Bangkok's Phaholyothin Soi 18 omelette vendor hasn't hiked prices.
Thai low-income people face rising costs of living as the price of eggs increases, which has a significant impact on their lives, as an egg is a basic protein for low-income people.
Chicken farms in several provinces have already increased their retail prices from 3.60 baht per egg, on May 15, 2023, to 3.80 baht per egg. The price is also expected to rise to 4 baht per egg soon.
The owner of “Jae Iang” shop, a large wholesaler of chicken and duck eggs in Old Rayong Market, Tha Pradu Sub-district, Mueang District, Rayong Province, said the price of chicken eggs of all sizes has risen to 18 baht per pack in the last month, the most expensive in the store’s 50-year history. The majority of consumers are sellers and food vendors. They moan, yet they must buy and sell. After all, chicken eggs are still the most affordable and convenient food.
“Jae Iang” shop, a large wholesaler of chicken and duck eggs in Old Rayong Market, Rayong Province
The survey at the Mueang Burirum Market in Burirum province showed that the price had increased by 5 to 6 baht per tray of 30 eggs. The sellers said the price increase was due to the market: The farm-gate selling price has increased because many chickens have died due to high temperatures, resulting in fewer eggs being produced for the market. The sellers added that the prices of eggs have been increasing continuously for 1 month. Therefore, they have to increase their selling prices.
Thonglor Kachurmrum, an egg seller at Mueang Burirum Market, also said egg prices had been rising once a week for a whole month. She had to bear the higher costs: the cost of each round increases from 10,000 baht to 20,000 to 30,000 baht.
Egg stalls in Mueang Burirum Market
A Thai omelette vendor on Bangkok’s Phaholyothin Soi 18 said Tuesday that she is not raising her prices due to the difficult economic condition. One egg omelette with rice is still 25 baht, and two eggs are 35 baht.
Ms. Ketkan Namprom, 54, the owner of Khun Am’s porridge shop in Khon Kaen Province, has stated that she will maintain the same pricing even if the price of chicken eggs rises further. Because the vast majority of her customers are students. Regular porridge is currently 50 baht, with an additional 5 baht for adding egg.
Khun Am’s porridge shop in Khon Kaen Province
Udom Srisomshong, deputy director-general of the Internal Trade Department at the Ministry of Commerce, said Thailand had suffered from drought and high temperatures from April to May, both of which directly affected egg production levels and egg size.
The eggs that dominate the market are those of sizes 3 to 5, the larger the number, the smaller the size. These sizes account for 80 per cent of the total market share. For eggs of size 0 to 2, the market share shrinks from 50 per cent to only 20 per cent..
Since farmers cannot produce bigger eggs, they have to bear more costs because they still have to pay the same feed for the chickens, but they can sell their products for less money, so they have to raise the price
“The Internal Trade Department is currently in discussions with chicken farmers and has found out that the crisis with high temperatures is gradually improving and it is starting to rain more, so the production level and size of eggs are improving. It is expected that everything will return to normal in 1 month. The market will then offer larger eggs again. However, it is difficult to say whether there will be another price increase in the period until next month,” said Udom.
QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — A 76-year-old woman who was declared dead at a hospital in Ecuador astonished her relatives by knocking on her coffin during her wake, and the incident has prompted a government investigation into the hospital.
Relatives left the coffin behind and rushed retired nurse Bella Montoya back to the hospital after the wake Friday in the central city of Babahoyo, son Gilberto Barbera told The Associated Press.
“It gave us all a fright,” Barbera said, adding that doctors have said his mother’s situation remains dire.
Ecuador’s Health Ministry said that Montoya was in intensive care Monday at the Martín Icaza Hospital in Babahoyo while the ministry investigates doctors involved in her case. A technical committee has been formed to review how the hospital issues death certificates, the ministry said in a statement.
Montoya initially had been admitted Friday at the hospital with a possible stroke and cardiopulmonary arrest, and when she did not respond to resuscitation a doctor on duty declared her dead, the ministry said.
Barbera said his mother was unconscious when she was brought to the emergency room and that a few hours later a doctor informed him she was dead and handed over identity documents and a death certificate.
The family then brought her to a funeral home and were holding a wake later Friday when they started to hear strange sounds.
“There were about 20 of us there,” Barbera said. “After about five hours of the wake, the coffin started to make sounds. My mom was wrapped in sheets and hitting the coffin, and when we approached we could see that she was breathing heavily.”
Though he and relatives rushed her back to the hospital Friday, she was still in serious condition Monday. She was under intubation, and doctors weren’t giving relatives much hope about her prognosis, Barbera said.
No details have been released about the doctor who had prematurely declared the woman dead.
From Fashion Shows to Fine Dining, The Spirit of Revelry Shines with Celebratory Offerings for Luminaries and Tastemakers in the Glamorous Traditions of The House of Astor
HONG KONG – June 2023 – St. Regis Hotels & Resorts in Asia Pacific is inviting guests to its “House of Celebration”, inspiring guests to relive the timeless and storied festivities of the Astors, the iconic brand’s founding family, known for their lavish and incomparable gatherings.
Just like haute couture runways, the House of Celebration defines a unique theme for each of the four seasons with limited-edition cultural, fashion, and dining experiences that highlight St. Regis’ beloved rituals and create new traditions across the finest addresses in the Asia Pacific region, from Hong Kong and Shanghai to Jakarta and Osaka.
“St. Regis hotels and resorts have always attracted society’s luminaries, serving as places for iconic celebrations and exquisite rituals,” said Jennie Toh, Vice President, Brand Marketing & Management, Asia Pacific, Marriott International. “We will continue this tradition with the House of Celebration, creating extraordinary moments that punctuate the year and set the stage for exquisite experiences through a bold vision of modern glamor that reimagines timeless rituals, blending them with destination-defining activations for each season.”
Spring – A Celebration of People
On May 31, 2023, the House of Celebration kicked off with a preview of the limited-edition experiences for the upcoming seasons. To commemorate the arrival of springtime, a star-studded occasion celebrated society’s tastemakers and gathered luminaries at St. Regis’ latest debut, The St. Regis Jakarta.
The glittering launch featured Indonesian fashion designer, Monica Ivena’s latest capsule collection and marked the debut of Bright Encounters, a thought salon experience, featuring Monica Ivena over a St. Regis signature Afternoon Tea at The Drawing Room.
Bright Encounters will be one of the House of Celebration’s feature events to ignite deeply meaningful conversations amongst distinguished attendees on lifestyle, fashion, culture, art, sustainability and travel. The launch also included previews of events to look forward to in the coming seasons, including summer’s Exquisite Journey Menus and The Art of Drinking experiences, along with autumn’s Fashion Trunk Shows.
Summer – A Celebration of Place
From July 5 to August 31, St. Regis hotels will take guests on expeditions of culinary tastes and traditions, in collaboration with chefs from various extraordinary St. Regis destinations. The flavors of summer are celebrated in Exquisite Journey Menus that showcase the finest of locally sourced ingredients, as well as marvelous reimaginations of distinctly different cultural cuisines. The Art of Drinking will feature special cocktails － including flights of various iconic St. Regis Bloody Marys and other New York-inspired cocktails with distinctly local flavors － that will transport guests to other St. Regis destinations.
Autumn – A Celebration of Culture
From September 6 to November 30, St. Regis hotels and resorts in Asia Pacific will set inimitable stages for sophisticated celebrations of culture and diversity. Guests can look forward to Bright Encounters, or masterclasses with St. Regis Butlers and the most stellar tastemakers of the fashion world to learn Packing in Style, with tips for packing couture garments and valuable luxury items when traveling. Butler Service is one of the most beloved signature rituals of the St. Regis brand, and the masterclasses will be accompanied by inspirational Fashion Trunk Shows.
Guests can meet and interact with fashion designers, get personalized advice from expert stylists, enjoy creative displays, and purchase bespoke limited-edition couture pieces. The House of Celebration will also commemorate fashion with special events at The St. Regis Shanghai Jing’an.
Winter – A Celebration of Time
The end of the year and the start of a new one offers a joyous occasions to celebrate with family and friends. From December 6 to February 29, 2024, St. Regis hotels and resorts will welcome guests in lavishly decadent settings for festive holiday celebrations. As part of the House of Celebration’s winter season, guests will have the opportunity to learn fabulous tips to enhance holiday rituals in true St. Regis fashion.
The Art of Gifting will see St. Regis Butlers offering gift wrapping services using House of Celebration seasonal wrapping paper for guests in-suite or while they relax over a festive Afternoon Tea. Children can also enjoy the brand’s Family Traditions, a workshop for kids on the art of gift wrapping. Guests can also book private champagne sabering masterclasses, The Art of Sabrage, led by expert St. Regis Butlers or mixologists, and be enthralled as they learn about the history and techniques of sabrage, one of the most iconic evening rituals in St. Regis traditions.
St. Regis “House of Celebration” Star-studded Launch at The St. Regis Jakarta May 31, 2023
St. Regis Hotels and Resorts in Asia Pacific kicked off “House of Celebration” at The St. Regis Jakarta, commemorating the arrival of springtime with a gathering of society’s tastemakers and luminaries over The St. Regis Jakarta x Monica Ivena Kaleidoscope Dreams Fashion Show, where the Indonesian fashion designer showcases her capsule collection across four segments – Gatsby, Disco, Under the Sea, and Birds of Paradise.
Celebrities, socialites, and media are also invited to honor the traditions of Caroline Astor, the social doyenne of Gilded Age society that was known to throw glamorous invitation-only dinners late into many Manhattan evenings, through an iconic session of Midnight Supper, where they embarked on a gastronomy journey by Oscar Perez, Culinary Director of The St. Regis Jakarta.
FILE - Italian former Premier and Forza Italia party leader, Silvio Berlusconi, smiles in TV talk show in Rome, Jan. 11, 2018.(AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)
MILAN (AP) — Silvio Berlusconi, the boastful billionaire media mogul who was Italy’s longest-serving premier despite scandals over his sex-fueled parties and allegations of corruption, died Monday, according to his television network. He was 86.
Mediaset announced his death with a smiling photo of the man on its homepage and the headline: “Berlusconi is dead.”
Berlusconi was admitted to the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan on Friday, his second recent hospitalization for treatment of chronic leukemia. He also suffered over the years from heart ailments, prostate cancer and was hospitalized for COVID-19 in 2020.
FILE – Forza Italia party leader Silvio Berlusconi at he Senate, in Rome, on Oct. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
A onetime cruise ship crooner, Berlusconi used his television networks and immense wealth to launch his long political career, inspiring both loyalty and loathing.
To admirers, the three-time premier was a charismatic statesman who sought to elevate Italy on the world stage. To critics, he was a populist who threatened to undermine democracy, wielding political power as a tool to enrich himself and his businesses.
His center-right Forza Italia political party was a junior partner in the government of current Premier Giorgia Meloni, a far-right leader who came to power last year, although he held no position.
His friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin put him at odds with Meloni, a staunch supporter of Ukraine.Meloni remembered Berlusconi as “above all as a fighter.”
FILE – Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, presents a book about his rural lodge Zavidovo to former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Zavidovo, on Feb. 3, 2003. (AP Photo/Viktor Korotayev, Pool, File)
“He was a man who had never been afraid to defend his beliefs. And it was exactly that courage and determination that made him one of the most influential men in the history of Italy,” Meloni said on Italian TV.
Former Premier Matteo Renzi recalled Berlusconi’s divisive legacy on Twitter. “Silvio Berlusconi made history in this country. Many loved him, many hated him. All must recognize that his impact on political life, but also economics, sports and television, has been without precedence.”
Berlusconi often boasted of his libido and entertained friends and world leaders at so-called “bunga bunga” parties his villas. “I love life! I love women!” he said in 2010.
FILE – Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi, right, and his wife Veronica Lario wait for President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush at the Villa Madama residence for a social dinner, in Rome June 24, 2004. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
In 2013, guests included an underage Moroccan dancer whom prosecutors alleged had sex with Berlusconi in exchange for cash and jewelry. After a lurid trial, a court initially convicted Berlusconi of paying for sex with a minor and using his office to try to cover it up. Both denied having sex, and he later was acquitted.
The Catholic Church, sometimes sympathetic to his conservative politics, was scandalized by his antics, and his second wife of nearly 20 years divorced him. Berlusconi was unapologetic, declaring: “I’m no saint.”
As he aged, some derided his perpetual tan, hair transplants and decades-younger girlfriends. For many years, however, Berlusconi seemed untouchable despite the scandals.
FILE – From left to right, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, holds on to the arm of U.S. President George W. Bush, as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, looks on before posing for the official photo at the G8 summit, July 8, 2008 i(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
Investigations targeted his parties or his businesses, which included the soccer team AC Milan, the country’s three biggest private TV networks, magazines and a daily newspaper, and advertising and film companies. Criminal cases either ended in dismissals in Italy’s slow-moving justice system, or he won on appeals.
Only one led to a conviction that stuck — a tax fraud case stemming from a sale of movie rights in his business empire. The conviction was upheld in 2013 by Italy’s top criminal court, but Berlusconi was spared prison due to his age, 76, and ordered to do community service.
Still, he was stripped of his Senate seat and banned from public office for six years.
He stayed at the helm of Forza Italia, although voters deserted the party. He eventually was elected to the European Parliament at age 82 and last year was returned to the Italian Senate by voters.
Born in Milan on Sept. 29, 1936, the banker’s son earned a law degree, sang in nightclubs and on cruise ships, then started a construction company and built apartments for middle-class families.
FILE – AC Milan’s Silvio Berlusconi raises the trophy aloft as he stands with his team after they beat Liverpool 2-1 to win the Champions League Final soccer match between AC Milan and Liverpool at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, May 23, 2007.(AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)
His astronomical wealth came from media holdings. In the 1970s and 1980s, he circumvented Italy’s state TV monopoly RAI by creating his own network of local stations. RAI and Mediaset accounted for about 90% of the national market in 2006.
When corruption scandals of the 1990s decimated the political establishment, Berlusconi founded Forza Italia in 1994 — its name comes from a soccer cheer, “Let’s go, Italy.” His first government collapsed after eight months when an ally who led an anti-immigrant party yanked support. But aided by an aggressive campaign, Berlusconi swept to victory in 2001 and was in power for five years, setting a record for government longevity in Italy.
As a businessman who knew the power of images, Berlusconi introduced U.S.-style campaigns that broke with the gray world of Italian politics. His rivals had to adapt.
FILE – Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi is framed by microphones prior to deliver his speech at the Italian Senate Sept. 30, 2010. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)
A Group of Eight summit he hosted in Genoa in 2001 was marred by violent demonstrations. He constantly faced accusations of sponsoring laws aimed at protecting himself or his businesses but insisted he always acted in the interest of all Italians.
An admirer of U.S. President Ronald Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Berlusconi passed reforms that partially liberalized the labor and pension systems, among Europe’s most inflexible.
Berlusconi saw himself as Italy’s savior from what he described as the Communist menace, years after the Berlin Wall fell. He portrayed himself as the target of a judiciary he said was filled with leftist sympathizers.
His friendship with Socialist leader and former Premier Bettino Craxi was widely credited for helping him become a media baron. Still, Berlusconi billed himself as a self-made man.
His second term, from 2001-06, was perhaps his golden era, when he became Italy’s longest-serving head of government and boosted its global profile through his friendship with U.S. President George W. Bush. Bucking opposition at home and in Europe, Berlusconi backed the U.S.-led war in Iraq and sent 3,000 troops.
FILE – From left to right, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, holds on to the arm of U.S. President George W. Bush, as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, at the G8 summit, July 8, 2008 in Japan. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
He flouted political etiquette and stirred anger with some of his comments, such as claiming after 9/11 that Western civilization was superior to Islam.
But in 2006, as Italy was ridiculed as “the sick man of Europe,” with its economy mired in zero growth and its budget deficit rising, Berlusconi narrowly lost the general election to center-left leader Romano Prodi.
He won his final term as premier in 2008, reluctantly stepping down in 2011 when financial markets lost faith in his ability to keep Italy from succumbing to the eurozone’s sovereign debt crisis.
His party was eclipsed as the dominant force on Italy’s right — first by the League, led by anti-migrant populist Matteo Salvini, then by Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, with its roots in neo-fascism. Following 2022 elections, Meloni formed a governing coalition with their help.
FILE – In this April 2, 2009 file photo, President Barack Obama, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, center, and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, right, smile during a group photo at the G20 Summit in London. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
Berlusconi eventually lost his standing as Italy’s richest man, although his media and luxury real estate holdings still left him a billionaire several times over.
He was dogged by health concerns. He underwent surgery for prostate cancer in 1997. In November 2006, he fainted during a speech, and the next month flew to the U.S., where he received a pacemaker at the Cleveland Clinic. He underwent more heart surgery in 2016.
Berlusconi was first married in 1965 to Carla Dall’Oglio, and their two children, Marina and Piersilvio, were groomed to hold top positions in his business empire. He then married Veronica Lario in 1990, and they had three children, Barbara, Eleonora and Luigi.
They also divorced, and at the time of his death he was in a relationship with Marta Fascina, 33, who was elected to parliament last year for his party.
Despite scandal, he insisted voters admired his brashness.
“The majority of Italians in their hearts would like to be like me and see themselves in me and in how I behave,” he said in 2009.
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Frances D’emilio reported from Rome, Coleen Barry reported from Milan. Rome bureau chief Victor L. Simpson contributed.
The public is beginning to see who is really the mastermind behind the attempt to prevent Pita Limjaroenrat, the Move Forward Party candidate, from becoming Thailand’s next prime minister. So far, only the ‘complainants’ are in the spotlight.
After the election, in which the Move Forward Party won and now forms an 8-party coalition government, Pita is accused of not being qualified enough to be prime minister because he holds shares in the mass media broadcaster ITV, although the broadcaster has not been in operation since 2007.
Chaitawat Tulathon, general secretary of the Move Forward Party, held a press conference on the issue of ITV at the MFP office on Monday, December 12, 2023.
On Friday, June 9, the Election Commission of Thailand announced that it will investigate the petition to determine whether Pita violated Article 151. The allegation is that he stood for election knowing he lacked the qualifications. This is a criminal offence punishable by 1-10 years in prison if convicted.
On Sunday, however, news reporter Thapanee Eadsrichai, who used to work for ITV, revealed the suspicious attempt to ban Pita from the Prime Minister’s chair on Channel 3’s “3-Dimension News” programme. She presented a video recording of the annual shareholders’ meeting of ITV Public Company Limited held on April 26, 2023, proving that the report of the meeting was edited to make it appear that ITV was still operating as a mass media company.
Cover of a video recording of the annual shareholders’ meeting of ITV Public Company Limited held on April 26, 2023
The crucial moment came when a shareholder named Phanuwat Kwanyuen asked during the meeting, “Does ITV engage in media or television-related activities?” Then, Kim Sirithaweechai, the chairman of the board of directors who chaired the meeting, replied, “Currently, the company is not active. We have to wait for the outcome of the lawsuit first.”
However, in the meeting report, the answer was changed to “The company is currently operating in accordance with its objectives and has filed financial statements and corporate income tax returns as usual.”
Chaitawat Tulathon
Chaitawat Tulathon, general secretary of the Move Forward Party, said the party was confident that the Article 151 allegations aimed at incriminating Pita lacked substantial evidence. The party is also raising questions about the manipulation of the ITV shareholders’ meeting reports and whether this is a breach of the law.
Move Forward also wants to know the extent to which IN-Touch Holdings, ITV’s major shareholder, was involved in manipulating the reports to deviate from the truth during the meeting, as the review and amendment of the meeting reports were carried out by executives from IN-Touch’s legal department and corporate secretariat.
In addition, Chaitawat pointed out an inconsistency in the minutes of ITV’s second board meeting in 2023, where a resolution was suddenly passed recognising the company’s business model as an “advertising provider that started generating revenue in the second quarter of 2023” He stressed that this contradicted information given just two days earlier by Kim, the chairman of the shareholders’ meeting, who stated that “it “would be extremely difficult for the company to do any business until the proceedings are concluded”.
Chaitawat pointed out an inconsistency in the minutes of ITV’s second board meeting in 2023.
This effort coincides with Pita’s statement that there is a movement to revive the ITV and attack him. Regarding the people behind this process, Chaitawat said that the Move Forward Party is beginning to identify those involved and believes that the public can speculate about the parties involved. However, it is too early to accuse anyone specifically and it is not yet clear if there is a political party behind the scenes.
Srettha Thavisin, Pheu Thai Party candidate for prime minister, said if there was evidence of forged documents, a fair investigation should be conducted. He added that as the second largest party, the Pheu Thai Party’s role was to support and encourage the eight-party ruling coalition to continue its work.
Mayon volcano belches red-hot emissions down it's slope as seen from Legaspi, Albay province, northeastern Philippines, Sunday, June 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
LEGAZPI, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines’ most active volcano was gently spewing lava down its slopes Monday, alerting tens of thousands of people they may have to quickly flee a violent and life-threatening explosion.
More than 12,600 people have left the mostly poor farming communities within a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) radius of Mayon Volcano’s crater in mandatory evacuations since volcanic activity increased last week. But thousands more remain within the permanent danger zone below Mayon, an area long declared off-limits to people but where generations have lived and farmed because they have nowhere else to go.
Mayon volcano belches red-hot emissions down it’s slope as seen from Legaspi, Albay province, northeastern Philippines, Sunday, June 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
With the volcano beginning to expel lava Sunday night, the high-risk zone around Mayon may be expanded should the eruption turn violent, said Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. Bacolcol said if that happens, people in any expanded danger zone should be prepared to evacuate to emergency shelters.
“What we are seeing now is an effusive eruption,” Bacolcol told The Associated Press. “We are looking at this on a day-to-day basis.”
From a distance, Associated Press journalists watched lava flow down the volcano’s southeastern gullies for hours Sunday night. People hurriedly stepped out of restaurants and bars in a seaside district of Legazpi, the capital of northeastern Albay province about 14 kilometers (8.5 miles) from Mayon, many of them snapping pictures of the volcano that’s a popular tourist draw known for its picturesque conical shape.
Tourists ride ATV’s near Mayon Volcano, hidden in clouds, in Daraga, Albay province, northeastern Philippines on Sunday, June 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Albay was placed under a state of emergency Friday to allow for quicker distribution of any disaster relief funds in the event of a major eruption.
The volcano had been raised to alert level three on a five-step system Thursday, warning that the volcano was in a state of high unrest and a hazardous eruption is possible in weeks or days.
With lava flowing down from the volcano gently, Bacolcol said the alert level would stay at three but it could be moved up higher if the eruption turns perilous.
The highest alert, level five, would mean a violent and life-threatening eruption is underway with ash plumes shooting into the sky and superheated pyroclastic streams endangering more communities at Mayon’s lush foothills.
Mayon volcano belches red-hot emissions down it’s slope as seen from Legaspi, Albay province, northeastern Philippines, Sunday, June 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Mayon is one of 24 active volcanoes in the Philippines. It last erupted violently in 2018, displacing tens of thousands of villagers. In 1814, Mayon’s eruption buried entire villages and reportedly left more than 1,000 people dead.
Many of Albay’s people, however, have accepted the volcano’s sporadic fury as part of their lives.
On Sunday morning, throngs of people jogged, biked and walked their dogs in a seaside promenade in Legazpi. The 2,462-meter (8,077-foot) volcano lay hidden in thick clouds at a distance.
Some locals have grown wealthy from the tourism industry that has sprung from Mayon or the gravel, sand and ornamental rocks and boulders found around the volcano in abundance.
Inside the permanent danger zone, authorities and villagers on Sunday were moving cows and water buffaloes from the high-risk farms to temporary grazing areas a safe distance away.
“It’s not only people that should be brought to safety but their farm animals, too,” Albay provincial veterinarian Manny Victorino told AP. He said authorities were taking steps to avoid a deeper economic impact should the volcano erupt.
A farmer ties his cow as they bring them to a pooling center outside the 6-kilometer “permanent danger zone” near Mayon Volcano in Daraga, Albay province, northeastern Philippines, Sunday, June 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
They gave deworming medicine and vitamins and punched identifying tags onto the ears of several cows and buffaloes for better monitoring.
The cattle evacuations underscore how wide the potential threats are from natural disasters in the Philippines.
The archipelago is lashed by about 20 typhoons and tropical storms a year and is located on the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire,” the rim of seismic faults where most of the world’s earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.
In 1991, Mount Pinatubo north of Manila blew its top in one of the biggest volcanic eruptions of the 20th century, killing hundreds.
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JIM GOMEZ and AARON FAVILA reported from LEGAZPI. Joeal Calupitan contributed to this report.
Despite the impact of the climate on Thai durian production this year, sales of durian produced in the east reached a record high, which could serve as a model for farmers and exporters in the south of Thailand when the annual harvest begins on June 10 and continues through October.
Nuttakrit Oranhirunrak, vice president of the Thai-Chinese Agribusiness Association in Chanthaburi Province, said Thailand is expected to export more durian to China than in other years. From the start of the harvest season until June 10, 2023, a total of 33,000 containers of durian were shipped to China. The current figure is already much higher than that of 3 years ago, which was 15,000 containers.
The eastern part of Thailand, where the durian is grown, has to deal with climatic difficulties that lead to an irregular shape of the durian. If the climate is good and the durian has a regular good shape, it is expected that Thailand could export up to 35,000 or 40,000 containers of durian.
The average selling price of durian from the eastern region has risen to 130 baht per kilogram, satisfying farmers and market operators as this is the highest selling price ever recorded. Some durian such as the Kadumthong are selling for 300 baht per kilogram, reaching the highest price. For the famous Monthong and Phuang Mani, the selling prices are 250 baht per kilogram.
Thapakorn Chanya, 29, a former engineer turned durian middleman, also known as Lhong, for the Jaepare-Herewat durian, said the price has risen sharply this year. He said that 3 years ago, the selling price was 90 baht per kilogram. This year, the average price started at 100 baht and last month the average price reached 200 baht per kilogram, the highest record.
Thapakorn Chanya
For him, the rising price is due to the quality of durian. He said that his company is stricter in exporting durian to China to ensure that customers get high quality and tasty durian, which leads to higher demand, which then affects the selling prices as the demand is greater than the supply. He added that the fact that his exported durians are of good quality and bring him profits increases his will to work.
For next year’s harvest season, he wants government assistance with logistics and the market. He wants the government to help set ceiling prices for logistics to ensure that the charges to farmers, exporters and those in the logistics sector are reasonable and that no one in the system is overcharged. He added that it would be ideal to be able to control prices at a reasonable rate throughout the production period.
The cumulative export of fresh durian from Thailand to China from January to May amounted to 480,000 tonnes, worth nearly 63 billion baht, according to the Department of Agriculture.
Using the success of the Chanthaburi Model, the officials advised farmers and exporters in the south of Thailand to implement quality control at the point of production and export screening.
FILE - Nicola Sturgeon speaks during a press conference at Bute House in Edinburgh, Wednesday, Feb. 15 2023. (Jane Barlow/Pool photo via AP, File)
LONDON (AP) — Former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who dominated politics in Scotland for almost a decade, was arrested Sunday by police investigating the finances of the governing, pro-independence Scottish National Party.
Police Scotland said a 52-year-old woman was detained “as a suspect in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party.”
“The woman is in custody and is being questioned by Police Scotland detectives,” the force said, without naming Sturgeon. British police do not identify suspects until they are charged.
A spokesperson for Sturgeon said the former first minister voluntarily attended an interview with police and would cooperate with the force’s investigation.
The SNP said the party had been “cooperating fully with this investigation and will continue to do so. However it is not appropriate to publicly address any issues while that investigation is ongoing.”
Scottish police opened an investigation in 2021 into how more than 600,000 pounds ($754,000) designated for a Scottish independence campaign was spent.
FILE – Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and her husband and current chief executive officer of the Scottish National Party Peter Murrel on June 3, 2022. (Henry Nicholls, Pool Photo via AP, File)
Two former SNP officials, Colin Beattie, who was treasurer, and Peter Murrell, who was chief executive, were previously arrested and questioned as part of the investigation. Neither has been charged.
Murrell is Sturgeon’s husband, and police searched the couple’s home in Glasgow after his arrest in April.
Sturgeon unexpectedly resigned in February after eight years as Scottish National Party leader and first minister of Scotland’s semi-autonomous government. She said then that she knew “in my head and in my heart” that it was the right time for her, her party and her country to make way for someone else.
The first female leader of Scotland’s devolved government, Sturgeon led her party to dominance in Scottish politics and refashioned the SNP from a largely one-issue party into a dominant governing force with liberal social positions.
She guided her party during three U.K.-wide elections and two Scottish elections, and led Scotland through the coronavirus pandemic, winning praise for her clear, measured communication style.
But Sturgeon left office amid divisions in the SNP and with her main goal — independence from the U.K. for the nation of 5.5 million people — unmet.
FILE – Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon poses for the media with husband Peter Murrell, outside polling station in Glasgow, Scotland, on Dec. 12, 2019.(AP Photo/Scott Heppell, File)
Scottish voters backed remaining in the U.K. in a 2014 referendum that was billed as a once-in-a-generation decision. The party wants a new vote, but the U.K. Supreme Court has ruled that Scotland can’t hold one without London’s consent. The central government has refused to authorize another referendum.
Sturgeon’s departure unleashed a tussle for the future of the SNP amid recriminations over the party’s declining membership and divisions over the best path towards independence. Opinion polls suggest support for the party has sagged, though it remains the most popular in Scotland.
An acrimonious leadership contest to replace her saw contenders feud over tactics and Sturgeon’s legacy, particularly a bill she introduced to make it easier for people to legally change gender. It was hailed as a landmark piece of legislation by transgender rights activists, but faced opposition from some SNP members who said it ignored the need to protect single-sex spaces for women
First Minister Humza Yousaf, who won the party contest in March, told the BBC before Sturgeon’s arrest that the SNP had been through “some of the most difficult weeks our party has probably faced, certainly in the modern era.”
“I know there will be people, be it our opposition, be it the media, that have somehow written the SNP off already,” he said. “They do that at their own peril.”
FILE - The seal of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at SEC headquarters, June 19, 2015, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — First came the crypto winter, then the alleged fraud wrought by FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, and now the lawsuits.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed lawsuits last week against the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchanges, Binance and Coinbase, deepening tensions between the government and a volatile industry that has been marred by scandals and market meltdowns.
Binance and Coinbase are both alleged to have violated the law by operating as securities exchanges without registering their businesses with the SEC. Binance faces additional charges, along with its CEO, of diverting customer funds to a separate business, among other accusations. Most recently, the SEC asked a federal judge to freeze the assets of Binance’s U.S. platform.
FILE – The Binance app icon is seen on a smartphone, Feb. 28, 2023, in Marple Township, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
The lawsuits are the latest in an ongoing tussle between government officials who describe the crypto industry as the ” Wild West,” and creators of digital assets who seek to legitimize cryptocurrency as a currency of the future.
Industry leaders say that, with their latest actions, U.S. regulators are more clearly signaling that they seek to ensure cryptocurrency has no room in the traditional financial system.
And leading regulators are more open about their thoughts on the merits of cryptocurrency. SEC Chair Gary Gensler told Bloomberg on Tuesday: “We don’t need more digital currency … we already have digital currency — it’s called the U.S. dollar.”
What results from the legal battle could greatly diminish the growth of the crypto industry or, alternatively, restrict the scope of the SEC’s regulatory authority.
Federica Pantana, an attorney at Davidoff Hutcher & Citron in New York who handles SEC cases, has been watching the episode unfold and is now clear with her crypto clients in the interim: “With the SEC taking a strong enforcement agenda, there is no question that firms have to take the view that crypto assets are securities and platforms that exchange these assets have to accept that.”
Whether companies that trade in crypto decide it makes business sense to register with the SEC, or drop their businesses all together, will determine the landscape of the industry in the future, Pantana said. The reverberations of the litigation could put some companies out of business, she said.
FILE – The Coinbase app icon is shown, April 13, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
The crypto industry already knew it was under a tough spotlight from Washington’s regulators and politicians. The collapse of crypto prices last year as well as the demise of several notable crypto companies — including FTX — exposed investors to billions of dollars in losses. Gensler had repeatedly stated, both to Congress and in public appearances, that he believes the SEC has more than enough authority to regulate the industry.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told CNBC Wednesday that she’s “very supportive” of the SEC using the tools it has to protect consumers and investors.
Despite the increased scrutiny from regulators, the crypto industry was expecting Congress to eventually intervene and help legitimize the industry through new laws. Several bills were introduced last year by Democrats and Republicans that would have put crypto under the authority of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and made other products, including stable coins, more legitimate by standardizing what assets those products could hold.
Yellen said Wednesday that she sees “some holes in the system where additional regulation I think would be appropriate and we would like to work with Congress to see additional legislation passed.”
Crypto lobbyists now believe that those laws are more urgently needed to stop the SEC from moving forward with its lawsuits.
The most viable piece of legislation sits in the House Financial Services Committee, spearheaded by Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., who chairs the pane. The legislation was co-authored by Glenn Thompson, R-Penn., chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture.
Their discussion draft of legislation seeks to delineate agencies’ jurisdiction over certain digital assets and “strike the appropriate balance between consumer protection and encouraging responsible innovation,” McHenry said in a news release.
New legislation would grant digital-asset issuers an exemption from securities laws if they meet certain conditions and would exclude digital commodities and payment stablecoins from the definition of a security under the securities laws, among many other provisions.
“Congress has no choice but to thoughtfully move forward with legislation to clear up this confusion,” said Kristin Smith, CEO of the Blockchain Association.
Perianne Boring, founder of the Chamber of Digital Commerce, one of the top lobbyists for the cryptocurrency industry, said the lawsuits the SEC filed against Binance and Coinbase are “arbitrary and capricious” and “the SEC’s vigorous enforcement in this space is politically motivated, opening up legal risk against SEC.”
She said Gensler’s public comments about the merits of cryptocurrency in the backdrop of the traditional financial system go outside the scope of his role as SEC chair to protect consumers and investors.
“They’re not a merit regulator,” Boring said.
Representatives from the SEC and White House did not respond to Associated Press requests for comment.
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FATIMA HUSSEIN reported from Washington & KEN SWEET reported from New York.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates winning the men's singles final match of the French Open tennis tournament against Norway's Casper Ruud in three sets, 7-6, (7-1), 6-3, 7-5, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Sunday, June 11, 2023. Djokovic won his record 23rd Grand Slam singles title, breaking a tie with Rafael Nadal for the most by a man. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
PARIS (AP) — Novak Djokovic made clear for years that this was his goal. What drove him. What inspired him. The biggest titles from his sport’s biggest stages were Djokovic’s main aim and now he finally stands alone — ahead of Rafael Nadal, ahead of Roger Federer, ahead of every man who ever has swung a racket.
If Djokovic could wait this long to hold this record, he certainly could wait for the half-hour or so it took to straighten out his strokes in the French Open final. And so, after a bit of a shaky start in thick, humid air and under foreboding charcoal clouds Sunday, he imposed himself. The opponent at Court Philippe Chatrier, Casper Ruud, never really stood a serious chance after that.
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates winning the men’s singles final match of the French Open tennis tournament against Norway’s Casper Ruud in three sets, 7-6, (7-1), 6-3, 7-5, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Sunday, June 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Djokovic earned his men’s-record 23rd Grand Slam singles championship, breaking a tie with Nadal and moving three in front of the retired Federer, with a 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-5 victory over Ruud that really was not in doubt for most of its 3 hours, 13 minutes.
Djokovic, a 36-year-old from Serbia, puts this one alongside the French Open titles he earned in 2016 and 2021, making him the only man with at least three from each major event. He has won 10 trophies at the Australian Open, seven at Wimbledon and three at the U.S. Open.
American former football quarterback Tom Brady, up, second from left, watches the final match of the French Open tennis tournament between Serbia’s Novak Djokovic and Norway’s Casper Ruud at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Sunday, June 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
Also worth noting: Djokovic is again halfway to a calendar-year Grand Slam — winning all four majors in one season — something no man has achieved since Rod Laver in 1969. Djokovic came close to pulling off that feat in 2021, when he won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon and made it all the way to the title match at the U.S. Open before losing to Daniil Medvedev.
Djokovic will resume that pursuit at Wimbledon, which begins on the grass of the All England Club on July 3.
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, right, hugs Norway’s Casper Ruud after winning their final match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Sunday, June 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
He has now clutched the trophy at 11 of the last 20 Slams, a remarkable run made even more so when considering that he did not participate in two majors during that span because he did not get vaccinated against COVID-19. Djokovic was deported from Australia in January 2021 before the Australian Open, and he was not allowed to fly to the United States ahead of last year’s U.S. Open under a rule that has since been lifted.
Getting to 23 not only sets the mark for men, but it also lets Djokovic equal Serena Williams, who wrapped up her career last year, for the most by anyone in the Open era, which began in 1968. Margaret Court won some of her all-time record of 24 Slam trophies in the amateur era.
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic holds the trophy as he celebrates winning the men’s singles final match of the French Open tennis tournament. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
At 20 days past his 36th birthday, Djokovic is the oldest singles champion at Roland Garros, considered the most grueling of the majors because of the lengthy, grinding points required by the red clay, which is slower than the grass or hard courts underfoot elsewhere.
Nadal’s 22nd major arrived in Paris two days after he turned 36. He has been sidelined since January by a hip injury and had arthroscopic surgery on June 2.
As if all of that weren’t enough, Djokovic’s triumph on Sunday also means he will return to No. 1 in the ATP rankings on Monday, replacing Carlos Alcaraz. Djokovic already has spent more weeks at the top spot than any player — man or woman — since the inception of computerized tennis rankings a half-century ago.
It was Djokovic who eliminated Alcaraz in the semifinals on Thursday, wearing him down over two thrilling sets until the 20-year-old Spaniard’s body cramped up badly. Alcaraz continued to play, but the scores of the last two sets of the four-set match told the story: 6-1, 6-1.
This was the third Slam final in the past five events for Ruud, a 24-year-old from Norway, but he is now 0-3. He lost to Nadal at the French Open a year ago and to Alcaraz at the U.S. Open last September.
