A deadly Chonburi pub blaze in the early hours of Friday was intensified by so-called backdraughts as superheated gasses ignited explosively.
The blaze left 14 people dead and 41 others injured, 14 of them seriously.
Nine of the dead victims were male and four female, while the sex of the remaining fatality has yet to be identified.
Rescue workers fighting the fire at the Mountain B pub in Chonburi’s Bang Lamung district said the blaze surged after someone opened the building’s front door.
The backdraught caused flames to surge explosively, engulfing pub patrons fleeing the blaze. Video clips of the scene show people emerging from the building with their clothes on fire, resulting in severe burns to their skin.
Backdraught occurs when oxygen suddenly enters to feed an oxygen-depleted fire in a confined space.
Firefighters blamed the blaze, which began at about 1.25am, on overheating fibre-optic cables. They said that when they arrived at the scene, the inferno had engulfed the building’s roof up to a height of five metres.
Among the dead were two members of the band Taewwaew, who were performing on stage when the fire broke out. Three other band members are in intensive care with severe burns.
The two dead musicians were the lead singer and a keyboardist, both of whom were temporary replacements for permanent band members, said the band’s lead singer, Thanapat Puangpae.
The 24-year-old said he had missed the performance because he was ill.
“I am shocked to learn what happened. I was supposed to sing that night,” he said. “I feel bad that the singer and keyboardist died. My condolences to their families.”
He added that the band’s bassist, drummer and guitarist were being treated for severe burns.
Police say Mountain B was operating illegally without a liquor licence. Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda has ordered officials to find out what caused the fire and who is to blame.
The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department issued a flood warning for three more provinces on Friday as heavy rain lashed the country.
Residents have been advised to prepare for floods in Udon Thani (Kut Chap district), Nakhon Phanom (That Phanom district), and Trat (Muang, Khlong Yai, and Khao Saming districts).
Meanwhile, Chiang Khan district in Loei province is also threatened by rising levels in the Mekong River.
The department advised residents to follow updates from government agencies and warned them to beware of dangers from electrocution, venomous snakes and insects washed out by the floods. Drivers should also be cautious of being caught in strong floodwater currents.
So far, five provinces across the country have reported flooding this week.
The flood-hit provinces range from Mae Hong Son and Mukdahan in the North to Udon Thani in the Northeast, Pathum Thani in Central Region and Phuket in the South.
A total of 87 households in eight districts have been inundated by floodwater since Tuesday, said the department. However, the floodwater was receding and no injuries or deaths had been reported in the eight districts.
The department said it was coordinating with local agencies to mount rescue efforts. Meanwhile officials are assessing flood damage for remedial measures from the Finance Ministry.
The public can report flooding via the department’s 1784 hotline or Line ID @1784DDPM.
Bullet trains tailored for the high-speed railway network linking Jakarta and the city of Bandung were unveiled on Friday in eastern China in preparation for the line’s scheduled opening, China Railway International said.
Atotal of 11 sets of bullet trains and an inspection train, all built in China, were showcased in Qingdao, Shandong province. They will be shipped to Indonesia soon.
According to China Railway International, the trains – designed and developed by CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co, Ltd – are based on the technology used in the China-made Fuxing bullet trains, which can accelerate to up to 350km per hour. For the Indonesian trains, CRRC has made changes in line with the local environment and routes and has also incorporated cultural elements to give passengers a comfortable travelling experience.
The 243km-line, a part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, began construction in 2018 and is expected to start operating from June next year.
With trains capable of reaching speeds of up to 350km per hour, the line will cut the journey between Jakarta and the capital of the West Java province from over three hours to just 40 minutes.
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Authorities in Banteay Meanchey province’s Poipet town have warned residents to be vigilant about flooding due to waters flowing over from Thailand as local and provincial officials are ready for disaster response efforts, according to Poipet governor Keat Hol.
Hol told The Post on August 3 that after receiving information from Thai authorities about the flooding in Sa Kaeo province, Poipet authorities immediately issued a flood warning to alert everyone living along waterways to maintain vigilance.
He added that authorities were ready to deal with any problems that could occur if the floods reach the province.
“We have gotten information from the Sa Kaeo provincial governor that floodwaters would be flowing over from Thailand. Poipet town is on the border with Sa Kaeo province, so he asked us to inform our people to be ready. We have already alerted the people living along the stream in Poipet. Our authorities have already prepared in case of anything happening and we can evacuate everyone quickly,” he said.
Hol said that as in the past, when some provinces or districts in Thailand flooded, it was almost certain that Poipet would bear the brunt.
He said these floods often occurred in Malai, O’Chrou, Svay Chek and Thma Puok districts and the waters inundated people’s houses and damaged their property and crops while forcing some residents to evacuate to higher ground.
O’Chrou district governor Yim Samnang said on August 3 that authorities were also ready to evacuate people to safety in the event of flooding.
Samnang said the floodwaters from Thailand mostly caused flooding in border villages because people live near streams in that area.
However, he said the commune now has less drainage than it did in the past due to various factors, so if there was a flood the water would probably stick around for a long time.
Lay Sothy, deputy director of the provincial Department of Water Resources and Meteorology, said on August 3 that based on the information he received on August 2, the floodwaters had not yet reached Cambodia.
He said the floodwaters typically flow from Thailand to Banteay Meanchey via O’Bei Choan commune and Thailand’s Aranh and that this happened every year.
“A few days ago we had rainfall, but not too heavy of rain. It was moderate. But it was raining cats and dogs on [August 3] and so far the weather situation has not changed much, but the water levels have not risen very high yet,” he said.
According to an announcement by the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology on August 2, from August 3-9, parts of Cambodia would be affected by a low-pressure valley called the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) that would linger across the northern part of Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.
This will cause strong southwest monsoon winds to affect the coastal areas, which will cause the central lowlands, highlands and coastal areas of Cambodia to possibly experience moderate levels of rainfall mixed with thunderstorms, strong winds and high waves.
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Ex-Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has formed a new “Malay movement” led by four small political parties, to contest 120 seats in the next general election.
The Gerakan Tanah Air (Homeland Movement) would field candidates in Malay-majority seats in Peninsular Malaysia, said its chairman Mahathir at a press conference on Thursday.
The group includes Parti Pejuang Tanah Air that Mahathir leads, Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) led by former deputy minister Ibrahim Ali, and two Muslim parties: Parti Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia (Berjasa) and the National Indian Muslim Alliance Party (Iman).
Mahathir, 97, said there are also non-governmental organisations, academicians and individuals in the new “movement”.
Only Pejuang has Members of Parliament in its ranks, with four federal seats including the Langkawi ward held by Mahathir.
Malaysia’s Parliament has 222 seats. The next general election must be held by September next year, but with speculation, it could be held in the next few months.
Speaking about Gerakan Tanah Air taking part in the polls, Mahathir said: “We will focus on the peninsula first. Although we do have a small movement in Sabah, there are no plans to contest there yet.”
He also said there was no candidate proposed by the movement for the position of prime minister yet.
The former premier added that the movement stood a strong chance of winning multi-cornered contests for the upcoming polls.
“Most Malays oppose corruption so we have a good chance because the people will want change,” he said, in reference to seats controlled by Malay parties Umno and Bersatu.
Umno and Bersatu are currently sharing federal power in an uneasy alliance led by the third prime minister after the 2018 general election.
Mahathir said his new group would not collaborate with the “court cluster” parties, in a reference to Umno leaders such as its president Zahid Hamidi and ex-premier Najib Razak who are facing corruption charges in court.
Mahathir said the four parties in the movement are free from any corruption record.
Mahathir earlier on Thursday announced the setting up of the Gerakan Tanah Air movement which he said would ensure the rights of the Malays are taken care of.
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Sexagenarian reggae aficionado and presidential candidate George Wajackoyah is convinced he has the recipe to solve the worries bedevilling Kenya’s voters: a dollop of marijuana and some hyena testicles.
East Africa’s wealthiest nation is holding elections on August 9. A tight race between the two leading presidential candidates – veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga and Deputy President William Ruto – has thrust a spotlight on Wajackoyah’s small but committed band of followers, who could force a run-off if neither side gets more than 50% of the vote.
Voter registration among young people has dipped dramatically, with many saying conventional politicians have failed to tackle rampant corruption, runaway inflation or joblessness.
Wajackoyah’s bid for the presidency has caught the imagination of younger voters and the grave-digger-turned-adjunct-law-professor is trailing a distant third in the polls at around 2%.
His shoestring campaign promised to wipe out Kenya’s $70 billion debt by establishing a medical cannabis industry and exporting animal parts to China.
The Kenyan media’s infatuation with colourful Wajackoyah, a well-known figure from Nairobi’s club scene, has provoked speculation that he is backed by a bigger campaign in a bid to try to peel away some of the youth vote – a prospect he airily dismisses.
Many candidates have offered him cash for support, he said, but he has turned them all down. Instead, he said he dreams of lighting up in the president’s office.
The 62-year-old candidate referred to his mobile to recall the other points on his manifesto, which veer from federalising government and renegotiating the country’s debts with China, to hanging the corrupt and throwing out Chinese nationals.
“We’ve come in with the ganja solution,” he said.
By his latest count, Wajackoyah said he has picked up 14 law degrees and certificates from England, where he fled as a refugee, the United States, where he met his wife, and back in Kenya where he runs a law firm specialising in migration.
Getting elected in Kenya is an expensive business, costing an estimated $31,000 to sit on a county assembly, up to $390,000 to sit in the Senate, according to a study by the Institute for Development Studies at the University of Nairobi.
With no budget, his rallies consist of arriving at markets unannounced, popping his head through the sunroof to blaring reggae music, and making his pitch to startled onlookers.
With six days to go until the election, Wajackoyah’s small convoy rolled into Gatundu, around 30 north of the capital Nairobi. A smiling crowd of around 400 quickly gathered, waving smartphones and jostling for selfies.
“Every election cycle everybody just comes here with their propaganda,” said Jeff Mwangi, a labourer. “If this man can do what he’s actually saying… we will go very far as a country.”
A Russian court on Thursday sentenced US basketball star Brittney Griner to nine years prison on drugs charges, after finding her guilty of narcotics possession and smuggling for bringing cannabis-infused vape cartridges into Russia.
ARussian state prosecutor had requested 9.5 years in prison for Griner, who said in her closing remarks that bringing the cartridges into Russia had been “an honest mistake”
Griner was also fined 1 million roubles ($16,000).
After the sentencing, Griner appeared sad and stony-faced and said she understood the sentence. Before the verdict, she tearfully pleaded with a Russian judge not to “end her life” with a harsh prison sentence.
Griner was escorted out of the courtroom in handcuffs by police after the ruling, turning to reporters and saying: “I love my family”.
Us President Joe Biden, under pressure to bring home Americans held in Russia, called on Russia to free Griner immediately and said his administration would continue to work for her release.
“Today, American citizen Brittney Griner received a prison sentence that is one more reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney,” he said in a statement.
“It’s unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates.”
Her sentencing could now pave the way for a U.S.-Russia prisoner swap that would include the 31-year-old athlete and an imprisoned Russian who was once a prolific arms dealer.
The White House urged Moscow to accept a “serious proposal” Washington made weeks ago for the return of U.S. basketball player, national security spokesperson John Kirby said.
Griner’s defence team said they will appeal on behalf of the U.S. basketball star
Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and a Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) star, was arrested in mid-February as she arrived to play for a Russian side during the WNBA offseason.
Her case threw the Texan into the geopolitical maelstrom triggered when President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, propelling U.S.-Russian relations to a new post-Cold War low.
Griner’s lawyers said they would appeal a verdict they said was “absolutely unreasonable”. Her defence team said the court had ignored all evidence they had presented, as well as Griner’s guilty plea.
“She is very upset, very stressed,” said Maria Blagovolina, partner at Rybalkin Gortsunyan Dyakin and Partners, after the hearing. “She can hardly talk. It’s a difficult time for her.”
Griner had admitted having the vape cartridges containing hashish oil but said she had made an honest mistake by inadvertently packing them.
Chargé d’affaires of the U.S. embassy in Moscow, Elizabeth Rood, who was also present at the court hearing, said the nine-year sentence had been “a miscarriage of justice”.
The nine-year prison sentence imposed by a Russian court on US basketball star got relatively low-key treatment on two Russian TV stations on Thursday.
Reports on the case came towards the end of their news bulletins.
Shortly after the sentence was announced, Channel 1 devoted just 25 seconds to the story while Rossiya 24 gave the story more than four minutes with the correspondent calling the case “controversial”.
American WNBA athletes showed solidarity with Griner on Social Media, voicing their support on Twitter.
“Thinking of BG and how much light she relentlessly brought to everyone around her. Even after sentencing is complete I hope @POTUS & @WhiteHouse will continue to do everything in their power to bring Brittney Griner & all other Americans detained abroad home,” wrote Phoenix Mercury player, Brianna Turner.
Griner’s former high school basketball coach said the WNBA star is misunderstood and expressed disappointment in Griner’s imprisonment.
Debbie Jackson coached Griner at Houston’s Nimitz High School, where Griner graduated in 2009. Jackson was a coach at the school from 1991 to 2012.
“I mean, really, it’s just been such a, a long process just to get to this step, to get to the end of the trial, that, you know, it’s frustrating, it’s disappointing,” Jackson said. “It’s…you want to pull your hair out because you want news. Um, but she’s always in my prayers. Every night.”
Griner, a two-time Olympic champion and Phoenix Mercury player, started playing basketball relatively late in life, in her freshman year of high school. Jackson said it wasn’t long until Griner mastered the game. She became the No. 1 girls high school basketball player in the country, after carrying the Nimitz girls basketball team to a 25-5 record her senior year.
Despite her overwhelming success on the court, Jackson said Griner has remained humble and caring, qualities Jackson ascribed to Griner’s perception as an outsider in the past.
“She has been bullied for her sexual orientation. She’s black. She’s a woman, very tall stature,” Jackson said. “You know, she’s bullied about her height. And so, I think she knows, she is a very caring person because she knows how words can hurt cause she experienced that.”
Jackson, who said she kept in touch with Griner via social media post-graduation, is now looking to the United States and Russia to facilitate Griner’s speedy return home.
“I hope that, now that the sentencing has occurred, the trial is over, no more court,” Jackson said. “That the negotiations will proceed and I’m praying that both sides will negotiate in good faith.”
South Korea launched its first lunar orbiter on Thursday as it doubles down on its space programs, aiming to land a probe on the moon by 2030.
The Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, nicknamed Danuri, meaning “enjoy the Moon,” departed on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Florida’s Cape Canaveral U.S. Space Force Station.
With Danuri, South Korea aims to become the world’s seventh lunar explorer, and the fourth in Asia, behind China, Japan and India.
The launch comes as South Korea accelerates its space program, seeking to send a probe to the moon by 2030 and join nine countries working on the Artemis project aimed at returning to the moon by 2024.
The 678 kg (1,495 lb) Danuri separated from the projectile about 40 minutes after launch, and it should begin communicating with a ground station within 60 minutes.
It will enter the moon’s orbit in December before starting a yearlong observation mission, including searching for a landing site and testing space internet technology, the ministry said.
South Korea says its space program is for peaceful and scientific purposes and any military use of the technology, such as in spy satellites, is for its defence.
The United States opposes any unilateral efforts to change the Taiwan status quo, especially by force, and its policy on Taiwan has not changed, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Southeast Asian counterparts on Thursday during the meeting in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh.
“Iwant to emphasise, nothing has changed about our position and I hope very much that Beijing will not manufacture a crisis or seek a pretext to increase this aggressive military activity,” said Blinken in his opening speech.
Cross-strait stability was in the interests of the whole region, he told a meeting in Cambodia, adding also that Washington was eager to hear ideas from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on how it could cooperate with the Quad.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Thursday the Chinese military launched missiles from near Taiwan’s Matsu islands earlier in the day, adding troops on the islands will continue to enhance their alertness level.
Earlier on Thursday, Reuters reported that two missiles were launched by China near the Matsu islands, which lie off the coast of China, and headed in the direction of waters off Taiwan’s northeastern coasts, according to an internal Taiwan security report seen by Reuters and confirmed by a security source.
How global-hit girl group like ‘Blackpink’ can be born again in Asia? To find the answer, new Thai girl group ‘RoseBerry’ arrive in Korea on July 13.
4Thai girls will be trained by K-pop experts for 4 months.
It is the ‘2022 Grow Twogether’ program launched by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange(KOFICE) in Korea.
The members of ‘RoseBerry’ are ‘Ayla’ from Thai girl group ‘Rose Quartz’, ‘Munin’, ‘Kittika’ and ‘Sitanun’ from another girl group ‘Berry Berry’.
The girls are in training in various field including vocal, dance, interviews in Korean and image training.
Michelle Cho, the popular K-pop songwriter who worked with SM Entertainment, is producing their new single, and it will be released in Korea and Thailand together.
After their new single release, ‘RoseBerry’ will be on debut stage on 14th October, at ‘Asia Song Festival’ in Korea. It will be live-streamed on Youtube and broadcasted to 101 countries in the world by Arirang TV.
Ayla, the member said, “After I get training like K-pop artist, I would like to show that Thai artist also has great potential to the world through ‘Asia Song Festival’ stage.”
Sitanun, the youngest one in the team but the team’s leader, also said “If my skills are developed by this training, I want to go to the stage of music show in Korea.”
KOFICE also provide 5 day inspection program to RoseBerry’s agency (IDX Entertainment in Thailand). The agency will have an opportunity to visit Entertainment agencies and studios to get to know the know-how of the Korean entertainment industry and analyze it.
Cho Jae Il, the director of the Korean Cultural Center in Thailand said, the ” ‘2022 Grow Twogether’ project gained attention in Thailand as well, as it was reported on TV news. I hope that ‘RoseBerry’ will contribute not only Korean-Thai relationship but also to T-pop development through this program.
