BANGKOK — 14 May 2026, Chinese actress Zhao Lusi, affectionately known to fans as “Rosy”, has sparked a social media frenzy after appearing with a handbag from Thai fashion brand FUNDAO, drawing attention from both Thai and international media.
Thai fashion value soars after the Asian superstar, who has long enjoyed a warm reception from fans during visits to Thailand, was recently photographed carrying handbag from Thai brand FUNDAO while posing with her favorite dachshund doll. This latest display of soft power continues to elevate Thai fashion’s presence in the international arena.
Zhao paired a lace camisole-style outfit and the minimalist “AVA mini” handbag in Ivory, designed by Thai designer, Yin-Fundao Baesakul. The bag creates an elegant aesthetic associated with the “Quiet Luxury” look, featuring its minimalist yet distinctive butterfly-wing silhouette and detailed handcrafted elements. Zhao’s “ROSYDOEDIAN TOYS” plushie also made a cameo, adding a cute, playful touch that sent social media into a frenzy.
Fans were quick to take notice, instantly rushing to identify the bag and hailing it as the latest “it bag” after Zhao was seen using it. While FUNDAO had already gained recognition among international fashion circles and had been adopted by fashion enthusiasts worldwide, Zhao’s endorsement is being viewed as another significant moment for Thailand’s soft power movement. The attention generated by the actress has not only created excitement among fans but also intensified interest in Thai fashion in both domestic and international markets, marking another milestone for global recognition of Thai designers.
BURIRAM — 14 May 2026, a Thai villager leading efforts to drive wild elephants away from communities near the Dong Yai forest was killed after being attacked by an elephant inside a village in Buriram province, local residents said.
Weera Ratchawong, 66, chairman of the Dong Yai Wild Elephant Watch Network, was attacked at about 04:00 in Ban Khlong Hin Lat village in Non Din Daeng district while attempting to push elephants away from residential areas.
Residents living along the Dong Yai forest boundary said such incidents had become increasingly common, with several people reportedly killed by wild elephants each year as the animals frequently entered villages in search of food.
Prasit Jupamatang, 61, a wild elephant patrol officer in the Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary, said he arrived after receiving reports of the attack but found Weera had already died.
Weera’s wife said local elephant patrol volunteers normally travelled in groups of 14 when responding to reports from villagers, but her husband often went out alone. She said elephants had entered the village several times during the night before the fatal attack, with Weera leaving alone again shortly before 04:00.
Manat Yiamram, village headman of Ban Khlong Hin Lat, said wild elephants entered the community almost every day, usually in groups of one to three animals.
He said villagers were living in fear and called on authorities to address the situation more seriously, adding that residents believed the elephant population had grown beyond the forest’s capacity and that attacks causing deaths occurred in nearby communities every year.
HAVANA — Cuba has run out of diesel and fuel oil supplies as the country faces a worsening electricity crisis linked to U.S. restrictions on fuel shipments, Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O said on 14 May 2026.
The minister said prolonged fuel shortages had severely affected Cuba’s power grid, contributing to major blackouts across the country in recent months.
In Havana, some areas have been left without electricity for more than 20 hours a day, officials said.
Cuba’s electricity system relies on domestically produced crude oil, natural gas and renewable energy sources.
Authorities said Cuba has been attempting to negotiate fuel imports despite restrictions imposed by the United States, while global oil prices and ongoing conflicts have further complicated supply efforts.
U.S. measures blocking fuel shipments to Cuba have now entered a fourth month, affecting public services nationwide, officials said.
President Donald Trump participates in a welcome ceremony with China's President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
BEIJING (AP) — President Donald Trump began his trip to Beijing on Thursday by telling Xi Jinping “it’s an honor to be your friend,” even as his Chinese counterpart offered a cautionary warning about avoiding a possible clash between the two nations.
The stark contrast in tone underscored just how far apart the leaders remain on thorny issues including the war in Iran, trade disputes and Washington’s relationship with Taiwan — and suggested that Trump and Xi’s highly anticipated meetings are likely to be longer on pageantry and symbolism than major breakthroughs.
In remarks before their meeting at the Great Hall of the People moved behind closed doors, Trump was full of platitudes, saying of Xi, “You’re a great leader. Sometimes people don’t like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it’s true.”
President Donald Trump participates in a welcome ceremony with China’s President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
“It’s an honor to be with you. It’s an honor to be your friend,” Trump said before promising that “the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before.”
Xi was darker, expressing hope that the U.S. and China can avoid conflict while saying that history, and the world were asking “whether the two countries can transcend the ‘Thucydides Trap’ and forge a new model for relations between major powers.”
China’s leader used a term popular in foreign policy studies, referring to the idea that when a rising power threatens to displace an established power, the result is often war.
“Cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both,” Xi said. “The two countries should be partners rather than rivals, achieve success together and pursue common prosperity, and chart a correct path for major-country relations in the new era.”
Xi has mentioned “Thucydides Trap” before with regards to U.S.-China relations, dating back to as early as 2014. China’s leader included it in his messages to Trump’s predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden, in 2022 and 2024. Still, his evoking the term as Trump began his visit with optimism was noteworthy.
Comments follow elaborate welcome ceremony
The remarks from each followed a sweeping greeting for Trump outside the Great Hall of the People, an imposing building on Tiananmen Square that houses China’s legislature. Cannons boomed a welcome salute and a band played “The Star-Spangled Banner” and China’s national anthem.
The hall featured giant, red-carpeted steps and huge expanses of marble, where soldiers hung large American and Chinese flags. School children in bright colors offered a welcome routine, jumping as the girls waved flowers and the boys hoisted American and Chinese flags while the two leaders walked past them.
President Donald Trump participates in a welcome ceremony with China’s President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Later, the Republican U.S. president is set to visit the Temple of Heaven, a religious complex dating to the 15th century that symbolizes the relationship between heaven and earth. Trump and Xi will also attend a state banquet.
The White House has insisted that Trump wouldn’t be making the trip without an eye toward securing results before he leaves — suggesting there could be announcements coming on trade, including a Chinese commitment to buy U.S. soybeans, beef and aircraft. Trump administration officials also want to work toward establishing a Board of Trade with China to address commercial differences between the countries.
But neither side has yet offered concrete details on what might come out of the three-day visit at a time when Beijing’s close economic ties to Iran could complicate matters.
The U.S. and Israel’s war in Iran has led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, stranding oil and natural gas tankers and causing energy prices to spike, threatening global economic growth.
Spending so much time with Xi will afford ample time for potentially tricky discussions, on Iran and trade, but also Taiwan and a possible three-way nuclear arms deal featuring Washington, Beijing and Russia.
Progress beyond pleasantries might prove elusive.
Back in Washington, the politics of the war got more complicated. Senate Republicans again blocked Democratic legislation to halt hostilities in Iran — but Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski bucked her party, becoming the third Republican in the chamber to vote against continuing the war.
China is the largest purchaser of Iranian oil, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity that Trump will make the case for Beijing to exert its influence on Iran, noting that administration officials will underscore that “economies are melting down because of this crisis” which means consumers are “buying less Chinese product.”
“So it’s in their interest to resolve this,” Rubio said of Chinese officials. “We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to walk away from what they’re doing now and trying to do now in the Persian Gulf.”
That contradicted Trump, who has downplayed suggestions that he’ll press Xi to do more to pressure Iran to open the strait. The president also says pressure on the U.S. economy won’t compromise U.S. demands as he negotiates with Iran in the midst of a fragile ceasefire. Asked as he left the White House if the financial stability of ordinary Americans factors into Iranian negotiations, Trump responded, “Not even a little bit.”
“I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I think about one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said, before going on to suggest that “every American understands” such a position.
Mixed messaging was also evident on inflation and the war, however, as Vice President JD Vance denied Trump’s own words that the U.S. economy wasn’t a major factor in seeking a resolution with Tehran.
U.S. President Donald Trump, center, accompanied by Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, is welcomed at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Thursday, May 14, 2026. (Kenny Holston/Pool Photo via AP)
“I don’t think the president said that,” Vance said after being asked about Trump’s comments. “I think that’s a misrepresentation of what the president said.”
Trade and Taiwan discussions also could be intense
Looming large is the status of Taiwan, given that China is displeased with U.S. plans to sell weapons to the self-governing island that the Chinese government claims as part of its territory.
The Trump administration has approved an $11 billion weapons package for Taiwan, but has yet to begin fulfilling it. Trump has also demonstrated greater ambivalence toward Taiwan — an approach that’s raising questions about whether he might be open to dialing back support for the island democracy.
Taiwan is the world’s leading chipmaker, producing components essential to the development of artificial intelligence. Trump has sought to bolster trade deals with Taiwan that can stimulate chip production in the U.S.
Trump personally called Nvidia’s Jensen Huang to invite him to hop on Air Force One during a refueling stop in Alaska on the way to Beijing. He’s one of a large group of CEOs from the tech, defense, finance and agriculture sectors who are part of the delegation.
The U.S. and China reached a trade truce last year that calmed each side’s threats to impose steep tariffs on the other. The White House says there have been ongoing discussions and mutual interest in extending the agreement, though it is unclear whether any such announcement could come during Trump’s visit.
CHONBURI — 14 May 2026, Police and administrative officers in Chonburi province arrested 16 Chinese nationals during a late-night raid on an illegal poker den operating inside a luxury house in Bang Lamung district, authorities said on Thursday.
At 23:46 on Wednesday, a coordinated task force led by Naphatphong Khositsuriyamanee (Chonburi Immigration Superintendent), Nattapol Pongsooksakul (Nong Prue Police Chief), and Prabda Suksoontree (Inspector General of Tourist Police Sub-Station 4, Subdivision 2, Tourist Police Division 1). Officers from the Immigration Bureau, Tourist Police, and Bang Lamung Administrative Office descended upon a residence located at 243/15 Soi Mab Yai Lia 24, Nong Prue Subdistrict, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi.
Authorities said they detained 16 suspected gamblers and seized around 100,000 baht in cash, gambling chips worth several million-baht, three poker tables and a large quantity of playing cards and gambling equipment.
Police said the operation followed complaints from local residents who reported unusually large numbers of Chinese tourists entering the property. Residents also raised concerns because a previous incident involving Chinese nationals allegedly hiding C4 explosives in the area had heightened fears of potential criminal activity. Investigators monitored the house and confirmed that groups of Chinese nationals were regularly entering and leaving the property before planning the raid.
Because the house was equipped with surveillance cameras around the perimeter, officers carefully coordinated the raid to catch the group by surprise shortly before midnight. During the storming of the property, three suspects attempted to escape by jumping from a second-floor window but were injured after hitting the ground. Rescue workers were called to provide first aid while officers sealed off the premises.
Inside, officers found a group of 13 Chinese gamblers, both male and female, in a state of panic along with evidence of gambling activities, food and drinks prepared for players. Once the situation was brought under control, all 16 suspects, 13 men and three women, were taken into custody for questioning. Moreover, authorities also seized three poker tables, numerous decks of cards, and an amount of cash. Officials are currently checking on their immigration records before being handed over to investigators for further legal proceedings.
NONTHABURI — 14 May 2026, A man surrendered to police after allegedly killing a woman and driving her body to a police station in Nonthaburi province, authorities said.
Emergency responders from the Ruamkatanyu Foundation were alerted to the incident at about 10:10 after reports that a homicide suspect had placed the victim’s body inside a sedan and covered it with a cloth.
The suspect later drove the vehicle to the front of Bang Bua Thong police station, where officers took him into custody while investigators examined the scene.
Preliminary police questioning indicated that the suspect had been in a close relationship with the woman. Authorities said he allegedly killed her before calling his wife to say he was driving to Bang Bua Thong police station to surrender with the body in the car.
Police said the motive and circumstances surrounding the killing remain under investigation.
BORDEAUX — 14 May 2026, French authorities barred more than 1,700 passengers and crew aboard the British cruise ship MS Ambition from disembarking after around 50 people fell ill in an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness, officials said.
Authorities said there was no indication the outbreak was linked to the recent hantavirus cases reported aboard the Dutch-operated cruise ship MV Hondius.
The MS Ambition, operated by Ambassador Cruise Line, was on a 14-night voyage departing from Belfast and Liverpool, with scheduled stops in northern Spain and along France’s Atlantic coast.
The vessel arrived in Bordeaux on the evening of 13 May.
Étienne Guyot, prefect of the Gironde department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, ordered passengers and crew to remain on board and restricted contact between the ship and Bordeaux port authorities following recommendations from regional health officials.
Authorities said about 50 passengers showed symptoms consistent with acute gastrointestinal infection after the ship’s captain alerted French officials. Sick passengers were initially treated by onboard doctors and isolated in their cabins.
Medical teams supervised by France’s maritime medical coordination centre were later deployed to the ship, while infectious disease specialists at Bordeaux University Hospital began analysing patient samples to identify the pathogen, assess transmission risks and determine additional health measures.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 16 gastrointestinal outbreaks were reported on cruise ships in 2024, the highest annual total in more than a decade. Most were linked to norovirus, including a recently identified strain believed to spread more easily.
BANGKOK — 14 May 2026, Thailand’s Meteorological Department (TMD) issued its third weather warning on Thursday, cautioning that heavy to very heavy rainfall could trigger flash floods and forest runoff across parts of the country from 14-18 May.
The department stated in Advisory No. 3 (63/2026) that from this week, increased rainfall is expected in the northern, central, eastern and southern regions as a strong low-pressure system over the lower Bay of Bengal moves towards the upper Bay of Bengal, while the southwest monsoon strengthens over the Andaman Sea, Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand.
Residents in areas prone to flooding, particularly along foothills, waterways and low-lying areas, were urged to remain alert for possible flash floods and sudden runoff caused by heavy to very heavy rain and accumulated rainfall.
The shift in weather is attributed to a powerful low-pressure cell over the lower Bay of Bengal, which is moving toward the upper reaches of the bay. Simultaneously, the south-western monsoon covering the Andaman Sea, Thailand, and the Gulf of Thailand is gaining strength.
Authorities also warned of increasingly rough seas in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. From 15-18 May, waves in the Andaman Sea are expected to reach 2-3 meters, with waves exceeding 3 meters in areas affected by thunderstorms. In the upper Gulf of Thailand, waves are forecast at around 2 meters and higher than 2 meters during storms.
The department advised mariners to navigate with caution and avoid areas experiencing thunderstorms. Small boats in the Andaman Sea were urged to remain ashore during the warning period.
Residents can track live updates, which are available at http://www.tmd.go.th, the department’s website, or its 24-hour emergency hotlines: 0-2399-4012-13 and 1182.
The announcement was issued at 05:00 on Thursday. TMD said its next update would be released at 17:00 on the same day.
President Donald Trump walks with China's Vice President Han Zheng during a welcome ceremony Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
BEIJING (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for his hotly anticipated talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the Iran war, trade and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.
The meat of the summit doesn’t start until Thursday, when the leaders hold bilateral talks, visit the Temple of Heaven, where Chinese emperors once prayed for bumper crops, and take part in a formal banquet. But the Chinese offered Trump a pomp-filled welcome, literally rolling out the red carpet for him after Air Force One landed in the Chinese capital.
The president was greeted by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng; Xie Feng, China’s ambassador to Washington; Ma Zhaoxu, executive vice minister of foreign affairs; as well as the U.S. envoy to Beijing, David Perdue.
The welcoming ceremony included a military honor guard, a military band and some 300 Chinese youths waving Chinese and American flags and chanting, “Welcome, welcome! Warm welcome!” as Trump made his way to his waiting limousine. The youth greeters were decked out in white and robin’s egg blue outfits that matched the paint job of the iconic presidential plane.
“We’re the two superpowers,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House on Tuesday for the long flight to Beijing. “We’re the strongest nation on Earth in terms of military. China’s considered second.”
While Trump likes to project a sense of strength, the visit occurs at a delicate moment for his presidency as his popularity at home has been weighed down by the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran and rising inflation as a consequence of that conflict. The Republican president is seeking a win by signing deals with China to buy more American soybeans, beef and aircraft, saying he’ll be talking with Xi about trade “more than anything else.”
The Trump administration hopes to begin the process of establishing a Board of Trade with China to address differences between the countries. The board could help prevent the trade war ignited last year after Trump’s tariff hikes, an action China countered through its control of rare earth minerals. That led to a one-year truce last October.
But Trump is visiting Beijing when Iran continues to dominate his domestic agenda. The war has led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, stranding oil and natural gas tankers and causing energy prices to spike to levels that could sabotage global economic growth. The U.S. president declared that Xi didn’t need to assist in resolving the conflict, even though Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in Beijing last week.
President Donald Trump shakes hands during a welcome ceremony Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
“We have a lot of things to discuss. I wouldn’t say Iran is one of them, to be honest with you, because we have Iran very much under control,” Trump told reporters Tuesday.
Taiwan high on the agenda
The status of Taiwan also will be a major topic as China is displeased with U.S. plans to sell weapons to the self-governing island that the Chinese government claims as part of its own territory.
Trump told reporters Monday that he would be discussing with Xi an $11 billion weapons package for Taiwan that the U.S. administration authorized in December but has not yet begun fulfilling. The arms package is the largest ever approved for Taiwan.
At the same time, Taiwan — as the world’s leading chipmaker — has become essential for the development of AI, with the U.S. importing more goods so far this year from Taiwan than China. Trump has sought to use Biden-era programs and his own deals to bring more chipmaking to America.
The Chinese Communist Party’s news outlet, People’s Daily, published a strongly worded editorial ahead of Trump’s arrival underscoring that Taiwan is “the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-U.S. relations” and is “the biggest point of risk” between the two nations.
Trump says relationship with Xi is on solid footing
Trump was already portraying the trip as a success before he even left White House grounds. He openly mused about Xi’s planned reciprocal visit to the U.S. later this year, lamenting that the White House ballroom under construction would not be completed in time to properly fete the Chinese leader.
“We’re going to have a great relationship for many, many decades to come,” Trump said of the U.S. and China.
Trump embarked on Air Force One for the big meeting with a coterie of aides, family members and business world titans, including Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Tesla and SpaceX’s Elon Musk. While en route to Beijing, he posted on social media that his “first request” to Xi during the visit will be to ask the Chinese leader to bolster the presence of U.S. firms in China.
“I will be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to ‘open up’ China so that these brilliant people can work their magic, and help bring the People’s Republic to an even higher level!” wrote Trump, who is expected to receive a formal ceremonial greeting when he arrives in the Chinese capital on Wednesday evening.
Despite Trump’s outward confidence, China appears to be entering the meeting from “a much stronger place,” said Scott Kennedy, a senior adviser on Chinese business and economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.
China would like to reduce tech restrictions on accessing computer chips and find ways to reduce tariffs, among other goals.
“But even if they don’t get much on any of those things, as long as there’s not a blow-up in the meeting and President Trump doesn’t go away and look to re-escalate, China basically comes out stronger,” Kennedy said.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met on Wednesday to discuss economic and trade issues at Incheon International Airport, just west of the South Korean capital Seoul, according to the Chinese state run Xinhua News Agency.
Trump wants 3-way nuclear arms deal
Trump also intends to raise the idea of the U.S., China and Russia signing a pact that would set limits on the nuclear weapons each nation keeps in its arsenal, according to a senior Trump administration official who briefed reporters ahead of the trip. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.
President Donald Trump talks with Elon Musk, right, during and arrival ceremony Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
China has previously been cool to entering such a pact. Beijing’s arsenal, according to Pentagon estimates, exceeds more than 600 operational nuclear warheads and is far from parity with the U.S. and Russia, which each are estimated to have more than 5,000 nuclear warheads.
The last nuclear arms pact, known as the New START treaty, between Russia and the United States expired in February, removing any caps on the two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than a half-century. As the treaty was set to expire, Trump rejected a call by Russia to extend the two-country deal for another year and called for “a new, improved, and modernized” deal that includes China.
The Pentagon estimates China has more than 600 operational nuclear warheads and will have over 1,000 by 2030.
BANGKOK — Thailand has introduced new alcohol control regulations banning the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages in several public areas nationwide, with the measures taking effect from 12 May.
The eight announcements, published in the Royal Gazette, update regulations originally introduced in 2008 to better reflect current conditions. The measures were signed by the public health minister as chair of the Alcohol Beverage Control Committee.
Under the new rules:
The sale of alcohol is prohibited on roads, in vehicles or on vehicles located on public roads.
The sale of alcohol is prohibited at railway stations and on trains, except during special events held inside the air-conditioned hall at Bangkok railway station.
The sale and consumption of alcohol are prohibited at public piers and on public passenger boats.
The sale and consumption of alcohol are prohibited at all passenger bus terminals nationwide.
The sale and consumption of alcohol are prohibited inside factory premises, except at liquor factories where sales or tasting are part of the production process.
The sale and consumption of alcohol are prohibited in areas under the supervision or use of government agencies, state enterprises or other state organisations, except in private residential areas, clubs or traditional banquet events.
The sale and consumption of alcohol are prohibited in public parks managed by state enterprises or government agencies.
The sale and consumption of alcohol are prohibited inside state enterprises and other state agencies.
The updated regulations officially came into force on 12 May.
