Thailand’s Phuket, Trang and Songkhla offer heritage-rich coastal escapes, blending Sino-Portuguese architecture, traditional cuisine and dreamy island getaways

Songkhla fishing village (Canva) Thailand is often imagined in neon nights and island escapes. Yet, step a little away from the usual routes and you’ll find towns where heritage lingers in facades painted in pastel shades, in flavours shaped by Thai kitchens, and in waterfronts that once welcomed travellers from across the seas. These coastal…

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Baby boomers may be driving resilient consumer spending

American consumers have continued spending despite persistent pressure from housing costs, debt and everyday expenses. Economists have debated whether we’re still in a “K-shaped economy” — where higher-income households’ spending masks financial strain among lower- and middle-income Americans.  Consumer spending resilience may be better explained by generations than by income differences, said economist Ed Yardeni,…

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What’s the White House press pool?

The Justice Department’s decision to investigate the five TV networks that make up the White House television pool for potentially violating antitrust laws has thrust the decades-old press pool system into the spotlight. The investigation comes after Trump last month barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House grounds. The TV pool members…

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From serving passengers to selling crabs: China woman quits flight attendant job after 12 years to return to her hometown, now earns Rs 14 lakh a day

For 12 years, Xiao Chen worked in the aviation industry as a flight attendant. Today, her working day looks very different. Instead of preparing for flights and attending to passengers, she spends her time selecting crabs, packing seafood orders and coordinating deliveries in her hometown in China. Chen’s career change may seem unexpected, but it…

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