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Tourism operators: Russians and others need clear entry rules
Fed up tourism operators in Thailand are calling on the government to stop flip-flopping and announce clear entry rules for international travellers right away before the high season is here, especially for the lucrative Russian market. Things like the Thailand Pass, set to replace the hated certificate of entry, are often announced but not fleshed out or confirmed, leading to…
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Australian suspected gas leak is actually familiar smell for Thais
In Australia’s capital city, an emergency was quickly diffused to a misunderstanding due to an unrecognised smell that’s all too familiar to the people of Thailand. Canberra firefighters raced to a store that was evacuated after people smelled a strong odour and warned of a gas leak. The incident took place in the Dickson shopping precinct and the public were…
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Soi Dog Foundation provides food relief for animals in flood-hit central Thailand
Thailand’s Soi Dog Foundation has this week provided over 40 tons of dog and cat food for 3,000+ animals affected by severe flooding in the central Thai provinces of Ayutthaya and Sing Buri. The food was distributed to stray and domestic animals in five districts… Bang Ban, Sena, Bang Pahan and Tha Ruea in Ayutthaya, and in Buri in Sing…
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A roundup of countries that permit recreational cannabis
Marijuana may be an issue of easy agreement in the ongoing coalition talks between Germany’s leading parties. Despite numerous points of contention, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP) and Greens can find themselves aligned when it comes to cannabis legalization. The FDP emphasizes the revenue that the state could earn from taxing prerolled joints, cannabis flower and…
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COVID: Pandemic anxiety on the rise in India
The coronavirus health crisis and the restrictions imposed on public life to combat the spread of the virus have had a terrible effect on people’s mental health and well-being in India. A range of factors, including restrictions on social contact, lockdowns, economic insecurity and school and business closures, have contributed to a steep rise in cases of depression and anxiety.…
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Thai Twitter goes crazy as Russell Crowe tweets Sandbox visit
That Thai woman who escaped Phuket and snuck to her hometown in Chon Buri is no longer the most famous person in the Phuket Sandbox. Movie star Russell Crowe blew up Thai media when he posted his positive experience coming to Thailand through the Phuket Sandbox to film his newest movie. The star of such Hollywood hits as Gladiator and…
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Pakistan: New religious body draws ire from rights activists
The Pakistani government has signed an ordinance for the establishment of the religious body — Rehmatul-lil-Alameen Authority (RAA), triggering fears it would further empower the country’s influential clerics and undermine the rights of women and religious minorities. President Arif Alvi on Thursday issued the ordinance related to the establishment of the RAA. The body will be comprised of a chairman…
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How Japan keeps its elderly employed and active
A sprightly and energetic 68-year-old, Atsuko Kasa says she has absolutely no intention of slowing down. She plans to continue to work at the “Silver Jinzai Center” close to her home in the Japanese city of Yokohama for as long as she possibly can. She is much too young to retire, she jokes, and wants to help others. Kasa, who…
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Thai woman charged with trafficking women to Bahrain for sex
A Thai woman was arrested today and charged with human trafficking for her part in tricking unwitting women into going to Bahrain under false pretences before being forced into prostitution. The woman is accused of helping to funnel dozens of young women to Bahrain and another unnamed country over the last year or two. Police officers working with the Crime…
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Chon Buri Police arrest 30 people in luxury resort gambling raid
A luxury resort hosting an alleged gambling den was raided by Chon Buri police with 30 suspected gamblers taken into custody. Chon Buri police raided the resort in Takean Tia sub-district of Bang Lamung yesterday afternoon. Police reported confiscating various gambling paraphernalia and cash in the raid. The raid stretched for over 5 hours with the police arriving around 3…
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Bill Clinton hospitalised with blood infection
Former US President Bill Clinton is currently hospitalised with a blood infection. A spokesman says he was admitted to a southern California hospital on Tuesday evening. Doctors say the infection is not Covid-related, however, they have not released any other information. Clinton served as the President of the United States from 1993-2001. As the 42nd President of the US, he…
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Covid-19 Friday Update: 10,486 cases, 94 deaths, provincial data
Today, the CCSA reported 10,486 new Covid-19 infections, a change of -790 since yesterday, and 94 Coronavirus-related deaths, a change of -18 from yesterday. Since April 1, in the latest wave of the virus in Thailand, a total of 1,733,327 confirmed Covid-19 infections have been reported. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA has reported 10,711…
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PM Prayut visits Ubon Ratchathani province to see floods, dam
Continuing his tour of the provinces of Thailand affected by heavy rains and flooding, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is visiting the Northeastern province on Ubon Ratchathani today to survey the water and flood management situation. The prime minister is visiting along with several other ministers including Minister of Energy Supattanapong Punmeechaow, Minister of Interior Anupong Paochinda, and Minister of Digital Economy…
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Confronting France’s colonial past: Harkis eye reparations
When Algerian-born Serge Carel joined the army of colonial power France during the Algerian war of independence in 1957, he felt incredibly proud. “My whole family was working with the French — we’ve always loved France,” Carel told DW, while sitting in an armchair in his home 50 kilometers south of Paris. Joining the Algerian National Liberation Front, known as…
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Thailand plans huge reopening event with matching price tag
Thailand is planning on throwing a massive extravaganza to celebrate the country’s reopening. The Tourism and Sports Ministry is planning on hosting concerts in Bangkok and Phuket, with a budget of 500-600 million baht. The concerts will feature famed Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, and Thai K-pop singer Lisa Monaban. Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says bringing the 2 artists…
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Koh Phangan and Koh Tao islands relax visitor restrictions today
Joining the rush for restrictions easing as Thailand aims for the big leap to unquarantined reopening (for some) without a certificate of entry (for some) on November 1, the popular tourist islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Tao have eased their entry requirements starting today. The governor of Surat Thani, home to the Samui Plus Sandbox reopening as well as…
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5 no-quarantine countries named, 17 Thai provinces reopening
As restrictions are easing and Thailand moves towards a more streamlined and accessible reopening, 5 countries have been named in the plan to waive arrival quarantine for 10 countries. Though true to Thai style, nothing has been officially confirmed just 2 weeks before the grand reopening, the US, UK, Germany, China, and Singapore are more than likely candidates to be…
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Health Ministry’s plan to purchase new Covid-19 treatment pill gets the green light
Yesterday, the CCSA approved a proposal from the Public Health Ministry to procure a new oral treatment for Covid-19. The ministry plans to purchase 50,000 courses of the anti-viral Molnupiravir drug developed by pharmaceutical firm Merck. The proposal now goes to Cabinet for final approval. The news was confirmed by CCSA spokesman, Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin, who would not be drawn…
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CoE will be replaced by Thailand Pass, in development
The much-maligned certificate of entry is on its way out, with the digital Thailand Pass set to replace the CoE for most – but not all – people from November 1. The Digital Government Development Agency is working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to create an online system to replace the CoE process for international flight arrivals. The Thailand…
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Bali re-opens, waits for international flights to resume
Bali has re-opened to foreign tourists, but international flights to the former tourist hotspot have yet to resume. The Bangkok Post reports that while the island has re-opened for the first time since March 2020, there are still no international flights scheduled. Bali’s airport has waived landing fees for all carriers between now and the end of the year, in…
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AfricaLink on Air – 14 October 2021
US President Joe Biden hosts Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta++Pro-democracy protests flare up in Eswatini++Abu Musab al-Barnawi was the leader of ISWAP dead SOURCE: DW News
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Pakistan struggles to balance ties between Washington and Beijing
Pakistan-US relations have remained strained since the Taliban takeover of neighboring Afghanistan in mid-August. Over the years, Washington has criticized Islamabad for supporting the Taliban. Since US President Joe Biden came into the White House, he has not engaged with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan. Some analysts claim Pakistan now has its eyes set on Beijing instead. Islamabad has repeatedly…
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India: Why violence keeps flaring up at the Assam-Mizoram border
Police forces of two northeastern Indian states clashed at a contentious border area on July 26. The clashes between Assam and Mizoram police left six Assamese policemen dead and more than 70 people injured, prompting widespread anger among the Assamese people. In response, some Assamese residents blocked trucks transporting essential supplies, including medicines to treat COVID-19 patients, from entering Mizoram.…
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The woman in charge of the EU mission in the Sahel
Antje Pittelkau is in charge of the EU mission in the Sahel. The 54-year-old police officer was born in Freiburg, Germany. She worked in Berlin for several years, served for four years in Afghanistan and arrived in Niger in 2018 on the EUCAP mission. The EUCAP mission supports security in Niger. It is part of the EU’s Common Security and…
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Retired teacher decides to domesticate zebras in Kenya
These wild zebras live together with domestic animals and share food on this rural property. Deforestation in Kilgoris usually causes zebras to migrate. But these zebras found their own piece of paradise. Deforestation is caused by new infrastructure and housing developments in western Kenya, but Saeni didn’t want to clear his land. The retired teacher soon noticed that zebras were…
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Family attempts to sell eyes and kidneys to save home and farm
After signing as a guarantor for a lifelong friend’s tractor purchase who defaulted, a man and his family in Ubon Ratchathani are trying to sell their eyes and kidneys to save his home and farm. The man, along with his wife and 2 sons, is currently walking 100 kilometres in the rain from their home to the provincial capital where…
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Desperate migrants trapped between Belarus, Poland amid geopolitical row
Neda and her husband Abozar sit under a tree in a remote field in Poland freezing, starving and losing hope. “I tumbled six days ago and fell down,” Neda tells DW. “I bled and now I am no longer pregnant.” The Iranian couple left the Belarusian capital of Minsk 10 days ago and say they have now been pushed back…
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Moderna vaccines scheduled to arrive weekly from November
The good vaccine news for Thailand keeps coming! After the World Health Organisation approved Thai-made AstraZeneca for emergency use, now word has been released to expect Moderna vaccines to finally arrive in Thailand in November. Zuellig Pharma, the company that distributes the much sought after Moderna mRNA Covid-19 vaccine, have said to expect weekly shipments to arrive in Thailand with…
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Curfew shortened, dark red zones reduced in CCSA meeting
Following this morning’s news of big discussions in today’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration meeting, several of the expected proposals were passed, including a curfew curtailment and reduction in the number of dark red zones in Thailand. For dark red zones, the curfew will be shortened from 10 pm to 4 am to instead last only 4 hours, from 11…
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Ethiopia: War in Tigray continues as government stays silent
An air and ground offensive in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region is intensifying according to Tigrayan forces, with the Ethiopian government pressing a fresh attack . The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) says the fighting began with air strikes launched by the federal government last week. However, the office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has not acknowledged the offensive. The office…
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