'Pandemic' chosen as Word of the Year

23 Sept 04:19 Key points summarised by AI

Merriam-Webster selected "pandemic" as its 2020 Word of the Year due to an unprecedented surge in online dictionary lookups throughout the year.
The word experienced a massive 115,806% spike in lookups on March 11, when the World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic, cementing its status as the defining term of an exceptionally difficult era.

Bai Lu meet-and-greet cancelled days after China’s safety warning

Yesterday 15:28 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's Tourism and Sports Minister announced the government will seek clarification from the Chinese Embassy regarding its recent travel advisory warning Chinese nationals about safety concerns in Thailand.
The travel advisory is anticipated to negatively impact the number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand, despite recent increases in arrivals.
A meet-and-greet event featuring Chinese actress Bai Lu, a WeTV Global Ambassador, was abruptly cancelled just days after the Chinese Embassy issued its safety warning, though no official reason was provided.
The Chinese Embassy's advisory urged citizens to beware of job scams, fraudulent investments, suspicious travel arrangements, and the risk of illegal detention or being lured to the Thai-Myanmar border.
Chinese nationals were advised to verify job offers, use legitimate transport, avoid high-risk border areas, protect personal documents, and keep family informed of travel plans.