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Political rows blemish Israel’s Miss Universe 2021 beauty pageant
The jury will face a tough decision on Sunday in Israel’s most southern city Eilat when it’s called on to decide the winner of the 70th “Miss Universe” beauty pageant. The event to crown the successor of Andrea Maza from Mexico in a three-hour live show that includes contestants giving personal statements as well as modeling in swimsuits and evening…
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Army denies photo with masturbation caption joke that went viral
While it was probably a press release they never expected to have to make, the army has put out a statement saying they do not force their soldiers to masturbate. The strange accusation comes after a photo and story went viral on the internet suggesting that army soldiers were ordered to masturbate before showering. The army has emphatically denied any…
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500 cannabis clinics successful, Health Ministry plans to expand
The Ministry of Public Health has opened more than 500 cannabis clinics throughout Thailand since the first one opened its doors in August of 2019. 60% of public hospitals now have cannabis clinics in 878 districts, and can be found in every single province in Thailand. More than 40,000 patients have now been treated with the use of cannabis. The…
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Bomb in Narathiwat explodes, monks and soldiers unharmed
In the Deep South province of Narathiwat bordering on Malaysia, a bomb exploded this morning, with 2 monks and 2 soldiers narrowly escaping harm. The explosion took place early this morning on the side of the road in Rueso district of the province that often sees violence and bombings from local insurgents. As is common for Buddhist monks in Thailand,…
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Finance Minister: economy of Thailand will recover in 2023
Minister of Finance Arkhom Termpittayapaisith says that the economy of Thailand should see a full recovery, not next year, but by 2023. The economy is expected to grow by about 4% next year so 2022 would begin economic recovery, but it will take longer for Thailand definitely bounce back after the devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Finance Minister believes…
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Thailand: 1st in Asia, 5th worldwide in Global Health Security Index
Out of 195 countries, Thailand was ranked fifth in the world – and first in Asia – on the Global Health Security Index this year. The list is compiled by John Hopkins Centre for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and other health experts worldwide. The index evaluates the health security of countries by analysing…
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EU devises new measures against ‘economic coercion’
China last week put a ban on imports from Lithuania, an EU member state. It had nothing to do with a trade conflict: Beijing simply wants to persuade Vilnius to change its friendly policies toward Taiwan. Lithuania has allowed Taiwan to open a kind of embassy but China sees Taiwan as a renegade province awaiting reunification with the mainland. Now,…
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Rohingya vs. Facebook: What are the chances of success?
In August 2017, tensions escalated between Myanmar’s Buddhist majority and the Rohingya, a Muslim minority that lives mostly in the country’s northwestern state of Rakhine. Prior to that, the militant group “Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army” (ARSA) had carried out a number of attacks on police stations and border posts. The Myanmar military responded with a massive operation in the course…
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AfricaLink On Air — 10 December 2021
Odinga’s bid for the Kenya presidency+++Ghana introduces Mandatory vaccinations +++Tackling COVID surge in Johannesburg+++Zambia’s domestic workers fight for their rights+++Qatari sportswashing SOURCE: DW News
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Pakistan: Where did billions of rupees in COVID aid go?
The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has recently hit back at claims that corruption is behind the billions of rupees in financial irregularities, following an audit of cash intended for Pakistan’s coronavirus response. The report released last month by the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) claimed that irregularities amounted to 40 billion Pakistani rupees ($226 million, €200 million). The almost…
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GirlZ Off Mute celebrates one year of stories told by African girl reporters
Chelsea Boakye vividly recalls her first time working in front of the camera for GirlZ Off Mute. “I still remember it like it was yesterday,” 16-year old Chelsea said. “The documentary was about a young female footballer whose family neglected her because she wanted to pursue football as a future career.” Boakye was amazed by how determined the girl was…
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Chaiyaphum rebuilding after grandson burns down family’s house
An 86 year old woman, along with her daughter and 3 girls will be receiving a new house courtesy of the Chaiyaphum provincial authorities after her druggie grandson burned down the family home. Last Friday, the old woman’s grandson, who is said to be a drug addict, threatened the lives of his mother and grandmother and then set fire to…
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200 funeral attendees quarantined after deceased diagnosed with Covid-19
Attendees to a large funeral in Phetchabun province have now been isolated after it was discovered that the person who died was infected with Covid-19. The funeral took place in the Nong Phai district of the northern province and was attended by over 200 people who then had to be quarantined. The Nong Phai District Hospital said that they were…
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China makes a donation of 200,000 Sinopharm vaccines
China has made many donations of Covid-19 vaccines to Thailand throughout the year as the kingdom battled the pandemic and rolled out its vaccination programmes. Now, the Chinese Embassy announced that their government has made another donation of 200,000 Sinopharm vaccines. The Chinese Embassy in Bangkok made the announcement yesterday and the first of the shipments of the 200,000 vaccines…
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Anti-Corruption Commission ranked Phuket least corrupt province
The National Anti-Corruption Commission has ranked Phuket as the least corrupt of the 77 provinces in Thailand after evaluating government agencies. Phuket Vice Governor Piyapong Choowong was presented with a plaque at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday to commemorate the achievement on International Anti-Corruption Day. Phuket made an impressive climb to the number one spot, having ranked 25th in last years…
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Eyesore wires and cables are being cleaned up in Bangkok
Looking up in Bangkok might be a bit clearer now, and you’ve got Hollywood to thank for it. After Russell Crowe went viral during his trip to film a movie in Thailand for his tweets, particularly one displaying the mess of wires strung across Bangkok streets, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission worked with the Metropolitan Electricity Authority to clean…
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Weekend travellers expected to general 5.72 billion baht
As we enter a long holiday weekend (the second long weekend in a row), the Tourism Authority of Thailand says 5.72 billion baht is expected to be generated by local tourists. The announcement comes after a TAT survey among domestic travellers about the upcoming weekend and their travel plans. Predictions from the TAT over the past 18 months have been…
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Huge stash of marijuana intercepted near the Malaysian border
Police have discovered some 1.6 tonnes of compressed high-grade marijuana. The stash was hidden in amongst other freight being carried on an 18 wheeler truck in Narathiwat. That’s a LOT of weed! The truck was on its way, allegedly to transfer into a boat to cross the Malaysian border, nearby. Local drug authorities estimate the high-grade marijuana would have a…
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International flights into Thailand up 24% from last month
While the tourism industry is still a long way from recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, the high season is getting underway, and international flights to Thailand have increased more than 20%. Airports of Thailand reported the increase last night. AoT reported 9,483 of the flights scheduled in landing slots into Thailand were originating from international cities this month, which is…
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Meta bans Myanmar military-owned telco from Facebook
Myanmar’s military junta chief has woken up to find his partly-owned telecom company Mytel being barred from Facebook as Meta, Facebook and Instagram’s new company umbrella, is pulling the plug on business related to the Tatmadaw, the Burmese military. Facebook has nearly 29 million users in Myanmar, in a country with a population of 54 million. Mytel is on of…
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Siam Piwat unveils the “ONESIAM SuperApp” – a smart platform that delivers extraordinary experiences
Press Release Joining forces with partners across 13 industries to create a world of digital business through a world-class ecosystem of success. Siam Piwat is launching a groundbreaking premium world-class business ecosystem that homes in on over 7 million affluent customers in Thailand and reaches powerful customer bases around the globe. Advancing its Co-creation initiatives, Siam Piwat is joining forces…
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First international flight to Krabi launches, Finnair from Helsinki
Finnair has launched the first international flight to Krabi with a flight running from Helsinki 4 times a week. The inaugural test flight came last week on December 1 and brought 96 travellers to the tourism hotspot that has been struggling to reopen. After the first flight last week, regular service began on Wednesday and will run through March 24.…
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Anti-Corruption Commission says Vorayuth hit-and-run case “completed in 14 months”
The hit-and-run case against Red Bull heir Vorayuth Yoovidhya is expected to be wrapped up within 14 months. Nation Thailand reports that the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission says the case should be complete by the end of next year. The incident is now 9 years old and many Thais wonder why it’s taking so long to prosecute the…
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Constitution Day is today – Here’s what the public holiday commemorates
Today’s public holiday in Thailand is Constitution Day. It commemorates the charters that have been written since the 1932 Siamese Revolution when Thailand ended 800 years of absolute monarchy and transitioned to a constitutional monarchy. Since then there have been 20 different charters with the most recent was drafted by the military junta, the National Council for Peace and Order,…
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Thailand participates in exercise simulating cyber-attack on global financial system
Thailand is one of 10 countries to participate in a simulation exercise that mimicked a cyber-attack on the global financial system. According to a Reuters report, the exercise was led by Israel, with the intention of building on cooperation between countries to mitigate potential damage to global markets and financial institutions. The exercise was named, “Collective Strength” and included officials…
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From child mother to entrepreneur in Cape Verde
Sara de Pina is a regular at this market in Assomada. She’s searching for the best bananas on the whole of Santiago Island. Then she meticulously sets to work. She and her family fry about 30 kilos of bananas a day. In the morning, she takes her daughter to school. She washes the utensils and peels the bananas to fry…
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Nigerians are livid over UK’s omicron travel ban
Nigeria became the eleventh African country to be added to the UK’s red list earlier this week over fears travelers from the country could help spread the omicron COVID-19 variant in Britain. Announcing the ban, the UK’s Department of Health said 21 Omicron cases, or 16% of all omicron known cases at the time, were linked to travel from Nigeria.…
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Is this the end of Kashmir’s bespoke gun-making?
Civilian shotguns have been a traditional handicraft in Indian-administered Kashmir for decades, but as gun ownership has become increasingly difficult in the restive region, the industry may be breathing its last breath. SOURCE: DW News
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Bangkok’s Train Night Market Ratchada opens in a new location under new name
Bangkok’s Train Night Market Ratchada is now returns with a new location and new name, but still with the same vendors with a wide variety of stalls including street food, clothes and accessories, furniture, vintage items, handcrafts. The market, now called JODD Fairs, isnear CentralPlaza Grand Rama 9. The new spacious area has open-air bars to hang out and more…
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Meta removes Myanmar military businesses from its Facebook following lawsuit
Myanmar military junta chief Min Aung Hlaing yesterday woke up to see his partly-owned telecom company Mytel being removed from Facebook as Meta started to ban businesses related to Tatmadaw, also known as the military, from functioning on its platform. The move came just hours after lawyers from the US and the UK launched a $150 billion lawsuit on behalf…
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