THE THAI government had among of the strictest pandemic-related requirements to enter its country: formerly, it had required one RT-PCR test upon arrival to the country, and having to wait for the result at a hotel, and a second test performed five days later, as well as applying for a Thailand Pass.

TOKYO — Writers facing deadlines go to Tokyo’s Manuscript Writing Cafe with an understanding — they can’t leave until their work is done.

COFFEE makes the world go ’round, apparently, but coffee pods litter the earth, making for an imbalanced trade-off.

SHANGRI-LA Mactan celebrates mothers in May with #bestMOMentsinShangriLaMactan. For Mother’s Day, plan a special tropical escape for mom and spoil her with everything from a cozy staycation to a fun, food spree.

PARIS — French actor Vincent Lindon will preside over the Cannes Film Festival’s 75th anniversary edition, with a lineup that includes Tom Cruise’s Top Gun sequel and an Elvis biopic by Baz Luhrmann featuring Tom Hanks, the Festival said on its website.

LOS ANGELES/TOKYO — Netflix, Inc. on Tuesday announced a multi-film deal with Japan’s Studio Colorido, as the streaming giant ramps up its animé offering and looks to Asia for growth.

LONDON —  Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch reprises his superhero role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, in the hotly anticipated sequel which has fans guessing which Marvel characters might make surprise appearances.

THREE rooms contain recreations of portraits of mythical beings, of millions of pesos worth of Regency-era silverware, of the finest of fine jewelry, as well as paintings based on propaganda materials. The space is inviting, sparking curiosity and fascination. However, the recreated objects are tainted by the corruption of a 20-year regime.

NEW YORK — The famous Washington Crossing the Delaware painting, which hung in the White House from the 1970s to 2014, is coming up for auction next month, when it is estimated to fetch about $20 million.

IN the run-up to the May 9 elections, the Ayala Foundation, Inc., Filipinas Heritage Library (FHL), and the Ayala Museum present the online exhibit “Tara, Vote! A Short History of Philippine Suffrage” which can now be viewed at the FHL’s Facebook page.

LONDON —  The Crawley family are back, this time with a film that takes place at their famed Downton Abbey home as well as the French Riviera in the second movie stemming from the award-winning television series.

LOS ANGELES — A New Mexico county sheriff on Monday made public case files from his department’s investigation of last year’s shooting death on the set of the film Rust but said a formal decision on criminal charges would depend on analysis of ballistics, DNA, and the phone of actor and producer Alec Baldwin.