World News
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Sponsored Is tap water in Thailand safe to consume?
Wondering if you can drink the tap water in Thailand? From brushing your teeth to filling up a bottle, it’s helpful to understand a few basics. Tap water safety in Thailand varies by location, and while some people use it...
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From the beautiful to the bizarre: 6 Christmas traditions from around Asia
Wherever you find yourself on Christmas Day this year, it’s sure to be slightly different to previous years – or even extremely different, depending on how severe the Covid-19 situation is in your location. But in happier, more normal times, these 6 Asian countries have their own unique ways in which to celebrate the holiday. Eating KFC in Japan Did…
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Thai social media gets nasty as old animosities resurface over the Burmese migrants
A Covid-19 outbreak in Samut Sakhon, centred around a seafood market and the local fishing industry’s Burmese migrant population, has unbottled a new wave of anti-Burmese sentiment in Thai social media, never bubbling far beneath the surface. The revelations of an outbreak of some 1,000+ positive infections has opened a long-standing wound between the two countries, including straight out online…
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Christmas across Asia: How Thailand’s neighbours celebrate
Those of us living in Thailand (and those who holiday here in more “normal” times), are familiar with what Christmas looks like in the Land of Smiles. But what about other Asian countries? Here’s a round-up of what the festive season looks like for some of our neighbours. Indonesia Despite being a primarily Muslim nation, Christmas is celebrated by many…
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Thai government urged to offer amnesty to illegal migrants and their employers
The Thai government is being urged to grant amnesty to undocumented migrant workers in the Kingdom and to extend the reprieve to their employers. The call has been picked up by a number of Thai media outlets, as well as Thai citizens concerned about the latest Covid-19 outbreak. Those calling for the amnesty say it would stop workers fleeing quarantine…
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US conservative media walk back allegations on voter fraud
Some of America’s biggest right-leaning media have spent the last week walking back on their earlier promotion of conspiracy theories surrounding alleged voter fraud and tampering from the November 3 election. Both Fox News and Newsmax have aired segments this week contradicting earlier stories about election fraud and claims focusing on vote machines manufacturer Smartmatic. Without specifically retracting their earlier…
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WHO calls for calm over new coronavirus variant
The World Health Organisation is calling for calm over the emergence of a new strain of Covid-19 in countries including Britain and South Africa. WHO emergencies chief Mike Ryan says virus mutation is to be expected and is not a cause for major alarm. His comments come as a growing number of countries impose travel bans on passengers from the…
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New Covid-19 variant prompts many countries to stop travel from the UK
A new strain of Covid-19 quickly spreading in southern England has prompted a number of countries to ban travel from the United Kingdom while other nations are mulling similar restrictions. The new coronavirus variant is said to spread more quickly than others. British PM Boris Johnson placed London and southeastern England on a Tier 4 lockdown. He announced that both Christmas…
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Netizens demand Minister of Public Health to resign after Covid surge
Today, Thai netizens are demanding the resignation of Thailand’s Minister of Public Health after the largest daily amount of Covid infections is being reported in Samut Sakhon Province. That number of infections, reported today, is now up to 576, 516 of which includes migrant workers who have been in the news recently after several were found to have entered Thailand…
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US cybersecurity agency alleges Russian hacking campaign
A cyberattack, which was first identified when US government agencies were targeted, has also been aimed at cyber targets worldwide, raising fears about global computer security. Microsoft has already announced that it’s notified more than 40 large customers hit by the malware which allegedly originated from hackers linked to the Russian government. The malware has been allowing attackers unfettered access…
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Sydney Covid outbreak sparks border clampdowns in other Australian states
A spate of Covid-19 cases on Sydney’s northern beaches has prompted other Australian states to impose strict restrictions on arrivals from the region. With 28 new cases confirmed along the city’s northern beaches, and fears that number will grow, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian is calling for vigilance. “Everyone in greater Sydney needs to be on high alert.” Thai…
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China’s Moon probe successfully returns to Earth this morning | VIDEO
China’s Chang’e-5 mission has arrived safely back on Earth after a successful 3 week mission to the Moon, collecting rocks and soil from the surface, and then retuning. It’s the first time since the 1970s a space mission like this has been completed. China becomes only the 3rd country in the world to successfully collect rocks from the moon. The mission…
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Chiang Rai officials insist province is now safe to visit
Officials in the northern province of Chiang Rai are assuring potential tourists from the rest of the Kingdom that it is safe to visit, saying the Covid-19 situation is under control. Chiang Rai hit the headlines in recent weeks, when a number of Thai nationals entered the province illegally from Myanmar. After bypassing health checks and quarantine, several subsequently tested…
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25 Burmese arrested for allegedly crossing the Thai-Myanmar border illegally
Military and police patrol arrested 25 Burmese people for allegedly crossing the Thai-Myanmar border illegally to Kanchanaburi’s Muang district. With Covid-19 cases rising by more than 1,000 each day in the neighbouring country, some Thais fear that migrants crossing the border illegally, avoiding the mandatory 14 day quarantine, could potentially spread the virus to people in Thailand. Covid-19 fears were…
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Foreign media express anxiety over Thailand’s press freedoms
Foreign journalists in Thailand are expressing concern about what they are calling restrictions on press freedom. Speaking at a recent Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand forum, speakers said that the current laws are “proving to be an obstacle to reporting of the anti-government protests”, despite government assurances there have been no curbs on freedom of expression. The “Journalism Without Fear…
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US launches most complex vaccine distribution today as Covid soars
Today, the US is launching its largest and most complicated vaccine distribution process in its history after Covid has continued to wreak havoc on its citizens for months. The site of the distribution, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, is filled with tractor trailers loaded with suitcase-sized containers of Pfizer’s Covid vaccine. US regulators authorised the vaccine from Pfizer and its partner BioNTech…
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Laos – the ‘battery’ of Asia and a ticking environmental time bomb
LAOS POWER FACTS: Number of power plants soon to be completed by the end of 2020: 53 hydropower plants under construction or in the planning stage, including those set to be completed this year; there will be more than 90 hydropower plants in Laos with a combined installed capacity of almost 14,000MW. Transmission lines that connect with neighbouring countries: 14 carry power to…
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Thai arrested over alleged smuggling of 12 illegal Laos migrants
Police have arrested an Ubon Ratchathani resident over the alleged smuggling of 12 illegal migrants from Laos in a pick-up truck on Friday night. Authorities have stepped up patrols along Thailand’s northern and north eastern borders over recent weeks to stem the flow of illegal crossings into Thailand in the wake of the prostitutes and other Thai workers who were…
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US approves Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine
The US has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, a situation that now permits the rollout of the new mRNA coronavirus vaccine. President Donald Trump promised the first immunisations will now take place “in less than 24 hours”, hailing the development. “Through our partnership with FedEx and UPS, we have already begun shipping the vaccine to every state and zip code…
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Thai border officials capture 14 illegal Burmese migrants at Tak border areas
The Thai military has captured 14 illegal migrants from Myanmar, in 2 operations in the northern province of Tak yesterday. The first occurred in the district of Mae Sot, when officials arrested 11 Burmese nationals, 1 male and 10 females, who were in the process of crossing the Mei River into Thailand. All 11 have been sent to a Tak…
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US Supreme Court rejects state bid to overturn presidential election
The US Supreme Court has rejected a last ditch bid from the Texas’ state attorney general, supported by President Trump, to block ballots of millions of voters in key battleground states that voted for President-elect Joe Biden. The Supreme Court order was unsigned, and the court did not provide a vote count from the sitting judges, but there were no…
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BTS are the Time Magazine Entertainer of the Year 2020
Music supergroup BTS has been named Entertainer of the Year by Time Magazine, capping another year ascending through the bamboo ceiling of the world’s music industry. The South Korean K-Pop group, who debuted in 2013, has become the world’s most popular band thanks their meaningful lyrics, themed albums, an army of adoring fans (who are actually called ARMY), positive messages and…
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Chiang Rai governor leads clean-up operation amid Covid fears
Chiang Rai governor, Prajon Prachsakul, has led a clean-up operation across public areas and tourist attractions such as shopping malls, Chiang Rai Airport, Singha Park and the border checkpoint at Mae Sai. It follows the recent discovery of a number of infected Thai nationals who had illegally crossed from Myanmar, bypassing health checks and quarantine. At least 34 illegal returnees…
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Cher calls for Thailand’s only gorilla to be rescued after 30 years in Bangkok shopping mall zoo
US singer Cher has taken to Twitter to expose the plight of a Thai gorilla known as Bua Noi, who has lived above a shopping mall for 30 years. With her mate having died several years ago, she is Thailand’s only gorilla. Cher’s mission to rehome Bua Noi comes just after her rescue of 36 year old Kaavan in Pakistan,…
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Thai medic claims Burmese coronavirus a different strain, spreads 20% faster
Dr Prasit Watanapa from the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital says the coronavirus currently circulating in Myanmar is a different strain and is being transmitted 20% faster than the one detected in Wuhan at the start of the pandemic. The Wuhan strain is known as D614, whereas the more virulent strain currently found in Western countries is G614. Prasit…
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YouTube to block misleading content alleging voter fraud in US election
YouTube says that it is removing any content alleging widespread voter fraud that could have influenced the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election. In the wake of case after case being thrown out of State courts, and even a ruling from the US Supreme Court, there is yet to be any evidence produced to indicate voter fraud or tampering…
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Air Asia to focus on ASEAN expansion, as CEO expresses cautious optimism for 2021
Air Asia’s chief executive, Tony Fernandes, says the low-cost carrier is planning to expand its presence in Southeast Asia and is in talks to form 3 new airlines. He points out that people still want to travel, and that demand makes him hopeful air travel could be back to its pre-Covid numbers within 6 – 12 months. “At the right…
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Passengers from Chiang Rai-Bangkok flights considered “low-risk”
Passengers from 4 flights between Chiang Rai and Bangkok are considered at “low risk” of contracting Covid-19, according to a statement from the Public Health Ministry. However, the ministry is asking all passengers to self-monitor for the next 14 days, and report symptoms such as fever, a cough, sore throat, or a loss of taste or smell immediately. The 4…
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China carries out first-ever lunar orbit docking, now heading back to Earth
China has carried out its first-ever lunar orbit docking today with a probe carrying lunar samples collected over the past week during a 48 hour stay on the Moon. The mission is named Chang’e-5, after a mythical Chinese Moon goddess, and is bringing back the first lunar soil samples in over 40 years. The capsule carrying moon rocks and soil…
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“Vaccines are no magic bullet” – World Health Organisation
“Vaccines will be no magic bullet for the coronavirus crisis as nations gear up for a massive rollout to tackle surging infections.” The warning of caution comes from the World Health Organisation on the day the US United States recorded a record number of Covid-19 cases for a second day in a row. President-elect Joe Biden is already describing the time…
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FazWaz accelerates growth in SE Asia property market with latest funding round
FazWaz, a leading real estate transaction marketplace headquartered in Bangkok, has raised a new round of funding to accelerate growth into 2021. Serial investor and Online Marketplaces Chairman Simon Baker via CAV Investment Group says he’s been closely following FazWaz for the last 3 years since they first attended our Property Portal Watch Conferences in 2017. “I believe that their mission…
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