Excise chief flip-flops as department rejects 50% tax cut
Excise chief flip-flops as department rejects 50% tax cutThe Excise Department has turned down car makers' proposed 50% tax cut, fearing prices of all vehicles in the market will decline further if the reduction is implemented, the department's chief says. He said the 50% tax cut could slash prices of new commercial pickups by 2,000 baht and city cars by 30,000 baht per unit. "Intervening in the market by cutting taxes is not suitable, as all cars prices will be brought down." Suparat Sirisuwanangkura, vice-chairman of the FTI, agreed with the Excise Department, saying the tax-cut proposal was raised hastily and without thorough consideration. The Finance Ministry has offered some assistance measures to the auto industry by enabling them to defer excise tax payments.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 28, 2020 21:45 UTC
Section 230: the internet's wobbly cornerstone
"Without Section 230, these companies could be sued for their users' blog posts, social media ramblings or homemade online videos." According to a draft, the White House order states that "we cannot allow a limited number of online platforms to hand-pick the speech that Americans may access and convey online. "Section 230 protects the comments section on a retiree's baking blog as much as it protects Facebook," says Matthew Feeny of the libertarian Cato Institute. Some say Trump and others are distorting the First Amendment, which was designed to prevent government interference with private expression, as well as Section 230. "The First Amendment protects Twitter from Trump -- not Trump from Twitter," says Ashkhen Kazaryan of the think tank Tech Freedom.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 28, 2020 20:26 UTC
League-by-league guide to the return of football around Europe
League-by-league guide to the return of football around EuropeSignal Iduna Park played host to Borussia Dortmund against Schalke last weekend as the German Bundesliga became the first major European league to restart after the coronavirus shutdown. On Thursday, Italy's sports minister confirmed that Serie A will return on June 20, while La Liga in Spain will resume its season in the week beginning June 8. Meanwhile, the Swiss league will vote on Friday whether to give the green light for a resumption on June 20. The season was not voided, though, with Paris Saint-Germain confirmed as champions, European places dished out and relegation and promotion between the top two divisions maintained on a two-up, two-down basis. Belgium also ended its season, with Club Brugge champions, after the Belgian government announced it was suspending all sporting competitions until July 31.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 28, 2020 18:33 UTC
US layoffs exceed 40 mn but some are returning to work
US layoffs exceed 40 mn but some are returning to workMore than 40 million US workers have lost their jobs since the pandemic's arrival, but the pace of layoffs is slowingWASHINGTON - The number of workers filing for jobless benefits since the coronavirus arrived in the United States passed 40 million on Thursday while manufactured goods sales plunged even as signs emerged that people are returning to work. The pace of layoffs passed their peak but continue in massive numbers, with the Labor Department reporting another 2.12 million workers making new claims for unemployment benefits in the week ended May 23. Even so there are more than 21 million people relying on government payments, up from 1.7 million in the same week of 2019. The White House Council of Economic Advisers said on Twitter the decline "suggests a substantial flow from unemployment to employment." But he nonetheless expects weekly claims to drop below one million by the end of June and slow over the coming weeks.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 28, 2020 16:30 UTC
Johnson sticks by aide over 'minor' lockdown violation
Johnson sticks by aide over 'minor' lockdown violationDowning Street says Johnson will not change his mind over keeping his top adviser and considers the matter closedLONDON - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday stuck by his most senior adviser Dominic Cummings after police said he appeared to have only committed a "minor" lockdown violation and closed the politically charged case. Durham Constabulary said on Thursday that it "does not consider that by locating himself at his father's premises, Mr Cummings committed an offence." But it found that "there might have been a minor breach" when the family took a drive to a local beauty spot after they had recovered. The police department said it had "no intention to take retrospective action" since this would "amount to treating Mr Cummings differently from other members of the public". But Downing Street said Johnson was not changing his mind and considered the matter closed.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 28, 2020 16:07 UTC
Virus unleashing new wave of US layoffs
Virus unleashing new wave of US layoffsA 'We're Hiring' sign advertising jobs is seen at the entrance of a restaurant, as Miami-Dade County eases some of the lockdown measures put in place during the coronavirus disease outbreak, in Miami, Florida, on May 18. New claims for state unemployment benefits totaled a seasonally adjusted 2.123 million for the week ended May 23, from a revised 2.446 million in the prior week, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast initial claims falling to 2.1 million in the latest week from the previously reported 2.438 million. Though claims have declined steadily since hitting a record 6.867 million in late March, they have not registered below 2 million since mid-March. The second wave of layoffs could grow bigger, with Boeing announcing on Wednesday it was eliminating more than 12,000 US jobs and also disclosing it planned "several thousand remaining layoffs" in the next few months.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 28, 2020 12:33 UTC
Police: Short circuit probable cause of temple fire
Police: Short circuit probable cause of temple firePolice inspect the scene of the fire that killed Phra Ajarn Sudjai Thanthamano, 75, abbot of Wat Pa Ban Tad in Udon Thani. (Photo: Yuttapong Kamnodnae)UDON THANI: Investigators believed a short circuit was a probable cause of a fire at Wat Pa Ban Tad forest temple that killed revered abbot Phra Ajarn Sudjai Thanthamano. Phra Ajarn Sudjai, 75, was inside his living quarters when the fire broke out at Wat Pa Ban Tad in Muang district in the afternoon on May 22. Phra Ajarn Sudjai served as the abbot of Wat Kesornsilakul, widely known as Wat Pa Ban Tad, since the passing of Luangta Maha bua in 2011. Kobkiart Kanchana, caretaker of the temple, said donations for the cremation of Phra Ajarn Sudjai now stood at 20 million baht.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 28, 2020 11:48 UTC
NESDC: 14.4m workers at risk
NESDC: 14.4m workers at riskThailand may lose up to 14.4 million jobs in the second and third quarters, largely because of the coronavirus outbreak and widespread drought, says the government’s planning unit. The tourism sector employs an estimated 3.9 million people, while the industrial sector, diminished by the trade war, hires about 5.9 million workers. There were about 370,000 seasonally unemployed workers, the highest in seven years for the farm sector. In addition, the agricultural sector remains capable of accommodating some unemployed workers despite the drought. There were 38.19 million workers in the first quarter of this year, down 0.44% from 38.36 million in the same quarter of last year.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 28, 2020 11:15 UTC
Pandemics through the Ages: One more wake-up call unheeded?
Only now, with the progress of healthcare and better understanding of the basics of wellness and immunity, do we have a real opportunity to overcome the scourge of disease pandemics. The present, ongoing and escalating so-called COVID-19 pandemic threatens to be one of the most serious in history. Cyprian Plague (A.D. 250)Originating in Northeast Africa and crossing the Mediterranean, named after its best-known victim, the then Bishop of Carthage, the plague ravaged the Roman Empire. Cholera Pandemics (A.D. 1817 onwards)From 1817, successions of cholera pandemics arose, spread extensively by growing trade and colonial expansion to all parts of the world, causing millions of deaths. The pandemics spread to India, China and across to Africa and America.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 28, 2020 08:15 UTC
Plug-in hybrid supercar lands in Thailand
Plug-in hybrid supercar lands in ThailandSF90 Stradale isn’t outlandishly priced and paves the future for semi-electric Ferraris. ELECTRIFICATIONThe award-winning V8 bi-turbo engine may sound familiar but has actually been bored out from 3.9 to 4.0 litres producing 780hp. The 7.9kWh lithium-ion battery allows for 26km of pure EV driving on backstreets without making a too-big statement. DRIVING EASEThe SF90 may look like a 488 or F8, but the cockpit has been overhauled to feel modern and easy to use. It has a starting price of 40.9 million baht hunting Lamborghini Aventador owners.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 28, 2020 07:30 UTC
‘Central Pattana’ proposes additional proactive measures following ‘Central’s Hygiene & Safety Master Plan’
asks for new measures for ‘Family Zone’ at restaurants in case of additional government’s mandateCentral Pattana Plc. All CPN’s shopping centres are very well prepared with stringent screening at all touchpoints following ‘Central’s Hygiene & Safety Master Plan’ in compliance with the guidelines given by the Ministry of Public Health and relevant authorities. The density limit in shopping centres is also adjusted to 1 person per 4 sq.m. Since the government allowed the shopping centres to be reopened on May 17, 2020, CPN’s 33 shopping centres and the concerned retailers have fully and consistently followed ‘Central’s Hygiene & Safety Master Plan’ in order to ensure the safety of all places. In the best interests of our customers and retailers, the company will continue to develop safety measures following ‘Central’s Hygiene & Safety Master Plan’ under five core criteria, namely, (1) Extra Screening, (2) Social Distancing, (3) Safety Tracking, (4) Deep Cleaning and (5) Touchless Experience.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 28, 2020 06:56 UTC
EasyJet axes almost a third of staff on virus fallout
EasyJet axes almost a third of staff on virus falloutCutting costs 'at every level'. (AFP photo)LONDON: British no-frills airline EasyJet said Thursday that it will axe up to 4,500 jobs, or almost a third of its workforce, as coronavirus ravages demand and grounds global air travel. The job cuts will impact up to 4,500 of the carrier's 15,000 staff, a spokesman told AFP. EasyJet follows competitors British Airways, Ryanair and Virgin Atlantic, which have all slashed staff numbers to save costs. EasyJet added Thursday that it would not provide any outlook as a result of the turmoil.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 28, 2020 06:56 UTC
11 new Covid-19 cases, all returnees
11 new Covid-19 cases, all returneesGoods on offer outside a teachers' cooperative in Chai Nat province on Thursday for people hard-hit by the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. (Photo: Chudate Sihawong)The government on Thursday reported 11 new cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19), all quarantined returnees from overseas and five of them masseurs, raising the total to 3,065. On Monday she tested positive for the virus and was sent to a hospital in Samut Prakan. "We can say that there are no new locally infected cases now as far as official reports are concerned. Since February, 128 cases, mostly Thais, were detected at quarantine facilities - or 0.47% of all quarantined people, Dr Taweesilp said.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 28, 2020 05:26 UTC
Thursday: 11 new Covid-19 cases, all returnees | Bangkok Post: learning
(Photo: Chudate Sihawong)The government on Thursday reported 11 new cases of Covid-19, all quarantined returnees from overseas and five of them masseurs, raising the total to 3,065. Six other cases were aged 27-52 years and had returned from working in Qatar. The four other cases were male construction workers aged 39-51 who had worked in Kuwait. Sixty-three patients remained at hospitals. Since February, 128 cases, mostly Thais, were detected at quarantine facilities - or 0.47% of all quarantined people, Dr Taweesilp said.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 28, 2020 05:26 UTC
Man told not to smoke; shoots at colleague | Bangkok Post: learning
On Tuesday evening, Mr Thirawat allegedly fired shots at another man who worked in the same factory in Phra Pradaeng district of Samut Prakan. He said that in February he told Mr Thirawat in front of other workers not to smoke in the factory. Mr Thirawat had responded angrily. Mr Thirawat ran away, but police found him. Police charged Mr Thirawat with attempted premeditated murder and illegal use and possession of a firearm.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 28, 2020 05:01 UTC