A heart-touching story was reported from Ban Si Liam, Khao Khok sub-district, Prakhon Chai district, Buri Ram province, where a mother and daughter reunited after more than 30 years of separation with the help of social media.
Both the mother and daughter hugged each other immediately after the meeting. Their relatives held a blessing ceremony to celebrate the reunion according to traditional rules. This is good news before the Songkran festival.
The Khaosod reporter met with the mother and daughter at house No. 103, moo. 2, Ban Si Liam, Khao Khok sub-district, Prakhon Chai district, Buriram province, with Suwan Thothong, 59, the mother, and Sangdao Thothong, 33, the daughter, on April 11. Locals and relatives expressed their joy at this reunion.
Suwan said that her husband, who is from Si Sa Ket province, and she had a problem that led to their separation when their daughter was about a year old. Her husband took the daughter away. She had tried to find her daughter but failed to find both her husband and her daughter.
Her relative tried to look up her daughter’s name on Facebook and eventually discovered the daughter’s account. The relative made an effort to engage the daughter, and they soon began conversing.
The daughter informed the relative via the internet that her father had passed away and that she was now married and having children.
The chat in which a relative asked Sangdao whether she has a father named Somnuek.
Sangdao, who had not seen her mother in 33 years, arranged her trip to the Prakhon Chai area in Buri Ram province after becoming certain that they were the long-lost mother and daughter, while Suwan was so excited to see her daughter because she had lost hope of seeing her again.
Sangdao told the reporter that when her father brought her to Si Sa Ket, she was only 1 year and 3 months old and could barely remember anything. She finished school at 19 and went to Bangkok to work. She got married when she was 25 years old. She now has 2 children: an 8-year-old son and a 7-year-old daughter.
The moment of joy
She had been trying to find her mother for the last 30 years but had no information. The only thing her father told her was that her mother lived in Prakhon Chai district in Buri Ram province.
Until a relative of her mother approached her through Facebook and asked if she was a daughter of Somnuk and Suwan. She answered in the affirmative based on a study record where both parents’ names appear. They kept in touch until she found out that her mother was still alive and she wanted to meet her as she could barely remember her mother’s face.
“When I was sure that it was my long-lost mother, I contacted the relative and travelled to Prakhon Chai district in Buri Ram province. When I saw my mother for the first time, I was overjoyed. I had never thought I would see her again. I thought she had passed away. I want to visit her often and hope she is in good health,” said Sangdao.
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in a ceremonial yellow hat arrives at the Tsuglakhang temple to give a sermon in Dharamshala, India, Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia,file)
DHARAMSALA, India (AP) — Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama apologized Monday after a video showing him kissing a child on the lips triggered criticism.
A statement posted on his official website said the 87-year-old leader regretted the incident and wished to “apologize to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused.”
Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama apologized Monday after a video showing him kissing a child on the lips provoked outrage.
The incident occurred at a public gathering in February at the Tsuglagkhang temple in Dharamsala, where the exiled leader lives. He was taking questions from the audience when the boy asked if he could hug him.
The Dalai Lama invited the boy up toward the platform he was seated on. In the video, he gestured to his cheek, after which the child kissed him before giving him a hug.
The Dalai Lama then asked the boy to kiss him on the lips and stuck out his tongue. “And suck my tongue,” the Dalai Lama can be heard saying as the boy sticks out his own tongue and leans in, prompting laughter from the audience.
The footage triggered a backlash online with social media users condemning his behavior as inappropriate and disturbing.
SNAP, the national advocacy group for victims of clergy abuse, said they were “horrified” by the Dalai Lama’s actions. “Our primary concern is with the innocent boy who was the subject of this disgusting request by a revered spiritual figure,” the group said in a statement.
Sticking out one’s tongue was often used as a greeting according to ancient Tibetan culture, but is not commonly seen anymore.
“His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras,” the statement from the Dalai Lama read.
The Dalai Lama has made the hillside town of Dharmsala his headquarters since fleeing from Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. India considers Tibet to be part of China, though it hosts Tibetan exiles.
The Department of Agriculture has warned tourists not to buy fresh fruit as a phytosanitary certificate is required for re-entry into the Kingdom to avoid a fine of 20,000 baht or imprisonment for 1 year.
Rapeephat Chantarasriwong, director-general of the Department of Agriculture, said the government agency has warned both Thai and international tourists that importing fruits from aboard without a phytosanitary certificate is illegal under the Plant Quarantine Act B.E. 2507 and its amendments. Those who violate it face both fees and imprisonment.
credit: Elianna-Friedman / unsplash
“This is a travel season in Thailand when we have many tourists from Thailand and outside, especially those who come back from South Korea and Japan. They like to buy fresh fruits like persimmons and grapes, which are cheaper than in Thailand, to return to the country. We would like to warn them that this behaviour could be against the law without them being aware of it or intending to do it,” said Rapeephat.
The official will prosecute those who break the law. They will be threatened with payment of a fee or imprisonment. The disputed property will be confiscated and destroyed. Both the Ministry of Agriculture and the Public Relations Department of Thai Airports are working hand in hand to pass this law.
credit: Jordan-Christian / Unsplash
The charges are to pay a fee of 20,000 baht, imprisonment for 1 year, or both.
It is reported that Suvarnabhumi airport is constantly confiscating fresh fruits and vegetables on board that passengers bring back to Thailand.
The official warns the passengers and releases them, but confiscates the disputed commodity and later destroys it at a high temperature to prevent any risk of the disease sabotaging the country’s agricultural industry, according to the Plant Quarantine Act B.E. 2507 and its amendments.
The Department of Agriculture has also instructed the Agricultural Regulation Department to place several appropriate bins at the airport for tourists to throw away the prohibited items, which may not be known to passengers.
AIS flexes at the Asian level with two major awards uniquely among 49 countries “CEO of the Year” and “Broadband Telecom Company of the Year” at Asian Telecom Awards 2023. Underlining leadership in every aspect of Thailand’s telecom sector
AIS has taken its place at the Asian level and bought renown to Thailand by winning two major awards: CEO of the Year and Broadband Telecom Company of the Year, at the Asian Telecom Awards 2023 hosted by Asian Business Review, a Singapore-based publication expert in ranking Asia-Pacific telecom companies, which are widely recognized by operators in the Asia-Pacific telecommunications industry.
The awards are presented to Asia-based telecom companies who have achieved success by originating and innovating to become leaders of their markets, and who are able to cope with a competitive environment efficiently.
AIS is the only telecom company from Thailand to have been chosen for this award from a pool of 49 countries. This highlights AIS leadership of the Thai telecom industry in providing service to the high standards of international operators.
AIS Chief Executive Somchai Lertsutiwong commented, “Telecom providers have evolved into Digital Life Service Providers. Now AIS has upgraded itself to the next level, into what we call a Cognitive Tech-Co. We are focused on building a resilient digital infrastructure, while enhancing our capabilities to add value to every business sector.
We have assisted many companies to adapt in their internal Digital Transformation over the last few years. We enable company staff to understand transformation in its global context, while being open to re-skilling and up-skilling to develop the products and services demanded by customers and the general public.
“Being recognized by the Asian Telecom Awards 2023 is a demonstration of the power which AIS teams can achieve by working together, to deliver the best digital experience in Thailand on a consistent basis. On behalf of the company and all of its staff, I would like to thank Asian Business Review for recognizing AIS’ determination and vision to deploy digital infrastructure with the intention to improve the user experience and build extra capabilities for the nation.”
The Asian Telecom Awards are presented to Asian telecom companies with successful performance in both developing products by innovation to meet customer needs, and dealing with competition efficiently. They are hosted by Asian Business Review in Singapore, and last year, AIS was able to win in three categories: Mobile Operator of the Year, Telecom Company of the Year and Digital Initiative of the Year. This year, AIS has won two major awards as follows:
CEO Of the Year: AIS Is the only company from 49 countries in the region to be honored with this award, which is presented to telecom business leaders in the Asian region who have shown clear vision and achieved excellence in business performance, in terms of both innovations, coping with competition and other challenges from the global situation. AIS has been able to demonstrate its potential as the pioneer provider of 5G service in Thailand in 2020, which extended coverage to all of the country’s 77 provinces in a single year. The company has also been powered by the development of people for digital transformation at AIS Academy for Thais, which provides digital skills for employees and the Thai public.
Broadband Telecom Company of the Year was won byAIS Fibre, the only Thai home Internet provider to win the award this year. It is presented to broadband telecom providers who have been outstanding for innovation and excellent service, as well as setting new standards for the Thai home internet industry. Customer care has been upgraded to 24-hour call-out teams for troubleshooting customer problems, innovating the fastest home Internet of 2 Gbps for the first time in Thailand, deploying AI in routers for better signal capabilities, and intelligent Wi-Fi, which can efficiently allocate user speeds consistent with the wide range of use cases of a family in their home.
Somchai concluded, “Both of the awards which we have received on this occasion spotlight the company’s vision and readiness to power sustainable growth for the benefit of our customers, the Thai people and Thailand itself in every dimension. We are extremely proud to be representing Thailand, and we hope that this will be a motivator for our AIS teams to continue in their dedication to their work, so that we will continue to be a prototype for the telecom industry in delivering excellent user experiences to consumers.”
In this photo provided by the U.S. Navy, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Milius (DDG 69) steams in the Philippine Sea, on March 13, 2023.
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The United States and the Philippines on Tuesday launch their largest combat exercises in decades that will involve live-fire drills, including a boat-sinking rocket assault in waters across the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait that will likely inflame China.
The annual drills by the longtime treaty allies called Balikatan — Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder — will run up to April 28 and involve more than 17,600 military personnel. It will be the latest display of American firepower in Asia, where Washington has repeatedly warned China over its increasingly aggressive actions in the disputed sea channel and against Taiwan.
U.S. Marine Corps Major General Eric Austin, right, U.S. Exercise Director Representative, right, with Philippine Army Major General Marvin Licudin, Philippine Exercise Director, answers a question from a reporter after the opening ceremonies of a joint military exercise flag called “Balikatan,” a Tagalog word for “shoulder-to-shoulder,” at Camp Aguinaldo military headquarters Tuesday, April 11, 2023, in Quezon City, Philippines (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
The Biden administration has been strengthening an arc of alliances in the Indo-Pacific to better counter China, including in a possible confrontation over Taiwan.
That dovetails with efforts by the Philippines under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to defend its territorial interests in the South China Sea by boosting joint military exercises with the U.S. and allowing rotating batches of American forces to stay in more Philippine military camps under a 2014 defense pact.
U.S. Marine Corps MGEN Eric Austin, U.S. Exercise Director Representative, right, and Philippine Army MGEN Marvin Licudine, second left, Philippine Exercise Director, unfurl the joint military exercise flag called “Balikatan,” AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
About 12,200 U.S military personnel, 5,400 Filipino forces and 111 Australian counterparts are taking part in the exercises, the largest in Balikatan’s three-decade history. America’s warships, fighter jets as well as its Patriot missiles, HIMARS rocket launchers and anti-tank Javelins, would be showcased, according to U.S. and Philippine military officials.
“We are not provoking anybody by simply exercising,” Col. Michael Logico, a Philippine spokesman for Balikatan, told reporters ahead of the start of the maneuvers.
“This is actually a form of deterrence,” Logico said. “Deterrence is when we are discouraging other parties from invading us.”
In a live-fire drill the allied forces would stage offshore for the first time, Logico said U.S. and Filipino forces would sink a 200-foot (61-meter) target vessel in Philippine territorial waters off the western province of Zambales this month in a coordinated airstrike and artillery bombardment.
A U.S. Marines personnel gestures at the flight deck of the USS America (LHA 6) during a scheduled port visit in Manila, Philippines on Tuesday, March 21, 2023.(AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
“We will hit it with all the weapons systems that we have, both ground, navy and air,” Logico said.
That location facing the South China Sea and across the waters from the Taiwan Strait would likely alarm China, but Philippine military officials said the maneuver was aimed at bolstering the country’s coastal defense and was not aimed at any country.
Such field scenarios would “test the allies’ capabilities in combined arms live-fire, information and intelligence sharing, communications between maneuver units, logistics operations, amphibious operations,” the U.S. Embassy in Manila said.
Washington and Beijing have been on a collision course over the long-seething territorial disputes involving China, the Philippines and four other governments and Beijing’s goal of annexing Taiwan, by force if necessary.
China last week warned against the intensifying U.S. military deployment to the region. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in a regular news briefing in Beijing that it “would only lead to more tensions and less peace and stability in the region.”
The Balikatan exercises were opening in the Philippines a day after China concluded three days of combat drills that simulated sealing off Taiwan, following Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last week in California that infuriated Beijing.
On Monday, the U.S. 7th Fleet deployed guided-missile destroyer USS Milius within 12 nautical miles of Mischief Reef, a Manila-claimed coral outcrop which China seized in the mid-1990s and turned into one of seven missile-protected island bases in the South China Sea’s hotly contested Spratlys archipelago. The U.S. military has been undertaking such “freedom of navigation” operations for years to challenge China’s expansive territorial claims in the busy seaway.
“As long as some countries continue to claim and assert limits on rights that exceed their authority under international law, the United States will continue to defend the rights and freedoms of the sea guaranteed to all,” the 7th Fleet said. “No member of the international community should be intimidated or coerced into giving up their rights and freedoms.”
Louisville metro Police and emergency personnel block the streets outside of the Old National Bank building in Louisville, Ky., Monday, April 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A Louisville bank employee armed with a rifle opened fire at his workplace Monday morning, killing five people — including a close friend of Kentucky’s governor — while livestreaming the attack on Instagram, authorities said.
Police arrived as shots were still being fired inside Old National Bank and killed the shooter in an exchange of gunfire, Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel said. The city’s mayor, Craig Greenberg, called the attack “an evil act of targeted violence.”
Law enforcement, ambulances, and public safety vehicles line the street at the scene of a shooting in Louisville, Ky., Monday, April 10, 2023. (Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal via AP)
The shooting, the 15th mass killing in the country this year, comes just two weeks after a former student killed three children and three adults at a Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, about 160 miles (260 kilometers) to the south. That state’s governor and his wife also had friends killed in that shooting.
In Louisville, the chief identified the shooter as 25-year-old Connor Sturgeon, who she said was livestreaming during the attack.
“That’s tragic to know that that incident was out there and captured,” she said.
Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, said in a statement that it had “quickly removed the livestream of this tragic incident this morning.”
Social media companies have imposed tougher rules over the past few years to prohibit violent and extremist content. They have set up systems to remove posts and streams that violate those restrictions, but shocking material like the Louisville shooting continues to slip through the cracks, prompting lawmakers and other critics to lash out at the technology industry for slipshod safeguards and moderation policies.
Nine people, including two police officers, were treated for injuries from the Louisville shooting, University of Louisville Hospital spokeswoman Heather Fountaine said in an email. One of the wounded, identified as 57-year-old Deana Eckert, later died, police said Monday night.
One of the wounded officers, 26-year-old Nickolas Wilt, graduated from the police academy on March 31. He was in critical condition after being shot in the head and having surgery, the police chief said. At least three patients had been discharged.
Multiple agencies arrive at a building after a shooting took place in Louisville, Ky., Monday, April 10, 2023. (Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal via AP)
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said he lost one of his closest friends in the shooting — Tommy Elliott — in the building not far from the minor league ballpark Louisville Slugger Field and Waterfront Park.
“Tommy Elliott helped me build my law career, helped me become governor, gave me advice on being a good dad,” said Beshear, his voice shaking with emotion. “He’s one of the people I talked to most in the world, and very rarely were we talking about my job. He was an incredible friend.”
Also killed in the shooting were Josh Barrick, Jim Tutt and Juliana Farmer, police said.
“These are irreplaceable, amazing individuals that a terrible act of violence tore from all of us,” the governor said.
It was the second time that Beshear was personally touched by a mass tragedy since becoming governor.
Two people embrace outside of a building where a shooting took place in Louisville, Ky., Monday, April 10, 2023. (Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal via AP)
In late 2021, one of the towns devastated by tornadoes that tore through Kentucky was Dawson Springs, the hometown of Beshear’s father, former two-term Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear. Andy Beshear frequently visited Dawson Springs as a boy and has talked emotionally about his father’s hometown.
Beshear spoke as the investigation in Louisville continued and police searched for a motive. Crime scene investigators could be seen marking and photographing numerous bullet holes in the windows near the bank’s front door.
As part of the investigation, police descended on the neighborhood where the suspect lived, about 5 miles (8 kilometers) south of the downtown shooting. The street was blocked as federal and local officers talked to residents. One home was cordoned off with caution tape. Kami Cooper, who lives in the neighborhood, said she didn’t recall ever meeting the suspect but said it’s an unnerving feeling to have lived on the same street as someone who could do such a thing.
“I’m almost speechless. You see it on the news but not at home,” Cooper said. “It’s unbelievable, it could happen here, somebody on my street.”
A man who fled the building during the shooting told WHAS-TV that the shooter opened fire with a long rifle in a conference room in the back of the building’s first floor.
“Whoever was next to me got shot — blood is on me from it,” he told the news station, pointing to his shirt. He said he fled to a break room and shut the door.
Bullet holes are seen in the front windows of the Old National Bank building in Louisville, Ky., Monday, April 10, 2023. A shooting at the bank killed and wounded several people police said. The suspected shooter was also dead. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Deputy Police Chief Paul Humphrey said the actions of responding police officers undoubtedly saved lives.
“This is a tragic event,” he said. “But it was the heroic response of officers that made sure that no more people were more seriously injured than what happened.”
Just a few hours later and blocks away, an unrelated shooting killed one man and wounded a woman outside a community college, police said.
The 15 mass shootings this year are the most during the first 100 days of a calendar year since 2009, when 16 had occurred by April 10, according to a mass killings database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
Going back to 2006, the first year for which data has been compiled, the years with the most mass killings were 2019 and 2022, with 45 and 42 mass killings recorded during the entire calendar year. The pace in 2009 slowed later in the year, with 32 mass killings recorded that year.
_______
Contributing to this report were Becky Reynolds in Louisville, Bruce Schreiner in Frankfort, Kentucky, Beatrice Dupuy in New York, database journalist Larry Fenn, researchers Rhonda Shafner and Jennifer Farrar in New York and AP Technology writer Michael Liedtke in San Ramon, California.
Another shooting rampage occurred in Thailand, with the main perpetrator being a police officer. At least six persons have been killed.
Police Senior Sergeant Major. Attaphon Wichian, 46, deputy chief of the Crime Investigation Department of Kiri Rat Nikhom Police Station in Surat Thani Province, along with accomplices armed with M16 assault rifles and shotguns, went on a shooting rampage at the house of Thammarong Nilniyom, a 60-year-old man, also known as “Phoo Yhai Rong”, who is also his father-in-law, located at No. 91, Moo 8, Tambon Kapao, Kiri Rat Nikhom district, on the evening of April 8, killing three victims.
The incident was captured on CCTV.At the house of Thammarong Nilniyom / Khaosod PHOTO
The deceased are Thammarong Nilniyom, Nilthip Palakachain, 49, also known as “Tang,” who was Thammarong’s wife, and Pornsak Phetchshu, 56, also known as “Phoo Yhai Krok.” The shooter’s elder brother, Thammarat, who was also present, was shot dead, making him the fourth victim
At 9 p.m. on April 9, a monk at Wat Kraisorn Khet Raram temple in Khao Phang district discovered a body in a Honda sedan with Surat Thani licence plates. The victim was identified as Bass, about 22 years old, the son of Pol.Snr.Sgt.Maj. Attaphon and his first wife. The body had a gunshot wound to the head and was sitting next to the driver’s seat.
A body was found in a Honda sedan in Surat Thani Province. / Khaosod PHOTO
On April 10 at 9:10 a.m., Radio Station 191 of Kiri Rat Nikhom Police Station received a report that Panida Nilniyom, 34, the wife of Pol.Snr.Sgt.Maj.Attaphon and daughter of Thammarong, was found dead at a resort in Kiri Rat Nikhom district. This makes her the sixth victim of this incident.
Preliminary investigations indicate that Panida was shot with a 9mm pistol and a cushion with a silencer was used.
According to the investigation, Panida was the first victim of the mass murder, which began on April 7. Pol.Snr.Sgt.Maj. Attaphon then called on his own elder brother Thammarat to join in the shooting at Thammarong’s house, killing in three more victims. However, Thammarat was shot dead in the crossfire.
A resort where Panida Nilniyom body was found.
The Surat Thani Provincial Court has later issued arrest warrants for two gunmen: Pol.Snr.Sgt.Maj. Attaphon and Manop Wang-ngarn, a 57-year-old resident of Klong Thom district.
Around noon, on April 10, police found a Toyota Vios car that Pol.Snr.Sgt.Maj.Atthaporn had rented, parked at the resort in Moo 2, Khao Wong Subdistrict, Ban Ta Khun District, Surat Thani Province. They did not discover Pol.Snr.Sgt.Maj. Atthaporn. However they arrested Manop later in the evening in Phangnga Province.
Manop claimed that he had not known that Pol.Snr.Sgt.Maj. Atthaporn wanted to kill anyone in the first place. But when arriving at the house of the victim, Pol.Snr.Sgt.Maj. Atthaporn quarrelled fiercely with the father-in-law before starting the firing exchange.
Pol. Snr. Sgt. Maj. Atthaporn had left his rented car at this resort.Manop Wang-ngarn (wearing hat) was arrested.
This happened after two horrible crimes were committed in March by gun shooting specialist. In those incidents, a 51-year-old police officer fired shots from his home in the Saimai area of Bangkok before being shot dead, and a former forester, 29, killed three people in a rampage in Petchaburi.
In Thailand’s worst mass murder in October 2022, a former police officer shot and stabbed 36 people, including 24 children, in Nong Bua Lamphu province.
On April 10, the Thai-Laos Songkran Festival 2023 took place on the bamboo bridge across the border between Boten District, Xayyabuly Province, and Ban Mueang Phrae, Na Haeo District, Loei Province, Thailand.
Mr. Narong Chin-am, Deputy Governor of Loei Province; Mr. Jakraphat Phromklai, Na Haeo District Chief; and Mr. Somsanuk Saiudom, Governor of Botaen Province, Xayabouly Province, Lao PDR, co-chaired.
Every year, Thais and Laotians work together to build a temporary bamboo bridge across the Hueang River to make it easier for people from both sides to cross over to celebrate Songkran and visit relatives living on the other side.
Jakraphat said Ban Mueang Phrae is a small border village, located next to the Hueang River border line between Thailand and Laos. It is an area where people from Laos cross to buy products in Thailand and bring local Lao products to sell in the village. Therefore, people are very close and familiar with each other very well.
During the Songkran festival, Ban Muang Phrae organizes the Miss Songkran contest of each community and organized the flower parades to worship the Lord Buddha and pray for rain.
Over a distance of 1 kilometre, the parade moves to the area where the Thai-Lao Songkran Festival is held along the Huang River. Locals are participating in enjoyable activities that preserve local traditions and help them celebrate the New Year together.
FILE - Firefighters work after a building collapsed early Sunday, April 9, 2023 in Marseille, southern France. (AP Photo, File)
MARSEILLE (AP) — Two bodies were found Monday in the rubble following an explosion that collapsed a building in the southern French city of Marseille, bringing the confirmed death toll to four as rescuers continue searching for four more people who are unaccounted-for.
Two other bodies had previously been found overnight. The judicial authority will proceed to identify the victims, firefighters said in a statement.
Minister for Cities and Housing Olivier Klein told reporters that at least four people have died, after he met with rescuers on site.
An excavator clears debris on the scene where a building collapsed, in Marseille, southern France, April 10, 2023.(AP Photo/Bishr El Touni)
“The hope to find survivors is still there,” Minister for Cities and Housing Olivier Klein told reporters. “It is very meticulous work done by firefighters,” he added, noting the risk for adjacent buildings to collapse. More than 100 firefighters were mobilized for the searches.
Marseille mayor Benoit Payan tweeted Monday that “the pain and sorrow are great.” He expressed his thoughts for the families of the victims and “those who are suffering.”
“Rescue and search operations are continuing, without respite,” he said.
FILE – Firefighters gather near the street where a building collapsed early Sunday, April 9, 2023 in Marseille, southern France. (AP Photo/Bishr El Touni, File)
An investigation has been opened for involuntary injury, at least initially sidestepping possible criminal intentions. A gas explosion was among the avenues of investigation, prosecutor Dominique Laurens said Sunday evening.
The collapse occurred shortly before 1 a.m. on Sunday, in an old quarter in the center of Marseille, France’s second-largest city, less than a kilometer (a half-mile) from its iconic old port. About 200 people have been evacuated from their homes in the area.
In 2018, two buildings in the center of Marseille collapsed, killing eight people. Those buildings were poorly maintained — not the case with the building that collapsed Sunday, the interior minister said.
This image released by Nintendo and Universal Studios shows Mario, voiced by Chris Pratt, left, and Princess Peach, voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy, in Nintendo's "The Super Mario Bros. Movie." (Nintendo and Universal Studios via AP)
Audiences said let’s go to the movie theater for ” The Super Mario Bros. Movie ” this weekend. The animated offering from Universal and Illumination powered up with $204.6 million in its first five days in 4,343 North American theaters, including $146.4 million over the weekend, according to studio estimates on Sunday.
With an estimated $173 million in international earnings and a global total of $377 million, “Mario” broke records for video game adaptations (passing “Warcraft’s” $210 million) and animated films (“Frozen 2’s” $358 million).
Its global total makes it the biggest opening of 2023 and the second biggest three-day domestic animated opening (behind “Finding Dory”). It’s also a record for Illumination, the animation shop behind successful franchises like “Minions,” which has made over $5 billion from its 13 films.
“This partnership between Nintendo and Illumination is just incredible and led to this extraordinary performance,” said Jim Orr, Universal’s president of domestic distribution.
This image released by Nintendo and Universal Studios shows Mario, voiced by Chris Pratt, left, and Luigi, voiced by Charlie Day in Nintendo’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” (Nintendo and Universal Studios via AP)
The PG-rated “Mario” is an origin story of Brooklyn plumbers Mario, voiced by Chris Pratt, and Luigi (Charlie Day), who fall into a pipe and come out in another world full of Nintendo’s most famous characters, from Bowser (Jack Black) to Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy). Critics were largely mixed. “Mario” currently has a 56% on Rotten Tomatoes. But audiences were more favorable, giving it an A CinemaScore.
Orr said that theater owners were surprised by just how broad the audiences were and reported seeing some ticket buyers decked out in character costumes for the movie. According to exit polls, 59% of the audience was male and 45% were between the ages of 18 and 34.
“$377 million worldwide is just astounding and a testament to how important outside of the home activities are for families,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “Kids and their parents collectively were able to go out, have an outside the home event for the whole family at a relatively bargain price compared to a trip or a sporting event.”
Also, Dergarabedian noted, there is a long runway before “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” opens on May 5.
“This was a perfect release date,” Dergarabedian said.
This image released by Nintendo and Universal Studios shows Mario, voiced by Chris Pratt, left, and Luigi, voiced by Charlie Day in Nintendo’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” (Nintendo and Universal Studios via AP)
“Mario” wasn’t the only movie based on a brand that opened in theaters this week. Ben Affleck’s “Air,” about the origins of Nike’s Air Jordan and how the corporation signed Michael Jordan, also debuted in 3,507 theaters Wednesday. The film, which marks Amazon Studios first global theatrical release, has grossed an estimated $20.2 million since opening Wednesday in North America, with $14.5 million coming from the weekend to give it a fourth place start.
With an R-rating, “Air,” starring Matt Damon, Viola Davis and Affleck, was a bit of adult-targeted counter programming to the “Mario” juggernaut. Reviews were glowing (95% on Rotten Tomatoes) for the film which debuted as a surprise screening at the South by Southwest Film Festival last month, helping to bolster buzz. Audiences were 55% male and 39% over the age of 45.
This image released by Amazon Prime Video shows Ben Affleck as Phil Knight in a scene from “Air.” (Ana Carballosa/Amazon Prime Video via AP)
“‘Air’ found its audience. It’s a solid gross,” Dergarabedian said. “This one is in it for the long haul.”
“Air” is the first film from Affleck and Damon’s new company Artists Equity which was formed last year in partnership with RedBird Capital.
This image released by Amazon Prime Video shows Matt Damon as Sonny Vaccaro in a scene from “Air.” (Ana Carballosa/Amazon Prime Video via AP)
Second place went to “John Wick Chapter 4” which made $14.6 million in its third weekend, bringing its total grosses to $147.1 million. Close behind was “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” which placed third with $14.5 million in its second weekend, while “Scream VI” rounded out the top 5 with $3.3 million.
In limited release, Kelly Reichardt’s art-centric ” Showing Up,” with Michelle Williams and Hong Chau, also bowed on four screens, grossing $66,932.
“This is such an important weekend for theaters, a home stretch heading into the summer movie season, and this is a perfect scenario,” Dergarabedian said. “It’s game on for movie theaters when a lot of people thought it was game over.”
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” $146.4 million.
2. “John Wick: Chapter 4,” $14.6 million.
3. “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,” $14.5 million.
4. “Air,” $14.5 million.
5. “Scream VI,” $3.3 million.
6. “His Only Son,” $3.3 million.
7. “Creed III,” $2.8 million.
8. “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” $1.6 million.
9. “Paint,” $750,000.
10. “A Thousand and One,” $600,000.
—-
Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr.
