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 Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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Australia and UK may offer a safe haven to Hong Kong citizens
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Australia is “actively considering” providing a safe haven for Hong Kong citizens to migrate to the country after controversial national security laws enforced by China have come into effect. Yesterday, hundreds of people were arrested after protesters took to the streets to protest the new laws introduced by China to suppress dissidents. When asked…
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Tesla becomes the world’s most valuable car maker
Tesla has become the world’s most valuable carmaker, surpassing Japan’s Toyota after its stock rose to a record high. Shares in Tesla hit US$1,134 on Wednesday before dropping before the close, leaving it with a market cap of $209.47 billion (£ 165 billion), around $4 billion higher than Toyota’s existing market value. Shares in the electric car maker have risen…
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World travel business faces slow recovery – UN report
Plenty of businesses are suffering and recovery will be slow, and lumpy. One of the hardest hit, and probably one of the most difficult industries to re-start, is the world travel business. Hotels, airlines, tour companies, travel agencies and online booking systems… and the millions of people employed to make all those work together as a working machine. Now a…
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Italian police seize 14 tonnes of amphetamine valued at 1 billion euros
“We know that the Islamic State finances its terrorist activities mainly by trafficking drugs made in Syria, which in the past few years has become the world’s largest producer of amphetamines.” Police in Italy today announced the seizure of 14 tonnes of amphetamines manufactured by the Islamic State in Syria, calling it the “biggest seizure of such drugs in the…
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iPhone 12 may not be sold with charger or headphones
If you looking to buy the latest iPhone, the iPhone 12, it may be good to know that you may be getting less than you bargained for. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who spoke to Apple blog 9to5Mac, Apple is looking to drop accessories such as iPhone charging cable, adaptor or headphones so it can sell its next-generation phone at a similar…
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US buys up most of the world’s supply of Covid-19 drug
The US has purchased almost the entire global supply of one of the main drugs used to treat Covid-19 patients. Reports say that American officials have bought up all the Remdesivir available in July and 90% of the supply company’s stock in August and September as well. Remdesivir, which was originally developed to treat Ebola, is produced almost exclusively by the…
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Harvey Weinstein lawsuit reaches US$19 million settlement
The New York Attorney General has announced that an agreement had been reached to settle two sexual misconduct lawsuits on behalf of multiple women against Harvey Weinstein for almost $19 million on Tuesday. This did not sit well with the lawyers representing six of the women who made accusations against the jailed former film producer, describing the proposed deal a “sellout”…
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EU temporarily bans flights from Pakistan International Airlines
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has announced today that Pakistan International Airlines would not be allowed to fly to Europe for at least six months after the country ‘s aviation minister revealed that nearly a third of Pakistani pilots had cheated during their pilot tests. Pakistan International Airlines spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez said that because of the pandemic, PIA has…
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Chinese scientists find new flu strain similar to 2009 swine flu
Chinese scientists have identified a new strain of the flu similar to the 2009 swine flu, saying it has the potential to become a pandemic in China. The researchers are concerned that it may further mutate so that it can spread easily from person to person and trigger a global outbreak. While this is not an immediate problem, they say, it…
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India bans TikTok among almost 60 other Chinese apps
India has decided to ban almost 60 Chinese apps, including the explosively popular TikTok and WeChat, which has left millions of users reportedly startled and disappointed. The Indian government says the apps were “prejudicing the sovereignty and integrity of India, the defence of India, and the security of state and public order.” Although TikTok has refused to share any data…
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Australia uses national flower for new marketing logo
Australia is replacing its international marketing logo with the nation’s wattle flower to represent the country during trade missions and business exchange programs. Trade Minister Simon Birmingham is giving the green light to change the logo from the current one which displays two boomerangs surrounding the words “Australian Unlimited”. The new logo features the letters “AU” on top of a gold…
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Beijing passes new Hong Kong security law
China has passed the controversial new national security law for Hong Kong in what critics believe could be the start of a wave of ‘mainland’ political repression. The National Standing Committee, China’s top lawmaking body, approved the legislation. The passing of the new law has been reported on Now TV, RTHK and the South China Morning Post. Chinese officials maintain…
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Bangladeshi ferry incident leaves 23 dead, dozens missing
A ferry accident in Dhaka, Bangladesh has reportedly left over 20 people dead today with dozens more still missing. According to rescue officials, The Morning Bird ferry capsized in waters off the Bangladeshi capital after being hit by another vessel, killing 23 people so far. Rescue divers are still searching for the rest of the missing passengers after the boat…
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Mississippi lawmakers vote to remove Confederate symbol from state flag
Legislators in Mississippi voted on Sunday to strip the Confederate battle symbol from the state flag after national demonstrations drew renewed attention to the symbols of the colonial history, slavery and race issues in the US. The measure was adopted by a majority vote of 91-23 in the House of Representatives, which gave rise to cheers in the Senate gallery. A few hours…
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L’Oreal is dropping words such as ‘whitening’ from products
The French cosmetics giant L’Oreal is reportedly joining the bandwagon to remove terms such as “whitening” and “fairness” off its skincare products. The decision was made by the Paris-based corporation in the aftermath of the global anti-racism demonstrations that followed the killing of George Floyd in the US last month. L’Oreal said in a statement that it has “decided to delete…
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Gunmen attack Pakistan stock exchange
Militants have allegedly opened fire at the Pakistan Stock Exchange this morning, which reportedly left three people dead. Pakistan police have declared the incident a terrorist attack as two security guards and a policeman was killed along with the four gunmen, who police reportedly shot down. Inside the stock exchange, broker Yaqub Memon said he and others were huddled inside…
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British Airways makes cuts after Covid-19 profit loss
British Airways is the latest airline to cut jobs after Covid-19 sent profits into a downward spiral. The company says it has reached an agreement with its pilots that will see 350 laid off and another 300 entering a pool in which they could be rehired at a later date. The airline previously said it needed to cut 12,000 jobs and…
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Hong Kong residents protesters of new national security law arrested
Hong Kong residents protesting China’s new national security law found themselves arrested for unlawful assembly after fights broke out. Yesterday’s protest was largely supposed to be silent but ended with armed riot police arresting 53 people and using pepper spray on parts of the crowd after chanting and slogans were shouted towards them. Such arrests may be an indication of the…
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America’s BLM movement sparks race discussion in Thailand
While the Black Lives Matter movement continues unabated in the US, a broader discussion on discrimination and racism is now being brought up on the other side of the world. Some foreigners and locals with dark skin have spoken up about the overt racism they’ve experienced in Thailand. While activists in America protest alleged police brutality and racial profiling, some…
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Cambodia announces changes to entry rules for citizens with foreign passports
Cambodian nationals who hold foreign passports will likely welcome the government’s decision to do away with the requirement for a US$3,000 deposit to cover Covid-19 costs, along with the compulsory US$50,000 health insurance. But a report in TTR weekly says the changes only apply to Cambodian citizens with foreign passports and a Visa K entry permit. Following the move by…
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India opens one of largest hospitals to treat coronavirus
After seeing the biggest one-day increase in Covid-19 infections, India is partially-opening one of the world’s largest hospitals specifically to treat the virus. The Sardar Patel COVID Care Center opened on Sunday, making 2,000 of its 10,000 beds available so far with the rest being made available on Wednesday. The opening, coincided with Delhi being marked as the world’s worst-hit…
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Taiwan hosts gay pride march for other countries
Taiwan has taken centre stage by hosting a gay pride march for the rest of the world which saw many cancellations due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Taipei’s Liberty Square saw more than 200 people coming out to celebrate saying they were “marching for the world” during the LGBT pride season. The move supports Taiwan’s recent progressiveness towards the issue as…
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Customer’s abuse over mask-wearing sparks donations to Starbucks employee
An American Starbucks employee can now pursue his dreams, thanks to donations from well-wishers, after a customer allegedly verbally abused him when he asked her if she had a mask to wear when she entered the shop. Lenin Gutierrez, a barista at a Starbucks store in San Diego, asked the woman, Amber Lynn Gilles, if she had a face mask.…
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Facebook loses 56 billion in value amid boycott
Social media giant Facebook saw 56 billion dollars (1.73 trillion baht) wiped off its market value when markets closed Friday, after a slew of major advertisers announced a boycott. Some of the biggest brands are showing their displeasure about Facebook’s reluctance to curate the hate speech, fake news and political propaganda from the hugely popular platform. Facebook’s share price plunged…
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UPDATE: Covid-19 cases pass 10 million, deaths surpass 500,000
The Covid-19 coronavirus has now officially infected over 10 million people worldwide. We emphasise “officially” because today’s sad milestone only accounts for confirmed cases. The 10 million case milestone was almost certainly passed some time ago with the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention announcing recently that infections in the US alone could be 10 times greater than reported.…
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China’s Covid-19 cases spike: 17 in Beijing
Mainland China today reported its highest number of new Covid-19 cases in 4 days, driven by a resurgence of the virus in Beijing. The National Health Commission reported 21 new confirmed infections nationwide on, up from 13 a day earlier and the highest since Monday. In Beijing, 17 new confirmed cases were reported, up from 11 a day earlier and…
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NASA reveal 10 year time-lapse of the sun – VIDEO
The sun makes life on Earth possible. Without it, we wouldn’t be here, and it’s a constant fixture in our daily lives. But has anyone wondered what the sun actually looks like? Is there a way to find out without being blinded? Well, astronomers have come up with ways to observe it without scorching their retinas. One such tool is…
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India’s Covid-19 cases surpass 500,000
India reported more than 17,000 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, putting the country ‘s total above 500,000, as reported by the Federal Ministry of Health today, with infections occurring in major cities including the capital, New Delhi. India has the fourth largest virus outbreak worldwide in confirmed infections, and follows only the US, Brazil and Russia, according…
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Unilever, Honda and Coca-cola boycott Facebook
One of the world’s largest advertising spenders has added its name to the campaign to convince marketers to ditch Facebook. Global consumer goods company Unilever announced on Friday that it will stop advertising on Facebook and Instagram, joining a growing movement to stop spending ad dollars on social media platforms. In a post on its website, Unilever referred to its…
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PM proposes limited regional travel at Asean summit
The Covid-19 crisis has severely restricted international air travel, but that didn’t stop a summit of Asean nations yesterday hosted by Vietnam and held by teleconference. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha called on fellow Asean members to begin discussion about reopening certain limited lines of interregional travel, to begin the recovery from the pandemic’s impact on the regional economy. No specific time…
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