Another year, Another lizard: One marks the passage of time by the return of the Tokay?
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Trump Wants Alcatraz Back: ‘The Rock’ to Cage America’s Worst?
Well I hope the birds feel better soon. -
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THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Tuesday 6 May 2025
Mob Gathers Outside Bangkok Police Station After Woman Brutally Beaten by Group Picture courtesy of Khaosod. A violent assault on a 27-year-old woman by a group of men and women in a Bangkok alley sparked outrage overnight, as over 100 of the victim’s friends and supporters gathered at Suttisan Police Station, nearly mobbing the alleged attackers in a tense standoff with police. Full story:https://aseannow.com/topic/1359842-mob-gathers-outside-bangkok-police-station-after-woman-brutally-beaten-by-group/ -
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Crime Mob Gathers Outside Bangkok Police Station After Woman Brutally Beaten by Group
Picture courtesy of Khaosod. A violent assault on a 27-year-old woman by a group of men and women in a Bangkok alley sparked outrage overnight, as over 100 of the victim’s friends and supporters gathered at Suttisan Police Station, nearly mobbing the alleged attackers in a tense standoff with police. The incident took place late on 4 May outside an apartment complex in Soi Ratchadaphisek 13, Din Daeng district. A video clip of the attack, lasting four minutes, was widely circulated on social media, showing the victim attempting to flee before being dragged back and beaten again by the group. The victim was later identified as Ms Mai, aged 27. Her family, who had been unable to contact her following the attack, sought help from Suttisan Police and a local activist page. Officers eventually found Ms Mai walking disoriented in a nearby alley and reunited her with relatives before she filed a formal complaint. Suttisan Police swiftly detained three suspects, two women and one man, for questioning. However, tensions flared at the police station as more than 100 friends of the victim arrived and attempted to physically assault the suspects as they were being led into the investigation room. A team of over 20 officers was deployed to restore order and negotiate with the crowd, which later dispersed peacefully. Investigations have identified five people involved in the assault, three women and two men. Police are currently tracking down the remaining two suspects. Ms Chantana the victim’s 51-year-old mother, expressed deep anguish over the attack. “My daughter begged them to stop. She surrendered, she told them she was pregnant, but they didn’t stop. They chased and beat her again. I will not accept any compromise. I want full justice,” she said. She acknowledged that her daughter has a history of drug use and mental health issues and had previously undergone rehabilitation. She also mentioned that there had been prior conflict between her daughter and the assailants, although details were unclear. Friends of the victim stated that Ms Mai had previously been assaulted during the Songkran festival and had retaliated against her rivals on 1 May, a few days before the latest incident. However, they condemned the severity of the latest attack as excessive and brutal. Police are treating the incident as two separate cases: the earlier attack allegedly carried out by Ms Mai and the current assault against her. Authorities assured that the investigation would be fair to all parties based on the facts and evidence. Adapted by Asean Now from Khaosod 2025-05-06. -
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Behind the Veil: As China’s Economy Falters, Key Data Vanishes from Public View
Behind the Veil: As China’s Economy Falters, Key Data Vanishes from Public View China’s economy is facing increasing scrutiny, not just for its sluggish performance but for how little is now known about it. In a sharp departure from the past, Beijing has stopped publishing hundreds of key statistics that were once crucial to understanding the health of the world’s second-largest economy. From land sales and foreign investment to unemployment and even soy sauce production, swaths of data once available to researchers, economists, and investors have simply disappeared. “This is not just about numbers—it’s about narrative control,” said one analyst familiar with China’s data practices. According to a Wall Street Journal analysis, the missing statistics now number in the hundreds, and most of them have vanished without explanation. The absence coincides with growing signs of distress in China’s economy: spiraling debt, a real estate sector in decline, and rising joblessness. Even the National Bureau of Statistics has grown more opaque. When an anonymous user on its website questioned the disappearance of certain urban unemployment figures, the bureau responded only that the ministry responsible for the data had ceased sharing it. The timing of this blackout is critical. As the U.S.-China trade war bites deeper into China’s export-dependent industries and global economic growth wavers, transparent economic data has become more essential—and more elusive. China’s GDP growth figures have long been met with skepticism. In 2023, the government reported 5.2% growth and in 2024, exactly 5%, matching its official target. But analysts have raised serious doubts. Many believe the real number could be 2 to 3 percentage points lower. “It would have been more credible if authorities had released something lower,” one economist told the Journal, pointing out that other indicators like retail sales and construction painted a gloomier picture. Some institutions have begun turning to indirect measurements to paint a clearer picture. Economists use satellite imagery to track nighttime lights, monitor electricity use at cement factories, and even analyze Baidu’s mapping data to estimate business activity. One researcher resorted to tallying news stories about gym and beauty salon owners vanishing with prepaid customer money as a proxy for economic distress. Concerns about the reliability of official data are nothing new. In 2007, former Premier Li Keqiang privately told the U.S. ambassador that provincial GDP figures were “man-made” and unreliable, preferring to track electricity consumption, rail freight, and bank loans. “Official GDP figures were ‘for reference only,’” he said, according to a leaked diplomatic cable. The disconnect between official figures and reality has never been more stark. In 2024, Goldman Sachs used import data as a proxy for domestic consumption and estimated actual growth at 3.7%. Rhodium Group, a U.S.-based research firm, put it even lower—at just 2.4%. Gao Shanwen, a prominent economist at the state-run SDIC Securities, publicly estimated that growth “might be around 2%” in recent years. He was swiftly disciplined and banned from speaking publicly. The Securities Association of China later reminded brokerages to ensure their analysts “play a positive role” in supporting investor confidence. Efforts to shape perception have become more forceful. In August 2023, as youth unemployment soared and viral posts showed jobless graduates sprawled on sidewalks in silent protest, the government abruptly halted the publication of the youth jobless rate after it hit a record 21.3%. Economist Zhang Dandan had estimated the real figure might be 46.5%. When a new series was introduced five months later, it showed just 14.9%—excluding nearly 62 million full-time students. Economists were baffled, noting that international standards typically count students seeking work as unemployed. Perhaps most telling was the reaction to an investor exodus in early 2024. As the economy faltered and $2 billion in foreign capital fled Chinese equities, Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges stopped releasing real-time data on foreign inflows and outflows. They claimed the move aligned with “international practices,” even as the CSI 300 index slid for four straight months. For a country facing mounting internal and external pressures, maintaining an image of stability has become paramount. But in doing so, China has obscured the economic picture precisely when the world—and its own citizens—need clarity most. Adpated by ASEAN Now from Wall Street Journal 2025-05-06 -
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Australia Launches World’s Largest Battery-Electric Ship in Maritime Milestone
Australia Launches World’s Largest Battery-Electric Ship in Maritime Milestone In a moment hailed as a transformative step for green transportation, Australia this week unveiled the world’s largest battery-powered ship. The vessel, named Incat Hull 096, was launched from the Incat Tasmania shipyard in Hobart, drawing hundreds of onlookers who gathered to witness what is being called a breakthrough in sustainable maritime engineering. “This is a historic day – not just for Incat, but for the future of maritime transport,” declared Robert Clifford, chairman of Incat Tasmania, during the unveiling ceremony. His words underscored the gravity of the achievement, which he described as the most ambitious and significant project the company has taken on in its four-decade history. “We’ve been building world-leading vessels here in Tasmania for more than four decades, and Hull 096 is the most ambitious, most complex, and most important project we’ve ever delivered. This ship changes the game,” he said. The vessel was commissioned by Buquebus, a South American ferry operator, and will serve as a link between Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Uruguay. Measuring 426 feet in length, Hull 096 has the capacity to transport up to 2,100 passengers and 225 vehicles across the Rio de la Plata — all powered by electricity alone. Eight electric-driven water jets propel the ship, which also holds the title of the world’s largest electric vehicle. The battery system onboard is unprecedented in scale, featuring over 551,000 pounds of lithium-ion batteries and a storage capacity exceeding 40 megawatt-hours. This enormous power reserve enables the ship to maintain both speed and efficiency on a commercial scale, marking a shift in what is considered feasible for electric propulsion in large vessels. Incat’s chief executive, Stephen Casey, emphasized the broader implications of the launch. “Hull 096 proves that large-scale, low-emission transport solutions are not only possible, they are ready now,” he said, pointing to the ship as a real-world demonstration of how green technology can scale up to meet global transportation needs. Though the final cost of the ship has not been publicly disclosed, its impact on the industry is already making waves. The ship’s interior is still under construction, with plans for a 7,546-square-foot duty-free retail deck — the largest shopping space ever to be installed on a ferry — further underlining its scale and ambition. As the maritime world looks to decarbonize, Incat Tasmania is positioning itself at the forefront of this evolution. Clifford affirmed the company’s commitment to sustainability beyond this single vessel, stating, “We plan to build as many sustainable ships as possible for the global market, both here in Australia and overseas.” The launch of Hull 096 not only represents a technical feat but also sets a precedent for the future of sea travel, merging high-capacity transportation with zero-emission technology in a way that until now was largely theoretical. Adpated by ASEAN Now from NYP 2025-05-06 -
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Putin Expresses Hope to Avoid Nuclear Option in Ukraine as War Drags On
Putin Expresses Hope to Avoid Nuclear Option in Ukraine as War Drags On Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he hopes there will be no need to resort to nuclear weapons in Ukraine, even as he insisted that Russia possesses the strength and resources to bring the conflict to its “logical conclusion.” The comments, published Sunday, came during a state television documentary commemorating Putin’s 25 years in power. Putin, who launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, triggering the largest ground war in Europe since World War II, described the war as a decisive confrontation with the West. In the televised film titled Russia, Kremlin, Putin, 25 Years, he said: “They wanted to provoke us so that we made mistakes. There has been no need to use those weapons … and I hope they will not be required.” The Russian leader, shown seated beside a portrait of Tsar Alexander III—a symbol of autocratic rule and national strength—declared, “We have enough strength and means to bring what was started in 2022 to a logical conclusion with the outcome Russia requires.” The war has led to hundreds of thousands of casualties, and while Western leaders remain committed to supporting Ukraine, former U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the ongoing conflict. Trump has characterized the war as a proxy struggle between the United States and Russia and has voiced frustration at the lack of progress toward peace. “He wants to end the bloodbath,” his campaign has said, though the Kremlin has dismissed the possibility of rapid peace, citing the complexity of the situation. The invasion has been widely condemned by U.S. President Joe Biden, European leaders, and Ukrainian officials as an imperialist attempt by Russia to reclaim territory and influence. They maintain that Russia must be defeated to preserve Ukraine’s sovereignty and deter further aggression. Putin, however, continues to frame the war as a reaction to decades of Western humiliation, particularly the post-Cold War expansion of NATO into what he views as Russia’s sphere of influence. He sees the war as a historical turning point in Russia’s relations with the West, which he accuses of trying to contain and marginalize Moscow since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Trump, meanwhile, has warned the conflict could spiral into World War III if not resolved, a sentiment echoed by other prominent figures. In late 2022, then-CIA Director William Burns warned of the real possibility that Russia might resort to nuclear weapons—an assertion that Moscow swiftly denied. Putin’s remarks were delivered in the context of a carefully managed state documentary that provided a rare look into his personal life, including scenes of him offering chocolate and fermented milk drinks to Kremlin journalist Pavel Zarubin in his private kitchen. Reflecting on his quarter-century in power, Putin claimed he remains closely connected to the Russian people. “I don’t feel like some kind of politician,” he said. “I continue to breathe the very same air as millions of Russian citizens. It is very important. God willing that it continues as long as possible. And that it doesn’t disappear.” Putin also recounted a moment of vulnerability during the 2002 Nord-Ost theater siege in Moscow, when Chechen militants took over 900 people hostage. He said he knelt in prayer for the first time during that crisis, in which more than 130 hostages died. Now the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Josef Stalin, Putin presides over a deeply polarized Russia. While critics denounce him as a dictator presiding over a corrupt and fragile system, his supporters view him as a stabilizing force who restored national pride after the chaos of the 1990s. Russian pollsters continue to report approval ratings for Putin above 85%, though independent verification is difficult in a tightly controlled media environment. As the war enters its third year, the prospect of peace remains elusive, but Putin’s remarks suggest that while nuclear weapons remain part of Russia’s arsenal, he still views their use as a last resort. Adpated by ASEAN Now from CNN 2025-05-06
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