Major war brews at the Thailand-Myanmar border
Go-o-od Morning Thailand and land-based animals everywhere.
You are now reading the lovingly assembled and likely award-winning Fishwrap for the final Friday of the first month of B.E. 2568, April 26.
The difference between an in-law and an outlaw is that the outlaw is wanted.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA
Do these people even own the tiny shred of decency to inform Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin of their plans?
No, they do not.
Work to start -- maybe -- on America's tallest building in June.
https://www.the-sun.com/news/11171601/legends-tower-oklahoma-city-tallest-building/
Take it and leave
The anti-dictator forces yesterday all pulled back from the town of Myawaddy where they sent government forces fleeing in terror to Tbailand.
The Karen National Union forces that overran Myawaddy last week had no official comment on the reason for their retreat, but they feared a quick counteroffensive by the junta's army -- and warplanes.
https://www.nationthailand.com/news/world/40037500
More
On April 10, the resistance forces took control of Battalion 275, which was one of the Tatmadaw's last outposts. Several Myanmar soldiers waved the white flag.
The resistance forces comprise three major factions: the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the armed wing of the Karen National Union (KNU); the People's Defence Force (PDF) and the Border Guard Force (BGF).
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2778964/
As refugees from the Myanmar fighting stream across the river into Thailand
Bangkok proposes a complicated 'peace plan' for the Burmese junta to think about.
The Plan: Three or more ASEAN member countries work in unison to "engage" with Myanmar's junta to ease the crisis and bring about peace.
Thai foreign ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura:
Thailand has suggested that Laos, current ASEAN chair should hold an "ASEAN Troika" or "Troika Plus" meeting -- or more than one meeting -- to restore peace in Myanmar.
Easy Peasy.
This Troika is the three foreign ministers of the current, last year and next year ASEAN chairperson. But Thailand 'suggests' it could be more.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2781584/
The early online version of the above story was ratio'd 3-to-50.
Yingluck catches a very Thaksinesque break
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) dealt Thaksin's younger sister and former prime minister Yingluck a winning hand yesterday, voting 5-to-1 to drop cases with the potential of putting her in prison for many years.
Since she was overthrown by the military coup in 2014, Yingluck has faced a slew of charges that she either took part or failed to stop a corruption case totaling 240 million baht -- US$6.5 million.
She made a quick getaway and flew off to Dubai to join Thaksin, and still lives there -- but in luxury.
So the road now is open for her to plan to return to Bangkok. But political enemies have their own plans to try to pile on dozens of malfeasance cases to ensure that she never can regain political power.
https://www.matichon.co.th/politics/news_4543363
THAILAND POLITICS CORRUPTION
This case goes back to the 1980s and then specifically to the Thaksin-hating era of gentle General Prem Tinsulanonda, friend and confidante of then-king Bumibhol and his wife and current Queen Mother Sirikit.
PTTEP executives face charges in Rolls-Royce aircraft engine bribes scandal
Four former executives of PTT Exploration and Production Plc (PTTEP) colluded to manipulate the bidding for an equipment procurement contract worth almost a billion baht that was awarded to Rolls-Royce -- call it around, oh, 27 million U.S. dollars.
The four Super-Pooyai ALLEGEDLY colluded to manipulate the bidding to help Rolls-Royce Plc of the U.K. of Europe.
For Example...
The National Anti-Corruption Commission found that
Phaophadet Worabut of PTTEP -- his job was middleman of negotiations -- received a mysterious bank deposit of 10 million baht, paid by Rolls Royce into the bank account of 'a person close to Phaophadet.'
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2781505/
And speaking of corruption, apparently
It takes a government to regulate the price of Labubu dolls
The story so far: K-pop phenom Lisa Lalisa Manoban of Buri Ram showed her (extremely modest) collection of the dolls, and within hours little start-up con men and fraudsters were making fake copies and peddling them for prices 5, even 25 percent above the market value of the authentic dolls, from South Korea.
Prime Minister's Office Minister is warning the country about these outrageous cheats and operations.
"Even the fakes cost thousands of baht," she warned while showing off her own two (possibly) authentic labubus.
Labubu has pointed ears and serrated teeth, and are typically 18 centimetres tall, 7 American inches.
ENTERTAINMENT SPORTS HOCKEY IIHF
Thailand played Kuwait in the first game of the U-18 Asian and Oceania Championship.
True Story: Thailand 57 - 0 Kuwait
Kuwait had one shot on goal, but nah.
https://shorturl.at/nyZ46
STANLEY CUP
Leafs meet potential for early May tee times
Things did not go at all well for Leafs, playing in front of their own adoring fanatics at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
Leafs' power play suc... well, it's ugly. And speaking of power, Scotiabank maintenance couldn't even keep the lights on for the full game.
https://torontosun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/power-failure-helps-lead-to-maple-leafs-downfall-in-game-3-loss
Brad Marchand (left, below) did the heavy lifting for the Beantowners. Again.
It was heart-breaking. https://shorturl.at/koGX7
HOCKEY TIDBIT
PLOT TWIST: El Lay Kings beat the Oilers twice, in Edmonton, as the series shifts back to south Cali.
Is the Kings' lucky streak ever going to end? And where in the heck is Connor McDavid?
https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/los-angeles-kings-edmonton-oilers-game-2
TECHNOLOGY
You can now buy a flame-throwing robot dog. (TheStar.com)
It's proof common sense has gone up in smoke
https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/you-can-now-buy-a-flame-throwing-robot-dog-its-proof-common-sense-has-gone/article_ecb05aaa-0260-11ef-85cb-1f2235296f70.html
Some parts of America still work.
Houston, we had a problem with Voyager, 50 years old and far beyond the solar system.
Houston, forget about it, we fixed that problem. Voyager 1 resumes sending readable status updates after 5 months of repairs -- https://shorturl.at/biouy
Legislation to force Bytedance to sell TikTok or shut it down has passed the Senate, lathered in $90 billion of pork, and is headed for President Biden's desk where he is expected to ceremonially smear it with pudding thus passing it into law. (The Verge)
Expect TikTok to start claiming its first amendment rights to act as a spy and propaganda agency for America's enemies tomorrow.
Also... TikTok is banned in China.
Meanwhile, also within the USA, the Federal Trade Commission has banned nearly all non-compete agreements, meant to prevent employees from leaving a company in order to start another, while retaining everything they learned and obtained at the first employer. (NPR)
Chairpersonlady Lina Khan claims that non-compete agreements stop workers from switching jobs, even when they could earn more money or have better working conditions. She said
We heard from employees who, because of noncompetes, were stuck in abusive workplaces.
Probably true.
https://www.npr.org/2024/04/23/1246655366/ftc-bans-non-compete-agreements-lina-khan
Apple has cut its expected sales of the $3,500 Vision Pro in half, noting that it is horribly expensive and basically useless -- 130,000 baht in real money. (MacRumours)
There are some things even Apple's cult followers won't swallow.
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/04/23/apple-cuts-vision-pro-shipments/
TECHNOLOGY PIRACY
Just FYI and signifying nothing
Top Five Most Pirated Movies of Last Week On The Internet
Numbers in parens are previous week's ranking. Links are to trailers/previews, all at YouTube.
1 (…) Fantasy Island 4.7 / trailer
2 (1) Bad Boys for Life 7.1 / trailer
3 (2) Trolls World Tour 6.1 / trailer
4 (4) The Gentlemen 8.0 / trailer
5 (3) Gretel & Hansel. Preview
VIETNAM POLITICS CORRUPTION
Truong My Lan (photo) ran a 27 billion-U.S.-dollar real estate fraud that conned 42,000 people and brought successive banks to their knees, and she's been sentenced to death by firing squad.
She was caught and jailed during Operation Blazing Furnace, run by the Communist Party of Vietnam in an attempt to re-get control of the economy and make hundreds... well, probably thousands of the crooked and corrupt with a crackdown that has reached even the president as well as government leaders and hundreds of crooks living as Vietnamese business leaders.
Lan, 67, ran the high-class, high-society Van Thinh Phat Holdings -- owned more than 90 percent of it and during her 10 years as the poster girl of Vietnamese real estate where she borrowed at least US$$44 billion (with a 'B') to run hundreds of real and fake shell companies to hold up the real estate, some of which existed.
Brief VIDEO
Lan only forgot that things which cannot go on forever, won't.
Before the firing squad is called, she is also going to face trials for money laundering and illegal bonds.
Channel News Asia has put the story together.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/truong-my-lan-vietnam-death-sentence-fraud-corruption-graft-communist-party-4282521
A comfortable chair, perhaps even a sofa or (why not?) an old rocking chair can be perfect for reading. A kitten as warm companion, or puppy; at Fishwrap we're all doggeh-people but we'll not judge you. And you'll need articles worthy of consideration.
An article like this, by communist China analyst ne plus ultra Gordie Chang
China Could Start World War III Here (an analysis treating President Joe Biden quite unkindly)
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20590/china-world-war-iii
Recently, China took Scarborough Shoal .... Washington then brokered an agreement for both sides to withdraw their craft, but only Manila complied. Beijing has been in firm control of Scarborough ever since.
When Chinese leaders, generals and admirals saw Washington's failure to act, they began moving against Second Thomas Shoal and other Philippine reefs and islets in the South China Sea, went after Japan's islets in the East China Sea, and began reclaiming and militarising features in the Spratly chain.
... The Philippines Navy announced that on the afternoon of April 15, it had observed 55 (fifty-five) Chinese vessels in that region of the South China Sea.
GLOBAL WARMING
World suffers ever-increasing heat, India and Bangladesh suffer most
Asian Heat Wave scorches hundreds of millions; Discomfort May Increase
The warming will definitely cause more cholera and diarrhoea.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/22/world/asia/heatwave-india-bangladesh.html
There's a secret to living to be a hundred. And it's not Good Habits.
Research is making clearer that it's in the genes. https://t.ly/GWF1W
Oh, puh-leez! Why would the Biden regime allow American Jews to be educated?
America's Newspaper of Record: https://t.ly/O2qCT
Columbia University Switches To Online Classes So Jewish Students Can Participate From The Attics Where They Are Hiding.
Yale and Harvard Universities
The sun on the campus is summery warm
The squirrels in New Haven run free.
But gather together to bomb the Jew dorm for
Tomorrow belongs to me.