Bangkok [<keyword id="19913659" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Thailand" source="keywords">Thailand</keyword>], August 14 (ANI): On Wednesday, August 14, Thailand's <keyword id="20010440" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Constitutional-Court" source="keywords">Constitutional Court</keyword> removed <keyword id="19911515" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prime-Minister" source="keywords">Prime Minister</keyword> <keyword id="20041841" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Srettha-Thavisin" source="keywords">Srettha Thavisin</keyword> from office due to his appointment of a former lawyer who had served jail time, signalling potential further political instability and possible reconfiguration of the ruling coalition, reported Channel News Asia. Srettha, a real estate mogul, became the fourth Thai prime minister in the past 16 years to be ousted by the court, which found that he breached the constitution by choosing a minister who did not meet ethical standards. His dismissal, after less than a year in office, means that parliament will need to meet to select a new prime minister, raising the possibility of increased uncertainty in a country plagued by coups and judicial decisions that have repeatedly toppled governments and political parties over the past two decades. Just last week, the same court dissolved the anti-establishment Move Forward Party (MFP), a popular opposition group, ruling that its efforts to reform a law against insulting the monarchy threatened the constitutional monarchy. The MFP reformed under a new name on Friday, CNA reported. Srettha's Pheu Thai Party, along with its predecessors, has been at the centre of Thailand's political turmoil, with two of its administrations removed by coups in an ongoing conflict between the party's founders, the Shinawatra family, and their conservative and royalist military opponents. The court's ruling could disrupt a fragile peace between political heavyweight Thaksin Shinawatra and his conservative and military adversaries, which facilitated Shinawatra's return from 15 years in exile in 2023 and Srettha's ascent to the premiership on the same day. Srettha defended his appointment of former Shinawatra lawyer Pichit Chuenban, who was briefly imprisoned for contempt of court in 2008 over an alleged bribery attempt, arguing that it was legitimate. The bribery claim was never substantiated, and Pichit resigned in May, reported CNA. Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai is anticipated to serve as the interim prime minister. (ANI) SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/google-pixel-9-pro-fold-launched-in-india-at-172999-but-you-cant-get-your-hands-on-it-right-now/articleshow/112517193.cms" style="">Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold launched in India at ₹1,72,999, but you can’t get your hands on it right now</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/pixel-9-pixel-9-pro-and-pixel-9-pro-xl-launched-in-india-starting-at-79999/articleshow/112512198.cms" style="">Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL launched in India starting at ₹79,999</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/ipo-scam-two-victims-from-hyderabad-lose-over-11crore-in-fake-ipo-scams/articleshow/112488051.cms">IPO scam – Two victims from Hyderabad lose over ₹11 crore in fake IPO scams</a>

Thai court removes PM Srettha over ethical breach in cabinet selection

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Thailand has a simple plan to boost its pandemic-hit economy.</li><li>It will give $275 to about 50 million people, more than two-thirds of the population.</li></ul>Thailand is the latest country to experiment with a cash handout program, hoping it will help its economy recover from a pandemic-induced slump.Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said the program — called "Digital Wallet" — will offer payments of 10,000 baht, or about $275, to anyone making less than 840,000 baht, or $23,000, a year. In Thailand, that's about two-thirds of the population. Thavisin said about 50 million people will likely qualify. The cash handout was a central promise in the prime minister's campaign before he took office last year.After the success of pandemic-era cash handouts, numerous countries have flirted with extending the programs, or even making them permanent. Many of them are forms of a basic income, programs that typically offer cash payments with no strings attached to a particular group of people. Some candidates running for top office have even promised a universal basic income, which gives regular cash payments to all citizens with no strings attached.In South Africa, the country's largest political party pledged to create and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/south-africa-universal-basic-income-anc-2024-6">implement a universal basic income program </a>within the next two years. Kenya also offers a basic income program that gives <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/basic-income-kenya-helps-families-buy-food-savings-ubi-gbi-2024-6">unconditional payments to 20,000 people</a>.Andrew Yang became one of the most famous advocates for a universal basic income in the United States when he <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-basic-income-2016-8">ran for president in 2020 on a plan to give all citizens $1,000</a> a month.Since then, numerous American cities — like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/houston-ubi-guaranteed-basic-income-uplift-harris-housing-finances-rent-2024-4">Houston</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/denver-basic-income-reduces-homelessness-food-insecurity-housing-ubi-gbi-2024-6">Denver</a> — have started <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/denver-basic-income-reduces-homelessness-food-insecurity-housing-ubi-gbi-2024-6">basic income programs for low-income residents</a>, inspired in part by the success of pandemic aid. The Texas Supreme Court temporarily <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guaranteed-basic-income-houston-residents-afford-rent-groceries-housing-2024-4">blocked the Houston program</a> after conservative politicians in the state challenged its constitutionality.The Thai prime minister's plan differs from these kinds of basic income schemes because it restricts how recipients can spend the cash.In the "Digital Wallet" program, recipients can only spend the money in shops registered through the program. Spending on things like alcohol, cigarettes, and online purchases is prohibited and participants only have six months to spend the cash after they receive it, Time reported.Thavisin said this infusion of cash would create an "economic tornado" and called it a "life-changing policy for the people" when he announced it in April. Thailand has struggled to regain its footing after the COVID-19 pandemic leveled its economy.The program will start taking applicants on August 1 and payments will begin in October, Thavisin said on X.

Thailand plans to give $275 cash handouts to 50 million low-income citizens

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Thailand's prime minister has called for a ban on recreational cannabis in a major U-turn.</li><li>Srettha Thavisin said cannabis should only be allowed for medical purposes.</li></ul>Thailand's prime minister wants to ban cannabis just two years after his country decriminalized it for recreational use.In a <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Thavisin/status/1788135429793054722">post</a> on Wednesday, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin called on the country's Ministry of Public Health to revise its list of illegal substances to once again include cannabis, and to publish new guidelines limiting its use for medical and health purposes only.Thavisin also urged Thailand's health and justice ministries to join forces to arrest those who escape drug treatment or fail to undergo treatment, in order to prosecute them.Drugs are a problem that destroys the future of the nation, he said, adding that government agencies need to work together to eradicate drug activity and show clear progress within 90 days.Thailand was the first Southeast Asian country to legalize medical cannabis in 2018, and the first Asian country to decriminalize recreational cannabis in 2022, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dariosabaghi/2022/01/27/thailand-has-become-the-first-asian-country-to-decriminalize-recreational-cannabis/?sh=2e4c54534b21">according to Forbes</a>.The country's former health minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, spearheaded the effort in 2022, announcing his ministry would give away one million cannabis plants to Thai households for license-free cultivation as soon as the drug was removed from the country's list of controlled substances, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/12/world/asia/thailand-legal-weed-plant.html">per The New York Times</a>.However, since taking power last August, Thavisin has made clear his intention to overhaul the country's drug policy.His party ran on an anti-drug platform, pledging to eradicate drugs from Thai society, <a target="_blank" href="https://time.com/6316295/thailand-cannabis-restrictions-srettha/">per Time magazine</a>.In an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2023-09-21/thai-pm-aims-to-regulate-cannabis-for-medical-use-only">interview</a> with Bloomberg in September, Thavisin said Thailand needed to regulate cannabis because the country has a "widespread" drug problem.Other countries have legalized or decriminalized cannabis for recreational use in recent years, including Canada, Germany, Mexico, and South Africa. In the US, 24 states, two territories, and the District of Columbia have also <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncsl.org/civil-and-criminal-justice/cannabis-overview">legalized</a> small amounts of cannabis for adult recreational use.In 2022, the global cannabis market was worth about $45 billion, and it could be worth more than $101 billion by 2026, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://prohibitionpartners.com/reports/the-global-cannabis-report-edition-3/#:~:text=Data%20Packages-,Overview,US%24101%20billion%20by%202026.">estimates</a> by Prohibition Partners, a platform for B2B cannabis.Cannabis use among Thais aged 18 to 65 has increased tenfold in recent years, <a target="_blank" href="https://cads.in.th/cads/content?id=339#:~:text=According%20to%20CADS%20annual%20surveys,methamphetamine%20(0.1%25%2D0.5%25)%2C">according</a> to Thailand's Center for Addiction Studies, from 2.3% in 2019 to 25% in 2022. It cited surveys from the Thailand Substance Abuse Academic Network.Thailand is also a market and transit route for drug trafficking to third nations, due to its proximity to the Golden Triangle, Asia's largest drug production area, <a target="_blank" href="https://berkas.dpr.go.id/ksap/aipa44/page/Thailand.pdf">per Thailand's country report 2023</a>.Cannabis use in public spaces remains illegal in Thailand, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/thailandprd/posts/394062252756591/?paipv=0&amp;eav=AfY8YiRUSoDR8osxoMom85DlMjlgRpuyznnBWVPPokcqPAbBDO5uBKLjZGCOgs0MFzk&amp;_rdr">according to the country's public relations agency</a>, and is punishable by up to three months in prison and a fine of about $675.

Thailand decriminalized cannabis 2 years ago. Its prime minister wants to ban it again.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Apple faces backlash over an ad that critics say portrays Thailand negatively.</li><li>The 10-minute comic short shows business partners rushing around the country.</li></ul>Apple is facing backlash over a recent ad set in Thailand, which critics say portrays the country as backward and shabby.The 10-minute video, uploaded to YouTube in mid-July, is part of a series of comedy shorts called "The Underdogs," and showcases Apple features and products through the adventures of four hapless business partners.In the latest episode, "The Underdogs: OOO (Out Of Office)," the characters head to Thailand to source a packaging company at the behest of a demanding and egotistical client back in the US, played by "Superbad" actor Christopher Mintz-Plasse.To adapt to his constantly changing requests, they dash around the country on aging trains, buses, and tuk-tuks, trying to find a key supplier. They encounter obliging locals, and a very dingy hotel — with all their problems ultimately smoothed over on the fly by Apple features.<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SbYckRAt5os?si=U5lnax0HIRkOKFEN" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0"></iframe>In 2020, "The Underdogs" managed to snag a Directors' Guild of America nomination for achievement in directing commercials — but the latest episode has bombed on social media, and comments on YouTube have been turned off.Numerous complaints from Thai-focused accounts have appeared on TikTok and X, racking up hundreds of thousands of views."The video portrays something that looks like Thailand in the 1960s," said TikToker <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@weetalkthailand/video/7396368205633080594?q=apple%20ad%20thailand&amp;t=1722501216967">That Thai Auntie</a>.Many commentators noted how shabby a lot of the architecture and interiors looked despite much of the ad being set in Bangkok, a highly modernized city.<div type="image" title="A still from Apple's July 2024 advert The Underdogs: OOO (Out Of Office), showing a busy Bangkok street in sepia tones." height="542" width="1000" msid="112197846" hostid="261" sizebytes="63170"></div>Others remarked on the footage's sepia-toned color grading, which <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.media-diversity.org/yellow-filter-a-cinematic-technique-or-pushing-stereotypes/">media critics have said is often used to convey a less-affluent environment.</a><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/Rattapoom_K/status/1816749244906373626">One X user joked</a> that Thailand has become a "yellow filter" country, saying, "I like how Apple put a third-world filter on contemporary Bangkok in their ads. It's very classy."Several social media users <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@numjourney/video/7396639624904412423">posted images of modern Thailand</a> in order to contrast with the run-down surroundings featured in much of the ad.<div type="image" title="A still from Apple's July 2024 advert The Underdogs: OOO (Out Of Office), showing a worried-looking woman in the foreground of a shabby hotel room." height="547" width="1000" msid="112197622" hostid="261" sizebytes="30848"></div>One TikTok user, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@shoaib_live_pro/video/7396574015260871944">in a post that has had almost 70,000 views</a>, contrasted it disapprovingly with a brightly-colored 2023 Google Pixel ad, which includes both modern and rustic aspects of Thai life.It's "100% stereotyping," <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@singhsocial/video/7397766562792459538">said TikTok user Rohit Singh</a>, who said he has lived in the country for over a year.He filmed his response — which was seen more than 18,000 times — in an airport, making the point that the interior was far more modern than that shown in the Apple ad.<div type="image" title="A still from Apple's July 2024 advert The Underdogs: OOO (Out Of Office) showing the four main characters rushing through a crowded and slightly dingy airport." height="539" width="1000" msid="112197841" hostid="261" sizebytes="42844"></div>The portrayal particularly stings for East Asians, he said, given the amount of manufacturing labor these countries provide for tech companies.Indeed, last year, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Supply-Chain/Apple-in-talks-with-suppliers-to-make-MacBooks-in-Thailand">Nikkei Asia reported</a> that Apple was looking to expand its manufacturing base beyond China, with a view to making its Macbooks in Thailand.Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has defended the advert, saying it could still benefit the country's "soft power," <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bangkokpost.com/life/tech/2839626/apples-out-of-office-advertisement-faces-backlash-in-thailand">the Bangkok Post reported</a>.It's the second time this year that Apple has faced criticism of its advertising. The latest "Underdogs" ad comes only weeks after <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apples-bad-ad-not-original-lg-electronics-15-years-ago-2024-5">the company pulled</a> a badly-received iPad ad.That ad depicted a hydraulic press crushing musical instruments and other creative tools. It was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ipad-ad-crush-apple-backlash-overreaction-explanation-2024-5">meant to convey</a> how many features are crammed into an iPad but <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-ipad-pro-ad-crush-tim-cook-ratioed-2024-5">reminded many onlookers</a> of the potential threat that technology, particularly AI, poses to creative careers.In that case, Apple's head of marketing and communications, Tor Myhren, said the company "missed the mark."Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

An Apple ad bombed in Thailand over complaints it makes the country look dated and shabby

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Singapore is the only Southeast Asia stop of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour.</li><li>The concerts are part of a push to boost tourism in Singapore after the height of the pandemic.</li></ul>Taylor Swift isn't just another celebrity on a world tour — she's literally <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-boost-kansas-city-golden-era-2023-12">boosting economies</a>.Her impact is so huge that Singapore shelled out nearly $3 million per show to sign an exclusive deal with her for the Southeast Asian leg of her Eras Tour, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/singapore-lures-taylor-swift-with-grant-sold-out-march-concerts-2024-02-20/">Thai Prime Minister</a> Srettha Thavisin said at a business forum last month.Singapore authorities said its tourism board disbursed a grant to support Swift's event but declined to comment on specifics of the deal to Business Insider, citing business confidentiality. Edwin Tong, Singapore's culture minister, told the local outlet <a target="_blank" href="https://mothership.sg/2024/03/spore-proactively-courted-taylor/">Mothership</a> on Wednesday that the amount of grant given "is not what is being speculated online.""It is likely to generate significant benefits to the Singapore economy, especially to tourism activities such as hospitality, retail, travel, and dining, as has happened in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-boost-kansas-city-golden-era-2023-12">other cities</a> in which Taylor Swift has performed," Singapore's culture ministry and tourism board said in a joint statement.Swift is scheduled to perform six shows in Singapore from March 2 to March 9. More than 300,000 tickets have been sold.But it's not just about the money.<h2>Cultural clout</h2>Mega-concerts such as Swift's help build Singapore's status as a fun place to visit rather than just a place to do business and hold trade events, tourism experts say.After all, strait-laced <a target="_blank" href="https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/survey-ranks-spore-among-least-exciting-cities">Singapore</a> isn't known for being the most exciting tourist destination."Live music from some of the biggest names in the industry marks a slight shift in Singapore's attractiveness as a tourism destination," Yun Liu, an HSBC economist, wrote in a February note.Tong, the Singapore culture minister, told Mothership the city-state was looking "beyond just the economic impact" of those concerts."We look at it from the perspective of building Singapore into a cultural hub that's of strong strategic value for us," Tong told the outlet."Such concerts help put us on the top of the minds of tourists and position us as a luxe destination that justifies the premium," Kevin Cheong, the managing partner of Syntegrate, a consultancy for destination and tourism development, told BI.<h2>Tourist spend</h2>Everywhere Swift's tour goes, a boost in tourism-related spending follows, known as "Swiftonomics." That ranges from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/taylor-swift-singapore-concerts-stb-grant-economic-benefits-4141056">air tickets and accommodation</a> to food and beverage, as well as niche retail sectors such as the sale of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/taylor-swift-friendship-bracelet-fad-singapore-fans-2369776">friendship bracelets</a>.Singapore is no exception.Economists estimate that Swift's concerts in Singapore could contribute up to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/singapore/economy-policy/taylor-swifts-six-shows-estimated-boost-singapores-economy-s500-million">500 million Singapore dollars</a>, or $372 million, in tourist receipts.David Mann, the Asia Pacific chief economist of Mastercard, told BI that since Singapore is one of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.eiu.com/n/singapore-and-zurich-top-the-list-as-the-worlds-most-expensive-cities">most expensive cities in the world</a> and has a strong currency, it was unlikely tourists from places with weaker currencies would be splurging on retail therapy in the country.It's a different story for spending on experiences — and it's heightened because Singapore is Swift's only stop in Southeast Asia.Mann said the people who had money to pay for flight tickets, Swift's concert tickets, and a hotel were likely to keep spending at other tourist spots.Since the Singapore government collects a 9% tax on all goods and services, tourist spending goes to the national coffers, too."It goes to the entire ecosystem," Cheong said.The Nomura economist Si Ying Toh wrote in a February note that Swift and the British band Coldplay — the first two major acts of 2024 in Singapore — were likely to contribute 0.25 percentage points to the country's first-quarter GDP.<h2>Taylor Swift 'pays the bills' in the short term</h2>Cheong said getting exclusive access to Swift was a smart short-term move by the Singapore government: "You need business right now to help pay the bills and put us on the world map."The wealthy city-state's neighbors are taking notice, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-exclusive-deal-singapore-criticized-by-philippines-2024-3">not all of them are happy about it</a>.Singapore's move to award a grant for Swift's appearances in the city-state is done "at the expense of neighboring countries, which could not attract their own foreign concertgoers and whose fans had to go to Singapore," Joey Salceda, a Filipino lawmaker, told the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/02/29/2336920/singapore-must-explain-taylor-swift-exclusivity-deal-lawmaker">Philippine Star</a> on Thursday.Srettha, the Thai prime minister, also threw Singapore some shade and suggested his country could have splashed some money to attract Swift's performance, too."If I had known this, I would have brought the shows to Thailand," Srettha was quoted as saying in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bangkokpost.com/life/arts-and-entertainment/2743369">Bangkok Post</a>, referring to Singapore's grant for Swift's concert.The FOMO appears to extend to Indonesia, with the tourism minister, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, telling <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-19/indonesia-will-turn-to-swiftonomics-to-boost-tourism-spending">Bloomberg TV</a> last month that the country needed Swiftonomics for tourism and was considering more incentives for large events such as concerts.Still, Cheong said massive performance grants couldn't be Singapore's long-term solution to boost tourism."It's a wise move, but is it sustainable?" Cheong asked, saying he thought Singapore was courting mega-concerts as a short-term boost before big investments — such as an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mandai.com/en/about-mandai/media-centre/mandai-invites-you-to-get-closer-to-nature-with-new-resort.html">eco-resort</a> and a new tower for the iconic <a target="_blank" href="https://www.safdiearchitects.com/media/article-safdie-architects-to-add-fourth-tower-to-marina-bay-sands-resort">Marina Bay Sands hotel</a> — were completed.Cheong said the longer-term, more sustainable measure was to make Singapore so enticing that tourists and artists would come for their big-ticket events even without grants."It has to be as attractive as Las Vegas, where performers will definitely make a stop," he added.Swift's PR team didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

Taylor Swift is making Singapore a mountain of money, and some of the country's neighbors are salty about it

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Taylor Swift kicked off her six-night, sold-out The Eras Tour stopover in Singapore on Saturday.</li><li>It's the only place in Southeast Asia where she will perform due to an exclusivity deal.</li></ul>There's a feud between <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-to-do-in-singapore-taylor-swift-concert-2024-2">Singapore</a> and neighboring government officials — and it's all down to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-net-worth-spending-2018-8">Taylor Swift</a>.Ahead of the pop star's<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-concert-singapore-india-package-eras-tour-2024-3"> six sold-out shows</a> in the city-state, which kick off on Saturday, a lawmaker in the Philippines has criticized the exclusive deal that Singaporean authorities reportedly brokered with her to ensure that she wouldn't take <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-eras-tour-guide-to-every-album-era-2022-12">The Eras Tour </a>to other territories in the region.On Wednesday, Philippines representative Joey Salceda called on the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to protest against the <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/stb-gave-grant-for-taylor-swift-concerts-event-likely-to-generate-major-benefits-for-s-pore-economy-govt">grant the Singapore government authorized</a> in exchange for Swift agreeing not to perform elsewhere in Southeast Asia during her sold-out world tour, local media reported."Some $3 million in grants were allegedly given by the Singapore government to AEG to host the concert in Singapore. The catch was that they do not host it elsewhere in the region," Salceda said, according to <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/not-what-good-neighbours-do-filipino-lawmaker-hits-out-at-singapore-over-taylor-swift-deal">The Straits Times</a>.<div type="image" title="Fans of US singer Taylor Swift, also known as a Swifties, arrive for the first of the pop star's six sold-out Eras Tour concerts at the National Stadium in Singapore on March 2, 2024." height="3406" width="5119" msid="108167161" hostid="261" sizebytes="707666"></div>He said it "isn't what good neighbors do," adding: "Our countries are good friends. That's why actions like that hurt."Per <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/898944/salceda-wants-explanation-for-singapore-s-alleged-deal-with-taylor-swift/story/">GMA Network</a>, Salceda noted that while the grants significantly boosted Singapore's economy, "it was at the expense of neighboring countries, which could not attract their own foreign concertgoers, and whose fans had to go to Singapore."He added that the Philippines should not "just let things like these pass."The Grammy Award-winning artist, who recently announced that she <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-the-tortured-poets-department-album-release-date-tracklist-what-to-know">will be releasing a new studio album in April</a>, is performing six shows at Singapore's 55,000-seat National Stadium between March 2 and 9.Salceda's criticism comes after Thailand's prime minister revealed that Singapore had brokered the deal that meant Swift couldn't take the tour to other nine territories in the Association of South East Asian Nations, which also includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Vietnam.<div type="image" title="Taylor Swift performs at the National Stadium on March 2, 2024 in Singapore." height="2793" width="4190" msid="108167163" hostid="261" sizebytes="322700"></div>According to <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://news.sky.com/story/singapore-has-done-deal-so-taylor-swift-cant-perform-in-any-other-countries-in-southeast-asia-13072902#:~:text=Singapore%20has%20done%20a%20deal,of%20South%20East%20Asian%20Nations.">Sky News</a>, while speaking at the iBusiness Forum 2024 in Bangkok in February, Srettha Thavisin said promoter AEG informed him of the agreement after he enquired why the world tour would not be stopping in his home country. Swift has never performed in Thailand, although she was scheduled to perform there in 2014, but ended up <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-cancels-thailand-concert-due-to-political-turbulence-56388/">canceling due to political turbulence.</a>He claimed he was told the Singapore government offered $2 million to $3 million per show in exchange for exclusivity.However, according to <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-68379688">BBC News</a>, Singapore's CNA has suggested it may be just S$2 million for all six nights.Swift's stop-over in Singapore is expected to bring economic benefits to the city-state. The recent Australian leg of the tour gave a $558 million boost to the economy, according to an estimate from Angel Zhong, an Associate Professor of Finance at RMIT University (via <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="http://forbes">Forbes</a>).

Singapore brokered a deal with Taylor Swift, so she wouldn't take the Eras Tour to other Southeast Asian countries. Now, a Philippines lawmaker is calling it out.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>25 hostages were released on Friday at the start of a 4-day cease-fire, including a 2-year-old.</li><li>The released hostages also include 10 Thai citizens, 1 Filipino, and 13 Israeli women and children.</li></ul>Twenty-five hostages were released by Hamas on Friday, including a child as young as two, at the start of a four-day truce with Israel.Ten of the hostages released by Hamas are Thai citizens, one is Filipino, and 13 others are believed to be Israeli women and children, according to the Israeli government's press office and <a href="https://x.com/JacobMagid/status/1728084036101251479?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Qatari foreign ministry</a>, which also confirmed the release of the jailed Palestinians. The International Committee of the Red Cross in Israel and the Occupied Territories said <a href="https://twitter.com/ICRC_ilot/status/1728082715700785171" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in a post on X</a> that it had facilitated the "safe release" of 24 of the hostages. The status of the 25th hostage was not immediately made clear. In exchange, Israel released some <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67522703" target="_blank" rel="noopener">39 Palestinian prisoners and detainees</a>, including 24 women and 15 teenage boys, according to the BBC. The hostage release comes at the start of a four-day ceasefire in fighting that kicked off on October 7 when Hamas fighters from the Gaza Strip launched a surprise attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and resulted in 240 hostages being taken. Hamas has previously said it could release as many <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israeli-hostages-release-israel-hamas-exchange-ceasefire-gaza-aid-2023-11">as 70 hostages</a> if Israel agreed to a ceasefire, which was brokered by Qatar, Eygypt, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-compares-hamas-to-putin-urges-us-aid-for-israel-2023-10">the United States</a> following weeks of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-police-palestinian-hamas-videos-militants-alqassam-war-combat-rescue-bodycam">bloody fighting</a> that has resulted in civilian deaths on both sides. The hostages were most recently with the Israeli Defense Forces, which said they underwent an initial medical assessment. They will next be accompanied by IDF soldiers to Israeli hospitals, "where they will be reunited with their families," <a href="https://idfanc.activetrail.biz/ANC24112023495534" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IDF said in a statement.</a>The Israeli Prime Minister's office said that among the hostages released is a 2-year-old, a 4-year-old, and a 5-year-old, as well as several people over age 70, including an 85-year-old. Among the hostages released is Adina Moshe, 72, according to people familiar with Friday's hostage release. Moshe was pulled through the window of her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, where her husband was killed in front of her, before being taken on a motorcycle to Gaza on October 7, <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/taken-captive-adina-shalom-72-at-least-we-know-shes-alive-in-gaza/">according to The Times of Israel.</a>Margalit Moses, 77, who was also abducted from Nir Oz, is also one of the hostages who has been freed, these people said.Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin acknowledged the release of the Thai citizens <a href="https://twitter.com/Thavisin/status/1728049204369711300" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on X on Friday</a>, saying embassy officials are on their way to pick them up. According to the Israeli government's press office, the Thai hostages are in Israel now and on their way to Assaf Harofeh hospital for treatment.(Editor's note: This story is developing and will be updated throughout the day.)

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