Police probe dumping of 59 Rohingya on island off SatunRohingya migrants sit on the rocks by a beach on Koh Dong off Satun on Saturday before being picked up by a Royal Thai Navy boat. (Photo: Satun Public Relations Office)Police are trying to find out who abandoned 59 Rohingya boat people, including five children, on an island off mainland Satun - and told them they were in Malaysia. A Royal Thai Navy coast guard boat found the 59 Rohingya — 31 men, 23 women and five children — on Koh Dong, about 20 kilometres from Koh Lipe, on Saturday after a tip-off. The #Rohingya boat people were transported to mainland Satun. The boat dropped them on the island about a week ago and then sailed away, he said, adding that the Rohingya will be sent back to Bangladesh.

Prapit said the Royal Irrigation Department’s machinery office is rushing to clear the Bang Pakong irrigation dam in Chachoengsao’s Muang district. The office has deployed cranes on rafts and other tools to clear the overgrowth. Meanwhile, Anek Kansangwon, director of the Royal Irrigation Machinery Office, said his office has reached an agreement with irrigation offices nationwide to cooperate in clearing the weeds. Anek said his office has deployed 222 small fibreglass boats designed for clearing weeds to the 17 irrigation offices so they can start working right away. The boats come armed with equipment to push the weeds ashore and pull them out upon reaching the bank.

Suspected monkeypox cases all test negativeTest tubes labelled "Monkeypox virus positive and negative" are seen in this illustration taken on May 23, 2022. (Reuters photo)Six suspected cases of monkeypox were ruled out on Friday following lab tests which came back negative for the virus, says the Department of Disease Control (DDC). However, monkeypox has a tendency to spread more rapidly, the WHO added. On Friday, there was a global spike in cases in Portugal (19), the UK (11), the Netherlands (8) and the US (3). The DDC said the Public Health Ministry has measures in place to work with hospitals and clinics in Bangkok where those infected with monkeypox will be treated.

Ukraine says Russia using 'all its power' to capture eastern cityResidents wait to evacuate the city of Sloviansk, to the west of Severodonetsk, on June 2KYIV (UKRAINE) - Ukraine said Saturday its forces were managing to push back against Russian troops in fierce fighting in Severodonetsk despite Russia "throwing all its power" into capturing the strategic eastern city. Western powers have slapped increasingly stringent sanctions on Russia and supplied arms to Ukraine but divisions have emerged on how to react. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba reacted on Saturday saying such calls "only humiliate France" and any country taking a similar position. The blockade has sparked fears of a global food crisis since Ukraine and Russia are among the top wheat exporters in the world. The UN has warned that African countries, which normally import more than half of their wheat consumption from Ukraine and Russia, face an "unprecedented" crisis.

Swiatek wins second French Open titleIga Swiatek saw off Coco Gauff in straight sets to win her second Grand Slam title. (AFP Photo)PARIS: Iga Swiatek cruised to her second French Open title by dominating teenager Coco Gauff in the final on Saturday, as the world number one claimed her 35th successive victory. Swiatek celebrated her sixth straight title this year in the players' box with her friends and family. Swiatek, only the 10th woman to win multiple French Opens in the Open era, lost just one set in the tournament — against China's Zheng Qinwen in the fourth round. The Pole gifted her opponent a potential route back into the match, making four unforced errors to throw away her serve in the first game of the second set.

Govt denies oversupply of vaccineThe Public Health Ministry has denied accusations by the Rural Doctor Society (RDS) that it has flooded remote hospitals with Covid-19 vaccines, saying such quantities were justified to expand immunisation coverage. Dr Suthep Phetmak, the ministry's chief inspector, insisted it was crucial for people across the country to have access to the vaccine close to their homes. "It is precisely the reason the vaccine was distributed to the HPH [health promotion hospitals] in the tambons in the outlying areas of the country," he said. So far, 138 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered, of which 81% were first doses and 75% were second doses. Earlier, the RDS criticised the ministry for sending the vaccine without adequate refrigeration at the HPHs.

But govt making it through the upcoming censure debate could well be a different storyPrime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha speaks during a budget bill debate in Parliament on Thursday. The initial passage of the budget bill was said by some observers to be a key first step in the government's bid to remain in power. House committee seats are important to small parties, particularly the committee vetting the budget bill, he said. Committee members scrutinising the budget bill, particularly those from the coalition government parties can push for allocations to their constituencies, he said. "Some Pheu Thai MPs also voted for the bill, which shows they may want to leave Pheu Thai.

A customer is served at the "Putaria" pastry shop in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 2, 2022RIO DE JANEIRO: At a Rio de Janeiro pastry shop, customers are waiting in line to buy waffles -- but the chocolate-covered treats come with a twist that is causing controversy in Brazil: they are shaped like penises. Since the "Putaria" pastry shop opened last month in the upscale beach neighborhood of Ipanema, it has drawn a steady stream of titillated customers, but also disapproval from some neighbors, who have called in the authorities. But having to cover up the sign outside the shop came as an "unpleasant surprise," she told AFP. The shop has placed pink cloth over its sign -- matching the decor inside -- but does not appear to have lost customers over the kerfuffle. It's a business like any other," said an elderly woman, Neusa, holding a freshly purchased penis shape.

“Marijuana-related cases waiting for a trial date or court verdict will also be dismissed,” said court spokesman Sorawis Limparangsi. However, inmates who have been charged for other offences in addition to marijuana possession will not be released. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced last month that people in Thailand can grow “as many cannabis plants” as they want in their own homes. However, the marijuana grown must be of medical grade and used for medicinal purposes only. Registration is not required for home-growers but large businesses will require permission from the Food and Drug Administration, he added.

“I visited an international Metaverse expo in San Francisco last year and I am confident that the Thailand Metaverse Expo will have everything that they had, and then some,” he said. The “Thailand Metaverse Expo 2022” will have three zones, namely the Experience Zone, Competition Zone and Conference & Workshop Zone. Topics of discussion include “Why Metaverse is the Next Big Thing in Web 3.0”, “Now and Next Metaverse Technology”, “Big Players”, “Metaverse Trend and Movement in Thailand & ASEAN”, “Rule & Role of Government Agencies, Infrastructure & Network”, and “Thailand's Status in Metaverse”. “Though Thailand has started a bit slower than other countries when it comes to Metaverse, Nation Group believes that the Thailand Metaverse Expo will help set the country on the right track of expansion in the world of Metaverse in the most tangible way,” he added. It is estimated that Thailand Metaverse Expo 2022 will have over 5,000 participants at Siam Paragon and more than 20,000 online viewers.

Asian equities gain after Wall Street revivalRecap: Asian equities rose yesterday following a strong performance on Wall Street ahead of the release of jobs data, while crude gave up some of the previous day's gains after an output increase disappointed traders. Foreign investors were net buyers of 6.08 billion baht, institutional investors bought 387.23 million and brokers purchased 273.26 million baht worth of shares. Retail investors were net sellers of 6.74 billion baht in shares. The collapse last month of Luna and its sibling TerraUSD led to $500 billion in losses in the broader crypto market. The Finance Ministry will sell 55 billion baht worth of government savings bonds next month to help finance the budget deficit.

The ministry’s head inspector, Dr Suthep Phetmark, said on Friday the move will help promote comprehensive vaccination at community level to prepare for the redesignation of Covid-19 as an endemic in the future. “The vaccines provided to subdistrict health promoting hospitals include Sinovac, Astra Zeneca and Pfizer that are still usable. The ministry is not dumping expired vaccines on subdistrict hospitals as some have speculated.”Suthep was referring to a Facebook post by the Rural Doctors Society on Thursday, which said that “subdistrict health promoting hospitals are not garbage dumpster for CCSA’s leftover vaccines”. “The ministry has been working with subdistrict hospitals to survey people who are still unvaccinated in each province, in order to give a jab at home for those who are unable to travel to the hospital,” said Suthep. “The ministry will provide the vaccine while the National Health Security Office will support vaccination fee for public health officials/volunteers at 40 baht per jab.”

Ganja convicts set for releaseMore than 4,000 inmates charged or convicted in connection with cannabis-related offences will be released from jail when the regulation removing cannabis and hemp from the list of narcotics takes effect on June 9, according to the Corrections Department. Thawatchai Chaiwat, the department's deputy director-general and spokesman, said the inmates' release is the result of a Public Health Ministry regulation published in the Royal Gazette on Feb 9 that will come into effect on June 9. The Office of the Courts of Justice has officially notified law enforcement agencies under it to prepare for the upcoming release of the inmates. There are currently 3,219 inmates convicted of cannabis-related offences and another 884 on trial. The spokesman said some families have been tricked by a gang claiming it could secure the early release of inmates for a fee.

Honorary Consul of the Republic of Cote d'lvoire, Patcharapimol Youngprapakorn, describes the GSW 2022 as a three-day crash course in global administration. The GSW 2022 is a platform that brings together females from both the public and private sectors from across the world to discuss ideas and experiences for strengthening the world economy. Patcharapimol believes that it is really interesting for Thai people to participate in a shortcut to learn from the global experience. For more information on the summit and to register, visit: https://globewomen.org/globalsummit/

Thai energy consumption is expected to rise by 9.2% this year, based on an economic growth estimate of 2.5-3.5%, driven by an uptick in economic activities as pandemic restrictions ease, says the Energy Policy and Planning Office (Eppo). In Thailand, gas consumption is expected to decline by 9.5% as LNG prices have skyrocketed, following problems with LNG production. Consumption of refined oil, including gasohol, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas, jet fuel and fuel oil, is expected to increase by 12.3% to 135 million litres per day this year, up from 120 million litres per day last year. In the power sector, electricity consumption is expected to rise by 2.5% to 195,328 gigawatt-hours from 190,468GWh last year. The energy consumption forecast for 2022 may be revised down if global energy prices continue to increase more than the range of the Dubai crude oil price, said Mr Wattanapong.