World News
World news, global politics, business, technology, and culture—stay updated with breaking stories, international trends, and major events. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted source for global news.
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Sponsored Top digital marketing and SEO agency: Why brands choose Convert Cake
A strong digital presence is a must for any business chasing market share and growth in this day and age. But turning that ambition into tangible results? That takes the right partner. And if you’ve been looking for a top...
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Thai cave survivor ‘found unconscious in dormitory,’ says Coach Zico
The Wild Boars team captain ‘Dom‘ – one of 12 boys saved from a flooded cave in Thailand in 2018 – was found unconscious in his dormitory room in England on Sunday before tragically passing away on Tuesday, according to the foundation sponsoring his studies. President of the Zico Foundation, Kiatisuk “Coach Zico” Senamuang, told the press via Zoom that…
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Hollywood’s golden era loses an icon, Raquel Welsh dies at 82
Raquel Welch, Hollywood icon, sex symbol, and trailblazer for modern-day action heroines, has died at the age of 82. The star, known for her sultry roles and sex symbol status, passed away on Wednesday morning after a brief illness. Welch’s career spanned over five decades, during which she appeared in more than 30 movies and 50 television shows. Her breakout…
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5,000 year old tavern found in Iraq
Feel like your local pub is a bit old and dated? Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a tavern dating back almost 5,000 years in the ruins of ancient Lagash in southern Iraq. The site was uncovered in the northeast of the modern city of Nasiriyah by a US-Italian team. Southern Iraq was home to some of the earliest cities…
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IBM sues former Thai CEO after she moves to competitor
One of the world’s largest technology companies, the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), filed a lawsuit against the former Thai CEO of IBM Thailand, Patama Chantaruk, after she moved to work for the competitor before the non-disclosure agreement ended. According to a Bloomberg report, the 56 year old Patama joined IBM Thailand in 2018 as managing director and quit at…
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Papua militants release video of kidnapped NZ pilot
New footage has been released by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), showing that New Zealand pilot, Philip Mehrtens, who was kidnapped last week, is alive and well. The video is the first proof of life since he was reportedly taken captive by Papua insurgents in the remote region of Nduga on Feb. 7. Last week, in the Indonesian…
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Early Valentine’s Day Guinness World Record set for longest underwater smooch
Valentine’s Day did not go down without a record-breaking smooch. A couple sealed the holiday a bit earlier, on February 4, with an underwater kiss that broke the Guinness World Record for the longest underwater snog. The kiss lasted four minutes and six seconds, smashing the previous record by 42 seconds. An Italian couple held the previous record for the…
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Singapore couple grossed out after finding worm on sashimi at Japanese chain restaurant
A Singapore couple says they are grossed out after finding a live worm wriggling around on their sashimi at a popular Japanese restaurant chain. The woman, Jayice Tan, says they were happily seated and had received their sashimi when they realised something wasn’t right. Horrified, she posted the video of the wriggling worm on Facebook last Wednesday to advise others…
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55% rise in infections and deaths from Covid virus
Scientists are making their regular plea to the public not to forget about and completely write off Covid-19 yet. While people worldwide have generally moved on from the stressful and fearful days of the height of the pandemic, the virus is still bringing infections and death and still mutating. A Chulalongkorn University Faculty of Medicine doctor warns about a 55.6% increase…
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English-born Buddhist monk Ajahn Jayasaro becomes Thai
HRH the King may have bestowed Thai nationality upon famous farang Buddhist monk Ajahn Jayasaro back in 2020 but it took almost three years to get his Thai ID card. On Sunday, Phra Ajahn Jayasaro took photos for his new Thai ID card in Nakhon Ratchasima province in northeast Thailand. On March 9, 2020, King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand bestowed Thai…
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Thai Vietjet to launch only direct Bangkok – Okinawa route
Budget airline Thai Vietjet is expanding its wings with new direct flights between Bangkok, Thailand, and Okinawa in Japan, in collaboration with leading Thai travel agency Tourladfah Co., Ltd. The new route is the only nonstop service between the two major Asian hubs. The route between Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and Okinawa’s Naha Airport will fly twice per week on Thursdays…
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Pays to be single! Filipino single staff get bonuses
This Valentine’s Day, how much is your relationship worth? No really, exactly how much? Because employees of the town hall in one city in the Philippines are getting bonus pay for being single on Valentine’s Day. The incentive comes as a thank you from Mayor Matt Florido, a lifelong bachelor himself, who’s giving extra salary to single staff members of…
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China says the US, not them, are flying spy balloons
Tensions between China and the United States have increased following accusations from China that the US has been flying surveillance balloons into its airspace. The White House shot back that it is China, not them, launching spy balloons worldwide. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson responded on Twitter. “Any claim that the US government operates surveillance balloons over the PRC…
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Thailand’s K9 dogs wear safety boots to search for victims in Turkey earthquake
As rescuers in Turkey continue to find miracle survivors beneath the rubble a week after the country’s worst earthquake in modern history, K9 dogs from Thailand are assisting in the search for victims. Thailand’s Environmental and Social Foundation posted photos of the police dogs hard at work on Facebook yesterday with the caption… “It’s time to put on your safety…
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Czech Republic star comes out as gay on Twitter (video)
A high-profile Czech Republic international football star yesterday came out as gay. Getafe midfielder Jakub Jankto, currently on loan at Czech side Sparta Prague, announced in a video on Twitter: “I no longer want to hide myself.” The 27 year old who has made 45 appearances for the Czech national side, previously played for Italian clubs Sampdoria, and Udinese. Jankto…
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Australia and New Zealand best places to survive nuclear apocalypse
As Valentine’s Day casts its mushroom-cloud shadow over ambivalent or forgetful lovers everywhere, it’s heartening to know where the best places to survive a nuclear apocalypse really are. A recent study by the University of Otago, Wellington, reaches the same conclusion as every other such survey in living memory. ‘Continuing’ civilisation It’s probably best not to survive, but if you…
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Man cut off his penis after child sexual abuse charges
After being accused of child sexual abuse, a man in Indonesia attempted to end his own life in a cringy, gruesome way. The man got into his shower and cut off his penis. The incident took place in the Sikka regency, an area on the island of East Nusa Tenggara (neighbour to the famous Komodo island) on Saturday. The Bola…
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UK police go to Thailand to solve woman’s mysterious murder 19 years ago
Nearly 19 years after a Thai woman‘s half-naked body was found in a stream in the Yorkshire Dales, UK police officers have come to Thailand to try and solve the suspected murder case. Police want to question David Armitage, her husband who now lives in Thailand, and the woman’s parents. Hikers noticed the body of Lamduan Armitage, formerly Lamduan Seekanya,…
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Embassy searches for Thai woman missing in Turkey after earthquake
The Royal Thai Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, is searching for a missing Thai woman in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that hit southern Turkey and northern Syria. The Thai embassy requested clues about the woman, Wilairat Channual, and the rescue team has been notified, Nation Thailand reported yesterday. The embassy is also working with local agencies to repatriate the…
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Price of roses rise, but many express Valentine’s love online
Roses have been the traditional gift of love for Valentine’s Day for several centuries. But modern-day V-Day is bringing new trends in the way couples declare their love for one another, with social media platforms and applications offering creative and personalised digital options for expressing affection. Video calls, for instance, have seen a surge as more couples opt for private…
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3 Thais, 1 Malaysian handed death penalty for businessman’s murder
On Friday, a court in Thailand sentenced four people – three Thai and one Malaysian – to the death penalty over the murder of a businessman in Songkhla province seven years ago, despite none of them pulling the trigger. Songkhla Provincial Court sentenced two more defendants, the gunman and his driver, to life imprisonment. In December 2014, 54 year old…
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British drug fugitive Richard Wakeling arrested in Bangkok
British fugitive Richard Wakeling, wanted on narcotics trafficking charges, was arrested in Bangkok on Friday. The National Crime Agency of the UK requested cooperation from Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) in the arrest of the man from Brentwood, Essex. The 54 year old Wakeling had been sentenced to 11 years in prison for attempted amphetamine smuggling of product worth about 8…
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Amsterdam institutes red light cannabis ban
While Thailand has turned into a cannabis-free-for-all, some have warned that legalisation leads to a destructive path to crime and degeneration. Those defending legislation have pointed to places where cannabis has been legal for years without becoming Sodom & Gomorrah, like some US states and, famously, Amsterdam. But now authorities in Amsterdam have announced plans to ban street smoking of…
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Japanese crime ring masterminded from Thailand and Philippines
A Japanese crime ring operated from Thailand and the Philippines is behind a string of crimes across Japan. The international crime syndicate was coordinated remotely from Thailand. The crimes being investigated include the murder of a 90 year old woman as well as cash-card fraud involving a number of elderly victims. Yuki Watanabe, 38 years old, and another senior member…
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Anwar demands tougher ASEAN pressure on Myanmar
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called for tougher ASEAN pressure on Myanmar. Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, he said, must take measures to pressurise the Myanmar government into ending atrocities against its people. Anwar, on a two-day official visit to Thailand, said in a speech to the Malaysian-Thai Chamber of Commerce that ASEAN members have to be…
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Do fewer shark bites mean fewer sharks?
Shark attacks worldwide fell in 2022, resulting in fewer shark bite incidents compared to the past decade. In 2020, travel restrictions and beach closures were thought to have resulted in fewer encounters between humans and sharks and fewer shark bites. The majority of the 57 unprovoked bites last year occurred in the USA and Australia. Five proved fatal, down from…
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Thai tourists don’t need Covid proof to visit India from next week
Thai tourists don’t need to show a pre-departure Covid-19 test report or upload a self-health declaration form to visit India from next week. From February 13, tourists from Thailand, along with those from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, will no longer have to provide any proof of a pre-departure Covid test or complete a self-health declaration form…
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Is Google chatbot smarter than a pigeon?
Embarrassing stammering by Bard, the Google chatbot, has prompted the global public and stock markets to unreservedly rejected machine-generated garbage. The likes of Donald Trump and Elon Musk must be delighted that a talking Google chatbot is held in higher regard than talking billionaires. Google’s response to ChatGPT got off to an embarrassing start when its chatbot gave a wrong…
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European Super League a ‘wolf in granny’s clothing’
The sports development company trying to resurrect the European Super League (ESL) has been accused of being a “wolf in granny’s clothing.” European sports development company, A22 Sports Management, is trying very hard to summon a phoenix from the ashes of the ESL after the original 12-club proposal in 2021 crashed and burned after European-wide protests against it. In an…
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North Korean dictator’s daughter makes appearance spurring speculation of leadership role
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un’s daughter has made an appearance again spurring speculation that she may be in line for a leadership role. Although she has not been named in state media, South Korean intelligence officials believe her name is Ju Ae. She was called this name by Dennis Rodman, the former American basketball player who spent time with…
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The 4 Traveller Tribes of the next decade
Travel-tech outfit Amadeus has identified what it calls the four “Traveller Tribes” of the next decade – experientialists, influencers, memory makers and pioneers. According to the Nation, Singapore’s Amadeus examined emerging traits, behaviours, and preferences, to pinpoint what travellers will want a decade from now. Pioneers, more than 40% of all travellers globally and the largest tribe, live fast-paced lives…
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