The ASEAN Iron and Steel Council (AISC) has released a joint statement warning ASEAN member governments to urgently review regulations governing the production and use of construction steel made from induction furnaces (IF). A technical study raised concerns about steel quality and structural safety, especially as the region faces increasing risks from natural disasters and earthquakes.

The statement reflects the shared position of steel organizations from six member countries: Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, and Myanmar. They agree that construction steel standards in many countries still reference criteria developed decades ago, which may not keep pace with current steel production technology, particularly the expansion of IF steel production, which has limitations in removing impurities from the metal.

The study found that while some IF steel can meet current product standards, passing these tests does not guarantee the same safety properties as steel from mainstream global production processes. Production methods directly affect the microstructure and internal quality of steel. A key weakness of IF steel is its limited ability to remove impurities and contaminants compared to modern production processes, resulting in reduced toughness, impact resistance, and fatigue resistance—critical factors for the structural integrity of buildings, bridges, and infrastructure exposed to vibrations or repeated stresses over time.

Research also revealed that IF steel has an inclusion index (K4) approximately 4-5 times higher than steel from international standard processes, even when meeting current product standards. This suggests existing standards may not adequately assess internal steel quality, particularly cleanliness, which affects long-term safety.

"Many countries worldwide have begun tightening controls on IF steel production," the statement noted. "China has banned the production of construction rebar from IF furnaces, and many Asian and ASEAN nations are reviewing their standards and quality requirements to address potential future risks."

To enhance construction safety across the region, the council has proposed four urgent measures for ASEAN member governments: reviewing the suitability of IF steel in construction projects, upgrading product standards and testing methods to match current production technology, increasing requirements for internal steel quality and impurity inspection, and establishing guidelines to reduce or eliminate IF furnace use for construction steel production long-term.

The key issue is not merely whether steel passes standards, but ensuring those standards are modern and accurately reflect the true quality of construction steel. This will ensure ASEAN's future urban development, buildings, and infrastructure projects are built on the foundation of maximum public and economic safety.

The Internal Security Command Region 4 (CMD Region 4) continued law enforcement operations to resolve security cases and bring offenders to justice. Officers executed a law enforcement operation in Moo 3, Trang Subdistrict, Mayao District, Pattani Province, following intelligence connected to the bombing of the Mayao District Chief's vehicle on June 11, 2025.

Officers proceeded according to legal procedures, identifying themselves and communicating with occupants inside the residence while prioritizing everyone's safety. Mr. Aming, a suspect with connections to the case, agreed to leave his residence and surrender to authorities peacefully. The operation proceeded smoothly without violence or injuries.

Following the surrender, authorities took Mr. Aming into custody for interrogation and further legal proceedings while collecting evidence and expanding the investigation. All operations were conducted under the rule of law, respecting human rights and human dignity.

CMD Region 4 affirmed it will continue enforcing laws against those involved in violent incidents while using approaches to reduce confrontation and casualties in order to create public safety and sustainable peace in the southern border provinces. Authorities requested public cooperation in providing tips about offenders or suspicious activities through hotline 1341 or local security units available 24 hours.

Thailand's Commerce Ministry is highlighting a growing Gen Z trend of wearing traditional Thai clothing while posing with water lilies on social media, which is energizing the Thai lotus flower market. The Ministry of Commerce has identified lotus flowers as a promising new cash crop and is urging exporters to capture their share of the global market worth 220 billion baht.

Nanthapong Jiralertpong, director of the Office of Trade Policy and Strategy under the Commerce Ministry, revealed that the global water lily product market shows strong growth potential and is becoming a new wave in Thailand's creative economy. The market is projected to grow from 3.8 billion USD in 2025 to 6.9 billion USD, or 2.27 trillion baht, by 2034, representing average annual growth of 6.9 percent.

The sustained expansion is driven by the current Gen Z trend of wearing traditional Thai dress while photographing themselves with water lilies in ThaiAesthetic style, which has significantly boosted interest in Thai lotus flowers. This creates opportunities to promote culturally distinctive Thai water lilies for export and expand into high-value products spanning lifestyle, food, and sustainable fashion sectors.

"Water lilies are not just a fleeting social media trend," Nanthapong stated. "They are becoming a crucial driver that will elevate Thailand's flower industry, transforming the lotus from a ceremonial flower into a value-added lifestyle product while connecting agriculture, tourism, and creative industries."

Thailand already possesses strong advantages in the cut flower industry, particularly in orchids, where it ranks as the world's second-largest exporter. This foundation allows Thailand to develop Thai water lilies further through variety development, improved logistics systems, brand creation through tourism, and festivals to increase product value and expand global market opportunities while sustainably boosting farmer incomes.

Currently, Thai water lilies occupy 14,036 rai of harvested area with production of 12,051 tons, concentrated in Suphan Buri, Nonthaburi, Ayutthaya, Nakhon Pathom, and Pathum Thani provinces. In 2025, Thailand exported 20,508 tons of cut flowers valued at 78.4 million USD, or 2.568 billion baht, representing 10 percent growth from the previous year.

Orchids remain Thailand's leading cut flower export at 18,833 tons, valued at 70.5 million USD or 2.308 billion baht, showing 13.4 percent growth year-on-year. Globally, the top five cut flower exporters are the Netherlands (46.4 percent of world market share), Colombia (20.9 percent), Ecuador (9.0 percent), Kenya (6.4 percent), and Ethiopia (2.6 percent), while Thailand ranks 13th with 0.6 percent. Thailand remains the world's second-largest orchid exporter.

Hundreds of fans welcomed Cape Verde's national soccer team home after an impressive performance at the 2026 World Cup. Cape Verde made their debut World Cup appearance and reached the final 32 teams before losing to defending champion Argentina 2-3. On July 5, the players and coaching staff, led by goalkeeper Vozinha, returned to Praia, the capital, where crowds waved flags at the airport and lined the streets. The team then traveled to Gerbra Kanela beach on an open-air truck to celebrate their historic return, with Vozinha greeting fans from the microphone as cheers erupted. The date also marked Cape Verde's independence day.

Neymar, the celebrated forward of Brazil's national team, has announced his retirement from the Seleção following their elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup. After Brazil's 1-2 defeat to Norway in the round of 16, Neymar spoke to Globo and stated: "I tried, I tried, now it's over, I started here, I ended here." The match was played at MetLife Stadium, the same stadium where Neymar made his senior debut for Brazil in a friendly match against the United States in 2010.

The Transport Ministry is preparing to propose allocating 24 billion baht from a 400-billion-baht emergency loan decree to convert public buses to electric vehicles. Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkhaskulgiatkit revealed that next week the ministry will consult with the Finance Ministry, Customs Department, and relevant agencies on the energy transition project, particularly targeting public transportation, with 24 billion baht from the royal decree loan fund.

The plan aims to establish guidelines for seven target vehicle categories: app-based taxis and ride-hailing vehicles, motorcycle taxis, tuk-tuks, scheduled buses, non-scheduled buses, school transportation vehicles, and cargo trucks—targeting a total of 80,000 vehicles. The proposal will be submitted to the loan spending screening committee chaired by the Finance Ministry Secretary-General by mid-July, before advancing to the Cabinet.

"Our energy transition program focuses on public transportation vehicles, not commercial operators, because we don't want fuel price impacts to affect the public's cost of living," Siripong stated.

Regarding concerns about a Constitutional Court ruling on the 400-billion-baht loan decree scheduled for July 9, he expressed confidence the ruling would be favorable, as the government believes the project is urgently necessary given ongoing Middle East tensions and potential future crises.

Additionally, the ministry is preparing a 2-3 billion baht fuel subsidy measure for public and hired transport operators to stabilize fares without burdening citizens—part of phase two relief measures. However, implementation depends on oil price fluctuations, as both fuel and fares remain volatile, though the government assured it would not hastily implement such measures.