The Miss Universe Organization has issued a statement supporting Fatima Alves, emphasizing that women should not stay silent to preserve opportunities, positions, or dreams.

The statement follows Thai businessman Nawat Itsaragrisil's social media post indicating he is pursuing arrest warrants against Fatima Alves, Miss Universe 2025 from Mexico, on defamation and false statement charges.

The Miss Universe Organization released a statement backing Fatima and reaffirming its principles of dignity, safety, and women's rights. The organization stated that the Miss Universe platform has always been more than a pageant, crown, or competition. Its core mission is to serve as a global community of women from diverse countries, cultures, and eras who have found opportunities to express themselves, be heard, and use their voices for meaningful causes.

The organization said it stands united against violence, threats, intimidation, devaluation, disrespect, and mistreatment of women in any form. No woman should feel obligated to remain silent to preserve opportunities, legal status, or dreams.

When Fatima Alves spoke out to defend her own dignity against treatment she received from Nawat Itsaragrisil, she reminded all women of a fundamental truth: respect is not something earned through silence—it is a right. When other women stood beside her, they reinforced another powerful reality: we must care for one another.

Across all eras and continents, titleholders, national pageant directors, former Miss Universe winners, contestants, and women who have been part of this organization have united their voices to show solidarity with Fatima and oppose any behavior designed to diminish women's dignity, intimidate, undermine, or silence them.

This is not about nationality, competition, position, or a crown—it is about human dignity. Women supporting women must not be merely eloquent words but a commitment to listen, protect, stand together, and speak out when silence allows harmful behavior to continue. We must build an organization where empowerment is not just something discussed on stage but practiced when it matters most—a place where every woman knows she can say "this is not right" without fear, and standing up for herself never means standing alone.

To Fatima: we see you, we hear your voice, and we stand with you. Today, we unite to speak against mistreatment, threats, and abuse of power, and to firmly protect the dignity, safety, and respect of all women.

Myanmar military aircraft struck a monastery in Myaung Township, central Sagaing Region, on August 21, killing at least 14 people who had gathered for religious ceremonies during Buddhist Lent. According to Nway Oo Myaung, a pro-democracy opposition figure, the attack occurred around 9 a.m. local time and killed 11 men and 3 women, mostly elderly practitioners aged 50–70 who were observing a three-month meditation retreat. Nway Oo stated the strike was deliberate, not accidental. Analysts note that Myanmar's military relies on fighter jets supplied by China and Russia to counter rebel groups. Last week, the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), established by the UN Human Rights Council, released a report accusing the military of indiscriminate airstrikes against civilians, which the Myanmar government dismissed as one-sided allegations based on unverifiable information. The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), which maps political violence and armed conflict worldwide, reported in July that the military's sustained terror strategy includes deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure and social gatherings such as weddings and religious festivals to maximize psychological impact. Myanmar has been engulfed in civil war since the military coup in 2021 that ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Over the past five years, more than 100,000 people from all sides have died amid ongoing fighting between the military and pro-democracy groups and various armed ethnic forces.

On August 23, 2569, Deputy Inspector Tandetc Rawengwan, commander of Pha Khao Police Station, along with investigator Kittichest Leetong and other officers, responded to a report from residents of Moo 6, Ban Phaem Subdistrict, Pha Khao District, Loei Province. A man dressed as a monk had climbed into the home of a young woman with the intent to commit assault. Neighboring residents heard the victim's cries for help and came to her aid, restraining the suspect with rope around his hands and feet. When police arrived, they found the 18-year-old girl, identified as Ms. A, in a state of distress inside the house.

During questioning, the girl stated that she was alone at home when the man, who appeared to be under the influence of drugs, entered and began to assault her. She screamed for help, and a female neighbor heard her cries and came to her assistance, along with other nearby residents who helped subdue the attacker. Police were then called.

The suspect, identified as Chalomsai, a monk at a forest temple in Ban Phaem Subdistrict, Pha Khao District, Loei Province, confessed to having used methamphetamine before committing the offense. He was taken into custody and submitted for a urine test, which tested positive for methamphetamine. The suspect was then transferred to investigators for legal proceedings.

At 9:50 a.m. on August 23, 2025, an explosion was reported near a residence in Riko subdistrict, Sai Buri district, Narathiwat province—the same location hit the previous night. No injuries were reported in the initial blast. Five minutes later, at 9:55 a.m., another explosion damaged an electrical pole along Highway 4056 in Sai Buri district. Separately, authorities conducting drone surveillance of railway lines discovered blast damage at a site in Rangae district, with two railway sleepers destroyed. In summary, August 22 saw a total of 51 incidents across the three southern border provinces: 22 in Narathiwat, 11 in Pattani, and 18 in Yala.

The Department of Foreign Trade and the Office of Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion are working together to create opportunities for Thai SMEs to enter the global market. They are leading 80 entrepreneurs from the food and beverage, agricultural processing, consumer goods, and lifestyle sectors to Hong Kong under the Local to Global (DFT+) program running from August 13-17, 2026. The initiative aims to expose business owners to real market conditions, connect them with trade partners, and teach them about market trends and international business practices.

Arda Fuengtong, Director-General of the Department of Foreign Trade, has assigned Chaninethra Rimcharoen, Deputy Director-General, to head the delegation. The program includes four key activities: First, entrepreneurs will visit the HKTDC Hong Kong Food Pro 2026 exhibition and view the Thailand Pavilion to explore product trends and consumer behavior in the Asia-Pacific region. Second, the program will facilitate business matching between Thai SMEs and over 60 Hong Kong and Chinese partners including buyers, importers, distributors, and wholesalers, with transactions expected to exceed 100 million baht during the event and reach 350 million baht within a year. Third, entrepreneurs will attend specialized lectures and gain in-depth knowledge about the Hong Kong market and opportunities in the Greater Bay Area from the Thai Trade Office in Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Fourth, business owners will visit major retail chains such as HotMaxx, Yuan Ji Lin, Hui Kang Supermarket, and PARKnSHOP to learn about distribution channels, product presentation, and consumer behavior, as well as study green and smart living initiatives at the Hong Kong Productivity Council to understand sustainability and innovation in global business competition.

On August 23 at Military Air Base 2, Wing 6 in Don Muang, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and the Interior Minister convened security agencies to monitor and receive a briefing on incidents of unrest across multiple areas in three southern border provinces during the night of August 22. The meeting was attended by Defence Minister Adulyadej Bunjdarmajaroen, Army Commander Pana Kraiwplodtukkhrop, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Secretary Arthit Sampathanarat, as well as Interior Ministry Permanent Secretary and Director-General of the Public Administration Department. Region 4 Commander Naratip Phoinoi also called in to report the situation, after which the Prime Minister instructed officials to care for injured civilians and enforce the law decisively. The PM spent over an hour in the meeting before departing to monitor flooding in Nan Province, boarding his aircraft at 09:35.