US
- Covid-19 News
Japan suspends foreign visitors from entering as Omicron variant spreads
Japan is suspending foreign visitors from entering as the new Covid-19 Omicron variant spreads throughout the country. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says the measure will take effect tomorrow. “We are taking the step as an emergency precaution to prevent a worst-case scenario in Japan.” The move means the country will backstep in restoring its border controls that eased earlier this…
- Thailand News
Foreign Minister shrugs off lack of invite to democracy summit
Thailand’s Foreign Minister has shrugged off the fact that Thailand has not been invited to a democracy summit being hosted by the US. Thai PBS World reports that Don Pramudwinai says the event is, “nothing more than pure politics”. The summit is scheduled to take place from December 9-10 and Thailand has been left off the guest list. Controversially, Taiwan…
- World News
US Summit for Democracy excludes Thailand, includes Taiwan
US President Joe Biden is convening a Summit for Democracy next month, inviting over 100 countries to participate with one notable exception — Thailand — and one controversial inclusion — Taiwan. The event, which will take place virtually on December 9 and 10, has invited 110 participants, according to a list published yesterday from the US State Department. While Thailand…
- Covid-19 News
Made it! A million Moderna doses donated by the US arrive in Thailand
A million doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, donated by the United States, have arrived in Thailand. The Bangkok Post reports that the US donation touched down yesterday afternoon. Michael Heath from the US Embassy in Bangkok says this is the second US donation of mRNA vaccines following a donation of 1.5 million Pfizer doses in July. “This new shipment…
- Crime News
Police crackdown after CNN investigation into multimillion dollar medical glove scam
Thai police have arrested a Japanese businessman and have issued several arrest warrants following the CNN investigation into the multimillion dollar, transnational medical glove scam involving a Thailand-based company. According to the report, millions of used medical gloves, some stained with blood, were exported from Thailand to American companies looking to cash in on the pandemic-driven spike in demand for…
- World News
Singapore lifts entry curbs for 5 more countries under vaccinated travel lane scheme
Beginning November 29, Singapore will allow vaccinated travellers from five more countries, including Indonesia and India, to enter the country without undergoing a quarantine or isolation period. The effort is part of the country’s vaccinated travel lane scheme and will be expanded to cover travelers from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates beginning early next month, according to…
- World News
Biden-Xi summit begins, tensions high between China and the US
A highly anticipated virtual meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping has begun as tensions are high between the two countries, especially over the status of Taiwan, which is a self-ruling democracy claimed by Beijing. Speaking through a translator, Biden told Xi… “As I’ve said before, it seems to me our responsibility as leaders of China…
- Tourism News
Zipair is the first budget airline to fly from Asia to the US
As tourists finally begin to take to the skies again, a low-cost airline in Japan is set to become the first budget carrier to fly from Asia to North America. Zipair Tokyo Inc announced today that it is launching flight service between Tokyo’s Narita Airport and Los Angeles International Airport in California, the first budget airline to do so. Zipair…
- Thailand News
Thai government forms panel to probe the export of used medical gloves
The Thai government has formed a panel to investigate the export of millions of used medical gloves from Thailand to the US. The investigation follows a recent CNN report into the international trade of substandard medical equipment, with an underground industry having emerged in Southeast Asia, seeking to capitalise on Covid-fuelled global demand. Reporters found that tens of millions of…
- Thailand News
Prayut orders investigation into used medical gloves exported to the US
Following a CNN investigation into the export of millions of substandard medical gloves from Thailand, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has tasked his deputy with delving further into the matter. According to a Bangkok Post report, Deputy PM and Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit will take the reins of a probe, looking into the issue which has attracted global headlines since the CNN…
- Thailand News
Huge quantities of used medical gloves shipped from Thailand to US
Huge quantities of used medical gloves have been shipped from Thailand as shady operators seek to cash in on Covid-fuelled demand for personal protective equipment, or PPE, according to a report from CNN following a months-long investigation. With demand having skyrocketed around the world, an underground industry based around reusing PPE has emerged in Southeast Asia, with the shoddy medical…
- World News
1 dead, 1 injured in prop gun shooting on Alec Baldwin movie set
A prop gun malfunction on the set of a movie in Santa Fe, New Mexico in the US led to 1 death and 1 person in emergency care after being shot on set. The film “Rust”, a Western movie produced and starring Alec Baldwin and directed by Joel Souza was the site of the tragedy where what should have been…
- Thailand News
New York TAT says US travellers look for trips without quarantine
The New York Office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand says that Americans who are fully vaccinated are looking to travel to destinations without complex restrictions. American travellers are looking away from previously popular destinations like Europe and Canada, and when they look for tropical beach destinations, quarantine-free destinations like the Maldives and the Caribbean are drawing the customers that…
- Covid-19 News
US records over 100,000 patients hospitalised with Covid-19
Bad news: 100,000+ people are currently hospitalised with Covid-19 in the US. Good news (if you’re vaccinated): The the vast majority of this wave’s hospitalised patients are yet to be vaccinated. The latest surge of Covid cases sweeping the US is largely driven by the more transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus. The more than 100,000, currently in US hospitals, in…
- World News
Biden stands by decision to withdraw troops, says no leaving without ‘chaos ensuing’
Following Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan’s capital Kabul with thousands now trying to evacuate the country, US President Joe Biden sat down with an ABC News reporter for a one-on-one interview, standing by the decision to withdraw US troops after occupying the area for two decades. While acknowledging that he was stunned by the swift takeover of the US-backed Afghan government,…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Covid official amnesty, nearly 7% totally vaccinated | August 10
The Thai government is pondering an amnesty bill that would grant medical officials connected with fighting Covid, legal protection against criminal charges. Just 6.7% of Thai residents are currently fully vaccinated against Covid-19, while 23% have already received their first dose. The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is warning citizens against travel to Thailand. Drug officers in the…
- Thailand News
Dogs from Thailand and more than 100 countries banned from US due to risk of rabies
Dogs from Thailand as well as more than 100 other countries are banned from entering the United States for the next year due to a high risk of rabies. The US Centre for Disease Control released a notice yesterday on the temporary suspension of dogs from countries classified by the CDC as high risk for rabies among dogs. Dog rabies…
- World News
Vietnamese president asks US for help with Covid-19 vaccination efforts
The President of Vietnam has written to US President, Joe Biden, asking for help with Covid-19 vaccines as his country battles a surge in infections. Over 4,000 new cases have been recorded since a fourth wave took hold at the end of April. The country has received 2 shipments of 2.5 million AstraZeneca doses through Covax, the global initiative set…
- Thailand News
Thai company offers travel packages to the US with Covid-19 vaccine included
With the recent wave of Covid-19 hitting record highs and increasing the demand for vaccines, some Thais are looking to get inoculated overseas. There are now tour packages which include a Covid-19 vaccination. The company Unithai Trip is now advertising trips from Thailand to the United States that include a Covid-19 vaccine. Starting at $2,300 USD, travellers can go on…
- Covid-19 News
America sees an easing of mask-wearing for those fully vaccinated
America is seeing an easing of mask wearing rules for those who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention announced the new regulation yesterday, which allows those inoculated against the coronavirus, to stop wearing masks outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings. US President Joe Biden, who held a press conference without wearing a…
- Environment News
It’s cicada season and America is preparing for billions to emerge after 17 years of hiding
Americans are preparing for billions of cicadas to emerge after spending 17 years underground. Some are thinking it’s their worst nightmare to see and hear the insects as they will undoubtedly swarm their yards and porches. Their semi-hard skin, that is shed, will also be a sight to see, if there are, indeed, billions coming out. In Thailand, and most…
- Covid-19 News
Independence Day holiday is set date for US to achieve herd immunity from Covid-19
US President Joe Biden is setting the national holiday of Independence Day, on July 4, as the date in which he says 70% of American adults should have had at least their first Covid-19 vaccine dose. But, Priya Sampathkumar, chair of Infection Prevention & Control at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, disagrees with that priority. “Vaccinating more people in the…
- Thailand News
Foreign Ministry cautions Thais about vaccine travel to the US
While Covid-19 tourism may sound like an oxymoron, people travelling abroad in order to get vaccinated is a growing trend. But now Thailand’s Foreign Ministry is urging Thai people planning to travel to the United States to get a free Covid-19 vaccine to be cautious and do their homework. They stressed that rules vary from state to state, and not…
- Covid-19 News
Pfizer sees 45% increase in net income and revenue, as critics point to disparity in global vaccine availability
After seeing a 45% increase in net income from last year, Pfizer, the pharmaceutical giant, is largely increasing its projected profits for this year. And, the increase is undoubtedly due to the high amount of Covid-19 vaccine sales, in which the company says is shaping up to provide a “durable” revenue stream. The company says this year’s first quarter profits…
- Covid-19 News
US Air Force lands in India with much-needed Covid-19 supplies, other foreign aid on the way
As India has recently requested foreign aid to help with its severe Covid-19 situation, a US Air Force aircraft has landed in the South Asian country, answering that call with Covid-19 relief supplies. The aircraft departed from California and, according to a statement by the US Department of Defense, was packed with cargo pallets containing more than 400 oxygen cylinders…
- Covid-19 News
UPDATE: Covid-19 around the world
The Covid-19 situation around the world is seeing some nations attempt to return to a new normal as vaccines are rolled out, but some countries, notably India, are seeing the worst of the virus. As India’s death toll reached over 200,000 yesterday, hospitals are running out of oxygen and basic medical equipment. A Covid virus variant has hit the South…
- Thai Law News
Britney Spears asks to address court over controversial conservatorship case
US pop singer Britney Spears has requested to speak in court in the controversial legal battle over her father’s conservatorship. The 39 year old was placed under conservatorship of her father back in 2008 when she apparently had a mental breakdown, which was widely publicised. Now, after 13 years, adamant fans are demanding for her conservatorship to end amid speculations…
- Covid-19 News
India’s appeal to foreign aid has been granted with multiple nations sending help
India’s appeal to receive foreign aid has been granted, as multiple nations are sending help to deal with its dire Covid-19 situation, which has seen over 2,800 deaths from yesterday alone. As infections and death rates are exploding, emergency medical supplies arrived today from abroad with the first shipmen arriving from the UK. Ventilators and oxygen concentrators were delivered as…
- Thailand News
Pattaya prepares for around 2,000 US soldiers to visit for Cobra Gold
Despite Thailand’s record high Covid-19 count, around 1,000 to 2,000 United States soldiers are still expected to travel to Thailand in August for the annual Cobra Gold multinational military exercise, which is co-sponsored by the US. Thai soldiers teach American and other foreign soldiers jungle survival skills, from identifying edible plants to decapitating snakes, drinking the blood, and then cooking…
- Covid-19 News
Siam Bioscience says July due date of locally-produced AstraZeneca vaccine still feasible
Siam Bioscience Co. says the July due date for delivering its locally-produced Covid-19 AstraZeneca vaccines is still feasible. The company is currently sending vaccine samples to laboratories in Europe and the US for quality inspections. If they are approved, then the samples will be sent to AstraZeneca for final inspections. After that, the vaccines will be registered with Thailand’s Food…
