BANGKOK: Smokers who flout a smoking ban on 20 of Thailand’s most famous tourist beaches will face a $3,000 fine or up to a year in prison, Thai authorities have said.
The ban, which comes into force in November, follows a clean-up of nearly 140,000 cigarette butts from a 2.5 kilometer (1.5 mile) stretch of the famed Patong beach in Phuket island province.
Its introduction coincides with Thailand’s peak tourist season and will be enforced in visitor hotspots including Krabi, Koh Samui, Pattaya, Phuket and Phang Nga.
“These beaches are among the most beautiful in Southeast Asia, and the aim is to keep them that way,” Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said in a statement on Monday.
Smokers will have to use designated areas with proper waste disposal for cigarette butts, he added.
Those caught lighting up on the beach could face jail or a 100,000 baht ($3,000) fine, according to TAT.
The edict is the latest effort to rein in Thailand’s free-wheeling tourism industry.
The sector is a crucial pillar of Thailand’s economy, catering to more than 30 million travelers per year.
But the huge numbers of arrivals have also threatened to spoil some of the kingdom’s idyllic beaches, with litter and unchecked development damaging local ecosystems.
Thailand is also trying to crack down on lax safety standards that riddle the tourism industry, after waves of complaints that visitors are overcharged or not adequately protected on boats and jet-skis.
Smoking to be stubbed out on Thai beaches
Smoking to be stubbed out on Thai beaches
Mother of jailed UK-Egyptian activist reaches 100th day of hunger strike
- Laila Soueif, a 68-year-old mathematics professor, has called on the UK government to do more to secure the release of her son
- “Unfortunately, the government seems to be waiting for me to be hospitalized before they act decisively to secure my son’s freedom,” she said in a statement.
CAIRO: The mother of British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah reached the 100th day of her hunger strike protesting her son’s continued imprisonment on Tuesday, according to her family.
Laila Soueif, a 68-year-old mathematics professor, has called on the UK government to do more to secure the release of her son, a longtime dissident who has spent much of the last decade behind bars.
“Unfortunately, the government seems to be waiting for me to be hospitalized before they act decisively to secure my son’s freedom,” she said in a statement.
Her family Soueif has survived on “nothing but black coffee, herbal tea and three packets of rehydration salts a day” since September 29.
Her son was expected to be released on that day after completing his five-year sentence for “spreading false news” by sharing a Facebook post on torture in Egypt’s prisons.
But he wasn’t freed and his family learnt that the two years he spent in pre-trial detention did not count toward his sentence. Abdel Fattah has remained in prison since.
Soueif and her two daughters have held near-weekly protests outside the Foreign Office in London in recent months, calling on Foreign Secretary David Lammy to intervene.
Britain’s top diplomat met Soueif in November, following questioning from Parliament on the government’s approach to Abdel Fattah’s case, amid claims it had prioritized trade and diplomatic ties with Cairo.
Abdel Fattah, 43, was a key figure in the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak’s three-decade rule over Egypt.
He continued to be a voice of dissent in the following years, protesting a government crackdown in which rights groups say tens of thousands have been jailed.
Cairo has in recent years made overtures to repair its human rights record, freeing hundreds of political prisoners.
However, rights groups say at least three times as many were arrested over the same period.
Qaddafi Stadium renovation nears completion ahead of next month’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan
- The stadium will feature over 34,000 seats, brand-new scoreboards and state-of-the-art floodlights
- The ICC Champions Trophy is set to begin on Feb. 19 in Karachi with Pakistan taking on New Zealand
ISLAMABAD: The renovation of Qaddafi Stadium in Pakistan’s eastern Lahore city is close to completion, with all major structural work finished and final touches being applied ahead of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, Pakistani state media reported this week.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been renovating stadiums in Lahore and Karachi in preparation for the 2025 Champions Trophy scheduled to take place in February across three venues: Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi. This will be the first ICC tournament held in Pakistan since the 1996 World Cup.
Pakistani fans have long expressed dissatisfaction with the country’s stadiums, particularly the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, citing a lack of basic facilities and a subpar viewing experience for spectators. In May last year, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi directed officials to immediately hire an international consultant to upgrade Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore, National Bank Stadium in Karachi and Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The PCB chairman visited Qaddafi Stadium on Monday to assess the progress of the renovation project and inspected construction of floors of the main building and top tiers of general enclosures, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency reported.
“The up-gradation of Qaddafi stadium is all but complete as 100 percent grey structure work has been completed while finishing work is being undertaken at a rapid pace,” the report said, citing the PCB chairman.
Qaddafi Stadium is set to transform into a world-class facility, featuring over 34,000 seats, brand-new scoreboards on both sides and state-of-the-art floodlights, ensuring exceptional visibility for both players and spectators after sunset, according to the report.
Naqvi praised workers for keeping the project’s completion on track despite the challenging winter conditions and dense fog.
“We are committed to delivering a fully renovated and modernized Qaddafi Stadium before the ICC Champions Trophy,” he said. “It will stand as a symbol of excellence and pride for Pakistan cricket.”
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will take place from February 19 till March 9, with matches hosted across Pakistan and Dubai in a hybrid model.
The tournament’s structure follows a compromised decision after India refused to play in Pakistan, citing “security concerns.” Exercising its rights as the host nation, Pakistan designated Dubai as the neutral venue for India’s matches, ensuring all teams’ participation.
In Pakistan, Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi will host three group-stage games each. Lahore is also set to host the second semifinal. Dubai will host all three of India’s group matches and the first semifinal, should India qualify.
The tournament opener on Feb. 19 will feature Pakistan taking on New Zealand in Karachi, while India will face Bangladesh in Dubai on Feb. 20.
This will be the ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy, after an eight-year hiatus. The last tournament took place in England in 2017. The event will feature top eight teams in world cricket competing for one of the sport’s most prestigious titles.
Meta replaces fact-checking with X-style community notes
- Meta cited bias and excessive content reviews as key factor in ending fact-checking program
- The social media company also announced plans to allow “more speech” by easing restrictions on discussions of mainstream topics like immigration and gender
LONDON: Facebook and Instagram owner Meta said Tuesday it’s scrapping its third-party fact-checking program and replacing it with a Community Notes program written by users similar to the model used by Elon Musk’s social media platform X.
Starting in the US, Meta will end its fact-checking program with independent third parties. The company said it decided to end the program because expert fact checkers had their own biases and too much content ended up being fact checked.
Instead, it will pivot to a Community Notes model that uses crowdsourced fact-checking contributions from users.
“We’ve seen this approach work on X – where they empower their community to decide when posts are potentially misleading and need more context,” Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan said in a blog post.
The social media company also said it plans to allow “more speech” by lifting some restrictions on some topics that are part of mainstream discussion in order to focus on illegal and “high severity violations” like terrorism, child sexual exploitation and drugs.
Meta said that its approach of building complex systems to manage content on its platforms has “gone too far” and has made “too many mistakes” by censoring too much content.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged that the changes are in part sparked by political events including Donald Trump’s presidential election victory.
“The recent elections also feel like a cultural tipping point toward once again prioritizing speech,” Zuckerberg said in an online video.
Meta’s quasi-independent Oversight Board, which was set up to act as a referee on controversial content decisions, said it welcomed the changes and looked forward to working with the company “to understand the changes in greater detail, ensuring its new approach can be as effective and speech-friendly as possible.”
KSrelief delivers critical food, shelter aid to Syrian families
- Saudi aid agency also launches voluntary program to support Syrian healthcare sector
RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief on Tuesday distributed food and shelter aid to 200 families in the city of Douma, in the Rif Dimashq governorate of Syria, in coordination with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.
Also on Tuesday, KSrelief distributed food and shelter aid in the village of Nasib, in the Daraa governorate, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
To date, seven planes carrying food, medical supplies, and shelter materials have arrived at Damascus International Airport as part of a Saudi relief airlift.
Additionally, 60 Saudi trucks containing essential supplies, including food, shelter materials, and medical supplies crossed the Nasib Border Crossing into Syria as part of a Saudi relief land bridge operated by KSrelief.
On Jan. 1, Saudi Arabia launched an initiative to provide essential aid to Syria, supporting efforts under the country’s new leadership to rebuild after years of civil war.
According to KSrelief, the Kingdom’s total aid to the Syrian people from 2011 to the end of 2024 exceeds $856 million.
Recently, Syrian Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Fadi Al-Qassem met with the KSrelief team in Damascus, where they discussed ways to deliver aid to the Syrian people and coordination between the Saudi aid agency and civil society organizations in the country.
Al-Qassem commended the support provided by Saudi Arabia through KSrelief and praised the Kingdom’s prompt response to the humanitarian situation in Syria.
Syrian Minister of Health Dr. Maher Al-Sharaa also met with the KSrelief team and discussed ways to contribute to addressing the needs of the Syrian healthcare sector.
Meanwhile, in Lebanon, KSrelief continues implementing its project to enhance healthcare services for Syrian refugees and the host community in the town of Arsal.
In one month, the Arsal Primary Health Care Center received 12,676 patients and provided 23,386 services across various departments.
The initiative is part of Saudi Arabia’s ongoing humanitarian efforts to alleviate the suffering of those in need, particularly Syrian refugees affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
KSrelief also announced the opening of registration for the Saudi Voluntary Program for Syrians. The program aims to support the Kingdom’s humanitarian efforts by providing critical emergency and medical services to Syrians in need.
The initiative covers surgery, psychological support, gynecology and obstetrics, orthopedics, internal medicine, pediatrics, physiotherapy, speech and communication therapy, and prosthetics, among other treatments.
Registration is available here.
Erdogan warns no place for 'terrorist' groups in Syria
- There is no place for "terrorist organisations or affiliated elements in the future of the new Syria," Erdogan said
- Ankara accuses one leading Kurdish force in Syria, the People's Protection Units (YPG), of links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Turkiye
ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday said there was no place for "terrorist organisations" in Syria under its new Islamist leaders, in a warning regarding Kurdish forces there.
The fall of Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad last month raised the prospect of Türkiye intervening in the country against Kurdish forces accused by Ankara of links to armed separatists.
Erdogan's comment came during a meeting in Ankara with the prime minister of Iraq's Kurdish region, Masrour Barzani, the Turkish leader's office said in a statement.
Erdogan told Barzani that Türkiye was working to prevent the ousting of Assad in neighbouring Syria from causing new instability in the region.
There is no place for "terrorist organisations or affiliated elements in the future of the new Syria," Erdogan said.
Ankara accuses one leading Kurdish force in Syria, the People's Protection Units (YPG), of links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Türkiye.
The PKK has fought a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state and is banned as a terrorist organisation by Ankara and its Western allies.
The Turkish military regularly launches strikes against Kurdish fighters in Syria and neighbouring Iraq, accusing them of PKK links.
On Monday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said: "The elimination of the PKK/YPG is only a matter of time."
He cited a call by Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose HTS group has long had ties with Türkiye, for the Kurdish-led forces to be integrated into Syria's national army.
The United States has backed the YPG in its fight against the jihadist movement Islamic State (IS), which has been largely crushed in its former Syrian stronghold.
But Fidan warned that Western countries should not use the threat of IS as "a pretext to strengthen the PKK".
