News
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Tourism officials to launch major Phuket marketing campaign overseas
Following the recent murder of a Swiss tourist, and the US government advising citizens to avoid travel to Thailand, Phuket’s tourism sector faces some serious challenges. The southern island re-opened to international tourists on July 1 under its sandbox scheme but now officials fear that may be in jeopardy. The Bangkok Post reports that the Tourism Authority of Thailand is…
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Anti-government protests, clashes with police continue for second day in Bangkok
Violence has erupted on the streets of Bangkok for the second day in a row as anti-government protesters clashed with police. Thai PBS World reports that protesters hurled bricks, firecrackers, and slingshots at officers at the Victory Monument and the Din Daeng intersection. Yesterday’s rally was organised by the Talu Fah group, which is closely allied to the Ratsadon pro-democracy…
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Covid UPDATE Thursday: 147 Covid-related deaths, 22,782 infections
Today the Thai public health department has announced 22,782 new infections, 375 of those from Thai prisons, along with 147 new Covid-related deaths in the past 24 hours. 23,649 patients have been released from hospitals or field hospitals as well. 209,028 patients remain under state care, but 68,335 infected people are in home or community isolation. 5,495 patients are listed…
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Ferry between Pattaya and Hua Hin permanently cancelled
With travel restrictions for dark red zones limiting flights and bus services, ferries are not immune from the economic damages of Covid-19 either. The ferry service running between Hua Hin and Pattaya hasn’t been operating since last year due to Covid-19, but it now appears it will not ever restart. Royal Passenger Liner Co was operating as the sole operator…
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Phuket Town Fresh Market closed for 1 week for Covid-19
Following an outbreak of Covid-19 infections, officials have closed down the Phuket Town Fresh Market 1 and surrounding area for 1 week as well as the Downtown Plaza market for 11 days until August 22. The decision to close the markets stems from a cluster last Wednesday where 27 Covid-19 infections were uncovered at the market, which pushed Phuket to…
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AfricaLink on Air – 11 August 2021
Ethiopia calls “all capable” citizens to fight in Tigray war +++ Zambian election: Youth unemployment may swing vote +++ Kenya forces vaccines on Civil Servants +++ Cameroon: Aid agencies drawn into conflict SOURCE: DW News
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Tigray: War at the expense of women
As the death toll rises and crimes abound, the civil war in Tigray is becoming ever more of a humanitarian disaster — particularly for women, who are being raped en masse. SOURCE: DW News
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Niger: Convincing displaced people to return home
More than 130,000 people have fled the Diffa region. Baroua was a Boko Haram target. Niger encourages people to return home. The government plans to resettle 18 more towns. Those who return to Baroua will start from scratch. It’s not only about security guarantees. Going back to Baroua means economic uncertainties. Children will have to attend schools in another city.…
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India: Suspected rape of Dalit girl puts spotlight on caste violence
The alleged rape, murder and forced cremation of a 9-year-old girl in the Indian capital recently has once again put the spotlight on the gruesome sexual crimes against women in the country, as well the treatment of those on the lowest rung of the nation’s rigid caste system, from which the girl hailed. According to authorities, the girl told her…
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COVID: Why Indonesia is unable to rein in the pandemic
Medical facilities on Indonesia’s largest and most populated island, Java, are starting to absorb the blow of surging COVID cases over the past month, with more medical oxygen and hospital beds being made available. However, hospitals elsewhere in Indonesia are reporting low oxygen supplies as cases increase. Java, home to Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, has much better health care facilities compared…
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Madagascar’s worst drought in decades
It has not rained in Madagascar for months and parasites have affected staple crops, leading to rising food prices and leaving families with nothing to eat. In its latest Hunger Hotspots report for 2021, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) says acute food insecurity in southern Madagascar “is expected to push 14,000 people into catastrophic acute food insecurity by…
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Press lawsuit to stop police from using rubber bullets rejected
After being injured by rubber bullets police fired at protesters despite being clearly marked as members of the press, a journalist with Plus Seven and a photographer from The Matter filed a lawsuit against the police. Now the Civil Court has responded, throwing out their petition to stop police from using rubber bullets as part of crowd control during protests.…
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Absar Alam: ‘State of press freedom completely rotten in Pakistan’
Pakistani authorities briefly detained two journalists in Lahore last week. Absar Alam, a prominent media figure who was shot in Islamabad earlier this year, explains why journalists are routinely targeted in the South Asian country. SOURCE: DW News
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China bans illegal content in karaoke songs, criteria proves troublesome for venue owners
China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced that it is planning to ban karaoke songs that have “illegal content”. The illegal content criteria include songs that “endanger national unity”, sovereignty or territorial integrity. People/companies that provide content to karaoke venues are urged to check the songs they are offering and report to the ministry any songs that are possibly harmful.…
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Nakhon Si Thammarat man arrested for allegedly possessing 2 illegal firearms
Today, a man in the Southern Thai province of Nakhon Si Thammarat was arrested after police searched his dwelling and located 2 firearms. Serm Kwannimit, the deputy provincial police chief, says, officers were responding to information that military-grade weapons were being sold at 20 year old Teeradet “Bang Jack” Chuhai’s house. Police found an AK-47 assault rifle and a 9mm…
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Heavy rain causes flash flood in Surat Thani
Raging currents of flood swept away the roof of a shop at Surat Thani province. Due to heavy rain, water from the Nuea Khlong waterfall flowed down the mountain yesterday, flooding some houses in Wiang Sa District. Southern parts of Thailand get by far the most rain, with around 2,400 millimeters every year, compared with the central and northern regions…
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Foreigner killed in Chon Buri car accident, other driver skedaddles
Last night, an unnamed foreign driver died after his sedan hit what officials believe was a trailer truck in Chon Buri, which sits on the Gulf of Thailand. When police arrived, the other vehicle was no longer present at the scene. Police and emergency responders were alerted to the accident at 10:30 pm at Motorway 7 in Nongprue. When they…
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Anti-government protesters in violent clashes with police in Bangkok
Pro-democracy activists clashed with police in Bangkok last night in response to the authorities’ use of teargas, rubber bullets, and water cannon. Thai PBS World reports that the clashes took place at the Din Daeng intersection in the capital, following a rally organised by protest group, the United Front for Thammasat and Demonstration. It’s understood a number of activists refused…
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Order banning fear-inducing information repealed by PM
After widespread criticism from Thai media and human rights organisations, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has backed down and repealed his order banning posting information that could cause fear, regardless of whether it was true. The order was published in the Royal Gazette on July 29 and put into effect the next day, and last night the Gazette published the repeal of…
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Q3 tourism hopes fade as US advises citizens not to travel to Thailand
Hopes are fading for a tourism revival in the third quarter of this year after the US government cautioned its citizens against unnecessary travel to Thailand. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has added Thailand to its Level 4 countries, the highest-level warning, as a result of the rising Covid-19 infections in the Kingdom. The Bangkok Post reports that…
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Pattaya reopening postponed indefinitely as Covid-19 persists
The Tourism Authority of Thailand announced that the Pattaya reopening plan scheduled to launch on September 1 has been postponed indefinitely. With Covid-19 still ravaging the Chon Buri province, the TAT has conceded that it won’t be possible to reopen to international travellers safely in just 20 days. Hua Hin and other tourist areas received the same bad news from…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 21,038 new cases and 207 deaths
21,038 new Covid-19 cases and 207 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the latest and most severe wave of infections, first recorded on April 1, 788,126 infections have been reported. There are now 210,042 active Covid-19 cases. Out of the new cases reported today, 173 were found in correctional facilities. More than 40,000 inmates at…
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Prominent Thai medic says infections have yet to peak, restrictions still needed
A leading Thai doctor says the public must adhere to Covid-19 restrictions as case numbers have yet to peak in the Kingdom. Dr Prasit Watanapa from the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital took to Facebook to update the public on the latest developments in the Covid-19 crisis facing Thailand. According to a Bangkok Post report, Prasit says the daily…
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AfricaLink on Air – 10 August 2021
Zambia ahead of the election on Thursday August 12th +++ Nigeria’s ruling party as well the opposition pass a vote of no confidence on their interim chairmen +++ Ugandans oppose mandatory car tracking +++ Cameroon’s Bee Delivery taxi firm thrives amid pandemic gloom SOURCE: DW News
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Fires to floods: Extreme weather is occurring worldwide
In many parts of Greece on Monday, the fierce winds weakened, so the fires were not fanned further. The breather for emergency workers is likely to be short-lived, however, as another heat wave with temperatures of over 40 degrees is on its way — with the potential to worsen the situation. Forest fires have been raging in Greece for weeks,…
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Pakistan: Why liberal Pashtuns are supporting the Afghan government
It is generally believed that most people in Pakistan’s northwestern areas support the Taliban due to their own inclination toward Islamism, but the reality is somewhat different. It is true that the Islamist group is liked by many in the region, but the number of people who oppose the Taliban and the Pakistani state’s alleged support to the outfit has…
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Why North Korea is wary of foreign warships in the region
The United States and South Korea are holding joint military exercises from Tuesday and the most powerful warship in Britain’s Royal Navy is preparing to dock in the South Korean port of Busan before the end of August, moves that prompted Pyongyang to ramp up the rhetoric against what the regime insists is a threat to peace in the region.…
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Man shot and killed at Isaan rice field
A man was shot and killed at a rice field in the Isaan province Maha Sarakham. Yesterday, a villager walking in the rice field found the man’s body and she called the police. Reports say the man was shot five times. One wound was in the neck, one in the back and three shots in the torso. Officers identified the…
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1 million unemployed by year’s end, suggests Thai think tank
Thailand Development Research Institute, a Thai think tank, estimates that there will be 1 million unemployed people in Thailand by the end of the year if Covid stays “uncontrollable”. Yongyuth Chalamwong, an Associate Professor and director of labour development research from the think tank’s human resources and social development department, tells Thai media today that the partial lockdown measures have…
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Motorbike “mob” protest in Bangkok, police advise drivers to take alternative routes
With another car and motorbike mob protest in Bangkok, honking horns and backing up traffic, Royal Thai Police released a warning early today warning drivers to avoid the Ratchaprasong intersection and advised people to take one of 12 alternative routes. There have been several car and motorbike mob protests over the past several months, many calling on PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to…
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