The budget will be allocated for logistics, new land purchases for industrial estate development, and infrastructure development projects in industrial estates, said Ms Jareeporn. The company plans to launch three new industrial estates in Thailand by the end of this year. Its joint venture with IRPC Plc, the petrochemical arm of PTT Group, to develop WHA Industrial Estate Rayong, is scheduled to start operations in the last quarter of 2022. WHA also plans to develop two new industrial estates -- WHA Smart Technology Industrial Zone and WHA Northern Industrial Zone in Thanh Hoa province in Vietnam -- covering a total area of over 7,500 rai. WHA currently has a total of 11 industrial estates in Thailand and one industrial estate in Vietnam.

'Soft power' just a dream? The so-called creative economy will be the vehicle towards the dream. As long as the government is keen on censorship and does not allow youngsters to enjoy critical thinking, the creative economy will not grow. So-called Thai "soft power" will remain just a daydream. Young Thai talent will have to follow in Lisa's footsteps and try to make it in South Korea.

Benefits in the package include a 10-year Thai visa for not only approved special visitors but also their spouses and children, said government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, on Tuesday. The package also includes automatic work permits, the same rates of income tax as Thai citizens, tax exemption for income earned abroad, and ownership of properties and land, he said. The minimum health insurance package required for this group is also US$100,000 coverage per person, he said. Highly skilled professionals who would work as university lecturers teaching subjects related to industries of importance are also within this group, he said. The Board of Investment of Thailand has been assigned to set up a new centre to specifically serve this long-term visa programme, Mr Thanakorn added.

Japan to donate more dosesTOKYO: Japan said yesterday it will donate an additional 1.3 million AstraZeneca Plc Covid-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan and its other Asian neighbours, including 300,000 doses to Thailand. To date, Japan has given out more than 23 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine produced in Japan to countries in South Asia and the Pacific islands, he said. Additionally, Japan has pledged US$1 billion (32.9 billion baht) and 30 million doses to the Covax programme, overseen by the GAVI alliance and the World Health Organization. Meanwhile, the Thai cabinet yesterday approved a central budget of 946 million baht for the Thai Red Cross Society to buy one million doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine. These vaccine doses will be given to people in Thailand's target groups, said Traisuree Taisaranakul, deputy Government House spokesperson.

Haiti PM sacks prosecutor who accused him of links to president's murderHaiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry (C), seen here attending the funeral of slain President Jovenel Moïse on July 23, 2021, in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, fired a prosecutor who accused him of links to the killingPORT-AU-PRINCE - The investigation into the assassination of Haitian president Jovenel Moise descended into confusion Tuesday, as the Caribbean island's prime minister sacked a prosecutor who had accused him of links to the killing. Henry's move came hours after Claude asked the judge investigating Moise's murder to charge the prime minister with involvement in the case. Henry was named by Moise as prime minister days before the president's murder. A prime minister legally cannot be questioned unless the president authorizes it, but in the wake of Moise's slaying, Haiti does not have a president. Some in government circles had also called in recent days for the prime minister to resign over the allegations.

WADA to review cannabis banned statusSha'Carri Richardson was banned from the Olympics after testing positive for cannabis, prompting calls for a review of the drug's status as a banned substance. LOS ANGELES: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said Tuesday it will review the status of cannabis on its banned substances list in the wake of the positive test that saw US sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson suspended from the Olympics. "Following receipt of requests from a number of stakeholders, the (executive committee) endorsed the decision of the List Expert Advisory Group to initiate in 2022 a scientific review of the status of cannabis," WADA said in a statement. Her case triggered debate about marijuana's continued inclusion on WADA's banned list, with celebrities and fellow athletes criticising the rule as outdated and unnecessary. World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe is among those who have backed calls for a cannabis review.

Japan to donate 300,000 AstraZeneca doses to ThailandVials labelled "Astra Zeneca COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccine" and a syringe are seen in front of a displayed Japan flag, in this illustration photo taken March 14, 2021. (Reuters file photo)Japan said on Tuesday it will donate an additional 1.3 million AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan and other Asian neighbours, including 300,000 doses to Thailand. Taiwan will get 500,000 more doses, bringing Japan's total donation to the island to 3.9 million. The latest donation batch will go out as soon as possible, and includes another 400,000 shots for Vietnam, 300,000 for Thailand, and 100,000 to Brunei. To date, Japan has given out more than 23 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine produced in Japan to countries in South Asia and the Pacific islands.

Chinese property giant Evergrande under 'tremendous pressure'China Evergrande has tried to sell off assets to meet help pay its debts, including its Hong Kong headquartersBEIJING - Embattled Chinese property giant Evergrande on Tuesday conceded it is under "tremendous pressure", a day after insisting it will avoid a bankruptcy that many fear could have a huge impact on the world’s number-two economy. Its plight has raised fears of a contagion across the debt-laden Chinese property sector -- which accounts for more than a quarter of the economy -- with a knock on for banks and investors. It is also struggling to sell its Hong Kong headquarters, even at a loss. He poured money into mass developments in new cities, raising $9 billion in its 2009 IPO in Hong Kong. A year later Xu bought a struggling football team and renamed it Guangzhou Evergrande, lavishing millions of dollars on salaries for its stars and scooping titles.

Donovan J. Greening's true entrepreneurial spirit has got him to the forefront of the business worldHe is just 22 and has taken over the digital industry by storm with his astounding work. There are many young minds who have taken the entrepreneurial world big time with their extraordinary work. He is one of those entrepreneurs who have immensely contributed towards the growth of the digital industry in their own distinct manner. Donovan J. Greening's success story has proved it otherwise, as with focus, perseverance and hard work, nothing in this world is unachievable. To know more about this young business leader, visit: www.greeningcorp.com or follow him on: www.linkedin.com/in/donovan-greening.

Flood, storm surge warnings as Hurricane Nicholas heads for TexasTropical Storm Nicholas off the coastline of the US state of Texas at 13H40 UTC on September 13, 2021HOUSTON - Storm Nicholas strengthened to a hurricane Monday as it tracked up the Texas coast just before its expected landfall, with meteorologists warning of dangerous levels of rainfall. Nicholas is bringing "heavy rains, strong winds, and storm surges to portions of the central and upper Texas coasts," the National Hurricane Center said. Between six and 12 inches of total rainfall is expected in parts of Texas and western Louisiana, with isolated maximum amounts of 18 inches. The NHC also issued a storm surge warning for much of the Gulf coast, meaning "there is a danger of life-threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline." - Flights canceled -Sylvester Turner, the mayor of Houston -- parts of which were devastated by Hurricane Harvey in 2017 -- said the city was on high alert.

Japan prefers imported Pfizer, Moderna jabs for domestic inoculation, and has given away most of its AstraZeneca supplies. (Reuters file pohto)TOKYO: Japan said on Tuesday it will donate an additional 1.3 million AstraZeneca Plc Covid-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan and other Asian neighbours, including 300,000 doses to Thailand. Taiwan will get 500,000 more doses, bringing Japan's total donation to the island to 3.9 million, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters. To date, Japan has given out more than 23 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine produced in Japan to countries in South Asia and the Pacific islands, he said. Additionally, Japan has pledged $1 billion and 30 million doses to the Covax programme, overseen by the GAVI alliance and the World Health Organization.

Barbadian singer Rihanna and US rapper A$AP Rocky arrive for the 2021 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 13, 2021 in New York. "It's so surreal," US rapper Megan Thee Stallion, attending the Gala for the first time and dressed by designer Coach to evoke old Hollywood glamor, told AFP. The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute relies on the Met Gala to fund its work, including exhibitions and acquisitions, and the cancellation of last year's event badly damaged its finances. The bash heralded the opening of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual sartorial exhibit, which this year will happen in two parts. The two-part show will assess the state of American fashion -- its contemporary players, the industry's identity, and important figures the rarified world of fashion may have overlooked or left out.

Pele ready to leave ICU after tumor removed, daughter saysBrazilian football legend Pele's daughter says he is ready to leave the hospital ICU and head home after surgery. SAO PAULO: Brazilian football legend Pele is ready to leave the intensive care unit of a Sao Paulo hospital after undergoing surgery for a suspected colon tumor, one of his daughters said Monday. "I have not had the chance to respond to many but I do read them and I feel hugged." The suspected tumor was detected during routine tests, according to the hospital, where Pele has been undergoing treatment since Aug 31. Considered by many to be the greatest footballer of all time, Pele has been in poor health in recent years, and has had various stints in the hospital.

Pope to meet Slovak Roma in trip to impoverished regionPope Francis will meet with members of the 400,000-strong Roma minority in SlovakiaKOSICE (SLOVAKIA) - Pope Francis will meet with members of the 400,000-strong Roma minority in Slovakia on Tuesday during his visit to the impoverished Lunik IX housing estate in Kosice. During the trip so far, the pope has called for Europe to show "solidarity" as its economy recovers from the pandemic and issued a powerful call against anti-Semitism. In Lunik IX, nearly 4,500 residents are squeezed into a space meant to accommodate half that number. Lunik IX resident Rudolf Mosorov, 66, said the pope's visit was a "miracle". Pope Francis will also meet with young people in a stadium in Kosice on Tuesday before his last day in Slovakia when he will celebrate an open-air mass in the town of Sastin.

Prince Harry and Jill Biden pay tribute to America's war woundedBirtain's Prince Harry, a combat veteran who served two tours in Afghanistan, first attended the US Department of Defense Warrior Games in 2013 in Colorado. WASHINGTON: Britain's Prince Harry and US First Lady Jill Biden paid homage Monday to US veterans in a virtual ceremony for the Warrior Games, a sports competition for wounded US military veterans canceled this year over the coronavirus pandemic. Prince Harry, a combat veteran who served two tours in Afghanistan, first attended the US Department of Defense Warrior Games in 2013 in Colorado. "These games are so important," said Prince Harry, speaking from California where he is based with his wife, Meghan Markle. "By being a part of the Warrior Games, you have not only overcome injuries, both visible and invisible, you show us all that our challenges never have to define us," she concluded.