Worn by Rihanna and Bollywood stars, his family’s been making fine jewellery for nearly a century
Agarwal draws inspiration for his patterns from a straightforward idea that his father had imparted to him. ” He used to say, not design to please individuals. When you design for yourself, you become an actor. Our philosophy has always been that way. We create pieces of jewelry that we would be proud to use.  ,
According to Agarwal, the arrival of social media and its effect on originality pose one of the biggest challenges for jewelry designers nowadays. ” There’s quite an overwhelming flood of patterns constantly appearing which, out of routine, seep into your unconscious. You end up absorbing pictures of what others have already accomplished.
Agarwal and his team had a strict policy against relying on online resources like Pinterest or Instagram for creativity in order to counteract this. We favor going to sites and getting immersed in their history and culture. Therefore, only then would we incorporate those ideas into our jewelry creations.
MEANINGFUL Series
One of Agarwal’s finest choices to date is called Amer, inspired by the outposts and houses of Rajasthan, especially the Amer Fort. This renowned architecture combines Hindu and Mughal style with a captivating aesthetic. ” The castle’s style wonderfully merges Hindu and Islamic cultural aspects, which inspired me to create an entire selection”, Agarwal explained.
Adaa, a series that is dear to his center, was inspired by famous Hindu women of the past, including Razia Sultan, the first woman to rule the Delhi Sultanate, and Maharani Gayatri Devi, Princess Sita Devi, and Adaa. ” I imagined myself as a developer in their time and asked,’ If I had my own design tone, how do I design these women?'” shared Agarwal.
Beijing calls Biden a ‘liar’ and says hello to Trump – Asia Times
After incoming US President Joe Biden’s current moves to enact a stronger trade restrictions against China, Beijing has launched fierce protests against the US.  ,
Biden made three significant goes against China during the last year before handing his control to Republican President-elect Donald Trump on January 20.
While China’s Foreign Ministry criticized Biden for failing to “have a correct strategy perception and match words with actions”, Chinese media and commentators directly called Biden a “liar” and a “villain” . ,  ,
The state-owned China Daily reported in an editor on January 15 that the Biden presidency has been taking the last few times before it leaves business to significantly worsen for blind economic abuse and coercion.
President Biden proclaimed from his first day in office that he would handle the country’s” complicated and significant relations with China” in a “responsible” manner, but over the past four years he has veered resolutely to a very careless way.
Meng Yan, a Shanxi-based military journalist, says in an article that Biden has” entirely torn off the face of dishonesty, revealed a violent encounter and stabbed China time and again since previous November”.
” We don’t need to explain how dishonest and obscene he was in the past.” His new behavior demonstrated that he did not possess kind deeds and thoughts,” Meng says. ” He is a villain”.
He claims that during this four-year name, Biden has broken his promise to stop fighting a “new Cold War” and overhaul China’s program.
Nevertheless, Chinese President Xi Jinping on January 17 held a phone call with Trump to discuss business, Taiwan and other problems, Xinhua reported.
Xi told Trump that it is obvious that China and the US, two main countries with different national circumstances, have some variations. He claimed that the secret to understanding each other’s main concerns and interests is to find the best ways to solve problems.
Trump stated in a post on Truth Social that” the visit was a very good one for both China and the USA.” I anticipate that we will work together and begin right away to address some issues.
He added:” We discussed balancing business, fentanyl, TikTok and many other topics. I pledge to make the world more quiet and secure under President Xi.
Biden’s last goes
Biden unveiled the regulatory framework on January 14 that did start limiting imports of British AI chips and models on January 31.
The regulatory model could:
- If high-end AI cards are sent to foreign countries outside of the US, US companies must qualify for trade licenses.
- If businesses want to buy US cards for their data centers,  , or other closely related countries, they must apply for validated end-user position.
- If closed-source AI models that have been trained on a high level of computing power ( more than 1026 operations ) are shipped to foreign countries, US companies are required to apply for export licenses. (” Open-weight” AI models allow developers to build upon and adapt previous work while” closed-source” AI models, such as ChatGPT, keep their code and training data confidential. )  ,
In brief, the US will allow unrestricted access to its high-end AI systems for America’s closest friends, cap the number of Artificial cards that can be exported to most places and forbid China, Russia, Iran and North Korea from obtaining the systems.
” This coverage will help develop a trusted technology habitat around the world and allow us to safeguard against the national security risks associated with AI,” said US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.  ,
With this guideline,” We’ve done that, and it will help protect the most cutting-edge AI systems and keep the benefits from our foreign opponents,” according to the statement.
This did not go over well in Beijing. In a press briefing on January 16, Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, stated that” the US keeps overstretching the concept of regional stability, politicizing and weaponizing commerce and technology issues, and using sanctions as a go-to tool.” What the US does is common abuse and economic force. China is deeply opposed to it and deplores it.
The most recent round of US chip restrictions, according to Sidley Austin LLP, differs from previous ones in many ways.  ,
It said the biggest shifts of the US device restrictions apply to nations” in the middle,” those that are neither clear US friends nor obvious US enemies. Additionally, the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security ( BIS ) chose to “regulate first, collect comments later” toward a significant revision of US export controls.
It claimed that the new regulations represent a significant change in how to control quantitative inputs for an AI concept itself.
ASML is affected
On April 1, the French authorities announced that it would change its regional trade power measure for advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment on January 15. It stated that more types of technology will be subject to a national authorization requirement as of that time.
Reinette Klever, the government’s foreign trade and development minister, claimed that the government had noticed increased security risks linked to the unrestricted export of chip-making equipment.  ,
ASML, the world’s largest chip-making equipment maker, is expected to be hurt by the Dutch government’s latest decision.  ,
Additionally, on January 15, the BIS made 25 Chinese companies and two Singapore-based companies members of its Entity List in two final rules.  ,
It accused them of supporting China’s development of advanced weapons systems, weapons of mass destruction, and high-tech surveillance applications, as well as of supporting advanced AI research and development.
Among the sanctioned, Sophgo was accused by the US of having ordered AI chips from Taiwan’s TSMC for Huawei.  ,
Yong Jian contributes to the Asia Times. He is a Chinese journalist who specializes in Chinese technology, economy and politics.  ,
PP says guardrails needed for casino bill
PUBLISHED: 18 Jan 2025 at 05: 19
The People’s Party ( PP ) wants strict laws to prevent money laundering and mitigate any negative effects on society, according to its deputy leader, Sirikanya Tansakun. It is not opposed to the government’s plan to legalize casinos by integrating them with proposed entertainment complexes in a new bill.
Ms. Sirikanya, a record MP, said the group emphasizes the need for measures to ensure clarity in the licence process, stop money laundering, and protect society from dangers like a possible rise in gambling addicts.
She made the remarks after Jirayu Houngsub, a spokeswoman for the state, revealed on Thursday that some shady business owners are trying to stifle the expenses because they believe it poses a risk to their illegal income.
Mr. Jirayu also mentioned how opposition parties are pushing their own policies to legalize underwater businesses in order to better control them and generate more revenue, but they are vehemently opposed to the president’s program.
Ms. Sirikanya criticized the bill’s large language, which gives recently established committees a lot of authority but lacks specific guidelines for effective governance.
She cited a declaration from the Office of the Council of State stating the need for additional requirements to accompany the bill, which reflects its uncertainty.
Ms. Sirikanya also pleaded for clarification on issues like the selection of regions where gambling may be permitted and safeguards against ill-gotten gains.
She claimed that the PP has put together a request for changes to the legislation.
However, Bariyes Angkulkitti, a spokeswoman for the Thai Sang Thai Party, claimed a group of business rulers would travel to Hong Kong this weekend to engage in secret negotiations with Chinese and Macau counterparts regarding casino project funding.
He suggested that these discussions could raise the possibility that the bill would be proposed by these powerful figures rather than through the appropriate congressional process.
” The document act, although imperfect, does not seem to benefit the nation. On the contrary, it could cause negative impacts on the public if it remains unamended and would benefit the elites]instead ]”, he said.
Thepthai Senpong, a former Nakhon Si Thammarat MP, posted a similar post on Facebook, expressing concern about potential political gain relating to the costs.
Spaniard’s death hits elephant camps
According to Apinya Wipatayotin, some establishments do not have the necessary animal power tools and have yet to obtain a license.
Elephant tents have a significant impact on the country’s tourism market and are one of the most popular tourist destinations.
More than 200 elephant tents are visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists each year all over the nation. The jumbos have been trained to allowed, amuse and impress their friends.
However, a horrible dying of a Spanish tourists this quarter while visiting an elephant camp in Thailand has posed serious health concerns.
Blanca Ojanguren Garca, 22, allegedly slipped into a lake as she participated in a Phangna province’s Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre’s rhino bathing program. Losing her compromise, she caught the individual’s stem for help before the panic-stricken rhino shoved her. She suffered a brain injury before passing away in a clinic.
” Visitor health is our priority”, said Boonyakrit Pinprasong, deputy chief of the Livestock Department, which is in charge of 245 rhino tents and temples nationwide.
” We have to make certain their routines on health and pet security safeguards are in line with the law.”
He claimed that the elephant station where the incident took place was unregistered and did not register with the office.
He claimed that the ministry issued regulations for elephant facilities in August of last year that might have prevented the drama.
” These are to maintain domesticated animals are living in a good atmosphere, have no disease, are free from any torture and that the facility handles safety procedures for customers”, he said.
” All rhinoceros facilities are required to register and be inspected regularly”, he added.
One of the most important focuses of the laws is getting services to use the appropriate tools to control elephants so that tourists and mahouts can safely travel through them.
Boonyakrit: Safety is a major concern
Mr. Boonyakrit cited the department’s efforts to align all elephant features with the Q standard and get the Q mark, which certifies they comply with the National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards. By this year, he predicted that all licensed camps will keep the Q mark.
Based on the agency’s statistics, there are 5, 359 cultivated elephants in 245 rhino tents nationwide.
Chiang Mai is the main hub for elephant tents, with 90 tents and 871 animals, followed by Phuket with 41 tents and 352 animals, Phangnga with 19 tents and 112 animals, Chon Buri with 18 tents and 315 animals, and Surat Thani with 11 tents and 85 elephants.
Theerapat Trungprakan, founder and CEO of Patara Elephant Farm in Chiang Mai’s Hang Dong city, said the photographer’s death at the station in Phangnga has hit the hospitality business difficult. Many travelers planning to visit Mr Theerapat’s land, which has the Q mark, had pulled out, as they now fear for their health as a result of the media coverage.
He claimed that the incident occurred at a brand-new camp. Staff there may have had a hard time selecting elephants that are amiable with people.
Not all elephants are suitable for display, according to the article. Mahouts must assign specific elephants for specific purposes”, he said.
Elephant camps are set up to meet the demand of tourists. Some people lack the necessary equipment to control their animals, he said, and others lack the necessary skills and experience to do so.
” Our farm supports the proper use of elephant control equipment. The goal is” to ensure safety for all” rather than to harm the animal.
According to a news report, the mahout at Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre had no control over the animal at the time of the incident.
Meanwhile, World Animal Protection Thailand has urged elephant camps to stop using the animals to entertain visitors and observe ethical animal welfare practices.
Additionally, it demanded that tourists be prohibited from engaging in hands-on elephant bathing. Instead, they can observe the animals in their natural settings.
According to the statement, the organization also supports the use of equipment to control elephant behavior in light of ethical standards and proper care, it said.
Meanwhile, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Protection ( DNP ) has reported intensified conflicts between wild elephants and residents in six provinces in the eastern region.
A DNP document on Jan 8 said that 4, 013-4, 422 wild elephants were found in at least 91 forestry areas, including national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and no-hunting zones last year.
Wild elephant numbers have consistently increased over the past 40 years.
Bandwagon to get ancient temple Unesco status grows
PUBLISHED: 18 Jan 2025 at 05: 00
The government is being prepared to consider to Natural Resources and Environment Minister Chalermchai Sri-on that Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat be given the support it needs to secure Unesco World Heritage position.
The Natural Resources and Environment Minister’s director Apichat Sakdiset announced on Friday that Mr. Chalermchai would send the request to the cupboard for concern on Tuesday.
The nomination was granted on January 15 by the National Committee on the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage ( WHC).
For the church to count for the 2025 large, he said, the standard documents must be submitted to the World Heritage Centre in Paris by February 1.
According to Mr. Apichat, the church, which was constructed in the 13th century CE, is a social identity blog that represents a notable change of spiritual traditions between Brahmin-Hindu, Mahayana Buddhism, and Theravada Buddhism in sea Southeast Asia.
The site has been a center for a special blend of different ideas for roughly 1,500 years, reflecting the powerful connection between the sacred place and the nearby communities.
The inclusion of the church on the preliminary list of ethnic heritage sites was approved by the World Heritage Committee in June 2013.
According to Mr. Apichat, relevant organizations have been actively promoting the Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan’s designation as a World Heritage site for the past ten years.
The state will profit from the increase in cultural tourism, with 500-750 million baht projected to be generated periodically for the state, local communities, and tourism-related businesses once the church has World Heritage status.
Some tech repair shops are looking at data on your devices, even cloning them
Some stores denied the allegations openly, while another offered more remorseful notes. The engineer tried to defend his steps when he was caught transferring personal information and images to an additional USB drive.
” I just wanted to see if ( there was ) something important… because I wouldn’t want to mess with anything that’s really confidential, like some federal stuff”, he said.
” I tried to clone it to another SSD ( solid-state drive ). Then I tested it on my test chair to determine whether it was a Windows matter.
His history began to unravel, nevertheless. Previously, he had told a maker the problem was hardware-related, no software-related. He later admitted to” trying to play (around with transactions ) often”. He said:” I’m just playful often”.
Defending YOUR DATA
Although it may be disconcerting, professionals who have access to personal photos and documents appear to be in a legal gray area. Maybe they are just looking for solutions to the phone’s problems by performing extensive requests for JPEG documents or videos.
UK envoy unveils anniversary plans
Year-long library of special events to mark 170 decades of relations
PUBLISHED: 18 Jan 2025 at 04: 45
To enjoy the 170th anniversary of the two nations ‘ made ties, British Ambassador to Thailand, Mark Gooding, announced his plans to strengthen diplomatic relations with a number of events and activities.
He addressed the media and other guests on Thursday night at the Postal Theatre of the Grand Postal Building’s Charoen Krung Road in the Bang Rak district during the” 170th Anniversary Launch Party.”
Mr. Gooding stated that the embassy will host a number of occasions in a show that will take place in different regions of Thailand.
A UK fair will also be held to promote meetings between local Thais, mainly students, to discuss potential and potential ties between the two nations.
After this year, music shows, including displays staged by the UK government and London Symphonic Orchestra, will be on the plan, and a number of company events.
The UK and Thailand forged a proper relationship for the first time in Europe.
” This strategic relationship is a very forward-looking record but there are many places that we have to work more on collectively– things like medical and genomics, science and technology, global security.
We share interests in all of these areas, but we also want to expand our business while preserving our citizens. He continued,” There is still a lot more to perform” in terms of adapting to the changes in the world’s culture.
Opposition seeks action on golf club land
PUBLISHED: 18 Jan 2025 at 05: 26
The Alpine Golf Club land deeds in Pathum Thani must be canceled as soon as possible, according to the People’s Party ( PP ) in opposition.
The current deputy permanent secretary for the interior, who is overseeing the Department of Lands ( DoL ), was called on by MP from the PP list MP Chulapong Yukate on Friday to expedite the nullification and restore the deeds ‘ status to monastic land.
He said the land’s position may be religious, as stated by Neum Chamnanchartsakda in her can. Neum, a rich person who has been a Wat Thamikararam Worawihan donor since the temple’s founding in 1922, was the owner at the time. In her will, she stated that the church would receive the land parcel upon her moving.
Before leaving his position as deputy interior minister next year, Chada Thaised, a mature Bhumjaithai Party member, had signed a impeachment attempt, according to Mr. Chulapong.
According to Mr. Chulapong, the delay in action puts Mr. Chamnanwit at risk of breaking Sections 49 and 54 of the Administrative Procedure Act, BE 2539 ( 1996 ), which prohibits the suspension of orders that might cause unlawful behavior.
He added that the property story never be traded legally, per se. He suggested that Mr. Chamnanwit refrain from establishing a special commission to handle the case because it involves the 5, 083-rai dispute in the Khao Kradong region of Buri Ram.
If the position continues to be a sluggish, Mr. Chulapong said he would consult Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul about the ministry’s processes in the case in the coming weeks.
Isara News speculated that the Shinawatra family might have to pay settlement in the Alpine sport course case if the present owners decide to sue the DoL for damages brought by the annulment get in response to a Sept. 2, 2024 DoL statement.
The settlement comes from a total of 439.05 million baht in loan money and 7.22 billion ringgit in estimated cost.
As part of the Alpine Golf and Sports Club Co, the home may be required to meet the DoL and the Mahamakut Buddhist University Foundation, which manages Neum’s house, in compensating 533 owners and 30 lenders, said Isara News.
Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban in unanimous decision – Asia Times
The US Supreme Court on January 17, 2025, upheld a law requiring TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, to buy the video game by January 19, 2025, or experience a global restrictions on the game. In a unanimous decision, the judge rejected TikTok’s say that the laws violates its First Amendment rights.
The court’s decision is the most recent development in a long story regarding the destiny of an app that is commonly used, particularly among young Americans, but which some politicians in Washington claim pose a security risk.
It’s unlikely that the story will finish with this decision. In the final days of his presidency, Vice President Joe Biden declared that he would not put the rules to the test. Donald Trump, the president-elect, apparently has an executive purchase in mind and plans to change the ban.
But why is TikTok provocative? Are the promises that it poses a threat to national security accurate? And what will the outcome of the case mean for free talk? The Conversation’s donors have been on finger to answer these questions.
1. An adviser for the Foreign government?
Lawmakers who wanted to outlaw TikTok or at least break its ties to China worry that the app will allow the Chinese Communist Party to affect Americans or use their information for deception. However, how much of an impact does TikTok have on the Chinese state? Shaomin Li, a professor of China’s social economy and firm at Old Dominion University, addresses that concern.
Li explains that the connection between TikTok, ByteDance, and the Chinese Communist Party is complex; rather, it isn’t just Beijing officials who instruct ByteDance to climb, and the parent company who controls how great its subsidiary did move. Instead, people are subject to a certain obligation, as with all businesses in China, when it comes to advancing national objectives. In China, private corporations, such as ByteDance, operate as joint initiatives with the condition.
No matter whether ByteDance has formal ties to the group, there will be the implicit understanding that the administration is working for two managers: the company’s traders and, more important, their political advisors who represent the party, Li writes. ” But most important, when the passions of the two leaders issue, the party surpasses”.
2. Using customer data to extract it
The dangers that TikTok poses to US customers are similar to those that plague many well-known programs, in particular because it gathers information about you. ByteDance and any other person who has or obtains access to that data, including contact details and website checking, as well as all of the data you post and send via the app.
According to Doug Jacobson, a scholar in security at Iowa State University, US politicians and officials are concerned that TikTok user information could be used by the Chinese state to spy on Americans. Government thieves might be able to swindle people into revealing more private information using the TikTok data.
But if the goal is to counter Chinese thieves, banning TikTok is likely to show too much, too soon. According to Jacobson,” the Chinese state has previously collected personal information from at least 80 % of the US population through several means.” The Chinese authorities even has access to the huge market for personal data, along with anyone else who has money.
3. The security risks associated with a moratorium
By outlawing TikTok, it might also produce American people more vulnerable to hackers of all kinds. Robert Olson, a researcher at the Rochester Institute of Technology, claims that many of the 170 million users of TikTok may try to circumvent a ban on the app, which would have adverse effects on their online safety.
If TikTok ends up banned from Apple’s and Google’s app stores, people may try to access the software somewhere via learned. Users are now more susceptible to infection that purports to be the TikTok application thanks to this maneuvering around the Apple and Google application stores. In order to keep the software installed, TikTok people might also be motivated to avoid Apple and Google safety measures, which may increase the vulnerability of their phones.
” I find it unlikely that a TikTok ban]is ] technologically enforceable”, Olson writes. This legislation, which aims to improve cybersecurity, may inspire users to engage in riskier online behavior.
4. First Amendment issues
ByteDance filed a constitutional challenge to the US government, alleging that it is violating First Amendment right. ByteDance had basis for its state, according to Georgetown University scholars Anupam Chander and Gautam Hans of Cornell University, and the implications extend beyond this situation.
TikTok is a publisher of people ‘ videos online. According to Chander and Hans, forcing ByteDance to sell TikTok is a form of due caution, the government preventing talk from occurring.
Congress’s goal with the laws is to change the nature of the platform, they write,” by forcibly selling TikTok to an object without any connections to the Chinese Communist Party.” That kind of government activity raises one of the main issues that the First Amendment was intended to shield from: state intervention in private party statement.
5. What about the others?
The forced sale to a US-based company or the ban of TikTok in the US are, according to Arizona State advertising professor Sarah Florini, a dubious approach to solving the issues the law aims to address: possible Chinese government control in the US, damage to teenagers, and data privacy violations.
The Chinese government and other US adversaries have long attempted to influence American public opinion through social media apps owned by US companies. The Facebook whistleblower case clearly demonstrated how dangerous Teens are to teens. And on the open and black markets, a lot of Americans ‘ personal data is already accessible to any buyer.
” Concerns about TikTok are not unfounded, but they are also not unique. According to Florini, US-based social media has been posing threats like TikTok has for more than ten years.
This is a revised version of an article that was first published on September 16, 2024.
The Conversation’s science and technology editor is Matt Williams, and it has two senior international editors.
This article was republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Singapore welcomes Gaza ceasefire, intends to send more aid: PM Wong
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong stated on Friday ( Jan 17 ), shortly before the deal was expected to be ratified, that Singapore welcomes the ceasefire and hostage return agreement between Israel and Hamas. In a delayed Friday Facebook post, Mr. Wong wrote,” There has been too much damage and sufferingContinue Reading