World News
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ASEAN meeting reports on global sugar deficit and opportunities for SE Asian countries
The ASEAN Sugar Alliance says there will be a global sugar deficit of about 2.5 million tonnes in 2019-20, and prices are expected to firm following a number of years of falling prices and surplus stocks. The prediction was reported at the fourth meeting of the ASEAN Sugar Alliance in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday. Market analyst, futures trading and risk manager…
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Thailand to sit on UN committee from 2020
PHOTO: Thailand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Don Paramudwinai Thailand has been selected as a member of the UN Economic and Social Council from 2020 to 2022 on behalf of Asia and the Pacific region, alongside China, South Korea and Bangladesh. Thailand won 186 votes in the selection process. Thailand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Don Paramudwinai also participated in the session. Last time…
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Porsche smashed up but Malaysian driver escapes injury in Krabi
PHOTOS: Krabi Pitak Pracha Rescue Foundation A Malaysian tourist has escaped injuries after their Porsche collided with roadside barriers in Krabi yesterday. Krabi Pitak Pracha Foundation reports that they were notified of the incident yesterday in Mueang Krabi. They arrived to find the damaged sport sedan on the side of the road with much of its front mouldings damage and…
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Malaysia’s Deputy PM sympathises with Azmin’s family over gay sex video scandal
Malaysia’s Deputy PM Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has expressed sympathy for the family of Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, who has been linked to a sex video scandal. Read The Thaiger story HERE. She said she rejected any practice of gutter politics as she had experienced it before. “I reject ‘gutter politics’ because I…
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ASEAN-Hong Kong, China Free Trade Agreement comes into force
The ASEAN – Hong Kong, China Free Trade Agreement (AHKFTA – that acronym’s never going to fly!), came into force this week for Hong Kong and five ASEAN member states, namely, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Under the AHKFTA, Hong Kong and Singapore will grant tariff-free access and keep their customs duties at zero upon entry into force of…
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Eighteen Burmese illegal migrants found in a Songkhla camp, Thailand
PHOTOS: The Nation Eighteen Burmese illegal migrants have been found at a makeshift camp in forest near Songkhla’s Sadao district waiting waiting to be transported to Malaysia. The 16 men and two women, kept in the woods for four days and told to live on young banana stalks and creek water, were found in a forest area two kilometres away…
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Bangkok and Singapore jump in rankings for world living costs
Bangkok is now the 63rd most expensive location in a new cost of living survey for expats. Singapore has experienced a big rise in the rankings, becoming the 12th most expensive location in the world for expatriates. Lee Quane, regional director for Asia at ECA International says that Bangkok has risen 100 places in just the last five years. “We have…
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Thai island vs Malaysian island – Phuket vs Penang
Two ‘pearls’ go head to head, including some reflections by guest writer TravellingMitch who’s from the UK Penang was once the ‘Pearl of the Orient’, for most western travellers the only ‘orient’ they would know outside of Singapore and maybe Hong Kong. At the time Phuket wasn’t even known on the tourist map. It was the 1950s and 60s when jet…
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Asia’s most challenging golf courses
Golfers fall in love with courses for their beautiful views, world-class services, and impeccable layouts. Some golfers also have a love to hate relationship with all those courses that really test their ability. The Golfscape team has been researching the most challenging courses to play in Asia with the help of journalists, professional golfers, and course designers. Take a look…
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Malaysian diplomat visits Thailand’s deep South to resume peace talks
PHOTO: Tan Sri Abdul Rahim bin Mohammad Noor arrives for talks with Lt-Gen Pornsak Poonsawat, commander of Thailand’s Fourth Army Region – Thai PBS The nominated Malaysian facilitator to continue ongoing peace talks between the Thai government and Mara Patani, an umbrella organisation for Thailand’s separatist groups in the Deep South, wraps up a two day visit to the region today.…
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Thai boat captain says he was paid 100,000 baht to ferry Rohingya to Malaysia
by The Nation Authorities are speculating that a group of 65 Rohingya and five other Burmese men may have been trafficked from Bangladesh where an estimated million people are sheltering as refugees. The Thai captain, of the boat that washed up on a southern Thai island on tuesday, has already admitted that he was paid to take them across the…
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Malaysian PM dismisses gay sex video implicating his cabinet minister
Malaysian PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad has dismissed the ‘gay sex romp’ videos implicating his Economics Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali with another man. “This is done by people who have political agendas,” said the PM after attending a fund-raising event last night. “Things like these are dirty. If you cannot compete with someone, don’t do something like this.” The…
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Melbourne named as first non-US city to be an Uber flying-taxi testbed
Flying cars. Long awaited, a thing of 1950s editions of Popular Mechanics and sci-fi, now a small step closer to reality. Uber, the worldwide ride-sharing App, say it is going to use Melbourne, Australia as the first non-US city for its new aerial transportation service. They’ve even claimed 2023 as their launch date for the initiative. Melbourne joins Dallas and…
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PM Prayut receives Royal endorsement at Government House, Bangkok
PHOTO: Thai PBS The newly elected ThaiPM, until now the Prime Minister-elect, has now received royal endorsement from His Majesty the King. The ceremony was held at Government House early this afternoon. Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngarm says that PM Prayut and existing cabinet ministers from the previous government will attend the ASEAN Summit, scheduled for June 20-23 in Bangkok, because…
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One million come out to protest in Hong Kong over China’s new extradition law
Huge crowds, estimated to be over 1 million, massed in Hong Kong over the weekend to protest against pro-beijing leaders allowing extraditions to the mainland. The demonstrations were the largest in the international finance hub since the 1997 handover when the region was returned from Britain (which ‘leased’ the colony for 99 years) back to China. Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing leaders…
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Grab adds another layer of riding security in Malaysia. Selfies.
If you’ve used the e-hailing alternative ‘Grab’ you’ll know how easy it is to use as it continues to disrupt traditional taxi and tuk tuk services around the region. In Malaysia they’ve just added another level of security for users and it will be applicable for Thais or other foreigners using Grab when in Malaysia. In Malaysia it will now…
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Goodbye iTunes, hello new dedicated Apps
In January 2001 Apple announced iTunes. It changed everything in the music industry and has gone on to spawn other more modern forms of music purchases and sharing. It was a true ‘disrupter’ for the time. Then, just eight months later would come the iPod which fundamentally changed the way we listen to music as well. Now Apple is introducing…
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Campaign to clear ‘Ghost Nets’ from Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar
A team of experienced divers from around the world have launched a campaign to clear lost and disused fishing nets, known as ghost nets, from the coral reefs in Myanmar’s Mergui Archipelago. Ghost nets, or ALDFG (abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear), include fishing nets, lines and traps which are left in the ocean and become entangled in rocks and…
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Japan’s Nissin Electric moves production to Myanmar from Thailand
Nissin Electrics of Japan are building a new plant in Myanmar, which will shift some of their production from factories in Vietnam and Thailand, in an effort to cut labour costs. Nissin Electrics manufacture gas insulated switchgears, capacitors, transformers, instrument transformers and medium-low voltage metal enclosed equipment. Bangkok Post reports that the company announced it will form a joint venture with Hosoda…
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Bali’s Mount Agung erupts again
PHOTO: Twitter/Phoebs A week after flights were cancelled in and out of Bali’s airport, Mount Agung has burst into life again today at 11:42am sending plumes of ash into the Balinese sky. Indonesia’s Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center said the eruption lasted for 8 minutes Despite the renewed activity, Mount Agung remains on level alert level three, or “standby”…
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ASEAN group calls for end of judicial ‘harassment’ of Thai MPs
The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, based in Jakarta, is calling on Thai authorities to end what they describe as harassment of the Future Forward party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit. They’ve also asked the ruling Junta to stop their efforts to undermine anti-military parties in the new Thai parliament. Charles Santiago, Chair of APHR and a Member of Parliament in Malaysia…
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Lee Kuan Yew’s grandson marries same sex partner in South Africa
by The Star – Asia News Network The grandson of the late Singapore PM Lee Kuan Yew, Li Huanwu, has married his “soul mate” in Cape Town, South Africa. This was revealed by Li’s partner, Heng Yirui, who made the announcement on his personal Instagram account. “Today I marry my soul mate. Looking forward to a lifetime of moments like this with…
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Bali flights cancelled as Mount Agung stirs again
Mount Agung, Bali’s active volcano, has erupted again, spewing ash and hot lava that ran down 3 km from the crater, causing authorities to cancel flights in and out of Denpasar. Indonesia’s Center of Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG) says the eruption was recorded at 19:30 Central Indonesian Time (WITA) and lasted for 4 minutes and 30 seconds. The…
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Watch out Thailand, here comes Vietnam
“Vietnam is poised to take advantage of the next wave of digital technologies such as blockchain, AI (artificial intelligence), internet of things and cloud-based services to become Asia’s next high-performing economy and improve the living standards of its residents.” Dr Lucy Cameron, from Australia, lead author of the report “Vietnam’s Future Digital Economy Towards 2030 and 2045”, says the country…
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“Very dangerous” Huawei could be part of a US-China trade deal
President Donald Trump has reiterated his complaints against China’s Huawei Technologies but conceded that they could be resolved as part of a negotiated US-China trade deal. Without providing evidence, he went on to call the Chinese telecommunications giant “very dangerous.” The US has virtually banned firms from conducting business with Huawei, the world’s largest telecom manufacturer, citing unspecified national security…
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Second night of violence over election results – Jakarta
Indonesian police have again fired water cannon and rubber bullets at protesters who were setting fires and trying to breach barbed wire barricades yesterday as demonstrations over the results of the presidential election hit the capital for a second night. The riots followed the announcement by the General Election Commission confirming that President Joko Widodo had had won the election…
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US temporarily ease restrictions on Huawei
PHOTO: Huawei’s founder Ren Zhengfei and Chinese President Xi Jinping – SCMP The US has temporarily eased some of the restrictions on China’s Huawei, the world’s largest phone and telecom equipment maker, to minimise disruption to its customers. But Huawei’s founder, Ren Zhengfei, says it means little because the company was well prepared for any US restrictions to their trading. The…
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Game of Thrones: Thirsty actors leave water bottle in shot
Oh my GOT. They’ve done it again. For the second time this season Game of Thrones fans, with eagle-eyes and a trigger finger on the pause button, have spotted another out-of-place-and-time item on screen. This time, a plastic water bottle tucked in behind the leg of ‘Samwell Tarly’ has been spotted on the series, now concluded. Actually you’ve got to…
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Google cut off Huawei’s access to some Android apps and services
In a surprise response to the ongoing Huawei vs Trump administration spat, Google has halted its business operations with Huawei. Huawei is one of the leading mobile phone manufacturers in the world. The Google ‘pull out’ is effective immediately, according to a report from Reuters. The halted business streams include anything in relation to the transfer of hardware and software…
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Conservative Liberal coalition wins Australian election
(For US readers, ‘Liberal’ is the name of the main conservative party in Australian, not to be confused with the way the term ‘liberal’ is used in American politics) Australia’s ruling Liberal conservative party coalition has defied polls to hold onto power in the Australian national election yesterday. While it remains unclear if PM ScottMorrison’s Liberal party and their country-based…
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