A powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture in southern Japan on July 28, with at least 50 people reported injured and widespread power cuts affecting thousands of households across the region. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaaichi told reporters in Tokyo that authorities are assessing damage and casualties, noting reports of injuries, blackouts, fires in some areas, and damage to roads, bridges, and collapsed buildings. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said response personnel, including Self-Defense Forces, firefighters, and coast guard units, have been deployed to affected areas, and urged residents to follow local evacuation orders via radio and television.

NHK reported over 50 injured at one hospital, while the Nikkei newspaper said multiple passengers on bullet trains were injured during the tremor. Several buildings sustained damage, including an Aeon shopping mall where an explosion occurred following the quake, with some people trapped inside as rescue efforts continued. Major roads developed cracks, elevated expressways were damaged, and freight trains derailed; rail and flight services were suspended.

TSMC, the world's largest chipmaker, evacuated employees from its facility in the area as a precaution, as did Sony and Fujifilm. Over 150,000 residents were ordered to evacuation centers for safety. Japan's meteorological agency issued emergency warnings across Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita, and Miyazaki on Kyushu island, and initially issued a 1-meter tsunami warning before canceling it. Approximately 40,000 homes lost power, JR Kyushu suspended train services including bullet trains, and Kumamoto Airport closed its runway due to flight cancellations and reroutes.

Japan Meteorological Agency officials warned residents to expect strong aftershocks and remain alert for earthquakes over the next week, with additional risks of landslides. Ten years ago, a major quake in Kumamoto killed 2,745 people.

Dr. Kongsakda Yodmani, director of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), expressed confidence that Thailand's boxing team will deliver outstanding results and compete for gold medals at the 20th Asian Games in Japan, citing excellent progress and a modern style that blends Thai boxing with Cuban techniques. The Asian Games will take place from September 19 to October 4, 2025, in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Yodmani stated that boxing remains one of Thailand's highest-hope sports, consistently delivering achievements and joy to Thai people at major sporting events.

"At this Asian Games, I believe our boxing team has strong medal prospects, especially in the women's division where we have genuine chances for gold," Yodmani said. "For the men's division, I hope and want to see Thai boxers step up and capture gold medals as well. Overall, we have multiple athletes with clear medal potential." The SAT director explained that Thai boxers have adapted their technique to modern boxing standards, with significant improvements in footwork and the effective integration of Cuban boxing style with traditional Thai technique. Combination punching has improved noticeably, moving beyond the traditional one or two-punch patterns to feature diverse punch combinations and varied striking approaches that have led to better performances and make the team highly competitive at the upcoming Asian Games.

On July 28, Manop, 27, and Bandit, 25, both from Chiang Rai, filed complaints with the Chiang Rai Employment Office seeking help after being defrauded by an employment agency that promised them work at a food processing factory in Ireland. Each victim lost 290,000 baht in processing fees plus approximately 20,000 baht for airfare, and were imprisoned in a foreign jail for over three days.

Manop explained that he, his girlfriend, and a friend were referred to a company in Pa Daet District to work in Ireland. The agency required payment in three installments totaling 290,000 baht per person. When they arrived in Ireland in early June, immigration officials arrested them immediately upon arrival, alleging they attempted to use fraudulent documents because their paperwork did not match system records.

"We were detained from June 3 for three days and two nights in a dark, cramped four-person cell. My girlfriend was isolated alone, in severe psychological distress with no way to contact anyone. That country has no Thai embassy," Manop said. Bandit tearfully recounted that because she could not communicate in English, she was held in solitary confinement, suffering severe depression and suicidal thoughts after just a week. She was released on June 7.

After returning to Thailand, they attempted to recover their money but were repeatedly stalled. Upon posting warnings online, they discovered over 20 other victims of the same agency. Some had cancellations before departure but have not received refunds since February. Investigation by the Chiang Rai Employment Office revealed the company was licensed only for tourist visa processing, not labor export services.

Elica, a premium Italian kitchen appliance brand recognized globally for design and innovation, has made its official Thai debut through distributor Cucina Galleria, introducing a new vision of open-kitchen living through the launch of the Elica Lhov, the world's first all-in-one kitchen appliance that combines an oven, induction cooktop, and ventilation system. The unveiling took place on July 23, 2025, at CentralWorld shopping center.

Elica CEO Kritanan Sonthichirawong revealed that global kitchen design trends are shifting from kitchens as mere cooking spaces to open-kitchen concepts that connect with living areas while addressing air quality, noise levels, and lighting simultaneously. These three elements form the core of Elica's product design philosophy, allowing kitchens and living spaces to integrate seamlessly while reflecting the homeowner's taste and lifestyle.

With over 50 years of kitchen innovation experience, Elica is recognized as a leader in ventilation hoods and kitchen appliances, distinguished by Italian design, engineering expertise, and smart technology. The brand has won numerous international design awards including Compasso d'Oro, Red Dot Design Award, iF Design Award, Good Design Award, and Archiproducts Design Awards. The event showcased Elica's "Artfully Inventive" philosophy, blending art, design, and innovation into every product.

The Elica Lhov represents a groundbreaking innovation never before conceived by any brand worldwide, integrating an oven, induction cooktop, and ventilation system into a single unit. Additionally, the NikolaTesla Collection of induction cooktops with integrated ventilation systems was unveiled, featuring a distinctive matte black finish that reduces fingerprints and simplifies cleaning.

The event also included a special talk by architect Nuttapon Techopichit from Looklen Architects, who discussed the kitchen's role in modern home design and how good design elevates quality of life. Kritanan emphasized that kitchen appliances should not merely serve functional purposes but should be essential design elements that enhance living experiences and the value of shared moments.

A touching story from Malaysia is warming hearts online after one mother recounted the amusing moment when her nearly four-year-old son secretly packed an entire durian into his school bag to give as a gift to his teacher, who was about to transfer to a new school.

The mother explained that the teacher had once asked the children what snacks they would like to bring or share at school, and her son immediately answered, "I want to bring durian." It happened that the boy's grandfather had just bought durian at home, so the child quickly asked, "Did you buy this durian for my teacher?" He then selected the durian himself and stuffed it into his school bag, announcing to everyone in the house that he would present it to his teacher the next day.

Although the mother had already prepared another gift for the teacher and tried to persuade her son to change his mind, he insisted on bringing the durian himself. The next morning, as soon as the teacher entered the classroom, the boy rushed over to hug her and said he had a gift. When the teacher asked what it was, the child unzipped his bag and pulled out an entire durian. The teacher was astonished by the surprising gift and later sent a message to the mother, humorously recounting how the durian smell had spread throughout the entire classroom, creating a moment nobody would forget.

The mother also revealed that her son used to fall ill frequently and rarely attended school, and had once complained that this teacher was "mean." However, after the teacher showed care, comfort, and attention, the boy transformed into someone who wanted to go to school every day. Shortly after, the teacher received orders to transfer to a new school, prompting the boy to intentionally choose this special gift to give.

What made many people even more touched was that the boy doesn't actually enjoy eating durian and doesn't even like its smell, yet he willingly carried an entire durian to school simply because he wanted to give it to his "favorite teacher" to express his love and gratitude from the heart. She decided to share these heartwarming stories on social media.

Police have identified the killer of a 64-year-old former national beach tennis player as Saw Tad Lawin, 29, a Myanmar national who had been employed by the victim for only one month before being dismissed one to two weeks prior to the murder. The crime, which occurred in Nong Prue, Bang Lamung, Chachoengsao on July 26 around 4 a.m., involved strangulation and stabbing. Police discovered that 37,500 baht was transferred from the victim's account during the suspected time of death, with Saw Tad Lawin identified as the recipient. An arrest warrant was issued on July 28 based on strong evidence.

CCTV footage provided crucial evidence in the investigation. Cameras near the victim's home captured a suspicious man leaving the residence at 4:35 a.m. on July 26, then riding a gray Honda Click motorcycle away from the scene at 4:37 a.m. Police traced the suspect's movements through multiple camera feeds across approximately 10 kilometers to a residence in Pattaya, where CCTV showed him changing clothes near a room at 5:05 a.m. on July 26 before disposing of evidence and disappearing.

Authorities initially discovered the suspect had entered Thailand two years ago and gave addresses in Phloyaem, Rayong and Bo Win, Chachoengsao, but both locations were abandoned. Police later tracked him to Mae Sod, Tak province, where he was spotted. Investigation teams from Chachoengsao and Region 2 are coordinating to apprehend him and bring him back for legal proceedings. Financial tracking also revealed he transferred an additional 10,000 baht from the stolen funds to another account.