Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand
BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) — Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met on Monday with Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai in Beijing.
Noting that China and Thailand are close as one family, Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a successful visit to Thailand last year and reached important consensus with the Thai side on building a China-Thailand community with a shared future for enhanced stability, prosperity and sustainability.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand
The Chinese side stands ready to work with Thailand to implement the outcomes of President Xi’s visit, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the two countries and safeguard regional peace and stability, Wang added.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand
Wang stressed that the cooperation between China and Thailand has not only promoted the development of both countries, but also brought tangible benefits to the two peoples.
Don Pramudwinai said he looks forward to contributing to the development of Thailand-China relations and will promote their close relations with concrete actions
Toyota Motor Corp.'s incoming president Koji Sato (C) and other officials gather for photos after a press conference on Feb. 13, 2023, in Tokyo. (Kyodo)
Toyota Motor Corp.’s incoming president Koji Sato said Monday the company will develop next-generation electric vehicles in 2026.
The new EV will be based on its high-end Lexus brand, Sato said in an online press conference.
Toyota, the developer of the Prius, the world’s first mass-produced hybrid passenger vehicle, has long been seen as reluctant to push forward with a shift toward all-electric cars.
The Japanese carmaker announced last month it will promote Sato, head of the auto group’s Lexus brand operation, to president effective April 1, replacing current president Akio Toyoda, who will become chairman.
The leadership change comes when even a company like Toyota, the world’s biggest car seller, is under pressure to embark on a transformation and overcome challenges in achieving greener vehicles and adapting to new technologies as newcomers venture into making electrified vehicles.
Undated photo shows Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda and Operating Officer Koji Sato test-riding Lexus’s first electric vehicle model, RZ in Japan. (Kyodo)
Toyota remains the leader in hybrid cars, but some industry analysts say Toyota is lagging behind European and U.S. rivals in the electric vehicle race even though the automaker, which has been developing hydrogen-powered engines, has said it is not fully convinced that going electric is the right way to go.
Calling himself a man of traditional car-making, Toyoda admitted at the press conference the difficulty of transforming the company in a new era given his age and his long managerial experience of making conventional cars running on fossil fuel.
“I felt it would be best for me to become chairman to support the new president in further reforming Toyota,” Toyoda said.
Rihanna performs during the halftime show at the NFL Super Bowl 57 football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Rihanna was above it all. And pregnant to boot.
She began and ended the Super Bowl 57 halftime show hovering high above the field at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The performance lacked the surprise guests stars included in many previous Super Bowl halftimes, save one — her representative revealed afterward that the singer is pregnant with her second child.
Rihanna wore a puffy, bright red jumpsuit with tight, rubbery garb underneath that showed a baby bump that fueled a wave of social media speculation until the big revelation. She stood on a transparent rectangular platform that raised and lowered as she belted out the lyrics to “Bitch Better Have My Money” over the turf where the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs were battling moments earlier.
Rihanna prepares to perform before the halftime show at the NFL Super Bowl 57 football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)Rihanna performs at halftime during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl 57 football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Dancers wearing white ski-style suits and shaded goggles had their own suspended platforms that moved in concert with hers.
She and the dancers were lowered to a long stage that matched her outfit as she sped through hits including “Work,” “Where Have You Been,” and “Only Girl,” belting out “Want you to make me feel like I’m the only girl in the world.”
There were also none of the constant costume changes and scene shifts from previous years. The theme — and the color scheme — stayed the same throughout the 13-minute show, with red lights bathing the stage at times and golden fireworks exploding in the air above her.
Rihanna performs during the halftime show at the NFL Super Bowl 57 football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
The long stage allowed for extended pull-away shots as she stared down the camera and overhead tracking shots of Rihanna and her dancers.
At one point she powdered her face and checked it in a mirror before getting back on the mic.
Lights sparkled from the stands as she was hoisted alone back into the air and sang “Diamonds” — with its refrain of “shine bright like a diamond” — as the set closed.
Rihanna’s performance was her first solo performance event in seven years, and her first since becoming a mother for the first time nine months ago.
Rihanna performs during the halftime show at the NFL Super Bowl 57 football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
A SIMPLY SPANGLED BANNER
Country star Chris Stapleton made the national anthem a simple affair at Super Bowl 57, standing alone on the field accompanied by only his electric guitar as he sang “The Star Spangled Banner” moments before the Kansas City Chiefs kickoff to the Philadelphia Eagles to start the game.
Dressed simply in smooth black denim and sunglasses, with neatly combed hair instead of his signature feathered cowboy hat, he sang the anthem as a plaintive ballad, picking it up to rock only briefly as he delivered the final lines “banner yet wave” and “land of the free!”
Chris Stapleton sings the national anthem before the NFL Super Bowl 57 football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vasquez)
His anthem felt slow, but it clocked in at 2 minutes, 2 seconds, under the 2 minutes, 5 seconds predicted by oddsmakers. But it was more than 10 seconds longer than last year’s sung by another country star, Mickey Guyton.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni and starting center Jason Kelce both had tears in their eyes during Stapleton’s emotional performance.
As the eight-time Grammy winner sang, “CODA” star Troy Kotsur, the first deaf man to win an acting Oscar, signed the anthem lyrics.
OTHER ANTHEMS
Before Stapleton’s anthem, “Abbot Elementary” star Sheryl Lee Ralph performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Wearing a flowing red velvet gown, Ralph began the song dubbed the Black national anthem as a reflective ballad, and it became a soaring hymn as it went on, with military-style drums joining her and a choir dressed all in white chiming in behind her on the field at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Entertainer Sheryl Lee Ralph performs “Lift Every Voice”, often referred to as the Black national anthem, prior to the NFL Super Bowl 57 football game. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
And R&B legend Babyface delivered “America the Beautiful” as a soulful folk song, playing an acoustic guitar painted with an American flag and blue flowers as he stood alone on the field. A backing track with drum machines and singers kicked in before he was done.
FAMOUS FANS, PERFORMERS AND PITCH PEOPLE
Die-hard Chiefs fan Paul Rudd was on the field before the game, sporting a big smile and a team jersey.
Recording artist Babyface performs “America the Beautiful”. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Philadelphia native Bradley Cooper, wearing an Eagles T-shirt, celebrated from the stands as his team put the first points of a thriller of a game on the board. Another famous Philly fan, Kevin Hart, wearing a jersey, stood and flapped his arms.
Jay-Z, Tiffany Haddish, rapper GloRilla and chef Gordon Ramsay were also spotted in the stadium.
Pregame performances came from DJ Snake and Jason Derulo, whose backup dancers included synchronized robot dogs.
Algerian-French music producer and deejay, DJ Snake, performs before the NFL Super Bowl 57 football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Many stars have made the scene at Super Bowl week parties.
Many others, including Serena Williams, Adam Driver and John Travolta, are showing up in the big game’s big commercials.
And U2 revealed in a commercial late in the game that they were returning to the concert stage for the first time since 2019.
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AP Entertainment Writer Jonathan Landrum contributed to this story from Glendale, Ariz.
LOVEiS ENTERTAINMENT showcases success, raking in over 300 million in 2022.
For 2023, ‘JEEP’ Thepard Kawin-anan, CEO announces appointing ‘Ying’ Pireeya Teerawattanasawat, as MD to co-pilot management of LOVEiS ENTERTAINMENT.
Targeting growth for 2023 launch towards 500 million baht.
Hoisting strategies to expand LOVEiS ENTERTAINMENT’s business range away from being just a record label to being a ‘DigiTainment’ enterprise, focusing on KOL & Influencer Management, encompassing all segments of entertainment to reach all of the new generation’s preferences and lifestyles.
‘JEEP’ Thepard Kawin-anan, CEO, LOVEiS ENTERTAINMENT, revealed that, “During the past 3 years, running a music label business hasn’t been easy. Because the main income of the record label comes from the artist’s exhibitions, events, concerts, and such. But with the situation, we couldn’t do anything. And we had to adjust on a day by day basis so that the artists maintained their presence and not disappear from the fans.
And at the same time, the changes with media, including consumer behavior had a lot of impact as well. And of course, the return for businesses post-COVID, nothing will be as it was, and for sure it won’t be easy. But for businesses in the business of happiness and entertainment, there will be a rebound that’s better than usual. Because people have been craving for fun and for entertainment.
For 2022, I must give thanks to the team of LOVEiS ENTERTAINMENT. To all that worked so hard, adjusting to get the best out of every situation. And thank you to all the artists who went 110% for every opportunity that came in. Thank you to the music fans for their warm support and understanding, and we did achieve our set goals in the Music Marketing & Artist Management business, and made a total revenue of over 300 million baht.”
In addition to all that’s happened, there’s a big move being made in LOVEiS ENTERTAINMENT. Head chief, ‘JEEP’ Thepard Kawin-anan, is handing the position of chief assistant to ‘Ying’ Pireeya Teerawattanasawat, as the MD of LOVEiS ENTERTAINMENT, to support in reining in the label towards the direction that ‘JEEP’ Thepard maps out.
Pireeya Teerawattanasawat, MD, LOVEiS ENTERTAINMENT has disclosed that, “LOVEiS ENTERTAINMENT has been under the guidannce and management of P’ JEEP, Khun Thepard Kawin-anan for more than 4 years and this year, stepping into the 5th year for the company. This 2023, our label is poised towards a clear stance and goal. We’re ready to serve up concerts, activities, events, festivals, and we’re fully loaded to jump in and immerse with the digital world. And that’s just part of it!! We’re also ready to launch new strategies under our new Unit Business. We are no longer just a record label, LOVEiS ENTERTAINMENT equals DigiTainment. We’re moving forward full speed towards the goal of 500 million baht. That, and being part of the Core Value that strengthens the Thai entertainment industry.
Through the company’s main missions, which are (1) Search for, and develop new artists and existing artists so they become quality front persons for music, performances, modeling, photo shoots, MCs, and Creator & Influencer; (2) In our Activity and Event group, we’re aiming to create new events based on clearly defined target groups. And at the same time, cover all the segments and create annual events in new dimensions for the fan club of the company and artists. (3) Introducing a new business unit in the Influencer Management section to complete us as a One-stop entertainment function, from the planning process, taking care of campaigns, all the way to performance monitoring”.
The roster of new projects for 2023 guarantees music fans will not be disappointed:
– The year kicks off with signing in several famous artists, including; Atom Chanakan, the owner of catchy hit songs that anyone hearing them can definitely sing along to; Mobile Pimrapat and Cake Nawaporn, former members of BNK48; Puimek Napasorn, an actress and singer brimming with talent; Chacha Arita, with numerous achievements in variety, vocalist, acting, MCing, as well as being a content creator on many popular platforms. In addition to working together in terms of being fellow music artists, there will be collaborations in various entertainment contents, and drama series as well.
– Of course, for ‘NONT’ TANONT, another magnet from the label, this year there will be events, NONT TANONT BIRTHDAY SPORT PARTY scheduled March 5, 2023, and NONT EP.02 CONCERT.
– Followed by big concerts from the label’s most famous artists, such as WANYAi, LGBTQIA+ CONCERT, and many more that the label would like to keep as surprises.
– ‘Teen Event’ hopes to penetrate student groups such as “High School, the POP, the TOP” going to campuses with the freshest line-up favorites among teens.
– Planting the flag, claiming a new landmark in the Ari district for the New Year’s End festival, COUNTDOWN @AREE, to send off the year 2023 together.
And, it is not just LOVEiS ENTERTAINMENT, there are also 7 other sub-labels, marr, PROM+, HOLYFOX, LIT ENTERTAINMENT, LABo, kiddorecords, JUICEY, a total of 8 camps together that ‘JEEP’ Thepard might see as important leaders in driving the Thai music and entertainment industry.
Several illegal workers have been trying to cross the border into Thailand on a daily basis after the COVID-19 situation improved and the business reopened in many sectors such as services and agriculture.
Colonel Phumphat Bunreungkhao, commander of the special unit of the 25th Infantry Directorate, ‘Thepsati’ Division, told reporters that the illegal migrant groups bringing workers from Myanmar into Thailand have shifted their route to waterways.
He added that these illegal migrants will hide in a cargo ship from Myanmar. As the last vessel approached the Ranong Sea, Thepsati Division, along with border officials from Sarani Island in Ranong Province, took over the patrol boat and placed the suspicious cargo under surveillance.
The officers investigated and arrested the owner of the cargo, a 31-year-old “Ta” who had attempted to illegally bring 21 workers from Myanmar across the Thai border.
Initial investigations revealed that all the construction workers, who lived on Kengewa Island in Kawthaung Province in Myanmar, were supposed to be working in Lang Suan District in Chumphon Province in Thailand. They have to pay the Myanmar middlemen 18,000 baht per person.
The officers arrested all the smugglers and handed over the illegal immigrant to the Immigration Department in Ranong Province for further prosecution.
The Thai government announced last week that an employer must register migrant workers from 4 countries, including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam if they want to hire them. In addition, a worker who wants to extend their stay must apply for a work permit through the Department of Employment’s website or offices before 13 February 2023. They will then be allowed to work temporarily in Thailand until 13 February 2024 or 2025, as the case may be.
Thailand currently have 2.2 million legal migrant workers
Sompong Srakaew, director of the Labour Rights Promotion Network (LPN) Foundation, said the fee for neighbouring citizens crossing the border into Thailand illegally is about 8,000 to 10,000 baht per person, compared to the cost of bringing migrant workers into Thailand through legal brokers or international companies, which costs about 40,000 to 50,000 baht per person.
A Chinese coast guard ship in the disputed South China Sea, Monday, Feb. 6, 2023.(Philippine Coast Guard via AP)
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines on Monday accused a Chinese coast guard ship of hitting a Philippine coast guard vessel with a military-grade laser and temporarily blinding some of its crew in the disputed South China Sea, calling it a “blatant” violation of Manila’s sovereign rights.
The Chinese ship also maneuvered dangerously close, about 137 meters (449 feet), to block the Philippine patrol vessel BRP Malapascua from approaching Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef that has been occupied by Philippine forces, on Feb. 6, the Philippine coast guard said in a statement.
This photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard shows a green military-grade laser light from a Chinese coast guard ship in the disputed South China Sea, Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. (Philippine Coast Guard via AP)
The Philippines has filed nearly 200 diplomatic protests against China’s aggressive actions in the disputed waters in 2022 alone.
China claims the South China Sea virtually in its entirety, putting it on a collision course with other claimants. Despite friendly overtures to Beijing by former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in January in Beijing, tensions have persisted, drawing in closer military alliance between the Philippines and the U.S.
An E/A-18G Growler aircraft launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in the South China Sea, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, as Nimitz in U.S. 7th Fleet was conducting operations. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Joseph Calabrese/U.S. Navy via AP)
Although the Chinese coast guard had tried to block Philippine coast guard ships in the disputed waters before, this was the first time it used lasers and caused physical suffering among Filipino personnel, Philippine coast guard spokesperson Commodore Armand Balilo told The Associated Press.
There was no immediate comment from the Chinese Embassy in Manila.
“The Chinese ship illuminated the green laser light twice toward the BRP Malapascua, causing temporary blindness to her crew at the bridge,” the Philippine statement said.
The Philippine vessel was forced to move away from the area, where it was escorting a supply vessel that was delivering food and sailors to a Philippine navy sentry ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, which has been marooned on Second Thomas Shoal since 1999, the coast guard said.
Aircraft from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and the USS Makin Island fly in formation past Nimitz in the South China Sea, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Caylen McCutcheon/U.S. Navy via AP)
“The deliberate blocking of the Philippine government ships to deliver food and supplies to our military personnel on board the BRP Sierra Madre is a blatant disregard for, and a clear violation of, Philippine sovereign rights in this part of the West Philippine Sea,” the coast guard said, using the name the Philippines has adopted for the stretch of waters close to its western coast.
It was not immediately clear if the Philippine resupply mission pushed through despite the incident.
The Chinese coast guard also blocked Philippine ships escorting a supply vessel from approaching Second Thomas Shoal in August, the coast guard said.
In August, one of the two Chinese ships that were joined by two Chinese civilian vessels removed the cover of its 70mm armament, the coast guard said, adding it would not be deterred by China’s aggression in protecting Philippine sovereignty in the disputed sea.
An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter lands aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in the South China Sea, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, as Nimitz in U.S. 7th Fleet was conducting operations. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Justin McTaggart/U.S. Navy via AP)
Aside from China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have overlapping claims in the resource-rich and busy waterway, where a bulk of the world’s commerce and oil transits.
The United States lays no claims to the disputed sea but has deployed forces to patrol the waters to promote freedom of navigation and overflight — moves that have angered Beijing, which has warned Washington to stop meddling in what it says is a purely Asian dispute.
The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps held joint exercises in the South China Sea over the weekend at a time of heightened tensions with Beijing over the shooting down of a suspected Chinese spy balloon. The U.S. has been taking steps to rebuild its military might in the Philippines more than 30 years after the closure of its large bases in the country and reinforcing an arc of military alliances in Asia.
H.E. Mr. Robert F. Godec, who became the U.S. Ambassador to Thailand since October last year, had a meeting with Government Spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri, at the Thai Khu Fah Building on February 10, 2023. They discussed activity plans for both sides to organize the celebration of the 190th anniversary of the U.S.-Thailand diplomatic relations.
In March, Ambassador Godec will bring Trade Winds, the annual U.S. government-led trade mission and business development forum, to Bangkok. He also promises that the forum will feature Thailand as its regional hub to ASEAN countries, and to strengthen the importance of the U.S.-Thailand economic ties.
H.E. Mr. Robert F. Godec, Ambassador of the United States to Thailand, pays a courtesy call on the Deputy Secretary-General to the Prime Minister and Acting Government Spokesperson Mr.Anucha Burapachaisri at Government House.
Furthermore, Ambassador Godec told Chanadda Jinayodhin, Matichon Weekly about his commitment and goal to enhance a closer cooperation between U.S. and Thailand, regarding his broad experience on trade and international affairs.
“The Indo-Pacific is considered the most significant region for the US framework on stability and prosperity with our partners and allies. I want to highlight my commitment in enhancing the closer and stronger collaboration for U.S. and Thailand. And I would dedicate all my time and energy to this mission.”
He emphasized that the Thai-U.S. relationship was established almost two centuries ago, as the American first arrived at the region with the interest in trading opportunities. The growing partnership between countries is prominent and the U.S. vision for Thailand in the future is to enhance cooperation on peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.
“I want to hear from Thais in all walks of life” Ambassador Godec said.
Mr. Robert F. Godec, Ambassador of the United States to Thailand
Previously, he had served as U.S. Ambassador to Kenya from 2013-2019 and Ambassador to Tunisia from 2006-2009. However, he revealed to Matichon Weekly that when he was young, he never dreamt of being a diplomat.
But his father served in the U.S. Airforce, and he had to move to different position in the States and abroad, including Germany and Belgium. He admitted that his childhood was incredibly special and the passion for learning and exploring various cultures might have thrived ever since.
“The meaning of being an ambassador is that wherever you are, in the end, you will connect with people, and having a mission on building and bridging relationships”
Throughout his experience, Asia is the second most visited region to him. Prior to the recent position, he had served as Assistant Office Director for Thailand and Burma in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs and Director for Southeast Asian Affairs at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
Ambassador Robert F. Godec
Serving in these specific positions gave him a wonderful opportunity to visit every country in the Southeast Asia, except Vietnam.
“In one of my stays at the Grand Hiatt Erawan in Bangkok, I went to pay homage to Phra Phrom at the Erawan shrine. I prayed for the return to Thailand as a tourist or a diplomat. And I am here right now. It feels like a blessing.”
The first week of his arrival in Bangkok last year, he went to Erawan shrine to pay homage as he was grateful, he could be back to Thailand again. He also visited other sacred places, including Wat Pra Kaew and Wat Arun.
He stated that he is interested in so many things, including music, art, history, and literature. But in his personal time, the priority is his wife and his family, plus the hobby he cherished.
“I love running. I spend my time jogging every day. In Bangkok, I usually run at the Lumbhini Park or Benchakitti Park. And I love going to museums as well. I already visited the Queen’s Gallery and the Bangkok Art and Culture Center.”
During his visit to U.S. Consulate General Chiang Mai, he stopped by Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Center, and attended Loi Krathong ceremony. And the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) also granted 150,000 USD to the restoration project of the historic Lanna buildings.”
“And for the food, I love Thai food, including street foods like grilled chicken skewer, meatball skewer and Thai-styled banana fritter.” Ambassador Godec added.
FILE - Emergency teams search for people in the rubble of a destroyed building in Adana, southern Turkey, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)
ANTAKYA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish justice officials targeted more than 130 people allegedly involved in shoddy and illegal construction methods as rescuers extricated more survivors, including a pregnant woman and two small children, six days after a pair of earthquakes collapsed thousands of buildings.
The death toll from the 7.8 magnitude and 7.5 magnitude quakes that hit southeastern Turkey and northern Syria nine hours apart on Feb. 6 rose to 33,179 on Sunday and was certain to keep increasing as search teams locate more bodies in the rubble.
As despair bred rage at the agonizingly slow rescue efforts, the focus turned to assigning blame for the disaster in an earthquake-prone region that includes an area of Syria already suffering from years of civil war.
Aerial photo showing the destruction in Kahramanmaras city center, southern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. (IHA via AP)
Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said Sunday that some 131 people were under investigation for their alleged responsibility in the construction of buildings that failed to withstand the quakes. While the quakes were powerful, victims, experts and people across Turkey are blaming faulty construction for multiplying the devastation.
Turkey’s construction codes meet current earthquake-engineering standards, at least on paper, but they are too rarely enforced, explaining why thousands of buildings toppled over or pancaked down onto the people inside.
Among those facing scrutiny were two more people who were arrested in Gaziantep province on suspicion of having cut down columns to make extra room in a building that collapsed in the quakes, the state-run Anadolu Agency said.
The justice ministry said three people in all were under arrest pending trial, seven were detained and another seven were barred from leaving Turkey.
Authorities at Istanbul Airport on Sunday detained two contractors held responsible for the destruction of several buildings in Adiyaman, the private DHA news agency and other media reported. The pair were reportedly on their way to Georgia.
One of the detained contractors, Yavuz Karakus, told reporters: “My conscience is clear. I built 44 buildings. Four of them were demolished. I did everything according to the rules,” DHA quoted him as saying.
FILE – People sit and stand around a collapsed buildings in Golbasi, in Adiyaman province, southern Turkey, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Authorities at Istanbul Airport on Sunday detained two contractors held responsible for the destruction of several buildings in Adiyaman, the private DHA news agency and other media reported. The pair were reportedly on their way to Georgia.
One of the arrested contractors, Yavuz Karakus, told reporters Sunday: “My conscience is clear. I built 44 buildings. Four of them were demolished. I did everything according to the rules,” the DHA news agency reported.
Two more people were arrested in the province of Gaziantep suspected of having cut down columns to make extra room in a building that collapsed, the state-run Anadolu Agency said.
Rescuers use a crane to pull out Muhammet Habib, 27, from a collapsed building in Kahramanmaras, southern Turkey, late Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. (Ismail Coskun/IHA via AP)
The detentions could help direct public anger toward builders and contractors, deflecting attention away from local and state officials who allowed the apparently sub-standard constructions to go ahead.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government, already burdened by an economic downturn and high inflation, faces parliamentary and presidential elections in May.
Survivors, many of whom lost loved ones, have turned their frustration and anger also at authorities. Rescue crews have been overwhelmed by the widespread damage which has impacted roads and airports, making it even more difficult to race against the clock.
FILE – Aerial photo shows the destruction in Kahramanmaras, southern Turkey, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023. (Ahmet Akpolat/DIA via AP)
Erdogan acknowledged earlier in the week that the initial response has been hampered by the extensive damage. He said the worst-affected area was 500 kilometers (310 miles) in diameter and was home to 13.5 million people in Turkey. During a tour of quake-damaged cities Saturday, Erdogan said a disaster of this scope was rare, and again referred to it as the “disaster of the century.”
Rescuers, including crews from other countries, continued to probe the rubble in hope of finding additional survivors who could yet beat the increasingly long odds. Thermal cameras were used to probe the piles of concrete and metal, while rescuers demanded silence so that they could hear the voices of the trapped.
Two sisters were removed from the wreckage on Sunday in the city of Adiyaman, 153 hours after the quake, according to HaberTurk television, which also broadcast the live rescue of a 6-year-old boy removed from the debris of his home in Adiyaman.
The child was wrapped in a space blanket and put into an ambulance. An exhausted rescuer removed his surgical mask and took deep breaths as a group of women could be heard crying in joy.
Rescue workers pull out Rukiye Sincar, 21, from a collapsed building in Adiyaman, southern Turkey, late Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023. (IHA via AP)
Turkey’s health minister, Fahrettin Koca, posted a video of a young girl in a navy blue jumper who was rescued. “Good news at the 150th hour. Rescued a little while ago by crews. There is always hope!” he tweeted.
Rescue workers pulled out a man in Antakya, hours after hearing voices from beneath the rubble. Workers said the man, who appeared to be in his late 20s or 30s, was one of nine still trapped in the building. But when asked whether he knew of any other survivors, he said he hadn’t heard any voices for three days.
The man weakly waved his hand as he was passed hand to hand on a stretcher as workers applauded and chanted, “God is great!”
FILE – A destroyed building in Antakya, southern Turkey, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A team of German and Turkish relief workers rescued an 88-year-old woman alive from rubble in Kirikhan, German news agency dpa reported. The efforts of a team of Italian and Turkish rescuers also paid off when they removed a 35-year-old man from the wreckage in the hard-hit city of Antakya. Mustafa Sarigul, appeared to be unscathed as he was transported on a stretcher to an ambulance, private NTV television reported.
Overnight, a child was also freed in the town of Nizip, in Gaziantep, state-run Anadolu Agency reported, while a 32-year woman, was rescued from the ruins of a eight-story building in the city of Antakya. The woman, a teacher named Meltem, asked for tea as soon as she emerged, according to NTV.
In Kahramanmaras, near the epicenter of the first 7.8 quake that struck early Monday morning, efforts were underway to reach a survivor detected by sniffer dogs beneath a now-pancaked seven-story building, NTV reported.
Those found alive, however, remained the rare exception.
A large makeshift graveyard was under construction in Antakya’s outskirts on Saturday. Backhoes and bulldozers dug pits in the field as trucks and ambulances loaded with black body bags arrived continuously. The hundreds of graves, spaced no more than 3 feet (a meter) apart, were marked with simple wooden planks set vertically in the ground.
The picture is less clear of the plight across the border in Syria.
United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths, visiting the Turkish-Syrian border Sunday, said in a statement that Syrians have been left “looking for international help that hasn’t arrived.”
“We have so far failed the people in north-west Syria. They rightly feel abandoned,” he said, adding, “My duty and our obligation is to correct this failure as fast as we can.”
Civil defense workers and residents search through the rubble of collapsed buildings in the town of Harem near the Turkish border, Idlib province, Syria, Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. A powerful earthquake has caused significant damage in southeast Turkey and Syria and many casualties are feared. Damage was reported across several Turkish provinces, and rescue teams were being sent from around the country. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The first U.N convoy to reach northwest Syria from Turkey was on Thursday, three days after the earthquake.
Before that, the only cargo coming across the Bab al-Hawa crossing on the Turkey-Syria border was a steady stream of bodies of earthquake victims — Syrian refugees who had fled the war in their country and settled in Turkey but perished in Monday’s 7.8 magnitude quake — coming home for burial.
Political disputes have also held up aid convoys sent from areas of northeast Syria controlled by U.S.-backed Kurdish groups to those controlled by the Syrian government and by Turkish-backed rebels who have fought with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces over the years.
The death toll in Syria’s northwestern rebel-held region has reached 2,166, according to the rescue worker group the White Helmets. The overall death toll in Syria stood at 3,553 on Saturday, though the 1,387 deaths reported for government-held parts of the country hadn’t been updated in days.
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Fraser reported from Ankara. Abby Sewell in Beirut and Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report.
Soldiers and cadets perform the traditional Wai Kru ceremony during a Muay Thai festival at Rajabhakti Park in Hua Hin on Feb. 6, 2023.
As I type these words, some Thai and Cambodian trolls are doing their mighty best to undermine the future cultural relations between the two countries. The rocky cultural relations between the two neighbors with so much cultural commonality is now more of hate than love relations.
The claim that Thai boxing or Muay Thai (มวยไทย) was originally an adaptation from Cambodian kickboxing or Kun Khmer and the introduction of Kun Khmer to the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games have set off a frenzy of cultural chauvinistic battles on both sides of the border, particularly after Thailand has refused to participate in Kun Khmer competition during the SEA Games this May.
The Thai Army returned fire by enlisting 3,650 Thai soldiers and cadres to perform a pre-bout reverential dance earlier this week and have the Guinness Book of World’s Records to be a witness with PM Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha on site. The performance was led by no less than Muay Thai boxing legend Buakaw Banchamek. It was a symbolic message sent to Cambodia as much as a (tax-wasting) attempt to assure locals of the uniqueness of Thai boxing.
In Cambodia, the Khmer Times reported on Feb. 3 that the honorary chairman of Khmer Boxing Federation Oknha Srey Chanthorn has announced on social media that he will award his villa valued at 270,000 U.S. dollars to any Cambodian boxer who can defeat Buakaw. If a villa is not enough of an incentive, a beautiful Cambodia net idol, Yada Yada, also made a similar pledge with the ultimate prize being the Cambodian boxer who could beat Buakaw can marry her.
It is on social media where the real battles are being fought, however. On the Thai side, Facebook groups such as “Claimbodia” (yes, this is not a typo), with 3,700 members, has been doing its best to look down, degrade, and poke fun of Cambodian culture, as well as its ancient heritage and history. There are equivalents on the other side of the border accusing Thailand of basically being a Copyland. One can spend hours daily reading these degrading comments by trolls from both sides but the real casualty of such war is the future of Thai-Cambodia relations.
Some say this is an attempt by the powers in Phnom Penh to unite Cambodians against a common (perceived) enemy – the larger neighbor Thailand – while distracting its people from domestic problems and politics. Others say Cambodia feels threatened by the growing soft power of Thailand, thus the reactions. Whether that is truly the case or not, Thais should calm down and consider the future peaceful coexistence between the two nations. Neither Thailand nor Cambodia can relocate its country or deny the shared border, history, and cultures that we have (and should enjoy).
Once upon a long time ago, or between the 9th to 15th century to be more precise, much of the central Thai plains and the northeast was under the influence (or even a part) of the great Angkorian Empire. (Thus as a Thai, I see myself as having an Angkorian cultural heritage in me as well, partially an heir if you will). This means we, as central Thais, inherit aspects of the Angkorian (or ancient Khmer) culture.
Things get complicated with the subsequent rise of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, in what is today Thailand, which in turn, influenced its neighbor to the east. This cultural fusion and transfer went on until the early Bangkok period when France colonized Cambodia and integrated it as part of French Indochina in 1887. The cultural interactions between the two nations cannot be easily (if ever) be disentangled through nationalistic lens due to its complexity and fluidity of the shared heritage and cultures.
Thais should be happy that something almost identical to Thai boxing is being spread by Cambodians, while Cambodians should also be delighted that Thai boxing is very similar to Kun Khmer as both nations will (hopefully together) promote Thai-Khmer or Khmer-Thai kickboxing to the world and make it even more popular. Think of sepak trakaw, or kick volleyball, popular among Thais and Malaysians. The word “sepak” is Malay for kick while “takraw” is Thai and means woven rattan ball. It was a successful compromise between Thailand and Malaysia struck in Kuala Lumpur back in 1960. We need not go to war for an exclusively nationalistic name.
The sport belongs to both Thailand and Malaysia (as well as Indonesia and Singapore) and perhaps even a few more neighboring countries. It did not have to be exclusively Thai or Malay for that matter because many cultural heritage knows no rigid national boundary as nationalism and national borders came much later.
Scholars from both nations should consider conducting a joint research on the origin of both Kun Khmer and Muay Thai that transcend the narrow nationalistic lenses and perhaps in the future, we might want to discuss the possibility of sharing a common name for Muay Thai and Kun Khmer.
The Buddhist temple of Watt Munisotaram is seen on snow-covered farmland in Hampton, Minn., on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Giovanna Dell'Orto)
HAMPTON, Minn. (AP) — The Buddhist community anchored by an ornate temple complex here in the Minnesota farmland is trying a new way to ensure its faith and ancestral culture stay vibrant for future generations — an open call for the sacred dance troupe.
Founded by refugees fleeing the Khmer Rouge regime, which sought to eradicate most religious institutions, Watt Munisotaram and its troupe hope that teaching young children sacred dance will strengthen their ties to both Buddhism and Cambodian traditions.
“The connection is stronger when I dance,” said Sabrina Sok, 22, a Wattanak Dance Troupe leader. “The thing that stays in my head is this dance form almost disappeared with the Khmer Rouge.”
A woman prays in front of an altar in the ceremonial hall of Watt Munisotaram temple on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, in Hampton, Minn. (AP Photo/Giovanna Dell’Orto)
During their 1975-79 regime, the Khmer Rouge caused the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million in Cambodia. Hundreds of thousands fled, first to neighboring Thailand and later the United States, where Southeast Asians are one of the largest refugee communities.
They carried this sacred dance tradition with them. On a frigid early February evening, Sok rehearsed for the upcoming Cambodian New Year holiday with fellow troupe leader Garrett Sour and his sister Gabriella, whose parents were among those refugees.
Practice used to be held at the temple, whose golden spires outshine the red barn roofs and silos in the snow-covered fields about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of the Twin Cities. But it was recently moved to a Minneapolis studio to make it easier for families to participate.
Theravada Buddhist monks from Watt Munisotaram temple lead the faithful in chanting on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Giovanna Dell’Orto)
While recruitment was by word of mouth, this winter’s enrollment — open to anybody eager to learn the dance form — brought in the highest number ever after being posted on the temple’s Facebook page.
Clothed in traditional thick silk shirts and pants from Cambodia, the three dancers sinuously stretched and bent every part of their bodies, from joint-defying toe curls on up. Each movement helps tell ancient stories about gods, the cycle of life and other spiritual tales that intertwine elements of Buddhism, Hinduism and Animism.
“We’re never ourselves, we’re just physical embodiments of higher spirits,” said Garrett Sour, 20, as he meticulously coached the poses, urging a smaller step here, a deeper calf tilt there. “Dance was seen not as entertainment but a medium between heaven and earth.”
From left, Gabriella Sour, Sabrina Sok and Garrett Sour rehearse traditional, sacred Cambodian dances in the Wattanak Dance Troupe studio on Friday, Feb. 3, 2023, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Giovanna Dell’Orto)
The marketing student at a Twin Cities university started dancing when he was six and has learned Khmer to better delve into the sacred storytelling. He will be one of the teachers for the incoming dancers – about 20, which nearly doubles the troupe, and most of them younger than teens.
“For me, to see the kids perform these traditional dances is verification they cherish and take seriously our tradition and our religion,” said Garrett’s mother, Sophia Sour, who has long been a volunteer at Watt Munisotaram.
In the temple’s ornate higher room, where the ten monks in residence chant and meditate daily surrounded by sacred books and large Cambodian-made paintings of Buddha’s life, the Venerable Vicheth Chum also highlighted the importance of what he called “blessed dance.”
“Very important to have, and to keep our ancestral tradition even when moved to (Minnesota),” said Chum, who came to the United States more than 20 years ago from Cambodia. “Buddhist teaching is practice for peace and happiness, no matter the nation.”
Monks at Watt Munisotaram – which roughly means the place to enjoy learning from wise men – practice Theravada, one of the oldest forms of Buddhism rooted in Southeast Asian cultures.
Monks carrying candles process in front of an altar at Watt Munisotaram to mark the Buddhist holiday of Magha Puja on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, in Hampton, Minn. (AP Photo/Giovanna Dell’Orto)
During the Khmer Rouge regime, and the communist Vietnamese rule that followed it, religious institutions were targeted by violence and repression, but Cambodian refugees kept traditions alive, said John Marston, an expert in Cambodian Buddhism at the Mexican university Colegio de Mexico.
Dance in particular, which dates back nearly 1,000 years and was linked to the royal court as well as temples, has become “a marker of Cambodian identity” in the U.S. diaspora, he added.
That’s why the dance troupe was started at Watt Munisotaram, which has grown into a 40-acre complex with golden Buddha statues, a stupa with relics and a meditation pond that lay frozen under knee-high snow on that early February weekend.
Dozens of faithful in equally bright white outfits met then to celebrate Magha Puja, a holiday marking the gathering of 1,250 of Buddha’s first disciples and the establishment of his rules for the new community.
Venerable Vicheth Chum walks down from the upper room of Watt Munisotaram temple on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, in Hampton, Minn. (AP Photo/Giovanna Dell’Orto)
Chum and seven other monks in elaborately folded, bright orange robes led a candlelit procession multiple times past an altar with several golden Buddha statues, glittery decorations and a profusion of flowers including lotus blossoms – most artificial, though in more clement weather some are grown locally or shipped from Florida.
Several children marched along, carrying the U.S. flag and Cambodia’s state and Buddhist flags, before everyone sat in neat rows on the carpeted floor for two hours of chanting in Khmer.
Chum said the monks worry about young people’s growing disenchantment with religion but believe that life’s inevitable struggles will eventually bring most back to the temple for guidance from Buddha’s teachings.
“It’s like learning a map and then taking action,” he said.
Garrett Sour, who grew up going frequently with his family to the temple, said he’s still figuring out how Buddhism applies to his life culturally and religiously.
But he’s fully embraced sacred dancing, and is eager to share what he learned from his teachers – including an aunt who danced in refugee camps before moving to Minnesota – with children, so the tradition can continue through generations.
Statues of Buddha and the stupa housing his relics are seen at dusk at the Watt Munisotaram temple complex on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, in Hampton, Minn. (AP Photo/Giovanna Dell’Orto)
The troupe’s main goal “is to preserve dances that were already there,” he said, adding that each summer they perform in a special ceremony honoring the spirits of previous dancers with altars replete with dancing ornaments and offerings.
Watching the recent rehearsal, Garrett’s mother beamed with pride.
“The world is using them to educate the other communities, I keep on reminding them,” Sophia Sour said.
She hopes to take Garrett and Gabriella to Cambodia to learn even more about the roots of their spirituality, whose fundamental values she listed as respect for the elders and good deeds.
“If you do good, good will come to you,” she said. “I’m not sure if that’s religion, or just life.”
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
