Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods) has partnered with the Thai Sustainable Fisheries Roundtable (TSFR) to promote conservation and protection of the ecosystem and resources in the Gulf of Thailand through the Fishery Action Plan (FAP), a crucial component of the Fishery Improvement Project (FIP).
This determination is strengthening the company commitment for elevating the aquatic feed raw material supply chain responsible in the aspect of environmental, social, traceability and internationally recognized.
As part of TSFR’s working Group, CP Foods has highlighted the progress made under the FAP’s Multispecies Fishery initiative in Thailand, the first country in the world to establish this as a pilot project in the Multispecies Fishery area,
This will lead to the acquiring multispecies certification by MarinTrust, a globally recognized standard for marine ingredients. The meeting was led by Mr. Bancha Sukkaew, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Fisheries, alongside with the President of Thai Feed Mill Association and TSFR leading, Mr. Pornsil Patchrintanakul, the representatives from TSFR 8 associations, MarinTrust management and fishery expert, several academics and the experts from the Department of Fisheries.
For this year activities under Fishery Action Plan, FAP, approved by MarinTrust, TSFR working group lead by CP Foods is focusing on implementing the FAP to achieve the measurable results. A key aspect of this endeavor is collecting data on marine fishery resources in the Gulf of Thailand to analyze the changes and evaluating the impacts of trawl fishing on aquatic species in habitat, such as coral reefs, seagrasses, and mangroves.
This also includes monitoring Endangered, Threatened and Protected (ETP) species. The outcomes from the FAP activities will assist MarinTrust to assess the progress of the project, also use the data and information to develop criteria for the Multi-species certification from the areas where many species of aquatic animals located, thus setting a precedent for other countries.
Since 2017, the FIP under the supervision of TSFR, CP Foods as part of the working group, has been proactively implementing to elevate Gulf of Thailand fisheries to international standards. The objectives comprise environmental preservation, maintaining balance in marine natural resources, and producing aquatic feed raw materials in an environmentally, socially responsible manner and traceable throughout the supply chain in accordance with international standards.
Thai Sustainable Fisheries Roundtable (TSFR) comprises with the eight following associations throughout the seafood supply chain. The members include Thai Frozen Food Association, Thai Feed Mill Association, Thai Fishmeal Producers Association, Thai Shrimp Association, National Fisheries Association of Thailand, Thai Overseas Fisheries Association, Thai Food Processors Association and Thai Tuna Industry Association.
Their joint mission is to execute the FIP for trawl fisheries in the Gulf of Thailand. Apart from promoting responsible fisheries, the project also underscores the fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which poses a risk to marine biodiversity.
The project’s principles and methodologies have already been successfully deployed in India and Vietnam, marking substantial advancements in sustainable aquaculture globally.
Siam Piwat partners Cathay Pacific to offer even more lifestyle benefits to members, on ground and in the air
From 1 August 2023, VIZ and Cathay members will be able to convert VIZ coins and Asia Miles between the two loyalty programmes, providing greater flexibility to earn and redeem coins/miles. This will apply to members in Thailand in the first phase, and subsequently rolled out to members outside of Thailand at a later stage.
For a limited period, new sign-ups and members who make their first conversions can enjoy bonus coins/miles. Cathay members travelling to Thailand can enjoy an array of tourist benefits.
Siam Piwat hopes the expansion of its business ecosystem will strengthen its retail business and international tourism.
[Bangkok, Thailand] 26 July 2023: Siam Piwat Group, a leading real estate and retail developer, owner and operator of global destinations including Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery, and a joint venture partner of ICONSIAM and Siam Premium Outlets Bangkok, is partnering one of the world’s leading airlines Cathay Pacific to bring even more lifestyle benefits to VIZ and Cathay members.
The partnership is in line with Siam Piwat’s ‘Co-Creation and Collaboration to Win’ strategy to further enhance its premium business ecosystem, and its aim to reinforce its ‘Inclusive Luxury Lifestyle Destination’ positioning.
The strategic partnership will allow VIZ and Cathay members in Thailand to enjoy two-way VIZ coins and Asia Miles conversions between the two loyalty programmes, starting from 1 August 2023. These can be redeemed for mall privileges under Siam Piwat, and travel and lifestyle privileges with Cathay Pacific. This will be extended to members outside of Thailand at a later stage.
To celebrate the launch of this partnership, additional benefits will be offered to new members and members who make their first conversions, for a limited period. Non-Thai Cathay Pacific members travelling to Thailand can also enjoy special tourist privileges when they present their digital membership card, boarding pass and passport at Siam Paragon, Siam Center, Siam Discovery, ICONSIAM and Siam Premium Outlets. The full list of privileges can be found in Annex A.
Mr. Panthep Nilasinthop, Chief Customer Officer of Siam Piwat said, “As part of the company’s commitment to the Co-create & Collaboration to Win strategy, Siam Piwat actively collaborates with partners to develop business opportunities and sustainable growth models. We achieved the remarkable goal of introducing novel experiences ahead of others in both the physical and virtual worlds. As a result of the collaboration with business partners around the world, Siam Piwat is a Global Admiration that is top-of-mind in the hearts of both Thai and global customers.”
“This collaboration willstrengthen the retail and international tourism business. Based on our consumer behaviours data, particularly a detailed look at their lifestyle, we discovered that our clients are avid travelers who always have a trip planned. Thus, Siam Piwat and Cathay Pacific have joined forces to create privilege campaigns between VIZ Coins and Cathay members, such as points transfers and redemption of products in famous brands’ stores in Siam Piwat’s shopping centers or ONESIAM SuperApp. The ONESIAM SuperApp offers more than 20,000 products and services, including special privileges, product discounts from various stores, free gift cards as well as convenient services for tourists.”
Mr. Dominic Perret, Regional General Manager of Cathay Pacific Southeast Asia & Southwest Pacific, said, “As a premium lifestyle brand, Cathay prides itself in bringing all that we love about travel together with everyday lifestyle. With Bangkok being one of our top destinations, our partnership with Siam Piwat reinforces our determination to take our member experience to greater heights. As ONESIAM shopping malls are highly recognised as world-class shopping and dining destinations, we are excited to launch this partnership to bring our Cathay members an even wider range of lifestyle products and services.”
Thailand’s biggest charity golf day returns to Blue Canyon Country Club on 3rd November 2023, to raise vital funds for three local children’s charities
Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International’s award-winning travel program and marketplace, is aiming to score another hole-in-one for its local communities this November, as it organizes the 2nd Marriott Bonvoy Charity Golf Day in Thailand.
Hosted at Phuket’s Blue Canyon Country Club (Lake Course) on Friday 3rd November 2023, this immersive full-day sporting event will attract golfers from all across the kingdom to take part in Thailand’s biggest charity golf day.
Following its successful inaugural edition in 2022, which raised over THB 2 million for charitable partners, the proceeds from this year’s event will be donated to three highly worthwhile organizations in Thailand: Save the Children, Asia Center Foundation, and Scholars of Sustenance.
Fun, engaging and full of activities, the Marriott Bonvoy Charity Golf Day is an unmissable event for golfers of all levels. Every player will be greeted with an amazing Marriott Bonvoy goodie bag including a golf shirt, shoe bag, golf hat and more.
Throughout the day, golfers will be treated to food and beverage from Marriott Bonvoy on Wheels, plus entertainment, competitions and extra surprises across 18 holes. This upbeat sporting occasion will be followed by a gala award dinner where guests will be able to unwind in style, socialize and bid for fantastic prizes in a live, silent charity auction – the proceeds from which will be donated to the three charities.
“Following the great success of our first Marriott Bonvoy Charity Golf Day in 2022, which raised over two million baht for charitable causes, we are aiming even higher this year! With Thai tourism now back in full swing, we are delighted to invite golfers to Phuket for our second annual event.
This is part of Marriott’s Serve360 dedication to ‘doing good in every direction’,” said Mr. Brad Edman, Multi-Property Vice President – Southern Thailand and General Manager at Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa.
“Marriott is fully committed to improving the lives of young people in our communities. By staging our Marriott Bonvoy Charity Golf Day and partnering with three such important organizations – Save the Children, Asia Center Foundation, and Scholars of Sustenance – we are helping to ensure that underprivileged children are given opportunities to create a brighter future for themselves and their families,” commented Mr. Daryn Hudson, Co-Chair of Marriott’s International Business Councils Thailand, and General Manager at Four Points by Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort.
The Marriott Bonvoy Charity Golf Day is priced at just THB 4,800 per person, including green fees, entry to the gala dinner and more! To secure your place, simply visit www.golfgenius.com/ggid/mbv2023 and register before 1st October 2023.
The Chef Riders stage charity dinner at Le Méridien Suvarnabhumi, Bangkok Golf Resort & Spa to support underprivileged children in Thailand
This exclusive dining experience was crafted by five of Marriott International’s visionary chefs in Thailand: Gaetano Palumbo, Executive Chef at Rossini’s, the Michelin-rated Italian ristorante at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok; Attapol “Chef X” Thangthong, Executive Chef at Phraya Kitchen, Bangkok Marriott Hotel The Surawongse;
Executive Chef Marco Cammarata from Latest Recipe, Le Méridien Bangkok; Danilo Aiassa, Italian Chef from Favola at Le Méridien Suvarnabhumi, Bangkok Golf Resort & Spa; and Poramate Prasansak, the hotel’s Executive Chef who oversees the charity dinner’s host venue, Latest Recipe.
In line with Marriott International’s commitment to local produce and sustainable dining, the event featured ingredients sourced from responsible Thai suppliers, including small-scale farms and fisheries. All the funds raised from this event will go towards helping disadvantaged young people in Pattani province, southern Thailand, to build careers in the hospitality industry.
Prior to the dinner, Mr Giuseppe Fornillo, General Manager of Le Méridien Suvarnabhumi, Bangkok Golf Resort & Spa thanked guests for supporting this important fundraising initiative.
“This is not only a chance to enjoy a wonderful evening of food and friends, but will also help to change the lives of underprivileged children. At Marriott International, the ‘Take Care’ model is at the heart of everything we do. We firmly believe in giving back to the places where we operate, and tonight’s event is a testament to that commitment. The proceeds will go towards supporting hospitality scholarships for underprivileged young people in Pattani province,” Mr. Fornillo commented.
Ms. Takako Naito, head of public relations for the Chef Riders, commented: “The past seven Chef Riders events were done in communities reachable by motorcycles. Since the first event, the club has raised almost THB 500,000 from its charitable chef’s table experiences.
The group hasn’t got many members but we’re always supported by great friends who have the same views asours. All guests are considered honorary members and we wholeheartedly thank everyone for their warm support.”
Chef X, the founder of Chef Riders, also expressed his appreciation to the guests and suppliers who have helped this society to become such a success. “I hope to meet all our diners again at the next event,” he concluded.
This charitable initiative forms part of Marriott International’s responsible business and social impact platform, “Serve 360,” which is dedicated to doing good in every direction, as guided by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. All proceeds from the event will be donated to Save The Children Thailand.
For more information about Marriott International’s Serve 360 program, please visit serve360.marriott.com
FILE - Irish singer Sinead O'Connor performs on the Stravinski Hall stage at the 49th Montreux Jazz Festival, in Montreux, Switzerland on July 4, 2015. O’Connor, has died at 56. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP, File)
LONDON (AP) — Sinéad O’Connor, the gifted Irish singer-songwriter who became a superstar in her mid-20s and was known as much for her private struggles and provocative actions as for her fierce and expressive music, has died at 56.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time,” the singer’s family said in a statement reported Wednesday by the BBC and RTE. No cause was disclosed.
She was public about her mental illness, saying that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. O’Connor posted a Facebook video in 2017 from a New Jersey motel where she had been living, saying that she was staying alive for the sake of others and that if it were up to her, she’d be “gone.”
FILE – Irish singer Sinead O’Connor performs at Akvarium Klub in Budapest, Hungary, Dec. 9, 2019. (Marton Monus/MTI via AP, File)
When her teenage son Shane died by suicide last year, O’Connor tweeted there was “no point living without him” and she was soon hospitalized. Her final tweet, sent July 17, read: “For all mothers of Suicided children,” and linked to a Tibetan compassion mantra.
Recognizable by her shaved head and with a multi-octave mezzo soprano of extraordinary emotional range, O’Connor began her career singing on the streets of Dublin and soon rose to international fame.
She was a star from her 1987 debut album, “The Lion and the Cobra,” and became a sensation in 1990 with her cover of Prince’s ballad “Nothing Compares 2 U,” a seething, shattering performance that topped charts from Europe to Australia and was heightened by a promotional video featuring the gray-eyed O’Connor in intense close-up.
She was a lifelong non-conformist — she said she shaved her head in response to record executives pressuring her to be conventionally glamorous — but her political and cultural stances and troubled private life often overshadowed her music.
FILE – In this Oct. 27, 2011 file photo, Irish musician Sinead O’Connor arrives at amfAR’s Inspiration Gala in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)
A critic of the Roman Catholic Church well before allegations of sexual abuse were widely reported, O’Connor made headlines in October 1992 when she tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II while appearing on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” and denounced the church as the enemy.
The next week, Joe Pesci hosted “Saturday Night Live,” held up a repaired photo of the Pope and said if he had been on the show with O’Connor he “would have gave her such a smack.” Days later, she appeared at an all-star tribute for Bob Dylan at Madison Square Garden and was immediately booed. She was supposed to sing Dylan’s “I Believe in You,” but switched to an a cappella version of Bob Marley’s “War,” which she had sung on “Saturday Night Live.”
Although consoled and encouraged on stage by her friend Kris Kristofferson, she left and broke down, and her performance was kept off the concert CD. (Years later, Kristofferson recorded “Sister Sinead,” for which he wrote, “And maybe she’s crazy and maybe she ain’t/But so was Picasso and so were the saints.”)
She also feuded with Frank Sinatra over her refusal to allow the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at one of her shows and accused Prince of physically threatening her. In 1989 she declared her support for the Irish Republican Army, a statement she retracted a year later. Around the same time, she skipped the Grammy ceremony, saying it was too commercialized.
FILE – Singer Sinead O’Connor poses for a photo in New York, June 5, 2000. (AP Photo/Jim Cooper, File)
In 1999, O’Connor caused uproar in Ireland when she became a priestess of the breakaway Latin Tridentine Church — a position that was not recognized by the mainstream Catholic Church. For many years, she called for a full investigation into the extent of the church’s role in concealing child abuse by clergy. In 2010, when Pope Benedict XVI apologized to Ireland to atone for decades of abuse, O’Connor condemned the apology for not going far enough and called for Catholics to boycott Mass until there was a full investigation into the Vatican’s role.
“People assumed I didn’t believe in God. That’s not the case at all. I’m Catholic by birth and culture and would be the first at the church door if the Vatican offered sincere reconciliation,” she wrote in the Washington Post in 2010.
O’Connor announced in 2018 that she had converted to Islam and would be adopting the name Shuhada’ Davitt, later Shuhada Sadaqat — although she continued to use Sinéad O’Connor professionally.
“Her music was loved around the world and her talent was unmatched and beyond compare,” Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said in a statement on social media.
O’Connor was born on Dec. 8, 1966. She had a difficult childhood, with a mother she alleged was abusive and encouraged her to shoplift. As a teenager she spent time in a church-sponsored institution for girls, where she said she washed priests’ clothes for no wages. But a nun gave O’Connor her first guitar, and soon she sang and performed on the streets of Dublin, her influences ranging from Dylan to Siouxsie and the Banshees.
Her performance with a local band caught the eye of a small record label, and, in 1987, O’Connor released, “The Lion and the Cobra,” which sold hundreds of thousands of copies and featured the hit “Mandinka,” driven by a hard-rock guitar riff and O’Connor’s piercing vocals. O’Connor, then 20 and pregnant, co-produced the album.
“I suppose I’ve got to say that music saved me,” she said in an interview with the Independent newspaper in 2013. “I didn’t have any other abilities, and there was no learning support for girls like me, not in Ireland at that time. It was either jail or music. I got lucky.”
“Nothing Compares 2 U” received three Grammy nominations and was the featured track on her acclaimed album, “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got,” which helped lead Rolling Stone to name her Artist of the Year in 1991.
“She proved that a recording artist could refuse to compromise and still connect with millions of listeners hungry for music of substance,” the magazine declared.
FILE – Kris Kristofferson comforts Sinead O’Connor after she was booed off stage during the Bob Dylan anniversary concert at New York Madison Square Garden, on Oct. 17, 1992. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm, File)
O’Connor’s other musical credits included the albums, “Universal Mother” and “Faith and Courage,” a cover of Cole Porter’s “You Do Something to Me,” from the AIDS fundraising album “Red Hot + Blue,” and backing vocals on Peter Gabriel’s “Blood of Eden.” She received eight Grammy nominations and in 1991 won for best alternative musical performance.
O’Connor announced she was retiring from music in 2003, but continued to record new material. Her most recent album was ” I’m Not Bossy, I’m the Boss,” released in 2014 and she sang the theme song for Season 7 of “Outlander.”
The singer married four times; her union to drug counsellor Barry Herridge, in 2011, lasted just 16 days. O’Connor had four children: Jake, with her husband John Reynolds; Roisin, with John Waters; Shane, with Donal Lunny; and Yeshua Bonadio, with Frank Bonadio.
In 2014, she said she was joining the Irish nationalist Sinn Fein party and called for its leaders to step aside so that a younger generation of activists could take over. She later withdrew her application.
Singer Tori Amos was among the many musicians who paid tribute to O’Connor on Wednesday, calling her “a force of nature.”
“Such passion, such intense presence and a beautiful soul, who battled her own personal demons courageously,” Amos said. “Be at peace dear Sinead, you will forever be in our hearts.”
Pheu Thai Party members celebrated the 74th birthday of ousted and fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra at Pheu Thai Party headquarter on July 26. They video called to Thaksin at 6 p.m. to bless him.
Earlier on the day, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the Pheu Thai Party’s PM candidate, announced that her father will return to Thailand on August 10. She is so pleased with her father that many others express their eagerness to meet him.
Thaksin’s planned Aug. 10 return, confirmed in a Facebook posting by his daughter Paetongtarn on the occasion of his 74th birthday.
Even though she insisted her father’ words that his return home this time would be all about the family, Thaksin has always been involved in politics, particularly with the Pheu Thai Party, which finished second in the May 14 general election, behind the Move Forward Party, which won the majority of the younger generations.
Thaksin spoke in a video call on his birthday at a meeting of Pheu Thai MPs that he was delighted to celebrate his birthday before coming home. He was grateful that the party’s members were still fighting for it. He urged everyone to work together to restore Pheu Thai to its former glory, including continuing to serve the people.
A celebration of Thaksin’s birthday by Pheu Thai party supporters in Ubon Ratchathani, Thaksin spoke in a video call to thank them and say he would return to Thailand “in the coming days.”
For him, he would love to come back to raise his grandchildren and let his daughter, Phaetongtarn, work for the party while Srettha Thavisin, a candidate for Prime Minister, would work at the Government House.
His mention means he is assured that Srettha will become Thailand’s 30th prime minister, despite the fact that Pheu Thai is still struggling to obtain enough support in Parliament due to pressure from both Move Forward Party supporters and royalists opposed to the MFP.
Pheu Thai Party PM candidate Srettha Thavisin
There was a claim spread by a local TV that Thaksin is now in Hong Kong and Progressive Movement co-leader Thanathorn Juangrungruangkit will be meeting him to find a solution for forming the MFP-Pheu Thai government.
Thaksin himself is a person who causes controversy in Thai society between supporters who favour his economic policies and those who view him as a businessman who has brought corruption into politics.
He was ousted by a military coup in 2006 and has been accused of corruption and abuse of power and of disrespecting the country’s monarchy. He fled Thailand in 2008 to escape a prison term in several criminal cases, and still could be jailed for a decade on his return.
Paetongtarn, Thaksin’s daughter, brought a birthday cake decorated with dolls like his family members with the message “right here waiting” to join celebrating at the Pheu Thai Party headquarter.
There was a leaked official document that the Bangkok Metropolitan Police were ready to facilitate the expected arrival of Thaksin at Don Mueang Airport. Police will take him to the Criminal Court so judges could read the two-year prison sentence on corruption related to his then wife Pojamarn buying land from the Bank of Thailand in Ratchadaphisek area. Thaksin will then be taken to Bangkok Remand Prison.
However, there was a step by which Thaksin could seek royal pardon. It’s unclear if this will keep him in prison or under house arrest.
The Cabinet meeting on July 25 approved the proposal to increase entrance fees for foreigners at historic sites. The revised rates apply to registered historical sites and 72 national museums, except that Thai nationals will retain the same rates as they have since 2008.
The revised entrance fees for historical sites are as follows:
Historical parks for Thai nationals: 20 baht per person, for foreign nationals: 120-200 baht (previously 100 baht).
Archeological sites or significant places for Thai nationals: 10-20 baht per person, for foreign nationals: 80-120 baht (previously 50-100 baht).
The National Museum, Bangkok
As for admission fees to national museums, the new rates are:
Small national museums for Thai nationals: 10 baht per person, for foreign nationals: 80 baht (previously 50 baht).
Medium-sized national museums for Thai nationals: 10-20 baht per person, for foreign nationals: 120 baht (previously 50-100 baht).
Large national museums for Thai nationals: 20-30 baht per person, for foreign nationals: 200 baht (previously 100-150 baht).
For highly visited national museums, such as the National Museum in Bangkok, the following new rates apply to Thai nationals: 30 baht per person and for foreign nationals: 240 baht (previously 200 baht).
Historical Park in Sa Kaeo Province
In addition, four other registered historic sites and national museums that previously charged fees for the rental of foreign language audio guides will now eliminate the fee. These sites are:
Historical Park – Sdok Kok Thanom, Khok Sung District, Sakaeo
Wat Kudi Dao, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya.
Nakhon Nayok National Museum, Mueang Nakhon Nayok District, Nakhon Nayok.
Surin National Museum, Mueang Surin District, Surin.
The government spokesperson, Tipanan Sirichana stated that “entrance fees for Thai nationals will remain unchanged to promote learning, preserve cultural heritage, and foster a sense of national identity across all generations without increasing the financial burden of tourism on Thai citizens.”
Rescuers wade along floodwaters caused by Typhoon Doksuri as they search for residents to evacuate to higher grounds in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte province, northern Philippines on Wednesday July 26, 2023. (Philippine Coast Guard via AP)
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Typhoon Doksuri blew ashore in a cluster of islands and lashed northern Philippine provinces with ferocious wind and rain Wednesday, leaving at least two people dead and displacing thousands of others as it blew roofs off rural houses, flooded low-lying villages and toppled trees, officials said.
The typhoon slammed into Fuga Island before dawn and later hit another island in Cagayan province, where nearly 16,000 people were evacuated from high-risk coastal villages and schools and workplaces were shut down as a precaution as Doksuri approached.
A police officer checks a landslide caused by Typhoon Doksuri at a residential area in Baguio City, northern Philippines on Wednesday, July 26, 2023. (AP Photo)
They were among tens of thousands of people in northern provinces who were affected by flooding and other problems caused by the typhoon, which has a 700-kilometer-wide (435-mile-wide) band of wind and rain, disaster-response officials said.
A 17-year-old resident died in the northern mountain city of Baguio when a huge mound of soil loosened by heavy rains hit and buried his house, city officials said.
In Isabela province, also in the north, an older woman selling bread on a bicycle cart died Wednesday when she was hit in the head by a coconut tree that suddenly fell because of strong wind whipped up by the typhoon, a police report said.
This satellite image taken by Himawari-8, a Japanese weather satellite, and provided by National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, shows Typhoon Doksuri in the middle Wednesday, July 26, 2023. (Courtesy of National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) via AP)
Doksuri weakened slightly but remained dangerous and lethal with sustained winds of 175 kph (109 mph) and gusts of up to 240 kph (149 mph). It was blowing over the coastal waters of Fuga and Aparri town Wednesday morning, forecasters said.
“Our northern coastal towns are being battered,” Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba told The Associated Press by telephone. “I’m receiving reports of tin roofs being blown away and flooding that could not drain out probably because of tidal surges coming in from the sea.”
A damage assessment would be done after the typhoon passes, but Mamba said he feared there could be extensive damage to Cagayan valley’s corn and rice farms, which have already been battered by a monthslong dry spell before Doksuri hit.
In this photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, rescuers use a rubber boat along floodwaters caused by Typhoon Doksuri as they evacuate residents to higher grounds in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte province, northern Philippines on Wednesday July 26, 2023. (Philippine Coast Guard via AP)
“Violent, life-threatening conditions are expected to continue” on Wednesday over northwestern Cagayan and the outlying Babuyan Islands as well as the northern mountainous regions of Apayao and Ilocos Norte provinces, according to an advisory from the country’s weather bureau.
The typhoon has been enhancing seasonal monsoon rains in central and northern provinces, including in the densely populated capital region of metropolitan Manila. It was forecast to move away from the northern Philippines on Thursday and barrel northwestward toward the south of Taiwan and hit southeastern China later this week.
More than 4,600 inter-island ferry passengers and cargo truck drivers, along with nearly 100 passenger and cargo vessels and motor bancas, were stranded in several ports where a no-sail order was imposed, the Philippine coast guard said.
In this photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, stranded passengers stay at a passenger terminal after sea travel was suspended due to Typhoon Doksuri in Manila, Philippines on Tuesday July 25, 2023.(Philippine Coast Guard via AP)
In Taiwan, part of the annual Han Kuang military exercises were canceled Tuesday.
An exercise meant to simulate the use of a civilian airport if military runways were bombed out was canceled because it was located on the southeastern coast of Taiwan, where waves were already rising. At Taiwan’s southernmost point, waves had already risen to as much as 2.5 meters (8 feet), according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau.
The Han Kuang exercises are the largest annual exercises aimed at displaying the Taiwan military’s defense capabilities in case of an attack from China, which claims the self-ruled territory as its own. Land-based exercises for the Han Kuang drills are still ongoing in other parts of Taiwan.
FILE - In this Friday, March 22, 2019 file photo, Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra welcomes his guests for the wedding of his youngest daughter Paetongtarn "Ing" Shinawatra at a hotel in Hong Kong. Photo: Kin Cheung / AP
JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI — As Thailand grapples with the unexpectedly difficult task of naming a new prime minister, the most controversial former holder of the job, billionaire populist Thaksin Shinawatra, plans to return home next month from years of self-imposed exile, his daughter announced Wednesday.
Thaksin’s planned Aug. 10 return, confirmed in a Facebook posting by his daughter Paetongtarn on the occasion of his 74th birthday, comes at a politically sensitive time, as the Pheu Thai party, regarded as the main vehicle for his political interests, is seeking to win enough support in Parliament to have one of its leaders become Thailand’s 30th prime minister.
Earlier this month, opposition from the conservative appointed Senate, which together with the elected House of Representatives votes to select the prime minister, blocked the nominee from the progressive Move Forward Party, the top finisher in May’s election, from winning the job.
Thaksin, by promoting unprecedented populist policies and using the fortune he made in the telecommunications sector to build his own Thai Rak Thai party, was elected prime minister in 2001 and easily reelected in 2005, but was ousted by a military coup in 2006. He was accused of corruption and abuse of power and of disrespecting the country’s monarchy.
He fled Thailand in 2008 to escape a prison term in several criminal cases, which he decried as politically motivated, and still could be jailed for more than a decade on his return. A government led by his sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, was also ousted by a military coup in 2014. She also faced criminal charges and fled into exile.
His daughter Paetongtarn is one of Pheu Thai’s three candidates who can be nominated to become prime minister.
In this March 9, 2016, file photo, Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra responds to questions during an interview in New York. Photo: Frank Franklin II / Associated Press
In May, Thaksin tweeted that he would like to come home before his birthday, but Paetongtarn said earlier this month that he decided on a delay in consideration of the post-election uncertainty, as his return could become a political issue.
“We’re both happy and worried, but we always respect your decision,” Paetongtarn wrote in Wednesday’s Facebook post.
Thai news outlets reported that during a celebration of Thaksin’s birthday by Pheu Thai party supporters in the northeastern province of Ubon Ratchathani, the former prime minister spoke briefly in a video call to thank them and say he would return to Thailand “in the coming days.”
Thaksin has not returned earlier because of the belief that he would not be treated fairly by the government, backed by the military, which has never reconciled with him since ousting him in 2006.
The delay in naming a new prime minister is linked to royalist concerns.
Pita Limjaroenrat, the leader of the Move Forward Party, was the first nominee considered by Parliament as prime minister. He pulled together an eight-party coalition that holds 312 seats in the 500-member lower house. But confirming a new prime minister requires a majority vote by both the House and 250-member Senate, and Pita’s initial bid on July 13 fell short by more than 50 votes, largely because only 13 senators backed him.
Pita Limjaroenrat, left, the leader of Move Forward Party and top winner in the May’s general election attends a meeting at Parliament in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, July 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Members of the Senate said they would not vote for Pita because of his party’s call for the reform of a law that makes it illegal to defame Thailand’s royal family. Critics say the law, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison, has been abused as a political weapon. The Senate’s members were appointed by a military government — not elected — and like the army, see themselves as guardians of traditional conservative royalist values.
A new vote for prime minister had been scheduled for Thursday, but was postponed to see if the Constitutional Court would rule on whether it was legal to deny Pita an opportunity to be renominated, while Pheu Thai struggled to seek backing of its nominee.
People walk along a pedestrian crossing at Ginza shopping street on March 31, 2023, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
The population of Japanese nationals fell 801,000 in 2022 from a year earlier to 122,423,038, marking the largest drop and the first time all 47 of the country’s prefectures have seen a decline since the survey began in 1968, government data showed Wednesday.
As of Jan. 1, 2023, Japan’s population, including foreign residents, stood at 125,416,877, down around 511,000 from a year earlier, according to a demographics survey by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
The trend indicates an urgent need for Japan to develop measures to address the declining birthrate and improve employment opportunities for youth and women in regional areas.
While Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has called for implementing “unprecedented” measures to boost the birthrate in a last-ditch effort to arrest population decline by 2030, doubts persist about whether such initiatives, which are mostly extensions of existing policies, will be effective.
Japanese nationals declined for the 14th consecutive year in 2022, with a record low of 772,000 births in Japan significantly exceeded by a record high 1.57 million deaths.
Nationals working or studying abroad accounted for a decline of around 7,000 of the population.
The number of Japanese nationals in Okinawa, which had been an outlier the previous year, shrank for first time since comparable data was made available in 1973, the data showed.
A man walks outside temporary housing in Mashiki, Kumamoto Prefecture, on March 13, 2023. (Kyodo)
The foreign population rose for the first time in three years by around 289,000 to 2,993,839 in the reporting year, as the relaxation of strict COVID-19 border controls facilitated the return of international students and technical interns.
The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research estimates that foreign nationals will make up 10 percent of the population by 2070, with some local governments already engaged in efforts to attract professional talent from Asia.
By prefecture, only Tokyo saw an overall population increase due to the high influx of foreigners to the capital, while Akita Prefecture in northeastern Japan saw the largest population decrease at 1.65 percent.
Among municipalities, 92.4 percent saw a decrease in the population of Japanese nationals, while 7.6 percent experienced an increase.
Those aged 14 and under accounted for 11.82 percent of the Japanese population, falling by 0.18 percentage point from the previous year, while people aged 65 and over increased by 0.15 point to 29.15 percent.
The working population, or people between 15 and 64, rose by 0.03 point to 59.03 percent of the overall population.
