The 2026 Asian Taekwondo Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (May 21-24) serve as qualification rounds for the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. Thailand sent 15 athletes, with two competing on the first day of sparring competition. In the women's 46-kilogram division, defending Sea Games champion Patcharkanya Poolkerd faced Vietnam's Huyền Thị Mỹ in the round of 16, a fighter who previously reached the Sea Games final. In a thrilling three-round match with the deciding round at 6-6, Patcharkanya executed a head kick for three points to win 9-6. She advanced through subsequent rounds, defeating East Timor's Silva da Costa 2-0 and the Philippines' Clarence Sarsa 2-0 to reach the final against Taiwan's Wang Jialing, a two-time youth world champion. In the final, Patcharkanya initially led 2-0 but suffered a fall and was counterattacked, losing the first round 2-4. The second round saw her trail 0-3, then equalize 3-3, but she was caught with a head kick late in the round, ultimately losing 3-6 and missing the gold medal. Despite the loss, Patcharkanya secured Thailand's taekwondo team a spot at the Asian Games in the women's 49-kilogram category. In the men's 54-kilogram division, Thanach Teacharat ("Asaan") defeated Brunei's Aburrar Hajji Bakar 2-0 in the first round but was eliminated by Jordan's Jaafar Aldaud in the round of 16. Thailand will field four more competitors on May 22.

Chiangsan Hospital Adjusts Service Model Due to Doctor Shortage, Directs Non-Critical Patients to Nearby Health Centers Amid Staffing Constraints

May 21, 2025 – Chiangsan Hospital announced an important service notice regarding operations during the current physician shortage. The announcement states:

Dear Community Members and Patients,

During June, Chiangsan Hospital is experiencing a doctor shortage (four physicians have resigned and pursued further studies). The hospital is currently waiting for additional physician assignments from the central authority. Although the hospital has requested physician support from partner hospitals, many areas face similar challenges, creating staffing limitations.

Therefore, the hospital must temporarily adjust its service model, which may result in longer wait times. We must prioritize emergency and critical patients. Non-Critical Illness: Patients with minor health issues are asked to seek initial treatment at nearby health stations, clinics, or quality pharmacies in their area. Emergency/Critical Illness: The hospital will continue to operate emergency services 24 hours daily as usual.

For patients visiting the hospital, please allow extra time for service. The hospital apologizes for any inconvenience.

Sadio Mané, a forward from Al Nassr, will captain Senegal's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Senegal has been grouped in Group A with France, Norway, and Iraq for the tournament's group stage.

The team has announced a preliminary roster of 28 players for the 2026 World Cup:

Goalkeepers: Édouard Mendy, Yéhou Diouf, Moré Diao

Defenders: Kréphin Diatta, Antonie Mendy, Abdoulaye Seck, Kalidou Koulibaly, Ilay Gamara, Moussa Niakhaté, Mamadou Sarr, El-Hadji Malik Diouf, Mustafa Embalo, Ismail Jakobs

Midfielders: Idrissa Gueye, Habib Diarra, Pape Matar Sarr, Pape Gueye, Lamine Kamara, Pathe Cisse, Bara Ndiaye

Forwards: Sadio Mané, Bamba Dieng, Iliman Ndiaye, Nicolas Jackson, Assane Diao, Ibrahim Mbaye, Sherif Ndiaye, Ismaïla Sarr

Players must be cut down to 26 by June 2 in accordance with FIFA regulations.

Ball Lost But Pride Wasn't: Over 10 Teenagers Ambush Couple at Muang Thong Condo as Police Look On

May 21, 2025 – A video circulating on social media shows a group of more than 10 teenagers ambushing and assaulting a married couple following a verbal altercation at a football field. The field owner called police to break up the dispute, but the opposing group later tracked down and attacked the couple in front of officers escorting them to their residence at P3 Building, Muang Thong Condo, Pak Kret, Nonthaburi.

In an interview, Noi, 37, and his girlfriend Kwan, 34, recounted that on the day of the incident, Noi had taken his teammates to a football match near Srisamarn intersection. After their team won, the opposing team became upset and verbal insults were exchanged. The field owner called police to separate the groups. Fearing the matter wouldn't end there, the couple filed a report at Pak Kret Police Station and requested a police escort home.

When they arrived at the condo, Noi noticed unfamiliar vehicles parked outside. As soon as they exited their car, the assailants rushed toward Kwan and attacked her, while another group attacked Noi. The accompanying police officers attempted to stop them, but the attackers showed no fear or respect for authority.

Kwan sustained injuries to her face, neck, and arms, while Noi was injured on his face. Since the incident, the attackers have made no contact. The couple has filed a police complaint and remains open to dialogue, but they expect the case to proceed according to the law. They expressed concern for their safety, as the attackers live in the same area.

Police reported that approximately 3-4 suspects have been identified. Summonses will be issued for them to meet with investigators for formal charges and legal proceedings.

Huawei announced the winners of the 10th Huawei ICT Competition APAC at ASEAN headquarters, advancing efforts to develop AI talent in the region. The finals and awards ceremony was held successfully at ASEAN headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia, organized by Huawei in partnership with the ASEAN Foundation.

Over 8,600 students from 14 countries and economies participated in the Practice Competition categories (Cloud, Network, and Computing) and Innovation Competition. After multiple rounds of selection, more than 160 students from 13 countries and economies advanced to the Asia-Pacific finals.

The ceremony was attended by ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Indonesian officials including Dr. Fauzan Adziman and Dr. Boni Pudjianto, ASEAN Foundation Chair Ambassador Sarah Al Bakri Devadason, Chinese Ambassador H.E. Wang Qing, ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General H.E. Nararya S. Soeprapto, ASEAN Foundation Executive Director Dr. Piti Srisangnam, and ITU representative Kishore Babu Yerraballa.

Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn expressed support for the competition, emphasizing that "promoting youth potential is the foundation of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship in our region. According to the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2030, digital talent is crucial to this vision."

Winners were announced across competition categories. National University of Singapore won the Grand Prize in Innovation Competition for outstanding and commercially and socially valuable work. In Practice Competition, Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology won top honors in Computing and Cloud categories, while Bulacan State University from the Philippines won the Grand Prize in Network.

Teams from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei, Japan, Laos, Timor-Leste, Hong Kong (China), and Macau (China) also received champion, runner-up, and third-place awards across all four competition categories, with 16 outstanding teams recognized. Grand Prize winners will represent the Asia-Pacific region at the World Finals in Shenzhen, China in June, competing against over 100 teams worldwide.

During the finals and awards ceremony, Huawei Asia-Pacific also announced several important collaborations and initiatives.

French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed via X that Paris, France will host the Esports World Cup 2026. The competition was originally scheduled for Saudi Arabia but has been relocated to Paris due to current Middle East tensions. Macron tweeted that hosting the EWC in Paris is a historic first and a matter of pride for France, while thanking Saudi Arabia for their confidence. He expressed enthusiasm about welcoming people from around the world again. Paris recently hosted the VALORANT Champions 2025 world championship and previously hosted the 2024 Olympic Games.