Musings From Abroad

Rescued Thai cave boys get grooming to become Buddhist monks

The odyssey of a youth soccer team rescued from a Thai cave continued Tuesday when 11 of the boys attended a solemn ceremony and had their heads shaved before being ordained as Buddhist novices

Published

5 years ago

July 25, 2018

Africa News Watch

The odyssey of a youth soccer team rescued from a Thai cave continued Tuesday when 11 of the boys attended a solemn ceremony and had their heads shaved before being ordained as Buddhist novices.

The families of the boys had pledged to have the boys ordained as a show of gratitude for their rescue from the partially flooded Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai.

Video from the ceremony shows the boys, dressed in white, lined up before a table covered with lit candles and food. The boys prayed, bowed and took seats. A group of monks and others in the audience then took part in clipping their hair and shaving their heads.

The boys, ages 11-17, will be formally ordained Wednesday and spend nine days living in Wat Pha That Doi Wao temple near their homes in northern Thailand. That’s about how long they were trapped before the first team of rescue divers reached them, 2.5 miles from the cave’s entrance.

“This temple will be where they will reside after the ordination. I hope they will find peace, strength and wisdom from practicing Buddha’s teaching,” said the temple’s acting abbot, Phra Khru Prayutjetiyanukarn.

The assistant coach who was trapped with the boys, Ekapol Chanthawong, previously lived as a Buddhist novice for more than eight years and will be ordained as a monk. A 12th team member who was with the group, Adul Sam-on, is not Buddhist and is not participating in the ceremonies.

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Musings From Abroad

China supports South Africa on BRICS summit— Report

Published

17 hours ago

June 9, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Local media in China are reporting that the Asian giant will support South Africa to host the BRICS summit later this year.

South Africa has come under diplomatic pleasure following its continued relations with Russia, with the United States alleging recently that it aided Russia with ammunition in the ongoing Ukraine war.

South Africa is under the spotlight as it decides if it would arrest Russian President, Vladimir Putin during his expected visit for the BRICS Summit in August after the International Criminal Court placed a warrant on the European leader.

But with China now backing South Africa’s stance in the international space, particularly in hosting the BRICS summit and in relations with Putin’s expected visit, it may find some courage to rebuff the West.

Chinese President, Xi Jinping is reported to have had a phone conversation with South Africa’s Ramaphosa with assurances communicated.

Musings From Abroad

Italy, Netherlands, EU set to announce aid package for Tunisia

Published

17 hours ago

June 9, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni has said that a fresh aid package to Tunisia would be announced by the European Union alongside her country and the Netherlands on Sunday.

Meloni, who recently ended a visit to Tunisia, will visit again on Sunday with her Dutch counterpart, Mark Rutte and the EU Commission’s Ursula von der Leyen with high hopes.

“It seems to me that important steps forward are being taken,” Meloni said.

There are concerns that the delay with the loan could deepen Tunisia’s financial crisis and escalate migrants’ crisis across the Mediterranean Sea in search of a better life in Europe.

Creditors, which are largely European, want President Kais Saied to accept the terms of financial reforms by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for its loan which will unlock extra funds in bilateral aid for the country.

Creditors are also refusing to provide Tunisia with long-term budget support unless the IMF agrees to a deal that assures them of repayment of its debts. They have, however, given Tunisia smaller sums to help it purchase food and fuel.

President Saied announced last week that additional taxes would be implemented as a stopgap measure before an expected IMF loan.

Tunisia is in debt to the tune of roughly 80% of its GDP, and the IMF agreed in principle last year to a new loan of nearly $2 billion to help it overcome its severe financial crisis.