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(Source:https://unsplash.com/photos/hIgeoQjS_iE) How much does health insurance cost in Thailand now? Whether you’re already in Thailand or someone who’s considering relocating to Thailand, healthcare is an important aspect to consider. As the world recovers from the impact of COVID-19, this might be a good time to re-evaluate your healthcare plan. According to the latest Cost of International Health Insurance Report 2023 by Pacific Prime, the average premiums for international private medical insurance (IPMI) plans are increasing across the globe. Thailand - still one of the cheapest countries to get insured When looking for a health insurance plan before you look at the nitty gritty details, you should consider your budget and the cost of health insurance in Thailand. Based on the data collected, in Thailand, the average premium for individual IPMI plans in 2022 stood at USD $3,594, a whopping 77% increase (one of the highest from the data collected) when compared to the previous year. Despite the massive increase, Thailand is still one of the cheapest countries to get insured in–the country ranked 71 for the most expensive countries to get insured in (out of 100 countries). Looking at family plans, Thailand also saw a steep surge in cost. In 2021, the country ranked last for the most expensive country to get insured based on the average cost of international health insurance for families among the 100 countries surveyed. In 2022, the average cost stood at USD $11,683, and the country rose to the 50th spot with a significant 59% increase when compared to 2021 (USD $7,367). Possible causes of cost spike The cost spike had been caused by a number of factors, from the general life expectancy increase to just good ol’ fashion inflation. As life expectancy increases, the need for medical services will also increase. In 2019, the Thai government also extended their dual pricing policy to include public hospitals, directly raising the price of medical services for expats who are classified as tier 2 on the pricing system and retirees and tourists who are classified as tier 3 (most expensive). This could directly affect the cost of health insurance in Thailand for foreigners. After COVID-19, the general public have become more aware of their personal health and maintenance. As one of Asia’s most popular medical tourist destinations, the demand for healthcare services in both the public and private sectors will see a surge. Any time demand surges, so will the price. Learn more from Pacific Prime If you are interested in reading more information on the cost of international health insurances, please download your free copy of the Cost of International Health Insurance Report 2023 to find out the global trends. With over 20 years in the field, Pacific Prime Thailand is your trusted partner for all things insurance. Pacific Prime works together with both local and international insurers in Thailand and offer a wide range of insurance plans for their customers. Their team of professionals can help you navigate the complicated details and present to you plans that best fits your needs and budget. Contact them today to get a free quote!

Apple has sprinkled features into its iPhone to help anyone capture great photos. But a little-known setting could be why your snaps are not living up to the hype. Tucked away in the Camera app is a setting called Prioritize Faster Shooting, which is great for bursts of photos but diminishes the quality of other images. The feature is activated by default but can be turned off by going to Settings, Camera and then scrolling down the list of options. On iPhone X, iPhone XR and later, the Prioritize Faster Shooting setting modifies how images are processed—allowing you to capture more photos when you rapidly tap the Shutter button. The option is also only available on devices with iOS 13. Prioritize Faster Shooting will sacrifice the quality of photos for speed - and usually end up with more blurry images. FULL ARTICLE

House Republicans on Monday subpoenaed several FBI and IRS agents involved in the federal investigation into Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden as the party weighs whether to open an impeachment inquiry into the president this fall. Leaders of the House Judiciary and Ways and Means committees demanded testimony from four agents who worked on the yearslong Justice Department case into President Joe Biden’s youngest son and his tax and business dealings. “Our duty is to follow the facts wherever they may lead, and our subpoenas compelling testimony from Biden administration officials are crucial to understanding how the president’s son received special treatment from federal prosecutors and who was the ultimate decision maker in the case,” Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Jason Smith of Missouri said in a statement. Both men, along with Oversight chairman James Comer, joined forces in June to open an investigation into what they have claimed is widespread, improper interference in the high-profile case. One focus of the congressional inquiry has been a October 2022 meeting where U.S. attorney for Delaware, David Weiss, who was in charge of the Hunter Biden case, supposedly told investigators that he was not the “deciding person whether charges are filed” and that in multiple instances his efforts to bring charges in multiple jurisdictions were denied. That's according to Gary Shapley, an IRS employee who was in the room. FULL STORY

U.S. children and teens are more likely to die because of guns than car crashes, drug overdoses and cancer. Gun-related deaths among children in the U.S. reached a distressing peak in 2021, claiming 4,752 young lives and surpassing the record total seen during the first year of the pandemic, a new analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data found. The alarming statistic clearly indicated that America’s gun violence epidemic has gotten worse, experts say. More than 80% of the gun deaths were among males 19 and younger. Black male children were more likely to die from homicide. White males 19 and younger were more likely to kill themselves with guns. “This is undoubtedly one of our chief public health crises in this country,” said Dr. Chethan Sathya, a pediatric trauma surgeon at Northwell Health in New York and the lead author of the study, which was published Monday in the journal Pediatrics. “The most likely reason that your child will die in this country is at the hands of a firearm. That’s not acceptable.” FULL STORY

Donald Trump has said he plans to turn himself in on Thursday to a court in Atlanta, Georgia, to face charges of election interference. A judge in Georgia overseeing the former president's case earlier set a bail bond of $200,000 (£157,000). The bail filing says Mr Trump can remain free pending trial so long as he does not attempt to threaten or intimidate witnesses. Mr Trump denies 13 charges, including racketeering and false statements. "The defendant shall perform no act to intimidate any person known to him or her to be a co-defendant or witness in this case or to otherwise obstruct the administration of justice," says the court filing posted on Monday. "The above shall include, but are not limited to, posts on social media or reposts of posts made by another individual on social media," the order adds. The order was signed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is overseeing the case, and lawyers for Mr Trump. But on Monday Mr Trump posted to his social media platform, Truth Social, writing: "Can you believe it? I'll be going to Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday to be ARRESTED by a Radical Left District Attorney, Fani Willis. "She campaigned, and is continuing to campaign, and raise money on, this WITCH HUNT," he added. "This is in strict coordination with crooked Joe Biden's DOJ." FULL STORY

The prospect of a possible strike at a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Australia has pushed wholesale gas prices up in Europe. The Offshore Alliance union warned that a strike at the North West Shelf facility could start as early as 2 September if no deal on pay is reached. Benchmark gas prices for the EU and UK rose around 10% on Monday, according to Bloomberg. Prices soared after Russia's invasion of Ukraine but have since fallen. There are fears that strike action at Woodside Energy Group's North West Shelf facility could cause disruption to shipments of LNG from Australia, which is a key global supplier. Workers at two other offshore LNG facilities, Gorgon and Wheatstone, operated by Chevron, are also voting on strike action, with results expected on Thursday. Together the three plants make up about 10% of the world's supply of LNG. Ben McWilliams, an affiliate fellow at the think tank Bruegel, warned the strikes might impact the prices globally of LNG. Speaking to the BBC's Newsday programme earlier this month, Mr McWilliams said: "Australia typically supplies Asia, but if these strikes were to go ahead, and Australian gas were cut to Asian consumers, we would see Asian consumers turning around and looking, for example, to Qatar and competing with European buyers there." Mr McWilliams said that if that were to happen there would be a "knock-on effect on prices". Following the start of the war in Ukraine, Russia slashed supplies of natural gas to Europe, which led countries to seek out alternative sources of energy. Many countries are relying on LNG to fill the gap. Australia is one of the world's largest exporters of LNG. The others are Qatar and the US. FULL STORY

A flagship Russian long-range bomber has been destroyed in a Ukrainian drone strike, according to reports. Images posted on social media and analysed by BBC Verify show a Tupolev Tu-22 on fire at Soltsy-2 airbase, south of St Petersburg. Moscow said that a drone was hit by small-arms fire but managed to "damage" a plane. Ukraine has not commented. Later, Russian air defence downed two attack drones over the Moscow region, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. Defence officials said two others were intercepted over the Bryansk region, north-east of the Ukrainian border. Flights were suspended at Moscow's three biggest airports, according to state media - but the two main international airports at Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo later reopened. The Russian Tu-22 bomber that was destroyed can travel at twice the speed of sound and has been used extensively by Russia to attack cities in Ukraine. Moscow's defence ministry said in a statement that an attack by a "copter-type UAV" took place at around 10:00 Moscow time (08:00 BST) on Saturday. It stated the location as "a military airfield in the Novgorod region", where Soltsy-2 is situated. "The UAV was detected by the airfield's observation outpost and was hit with small-arms fire," the ministry said. "One airplane was damaged; there were no casualties as a result of the terrorist act." FULL STORY

President Joe Biden has toured wildfire damage in Hawaii after scrutiny of his administration's response to the state's worst ever natural disaster. He arrived in Maui on Monday, 13 days after the deadliest US wildfire in over a century, telling survivors the nation "grieves with you". Mr Biden and First Lady Jill Biden toured the charred ruins of the town of Lahaina and met first responders. At least 114 people have died and 850 people are still missing. Hawaii's governor has said many of the victims may be children. "For as long as it takes, we're going to be with you," said Mr Biden, who spoke for about 10 minutes amid the rubble. "The whole country will be with you." He added: "The country grieves with you, stands with you and will do everything possible to help you recover." Mr Biden - who also took an aerial tour - described the wildfire devastation as "overwhelming". The president and the federal agencies he oversees have come under fire from Hawaiians who say aid has been inadequate and poorly organised. Musician and loving grandma among Hawaii victims The red Lahaina house that survived Maui fires FULL STORY

A cargo ship fitted with giant, rigid British-designed sails has set out on its maiden voyage. Shipping firm Cargill, which has chartered the vessel, hopes the technology will help the industry chart a course towards a greener future. The WindWings sails are designed to cut fuel consumption and therefore shipping's carbon footprint. It is estimated the industry is responsible for about 2.1% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The Pyxis Ocean's maiden journey, from China to Brazil, will provide the first real-world test of the WindWings - and an opportunity to assess whether a return to the traditional way of propelling ships could be the way forward for moving cargo at sea. Folded down when the ship is in port, the wings are opened out when it is in open water. They stand 123ft (37.5m) tall and are built of the same material as wind turbines, to make them durable. Enabling a vessel to be blown along by the wind, rather than rely solely on its engine, could hopefully eventually reduce a cargo ship's lifetime emissions by 30%. Jan Dieleman, president of Cargill Ocean Transportation, said the industry was on a "journey to decarbonise". He admitted there was "no silver bullet" - but said this technology demonstrated how fast things were changing. FULL STORY

Summary Lucy Letby is given a whole life term, with no chance of parole, for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six more "This was a cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder," the judge says Letby refused to appear in court - Rishi Sunak confirms the government is planning to change the law to compel convicts to attend sentencing This morning, one mother said the murder of her son was "like something out of a horror story" Other parents said their surviving children, whom Letby attempted to murder, are now disabled Just three other woman have ever been given whole life terms - Myra Hindley, Rosemary West, and Joanna Dennehy

Trump is neck-and-neck with Biden in early opinion polls European diplomats are not overlooking the possibility that Donald Trump might secure a second term in the Oval Office if he is re-elected in 2024, and are actively formulating back-up strategies in case this scenario materialises, according to a report. The prospect of Mr Trump returning to the White House has become an important topic of discussion in private conversations, with some calling it “terrifying”, The New York Times reported. Steven Everts, a European Union diplomat who is set to become the director of the European Union Institute for Security Studies, told the outlet that his colleagues were relieved at US president Joe Biden’s response to the Ukraine war. But they are now being “forced to confront the Trump question again”. “It’s slightly terrifying, it’s fair to say,” he said. He noted that the US plays an important role in European security, and said that diplomats will now “have to think again about what this means for our own politics, for European defence and for Ukraine itself”. The discussions around the potential fallout if Mr Trump returns to power are intensifying as the former president is emerging as a strong challenger for the Republican presidential nomination, tying up with his popularity in opinion polls despite a slew of indictments against him. Fresh polling conducted by the Associated Press-Norc Center for Public Affairs Research revealed that almost two-thirds of Republicans, specifically 63 per cent, are now expressing their desire that the former president run for office again. FULL STORY

The Louisiana Republican said he thinks the charges related to the former president’s mishandling of classified documents after he left office are “almost a slam dunk." Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said Sunday that he thinks Donald Trump should drop out of the 2024 presidential election as the former president faces criminal charges from four indictments. “I think so,” Cassidy said when he was asked in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” whether he thinks Trump should drop out. “But, obviously, that’s up to him. I mean, you’re just asking me my opinion,” he added. “But he will lose to Joe Biden if you look at the current polls. I’m a Republican. I think any Republican on that stage in Milwaukee will do a better job than Joe Biden.” Asked whether he would vote for Biden if Trump ultimately wins the Republican nomination, Cassidy said: “I’m going to vote for a Republican. “But my threshold issue for any person who wants to be the leader of our country is will you take care of the issues before us?” he said. “Both Biden and Trump both have the same policy in Social Security, for example, which is to do nothing.” FULL STORY

Rudy Giuliani was down in the dumps. It was January 2008, and the former New York City mayor had flamed out of the Republican presidential primaries in spectacular fashion. He had longed to be the first Italian-American president of the United States. Now what? “In the wake of that crash and burn, Giuliani started to drink and went into a depression,” said Andrew Kirtzman, a longtime New York City journalist who has written two biographies of Giuliani. An unlikely figure stepped up to help: Donald Trump. The real estate mogul allowed Giuliani and his third wife, Judith, to stay at a cottage at Mar-A-Lago where he was able to recuperate outside of the prying eyes of the media. “It was Donald Trump who came to his rescue,” said Kirtzman, who recounted the episode in his 2022 book, “Giuliani: The Rise and Tragic Fall of America’s Mayor.” Some 15 years later, Giuliani has been charged with engaging in a conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election on behalf of Trump. The indictment handed down by a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia, marks the most dramatic turn in the long relationship between the two quintessentially New York figures. For Giuliani the charges also represent a new low in the career arc of a man who was once one of the most admired people on the planet. “His fall from grace is almost complete,” said Ken Frydman, who served as Giuliani’s press secretary during the 1993 mayoral campaign. “His only goal should be to die a free man.” FULL STORY

Hilary will be the first recorded tropical strength storm ever to hit San Diego County, just north of the Mexican border; such a storm is also extremely rare for southern California. Nora hit a remote part of Imperial County to the east in 1997, and in 1939, before storms were named, another came ashore in Long Beach to the north, in Los Angeles County. It’s all part of a pattern of unusual weather to hit North America this year, with parts of the US including California sweltering under scorching heat and Canada suffering from extreme wildfires. Scientists have said that climate change has made weather patterns more extreme. In Palm Springs, a desert getaway in Riverside County about 100 miles (160 km) east of Los Angeles and which has been one of the hottest parts of California this summer, the streets have flooded. FULL STORY Earthquake hits Southern California as Hilary brings historic rainfall and heavy winds

Iraqi officials have ordered all electronic advertising screens to be shut down in Baghdad after a hacker used one to show a pornographic film. It happened at a major road junction in the Iraqi capital. Videos have been shared widely on social media. A man has been arrested in connection with the incident, police say. A statement said the suspect was a technician who had financial issues with the company that runs the advertising screens. He was said to have acted in retaliation. The hacker "showed a pornographic film for several minutes before we cut the power cable" on Saturday, a security source who requested anonymity told the AFP news agency. These "immoral scenes" prompted the authorities to "turn off all advertising screens in Baghdad" while they review security measures, the same official explained. Screens in the capital - which are generally used to advertise products or politicians - were switched off on Sunday morning. FULL STORY

Donald Trump has confirmed that he will not take part in Republican presidential debates with his rivals in the race for the White House. The ex-president said one latest poll showed he had "legendary" numbers ahead of other hopefuls to be the party's nominee for the 2024 election. "The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had," Mr Trump, 77, wrote in a post on social media. The first Republican presidential primary debate will be on 23 August. The second debate can possibly follow the next day. At least two more debates are expected in the ensuing months. Voting in the Republican primary election begins in the state of Iowa on 15 January 2024, but more debates are likely to be held to help winnow the field. Recent polls have consistently shown that Mr Trump - who faces a number of criminal charges - is currently the frontrunner for the Republican nomination. Republican rivals need Trump to debate. But will he? In a post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Mr Trump wrote: "New CBS POLL, just out, has me leading the field by "legendary" numbers." He added that several other contenders - including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis - were lagging far behind. "The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had, with Energy Independence, Strong Borders & Military, Biggest EVER Tax & Regulation Cuts, No Inflation, Strongest Economy in History, & much more. "I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!" FULL STORY

A US shop owner was shot dead after a dispute over a Pride flag displayed outside her business, police say. Laura Ann Carleton, 66, was found with a bullet wound at her Mag Pi shop in Cedar Glen, California, on Friday. A suspect - who fled the scene on foot - was killed by police when found nearby, allegedly still armed. Ms Carleton was described as a "wonderful friend" by Hollywood director Paul Feig, who posted an image of them together. The suspect made "disparaging remarks" about the rainbow flag before shooting the victim, police said. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers then located the suspect, armed with a handgun, the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department said. At this point, "a lethal force encounter occurred and the suspect was pronounced deceased". Feig - known for films such as Bridesmaids as well as the Freaks and Geeks TV series - said his friend had been shot after confronting the suspect for ripping down the flag. FULL STORY

Spain's Olga Carmona was told after winning the World Cup that her father died Carmona's father is understood to have died on Friday but it was kept from her She scored the only goal of the game as Spain beat the Lionesses 1-0 in Sydney Spain's World Cup final hero Olga Carmona tweeted a heartbreaking tribute to her father on Sunday night after she learned of his death in the aftermath of their win over England. Carmona's father is understood to have died on Friday but news was kept from the 23-year-old defender so as not to affect her frame of mind going into the game against the Lionesses. The Spanish Football Federation tweeted after the game: 'We deeply regret to announce the death of Olga Carmona's father. The footballer learnt the sad news after the World Cup final. We love you, Olga, you are part of Spanish football history.' But in a post later on Sunday night the 23-year-old, who scored the only goal of the game past England's Mary Earps, said her father had 'given me the strength to achieve something unique'. She wrote: 'And without knowing it, I had my star before the game started. FULL STORY

Russia's unmanned Luna-25 spacecraft has crashed into the Moon after spinning out of control, officials say. It was Russia's first Moon mission in almost 50 years. The craft was due to be the first ever to land on the Moon's south pole, but failed after encountering problems as it moved into its pre-landing orbit. It was set to explore a part of the Moon which scientists think could hold frozen water and precious elements. Roscosmos, Russia's state space corporation, said on Sunday morning that it had lost contact with the Luna-25 shortly after 14:57pm (11:57 GMT) on Saturday. Preliminary findings showed that the 800kg lander had "ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the Moon", it said in a statement. It said a special commission would look into why the mission failed. The loss of Luna-25 is a blow to Roscosmos. Russia's civilian space programme has been in decline for several years, as state funding is increasingly directed towards the military. Russia was racing to the Moon's south pole against India, whose Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is scheduled to land there in the coming days and send a rover to explore the rocks and craters, gathering data and images to send back to Earth. FULL STORY

England's wait to win a first Women's World Cup title goes on after Spain deservedly triumphed in the final in Sydney. The Lionesses, looking to become the first England senior side since the men's team in 1966 to win the World Cup, suffered heartbreak after being outplayed by a Spanish side full of flair and creativity. England's players fell to their knees in tears at the final whistle as Spain celebrated inside their penalty area after dealing with a final corner kick in the 14th minute of nerve-wracking stoppage time. Spain captain Olga Carmona slotted the winner past goalkeeper Mary Earps in the first half, capitalising after England's Lucy Bronze lost possession in midfield. England manager Sarina Wiegman, who has now lost two successive World Cup finals, introduced Lauren James and Chloe Kelly at half-time but Spain maintained control despite the Lionesses' best efforts. Earps made several stunning saves, including one from the penalty spot to deny Jenni Hermoso after Barcelona midfielder Keira Walsh had been penalised for handball following a lengthy video assistant referee review. But it was one step too far for the European champions, who lost just their second match in two years under Wiegman. Spain are crowned champions for the first time despite going into the tournament under a cloud of controversy following a dispute between players and the Spanish football federation. Reaction to the Women's World Cup final FULL STORY

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The blocking feature will be removed for users of X, formerly Twitter, Elon Musk has announced, claiming the feature "makes no sense". The X boss said users will still be able to block people from directly messaging them, however. But many people on social media said it will make it hard for people to remove abusive posts from their timeline. It is the latest in a series of changes Mr Musk has made since taking over the site in a $44bn deal last year. Currently, when users "block" an account, it stops that account's posts from appearing in the blocker's timeline, and vice versa. An account that is blocked can no longer send messages to the blocker, nor can it view their posts. Former Twitter founder, Jack Dorsey, seemed to agree with Mr Musk's decision, posting: "100%. Mute only". But there are concerns that muting an account would not be sufficient protection from cases of harassment, abuse or stalking. The mute function currently only stops notifications about an account's posts. An account that is muted can still view the muter's posts and reply to them. One user called Mr Musk's decision a "huge mistake", saying there are "toxic people" on the platform whom users simply did not want to interact with in any way. Removing a blocking feature could also potentially violate the terms and conditions of stores like Apple's App Store and Google Play. Both stores have conditions stating that social media apps should allow users facilities to filter harassment or bullying. It could mean X is no longer downloadable from those stores. If the policy goes ahead, it is not clear if all those accounts which are blocked will automatically become unblocked. Users do however have the option to make their account private, hiding their tweets from the public and only allowing accepted followers to view their posts. FULL STORY

President Biden announced Friday a trilateral agreement with the leaders of Japan and South Korea to deepen their security and economic commitments following a historic summit at the Camp David presidential retreat. Mr. Biden held the summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to focus on regional security cooperation concerns, especially managing North Korean belligerence and countering China. "We meet in this historic place to make a historic moment, and I believe that to be true," the president said. "This is new era and partnership between Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States, our new 'Camp David Trilat.'" As part of the renewed ties, detailed in a joint statement titled "The Spirit of Camp David," the three nations committed to new coordination efforts, including a hotline when there is a crisis in the region. The leaders announced a "commitment to consult" the others "in an expeditious manner to coordinate our responses to regional challenges, provocations, and threats that affect our collective interests and security," according to the joint statement from the U.S., Japan and South KoreaTICS The three leaders agreed to strengthen information sharing about North Korean missile launches and cyber activities, bolster missile-defense cooperation to counter nuclear and missile threats from Pyongyang, and reaffirmed the commitment to "peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits," the president said. On the economic front, the U.S., Japan and South Korea will work to launch early-warning system pilots to expand information-sharing and boost coordination on possible supply-chain disruptions. "We will bolster the rules-based international order and play key roles to enhance regional security and prosperity based on our shared values on freedom, human rights and rule of law," Yoon told reporters. Mr. Biden said as part of the renewed ties, the leaders will meet in-person annually, while Cabinet-level officials will gather on a regular basis in perpetuity. "Our world stands at an inflection point, a point where we're called to lead in new ways, to work together, to stand together, and today, I'm proud to say our nations are answering that call," the president said. FULL STORY

There is a "pinned" notice at the head of the World news" forum. here: Quite simply, if there is something that you (a member) would like to suggest to be added to that forum for discussion you can submit it to me via PM. Not all suggestions are used but all are considered for inclusion in the daily topics.