TOPSHOT - Pheu Thai party leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra, known by her nickname "Ung Ing" and daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, greets members of the media at local news outlet Voice TV in Bangkok on August 16, 2024. Thai lawmakers on August 16 appointed the 37-year-old daughter of billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra as prime minister, elevating a third member of the influential but divisive clan to the nation's top job. (Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP)
BANGKOK (AFP) – Thai lawmakers on Friday elected the 37-year-old daughter of billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra as prime minister, elevating a third member of the influential but divisive clan to the nation’s top job.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, whose father and aunt have served as premier, is the youngest leader in Thailand’s history as a constitutional monarchy.
She becomes the kingdom’s second female prime minister, after her aunt, in a vote forced after the kingdom’s Constitutional Court sacked previous premier Srettha Thavisin for appointing a cabinet minister with a criminal conviction.
Pheu Thai party leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra, known by her nickname “Ung Ing” and daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, greets members of the media at local news outlet Voice TV in Bangkok on August 16, 2024. PHOTO: AFP
Srettha’s ouster on Wednesday was the latest round in a long-running battle between the military, pro-royalist establishment and populist parties linked to Paetongtarn’s father, a telecoms tycoon and one-time Manchester City owner.
The Pheu Thai party selected Paetongtarn as its replacement candidate Thursday. None of the 10 other parties in the coalition it leads put forward an alternative.
Bhumjaithai — the third-largest party in parliament — said it had “agreed to support a candidate” from Pheu Thai in Friday’s vote.
Paetongtarn helped run the hotel arm of the family’s business empire before entering politics in late 2022, and she was a near-constant presence on the campaign trail during last year’s general election.
That vote saw the upstart progressive Move Forward Party (MFP) win most seats after pledging to review the country’s strict lese-majeste laws and break up powerful business monopolies.
But alarmed senators blocked MFP’s attempt to form a government.
Pheu Thai subsequently formed an alliance with pro-military parties once staunchly opposed to Thaksin and his followers, leading to Srettha’s ascension.
Less than a year later, he became the third Pheu Thai prime minister to be kicked out by the Constitutional Court.
Srettha was ousted over his appointment of Pichit Chuenban, a former lawyer associated with Thaksin’s family who had a criminal conviction.
Last week, the court also voted to dissolve MFP and ban its executive board members from politics for 10 years, though the party swiftly relaunched itself as the People’s Party.
Long shadow
The big question will be how much Paetongtarn will be influenced by her father.
Thaksin Shinawatra has cast a remarkable shadow over the kingdom’s politics for two decades.
He transformed Thai politics in the early 2000s with populist policies that won him and his party enduring loyalty from the rural masses — and two elections.
But that success came at a cost: he was despised by Thailand’s powerful elites and conservative establishment, who saw his rule as corrupt, authoritarian and socially destabilising.
Ousted as prime minister by the army in 2006, Thaksin took himself into exile two years later but never stopped commenting on national affairs — or meddling in them, according to his critics.
Thaksin returned to the country last year.
Paetongtarn, known in Thailand by her nickname Ung Ing, is Thaksin’s youngest child.
She grew up in Bangkok and studied hotel management in Britain, then married a commercial pilot. The couple now have two children.
Deputies of the Bolivarian National Assembly of Venezuela arrive for session at the National Assembly in Caracas on August 15, 2024. Venezuela's parliament approved a law to regulate NGOs described by Nicolas Maduro's regime as a "facade for the financing of terrorist actions, part of several under consideration in the National Assembly that critics say are meant to criminalize opponents of the strongman who claimed victory in July 28 elections widely condemned as a sham. (Photo by Federico PARRA / AFP)
CARACAS (AFP) – The presidents of Brazil and Colombia called Thursday for fresh elections in Venezuela after last month’s disputed victory by Nicolas Maduro — a proposal quickly rejected by the opposition, who slammed the strongman for blocking a “political transition.”
The two South American leaders, who spoke on the phone Wednesday to discuss a possible political way forward from Venezuela’s post-election crisis, independently urged Maduro to consider a new election.
But Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said it would show “a lack of respect” for the popular will already expressed on July 28.
Deputies of the Bolivarian National Assembly of Venezuela arrive for session at the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela. PHOTO: AFP
“The country’s economy is getting worse and worse with each passing day with no political solution in sight, and you are responsible for this tragedy,” Gonzalez Urrutia said in a video posted to social media on Thursday.
“Venezuela deserves a future of stability, prosperity and peace, but in order to have that, the will of the people must be respected.”
For his part, Maduro, while not directly mentioning a new election, said: “Conflicts in Venezuela… are resolved by Venezuelans, with their institutions, laws and Constitution.”
Sensible
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said if Maduro were “sensible… he could try to appeal to the people of Venezuela, perhaps even organize elections.”
Lula told a Brazilian radio station there should be “criteria for participation of all candidates” in a new election, which should “allow observers from all over the world.”
Colombian President Gustavo Petro meanwhile called on X for the lifting of all sanctions against Caracas, a “general national and international amnesty,” “new, free elections” and a “transitional cohabitation government.”
In Washington, US President Joe Biden signalled he would back such a move, but the White House walked back his comment, with a spokesman suggesting Biden had been “speaking to the absurdity of Maduro and his representatives not coming clean about the July 28 elections.”
It is “abundantly clear” that Gonzalez Urrutia won, the US spokesman said.
When asked about statements made by foreign leaders, Maduro said: “We’re not going to conduct diplomacy at microphones. Every president, every country knows how to manage domestic affairs.”
Still managed to win
Machado, who was barred from seeking election by Maduro-friendly state institutions, told a virtual press conference Thursday that Venezuelans had voted “in very adverse conditions where there was fraud and we still managed to win.”
The country’s CNE electoral council proclaimed Maduro the winner of a third, six-year term, giving him 52 per cent of votes cast but without providing a detailed breakdown of the results.
Deputies of the Bolivarian National Assembly of Venezuela attend a session at the National Assembly in Caracas. PHOTO: AFP
The opposition says polling station-level results show Gonzalez Urrutia won easily.
Gonzalez Urrutia and Machado have been in hiding since the president accused them of seeking to foment a “coup d’etat” and called for the pair for be jailed.
Maduro’s victory claim has been rejected by the United States, European Union and several Latin American countries.
The Organization of American States will meet on Friday at Washington’s request to consider a resolution that would call on the CNE to publish detailed election results and allow independent verification of that data.
Anti-Maduro protests have claimed 25 lives so far, with dozens injured and more than 2,400 arrested.
Legislative offensive
Maduro has previously rejected the possibility of new elections and asked the country’s highest court, also viewed as loyal to him, to certify the outcome.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s legislature on Thursday approved a law to regulate the registration and funding of NGOs described by Maduro’s regime as a “facade for the financing of terrorist actions.”
The law is one of several under consideration in the regime-friendly National Assembly that critics say are meant to criminalize Maduro’s opponents.
The vast majority of the 277 lawmakers in the single-chamber National Assembly are loyal to Maduro, who had warned of a “bloodbath” if he lost his reelection bid.
Rights activists in Venezuela on Thursday raised the alarm over the NGO law, which they said would “deepen the persecution” of Maduro critics.
Since coming to power in 2013, Maduro has presided over an economic collapse that has seen more than seven million Venezuelans flee the country as GDP plunged 80 percent in a decade.
His previous reelection, in 2018, was also rejected as a sham by dozens of countries.
A man uses a portable fan as he waits to cross a road in Seoul on August 14, 2024, during a prolonged heatwave which has gripped much of the country. A streak of super-hot tropical nights is set to break a century-old South Korean weather record, according to official data released on August 14, as the peninsula bakes in a prolonged heat wave. (Photo by ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP)
A woman uses an umbrella to shield from the sun in Seoul, South Korea. PHOTO: AFP
SEOUL (AFP) – South Korea’s capital broke a century-old weather record with the 26th so-called tropical night in a row – when the temperature stays above 25 degrees Celsius, according to official data released on Friday.
“The cold air is not coming down from the north and as we are affected by the warmer side of the southwest, the temperature is continuously recording around 25 degrees Celsius or above,” Youn Ki-han, director at Seoul’s Meteorology Forecast Division, told AFP.
Much of the world is enduring a summer of extreme heat, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warning last month of an “extreme heat epidemic”, and calling for action to limit the impact of climate change.
A man uses a portable fan as he waits to cross a road in Seoul. PHOTO: AFP
Overnight temperatures in the South Korean capital Seoul have sizzled above 25 degrees Celsius for 26 days in a row, officials said, marking the longest streak since modern weather observation began in 1907.
The record ties one set in 2018, but the weather agency counts the most recent as the benchmark.
The intense heat in Seoul is expected to continue, according to Seoul’s Office of Meteorology, setting a record every day until next week.
The 25-degree-plus evenings are widely known as “tropical nights” in South Korea, and officials say such a long streak is unusual.
“Usually around this time the temperature drops in the morning and evening as the cold air comes down from the northwest, and the North Pacific high-pressure contracts, but currently we aren’t seeing any signs of that yet,” said Youn.
South Korea’s second-largest city Busan, meanwhile, logged its 22nd consecutive tropical night — its longest streak since records began in 1904.
Bound to get worse
According to the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the number of days with temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius in the world’s largest capital cities has surged by 52 per cent over the past 30 years.
In 2018 alone, Seoul experienced 21 days with temperatures over 35 degrees Celsius — more than the previous 10 years combined.
“In just one generation, there’s been an alarming increase,” said Dr Tucker Landesman, a senior researcher at IIED.
Climate activists in South Korea are calling for more government action.
“There’s no chance that this will get better and it’s bound to get worse,” Youn Se-jong, an environmental lawyer, told AFP.
“Strengthening the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions should be the priority,” he added.
A vehicle sprays water to cool a road surface in Seoul. PHOTO: AFP
South Korea currently has the lowest proportion of renewable energy in its power mix among all OECD countries and is the G20’s second-highest carbon emitter from coal per capita, according to energy think tank Ember.
North Korea is also sweltering under a heatwave and issued a warning earlier this week, with central areas including Pyongyang affected.
“Severe heat of 33 to 37 (degrees Celsius) is foreseen in some areas,” said Kim Kwang Hyok, an official at the State Hydro-Meteorological Administration.
PUTRAJAYA, 16 Ogos -- Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim ketika tiba pada Majlis Amanat Perdana Perkhidmatan Awam (MAPPA) ke-19 Perkhidmatan Awam MADANI di Pusat Konvensyen Antarabangsa Putrajaya (PICC) hari ini.
--fotoBERNAMA (2024) HAK CIPTA TERPELIHARA
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim arrive at the Majlis Amanat Perdana Perkhidmatan Awam (MAPPA). PHOTO: BERNAMA
ANN/THE STAR – Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has announced a 15-per-cent pay raise for civil servants under the management and professional category and a seven-per-cent salary raise for civil servants in the upper management category.
According to Anwar, the pay raise will be given to civil servants in two phases.
For civil servants under the management and professional category, officers will receive an eight-per-cent raise in the first phase of implementation on December 1, and a seven-per-cent raise in the second phase on January 1, 2026.
For civil servants in the upper management category, they will receive a four-per-cent raise in the first phase on December 1, and a three-per-cent raise in the second phase on January 1, 2026.
“We hope this will motivate the civil service to strive for the best for the nation,” said Anwar.
Anwar hopes the salary raise will be sufficient to address the skyrocketing inflation rates at the moment.
“Before this, 12 years ago, civil servants only received a 5.8 per cent hike, whereas inflation was 21 per cent.
“I know that for civil servants below grade 46, it is very tough,” said Anwar.
National Wushu athlete, Walid Lachkar, has secured his first gold medal at the 21st Malaysian Games (SUKMA XXI) 2024 in Kuching, Sarawak. On the second day of the competition, Walid excelled in the Men’s Daoshu event, scoring an impressive 9.613 points out of 18 competitors.
Walid Lachkar (c) receives the gold medal from Haji Mohamad Rosfazilah bin Haji Yusly, the Chef de Mission for Brunei Darussalam’s contingent at the medal presentation ceremony. PHOTOS: MCYSWalid Lachkar with his coach and teammates.
As of today, the Brunei Darussalam contingent has achieved a total of one gold and one bronze medal, both earned by Walid Lachkar in the Wushu discipline.
The medals were presented by Haji Mohamad Rosfazilah bin Haji Yusly, the Chef de Mission for Brunei Darussalam’s contingent at the games.
This marks Brunei Darussalam’s first gold medal at the Malaysia Games since 2014, when the country last claimed gold at the Perlis edition of the event. – FADHIL YUNUS
Walid Lachkar posing with his gold medal and the Brunei flag.
People wearing raincoats or holding umbrellas to shield from the heavy rain are seen outside Tokyo Station on August 16, 2024 as Typhoon Ampil barrels towards Japan's capital. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)
People wearing raincoats or holding umbrellas to shield from the heavy rain are seen outside Tokyo Station. PHOTO: AFP
TOKYO (AFP) – A typhoon described by forecasters as “very strong” barrelled towards Japan on Friday, with hundreds of flights and trains cancelled and 1,700 homes without power.
Typhoon Ampil was located east of Hachijojima island, about 300 kilometres south of Tokyo and packing gusts of up to 216 kph as it headed north, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
The typhoon is not expected to make landfall, instead, moving along the coastline near the Tokyo region, home to around 40 million people, before heading back out into the Pacific.
Authorities warned of strong winds, very heavy rains and possible landslides, urging people to exercise extreme caution.
A total of 1,700 households in Tokyo’s neighbouring prefectures were without power as of Friday morning due to the typhoon, according to the utility operator.
ANA cancelled 280 domestic flights affecting more than 60,000 passengers, while Japan Airlines scrapped 281 domestic and 38 international services, hitting 49,700 customers.
TOPSHOT – A passenger stands at the departure hall of Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. PHOTO: AFP
Major parts of Japan’s network of bullet train services were also to be cancelled Friday – including the busy section between Tokyo and the central city of Nagoya.
The typhoon comes as Japan marks the “obon” holiday week when millions return to their hometowns, and days after Tropical Storm Maria dumped record rains in parts of the north.
Typhoons in the region have been forming closer to coastlines, intensifying more rapidly and lasting longer over land due to climate change, according to a study released last month.
Researchers from universities in Singapore and the United States analysed more than 64,000 modelled historic and future storms from the 19th century through the end of the 21st century to come up with the findings.
MASON, OHIO - AUGUST 15: Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates while playing Gael Monfils of France during Day 5 of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 15, 2024 in Mason, Ohio. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by MATTHEW STOCKMAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
A general view during the match between Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Gael Monfils of France during Day 5 of the Cincinnati Open. PHOTO: AFP
CINCINNATI (AFP) – Carlos Alcaraz was halted by rain on the brink of victory Thursday while defending women’s champion Coco Gauff crashed out in her first match at the ATP and WTA Cincinnati Open.
Spaniard Alcaraz, the reigning Wimbledon and French Open champion, led France’s Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-6 (1/3) when rain halted play at the last major tuneup for the US Open, which starts on August 26.
Carlos Alcaraz during Day 5 of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. PHOTO: AFP
Top seed Alcaraz, who lost to Novak Djokovic in last year’s Cincinnati final, took a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, also dropping that final to Djokovic.
Alcaraz is back on hardcourt for the first time since winning at Miami. He skipped last week’s ATP Montreal Masters.
Gauff was eliminated earlier in a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 upset loss to Kazakh spoiler Yulia Putintseva.
A disappointed Gauff will go back to the drawing board before defending her US Open crown.
Putintseva, ranked 34th, has made a recent habit of upsets, knocking off top-ranked Iga Swiatek barely a month ago at Wimbledon.
“I’m really proud of myself,” said Putintseva. “These courts are so fast, you have to just play on instinct. That’s what I did.”
Yulia Putintseva plays a backhand during her match against Coco Gauff. PHOTO: AFP
Gauff became Cincinnati’s youngest champion a year ago at age 19 and carried that success into her first Grand Slam triumph at the US Open.
“I have to work on consistency. overall,” Gauff said. “I’m making a lot of unforced errors, especially when I was up 4-2 (in the third set),” Gauff said. “Most of the points (Putintseva won) were off (my) errors.
“She’s tricky to play, mixes up the ball and likes drop shots, She makes you earn the match.”
Coco Gauff plays a forehand during her match against Yulia Putintseva. PHOTO: AFP
Putintseva will next face Spain’s Paula Badosa, who defeated Anna Kalinskaya 6-3, 6-2.
Third seed Aryna Sabalenka polished her opening-match record at the event by defeating Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-3, 6-4.
Sabalenka missed Wimbledon and the Paris Olympics with a right shoulder injury but feels well.
“I’m happy with my level in the tough moments,” Sabalenka said. “Elisabetta is a difficult opponent. She fought to the last point.”
Zverev advances
Men’s third seed Alexander Zverev, the 2021 champion from Germany, won his ATP-leading 50th match this season. The German dispatched Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-2 in a repeat of his Tokyo Olympic final win.
Zverev, feeling poorly last week in Montreal, said his form is much improved.
“I felt well on court. If you feel good in training it’s easier to bring it to the match,” he said. “I just hope my form can get better. I’m happy I got the win today.”
Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta lined up the German’s next opponent after defeating Australian Max Purcell 6-3, 6-3.
Briton Jack Draper accounted for ninth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who lost 3-6, 6-4, 7-5. The Greek served for the match leading 5-4 in the third set, but Draper won 12 of the last 14 points to turn the situation on its head.
Holger Rune defeated Portugal’s top player Nuno Borges 6-3, 7-6 (10/8).
Fifth seed Hubert Hurkacz, who made a surprise comeback from July knee surgery by reaching last week’s Montreal quarter-finals, won his opener over Yoshihito Nishioka 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-1.
He next faces Italian Flavio Cobolli, who advanced when compatriot Luca Darderi retired trailing 7-6 (7/4), 3-1 with apparent illness.
In the WTA draw, Elena Rybakina was thwarted in her first match since Wimbledon, going down 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 as Canadian Leylah Fernandez saved two match points in an upset of the fourth seed.
Rybakina, who missed the Paris Games with acute bronchitis, suffered with 17 double faults – including on match points. Even 20 aces could not save her afternoon.
Elina Svitolina, a semi-finalist here nine years ago, saw off Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4, 6-1 to next take on Sabalenka.
Sabalenka has won their last two matches, including a Roland Garros quarter-final in 2023 and a three-setter in Rome three months ago.
Newly minted Armenian Elina Avanesyan stunned eighth seed Jelena Ostapenko with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 fightback.
The future presidential palace under construction, which will host Indonesia's 79th Independence Day celebration on August 17, is seen in the future capital city of Nusantara (IKN) in Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan, on August 10, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
ANN/THE JAKARTA POST – Outgoing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has been racing against all odds to unveil Indonesia’s future capital Nusantara in East Kalimantan, just in time for the nation’s 79th Independence Day anniversary on August 17.
This year’s celebration promises a series of festivities, with the backdrop of the new presidential palace taking the shape of the mythical bird Garuda, the nation’s symbol, with its black, steel wings.
The future presidential palace under construction, which will host Indonesia’s 79th Independence Day celebration on August 17, is seen in the future capital city of Nusantara (IKN) in Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan. PHOTO: AFP
The new city is far from complete, which has been acknowledged by the President. But the palace, the ceremonial field and some other buildings are ready to host the Independence Day commemoration, an event that has been capitalized on by residents living on the doorsteps of the future capital city.
Despite the bare-bones status of many parts of Nusantara, Jokowi has embarked on at least two publicity tours in the past month to showcase the progress of the work in and around the city, while convincing the world that the future capital is ready for August 17.
The first tour, on July 28, saw Jokowi riding a motorcycle along a scenic route to the future capital city. Along the way, the President, clad in a black motorcycle jacket, opened the Balang Island Bridge, a key part of the new toll road designed to link Nusantara with its surrounding satellite cities.
He then spent two nights, including a sleepless one, at the newly finished Garuda Palace. Many view the palace, with 4,650 blades of steel emulating the mythical bird’s wings, as an architectural marvel, rising majestically from the hilly forests of East Kalimantan in just two years.
Jokowi’s second tour kicked off on August 11. This time, he brought all the cabinet members with him. The President had dinner with his ministers in the evening that day, followed by a cabinet meeting – the first in Nusantara – the following day.
“The new capital Nusantara is a canvas on which we can carve out the future,” Jokowi told reporters before the August 12 cabinet meeting.
A building under constuction at the site of the future capital city of Nusantara (IKN). PHOTO: AFP
Apart from the palace, most of the buildings in Nusantara’s Central Government District (KIPP) are still under construction, including a new airport designated for VIP guests. The government has blamed heavy rain for hampering work on the airport.
Just as the government launched cloud seeding flights to prevent rain clouds from interrupting work in Nusantara, Jokowi’s visits have been touted as a PR move to remove any lingering doubts about the ambitious project ahead of its unveiling on the global stage.
With only two months left in his decade-long presidency, Jokowi now stands on the brink of making history as the Indonesian leader who successfully moved the national capital from Jakarta to its new home.
“Not every country has the opportunity or ability to construct a new capital from zero.”
Business boom
With Nusantara airport still under construction, Balikpapan emerges as a crucial transit hub for the future capital
Thousands of travelers and guests for the August 17 ceremony are expected to land in Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport in Balikpapan. Airport management is setting up plans for the arrival of regular and VIP passengers, said general manager Ahmad Syaugi Shabab.
Nusantara-themed mugs with the logo “Nusantara Untuk Semua”. PHOTO: THE JAKARTA POST
But East Kalimantan’s second-largest city has long lacked tourist attractions, making it less appealing to visitors. At least until Nusantara came along.
The future capital has brought an influx of visitors to Balikpapan, spurring the local economy and creating new business opportunities in the coastal city.
The excitement surrounding the new capital was showcased well at Kebun Sayur Market in Balikpapan, with clothes bearing the Nusantara logo becoming the hottest fad in the past six months, to the more traditional array of souvenirs, such as traditional Bornean fabrics and local handicrafts.
“Nusantara is now all the buzz, and we traders automatically [switch to] whatever is popular,” Ani, whose stall in the market was adorned with Nusantara T-Shirts, told The Jakarta Post.
Clothes vendor Ani checks her smartphone while waiting for customers at the Kebun Sayur Market in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. PHOTO: THE JAKARTA POST.
Nusantara-themed merchandise, which she commissioned on her own, has been flying off the shelves more than the traditional trinkets. Most of her buyers are construction workers posted in the future capital.
“They rotate every three months, so they’re sure to buy up to a dozen of these T-shirts for their families and friends back home,” Ani said.
Merchandise business is not the only one booming thanks to the future capital. More visitors are looking for cars to take them to and from Nusantara, giving local businesspeople like Samuel Andu a meteoric rise in revenue and assets from chauffeuring.
Sleepy Sepaku no more
The business boom has also made its way into Sepaku, a district in North Penajam Paser regency on Nusantara’s doorstep.
Once a quaint village, the district has rapidly transformed into a vibrant hub for newcomers who range from government officials to labourers.
These people have been flocking to restaurants across Sepaku, including one located on the main road leading to Nusantara owned by Sulis Sugiarti. When she first opened over two decades ago, Sulis would be lucky to sell 5 kilograms of rice and chicken each day.
Now, she and her workers have to cook at least 30 kg of rice daily and prepare around 50 kg of beef and fish every few days; a success that has also helped other small businesses, such as fishermen, farmers and home cooks preparing crackers that are sold in the restaurant.
“I have received many orders for lunch boxes for the Independence Day celebrations,” Sulis said. “We couldn’t accept them all, so we shared the order with other restaurants in town.”
Endah Sulistyaningsih has also been scrambling to manage excessive bookings for her home-style inn in the district ahead of the Aug. 17 celebration. She opened the inn less than a year ago using her personal savings and the compensation she received for her grandmother’s land, which was acquired for Nusantara’s water infrastructure.
“Some people who have stayed at my place even asked me to help them look for alternatives,” she said, “but there’s not much I can do since it’s all full.”
Endah is now working to open a second inn, hoping to help other Sepaku residents seize the business opportunities that come with the future capital city.
Independence day jubilation
The upcoming 79th Independence Day celebration, the last for President Jokowi before he steps down in October, is expected to be a historic one, as it commemorates the transition of Indonesia’s capital from Jakarta to Nusantara.
Jokowi will lead the ceremony in Nusantara, which will be attended by around 2,000 guests, including Defense Minister and president-elect Prabowo Subianto. Vice President Ma’ruf Amin and vice president-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who is Jokowi’s eldest son, will join the ceremony remotely from Jakarta.
Officials from Jakarta and local administrations have been busy preparing for the celebrations. Yatiman Setiawan, head of Bukit Raya village in Sepaku that directly borders Nusantara, for example, was looking for accommodation for security personnel and guests coming on August 17.
“We are the ‘hosts’ for the event, so security details and guests will stay in our village,” he said.
Workers build a wall as the future presidential palace under construction. PHOTO: AFP
While the President’s office shared few details about the celebration with Yatiman, the village head said the locals were eager to contribute. He said that they had been offering their homes to visitors and wanted to line up along the street to wave small flags when the guests arrive.
The excitement does not stop with the residents. Businesses are also preparing to supply products to the village office, hoping to attract guests looking for local souvenirs. Endah, who manages a Bukit Raya village enterprise (BUMDes), also turned a ceremonial field into a food court, providing locals with more opportunities to set up food kiosks.
With the celebration approaching, construction workers in the new city also have ants in their pants ahead of Nusantara’s first public showcase.
Harry Herdiana, for example, is a man from West Java who spent almost a year building and installing the steel beams for the Garuda Palace in Nusantara. He admitted that he was initially pessimistic that the work could be finished in time for the August celebration, but he grew more optimistic as the wings started to take shape.
“I’m just a small part in a big project, but I’m very proud to have been involved,” Harry told the Post. “I hope that the palace can be the country’s pride too.”
The dust from the construction is settling now, with all work put on hold ahead of the Independence Day celebration. Workers are busy preparing for parties and making sure electricity, water and internet are running for August 17, according to Danis Hidayat Sumadilaga of the Public Works and Housing Ministry, who leads the infrastructure construction in Nusantara.
This year’s celebration feels like more than just an occasion to commemorate Independence Day; it will also open uncharted territory for the country with the future capital city.
Jakarta, the current capital plagued by its perennial problems of pollution and traffic congestion, will retire with the shimmering-new Nusantara set to take its place. The mastermind behind the new city, Jokowi, is also stepping down in two months, with Prabowo, his preferred successor, set to continue bearing the torch.
“I think Jokowi has played a historic role by deciding to move the capital,” the defense minister said on August 12. “So I need to continue the project at the very least, or even finish it if I can.”
Both criticism and lavish praise continue to ring loud around Jokowi and Nusantara. How both will ultimately go down in the history books is still anyone’s guess.
But everyone can look forward to witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime celebration.
FILE - A person walks past at an electronic stock board showing Japan's stock prices at a securities firm in Tokyo, June 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama, File)
TOKYO (AFP) – Tokyo’s key Nikkei index gained more than three per cent on Friday on the back of strong US economic data and a weaker yen against the dollar.
Late morning the Nikkei 225 was up 3.06 percent at 37,849.61 points while the broader Topix index was 2.57 percent higher at 2,667.55.
Mizuho Securities said earlier that the Japanese market was likely to “follow the trend of US stocks rising on the back of the US July retail sales results.”
“In addition, the ongoing depreciation of the yen is likely to support the market,” the brokerage said.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.4 per cent on Thursday while the broad-based S&P 500 added 1.6 per cent
The tech-focused Nasdaq Composite Index surged by 2.3 per cent.
This came after US retail sales rose 1.0 per cent in July from June, exceeding expectations and reassuring investors about the health of the world’s biggest economy.
The dollar rose more than one percent against the yen after the retail sales report was released.
In Tokyo, the dollar fetched JPY148.93 on Friday.
Among major shares, exporters were higher thanks to the weaker Japanese currency, with Toyota soaring 2.39 per cent to JPY2,722 and Honda rising 1.91 per cent to JPY1,576.
The Nikkei plunged more than 12 per cent last Monday on worries about the US economy and a stronger yen, before soaring more than 10 per cent the following day.
(FILES) Actor Matthew Perry attends the 2003 TV Land awards at the Palladium Theatre in Hollywood on March 2, 2003. At least one person has been arrested in connection with the ketamine overdose death last year of "Friends" actor Perry, US media reported on August 15, 2024. NBC, citing law enforcement officials, said one arrest had been made, while TMZ said there had been "multiple" arrests including one doctor, as investigators probed how Perry obtained the drug. (Photo by Chris Delmas / AFP)
US Attorney for the Central District of California Martin Estrada announcing arrests in the death of “Friends” actor Matthew Perry, in Los Angeles, United States. PHOTO: AFP
LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Five people who allegedly supplied ketamine to Friends star Matthew Perry in a bid to exploit his drug addiction for profit have been charged in relation to his overdose death, US officials said on Thursday.
The actor died at his luxury Los Angeles home last year, sparking an outpouring of grief from fans around the world.
“These defendants took advantage of Mr Perry’s addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was wrong. They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr Perry, but they did it anyway,” said federal prosecutor Martin Estrada.
“These defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr Perry than caring for his well-being,” said Estrada, the US attorney for the central district of California.
Charges were levied against two doctors, Perry’s live-in assistant, a broker and a North Hollywood dealer known as ‘the Ketamine Queen’, who has been linked to the overdose death of another man.
Perry, who played Chandler Bing on the hit TV sitcom from 1994 to 2004, was found unresponsive in his swimming pool in October. He was 54.
Matthew Perry. PHOTO: AFP
An autopsy found the cause of his death was “the acute effects of ketamine,” a controlled drug the recovering addict was taking as part of supervised therapy.
Drug-selling emporium
Estrada said Perry had fallen back into addiction in the autumn of 2023, when he began to be supplied by Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez, both doctors.
Over two months, they sold him 20 vials of the drug for USD55,000. Each one cost them as little as USD12, said Estrada.
In one text message, Plasencia, 42, wrote: “I wonder how much this moron will pay… Lets [sic] find out.”
Plasencia, who reportedly works in the tony Calabasas neighborhood outside Los Angeles, knew Perry was spiralling out of control, but carried on.
“On one occasion, he injected Mr Perry with ketamine, and he saw Mr Perry freeze up and his blood pressure spike,” Estrada said.
“Despite that, he left additional vials of ketamine for (Perry’s assistant Kenneth) Iwamasa to administer.”
Perry also obtained the drug from Jasveen Sangha, a woman nicknamed ‘the Ketamine Queen’, through broker Eric Fleming, including the batch that would ultimately kill him.
Her home was “a drug-selling emporium” containing methamphetamine, cocaine and prescription drugs like Xanax, officials said.
Plasencia, whose ankles were chained when he appeared in court, denied one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, as well as a raft of other charges.
He was released on USD100,000 bail and ordered to inform his patients of the charges he faces. He was ordered to stand trial on October 8 and could be imprisoned for up to 120 years.
Sangha, a dual British- and American citizen, wore a green ‘Nirvana’ sweater when she entered not guilty pleas to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, and other charges.
She was denied bail after the judge heard of a jet-set lifestyle that included a trip to Tokyo just two weeks after Perry’s death.
She was ordered to stand trial on October 15, and could face life behind bars.
The other defendants have either pleaded guilty or agreed to do so in relation to their charges. They face between 10 and 25 years in prison.
Exploitation
Doctors and veterinarians use ketamine as an anesthetic, and researchers have explored its use as a treatment for depression.
Underground users take it for its hallucinogenic effects, though it can be addictive and dangerous for people with underlying health problems.
Friends (1994-2004), which followed the lives of six New Yorkers navigating adulthood, dating and careers, drew a massive global following and made megastars of previously unknown actors.
Perry’s role as the sarcastic man-child Chandler brought him fabulous wealth, but hid a dark struggle with addiction to painkillers and alcohol.
In 2018, he suffered a drug-related burst colon, and underwent multiple surgeries.
In his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry described going through detox dozens of times.
“I have mostly been sober since 2001,” he wrote, “save for about sixty or seventy little mishaps.”
Drug Enforcement Agency Administrator Anne Milgram speaks during a press conference
“The desperation that led Perry to these individuals was not met with help… but instead it was met with exploitation.”
