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Ubol Ratana Dam at lowest level in 40 years

By THE NATION

 

 

Ubol Ratana Dam in Khon Kaen province was at 19 per cent of capacity on Friday (January 17) with 472 million cubic metres in the reservoir – its lowest level in 40 years.

 

Concern is rising over the impact on surrounding farmland and fish habitats.

 

Rice farmer and fisherman Sawang NuayKiao said the water level at the dam, which opened in 1966, has steadily dropped, as has the number of fish he can catch every day.

 

“I used to sell Bt200-Bt300 worth of fish a day. Now I’m only catching Bt100-Bt200 worth.”

 

Nor is he able to grow as much rice as he once did, he said, due to limitations in irrigation.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30380721

 

Korn bares vision ahead of forming new party 

By The Nation

 

Korn Chatikavanij

 

Korn Chatikavanij revealed after resigning from the Democrat Party that he no longer had enough time to manage the party amid the changing political landscape and he preferred to reach his goal out of it.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1143833-korn-bares-vision-ahead-of-forming-new-party/

 

Korn bares vision ahead of forming new party 

By The Nation

 

Korn Chatikavanij

 

Korn Chatikavanij revealed after resigning from the Democrat Party that he no longer had enough time to manage the party amid the changing political landscape and he preferred to reach his goal out of it.

 

“The Democrat Party gave me an opportunity since my first election in 2005 when I was just 39,” the former finance minister said. “But after so many changes, the same point of view doesn’t work anymore. I am also a part of those changes and I want to see Thailand move forward, and I can handle it easier out of the party.” 

 

He added that he is planning to establish a new political party, gathering people with vision and good intentions to reform the country.

 

In the past few years, Korn said he was studying the development of agricultural products and structure of the Thai farm sector, to help prepare farmers for the future. 

 

“It’s my intention and Attawit Suwanpakdee (Former PM)’s to form a new party,” Korn said. “All members don’t have to be politicians, but they can be anyone with knowledge, capability and a motive. I want 80 per cent of them to be new faces. They have to be decisive because not all decisions can please everyone. We have to be ready for failure and learn from it".

 

Korn said that he believed that the bureaucratic system is still the biggest obstacle for Thailand as it has been corrupt for a long time.

 

Regarding the new party’s strategy, he is planning to register candidates for members of Parliament in every province to increase the chance and he will not recruit MPs of other parties. 

 

“Most new parties will be pressured to choose between the left and right political spectrum but I don’t want to make enemies,” he said. “This movement will be a clean slate for me after having been supportive of General Prayut Chan-o-cha but I cannot deny what I have done. Korn Chatikavanij is always Korn Chatikavanij. What I did, I did it for my country.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30380719

 

Kuwaiti man arrested in Bangkok for rape of Danish woman in Phuket

By The Phuket News

 

The arrest of the Kuwaiti man was announced in Bangkok today (Jan 17). Photo: Immigration Bureau

 

PHUKET:-- A Kuwaiti man wanted for the rape of a Danish woman in Patong has been arrested in Bangkok, the Immigration Bureau announced today (Jan 17).

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1143832-kuwaiti-man-arrested-in-bangkok-for-rape-of-danish-woman-in-phuket/

 

Australia's bushfire-stricken east welcomes drenching rain

By Lidia Kelly

 

FILE PHOTO: A buggy pulls people, sliding around in the mud, as they celebrate the rainfall in Winton, Queensland, Australia January 15, 2020 in this still image taken from social media video. Teonie Dwyer via REUTERS

 

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Intense thunderstorms with heavy rains dampened bushfires on Australia east coast on Friday and brought relief to farmers in three states battling a drought which has left much of the country tinder dry.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1143831-australias-bushfire-stricken-east-welcomes-drenching-rain/

 

Australia's bushfire-stricken east welcomes drenching rain

By Lidia Kelly

 

FILE PHOTO: A buggy pulls people, sliding around in the mud, as they celebrate the rainfall in Winton, Queensland, Australia January 15, 2020 in this still image taken from social media video. Teonie Dwyer via REUTERS

 

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Intense thunderstorms with heavy rains dampened bushfires on Australia east coast on Friday and brought relief to farmers in three states battling a drought which has left much of the country tinder dry.

 

Australia, famous for its pristine beaches and wildlife, has been fighting bushfires since September, with fires killing 29 people and millions of animals, and destroying more than 2,500 homes while razing an area roughly a third the size of Germany.

 

Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, three of the most affected states, saw heavy downpours of rain which is forecast to continue through the weekend.

 

Fire services said that while the rain will not extinguish all the blazes, it will help greatly to contain them.

 

“Our fingers are crossed that this continues over the coming days,” New South Wales fire services said on Twitter on Friday.

 

While the wet weather brings relief to fire fighters and drought-hit farmers, it also comes with dangers, such as flash flooding and falling trees, many structurally destroyed by the intense bushfires.

 

The storms have helped disperse smoke in Melbourne, which sheathed the city disrupted the Australian Open qualifying matches and other sporting competitions, but winds are set to bring back unhealthy air over the weekend.

 

The smoke haze that has plagued Australia’s major cities for weeks has been tracked by NASA circumnavigating the globe and the space agency satellites showed on Thursday there is also a large concentration of lower smoke over the Pacific Ocean.

 

GRAPHIC: Swirling smoke interactive here

 

Following are some highlights of what is happening in the bushfire crisis:

 

* There were 82 fires burning across New South Wales early Friday, 30 uncontained, and several fires in Victoria, according to fire authorities.

 

* Australia will have to wait until March for rains heavy enough to bring sustained relief from dry weather that has fueled deadly bushfires, the country’s weather bureau said on Thursday.

 

* Australia’s peak tourism body estimated the country’s bushfire crisis has so far cost the industry almost A$1 billion ($690 million). [L4N29L069]

 

* Qualifying rounds of Australian Open in Melbourne, the first tennis Grand Slam of the year, blighted by complaints from players about the pollution.

 

'We can't wait': Maldives desperate for funds as islands risk going under

By Alasdair Pal, Devjyot Ghoshal

 

FILE PHOTO: An areal view shows a resort island in the Maldives December 14, 2009. REUTERS/Reinhard Krause/File Photo

 

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The tropical Maldives may lose entire islands unless it can quickly access cheap financing to fight the impact of climate change, its foreign minister said.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1143830-we-cant-wait-maldives-desperate-for-funds-as-islands-risk-going-under/

 

'We can't wait': Maldives desperate for funds as islands risk going under

By Alasdair Pal, Devjyot Ghoshal

 

FILE PHOTO: An areal view shows a resort island in the Maldives December 14, 2009. REUTERS/Reinhard Krause/File Photo

 

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The tropical Maldives may lose entire islands unless it can quickly access cheap financing to fight the impact of climate change, its foreign minister said.

 

The archipelago’s former president Mohamed Nasheed famously held a cabinet meeting underwater to draw attention to submerging land and global warming a decade ago.

 

Yet the Maldives, best known for its white sands and palm-fringed atolls that draw luxury holiday-makers, has struggled to find money to build critical infrastructure like sea-walls.

 

“For small states, it is not easy,” Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid told Reuters in New Delhi. “By the time the financing is obtained, we may be underwater.”

 

At the U.N. climate talks in Madrid in December, the Maldives and other vulnerable countries pushed for concrete progress on fresh funding to help them deal with disasters and longer-term damage linked to climate change - but failed.

 

Shahid was hopeful the next round of talks, slated to take place in Glasgow in November, would yield better results.

 

One of the world’s lowest-lying countries, more than 80% of the Maldives’ land is less than one meter above mean sea levels, making its population of around 530,000 people extremely vulnerable to storm surges, sea swells and severe weather.

 

In 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami ravaged the Muslim-majority state, causing financial losses of around $470 million - 62% of GDP - and hitting infrastructure, including its only international airport that was shut for several days.

 

‘WE NEED IT’

 

Two of the country’s main industries - tourism and fishing - are heavily dependent on coastal resources, and most settlements and critical infrastructure is concentrated along the coast.

 

In 2014, more than 100 of the archipelago’s inhabited islands were already reporting erosion, and around 30 islands are identified as severely eroded.

 

The Maldives spends around $10 million annually for coastal protection works, but will need up to $8.8 billion in total to shield all of its inhabited islands, according to a 2016 estimate by its environment ministry.

 

“In order to protect the islands, we need to start building sea walls,” Shahid said. “It’s expensive, but we need it. We can’t wait until all of them are being taken away.”

 

China posts weakest growth in 29 years as trade war bites, but ends 2019 on better note

By Stella Qiu, Kevin Yao

 

A girl runs past a man as he smokes in Beijing's central business area, China January 17, 2020. REUTERS/Jason Lee

 

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s economic growth cooled to its weakest in nearly 30 years in 2019 amid a bruising trade war with the United States, and more stimulus is expected this year as Beijing tries to boost sluggish investment and demand.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1143829-china-posts-weakest-growth-in-29-years-as-trade-war-bites-but-ends-2019-on-better-note/

 

China posts weakest growth in 29 years as trade war bites, but ends 2019 on better note

By Stella Qiu, Kevin Yao

 

A girl runs past a man as he smokes in Beijing's central business area, China January 17, 2020. REUTERS/Jason Lee

 

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s economic growth cooled to its weakest in nearly 30 years in 2019 amid a bruising trade war with the United States, and more stimulus is expected this year as Beijing tries to boost sluggish investment and demand.

 

But data on Friday also showed the world’s second-largest economy ended the rough year on a somewhat firmer note as a trade truce revived business confidence and earlier growth boosting measures finally appeared to be taking hold.

 

As expected, China’s growth slowed to 6.1% last year, from 6.6% in 2018, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed. Though still strong by global standards, and within the government’s target range, it was the weakest expansion since 1990.

 

This year is crucial for the ruling Communist Party to fulfill its goal of doubling gross domestic product (GDP) and incomes in the decade to 2020, and turning China into a “moderately prosperous” nation.

 

Analysts reckon that long-term target would need growth this year to remain around 6%, though top officials have warned the economy may face even greater pressure than in 2019.

 

More recent data, along with optimism over a Phase 1 U.S.-China trade deal signed on Wednesday, have raised hopes that the economy may be bottoming out.

 

Fourth-quarter GDP rose 6.0% from a year earlier, steadying from the third quarter, though still the weakest in nearly three decades. And December industrial output, investment and retail sales all rose more than expected after an improved showing in November.

 

Policy sources have told Reuters that Beijing plans to set a lower growth target of around 6% this year from last year’s 6-6.5%, relying on increased infrastructure spending to ward off a sharper slowdown. Key targets are due to be announced in March.

 

On a quarterly basis, the economy grew 1.5% in October-December, also the same pace as the previous three months.

 

“We expect China’s growth rate will come further down to below 6%” in the coming year, said Masaaki Kanno, chief economist at Sony Financial Holdings in Tokyo.

 

“The Chinese economy is unlikely to fall abruptly because of ... government policies, but at the same time the trend of a further slowdown of the economy will remain unchanged.”

 

SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT, BUT WILL IT LAST?

 

December data released along with GDP showed a surprising acceleration in industrial output and a more modest pick-up in investment growth, while retail sales were solid.

 

Industrial output grew 6.9% from a year earlier, the strongest pace in nine months, while retail sales rose 8.0%. Fixed-asset investment rose 5.4% for the full year, but growth had plumbed record lows in autumn.

 

Easing trade tensions have made manufacturers more optimistic about the business outlook, analysts said, though many of the tit-for-tat tariffs both sides imposed during the trade war remain in place.

 

“Despite the recent uptick in activity, we think it is premature to call the bottom of the current economic cycle,” Julian Evans-Pritchard and Martin Rasmussen at Capital Economics said in a note.

 

“External headwinds should ease further in the coming quarters thanks to the ‘Phase One’ trade deal and a recovery in global growth. But we think this will be offset by a renewed slowdown in domestic demand, triggering further monetary easing by the People’s Bank.”

 

Among other key risks this year, infrastructure — a key part of Beijing’s stabilization strategy — has remained stubbornly weak.

 

Infrastructure investment grew just 3.8% in 2019, decelerating from 4% in January-November, despite sharply higher local government bond issuance and other policy measures.

 

“This shows that local governments continued to face funding constraints...,” said Tommy Xie, China economist at OCBC Bank in Singapore.

 

Some analysts are also worried about signs of cooling in the housing market, a key economic driver.

 

Property investment growth hit a two-year low in December even as it grew at a solid 9.9% pace in 2019. Property sales fell 0.1%, the first annual decline in five years.

 

Beijing has worked for years to keep speculation and home price rises in check, and officials vowed last year they would not use the property market as a form of short-term stimulus.

 

MORE SUPPORT MEASURES

 

China will roll out more support measures this year as the economy faces further pressure, Ning Jizhe, head of the Statistical bureau told a news conference.

 

Ning noted that per capital GDP in China had surpassed $10,000 for the first time last year. But analysts believe more painful reforms are needed to generate additional growth.

 

Beijing has been relying on a mix of fiscal and monetary steps to weather the current downturn, cutting taxes and allowing local governments to sell huge amounts of bonds to fund infrastructure projects.

 

Banks also have been encouraged to lend more, especially to small firms, with new yuan loans hitting a record 16.81 trillion yuan ($2.44 trillion) in 2019.

 

The central bank has cut banks’ reserve requirement ratios (RRR) - the amount of cash that banks must hold as reserves - eight times since early 2018, most recently this month. China has also seen modest cuts in some lending rates.

 

Analysts polled by Reuters expect further cuts in both RRR and key interest rates this year.

 

But Chinese leaders have repeatedly pledged they will not embark on massive stimulus like that during the 2008-09 global crisis, which quickly juiced growth rates but left a mountain of debt.

 

Containing financial system risks will remain a high priority for policymakers this year. Corporate bond defaults hit a new record last year, while state-linked firms had to step in to rescue several troubled smaller banks.

 

Even with additional stimulus and assuming the trade truce holds, economists polled by Reuters expect China’s growth will cool this year to 5.9%.

 

Khamenei says Iran's strikes at U.S. targets show 'hand of God'

By Parisa Hafezi

 

FILE PHOTO: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during Friday prayers in Tehran September 14, 2007. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl

 

DUBAI (Reuters) - Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a Friday prayers sermon that Iran’s missile strikes on U.S. targets in Iraq showed it had divine support in delivering a “slap on the face” to a world power.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1143825-khamenei-says-irans-strikes-at-us-targets-show-hand-of-god/

 

Khamenei says Iran's strikes at U.S. targets show 'hand of God'

By Parisa Hafezi

 

FILE PHOTO: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during Friday prayers in Tehran September 14, 2007. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl

 

DUBAI (Reuters) - Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a Friday prayers sermon that Iran’s missile strikes on U.S. targets in Iraq showed it had divine support in delivering a “slap on the face” to a world power.

 

Making the main weekly sermon in Tehran for the first time since 2012, with Iran and its clerical rulers under pressure at home and abroad, Khamenei also said that U.S. sanctions imposed in a row over its nuclear programme would not make Iran yield.

 

Thousands had gathered inside a large prayer hall in central Tehran and packed the area and streets outside the building, chanting “Death to America”.

 

The sermon was delivered after Iran’s rulers faced days of often violent protests after the military admitted to mistakenly shooting down an airliner in the tense hours after the missile strikes, which were in turn launched in retaliation for the U.S. killing on Jan. 3 of a top Iranian commander, close to Khamenei.

 

“The fact that Iran has the power to give such a slap to a world power shows the hand of God,” Khamenei, saying the U.S. killing of Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force, showed Washington’s “terrorist nature”.

 

U.S. President Donald Trump, who pulled Washington out of a nuclear deal with Iran in 2018 and ratcheted up tension by reimposing U.S. sanctions, had ordered the drone strike that killed Soleimani, who built up proxy militias across the region.

 

After days of denying a role in the plane crash, the Revolutionary Guards, a parallel military force answering directly to Khamenei that acts as guardian of Islamic Republic, finally admitted on Jan. 11 that one of its air defence operators mistakenly shot down Ukraine Airlines International flight 752.

 

Vigils for the 176 victims swiftly turned into protests against Iran’s rulers. “Death to Khamenei” was chanted at protests and spray painted on walls of Tehran and other cities. Such public criticism can result in a jail term in Iran.

 

Khamenei described the crash as a tragedy and a very sad incident that was used by Iran’s “enemies”, used to describe the United States and its allies, to overshadow the killing of Soleimani, whose funeral drew huge crowds onto the streets.

 

In the demonstrations after the downing of the airliner, police launched a sometimes crackdown and deployed riot police outside universities, where many students had protested.

 

Video footage posted online showed protesters were beaten and also recorded gunshots, teargas and blood on the streets.

 

Iran’s police denied firing at protesters and said officers had been ordered to show restraint.

 

Germany's other migration wave: the pensioner exodus

By Stoyan Nenov, Thomas Escritt

 

Waldemar Hackstaetter and his wife Hildegard pose for a picture in front of their house in the village of Sirakovo, Bulgaria, December 13, 2019. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

 

SIRAKOVO, Bulgaria (Reuters) - As retirement neared a decade ago, German butcher Waldemar Hackstaetter took stock of his finances and concluded he and wife Hildegard couldn’t afford to remain in their home country.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1143820-germanys-other-migration-wave-the-pensioner-exodus/

 

Govt urged to leverage technology in pollution fight

By The Nation

 

 

In the age of digital technology with Thais owning an average of two mobile phones each, it is time for the government to leverage technology for public benefits, said Suchatvee Suwansawat, President of the Council of Engineers Thailand, on Thursday (January 16). 

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1143819-govt-urged-to-leverage-technology-in-pollution-fight/

 

Govt urged to leverage technology in pollution fight

By The Nation

 

 

In the age of digital technology with Thais owning an average of two mobile phones each, it is time for the government to leverage technology for public benefits, said Suchatvee Suwansawat, President of the Council of Engineers Thailand, on Thursday (January 16). 

 

For instance, the government should develop an application to warn people of areas affected by the pm2.5 pollution and reminding them to wear face mask in those locations to lessen risks to health. 

 

With no measures currently in place to deal with problem, identifying risk areas would be a good start, such as bus stops. There are 5,000 bus stops in Bangkok, of which 1,000 are air-pollution spots. State agencies should install fans to disperse dust and particles.

 

Suchatvee described the measure of spraying water from high buildings as off point and ineffective. “Dust and particles will temporarily be caught by water but it will be blown back to the air when the moisture dry up,” he said. Construction sites, factories and traffics are the main sources of dust and particles, not the weather, he added.

 

As a long-term measure to fix the problem, the government should offer tax deduction as an incentive for factories to reduce the emission of pollutants from their production sites. Like wise, old cars spewing black smoke should be subjected to a higher tax rate.

 

The state should adopt Big Data for storage of all relevant information, analysis and risk management so as to inform the public in advance of actions to be taken in relation to the problem, such as the closure of schools in risk areas. The government ordered a temporary closure of all schools in Bangkok last year.

 

"With the air-pollution problem intensifying, there should be a warning system for those most vulnerable, such as young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and patients with respiratory issues. Respiratory problems, lung disease, brain disease and cancer pose a threat to human resources which is vital to our future,” said the president.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30380718

 

World Bank cuts Thailand 2020 GDP growth outlook to 2.7%

by Orathai Sriring

 

FILE PHOTO: A girl walks past a Skytrain (Bangkok Mass Transit System) construction site in Bangkok, Thailand May 13, 2018. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - The World Bank on Friday cut its estimate for Thailand’s economic growth to 2.7% this year, but that is faster than last year’s pace as private consumption recovers and investment increases due to the launch of large infrastructure projects.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1143803-world-bank-lists-steps-for-stalled-thailand-to-become-high-income-nation/?do=findComment&comment=14965436

 

World Bank cuts Thailand 2020 GDP growth outlook to 2.7%

by Orathai Sriring

 

FILE PHOTO: A girl walks past a Skytrain (Bangkok Mass Transit System) construction site in Bangkok, Thailand May 13, 2018. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - The World Bank on Friday cut its estimate for Thailand’s economic growth to 2.7% this year, but that is faster than last year’s pace as private consumption recovers and investment increases due to the launch of large infrastructure projects.

 

The bank had expected the economy to expand 2.9% this year in its economic report on Thailand in October.

 

It estimated 2019 growth at 2.5%, a five-year low, due to declining exports and weakness in domestic demand, it said in a statement. The economy expanded 4.1% in 2018.

 

Southeast Asia's second-largest economy is heavily reliant on exports, which have been hit by U.S.-Sino trade tension and a strong baht THB=TH, while investment has been sluggish.

 

“The recent growth slowdown has highlighted Thailand’s long-run structural constraints, with slowing investments and low productivity growth,” the bank said.

 

“If current trends continue, with no significant pick-up in investment and productivity growth, Thailand’s average annual growth rate will remain below 3%”.

 

To achieve its vision of being a high-income country by 2037, Thailand will need to sustain long-run growth rates of above 5%, which would require a productivity growth rate of 3% and increase investment to 40% of GDP, the bank said.

 

“Boosting productivity will be a critical part of Thailand’s long-term structural reform,” said Kiatipong Ariyapruchya, World Bank senior economist for Thailand.

 

Thailand’s government has responded swiftly to the growth slowdown through accommodative monetary policies and a fiscal stimulus package to boost economic growth, the bank said.

 

The World Bank recommends the Thai government consider policies to enhance the effectiveness of the stimulus by focusing on implementing major public investment projects and providing social protection coverage for vulnerable families.

 

Separately, Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana told reporters on Friday that the government will soon propose to the cabinet additional measures to spur investment, and will also front-load investment by state-owned firms.

 

The finance ministry is also considering extending an earlier measure aimed at boosting consumption, which is crucial to the economy amid a global economic slowdown, he said.

 

Lawyers in Weinstein rape case begin questioning potential jurors

by Brendan Pierson

 

 

FILE PHOTO: Film producer Harvey Weinstein arrives at New York Criminal Court for his sexual assault trial in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., January 15, 2020. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - More than 100 potential jurors in the rape trial of Harvey Weinstein were expected in Manhattan criminal court on Thursday as lawyers strive to choose 12 impartial New Yorkers to decide the former film mogul’s fate.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1143692-lawyers-in-weinstein-rape-case-begin-questioning-potential-jurors/

 

Lawyers in Weinstein rape case begin questioning potential jurors

by Brendan Pierson

 

 

FILE PHOTO: Film producer Harvey Weinstein arrives at New York Criminal Court for his sexual assault trial in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., January 15, 2020. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - More than 100 potential jurors in the rape trial of Harvey Weinstein were expected in Manhattan criminal court on Thursday as lawyers strive to choose 12 impartial New Yorkers to decide the former film mogul’s fate.

 

The potential jurors, who have passed an initial round of pre-screening, include supermodel Gigi Hadid, who said she had met Weinstein before but could nonetheless be fair.

 

Weinstein, 67, has pleaded not guilty to charges of assaulting two women, and faces life in prison if convicted on the most serious charge, predatory sexual assault.

 

Since 2017, more than 80 women, including many famous actresses, have accused him of sexual misconduct dating back decades. Weinstein has denied the allegations, saying any sexual encounters he had were consensual.

 

The allegations helped fuel the #MeToo movement, in which women have gone public with misconduct allegations against powerful men in business, entertainment and politics.

 

Weinstein’s trial kicked off on Jan. 6 and is expected to last up to months.

 

During pre-screening, hundreds of potential jurors were asked whether they could be impartial and if their schedules and health allowed them to sit on the trial. In the next phase, known as voir dire, they will face detailed questions about their backgrounds and beliefs by lawyers on both sides.

 

Legal experts have said selecting impartial jurors in a case that has attracted a great deal of publicity could be difficult.

 

Both sides will likely question potential jurors about their knowledge and opinion of the case, their work history and whether they have been victims of sexual misconduct, experts said.

 

Many potential jurors were dismissed in pre-screening after saying they could not be fair and impartial in the case.

 

Weinstein, once one of Hollywood’s most powerful producers, made his mark with critically acclaimed films such as “The English Patient” and “Shakespeare in Love.”

 

On Jan. 6, as the New York trial began, Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced new sexual assault charges against Weinstein.

 

On Wednesday, Weinstein filed a last-minute motion with a New York appellate court to have his trial delayed and moved out of Manhattan.

 

Weinstein last year sought to move the case to Long Island or Albany, saying media scrutiny in Manhattan would make a fair trial impossible, but the motion was denied.

 

Higher standards coming for civil aviation

By The Nation

 

Chula Sukmanop

 

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) plans to introduce “Standards towards Sustainability” with the focus on upgrading safety standards – including in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS). Director-general Chula Sukmanop briefed reporters on the plans on Thursday (January 15) at a Bangkok hotel.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1143690-higher-standards-coming-for-civil-aviation/

 

Higher standards coming for civil aviation

By The Nation

 

Chula Sukmanop

 

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) plans to introduce “Standards towards Sustainability” with the focus on upgrading safety standards – including in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS). Director-general Chula Sukmanop briefed reporters on the plans on Thursday (January 15) at a Bangkok hotel.

 

He noted the increasing use of drones now that they are highly affordable and often carry advanced technology. 

 

But their common use poses risks to the safety of communities and commercial flight operations, and to individual privacy.

 

HEMS, in contrast, offer the advantage of quicker access to accident victims and hospital patients in critical condition.

 

Chula said CAAT needs to boost its operational efficiency by “promoting its core values to development in the same direction”.

 

It will do so by upgrading standard to match those of the International Civil Aviation Organisation and developing a regulatory system consistent with international standards, he said.

 

Chula reported that it’s estimated Thai air transport carried 165.11 million passengers in 2019, an increase of 2.2 per cent from 2018. Of these, 76.2 million were domestic travellers, a 3.1-per-cent decline from 2018, whereas foreign passengers totalled 88.91 million, up 7.3 per cent.

 

“These figures suggest a slowdown in the Thai aviation industry,” he said, “so it’s vital that we upgrade our standards to keep pace with incoming changes and make civil aviation development sustainable in every respect.”

 

CAAT, a state agency overseen by the Ministry of Transport, is in charge of regulating, promoting and developing the civil aviation sector. 

 

Its mission includes supporting robust growth among operators and increasing their international competitiveness.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30380667

 

‘Not enough water for 2020’, says Phuket water chief

By The Phuket News

 

Phuket Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) Chief Graison Mahamad announced the news at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday (Jan 15). Photo PR Dept

 

PHUKET:-- Phuket Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) Chief Graison Mahamad has announced a slew of measures to conserve what little water supplies Phuket has in the hope of staving off serious water shortages across the island.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1143689-‘not-enough-water-for-2020’-says-phuket-water-chief/

 

‘Not enough water for 2020’, says Phuket water chief

By The Phuket News

 

Phuket Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) Chief Graison Mahamad announced the news at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday (Jan 15). Photo PR Dept

 

PHUKET:-- Phuket Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) Chief Graison Mahamad has announced a slew of measures to conserve what little water supplies Phuket has in the hope of staving off serious water shortages across the island.

 

“We don’t have enough water to produce in 2020 because the water levels at the three main reservoirs – Bang Wad, Bang Neow Dum and Khlong Kratha reservoirs – are so low,” Mr Graison told a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday (Jan 15).

 

Mr Graisorn told The Phuket News today (Jan 16) that Bang Wad reservoir in Kathu held 2.832 million cubic metres of water – about 27.2% of the reservoir’s full capacity. “This is enough to last 83 days,” he said.

 

Full Story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/not-enough-water-for-2020-says-phuket-water-chief-74423.php