World News
World news, global politics, business, technology, and culture—stay updated with breaking stories, international trends, and major events. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted source for global news.
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UKRAINE UPDATES: Meta permits hate speech; Turkey talks end without ceasefire; Russian forces advance on Kyiv; US warns of chemical attack; EU meets in Versailles
• Russian forces have begun attacking the Ukrainian cities of Lutsk, Ivano-Frankivsk and Dnipro for the first time since the invasion began. • In a late night address, President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected Moscow’s claims that Ukraine is developing chemical weapons. The US has also denied the claim as a false pretext for Russia to use chemical weapons in Ukraine.…
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Body of Australian cricket star Shane Warne flown home to Melbourne
The body of cricket legend Shane Warne has been flown out of Bangkok, landing in his native Melbourne yesterday. According to an AFP report, a private jet transported the body of the 52-year-old, who died of a heart attack last week while on holiday on Koh Samui. After an 8-hour flight, the chartered jet touched at Melbourne’s Essendon North airport…
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Facebook relaxes rules on violent speech during Russia’s war in Ukraine
Facebook’s parent company, Meta, says the social media giant is temporarily easing rules on violent speech as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. According to an AFP report, the invasion, which has been condemned around the world, has created a wave of anger on social media. However, while Facebook is making some allowances for that rage, it will not…
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Thailand confirms neutral stance, encourages ‘dialogue’ on Russia-Ukraine
A government spokesman confirmed yesterday that Thailand will remain neutral on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The spokesman said due to the threat by Covid-19, Thailand doesn’t want any international conflict to worsen the public health crisis. He also restated what foreign ministers have said, that all parties should excersise “maximum restraint”. He stressed that PM Prayut has supported a policy of…
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Ministry of Foreign Affairs donates 2 million baht for humanitarian assistance in Ukraine
Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs approved a budget of 2 million baht to provide humanitarian assistance in Ukraine in light of the ongoing conflict which continues to cause death, injuries and damage to infrastructure. So far, 230 out of 256 Thai people who wish to leave Ukraine have already been evacuated. MFA spokesperson Thani Saengrat told the press today that…
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Asia News Today | HK has worst Covid death rate in the world, new South Korean President
South Korea has a new President today after a nail-biting and often nasty campaign. Conservative Yoon Suk Yeol will be South Korea’s new president after Lee Jae-myung, from the ruling Democratic Party, conceded defeat last night. The opposition leader won 48.56% of the ballot, ahead of Lee’s 47.83%.Incumbent President Moon Jae-in was not permitted to run for a second term…
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Thai woman says she narrowly escaped organ harvesting in Cambodia
A Thai woman alleges organ harvesters in Cambodia drew her blood and were about to cut her open when she was rescued. Police are now warning Thais about accepting jobs overseas as not only can they get wrapped but in an illegal scam operation, but police say organ traffickers have been known to remove kidneys, the liver, and eyes after…
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UKRAINE UPDATES: Russia bombs children’s hospital, despite ceasefire; Moscow admits using conscripts, enlists TikTok influencers
As the conflict enters its third week, here’s the latest headlines from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine… • Russian forces have bombed a maternity ward and children’s hospital in the besieged city of Mariupol in southern Ukraine. The attack came despite Russia agreeing to a 12-hour ceasefire to allow civilians to flee from towns and cities. Pregnant women and children are…
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UKRAINE UPDATES: Zelensky invokes Churchill; Biden bans Russian oil; civilians flee cities; McDonald’s, Starbucks close stores in Russia
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine hits the two-week mark, here’s the latest headlines… • A new ceasefire in the northeastern city of Sumy is expected to allow more civilians to flee to safety. • On Tuesday, about 7,000 people were evacuated from the city, which Russian has bombarded for days. Already 22 people were killed in air strikes on the…
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South Koreans vote for new president in scandal-filled election
In the midst of a number of scandals, South Koreans voted for a new president today. The scandals with both candidates have caused so much commotion that they have even agreed to not investigate each other if they win the election. Both candidates’ wives have publicly apologised for separate scandals. The conservative candidate, Yoon Suk Yeol, used to be a…
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Asia News Today | Malaysia refuses to add sanctions on Russia & Stranded Russians in Thailand
South Korea, heading to the polls tomorrow for the election of the next president, has reported a new record daily high of 342,446 COVID-19 infections… no that’s not a typo. The country also reported an additional 158 Covid-related deaths. As the country goes through the final day of electioneering for, what’s been a toxic and nasty campaign, more than a…
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China’s military budget increases 7.1% in 2022, Taiwan not afraid
China has allotted 1.45 trillion yuan for military spending in 2022. That’s the equivalent of US$229.5 billion and a whooping 17 times Taiwan’s defense spending for the year, according to a report by the Taipei Times. On Saturday, the Chinese Ministry of Finance issued a statement saying the nation’s defense budget would increase 7.1 percent from last year, signaling a…
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Ambassador says Thailand must adapt tourism for Russians in current crisis
Even though 6,000 Russian and Ukrainian tourists are stuck in Thailand due to the current crisis, Thailand’s ambassador to Russia said Thailand needs to form new tourism tactics for them. The ambassador told the Bangkok Post Thailand should adapt tourism to help with Russians’ needs in the current crisis. One idea he suggested was an app to let Russians use…
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Body of cricket star Warne in Bangkok, awaiting repatriation to Australia
Thai police say the body of cricketer Shane Warne is in Bangkok, awaiting repatriation to his native Australia. Warne died of a suspected heart attack last Friday, while on holiday on Koh Samui. He was 52 years old and had a history of congenital disease, according to a Reuters report. Deputy police spokesman Kissana Phathanacharoen says Australian consular officials are…
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Thailand finalising ‘Vaccinated Travel Lane’ details with Malaysia, to open mid-March
Thailand and Malaysia tourism officials are finalising the details of a “vaccinated travel lane” entry scheme, which would eliminate quarantine for vaccinated travellers arriving by plane between the two Southeast Asian nations. The new travel scheme is projected to open from mid-March, with at least 10 daily return flights. Good progress is reportedly being made in finalising the details at…
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UKRAINE UPDATES: Civilians unable to evacuate; UN calls for safe passages; new ceasefire proposed; Moscow threatens to cut off natural gas to Europe
Here’s the latest from Ukraine, as the Russian invasion enters its 13th day… • Russian shelling continues to prevent the evacuation of civilians from besieged cities including Kyiv, Mariupol, Volnovakha, Sumy and Kharkiv. Fears are mounting for civilians trapped in Ukrainian cities as the Russian onslaught continues. • Meanwhile, the UN humanitarian chief, Martin Griffiths, has called on Russia and…
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Bali re-opens to vaccinated foreign arrivals following lifting of quarantine
The Indonesian island of Bali has welcomed its first international tourists after dropping a mandatory quarantine requirement. As Covid-19 cases in the country continue to drop, officials are easing entry restrictions, hoping to welcome back the tourists who visited in their millions, pre-pandemic. According to a Reuters report, the island welcomed 6.2 million overseas visitors in 2019. Bali first re-opened…
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Booking.com predicts bumpy recovery for travel in Asia-Pacific region
Online travel agency Booking.com says travel in the Asia-Pacific region will be slow to recover as a number of countries adopt a more cautious approach to re-opening. Laura Houldsworth, MD for Asia-Pacific, says while some countries in Southeast Asia are starting to re-open, with various levels of paperwork and restrictions, most North Asian destinations still have significant entry restrictions in…
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US government tells citizens to avoid travel to Hong Kong, New Zealand – and Thailand
Americans are being told to avoid travel to Thailand, Hong Kong, and New Zealand, due to the rise in Covid-19 infections in each country. According to a Reuters report, the travel advisory was issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has raised its travel alert for Thailand to “Level Four: Very High”. In total, the US…
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UKRAINE UPDATES: Russia allows civilians to flee — to Russia, as 95% of its amassed forces now in Ukraine; China to provide humanitarian aid
Here’s the latest headlines from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine… • Russian sate media has announced a new ceasefire proposal, which would allow civilians to flee key cities via humanitarian corridors. But the Ukrainian government has denounced the plan as “immoral,” as civilians in Kyiv would be offered safe passage north to Belarus, while those in Kharkiv would have a corridor…
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Asia News Today | Shares in Asia-Pacific decline & oil prices to surge
Shares in Asia-Pacific have declined in today’s trade as oil prices continue to surge, with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war continuing to weigh heavily on investor sentiment. The Hang Seng led losses across the region, dropping more than 4% at one point before a small bounce back. Shares of HSBC plummeted 6%. China’s Shanghai composite shed 1.42% and the Shenzhen composite…
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Global oil prices hit 14-year high as Western nations consider import ban on Russian oil
Global oil prices have risen more than 6%, surging to the highest prices since 2008 on Monday, as the US and European allies consider an import ban on Russian oil. Meanwhile, fears of a global oil supply shortage are being further compounded by the delay of Iranian crude’s potential return to global markets, as the Kremlin demands a guarantee that…
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Thai police ask Canadian court not to grant bail to Jimi Sandhu murder suspect
Police in Thailand are asking a Canadian court to refuse a bail application for a man wanted for murder on the southern island of Phuket. Canadian national Matthew Dupre is 1 of 2 suspects wanted for the murder of Indian gang member Jimi Singh Sandhu, who was gunned down outside his Rawai villa on February 4. Dupre and his alleged…
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Amidst boycott of Russia, Putin threatens Ukrainian ‘statehood’
Amidst a boycott of Russia by several international corporations, Russian president Vladimir Putin threatened the existence of Ukrainian statehood yesterday. “The current (Ukrainian) authorities must understand that if they continue to do what they are doing, they are putting in question the future of Ukrainian statehood”. The most recent high profile boycott of Russia involves Mastercard and Visa suspending operations…
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Mastercard and Visa suspend services in Russia, Russian banks downplay effects
Mastercard and Visa have announced that they will suspend their services in Russia. Visa cards issued in Russia will also stop working outside the country. The US President Joe Biden said that he welcomes the suspension. Meanwhile, Russian banks are downplaying the effects it will have on their clients. The Russia Central Bank stressed that cards would still operate normally…
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Vaccinated Travel Lanes between Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia starting March 15
A network of new Vaccinated Travel Lanes is starting to open up around South East Asia as the government’s find ‘safe’ ways to reopen their borders whilst still maintaining some precautions. The Omicron variant continues to surge in many of the regional Asian countries despite similar surges and declines already over in many countries in the EU, the US, UK…
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Russians in Phuket granted 1 month extension to stay
Despite Russia banning Facebook in the country just 2 days ago, the Russian Consulate in Phuket has posted on its own Facebook page yesterday to announce that Russian citizens in Phuket can stay at least month longer than the original date on their visa. To do this, Russian travellers must go to Phuket immigration with their original letter from the…
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Russian embassy warns Thais “don’t fight with Ukrainians”, threatens prosecution
Yesterday, the Embassy of Russia in Bangkok posted on Facebook urging Thais not to join the Ukrainian military. The post was originally in Russian, but viewers can see a translated version in English. The embassy alleges that under international law, such ‘merceneries’ who join Ukrainian forces are not qualified as combatants, and have no status as prisoners of war. It…
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Myanmar junta revokes citizenship for National Unity Government members
Myanmar’s junta government announced today that it revoked the citizenships of several members of the country’s opposition government, which it considers a ‘terrorist’ group. This ‘opposition’ is mainly composed of the previously elected government that were overthrown on February 1, 2021. The Bangkok Post did not report the total number of members whose citizenships were revoked. But it included the…
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Malaysian minister announces vaccinated travel lane with Thailand, Cambodia
Malaysia’s Transport Minister announced today that the country’s government is preparing to start a Vaccinated Travel Lane with Thailand and Cambodia as early as the middle of this month. The minister said the VTL will follow the same model as the VTL between Singapore’s Changi International Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport. In the VTL, travellers who enter Malaysia take…
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