World News
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Sponsored Is private health insurance in Thailand worth it? Real costs vs risks explained
Thailand has a strong healthcare system with both public and private options. Public hospitals offer affordable care, but many people, including expats, choose private health insurance for faster service, modern facilities, and more treatment choices. To decide if private health...
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AirAsia X forced to ground its international fleet until borders re-open
Regional airlines are struggling to find any semblance of ‘new normal’ as they try to get their flight schedules settled for the next few months. With regional government’s unable to provide them timing for the lifting of border restrictions, and some re-closing borders, it has become a nightmare for the international carriers. Now Air Asia X, the international division of…
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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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Survey: China travel may take a year to recover
Data from the latest travel report by ITB China Travel Trends show that it’s possible – even likely – that the Chinese outbound travel market will take up to a year to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. The survey of 200 Chinese outbound travel agents examined the anticipated travel behaviour of outbound Chinese tourists once the beginnings of recovery are…
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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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First Lady of Brazil has Covid-19
The First Lady of Brazil tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday after her husband spent 2 weeks in quarantine with the virus. The announcement comes just 5 days after President Jair Bolsonaro said he was over his illness and had resumed his normal work routine. His office says 38 year old Michelle Bolsonaro “is in good health and will follow all…
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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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Still no word on abducted activist as UN deadline passes
Despite a UN deadline, the family of abducted activist Wanchalerm “Ta” Satsaksit says that authorities have yet to offer any explanation of his fate. He is believed to have been kidnapped in front of his Phnom Penh apartment on June 4. His sister, Sitanan Satsaksit says she has yet to hear any word from either the Cambodian or Thai governments…
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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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Malaysia and Singapore to test re-opening of maritime border for business travellers
The Malaysian and Singapore governments have agreed to re-open the Straits of Johor border (the land bridges linking Malaysia and Singapore) from August 17, initially only for those travelling on business. The move comes after Malaysia closed its border 5 months ago in mid-March, at the height of the Covid-19 crisis. Now the Foreign Affairs Ministers of both countries, Hishammuddin…
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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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Rohingya boat incident leaves 24 feared dead off Malaysian coast
A Rohingya boat incident has left at least 24 people feared to have drowned off the coast of Malaysia after a sole survivor swam to shore on the resort island of Langkawi. The 27 year old, named Nor Hossain was detained by police after arriving on the island. A search and rescue operation was launched using 2 aircraft and 2…
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Migrants seek to return to Thailand after lockdown
With the introduction of Phase 6 of easing Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, businesses have reopened and begun hiring, but migrant workers, who went home and waited for outbreak to end, now find themselves on the outside looking in, unable to reenter the kingdom and get back to work. The prospects for their return don’t look good despite soaring demand to revive the…
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North Korean border city locked down over suspected Covid-19 case
North Korea has, until now, claimed not a single case of Covid-19 within its borders, a claim widely doubted by experts. Today, North Korea state media reports that the secretive nation’s “dear leader” Kim Jong Un has placed the city of Kaesong, near the border with South Korea, under total lockdown after a person was found with suspected coronavirus symptoms,…
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Covid-19 UPDATE: 3 new cases in Thailand, world total passes 16 million
On a day when the number of the world’s total infections zooms through the 16 million mark, and the US total for deaths is about to reach 150,000 people, Thailand again registers a mere 3 new cases, again all imported. The USA, Brazil, India, Russia and South Africa are the world’s Top 5 coronavirus hotspots with a host of South…
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First Covid-19 case in Vietnam since April
Health authorities in Vietnam today reported the first first locally transmitted case of Covid-19 in nearly 100 days, in a country whose swift and draconian lockdown won international praise for controlling the spread of the disease. “Patient 416”, a 57 year old retired man in the central city of Da Nang, is the first case of local transmission since April…
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9 illegal migrants nabbed in 2 provinces
6 Burmese have been nabbed in the central city district of the western Prachuap Kiri Khan province. They allegedly paid a Thai broker 6,500 baht each to help them enter Thailand. A combined team of border police, soldiers and immigration officers was dispatched to a border area in tambon Ao Noi following a tip that illegal migrants would be smuggled…
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16 Thais, Burmese arrested in raid on illegal Narathiwat casino
Officers of the Crime Suppression Division arrested 16 Thai and Burmese gamblers at an illegal gambling den in Sungai-Kolok, on the Malaysian border in the southern Narathiwat province. The casino reportedly had a monthly cash flow of over 388 million baht, and was operating in an apartment with many games to choose from. Officials got a tip about a location…
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Travel trends define future of world tourism
People still want to travel, even if their options are severely limited at the moment. 84% of respondents to a Hotels.com survey admit that they are “looking forward to travelling again”. But attitudes towards have also evolved as a result of the world Covid-19 pandemic. 49% of those surveyed admit that they would “still be nervous about travelling” even after…
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Overly harsh travel restrictions are destroying aviation: AAPA
More than 6 months into the Covid-19 pandemic, the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines is urging governments around the region to ease what they view as unduly burdensome restrictions on international air travel and re-establish global connectivity with evidence-based measures to safeguard public health. The industry is taking initial steps toward restarting international operations by working closely with governments, health…
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Global aviation recovery could take 3 years – Survey
“Widespread recovery of the global airline industry could be up to three years away.” That’s the consensus out of n industry poll conducted as part of FlightPlan: Charting a Course into the Future. 500 professionals around the world were asked questions about the likely recovery of the global aviation industry. Apart from the dire predictions of a slow recovery over the next…
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Last Qantas 747 flight draws kangaroo logo in the sky to mark final voyage – VIDEO
The Qantas Boeing 747 has taken to the skies for the last time, marking its final journey by drawing the airline’s famous kangaroo logo in the sky. The design could be seen on flight radar maps as the aircraft, affectionately known as the Queen of the Skies, ascended out of Sydney for the last time. It flew over the Harbour…
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