAI
Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) is the national carrier of the Kingdom of Thailand. Founded in 1960, THAI has a fleet of 100 aircraft and currently operates an average of 1092 roundtrip flights per week on domestic, regional and intercontinental routes to 79 cities, 80 airports, in 31 countries. The key to THAI’s success is its major award-winning in-flight and on-ground service, convenient schedules and on-time performance. THAI is one of the five founding members of the Star Alliance network, which was established in 1997. For more information, visit thaiairways.com

Sidewalk-Riding Motosai Who Wields Knife at Officer Gets 7 Charges

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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3 December 2018, 16:26

Image: Natchaphon Saengkaewsri / Facebook

BANGKOK — A motorcycle taxi rider was taken to court Monday where prosecutors are pursuing seven charges against him for attempting to stab an arresting officer last week.

Police said Sakan Mankong, 39, drew a knife Friday and tried to attack a city law compliance official, or tessakit, after the officer reprimanded him for riding his motorcycle on the sidewalk.

The charges pressed against Sakan include resisting a law enforcement officer, physical assault, carrying a weapon and riding without a license. The most serious offense carries a maximum of one year in jail.

Read: Sidewalk Moto Jockeys Fined 1.65M Baht: City Hall

Footage of Friday’s encounter was recorded by a bypasser and later posted on social media, where it drew widespread condemnation.

Sorasak Sura-ubol, the tessakit, told media he spotted the motorcyclist encroaching on the pavement in Wang Thong Lang district and went to warn the man that his action broke the law.

Sakan responded by throwing a motorcycle helmet and lunging at him with a boxcutter, Sorasak said, adding that he was merely doing his duty.

×__÷ ในขณะที่เรากำลังเดินทางกลับบ้านก็เกิดเหตุการณ์กระทบกระทั่งระหว่างพี่วินมอร์เตอร์ไซค์กับพี่เทศกิจข้างทางที่ถนนลาดพร้าว #ใจเย็นๆกันหน่อยนะครับ

โพสต์โดย Natchaphon Saengkaewsri เมื่อ วันศุกร์ที่ 30 พฤศจิกายน 2018

“Many pedestrians gave me moral support. They said they’re very frustrated,” Sorasak told JS100 radio. “They said sometimes they get honked at while walking. And some motorcyclists even scolded them, even though they were on a sidewalk.”

Wang Thong Lang district director Komin Shinabutr said he will order tessakit officers to patrol in pairs or have soldiers accompany them for safety reasons.

The incident came four days after a schoolgirl was struck by a motorcyclist while walking on a pavement in Bangkok, sparking outrage on social media.

City Hall said it had ramped up checkpoints to catch wrongdoers and encouraged the public to report any violation in return for a bounty.

China First to Benefit From Thai E-Visas Next Year

By

JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI

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3 December 2018, 16:10

BANGKOK — China will be the first country to enjoy Thailand’s E-visa services starting next year, a top foreign affairs official said Monday.

Chatri Archjananun, director-general of the Consular Affairs Department, said the electronic services will first be introduced Feb. 15 at the Thai Embassy in Beijing with other consulates in major Chinese cities starting March 1, while France and the United Kingdom will begin April 1. He said the department aims to expand the services to every Thai embassy within three years.

Visitors will be able to apply and pay fees online for all types of visa, Chatri said. They will still have to get their passports physically stamped once approved, but the department said it plans to stop requiring visa stickers in the future.

There will be no need to visit individual embassy or consulate websites, as the services for foreigners worldwide will be available on a single page. The website will be accessible as services for each country begin, the office said.

Chatri said about 8 million people apply for Thai visas each year, about 85 percent of which are travel visas. He said the largest group of applicants are Chinese.

Qatar Will Pull out of OPEC Amid Tension With Saudi Arabia

By

Associated Press

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3 December 2018, 15:01

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani attends a Gulf Cooperation Council summit in 2014 in Doha, Qatar. Photo: Osama Faisal / Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The tiny, energy-rich Arab nation of Qatar announced on Monday it would withdraw from OPEC, mixing its aspirations to increase production outside of the cartel’s constraints with the politics of slighting the Saudi-dominated group amid the kingdom’s boycott of Doha.

The surprise announcement from Qatar’s minister of state for energy affairs, Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, again throws into question the role of the cartel after needing non-members to push through a production cut in 2016 after prices crashed below USD$30 a barrel.

It also marks the first time a Mideast nation has left the cartel since its founding in 1960.

In a statement, al-Kaabi said Qatar, the world’s largest exporter of liquified natural gas, planned to increase its exports from 77 million tons of gas per year to 110 million tons. He also said Qatar wants to raise its oil production from 4.8 million barrels of oil equivalent a day to 6.5 million barrels.

“In light of such efforts and plans, and in our pursuit to strengthen Qatar’s position as a reliable and trustworthy energy supplier across the globe, we had to take steps to review Qatar’s role and contributions on the international energy scene,” al-Kaabi said in a statement.

There was no immediate comment from Vienna-based OPEC, which is to meet this month and discuss possible production cuts.

Qatar, a country of 2.6 million people where citizens make up over 10 percent of the population, discovered the offshore North Field in 1971, the same year it became independent.

It took years for engineers to discover the field’s vast reserves, which shot Qatar to No. 3 in world rankings, behind Russia and Iran, with which it shares the North Field. It’s also made the country fantastically wealthy, sparking its successful bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Qatar’s wealth also has seen it take on a larger importance in international politics. Its political stances have drawn the ire of its neighbors, particularly Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s largest exporter.

In June 2017, Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates began a boycott of Qatar in a political dispute that continues to this day.

Story: John Gambrell

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