11,754 new Covid cases, 123 deaths FridayOfficials of the Public Health Ministry are moving wheelchairs out of the Challenger Hall at the Impact exhibition and convention complex in Nonthaburi province on Thursday when the country's biggest field hospital for Covid-19 patients shut down there. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)Thailand logged 11,754 new Covid-19 cases and 123 more fatalities during the previous 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry announced on Friday. The number of new cases rose from the 11,646 announced on Thursday, when the country recorded 107 more deaths. Since April 1, when the third wave of Covid-19 began, Thailand has treated 1,586,366 Covid-19 patients, 1,455,720 of whom have recovered to date. Since the pandemic started early last year, there have been 1,615,229 Covid-19 cases, with 1,483,146 complete recoveries so far.

Not very often are the subjects of identity, race, racism told through a candid story of love. Alienation, belonging, loss and the breaking of identity channelled through a tunnel of tender love are its bold subject matters. It doesn't heal either for he's a wounded child who doesn't know that love is the hardest thing to earn and most painful thing to let go. Her love doesn't save him. In Open Water, love at times feel like one's lost and found language.

Finance Ministry mulls Q4 stimulus spending spreeThe Finance Ministry might pump fresh money into the economy in the fourth quarter and extend stimulus measures in an effort to revive the nation, says Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith. He said the ministry wants to stimulate domestic spending in the fourth quarter as many economists and companies forecast a stagnant economy this year, attributed to the impact of the prolonged pandemic. He said the ministry will consider a proposal from companies to relaunch the tax rebate scheme "Shop Dee Mee Khuen" that was introduced last year. He estimated raising the tax deduction to 50,000 baht would cost the state tax revenue of between 7-10 billion baht, but would stimulate consumer spending of 50 billion baht. This disbursement should result in the public debt ratio surging to 62.7% by the end of fiscal 2022, said Mr Arkhom.

People come to donate blood at the Thai Red Cross Society on 28 August 2021 to help shore up dwindling blood supplies. (Photo: Somchai Poomlard)An LGBT+ activist has urged the Thai Red Cross to change its blood donation criteria and allow people from the LGBT+ community to donate, especially when blood is in short supply. "To make it fair, it would be better if the Thai Red Cross allows LGBT to donate their blood and conduct research on this matter," he said. According to the Thai Red Cross, the criteria for screening out male gays from donating blood is a universal practice. It is not about having or not having the right to donate blood, the Thai Red Cross said.

Executives back reopeningMost executives of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) support the government's plan to reopen the tourism industry between October and November and are demanding only necessary measures to prevent new Covid-19 infections. A total of 78% of 150 executives agreed with the reopening and lockdown easing plan in a survey conducted by the FTI in September, said Wirat Uanarumit, vice-chairman of the FTI. The findings came as the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration decided to reschedule the start date of the reopening from Oct 1 to Nov 1. The pollsters found 73.3% of the interviewees held a moderate view on the reopening plan as they wanted disease prevention and economic recovery to occur together. Mr Wirat said 16.7% wanted tourists to only stay in the designated tourist areas while 12.6% supported nationwide travel, provided foreign tourists were initially kept in quarantine for 14 days.

SEC scheme uses AI for digital enforcement planThe Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has developed an e-enforcement project that uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology in verifying and investigating crimes and wrongdoing in the capital market. Anek Yooyuen, the SEC's assistant secretary-general of enforcement, said the e-enforcement project consists of three parts: AI enforcement, corporate surveillance, and an e-link. AI enforcement detects unusual actions, such as odd stock price movements or anomalous trading behaviour, helping the regulator catch suspicious movements the moment they occur, he said. Although the SEC has employed AI enforcement in the real market, it is in the second and third developmental phases, said Mr Anek. By 2023, the project aims to use AI and data analytics to predict misconduct and fraud in financial statement audits.

Qatar to hold its first ever Formula One Grand PrixWorld champion Lewis Hamilton will be fighting to retain his title when Qatar hosts its first ever Grand Prix on November 21DOHA - Qatar will hold its first ever Formula One Grand Prix in November replacing the cancelled Australian GP, organisers announced on Friday. Qatar has also signed a 10-year deal to host Formula One from 2023. "We are very pleased to welcome Qatar to the Formula 1 calendar this season and for the longer term from 2023," said F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali. “We have shown that we can continue to adapt and there is huge interest in our sport and the hope from many locations to have a Grand Prix. The Losail Circuit opened in 2004 and has hosted Moto GP since then, under floodlights which will also be used for the Grand Prix.

Flood misery persists in 18 provincesA motorcyclist with a sidecart moves cautiously along a flooded road in Ayutthaya province on Thursday. (Photo: Sunthorn Pongpao)Flooding has affected more than 200,000 households in 31 provinces over the past week and persists in 18 provinces to the north of Bangkok. In Phitsanulok, the Yom River bursted its banks, sending a huge amount of water through riverside communities in Bang Rakham district. Bang-orn Jakkrang, 62, a resident at Wang Kum village in Bang Rakam district, moved her belongings to the Chao Mae Maliwan shrine after her one-storey house was inundated. Mrs Bang-orn Jakkrang, 62, of Wang Kum village in Bang Rakam district, Phitsanulok, moved her belongings to Chao Mae Maliwan shrine after her one-storey house in Phitsanulok's Bang Rakam district was flooded out.

Man held for allegedly shooting Din Daeng protesterChutipong Thitkrathok, 28, is held by police for allegedly shooting a teenager during an anti-government protest in Din Daeng district, Bangkok, in August. (Police photo)Police arrested a man in Kanchanaburi province on Thursday for allegedly shooting a teenage protester in Din Daeng district in August. Pol Maj Gen Piya Tavichai, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said Chutipong Thitkrathok, 28, was taken into custody for allegedly shooting a 15-year-old boy in the neck while the latter was demonstrating near the Din Daeng police station on the night of Aug 16. Mr Chutipong was charged with attempted murder, illegal possession of a gun and bullets and illegal use of a gun. Pol Maj Gen Piya said the suspect, who stayed in a flat in Din Daeng district, was upset by demonstrators and randomly shot them.

Unvaccinated employees have until Nov 1 to get shots or face disciplinary actionPeople wearing protective face masks walk past a mural in Kuala Lumpur on Monday. (Reuters photo)KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia said on Thursday it would now be mandatory for all federal government employees to be vaccinated against Covid-19, with exceptions only to be allowed on health grounds. Malaysia has one of the fastest vaccine rollouts in Southeast Asia, with 61% of its 32-million population already fully vaccinated. In a statement, the Public Service Department said vaccinations would be made compulsory for federal staff in order to boost public confidence and ensure government services can be delivered smoothly. Those who fail to get vaccinated in time will face disciplinary action, the department said.

Taliban disperse women protesters with gunfire in KabulThe Taliban pushed back women protesters as they tried to continue with the small demonstration in Kabul, while a foreign journalist was hit with a rifle and blocked from filming. KABUL - The Taliban on Thursday violently cracked down on a small women's rights demonstration, firing shots into the air and pushing back protesters, AFP journalists witnessed. The women unfurled a banner that read "Don't break our pens, don't burn our books, don't close our schools", before Taliban guards snatched it from them. They pushed back the women protesters as they tried to continue with the demonstration, while a foreign journalist was hit with a rifle and blocked from filming. The Taliban follow a strict interpretation of sharia law that segregates men and women, and have also slashed women's access to work.

Search for sunken river tug, missing crewThe overturned tugboat in the Chao Phraya River in front of Wat Phanan Choeng Voraviharn in Ayutthaya province on Wednesday morning. (Photo: Sunthorn Pongpao)A sonar scanner was being used in the search on Thursday for a barge tug that overturned and sank in the deep and muddy Chao Phraya River on Wednesday, trapping the husband-and-wife crew inside the vessel. The boat went down in fast-flowing water about 20 metres deep while manoeuvring with five laden barges near a pier in Nakhon Luang district of Ayutthaya province. Representatives from the Marine Department, the navy and the Ayutthaya marine office drew up a search plan that used side scanning sonar to locate the sunken tug. The tug driver, Somchai Tharnkul, 60, and his wife Naruemol Tharnkul have not been seen since their barge tug sank in the Chao Phraya River opposite Wat Phanan Choeng Voraviharn in Ayutthaya province late on Wednesday morning.

China urges banks to avoid housing speculation to curb Evergrande riskChina's central bank has urged banks to steady the housing market and stressed that 'houses are for living, not speculation'. (AFP photo)BEIJING: China has urged banks to steady the housing market and avoid speculation as fears mount that Evergrande's debt crisis could spill over into the property sector. Saddled with more than $300 billion in liabilities that it is struggling to repay, the Chinese property developer's potential collapse poses systemic risks for the national and global economy. Beijing has so far been reluctant to bail out the conglomerate, but Chinese media reported that the Shenzhen government has begun an investigation into Evergrande's investment arm. Shenzhen's financial regulator said in a Monday letter to investors that a "thorough investigation" was being carried out after collecting information about Evergrande Wealth, Chinese media reported this week.

The bill will introduce changes in rules for value added tax, income tax and excise, as well as introduce a carbon tax, the ministry said in a statement. It was unclear whether it overrides an existing law that sets a 20% corporate tax rate for 2022. A 35% personal income tax rate for those earning more than 5 billion rupiah per year was approved. However, more will be included in a 5% income tax rate, as the income band threshold was raised to 60 million rupiah from 50 million rupiah. The commission and the government also agreed on a different tax rate for the newly introduced levy on carbon emission.

Pickup plunges through 8th floor wallRescue workers and hospital staff gather around the wreckage on the second floor of the parking building after a pickup truck fell from the eighth floor, at Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital in Muang district, Nakhon Ratchasima, on Wednesday night. (Photo: Prasit Tangprasert)NAKHON RATCHASIMA: Two people were injured when a pickup truck crashed through the guard wall on the eighth floor of a hospital parking building and plunged six floors, in Muang district on Wednesday night. The Toyota Vigo pickup truck, registered in this northeastern province, ended its plunge as a wreck in a passageway on the second floor of the building. The other was a person buying food on the ground floor below, hit by a chunk of concrete from the shattered eighth floor wall. He then got into his pickup, which then accelerated through a retaining wall on the eighth floor of the building and plunged to the second floor.