CP Foods’ Labour Voice Hotline by LPN going into the 5th year, to acknowledge diversity and differences

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8 July 2022, 14:23

The Labour Protection Network Foundation (LPN) signed a memorandum of understanding with Charoen Pokphand Foods PLC (CP Foods) to extend “Labour Voices Hotline by LPN” activities into the fifth year. The move is to further assure employees at all levels of protection of rights and fair treatment by the organization that promotes diversity and differences.

Sompong Srakaew, founder and director of LPN Foundation, said that the collaboration goes into the fifth year to help improve employees’ quality of life and ensure an equal access to their rights. In this year, LPN Foundation will host a training on human rights, labour law, occupational health, and safety. Meanwhile, “Labour Voices Hotline by LPN” will continue serving as a center to hear their suggestions, recommendations and complaints to address employees’ differences in terms of race, religion, culture, beliefs, etc. Through the center, CPF will learn about their issues or suggestions and react promptly and efficiently.

LPN Foundation will maintain its emphasis on activities for foreign workers (Focus Group). It will pay them a visit to hear their suggestions and expectations, so as to find ways to improve their well-being and create the working environment that acknowledges differences and mutual respect. The activities will cover an investigation into ethical recruitment and LPN Foundation will urge labour recruitment agents in the country of origin to conduct their recruitment with responsibility and transparency, to prevent illegal employment, bonded labour, forced labour and human trafficking.

“LPN Foundation has learnt positive impacts from the collaboration with CP Foods. It helps improve the quality of life of all CP Foods workers, particularly migrant workers who can stay and work in Thailand happily and with dignity. It sets a standard for organizations that support equality and mutual respect which fits the foundation’s goal to ensure all migrant workers’ well-being and fair treatment,” Sompong said.

CP Foods’ Chief People Officer, Pimonrat Reephattanavijitkul, added that the collaboration with LPN, the civic organization proficient in the protection and promotion of workers’ rights, helps enable CP Foo to operate with respect for human rights and best labour practices which are parts of the Company’s human rights policy. The training activities and the call center conducted by a neutral organization serve as the basis in the promotion of the right to freedom of expression. The call center gives all workers, regardless of their nationality and ranking, to freely express their opinions and supports the Company’s efforts in creating fairer work environment and engagement in line with the “CPF 2030 Sustainability in Action” Strategy. Under the strategy, CP Foods seeks to work with all parties in tackling equality and discrimination in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Thanks to the commitment to operate accordingly to human rights principles with honour in diversity and differences as well as complete and transparent disclosure, CP Foods earlier this year won the Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards (ASRA) 2021 – Gold Class, the highest award in Asia’s Best Sustainability Report (Human Rights) Category.

Japan Ex-leader Shinzo Abe Apparently Shot, in Heart Failure

By

Associated Press

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8 July 2022, 11:00

Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, falls on the ground in Nara, western Japan Friday, July 8, 2022. Photo: Kyodo News via AP

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was in heart failure after apparently being shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan, NHK public television said Friday.

The broadcaster aired footage showing Abe collapsed on the street, with several security guards running toward him. Abe was holding his chest when he collapsed, with his shirt smeared with blood. NHK says Abe was rushed to a hospital.

Abe was in Nara campaigning ahead of Sunday’s election for the parliament’s upper house and was giving a speech when people heard a gunshot.

Police arrested a male suspect at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder, NHK said.

The attack was a shock in a country that’s one of the world’s safest and with some of the strictest gun control laws anywhere.

The term heart failure means the heart cannot sufficiently pump blood and supply necessary oxygen to the rest of the body. In Japan, officials sometimes use the term to describe situations where victims are no longer alive but before a formal declaration of death has been made.

It was not immediately clear how serious Abe’s injuries were or if he was still displaying vital signs.

Abe, 67, stepped down as prime minister in 2020 because he said a chronic health problem has resurfaced. Abe has had ulcerative colitis since he was a teenager and has said the condition was controlled with treatment.

He told reporters at the time that it was “gut wrenching” to leave many of his goals unfinished. He spoke of his failure to resolve the issue of Japanese abducted years ago by North Korea, a territorial dispute with Russia and a revision of Japan’s war-renouncing constitution.

That last goal was a big reason he was such a divisive figure.

His ultra-nationalism riled the Koreas and China, and his push to normalize Japan’s defense posture angered many Japanese. Abe failed to achieve his cherished goal of formally rewriting the U.S.-drafted pacifist constitution because of poor public support.

Supporters of Abe said that his legacy was a stronger U.S.-Japan relationship that was meant to bolster Japan’s defense capability. But Abe made enemies too by forcing his defense goals and other contentious issues through parliament, despite strong public opposition.

Abe is a political blue blood who was groomed to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi. His political rhetoric often focused on making Japan a “normal” and “beautiful” nation with a stronger military and bigger role in international affairs.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel expressed sadness and shock at the shooting. “Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the U.S. The U.S. Government and American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family, & people of Japan,” he said on Twitter.

Putin to Ukraine: Russia Has Barely Started Its Action

By

Associated Press

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8 July 2022, 09:30

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as he speaks to members of the State Duma and the Federal Assembly of The Russian Federation in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, July 7, 2022. Photo: Alexei Nikolsky / Sputnik / Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

MOSCOW (AP) — With Russia’s military action in Ukraine in its fifth month, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday warned Kyiv that it should quickly accept Moscow’s terms or brace for the worst, adding ominously that Russia has barely started its action.

Speaking at a meeting with leaders of the Kremlin-controlled parliament, Putin accused Western allies of fueling the hostilities, charging that “the West wants to fight us until the last Ukrainian.”

“It’s a tragedy for the Ukrainian people, but it looks like it’s heading in that direction,” he added.

“Everybody should know that largely speaking, we haven’t even yet started anything in earnest,” Putin said in a menacing note.

He declared that Russia remains ready to sit down for talks to end the fighting, adding that “those who refuse to do so should know that the longer it lasts the more difficult it will be for them to make a deal with us.”

“We are hearing that they want to defeat us on the battlefield,” Putin said. “Let them try.”

Earlier in the conflict, the Kremlin demanded that Kyiv acknowledge Russian sovereignty over the Crimean Peninsula, which it annexed in 2014, and recognize the independence of Moscow-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine. Moscow also said it expected Ukraine to bow to the existing situation on the ground, a reference to other land gains it has made since Russian troops rolled into Ukraine on Feb. 24.

After failing to capture Kyiv and other big cities in Ukraine’s northeast early in the campaign, the Russian military shifted its focus to the eastern industrial heartland of Donbas, where Moscow-backed separatists have fought Ukrainian troops since 2014.

Earlier this week, the Russian military claimed control of the Luhansk province, one of the two that make up Donbas, and is preparing to press its offensive into the second one, Donetsk.

In the early stages of the conflict, Russia won control of the southern Kherson region and part of neighboring Zaporizhzhia. Moscow is expected eventually to try to cut Ukraine off from its Black Sea coast all the way to the Romanian border. If successful, it would deal a crushing blow to the Ukrainian economy and also create a corridor to Moldova’s separatist region of Transnistria, where Russia maintains a military base.

Putin reaffirmed his long-held claim that the West is using the conflict in Ukraine to try to isolate and weaken Russia.

“They simply don’t need such a country as Russia,” Putin said. “This is why they have used terrorism, separatism and internal destructive forces in our country.”

He charged that Western sanctions against Russia have failed to achieve their goal of “sowing division and strife in our society and demoralizing our people.”

“The course of history is unstoppable, and attempts by the collective West to enforce its version of the global order are doomed to fail,” Putin said.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, responded on Twitter: “There is no plan by the ‘collective West’” and only a Russian army entered Ukraine.

G20 Diplomats Face Unity Headwinds on Ukraine, War’s Impact

By

Associated Press

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8 July 2022, 09:00

A police officer prepares an ATV for patrol ahead of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, Thursday, July 7, 2022. Photo: Dita Alangkara / AP

NUSA DUA, Indonesia (AP) — Top diplomats from the world’s richest and largest developing nations are confronting multiple crises as they open talks beset by sharp divisions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its impacts on food and energy security, along with climate change, endemic poverty and the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Foreign ministers from the Group of 20 countries begin meeting on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Friday with little prospect for achieving the kind of lofty consensuses on weighty issues that have been a hallmark of past gatherings. And, as they attempt to prepare for a G-20 leaders’ summit to be held at the same venue in November, they got a last-minute jolt with Thursday’s resignation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, one of the champions of the West’s hard line on Russia.

While Johnson’s departure is unlikely to dent U.S. and European efforts to promote a tough line on Russia among other G-20 members, it will almost certainly be seen as a sign of weakness by China and Russia, both of which will be represented by their foreign ministers in Bali, Wang Yi and Sergey Lavrov.

They will face off against U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his French and German counterparts who had expected to be joined by British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. She instead left early to return to London to deal with the fallout from Johnson’s resignation.

U.S. officials say they are determined not to allow distractions to divert attention from what they believe should be the primary focuses of the Bali conference: the disruption to world food and energy supplies caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine, blaming Moscow for its cause, and marshalling an international response to prevent further shortages that are already wreaking havoc in Africa, Asia and elsewhere.

Yet, with East and West so divided and North-South differences emerging, the potential for a G-20 agreement on a way forward appears negligible. U.S. officials have said it is less important for the G-20 as a group to present a unified stance than it is for smaller blocs of countries and individual nations to speak out and take action. In the past, however, the G-20 has produced joint communiques on key issues like terrorism, transnational crime, climate and economic matters that have been lauded as important international policy blueprints.

Thus, competition for such support among the group has been fierce. Wang and Lavrov each stopped in various Asian capitals on their way to Bali, drumming up support for various Chinese and Russian positions and fortifying their ties among non-allied nations in the region ahead of the G-20. Blinken, the French, Germans and Brits, meanwhile, all arrived in Bali from two Western-oriented and organized gatherings in Europe last week: the G-7 and NATO summits at which there was little sign of rancor or debate and unity on Ukraine was assured.

With its broader membership, including countries like host Indonesia and large developing nations like India, Brazil, South Africa and others, the G-20 is far more diverse, skeptical of Western intentions and more open to entreaties and offers from big neighbors like China and Russia and more vulnerable to their threats. Others attending include: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Italy, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, and the European Union.

Attempting to ply a middle route, this year’s G-20 president, Indonesia, has tried to bridge what gaps are possible, laying out an agenda that is not inherently divisive or political. The country has sought to remain neutral in dealing with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and President Joko Widodo has been guarded in his comments.

Widodo was the first Asian leader to visit the warring countries and at Western insistence has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the November summit along with Putin, hoping to appease all sides and limit any distractions from the forum’s agenda. It remains unclear if either will attend, although the topic will certainly be discussed at the foreign ministers meeting.

But as is often the case, the largest participants will control the message and China, Russia and the U.S. are battling for supremacy. While Blinken will not meet with Lavrov and has not seen his Russian counterpart since before the Ukraine war, he will meet on Saturday with Wang, the Chinese foreign minister.

The U.S. and China are at severe and worsening odds over numerous issues ranging from tariffs and trade and human rights to Taiwan and disputes in the South China Sea. U.S. officials said they did not expect Saturday’s meeting to produce any breakthroughs on these issues but expressed hope that if would help keep lines of communications open and create “guardrails” to guide the world’s two largest economies as they navigate increasingly complex and potentially explosive matters.

On Wednesday, though, China launched a scathing attack on the U.S. and NATO, just days before the meeting, with the Chinese foreign ministry declaring that Washington “observes international rules only as it sees fit.” Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the “so-called rules-based international order is actually a family rule made by a handful of countries to serve the U.S. self-interest.”

While Blinken meets with Wang, his Indian, Indonesian and Argentine counterparts in Bali, Lavrov also has full agenda. The top Russian diplomat met with Wang on Thursday and has scheduled talks with the foreign ministers from Mexico, South Africa and Brazil among others.

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Story: Matthew Lee.

Embattled UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson Agrees To Resign

By

Associated Press

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7 July 2022, 16:00

FILE - Vote Leave campaigner Boris Johnson arrives for a press conference at Vote Leave headquarters in London Friday, June 24, 2016. Photo: Mary Turner / Pool via AP File

LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister Boris Johnson has agreed to resign, his office said Thursday, ending an unprecedented political crisis over his future that has paralyzed Britain’s government.

An official in Johnson’s Downing Street office confirmed the prime minister would announce his resignation later. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not yet been made.

Johnson had rebuffed calls by his Cabinet to step down in the wake of ethics scandals. He gave in after more than 40 ministers quit his government and told him to go.

It was not immediately clear whether Johnson would stay in office while the Conservative Party chooses a new leader, who will replace him as prime minister.

Minutes before the news broke, Treasury chief Nadhim Zahawi called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to resign just 36 hours after Johnson put him in the job, while another newly appointed Cabinet minister quit her post.

Zahawi said Johnson knew “the right thing to do” was to “go now.”

Zahawi was appointed late Tuesday to replace Rishi Sunak, who resigned saying he could no longer support Johnson after a series of ethics scandals.

Education Secretary Michelle Donelan, who was also appointed on Tuesday following the resignation of her predecessor, announced her resignation Thursday morning.

Johnson had rejected clamors for his resignation, digging in his heels even as dozens of officials quit and previously loyal allies urge him to go after yet another scandal engulfed his leadership.

A group of Johnson’s most trusted Cabinet ministers visited him at his office in Downing Street Wednesday, telling him to stand down after losing the trust of his party. But Johnson instead opted to fight for his political career and fired one of the Cabinet officials, Michael Gove, British media reported.

It is rare for a prime minister to cling on to office in the face of this much pressure from his Cabinet colleagues. The Guardian’s frontpage on Thursday called him “Desperate, deluded.”

“He’s breached the trust that was put in him. He needs to recognise that he no longer has the moral authority to lead. And for him, it’s over,” Scottish National Party leader Ian Blackford told The Associated Press.

Johnson, 58, was known for his knack for wiggling out of tight spots. He remained in power despite allegations that he was too close to party donors, that he protected supporters from bullying and corruption allegations, and that he misled Parliament and was dishonest to the public about government office parties that broke pandemic lockdown rules.

But recent disclosures that Johnson knew about sexual misconduct allegations against Chris Pincher, a Conservative lawmaker, before he promoted the man to a senior position turned out to be the last straw.

Last week, Pincher resigned as deputy chief whip after complaints he groped two men at a private club. That triggered a series of reports about past allegations leveled against Pincher — and shifting explanations from the government about what Johnson knew when he tapped him for a senior job enforcing party discipline.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Treasury chief Rishi Sunak resigned within minutes of each other Wednesday over the scandal. The two Cabinet heavyweights were responsible for tackling two of the biggest issues facing Britain — the cost-of-living crisis and COVID-19.

Javid captured the mood of many lawmakers when he said Johnson’s actions threaten to undermine the integrity of the Conservative Party and the British government.

“At some point we have to conclude that enough is enough,” he told fellow lawmakers Wednesday. “I believe that point is now.”

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Story: Danica Kirka, Jill Lawless and Sylvia Hui.

ONE Esports and Marriott Bonvoy launch Gamer’s Paradise, an all-new gaming variety talk show series

By

Contributor

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7 July 2022, 09:43

Viewers can experience the global culture of esports through the
new gaming variety talk show series
premiering across ONE Esports’ digital channels on 4 July

Produced by ONE Esports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship™ (ONE), and presented by Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International’s award-winning travel program, Gamer’s Paradise is a 15-episode variety talk show series. The all-new program will feature content that celebrates the diversity of gaming and esports culture across Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Gamer’s Paradise will feature the best esports athletes, gaming and influencer talent, and industry experts. Each episode will center on a theme, from deep dives into popular gaming titles to explorations of broad industry trends. The list of episode titles can be found in Appendix 1. Each episode highlights hotels and resorts from the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio in Asia and enables viewers to immerse themselves in travel destinations through the lens of gaming culture.

The program will be hosted by popular ‘Super Host’ and emcee Eri Neeman and ONE Esports’ MikaFabs. Neeman has hosted several premiere esports events and tournaments such as the ESL One Birmingham 2019, ESL One Manila 2016, Manila Masters, and REV Major. MikaFabs is a writer, producer, and esports host, who has hosted for international tournaments for Valorant and League of Legends: Wild Rift.

Fans can expect to catch their favourite gaming and esports talent on the series and stand to win prizes from Marriott Bonvoy by engaging with the show online. Program guests include League of Legends player Teddy from Korean esports team Kwangdong Freecs; Dota 2 personality and host Sheever; Japanese Street Fighter player Kawano; Mobile Legends: Bang Bang players Edward and OHEB from Filipino esports team Blacklist International; popular cosplayer and streamer from Singapore Kiyo; gaming personalities Clara Mongstar from Indonesia and Megan Young from the Philippines, and many more. A full list of program guests can be found in Appendix 1.

Each episode will be broken down into five engaging segments:

Segment title	Description
The Pulse	A panel of experts and gaming celebrities will discuss hottest gaming and esports topics.
Hero Story (Stories of Inspiration)	An in-depth interview with Asia’s favorite esports heroes and personalities. Learn about the life of the pros and what it takes to chase their dreams.
Gamer’s Haven (A Day Away From The Game)	A day of relaxation using Marriott’s facilities, offering our esports personalities and gaming celebrities a much-needed break.
Side Quest	A feature on the best video game worlds in history. We’ll focus on the games that were inspired by real-life locations.
House Party	Our hosts and guests that appear on the episode will participate in a variety of geek-themed party games.

Gamer’s Paradise will premier across ONE Esports’ digital channels, including Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, and AfreecaTV, on 4 July 2022 at 8.30PM GMT+8. The program will air in English every Monday, with subtitles in Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Melayu, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese. View the trailer for Gamer’s Paradise here.

“The goals for Gamer’s Paradise are to celebrate esports, provide our audience with deep insights on the ecosystem and community, and share the stories of gaming and esports heroes who ignite the world with strength, hope, dreams, and inspiration. The series will highlight Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of properties across Asia. Marriott Bonvoy is the perfect travel program for the gaming and esports fan, whose lifestyle consists of frequent travel, “said Carlos Alimurung, CEO, ONE Esports.

“We teamed up with ONE Esports on Gamer’s Paradise to bring Marriott Bonvoy’s expression of good travel in both virtual and physical settings to gamers across the region. This series is rooted in travel, and we hope to showcase how the digital and gaming worlds draw inspiration, energy, and community from the transformative power of travel,” said Julie Purser, Vice President, Marketing, Loyalty & Partnerships, Marriott International, Asia Pacific. “There has been great synergy working alongside ONE Esports to execute this project together and we are confident Gamer’s Paradise will be a thrilling spectacle that inspires audiences.”

Appendix 1: Gamer’s Paradise List of Episodes

Episode Title	Air Date	Guests
EPISODE 1: Mobile Legends Pt. 1	4 July	Leo Gaming Mara Aquino Momochan Uomi
EPISODE 2: Mobile Legends Pt. 2	11 Jul	Arashi Edward Leo Gaming Manjean Faldas Oheb
EPISODE 3: League of Legends Pt. 1	18 Jul	Autolose Gorilla Jeonghyun Lee Qontra Teddy
EPISODE 4: League of Legends Pt. 2	25 Jul	Ashley Kang Autolose Chawy Qontra
EPISODE 5: Retro Video Games	1 Aug	Aya Ezmaria Gloco Shinya Sunakawa Umeandhara
EPISODE 6: Fighting Games (Street Fighter and Tekken)	8 Aug	Kaori Horiuchi Pica Lozano PochSpice Xian
EPISODE 7: Sports Games (FIFA and NBA 2K)	15 Aug	Diego Dario Fardhino Jutt Sulit Mikee Reyes
EPISODE 8: Videogame Subcultures	22 Aug	Fox Kawano Kiyo Cosplay Renzosaurus
EPISODE 9: Dota Pt. 1	29 Aug	Cherzinga Johnxfire Mushi Wolf

EPISODE 10: Dota Pt. 2	5 Sep	Cyberclasher Johnxfire Sheever Wolf
EPISODE 11: Arena of Valor	12 Sep	Guiang Gaming HybridX Kaisaya Memarkz
EPISODE 12: Asian Esports Landscape – Mobile Games	19 Sep	Aeterna Laphel Rockhart Skywee
EPISODE 13: Asian Esports Landscape – PC Games	26 Sep	Butters Edwin Midnight Pinda Panda
EPISODE 14: Asian Esports Landscape – Console Games	3 Oct	Ai Negishi Aya Ezmaria Chin Valdes PochSpice
EPISODE 15: Season Finale	10 Oct	Clara Mongstar Megan Young

In Major Blow, 2 Key Ministers Quit Boris Johnson Government

By

Associated Press

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6 July 2022, 10:30

From left, British Health Secretary Sajid Javid, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrive at No 9 Downing Street for a media briefing on May 7, 2021. Photo: Toby Melville / PA via AP

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was clinging to power Tuesday after two of his most senior Cabinet ministers quit, saying they had lost confidence in Johnson’s leadership amid shifting explanations about his handling of a sexual misconduct scandal.

Treasury chief Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid resigned within minutes of each other, costing Johnson the support of the men responsible for tackling two of the biggest issues facing Britain — the cost-of-living crisis and surging COVID-19 infections.

Both cited Johnson’s credibility after a day in which the prime minister was forced to backtrack on earlier statements about the scandal that has rattled his government for the past six days.

The debacle is only the latest to hit Johnson, who last month narrowly survived a vote of no confidence triggered by similarly shifting stories about lockdown-breaking parties in government offices.

In his letter of resignation, Javid said the confidence vote showed a large number of Conservative Party lawmakers had lost trust in Johnson.

“It was a moment for humility, grip and a new direction,” Javid said. “I regret to say, however, that it is clear this situation will not change under your leadership — and you have therefore lost my confidence too.”

A few minutes later, Sunak echoed those sentiments.

“The public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously,” Sunak said. “I realize that this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning.”

Both Sunak and Javid are seen as possible contenders to replace Johnson if he is forced out.

While the resignations heaped pressure on the prime minister, Johnson has in the past proven to be an adept politician, fighting off criticism to prolong his career.

Johnson quickly named two loyalists to the positions: Steve Barclay got Javid’s old job, while Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi replaces Sunak as Treasury chief, Downing Street said.

At the same time, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss swiftly threw her support behind Johnson. Other Cabinet members, including Culture Secretary Nadine Dories, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and Home Secretary Priti Patel, were also in his corner.

But Scott Lucas, an emeritus professor at the University of Birmingham and a longtime political observer, said it would be difficult for Johnson to ultimately survive the departure of two such senior members of his Cabinet.

“He’s not going to go without a fight,” Lucas said. “I just don’t know how many people are left to fight alongside him.”

The latest scandal began Thursday, when Chris Pincher resigned as deputy chief whip amid complaints that he groped two men at a private club. That triggered a series of reports about past allegations leveled against Pincher and questions about why Johnson promoted him to a senior job enforcing party discipline.

Pincher denies the allegations.

Johnson’s office initially said he wasn’t aware of the previous accusations when he promoted Pincher in February. By Monday, a spokesman said Johnson knew of allegations that were “either resolved or did not progress to a formal complaint.”

That account didn’t sit well with Simon McDonald, the most senior civil servant at the U.K. Foreign Office from 2015 to 2020. In a highly unusual move, McDonald went public with claims that the prime minister’s office wasn’t telling the truth.

McDonald said in a letter to the parliamentary commissioner for standards that he received complaints about Pincher’s behavior in the summer of 2019, shortly after Pincher became a Foreign Office minister. An investigation upheld the complaint, and Pincher apologized for his actions, McDonald said.

“Mr. Johnson was briefed in person about the initiation and outcome of the investigation,” McDonald wrote.

Hours after McDonald’s comments were published, Johnson’s office changed its story again, saying the prime minister had forgotten that Pincher was the subject of an official complaint.

Then minutes before Javid and Sunak announced their resignations, Johnson told reporters that Pincher should have been fired from the government after a previous 2019 incident.

Asked if it was an error to appoint Pincher to the government, Johnson said, “I think it was a mistake, and I apologize for it. In hindsight it was the wrong thing to do.”

The shifting explanation from Johnson fueled discontent within the Cabinet after ministers were forced to publicly deliver the prime minister’s denials, only to have the explanation shift the next day.

Johnson’s authority had already been shaken by last month’s confidence vote. Although he survived, 41% of Conservatives voted to remove him from office. But until Tuesday his Cabinet had largely stayed put and loyal.

Concerns about Johnson’s leadership were fueled by his responses to months of allegations about lockdown-breaking parties in government offices that ultimately resulted in 126 fines, including one levied against Johnson.

Two weeks later, Conservative candidates were badly beaten in two special elections to fill vacant seats in Parliament, adding to the discontent within Johnson’s party and suggesting the ongoing accusations were finding a toehold with the public.

When Pincher resigned last week as deputy chief whip he told Johnson that he “drank far too much” the previous night and had “embarrassed myself and other people.”

Johnson initially refused to suspend Pincher from the Conservative Party, but he relented after a formal complaint about the groping allegations was filed with parliamentary authorities.

Critics suggested Johnson was slow to react because he didn’t want Pincher forced to resign his Parliament seat, setting up the Conservatives for another potential special election defeat.

Even before the Pincher scandal, suggestions were swirling that Johnson may soon face another no-confidence vote.

The existing rules require 12 months between such votes, but several Conservative lawmakers have suggested they support changing the rules in an upcoming vote on the issue.

Senior Conservative lawmaker Roger Gale, a long-standing critic of Johnson, said he would support a change of the rules.

“Mr. Johnson has for three days now been sending ministers — in one case a Cabinet minister — out to defend the indefensible, effectively to lie on his behalf. That cannot be allowed to continue,” Gale told the BBC. “This prime minister has trashed the reputation of a proud and honorable party for honesty and decency, and that is not acceptable.″

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Story: Danica Kirka and Sylvia Hui.

Parade Shooting Suspect Bought 5 Weapons Despite Threats

By

Associated Press

-

6 July 2022, 10:00

A member of the FBI's evidence response team removes an American flag one day after a mass shooting in downtown Highland Park, Ill., Tuesday, July 5, 2022. Photo: Charles Rex Arbogast / AP

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (AP) — A man charged Tuesday with seven counts of murder after firing off more than 70 rounds at an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago legally bought five weapons, including the high-powered rifle used in the shooting, despite authorities being called to his home twice in 2019 for threats of violence and suicide, police said.

Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said the suspect, if convicted of the first-degree murder charges, would receive a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. He promised that dozens more charges would be sought.

A spokesman for the Lake County Major Crime Task Force said the suspected shooter, who was arrested late Monday, used a rifle “similar to an AR-15″ to spray more than 70 rounds from atop a commercial building into a crowd that had gathered for the parade in Highland Park, an affluent community of about 30,000 on the Lake Michigan shore.

A seventh victim died of their injuries Tuesday. More than three dozen other people were wounded in the attack, which Task force spokesman Christopher Covelli said the suspect had planned for several weeks.

The assault happened less than three years after police went to the suspect’s home following a call from a family member who said he was threatening “to kill everyone” there. Covelli said police confiscated 16 knives, a dagger and a sword, but said there was no sign he had any guns at the time, in September 2019.

Police in April 2019 also responded to a reported suicide attempt by the suspect, Covelli said.

The suspect legally purchased the rifle used in the attack in Illinois within the past year, Covelli said. In all, police said, he purchased five firearms, which were recovered by officers at his father’s home.

The revelation about his gun purchases is just the latest example of young men who were able to obtain guns and carry out massacres in recent months despite glaring warning signs about their mental health and inclination to violence.

Illinois state police, who issue gun owners’ licenses, said the gunman applied for a license in December 2019, when he was 19. His father sponsored his application.

At the time “there was insufficient basis to establish a clear and present danger” and deny the application, state police said in a statement.

Investigators who have interrogated the suspect and reviewed his social media posts have not determined a motive or found any indication that he targeted victims by race, religion or other protected status, Covelli said.

Earlier in the day, FBI agents peeked into trash cans and under picnic blankets as they searched for more evidence at the scene. The shots were initially mistaken for fireworks before hundreds of revelers fled in terror.

A day later, baby strollers, lawn chairs and other items left behind by panicked parade goers remained inside a wide police perimeter. Outside the police tape, some residents drove up to collect blankets and chairs they abandoned.

David Shapiro, 47, said the gunfire quickly turned the parade into “chaos.”

“People didn’t know right away where the gunfire was coming from, whether the gunman was in front or behind you chasing you,” he said Tuesday as he retrieved a stroller and lawn chairs.

The gunman initially evaded capture by dressing as a woman and blending into the fleeing crowd, Covelli said.

The shooting was just the latest to shatter the rituals of American life. Schools, churches, grocery stores and now community parades have all become killing grounds in recent months. This time, the bloodshed came as the nation tried to celebrate its founding and the bonds that still hold it together.

A police officer pulled over 21-year-old Robert E. Crimo III north of the shooting scene several hours after police released his photo and warned that he was likely armed and dangerous, Highland Park Police Chief Lou Jogmen said.

His father, Bob, a longtime deli owner, ran for mayor in 2019. The candidate who won that race, current Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering, said she knew Crimo as a boy in Cub Scouts.

“And it’s one of those things where you step back and you say, ‘What happened?” Rotering told NBC’s “Today” show. “How did somebody become this angry, this hateful, to then take it out on innocent people who literally were just having a family day out?”

Crimo’s attorney, Thomas A. Durkin, a prominent Chicago-based lawyer, said he intends to enter a not guilty plea to all charges.

Asked about his client’s emotional state, Durkin said he has spoken to Crimo only once — for 10 minutes by phone. He declined to comment further.

Steve Greenberg, the lawyer for the parents, told The Associated Press Tuesday evening the parents aren’t concerned about being charged with anything related to their son’s case.

“There is zero chance they will be charged with anything criminal,” he said. “They didn’t do anything wrong. They are as stunned and shocked as anyone.”

The shooting occurred at a spot on the parade route where many residents had staked out prime viewing points early in the day.

Among them was Nicolas Toledo, who was visiting his family in Illinois from Mexico, and Jacki Sundheim, a lifelong congregant and staff member at nearby North Shore Congregation Israel. The Lake County coroner released the names of four other victims.

Nine people, ranging from 14 to 70, remained hospitalized Tuesday, hospital officials said.

Since the start of the year, the U.S. has seen 15 shootings where four or more people were killed, including the one in Highland Park, according to The Associated Press/USA TODAY/Northeastern University mass killing database.

Scores of smaller-scale shootings in nearby Chicago also left eight people dead and 60 others wounded over the July 4 weekend.

In 2013, Highland Park officials approved a ban on semi-automatic weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines. A local doctor and the Illinois State Rifle Association quickly challenged the liberal suburb’s stance. The legal fight ended at the U.S. Supreme Court’s doorstep in 2015 when justices declined to hear the case and let the suburb’s restrictions remain in place.

Under Illinois law, gun purchases can be denied to people convicted of felonies, addicted to narcotics or those who are termed “mental defectives” and capable of harming themselves or others. That might have stopped a suicidal Crimo from getting a weapon.

But under the law, just who is a “mental defective” must be decided by “a court, board, commission or other legal authority.”

The state has a so-called red flag law designed to stop dangerous people before they kill, but it requires family members, relatives, roommates or police to ask a judge to order guns seized.

Crimo, who goes by the name Bobby, was an aspiring rapper with the stage name Awake the Rapper, posting on social media dozens videos and songs, some ominous and violent.

In one animated video since taken down by YouTube, Crimo raps about armies “walking in darkness” as a drawing appears of a man pointing a rifle, a body on the ground and another figure with hands up in the distance.

Federal agents were reviewing Crimo’s online profiles, and a preliminary examination of his internet history indicated that he had researched mass killings and had downloaded multiple photos depicting violent acts, including a beheading, a law enforcement official said.

The official could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who had been in Chicago to address the National Education Association’s annual meeting Tuesday, visited the site of the shooting to offer condolences to first responders and local officials.

“The whole nation should understand and have a level of empathy, to understand that this can happen anywhere, in any peace loving community,” Harris said in brief comments to reporters in Highland Park. “And we should stand together and speak out about why it’s got to stop.”

Shapiro, the Highland Park resident who fled the parade with his family, said his 4-year-old son woke up screaming later that night.

“He is too young to understand what happened,” Shapiro said. “But he knows something bad happened.”

___

Story: Michael Tarm, Kathleen Foody, and Stephen Groves. Foody reported from Chicago. Groves reported from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Associated Press writers Don Babwin in Chicago, Mike Householder in Highland Park, Bernard Condon and Mike Balsamo in New York, Aamer Madhani in Washington, Jim Mustian in New Orleans, Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco and researcher Rhonda Shafner also contributed.

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL SIGNS MOU WITH SILPAKORN UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCE TO TRAIN NEXT GENERATION OF HOTELIERS IN THAILAND

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Contributor

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5 July 2022, 13:33

New collaboration to offer internships and training opportunities for young people studying for a B.B.A. in Hotel Management, initially at 20 Marriott International hotels in Bangkok

BANGKOK, THAILAND –Marriott International today, announced the signing of an important Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Silpakorn University Faculty of Management Science (SUMS) to provide practical experience, professional training and potential career opportunities to the next generation of hospitality graduates in Thailand.

Penned at a ceremony in Bangkok on 28 June 2022, this MoU will initially see 20 Marriott International hotels in Bangkok offer internships for promising students on the Bachelor of Business Administration in Hotel Management, provided by the Faculty of Management Science (SUMS). This will open the door to a world of possibilities, with students potentially having the chance to join the Marriott family upon graduation.

Under the terms of the agreement, Marriott will enable students to gain international-standard training and hands-on experience at its hotels in the third and fourth years of their course. If a student spends 300 hours with Marriott in their third year (April-June) and 800 hours in their fourth year (June-November), they will receive course credits. With options to work in a range of departments, including front office, food & beverage, housekeeping and more, these internships will equip young people with the practical skills they need to enter the workplace with confidence.

Being guided by Marriott will also give the students an important head- start in their professional lives. As the world’s largest hotel groups with more than 8,000 properties under 30 leading brands spanning 139 countries and territories worldwide, graduates have a global network of potential career paths ahead of them, made even more accessible by gaining practical experience with Marriott.

This arrangement will not only benefit the students, however; it will also have a positive impact on Thailand’s entire hospitality industry at a critical time. With almost 2.5 million new hotel rooms currently in the pipeline worldwide¹, it is vital that hotel groups attract young people to find their vocation in the industry. For Marriott, this partnership with SUIC has the potential to attract high quality graduates for many years to come.

“We are delighted to sign this MoU with Silpakorn University Faculty of Management Science (SUMS). At Marriott International, our core value is to put people first and we are committed to nurturing young talent and helping local people to grow and advance with us. With Marriott, there is no barrier to progress. We have clear development paths and programs that enable graduates and entry-level team members to rise through the ranks and become senior executives. This is embedded in our company’s DNA and I am very happy to create opportunities for a new generation of Thai hospitality graduates. This will become hugely significant as we continue to grow our footprint here in Thailand and around the world,” said Andrew P. Newmark, Vice President Human Resources – Asia Pacific excluding Greater China, Marriott International.

Marriott already has internship partnerships in Thailand, with approximately 40 students currently gaining work experience at its hotels in Bangkok. Under the latest MoU, students can transfer credits between their university course and Marriott’s own in-house training, and credits earned by the students while learning with Marriott could help them achieve an additional Associate Members’ Educational Qualification at SUIC. Marriott’s hotels will now become the first priority for SUIC’s internship selection process.

Following the initial launch of the partnership with 20 Marriott International hotels in Bangkok, the MoU could be expanded to properties in Pattaya, Rayong and Hua Hin in future.

To learn more about Marriott International, please visit www.marriott.com.

Marriott properties initially participating in the MoU include:

Aloft Bangkok – Sukhumvit 11
Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit
Marriott Executive Apartments Bangkok, Sukhumvit Thonglor
Bangkok Marriott Hotel The Surawongse
Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park
Courtyard by Marriott Bangkok
JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok
Le Méridien Bangkok
Le Méridien Suvarnabhumi, Bangkok Golf Resort & Spa
Mayfair, Bangkok – Marriott Executive Apartments
Sathorn Vista, Bangkok – Marriott Executive Apartments
Sukhumvit Park, Bangkok – Marriott Executive Apartments
Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel
Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers
Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok
The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok
The St. Regis Bangkok
The Westin Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok
W Bangkok
Courtyard by Marriott Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

Reference:

¹ https://str.com/press-release/americas-and-asia-pacific-regions-show-increased-hotel-pipeline-activity

B.Grimm Power together with Chulalongkorn University Driving energy innovation towards sustainability

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Contributor

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4 July 2022, 17:18

Dr. Harald Link, Chairman of B.Grimm and President of B.Grimm Power PCL, together with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Naebboon Hoonchareon, Acting Director of the Center of Excellence in Electrical Power Technology/Head of Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, jointly sign a Memorandum of Understanding on Academic Cooperation to study the possibility of developing knowledge in the power generation industry and clean energy as well as the application of technology and innovation in the production process for building sustainable energy in the future. The event was held recently at Suan Ruam Jai Meeting Room 2, Building 3, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University.

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