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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UN Security Council calls for ceasefire in Ethiopia
For the first time in six months, the UN Security Council (UNSC)called for an end to the intensifying conflict in Ethiopia on Friday, and for unhindered access for humanitarian aid to tackle the world’s worst hunger crisis in a decade in the war-torn Tigray region. “Today the Security Council breaks six months of silence and speaks again with one united…
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The era of tech whistleblowing is here — but will it lead to lasting change?
Whistleblower Frances Haugen says she hates attention so much she stopped throwing birthday parties years ago. She never wanted the world to know her name. And the idea of stepping in front of thousands of people gives her anxiety. And yet, the data scientist decided to give up her anonymity to expose wrongdoing at tech giant Facebook, she told some…
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What are the chances for peace in Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict?
“The situation in Ethiopia is currently very perilous. This is probably the most dangerous moment in the country for decades,” Murithi Mutiga, International Crisis Group Project Director for the Horn of Africa, based in Nairobi, Kenya, told DW. “The primary issue is that all sides have decided that they can settle this conflict militarily.” According to the analyst, the Tigrayan…
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Who are the Tigray fighters, and why is Ethiopia at war with them?
Since early November 2020, the Ethiopian government and Tigray fighters have been exchanging fire in a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives and has left more than 400,000 people facing famine, according to a recent UN estimate. The conflict has escalated rapidly since June, when fighters began to retake most of Tigray and expand into neighboring regions. The fighters…
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Paxlovid by Pfizer reduces Covid-19 hospitalisation, death by 89%
Hot on the tail of Merck winning approval for use in the UK for its anti-viral Molnupiravir pill treatment, Pfizer announced yesterday that clinical trials show their new drug, Paxlovid, to be highly effective in treating Covid-19. The pharmaceutical giant was quick to point out that their pill was developed with the specific goal of fighting Covid-19, unlike the Merck…
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Africalink 05.11.21 – 16 UTC – MP3-Stereo
Ethiopia rebels ‘join forces to defeat Abiy government +++ Preparations are in top gear in Cameroon for tomorrows celebration of Paul Biya’s 39 years in power, but his opponents see it as a mockery. +++ Nigeria state votes in key test for the presidential race++++Sports SOURCE: DW News
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Will Russia’s new push in ASEAN be another failure?
Speaking at the fourth Russia-ASEAN summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated his country’s eagerness to boost cooperation with Southeast Asian nations. Moscow has made similar pledges almost annually since Putin announced a new eastward-looking foreign policy in 2010. “Russian interest in its far eastern flank remains unchanged since Peter the Great: access to the region’s development and prosperity,” said Joshua…
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Deputy minister in Vietnam prosecuted in fake medicine scandal
A deputy health minister in Vietnam is being prosecuted, accused by security officials of looking the other way for a ring that was busted trading fake medication. 59 year old Truong Quoc Cuong is the current head of drug and cosmetics management in Vietnam after becoming a deputy minister in 2016. The Ministry of Public Security in Vietnam is run…
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Covid-19 subsiding in Philippines drops capital region to Alert Level 2
As Covid-19 infections start to slow in the Philippines, Metro Manila and the capital region will reduce their restriction rating to Alert Level 2 out of 5. The easing will be in effect until November 21 as vaccination rates are increasing and daily infections are subsiding. The country is still reporting close to 2,000 infections per day, though yesterday say…
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Pop megastars ABBA release first album in 40 years
Some said it would never happen. In fact, they themselves frequently said it would never happen. But pop fans around the world are rejoicing over the return of Swedish supergroup, ABBA. Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid have reunited for the release of Voyage, their first album in 40 years. It will be followed by an “avatar” concert planned for March…
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Fighting internet censorship with fashion
Introducing DW’s new Uncensored Collection, designed to draw attention to freedom of information. SOURCE: DW News
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EU-funded hijab campaign sparks outrage
Young European Muslims say a decision to cancel a newly launched EU online campaign to promote acceptance of hijab is “an attack on human rights.” “Attacks on this vital campaign take place in a wider environment of a shrinking of civic space, where government actors routinely censor and limit the freedom of speech when it doesn’t fit their political agenda”…
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Kashmir: Migrant worker killings spur exodus, halt industries
A recent spate of killings of migrant laborers in India-administered Kashmir has triggered a widespread emigration out of the region, shaking supply chains and bringing some industrial activity to a halt. Fears of a demographic change among the Muslim-majority population are behind the killings in the region, which largely depends on a workforce coming from mainland India. “The industrial output…
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COVID: How India is vaccinating isolated tribes in insurgency-hit areas
Minpa village, an isolated settlement in Sukma district in Chhattisgarh state, has just over 650 residents. Located nearly 500 kilometers (310 miles) from the state capital Raipur, the village has no electricity, no potable drinking water supply and no road connectivity. One has to embark on an arduous journey to reach the place as it is located in the dense…
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Britain the first to approve Covid-19 antiviral pill Molnupiravir
Molnupiravir, the antiviral pill that fights Covid-19, has just been approved for use in Britain, the first country in the world to do so. The pill was developed by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and has been shown to reduce the severity of symptoms in patients infected with Covid-19. The drug is recommended to be used as soon as possible after a…
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Burmese junta adds third charge for American journalist Fenster
The managing editor of Frontier Myanmar, American journalist Danny Fenster, has been held for months by the Burmese junta and has now been charged with a third criminal offence. He had originally been arrested in May when attempting to leave the country. After being held for nearly 6 months, Fenster is still on trial, accused of promoting dissent against the…
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COP26: Saudi Arabia’s climate strategy: Greenwashing or genuine transformation?
It was a regular hot and sunny day in late October in Riyadh, when Dalia Samra-Rohte, delegate of the German Industry for Saudi Arabia, and Germany’s ambassador to the kingdom, Dieter Lamle, were busy planting a crown-of-thorns sapling in Bödeker Park. It won’t be growing tall alone — earlier this year, the Saudi kingdom revealed plans to plant 7.5 million…
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Chinese travellers forced to stay home as rest of Asia re-opens to tourism
With Asian countries re-opening to foreign arrivals, there will be one significant tourism market missing for now – the Chinese. In China, according to a Reuters report, international air travel is currently at just 2% of pre-pandemic levels, as officials continue to pursue zero-Covid status. The absence of Chinese visitors will mean a US$255 billion annual spending hole in the…
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New York’s mayor-elect Adams: The working-class candidate who embraces big businesses
New Yorkers on Tuesday elected Eric Adams as their next mayor in a landslide election in which the Democrat trounced Republican challenger Curtis Sliwa. Adams, a 61-year-old former police captain, will be the city’s 110th mayor and only the second Black man to lead the largest city in the United States — the first being Democrat David Dinkins, who was…
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Kenya’s first female wildlife rangers unit
Team Lioness is Kenya’s first all female unit of community wildlife rangers. Created in 2019, the team is stationed near the traditional community land around Amboseli National Park on the border of Tanzania and Kenya. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) team of 16 female rangers. The unit patrols the community lands of the Olgulului-Ololarashi Group Ranch (OOGR). Through…
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South Korea, US at odds over deal to end Korean War
The governments of South Korea and the United States have publically reiterated that they are making progress in discussions on an agreement that all sides in the 1950-53 Korean War can agree to and finally formally end the conflict. Analysts suggest, however, that the show of unity is forced and designed to give the impression that the alliance remains resilient.…
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US approves Pfizer vaccine for children 5 to 11 years old
US health officials have announced that children 5-11 years old can now receive the Pfizer BioNtech Covid-19 vaccine. This approval came yesterday after both the Food and Drug Administration and the Centre for Disease Control gave their authorisation. This approval qualifies around 28 million American children to now receive the Covid vaccine. President Joe Biden expressed his approval in a…
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Ethiopia: The Tigray crisis one year on
Ethiopia’s Tigray crisis in pictures SOURCE: DW News
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Facebook facial recognition system being ditched amid growing privacy concerns
Facebook is getting rid of its facial recognition system, which currently identifies and suggests tagging of individuals in photos and videos. The company’s vice-president of artificial intelligence, Jerome Pesenti, says the technology is being ditched due to uncertainty over its use. “Regulators are still in the process of providing a clear set of rules governing its use. Amid this ongoing…
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How Germany’s new government could impact young Africans
It’s young, developing and brimming with potential. Yet, the African continent doesn’t seem to feature prominently on Germany’s foreign policy agenda. Just over a month after Germany’s much-anticipated federal election, coalition talks are still ongoing. Headline-grabbing issues like climate change and migration are on the agenda: But many young Africans are also keenly waiting for the outcome, with the new…
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One Free Press Coalition spotlights rampant impunity in killings of journalists
Since 2011, 278 journalists have been killed in line of duty. In the past seven days alone, two journalists in Mexico and one reporter in the Phillippines have been killed, one of them even tortured. Last week, the Committee to Protect Journalists published its Global Impunity Index stating that 81% of journalists’ murders in the past decade remained unsolved. In…
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Indonesia approves Novavax Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use
The Indonesian government has approved the Novavax Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use, the first country in the world to do so. The Bangkok Post reports that the manufacturer and its partner, Serum Institute of India, has confirmed the approval. The vaccine will be sold under the brand name Covovax. The manufacturers have applied for emergency use authorisation in several countries,…
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Stabbing spree on Tokyo train Halloween night injures 17
A man dressed in what appears to be a costume of Joker from the Batman comics and movies allegedly went on a stabbing spree on a Tokyo train Halloween night, injuring 17 people. The train had to make an emergency stop and riders escaped the train through the windows. The alleged attacker, 24 year old Kyota Hattori, was arrested and…
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AfricaLink on Air – 1 November 2021
Africa Link is 10 years today! The channel has expanded by introducing various segments giving a voice to individuals who are often ignored by both local and international media. ++++ A historic UN climate summit begins in the UK, but how well is Africa represented? SOURCE: DW News
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Why Pakistan has some of the most polluted cities in the world
Air pollution is a major problem confronting Pakistan, with cities like Lahore and Karachi ranking among the most polluted worldwide. According to data released by IQAir, a global environmental think tank,Lahore is the most polluted place in the world, with the city’s air quality index (AQI) standing at 372 on Monday morning, way ahead of the world’s second most polluted…
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