Southeast Asia’s tourism powerhouse to introduce new tiered visa system.

Thailand’s cabinet has approved a drastic reduction to its visa-free entry scheme for tourists from more than 90 countries.

The decision, issued on Tuesday, shifts the country away from a sweeping 60-day visa exemption introduced in July 2024 to stimulate its post-pandemic recovery. That exemption was for areas that included the United States, Israel, parts of South America and Europe’s 29-nation Schengen zone.

Under the new framework, the government will revert to a tiered system, capping visa-free stays at 30 days while shortening permission for citizens of some countries to just 15 days.

“The current scheme has allowed some people to exploit it,” government spokesperson Rachada Dhanadirek told reporters in Bangkok, noting that while tourism remains an indispensable pillar of the Thai economy, security concerns have taken priority.

Thai officials acknowledged the generous 60-day window had inadvertently opened loopholes, paving the way for a surge in illicit grey-market enterprises, unauthorised foreign workers and online scam operations. Policymakers now view a 30-day ceiling as an adequate timeframe to accommodate genuine, high-value travellers.

The policy reversal follows a series of high-profile arrests involving foreign nationals engaged in drug trafficking, human smuggling and running unauthorised local businesses, such as hotels and language schools.

Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said the measure does not target any specific nationality but rather individuals abusing the visa system to evade law enforcement.

To prevent systemic abuse, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it will also enforce a strict cap of two visa-free entries per calendar year via land borders for the standard 30-day tier, mirroring protocols used before the 2024 expansion.

The government has not yet announced when the changes will take effect, but they were decidedat a sensitive time for Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy, where tourism accounts for more than 10 percent of its gross domestic product. Government data revealed a 3.4 percent year-on-year drop in foreign arrivals during the first quarter, driven largely by a nearly 30 percent plunge in Middle Eastern travellers.

Despite the downturn, officials maintained their annual target of attracting 33.5 million foreign tourists this year.

New Delhi, The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to consider a PIL as a representation seeking a robust mechanism to recover or destroy the personal data of Indians allegedly stolen and stored on foreign servers.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi was hearing a PIL filed by Nitish Kumar, a cyber security consultant.

While refusing to entertain the PIL on grounds that it pertained to information technology and hardly anything to do with legal aspects, the CJI asked the petitioner to approach the government with his grievances.

The plea sought the court’s intervention to operationalise the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and to mitigate the rise of “digital arrests” and extortion linked to data breaches.

While acknowledging the gravity of the concerns raised, the CJI-led bench observed that the issues were “highly technical” and required administrative and technological expertise rather than judicial intervention at this stage.

“The issue being highly technical in nature, it seems to us that an effective course will be to approach the Ministry of Electronics and IT. Let this plea be given as a supplementary representation. They shall consider it,” the bench said.

Kumar, who argued the case, submitted that the data stolen by entities in at least five foreign countries is being weaponised against Indians.

He highlighted that sensitive information, including fingerprints and personal identifiers, is being used to facilitate transnational crimes like digital arrests.

The bench said “Unless there’s an extradition treaty” the accused cannot be brought here to face the law.

“If we cannot bring the data back, we can at least restructure and save it,” the petitioner said.

The plea sought a direction to the Centre to recover or destroy stolen personal data from foreign jurisdictions.

It also sought immediate operationalisation of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and constitution of a Special Investigation Team to monitor data theft investigation.

Disposing the plea, the bench granted the petitioner liberty to submit the petition as a supplementary representation to MeitY.

“The petitioner is said to have brought the matter to the notice of the Union through representations as to how a comprehensive mechanism can be operationalised for the future protection of data and for destruction of such data which has been stolen to prevent misuse,” it said.

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In the northwest corner of the United States, Oregon has fostered a reputation as a left-wing stronghold. Since the 1980s, the Beaver State has consistently elected Democrats in most of its statewide races.

But even in a comfortably blue state like Oregon, the fight to hold onto political power can be competitive.

On Tuesday, the state will hold its latest primary races, with each of the major parties picking its nominees for November’s midterm elections.

But a packed field of roughly 25 contenders, both Democrats and Republicans, is jockeying to replace Tina Kotek as she seeks a second term as governor.

Tuesday’s vote could also serve as an economic bellwether. Voters will weigh in on a referendum that could repeal a state fuel tax, as the US-Israel war on Iran heaps strain on consumers at the gas pump.

Who is running? And which races have attracted the most attention? We tackle those questions and more in this brief explainer.

What time do polls open?

Polls will open on Tuesday at 7am Pacific US time (15:00 GMT) and close at 8pm (4:00 GMT).

Who is running for governor?

Incumbent Governor Kotek is making a bid for a second four-year term. But she is fielding competition from dozens of other candidates, including nine Democrats.

Going into the Democratic primary, Kotek is the frontrunner. Her challengers include a children’s book author, the leader of an Indigenous nonprofit and an inventor who hopes to address water shortages.

Even more contenders are angling for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

Among them is State Senator Christine Drazan, who ran against Kotek in 2022. Drazan has been critical of President Donald Trump’s tariff policies but supportive of his tough stance on immigration.

Also on the Republican ballot is former NBA player Chris Dudley, who was the Republican gubernatorial candidate in 2010. He had the smallest losing margin of any Republican candidate in decades.

State Representative Ed Diehl, meanwhile, is hoping to capitalise on the momentum he gained after leading the charge to block Kotek’s gas tax and fee increase package.

What are the opinion polls saying about the governor’s race?

Polls show Drazan leading the race to receive the Republican nomination, with 35 percent support.

Kotek is likely to grab an easy victory in the Democratic primary, with none of her opponents polling close behind.

What about the Senate race?

Another Democratic incumbent attempting to hold onto his seat is US Senator Jeff Merkley.

The 69-year-old, who began his career working on affordable housing, is running for a fourth consecutive six-year term. He first took office in 2009.

But while the senator faces eight rivals on the campaign trail – one Democrat and seven Republicans – his seat is considered relatively safe.

He is expected to win the Democratic primary on Tuesday and become the frontrunner for November’s general election.

What other positions are up for grabs?

All six of Oregon’s members of the US House of Representatives are running for re-election and will face the primary process on Tuesday.

Five are Democrats. One, Cliff Bentz, is a Republican, and he represents Oregon’s second congressional district, a sprawling area encompassing the entire eastern half of the state.

Also on Tuesday, voters will choose their party representatives in races for the state Senate and House.

The election will also determine a nonpartisan commissioner to lead the state Bureau of Labor and Industries.

Why does this race matter?

Oregon is a closed primary state, meaning that voters choose nominees only for the party they are registered under.

Given the state’s left-wing bent, the winners of the statewide Democratic primaries will likely emerge as frontrunners in November’s midterm races.

Still, there is room for surprise. According to state voter rolls, less than 25 percent of Oregonians are registered Republicans. But only 32 percent are registered Democrats, with the largest proportion of voters identifying as “non-affiliated” with any party.

Primary races in right-leaning areas like Oregon’s second congressional district could signify how closely the state’s Republican politicians want to align with President Trump.

Voters will also have a chance to vote on the referendum that could repeal the gas tax increase on Tuesday’s ballot.

Democrats in the state legislature raised Oregon’s gas tax to pay for roads and supplement the state’s transportation budget.

But as the US-Israel war on Iran causes gas prices to skyrocket, Republicans have used the referendum to appeal to voters on the cost of living. Gas is now averaging about 80 cents more in Oregon.

In addition, there are nearly 100 local measures sprinkled on ballots across the state, tailored to different counties. Many will focus on funding local fire departments, schools and libraries.

When are results expected?

Preliminary results are expected on Tuesday evening, shortly after polls close at 8pm local time.

But ballots will continue to arrive after election day, as mail-in votes and provisional ballots are counted, and some races may not be officially called until days later.