Rescuers retrieve eight bodies from flooded South Korea underpass - CNA

CHEONGJU: The bodies of eight people trapped in a tunnel submerged by heavy rain in central South Korea were retrieved on Sunday (Jul 16), authorities and local media said, taking the death toll from days of torrential downpours that have pounded the country to 35.

Seo Jeong-il, head of the west Cheongju fire station, said 15 vehicles, including a bus, were estimated to have been submerged in the underpass in the city shortly after a levee of a nearby river was destroyed by the downpours on Saturday.

CCTV footage aired on local broadcaster MBC showed muddy water rushing into the tunnel as vehicles drove past with their wheels submerged.

"We are focusing on the search operation as there's likely more people there," Seo told reporters. "We are doing our best to wrap it up today."

The death toll in the tunnel stands at nine, including one body retrieved on Saturday, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.

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2023-07-16 07:03:00Z
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In Malaysia, trading using vending machines a way for lower income group to avoid handouts - CNA

GOVERNMENT FOOTS VENDING MACHINE RENTAL

During the launch of the IPR project back in February, Economic Affairs Minister Rafizi Ramli had termed it a “fishing rod” for people to attain financial independence. 

There are three thrusts to the project - namely the Food Entrepreneur Initiative (Insan), the Agro Entrepreneur Initiative (Intan), and the Services Operator Initiative (Ikhsan). 

Amiruddin is a participant of the Insan initiative, which provides food entrepreneurs with a self-service vending machine to sell food and drinks at strategic locations around the country such as transportation hubs and hospitals. 

He told CNA that he had applied for the initiative online after its launch. 

As part of the initiative, the government pays for the monthly rental of the vending machine for two years, with the entrepreneur earning the profits from their sales. To keep prices affordable for consumers, packs of food sold have a cap of RM5 per box. 

Amiruddin estimates that almost 90 per cent of the food is sold out daily, with the rest given to the homeless or for self-consumption.  

There is a mobile application to monitor and track inventory and sales of the food, with participants able to top up boxes in the vending machines when stocks run low.  

Amiruddin and his wife spend about two to three hours each day preparing the food, with Amiruddin admitting that it was tough at first. He and his wife have, however, gotten used to the routine. 

“There is more continuity and sustainability in this programme compared to direct cash aid. There are many benefits for the community as the traders can earn more income while the public can purchase cheap meals,” he said, adding that he sells about 100 boxes of food a day.  

As of June, over 10,000 people have signed up for the Insan program. 

A total of 100 machines are operating, with the government targeting 5,000 of these machines to be up and running by the end of this year.  

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2023-07-15 22:00:36Z
CBMiaWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9tYWxheXNpYS12ZW5kaW5nLW1hY2hpbmUtZm9vZC1sb3dlci1pbmNvbWUtZ3JvdXAtYjQwLWhhbmRvdXQtMzYyNjM2NtIBAA

Thai PM frontrunner Pita says only one more shot at forming government - CNA

"HELP WITH THIS MISSION"

All 250 senators were appointed under the junta-drafted constitution, which political analyst Thitinan Pongsudhirak said was a reliable impediment to MFP's reformist platform.

"It is a way for the authority and the regime to stay in power in the long term and to prevent a pro-democracy government that can stand against them," he told AFP on Friday.

Pita urged his supporters on Saturday to get "creative" in urging senators to throw their support behind him in the next round.

"I alone can't change the senators' mind. Therefore, I ask everybody to help with this mission," he said.

"Send a message to the senators in every way possible, every way you can think of."

The MFP's largest coalition partner Pheu Thai is seen as a vehicle for the Shinawatra political family, whose members include two former prime ministers displaced by military coups in 2006 and 2014.

Property tycoon Srettha Thavisin, 60, is widely tipped to be Pheu Thai's candidate for prime minister if Pita's bid fails again.

Liked by business leaders among Thailand's influential elite, he has been touted as a potential compromise candidate.

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2023-07-15 10:46:00Z
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Tourists 'packed like sardines' on KLIA shuttle buses not good for Malaysia's image, says Puad - The Star Online

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1. Tourists 'packed like sardines' on KLIA shuttle buses not good for Malaysia's image, says Puad  The Star Online
2. Tourists 'packed like sardines' on KLIA shuttle buses: Johor official urges action  The Straits Times
3. 'Where are Loke and Tiong?' - Puad asks over tourists 'packed like sardines' issue in KLIA  New Straits Times
4. Tourists 'packed like sardines' in KLIA shuttle buses bad for our image, says Puad  Free Malaysia Today
5. View Full coverage on Google News

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2023-07-15 06:07:00Z
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Meet the couple driving from London to Singapore in a convoy of 12 cars: 100 days, 23 countries, 25,000km - Channel NewsAsia

As the season of revenge travel unfolds, Jeremy See and his wife Sharleen Lim are eagerly joining the ranks of those whose pandemic-born holiday dreams are now becoming a reality. Except their upcoming road trip has been in the works for three years.

In August, they will embark on a journey to London, where their Singapore-registered 2019 Toyota Land Cruiser 4.6L V8 was transported a month prior. Over the course of 100 days, they are prepared to cover 25,000km, passing through 23 countries as they make their way back to Singapore.

Their route includes the following countries: UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Turkiye, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, China, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, and finally, Singapore. With a budget of S$110,000 for two people, it's no wonder that none of their five children will be accompanying them. 

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2023-07-14 23:33:00Z
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Protesters in Bangkok slam senators for not supporting their choice of Pita for PM - The Straits Times

BANGKOK - More than 100 protesters gathered in downtown Bangkok on Friday, a day after Thailand’s top prime minister candidate Pita Limjaroenrat failed to win enough votes from Parliament to assume the post.

Demonstrators slammed the senators for not respecting voters’ wishes and threatened to ramp up protests should a second parliamentary vote slated for Wednesday fail to install the candidate supported by a majority coalition.

Roaring into a microphone, protester Seksit Yaemsanguansak, 25, urged everyone present to be ready to hit the streets in a week’s time.

“Let them know when 26 million head out how much of an affair it would be,” he said, referring to the number of votes secured by the eight-party coalition supporting Mr Pita’s bid.

The setback for Mr Pita, the 42-year-old Move Forward Party (MFP) leader, means South-east Asia’s second-largest economy is in limbo until a way is found to let winners of the May 14 general election form a new government.

Holding banners outside the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, protesters demanded that the senators step down.

“The senators did not respect our votes,” 17-year-old Anna Annanon told The Straits Times.

If the senators did not quit, she said, protests would emerge in every part of the country.

Junta-era rules allow an appointed 250-member Senate – now numbering 249 after one resignation – to take part in selecting the prime minister after an election.

This conservative, pro-establishment bloc was the biggest hurdle for Mr Pita, as most of the members either abstained from voting or opposed his premiership bid on Thursday.

Despite his coalition holding a comfortable majority of 312 seats in the 500-seat Lower House, it fell 51 votes short of the 375 votes needed to secure the premiership.

Although the second vote on the premiership is scheduled, analysts are not hopeful that Mr Pita would do any better should he be nominated again.

This is despite the fact that the MFP was the best performer in the election, winning 151 seats compared with the runner-up Pheu Thai party, which bagged 141 seats.

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2023-07-14 13:55:00Z
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Move Forward Party leader Pita's prime minister bid defeat 'a blow to the Thai electorate': Analysts - CNA

But it may be an uphill task for Mr Pita to get more senators to vote for him, and over a short few days. All senators were appointed under the junta-drafted constitution. 

“I don't think it's a given that he can convince enough of them. He needs another 51 votes,” said Dr Ockey, whose research interests include comparative politics and Southeast Asia.

“It may be that he can win over a few votes from opposition parties, but he won't get enough (votes) there. So he has to win more senators.”

Move Forward's main ally Pheu Thai Party is expected to stick with Mr Pita for the second ballot for a new prime minister next week, said observers. 

“If they're seen as quickly flipping sides and moving to work with the caretaker government parties, then it could be politically damaging,” said Mr Jay Harriman, senior director at BowerGroupAsia. 

“The easiest route for Pheu Thai is probably to give Pita one more chance before deciding on alternative options.”

Dr Montesano noted that if Pheu Thai teamed up with parties associated with a previous military-backed government, many voters would be very upset, and that could be one trigger for unrest. 

“If Pheu Thai worked out a compromise and continued to work with Move Forward and Move Forward remained in the coalition, voters might be less upset," he said. 

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2023-07-14 11:26:38Z
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