World News
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Sponsored The 5 best luxury villa rentals in Koh Samui by The Luxury Signature
Koh Samui has long been known as one of the world’s finest luxury travel destinations. Its pristine beaches, lush landscapes, and crystal-clear waters create an idyllic setting that attracts travellers seeking an escape from the everyday grind. And opting to...
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Son of Sultan of Brunei dies at the age of 38
The son of the Sultan of Brunei has died at the age of 38, the government of Brunei has confirmed. Prince Azim, who was 4th in line to the throne, passed away on Saturday morning. While the cause of death has not been confirmed, his Wikipedia entry says he succumbed to a long illness. CNN reports that the prince had…
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Malaysian PM called to quit, criticised for “abuse of power” during Covid-19 crisis
While protesters in Thailand are calling on PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to resign, the Malaysia PM Muhyiddin Yassin is experiencing similar calls after he attempted to declare a state of emergency amid a rise in Covid-19 infections, but the request was rejected by the Malaysian King. Some say the prime minister’s attempt to impose the order was intended to suspend parliament…
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Hong Kong and Thai protesters form the “Milk Tea Alliance”
Links to continue to grow between the core Hong Kong protest movement and the current Thai protests. The alliance is being called “The Milk Tea Alliance”…milky orange-coloured sweet tea is popular in both Thailand and Hong Kong. Democracy supporters in Hong Kong, Thailand and Taiwan are sharing their criticisms and demands for change against “regimes” they claim are stymying attempts…
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Malaysian PM proposes a state of emergency in a political move to postpone budget vote
Malaysia’s head of state is said to be consulting with the country’s other hereditary rulers to discuss a proposal by Malaysian PM Muhyiddin Yassin, who has requested that the King declare a state of emergency. The Star newspaper is reporting that the country’s rulers would meet at 2.30pm tomorrow, after which the king will deliver a decision to the PM. Muhyiddin…
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AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine trial volunteer dies
A volunteer for a Covid-19 vaccine clinical trial in Brazil has died. But he never actually received the experimental vaccine, although he was involved in the trial groups. He did, however, die of Covid-19. But trials on the vaccine, being developed by Oxford University and the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, are set to continue. The university says “there have been no…
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China ban on inbound, outbound tour groups to continue
The Chinese government is to keep the current ban on inbound and outbound tour groups, amid fears that the winter months could bring a resurgence of Covid-19. The Bangkok Post reports that the country’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism has confirmed on its website that the ban remains in place. After several months with very low case numbers, officials are…
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Up to 5,900 jobs to go as Hong Kong carrier Cathay Dragon shuts down
Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific is set to close its subsidiary, Cathay Dragon, with the loss of up to 5,900 jobs. The carrier, that used to be called Dragon Air before being absorbed by Cathay, has become yet another casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic that has decimated the aviation business. The Bangkok Post reports that 5,300 jobs are expected to…
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International travel slow to take off, Covid-19 restrictions evolving
While Thailand is working on safely, and slowly, reopening its borders to foreign tourists after a 7 month border closure, other countries are also adapting to new, pandemic-induced, travel measures and restrictions. Now some are slowly lifting restrictions and resuming flights, while some remain grounded. What’s happening in your part of the world? In all cases, check your local travel…
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Governor halts movement of goods between Tak and Myanmar amid Covid fears
The governor of the north-western province of Tak has put a temporary stop on the transport of goods between the province and Myanmar, just across the border. The suspension comes amid increasing anxiety about the number of Covid-19 cases in the neighbouring country and is expected to remain in force until at least October 25. Governor Pongrat Piromrat called a…
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2 Covid vaccine trials halted in phase 3 over safety concerns
After Johnson & Johnson paused phase 3 of its Covid vaccine trials due to safety concerns, a second pharmaceutical company has followed suit. Eli Lilly has halted phase 3 trials of a lab-produced antibody treatment, 24 hours after the Johnson & Johnson decision. The Bangkok Post reports that an unspecified incident led Eli Lilly to call a temporary halt to…
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Thai police to verify “Boss” whereabouts with UAE embassy
Following recent reports that the elusive Red Bull heir, Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, is living in Dubai, Thai police say they’re writing to the UAE embassy to verify the claims (the embassy is in Witthayu road… we can send you the address if you need so you can ‘drop in’ and have a chat). Boss is wanted in relation to a…
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King Bhumibol Adulyadej – in remembrance of the “Father of Thailand”
His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej was Thailand’s monarch for just over 70 years. At the time of his passing in October 2016, King Bhumibol was the world’s longest-serving head of state and the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history. Amongst his many other gifts, he was was revered as a calming and compassionate influence, overseeing Thailand’s stormy political history in the second half of the…
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German politician raises questions about the status of Thailand’s Head of State
German politicians have raised questions in parliament about the status of Thailand’s Head of State as a part time resident in the state of Bavaria, after protests in Thailand have continued to make international news, drawing attention to Thailand and the Thai government’s fragile political situation. Frithjof Schmidt, from Germany’s Green Party, has questioned the German Foreign Ministry about its…
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Timeline of a pandemic – the early days of Covid-19
The most critical time in the Covid-19 story is obviously early January this year, when either confusion or a lack of concrete knowledge, caused delays in public information about the seriousness of a possible new coronavirus. It was, indeed, a novel coronavirus, difficult to identify without a history or a published RNA sequence for comparison. In the last weeks of…
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China’s economy expected to grow 1.6% in 2020 – World Bank
Much the world is currently seeing continuing surges of new Covid-19 cases, some countries are well into their 2nd wave. Meanwhile China is quietly getting it’s industrial engine and economy going again as new cases. In fact China’s number of ‘active cases’ has been dropping since April, and now is fewer than 200 total cases across the country. Along with…
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Air Asia diversifies from an airline brand to e-commerce powerhouse
Airasia.com has revealed its greatly extended new online brand identity online as “ASEAN’s super app”, completing what it calls a “transformation from digital airline to comprehensive lifestyle platform”. The airasia.com ASEAN super app combines a host of related online experiences in a “faster and more convenient user experience” with over 15 types of products and services under 3 main headings…
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US presidential debate schedule changed after Trump’s Covid-19 infection
The second US presidential debate, initially scheduled for next week, has now been postponed after President Donald Trump, who is still recovering from a bout of Covid-19, pulled out of the debate. Due to the current coronavirus outbreak at the White House, infecting several dozen people ranging from aides to senators and top military officers, organisers changed next week’s debate…
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Mr ‘Phuket Seasted’ is back with his Crypto Cruise Ship
From the man who was chased away from the Phuket offshore ‘Seasted’ by the Royal Thai Navy, along with his Thai girlfriend, the very same Chad Elwartowski is now launching a Crypto Cruise Ship. The company he was representing at the time, Ocean Builders, is again behind the new venture. Just to recap from April last year… “A couple has…
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“There is hope” Covid-19 vaccine could be ready by the end of the year, WHO director
A Covid-19 vaccine could be ready by end of this year and distributed by next year. While the cost and availability of the vaccine remains uncertain, the World Health Organisation director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is calling on world leaders to make sure any vaccine is equally distributed to the public once it is available. WHO’s COVAX global vaccine facility is…
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Rock star Eddie Van Halen loses cancer battle – VIDEO
Rock icon Eddie Van Halen has died, after losing a long battle with cancer. His son, Wolfgang Van Halen, took to Twitter to announce the death of his 65 year old musician father. “I can’t believe I’m having to write this, but my father, Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning. He…
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Global tourism plunges up to 80% in 2020
Internationally, tourism will plunge between 60 – 80% by the end of the year. The UN World Tourism Organisation makes the forecast in their latest report. The prediction, broad and probably conservative, will put millions of workers in the world’s tourism industry, out of work. In Thailand, with its reliance on tourism as a significant contributor to its GDP, will see…
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UPDATE: Trump says he is “starting to feel good” after being hospitalised
After being transferred to a military hospital a mere 17 hours after being diagnosed with Covid-19, US president Donald Trump says he is “starting to feel good” as the White House published pictures of him working from his hospital bed. But his recent statement is contrary to some reports that his oxygen levels had ‘dropped rapidly’ with White House officials…
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UK battles big spike in new Covid-19 cases, but deaths remain low
The UK has reported 12,872 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, and 7,070 this morning. The Saturday report of Friday’s new cases were a record daily addition of new cases for the country, taking the overall total since the start of the pandemic to 480,017. The British government is blaming the jump on a “reporting delay” and saying the numbers in…
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Skål International Bangkok’s helps to repatriate a mother and her teacher son
by Andrew Wood A mother’s plight to rescue her 23 year old son, John de Villiers, who was stranded in Asia and his mother’s wish to return him safely home to South Africa, led to a fantastic story that has to be told. The amazing story involved using key contacts available via Skål International’s global reach, embassies across 3 continents,…
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Former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra had Covid-19 but has since recovered
Former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra, and current fugitive, was infected with Covid-19 but has since recovered. BBC Thai report that the former prime minister has recently returned to his Dubai home after an extended stint in hospital. Thaksin says that he only informed the people closest to him about the infection. His is now 71 years old. “I was discharged…
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60 Burmese test negative for Covid-19 after contact with infected teen at border district
Those in the Kanchanburi province, close to the Thai-Myanmar border in the west of Thailand, have been on high alert since a Burmese teenager in a border town tested positive for Covid-19 last month. Myanmar health officials now report that 60 people in the Payantongsu district, who were in close contact with the 17 year old, have all tested negative…
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US President Trump tests positive for Covid-19, reported to be “well”
United States President Donald Trump has tested positive for Covid-19. He announced on Twitter that both he and his wife Melania Trump have tested positive for the virus and are now in isolation. “Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER.” The US presidential election…
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UPDATE: US President Trump and First Lady test positive for Covid-19
The US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania have tested positive for Covid-19. The President made the announcement on his Twitter account in the early hours of Friday morning, US time. The 74 year old President was diagnosed just hours after it became public that Hope Hicks, a Trump aide who had been travelling with him on Air Force…
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The world’s Top 10 languages, spoken by native speakers
I battle to speak one language, English, and can barely order my lunch in Thai. And, whilst studying French for 7 years at school, I can only ask a French-speaker for the time or order coffee. Sacre Bleu! The world’s most common languages changes over time and a world interlinked on the internet and aviation, like never before, is making…
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Top 10 must-see towns in Asia
Tropical nights, curious mountain silhouettes, sprawling rice paddies and exotic cuisine. You’ll also find some snow-topped mountains as well. The Thaiger has selected the Top Ten of these camera-worthy towns. Southern Asia is a concoction of the ancient, very modern, traditional and enigmatic. Amongst the islands, megacities and spectacular scenery, there are also some very pretty towns that deserve your days…
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