Sports doping watchdog says Thaiand, 2 other Asian nations 'non-compliant'The sign of the World Anti-Doping Agency is seen at the headquarters in Montreal on Dec 17, 2020. (AFP photo)WADA has declared the national anti-doping bodies of Thailand, North Korea and Indonesia "non-compliant", meaning those countries cannot win the right to host major international sports events. The Montreal-based World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said that the sanctions were "effective immediately". In the cases of North Korea and Indonesia, WADA said in a statement on Thursday that it was because of"non-conformities in implementing an effective (drug) testing programme". Among the consequences, the three Asian countries "may not be awarded the right to host regional, continental or world championships" as long as the suspension lasts, WADA added.

US special forces 'quietly training' TaiwaneseA US-made E2K Early Warning Aircraft takes off from a motorway in Pingtung, southern Taiwan, during the annual Han Kuang drill in September 2021. WASHINGTON: US special operations forces have been quietly training Taiwanese troops for months, risking the ire of China, a Pentagon official said on Thursday. A contingent of around 20 special operations and conventional forces has been giving the training for less than a year, the official, who declined to be identified, told AFP. Taiwanese Premier Su Tseng-chang said "a just cause always attracts much support" when asked to comment on the WSJ report on Friday. Taiwan media reported last November, citing Taiwan's Naval Command, that US troops had arrived there to train Taiwan marines and special forces in small-boat and amphibious operations.

Chinese central bank boss vows to further fintech crackdownYi Gang's comments come after a year in which China has cracked down on a range of industries including technology and propertyBEIJING - China will strengthen supervision of the online payments industry and continue its anti-monopoly crackdown, the governor of the central bank said, indicating Beijing will press ahead with a regulatory crackdown on the country's technology giants. Authorities have for about a year targeted a range of homegrown tech behemoths, including e-commerce titan Alibaba and food delivery giant Meituan, for alleged monopolistic practices and aggressive harvesting of consumer data. He added that the central bank will strengthen supervision of the payments industry and ask all financial services companies to be licensed. "Top platform companies in China have acquired massive data from users," said Yi, adding that their "winner-takes-all nature ... could lead to market monopoly and compromise innovation efficiency". Ma's business empire has been targeted in a wider crackdown on tech firms aimed at breaking monopolies and strengthening data security, which has wiped billions off companies' valuations.

Questionable designs garner the same reaction, though with unintentional comedic effect or innuendos. Salt Shaker or Uncircumcised PenisThis innocent banner encourages Thai people to put less salt in their food. Of course, it represents a salt shaker but when it's cropped at an angle like that it looks like an uncircumcised penis ejaculating. Had the graphic been shown in full and at the right rotation, the banner won't look this dubious. However, if you have been to a Don Don Donki store in Japan, you can't help but draw similarities to branded adult toys that Donki Donki in Thailand doesn't carry because we're a Buddhist country.

Siam Piwat Co., Ltd., the owner and operator of prestigious world-renowned retail developments, such as Siam Paragon, Siam Center, Siam Discovery, and a joint venture partner of ICONSIAM and Siam Premium Outlets, is launching Thailand further onto the world stage. Pavilion G`1roup is one of Siam Piwat’s Global Privilege Partners, and we have been collaborating to offer exclusive privileges to our customers. ICONCRAFT: Siam Piwat launched ICONCRAFT as a hub of inspiration to showcase the height of Thai craftsmanship first domestically then to the world. Siam Piwat has continued to launch Thailand further onto the world stage and support SMEs by curating a selection of products across various categories that have proven popular among foreigners. Siam Piwat has joined forces with various retail partners overseas to have these crafts featured on high-potential international platforms.

Two teenagers engage in a game during Thailand Game Expo 2020. "These are two key factors that boost demand in the gaming computer market," Mr Anothai told the Bangkok Post. NewZoo, a game and e-sports research firm, says Thailand has 32 million gamers with the gaming market valued at over US$1 billion in 2020. Dell has broadened its range of gaming computer products that will serve users under the Alienware brand, he said. The new models consist of Alienware x15 (113,490 baht), Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 (72,590 baht), Alienware m15 R6 (74,490 baht), Dell G15 Ryzen Edition (38,090 baht) and Dell G15 (35,990 baht).

People do not reduce trash in the first place and are not conscious about throwing away trash appropriately. They do not know that they should sell trash directly to waste pickers, so that trash can go directly to the recycling process," Pichmol said of the issues regarding waste recycling in Thailand. The Thai government has already released the Roadmap On Plastic Waste Management 2018-2030 paper which is divided into three phases. Since there is no concrete waste management system in Thailand, Pichmol suggests anyone who wants to start recycling their trash should contact waste pickers in their neighbourhoods. Today, Thailand imports trash from other countries, so the price of trash is not stable.

So it's quite hard to believe that Black Widow finally got a solo adventure. This week, fans finally got to see Black Widow and had the choice between seeing it in a theatre or on the Disney+ streaming service. Directed by Cate Shortland and produced by Kevin Feige, Black Widow is known as the first film in MCU's phase four. With some good performances by cast members and the exception of a few decent action sequences, Black Widow suffers from a dull script as well as poor execution. As usual, the comedy in the MCU works pretty well in Black Widow but the story overall is just weak.

Samsung forecasts near-30% jump in Q3 operating profitThe coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc with the world economy but seen many tech companies boomSEOUL - South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics defied the global supply chain challenges to forecast a near-30% jump in third-quarter operating profits on Friday. The world's biggest smartphone maker said it expected its operating profits to reach around 15.8 trillion won ($13.3 billion) in a regulatory filing, up 27.9% year-on-year. The company is the flagship subsidiary of the giant Samsung group, by far the largest of the family-controlled empires known as chaebols that dominate business in South Korea, the world's 12th largest economy. Samsung Electronics estimated sales for the July-September period at 73 trillion won, up 9.0% year-on-year -- a record for any quarter, a spokeswoman told AFP. Samsung's latest earnings estimate came after Lee Jae-yong, its vice-chairman and the de-facto leader of the wider Samsung group, walked out of prison in August.

(Photos courtesy of Gaysorn)Gaysorn Village has positioned Gaysorn Designer Lane as a shopping destination for the latest collections from leading fashion houses. The retail experience in an urban village ambience is enhanced by the art installation Rise "The Universe Of Biyan", exhibited until Jan 2022. Gaysorn Village, Biyan and Club 21 have collaborated on Rise "The Universe Of Biyan", which translates the Indonesian designer's iconography into breathtaking spatial design. Inspired by Thailand and Indonesia's emblematic avians, two mythical birds meticulously crafted from rattan and covered in Biyan's printed fabric soar above the main atrium of Gaysorn Village. Renascence portrays the dance of the force of nature and symbolises rebirth, transformation and hope.

Chevrolet Corvette. The design of the Top Time Chevrolet Corvette watch is based on the Corvette C2, or Sting Ray. Shelby Cobra. A nod to the original models along with a motoring twist, the Top Time Classic Cars capsule collection with dials in striking colours is designed for people with style and drive. Ford Mustang.

The movie follows Baylor, a demoted Los Angeles Police Department officer who has been reassigned to a 911 call dispatch desk. From then on, we see the film sway to the rhythms of the erratic Baylor, complete with mood swings and emotional meltdowns. However "complex" the audience believes Baylor is, ultimately, he's still the main character and the only individual whose perspective defines the whole movie. It does a good job at throwing viewers off track as they follow the twists and turns in the plot. And indeed, the performance of a talented actor ensures the audience is glued to the screen even when the plot gets tangled.

CIMBT bullish on secondary marketCIMB Thai Bank (CIMBT) aims to achieve a 30% growth rate in corporate bond trading in the secondary market next year. Trading volume in the corporate bond secondary market has been rising and the bank's market share of transactions has been increasing as well. CIMBT moved into this segment several years ago and positioned itself as the market leader for secondary bond trade by individual investors, said CIMBT executive vice-president Bhudinan Sethanandha. In 2020, total corporate bond trading in the secondary market stood at 21 billion baht and CIMBT's market share was more than 40%. CIMBT, whose parent is based in Malaysia, started to offer corporate bonds in the secondary market from 2016.

FTI to help startups, SMEs with fundraisingThe Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) is preparing to help its startup and small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) members raise funds in the capital market to help support the development of their businesses. FTI is working with the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) and KPMG in Thailand to help companies raise funds through the LiVE Exchange platform. "We set up a market for SMEs and startups called LiVE Exchange as a new fundraising channel for entrepreneurs. The FTI expects more than 100 SMEs and startups will take part in fundraising via the new platform this year. Some 80% of 13,000 entrepreneurs who are members of the FTI are operators of SMEs and startups, said Supant Mongkolsuthree, chairman of the FTI.

SET outperforms regional peers in 2021The SET Index rose by 10.8% during the first nine months this year, exceeding the average for the region and other emerging markets, spurred by an increase in vaccinations and a decrease in the daily infection rate. Industries that outperformed the SET Index compared with the end of 2020 were industrial products, technology, agriculture and food, and service sectors. According to the SET, foreign investors were net buyers for a second consecutive month in September, tallying 10.8 billion baht. However, they remained net sellers of 79.2 billion baht during the first nine months. The SET also recorded the highest value of initial public offerings in the region at US$3.33 billion for the first nine months.