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 How to travel around Thailand for under US$30 a day
The Thaiger key takeaways Staying in budget hostels or guesthouses and eating street food keeps daily expenses low. Mixing buses, trains, and budget flights allows affordable travel between cities and islands. Free or cheap activities, such as temples, markets, parks,...
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Vamco weakens into tropical storm, misses northern Thailand altogether
Typhoon Vamco, which killed some 67 people when it stormed through the middle of Luzon island late last week, has turned into a tropical storm which will have minor effects on Thailand’s weather over the next few days. Isolated light to moderate rains will be likely over the Northeast and the North today as a result… Vamco will track on…
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15 Asia-Pacific countries form the world’s largest trade bloc, the great RCEP reset
After 8 gruelling years of negotiation, 15 countries have signed onto the largest free trade bloc in history. In a joint statement, the leaders of the countries, signatories of the trade deal, say RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) will form a crucial part of economic recovery once the pandemic is over. The deal excludes the US, which withdrew from a…
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Asian trade deal to be signed today
Today, 15 countries are set to sign a wide-reaching Asian trade deal to help them recover from the Covid pandemic. Such countries as China, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan are part of the pact which also includes 10 south east Asian economies – the 10 countries of ASEAN. The deal is seen as a Chinese-led alternative to the…
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Trump supporters march in Washington, repeating claims of election fraud
Supporters of US President Donald Trump staged a march through Washington yesterday, protesting unsubstantiated claims of election fraud. A week since Democrat candidate Joe Biden clinched the electoral college numbers required to claim the presidency. Meanwhile Donald Trump, a Republican, continues to refuse acknowledgment or accept the outcome, launching a barrage of legal challenges to overturn the results. Most of these…
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US President-elect Biden eyes 306 electoral college votes, to Trump’s 232
US President-elect Joe Biden has likely bagged 306 votes in the Electoral College vote that decides who wins the keys to the White House. At this stage Donald Trump has won 232 votes in the tally. First to 270 Electoral College votes wins the US Presidency. Even if the state of Georgia somehow flips in a recount – historically unlikely –…
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South East Asian leaders foreshadow a pivot to the US in the new administration
So what will the presidency of US President-elect Joe Biden mean for south east Asia? And how will it differ from the administration of President Trump? South east Asia already knows Joe Biden from his term as US vice president from 2008 – 2016, and his “Asia pivot” that provided high-level diplomacy and resources with strategic trade relationships. The Obama-era…
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Vamco kills 7 as typhoon-weary communities mop up in northern Philippines | VIDEO
‘Vamco’, aka Ulysses in The Philippines, is now a severe tropical storm heading westward towards the central Vietnamese coastline after making landfall on The Philippines yesterday as the latest typhoon. At least 7 people have died and 12 others missing after Vamco made landfall on Wednesday night. A 68 and 70 year old are among those killed. More than 180,000…
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Man arrested in China for allegedly selling his newborn baby
A man was in China allegedly sold his newborn son to an online buyer for 18,000 pounds or 722,000 baht. The father claimed the Covid-19 pandemic left him unemployed and he needed the money, so he put his baby – just 40 days old – up for sale. The alleged buyer was a woman who was unable to have children,…
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UPDATE: Pfizer and BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine candidate is “strongly effective”
Pfizer is claiming that it’s current Covid-19 vaccine candidate “may be 90% effective” at preventing infection from the coronavirus. The pharmaceutical company says later this month they could be ready to file an ’emergency use’ application with US regulators. US-based Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech are claiming that their vaccine against Covid-19 was “strongly effective” and has “exceeded expectations”…
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UPDATE: US President continues to wage war against the election results on Twitter
President Trump continues to insist on Twitter that ballots “have not been properly considered” and argues that President-elect Joe Biden’s victory is premature. But sources from the President’s inner circle are saying that “under some conditions” the president would consider a civil transition of power, accord to Fox News. At this stage, lawyers representing the Trump campaign have already filed…
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Letter to President Donald Trump
OPINION John Magee was the owner of The Thaiger’s predecessor, the long-running Phuket Gazette. As a US citizen and longtime Republican, he’s penned a letter to the US President Donald Trump… November 7, 2020 Dear Mr President: Let me propose something to you in the simplest possible English, with no word exceeding ten letters or five syllables. As an American…
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Vietnam plans to keep borders closed and not rely on vaccine strategy
The Vietnamese Covid-19 task force says it plans to maintain its strategy of containing the coronavirus rather than “rush into a vaccine”, even if a successful vaccine becomes available, that could pose a financial burden the country. Vietnam, despite a month-long surge around Da Nang, has been able to largely contain the local outbreak. Yesterday the world’s Covid numbers reported…
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UPDATE: President Trump repeats fraud claims, counting continues in too-close-to-call election
The US President Donald Trump has again repeated unproven and outlandish claims that widespread voter fraud has marred the US presidential election. In a handful of crucial states the results are too close to call as votes continue to be counted. Speaking at the White House, the President was defiant, accusing pollsters and the Democratic Party of engaging in fraud. It’s…
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Burger King Indonesia urges diners to share the love – by ordering at McDonald’s
The fast food chain Burger King has come in for online praise (and no doubt, some helpful PR) after suggesting its customers in Indonesia should order from other struggling businesses, including rival burger joint, McDonalds. Burger King Indonesia is believed to have followed the example of its UK counterpart, who posted the same suggestion, in a tweet that has since…
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Cambodian PM tests negative for Covid-19 after meeting with Hungarian foreign minister
Cambodian PM Hun Sen says he tested negative for Covid-19, but he will be in self-quarantine for the next 14 days. On Tuesday, the prime minister met with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Szijarto, who tested positive for Covid-19 while in Bangkok, Thai officials announced yesterday. The Hungary delegation had a 1-day visit in Phnom Penh on Tuesday before…
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UPDATE: No clear winner in US Election, but pollsters got the result very wrong, again
Although there’s currently no clear winner, officially reaching the magic 270 Electoral College votes and claiming the US Presidency, there’s already plenty of losers – most with the words “poll’ in their name. US pollsters, largely, got the election result wrong, again. They’d promised to refine their models following the 2016 embarrassment but have just repeated their errors this time…
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European countries in lockdown as Covid-19 cases top 11 million
Covid-19 cases across Europe have now topped 11 million, with Austria and Greece the latest countries to impose partial lockdowns. France, Germany, Belgium and Ireland have already done the same, introducing strict restrictions on movement and, in most cases, shutting all but non-essential services. Nearly 285,000 deaths from the virus have now been recorded across the continent. The Bangkok Post…
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3 dead after shootings near synagogue in Vienna
3 people are dead, including an alleged shooter, after a series of attacks in central Vienna. The Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz described as a “repulsive terror attack”. One suspect was “shot and killed by police officers”, according to Vienna police. A woman wounded in an attack in central Vienna has since died of her injuries. Her death briought the civilian toll to…
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Typhoon Goni kills 22, many others missing, now heads towards Vietnam
Typhoon Goni blasted its way across the northern island of Luzon, tracking just south of the capital Manila. It made landfall around 5am in the morning and by the end of the day it had crossed, heading westwards, and reached the South China Sea, having killed at least 22 and displacing more than 800,000 people. The latest death toll was…
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34 Thai provinces affected by heavy rains and flooding, typhoon ‘Goni’ heads towards Vietnam
Heavy rain overnight has flooded parts of the Wang Nam Khiao district in southern Nakhon Ratchasima caused by run-off from the mountainous areas of the Thap Lan National Park. At least 1 person has been reported dead from the north eastern floods, an 18 year old swept away by sweeping waves of water while driving back to house by motorcycle…
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OBITUARY: Sean Connery, the original Bond and the sexiest man of the 20th century
Sir Sean Connery has died aged 90. Jason Bond, his son, announced that he had died peacefully in his sleep after being “unwell for some time”. His career spanned some 70 movies. He was the first actor to have portrayed Ian Fleming’s British spy character James Bond, playing the role 7 times from 1962 to 1983. He won an Academy Award…
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‘Goni’ slams into Philippines’ coast, most powerful typhoon of the year – VIDEO
Typhoon Goni, aka. ‘Rolly’, the region’s most powerful typhoon for 2020, has crossed the coastline in The Philippines packing sustained winds of 225 kilometres per hour. Goni hit Catanduanes island this morning just before 5am, Philippine time. It then moved onto the northern island of Luzon, and will pass some 100 kilometres south of the capital Manila. More than 500,000 people…
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Sir Sean Connery dies at 90 years of age
Sir Sean Connery has died at the age of 90. The Scottish actor was best known for his portrayal of British spy 007 “Bond… James Bond”, doing his first Bond movie in 1962 in “Dr. No”. According to his son, Jason Connery, he died peacefully in his sleep in the Bahamas. He was knighted by the Queen at Holyrood Palace in…
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This year’s most powerful typhoon will hit Philippines tomorrow
Typhoon Goni continues to bear down on The Philippines in one of the South China Sea’s busiest storm years. 220,000 people have now been evacuated as of today.The typhoon, packing “destructive winds’, is expected to reach the south-east of the Philippine’s main island of Luzon tomorrow morning with the eye of the storm passing over during Sunday afternoon. Forecasters are expecting…
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At least 35 dead, 100s injured, 50+ missing in Vietnam typhoon Molave
‘Molave’ has been the most powerful typhoon to hit Vietnam in 20 years. As it peters out into a harmless low pressure front making its way westwards in Thailand. Officials say the death toll across Vietnam may rise as some regions have been unable to report details of damage and casualties. This morning the remnants of Molave are sitting directly…
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France and Germany back in lockdown amid resurgence of Covid-19 in Europe
The leaders of France and Germany are once again having to introduce national lockdowns as the Covid-19 virus continues to surge across Europe. France is now recording over 36,000 (+36,437 yesterday) new cases a day, while Germany, which fared slightly better than other European countries during the first wave of the virus, is now seeing a dramatic rise in cases…
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3 Chinese casino workers arrested with 8 million baht after illegal crossing from Myanmar
Officers from the Thai police and military have arrested 3 Chinese nationals after they crossed illegally into Thailand from the Burmese town of Myawaddy. Thai Residents reports that the 2 women and 1 man were workers at a casino in Myanmar and were arrested in possession of 8 million baht. Officers detained them as they were getting into 2 cars…
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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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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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