World News
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Sponsored 5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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UPDATE: 18 dead, dozens injured in Air India crash
4 children have now been identified among the 18 people who died when an Air India Express flight crashed in the southern Indian state of Kerala. 16 passengers and the 2 pilots died after the passenger jet broke in half early Friday evening, Indian time, as it overshot and skidded off the runway when it tried to land in southern India.…
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Mother, infant son reunited after 5 months
A young Malaysian mother was reunited with her infant son yesterday after being stranded in Thailand for 5 months. She was marooned while on a visa run when Malaysia closed its borders in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 18 year old Nurahaleesa Jeh-awae was joyfully reunited with her 6 month old son at the Sadao district border crossing in…
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Discovery of unexploded bombs in eastern Thailand linked to Cambodian civil war
5 unexploded bombs have been discovered in the eastern Thai province of Sa Kaeo, with the devices believed to be relics from the Cambodian civil war in the 1970s. Locals from the village of Tubtim Siam alerted officials after finding the unexploded ordinance in their area. The Pattaya News reports that the devices included bombs and anti-tank mines. The devices…
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Trump decries “Thighland’s” unfair trade practices
OPINION Gaffe-prone US President Donald Trump, recently mocked for his mispronunciation of the name of Yosemite National Park as “YO-semite”, has stuck his foot in it again: Finland is obviously for fins, Switzerland for switzers, Iceland for ice and Holland for the nethers. Surely there’s a home for everyone’s favourite part of the leg, between hip and knee? Very stable…
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2 Thai men injured in Beirut explosion
The government says 2 Thai nationals have been injured in the huge explosion that rocked the Lebanese capital’s port area in Beirut, earlier this week. The Bangkok Post reports that both men have been treated for minor injuries, mainly cuts from broken glass. According to Thailand’s Labour Ministry, one of the men, named as Veerayut Boonrak, is a cook at…
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Concerns over virus spread in boarding houses as Hong Kong records 95 new cases
Hong Kong has seen a slight uptick in Covid-19 infections, with a new daily total of 95 cases. A report in Coconuts says a domestic helper from Indonesia has tested positive for the virus after a stay in a boarding house. Such boarding houses are used by agencies in Hong Kong to accommodate domestic workers who are in between jobs.…
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US fares worse than Mexico and Russia in world misery ranking
The Bloomberg Misery Index for 2020 has been released, using economic predictions for 2020 inflation rates and employment compared to figures from 2019. The list features 60 countries where sufficient economic forecasting data is available to Bloomberg. It’s not looking good for the US, which has plummeted 25 spots. The timing couldn’t be worse for President Trump as he campaigns…
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Philippines plummets in to recession as virus numbers spike
The Philippines, reeling from Covid-19 lockdowns that have destroyed businesses and thrown millions out of work, plunged into recession after its biggest quarterly contraction on record, data showed today. The Philippine Statistics Authority says GDP 16.5% year-on-year in the second quarter as the country endured one of the world’s longest stay-at-home orders to slow the spread of the virus that’s…
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Mushroom clouds and nuclear explosions – the fallout from the Beirut explosion – VIDEO
The world of instant experts and budding journalists kicks in moments after any event these days and reaches out almost instantaneously. The majority of people in the world first read about the Beirut chemical explosion on social media feeds, rather than mainstream media sources. Whilst most of the videos appeared horrifyingly authentic, captured by residents from wherever they were at…
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Vietnam battles new, more contagious Covid-19 strain
Vietnam’s acting health minister reported 28 new cases of Covid-19 infection yesterday, bringing its total confirmed cases to 670, as well as 2 more deaths from the disease, making the tally 8 deceased Vietnamese. 27 of the new cases were reported in the central city of Da Nang, central Quang Nam province and southern Dong Nai province, among whom 16…
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Huge explosion at Port of Beirut kills 78 – VIDEO
The death toll from a massive port explosion in the capital Beirut yesterday had reached 78. Nearly 4,000 people have been injured, according to Lebanon’s health minister Hamad Hasan bringing local media up to date. The death toll is expected to rise. “There are many people missing until now. People are asking the emergency department about their loved ones and…
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3 men saved after rescuers spotted a huge SOS in the sand on remote Pacific island
It reads like a Hollywood script (or the first episode of ‘I Dream of Jeannie’), but this time it was for real. And it worked. 3 men were rescued from a tiny western Pacific island after scrawling a giant SOS sign into the sand. It was able to be seen by rescue aircraft. The men had gone missing in the Micronesia…
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Cambodia suffers acute Chikungunya outbreak
Chikungunya, often likened to Dengue, has spread to 12 provinces across Cambodia. Over a thousand patients have now tested positive for the mosquito-borne disease between July 19 and 31. Dengue and Chikungunya, though carried by the same mosquito type, are caused by different viruses. While Chikungunya is caused by a Togaviridae alphavirus, Dengue is caused by a Flavirideae flavivirus. The…
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Philippines’ capital to re-enter lockdown as Covid cases surge in Manila
Manila and the surrounding Philippine provinces are heading back into lockdown from tomorrow, for a period of at least 2 weeks. The decision comes as the Philippines’ capital recorded a significant spike of over 100,000 new cases of the Covid-19 virus. Thai PBS World reports that the country’s President, Rodrigo Duterte, is imposing the lock-down on Manila and the adjacent…
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Trump advisers pour cold water on US president’s calls to delay election date
Donald Trump’s advisers say the US presidential election will go ahead as planned on November 3. The confirmation comes as Trump’s campaign and White House staff try to shut down speculation by the US President to delay the vote. Trump continues to cite concerns about the mail-in ballot system, which even his critics dismiss as unfounded and without evidence. The…
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City of Melbourne wakes to first day of 6 week lockdown and curfew
Australia’s southern state of Victoria is now under a state of emergency and a state of disaster. The state government have given police greater powers to help enforce the latest restrictions in a draconian bid to reduce the community transmission of Covid-19. The capital of Melbourne is now in a 6 week lockdown to tackle the latest spike in virus…
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Trump threatens US TikTok ban
Donald Trump said yesterday that he plans to sign an executive order – perhaps as soon as today – banning the Chinese-owned short-video app TikTok from the US. Such a ban would mark the culmination of national security concerns over the safety of personal data handled by TikTok’s parent company, Beijing-based ByteDance, which became 1 of only a handful of…
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Duterte tells Filipinos to clean masks with petrol
Stressing that his advice is not a joke, bombastic Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday told his people to use petrol as a disinfectant for protective facemasks. The outspoken leader made a similar remark last week which his spokesman said was a joke, reminding the public that Duterte often says things in jest. But in a televised address yesterday, Duterte declared:…
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South Korean cult leader arrested for hiding Covid-19 data, embezzlement
Authorities in South Korea this morning arrested the founder of a secretive Christian sect at the centre of the country’s largest outbreak of Covid-19 infections for allegedly concealing crucial data from contact-tracers, and other offences. Police nabbed Lee Man-hee, the powerful head of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which is linked to more than 5,200 coronavirus infections, or about 36%…
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Vietnam records first Covid-19 deaths
Vietnam announced today that 2 people have now died of Covid-19 complications, just a day after it recorded its first-ever coronavirus death, as it struggles with a renewed outbreak after 99 days without a locally transmitted case. Both patients died in hospital in Da Nang, a hotspot with more than 100 cases in the past week, more than half of…
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Europe bans US travellers for 2nd time in a month
The EU extended its travel ban on Americans yesterday for the second time in a month, as Covid-19 continues to ravage the US. The EU began lifting its travel restrictions on July 1, welcoming visitors from 14 countries, including Canada, South Korea and Australia. The US was left off of that list, and the EU extended its ban on travellers…
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Hong Kong reverses daytime ban on restaurant dining after workers forced to eat in the street
Hong Kong officials are rowing back on a decision to extend a ban on restaurant dining to daytime hours and will now allow tables of up to 2, until 6pm. The move comes after photos went viral of workers having to balance takeaway boxes on the backs of cars, or on narrow ledges along the side of buildings. Some were…
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What’s behind Hong Kong’s third wave of Covid-19 infections?
Hong Kong has had its ups and downs throughout the early phases of the coronavirus pandemic but its reaction was considered a text book response as it contained the virus quickly. But then there was a smaller 2nd wave, and now a 3rd. Despite being a part of China and sharing a border with the mainland to the north, Hong…
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Heart damage in Covid-19 patients found months after recovery – Study
New medical reports are showing that Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2) is having lasting impact on the heart of some patients. The report confirms the fears of cardiologists who have been concerned about potential long-term heart injury from the coronavirus. Two German studies, published this week in the peer-reviewed medical journal JAMA Cardiology, indicated heart “abnormalities” in Covid-19 patients months after they had…
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Thailand ranks #1 for handling Covid-19 crisis
A global survey released yesterday gave Thailand top marks for its effective handling of Covid-19 and its recovery from the coronavirus crisis. The nation scored 82 on the Global Covid-19 Index, putting it on top of the global chart as an example of best practices in tackling the virus sweeping the globe. In the previous ranking published June 14, Thailand…
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Covid-19 found in 3 Thai monks at Las Vegas temple
The Royal Thai consulate-general in Los Angeles confirmed yesterday that 3 Thai Buddhist monks at a temple in Las Vegas have contracted Covid-19. “The temple has 5 monks, who were tested for Covid-19 on July 13. The test results showed 3 have the virus. 2 monks were rushed to the hospital in critical condition and have been on respirators since,…
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US, Australia take hawkish tone towards China in talks
Australian and US foreign and defence ministers have taken a hawkish tone against China in the latest round of annual talks between the two countries. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo set the tone for the talks saying to the the Australian ministers that the United States “knows the threats that you and the rest of the free world face”. “And…
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Vietnam in new virus scare as 15 cases emerge
Vietnam, which recorded its first locally transmitted case of Covid-19 since April, has now closed the coastal resort city of Da Nang to tourists after 15 new cases were recorded there over the past 5 days. Tourists cannot enter the city for 14 days and up to 80,000, mostly domestic visitors, are being flown home. Vietnam, along with Thailand, has been…
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Hong Kong re-introduces tough restrictions as virus numbers rise
Hong Kong is toughening up on restrictions as it is experiencing what many are calling a 3rd wave of Covid-19 infections. From tomorrow, customers can no longer dine in at restaurants as eateries will be allowed to open for takeaway service only. This expands an existing rule that banned dining in from 6pm, now making it an all-day stipulation. In…
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Vietnam evacuates 80,000 following 3 new Covid-19 cases in Da Nang
After the surprise appearance of 3 new Covid-19 cases, Vietnam officials announced they are evacuating 80,000 people from the central coastal city of Da Nang, mostly tourists. Any festive activities, celebrations, religious ceremonies, sports activities and crowded events in public places, stadiums and large venues are now banned. “The evacuation will take at least four days with domestic airlines operating…
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