The Greatest Farley Mowat book lives on
Rons, Ettes, listen up: One more Monday has dawned on this May 9 of 2022. If you ain't seen it, you soon will, so heads up!
ASEAN U.S.A.
ASEAN meets Biden on this coming Thursday for a U.S.-A.S.E.A.N. summit.
This time, Cambodia says Cambodia outrightly, "Biden should give us face time."
Cambodia is this year's ASEAN chairman. and can speak for all.
The White House was tight-lipped, saying theyl'l get back to Hun Sen's closest adviser, Kao Kim Hourn in due course.
President Biden needs to show "respect and equality" for ASEAN, and give ASEAN leaders some "useful time", Kao Kim Hourn told Reuters.
 "As a big country, a host country, the United States should be more generous to the guests, the leaders who are traveling to Washington, particularly as (Biden) is going to be talking about elevating the strategic partnership to a comprehensive strategic partnership."
Prayut and at least seven other ASEAN leaders will fly to Washington on Wednesday, with the "summit" planned for Thursday and Friday.
https://tinyurl.com/p9ebektv
The truth, never to be uttered openly:
We have always been at war with West Taiwan
The Voice of America's version of the same story:
Ahead of U.S.-ASEAN Summit in Washington, Cambodia Critics Want Tough Talk, Not ‘Photo Ops'
https://www.voacambodia.com/a/ahead-of-us-asean-summit-in-washington-cambodia-critics-want-tough-talk-not-photo-ops-/6556497.html
ASEAN CAMBODIA CHINA
Construction Begins in Cambodia on New $1.5 Billion Port Built by China
Cambodia's third major deep-water port is being built at the southern city of Kompot near the Vietnamese border.
 The port project is projected to cost $1.5 billion from private investment including from China.
 The Shanghai Construction Company and the China Bridge and Road Company are participating in the project to develop the port which is expected to open within three years.
PHOTO: Chinese construction companies are building the new southern port at Kampot.
https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/construction-begins-in-cambodia-on-new-1-5b-port-built-by-china
Just spit-ballin'... but does anyone see a resemblance between this third Cambodian deep-water port and projects on islands claimed by China in the South China Sea? Which seems quite handy.
Mask-wearing mandate lifted in Cambodia
'To Mask Or Not To Mask, That Is The Question'
Cambodian strongman and prime minister Hun Sen lifted the government-mandated mask-wearing, leaving it to individuals to decide for themselves.
 Well, sort of.
 Mask-wearing remains required at "enclosed settings" such as air-conditioned offices, meeting rooms and cinemas.
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/mask-mandate-lifted-open-spaces-covid-cases-plunge
U.S. Donates Two million COVID-19 vaccines to the Cambodian people
Story and photo reprints courtesy US Embassy in Cambodia, where there is an ambassador, unlike in Thailand.
https://kh.usembassy.gov/u-s-donates-two-million-covid-19-vaccines-to-the-cambodian-people/
PHOTO: No Masks, Please. Cambodian health minister Mam Bun Heng receives a donation of Pfizer vaccines from U.S. ambassador W. Patrick Murphy last week.
Cambodia reports zero new Covid-19 cases for first time in over a year
"Today, it is the first time since Feb. 20, 2021 that Cambodia has found not even a single new case of Covid-19," said Hun Sen Himself in a special audio message.
Hun Sen attributed the success in the fight against Covid-19 to the kingdom's high vaccination rates and urged eligible people to go for booster doses, the third or the fourth shots, when their turns come.
https://mb.com.ph/2022/05/08/cambodia-reports-zero-new-covid-19-cases-for-1st-time-in-over-a-year-pm/
Cambodia's successful Covid-19 vaccination drive deserves praise and study, announces China's World Health Organization.
https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2022/05/08/cambodia039s-successful-covid-19-vaccination-drive-deserves-praise-and-study-announces-who
Hun Sen's son praises press freedom, 'despite my father's crackdown'
U.S.-educated General Hun Manet is the likely next Cambodian dictator, barring any major unfortunate events.
"As Prime Minister Hun Sen (his dad) stated in his statement, the royal government [of Cambodia] is committed to protect freedom of expression, press freedom and promote cooperation between the government and press institutions that is vital for the country's development."
 He spoke as Hun Sen's representative on the World Press Freedom Day event, which was invented by UNESCO, so you don't need to know more.
 More than 100 Cambodian journalists, knowing what was good for them, attended and applauded.
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/press-freedom-05032022183128.html
THAILAND TOURISM
PHOTO: Reason for Thailand Pass Request
Me and my buds have to go to the Royal Palace and temple place to make fun of old Thai stuff for our Tik Tok vid.
Related: On their last legs
Thailand nightspots beg the junta for June relaunch
Night entertainment operators have called on the (alleged) 'government' to allow them to reopen their businesses in "blue-zone" provinces from June 1.
 The junta's reply: Temper your expectations.
PHOTO: The state of tourism in Thailand. This is Khao San Road on Sunday, supposedly the Center of Activity for most tourists and visitors.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2306726/
As the extremely junta-friendly Bangkok Post put it in a headline
Khao San roars back to life as Test & Go axed
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2306310/
Temper your expectations
The official word, as Prayut packs for his American holidays.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2306830/
ASEAN TOURISM LAOS
The Thailand-to-Laos bridge has been almost empty of traffic for two years.
 But as of today, Laos is open to tourists and visitors who have their vaxxports and other papers in order.
 Nong Khai province governor Monsit Paisalthanawat on Sunday signed an order to allow all vehicles to enter from Laos at the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge and Tha Sadej pier by the Mekong River in 'downtown Nong Khai' town.
CORONAVIRUS
Even the China propaganda teams can't stop the news from getting out.
Covid-19 is so out of control in Beijing.
How 'out of control' is it?
As of this morning it is spreading rapidly and even the Chinese Communist Party can't figure it out.
So the alleged, befuddled, currently useless 'medical experts' have ordered everyone to get tested.
Citizens cannot move anywhere in Beijing unless they first show papers to the 'Papers Please' police.
PHOTO: Â People line up to get tested next at a mobile nucleic acid testing site outside a shopping mall amid the Covid-19 outbreak in Beijing.
https://tinyurl.com/2v8xe36u
Shanghai tightens lockdown to hit zero-Covid goal by late May
SPOILER ALERT
Shanghai and China will not reach zero-Covid.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/shanghai-tightens-lockdown-hit-zero-covid-goal-late-may-sources-2671401
THAILAND CORONAVIRUS
tbh Thailand's medical community and self-appointed 'leaders' have had the same outcome as their Chinese counterparts.
These statistics are for the 24-hour period of Sunday, May 8.
Thailand is the 24th most-infected, most-deadly coronavirus victim country in the world.
Worst nation is the U.S.A. with 83.56 million confirmed coronavirus infections, followed by India (43.10 million), Brazil (30.55 million), France (28.92 million) and Germany 25.33 million confirmed cases).
As of this morning in these grim "standings" Canada (31) is a bit behind Thailand, with 3,789,517 diagnosed cases of Covid, but 39,740 deaths.
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries
The comparison is hardly scientific, but here are the one-day stats for the U.S.A.
To get the very, very rough comparison, multiplay the Thai numbers by "5" and the populations are quite close.
New Cases: 30,358
Deaths: 96
U.S.A. Warned: Don't put away those masks and Vax Cards. You're Going To Need Them Again. Soon.
CORONAVIRUS U.S.A. ONLY
DARK WINTER OF DEATH II: THE SEQUEL.
 Biden administration forecasts fall, winter COVID-19 wave with 100 million potential infections.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2022/05/07/biden-administration-new-warning-100m-potential-covid-19-infections-fall-winter-need-funding/3521651946928/
AFGHANISTAN WOMEN
To be clear, this is not a surprise. It's what they do.
'Head to toe. No exceptions'
 Taliban order Afghan women to cover fully in public.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/taliban-order-afghan-women-cover-fully-public-2670246
PHILIPPINES ELECTION
Late tonight or early tomorrow we'll know if Bongbong Marcos won the presidential election.
Leni Robredo fought him all the way.
PHOTO: About 60,000 security personnel from the police, armed forces and coast guard will try to help to secure polling stations and ballots.
HONG KONG COMMUNIST
Farewell Carrie "Silence of the" Lam
Hong Kong's Rubber-Stamp Election Has a Winner
After a brief secret ballot on Sunday, 99 per cent (1,416 members) voted for Lee while eight voted against, according to officials.
Police ringed the exhibition centre with security, and 6,000 to 7,000 officers had been placed on standby, according to local media.
In Hong Kong's one-man race for leadership of China's newest colony, China was guaranteed to win.
John Lee, a Beijing loyalist, was the lone candidate for Hong Kong's top job, in a selection process controlled by the Chinese government.
PHOTO: John Lee, the only candidate for the city's top job, observes ballots being counted for chief executive election in Hong Kong.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/ex-security-chief-john-lee-confirmed-hong-kongs-next-leader-2670981
PHOTO
John Lee is the one person China's Communist Party leaders trust to run the city as their loyal lieutenant.
And the BBC chimes in.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/john-lee-former-hong-kong-cop-beijing-trusts-2670951
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-61267490
OPED COMMENT
The Bangkok Post remains firmly loyal to the Prayut-Prawit coup of 2014.
May the crocodile eat them last.
In the editorial's headline, the key word is "More".
More agile Covid curbs needed
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2306370/
Good for them as they drive to their banks to deposit another cheque, but really!
Did we need scientists to tell us this?
Being Sleep-Deprived Actually Changes The Way We See Other People
Next up! Why grass is green.
https://www.sciencealert.com/being-sleep-deprived-actually-changes-the-way-we-see-other-people
The Monday Morning Joke
As an airplane is about to crash, a female passenger jumps up frantically and announces, "If I'm going to die, I want to die feeling like a woman."
 She removes all her clothing and asks, "Is there someone on this plane who is man enough to make me feel like a woman?"
 A man stands up, removes his shirt and says, "Here, iron this!". (h/t Ace oif Spades)
U.S.A. FREE SPEECH HUMAN RIGHTS
For the third time, the city of Boston violates the civil rights of its citizens.
For the third time, even the Supreme Court rebukes Boston. Unanimously.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/05/08/opinion/bostons-ignominious-record-disrespecting-free-speech/
 The Importance Of Mothers.
Settle down. I'm sure this careless blogger means 'Birthing People' and it was just a typical male typo, so give him a break!
This is (apparently) not a joke.
Highest paid? Good grief!
I guess the philosophers were right. Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.
 I worked in Vegas brothel where Lamar Odom overdosed – it's HAUNTED by former owner and needs an exorcism
 THE Las Vegas brothel where former basketball star Lamar Odom once overdosed is haunted by the ghost of its former owner, according to a sex worker who worked there.
 Alice Little, one of the highest-earning licensed sex workers in the country, used to work at the Love Ranch brothel near Las Vegas.
https://bityl.co/C7KW
Genius Award Winner
AND
Feel-Good Story of the Day
All in one.
https://bearingarms.com/tomknighton/2022/05/06/burglar-shoots-n58021
 I was tucking into some delicious khao nieo mamuang (mangoes and sticky rice) at a friend's house the other day and the conversation inevitably turned to teenage Thai rapper Milli, (Danupha Khanatheerakul) and her eye-catching performance at the Coachella music festival in California.
 Some might argue it's not really news, but at least it's sort of cheerful and I'll settle for that over all the bleak reports we are subjected to on a daily basis. I wonder if Milli could help out the Brits in similar fashion by performing a show featuring strawberries and cream?
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2306470/
She is 96 years old, reports to work every day ...
And there is STILL documentary footage of young Queen (or Princess) Elizabeth II that we've never seen.
The BBC is on the story!
https://bit.ly/3KR8Pqh
This is 100% true, even though it's not about England.
