Koh Ker temple inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list (VIDEO)
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Community Air Force Airlifts Critically Ill Patient from Bueng Kan to Udon Thani Hospital Just in Time
Pictures courtesy of Khaosod. A critically ill patient has been successfully airlifted from Bueng Kan to Udon Thani Hospital by the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), arriving just in time to receive life-saving medical treatment. Air Force spokesman Air Vice Marshal Prapas Sonjaidee confirmed that the emergency mission was carried out on 30 April after RTAF medical teams received an urgent request to assist a patient whose condition required immediate advanced care. Following a swift medical assessment, the situation was deemed critical enough to warrant air evacuation. Given the geographical distance and urgency, the Air Force determined that aerial transport was the safest and fastest option. The mission was executed by the 2038 Aviation Unit using an EC-725 helicopter. The aircraft departed from Wing 23 to collect the patient in Bueng Kan before flying back to Udon Thani, where the patient was handed over to awaiting medical professionals. The operation was carried out according to pre-established emergency protocols and successfully concluded with the patient safely in the care of doctors. The Air Force highlighted the mission as a demonstration of its commitment and readiness to support the public in urgent medical scenarios. Adapted by Asean Now from Khaosod 2025-05-02. -
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Crime Filipino Man Arrested for Skipping Luxury Hotel Bills
Damage to the hotels ego maybe. -
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Taxpayers to Pay Surgery Costs for Non-binary Canadian to make them intersex
Ontario Court Ruling Mandates Public Funding for Unique Gender-Affirming Surgery In a landmark case that has stirred significant public debate, a Canadian court has ruled that the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) must fund a gender-affirming surgery for a non-binary individual who seeks to construct a vagina while retaining a fully functional penis. The decision marks a first in Canadian healthcare policy and has broader implications for gender-affirming medical access. The individual at the center of the case, referred to only as K.S. in legal documents, was assigned male at birth but identifies as transfeminine and non-binary, using she/her pronouns. K.S., now 34, brought a legal challenge against OHIP in 2022 after the insurer refused to cover the cost of a procedure that is not offered in Canada. The surgery, known as penile-sparing vaginoplasty, is only available at a clinic in Texas and is estimated to cost between $70,000 and $90,000, including travel expenses. K.S. argued that the denial violated her rights under Ontario's Health Insurance Act. The procedure would involve constructing a neo-vagina in the area between her scrotum and anus while preserving her existing male genitalia. Her request was backed by medical professionals including Dr. Irena Druce, an endocrinologist at the Ottawa Hospital, and mental health counselor Yael Sela. Both assessed K.S. and diagnosed her with persistent gender dysphoria, confirming that she met all the prerequisites for gender-affirming surgery, including a year of hormone therapy and 12 months of living in a gender role consistent with her identity. Initially, OHIP denied the request, stating the surgery was experimental and not listed among covered procedures because it did not include a penectomy. However, the Health and Services Appeal and Review Board overturned this decision, arguing that the surgery still qualifies as a vaginoplasty—a term that encompasses various techniques. OHIP then appealed to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice but lost again. The panel of judges—Benjamin Zarnett, Steve Coroza, and Lise Favreau—ruled unanimously that the surgery should be publicly funded. “A vaginoplasty without a penectomy is an insured service because it is still a vaginoplasty, a specifically listed service,” the court concluded. The judges emphasized that the existence of different surgical approaches does not negate the validity of the procedure under the current benefits schedule. According to K.S.'s physician, maintaining both genital features is central to her gender identity. “She identifies as transfeminine but not completely on the 'feminine' end of the spectrum and for this reason it’s important for her to have a vagina while maintaining her penis,” the letter stated. As part of the ruling, the court also awarded K.S. $23,250 in legal costs. Ontario has until June 23 to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada. In the meantime, K.S. and her legal team are celebrating the outcome. “K.S. is pleased with the Court of Appeal's decision, which is now the third unanimous ruling confirming that her gender affirming surgery is covered under Ontario's Health Insurance Act and its regulation,” said her lawyer, John McIntyre. K.S. previously shared her thoughts about the case and her identity on social media, identifying herself as a disability advocate and discussing her struggles with bipolar disorder and the mental health challenges linked to childhood trauma. Although she later deleted her Reddit account, posts surfaced that revealed aspects of her personal life and identity, which included membership in niche online communities. The court’s decision sets a significant precedent in Canadian health law and highlights the evolving understanding of gender identity and medical necessity in legal and medical contexts. Whether or not the province decides to appeal, the ruling has already opened the door for broader interpretations of what constitutes gender-affirming care under public health insurance. Adpated by ASEAN Now from Daily Mail 2025-05-02 -
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Kamala Harris Reemerges with a Stark Warning on Democracy’s Future
Kamala Harris Reemerges with a Stark Warning on Democracy’s Future After months of political silence following her departure from Washington, Kamala Harris returned to the national spotlight with a pointed warning about the future of American democracy. In her first significant public address since leaving office, the former vice president voiced the growing fears within the Democratic Party and praised fellow party leaders for speaking out against President Trump. Speaking at a Democratic women’s political event in San Francisco — the city where her political journey began two decades ago — Harris expressed deep concern about the trajectory of the nation under Trump’s renewed leadership. Harris had remained largely out of view during the first 100 days of Trump’s latest term, quietly reflecting in Los Angeles and weighing a potential run for California governor. However, her remarks on Wednesday night marked a deliberate and carefully crafted return. “That is a crisis that will eventually impact everyone,” she said, warning that the nation faces a looming constitutional breakdown if the courts and Congress fail to serve as checks on the presidency. “Because it would mean that the rules that protect our fundamental rights and freedoms, that ensure each of us has a say in how our government works, will no longer matter.” The 16-minute speech struck a tone of urgency and alarm, echoing concerns that many Democrats have been voicing for months. Harris made her remarks beneath the chandeliers of a hotel ballroom in front of Emerge, an organization dedicated to promoting Democratic women in politics. “It’s wonderful to be home,” she told the audience, smiling as she reconnected with the political base that first helped launch her career. Though widely expected to announce her candidacy for California’s 2026 gubernatorial race by the end of the summer, Harris made no mention of her political plans during the speech. Instead, she focused squarely on national issues and the broader implications of what she described as a Republican agenda that has been “decades in the making.” According to Harris, what may appear as chaos is, in fact, calculated. “It’s an agenda, a narrow, self-serving vision of America where they punish truth tellers, favor loyalists, cash in on their power, and leave everyone else to fend for themselves,” she said. “All while abandoning allies and retreating from the world.” Despite her absence from the public eye, Harris has remained a sought-after figure in Democratic circles. Her spokeswoman, Kirsten Allen, noted that Harris has taken calls from fellow Democrats considering their own political runs, seeking her guidance. However, the former vice president has been characteristically guarded about her own ambitions. “I don’t think she’s made up her mind because I would have heard the drumbeats,” said Mark Buell, a longtime Democratic donor and friend of Harris who helped finance her first campaign in 2003. Her return comes at a time when other high-profile Democrats are energizing the base with increasingly aggressive rhetoric. Figures like Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have been drawing crowds with their “Fighting Oligarchy” rallies, while Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has urged Democrats to “fight everywhere and all at once.” Harris acknowledged their efforts in her speech, saluting Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez, and others for challenging Trump’s policies. The 2026 gubernatorial race is expected to be fiercely contested, especially since Governor Gavin Newsom is term-limited. Several Democratic hopefuls, including Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and former congresswoman Katie Porter, were in the audience for Harris’s address. Porter commented afterward, “The vice president will make her decision when she’s ready, and I’m sure she’ll let us know one way or the other.” While Porter is moving forward with her own campaign, she acknowledged that Harris’s entrance could dramatically alter the field. On the Republican side, figures such as former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco have already declared their intentions. Hilton responded to Harris’s speech with a pointed challenge: “You were a disaster as a presidential candidate; you’d be defending the disaster of a Democrat rule in California. I can’t wait to have a real policy debate with you.” If Harris does decide to run, her candidacy is expected to reshape the race significantly, prompting strategic shifts among both Democrats and Republicans. For now, her return signals not just a potential campaign but a renewed commitment to defending what she sees as the foundations of American democracy. Adpated by ASEAN Now from The Hill 2025-05-02 -
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Extremism Allegations Resurface as MAB Director Dismisses October 7 Atrocities as ‘Lies’
Title: Extremism Allegations Resurface as MAB Director Dismisses October 7 Atrocities as ‘Lies’ Anas Altikriti, a former president and current director of the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB), is facing renewed scrutiny after dismissing the atrocities committed on October 7, 2023, as falsehoods and defending the taking of hostages by Hamas as a legitimate act of resistance. These comments have prompted further concerns over the ideological leanings of MAB, an organization that has long denied any extremist affiliations. Altikriti, a British Iraqi and founder of the Cordoba Foundation, which has also been linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, referred to the well-documented mass killings and rapes of Israeli citizens by Hamas fighters on October 7 as “a lie.” In a video interview from November 2023, he said: “The taking of hostages is a very important part of any strategic sort of military action or act of resistance or the such because for every hostage you can then negotiate. You have personnel who are vital and crucial at least in your thinking and your mind to your adversary, to your enemy, so it’s a negotiating power.” He went on to say: “For the people of Gaza, for Hamas, for the resistance, call them as you may, a hostage is very, very valuable, and therefore they will be looked after, they will be cared for, they will be cared for even more than the actual citizens of Gaza simply because they provide cover for the resistance, they provide a negotiating card once the battle arrives at a point where people are sitting around the table or talking at least about some sort of deal. Therefore those hostages were taken by Hamas in order to negotiate more freedoms, more rights, the breakout of this prison that we call Gaza, this concentration camp that we call Gaza.” Altikriti’s statements, which include outright denials of rape and mass murder, have drawn widespread criticism. In December 2023, he reacted to the UK government’s designation of Hamas as a terrorist group by claiming, “Allegations of rape made by Israel are false. It’s a lie… Just like every other allegation made by Israel turns out to be a lie, including the mass slaughter of Israeli citizens on the 7th of October. That too was a lie.” On the day of the attacks, Altikriti took to social media to express support for the Hamas operation. “What did we think was going to happen? That Palestinians would stay silent whilst forever subjugated, victimised, abused, violated, murdered and tortured?! This is for every time western governments stayed silent and whitewashed Israel’s crimes and violations,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Despite these remarks, the MAB has attempted to distance itself from Altikriti, asserting in a public statement that he “does not speak for, nor represent the views of the MAB.” However, according to Companies House, Altikriti remains not only a director but is also designated as the organization’s sole “person with significant control.” Founded in 1997, the MAB presents itself as a platform for British Muslims seeking to contribute positively to society. Yet the organization’s foundations and leadership have been subjects of repeated scrutiny. It was originally established by Muhammad Kathem Sawalha, a former Hamas chief, and co-organized a major pro-Palestine rally in London just one month after the October 7 massacre. A 2015 parliamentary report commissioned by then-Prime Minister David Cameron concluded that MAB was, in its early years, “dominated” by the Muslim Brotherhood — a group outlawed by multiple Middle Eastern governments, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The same report noted the group’s links to the Cordoba Foundation, which Altikriti heads, and which Cameron previously labeled a front for the Brotherhood. The government’s concerns about MAB’s ideological affiliations have continued into recent years. In 2023, Michael Gove proposed in Parliament that the organization be considered for inclusion under a newly defined list of “extremist” groups, amid growing alarm about statements and associations that critics argue undermine efforts to combat terrorism in the UK. Related Topic: Labour Faces Ongoing Threat From Gaza-Backed Independents in Local Elections Adpated by ASEAN Now from The Telegraph 2025-05-02 -
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China Accuses U.S. of COVID-19 Origins in Escalating War of Words
China Accuses U.S. of COVID-19 Origins in Escalating War of Words China has publicly accused the United States of being the original source of the COVID-19 pandemic, doubling down on its rejection of the lab leak theory and casting doubt on Western narratives. The accusation came just as the U.S. government renewed its claims that the coronavirus likely leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan, China — a theory Beijing continues to strongly reject. On Wednesday, the Chinese government released a white paper in which it asserted that “substantial evidence” points to the possibility that COVID-19 was circulating in the United States before the virus ever emerged in China. In the report, Chinese officials claimed the U.S. has attempted to “shift the blame and divert people’s attention by shamelessly politicizing SARS-CoV-2 origins tracing” rather than taking responsibility for its own early missteps in responding to the crisis. The timing of China’s report appears to be a direct response to updates on a White House webpage earlier this month that reiterated the Biden administration’s support for the lab leak theory. The page now includes language stating that “a lab-related incident involving gain-of-function research is the most likely the origin of COVID-19.” The U.S. report also criticized existing oversight mechanisms for such research, describing them as “incomplete, severely convoluted, and lack[ing] global applicability.” The CIA, which had previously been unable to determine the origin of the virus, updated its assessment in January to suggest that a lab-based origin was more likely than a natural one. However, the agency added a crucial caveat: it had “low confidence” in its conclusion and acknowledged that both a lab origin and a natural spillover from animals remain plausible. This cautious stance is echoed by other U.S. federal bodies such as the FBI and a congressional panel, which have also lent credibility to the lab leak theory. China, meanwhile, continues to stand by earlier investigations it conducted in partnership with the World Health Organization. In their joint study, experts concluded that it was “extremely unlikely” that the virus had originated from a laboratory. The report instead supported the theory that COVID-19 was most likely transmitted from bats to humans via an intermediary animal. China’s white paper not only challenges the lab leak hypothesis but also criticizes the U.S. for its handling of the pandemic. “It has severely undermined joint international efforts in the fight against the pandemic and become a weak link in global public health governance,” the report charged. Beijing also accused Washington of ignoring “numerous questions over its conduct” and failing to adequately respond to the virus in its early stages. While China faces ongoing criticism for allegedly covering up the severity of the outbreak during its initial phase, it has now flipped the script, suggesting that the U.S. not only botched its own pandemic response but may also bear responsibility for the virus’s origin. “The US cannot continue to turn a deaf ear to the numerous questions over its conduct,” Chinese officials stated. As both countries continue to exchange allegations, the true origin of COVID-19 remains one of the most politically charged and unresolved questions of the global health crisis. Adpated by ASEAN Now from NYP 2025-05-02
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