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Asia
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Sun, sand – and a customs shift: Hainan offers fresh clues into China’s opening-up playbook
Read more: Sun, sand – and a customs shift: Hainan offers fresh clues into China’s opening-up playbookHainan is now a distinct customs zone from the rest of mainland China. The tropical island province is being positioned as a testbed for policy and trade openness amid mounting external headwinds, say analysts.
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School bullying in Malaysia: What’s behind rise in cases and what can be done?
Read more: School bullying in Malaysia: What’s behind rise in cases and what can be done?Experts say that laws are not the be-all and end-all when it comes to tackling bullying, and there is a need for a more holistic approach.
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Commentary: What resuming direct India-China flights reveals about Modi’s and Xi’s priorities
Read more: Commentary: What resuming direct India-China flights reveals about Modi’s and Xi’s prioritiesThe decision to resume direct flights between India and China is partly economic, but geopolitics matters too, says an academic.
Thailand
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Operators back 30-day visa return
Read more: Operators back 30-day visa returnTourism operators in Phuket and Pattaya backed the government’s decision to restore 30-day visa-free stays, saying the move would help curb illegal businesses and low-spending long-stay visitors.
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Thai airlines grapple with jet fuel surge
Read more: Thai airlines grapple with jet fuel surgeDespite increased airfares, airlines have been unable to absorb rising jet fuel costs during the summer period, with this expense increasing from 30-35% of operational costs to 60% in May.
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2,000kg of meth seized on Samui-bound ferry
Read more: 2,000kg of meth seized on Samui-bound ferryPolice on Friday seized nearly 2,000 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine that was being smuggled in a pickup truck loaded onto a ferry bound for the southern tourist island of Koh Samui, at a pier in Bangkok. Four suspects were arrested.
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Resilient SET Index pushes above 1,500 points
Read more: Resilient SET Index pushes above 1,500 pointsDespite recent geopolitical tensions, particularly the escalation in the Middle East and energy market disruptions, Thailand’s equity market has demonstrated resilience, with the benchmark SET Index rebounding past the 1,500-point mark on Friday.
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Cabinet readies cost-of-living relief packages
Read more: Cabinet readies cost-of-living relief packagesThe cabinet on Saturday is expected to approve a cost-of-living relief package targeting vulnerable groups as well as the transport and agriculture sectors, Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said on Friday.
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Sun, sand – and a customs shift: Hainan offers fresh clues into China’s opening-up playbook
Read more: Sun, sand – and a customs shift: Hainan offers fresh clues into China’s opening-up playbookHainan is now a distinct customs zone from the rest of mainland China. The tropical island province is being positioned as a testbed for policy and trade openness amid mounting external headwinds, say analysts.
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Commission ramps up crackdown on investment scams
Read more: Commission ramps up crackdown on investment scamsThe Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has intensified law enforcement actions to reinforce market credibility, as a sharp rise in investment scams, largely driven by social media, emerges as a growing systemic risk.
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Thailand seizes B8.27bn more from regional scam network
Read more: Thailand seizes B8.27bn more from regional scam networkPrime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Thursday announced the seizure and freezing of a further 8.27 billion baht in assets linked to a transnational scam network, pushing the total value of confiscated assets in the case to more than 20 billion baht.
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Tourism minister chasing B3-trillion goal
Read more: Tourism minister chasing B3-trillion goalThailand’s tourism minister has vowed to restore tourism revenue to more than 3 trillion baht, exceeding pre-pandemic levels within the new government’s four-year term, and will proceed with a 300-baht tourism fee, as adopted in many countries.