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Thailand's Opal Suchata Chuangsri was crowned the 72nd Miss World after the grand finale held here on Saturday. Ethiopia's Hasset Dereje Admassu was declared the runner-up. India's Miss World contestant Nandini Gupta was eliminated before she could reach top 8. According to the organisers, after a month of purpose-driven activities, cultural immersion, and inspiring challenges across Telangana, 108 contestants from around the world vied for the Miss World crown in a spectacular celebration of beauty, purpose, and unity. The winner Opal is a student of international relations. She has an interest in Psychology and Anthropology and she would one day like to be an ambassador. She has volunteered for organisations working in the field of breast cancer. Opal has a special talent for playing the Ukelele backwards and has sixteen cats and five dogs as pets, according to the Miss World website. Julia Morley CBE, Chairwoman of Miss World, headed the jury and announced the winner of the 72n

PM Modi also suggested new steps to increase trade and cooperation among BIMSTEC nations

Thailand, in particular, has emerged as the top visa-free destination for Indian tourists based on Agoda's accommodation search data

Fifteen suspected drug smugglers were killed and about 2 million methamphetamine tablets seized in northern Thailand near the Myanmar border after a shootout with Thai soldiers, Thai officials said. The clash, which occurred Saturday night, came after the local army received a tip that there would be smuggling activity near the border in Chiang Rai province, said Phanurat Lukboon, acting secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board. Officers found a group of about 20 people carrying backpacks in the area, Phanurat said on Sunday. After the officers identified themselves and asked to inspect the bags, the group began shooting at them, he added. The clash lasted around 15 minutes and the Thai officers were all safe, Phanurat said while on a visit to the site where the incident occurred. He thanked the officers for their help in preventing these awful things from entering our country and destroying our youth. Seventeen backpacks made from fertilizer sacks were found

Malaysia will grant a 30-day visa-free entry for Indian and Chinese citizens from December 1, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has announced, joining Thailand and Sri Lanka in recent weeks to offer such a facility to foreigners to promote tourism. Ibrahim said the waiver was an additional facility to the existing visa exemptions currently enjoyed by Gulf nations and other West Asian countries, including Turkiye and Jordan. However, Ibrahim, who is also the Finance Minister of the country, said the visa exemption was subject to top security screening, the official Bernama news agency reported. "Initial screenings will be conducted for all tourists and visitors to Malaysia. Security is a different matter. If there are criminal records or the risk of terrorism, they will not be allowed to enter," the prime minister said. "That comes under the authority of the security forces and immigration," the premier said. The 30-day visa-free entry is also currently enjoyed by eight ASEAN countries

According to the report, it has also been mass-producing its Apple Watch in Thailand for more than a year

India has once again stressed the need for early completion of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway - and its extension to Cambodia - to boost connectivity in the region.

It all comes down to volume. Foreign arrivals could hit 40 million next year, which is more than half the country's population

The move is intended to boost tourist arrivals, which is a key economic engine for the country