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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Prayut’s Saudi Arabia trip a ‘breakthrough’ after 30 years of tense relations
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is currently in Saudi Arabia in an effort to restore Thai-Saudi economic and diplomatic relations. Experts say the trip, which is the first government trip between the two countries after 30 years, is a huge breakthrough after three decades of tense relations between the two countries. Relations first turned cold in 1989 after the Blue Diamond Affair…
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Firms warn of Hong Kong talent shortage as expats give up and leave due to ongoing Covid restrictions
Investment banks and corporate laws firms are among the businesses warning of an impending talent crunch in Hong Kong as ongoing travel restrictions force expats to give up and leave. According to a Reuters report, Australian lawyer Tania Sibree is one of many foreign professionals heading back home. “The hotel quarantine made it just so tough for people to travel…
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Taiwan reports 39 Chinese warplanes including H-6 bomber in air defence zone
Taiwan air force has ordered its fighter jets to dispatch and missile defence systems activated yesterday after dozens of Chinese jets infiltrated the island’s air defence zone with an H-6 bomber. Although Beijing had not released a statement on the event, the warplanes were reportedly seen in the south-western Air Defence Identification Zone, which is self-declared airspace that is monitored…
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Indonesia calls for tougher sentences in child abuses as cases rise
The judiciary of Indonesia was slammed by right groups when a 10-year jail term was sentenced to a 37 year old Christian priest Benyamin Sitepu, the principal of Galilea Hosana School in Medan, who was accused of sexually assaulting six students under his care. The families were disappointed with the verdict by the Medan District Court as Sitepu did not…
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American retail giant Walmart shows interest in Laos
Walmart might be moving to Laos. An American multinational retail conglomerate, best known for its hypermarket and grocery store chains across the States, has shown its interest in Laos as a group of Lao-Americans met yesterday, including the Lao Overseas Affairs Department and the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI), to discuss investment in Laos. The team, led by…
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Indonesia to launch travel bubble with Singapore, entry to islands Batam, Bintan
A travel bubble is in the works between Singapore and Indonesia’s resort islands of Batam and Bintan. The Covid-19 situation at both islands in the archipelago is now under control and officials are moving forward with plans for a safe travel corridor, according to Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto during a virtual press conference today. “The government is pushing…
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Thai PM to visit Saudi Arabia as guest of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman
The Thai PM will be in Saudi Arabia tomorrow and Wednesday, invited by its leader, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Prayut Chan-o-cha’s brief visit was confirmed by a statement from Government House yesterday. According to the statement, the visit aims to promote bilateral ties between both countries. A statement from the Saudi ministry says the trip is for both governments…
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Hong Kong warns against intervening in cull of Covid-19 hamsters
Facing a backlash after their order to kill about 2,000 hamsters caught up in a Covid-19 outbreak, Hong Kong officials are warning people not to intervene in the hamster euthanasia. 11 hamsters tested positive for Covid-19 in an outbreak that also spread to a worker at a pet shop, prompting authorities to spring to action Tuesday to curb the spread…
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Thai women’s football coach confident about World Cup Finals
Thai women’s football coach Miyo Okamoto is determined that player Chaba Kaew will qualify for her third straight FIFA Women’s World Cup. Miyo plans to send her best players to the cup, and some have previously been in cup finals. Myo said the team studies the Philippines team’s tactics in order to gain skills. She said that if her team…
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Laos government warns songwriter over sexually explicit lyrics
A songwriter from northern Laos’ Luang Prabang province has made a public apology for his sexually references in his music after being warned by the provincial Information, Culture, and Tourism Department. Not only have many people in the Southeast Asian country have criticised 31 year old Phimmasone Philachan’s sexually explicit lyrics, but he’s also apparently in violation of the Law…
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Nippon Steel makes $763 million acquisition of 2 Thai steelmakers
Japan is making a move to invest in Thai steel. Nippon Steel Corp, the largest manufacturer of steel in Japan has announced a strategic deal to buy stakes in two major steelmakers in Thailand. The deal is reported to be worth as much as US $763 million – about 25 billion baht. The giant steelmaker has been interested in acquqiring…
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Study shows 2 doses of Sputnik vaccine better than Pfizer
A Russian and Italian study showed that neutralising antibodies against the Omicron last longer in people who have had the Sputnik V vaccine from Russia than in people with the Pfizer vaccine. The study was done on a very small scale though, with just 51 people who received the Sputnik V vaccine and only 17 people with Pfizer. It was…
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First Thai rice export on Laos-China railway, step toward strengthening bilateral trade
The Lao-Chinese railway to Chongqing delivered its first Thai rice shipment of 1,000 tonnes, boosting hopes to strengthen bilateral trade and benefit the economy. More rice exports, and other farm exports, will follow, says the advisor to Thailand’s Agricultural Minister. The advisor added that the Thai government is looking into exporting fruit, orchids, rubber, cassava, palm oil as well as…
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Australian news outlet places Indonesian capital in Bali in online map screw-up
An Australian news outlet has had to replace a map they uploaded online that mistakenly placed the Indonesian capital Jakarta on the island of Bali. Channel 9 News attracted some ridicule, not least among Indonesians, after the inaccurate map went viral, according to a Coconuts report. The report acknowledges that to some outsiders, Bali is Indonesia, or to others, it’s…
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At least 3 killed, 7 injured as Myanmar’s army raid displaced camps in Kayah State
At least three refugees were killed and seven others were injured during the Myanmar army’s raids on refugee camps in eastern Kayah State, where innocent civilians were forced to leave their houses as fighting escalated between the Tatmadaw (army) and armed opposition groups. According to a source from the local Catholic Church in Myanmar who spoke to the Vatican News,…
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Vietnam eases entry procedures for foreign employees and returnees with valid visas
Foreigners with valid visas can now enter Vietnam without having to get approval from the immigration offices or local authorities, starting from Tuesday as the government eased entry restrictions. This means people with valid temporary residence cards (TRCs), permanent residence cards (PRCs), valid visas, and valid visa exemption certificates will be able to enter Vietnam without any permission from the…
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New Zealand closes its borders to arrivals over fear of Omicron outbreak
New Zealanders are currently unable to return home as the Covid-19 response minister Chris Hipkins orders a temporary halt to the only route back to the country due to the fully occupied numbers of managed isolation and quarantine, or MIQ, as demands soar following the threat posed by the Omicron strain yesterday. Although the ban would be temporary, no date…
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Facebook mistakenly banning ok content a growing problem
Language and expression have nuances, subtleties, and variety in meaning, both explicitly and implicitly stated. The problem is, Facebook often times does not. Society is facing an increasingly conspicuous problem of Facebook and other social media platforms using algorithms to block prohibited content while lacking any useful channels to rectify mistakes. Many people have experienced getting muted or banned temporarily…
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Prince Andrew shuts down social media accounts as backlash grows in Britain
The British prince formerly known as His Royal Highness has quit social media amid a barrage of negative publicity ahead of a civil lawsuit in the US. Prince Andrew faces a civil case brought by Virginia Giuffre, a now 38-year-old woman, who accuses him of sexual assault and battery when she was just 17. Giuffre says she was trafficked by…
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5G causes airlines to cancel or rearrange flights to the US
Fear of 5G interference around American airports is spurring airlines from around the world to cancel or reschedule flights to the US. At least 25 flights to the US were cancelled today with many airlines saying they will cancel more as they scrambled to change the type of aircraft used to avoid interference as AT&T and Verizon Communications roll out…
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Canada bids farewell to Malaysia’s Supermax over alleged forced labour
Although Malaysia’s glove manufacturer, Supermax Corp, reported it would speed up the progress to meet the requirements of the International Labour Organisation two years ago, Canada cancelled its sourcing contract with the company over forced labour claims. Supermax came under fire for allegedly abusing foreign employees, who make up a large portion of the workforce, despite the Canadian government placing…
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Cambodian opposition leader accused of treason asks court to drop charges
A Cambodian opposition leader accused of treason has urged the court in the Southeast Asian country to drop the charges. He denied allegations that he worked with foreign groups to undermine the ruling administration of PM Hun Sen, which stirred widespread criticism amongst Cambodia’s politicians. The trial for 68 year old Kem Sokha, co-founder of the ousted Cambodia National Rescue…
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Indonesia lifts ban on international arrivals from high risk countries
Indonesia scrapped its travel ban list and now all foreign arrivals can enter the Southeast Asian country. A seven day isolation period is still required for all travellers from overseas. The 14 countries on Indonesia’s travel ban list due to high Covid-19 infection rates have all been removed, according to the country’s Covid-19 Task Force. The measure went into effect…
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UN envoy urges PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to help stop Myanmar crisis
As the Thai government promised to protect Myanmar refugees who fled into Thailand, a UN ambassador has urged PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to help prevent the worsening crisis in Myanmar, following the in-person meeting at the Government House in Bangkok this week. The UN Secretary-Special General’s Envoy on Myanmar, Noeleen Heyzer, has visited Thailand after the Association of Southeast Asian Nations…
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Malaysia allows two new airlines to operate as industry still reels from Covid-19
The civil aviation regulator of Malaysia has allowed the entry of two new airlines despite the fact that the industry has been reeling from the catastrophic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic for more than two years. According to the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom), the newly founded ultra-low-cost carrier MYAirline is about to begin its operations soon as it has been…
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Singapore crowned most “Instagrammable” place in the world – Big 7 Travel
If you’re in Singapore, get out your camera. The Southeast Asian country was just named the most “Instagrammable” place in the world by the England-based publication Big 7 Travel. The publication noted its annual hashtag tally, which is now in its fourth year, that Singapore has many photographable spots “from the renowned Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay to…
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Chinese sperm imposter sued in Japan after lying about ethnicity, education, wife
A Tokyo woman who sought impregnation from a “sperm donor” has given up her child for adoption, after she learned the father is actually a Chinese imposter, and has sued him for nearly US$3 million. The woman, whose husband suffers from an unnamed heredity disease, was reportedly desperate for a second child when she sought out a sperm donor online.…
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Vietjet to resume two weekly flights between Vietnam and Thailand this week
Starting Friday, Vietnam’s national flag carrier, Vietjet, will resume flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok, with two weekly round trips every Friday and Saturday in order to boost international operations. The flights will connect travellers to and from Tan Son Nhat International Airport and Thailand’s main aviation hub, Suvarnabhumi International Airport, with complimentary Covid-19 RT-PCR test packages for…
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ASEAN backlash over Cambodian PM’s visit to Myanmar
Following Cambodian PM Hun Sen’s visit to Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw earlier this month, Cambodia’s year-long ASEAN chairmanship began with the postponement of a high-level conference amid a heated discussion on “who should represent Myanmar” after the post-coup country fell into a tottering loophole. The two-day summit, in which Cambodia had shown confidence in hosting an in-person ASEAN meeting for the…
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Malaysia says no tsunami threat along its coasts following Tonga volcano eruption
Tsunami warnings were issued in the US, Canada, and Japan following a large underwater volcanic eruption that originated on a small island in the South Pacific last weekend. The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) declared that there would be no tsunami threat in Malaysia yesterday. According to the Malaysia government’s report yesterday, no tsunami threat has been calculated so far under…
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