World News
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Sponsored Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Abortion in India: Bridging the gap between progressive legislation and implementation
Shilpa (name changed) found out she was pregnant at the age of 21. She had just enrolled herself into graduate school in India’s commercial capital of Mumbai. Distraught and alone in a big city, she took an auto-rickshaw to the nearest hospital and got an appointment with a gynecologist. Braving judgmental glances, the first question that she had to answer…
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Ghanaian clinic encourages dads to attend post natal care
The Child Welfare Clinic in Tamale, Ghana asked mothers to bring their husbands to postnatal care. The idea is to encourage fathers to join in child welfare. When parents come together, they get attended to first. SOURCE: DW News
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India: Rohingya refugees fear deportation
Indian officials have called for the deportation of nearly 40,000 Rohingya refugees, many of whom live in dire conditions. The government claims they are a threat to national security, but critics say it is a campaign of discrimination. SOURCE: DW News
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First international tourist group arrives in Vietnam since start of the pandemic
After a two-year hiatus due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the first group of 29 international tourists has arrived at Da Nang Airport in Quang Nam province, under the vaccine passport programme. The Vietnam Airlines charter flight which departed Incheon Airport in South Korea boarded nationals from Australia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, South…
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Phnom Penh governor says public must follow Covid-19 measures during Cambodia’s water festival
The governor of Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh is warning the public to abide by Covid-19 prevention measures while travelling and gathering for the Royal Water Festival, known as “Bon Om Touk,” marking the the end of the monsoon season with celebrations and dragon boat races. The popular three-day festival, begins today and people throughout the country gather for boat races.…
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Winners of the 2021 Press Freedom Awards unveiled
In December of 2019, a mysterious new lung disease spread through the city of Wuhan in central China. At the time, no one imagined it would soon become a global pandemic. The Chinese authorities played down the incident as infections went into overdrive. On January 23, 2020, the city went into total lockdown — with estimates that thousands of inhabitants…
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Scoot announces new service between Singapore and London Gatwick via Bangkok
Low-cost carrier Scoot, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, has confirmed a new service between Singapore and London, via Bangkok. TTR Weekly reports that the new service will launch on December 16. The announcement means Scoot is the only low-cost airline offering non-stop flights between Bangkok Suvarnabhumi and London. The flight to Gatwick Airport will also be Scoot’s first service to…
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Emirates A380 to return to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi to meet increased demand
The A380 is to return to the skies over Bangkok as Emirates upgrades capacity on flights to the capital to meet increased demand. TTR Weekly reports that Thailand’s recent re-opening to vaccinated tourists from approved countries has led to strong demand, with around 10,000 arrivals registered at Suvarnabhumi every day. In order to add capacity and frequency to its services,…
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Desperate Afghans forced to sell children
An already ailing economy that has been hard hit by a prolonged drought and with the Taliban at the helm, Afghanistan’s future is looking bleak. The Taliban, which is still struggling for international recognition in the wake of its seizure of power in mid-August, is struggling to grasp Afghanistan’s deteriorating situation — and it is the poor who are paying…
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Cameroon’s nightmare plots
Demand for land has surged in Bamenda, Cameroon. Scammers pretend to own land and take money from buyers who believe they are purchasing land to build a home. SOURCE: DW News
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Cambodia targets Mother Nature group in latest crackdown on dissent
Though it was founded less than a decade ago, Mother Nature Cambodia has quickly become a major nuisance for Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen’s government. The NGO’s efforts to shed light on environmental issues which are threatening the Southeast Asian country’s diverse ecology as well as its dwindling natural resources, has prompted the Cambodian government to take action. While six…
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Ethiopia: Daniel Bekele, a rights defender or government stooge?
“I hope this report presents such a unique opportunity to start a new chapter in the history of this political crisis,” Daniel Bekele said as he recently presented an investigation into alleged human rights violations in Tigray. Ethiopia’s Human Rights Commission (EHRC), headed by Daniel Bekele, collaborated with the United Nations (UN) in conducting the research. “It’s very worrying,” the…
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Military eyes reopening Myanmar to tourists, shadow government says “stay away”
The State Administrative Council under the Myanmar military junta on Tuesday said it will reopen the country by next month, starting with border crossings with China and Thailand, ahead of a scheduled resumption of welcoming international tourists in the second quarter of 2022. It comes amid continued internal clashes between civilian and military troops in the aftermath of the military…
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Malaysia sees over 95% of adults, 81% of teens fully vaccinated
While countries around Southeast Asia have been working on their reopening plans, Malaysia is looking at reopening Langkawi as the country has now surpassed a 95% vaccination rate of the adult population. Thailand’s neighbour to the south is reporting reaching 95.4% of all the adults in Malaysia having been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 with 2 doses. The figure is still…
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Olympic Committee gives new guidelines on transgender athletes
Yesterday, the International Olympic Committee rolled out a new framework for transgender athletes who wish to compete. While a few hard rules will be established by the committee, the main purpose of these new guidelines is to outline the committee’s position of acceptance and inclusion when it comes to transgender athletes participating in the Olympic games. The main takeaway from…
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Slovenia’s press agency gets financial reprieve — but at what cost?
After nearly a year since cutting off funding for Slovenia’s lone news agency STA, the government has said it will resume payments. But journalists and editors have warned that the new contract can still leave staff vulnerable. After 312 days, the agreement ended a period of huge uncertainty for the Slovenian Press Agency (STA), which narrowly avoided bankruptcy. Prime Minister…
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Duterte and Marcos children join forces in Philippines election
Two political dynasties in the Philippines seem to have formed an alliance, as President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter is running for vice president on the same ticket as deposed dictator Ferdinand Marcos’s son Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Rumors of a partnership between the 2 famous (or some consider infamous) political families have been swirling around for weeks and been the subject of…
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Students in lower-risks area return to classrooms as the Philippines reopens schools
Thousands of the Philippines students returned to school on Monday for the first time in nearly two years as a hundred public schools in lower-risk areas have started a two-month pilot program to hold courses in person. As approved by President Rodrigo Duterte, a total of 100 public schools will participate in the two-month pilot program. On Monday, 30 private…
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Thai women, casino workers rescued from Cambodia after being held for ransom
3 Thai women have been rescued from Cambodia, where they were allegedly being held for ransom by their Chinese boss. Following their rescue, another 60 Thai workers have been freed, also in Cambodia, after being duped by fake job ads and being held in “slave-like” conditions with their families ordered to pay ransom money. The Bangkok Post reports that police…
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South East Asia gradually re-opening to vaccinated foreign arrivals
With Thailand now open to vaccinated travellers from 63 approved countries, the rest of South East Asia is preparing to follow suit. According to a TTR Weekly report, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Cambodia all have their own variations on a re-opening plan. In Vietnam, the resort island of Phu Quoc will re-open later this month for fully vaccinated foreign…
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EU security strategy gets an overhaul — but will it really be an upgrade?
“Europe cannot afford to be a bystander in a world order that is mainly shaped by others.” This longstanding lament is a key theme in the opening paragraphs of a document updating the EU’s security strategy for the next five to 10 years. Shepherded by EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Josep Borrell, it warns governments that current…
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After 15N, Cuba’s government intensifies protest response
Cuba had plenty of reasons to celebrate on Monday. Children nationwide returned to the classroom after schools had been closed for months because of the coronavirus pandemic, tourists started trickling in again as the borders reopened, and Havana celebrated its 502nd anniversary with colorful street festivals. But Monday’s call for nationwide protests alarmed the government four months after demonstrations on…
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Biden-Xi summit: Can the US and China keep competition under control?
US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met for a three-hour virtual summit Monday. The talks failed to produce any major breakthroughs, but nevertheless provided a welcome sign that both leaders are working towards managing strained US-China relations with more transparency and stability. As China increasingly asserts its clout as a global power, potentially rivaling the US on…
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COVID in Bangladesh: How have lockdowns plunged millions into poverty?
Pandemic lockdowns have pushed an estimated 32 million people below the poverty line in Bangladesh, according to a new livelihood survey conducted by two leading research organizations. Critics say that the stark increase in poverty in the country is due to a lack of government response to the economic crisis brought by the pandemic and a spike in fuel prices.…
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Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi and ousted president to face another charge
Sixteen people, including Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and ousted President Win Myint, are set to face another charge of election fraud, the Union Election Commission under the military junta said on Monday. According to local media, Irrawaddy News, the former Chairman of the Union Election Commission and members Myint Naing and Than Htay, Cabinet Minister Min Thu,…
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Travel blogger jailed in China for posing with a veteran’s tombstone for pictures
A travel blogger in China was sentenced to seven months in prison after publishing photos of himself with a veteran’s tombstone at a military cemetery in Xinjiang territory, according to the state media People’s Daily. Li Qixian, who blogged under the name Xiao Xian Jayson, was ordered him to make a public apology within 10 days. Li visited the Kangxiwa…
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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…
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Vietnam gives green light to foreign tourists, limited destinations
As the Southeast Asian country steadily reopens its tourism sector amid the pandemic, Vietnam is receiving foreign tourists starting from November for the first time since Spring 2020. The daily newspaper Nguoi Lao Dong says two flights carrying foreign visitors from Japan and South Korea arrived in Khanh Hoa Province on the south-central coast on Thursday. About 430 travellers from…
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Bali governor pushes for reduction in mandatory quarantine
The governor of the resort island of Bali is urging the Indonesian government to reduce quarantine time for international arrivals. TTR Weekly reports that Bali currently has a 2-night quarantine in effect, but Governor I Wayan Koster says it’s putting tourists off coming. He wants to see it reduced to 1 night, until international visitors get the results of their…
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7 people arrested over kidnap and torture of a cryptocurrency investor in Hong Kong
Seven people were arrested by Hong Kong police on Sunday over alleged involvement in the kidnap for ransom and torture of a man who was entangled in a cryptocurrency scam. According to police, the victim was badly beaten and assaulted with hammers and metal chairs by a gang and held captive for about a week. The 39 year old victim…
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