World News
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Sponsored 9 most common health issues covered by insurance for expats in Thailand
Thailand is a popular destination for expats due to its affordable lifestyle and excellent healthcare system. However, settling in a new country often brings health concerns. To ensure you’re covered for the most common medical needs, understanding what expat health...
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Typhoon Trami cuts across Japan
Another powerful typhoon is unleashing heavy rain and winds on southern Japan as it slowly trudges its way north-east toward the Japan’s main islands and population centres this morning. Typhoon Trami is the equivalent of Category 2 hurricane. It passed over the Ryukyu Islands on Friday evening after taking a slow right-hand track and heading north out of the Pacific…
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Death toll approaches 400 in Sulawesi earthquake aftermath
Rescuers are still struggling to reach remote communities on the island of Sulawesi hit by an earthquake and tsunami just before 6pm, local time, on Friday. A spokesperson of the local disaster agency has confirmed that the official death toll is now up to 384, almost all from the coastal township of Palu as a result of a tsunami. A…
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India has highest number of Facebook users but Singapore is Asia’s FB star
By DataLEADS – Asia News Network Facebook is the most popular social network worldwide and Asia is Facebook’s most active region in terms of active users. India has the most number of Facebook registered users not only in Asia but in the world. Facebook users in India now number 251 million, becoming the largest audience country for the social media giant.…
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Large earthquake in Sulawesi. Palu struck by tsunami.
Another Indonesian earthquake, this time a shallow 7.5 magnitude tremor that was more powerful than the quakes that killed hundreds on Lombok island during July and August, has hit the central Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Rescuers are still scrambling to reach villages in central Indonesia to assess the damage after the earthquake hit, causing buildings to fall down and triggering…
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Typhoon Trami predicted to regain strength and hit Japan this weekend
Tropical Typhoon Trami has weakened and it is no longer considered a “super typhoon” but is still packing winds up to 195 kilometres per hour (121 mph). The islands in the storm’s projected path are bracing for its arrival. If the current projected path of the typhoon holds, Trami will hit the southern Japan Ryukyu islands, including Okinawa, some time…
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Duterte talks down a coup plot to remove him from office
The Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is calling on his police force not to join any “stupid” coup attempts against his Presidential administration. His warning follows reports of a plot to oust the outspoken President. The plot has been nicknamed “Red October.” Quoted in inquirer.net, President Duterte said yesterday, “Do not go into such stupid thing as coup d’ etat. You’re…
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South Korean band’s motivational UN speech transcends race and gender identity
by Yim Hyun-su (hyunsu@heraldcorp.com) K-pop sensation BTS embraced self-love and encouraged young people around the world to “speak themselves” regardless of their origin, skin color and gender identity, in a speech at the UN General Assembly in New York yesterday. Kim Nam-joon, better known as RM, said, “No matter who you are, where you are from, your skin color, your…
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Budget Phuket to India direct, from October
Indian low-cost airline carrier GoAir will commence direct flights between India and Phuket in October. Flights between Delhi to Phuket start October 11 and from Mumbai on October 12. GoAir is the 5th largest airline in India, with a home base of Mumbai. The city-based airline, which became eligible to fly overseas more than two years ago when it took delivery of its…
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‘Stereotype’ problems for single Thai women travelling out of Thailand
A Thai woman has gone online to describe her experiences of being locked in a Johur Bahru immigration jail for three days. She said that Thai women travelling abroad alone, especially to other places in Asia, are often assumed to be working in the sex industry. The woman made her comments on the Pantip website under the name “Fernchiu” and said…
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Top 10 Museums in Asia
Asia has a lot of museums but many are a reminder about rough days in the past, moments in time remembered so they’re not repeated. Some of these Top 10 museums are just downright creepy. But they’re all interesting. Trip Advisor’s readers have ranked the Top 10 Asian museums. Thailand didn’t make it into the Top 10 but has a…
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Plastic straws to be banned in some Malaysian territories from January 1
Plastic straws are to be banned in all the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan in Malaysia from January 1 next year. Businesses which are still found to be using plastic straws in 2019 risk having their business licences terminated. Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Adnan Mohd Ikhsan says, “The ban on plastic straws is in addition to the…
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Former Malay PM Najib to face up to 20 charges over 1MDB scandal
by The Star – Asia News Network Former Malaysian PM Najib Razak is expected to face “nothing less” than 20 charges under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act. A mountain of legal challenges lies ahead of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as authorities bring fresh charges against the former PM over the multibillion-ringgit 1Malaysia Development Bhd…
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Japanese billionaire buys a ticket to the moon
Elon Musk, fresh from being sued by Vernon Unsworth for his slanderous comments during the Tham Luang cave rescue mission, has now announced that he is sending Japanese tourists up with his company Space X’s first moon mission. Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa will be Earth’s first moon tourist. It is not known how much he paid for the return trip…
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Thai fined $6,000 for defaulting on Singapore national service obligations
by The Straits Times – Asia News Network PHOTO: Ong Wee Jin A Thai national, registered as a Singaporean when he was just a year old, but never lived in Singapore, has been fined S$6,000 for defaulting on his national service obligations in the Lion City. 24 year old Ekawit Tangtrakarn, an application engineer, committed the enlistment offence before he ceased…
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Singapore #1, Thailand #6 – Asia’s most innovative nations
by DataLEADS/Asia News Network Singapore, South Korea and Japan are the most innovative countries in Asia whereas Pakistan and Bangladesh are the least innovative, according to the Global Innovation Index 2018 report. Thailand comes in number 6 out of the 17 ranked countries. The report analyses the energy innovation landscape of the next decade and identifies possible breakthroughs in fields…
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Death toll rises in the wake of Mangkhut in northern Philippines
by The Philippine Daily Inquirer – Asia News Network – BAGUIO CITY Massive landslides have killed 64 people while 45 others remain missing in this city and in the provinces of Benguet, Mountain Province, Kalinga and Nueva Vizcaya, as Typhoon “Ompong” (international name: Mangkhut) unleased its fury on Friday night and early Saturday, the Philippine National Police said on Sunday. The PNP…
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Air Asia cancel flights into southern China
Air Asia has announced the cancellation of 32 regional flights through southern China scheduled on Sunday as there was potential the flights could be affected by Typhoon Mangkhut. Flights affected are routes landing in Hong Kong, Macau and Shenzhen, China. The affected return flights are Phuket-Macao, Don Mueng-Hong Kong, Don Meuang-Macao, Don Meuang-Shantou, Chiang Mai-Hong Kong, Utapao-Macao, Phuket-Hong Kong, Chiang…
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Typhoon Mankhut batters Hong Kong and Macau
Swaying buildings, scaffolding being torn off buildings under construction, collapsed walls, smashed windows and flooding. That’s the result after Typhoon Mangkhut slammed into Hong Kong and Macau today around lunchtime. Heavy rain and strong winds have delivered storm surges of up to three metres in coastal regions such as Heng Fa Chuen in eastern Hong Kong Island and Tai O…
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Mangkhut will hit China coast around noon today
Typhoon Mangkhut will pass over the coast of southern China and be closest to the Pearl Delta, one of the most densely urbanised regions in the world, around noon today. So far, it’s been recorded as she strongest storm this year. It’s just barreled through the northern Philippines and is now headed for China. It brought ferocious winds and torrential…
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“Please stop eating dog meat” – Hanoi city government
by Paul Kennedy – Viet Nam News/The Nation An international animal welfare charity is welcoming the news that the city government is considering banning the consumption of dog meat. But only in certain areas. Humane Society International say it’s time for those who make a living from slaughtering and selling dogs to look for another profession, and understand the dangers…
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Asian families travel twice as much as Western families
by The Star – Asia News Network, KL When it comes to vacations, Asian travellers take twice as many family trips as their Western peers. The Agoda Family Travel Trends 2018 survey found that over 34% travellers took more than five family trips in the past year. Asia dominates this multi-holiday trend with a remarkable 77% of travellers from Thailand and 62% from…
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Mangkhut bearing down on the northern tip of Luzon, The Philippines
The Philippines continues to evacuate thousands as soldiers and emergency workers continue to prepare shelter and emergency provisions. ‘Super’ Typhoon Mangkhut is threatening more than four million people in the northern island of Luzon. ‘Mangkhut’ is expected to make landfall on the island very early tomorrow (Saturday). Current wind speeds are up to a staggering 285 kilometers per hour (180…
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The Philippines and northern Vietnam prepare for typhoons
More than 4 million people in The Philippines are poised for the arrival of destructive typhoon-force winds caused by ‘Super’ Typhoon Mangkhut. The massive storm peaked on Wednesday and became, officially, the strongest storm of 2018 with winds up to 285 kph. Countries across east and southeast Asia, including The Philippines, Vietnam and China are issuing emergency alerts and ordering…
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Mega storm bears down on Luzon Island, The Philippines
Two typhoons are barreling into several coastlines in the east and south-east Asia. There’s Typhoon Barijat, lying to the south of China and making its way past Hainan Island as we write this article. Around 12,000 people have been evacuated from low-lying parts of China’s Guangdong province and shipping halted ahead of it’s landfall tonight. But the main act is to follow…
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One ASEAN – no roaming charges
Vietnam talks up future ASEAN initiatives including an ASEAN University of information and communication technology during the World Economic Forum in Hanoi. By Vietnam News – Asia News Network. Hanoi Vietnam’s acting minister of information and communications, Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng, says that Vietnam, as an emerging economy, should be able to take advantage of the fourth industrial revolution, even though the country missed…
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Saving ancient stone – restoration of the Angkor heritage sites
by China Daily – Asia News Network August is probably not the best time for tourists to travel to Angkor Was (Angkor Archaeological Park) in northern Cambodia – the rainy season brings particularly muggy conditions. But for Yuan Mengxi, an assistant researcher at the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage, her trip last month was perhaps one of her most exciting although…
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Businessman arrested in Thailand not linked 1MDB
PHOTO: File photos In an exclusive story, the New Sunday Times in Malaysia is reporting that the businessman arrested in Thailand by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over the SRC International case, is not linked to former Malaysian PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak and financier Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low. A highly-placed investigator told the New Sunday…
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Indonesian croc attack kills man
PHOTO: Sangkulirang Police 45 year old ‘Muslim’, a resident of the Aurgading village in Jujuhan district, Jambi, Indonesia, died after being mauled by a 6 meter crocodile when he went to bathe in the Jujuhan river on Saturday evening. The Jakarta Posts reports that the village head, Hamrozi, said that during the past six months he saw three crocodile attacks…
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QANTAS passengers heap praise on pilot for turn-around
Passengers flying on a QANTAS non-stop flight from Perth to London have heaped praise a pilot’s decision to turn around just two hours into the 17 hour flight. The Boeing 787-9 series Dreamliner took off from Perth on Saturday evening. But QF9 was forced to return to Perth just two hours into the flight to London. The disruptive passenger was reportedly handcuffed,…
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Disruptive passenger causes mega-route QANTAS flight to return
PHOTO: KarryOn A QANTAS flight has been forced to turn back after just two hours in the air. It was on the Australian airlines’ new non-stop ‘mega route’ from Perth to London – 17 hours in the air in a Boeing Dreamliner 787 – 900. The service is the first direct flight from Australia to London. The flight usually takes 17 hours…
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