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Digital nomading in Chiang Mai? What US$1,000 a month really gets you
Chiang Mai has become a popular destination for digital nomads due to its low living costs, rich culture, and active remote work community. The city offers affordable housing, tasty food, reliable internet, and many co-working spaces, making it a great...
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Twitter CEO Elon Musk reveals new features including calls and encrypted messaging
Details regarding new features for Twitter, including calls and encrypted messaging, have been unveiled by Chief Executive Elon Musk, 49 years old, on Tuesday. Last year, Musk teased plans for “Twitter 2.0 The Everything App,” which he claimed would contain options like encrypted direct messages (DMs), long-form tweets, and payments. Musk announced in a tweet on Tuesday that the platform…
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US braces for migrant influx as pandemic-era asylum rules end
As United States pandemic-era rules expire, the country is preparing to face thousands of migrants, resulting in deep divisions over immigration. These individuals are seeking safety and shelter in the US, but with a rising wave of nationalism, the welcome they receive may be uncertain. The Texas cities of El Paso, Brownsville, and Laredo have declared a state of emergency,…
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Thailand and UAE launch first free trade agreement
Thailand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) revealed the launch of their first free trade agreement (FTA) on Tuesday. The FTA aims to create new opportunities for trade, services, and investment between the two nations, expecting to boost bilateral trade by 10% within the first year of implementation. Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit and the UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign…
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Imran Khan to face graft charges in special court following nationwide protests
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is set to appear in a special court today at Islamabad’s police headquarters to address corruption allegations, following his unexpected arrest that led to violent nationwide protests yesterday. Khan’s detention comes after months of political turmoil, and soon after the influential military criticized the former cricket star for claiming that a high-ranking officer was…
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OCBC reports record net profit in Q1 as strong net interest income growth boosts earnings
Singapore‘s second-largest lender, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp (OCBC), has reported a 39% increase in first-quarter profit compared to a year ago, driven by robust net interest income expansion. OCBC, also the second-largest bank in Southeast Asia by assets, revealed a net profit of US$1.42 billion between January and March, up from US$1.02 billion during the same period last year, significantly surpassing…
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Trudeau slams Meta over plans to block Canadian news in response to proposed legislation
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has criticized Meta after the company’s executives announced plans to block news for Canadian Facebook and Instagram users in response to proposed legislation. The new law, known as the Online News Act, would require digital giants to pay for local journalism content. Currently, the bill is being considered by the Senate. Google also revealed in February…
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Lionel Messi’s potential move to Saudi Arabia: A look at football greats who played in unexpected leagues
Lionel Messi, the 35 year old Argentine football superstar, is reportedly preparing to continue his illustrious career by making a surprising move to Saudi Arabia. As a result, Barcelona fans will be left heartbroken, as they had hoped for Messi to return to his former club. However, Messi is not the first prominent player to seek opportunities in less renowned…
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Airbnb forecasts fewer bookings and lower daily rates in Q2 compared to last year
Airbnb Inc announced on Tuesday that it anticipates fewer bookings and reduced average daily rates in the second quarter compared to the previous year, resulting in an 11.5% decrease in share value during after-hours trading. US travel companies, which have profited from increased prices and hybrid work, are adjusting their 2023 forecasts as pre-pandemic travel patterns resume and consumers seek…
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Hungarian diver summoned by police for touching pipefish in Thailand
A Hungarian diver was summoned to the police station in Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani province in southern Thailand yesterday for allegedly touching a pipefish. Police say he was formerly charged with touching protected marine life once before in 2020. In a video entitled “Scuba diving in the paradise, Koh Phangan” on the YouTube channel “Paradise Films by Attila…
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Pheu Thai sets conditions for coalition government formation
Pheu Thai Family leader and prime ministerial candidate Paetongtarn “Ung Ing” Shinawatra has revealed three conditions for the party to form a coalition government, with one condition being that Pheu Thai must manage all major ministries. During an hour-long interview published on TikTok and Instagram Live, which was hosted by celebrity Kachapa “Mod Dam” Tancharoen on Monday night, Paetongtarn maintained…
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Eastern economic corridor barely accessible to small businesses
The Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) project in Thailand is falling short of its intended purpose, as only a few small local businesses are able to access and benefit from it, according to the Thai Sang Thai (TST) Party. Prime ministerial candidate for the TST, Supan Mongkolsutee, stated that the EEC scheme is predominantly aimed at larger companies, leaving small businesses…
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Minivan collides with trailer truck in Pabon: 11 passengers injured
A driver has sustained significant injuries, while 11 passengers have sustained minor injuries after a minivan crashed into a trailer truck in Pabon. Pabon Police were notified of the accident earlier this week on Songkhla Road in Trang. Emergency responders arrived at the scene to discover the damaged minivan on the road, behind the trailer truck. Inside the minivan, rescue…
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China and Germany tensions worsen over Ukraine sanctions and neutrality stance
China-Germany tensions escalated yesterday as the two nations exchanged sharp words over the Ukraine crisis. with Beijing warning the EU not to sanction Chinese firms while Berlin argued that “neutrality” in the conflict meant siding with Russia. During their second meeting in a month, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock clashed repeatedly over the responsibilities of…
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Robert De Niro becomes a father again at 79
Legendary actor Robert De Niro, 79 years old, recently shared in an interview that he has become a father for the seventh time. The well-known “Raging Bull” star corrected an interviewer who believed he had six children, telling her it was “seven, now.” De Niro did not disclose further details about the baby’s gender or the mother’s identity during the…
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Chumphon man shoots girlfriend and kills himself in Phuket
A 56 year old man from Chumphon shot his girlfriend, resulting in her injury, following their breakup in a house in Wichit on a recent night, before taking his own life with a gunshot to the head. The violence occurred at a home in Wichit, where local police were called to respond at around 10pm. Upon their arrival along with…
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ASEAN nations express deep concern over ongoing violence in Myanmar
Southeast Asian nations expressed deep concern over the ongoing violence in Myanmar during this week’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Indonesia. The regional bloc has been under scrutiny for its perceived inaction and inability to resolve the crisis amid the bloodshed following a military coup in 2021. In a statement, ASEAN leaders urged “the immediate cessation of…
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Phuket court issues arrest warrant for suspect who stabbed grocer to death
The Phuket Provincial Court issued an arrest warrant for a suspect who allegedly stabbed a grocer to death in the main city district on Saturday. The incident is believed to have occurred following a dispute with a former customer. Phuket City Police Captain Wichit Nokkaew said that the Phuket Provincial Court issued an arrest warrant for 34 year old Tarapong…
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Canada won’t be intimidated by China’s expulsion of Canadian consul, says Trudeau
Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, stated yesterday that the country would not be intimidated by China’s tit-for-tat expulsion of a Canadian consul. This came after Ottawa expelled a Chinese diplomat earlier this week, who was accused of targeting a lawmaker critical of Beijing. Trudeau emphasised that his administration’s decision to expel the Chinese official was taken to convey a clear…
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Ukraine urges faster EU support and clear membership path
Ukraine has issued a warning that it requires more effective support from Brussels, including a defined path towards European Union membership, during European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s recent visit to Kyiv. Coinciding with Europe Day, which promotes peace and unity within the continent, von der Leyen discussed Ukraine’s development in democratic and anti-corruption reforms ahead of an October…
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China dismisses accusations of maritime militia disrupting Indian and Asean naval drills
China’s foreign ministry has dismissed allegations that vessels belonging to its maritime militia deliberately encroached upon an area of the South China Sea where Indian and ASEAN navies were conducting exercises. However, an independent expert in Vietnam argues that Beijing is using the militia to intimidate and disrupt the naval drills. In a statement to Reuters, China’s foreign ministry said…
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Deadly shooting at Tunisian synagogue during annual pilgrimage
Two people participating in an annual pilgrimage and two security service members were fatally shot at the Ghriba Synagogue on Tunisia’s Djerba Island yesterday, according to the interior ministry. The gunman, a police officer, was also killed in the incident. Several others, including four visitors to the synagogue and five security officers, were injured in the attack. The Tunisian foreign…
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US-Mexico border braces for chaos as asylum rules change
A surge of people is expected at the United States border with Mexico, as US President Joe Biden acknowledges the situation will be “chaotic for a while.” Title 42 pandemic-era rules, which made claiming asylum at the border nearly impossible, are set to expire in the coming days. This has led tens of thousands of people to gather at border…
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Murderer arrested in Thailand after 16 years on the run
A Thai man who brutally murdered his wife 16 years ago was arrested at a temple in Roi Et province in northeast Thailand yesterday. He confessed to beating his wife to death with a helmet in 2007. Police arrested 63 year old Adirek at a temple in Nong Phok district under an arrest warrant from Phitsanulok Provincial Court dated August…
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6-wheel truck crashes into 4 cars: 11 injured including 5 month old child
A six-wheel truck smashed into four cars resulting in 11 injuries, including a five month old child, on Bang Na-Trat Road in the Bang Wua sub-district, Bang Pakong district, Chachoengsao province. The driver allegedly confessed that he picked up his phone to answer a call and did not notice the other cars. At 8.30pm yesterday, officers from Bang Pakong Police…
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Phuket officials target motorbike rental shops to reduce road accidents
Phuket authorities have decided to implement inspections of motorbike rental shops in an effort to decrease the number of deaths and injuries from accidents on the popular island’s roads. The decision was announced at a special meeting, chaired by Phuket Vice Governor Anupap Rodkwan Yodrabam, which was organised to discuss and draft guidelines for controlling and organising motorcycle rentals in…
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Sudan’s escalating conflict displaces over 700,000 civilians, warns UN
The escalating conflict between Sudanese military generals continues to take a toll on civilian lives, causing an alarming increase in the number of people fleeing their homes. According to the United Nations, over the past week, the number of internally displaced persons has doubled from 340,000 to more than 700,000. Furthermore, the International Organisation for Migration reports that hundreds have…
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Singapore’s prime minister urges ASEAN to work towards a joint power grid
Following the success of the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore power integration project, Singapore’s Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, 70 years old, called on ASEAN yesterday to continue working towards a joint power grid. A regional power grid will strengthen energy security, and resilience in member states, and advance regional decarbonisation, Lee said. The Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore project demonstrates that “multilateral power trading in…
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Thai man dies reconciling with wife: Fatal asthma attack in rice field
A man from Thailand died in a rice field in Ang Thong province while trying to walk 24 kilometres to his wife’s house to reconcile with her. It was later revealed that he had suffered a fatal asthma attack during the journey. Officers from Meaung Ang Thong Police Station were notified of the man’s death by 45 year old tractor…
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Tattooed Thai gangster-turned-movie star arrested on gambling charges
Thai gangster-turned-actor Panya Yimumphai – famous for his role in ‘A Prayer Before Dawn’ – was arrested on gambling charges at a house in Pathum Thani, just north of Bangkok, on Monday. Thailand’s Cyber Police raided the property after Panya, better known for his gang name Keng Laiprang (“Keng Camouflage”), posted a TikTok clip inviting his followers to gamble on…
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Protests across Pakistan after Imran Khan’s arrest and military rebuke
Protests broke out across Pakistan following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan during a court appearance in the capital, Islamabad. The arrest comes amid political turmoil and hours after the powerful military criticised the former international cricketer for accusing a high-ranking military officer of plotting to kill him. Demonstrators in several cities directed their anger at the military,…
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