World News
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Chiang Mai chokes as fires rage in the north of Thailand
Northern Thailand is choking under a toxic shroud and it’s not getting any better. Air pollution across the upper North remains “at critical levels,” in many areas, including some of the main population centres. Authorities are monitoring almost 400 active hotspots in Chiang Mai alone yesterday. The air quality didn’t improve this morning, with IQAir recording “very unhealthy” air quality…
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British PM Boris Johnson tests positive for Covid-19
The British PM has tested positive for the coronavirus. Boris Johnson says he developed “mild symptoms over the past 24 hours”, including a cough and temperature. Mr Johnson was last seen last night, UK time, as he clapped outside his home as part of a nationwide gesture thanking National Health Service staff. 55 year old Mr Johnson maintains he is now…
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Singaporeans face jail, fines if they don’t observe social distancing
Singapore authorities have announced tough new measures to combat the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus, saying that those found guilty of intentionally standing or sitting too near to others could be jailed for up to six months. The city-state has already closed bars and cinemas, as well as banning large events. While Singapore isn’t under lockdown or a state of…
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Cambodia delays damming the Mekong for 10 years
Cambodia announced yesterday that it will shelve developing new hydroelectric dams on the Mekong River for the next decade. A senior Cambodian official made the announcement as Cambodia reviews its policy to seek solar energy as well as energy from coal and natural gas. The Mekong river sustains some 60 million people and flows through six countries… China, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos,…
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Thai airways cancels 32 flights to 12 countries
Reports from Thai Airways International say that due to the spread of the Covid-19 disease the national airline is obligated to announce the cancellation of international flights. In order to meet the traveling needs of decreasing passengers, the airline have announced cancelled flights to and from 12 countries, totalling 32 flights. These flights include… 1. Nepal, Kathmandu, 2 flights, TG…
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Laos closes checkpoint at Thai border
Laos has closed its four immigration checkpoints near Thailand’s Nakhon Phanom province, saying it doesn’t have enough medical personnel to screen for the Covid-19 coronavirus at the four places. Immigration Police Office in Nakhon Panom province were informed that Laos would close its immigration checkpoint at Thakhek port from 2pm, until the Covid-19 situation is resolved. Also yesterday, provincial governor…
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Narathiwat/Malaysia border checkpoints closed March 18-31
After Malaysia announced its nationwide lock down, the Thai Fourth Army commander Lieutenant General Pornsak Poonsawat, who is also director of the Region 4 Internal Security Operation Command, has announced the temporary closure of the customs checkpoints in Narathiwat, along the Thai/Malaysia border. He went to inspect the Sungai Kolok customs checkpoint in Narathiwat. After seeing that only Malaysian nationals…
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China expels American journalists in tit-for-tat response
The Chinese government is revoking the press credentials of US journalists working for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. It’s the biggest crackdown on American journalists in the past two decades. The move comes as the two superpowers feud over the narrative on the Covid-19 virus and both try to politicise the issue. US…
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Manila goes on lockdown
“It’s a lockdown It’s just a matter of protecting and defending you from Covid-19. That’s about it.” Some 12 million people in the Philippine capital of Manila are now in near total lockdown after a Thursday order from the nation’s president Rodrigo Duterte banning domestic travel and an announcement earlier today of a nighttime curfew in the capital. The president…
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7 dead, dozens trapped in China quarantine hotel collapse
China’s state media are reporting that seven people died when a hotel used as a coronavirus quarantine centre collapsed last night in southeastern China’s Fujian province. The Ministry of Emergency Management says 80 people were in the building when it came down; nine escaped, while about 70 people were trapped. Of those, 43 have been pulled from the rubble and…
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US Surgeon General says virus risk low, no need for masks
“Seriously people, STOP BUYING MASKS!” The US Surgeon General Vice Admiral Dr. Jerome Adams reiterated his blaring tweet from the weekend, urging people to “STOP BUYING MASKS.” He says they are “NOT effective” for the general public. Adams told Americans the risk of the coronavirus to the general public is infinitessimally small, and to stop wearing face masks. He says…
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Burmese military seize drugs and equipment valued at 2.02 billion baht north of Chiang Rai
The Burmese military raided a methamphetamine pill factory and warehouses in Shan State, about 400 kilometres north of Chiang Rai province in Thailand’s northeast. Soldiers seized a vast quantity of drugs, precursor chemicals and drug-making equipment worth an estimated 2.02 billion baht. A spokesman for the Burmese military said that its soldiers conducted raids on plants in Kaungkha Village in…
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Singapore coronavirus patients to have their meals, medicine delivered by robot
Patients at a Singapore hospital suspected or confirmed to be infected with the Covid-19 coronavirus will soon get their meals and medicines from a robot. What’s more, a second robot is being deployed to clean, and will chat with patients in four languages, as well as “Singlish.” Details of the use of the robot technology were outlined in Singapore’s Ministry…
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Thailand announces 4 new coronavirus cases, all from Italy or Iran
“There is still no sign of true community spread in Thailand.” Thailand has confirmed four new cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus, bringing its total to 47 since January. All were recent arrivals from Italy or Iran. Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoen, director-general of the Department of Disease Control made the announcement in a news conference today. The new cases are: A 29 year…
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Vietnamese virus videos go viral
The COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak shaking the region and the world economy is inspiring some “novel” music videos in Vietnam. Homemade videos featuring a hit Vietnamese song and an accompanying dance about the need for hand-washing have racked up more than 2 million views on video app TikTok. Borrowing the tune from the pop song “Jealous” (“Ghen” in Vietnamese) Vietnam’s health…
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UPDATE: Confusion over Thailand designating 11 destinations as ‘high risk’
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry yesterday designated 9 countries and 2 Chinese territories as high risk areas for the Covid-19 virus. He announced that visitors to Thailand from these destination are now subject to 14 day home quarantine and will have to adhere to strict health-related follow-ups. The official government post, on a Public Health Ministry letterhead, was released to the…
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Mt Merapi erupts, closes Adi Sumarmo International Airport in Indonesia
Adi Sumarmo International Airport in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia has been closed because of an active volcano erupting, spewing smoke and ash into the sky. There have been no reports of casualties or damage, according to National Disaster Mitigation Agency. The airport on Indonesia’s Java Island was forced to close temporarily this morning after the volcano, Mt Merapi, erupted spewing…
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Gunman in Manila mall standoff surrenders, releases hostages
Further to a story earlier reported by The Thaiger, a former security guard has released some 30 people and walked out of a Manila shopping mall after hours of gruelling negotiations, ending a day-long hostage crisis in an upscale commercial district. The gunman, identified by police as Archie Paray, a former guard at the complex, left the V-Mall in suburban…
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Sacked security guard takes around 30 hostages at shopping mall in Philippines
A man has been shot and around 30 people have been taken hostage by a gunman at a mall in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Armed police and negotiators are trying to end the standoff peacefully. The situation is ongoing. The shot man is already in hospital in a stable condition. The gunman, reported to be a former security…
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South Korea wages “all-out response” – cases exceed 4,000
“The government is now waging all-out responses after raising the crisis alert to the highest level.” South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in has announced that is government will wage “all-out responses” in response to the outbreak of coronavirus which has added 476 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total of infections to 4,212. The death toll in South…
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