Ecuador coast past hapless hosts Qatar in World Cup opener
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2022
Reuters
Ecuador eased past World Cup debutants Qatar 2-0 on Sunday (November 20) with two goals from veteran striker Enner Valencia in a first opening game defeat for a host nation in the tournament’s history.
Ecuador’s all-time top scorer, nicknamed “Superman” at home, scored an early penalty and added a well-taken 31st-minute header to give the South Americans a commanding first-half lead as the Qataris looked overcome by the enormity of the occasion.
It could have been even worse for the hosts in front of a 67,372 crowd at the tent-shaped Al Bayt stadium had Valencia, 33, not had a third minute header disallowed for a marginal offside after goalkeeper Saad Alsheeb had flapped at the ball.
It was Alsheeb who later tripped Valencia when he was through on goal and then dived the wrong way as the Ecuadorean coolly dispatched the resulting penalty in the 16th minute.
For his second, Valencia was unmarked but still showed great technique to stoop and take Angelo Preciado’s cross almost from behind him to head past Alsheeb again.
That goal killed the Group A game as a contest and the second half was played at a slow pace, with many Qataris leaving before the end as Ecuador’s fans chanted “Ole!”
Despite an enviously long time to bond and train together, including summer camps in Europe, Qatar looked largely toothless. Almoez Ali had their best chance at the end of the first half, heading wide but then judged offside.
Mohammed Muntari also fired over in the dying minutes.
Both sides now have to play Senegal and the Netherlands in the group stage, with Qatar’s chances of picking up points or qualifying looking slim on this performance.
Ecuador are dreaming of surpassing their best ever previous World Cup showing when they reached the last 16 in 2006.
The World Cup kicked off in Qatar on Sunday (November 20) with the Muslim nation, which faced a barrage of criticism over its treatment of foreign workers, LGBT rights and social restrictions, staking its reputation on delivering a smooth tournament.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani arrived at the stadium flanked by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, to a roaring crowd, and took their seats alongside other Arab leaders.
A show then unfolded on the pitch, featuring American actor Morgan Freeman and a performance of a new tournament song called Dreamers featuring singer Jungkook of K-pop boy band BTS, alongside Qatari singer Fahad Al-Kubaisi.
Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and the presidents of Egypt, Turkey and Algeria, as well as the United Nations Secretary-General, are among leaders at the in a tent-shaped stadium ahead of the first match between the hosts and Ecuador.
General view outside the stadium with fireworks during the opening ceremony
Qatar, which has denied accusations of abuse of workers and discrimination, and FIFA hope the spotlight will now turn to action on the pitch. Organisers have also denied allegations of bribery for hosting rights.
Inside Al Bayt Stadium many seats were still vacant with gridlock on the expressway leading to the arena, where cheers went up as Qatar’s team appeared for their opening match.
The soccer tournament, the first held in the Middle East and the most expensive in its history, is a culmination of Qatar’s soft power push, after a 3-1/2 year boycott by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain which ended in 2021.
Surgery on wrong ear: Top surgeon loses registration
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2022
Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC) has suspended the registration of Prof Dr Ali Zaheer Al Amin, the managing director of Impulse Hospital in Dhaka, for showing negligence during surgery.
The doctor performed surgery on the wrong ear of a patient.
According to a letter, signed by Dr Md Liaqat Hossain, acting registrar of BMDC, on November 16, Prof Dr Ali Zaheer Al Amin will not be able to work as a physician for a period of one year from today.
In 2020, Ali Zaheer performed surgery on the right ear of a patient, 38, instead of the ailing left ear, read the letter.
Despite his mistake, he misled the patient’s guardians by providing incorrect information.
Ziaur Rahman Bhuyian, husband of the patient, later filed a complaint to the BMDC in this regard.
In response, the BMDC launched an investigation and sought an explanation from the doctor.
Ali Zaheer submitted his written explanation to the BMDC on October 31.
The authorities did not find the explanation satisfactory and decided to suspend the doctor for one year.
Bodies of Thai women trekkers airlifted from Annapurna trail in Nepal
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2022
The bodies of two Thai women were airlifted by helicopter from the Himalayan foothills of Nepal on Saturday after a fatal hiking accident.
The two women died while trekking the Annapurna trail on Friday morning, according to Nepalese media outlet Mount Everest Today.
Rataya Philaisengsuri, 49, and Penny Aranlum, 37, died at the foot of Mesokanto La Pass, 4,200 metres above sea level, as they were descending from Manang to the small village of Mustang.
“According to sources, two foreign female tourists fell ill and were injured while entering Mustang through Tilicho Lake,” Mount Everest Today said.
The Thais were part of a group of 22 trekkers – 12 foreigners, eight porters, and two guides – who set out on a round-trip from Besi Sahar in Lamjung on November 11 and reached Tilicho Lake on Thursday.
Tilicho lies 4,919 metres above sea level and is the world’s highest lake.
The bodies of the women were flown to Nepal’s capital of Kathmandu for autopsies, according to local reports.
US VP Harris promises $20m for Mekong clean energy partnership
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2022
Stephanie Adair
Before heading to the Philippines, US Vice President Kamala Harris met environmental activists and clean energy leaders to discuss the climate crisis in the Mekong region.
She also announced that the US will provide $20 million (717.66 million baht) to clean energy projects in the Mekong region as part of the Japan-US-Mekong Power Partnership (JUMPP).
The vice president noted that Thailand suffers from severe drought, floods, and extreme heat due to uncontrolled development upstream of the river. She said bold action is not only necessary to protect the people on this planet and its natural resources, it is also a powerful driver of economic growth.
“In addition to the $20 million investment the US is making for clean energy in the Mekong region, we anticipate to also discuss the importance of environmental protection, natural resource governance, youth empowerment, and civic engagement,” she said.
“We will also discuss opportunities for economic development, entrepreneurship and innovation in the clean energy future.”
Drone retrieves Bangkok jet skier’s body from Kanchanaburi reservoir
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2022
The hunt for an 18-year-old who suffered a jet ski accident in Kanchanaburi’s Srinakarin Dam reservoir last month ended on Saturday when a team of divers finally located his body.
Mawin Netdecha, a tourist from Bangkok, was on a visit to the reservoir when fell from a jet ski being driven by a friend on October 24.
Rescuers began searching immediately but called off their mission on November 9 after finding no signs of the missing teen.
On Friday, a Navy team began searching the reservoir with underwater drones.
On Saturday morning, 20 dive teams from several provinces entered the water on a 48-hour search mission. At around 3pm, divers located Mawin’s body lying at the bottom of the reservoir at a depth of 70 metres. However, they were unable to retrieve it.
At 6pm on Sunday, the team launched an underwater drone, which finally brought the body to the surface at 7.05pm.
A medical team performed a basic autopsy on the corpse before it was sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the Police General Hospital in Bangkok.
Baht weakens on Monday, signalling rally may be over
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2022
The baht opened at 35.85 to the US dollar on Monday, weakening from Friday’s close of 35.73.
The currency will likely move between 35.65 and 36.85 against the greenback during the day and between 35.45 and 36.10 during the week, Krungthai market strategist Poon Panichpibool said.
Bloomberg reported on Monday that the baht’s 6% rally against the dollar over the past month could be coming to an end in the absence of new catalysts, such as the return of Chinese tourists.
Poon cautioned that the baht might weaken if the market is concerned that the US Federal Reserve will hike the interest rate again.
He also advised monitoring the gold price, saying a drop in the price could lure investors to buy gold, which would pressure the baht to weaken.
The baht would also face downward pressure if foreign funds flow out of the Thai stock market in large quantities. However, Poon said the Thai economy was in continuous recovery and the baht’s resistance level of around 36 to the dollar would slow any weakening of the Thai currency.
Poon also advised that the dollar might strengthen further from concern that the Fed will increase the interest rate. He advised keeping an eye on the result of the Fed’s December meeting. However, the dollar is unlikely to strengthen much if European economic data are better than expected, bolstering the euro.
He also advised investors to use hedging tools such as options to manage risks in a highly volatile currency market.
A productive and highly successful APEC Summit 2022 ended in Bangkok today, with the leaders endorsing the importance of a Bio-Circular-Green economic model, sustainability and also recognising the challenges facing the world, in particular the Russia-Ukraine war and climate change. Thailand also handed over the baton to the next APEC host, the United States
The 29th APEC meeting in Bangkok had special significance as it was the first meeting of APEC leaders in person after the Covid-19 pandemic.
This year, under the APEC theme “Open. Connect. Balance.”, Thailand pushed three priorities: to be open to all opportunities, be connected in all dimensions, and balanced in all aspects, to advance long-term robust, innovative and inclusive economic growth as well as sustainability objectives in the Asia-Pacific region.
This morning, Apec 2022 wrapped up with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha symbolically handing the Apec “chalom” over to US Vice President Kamala Harris, who represented President Biden, as the next Apec host.
The handover ceremony took place at around noon, with Prayut saying the chalom – the traditional Thai basket and this year’s Apec logo – represented strength, flexibility and consistency. He said he hoped the US would uphold Apec’s aims and visions when it hosts the next summit.
The Prime Minister said: “We hope the BCG [bio-circular-green] economic model will also be one of the main factors that bring economies together.” He hoped that the US and other economies would work together to help the Asia-Pacific region prosper, adding the world is undergoing significant changes and that environment and sustainability are crucial.
During the APEC Summit, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) participated in the meeting to present the 2022 Global Economic Outlook. In addition, APEC Leaders engaged in dialogues with the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) as well as special guests — the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the President of the French Republic — to exchange views with the private sector and APEC’s external partners.
During APEC 2022, the meetings were divided into three areas: Senior Officials’ meetings, APEC Ministerial Meetings and APEC Leaders Meetings.
Yesterday at the Apec Ministerial Meetings, 48 joint statements were issued, setting three priorities to promote trade and investment among the 21 member economies. The meeting was chaired by two Thai Cabinet members — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai and Deputy Premier and Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit.
The declaration, adopted by consensus, by APEC Economic Leaders, were: the 2022 APEC Leaders’ Declaration, and the Bangkok Goals on BCG Economy Model. APEC 2022 saw Thailand, as host economy, navigate APEC through a year full of uncertainties to achieve three key deliverables. These include (1) the FTAAP Agenda Work Plan 2023 – 2026 to take forward the refreshed conversation on the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP) in the post-COVID context, to help build capacities of economies to better prepare for next generation trade issues; (2) the Safe Passage Taskforce’s recommendations on how APEC’s safe passage work should be carried forward to continue building resilience in the region’s travel infrastructure against future disruptions, and (3) the adoption of the Bangkok Goals on BCG Economy, as APEC’s first comprehensive goals on sustainability and inclusivity agendas, which focus on 4 key areas: climate change mitigation, sustainable trade and investment, environmental conservation and waste management.
The members also averred that the war in Ukraine, caused by the Russia’s aggression, has adversely impacted the global economy. They demanded the complete and unconditional withdrawal from the territory of Ukraine. Most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed it is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy. It is constraining growth, increasing inflation, disrupting supply chains, heightening energy and food insecurity, and elevating financial stability risks. There were other views and different assessments of the situation and sanctions. Recognising that APEC is not the forum to resolve security issues, the members acknowledged that security issues can have significant consequences for the global economy.
The 21 members affirmed their commitment to promote strong, balanced, secure, sustainable and inclusive growth, recognise that more intensive efforts are needed to address today’s challenges, including climate change, extreme weather and natural disasters, food security, and sustainable energy transitions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while ensuring energy resilience, access and security in the region, including by facilitating investments in relevant activities.
And this is a summary of everything that happened at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center during APEC Thailand 2022. I am Neeracha Malisak- Lemire reporting from the Apec summit centre.
Harris, Prayut pledge to further deepen Thailand-US ties, cooperation
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2022
Apec 2022 came to a successful end on Saturday with Thailand and the US reaffirming their alliance and commitment to advancing bilateral ties and cooperation.
US Vice President Kamala Harris also expressed Washington’s readiness to build upon the existing cooperation when it hosts the Apec Summit next year.
“Both sides were pleased with the close Thailand–US partnership, which has continued to see increasing dynamism and underscores their commitment to enhancing the multi-faceted cooperation,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Harris and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha also voiced commitment to further develop supply chain cooperation based on the Thailand-US Memorandum on Promoting Supply Chain Resilience, which was signed in July.
“Prayut also emphasised readiness to work with the US to further promote investment cooperation in Thailand’s targeted industries, particularly clean energy, electric vehicle, smart electronics, digital industry, and medical hub industry,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Prayut and Harris also discussed building upon the strong US-Thailand partnership on security and law enforcement in addressing both conventional and modern-day security challenges.
“Both sides are working closely to enhance capacity in law enforcement and preventing and suppressing transnational crimes, including combatting drug trafficking, enhancing marine patrol capability, and anti-money laundering,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Prayut also reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to working together to achieve tangible results from the Ayeyawady–Chao Phraya–Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy and Mekong–US Partnership, so they benefit the prosperity of the region.
“The US also plans to provide an additional US$20 million [717.68 million baht] to promote development cooperation in the Mekong sub-region through Japan-US Mekong Power Partnership,” the ministry added.
General view outside the stadium with fireworks during the opening ceremony
General view during the opening ceremony
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