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World
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Lindsay Clancy judge rules killer mom can be found guilty of MANSLAUGHTER rather than murder as her parents smile while leaving court
Read more: Lindsay Clancy judge rules killer mom can be found guilty of MANSLAUGHTER rather than murder as her parents smile while leaving courtThe charging conference marks a pivotal moment for Clancy, whose defense argues that medication used to treat her postpartum psychosis should give jurors a path to a lesser conviction.
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Meta settles social media addiction suit for up to $17.1 billion
Read more: Meta settles social media addiction suit for up to $17.1 billionMeta agreed to pay up to $17.1 billion to settle allegations that its social media platforms are addictive.
Asia
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Malaysia ousted from Asian Cup race after AFC overturns wins
Read more: Malaysia ousted from Asian Cup race after AFC overturns winsThe AFC overturned two of Malaysia’s wins, leaving them six points off the top of their Asian Cup qualifying group and out of contention for the tournament.
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China wants more homegrown chips in its cars. The hard part isn’t geopolitics
Read more: China wants more homegrown chips in its cars. The hard part isn’t geopoliticsChina’s push to localise automotive chips is gaining ground, but mostly in mature control systems rather than high-end computing. Observers say the main hurdles are technical, not geopolitical.
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China will push more proactive macro policies in 2026, Xi says
Read more: China will push more proactive macro policies in 2026, Xi saysChina’s economy is expected to have grown to about 140 trillion yuan (US$20 trillion) in 2025, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday (Dec 31).
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Japan says China’s military drills around Taiwan ‘increase tensions’
Read more: Japan says China’s military drills around Taiwan ‘increase tensions’China’s drills this week involved dozens of fighter aircraft and navy vessels conducting live-fire drills, simulating a blockade of Taiwan’s key ports and assaults on maritime targets.
Thailand
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Spotlight on ballooning welfare spending
Read more: Spotlight on ballooning welfare spendingIs Thailand becoming a welfare state? The answer remains to be seen, given the government’s fiscal constraints.
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Cambodia won’t impede Unesco bids, says ministry
Read more: Cambodia won’t impede Unesco bids, says ministryThe Culture Ministry has insisted Thailand’s bids to have traditional Thai costume and Muay Thai recognised by Unesco as intangible cultural heritage items will not be affected by Cambodia’s election to a Unesco heritage committee.
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NESDC to evaluate Land Bridge project
Read more: NESDC to evaluate Land Bridge projectThe National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) is preparing to convene a subcommittee meeting on the Land Bridge project to assess the project’s feasibility and possible development model.
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AI growth puts 8.7m Thai jobs at risk
Read more: AI growth puts 8.7m Thai jobs at riskNearly 9 million workers could potentially be affected by generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), according to estimates by the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC).
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Record April trade deficit as imports rise sharply
Read more: Record April trade deficit as imports rise sharplyThe trade deficit hit an all-time high in April of about US$10 billion, as imports surged 45% year-on-year to $41.6 billion, driven by shipments of raw materials, semi-finished products, capital goods, and energy, according to the Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO) under the Ministry of Commerce.
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Malaysia ousted from Asian Cup race after AFC overturns wins
Read more: Malaysia ousted from Asian Cup race after AFC overturns winsThe AFC overturned two of Malaysia’s wins, leaving them six points off the top of their Asian Cup qualifying group and out of contention for the tournament.
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Thai aviation faces tougher quarters
Read more: Thai aviation faces tougher quartersThai airlines, which reported mixed financial results in the first three months of 2026, will remain under pressure in the second and third quarters from the oil price spike as the uptick in airfares and fuel surcharges are insufficient to cover the surge in costs.
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Extortion scandal hits Chinese bookings
Read more: Extortion scandal hits Chinese bookingsChinese tourists are losing confidence in travelling in Thailand again as their bookings slow for the coming months, following a recent case involving police officers extorting Chinese nationals in Sa Kaeo, says the Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta).
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Economic restructure proposed
Read more: Economic restructure proposedWhile economists and industry leaders say the proposals by executives to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on May 15 are practical and should be implemented, they noted more needs to be done by the government to ensure sustainable growth, calling for structural reform focusing on improving small business competitiveness.
