World News
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UNHCR weighs Thailand to accept 3,000 Myanmar refugees
More than 3,000 Myanmar refugees in Thailand’s border province Tak, are seeking shelter inside the kingdom after they left their houses to flee the ongoing violence between Myanmar’s military and the armed wing of the Karen National Union. Now the UN’s refugee agency is calling on Thailand to give them “urgent access” to the refugees. Hundreds fled the Karen state…
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“Chat girls” in Laos forced into prostitution at a Golden Triangle casino
Inside China-run Golden Triangle Economic Zone next to the Mekong River in far northern Laos, many young women from neighbouring countries come to look for jobs to make a decent income to support their families back home. Many of the vacancies would advertise as “chat girls” to sell shares in the new company to casino patrons, but many struggled to…
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UPDATE: Typhoon Rai – Rescuers battle to reach affected areas, 208 confirmed dead
At least 208 people have been killed as authorities and emergency workers start mopping up the mess left from the destructive path of Typhoon Rai (named as Odette in the Philippines). More than 400,000 people have also been displaced after the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines in 2021 slammed into the central east coast last Thursday and cut a…
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Myanmar deposed leader faces another postponement of her verdict
Pressures from the West and human rights groups may impede Myanmar generals’ decision to seek longer jail terms for deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi as the court under the military junta has postponed her another verdict for illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies today. Despite her lawyers being barred from speaking to the media and journalists barred from attending her…
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Chinese tennis player says she never accused anyone of sexual assault
The mystery surrounding Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai continues, with the player now denying she ever made an accusation of sexual assault. Last month, Peng posted comments on Weibo, the Chinese social media platform, alleging that Zhang Gaoli, a former senior government official, would force her into having sex during their on-off relationship. The post was quickly deleted, but not…
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UPDATE: Philippine’s Typhoon Rai – death toll reaches 208
An emerging human tragedy as at least 208 people have now been killed in the Philippines by Typhoon Rai (locally known as Typhoon Odette). And that toll is expected to rise as emergency and armed services get to the communities in the central Philippines area hardest hit. There are fears widespread landslides and floods have probably claimed many more lives.…
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21,000 people rescued in Malaysia as torrential rain causes severe flooding
Emergency services personnel, helped by civilian volunteers, have rescued 21,000 people from severe flooding across 7 states in Malaysia. According to a Reuters report, over 66,000 police officers, military personnel, and fire department staff were deployed, with people having to be pulled from cars stranded in rising waters or from flooded streets outside their homes. It’s understood 21,000 people have…
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Karen refugees returning to Myanmar as fighting eases
After fleeing Myanmar amid conflicts between the military junta and rebel forces, thousands of Karen refugees are choosing to return to their homes, according to a military source. The refugees were being housed in a temporary shelter in the Mae Sot district in Tak province. This is seen as a positive step in the ever-evolving conflict, as fighting between the…
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Typhoon Rai rips through the Philippines – at least 89 people dead
Super Typhoon Rai has now been responsible for the deaths of at least 89 people in the Philippines as is ripped through the centre of the island archipelago nation. The typhoon, the strongest to hit the Philippines this year, almost immediately knocked out communications and power in the areas directly in the path of the west-moving storm, ripped off roofs,…
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Ryanair CEO says anyone who refuses vaccine is an “idiot”
Michael O’Leary, the CEO of RyanAir not known for biting his tongue, has spoken out against mandatory vaccinations but has made clear his personal beliefs on getting vaccinated. In recent comments, O’Leary said that anyone who turns down a potentially life-saving Covid-19 vaccine is an “idiot” and suggested that people who turn down the vaccine without good reason should suffer…
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Is Omicron less or more dangerous than earlier Covid variants?
A month after the first cases of the Covid-19 variant, Omicron, were officially detected in South Africa, we know a bit more about the potential dangers, but not a lot. Anecdotally, there have been plenty of doctors saying that the new variant appears to produce milder symptoms than earlier variants, as is often the case with these viruses. But they…
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UK and the EU brace for more Omicron-induced closures and restrictions
The UK and EU are going into a mild travel panic as borders start to close again and restrictions re-imposed. Last night France imposed a ban on travel to and from the country, except for “travel for compelling reasons”. The only “compelling” exemptions are for French and European travellers returning to France, or UK passengers heading in the other direction. Back…
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Woman exchanges sex for immigration scam to stay in Singapore
Not wanting to leave Singapore after her visa expired, a Chinese sex worker got entangled in a complex immigration scam to be arrested so that she was able to stay in the country… for over 3 years. The woman, Liang Qinglan, entered Singapore in May of 2018 with her visa finishing at the end of July. She ended up overstaying…
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Vietnam tightens border restrictions with Cambodia over Omicron fear
More than ever, Vietnam has tightened security and patrols along the 133 kilometre border with Cambodia in the Mekong Delta provinces due to fear of the new Covid-19 variant Omicron starting today. Along with the 12 border guard posts, 36 checkpoints, six mobile patrol teams, four working groups, and three mobile working groups were ordered to reinforce pandemic control, according…
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UK records highest daily Covid cases of nearly 90,000
For the second day in a row, the UK has recorded a total of 88,376 new Covid-19 cases and 146 deaths, with the highest rates in London and the East of England since early January, thanks to the fast-spreading Omicron variety. PM Boris Johnson’s administration claimed that it was not pushing people to abandon their Christmas plans, despite the fact…
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Four killed, dozens injured as Typhoon Rai batters central Philippines
In this year’s strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines, four people were killed and dozens more were injured. Super Typhoon Rai, also named “Odette” by the country’s authorities, has battered the central islands of the archipelago. As the storm swept over the Pacific Ocean, 18,000 people have yet to return home out of the more than 300,000 people who sought…
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Fights between Myanmar junta and ethnic armies intensify, 700 refugees flee to Thailand
Possibly around 700 refugees from Myanmar fled to Thailand’s Tak province to escape violence following clashes between the state military and the prominent ethnic armed wing of the Karen National Union in the town Lay Kay Kaw near the Thai border. A government official who spoke to AFP reporters said Thai officials have provided food and shelter to the 700…
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Italy bars tourists from Singapore until late-January over Covid risk
Singaporeans can no longer travel to Italy for sightseeing starting today as the Italian embassy in Singapore has added Singapore and Brunei to a list of nations with a greater risk of Covid-19 infections. Travellers from both nations are now only permitted to enter Italy for job, health, or study purposes, or to return home in an emergency. Certain exemptions…
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Philippine island hit by Typhoon Rai, more than 45,000 people forced to evacuate
Super Typhoon Rai, named “Odette” in the Philippines, ripped through the archipelago’s eastern island of Siargao, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. Flights have been cancelled as well as land and sea trips in the area. More than 45,000 people have been evacuated to government shelters in Eastern Visayas, which includes six provinces, as the 15th…
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Myanmar to collaborate with China to produce Covid-19 vaccines
The Myanmar military junta and coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing says he is working with China to produce a Covid-19 vaccine domestically in January with a goal of manufacturing five million units per month, according to state media television. Although the Omicron virus has not yet been detected in the country, he claimed to be taking further steps…
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11 dead, 25 still missing after boat capsized off Malaysian coast
11 people drowned and another 25 people are still missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Johor in southern Malaysia. Bodies of Indonesian migrants were found on a beach in Tanjung Balau early yesterday morning. Officers at Johor Fire and Rescue Department found the overturned boat on the shore near the bodies. So far, 14 people survived. The…
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Cambodia to appoint foreign minister as next ASEAN’s special envoy to Myanmar
Following Cambodia’s chairmanship of ASEAN for the year 2022, the country’s foreign minister, Prak Sokhonn, will be appointed as the bloc’s new special envoy to Myanmar, Prime Minister Hun Sen told the press during a speech at the inauguration of a luxury hotel in Phnom Penh today. Sokhonn will succeed Brunei’s Second Foreign Minister, Erywan Yusof, as the current ASEAN…
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Activists in Vietnam land dispute jailed for criticising government on social media
Two Vietnamese activists have been jailed for social media content about a violent clash with the authorities that resulted in the deaths of 4 people. According to an AFP report, violence broke out as activist villagers were protesting plans to build a military airport on their land. Officials were trying to erect a fence at Dong Tam commune on the…
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India: What is left of matrilineal societies in Kerala?
Aparna Gopinathan considers herself privileged because her daughters will carry forward her family name. In a country infamous for its preference for sons, Gopinathan comes from a family that follows a system of matriliny, which is now unusual in her southern state of Kerala. The system of matriliny in Kerala was most commonly seen among Nair people, a regional group…
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Artisanal bakeries in Niger fight for survival
Artisanal bakeries in Zinder, Niger, are threatened by industrial bakeries. This artisanal bakery has resisted the competition. Wheat flour and other products, such as oil, sugar and firewood, are becoming more and more expensive. Despite the difficult situation, the bakeries manage to retain their customers. Their street vendors sell the bread at crossroads, the bus station and markets. Modern bakeries…
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World in Progress: Kenya’s mysterious rising lakes
Antje Diekhans went to explore how people and wildlife are coping with the dangers of rising water levels. Her feature is narrated by Evelyn McClafferty. SOURCE: DW News
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Cambodia, Phillippines report first cases of Omicron Covid-19 variant
Omicron appears to be quickly making its way into Southeast Asia, as the Philippines and Cambodia both reported the first cases of the new variant on the same day. The Philippine Department of Health said today that it has detected the country’s first two imported cases of the Omicron virus strain following the 48 samples sequenced yesterday. Those two patients…
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Sakharov Prize: European Parliament to honor Alexei Navalny
Speaking to DW ahead of the ceremony Navalny’s chief of staff Leonid Volkov said, “the Sakharov prize is a very important recognition of our anti-corruption activities as a whole and the achievement of the Anti-Corruption Foundation founded by Alexei Navalny 10 years ago.” “He’s not a lonely man in an ocean of silence, he is a man who managed to…
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The controversy around Balkan hydroelectricity
Some 2,796 hydroelectric power plants are scheduled for construction in the Balkans over the next few years. According to the NGO RiverWatch, 740 are to be built in Albania, which boasts a total geographical area of just under 29,000 square kilometers. Fifteen years ago, former Albanian president, Sali Berisha, declared his ambition to transform the country into a Balkan “power”…
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COVID-19: South Africa develops own coronavirus vaccine
From the outside, the building in an industrial district of Cape Town looks like any other nondescript warehouse. In fact, it is a beacon of hope for the biotech industry and vaccine productionof the entire African continent. Inside, preparations are ongoing for future mRNA vaccine production. The Covax initiative for the development of COVID-19 vaccines called on manufacturers to apply…
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