Safety first: health measures key to reopeningA vendor waits for customers at a shop on empty Khaosan Road, formerly a mecca for backpackers visiting Bangkok. Assistant spokeswoman Apisamai Srirangson said the CCSA needs to be convinced that preparations made by the Public Health Ministry are adequate. This follows the trial reopening of Phuket, known as the Phuket sandbox, that started in July. Dr Apisamai said the success of the Phuket sandbox was due to the mobilisation of health resources, some from Bangkok, to support the programme. Health authorities and academics are worried about another virus surge after the country opens up more places to vaccinated tourists.

Woman hit by bullet fired by road-rage gunmanThe house where Lonlada Thanitsawong was earlier hit by a stray bullet while eating in Khong district, Nakhon Ratchasima, on Thursday night. (Photo supplied/ Prasit Tangprasert)A woman was hit by a bullet in front of her house as two men fired shots at her son-in-law's pickup truck, which had cut in front of them, in Nakhon Ratchasima on Thursday night. Lonlada Thanitsawong, 58, was hit in the leg and rushed to a hospital. He saw one of the men take something from under the seat and point it in his direction, then heard a gunshot. His mother-in-law was hit in the right leg by the bullet, he said.

US to charge ex-Boeing pilot over 737 MAX crashes: reportBoeing's 737 MAX was grounded for 20 months following two deadly crashes that killed hundredsNEW YORK - Federal prosecutors are preparing to indict a former Boeing test pilot suspected of misleading aviation regulators over the safety issues blamed for two fatal 737 MAX crashes, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. The 737 MAX was formally certified in March 2017, but was grounded worldwide for 20 months following two crashes in October 2018 and March 2019 that killed 346 people. The MAX was allowed to fly again at the end of 2020, once the MCAS software was modified. Boeing has acknowledged its responsibility in misleading regulators and agreed to pay more than $2.5 billion dollars to settle certain lawsuits. The Wall Street Journal said it was not clear what charges Forkner would face.

Sunsets and squalor: Inside Afghanistan's largest prisonWallpaper depicting tropical sunsets adorned the concrete walls of several cellsKABUL - Thousands of prisoners were crammed into a squalid prison to the east of Kabul last month until the Taliban set them free as they closed in on the capital. Taliban prisoners were also among those detained at the Pul-e-Charkhi -- as well as even more hardcore militants from the Islamic State group. Construction of Afghanistan's largest prison began in the 1970s, and in the decades since it has been criticised by human rights groups for its squalid and cramped conditions. A visiting area is riddled with bullet holes, where a last stand took place before the guards took flight. Mawlawi Abdulhaq Madani, a 33-year-old Taliban fighter now guarding the prison, is happy to see it empty.

Blackpink's Lisa boosts meatball businessGrilled meatball stalls at the front of Buri Ram railway station, a favourite snack of K-pop singer "Lisa". Vendors in front of Buri Ram railway station said orders were pouring in from out of town since the singer said it was her favourite snack. Lisa said in an interview that she missed her parents' home-cooked meals as she had now been away from Buri Ram for almost two years. The singer also said she wanted to return to the stalls near the railway station and eat their meatballs again. "The highlight is the sauce found only in Buri Ram."

Indonesia reinstates temporary tax break for small-car salesA worker is seen assembling a Mitsubishi Pajero at the Mitsubishi car factory in Bekasi, West Java province, Indonesia, on April 25, 2017. (Reuters file photo)JAKARTA: Indonesia has reinstated a temporary luxury-tax break on sales of smaller cars as the concession helped boost demand for vehicles, the Finance Ministry said on Friday. The tax break, which had expired in August, will now be available till the end of the year, the ministry said in a statement. The ministry did not provide an estimate of revenue loss from the tax break. Monthly domestic sales have also recovered, with more than 83,000 units sold in August, close to pre-pandemic levels.

Then, fill up your piggy bank with cryptocurrencies, like Ethereum, for purchasing your digital art. Expert opinionSUTTICHART "CHART" SARAPAIWANICHHead of the Computer Arts Department, Faculty of Digital Art, Rangsit University / NFT artistI think NFTs help add value to digital and pop art because these kinds of art are not given enough priority compared to traditional Thai art like temple murals. I've seen plenty of parody art in NFT marketplaces, but I think it's more accurate to call it fan art. Still, I hesitated to create one until I got a chance to join Joyman Gallery for their NFT art exhibition. These new art forms have completely changed my attitude towards digital art, which I used to believe was a futuristic concept.

(Photos: Banyan Tree Krabi)The Banyan Tree hotel group is celebrating its 27th anniversary and what better way to celebrate travel again than at their newest resort in Thailand! Banyan Tree Krabi overlooks Than Bok Khorani National Marine Park in the Andaman Sea. Sauna, steam room, ice fountain and water jets are all part of The Rainforest experience at Banyan Tree Spa Krabi. Lava shell massage is a signature treatment at Banyan Tree Spa Krabi. The "Rediscover the World" promotion applies to bookings at all Banyan Tree hotels until Oct 15, with stays valid until July 31, 2022 at Banyan Tree Krabi.

China seeks to join TPP free trade pact to boost Asia cloutOfficials of the 11 member countries of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade accord make a toast after a meeting in Tokyo on Jan. 19, 2019. It remains uncertain, though, whether China will be allowed to join the pact. China's bid comes as the administration of US President Joe Biden remains cautious about returning to the treaty, from which the United States withdrew in January 2017. China's bid to join the free trade bloc follows Britain's application filed in February this year. Japan, a leading economy in the TPP, has said previously that complying with high-standard rules would be a prerequisite for China to enter negotiations toward participating in the free trade pact.

Spoons become a new symbol of Palestinian 'freedom'Kuwaiti artist Maitham Abdal works on his sculpture, "Spoon of Freedom", at his home workshop in Kuwait CityJERUSALEM - The humble spoon has taken its place alongside traditional flags and banners as a Palestinian resistance symbol, after prisoners were said to have carried out one of Israel's most spectacular jail breaks with the utensil. - Memories -The issue has also stirred admiration outside the Palestinian territories, where spoons have been carried in demonstrations supporting prisoners detained by Israel. In Kuwait, the artist Maitham Abdal sculpted a giant hand firmly clasping a spoon -- the "spoon of freedom", as he calls it. For him, it also evokes the numerous hunger strikes undertaken by Palestinian prisoners to protest their incarceration. He and another prisoner escaped from an Israeli prison in 1996 through a tunnel dug using not kitchen implements but nails.

China has its own "very substantive programme of nuclear submarine building", Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Friday in an interview with radio station 2GB. Australia is "very aware" of China's nuclear submarine capabilities and growing military investment, he said in an interview with Channel Seven television. "We are interested in ensuring that international waters are always international waters and international skies are international skies, and that the rule of law applies equally in all of these places," he said. Australia wanted to ensure that were no "no-go zones" in areas governed by international law, he said. Australia simply wanted to ensure sustained peace and stability in the region, he said in an interview with Sky News Australia.

Nobel laureate Romer decries lack of 'integrity' under Georgieva at World BankNobel laureate Paul Romer in an interview criticized the lack of integrity of World Bank leadership, including Kristalina Georgieva, now the head of the IMFWASHINGTON - Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Romer said the current head of the IMF, in her previous senior role at the World Bank, engineered a "whitewash" of his concerns surrounding the bank's flagship report. In an interview with AFP on Thursday, Romer said there was a "lack of integrity" among the World Bank leadership, including then-CEO Kristalina Georgieva. Romer said that during his time at the World Bank he was not aware of Georgieva pushing staff on China. He said Georgieva worked closely with Simeon Djankov who handled the "quote audit" of the report to look into his concerns. The investigation not only found that Georgieva but also Djankov and then-president Jim Kim pressured staff to alter the report to favor China.

Victorious, Taliban face fierce new test in AfghanistanDeputy PM Baradar led the Taliban's talks in Doha with the USKABUL - Having conquered Afghanistan, the Taliban now face the formidable task of keeping the peace within their own ranks and running a country on the brink of ruin, experts say. With that common enemy vanquished, just weeks into Taliban rule, the group's divisions appear to be coming into sharper relief. Without foreign recognition, the Taliban would be hard-pressed to manage what the UN has called an "economic crisis" in Afghanistan and a looming "humanitarian catastrophe". Outsiders and Taliban groups from western Afghanistan, including those with links to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, were largely excluded from the government. "This is good for Taliban cohesion, and will appeal to Taliban supporters, but risks alienating other Afghans and the international community."

14,555 new Covid cases, 177 more deathsA food delivery rider and other motorcyclists wait for a train to pass through a crossing in Bangkok on Wednesday. (AFP photo)There were 14,555 new Covid-19 cases and 177 more fatalities recorded during the previous 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry reported on Friday morning. This compared with 13,897 new Covid cases and 188 more deaths on Wednesday, reported by authorities on Thursday. Since the pandemic started early last year, there have been 1,448,792 Covid-19 cases, with 1,304,466 complete recoveries so far. The vegetarian festival could encourage people to travel, and that could spread the virus.

Leading streamer Netflix has never won best drama at the Emmys -- nor best comedy, nor best limited seriesLOS ANGELES: Netflix is tipped to finally win television's biggest prize Sunday as its critically adored British royals drama "The Crown" battles "Star Wars" series "The Mandalorian" at an Emmys ceremony held in front of a scaled-back live audience. Despite turning the entire TV landscape upside-down since its groundbreaking online platform launched in 2007, leading streamer Netflix has never won for best drama at the small-screen version of the Oscars -- nor best comedy, nor best limited series. "It's going to be the first big series win for Netflix." Baby Yoda and a digitally de-aged Luke Skywalker helped "The Mandalorian" jointly top the overall nominations count alongside rival drama "The Crown." In limited series competition, quirky sitcom-inspired Marvel superhero show "WandaVision" has exceeded all critical expectations.