The building boom of the past ten years is still going on along the gulf coast of Thailand. This means plenty of new, modern condos are still for sale in Pattaya. The condos in Pattaya offer the perfect weekend getaway home within a couple of hours’ drive from Bangkok.
The recent Covid slowdown to the property economy in Thailand can be an opportunity for those looking for a second home within driving distance of Bangkok.
Focus on The Future
Pattaya is a great place to invest in your future. With the high-speed rail project planned for the eastern corridor from Bangkok down to Rayong, Pattaya will one day be within an hour’s ride. Many condos along the coast will organize pick-up services to ferry their tenants from the train station and back.
You’ll be able to leave the office in Bangkok and soon enjoy drinks on your terrace on the coast as you watch the sunset.
The high-speed rail system and the slowdown in development in Pattaya as less land becomes available will mean that the demand for condos in Pattaya will stay high for years. At the same time, infrastructure development in Pattaya will still proceed, increasing the value of already-owned condos. The recently completed tunnel underneath Sukhumvit Road in Pattaya made accessing the city’s southern area and Jomtien much faster and easier.
Pattaya already has an advantage for frequent travelers. Owning a home in Pattaya means frequent travelers now have two options for their flights. Pattaya is conveniently located between Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao airports. This means twice as many flights and times to choose from for jet-setting Pattaya condo residents.
Finding the Ideal Condo
For people who see the value in investing in a condo for sale in Pattaya, the main issue is deciding which condo to buy. Condos in the area all feature deluxe amenities that can make choosing just one difficult. Air-conditioned, spacious fitness centers, stunning swimming pools with panoramic views of the coastline, lush gardens, convenience stores on the condo grounds and various other amenities make life easy and luxurious for the residents.
The wisest decision can be working with an experienced and knowledgeable Pattaya property agent to help you make the right choice. Working with a local property agent allows them to show you the condos with quality construction and well-managed juristic services, two things that will be very important to you in the coming years.
Pearl Property Pattaya has a wealth of property agents who know the details of every condo in the area. They can recommend certain condos as the most preferable. They also know the reputations of every developer in the city. And they can assist you in the paperwork and negotiations to buy your dream condo.
Working with an agent from Pearl Property Pattaya is one of the best ways to enjoy life in Pattaya for years to come.
The pandemic has left a huge impact on the way we live, work, and shop. This shift towards online shopping and digital communication has been accelerated dramatically because of it. Many businesses now have to adapt quickly to survive in the digital era. As we move towards a post-pandemic world, it’s clear that digital marketing will continue to play a critical role in our lives and how we reach out to customers to drive sales.
In order to survive in a post-pandemic digital marketing arena, businesses need to be nimble and creative. The market is now far more competitive than ever, and standing out from the crowd is crucial for your business. Here are some key strategies to guarantee success in post-pandemic digital marketing.
Embrace Personalization
A key advantage of digital marketing is its ability to personalize a message and create offers based on an individual customer’s preferences and behaviors. Customers now expect businesses to understand their needs and preferences and provide personalized experiences. This is possible through a range of methods. And some of them are:
Personalized emails
Targeted social media ads
Customized landing pages
Optimize for Mobile
The mobile market cannot be ignored in a new digital marketing world. Nowadays, everyone shops and browses the internet right from their mobile, so digital marketing efforts need to be optimized for mobile. This means ensuring websites are mobile-friendly, emails are responsive, and social media ads are designed for smaller screens. Businesses that fail to do so risk losing their customers to competitors who have invested in optimizing their mobile strategies.
Don’t Ignore the Power of Moving Images
Short-form videos have taken the world by storm, and the proof is in the meteoric rise of the Tiktok social media platform, which gained 100 million users in just nine months. Businesses can use video to showcase their product and services and even provide educational content to build brand awareness. It’s important to ensure that your videos can be shared across multiple platforms, including social media, email, and websites, to help their virality.
Make Use of Data Analytics
Data analysis is critical in forming a sound digital marketing strategy. Businesses need to prioritize data collection and analysis to gain insight into customer behavior and changing trends. This will allow you to adhere quickly to changing consumer trends and gain valuable insights into customer preferences.
Why Choose Primal?
We are an award-winning digital agency with many years of experience and success operating out of Bangkok. No organization is too big or too small to benefit from a solid digital marketing strategy to improve its online presence.
Choosing to work with the best digital agency in Thailand, you’ll increase your chances of generating more traffic to your website and steering less towards your competitors. Through our expertise in digital marketing, you will increase your chances of reaching and converting even more customers than ever before.
Public Relations Office, Directorate of Joint Civil Affairs – On February 28, 2023, Thailand Chief of Defence Forces General Chalermpol Srisawasdi and U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Robert F. Godec presided over the Cobra Gold 2023 Opening Ceremony at the Royal Thai Naval Airbase, Royal Thai Air Fleet in Rayong province.
Also attending the ceremony were Ambassador of Japan to Thailand, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Thailand, Ambassador of Indonesia to Thailand, Ambassador of Malaysia to Thailand, and Ambassador of Singapore to Thailand.
Public Relations Office, Directorate of Joint Civil AffairsPublic Relations Office, Directorate of Joint Civil Affairs
The Cobra Gold exercise is the largest joint multilateral military exercise in Southeast Asia, co-hosted annually in Thailand by the Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
This year’s exercise is the 42nd iteration with seven fully participating countries – Thailand, the United States, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, and Malaysia; three countries joining the humanitarian assistance exercise – the PRC, India, and Australia; 10 countries joining the Multinational Planning Augmentation Team (MPAT) – Bangladesh, Canada, France, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, the Philippines, Fiji, the United Kingdom, and Brunei; and 10 countries joining in the Combined Observer Liaison Team (COLT) – Cambodia, Lao PDR, Brazil, Pakistan, Vietnam, Germany, Sweden, the Hellenic Republic, Kuwait, and Sri Lanka.
In total, there are 30 participating countries comprising 7,394 personnel.
Public Relations Office, Directorate of Joint Civil Affairs
The objectives of the exercise are to develop good military relations between participating partners; to enhance multilateral military interoperability by preparing to mobilize in a crisis; and to review multinational standard operating procedures. This year, with a return to normalcy, the exercise is back to full-scale. However, RTARF continues to operate in line with the Thai Ministry of Public Health COVID-19 prevention measures. The exercise will be held from February 27-March 10, 2023, with the following core exercises:
The Command Post Exercise (CPX) is a total force exercise to handle all domain operations – land, sea, air, cyber, and space. The cyber exercise is a planning exercise focusing on preliminary assessment on cyber threat and cybersecurity in the infrastructure system.
This year is the first time the space exercise will be included in the joint combined operational staff planning exercise.
Public Relations Office, Directorate of Joint Civil Affairs
The exercise will foster understanding of the impacts of aerial phenomenon, such as solar storms, on military operations, communication systems, and satellites, which in turn will help the staff to prepare for these phenomena. Military and civilian space agencies from Thailand, the United States, and Japan will provide information and guidance.
The Humanitarian Civic Assistance (HCA) includes the construction of multipurpose buildings for schools in six training sites, and the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Tabletop Exercise (HADR-TTX) to prepare our militaries to respond to natural disasters, using regional and multilateral mechanisms. This will serve as a preparation for a HADR-Demo, which includes station-by-station operations – search and rescue, emergency response, medical evacuation, chemical leak, and firefighting – by participating countries.
Public Relations Office, Directorate of Joint Civil Affairs
The Field Training Exercise (FTX) includes Cross Training Exercise (CTX), as well as field training for the army, navy, and air forces. A highlight is the joint forcible entry operations (JFEO) consisting of the Amphibious Exercise, Strategic Airborne Operation, Noncombatant Evacuation Operation, and Combined Arms Live-Fire Exercise.
Cobra Gold 2023 increases capacity of participating troops from Thailand and allies though the exchange of knowledge, expertise, and military technologies. It increases the experience of joint and multilateral operations for the Thai and ally forces, and the capacity and efficiency of disaster management and mitigation. It also strengthens bonds between soldiers from Thailand and allies, as the local communities in the exercise locations, and builds a good image of Thailand in the eyes of our allies and the international community.
Public Relations Office, Directorate of Joint Civil Affairs
Argentina's Lionel Messi receives the Best FIFA Men's player award from FIFA president Gianni Infantino during the ceremony of the Best FIFA Football Awards in Paris, France, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
PARIS (AP) — World Cup champion Lionel Messi edged Kylian Mbappé again, this time to take FIFA’s best men’s player award on Monday.
The best women’s player was Spain’s Alexia Putellas for a second straight year.
After steering Argentina to World Cup glory in an epic final against Mbappé’s France last year in Qatar, Messi won the best player vote against Mbappé and Karim Benzema and secured the FIFA prize for the seventh time in 14 years.
He won the World Cup at his record-equaling fifth attempt.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi poses with his wife Antonela Roccuzzo on the green carpet before the ceremony of the Best FIFA Football Awards in Paris, France, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
“It was a crazy year for me,” Messi said. “I could fulfil my (World Cup) dream after fighting for it for so long. And in the end it happened, and it was the most beautiful thing of my career. It’s the dream of every player, but very few can achieve it, so I’m thankful to God for being able to do it.”
The three players made the final shortlist in voting by a global panel of national team captains and coaches, selected journalists in each of FIFA’s 211 member countries, plus fans online.
The 35-year-old Messi also beat Mbappé — who was seeking his first best player award from FIFA — to the Golden Ball trophy awarded by FIFA for the World Cup’s best player. Mbappé earned the Golden Boot as top scorer.
In the FIFA Awards vote, Messi had 52 points, Mbappé 44, and Benzema 34.
Lionel Messi, left, Kylian Mbappe, second left, Achraf Hakimi, second right and Casemiro pose with trophies Men’s World 11 during the ceremony of the Best FIFA Football Awards in Paris, France, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Mbappé, 11 years younger than Messi at 24 and considered Messi’s heir apparent on the world stage, made the three-man shortlist for the first time. He was fourth in voting for the 2018 award, the year he led France to the World Cup title.
Real Madrid star Benzema won the more prestigious Ballon d’Or in October ahead of the World Cup. The France forward missed the tournament because of injury. Messi was not on the long list of Ballon d’Or candidates announced in August.
Brazil and Manchester United soccer player Casemiro poses on the green carpet with his wife Anna Mariano before the ceremony of the Best FIFA Football Awards in Paris, France, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Robert Lewandowski won the FIFA award the last two years, and Cristiano Ronaldo was left off the 14-player shortlist for the award this year for the first time.
Messi broke a record he shared with Ronaldo by making the men’s world best XI for the 16th time. The team included Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, Portugal’s João Cancelo, Dutchman Virgil van Dijk, Belgium’s Kevin de Bruyne, Croatia’s Luka Modric, Brazil’s Casemiro, Norway’s Erling Haaland and France’s Mbappé and Benzema.
Earlier Monday, French prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation into a rape accusation against Hakimi, a defender at Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi voted for former Barcelona teammate Neymar as his choice for best player. Only Brazil captain Thiago Silva also voted on Neymar.
Russia’s coach and captain were not banned from voting in the award.
Putellas won her award from Alex Morgan of the United States and Beth Mead, who led England to the European Championship title in 2022.
Spain’s Alexia Putellas receives the Best FIFA Women’s player award from FIFA president Gianni Infantino during the ceremony of the Best FIFA Football Awards in Paris, France, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Barcelona playmaker Putellas made the top three again despite being injured days before the Euro and missing the tournament. She scored 34 goals across all competitions last season.
Mead was the joint top scorer at the Euro, and was named the tournament’s best player. She sustained a serious knee injury in November while playing for Arsenal and could miss the Women’s World Cup in July in Australia and New Zealand.
Morgan, who was second in the 2019 vote to teammate Megan Rapinoe, was player of the tournament when the U.S. won the CONCACAF W Championship last year. She was also the joint top scorer.
Earlier, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni was voted FIFA men’s coach of the year after leading his team to the World Cup title in December.
Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni, left, receives the Best FIFA Men’s Coach award from Italian coach Fabio Capello during the ceremony of the Best FIFA Football Awards in Paris, France, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
The women’s coach award went to Sarina Wiegman, who led the England to the title at the Women’s European Championship.
Scaloni took over Argentina at the end of 2018 on an interim basis, and was widely criticized for lacking experience as he had never coached a professional team. Earlier Monday, his contract as the national team coach was extended to the end of the 2026 World Cup.
The other coaches on the shortlist were Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti and Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola.
The women’s goalkeeper award was given to Euro winner Mary Earps of England, and the best men’s goalkeeper was Argentina’s World Cup winner Emiliano Martínez.
England goalkeeper Mary Earps receives the Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper award during the ceremony of the Best FIFA Football Awards in Paris, France, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
The event in Paris was marked by tributes to Pelé, who died late last year at age 82 following a battle with colon cancer. Pelé’s wife, Marcia Aoki, received a trophy honoring the soccer great from the hands of former Brazil striker Ronaldo.
“I have three words to say to God, who gave us Edson; to Edson, who gave us Pelé; and to the world, who received them so well: Grateful, grateful and grateful,” she said.
Marcia Aoki, Pele’s widow, left, receives a special ‘Best FIFA Award’ for the former Brazil legend from FIFA president Gianni Infantino, right, and former soccer player Ronaldo during the ceremony of the Best FIFA Football Awards in Paris, France, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
FILE - The TikTok logo is seen on a cell phone on Oct. 14, 2022, in Boston. The White House is giving all federal agencies 30 days to wipe TikTok off all government devices, as the Chinese-owned social media app comes under increasing scrutiny in Washington over security concerns. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is giving all federal agencies 30 days to wipe TikTok off all government devices, as the Chinese-owned social media app comes under increasing scrutiny in Washington over security concerns.
The Office of Management and Budget calls the guidance, issued Monday, a “critical step forward in addressing the risks presented by the app to sensitive government data.” Some agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and State, already have restrictions in place; the guidance calls on the rest of the federal government to follow suit within 30 days.
The White House already does not allow TikTok on its devices.
“The Biden-Harris Administration has invested heavily in defending our nation’s digital infrastructure and curbing foreign adversaries’ access to Americans’ data,” said Chris DeRusha, the federal chief information security officer. “This guidance is part of the Administration’s ongoing commitment to securing our digital infrastructure and protecting the American people’s security and privacy.”
The guidance was first reported by Reuters.
Congress passed the “No TikTok on Government Devices Act” in December as part of a sweeping government funding package. The legislation does allow for TikTok use in certain cases, including for national security, law enforcement and research purposes.
TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said Monday: “The ban of TikTok on federal devices passed in December without any deliberation, and unfortunately that approach has served as a blueprint for other world governments. These bans are little more than political theater.”
House Republicans are expected to move forward Tuesday with a bill that would give Biden the power to ban TikTok nationwide. The legislation, proposed by Rep. Mike McCaul, looks to circumvent the challenges the administration would face in court if it moved forward with sanctions against the social media company.
If passed, the proposal would allow the administration to ban not only TikTok but any software applications that threaten national security. McCaul, the chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, has been a vocal critic of the app, saying it is being used by the Chinese Communist Party to “manipulate and monitor its users while it gobbles up Americans’ data to be used for their malign activities.”
“Anyone with TikTok downloaded on their device has given the CCP a backdoor to all their personal information. It’s a spy balloon into your phone,” the Texas Republican said in a statement Monday.
Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., his counterpart in the Senate, did not shut down the idea of the chamber taking up a proposal that would empower Biden to take action against TikTok, saying it was “certainly something to consider.”
Oberwetter said: “We hope that when it comes to addressing national security concerns about TikTok beyond government devices, Congress will explore solutions that won’t have the effect of censoring the voices of millions of Americans.”
TikTok, owned by ByteDance Ltd., remains extremely popular and is used by two-thirds of teens in the U.S. But there is increasing concern that Beijing could obtain control of American user data that the app has obtained.
The company has been dismissive of the ban for federal devices and has noted that it is developing security and data privacy plans as part of the Biden administration’s ongoing national security review.
TikTok banned on all Canadian government mobile devices
Canada also announced Monday that it is banning TikTok from all government-issued mobile devices. The European Union’s executive branch said last week it has temporarily banned TikTok from phones used by employees as a cybersecurity measure.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it might be a first step to further action or that it might be it.
“I suspect that as government takes the significant step of telling all federal employees that they can no longer use TikTok on their work phones many Canadians from business to private individuals will reflect on the security of their own data and perhaps make choices,” Trudeau said.
“I’m always a fan of giving Canadians the information for them to make the right decisions for them,” he added.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau answers questions at an announcement in Mississauga, Ontario, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. Canada announced Monday it is banning TikTok from all government-issued mobile devices. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
The European Union’s executive branch said last week it has temporarily banned TikTok from phones used by employees as a cybersecurity measure.
The EU’s action follows similar moves in the U.S., where more than half of the states and Congress have banned TikTok from official government devices.
Last week, Canada’s federal privacy watchdog and its provincial counterparts in British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec announced an investigation to delve into whether the app complies with Canadian privacy legislation.
TikTok is wildly popular with young people, but its Chinese ownership has raised fears that Beijing could use it to collect data on Western users or push pro-China narratives and misinformation. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020
TikTok faces intensifying scrutiny from Europe and America over security and data privacy amid worries that the app could be used to promote pro-Beijing views or sweep up users’ information. It comes as China and the West are locked in a wider tug of war over technology ranging from spy balloons to computer chips.
Canadian Treasury Board President Mona Fortier said the federal government will also block the app from being downloaded on official devices in the future.
Fortier said in statement the Chief Information Officer of Canada determined that it “presents an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security.”
The app will be removed from Canadian government issued phones on Tuesday.
“On a mobile device, TikTok’s data collection methods provide considerable access to the contents of the phone,” Fortier said.
“While the risks of using this application are clear, we have no evidence at this point that government information has been compromised.”
Carabao Group PCL’s Chairman of the Board of Directors, Sathien Sathienthamma (Setthasit), just presented the English Football League (EFL) Cup known as the Carabao Cup trophy to Manchester United FC on Sunday, February 25, without knowing the company could continue this cup sponsorship after 2024.
Carabao is the official sponsor of the EFL for 7 seasons from 2017/2018 to 2023/2024. The league is one of the largest competitions in England consisting of over 90 football clubs and the league cup become known as Carabao Cup.
Sathien Setthasit and Add Carabao congratulates Marcus Rashford of Manchester United. / Carabao official
Before the final watch, he gave an interview with Prachachat Business hinting that the business storm the company was facing could have an impact on the Carabao League Cup sponsorship.
He added that the company’s business in the UK was showing a continuous loss. Before COVID-19, the brand saw potential growth in the Carabao energy drink, but then came the pandemic and the fact that it is an inferior brand. The company has already signed another sponsorship deal for the Carabao Cup. After that, they will evaluate the future.
For overseas business, the company’s main source of income abroad was Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam. The pandemic has also hampered growth in these countries.
Carabao Cambodia launches the limited-edition for Bon Om Touk festival.
However, the company still has a decent share of revenue, especially in Cambodia, which is considered a fairly large market. Before COVID-19, the company had a turnover of about 6-7 billion baht (about 170-200 million U.S. dollars).
For Vietnam, the Carabao Group recently switched to a new distributor. Growth has not yet been significant. However, the company is now focusing on marketing. In this month the company signed a support contract with Hoang Ang Gia Lai Football Club for 2 seasons (2023 – 2024) and will work closely with the distributor on marketing campaigns. They see Vietnam as a new growth.
Carabao Group has entered the Vietnamese market, partnering with the renowned football club Hoang Anh Gia Lai
Regarding Myanmar, Sathien added that before the coup, the brand was well on its way to becoming a major player in the market. The aftermath of the coup has caused turmoil in the markets, such as import, experts and foreign exchange.
The company is planning to build a production facility in Myanmar to reduce import problems while looking for a partnership and expects results in one year.
Beer business
The Thai billionaire said that apart from an energy drink, other products in their portfolio are also witnessing growth, especially in spirits. This sector recorded a growth of 40 to 50 percent.
He added that although last year’s number of 5-6 billion baht (about 140-170 million U.S. dollar) figures are relatively small compared to the hundred-billion market value, it continues to grow. They expect sales of 8-9 billion baht (about 230-255 million U.S. dollar) this year.
Carabao official
He added that the company will launch a new beer product. They have invested around 4 billion baht ( about 115 million U.S. dollar) and will initially produce around 200 million litres per year. They are now discussing the name to be chosen between Carabao Beer and Tawandang German Beer.
For marketing, they plan to adopt the spirits model by using agencies as distributors, using their more than a hundred thousand existing retail outlets and investing in modern production machinery to reduce costs and sell the product at a price that is not too high.
“As for the branding of both Carabao and Tawandang German Brewery, [I] believe Thai people are familiar with the name that has been around for more than 20 years. Producing beer is our vision because it’s hard to achieve big growth with spirits alone.”
Sathien founded the company in 2002 with his folk singer pal Add Carabao and took it public in 2014.
Ruling Phalang Pracharath Party leader Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan said in a message on Facebook Monday the party offers an alternative to transcend the protracted political conflicts between conservatism and liberalism that has become a political trap.
“They can’t find a common stance because they seek a total victory and to annihilate the other. This has become an obstacle to the country’s development and undermine foreigners’ confidence,” Prawit wrote in a message he acknowledged was penned by his speech writer but approved by him.
Prawit said he understands both sides and is offering himself as a solution. No mention was made about his role as deputy junta leader following the 2014 coup and the fact that he’s a much hated figure among pro-democratic forces, however.
According to WIKIPEDIA, From 2004 to 2005 Gen. Pravit was the commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army (RTA).
He was previously served as Minister of Defence from 2008 to 2011 during the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiwa.
After the May 22, 2014 coup d’état, the junta appointed Prawit chairman of its “advisory board”. On August 31, 2014 he was appointed deputy prime minister and minister of defence in Prayut’s cabinet.
On September 16, he was also appointed deputy chairman of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), a military junta which ruled Thailand from 2014 to 2019.
In December 2017 the National Anti-corruption Commission (NACC) opened an investigation into Prawit’s asset disclosures, including the luxury watches scandal. He later claimed that he had borrowed his friend.
Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan flashes a watch thought to cost several million baht.
In June 2019, the Anti-Corruption Commission cleared Gen. Prawit of his watch scandals, saying politicians and officials are only required to declare their own assets in mandatory transparency reports, which does not include stuff borrowed temporarily.
In 2022, he briefly became Acting Prime Minister of Thailand after Prayut was briefly suspended from carrying out his duties as Prime Minister of Thailand by the Constitutional Court of Thailand after the court agreed to take up the case on whether Prayut had exceeded the constitutional term limit for the office of Prime Minister.
Manchester United's Lisandro Martinez celebrates with the trophy after the English League Cup final soccer match between Manchester United and Newcastle United at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Sunday’s League Cup final celebrations at Wembley came a year to the day since a chorus of boos rang around Old Trafford after a goalless draw with lowly Watford.
The 20-time English champions went on to record their worst season in the Premier League and finished 35 points below title-winning Manchester City.
Few could have expected such a rapid turnaround when new manager Erik ten Hag was hired last summer. But the man who led Ajax to three Dutch titles in four seasons has already got United back to winning ways, ending a six-year trophy drought and keeping the club fighting on three more fronts going into the final months of the campaign.
Manchester United’s head coach Erik ten Hag, left, greets his player Marcus Rashford. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
As improbable as a quadruple might be, United is still in contention in all domestic competitions and advanced to the round of 16 in the Europa League after last week’s memorable win against Spanish league leader Barcelona.
And with confetti still scattered on the field at Wembley, Ten Hag set out his mission to deliver more silverware.
“It is one cup in February but it shows the right direction. This has to be the inspiration,” he said. “If you work very hard, if you stick together then things are possible.”
Manchester United’s head coach Erik ten Hag holds the trophy aloft as he celebrates with teammates after winning the English League Cup final. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
THE FA CUP
United hosts West Ham in the fifth round on Wednesday with a place in the quarterfinals at stake.
The competition has already opened up after a host of Premier League clubs went out in the early rounds, including league leader Arsenal, Cup holder Liverpool and big-spending Chelsea.
With Fulham taking on Leeds, it means another top-flight team will make way before the next round, along with the loser between United and West Ham.
Should United advance, then City remains the biggest threat, along with fourth-place Tottenham.
Both of those teams face second-division opposition, with City traveling to Bristol City on Tuesday and Spurs playing away at Sheffield United on Wednesday.
THE EUROPA LEAGUE
The win against a Barcelona team that is seven points ahead of Champions League holder Real Madrid in Spain has seen United installed as the favorite to lift the trophy.
But there are a number of big names left in the competition, including Arsenal, Juventus and Roma.
Manchester United’s Antony, right, celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the Europa League playoff second leg soccer match between Manchester United and Barcelona at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England, Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
United faces another Spanish team in Real Betis in the round of 16 and should be confident after overcoming Barca in the playoffs. Yet, even if the Europa League is considered European soccer’s second-tier competition, there are plenty of tests to come if Ten Hag’s team advances again.
The scheduling of the competition has also been an issue for teams in the past, given that games are played on Thursday nights, which can impact preparations for domestic matches at the weekend.
THE PREMIER LEAGUE
While a prolonged title challenge could be too big of an ask for a team that is still early in its development, third-place United is currently in contention at the top, sitting eight points behind Arsenal.
And having already played both Arsenal and City twice this season, there is the chance to close the gap when the leading pair face each other again in April.
Ten Hag will be encouraged by the fact that his team is improving as the season progresses, while Arsenal has shown signs of wobbling in recent weeks and City is yet to fully convince.
The depth of United’s squad could be the biggest obstacle, with Christian Eriksen’s ankle injury ruling him out for the majority of the rest of the season and Anthony Martial struggling to stay fit.
It has left Ten Hag more reliant on January loan signings Wout Weghorst and Marcel Sabitzer than he might have wanted. Both have contributed, but cannot offer the same quality as Eriksen and Martial.
Manchester United’s Wout Weghorst greets supporters after the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Leicester City at the Stamford Bridge stadium in Manchester, England, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Casemiro’s recent suspension saw the team struggle to cope in his absence, while Marcus Rashford is the primary source of goals.
Should anything happen to the England forward, it would potentially derail United’s season.
United’s lack of title experience is another factor, which is why serial winners like Casemiro and Raphael Varane could be crucial in the closing stages of the campaign. Lisandro Martinez and Antony also have experience of winning league titles under Ten Hag at Ajax.
CAN IT BE DONE?
Under iconic former manager Alex Ferguson, United became the first and only English soccer team to win the league title, Champions League and FA Cup in one season in 1999.
City won a treble of domestic trophies – the league, FA Cup and League Cup – in 2019. Pep Guardiola’s team is also still in contention to emulate United’s 99 treble this season.
Liverpool looked on course for an unprecedented quadruple last season, but ended up with just the FA Cup and League Cup after finishing runner-up in the league and losing to Madrid in the Champions League final.
After securing one trophy, a second of any description, along with a top-four Champions League-qualifying spot would be considered a major success for Ten Hag.
Women present Hanfu, a type of traditional Chinese style garment, in Ciqikou ancient town, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, Oct. 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)
BEIJING, Feb. 27 (by Xinhua writer Hong Zehua) — Dressed in long robes, a crowd of young people wanders around pavilions and royal gardens, with their flowing sleeves and heavily embroidered skirts gently swaying in the breeze. They are not actors nor actresses in a movie set, but Hanfu enthusiasts in a themed event held in Beijing.
“Over a decade ago, Hanfu fashion was an obscure subculture, but relevant activities nowadays often draw thousands of participants,” said Liu Xiang, an organizer of the event.
Hanfu enthusiast Liu Xiang wearing a full attire Hanfu at the Beijing World Flower Wonderland Park in Beijing, the capital of China. (Provided to Xinhua)
Benefiting from the growing popularity of social media and a craze for traditional culture, Hanfu, a traditional style of clothing worn by the Han people, was brought back to the forefront by a new wave of young Chinese devotees, including Liu.
The 1980s-born rocket scientist Liu is also a co-founder of a Hanfu community in Beijing called “Hua Yan Hui.”
The community was founded in 2011 following a Hanfu revival movement that emerged from the desire to express national identity and growing cultural confidence. Since then, Liu has been volunteering to support the group.
A volunteer wearing Hanfu, participates in a parade launched at the Piazza San Marco during the Venice Carnival in Venice, Italy, Feb. 17, 2023. (Confucius Institute at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice/Handout via Xinhua)
“My passion for Hanfu came from two of my friends who are fans of traditional Chinese clothing,” Liu said. Her interest grew as she learned more about the culture behind it and acquired her first Hanfu costume.
At first, people dressed in Hanfu in public were occasionally greeted with derision, while more passersby asked about their clothing style, said Liu.
But, more young people wear adapted Hanfu as they believe the best way to preserve tradition is to adapt it to modern life.
Yang Kunning was born in the 1990s and works in the public relations sector. She is fond of sharing her love for Hanfu online. She opened an account on the video-sharing platform Bilibili and posted videos featuring herself wearing Hanfu attire.
Thousands of comments and likes pour in on her channel as viewers find her videos attractive and creative — blending traditional culture with modern dance movements.
“Social media has made Hanfu culture popular in China and abroad,” said Liu. “Traditional culture has no national or ethnic boundaries,” she added.
Fans of Hanfu pose for photos at Xiliuhu Park in Zhengzhou, central China’s Henan Province, Aug. 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Jianan)
Savvy companies and factories also smell the massive potential in Hanfu-related industries.
Caoxian County, Heze City, east China’s Shandong Province, is one of the major Hanfu manufacturing centers, gathering over 2,000 upstream and downstream enterprises and creating jobs for nearly 100,000 people. Over 600 clothing processing companies have their own designs with intellectual property rights.
In addition to domestic clients, a bevy of companies in Caoxian reported a surge in foreign orders this year.
Yang has a collection of around 30 sets of Hanfu attire for different seasons and occasions. She said customers now have many choices when selecting Hanfu, ranging from economical to high-end collections.
The Hanfu market in China was estimated to reach 12.54 billion yuan (about 1.81 billion U.S. dollars) in 2022 and will likely rise to 19.11 billion yuan in 2025, according to research firm iMedia Research.
Hanfu enthusiast Yang Kunning wearing a full attire of Hanfu at Beihai Park in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua)
Yang’s cousin Lu Siqing, who works in a consulting agency, said: “my work requires me to keep up with the newest changes in the market, and my experiences with Hanfu culture and related business help me better understand the consumers’ mindset.”
As China further optimized its COVID prevention and control measures, the recovery of the cultural and tourism industry has seen a quick rebound. Yang said she looked forward to participating in more offline Hanfu-themed events this year in Beijing.
“It will be a rewarding experience for Hanfu lovers like me to hold events in the Forbidden City and other historical palaces in the capital city,” said Yang.
Journalists film a police van believed to be carrying relatives of murdered model Abby Choi on its arrival at the Kowloon City Law Courts Building in Hong Kong, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (TVB Hong Kong via AP)
HONG KONG (AP) — The ex-husband and former in-laws of a slain Hong Kong model were put in custody without bail Monday on a joint murder charge, after police found parts of her body in a refrigerator.
Ex-husband Alex Kwong, his father Kwong Kau and his brother Anthony Kwong were charged with murdering model Abby Choi. His mother, Jenny Li, faces one count of perverting the course of justice. The four were placed in custody without bail.
Choi, 28, was a model with more than 100,000 followers on Instagram. Her last post was Feb. 19, featuring a photoshoot she had done with fashion magazine L’Officiel Monaco.
instagram of Abby Choi / xxabbyc/
Choi went missing Feb. 21, according to a report filed later with the Hong Kong Police.
On Friday, police found her dismembered body in a refrigerator in a house rented by Kwong Kau in Lung Mei Tsuen, a suburban part of Hong Kong about a 30-minute drive from the border with mainland China.
On Sunday, authorities discovered a young woman’s skull believed to be Choi’s in a cooking pot that was seized from the house. Officials believe that a hole on the right rear of the skull is where the fatal attack struck her.
Police officers prepare to conduct a search on a hillside following a murder case of a model, in Hong Kong on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023. (TVB Hong Kong via AP)
Choi had financial disputes involving tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars with her ex-husband and his family, police said earlier, adding that “some people” were unhappy with how Choi handled her financial assets.
Choi’s friend Bernard Cheng said she had four children: two sons ages 10 and 3, and two daughters ages 8 and 6. Kwong, 28, fathered the elder two, and her current husband, Chris Tam, was the father of the younger children.
Journalists try to film a police van believed to be carrying relatives of murdered model Abby Choi on its arrival at the Kowloon City Law Courts Building in Hong Kong, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (TVB Hong Kong via AP)
Tam said he was very thankful to have had Choi in his life and praised her for being supportive, friend Pao Jo-yee relayed in a Facebook post.
“When Abby was alive, she was a very kind person and always wanted to help people,” he was quoted as saying in the post. “I feel anyone who had a chance to be her family or her friend are blessed.”
Pao, who is married to Cheng, told The Associated Press that she has known Choi for over seven years.
“She was the type of person that wouldn’t have enemies,” she said.
Police officers search a village home where they found body parts related to a missing model in a murder case, in Hong Kong on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023. (TVB Hong Kong via AP)
Cheng said Choi had very good relationships with her family, and would travel with the families of her current and former husbands together. Choi’s current father-in-law is one of the founders of a famous Hong Kong chain of Yunnan rice noodle shops, local newspaper The Standard reported.
The gruesome killing of Choi has gripped many in Hong Kong and across the border in mainland China, as the self-governed southern Chinese city is widely considered safe with a very low level of violent crime.
In this photo taken and provided by Pao Jo-yee, model Abby Choi, holding a cat, poses for a photo on Feb. 11, 2023, in Hong Kong. (Pao Jo-yee via AP)
Her case is one of the most shocking killings Hong Kong has seen since 2013, when a man killed his parents and their heads were later found in refrigerators. In another famous 1999 case, a woman was kidnapped and tortured by three members from an organized crime group before her death. Her skull was later found stuffed in a Hello Kitty doll.
The hearing of the murder case was adjourned to May.
