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Rabu, 17 Juli 2024

‘New model for human civilisation’: What is so unique about China’s style of modernisation? - CNA

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‘New model for human civilisation’: What is so unique about China’s style of modernisation? CNA
Opinion | How China’s continued opening up sets country on path to better future South China Morning Post
GLOBALink | China's reform and opening up offers valuable lessons to other developing countries: Nigerian experts Xinhua
China still lacks the right ‘soil’ for modernisation (Part 2) ThinkChina
US and Europe, not China, are turning inward Global Times

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2024-07-18 01:46:59Z
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Biden tests positive for Covid-19, cancels campaign speech - The Straits Times

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2024-07-17 22:27:28Z
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Bangkok hotel deaths: Woman suspected of poisoning others before killing herself - The Straits Times

Six bodies were found by hotel staff in a fifth-floor room of the Grand Hyatt Erawan around 5.30pm on July 16. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

A Vietnamese American, Sherine Chong, has been identified by Thai police as the suspect who is believed to have poisoned five others at the luxurious Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel in Bangkok, before killing herself with the poison.

Cyanide poisoning is likely the cause of the deaths, police said.

Chulalongkorn Hospital said on July 17 that an autopsy of the six people found dead in a hotel suite found traces of cyanide.

The bodies showed traces of the rapid-acting chemical and had purple lips, indicating a lack of oxygen, the hospital’s Dr Kornkiat Vongpaisarnsin told reporters, adding that more tests were being conducted.

Thai investigators concluded that Chong was culpable after questioning witnesses, including the daughter of one of the dead, said Police Major-General Theeradej Thumsuthee, the head of investigation of Bangkok’s Metropolitan Police Bureau, according to Thai newspapers Khaosod and Bangkok Post on July 17.

Debt issues may be the motive behind the deaths, said Maj-Gen Theeradej. Thai police are not considering other possible suspects, as Suite 502, where the bodies were discovered, had been locked from the inside and no one else was found to have entered. There were no signs of a struggle.

Investigators believe the victims had been dead for 24 hours by the time they were found.

Chong is suspected to have poisoned the others before committing suicide, Thai police said on July 17, adding that they are looking for the source of the cyanide.

“The case likely stems from a debt problem. There are no other possibilities. The culprit is among the six (dead) because they were the only people who entered the room. There were no others,” Maj-Gen Theeradej said.

The debt may be the result of a construction deal that went south.

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After questioning witnesses, including some of the deceased’s relatives, investigators said the victims were a mix of borrowers, lenders and guarantors. Two of the deceased were married to each other and owned a construction business.

Bangkok deputy police chief Noppasin Punsawat said witnesses told the police Chong had been given the equivalent of around 10 million baht (S$370,000) by the couple to build a hospital in Japan.

The couple, aged 49 and 47, had suspected her of cheating them as there had not been much progress in the project and arranged to meet to iron out their differences in Thailand after visa issues prevented them from meeting in Japan.

The three men and three women who were found dead were of Vietnamese descent. Two of them – including Chong, 56 – were American citizens.

One of the victims was 37-year-old make-up artist Phu Gia Gia, who reportedly worked with Vietnamese celebrities and beauty queens. He was mourned by his family, as well as his fans, who left condolence messages on his Facebook page when news broke of his death.

He was said to have been persuaded to invest in the project.

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Their bodies were found by hotel staff in a fifth-floor room of the Grand Hyatt Erawan around 5.30pm on July 16, hours after they had been expected to check out.

Their belongings, which had been packed as though the victims were ready to leave, have been taken by the police for investigations.

Closed-circuit television footage captured all six entering the hotel with their suitcases on the afternoon of July 15, likely making their way to the suite. It is likely the last time they were seen outside the room.

The group had booked several rooms under seven names on different floors, said Bangkok police chief Thiti Saengsawang.

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The seventh person is the younger sister of one of the deceased, Khaosod news outlet reported. She had left Thailand on July 10, and is not suspected to have been involved in the deaths.

Lieutenant-General Thiti noted that the group of six had ordered food via the hotel’s room service, but it was untouched, and only some drinks were consumed. Photos of plates of fried rice, vegetables and tom yum soup wrapped in plastic have been circulating online. Only one of the plates had its plastic seal removed.

Forensic investigators said they found cyanide in a thermos flask, teapot and six cups in the room, reported Khaosod on July 17. The officers described cyanide as a toxic, potent substance that is tasteless and odourless, so the guests would not have been able to tell that it was in their drinks.

The cyanide had been mixed into a pot of tea suspected to have been brewed by Chong. Showing a darkened teabag taken from the scene, forensic investigators said the tea was abnormally dark, leading them to suspect that it was laced with a large amount of toxic substances.

A hotel employee had delivered the food and drinks to Suite 502 when Chong was alone in the room, Khaosod reported. Chong also turned down an offer by the worker to make tea, saying she would do it herself.

The server had told the police that Chong appeared stressed.

Food and drinks left inside the hotel room where the six people were found dead on July 16. PHOTOS: ROYAL THAI POLICE

“We found cyanide in the teacups, all six cups we found cyanide,” commander of the Thai police evidence office Trirong Phiwpan told a press conference on July 17.

He added that cyanide blocks blood cells in the body from taking in oxygen, and the poison would take effect in less than five minutes, depending on the amount consumed.

Police investigations are ongoing. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation is assisting in the investigation. Vietnam’s embassy in Bangkok said it was working with the Thai authorities on the case.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on July 16 ordered a swift probe into the case to limit any impact on the kingdom’s tourism sector.

The Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel in downtown Bangkok is a five-star luxury hotel popular with tourists. It is next to the Erawan Shrine, which regularly attracts throngs of devotees.

Mental well-being

Institute of Mental Health’s Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222 (24 hours)
Samaritans of Singapore: 1-767 (24 hours) / 9151-1767 (24 hours CareText via WhatsApp)
Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019
Silver Ribbon Singapore: 6386-1928
Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788
Chat, Centre of Excellence for Youth Mental Health: 6493-6500/1
Women’s Helpline (Aware): 1800-777-5555 (weekdays, 10am to 6pm)

Counselling

Touchline (Counselling): 1800-377-2252
Touch Care Line (for caregivers): 6804-6555
Care Corner Counselling Centre: 6353-1180
Counselling and Care Centre: 6536-6366
We Care Community Services: 3165-8017

Online resources

eC2.sg
www.tinklefriend.sg
www.chat.mentalhealth.sg
carey.carecorner.org.sg (for those aged 13 to 25)
limitless.sg/talk (for those aged 12 to 25)

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2024-07-17 11:51:03Z
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Selasa, 16 Juli 2024

CNA Correspondent Podcast: Futuristic utopia or white elephant? Countdown to Indonesia's new capital hosting Independence Day - CNA

Here's an excerpt from the podcast:

Teresa Tang:
One takeaway I have so far is that Nusantara is very far away. We know it sits on an old timber plantation, and I think, Lewa, you mentioned more than 1000km away from Jakarta. So Saiful, what's going to happen to Jakarta once Indonesia officially moves its capital, whenever that may be? What does it mean when the seat of political power and the centre of wealth are separated?

Saifulbahri Ismail:
Earlier in March this year, lawmakers designated a special status for Jakarta to provide a legal framework for the city's position after Nusantara became the country's capital. Under that framework, Jakarta will remain as the country's economic hub and a global city. The question is, will relocating the country's capital to East Kalimantan help to solve Jakarta's many problems...

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2024-07-16 23:17:00Z
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6 found dead in Bangkok hotel; Thai PM orders probe - The Straits Times

Policemen seen in the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel, where at least six people were reported dead, in Bangkok on July 16. PHOTO: REUTERS

Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin arriving at the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel on July 16. PHOTO: REUTERS

Policemen standing guard at the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel lobby in Bangkok on July 16. PHOTO: AFP

BANGKOK - Six people were found dead at an upmarket hotel in Bangkok on July 16, the Thai government said, as Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin ordered a swift investigation to stem any damage to the tourism sector.

Two of the dead were Americans of Vietnamese descent and four were Vietnamese nationals, according to Mr Srettha.

“From the preliminary examination of the scene, it was assumed that they had been poisoned,” said Major-General Theeradej Thumsuthee, chief investigator of the Metropolitan Police Bureau.

He added that there were signs that all six, before they died, drank coffee or tea. A preliminary autopsy did not find any injuries, he said. He also said a tour guide was being questioned.

Lieutenant-General Thiti Saengsawang, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, said in a news briefing that based on preliminary findings, “all of them were killed by other people”.

“We need to find out the motives,” Mr Thiti said. “What we can prove now is that they are not dead from suicide but from the killing of others.”

The food served to their room was left uneaten, while cups were empty and drinks appeared to be consumed, he said, according to Bangkok Post.

Only one victim had a facial wound, and police assumed the person fell onto a hard object, he said.

Food and drinks discovered inside a Bangkok hotel room where six people were found dead on July 16. PHOTOS: ROYAL THAI POLICE

The Thai-language Matichon Online said police were now searching for two Vietnamese nationals who they said were deemed “persons of interest”.

The incident, which took place at Bangkok’s plush Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel, comes as Thailand looks to further promote its tourism sector, a key driver of South-east Asia’s second-largest economy.

“The Prime Minister has ordered all agencies to urgently take action to avoid impact on tourism,” the Thai government said in its statement.

A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, dismissed earlier reports in the Thai media that the six people had been killed in a shooting.

“There is no sign of a shooting,” the official told Reuters.

The US State Department was “closely monitoring the situation and (we) stand ready to provide consular assistance,” a spokesperson said, referring questions on the circumstances of the deaths to local authorities.

The Vietnamese embassy in Bangkok did not respond to calls from Reuters.

Lumpini police were alerted to the incident at around 5.30pm.

Officers found three men and three women dead inside a room at the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel.

All six were supposed to check out on July 16 and had their bags packed.

The hotel has over 350 rooms and is located in a popular tourist district known for luxury shopping and restaurants.

More than 28 million foreign tourists visited Thailand in 2023, spending 1.2 trillion baht (S$44.8 billion) in the country, where other key sectors of the economy have been slow in recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The government expects 35 million foreign arrivals in 2024, on the back of longer visa stay periods and waivers for several nationalities.

The tourism sector was shaken in October 2023 by a shooting spree at a luxury shopping mall, close to the Hyatt, in which two foreigners were killed, prompting government measures to improve confidence. REUTERS, AFP

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2024-07-16 22:35:20Z
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Six found dead in Bangkok hotel room in suspected poisoning - CNA

BANGKOK: Thai police are investigating the deaths of six foreign nationals whose bodies were found in a luxury hotel room at an upmarket hotel in Bangkok on Tuesday (Jul 17), including looking for a seventh person in connection with the incident.

All six, who were of Vietnamese descent, with two carrying US passports, checked into Bangkok's Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel at two separate times after arriving on Saturday and Sunday, police official Thiti Saengsawang told reporters.

The group - three men and three women - checked into different rooms but their bodies were found in one room, which did not show any signs of struggle, he said.

"This was not self-harm, but someone caused the deaths," said Thiti, adding that police were looking for a seventh person connected with the group.

"We are tracing every step since they got off the plane."

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2024-07-16 16:21:00Z
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6 found dead in Bangkok hotel; Thai PM orders probe - The Straits Times

BANGKOK - Six people were found dead at an upmarket hotel in Bangkok on July 16, including at least one American national of Vietnamese descent, the Thai government said, as Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin ordered a swift investigation to stem any damage to the tourism sector.

The Thai police said in a separate statement that the six victims were all foreign nationals.

“The Prime Minister has ordered all agencies to urgently take action to avoid impact on tourism,” the Thai government said in its statement.

A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, dismissed earlier reports in Thai media that the six people had been killed in a shooting.

“There is no sign of a shooting,” the official told Reuters.

The US and Vietnamese embassies in Bangkok did not answer a call from Reuters on telephone numbers listed on their websites.

The Bangkok Post reported that the six died of poisoning, citing police sources.

Lumpini police were alerted to the incident at around 5.30pm, the newspaper said.

It said officers found three men and three women dead inside a room at the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel.

The hotel has over 350 rooms and is located in a popular tourist district known for luxury shopping and restaurants.

In a news briefing, Mr Srettha said investigators did not find any sign of assault or robbery.

Major-General Theeradej Thamsuthee, head of investigation at the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said at the same briefing that the six were likely poisoned.

Lieutenant-General Thiti Saengsawang, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, said, based on preliminary findings: “All of them were killed by other people”.

The Thai-language Matichon Online said police were now searching for two Vietnamese nationals who were deemed “persons of interest”.

The government expects 35 million foreign arrivals in 2024, on the back of longer visa stay periods and waivers for several nationalities.

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2024-07-16 15:03:46Z
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