Instant noodles, the poverty labelListen to this articleMama, just a simple name, yet it resonates like a heartbeat in Thailand, where these instant noodles have woven themselves into the very fabric of daily life for over 50 years. However, instant noodles are not always about hardship. With its wide range of flavours, instant noodles have won people over and, for many, become a dependable go-to meal. The problem is not instant noodles but the way society uses food to judge people’s lives. Poverty is not defined by a bowl of instant noodles, but by the limited time, income, and opportunities that shape everyday decisions.

The Japanese government is considering charging visiting foreigners a fee of about 2,000 yen (400 baht) to 3,000 yen for a planned online pre-travel screening system called Jesta, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. The Jesta, aimed at preventing terrorism and illegal employment of foreign visitors to Japan, applies to countries and regions whose people are exempt from obtaining short-term stay visas. The government is weighing submitting a bill to amend the immigration control law in the next regular Diet session to create the system. Similar programmes adopted in the United States and Canada charge fees of roughly 1,000 to 6,000 yen. Japan is considering using the revenue for emergency support for foreign visitors during disasters, the source said.

Normally, he sleeps in the garage, but yesterday he moved to the street because the sun had not yet reached the garage. “According to the footage, the driver did not stop to check on him at all. After being run over, my dog ran into the garage and died within five minutes. I advise filing a report since the other party did not stop to check or take responsibility,” the user wrote. Meanwhile, another user noted that regardless of legal responsibility, the driver should have at least stopped to check on the dog after the incident.

(Reuters File Photo)The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has proposed a new set of indicators to assess the risk of policy-based corruption ahead of the Feb 8 general election. Examples included the rice-pledging scheme operated during the Yingluck Shinawatra administration, and a rubber sapling procurement project carried out under the administration of her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra. Political parties would be required to submit policy information through this framework, with the Election Commission later publishing the results to aid voters in their decision-making, Mr Surapong said. The NACC also urged the media and civil society to help raise awareness, stressing the need for transparent and lawful policy development. The NACC said it believes this collaboration with the EC would mark a significant step towards promoting cleaner politics and equipping voters with reliable information to underpin a more transparent election process.

Siripong Angkasakulkiat, who is also a spokesman for the caretaker government, confirmed remarks made by Prime Minister Anutin that Bhumjaithai was not naming any other PM hopefuls. All three had earlier been rumoured as prospective prime ministerial candidates alongside Mr Anutin. Mr Siripong shrugged off concerns about the political risk of having just one PM candidate, saying Bhumjaithai used the same approach in the 2023 election. Mr Siripong declined to speculate on potential coalition partners, saying the situation would become clearer after the election results. Mr Anutin vowed to strengthen national security, combat smuggling and cybercrime, and ensure sovereignty remains intact.

This tactic is occasionally employed by ships ferrying sanctioned oil in order to obscure their trajectories and cargoes. Venezuela’s oil industry, once a global powerhouse, has been decimated by years of sanctions and underinvestment. The Skipper, the first Venezuela tanker to be targeted by US forces, was using this tactic when it was captured earlier this month. Many in the dark fleet turn to flags of convenience or false registrations to avoid inspection. Venezuela’s regular dark fleet tankers are typically provided by other countries, as Caracas is unable to finance its own flotilla, and cannot rely on an existing fleet that is too small and old.

Black box recovered from Libyan general’s crashed planeListen to this articleThe last photo of Libya’s army chief, Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Haddad, taken hours before his death in a plane crash in Turkey. (Photo: AFP)HAYMANA, Turkey - Turkish authorities found the cockpit voice recorder and black box from a private jet that crashed Wednesday killing the head of Libya’s armed forces and his four aides. The Falcon 50 aircraft requested an emergency landing because of electrical failure minutes after it took off from the Turkish capital Ankara, but contact was lost, Turkish officials said. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya told reporters at the crash site that the plane’s voice recorder and the flight data recorder (black box) had been recovered. He said data from the black box would reveal what happened, adding the analysis process may take several months.

Building on the explorations of perception and subconscious imagery in Asoke's first solo show "Suggestions", the new exhibition deepens his inquiry into the fluid boundaries between reality and illusion. In this new series, the artist constructs layered worlds where suggestive forms, bursts of colour and faint architectural outlines intermingle, creating scenes that feel at once spatially grounded and dreamlike. These compositions evoke the sensation of glimpsing familiar structures through shifting light or memory -- never fixed, always on the verge of transforming. He expands this approach by shifting from smaller-scale collages to a larger canvas, allowing his layered marks and diffused forms to unfold with greater spatial resonance. These tactile surfaces mimic the experience of navigating memory or architecture in a dream, where space feels both intimate and ungraspable.

Against a basket of currencies, the dollar fell to a 10-week low of 97.767, and is on track to lose 9.9% for the year, which would be ‌its steepest annual drop since 2003. “The US dollar risk premium widened in December which suggests USD weakness may reflect growing concerns around Fed ⁠independence, not just the monetary policy outlook,” HSBC analysts said in a currency outlook report. That has ‌in ‍turn lifted the two Antipodean currencies, with the Australian dollar, up 8.4% to date, scaling a three-month peak of $0.6710 on Wednesday. The New Zealand dollar similarly touched a 10-week high of $0.58475, having risen 4.5% for the year thus far. Among developing economy currencies in Asia, the Thai baht has surged 10% this year because of dollar weakness, causing major headaches for exporters and policy makers.

The Ariana Cinema in Kabul, the capital, had remained closed, save for occasional propaganda movies, since 2021, when the Taliban swept back to power. A group of women wearing burqas crosses the street as members of the Taliban drive past in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Oct 9, 2021. The Ariana Cinema opened in the early 1960s and became a favoured place among Afghans who wanted to watch Indian Bollywood movies or Iranian cinema. “The destruction of Ariana Cinema is not just a construction operation, but rather the end of an era in the cultural life of the Afghan capital,” he added. “Even when it was operating as a cinema, it was a commercial place because ticket sales were conducted there,” he said.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will launch a promotional campaign featuring its newly appointed ambassador Lalisa “Lisa” Manobal, including an advertorial film, expected to boost tourism by the "Lisa Effect". A teaser will be released by January 2026, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said on Wednesday. “Every step Lisa takes not only inspires her fans but also elevates Thai tourism,” she said, adding that the Buri Ram-born member of supergroup Blackpink would enhance the image and appeal of Thai tourism. The campaign is expected to create the “Lisa Effect”, a creative force to draw global attention and drive sustainable growth. Fans can expect to see the first piece from the Amazing Thailand Ambassador campaign early next year.

An industrial growth pioneerSarath Ratanavadi did not set out to become a cryptocurrency strategist or a telecom mogul. In recent years, the company has expanded into transport infrastructure, digital services, and even cryptocurrency — fields far removed from its energy origins. For Mr. Sarath, the lack of prior expertise is no barrier. Mr. Sarath now oversees a portfolio that spans energy, transport and digital infrastructure, positioning Gulf at the intersection of Thailand’s industrial transformation. While renewables are essential to combat global warming, Mr. Sarath argues that natural gas remains vital during Thailand’s energy transition.

The talks began as scheduled at the Ban Laem border checkpoint in Chanthaburi province, the two countries confirmed. Cambodian defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata said the talks began at 4.30pm, led by generals from both sides. A letter to the Thai defence ministry, dated Monday from Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Seiha, appears to take a conciliatory tone, though it does not expressly request a ceasefire negotiation. The two sides normally take turns hosting the bilateral border meetings, and the last GBC meeting was held in September, in Koh Kong province of Cambodia. The GBC (General Border Committee) is a forum for border security issues chaired by the defence ministers of the two countries.

The United States told the United Nations (UN) on Tuesday (December 23) it will impose and enforce sanctions "to the maximum extent" to deprive Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of resources. Venezuela, backed by Russia and China, requested Tuesday's meeting, the second held on the escalating tensions.

Arrest warrant for expressway murdererListen to this articleBangkok police commissioner Pol Lt Gen Sayam Boonsom looks at the car of the victim on Tuesday. (Photo supplied)Police have sought a warrant for the arrest of a luxury van driver who shot dead another motorist on a Bangkok expressway early Tuesday morning. He is expected to be charged with murder, attempted murder, and illegal possession and use of a firearm. The shooting occurred on Bangkok’s expressway near the Pracha Chuen toll plaza in Bang Sue district at about 4.50am on Tuesday. Police believe it followed a brief road rage incident just before the toll plaza.