SURVEY: TM 30 -- How serious is it?
SURVEY: TM 30 -- How serious is it?
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Why Are You Really Here? Downtime Hobby or Desperate Obsession?
It used to be much better up into the early 200s. In low season really no traffic and one could easily cross second road. It had all I wanted or needed. Still has attraction to me and I have not given up on it yet. But the latest thing with those potential taxation, foreign income, global income, etc.. Well depending how that shakes out would be the straw that breaks the camel's back. I would simply not risk staying over 180 days in country in a given year and would plan my full retirement years around that. -
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Community Pattaya Restaurant Owner Defends Sexy Attire as Marketing Strategy Amid Hygiene Backlash
It is pattaya and I,am sure she does well and her food is good.What she wears or put on social media gets the punters in and if bad food I,am sure it would be empty -
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UK Britain’s Leading Fact-Checking Firm Collapses Amid Industry Shift and Strategic Missteps
Britain’s Leading Fact-Checking Firm Collapses Amid Industry Shift and Strategic Missteps Britain’s largest fact-checking company, Logically, has gone into administration after a series of financial and strategic blows, marking a sharp downturn for a once-prominent player in the fight against digital disinformation. The company, founded in the wake of the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the Brexit referendum, once employed 200 people across the UK, India, and the United States and had secured major contracts with governments and tech giants. The collapse comes after Logically lost key partnerships with Meta and TikTok, which had relied on its services under the "Logically Facts" brand. These deals, worth millions, had been central to the firm’s operations. While sources close to the company claimed the social media contracts were lost due to commercial considerations, former employees and industry insiders suggest the downfall was linked to reputational issues and leadership decisions. Lyric Jain, Logically’s founder and a Cambridge-educated engineer, said the project was driven by a personal mission. He cited the death of his grandmother in India, who had abandoned chemotherapy in favor of a fraudulent juice remedy, as a motivating force behind his effort to counter harmful misinformation. “Tackling harmful and manipulative content at speed and scale” and “bringing truth to the digital world, and making it a safer place for everyone everywhere” were core to the company’s mission, Jain said. However, former staff members point to a decision that may have fatally damaged the company’s credibility: a contract with the Indian state government of Karnataka to support a controversial fact-checking unit. Critics, including the Editors Guild of India, warned the unit could be used to stifle dissent and silence independent journalism. That association led to Logically losing its certification from the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), an influential industry body that prohibits fact-checkers from working directly with state governments or political parties. Angie Drobnic Holan, director of the IFCN, explained the revocation. “They lost their certification in part because of that and also concerns about overall transparency,” she said. “It wasn’t clear what work was journalistic and what work was … private, for lack of a better word. We knew that they were doing some work advising governments, but it wasn’t very clear what the nature of that work was or how it impacted their fact-checking operation. There was no allegation that they were doing anything wrong. But our code is about meeting very high standards.” Logically also worked for the British government’s Counter-Disinformation Unit during the Covid-19 pandemic, a partnership that drew criticism from free speech advocates. Meanwhile, the broader fact-checking industry is facing a wave of pullbacks from major platforms, particularly in the wake of Donald Trump’s return to office. Meta recently scrapped external fact-checking in the U.S., replacing it with crowd-sourced systems similar to those used by Elon Musk’s platform X. This week, X announced that AI would be writing fact-checking notes for its “Community Notes” feature. Google, too, has scaled back support, recently discontinuing its ClaimReview tool, which promoted fact-checked content in search results. Chris Morris, CEO of British fact-checking charity Full Fact, criticised the trend: “Google’s decision to deprioritise fact-checks will make it harder for users to access accurate information designed to help them make informed choices. It’s a disappointing decision from a company that has until very recently been a global fact-checking champion.” Google responded by calling the move a “minor clean-up” that affected only “a very small percentage of results.” Logically had attempted to pivot toward AI-powered disinformation analysis with a product called Logically Intelligence. But the plan was undermined when platforms like X restricted third-party access to their data. Eventually, Logically’s assets were transferred to a new company called Kreatur through a pre-pack administration deal. Kreatur is led by Ashwin Kumaraswamy, a former director and early investor in Logically. A spokesperson for Kreatur said, “Kreatur Ltd has acquired Logically’s core technology, brand and key assets as part of a pre-pack administration process. The transaction ensures continuity for all customers and preserves over 40 full-time roles.” Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Times 2025-07-08 -
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UK UK Government Backs Landmark Peak District Carbon Capture Project in Net Zero Drive
UK Government Backs Landmark Peak District Carbon Capture Project in Net Zero Drive Rachel Reeves’s National Wealth Fund has committed £28.6 million to a major carbon capture initiative in the Peak District, marking a significant step in the Labour government’s push to achieve net zero emissions. The Peak Cluster project, billed as the world’s largest cement decarbonisation scheme, is designed to trap emissions from cement and lime factories before storing them beneath the Irish Sea. The government says the initiative will prevent more than three million tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere annually. It also aims to secure the UK’s domestic supply of cement and lime, which are vital to the construction and manufacturing sectors. These industries are among the hardest to decarbonise due to the inherent carbon-intensive nature of their production processes—emissions that can’t simply be reduced by switching to green fuels. This is the first time the National Wealth Fund has invested directly in a carbon capture project, following Chancellor Reeves’s announcement earlier this year that carbon capture would become a strategic priority. Over the next 25 years, the government has committed to spending up to £22 billion on carbon capture and storage (CCS) schemes across the country. Carbon capture technology works by collecting carbon dioxide emissions at their source, then transporting them to be stored deep underground. It is seen as a vital tool in limiting emissions from power plants and heavy industry. Yet its deployment remains highly contentious. A parliamentary report published earlier this year branded CCS as “unproven,” and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) voiced deep scepticism over its viability, warning that the technology had never been properly tested, could carry excessive costs, and might not succeed. The PAC also highlighted the potential burden on consumers, pointing out that the £22 billion in pledged investment translates to about £800 per household, though this cost would be distributed over many years. Despite the criticism, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband remains adamant about the role CCS must play in Britain’s green transformation. “This landmark investment will catalyse our carbon capture sector to deliver thousands of highly skilled jobs and growth across our industrial heartlands, as part of our Plan for Change,” he said. “Workers in the North Sea and Britain’s manufacturing heartlands will drive forward the country’s industrial renewal, positioning them at the forefront of the UK’s clean energy transition.” The government believes carbon capture could eliminate up to 30 million tonnes of CO₂ by the end of this decade and more than 100 million tonnes by 2050. However, critics like Greenpeace argue that investing heavily in CCS simply delays the necessary move away from fossil fuels. They believe the funding would be better spent on renewable energy sources, such as offshore wind. In addition to tackling emissions, the Peak Cluster project is expected to generate significant economic benefits. According to ministers, it will create around 1,500 new jobs across Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and the North West, while safeguarding another 2,000 existing roles. Private investment is also playing a key role in the project, with £31 million coming from backers including Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation and major UK industrial partners like Tarmac and Breedon. The National Wealth Fund plans to invest at least £5.8 billion into net zero infrastructure by 2030. Alongside carbon capture, the fund will support projects focused on hydrogen production, battery gigafactories, and supply chains for electric vehicles. Adapted by ASEAN Now from Daily Telegraph 2025-07-08 -
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USA Trump Threatens 10% Tariff on Nations Aligning with BRICS Policies
Trump Threatens 10% Tariff on Nations Aligning with BRICS Policies President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to countries aligning with the BRICS bloc, declaring that any nation supporting the alliance’s "anti-American policies" will face an additional 10% tariff on goods traded with the United States. "Any country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy," Trump posted on social media, doubling down on his hardline approach to foreign trade and global alliances. The BRICS group—originally made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—recently expanded its membership to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The expanded bloc now represents more than half the global population, and its leaders have made clear their intent to challenge the dominance of the United States and the Western-led global economic system. The latest round of tensions was sparked during a two-day BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, where the alliance’s finance ministers issued a joint statement slamming tariffs as a major threat to the global economy, warning that such protectionist measures "bring uncertainty into international economic and trade activities." Trump’s tariff threat followed these criticisms and came as BRICS nations pushed for sweeping reforms to international institutions like the International Monetary Fund and questioned the structure of global currency valuation—challenges directly aimed at the U.S.-centric financial order. The former president had already set a deadline of July 9 for countries to negotiate new tariff terms with Washington, but U.S. officials have now said the new policy will take effect from August 1. The summit also became a platform for condemnation of recent military action, as BRICS leaders denounced the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran that took place over 12 days in June. The strikes, which targeted nuclear facilities and other infrastructure, ended in a ceasefire but drew international criticism, with BRICS leaders calling the attacks a "violation of international law." In addition to economic issues, the BRICS summit served as a show of diplomatic force. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa attended the meeting in person. Notably, Chinese President Xi Jinping was absent for the first time, with Premier Li Qiang representing him. Russian President Vladimir Putin participated virtually due to the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant against him for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Trump’s latest move signals a continued combative stance toward global alliances that appear to undermine American economic and geopolitical leadership. With many nations seeking to diversify their trade partnerships and hedge against U.S. influence, the president’s tariff threat could deepen global divisions at a time of growing instability. Adapted by ASEAN Now from NYP 2025-07-08 -
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USA NYC Mayoral Hopeful Under Fire for Past Comments Defending Al Qaeda Cleric
Title: NYC Mayoral Hopeful Under Fire for Past Comments Defending Al Qaeda Cleric New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is facing fierce backlash over newly unearthed tweets in which he appeared to suggest that the FBI radicalized Anwar al-Awlaki, the notorious American-born al Qaeda figure who was ultimately killed by a U.S. drone strike in 2011. Al-Awlaki, a New Mexico native with Yemeni heritage, rose to prominence as an imam at mosques in San Diego and Virginia. U.S. officials later revealed that he had contact with three of the 9/11 hijackers. Following the attacks, the FBI placed him under surveillance and discovered that the conservative cleric — who publicly preached traditional Muslim values — was secretly visiting prostitutes in hotel rooms. By 2011, then-President Barack Obama authorized a drone strike that killed al-Awlaki in Yemen — a move considered unprecedented because al-Awlaki was an American citizen who had never been formally charged. Obama justified the killing by citing al-Awlaki’s operational role in terror plots, including the 2009 attempted Christmas Day bombing and a failed 2010 effort to blow up U.S. cargo planes. “He directed the failed attempt to blow up an airplane on Christmas Day in 2009. He directed the failed attempt to blow up US cargo planes in 2010,” Obama said at the time. “And he repeatedly called on individuals in the United States and around the globe to kill innocent men, women and children to advance a murderous agenda.” Despite this, Mamdani, then 23 years old, posted a series of tweets in 2015 suggesting that the FBI’s surveillance and handling of al-Awlaki may have driven him into the arms of al Qaeda. Reacting to a New York Times article detailing the cleric’s surveillance and sexual behavior, Mamdani questioned the agency’s role. “Why no proper interrogation of what it means for FBI to have conducted extensive surv. into Awlaki’s private life?” he wrote. “How could #Awlaki have ever trusted@FBI to not release surveillance esp. if he continued to critique [the] state? Why no further discussion of how #Awlaki’s knowledge of surv. eventually led him to #alqaeda? Or what that says about [the] efficacy of surv?” Retired FDNY Lt. Jim McCaffrey, whose brother-in-law Chief Orio Palmer died in the South Tower collapse on 9/11, called Mamdani’s comments “very offensive to 9/11 victims and their families.” “It’s offensive to all New Yorkers and all Americans,” McCaffrey said. “It’s an absolutely ridiculous assertion on Mamdani’s part. The FBI agents were doing their job. This guy al-Awlaki had connections to al Qaeda. But [Mamdani’s] blaming the FBI?” McCaffrey added that it was “eye-opening” and “frightening” that Mamdani, now a 33-year-old Queens assemblyman, is considered a frontrunner in the mayoral race. Former city fire commissioner Tom Von Essen echoed that concern. “Just what NYC needs — another mayor who blames the government for creating criminals. We tried this with Bill de Blasio. It can not end well,” he said. Former Congressman Peter King was even more direct: “Mamdani is making excuses and rationalizing al-Awlaki joining al Qaeda. He’s trying to blame the US for him becoming a terrorist. It’s an absolute disgrace. It should disqualify Mamdani from being mayor of New York City. Al-Awlaki was an evil man. It was a great victory to eliminate him from the face of the Earth.” Al-Awlaki’s influence stretched far and wide. U.S. intelligence officials have linked his teachings to roughly one-quarter of all Islamist terrorism-related convictions in America between 2007 and his death. Mamdani, who gained prominence with slick social media content and defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary, has been dogged by other controversies. A Jewish advocacy group, StopAntisemitism, condemned him for sharing a video mocking Hanukkah and “cosplaying Jews.” The clip, shared on Mamdani’s X account, featured two men in wigs dancing behind a menorah while playing with dreidels and celebrating with Punjabi-style music. In another instance, Mamdani appeared in a 2021 video leading chants in support of the BDS movement, urging a boycott of Israel during a pro-Palestinian protest outside the Israeli Consulate in Manhattan. Mamdani’s campaign declined to comment when contacted about his 2015 tweets. Adapted by ASEAN Now from NYP 2025-07-08
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