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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Sponsored Thailand health insurance that covers chronic conditions: What expats need to know
The Thaiger key takeaways Managing chronic conditions in Thailand requires health insurance that covers specialist visits, medications, tests, and hospital stays. Cigna offers high-coverage plans with access to top hospitals, direct billing, and telemedicine support for convenient long-term care. Expats...
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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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Shell’s Niger Delta cleanup: What hopes for the Ogoni?
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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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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Duterte approves lockdown measures for Manila
The president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, AKA Rody, or “The Punisher”, or “Duterte Harry”, has approved lockdown measures in the capital of the Philippines, Manila, today. The move is an effort to thwart the spread of the Delta variant and to protect the country’s medical system. Earlier in the week, Duterte expressed his lack of enthusiasm for lockdowns, framing…
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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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Tanzania starts vaccine campaign in COVID-19 U-turn
The launching of Tanzania’s belated vaccination campaign is the most decisive signal yet of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s break from the coronavirus policies of her late predecessor, John Magufuli. Magufuli, who died in March, was a devout Christian and a coronavirus skeptic. Saying God would protect his people, he championed prayers over face masks and home remedies such as steam…
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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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Patrolling Lithuania’s border with Belarus
Carefully, Justas moves through the undergrowth, using his flashlight to illuminate the dark forest. He’s pulled a brown balaclava over his face. The 22-year-old officer and his colleague Vitautas have been on patrol at Lithuania’s border with Belarus for hours. “Three days ago, a hole was cut into the fence to make crossing the border easier,” Justas tells me. Justas…
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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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China flood disaster: Passersby harass German reporter
“Are you that BBC guy?” a passerby asked Mathias Bölinger, a German journalist who has been reporting for DW and other broadcasters from the flooded regions in China. Ever since the BBC aired an investigative TV report on the origins of the coronavirus pandemic — a report Beijing considers “fictitious” — the British broadcaster has had a credibility problem in…
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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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Myanmar’s economy to shrink by 18% due to military coup and Covid-19
The civil unrest following the February military coup, paired with the a spike in Covid-19 infections, is expected to cause Myanmar’s economy to contract by 18% this year, according to the World Bank. Since the military takeover, ousting the country’s elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi of the National League for Democracy, it’s estimated that more than 900 people have been killed…
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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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Indonesia extends Covid-19 disease control measures for another week
Covid-19 restrictions in Indonesia are being extended to August 2 as the highly transmissible Delta variant continues to rapidly spread. Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced the extension yesterday, adding that the government will gradually adjust restrictions. Since the start of the pandemic last year, Indonesia has reported 3.1 million Covid-19 cases and 83,279 coronavirus-related deaths. With a recent spike in…
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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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The Netherlands gears for future with flood-control project
“We were really lucky,” says Jan Heymans from the Dutch village of Neer on the Maas river. “The new flood wall was completed just a few months ago. Without it, everything here would have been flooded.” With massive steel gates and 10-cm-thick (4-inch-thick) glass panels at the top, the wall was able to resist the heavy rainfall from Germany and…
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