World News
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Thailand’s submarine engine talks stall again
Thailand’s submarine engine talks have stalled again. The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has still not decided on how to power an S26T Yuan-class submarine being assembled in China. The choice remains the same – a Chinese-made engine or an unobtainable German-made one. Germany’s embargo on sales of military equipment, which it initiated in the wake of WWII, prevented the sale…
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Ten reported dead in Malaysian landslide
Malaysia Environment and Natural Resources Minister said he is praying for victims after ten people were reported to have died in a landslide at a camping site in Malaysia’s Selangor state. More the 50 others are reported missing. The minister, Nik Nazmi bin Nik Ahmad, said… “I pray that the missing victims can be found safely soon.” The landslide took…
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River of Dreams – Lawless ‘zones’ on Thailand-Myanmar frontier
Thailand and Myanmar are friendly and close neighbours separated only by a strip of water, so the story goes. Along the Moei River, a fantastic US$15 billion (500 billion baht) city of the future, Shwe Kokko Yatai New City, is under construction. Development is well underway in Myanmar’s Karen state, perhaps the most unpleasant place in the world today, where…
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Infected spinach recalled in Australia after people become delirious
It appears spinach not only gives you superhuman strength but it also makes you delirious. The vegetable made famous by the cartoon character Popeye caused a health alarm in Australia after a number of people who ate it became ill and experienced hallucinations. Nine people from four Sydney households yesterday required medical attention after experiencing toxic reactions linked to eating…
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Former tennis legend deported from UK
Former tennis legend Boris Becker was deported from the United Kingdom yesterday after serving eight months of a two and a half year sentence for charges relating to a 2017 bankruptcy case. The former world No. 1 tennis player was put on a plane for Germany after he had been released from custody and deported. Becker’s lawyer, Christian-Oliver Moser, made…
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Snakes have clitorises, scientists discover
In perhaps the most random development you’ll hear about today, scientists discovered that female snakes have clitorises. In a study published yesterday in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, researchers found that snakes have two individual clitorises, called hemiclitores. The hemiclitores are separated by tissue and hidden by the skin on the underside of the tail. The study’s…
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For Tesla Thailand, all bumpy roads lead to China
For newly-minted Tesla Thailand, there’s a bumpy road ahead, and it leads back to China. Tesla began sales in Thailand, just over a week ago, offering its popular Model 3 and Model Y at prices that compete with rivals like BYD. The company staged a glitzy showcase of its plans at Bangkok’s Siam Paragon mall with vehicles to be delivered…
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Curse of Kim Jong-un’s dogs haunts peninsular politics
The curse of Kim Jong-un’s dogs continues to haunt peninsular politics. Kim’s pups were highly-ceremoniously dumped on an unwilling foster father, then South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, after talks in the north in 2018. “Here,” said Kim, more or less. “Take my puppies and raise them as if they were your own. They’re yours now. Take them and get lost.”…
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Thai-led human trafficking sent 1,000 victims to Finland
About 1,000 Thai people were scammed in a human trafficking plot that sent them to Finland to work. Officials from the Thai police force teamed up with their Finnish counterparts to bust the ring that was enticing Thai people to Finland to pick fruit and trick them into indentured servitude. The scheme invited Thai workers to travel abroad to Finland…
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Whale with broken spine makes last journey of 3,000 miles by performing breaststroke
A whale with a broken spine has apparently defied all odds after journeying 3,000 miles by performing the breaststroke. The humpback whale, nicknamed Moon, was spotted off the coast of British Columbia with a visibly crooked lower body that researchers say was caused by being hit by a boat. But, the whale persevered by doing the breaststroke for a whopping…
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Major Qatar corruption scandal allegedly involving Greek MEP
There’s been a major corruption scandal allegedly involving a Greek member of the European Parliament (MEP). MEP Eva Kaili has been stripped of her role as one of the EP’s 14 vice presidents. Belgian prosecutors announced on Sunday that they had charged four people with corruption, money laundering and participation in a criminal organisation. The charges are part of an…
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FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried arrested in Bahamas for fraud
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has been arrested for fraud in the Bahamas with a judge denying his bail. US prosecutors allege he committed fraud and violated campaign finance laws. His bail was denied based because he is considered a “great” flight risk. A judge ordered him to be sent to the Bahamas’ department of corrections until February 8, 2023. Bankman-Fried…
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Global football union ‘shocked and sickened’ that Iranian player could be executed
UPDATE The global football players’ union FIFPRO took to Twitter yesterday to announce that it was “shocked and sickened” that Iranian football player Amir Nasr-Azadani faces execution. The tweet read… “FIFPRO is shocked and sickened by reports that professional footballer Amir Nasr-Azadani faces execution in Iran after campaigning for women’s rights and basic freedom in his country. We stand in solidarity…
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Air pollution threatens water supply in Tibetan Plateau for two billion people
The Tibetan Plateau – also known as “The Roof of The World” and the “Asian Water Tower” – is the world’s largest and highest plateau. As the third largest storage of ice in the world, it is the source of several important Asian rivers and a crucial source of water for up to two billion people. A new study reports that…
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Jakarta aims to bring more Thai tourists
With tourism in recovery across Southeast Asia, Indonesia’s capital city of Jakarta is bidding to bring more Thai people next year. The head of the Marketing and Attraction Division under Jakarta’s Department of Tourism and Creative Economy espoused the draw of Indonesia’s largest city for international tourists and businesspeople to visit. Jakarta has always been the heart of Indonesia, the…
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Young police officers killed in battle with gunmen in rural Australia
Young police officers were tragically killed in a battle with gunmen in rural Australia yesterday. Four officers had gone to investigate a missing person at a property in Wieambilla, Queensland when the gunmen ambushed them. The gunmen fatally shot two officers as soon as they arrived. The battle continued, and a neighbour who came to the scene was also killed…
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Young Iranian footballer at risk of being executed
A young Iranian footballer is at risk of being executed amidst the country’s uprising against its regime. The young man, 26 year old Amir Nasr-Azadani, is a former member of three different teams in Iran. The Iranian state news broadcaster IRIB released a video on November 20 of the forced confessions of three people accused of being involved in the murders…
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Hawaii’s last princess Abigail Kawānanakoa passes away at 96 years old
Hawaii’s last princess has reportedly passed away at the age of 96 years old. Princess Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawānanakoa died on Sunday in her Nu’uanu home with her wife, Veronica Gail Kawānanakoa by her side. The Iolani Palace released the news to the public yesterday. The palace is America’s only residence where the Hawaiian monarchy dwelled but now serves mostly…
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China will continue to ease Covid-19 restrictions
China will continue to ease Covid-19 restrictions, according to its ambassador to the US, Qin Gang. He says the country will welcome even more international travellers in the “near future.” “We know people’s concerns. Now, the measures are being relaxed and in the near future I believe that measures will be further relaxed and international travel will become easier.” Qin’s…
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Indian man barely remembers murder he committed 50 years ago
You’d think murdering someone is something you’d remember. But a man in India recently nabbed for an unsolved murder nearly 50 years ago appeared shocked when he was arrested. He said he only had a vague recollection of the incident. A 70 year old woman was murdered in 1973 in the village of Saijpur in the Gujarat state of India.…
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Libyan suspect in Lockerbie bombing in US custody
A Libyan man is in US custody now, allegedly involved in the deadliest terrorist bombing attack ever on UK soil 34 years ago. The US Justice Department confirmed yesterday that Abu Agila Mohammad Masud is in custody. He is accused of making the bomb that blew up Pan Am flight 103 in December 1988 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Some 270 people…
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Japanese government wants to offer additional 80,000 yen to new parents
Japan’s government is wanting to boost the amount given to new parents by 80,000 yen (US$585) to motivate citizens to have more babies. As the country’s birthrate has been declining for some time, the government has tried to find ways to boost family planning. According to the Japan Times, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare currently offer a Childbirth…
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Smuggled wildlife goods pouring out of India
The porous borders between Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Thailand, plus a growing private aviation market make fighting wildlife smuggling close to impossible, according to ThePrint. The emergence of cryptocurrencies has also led to an increase in all kinds of illegal trade. Some of the most smuggled wildlife goods out of India passing through Thailand are red sanders, ambergris,…
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Eight celebrities to join Japanese tycoon in space venture around the moon
Eight celebrities have been chosen to join eccentric Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa next year on an ambitious plan to fly around the moon. Maezawa announced on Twitter today that he will be accompanied by an unorthodox crew of DJ and producer Steve Aoki of the United States, US YouTuber Tim Dodd, Czech artist Yemi AD, Irish photographer Rhiannon Adam, British…
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Sold or stolen – South Korean adoptees seek truth
South Korean adoptees seek the truth as the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) begins to look into the stories of hundreds of adoptees taken to Europe and the United States. Thousands of South Korean “orphans” were adopted by Western families in the latter part of the 20th century, many of whom suspect that their origins were falsified or obscured…
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“Merchant of Death” Viktor Bout arrives in Russia as part of US-Russia prisoner swap
The “Merchant of Death,” or Viktor Bout, has arrived in Russia after being swapped with prisoner Brittney Griner from the US. The notorious arms dealer was exchanged in Abu Dhabi with American basketball star Brittney Griner. Despite his reputation, Bout received a hero’s welcome upon arriving in Moscow. He spoke to his family when his plane made a refuelling stop…
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Australia charges Chinese nationals in US online scam totalling over US$100 million in losses
Four Chinese nationals in Australia are being charged with an online investment scam that allegedly caused losses of over US$100 million. The scam, which was mostly carried out in the US, involved the manipulation of legitimate electronic trading platforms that were licensed to foreign exchange brokers. Those brokers then allegedly provided the software to their clients, resulting in major financial…
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US to send Ukraine anti-drone military aid package worth US$275 million
The US is planning to send Ukraine an anti-drone military aid package that is reportedly worth US$275 million. The incoming military aid is said to offer new tools to strengthen air defences and defeat drones. According to Reuters, and The Straits Times, the package could be officially announced today. The Pentagon is also expected to include Lockheed Martin rockets for…
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Last jumbo – the last Boeing 747 leaves the gate
After 50 years of production, the last Boeing 747, perhaps the world’s most iconic aircraft, rolled out of Boeing’s massive factory in Everett, Washington, on Tuesday night. The final customer is cargo carrier Atlas Air, which ordered four 747-8 freighters early this year. The 747 jumbo jet has taken on a wide variety of roles during its lifetime. It’s a…
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Public executions return to Afghanistan
A convicted killer has been shot and killed by the father of his victim in western Afghanistan, with the full approval of Kabul. It is the first officially-confirmed public execution since US-led forces allowed the Taliban to assume control of the country last year. According to the Guardian, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the executed man stabbed and killed another…
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