Olivia Munn Finds Little Support From ‘Predator’ Peers

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12 September 2018, 12:01

TORONTO — Actress Olivia Munn says she has found little support from some of her “Predator” co-stars and director after a Los Angeles Times report revealed that Twentieth Century Fox had removed a scene that featured a man who is a registered sex offender. Munn alerted the studio to Steven Wilder Striegel’s status and the scene was cut within 24 hours.

In a round of press at the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday, Munn described feeling lonely and isolated in the wake of the report. Munn told Vanity Fair that she has not heard from director Shane Black, who apologized in a statement for casting his friend.

Some of her cast mates also backed out of interviews with her, according to The Hollywood Reporter. One of her co-stars, Keegan-Michael Key, was never booked to do that interview as he departed the festival early for the Jewish new year holiday. His publicist says Sunday that he reached out to Munn privately last week to express his admiration for her.

The initial article was published hours before the TIFF premiere of “The Predator.”

Proposal to Create Whale Sanctuary in S Atlantic Defeated

By

Associated Press

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12 September 2018, 11:23

A Southern right whale glides in the waters off El Doradillo Beach in 2017 Patagonia, Argentina. Photo: Maxi Jonas / Associated Press

FLORIANOPOLIS, Brazil — A proposal to create a whale sanctuary in the South Atlantic was defeated Tuesday at a meeting in Brazil of the International Whaling Commission, amid a clash between countries that think whales can be hunted sustainably and others that want more conservation measures.

Opponents of the plan argued the science didn’t support the case for a sanctuary and said that it wasn’t necessary because there isn’t any commercial whaling occurring in the South Atlantic.

The measure received support from 39 countries Tuesday at the meeting in Florianopolis with 25 opposed – falling short of the three-quarters majority to pass.

Countries like Brazil, which proposed the measure, said it would have addressed threats to the mammals beyond whaling. Humane Society International called the defeat a “bitter disappointment” and said it would have helped protect whales from entanglement in fishing gear and ship strikes.

Edson Duarte, Brazil’s environment minister, said he would not be deterred, even though the measure which has repeatedly been defeated.

“We will work in other meetings of this commission this year to ensure that the sanctuary will finally be created,” said Duarte. “It so important for the conservation of whales in the entire world but especially in the South Atlantic.”

But some have suggested that the conservation bloc won’t be able to push through such measures until they compromise with those countries that are asking for the return of at least some commercial whaling.

The commission banned commercial whaling in the 1980s, but Japan is proposing this year to reinstitute it with catch limits. Japan has hunted whales for centuries as a traditionally cheaper alternative source of protein.

“The sanctuary had some merits,” said Daven Joseph, ambassador-at-large for Antigua and Barbuda, which voted against the measure. But “the sanctuary is failing year after year because there is a lack of respect for the views of everyone in this organization.”

Joseph said sustainable commercial whaling could provide an important food source in developing island nations, and other countries simply have a cultural preference for whale meat that should be respected.

Conservationists say commercial hunting has proved difficult to manage in the past and repeatedly threatened whale populations, while some countries say there is simply no place for it in the modern world.

But Joseph predicted progress on many conservation measures would remain deadlocked until more overtures were made to countries that want commercial whaling.

“I think that the ghost of Moby Dick is haunting a lot of countries” that had previously engaged in industrial whaling that led to the near extinction of some populations, said Joseph. “That does not mean that we should deprive people’s cultural and nutritional preferences for whales, as long as we can guarantee that they can be taken in a sustainable manner.”

Several indigenous people also spoke Tuesday in favor of their own subsistence hunting, which is allowed under commission rules. Catch limits for such hunting are up for renewal this year.

“Since childhood, I have been trained to hunt,” Vladimir Piny, a native Chukchi whaling captain from northern Russia, said through a translator. “I cannot grow tomatoes or bananas – the Arctic would never allow me to do so.”

Story: Sarah Dilorenzo

‘Big and Vicious’: Hurricane Florence Closes in on Carolinas

By

Associated Press

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12 September 2018, 11:08

President Donald Trump looks at a chart showing potential rainfall totals from Hurricane Florence on Tuesday during a briefing in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Photo: Susan Walsh / Associated Press

WILMINGTON, North Carolina — Motorists streamed inland on highways converted to one-way evacuation routes Tuesday as about 1.7 million people in three states were warned to get out of the way of Hurricane Florence, a hair-raising storm taking dead aim at the Carolinas with 140 mph (225 kph) winds and potentially ruinous rains.

Florence was expected to blow ashore late Thursday or early Friday, then slow down and wring itself out for days, unloading 1 to 2½ feet (0.3 to 0.6 meters) of rain that could cause flooding well inland and wreak environmental havoc by washing over industrial waste sites and hog farms.

Forecasters and politicians pleaded with the public to take the warnings seriously and minced no words in describing the threat.

“This storm is a monster. It’s big and it’s vicious. It is an extremely dangerous, life-threatening, historic hurricane,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said.

He added: “The waves and the wind this storm may bring is nothing like you’ve ever seen. Even if you’ve ridden out storms before, this one is different. Don’t bet your life on riding out a monster.”

Some hoped for divine intervention.

“I’m prayed up and as ready as I can get,” Steven Hendrick said as he filled up gasoline cans near Conway, South Carolina.

More than 5.4 million people live in areas under hurricane warnings or watches on the U.S. East Coast, according to the National Weather Service, and another 4 million people were under a tropical storm watch.

President Donald Trump declared states of emergency for North and South Carolina and Virginia, opening the way for federal aid. He said the federal government is “absolutely, totally prepared” for Florence.

All three states ordered mass evacuations along the coast. But getting out of harm’s way could prove difficult.

Florence is so wide that a life-threatening storm surge was being pushed 300 miles (485 kilometers) ahead of its eye, and so wet that a swath from South Carolina to Ohio and Pennsylvania could get deluged.

People across the region rushed to buy bottled water and other supplies, board up their homes, pull their boats out of the water and get out of town.

A line of heavy traffic moved away from the coast on Interstate 40, the main route between the port city of Wilmington and inland Raleigh. Between the two cities, about two hours apart, the traffic flowed smoothly in places and became gridlocked in others because of fender-benders.

Only a trickle of vehicles was going in the opposite direction, including pickup trucks carrying plywood and other building materials.

Long lines formed at service stations, and some started running out of gas as far west as Raleigh, with bright yellow bags, signs or rags placed over the pumps to show they were out of order. Some store shelves were picked clean.

“There’s no water. There’s no juices. There’s no canned goods,” Kristin Harrington said as she shopped at a Walmart in Wilmington.

At 11 p.m., the storm was centered 670 miles (1,075 km) southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina, moving at 17 mph (28 kph). It was a potentially catastrophic Category 4 storm but was expected to keep drawing energy from the warm water and intensify to near Category 5, which means winds of 157 mph (253 kph) or higher.

Florence is the most dangerous of three tropical systems in the Atlantic. Tropical Storm Isaac was east of the Lesser Antilles and expected to pass south of Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and Cuba, while Hurricane Helene was moving northward away from land. Forecasters also were tracking two other disturbances.

The coastal surge from Florence could leave the eastern tip of North Carolina under more than 9 feet (2.75 meters) of water in spots, projections showed.

“This one really scares me,” National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham said.

Federal officials begged residents to put together emergency kits and have a plan on where to go.

“This storm is going to knock out power days into weeks. It’s going to destroy infrastructure. It’s going to destroy homes,” said Jeff Byard, an official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Forecasters said parts of North Carolina could get 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain, if not more, with as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) elsewhere in the state and in Virginia, parts of Maryland and Washington, D.C.

One trusted computer model, the European simulation, predicted more than 45 inches (115 centimeters) in parts of North Carolina. A year ago, people would have laughed off such a forecast, but the European model was accurate in predicting 60 inches (150 centimeters) for Hurricane Harvey in the Houston area, so “you start to wonder what these models know that we don’t,” University of Miami hurricane expert Brian McNoldy said.

Rain measured in feet is “looking likely,” he said.

The storm forced people to cut their vacations short along the coast.

Paula Matheson of Springfield, Oregon, got the full Southern experience during her 10-week RV vacation: hot weather, good food, beautiful beaches and, finally, a hurricane evacuation.

Florence interrupted her stay on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. It took Matheson and her husband nearly the whole day Monday to drive the 60 miles (100 kilometers) off the barrier island .

“It was so beautiful. The water was fabulous. Eighty-five degrees,” Matheson said, pausing a moment. “I guess that’s a big part of the problem.”

Florence’s projected path includes half a dozen nuclear power plants, pits holding coal-ash and other industrial waste, and numerous hog farms that store animal waste in huge lagoons.

Duke Energy spokesman Ryan Mosier said operators would begin shutting down nuclear plants at least two hours before hurricane-force winds arrive.

North Carolina’s governor issued what he called a first-of-its-kind mandatory evacuation order for North Carolina’s fragile barrier islands from one end of the coast to the other. Typically, local governments in North Carolina make the call on evacuations.

“We’ve seen nor’easters and we’ve seen hurricanes before,” Cooper said, “but this one is different.”

Story: Jonathan Drew

Russia Launches Biggest Ever War Games Involving China

By

Associated Press

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12 September 2018, 10:54

In this Sunday, June 10, 2018 file photo, Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose for a photo at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong Province. Photo: Alexander Zemlianichenko / Associated Press

CHITA, Russia — Hundreds of thousands Russian troops swept across Siberia on Tuesday in the nation’s largest ever war games also joined by China – a powerful show of burgeoning military ties between Moscow and Beijing amid their tensions with the U.S.

Moscow said the weeklong Vostok (East) 2018 maneuvers will span vast expanses of Siberia and the Far East, the Arctic and the Pacific Oceans and involve nearly 300,000 Russian troops – nearly one-third of the country’s 1-million-strong military. They will feature more than 1,000 aircraft, about 36,000 tanks and other military vehicles and 80 warships.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has described the drills as even bigger than the country’s largest Cold War-era exercise called Zapad 1981 that put NATO allies on edge.

A retired Russian general said that the giant war games come as a warning to the U.S. against ramping up pressure on Russia.

“The maneuvers are aimed at deterring the aggressive intentions of the U.S. and NATO,” Ret. Gen. Leonid Ivashov said. He was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying that the drills are “also a response to the U.S. sanctions.”

China is sending about 3,200 troops, 900 combat vehicles and 30 aircraft to join the drills at a Siberian firing range, a significant deployment that reflects its shift toward a full-fledged military alliance with Russia. Mongolia also has sent a military contingent.

Asked if the U.S. is worried about a possible military alliance between Russia and China, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told Pentagon reporters Tuesday that, “I think that nations act out of their interests. I see little in the long term that aligns Russia and China.”

As the maneuvers kicked off, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Russia on Tuesday to attend an economic forum in Vladivostok. President Vladimir Putin treated Xi to pancakes with caviar and shots of vodka in a show of their warm rapport.

Moscow and Beijing have forged what they described as a “strategic partnership,” expressing their shared opposition to the “unipolar” world, the term they use to describe perceived U.S. global domination. However, the military drills they had until now were far smaller in scale, reflecting China’s caution about alliances.

Some experts pointed out that the U.S. helped spawn closer Russia-China military ties by labeling them strategic competitors.

“They feel they need to embrace to deal with the increasingly high pressure and containment from the U.S.,” said Yue Gang, a military expert and retired Chinese army colonel.

He noted that China feels that the Washington’s hostile attitude and actions, such as deploying the THAAD missile defense system in South Korea, relieve it of any need to take U.S. views into consideration when deepening strategic trust with Moscow.

“The war games have laid a foundation for China and Russia to enhance cooperation on international arena and will lift the combat proficiency of both sides,” he said.

The Chinese media touted the Chinese involvement in the maneuvers as the country’s largest-ever dispatch of forces abroad for war games.

Some noted that the People’s Liberation Army, which hasn’t fought a war since the attempted invasion of Vietnam in 1979, is keen to learn from Russia’s experience in the Syrian campaign, where it tested its latest weapons and tactics.

From China’s perspective, the emerging military alliance with Russia sends a strong signal to the U.S. and its ally Japan as Beijing moves to defend its interests in the South China Sea, which China claims virtually in its entirety, as well as Taiwan and the Senkaku and Diaoyu islands controlled by Japan but claimed by Beijing.

Hong Kong-based commentator Song Zhongping said China is anxious to acquire more experience in large-scale operations that might become a factor in a conflict with the U.S. and others over territorial claims in Asia.

“Russia has very strong real combat abilities and the participation of the PLA in such a large-scale military exercise that is specially tailored for an anti-invasion war indicates China’s intention to learn more valuable combat practices and lift its ability for joint combat,” Song said.

For Russia, the increasingly robust alliance with China is particularly important amid the growing tensions with the U.S. and its allies and a looming threat of more biting U.S. sanctions.

“The scale and the scenario of those drills are in line with the current military-political situation,” said Ivashov, the retired Russian general. “They demonstrate the seriousness of our intentions.”

The U.S. and its NATO allies are closely eyeing the exercises for what they reveal about military cooperation between Russia and China and their mounting military might.

“We’re obviously aware of it, we’re watching it closely,” said Army Col. Rob Manning, a Pentagon spokesman. “We’re aware of Russia’s right to sovereignty and to exercise in order to ensure their readiness.”

NATO Spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said that the training “fits into a pattern we have seen over some time: a more assertive Russia, significantly increasing its defense budget and its military presence.”

She also noted that “China has growing military capabilities and is playing an increasingly significant global role,” adding that “it’s important for NATO to engage with China.”

Story: Vladimir Isachenkov, Sergei Grits

Vietnam’s Capital Urges Residents to Stop Eating Dog Meat

By

Associated Press

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12 September 2018, 10:43

File photo of a Pomeranian. Hopefully still alive and well.

HANOI — Authorities in Vietnam’s capital are urging residents to stop eating dog meat because it hurts the city’s image and improper raising and slaughtering of the animals could spread rabies.

For many Vietnamese, dog meat is a delicacy that is thought to increase stamina.

Hanoi Vice Mayor Nguyen Van Suu said in a message published Tuesday on the city’s website that slaughtering and consuming dog and cat meat are disturbing to foreigners and “negatively impact the image of a civilized and modern capital.”

Suu instructed local governments to raise awareness of the risk of rabies when raising dog and cat meat.

The move is part of a national program to stamp out rabies by 2021.

Nguyen Thi Minh, who has run a dog meat restaurant in Hanoi for more than 20 years, said there are no risks of rabies because her restaurant selects healthy dogs and the meat is properly cooked.

“People eat dog meat and there’s no problem,” she said. “I serve customers from South Korea, the United States and other countries.”

Officials say there are 493,000 dogs and cats in Hanoi, of which more than 10 percent are raised for commercial purposes.

Tesla Cuts Number of Stock Colors to Streamline Production

By

Associated Press

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12 September 2018, 10:39

This Aug. 8, 2018, file photo shows a Tesla emblem on the back end of a Model S in the Tesla showroom in Santa Monica, California. Photo: Richard Vogel / Associated Press

NEW YORK — Tesla is dropping two of the seven colors it had offered to customers as it tries to streamline production.

In a tweet early Tuesday, CEO Elon Musk said obsidian black and metallic silver will still be available, but at a higher cost.

Tesla fans can still choose solid black and “midnight silver metallic,” as well as pearl white, deep blue metallic and red.

The company, based in Palo Alto, California, has struggled to vault from a niche maker of expensive electric cars into a mass-market automaker. It missed several deadlines to produce 5,000 of its mass-market Model 3 cars per week but reached that milestone earlier this summer. Musk has promised that as it sells more Model 3s the company will turn a sustained net profit starting this quarter.

A Tesla spokesman said dropping the paint colors is not an indication of any production problems. “We occasionally adjust pricing and available options to best reflect the value of our products and to streamline our manufacturing operations,” the company said in a statement.

Customers should check for current pricing and packaging options on Tesla’s website, the statement said.

There is a waiting list of more than 400,000 people who want to buy a Model 3, and some have been waiting since March 2016, when the company first started taking orders.

Shares of Tesla closed down just over 2 percent at $279.44 Tuesday after Nomura analyst Romit Shah downgraded the company from “Buy” to “Neutral” on worries about Musk’s erratic behavior. The stock price has dropped 10 percent since the first of the year. On Monday it rose 8.5 percent on positive analyst commentary.

Shah wrote in a note to investors Tuesday that Musk’s behavior “seemingly flipped” in the second quarter with Twitter posts rising to 15 per day since May from four per day the previous 18 months. Musk has taunted short-sellers who bet against the stock, accused a British diver involved in a cave rescue of Thai soccer players of being a pedophile, cut off Wall Street analysts on a conference call, and smoked what appeared to be marijuana on a video podcast.

The behavior is likely to have contributed to recent executive departures including Chief Accounting Officer David Morton, who left last week after only one month on the job, Shah wrote.

Tesla has potential to grow revenue and post substantial profits because it is vertically integrated, making its own batteries and many of its parts, Shah wrote. “Notwithstanding improving fundamentals, we believe Tesla is in need of better leadership and are moving to the sidelines until we see what happens with management,” Shah wrote.

Tesla did not immediately comment Tuesday on the Nomura note.

Junta Defends BNK48 Frontwoman’s Appearance on Gov’t Show

By

Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

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11 September 2018, 18:35

40668749_721185128232634_4185980774287147008_o — Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha hands Cherprang Areekul a certificate on Sept. 4 for appearing on a government show.

BANGKOK — A new gig on behalf of the military regime has drawn accusations that a girl group and pop-culture juggernaut is in bed with tyranny.

Growing rancor over a BNK48 member hosting one of the military government’s TV shows prompted the junta leader and his No. 2 to speak out in defense of its lead performer, who has become an object of scorn to some opposed to military rule.

“Bad people” were the words Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha used Tuesday to describe critics of BNK48 frontwoman Cherprang Areekul.

“I feel so sorry for her. How is it bad that she’s helping the nation? … Don’t give up against bad people, people without virtue and morals, ” Prayuth said. “Sometimes, I talk and people don’t listen. They’re bored of my face, or I speak too harshly. So I’m getting girls to talk instead.”

Last week it was announced that Cherprang would host an episode of government show “Walk Forward Together Thailand,” or “Dern Naa Prathet Thai,” a vehicle promoting its policies and personalities.

A number of pro-democracy responded online by criticizing her for “collaborating” with those who’ve been in power since leading the 2014 coup.

Pro-democracy activist Rangsiman Rome Friday disparaged Cherprang for what he said was conscious collaboration.

“It is not too much to hope that Cherprang does not associate with dictatorship,” Rangsiman wrote. “Cherprang knows for sure that what she is doing is boosting the dictatorship’s image.”

Her episode promoting government education policy will air Saturday. The episode joins other complaints about all the promotional messaging being done by the government at a time when civilian politicians face jail time for campaigning or even meeting.

Deputy junta leader and defense minister, Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, Monday called out Rangsiman, despite saying he did not have time to listen to BNK48’s music because he is too busy answering reporters’ questions.

“How can he limit her rights? She can do what she wants, it’s her right.” Prawit said Monday, smiling. “Rome can limit others’ rights?”

While Cherprang has drawn fire from the pro-democracy camp for appearing on government TV, other A-list celebs have faced less ire for doing the same, incliuding Nittha “Mew” Jirayungyurn and Nadech Kugimiya. Nadech’s appearance last month, in which discussed the dangers of loan sharks in the Isaan dialect, was watched by 5.5 million viewers, while Mew’s discussion of tourism drew 6 million two weeks later.

“Not only do Thai stars not have a political stance, never acting as a voice for the citizens, … stars like Film Thanaphad, Mew Nittha, Bee Namthip and especially Cherprang BNK are cozying up to the dictators, saying that they’re ‘so honored,’ how much they want to improve the nation and how happy they are,” wrote Karn Pongpraphapan, an activist peer of Rangsiman’s who spares no spice in his social media roasts. “Dicks! Dumbasses!”

Exiled academic and government critic Pavin Chachavalpongpun even weighed in.

“I see people saying Cherprang is getting bullied online…but collaborating with dictators is bullying citizens,” he said.

Naturally, this drew some clapbacks.

“Some people are so educated but are worthless, unable to differentiate anything, using their professor position to bark in front of their screens,” Thai Post’s Plew Seengeun wrote in a column. “All 29 members of BNK48 have such pure hearts. You feces-hearted professor, if you don’t support them, just leave them alone!”

Of course, not everyone agreed that appearing on a government show is tantamount to treason against democratic principles. Especially, as some have pointed out, when someone is a young star who may have little option to say no without damaging their career.

Sarinee Achavanuntakul, an independent writer and journalist who won praise for declining to do work for the junta, said her situation couldn’t be compared to that of Cherprang.

“All members of BNK48 have contracts with their company and cannot choose what jobs they take on. None of their jobs they accept or refuse are personal choices,” she wrote. “Hiring idols to act as a loudspeaker for the government is nothing new.”

Cops Stumped by Bangkok Underpass Drowning

By

JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI

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11 September 2018, 17:25

A pickup truck is submerged Sep. 6 in a Bangkok underpass where its driver drowned the night before.

BANGKOK — Police vowed justice for a woman who drowned in a Bangkok underpass last week despite not being sure what caused it – or who to hold accountable.

Broken pumps, cracked pipes, hidden springs, construction standards and more have all been considered as investigators seek to explain the death of 41-year-old Phanumas Sae-tae last week in Bangkok’s Prawet district after she got stuck attempting to drive through.

After meeting Tuesday, officials said that despite weighing a variety of possible causes, including damage to the underpass and an underground spring discovered nearby, they’ve yet to determine what triggered the flash flood.

Deputy Gov. Chakkapan Phiewngam said Monday that construction of the underpass was funded by Golden Nakara, a housing development on land owned by the state railway. The underpass sits just inside the gated community, and residents use it to pass under tracks to reach their homes.

He said that although City Hall is not responsible for the privately built underpass, he ordered all district chiefs to inspect the safety standards of those in their areas as a precaution.

It was around midnight when Phanumas drove her pickup truck into the underpass. Police assume she was confident her vehicle could ford the meter-deep water, but its engine cut out just as the water level shot up, submerging the truck and drowning her.

A friend she placed an emergency call to that night told police Phanumas could not swim.

The underpass, said to be built 12 years ago, is about 100 meters long and four meters deep.

Prawet district chief Thanasit Metpanmuang said an underground spring was found near the underpass, which was still flooded Monday afternoon despite continuous pumping. The roadway will remain shut until the authorities determine the cause and fix it.

Blueprints provided by Italian-Thai Development, a major national construction firm, were being studied today. The investigation is set to resume tomorrow once the water has been drained.

Deputy Bangkok police chief Maj. Gen. Sompong Chingduang vowed to prosecute whoever was responsible for a tragedy that “shouldn’t have happened.” He said the responsible party could be charged with fatal negligence.

According to Sompong, preliminary investigation suggests a drainage pipe connecting the underpass to the sewage system cracked and failed. Changes in its pressure might have caused murky water meant for release in a nearby canal to reverse back into the underpass.

He said further investigation is needed to see if the fractures were due to faulty construction or other factors, such as the trains which run over it. Suspicions have also fallen on nearby construction of the Airport Rail Link line.

Originally thought to be caused by storms that night, the flooding was not due to rainfall. Thanasit said only 16.4 millimeters fell Wednesday. He also said the housing complex’s water pump was broken and had to be turned off, but it was unclear if that contributed to flooding.

Phanumas’ death under circumstances familiar to many has prompted discussion about what to do if one becomes trapped in a similar fashion.

The underpass where Phanumas drowned can be seen just through a gate leading into the Golden Nakara housing development.

Muslim Political Bloc’s New Party Open to Backing Prayuth

By

Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

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11 September 2018, 16:43

BANGKOK — A new party led by a Muslim politician said it is open to supporting the return of junta leader Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha after elections slated for next year.

The Prachachart Party, led by a 74-year-old founder of a southern bloc of Muslim politicians, broke from the Pheu Thai Party earlier this year and hinted they may launch a party. Today they followed through by announcing they will register it with the Election Commission on Wednesday.

Spokesman Najmuddin Umar said the party, which held a meeting Sept. 1, seeks solutions to the separatist unrest that has plagued the Deep South for going on 15 years. It plans to field candidates all across the country.

Read: Cracks Appear in Post-Yingluck Pheu Thai Party

Najmudin, a former Pheu Thai MP for Narathiwat province, said the new party would push for a peaceful way to resolve conflicts in the deep south. “We will adhere to non-violence and talk to those with differing views.”

The party draws from the ranks of Wadah, a coalition of southern Muslim pols who’ve traded allegiances many times over during its long history. For the past decade, it was firmly Pheu Thai.

Najmudi said that if Prayuth’s returns as PM by respecting the rules of the junta-designed constitution, the party may support his candidacy.

“If, in the future, he competes under a democratic system, then we have no problem with him,” Najmudin said.

The party spokesman added that the Prachachart Party doesn’t perceive anyone enemies. He said the party wants to field candidates in 175 constituencies nationwide and hopes to gain 1.5 party list seats and 20 MPs that would enable it to propose legislation.

Wan Muhamad, or Wan Nor, was a minister of agriculture and cooperatives during the Thaksin Shinawatra administration and served as his deputy prime minister in 2004. He was also speaker of the House of Representatives and president of the National Assembly between 1996 and 2000. He’s seen as a religious moderate sincere about cultivating a greater role for Muslims in society.

The party will launch with seven former MPs from the Deep South.

Pro-democracy activist Sirawith Serithiwat, aka Ja New, attended the Sept. 1 meeting as an interested observer. He said that although it aims to represent the whole nation, its focus appears to be on its stronghold in the south.

“It’s a challenge for the party to prove that it’s a party for everyone, and multicultural,” Sirawith said.

Najmudin said nearly half of the party’s 36-member executive board are not Muslim, however, including well-known newspaper columnist Nitipoom Navaratna, who serves as deputy leader.

Act Now! Up to 16 Bangkok Monuments Unclaimed

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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11 September 2018, 16:12

Anti-Coup Protest in Victory Monument, 25 May 2014.

BANGKOK — Not one, but up to 16 memorials and monuments in Bangkok stand in legal limbo over which agency is responsible for them, a city official said Tuesday.

The stunning revelation came a day after the government called upon metropolitan authorities to settle the ownership question of Victory Monument.

But not all hope is lost. Ending weeks of debate, city planning department chief Sakchai Boonma said his agency will step in and take responsibility for the 16 unclaimed monuments, hand in hand with the fine arts department, which manages Thailand’s historic sites.

“City Planning Department will be the chief agency responsible for maintenance,” Sakchai said. “But if you want to do something that affects the structure of the monuments, you will have to seek permission from the Fine Arts Department.”

The unlikely debate over who owns one of Bangkok’s most iconic landmarks began several months ago when a district chief proposed building a museum and pedestrians tunnels beneath the Victory Monument but didn’t know which agency oversees the memorial.

Adding to the confusion, the Treasury Department said Monday that not only is the ownership of Victory Monument in question, but that of a total of 16 monuments across Bangkok have no settled agency to oversee them. They include Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue and King Taksin Statue on Bangkok’s western side.

The confusion comes because many monuments were built on areas carved from public roads – which fall under the Highways Department – creating a legal limbo that remains unsettled.

In today’s interview, city planning department chief Sakchai acknowledged the legal debate over the 16 monuments, but said his office plans to take care of them all.

“It probably falls to our agency,” Sakchai said.

He added that City Hall will soon call a meeting with all relevant departments to inform them of his agency’s decision. After that, a report will be made to the government that the question has been settled.

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