World News
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Sponsored Why health insurance costs more each year and how expats in Thailand can save more money
Each year, many expats living in Thailand see their health insurance premiums go up and often without a clear reason. This can be frustrating, especially when you're trying to plan your budget. But by understanding why prices rise and learning...
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Thai candidate selected as ASEAN envoy to Myanmar
Following the ASEAN Summit in Jakarta April 24 where nation leaders and representatives met to push for a resolution to the worsening crisis following the February 1 Burmese military coup, several steps had been laid out by the hopeful association on nations, but the Burmese junta has since seemed in no rush to implement any measures to work toward the…
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More violence, less income: Arab women bear the brunt of COVID-19, study finds
The COVID-19 pandemic has turned Heba Mordaa’s life upside down. “Ever since the lockdowns started in March 2020, my work has been deteriorating,” the 29-year-old manicurist and mother of three in Beirut says. “At first, the shop owner deducted our salaries because we had no customers coming in. Then, in July 2020, the owner decided that we will start offering…
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Border between Kanchanaburi and Myanmar closed until…
Kanchanaburi, a western Thai province, has been ordered to close its border with Myanmar, effective Monday. The border will stay closed until further notice. The closure is a precaution against people fleeing the deteriorating Covid situation in the nearby country. The order comes from Kanchanaburi’s governor, Jirakiart Phumisawat. Myanmar’s healthcare system is reportedly in shambles, a result of mass arrests…
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Shell’s Niger Delta cleanup: Ogoniland’s uncertain future
The conflict between the indigenous people of Ogoni in Nigeria’s Niger Delta is a perennial one. This year’s court ruling by an appeals court in the Netherlands — in favour of Milieudefensie/Friends of the Earth Netherlands and four Nigerian farmers — was heralded by some of them as justice. The court delivered its judgment at the end of a long-running…
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COVID: Will India be able to meet its vaccination target?
Over 450 million Indians have received one jab of a coronavirus vaccine and 98 million have received both shots — that means just over 7.2% of the country’s 1.3 billion populationare vaccinated. Based on available data, statisticians say India needs to accelerate its vaccination drive by six to achieve its target of immunizing its entire adult population of 940 million…
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Thailand moves to strengthen EU ties amid US-China rivalry
European investors are increasingly playing a bigger role in the Thai economy, allowing the Southeast Asian country to diversify trade and business away from the United States and China, analysts say. In 2020, European Union investment accounted for 8.2% of all overseas investment in Thailand, compared with 3.8% for the US and 15.4% for China. The figure has increased each…
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Bangladesh: Deforestation leaves Rohingya refugees vulnerable
Days of heavy rainfall have pelted the Rohingya refugee camps in southern Bangladesh, destroying dwellings and sending thousands of people to live with extended families or in communal shelters. In just 24 hours from Tuesday to Wednesday, more than 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) of rain fell on the camps in the Cox’s Bazar district, which houses more than a million…
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Global Freedom Report: Fundamental rights highly restricted for billions of people worldwide
Some five billion people around the globe live in countries where the fundamental rights have been highly restricted or in crisis. The Global Freedom Report (GxR), published by British human rights organization Article 19, depicts a grim picture of eroding freedoms, being exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Article19’s Executive Director Quinn McKew suggests we are at a tipping point where…
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China’s national anthem possibly booed in Hong Kong, police investigate
Today, Hong Kong Police said they are going to launch an investigation into an alleged booing of China’s national anthem at a shopping centre that was broadcasting the city’s first Olympic gold medal win in a quarter of a century from earlier this week. On Monday, over 100 people gathered at the shopping centre to watch Cheung Ka Long accepting…
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Ghana’s massive new National Mosque
Ghana’s capital Accra is now home to West Africa’s second biggest mosque. Funded by the Turkish government, Ghana’s National Mosque is said to be a replica of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. The complex cost at least $10 million dollars, 15,000 people can worship in the mosque at a time. Decorations include hand-drawn calligraphy of Quran verses, and the Carrara…
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The wondrous Lake Wonchi
Have you ever heard of Lake Wonchi? The lake fills a volcanic crater that lies 100 km southwest of the capital Addis Ababa. It is surrounded by tree-covered mountains, lush valleys and natural hot springs. 2,800 m above sea level, the crater is also Ethiopia’s highest volcano. The 14th century monastery of Tana Kirkos is also located here. Tourists are…
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How Russian money keeps Belarus afloat
Russia has supported its western neighbor Belarus for decades — long before the European Union and the United States imposed sanctions on Minsk and President Alexander Lukashenko. Earlier this summer, Moscow loaned its ally $500 million (€423 million) — six months prior, it had issued Lukashenko’s regime a similar sum. Looking on from the outside, such figures appear to be…
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COVID: Why India’s economy cannot afford another lockdown
As a delayed monsoon finally reaches New Delhi, shopkeepers at a local market duck under covers and frantically attempt to keep their merchandise from getting wet. They say they cannot afford any further blow to their small business following more than a year of erratic income due to the coronavirus pandemic. Now there is fear of another crippling COVID-induced lockdown.…
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India seeks to reform its military amid new security threats
The top brass of the Indian military met last week to discuss massive reforms, which are aimed at integrating the capabilities of the army, the navy and the air force. In a plan backed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, the current 17 single-service units will come under five “theater commands” in a bid to establish a unified approach to…
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Kashmir lockdowns put houseboats’ survival at risk
Traditional houseboats on Dal Lake in Srinagar draw tourists from around the world. But environmental degradation and the pandemic are keeping this heritage from staying afloat. SOURCE: DW News
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Empowerment through livestock breeding
Breeding livestock is an ancestral practice for women in the Zinder region of southeast Niger. It’s an important source of income for the women. Livestock breeding is the second most important economic activity in Niger after agriculture. The women either inherit their cows from their parents or buy them through anti-poverty programs. They check on their animals daily, feeding and…
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Ghana: Anti-gay bill seeks long jail terms for LGBTQ people
Ghana’s laws already criminalize gay sex by forbidding “unnatural carnal knowledge”. Now West African country wants to go a step further in its efforts to outlaw the LGBTQ community. If the bill is passed, people of the same sex who engage in sexual activity could be fined or jailed for between three to five years. The law would also make…
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Africa’s shea trees are under threat
As the number of shea trees in West and East Africa rapidly declines, one group is trying to preserve shea parklands for generations to come. SOURCE: DW News
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Thailand: Is royal reform a far-fetched dream?
The youth-led, pro-democracy movement in Thailand began coalescing in mid-2020 and at its peak saw hundreds of thousands of protesters calling for the government’s resignation and a more transparent and accountable monarchy. The demonstrators — who in recent months have focused their complaints on Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha’s handling of the pandemic as Thailand struggles with surging COVID-19 cases —…
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Coronavirus lambda variant spreads across Latin America
Classified as a “variant of interest” by the World Health Organization (WHO) on June 17, the lambda, or C.37, variant of the coronavirus has already been detected in some US states and at least 29 nations — many of them in Latin America. In Peru, where it was identified in August 2020, the lambda variant accounted for more than 80%…
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Tunisia: A political crisis fueled by economic woes
Tunisian President Kais Saied had barely announced his decision to dismiss Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and freeze parliament for 30 days when he began justifying it on Sunday evening, arguing that he had acted in accordance with the constitution. The president, a lawyer, said he based his decision on Article 80 of the Tunisian constitution, which grants the president the…
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Afghanistan: What does NATO withdrawal mean for India?
The final stages of the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces from Afghanistan, coupled with the Taliban’s sweeping offensive, have forced regional stakeholders to recalibrate their position in the war-torn country. One of those stakeholders is India — the largest regional donor to Afghanistan. India has long supported the civilian government in Kabul, heavily investing in the country over the past…
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Iran: Drought, water shortages spark protests
People in Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan province are desperate. Suffering from drought and water shortages since March, they’ve taken to the streets in the last couple of weeks to express their anger with the government and its poor management of water resources. According to official sources, at least four men, including one policeman, have died in the protests. Authorities claim they…
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Ivory Coast heavyweights meet in bid for reconciliation
Tuesday’s meeting between Ivory Coast’s current president, Alassane Ouattara, and his rival, the recently returned Laurent Gbagbo after he was acquitted of committing war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC), has raised tensions in the Ivorian capital Abidjan. But amid the uneasiness, there seems to be a sense of optimism among many citizens. “President Gbagbo and President Alassane, they…
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Noor Mukadam and the brutalization of women in Pakistan
Noor Mukadam, a 27-year-old woman and daughter of Pakistan’s former ambassador to South Korea, was killed in Islamabad on July 20 in a brutal manner. The alleged killer, Zahir Zamir Jaffer, was reportedly her acquaintance, and according to police reports, beheaded Mukadam after shooting her. Violence against women is widespread in Pakistan, but the recent spate of women killings has…
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Singapore plans to vaccinate 80%, reopen with quarantine-free travel by September
Singapore plans to fully vaccinate 80% of the population and reopen with quarantine-free travel in September. As the Southeast Asian country accelerates its vaccination campaign to hit its target within the next month, officials are preparing to reopen the country and are working to establish travel corridors with countries that have low Covid-19 infection rates. Finance Minister Lawrence Wong told…
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The ‘infodemic’ – interview with Helen Petousis-Harris about Covid misinformation
Helen Petousis-Harris is a NZ vaccinologist and associate professor in the Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care at the University of Auckland. She’s been at the forefront of the dis-information ‘infodemic’ since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic last year and a voice of reason in Ted Talks, worldwide interviews and lectures. Today she speaks to Tim Newton…
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Indian landslide kills 9, injures 3
Yesterday, 9 people died and 3 were injured after their car was struck by falling boulders in Himachal Pradesh, a northern Indian state. The landslide also sent rocks crashing down on a bridge that crossed the Bapsa river Jairam Thakur, the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh characterised the incident as “heart wrenching”. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers his “heartfelt…
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The 77 Percent — Who is to blame for the rising insecurity in Northern Nigeria?
Host: Zaharadeen Umar SOURCE: DW News
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Man with Covid-19 disguised as his wife to board flight
Stories have been going viral about how after lockdowns and travel restrictions, airlines are struggling with defiant and badly behaved passengers. But an Indonesian man who is infected with Covid-19 went to extreme measures to sneak aboard a flight this week disguised by dressing up as his Covid-19 negative wife. The man who had tested positive for Covid-19 swapped identities…
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